Canford News 2018 - Issue 2

NEWS

Issue 2 - 2018

| THINKING GLOBAL | PUPIL SET DESIGN EXAMS AND CAREERS | PUPIL LEADERSHIP | MUSIC FOCUS ISI INSPECTION

COVER STORY: HRH VISIT FOR D OF E

We were delighted to welcome His Royal Highness, The Earl of Wessex to Canford on 13th and 14th June as part of a campaign to generate support for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) charity. Through a combination of DofE engagements, Real Tennis events and fundraising activities, His Royal Highness is hoping to enable a new generation of young people to start their DofE journey in the UK and abroad.

The visit began with tea with pupils involved in the DofE from Canford and from The Bourne Academy, the academy school which Canford fully sponsors.

Currently 67 pupils are taking part in the DofE from The Bourne Academy, including five who have just completed their Gold Award while at Canford 74 Sixth Formers are currently undertaking their Gold and 14 their Bronze, with a further 57 starting their Gold this September. A dinner was held in the Long Gallery in the evening for over 40 guests who heard more about His Royal Highness's vision for the future of the DofE. On Thursday morning His Royal Highness took to the court for a series of matches, beginning with a masterclass with junior pupils from local School Castle Court followed by doubles against current Canford pupils and club members.

Headmaster Ben Vessey commented: “We were delighted to host His Royal Highness as part of his work promoting The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award charity and hope that his visit to Canford will have raised awareness and a good amount of funds in support of the inspirational development opportunities the DofE programmes offer young people.” www.dofe.org

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FROM THE HEADMASTER while these leavers were a particularly special group for me, as individuals and collectively they embodied many of the traits which we have sought to ingrain in past generations of Canfordians, and in those to come. Their confidence without arrogance, their support for their peers, their strong work ethic in pursuit of their goals, their enthusiasm for opportunity and the discovery of previously hidden talents – all characteristics of a true Canfordian shining through as brightly as ever.

Speech Day is celebrated at the end of each Summer Term with both joy and a tinge of sadness. The class of 2018 was particularly poignant for me as I joined Canford at the same time as those Shell pupils five years ago. I think we all started that September with a slight sense of trepidation, but also an eager anticipation at what lay ahead, and have seen ourselves develop as individuals and in terms of skills in the intervening years.

In these pages of Canford News, you can see those same traits evidenced in so many ways across every year group.

The achievements in external exams, many gaining grades well above their expectations; the collaborative nature of this year’s Spirit of Place; the positive attitude of our new Pupil Leaders; the individual and team efforts towards co-curricular challenges; the enthusiasm for our global programmes. A Canford education will never stand still, but there are certain qualities we aim to instil in all our pupils which will never change.

As we celebrated their many highlights in the marquee on that unseasonably hot day at the end of June, I reflected that

DIARY DATES

For all the latest events please visit

Year 5 Geography Quiz Monday 17th September

Prep Strings Festival Tuesday 6th November

U13 Girls’ Hockey Tournament Wednesday 19th September

U11 Rugby Festival Wednesday 7th November

Discovery Days for 13+ 2019 entry Year 7: Friday 21st September Year 6: Thursday 27th September

Whole School Musical ‘Les Misérables’ Wednesday 5th-Saturday 8th December

Open Day Saturday 6th October ‘The Path Ahead’ Year 8 evening Thursday 11th October Closing date for Sixth Form applications for 2019 entry Friday 12th October

www.canford.com/Book-Events

Carol Service in Wimborne Minster Thursday 13th December Christmas Term ends Friday 14th December Easter Term 2019 Tuesday 8th January-Friday 29th March

ISI INSPECTION

ISI INSPECTION: 'EXCELLENT' The visit in early March from the ISI Inspectorate was a focused compliance and educational quality inspection. In terms of compliance, the school met all the required standards in the schedule to the Education Regulations 2014 and the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools 2015 with no further action required.

'Educational quality’ in this particular inspection centres on two key outcomes – the achievement of the pupils in a range of aspects including their academic progress and performance, and pupils’ personal development. We were delighted that in both cases the quality was rated the top grade of excellent.

The top grade of Excellent across all educational quality areas ‘Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning in subject lessons and the wide variety of cross-curricular projects.’

‘Performance at both GCSE and A Level is well above the national average, with results in IGCSE higher than worldwide norms.’

‘Pupils benefit from the expertise of dedicated staff.’

‘Pupils make intelligent choices about their learning.’

‘Achievements in extra-curricular activities are outstanding.’

‘Extremely positive relationships between staff and pupils in houses.’

‘Pupils are outward looking with a strong sense of responsibility.’

‘Pupils are kind and respectful to each other.’

‘Pupils thrive equally on success and challenge, with no fear of failure.’

‘The school fully meets its aim to pursue excellence.’

Read the full report at www.canford.com/Policies-Inspections-and-Reviews

The inspectors praised the excellent attitudes to learning, with pupils excelling in a wide variety of sporting, creative and practical co-curricular activities and benefiting from the expertise of dedicated staff. They were also impressed with our pupils’ confidence in communicating and their willingness to present ideas in class and through the many societies and groups offered.

The school vision includes the wording ‘to make a difference to their own lives, and to the lives of others’ and it was very encouraging to see this evidenced by the inspectors, who felt pupils demonstrate commitment to their own progress, have a strong sense of social responsibility and are kind and respectful to each other.

Headmaster Ben Vessey was delighted with the outcome of the inspection:

“It is no easy task to achieve such a glowing report from the ISI Inspectorate. It comes as a result of a great deal of hard work on a daily basis by both staff and pupils, ensuring that the education we offer which Canfordians can and do take full advantage of is of the highest possible quality. It is wonderful to read that the vision we have for the school is being so clearly realised and demonstrated through pupil attitudes and actions. Reading the report I felt extremely proud of the entire school community.”

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CAREERS

RECOGNITION BY TOP CORPORATES With the range of higher education and employment options broadening each year for our Upper Sixth leavers, we congratulate two pupils in particular who have gained placements with top flight companies.

POPPY PINNER - GOLDMAN SACHS Poppy Pinner has been awarded a highly sought after degree apprenticeship with global financial giant Goldman Sachs. The firm launched its ‘Degree Apprenticeship Program’ in 2016, which allows participants to complete an apprenticeship within Goldman Sachs’ Technology division while studying for a degree at Queen Mary University of London, one of the UK’s leading research-focused higher education institutions. After the four-year program, Poppy will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Digital and Technology Solutions, with the potential opportunity of a full time position with Goldman Sachs. The application process was rigorous and competition for places was fierce. Following an online application form, potential candidates were asked to participate in an online video interview consisting of eight questions which you had three minutes to answer at a time. Poppy passed this stage and was then invited to a face to face interview day at Goldman Sachs HQ in London which involved a Q&A session with existing employees followed by three interviews,

one task based, one analytical thinking and one competency based.

Poppy writes: “When I heard the good news I was thrilled! The more I waited and thought about the prospect the more excited I became.The main drawing factors of a degree apprenticeship are the vast work experience and no student debt, and to have the opportunity to work in a global, reputable firm such as Goldman Sachs at my age is incredibly exciting. I believe this will really broaden the possibility of different careers I will be exposed to, as well as the support and benefits I can gain from the company. From what I’ve seen, the work environment is fast paced, team orientated and challenging which suits me and my working preferences so the format of the degree apprenticeship is perfect. I’m really looking forward to working on real problems and getting straight into work - it’s great to know I’ll be working on products to be used by real clients and of course having a salary is a definite bonus.”

For more information about degree apprenticeships with Goldman Sachs, please visit http://www.goldmansachs.com/careers/ students/programs/emea/technologyapprentices.html

ANNA VAN WINGERDEN - ACCENTURE students have the chance to experience working with clients in up to three industry sectors. Two formal evaluations during the course of the year give feedback and guidance on progress. As Accenture states, its Horizons Scheme ‘is more than just a placement; if you impress us during the eight months, you’ll then have the chance to join us for a paid Summer Vacation Scheme and have soft skills training and mentoring alongside your degree. If you continue to do well, you could be offered a graduate position before you’ve even finished your degree.

In short, this could be the first step towards a lasting career in consulting.’

Anna van Wingerden has won a coveted place on the Accenture Horizons Scheme starting in September. Accenture works with 4,000 companies in over 120 countries and is one of the largest consulting and technology firms. The Horizons Scheme begins with a comprehensive induction to introduce the company, how it helps clients and why technology is at the centre of its business.

After this, it’s straight to the front line, where

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Anna faced a challenging and highly competitive process along the road to gaining a place on the programme. After an initial online application, she took part in two online interviews before attending an assessment centre day alongside other candidates.

Deciding to take a gap year, she wanted to gain some work experience and insight into potential industries she would like to pursue after a degree course at university.

Speaking of her success, Anna said: “I couldn’t quite believe it when I heard I had a place on the Horizons Scheme. The shock quickly turned to excitement, and I am really looking forward to meeting new people and being able to contribute to real-life projects. I find it rewarding to be able to see the effect of what I've been working on and I know that from day one, I'll be able to make a difference to projects at Accenture. Canford has given me so many opportunities over the last two years that I wouldn't have had if I hadn't joined the Sixth Form. I'm really grateful for everything that the school and teachers offered and the support that I've been given at every turn. Without the experiences that the last two years have afforded me, I wouldn't have been successful in gaining the internship and, although it will be sad to leave this summer, I know that the school has prepared for me for life beyond Canford.”

For more information about the programme, please visit https://www.accenture.com/gben/company

CAREERS

EXAMINATION RESULTS 2018 It was another year of high academic achievement in external exams at both A Level/Pre-U and IGCSE/GCSE. At A Level/Pre-U, 53% of all entries were graded A*/A with almost 20% at the top A* level, and consistent with previous years over double the national figures of 26% and 8% respectively.

Twenty one pupils gained at least 2A*s, eleven at least 3A*s and a third of all pupils were awarded a minimum of 3As. At the top end at A Level, there were strong results in the sciences, with Biology, Chemistry, Computing, Maths and Physics all recording at least a quarter of all grades at A*, and at A*/A Further Maths 100% and Chemistry, Computing and Maths at least 60% of all grades. Among the arts and humanities, 100% of Music candidates were awarded A*/A grades and Economics also saw 3 in 5 of all grades at this level. In Pre-U, across all four subjects (Art, French, German, Spanish), over 60% of all grades were at Distinction level 1-3, including D1s (beyond A* grade) in Art and German.

destinations were in the Russell Group/Sunday Times Top 12, plus top Medical Schools, Art colleges and four this year to US institutions.

At IGCSE/GCSE, results were among the best in the school's history, with 42% of all examinations graded 9-8/A*. Over 20% of the entries using the reformed grading measurements were awarded the top grade 9. There was excellence across the spectrum of science, arts and humanities subjects. Among the many highlights, 77% of Music, 74% of Religious Studies, 70% of Latin, 62% of Maths and over 50% of Physics, Art and Geography entries were graded 9-8, while 52% of Chemistry entries were awarded A*s.

41 pupils gained the highest grade 9 in Maths, 31 in Physics, 26 in Biology and 24 in Religious Studies.

At time of publication, 97% of the 128 pupils applying through UCAS had gained places on a university course of choice, with a number of outcomes still pending. Over 80% of

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE On Friday 25th May, the Careers department supplemented the Lower Sixth careers handbook published in March with an information event for Lower Sixth parents and pupils to provide further guidance on higher education options, UCAS applications, EPQs, degree apprenticeships, references and how to craft the often dreaded personal statement.

Headmaster Ben Vessey commented: "In another year of curricula change and the resulting uncertainty over exam outcomes, our pupils have maintained the school's consistently high level of academic performance. At both A Level/Pre-U and GCSE, these grades are testament to a great deal of hard work by both pupils and staff and they should all be very proud of what they have achieved.

With virtually all our Upper Sixth leavers already placed on their chosen university and other future pathways, we wish them every continued success.

Meanwhile we look forward to welcoming our new Lower Sixth in September as the next cohort to take up the exciting challenge of A Level and Pre-U courses."

Prizewinners at Speech Day

A presentation by Rhys Phillips, UK Student and Outreach Officer from Southampton University gave an excellent insight into how to choose a university course and what tutors look for when considering applications and making offers while Matt Short, also from Southampton, gave advice on the various sources of finance available for degree course study.

Dr Stephen Wilkinson, Director of Studies, explained how the school reaches predicted and target grades and Mike Doherty, Head of Careers, discussed the UCAS process and the timeline for applications. Alongside the general presentations, breakout sessions were offered on specialist areas: how to approach an EPQ led

by Andy Long from Bath University, insights into Higher and Degree Apprenticeships by Phillip Paige from JP Morgan, applying to US universities

by Andrew Fearnley and advice on applications to Oxbridge by Academic Head of Sixth Form Richard Baldwin.

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DRAMA

DESIGN A SET! For this year’s Junior Play, ‘The Wardrobe’ by Sam Holcroft, we decided to run a competition to ask pupils to design the set. There was an ambitious and detailed brief, where the main feature of the set was a wardrobe which needed to be moveable so it could be positioned and rotated to difference parts of the stage for each scene, and be split into sections. The wardrobe also needed to feel like a character in the play, mysterious and angular on the outside, safe and inviting on the inside. There also needed to be a fluid stage space for the action to take place including dance sections involving a cast of 39 actors.

Shell pupil Louisa Borneman was the unanimous winner among the judges, who included Director of Drama Laura Blake and Technical Manager Kevin Wilkins, who commented: “Louisa’s design was very original and exactly met the brief. It has been very exciting to work with her and she has had some excellent ideas during the creation of the set. We hope she has enjoyed the experience and it has inspired her to continue working on theatre design in the future.”

FROM THE WINNER: LOUISA BORNEMAN WHY DID YOU ENTER THE COMPETITION? I have always been interested in design and thought it would be a really fascinating project to work on over the holidays.

HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT CREATING YOUR DESIGN? DID YOU DO ANY RESEARCH? I haven’t really been involved in any theatre design before, so I looked up a lot of ideas online before starting to create my design. I spent a lot of time drawing ideas on paper too before choosing the one I thought would work best.

DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF MAKING YOUR DESIGN A REALITY. WHO HAVE YOU WORKED WITH TO DEVELOP THE IDEA AND WHAT TECHNIQUES HAVE BEEN USED?

Louisa and her winning set design

I was so excited when I heard I had won and the process of turning my design into a real set has been great fun. I met with Mrs Blake and Mr Wilkins soon after the announcement. They had lots of good ideas and suggested ways in which I could improve my original design and adapt it to fit the space and available technical resources. The design included a revolving stage as well as the enormous wardrobe and it has been fanastic to see that take shape over the course of the term.

WHAT HAVE YOU ENJOYED MOST ABOUT THE PROJECT? The best part of the project was seeing the sketch I made turn into a 3D computer drawing. It was amazing to see how what had started out as a 2D design become something which you could really picture coming to life as a stage set. It has been a real learning curve but I would love to get involved in similar projects in the future. I just hope that my design matches the quality of the acting which from the rehearsals I have seen is going to be amazing!

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ART

ART EXHIBITIONS Since the last edition of Canford News in March we have held two major exhibitions of pupil art in the Coldstream Gallery.

The GCSE exhibition involved a wide variety of work including textiles, painting, photography, sculpture and animation. Spanning three rooms, the exhibition addressed some challenging topics addressed from LGBT rights and equality to storytelling and women’s suffrage.

UNIVERSITY NEWS We are very proud of the following pupils who have been awarded places to continue Art at leading colleges:

ANNABELLE WOODMAN Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at Leeds Arts University

The Pre-U exhibition presented the final collections of work in large, spacious settings. The curation reflected a very distinct ‘voice’ for each artist and body of work. The course has allowed the pupils to work in film, photography, painting, drawing, sculptural textiles and illustration amongst other disciplines and, working together the pupils have been able to make discoveries, support each other and engage in creative discourse. As a show the Pre-U Art and Design was creative, vibrant and professional. The hard work has definitely paid off!

ANYA KENDALL

If you didn’t manage to see this exhibition, there will be another opportunity to view a selection of this year’s Pre-U Art at London gallery 6 Ryder Street, Nicola Will - Head of Art SW1 from 12th-14th October.

BA Hons in Photography at Falmouth University

Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at Bath Spa University

ISOBEL TOOVEY BA Hons in Creative and Cultural Industries: Art Direction at Kingston University

LILY LLOYD

ROSIE SOUTHGATE Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at Arts University, Bournemouth

ROSIE SPENCER Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at Arts University, Bournemouth

WILLIAM HEDLEY Undergraduate course in Architecture at the Architects Association School of Architecture We wish them all every success.

B-SIDE FESTIVAL 2018 Congratulations to Upper Sixth artist Lily Lloyd who has been selected as one of three young artists to be a Bursary Artist at the b-side Art Festival based in Weymouth and Portland in September.

Lily will be based at a community farm on Portland called Fancy’s Farm, making films and photography as well as diary notes and written responses to the work that takes place on the farm. She is also going to produce resin sculptures within Portland stone, which incorporate text, stitching and drawings that

relate back to the role that the farm plays within the local community.

For her Pre-U Art course, she has produced films, sculptures, photographs, resin work and drawings. Over the past 18 months, Lily has been making work focused around Portland, mostly photography and short films, which have responded to the community, landscape and buildings of the island. www.b-side.org.uk

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MUSIC EXAM SUCCESS Canford’s musicians have had an extremely successful year in their music exams. In summer 2018, Rachel Ko and Jennifer Jackson achieved their diplomas, and a further five pupils achieved Grade 8, with Matthew Butterfield gaining a distinction on the violin. All of our Upper Sixth A Level musicians will leave Canford with a diploma on their main instrument, and this will be a great start to their university music courses. Added to this the department saw excellent results in A Level and GCSE Music, with 100% of A Levels awarded A*/A grades and 92% of all GCSEs graded 9-7 (A*/A).

IN FOCUS: SINGING Singing has long been a strength at Canford. Among the many highlights this year alone have been the A Level recitals, which included some sublime performances from Chloe Gadd and Alexandria Eyre, whilst the ‘Film Music’ concert saw several of our pupils performing an eclectic selection of songs associated with films, accompanied either by the orchestra or the Jazz Band. A pupil-led barbershop quartet also made its first appearance at this event; they were so popular that they were asked to perform for the whole school in assembly, as well as at a reception for the Earl of Wessex when he visited Canford in June.

Choral music is celebrated at the school and with three separate Canford choirs there is the opportunity for involvement by pupils across the years. The concert of French Masses in Christchurch Priory involved over one hundred pupils in three different choirs with reviewer Dr Stephen Wilkinson commenting: “The final two motets - Tantum Ergo and Tu es Petrus – led on to the final piece of the evening, the Langlais Messe Solennelle.This was a most ambitious piece for the full Chapel Choir and they delivered – in spades. Chromatic, even atonal in parts, this is not an easy piece for any choir, and I marvelled at the ability of our young singers to do justice to musical lines that certainly do not lie easily in the voice.”

The chamber’s musical sensitivity was equally complimented by the Dean of Winchester Cathedral when they sang evensong there.

Our strong tradition of singing is underpinned by excellent individual teaching. Our visiting music teachers have impressive credentials as performers, with wide experience in the professional singing world. During the last two years, four of their pupils have achieved the ARSM diploma, two at distinction level, whilst another eleven have successfully passed their grade eight exam with merit or distinction. Numerous others have passed exams at lower grades too.

Beyond Canford Grace Hewett was successful in auditioning for the National Youth Choirs and in September Chloe Gadd will move on from Canford to study singing at the Birmingham Conservatoire. At the heart of Canford’s music philosophy is the idea of challenge, and of exploring new and unfamiliar genres and repertoire. Whether it is the challenge of singing accompanied by a large ensemble, or of mastering the angular vocal parts in a contemporary Langlais Mass setting, or of wrestling with the intonation demands of close harmony singing, our musicians push themselves to explore this variety and to discover the joy that comes not only from mastery of their art, but of performing new pieces too.

Christopher Sparkhall Director of Music

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LEADERSHIP

PUPIL LEADERS Becoming a Pupil Leader is a significant leadership role which brings with it responsibility and challenge for pupils as they reach their final Upper Sixth year.

This year, we made some changes to the process for electing and running the way that these roles were fulfilled. The new system allows more pupils to become involved, and in specific areas of school life which make best use of their skills.

The Pupil Leaders are responsible to the Headmaster for maintaining the highest standards of leadership and co-operation. There are five core areas of expectation: • • • • •

Show initiative and leadership in specific roles and in general around the school Be ambassadors for the values and ethos of the school Communicate regularly with the SLT and school management Promote the highest standards of behaviour Display leadership, communication and teamwork skills through House and school events

Pupils completed an application form including up to three individual areas of interest. Those shortlisted were interviewed by relevant staff and scored according to effective communication, demonstration of leadership qualities and an aptitude for teamwork.

This year, there are a number of roles with specific responsibilities that have been created alongside the Heads of School and Head of House appointments. For the forthcoming academic year, there will be Pupil Leaders for Academic, Selection, International, Equality, Pupil Wellbeing and Peer Counselling, Performing Arts, Environment, Creative Arts, Sport, Charity and External Relations, PR and Marketing and Food. The Heads of School for 2018/19 are Matilda Hubble and Scott Montague.

“I have been impressed by the very high quality of applications for our new Pupil Leader programme. By separating the roles into specific areas of school life, pupils will have the opportunity to challenge themselves, develop new ideas for the benefit of the entire school community and recognising the contribution of others. Whether or not successful in actually gaining a role, the application process will, I hope, have enhanced skills which will be very valuable when looking towards Higher Education applications in September and the world of work beyond Canford.

While the Pupil Leaders will spearhead the initiatives, the aim is for this programme to involve as many pupils in the Upper Sixth as possible.”

Ben Vessey Headmaster

In preparation for their new roles, next year's Pupil Leaders were given guidance on developing leadership skills in a one day workshop in the final week of term run by the Young People Index. Using a mix of online assessment tools and discussion groups, the aim of YPI is to highlight natural preferences and inclinations in terms of how pupils contribute to a team, organisation, project or role and thus boost confidence and selfawareness.

We wish our 2018/19 Pupil Leaders every success for the forthcoming academic year.

www.youngpeopleindex.com 9

BEYOND CANFORD

GLOBAL LINKS

One of the emerging themes from the Essence of Canford is the importance of developing our pupils’ global thinking. A global connections programme has been established to raise awareness of international issues and to promote interaction with global institutions and communities.

THE SAGAR SCHOOL, RAJASTHAN In 2014, the Headmaster met Rosemary Sagar while on a visit to New York. Rosemary is the daughter of the founder of The Sagar School in Rajasthan, the late Dr Vidya Sagar.

She attended Canford during her Sixth Form years. As a corporate and intellectual property lawyer, her father travelled the globe and was deeply influenced by the values and cultural heritage of India, Europe and the Far East. His vision was to create a school which merged the finest educational practices from these worlds. The result was a 160 acre campus located two hours from Delhi which today educates up to 500 students from 17 different states of India and from countries including China, South Korea, Nepal, Thailand, UAE, USA and Zambia.

The teaching faculty is drawn from a national and international pool, and a student/teacher ratio of 8:1 ensure personalised support. With its founder’s vision always in mind, the school is keen to develop reciprocal links with other schools to offer a deeper understanding of different cultures so that pupils can experience

Photo courtesy of The Sagar School

life in other parts of India and in countries across the globe.

Canford’s aim is for departments to begin working together so that staff share their teaching and learning experiences as part of the staff development programme and also pupils working together on joint research projects. We will make good use of video conferencing and other digital software to enable this, alongside physical teacher exchanges. Each year a number of exchange opportunities will be offered to Upper Sixth pupils interested in a gap year.

The first collaborative work project for Year 10 pupils at Canford and The Sagar School is in the planning stages with a provisional timing to take place in the first two weeks of May 2019.

This will be a pilot exercise focused on Biology and Mathematics which could be expanded in subsequent years.

For more information about The Sagar School, visit www.thesagarschool.org

THE HUN SCHOOL, PRINCETON An exciting link is developing between Canford and The Hun School, a college preparatory day and boarding school in Princeton, New Jersey. We’ve already had an initial teacher exchange in which two Canford teachers visited The Hun School and two of the Hun faculty visited Canford. In addition, one of our Governors has also visited and we have engaged in a stimulating group ‘virtual connection’ similar to a group Skype, where a wide range of staff shared ideas, resources and best practice. It was immediately obvious to see how fruitful and positive these initial connections have been. Crucially, there is a perfect balance between the similarities and the differences of the two schools which have, and will, not only engender a deep and genuine warmth in the connections amongst pupils and teachers but will also stimulate fascinating discussions on a range of educational facets. Not only are staff on ‘both sides of the pond’ developing 'pedagogical pen pals', we are sharing ideas and reflecting upon some of the major themes in education, including teaching and learning, experiential learning, problem solving, project based learning, Harkness teaching, curriculum design, academic enrichment, pastoral care, pupil leadership, sport and creative arts.

During the next academic year we are planning a pupil exchange for some of our Lower Sixth and two members of staff. Not only will this will further cement the links between our schools but will also widen the opportunity for our pupils and staff to gain a wider global vision and understanding. During the exchanges, pupils and staff will engage in some active research with a view to bringing back and sharing some key ideas.

For more information about The Hun School, please visit www.hunschool.org

Photo courtesy of The Hun School

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BEYOND CANFORD

COMMUNITY LINKS INDEPENDENT-STATE SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIP DAY On Thursday 14th June, Canford held its inaugural Independent-State School Educational Partnership Day. Pupils from Canford were joined by visiting pupils from the Ark Globe Academy in London, The Bourne Academy in East Howe and Queen Anne’s School, Caversham to take part in a collaborative day focused on the science of learning and emerging careers.

The return of linear A Levels has brought with it both challenges and opportunities. The removal of formal exams at the end of the Lower Sixth year has created a breathing space in which serious academic interest and enthusiasm can be nurtured and developed. The day was an opportunity for bright and ambitious Lower Sixth pupils to meet and share ideas with like-minded young people.

Ben Vessey, Headmaster, commented: “Our first Educational Partnership Day offered a varied and challenging programme of activities which sparked discussion and reflection on the ways we think and learn, as well as offering insight into the scope of life beyond the school gates. My thanks go to all those involved in providing such an exciting and inspirational intellectual event which we hope to repeat in the future.”

Tom Marriott Head of Academic Enrichment

The morning sessions were led by a team from BrainCanDo http://braincando.com who ran a fascinating series of workshops on neuroscience, challenging pupils to think about how we develop our understanding of the world and why we make the decisions we do. The afternoon focus was on careers and interview planning, with six groups of pupils rotating through a carousel of seven visiting professionals who work in emerging career sectors. At the end of the day, there was a plenary session for all pupils involved to collect thoughts and ideas to present to the group.

SHINE This year’s graduation ceremony for the latest cohort of SHINE pupils took place in the Long Gallery on Wednesday 21st March. As ever the performances by the pupils were impressive as they presented what they had learned on the course to their families and to Canford senior staff.

Canford has been involved in this national gifted and talented programme since 2013. Pupils from three local state schools come to Canford for some 'Serious Fun on Saturdays' during the Christmas Term. A vibrant and dynamic series of workshops and lessons in all disciplines of sciences, humanities, languages and the creative arts enables every pupil to experience and cultivate a deeper understanding of these different areas of knowledge. The school also runs a sports morning for the SHINE pupils each summer. This year, on Thursday 14th June, they enjoyed cricket, tennis and rowing from the school boathouse before a well deserved lunch in the Great Hall.

For more information about SHINE, please visit www.shinetrust.org.uk

CITY REACH SUMMER CAMP Over the weekend of 16th-17th June, a group of youngsters from the inner city community of Northam enjoyed their annual camp and beach party. Lunch in the Great Hall and a game of softball in the sports centre was followed by the traditional trip to Knoll Beach at Studland for beach games. Returning to Canford there was a barbecue and much laughter around the camp fire by the City Reach children and Canford pupils.

After a hearty breakfast the next day, everyone enjoyed a swim in the pool and some outdoor games before the children returned home tired but we hope having had a great time. For many this would be their only summer holiday away from Southampton city centre, and our thanks go to all the Canford Fifth and Sixth Formers involved alongside Canford staff for making this summer’s camp another very happy and memorable one.

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ACADEMIC

SPIRIT OF PLACE 2018 It is a Canford tradition that during the last week of term, pupils take time out to enjoy a range of off piste activities beyond the curriculum organised by academic departments. The project offers the chance to try something different and to develop skills such as teamwork and leadership. John Dant, this year's co-ordinator of Spirit of Place, commented: "The aim of the project was to take pupils out of their regular teaching and friendship groups to explore something new, different and exciting. In the end, we had over 300 pupils working on 12 diverse projects. Going around the groups, it was evident that there was fun and laughter everywhere.Thank you to all my colleagues who so magnificently gave up considerable amounts of their time planning and delivering such stimulating activities."

This year’s Spirit of Place involved pupils across the year groups from Shells to Lower Sixth in a huge variety of different activities: • • • • • • • • • • • •

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A quiz about the history of Canford including a tour of the site A two day Maths and Science programme, including a visit to the Science Museum in London and a selection of films linking to the study of Maths A Geography and Biology outing to Longleat Safari Park, including a 30 minute workshop on conservation A Football and Finance challenge involving creating presentations on topics relating to the World Cup 2018, including ‘Is the financing of the World Cup fair?’ and ‘Based on their start, who is best placed to win the championship?’

Painting and Poetry – a walk around Hardy country Journalism – writing and recording the Spirit of Place week using a variety of media Modern Languages – research and presentations on the history and success of German football History – a project to review the history of the current Canford library and its place at Canford The invasion of Canford – using siege weaponry, studying Roman Army formations and tactics and visiting Dorchester Museum to reveal how the Romans took their Empire Rocketry – design and build a rocket car and race it against your peers Science and Classics – water melon firing from a Roman-inspired trebuchet Plastic not Fantastic – do our tiny bit to address a global issue through a Beach Clean project, with analysis of samples found

FROM THE PUPILS "The melons were ultimately a disappointment. Chaos broke out as pupils were dismayed to be constantly missing the target! But it wasn't all doom and gloom as we still learnt how the Romans would have attacked all those years ago, using science to get the trebuchet working."

"It was very rewarding to see a clean beach at the end displaying all our hard work."

"Writing the language of Ancient Mesopotamia is just as hard as it looks!"

"Not only has this allowed pupils to improve their knowledge of football, but has also been an opportunity to strengthen their presentation skills."

"The group collected some invertebrates, and whatever they caught they learnt about and came up with ideas about how the creature was suited to its habitat."

ACADEMIC

LITERACY We are committed to searching for new and effective ways to keep our pupils’ minds open to the magic of the written word, whether produced by themselves or others.

It’s hard not to feel that we are battling against the tide of social and technological change, but as Kofi Annan says: ‘Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope, something that is tragically unavailable to millions but wholly accessible to them, and something which they ignore at their peril.’ The Shell curriculum has Literacy as one of its core strands, and as pupils move through the school there are varied opportunities to develop their written and presentation skills. Lower Sixth pupils participate in the Baynham Essay and CP Snow competitions, researching and writing on a topic of their own choice and in the Upper Sixth, members of The Heretics Society write excellent papers to present as a stimulus to discussion. In a new online academic blog there are writings from pupils and staff - from essay competitions, to presentation papers to school assemblies. On this page are a small selection of extracts.

To read all the latest posts, please visit www.canford.com/Academic-Blog

THE CURRENCY OF LANGUAGE Dr Patricia Gibbons, PRS department We face a difficulty when we use language, because we need it to stretch in all kinds of directions to say so many things. The contents of one language is needed to do it all – from expressing feelings of elation, to making abstract thought concrete, to talking about practical things.

It is ordinary language but we need it to do extraordinary things. The language we use about education matters and, increasingly, language from the area of Economics is used about education.

Our colleagues in the Economics Department regularly use terms such as customers, market exchange, consumers, commodities and money.

It is entirely appropriate to engage those terms concerning the transfer of goods, such as coffee or oil, from one person to another. Transactions occur when a person wants to secure an item they desire which they do not provide for themselves. The transaction occurs through the exchange of money for commodity. The value of the commodity has no intrinsic value but has the monetary worth of what someone is willing to pay for it. But is the language of Economics appropriate in matters of education, and do the economic ideas and assumptions faithfully portray the vision of education we hold?

SHOULD WE BE MORE ROMAN? Ned Vessey, Upper Sixth Rome began its existence as a small village in Italy on a hill. Around it lay marshes and swamps and emptiness. There were so few women that they had to be abducted from a nearby settlement to ensure the survival of Rome. Humble and brutal origins indeed, yet the Romans overcame that beginning to build one of the greatest empires the world has ever seen, swathes of territory that stretched from Northern Britain all the way to what is now Syria. It evolved from a monarchy (with kings such as Tarquin the Proud) to a quasidemocracy in which an aristocratic Senate attempted to act in the interests of the Roman people, a period known as the Republic.

Finally came the time of the Emperors, beginning with Augustus in 31 BC. I will not venture much further than the reign of Augustus, so perhaps this paper would be more correctly entitled “Should we be more Republican Roman?” Leaving this aside, what is clear is that during its hundreds of years of existence, the empire spread culture, order and ultimately, peace.

VITAL STATISTICS – WHAT DOES EVERYONE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DATA? Fruin Mackillop-Hall, Lower Sixth Statistics have been around for a very long time, with surviving evidence of an early census being taken in 2AD during the Han Dynasty6, but the problem that I see is that people are still associating statistics with mathematics and mathematical areas such as the financial world and its economics. While they are correct, and we do use statistics lots in these areas, it is also true that we use statistics in almost all areas of life whether it be sport, with match analysis and performance tracking, or in medicine, where the probability that a patient may develop side effects from a new drug needs to be calculated. we must appreciate the great impact that data and statistics have on us, every day of our lives, and that with an increased understanding of them, we make ourselves more employable, informed, and give ourselves the opportunities to be the very best we can in our society.

I think that the advantages any one person can gain from an increased understanding of how data and statistics work, and how they affect us, are in the hundreds, and I hold no doubt that it will very soon become commonplace to have a degree in statistics or applied mathematics for all young students moving through the education system. Furthermore, the opportunities that this increased understanding grants us, I believe, are simply too bountiful to ignore. Whether it be the chance to rise to the top of your field, your ability to sift through lies and misquoted data in a debate, or even the chance to make your own independent and informed choices as a result of statistics you may have read or heard, there is no denying that statistics, data and data analysis give us the sense of freedom that is often hard to come by these days. As Jim Frost says, “Statistics facilitate the creation of new knowledge, and as is well known, knowledge is power.”

(Submitted for the Oxford Q-Step essay competition)

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SPORTING HIGHLIGHTS CRICKET The season started in traditional style as the weather put paid to the House matches on the first Saturday of term. For the remainder of the season however we have been unusually lucky, with the sun shining for most fixtures. Of particular note the U15s have had a fantastic season, reaching the last eight in the country in the National Cup and winning the Dorset T20 after a nail biting win over Sherborne in the final over. They also saw great wins against Dorset U15s, Clifton College, Millfield and Bryanston. The team has played superbly and their performance bodes very well for future seasons. The U14s have also made a first class start to their cricket careers at Canford, reaching the semis of the County Cup and seeing some good wins

against PGS by 51 runs, Dorset CCC by 14 runs and Downside by 78 runs. Among the senior sides, the 1st XI season has been mixed, and began with a number of heavy losses but a win against Downside by 5 wickets raised spirits. The 2nd XI saw strong victories against PGS by 10 wickets and Downside by 141 runs, while the 3rd XI were unbeaten with a great win against Millfield by 104 runs and a nail biting victory against King’s Taunton.

We have also seen some good girls’ cricket this season. In the inaugural SchoolSports National U15 Cup, the fact that we only fielded seven players due to a number of pupils off games coupled with a more experienced Clayesmore side resulted in

Clayesmore winning the match in the 16th over, but the girls were an absolute credit to the school and should be proud of their achievement in making the game as close as it was.

Matt Keech Director of Cricket

U15s T20 Dorset Champions

U16 GIRLS - BRONZE MEDAL AT ENGLAND HOCKEY NATIONAL SCHOOLS FINALS

EDITING

Having been thwarted by the ‘Beast from the East’ in the Easter Term, the first week in May saw the National Schools' Finals eventually take place for the U16 girls at Lee Valley. We started our campaign with a well-deserved opening 4-2 win against Trent College, but despite taking an early lead against defending champions Wellington College suffered a 2-7 reverse which did not reflect the full context of the game. Knowing we had to beat The Leys, who sat above us in the table on goal difference, we played on the front foot from the outset.

An excellent 4-1 victory saw us finish second in the group and face St George’s in the 3rd/4th playoff. The midfield worked their socks off,

the forwards carried a constant threat and the defence remained resolute to record a 1-0 win.

The final whistle brought cheers of joy and the release of emotion at the enormity of our achievement: a bronze medal and realisation that we are the third best U16 school hockey team in the country. The girls deserve great credit for the way in which they maintained focus when the finals were initially postponed to produce such a positive result. Thank you to all the parents who came to offer such heartfelt and vociferous support which undoubtedly helped to spur the girls on to medal glory.

Matt Collison - Director of Hockey

ATHLETICS It has been a great athletics season with some excellent performances across the age groups at school fixture, county and national levels. In a girls’ triangular against Parkstone and Godolphin and boys against Poole GS, there were overall Canford wins for both the Inter boys and Inter girls, victory in both the senior and junior ‘A’ string boys’ competitions and a 2nd for the senior girls at an inter schools event.

At county level, Adam Kwan continued to impress at the Dorset AA championships setting a new school record in the Inter boys 100mH while Adam Phillips took 1st place in discus establishing a new school record and achieving English Schools’ entry standard. Competing for Dorset in the South West ESAA Track and Field ‘B’ Competition, it was encouraging to see the Inter girls’ improvements from the PEDSSA round, especially Serena Blake in the 1500m, where she must be congratulated on her

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gutsy performance knocking 5 seconds off her personal best.

Twenty Canford pupils were selected to represent the Poole and East Dorset team at the County Schools’ championships and came away with 9 golds, 7 silvers, 6 bronzes and a championship best performance. Bethan Burley took triple gold in the 400mH, Shot Put and Javelin and Adam Phillips and Adam Kwan took double gold in Shot and Discus and 100mH and High Jump respectively. David Bourne defended his senior boys’ shot put title and Charlie Ford broke the school record, held for the last 14 years by Mr Ings, taking 1st place in the 400m.

Many congratulations to Adam Phillips who qualified to represent Dorset in discus at the English Schools’ in Birmingham in July and also the Midlands region at the Schools Games in Loughborough in August. At the English Schools

he joined Bethan Burley making her 6th individual performance at these championships, and her 10th appearance in all national finals.

Athletics Captain Bethan leaves Canford this summer to take up a full Athletics scholarship to Southern Methodist University in Dallas. We wish her every future success.

SPORTING HIGHLIGHTS ROWING

TENNIS

Derek Drury honoured at Regatta In memory of Derek Drury, a celebrated former coach to Canford, who was such a prominent figure and force in rowing, the Canford boathouse was renamed the ‘Derek Drury Boat House’ at the annual House Regatta on Saturday 9th June, with a dedication by Canford master Andrew Powell and Derek’s sons Ralph and Arnie performing the official unveiling ceremony. This follows a tribute at the famous Leander Club in Henley where special gates and a dedicated plaque have been opened in Derek's name.

The naming of our new girls’ boat also took place, the Elisa M, and special thanks go to the Sullivan and Hewett families for their continued support of the club.

Pupils, staff, families and the wider Canford community enjoyed the action on the river alongside Pimm’s and cream teas, with the blue bunting and lively music from the Poole Borough Band adding to the celebratory atmosphere. Competition was fierce over the 250 metre sprint course, and congratulations go to Salisbury House who took the overall win for the second year running after securing the cumulative points across the various races.

Guest of Honour, Olympic bronze medallist,

Sarah Winckless presented the medals and trophies. The full list of results can be found at www.canfordsports.com within the Summer Term Week 7 sports news section.

The afternoon regatta was followed by the annual Boat Club dinner in the Great Hall, where Sarah Winckless gave an inspiring after dinner speech. It was a fantastic occasion and a real sense of community and camaraderie amidst the boat club friends and families. It was the culmination of another successful year for the Boat Club, which included some excellent performances at the Schools’ Head in London in March, at the Wallingford Regatta and at the National Schools at Dorney Lake in May. A fine season ended with both Men’s and Women’s crews qualifying for Henley.

Rowing on this prestigious part of the Thames is a high point in any rower’s career and an experience which I am sure they will cherish for years to come.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the club over the past year.

Ian Dryden Director of Rowing

We have seen much strength in depth in the sport across all the age groups. The boys’ 1st tennis team started the season well with fine wins against Taunton 7-2, Bryanston 8-1 and Warminster 7-2 so it was disappointing that a number of fixtures later in the term were cancelled, while the U15A girls saw a succession of victories 8-1 v Taunton, 5-4 v Bryanston and 7-2 v Sherborne and the U14A girls were also unbeaten with wins 9-0 v Taunton, 7-2 v Bryanston, 7-2 v Sherborne and 6-3 v St Swithun’s.

In House Tennis competitions, throughout all of the rounds the boys produced some really good tennis even from those who are not regular players in the summer season. The clear winner was Franklin but there was a tie for second place with both Court and School House fairly consistent smart tennis all the way through.

James Priaulx had been smashing down serves all afternoon, winning easy points, but Court kept it simple, made fewer unforced errors and came away with the win. Final standings: Winners Franklin, 2nd Court, 3rd School House, 4th Monteacute, 5th Salisbury.

Emma Bennett - Director of Tennis

RFU DEVELOPMENT DAY

SWIMMING The season has seen a high standard of swimming on show. Against Clayesmore and Sherborne in a home gala on 28th April, Izzy Pryce won all her events as the girls’ team finished behind Clayesmore. The senior boys’ team of Will Hedley, Scott Montague, Yernur Niyetkaliyev, Jacob Hill, Jorge de la Cruz, James Chapman and Henry Bourne came very close to securing the second position in the overall event, but like the junior boys they finished third on the day. In a gala at Sherborne Girls in May against King’s Bruton, Leweston and Sherborne

the junior team of three Shells and two Fourth Formers came up against girls one or two years older, but their gutsy performance resulted in a very good third place finish overall. The senior team was joined by Shell India Rose for both relay races which was to her great credit, and enabled the Canford team to finish a fine second against tough competition.

Fran Compan Head Coach

FOLLOW ALL THE LATEST SPORTS NEWS

We were delighted to support the work of the RFU by hosting a Development Day at Canford on Wednesday 13th June, involving coaching staff from schools across the region. Led by Dusty Miller, RFU Area Training manager, the programme included a Rugby Safe presentation, XV a side module and U18 Performance and Academy session, offering very useful guidance in advance of the forthcoming season.

@CANFORDSPORT AND AT WWW.CANFORDSPORTS.COM 15

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

THE CANFORD COMMUNITY Our summer of events started in fine fettle welcoming two hundred OCs to the House of Commons Terrace Pavilion for the OC London Drinks Party. Classes from 1954 through to 2017 were represented including Lower Sixth Canfordians who made the trip to London. The weather was fine and guests spilled out onto the balcony to enjoy the view, catch up with friends and reminisce.

The Friends of Canford have been busy hosting a tennis tournament and a sell-out Golf Day. The weather was excellent for golf and the BBQ to follow. Thanks to the generosity of parents and local businesses, a raffle and impromptu mini auction raised a significant sum for the Friends of Canford. The Friends’ programme concluded with a Tree Tour with Andrew Powell, Master of Trees who informed and guided guests around the Canford tree collection.

The Summer Term is always busy for the Friends of Canford Rowing with crews racing in the National Schools’ Regatta closely followed by the House Regatta where all pupils who have rowed in some shape or form jump into a boat to represent their House. The Boat Club was dedicated in name to the late Derek Drury, a former and very notable rowing coach at Canford. The day concluded with the Boat Club Dinner where Boat Club Captains, Natasha Treagust and Josh Bale talked about the challenges of rowing and friendships made along the way. Sara Winckless MBE was an excellent after dinner speaker and brought the evening to a fabulous close. It was lovely also to be joined by OCs for the evening from as far afield as Canada!

The club ended the season on a high note with both the boys and girls crews qualifying for Henley and it was great to see so many parents and OCs enjoying the occasion at the annual

CANFORD CONTACTS Main School Switchboard T: 01202 841254 E: office@canford.com Mike Owen - Registrar T: 01202 847207 E: admissions@canford.com Layard Theatre Box Office T: 01202 847525 E: layardtheatre@canford.com Glyn Richards - Sports Centre Manager T: 01202 847524 E: sportscentre@canford.com Much of the photography in this publication is by Paul West.

Please visit www.paulwestphotography.com

COMMUNITY CALENDAR SEPTEMBER Friday 14th September History Tour

Saturday 15th September

Shell and New Fourth Form Parents’ Lunch

Saturday 22nd September Rowing morning

OCTOBER Wednesday 3rd October drinks party.

Dr Spencer Jones History Lecture "A Very British Victory: The Last Hundred Days of the First World War, 1918"”

Following two years of torrential rain, Canford was bathed in evening sunshine for the Lord Chamberlain’s Men’s performance of the Tempest. A record audience graced the Canford lawns with their picnics and enjoyed a brilliant (as ever) performance.

Saturday 6th October

The Canford Charitable Annual Bursary Fund is again hoping to raise enough to fully fund a bursary for a Sixth Form pupil. The amount raised to date is £26,598.62. Thank you to all members of the Canford Community who have and continue to donate to support transformational bursaries at Canford. Please help if you are able to. Thank you.

Sunday 28th October

There is much to look forward to in the Christmas Term with all of our usual Community events, including the New Shell and Fourth Form Parents’ Lunch on Saturday 15th September and the Gala Dinner and Auction in aid of the Martin Marriott Foundation on Saturday 17th November.

Open Day

Friday 12th – Sunday 14th October Art Exhibition'Telling Stories' 6 Ryder Street, London SW1

Friends of Canford Quiz Night

NOVEMBER Saturday 3rd November Lacrosse morning

Wednesday 7th November Nineveh Legacy Society Lunch

Sunday 11th November

Remembrance Sunday services

Friday 16th November

We look forward to welcoming you to a Canford event soon!

Christmas Term concert

Rowena Gaston Development Director

Gala Dinner

Philippa Scudds - Director of Marketing and Communications T: 01202 847295 E: pjs@canford.com Rowena Gaston - Development Director T: 01202 847471 E: rjg@canford.com CANFORD SCHOOL Wimborne, Dorset BH21 3AD www.canford.com www.facebook.com/CanfordSchool @CanfordSchool canfordschool canford-school

Friday 17th November

DECEMBER Thursday 13th December Carol Service Wimborne Minster

Monday 17th December Noel Noel

FOR FURTHER DETAILS OF EVENTS AND TO BOOK PLEASE VISIT WWW.CANFORD.COM/BOOK-EVENTS

Follow us on Twitter @CanfordFriends Canford News is published twice yearly.

For latest news updates, please visit www.canford.com