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bromsgrovian 2021

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Contents

Editorial

Headmaster’s Introduction

Pre-Prep and Prep Introduction

Pre-Preparatory and Nursery

Preparatory School

Senior School

Activities

102

Trips and Tours

152

The Arts

154

Sport

184

Staff Leavers

222

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Editorial 2021, the year of the Ox. Those born in this year are said to be natural leaders who are bright, patient and cheerful – but it is not just those born in this year who have shown patience and leadership. Though this academic year has yet again been filled with reminders of the enduring pandemic and further lockdowns, our pupils have been ‘patient’ and ‘cheerful’ with whatever has been thrown at them. You will find ‘natural leaders’ throughout the pages of this Bromsgrovian. Whether it be those in charge of the Army and RAF sections of the CCF, or the work of the Prep School Eco Committee in encouraging others to think about the environment around them. The ‘patience’ of our most Senior pupils being told that there are no longer any formal examinations, or those that missed out on field trips and expeditions as part of their chosen course.

The ‘cheerful’ nature of pupils just getting on with it, even though they had to deal with the unusual routines of one way systems, year group bubbles and getting ‘pinged’ by NHS Track and Trace. Our ‘bright’ Upper Sixth students, who, despite the many challenges faced, were successful in their IB Diploma, A level and BTEC studies. However, they were not just bright in terms of the results they achieved; they also shone bright in terms of their attitude and resilience. As you browse your way through the Bromsgrovian magazine, you will find evidence of this and a whole lot more Bromsgrovian spirit. Enjoy this 2021 edition. Megan Griffiths Editor

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Headmaster’s Introduction Given the pall that the COVID-19 pandemic has cast across the whole of this academic year, it is a wonder that there is anything at all with which to fill this year’s Bromsgrovian. Certainly, the long winter lockdown, book-ended by significant onsite restrictions throughout the Michaelmas and Summer Terms, meant that much of our normal fare was curtailed. And yet, in the pages that follow you will find a triumphant testimony to the School’s determination to make the best of the situation. Each new twist and turn of the unfolding saga, from requiring masks and sanitising stations, social distancing and Year group bubbles, Track and Trace isolation and mass testing, all the way to full School closure and distance learning, was met with fortitude, innovation, and optimism. As is so often the case, a time of trial brought out Bromsgrove at its best. Teachers of our very youngest pupils kept them occupied and engaged despite the restrictions, whilst those of our most senior classes ensured that yet another year of cancelled examinations did not bring any disadvantage. Boarders unable to return home because of travel disruption were wonderfully well cared for by the Guardian Angels team. Creative use of technology saw online learning flourish. Inventive ways were found to maintain sport, fitness, performance, and musical outlets. In the end, there was no aspect of Bromsgrove’s offering that was not cleverly adapted to the constraints faced, not just by the country, but also by the entire globe.

Credit for those successes, and the achievements that fill the following pages, lies not with any particular group however, but rather, with the relationships that bind them. Teachers across all of the Schools were magnificent in their willingness to work around disruption and often outside of their comfort zones. Pupils of all ages took the hurdles in their stride, often showing maturity beyond their years. And parents, many of whom were juggling many other pandemic-related challenges, were steadfast in their loyalty and support. That shared sense of purpose made for a remarkable show of resilience.

However, there are two parts to resilience. The first is the ability to bend without breaking in the face of abnormal pressure. As this edition of the Bromsgrovian attests, we have managed that collectively, and to great effect. The second element is to be able to return to normal once the pressure eases. In that respect, I have every confidence that the new academic year will see each of our Schools not only back to their productive best, but also stronger for the trial they have endured. For the record though, let the following pages stand as a tribute to the strength of relationships, shared values, and mutual aspirations of an ancient School that has stood yet another test of the times. Peter Clague Headmaster

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Prep and Pre-Prep Headmistress’ Overview I have always enjoyed taking the time to reminisce about the past year and remind myself of how very fortunate I am to be the Headmistress here at Bromsgrove Preparatory and Pre-Preparatory School. Each new academic year brings with it the promise of great things to come, although I could never have foreseen the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, but I never fail to be reminded of how lucky I am to be in this very privileged position. It is a real honour to spend my days working with children and young people and I cannot think of anything more rewarding than watching them grow in confidence, resilience and self-assurance as each year passes. As teachers, we have the privilege of learning from children every day, as young people see things differently to us and often surprise us by the extent of their wisdom and understanding of the world around them. I have often been humbled to witness the level of their creativity of thought and their ability to view the texts we study through a different lens. Young people today more than ever have the ability to express themselves confidently and maturely and are never afraid to argue their point when given the chance. The great Lakeland poet, William Wordsworth in his poem The Rainbow relates how ‘The Child is father of the Man’ which I take to mean that, because children become the adults of the future, it is important that the lessons they learn in childhood stand them in good stead for the challenges of the years ahead. Wordsworth describes how seeing a rainbow as a child filled him with an existential joy, which remained with him through all the years of his life. In some ways, I liken Wordsworth’s philosophy to that of teaching in that, as educators, we have the privilege of igniting a sense of wonder and awe in the minds of children, enabling them to become the independent and life-long learners of the future that we want them to be. I have been privileged to witness this love of learning grow in the young people that I have taught personally or have observed in other teachers’ lessons throughout my twenty years at Bromsgrove School.

I have enjoyed watching them gradually take charge of their learning as they move from Pre-Prep up to the lofty heights of Year 8. This journey will continue for all of our pupils, as they continue their education in the Senior School and beyond.

It runs into hundreds and hundreds. Each one was special and unique; I only wish I had written down the many funny stories and comments made by the children during this time; I am certain there was the basis of a best seller there.

Little did I know sixteen months ago that the resilience of our pupils and staff was to be challenged due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on our School way of life and community. However, like many of you, I honestly thought that last September 2020 we would return to normal life in School, but alas this was not be.

There are not many people who can honestly say, at the end of their career, as I can, that I have never wanted to do anything else but teach, and that there has never been a day in thirty-five years that I have not wanted to go to work. Teaching has been my life and, as I retire, I step away from it with a heavy heart but one that is full to the brim with happy memories.

Our challenges continued; Year group bubbles, track and trace, hand sanitising, mask wearing, enhanced cleaning and one-way systems. Without wishing to be overly dramatic, it has been tough and particularly so for your children. They have been unable to experience the usual trips, concerts, plays and activities we always took for granted. Yet, the School continues to flourish: we put the emphasis on the pupil and on personal development - whether it be in high quality academics, music, art, drama or sport; they all continue to be at the heart of shaping our pupils’ young lives. The Preparatory and Pre-Preparatory School community is vibrant and strong. The pupils are immensely proud of their School. We are striving to create adults of the future who will have the strength, commitment and desire to take on the world’s troubles and make them better. In a community, as C.S. Lewis points out: “If we fail to pass along specific standards of right and wrong, of what is worth-while, worthless and admirable, then we must share blame for the consequent failings of character.” Much of this means teaching our pupils to take an interest in others around them and also the outside world – looking beyond the “Bromsgrove Bubble.” I recently tried to work out how many Bromsgrovians I have taught during the past twenty years, and how many children throughout my thirty-five year career.

It has been an honour and a privilege to be the first Headmistress of Bromsgrove Preparatory School and the first Head of both Preparatory and Pre-Preparatory combined. It has been a magnificent journey and I thank all those who have travelled with me. Jacqui Deval-Reed Headmistress of Prep and Pre-Prep

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Nursery In the Michaelmas Term, the children learnt about Harvest Festival, healthy foods and ways to keep their bodies healthy. They looked at the seasonal changes that take place in autumn and the children particularly enjoyed going on nature walks, collecting and exploring autumnal objects and making chutney using the apples and pears from the trees around the School. Nursery pupils commemorated Remembrance Day with a poppy display and celebrated Diwali by making rangoli patterns, flower garlands and clay diva lamps. The children also enjoyed dressing up for Children In Need and participating in a ramble across the School grounds. The Michaelmas Term ended with some lovely natural Christmas crafts, exploring the Small World Winter Wonderland and decorating the beautiful Christmas tree. The children also enjoyed a roaring campfire and fresh popcorn in Forest School. The Nursery was very lucky to be able to stay open in the Lent Term and the children were delighted to make snow angels in January, creating icy patterns and listening to winter stories whilst enjoying a hot chocolate. During Children’s Mental Health Week, the staff discussed the importance of having a healthy body and a healthy mind. Pupils participated in lots of sensory play, yoga and shared stories about kindness and giving to others.

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Throughout the Lent Term, the children enjoyed celebrating Chinese New Year by sampling Chinese food and participating in some wonderful dragon dancing. They also dressed up for World Book Day and the children thoroughly enjoyed parading around the School grounds in their fantastic costumes. The Lent Term finished with pupils planting seeds and plants in their Sensory Garden, creating some intricate models on the workbench and celebrating Red Nose Day. In the Summer Term, the children used low and high level apparatus to develop balance and coordination as well as listening and movement skills through ‘Music and Movement’ sessions. The children have also enjoyed ‘Smart Moves’ activities, which help to develop gross and fine motor skills.

The children have made biscuits, muffins, smoothies and many more tasty treats in their cookery sessions. The staff have encouraged independent cooking skills, allowing the children to follow pictorial recipes and measuring their own ingredients using balance scales. Every week the children have participated in Forest School, Cooking, PE, and French with Mrs Symonds, with whom they have enjoyed learning new songs in a different language. I would like to thank the Nursery staff for their hard work and dedication throughout the year, and we all wish our Rising 4 pupils a very happy and productive time as they move into their new Reception classes. J Townsend

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Nursery Sports Day

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Reception A wonderful year was had by all, laying the foundations of learning in Reception, from 1, 2, 3, to a, b, c… Amazing, action packed days, Balance bikes on the play lawn, Conquering creative writing,

Phonics fun, Questions answered brilliantly, Running races on Sports Day, Stars of the week, every one of us, Tidy up time, sadly,

Doing our best,

Umbrellas at the ready, we go outside whatever the weather,

Everyone playing and sharing together,

Voices singing happily,

Forest School adventures,

Woodworking, worm hunting and weighing ingredients,

Goggles ready for our weekly swim, Home Learning on Seesaw, Ice cream treats, Juggling skills on Circus Day, Kaleidoscopes of colour in the creative area, Learning to love learning, Making music and becoming marvellous mathematicians, Nativity costumes and Christmas songs, Oui, we have enjoyed our French lessons,

X marked the spot as we created treasure maps, Young Bromsgrovians in the making, Zebras to dinosaurs, dragons to aeroplanes … we have had them all in Reception this year and enjoyed every moment together! Thank you to all of the children, from the Reception Team, for making a challenging year such a special one. The Reception Team

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Reception Sports Day

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Year 1 Year 1 were delighted to return to School in September - they thoroughly enjoyed being back with their friends. There was lots of creativity flowing in the Year 1 classrooms this year - they wrote their first story for Free Writing Friday and they all tried very hard to sound out the words and use joined up handwriting. Maths has included a variety of topics from problem solving, Beat Your Best, 3D Shapes, days of the week and months of the year. In French, the children learnt how to say the names of body parts and enjoyed a game of matching pairs. Daily singing, reading and phonics are core activities and the teachers have been delighted with the children’s continued engagement and enthusiasm. In science, the children learnt about the human skeleton and used dried colourful pasta to create a picture. They were fascinated to see how their heart and lungs work using an interactive app. For their ‘Into the Woods’ topic, Year 1 performed a short play based on Little Red Riding Hood. In computing, the children used their IT skills to create get well soon cards for Grandma, and were challenged to design and make a bed for the Wolf.

The children thoroughly enjoyed their Forest School sessions, the highlights being feeding the birds, creating potion and food in the mud kitchen and digging for treasure. Mrs Southall even taught the children how to whittle a stick, which proved a very popular activity. The pupils celebrated the end of their Michaelmas Term learning journey with a woodland party. They invited their woodland hand puppets, which they made earlier in the term, to share a joyful day. They then collected and identified special treasures found in the School garden and made dens in Forest School. The start of the Lent Term saw Pre-Prep children learning at home again, due to the second Government-enforced School closure because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They started the week with a gymnastics lesson where the children performed different balances. In French, Year 1 made an identity card and sang a song to revise the colour names.

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From puppet shows, paper aeroplanes and poetry, Year 1 produced some fantastic work about the famous explorer, Amelia Earhart as part of their ‘Voyages of Discovery’ topic. They became fantastic storytellers and they learnt about the wonderful adventures of an explorer who travelled around the world seeing different landmarks. A highlight was when the pupils used technology to take flyover tours to explore cities and landmarks all over the world – perhaps something we all should have tried from our homes during the pandemic. PSHEE focused on dreams and goals and it was lovely to hear the children sharing their ideas and talking about how they can achieve them. They also took part in Wellbeing Week, which involved connecting with others, getting active and being mindful. Their Lent Term learning journey was completed with a trip into Space. The children produced wonderful posters about planet Earth, created talking planets using the ChatterPix Kids app and made pom pom planets in art.

There was great excitement during the Summer Term when the sunflower seeds that Year 1 had planted months before began to grow. They also made a greenhouse for their bean seeds, and in science, they set up an experiment to see what seeds need to grow. Each week, Year 1 were introduced to different fruit and vegetables through the curiosity box. After learning where food comes from and all about healthy eating, the children created an eBook. They also studied artwork by Wayne Thiebaud and Giuseppe Arcimboldo. In DT, they designed and made their own crisp packets for either children, teenagers or adults. Their ‘Fantastic Finish’ was a virtual visit to a dairy farm where they saw the process involved in making ice cream. A surprise visit from the ice cream van was enjoyed by all. The Year 1 Team

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Year 2 At the start of the Michaelmas Term, Year 2 were tasked with saving Princess Arabella who was locked in a tower. They found the ransom buried in the School garden and quickly realised that they had to pay The Evil Knight. They sent the ransom by ‘special delivery’ and later received a video message from the Princess who thanked them for paying the ransom and setting her free. Their learning journey had definitely begun. The highlight of their ‘Turrets and Tiaras’ topic was Banquet Day, where the Lords and Ladies of Year 2 travelled to the Great Hall at the Senior School to partake in medieval dancing. Back at School, the children made alliterative name cards and crowns for the banquet table and used their design skills to make wooden castles. Year 2 have enjoyed their Forest School sessions over the year, as well as their weekly PE lessons at the Senior School. They have explored symmetry and right angles in 2D shapes during maths lessons and enjoyed learning Harvest songs and creating some wonderful Scarecrow collages. In PSHEE, the children explored wonderful stories by Kathryn Otoshi for their topic, ‘Celebrating Difference’. In the story Zero, Year 2 learned how they should not try to change themselves in order to impress or fit in. While in the story One, pupils learned how it only takes one person to stand up to a bully. Both stories reminded the children that everybody counts. In Guided Reading, the children were keen to explore First News newspaper stories, reading about current events across the world and in PSHEE, shared a beautiful story about friendship to reinforce our Golden Rule of being kind. With Christmas arriving, excitement mounted as Year 2 shared festive stories, made decorations and cards and explored Christmas traditions around the world. The children demonstrated their coding skills to create a North Pole animation and continued to learn songs for their Nativity play.

Despite not being in School, it was lovely to see all the children on Zoom and Seesaw during the Lent Term. They loved singing a song to start each day and sharing a story at the end. Their new topic, ‘Out of Africa’ was introduced and the children embarked upon learning about the Sahara desert and the camel’s adaptation to this dry, hot habitat. The teachers greatly admired their beautiful desert art and the children will no doubt recall the continents with the catchy songs that they have learnt. With a focus on mental wellbeing, pupils were encouraged to connect with friends and family, get active, take notice of their feelings, keep learning and bring joy by giving. They made mindful jars, listened to many stories relating to wellbeing and observed all the wonderful possibilities that a mistake can bring. Despite the cold weather, and even some snow, it was lovely to see the children getting active outside and enjoying nature whilst walking in their local area. Indoors, delicious pancakes or crêpes were made while learning the ingredient names in French.

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The highlight of the Lent Term was definitely World Book Day. Despite being at home, the children looked wonderful as a variety of book characters. Storyteller Cat Weatherill shared a rhyme with them. The children also made bookmarks to conclude the activity and celebrate the day.

As part of their topic on Space, pupils launched their own air-compressed rockets and watched a real rocket launch to a fantastic height. They enjoyed a variety of art and DT activities and loved meeting an astrophysicist who answered their many questions about Space and showed them space artefacts.

The final week of home learning was another busy one for Year 2. In PE, the children had fun warming up with Joe Wicks, throwing a pair of socks at a target, throwing and catching a ball and finishing with fun fitness challenges. Hapa Zome or Japanese art of natural printing produced some lovely effects and the children also enjoyed making origami penguins.

The children enjoyed learning and performing a Joseph Medley, which was recorded for parents to watch remotely. In DT, tie-dye t-shirts were created to wear for this occasion.

Year 2 returned to School in the Summer Term and were amazed to see CCTV footage of a UFO landing in the PrePrep garden. On further investigation, spacecraft debris was discovered near the outdoor classroom. There were no sightings of aliens so the teachers announced that lessons would continue as normal. Mrs Deval-Reed was immediately informed by some very excited Year 2 pupils and Mr Roberson was asked to tape off the entire area.

All of the children took part in a wonderful Sports Day and had great fun participating in the variety of activities including hurdles, throwing, sprinting, long jump and the obstacle race. To mark Mrs Finlay’s retirement, everyone enjoyed a Fun Day in her honour, which included fun and games in the School Garden. Pre-Prep children and staff also gathered for a fantastic tribute concert for Mrs Deval-Reed. The Year 2 Team

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Year 2 Prizegiving

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Year 2 Prizegiving

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Pre-Prep Activities Children in Need Ramble Pre-Prep pupils enjoyed participating in the Children in Need ramble across the Pre-Prep grounds. Once the ramble was complete, everyone enjoyed a well-earned mug of hot chocolate and a homemade cookie; a great reward for their efforts. J Deval-Reed

Christmas Party The children loved opening their presents from Father Christmas during the last week of the Michaelmas Term. The PA Raffle was a hit and they enjoyed a lovely chat via Zoom with George the Conductor in the afternoon. Thank you to the PrePrep PA for making this possible despite the restrictions of the pandemic.

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Finlay Fun Day To mark Mrs Finlay’s retirement, Pre-Prep enjoyed ‘Finlay Fun Day’ which included fun and games in PE, a picnic lunch and a visit from the ice cream van. Year 2 performed her favourite African song in the School garden where she was presented with an array of gifts. C Cattell

Farewell to Mrs Deval-Reed Pre-Prep children and staff enjoyed a fantastic tribute concert in the School garden for Mrs Deval-Reed. The concert included songs from all of her favourite musicals and she was presented with flowers and gifts to mark this special occasion. Mrs Deval-Reed will be missed by everyone. C Cattell

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Years 1 and 2 Sports Day With thanks to DE Photo for the sports day images.

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Year 3 Year 3 learned to ‘Walk Like An Egyptian’ in the Michaelmas Term. Their journey began when they received a strange parcel containing many mysterious objects. Throughout the term, the children engaged in a wide variety of experiences, including creating Egyptian papyrus and wall paintings, jewellery and cartouches. They also tried their hand at deciphering and writing in ancient hieroglyphics. The pupils wrote some incredible instructions and reports about mummifying a tomato and some fabulous stories based on traditional tales, but with a twist - they were all set in Ancient Egypt.

The start of the Lent Term saw the children having to move their learning online via Seesaw and Zoom due to the national lockdown. They were all amazing and adapted very quickly. During this term, Year 3 were looking a little closer to home with their ‘Cool Britannia’ topic. They enjoyed exploring the Geography of the British Isles and the etymology of British place names including the name of Britain itself. They read The Queen’s Nose by Dick King Smith and completed lots of fabulous work based around this novel to strengthen and develop their reading skills. The children designed new fifty pence coins based on the Roman goddess Britannia. They enjoyed completing some research about the countries of the British Isles and the United Kingdom and showed their learning in a variety of creative ways. They also learned about local musical hero Sir Edward Elgar in their music lessons. This led to a discussion about what being a ‘hero’ means and the children discovered some other British historical figures who are considered by some to be ‘heroes’. The teachers were proud of how hard the children worked and the progress that they made. We were all very pleased to be back together in the Year 3 classrooms by the end of the term.

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The children really impressed the Year 3 teachers with their enthusiasm in the Summer Term, with their learning around their ‘Yee-Ha!’ topic. The term started with a message from a Wild West sheriff, which led to the children making some fantastic Wanted posters to help him to capture some terrible outlaws. They learned how the Wild West came to be, about the Geography of the USA and the Great Plains, and about the people who lived there. We ended the term with two highlights: a Rootin’ Tootin’ Wild West Fun Day and a Forest School trip to Bodenham Arboretum to learn more about the Native Americans. What an unusual but exciting year it has been! R Ivison

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Year 4 Adapting readily to the changes in routine that COVID-19 brought about, Year 4 thoroughly impressed their teachers with the enthusiasm, resilience and determination on their return to School in the Michaelmas Term. In their ‘Blue Abyss’ topic, they discovered all about the different layers of the ocean and the variety and range of creatures that live there. They researched the challenges facing deep-sea explorers and produced stunning information pages about the Mariana Trench. A highlight of the term was the opportunity to design their own deep-sea vehicle for future ocean exploration.

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Despite the second term’s topic, ‘Through the Dragon’s Eye’, being taught largely remotely through the Seesaw platform, everyone enjoyed exploring the fantastical myth of dragons through the study of How to Train Your Dragon. They placed the story in historical context through the Vikings and enjoyed, amongst other things, designing and creating their own Viking shields and experiencing virtual tours and workshops at the Jorvick centre in York. We were delighted to be back in School in time for our final topic, ‘Beyond the Great Wall’, where the children were able to hone their geographical skills, experience Chinese brush art and sample a Chinese banquet, provided for us by the School catering team.

Despite missing out on the usual Bushcraft residential trip this year, restrictions were lifted in time for a Forest School experience day at Bodenham Arboretum and a fun-filled morning of team-building at Aztec Adventure in the final weeks of term. We will miss you all, Year 4. R Laurenson

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Year 5 Year 5 have managed admirably this year despite all of the restrictions bestowed upon them. They did not have their usual start and they also missed out on their move up day, which seems so long ago now. It would seem a shame to fill the small space I have to talk about all the things we did not get to do so I will concentrate more on what we did manage. Many of our musicians took part in several ensembles and small concerts, which brought joy to all of us. The best-kept secret at Bromsgrove was the rendition of Eye of the Tiger played at Mrs DevalReed’s farewell, which we all saw on the last day of the academic year. The children were absolutely marvellous as they played their individual parts; though this was a Whole School collaboration it was an inspiration; so many congratulations should go to the Music Department.

The children have been learning all about the Aztecs and had the privilege of watching the Mexicolore exhibition via Zoom. Ordinarily the children would get to experience this first hand, as the exhibits come to School; alas, we had to make do with it virtually. We finished the year on a high with our annual trip to Blackwell. Between stacking crates, zipping down wires, hanging from walls and team building, we managed some lunch and many laughs. This trip never fails to bring the year to a happy and exhausting close - we all absolutely love it. This year was difficult for so many of our children and I mean it when I say I could not be more proud of them. They have shown perseverance, resilience, kindness and a sense of humour all in equal measure. Well done Year 5. S Keynes

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Year 6 Year 6 have been a strong, diligent, and competent year group. I am always amazed by their adaptable and positive attitude in what has been a very different year, adapting to new routines in order to keep everyone safe. Although the normal residential trips and visits were unable to take place this year, the year group have put their energy into musical and sporting activities and many other extra-curricular activities. The Year 6 Buddies have again been a credit to the School - they were able to offer advice and support to those in lower years. Though unable to see other pupils face to face, they were imaginative and used email or video conferencing to offer support. The Lent Term saw us once again return to Zoom and online learning. However, this did not hold Year 6 back and they took it in their stride, moving seamlessly to the online environment.

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To finish the year off, pupils showed us their skills by working collaboratively. Our Science Day was a great success; pupils worked together solving problems, designing bridges, and working scientifically. They were also inspired by the Science demonstrations. On day two, they undertook some team building skills. Challenge Academy were astounded by their attitude, resilience and understanding of what team work actually means. I look forward to hearing about the future successes of this year group. We are all extremely proud of them. H Worton

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Year 7 This year in Drama, Year 7 have rehearsed and performed short monologues to their peers in class and learned about influential theatre practitioners in the Michaelmas Term. They studied the play Bugsy Malone and completed a short project on it for the Lent Term. Pupils also wrote a radio play based on a Haunted House during the Summer Term. In addition, a cast of twenty-one pupils rehearsed and performed the play, Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations, which was livestreamed from Cobham Theatre. Year 7 enjoyed a fun and creative Trashion Day on the last Monday of the year, learning about the serious side of the fashion industry’s darker and far less glamorous side. They started off researching facts about environmental damage ready to create their newspaper garments with the purpose of a more sustainable method of creating clothes. Whilst working in teams their ideas were wacky, wonderful and earth friendly.

The Year 7 team behind Flourishing Fivers were incredible this year. You can read our full report in the activities section - an amazing £14,271.00 was raised for the Primrose Hospice, an amount we did not expect to see come to fruition, especially during the pandemic. Year 7 took part in multi-sports day on the last Tuesday of the year. The year group was split into four groups, each rotating around four different activities during the day. Pupils could test their accuracy with the bows, arrows and crossbows during the archery activity (with rubber ends on the projectiles). We really enjoyed seeing who could get the highest score and shoot the furthest. Team building gave pupils a chance to work together to solve problems and help guide each other when blindfolded. They also had a go at new team sports, ‘Aussie Rules’ football and lacrosse. Everybody listened really well and thoroughly impressed the staff taking the sessions. G Clark with contributions from J Amphlett, V Barron and C Leather

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Year 8 This year has undoubtedly been most haphazard as far as all academic, extra-curricular and pastoral matters are concerned. However, this amazing cohort from 2020/21 under the care and guidance of Mr Widdop, Ms Abraham, Mrs Scheppel, Mr Turner, Mrs Leather, Mrs Boardman, Mr Grumball and Mrs Judson, took up the challenge and overcame the inconsistencies and new methods that were sprung upon them. Year 8 have mustered their strengths and made their teachers and parents proud, whilst at times, making all of us wince a little too. I am delighted, as is Mrs Webley, with every single pupil. We have seen them grow through such a difficult time and without our methods and resources that we usually took for granted at our sides. Despite this, pupils maintained consistency as they took part holistically in their Zoom learning, physical classroom learning with sanitisation procedures, one way systems, musical achievements, a fantastic drama production and much more. I have watched Mrs Corrie beaming with joy as she coordinated the choir in Chapel, seen teachers wildly generating plans to give Year 8 a variety of sporting activities to dive into, and not to mention the pupils’ fantastic end of term activities. Waterslides, s’mores and ice creams, the hoodie hunt and much more, supported by our very special leader, Mrs Jacqui Deval-Reed. We are honoured to have encountered this amazing journey together. V Barron

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Year 8 Prizegiving

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Year 8 Prizegiving

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Year 8 Prize Winners Subject Prizes Lynch Cup - Mathematics Yannis-Raffael Marinas Cockin Cup - English Ruby Foster Lee-Smith Cup - Science Jasper Page English as an Additional Language Bryan Chan Geography Austin Cooke

Form Prizes

Attainment Linnea Dudfield, Rebecca Woolmore, Phoebe Dinnen, Thomas Grove, Ruby Foster, Riana Hunt, Aarush Thapa, Hannah Sutherland Engagement Sarah Mariah, Maria Christodoulou, Isabel McDougall, Katherine Dwenger, Georgiana Howdle, Rufus Cole, Ashlina Guring, Emily Appleton

History Rebecca Woolmore Sumner Cup - Religious Education Hannah Osborne

Sport Prizes

Bentley Cup - Greatest Contribution to Boys’ Sports throughout the year French Oliver Dieppe Aarush Thapa German Sidney Ip Spanish Alex Li Talbot Cup - Latin Ilerioluwa Odugbesan Dual Linguist Thomas Grove Llanwrtyd Wells Cup - Art Linnea Dudfield Haslam Cup - Design Technology Montgomery Lees Warne Cup - Textiles Maanabi Limbu Cuckson Cup - Music Beau Vaughan-Hawkins Holland Cup - Performing Arts (Drama) Jack Hobson

Staff Cup - Greatest Contribution to Girls’ Sports throughout the year Riana Hunt Pritchard Plate - Commitment to Boys’ Sport William Broadhurst Pritchard Plate - Commitment to Girls’ Sport Jessica Fox

School Prizes

Donovan Plate Head of Boys’ Boarding Aarush Thapa Donovan Plate Head of Girls’ Boarding Ibukunoluwa Okeowo Walford Cup - Social Awareness Elizabeth Ruben Webber Bowl - Endeavour (Effort) Maria Christodoulou Wingfield Cup - Outstanding Academic Phoebe Dinnen The James Young Bromsgrovian Cup Best All-Round Contribution Rufus Cole Deputy Head Boy Prize Oliver Dieppe Deputy Head Girl Prize Isabel McDougall Head Boy Prize Rufus Cole Head Girl Prize Katherine Dwenger Headmistress’ Prizes Nikki Lui, William Shirley, Abigail Lamb, Hannah Sutherland, Freddie Slater

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Year 8 Valete ABRAHAM, AMELIA, 8MT. Captain of BELCUORE, SIENNA, 8MT. Form Monitor, Cedar House, Midlands hockey final winner, tennis colours, most improved netball player Eisteddfod finalist. I have enjoyed playing (Year 6), most improved tennis player (Year 6), hockey and tennis. I have also liked art most improved rounders player (Year 6), most and drama. I was proud to win gold at the improved hockey player (Year 6), IAPS netball. Midlands hockey final. The French trip was The sporting events are what I have enjoyed also a highlight. most at the Prep School. BIRAN, TANVIR, 8RW. Monitor, music full ABRAHAM, ISABELLE, 8JG. Monitor. I have colour, Chapel choir, drama productions. enjoyed playing different sports and playing I have enjoyed a lot of things throughout with my friends. Prep School such as participating in lots of ADCOCK, CHLOE, 8CA. Prefect, Form plays, going to Westminster Cathedral and Captain, 2 x Academic Commendations, having a solo during the song, Once in Royal invitation to tea party for engagement grades, David’s City, and being a part of the choir. Barnardo’s Choir competition. I have enjoyed I have enjoyed spending time with all my spending time with friends and having fun in teachers. form time. I have also enjoyed having fun in all BLAND, BYRON, 8MT. Monitor, recipient of my lessons. a senior commendation from Mr Clague for AHAD, KHAGAN, 8AS. House Monitor, taking part in a research competition against recipient of several HMCs. I have enjoyed Senior School pupils. I have enjoyed improving many things whilst studying at the Prep school at cricket and making new friends. and I appreciate that the School has tried their BROADHURST, WILL, 8CA. Prefect. I have best to support the Year 8 pupils in various enjoyed the sports tournaments. ways. I made different friends from different backgrounds. I have enjoyed my time at the CAMERON, ADAM, 8RB. Buddy, Form Prep School. Thank you! I am now prepared to Monitor, House Monitor. I have enjoyed move on. living in Page House and meeting my best friend. APPLETON, EMILY, 8RW. Prefect, music colours, House Music competitions (Year 5 CHAN, BRYAN, 8RW. ESAA, athletics. and 6), Year 8 play, Year 6 play, pianist for I enjoyed taking part in athletics. Years 3-5 orchestra, Year 5 poetry semi-final, Year 8 poetry semi-final, Year 6 Eisteddfod, CHOI, EUAN, 8GJ. Monitor, Librarian. I have BSL activity award, CREST science. enjoyed making friends, the trips and being I have enjoyed the opportunities that I was able to thrive within my subjects and School given. life.

COLE, RUFUS, 8MT. Head Boy, Academic Scholarship (11+ and 13+), senior commendation for a research competition - I was part of the only Prep School team to compete in the competition against many Sixth formers, prize for effort in Years 3, 4, and 6, 3 x Linguist of the Month, half colours for rugby and cricket, full colours for drama, A team rugby union and rugby 7s, hockey, cricket, IAPS long jump. I have truly loved the sports and the opportunity to play such a variety. Highlights for me were sunny afternoons playing cricket in the nets or on a rugby pitch with my friends; the laughter and team spirit we shared will stick with me for life. Beachcraft, Bushcraft and the French trip also hold fond memories and shared experiences that I will never forget.

ARCHER-ANDREWS, OLIVIA, 8RB. Vice House Captain, athletics, drama. I have enjoyed my friends, sport and some of the teachers.

DEO, SIENNA, 8CL. Buddy, Librarian, Monitor, Form Captain. I have enjoyed making many new friends throughout the years, and I have enjoyed learning challenging new things and meeting new teachers.

ASCOUGH, GEORGE, 8MT. Prefect, Buddy, music, Academic Commendations. I enjoyed the time spent with my friends on the French trip. BAILLIE, ELLIOTT, 8JG. Vice Captain of Ash House. I have enjoyed going to away matches and playing with my friends. BARNES, HENRY, 8JG. Prefect. I have enjoyed the School trips the most because it was a time to enjoy myself with my friends. BATEMAN, JOSHUA, 8JG. Pupil Voice, Form Monitor, Maths Olympics. I have enjoyed my education.

CHRISTODOULOU, MARIA, 8CA. Chair of Pupil Voice, eco committee, Year 8 alpha and credit champion, Form Captain, junior athetics half colours, engagement award at Prizegiving, invitation to two tea parties for grades, perfomed at the opening of Routh Concert Hall, Academic Commendations. I have enjoyed spending time with my friends and having fun in form. COLE, AUGUSTUS, 8AS. Prefect, A team rugby captain, rugby full colours, drama half colours, prize for most improved rugby player (Year 6). Year 4 Bushcraft was one of my first experiences away from home but the staff made it thoroughly enjoyable and sleeping under the stars and playing games in the grass has stuck with me throughout my time in the Prep School.

COLLYER, CHARLIE, 8AS. Prefect, HMCs. The thing I have enjoyed the most about my time in the Prep School are the friends I have made and the sporting fixtures. The Senior School food is also a bonus in Years 7 and 8. It is nice. COOKE, AUSTIN, 8CL. Prefect, Vice Captain of Beech House. I have enjoyed playing in sports matches against other schools. COOKE, LIVIA, 8RB. House Monitor, Form Monitor, Buddy, Form Captain, athletics colours. I have enjoyed talking to my friends. DATHAN, FLYNN, 8RB. Linguist of the Month. I most enjoyed the oportunity to play for the A team in cricket.

DIEPPE, OLLIE, 8AS. Deputy Head Boy, rugby festival, IAPS swimming finalist, ESSA National winner, IAPS hockey, poetry competition winner, A team cricket, A team hockey, Sports Day winner, music scholarship, sports scholarship, Eisteddford, A team rugby, swimming, athletics colours, music colours, swimming colours, rugby colours, ESSA cross-country, academic commendation. I have mainly enjoyed the sport, but the whole experience of the Prep School, including the lunch, lessons and different opportunities that have been given, will be a time I will never forget.

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Year 8 Valete DINNEN, PHOEBE, 8CL. Prefect, IAPS regional U12 netball champions, 11+ academic scholar, 13+ drama scholar, cricket full colour, drama full colour, music full colour, Eisteddfod 1st place poetry winner and 2nd in poetry writing, 3 x drama productions, chamber choir. I have loved making new friends and having new experiences. DODWORTH, PIPPA, 8CL. Buddy, art colour. I have learnt a lot in the Prep School and made many memories. DUDFIELD, LINNEA, 8AS. Headmistress commendations, art scholarship (13+), credit prize (Year 5), Martlet Award 2017, Linguist of the Month (French), Monitor, Form Captain, Years 3-5 junior orchestra, Years 6-8 senior orchestra, Years 3-5 junior choir, Chapel choir (Year 6), finalist in the junior House Music competition 2018, junior choir at the Cheltenham Festival of Performing Arts 2016 (2nd place), Routh Concert Hall official opening, viola grade 4, semi-finalist in the poetry competition 2016, British Sign Language commendation, poetry competition dinalist 2021. I enjoyed the time when I went on the French Trip in Year 6. DWENGER, KATHERINE, 8GJ. Head Girl, Pupil Voice, tennis team, IAPS hockey, choir. I really enjoyed Beachcraft, Bushcraft and the French trip. ELLIS, ANNA, 8JG. Vice Captain of Beech House, choir. I have enjoyed meeting new people and doing new things. FABER, MADISON, 8JG. Prefect, hockey colours, netball colour, IAPS athletics team, county hockey, hockey team captain, most valuable netball player, hockey scholarship, swimming team, winners of Midlands hockey, winners of IAPS netball every year, played hockey up to three age groups older and for club, played for the year above at School and in competitions, Form Captain. I have enjoyed all the opportunities that the School has given me and all the chances and sports-related things they have enabled me to accomplish. FATCHETT, GEORGE, 8GJ. Monitor, several academic commendations, four cyber stars. I have enjoyed the wide selection of sports and activities. I have enjoyed athletics prolifically.

FIELDING, CHARLES, 8MT. Drama colours, two academic commendations, A team rugby, A team hockey, A team cricket, ESSA competitor, sports scholarship, poetry competition, rugby 7s tournament and festivals, IAPS hockey, most improved hockey player. i have very much enjoyed my time at the prep school and I am very grateful for the opportunities that have been given to me. FINDLAY-SMITH, OSCAR, 8RW. Monitor, A team rugby, rugby 7s. I have enjoyed all the oportunities to play against other schools and having the oportunity to try lots of different sports. FLYNN, AARYANNA, 8AS. Art scholarship. I like the food and the staff. FOSTER, RUBY, 8JG. A team hockey (Years 4-8), A team netball (Years 4-7), A team rounders, cross-country, A team athletics, captain of Sycamore House, Eisteddfod poetry final, drama colour, music colour, athletics colour, Pupil Voice, rounders colour, Chapel choir, performing at Westminster Cathedral with the choir, winners of Midlands hockey, drama scholarship, athletics competition - 1st long jump. I have enjoyed meeting so many new friends, playing the variety of sports, progressing so much academically and all the opportunities I have been given throughout my nearly six years in the Prep school. FOX, JESSICA, 8MT. Prefect, Sports Captain for House hockey, Victrix Ludorum, Pritchard Plate, School Colours for hockey, swimming, athletics, music and drama, finalist in poetry and singing in the Eisteddfod competition, 1st hockey, 1st netball, 1st swimming, 1st cricket, 1st athletics, Midlands crosscountry finals, ESSA swimming finalist. GALLAGHER, JASPER, 8CL. Vice Captain of Cedar House, IAPS hockey regional winners, hockey colour, IAPS athletics - 2nd discus. I have enjoyed playing a variety of sports. GILLESPIE, JOE. 8RW. Monitor. I have enjoyed my time here with friends. GLAZE, JOSHUA, 8JG. Prefect, Linguist of the Month. I have enjoyed the sport and all of the sporting activities. GREENWAY, ZACH, 8CA. Form Monitor, commendation for German and Spanish. I have enjoyed meeting new people, including the staff/teachers, and improving in athletics.

GREY, HENRY, 8GJ. Prefect, art colours, drama colours. I have liked learning the more in depth topics whilst at the Prep School. GROVE, THOMAS, 8GJ. Prefect. I have enjoyed spending time with friends and going on trips such as Beachcraft and Bushcraft. GURUNG, ASHLINA, 8RB. House Monitor, Librarian. Spending my time in Page House, meeting new people and hanging out with my friends have been some of my favourite things about the Prep School. GURUNG, BIRON, 8RB. House Monitor. I have enjoyed history and the other subjects that I have learnt at the Prep School. I liked the trip to Berkeley Castle for history. GURUNG, DEVESH, 8RW. Remembrance Service, A team rugby. I have enjoyed playing other schools in fixtures. HAGAN, OSCAR, 8AS. Rugby scholarship. I have enjoyed playing sport. HALL, ERIN, 8MT. House Monitor, Prep School Monitor. During my time in the Prep School, I have enjoyed the numerous possibilities to have fun and make friends. One of my favorite learning experiences has been taking part in team sports and learning to win and lose as a team. HASTINGS, EVIE, 8MT. Buddy, Pupil Voice, Vice House Captain, swimming colours, music scholarship, county athletics, Chapel choir, jazz band, most improved swimmer trophy, most valuable athlete trophy, clarinet grades 4, 5 and 6, music colours, art colours, swimming colours, swim squad, Barnardo’s Choir winners. I have enjoyed the opportunity to be involved in many activities such as music, drama, sport, art, academics and much more. HAUGHTON, NAOMI, 8AS. Monitor, Form Captain, regional champions, art badge, A team netball, A team cricket. During my time in the Prep School, I have enjoyed spending time with friends and playing in matches with my team. HAY, GEORGIA, 8CL. Head of Willow House, U12 IAPS netball regional champions, 13+ netball scholar. I have loved all the sport and making so many new friends.

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HAYRE, ARJUN, 8RB. Monitor. I enjoyed the multi sports activities, especially football. I also enjoyed drama as we did games at the start of the lessons like splat and war. HEAD, EWAN, 8CA. Prefect, performed in three drama productions - A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Twits and The Legend of Lightning Larry. I have mostly enjoyed the opportunities that I have been given over the five years I have been at the Prep School. HICKS, ISABELLA, 8RW. Buddy, Form Monitor. I most enjoyed the Beachcraft trip. HILL, OWEN, 8RW. House Captain, rugby colours, A team hockey, A team rugby, A team cricket, A team rugby 7s, A team athletics, rugby scholarship. I have enjoyed all of the sporting opportunities. HOBSON, JACK, 8RW. Monitor, Chapel choir, Chamber choir, Year 7 Play, Year 8 Play, Chapel performances, Year 8 recital competition, Year 7 House Music competition, Westminster Cathedral performance, grade 3 singing, drama scholarship, trio and duet singing performances. I have most enjoyed the opportunity to perform and all aspects of music and drama. HODGES, HARRY, 8JG. Form Captain, chocolate teddy prize. I’m good at rugby. HODGKISSON, GEORGE, 8CL. Monitor. The Prep School was nice. HOLROYD, WILLIAM, 8CL. House Captain, Form Captain, A team rugby, A team cricket, maximum score of 50 runs not out retired, A team swimming, IAPS hockey finalist, hockey colours, Years 4, 5 and 6 House Music finalist, swimming half colours. I have enjoyed the sporting opportunities. HOWDLE, GEORGIANA, 8JG. Prefect, most improved swimmer, county hockey champions (Year 7), IAPS hockey (Years 6 and 7), IAPS netball (Year 6), drama colours, academic and sports scholarship entrant. I have most enjoyed hockey and my friends. HUGHES, FRANK, 8JG. Form Monitor. My faourite thing about the Prep School has been doing games in the summer and being outside.

HUNT, RIANA, 8MT. Eisteddfod finals, sports scholarship (hockey), Chapel choir, IAPS netball regional winners, drama production (Year 7), IAPS hockey (Year 7), Barnardo’s Choir winners, 2nd place in the Cheltenham College tournament, athletics, netball, rounders, music badge, most valuable athlete (Year 6), 5th in shot and 7th in high jump, Martlet Cup (Year 6), Maths Olympics winner (Year 7), Prizegiving award (Year 5 and Year 6). I have most enjoyed being given the many opportunities to show me to the best of my ability to the whole of Prep School. As well as facing the challenges that many have struggled with, even myself - although to present my drive and ethic towards my education. Sport has impacted my Prep School life a lot; giving me the joy to feel the competitiveness and fun when working with my peers. Prep School has taught me to be the best version of myself. Teachers and Friends have got me so far and I will look forward to what other things the Senior School will bring me. INGRAM, FREDDY, 8CL. Headmistress’ Commendation. I have enjoyed the sport and all the friends I have made. IP, SIDNEY, 8JG. House Monitor. I mostly enjoyed lunchtimes and having fun in Page House. JILKA, AARYAN, 8CA. Monitor. I have enjoyed playing cricket with all my friends, and I love all the teachers here at the Prep School. JONES, EVIE, 8AS. Form Monitor, Form Captain, eco committee, B team cricket, B team tennis, tennis captain. During my time at Bromsgrove, I have enjoyed the matches and spending time with my friends. KANG, AARYN SINGH, 8GJ. Eco committee. I enjoyed the playground. KARIM, MUSA, 8RW. Monitor. I have enjoyed the opportunity to play against other schools in sports fixtures and doing practicals in lessons. KERSHAW-CROMBIE, IMOGEN, 8GJ. Form Monitor, poetry competitons, Barnardo’s Choir competition, ESAA, District and IAPS. I most enjoyed breaktime and lunch with my friends, plus all the trips and matches. LAI, HENRY, 8JG. I enjoyed the different sports such as rugby, cricket and the lessons.

LAMB, ABIGAIL, 8CL. Captain for Rowan House, 3 x drama productions, Chamber choir, Barnardo’s Choir winners, Year 6 Buddy, Year 6 Eisteddfod finalist, 2 x music colours, participant with the choir at the Royal Albert Hall and Westminster Cathedral. I have enjoyed making new friends and learning new things. LAWTON, FREDDIE, 8JG. Vice Captain for House, A team rugby, A team hockey, A team cricket. I have enjoyed playing sports and spending time with my friends. LEA, TOM, 8MT. A team cricket. I have enjoyed the sport, plus lessons in science and maths. LEED, FREDERICK, 8CA. Monitor, hockey badge. I have enjoyed spending time with my friends on School trips and at break time. LEES, MONTGOMERY, 8CL. Vice Captain of Rowan House. I have most enjoyed the School trips. LEONISIO, JACOB, 8MT. HMC, B team rugby, D team hockey, D team cricket. I have enjoyed spending time with my friends and all of the sports such as games in the sports hall, football club, rugby and learning a new skill in hockey. LI, ALEX, 8GJ. Rugby 7s. LIMBU, MAANABI, 8RW. Form Monitor, House Monitor, Pupil Voice, junior choir, Year 6 play. I enjoyed the French trip and Beachcraft. LIU, NIKKI, 8GJ. I have enjoyed spending time with my friends. MARIAH, SARAH, 8AS. Buddy, Vice Captain of Ash House. The opportunities that the School has given me, like the different activities after School and the music lessons, have been some of my favourite things. MARINAS, YANNIS, 8MT. Prefect. I enjoyed spending time with my friends the most. MCCORMACK, DARCY, 8CA. ESSA crosscountry. I enjoyed making new friends and having amazing opportunities. MCDOUGALL, ISABEL, 8CL. Deputy Head Girl. I have enjoyed the variety of extracurricular activities and clubs available for everyone.

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Year 8 Valete MORRALL, GRACE, 8AS. Monitor, Form Captain, B team cricket, B team hockey, participated in the Cheltenham Festival with the choir in Year 3 and the Royal Festival Hall in Year 7. I have enjoyed the majority of my time at the Prep School but I am ready to move on to the Senior School. MUCHENA, NOKUTENDA, 8RB. House Monitor, Buddy, Form Monitor. I have enjoyed the trips and making new friends during my time in Page House. I will miss Mr and Mrs Windo since they will be leaving the House at the end of the academic year. NEMBANG, SHUSANK, 8GJ. House Monitor. I have most liked socialising with friends. NG, NATHAN, 8CA. NGUYEN, LUCY, 8GJ. Academic scholarship, art scholarship. I have enjoyed boarding with my friends and playing games in form. OAKLEY, THOMAS, 8MT. Monitor. I have enjoyed the School trips. ODUGBESAN, ILERIOLUWA 8CA. Prefect, 10 x academic commendations awarded in Year 8, academic scholarship (11+), invited to tea party for grades. I have enjoyed gaining confidence in myself and making new friendships as I only joined in Year 7. OKEOWO, IBUKUN, 8GJ. Head of Page House, Pupil Voice, choir. I enjoyed matches, spending time with my friends, trips, being in plays, making posters for the finalists of Geo Champs and cheering everyone on. OSBORNE, HANNAH, 8AS. Prefect, Form Captain, Year 7 IAPS netball regional champions, A team netball. During my time at the Prep school, I have enjoyed the sport and playing matches. However I’m looking forward to moving on to the Senior School. PAGE, JASPER, 8MT. Chair of Pupil Voice, Prefect, Lavender Room Monitor, Geo Champs 2020 wildcard finalist, Goblin car team. I really enjoyed the time spent in the after School clubs like the Goblin Car and D&D Club. PANYASIRI, SAI-NAM, 8GJ. Linguist of the Month (Spanish). I most enjoyed boarding in Page House. PICKFORD, SAM, 8CL. Buddy, Form Captain, 2 x academic commendations. I have enjoyed the sport and making friends throughout the Prep School. I feel like I like I fit in here.

PILLAI, BHARATH, 8RB. Linguist of the Month (French), cricket (part of the team who won against another school). The teachers are very friendly and the sports facilities are really good.

SANGHERA, JAI, 8AS. Form Captain, Monitor. I have enjoyed the pupils and teachers that I have met. I also enjoyed all the sports matches and going to away matches with my friends on the coach.

PRITCHARD, FRED, 8RW. Monitor, A team rugby, B team hockey, A team cricket, A team athletics, A team rugby 7s, A team cross-country, half colours rugby, half colours cricket, half colours rugby 7s, half colours athletics. I have most enjoyed playing for the A team in cricket and the other sports were fun too.

SANGHERA, ROBERTO, 8CSA. Monitor, athletics colours, Nationals for 200m and long jump. I have enjoyed all of the sport at the Prep School.

PRITCHARD, SEBASTIAN, 8RW. Prefect, participant in Geo Champs, A team hockey (goalkeeper), Linguist of the Month. I have enjoyed the oportunity to go on trips and play against other schools. QIAN, LEON, 8JG. Maths Olympics. I have enjoyed making friends. RAI, KALASH, 8GJ. House Monitor, Form Monitor, academic scholarship. I have enjoyed spending time with my closest friends. RAUF, AYAAN, 8CA. Prefect, Form Captain, Spanish linguist, first in the multi sports competition, 4 x senior commendations, 3 x prep commendations, invited to the Prep School tea party for getting the highest AEO grades in my form. I have enjoyed playing rugby and cricket, both in the C team. I have also enjoyed being with my friends and playing with them at break. REAY, BEN, 8MT. Prefect, Eisteddfod, academic commendation. I enjoyed the French trip in Year 6 - that was the most enjoyable trip. REID, LAUREN, 8RB. Monitor, Chapel choir, 3rd place in Sports Day, IAPS regional netball champions, IAPS hockey, Midlands hockey winners, IAPS swimming relay, drama production, National hockey winners, rounders colour. The sport, making friends, the classes, teachers and Beachcraft have been my favourite things about the Prep School. RUBEN, ELIZABETH, 8JG. Pupil Voice, Librarian. I very much enjoyed my history lessons, English fantasy work and getting ice cream at the 2018 sports day.

SHARMAN, RIO, 8GJ. Page House. I enjoyed form time the most. SHIRLEY, WILLIAM, 8JG. Eisteddfod poetry writing winner. I have enjoyed making new friends, having fun and trying new things in my lessons. SINGH, JAI, 8GJ. Monitor, Pupil Voice. I have enjoyed the fun experiences and the education. SLATER, FREDDIE, 8AS. Top three athletes at Sports Day, A team rugby. I have had lots of fun. There was lots of good work and many sports fixtures. And the teachers were great fun too. SONDHI, PRABHKIRAN, 8CL. Head of Beech House, cricket colour, commendations. I’ve enjoyed the sports, activities and spending break times with my friends. SUNUWAR, SUYASH, 8CL. I enjoyed the varied amount of sport we could play. SUTHERLAND, HANNAH, 8RW. Prefect, swimming half colours, Years 7 and 8 play, Year 6 play, Year 3 play, A team swimming, CREST science. I enjoyed the plays that I took part in during my time at the Prep School. I also enjoyed all the residential trips and sporting opportunities that I was given. TANG, BRANDON, 8CL. Form Captain. I enjoyed playing with my friends, learning in School, play new sports, the activities on weekends and studying in Page. TANG, DAVID, 8CA. I have enjoyed the music lessons and Prep games. TAYMAZ, BATU, 8AS. When I first came here, the students and teachers welcomed me.

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Year 8 Valete THAPA, AARUSH, 8RB. Head of Page House, Prefect, Eisteddford competitor and winner of the singing section, Barnardo’s National Childrens’ Choir Final, Geo Champs winner 2021. I have enjoyed going through the years and seeing the School change some things. I have also liked the trips, meeting new people and learning subjects that I didn’t learn in my old school. It has been good to be in Page and do things on my own. THIRUMURUGAN, SAI, 8GJ. English commendation. I have enjoyed the sport the most because it was always fun. TURK, JOSH, 8GJ. VAUGHAN-HAWKINS, BEAU, 8RB. IAPS National swimming winner, 3 x winner of music competiton, poetry competition. I most enjoyed winning the IAPS swimming competition. WHITE, JOE, 8RW. Monitor, music scholarship, music colours x 3, chosen to perform The Last Post, art colours, drama colours, A team rugby, B team hockey, B team cricket, SATIPS art exhibition, A team athletics, winner of the Eisteddfod. I most enjoyed playing The Last Post during the Remembrance Service and taking part in all the sports. WIGGLESWORTH, LOCKEY, 8RB. Form Monitor, cross-country, ESSA National finals competitor. I enjoyed finding ways to still play sport throughout the toughness of the coronavirus pandemic. WILKINS, MATILDA, 8CA. Monitor, hockey scholarship, hockey, drama, rounders colours, Midlands hockey winners, hockey captain, IAPS hockey, Barnardo’s Choir competition, 3 x academic commendations. I enjoyed bushcraft and the beachcraft trip. WOOLMORE, REBECCA, 8CA. Academic commendations. I have enjoyed spending time with friends and having fun. I have also enjoyed all my lessons. WRIGHT, FINLAY, 8AS. Captain of Cedar House, A team cricket, B team rugby, B team hockey, cricket colours. I have enjoyed my time at the Prep School but I am ready to move on.

WU, DAVID, 8RB. Captain of Ash House, Page House Monitor. I enjoyed doing the activities. ZHOU, EVAN, 8RB. Basketball, art. I enjoyed doing sports.

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Page House It is with a heavy heart that we write our final review as Page Houseparents. This has been a challenging year for our boarders. We would like to thank all the children as they have impressed us with their attitude and resilience in these extraordinary times. This group of young children have taken everything in their stride and have coped exceptionally well. Even though we were not able to take part in any trips or visits to town, we have still enjoyed weekends of laughter and excitement. A highlight has been plenty of baking in the House kitchen, under the ever-watchful eye of Mrs Morris. The year started as it ended - with a party. We had the large inflatable obstacle course at the back of Page House, with Mr Windo and Miss Smith in charge of the BBQ. Mr Windo even made his own Jamie Oliver style burgers, which were delicious. There was a visit from the ice cream van and huge 99 flake ice creams were enjoyed by not only the children, but all the staff as well.

Despite missing the celebrations of many of the boarders’ cultural festivals, we did celebrate Chinese New Year with those who could not get home. Father Christmas was also able to make a visit and deliver his Secret Santa gifts. The Easter bunny returned in April, and the chocolate eggs were gratefully received by the children. It seems that we have had a birthday party in the House every week - always celebrated with pizza, chocolate cake and ice cream. The karaoke machine is a big hit and the children love to sing along to their favourite songs. Miss Back and Mrs Gregory always make sure that each party is well catered for. Although the children could not take part in School fixtures for most of the year, they were kept busy in House competitions and training on Saturday mornings. In the Summer Term, we seemed to have a House full of cricketers and athletes. Our Year 7 and 8 boarders have enjoyed their afternoons at the Ryland Centre, competing in athletics fixtures with the Senior School. We have been extremely proud to watch the children engage and do their best in whatever sport they have taken part.

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We would like to thank our Heads of House, Aarush Thapa and Ibukun Okeowo, who have led the House exceptionally well this year. They have also helped to lead the Monitor team and encourage them to fulfill the tasks set. We wish all of our Year 8 leavers the very best with their move to Senior School. They have all been a pleasure to have in the House and we hope that they go on to achieve great things through their time at Senior School and in their new Houses. Mr Lane will sadly be leaving us to start a new position at another school – the staff and children will miss him. The children will also miss his dog, Ozzy, as they looked forward to his House visits at the weekends. Caroline and I would like to personally thank Mr Sutherland and Miss Guest for assisting us in the House this year. To the Housemothers, Mrs Gregory and Mrs Back, who do so much for all our boarders, and all the tutors, weekend staff, graduate teachers, housekeepers, the health centre nurses, Mrs Taylor in the Prep School and the catering team in the dining hall. Without all of their support, Page House could not run as efficiently as it does. We must also say a special thank you to Miss Smith for her help over the past six years. To all the parents who have entrusted us to look after their children, we thank you for your support. We have had a wonderful time in Page House and take with us so many happy memories. T and C Windo

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Elmshurst There is no education like adversity: Despite more disappointments, interruptions and restrictions, the ‘Men of Elmshurst’ have, yet again, persevered and taken full advantage of the opportunities available whether in School or online, making sure their learning and development continue.

Start by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible: exactly what the men of Elmshurst have done. Rather than missing out, the situation this year has created new opportunities and formats. The weekly House sports competition carousel allowed much greater participation, and some new sports to try. House bubbles have allowed dining together as a House. There has also been enthusiastic involvement in the weekend activities as a House unit. It is prosperity that gives us friends, adversity that proves them: The family ethos deeply embedded in Elmshurst is always evident, but even more so this year. It has been a real lifeline to many stuck around the world or being anxious at School. Regi House was a fine example of how friendly and thoughtful they are. During lockdown, with reduced numbers, we combined with WendronGordon (usually our main rivals!). Based in Elmshurst, our boys were impeccable hosts, making sure the temporary Regi House was as much a home for them as it was for the WG visitors.

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Elmshurst Leavers CHU, B.C., Elmshurst, 2018. House Monitor, U18A swimming, U16A swimming, U16A table tennis, U18A table tennis, U16B football, U18C football, bronze in the senior maths challenge, Best Economist award, Bromsgrove Service - Young Archivists.

NG, Y.H., Elmshurst, 2017. House Monitor, 1st swimming, 1st table tennis, 3rd football, U15B football, U16B football, U15A crosscountry, silver in the senior maths challenge, gold in the intermediate maths challenge, orchestra, string orchestra, CCF.

DITCHFIELD, C., Elmshurst, 2019. School Monitor, House Monitor, Deputy Head of House.

HOPKINS, H., Elmshurst, 2018.

WONG, C.S.M., Elmshurst, 2018. House Monitor, House Song runners up (2019), Senior House Music ensemble competition - highly commended (2019), Senior House Music advanced solo competition - highly commended (2019), Senior House Music ensemble competition - highly commended (2020), Senior House Music advanced solo competition - winner (2020), drama production - Grease, Chapel choir, boys’ choir, competition choir, string ensemble, music exhibitioner.

LAGONICO, T., Elmshurst, 2018. House Monitor.

WONG, T.Y., Elmshurst, 2019. House Monitor, 1st basketball.

LIU, Y., Elmshurst, 2014.

XIE, H., Elmshurst, 2016.

FEENAN, S., Elmshurst, 2014. GROVE, D.G.I., Elmshurst, 2014. School Monitor, House Monitor, Head of House, 1st squash, gold DofE, CCF, grade 4 piano. HEWING, A.H., Elmshurst, 2019. House Monitor, 2nd football, 1st cross-country.

Calm and steadfast, the Elmshurst Upper Sixth have shown true resilience, leading the House superbly with a quiet but effective authority, setting a fine example to the years below. Our Head of House and only Prep Survivor, Daniel Grove performed the role with such a natural confidence and understanding of Elmshurst and Bromsgrove School, making a difficult and important job look easy. Craig Ditchfield, new to the School in the Lower Sixth but now so at home here - it is as if he is another Prep Survivor - has been an unfaltering Deputy Head of House, always providing support along with his infectious friendliness. The rest of the House Monitor team including Brian Chu, Seb Feenan, Alex Hewing, Teddy Lagonico, Jayden Ng, Max Wong, and Tsz-Yau Wong demonstrated how a team should work and maintained the caring and family atmosphere within Elmshurst. The whole Upper Sixth have worked together, and even those not officially Monitors are now worthy of the title. We are grateful for their hard work and wish them all well as they journey on to the next step in their education.

During such a disrupted year, there are still too many achievements to be able to include them all here, but some Whole School awards are too noteworthy to leave out. George Vaughan joined Elmshurst this year, his punctuality and conscientiousness immediately obvious, which no doubt played a big part in him being awarded the CCF cadet of the year. Tristan Chan, winning the individual House Music competition, was awarded the Bernard-Hall Mancey cup for the most improved musician.

The Ben Showell Memorial Rose Bowl for contribution to the arts is one of the few Upper Sixth Special Prizes reserved for presentation on Commemoration Day. To be awarded this means the winner is not just an excellent musician but also has an enormous input into the School’s music and performances throughout their time at Bromsgrove.

Our annual Elmshurst awards this year are as follows:

And so, this is the year of adversity. We thought the pandemic had come and gone, and we were all so looking forward to a normal year, back in classrooms, busy with fixtures, cheering at House sports, and all the rest that comes with the busy Bromsgrove School life. Yet, Family Elmshurst has rallied together and took advantage of any opportunities up for grabs. Alone, the year would have been a write-off, but together The Men of Elmshurst have turned it into a success that everyone can feel proud about. They have followed the House motto, Sans Peur, and faced adversity without fear this year. Well done to all.

Best Newcomer:

Louis Gabard

Endeavour Award:

Daniel Grove

House Spirit:

Craig Ditchfield

House Contribution:

Max Wong

It is a great and well-deserved privilege for Max Wong to win the award this year. Well done Max.

M Giles

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Hazeldene After such an unusual year in both the House and the School, it seems far too long ago that Hazeldene last met all together. For me, however, the main memory of this year will be how Hazeldene has continued, even in the face of such circumstances. We have all adjusted to a new rhythm in the House: weekly common room days, Zoom assemblies and treat tables have all allowed us to carry on, in some small way, honouring the life and traditions that Hazeldene holds so dear.

The continued team spirit and camaraderie typified among Hazeldeneans has nowhere been more evident than in our extra-curricular House competitions and successes throughout the year. House victories have come in so many events, including hockey, netball, and distance running - sports in which we have dominated the leaderboard for the past few years. Alongside this of course, we cannot forget our final competitive success of the year: the House Bake Off. A year full of academic hard work is reflected in the more-than one thousand commendations that the Hazeldene girls have received this year – the highest total achieved by the House in a single year. Special mention must go to the Lower Fourth study for their outstanding total of almost four hundred commendations, and individually to Jessica Fleming (LIV) who achieved fifty-one commendations - the most of any Hazeldene girl. Each year, a prize is awarded to a Hazeldenean in each study who has made an outstanding contribution to House life – not necessarily the girl with the highest grades, nor the most confident, but a girl from each year group who has made an extensive contribution to House life throughout the year. These prizes were awarded to the following girls this year: Teah Petrova (LIV); Amelia Barnes (UIV); Izzy Rusling (V); Issy Eaton (LVI); Grace Dieppe and Annabel Hoy (UVI).

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Hazeldene Sportswoman of the Year – awarded for not only being an exceptional sportswoman for the School, but also someone who has competed for the House and gone above and beyond to represent Hazeldene through their time in the House – was awarded jointly to Hannah Sahota (UVI) and Imogen Vaughan-Hawkins (UVI). It was also a pleasure to present Ciara Hughes (UVI) with the Quaich Trophy, for her hardworking and selfless commitment to Hazeldene, entering more House competitions than any other, from swimming and athletics to drama. In between the periods of online learning this year, we have enjoyed as many House events as we have been able to hold: House breakfasts have continued to prove very popular, and the addition of ‘treat’ Fridays has given everyone a muchneeded boost at the end of some long weeks. The girls have also enjoyed pizza lunches in the Summer Term, and a final surprise visit from an ice cream van on the final day of term really did end the year with a lovely treat. I would like to extend my thanks – and the thanks of the whole House – to our departing Upper Sixth leavers. We are very grateful for everything they have done since joining the Senior School. They are all destined to do great things and they leave with our warmest wishes for their future endeavours - we hope that they return to tell us of their adventures beyond the Bromsgrove School gates. I would also like to thank our Housekeeper, Zoe Paling, for her unfailing dedication, and the Hazeldene tutor team for their support. We bid farewell to Ms Barnes this term after being with us for a year, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank her in particular for her hard work in the House.

Hazeldene Leavers ANDERSON, A.A., Hazeldene, 2015. House Monitor, Deputy Head of House, 2nd netball, 2nd hockey, bronze DofE, silver DofE, gold DofE DAKIN, A.J., Hazeldene, 2012. 2nd tennis, 2nd hockey, CCF, Bromsgrove Service DIEPPE, G.G., Hazeldene, 2010. Prep School Survivor GITTOES, E.V., Hazeldene, 2012. House Monitor, Head of House, 1st athletics, 1st cross-country, Mason Trophy - hurdles (2017), Mason Trophy - triple jump (2018 and 2019), triple jump 2019, county competition - 80m hurdles (silver, 2019), DofE, Hazeldene eco representative. HOY, A.H., Hazeldene, 2019. LAMDA, Bromsgrove Service - Young Archivists, a member of the tech crew for Great Expectations. HUGHES, C.D., Hazeldene, 2021. School Monitor, House Monitor, 1st hockey, drama. KIELY, E.K., Hazeldene, 2012. bronze DofE, silver DofE. MATTHEWS, L.G., Hazeldene, 2014. 2nd hockey, DofE, drama production Grease.

If ever there was a test of all the qualities that we encourage in Hazeldene girls and Bromsgrovians, it has been the circumstances of this academic year. I would like to thank each and every one of the girls in the House for all of their effort and dedication over the last twelve months. They have approached this year with focus, hard work, humour, and adaptability. I have been, and continue to be, extremely proud of them all. R Whitbread

RAI, J., Hazeldene, 2006. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, School Monitor, House Monitor, Joanne Lennon Cup for English, Talbot Family Cup for Latin, Design and Technology academic prize, Headmistress’ prize (year 8), grade 5 singing, jazz band, rock band, pop and jazz productions, Prep School choir, Chapel choir, drama productions (Grimm Tales), CCF (RAF section), DofE bronze, DofE silver, debating, maths competition, Law society, MUN, PPE, research competition, British Sign Language qualification, expedition to Zambia, hosting a Christmas tea party for elderly residents, academic scholarship (Year 6), honorary academic scholarship. SAHOTA, H.S., Hazeldene, 2014. House Monitor, 1st hockey, 1st athletics, sport scholarships in athletics and hockey, bronze DofE, silver DofE, gold DofE. SILLER, L., Hazeldene, 2015. House Monitor, 1st cross-country, 1st athletics. VAUGHAN-HAWKINS, I.V.H., Hazeldene, 2006. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, School Monitor, House Monitor, Deputy Head of House, bronze DofE, silver DofE, sports scholarship, music scholarship, 1st hockey captain, 1st netball, Independent Schools’ Cup netball champions (2019 and 2020), National Schools’ netball finalists (2020 - 3rd), U15 Independent Schools’ Cup netball champions, Sisters n Sport netball champions (2019 and 2020), big band, grade 8 saxophone, House Drama 2020.

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Housman Hall As we draw to the end of another academic year, it is hard to not just think, ‘let’s just put this year behind us and forget it ever happened.’ However, that would not be a fair or just representation. My hesitance in writing with positivity stems ultimately from the fact that a number of pupils had to isolate during their last few days in School – indeed not having Commemoration Day will have come as a great blow to many who stayed for this last opportunity to celebrate together. True it has not been the year we have come to expect at Bromsgrove School, but there has certainly been much to celebrate.

The Michaelmas Term carried forward some of the challenges from the lockdown and the first group of pupils arrived to commence travel quarantine before term officially began. Many of the new Lower Sixth pupils’ first experiences of Housman Hall were one of being confined to a room. Even once released, Government-enforced restrictions of wearing masks and social distancing made it more difficult than usual for pupils to get to know each other and forge friendships. Fortunately, the School put on a number of activities to help new pupils integrate, and returning Upper Sixth formers were able to rekindle the bonds they had made before. It was wonderful to see so many Housman Hallians involved in the House sports competitions at the start of the year. It was a fantastic way for new pupils to ‘break the ice’ with each other, as well as fostering some House Spirit. Our Upper Sixth were especially successful in these competitions, winning athletics, cross-country, badminton, football and basketball. Mr Mullan had also organised a few evening activities at the weekend to help pupils build a rapport - they particularly enjoyed the indoor games, ice cream and nachos evenings.

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The end of lockdown saw the return of Housman’s original occupants, which was well received by all and with spring in sight, the Summer Term was beginning to feel more ‘normal.’ That said, Practice and Final Assessments weighed heavy on the minds of the Upper Sixth Form as they keenly wanted to prove their capabilities in their subjects. The Lower Sixth too were challenged with not one but two sets of assessments to wet their appetites and help consolidate their academic aptitude at this level. Indeed, it was great to watch the developing maturity of these young men and women during this period and it will have been massive value to them.

Frustratingly, just as the House was settling and pupils were getting to grips with the demands of their academic programmes, the Government announced the second lockdown. The Lent Term saw the majority of the House learning from their own homes online, whilst Housman Hall became Deo House for those Sixth Formers remaining in School. It was lovely to share our facilities with boarders from Wendron-Gordon, Elmshurst, Oakley and Mary Windsor. They were true ambassadors to their Houses and made some good friendships during their stay. It was great to be able to hold some more intimate events with a group of approximately sixty pupils; such as the pub quiz and pizza making evenings organised by Miss Hill and Mr Tasker. The karaoke was also a success and it was great to see Angelo taking the mic and rapping, to much applause, I might add. As Houseparent, it was a challenge to be concurrently leading two Houses – albeit one of them was in the virtual world. Those Housman Hallians who were in House were able to forge new friendships across the boarding community.

Perhaps the social highlight of the year was our Upper Sixth Leavers’ Meal, held this year due to restrictions, in our own Hospitality Suite. It was the first time that we were able to properly interact as a group and relax in our House Bubble; although some absent friends prevented the whole cohort from being together one last time. The final four weeks of the Summer Term felt somewhat fragmented. Many of the Lower Sixth were out on trips or completing pieces of coursework, whilst those in the Upper Sixth who remained here engaged in a varied enrichment programme or spent time relaxing with their peers. Sadly, the opportunity to attend Commemoration Day was not to be. The last few days left a small group of Housman Hallians in the House, with many more already back home. It was moving to see a number of them get dressed up in formal attire on what would have been Commemoration Day and head over to Gordon Green to take some photos. It is fitting that, as I write this, my last remaining pupils are Liza Vasilyeva and Andrei Agapie, my 2020/21 Heads of House. S Noble

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Housman Hall Leavers ACHTER, M., Housman Hall, 2019. ADAMS, S., Housman Hall, 2014. ADEGBONMIRE, B.A., Housman Hall, 2016. 2nd football, Rugby 7s winners, Law Society. AGAPIE, A.N., Housman Hall, 2019. 4th rugby, drama production - Great Expectations.

FAN, H.F.P., Housman Hall, 2019. House Monitor, volleyball activity, football training, 1st athletics.

OGBU, C.C., Housman Hall, 2019. Bromsgrove Service - residential homes, volleyball, recreational badminton, debating.

GRADILLAS TALG, L., Housman Hall, 2019.

OWEN, G.E., Housman Hall, 2014. School Monitor, House Monitor, 1st football, German subject award in Fifth Form, House Music (2019 and 2020), drama production - Great Expectations, bronze DofE, silver DofE, honorary academic scholarship.

GRAINGER-JONES, P.G.J., Housman Hall, 2019. GRAUDINIS, D., Housman Hall, 2019.

ALCOVERRO, E.A., Housman Hall, 2019.

GURUNG, R.O.M., Housman Hall, 2017.

BAKULINA, A., Housman Hall, 2014. Prep School Survivor. 1st athletics, mathematics competitions - 2015-2019 (bronze), 2020 (silver), CCF - RAF, silver DofE, art scholarship.

GURUNG, R.O.S., Housman Hall, 2017.

BAMBERGER, N., Housman Hall, 2018. 1st tennis, music group. CHAN Y., Housman Hall, 2017. Table tennis, CCF, GCSE art scholarship. CHAN, CADEN SHEUNG HON., Housman Hall, 2018. CHAN, H.K.C., Housman Hall, 2019. Bromsgrove Service - crafting for charity. CHAN, H.Y.H., Housman Hall, 2019. House Monitor, Bromsgrove Service - crafting for charity, make up for House Drama. CHANG, Y.S., Housman Hall, 2015. CHENG, J.M., Housman Hall, 2016. Chaytor Pepper prize for classics, debating, MUN, honorary academic scholarhip.

GURUNG, S., Housman Hall, 2013. HEPTINSTALL, J., Housman Hall, 2013. HOLROYD, T.E., Housman Hall, 2007. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, 1st hockey, 1st indoor hockey, 2nd cricket, bronze DofE, silver DofE, gold DofE, CCF, House endeavour award, 1st hockey National Cup - round 4 (2020). HON, T.W.E., Housman Hall, 2019. Fencing, qualified for the regionals in fencing but I couldn’t play due to the COVID-19 pandemic. IAKUBOVICH, D., Housman Hall, 2015.

SHULZHIK, M., Housman Hall, 2017.

KOZHAEVA, I., Housman Hall, 2018.

SINHAIEVSKA, M.O., Housman Hall, 2018. House Monitor, 1st cross-country, 1st athletics, cross-country county finals, qualified for the National cross-country competition, Economist of the Month award, mathematics olympiad (bronze), Flourishing Fiver, musician for residential homes, Prep School volunteer, debating and various InterHouse competitions.

KOZHUKHOV, G., Housman Hall, 2019.

LATSAVONG-ALBONE, S., Housman Hall, 2019.

DUROV, K., Housman Hall, 2013.

POLSCHI, R., Housman Hall, 2017. House Monitor, 1st table tennis, 3rd regional table tennis team competition (2018), Young Enterprise 2019 Managing Director, academic scholar, CCF - CSM rank, silver in the chemistry olympiad (2021), robotics, silver DofE, Medvets Society.

JOLAOSO, S., Housman Hall, 2014.

CLEWS, E., Housman Hall, 2016. House Monitor, 1st football, 1st cricket, sports scholarship.

DULKO, Y., Housman Hall, 2018. 1st cross-country.

PÖHL, P.O., Housman Hall, 2018. 1st crosscountry, 1st athletics, UKMT Maths award - gold, CCF.

RODINA, E., Housman Hall, 2019.

KWOK, J., Housman Hall, 2019.

DE BELGIQUE, L., Housman Hall, 2015. School Monitor, House Monitor, 1st athletics, 2nd hockey, girls’ football team, Shine School Media Awards 2020 (National media awards) for the best overall content and best magazine, winner of the Godwin’s Cup for best individual speaker, received Headmistress’ Prize in Year 8, Chief Editor of the School magazine, Two Zero One, a member of the Senior drama production Great Expectations, debating society, MUN.

PO, L.Y.N, Housman Hall, 2016. Table tennis, silver certificate in the intermediate maths challenge, highly commended in the British biology olympiad, bronze DofE.

INCESU, M.I., Housman Hall, 2019. 1st volleyball, DT community project, boys’ choir, House band.

CHEUNG, C.K., Housman Hall, 2019.

DANIEL-UMOH, H., Housman Hall, 2019. Bromsgrove Service - residential homes, School blog and crafting for charity.

PETRESCU, K-I., Housman Hall, 2019.

LI, M.E., Housman Hall, 2016. House Monitor, cross-country major colors, Wattell prize for physics, Amphlett prize for chemistry, music major colors, overall 44/45 in IB, the highest score in GCSE history amongst the year group, 1st cross-country, U18A athletics, 3rd/4th rugby, recreational badminton, recreational swimming, big band, woodwind band.

SCHOLAR, J., Housman Hall, 2019.

SKOROKHOD, A., Housman Hall, 2019. Prep Survivor, House Monitor, drama production - Grease, Cultures Connect committee member (2020), received an offer for an interview from Cambridge with the help of Dr Ruben, attended LSE course lectured by Mr Ruben, UCL fresher.

MAKARENKO, O., Housman Hall, 2019. 1st tennis.

SOYANNWO, O.S., Housman Hall, 2018. Jeffrey Lewins Prize for Technology.

MONGUNO, A.M., Housman, 2019. 1st team football, athletics, coding.

SOYEBO, I.I., Housman Hall, 2019. Academic scholarship, gold DofE, badminton, netball, photography, Bromsgrove Service baby knitting, crafting for charity. climbing, expedition, House badminton.

MONTALDO, M.A., 2019. MORIKOVA, T., Housman Hall, 2016. NEUMAN, H.Y-H., Housman Hall, 2017.

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STEPANOVA, E.A., Housman Hall, 2017. 1st cross-country, table tennis - most improved player award, highly commended in the geography photo competition, bronze award in the RSC chemistry olympiad, gold in the intermediate maths challenge, bronze in the senior maths challenge, best GCSE results in the region for EAL and business studies, research competition, silver DofE, CCF - achieved CQMS (Company Quarter Master Sergeant) position, Young Enterprise (Ecoverse) - our team won the Innovation & Creativity award and the Best Finance award and reached the county final. SULEMAN, H.Z., Housman Hall, 2016. House Monitor, winner of poetry competition, winner of junior House Drama (when I was in Hazeldene House in Year 10), sign language, horse riding, fencing for three years, actively volunteered at SENSE charity, charity shop assistant at Age UK, Marmite academic club, Bromsgrove Service for three years. THAPA MAGAR, A., Housman Hall, 2011. TSUBOUCHI, S.T., Housman Hall, 2017. 1st table tennis, 2nd horse riding, table tennis - U16 girls’ county singles (2nd), U19 girls’ county doubles (1st), U19 girls’ regional singles (3rd), U19 girls’ regional doubles finalist, biology olympiad (commended), music practice diary design - awarded best overall entry (featured on the front cover), Headmaster’s Commendation, Blue Cross animal sanctuary, CCF, DofE, Cultures Connect, MUN, investor challenge. VASILYEVA, L., Housman Hall, 2019. School Monitor, House Monitor, Head of House, athletics, Shine School Media Awards - winner of best magazine cover, drama production, School magazine, MUN, debating, CCF, beekeeping, French film club, House Music, House Drama. VITIELLO, E.V., Housman Hall, 2018. VOLKOV, Y., Housman Hall, 2019. WAERUNWANATORN, P., Housman Hall, 2019. WAN, T.H., Housman Hall, 2018. WILLIAMS, J., Housman Hall, 2014. WINNERS, J.W., Housman Hall, 2018. House Music 2020 Runners up, economist of the term 2019, UKMT challenge, Blue Cross animal sanctuary, Cultures Connect committee 2020, eco club, young archivists, beekeeping.

WONG, J.S., Housman Hall, 2017. 1st table tennis, 2nd badminton, U19 girls’ table tennis individual championship - regional champion (2020), runner up in the table tennis regional championship (2018/2019), runner up in the table rennis regional championship (2019/2020), 3rd in the U19 girls’ table tennis regional finals (2020), runner up in the regional round of the badminton National Schools’ Championship (2017/2018), Young Enterprise Best Customer Service award, Young Enterprise Best Finance award, Young Enterprise Best Social Media award, bronze in the senior mathematical challenge (2019), silver in the intermediate mathematical challenge (2018), silver DofE, MedVet Society, CCF, Young Enterprise, Residential Homes, investor challenge, House Song, Christmas tea party. XIN, M., Housman Hall, 2019. ZAHLBRUCKNER, F., Housman Hall, 2018. House Monitor, athletics - winner of the Austrian National Championship for 300m hurdles in 2018 (44.88s), first place at the Herefordshire and Worcestershire County Schools’ Championships 2019 in the long jump (5m 60) in 2019, 5th place at the ESAA Mason Trophy schools’ inter-county championships (long jump), first place at the Midland Counties open series in Birmingham for 60m hurdles and 80m hurdles (2019), winner of the National Austrian Championships for 200m sprint (24.63s) and second place for 400m hurdles (63.61s) in 2020.

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Lupton Resilience, adaptive and supportive are three adjectives that spring to mind when describing the way in which the Lupton House boys have dealt with this last academic year. When all traditions and routines go out of the window, I know who I would want standing beside me. The Lupton boys can take it on the chin and push on regardless. That is what this pandemic has taught me and I am proud to be their Housemaster.

I want to say a particular thank you to the Upper Sixth. To Joshua Lawson, Beau Baines, the rest of the House Monitor team and the remainder of the cohort who have lost more than any other year group; thank you for your hard work, determination and willingness to make the best of what’s available. Teaching continued almost as normal this year, albeit occasionally online. However, the House and extra-curricular life has had to adapt. Nevertheless, the boys of Lupton have continued to work hard on their work whilst still representing the House and School with their usual zeal on as many occasions as has been ‘Covidly’ possible. In the Michaelmas Term, despite restrictions, the boys were still able to show off their sporting skills whilst representing the House in the feast of sporting events organised each week by the games staff. The Fifth Form boys won a closely matched football final against Lyttelton, and the Upper Fourth won the touch rugby competition. As the weather closed in after half term, the Upper Fourth trio of Finbar Dinnen, Maximillian Jehan and Henry Hoare won the hotly contested triathlon event, and the Upper Sixth boys finished as runners up in the football competition.

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Although external sporting fixtures and other events were mostly cancelled before Christmas, it was pleasing to hear that James Humphries (Fifth Form) had helped the School golf team to finish third in the National Schools’ Golf competition. James also represented Worcestershire in golf at the U16 age group. Isaac Bridge (Upper Fourth) was selected to train with the England Futures group, and Mathew Bevins (Lower Fourth) and Oscar Bridgewater (Upper Fourth) were trialists for the PC Hockey Academy. Freddie Fallows (Lower Sixth) was selected for the U18 Leicestershire County Cricket Academy, and Markuss Townsend-Ford, Joseph McLoughlin (both Upper Fourth), Oliver Bullock, Samuel Grimmett-Bate and Jacob Stirk (all Fifth Form) were involved with the Worcester Warriors Academy. Leo Wilkinson (Fifth Form) played for Kidderminster Harriers U19 football team, Charlie Bridgewater and Kian Lau (both Lower Sixth) represented Worcestershire County in hockey, and Stuart Shannon (Lower Sixth) represented Herefordshire and Worcestershire in tennis. Cameron Owen (Fifth Form) was part of the U18 Worcestershire tennis Academy and Sebastian Harrison (Lower Sixth) worked towards his grade 8 in the trumpet. Oliver Rodriguez-Harris (Lower Fourth) worked towards his grade 4 in drums and Benjamin Hornigold (Lower Fourth) had the impressive accolade of being in the top ten in the world for Irish button accordion playing. A big well done also had to go to Gabriel Brown (Upper Fourth) for finishing as runner up in the advanced category of the School’s Solo House Music Competition. The Lent Term began online, however, teaching, tutoring and House assemblies carried on as normal. It was lovely to see the boys each week and hear them recant their weekly routines of getting up, eating, learning online, eating again, learning a bit more then playing X-Box until it was time for bed. Ground-hog day finally ended with three weeks left of term and House events were able to resume again. The first of which was the 1.2 relays. This took place on the first day back and is an event which requires six individual runners with at least one from each year group.

Lupton Leavers BAINES, B.A.A., Lupton, 2009. Prep School Survivor, Deputy Head of House, House Drama (2020), MUN, debating. BUCKLEY, E.B., Lupton, 2014. House Monitor, bronze DofE, writer for the School magazine.

LAWSON, J.M., Lupton, 2014. School Monitor, Head of House, music scholarship, honorary academic scholarship, music cap, 2nd Hockey, bronze DofE, silver DofE. LYLE, H.L., Lupton, 2006. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, House Monitor.

EVANS, R.A.D.E., Lupton, 2010. Prep School Survivor, House Monitor

LYLE, J.A.T., Lupton, 2006. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor.

HARPER, L., Lupton, 2010. Prep School Survivor, House Monitor, 1st rugby, Rosslyn Park National 7s runners up (2016), Rosslyn Park National 7s quarter finalists (2018 and 2019), A rugby (2017 -2019), athletics captain, represented the School in the ESAA athletics county finals, A hockey (20172019), rugby scholarship, Bentley Cup for greatest contribition to boys’ sport, School record (300m and 4x300m).

STEPHENS, T.H., Lupton, 2019. School Monitor, House Monitor, 1st cricket, 1st basketball, 2nd rugby, cricket scholarship, academic scholarship. STIRK, J., Lupton, 2016. WALTER, D., Lupton, 2014. WASHINGTON, D., Lupton, 2014. WILSON, J.M.W., Lupton, 2012.

HARVEY-GILSON, A.G., Lupton, 2016. Winterfold Survivor (2007-2016) and former Winterfold Deputy Head Boy, Grade 6 Trumpet, bronze DofE, Big Band, football, rugby, cricket, Music Scholarship.

Lupton boasted a strong line up of Matthew Bevins (Lower Fourth), Finbar Dinnen, Henry Hoare (both Upper Fourth), Sebastian Purvis (Fifth Form), Sebastien Adams (Lower Sixth) and Rhys Evans (Upper Sixth). The boys were absolutely outstanding. Every single one of them ran their hearts out. An incredible final leg from Sebastien Adams gave the Lupton boys the victory. This was the first time Lupton had won the event in over ten years. For the remainder of term, Saturday afternoon sport continued to be a House competition for the Fourth Form whilst the other three year groups were given the opportunity to play their favourite sport. In the first half of the Summer Term, the School held a Prizegiving assembly for the Upper Sixth leavers. This was a very different occasion to a normal year, however, it was seen as a necessary and important part of the Upper Sixth finale. Joshua Lawson was awarded the Vivian Anthony Cup for his contribution to music and Rhys Evans received his hockey cap.

Joshua Lawson was given his music cap and Lewis Harper was awarded his rugby cap. Rhys Evans and Thomas Stephens were both awarded cricket major colours. Lupton were proud to hear that three of its own are becoming School Monitors for the next academic year. Sebastien Adams, James Bayliss and Freddie Fallows will all sign the historic School Monitors’ book next term. It is also important to mention and congratulate Isaac Bridge (Upper Fourth) on being selected for the England U16 hockey team. Lastly, of course, my thanks need to go to an amazing tutor team and to Angela, whose contributions are so valued by all of the boys. We wish Ms Morgans a happy retirement and we hope Mrs James enjoys her new role as Head of Geography at the Prep School. As Lupton moves into a new year, our best wishes go to the leavers who have played their part in ensuring that the Lupton name holds strong. G Evans

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Lyttelton Whilst throughout this year there have been necessary adaptations to House life, the boys and staff of Lyttelton deserve much credit for their readiness to adjust and pragmatism taking everything in their stride.

Over the October half term break, each year group in Lyttelton were challenged to complete an Ironman (2.4 miles swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run) for a charitable event, and so the boys committed enthusiastically to distances in the various disciplines. The challenge was completed emphatically, with lots of evidence, photographs and fitness trackers showing the extent to which the boys participated; particularly pleasing was that every single Lytteltonian contributed to the effort and many of the boys found the exercise restorative. The House raised a total of £2160 from this single event for two local charities, The Harry Bennett Foundation - close to the hearts of many Lytteltonians - and the Wyre Forest Nightstop, a charity helping local young people. It would be easy to lose the perspective of the event as a run here or a cycle there, however, collectively, they have all done something incredible.

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Following the School re-opening in March and with the focus on assessments, the boys were able to enjoy time with each other in the year group bubbles and enjoy events such as football and pizza evenings (for each year group) versus Lupton House. It was great to see the camaraderie and enjoyment on show. We were also able to hold a socially-distanced whole House event involving a Hog Roast, chip shop chips and a steady flow of ice cream with more sport versus Lupton House towards the end of the year. Thanks must go to the School PA for this event. To the outgoing Upper Sixth, I thank the excellent leadership of Head of House, Nikhil Gour, and Deputy Head of House, Callum Savage, as well as the rest of the House Monitors. Each one has led by example - they embody hard work, academic rigour and competitive sporting performance. This year group have had a whole lot to deal with throughout their Sixth Form journey and yet they have still achieved so much. Whilst we could focus on everything they have been without, we have tried to focus on everything the boys have - friendships with each other, wonderful memories of their time together, opportunities ahead of them both at university and beyond and the ability to not allow COVID-19 to define them. School Caps were awarded to Joe Miszkowski (cricket and 1st XI captain) and Callum Savage and Matthew Bull (both hockey). Major Colours were awarded to Mitchell Hare and Nikhil Gour (both cricket) and Matthew Bull (rugby). Minor Colours were awarded to Fred Hanson and Alex Holroyd (music), Theo Gilbert-Birch and Fred Hanson (drama), Zach Armstrong (athletics), Archie Greaves-Hall, Fred Hanson (cricket), Archie Greaves-Hall, Fin Shaylor and Henry Scott (hockey), Zach Armstrong and Morgan McKinley (rugby) and Cyrus Passman (swimming). Well done to all for the recognition of their efforts and commitment to the extra-curricular life of the School.

Lyttelton Leavers ALMA J.D., Lyttleton, 2006. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, House Monitor, U10B cricket 2013, U11C cricket captain 2014, U12B cricket 2015, fencing, Bromsgrove Prep Librarian, Bromsgrove Badge, bronze DofE, silver DofE, gold DofE, Wyvern Challenge winner 2018 (CCF), CCF Company Sergeant Major, CCF marksman, CCF 1st Class.

HARE, M., Lyttelton, 2013. HART, E.J.J., Lyttelton, 2014. Prep School Survivor, awarded Victor Ludorum (2017 and 2018), represented the School at Alexander Stadium and various athletics competitions, represented the School at the Rosslyn Park 7s every year (under 13s winners in 2016), 1st rugby, two rugby tours, 16+ Sports Scholarship.

BATEMAN, J.K., Lyttelton, 2005. Pre-Prep Monitor, Prep School Monitor, House Monitor, 2nd hockey, CCF CSM, DofE bronze, DofE silver, honorary academic scholar.

LEWIS, F.T.L., Lyttelton, 2004. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, DofE, 1st hockey.

BULL, M.B., Lyttleton, 2012. House Monitor, 1st rugby, 1st hockey, silver DofE, rugby scholarship.

MISZKOWSKI, J.V., Lyttleton, 2016. 1st cricket captain, 3rd rugby, sports scholarship, U17 National cricket cup winners.

GOUR, N., Lyttelton, 2007. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, School Monitor, Head of House, cricket major colours, Swatkins Trophy for sports endeavour, commended in the Housman Verse Prize, Cookes Prize, CCF warrant officer, gold DofE, 2nd rugby, 2nd hockey, 2nd cricket, debating society, CCF, 11+ academic scholarship, 13+ academic scholarship, honorary academic scholarship, 16+ academic scholarship.

In the end of year assembly for the Upper Sixth, there was recognition of some outstanding characteristics and extracurricular awards were handed out. The Janet Cockin Debating Cup was awarded to Nikhil Gour, the Best Army Cadet was awarded to Cadet Warrant Officer Class 2 James Bateman (CSM) and the John Hedley Memorial Prize (CCF) was awarded to Nikhil Gour. The following sports awards were awarded in recognition of dedication and excellence: Nikhil Gour was awarded the Swatkins Trophy for representing the School superbly. He has participated in an impressive number of fixtures in a variety of different sports. Matthew Bull was awarded the Cup for Outstanding Contribution to Boys’ Games for competing for the School across a number of different sports since being at Bromsgrove. Matthew focused on and excelled in two, rugby and hockey. In my final assembly of the year, I was able to award the Alfred Lyttelton Trophy to Nikhil Gour.

SAVAGE, C.S., Lyttelton, 2011. House Monitor, Deputy Head of House, 1st hockey, captained the U16 hockey team in the National quarter finals, the youngest ever student to go on a senior sports tour to South Africa for hockey, hockey sports scholar. TATE, G.T., Lyttelton, 2011.

As the year concluded, Nikhil Gour was awarded the prestigious Cookes’ Prize; there are not enough superlatives for this young man and he is a fully deserving recipient for all that he has achieved. I would like to extend my thanks to the supportive Lyttelton PA for all their hard work and careful organisation; in a year where opportunities have been limited, they have been proactive and continued to support the boys from afar. Finally, thank you to an excellent and supportive tutor team and to Jayne, our housekeeper, for ensuring that the boys in the House are guided and cared for. Best wishes to all Lytteltonians for the year ahead. J Holdsworth

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Mary Windsor In a year where ‘bubbles’ restricted so much, there was certainly plenty of fizz and sparkle in Mary Windsor. There is indeed a huge amount to celebrate as we review the last twelve months, at the end of another academic year that could quite easily, once more, be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

This year, we were home to sixty-three boarders from over twenty different countries, all of whom worked extremely hard academically, contributed hugely to the extra-curricular life of the School and showed extraordinary resilience and fortitude within the fantastic community we share. The friendliness and kindness that characterise Mary Windsor House continued to be our most powerful drive, and our House bubble was certainly full of energy, laughter and mutual support. For those girls who were unable to return home during the holidays, the support and friendship of the boarding bubble took on an even greater level of importance and meaning. Our Upper Sixth have led by example and contributed a huge amount to both the School and House during their time with us. Across all year groups, despite the more restricted opportunities because of the pandemic, the girls’ many talents meant that the House was extremely well represented in every aspect of School life, including music, drama, sport, Bromsgrove Service, CCF and Duke of Edinburgh. Particular highlights include the Lower Sixth House Drama competition, the virtual House Music competition, and in the Summer Term, when restrictions relaxed a little, it was wonderful to see the Mary Windsor girls in the GCSE music groups performing in Routh Hall. Alongside, this, their representation of the School in their various sports in external fixtures.

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One of the greatest indicators of House spirit is, of course, our House sports competitions. This year, with a fantastically varied weekly programme in year group bubbles, the Mary Windsor girls did not disappoint. Without exception, we fielded enthusiastic and determined teams every Saturday afternoon, and our Upper Sixth Monitors did a wonderful job of encouraging, motivating and leading the rest of the House. Favourites included the first girls’ House football competition and the triathlon. In the Lent Term, the girls made a seamless transition to online learning with their characteristic determination and positivity. On a daily basis, I received notification after notification of academic commendations, which were awarded to the girls for their hard work, effort and high levels of engagement in their online lessons. As we returned to faceto-face teaching in the Summer Term, it was heartening to see the progress that had been made online. The end of year examination results and grades reflected the hard work and high levels of motivation shown throughout the year. The end of term was not the one any of us would have hoped for, however, there was so much to celebrate at our final House assembly and in the final Routh year group assemblies. We were particularly proud of Yilia Chen (French) and Leonie Sackers (German A) who were awarded Upper Sixth academic prizes. Borislava Mekushina was awarded her School cap for contribution to tennis during her time in School and to Rukhsang Tamang (RS) and Hailey Li (Mathematics and Spanish) who were awarded Lower Fourth academic subject prizes. I hope all the girls look back on their whole year with a sense of pride and achievement. Much thought is given to the winners of our House trophies. The girls’ contribution to School life in general is considered, but the main emphasis is placed upon the contribution that the individual has made to different areas of House life. I was delighted to present the House sports award to Amy-Rose Arrowsmith and the House music award to Hailey Li. Academic awards for the best effort grades (senior) went to Lilli Boersch and Best effort grades (junior) went to Teagan Chan.

Mary Windsor Leavers CHEN, Y., Mary Windsor, 2017. House Monitor, Worcestershire table tennis tournament (silver), senior maths challenge (gold), maths olympiad for girls (distinction), bronze DofE, Young Enterprise - Best use of IT award in Herefordshire and Worcestershire final, Flourishing Fiver, academic exhibitioer. GEORGIEVA, G.G., Mary Windsor, 2016. School Monitor, House Monitor, Head of House, drama, eco club, intermediate maths challenge - gold (2019).

The senior cup for overall contribution to House life was awarded to Mariia Melnichuk. The Langdale cup for junior contribution to House life was awarded to Cherry Tang. The Musgrove award for contribution to the House community was awarded to Louise Steenbergen. The Wallis bowl for Upper Sixth effort and contribution to the House community went to Leonie Sackers. The Fazel cup for an Upper Sixth who has achieved highly academically and contributed fully to House life was awarded to Borislava Mekushina.

ILIEVA, T., Mary Windsor, 2016. LIMBU, N., Mary Windsor, 2014. MEKUSHINA, B., Mary Windsor, 2015. POPOVA, N., Mary Windsor, 2017. SACKERS, L., Mary Windsor, 2019. House Monitor, 1st cross-country, 1st athletics, senior girls’ football, Model United Nations, debating, beekeeping society, senior House Drama.

Leading Mary Windsor continues to be a privilege and a joy, and I am very grateful to the whole tutor team for their outstanding support of the girls and their hard work this year, both in person and virtually, and in particular to our Housemother, Mrs Astill and Assistant Houseparent, Miss Limbrick. T Helmore

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Oakley Oakley opened its doors this year to welcome students and staff from across the School as we adapted to accommodate other Houses returning during the pandemic. We also provided a home for students from across the School during the holiday periods. We were even home to… Boys!

What I learned from this disruption was the importance of compromise, communication and kindness as students and staff had to adapt, often at short notice, to a change of plan. Along with the rest of the world, we had to rethink, problem solve and switch decisions, sometimes on an hourly basis. Change can be daunting and a challenge for many but I honestly believe that Oakley House has come out stronger as a result. The Oakley girls are proud of their House and that is never more evident than when they are welcoming visitors and sharing their home with guests. The fact that this brilliant House has been occupied throughout the year with an ever changing roll call is something we can be proud of. I am now writing this in the Summer Term and these final few weeks have been an absolute joy with the spirit akin to a new term; our girls are grateful to be back with their friends once again. I don’t think we will ever take this place for granted.

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We have welcomed many new additions to Oakley this year. Five new tutors have brought a wealth of experience and interests to their roles. Miss Cunningham, Dr Felstrom, Mr Snelling and Mrs McCarthy have thrown themselves into Oakley House life and they are a wonderful addition to the team. Mrs Linfield (and Frank, the dachshund) returned to Bromsgrove and Oakley House and provided continuity when she and Miss Cunningham also gave up their holiday time to look after our students who could not travel home. I would also like to thank Miss Farrell for her superb support as assistant resident and the rest of the team that make Oakley the dynamic and special place it is: Dr Rimmer, Miss Woolley and Mr Vice. However, we would not be able to do as much as we do for the girls if it wasn’t for our superlative Housemother and boarding tutor, Mrs Pugh. Mrs Pugh, an avid bee lover, has been instrumental in the development of our outside space and work has already started on creating a wildlife habitat with plants, pond, bird boxes and a bird table built by the Headmaster. With new picnic tables and tree lights, this is another space for the Oakley girls and their guests to enjoy. Inside the House, we were gifted a magnificent grand piano from the School and we recently purchased a pool table with PA funds. We have even acquired a movie projector for the full indoor/outdoor movie experience. Throughout the year, our Monitor team have supported the House whether in person or on Zoom and have been the backbone of our community. Even they had to decamp to Housman Hall for a term but in recent weeks they have been back to lead the girls in a variety of endeavours including the Summer Party, 5k runs and innumerable social events. My sincere gratitude goes to all of the outgoing Upper Sixth for their unfailing support and loyalty, led by Head of House Annabel, Deputies Dara and Aishah, Eleanor, Meredith, Sakeenah, Ella, the two Annas and Jolene.

Oakley Leavers ATKINSON, M.S., Oakley, 2014. House Monitor, string ensemble, School orchestra, bronze DofE, silver DofE, CCF, Head of Page House (Prep School). BINTE SYED MUHAMMAD, S.S.B.S.M., Oakley, 2017. School Monitor, House Monitor, U19 table tennis, UKMT maths challenge (silver), silver DofE, Model United Nations. CHUDINOVA, A., Oakley, 2018. Girls’ choir, House music. ELNAGGAR, A., Oakley, 2018. House Monitor, Deputy Head of House. KOH, J.K., Oakley, 2019. Winner of Shine Awards 2020, DofE, athletics, history society. LI, E., Oakley, 2018. House Monitor, honorary scholarship, Cultures Connect 2020. MITROFANOVA, A., Oakley, 2019. 1st tennis, 2nd badminton, recreational golf, clay pigeon shooting, crafting for charity, backstage management crew for Great Expectations, organiser of the Christmas tea party for the elderly residents, DofE.

The oak tree is a common symbol of strength and endurance and Oakley House has demonstrated these qualities throughout this unprecedented year. Oak wood was used in Viking longships because of its resilience to stormy seas. We have certainly weathered the storm this year and look forward to setting sail in calmer waters in September. V Adams

REA, E.D., Oakley, 2014. House Monitor, textiles scholarship, bronze DofE, silver DofE, GCSE textiles prize, Upper Fourth religious studies prize, GCSE biology olympiad, winner of the Prep School Social Awareness Walford Cup, School charities, House charities, Lower Fourth summer challenge winner, siblings disability group, Bromsgrove Service - Prep School English helper and Sign Language. SCHULZE, A.E., Oakley, 2012. Head of House, drama colours, drama production Great Expectations, LAMDA qualifications. YANEVA, B.Y., Oakley, 2017. House Monitor, Deputy Head of House, MUN, 2nd tennis, Marmite Seminars, maths challenge (bronze), Bromsgrove Service.

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Ottilie Hild As I write this on the final day of Ottilie Hild’s first full academic year in our new home, it is difficult not to mention what has dramatically affected our School year. However, at least one thing has remained consistent: the young women of Ottilie Hild. They have remained resolute, motivated and cheerful in all their endeavours and I am left with feelings of immense pride.

House competitions this year were somewhat different to normal, but we (unsurprisingly) came out on top in numerous sporting and arts competitions. The Fifth Form in particular need mention as they won every single House competition they entered. The plucky Fourth Formers, who battled every week for a chance at the top spot, narrowly missed out on occasions but placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd in almost every competition. More recently our Lower Sixth received an honourable mention from the Headmaster at this year’s Bake Off Competition with their fantastic world map entry. I must also give huge credit to those who showed off their acting and musical talents in House performances. Eleanor Boardman won a prize in House music for her oboe piece, and the Lower Sixth were mesmerising in their excellent performance of Six in Cobham Theatre. All of this and I have not even touched upon all the external achievements that our girls have accomplished. Amber Fennell in the Lower Fourth spent most of the Michaelmas and Lent Terms in Austria, snowboarding with Team GB. She was most recently selected for the England Alpine Skiing Team. Louise ApuusiTchassem was selected to play for U16 Birmingham Ladies’ Football Team. Charis Pavely (Fifth Form) was selected to play for Central Sparks Cricket and Ellie Anderson in the Lower Sixth was selected to play for England Cricket Academy.

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Latesha Grant was part of the pairing that won the Midlands Girls’ Doubles Tournament - the first time in 109 years that Bromsgrove have won this title. Lili-Rose Hunt continues to dominate the golfing world; a particular highlight was winning three out of a possible four trophies in a single golf tournament. In horse riding, Victoria Moberly came second in the National Schools’ Equestrian Association competition, Jasmine Underwood competed in the British Eventing Pony Programme and Evie Derbyshire competed in the Schools’ Equestrian Games event at Swalcliffe Park, finishing inside the top ten and qualifying for the Schools’ Equestrian Games National Championships later this year. The Ottilie Hild Parents’ Association, along with tutors, have been particularly busy this year, as we have implemented several new House traditions. From Santa and Easter egg hunts, pizza and movie nights to raffles and silent auctions, it has been amazing to see such incredible support and I look forward to seeing how this continues. I must also recognise the huge efforts from the House tutor team this year. With added tutor time and duties to help ease the pressure of year group bubbles, the tutors of Ottilie Hild have gone above and beyond to support the girls and the House. I could not be more grateful for their unwavering support and professionalism. It was so unfortunate that Commemoration Day was once more curtailed due to COVID-19, however, I know our Upper Sixth were at least pleased that their Murder Mystery Leavers’ Party was allowed to go ahead, and what a great night it was. I wish I could have seen the girls together one last time before the summer – I thank them for their service to the House. In all honestly, I could not have asked for a better Upper Sixth. They have been amazing role models and have taken every knock that this year has bought them in their stride. They leave behind a legacy of strong leadership that will be hard to follow next year. I am so proud of the young women they have become, and I know that Eloisa, Claudia, Dasha, Mya, Sadie, Kiyyah, Hermione, Lauren, Victoria, Joely and Molly will love university.

Ottilie Hild Leavers BORRIELLO, E.B., Ottilie Hild, 2007. Pre-Prep Survivor, House Monitor, Head of House, 1st badminton, tennis Minor Colours, badminton Minor Colours, House Colours, DofE, School magazine BULLOCK, C.E., Ottilie Hild, 2012. House Monitor, 1st tennis captain, 1st hockey, The Swatkins Cup, silver DofE. BUTLER, D.E., Ottilie Hild, 2010. Prep School Survivor, House Monitor, Deputy Head of House, art scholarship, art award, 2nd hockey. EVANS, M.E., Ottilie Hild, 2019. House Monitor, Law Society, debating. GARDNER, S.G., Ottilie Hild, 2010. Prep School Survivor, School Monitor, bronze DofE, silver DofE, gold DofE, 1st hockey, honorary academic scholarship.

LAWTHER, H., Ottilie Hild, 2016. House Monitor, academic scholarship, debating, DofE. MCLEAN, L.M., Ottilie Hild, 2017. House Monitor, Deputy Head of House, 16+ academic scholarship, honorary scholarship, DofE. MOBERLEY, V., Ottilie Hild, 2005. PrePrep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, House Monitor, 1st indoor hockey, 1st field hockey, 1st tennis (Fifth Form), equestrian team, 2nd place at the National School Championships (Hickstead qualifier), 5th/160 at the NSEA Championships. SMITH, J., Ottilie Hild, 2016. House Monitor. SWORD, M-J., Ottilie Hild, 2014. House Monitor, grade 5 MT, gold DofE, debating society, Basement Project representative.

GRANT, K.R., Ottilie Hild, 2019. 1st netball, 2020 Sisters n Sport National winners, 2020 independent schools’ National winners, 2020 National schools’ netball competition 3rd place, 1st girls’ tennis, netball scholarship.

Whilst it is exhausting trying to keep up with everything that the ladies of Ottilie Hild House do, I could not be prouder of each and every one of them. Having started Ottilie Hild from scratch, I think we have established something great here. Considering we have barely been open a year, we have already become a force to be reckoned with and that is down to the commitment, kindness and community spirit that the girls of Ottilie Hild have truly embodied.

I want to say a hearty “well done” for keeping the competitive spirit of Ottilie Hild alive and for maintaining excellent standards. I cannot wait for the start of a more stable but just a successful year next September. G Hanson

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School House After another disruptive year, it would be easy to dwell upon what we have missed in the past twelve months; however, that just makes it more impressive to think about what the men of School House have achieved with so many limitations upon them.

In September 2021, our Upper Sixth will be at university, likely living away from home, responsible for their own education, their meals, and some (but probably not all) of their washing. Although small in numbers, their abilities and achievements have been second to none. This will stand them in great stead for whatever they go on to do beyond Bromsgrove. It has been tough over their time in the Senior School, but they have proven repeatedly that they are responsible, hard-working and fine young men. Whether on stage, in the classroom or on the sports field, Zef, Hugh, Harrison, Avi, Vincent, Hamish, Max, Sam and Olly have been amazing members of the House throughout their tenure and the impact that they have made throughout has been nothing short of incredible. I feel immensely fortunate that we were able to celebrate the end of term in our “pub garden” evening, and although it is no substitute for Commemoration, it is one my fondest memories, and one that I will cherish immensely from my time with School House.

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As the Upper Sixth leave, a new team of Senior students and Monitors step into their wake. Next year with Harry Richards as the Head of House and a strong team behind him, we expect (and I know they will deliver) great things for School House. The team have their sights set on great feats, and with Max Idczak co-ordinating the Seniors, and James Thomas guiding the Juniors, I know that the House will once again be led with passion and heart. Throughout the year, the Lower Sixth are becoming more focused on their future, and with the challenges of the Upper Sixth ahead of them, are showing real promise to succeed. They have also fully embraced the extra-curricular life of the School – attending sporting fixtures and service activities each week with great commitment and enthusiasm. Our Fifth Form have wet their whistle for the IB and A Level programmes, and I am already hearing the pleas for more challenge and rigour. They are ready to prove themselves as motivated and driven Sixth Formers, and with their track record, they will take this in their stride. They eagerly await their GCSE grades, and after so much work throughout the year, I know they will be well rewarded. Achieving Minor Colours this year were Jake Wingfield, Jared Spurgeon, Will Hobbs, Tom Nicholson and Jamie Lewis in a wide-ranging field from drama to crosscountry. Harrison Philpott should also be congratulated as he was awarded the Fifth Form Best CCF Cadet for a fine year with the CCF. Our Fourth Form are progressing through their GCSEs with pace, and the incredibly high bar that they have set for themselves is constantly being nudged skyward. They have shown great commitment to the House over the last year, with record attendance at every Saturday House event in the Michaelmas Term. The end of the year saw a great number of the Fourth Form being commended in sports and performing arts. As well as this, Joe Boardman received the Upper Fourth Prize for endeavour and progress, Nick Hunt received the academic prize for Religious Studies, and George Hastings was awarded both the Junior Staff Reading Prize and the Prize for Best Year’s Work.

School House Leavers ABRAHAM, H.A., School, 2005. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, School Monitor, Senior House Drama 2019 - special award, drama productions - Grease (2018), Great Expectations (2019), honorary scholar. KALRA, A., School, 2019. MEADOWS, H., School, 2005. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, House Monitor, sport scholar, honorary scholar, rugby. MEASEY, V., School, 2019.

RUBEN, J., School, 2005. RUSLING, M.E., School, 2014. House Monitor, honorary academic scholarship. SUTHERLAND, H.A., School, 2014. Prep School Survivor, House Monitor, Formula 24 racing - The Chicken 2019 kitcar world champions and team captain, academic exhibition, honorary academic scholarship. WALKER, O.E., School, 2005. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, House Monitor, 1st hockey, silver DofE.

ROBERTS, S.I., School, 2014. Long jump National champion on two occassions, triple jump National champion, silver in the hurdles, sports scholarship.

There was similar success within the Lower Fourth with Hugo Blackwell receiving the Academic Award for Design Technology, and both Alexander Lobban and Neel Agrawal achieving the Prize for Endeavour and Progress. I must also thank the Parents’ Association for their help this year; running a fantastic Zoom Fun Night, multiple raffles and dropping off food for Feast Friday, all of which have helped keep the House spirit alive both within School House and at home.

For my final words, I want to express how humbled I am to have such great boys in School House; although the House is often praised for the boys’ achievements, it is entirely down to what they do both as individuals and as a collective – they truly make School House’s impeccable reputation. The fortitude and discipline each member has shown has been incredible over the last year, and I cannot praise them enough. They all deserve a rest, and I hope that the summer holiday provides just this. T Clinton

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Thomas Cookes This year has been unprecedented. However, the girls and parents have been very supportive of the House, and they have shown resilience, fortitude and enthusiasm throughout this period. They have learnt to support one another and encouraged progress even when it was difficult.

September 2021 will hopefully return to ‘normal’. Having said that, there are going to be year groups in Thomas Cookes that do not remember what it is like to compete for the House in certain events, have Christmas Dinner as a collective and indeed attend Commemoration. For everyone, the year has been disrupted but for some more than others. The Upper Sixth have had a turbulent year. However, they have all come through it with considerable resilience. They have been a wonderful group of girls. Friendly, sociable and warm. It is a real shame that they were unable to show their true talents to the School and be allowed to lead in the usual way. A particular thank you goes to Liz Aston for all the enthusiasm and vitality that she has brought to the House and for her dedication as Head of House. Many of the Upper Sixth will be heading off to University in September. They will be missed. House life has been much disrupted this year, but we have managed to field teams and participate in Drama and Music Competitions. The Lower Fourth have been very successful on the sporting field where they have won the netball, hockey, athletics, volleyball, rounders and crosscountry. The Upper Fourths have also had wins on the sporting front, particularly in cross-country. The Fifth Form have competed well in House sport but they really excelled in drama. Accrington Pals, performed during the Michaelmas Term, was a wonderful treat. Anya Sanikop,

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Jessica Whitlock and Paris Siviter were very engaging, with Paris winning the runner up prize for best actress. Sophia Meadows was also impressive in her performance on the piano in the final of the individual music competition. Her piece was fun, fast and very accomplished. The Lower Sixth also produced an outstanding production for their House Drama competition in the play, Mean Girls. Lucy McLoughlin, Keira Sehdeva, Millie Goulden-Page, Hannah Batham, Cally Buxton and Iris Tang are not really that mean! The Upper Sixth were working very hard on their House drama when we were told that we would have to go into another lockdown, and this must have been very disappointing for them. All that hard work to not actually get the opportunity to show it. During the Lent Term, the 1.2 relays took place and it was great to win this competition as a House. This is a traditional event where a member of each year group has to run a course and then hand on to the next person. What fantastic performances from all the girls. In particular, Lucy Hatfield who managed to beat most of the boys with her time of 5 minutes and 2 seconds. As we approached the end of the year, the Lower Sixth also took part in the House Bake–Off. They spent a considerable amount of time and effort to produce the most beautiful cake. I was disappointed for them that they did not win. However, it was the team effort and they should be congratulated. In the Summer Term, congratulations must also go to the Upper Fourth girls who managed to stage a wonderful production of Our Day Out. Serisha Sunner, Amelia Rowe, Charlotte Brown and Megan Wilson were wonderful in their roles. They played a group of teenage scousers going on a school trip, with Serisha (as one of the teachers) trying to maintain control. It was funny, vibrant and meaningful. I loved the music and Amelia Rowe’s scouse accent. Congratulations to all those who have completed their DofE awards, been on expeditions or taken part in Lower Fourth Camp. What a great experience to work as a team, learn new skills and have fun with friends. It is also good to see some of the most beautiful places this country has to offer. What seems to be more difficult,

Thomas Cookes Leavers ANJUM, F., Thomas Cookes, 2009. ASTON, E., Thomas Cookes, 2012. School Monitor, House Monitor, Head of House, 1st swimming, 2nd hockey, gold DofE, debating, academic scholarship, honorary scholarship. BOOTHROYD, C.M., Thomas Cookes, 2007. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, House Monitor. CLARK, E.C., Thomas Cookes, 2016. School Monitor, House Monitor, academic exhibition, sports scholarship. GOODWIN, L., Thomas Cookes, 2005. PrePrep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, School Monitor, House Monitor, 16+ academic scholarship, Geography, Latin, Biology, Chemistry, English Language GCSE prizes, 1st athletics, Staff Reading 2020, gold DofE. HANKE, R., Thomas Cookes, 2014. HUGHES, E.C., Thomas Cookes, 2012. House Monitor, 1st hockey, CCF - Flt Sgt, DofE. MCCAIG, F.I., Thomas Cookes, 2005. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, House Monitor, tennis, badminton, National badminton competition (2017), swimning, Bromsgrove Badge winner, CCF, DofE, Chapel choir, House Music, Bromsgrove Service, charity fundraising, art colours, DT award, Haslam Cup, kit car racing, drama production - Alice.

for pretty much everyone, are the blisters. They seem to have been particularly bad this year. We say a couple of farewells this year. Firstly to Mr McDonald who has only been here a year but has made a huge impact, particularly on his Lower Fourth tutees. He has been an inspiration to them and supportive of all they do. They will miss him. Also to Mr Dowling who retires after thirty-one years. That must mean he has seen hundreds of tutees through the years and he has been supportive of each one. He now looks forward to an easier life of sailing and clay pigeon shooting as often as possible. All the best to them both. Thank you to the Thomas Cookes Parents’ Association. Mrs Emma Boothroyd has had to step down as the President of the TC PA this term. I am most grateful for all her

MILLS, S.L., Thomas Cookes, 2005. PrePrep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, House Monitor, U18A athletics, U18A cross-country, Bromsgrove Service - residential homes, charity shop volunteering and School blog, drama productions - Still Remembered Voices and Alice, RAF, World Challenge to Zambia, 13+ sports scholarship. SMITH, E., Thomas Cookes, 2019. House Monitor, Law Society. SMITH, L., Thomas Cookes, 2005. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, bronze DofE, silver DofE, CCF. STEPHENS-JONES, E., Thomas Cookes, 2005. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, House Monitor, bronze DofE, RAF, one of twelve winners in the biology photography calendar competition, helping out with charity events. TOOR, T., Thomas Cookes, 2005. WALTERS, I.A., Thomas Cookes, 2014. School Monitor, House Monitor, Deputy Head of House, 1st Swimming, 1st cross-country, 1st athletics, debating, CCF, gold DofE, School shooting team, 3rd in the Schools’ National Final for clay pigeon shooting, School equestrian team, Bromsgrove Badge, Lower Fourth drama production, drama production - Alice, marksman in rifle shooting through the CCF. WATTS, O.W., Thomas Cookes, 2016.

efforts and the work she has put in. She has been a fantastic support to me and the House and I know I will miss her humour and enthusiasm. I would also like to thank Mrs Sallie Walters who has been a member of the TC PA for a number of years. Who is going to sort out all the Christmas Hampers for me now? A big thank you should also go to the tutors. They are hugely supportive of the girls and spend considerable time and effort to ensure their progression in all areas of School life. Finally, I would also like to thank Lorraine. She is a huge support to me in the House and I know the girls love her warm and friendly approach. K Hannah

Walters This year marked the full cycle for me in Walters House. The young faced boys of yesteryear have grown into fine young men and, although, aging me somewhat along the way, I have enjoyed every minute. Under their fine management, in what was another strange year, the House has gone from strength to strength.

From the weekend sport bubbles to the year group pizza treats, we have bonded as one, if only on zoom for the majority. However, this has not knocked our Waltonian spirit, which has been summarised by the outgoing Head of House below. As my time in School ends, I am pleased to say that I look back fondly with great memories of my time spent in Walters House. Despite a large portion of the last two years being distanced from our base point, the House spirit, comradery, and endeavour has endured, if not thrived. The start of the year saw the boys spread out across the four corners of the campus, and Zoom being the regular host for House assembly. Across the year, Walters has seen many triumphs in the creative and sporting areas, but, unfortunately, there has not been much in the way of academic events to comment on due to COVID-19. From the beginning of the term, Walters was straight out onto the sporting field to participate in all weekend fixtures across all year groups such as athletics, crosscountry and badminton. We have achieved many victories - the Upper Sixth bringing home the House rugby trophy for the second year running, second place in House football (losing to a tough Lupton opposition), and a valiant effort in the 1.2 relays.

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Walters has achieved much on the sporting front and is poised for an even better set of results next year. The pride, passion and commitment to Walters is shown not only in our victories, but also by the boys in their determination to succeed and do their best at whatever they set their minds to. Off the pitch, Walters thrived too. House Drama and House Music saw the boys compete to their greatest abilities with passion and dedication to their craft and the House. Drama showcased the Waltonian’s excellent talent and skills, With Fifth Former Charlie Cooper being commended with the Best Actor prize for his performance and Lewis Osbourne for his performance in the Sixth Form competition. House Music saw Walters once again show their creative side with Charlie Cooper (Fifth Form) and Hamish Cross (Lower Sixth) taking to the stage. The Parents’ Association have been fantastic to the boys this year, with the purchasing of food, kit and helping put on events; we have been truly spoilt. From the Christmas chocolate treats to the Easter eggs, and providing breakfast bars and snacks for morning breaks. As the academic year came to an end and Houses started to return to normality, with year groups all back together after the January-May lockdown, the House spirit was renewed. I have no doubt that the Walters spirit will continue to flourish and thrive next year. However, none of the success over the year can go without recognising the foundations of the House. The Housemaster, Mr Bell and the tutor team are the soul and body of Walters and provide a massive service to the boys. Concluding my five years in Walters House will also commemorate Mr Bell’s first year group that he has commandeered through Senior School. From his wisdom and spirit to standing with the boys on an equal level, Mr Bell he been an unwavering pillar of the House and its community. He has been supported by a skilful and knowledgeable tutor team, from new additions like Mr Summerfield, to the veterans such as Mr Kettle. The tutors have a wealth of knowledge that they impart on the boys to prepare them for all aspects of life beyond Bromsgrove.

Walters Leavers ASHMORE-WELLS, E.J.H., Walters, 2005. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, 1st cross-country, CCF. BRAY, R.F., Walters , 2016. sport scholarship, 1st rugby, 1st athletics. EATON, J., Walters, 2015. GUY, E.G., Walters, 2016. House Monitor, Deputy Head of House, sports scholarship, 1st rugby, 1st athletics. HILL, T.H., Walters, 2016. School Monitor, House Monitor, 1st rugby, 1st rugby 7s, CCF - RAF, DofE, lunchtime and Inter-House debating, hard work and endeavour award. MUNNS, J.M., Walters, 2019. 2nd rugby, rugby 7s. SANDHU, P.J., Walters, 2011. bronze DofE, silver DofE, gold DofE, CCF.

I can say without a doubt that they have left me feeling more prepared than ever to venture out of the comfort of Walters House. I cannot write this without mentioning the stabilising force of our Housekeeper, Lesley. Les is there whenever the boys need her and always has a solution to any problem. Her dedication, compassion and commitment to the boys and the House is unmatched. Lesley always knows what to say and how to say it when it comes to helping and supporting the boys through all their problems and issues. From the entire House, thank you. To conclude, my five years in Walters have been some of the most memorable and best years ever. The House has not only been a reliable base point for me and the Upper Sixth but also a second home. Thanks to Walters, we are ready for the future that awaits and the lives we will lead. I truly believe that this House, and the stability and support it provides, are necessary to succeed in Senior School and I wish all the younger years the very best of luck in their future aspirations. Thomas Ward (Head of House 2020-2021)

STONE, O.J., Walters, 2019. House Monitor, 2nd rugby. TAHIR, S.A., Walters, 2019. UKMT. TALUKDER, M.T., Walters, 2016. Cricket scholarship, U14A cricket, U15A cricet, U17A cricket, 1st cricket, U17s National cricket cup, U15 cricket National finalists, U14B rugby, U15B rugby, 3rd rugby. WALTON, E.E., Walters, 2019. 1st rugby, Rugby Scholarship. WARD, T.W., Walters, 2005. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, Head of House, CCF, DofE. WIGGINS, G.W., Walters, 2011. 1st team swimming captain, silver DofE, four years of CCF, Hong Kong Salver, School cap for swimming.

As has been mentioned above, the boys of Walters House have been busy despite the restrictions in place. It is diversity in the face of adversity that makes me so proud to be their Houseparent. From the stages of Cobham and Routh to the playing fields of Charford and Knarled Oak, Waltonians have shone through and for this, they must be commended. I echo the praise given to Les and the tutor team, as it is them that keeps the ship afloat. Although we will be losing Mr Young this year, we wish him all the best in Thomas Cookes House, it is a big step but one that he will more than relish. Lastly to Tom, he has been the everdependable arm of the House, from sports teams to year group bubbles, he has been there to lend a hand. His unflappable nature and desire to reach the very top will see him excel at university and I know that this marks the end of “The Wards” at Bromsgrove School, but he has done his family proud. He leaves a House, and, in fact, the School, in a great place and I look forward to hearing from him in the near future. The cycle is complete but my pride in my boys continues to grow. You are a special lot, you Waltonians, and I thank you. H Bell

Webber “The years go by. The time, it does fly. Every single second is a moment in time that passes. And it seems like nothing - but when you’re looking back ... well, it amounts to everything.” Ray Bradbury

This last year has literally flown by - but when I pause to reflect, I am reminded that we have packed so much in to it, and got so much out of it. Despite being physically and socially distanced at times, the close connections that were forged in our first year were never separated. We continued to play sport in our Upper Sixth bubble, we made music and shared via Zoom, we learnt lines, we baked cakes, we acknowledged birthdays (with Cesar Lam Dai playing on the violin in lieu of us singing), we showcased our new House kit and much-admired hoodies (thanks to the tenacity of Benjamin Gifford), Hector Mur Lopez designed our House tie, Leena Alahmad carved the winning pumpkin, we celebrated Christmas with all the trimmings (Santa even paid us a visit), we played in the snow, we ate al-fresco, learnt the rules of rounders, and threw a fabulous end of year farewell party complete with our own Oscars ceremony. The highlights are endless. Amidst the turbulence of the pandemic, we studied and worked hard, we relaxed and had fun - we literally kept calm and carried on!

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We had so many successes this year - both academic and extra-curricular. Sharing in success is one of the many joys and privileges of being a Houseparent there is no greater source of pride. Webber really stood out in this year’s Upper Sixth Prizegiving Assembly. We walked into Routh Hall to the sound of Evelyn Lau playing Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No.8 in C minor, Op.13 Pathétique and walked out with a grand total of eleven awards. Congratulations to Rickie Ma who received the Wattell Prize for Mathematics, and to our three IB Academic Prize winners - Eva Pavlova for IB Language Russian A - Extended Essay, Bariş Çavuşoğlu for Environmental Systems and Societies, and Bayansulu Adilbekova who was awarded the CAS Trophy. Congratulations to Cesar Lam Dai, Evelyn Lau and Ben Sugarman, who all received recognition for their superb efforts in sport, music and drama. Cesar was duly awarded his School Cap for his extraordinary commitment to first team basketball, and his Music Major Colours for his high-level performance on the violin (both solo and ensemble). A gifted pianist, Evelyn thoroughly deserved to receive her Music Cap; her polished performance in the House Music Solo competition was highly commended by the judges and she has never stopped entertaining us - be it an impromptu session with friends in House, or playing more formally to the wider School community. Multi-talented Ben received an impressive four awards - his Major Colours for Drama, Music and Golf, and Webber’s first ever House Shield for the Most Improved in Drama. In House, I was delighted to be able to award so many students their hard earned and much deserved House Colours. It was also an honour to present two very special inaugural awards this year – ‘Endeavour’ to Evelyn Lau and ‘House Spirit’ to Colin Tjhioe. Between them, Colin and Evelyn have amassed an incredible sixty-eight commendations. They have both made an outstanding contribution to House and School life, setting the gold standard for future generations, and they thoroughly deserved to be recognised in this way.

Sadly, and in a bitter blow to everyone involved, the Upper Sixth House Drama Competition was cancelled. However, the indomitable cast - Kiki Ngernanek, Jolin Tjhioe, Evelyn Lau, and Ben Sugarman - were determined that the show must go on, and so it did many months later. Colin Tjhioe, resplendent with fake fur and handbag, stepped in at the last moment to take on the role of Annabella, and Webber’s Version of The Thirty-Nine Steps was finally performed, recorded and shown on the big screen to critical acclaim. I would like to thank our School Monitor, Ben Sugarman and our Heads of House Philip Pietzsch, Barbora Rudgalvyte, Colin Tjhioe and Bayansulu Adilbekova for their loyal support and leadership over the year. With circumstances as they were, and as the only Monitor in the House for much of the year, it was a real baptism of fire for Colin – and he stepped up to the challenge with great aplomb.

We are so lucky in Webber to have such an amazing and dedicated team - I am incredibly grateful to our Assistant Houseparent, Mr Hinde, academic tutors, Mrs Boonnak and Mrs Hinde, and duty tutors, Miss Brown and Mr Attwell for their unwavering support. I wish Lois and Jake every success as they embark upon their PGCE in the new academic year. A very special mention and a massive thank you to our wonderful Housemother, Mrs Deverill-Skelding, who always goes the extra mile and has been nothing short of fabulous this year. It is no surprise that the Webber students described ‘Mrs DS’ as the ‘best Housemother ever’. Finally, I would like to pay tribute to all of my Webber students and to their parents who have entrusted me with their care. As the Class of 2021 fly the Webber nest, I wish them all the very best for the bright future that awaits them. J Courtney

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Webber Leavers ADILBEKOVA, B., Webber, 2019.

OCAMPO VILLEGA, M., Webber, 2019.

ALAHMAD, L., Webber, 2019.

PAVLOVA, E., Webber, 2019.

CAVUSOGLU, B., Webber, 2019.

PIETZSCH, P.H., Webber, 2020. Head of House, 1st athletics, House Drama, House Music competition, piano, Model United Nations, film project for the School (guided video tour).

CHAN, C.Y., Webber, 2019. CHENG, H.Y., Webber, 2019. House Monitor, Bromsgrove Service - sign language and supervising/assisting junior boarders with their prep. DIZ CACERES, E., Webber, 2019.

PONGCHABABNAPA, P., Webber, 2019. DofE, Basement Project.

HAGAN, C.H., Webber, 2019. 1st rugby.

RUDGALVYTE. E.B., Webber, 2019. Head of House, conductor in House Song competition, debating, PPE and moral philosophy club, Marmite Gfited and Talented, IFP economics, House colours.

HOSIE, G.H., Webber, 2019. 1st hockey.

RUNCIMAN, M., Webber, 2019.

LAM DAI, C., Webber, 2019. 1st basketball, music Major Colours, highly commended in House Music advanced category, House colours, basketball School cap, orchestra, Upper Sixth ensemble.

SHONEKAN, T., Webber, 2019. 3rd netball, DofE.

GIFFORD, B.P., Webber, 2019. 1st and 2nd rugby, 1st rugby 7s, rugby scholar.

LAU, E.L., Webber, 2019. House Colour, Research Competition (2020), MUN, House debating, House Drama, participated in both the solo and ensemble House Music competitions (2019-2020), awarded a commendation for House Music competition (2020-2021), Chapel choir, girls’ choir, participated in Staff Reading Prize (2020), performed in the Friday afternoon concerts, participant in the piano masterclass, House hockey, House badminton, House swimming, House cross-country, 1.2 relays. LUCAS, P., Webber, 2019. Basketball, volleyball, football, badminton, swimming, althletics. MA, R., Webber, 2019. MIR, F., Webber, 2019. MIR, F.M., Webber, 2019. Deputy Head of Webber in Year 12, House Drama, football, philosophy lectures, staying in School during during the initial COVID-19 breakout when everything was shut. MISIURA, D., Webber, 2019. MUR LOPEZ, H., Webber, 2019. 4th rugby, 1st and 2nd hockey, UK maths challenge (bronze), Greenpower racing, Model United Nations. NGERNANEK, N., Webber, 2019. House Drama (2019 and 2020), House Music, participated in all House sports, Basement Project, badminton.

SONG, J.T., Webber, 2020. SUGARMAN, B., Webber, 2019. School Monitor, House Monitor, Head of House, golf Team, 3rd football, Chapel choir, Upper Sixth music assembly. TJHIOE, C.T.J., Webber, 2019. Deputy Head of House, Ecoverse committee, 1st basketball. TJHIOE, J.T.J., Webber, 2019. VLASOVA, O., Webber, 2019. 1st cricket, 1st hockey, sports scholar, CCF, silver DofE, bronze DofE. YIN, J., Webber, 2018. YUEN, H.Y., Webber, 2019.

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Wendron-Gordon In one of the most disrupted School years in living memory, the young men of Wendron-Gordon have faced numerous challenges head on this year. 2020/21 saw House bubbles, pupils missing out on Bromsgrove staples such as the Unison House Song competition, external trips and sporting fixtures, and even the School’s closure for a while.

In one of the most disrupted School years in living memory, the young men of Wendron-Gordon have faced numerous challenges head on. 2020/21 saw House bubbles, pupils missing out on Bromsgrove staples such as the Unison House Song competition, external trips and sporting fixtures, and even the School’s closure for a while. Some boys who were not able to get home during the lockdown were temporarily re-housed into Deo or Regi, the senior and junior Boarding Houses during lock-down. A handful of pupils remained in Bromsgrove from August through to July, away from their families for almost a whole year. Yet despite all of these difficulties, we can still look back on a year that has been so positive in so many ways – a testament to the energy and positivity of the boys and the tutor team. Nearly thirty new joiners from across four year groups arrived in Wendron-Gordon in September 2020, receiving a warm welcome from their peers that helped them to settle quickly into School and House routines. With School fixtures off the table for the vast majority of the year, the boys threw themselves into House competitions; with tournaments on virtually every Saturday of the Michaelmas Term, anyone who wanted to compete was able to, and the vast majority got involved. Wins in Fifth Form cricket and Upper Fourth triathlon stand out as particularly enjoyable events.

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Other highlights of the year were on the stage; with the Fifth and Lower Sixth Form drama competitions seeing a phenomenal standard from all who took part. The Government Inspector was a feast for the (mostly online) audience, seeing the Lower Sixth ensemble take the prize for best play; the Headmaster, adjudicating, called the performance simply ‘stunning’. There was change afoot in terms of our home too; the glass link between the main building and the annexe, completed last summer, has added much to our House. Whilst the second half of the final term saw work begin on the next stage of the refurbishment of Wendron-Gordon. We are excited to see the updated rooming configuration that lies ahead. We thank the Upper Sixth for outstanding leadership during testing times. As a relatively small, but incredibly tight year group, they were the perfect leadership team during an unusual year. Head of House Ed Rosbrook offered sensible and calm authority, ably assisted by the rest of the Monitor team; their enthusiasm and positivity set the perfect tone for others to follow. The end of the year saw Deputy Head of House Andy Chia receive the prestigious Batchelor Cup for outstanding service to the House over five years, whilst Michael Malam and Jamie Rodway shared the Hwyl award for bringing fun, energy and enjoyment into Wendron-Gordon throughout their time here. Although, sadly, they were unable to experience their final Commemoration, it was great to have many of the Upper Sixth formers in School after their final assessments to enjoy House life and each other’s company for a few weeks. A fun day paintballing against Elmshurst and a lovely leavers’ meal on the lawn were two of the highlights of the Summer Term.

Wendron-Gordon Leavers CHIA, H.L., Wendron-Gordon, 2016. House Monitor, Deputy Head of House, 1st tennis, House Music ensemble winner (2019, 2020), senior music scholar, House Music solo competition - highly commended (2019), big band, brass ensemble, junior endeavour award (2018), played The Last Post on Remembrance Day (2018, 2019, 2020). GARIAZZO, T., Wendron-Gordon, 2019. House Monitor, 3rd football, gold certificate in the maths challenge, DofE.

PANG, I.T., Wendron-Gordon, 2016. RODWAY, J.R., Wendron-Gordon, 2013. House Monitor, CCF, bronze DofE, 2nd football. ROSBROOK, E.R., Wendron-Gordon, 2013. School Monitor, House Monitor, Head of House, DofE, CCF, Greenpower racing, World Challenge to Zambia, The Chattock Prize. TAM, C.O.G., Wendron-Gordon, 2017.

MALAM, M.P., Wendron-Gordon, 2014. House Monitor, 1st football, 1st squash, bronze DofE, silver DofE, CCF.

WAN, K.M.D., Wendron-Gordon, 2016. House Monitor, 1st football, U16A basketball, U15A basketball, football Minor Colour, basketball Minor Colour, Economics Society.

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

YUE, L.H., Wendron-Gordon, 2017.

OPENGEYM, M., Wendron-Gordon, 2017. House Monitor, 1st cross-country, U15 football, U16B football, runner up for best print and design and best magazine overall at the Shine School media awards (2020), bronze DofE, CCF, 201 pupil magazine (design editor), Cultures Connect (2020 and 2021), commitment award, honorary academic scholarship.

We bade farewell to three members of the tutor team at the final assembly of the year. Mr Stockton has been a calm and ever-friendly presence throughout his time in W-G and his tutees have hugely appreciated his guidance and support. Mr Delahunty, a veteran of two stints and the best part of a decade’s service in W-G, will also be sorely missed. His wisdom, enthusiasm and good cheer have been of benefit to pupils and colleagues alike over his time with us; we wish him the best of luck for his move across to Lupton. Mr Holdsworth, Assistant Houseparent, has only been with us for five terms, but he has made a big impression in that time. Indefatigable, determined and passionate about his work, he has been a great support to all members of the House, and an excellent tutor to his charges. We wish him every success as he moves down the hill to take up residence in Elmshurst. We thank all three for their outstanding commitment to our young men.

We wish the very best of luck to next year’s House Monitor team of Matthew Burke, Ian Chan, Alex Collin, Ivan Gordeev, Victor Mikov, Jan Morozov, Arsenii Steshenko and Stefan Tarasov. They have big shoes to fill, but we know they will do an excellent job. That Matt, Alex and Arsenii have also been selected as School Monitors for 2021/22 is also a huge source of pride for Wendron-Gordon. We thank Mrs Wilkins and Mrs Hibell, along with all of the W-G tutor team, their support for, and dedication to the boys has been exceptional. Best wishes to all for the year ahead. D. G. Wilkins

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Upper Sixth Leavers 2021

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Senior Prize Winners 2021 Wattell Prizes

Other Academic Prizes

English Junko Kwok

Art (Textiles) Harmonie Daniel-Umoh

William Ledbrook Prize for Biology Radu-Alexandru Polschi

History Junko Kwok

Business Jakob Heptinshall

Amphlett Prize for Chemistry Eric Li

Politics Nikhil Gour

Mathematics Ruike Ma

Turner Memorial Prize for Music Imogen Vaughan-Hawkins

Religious Studies Eleanor Rea

Physics Eric Li

Alison Bramley Memorial Prize for Mathematics Lauren McLean

Geography Lucia Goodwin

Art Chelsea Hei Kiu Chan

German Oliver Owen

Physical Education Imogen Vaughan-Hawkins

Chaytor Pepper Prize for Classics (Classical Civilisation) Matthew Cheng

French Yilia Chen

Jeffery Lewins Prize for Technology (Design Engineering) Oluwaseum Soyannwo

Economics Lauren McLean

Housman Verse Prize Elizaveta Vasilyeva

Spanish Hugh Abraham

John Hedley Memorial Prize (CCF) Nikhil Gour

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Special Prizes Tony Limbert Trophy (Sport) Imogen Vaughan-Hawkins

Paul Sawtell Trophy Laetitia de Belgique

Tony Limbert was a pupil who made the most of the sporting opportunities available at Bromsgrove and the trophy dedicated to his memory is awarded to someone who has endeavoured to do the same in their time here.

This award is intended to acknowledge a pupil who typifies the School’s values of humble confidence, moral principles and the generous encouragement of others. There could hardly be a more fitting description of Laetitia de Belgique. Humble and honest, caring and compassionate. Which is not to say she is without other more measurable successes as well.

Throughout her time in the Senior School, Imogen Vaughan-Hawkins has embraced every aspect of sporting life. Committed to training and competition, her hard work and natural talent has meant that she has represented the School in 178 fixtures, over five years, in seven different sports. Very unassuming and modest in her achievements, Imogen’s commitment and attitude to School sport has been second to none. Always giving 100%, regardless of the task ahead, showing excellent sportsmanship on and off the field, and turning up to every training session and match with a smile on her face. Whether it be on the netball court, on the hockey Astro, or in the pool, she has produced a range of skills, physical effort, determination, and endeavour that have helped lead teams to County, Regional, and National success. She has been an instrumental part of the teams that have won a remarkable six National Netball titles. An exemplar of tremendous teamwork and inspiring leadership, Imogen is a most deserving winner of this prestigious award.

Rising to the academic challenges of the IB diploma, she has secured a place at UCL. A vibrant and engaging speaker, she possesses compelling communication skills, evident in the School production of Great Expectations, representation in the Model United Nations, and when she took the floor to win the ‘Best Speaker Cup’ in last year’s Debating competition. Unafraid to speak her mind eloquently and persuasively, she writes as well as she speaks, as has been evident in her role as Editor of the School’s award-winning Magazine, Two Zero One. Her capacity to see an issue from a variety of angles and to evaluate the ideas of others makes her an ideal candidate to read History next year. She is also a keen sportswoman, having represented both School and House with pride, in hockey, athletics, netball and cross-country. Unafraid to step out of her comfort zone, she is equally supportive of her peers, as was evident during DofE Expeditions, spurring others on as well. That same altruism was present during the worst days of lockdown, when she gave willingly of her time and initiative to bake cookies for a local COVID-19 centre, brightening up the days of the nurses and patients.

Such optimism in the face of adversity has also been her hallmark when back onsite this year. Although her chances to lead as a School Monitor have been curtailed by the pandemic, she simply redirected her leadership energies into her role as House Monitor, where she consistently lifted morale in Housman Hall. From helping new joiners settle in, to leading by example in House events, competitions and socials, she has been inspiration for all. And that is because, for all her measurable achievements in academic, sporting, cultural and service activities, Laetitia is, above all, a warm and inspiring person. A friendly ear, a fierce advocate for what is right, a self-deprecating servant of others, and a genuine soul. She is, in short, what this School aspires to produce - a true Bromsgrovian.

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Special Prizes Ben Showell Memorial Rose Bowl (Performing Arts) Max Wong Like the Old Bromsgrovian it commemorates, this award is for a pupil who has made a significant contribution to the Performing Arts during their time here. Max Wong has certainly done that. He joined the Chapel Choir from the day he arrived in the School, and has remained fully committed to this, as well as the Boys’ and Chamber Choir. He has sung in School services, the Cheltenham Performing Arts Festival, Evensong at Coventry Cathedral, the opening concert of Routh Hall, Choral Society performances of Haydn’s Nelson Mass and Vivaldi’s Gloria, the choir tour to Salzburg and even in the chorus of the musical Grease. Which probably should be enough to warrant this award alone. However, he is not just a superb singer, he is a sublime cellist. Blitzing his Grade 8 cello exam with 142 out of 150 earlier this year, his stunning playing has made him a stalwart of both the Orchestra and String Orchestra too. A Bromsgrovian who has taken every musical opportunity on offer, Max has been an outstanding role model and an ambassador for the music department.

Kelly Bicknell Award (Service) Sadie Gardner

Housman Trophy Lucia Goodwin

The Kelly Bicknell award is presented to a pupil who has dedicated themselves wholeheartedly and consistently to their community throughout their time at Bromsgrove. Caring, compassionate and committed, Sadie Gardner has done just that. Her selfless approach to life means she exemplifies all that this award represents, as she has consistently sought to help others, within and outside of the School community. As both a School and House Monitor, she has gone out of her way to make others feel at home, and has been a reliable shoulder for those in need.

Lucia Goodwin has consistently excelled in academic study. Having gained a perfect set of top grades in GCSEs and then relished the breadth of the IB Diploma Programme, she is predicted to gain an outstanding final score.

Despite the challenges of the lockdown, Sadie remained a devoted member of the residential homes group, coming up with inventive ways to engage with local residents during a time when they were most isolated. Never one to shy away from hard work, she represented Bromsgrove School in the Goldsmith’s Community Engagement Award. Her confident and sincere presentation in the regional finals was commended by a panel of esteemed judges and contributed to the School winning a place in the National Final. With her compassionate and caring nature, it was no surprise that she secured a place at Lancaster University to study Medicine. There is no doubt that her intelligence, drive, and unfailing kindness will make her perfectly suited for this career path, typifying as she does, the ideal of servant leadership.

The Vermeer painting ‘The Geographer’ sees a student gazing out of the window on a quest to understand the landscape around them. Like the subject in that painting, Lucia’s desire to interpret and understand the world is insatiable. And her love of learning goes far beyond the classroom. Participating in the World Challenge Expedition to Zambia helped her reflect on ideas of development and explore stereotypes within human nature and categorisations of place. Her Extended Essay considered how the pandemic lockdowns affected Bromsgrove’s urban environment. In addition, her research into the impact of humans in the Anthropocene Epoch blended critical thinking with academic rigour beyond her years. There is little surprise that she is Cambridge-bound next year. This award honours academic excellence, yet there was so much more to Lucia’s time at School. Volunteering with The Basement Project, helping homeless young people, organising the School’s annual concert, completing her Gold DofE. She is a School Monitor, pianist and athlete. She has been a regular contributor to the School magazine and has received credit in national writing and debating competitions. No surprise, but plenty of pride in announcing that this year’s winner of the Housman Trophy is Lucia Goodwin.

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Cookes Prize Nikhil Gour Named after our Founder, Sir Thomas Cookes, our ultimate award is the Cookes’ Prize, given to one who has had an outstanding School career. In this case, even that is an understatement. Community and service have been at the centre of everything that Nikhil Gour has done at Bromsgrove. It is his default setting to think first about what he can do to contribute to any situation, with the intention of bettering any environment and the people within it. A natural leader, careful consideration guides every decision and contribution that he makes. Not surprising then, that he was appointed both School Monitor and Head of House, commanding the respect of peers in every facet of School life. Much of that admiration comes from an ability, whilst juggling all of his own commitments throughout the House and School, to still provide a perennial listening ear and a friendly smile for anyone, regardless of their age or background. And not just reactively either. Nikhil never waits for a need to arise. Instead, proactively ensuring that all around him are happy and included. Whilst never abandoning his own high ambitions, he never neglects the aspirations of others. Since his first day in the Pre-Prep, this fine young man has contributed to every single aspect of School life. A talented sportsman, he has played Rugby, Hockey and Cricket, reaching 2nd team selection in all three sports and making the National Finals as a junior cricketer. A passionate contributor to debating for both House and School, he represented Bromsgrove superbly at the Oxford Union Schools’ Debating Competition. Then, as an NCO in the CCF, he represented the School at a Royal Legion event at the Houses of Parliament.

Were that not enough, Nikhil has achieved his Gold DofE, contributed to the annual Research competition and, through the Masters’ programme, given service to the local community. An Academic Scholar, he has flourished throughout GCSEs and the International Baccalaureate Diploma, and is predicted top levels across all subjects. Unsurprisingly, and most deservedly, he will leave us to read Human, Social, and Political Sciences at St John’s College, Cambridge. Yet, of equal prestige, he has travelled all over the country as part of a meticulous selection process that has now seen him awarded an Army Officer’s Scholarship at Sandhurst. For those reasons and many others, there is nobody more deserving of the ultimate accolade of the Cookes’ Prize. Personable, selfless, loyal, and utterly reliable; there are not enough superlatives. Let us end by conferring the one we admire most, humility. Ever willing to contribute and give the best of himself, he never does so seeking approbation or acclaim. Nikhil Gour is humble, successful, and the entirely deserving recipient of the 2021 Cookes’ Prize.

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Senior Prizewinners 2021

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Mark Reading 2021 Academic Awards

Extra-Curricular Awards

CCF Awards

IB Language A2 German Leonie Sakers

The Vivian Anthony Cup for Musical Contribution Joshua Lawson

Best Army Cadet James Bateman

IB Language A2 Russian A: Literature Masha Sinhaievska The Janet Cockin Debating Cup Nikhil Gour IB Language A2 Russian A: EE Eva Pavlova The T.E. Godwin Cup for the Most Improved Junior Speaker Psychology Armstrong Dong Sadie Gardner Environmental Systems and Societies Bariş Çavuşoğlu Theory of Knowledge Aishah Elnaggar

Most Improved Drama Award Ben Sugarman The Page Cup for Drama Elizaveta Vasilyeva

Outstanding Contribution to Extended Essay Bromsgrove Service Grigory Kozhukhov Hugh Abraham CAS Trophy Overall contribution to the ExtraBayansulu Adilbekova Curricular life of the School Isabella Walters Extended Project Qualification Eleanor Rea Staff Reading Prize Polly Dakin Housman Verse Prize Elizaveta Vasilyeva

Best RAF Cadet Eleanor Hughes

Upper Fourth Best Cadets Gabriel Brown and Evie Kingston Fifth Form Best Cadets Annaliese Rice and Harrison Philpott Lower Sixth Best Cadet George Vaughan

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Mark Reading 2021 Sports Awards

Lower Fourth Subject Prizes

The Swatkins Trophy (Girls’ Games) Claudia Bullock

English Ruvimbo Madzingo

German Maya Wingfield

Latin Ruvimbo Madzingo

Design Technology Hugo Blackwell

Mathematics Hailey Li

Art, Craft & Design Shivam Chawlia

Spanish Hailey Li

Art - Textiles Amelia Hall

Chemistry Emily Bower

Music Lauren Baker

Classical Civilisation Emily Bower

Physical Education Edward Atkinson

History Emily Bower

Religious Studies Rukhsang Tamang

Physics Aidan Swadling

English as an Additional Language Howard Wong

Biology Aidan Swadling

Lower Fourth Prizes for Endeavour and Progress: Benjamin Hornigold Ella Loftus Alexander Lobban Olivia McKelvey Neel Agrawal Rose Davenport

This award is for someone who always gives 100% effort and commitment to School sport. Claudia always steps in when needed and has represented Bromsgrove on 127 occasions in a variety of sports. She has captained the School tennis team and is role model for others to follow. Outstanding Contribution to Girls’ Games Hannah Sahota Hannah has represented the School in 128 fixtures during her time in the Senior School. She has represented Bromsgrove in netball, hockey, athletics and cross-country. Whenever she is competing for the School, she works with commitment and determination. The Swatkins Trophy (Boys’ Games) Nikhil Gour Nikhil has participated in an impressive number of fixtures in a variety of different sports. He has represented the School superbly in all that he does. Outstanding Contribution to Boys’ Games Matthew Bull Matthew has competed for the School across a number of different sports since being at Bromsgrove. He has focused on and excelled in two, Rugby and Hockey.

Business Jack Atkinson Drama Jack Atkinson Geography Alex Cheung French Maya Wingfield

Lower Fourth Prize for the Best Year’s Work: Ffion Wright

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Mark Reading 2021 Upper Fourth Subject Prizes German English Literature Katherine Sutherland Thomas Astle Geography Latin Amelia Barnes Thomas Astle Religious Studies English Language Nick Hunt Finbar Dinnen Physical Education Mathematics Emily Dyer Yanbo Dong Classical Civilisation Biology Charles Abraham Bowen Cheung Chemistry Bowen Cheung

Art, Craft and Design Henry Hoare

Art - Textiles Spanish Casey Wong Bowen Cheung History Bowen Cheung

Drama Amelia Rowe

English as an Additional Language Physics Alvin Chui Clara Lau Upper Fourth Prizes for Business Endeavour and Progress: Clara Lau Joseph Boardman Lydia Flynn Design Technology George Eccles Clara Lau Lily Rose Hamza Suleman French Poppy Schütt Gabriel Brown Music Gabriel Brown

Upper Fourth Prize for the Best Student: George Hastings

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Salvete Elmshurst Lok Hei Joshua Alexis Dimitar (Mitko) Santiago (Santi) Aleksei Yin Chi (Michael) Matthew Chun Yip Cheuk Yin Marco Manuel Julian Yat Long Taiga Rafig Constantin Oleksii Merrick Pinter

Chan Chiliment Gavriiski Guillen Conde Kozlov Lam Lau Lee Leite de Melo Champalimaud Lim Nakamizo Nuriyev Sievert Vulakh Yeung

Hazeldene Obaahemaa (Ekua) Phoebe Siena

Boateng Cottrell Smith

Housman Hall Adeyemi Ignat Alesia-Georgia Louis Arnau Sofia Sofia Yin Ching Emily Tsz Yu (Yuyu) Chun (Jason) Hau Tung (Amelie) Ria Marat Neus Maria-Clara Richard Yantong Sourish Olivia Jon Yutong Tamara Henri Hei Laam Jayla Tsz Chung (Gordon)

Akinrele Artomov Aurel Babaeko Bacardit Flotats Biasoni Bouaoudia Chan Chan Chu Chung Dajee Daminov Danus Ballester Dumitrescu Glatter Guo Gupta Hagan Hibbert Hu Kamal Aboul Gheit Klein Kwok Lam

Chi Hang Maria Pak Lok (Julian) Bianca Emilia Maria Namit Quang Phu Cuong Naomi Tochukwu (Eugene) Tsz Ying (Zoe) Ellejah Sirirat (Kim) Khandakar (Sakin) Sibylle Ana (Rita) Ademiju Patthanun (Noon) Kak Ying Claudia Teodor Chester Ethan Phoebe Julius Ko Chun (Ricky) Yue Man Aaron Ibrahim Hatem Ismail Ruixuan (Bill) Shiye Demian

Lee Lisitskaya Lui Mauri Möbius Mușat Nasa Ngô Nkwoji Nwanonye Pang Paul Pumapanich Rahman Reboul Saraiva de Barros Alves Caseiro Sijuwade Sunsaneeyachevin Tang Todorov Tsao Turner von Loeper Wan Wong Wood Zaazou Zhang Zhang Zhelyabovskyy

Lupton Owen Finley Joshua Edan Noah Zachariah Thomas

Alekna Bamford Bevins Blyth Healey King Richardson

Lyttelton Fadi Noah Edward Kai Kazu Thomas

Haddadin Hanke Kerton Luscott-Evans Luscott-Evans Tansley

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Mary Windsor Andreea-Mara Ayana Angel Lea Quiterie Hoi Kiu Cherie Anastasia Ecaterina Shui Kwan (Sharon) Maria Daria Emilia Tona Anna Mariia Alice Louis Baptiste Tsz Ying Jenny

Albulescu Bakirdinova Balogun Fellmann Gogny-Goubert Leung Luca Luca Mang Militaru Pyzhova Redecker Sanchez I Bosser Slesareva Smeys Tang

Oakley Lap Chun (Alvina) Hanna Chloe Gabriela Kamilla Aleksandra Sheikh Zaharat (Maanha) Wing Ga Sofiia Nina Anna Caroline Rainie

Chui Dambon Drion Tiphonnet Gonçalves Kutry Kartashkina Kichaikina Maanha Mak Mikhonicheva Renouvel Rombach Roos Wong

Ottilie Hild Rose Orla

Armstrong Douglas

School Samuel Harry

Peevor Worton

Thomas Cookes Imogen Paulina Tyanna Olivia Amelia

Bridge Jurkowska Semper Spittle Wise

Walters Oliver Toby Matthew Toby Krystof

Giles Giles Saunders Ward Wood

Wendron-Gordon Kingsley Boris Konrad Bocheng (Rex) Hei Kiu (Nathan) Chun Long Arion Tsz Shing (Thomas) Yan Lok (Jayden) Yu Yat (Yiyi) Marco King Yiu King Hei (Marcus) Filip Maksym Mihai Henrik Levon Nikolay Keane Alex Hung Tik (Damon) Tsz Nok Adrian Yik Hong (Alvis) Micheal Oladipupo (Ladi) Abdulazeez Kwan Ho (Graham) Shing Hin (Huxley) Jordan Kosisochukwu Nnadozie Destiny David (Dozie) Oriol Alejandro Aiden Kin Hei Abubakar (Sadeeq) Jiayuan (Alex) Kwan Ho (Jordan) Lap Hei Adrian Yui Chit (Alvin) Haoyu (Diego) Jingyao (Jim) Ethan Ralphael Chi Hon Yat (Day)a

Anyadiegwu Belov Berg Cao Chan Cheung Cheung Chiu Chiu Chung Chung FIlipov Gurevych Horomnea Keller Kotanjyan Kovalikhin Lau Lee Leung Luk Martins Mohammed Ng Ngan Nonyelu Orji Sanchez I Bosser Schierenbeck Robles Shing Tuggar Wang Wong Woo Wu Yang Yang Yiu Yu

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Destination of Leavers 2021 University

Subject

Aston University

Business and Sociology

Arts University of Bournemouth

Visual Communication

Bath University

Accounting and Finance Architecture Economics (2) Sports Management and Coaching

Birkbeck (University of London)

Language and/with Global Politics

Birmingham University RG

Geography Physiotherapy

Bradford University

Physiotherapy

Bristol University RG

Film and Television Law Cambridge University RG Economics Geography Human, Social, and Political Sciences

Cardiff University RG

Architecture (2) Biological Sciences Business Management (Int. Management) (2) Business Management (Marketing) Law and Politics (Integrated) Physiotherapy Sociology and Social Policy

Cardiff Metropolitan

Sports Media

Courtauld Institute

History of Art

Derby University

International Hospitality Management

Dundee University

Biomedical Science

Durham University RG

Combined Honours in Social Sciences Economics Modern Languages and Cultures

*RG = Russell Group university

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University

Subject

Edinburgh University RG

Ancient and Medieval History Arabic and Politics Chemical Physics German and Politics Psychology Psychology and Business Spanish and English Literature

Edinburgh Napier

Quantity Surveying

Essex University

Law with Business Management Economics

Exeter University RG

Arabic and Islamic Studies Business and Management (3) Business Economics Economics (2) Economics and Politics Environmental Science International Relations and Modern Languages Mechanical Engineering

Falmouth

Photography

Glasgow University

Economics/Psychology (SocSci)

Goldsmiths (University of London)

Fine Art (Extension Degree)

Greenwich University

Games Design and Development

Imperial College London RG

Biomedical Engineering Computing Mechanical Engineering Medical Biosciences

Keele

Radiotherapy (Diagnostic Imaging) / Radiography

King’s College London RG

Biochemistry Biomedical Science (2) Business Management (2) Chemistry with Biomedicine Political Economy

Lancaster University

Economics Medicine

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Destination of Leavers 2021 University

Subject

Leeds University RG

Business Management (4) Economics (2) Physics with Astrophysics Politics

Leeds Beckett University

Sports Business Management

Leicester University

Medical Physiology

Liverpool University RG

Accounting and Finance Business Management Geography International Business (2) Political science

Loughborough University

Computing and Management Economics and Management Geography and Management Mathematics and Sport Science Politics and International Relations Psychology

LSE RG

Data Science Economics (3) Management Philosophy, Politics and Economics

Manchester University RG

Aerospace Engineering Architecture (2) Chemical Engineering Chemistry Economics Fashion Management Geography Mechanical Engineering Medicine Management (Innovation, Strategy & Entrepreneurship) Physics with Astrophysics Social Anthropology and Philosophy

NCH University

Law

Newcastle University RG

Chemical Engineering Geography Journalism, Media and Culture Maths and Accounting Politics and Sociology

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University

Subject

Nottingham University RG

Chemistry Economics Environmental Science Industrial Economics with Insurance Pharmacy Political and International Relations

Nottingham Trent University

Business Management and Entrepreneurship Business Management and Marketing Fashion Management Fashion Marketing and Branding (2) Sports and Exercise Science

Plymouth

Physiotherapy

Queen’s, Belfast RG

Medicine

Queen Mary University RG

Business Management Computer Science Environmental Science International Relations with Business Management Law (2) Law and Politics Maths and Statistics

Reading University

Business and Management Investment and Finance in Property Law Speech and Language Therapy

Royal Holloway University

Economics and Management Financial and Business Economics

Sheffield University RG

Aerospace Engineering Biomedical Science Business Management

St Andrews

English International Relations Management and Spanish Mathematics

St George’s

Biomedical Science

Strathclyde

Human Resource Management

Surrey University

International Event Management

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Destination of Leavers 2021 University

Subject

Sussex University

Psychology

Swansea University

Economics and Finance Sports and Exercise Science

UCFB (Football and Sports Industry)

Football Coaching and Management

UCL RG

Applied Medical Sciences Arts and Sciences (2) Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Computer Science (2) History (2) Information Management for Business (2) Language and Culture Management Science Medicine Politics, Sociology and East European Studies Statistics, Economics and Finance (2)

University of the Arts London

Media Communications

Warwick University RG

International Management Politics

Westminster University

Business Management International Marketing

International Universities Amsterdam QS

Business Administration

Bocconi Milan

Economics and Management Management Science

Boston, US

Engineering

Charles University Prague Czech

Medicine

George Washington, US

Course Unknown

Georgia Institute of Technology QS

Engineering

HKUST

Civil Engineering/General Engineering

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University

Subject

Hong Kong Polytechnic University QS

Physiotherapy

IE, Madrid

Business Administration Economics

Kent State, Ohio

Fashion Design

Leiden University, Holland

Political Science

Middlebury, US

Liberal Arts

Northeastern USA

Economic and Business

NYU, USA

Liberal Studies

Parsons NY, USA

Fashion Photography

Sydney QS

Psychology

The Hague, Netherlands

International Business

Toronto QS

Accounting and Finance Computer Engineering

UBC QS

Sauder School of Business

UC San Diego QS

Biological Sciences

University of California Davis

Business Management/Political Science

University of Tilburg

Econometrics and Operations Research Economics and Data Analysis Life Sciences/Psychology Psychological and Health Sciences (co-op and regular)

WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management

Arts and Sciences/International Business Administration

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Academic Review Examinations have never been the end point or the goal of an education, but only ever serve as a marker, helping to articulate and clarify what knowledge and skills have been mastered up to that point. With COVID-19 disruptions, our 406 Fifth Form and Upper Sixth students sat a grand total of three examinations following normal protocols this summer. Whilst the total number of exams sat was a little lower than the 3000 exams we normally see, the three papers taken were all in the challenging beyond-Further Maths STEP Papers. The School was delighted to see a 100% pass rate, with one student taking a paper due to their Imperial College offer (which they made), and the other candidate taking two papers ‘for fun.’ There was an emphasis on quality over quantity.

If the figures above are largely meaningless, so too in many ways would be an analysis of the grades students received this summer, for grades were ultimately allocated, they were not earnt in the heat of a make or break terminal examination. Having said this, students and staff alike have continued to work hard over the last eighteen months of lockdowns and online lessons, and the grades awarded reflect mastery of course content and concepts that has occurred. At GCSE level, 26% of all entries were awarded a 9, 48% an 8 or a 9 and 69% secured at least a 7. The average points score per entry was 7.25. 62% of all entries at A Level were graded A*/A with 89% gaining at least a B grade. Results in both BTEC qualifications and students’ Extended Projects (the latter of which had been completed in a close-to-normal way) were both outstandingly high. Within the IB, the students’ average score was 40.2 points, with five students gaining the coveted maximum score of 45 points.

As usual, only a very small number of Upper Sixth leavers elected to take a gap year or gained employment straight from School. Of the remaining 212 students, 87% made their first choice offer, 8% their second choice offer, with the remaining ten students finding a place through Clearing. As has been seen in the recent past, a tenth of the Upper Sixth cohort have moved to university courses abroad. Of those starting undergraduate courses in the UK, seven-tenths have taken up places at Russell Group Universities and a third of all those starting undergraduate courses will be at a World Top 100 university. The most popular university destination by some margin continues to be UCL, followed by Manchester, Exeter, Cardiff, KCL and Leeds. Economics, Business and Management remain overwhelmingly the most popular areas of study.

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Despite all the challenges faced, students did not merely do enough to get by; they worked with commitment, drive and style. Extended Projects considered the role of the state in promoting the common good over individualism, the potential advantages of electro-thermal propulsion systems over ion engines and the role of immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer treatments. Other extended pieces of research considered the inter-play of economic and political forces in Zimbabwe and Ukraine. The last eighteen months has been a challenging time for students and teachers alike, but it has not been wasted time. P Ruben

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Prep School Activities Activities Overview Prep School Activities have persisted relentlessly during this peculiar year and it has been wonderful to see the children enjoy, stretch and challenge themselves in different settings. During both lockdown periods, the A-Z Activities Challenge was a popular way to keep busy at home, whilst weekday and Saturday Activities in School have kept pupils involved in a multitude of ways. Painting with Diamonds is a new activity this year – an exciting name and a peacefully mindful, creative way to spend time.

Photographs taken from the Observatory have been remarkable with children of all ages getting involved and the glass tiles created by the older pupils have been impressive. Our youngest pupils have spent time with their friends doing all sorts of activities from animation to blowing trumpets. Feedback about our activities programme from the Pupil Voice has been positive, but, as always, new ideas are very welcome. C Leather

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Activity Awards Thinking to Think: Zach Matthews Wiggins Photography:

Aarush Thapa, Adam Cameron and Nokutenda Muchena

Woodworking:

Rosa Doyle and Izzy Kingston

Painting:

Amelia Lees

Glasswork:

Jonnie Parker

Curiosity Club:

Theo Lewis

Craft:

Amara Ratra

Karate:

George Grey

French:

Aaryn Kang and Oscar Hagan

Construction:

Jenson Fickert and Jess Gallimore

Badminton:

George Ascough and Adam Cameron

LAMDA:

Freya Obrey

Lawn Bowls:

Nathan Limbu and Khai Nguyen

Gardening:

Freya Kettle, Zak Sami and Freddie Helmore

Origami:

Spike Bloxham

Fencing:

Jasper Page and George Ascough

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Astronomy Club Astronomy Club has been for Years 3 to 8 but in separate year group bubbles this year. We have learnt about the planets and our place in the solar system, taken part in crafts projects and come back in the evenings for some astrophotography using our observatory. We were even able to see the June partial solar eclipse. M Turner

Buddy Awards Year 6: Daisy Apperley, Lola Broadhurst, Neave Colley, Olivia Grove, Prekshya Gurung, Yasmin Hughes, Leah Marie, Zariah Petrova, Samuel Reynolds-Dennis, Ndanji Simbeye. Year 8: George Ascough, Adam Cameron, Livia Cooke, Pippa Dodworth, Isabella Hicks, Sarah Mariah, Noku Muchena, Sam Pickford.

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Children in Need Ramble Years 3 and 4 enjoyed taking part in their year group rambles for Children In Need in November 2020. They very cheerfully walked around the School grounds and were rewarded with a hot chocolate and delicious cookie at the end. R Ivison

Den Day Years 3 and 4 had great fun building dens while thinking about those who find themselves homeless. We raised over £80 and donated a huge array of food for the Basement Project. S Dakin

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Eco Committee The Prep School Eco Committee have worked tirelessly this year to not only be ‘green ambassadors’ themselves but to also encourage others to change their bad habits. Meetings have continued throughout the year, either via Zoom or in year group bubbles. Committee members old and new were delighted to receive the Green Flag award in recognition of all the eco work at the School over the years. When this is flying high, it will show Bromsgrove Prep’s commitment to making our School greener. The committee have encouraged other members of the School community to get involved by leading a new initiative, Switch Off Fortnight. Two committee members - one in Year 5 and one in Year 3 - found out about this idea and led the way with an informative presentation. Each form was encouraged to ‘switch off’ the lights and screens when they were not in use, and Energy Monitors were given the responsibility of checking and awarding stickers when required. The winning forms then received a solar powered prize. In the Summer Term, we were able to resume our support of the local community by picking up litter. We were saddened by the number of disposable masks we found on our route and encouraged members of the School community to use reusable masks. I would like to thank this year’s dedicated Eco Committee for all their hard work in leading the various initiatives that have enabled us to achieve much of our action plan. S Dakin

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Festive Jumper Day Preparatory School pupils enjoyed their last day of the Michaelmas Term in festive jumpers - they raised a fantastic £450 for Primrose Hospice.

Flourishing Fivers Flourishing Fivers this year was truly remarkable. £14,271.00 was raised for the Primrose Hospice by our fabulous Year 7 pupils, which was beyond any of our wildest dreams. As part of the PSHEE education programme, Year 7 were each given a £5 note, which they were encouraged to grow into as much money as possible for a charity in our local community. Over £12,000 was raised last year and then coronavirus hit… how were we to raise money now? Not to be deterred, the pupils came up with ingenious ways of raising money, from an online shop to a sponsored sleepout in the middle of winter. Every pupil was bursting with inspirational ideas to contribute to this resounding success. C Leather

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Forest School The significance of the outside world around us and the connection to nature has never been as important as it has this year. Forest School sessions have enabled pupils to continue their connections with the natural environment that so many of us relied upon during lockdown. It became very apparent to many of us that although the world in which we live seems somewhat unrecognisable at times, nature continues on its own natural pattern with the changing seasons, circles of life and the weather patterns to name but a few. Pupils from Years 3 and 4 have benefitted from their weekly sessions learning about the natural environment. Throughout the year, pupils have built a real connection with the outside world and have developed an appreciation for adaption and change. Pupils have been delighted to witness how the area has changed - our absence gave wildlife, including a family of badgers, a chance to move in. This gave the pupils the perfect opportunity to appreciate their habitat first hand and learn to work alongside nature. Stories have been used to develop this understanding in a creative and peaceful way.

The Forest School setting is a perfect place to stop and reflect on what is happening in our lives and around us. The fire pit remains the focal point for reflection and pupils can regularly be seen chatting with their friends or simply watching the flames. They continue to enjoy building, lighting and cooking on the fire, making simple snacks from pancakes to baked bananas. At the end of one block of sessions, the pupils were asked which skills they had developed the most, and teamwork resulted in the most votes. Working cooperatively to achieve a common aim is a life skill and our pupils are developing this weekly. Forest School has been undertaken in some extreme weather this year with the driest April to the wettest May. Pupils and staff get dressed accordingly and trek down to the area of the School which remains a little oasis to child-centred learning. Bromsgrove Prep School’s commitment to Forest School continues to build year on year, with sessions being supported by outdoor learning and classroom lessons. As Albert Einstein once said “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better”. S Dakin

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Gardening Club Returning to School in September was particularly down heartening when we saw the huge array of weeds that had sprung up during lockdown. However, the pupils got stuck straight in and it wasn’t long before the beds looked as good as new.

Pupils were keen to develop some companion planting this year. We sowed lots of wild flower seeds and pots containing marigolds, ox-eyed daisy and sunflowers. A surprise delivery of fruit trees was also planted in our own little orchard.

As the colder weather returned, we planted some onion sets and broad beans. The rest of the area was covered with manure to improve and replace nutrients lost. We then spent our sessions preparing for the main growing season, planting, tidying, and cleaning. The pupils were thrilled to visit the wildlife area, Forest School and the orchard to take cuttings and plant saplings. Prep School is now home to four beehives, which we visited and found out about the role the bees play in pollination.

We have continued to develop areas in the garden to encourage wildlife, including a wall mounted bug hotel completed by the key worker children during lockdown. Pupils have been thrilled to spot a pair of blue tits nesting in one of our boxes.

As the main growing season approached, the weather did not seem to be on the plants side - frosts continued well into May making planting out extremely late. Our greenhouse was of real benefit to get seeds germinated and pricked out to give them a head start. As soon as the night time temperatures rose, it was all hands on deck to plant out our little seedlings. This year we grew runner beans, French beans, potatoes, leeks, sprouts, Swiss chard, carrots, broccoli and peas. The pupils learnt that crushed up egg shells are a great deterrent for slugs and snails.

This year, the pupils were thrilled to gain the RHS Level 3 School Gardening Award. Gardening Club remains in high demand and the pupils’ enthusiasm, despite the weather, has been unrelenting. We would like to thank Scott Devereux (Senior Gardener) and John Whitlock for volunteering their time to support the pupils. S Dakin

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Geo Champs The Finals of the Third Annual Geo Champs competition took place in October 2020. There were six finalists remaining from the Year 7 group last year: Oliver Dieppe, Thomas Grove, Joshua Glaze, Euan Choi, Aarush Thapa and Ilerioluwa Odugbesan. After answering forty quick fire questions on all things Geography-related, Thomas Grove emerged victorious with a score of 37. The Fourth Annual Geo Champs took place during the Lent Term in March 2021. This year, pupils were faced with forty-one questions on all manner of ‘things geographical’, from capital cities to naming physical features. It was a close contest with Aarush Thapa (Year 8) emerging as the eventual winner with a score of 39 points. R Widdop

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Harvest Festival Donations The Prep Heads of School and their Deputies delivered the Prep and PrePrep Harvest Festival donations to The Basement Project during the Michaelmas Term. We have been supporting this local charity for a few years and we are delighted to be able to do so again, particularly at this difficult time. J Deval-Reed

Holocaust Memorial Day In a Prep School virtual assembly, the children remembered victims of the Holocaust and heard about two people who saved many children from peril; Nicholas Winton and Irena Sendler. Zachary Noakes participated in the National Holocaust Memorial Day’s one minute silence at home by lighting a candle.

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Junior Eisteddfod – Poetry Final This term, each of the children in Years 3 and 4 have enjoyed working hard at home, learning and preparing a poem for performance as part of their preparations for the annual Preparatory School Eisteddfod. Every child performed their chosen poem absolutely brilliantly and the standard was very high. The children who reached the final stages of the competition were: Purdey Evans, Sarah Antholzner, Alice Williams, Miela Evans, Isla-Blu Evans, Lily Heath and James Oatridge (Year 3); Rowan Laurenson, Chloe Greathurst, Anna Hooton, Arjun Bhogal, Oliver Wheale, Harry Wilson and Edward Sollars (Year 4). Each finalist thrilled the audience by performing with gusto, flair, clarity and good voice projection. They were each presented with a special certificate and rapturous applause for their efforts. The adjudicator, Mr Licqurish, had an incredibly difficult job selecting just one winner and runner-up from each year group, but the winners of the final round of the poetry recital competition for the 2021 Eisteddfod were as follows: Gold: Isla-Blu Evans (Year 3) and Oliver Wheale (Year 4) Silver: Lily Heath (Year 3) and Rowan Laurenson (Year 4) Mr Licqurish was delighted to present these children with a poetry book each to enjoy and treasure. Isla-Blu and Oliver will also go forward to represent the Junior Department by being recorded for the Preparatory School Poetry Festival in June. Congratulations to everyone who participated. R Ivison

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Maths Olympic Challenge During the Summer Term, Years 7 and 8 participated in a Maths Olympic challenge, conducting a number of tasks related to Maths in Sports. The Maths teachers enjoyed this immensely and the following were announced as winner’s during the last Prep School assembly. Year 7: Mr Marie’s Maths set (winner) Mrs Ison’s Maths set (second place) Mrs Roskell’s Maths set (third) Year 8: Mr Marie’s Maths set (winner) Mrs Hills Maths set (second) Mr Wilkinson’s set (third)

Mathematical Challenge 2021 Bronze: Alex Li, Khagan Ahad, Ashlina Gurung, Jai Singh, Henry Grey, Byron Bland, Thomas Grove, Ruby Foster, Augustus Cole, Yannis Marinas, Jai Sanghera, Jarry Xing, Riya Ratra, Rebecca Woolmore. Silver: Freya Bradley, Euan Choi, Austin Cooke, Devesh Gurung, Josh Turk, David Tang, Leon Qian, Lucy Nguyen, William Holroyd.

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Photography Club Despite the challenges of the last year, the Preparatory School Photography Club has continued to flourish and expand. In the Michaelmas Term, Year 7 pupils enjoyed the novelty of being able to venture safely around the campus, photographing each other and their surroundings and then digitally editing their shots to great effect. With the imposition of the second lockdown, the Photography Club moved online and pupils from all year groups were invited to share images via the Prep School newsletter, firstly of their winter walks and then, as the snow melted, the first signs of Spring. As Summer approached and we were once again back in School, Year 8 pupils relished the opportunity to be outdoors and learn new skills together. They enjoyed capturing close-ups of nature and even a few stunning shots of the moon. R Boardman

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Pupil Voice It is an absolute credit to the members of the Pupil Voice team that they have continued to speak up for the pupil body despite the pandemic, lockdowns and year group bubbles. It has been challenging having to meet in year groups rather than as a cross-school team, but the enthusiasm and commitment has certainly been evident. Items discussed and put to the Senior Management Team have primarily been related to online teaching and systems put in place to keep the School safe during COVID times. Tasty snacks (whilst maintaining a healthy diet) have loomed in every meeting as well as creating the most useful, cost-effective Prep Diary and the request for bike racks for those who cycle to School. Thanks to Mr Sutherland, we now have a Pupil Voice suggestion box, which has pride of place next to the library. It has been a pleasure supporting the Pupil Voice team and I hope that next year we will be able to meet with less COVID-caution. My thanks go to the Chairs of Pupil Voice, Jasper Page and Maria Christodoulou, who have been excellent minute writers and a great support. C Leather

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Safer Internet Day SATIPS Quiz Tuesday, 9th February 2021 was International Safer Internet Day. All the pupils have been thinking about keeping themselves safe online in PSHE education lessons, with the key takeaway message being to critically think before doing anything online. In lessons, screensavers have been designed and crosswords generated as a reminder of this crucial message.

Well done to Jasper Page who was the top performing Bromsgrove Preparatory School pupil in the Senior SATIPS Challenge, placing 39th across a number of other Prep Schools nationally. Many congratulations also go to Ben Conroy who was the top performing Bromsgrove Preparatory School pupil in the Junior SATIPS Challenge, placing 35th.

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Year 4 Design Technology The Year 4 children’s concentration was palpable whilst they hammered in nails and created some beautiful thread art designs during Saturday Activities. They also created wooden letters to spell out their own name. C Leather

Year 7 Library Studies During the Summer Term, pupils certainly made the most of the weather by taking some of their lessons outside. Year 7 pupils enjoyed some of their Library lessons outdoors - reading in the sunshine is a great way to boost mindfulness and mental health. C Abrahams

Year 8 English In English, Year 8 pupils have been enjoying a connection to the Old Bromsgrovians who lived and studied at Bromsgrove School before the First World War. The have undertaken walking research around the grounds which proceeded from Routh Hall along to Wendron-Gordon House, where the pupils reflected on the letters written by Headmaster Routh and enjoyed looking at photographs of the Rugby X1 team outside the then named Gordon House. This delightful enrichment activity is to enhance the study of War Poetry. C Abrahams

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Young Poet Laureate

Preparatory School Chapel

Earlier in the year, the Prep School English department invited the children to take part in the Worcestershire Libraries’ Young Poet Laureate Competition. Some of the children were brave enough to take on the challenge and received an academic commendation for their efforts. However, the poem of one of our Year 4 pupils, Vanshika Sopariwala, received a further accolade as her poem was short-listed. She had to perform her poem online to the judges and was the youngest competitor in the final selection - well done Vanshika.

It seemed quite strange, this year, to be asked to write something about Chapel when, for the most part it has remained empty. Absent have been the voices of the choir, no Advent or leavers’ service, no assemblies and of course no celebration of Holy Communion. So what are we to make of it all then?

E Lally

For me, it provides a challenge to return to the words of Jesus found in Mathew’s Gospel, ‘I am with you always, till the end of time.’ (Matthew 28: 20) - The truth of the Christian faith is that God is always present and never absent. Once again the words of Jesus come to mind when he said, ‘For where two or three meet in my name, I am there among them.’ (Matthew 18:20) - The Memorial School Chapel stands at the heart of the Bromsgrove School community and points to and is a constant reminder of a reality that we cannot see, that God is, in fact, always present and never absent. The simple truth is that the Church is made up of people and wherever people are, God is. Yet when people of faith come together they not only point to the reality of the living God but make him visibly present. By the time this article goes to print, my great hope is that we, as a School community, will be back in Chapel with the choir singing, the organ playing and with people actually sitting alongside each other. A number of people have said to me, over the course of the year, how much they have missed their weekly visit to Chapel. This reminds me of some beautiful words of Saint Augustine when he said, ‘You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.’ Rev. Dr S Loone

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Preparatory School Parents’ Association An understandably quieter time for the Prep School Parents’ Association this academic year, whilst also trying to be creative with our fundraising to pay for those added extras for our children. These have included the Christmas and Easter raffles, a Christmas calendar photography competition and subsequent sale of the calendars. Sadly, no events have taken place nor were we able to support the School and teachers ‘in person’ as we would normally do. Keeping with our PA aim of ‘enrichment for pupils’, our fundraising has enabled us to fund the following: Flourishing Fivers initial funding for Year 7 PSHEE The Stressbox programme Four new outdoor benches for the concourse A shield for each Year 8 leaver Forest School safety storage Christmas and Easter chocolate gifts for each child As with other non-essential shops, the Uniform Exchange has been very limited with opening days and when they were able to open, the volunteer team have worked hard to operate within strict COVID guidelines.

It is testament to this team and the support of parents that the uniform exchange shop continues to raise a substantial amount for the Parent Associations across Pre-Prep, Prep and Senior. Summer 2020 was especially challenging due to the sheer volume of appointments and the preparation time needed before the 2020/21 academic year, so we thank all the volunteer team for their patience and hard work. Hopes for the rescheduled joint Prep and Pre-Prep Ball remain for Spring 2022 and from Michaelmas Term, we aim to be able to work together again to welcome new parents, raise funds and provide the small extras that help enrich our children’s School life. If parents wish to attend any of our meetings, help out at a PA event or have any questions, please contact Kate Gallimore on preppa@bromsgrove-school. co.uk Finally, a goodbye and thank you to Mrs Deval-Reed who has supported and guided the Prep Parents’ Association for many years. We all wish you a long, healthy and very happy retirement.

K Gallimore (Chair of the Prep PA)

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Senior School Activities Boarders’ Activities and Trips This year, the boarders’ trips and activities have been vastly different to normal. With travelling out of the question for much of the year, the usual days out to Birmingham, London and Bath and the out of School activities such as Go Karting, Paintball and rock climbing were all replaced. This has prompted the boarding staff and pupils to be creative. In the Michaelmas Term, the staff created a variety of ‘in-house’ activities including mindfulness sessions, sports, baking, an individual triathlon and film discussions to name a few. Alongside these activities, the Boarding Houses remained in bubbles to enjoy film nights, quizzes and poker evenings (no real gambling obviously!), sports events and the most enjoyable for the pupils; ice cream evenings. During the middle of the year, lockdown proved to be a challenge with so many pupils remaining at home. However, the pupils who were on site were provided with a multitude of sporting sessions led by our coaching staff – sometimes these were new sports that pupils hadn’t tried before. The badminton and table tennis sessions proved to be a great experience for all ages, and basketball sessions have been enjoyed by everyone. Thanks must go to Mr Ingram, Mr McKay and Mr Miller for their help over the academic year. In July, the School organised a special meal for the remaining boarders who had stayed until the end of term. This gave everyone a chance to relax at the end of a busy summer and say his or her final goodbyes until September.

In a year that has seen so much change, all of the activities on offer have been a huge success and continue to play an important part of the boarding community. They offer the boarders the chance to socialise with pupils from other Houses, relax outside of the usual School timetable and try new experiences. I hope that we will be able to run more trips next academic year, with pupils having as much enjoyment outside of the School campus as they have done inside this year. L Mullan

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Archive Club Quality not quantity has been our mantra in Bromsgrove Service Archive Club this year. For COVID safe reasons, we have needed to keep our student numbers small but the work produced has been of a very high standard and small numbers has given us an opportunity to do some of the more unusual and detailed archive work. In the Michaelmas Term, two students Bella and Eloise - worked on producing short films for our digital galleries to accompany the physical galleries in the Heritage Centre exhibition space. We worked on scripts to tell the stories of some of the key historical buildings of the School and then filmed around campus. We also made a film about the making of oak gall ink to accompany the exhibition case around our oldest book of 1693, which was hand scribed and is likely to have been written in oak gall ink. Bella and Eloise demonstrated the making of the ink in the Chemistry Lab, giving us excellent insight into the process.

Lillian Yuan has been working in archive club since the start of the Lent Term and has been a dedicated and fast working student, repackaging and cataloguing many frames of CCF photographs from over the past fifty years. Lillian’s main work has been to select and display material for the exhibition cases in the Heritage Centre, all of which have different themes. It has been very useful to work with a student who is studying art to use her expertise on display and her perspective on selecting engaging and interesting items that will tell a story about the history of the School. These are key curation skills that are excellent to develop using diverse collections. I am grateful to the students for their hard work and dedication to the School Archive and for their fresh and interesting perspectives on Bromsgrove School history, how it is collected and made accessible. N Thorpe

Bella and Eloise also recorded oral history interviews for the archive and interviewed Head Gardener, Richard Hare about his work at the School. They also recorded interviews with Houseparents who had stayed with students during the lockdown period of the pandemic to capture this very unique part of School history.

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Beekeeping The Headmaster and his team of Sixth Form pupils have been supported by Mr Tasker and the DT department to create beehive parts: supers, brood boxes, and frames. They used cedar wood donated by a local wood merchant as well as reusing some cedar wood from around the School. This meant that the beekeeping team were able to hit the ground running onces the bees started to emerge in early spring. F Jung

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Bromsgrove Badge The Bromsgrove Badge Award is an exciting programme undertaken by all Lower Fourth pupils. It provides participants with an introduction to a wide range of extra-curricular activities and a taster of the outdoor education pupils can expect if they embark on the Duke of Edinburgh Award. September 2020 began with preparations for the annual Malvern Field Day. Pupils impressed with their teamwork skills, which were essential as they set off on their 17km walk over the Malvern Ridge. As ever, pupils completed the walk in excellent spirit and with some relentless energy. Such enthusiasm was, as is tradition, rewarded with chocolate given out by smiling members of staff along the route. For the second half of the Michaelmas term, pupils learnt some crafting skills and many of the Christmas decorations made were sent to local residential homes. During the Lent term, pupils began a rota of activities, including photoshop, campcraft, navigation and public speaking, alongside an off-site visit to Aztec Adventure for a test of their teamwork and problem solving skills. The final part of the year included preparations for the Lower Fourth Camp where pupils were able to demonstrate all that they have learnt over the year. A Linehan

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Bromsgrove Service With year group bubbles and lockdowns throughout the country making our usual rota of Service activities impossible, Bromsgrove Service had to get creative this year – literally! The students have produced bespoke board-games for residential homes, knitted and stitched in aid of Primrose Hospice, developed their British sign language skills and collected donations for the Basement Project, all whilst further strengthening our relationship with the local community. Of particular note is our team of Lucia Goodwin, Sadie Gardner, Lucy McLoughlin and Chantal Wong who put on an incredibly high quality presentation in the regional finals of the Goldsmiths’ Community Engagement award to a group of prestigious VIPs including the deputy CEO of the Goldsmiths’ company. Their confident and heartfelt account of the work offered by Bromsgrove Service earned us a place in the national final to be held in November.

Other highlights of the year include the extremely popular (and delicious!) Krispy Kreme sale organised by the Basement Project group and Mrs Wright which raised over £700 for the Basement Project – money that will go towards supporting some of the most vulnerable young people in Bromsgrove. Elsewhere, our letter writing campaign for local residential homes during the January lockdown was greatly appreciated by all. Whilst we are all looking forward to some degree of normality resuming in September, reflecting on this year makes us realise just how important the small gestures of kindness really are. P Woolley

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CCF The academic year 2020/21 was certainly a different year for all of us. With time spent away from School, we have been unable to come together to take part in the usual activities we all love. There was also no annual camp in 2020 or 2021, but nonetheless, we made the best of what time we could with the cadets. Some of the older cadets were treated to a talk via Zoom from Maj Bryan, who is serving in the Congo with the UN as the female and child protection officer. With cadet training across year group bubbles, late September saw an initial field day for the Upper Fourth based in the School grounds. Pupils learnt to build shelters, cook ration packs, hide in camouflage, administer first aid and build their own rockets. Despite the unseasonable weather, they had a great day, and even as they ventured back to House, there were many smiles. A few weeks later, we held a similar day for the Fifth Form, this time carrying out a higher level of training. J Farnes

Mr Dowling being presented with retirement gifts after serving the CCF over a number of years.

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Chapel Matters After another extraordinary year of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect upon all of our lives and what we could or couldn’t do as a School, it was good to be able to get back into Chapel again during the second half of the Summer Term, albeit in ‘year group bubbles’. For the most part of the year, chapel had been ‘zoomed’ as either a recording for tutor groups to play back or as a live ‘chapel’ from the Chaplain’s Office. I decided during the year not only to try to say something relevant at such an unprecedented time but also to take the opportunity to share a number of talks. These included the Parables of Jesus, the Miracles of Jesus, the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus as found in John’s Gospel and then the Ascension and Pentecost from the Acts of the Apostles. It was very good to be able to hold, when restrictions were eased, a small but significant service in Chapel when the Bishop of Worcester, the Right Reverend Dr John Inge confirmed five of our students who had had to be patient for this to take place, as it was postponed for a whole year. It is always good to hear from Old Bromsgrovians and in particular from two this year. Firstly, Daniel Kwok (Housman Hall 20172019) who wrote: “During my stay at Bromsgrove School, the presence and the work of God had a large impact on my spiritual life. It was my first time leaving my family and home church and there were just so many challenges, but God always placed many “angels” around me, including the Christian Union. Rev Paul Hedworth kindly organised an opportunity during lunchtime, so that we could share and study the Bible together. Those sessions were unforgettable, not only did they give me an opportunity to learn more about the word of God, but we were able to be one another’s supporters.

Moreover, Christian Union helped me to keep in mind that my identity as a Christian still remained on campus and that I needed to be the light of God there as elsewhere. There were lots of precious memories and moments with God during these two years in Bromsgrove. ‘Lord, Thank you for bringing me to Bromsgrove to witness your amazing Love. May God bless all OBs and the school, so that they can realise his presence and love daily.’” Secondly, Thomas Jay (Lyttelton 19561960) wrote and pointed out to me that this year’s Commemoration would have also been held on St Thomas’ Day (3rd July): “For all who believe that Jesus is the son of God, St Thomas is the most important apostle, because through his doubting of Christ’s appearance, God uses the down-to-earth Thomas to expresses Jesus’ compassion for all as we stumble through this life in expectation of the glories of the hereafter. Thanks to Sir Thomas Cookes, we Bromsgrovians have had the chance to ‘hear’. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we too may be magnanimous with our faith and by helping more to be chosen, give a good account of ourselves. Sadly, there are too many like ‘Doubting Thomas’ who say, ‘If I had proof I might believe’, and too few who believe and find God blessing their faith with his proof.” So ‘Chapel Matters’, as it did for OBs old and not so old, and also hopefully, as we get back to some kind of normality in the coming year, as a School as we resume our worship in Chapel on a regular basis once more. Reverend Paul Hedworth (School Chaplain)

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Deaf Culture and Communication Even though our usual Prep and Senior combined activities were curtailed, we were lucky to add a new member of staff to the department, Mrs McCarthy, who was instrumental in developing the expertise of our Fifth Form learners, whilst Dr Rimmer focused on the advanced Lower Sixth group. Both cohorts received instruction on the fundamentals of British Sign Language and the experiences of Deaf / deaf people. Information was provided on the mechanics of hearing and the potential causes of hearing loss, as well as the consequences for individuals, families and communities.

Chemistry Olympiad During the Lent Term, we received notification that Radu Polschi and Ekaterina Stepanova had achieved a silver and bronze award respectively in this year’s Chemistry Olympiad. This is an excellent achievement and puts them in the top 25% in the country. During the Summer Term, we were delighted to hear that Marcus Wu had achieved a gold award in the Chemistry Olympiad, putting him in the top 5% of chemists in the country. What is even more impressive is that he is in Year 12 and sat the exam a year earlier than most of the entrants. R Short

Connections beyond School were made with students recording a special signed Christmas message and working with invited speakers. Mrs Pat Booth, grandmother of OB Megan Thompson, kindly delivered a workshop on supporting Deaf/deaf people, sharing her experiences in her career as a social worker. She helped raise awareness of the current campaigns to improve legislation for BSL recognition and access arrangements. Students also volunteered to join a virtual buddying programme with the charity Sense, supporting young people to make connections during the complexities of lockdown. With many in-person services paused, buddying has provided a lifeline for service users. We look forward to rejoining the TouchBase Pears events in the autumn. D Rimmer

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Debating Society Although this year’s debating calendar has been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, competitions have moved online. We have, once again, seen strong performances from Bromsgrove debaters, including in the English-Speaking Union Mace and the Oxford University Union schools’ competition. We all look forward to the return of in-person competitions soon. Whole School debates have not been possible this year, but weekly training has continued for the Fifth and Sixth Forms. Students have developed their rhetorical and discursive skills, and have enjoyed exploring some new debating formats including Mace and British Parliamentary. In recognition for his commitment to, and achievements in debating while in the Senior School, Nik Gour received the Janet Cockin debating cup. Alongside, this, The T.E.Godwin trophy for consistent effort and improvement in a junior speaker was presented to Armstrong Dong. R Whitbread

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DofE The DofE award at Bromsgrove School continues to thrive. This year, another sixty-five Lower Sixth pupils enrolled for Gold, sixty-five Fifth Form pupils for Silver and 100 Upper Fourth formers for the Bronze award. Amongst the disruption, all pupils have been able to continue working towards their award through their Physical, Skill and Volunteering sections. Where once pupils visited local residential homes they instead shopped for their vulnerable neighbours; assisting Prep School pupils became helping younger siblings with their online learning and regular team sports fixtures were reduced to a solo 5k run. But. They did, and continue to do.

As restrictions have eased, Gold expeditions ventured to the Lake District for three days of fantastic weather and views to complete the Practice Expedition and another stunning week in Snowdonia for the Qualifying Expedition. It was great that a handful of Upper Sixth students joined us to complete their expedition section – they are now very close to completing their Gold Award. Undoubtedly, they will be in the minority of committed pupils determined to finish their award before leaving School this year. Silver expeditions headed to the Long Mynd in October and then Exmoor in June and the 100 Bronze pupils donned their rucksacks and boots for a wander through Bromsgrove’s finest countryside. In a year when many flexibilities have been allowed by the DofE, we are very proud that all students have completed full expeditions. A Baker, R Short and J Farnes

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Enrichment Programme ‘Get up, show up and never give up’, a brilliant mantra for our Sixth Form, who have displayed nothing less this year when it came to their Enrichment Programme. The motto is from Master John Swift of Verve Fitness who delivered martial arts classes to our Sixth Form, drawing upon his special forces training for self-defence, protection and awareness, as well as having a little fun with fitness and striking drills from his Taekwondo and Kickboxing classes. These sessions, delivered via Zoom, and more recently in person, are one of many external agencies we are working with to better prepare Bromsgrove students for their lives beyond our campus. We understand that a holistic education means that achieving an A* in Physics doesn’t necessarily mean you can change a plug, or have the confidence to promote yourself at interview, so the realworld needs of the students have been considered in giving them key stepping stones for practical application.

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This means that they have been learning some basic life skills - how to rewire a plug (courtesy of our Estates team), change a tyre (we even had a demonstration with Mr Wingfield swapping his three piece for a boiler suit to lead the sessions). With twenty-five years of Military Service, Dr Lizzy Bernthal, a life coach, has been working with our young people to help combat any self-limiting beliefs, enhance communication skills and empower them to be their best authentic self. Basic First Aid training is something that every young adult should be exposed to; you just never know when you may need it. With our ‘Resus Annies’ at the ready, students have been learning CPR and emergency first aid with our own Lt. Peil. It is quite a sight to see the dummies strewn across the parade ground with various gory injuries mocked-up. With a super boating lake and outdoor activity centre on our doorstep, the School buses have ferried students to team building sessions, where they have engaged in the art of communication and motivation within a group environment. One of the biggest worries for parents is that their children will not eat properly when they get to university, so our fantastic team of chefs have been providing the students with food preparation classes did you know that chicken should always be stored on the bottom shelf? As we become more aware of our precious environment, the students also received guidance in bike maintenance – hopefully, encouraging a greener mode of transport when they are travelling to and from lectures. So with this newfound knowledge, do test out their skills when they are back home and get them helping around the house and garage, As if that was not enough, dedicated lectures from Bath University for personal statement writing, Ed Flack from WizeUp for all things money related and our Maniac Games amongst other things provided our students with further opportunities to prepare for the future whilst having some well-deserved fun. E Densem

Flourishing Fivers Nothing could stop this year’s Flourishing Fiver team of Fifth Form students from coming up with creative ideas to fundraise for the Primrose Hospice. A spooky cauldron full of tasty treats and scary prizes were quickly created in time for Hallowe’en. The students dressed up in their Hallowe’en finery to make a fun advertising video to raffle off the prizes. As we could not break bubbles and go into Page House for the prize draw, the team made another video, where they pulled the winner out of the witch’s hat. Later in the year, the Flourishing Fiver team decided that the Senior School students also needed some tasty treats. They wrapped up some Christmas chocolate, complete with glitter and sparkles. Trays of treats were delivered to Houses and students donated money to get their hands on the festive snacks. Some of the plans the team made did not come to fruition because of social distancing rules and lockdowns. However, I am delighted that the whole Flourishing Fiver team enjoyed the project so much they have promised to sign up for the activity again in the Lower Sixth and have already booked in some fundraising events for the year ahead. J Boonnak

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Futures

Guardian Angels

It has been another interesting year for Futures, encouraging students and parents to access the plethora of careers/ Higher Education information, advice and guidance on offer. The silver lining of the Old Bromsgrovian network has shone even brighter this year, as OBs have gone above and beyond by supporting current students once more. Whether through mentoring on LinkedIn, having Zoom chats about university life or presenting on their career, we have never been short of offers to help students move beyond Bromsgrove. Although the pandemic may have hindered opportunities to progress in certain areas, it has proven students’ ability to get creative and overcome barriers to gaining important life skills.

During each half term, the boarders who were unable to go home due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been looked after by our team of ‘Guardian Angels’, all teaching or support staff at Bromsgrove School. Unlike the regular School week, boarders were able to use their time freely to either undertake revision, spend time with their friends in a relaxed atmosphere or take part in a range of organised activities or trips. There was cookery with Mr Holdsworth, trampolining, table tennis and basketball in the Arena and even an eco day, organised by Mrs Holden and the grounds team, where students helped to dig out areas around the School ready for planting new trees, plants and vegetables.

Where physical work experience was not allowed, students sought out virtual volunteering opportunities, or expanded their learning through digital learning platforms. Students have helped out with foodbanks and fundraising, and this has undoubtedly provided them with employability skills they could not even imagine. For the second year running, we were unable to host our mammoth Higher Education Fair, but the Lower Sixth students have embraced the extra time with tutors to get ahead of the competition with their university applications. Mike Nicholson, Head of Admissions at Bath University, and former Director of Admissions at Oxford, praised the students for their resilience and drive, and felt that with the provision of our BTEC, IB and A Level programmes, they already had an advantage over many other students due to the diversity of the School academic provision. We are also encouraged by the continued diversity of applications to opportunities alongside university - apprenticeships, gap years and international applications have grown consistently. As our leavers forge their paths beyond Bromsgrove, I look forward to hearing about their future adventures. Z Leech

The biggest change in Oakley House was the integration of Page and Mary Windsor pupils plus the Elmshurst boys. This mixture of ages and genders ensured that there was a completely different atmosphere in the House compared with term time. Whilst rules did not go out of the window, they were relaxed significantly; morning sign in was a leisurely 11am and whilst the dining hall provided some amazing food (the Ramen bowl being a particular favourite), many chose to cook together in the House. This certainly created a very homely feel. Being in a bubble within the School grounds afforded students a freedom that few were experiencing in the UK or in their home countries at that time. It was so special to know they were having fun with each other and leading a semi-normal life, albeit away from home. The musical talents of the House provided a calming backdrop to many a jigsaw puzzle and board game. The new baby grand was in constant use; played by students and appreciated by staff. Housman Hall welcomed pupils from Webber and Wendron-Gordon. With new additions to the ‘family’ came different ideas and talents. In House sporting competitions, mahjong and ligretto (both very addictive board games) were being played most evenings.

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The House also filled with music – piano, violin and trumpet solos and duets. There were even relaxing yoga sessions on the lawn. Towards the latter stages of lockdown, and as restrictions eased, students had the opportunity to leave the confines of the School and go on organised group trips to London, Alton Towers, Oxford and Birmingham. Some went shopping, some went sightseeing or enjoyed the sun in the park, whilst others booked a table at their favourite restaurants (all abiding by the rules and restrictions at the time). What is important is that, even though the whole country was at times locked down and restrictions enforced across the tiers, coupled with the added pressure of students not being able to go home, the School community - staff and students alike - all worked together to create something that felt almost normal. The students really did feel as if they were at home and that is something that cannot go unnoticed or be forgotten. F Linfield and S Albutt

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Housman Verse Prize When I was one-and-twenty I heard a wise man say, “Give crowns and pounds and guineas But not your heart away; Give pearls away and rubies But keep your fancy free.” But I was one-and-twenty, No use to talk to me.

reminder I turn 18 on a crisp October evening stand shivering beneath the spilt glitter of stars facing the world and its whispering

A E Housman A Shropshire Lad, XIII

I’m suddenly very old bowed beneath the glare of my own harsh lens the singeing heat of expectations

The theme for this year’s Housman Verse competition was one that he frequently and wistfully returned to in his poetry youth.

in this moment my future must lie before me paved by recited mantra, money success happiness

The entries included many brave, personal and skilfully-wrought meditations on this theme. Some capture impressions, which will instantly resonate with all of us, however far from youth we now feel. Some are very clearly chronicles of the current moment and its (hopefully) brief but memorable re-shaping of what youth means to many of our students.

true adults sternly warn me of the diminishing entropy that the slithering of age brings

reminder, by Liza Vasilyeva, was chosen as the winner of the 2021 Housman Verse Prize. We are also indebted to Liza for providing the beautiful illustrations which adorn the anthology of entries and other selected writing published at the end of the Summer Term and which can be viewed on the School website. P Dinnen

where they remind me of how young I am I am their opposite reflecting their tired pessimism in wide-eyed innocence in that innocence wells the childish hatred of change that watches youth seep between my fingers people drift back and forth until they are gone entirely melting into memories and the silent laughter of pictures I might see them again might cross the street and onto their path reminisce and laugh yet we will both sit smiles softly fading and think on what we no longer have

I am a child amongst them eight years old again standing on the fringes of a dim dining room as alien conversation bubbles in glass flutes

Liza Vasilyeva Winner of the 2021 Housman Verse Prize

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IB Academic Masters’ Programme Over fifty IB2 students returned during the Summer Term to take part in the new Academic Masters’ Programme. The course was developed in place of the exam period, cancelled due to the pandemic, with the aim of building on the holistic and service nature of the IBDP. Students took courses across the range of subjects in the diploma including politics, science and history, as well as a psychology lecture delivered weekly by the Headmaster. The programme also incorporated the service, creativity and cultural elements of the IBDP; students undertook a restoration project at Hartlebury Castle with Mrs Holden and Dr Thompson. They also visited local historic places of interest with Dr Rimmer and took drumming lessons with Mr McKelvey. M Thompson

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Life Skills Some of the aims of Life Skills are to develop essential practical skills, to foster wellbeing and develop resilience and character that we know are fundamental to students being happy, successful and productive members of our community. The sessions also aim to prepare them for life after School. Notwithstanding some of the challenges that we have faced again this academic year due to lockdown, our first year of Life Skills has been eventful. Lower Fourth pupils have developed and, in some instances, revisited some essential first aid skills (for example, what to do if someone is choking, in shock or injured, or has a suspected heart attack). They have had the opportunity to consider their learning styles, their personal strengths and target setting. They have also considered their online habits and aspects of online safety; the idea of a digital detox has been met with rather mixed opinions, although the fact that we all need to be aware of and manage our online time has been acknowledged.

Our students have also participated in a series of online workshops delivered by the Be Free Campaign, an organisation that aims to improve people’s knowledge of self-help when it comes to dealing with mental health and wellbeing. In the year of a national census having been completed in the UK, Lower Fourth pupils have reflected on the topic of family and upon what the census data can reveal about our communities and what we can learn about people from the past. In a project developed with the School’s Eco Committee, students have had a chance to reflect upon the environment, what the next thirty years might hold, and to create a letter to themselves from the future. G Farrell

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Lockdown Art Back in February 2021, Lower Sixth Art student Prabhneet Sondhi was selected to appear on Grayson Perry’s Art Club on Channel 4. She was interviewed by Perry about her composite painting of her family during lockdown. If you missed the programme, you can now catch up with the programme on All 4. Well done to Prabhneet on such a brilliantly executed painting and for coming across so well during the interview. S Morgans

Marmite Gifted and Talented Society Since we all first heard the word ‘COVID’, we’ve also heard so much about what we haven’t done. Think what we have done – the scientists, the statisticians, the storytellers. We have developed vaccines. We have created digital and financial support networks. We have treated vast numbers in hospitals. We have begun to address climate change. We have told the stories of lives marginalised and voices silenced. Never have we needed specialists more. And in Marmite, we see the next generation of specialists. Medics, lawyers, academics, researchers and more. From Year 8 to Upper Sixth, in person and on Zoom, members of Marmite have embraced interdisciplinary discussion and expertise at the highest levels. The Tempest, legal precedents for civil rights, Ferris Bueller, Japanese Samurai Art, the ethics of surgery and algorithms calculating economic risk have all been studied, the better to specialise in future. Next year, we will continue to share, to excel, and to relish academic specialisation. With perhaps more movies, more cake and more people. M Ruben

Model United Nations (BroMUN) Model United Nations gives students the chance to explore global issues from different perspectives as they role-play countries in debating and respond to pertinent international crises. In an international school such as Bromsgrove, this adds an exciting new dimension to debating, as students enjoy researching and arguing from specific perspectives and viewpoints. Bromsgrove MUN (BroMUN) has continued to run both junior and senior activities twice a week, and it has been wonderful to see so many new attendees this year. Delegates at each practice were invited to select a global topic and then challenged to solve these through teamwork and co-operation, all from the perspective of their respective countries. MUN allows students to discuss issues and suggest possible resolutions in a relaxed and supportive atmosphere. It has been wonderful to see how well they have developed their speaking and listening skills throughout the year. Topics discussed have included whether countries with poor human rights records should be permitted to host international sports competitions; drug trafficking; and Israel-Palestine tensions. R Whitbread

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Remembrance This year, because of Covid, we were unable to hold our annual Remembrance Sunday services, but on the 11th day of November 2020, a small group of staff and students met in chapel to lay the wreaths at the plaques commemorating all those Old Bromsgrovians who lost their lives in the two world wars. Outside Chapel, at the flag-pole, we observed the two minutes’ silence with socially distanced staff and students present, and the Headmaster said the words of Laurence Binyon (18691943) that have been used up and down the land at Remembrance for over 100 years: ‘They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.’ We will continue to remember with thanks all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of others and for the peace of the world. ‘Greater love has no man that he laid down his life for his friends.’ (John chapter 15 verse 13) Reverend Paul Hedworth (School Chaplain)

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Scholars’ Programme Academically ambitious students were invited to join the Scholars for an extended programme of support. Fifth Form students were encouraged to think about their post-Bromsgrove plans, and to begin preparing for success in Sixth Form and beyond. This included introducing them to MOOCs and asking students to start reflecting on their burgeoning expertise in their intended discipline, such that they can begin to plan the Personal Statement that they will write during their Lower Sixth year. Often this challenge allowed students to identify any relative areas of weakness and then make remedial plans for the summer holidays, such as organising work experience or completing more extension reading. Students already in Lower Sixth were asked to apply for a place on the Oxford Cambridge Track: departments assessed students’ likelihood of success and students were invited to participate in the new programme as a result. The emphasis this year was on admissions test and interview readiness. From our Oxbridge applicants in the Upper Sixth, three students were offered places: Lucia Goodwin (Geography at Sidney Sussex), Nikhil Gour (HSPS at St John’s), and Lauren McLean (Economics at Magdalene). D Rimmer

School Monitor Training The new School Monitors spent a day undertaking some leadership training. A variety of sessions were led by members of SMT with several teamwork exercises, discussions about their role, its expectations and how it all fits within the bigger picture of balancing their academic work with commitments, responding to different scenarios, and still supporting the School’s culture and brand. A McClure

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Staff Reading Prize This year’s Staff Reading Prize was extremely competitive and the standard of entries was incredibly high. The competition’s climax was slightly different this year, culminating in the austere surroundings of the Old Chapel on the final day of the Lent Term. Rather than the usual raucous applause of the arena, this year’s entrants needed nerves of steel, looking down the lens of a ‘zoom’ camera and having to imagine the unwavering support back in their form rooms. The theme for 2021 was ‘Youth’ and the extracts explored its excitement, naivety and frustration. Junior winner, George Hastings, delivered his poem by Seamus Heaney completely from memory, and his prose from Laurie Lee’s Cider with Rosie with clarity and perfect poise. Equally, our three senior finalists, Isabelle Benson, Polly Dakin and Lily Zeng, delivered polished performances of all their extracts, leaving staff with an unenviable decision concerning the senior winner. Ultimately, a close fought vote ended with Polly Dakin being crowned winner, with her renditions of William Shakespeare’s All the World’s a Stage and R.J Palacio’s Wonder. An enormous well done to all those involved, there is no doubt you have all gained something immensely valuable from the experience. E Jones

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Sustainability Projects The IB students have carried on the theme of service to the community by undertaking a range of projects to promote sustainability both in and out of School. To complement the Geography seminars that they have been having on Sustainability and the Population Resource debate, pupils have acted upon the “Think Global – Act Local” Agenda 21 mantra. Within our School grounds, they have taken on two projects. The Memorial garden, which is located by the entrance to Lupton House, is being turned into a reflective space, designed around the Hornbeam tree and poem. Students have already cleared the space and have worked with the Estates team to design a formal space. The second on-site project is the bee friendly garden behind Oakley. IB students took on the challenge of removing the bamboo, which had established itself in this area – they could appreciate what Mrs Holden meant by the term “Green Gym” by the end of the first session. A planting plan that includes many pollen rich varieties was put together and it was exciting to see how this space changed over the weeks of the project. The third project took the students out of the School grounds into the beautiful countryside of Worcestershire. Working alongside the volunteers at Hartlebury Castle, they have been working in the grounds to help prepare the nature trail for visitors. In the future, we also hope to get involved with the establishment of an adventure playground, which increases access to the grounds and nature for the local children. All of these projects supported the School’s commitment to promoting sustainability and the Let’s go Zero campaign led by the School’s environmental committee. J Holden

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The Bridge Programme In the final half term, our departing Upper Sixth had the opportunity to get involved in a range of activities as part of the Electives Programme. Consisting of around forty different electives, the idea was to provide opportunities to develop new skills, learn something out of intellectual curiosity or preparation for university, or support the local community, but most importantly to enjoy time together with their peers before the end of the year. Some took the opportunity to acquire nationally recognised qualifications in lifeguard training, First Aid at Work and the hockey Young Leaders’ award. There were skills-based electives in drama, design, manufacturing, trampoline coaching, coding, photograph restoration, screenprinting, dress and shirt making.

There were also opportunities for selfimprovement such as training your brain to help you, designing an uncompromised life, networking using LinkedIn, cooking at university, success in applying for graduate schemes, managing your finances, and practical skills such as laundry and ironing.

Academic sessions were held on astronomy, engineering, finance, Italian, and completing your Maths A level. Community based sessions included how to be an ambassador for good mental health, quilt making for charity, sign language, and developing an adventure garden at Hartlebury Castle.

J Wingfield

Finally, opportunities for physical activities such as road running, cycling, body balance, football skills, cricket, walks in the countryside, beekeeping, and three brilliant days of outdoor activities at Upton Warren. It was a fantastic four weeks, made so by the superb dedication and talents of the staff who volunteered to help and the enthusiasm of the Upper Sixth who took part. I am grateful to all.

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‘The Chicken’ Kit Car “Sunnyside up in ‘Yolk’shire” It has been quite a while since the Senior School DT race car was let loose on a track in the UK but during the end of the Summer Term, the newly shaped and liveried Greenpower car rolled out onto the Croft race circuit in Yorkshire. The circuit was three and a half hours away and so warranted a 5am start for the ten lucky students who were to represent Bromsgrove School for this highly anticipated return to racing. They had all been diligently working on the car since September and now had the opportunity to put all their efforts into the race. The car was tested from the outset in the practice sessions and some problem solving had to be undertaken due to a loose axle after a grub screw fell out of its location making the car rattle loudly when driven. After a few more practice laps, the car came in again with white smoke bellowing from the motor. We assessed the motor with the help of a Greenpower specialist who suggested that a small piece of debris had gotten in and was burning off in the brushes.

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The day was separated into four twentyminute races with a driver change inbetween each. The car would be racing as a whole group (Kitcars, F24, F24+ and F24+ Kitcar series) for all four races. The team and the car performed amazingly and looked extremely strong at all times. The only team incident involved a spin out after dodging a drifting car but we managed to work around this and carry on as normal. With an overall distance of 33.57 miles across the four races, we came first placed Kitcar and fourth overall. The second place Kitcar was over nine miles behind us which is equivalent to approximately eight laps. We also travelled further than all of the college/university Kitcar + series entries too by just under six miles. The students were incredibly diligent and we were very proud to walk away with another track success under our belts. Well done to the following team members: Bolebrukh, Katherine Parmar, Alex Li and Daniil Ulasavets who have worked on the car but couldn’t attend the race day and the following for attending the race: Lucy Cattell, Amelie Jackson, Will Jackson, Jacob Moore, Harvey Phillips (Team Mascot Wearer), Jack Ryan, Anaiya Sunner, Ffion Wright, Team Captain Ollie Rodriguez-Harris and ex-Team Captain Polly Dakin.

I would also like to thank Owen Matthews and Martin Heard for all their efforts on the day. Without them, this would not have been a viable trip. A special thank you should also go out to our two current sponsors Mark 3d for providing us with some revolutionary car components in printed carbon fibre, and to Ian Weston and 4QD for the porter 10XXX and our other ‘secret weapon’ which worked perfectly on the day. S Broadbent

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The Sunflower Project Bowen Cheung, Alex Cheung, Joseph Boardman and Gabriel Brown are part of the Sunflower Project, supporting a school in rural China. Their Own Clothes’ Day raised £1350 for the charity that was set up and is being run by them. Well done to the team and a big thank you to all who gave money for this very worthy cause. R Hedworth

Two Zero One Magazine Laetitia de Belgique, Max Opengeym and the 201 team have made like Boccaccio in facing the turmoil and uncertainty of a Plague Year – a time when the importance of a School magazine might rightly have been put on the backburner – and have drawn from it a masterpiece. The award-winning “Freedom” issue was the largest and most comprehensive to date. The fact that the team were unable to meet and discuss face-to-face, on top of uncertain examinations cutting writing short and galling travelling restrictions scattering the team underlines Laetitia’s and Max’s perseverance and Nelson touch in editing two issues of fantastic breadth and creativity. We have had articles ranging from comparative advantage in trade and the First Amendment, to an analysis on Cornwall, with delightful feuilletons of fiction, poetry and film reviews – we have even produced 201 stickers.

A special congratulations must be given to our bashful illustrator, Liza Vasilyeva, whose artistic fastidiousness and talent was recognised with a national Shine award for Best Illustration. The 2020-21 team have left the magazine in an enviable position. The baton now passes to Ioana Voicu and Arsenii Steshenko. With great certainty that, along with more awards, 201 will continue to remain the place for intellectual curiosity, creativity and selfexpression. J Huckle

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UKMT Senior Mathematics Challenge Well done to all those who took part in the UKMT Senior Mathematics Challenge online, especially the following pupils who received a Gold certificate and invitation to the follow on Kangaroo round: Joseph Hong, Irene Lo, Lara Sievert, Larry To and Daniel Costache, who scored the best result in the School.

Young Enterprise This year’s Young Enterprise activity has seen significant success from its team, Symplex. The students created a product based upon the current challenges faced by working from home. They pre-empted that most of their selling would be online this year as opposed to the traditional method of selling at trade fairs and thus provided a solution for this in creating a product that could be flat packed and posted easily. As motivated and determined Bromsgrove School students, the UK’s lockdown did not stop them in the development of their product, the ‘OrganiSTATION’, an innovative wooden display stand to hold stationery and other essential items. Even though the group were dispersed across the globe, the students met regularly on Zoom to continue with the Young Enterprise competition. After a very strong performance in the Area competition, winning awards for Creativity in Business and Overall Worcestershire Winner, the students progressed to the West Midlands Regional Finals. The team faced tough competition but stood out to the judges for their incredible cooperation as a team, winning the Teamwork Award where the students were highly commended for their ability to overcome the various challenges they faced over the year. A Webb

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Trips Geography Field Trips With COVID-19 restrictions in place, fieldwork opportunities for all pupils have been few and far between. The Upper Sixth missed out on their chance to go to Wales in their Lower Sixth year to conduct their data collection for their individual investigations, but despite this, the department arranged some trips closer to home. Visiting between the lockdown restrictions and always adhering to government guidelines, two groups of intrepid Geographers visited Worcester City Centre and the Lickey Hills. The Worcester group conducted some excellent investigations into various aspects of place and regeneration, whilst the Lickey Hills group conducted equally excellent investigations into ecosystems and localised water cycles. The IB1 group also managed to visit South Wales, days before a full Welsh lockdown, where they conducted some wet and wild rivers fieldwork as part of their coursework. The Upper Sixth students have successfully completed their NEAs, whilst the IB students continue to develop their IAs – a testament to their excellent work ethic and a huge amount of support from the school community, from catering and transport to finance and leadership. This year’s Lower Sixth will build upon these strong foundations, with the new cohort having the opportunity to explore further afield once all restrictions have been removed. J Snelling

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Performing Arts Overview It has been another challenging year for the Performing Arts at Bromsgrove and, like so many other performers around the world, we have missed greatly the opportunities to sing, play and perform together across year groups and in large ensembles. Necessity has proved the mother of invention, however, and forced us to find new ways to maintain a high output and to continue to raise our excellent standards in Music and Drama. Audiences and performers have been united either through livestreamed performances or by continuing to share work within Year Group bubbles It is a pleasure to report that almost 200 students have appeared on the Cobham stage this academic year in thirty-seven small or medium-scale productions, ranging from thrilling monologues to the 30-strong cast of The Twits presented by Year 8. In Routh Hall, the Music department have regularly given us filmed concerts throughout the year but we have also seen and heard the Sixth Form band appear live, adhering to COVID-safe rules, to a number of audiences. In the Prep and Senior schools, choirs and instrumental groups have managed to come together in sizeable numbers to share their performances with each other in the Summer Term. The process of rehearsal and preparation for performance has helped preserve the appreciation among students that hard work will reap excellence on stage or the concert platform, and I am delighted that there have been - at least some opportunities - to relish the excitement of appearing in front of a live audience T Norton

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Prep Drama It has been an eventful year for the Drama department at the Prep School, despite the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the pandemic. We still managed to produce two performances, one by pupils in Year 8 and one by pupils in Year 7, which were shown in Cobham Theatre and live steamed to friends and families at home. We began the year with auditions with Year 8 for a performance of The Twits, a stage version of the Roald Dahl book, adapted by myself. The cast worked as a true ensemble with everyone switching roles and using masks to portray the larger than life characters. The cast also got the chance to experience using puppets in performance. The pupils rose to the challenge of working in such an energetic and disciplined style, always on stage and visible to the audience. In January 2021, we were back to remote learning and I used this as an opportunity for the pupils to read and explore in detail some play scripts. Year 5 looked at A Midsummer Night’s Dream and they were introduced to the characters. They created their own magical forest creature based on the four elements and split themselves into ‘tribes’. Year 7 studied Bugsy Malone, creating a short project based on the characters in the play and the 1920’s period, and Year 8 explored Blue Remembered Hills by Dennis Potter.

Year 6 did something slightly different, making use of being in front of a video camera to create a video blog (Vlog) chronicling their time being trapped inside the house due to an unexpected dinosaur outbreak in the country. When we returned in March 2021, the Year 7 production of Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations continued rehearsing and, again, was able to be performed and livestreamed from Cobham Theatre later in the term. Having missed out on the experience to perform live on the stage in Year 6, this was the pupils’ first opportunity and they worked exceptionally hard to create a highly disciplined and fast paced production. We finished the year by giving pupils in Year 6 the opportunity to work in smaller groups on short plays that will be performed in the Drama Studio and recorded for viewing by friends and family. I look forward to the next academic year where, hopefully, we will return to normality and can have a full program of events for the pupils. Exciting times lie ahead. J Amphlett

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The Twits Cast Aaryanna Flynn Abi Lamb Ben Reay Darcy McCormack Emily Appleton Evie Hastings Evie Jones Ewan Head Grace Morrall Hannah Sutherland Ibukun Okeowo Ilerioluwa Odugbesan Jack Hobson Liv Archer Maria Christodoulou Monty Lees Phoebe Dinnen Ruby Foster Shusank Nembang Tanvir Biran

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Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations Cast Ernie

Freya Bradley

Mum

Rumer Evans

Dad

Spike Bloxham

Doctor

Harriet Williams

Receptionist

Tilly Brookes

German Officer

Thomas Shaw

German Soldiers

Morgan Kirkden-Smith Mackenzie Jones Uliana Pavlova

Auntie May

Amelia Lees

Barker 1

Lucy Porter

Barker 2

Harriet Cutter

Barker 3

Emily Jones

Barker 4

Sammy Riley

Referee

Emily Wiggins

Kid Saracen

Mackenzie Jones

Eddie Edwards

Xanthe Matthews

Man

Morgan Kirkden-Smith

Woman

Charlotte Kearney

Second Man

Yasmin Gurung

Attendant

Gina Bowen

Lady with Glasses Uliana Pavlova Librarian

Flora Blower

Second Librarian Tajvy Thapa Tramp

Morgan Kirkden-Smith

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Senior Drama Unable to mount a large production in December 2020, the Drama department went into overdrive and prepared three separate House Drama Competitions for the Lower Sixth, Upper Sixth and the Fifth form. Almost 100 students initially took part across the three year groups and meticulous planning saw twenty-two separate plays produced, designed and rehearsed over the last six weeks of the Michaelmas Term. Audiences consisted of staff members and students from their own year group and the performers themselves. Whilst one or two House plays never quite made it to a final performance, as the COVID virus reared its ugly head, I am delighted that so much live theatre, often of a superb standard, was produced in this term.

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Lower Sixth House Drama The Lower Sixth Competition launched the Senior House Drama festival in November 2020, with seven separate productions and almost forty performers taking part. The evening started with a tightly choreographed piece, bursting with energy, from Ottilie Hild House, followed by six other plays in rapid succession, including a highly entertaining monologue from Lewis Osborne for Walters House, which deserves a special mention for bravery alone. The Headmaster kindly adjudicated, and awards were as follows: The Runner-Up Best Actor Prize went to Polly Dakin for her magnificently controlled performance as Claire in Jean Genet’s malevolent drama, The Maids. The Best Actor Prize went to Maria Macadrai for her role as Maria in The Suicide. There was a Special Award for Best Supporting Actor for Stephan Tarasov - his first time on the Cobham Stage - playing the timid School’s Superintendent in The Government Inspector. A second Special Award was given to Mary Windsor House for their committed ensemble playing and beautifully realised sense of the historical period in Helen Edmundson’s play Queen Anne. The Runner Up Best Play award was received by Housman Hall for their spirited and hilarious production of The Suicide. And the Best Play for the Lower Sixth Form was named as The Government Inspector performed by Wendron-Gordon House.

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Fifth Form House Drama Nine Houses initially prepared for the Fifth Form competition, but two were forced to drop out, including Lupton House: their intense, darkly comic performance of The Dumb Waiter was mothballed but luckily they were able to film an extended version of the piece for which Theo Gilbert-Birch and Fred Hanson gained full marks for their GCSE Drama performance in March 2021. The Headmaster again adjudicated, and awards were as follows: Best Supporting Actor was Thando Best for his role of the Mayor in The Visit presented by Wendron-Gordon House. The Runner-Up Best Actor Prize went to Paris Siviter for her very convincing Lancashire accent and sensitive portrayal as May in The Accrington Pals. The Best Actor Prize went to Charlie Cooper for his role as Fraser in Albert’s Bridge. There was a Special Adjudicator’s Award for Jamie Lewis - his first time on the Cobham Stage – playing Rosencrantz opposite Jake Wingfield in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. A second Special Adjudicator’s Award was given to Elmshurst House for their total commitment to their Coarse Acting Play Streuth, which got the evening off to a tremendous start. The Runner Up Best Play was awarded to Wendron-Gordon House for their largescale, very finely detailed production of The Visit. The boys coped with numerous cast changes during rehearsals but each time rose to that challenge and seemed only to get better and better. Finally, the Best Play prize in the Fifth Form went to School House for their technically brilliant performance of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, a masterclass in comic timing from Jake Wingfield and Jamie Lewis.

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And what of the Upper Sixth competition, you ask? Forty-five performers across six Houses rehearsed to present their pieces at the very end of November 2020, but the competition had to be postponed, eventually indefinitely. However, the very best plays from this competition, I am very pleased to say, were shown to a live audience in the penultimate week of the academic year.

Academic Drama In spite of the second lockdown and the Government-enforced School closure, the Lent Term was dominated by many hundreds of hours of rehearsal undertaken over Zoom by the twenty-four GCSE Drama students who all managed to maintaining momentum and get ready for their final practical performances as soon as lockdown ended. The final week of the Lent Term saw six plays perfomed by over half the students including some truly memorable presentations from Under Milk Wood, from Pinter’s The Dumb Waiter and Tom Stoppard’s play Albert’s Bridge. The remaining students were able to complete their pieces after the Easter holiday and most achieved 80% or above for these very pacy, inventive and pitch perfect performances.

As well as the final six GCSE performances, Cobham Theatre hosted the Upper Fourth play, a shortened version of Willy Russell’s Our Day Out. This production was originally cast in December 2019 and had undergone various transformations and necessary cast changes over the ensuing 18 months. The thirteen performers relished the chance to get on stage in front of a real audience, once restrictions were partially lifted, and gave a terrific rendition of Russell’s play, complete with a eighteen full sized coach seats which zoomed around the stage helping to create the various locations the play demanded. Our second live audience was invited to watch a screening of Webber House performing The 39 Steps followed by Hugh Abraham giving a visually stunning performance as the moon from Lorca’s Blood Wedding: a presentation he gave entirely in its original Spanish and then in English. The evening ended with a hilarious excerpt from Nicolai Erdman’s The Suicide. All three pieces had been ‘on the back burner’ since November last year so it was a glorious achievement to bring these back to life and round off the year with such strong Upper Sixth performers back on stage.

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Fifth Form House Drama Elmshurst - Streuth

Hazeldene - Dancing At Lughnasa

Walters - Albert’s Bridge

By Michael Green, Directed by Joseph Hong.

By Brian Friel

By Tom Stoppard

Eleanor Dunn

Kate

Harrison Brown

Albert

Callisto Bélie-Rebibo Cook

Isabelle Rusling

Maggie

Charlie Cooper

Fraser

Max Büchel

Hubert

Sophie Spittle

Chris

Louis Gabard

Prompter

Jemima Vaughan-Hawkins Rose

John Kim

Inspector

Kasimir Scheiff

Mr. Darcy

Hamish Schulze

Vicar

School House - Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

Justinas Stankus

Major

By Tom Stoppard

Niklas Sturz

James

Jamie Lewis

Tom Wang

Mrs Darcy

Jake Wingfield

Wendron-Gordon - The Visit By Friedrich Dürenmatt (Translated and adapted by Tony Kushner) Thando Best

Mayor

David Corcoran

Claire

Rosencrantz

Armstrong Dong

Boby

Guildenstern

Laurentius Heukamp Dan Chi Chi Lam

Chief Engineer

Thomas Cookes - The Accrington Pals

Ayush Kedem Limbo Ben

By Peter Whelan

Oleksii Li

Wallace

Anya Sanikop

Eva

Matei Militaru

Bill

Paris Siviter

Sarah

Callum Wilkinson

Ill

Jessica Whitlock

May

Lower Sixth House Drama Hazeldene - The Maids

Ottilie Hild - Six

By Jean Genet (Translated by Bernard Frechtman)

By Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss

By Richard Bean

Sophia Eaton

Lewis Osborne

Isabelle Benson

Solange

Esme Elwell-Thomas Katherine Parr

Polly Dakin

Claire

Polly Green

Catherine Howard

Walters - One Man Two Guvnors Catherine of Aragon

Charlotte Holden

Jane Seymour

Housman Hall - The Suicide

Ellie Roskell

Anne Boleyn

By Nikolai Erdman (Translated by Peter Tegel)

Brooke-Lily York

Anne of Cleves

Masha Barinova

Margarita

Daniel Costache

Second Man

Igor Frumes

Semyon

Written and costumed by members of the cast after the screenplay by Tina Fey

Maria Macadrai

Maria

Hannah Batham

Thome Peters

Third Man

Elisabeth Rieger

Elpidi

Lilly Sturz King Tong Elisaveta Toropova

Francis Henshall

Wendron-Gordon - The Government Inspector By Nikolai Gogol (Translated by Adrian Mitchell) Ali Hassan Al-Mousawi Bobchinski Ian Chan

Dr. Gibner

Stepan Bobrenev

Postmaster

Ivan Gordeev

Dobchinski

Regina

Jan Morozov

Governor

Cady

Arsenii Steshenko

Judge

Milly Goulden-Page

Narrator & Duvall

Stephan Tarasov

Aristarch

Lucy McLoughlin

Karen

Schools’ Superintendent

First Man

Keira Sehdeva

Gretchen

Serafina

Iris Tang

Janis

Mary Windsor - Queen Anne By Helen Edmundson Sara-Maria Popescu

Sarah

Ioana Voicu

Queen Anne

Thomas Cookes - Mean Girls

Cally Buxton

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Upper Sixth House Drama Housman Hall - The Suicide By Nikolai Erdman (Translated by Peter Tegel) Liza Vasilyeva

Maria Lukianovna Podeskalnikov

Kin Cheung

Semyon Senyonovich Podsekalnikov

Maria Macadrai

Serafina Ilinichna

Aakash Thapar-Majar

Alexander Petrovich

Sophie Latsavong-Albone

Margarita Ivanovna

School House - Blood Wedding By Federico Garcia Lorca Hugh Abraham

Moon

Webber - The Thirty Nine Steps By Patrick Barlow (Based on Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film and John Buchan’s novel) Ben Sugarman

Richard Hanny

Evelyn Lau

Clown One

Kiki Ngermanek

Clown Two

Jolin (jiaxin) Tjhoie

Clown Three

Colin (Jiayi) Tjhoie

Clown Four / Annabella

Our Day Out Crew

Cast Olivia Garrett

Leslie The Lollipop Lady / Briony Riley

Costume

Clare Whitfield

Lottie Brown

Andrea Andrews / Shopkeeper

Sound

George Elliott

Fiona Singh

Bored Girl / Shopkeeper

Lighting

Tom Jude

Megan Wilson

Moira McNally / Shopkeeper / Zookeeper

Set

Maddie Shorrock

Rachel Ronson

Poppy Schütt-Faulkner

Linda Croxley

Claire Whitfield George Elliott Tom Jude

Amelia Rowe

Carol Chandler

Serisha Sunner

Mrs Briggs

Lola Hill

Mrs Kay

Erin Douglas

Miss Susan Smith

Regina Araluce

Headmistress / School Girl / Shopkeeper

Sami Budhathoki

Ronnie Sutcliffe / School Girl

Jensen York

Kid

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Prep Music This year has been a busy one in the Preparatory School Music Department, despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic. Pupils have been rehearsing in their Year Group bubbles, which created an array of recorded performance opportunities. Recorded presentations have allowed the Music Department the creativity to use the picturesque School grounds and buildings as a backdrop to performances. The Chapel Choir created an offering for Remembrance, filmed with the choristers singing amongst the poppies outside the Memorial Chapel. Christmas was celebrated with performances from all of the Preparatory School year groups; their individual recordings were combined and expertly mixed to create online performances to celebrate both a Carol Service and a Christmas concert. The highlight of the year took place on a beautiful sunny June day when over 200 Prep School pupils took part in Orchestral and Choral extravaganzas using Gordon Green as the central location. M Corrie

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Eisteddfod Performance Three musicians were chosen from each year group out of 103 entries. The standard this year was particularly high and a wide variety of instruments represented. The winners demonstrated their talent through the presentation of most engaging performances. For the celebration of poetry, there were three categories: the Poetry Recital competition, the Poetry Composition challenge and the Worcestershire Young Poet Laureate competition. It was very difficult for the staff to choose the final performers due to the high standard of oral performance and written composition. In fact, two of our performers at the Poetry Festival were runners up in the Worcestershire Libraries’ Young Poet Laureate competition. M Corrie

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Instrumental Schemes A disrupted year of lessons did not stop our Year 3 and 5 pupils from achieving a remarkable standard in both the String Initiative and Woodwind and Brass Scheme. During the year, they experienced learning an instrument and took part in a wonderful recording held in Routh Hall, which is now available on the School’s YouTube Channel. Many of these budding musicians have decided to continue with tuition and have graduated to one of the Preparatory School’s orchestras, which has provided them with a wealth of experience and performance opportunities. M Corrie

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Senior Music Senior House Music Solo Competition This year’s virtual Solo House Music Competitions took place at the very end of the Michaelmas Term. There was an outstanding array of talent and wonderful support on Zoom from friends, colleagues and family too. Mr McKelvey adjudicated the competition, and despite restrictions for performers’ music due to the pandemic, this did not stop eighty musicians from entering. Fourteen finalists battled it out in two categories: Intermediate and Advanced. It was an afternoon of superb music-making. For the Intermediate category, the winners were as follows: highly commended musicians, Joseph Boardman on Xylophone and George Hastings on Alto Saxophone (both from School House); runner up oboist Eleanor Boardman (Ottilie Hild) and the winning trophy goes to Electric Guitarist, Hamish Cross (Walters) who performed Trivium’s Like Light to the Flies.

For the Advanced category, the winners were: highly commended pianists, Evelyn Lau (Webber) and Sophia Meadows (Thomas Cookes); runner up singer Gabriel Brown (Lupton) and the winner’s trophy goes to Pianist Tristan Chan (Elmshurst) who gave a beautiful performance of Janacek’s In The Mists. J McKelvey

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Remembrance Bugling Senior Music Scholar, Andy Chia, played the Last Post and Reveille on a bugle used in the Battle of the Somme on 11th November 2020 at the Flagpole Ceremony, honouring those Bromsgrovians whose lives were lost during the First and Second World Wars. J McKelvey

Christmas Compilations – Choir and Year Group Ensembles One of the musical casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the curtailing of singing in large groups. To counter this, and with fewer performance opportunities than in a typical Bromsgrove year, Senior singers rehearsed in Year Group bubbles and, after some expert audio editing to sew together the various recordings by our Peforming Arts Technician, Mr Elliott, a wonderful Christmas Card greeting was made. Still, Still, Still, a traditional Austrian cradle song, arranged by Mack Wilberg, was well received by all who watched it, bringing in the festivities of the Christmas season. J McKelvey

Lower Sixth Ensemble A group of Lower Sixth musicians recorded David Bowie’s hit, Moonage Daydream, which was later broadcast on the night of the Lower Sixth House Drama Competition. J McKelvey

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Lockdown Concerts The January lockdown2 brought about a slight change in the musical offering. However, we were still fortunate to be able to offer three Zoom Concerts during this time, for which many of our students sent recordings of their homebound performances. Whilst others were at home, the Guardian Angels’ team still at School did not miss out, and Miss McCanlis superbly organised a Boarders’ Concert in Routh Hall.

Fourth Form Concerts We were fortunate enough to experience some live music making in the form of two Fourth Form Concerts just before the May half term holiday. Thirty-nine musicians from these year groups stepped up to the concert platform in a wonderful array of musical talent. How fortunate we were as an audience to be there, and the concerts have since been made available online on the School’s YouTube channel. J McKelvey

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Upper Sixth Prizegiving At the Upper Sixth Prizegiving Ceremony on Friday 28th May 2021, three outstanding performances were heard by pupils and tutors. Evelyn Lau (piano), Andy Chia (trumpet) and Max Wong (cello) performed tremendously; having earlier in the day received a Music Cap for their commitment to Music at Bromsgrove School.

IB2 Masters’ Programme Three groups of IB2 students were treated to an insight into the world of Opera and an introduction to Drumming during the Masters’ Programme. The students learned a variety of rhythmic patterns and tried their hand at Drumline, Djembe, Samba and Drum kit styles.

Individual Successes No fewer than 119 practical music exams were taken over the course of this year either in person or via an online submission. Congratulations to all who entered these important exams as part of their continuing musical pathways. J McKelvey

If you missed it, you didn’t miss out! Performances can be seen again on our YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube. com/bromsgroveschool

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Prep Art It is with pleasure that I have led the Art Department this year. I have been challenged to think of new and innovative ways to help pupils unlock their creative potential away from School with a variety of materials at hand, ranging from Hobby Craft studios at home to using the back of an envelope and a pen. If there was ever a subject that can face any challenge and come out unlocking creative mind sets, Art is definitely up there. With my supportive department members, Miss Read and Mrs Elliott, we have maintained an excellent set of results whilst working in bubbles and individually. Using mindfulness at the start of lessons as often as possible has helped pupils to settle, calm and reflect on what they want to achieve, both in the classroom and beyond. Learning about artists and art movements during Zoom helped to encourage the new learning when we were in the classroom and the Artists, Klee, Miro and William Morris would, I am sure, also be as proud of the pupils’ accomplishments as we are. The online exhibition was definitely a different way for us to share the amazing artwork that the children created and I am so pleased to write that they were all so happy to see how their efforts culminated into a rich, colourful and diverse set of imagery. The pupils have a lot to feel proud about. V Barron

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Prep Art

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Prep Art

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Senior Art and Textiles As creative people, the Art and Textiles pupils were fully prepared for life on Zoom. Everyone was sent away with a pack of resources and a portfolio of ideas. Pupils were presented with technical challenges but nothing insurmountable and, as inventive and ingenious problem solvers, they were able to adapt to their circumstances and continue to produce clever and beautiful pieces of visual art. Many of the pieces produced sensitively reflected the changing situation of our world and much of it with humour and a certain delight in being a little more introspective during lockdown. Deadlines were met, virtual exhibitions curated and expressive, communicative digital portfolios completed. It is always full steam ahead in the Art and Textiles Department and the pupils have done us proud once again. S Morgans

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Senior Art

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Sport Sports Overview Sport at Bromsgrove School remained strong during the pandemic, and even opened up new opportunities for our students. Where fixtures could not take place, Inter-House competitions became the focus each Saturday afternoon during term time. It was pleasing to see so many pupils opting to try new sports, including; triathlons, table tennis and volleyball, and representing their House with friendly rivalry. Even though we were restricted to organising everything in year group bubbles, we looked at creative ways to organise the variety of sports within our extensive facilities. We were able to return to some sort of normality in the Summer Term, even though there were still some restrictions in place. The School followed the guidelines from the National governing body, which enabled us to run external fixtures in cricket, athletics, tennis and fencing. Hosting the Sister n’ Sport National Finals on our outdoor courts was a definite highlight of the 2020/21 academic year, especially as our U18 team won their final. P Mullan

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Cardio Challenge To encourage everyone to stay active during the second COVID-19 lockdown period, which commenced in January 2021, I launched a virtual cardio challenge with the aim of visiting every home country of the pupils at Bromsgrove School. The whole route around the globe to visit the thirty-five home countries was a massive 47,619.9 miles. Pupils from Pre-Prep, Prep and Senior could contribute to the challenge, along with staff and governors, by recording how far they travelled by walking, running, cycling, swimming or rowing. Contributors submitted their evidence and distances were plotted on our virtual world map to outline the progress made. It was great to see photographs and evidence coming in from pupils across the globe, and the mission was completed at the end of May 2021.

The greatest pupil contributors were Henry and Toby Buckingham (Pre-Prep), Freddy Ingram (Prep) and William Pridden (Senior). The top staff contributors were Mr J Holdsworth, Mrs Hankinson and Mr Farnes, and the biggest governor contributor was Lieutenant Colonel Ballard. In our mission to cover the incredible distance of 47,619.9 miles, walking contributed 36%, running 30%, cycling 24%, rowing 5% and swimming 5%. A huge well done to everyone who contributed. E Buckingham

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Prep Boys’ Athletics ESAA National Track and Field Cup County Round

Individual points totals for two events across the B team:

In June 2021, the Preparatory School boys’ athletics team emphatically won the county round of the English Schools’ track and field cup competition. On a glorious sunny day at The Ryland Centre, the boys amassed 432 points from all their events, which makes us the highest scoring school so far out of nine counties in our region. As an added bonus, our B team were also allowed to enter and they scored an impressive 285 points – a score that is higher than some other A teams in the competition.

Silver standard (28 points or higher)

Individual points totals for two events across the A team: Platinum standard (45 points or higher) Ollie Dieppe 47pts Gold standard (35 points or higher) James Hackett 42pts (A new Year 7 100m School record with a time of 12.5 seconds and the highest points scored by a Year 7 boy ever in this Year 8 competition) Oscar Haggan 36pts PB discus and 300m Suyash Sunuwa 36pts PB hammer Joseph White 35pts Silver standard (28 points or higher) Alex Li 33 pts PB shot put Shushank Nembang 33pts PB hammer Freddie Ingram 32pts PB javelin Beau Vaughan-Hawkins 31pts PB 800m Freddie Lawton 30 pts PB 100m Flynn Thornton-Dathan 30pts Owen Hill 29 pts PB 300m Devesh Gurung 29pts PB discus Freddie Pritchard 28pts PB 1500m

William Holroyd 29pts George Fatchett 28pts Bronze standard (17 points or higher) Charlie Collyer 27pts Sam Pickford 26pts PB 1500m Rufus Cole 26pts Bryan Chan 25pts PB 300m Lester Ng 25pts PB triple jump and 1500m Roberto Sanghera 24pts David Tang 22pts PB 100m Seth Benjamin 21pts Henry Barnes 20pts PB javelin Henry Foster 19pts Oliver Cattell 19pts William Broadhurst 15pts PB 80m Hurdles The boys are ranked in the top ten from an entry of over 300 schools. The junior boys’ Years 7 and 8 team have been the strongest team in the Midlands region out of nine counties for the last decade and this year we would have been challenging to make it five consecutive appearances at a National Final. This is a phenomenally impressive and consistent achievement. For the County Final this year, we were able to put out a B team for the first time ever.

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Mason Trophy On Saturday, 19th June, Ollie Dieppe represented the Herefordshire and Worcestershire county U15 track and field team at The English Schools’ Inter Counties match. Ollie won his 80m hurdles race in a time of 12.31 seconds, ranking him fifteenth in the country for the U15 age group (Years 8 and 9). He was then selected for the county U15 team at the prestigious English Schools’ Championships in Manchester on Sunday, 11th July. In doing so, Ollie became the first Preparatory School boy to be selected in a track event for these championships. Many thanks to all the staff who have coached the boys during the term; Mr Kippax, Mr Skipp, Mr Lane, Mr Barnett and Mr Shone. It really has been a team effort. G Jones

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Prep Girls’ Athletics We welcomed the return of Inter-School athletics in the Summer Term, and despite a quieter fixture programme, the Years 7 and 8 girls enjoyed some success both internally during Sports Day and competing against other schools with our A team.

Our top Year 8 athletes took part in Invitational meetings, hosted by the Senior School, which gave them valuable experience competing against (and sometimes beating) pupils much older than them - sometimes up to Upper Sixth age.

In the ESAA athletics competition, our Years 7 and 8 team were County Champions and ranked 10th in the country. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, there was no progression, as usual, through to the regional round and National Finals where we could compete against the finest in the country. For the first time, we also entered a B team into this competition where the girls very much held their own against all other schools’ A teams and gained valuable experience for next year.

Our Year 7 athletes had an opportunity to compete in a friendly meeting at home against King’s Worcester, which was a new initiative for 2021. This fixture is something that we wish to continue in future years with the possibility of a triangular with RGS Worcester. J Danks

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Senior Athletics Our athletics were luckier than most other sports teams this year, as the return to competitive fixtures in the Summer Term allowed them to take part in events against other schools. However, the athletics season was not a normal one, with the usual Hereford and Worcestershire Counties event being cancelled and the ESAA National Track and Field Cup also being reduced to a single event. Even with the restrictions, the pupils’ enthusiasm was not dampened. There were six events over the Summer Term along with a few internal training competitions. The season started with an away fixture at Rugby School and the results were an excellent start. Having competed against Bloxham, Repton, Stowe, King’s Worcester and the hosts, Rugby, both our girls’ and boys’ teams finished at the top of the points table. There were further positives at the two home fixtures with a large number of boys and girls competing for the School and many producing personal bests.

The intermediate boys and girls put in strong performances in the first round of the English Schools’ Track and Field Cup held at the Ryland Centre. There were many pupils who performed brilliantly well to help both teams finish in first place by some distance but special mention should go to top scorers Lucy Hatfield and Emily Dyer. We concluded the season with a home fixture against King’s Worcester, Repton and Rugby where all pupils performed well to record yet another strong victory by 81 points. Overall, in a year with so many people missing various milestones, our athletes have had a very successful season. They should be proud of their performances and effort, and we look forward to even more success in the years to come. E Buckingham and L Mullan

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Senior Badminton

Senior Basketball

As there were no fixtures this season, it has given the academy players a chance to focus on development and individual skill set growth.

Although there have been no external fixtures for basketball across this academic year, the pupils have enjoyed the time to practice and improve. All year groups have attended the training sessions available, during and after School, to take on the challenges set out by Mr Miller, our basketball coach. The senior boys’ team have improved considerably, and although it is a shame that they did not have the chance to demonstrate their abilities in the National Competition, they have taken the game scenarios seriously against each other.

The academy have been fortunate to increase the number of participants, especially in Fifth Form sessions. Given the increased numbers and development these players are showing, the future is looking bright for this sport at Bromsgrove. Players have maintained their enthusiasm and are looking forward to putting their hard work into action in September when the new season begins. L Hadley

With the Fourth and Fifth Form pupils attending training, as well as the increased popularity of the boarders’ sessions, it looks like basketball is continuing to grow at Bromsgrove. I am sure that all of the pupils are already counting down the days until next year when the first fixture takes place. A huge thank you must go to Mr Miller who puts in an enormous amount of effort, time and energy into training, which has allowed the pupils to make huge strides in becoming fantastic players. L Mullan

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Prep Boys’ Cricket It was lovely to get all of our teams back to play cricket after a two-year absence. We initially had a gradual return to the programme with two teams playing at home and two teams playing away but as the term progressed, we were able to field all of our age groups on the same day. April and June saw us play the most fixtures as the month of May was hampered with wet weather conditions. All boys in Years 4, 5, 6 and 7 have represented the School at least once, which is remarkable in these COVID restricted times. Additionally, we played as many fixtures as any School nationwide. I am so proud of all three age groups reaching the county finals for their respective age groups from U11 to U13. We hosted the U11 ESCA Saracens competition and managed to reach the final but sadly lost to The Elms by 6 runs. The U12s played in the final against King’s Worcester. The U13s also played King’s Worcester in the final and won with three balls to spare.

Boys’ U13A The U13A team have had an up and down season, where they have struggled with the bat at times. Highlights were winning the County Cup final against King’s Worcester and the impressive wins against Repton Prep and Trent College. Their bowling was very impressive throughout the duration of the season and it was pleasing to see the fielding improve game after game. With the bat, William Broadhurst top scored for the season with 390 runs, averaging 35.5 and top scored 89 not out. Ollie Dieppe was not far behind him with 293 runs, averaging 32.6 and top scored with 75. There were plenty of pupils to choose from with the ball - Finn Wright (averaging 10.64 and economy 4.50) and Freddie Pritchard (5.90 economy and 26.27 average) both taking 11 wickets, Flynn Dathan taking 15 wickets (4.00 economy and 13.20 average) and leading the way was Bharah Pillai with 18 (4.74 economy and 8.56).

It has been a real pleasure to teach these boys this academic year, and I wish them the best of luck at the Senior School next year. U13A Results Old Swinford – Won by 69 runs; KES Birmingham – Lost by 9 wickets; Magdalen College – Lost by 10 wickets; Bilton Grange – Won by 40 runs; The Elms – Lost by 38 runs; Repton Prep – Won by 113 runs; The Downs Malvern – Lost by 3 wickets; Dean Close – Won by 6 wickets; Trent College – Won by 104 runs; Warwick – Lost by 23 runs; King’s Worcester (County Cup Final) – Won by 4 wickets; Beaudesert – Won by 67 runs

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County Cup Final On Monday, 21st June 2021, Bromsgrove’s U13A cricket team hosted King’s Worcester in the county final on the Ormerod square. King’s batted first and scored 134/6 in their twenty five overs. Our pick of the bowlers were Bharath Pillai with three wickets in his five over spell, which included a maiden over. Flynn Thornton-Dathan bowled very well and took two wickets in his five overs, including two wicket maidens. Alfie Higgins also bowled well and took a wicket. In reply, Bromsgrove made a fantastic start with captain William Broadhurst and Alfie Higgins establishing an excellent first wicket stand of 78 runs. Alfie went on to be the main stay of the innings and finished on 64 runs. He was our man of the match. William Holroyd scored two superb sixes and finished on seventeen runs not out. Flynn Thornton-Dathan hit the winning runs with a lovely boundary with only three balls remaining. Well done to all the players on being crowned County Champions. A Lane

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Boys’ U11A After a long eighteen months, the boys were finally able to represent their School again. The team had a fantastic season, playing eleven games, winning nine and losing two. The much-awaited season commenced with an excellent win by 88 runs vs Repton. George Hall and Edward Head showed their hard work over the winter by both retiring on 33 runs. Aryan Panwar bowled fantastically, taking 3 wickets that helped lead the team to their first win. The boys’ hardest game so far came away to The Elms. The boys bowled first and kept The Elms to 103 runs, with Sam Harries taking 2 wickets. Bromsgrove came out to bat with George Hall retiring again, 33 runs, but the boys struggled against some amazing bowling and finished the game just 17 runs short. After this loss, the boys went on to a five game unbeaten run, putting them in a great position for the County Cup. The team won their group and made it the final to play The Elms in another fantastic game.

Bromsgrove batted first and put on 239 runs in a pairs format game. There was some great fielding and bowling on show, leading to a final over game where Bromsgrove needed to take 1 wicket to win. Unfortunately, the boys could not quite manage the breakthrough and lost the final by 6 runs. As always, with this fantastic group of boys, they came back stronger to beat King’s St Albans by 7 wickets before their final game of the season against Beaudesert Park. Bromsgrove bowled first with Charlie Adcock taking 2 wickets and Edward Head having 2 direct hit run outs. Beaudesert finished with a big score of 140 runs in 20 overs, a true challenge for any team. Bromsgrove got off to a great start with George Hall retiring on 30 runs, his sixth retirement of this season, along with Edward Head also retiring on 30. Nahum Benjamin, Beau Langford, Will Siviter and Sam Harries all contributed to the team, with Wilf Gilbert finishing on 29 not out and hitting the winning runs in the eighteenth over.

The U11As should be extremely proud of what they have achieved this season, only coming unstuck against an extremely strong team from The Elms. Their grit and determination to come back stronger each week is what will help this team do well in the future. A Lane

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Prep Girls’ Cricket 2021 will be marked as a historic year for Bromsgrove Preparatory School as it was the first time that competitive girls’ cricket matches were played across Years 5-8. We were delighted with how much enthusiasm, commitment and engagement the girls demonstrated throughout the term and this led to extremely good results. Over a total of seventeen matches, our U10 teams were unbeaten. A huge achievement for these girls, especially as the majority had never played cricket before. The U11s were also extremely successful and just as excited to play cricket each week. The U11As won five from seven games, drawing one amazing match with Repton Prep – 311 runs each, losing just one game against a very strong The Downs, Malvern side.

The U11Bs were unbeaten in their eight matches and looked extremely strong all season. The U11C team enjoyed seven games, losing just one to Dragon School and winning the rest. We look forward to building on this success next year starting with winter nets next season. The U13 and U12 girls played fixtures against Abberley, King’s Worcester and the King’s High School for Girls (Warwick). The one match against RGS Dodderhill was unfortunately rained off. We look forward to building on this success next year starting with winter nets from September and hardball cricket for the U13As next summer. J Danks

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Senior Cricket The bare facts of the 2021 cricket season make good reading; the 1st XI lost just one game, the U17s are in a National quarter final (to be played at the start of September) and the U15s are county champions. It is only when you look in greater detail that you realise the pupils have missed out on so much, mostly due to COVID and the inclement weather. The bigger picture saw the 1st XI play just six matches, only one being a Saturday 50-50. A highlight of the season is always the MCC midweek declaration match, which we tried to rearrange but failed due to issues surrounding the pandemic. This was a huge shame for our pupils who have been at Bromsgrove for a number of years, unable to finish their time properly with such little cricket played after all the hours of training and dedication they have put in. The season started with a T20 match vs KES Birmingham and ended in a win by 31 runs. Joe Miszkowski hit an impressive 47 and Rhys Evans, the pick of the bowlers, with 2 for 23. Next up was King’s Worcester in a cup T20. We restricted the visitors to 73 from their overs, Freddie Fallows taking 3 for 7 in a comfortable win by 7 wickets. Due to poor weather, our first full Saturday block had to be a T20 cup match against Malvern, which saw us post 131. Ed Clews and Jacob Morgan Iqbal both scored 31, but this was not quite enough runs and saw us lose with 8 balls remaining. This was followed by a 100 ball game; Malvern posted 92 with James Bayliss taking 4 for 18. A patient innings from Ed Clews meant we got over the line with 2 balls to spare. A rearranged midweek match then took place v Monmouth, who posted 184 from their 40 overs with Jacob Morgan Iqbal taking 2 wickets. After slumping to 55-5, Tom Cosh 49* and Rhys Evans 31 got us over the line against a strong Monmouth team.

We were eventually able to play in a Saturday 50-50 match v Repton. Early wickets fell and a recovery followed. From 48-5, Tom Cosh 66* and Rhys Evans 30 meant we posted a par score of 188. Freddie Fallows took 5/28 which meant an Impressive Repton team fell 47 runs short. Technically, we are still the National defending champions in the U17s cup as no matches have been played since we won in 2019. After a bye in round one, our campaign started away to Repton in a game that had everything - great batting, great bowling, great fielding, as well as the opposite end of those scales on show. Archie Greaves-Hall and Jacob Morgan Igbal showed great application at the end of the innings with 33 and 21 respectively at better than a run a ball to see us post 188 from 30 overs. The last ball of the Repton innings was dropped and went for 6, which meant we had a tie. Fortunately, we lost three fewer wickets and progressed to the next round - Shrewsbury at home.

After fourteen days of rain we managed to get the game going vs Shrewsbury. Batting first, we posted 130 from 35 overs, Fred Hanson showed great patience and maturity scoring 32 off 78 balls. What happened next was extraordinary, a fantastic controlled and aggressive left arm spin from Oliver Davidson and Freddie Fallows saw Shrewsbury slump to 19 for 6 off the first 14 overs bowled, a gamble that paid off and put us in a great position. Ellie Anderson and Jacob Morgan Iqbal took 2 wickets each, which saw Shrewsbury bowled out for 54. Next up was Queen Mary Grammar School. An opening partnership of 252 from Oliver Davidson (70 from 61 balls) and Freddie Fallows (188 from 81 balls) meant we took the game away from them, posting 295 from 25 overs. Jack Warner made sure of the victory by taking 3 quick wickets. The U17s were rained off v Sedbergh at the first time of asking in the National quarter final and will play this match during the first week of September 2021.

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Senior Cross-Country The self-discipline and determination of the Bromsgrove School cross-country runners overcame the disappointments of no fixtures this year. Training sessions were limited to within the School grounds, continuing throughout the Michaelmas and Lent Terms. The gentle slopes and various features of the School were utilised to make many interesting and testing sessions. There were definitely improvements in speed and fitness made by the team this year, which would have been evident in fixtures. The year was not devoid of competition though, and the Michaelmas Term saw hotly contested weekly Inter-House races take place around the hilly Prep School grounds. Special mention must go to Lucy Hatfield and Callum Wilkinson for running the fastest laps for the girls and boys respectively. Our U14s struggled, coming up against a number of very strong schools, competing at A and B team level. The A team players stuck with it all year and will be a better team for it come next season. A highlight for the U14Bs was a win against Magdalen, chasing down 156. Scarlett Preston was outstanding with 55 not out. The U15A team played seven fixtures, winning five and losing two. Seven fixtures were cancelled. Notable performances were from Lucas Ingram with 83 not out, 113 not out and 58 to go with his 4 wickets against Malvern. Nathan Jukes made a 47, 55 and then 77 against Magdalen. Seth Rogerson hit 53 against Denstone. On the bowling side of things, Tom Astle took 3 for 20 against RGS Worcester. The 15B found the going tough, with one notable performance from Joe McLoughlin striking a quick fire century. The 15C team played one match, recording a victory against Malvern, chasing 112. Herbie Warner scored a 50.

Our girls’ cricket programme was hit by COVID the hardest, with just two matches possible in the cup against Rugby School and King’s Worcester. Both loses, and in the latter, we posted 139-4 off 20 overs, Scarlett Preston made 49. Huge thanks goes to the entire cricket and grounds staff for giving the players many opportunities to play and learn. D Fallows

M Giles

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Prep and Senior Equestrian Despite the pandemic, it has been good to see so many of the pupils representing the School in equestrian sports. As the highlights below will show, we have some very talented pupils taking part in show jumping, dressage, working hunter pony and eventing.

Madeleine May has enjoyed huge success this year, qualifying for the National Schools’ Equestrian Association (NSEA) Dressage Finals and the Schools’ Equestrian Games Eventing Finals. She also competed in the NSEA National Plate Championships in show jumping.

In October 2020, Lily Rose competed in the Kings Equestrian show jumping competition. She was placed 6th meaning that she qualified for the regional finals. The 2020 regional show jumping finals which were carried over from last year and took place in April. Lily attained a very credible 3rd place. She also competed in the county show jumping 70cm qualifiers where she was placed 4th overall.

After competing at Calmsden, Evie Derbyshire qualified for the Schools’ Equestrian Games Eventing Championships. In May 2021, she qualified for the Schools’ Equestrian Games Arena Eventing Championships at Barbury International. Evie also competed at the Schools’ 90cm ODE at Swalcliffe, where she turned in an excellent double clear performance. Additionally, Evie has competed at several other British Eventing events.

Amy Pinfield, a talented dressage rider, has achieved many wins this year with scores of over 70% at prelim level. Amy qualified for the National Pony Society and Northern Counties Pony Association junior dressage finals. She also qualified as a Black Country Saddles rider for the year. Amy has started competing on a new pony where she has already been reserve supreme twice.

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Chloe Chan has had a very impressive year. In 2021, she set out with a clear vision to qualify for The Royal International Horse of the Year Show, Horse of the Year Show and Burghley Horse Trials. Chloe is delighted to have qualified for all three the 133 Open Worker Hunter Pony class at the Horse of the Year Show, the open 133 Working Hunter Pony White Company Gold Cup at Burghley and in the Nursery Stakes 133 and under and 133 Open Working Hunter Pony classes at the Royal International Horse Show. Victoria Moberley placed 2nd in the qualifiers for Hickstead Arena Eventing Individuals. She was placed a very credible 5th out of 161 riders in the NSEA Championship Finals at Hickstead. This season, Jasmine Underwood has competed in the British Eventing Pony Programme, qualifying for the U16 International 2* British Pony Championships where she finished in the top ten pony riders in the country, an impressive achievement. In the British Eventing Youth Programme, she has been selected to compete in the U18 International Youth Championships representing the Wales and West Midlands Team. As you can see, this is a fantastic set of achievements from a group of very talented riders. We look forward to seeing what the 2021/22 academic year brings. E Buckingham

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Prep Fencing Despite the obvious restrictions during a pandemic, we were able to rotate the Prep School year groups, and, with two fencing coaches, were able to host two year groups simultaneously whenever possible. Whilst we were not able to attend the many events or host our normal competition in the Summer Term, we were able to send our Year 8 team to an épeé competition at Warwick School. The team of Jasper Page and George Ascough put on a very credible show and won convincingly 20-14 against King Edward’s School. However, whilst their technical skills were much improved, their lack of competition practice showed under the pressure of two excellent and competitive matches that both came down to the final hit. They narrowly lost 20-19 to both of the Warwick teams. They were also beaten by RGS Worcester. Nevertheless, the Bromsgrove team enjoyed an excellent day of competitive fencing and finished third overall. N Chapman

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Senior Fencing It has been a difficult year to run any sporting activity and fencing is no different. Competitions remained suspended for all but the last few days of the academic year, and the necessity for year group bubbles limited the number of fencers able to attend training at any one time. Given those restrictions, we have continued to function by rotating the year groups across different terms. Numbers were just large enough to keep the sparing interesting and competitive. Lower Fourth pupils benefited from being the year group during the Summer Term when the relaxation of restrictions finally allowed some socially distanced events to commence.

Oliver Gowen, Leo Boonnak and Luigi Li travelled to KES Birmingham for their Team Epee event on the last weekend of the School year. They demonstrated all of the skills they had been working so hard to develop during training. They won against RGS Worcester 43-37, King Edward’s B 45-30 and King Edward’s A 45-24. The team certainly gained in confidence as the event progressed and a clean sweep won them the event and the trophy. The success of the Lower Fourth team leaves me wondering what kind of season we could have experienced had we been able to attend a full calendar of fixtures. I very much hope that, come September, we will be back to offering fencing to all year groups, and will once again be sending fencers regularly to competitions, and reporting on many more successes. N Chapman

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Senior Football Paradoxically, in a year without fixtures, our Bromsgrove footballers probably played more football than any previous cohort did. Indeed, it allowed the coaches to assess the playing abilities from all year groups, as opposed to just the seniors. Hence, the negative COVID legacy of reduced competitive action was compensated by football being played throughout the year. During the Michaelmas Term, every pupil had the opportunity to participate in the Saturday inter-House tournaments, run in year group bubbles. The weather was excellent, the grass lush and nicely mown, enthusiasm was vibrant; coaches, referees and Houseparents enjoyed a weekly festival of football. Honours were mostly shared out amongst the Houses with no one dominant force, except in the Sixth Form where Housman Hall and Lupton were able to field strong teams. From my perspective, it was a pleasure to watch the pupils playing with their Housemates, whilst players of various abilities demonstrated their House spirit and worked towards earning their ties. In the second half of the Michaelmas Term, football became more Sixth Form focused. Mr Brighton continued midweek training sessions to develop the more able footballers. Great credit to the players who attended after School sessions in large numbers, most notably the swathe of talent in the Lower Sixth, often numbering twenty-eight pupils on Tuesdays. If the focus of midweek was to evolve skills, then Saturday was far more competitive to ensure the players did not lose their edge. The Upper Sixth were split into two squads, City vs United on the pavilion pitch, whereas the Lower Sixth squads were Rovers vs Wanderers on Gnarled Oak. Mr Brighton and Mr Holdsworth ran intensive warm up sessions before an hour of feisty footy. It is such a shame that events conspired against Ed Clews, captaining the 1st XI, since combining the available talent from each year group would have formed a potentially highly impressive team.

Happily, one external fixture did happen in October when an untried Bromsgrove U17 XI played a more experienced RGS U18 XI. Played under strict COVID rules, both Schools were keen to entertain on a lovely morning on Big Side. Led by James Bayliss, the U17s found themselves an early goal down after dominating early play. However, to emphasise the potential within this talented group, goals from Alex Collin and Danill Dulko ensured a lead until the final five minutes. Sadly, against the run of play, RGS equalised to share the honours. Encouragingly, seventeen Bromsgrovians were able to represent the School and showcase their skills to impress the watching Mr Mullan. All bodes well for 2022. Indeed, such is the commitment of the Lower Sixth that training has continued into the Summer Term in preparation for entering the ISFA Cup.

The other big positive has seen the growth of girls’ football at Bromsgrove. House matches pre-Christmas highlighted some talented players, notably in the junior years. Coaching from Miss Hanson and Miss Linehan before Easter was also provided to a number of senior girls. To emphasise the point, from September 2021, we welcome a full time girls’ football coach, Miss McCready, and a number of competitive fixtures in 2022. As ever, my huge thanks go to Mr Brighton for his energy and inspiring coaches throughout the year. Also to the referees and staff supporters who endured some horrendous December weather to ensure that the pupils got their football fix. My thanks to all involved. S Matthews

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Senior Golf The year began very brightly for golf at Bromsgrove School. Despite the restrictions placed on competing against other teams, the ISGA National Finals were played remotely on the Schools’ own courses. With the best two scores counting from three, Lili-Rose Hunt and James Humphries carded scores of two over and one under respectively to place Bromsgrove 3rd in the country.

Whilst most of our fixtures were cancelled, the squad enjoyed regular practice thanks to Rob Laing’s tutelage at Bromsgrove Golf club. His coaching was of significant benefit to many of our young golfers. When fixtures resumed, we beat Malvern College in impressive fashion in the first round of the ISGA. After Cheltenham College in the semi-final, we progressed to Clifton College in the Midlands Final. In a very tight match, it came down to the final pair on the final hole. Unfortunately, we were defeated by the narrowest of margins. Twelve golfers competed in the School Championship this year. James Thomas and Katie Rolph tied for 3rd, Lili-Rose was 2nd with a round of one over and the winner was James Humphries with an impressive round of 67. The HG Trophy was held at The Warwickshire course. On a very long and demanding course, James Humphries, Thomas Griffiths and Katie Rolph found themselves against the best golfers in the country and finished a creditable 16th. Looking forward to next year, the team has never been stronger and exciting times lie ahead. N Riley

Senior Boys’ Hockey Due to the pandemic, the boys’ hockey season was very different to other years. The boys were able to train and worked hard with great focus, despite not having any fixtures. We were, however, able to play some Inter-House fixtures on a Saturday. These fixtures were of a very high standard and very fiercely contested. It was a shame the Upper Sixth had to miss their last hockey season but I wish them luck in their future hockey endeavours. A Gooderham

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Prep Multi-Sports Multi-Sports was a Preparatory School initiative created in place of Inter-School competition on a Wednesday afternoon. Unimaginable pandemic stricken times led to the creation of the programme that saw every pupil in Years 5 to 8 competing for their assigned team in a variety of sports. Lots of opportunities were created for all pupils to try out new sports such as basketball, badminton and handball, as well as the usual traditional sports. Time… With all competitions held on site, pupils had the maximum time possible to participate, compete and have fun. Inclusivity was a priority with all pupils working collaboratively and enthusiastically in mixed ability ‘Big Cats’ teams. Support and encouragement within the student body was commendable with team chants ringing out across the concourse and probably heard from streets around! Pole position changed every week as the next new sport introduced gave different pupils and teams an edge over their rivals.

Oh wow! There was a lot of muddy kit (sorry parents), with the Year 8 girls’ football contest coming off the worst but yet having the best fun. Resilience was called for on many occasions; none more so than in the crosscountry event with every pupils’ points accumulating towards a team score. The return to normal fixtures this term has been welcomed but, looking back, multi-sports was more than just a poor replacement or substitute, it was a morale boosting, high-octane energy expending competition, which was embraced full heartedly by all involved. Sport… multi-sports gave everyone the opportunity to compete, develop skills, be loud, let off steam, learn new sports and, best of all, have fun during unprecedented times where many other opportunities to do all of those things were put on pause. Well done to all pupils - Lions, Cheetahs, Tigers, Pumas, Panthers, Leopards, Lynx and Jaguars, you embraced the initiative with energy and good humour and should feel rightly proud. L Browning

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Senior Netball Double National Champions The Sisters n Sport National Netball Cup Competition has a knock out format and comprises of all independent and state schools in the country. Our journey started back in September 2019 where in round one our 1st team faced Malvern College and recorded a comfortable 52-14 victory. In the second round we faced South Bromsgrove and won 40-28. Round three was a bit more challenging as we faced a very strong Wrekin College. After a high quality and very intense match, we came out on top by a goal winning 26-25. We were then drawn against Rugby School in round four where we secured a very comfortable 67-31 victory. In the National quarter-finals, we beat Loughborough High School. In the National semi-final, we travelled up to Yorkshire to play Sedbergh School. Here, we displayed some excellent team work to win 55-35. We then just had the National Cup final to play, which unfortunately did not take place in March 2020 as planned due to the global pandemic. The National Cup final was delayed until May 2021. Bromsgrove hosted all age group national finals and we were permitted to invite some of our old players back who had previously been part of the squad. Bromsgrove faced Worthing College. We got off to a very good start, leading at quarter time 10-5. By continuing to display excellent defending, attacking and shooting skills, we increased our lead to 23-15 by half time and went from strength to strength to be crowned National Champions with a 45-30 victory. Louisa Maynard was awarded the prestigious ‘Player of the Match’ award. Bromsgrove’s 1st netball team are therefore double National Champions after winning the Independent Schools’ Cup earlier in the season. An extremely impressive achievement. E Buckingham

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Senior Rugby

Senior Squash

In what has been a particularly difficult year in so many different ways for so many people due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been pleasing to see the boys’ commitment to rugby and joining in with our House and year group touch rugby matches during the Michaelmas Term. It was also good to see the boys developing their skills during training sessions – on many a cold and dark evening, spirits have been lifted by the coaches and pupils playing variations of touch rugby.

It has been a very strange year with no fixtures or lunchtime clubs. However, there has been specialist coaching after school with Chris Tasker-Grindley. Special mention goes to William Hobbs who is now attending the regional development centre and has won many competitions in his age group. We have also seen an increase in popularity of squash mainly due to it being part of the School’s core sporting curriculum. Many pupils have enjoyed the sport alongside racket ball. This can only be a good thing for the future of the squash team at Bromsgrove.

It has been mentioned numerous times what a difficult year it has been for our Upper Sixth pupils. Therefore, it is to their credit that the boys have continued to train throughout the Michaelmas and Lent Terms in the hope they will get one more chance to pull on the 1st XV rugby shirt. Unfortunately, this opportunity did not materialise to the frustration of all.

I would like to thank everyone involved with the squash over the last few years and I hope it continues to grow. I am leaving the 1st team in safe hands and look forward to hearing about its future successes. K Perry-Evans

I also feel for our current Fifth Form and Lower Sixth who were due to embark on the rugby tour of a life time to South Africa this summer. We were due to play five matches and watch the British and Irish Lions’ test match. I am hopeful of a return to normal rugby season in September. T Windo

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Senior Table Tennis As with many of the sports this past year, table tennis has had a strange and restrictive year. Even though many of the players were kept apart in year group bubbles, there was a huge amount of energy and enthusiasm shown in training. This meant that new players excelled and the experienced players developed further. With so many pupils not in School for large parts of the year, perhaps the biggest success was being able to run several table tennis activity sessions for the boarders who could not get home during the holiday periods. These were well attended and we had lots of fun in competitions. We even discovered talents amongst pupils who might not have tried the sport before.

In regular School activity sessions, a league competition was run for both boys and girls. Alongside this, the academy players continued to train hard and the stalwarts of the past few years attend every training session. Each player has been a joy to coach and will be missed; Natalie Po, Sanniva Chang, Jenna Wong, Saki Tsubouchi, Kate Sepanova, Kin Cheung and Radu Polschi have all been superb. J McKay

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Prep Girls’ Tennis Despite the wet start to the term, the U13 and U12 teams have enjoyed playing fixtures, with, at times, forty-two pupils playing at once. The U13A team have experienced a mixed set of results but have progressed well as a squad. A notable success was beating Repton Prep School in an excitingly close match where they won 5 sets to 4. Our B and C teams represented the School (some for the first time) against Trent College, Dean Close and Beaudesert and enjoyed much success. Congratulations to the U13C team who really progressed throughout the term and were unbeaten all season. The U12As and Bs have a very strong squad and have demonstrated superb tennis skills in all of their matches. Strength and depth in this year group is evident in the fact that our U12Cs were also unbeaten.

The junior teams enjoyed matches against a number of local schools with the U11As and U10As playing against Cheltenham College, Dean Close and Warwick Prep. The girls have worked hard on their skills and demonstrated a lot of power in their shots. They are thinking more about when to play different types of hit with excellent examples of smashes and volleys regularly seen in matches. They are also thinking carefully about moving to the best position for a hit and continuing to speed up their reactions. All the U10 girls have worked on their over arm serves and they are becoming more confident to use these matches with great accuracy and power. The girls have represented the School with pride and been a credit to Bromsgrove, showing great sportsmanship and impeccable behaviour. J Danks

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Senior Boys’ Tennis It has been a very successful year for boys’ tennis with numerous matches played midweek and on Saturdays. The coaching setup is thriving throughout all age groups under the leadership of Mr Lawton and his team of five coaches. There are also over 200 pupils enjoying weekly lessons, as well as team and performance training, which has helped the players improve their skills, fitness and overall ability to achieve success in their fixtures. We have had six boys’ teams playing week in, week out, ranging from U14-U18, which is outstanding and shows the progression that boys’ tennis has had over the recent years. The 1st team yet again had a decorous term with wins over Bloxham and KES Birmingham, and only narrowly losing to Clifton and Trent College 5-4. The boys have shown great will and potential which has been reflected in the results, and heeds well for future fixtures. As none of the boys are in their final year at School, they will be back next season hoping for even more success. The boys’ U18B team also had a good season, with a 9-0 win over Bloxham and a close defeat to a strong Clifton College side. This is the first year that regular Saturday fixtures have been arranged for the U14 and U15 age groups, showing the depth of players we have within the School. Both teams played well throughout the term and showed good team spirit, with the U14 team claiming victory over both Bloxham and Clifton College.

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The highlight of the year has to be from the U18 Cup team consisting of Stuart Shannon, Cameron Owen, Victor Mikov and Damon Cheng who were entered into the Tier 1 National Cup Competition. We were drawn in a tough first round against Warwick School, but the boys put everything into it, with the scores being tied 3-3 after the singles and doubles. This meant a 10-point shootout had to be played. Stuart Shannon and Damon Cheng held their nerve, winning the tiebreak 10-8 to send us through to the next round. Our next match was played away at Leicester Grammar School. The boys played brilliantly throughout and ended up winning all their singles and doubles matches with the final score being 12-0. The next match was against Lincoln Minster School, a match that was to get us through to the top 16 schools in the country. The boys yet again won all of their singles and doubles matches, meaning a 12-0 sweep secured our spot in the last 16. Sadly, the boys’ team were unable to travel to the event in July but, nonetheless, it was still an outstanding achievement for Stuart Shannon, Cameron Owen, Victor Mikov, Damon Cheng and Arsenii Steshenko to make the top 16 in the country.

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Senior Girls’ Tennis National Tennis Championships Our 1st girls’ tennis team (along with the boys) made Bromsgrove School history this year with both teams reaching the National Finals in the same year. Over 100 schools started the journey, with only six schools in the country managing to have both boys’ and girls’ teams in the final. The finals were held at Nottingham Tennis Centre over four days in early July and comprise of the top four players in the School. After four hard fought matches, over four days, the girls managed to finish 8th out of the sixteen finalists and won matches in every fixture they played. Each of the girls contributed to the team success and all had their stand-out moments. Kiyyah Grant’s day one doubles win against Queenswood School 6-4, 2-6, 10-5 secured the opening day tie. Her performance, partnering with Lilli Boersch, showed resilience to hold their nerve and win the championship tie break. Josie Ward’s highlight of the week also came on day one having saved two set points in the first set to take the match 7-6, 4-6, 10-5. Another display that showed true Bromsgrove character. On day two, Bromsgrove faced a very strong Surbiton High School, with Lilli Boersch up against a very experienced 4.2 rated opponent. Lilli had numerous strong performances during the week, but this was certainly the highlight, battling back from a losing position to beat that level of opponent in a tie-break was an outstanding achievement. Alice Wilson-Marsh’s day three win against New Hall School stood out for several reasons. The win was one of several impressive wins for Alice, but her best tennis was needed throughout the whole of this one. Her aggressive and consistent play throughout the match was too much for a very strong player who was three age groups older (6-1, 6-4).

The performance of the girls’ team was even more impressive considering they were without one of the School’s highest rated players, in Latesha Grant, who was sadly unable to play. We are extremely proud of both the boys’ and girls’ tennis teams and cannot wait to compete again in next year’s competition. Our success did not stop there. The Bromsgrove girls’ 1st pair of Latesha Grant and Lilli Boersch were triumphant at the Midland Girls’ tournament. With the exception of a COVID hit 2020, the tournament has been played every year since WWII. After five group matches, the Bromsgrove pair played a strong King’s High Warwick in the final. They had previously lost to this pairing in the group stages so knew that it would be a tough final match. Playing some fantastic tennis, and keeping cool under pressure, the pair emerged victorious to claim the 109-yearold trophy. It is the first time a Bromsgrove pairing has won this prestigious Midland Girls’ tournament. Congratulations Latesha and Lilli. S Franks

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Prep Sports Days Year 8 Boys 1st Oliver Dieppe 2nd Flynn Thornton-Dathan 3rd = Beau Vaughan-Hawkins and Evan Zhou Year 8 Girls 1st = Riana Hunt and Jessica Fox 3rd = Lauren Reid and Naomi Haughton Year 7 Boys 1st = James Hackett and Lester Ng 3rd Henry Foster Year 7 Girls 1st Alice Wilson-Marsh 2nd Belle Davies 3rd Rumer Evans Year 6 Boys 1st = Sam Brown and Charlie Adcock 3rd Louis Belcuore Year 6 Girls 1st Sophie Bhardwaj 2nd Natalie McNeil 3rd Neave Colley House Positions Senior Boys and Girls – The Strong Shield 1st Beech 233.5 points 2nd Sycamore 228.5 points 3rd Rowan 223 points 4th Willow 203.5 points 5th Cedar 179 points 6th Ash 168.5 points

Shuttle Relay (20x100m) – The Townsend Cup Willow House Junior Boys and Girls – The Thomas Cup 1st Beech 110 points 2nd Cedar 105 points 3rd Rowan 104 points 4th Willow 99 points 5th Sycamore 87 points 6th Ash 80 points Junior Boys’ Cricket Ball Throw – The Haffner Cup Edward Head 40.50 metres Combined Seniors and Juniors – The Murdoch Cup 1st Beech 343.5 points 2nd Rowan 327 points 3rd Sycamore 315.5 points 4th Willow 302.5 points 5th Cedar 284 points 6th Ash 248.5 points With thanks to DE Photo for the sports day images.

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Honours Awards 2020/21 Academic Prep School Junior Colours: Charlie Adcock, Alex Bennett, Sophia Bhardwaj, Isobel Boardman, Lola Broadhurst, Alex Dawson, Ben Conroy, Olivia Grove, Grace Laurenson, Erica Lewis, Zachariah Matthews-Wiggins, Adam McClure, Elina Patel, Monty Pritchard Senior Colours: Emily Appleton, Byron Bland, Rufus Cole, Phoebe Dinnen, Linnea Dudfield, Madison Faber, Ruby Foster, Thomas Grove, Riana Hunt, Sidney Ip, Yannis Marinas, Lucy Nguyen, Ilerioluwa Odugbesan, Hannah Osborne, Jasper Page, Kalash Rai, Hannah Sutherland, Aarush Thapa, Rebecca Woolmore AR (reading) Points Champions: 1st - Sophia Bhardwaj, 2nd - Elina Patel, 3rd - Nathan Limbu Year 4 Award for most AR points accumulated: Leon Jewkes-Aguirre Art Prep School Junior Colours: Lola Broadhurst, Amelie Glaze, Lissie Hay, James Hoare, Caitlyn Pridden, Grace Williams Senior Colours: Henry Barnes, Euan Choi, Linnea Dudfield, Aaryanna Flynn, Erin Hall, Rianna Hunt, Imogen Kershaw-Crombie, Hannah Sutherland, Evan Zhou Athletics Prep School Senior Half Colours: Siena Belcuore, Bryan Chan, Maria Christodoulou, Charlie Collyer, Phoebe Dinnen, George Fatchett, Charlotte Kearney, Georgia Hay, Naomi Haughton, Owen Hill, William Holroyd, Georgiana Howdle, Lester Ng, Sam Pickford, Freddie Pritchard, Roberto Sanghera, David Tang

Senior Full Colours: Khagan Ahad, Livia Cooke, Isabella Davies, Ollie Dieppe, Phoebe Dinnen, Jessica Fox, Devesh Gurung, James Hackett, Oscar Hagan, Evie Hastings, Riana Hunt, Freddy Ingram, Freddie Lawton, Alex Li, Darcy McCormack, Shushank Nembang, Jadyn Ogunsola, Lauren Reid, Suyash Sunuwar, Flynn ThorntonDathan, Beau Vaughan-Hawkins, Joseph White, Alice Wilson-Marsh, Evan Zhou The Most Outstanding Senior Athlete: Oliver Dieppe and Jessica Fox The Most Improved Senior Athlete: Lauren Reid and Joseph White Bourne Cup for the Athletics Thrower of the Season: Riana Hunt The Swatkins Cup (endeavour in sport): Beau Vaughan-Hawkins and Georgia Hay Athletics Record for Year 7 100m: James Hackett (12.50 seconds) Senior School Caps: Emily Gittoes, Hannah Sahota, Lena Siller Major Colours: Lucia Goodwin, Leonie Sackers Minor Colours: Zach Armstrong, Oliver Bullock, Amellie Clare, Eleanor Dunn, William Hobbs, Sophia Meadows, Billy McDonough, Noor Montacer-Shilvock, Alanna Pullen, Seb Purvis, Louis Upton, Callum Wilkinson Badminton Senior School Major Colours: Eloisa Borriello Minor Colours: Marius Cheung, Sean Mo

Basketball Senior School Caps: Cesar Lam Dai, Dominikas Graudinis Major Colours: Roman Gurung, Henry Hopkins, Simi Jolaoso Minor Colours: Marcus Au-Yeung, Tom Wang Boarders’ Awards Prep School The Edwards Cup (most considerate boy boarder): Adam Cameron The Bond Salver (most considerate girl boarder): Sai-Nam Panyasiri Cricket Prep School Senior Half Colours: Byron Bland, Rufus Cole, Phoebe Dinnen, Madison Faber, Jessica Fox, Oscar Hagan, Naomi Haughton, Owen Hill, William Holroyd, Riana Hunt, Thomas Lea, Lauren Reid, Prabhkiran Sondhi, Matilda Wilkins, Finn Wright Senior Full Colours: Chloe Adcock, Ruby Broadhurst, William Broadhurst, Ollie Dieppe, Madison Falconer, Georgia Hay, Georgiana Howdle, Sarah Mariah, Bharath Pillai, Freddie Pritchard, Samantha Riley, Flynn Thornton-Dathan Junior Half Colours: Charlie Adcock, Will Alekna, Alexander Bennett, Sophia Bhardwaj, Samuel Brown, Amelia Fox, Natalie McNeil, Aryan Panwar, Caitlin Pridden, William Siviter Junior Full Colours: Daisy Apperley, Nahum Benjamin, Neave Colley, Wilf Gilbert, George Hall, Samuel Harries, Edward Head, Beau Langford, Emily Meese The Most Valuable Senior Cricket Player: Georgiana Howdle

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The Most Improved Senior Cricket Player: Chloe Adcock and Ollie Dieppe The Most Outstanding Senior Player: William Broadhurst The Greetham Cup for Best Batsman: William Broadhurst Best Senior Bowler: Bharath Pillai Best Senior Fielder: Flynn Thornton-Dathan The Most Valuable Junior Cricket Player: Emily Meese The Most Improved Junior Cricket Player: Iseoluwa Odugbesan and Will Alekna The Most Outstanding Junior Player: George Hall Best Junior Batsman: George Hall Best Junior Bowler: Sam Harries Best Junior Fielder: Charlie Adcock Senior School Caps: Edward Clews, Joe Miszkowski, Mohammed Talukder Major Colours: Rhys Evans, Nikhil Gour, Mitchell Hare, Tom Stephens

Drama Prep School Senior Colours: Amelia Abraham, Tanvir Biran, Maria Christodoulou, Charlie Collyer, Phoebe Dinnen, Ruby Foster, Jack Hobson, Riana Hunt, Monty Lees, Shusank Nembang, Ayaan Rauf Senior School Caps: Hugh Abraham, Ciara Hughes, Elizaveta Vasilyeva Major Colours: Hugh Abraham, Andrei Agapie, Kin Cheung, Ciara Hughes, Sophie Latsavong-Albone, Oliver Owen, Annabel Schulze, Ben Sugarman, Aakash Thapa-Magar Minor Colours: Marcus Au Yeung, Thando Best, Harrison Brown, Charles Cooper, David Corcoran, Eleanor Dunn, Theo Gilbert-Birch, Frederick Hanson, Joseph Hong, Laurentius Heukamp, Charlotte James, Chi Lam, Jamie Lewis, Oleksii Li, Noah Rogers, Isabelle Rusling, Anya Sanikop, Hamish Schulze, Paris Siviter, Jared Spurgeon, Imogen Thomas, Olivia Whitfield, Jessica Whitlock, Callum Wilkinson, Jake Wingfield

Minor Colours: Abigail Barker, Amellie Clare, Archie Greaves-Hall, Henry Jinks, George Lamb, Katie Murray, Tom Nicholson, Cameron Owen, Henry Scott, Fin Shaylor, Jasmine Underwood, Jemima VaughanHawkins, Jack Warner ICT Prep School The Grumball Cup for ICT: Alex Bennett Music Prep School Senior Colours: Charlie Collyer, Ollie Dieppe, Phoebe Dinnen, Jessica Fox, Isabell McDoughal, Aarush Thapa, Ilerioluwa Odugbesan Junior Colours: Malakhi Bailey, Isobel Boardman, Lola Broadhurst, Neave Colley, Jenson Fickert, Olivia Grove, Yasmin Hughes, Emily Meese, Iseoluwa Odugbesan, Elina Patel Davis Cup (Strings): Oliver Dieppe Page Cup (Woodwind): Evie Hastings Egremont Cup (Singing): Aarush Thapa

Football

Parnell Cup (Piano): George Ascough

Minor Colours: Elliott Evans, Archie Greaves-Hall, Fred Hanson, Charis Pavely, Jack Warner

Senior School Cap: Edward Clews

Norton Cup (Brass): Joseph White

Cross-Country

Major Colours: Roman Gurung, Michael Malam, Abu Monguno

Senior School Major Colours: Yana Dulko, Eric Li, Lena Siller, Masha Sinhaievskaia, Kate Stepanova

Golf

Minor Colours: William Hobbs, Jamie Lewis, Sophia Meadows, Seb Purvis, Callum Wilkinson

Hockey

Senior School Major Colours: Ben Sugarman

Senior School Caps: Matthew Bull, Rhys Evans, Tom Holroyd, Hannah Sahota, Callum Savage, Imogen VaughanHawkins, Olivia Watts Major Colours: Claudia Bullock, Sadie Gardner, Victoria Moberley, Oliver Walker

Percussion Cup: Euan Choi Hall-Mancey Cup (Most Improved Musician): Tanvir Biran Senior School Caps: Andy Chia, Evelyn Lau, Josh Lawson, Max Wong Major Colours: Sanniva Chang, Anna Chudinova, Cesar Lam Dai, Sophie Latsavong-Albone, Eric Li, Ben Sugarman, Imogen VaughanHawkins, Hugh Xie Minor Colours: Eleanor Boardman, David Corcoran, Eleanor Dunn, Fred Hanson, Alex Holroyd, Joseph Hong, Charlotte James, John (Hyuntae) Kim, Sophia Meadows, Larry To, Jake Wingfield

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Honours Awards 2020/21 Netball

Tennis

Senior School Caps: Kiyyah Grant, Imogen VaughanHawkins

Prep School Junior Half Colours: Olivia Grove, Natalie McNeil

Major Colours: Sadie Gardner, Lucia Goodwin

Junior Full Colours: Daisy Apperley, Emily Meese

Minor Colours: Nissa Niroumound, Alanna Pullen, Angelina Sanghera, Sophie Spittle, Jemima Vaughan-Hawkins

Senior Half Colours: Phoebe Dinnen, Naomi Haughton, Georgia Hay, Evie Jones

Rugby

Senior Full Colours: Amelia Abraham, Isabelle Abraham, Sienna Belcuore, Farah Croce, Katherine Dwenger, Gina Obrey, Alice Wilson-Marsh

Senior School Caps: Ewan Guy, Lewis Harper, JJ Williams Major Colours: Matthew Bull, Toby Hill

The Most Valuable Senior Tennis Player: Katherine Dwenger

Minor Colours: Zach Armstrong, Oliver Bullock, Raf Gallagher, Sam Grimmett-Bate, Louis Heptinstall, Billy McDonough, Morgan McKinley, Sonny Morgan, Jacob Stirk, Matty Walker

The Most Improved Senior Tennis Player: Georgia Hay

Squash

The Most Improved Junior Tennis Player: Olivia Grove

Senior School Major Colours: Dan Grove Swimming Senior School Caps: Elizabeth Aston, Isabella Walters, George Wiggins Minor Colours: Serena Cai, Hannah Hunt, Cyrus Passman Table Tennis Senior School Caps: Radu Polschi, Jenna Wong Major Colours: Yuki Chan, Sanniva Chang, Kin Cheung, Natalie Po, Saki Tsubouchi, Yury Volkov

The Most Valuable Junior Tennis Player: Daisy Apperley

Senior School Caps: Claudia Bullock, Borislava Mekushina Major Colours: Andy Chia, Kiyyah Grant, Sasha Makarenko Minor Colours: Eleanor Boardman, Andrey Filipov, Louis Gabard, Joseph Hong, Danni Moore, Louise Osborne, Cameron Owen, D-Gun Pulsirivit, Grace Richardson

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Prep Staff Leavers

Jacqui Deval-Reed (2002-2021) You can learn a lot about a person from the way they walk. It is as if our personalities secretly show themselves in the way we move around the place. Brash and barging. Measured and ponderous. For the thousands of pupils, parents, and colleagues who have worked with Headmistress Jacqui Deval-Reed, the enduring impression will be her stride of poise and purpose. Ever-present around the grounds, she was always busy, yet never flustered. As she retires after a thirty-four year career as an educator, twenty of which were spent in the service of Bromsgrove School, Jacqui’s indelible image is one of quiet determination and dignity. Despite the challenges of leading both the Preparatory and Pre-Preparatory Schools, whose combined rolls are greater than most Senior Schools, she has remained unflappable and focussed. The miles covered, ensuring that she gave equal time to both Schools, were matched by her high visibility whenever she was on either campus. Never one to hide away in her office, her leadership style was to be accessible and engaged, whether chatting to parents on the concourse at pick-up every afternoon, cheering from under an umbrella on a sporting sideline, or perched on a stump, toasting marshmallows in Forest School. Pupils knew she cared because she was always there, in their world.

Even during the enforced separation of lockdowns over the pandemic, her familiar face beamed into their homes every week, carrying with it her trademark reassurance that they were important and cared for. Jacqui Deval-Reed has been the architect of the Preparatory School experience that Bromsgrove’s children enjoy today. Hundreds, if not thousands, have passed through her care over the past two decades and all have known her genuine interest in their lives. Unsurprisingly then, even the mass gathering restrictions of the pandemic in her final weeks could not stop an outpouring of appreciation and affection from the countless families whose lives she had touched. As he has done throughout her career, her husband John was there to support her, ferrying home a trove of gifts and mementos from grateful families, past and present. Many of Jacqui’s earliest pupils would not recognise the School today. She has overseen a period of substantial roll growth and some major additions and improvements to the buildings and facilities. Cobham Theatre, the new Dining Hall, and extensive renovations to most classroom blocks have occurred under her watch. Meanwhile, Prep Boarding, in decline throughout most of the country, has exploded, with Page House now full and requiring an Annexe. The source of that success has undoubtedly been Jacqui’s ethos of warm pastoral care.

Similarly, the Common Room is stable, happy, and staffed with committed and professional colleagues that Jacqui has appointed and nurtured over the years. Yet in her typically modest way, she would not dwell on those advances as her legacy. Jacqui Deval-Reed’s leadership has always had a single focus - the well-being of the individual child. That is the aspiration which has continually propelled her at Bromsgrove, the motive behind her long hours, the endless patience, and her quest for excellence. If she was always moving purposefully, it was to ensure that all in her care had the opportunity to flourish. And the fact that she could stay collected and calm whilst doing so? Well, that was the icing on the cake for Bromsgrove. A role model to children that it is possible to excel with humility, good manners, and a quiet grace. As she embarks upon her richly deserved retirement, Jacqui Deval-Reed will be missed, but her example and influence will not be forgotten, for it is intrinsically woven into the culture of the Pre-Preparatory and Preparatory Schools. All that remains is for us to keeping walking her walk. P Clague

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Richard Widdop (2001- 2021) Richard Widdop joined Bromsgrove in September 2001 and during the following twenty years, he has seen many changes to the daily life of the Prep School. The School day looked very different to how it does today; when he joined, there were Saturday morning Chapel services, followed by a full morning of academic lessons and then sport all afternoon. In 2001, Richard, or Widdz as he became affectionately known, was appointed Head of Geography at Bromsgrove Preparatory School after a decade as Director of Sport at Clayesmore Prep School in Dorset. At Bromsgrove, Richard was responsible for establishing the popular Ardèche and Aaosta outward bound residential trips to France and Italy. The pupils got to appreciate the value of outward bound trips and how to challenge themselves. The camaraderie amongst the staff who were supervising, led by Richard, cemented friendships for the years ahead. There were many fun moments during these trips; one evening whilst camping out under the stars on a two-day kayaking trip down the Ardèche Gorge, we were visited by wild boars in the night. An adventure in itself! Richard has made a huge contribution to the Prep School Games Department and his management of School teams over the years has been remarkable.

He has run sports teams in each of his sixty terms at the School. He ran the 1st XI/U13A cricket team for over a decade with his highlight being Tom Banton’s 236 runs not out in the third round of the National Bunbury Cup in 2013. His love of rugby is very evident and the highlight of the rugby calendar for him would always be taking a Bromsgrove team to the world renowned Rosslyn Park 7s in London. In 2014 and 2016, his Bromsgrove teams reached the semi-final and final - quite a feat. Richard has always been a totally dependable and reliable colleague, fully supportive of the Games commitments required in a Preparatory School. He has been one of our leading rugby referees and often acted as referee in Senior School matches in the afternoon, following a Prep School match in the morning. He is a first class sportsman having played rugby well into his forties, and a dab hand on the golf course too. His love of cricket has always been evident, as has his love of rugby, and this goes back to his schooling at Woodhouse Grove, Yorkshire. He has always been very proud of his Yorkshire roots. Richard scored a century of runs in a cricket match after his fiftieth birthday, which is testament to the calibre of sportsman he is. Richard was also involved in the commemorative staff cycle ride from Llanwrtyd Wells to Bromsgrove in September 2020.

Richard has fully supported the boarding life of the Prep School too, during Bob and Hilary Newton’s time, and added value to the boarding experience for the boys in Cobham House. He was a popular and inspiring President of the Common Room and he diligently ensured that key events were brilliantly organised including the popular Secret Santa. His love of Geography has been the cornerstone of his academic contribution to the Prep School. The Geography Department has successfully ensured that many Prep pupils go on to study Geography at GCSE, A Level and at undergraduate level. He introduced the popular and successful Geo Chaps competition three years ago and this will be something that will continue long after his departure. Richard has also been the driving force behind introducing digital technologies in the Prep School, leading by example within his own department. He has supported many colleagues with the use of various digital platforms during the national lockdowns, for which everyone was most grateful. We wish Richard an enjoyable retirement and thank him for giving twenty years of remarkable service to the School; his enthusiasm and collegiality will be missed. G Jones

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Sian Cadwallader (2007-2021) Sian arrived at the Prep School in 2007, joining a vibrant and innovative English and Drama Department. Immediately she fitted in, filling the place with laughter and good humour, famously exclaiming that she had landed in Narnia. She quickly established herself as a talented and highly skilled English teacher and tutor; in fact, within two weeks of her arrival, she was catapulted to Head of Year 6, where she has remained in post, proving to be a popular, compassionate and fair team leader and manager. Sian’s English lessons have been legendary with her desire to empower her pupils with a love of literature and a thirst for independent reading. Her pupils will recall her unique creativity and sense of fun in the classroom accompanied by an aspiration for them to become technically proficient. Drama has been one of Sian’s passions: she taught inspirational drama lessons at the Prep School for many years but her most visible work has been her innumerable productions as writer, director, choreographer and producer. Her most memorable work was the annual Year 6 production that included the entire year group; it was always stamped with her trademark sense of humour and flair. Pirates of the Curry Bean, Around the World in about 80 days and Olivia are just a few memorable titles that spring to mind.

Furthermore, Sian took responsibility for the Years 5 and 6 visit to the Christmas Pantomime in Worcester where the theme of fun and enjoyment continued. Her love of culture led her to organise the annual Words and Music event, which she evolved into the infamous Eisteddfod (three different competitions involving all of the Performing Arts). This has strengthened our ties with Llanwrtyd Wells and the School’s WW2 evacuation history. Sian has worked tirelessly on the important extra-curricular side of the School too. She has organised the annual residential Beachcraft trip to Dorset for the past ten years, acknowledging the importance of this type of event in the personal and social development of her Year 6 pupils. Additionally, she was instrumental in helping to run the Year 8 annual visit to The Globe theatre and The Tate Museum. She has been a passionate supporter of the memory of the WW1 Old Bromsgrovians of the School and has written and directed moving Remembrance services. It is this sense of compassion that led her to volunteer to become charities’ coordinator for the Prep School.

Throughout her time at School, Sian has coached netball, hockey, tennis and rounders’ teams, she has introduced the Young Vets activity and was a popular boarding tutor in Honeysuckle Girls’ House, followed by Page House. And, if this has not been enough, whenever the Headmistress needed a Christmas tree dressing, a street party to commemorate, or a royal occasion, she could rely on Sian to take charge and make it a truly memorable event. Sian has enthused, inspired and enriched the lives of so many Bromsgrovians. Her infectious laugh, sincerity and sense of justice will be keenly remembered. This is an exciting new chapter in her life, as she packs up her camper van and heads to the South West to her spiritual home by the sea. As Sian moves on to take up the post of Head of English at Truro Prep School, we lose – and they gain – a teacher who is knowledgeable, inspirational, loyal and devoted to the pupils in her charge. We are all losing a trusted and respected colleague and a much-loved friend. R Al Nakeeb

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Alex Lane (2015-2021) Alexander Lane first came to Bromsgrove in September 2015 as a Graduate Sports Coach. From day one, he showed that he had the makings of a great PE teacher. He then left Bromsgrove to complete a PGCE at Exeter University in September 2016, and in 2017 was appointed as a Games and Mathematics teacher at Chesham Prep School, Buckinghamshire. Later, in 2018, Alex joined the Bromsgrove Preparatory School PE team. Over the last three years, Alex has achieved much in his time with us - a MA in Education, Assistant Resident Houseparent in Page House and master i/c cricket and rugby at the Preparatory School. During this time, we have formed a great double act and I am not sure there will ever be a duo like us again. We share the same philosophy and vision about sport and education and the School has prospered sporting wise from this. Alex’s love for fixtures is like no other, it is bordering on obsessive, but I am proud of the rugby and cricket fixture lists that he has compiled over the last three years. It was a huge shame that the pandemic and the inclement weather this summer got in the way of completing a full set of fixtures. He would always be thinking outside the box, and quadrangular and triangular events were organised against schools from far and wide including Kirkham, Caldicott, Bedford, St Olave’s York. We even had matches versus Whitgift School on a 4G pitch in Oxford.

Ruth Al-Nakeeb (2018-2020) Alex’s passion and knowledge for rugby has been very evident and he is very good at coaching the game. I have no doubt that he will achieve great things with the many teams that he coaches over the coming years. During our only residential trip overseas together, I was very touched by the gift Alex organised for me on behalf of the boys, which was purchased in Venice and I have worn them affectionately on many occasions since. Bromsgrove has been good to Alex and in turn he has been good to Bromsgrove. He will be missed by the children and he is a loss to the School. He is now ready for his next challenge and we wish him every success in his new role as Director of Sport at Aysgarth Prep School, Yorkshire. G Jones

Originally, Ruth left in 2012, after twentytwo years at both the Prep and Senior Schools. After working overseas for six years with her husband, she returned in 2018 for a final swansong at the Prep School. She was delighted to be reunited with a small group of old hands amongst the staff, plus two former pupils. During this period, her focus was firmly entrenched in the English Department where she was able to employ her expertise from teaching examination classes at previous schools. Her aim has always been to foster a love of literature amongst her pupils and to combine imagination with written accuracy. Ruth worked effectively with her pupils over lockdown but was pleased that her final term at the School was in the classroom teaching face to face. And so, after forty years of teaching in eight very different schools in five countries, Ruth retired at the end of the Michaelmas Term 2020 to enjoy quality time with her family and friends in both the UK and Portugal. In her final leaving speech, Ruth said that she had spent much of her working life at Bromsgrove School and both of her children had enjoyed a superb education and experience there, so she will always carry a fragment of the old place – always constant, always special. C Leather

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Pre-Prep Staff Leaver

Liz Finlay (2003-2021) Liz Finlay is a much loved and respected member of the Pre-Prep staff who is retiring this Summer after eighteen years at Bromsgrove. She will be greatly missed by colleagues, parents and children who have been fortunate enough to know her during this time. Liz is a well-respected teacher whose enthusiasm, dedication and professionalism have never faltered and the children in her care have been lucky to benefit from her excellent teaching and pastoral care. Liz began her Bromsgrove School journey as a parent and active member of the Parents’ Association – she was instrumental in enhancing the School grounds for the benefit of the children’s education. She helped to install the adventure trail and designed and created our wildlife pond, which so many children have enjoyed and will continue to enjoy in the future.

Liz joined the Nursery staff in 2003 where she worked with the youngest Bromsgrovians for three years. When a class teacher position became available, Liz moved from Nursery into the Year 2 department, continuing in this role for fifteen years. Her passion for gardening has resulted in many successful ‘Dig For Victory’ campaigns with the Year 2 children planting and harvesting vegetables each year to make into war time soup. She has also offered extracurricular gardening clubs, which inspired the pupils’ love of gardening. A fantastic achievement was when the School won the Malvern Garden show and Liz’s creativity, leadership and passion played a large part in this success. The ‘Out of Africa’ topic studied by Year 2 was enriched by Liz’s first-hand knowledge, experience and enthusiasm. The children gained an understanding about the importance of conservation and the part they will play in protecting our planet for the future. Liz has been a wonderful colleague and friend and her positivity and commitment within the Pre-Prep community will be missed. We wish her a wonderful retirement. K Western

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Senior Staff Leavers

Chris Dowling (1990-2021) Chris Dowling, a model ‘schoolmaster’ - a disappearing breed – has retired after forty-three years of outstanding commitment to chemistry teaching, with thirty-one years of those wholeheartedly contributing to all aspects of Bromsgrove school life. In 1978, Chris went eagerly to his first post at Clifton College with chalk in hand, finishing forty-one years later expounding the many nuances and concepts of teaching chemistry on Zoom. Charles Kingsley, his Head of Department remembers the young enthusiastic Chris fondly as ‘an excellent teacher who treated his classes in a kind and civilised way and they responded’. Gaining a reputation as a mountain goat, his love of mountaineering developed with three trips to the Arctic Circle during his time at Clifton. In 1994, Chris returned to the Arctic, leading a very successful Bromsgrove School six-week expedition to Baffin Island. At Bromsgrove, he contributed significantly to the many adventurous training camps with the CCF, as well as being a stalwart of Bromsgrove Badge and cross-country. Latterly, Chris has shown unbounded enthusiasm and dedication to the clay pigeon shooting activity. During his time as Head of Department in chemistry from 1990 to 2017, Chris came in with the express objective from Mr Taylor to make chemistry ‘more cuddly’ and popular. He went about very successful student recruitment,

results improvement and a building upgrade campaign; starting with one Sixth Form set in the c.1900s mahogany small labs to over six sets per year for A level and IB chemistry in six modern labs. The chemistry team he recruited stayed together for over eighteen years. Nicknamed Gandalf, Chris was always the go to sage – very supportive and informative, incredibly diplomatic, with only the occasional eyebrow raised if anything was amiss. Not ‘flash’, he had no time for the latest educational fad promoted by a self-anointed guru and would allow his department to get on and teach chemistry whilst ensuring we always had the resources required to do so. ‘OK, listen up folks’ - his usual starter to gently gain attention, his lessons were always intellectually challenging, filled with high expectations. Chris tutored initially in Walters, followed by Lupton for many years before moving to Thomas Cookes in 2007. Here, he was a very positive male representative in a female House, offering a calm, perceptive and supportive sounding board to his tutees and to Houseparent, Kay Hannah. Chris enjoyed tutoring the girls as they ‘actually talked to him’ and were appreciative of his support of their ‘constant dramas’. As Assistant Exams Manager, Chris ensured that the internal exams process ran with the clockwork precision of the Swiss railways. Latterly, as Academic

Database Coordinator, he was trusted with managing and meticulously organising significant School systems and events. At parents’ evenings, everyone knew the drill: row, table, tablecloth folding etiquette, keeping to times on presentations at Sixth Form events or Houseparents being ‘fully prepared’ at the annual post-GCSE results meeting with Chris. Communication email masterclasses such as “Dear colleagues Parents’ evenings and course information mornings are stacking up this term like lorries on the M20’ and ‘Silent Witness starts at 9.00pm’ were master strokes in keeping us all on track with a smile. An exceptionally dedicated chemistry teacher who never wanted the limelight, yet still carried out numerous jobs across the breadth of School life that needed doing in an exceptional way. We will always remember him fondly for his strong support of all House events. Especially if fine food and wine were on offer, his only ‘unflappable moment’ was when the NZ Sauvignon Blanc was insufficiently chilled. The great memories of chemistry Commemoration demonstrations with many whizzes, bangs and pops will never be forgotten. Chris, we wish you well in your retirement and future adventures. And yes, whenever there is a requirement for some shamelessly enjoyable demonstrations of the best bits of chemistry, we will call you. Fran Bateman

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Sarah McWilliams (2006-2020) After fourteen years, the Art Department lose a much-loved colleague in Sarah McWilliams. She started teaching at Bromsgrove in 2006 and her room in the basement is one of my favourite classrooms in which to do cover. There is so much to see; a real treasure-trove. It is inspirational and the perfect place for pupils to be creative. And this is exactly what they do. Her pupils say that they are infinitely grateful for having been blessed with such an amazing teacher. Her lessons brought them joy and they are deeply saddened that they will no longer go to her classes and just chat about ‘life’ whilst they relax and create. They refer to her lessons as a therapy session even though there was SO MUCH coursework. Her pupils are heartbroken that she is leaving and envious of the students that will have her as a teacher. We, too, are envious of those that are now working alongside her. Within the Department, Sarah has been a loyal, experienced and valued colleague. She has been a wonderful mentor to Natalie Langford and nothing has ever been too much trouble. She is practical and can quickly find solutions to problems – a skill which came in useful when helping Suzanne Shinn solve the annual timetable conundrum with her naturally calming influence. She applies process and is a real team player, always willing to share ideas and best practice for the good of others.

Sarah Morgans (2007-2021) Her pupils come first, a dedicated teacher who maximises the potential of her students through her diligent planning and assessment, passing on a wealth of knowledge and skill to her art students and enjoying excellent successes at exam time. Sarah herself is an incredibly talented artist. Many of us will remember the portrait of former Headmaster, Chris Edwards and the hours and hours that were spent on it. An established autodidactic portrait painter, she regularly exhibits and sells her work. She enjoys photography and has been the Department’s photography specialist, building up the increasingly popular photography activity (and managing its waiting list) before handing over the reins. Sarah encompasses everything that you could want in a tutor. She has managed to inspire her tutor group with creative activities – the hope is that whoever takes over is prepared to oversee the tutee journals, which the girls use for their weekly reflections. When Sarah told her tutees that she was leaving, the disappointment was palpable and it is clear that in her one term in Ottilie Hild House, she forged excellent relationships both with her own tutees and others in House. If you did not know, you would have thought that Sarah had always been an Ottilie Hild tutor. Sarah does not consider herself brave in starting a new school on a different island. She simply says she is “going home”. S Ascough

Sarah Morgans – that is MorganS with an S, and as Sarah will tell you, the S is important. I mean where would we be without the extra s… Peter Rubens would be simply Peter Ruben, not that Sarah was ever a big fan of 17th century Flemish Baroque painting. I have worked under Sarah for fourteen years, quite literally to which those who know the layout of the ADT building will attest. When she joined us back in 2007, little did we know that ‘the new Welsh girl upstairs’ would give us fourteen solid years as a Bromsgrovian and fourteen years as a Luptonian, a one club player, not like the journeymen of today. The proof of which is the twelve magnetic roses stuck to her boiler at home from twelve commemorations. Of course, there would have been fourteen, if Commem had happened this year and last. Sarah’s journey in education began in Pembrokeshire whilst running an art gallery in Neyland. Volunteering to teach adult literacy with the local council gave her a first taste of teaching and this led her into the profession and to a PGCE at Brighton. She cut her teeth teaching back in Pembrokeshire and at The Chase School in Malvern before finding her way up the A449 to Bromsgrove to take over the Art department (a move interestingly mirrored by our incoming Head of Art).

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Sarah brought freedom, creativity and joy to the department when she arrived, introducing GCSE Textiles and weaving herself into the fabric of the School. I remember my English teacher telling me many years ago that the work of Dylan Thomas was unclassifiable, he was ingenious, exciting, carefree but underneath the madness was stoically disciplined, he defied being pigeon holed such was his breadth of his work and depth of his talent. This is what the art department under Sarah’s tutelage became. With talented teachers and solid technician support at its core, she quickly created a phenomenal environment, one that had no ‘house style’ as is so often the case in established creative departments and one where young people are independent and passionate artists who are open to the world. As Sarah herself said, ‘art is not the experiment, life is the experiment’. Sarah’s legacy at Bromsgrove is far reaching - the influence on young artists with trips to far flung horizons of the art world such as Barcelona and Prague whilst never overlooking treasures closer to home such as the art of Oxford, Bristol, Birmingham, London and Liverpool, and the often visited Pitt Rivers museum, were an expectation of study in the department. The artistic and academic integrity of the subject blossomed and Sarah worked as an artist alongside her pupils, constantly evolving as she worked.

To watch Sarah teach was always a privilege and to see the relationships develop and the positive impact she had on young people was to see a master at work. Naturally, then, what followed was her MA in Education entitled ‘The Artist Teacher Scheme’. It put her side by side as an artist and teacher with the pupils she taught and enabled her to work as a learner on the same journey of discovery as they were, and informed everything about her approach, her pedagogy but also herself as an artist. Sarah’s love of the arts led to her involvement in School productions. Her influence on the costumes, set and makeup design was extensive, working on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, School for Scandal, Threepenny Opera, Romeo and Juliet, A Winter’s Tale and Cats. This was never a casual involvement either; Sarah was part of the heart and soul of each production. Her input was herculean and the hours that she worked was endless. Just as an example, for Cats, Sarah hand knitted forty-nine individual tails specifically designed for each size, shape and shade of cat. Sarah’s work as an artist permeated through the building and indeed the School. Her printmaking, the landscapes, the use of letters and words were key to her expression, but she was also just as comfortable weaving in the brute force and energy of the tools and equipment in DT that she would turn her hand to effortlessly.

A great teacher does not always make a great pupil, but in Sarah’s case she made learning look easy. The store rooms in the art department were almost a homage to the Pitt Rivers museum - strange collections of broken china, squashed tin cans, the ‘Shelf of Death’ staring back at you unnervingly would all play their part in the pupils’ experience that Sarah would curate. So what now after so many years and so many young artists sent off into the world? Is Sarah thinking of ‘retirement’? Well of course not. As Sarah stops looking at ‘The Week Ahead’ and starts looking at the weeks and years ahead in her own life, the future holds so much. The call of the sea has grown too strong for us to keep her here in the Midlands. And so to a life away from Bromsgrove and full circle back to Pembrokeshire, a new business venture with her niece making sustainable bespoke clothing, a life of outdoor swimming and space to continue to grow as an artist. On my commute to work, whatever the weather, I will be thinking of her, just kicking off from the key side, swimming towards the sunrise over the Pembrokeshire coast. O Matthews

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Emma Johnston (2012-2021) Emma joined Bromsgrove School in 2012 to teach mathematics. She taught across all ages and ranges of ability, and always sought to instil an enjoyment for the subject in her classes. She was one of the first IB maths teachers at Bromsgrove and she helped develop the expansion from its early roots. During her time at the School, she undertook various additional roles including Head of Year and Life Skills teacher. Passionate about students engaging in their learning, she was an innovator in terms of the use of digital technology in the classroom, with her technical expertise being harnessed in a variety of teacher training roles. At a time when social media meant sharing a newspaper to many, Emma developed many of the security and social media protocols that the School still uses to keep our pupils safe. We wish her all the best as her career progresses. N Riley

Alison Buckley (2013-2021) We were lucky that Alison Buckley decided on a career change after a very successful existence working in banking in the City. She knew that she wanted to do something different and, having read Modern Languages at Oxford, and coming from a teaching family, decided to complete her PGCE. Alison did this through the University of Worcester and one of her training placements was at South Bromsgrove High School. With pleasing circularity, Alison taught A Level German to Rosie Williams, the new teacher who is coming to replace her in September.

Alison accompanied me on the German exchange with our twin school in Potsdam numerous times and was always an excellent support and great company.

Alison was of course no stranger to Bromsgrove School as the mother of now three OBs and with plenty of family history with the School on her husband’s side. She was committed from the start to doing a good job here and was humble enough to learn from other colleagues in the department. She quickly established herself as an excellent teacher with a passion for German in particular. In the department, I always refered to her as Little Miss Sunshine as she was always so positive, encouraging and happy. Alison’s caring manner and diligent approach made her an excellent tutor in Walters and her versatility meant that she was equally good at enthusing a Year 7 class in the Prep School and encouraging them to continue with German as she was teaching an Upper Sixth class. It is down to her that we have had a steady trickle of pupils going on to read German at university and I know she is proud of that.

M Beet

Alison has been a superb teacher and a real advocate for the life-changing benefits of learning modern languages. She thinks she is retiring, but, unfortunately for her, I know where she lives, and I know that she will come back and help us out if we ever need her. In the meantime, we wish Alison a well-deserved rest and a happy retirement.

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Frauke Jung (2015-2020) Frauke – known by some as the ‘German English teacher’ - joined the English Department in 2015 and from the start, she embraced every opportunity that Bromsgrove School offered. Whether getting stuck into her boarding duties in Mary Windsor or volunteering to accompany Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, or camping at Upton Warren, sailing off into the sunset on one of the Jubilee Sailing Trust’s Tall Ships (and luckily coming back again with all twentyfour pupils) and home just in time to organise tea parties and carol concerts for local elderly Bromsgrove residents. Frauke has given so much of her time and energy to Bromsgrove and was perfectly suited to coordinating CAS which she has done admirably. However, it is in her relationships with students and staff where Frauke will be most fondly remembered. The overwhelming message about Frauke’s contribution to her colleagues in the English Department is that she is, quite simply, kind. On a practical level, keeping morale high with sweet treats and offering to mark or cover lessons when it has been needed, Frauke puts the needs of others before herself. As an English teacher, she is generous with her increasingly impressive PowerPoint resources and her room is a model of displays, her own personal lending library and an impressive collection of shoes under the desk!... I suspect there are a few white mugs there too.

As day tutor in Oakley and Ottilie Hild Houses, she will be sorely missed and not only for her Bake-A-Cake-Mondays. Miss Hanson describes Frauke’s energy and positive outlook on life as infectious. As tutor to the inaugural Ottilie Hild Lower Fourth girls, she has been joyful and creative. One girl wrote, “Ms Jung is really nice, she always gives us lots of encouragement to be better” and another said, “tutor time is the best, I love it because I get to be myself and Ms Jung talks to me like she cares.” Frauke may wish her legacy to be with the Beekeepers of Bromsgrove, having initiated the first hive four years ago, and this will undoubtedly be the case, but the overwhelming messages from colleagues from across the School is that it is her kindness to others that will also leave an indelible mark. Frauke will be sorely missed but we wish her every success with her relocation to Bedford Girls’ School. V Adams

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Kevin Perry-Evans (2016-2021) Kevin Perry-Evans has contributed fully during his time at Bromsgrove, two years in the Prep School 2016-2018 before moving into the Senior School. He immediately made his mark in School sport, showing enthusiasm, passion and commitment to developing all sports for both boys and girls. Above all, Kevin encouraged pupils and staff in all they did and in all they wanted to do. If pupils came to him with ideas, he did his best to accommodate them. He particularly found time for the lesser-known lights as well as those playing A team sport. He rejoiced at seeing young pupils fulfilling their potential and achieving their goals, however big or small.

Helen Popescu (2017-2021) He has a real passion for boarding and has truly enjoyed his time as Assistant Houseparent in Elmshurst. Kevin’s pastoral care is first rate and his knowledge of the boys in Elmshurst is just about as good as it gets. He continuously maintains the highest of standards and the pupils in his care always know what is expected of them. The boys in Elmshurst will not get another tutor quite like Kevin; they have benefited from his expertise and his patient, nurturing style. Kevin leaves us for promotion as Houseparent at St Hugh’s Prep School. We wish him and his family well. P Mullan

Kevin has made a fantastic contribution to both GCSE PE and BTEC Sport. He has combined engaging and innovative teaching with organising visiting coaches to deliver some fantastic practical sessions including wheelchair basketball and breakdancing. The students have enjoyed these memorable activities and used the experiences to enhance their learning. Kevin’s rapport with his classes has enabled all students to not only enjoy their work, but to also excel.

It is a passion for teaching that makes Helen put her heart and soul into every minute of every day, and we will miss her in the English department. The walls will echo a silence not known for a long time. One of her colleagues comments that “Helen has been thorough, committed, utterly reliable, and has always gone the extra mile. I slightly dread finding out next year that there might be many ‘extra miles’ we find we had taken for granted and have to pick up ourselves.” She is a ‘thousand percenter’ and the truth of the matter is that we have all had to up our game in the English department since Helen joined. Helen’s influence, of course, spreads much further than the English department and has seen her take on key roles around School – not least within the IB programme. Within Elmshurst, she is described as “too professional”, but it’s this that makes her an incredible tutor who goes above and beyond for her tutees.

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Sarah Burt (2018-2021) But enough of the niceties, it’s time to get personal, and talk about Helen’s fascination of water. Never has it been possible to drive or walk past any lake, river or shoreline without some story or knowledgeable fact of Helen’s relationship with it. Fundamental and intrinsic insight about eddies and ebbs, and tides and flows, and the salination levels on the oars which actually can, did you know, affect the viscosity of the water as far inland as Stourport on Severn. Also, anecdotal stuff about the time she rowed the Severn or swam in Llyn Cau after our ascent of Cadair Idris, or how she could just dive in there right now. Having put up with such fascinating insights for two years, it was, therefore, a delight, as we sat on the shores of the Luangwa river in northern Zambia and looked down at the waters that ran through the game reserve, while hippos belched in the shallows, and crocs splashed on the sandy islands… and there was no word from Helen about how much she fancied a dip.

Let’s be honest; for Helen it’s all about the kids. She exists, and I don’t think that’s too strong a word, for the young people in her care. One of her students describes her as “the teacher who has been motivating and pushing me the most this year. Even though I didn’t believe in my abilities sometimes, she has always been there to remind me that the struggles and failure are part of the process. Thank you for always being there for us, for the insanely fast email responses.” As she strolls off into summer and leaves the Bromsgrove sunsets behind, she replaces them with the far more enticing prospect of endless Cumbrian sunsets from her new position at St Bees. However, not until she has got that place looking ship-shape and in order. I will miss her, but I know that if I stand at the top of the Lickey Hills when a strong Northerly’s sweeping down across Worcestershire, I’ll catch the melody of Miss Popescu… I wish you well, Helen, we all do.

How does she do it? How does she manage to manage as effectively as she does? Is it the hiking, the running, or the rowing? Maybe it’s her love for organising and planning. Or maybe it’s the calming vibes she takes from marking. Who knows?

D Williams

Sarah Burt leaves Bromsgrove after three years of incredible service. She joined us from a role where she was primarily teaching online and her keenness to be back in the classroom was evident. As a teacher in the Business department, and as a tutor in Thomas Cookes, she has always offered to help and has been wonderfully supportive of her colleagues. Constantly with a smile and a secret stash of chocolate to cheer somebody up, Sarah’s very enthusiastic and attentive nature will be missed. I am confident that all staff who know Sarah will agree that she spent most of her days marking endless prep, meeting students to provide extra feedback and supporting tutees in whatever way she could. In fact, some staff may even say that, for these reasons, they hardly ever saw her. Her dedication to her job was outstanding; she always went above and beyond, and her students were hugely grateful as a result. When the pandemic hit, Sarah’s confidence in using Zoom to teach online was inspiring. Ever since, students have regularly commented on how effective she was, especially when some of us were still learning the ropes. The experience that she brought to the department was invaluable. Students of the future are lucky to have Sarah as their teacher; she will definitely be missed at Bromsgrove. E Hill

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Amine Chambazi (2020-2021)

Aline Gay (2020-2021)

Amine joined us in September 2020 having completed his PGCE at Leicester University to teach French. His passion for teaching soon became very clear. In the classroom, he engaged his pupils with his superb knowledge of life in France and French culture. He had a super relationship with his classes and he devised interesting knowledge retrieval games to keep their vocab on track. His interest in pedagogy was clear from the start. I enjoyed our conversations about educational research and how he would implement this in the classroom. Amine is a thoughtful practitioner whom I am sure will continue to implement and develop these ideas in the future.

Aline Gay joined the School fresh from her PGCE, and from the outset, she relished the challenges and opportunities that working at Bromsgrove offered her. She threw herself wholeheartedly into life in the Modern Languages Department as a teacher of French and Spanish, as well as embracing her role as a Resident Boarding Tutor in Housman Hall.

Outside of the classroom, he immersed himself into every aspect of School life. He was an extremely popular tutor in Elmshurst House. He had a strong loyalty to the boys and delivered superb pastoral care. His Houseparent will certainly miss his influence on the House as he embraced the essence of being a Boarding House tutor. The boys will certainly miss his skill on the Xbox and his fashion tips; his suits set the bar high for the male staff dress code. Amine was keen from the start of his career to work abroad in slightly warmer climes and we are delighted that he has secured a position in the UAE. We wish Amine and his wife every success in this next endeavour. J Holden

A native of France, anyone who met her would at first have been forgiven for thinking that she was English, judging by her excellent command of the language. Pupils responded quickly and positively to her caring and friendly nature and she developed an excellent rapport within the classroom, which extended to all that met her beyond it. Aline leaves us for Monkton School where she is taking up the role of Teacher of French and Spanish and has once again secured a resident tutor role. We will be sad to see her leave the department – she has injected youth and vitality into the team – and she will be sorely missed. J Tidmarsh

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Alex McDonald (2020-2021) Alex McDonald joined Bromsgrove as a Business teacher in September 2020 upon completion of his PGCE at Worcester University. In his short time with us, Alex has made a big impression on students and colleagues alike. His enthusiasm, eye for detail and natural curiosity enabled him to get to grips with his new environment astoundingly quickly. Within weeks, he had somehow managed to get to know just about every member of staff within the School. This was hugely impressive but when coupled with his sociable nature, it certainly made a walk through campus with him an extremely time consuming affair! Alex threw himself into every aspect of the School whole-heartedly and with infectious enthusiasm. His lessons were delivered with careful planning and energy and it was clear that his students respected him and enjoyed his friendly approach. As a tutor in Thomas Cookes, he threw himself into the role. Mrs Hannah appreciated his generous contribution and support and his tutees always arrived to and left tutor sessions with a smile on their faces.

Raúl Sanchez Saura (2020-2021) Sadly, the COVID-19 restrictions prevented Alex from enjoying many of the ‘normal’ aspects of School life, but he took it all in his stride with smile on his face, apart from when there was no hot food left at lunchtime – the highlight of his day! Alex leaves us for pastures new as Head of Business and Economics at Monkton Combe School in Bath. I know that he will make an equally big impression there and will thrive in his new environment. That said, he will be sorely missed by colleagues and pupils. G Young

Raúl Sanchez-Saura joined Bromsgrove in September 2020 and taught his first ever full lesson at his interview, which must have been daunting to say the least; no pressure! He joined us from Eton where he had been a teacher/assistant previously. During COVID-19, Raul has been a blessing to the department and has stepped in to cover illness and bereavement with enthusiasm, and has been hugely supportive during difficult times. He has maintained cheery and poetic texts and emails that have brightened up the darkest of days. IB pupils have particularly benefitted from his extensive literary knowledge of Lorca, in particular, which I myself have found most interesting. He is an uber academic who is extremely well-read and has a vast knowledge of old black and white films which matches mine; an old and sensitive soul! Raúl cares a great deal about the environment and spends much of his free time protesting and making a difference to the world around him. He is health conscious and has maintained a strict regime of exercise and fasting throughout the year, which has been most impressive. Raúl leaves us to continue teaching Spanish and being an assistant at Rugby School where I am sure that he will continue to blossom and grow. As a department, we will miss him and we wish him the best of luck. M Smith

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Senior School: Pre-Prep Survivors

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Senior School: Prep Survivors

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Senior School: Monitors

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Senior School: Winterfold Survivors

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With thanks to The School Photography Company and Tempest for the team photographs.

bromsgrove-school.co.uk