The Victorian 2017 by BWI

2016-2017

Victoria College Magazine 2016-2017

2016-2017

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07/07/2017 09:22

CONTENTS

Victoria College Magazine 2016-2017

FOREWORD

OUR YEAR IN NUMBERS

HEADMASTERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S REVIEW 2016-2017

ALLASTAIR McREADYDIARMID

EVENTS

HOUSE REPORTS

COMBINED CADET FORCE

OV ASSOCIATION AND THE FOUNDATION

TRIPS AND OUTINGS

112

MUSIC

SPORT

COMMUNITY

114

120

128

ART AND TECHNOLOGY

DRAMA

HONOURS AND PRIZES

132

138

STAFF DEPARTURES AND ARRIVALS

THE PREP

CONTENTS

09:22

2016-2017

FOREWORD As the new Chairman of Governors, I would like to begin by thanking Jonathan Giles for his ten years of hard work and dedication, as he steps back from roles as Vice Chairman of Governors and Chairman of Trustees of the Foundation. Jonathan remains an Invited Governor and his continuing support for Victoria College and Preparatory School is very much appreciated. I am particularly grateful to Jonathan for his calm and very valuable advice in support of the Board of Governors during my first year as Chairman.

Brian Watt Chairman, Board of Governors

This term also sees the retirement of David Rotherham, after an amazing 33 years at Victoria College, most recently in the role of Assistant Head (Staffing) and as Contingent Commander of the CCF. Martyn Taylor is also retiring after 16 years’ service as Head of Design and Technology. We are also very sad that Sara Clews will shortly be leaving her role as Development Director to take up a new appointment with the Jersey Opera House. We wish all departing colleagues every success, either in their new ventures or for happy and active retirements. Planning for the future In my first letter to parents and in a press release, I announced that we were continuing with the ‘Blue Sky Thinking’ work that Jonathan mentioned in his Foreword last year. Since September 2017, we have been engaged in much detailed activity in various Planning Groups, under the Development Sub-Committee, led by Alun Watkins. We have also formed two new Sub-Committees of the Board of Governors to address Governance, Leadership and Management and Marketing chaired by Wanda Adam and Sam Watts, respectively. During the year, excellent progress has continued to be made with the Safeguarding and Wellbeing action plans. Building on the success of the joint conference with Mind Jersey last year, which focussed on the promotion of healthy young minds, a similar event is being planned for the year ahead. Great progress has also been made in the improvement of communications, especially with weekly and termly newsletters to parents. Special thanks go to our new Deputy Headmaster, Graeme Wright, for his tremendous work with the weekly newsletter. Congratulations must go to Victoria College Preparatory School for their Facebook page, which regularly reaches 10,000 as a means of communicating about daily life at the school.

FOREWORD

2016-2017

Strength and expertise in our Board of Governors I am delighted to announce that four new Governors have joined the Board since September. Dr Deryn Doyle has greatly strengthened our Safeguarding team with her professional knowledge of the subject. Sam Watts has brought much marketing and communications expertise and will soon be helping us in the appointment of a Marketing and Communications Director. Paul Willing, with his very strong financial background, has recently joined us as Chairman of the Foundation Trustees. Finally, we welcome Kathryn Slater, who recently retired as Vice Principal of Jersey College for Girls and who will greatly strengthen our knowledge and governance of Teaching and Learning. We now have a governing body with a balanced and excellent skill set for the challenges that lie ahead. The Five-Year Strategic Plan for Victoria College and Preparatory School is nearing the end of its drafting phase. This has been a very detailed process. We have reviewed the many challenges we are likely to face in the coming years and defined strategic objectives to secure the future of the schools in a programme of continuous and measurable improvement, in all aspects of the performance of both schools. Spotlight on brand and communications The next stage in the development of our plan is a programme of consultation with the Education Department and other stakeholders, including the Old Victorians, the Victoria College Foundation, the PTAs of both schools, parents and students. Once this is completed, the plan will be finalised and the exciting process of implementation will begin. This will bring some early changes, especially in the areas of marketing, admissions, outreach, branding and communications. The new Marketing and Communications Director will be in a full-time role and will be a member of the Senior Leadership Team of the College and Preparatory School.. Some of the first tasks for the Marketing and Communications Director will include the creation of a new website for both schools and the improvement of our outreach databases and communications. The Marketing team will also have responsibility for supporting the Old Victorians and the Victoria College Foundation. Positive transition to VCJ Changes to the Admissions process from November 2017 will mean that most boys from VCP will transfer to VCJ aged 11 without the need for an entrance examination. Stronger links are continually being forged between our two schools: in academic departments, extra-curricular activities, maintenance, learning support, ICT, administration and staffing. This will greatly assist the smooth transition for all boys who have demonstrated the necessary potential to be successful at VCJ.

A key element of the emerging strategies is closer collaboration with other schools. Our focus will initially be with Jersey College for Girls, with whom Victoria College has recently formed a joint orchestra. Other collaboration initiatives are currently being developed. Preparing for ISI inspection As part of our planning process and in preparation for a full Independent Schoolsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Inspection (ISI) for both schools in November this year, we are also reviewing and updating all policies for both schools. This will be the first inspection of a secondary school in Jersey by an outside body and will be tailored according to the education system in Jersey. ISI is a government accredited inspectorate for British independent schools and similar schools overseas. Plans for this inspection were developed by Victoria College before the introduction of The Jersey Schools Review Framework, with the aim of benchmarking ourselves against similar schools in the UK and overseas and identifying improvement opportunities. The inspection is for the benefit of the pupils in the schools and through public reporting makes the information available to all our stakeholders, parents, students and the wider community. An infrastructure for the future During this year, work on the excellent STEM Laboratory has been completed, with the generous support of the Foundation, and I am also pleased to report that work has begun on the preparations to provide more sports pitches and associated facilities on Francis Field. This project, for which planning permission is already held, may take some years to complete but will bring much needed relief to the high usage levels of College Field. In the year ahead, we will continue to work closely with the Foundation on the Lifelong Learning and Foundation Partner initiatives, which offer great support to our students in extra-curricular opportunities and experiences, whilst also exploring other potential projects. The Board of Governors will continue to work hard to ensure that their strategic objectives, aimed at delivering excellence in education and facilities, are realised in a culture of continuous improvement, which is both measurable and transparent. Floreat Collegium. Brian A Watt July 2017

FOREWORD

2016-2017

OUR YEAR IN NUMBERS 30

since the death

of Captain McReadyDiarmid VC

71%

students entered London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art examinations

were awarded distinctions and merits

1-9

the new grading system introduced in the Assessment Framework for years 7-10

506 students in Years 7-11

41 7 6

competitors for French and Spanish in the Eisteddfod

159

trophies

students in the sixth form

NEW SCHOOL RECORD seconds for the 100m

79% 72.9% Boys’ Schools’ Cup Winners 2001-2017

of AS levels were A grades (the highest possible grade)

of students achieved 5 or more A* grades at GCSE.

OUR YEAR IN NUMBERS

Gold certificates

the number of times Diarmid house had won the Blomfield before winning it this year.

peer mentors trained

of A level were A*-B grades

24.4% 40.9%

Platinum certificates

ZERO

10.80

students got into their first choice of university

years since Diarmid House was founded.

boys represented Jersey in the Island games in Gotland

consecutive years of winning the Boys’ Schools’ Cup in athletics at both U14 and U16 level

Correct as of August 2017

100 YEARS

boys will be competing in the Junior Commonwealth Games held in the Bahamas.

boys are currently taking DoE

2016-2017

HEADMASTER’S REVIEW 2016-2017 It has been another excellent and memorable year of highlights, successes and achievements. We began the year receiving excellent news about our public examination performance and we ended with the news that 3 of our students, James Dempsey, Will Cook and Nathan Bouten, had received offers of places at Oxbridge. The Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring based in Durham, which provides a comprehensive analysis survey to most of the high-performing independent schools in the UK, reported back to us that, on average, all of our A Level results last summer were higher by approximately 0.2 of a grade, showing that the teaching at Victoria College had made a significant contribution to the final outcome for our students. This was a ringing endorsement of the high standards of teaching and learning that take place at the College and we congratulate all of our students and staff on achieving this excellent statistic. In addition, 84% of our students that applied to University in 2016 obtained their first choice course. A highlight of the year was arguably the College’s most ambitious theatre production yet. One of the most popular musicals ever made – Bugsy Malone – is set in the Roaring 20’s and includes splurgegun-wielding gangsters and wannabe Hollywood starlets amongst its all-child cast. Held in the Howard Davis Theatre in December, the two hour production played to sell-out audiences across 3 consecutive nights and received a standing ovation on the closing night. It really was an amazing, wonderful and never to be forgotten production. We congratulated 3 of our Year 7 students who won their respective heats in the Jersey Young Musician of the Year Competition; Jonathan Cushen in the brass section; Matthew Brown in the piano section and Nick Lawrenson in the string section. In the Senior Competition, Daniel Hayden and Matthew Bowen successfully made it through to the final of the Young Musician of the Year Competition. Daniel won his heat for woodwind and Matthew won the percussion heat. Our 1st XI footballers regained the Channel Island U18 League and elsewhere our teams in Years 10, 9, 8 and 7 were all crowned Jersey Schools Champions. Our U16 Rubgy XV won the Lord Jersey Cup and our 1st XI Cricket team on tour in the UK recorded significant victories against Forest School and then Monmouth, by 80 runs. We once again defeated Elizabeth College in the annual Hutchence Cup and retained the Boomer Trophy in Golf, again against Elizabeth. Finally, a number of our sports stars performed for Jersey in the Island Games held in Gotland in the summer. Three of our students have been selected to represent Great Britain as Athelings in their shooting Tour to Canada in August. Tom De La Cour, Dominic Neal and Jack Scambler are the boys selected and they have set a new record for the College of 8 successive years of Victoria College boys selected to represent Great Britain.

Alun Watkins Headmaster The College continues to support many charitable causes. Founders’ Week raised well over £10,000 towards the Foundation Bursaries and a further £20,000 was distributed to worthy causes such as the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research, Friends of SCBU, Jersey Hospice, Little Miracles, The Silkworth Trust, Sight Savers, Mind Jersey and Barnardos, to name a few. This year, we also bid farewell to a number of staff who have contributed greatly to life at Victoria College. Josh Franco leaves us to return to the UK to complete a PGCE. Sara Clews leaves after 4 years in her role as Development Director and two long-serving staff leave for retirement. Martyn Taylor, previously Head of Design Technology and more recently, Master in Charge of Prizes and Rewards retires this summer after 16 years’ service. And finally, we bid farewell to an absolute colossus at Victoria College. Wing Commander David Rotherham leaves the school after a staggering 33 years in office. We wish all of our leavers our very best wishes for a very happy, healthy and successful future. And so, we very much look forward to the next phase of our development as a College, focusing on the key challenges that Education will inevitably bring, through a 5-Year Strategic Plan. This shared vision between the Governing Body, the Education Department and the Staff of Victoria College will enable us to drive the school forward on a vision that seeks continual improvement. I am grateful to all our Governors who have supported this process. I must pay particular thanks to Mr Jonathan Giles, who has stepped down this year as Foundation Chair and Vice Chair of Governors. Thankfully, Jonathan will continue to stay on the Governing Body but from a personal perspective, I thank him for his absolute commitment to the College and wise counsel. I look forward, too, to our Inspection in November – the first time that a secondary school in Jersey has been inspected by an external authority and I do firmly believe that the high standard of holistic education that we provide at Victoria College will receive the credit and plaudits it deserves. As this Victorian will testify, for a State School which charges modest fees, Victoria College punches well above its weight. Finally, we owe a great debt of gratitude to Mr Gorman and his team of Editors. I know that you will enjoy reading through this edition of The Victorian, which highlights the breadth of activities and opportunities available to our students on a daily basis. Floreat Collegium. Alun Watkins, Headmaster

HEADMASTER’S REVIEW 2016-2017

42 06

2016-2017

ALLASTAIR McREADYDIARMID This edition of The Victorian remembers Allastair Malcolm Cluny McReady-Diarmid, pictured on this edition’s cover. Captain McReady-Diarmid gave his life 100 years ago fighting in the Battle of Cambria. His bravery in battle was recognised posthumously with the Victoria Cross. In marking the anniversary of his death we also mark the 15th anniversary of the creation of Diarmid House and celebrate Diarmid House winning the Blomfield Shield for the first time. Early in 2017, Victoria College was contacted completely out of the blue by Peter Freedman, a collector of memorabilia who lives in Sydney, Australia. He had purchased a WW1 sword at auction and, in researching its history, discovered that it had belonged to Captain Diarmid. Recognising the significance of the piece to the College he made contact and donated the sword. The sword now sits on display in the main building at College alongside the sword of Captain Henry William Pitcher VC. It is pictured here with Harry Hutchinson, Diarmid’s Head Prefect, Headmaster Alun Watkins and Diarmid Housemaster Richard Picot. Born on 21st March 1888, Captain McReady-Diarmid was originally known as Arthur Malcolm McReady-Drew. At Victoria College he used the simplified surname Drew, and

his name is recorded on the school’s 1st XI Cricket shield for 1904 as A M Drew. He was the third of four sons of H Leslie McReady-Drew and his Jersey-born mother, Fannie. In his email, Mr Freedman explained that he bought the sword at an auction for A$6,000 and discovered the connection to the school after researching its original owner. ‘I came across Victoria College and was excited to see there was a house named after this great man,’ he wrote. ‘I would like to offer the sword to the school and I do hope you will be in a position to accept my offer, as I cannot think of a better perpetual custodian of this very significant piece of history.’ Victoria College is indebted to Mr Freedman for recognising the significance of the sword and for his generosity in asking us to look after it. The extract from The London Gazette from 15th March 1918 gives us an insight into Captain McReady-Diarmid’s bravery, and ultimately his sacrifice.

Captain McReady-Diarmid is listed here in the Cricket 1st XI as A.M. Drew in 1904.

Credit: With thanks to Peter Mourant and Jersey Evening Post.

DIARMID

2016-2017

DIARMID

EVENTS

2016-2017

YEAR 7 QUIZ

On the 11th July the whole of Year 7 were taken out of the final lesson of the day to take part in a game show style quiz that aimed to prepare them for the annual De Putron Challenge. Organised by Mr Baker, the ‘show’ was hosted by Y8 student Joe Beddoe, who had also masterminded all of the questions and the structure of the different rounds. With a team from each house on the stage, the audience were very much involved. Charles Maloney stole the show, leading Braithwaite to a convincing victory with an excellent display of general knowledge.

YEAR 8 CROSSCURRICULAR DAY The Year 8 Cross-Curricular Arts, Languages and Humanities Day was a great success. The day began with an introductory assembly which outlined the purpose and philosophy of the day: a chance for the boys to explore and develop the links between different elements of the school curriculum and to experience the evolution of a collaborative project. In their House Rooms, the boys then summarised the characteristics of their virtual country into 10 words that would hold together the different challenges set by staff in various subject areas. The boys were split into different groups for each of their 3 challenges, with display boards and a score sheet in each House Room recording the outcomes of the day. The Headmaster and other senior staff visited the boys in

their different activities and were impressed by the thought processes and creativity that they witnessed - there was a real buzz of meaningful activity from boys creating laws, festivals and new constitutions, maps, sustainable energy plans, phrase books in new languages, tourist brochures and national dishes. The Media Team captured the progress and completion of each task and interviewed students about their experiences, as well as recording the National Anthems that were composed and recorded on the day. The fabulous cityscape created by boys in the Art session has been on display in the main corridor leading to Reception along with some photographs of the days’ activities being undertaken.

EVENTS

2016-2017

FOUNDERS’ WALK 2016 For its fourth year the Founders walk stood as the finale to another successful Founders’ week. The highly anticipated morning was plagued by the first rain in weeks as excited juniors and reluctant Sixth Formers made their way to the Waterfront bowling green alongside a rousing number of staff joining in the event. For the juniors especially this was an exciting prospect because it meant a day with friends outside the classroom and as their excitement peaked, the sun finally came out in classic tradition. The walk measured over seventeen miles across waterfronts, cycle tracks and cliff paths to Le Braye and back; by no means an easy stroll. The event was a show of camaraderie as each year group set off in morning sunshine and I could not help but remember a painful but rewarding decision to run the route in my first year after some coercion from a friend. This has always been a strong point for the walk as pupils join together, rise to the challenge and come out closer as a result. This year was no exception with strong participation by the junior boys who

EVENTS

relished the opportunity to spend a day on the road while the seniors led the pack. Whether the boys were racing to the finish, taking the day easy as I did in my final year or ‘teleporting’ to checkpoints, all were supported by their fellow students. As Mr. Gorman and Mr. Picot raced along the five-mile road as bicycle stewards, it was clear that the spirit of the event was not isolated to the students. This resulted in an incredible day for all involved with impressive displays from the runners including Pierre Sangan and Lawrence Lees-Baker who put on a great show of athleticism. Particular congratulations went to Tom Bowden, who in only Year 10 completed the seventeen miles in a frankly ridiculous two hours and two minutes to be the first student to cross the line. Sponsorship from the event raised a considerable £10,479.09 towards paying bursaries for pupils and as the boys reached the finish it was yet another proud day for the College. JG

2016-2017

EVENTS

PRISON! ME! NO WAY!!! Each year, our Year 8 students are taken off timetable for a day run by the States of Jersey Police’s ‘Prison! Me! No Way!!!’ team.

EVENTS

2016-2017

The aim of ‘Prison! Me! No Way!!! Jersey’ is to raise the awareness of young people in the Island about the causes, consequences and penalties of crime, by using a non-threatening and nonlecturing style of education. The sessions hope to dissuade young people from a life of crime, by using a multi-agency approach, which will give young people information enabling them to make informed life choices to help them grow into responsible citizens and hopefully reduce the devastating effects of criminal behaviour on society. The boys take part in a range of activities and seminars before a disco party organised by DJ Nelson up in the Great Hall.

2016-2017 BURSARY SCHEME

Considering a career in accountancy after university? If you’re not, maybe you should!

Careers built on a professional accountancy qualification can take you in many different directions.

Every year our bursary makes a real difference for talented students thinking about a career in accountancy in Jersey.

• Managing the finances of your own or someone else’s multi-generational family business.

• £5k per year for the duration of your course, enabling you to focus fully on your studies rather than needing to work part time to keep finances under control.

• Steering the course for rapidly growing digital enterprises. • Climbing the ladder in a consulting firm, working on projects in digital, cyber, media and entertainment, or sustainability, all around the world.

• Support to find paid accountancy work experience back in Jersey during the holidays, another bonus to your finances and future career prospects.

• Making an impact that truly matters for a third sector charity or cause that you’re passionate about.

Applying is easy: Supply a few contact and schooling details, an academic reference along with a personal statement online by Friday 16th March 2018 at jscca.org/bursary.

visit www.jscca.org for more information

2016-2017

OPPORTUNITIES AFTER COLLEGE LEAVING SCHOOL IS CERTAINLY A DAUNTING PROSPECT AND KNOWING WHAT TO DO IS EVEN HARDER ESPECIALLY IN 2017 WHERE THE VARIETY AVAILABLE IS WIDER THAN EVER. HOWEVER THE COLLEGE DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB IN AIDING BOYS TO FIND A PATH AFTER THEY LEAVE AND ENCOURAGE A HUGE RANGE OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS. THESE ARE WORDS FROM THE BOYS THEMSELVES BEFORE THEY EMBARK ON THEIR JOURNEY BEYOND SCHOOL.

Edward McLaughlin – Gap Year in a Peacebuilding Organisation

James Dempsey – PPE at Oxford

“October 2017 marks the start of prime ministerial bootcamp for me. That’s right, I’m off to Oxford to study PPE. Thanks to the brilliant Ms. Montgomery, I knew Economics was what I wanted to study. So, I set out window-shopping for courses, looking for anything containing ‘BA (Hons)’, hoping for a subject sufficiently broad and artsy to capture my interest.

“Come the beginning of summer and the end of my glorious time at Victoria College I will be travelling to Tanzania as part of World Challenge with 3 boys also from Year 13 and others from Years 11 and 10. This opportunity was brought to us through College and involves us travelling to Southern Tanzania to experience a range of activities such as two treks through the mountains and a community involvement project which entails repairing classrooms and creating a space for the children to safely play. I hope this valuable experience will help me become more independent as well as improve my teamwork and leadership skills before I move into the rest of my gap year and future life. Already we have gained a lot of experience through the fundraising that has been carried out by myself and the boys on the trip.

After some time sifting through courses I stumbled upon PPE, a degree I knew to be infamously influential in parliament, with equally infamous alumni. With the likes of professional dancer Ed Balls and plucky businessman Rupert Murdoch among the former students, it was difficult to resist an optimistic application. Armed to the teeth with Amazon vouchers, and a reading list supplied by Ms. Montgomery, I set out on a quest to become well read. Picking a course almost out of thin air ended up going pretty well. About half of the books from the reading list were in the school library and I was genuinely enjoying and interested in the subject. Through my reading, I was able to draft up a half-decent personal statement, eventually made completely decent through the help of Mrs. Job, Mr. Payne and Dr. Roberts, and off the application went.

Another aspect of my year off before I go to university shall be travelling to the USA to shadow the chairman of the ‘Alliance for Peacebuilding’, an NGO based in Washington D.C. I first began pursuing this thanks to the open-minded environment at College as well as the encouragement to engage in further reading and explore our interests. Through my subjects, Economics, Geography and English Literature, I have been able to learn about the world around me as well as how to articulately express my opinions. We have also been afforded excellent opportunities through the College’s enrichment programme such as qualifications in public speaking, Mandarin and Italian which further helped me to learn about other cultures and gain an understanding of the world around me and how I can contribute to making it more peaceful.

Eventually, after being shortlisted for interview, further preparation was required. Mr. Payne was instrumental in providing resources to strengthen my knowledge of the subject. A gruelling mock interview was also arranged through the Jersey Oxbridge Society. With some independent preparation and a lot of help from staff, the application was successful, and in three years time I can begin my new career as global arch-chancellor!”

In addition to this we have been encouraged to engage in debates on a public forum through the Youth Assembly and Peace Debate which I have taken part in through the College. I have been motivated to pursue this by a strong and unwavering desire to combat the ignorance that plagues our planet by manifesting itself into hate and breeding conflict. I believe that the support and guidance provided by the College will help me to achieve this goal.”

EVENTS

2016-2017

Dominic Churchill – Work in a big four accountancy firm “I have decided to take advantage of the opportunities given to us by the School and go straight into employment rather than go to university. I have been offered a place as part of Deloitte’s Bright Start Scheme starting in December. I have decided to go straight into employment rather than university for a few reasons. I was unsure as to what I wanted to study at University so I started to explore my options in Jersey. Also the fact that Jersey has many options available to anyone who is unsure about going to university was a great reason for deciding to stay in Jersey.

College has greatly helped me in developing certain skills which are vital in the workplace, ranging from IT to interview technique as well as CV writing which was a great help when applying for positions. The school has also greatly helped in providing me with many opportunities to meet employers; bringing them into school where they could provide us with key information. The College brought in Deloitte for a talk which I attended and found very engaging, leading to my application with them. This shows the incredibly direct way in which College has helped me find a job to go in to after school. Mrs Job particularly has been very helpful as she has arranged most of the opportunities and was always ready to help throughout my application process. From going straight into work, I hope to gain valuable experience in employment, which may not be available to me at University. Furthermore I am pursuing a line of work where a degree is not necessarily an advantage in this day and age as the School has been able to inform me. It could also offer opportunities to travel whilst in employment which is something I am very interested in.”

Tom Newman – Service in the Royal Navy

“Since I was a youngster, I had dreams of following my grandfather’s footsteps and joining the Royal Navy. Now in my final year at Victoria College, those dreams are beginning to become a reality. Rather than going to university to study engineering, my intention next year is to begin first stage training with the Fleet Air Arm. The College’s Combined Cadet Force has really pushed me into deciding that joining the UK’s maritime force is the career that I wish to pursue. The CCF has offered me the chance to go on courses including leadership and pool lifeguarding at naval bases in Dartmouth and Plymouth. In October 2015 I was offered the chance to attend the Fleet Air Arm’s Special Flying Award with 727 Squadron at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton. Considering that I was notified of acceptance two weeks before the course started, I was thrilled to find that our Staff Instructor Warrant Officer J-P Fidrmuc had arranged all flights and transport for me.

More recently, in January 2017, I was called up for Flight tests at RAF Cranwell, and passed through to Flight Observer level. At the moment of writing this I am currently waiting to find out the date for my Admiralty Interview Board which is the final stage of recruitment. Through being 2i/c Royal Navy Section, and Sartorius House Prefect, I feel that the College has helped me in becoming a better leader, which stands me in a good place to succeed. I have chosen this because I have always felt that attending university would not be of huge benefit to me. I hope to gain a career role that involves helping people, especially with the current humanitarian role that the Royal Navy plays, often on the world stage.”

The University Question

Following on from our articles discussing Upper Sixth students entering university, employment, taking gap years and joining the military post-Sixth Form, it seems only appropriate that we now discuss universities in general, before focusing more acutely on Oxbridge applicants at Victoria College. This is particularly relevant given the fact that the vast majority of pupils at the College do both apply and go to university - and it is of paramount importance that both parents and pupils consider both the positive and negative implications of studying at university, given the difference in Channel Island applications to that of our UK counterparts.

Universities – a changing playing field?

In the past, going to university was not such common practice as it is today. This is reflected in the fact that fewer than 3.4% of young British people went to university in 1950, most of whom would have come from privileged backgrounds, allowing for little diversity. The statistics have shifted considerably over the course of the past sixty years, and it is estimated that 49% of (governmentally subsidised) school pupils aged between 17 and 30 attended or were attending a university in 2011 to 2012, meaning that the nature of applying to university is more competitive than ever before. This is partially due to the Labour Government’s initiatives to boost education under the premiership of Brown and Blair in the early 2000s, whose policies led to greater investment in the education sector. Victoria College has been fortunate in always having had pupils attend university. Although the school sits in an uncertain field, being neither entirely private nor entirely subsidised, a gradually increasing number of pupils have studied abroad over the course of the school’s development which is commemorated in the various Honours Boards found in the Great Hall and Main Building.

EVENTS

However, this academic prestige has been in question as of late. With university fees perpetually rising, and no ‘student loan’ scheme in place as is found in the UK, the future of Jersey’s university output has been a hotbed of conversation. The very topic of student support is to be addressed by the States Assembly in due course, meaning that a greater number of support structures (such as a student loans scheme) could be implemented within a few years- however there is no certainty surrounding this. For this reason, entering the real world of work is not a choice for some pupils but rather a necessity. With an increase in numbers attending university, the number of universities has also grown in the UK. Many former ‘polytechnic’ colleges have gained university status from the 1980s onwards, so a greater range of universities exists to accommodate the growing numbers of British and International students. This broader choice of university makes the ranking of the university more important to an employer than ever before, which places further pressure on the prospective university student. However it is also clear now more than ever that with inflating tuition costs and degrees such as ‘Harry Potter Studies’ becoming less available, it may be the case that the number going to university is nearing a peak; especially as employment from school is becoming a more appealing option for both business and student alike, particularly within Jersey’s booming finance industry.

University ties and connections

The Channel Islands face numerous differences to that of UK counterparts with regard to university education, owing to various relationships with UK educational institutions. The links between universities and the Islands are characterised by codes, societies and alumni groups, designed to build and bolster the Channel Island student community. An example of this lies in the Island’s connections to Winchester University, who have over 100 alumni living in Jersey and Guernsey. In order to maintain a positive relationship, the university arranges annual gatherings for alumni in either Island, and guarantees interviews and course placements to Channel Islanders applying with the normal course requirements. Moreover, the university celebrated Liberation Day in 2013 on campus- with bunting over the dining tables and a specially themed menu in the Food Hall. This close relationship is further supported by the presence of a ‘Channel Island’ society, as is common in many UK universities. A similar arrangement exists with the University of Sussex, which encourages Channel Island pupils to apply with the use of the ‘SCIPA’ code, an acronym standing for the ‘Sussex Channel Islands Progression Accord’. This code, when included as part of an application, gives CI students preferable offer terms, often resulting in lower offer conditions at A level. Many other universities offer similar initiatives.

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2016-2017

Other considerations

Although university ties and codes may prove useful to the Victoria College pupil, other difficulties remain. Travel has, and always will, prove a significant cost in a Channel Islander’s budget when studying abroad, after the costs of tuition and accommodation. We are fortunate in having direct flights to many UK airports, which greatly facilitates a student’s ability to study away. Certain universities, such as Exeter and Glasgow are easily accessible, whilst others require more complex travel arrangements. It is worth taking this into consideration when choosing universities to apply to. Universities in the south, such as Sussex and Kent are obviously also accessible by boat, which makes travel arrangements and ‘moving in’ easier. This is not to suggest, however, that Island pupils are bound by travel arrangements, and many students do study in remote and desolate corners of the country and continent. Durham always proves popular. Accommodation and tuition costs vary by institution, but are worth checking prior to applying. Whilst most universities charge CI pupils the same as that of UK pupils, other institutions, such as Cambridge, and Imperial College London, charge Channel Islanders the same fees as International students, meaning that prices can increase over threefold (course dependent). Consequently, fewer Jersey-domiciled students apply to these universities. It is also worth mentioning that the UK is not the sole place where students can study. Through the Head of Careers, Mrs Job, students are often reminded that opportunities and bursaries exist in their multitude for studying in America, New Zealand, Australia, and elsewhere, all of which are worthy of the Sixth Former’s consideration. Moreover, the University of Caen in Normandy is very keen to build relationships with Jersey schools, and is significantly cheaper in terms of tuition fees. More information on these opportunities can be discussed in correspondence with Mrs Job.

2016-2017

Summary

In summarising the competitive nature of university applications, the relationships of certain universities to Jersey and other factors that Channel Island students should take into account when applying to study at university, we hope to shed truthful, realistic light on the field of studying abroad. If you would like more information on studying at university, the Head of Sixth Form and University Applications, Mr David Payne, would be happy to address any questions you may have. He can be emailed at d.payne@vcj.sch.je, or Olivia Varney, Deputy Head of Sixth Form, at o.varney@vcj.sch.je.

Oxbridge

This year marked the most successful year for Oxbridge applications in a while with two boys receiving offers from Oxford: James Dempsey for PPE at Corpus Christi and William Cook for Chemical Engineering and Nathan Bouten receiving an offer from Cambridge for Veterinary Medicine. These are words about the process from Head Boy James Dempsey who previously gave his thoughts more generally about university. “The Oxbridge application process is definitely stressful; but it’s a necessity if you want to spend three years living in fancy castles - so listen up any prospective applicants. Every step along the application process seems meticulously engineered to be as painstakingly awkward as possible, so I’m here to give you a brief overview of the challenges you may face when applying, and maybe even provide some guidance. Firstly, a nice, convenient deadline aligning with UCAS’ own date is far too simple. Instead, you get tossed in with the medics and the vets just for the fun of it, and therefore have to press ‘Pay/ Send’ three months before everyone else. Fortunately, we spent the end of Year 12 gearing up to start our applications quickly in September, and preparation completed over the summer was processed quickly by the dynamic duo of Mrs. Job and Mr. Payne to help minimise stress for the time being. Secondly, Oxford and Cambridge think it’s a right laugh to lump us all in with the lawyers, and dole out an entrance test to be completed. To make things worse, it comes right after October half term so, did I catch a tan on holiday in Mexico during that week? No I did not - every morning was spent answering multiple choice comprehension past papers. You’ve spent your summer reading philosophy books, submitted your application three months early, opted for revision over the glowing Mexican rays just outside your hotel room door; and you realise… it could all be for nothing. There’s a definite bittersweet taste to the prospect of missing out on an interview, especially given the terrifying reputation of the process. But, in reality, the next few weeks after your entrance test are always nerve wracking as everyone eagerly awaits information. Fortunately, whilst away with the school’s football tour to England, I received an invitation to interview - although, my College had been reallocated - and so had a week to spend cramming all I could about my subject, learning my personal statement back to front, and participating in a mock interview. I ended up having two interviews in the five

days I was there, lasting a total of about fifty minutes. Half an hour was spent debating the concept of baldness, and trying to justify my personal statement, while another twenty minutes consisted of a shabby but not totally horrendous discussion on Economics. With time to roam the city over the next few days, and opportunities to sample some fine Oxonian pubs, the days away at interview were certainly high points of the process. However, I came away from my interviews certain of disaster, assured in my own mind that no one could have possibly discussed the concept of baldness worse than I did and yet, a month later, I received notice that my application had been successful and I was to be offered a place. Reading back through this article, the whole thing sounds like a horror story, but even if I had been unsuccessful I absolutely wouldn’t have regretted going for it. I was able to meet fantastic people whilst I was away, I got the chance to explore a new city; and, I was lucky enough to be successful at the end of it all.”

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EVENTS

2016-2017

YEAR 8 CAREERS SPEED DATING Victoria College Great Hall became a hub of activity on Monday 6th March as Year 8 students took part in a ‘Speed Dating’ Careers event. The event gave students a chance to meet local employers and receive first-hand advice about careers in a broad range of employment opportunities on the island. The speed-dating format allowed students to spend 8 minutes at each table in small groups probing employers about what they do, what skills they look for, what qualifications are needed and whether they enjoyed their career. Feedback from the students was extremely positive with a key point being made by all that you should follow a career you enjoy and not choose something just for the money! Requests for guests to return to provide more information were made by the students and this will be built into the Careers programme for the students in Year 9.

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Thirteen guests attended the event, including a few of our own OV’s; Cameron Spencer & Euan McArthur from Intertrust, Tristan Job and Aston Roberts from Godel Architects, Callum O’Connor from Jersey Police, Matthew Neal from PWC, James Hamelin from RBS International and John De Carteret, a Paramedic. Some key advice given to students for future employment was to show examples of being proactive, help at local clubs, gain part time employment, build a good CV and take up as many opportunities that are available to them. Victoria College would like to extend a huge thank you to all the guests that attended and gave up their time. The other attendees were: Simon Langlois – Langlois Design & Build Stacey Kernan – Waitrose Lisa Kennedy & Julia Whitmore – Mind Jersey Julia Coutanche – Jersey Museum Matt, Roisan & Leanne – Mourant Ozanne Jeremy Field – Careers Jersey Andy Holmes – JT Global

2016-2017

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2016-2017

DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD 2016/17 has been by far the busiest year for the Duke of Edinburgh Award at College. In September the award was opened up to non-CCF students, as well as students in Year 9. We soon had over eighty new registrations to add to the hundred already registered. These initiatives were due to Mr O’Hare taking on the responsibility for the non-CCF boys and the D of E authorities changing the regulations regarding the age of entry for the scheme. Boys were soon engaged in a wide range of activities as they tackled the Volunteering, Skills and Physical sections of the award. Many helped out in charity shops as part of their volunteering and their efforts were much appreciated. James Wankling took walking his neighbour’s dog as his volunteering; a perfectly acceptable activity as his neighbour could no longer give the dog the exercise it needed. Shooting and cooking featured prominently as skills and playing for local sports teams ticked the physical section boxes. Whilst all this was going on expedition training was being undertaken. The Year 10 CCF students did their practice expedition in March and their non-CCF counterparts undertook their practice in April. Both were helped by good weather and most discovered that navigating across the lanes of Jersey to get to Crabbe is not as easy as at first thought. The qualifying expeditions took place in Guernsey and at the time of writing, two groups have completed their expeditions. The first to go were the CCF Year 10 students who went in May and the three groups each had a different theme to their walk. One group visited Guernsey’s ten parish churches, another looked at dolmens and menhirs, whilst the third investigated water supplies. I was in charge of these

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groups and they were without doubt the best group of College students I have taken to Guernsey for an expedition. Their assessors’ reports supported my judgement. Mr O’Hare came with me to Guernsey in May and he returned with five groups of non-CCF Year 9 and Year 10 students in June. These expeditions also went very well and, once again, the reports written by the Guernsey assessors were very complimentary. The last group of Year 9 CCF cadets are due to undertake their qualifying expeditions in Guernsey in September. There were just not enough weekends available to get them qualified in this academic year. The award is clearly becoming more established as an integral part of the College experience. We hope to start up a Silver group in the Autumn Term and the long term aim is to see Gold awards being achieved by Sixth Formers. During this academic year, Bronze awards have been achieved by the following students: Year 12: Max Denby Giles Wankling Year 11:

Michael Anno Mark Battersby Tristan Finlay Martin Haden Kral Sebastien Horn Leo Jeune Finn Knight

Louis Marsh Frederik Meyer Dominic Neal Samuel Pigeon Aldo Sappe Archie Wauton

Year 10: Oliver Cook Cameron Polak Myles Willcox

2016-2017

The Duke of Edinburgh Award is an experience everyone should have The Duke Of Edinburgh award is an opportunity for young people, aged 14 to 24 years, to develop skills, get physically active, experience adventure and give service back to the community. This award is unique in that it is a worldwide recognition of their experiences. Personally, the challenge of starting Long Distance Running and trying my hand at Photography and working as a Teaching Assistant with young children have all been challenges that I have enjoyed, but have at times brought me out of my comfort zone. This is not a surprise; DofE is all about self-challenge. I started my Bronze Level DofE on 10th November 2016. You need to demonstrate challenges in four separate areas: Skills, Physical, Volunteering and Expedition, which must have an aim. I chose Photography, Long Distance Running, Teaching Assistant and the Expedition was to visit Dolmens in Guernsey. These challenges need to be completed within different timescales within the year. For Bronze level you select two areas to be completed within three months and one other to be completed over 6 months. You have 3 months to plan your expedition and a further 3 months to complete it. One of the low points was at the start of my physical challenge. I found that at the beginning it was disappointing to discover that running did not come as easily as I had hoped. Continuing with this challenge through these mental walls was helped as I charted my progress through running apps that I submitted

online to eDofE . By seeing the gradual improvements my confidence grew and I was able to run faster and further at the end of my 6 months beating the goal that I had set myself. I chose photography as I had never seen myself as particularly artistic and thought perhaps this would allow me to find an artistic side to myself. Being behind a camera allowed me to have moments of stillness and thought as I looked for the image to photograph. I would not have found these moments otherwise. This has taught me to try and take a moment to look around even when life is confusing and busy. Having the opportunity to give back to the community was a bonus that I had not considered when taking up a volunteering post as a Teaching Assistant. For me, the expedition was the highlight of my DofE award. From planning the trip, creating route cards and packing my rucksack to finally being self-sufficient for a weekend in Guernsey gave me a sense of independence and achievement at the end of my award. Being with a group of friends made this experience fun and enjoyable! To sum up, DofE has been an experience I would recommend 100% to everyone. Fred Fillieul

YEAR 10 STUDY SKILLS DAY On Friday 14th October, a UK based company called Maximize Your Potential came to Victoria College to deliver a motivational study skills seminar to the Year 10 boys. Maximize Your Potential have a successful record of delivering seminars to students, and their parents, in many high profile UK based independent schools. A sixty minute introductory seminar was held for Year 10 parents at 5:30pm on Thursday 13th October. This included a presentation with suggestions on how parents can help support their sons in their studies and specific tips on how and when they can best help their sons when it comes to studying at home. The study skills day itself was very successful, with students feeling both motivated and equipped with the skills they needed to manage their revision and private studies effectively.â&#x20AC;&#x2039;

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HUELIN PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION The Huelin Public Speaking competition has been running since 1937. It is open to Year 12 and 13 and assesses students on their ability to speak formally in front of a large, and sometimes sceptical, audience. As Tom De La Cour, Charlie Flynn and James Dempsey took to the stage in the Great Hall, they should have been aware of their own courage, independence and resilience to be taking on such a challenge in the midst of exam season when so many others had declined to take the risk; in fact, I suspect they were more conscious of just how many people were there and how easy it would be to forget or mangle their speeches under the pressure of their nerves. As it was, on a Tuesday afternoon at the end of April, each of the three expressed their views in eloquent and persuasive terms. Tom spoke about the role of the modern soldier, questioning whether it had ever been ‘comfortable’ as the question proposed. James then took to the stage to discuss the morality of genetically modifying human life, with many witty and self-effacing lines which won his audience’s goodwill. Finally, Charlie delivered an impassioned speech full of impressively wrought, complex ideas on the relationship between liberty and security in modern times. The Judges, Mr Philip Le Brocq and Mrs Yvonne Winspear, noted that the students demonstrated an impressive grasp of world politics, exemplifying skill, knowledge and character. Olivia Varney

EVENTS

2016-2017

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2016-2017

PEER MENTORING & ANTI BULLYING AMBASSADORS For the past two years, Peer Mentors have been a part of school life at Victoria College. Those boys who are prepared to be trained, face sometimes challenging situations and give up their free time to meet with younger boys have to be commended. They are a crucial part of any school but at Victoria College we are so proud of the way the Peer Mentors have embraced their roles and continually look at ways to enhance their positive impact on their Peers. As is characteristic with any new initiative, over time, one looks at ways to enhance and improve the quality of the training programme, the range of experiences one can bring to a team and for us ultimately the number of Peer Mentors available to support. Sixteen were not enough; we believed there were boys in the Sixth Form who could offer a variety of experiences that would complement or strengthen the small team. As a result, this July we undertook a revamp of the Peer Mentoring training programme. We contacted the parents and after a few days we had about 20 boys signed up; after a little healthy competition between the Houses, we ended up with 36 boys wanting to be Peer Mentors. There are now at least 7 lower Sixth Peer Mentors / Anti Bullying Ambassadors per house. Working together, the team from The Study Centre designed the day and delivered a comprehensive course supported by training materials and a Peer Mentoring handbook. This day came after the external examinations were over and the boys were excited to be back in school with no pressure of an examination to face. On completion of their training we were delighted to see our newly qualified Year 11 Peer Mentors actively involved in supporting the Year 6’s on Induction Days and some even came to Transition Evening to ‘meet and greet’ the parents.

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This year our current Peer Mentors have introduced themselves in assemblies, helped the Housemasters in the House Rooms and of course worked on a one to one basis with individuals. They have worked tirelessly with their mentees to help them overcome a variety of obstacles, such as; friendship issues, poor organisational skills, relationships with peers, parents and teachers and, very importantly self-esteem and self-confidence. Using their own initiative, some suggested and even arranged to observe their mentee in lessons and use knowledge gained to further enhance the one-to-one sessions. We asked the boys at the end of the Training Day to complete an evaluation form; here are some of their comments: “I want to become more involved in school life and guide young pupils to have the best possible time at Victoria College.” “I hope to provide a safe and confidential environment for boys to discuss their troubles and I hope I will be of assistance in solving them.” “I wanted to become a Peer Mentor because I believe giving back to the community is essential. From previous experiences I believe communicating to others releases stress and is a weight off your shoulders.” “I am interested in helping others, especially those who are struggling. I believe what I will learn will help me to become a good Prefect.” “I really enjoy talking and listening to what people have to say and would love to help the younger boys out.” Mrs Watkins & The Study Centre Team.

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ACTIVITIES WEEK Activities Week at Victoria College provides students with a number of opportunities to take part in sports, expeditions and activities, either on or off Island with staff or qualified instructors. Before I began teaching Food and Nutrition, I found Activities Week a brilliant opportunity to share my passion for cooking with students. As the list of activities detailed below suggests, our staff offer a broad range of activities for the boys to take part in. This provides an end to the academic year that is both exciting and challenging, and something that the students all look forward to during the end of year examinations period in the Summer Term. Activities Week 2017 has been as varied as ever with offIsland trips including an expedition to Tanzania, cultural trips to Europe and a Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) trip. On-Island activity packages have included Scuba Diving, Powerboating, Yacht Sailing, Water Sports, Bushcraft, Teamwork and the ever popular Surf Camp. While this edition features articles about off-Island trips from 2016, on the pages that follow are some shots of on-Island activities from 2017: Off-Island Trips - 206 Boys Involved Historical Poland Greece Windsurfing World Challenge in Tanzania Golf in France French Activity Centre Paris Barcelona & The Pyrenees CCF Camps to the UK STEM trip â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including F1 at Silverstone On-Island Activity Packages - 213 Boys Involved College Activities Led by Staff Scuba Diving Beach Soccer Powerboating Yacht Sailing Les Ormes Coasteering Creepy Valley Adventures Wild Adventures St Brelades Bay Watersports Golf Le Mourier Activities Surfing We also had 36 Year 12â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on Work Experience or visiting universities in the UK

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2016-2017

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2016-2017

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2016-2017

QUESTION TIME WITH PAST PUPIL JOSHUA PARKER QUICK PROFILE Age: 20 Victoria College Class of: 2015 Occupation: Senior Associate, Tax - PwC Channel Islands Aged 7, I wanted to be: A vet Work experience during school: I worked at Durrell Zoo and at multiple veterinary practices around Jersey. How did you end up working at PwC? Having completed the UCAS process and written my personal statement, I was set on becoming a vet and had never considered any other option apart from university after finishing school. However, my mind changed upon hearing the opportunities available to me at PwC, when an Old Victorian gave a talk in the Howard Davis Theatre. I applied immediately and within a number of weeks, I had successfully secured a job offer. I soon made the choice to accept the offer and chose not to go to university; a decision I don’t regret. What kind of professional training is available to you at PwC? When starting at PwC in Jersey, you’re given the option of choosing from two accountancy qualifications, namely ACCA or ACA. I have selected ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and have currently taken 9 of the 14 exams required to qualify. Further to chartered status, this route allows you to elect to obtain a degree from Oxford Brookes upon gaining the ACCA qualification, by completing a dissertation. You are supported fully through these qualifications by the learning and development team at PwC, as well as the classroom learning provided by local professional educators ‘BPP’. This level of support really helps make these qualifications much more attainable. Describe a typical day? A normal day for me starts with a cycle into work and a green tea from the PwC kitchen. From that point, anything could happen and that’s the best part of working in the Tax Department at PwC, as my work varies on a day-to-day basis. Working in the private client team means that a lot of my day is spent corresponding with clients, whether that be via email, phone calls or by attending face-to-face meetings. As a Senior Associate in the Tax department, I also regularly coach my junior through some of the more technical parts of his work. This takes some time but is a most rewarding part of my role.

What do you enjoy most about your work? I really enjoy the high level of client exposure I have, and considering I only left school two years ago, I appreciate the level of responsibility I am given. I get a lot of satisfaction out of helping my clients with complicated Tax Returns or by advising them on the Jersey Tax system, all of which forms part of a service my clients truly appreciate and are thankful for. Added to this, it’s also enjoyable to come back to Victoria College occasionally for career talks with the boys in Year 12. What about sports and social activities? There’s a very active sports and social club which organises month end drinks, fun charitable events and lots of rather competitive sporting activities, ranging from rugby, football, cricket and hockey, to tennis, golf and netball. Most recently, our hockey players travelled to Berlin to compete in the annual PwC hockey tournament against a number of other offices from across the wider PwC network. What’s your next career step? I was born and have lived in Jersey for 20 years now and would love to move away to experience living somewhere new. What’s great about PwC is that this is definitely an option, as the global mobility opportunities within the network are vast, with offices in 160 countries around the world. It’s also comforting to know that when I complete my ACCA qualification, I won’t be limited purely to accountancy roles. The ACCA is a wellrespected qualification globally and gives you a great backing to work across a variety of industries, even beyond financial services. So keep in mind that if accountancy ends up not being what you wish to ultimately pursue as a career in the long-term, this doesn’t matter. Training at PwC, you’ll learn so much that will help you excel in any future career choice.

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42 30

2016-2017

KNIGHT SHIELD One week after the course proved too wet and windy to be run as scheduled, the annual inter-house Knight Shield relay race took place in the brisk October sun. Now, in my fifth year of competing, I found myself stepping in as an organiser too when my own House Captain was unfortunately taken ill by man flu, and the cruel reality of having to do more than just delegate finally set in. Ms. Montgomery blessed the crowd with a rousing and inspiring speech… and ‘ready, set, GO’. Diarmid, Bruce, and Sartorius all sent out some of their fastest, oldest runners to brave the maiden leg, proving for a tight and exciting battle at the front. Isaac Du Val (10 Bruce), Pierre Sangan (12 Diarmid) and Jack Leerson (12 Sartorius) led the way, flying down the hill at breakneck speeds, before disappearing into the slalom of the hills below. All three runners emerged at the bottom of the ‘prefect path’, with Pierre just edging the lead ahead of Isaac and Jack. Battling against the cruel steepness of the path, it was Diarmid who handed over first, with Pierre clocking the fastest time of the day. Bruce followed shortly, with Isaac claiming a new Year 10 record, and then Sartorius not far behind. As the race went on, and supporters’ voices grew raspy from the onslaught of ‘encouraging’ support, it was Diarmid who held their lead until

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mid-race when Bruce and Sartorius took the helm. The race remained tight going into the sixth leg, with only a few metres separating the runners of the blue and red, when yours’ truly took the baton for Sartorius with a younger Bruce runner in my sights. Despite my athletic ability dwindling in recent years, I was able to take the lead and secure a £25 WHSmith’s voucher (lots of sweets) for my efforts. The final two legs saw Diarmid climb back to second place with Sartorius holding onto their lead. Bruce followed 90 seconds afterwards in third place, with a strong run from Ben Tait securing fourth for Dunlop, and Braithwaite crossing as the second loser (a bit ahead of the experienced teachers’ team). Special mention must go to Andy Roxburgh who flew around the course to earn his place as the fastest Year 11, then jogged over to College Field, swapped trainers for football boots, and scored three goals for the Year 11 football team in a 4-0 victory. The event marked the end of Founders’ Week celebrations, my last time having to amble up that terrible hill, and business as usual for Sartorius who claimed victory once again. JD

2016-2017

House Team Results 2016 1st

Sartorius

27-48.11

2nd

Diarmid

28-13.02

3rd

Bruce

29-39.72

4th

Dunlop

30-04.78

5th

Braithwaite

30-59.37

Fastest Lap By Year Group 2016 Year 7

F. Lucas

4-17.20

Year 8

I. Dodds

3-57.66

Year 9

S. Adkin

3-53.20

Year 10

I. Du Val

3-32.46 New Record

Year 11

A. Roxburgh

3-44.05

Year 12

P. Sangan

3-29.94 Fastest Lap

Year 13

J. Dempsey

3-36.40

Knight Shield Records Individual Ollie Terry 3-19.43 2011 Team

Diarmid

27-18.79

2006

Fastest Staff 2016 Mr A Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hare

4-01.00

House Award for the Fastest Lap 2016 J. Dempsey

Sartorius

Yr 13

P. Sangan

Diarmid

Yr 12

B. Tait

Dunlop

Yr 13

I. Duval

Bruce

Yr 10

F. Laing

Braithwaite Yr 12

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2016-2017

NEW PREFECTS Head Prefect:

Oscar Barette

Deputy Head Prefect:

Calvin De Louche

Sports Prefect:

Jonny Heward

Braithwaite David Bourne (Head of House) Calvin De Louche (Deputy Head Prefect) Jonny Heward (Sports Prefect) Matthew Donaldson Nathan Le Blancq

Bruce Oscar Barette (Head Prefect) Laurie Corbel (Head of House) Jack Scambler

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Diarmid Pierre Sangan (Head of House) Viraj Kotedia

Dunlop Stephen Arthur (Head of House) Daniel Hayden Charlie Flynn Tom De La Cour

Sartorius Charlie Noel (Head of House) Will Cawley

2016-2017

TUG OF WAR Commendation to Bruce on winning all four of their matches. Special thanks to Mr Fidrmuc on an excellently run event. The new location resulted in such a negligible slope that for the first time, no matches needed a deciding ‘tug’. The final results are below:

INTER-HOUSE TUG-OF-WAR 2016 Left Side Team

Right Side Team

Outcome

Braithwaite

Diarmid

0-2

Bruce

Dunlop

2-0

Sartorius

Braithwaite

2-0

Diarmid

Dunlop

2-0

Bruce

Sartorius

2-0

Dunlop

Braithwaite

2-0

Diarmid

Bruce

0-2

Dunlop

Sartorius

0-2

Braithwaite

Bruce

0-2

Sartorius

Diarmid

0-2

Bu Bu

Pts

Rank

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2016-2017

DIARMID HOUSE REPORT 2016-17

I have mixed emotions while I write this report. It is my last and, therefore, I feel some pressure to fulfil expectations that I close my tenure as leader of pastoral care for Diarmid House with something profound. After all, this is a position I have had the privilege of holding for eight years, initially as ‘Director of Study’ followed by ‘House Master’. I am no philosopher or wordsmith and I am therefore sorry if I disappoint. We were delighted to receive Allastair McReady-Diarmid’s ceremonial sword this year; generously donated by Peter Freedman who lives in Sydney, Australia! The offer of bequeathing the sword to the school came as a great surprise to us all considering the lengths that Mr Freedman had gone to in purchasing, restoring and researching the sword’s history. In an email he wrote, “I cannot think of a better perpetual custodian of this very significant piece of history”. It is particularly poignant that this December will be 100th anniversary of McReady-Diarmid’s death during the Battle of Cambrai, where his heroics were posthumously recognised with the Victoria Cross. The sword is now on permanent display in the main school building. This year we have been raising money for the RNLI (Jersey). Again we hosted a fund-raising Christmas dinner at TGI Fridays along with various fund-raising events throughout the year. We also held The Big Match at Springfield Stadium where Victoria College staff drew with De La Salle staff. Again, there were 1,000 spectators cheering the teams. In total we raised over £2,400, an increase of £200 on last year’s total. In the House Drama competition, we were placed 4th. This was a total surprise considering the quality of our production,

HOUSE REPORTS: DIARMID

‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time’. However, the standard of the competition as a whole this year was exceptional. Mac Galvin played the challenging leading role of Christopher which had a huge amount of complex dialogue to remember, appearing in almost every scene for the full duration of our 45 minute production. We also boasted the largest supporting cast of all the Houses this year. My congratulations to all those involved; your time, energy and enthusiasm were greatly appreciated. We placed 2nd in the House Art competition with an impressively diverse exhibition. We had work on display from Year 7 pupils right the way through to Sixth Formers. Special mention must go to Rhys Parish who won the Best in Show prize; no mean feat considering the quality of the work on display.

2016-2017

my first two years as a Diarmid tutor, I found the boys’ apparent indifference to House competition disheartening; an apparent acceptance of the snide remarks of “you’re not a proper House” branded on us by the other Houses. I felt Diarmid had an inferiority complex and it seemed the boys weren’t proud to wear purple, choosing to adopt the unofficial colours of black and/or white instead. I am delighted that there has been a definite culture shift, evident in us consistently challenging for the Blomfield and Landick titles. I am always thrilled to see a sea of purple on Sports Day, Cross Country and House Music giving it their best. We look the part; we most certainly are the part.

My thanks go to Harry Hutchinson who has taken on the challenge of leading our House head on. Harry has been an inspiration to all members of the House, not only academically and on the sports field, but also in the way he conducts himself with great humility. He had big shoes to fill this year, and he certainly managed that! I wish Pierre Sangan, who takes over from Harry, the very best for next year. I have no doubts that you will be an equally excellent leader. I had several goals that I wanted to achieve when I took over the helm of the House that, if met, would hopefully give Diarmid a solid foundation to grow and develop. During

Another aspiration of mine was to encourage the House to be more environmentally aware; a topic that takes great prevalence in my own life. Over the years the House has descended en masse to assist with local charities to help manage and maintain a diverse range of sites of specific environmental interest. These included creating wildlife habitats on the headland at Les Landes and woodland management in the arboretum within Val de La Mare Reservoir. I was particularly proud of our boys’ enthusiastic work helping to maintain animal enclosures and public areas at Jersey Zoo. We are very privileged to live in such a beautiful place, and it is my hope that this will have had a long lasting effect on our boys so that they will have a vested interest in helping maintain the natural beauty of our island in the future. The boys have given a great deal of their own time to assist in these projects and I cannot thank them enough for their efforts.

HOUSE REPORTS: DIARMID

I also felt that our charity fundraising could take more prevalence. One of my goals was to deliver a fund raising event that the boys would find fun and engaging, hopefully inspiring their own desire to go out and raise funds for charity. I have been delighted with the response from the whole school community to the annual teachers’ football match, ‘The Big Match’. This event has surpassed my expectations not only in terms of raising money for charity but also as a platform for encouraging House spirit and charitable giving. Obviously there have been many highlights over the years, but I have particularly fond memories of winning House Music and House Drama for the first time en route to winning The Landick Cup in 2014. This was the first major piece of silverware that Diarmid had won, and thoroughly deserved too after all the hard work the boys put in to the competition. Clearly my passion has been The Blomfield and I was particularly proud of the grace that the boys showed in defeat in 2016, cruelly finishing in 2nd place to Sartorius by the most impossible of margins. Yet all this was surpassed this year when, for the first time ever, Diarmid won the Blomfield. This is truly an important moment in the history of Victoria College but, more importantly, a defining moment for Diarmid House. Diarmid have announced their arrival and can shrug off the jibes aimed at them from the other Houses. I hope that this will prove another stepping stone for future successes not only on the sports field, but also in the arts and community projects further enhancing House spirit.

HOUSE REPORTS: DIARMID

2016-2017

I’d like to thank all the fantastic Prefects who I have worked with over the years, particularly Steven Coelho, Gareth Rees, Connor Burgher, Donovan De Klerk, Oscar Mackereth, Elliott Powell, Christian De Oliveira, Harry Hutchinson and Fraser Brooke. I’d also like to extend my thanks to all the Diarmid tutors, particularly stalwarts Mr Bloor, Mr Burton, Mr McNally and Mr Habin who continue to give their utmost to the benefit of the pupils within the House. All of these people have shaped the House into what it is today and the Diarmid community are truly grateful for that. It has been a delight to lead Diarmid. It’s been a constant challenge; exhausting, but fulfilling. It is a diverse role and I hope that these varied experiences will hold me in good stead in the future. I leave my post as House Master having accomplished my goals, safe in the knowledge that my successor, Mr Cox, has fresh ideas that will take the House to the next level. I’ll take great pleasure in watching Diarmid’s future achievements from the sidelines. Stamos Unito, always. Mr Picot Diarmid Housemaster

2016-2017

HOUSE REPORTS: DIARMID

2016-2017

BRAITHWAITE HOUSE REPORT 2016-17

Braithwaite have had yet another successful year in the Arts. Todd Buesnel (House Captain) led a strong team in House Drama putting together Booby Trap, a touching story depicting the final thoughts and memories of a soldier who is facing certain death after sitting on a landmine. It was a challenging play exploring themes of guilt, morality and reflection. Yet again, David Bourne (12 Bw) played the lead role in a sensitive yet powerful manner with some excellent supporting roles from Calvin de Louche (12 Bw), Theo Barnes (13 Bw), Josh Gallichan (13 Bw, Deputy Head Boy), Matthew Donaldson (12 Bw) and Nathan Le Blanq (12 Bw). We also had a large number of boys involved from the lower school including

HOUSE REPORTS: BRAITHWAITE

Jakub Wharton (10 Bw), Harvey Godel (9 Bw), Leo Olsson (9 Bw), Josh Rabet (9 Bw), Teague Mangan (8 Bw), Max Tennent (8 Bw), Austin Godel (7 Bw) and Seth Ruelle (7 Bw) to name a few. Not only did Braithwaite win the overall competition but we also took home prizes for the Best Actor (David Bourne), Best Set and Best Advertising. Special mention should also go to Owen Harper (13 Bw) who has run the technical side of all the House productions as well as the whole school productions for a number of years. Without his technical skill and knowledge, coupled with a tremendous amount of commitment, none of these plays would have been possible. He will be sorely missed.

2016-2017

With the new calendar year came preparation for House Music. Again being led by Todd Buesnel and Josh Gallichan, the choir started to come together quickly and, by the night of the performance produced a truly fantastic piece, taking home first place with relative ease. Unfortunately, the judges were not as impressed by the Braithwaite Ensemble as much as the audience were, which cost us the win for the overall competition, narrowly missing out to Dunlop. We heard sterling instrumental performances from Jonathan Cushen (7 Bw), Josh Brown (9 Bw) and Todd Buesnel (13 Bw) with both Josh and Todd taking first place in their respective categories. Both Godel brothers, Austin (7 Bw) and Harvey (9 Bw) took to the stage for the vocal aspects of the competition with some impressive accompanying music being played by Charlie Cadin (10 Bw). Overall they were two fabulous nights that showcased some breath-taking talent within the House.

Finally came House Art. Theo Barnes (13 Bw) was our only Year 13 taking Art at A-Level leaving him with a huge task of being the creative influence behind the Braithwaite display. With the aid of Nathan Le Blanq (12 Bw) they were able to put together some impressive pieces that resulted in a very diverse collection of art in a surprising array of media. Some personal favourites of mine included a study of a boat in a harbour by Hamish Barnes (11 Bw), a pencil drawing of a T-Rex by Pharrell Taylor (8 Bw) and an impressive charcoal drawing of a man in spectacles by Nathan Le Blanq (12 Bw) with an accompanying low relief sculpture in recycled cardboard. We also had some beautiful examples of photography by Owen Harper (13 Bw). The standard of work across all five Houses was exceptionally high this year and Braithwaite only managed 4th place which left us in 2nd place in the Landick. It will be sad to see it go but I feel confident that it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be long before its back in its rightful place in the Braithwaite cabinet!

HOUSE REPORTS: BRAITHWAITE

With regard to House Sport, we have also had some stellar performances in Braithwaite this year. Our Senior Cricketers started us off in the right manner taking 1st place with some impressive performances from Jonny Heward (12 Bw), David Bourne (12 Bw) and Matthew Donaldson (12 Bw). The Senior Squash team, led by Theo Barnes (13 Bw), were pipped at the post taking 2nd with both Theo and his brother Morgen (11 Bw) demonstrating pace and skill on the court. Braithwaite faired reasonably well in the Football this year with the Seniors, Year 10s and Year 9s all taking 3rd place and Year 7s taking 2nd. Our Colts did exceptionally well in their Hockey matches taking home 1st place, special mention to Adam Gower (10 Bw) who performed well in all four games. The Colts also put on a good show in the Rugby, finishing in 2nd place thanks to the pace of Will Michel (9 Bw) and the skill, and sheer power, of Ethan Rault (10 Bw) and Jonty Baily (10 Bw). Huge thanks go out to Ryan Gowans (10 Bw) who stepped in at the last minute and showed a great deal of effort on the day. Our

HOUSE REPORTS: BRAITHWAITE

2016-2017

Years 8s have had a difficult year but showed true grit and determination in the swimming gala securing 2nd place. The Year 7s have had a very successful year. As already mentioned, they came 2nd in Football with Matthew Brown (7 Bw) taking the Golden Boot (most goals). They also took 2nd in the swimming gala with special mention to Michael Horsfall (7 Bw) who swam particularly well. James Lewis (7 Bw) and Ben Paland (7 Bw) led a strong team in the Hockey securing 2nd place. The Year 7s came into their own in the Summer taking wins (albeit joint) in both the Cricket and the Tennis. In Tennis the doubles team of Cameron McAllister (7 Bw) and Jonathan Cushen (7 Bw) won all of their games and in the Cricket, our top run scorer was Will Perchard (7 Bw) who also took the most wickets; clearly ones to watch in the future! As it stands we are in 4th place in the Blomfield going into Sports Day, an improvement on last year and a solid platform on which to build moving into next year.

2016-2017

With regard to House Charity, this year’s Easter meal was a great success. The staff down at Café Restaurante Italia were fantastic and fed the boys with some delicious pizza (the boys had the full menu to choose from but all but a handful chose pizza, unsurprisingly!). With some incredibly generous donations put towards the raffle and some very enthusiastic participants, the raffles held each night were also a roaring success (especially for Max Tennant (8 Bw)). The event, along with a number of cake sales and other small charity fundraisers throughout the year left us with just over £1,500. A number of boys gave assemblies on various charities in order for us to decide where this money should go. Lysander Mawby (10 Bw) put forward a compelling argument for Sight Savers whilst David Bourne (12 Bw) and Matthew Donaldson (12 Bw) opted for Age Africa. Other presentations included Nathan Le Blanq (12 Bw) with Autism Jersey, Leo Olsson (9 Bw) with Caring Cooks and Calvin de Louche (12 Bw) with Teenage Cancer Trust. However, when it came to the vote, a majority decided that Jonny Heward’s (12 Bw) suggestion of Friends of SCBU was their preferred option with all of the Braithwaite money raised this year going to them. We hope to improve on this next year and will have a similar selection process to decide where the money goes. The House Room has gone from strength to strength this year and has become a welcoming and homely atmosphere regularly enjoyed by a large number of boys at break and lunch. We have had a lot more art work completed by students placed on the walls and, with a very generous donation from the PTA, have purchased a very robust Table Football table to replace the one kindly provided by the parents of Lucas Blampied (8 Bw). We intend to have an inter-house Table Football competition next year so the boys have been honing their skills!

The Falle-McCabe Cup which is awarded for unrecognised contribution to the House goes to Theo Barnes (13 Bw) this year. He was involved in all three of the House Art competitions as well as some of the House Sport. He also showed commitment to his House duties and was always willing to step in when needed. Congratulations! Last year I was asked to add up the House points awarded to all the Yr 13 leavers throughout their time at Victoria College. Freddie Stein came out on top with 211 points just 3 ahead of the House Captain Rueben Gower. Freddie has now very kindly donated a new trophy to Braithwaite called the Stein Cup which goes to the student with the most House Points across all seven years. This year the cup was awarded to Josh Gallichan (13 Bw) with an impressive total of 242 points! Well done! I would like to finish by thanking my dedicated team of tutors, especially Denise Montgomery (13 Bw), Aaron O’Hare (8 Bw) and Andy Royle (9 Bw). They have worked tirelessly this year to ensure the boys are organised and motivated with both their academic work and their extra-curricular activities, I couldn’t have done it without them. I would also like to say a huge thank you to my House Captain, Todd Buesnel (13 Bw), who has been my rock all year. Nothing has been too much for him in terms of organisation. His commitment to Braithwaite, and Victoria College in general, has been second to none. David Bourne (12 Bw) has some very big shoes to fill but I feel confident he will do just that! Concilio et Labore. Tom Smith Braithwaite Housemaster

HOUSE REPORTS: BRAITHWAITE

2016-2017

BRUCE HOUSE REPORT 2016-17

The Bruce Goose flew high and proud this year! With Mr. Crill abandoning his post to take a leisurely 6 month sabbatical out East, it was up to me (Mr. Cox) to pick up the pieces and rally the leaderless group of boys he had left behind. Inexperienced yet eager, I was determined to do my best to support the House and ensure the boys were performing their best both in and out of the classroom and I am happy to report that I believe they did themselves proud. Led by Jack Peggie and a great team of Prefects, the students of Bruce House performed very well across all aspects of college activities. The House Room was a popular new addition to the school system and many boys enjoyed spending breaks and lunches in the room conversing and socialising. The table football table has also been a welcome bonus to the room and many of the boys have enjoyed making use of it. A big thank you to the PTA and to Mr. Smith for arranging for each of the House Rooms to be given a table football table.

HOUSE REPORTS: BRUCE

The Blomfield Trophy was sadly out of grasp again this year, but not down to lack of effort. Throughout the year the boys applied themselves well and ended up with a good set of results across a number of events but it was not enough to prevail. After the dust from Sports Day had settled, the Bruce boys had secured a comfortable 3rd place finish in the Blomfield and after many long years, including a heart breaking end to last year, it was finally time for Diarmid to lift the trophy, a fitting end to a long career as Housemaster for Mr. Picot. While we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t win the Blomfield going in to Sports Day there were still some very impressive results for the Bruce boys including a fantastic first place finish for the Seniors 4x100 relay (Alex Cotton, Ben Blampied, Tom Gallichan and Charlie Livingston) which saw a photo finish between Charlie Livingston and Will Packman with Charlie just edging him out for the win! Charlie also managed a great run in the 400m and secured a first place for that event as well. The Year 8

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4x100 relay team also won their event with a great race by all four competitors! Isaac du Val had an incredible time for the Colts 300m and won the event with a new school record and Charlie Reid broke a school record with a great run in the Year 8 200m. Rob Thomas leaped to glory with a great first place win in the long jump and also threw his way to victory in the shot put as well. Ed Cook displayed some terrific form as he muscled his way to first place in the senior shot put and discus events! Ethan Hilton scored a joint first place in the Year 8 shot put with a great throw and also a first place in the Year 8 javelin with James Cushing nipping at his heals for second place! Alfie Le Cornu ran a tremendous race in the Year 7 100m and came first place and Rob Thomas proved that he is just as good at the field events as he coasted to an easy victory in the Colts 100m with an incredible new school record time of 10.8s!!. Bruce should really be proud of the Sports Day results as everyone’s individual efforts meant that the Goose finished 3rd overall!

Cameron Pirouet who is competing at a very high standard and representing both the Island and the UK at several competitions throughout the year. Our charity efforts this year are also worth mentioning as again the boys have gone above and beyond and raised an incredible amount of money for our two house charities: Jersey Hospice and Cancer Research UK. The House held many events including several cake sales, a Christmas meal, a charity raffle and the 10th Annual Run for Helen from La Frigate to Bel Royal and back. The totals are still being calculated but at the time of writing the total amount raised

House Drama didn’t go our way this year; however, the boys still put in a tremendous amount of work and produced a very entertaining performance. Even when things seemed to be going wrong, the boys managed to spin it around and make light of the situation. While no Bruce students won any individual awards, many were nominated including Charlie Blackwell for best actor, and Oscar Barette and Sam Latham for best supporting actors. House Music, as always, was a fantastic event which saw two evenings of brilliant group performances and individual talents. Bruce secured first place with the junior instrumental soloist as Nic Lawrenson put in a very moving performance with the violin. Our very own Head of House Jack Peggie also managed to screech his way to a first place finish for best senior vocalist and Dan Du Val took home the Robinson Cup for overall best director! With results like that it is hard to believe we only finished 3rd overall! Cross Country was well attended as usual and our eager runners took to the treacherous hills and valleys near Kempt Tower in St. Ouen’s. In spite of a 5th place overall finish some fantastic individual efforts were made by Isaac du Val who finished 1st for the Colts and Jack Peggie sliding into 4th place for the Seniors. Some of the youngsters show some promise for the future as Alfie Le Cornu and Callum Gilmour both finished 6th for Year 7 and 9 races respectively. There are a few more sporting events throughout the year worth mentioning, though some of these events took place when I was still a Diarmid tutor (boo, hiss) so you will have to forgive me for not paying much attention to how Bruce performed. For more details you’ll have to ask Mr. Crill when he eases his way back to work in a few months’ time. Football is always popular at Victoria College and this year the Year 9 Bruce team managed to finish first place! Other years competed well and honourable mention goes to the Year 10 boys who finished in 2nd place. Rugby also attracts a high calibre of performances and this year the Bruce Colts came away with first place!! The Seniors came first in Badminton and second place in the House Cricket. The Bruce House shooting competition is always a favourite and we managed to secure a first place victory as well, in no small part due to

HOUSE REPORTS: BRUCE

this year is over £2,300!!! A massive thank you to all the students, staff, tutors and parents who helped raise such an impressive amount this year. A final thought from me as my first experience as a Housemaster comes to an end. I have met lots of people in Jersey and very often the first question they ask me upon hearing I teach at VCJ is, “what House are you in”? I am always amazed at how these men are still so concerned about how their Houses are doing and how connected they remain to their respective Houses and colours. Being Canadian and experiencing a very different educational structure I have never really understood the House system and therefore I have often had to refer to the works of J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter series to really grasp what it means (actually the series has really helped me explain working in the UK to many of my Canadian friends and family as it is

RUN FOR HELEN The 10th annual Bruce Charity Event, ‘Run for Helen’, took place on a windy Thursday evening this year in memory of our previous Housemaster – Ms. Helen Blake. Thanks to all of your generous support, this event continues to be popular, fun and meaningful. It was attended by 44 students and many more parents, staff, family and friends of Helen. The run from La Frigate to Pizza Quarter and back was won by next year’s Head of Bruce – Laurie Corbel as he just edged out Mr. O’Hare. The Spirit of Bruce award for best dressed was awarded to Blaize Stanley for making his very own Bruce Goose T-Shirt. Many staff took part in the run as well and I am sure the boys appreciated the support from the staff. With the generous donations from students, parents and staff we have raised just over £570! An impressive amount and a great success. I would like to thank everyone for all their support in organising and carrying out such a successful event. May the memory of Helen and what she did for Victoria College remain with us for years to come!

HOUSE REPORTS: BRUCE

2016-2017

a great representation… just without all the magic and owls unfortunately). Working at VCJ for the last 5 years, and working as a Housemaster for the last 6 months, has really showed me how important the House system really is to College life here at VCJ, and why so many OV’s are still so invested with the school. I would also like to send one last big “THANK YOU” as well to all the Prefects and Tutors who supported me and the House throughout! I have really enjoyed my time leading Bruce House, and although in September I will be defecting back to my initial Purple alma mater as the Housemaster of Diarmid (boo, hiss) I will always remember my time spent leading the blues and watching the Goose fly! Nec Pluribus Impar. Mr D Cox Bruce Housemaster

2016-2017

Head of House

Jack Peggie

Colours Awarded

Prefects

Dan du Val

Laurie Corbel

Elliott Simm

William Cook

Will Cook

Daniel du Val

Ed Cook

Archie Hamilton

Harrison Ledo

Austyn Hare

Senior

Cameron Pirouet

Oscar Barette

William Ingle

Will Ingle

Harrison Ledo

Alex Cotton

Jack Peggie

Nathan Thomas

Cameron Pirouet Elliot Simm Nathan Thomas Colts

Xavier Barette Oliver Cook Jack Harben Zaki McGarragle Columba Morling Isaac du Val

Juniors

Nic Lawrenson Joseph Beddoe James Cushing Callum Gilmour Benjamin Godel Frederick Heaven

Satchell Cup

Alex Cotton

Webbe Cup

Alex Cotton

HOUSE REPORTS: BRUCE

2016-2017

DUNLOP HOUSE REPORT 2016-17

Introduction The academic year of 2016-17 has once again provided both pleasant surprises and fun in some key areas along with disappointment in others. The Arts have been at the forefront of Dunlop’s success this year with the sporting aspect of the House struggling to gain a foothold and any momentum. Wins in both House Music and House Art, combined with a 2nd place in House Drama helped to secure a well-earned Landick trophy. Sadly the Blomfield is still out of Dunlop’s grasp. Seniors This year has proved to be a difficult year for our senior boys on the sports field. Their main success materialised in a hard fought 3rd place in the House Hockey competition. Sports Day also revealed some exceptional solo performances from the likes of Ben Smith (2nd in the 1,500m), Harrison Crow

(2nd in the Javelin) and Harry Bannister (3rd in both Shot Put and Discus). The Senior Cross Country also gave the House some exceptional performances with Ben Tait, Cameron Kett and Gus Brewer finishing in 2nd, 9th and 10th respectively. Although success hasn’t been able to be celebrated with silverware and victories for the senior boys this year, they have always placed out full teams with boys competing to the best of their ability and never giving up. The support and House spirit shown by the Senior boys is once again second to none and the passion they possess for the House is apparent in each challenge they take on. This idea of support has now worked its way into the Peer Mentor scheme where I am proud to say Dunlop have an abundance of trained Peer Mentors, all willing to help the younger boys in the House with any areas of school life which they may be finding a challenge. Colts The Colts have had a few areas of success this year, but have also been competing in a very strong field of opponents. The Year 10s managed to finish 1st in both House Football and House Swimming, with the combined Colts team of both Years 9 and 10 finishing 1st in House Badminton and 3rd on Sports Day. Exceptional solo performances this year were had by Will Atkinson (3rd), Toby Treharne (8th) and James Carr (10th) in the School Cross Country; and Max Corbett, Sam Charlton, Tom George, Josh Stuart, Umar Hamid, James Carr, Toby Treharne and Temour Abid for the 4x100m team and the 4x300m team as they all finished 3rd or above.

HOUSE REPORTS: DUNLOP

2016-2017

Juniors The Juniors consist of Years 7 and 8 and this year have had slightly more success as they managed to come 3rd in the Lushington Trophy. Year 8 managed to finish 1st in Hockey, 2nd in Football and Tennis and 3rd in the Cross Country and Cricket. To help with the overall total, the Year 7s also picked up points for their 2nd place finish in the Cross Country and their 3rd place finish in Tennis. Special mentions need to be given to Rusden Merritt who finished 5th for Year 8 and George McAllister and Freddie Lucas who claimed 4th and 5th places for the House Cross Country. On Sports Day exceptional performances were had by George Le Quesne, Jem Gurner, Freddie Lucas, Kane Husbands, Oliver Drieu, Fraser Crow, James Murphy, Leon Pierre and Oscar Williams who all achieved 3rd place or higher in their events.

HOUSE REPORTS: DUNLOP

2016-2017

Awards Dunlop has 2 trophies to award to the boys each year. These are the Louis Seigne (award for excellence in hard work and sport) and the Alistair Vines (award for outstanding contribution to performing arts) trophies. The Alistair Vines trophy was presented to Max Treharne (Year 13) for his constant commitment to House Music throughout his time at Victoria College. The Louis Seigne trophy was presented to Ben Tait (Year 13) for his overall commitment to House Sports and the ethos of the House.

House Drama This Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House Drama performance was of Dorian Gray and was directed by Harry Kenny. His vision of the well-known story placed 2nd overall with exceptional performances from all the boys involved. Charlie Flynn and Tom De La Cour were nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor and Harvey Pallent took the all-important Prize for Best Female Character. This performance set the tone for what would be an exceptional journey to win the Landick. House Music The House Choir was under the direction of Daniel Hayden this year as they performed Stay With Me by Sam Smith. Both evenings housed an excited atmosphere with nerves and comradery being obvious from the very start. The choir managed to perform exceptionally well and took 2nd position. This was supported by some very competent performances and an outstanding surprise performance from Harry Cadby with the Senior Vocal Solo that left us in a very strong position at the end of day one. Day 2 sealed Dunlopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position as Harvey Pallent came first for his Vocal Solo and then performed in the House Ensemble which also claimed the top spot. This competition highlighted the comradery and house spirit which Dunlopians possess and all who were involved should have been incredibly proud of their efforts.

Other awards which were presented this year were the House Colours. These were presented to the following boys for their continuing hard work and achievements of excellence for Dunlop House. Colours Awarded Senior

Gus Brewer William Dryland Oliver Hair Matteo Pallot Ben Tait Max Treharne Oliver Voak James Sinel Daniel Hayden

Juniors

Harrison Caldeira Archie Corbett Fraser Crow Dylan Dunphy Kyle Fernandes Callum Geissmar Jem Gurner Thomas Healey Darius Kayley George Le Quesne Rusden Merritt James Murphy Harvey Pallent Matthew Pierce Moses Sappe Aditya Vanjare Wojtek Wiecek Hendrick Wright

HOUSE REPORTS: DUNLOP

2016-2017

Summary This year has been a successful one with regard to growth as a House. The spirit and community which has shone through in events such as the House Drama, Music and Art is a testament to how the Senior boys have been able to encourage and support the younger members of the House. Once again, the Dunlop Spirit has prevailed through the stress of exams and school life and has allowed the boys to work together to achieve some success. Long may this continue.

House Staff

Mr S Coe Dunlop Housemaster

Year 7

Miss A Munn

Year 8

Miss A Robinson

Year 9

Mr M Smith

Year 10

Mr W Gorman

Year 11

Mr K Baker

Year 12

Mr J Randles

Year 13

Mr M Widdop

Housemaster

Mr S Coe

This year as Housemaster of Dunlop I have needed the help from my tutor staff more than ever. As a team they have once again been exceptional in their roles within the House and their support of the boys in the Form groups. Head of House

Ben Tait

College Prefects

Max Treharne Ollie Hair

House Prefects

Cameron Carnegie Gus Brewer Ollie Voak Nathan Bouten Philip Lombardi James Sinel Matteo Pallot

Thanks must be given to the House Prefect team this year. With the aid of the Year 12 boys, this team of Year 13s has successfully helped carry Dunlop House up through the past three terms to win the Landick Cup for the first time in 12 years.

HOUSE REPORTS: DUNLOP

2016-2017

SARTORIUS HOUSE REPORT 2016-17

I cannot believe another year has passed us by and that I am already writing my third annual Sartorius House Report. With the House Room now a regular part on many Sartorian’s daily routine, I feel I should start by expressing how well the facility is being used by the boys. The new addition of Table Football has certainly added to the noise of things at times but it’s a great way for the boys to relax and have fun together; a big thank you to the PTA for this. The Blomfield Once again the Blomfied has been a tough battle from the offset against Diarmid. We started well with a great result in the Knight Shield. James Dempsey (Y13) replaced Josh Daniels (House Captain and great delegator) and ran a solid race. Supported by Jonty Butler (Y7), Ollie Rothwell (Y8) and Sean Adkin (Y9) there was never any doubt that we would finish on top. Throughout the year, the events have been exciting and often close, with Diarmid and Sartorius battling it out for top spot. In fact we have been chasing them down for the majority of the year. Bruce were up and around the top 2 for a while, however, they have slipped back to their usual mid table position and are likely to stay there. Our current position is largely thanks to our Senior boys once again, with top spots in football, hockey and rugby they have dominated the year. There have been stand out performances from the likes of Jack Burt (aka Young Habin), Josh Daniels, James Dempsey, Ian McCallum and Henry Beirne. Since Year 7, these lads have been an integral part of Sartorius

HOUSE REPORTS: SARTORIUS

winning ways and still tell me they are technically undefeated in football since their time in Prep. They were supported by a very talented Year 12 including Mark Boarer and Charlie Breese. A special mention to Mark who only recently has been selected to tour with Sussex Rugby in South America, a talented all-rounder who I am sure will lead the House’s sporting teams well next year. The Seniors came second in cross country only just behind Diarmid, but some great runs from Daniels, Cawley, Boarer and Dempsey.

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The Year 7’s came in fighting this year (no teeth marks thankfully-just a few scratches) and have dominated in almost every field, winning House Football, Rugby, Badminton, Swimming and Cross Country as well as joint first in House Hockey; they have proved themselves to be excellent sportsmen. Cross Country runners included Jonty Butler, Josh Manti, Charley Yates, George Bridgeford, Sol Silvester, Larry Strong, Dan Daily, Oscar Wynn, Lachlan Ruddy, Sam Hugo and Danny Bush. A special mention to Charley Webster who has appeared in more teams that I can keep count of!

At the top end of the Colts, the Year 10’s have made a better effort than last year with some good team and individual results. Tommy Boarer has pretty much organised every team for the year (and if he hasn’t it will have been Tommy Bowden). The two boys deserve a special mention for the time and effort they have made for the House. Isaac Sanders and Freddie Fillieul made a strong finish in the Cross Country and should be pleased with their overall positions against a tough field. So with all this effort and Sports Day only a few days away I sit here writing my closing Blomfield paragraph about the so close second. If all my Seniors hadn’t “gone on culturally enriching trips across Europe” perhaps Sports Day would have been different; perhaps if the 7’s hadn’t gone out with a weakened Tennis team. But with all these perhaps, maybes and if onlys, it has to be said that I cannot think of a better way for Mr Picot to end his time as the Housemaster of Diarmid. Sartorius students and parents have made a huge effort towards the House sporting events, from sitting in the rain watching football events, to trying to park at Cross Country and I do not think I could have asked for more. So well done to all competitors for a well fought battle.

There are many others who have been involved in a whole host of teams including Sol Silvester, Lachlan Ruddy, Dan Daily, Sam Hugo and Jonty Stratford. There were a number of others who also played a key part in the success of the team so a big thank you to them as well. Year 8 Sartorius have had some tough competition across the year and the boys have done well to keep up with the high levels demanded of them. They took victory in House Tennis, led by Ollie Rothwell who also led the Junior Squash Team to victory as well. Cross Country was a close affair with Ollie Rothwell (2nd overall), George Daniels (9th overall) and James Cannard (3rd Overall) all running really well. Wilfred Kembery missed out on a top 10 finish by only 1 position but also ran a very strong race. A big thanks to all the other runners, who by trying their hardest and making some key passes gave us the overall 2nd position. House Badminton was won with some good tactical thinking and Ollie Rothwell, James Cannard, George Daniels, Shaurya Ahlawat, Ryan Cranie and Ollie Flemmer took overall first. A special mention to the last 4, who won all of their doubles games. Year 9 can be a difficult year for our sportsmen, often finding themselves against stronger and bigger competitors in the Colts category. We did, however, have a good run in a number of the competitions including 2nd in Football, 1st in Swimming and 1st in the Colts Cross Country event. A big well done once again to Sean Adkin, who represented the House at the Knight Shield (1st), Cross Country (6th) and Athletics day. Other sporting stars included Patrick Gouge (cricket) Robbie Forrest and Jamie Hulse, all of whom competed in several areas. A big well done to Jack Allan (Island Games swimmer) who played a key role in the 1st position House Swimming result.

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Landick Competition The Landick has always been a tricky competition, Whilst we have won it a number of times, judging the Arts is a tricky business and well, they often get it wrong! The competition is made up of three main categories, House Art, Drama and Music. Whilst House Art is a comparatively quiet event compared to the others, it does offer the schools (and more importantly Sartorius’) young artists an opportunity to display their talent. This year was no exception with key contributions from JP Le Miere, James Spackman and George Falla- all of whom also helped to set up the display. In the lower year groups, Will Vernon and Oscar Nimmo both produced great work. An overall position of 3rd was deserved but of course a 2nd place would have been a more accurate reflection on the competition. In House Drama, Alex Viney took to his director’s role with great enthusiasm and shaking of fists. He and his fellow cast created a great series of shorts by Harold Pinter. The cast included Tom Carey, Connor Stewart, Henry Beirne, Jack Burt, James Dempsey, Matthew Bowen, Josh Daniels, Jonathan Marett, George Daniels, Theo Millar and Thomas Du Feu. Alex did not disappoint in his traditional cross dressing theme and a whole number of Senior boys took on the role of older ladies! However, for me it was the standout performances from two great actors that stay in my mind, Theo Millar’s performance as well as that of Year 7 Thomas Du Feu were the standouts and whilst the whole cast did a great job, these two stole the show. 3rd overall was a step up from previous years so a small victory, with individual awards to Thomas Du Feu for Best Newcomer and Matthew Bowen for his Best Composition.

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2016-2017

House Music is possibly the best two nights of entertainment in the school calendar, and once again young Sartorius showed their talents on the stage. Matthew Bowen organised the choir and again performed a superb piece on the drums. Matthew was instrumental in the organisation of all of the Music competition areas, supporting younger students during their rehearsals, arranging the choir and with the Senior Ensemble. He is an incredible musician and a great young man whom I hold in high esteem. Well done and thank you for all of your efforts over the years towards the Arts, Matthew; you have been an inspiration to the House and School. In your legacy of course we now have “mini Bowen” who will follow in your steps, I am sure. Performers across the two nights were: Larry Strong- Junior Vocal; Jonathan Marett - Junior instrumental; Morgan Gregory - Senior vocal; Matthew Bowen - Senior Instrumental and Arthur Carey - Colts Instrumental. As always, I was incredibly impressed by all our performers, the courage it takes to go up on stage and perform in front of your peers is something I am unsure I could do. But as with all these events, my favourite memories are always the comradeship between our senior leaders and our junior boys. The older guys organise pizza in the houseroom, teach the youngsters the House Chants and generally make them feel like part of the Sartorius team. With Josh Daniels, Matthew Bowen and James Dempsey in the mix, along with others, they made a great team.

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House Charities This year has seen an addition to our House Charity events, with the House descending on Hamptonne Country Farm to assist with the apple picking event in preparation for the Cider Festival held annually at the farm. If you go this year, the cider will have been made by Sartorians- is there a better excuse to try several large glasses? The boys raised money for the event which went towards our House Charity, SightSavers. Along with the new apple picking event, Ms Videt once again organised the annual House meal. A memorable event for all, the boys had a great night of food and a raffle sitting with their peers. A big thank you to all who donated gifts, bought raffle tickets and made it once again another memorable night. Leavers It was on this night that we said goodbye to a long time Sartorius Staff member and ex Head of House. Mr Hickling has been a pivotal member of the Sartorius team, and has had a huge impact on the House. His final comedy speech at the House meal was, as always, well timed, hilarious and at times confusing. There is not enough space in this section to list all of the things he has done for the House and School, but all who have worked for or with him will, I am sure, be glad that they had the opportunity to do so. Thank you for everything, Mr Hickling.

And so it is time to conclude; to say my final thanks to tutors, students and parents. Thank you for your continued support of the House, and for all those moments that make me so proud to be part of the Sartorius team. I look forward to seeing you all in the next academic year. My biggest thanks must go to my Prefect team; they, led by Josh Daniels, have helped organise teams, complete duties, support school events and generally make my life easier; thanks boys, I am going to miss you. That leaves me with only one young man to thank more fully; Josh Daniels, our leaving Head of House, has had to endure me as both his Housemaster and Design Teacher. He approaches all of life’s challenges with a smile, and his endearing and kind personality makes him a truly great young man. He is, no doubt, what you would call a “model” student. Thank you for everything Josh, especially the giant Colin the Caterpillar. I am sure you will go onto great success in your next stage of Higher Education. Ymdrech a llwyddfa Bradley. Mr K. Akers Sartorius Housemaster

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COMBINED CADET FORCE CONTINGENT COMMANDERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S REPORT ARMY SECTION NAVY SECTION RAF SECTION SHOOTING REVIEW DOUGLAS GENDERS

CCF Senior Cadets for 2017/18 Senior Cadet

Regimental Sergeant Major Harrison Clarke

Royal Navy Section Senior Cadet RN Section 2IC RN Section IC Port Watch IC Starboard Watch

Chief Petty Officer Nathan Le Blancq Petty Officer Thomas Blandin Petty Officer Thomas Carpenter Petty Officer Joseph McComb

Army Section Senior Cadet Army Section IC Army Year 11 IC Army Year 10 IC Year 9 Recruit Troop

Colour Sergeant Thomas Godfrey Sergeant Laurie Corbel Sergeant Jack Scambler Sergeant Pierre Sangan

Royal Air Force Section Senior Cadet RAF Section 2IC RAF Section IC Sentinel Flight IC Typhoon Flight

Flight Sergeant Charles Blackwell Sergeant James Le Cuirot Sergeant Rohit Karajgikar Sergeant Giles Wankling

Shooting Captain Vice-Captain

Petty Officer Thomas De la Cour Sergeant Jack Scambler

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CONTINGENT COMMANDERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S REPORT All good things come to an end, in this case my time as a Cadet Force Adult Volunteer which began in 1989 helping Doctor Hill with his RAF Section and finishing now as Contingent Commander. We are all another year older and if I may say, the CCF another year better and busier than ever. The pages you have read in this issue of the Victorian describe the detail of the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and Shooting Sections of our CCF and as I have said many times before, OVs of all ages can be proud of our College Contingent that has built on their past successes and achievements. Hopefully you will view with the same interest and enthusiasm what the current generation of Cadets have gained from being in the CCF. We received fantastic support this year from Their Excellencies the two Lieutenant-Governors, Sir John McColl and now Sir Stephen Dalton. Likewise the support from our Bailiff, Sir William Bailhache could not be more positive. This year I must thank the Jersey Branch of the Royal Air Forces Association for their extremely generous gift to us of one of the latest Flight Simulators (they also provide flying scholarships and air experience flying for our Cadets). Nothing, though, could happen without the team of Officers and NCOs and my thanks to all of them whose names appear on these pages, particularly Warrant Officer J-P Fidrmuc, our School Staff Instructor (SSI) who keeps the training safe, the wheels turning, the rifles firing, the HQ in good order and who tells me politely what to do on a daily basis. It is with untold pride that I now hand over the baton of Contingent Commander to OV and ex RAF Section Cadet Simon Blackmore as our Contingent enters its 114th year serving the College and the Island. Floreat Collegium Per Ardua Ad Astra Wing Commander David Rotherham RAFVR(T) Contingent Commander

Incoming Contingent Commanderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Report It is my pleasure to write this short report as the newly appointed Contingent Commander from Summer 2017. As an Old Victorian and former RAF Section Cadet, I was humbled to be appointed to this role by the Headmaster. I am greatly conscious of the very big shoes I am filling with the retirement of Wing Commander David Rotherham. David has been an Officer in the Cadet Forces for nearly 30 years and I have been incredibly fortunate to look up to him as a mentor for the past 11 years. I wish to pay credit to his leadership and devotion to the CCF at Victoria College and wish him well in his retirement. Looking forward to the next academic year, we start in September with the usual busy Wings Week that takes place around the Air Display. Once again, in time honoured fashion, we will pledge our support to the Jersey branch of the Royal Air Forces Association and help to raise much needed funds for veterans on Island. RAFA have been incredibly supportive of the CCF by funding a number of Flying Scholarships as well as air experience flying at the Aero Club for our Cadets. In October we will be formally inspected by the Commandant RAF Air Cadets, Air Commodore Dawn McCafferty RAFR. This will be her first formal visit to Jersey and we are greatly looking forward to showing off our thriving and highly regarded Contingent. I look forward to reporting back to you once she has finalised her inspection report. With best wishes, Flight Lieutenant Simon Blackmore RAFVR(T) Contingent Commander Designate

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ARMY SECTION REPORT 2016 - 2017 Army Camp Summer 2016

West Tofts Camp - Stanford Training Area â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Norfolk Activities Week for the Army Section of the Victoria College CCF found the boys and staff heading east to West Tofts Camp in Norfolk. The camp itself was a smaller sized camp and with the number of cadets passing through that week it was always going to be a squeeze. However, even with the shortage of space, the staff at the camp managed to pull off an exceptionally enjoyable week for the boys which was tailored to the different experience levels and abilities which would be present during the stay. The first day consisted of our own training day where the staff and I would have to entertain the boys. A trip to the local Aviation Museum proved to be an educational and interesting day well spent and allowed the boys to rest up after their travels in preparation for the coming week. Aside from a vast selection of aircraft, there were also hangars containing a wide range of artillery and other military vehicles. Well worth the visit. On day 2, the boys were in their MTP and raring to go. This day was a selection of ranges and range based activities focussing predominantly on skills they would need for handling the rifles on the overnight exercise. The stand which really stole the show, for the younger cadets in particular, was the grenade throwing stand. Although it seemed to be more of a filler activity it was highly entertaining to watch the cadets crawl under a cargo net, take cover and then attempt to hit a number of different targets with the dummy grenades. It was much harder than it looked. The next activity was close quarter battle (CQB) range. The boys had to form an extended line patrol towards a series of pop up targets which would in turn spring up at random points. This was to encourage the boys to practice their target identification and give them a go firing blank rounds at an enemy. The final stand of the morning was a talk relating to a multitude of different weapons which the cadets were able to learn about and handle. I think the cadetsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; preferred weapon of choice was the

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Grenade Launcher with the RPG taking a close second. The afternoon of day 2 was based on the range. This provided the boys with the opportunity to practice and hone their marksman skills using live ammo on an official military range. The top shots would be awarded with the chance to use the Light Support Weapon or LSW (a fully automatic version of the L98 cadet rifle). Day 3 was field craft followed by the overnight exercise. The Advanced cadets were split from the Junior cadets and they would go on to the high level stands such as Orders and Section Attacks. Whilst this was taking place the Junior cadets spent their time learning about Survival, Ambushes, Cam and Concealment, and Harbour Areas, with Axe throwing winning the award for their favourite stand of the day. The afternoon and evening was spent setting up bashers and cooking in the field. A bottle of insect repellent later and it was time to settle down for a night under the canopy of the woodland. Day 4 was an early start. The cadets had to clear up camp and prepare to be part of a platoon attack linking with all the other cadets from different schools. The Junior cadets were kept in a support role providing covering fire whilst the Advanced cadets performed a series of section attacks on the enemy positions. All in all it was an incredible exercise which called upon all the knowledge acquired over the previous 2 days. By the 5th day, the fatigue and tiredness were setting in. Luckily for us this was very much a wind down day with the main focus being on clean up and weapon cleaning. Although the camp seemed shorter than usual, it seemed the staff had managed to cram in and provide an incredibly full and tiring set of activities. Once we had finished and departed, the final night was spent in a Premier Inn where, apart from turning up for dinner and the paper plate awards, the boys were silent. I can only assume that they were as tired as I was and that they were grateful for a comfy bed and television.

2016-2017

CCF Adventure Training 2017 After a break of a few years we returned to Dartmoor for this year’s Adventure Training. After an uneventful journey, we moved into our accommodation at Okehampton Training Camp on Friday 31st March. In the afternoon, the cadets went to Castle Drogo and working in pairs took part in an orienteering exercise. This was aimed at improving their navigation skills in preparation for their two day expedition. The evening was spent preparing for this expedition. On Saturday we drove down to Ivybridge to start the trek across the moor. The weather forecast was for showers clearing in the afternoon. The afternoon bit was right, but the showers were more like heavy downpours lasting up to twenty minutes each. On arriving at our overnight campsite in Princetown, we found the field we were to use was more ready for rice planting that putting up tents. However, tents were erected and an evening meal was cooked as the sun made a belated appearance. On the second day the weather was much kinder and the three groups set off northwards to make their way back to Okehampton. The trials of the first day and not the best of night’s sleep meant that progress was slow. All eventually arrived back at camp, most importantly in time for an evening meal.

Our last day saw us drive down into the bowels of Cornwall where we eventually managed to find the “Footsteps of Discovery” bushcraft centre. The boys were taught and then practised survival skills such as lighting fires without matches and building survival shelters. The axe throwing session was a good opportunity to get rid of any pent up aggression. In the resume I asked each student to write up whilst they were waiting for their flight back to Jersey, this day was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the week for many. I would like to finish by thanking the three senior cadets for their support during the trip; James Robinson, Charles Blackmore and Giles Wankling. Also Messrs Coe and Bish deserve thanks for making it all possible. The last person to mention is Matthew Mourant who won the Stockton Compass for being best cadet on the trip. It was a hard choice to make this year; a testament to how well the group came together and the effort and resilience they showed. RLS

On Monday, the cadets spent the morning caving at Pridhamsleigh Cavern, which is just outside Chudleigh, next to the A38. The roar of the traffic was soon replaced by the total silence of the cave. Some had expressed reservations about going underground beforehand, but all those who did seemed to enjoy the experience; even washing themselves and their overalls in the freezing waters of the River Dart afterwards. The afternoon saw us at the Rock Centre in Chudleigh where the boys took part in rock climbing and abseiling. There was even time after all this for a bit of retail therapy at Trago Mills. Vintage OV geographers may well remember this place from A’Level field trips.

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ROYAL NAVY SECTION REPORT 2016-17 After a break of some 8 years from the CCF, it seems strange to sit down and try to summarise a year of change and development within the section. With the departure of Lt Craik and SLt Palfreyman towards the end of last year the section was finding it difficult to recruit someone to keep the section alive. Indeed, at a number of points in 2016 it looked as if the section would close. With the Naval history of Jersey and the strong affiliation of the section to HMS Iron Duke this clearly could not be allowed. It was at that point that I was approached to hold fast for a year and a uniform, which appears to have shrunk a little, was removed from the wardrobe and pressed or should I say “pressed ganged” back into service for my last year at Victoria College. It has been an honour to return to such a strong and forward looking organisation. This brings me to future developments. With the appointment of a new member of staff to the Geography department we now have a new person to oversee our section from 2017. Aaron O’Hare joined the staff last September and within six months had been commissioned and completed his SLt Course at Dartmouth. By the time you will read this he will have completed his Lt Course and duly will be leading the Section from September. Our new Head of History, Miss Kate Mawdsley will also be assisting him and with my departure from Victoria College this summer, I feel the section is in good hands and ready for another exciting year. I must thank the superb support I have experienced from my senior cadets. CPO Alex Brett, CWO Oliver Voak and PO Tom Newman have all given more hours than they should have to the section and have led with dedication and skilful planning; developing the younger recruits into confident and well qualified cadets. Our turn out at events and parades throughout the year has been of the highest standard. On numerous occasions this year, we have been complimented for our standards where the Naval Cadets have been a credit to Victoria College, the Combined Cadet Force and the young people of Jersey. I have revelled in the glory of this but at the heart of everything they must be formally congratulated on their achievements. I have been very proud of them. CWO Voak was also recently awarded a £500 bursary to follow his aspirations of competing in the Hobie Multi-Hull European Sailing Championship in Holland during the summer. With the introduction of our new Recruit Troop in Year 9, 3 of our Year 12 NCO’s have been instrumental in setting the programme of induction to the CCF. PO Jamie Robinson has led this troop with considerable dedication and been ably assisted by LH Denby and Le Blancq. It has been beneficial

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to both cadets and NCO’s to have Naval input to the syllabus which we hope will pay dividends in the future. Shooting within the section is also of note. PO Cameron Pirouet and LH Thomas De La Cour have led the VCJ Shooting Team this year. Their leadership and attention to detail has led to great success both as a team and individually with Cameron aiming for Commonwealth glory in the future and Tom shooting with The Athelings in Canada this summer. My aim this year was to get the cadets away from the classroom environment. As a Naval section water based activities should be at the forefront of our syllabus. Although the winter season makes it more difficult to achieve, we have spent this time developing personal leadership among the cadets, and teaching the theoretical elements of seamanship. One of our major achievements has been building a strong link with the Le Mourier Organisation. CI Malcolm Paris, CI Joe Mourant and latterly Max Denby, all OV’s and having been cadets in the RN Section, now run Le Mourier. Their superb boats and local knowledge have been invaluable and we look forward to further developing our close relationship. All cadets will have gained RYA Powerboat qualifications appropriate to their age by the end of the year. Inter-Section Competition Another consistent performance by the RN section in many aspects of the competition led to healthy rivalry. We had several notable wins including: Gun Pull, .22 Shooting, Cadet Challenge and Orienteering. By the end of the year the InterSection Drill competition saw us in overall 3rd place but so close... only 3 points separated the sections. Lieutenant Governor’s Cadet We must recognise the fantastic achievement of CWO Oliver Voak in his appointment as Jersey’s Lieutenant Governor’s Cadet for 2016-17. Oliver received his award at a reception at Government House, representing Victoria College, the Combined Cadet Force and himself at the highest level. He has been at the forefront of many events and is a credit to the students, the school and his generation. Lt Taylor RNR (CCF)

2016-2017

HMS Iron Duke Affiliated Visit The Royal Navy recently offered a small group of sea, marine and Royal Navy cadets the opportunity to experience life on board an active Royal Navy vessel. The ship in question is Frigate 234; HMS Iron Duke, and is the affiliated ship of Jersey. It is because of this affiliation that HMS Iron Duke is able to regularly visit Jersey, and as such the plan was constructed for a group of 16 cadets, 3 instructors and 1 Officer to make the journey to Portsmouth by way of the Condor overnight ferry, and embark Iron Duke with the intention of sailing back to Sunny Jersey with her crew. Following a fairly rough overnight ferry and a quick change into working rig on Wednesday morning, our group of twenty disembarked Condor and made our way to the Portsmouth naval base: HMS Nelson. After a hearty breakfast and a runthrough of the day’s plans, we began a circuit of Portsmouth’s fantastic Naval museums, ships, and exhibitions. We explored HMS Victory, (Nelson’s famous warship from the battle of Trafalgar) and HMS Warrior; the worlds first “Ironclad” warship which has been newly refurbished and staffed by the Portsmouth museum team. After lunch at HMS Nelson, we experienced a slice of Royal Navy and Royal Marines training at Portsmouth’s public “Battle Stations” facility, and finished off our pub crawl style tour of Portsmouth’s best and brightest attractions with a look inside one of the Royal Navy’s newest destroyers: HMS Diamond. We concluded our day in Portsmouth with a dash back to the Naval base to grab our bags, before finally boarding the focal point of our trip; HMS Iron Duke, and after a greeting from her Captain (Commander Ben Aldous) we watched Portsmouth fade into the distance from her bridge wing.

We awoke bright and early at 0630 on a cold Thursday morning, and after breakfast, our group assembled on the flight deck for a briefing from our on-board sponsor Sub Lieutenant Fisher. What followed was a day packed with tours and demonstrations ranging from damage control training on 1 deck to war scenarios in the operations room. We got to look at every aspect of life on board, including visits to the engineering, logistics, warfare, and medical branch departments. This carried through lunch and towards dinner, when we were supposed to leave the ship for our homes; mother nature however, had other plans. Long story short; due to technical issues on a tug boat we were forced to spend an additional night on-board, which was no hardship at all as Lt Fisher immediately got down to organising entertainment for us: bucket ball on the flight deck. This ball game has been a tradition in the Navy for decades, and actually playing a few matches (refereed by Lt Taylor) on-board an actual Royal Navy vessel has to be my favourite part of the trip. Come Friday morning, a great many people had been working hard to get us off the ship, and disembark we did, just in time for those of us who had duties for Remembrance Day to pick up uniforms dropped off by supportive parents and take the mini-bus to school. Altogether the trip was a great success thanks to the work of Commander Ben Aldous, Lieutenant Fisher, and the rest of the crew, and of course Lieutenant Taylor, Warrant Officer Fidrmuc, and Royal Marine Sergeants Peel and Channing for their respective parts in the organisation of the trip. Leading Cadet Nathan Le Blancq

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RAF SECTION REPORT 2016 - 2017 The past year has been another extremely busy time for the RAF Section. In May 2016 we bade farewell to our Senior Cadet, Cadet Flight Sergeant Alexander Clarke, who had led the Section for the academic year. He finished his term of office by being awarded a place on the International Air Cadet Exchange – a prestigious opportunity which took him all the way to South Korea for ten days. As Senior Cadet for the academic year 2016 - 2017, Cadet Flight Sergeant Jack O’Connell took the reins and has been ably assisted by his 2IC, Cadet Sergeant Andrew Kean with Cadet Sergeants James O’Brien and Ben Wagstaffe as Flight Commanders.

Summer Camp 2016 Summer Camp took place at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland Unfortunately as the Air Force shrinks the opportunity to visit flying stations has reduced. However, this camp was a fantastic opportunity to get ‘up close and personal’ with the Royal Air Force Typhoon fast jet aircraft. The week away comprised the usual visits to a number of Station units, use of the live firing range as well as plenty of time for sports and evening activities, including a night exercise. I use the word ‘night’ tentatively as it didn’t get dark until about 1am due to the station’s location! It was a busy and demanding week but most enjoyable. Summer 2016 Courses After Summer Camp, Cadet Corporals James Le Cuirot and Campbell Warn spent a week at RAF College Cranwell attending the Air Cadet Leadership Course. This prestigious course is probably one of the most demanding a cadet will experience. Its aim is to develop leadership skills through a number of field exercises with an emphasis on physical fitness. Both cadets passed the course and are now entitled to wear the ACLC badge with honour on their brassards.

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Flying Scholarships We were incredibly fortunate to receive four places for cadets on the Air Cadet Pilot Scholarship course at Tayside Aviation, Dundee. Over the summer and autumn period, Cadet Corporals James Le Cuirot, Rohit Karajgikar, Charles Blackwell and Cadet Flight Sergeant Jack O’Connell travelled to Scotland to attend the course. Once again the local branch of the Royal Air Forces Association generously sponsored two of the courses, with the other two sponsored by HQ Air Cadets.

Air Squadron Trophy Competition As in previous years, the Section once again entered a team of 13 cadets into the South West regional competition held at Blandford Camp in January 2017. Following a day of assessment in drill, first aid, command tasks, aircraft recognition, fitness and RAF knowledge, we came third. Consequently we went forward to the national finals at RAF Halton in March 2017. The standards were incredibly high and we ended the day in 11th place. With this placing, the RAF Section ranks amongst the top RAF Sections in the country. Over the past year we have continued our close association with the local Air Training Corps unit by undertaking a number of joint Cadet NCO training days together along with exercises designed to test their leadership skills. It is fantastic to see cadets from the two units working together. My thanks go to our SSI, Warrant Officer Fidrmuc for maintaining this invaluable link between the CCF and the ATC.

2016-2017

CCF NCO Cadre In February 2017 Cadet Aidan Carroll travelled to RAF Henlow to attend a Junior NCO Cadre course. These types of courses have started to appear on the cadet calendar and it was fantastic to see a Year 10 cadet take the opportunity to spend a week at an RAF station learning about leadership and instructing cadets. Chinook Flying In May 2017 we were incredibly fortunate to get the opportunity to fly in a Chinook helicopter. The RAF crews flew 6 sorties which enabled 102 Cadets and staff to fly for about 20 minutes over the Island’s coastlines. This was a fantastic opportunity and really puts the ‘air’ in Air Cadets! Changes to the Air Cadet Organisation You may be aware that the Air Cadet Organisation comprises the CCF (RAF) and Air Training Corps. From 2017 it is to be renamed as RAF Air Cadets. This will mean very little for the cadets themselves, however staff will now be commissioned into the RAF Air Cadets rather than the Volunteer Reserve Training branch. This new military commission, approved by HM The Queen, has been designed specifically to cater for Cadet Force Adult Volunteers. So, in summary, it has been another very busy 12 months! I am indebted to the help and support I receive from Flight Lieutenant Faria, Flying Officer McNally and particularly our SSI, Warrant Officer Fidrmuc. Thank you all. Per Ardua Ad Astra. Flight Lieutenant Simon Blackmore RAFVR(T) Officer Commanding RAF Section

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CCF PARACHUTING Exercise Tiger Eagle 2017

The CCF joined forces with Elizabeth College CCF for our annual Static Line parachuting course during the Easter holidays. This year four boys from Victoria College and two boys from Elizabeth College joined WO Fidrmuc and Flt Lt Inderwick (Elizabeth College CCF). Cadet numbers were slightly down on previous years, although this resulted in the group bonding much quicker, and also made the regular headcounts much faster. In a change to previous years we set sail from the Channel Islands on Saturday evening aboard the overnight Clipper ferry to Portsmouth, with the intention of being able to complete most of the ‘ground school’ during Sunday. The weather on arrival at the Joint Service Parachuting Centre Netheravon was the much sought after glorious sunshine and light winds. Being the first weekend of near perfect weather this year meant every man and his dog (figuratively speaking!) was at the centre and jumping out of planes. Unfortunately for us this meant we were low down the order of priority (given we had all week to jump), however we made the most of the weather and enjoyed the sunshine whilst watching others fall out of planes. During the afternoon we met our instructor for the week Rank Colin ‘Jenks’ Jenkinson, a very experienced parachutist and former member of the Parachute Regiment. Much like WO Fidrmuc, Jenks was a jovial northern type with minimal hair. Once Jenks had completed the introductory briefings and mandatory paperwork we headed off to MOD Boscombe Down for evening meal and to set up home for the week. In the evening we began to work our way through the Band of Brothers box-set, somewhat a tradition on this course now. Weekdays area also busy times at the hanger at Netheravon with a number of regular personnel also completing parachute training of varying level and various groups prepping kit prior to heading off to much sunnier climates to do their training. The advantage of arriving on the Sunday and being a small group meant we kept ahead of the other groups also on Static Line courses. The morning was spent rolling round on the floor, learning how to fall-over (the military have a drill for everything!) and constantly screaming ‘1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, Check Canopy’ whilst trying to quite literally bend

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over backwards. After our delightful MOD-issued packed lunches we continued training and focused on what to do in the very unlikely event of something going wrong. Our vocabulary was also enhanced further by now being asked to repeatedly shout ‘Look, Locate, Cut, Away, Reserve, Arch’ and we learnt how uncomfortable the parachute harness could be if ‘things’ were not correctly positioned. With our practical and written tests completed, we began to look at the weather and although it had been windy during the day it was starting to drop and we grabbed our gear and headed for the departure lounge (a small outdoors pen with benches in it), much to the displeasure of the military static line groups who had to head off for their evening meal. It was at this point the nerves begin to rise and the reality of what the boys had signed up for began to hit them. Once aboard the aircraft we took our allocated seats (on the floor, facing the rear and leaning on whatever or whoever was behind) and headed off skyward and up to 3,500ft. Jenks opened the side door The Guernsey cadets left the aircraft first and Flt Lt Inderwick and LCpl Harrison Clarke followed on the second pass. Unfortunately at this point word came up from the fearsome Chief Instructor Mark on the ground that a couple of jumpers from the first two groups had failed to stay in the correct ‘holding area’ and were now heading off in the direction of Salisbury Plain. Clearly the largest parachute landing site in Europe (it is massive!), was not a big enough target for them. With the instructors not wishing to spend the rest of the evening driving round Salisbury Plain looking for lost cadets, the decision was made to bring the remainder of the group back down, at this point LCpl Laurie ‘always grinning’ Corbel’s chirpy nature returned. As the aircraft came in to land we passed one of the Guernsey cadets near the perimeter of the airfield, followed not long after by LCpl Harrison ‘I was trying to avoid the Control Tower’ Clarke. As is common throughout the military such ability to mess up the drills we had spent all day learning and practising does not go unpunished and resulted in much light-hearted ribbing from those of us whose first jump was from a sum total of 5ft from the side door of the aircraft back to the ground (no parachute needed for that one!).

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As it was now heading on for 7pm we had missed evening meal at Boscombe Down. In the military you have to dine at 5pm whether you are hungry or not. The complaining from the cadets however soon stopped as the minibus pulled up at Burger King. When we returned on Tuesday we began with watching the footage of those who had jumped as filmed by Jenks’ Go-Pro. Tactically the non-jumpers were left in the canteen trying to get on the free wifi, ignorance of what was to come for them clearly the best option. With training records updated with feedback and coaching points, we all regrouped in the hangar for the daily refresher training, including lots of emphasis on how to stay in the designated holding area to ensure a successful landing and therefore much shorter walk back. Thanks to the flexibility of the instructors we were once again able to stay late, after dashing out to Boscombe Down for dinner, and we once again geared up and boarded the aircraft. Nerves were kept in check during the climb to 3,500ft with ‘team Jersey’ singing the Carmen. This time those that had still to jump went first. Cadet Sam ‘fly like a Pigeon’ led the way with a look of what can only be described as terror on his face, but he took to the skies and the rest followed.

All were much more successful landing in the correct place this time, although as last man out, LCpl Harrison ‘I don’t need to PLF’ Clarke came down, he demonstrated to the rest how not to pull off a heavy landing with a shout of ‘any landing you can walk away from’! With a cameraman on the ground we also got some photos of the cadets under canopy and coming in to land, despite the best efforts of leading cadet Joseph ‘no photos’ Wainwright thus far. Wednesday’s weather followed the pattern of the previous two days at the Netheravon vortex where vast amounts of time seemed to be spent looking skyward at cloud under the minimum height or the wind was blowing too hard, usually at the same time. With the weather not due to drop until midafternoon we took the opportunity to visit the Musuem of Army Flying at Middle Wallop and spent lunchtime on the picnic benches watching helicopters fly around. On return to Netheravon the wind had dropped, the cloud had lifted and the military syndicates had started jumping. We quickly geared up and Jenks once again reinforced the holding area and landing pattern to be used once under canopy and we headed skyward.

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With all completing another jump the course drew to a close after our final debriefs. The boys had also managed to organise themselves on one of the previous evening trips to Tesco’s and presented Jenks and the APA team with thank you cards and gifts. Thursday began at a very unsociable o’dark thirty in order to get to Portsmouth so we could spend some more quality time on board the Clipper as it chugged across the Channel. We were lucky enough to get extra time on board thanks to delays caused by technical issues with the freight ferry. Due to these delays and the tides, ‘Team Guernsey’ were able to jump ship first and we waved them off in St Peter Port before finally arriving in St Helier where fond farewells and wishes of ‘have a lovely Easter’ were shared as refreshed-looking parents bundled their loved ones and their luggage into cars. My thanks once again go to all who made this trip possible, with special mention to all in both the APA and JSPC(N) teams for their support throughout, our fantastic instructor Jenks, and Flt Lt Inderwick. The success of any trip is in no small part down to the boys and their attitude, adaptability and positivity throughout, and is what will be ultimately remembered. Using these measures, and given the inordinate number of laughs that were had, this trip has been an absolute success and one of the best I have been involved in so far. Mission Status: All to complete at least one Static Line Jump. Complete! WO Fidrmuc Most Experienced Static Line Student Ever – probably! (4 courses and counting!)

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DOUGLAS GENDERS The shooting story of an Old Victorian whose story mirrors the alternative translation of the College motto: VICTORY LIKES CAREFUL PREPARATION How I got into shooting. I believe shooting is in my genes as on my paternal side of our military family we have traced our ancestors back to the Battle of Waterloo, the Crimean War, and the Sierra Leone Tax wars. My Grandfather fought in the Boer War and in The First World War. My Father was a British Officer in the Indian Army in Burma during the Second World War and my half brother fought in Palestine, Cyprus and Suez. Both of them were officers commissioned out of Sandhurst into the Lincolnshire Regiment. Anyone in the Lincolns was nicknamed a “Poacher” as their Regimental Quick March is taken from the Lincolnshire County song “The Lincolnshire Poacher.” My ancestors on my maternal side include Scottish soldiers of the Neilson Clan who fought in the Peninsular Wars and also against the English with the “Bonny Prince.” My wife’s ancestors include members of The Royal Flying Corps, The Royal Air Force and The Royal Navy. Whilst I was not Jersey-born, my wife’s maternal ancestors were the Jersey Grandin ship building family with yards at Havre Des Pas and on St Aubin’s beach near the old beach swimming pool. I therefore feel more of a Jersey lad than one from England. Jersey was and still is definitely my home, even though I was born in Calcutta in 1940. Our eldest son, Neil, was a boarder in the Old College House and, like father like son, he, too was a member of the College Shooting Team.

I actually started shooting when my Grandfather gave me his very elderly pre-war BSA 177 Airgun in 1948 and he, my father and half-brother taught me to shoot with it on our family farm, “The Priory,” at the head of Bellozanne Valley on Mont Cochon. Where it took me. I joined the Victoria College CCF in 1955 and was selected by Lt Col Bob Eden to shoot with OV D.W. Gregory in the Cadet Pair at Bisley in 1956, the year the College Eight won the Ashburton Shield and the Cottesloe Vase. We practised on Thursday afternoons in the miniature range with the No 8 .22 rifle during the Winter term and on Crabbe Ranges with the no 4 .303 target rifle in the Summer term. We were put through a very rigorous training programme of shooting and competition techniques and the bug of shooting had really got me by the throat! When I failed my first attempt at 8 GCSEs at the College, my Father said, “It’s the Army for you, lad!” and packed me off to Welbeck College. Welbeck is the Army’s Sixth Form College for subsequent entry to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst.

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England Bisley 1972 winners. Douglas Genders - back row fourth from left. At Welbeck, I was appointed captain of their CCF Shooting Team when we won the Cottesloe Vase from the holders, Victoria College! After Welbeck, I applied and was accepted for commissioning training in the Army at The Royal Military College, Sandhurst. I was made the Captain of the Sandhurst Rifle Shooting Team and in 1961, the Team was entered into the premier service rifle team competition of the Army for the Methuen Trophy. That same year, I was commissioned into the Royal Corps of Signals. I joined the Royal Corps of Signals Shooting Team which entered the same competition and won the Methuen Trophy. The Corps Motto, “Certa Ceto,” loosely translated from the Latin as, “Swift And Sure,” is also appropriate as a title to my shooting story. From the very first, my ambitions were to win the Army Championships and become Captain of the Army team with the New FN 7.62mm service rifle. I missed winning The Queen’s Medal by only a couple of points and had to settle for the Bronze Medal. But I did win the Gold Medal in The Imperial Meeting as Captain of the Regular Army Team in the NRA’s Regular and Territorial Army Championships. From there, I was appointed Captain of the Army Rifle Association 7.62mm Target Rifle Team and was then selected for the Great Britain Team. I participated in the “Winnipeg Rifles Centennial Match” and the “Canadian National Rifle Association’s Open Target Rifle Meeting” in Ottawa in 1972; and also in the England National Rifle Target Teams in the Imperial Meeting in Bisley in the Canada and Mackinnon matches.

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Whilst in the Royal Corps of Signals, I was their UK and BAOR Champion at Arms from 1961 to 1974, donating the winner’s Pewter Tankard to the Sergeants’ Mess in the unit in which I was serving at that time. I was also selected to represent the British Army in The Central European NATO Organisation Army team’s service weapon “NISHAN” Championships to shoot against teams from the USA, Turkey and Pakistan in Istanbul in 1973. A Change In Circumstances And Family Fortunes. Regrettably and for very serious family health reasons, I decided to resign from the Army and give up shooting completely in 1978. In 2008, I suffered a major left sided stroke which, in 2011, was followed by the very sad death from cancer of my wife of 48 years. I now live on my own in Bognor Regis and on fine days can be found taking a mile walk along the town’s esplanade. I firmly believe that if it had not been for the stroke, I would still be shooting, perhaps even achieving those which were still open on my ambitions bucket list, but those can only be considered dreams now. I tried to gain a place on the Paralympic shooting squad but, as that involved a move well away from my family who are my carers, I took the idea no further. Achievements. Despite those changes, I cannot grumble as I have enjoyed a long marriage and a very full and successful life both in the Army and in industry and, of course, in my

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chosen sport. I completed a year’s tour in Sarawak during the Malaysian/Indonesian Confrontation operations between 1965 and 1967 and in 1967, I won the NRA’s Public Schools Veterans match, shooting as an Old Victorian. Although I also spent much time sailing in dinghies and on ocean-going service yachts, plus some skiing and teaching my soldiers to take part in both sports and as a qualified Class Three Sport Diver during a tour in Singapore in 1968, shooting was always my first passion. In 1968, I was also Champion at Arms in the Singapore Rifle Club’s Championships. My secrets to success in the sport of shooting. • Having a very clear ambition as to what I wanted to achieve. • Being able to shoot consistent scores every time I shot. • Learning to read the wind. • Reviewing every shoot in which I competed from a very detailed record of the shoot in my score book. • Learning from the mistakes I made so as not to repeat them. • Learning to control stress prior to and during shooting. The key to reducing stress before or during a competition, as I learned from my Service and NRA coaches, is to relax, breathe deeply and to lower one’s pulse rate. All very achievable things to learn under the expert tuition of first class qualified coaches. Throughout your shooting life, compete as often as you can so as to learn to overcome common faults, particularly stress. Principles to follow. Never give in, never give up and always have the confidence and ambition to win. Train yourself to be physically and mentally very fit with plenty of running, swimming and cycling, with lots of drills to strengthen your arms. For example, immediately after completing every shoot, hold the rifle horizontal in both hands in front of you and lift it, still in the horizontal position, above your head in front of you at least twenty times. Strengthen your trigger finger and both hands by squeezing a tennis ball between your index finger and palm at least twenty times a day, as “Fitness and strength in your arms and hands is fundamental to SUCCESSFUL shooting”. There are “shooting” scouts out on the ranges every day looking for young men and women who are achieving consistent results so that they can be brought in to the top club teams and from there into national and international teams. One day that could be you ,

My worst disaster. My worst disaster was breaking my left thumb joint in a caesarean cycling club race along the St Clements coast road. I hit a pedestrian and her pram as she suddenly crossed the road in front of me and I went over the handle bars about three weeks before I was due to shoot with the College Eight at Bisley. Fortunately, I persuaded the doctor to put my hand in a plaster cast in such a way that I could hold the forward rifle stock with my left hand - that year, my score was not the best but it was just acceptable to Bob Eden and CSM “Blanco” Mathews. Although they both had something unrepeatable to say about my stupidity in crashing into a lady pushing a pram!!!!!!!. My number top shooting tips. • Learn to clean, dry and tune your rifle meticulously before and after every shoot, including checking that the back sight is secure. • Learn to gauge the wind from reading both the range flags and watching the mirage through your scope. If possible, spend twenty minutes before you shoot doing just that from behind your firing point to get some idea of how the wind and light conditions are changing, remembering the golden shooter’s ditty - “Light up, sights up. Light down, sights down.” • When you reach the qualifying age, attend the National Rifle Association full and small bore coaching courses, as that will really polish your shooting techniques. • In your shooting career, when you have represented the College in the Imperial Meeting and wish to shoot for Great Britain, or England, apply to join the English Twenty Club at Bisley. But, remember that, as a Jerseyman, once you shoot for England or Great Britain, you may, depending upon current shooting regulations, lose your qualification to represent Jersey for three years. Or, once you shoot for Jersey, you may not be permitted to shoot for England for three years. With my sincere thanks. To Col Bob Eden, Captain Hammond, CSM “Blanco” Mathews, my father, brother and those instructors from the army’s small arms school corps at Sandhurst, all of whom were the best shooting coaches I could ever wished to have had. To them all, I owe my shooting career and the successes it brought to me, to Victoria College and my Island home, Jersey. May the name of Victoria College and Jersey live long in the UK and Commonwealth shooting history and I hope this short history of my shooting successes and tips from years of shooting can motivate members of the CCF squad to do even better in the future. The pride in being able to wear the Great Britain team or Jersey blazer badge and shoulder flash is unbelievable as it really means “ambition achieved.” Good luck and “keep your ammunition dry!” DOUGLAS GENDERS. 1961 TO MARCH 2016.

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THE OLD VICTORIAN ASSOCIATION Golf Stunning weather accompanied the annual Ken Tait Memorial Bowl at Royal Jersey GC on 2 June 2017, contested by 29 OVs. James Singleton took the individual honours with 41 stableford points with the team event being won by Richard Pemberton, Matthew Clarke and James Hibbs (52 points). As ever, thanks go to Michael Tait for organising the event. Next year’s event will be on 7 June 2018, keep your diaries free!

Cricket Rathbones OVs 1st XI won the Premier League T20 championship, having defeated Walkovers in the final to claim their first top division silverware since 2013. The 1st XI have seen strong performances from 19 year old Harry Brooks, who has taken 11 wickets, Skipper Corey Bisson, who has scored 280 runs (avg. 46.67) and Luke Gallichan who has scored 123 runs (avg. 41.00).

Hockey The Old Victorian’s 1st XI (Convicts) entered the season under the new captaincy of Bill Millar after a very successful reign for the past five seasons from Sam Boleat.

London Dinners The London dinner this year will be held at Lord’s Cricket Ground on Friday 24 November; numbers are limited to 60 so please book early by emailing Peter Keylock at keylockp@ hotmail.co.uk. The Jersey dinner will be held in the Great Hall on Thursday 14 December. I encourage all OVs to support these events as they are key to the success of the OVA.

Convicts completed the double by winning both the league and the cup. The Old Victorian’s 2nd XI (Victoriana) completed a memorable season in which they were only beaten twice, each loss coming to talented Victoria College sides; a good sign for the future! An undefeated league campaign led to Victoriana’s first championship in the side’s history, guided by club legend Ian Cuming as Manager and Oliver Hughes as Captain. Unfortunately the side was unable to retain the Minor Cup for a second year, losing in the final minute.

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Squash The College courts are available for use outside of school hours. In order to arrange court time please contact Dave Tupper at davidhtupper@gmail.com. For further information on any OVA activities, please email foundation@vcj.sch.je Nigel Greenwood, OVA President

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OV Bob Le Sueur

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VICTORIA COLLEGE FOUNDATION 2016 was the fourth Founders’ Week and the celebrations were extra special due to our paying tribute to a double commemoration. The first was to those who fell during WW1 including 136 Old Victorians, whose names are listed in the First Book of Remembrance and on the statue of Sir Galahad. Howard Davis was another soldier who died from injuries sustained during the Battle of the Somme so the second tribute was to keep the memory of Howard Davis alive whilst thanking his family for such generous investment in the future of education. Since the Howard Davis Theatre had been dedicated to the memory of Howard Davis, the celebrations began in front of the theatre to re-enact the laying of the Foundation Stone in 1934 by his father TB Davis and mother Margaret. Mrs Lyddell - who came over especially from South Africa for the occasion - performed the role of her great-grandmother with a newly engraved trowel, also presented to her as a keepsake. The Bailiff William Bailhache and Mrs Bailhache then led the guests in a silent walk past Sir Galahad and up to the Great Hall. Another special guest was OV Bob Le Sueur, who at 96, had also been present at the opening of the Howard Davis Hall in 1935 with the Prince of Wales and TB Davis in attendance. The inspirational speakers last year were Edward Devenport,

son of former Headmaster Martyn Devenport, and actor Jonny Labey, who both provided thought-provoking and entertaining speeches. The Bailiff then drew the ceremony to a close with his speech in Commemoration of the Battle of the Somme, as delivered in Howard Davis Park on the 1 July, and he gave thanks to the Davis family for their generosity to the Island of Jersey. The Bailiff also joined the sponsors of The Citizenship and Co-Curricular Awards, Tim Childe from Quilter Cheviot and David Green from Moore Stephens to present the 2016 top awards. Congratulations went to Bradley Rose, Sartorious Year 13, who won the top Citizenship Award and the top Co-Curricular Award for Seniors. He was joined by Tanguy Billet-Masters, Dunlop Year 9, for Colts and Josh Brown, Braithwaite Year 8, for Juniors. Bradley commented, “I am earnestly grateful for the recognition I’ve received for my work because I’m sure that every other nominee for this award was as capable, if not more, of winning it. Winning would not have been possible without the inspiration I’ve received from my teachers, family and friends, from whom I have derived the strength to challenge myself throughout my career at College”. Grateful thanks must be extended to all of our sponsors and Foundation Partners for their continual support in helping The Victoria College Foundation to make a difference through a variety of opportunities: Tim Childe at Quilter Cheviot, David Green at Moore Stephens, Jonathan Giles at Rathbones, Philip Le Cornu at Intertrust, and Matthew Robins at Webreality. After an exciting and very busy 4½ years I must also bid farewell at this point since I shall be leaving the Foundation at the end of the summer term. It has been a privilege to work in a school and I shall be taking away a lot of precious memories. Sara Clews Development Director 2013-2017

Year 11 drama re-enact the Davis story

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TRIPS AND OUTINGS

GREECE The Greece trip once again was a great success… well, nearly. The start of the trip saw nearly 20 students along with the ever enthusiastic Mr Smith and Mr Akers take up the Jersey Departures lounge on the Saturday afternoon, all ready for the flight to London Gatwick and the early (5am) departure to Greece. Unfortunately the plane was discovered to have a problem so despite getting off the Island (a challenge in itself at times) we were stuck at Gatwick, with nowhere to go for the entire Sunday! The boys were great; they behaved amazingly well and despite being camped out in the foyer of Gatwick North for several hours, were a credit to the school. We finally departed at 9pm, arriving in Greece for 2:30am, and the hotel by 3:30 am. By the time everyone was in their rooms and settled, Mr Smith and I hit the hay at a wonderful 4:30am! The following day the entire hotel was slightly subdued and a sleepy introduction to the warm waters and blue skies of Vassiliki followed. The activities put on for the boys by the centre were, as usual, excellent; Stand Up Paddleboarding, Pool Volleyball, Kayaking, Sailing, Windsurfing and Mountain

TRIPS AND OUTINGS

Biking. With all this sport it was a good job there was a full English breakfast with pancakes and fruit every morning. The trip had several key events that everyone will remember; poor old Ed Robins’ nose bleeds became something of a whole hotel conversational point, as did Leo Waddington’s excellent level of effort to build positive relations with other hotel guests. And of course no one will forget the moment where Niam Patel leapt from a 5 meter high inflatable obstacle, over rotated his front flip and belly flopped spectacularly (I’m sure he might like us to). The usual fun and games of paddle board racing, Kayak tugs of war, volleyball and trips to town kept everyone amused and once again the other teenagers of the hotel were welcomed into our group. This year, we had Island windsurfing medallist Henry Horton (Year 10) joining us and he had been positively bouncing with the thought of the arriving thermal winds that come most afternoons. He was quick to jump onto the professional

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kit at the first sign of a breeze and was soon performing one handed manoeuvres, smiling for the cameras and doing “body drags” whenever he thought there may be an audience. Not only did he impress all of the instructors, but the other guests as well. Henry Devenport (Year 7) was lucky enough to spend a night on a boat in the bay; he wasn’t kidnapped by pirates, but rather his parents had chartered a boat in the local area and popped over to say hello. Henry and the other Year 7’s were a great addition to the squad, and for boys of such a young age performed incredibly well with similar kit to those several years older. With all of the boys passing their Level 1 RYA windsurfing certificate (and Henry getting his Advanced certificate) I hope they will have caught the bug and soon be on the waters around the Island. A huge thanks to all the boys who joined us, they were constantly praised by Hotel guests for their maturity and manners. They could not have been better ambassadors for the school. Roll on Greece 2017!

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KRAKOW Last Summer, a number of boys including myself travelled to the culturally rich city of Krakow, famous for medieval architecture, war history, sausage and allegedly being home to the cheapest beer in Europe. However it was not the beer we came for. The primary objective of the trip was to visit holocaust sites including Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Krakow Ghetto. With less cultural and frankly less depressing sounding trips it appeared it was unlikely to go ahead for a fair time. For many, however, the sight of Mr Widdop in shorts was enough to secure some interest. The boys from Years 9 to 12 arrived at the airport looking like an entourage for a low budget episode of An Idiot Abroad with our respective Karl in Dr Roberts. We opened our time in Krakow with a guided tour around the city to see the sites around the main square that may be missed by the casual observer. These included the university buildings, the churches and market. Then came the part we had somewhat been nervously waiting for. We were on a bus driving past what appeared to be some sort of industrial estate when we saw the black gates with the ironic words ‘work sets you free’. Auschwitz-Birkenau is not

something you quickly forget. A surprising thing about visiting is the pure scale of atrocity which makes the experience almost impossible to process at the time. The camp is broken into two parts: the museum educational section built in the old buildings and the miles upon miles of desolate remnants from the camp. It is certainly an experience everybody present will remember. The next days involved visiting the Jewish Ghetto and Jewish quarter (both shooting locations for Schindler’s List), a salt mine as well as various museums. A particularly moving experience was meeting a holocaust survivor in order so she could tell her story to us. Wherever we went, we were reminded of Krakow’s dark but rich history and often there appears to be a conflict between their strong Catholic culture and inaction during the holocaust which has developed a sense of national guilt. Aside from its more dark aspects,Krakow is an incredibly fun city. A strong trade-union movement under Lech Walesa has made it highly progressive as revealed through the busy nightlife, cheap, delicious food and large student population.

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DISNEYLAND PARIS Dumbo. Goofy. Grumpy. Sleepy. Yes, those were the teachers who joined me and Victoria College students on a visit to Disneyland Paris last summer. The five-day French trip began with myself, Mr Baughan, Mr Lau, Ms Bryan, Ms Matthews and 37 Year 8, 9 and 10 students arriving at Jersey Harbour early on the morning of Monday 11th July. From there, in our escorted coach we travelled to St Malo and then on to the remarkable France Miniature. Situated in the Élancourt region, France Miniature is an unusual tourist attraction comprising of small, but incredibly detailed, models of famous French landmarks. The students seemed to find the park particularly fascinating – and, thankfully, we were able to spend three hours there without anyone accidentally knocking over the Eiffel Tower or stepping on the Louvre. There were even a few small rides for us to whizz around on, ahead of our visit to Disneyland Paris. After a delicious meal at Creperie du Marché in Versailles, we made our way to our hotel and straight to bed (both students and teachers were thoroughly exhausted after a long day of travelling). On Tuesday, we woke early and made our way to Disneyland, with our all-important fast-track tickets in hand (no queuing for us!). The rides were the perfect balance of exhilarating and frightening, although the gravity-defying Tower of Terror was perhaps a little more of the latter than the former. Let’s just say, riding on it once was more than enough… The boys especially enjoyed Space Mountain and the Rock n’ Roller Coaster, which featured a surprise appearance by none other than Aerosmith. Well, they do say Disneyland is full of surprises!

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In the evening, we all attended the Buffalo Bill Wild West show, which included dinner and the opportunity to see Mr Lau bravely volunteering to join the cowboys on stage for some gun-slinging action. Wednesday proved to be rather a more cultured day, but one that was no less enjoyable, as we took in the sights, sounds and occasional smells of Paris (the life-size landmarks this time). The day began with an hour-long cruise on the River Seine, before we headed to Place de la Concorde and enjoyed a scenic walk through the gorgeous Tuileries Gardens. After this we spent an afternoon at the Louvre, which was every bit as fascinating as you’d expect (even if the Mona Lisa was about a quarter of the size many of us expected it to be), before a visit to Notre Dame Cathedral and, finally, to the Arc de Triomphe. It was back to Disneyland on Thursday for another actionpacked day of rides and slides – our trusty fast-track tickets once again ensuring we could pack as much House of Mouse themed fun into the day as possible. We spent the majority of the day in Walt Disney Studios and even got to see a high intensity stunt show using an array of cars and motorbikes. Disneyland is so enormous that you can never run out of things to do, and sure enough this second day proved to be just as much fun as the first, even if the children didn’t get to see Mr Lau pretending to be a cowboy this time around. Sadly, it was time to return home on Friday, although not before a few hours of shopping in St Malo ahead of our afternoon departure back to Jersey. The boys were, as always, an absolute pleasure to take away and showed impeccable manners – and it wasn’t only us that thought so. We had appreciative comments about them from the bus driver, the hotel staff, restaurant owners – and even several Disney characters!

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The first day of the trip was I think the longest. We were up early to catch the ferry to St Malo. After we arrived in St.Malo we quickly got onto our coach on our way to France Miniature. When we arrived at France Miniature we had plenty of time to explore what was on offer; there were miniature versions of France’s most famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. After this we again got on the coach as we made our way to a creperie just around the corner from the Palace of Versailles for dinner. Once again we got back on the coach to make our final trip of the day to the hotel. On the second day we had an early start as today was our first day in Disneyland. Once we finished breakfast we boarded the coach for the 30 minute drive to Disney. When we arrived at the park we had a quick meeting about rules then we set off into the Disneyland park. The best part of the first day in the park for me was the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, I thought it was great fun. After we left the park we went to the Buffalo Bill’s Cowboy Show for dinner. It was a great way to finish what had been a brilliant first full day. On the third day we couldn’t wait to go to Paris. When we arrived in Paris we went on a boat tour of Paris on the River Seine followed by a 360 view of Paris from the Tour Montparnasse, the views were amazing. Now we travelled to the Louvre Museum where we saw the famous Mona Lisa, we then had a brief visit to Notre Dame cathedral before we went to the Arc de Triomphe. When we arrived, we went through the tunnel under the road to get to the Arc. Before we walked 285 steps to the top, we had an opportunity to look around the memorial. This was made even more amazing as it was the day before Bastille Day, this meant there was a massive tricolour hanging from the centre of the monument and

when we looked down the Champs Elyssée the streets were decorated with the French national colours in preparation for the events of the next day. When we scaled the Arc we again had 360° views of the city. We walked back down the tight spiral staircase then went to dinner just around the corner. After dinner we were given about 45 minutes free time to explore the Champs Elysées; one of the biggest shopping streets in the world and one of the most iconic aswell. By the time we had finished exploring it was time to go back to the hotel. On the next morning we were again excited as we were going back to Disneyland, but this time we were going to the Walt Disney studios park. Once we were again told the rules we entered the park. Personally I loved the Ratatouille ride as it was so immersive. After we left the park we went to visit Ludwig’s restaurant in Disney village, a great medieval themed restaurant. Now we were told as it was our last night in Disneyland we were allowed to go into both parks for another 2 hours, this was a great way to end our time in Disneyland. This now was our final day, after packing our bags and having breakfast we made our way to the coach for our final journey; a 4 and a half hour drive to St Malo. When we finally got off the coach we had an hour to spare in the town, so we took the opportunity to go get last minute souvenirs and ice cream. Lastly we made our way to the port to board the ferry back to Jersey. Overall I thought it was an amazing and fun trip for everyone who went on it and I would recommend it for anyone who was thinking of going. Charles Baird, 9D

TRIPS AND OUTINGS

2016-2017

MADRID TRIP The trip to Madrid, Spain was a great success last year with 24 boys from Years 8, 9 and 10 spending 5 days in the Spanish capital sampling the sights, food and cultural hot spots the city had to offer. On our first full day, we explored the world-famous Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, home base for the city’s Real Madrid football club. Stopping by the presidential box, the team’s impressive trophy room and going inside the very changing rooms used by the galatico players. There was an impressive museum inside the stadium that had fantastic interactive videos. Later that afternoon, we enjoyed an alternative sightseeing experience of Madrid on a sleek, self-balancing Segway with a 2 hour tour of the captivating Spanish capital. We glided through the vibrant streets of the city past some of the most iconic landmarks: the Royal Palace, Plaza de Mayor and the Templo de Debod.

Day 2 and after a Spanish breakfast at the hotel, the boys headed into the centre of Madrid and split into teams to do a Scavenger Hunt. The boys tested their Spanish skills by having to ask locals and read clues to complete the challenges. Later, after stopping for supplies and souvenirs, we headed to Retiro Park for a picnic and played some football and ultimate frisbee. The day was topped off with a ride in the cable car (“el Teleférico”) that took us over the River Manzanares and into the Casa de Campo park. On the last day we cooled off with a day trip to the local waterpark “Aquapolis”. While the brave ones in the group when down the Kamikaze ride, the faint hearted enjoyed a siesta in the Spanish heat as they went around the Lazy River. I would like to give a big thank you to all the boys who came on the trip and to Mr. Webbe, Mr. Habin and Mr. Grogan for making the trip a memorable one. Mr. Franco

TRIPS AND OUTINGS

2016-2017

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2016-2017

MUSIC DEPARTMENT NEWS The Autumn Term has seen the Music Department go from strength to strength. Along with the refurbishment of the building during the summer a few new opportunities have been made available to the pupils. Two of these are the Trad Jazz group and the Rock School, both of which were received incredibly well in the Christmas Concert. Organ lessons and piano lessons are also now included in the extra-curricular programme. There is “buzz” of activity in the department as the building has become a hub for those with musical interest and passion. Chris George has worked wonders with the pupils with his enthusiasm for Classical Music and this has shone through as the Sinfonia has enjoyed a large intake of younger boys this year, all eager to learn and develop their skills. Events supported by the Music Department this term consist of Founders’ Week, Armistice Day, the Christmas Concert, Bugsy Malone, and the Carol Service. The Christmas Concert was an excellent showcase for the instrumental and vocal soloists who have not had a platform away from House Music to perform in public before. The

MUSIC

range of ages, talents, and abilities were all displayed and this was a clear demonstration of how practice and hard work can pay off. The vocal aspect of the Music Department continues to grow as there have been collaborations between Cambiata, Victoria College Prep and Voce Victoria. This has been a valuable experience for the younger vocalists who will be going to Bath to compete in the Mid-Somerset Music Festival, all hoping to bring back some silverware. The Summer Concert was a terrific success with the Rock School, Sinfonia, The Big Band Theory, Junior Brass Ensemble, Cambiata, Voce Victoria and countless solos showcasing the musical talent across the year groups at College. There was a real atmosphere of enthusiasm and energy for Music, with the emphasis being on enjoyment. Performing can be a terrifying concept for many, and one of the barriers that I set about breaking this year was helping students find their feet as musicians in front of a supportive audience of parents, staff and students. Many thanks to the PTA for their continued support of the Music department at Victoria College.

2016-2017

Success at Jersey Young Musician of the Year Heats 2017 Three students from Year 7 have won their respective Heats in the Junior Young Musician of the Year Competition and will be awarded with a trophy at the Opera House on the night of the Final. These students are: • Jonathan Cushen • Matthew Brown • Nic Lawrenson

7BW 7BW 7BU

Brass section Piano section String section

For the senior section of the competition, Daniel Hayden and Matthew Bowen have successfully gone through to the final having won their respective Heats for Woodwind and Percussion. Matthew Bowen has also recently passed Grade 8 Percussion with a distinction. Many congratulations to these exceptional students on their success.

Victoria College Rocks This year saw the first annual Rock Concert at Victoria College. The night demonstrated the excellent work of students committed to the art of rock, and provided them with an opportunity to showcase their skills in front of a supportive audience of parents and friends. The Rock School is run by our resident Drum Tutor, Sam Willcocks. Please email s.humphries@vcj.sch.je if your son would like to enquire about drum lessons.

The Victoria College Academy Sinfonia Orchestra This week marked the first rehearsal for the newly formed Sinfonia Orchestra in the rebranded Music School. Directed by OV Christopher George, Sinfonia spent the first rehearsal exploring the concept of a graphic score and learning to develop their understanding of timbre. The rehearsal attracted an impressive number of students, which bodes extremely well for the future of Music at Victoria College. In order to support the chosen repertoire for the orchestra, the Sinfonia will be invited on a day-trip to the Royal Festival Hall in London to hear the Philharmonic Orchestra perform Holst’s ‘The Planets’, a suite that they will be rehearsing during the Autumn term.

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2016-2017

HOUSE MUSIC COMPETITION

For many, the highlight of the academic year is the annual House Music Competition, and this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s was no exception. There was a minor change to the rules in order to make it easier for the Music Captains to plan and rehearse their students to the best of their ability. For example, choirs were capped at 34 enabling Music Captains to audition and select their choir members according to vocal prowess. This small tweak to the rules improved the quality of the music and gave the Music Captains more scope to experiment with texture, dynamics, harmony and structure. With the standard of music immediately raised, the audience enjoyed a much more nail biting competition which placed the adjudicators in an even more difficult predicament as Mim Filmore and Chris George (OV) deliberated over the finer details to determine the winning choir, which was Dunlop. All Music Captains did a fantastic job of selecting and arranging the music, rehearsing the choirs and presenting the audience with five incredibly polished performances showcasing the outstanding musical talent we have at Victoria College.

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The tremendous sense of team spirit reverberated around the portrait laden walls of the Great Hall, and with banners held high, each House competitively fought for victory. The humbling nature of seeing students chanting their House ditties before dropping to perfect silence ahead of the vocal and instrumental solos is an extremely unique experience, and one which embodies the whole ethos of Victoria College, which is to see students succeed and flourish. The House Captains did an incredibly professional job of organising and running the event, with over ÂŁ400 being raised for Barnardos Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Charity. This year, the Robinson Cup for the highest overall contribution went to Daniel du Val, while Dunlop scooped the trophy for the overall winning House. Stephanie Humphries Director Of Music.

2016-2017

THE SIXTH FORM STUDENTS WHO TOOK CHARGE OF THE HOUSE MUSIC THIS YEAR CREATED ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE INCARNATIONS OF THE EVENT THAT THE GREAT HALL HAS HOSTED. FOR MEMBERS OF THE UPPER SIXTH, HOUSE MUSIC IS PART OF THE REALISATION THAT THEIR DAYS AT COLLEGE ARE NOW NUMBERED. However it is also an exciting prospect that it is their time to lead after many years. Sixth form boys such as Matt Bowen, Lawrence Lees-Baker, Todd Buesnel and many more have done their time. They’ve sung in choirs, played solos and ensembles but this year it was their time in charge and by no means did they disappoint. However there are so many more behind the scenes. There are a hard-core of students who have been involved, despite a lack of any music ability, since Year 7 and you notice them more in their final year.

They chant as hard as they can, they support as much as they can and they turn up purely because no event comes close in terms of talent and House spirit. Their enjoyment of the event, the energy that they give through their inspiration of the younger students to perform, their initiation of the chants and the fancy dress all come to define the event for generations to come. At the same time, their enthusiasm for the event and their loyalty to their respective Houses also marks the end of many years of enjoyment and the slightly sad realisation that the next time they come to the competition, they’ll be sitting at the back of the Hall rather than in the action. One only has to see the joy on the faces of the Dunlop boys to understand how much this competition means. Respect: we have noted in previous years the way that the

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shared singing of the College Carmen at this event really emphasises the sense of unity and identity that the House system gives Victoria College. What stood out this year was the respect the students showed one another. In the midst of all the ‘banter’ and inter House chants was the respectful silence that punctuated each performance. The energy of each applause is in part attributable to the desire to cheer on one’s own House, but it seemed apparent that every boy who stood on stage had the support of every single student, regardless of House. It is not just music for the boys; it is trying to order thirty pizzas to arrive in half an hour, it’s writing chants with their friends in free periods, it’s spending hours in practice rooms every week for six weeks to sing on stage for what may be the only time in their life. After the Sixth Form jam has played and the results are read, the boys walk into town with mixed feelings as they know this will be their last time at a truly special event.

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My House Music Experience My Name is Harry Cadby and I performed in the Senior Vocal Solo section of Victoria College’s annual House Music competition. I first decided to go for the vocal solo as I started to realise that due to being in Year 12, this would be one of my last House Music events, and I thought i’d give it a shot to try and challenge myself and make the last few years of school memorable for me. Despite this decision, I still had to make it past the audition stage to be able to perform in the event. I first started to play the guitar when I was a kid. I stopped guitar lessons when I was around 13 after learning the basics as I decided I didn’t want to do graded exams, so I have been playing intermittently by myself and teaching myself for the last few years, along with doing some occasional singing at my drama company. This, along with support from my housemates, motivated me to audition for the senior vocal solo, and influenced my choice of song to perform. The song I decided to perform was by Leon Bridges. Leon Bridges is a rising soul/blues artist, although his music sounds far from modern, sounding as if it were straight from the 1950’s/1960’s era. This is partly what attracted me to the song, as I prefer music from this classic era compared to modern music, and whilst not being music of this classic era, the sound of Leon Bridges’ work is indistinguishable from it. Influenced by greats such as Sam Cooke, Leon Bridges grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, and became recognised simply by performing some of his songs at the local cafe he used to wait tables at. One song of his which got him recognised and particularly stood out for me, and which I picked for my solo was ‘River’; a song about a man who has sinned, trying to find forgiveness in God. This song appealed to me, as along with suiting my taste in music, it had just a guitar backing and vocals. This was perfect for the senior vocal solo, as I didn’t have to try and edit the song to suit the performance; it was already stripped back to a raw, soulful piece with just two components. After learning the guitar instrumental backing and song lyrics, I went along to the rehearsals unsure of what to expect. I performed my piece along with the other auditionees, and it

MUSIC

2016-2017

was to be decided who would get the solo over the weekend. I was delighted in knowing I managed to get the solo, and spent the weeks in the lead up to House Music trying to improve my piece. In the days leading up to House Music, I was extremely nervous to perform as I had never done the senior vocal solo before, but the support from my housemates helped me stay focused and encouraged me not to worry. The atmosphere on the night was electric, with chanting and singing from all houses, but still having the utmost respect for the performers, keeping silent when they perform their pieces and giving a round of applause when they were finished. The practice paid off on the night, as the feeling of performing my song in the competition was astounding, along with the support I received after I finished my piece that all the students gave me regardless of their house. Despite not even thinking I would perform a solo in this year’s House Music, I ended up doing so in the Senior Vocal Solo section, along with partaking in the House Choir and House Ensemble. I am extremely glad I chose to perform, as despite the nerves and worry I initially felt before performing, the feeling of accomplishment and delight I felt after I performed outweighed my previous feelings of worry tenfold. I am glad I managed to support my House and help towards our first place position, and will look back on the House Music event favourably for years to come. From an organisational viewpoint, the competition is prominent on the agenda of both Housemasters and pupils but I would especially like to thank Mr and Mrs Taylor, Mr McNally and of course our Director of Music Miss Humphries, for their dedicated work over the weeks in the buildup to House Music. House events like these are extremely enjoyable and beneficial for the school, as it allows people from Year 7 all the way up to Year 13 to work together and bond, bringing the House closer together, improving morale and raising House spirit. The event also raises money for an extremely good cause, Barnardo’s Jersey, and I am proud to have been taking part in an event for such a good cause. Harry Cadby

House Music Raises Money for Barnardos Charity Victoria College students raised £422.12 for Barnardos Charity at their annual House Music Competition at Victoria College. The event is an opportunity for boys to arrange, compose and rehearse choirs, soloists and ensembles for a two night Music Competition adjudicated by music specialists. The competition is run entirely by the Music Captains and showcases an extremely high standard of music across the College. The level of support, dedication and planning required from the boys is immense, and has to fit in alongside their A level studies. It is an excellent celebration of the strong community at Victoria College, and brings together musicians from all genres in front of a packed hall.

2016-2017

SPORT

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2016-2017

THE SPORTING YEAR THE LATEST SPORTING YEAR HAS ONCE AGAIN BEEN A SUCCESSFUL ONE AND IT IS ALWAYS GOOD TO BE ABLE TO LOOK BACK WITH A GREAT DEAL OF PRIDE ON THE SUCCESSES OUR BOYS HAVE ACHIEVED, BUT ALSO THE HUGE NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT MY DEPARTMENT HAVE WILLINGLY OFFERED COLLEGE BOYS.

Our athletes retained the Boys School Cup titles in boy Junior and Senior competitions and we had a number of multi-title winners at the individual championships, including Antoine Chesney and Andrew Gatehouse. We also beat Elizabeth College in the annual Hutchence Cup competition with Charlie Livingston being outstanding.

It is sometimes easy to forget just how much time and effort our boys put into College sports teams over the course of their time with us here. A great deal of that commitment is put into time outside of lessons, most notably after school and on Saturdays. While our boys are lucky to have the opportunities we can afford them, they do give so much back in terms of effort and commitment and ultimately that is what makes all the hard work worth it.

Our golfers retained the Boomer Trophy in the annual match with Elizabeth College and a number of College pupils excelled at the Public Schools Fencing competition. The following College boys were selected in the Jersey Island Games team:

Our 1st XI footballers regained the Channel Island U18 league title after missing out in 2016 and also enjoyed a very successful tour of the UK which yielded wins over Eton and Charterhouse. Elsewhere the Year 10, Year 9B, Year 8A and B and Year 7B teams were all crowned JSSSA champions while Year 11 finished runners up having unfortunately seen their cup final with Le Rocquier clash with the 1st XI tour, depriving them of 4 key players. In hockey, the Colts and 2nd XI had very strong seasons, finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively in the Division 2 league table. The 2nd XI then went on to win the Minor Cup final, beating the Old Victorians in a pulsating final under the floodlights at Les Quennevais. The 1st XI found defending their 2016 Senior cup success a little harder, although captain Ben Tait was outstanding throughout a season that saw a number of very good team performances. Playing in the Division 1 men’s league is a hard task and the games are often very physical, but each week our boys stand up to the challenge really well and over the course of the year the team play in excess of 20 1st XI matches. In rugby, the U16 side won the Lord Jersey Cup and Year 8 and 9 also won their JSSSA competitions. Our U18 7’s side also won Victoria College 7’s tournament for the first time. In cricket, there was a first 1st XI hundred for Jonny Heward against tourists Reigate Priory CC. David Bourne had an excellent season with the bat scoring over 500 runs and the future is clearly very bright given that 3 U14 boys made it into the team this year, Josh Lawrenson, Dylan Kotedia and Patrick Gouge. Lawrenson scored a brilliant hundred for his age group side against Bilton Grange and also captained Jersey U15’S throughout the season. Old Boy Jonty Jenner made his debut for Sussex CCC, making 67 in his first innings against South Africa A. Jenner also scored a hundred for the MCC against the 1st XI earlier in the year and was a substitute fielder for England vs South Africa.

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Y8 Y9 Y10 Y10 Y10 Y10 Y11 Y12

Anushan Elanco Isaac MacIntosh Luke Millar Will Hodgson Cameron Polak Isaac Du Val Luc Mont-Petit Le Brun Charlie Rive

(gymnastics) (gymnastics) (table tennis) (swimming) (swimming) (athletics) (cycling) (athletics)

As ever, we are sad to say goodbye to so many talented young men who leave us at the end of Year 13 to start the next stage in their lives. Ben Tait has been an outstanding servant to College sport, captaining both the 1st XI hockey and cricket teams in his final year. James Dempsey has been a superb all-rounder, playing first team football, rugby and cricket. Josh Daniels has been a brilliant football player and athlete and was always pretty useful with a hockey stick whenever asked to help out. Jack Burt has been a brilliant Sports Prefect over the last 12 months as well as captaining the 1st XI football team and playing his role in the 2nd XI hockey and cricket teams. Nathan Thomas has achieved national success as an athlete and was always a strong performer on the rugby pitch. They, like so many others, will be missed in the future, but I would like to thank them all for their efforts and wish them all the best with their future sporting endeavours. As ever, the Blomfield has given many boys the chance to play competitive sport and at the time of writing it looks like going down to the wire with Sartorius and Diarmid fighting it out for the big prize. Finally, my thanks to a brilliant and extremely hard working PE department. Their time, commitment and expertise enable sport to thrive at this College. I would also like to thank Mr Webbe, Mr McNally, Mr Coe and Mr Franco for their help in running clubs and teams throughout the year. Without them being willing to offer their time, we would not be able to offer the wide range of opportunities that we currently do. Best wishes, Mr M Smith, Director of Sport

2016-2017

TENNIS St Michael’s won the Morgan Trophy for the first time in 6 years with a good team with strength in depth. A valiant effort from a mostly Year 7 Victoria College team was eventually overpowered, uncharacteristically going down 3-5 in rubbers that went to a final game. (The last two matches in 2015 & 2016 have been decided in VCJs favour by this statistic). A big thanks to Ollie Rothwell (who receives his Tennis Colours), Nem Jevtic & Oli Flemmer who have played all four fixtures in the last two years with some good results along the way. The future looks good for re-capturing the trophy next year with a strong Year 7 cohort gaining experience this year; bring on 2018! VCJ still lead the 11 year series 6-5.

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2016-2017

RUGBY

THE LORD JERSEY RUGBY TOURNAMENT 2017 saw the tenth edition of the annual Lord Jersey Cup tournament and the boys were eager to retain the silverware following last year’s triumph. Our team, with an abundance of players from the Jersey Rugby Club, were feeling confident. Yet, the combination of Victoria College’s impressive tournament history (having won the cup four times previously), in addition to the ‘favourites’ tag that we had picked up as a result of an unbeaten season in the run up to the tournament, created a feeling of pressure and expectation. The previous tournament format, which involved group stages, a semi-final and a final, had been replaced this year by an entirely new one. This year we simply played a round robin, involving four teams: Victoria College, Les Quennevais, Hautlieu and a Guernsey Combined Schools side. Les Quennevais was our first opponent. An undeniably strong side, containing a number of Island and county players, the boys were under no impression it was going to be a walkover. The task at hand was made increasingly difficult as multiple Year 11 players, myself included, had to remain in school to complete our GCSE sports studies assessment, meaning we would miss our first game. Despite this, the team secured a 21-7 victory; a score-line testament to the strength in depth of our squad and one that bodes well for next year’s tournament. Following a quick warm up, myself and the other Year 11 boys joined the rest of the squad to face Hautlieu. A resilient Hautlieu outfit made it difficult for us to get any points on

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the board in the opening minutes. However, some dancing feet from Ben Smith opened the scoring shortly before halftime. The second half allowed us to exploit a tiring Hautlieu defence and add two more tries. The physical encounter was ended prematurely following a string of injuries to the Hautlieu side and we had scored a 17-0 victory; a result that instilled confidence in the team prior to the tournament decider with the Combined Guernsey Schools side. A break in the fixtures allowed us some time to recuperate before what was essentially a final. Confident in our superior skill set and fitness, the game plan from the off was to spread the ball wide. Naturally, this approach places a huge emphasis on the distribution of the ball. Which, from his position of scrum half, Tommy Boarer did excellently; earning himself the Man of The Tournament award. This enabled our outside backs to attack the space in a tiresome Guernsey defence. Tries from Angus Hay, Fergus Ludlam, Tommy Boarer and two from Rob Thomas, in addition to an impressive five out of seven conversions from Max Harington saw Victoria College run away with a 49-0 victory. The game was most certainly the highlight of our tournament and perhaps the best we had played all season. Many thanks to Mr Coe and Mr Picot for a great season of Rugby. Harry Bannister

2016-2017

LORD JERSEY The Lord Jersey Rugby Cup was founded because of my desire to emulate my great-great uncle Arthur Villiers. Arthur was one of a handful of wealthy individuals who founded The Eton Manor Club. Although the club is no more, elements of it remain (the Eton Manor Rugby Club for example) and it was meeting the surviving members of the club that inspired me to start doing more in terms of sport for the Island. Along with the RDO at the time, Mark White, I searched for format for a schools rugby cup. The age group of U16 was suggested as that is traditionally when boys drop out from rugby due to exams or other pursuits and the cup might encourage them to remain playing. The cup started as a straight group qualifier into a cup or plate run. Over time and in line with continuum thinking, the format was slightly changed; to allow schools with less rugby on their curriculum to still play as a combined schools team and to have a fairer chance of winning a major prize in the plate format. The cup format was also altered so that stronger teams faced each other and has provided some excellent rugby.

Initially I invited notaries from the world of Rugby over to present the cup and give a talk at a dinner in the evening. Soon, however, I realised that the expenditure on this was better placed funding the cup itself. Every year, I pay for the food at the end of the tournament for the boys but more importantly I pay for vouchers, along with Under Armour who are kindly sponsoring some of the vouchers. This has meant that, to date, I’m proud to say that I’ve contributed £90,000 to the development and enjoyment of rugby in Island schools. Although the cup itself was simply bought (with the addition of my family crest), I wanted something serious, and imposing; something that schools would be pleased and honoured to have in their trophy cabinet. I wanted that because to me this competition is serious in its endeavours to support rugby in schools, and I’m incredibly honoured that so many of the competing players take it as such. Congratulations to Victoria College for winning the cup in 2017. Lord Jersey

It has been my delight to watch every single year of the cup since its inception in 2008. At no point have I seen the enthusiasm and pride drop and each year I’m encouraged by the standard on display.

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SENIOR RUGBY

2016-2017

was closer than it should have been. During the second half Elizabeth College were able to show why they were such a threat as they crossed the line to put them back in the game. However powerful running, aggressive defence and true champagne rugby shone through from Victoria College and the team pulled away to claim the win. The end results meant that Victoria A finished first and Victoria B finished third due to points difference, thus providing a perfect end to what was a very good season.

Victoria College fielded one of its strongest senior rugby teams in recent years. Although the 15-a-side rugby season was cut short due to a lack of competition, the 7-a-side circuit has started to develop. With victories in both disciplines during the rugby season, the Victoria College boys appeared to be on track to win their own tournament at the end of the Spring Term. 2 teams were fielded for the tournament in which all teams would play one another with the winner being decided by points. The tournament consisted of Hautlieu, Highlands, Victoria A, Victoria B, The Jersey Pups, and Elizabeth College. With the weather lending itself perfectly to the expansive game of 7s, the boys were able to play at a fast pace and use all the space of the pitch.

U18 RUGBY SEVENS TOURNAMENT

Victoria A started with a game against Hautlieu which looked to be over by half time in the Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favour. However the second half led to a comeback from Hautlieu which made for a much closer game. This hunger to fight back was seen throughout the tournament by all the teams and this resulted in a few surprise results. The Victoria A team eventually found their stride and with the help of some exceptional play from players such as Mark Boarer, the boys appeared to be unstoppable. Victoria B were also having a successful campaign. They were able to beat the Jersey Pups and Highlands but struggled against Elizabeth College who proved to be too strong.

Their second game was against Victoria College B. Again Vic A dominated the game, holding the ball as much as they could and again scoring heavily. Vic B made some brilliant tackles and had some good passages of play but were unable to turn possession into points. Vic A went on to win 35-5.

The final game of the tournament also happened to be the decider. Victoria A played Elizabeth College for 1st place and from previous scores the game could have gone either way. However, with the likes of Nathan Thomas providing the muscle and James Dempsey providing the flare, the Elizabeth boys were starved of the ball for the first half. Sadly, failure to capitalise on opportunities meant the half time score

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On the 13th March 2017 Victoria College hosted the annual Rugby 7s tournament, and their A team set out to win the trophy for the second year in a row. The day started off with Vic A vs Hautlieu. Vic A passed the ball wide at all times to find space and score. Hautlieu were stuggling with the tackles as the Victoria College team stormed through their defence again and again, eventually winning 45-7. A number of classes had been allowed out for the final lesson of the day to watch and there was already a sense of excitement after such a strong performance.

Highlands College were thought to provide tough competition, but having lost their first two games they did not start confidently, Vic A eventually winning 45-0. The final match for Vic A was against Elizabeth College, both sides featuring players from the Lord Jersey Rugby Tournament final the year before. The game had a fairly tense start, with possession being exchanged a number of times before the first try was scored. As the game developed though Victoria College A found their way through the Elizabeth defence to score five tries and claim the tournament with wins in all of their games. James Cannard 8S

2016-2017

YEAR 8 RUGBY The Year 8 Rugby team had another successful season which culminated in them retaining their JSSSA title that they had won the previous year. This victory in the end of season tournament was slightly more impressive as the team had been beaten in the lead up to this event by a talented team from Le Rocquierschool. In wet and windy conditions, a hard fought draw against Le Rocquierwas enough to pip them into first place on overall tries scored to crown Victoria College champions. Every member of the squad played a huge part in the victory, and what was particularly noticeable was the improvement in our defensive organisation. Another highlight of the season was the performance and the victory against St Michael’s select team on a Saturday morning in the middle of March. The opposition consisted of the best players from a number of visiting independent schools from the UK, the majority of them towering over our boys. A brave and gritty display coupled with our finest technical display of the season created a fantastic spectacle in front a large number of parents and pupils. It is important to mention that due to the number of Year 8 boys we had interested in playing Rugby this year we created two mixed ability teams, each playing several games against the other secondary schools on the island. My hope is that all of the boys involved in Rugby this year continue to show this dedication to the sport into Year 9. Mr A Royle Overall the 2016/17 Rugby season for the Year 8 Victoria College Rugby team was very successful. We were successful as individuals and as a team. We managed many great achievements such as beating the foreign boarding schools

such as Millfield, St Michaels and a very strong Barbarians team. We also managed to win the JSSSA rugby tournament topping off a fantastic season for rugby at Victoria College. The team managed to pick up a fantastic 11/12 wins with a close draw against Grainville (including 2 B team fixtures) dropping 0 points whatsoever, lasting the whole season undefeated and topping that off with very strong performance in the JSSSA rugby tournament as well. Although our season was very successful we had a few minor problems with our playing style. We had a tendency to start off games slowly and not be so ‘awake’ at the start of the game and tended to make silly mistakes and concede early tries. Even though this was a problem, our fantastic work as a team throughout the rest of the game meant we were able to clinch back the game and take the victory. All individuals in the Year 8 Rugby team were key to our major successes as we worked positively together as a good strong team and used each other’s advantages to strength in each game. A special mention to Max Tennant for consistent hard work, and bravery and strength in game; also a special mention to James Cushing for the most tries scored in the season for the team. To summarise the whole season, we performed excellently as a team and that showed with our success in each game throughout the season. By George Le Quesne 8Bu

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2016-2017

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2016-2017

HOCKEY As ever the hockey season saw our boys enjoy a rich fixture list which provided many opportunities for boys from all year groups. The 1st XI, 2nd XI and Colts team were once again in the Jersey Hockey league and between them, played 58 games over the course of the season. At 1st XI level, the boys had to adsorb the loss of 7 players from last year’s team, which was always going to be a difficult task. At times it was a case of 2 steps forward, 1 step back as some encouraging results and performances were followed by some not so good ones. That said, it should be noted that both the OV Convict team and the JHC Leopard team were extremely strong throughout the season and both contained a number of Jersey players and a great deal more experience than us as a team. The style of hockey is physical and not always free-flowing and matches often relied on the players’ ability to execute basic skill effectively. The team won its first 2 league games of the season with Captain Ben Tait leading by example and forming an excellent defensive partnership with Oscar Barette. In attack the team had plenty of skill in wide positions, not least from the tireless Pierre Sangan. Mark Boarer proved his worth up front, with a useful knack of being in the right place at the right time to end the season as our top goal scorer. However, there were some tough challenges as the Old Victorians and JHC teams remained strong throughout the season and between them fought it out for the silverware. At Christmas, there was a change of management as Mr Crill left us to go on sabbatical and Simon Watling agreed to step into the hot seat. I should like to take this opportunity to thank Simon for his time and great expertise and I know just how impressed the boys were by his hockey wisdom. Nick Ferraby should also be thanked for taking the boys’ training sessions on a Wednesday after school. There were good wins against Hautlieu and JHC Lions and we took LHC Leopards to the very wire before losing 3-2 with a very late goal. On tour we started off by taking in a National league match between Surbiton and Loughborough students’ matches with Reeds, Tonbridge and Reigate Grammar. Ben Tait scored the winner in a 2-1 win over Reigate, but the other two games ended in defeat against very strong opposition. The fitness levels and the organisation of both Reeds and Tonbridge were a real lesson to us. The biggest match of the season is the contest with Elizabeth College and having won in 2016 hopes were high that we would be able to repeat the trick in Guernsey. However, it was a disappointing day and we were beaten 2-0 on an occasion when our frustration led to indiscipline and we received too many cards over the course of 70 minutes.

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Our final match ended the season in some style as we beat Hautlieu 6 – 0 in the 3rd/4th Senior Cup play-off which saw the Year 13 leave us on a high. Oscar Barette, David Bourne, Pierre Sangan, Sam James, Nick Pearce and Mark Boarer were awarded their colours for concerted excellence over the past 3 years. 1st XI Squad Fraser Brooke, Charlie Noel, Henry Dowling, Oscar Baratte, Ben Tait (capt), Pierre Sangan, Sam James, Harry Hutchinson, Jack Peggie, Mark Boarer, Jonny Heward, Adam Gower, Nick Pearce, David Bourne, Tom Bolton

1st XI Results 1st XI v

Leopards

4-3

1st XI v

Tigers

5-2

1st XI v

Leopards

1-3

1st XI v

Leopards

2-5

1st XI v

Indies

1 - 12

1st XI v

Hautlieu

3-6

1st XI v

OV Convicts

2-3

1st XI v

OV Convicts

1-7

1st XI v

Hautlieu

6-1

1st XI v

OV Convicts

1-2

1st XI v

Tigers

1-4

1st XI v

Hautlieu

1-2

1st XI v

Tigers

1-3

1st XI v

OV Convicts

2-6

1st XI v

Tigers

5-3

1st XI v

Hautlieu

1-2

1st XI v

Leopards

1-3

1st XI v

Hautlieu

4-2

1st XI v

OV Convicts

2-6

1st XI v

Leopards

4-2

1st XI v

Reeds

1-5

1st XI v

Tonbridge

1-6

1st XI v

Reigate

2 - 1

1st XI v

Elizabeth College

0-2

1st XI v

Hautlieu

6-0

2016-2017

2nd XI The 2nd XI started the Division 2 campaign as defending champions and once again gave a really good account of themselves throughout the season. In truth the Old Victorians ran away with the league, remaining unbeaten in their 12 games, but despite a mixed middle part to the league the 2nd XI eventually finished second, winning 6 games. Daniel Hayden’s efforts in goal were solid each week and the likes of Donaldson, Dowling, Noel and Bolton all earnt their chance in the 1st XI after putting in a number of strong performances. Sandy Prosser and Gus Brewer were in the goals up front and there was every reason to look forward to the Minor Cup competition after Christmas. Despite losing the first match to the OV’s they went on to win their next three matches and a draw in the final game with the VCJ Colts ensured a second place finish and a place in the Minor Cup final. Along the way they scored 24 goals in just 6 matches. So, the perfect end to the season would have been to beat the OV’s in the cup final under the lights at Les Quennevais. OV’s had had a stellar season winning 15 of their 18 matches and losing just once. They were seeking to complete a league and cup double. However, with our full strength side out, we dominated the first half and deservedly led 1-0 at half time through Harry Hutchinson’s goal. The second half was much closer and an OV equaliser set up a tense finish in which both teams had a chance or two to win it. However, with 3 minutes to go, Tom Bolton converted a short corner to secure a 2-1 win and a very well deserved piece of silverware.

2nd XI Results 2nd XI v

VC Colts

2-1

2nd XI v

Lions

1-1

2nd XI v

Ladies

6-4

2nd XI v

Hunters

4-2

2nd XI v

JHC Vintage

1-4

2nd XI v

OV Victoriana

0-6

2nd XI v

VCJ Colts

2-8

2nd XI v

Ladies

3-3

2nd XI v

OV Victoriana

3-3

2nd XI v

Hunters

4-1

2nd XI v

JHC Vintage

5-2

2nd XI v

Lions

2-0

2nd XI v

Ladies

3-2

2nd XI v

JHC Vintage

6-2

2nd XI v

Lions

9-1

2nd XI v

VC 2nd XI

3-3

OV Victoriana

2-1

Cup Final 2nd XI v

Squad Daniel Hayden, Henry Mallett, Will Cawley, Charlie Noel (capt), Harrison Ledo, Jack Hutchinson, Matthew Donaldson, Finn Knight, Sandy Prosser, Gus Brewer, Josh Daniels, Jack Burt, Will Wycherley, Henry Dowling, Tom Bolton.

Jersey Hockey Association – Minor Cup table

Jersey Hockey Association – Final Division 2 table

Pts

Old Victorians (Jersey) Victoriana (Jnr)

Old Victorians (Jersey) 12 10 Victoriana (Jnr)

0 50 11

Victoria College (Jersey) VC-II (Jnr)

24 13

Victoria College (Jersey) VC-II (Jnr)

32 33

Victoria College (Jersey) Colts (Jnr)

17 18

Victoria College (Jersey) Colts (Jnr)

5 50 36

Jersey Hockey Ladies

17 12

Jersey Affinity JHC Vintage

37 31

Jersey Affinity JHC Lions

15 29

Jersey Affinity JHC Lions

27 30

Jersey Affinity JHC Vintage

16 23

Jersey Hockey Ladies

8 20 47

First Names Group HHC Hunters

10 12 40

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Colts It always had the potential to be a good season for the Colts with a good set of last year’s team being retained and being joined with some excellent younger prospects from Year 9. However, it is always hard for an Under 15 team in an adult league so to end the season with 10 wins from 18 matches represented a fantastic season. Before Christmas the boys finished 3rd in Division 2 of the Jersey Hockey league, drawing 3-3 with eventual winners the Old Victorians in a game where the OV’s scored in the very last minute. Our defence was excellent marshalled by Toby Treharne, Xavier Barette and Sam Moore with Year 9 debutants Patrick Gouge and Aidan Boyle improving week by week. Goalkeeper Henry Dawson was also getting better and better as the season progressed, growing in confidence with each save. In midfield Tommy Boarer, Rhys Thomas, Chris Thomas and Jamie Watling worked tirelessly to break down opposition attacks and set up our own. Up front Tom Heelis and Jacob Bell were constantly in the goals. Considering that Adam Gower, the team captain, played very few games due to his inclusion in the 1st XI squad the results achieved were all the more impressive. After Christmas we entered the Minor Cup with the chance to play 5 games in a league format, with the top 2 teams qualifying for the final. We beat the previously unbeaten OV Victoriana and went into the final game against the VCJ 2nd XI needing a win to top the league. Unfortunately a 3-3 draw meant we missed out on the final on goal difference. We were also unfortunate to lose to JHC Ladies on a day when the Jersey U16 team were in the UK meaning we were missing 9 of our starting XI. Despite the disappointment of missing out on a place in the Minor Cup final we went into the final match of the season against Elizabeth College with a great deal to play for. It is always a measure of how good a school team you have become and a welcome break from adult hockey to play against a fellow school side. On the day we were outstanding, totally outplaying Elizabeth to eventually secure a very well deserved 8 – 3 win. Colours were awarded to Toby Treharne, Xavier Barette, Sam Moore, Rhys Thomas, Adam Gower, Jordan Khawaja, Tommy Boarer, Jacob Bell and Tom Heelis for two excellent years playing in the Colts team and all these boys can now look forward to playing senior hockey with the 1st or 2nd XI next season. Colts Squad Henry Dawson, Toby Treharne, Sam Moore, Xavier Barette, Aidan Boyle, Patrick Gouge, Jacob Bell, Chris Thomas, Jamie Watling, Tommy Boarer, Adam Gower, Tom Heelis, Jordan Khawaja, Max Corbett, Robbie Forrest.

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2016-2017

Colts Colts v

VC 2nd XI

1-2

Colts v

OV Victoriana

3-3

Colts v

Lions

4-6

Colts v

Ladies

8-4

Colts v

Hunters

5-6

Colts v

Ladies

4-1

Colts v

VCJ 2nd XI

8-2

Colts v

JHC Vintage

2-3

Colts v

Hunters

4-1

Colts v

OV Victoriana

0-5

Colts v

Hunters

7-0

Colts v

JHC Vintage

7-3

Colts v

Hunters

2-1

Colts v

Ladies

0-6

Colts v

OV Victoriana

3-2

Colts v

JHC Vintage

7-3

Colts v

VC 2nd XI

3-3

Colts v

Elizabeth College

8-3

2016-2017

HOUSE HOCKEY In familiar House Hockey tradition, it was a cold and windy morning; making getting up and being at the College Astro by 9:00am an even more difficult task. Once teams had finally arrived, with a few late call ups from injuries and absentees, a briefing on the events of the morning was complete and the matches got underway. It was a bright start for Diarmid and Sartorius, both containing numerous 1st and 2nd XI players, picking up 3-0 and 2-0 wins respectively. However for Bruce, who lacked natural hockey talent and instead consisted of mostly anyone who would hold the stick, struggled along with Braithwaite; who despite Heward and Donaldson linking up nicely in the final third, failed to record a goal during the whole event. Dunlop saw some success, led by 1st XI Captain Ben Tait, with a convincing 2-0 win against Bruce and narrow 1-0 loss to a strong Diarmid side. As the sun eventually made an appearance it was coming down to the final few games, with most of the results going as expected. One of the standout games of the day was between Diarmid and Bruce, with the blues doing what they could for the majority of the game to hopefully see out a 0-0 and gain a vital point having been on the back foot for the most part. However in the last minute a cracking strike from the 1st XI’s Pierre Sangan earnt Diarmid a vital win and put the pressure back on Sartorius to win both their final matches. Ultimately, a dangerous attacking performance from Burt and Boarer left them with convincing 3-0 and 1-0 wins, to see them win the event and retain the title; mimicking an impressive display from the reds the year before.

House Hockey Results Diarmid 3 0 Braithwaite Sartorius 2 0 Bruce Dunlop 0

Diarmid

Bruce

0 Braithwaite

Diarmid

0 Bruce

Bruce 0 2 Dunlop Diarmid 0

Final Standings POS 1st

Sartorius

2nd

Diarmid

3rd

Dunlop

4th

Bruce

5th

Braithwaite

Sartorius

Braithwaite 0 0 Dunlop Sartorius 3 0 Braithwaite Sartorius

0 Dunlop

BRAITHWAITE 1. Jonny Heward 2. Matt Donaldson 3. Ben Wagstaffe 4. Charlie Thompson 5. Fergus Ludlum 6. Angus Hay 7. Josh Gallichan 8. David Bourne © 9. James Le Cuirot 10. Morgan Barnes

BRUCE 1. Archie Hamilton 2. Austyn Hare 3. Charlie Livingston 4. Elliott Simm © 5. Harrison Ledo 6. Jack Peggie 7. Laurie Corbel 8. Ben le Chevalier 9. Oscar Barette 10. Rohit Karajgikar 11. Luke Rumbold

DIARMID 1. Pierre Sangan 2. Harry Hutchinson © 3. Sandy Prosser 4. Jack Hutchinson 5. Kai Herridge 6. Nick Pearce 7. Jordan Ramsay 8. Teun Kuijpers 9. George Moore 10. Matt Le Feuvre 11. Fraser Brooke

DUNLOP 1. Ben Tait © 2. Matteo Pallot 3. Ben Smith 4. Harry Bannister 5. Max Harrington 6. Daniel Hayden 7. Stephen Arthur 8. Max Treharne 9. Max Bouten

SARTORIUS 1. Jack Burt 2. Mark Boarer 3. Sam James © 4. Josh Daniels 5. Matt Bowen 6. Charlie Noel 7. William Cawley 8. James Dempsey 9. Finn Knight 10. Charlie Breese

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2016-2017

CRICKET For the most part, the sun was out in Jersey in the 2017 cricket season and that meant plenty of opportunities for our youngest to get their whites on. At 1st XI level it was a bit of a transitional year with 7 Year 13 boys moving on at the end of the 2016 season. Indeed, it was comfortably the youngest 1st XI squad that I have seen in my 15 years at the College with three U14 boys included throughout the season. The first match of the season was a 35 over friendly with Farmers, which was a really good exercise for the team. Considering it took place in early April we were lucky to have good weather and, despite the eventual 20 run defeat, there were a number of positives, including an excellent 77 from David Bourne. Indeed Bourne went on to have a brilliant season with the bat. Seven days later Jonny Heward scored his first century for the 1st XI as we beat annual tourists Reigate Priory CC. Heward scored 102 in our total of 215 before 2 wickets a piece for Matt Donaldson and Ben Tait bowled the tourists out for 173 to secure our first win. We played in Division 2 of the Jersey cricket league this year, which meant five T20 matches against Local club sides. While 2 of these were washed away on a very wet first Saturday in May, there were 2 wins from the other three games, firstly a very satisfying 7 wicket win over the Old Victorians and then a very one sided 10 wicket win over Farmers. David Bourne continued to be in fine form with the bat with unbeaten scores of 45 and 34 in those two wins. So every reason to be confident as we faced Elizabeth College on College Field for the first of our two annual matches with our Guernsey foe. Captain Tait won the toss in overcast conditions and his bowlers backed him up, dismissing Elizabeth for 175 with the captain himself getting three of those wickets. With the bat, Heward’s 52 was the centre-piece of a mature run chase which saw us win by 5 wickets. It was a really competent win and U14 Josh Lawrenson also made an impressive and classy 32 to show he was more than up for the challenge of 1st XI cricket.

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After that we had a tough looking run of fixtures starting with the MCC for whom old boys performed well. Jonty Jenner got 100 with the bat just 3 weeks before making his first class debut for Sussex against South Africa A, before Elliot Miles took 6 wickets as the MCC won by 37 runs. However, David Bourne was once again excellent, taking 3 wickets and scoring an excellent 56 to further enhance his reputation. Our next two games were against Premier league opponents and there were plenty of positives against both St Ouen Springfield and Walkovers despite both games ending in defeat. Ben Tait scored a good 46 not out against SOS and we very nearly chased down 240 against Walkovers after Bourne (54), Heward (50) and Lawrenson (43) batted really well. Frustratingly, it was a game we should have won and, coming up just short in run chases started to become an annoying habit. Next we just failed to overturn the Old Victorians’ 270 in which Matt Donaldson took 4 wickets. Bourne got going again with 41 and George Moore batted beautifully before heartbreakingly getting run out on 94 as we ended up on 256 to lose by 14 runs in another game we looked set to win. It was deja vu a week later in the away match against Elizabeth with us looking strong to chase 209 to win after 4 wickets from Ben Le Gallais. Tait’s 50 and Donaldson’s 44 should have set us up for the win, but we had way too many dot balls in the last 20 overs and slipped to 191 – 8 to lose by 17 runs. Frustrating to say the least and the lessons of previous weeks were not being learnt. Matt Smith, Director of Sport

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2016-2017

Tour and the Festival Cricket tour this year started in London with two games against local schools before moving on to New Hall School to take part in the annual Castle Festival trophy. The first fixture was against Forest School and was a T20. In a low scoring game we batted first and put on 121, this proved too much for Forest who ended up falling 26 runs short. This set the precedent for the rest of the tour as we travelled to Tiffin School. An excellent batting performance saw us put on 257 with a blistering knock of 52* from 27 balls from Ed Giles finishing off the innings with great momentum. With Tiffin deciding early on to bat for the draw, it was over to our bowlers to work their magic. Up stepped David Bourne, who took 7 wickets from his overs, allowing us to bowl Tiffin out for 105 with just 3 overs to spare before the end of the day. Following these two fixtures we departed to New Hall School in the hope of continuing this form and retaining the Castle Festival trophy. On an excellent batting track and on some small boundaries, our batsmen set about putting on a mammoth 315 against Monmouth School, with David Bourne once again having a starring role batting the full innings and ending up on 143*. In reply Monmouth were bowled all out for 229, with Year 9 pupil Josh Lawrenson taking a five wicket haul. Next up were the hosts in a nail biting game that went down to the wire. Thanks to some power hitting down the order from Ed Giles and Mark Boarer we finished on a respectable 261-9. In a tense second innings and the atmosphere building, with plenty of parents watching, we eventually bowled New Hall all out with an over to spare and just an 11 further runs needed. With poor weather due on the final day, the game against Kimbolton School was shortened to a T20. Again we opted to bat first but the change in format did not suit us and we struggled to post enough, with the Kimbolton batsmen timing their run chase well and scoring the winning runs in the final overs. Whilst the final game was a disappointing way to finish the tour, it had been a very successful one and our two victories in the festival were enough to retain the trophy. The energy and effort from the boys in the field was a constant throughout and a large part of our success. With only two senior boys leaving, the future is looking very positive for next year.

In other age groups we had some really good competitive games throughout the season. Our Year 7’s look to have plenty of potential, although the best game of the year ended in a 8 run defeat to De La Salle U13’s. There were however, 2 good wins for the 7B team over Bilton Grange from the UK and Guernsey Grammar. The Year 8 team started off their season with a win over Reigate Grammar in an excellent match, but lost to Elizabeth College when their batting let them down chasing a modest total for victory. A number of the side have been selected to take part in the College’s U15 tour of the Caribbean in 2018, so there is plenty to look forward to for those included. George Daniels, Fraser Crow, Anushan Elanco, Charlie Reid and Dylan Stocks were awarded their Junior colours for two good seasons with the team. At Year 9 level, Patrick Gouge, Josh Lawrenson and Dylan Kotedia all played 1st XI cricket, which is a huge achievement. They all acquitted themselves well playing against adults and U18 boys. At Year 9 level though, Lawrenson scored a brilliant 115 not out against Port Regis from the UK and Robbie Forrest was named as captain of the Old Victorian’s 3rd XI, a team that a large number of our budding stars played for in 2017. This age group will also have a number of boys on the U15 Caribbean tour next summer, George Daniels, Fraser Crow, Anushan Elanco and Charlie Reid. Our Year 10’s suffered from a number of cancellations as other Jersey schools failed to get teams out. While frustrating, it does show the importance of the OVs in supporting our cricketers at this age and I have been delighted to see the OV’s making real progress in its youth set-up in 2017. The Year 10 team did lose to Elizabeth College along the way however. Ben Le Gallais had an excellent season with the 1st XI and looks like someone who will bowl plenty of overs for the team in the next 3 seasons. Tom Heelis and Tommy Boarer were also members of the 1st XI squad that toured the UK and took part in the Castles Festival. Matt Dixon

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2016-2017

FOOTBALL FIRST XI This past season has seen the 1st XI’s recent trophy toll rise to a total of four trophies in just three seasons. Despite a disappointing year last season, the Victoria College 1st XI certainly made up for it this past season, winning both the Jersey and the Channel Island League. Going into the season, the boys knew they had an extremely talented squad capable of challenging for the title. This year’s 1st XI had a handful of both youth and experience, a recipe for success. Four of the squad saw this year as their third and final year in the 1st XI; Archie Hamilton, Jack Burt, Josh Daniels and James Dempsey. Having all participated consistently for the past three years, these boys made the foundations for the squad to build on. They knew all the tricks of the trade and how to win the league, having all done the double in the first season with the 1st XI. Their experience was accompanied by the successful debut seasons of the youngsters; Kieran Rabet, Charlie Thompson, Oscar Le Seelleur and Adam Baluchi. The introduction of Elliott Simm, Charlie Breese, Will Packman, Ben Tait, Kai Herridge, Mark Boarer, Charlie Livingston and Matthew Donaldson, who had all been involved in the team in previous seasons, sought to be pivotal in the success of the squad. The team started the year strongly with a 4-0 win over De La Salle, setting the tone for the rest of the season. The next match was understood by the team to potentially illustrate where the boys would finish the season; it was against Guernsey Grammar on College Field. Grammar were last season’s Channel Island Championship winners so this game was always going to be a tight affair. The absence of majestic midfielder Joshua Daniels due to an ankle injury saw

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the squad face an even more demanding challenge but did extremely well nonetheless. After going 1-0 ahead courtesy of Jack Burt’s left-foot from some way out, Victoria College then saw themselves go 2-1 down. However the game was not over yet; Charlie Breese managed to get his ever-sopresent head on the end of some scrappy football in the opposition box to level the scores. Having drawn potentially the toughest game of the season without one of the most influential players in the squad, meant the boys were full of confidence going into their next two games abroad. Next came the second of the two games against previous winners Guernsey Grammar. With the boys now well gelled as a team and the fit again Daniels back in the squad, the team really took it to them on their home soil. The deadlock in the game was broken through an outstanding 25-yard half volley into the top corner from Oscar Le Seelleur. This was really one of the goals of the season. Victoria College went on to win the game 0-3. The next game was against Guernsey College for Further Education where Victoria College controlled the game throughout winning 2-5. Altogether, the boys saw themselves play 10 games, winning seven, drawing two and losing just the one. The team’s only loss came against Hautlieu on College Field following a previous 2-1 win for Victoria College. This was a somewhat half-hearted performance; with a lack of urgency and competitiveness allowing Hautlieu to run away with a 2-0 win. The title-winning game came against old rivals Elizabeth College at Elizabeth College; the 1st XI could have no better opportunity than this one to seal the deal on enemy soil. The game didn’t start well for Victoria with an embarrassing

2016-2017

103

defensive blunder seeing us score one of the most comical own goals in the derby’s long history. Soon after this, Hamilton showed good movement, wrong siding the defender causing him to be brought down. Penalty Victoria. 1-1. Two more goals saw Victoria College drawing 2-2 going into the second half. Following some tactical tweaks and some renewed self-belief, the boys redeemed themselves and their season. They went on to out play Elizabeth College and dominate the 2nd half; they eventually ran out as 6-2 winners.

were also superb throughout the campaign in the middle of pitch, seeing themselves feature near the top of the scoring leader board and often dictating the tempo of the games. The versatile Archie Hamilton also saw himself take the defensive midfield role in the absence of Joshua Daniels but was mostly called in on the wing. Of course, games cannot be won without goals. These were provided mostly by this year’s 1st XI captain Jack Burt. His good turn of pace and outstanding ball control meant that he was a constant thorn in the opposition.

It was undoubtedly an incredible season for the Victoria College 1st XI, with standout performances all over the pitch. However, particular credit must be given to the back five who were consistently excellent throughout. The goalkeeper Charlie Livingston and two centre backs of Kai Herridge and James Dempsey were an unchanged triangle, conceding just 9 goals all season. The two centre backs were undoubtedly the best partnership Victoria has had in recent years. The two flank positions were alternately filled by Ben Tait, Adam Baluchi, Charlie Thompson, Archie Hamilton, Oscar Le Seelleur and Elliott Simm who also saw spontaneous appearances leading from the front. Joshua Daniels and Charlie Breese

The 1st XI’s tour of England was also a very successful experience for the boys. From three games, they recorded two wins and one draw, most notably with one of the wins being against Charterhouse. The premier league standard pitch suited the boy’s style of play and it was not long before Will Packman scored the one and only goal of the game. Despite constant pressure from Charterhouse, Victoria College remained in control and played the game out to a 1-0 win. The second game on tour came against Eton College. Despite the majority of possession and the better half of chances, the 1st XI could not seem to finish and the game ran out as a 0-0 draw; the lack of goals not justifying the run of play. Victoria College’s last game on tour came against Chelsea Academy Schools. Being the boy’s third game in three days saw wear and tear start to take its toll. Following a less-than-inspiring first half, the boys saw themselves 1-0 down following a penalty. However, after the boys realised the game was still their’s for the taking, and a bit of movement around the pitch, Victoria College started to create the chances and score goals in what soon became a dominant performance. The game concluded 5-1 to Victoria College including a perfect hat trick from Archie Hamilton. Overall, it was an extremely successful tour for the 1st XI and the boys were a credit to themselves. This season was an incredible season for the College and given the youth of the squad, the future most certainly looks bright for the coming seasons.

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2016-2017

VCJ VS GUERNSEY GRAMMAR On Friday morning Victoria College 1st XI set off for a two day trip to Guernsey to play Guernsey College of Further Education (GCFE) & Guernsey Grammar for the second time in a week after the spoils were shared on Monday evening with a 2-2 draw in Jersey. The first fixture for the travellers was against Grammar. After a slip up for Grammar on Tuesday evening to De Le Salle, the visitors were looking to capitalize. The fixture began similarly to how it did earlier in the week, with both teams seeing their fair share of the ball. However, periods of lackadaisical play from both sides ensured that it was not until the latter stages of the first half that the deadlock was broken. An enticing in-swinging cross courtesy of James Dempsey was met by striker Archie Hamilton, just two minutes after being brought on; coach Mr Habin with a tactically brilliant substitution. After the College took the upper hand, Grammar began the second half on the back foot, with the visitors piling on the pressure from the off. The frustration on behalf of Grammar’s players was starting to show, and soon enough the College inevitably doubled their lead after a defensive header from a corner fell at the feet of defender Mark Boarer who set up Year 11 pupil Oscar Le Seelleur who struck a half volley which found its way through a congested penalty box before nestling into the top right hand corner. With the College now the more comfortable of the two sides, a lack of composure from Grammar saw them go down to 10 men. With the extra man advantage, the College ensured their unbeaten run continued after defender Josh Daniels tapped in from five yards after a penalty box scramble, to well and truly seal the

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victory for Victoria College with a comfortable 3-0 triumph. After a first day victory, the boys were in high spirits heading into their second fixture against GCFE. After periods of heavy rainfall, the wet surface was inevitably going to cause an issue for both sides, meaning there was no room for passiveness from either side. Much like Friday evenings’ game, it was another slow start from both sides, with neither team showing any real threat, the difficult conditions proving an issue for all players. As with the previous day, the deadlock was not broken until deep into the first half and once again it was the visitors from Jersey who took the upper hand. Defender Josh Daniels took authority with an impressive run through the heart of the GCFE defence, manipulating a looping pass from striker Archie Hamilton with a piece of excellent control to take it away from the last defender before scoring in the bottom right hand corner with ease. With confidence high, and knowing a second goal to cushion their lead was needed, College bagged a second mid-way through the second period. Captain Jack Burt skilfully weaving through a wall of GCFE defenders, before keeping his composure to bag the visitors’ second with a tidy finish. With GCFE evidently tiring from chasing the game, College ensured that it was two from two away from home, after midfielder Elliott Simm played a neat through ball, splitting the defence to find its way at the feet of midfielder Charlie Breese who sealed the win with a fine shot into the bottom corner. Overall a hugely successful trip to Guernsey for the College.

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YEAR 11 FOOTBALL The Year 11 football team had a very good season in 2016, although they were unlucky to see the Year 11 JSSSA cup final clash with 1st XI football tour ensuring they were missing 4 of their strongest players for the biggest match of the season. Earlier in the year, there were 4 good wins against strong opposition to enjoy with some excellent performances from Andy Roxburgh and Oscar Le Seelleur in particular. Our only defeat came against De La Salle in a toughly fought match which could have gone either way.

to the 1st XI football tour and despite our best efforts went down 4 – 0 to end the season in disappointing fashion. I feel sure that a full strength team would have had a very strong chance of winning the match, but the boys still did themselves proud under difficult circumstances. It is still good to note that Oscar Le Seelleur, Kieran Rabet, Charlie Thompson and Adam Baluchi all played regularly for the 1st XI throughout the season and a number of others in this squad will be likely to do so in 2017.

The JSSSA cup gave us the chance to crown ourselves as Jersey’s best team. We safely negotiated a quarter-final with Hautlieu, winning 5 – 0, and then the semi-final against Les Quennevais in even more impressive fashion, winning 8 – 1. This meant we got to play the final against Le Rocquier at Springfield. However, as luck would have it we lost players

Squad Will Wycherley, Harry Baines, Ben Smith, Harry Bannister, James Le Conte, Adam Baluchi, Ollie Fernando, Kieran Rabet, Patrick Claxton, Henry Dowling, Kieran Rabet, Tom Andrews, Charlie Thompson, Oscar Le Seelleur and Andrew Roxburgh.

YEAR 8 FOOTBALL The Year 8’s had an excellent season and started as they meant to go on. The team had an excellent work ethic and togetherness throughout the year which was the foundation of their success. This culminated in finishing the season unbeaten, having won every game and collecting the JSSSA trophy. Throughout the season there was some great fast moving football and everyone on the side-lines was impressed at the quality these young men were showcasing. Special mention must to go Andy Gatehouse, who changed from goalkeeper to an outfield player coming into this year and ended up having a great season, scoring some wonder goals along the way. James Murphy was outstanding as captain throughout the year and consistently produced solid performances alongside a strong defence. This is an excellent group of players and there is a lot of promise for the future for this talented year group.

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2016-2017

Year 7A

Year 7B

Year 7C

Les Q

3-8 L

Les Q

3-1 W

Les Q

5-2W

De La Salle

4-1 W

De La Salle

3-0 W

De La Salle

2-3L

Grainville

11 - 1 W

Grainville

2-1 W

Grainville

9-0W

Le Rocquier

1-4 W

Le Rocquier

3-1 W

Le Rocquier

4-1W

Haute Valle

8-1 W

Played

JSSSA Tournament

2nd

Haute Valle

8-1 W

JSSSA Tournament

Elizabeth College

9 - 0 W

Played

JSSSA Wagon Wheels Played

2nd

Won 3 Lost

Won 5

Drew 0

Lost

Win %

Won 5

Drew 0

Lost

Win %

1st

75%

100%

Drew 0 Win %

Year 10

83%

Year 8A

Year 8B

Haute Vallee

9-1 W

Grainville

8 -1 W

Haute Vallee

8-1 W

Haute Vallee

4-1 W

Le Rocquier

1-4 L

Les Quennevais

6-0 W

Les Quennevais

7-0 W

Grainville (Cup SF)

11- 1 W

De La Salle

5-3 W

St Michaels

3-3 D

Les Quennevais

3-1 W

Le Rocquier

4-2 W

De La Salle

6-0 W

Hautlieu

2- 1 W

Grainville

7-0 W

Le Rocquier

2-2 D

Elizabeth College

6-2 W

JSSSA Tournament Played

1st

JSSSA Tournament Played

1st

Le Rocquier (Cup Final) 4 - 2 W Played

Won 5

Won 3

Won 7

Lost

Drew 0

Drew 2

Drew 0

Win %

100%

Year 9A

60%

Year 9B

88%

Year 11

De La Salle

1-3 L

De La Salle

5-2 W

Haute Vallee

3-1 W

Grainville

3-5 L

Le Rocquier

6-2 W

Grainville

9-0 W

Le Rocquier

1-5 L

Haute Vallee

7-0 W

De La Salle

1-2

Haute Vallee

11 - 5 W

Les Quennevais

2-0 W

Hautlieu (Cup QF)

5 - 0 W

Les Quennevais

2-1 W

JSSSA Tournament

3rd

Played

1st

Les Quennevais (Cup SF) 8 - 1 W Le Rocquier (Cup Final) 0 - 4 L

Elizabeth College

6-2 W

Won 4

Played

Lost

Won 4

Won 3

Drew 0

Lost

Win %

Drew 0

Drew 0 Win %

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50%

100%

Win %

2 67%

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2016-2017

1st XI De La Salle

5 - 0 W

Guernsey Grammar

2-2 D

GCFE

3- 0 W

Guernsey Grammar

3-0 W

Hautlieu

2-0 W

De La Salle

6-0 W

Hautlieu

1- 3 L

Elizabeth College

3-2 W

Charterhouse

1-0 W

Eton

0-0 D

Chelsea Academy

6-2 W

Elizabeth College

6-2 W

Played

STAFF VS PREFECTS

Won 9 Lost

Drew 2 Win %

75%

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2016-2017

THE BIG MATCH CHARITY FOOTBALL Over the course of the year, Houses compete in various sports and arts competitions, carry out community work and hold charity fund raisers. Diarmid House (Victoria College) and Scott House (De La Salle) over the last couple of years have held The Big Match charity football match; a game between staff at the two Colleges and Prep schools organized by Mr Paul Livesey (Scott Housemaster) and Mr Richard Picot (Diarmid Housemaster). It was an eagerly awaited fixture in the School calendar which saw the College staff team prepped to avenge last year’s below par performance against a strong De La Salle side at Springfield Stadium on Friday 7th October. For the older students, it was an expectation based on last year that consisted of both good football and passionate crowd support, while all in the spirit of a charity event. The younger students across various years were also optimistic based on the hype around the school from the success of last year’s debut event. Diarmid were raising funds for the RNLI and Scott were raising money for Silkworth Lodge this year. These charities were chosen by pupils within their respective Houses. The Houses held events throughout the year to raise funds for their nominated charity. It is the first year Diarmid House had chosen to support the Royal National Lifeboat Institution Jersey as their House charity, which is a highly trained team of volunteers operating from two lifeboat stations (St Helier and St Catherine’s). Half of the money raised from the event was set to be donated to respective charities. The Big Match attracted well over eight hundred spectators and raised £4,000. Parents, pupils, colleagues, Old Victorian’s and Beeches Old Boys; the range of spectator connections to the schools’ communities created a diverse and supportive crowd throughout the evening. Kick-off was eagerly anticipated and as is tradition, the noise was tremendous, driven by the partisan support of the schools’ current pupils wielding drums and air horns. Despite dominating the majority of possession, VC were unable to create too many clear cut chances and were wasteful of the opportunities that presented themselves early on. DLS took a very early lead after a mix up in the VC defence. Having recently signed for the College, Payne made an excellent save from a cross goal shot, but unfortunately parried it into the run of Townsend who, to the dismay of travelling College fans, slotted home from close range for the blues. Half-time was a game changing moment, as a Jurgen Kloppesque team talk from manager Steve Roberts resulted in an inspired College second half. Eventually the DLS defence

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was breached, with the Spanish wizard Franco turning his man before firmly slotting home a difficult 1st time strike low to McGinty’s far post from a challenging angle. Great scenes erupted from the Black and Gold section of the stand, with the College Carmen echoing around Springfield shortly after the VC fans had returned to their seats. Cook and McKenna looked impressive for DLS, ensuring their team remained composed under prolonged pressure from VC and initiating quick counter attacks. For College, Royle, Cox and Lau resembled that of the 66 World Cup winning back line, dealing with McKenna’s surging runs very well. On the right, the combination of Silva’s pace and Picot’s high work rates were a constant threat, both of whom will be disappointed with not taking advantage of the chances that they created in the final 3rd. The final whistle was met with a disappointing end result for College, as due to their victory last year DLS staff retain the trophy for another 12 months. After a hard fought battle, the College staff were applauded by the College back to the changing room with high hopes of next year finally being our year again. Credit must go to both schools’ teachers, the majority of whom dust off their old boots and borrow a pair of shin pads so that they can relive their glory years by throwing themselves into battle with little regard for how their ageing limbs will feel the next day. Not only does The Big Match provide the opportunity to raise significant funds for charity, it is also the ideal platform from which pupils can witness friendly rivalries taking place in a competitive manner yet retaining the highest standards of sportsmanship, despite the match being inevitably plagued with mistimed tackles due to an increasingly depleted level of fitness and skill. We would like to thank Rathbones, Moore Stevens, Grade Busters and Mail Mate Print for their continued support of The Big Match; let’s hope next year follows the annual success of this new and exciting event. De La Salle: Kevin McGinty (GK), Dave McCormack, Tom Gallichan, Dave Sharrock, Mark White, Adam Cook (C), Brandon Perree, Jack McKenna, Tommy Turner, Dom Townsend, Bram Wanrooij, Andy Videgrain, Richard Wilson, Paul Livesey, Paul Simon, Simon Barrett, Kevin Pallott, Paul Rogers. Victoria College: Gareth Bloor, David Cox, Joe Crill, Adrian Dixon, Matthew Dixon, Josh Franco, Mark Gosling, Sam Habin, Ian Hickling, David McNally, David Payne (GK), Richard Picot (C), Steve Roberts, Andy Royle, Ben Silva, Matthew Smith.

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HOUSE CROSS-COUNTRY 2017

Year 7

Year 8

1st

Sartorius

1st

Diarmid

2nd

Dunlop

2nd

Sartorius

3rd

Braithwaite

3rd

Dunlop

4th

Diarmid

4th

Braithwaite

5th

Bruce

5th

Bruce

Colts

Seniors

Overall

1st

Sartorius

1st

Diarmid

1st

Sartorius

2nd

Diarmid

2nd

Sartorius

2nd

Diarmid

3rd

Dunlop

3rd

Bruce

3rd

Dunlop

4th

Braithwaite

4th

Dunlop

4th

Braithwaite

5th

Bruce

5th

Braithwaite

5th

Bruce

We were blessed with sun for the second year in a row for the annual cross-country races in St Ouen’s bay. With the Blomfield being tight at this stage, there were a lot of points on offer in the 4 age groups; Year 7, Year 8, Colts and Seniors. The first race saw the seniors starting things off and as expected it was the 2016 winning Pierre Sangan of Diarmid who defended his title with a seemingly straight-forward win, with Dunlop’s Ben Tait in 2nd. Diarmid were the overall winners as well with all 8 of their runners inside the top 26 finishing places for an overall total of 116.

Next it was the turn of the debutants in Year 7 and it was an exciting race with the lead changing hands several times before Charlie Yates of Sartorius emerged triumphant. Just like the Senior race, the winner was also a part of the overall winning House as Sartorius got all their 8 runners home inside the top 25. Isaac Dodds of Diarmid followed his Year 7 win by winning the Year 8 race and Bruce’s Isaac du Val won the Colts race. Du Val now triumphant for 4 consecutive years in various different age groups. Diarmid were the Year 8 team winners and Sartorius took the Colts title all of which meant that Sartorius won the Stafford Shield with 27 points from a possible 30 on the day.

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2016-2017

SPORTS DAY

The final teaching week of term is always a very busy time, but in the middle of this is one of the best events of the sporting year – Sports Day. As ever, we were blessed with glorious sunshine which made the day even more enjoyable for all the parents who came down to FB Fields to cheer on their sons. It doesn’t seem that long ago that Sam Habin was a constant voice at the back of my Year 9 English class; his verbal skills were very much appreciated by all attending. Witty and informative, Mr Habin’s commentary provided superb coverage of the events that was both informative and entertaining. The morning’s field events saw Ben Hamilton miss out on records in Javelin and Discus by 7cm and 10cm respectively. Another special mention goes to Rusden Merritt (Y8 Dunlop) who lost his shoe on the opening bend of the Year 8 800m but despite this, demonstrated excellent resilience and persevered through to the end of the race, coming 4th! Isaac Dodds was the first person ever to win the Junior 1500m Trophy in both Year 7 & 8, breaking the Year 8 School Record this year in the process. It is not often that one can say that a record will never again be broken, but Sean Adkin can confidently say that his record will stand the test of time. Because of an error by Todd Buesnel on the bell for the final lap, the Colts 1,500m race became 1,900m, ensuring Sean’s place in the record books for a unique race. The extra lap only emphasises the strength of Sean’s run. With Sam Moore on his shoulder for the majority of the race it looked like Sam might try to kick in the final lap and run past Sean. At the first sign of Sam increasing pace, Sean changed gear and was able to win by

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a comfortable distance. New school records Isaac Dodds Y8 Diarmid Charlie Reid Y8 Bruce Isaac Du Val Y10 Bruce Rob Thomas Y10 Bruce Andrew Gatehouse Y8 Braithwaite Finlay Lowes Y8 Bruce

Year 8, 1,500m Year 8, 200m Colts, 300m Colts, 100m 10.8secs Year 8, 100m Year 8, 200m

The overall winners of Sports Day were Diarmid House due to their consistency across all year groups. Double points are awarded for the Colts and Senior competitions with Diarmid finishing 2nd and 1st respectively, sealing their overall victory. Bruce, who are traditionally very strong at Sports Day, were pipped into 2nd place by Braithwaite who benefitted from a very strong Colts team. Sartorius were strong in the Junior school but struggled to compete at Colts and Senior level, finishing 4th overall. This leaves Dunlop bringing up the rear but as always a valiant effort from all their sportsmen. The Blomfield standings are always finalised as a result of Sports Day. In the lead up to the competition, as with the previous year, Diarmid were battling it out with Sartorius for the Blomfield. However, Diarmid’s dominance in the Senior school on Sports Day clinched the victory for them; a historical day as this was Diarmid’s first ever victory of the Blomfield Trophy made even more significant as this was Mr Picot’s last year at the helm. Congratulations Diarmid - ‘Stamos unito’.

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Full Results Year 7 1st

Sartorius

2nd

Braithwaite

3rd

Diarmid

4th

Dunlop

5th

Bruce

Year 8 1st

Bruce

2nd

Diarmid

3rd

Sartorius

4th

Dunlop

5th

Braithwaite

SPORTS DAY ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES The sun shone again for the fourth Alternative Sports Day. 28 teams set off on a circuit of 7 challenges. Verbal and non-verbal communication skills were tested in Charades and Giant Meccano. Mental agility was put to the test in a giant game of Mastermind involving several hundred flowerpots. The Road Race provided the opportunity for some lateral thinking and the Leaky Pipes challenge was welcomed as it gave boys the chance to cool down (in other words, get very wet). The circuit continued with the Wigwam challenge where teams had to build a structure out of newspaper and bamboo canes then fit inside it. Mr Baker set up the final challenge â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an Escape Room. This involved a series of tasks including the Steady Hand challenge, matchstick puzzles and finding code words. The final result was very close. Sartorius earned 46 points but Dunlop were the winners with 47 points.

Colts 1st

Braithwaite

2nd

Diarmid

3rd

Dunlop

4th

Bruce

5th

Sartorius

Seniors 1st

Diarmid

2nd

Bruce

3rd

Sartorius

4th

Braithwaite

5th

Dunlop

Overall 1st

Diarmid

2nd

Braithwaite

3rd

Bruce

4th

Sartorius

5th

Dunlop

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112

COMMUNITY

2016-2017

113

2016-2017

CHARITIES Other Charitable Distributions

House Charity Distributions

Caritas £200.00

British Heart Support

£1,000.00

Braithwaite

Cancer Research UK

£1,150.00

Bruce

MIND Jersey

£500.00

Friends of SCUBU

£1,600.00

Braithwaite

Jersey Hospice

£131.54

Friends of SCUBU

£201.00

Bruce

St. Thomas’ Church

£300.00

Jersey Hospice

£3,100.00

Diarmid

Barnado’s

£968.84

Jersey Hospice

£1,150.00

Bruce

£201.00

Bruce

RNLI Jersey

£2,250.00

Diarmid

SightSavers International

£4,700.00

Sartorius

WWF - UK

£2,485.98

Dunlop

Little Miracles

LEPRA £560.35

SCHOOL AND HOUSE DONATIONS FOR THE YEAR

£20,498.71

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2016-2017

ART AND TECHNOLOGY

Kieran Gaskell 13Du ART AND TECHNOLOGY

115

2016-2017

HOUSE ART A resplendent display of Victoria College’s creative juices was exhibited during the Annual House Art Competition this year, when the two large art studios were temporarily transformed into five smaller galleries to showcase pupils’ work. This year was perhaps one of the finest displays seen in recent years, with a broad range of theme and media being exhibited. Highlights of the exhibition included Dunlop House’s display, which was rated the highest by the judges- described as a ‘really engaging and pleasant display’ which showed a great ‘variety of media and appearance’. This resulted in the house attaining the Mark Nieuwburg House Cup, so named after the former pupil and artist. Other highlights included Diarmid’s display which included Rhys Parish’s stunning depiction of a desert road, which led him to win the Dryden Cup for Art, a heavily contested accolade which was nonetheless well deserved. Bruce had a similarly strong exhibition whilst Braithwaite was described as having ‘some strong individual pieces’, iterating the magnificent artistic talent found at the College. The Sixth-Formers enrolled with erecting the exhibition would like to thank the staff in the art department for assisting with the construction of the temporary galleries as well as the judges for their feedback.

House Art Overall Result 1st

Dunlop

2nd

Diarmid

3rd

Bruce

4th

Braithwaite

5th

Sartorius

Mark Nieuwburg Cup

Michael Dryden Cup for best art piece in the whole exhibition awarded to Rhys Parish - Diarmid.

ART AND TECHNOLOGY

42 116

ART AND TECHNOLOGY

2016-2017

117

ART AND TECHNOLOGY

118

2016-2017

AS PHOTOGRAPHY STUDENT JULIAN HART

Images from AS Photography Student Julian Hart

ART AND TECHNOLOGY

2016-2017

120 92

2016-2017

HOUSE DRAMA COMPETITION

THE SCHOOL’S ANNUAL HOUSE DRAMA COMPETITION GIVES EACH HOUSE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT ON A DRAMATICAL PERFORMANCE. TAKING PLACE IN MID OCTOBER, THE BOYS BEGAN REHEARSING AT THE BEGINNING OF TERM; THEY CHOSE, DIRECTED, AND ACTED IN THE PLAY WITH MINIMAL STAFF INTERVENTION. Sartorius Harold Pinter: A Collection of Shorts Directed by Alex Viney

Diarmid Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time Directed by Jack O’Connell

A collection of occasionally strange shorts by Sartorius House, ranging from conversation about umbrellas, to disgruntled factory workers who just don’t like the products they make. Head of House Josh Daniels proudly took to the stage as a stammering elderly woman, concerning himself with only the most important of things, like soup, and bus timetables, while Tom Carey and Connor Langford had a conversation about umbrellas in posh accents that definitely made sense and confused no one. The performance was complemented by an original musical score by Matthew Bowen.

Based on a best-selling novel, Diarmid brought to life the story of an autistic boy as he tries to solve the murder of his neighbour’s dog. The play interchanged between Christopher’s past and present, giving the audience an insight into his life through his investigation, with the character skilfully brought to life by Mac Galvin. This was a huge challenge for someone of his age with the amount of line-learning it took to portray the role.

Cast Umbrellas Request Stop Precisely Trouble in the Works Black and White Last to Go

DRAMA

Tom Carey and Connor Langford Thomas Du Feu and James Dempsey Johnathon Marett and George Daniels Jack Leerson and Theo Millar Josh Daniels and Matthew Bowen Jack Burt and Henry Beirne

Cast Christopher Mac Galvin Ed Andy Roxburgh Siobhan Aidan Carroll Mrs Alexander Dylan Kotedia Mrs Shears/Mrs Gascoyne Scott Douglas Policeman/Mr Thompson Viraj Kotedia Duty Sergeant/Mr Wise Billy Blackmore Reverend Peters George Godfrey No. 40 Gianni Despres Judy Jack O’Connell Uncle Terry Lawrence Lees-Baker

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2016-2017

Braithwaite Booby Trap Directed by Owen Harper and Todd Buesnel

Dunlop The Picture of Dorian Gray Directed by Ollie Hair, Harry Kenny, and Gus Brewer

Emotional to the last moment, Booby Trap by Ed Monk follows a man as he sits waiting on a land mine to discover whether he can be saved or he will be left behind by his platoon and die, and the script was spectacularly brought to life by Braithwaite House, in a performance deserving of first place. David Bourne’s performance furthered the emotions of the show with his sombre and occasionally bittersweet characterisation.

What would you give to never age? To never have the scars of your sins show on your face? Your soul? Dorian Gray, a young man in 19th century England finds out in this performance by Dunlop House.

Cast Sergeant Pete Galen David Bourne Caitlyn Galen Calvin De Louche Captain Gruss Theo Barnes Lieutenant Dawson Josh Gallichan Corporal Richards Matt Donaldson Major Harris Nathan Le Blancq Sister Anne Harvey Godel The Professor Leo Olsen Tom Josh Rabet Cathy Jakub Wharton Mark Galen Seth Ruelle Stephanie Austin Godel Sergeant Major Eddie McLaughlin Caitlyn’s Father Jonny Heward Pete’s Mother Aaron Gater Gary Todd Buesnel Olly Ben Wagstaffe

With a triad of superb actors in the main roles – Charlie Flynn, Ollie Hair, and Thomas De La Cour as Dorian Gray, Basil Hallward, and Lord Henry Wotton respectfully – this performance was sure to be a success. The classic Oscar Wilde book was performed excellently in play form, in a memorable performance that was as powerful as it was fascinating. Cast Dorian Gray Charlie Flynn Lord Henry Wotton Oliver Hair Basil Hallward Thomas De La Cour Sybil Vane Harvey Pallent Mr Isaacs Harry Cadby James Vane Stephen Arthur Alan Campbell Harry Kenny Victor Wojtek Wiecek Opium Seller Louis Donohoe Narrator Max Treharne

DRAMA

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2016-2017

Bruce The Tiger’s Bones Directed by Laurie Corbel Written by Ted Hughes, Bruce told the humorous tale of scientists, savages, an oaf, and the end of the world in a highly entertaining performance, featuring Charles Blackwell lip-syncing, a semi-synchronised digging scene of savages in falling-apart grass skirts. The house also displayed quickthinking and improvisation when things didn’t go as intended that only contributed to the humour of the show. Cast Narrator 1 Jack Peggie Narrator 2 Elliott Simm Narrator 3 Archie Hamilton Dully Charles Blackwell Jitterwit Henry Higgins Von Gonktop Jack Scambler The Master Sam Latham Chief UgglaMuggla Daniel Du Val The Overseer Callum Gilmour The Sage Oscar Barette The Tiger Joe Beddoe Savages Charlie Livingston, Will Byrne, Ben Blampied, Ben Godel, Charlie Reid, James Cushing, Archie Timana, George Dowling, Jonny Hopwood, Freddie Heaven, Leon H-L, Jack Harben, Tom Harben, Christos Valerkou, Alex Le Quesne, Max Firby, Dan Haywood

HOUSE DRAMA COMPETITION RESULTS Overall 1st

Braithwaite Booby Trap

2nd

Dunlop

3rd

Sartorius Harold Pinter: A Collection of Shorts

4th

Diarmid

Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

5th

Bruce

The Tiger’s Bones

DRAMA

The Picture of Dorian Gray

JUDGES SPECIAL PRIZES Best original soundtrack Matt Bowen

Sartorius

Best Female Character Harvey Pallent

Dunlop

Best Character Development Charlie Flynn

Dunlop

AWARDS Best Actor Nominations Charles Blackwell Mathew Bowen Mac Galvin David Bourne Charlie Flynn

Bruce Sartorius Diarmid Braithwaite Dunlop

Best Supporting Actor Sam Latham Oscar Barette Theo Miller Joshua Daniels Nathan Le Blancq Eddie McLaughlin Ollie Hair Tom De La Cour

Bruce Bruce Sartorius Sartorius Braithwaite Braithwaite Dunlop Dunlop

Best Newcomer Nominations Tom du Feu Seth Ruelle Austin Godel

Sartorius Braithwaite Braithwaite

Winner

Best Publicity Pack Nominations Bruce Braithwaite Winner Dunlop Best Set Bruce Braithwaite Winner Dunlop

2016-2017

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BUGSY MALONE GANGSTERS, SINGING, AND GUNS FILLED WITH FOAM? WHAT ELSE COULD IT BE BUT BUGSY MALONE, VICTORIA COLLEGE’S SCHOOL PERFORMANCE? Transported to the 1920s by both set and accent, audiences were treated to the story of titular character Bugsy (Charlie Flynn), a boxing promoter who gets mixed up with mobsters, while falling in love with aspiring singer Blousey (Olivia Jones) at a local speakeasy owned by ‘alleged mobster king’ Fat Sam (played by Tom De La Cour) who worries about the possible actions of rival mobster Dandy Dan (Harry Cadby). Flynn, De La Cour, and Niamh O’Hare - who played Tallulah, the flirtatious chanteuse at the speakeasy – were all complimented for their accents, performance, and singing.

Directors Comment: “We are so proud of all of the cast and crew. Both staff and students have worked tirelessly over the last few months to put together a truly memorable show. We had over 70 students in the cast and the number involved is a true reflection of their enthusiasm and dedication to the arts. Bugsy has been a very difficult production to tackle, as it is written as a screenplay with tricky transitions and lots of messy mayhem. But the students have been an absolute pleasure to work with and they’ve all worked hard to bring the house down every night. They thoroughly enjoyed the show and the great sense of fun, enthusiasm and laughter was evident”. Mrs Ogg

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FULL CAST Bugsy Malone Charlie Flynn Blousey Brown Olivia Jones Fat Sam Tom De La Cour Dandy Dan Harry Cadby Knuckles Nathan Le Blancq Tallulah Niamh O’Hare Fizzy Harvey Godel Shady Matthew Pierce Pop Becker/Bar Man Joe Ronan Morling Loretta Lucy De La Cour Dotty / Opera Singer Tirion Jones Bangles Imogen Brooks Tilly / Lena Morelli Lauren Sanders Velma / Louella Jessica Garton Cagey & Joe Boxing Coaches Laurie Corbel and David Bourne Leroy Max Tennant Dandy Dan’s Butler Callum Gilmour Seymour Scoop Mattie Mourant Smolsky Connor Walters O’ Dreary Jake Lysiak Policemen Owen Davies & Connor Walters Oscar de Velt Joseph Baillon Looney Bergonzi Hendrik Wright Pickett / Flash Frankie Freddie Lucas Barber Jonathan Cushen Violinist Patrick Holmes Undertakers Toby Jones & Owen Davies Baby Face Austin Godel Paper Boy Dylan Kotedia Roxy Jonathan Marett Radio Broadcaster Oliver Wilderspin Dummy and Ventriloquist Act Harvey Pallent & Harrison Caldeira Joe Beddoe Marbini Reporters Wojtek Wiecek & Dylan Kotedia Fat Sam’s Gang Ritzy Angelo Louis Snake Eyes Mikey

Tanguy Billet-Masters Scott Douglas Jakub Wharton Aidan Carrol Joseph Beddoe

The Hoods / Dandy Dan’s Gang Bronx Charlie Pippin Mawby Laughing Boy Leo Jeune Doodle Max Schiessl Benny Lee Leo Olsen Yonkers David Bourne Shoulders Laurie Corbel Vinnie Viraj Kotedia Speakeasy Customers

Hendrik Wright Harvey Pallent Callum Gilmour Harrison Caldeira

Sam Latham Joseph Baillon Jonathan Cushen Jake Lysiak Connor Walters Mattie Mourant Jonathan Marett Toby Jones

Chinese Laundry

Hendrik Wright Harrison Caldeira Harvey Pallent Dylan Kotedia Freddie Lucas Austin Godel Seth Ruelle

Boxers

Hendrik Wright Harrison Caldeira Harvey Pallent Dylan Kotedia Oliver Wilderspin Owen Davies Matthew Pierce Wojtek Wiecek Sam Latham

Down and Outs

Ben McNaney Oliver McNaney Jamie Vieira Sam Posner Victor Pallot Patrick Holmes Thomas du Feu Seth Ruelle Josh Roberts Jack Les Vesconte Austin Godel Joseph Baillon

Guards

Connor Welsh Owen Davies Harvey Pallent Wojtek Wiecek Matthew Pierce

The Speakeasy Band Piano Alto Sax Trumpet Drums Trombone Trumpet Bassoon Double Bass Guitar

Stephanie Humphries Joseph Wainwright Lawrence Lees-Baker Matthew Bowen William Dryland Todd Buesnel Daniel Hayden Stanley Keites Joshua Gallichan

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HONOURS & PRIZES 2017 Award

Winner

Queen's Gold Medal for Mathematics

Benjamin Walker

Queen's Gold Medal for Modern Languages

Daniel Tremoceiro

Queen's Gold Medal for Science

Benjamin Walker

Queen's History Prize - Senior

Rory Coughlan

Queen's History Prize - Junior

Daniel Hayden

St. Mannelier & St. Anastase Medal (For Top Marks in the Entrance Examination)

Oscar Watkins

State's Medal for French - Senior

Euan Spencer

State's Medal for French - Junior

Pierre Sangan

French Consul's Prize

Stanley Keites

Girard de Quetteville Medal (Head Boy)

James Dempsey

Touzel Cup (Deputy Head Boy)

Joshua Gallichan

The Head Master's Prize (For the Most Outstanding Contribution to College)

Jack Burt

Jersey Financial Services Commission Trophy for Excellence in the 6th Form

Todd Buesnel

William Richmond-Pickering Award for Service to the College

Thomas Carey

The BWCI Prize for Best Single Mathematics Result in the Lower 6th

Todd Buesnel

The Rathbone Prize for Perseverance and Commitment to Mathematics

Edward Cook

Herbert & Edward Major Science Prize - Senior

Nathan Bouten

Herbert & Edward Major Science Prize - Junior

Patrick Claxton

Perry Prize for the Best Biologist

Peter Malorey

Le Quesne Pharmacies Award for Chemistry

William Cook

Martyn Devenport Memorial Prize for Physics

Matteo Pallot

Farnell Prize for English Literature

Matthew Bowen

Beaufils French Essay Prize

Stephen Arthur

Cadin Cup for Spanish

Daniel du Val

Vibert Prize for Spanish

Maxime Bouten

Hudson Prize for Philosophy (Senior School)

Alex Viney

Hamon Tankard for Divinity (Junior School)

Charles Maloney

Randall Stevens Cup for Music

William Dryland

Richard Hutt Prize for Music

Jonathan Cushen

The Ernie Mallett Award for Music

Benjamin Philp

Bruce Cup for Art

Jasper Clarke

Barreau Prize for Art

Oliver Hair

Roberts Art Cup for the Most Outstanding Piece

Oliver Voak

Kenneth More Prize for Drama

Harry Cadby

Youngs Prize for Acting

Thomas De La Cour

The Falle Prize for Dramatic Performance of Shakespeare

Tanguy Billet-Masters

The Falle Prize for Shakespeare Studies

James Dempsey

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Carey Olsen Trophy for Public Speaking

Alexander Blandin

E.W. MartindellÂ Prize (For Work on English Literature and Language)

Alex Viney

Nicole Cup for Design

James Terry

Alan Baker Memorial Trophy for Technology

Max Treharne

Nott Award for Technological Innovation

Felix Carnegie

The Wherry Award for Psychology

Jack Peggie

Carson Cup for Geography

Iain McCallum

Halliwell Cup for Economics

James Dempsey & Kai Herridge

The Amy Business Studies Trophy

Henry Beirne

Prosperity Prize for Computing

Alexander Blandin

William Richardson Memorial Award for Promise in Computing Technology

Myles Dryland

Winchester University Trophy for Best Media Production

Oliver Voak

Berry Trophy for Progress in Year 9

Luke Proudfoot

Baxter Cup for Academic Achievement & Sporting Excellence in the Junior School

Frederick Pollard

D Richardson Senior Football Cup

Jack Burt

Junior Reed Cup for Hockey

Rusden Merritt

Reed Cup for Hockey

Benjamin Tait

O'Brien Cup for Hockey (Best Newcomer)

Adam Gower

The Ray Osmont Trophy (Most Promising Cricketer)

Ben Le Gallais

Stuart Cup for Best Junior Rugby Player of the Season

Benjamin Purkiss

Tostevin Cup for Rugby

Mark Boarer

Restall Cup for Interhouse Shooting

Bruce

O V Bowl for Shooting

Alexander Tucker

The Minty Trophy (Most Contribution to College Sport)

Benjamin Tait

Austin - Vautier Cup (For Sportsmanship)

David Bourne

Le Gallais Cup (Best Colts Sportsman)

Thomas Boarer

Mossop Cup (Best Senior Sportsman)

Mark Boarer

Jonny Lee Trophy (Sports Prefect)

Jack Burt

Agathangelou Cup for Sporting and Academic Achievement

Kai Herridge

Nathan Rogers Memorial Prize for C.C.F. (Best Cadet Yr 10)

Aidan Carroll

Col. Blashford-Snell Award (Best Cadet Yr 11)

Peter Langlois

ACM Alcock Award (Best Cadet Yr 12)

James Robinson

Brigadier Troy Trophy for C.C.F. (Best Cadet Yr 13)

Oliver Voak

Huelin Public Speaking Awards

James Dempsey & Tom De La Cour

Landick Cup (House Arts)

Dunlop

Blomfield Trophy (House Sport)

Diarmid

HONOURS AND PRIZES

2016-2017

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David Rotherham Mr David Rotherham was appointed by Acting Head Brian Vibert in 1984 on behalf of Mr Martyn Devenport who was on a sabbatical in Canada. He started teaching Geography on 1st April 1985, becoming Head of Divinity a year later. He joined the RAF Section of the CCF and was Housemaster of Dunlop twice, 1989 to 1995 and then again 2002 to 2006. In 1994, he became Head of Sixth Form, then in 2000, the Director of Human Resources. In 2002 he became Contingent Commander of the Combined Cadet Force and finally, in 2005, Assistant Headmaster with responsibility for Staffing. Wing Commander Rotherham leaves us in his 33rd year at the College. The end of an era... five words that are frquently used but often without substance. That is certainly not only the case with David Rotherham, who is retiring from the College not only as a teacher, but also as a Cadet Force Adult Volunteer of 27 years’ standing and Contingent Commander. David was commissioned into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training Branch) in March 1990 and appointed Section Commander of the RAF Section in 1992, taking over from Flight Lieutenant Arthur Hill. I joined the RAF Section as a Cadet at the College in 1991 and was soon whisked away on trips, camps and competitions with David taking charge and encouraging us on. He loved the camaraderie of the Air Force and proactively ensured his cadets attended as many courses and opportunities as were available. Life at that time in the Air Force was carefree; they had numerous stations across the country that could accommodate cadets at the drop of a hat and the Officers enjoyed all the trappings of the coveted Officers Mess. My fellow cadets and I enjoyed camps across the UK and overseas, including Germany and Gibraltar. In 1998, David was appointed Second in Command of the Contingent and promoted to Squadron Leader. In 2002, he was appointed Contingent Commander and oversaw the Centenary celebrations of the Contingent the

following year when Old Victorian, Colonel Blashford-Snell OBE, conducted the Biennial Inspection. His dedication to the RAF Section has seen Victoria College participating in every HQ Air Cadets Regional Competition and Air Squadron Trophy Competition since its inception, winning the National Trophy in 2003. At its height, the Victoria College CCF had over 250 Cadets enrolled during David’s tenure as Contingent Commander. In 2010, David was promoted to Wing Commander - the highest rank a CCF Officer can attain. He was awarded the Cadet Forces Medal with two clasps for further service as well as the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals. In August 2007, he was awarded the Commandant Air Cadet’s Certificate of Good Service. Away from the College, David has been the Chairman of the Jersey branch of the Royal Air Forces Association since 2016, having previously served as Secretary for many years. He has also held the post of Chairman of the Jersey Joint Service Cadet Committee since its inception by His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor of Jersey a few years ago. David has acted as subject expert in relation to the Cadet Forces to the current and former Lieutenant Governor for many years. I know that David will keep a watching brief on CCF matters, particularly in his role as Chairman of RAFA, as he co-opted me onto the committee last year! I wish David well in his retirement and thank him for his true dedication to the CCF on behalf of all the cadets who have passed through his command. Per ardua ad astra. Flight Lieutenant Simon Blackmore OV Officer Commanding RAF Section / Contingent Commander Designate

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Martyn Taylor

Heather Bougeard

Educated in Nottingham and leaving school in 1976. Martyn entered work as an Engineering Student Apprentice with The Ministry of Defence – Royal Ordnance. He was sponsored by the MoD initially through 6th Form College and then Nottingham Trent University where he spent the next 10 years completing his engineering and management qualification on a part-time basis. Promoted at age 24 to Experimental Defence Projects, he worked on projects with several NATO countries. Due to cutbacks in defence contracts in the late 80’s, Martyn left Royal Ordnance returning to Nottingham Trent University where he completed his Teacher training in 1989. Staying in Nottingham for the next 4 years, he taught in 11-16 and 11-18 schools before moving to The Kings School Peterborough shortly after marrying Moira.

Heather Bougeard joined us as Heather Medhurst, Teacher of English on 1st September 2007. She was born in London and achieved a Degree in English from the University of the West of England. Prior to teaching at Victoria College, she had taught in London and Bristol. She always had an attachment to Bruce House, working particularly closely with Helen Blake. Heather became Housemaster of Bruce in 2008. In 2009, she took on the additional responsibility of Co-ordinator of KS3 English, becoming Head of English and Media Studies on 1st September 2011. Heather belonged to the staff choir and undertook many cake sales. She is married to Adam and blessed with a daughter, Hazel who was born in September 2015. Mrs Bougeard leaves us to take up her new post as Head of English in a UK school.

In 1997, the opportunity arose to move to Jersey; Moira starting at VCJ and Martyn at Haute Vallee. Martyn’s association with VCJ really started in 1997 as their son Alex started at Prep. Martyn was active in The Friends of Prep Association and later as Prep Parent Governor. The opportunity arose in 2001 for Martyn to join VCJ, entering the recently opened Design Centre.

Sara Clews

His first day at VCJ also saw him promoted to Head of Year 8 until 18 months later when he moved back to curriculum responsibilities as 2nd in Design and later Director of Technologies. By 2008, Martyn had joined the CCF Navy Section gaining the rank of Lieutenant and where he still leads the Section. In 2014, Martyn had the opportunity to take a 14 week secondment to the States of Jersey Youth Service working with The Prince’s Trust. He returned to VCJ in January 2015 when he also took charge of Victoria College Awards and Celebrations. At the end of this academic year, Martyn has decided to seek other opportunities working on a part time basis.

STAFF DEPARTURES AND ARRIVALS

Sara Clews joined The Victoria College Foundation in 2013 in order to lead the Foundation into the next phase of community engagement. Across the last four and half years, the Foundation has been responsible for creating opportunities with lifelong learning through alumni and business partnerships, creating new events and celebrations and a better understanding around student achievement. The Foundation has supported the Headmasters’ visions to bring greater cohesion between the Prep and College through celebration and offerings from The Foundation Bursary. Sara leaves behind the legacy of Founders’ Week, The Citizenship and Co-Curricular Awards, The Foundation Anthem and Foundation Partners amongst other initiatives. With a background in theatre, Sara has now decided to move back to the Arts and will be joining The Opera House team in September.

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Mr Ian Hickling

Joshua Antonio Franco

Ian Hickling was born in Malta (an RAF family) and educated at Victoria College in Sartorius from September 1974 to July 1981. He was a College Prefect and 1st XI Footballer. He also started Marine Biology Club.

Mr Joshua Antonio Franco was appointed to be a full time teacher of French and Spanish on 1st September 2014, joining us via the Jersey Graduate Training Scheme. A graduate of the University of Exeter, Mr Franco has been a motivated and enthusiastic self-starting teacher who has thrown himself into many areas of school life, not least football and trips to Europe. He sadly leaves us after 3 years to teach in the south of England.

He attended Liverpool and Plymouth Universities gaining a BSc in Marine Biology and an MSc in Fish Biology and Aquaculture before taking a PGCE at Hull University. After University he became a building surveyor, forest surveyor, painter and decorator, fish merchant in Soho, London, then management scientist in the Metropolitan Police. Ian began his teaching career in Goole on Humberside in September 1990. Ian was appointed to the staff of Victoria College in September 1993 and gained promotion quickly: • 1996 became Key Stage 3 Coordinator and responsible for the Health Education programme and IT in Science. • Became Housemaster of Sartorius in 1999. • Head of Biology and General Studies from July 2000. • Accelerated Progression for being an outstanding teacher in 2004. • In September 2006 became Senior Tutor Year 10. • In September 2012 Academic Head Of Year 9 and Director of Studies. He handed over the Sartorius Housemaster role to Mr Murfin. Ian will be remembered for his total commitment to education and setting an example to his students. He leaves Victoria College in his 24th year here to take up a teaching post in Singapore. He is married to Marianne with 3 children, Roaseanna, Jonny and Billy.

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NEW STAFF Graeme Wright (Deputy Headmaster; History) I arrived as the new Deputy Headmaster at College in September 2016. I have previously worked in three HMC schools in England and come to Jersey after spending 6 years at Trent College, Nottingham where I was Assistant Headmaster. I was educated at St Edward’s School, Oxford; I have a degree in History from the University of Liverpool and a PGCE from the University of Manchester. I also hold an MA in Educational Leadership and Management from the University of Nottingham. Prior to teaching, I served in the Royal Marines for seven years, where I took part in operational tours of Northern Ireland and the Former Yugoslavia.

David Payne (Head of Sixth Form; Geography) I was previously Head of Geography at St Albans School in Hertfordshire, where I had also been Deputy Head of Sixth Form. I have also taught at the King’s School, Chester, and at Scotch College, Melbourne, Australia. I have moved to Jersey with my wife and three young children and we have recently acquired a puppy. I have been struck by the immense pride that the boys have in College (and their House!), as well as the enormously important and hugely impressive role undertaken by the School Prefects who work so hard to ensure the continued smooth day-to-day running of the school. My principle interest outside of school is in rugby where I have played for a large number of teams including Rugby School, Edinburgh University and Army Scotland. Nowadays, however I am restricted to enjoying the game from the touchline.

Matt Dixon (PE) I am originally from Manchester and came to Victoria College following completion of my undergraduate degree at the University of Central Lancashire, obtaining a First Class Honours and my postgraduate degree at Loughborough University. This year I will be teaching Physical Education and coaching the 1st XI cricket team. I hope to make an immediate impact on the teaching front and the cricket pitch. So far I have thoroughly enjoyed this year and the staff at Victoria College have been great in allowing me to settle in. I am a lifetime fan of the mighty Oldham Athletic.

STAFF DEPARTURES AND ARRIVALS

Majella Raindle (Mathematics) I grew up in the south of Ireland and moved to the UK in 2004 to work in Milton Abbey boarding school in Dorset. While in the UK I married my husband Tony and had my two children, Liam (8) and Becky (7). In 2014, I was offered a post in Haute Vallee School and moved everybody, including the dog, here. I started working in Victoria College in September 2016. So far I have loved working here and have been struck by how dedicated and passionate the staff are. I went to University in Ireland and have a BScED (Hons) and MSc. When I left university I had a mixture of jobs including lecturing in the University of Limerick and working in Dublin Zoo. I love living in Jersey, particularly the life it offers. Since living here, I’ve learned to paddleboard and have got my dive card. I also like swimming and going to the gym. My other passion is Rugby and having grown up in the home of Irish rugby, I am a passionate rugby fan (which can cause problems when Ireland are playing England as my husband is English!).

Michel Morel (Chemistry) Originally from Jersey, I read Chemistry with Biochemistry at Kings College, London where I was awarded the Style Medal for Excellence in Practical Chemistry. Since completing my PGCE at the Institute of Education in London I have enjoyed a varied teaching career which includes five years at Harris City Technology College in South London during which time the school was recognised as the most improved school in England and Wales. Additionally I have taught at Grainville School here in Jersey, and schools in Suffolk. Outside College I am actively involved in petanque and have represented Jersey in international competitions on numerous occasions.

Jo Wenman (English) I am originally from Berkshire in UK. My teaching experience includes British schools in the UK and in Dubai. My biggest motivation is when my students make progress. I gain much satisfaction from seeing young people become more confident and empowered in their use of the English Language, and when they are excited by Literature.

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Orla Priestley (Mathematics)

Julie Spencer (French and Spanish)

I graduated from Durham University with a MSc in 1996. After working for a while in various disciplines including research at the National University of Ireland and then Keele University, I started my teacher training in Blurton High School near Stoke-on-Trent. I was unsure whether teaching was the right career for me, but it quickly became apparent that it was the perfect choice. I moved to Jersey in 2005, joining Haute Vallee as Head of Mathematics until 2011. I left to live in France for a few years, running a commercial alpaca farm and teaching English to French children and adults. I came back to Jersey and joined Les Quennevais School in 2013.

My family and I have made a rather quick decision to move to Jersey from London. My husband got a job at JCG and I was offered a post at Victoria College the week after. It seemed too good to be true and we do not regret the move at all. My kids enjoy having more space, walks on the beach and places like Tamba Park or the Jersey Zoo. I am originally from Normandy. My dad is a fisherman. I have spent the last 10 years in London, studying and working in various schools: state schools, independent schools, boys, girls and mixed schools… I really enjoy teaching at Victoria College. There is an obvious strong French heritage here in Jersey and I always enjoyed teaching pupils about the French culture in general. I am looking forward to discovering more of the Island in my free time.

I am very much impressed by Victoria College and feel privileged to work here. There is a lovely atmosphere and work ethic amongst both staff and pupils. I am delighted to take on the position of Academic Head of Year 9 and look forward to getting to meet more of the pupils.

Alexa Munn (Digital Strategy; IT) Alexa has a vast array of skills within the education and digital sector. Her background lies with both technology and teaching and learning and, in addition, has a proven track record of success as a Head of Media. She is in charge of digital learning, e-safety and is responsible for implementing relevant and contemporary ed tech pedagogy. She recently was a speaker for the Media Education Summit in Rome and is currently writing an article for the MERJ journal. In addition, she is a keen photographer and in her spare time she enjoys golf, snowboarding, kayaking, surfing and spending time with her children.

Aaron O’Hare (Geography) I am originally from Co. Armagh in N.Ireland. I started my teaching career in Strathclyde after completing 4 years as an undergraduate at the University of Glasgow. I taught in Scotland for 2 years before moving to Jersey. I have settled well, and thoroughly enjoy the amount of sunshine in comparison to Ireland! I teach Geography at Victoria College, whilst also taking DofE. Since January, I have also taken over the role of Sub-Lieutenant for the Navy Section, CCF. Additionally, I run the Student Business Challenge for KS3’s. I thoroughly enjoy the extra curricular activities offered at Victoria College, as it gives me a unique opportunity to see boys outside the classroom environment. My passions include rugby, Gaelic football and triathlon.

Kate Mawdsley (History) Kate arrived in Jersey in January to take up the position of Head of History here at VCJ. After leaving school she studied Art and Design at Central Saint Martins in London before embarking on a History degree at King’s College (University of London). After returning to the north-west of England to complete a PGCE, she accepted a job at an all-girls school in Alderley Edge (Cheshire) where she has worked for the last nine years, initially as a History and Politics teacher and latterly as a Head of Department. She is already enjoying the contrast which teaching in an all-boys school provides! Kate has always delighted in exploring new places, hence her decision to take a sabbatical between 2011 and 2012 to teach in Tanzania, Malawi, Namibia and South Africa. It is for this reason that she jumped at the opportunity to teach here at VCJ; she is looking forward to getting to know Jersey, the Channel Islands and Normandy and Brittany much better in the coming years.

Gabrielle Armstrong (Design Technology) Mrs Armstrong joined Victoria College in January 2017. Having previously taught and led school departments in the UK, she has extensive experience and a very keen interest in design, enterprise and innovation. She has enjoyed advisory roles in D&T and throughout her career has had a very keen interest in developing extended school curriculum programmes for Gifted & Talented learners and primary transition groups. Mrs Armstrong is looking forward to leading Design & Technology through the new style formal examinations, bringing in lots of new clubs and interesting hands on learning in all areas of Design & Technology.

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THE PREP HEADMASTERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; INTRODUCTION 139 HOUSE REPORTS 140 EISTEDDFOD 145 SPORT 146 HOUSE POETRY 150 FRANCE TRIP 2017 152 BUDE 2017 154 MUSIC FROM PREP 156 HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHY 158 SCOUT CENTRE 2017 160 JOSEPH 162 FRIENDS OF PREP 164 OPEN DAY 166

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HEADMASTER’S INTRODUCTION In 1999, I was sitting as a fresh faced NQT, waiting for my interview with the then Headmaster Mr Philip Stevenson. I couldn’t have dreamt at the time that I would return seventeen years later to be head! What started as a one term ‘acting’ role turned into two terms – and then I was officially appointed in May. It is an honour to have been selected and a role that I take huge pride in. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their kind words of kindness. It was very humbling to receive so many words of support. My ambition for Prep is clear. I want to maintain the high standard of academic, sporting and creative success. I will further develop our rich curriculum that engages the boys, supported by wide ranging experiential opportunities that make learning fun and creates memories for life. I want our school’s core values to be entrenched in all that we do to support our boys to be the best that they can be. I want our boys to feel supported with their behaviour and their emotional well-being. More and more of our young children are feeling emotionally vulnerable. The lives of boys are so very different to when we were children. Academic and social pressures can have a huge impact on their emotions and self-esteem and we need to look after them. This year we appointed a learning support assistant in order to support emotional well-being. From September, Mr Chris Jones will take on the role of SENCO – full time. His work will support the already excellent work that goes on, but in addition, he will work even more closely with VCJ, forging links and supporting both schools in the delivery of PSHE and support provision. Finally, I want to open the doors to Prep; show our community what Prep does – every day. You will see the successes and major events in the local media, but I want to show the day to day experiences our boys have - the visits, the visitors, the learning opportunities, the day to day sports and music and the incredible amount of work that our talented teachers and pupils do every day. I want to further develop the relationship between us as a school and parents. We have made a start – but there is more to be done. This year we have achieved great academic success. Our more confident and rigorous use of our academic tracking programme has allowed us to monitor progress and make confident end of year judgements. We have maintained these standards whilst developing a curriculum that is engaging, stimulating and of interest to our boys.

and more opportunities are available for our boys, not only to develop their skills or learn new instruments, but also to perform. Our choirs, orchestra, numerous bands and individual instrumental opportunities provide platforms for all our boys to get involved musically and develop their own passions and interests. Every day, the school is filled with music; ranging from popular chart music being practised on the piano, weekly lessons in classical instruments or the music room regularly filled with groups of boys forging a path in the world of hard rock. This year has seen unprecedented success in the sports field and you will read in Mr Silva’s report just how much our boys have achieved. But, again I must reiterate, what really impresses me at VCP is the amount of extra-curricular activities and sporting opportunities that are available to all, regardless of ability. These opportunities only exist because of the enthusiasm and commitment of our staff and I thank them for their time and commitment. This summer we say goodbye to two members of staff who, over the years have had a major contributing factor to life at Prep. Mrs Ruth Hayhurst leaves us after twenty years. Her work as SENCO has been tireless and there have been many boys that have been supported by her expertise. Ruth leaves us to explore new opportunities and spend some quality time doing the things she loves. Mr Adrian Dixon leaves us after six years. A vastly experienced year 6 teacher and Subject Leader for ICT, Adrian leaves us to take up a new opportunity working with his son in the new digital age! I would like to thank them both for their efforts and enthusiasm in my time at Prep. Their experience will be missed! This year has certainly been a steep learning curve! I have learnt so much and have always been well supported by our dedicated staff and such supportive parents. I hope you all have a restful summer and look forward to seeing you all in the Autumn term. Mr Pateman

We have continued to achieve great success in the creative arts. The Jersey Eisteddfod and the wonderful school production of ‘Joseph’ have enabled our boys to demonstrate their capabilities and share their talents with a wider audience. Our music department has continued to flourish. More

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HOUSE REPORTS BRAITHWAITE House Captain: Aiden Pateman Sports Captain: Charlie Brennan Deputy Head Boy: Archie McKeon School Prefects: Daniel Wiseman Finley Rentsch House Teachers: Mrs Pateman Mr Jones Mrs Du Feu Mrs Ecobichon The first house event of the year was the Year 4 Creepy Valley trip. The purpose of this trip was team building which our year 4s really benefitted from. It was a really enjoyable day and Braithwaite came 4th. Thank you year 4 teachers for organising this event. The first whole school house event was the cross country, held at St Ouen. In Year 3, we had six runners that came in the top thirty. These runners were Riley Brennan (5th), Harry Le Brocq (8th), James Baglin (19th), Robbie Tieppo (24th), Louis Bell (29th). In Year 4 we had a fantastic ten runners in the top thirty, Luke Fleming (3rd), Aiden Le Saint (7th), Arthur Andrews (8th), Zachary Grandfield (9th), Ethan Rankin (11th), Rhean Vardon (15th), Edison Slater (16th), George Le Sueur (17th), Giles Wille (26th) and Joshua Pinzari (28th). In Year 5 we had six runners in the top thirty, Leyton Collier (2nd), Jack Nayar (5th), Monty Cudlipp (6th), Billy Martin-Davis (8th), Oliver Hotton (15th) and Felix Sheehan (18th). In Year 6 we had five runners in top thirty, Jamie Parslow (5th), Charlie Brennan (11th), Harry McCarthy (18th), Archie McKeon (22nd) and Finley Rentsch (24th). Well done to all of the runners. Braithwaite won the cross country and this helped us to gain first position at the end of the first half term and the green pennant was hoisted on the school flagpole! The next House Event was House Football which again, was won by Braithwaite. A special mention must go to our year 3 team who had the fewest boys playing but still managed to win the year 3 competition. Particularly notable performances came from Riley Brennan (Y3), Leyton Collier (Y5) and Charlie Brennan (Y6). Next was the House Dodgeball, a competition for Years 5 and 6. Again Braithwaite won and at the end of the autumn term we remained in first position, well ahead of the other houses.

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During the spring term the House Music competition took place, open to Years 5 and 6, in which we came third overall. Well done to Billy Martin-Davis (Y5) who won electric guitar solo and came second in instrumental duet and Gianluca Rizzuto (Y5) who won singing duet. Well done to Emile Blampied who won acoustic guitar solo, electric guitar solo and group performance. Leading by example, house captain Aiden Pateman (Y6) won percussion solo, singing duet and Boy band and came second in drum kit solo and instrumental duet. Well done to Jamie Parslow (Y6) who won strings solo (violin), drum kit solo, singing solo, Boy band and came second in instrumental duet. Thank you to Mrs Silvester for organising the event. The next whole school House event was the House Photography in which very disappointingly Braithwaite came last, not helped by having the fewest number of entries overall. At the end of the February Half-Term, Braithwaite had dropped to second place behind Dunlop. In house hockey the Year 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s came first and the Year 6â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s came third. Amazingly, we won overall. A fantastic congratulations goes to all of our hockey players. Next was the swimming gala, definitely a Braithwaite strength. Despite a brave effort from our year 3s they came in 5th place, due in part to, again, having so few boys participating. However, Braithwaite came back on a high with Year 4 and 5 coming first. Year 6 again took 5th place but we but came first overall! Thank you Mr Silva for organising so many sporting events. As I write Braithwaite are currently in second place against a particularly strong Dunlop this year. It remains to be seen whether Braithwaite can triumph in the sports days and house points to regain first place and the Hopewell this year. This year I have really appreciated being given the role of House Captain and working with amazing pupils, the prefect team and teachers. Hopefully Braithwaite will win many events in future years and will always be the best house! Thank you, Aiden Pateman, House Captain.

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BRUCE House Captain Sports Captain House Teachers

Ethan Carroll Theo Pirouet Mr. Waymouth Mrs. Bull Mrs. Mason

This year Bruce haven’t done as well as we expected despite all amazing efforts and hard work. The first house event of the school year was Creepy Valley for year 4, which we came second. Year 4 did extremely well and made a great start for the year for Bruce and for year 4. Next is music where all the boys, who took part, did extremely well. In year 5 Cosimo Dhami-Hounsome did a great job for us in woodwind and Ed Clark for winning the string solo in year 5. In year six we did alright, with Adam Kennedy doing well in the woodwind solo. Over all we came 4th and in housepoints we got 48. After the music it was house photography. The Year 3 category was colour/black and white, Year 4 was coasts, Year 5 was defences and fortifications and last but not least year 6 who did buildings. In year 4, the best person showing their best photographic skills was Oscar Luft who came 1st, in year 6 Casper Godel came 2nd and Ethan Carroll got special mention. Over all we came joint 3rd with 42 house points awarded. The judge was Peter Knight, a local artist. Last, but maybe the best section we did in was house poetry. The contestant picked from year 3 was Will Wilson who did a good reading of his poem about colours. In year 4 Michael Gothard brought an expressive reading about The Iron Man. In Year 5 Finlay Perrie did a reading about a castle and the ocean and in year 6 Harry Evans read a piece about emotions.

Harry Phillips (Y4), Connor O’Keefe (Y5) and Adam Kennedy (Y6). In the school cross country we didn’t do as well as expected despite all the effort from everyone in Bruce. In year 3 we came 1st with 6 people in the top 18 who were Morgan Surcouf (1), Archie Fisher (9), Toby Stott (11), Thomas Marshall (13), Cooper Woodcock (14) and Sam Devy (18). In year 4 we sadly came 5th with 2 people in the top 10. They were Harry Phillips (9) and Jensen Sangan (10). In year 5 we came 1st with 4 people in the top 17. Congratulations to Connor O’Keefe (1), Rory Claxton (3), Sunny Reid (7) and Harrison Leggett (17). In year 6 we came last but had two people in the top 9. They were Adam Kennedy (6) and Theo Pirouet (9). I guess running isn’t one of Bruce’s strengths. Next it was house football which was a bit better. We managed to come 3rd overall, collecting 40 house points, which was well deserved. House dodgeball is only for year 5 and year 6 so year 3 and year 4 have to wait. Overall we came 4th claiming 10 house points, which is better than last year but I think some of us expected to do better. Next event was the Swimming gala where we sadly came last and got 10 house points with Theo Pirouet in the freestyle final coming second, Adam Kennedy in the backstroke final winning it. So far I think Bruce have done well in their sport but I think we need to up our game just a tiny bit. By Ethan Carroll and Theo Pirouet

The first sporting event this year in which we did very well, was the Knights Shield but then we started to slip on our successes, but all that matters is that we all tried our hardest. Well done to all of our amazing runners in the Knights Shield who were: Morgan Surcouf (Y3),

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DIARMID House Captain Sports Captain Head Boy House Teachers

Louis Kelly Edward Jeffries Sam Watling Mrs Hart Mr Lumley Mrs Brooke

It is our great honour to be writing this house report. This has been a memorable last year at VCP, and we can safely say, all the other Year 6 members share equally fond memories of their time spent representing and being an active and enthusiastic member of Diarmid. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Hart for helping Diarmid to achieve greatness this year. The year started with Year 4’s Creepy Valley Team Building Challenge where the boys had to communicate well, be supportive of others in the house as well as showing resilience. The boys had a fantastic time as they put their maximum effort into every activity. Despite finding some of the activities tough, they tried their hardest against strong competition to come 5th overall. Shortly after, the hugely exciting cross-country race took place in St Ouen’s Bay where all Diarmid representatives enjoyed participating in the extremely challenging 1200 metre race. Diarmid cheered, supported and encouraged their fellow runners brilliantly throughout each of the different year group racers. A special mention goes to the following Diarmid members who came first for their house this year: Year 3 – Alexander Lincoln (10th), Year 4 – Arthur Burton (14th), Year 5 - Joshua Douglas (9th), Year 6 – Edward Jeffries (1st). The strength in Year 6 was further evident with Louis Kelly crossing in 2nd, Casper Whitewood clinching third place and Sam Watling crossing in 4th place! All the Diarmid runners showed amazing stamina, determination and energy to complete the race to the best of their ability. However, the other houses were equally strong resulting in a respectable 3rd overall. The following month saw the House Football kick off; an event that sees the A team and the B team scores being combined in each year group. Each year group battled hard and as the tournament went on the team work improved producing some great goals and some strong defensive play. Overall, however, the amazing efforts on the pitch resulted in Diarmid placing 5th overall. A special mention goes out to the Year 6 teams who put up a great fight taking first place honours in their year. The House Dodgeball event followed shortly after for those boys in Year 5 and Year 6. For this event, the house decided how they wanted the teams to be split. Tactics were discussed and there was a tremendous amount of support by those playing and those watching to encourage Diarmid to give of their best. Diarmid did really well showing a good ability to not only throw the ball with force and accuracy but also in their ability to dodge the opponent’s balls. Sartorius and Dunlop proved too strong on this occasion, resulting in Diarmid clinching third spot. With so many talented musicians, Diarmid were really looking forward to the House Music Competition which saw every

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member enter at least one category for their house. The Year 5 winners were: Theo Pullman (acoustic guitar solo), Ollie Bloor (ukulele and self-accompanied singing solo). The Year 5 runnersup were: Jacob Slack (instrument duet and boy band), Josh Douglas and Theo Pullman (singing duet). The Year 6 winners were: Louis Kelly (ukulele solo) and Jamie Willets (composition). The Year 6 runners-up were: William Le Gallais (piano solo), Oscar Dodds (self-accompanied singing solo, composition and boy band). Despite Diarmid trying and performing amazingly well, we sadly came 5th. All Diarmid members would like to thank Mrs Silvester, our fabulous music teacher, for organizing this exciting event that we all enjoyed despite the disappointing result. During the holidays, all the boys had to take photographs of their assigned topics: Year 3 – Black and White or Colour, Year 4: Coastlines, Year5: War Bunkers and Year 6: Buildings. Even though we had the second lowest number of entries, we pulled it back to retain our title as champions. The next event was House Hockey for Year 5 and Year 6. Strategic choices were made for this event with Year 6 ensuring we had a strong goalkeeper: Jermy Harcourt who was new to the sport this year. We were lucky to have a depth of good outfield players with good technique, skill and fitness, which resulted in the two Year 6 teams winning the competition comfortably. Unfortunately, Year 5 found the other houses were too strong which, overall, resulted in the House coming 4th. House Poetry was one of Diarmid’s strong points of this year. It took a long time for the House teachers helped by the House Captain to select which boy would represent the year group. In the end, four great pieces were chosen for Diarmid: Year 3 – Louis Pullman, Year 4 – Oliver Kownacki, Year 5 – Theo Pullman, Year 6 – James Willets. After the boys confidently stood up and shared their fine poems with the school, the Judges revealed the much awaited results… we came a solid 3rd position. Diarmid’s achievements were celebrated with a splash at the Swimming Gala. The boys pushed themselves to the limits with the majority of boys competing across all the year groups. Not only did Oscar Dodds (Year 6) win the final of breaststroke, but he also broke a swimming record! Casper Whitewood (Year 6) won the front crawl event narrowly missing getting a new school record too. Despite Diarmid’s efforts with Year 6 winning their year group, we finished 3rd again. We are also very excited for the sports day the athletes compete in track and field events as well as the house team water challenge and tug of war. We are hoping to work well together to win these events this year. It has been a pleasure to be in Diarmid for these last four years with wonderful teachers and pupils and I’m sure Diarmid will have more successful years in the future. One thing is for sure, it will in our opinion, remain the best House. Thank You Diarmid! Written by Louis Kelly and Edward Jeffries

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DUNLOP House Captain Sports Captain School Prefects Teachers

Isaac Tarrant Trystan Cameron Ollie Vibert Louis Hedges Mrs Le Feuvre Mrs McCarthy Mrs Gowans Mrs Bannister

This year Dunlop successfully lived up to all the school expectations and core values and we have shown great enthusiasm in sport. Dunlop have grown throughout the year and blossomed with each success they have achieved. The first house event was Year 4’s challenging activities at Creepy Valley; unfortunately, despite our best efforts and encouraging moral support, we only came third. Year 4 had lots of fun activities like zip wiring, aerial tracking and power fan only to name a few. Due to our skilled, talented and proficient runners our next House event was slightly more successful - Sebastian Kirkby, Felix Taylor, Alexander Wood and Jack Band - we managed to acquire 2nd place on the Knight shield! Soon after the Knight shield, one of the school’s biggest events took place, many Dunlop boys trained hard for VCP’s 2016 School Cross Country, we received a respectable 2nd position, yet again for our sportsmanship and resilience. A note-worthy performance in Year 4 was Felix Taylor who won his year race once again. Now we come to one of the sports, which the school is most eager to participate. During VCP’s Football House Competition, we managed to seize 2nd place just from the grasp of Bruce, adding to our overall total of house points. It just proves that as a team, Dunlop excels to their full potential and will not cease to amaze. Furthermore, during House Dodgeball for years 5 and 6, we attained a triumphant 1st place; a sparking inspiration to our fellow Dunlops. Next was House Music for years 5 and 6; taking an ambitious stride to success was our key. We obtained 2nd place thanks to our many gifted musicians who overcame their nerves to perform. We had an excellent start in year 6 with Evan Thomas

coming runner-up in the brass solo section, then Julian Magalhaes won the piano solo and joint runner-up of string solo with Sebastian Kirkby, next was Isaac Tarrant who won self-accompanied singing solo and boy band, then coming runner-up in percussion solo, singing solo, instrumental duet, composition and then runner-up in singing duet with Louis Hedges. Then Archie Scate coming runner-up on ukulele solo, Oliver Vibert winning singing duet with Aiden Pateman and then winning boy band, also coming joint runner-up in group performance with Bray Langlois’ group and Louis Hunt winning acoustic guitar solo and composition. It just goes without showing that Dunlop put themselves forward no matter what for their house. Not long after, House Photography took place, the photos from all the school pupils stunned the visitors and parents, our Dunlop performance stood out and we received 2nd place. House Poetry was an important competition of which proved to play a crucial role in the academic year. We earnt ourselves two judge’s choices which gave us 1st place, also thanks to our four Dunlop poets – Alexander Woodman, Ben Heelis, Neil Sontakke and Isaac Tarrant. Our most recent House Competition so far this year was the Swimming Gala. Overall we gained another 2nd place just being beaten by Braithwaite. I give many thanks to every Dunlop who participated to keep us in the game. As I am writing, the Dunlop flag is currently flying and we are willing to do all we can to maintain it till the end of the year. But most of all Dunlop have had fun, they have put their best effort in at everything and are finishing the year on a high. One thing is for sure that throughout the year Dunlop boys have worked hard to gain valuable credits and housepoints for their efforts, behaviour and resilience and we are very successful on s day to day basis. I would like to wish my fellow Dunlops the best of success for the year ahead, however nothing could have happened without the help of our promising and inspiring house teachers – Mrs Le Feuvre, Mrs Gowans, Mrs Bannister and Mrs McCarthy. I also give a big thank you to Trystan, Ollie and Louis for helping me throughout the school year. IsaacTarrant, Dunlop House Captain

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SARTORIUS House Captain: Sports Captain: School Prefects: House Teachers:

Will Hodgson James Courtness Sam Oldridge Harvey Sanders Ms Hossard Mr A Dixon Mrs J Blackstone

House Music House Music this year was a tremendous success with Sartorius coming 1st, well ahead of the other houses, thanks to all the boys who entered. In Y5 the runners-up were Alexander Le Cornu (strings solo), Charlie Doyle (acoustic guitar and electric guitar), Ollie Huelin (drum kit solo, singing duet and singing solo) and Corey Parker (singing duet). The Y5 winners were William Read (piano solo), James Balderson (brass solo), Tom Doyle (drum kit solo, instrumental duet and boy band), Corey Parker (singing solo), Charlie Doyle (instrumental duet), Eddie Rothwell (group performance) and Alistair Webster (composition). Y6 runners-up were James Courtness (woodwind and ukulele solo), Lachlan Muir (brass solo), Samuel Reynolds (recorder solo and group performance), Sam Oldridge (drum kit solo), Will Hodgson (instrumental duet), Harvey Sanders (group performance), Callum Sunley (group performance) and Willoughby Gleeson (boy band and composition). Y6 winners were Sam Oldridge (brass solo, recorder solo and instrumental duet), Lachlan Muir (instrumental duet) and James Courtness (instrumental duet and group performance). Poetry Coming 4th in the House Poetry was a disappointment. However, we would like to thank everyone in Sartorius who entered the competition. Special thanks to these boys: Elliot Hamilton (Y3) who wrote and performed ‘What is Black?’; Angus McLauchlan (Y4) - ‘The Iron Man’; Richard Golding (Y5) - ‘Mystery Isle’ and Willoughby Gleeson (Y6) - ‘Fear’. House Sport Despite our best attempts in the Knight Shield, we came an unfortunate 4th. Our relay team was made up of: Samuel Reynolds running for Y6, Eddie Rothwell for Y5, William Yates for Y4 and Jake Le Boutillier for Y3. In the annual House Cross Country we were also 4th overall. The individual year group results were as follows: In Y3 we achieved 3rd position; our fastest runners home being: Ed Hodgson (4th), Elliot Hamilton (6th) and Owen O’Toole (7th). In Y4 we just pipped Dunlop to 2nd place thanks to William Yates (2nd) and Jacob Riley (12th). Despite great runs in Y5 by Eddie Rothwell (4th), Alistair Webster (10th) and Oliver Walker (12th), we were unfortunately placed 4th once again. Finally in Y6, we went one better coming 3rd in that year group, thanks to Samuel Reynolds (8th), Will Hodgson (12th) and Samuel Hunter (13th).

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The next sporting event of the year was House Football which took place last October. Sadly, Sartorius only came 4th, giving us a total of just twenty house points. In the Y5 and Y6 House Dodgeball at the end of the autumn term, we were narrowly beaten by Dunlop to come a welcome, but unfortunate second. Next was the Y5 and Y6 House Hockey, where once again we came second, this time to Braithwaite. The House Swimming was not one of our strengths this year as in the end we came 4th. However, a great start to the Y6 gala saw James Courtness and Harvey Sanders coming 4th and 5th in front crawl final. Willoughby Gleeson and Cian Ridgard both won their breaststroke heats, but unfortunately their times were not quite quick enough to qualify for the final. In the backstroke, Samuel Reynolds did very well, winning his heat and then coming 3rd in the final. The first of the two freestyle relays was a good one for Sartorius as we came 2nd to Diarmid. However, in the final event, the A team freestyle relay, we only managed 4th place. So, with the last few sporting events of the year coming up, Sartorius will be looking to gain as many house points as possible from the Junior and Senior Sports Days before the Y5 and Y6 House Cricket matches draw the annual sporting calendar to a close. As we write this report, with only two weeks of term left, we would also like to take the opportunity to thank Mr Dixon for all his help and support over the years. He is taking a break from teaching in order to support his son (OV and Sartorian - Chris MD) in his Youtube career; we all wish him the very best in this exciting endeavour. By Will Hodgson, House Captain and James Courtness, Sports Captain

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EISTEDDFOD Creative Art Eisteddfod

French Eisteddfod

In March the Creative Art Eisteddfod was held at the RJAHS. The judges were very complimentary about the standard of work entered;

A grand total of eighty pupils from Y5 and Y6 entered this year’s French Eisteddfod which took place at the end of November at the Jersey Arts Centre; and once again the boys were a credit to themselves and to VCP.

“inventive and imaginative work, wonderful charectirization1 high level of technical skill combined with creativity in this engaging group of work” AND “a collection of beautifully rendered artist inspired works that employ a diverse range of media to excellent effect” We were awarded the Rose Curry trophy for the overall best presentation of work by Artists- which was testament to the hard work of staff and our whole school focus on this in September- the boys were inspired by studies of Klimt, Joan Miro, Britto, Klee and local artist Peter Knight. Congratulations to all winners. In total VCP were awarded : 2D Bronze Austin Clarke Sebastian Kirkby

3D Bronze Aiden Le Saint Byron Major

Silver Angus Mc Lauchlan Beau Gurner Max Hazzard Isaac Tarrant Louis Bell Jermy Harcourt Daniel Frost Louis Hunt Samuel Reynolds

Silver Samuel Hunter Ethan Carroll Louis Hedges Harry Evans

Gold Jonty Gallaher James Baglin Joshua Pinzari Platinum Willoughby Gleeson

Fifty-four boys from Y5 took part in Class 301, competing for the Joan Kennedy Cup for Set Verse. Twenty-five gold, twenty-eight silver and a bronze certificate were awarded. Two pupils competed in the Trophée Ecole Flam Class 311c (for French native tongue speakers), gaining gold and silver certificates. Twenty-four Y6 pupils decided to enter Class 302 this year, competing for the French Consul Shield for Set Verse. With three boys (Morgan Flavell, Lachlan Muir and Daniel Wiseman) called back to recite their poems for a second time, we were guaranteed a class winner. In the end, Morgan was awarded the shield together with a platinum certificate and was invited to take part in the Gala Performance at the Town Hall. A further eight gold and thirteen silver certificates were also presented.

Gold Kaden Rivoallan William Dengate Samuel Drew Jamie Parslow

Handwriting Eisteddfod Once again VCP participated in the Handwriting Section of the Festival of Creative Arts, which took place in March. Fifteen Y6 pupils had their work submitted and displayed. Two gold, two silver and eleven bronze certificates were awarded. Well done to the following boys: Willoughby Gleeson, Louis Hunt, Louis Kelly, Adam Kennedy, Sebastian Kirkby, William le Gallais, Harry Millard-Beer, Aiden Pateman, Isaac Tarrant , Jack Tennant, Joseph Valerkou, Oscar Watkins, Sam Watling, Casper Whitewood and Daniel Wiseman.

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SPORT Rugby

Hockey

Glorious weather conditions greeted the children on Saturday 11th March as the VCP Rugby squad played 2 teams from Bedford, De La Salle, St.Helier Schools and St.Michaels in the Rugby Festival held at College Field.

Beachwood Two year 6 Hockey teams travelled to Guernsey to play in the Beachwood Hockey Festival. This was a great experience for the boys who played against strong teams from Guernsey and the UK, some a year older than them. The A team played in the “Cup Tournament” and the B team played in the “Trophy Tournament”. The teams played incredibly well linking play skilfully, using the full width of the pitch and scoring confident goals. The A team closely missed out on a runner’s up spot and B teams kept the pressure up resulting in them runners up of the Trophy Tournament.

VCP started the tournament with a comfortable victory against St.Helier Schools. In their second match, VCP showed excellent commitment in the tackle whilst beating an extremely good side from Bedford. De La Salle were the next opponents. The VCP squad showed tremendous courage in the tackle against a visibly bigger De La Salle squad and their handling skills were superb allowing another great victory. The 4th round of matches saw VCP and Bedford Prep play in what shaped up to be the tournament decider. The Jersey side were totally focused for this match and some aggressive running and strength in the ruck situations led to VCP producing a fine display in dispatching their English opponents comfortably. VCP finished the tournament with a comprehensive victory over St.Michaels to finish the tournament with a 100% record! VCP Rugby Squad: S.Watling (capt), C.Brennan, J.Courtness, S.Harris, S.Hunter, H.McCarthey, A.McKeon, J.Parslow, S.Reynolds, W.Hodgson, C.Ridgard

Rugby Tournament Table 1st

Victoria College Prep

2nd

Bedford 18 points

3rd

St.Michaels 16 points

4th

De La Salle

13 points

5th

St.Helier Schools

9 points

6th

Bedford Prep

2 points

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25 points

A Team players: Sam Watling, Edward Jefferies, Harvey Sanders, Will Hodgson, Samuel Reynolds, Samuel Hunter, , Lewis Ham-Howes, Daniel Bryon B Team Players: Louis Kelly, Archie McKeon, Theo Pirouet, James Coutness, Oscar Dodds, Adam Kennedy, Joshua Moulson, William Dengate

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VCJ - Bedford Tournament The A team played in a tournament against VCJ and visiting teams from Bedford. Again, the team played really well, stood their ground and made excellent tackles against their older opponents. In their final game VCP dug deep, defended well and scored a late goal to clinch victory on goal difference. Rathbones Bank VCP took two year 6 teams, a mixed year 5 year 6 team and one year 5 team to the Rathbones Hockey Tournament in Jersey. They played seven other schools plus a visiting Beachwood team from Guernsey. All teams played well; the Year 6 A team won the Cup Tournament, the B team came 3rd and the year 5/6 team came 5th having had to switch to the Cup Tournament on the day. The Year 5 A team won the Plate Tournament. Prizes were awarded at the end of the tournament to particular children that had shown good sportsmanship and skill. From VCP, these were: Sam Hunter, William Dengate, Jermy Harcourt and Eddie Rothwell with Sam Watling being awarded best player of the Tournament.

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Cup Tournament Year 6 A team: Sam Watling, Edward Jeffries, Harvey Sanders, Samuel Reynolds, Sam Hunter, Theo Pirouet, Will Hodgsdon, James Courtness Cup Tournament Year 6 B Team: Oliver Vibert, Archie McKeon, Dan Bryon, Cian Ridgard, Adam Kennedy, Joshua Moulson, Louis Kelly, William Dengate, Archie Scate (GK) Cup Tournament Year 5/6 C Team: Oscar Dodds, Oliver De Guelle, Cosimo Dhami-Hounsome, Albert Jeffries, Oliver Walker, Finlay Sheehan, Oliver Winch, Ollie Hotton, Jamie Willetts, Jermy Harcourt(GK) Plate Tournament Year 5 Team: Rory Claxton, Henry Johnson, Billy Martin-Davis, Conor Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Keefe, Sunny Reid, Eddie Rothwell, Jacob Slack, William Gowans, Petrus Maritz, Gianluca Rizzuto (GK)

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Football

ESFA – South West Regional Final

The VCP A-team completed a wonderful season locally by winning the top division with an 100% record! These awards followed winning the Jersey 5 a-side competition and the Channel Island Championship and the Jersey Cup meaning that VCP managed to win every trophy available!

Keynsham, just outside Bristol was again the venue for the ESFA South West Regional Finals featuring the County Champions from Counties such as Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire etc. VCP were drawn in a group alongside Devon, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Somerset.

Bedford Tour to Jersey VCP provided two Year 5 teams to play The Bedford Prep Year 6s (as in recent years our Year 6s have been too strong). Two entertaining games were played on Sunday 12th March at Heathfield. The Y5 A team defeated the Bedford A team by 6 goals to 3 and the Y5 B team won 4-2. It was a great experience for the younger boys to play against some physically imposing children, but they maintained their composure and played some slick football in creating numerous chances. Y5 squad: L.Collier, C.O’Keeffe, M.Cudlipp, E.Rothwell, R.Claxton, J.Nayar, H.Mackenzie, L.Picotto, S.Reid, H.Johnson, H.Leggitt, A.Wood, A.Webster, O.Winch, J.Douglas, O.Boletta, A.Jeffries, T.Pullman House Football Braithwaite emerged victorious after all 4 year groups, followed by Bruce, Dunlop, Diarmid and Sartorius.

House Football year group champions Y3

Bruce

Braithwaite

Dunlop

In the first match against Devon, VCP took an early lead through Samuel Reynolds before Sam Watling put the game to bed early in the second half to secure a comfortable 2-0 victory. Wiltshire were the next opponents, and VCP blew them out of the water following a crushing 6-0 victory. As in many games this year, the opposition struggled to cope with VCP’s high intensity pressing game when defending and the slick one touch football on the offensive. Reynolds added 2 more goals along with an individual goal from Ed Jeffries. Charlie Brennan completed the scoring with a fine hat-trick including 2 fine long distance strikes! VCP defeated Hampshire with another comfortable 2-0 victory with goals from Reynolds and Watling and then overpowered Somerset 4-0 in our final group match. Once again the quality of football was beautiful to watch and the goals were scored by Jeffries, Reynolds, Brennan and Conor O’Keeffe. In the final match, VCP played the Gloucestershire champions and dominated the match, laying siege to the West Country school throughout. Ed Jeffries scored the VCP goal early in the second half and the Islanders comfortably saw out the match meaning they now progress to the National Finals (top 8 schools out of over 3000 that started!). The VCP squad raised their game against some quality opposition and their progress was never in doubt after a fast start. The defence was rarely troubled thanks to excellent communication from James Courtness in goal and dominating performances from Nathan Bolingbroke and Charlie Brennan. Ed Jeffries and Sam Watling were a real threat every time they received the ball on the wings and Leyton Collier was a joy to watch throughout in the centre of midfield providing plenty of assists. The attacking duo of Samuel Reynolds and Conor O’Keeffe covered a huge amount of ground and were clinical in front of goal. Confidence will be high as they approach the Finals sometime in either May or June. VCP squad: Ed Jeffries, James Courtness (gk), Charlie Brennan, Sam Watling, Samuel Reynolds, Leyton Collier, Nathan Bolingbroke, Conor O’Keefe

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SPORTS DAY

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80 150

2016-2017

HOUSE POETRY The annual House Poetry competition took place on Monday 24th April. In preparation, every boy in the school wrote a poem for their House as part of their English lessons. Each year group had a different theme. Y3 wrote “Colour” poems; Y4 pupils were inspired by Ted Hughes’ “The Iron Man”; Y5 used the theme “Water” while the Y6’s poems were based on “Emotions”. A poem from each year group was chosen by the House teachers to represent the House and the anonymous poems were then sent to three independent judges who gave them a score out of ten. The poems were read to the school in assembly by their poets. The results were as follows:

Overall positions 1st

Dunlop

2nd

Bruce

3rd

Diarmid

= 4th = 4th

Braithwaite Sartorius

Judges: Caroline Whitehead Lucy Ogg David le Boutillier

What is Yellow?

The Iron Man

Yellow is a great pyramid, towering and proud, holding a pharoah’s body.

Constantly crashing, Eyes red with rage and anger, His cumbersome creaking joints shook the earth. His head spun round and round, scanning his surroundings. One dark night, His great iron hand reached out for a star. Suddenly, he lost his balance, CRASH, BOOM, BANG, He fell… The wind sang through his flickering fingers, The sand brushed his wiggling, waggling toes. His eyes, one red, one blue, Did not know what was happening. Further down the beach, His great iron ear, Could hear, The whistling of the sea shells on the shore. The cogs inside his iron torso, Clanging, crashing and creaking, In need of oil. There and there alone, the Iron Man lay…

Yellow is a spotty, speedy cheetah tearing across the boiling African Savannah. Yellow is a sneaky, stealthy leopard, ready to pounce on its prey. Yellow is a sour-tasting, oval-shaped lemon sitting around, waiting to be cut. Yellow is a curved, delicious banana longing to be chosen from the wooden fruit bowl. Yellow is tall, soft wheat, swaying in the calm breeze. Yellow is the huge sun, swelteringly hot and dazzling. Yellow is an enormous, dry desert, plain and scorched. Yellow is a tiny grain of sand picked up and flung afar by a gust of wind. Yellow is a shiny golden ring worn by the rich and powerful queen. Yellow is the happiest colour, always shining bright. Year 3 By Alexander Woodman Dunlop

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Year 4 By Aiden Le Saint Braithwaite

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I am the Sea

Mystery Isle

Nostalgia

Crashing, bashing, breaking, The sea is a powerful thing, Sometimes I think to myself, That I might go and dive right in!

‘Twas a calm day at the sea, There was no sign of a storm, I went on my boat, And sailed into the sea, ‘Twas enjoyable, Until I lost my way, And a storm wrecked my boat. Then with a “shlurp” I was sucked under, Luckily Neptune took pity on me, In case you don’t know – he’s God of the Sea, He took me unharmed to a lonely Isle, And then - for good measure, The sea dropped some treasure, Two giant pearls, as big as my fist... When I finally came to, all I could see was mist. I felt my way to a sheltering tree, As soon as the mist lifted, excitement came to me, What was this strange little Isle? For the first time in a while, I broke out a smile, As I explored this mysterious Isle. I ran as fast as I could in one direction, But then I stopped… There was an old ruined castle, Night was falling - I had to think… Quick. I slept in the castle with an empty stomach, For the first time in a while, I wanted to be saved from the Isle. When I woke up, it was too good to be true! There was the ‘’Drrr’’ of a helicopter coming to save me.

Now I ponder on the old days: The yellow sunlight would dance and pour into the atmosphere, Kind people would accommodate me, making me feel euphoric. The colossal waves would collide and crash against the rough rocks, And the bright contrasting moon illuminated the glistening night sky. But now I stand alone, like a lion waiting patiently for a chance of prey, Next to the resonating traffic as the percussive noise shatters my peace.

I am a boat; rocking, swaying, tall and proud, The foam is definitely loud, Making marks against my paint, And the sea crashes on. I am a saint and the eye of God above, Washing over boats like peas in a pod, Flashing lights make the windows bright, Dimming as I cover them at night. I am the sand, yellow and gold, With footprints in me, Sometimes I go to your knees, Near the sea and below the waves. I am the sea, stretching far out, Waiting for a playful fish to come about, All is well, all is quiet, I am just waiting for a human to make a riot! Year 5 By Theo Pullman Diarmid

Year 5 By Richard Golding Sartorius

Before, I used to live in an ingratiating, cosy cottage, With my family; having fun, playing games, Listening as the crickets sang their songs in the thin grass, And the pulchritude of the beautiful butterflies fascinated my attention. But still I stand alone. I was letting darkness dominate and engulf me, Will I stay like this for the rest of my life? I remember from the past, The astonishing sunsets with their riot of colour like a rainbow, With the light, blue, majestic birds perched on the stretching trees. Soft, sweet music would be played by a wonderful string quartet, The tall mountains, like diamonds, shining like stars And the smell of fresh herbs from the fields would flow into me, Leaving a longing taste upon my tongue. Year 6 By Isaac Tarrant Dunlop

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YEAR 6 FRANCE TRIP 2017 Day 1 Today was the first day of our spectacular experience in France. We all met at the harbour, were split into our different groups and received our boarding passes and passports for the trip ahead. We arrived in St Malo at around midday and got on the coaches to go to the amazing Grand Aquarium. We had a picnic lunch in the nearby field before entering the building. The range of underwater animals was sensational! The best parts of it were the fabulous submarine tour and the massive shark and turtles exhibit. After the enjoyable adventure of the aquarium, we set off on the long trip to Chateau du Tertre. When we finally got there, we were shown to our rooms and had a tour of the place. After tucking into our dinner, we spent the rest of our evening at the campfire, singing songs and roasting marshmallows. After a long, tiring day of travelling, we finally got to bed. Day 2 We woke up excited for our first full day at Chateau du Tertre. After a satisfying breakfast full of lovely French food, we were told what activities we were doing. My group was doing raft building first. Raft building was wet, but also really good fun. We built rafts using barrels, wooden planks and ropes; then we tested them in the river. Unfortunately, our raft sank and broke apart and all of us finished the session wet and soggy! After a nice baguette for lunch and a change of clothes, we got ready for our afternoon activity, the trapeze. We climbed up a fifteen-foot pole, steadied ourselves and jumped for the trapeze. It was great fun, but very nerve-wracking when you got to the top. Then we had a delicious dinner and went to our evening activity, robot wars. We had to design a robot out of cardboard that was water resistant, but the twist was that one of us had to be in it! After that, we collapsed onto our beds, yet again exhausted. Day 3 Eager for the day ahead, we woke early and ate another of the fabulous breakfasts that they have at the centre. We quickly packed our rucksacks and boarded the coaches that took us to the local market. With our French skills we bought lots of different things from flashy fidget spinners to juicy watermelons! We came back to the centre and made our lunches from what we had bought. The instructors then rated our lunches and the winner got a prize! Then we ate our delicious meals before getting ready to go to the town of Bayeux and its famous tapestry. It was a long two-hour journey to get there, but it was worth the wait as this 950 year old historical artefact was really interesting.

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Day 4 Today we unfortunately realised that it would be our last full day at Chateau du Tertre. After another sensational breakfast, we tested our accuracy and went to the archery range. Sadly, VCP’s A team had to return to Jersey early to compete in the English Schools Football Association finals. After they had left, the rest of us tried our aims on the rifle range. In the afternoon, we travelled to Falaise Castle, the birth place of William the Conqueror. We were given a tour by a very pleasant French guide and who told us (in his excellent English) all about the amazing history of the castle. He showed us William the Conqueror’s room and kitchen. When we got back to the centre, we had the opportunity to try snails! Some people loved them, but others hated them! For our last evening activity, we had a disco with all the other schools. It was really fun because the music had a good variety. Finally we all lay in our beds, shattered! Day 5 We woke up on this our last day at the activity centre, feeling a little bit sad. We packed our bags before having our final, fabulous breakfast. After double checking our rooms for anything that we might have left behind, we boarded the coach to go back to St Malo. On the way we stopped at the intriguing Fougères castle, where we listened to an audio tour. Next, we had our lunch in town, right next to the colossal hyper-market, where people actually got hyper! We bought loads of lovely sweets and amazing gifts for families and friends, before arriving back at the harbour in St Malo from where we had set off four days earlier. Finally we were back to Jersey. We had loved it, but we were all happy to be reunited with our families. An especially big thank you to all those members of staff who helped organise the trip and accompanied us on it; and also to our parents for paying for it – without you we would not be able to enjoy these wonderful experiences. By Sam Watling, Head Boy and Archie McKeon, Deputy Head Boy

2016-2017

SUCCESS FOR OSCAR WATKINS Oscar Watkins was awarded the St. Mannelier & St. Anastase Medal for achieving the highest marks in the Victoria College entrance examination. Well done Oscar on your amazing achievement!

Your future, our focus To give your future the headstart it needs, email work@tp4jobs.com or visit our website

31 Hill Street, St Helier JE2 4UA www.tp4jobs.com

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gave it one more try, catching a wave all the way in! We did this again and again that’s why bodyboarding was one of the best activities. Other activities we did there include; Dragon boating, canoeing, caving, team trail, mountain biking and mountain boarding.

In June 2017, we went to Bude - in Cornwall. So, on the 11th June 2017, we met at the airport at noon to get on the 1.30 p.m. Flybe plane to Exeter. We went through security fine and in no time we were on the plane we like nearly everyone else we played top trumps. The plane first went to Guernsey where we had a 40-minute stop before we flew on to Exeter. When we got to Exeter we got our bags, then we went straight to the coach, put our bags in the boot and got on, buckled up our seat belts, and we were off! One and a half hours later we were there in Bude! The accommodation was good. In each bedroom was a private toilet and beds. There were also drying rooms, vending machines, a tuck shop, games room and souvenier shop. There were three floors and we all had a room number on our door. Most of our tutor group were in our rooms and it made it easier to get ready in the morning. There was also a big dining room but there were so many people we couldn’t fit everyone in so there were 3 sittings. Each day we did two activities. On Monday we did surfing and Kayaking. To do surfing we had to get wet suits and coloured rash vests on. Then we walked up the road to get the surfboards and then we headed down the steps to the beach. The waves were very messy so we got out early and headed to the sea pool. We also did kayaking on the river Neat [ some people did it on the canal]. The paddles were at the garage as well as the buoyancy aids and cags. Wednesday afternoon was one of our favourite afternoons of the holiday as we were bodyboarding! We headed to the garage with our group, got a wetsuit and a blue top and headed off to catch some waves. It was really enjoyable because the waves were massive. Most of the waves we caught we somehow came off after a short period of time. We were about to give up but then the instructor called, ‘Last 20 minutes,’ and we

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Every day in the evening there would be an activity we could do like a disco. On Sunday there was a mix and meet disco, on Monday there was a karaoke night and parachute games, on Tuesday there was a fancy dress disco and a basketball competition. On Wednesday there was a massive five a side football tournament (which a VCP team won!), on Thursday instead of an activity there was a presentation done by the instructors which was really fun though it ended at 10:00. Overall we think Bude was one of our favourite holidays of all time, every activity better than the one before. We were quite sad leaving Bude knowing that we would be getting on a stuffy plane back to everyday life. If we could rate it out of 10 it would be 11. This is a really good experience so do not waste it! By William Read (5J), Oli Walker (5B) and Henry Johnson (5l)

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MUSIC FROM PREP This academic year has seen the music-making at VCP continue to flourish. Besides an active programme of listening, composing and performing in class, there are a wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer and approximately 150 boys are involved in our weekly ensembles. The Chamber Choir hit the ground running in September with preparations for a special concert at Jersey Opera House. The concert was to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme and featured VCP Chamber Choir, Samares Choir, Grouville Choir, Janvrin Choir, Jersey Academy of Music and Chetham’s School of Music. It was a very high profile and inspiring event and the boys gained a lot from the experience of performing in a professional concert, accompanied by a symphony orchestra. Four of our boys – Charles Maloney, George Bridgeford, George Richardson and William Dengate – had been chosen as successful entrants of a linked poetry competition and therefore had their poems published in a book of collected poems by children from Manchester and Jersey. William Dengate also had the very special honour of his poem being set to music in a new piece by composer Laura Rossi, which we performed as part of the concert. We have had various performances from the boys themselves in assembly and in class, but it is always inspiring to have visits from professional musicians. In October, Chetham’s School of Music visited us to give a concert to the whole school. They played a range of instrumental music and were great fun to listen to. The Chamber Choir also took part in a ‘Changing Boys’ Voices’ workshop/lecture on Friday 30th September, given by Professor Martin Ashley. This workshop was hosted by Victoria College in the Great Hall, organised by the Jersey Vocal Trust and funded by the Jersey Arts Trust – a fine example of several organisations working together to provide a useful and interesting educational event for teachers and pupils. After the half term holidays, many of our boys competed in the Eisteddfod and gained lots of Bronze, Silver and Gold Certificates. Special mention must go to Tom Doyle for winning the Ernie Mallett Drum Kit Improvisation Trophy, Adam Kennedy for being the Class Winner in the Roy McKee Cup for Woodwind Solo and the Ray Kitchen Award and Jamie Parslow for winning the H.J. Pearce Cup for String Solo under the age of 16. Jamie also performed as part of the Gala Evening. One of our year 5 pupils, Charlie Doyle, and two ‘old boys’ – Freddie Lucas and Jonathan Cushen, now in Year 7 at Victoria

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College – were very busy in the Autumn term competing as part of the Musical Originals Training Choir in the BBC National Choir of the Year competition. The choir won the children’s choir category finals in Birmingham in October and went on to perform in the Grand Final in Millennium Hall, Cardiff. As the choir accompanist, I was lucky enough to be there for the performances and they sang brilliantly, representing Jersey to an extremely high standard. The performance was broadcast on Radio 3 on Tuesday 7th December and then on BBC 4 on Sunday 11th December. The VCP Christmas season began in style with our annual performance of carols at the Soup Kitchen in aid of The Shelter Trust. This year, Year 4 were selected to represent the school and the boys sang really well! The ‘Orchestra and Friends’ concert was held on Tuesday 6th December. This was a very enjoyable concert featuring the Orchestra, selected soloists and duets. The following day, the Chamber Choir were in action again, this time performing in the Victoria College Christmas Concert. It is always an honour, and very exciting, to be invited to perform alongside the College boys. We sang a combined piece with Cambiata the College choir. Outreach work in the community is an area we are actively developing within music at VCP. This year in the Christmas season, the Chamber Choir and selected soloists provided musical entertainment at the Eyecan Westlea Centre for the Jersey Blind Society, and at Abbeyfield Home for their Christmas party – also helping to serve the residents their buffet refreshments. The Autumn term musical performances were brought to a close by our Christmas Service, which took place on Saturday 10th December at St Helier Methodist Centre. This was a lovely occasion, bringing our whole school community together and featuring the Year 3 Choir, Junior Choir, Senior Choir, Chamber Choir and Community Choir. The Spring term was busy and productive - beginning with lots of excitement for the boys in Years 5 and 6, who participated in the House Music Competition. There were approximately 280 performances across the week, with all five Houses being well represented. Our adjudicators were: Gina McClinton, Helen Gunton, Lily MacDonald, Ruben Maric, Katy Key, Stephanie Humphries, Brent Connan, Maj Donoghue, Ernie Mallett, Carlos Perestrelo, Adrian Dixon, Sam Willcox, Matt Bowen, Rebecca Lawrence, Young-Pyo Lee and Chris George. At the end of the competition, Sartorius emerged victorious, with Dunlop in 2nd place, Braithwaite 3rd, Bruce 4th and Diarmid 5th.

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In mid-January we were visited by a string quartet from the U.K., supported by the Jersey music education charity ‘Music in Action’, who treated us to a concert demonstrating string quartet music through time. At the beginning of February, a group of 45 boys made up of orchestral players, string players and guitarists who names had been put forward by their instrumental teachers as a result of hard work and good progress, went on a concert trip. We visited Jersey Arts Centre to watch the ‘Budapest Café Orchestra’, made up of a guitarist, accordion player, violin player and double bassist. It was a very enjoyable concert of Eastern European folk and gypsy music. Just before half term, our composers got to work. They participated in a series of three Composition Workshops led by Toby Huelin and Jack Chown – both former holders of the title ‘Jersey Young Musician of the Year’ and past-pupils of VCJ. Toby and Jack are both Oxford University graduates and have completed masters degrees at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Abbey Road Studios respectively. There were 33 boys involved from Years 3 to 6 and we all learnt a lot about how to get started with composing, producing a ‘Batman Soundscape’ combined piece in the final session In the first week after half term, there were two House Music Gala Concerts, for Year 5 and 6. These concerts included a selection of winning entries from the competition and were very entertaining and enjoyable events. The Year 6 worked very hard to produce an excellent production of ‘Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’. I was so proud of the solo and choral singing in this show – Year 6, you are fantastic! The final week of the term, we kept our foot firmly on the pedal! On Monday 27th March we had a concert from the Victoria College ‘Big Band Theory’, which was very inspiring. Tuesday 28th March saw our VCP orchestra, ‘TWIGZ’ percussion ensemble and various soloists combine with musicians from Grouville, St Lawrence and Victoria College to produce our ‘Orchestra and Friends’ concert. This concert was put together in collaboration with staff from St Lawrence and Grouville, as well as music staff from Jersey Academy of Music and the Jersey Music Service. It was a brilliant and enjoyable example of musical teamwork. On the 29th March we held our annual Piano Concert, which showcased a selection of piano performances from years 3 to 6, and then a selection of performances from past pupils of the school. The evening finished with a performance from Esther Cushen, a ‘big sister’ and the Jersey Young Musician of the Year 2017. The Summer term has been busy and exciting, as usual! This began, on the very first day of term, with two demonstrations by Jersey Music Service, to introduce Years 3 and 4 to Brass and Double Reed instruments. Many of the boys stayed behind after the demonstrations to try out playing on brass instruments and producing a sound through oboe and bassoon reeds.

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Later that week, we had a lively morning listening to ‘The Blues Busters’ year 5 band, who had taken part in the Chordz Rock School during the Easter holidays, perform ‘Day Tripper’. We also watched the boys from the Easter Dance Workshops perform three different dances, which were all excellent. Another highlight that morning was the Grand Final of the Brass Long Note Challenge! 18 boys from Years 3 to 6 took part last term in the challenge and timed their longest note each Friday. The longest note from the previous term was added to the timed long note in the final to give our 3 winners: Sam Oldridge (3rd place), Evan Thomas (2nd place) and John Le Fondre (1st place). On Wednesday 10th May, Year 5 were treated to a concert and workshops by Irie Music, featuring the Steel Pan music of the Caribbean. The Chamber Choir and selected solo, duet and band performers took to the stage again the very next day to provide a short showcase of the musical activities at VCP for the Open Evening. The Easter Dance School performers also performed two routines. This was followed, the next day, by a trip for the whole of Year 3 to Jersey Opera House to watch an orchestral music selected from the BBC Ten Pieces project. This was an excellent and informative trip, and the boys were also able to participate on the home-made instruments which they brought with them as part of the project. Tjis concert was provided as part of the Liberation International Music Festival organised by Music in Action and supported by the One Foundation and Deutsche Bank. By contrast, on 25th May VCP became a rock venue for our annual ‘VCP Rocks’ concert. The work and progress of some of our young singers and rock performers is very evident at this highly enjoyable (and loud!) evening. Year 4 took part in the ‘Jersey Sings’ concert at Fort Regent on 14th June on a very hot evening – an amazing opportunity to take part in an arena concert. On Wednesday 21st June, the orchestra again collaborated with other Jersey schools to present an Ensembles Concert, this time featuring children from VCP, VCJ, Grouville, St Lawrence and St Peter’s schools. Ensemble performances were interspersed with solo performances from our own musicians as well as visiting performers. A real team effort! The final ‘big event’ of the year was the Summer Choral Concert on Tuesday 27th June at St Helier Methodist Centre. This featured our three choirs, selected soloists from across the VCP age-range and culminated in a performance of ‘You Are Not Alone’ led by the Community Choir and including the whole audience. As ever, it is a great pleasure to work with the boys at VCP, who engage joyfully and with great enthusiasm in all aspects of their musical life at the school.

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HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHY The house photography competition took place just after Christmas. Each year group had a different theme - Year 3 explored Colour/ Black and White, Year 4 Coasts Year 5 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Defences and Fortifications, and Year 6 Buildings. A wonderful explosion of colour filled the hall and the standard was very high. What a wonderful range of inspirational ideas. Peter Knight - an artist, former teacher and photographer kindly came in to judge and was very complimentary of the high level of creativity and skill. Diarmid were the overall winners.

Year 3 - Colour/ Black and White 1st

Braithwaite

Oliver Ferguson

2nd

Dunlop

Danny Wood

3rd

Braithwaite

Louis Bell

Special Mention: Alexandre Therese (Diarmid)

Year 4 - Coasts 1st

Bruce

Oscar Luff

2nd

Diarmid

Yanis Irtizaali

3rd

Diarmid

Barney Aston

Special Mention: William Hamilton (Diarmid)

Year 5 - Defences and Fortifications 1st

Sartorius

Tom Doyle

2nd

Diarmid

Mathieu Therese

3rd

Diarmid

Albert Jeffries

Special Mention: John Le Fondre (Dunlop)

Year 6 - Buildings 1st

Diarmid

Archie Scate

2nd

Braithwaite

Casper Godel

3rd

Dunlop

Daniel Wiseman

Special Mention: Ethan Carroll (Bruce)

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SCOUT CENTRE On Tuesday 4th July year 4 went to the Scout Centre. Some of us went by coach and some by car. When we got there the weather was beautiful. Before we went to the Scout Centre we were split in to two groups group 1 and group 2 we were also organised into rooms. There were 6 people in a group and one group of 4. Group 1 were the first people to go in the tents and group 2 went in the centre for the first night then for the next night we swapped over. At the start when all of us were there the head of the Scout Centre Terry told us the rules about the Scout Centre. The activity that we did first was shelter building with Mrs Blackstone and we were in are sleeping in the centre groups. When we were doing the shelter building some of the groups went to do flint knapping. We then did surfing at the splash and we went in the sea without our boards at first but then we came back and then we came back out and went in again with our boards. When we got out we made sand models and then had one last swim. Then we went back to the Scout Centre. That was the last activity for some of us. After we had some free time on the front field of the Scout Centre. Then we had our tea which was a BBQ. On the BBQ was chicken, burgers and sausages and there were buns and vegetables and other things besides the meat and buns. For vegans and gluten free people there were alternatives. After we were sent to get our rooms/tents ready for us to sleep in and went to brush our teeth. Then we put our pyjamas and settled down in our rooms and tents. At about 9:30 we were asked to quieten down a bit but we were still allowed to read. At 10:00 we were told to go to sleep. The next morning everybody pretty much got up at 6:00 or earlier. Breakfast was served at about 7:15 and after breakfast we went to clean our teeth. Then the first activity of the day was bush crafting with Kaz. When Kaz came we stayed at the centre for 15 minutes talking about his machetes and survival in the wilderness. Then we set off and the first plant that we ate was the Haribo plant which was very sour. Then we came across the plaster plant which you can obviously be used as a plaster. Then Kaz told us about that dock leaves don’t do anything to your sting where as there is a plant that cures it. After that he said about making your own compass out of water a bit of leaf and a pin and he used his hair to get friction on the pin which made it work. When he was done with the water he asked who wanted to get wet. If you did want to get wet you had to stand behind him then he chucked the water on us. Then we walked up to where you make the fires and got into groups and made some fire. Then we walked back to the Scout Centre and we were finished. That was our last activity for the day. After that we all had showers because

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we were all quite dirty and got changed into clean clothes. Then we went out and had a bit of free time and then we were called to come and sit down for tea. For tea there was jacket potato, baked beans, cheese and other things beside those fillings. When we were finished we had about 15 minutes free time until we were called in for dessert which was tray baked cakes and flapjacks and then we went to go and brush our teeth and then went to our tents or rooms and at about 9:15 we were told to quieten down a bit and then at about 9:30 we were told to go to sleep. The next morning all of us got up and got dressed and at around 7:30 we were called for breakfast. After breakfast we went back to our room or tent got our toothbrush and toothpaste and did that then our first activity of the final day was building sea defences. Building sea defences was what one of the groups undertook. Whereas the other group didn’t build them. After that we came back and had lunch. After lunch we had a bit of free time and after that are last thing of the trip was the walk to Grantez. Once we had finished free time and we set off for Grantez. When we got up there the teachers allowed us to climb trees and to have some free time. We were told to get with our room partner and set off again. We came upon a Neolithic burial site and we all went but in 15 people at a time. When the first group of 15 Mr Romeril took us and then we got to climb some more trees whilst we waited for the others. When all the others got to where we were we set off going back to where we came from and we sat down at the point that we came through first. We then went heading towards the Scout Centre. When we got back to the Scout Centre we all went to go wash our hands and came back out. After we had some free time and when that finished we were called to come in. After we had our dinner we were allowed in the front field. Then we came and had dessert. For dessert we had popsicles and when we were eating them parents starting arriving and coming in. After that there were still some of us left and then we all got picked up at about 4:30. We had had a wonderful, exhausting and action packed trip. We loved it! Ben Heelis 4F

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JOSEPH

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FRIENDS OF PREP We have had another fantastic year with the Friends of Prep (FoP) at VCP. Lots of fun times have been had at our fundraising and family friendly social events, organized by our well supported parent Committee, together with our many volunteer helpers. It is the support shown at VCP that is testament to the strength of community within our school. We start our year with our well-established Friendship Walk, allowing new friendships to be formed for boys and parents alike. Two lively Bingo nights prove to be a great social occasion for all the family and our cinema nights, complete with comfy beanbags and mounds of popcorn, turn the VCP Hall into the perfect place to kick back and enjoy the movie. The boys look forward to termly House Cake Sales with great anticipation and the level of creative baking seems to rise with each one, thanks to our wonderful parent bakers. At VCP we know Christmas is just around the corner when it is time for our Christmas party, bowling and cinema trips and the Disco. Enormous fun is had by all the boys, thanks to our many parent helpers who make these events happen and ensure that everything runs smoothly. With glowsticks aplenty the disco really is a ‘highlight’ of the VCP calendar! All year round we operate our Swap Shop selling good quality second hand uniform, where bargains aplenty await you on a Monday from 2.50 – 3.30pm in the hut above the playground. Of course, the main highlight of the FoP calendar is the Summer Fete, which is always a great success thanks again to our army of parent volunteers who help to run the day. Although it is our main fundraiser, it is also a great chance for the boys to come up with their own stall ideas and run them with their classmates. Tremendous fun for all who come along and judging by the number of College boys who come down the hill for the BBQ we know it is one event that is looked forward to by the VCP and VCJ boys alike. Whilst providing the opportunity for the boys and their families to get together, socialize and have lots of fun, FoP are very proud to have raised a total of £9,730 this year. This money pays for additional educational trips for all the boys to help give a well-rounded education. We have also been able to help update the reading and reference books throughout the school as well as providing playtime equipment and a complete new football strip for all of our teams.

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In addition to our normal fundraising, this year we are also raising money to enable us to create a new playground which facilitates both mentally and physically stimulating play in a safe and welcoming environment. The intention is to inspire, challenge, absorb and include all of our boys. Already we have been able to raise the safety by marking out a walkway from the main building to the Year 4 blocks. We have created football pitches in the back playground for each year group to use and we are now very lucky to have a fantastic climbing wall which was installed recently. Future plans include an Encore performance area and an Intrepid adventure playground so we still have a long way to go. We have been asking for playground pledges from our parents and are very grateful for those received so far, totaling £14,647.20. If you would like to pledge your support or if this is something your company might like to get involved with (we would welcome corporate sponsorship) please do get in touch via the VCP office. All donations are very gratefully received. Our main Playground fundraiser this year was a Charity Cricket Match which, supported by over 300 VCP family and friends, saw 96 boys take part in a mini kwik cricket tournament followed by BBQ supper and a show match between our First VI cricketers against Teachers and OVs. Such a fantastic occasion, raising an amazing £3,200.00, our grateful thanks go to Parslows, Easenmyne and Randalls who supported us in this event. None of these events would be possible without the time and enthusiasm provided by parents who volunteer, and all those who support FoP throughout the year. A huge thank you to everyone who has helped make this year such a success, and an extra thank you to the many FoP parents of our Year 6 boys who will move up to College in September – your help over the years has been invaluable and enormously appreciated. We will soon be joined by our new Year 3 parents, it is always great to have new ideas and enthusiasm and we look forward to welcoming you all in September. Deborah Christie Chairperson, Friends of Prep

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OPEN DAY The VCP open evening took place at the end of May this year. In a change of focus, we advertised the evening as ‘A taste of VCP’ and invited a wider audience. We wanted to share our school with the wider community and open our doors to those who hadn’t considered VCP for their boys. In addition to this open evening, classes opened the doors and invited in parents, during school time, to share current work and provide more opportunities to come into school and see the great work of our boys.

THE PREP

2016-2017

Choose the well-known. Go where you can grow. At Grant Thornton we have an instinct for growth and are continuously looking for ways that can help your business grow. Our deep local knowledge is supported by a global expertise which combined can help you grow your business. The services we offer include: Audit, Assurance, Tax, Corporate Recovery and Advisory Services to businesses locally and globally.

www.grantthorntonci.com

Kensington Chambers, 46/50 Kensington Place, St Helier, Jersey JE1 1ET Channel Islands T +44 (0)1534 885885 PO Box 313, Lefebvre House, Lefebvre Street, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 3TF Channel Islands T +44 (0)1481 753400

2016-2017

Forward-thinking offshore investment management Rathbones in Jersey is part of one of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest and longest-established providers of high-quality discretionary investment management services to individuals, charities and their advisers. For further information, please contact Grant Hamilton locally on 01534 740 550 or email grant.hamilton@rathbones.com

Rathbones proud sponsor of the Jersey Junior Golf Team.

rathboneimi.com @Rathbones1742 Rathbone Brothers Plc

The value of investments and income arising from them may fall as well as rise and you might get back less than you originally invested. Rathbone Investment Management International is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission.

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