Canfordian THE
2020/21
the
canfordian Contents SPEECH DAY 2021 3 SALVETE AND VALETE 5 ACADEMIC 11 PASTORAL 18 CHAPLAINCY 40 LOCKDOWN STORIES 41 THE ARTS 42 ENRICHMENT 48 COMMUNITY & PARTNERSHIPS 49 THE CANFORD COMMUNITY 54 OUTDOOR ENTERPRISES 56 SUPPORT MATTERS 58 SPORT 59
The Headmaster speaks This is an abridged version of the speech delivered by the Headmaster at the Speech Day on 2 July 2021, this year sadly confined to the Upper Sixth and their parents due to Covid-19. The sections omitted dealt largely with matters and events that are reported elsewhere in this issue of The Canfordian. I don’t want to dwell too much on Covid, which has dominated the past eighteen months in so many ways, but I do want to assure you that Heads across the country have expressed strongly to the Department for Education their view that the current processes for schools are unsustainable: last week, 375,000 children were out of school, most of them in isolation as close contacts of positive cases. I feel passionately that we must serve our young people better and that we need different approaches from the start of next term in September. But I don’t want to obsess about the negative things, the things that perhaps haven’t been. Instead, I’d like to focus on all the good things that have been, the things that are and the things that will be, because that has been exactly the mindset and approach that the wonderful group of young people who are this year’s leavers have shown, individually and collectively, over the last eighteen months and indeed throughout their time here. They have stepped into the headwind with purpose, with courage and with ambition and they have covered so much ground together, helping each other along the way. They have shown extraordinary creativity, amazing adaptability and an incredible capacity to bounce back, reset and crack on to make things happen and get things done in the right way. All this they’ve done with a wonderful sense of humour and a real determination to squeeze out the
maximum amount of joy wherever it can be found – and in that regard they have truly turned the desert green. I think back to Christmas, when there were all sorts of things that we couldn’t do normally, but all the things they dreamt up that we could meant that we finished that term on such a high. They have led with real grace and consideration, acting as role models to those around them and setting the tone for the community as a whole, and that’s a tough thing to do in the conditions we’ve been working under for the past months. Yes, of course there have been things which have been missed and opportunities they expected which have not materialised, but in many ways they have also had other, equally formative and character-building experiences. They have embraced those and that will stand them in good stead in the years to come. Life never runs in a straight line and they have all learned in recent times to deal with uncertainty head-on in a way which perhaps previous generations of Canfordians have not. They will be tougher, stronger and more adaptable in the future, and from that and from their characters will stem great things. I thank all our leavers for the joy they have given to me, personally and professionally, and to our community over the past years. Each and every one of these wonderful young people has made a difference – and I am in no doubt that this group and these individuals will continue to make a difference as they move beyond Canford. We will miss you all. As staff, we put an awful lot of ourselves into supporting you so we feel a sense of bereavement when you go, but there is a sense of excitement, too, as you head out into the world. So step out with heads held high, be principled, be strong, be respectful, be sensitive – and please keep in touch, as we want to know about your journey and perhaps we can help along the way. I also wish to thank all of the parents here, and indeed across the whole school community, for their incredible support over this past year. That support and the messages so many of you have sent have been truly valued by me and by my colleagues, with whom I have often shared them. They have given us strength in tough times. It has been a very, very difficult time for all of you, I know, and so your commitment to and support for Canford has been a source of real strength as we have all sought to do our very best for your children in their time here. Finally, I wish to thank my colleagues. The whole staff, teaching and support staff, have been extraordinary and, in those dark moments in the past months when I have wondered how on earth we were going to keep all this going, those colleagues have shown their mettle, they’ve stepped up and they’ve got things done with style. I cannot express enough my admiration and my gratitude to them all for their professionalism, for their commitment and for the support they have given, not just to me but to the wonderful young people we care for at Canford.
“Life never runs in a straight line and they have all learned in recent times to deal with uncertainty head-on in a way which perhaps previous generations of Canfordians have not.”
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ACADEMIC
speech day
ACADEMIC speech day
Prizewinners 2021 Acting Baynham Essay Prize Business Studies CCF Benner Award Chemistry Classical Civilisation Clive Mayer Memorial Trophy CP Snow Creative Writing Drama Economics Eddy Prize for Music Edna Adams Trophy for Debating English FCS Prize for Design Technology FCS Prize for Journalism Fine Art French Further Maths Geography German Halahan Prize for Natural History Hankinson Prize for Biology Hardie Prize for Academic Performance Hardie Prize for Business & English Hardie Prize for Business and History Hardie Prize for Engineering Hardie Prize for French & Music Hardie Prize for Geography & PE Hardie Prize for Humanities Hardie Prize for Maths & Biology Hardie Prize for Maths & Chemistry Hardie Prize for Natural Sciences Headmaster’s Academic Award for Biology Headmaster’s Academic Award for Business Studies Headmaster’s Academic Award for Economics Headmaster’s Academic Award for Geography Headmaster’s Academic Award for Latin Headmaster’s Academic Award for Maths Headmaster’s Academic Award for Spanish Heads of School History Holford Prizes John Gilhooly Quaich for Computing Jones Prize for Politics Latin Louis Ross Prize Mathematics Michael James Prize for Singing Painting Peter Dugdale Cup for Community Partnership Overseas Peter Dugdale Cup for Service to the Local Community Philosophy and Theology Physics Sam Wolstenhulme Travel Prize School Prize for Music Sophie Johnson Prizes Spanish Sports Awards Sports Science Theatre Studies (Technical) Tom Webster Art Prize
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Zac Arnold Milind Khashu, Harry Young Polly Yule Ben Parkin Tamara Read-Ward Chessie Hellier Joseph Cox Milind Khashu Catalina Taylor Will Walters Freddie Charles Matthew Butterfield Magnus Crawshaw Emily Walster Milenka Soskin Imi Parker, Catalina Taylor, Saskia Green Olivia Hingston Serena Blake Tamara Read-Ward Lulu King, Polly Yule Grace Campbell Michael Ma Miles Quick Daena Shah, Georgina Litchfield Saskia Green Otto Thompson Ben Parkin Catalina Taylor Abby Childerley Magnus Crawshaw, Imi Parker, Emily Walster Lucy Norris Toby Bishop Holly Williams Oliver Taylor Nadia Lees Matthew Keen Maddy Harvey Louisa Matthews Pavlos Karampoulas Michael Ma Maddie Lyles, Ben Parkin Eve Hewett Max Richards, Josh Bingham, Trystan Thomas, Tom Johnson, James Harvey-Hills, Will Priaulx, Sam Smith Ned Potts Serena Blake Oliver Taylor India Herrington, Amanda Cross-Court Joe Louden Charlie Anstee Imo Fairweather Not awarded in 2021 Ollie Baldwin, Lucy Norris Oliver Taylor Laura Driver, Rosemary Parkin, Matt Kosgei Ed Loveridge Maddie Lyles Amelia Green, Ella Mitchell, Syd Brown, Lizzie Graham, Flora Peddie, Gemma Kendall, Frances Fleming, Alice Fearnley, Ellie Martin Inés de la Cruz Tom Prest, Molly Fairbairn Will Whitmore Ollie Baldwin Stella Jarvis
Salvete & Valete Members of the academic staff who joined in 2020/21 Caroline Chourou, BA (Hons), PGCE, PGCert, MA
Art
Caroline is a multi-disciplinary artist. In addition to her qualifications, she is an elected member of the Royal Society of Sculptors. Her recent work has focused on paper and metal sculpture and she draws inspiration from both the natural world and from explorative questions about the nature of reality; transformation, impermanence and energy are recurring themes.
Steve Emery, BSc , PGCE Economics & Business
After growing up in Snowdonia, Steve completed his degree at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, then became a registered financial adviser. Steve then chose to re-train as a teacher before emigrating to New Zealand. He was Head of Department at one of the foremost schools in NZ for the last twelve years before deciding to return home with his family to join Canford as Head of Department.
Joel Holliday, BA, MA Economics & Business
After the University of Exeter, Joel worked in the City of London as a derivatives trader, specialising in European equities and bonds. After nearly a decade in the financial markets, he decided to re-train as a teacher. He joined Eastbourne College, completing his GTP at Canterbury Christ Church University. Before joining Canford, he also taught in two British international schools, first in Kenya and then in China.
Rikki Jackson, BA Drama
Rikki studied English and Theatre Studies at Warwick University and has taught Drama in various schools, directing nearly 100 plays and musicals during that time. He joined Canford as Head of Department from a similar role at Dauntsey’s School in Wiltshire. Rikki is also a sports fan, particularly cricket, rugby and football – although he spends most of this time being frustrated by the various teams he supports!
Will Moreland, MMath Maths
Having first joined Canford in 2014 as a graduate trainee, Will returned after gaining his teaching qualifications, joining the Maths Department. Added to his academic role, he is a live-in tutor for School House and is also heavily involved in both rowing and CCF. A keen triathlete and avid follower of American Football, having played at Durham University, he is always open to new challenges and travels.
Danielle Poulton, BSc, PGCE Biology
Danielle gained a first class honours degree from Exeter University, where she also completed her PGCE. Her particular areas of interest include animal physiology and marine biology and her degree research project was published in the ICES Journal of Marine Science. She is a tutor in Beaufort House, and outside the classroom she enjoys hiking, cycling, skiing and travelling.
Niamh Scullion, BSc, PGCE Economics & Business
Niamh completed a degree in Business Management at Queen’s University, Belfast and moved to the region to complete her PGCE in Bath. She has a strong interest in student support, and has worked within specialist mental health services and at London University. Always looking for a new challenge, she enjoys triathlon training and helps coach cross-country at Canford.
Nicolas Warde, BSc, PGCE Biology
Nick joined Canford as Head of Biology. After graduating from Imperial College in 2006, he worked in medical publishing in London before completing his PGCE at Southampton University in 2012 and is particularly interested in microbiology and molecular biology. He combines his departmental work with a house tutor role in Monteacute and in his spare time he enjoys playing cricket and golf.
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Salvete & Valete
Members of the academic staff who left in 2020/21 PHILIPPA CONNOR Philippa started teaching at Canford in 2011 having been tapped up by John Lever on the touchline of a hockey match. Despite, or perhaps because of, this unusual recruitment process, she has been a stalwart member of the Biology Department, an excellent tutor and a great friend and colleague. Philippa is a fantastic teacher: she develops incredible relationships with her classes, her knowledge of Biology is exceptional, and her experience, having been a housemistress at Sevenoaks, is second to none. She has been able to adapt her teaching over the years to keep up with the ever-changing technology. I’m still not sure why bringing a puppy into her Fifth Form lesson taught the pupils anything about genetics, but they clearly enjoyed it. Philippa has also been a fantastic tutor both in Wimborne House and to a series of sixth-formers, all of whom have benefitted enormously from the massive amounts of time and interest she has shown them. Philippa has been great at offering advice to less experienced members of the department, and her quick humour has been much appreciated in department meetings and parties. Canford will be a lesser place without her. Ed Johnson
CHRIS FENWICK Chris has been a large part of Canford and the pupils’ lives here for 38 years. For 25 years Head of the Physics Department, he is a true magician in his subject. He had a powerful desire to prove that anyone can be shown the pathway to understand some Physics, be it through the juggling of clubs, riding a unicycle or the design of demonstrations. He even managed to convince John Lever that taking the whole of the Lower Sixth to Thorpe Park was an intellectual exercise. Physics is all about practical observation and experience as far as Chris is concerned and the success of his department was modelled on this key principle. He was always creating new apparatus to demonstrate the principles of Physics, from the very small microscopic apparatus to the very large – and the huge ‘Newton’s Cradle’ remains
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a powerful visual legacy in the Park. His teachers, past and present, have always enjoyed his unstinting support, but crucially, each was given freedom to teach to their strengths while learning much from Chris’s ethos. Chris made major contributions to the rest of life at Canford in all arenas. As a sportsman he was an outstanding wicket-keeper and batsman himself and coached generations of Canfordians the skills both in front of and behind the stumps. He played badminton for Dorset and coached it at Canford; he was the lowesthandicapped Real tennis teacher on the staff for years and again coached many a youngster on the court here. Chris also coached the 1st XV rugby for a good period and did plenty of house tutoring as well. Chris’s three children were all educated at Canford and are now well established in various science-related fields. Emma Thornburrow
CLARE IVES Clare studied at Canford in the Sixth Form from 1988 to 1990. She took her degree and PhD at St Andrew’s, where she also taught before working for HM Government for eight years. In 2008 came the change of direction, when she became the first female History teacher hired at Canford – and brought the average age of the History Department down from 126 to 40. Later she was the first female Head of History. One of her former pupils summed up her teaching style: ‘Dr Ives’s History lessons are always enjoyable, interesting, funny and engaging. Whenever I see a double lesson on my timetable I always sigh and wonder how I’ll get through it, but when it’s History, I know Dr Ives will have found a way to make the lesson fun, and she never disappoints.’ As the housemistress of Beaufort, her instinctive pastoral inclinations meant that she got to know her girls individually and collectively. She knew when to apply a correction here or a steadying hand of reassurance there. A quote from one of her Beaufort girls: ‘What strikes me most is that despite this year’s challenges and although it is Doc Ives’s final year at Canford, she’s remained the most positive, enthusiastic and committed, offering her kindness and unfaltering support to whoever should need it.’ She has been unafraid to speak her mind, even when it might land her in hot water. Her work with the EDI committee marks her out as a rare individual who can bring staff and pupils together to work for a common aim. We will remember her efforts and effect in making this place a far better one than when she arrived. Andrew Fearnley
Tom joined Canford as Head of History from Cranleigh in 2014. He quickly established himself as a seriously impressive classroom teacher and academic leader. He brought vision, purpose and direction to his department, where his tenure saw significant uptake in the subject at both GCSE and A Level. Results were outstanding and those aspiring to Oxbridge were just as at home as those who found the subject a real challenge: it was an inclusive environment for all to learn. Tom involved himself in all Canford has to offer, whether it was bringing order to a game of rugby or shepherding crews along the river. Tom was also deeply involved in the pastoral side of school life, first as resident tutor in Court and then also as a tutor to many pupils in the Sixth Form. His talent was quickly spotted and he was promoted to the role of Head of Enrichment, a job he has thrived in, bringing academic rigour and curiosity for our pupils in equal measure. Fantastic Festivals of Ideas, Oxford Reading Parties and scholar lunches were just some of the whole school initiatives that Tom oversaw. Unsurprisingly, Tom’s star continued to rise and his next destination is Princethorpe, where he will be the Deputy Head Academic. Tom will also welcome his first child in the new year with his wonderful wife, Hannah. He will be greatly missed by all at Canford but we look forward to watching his star continue to rise from a distance. Lealand Pearce
STEVE RONALDSON
Salvete & Valete
TOM MARRIOTT
Having played a lot of sport over the years, I thought I was quite competitive, but that was before I got to know Steve. I also retired this year, but I am sure Steve has delayed his until now just to beat my 38 years. Not only have I lost in the longevity stakes but also on numerous occasions at golf. Those who have played him at backgammon, squash or Real tennis as Prof. Wright (he’s far too good left-handed) will also testify to a thrashing or, even more annoyingly, being kept interested in a close game, just to be cut down at the last. He has great analytical skills and speaks knowledgeably about the physics and mathematics involved in sport – we have spent too many hours discussing these theories in the Dedans over a glass or two. I have watched him coach pupils on the Real tennis court and loved his delight and enthusiasm when he introduces them to the subtleties and spins of the game. He has tutored (and civilised in some cases) several aspiring Real tennis professionals, but is equally dedicated to those who struggle to hit the ball over the net. Every child at Canford will have experienced Real tennis with him and I guarantee they will have raised a smile in the process, yet he has the highest regard for the traditions and history of the game. One of Dorset’s sporting characters is leaving and it is clear from all the fond farewells that Steve has made many friends and put Canford Real tennis on the map. Chris Fenwick
GRADUATE ASSISTANTS Martin Henriques Barrios has seen Covid put paid to many of his ambitions to travel and explore the world. He has dealt with this setback with a cheerful spirit and we thank him greatly for his efforts. Martha Bilsland has had a huge impact on the girls’ cricket programme: a fantastic coach and role model. Her commitment to the girls in Marriotts and help on the hockey pitch have also been greatly appreciated. Daisy Lowe has involved herself in all aspects of life, coaching hockey, netball and tennis across all levels and age groups, and in Marriotts as a back-up tutor. Her infectious personality has had a positive influence throughout. Harry Nicholl has been an outstanding graduate assistant chaplain (‘gaplain’). He has been enthusiastic, dedicated and reliable, yet full of fun and laughs. One
colleague noted that Harry is a ‘master of three passions: literature, sport and Christianity’. Marti Vila Riera’s excellent work in the Languages Department will be sadly missed, but perhaps even more, his great sense of humour and uplifting personality. He showed his top-level hockey skills and contributed generously to boarding life. Andy Turnill quickly transformed strength and conditioning for senior members of the rowing squad, He has been dependable, reliable and fastidious in every way. During Ian Dryden’s absence he took charge of the running of the boat club. Megan Welbourne brought bundles of enthusiasm and expertise to the Sports Department and a particular love for netball, which is infectious. She wore many hats, and the pupils have loved having ‘Miss Wellbeing’ to coach, guide and offload to.
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Salvete & Valete
Pupils who joined Canford during 2020/21 Name Previous school Scholarship(s)
At 16+
Jacob Abberley Budmouth College Academic Arian Akrami Bournemouth School for Boys Academic Rhys Allen Hounsdown Academic, Assyrian Agnes Brooke Parkstone Grammar Academic Eleanor Crawshaw Godolphin Scarlett Culshaw Godolphin Amaia Echebarrieta Bournemouth School for Girls Academic Phoebe Foxley St Gabriel’s Wenchao Ge Ashford School Charlotte Gibbons Clayesmore School Abbie Gollings Parkstone Grammar Samuel Lukaitis Dulwich College Belinda Luxton Parkstone Grammar Academic Hester Mugford Parkstone Grammar Academic Rosemary Parkin Parkstone Grammar Academic Phoebe Peters St Swithun’s School Finley Raworth Poole Grammar School Assyrian Isabelle Richards Parkstone Grammar Michal Rzepski Thomas Hardye Academic Charles Shepherd The Bourne Academy Harvey Stocks Bournemouth School for Boys Academic Qing Su Talbot Heath Anna Toms Talbot Heath Isabel Vivian South Wilts Grammar Martha Warren-Barratt Hill House Academic Felix Wigley United World College of South East Asia Catherine Wray King Edward VI Southampton Academic
At 14+
Beatrix Andrews Noa Armstrong Finlay Janaway Samuel Janaway Janae Ng Harry Steven
At 13+
St Mary’s School, Shaftesbury Le Bocage International School Marlborough College Lord Wandsworth College Canadian International School HK Thomas Hardye
Ralph Allen Dumpton Academic William Allen Sherborne School Isaac Ameyaw Windlesham Ciaran Amy St Michaels Preparatory School Luca Anstey Gray Castle Court Sam Askew Amesbury Isobel Balasubramaniam Durlston Court Thomas Barrett Chafyn Grove Freya Barrington Sunninghill Jack Bartholomew Westbourne House India Benamor Walhampton Academic Inca Benton-Jones Durlston Court Academic Charles Bolland Queen’s College, Taunton Jasper Bowley St Michael’s Middle School Alexander Brookes Cheam Remi Brooks Castle Court Madeleine Brown Salisbury Cathedral School Academic Samuel Calvert-Lee Castle Court Thomas Camilleri Aldro Portia Carrell Walhampton Murray Carswell Castle Court Grace Cecil-Wright Walhampton Academic, Sport Yue Chan International Christian School Jemima Chappell Castle Court Academic Junrui Chen Henan Experimental School Lefei Chen Junior King’s, Canterbury Hester Child Hazlegrove Katherine Clark Highfield Toby Connolly Walhampton Josephine Corn Yarrells Jessica Coughlan-Davis Castle Court Cara-Nicole Coulson Durlston Court Anton Cox Perrott Hill Academic
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Salvete & Valete
Suzannah Cribb Talbot Heath Sport Noah Dance Poole Grammar School Paige Davis-McCluskie Talbot Heath Arthur de Lisle Castle Court Harriet Doherty Hazlegrove James Dornan Mount Kelly School Adam Driver Dumpton Academic Noem Du Ry Farleigh William Fearnley Broadstone Middle School Jack Flegg Hazlegrove Thomas Fox-Pitt Clayesmore Prep Amy Frampton Sandroyd Amelia Frost Twyford Art Charlotte Gallego Leweston Drama Millie Gardiner Castle Court Rory Gibson Kingsdale Foundation School Serena Gow Dumpton Academic George Guirdham Dumpton Academic, Sport James Hatherley Port Regis Francesca Hensher Castle Court Academic Charlotte Heyman Twyford Charles Hickey Durlston Court Chun Hung King George V School Isabel Hurd-Wood Dumpton Hannah Jeffery Parkstone Grammar Archie Jones Allenbourn Academic Jack Jones Hazlegrove Susannah Jones Farleigh Design Leon Keating St Michael’s Middle School Academic Isabella King Walhampton Music Melisa-Mary Kose The Blandford School Academic James Lee Bournemouth Collegiate School Joss Yui Lee Hong Kong University Graduate Association College Daisy Lewis Twyford Hettie Lloyd Castle Court Art Thomas Low Jess Arabian Ranches Max Mackenzie Monkton Prep Myra Malinga American International School of Johannesburg Emily Martin Amesbury Sophie Martins St Michael’s, Jersey Eliza Miller Cheam Academic, Sport Megan Mowbray Castle Court Oliver O’Brien St John’s Beaumont Gabriel O’Donnell Sunninghill Drama Charles Pallot St Michael’s, Jersey Alexander Pan St John’s Beaumont Charlotte Parkin Parkstone Grammar Frederick Pearce Allenbourn Sport Molly Rodber Windlesham Sport Reza Seewooruthun Castle Court Sport Olivia Sellers Dumpton Harry Serjeant Forres Sandle Manor Imogen Sharam Castle Court Art Jack Shuttleworth St Michael’s, Jersey Sophia Smith Highfield Layla Stannah Twyford Sport Jake Stewart The Banda Joshua Strong St Michael’s, Jersey Harrison Taylor Pilgrims’ Academic Harry Todd Sherborne Prep Gabriel Vandvik Poole Grammar School Academic William Vessey Dumpton Lucy Vrettos Castle Court Academic Elliot Walter St Andrews High School Xi Wang Shanghai East Foreign Language School Verity Warner Castle Court Frederick Warrack Port Regis Georgia Webb Dumpton Samuel Webb Dumpton Justin White Hazlegrove Academic Sophie White Yarrells Imogen Whitehead Hazlegrove Lucy Wiggins Port Regis Samuel Wilmot Westbourne House Sport Samuel Wilson Kings House Hugo Woods Castle Court Beatrice Woodward St Andrew’s, Pangbourne Isla Young Farleigh Drama Yi Zhou Elstree Design
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Salvete & Valete
Destinations of leavers (This is the best information available at the time of going to press. Some of those listed have accepted places for 2022 following a gap year. OCs are indicated by leaving year.) Aberdeen James Harvey-Hills Arts University Bournemouth Alice Fearnley Bath Zachary Arnold, Grace Campbell, Maximillian Hansen, Lulu King, Joseph Louden, Oscar Milner, Benjamin Parkin, Archie Smith, Oscar Webb, Holly Williams British and Irish Modern Music Institute George Vessey Brighton Olivia Morton Bristol Oluwajoba Agbedejobi, Jacob Browning (2020), Abigail Childerley, Evie Corn, Thomas Doyle, Frederick Hurd-Wood, Matthew Keen, Edward Loveridge, Alice Milton, Max Richards, Faith White, William Yeatman Cambridge Callum Bruce (2020), Pavlos Karampoulas, Catalina Taylor Cardiff Imogen Fairweather, Poppy Lloyd, Edward Stirling, Matthew von Schirnding Durham Charles Anstee, Joshua Bingham, Frederick Charles, Thomas Dodd (2020), Thea Ellis, William Hobden, Emma Large (2020), Nadia Lees, Frederick Peters, William Toosey, Emily Walster, Talia White, Sasha Witter, Isabella Woodward (2020), Alexander Young (2020) Edinburgh Charles Cameron, Magnus Crawshaw, Sebastian Fecher (2020), Francesca Hellier, Joseph Hollywood (2020), William Jones (2020), Flora Peddie Exeter Oliver Baldwin, Serena Blake, Lily Clark, Tom Edsall (2020), Molly Fairbairn, Sophie Hussey, Rory Jones, Madeleine Lyles, Thomas Matthews, Ella Mitchell, Matthew Perry (2017), Toby Philpot, William Priaulx, Bradley Spanjar, William Whitmore, Pollyanna Yule Falmouth Will Walters Glasgow Isobel Place Goldsmiths, London Ines de Ormijana Harper Adams Matthew Butterfield, Jamie Lucas-Rowe Imperial College, London Adam Reid, Daena Shah, Samuel Smith, Yuanze Xia King’s College, London Pui Ming Au, Joseph Cox, Lucy Norris Leeds Danielle Egan, Alexandra Macduff (2020), Milenka Soskin Loughborough Oliver Pickard, Trystan Thomas, Beatrice Webb (2020), Gabriel Wilkinson Manchester Sydney Brown, Thomas Johnson, Abbie Rowsell (2020), Eleanor Warner Newcastle Toby Bishop, Amelia Green, Alice Hairon, Anna Preston Nottingham George Baugniet (2019), Lauren Hua (2020), Ines Mitchell (2020) Oxford Laura Driver, Eve Hewett, Emily Howat, Tamara Read-Ward Oxford Brookes Emily Cridland, Digby Shepherd, Archie Walsh, James Ward Plymouth Marjon Ellena Martin Queen Mary, London Miles Quick Reading Lydia Lydiate, Acacia Manley, Freddie Pryce, Freddie Rees Regent’s, London Lucas Montagu Greene Royal Holloway, London Elizabeth Graham Sheffield Luke Hett (2020) Solent Thomas Thornburrow (2020) Southampton Hugh Coughlan, Alex Rogers (2020), Lucas Smith St Andrews Noorie Kaur (2020) St Mary’s, Twickenham Adam Kwan Strathclyde Georgia Calvert-Lee Surrey Anuoluwapo Osikoya Swansea Patrick Perry (2019) University College, London Agatha Cox, Frances Fleming, Jonathan Fung (2020), Siyuan Ma, Nikita Semenov Warwick Sophie Bearblock (2020) West of England Gemma Kendall York Aous Abdulla Foundation/College Courses: University of the Arts, London: Camberwell - Olivia Hingston; Central St Martins - Charlotte Glen, Saskia Green. Zurich - Stella Jarvis Overseas: Colgate, USA - Robert Lingafelter. Drake, USA - Adam Phillips (2020). Waseda, Japan - Zac Prentice. Other: Charles Bird (KPMG school leaver programme), Nathaniel Cranton (working on family farm), Thomas Prest (joining Hampshire CCC), James Rodrigues (applying to RAF) Applying/re-applying next year: David Benamor, Saskia Green, Madeleine Harvey, Thomas Holtby, Sana Iftikhar, Phoebe Kibble, Loren Le Quesne, Georgina Litchfield, Louisa Matthews, Imogen Parker, Grace Pickup, Edward Potts, Edward Raby, David Strutt, Oliver Taylor, Otto Thompson.
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ACADEMIC
IT has been an unprecedented eighteen months working in education: a global pandemic, full national lockdowns, online lessons, cancelled public examinations, Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs), year group ‘bubbles’, social distancing, single desks facing the front of the room, face masks, cancelled fixtures and trips etc. So much of what we would normally do at Canford (and love doing) has had to be adapted, altered or postponed.Yet, remarkably, through grit, innovation, ingenuity, resilience, flexibility and determination, our school community has managed to roll up its sleeves and thrive. Teachers and pupils have learnt to be adaptable and resilient and the strength and unity of our community has never been so important. After another extremely challenging and unsettling year, we are pleased with the results that our pupils have been awarded for their A levels/Pre-U and GCSEs. It is not really possible, nor fair, to compare the results this year to previous years because the method of assessment was so different and, crucially, there were no nationally normstandardised examinations. However, we can be confident that we provided our pupils with the best opportunities to demonstrate their learning and that we were thorough and fair in our methods. All seven of our Oxbridge candidates have been accepted, two pupils are going on to study veterinary medicine and six pupils have gained their placements studying medicine. The most popular university destinations for this year’s leavers are: Exeter 19 pupils; Durham 16 pupils; Bristol 12 pupils; Bath 10 pupils; Edinburgh 7 pupils. Our school retention rate between Fifth Form and Sixth Form is high and we welcome back almost all of our 2020/21Fifth Form pupils to begin their Sixth Form studies, along with a healthy number (over 30) of new Lower Sixth entrants. Whatever happens next, we can be confident that our pupils and staff (supported by our Governors) will be well placed to cope with whatever comes our way and we will continue to thrive. Although a speedy return to normality is longed for, we will take the best bits from what we have learned during these difficult eighteen months as we constantly look to refine and improve. Ieuan Weir, Deputy Head (Academic)
September 2020 would not feature highly on a top-ten list of best times to take over your first Head of Department job at a new school. However, despite all the challenges that we faced as a society, school and department last year, the Biology Department managed to function at the highest standard possible thanks to the dedication and professionalism of our staff, who all helped make my job far less difficult than it could have been. The challenges of delivering a practical subject under the Covid-safe restrictions were significant – such as the requirement to quarantine apparatus like microscopes and safety glasses between uses – but thanks to our supremely skilled and dedicated technicians, Leigh Vaughan and Gabby Ramsden, we managed to overcome these hurdles and continue to provide the essential element of practical science in our labs. Our plans were not left totally unscathed: our ecology trip with the Lower Sixth was one notable casualty of the Summer Term Covid spike, as were any prospects of overseas trips from the outset. We will strive to reinstate these superb opportunities as soon as we can. The pandemic was not all bad news from a teaching perspective, of course. We found ourselves in the middle of a real-time case study of the biology of viruses, including their transmission, reproduction in host cells and our immune response to infection, as well as the development of vaccines and the value of herd immunity, which linked into our syllabus well. Mr Powell, through his weekly Sixth Form extension sessions, provided regular updates as they were published of the cutting-edge research into the potential origins of the virus, the emergence of the different variants through genetic surveillance, and the unprecedented speed of vaccine development. My thanks to all my colleagues in the Biology Department for their support during a tough year, and we look forward to normal service resuming in 2021/22. Nick Warde
“Through grit, innovation, ingenuity, resilience, flexibility and determination, our school community has managed to roll up its sleeves and thrive.”
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ACADEMIC “The use of IT in all its forms demonstrated that it is also important to continue to embrace the benefits of modern technology for Classics teaching and learning.”
In my over twenty years of teaching Chemistry, this has certainly been the strangest. However, both pupils and colleagues rose to all the challenges of remote teaching and learnt a lot along the way. We are all more IT-literate and have a greater understanding about how we work best. There was no problem delivering course content over the year, and all year groups have covered at least the usual material, but it was evident that less practical work was completed. However, as soon as pupils were back in school, Juliette, our technician, was overrun with practical requests and so we ended the year in a very strong position for the non-examined years. Those who took IGCSE and A-Levels did phenomenally well to keep up with the seemingly ever-changing goalposts. Some felt aggrieved that they weren’t given the chance to show their knowledge in exams, but for all, their end grade was well deserved as they were thoroughly assessed on all the syllabus content. It certainly helped that there was such little disruption with the uptake of remote teaching. Trips were impossible, but the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) produced a number of excellent resources. For the first time in years, we entered the Lower Sixth Schools’ Analyst Competition. Almost all Lower Sixth pupils competed in a series of practical tasks to determine the composition of a ‘chemical spill’ in a river. They had to carry out tests, then write a lab report. The winners were Harry Zheng, Milind Khashu and Peter Croxford. All nine pupils who took on the challenge of the RSC Chemistry Olympiad were given an award, and five (Tamara Read-Ward, Adam Reid, Milind Khashu, Harry Zheng and Jamie Tian) achieved the top, gold award. This put them in the top 500 out of the over 7000 entrants and was our best performance ever. What is even more impressive is that the last three in this list are all in the Lower Sixth. A large number of the Lower Sixth took part in the Year 12 Cambridge Chemistry Challenge. Again, it was our best-ever performance with ten pupils gaining a gold award (in the top 9% of over 7000 entries). Harry Zheng scored a magnificent 51 out of 60 and achieved Canford’s first ever Roentgenium Award. He came around tenth nationally and was invited to attend a residential camp at Cambridge University over the summer. Gary Shaw Despite the exceptional challenges of the last year, I was – and am – extraordinarily proud of the many exemplary ways in which the Classics Department and its pupils rose to meet them. For a department which prides itself on its knowledge of all things ancient, the adaptation to remote learning and the use of IT in all its forms demonstrated that it is also important to continue to embrace the benefits of modern technology for Classics teaching and learning. Our pupils’ resilience and willingness to continue to engage were reflected in a strong set of results, particularly at GCSE, for both Classical Civilisation and Latin. Although no true comparison is possible with previous years’ results, our pupils acquitted themselves admirably when given the opportunity to show what they were capable of. Alice Hazell entered two essay competitions and was commended in that for Newnham College, Cambridge. We are delighted to have seven pupils across the three
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subjects applying for Classical subjects at degree level. In the Shells, the move to a new textbook, De Romanis, with its explicit mix of the culture with the Latin language, has been highly successful, while the Shell competition to design a door sign for ‘Hades’ produced some interesting (and dark) images. In GCSE Classical Greek we also enjoyed the new topic on Culture, studying the ancient Olympics and Athens itself. We made the most of our online resources, continuing to use the mini-lectures from Massolit in both A Level Latin and Classical Civilisation (with Exeter’s Emily Hauser especially popular), plus the new companion website accompanying the new Shell textbook. Online lectures, talks and podcasts came to the fore, with some events now actually more accessible since there was no need to travel. Black History Month provided the usual opportunities to celebrate the diversity of the Roman Empire, London in particular, and to look at the powerful heroes and rulers of ancient Africa. Of course, we missed the opportunity to go in person on the usual museum and theatre visits – and the annual trip abroad – and the loss of the Sixth Form Classics Dinner was significant. However, we did instigate the Classics Picnic for our departing Upper Sixth with great success, enjoying Roman food in the beautiful grounds while dressed appropriately. Anna Berry It has been another great year for Computer Science; even in these difficult times, the students rose to the challenge magnificently and coped with the extra uncertainty and stress that Covid placed on the examination systems. Once again there were some fantastic A Level results. For the third time we had a top 50 in the country at A Level Computer Science out of around 6000. In the iGCSEs we had further success. Some highlights among the A Level projects: a Physics simulator combined with the game of pool, an excellent
These impressive £3 devices are a complete wi-fi enabled computer in a tiny package. There are numerous ideas in the pipeline, including rolling messages, artwork, live camera feed and simple machine learning facial recognition and voice activation. We have also begun a club on Wednesday lunchtime specifically for girls who love tech. There are two fantastic sixth-formers who are running the club with several ideas on the go, including collaborative coding and discussions about careers in tech for women. To help with the physical computing aspect, we have also built and networked a very high-quality 3D printer. This technology is improving at a rapid rate and it has myriad uses in Computer Science and its interface into Engineering. We control via software and a network to see video images of prints as they progress. Simon Rood It was great to be back in the Design Technology Department in September, even working under the necessary restrictive Covid measures. The Shells completed their introductory project in the workshop, giving them a taste of quality manufacture and starting them on the journey to gaining workshop skills. During online lessons they demonstrated ingenuity in making use of a variety of materials found at home to help communicate their design solutions for a bird feeder. In the summer they were keen to get back into the group project, ‘Project XER’, a robotics challenge now in its fourth year. They continue to come up with new solutions to the problems set, and this year really enjoyed the peer contact. Both exam years rose to the challenge of developing their major project solutions online, which meant that they were not able to manufacture their prototypes, which they would normally use to help inform their thinking and then use in testing. Despite these restrictions, they persevered and produced some very good design folios. Particularly notable at A Level were Ben Parkin’s design for a new music school/drama hub, which impressed professional architects with the level of understanding and detail communicated, and Milenka Soskin’s impressive use of her
graphical skills to communicate a landscape design of the area around the new library – watch out, as this design may be seen in the future! We are looking forward to the challenge of changing to the AQA board with the new GCSE and A Level entry; these are more forward-looking syllabuses and will help inspire the next group of designers/engineers. Jonathan Martin The Economics and Business Department teachers and students rose superbly to the challenges faced during the year. All department members strove to continue to offer the normal level of teaching and enrichment. On Monday afternoons, Miss Scullion and Mr Emery facilitated two groups of sixth-formers who were challenged to create a new business that would equally consider profit and society. The Upper Sixth group, led by Maddie Lyles, successfully promoted a range of Louis Ross merchandise. The group organised a podcast discussion held between Rev. Jack and Penny Ross, the founder of the Louis Ross Foundation. The podcast raised awareness of the great work that has been done and continues to be done by the Foundation and resulted in several sales. On Tuesday afternoons, Shell groups on the carousel programme visited the Business department to complete an entrepreneurial challenge and pitch their ideas. Visiting fifth-formers worked in teams to choose an existing product that could be innovated to disrupt an established market, gaining enthusiasm and ideas from the toy business, ZURU. In the final couple of weeks of the academic year, our Lower Sixth economists all worked hard to submit an essay to one of the prestigious institutions running Economics essay competitions. Harry Young crafted an excellent essay considering the abolishment of the national minimum wage, which he submitted to the John Locke Institute Global Essay competition. Earlier in the year, Harry had won a highly commended award from Minds Underground for another economics essay. A very successful year was completed, with the three new members of the department’s teaching team bedded in and adding even more talent, skill and experience. We look forward to the coming year and have exciting plans to extend and engage our learners. Steve Emery
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graphical simulation with handwritten Physics that can be graphed and explained; a cloud-hosted app in actual use within a company, allowing for the booking and reservation of its fleet of cars and property portfolio; and a fantasy football manager with an extensive database system. Some exciting elements were devised and started during 2020/21 and are now in full flow in 2021/22. All students are having great fun in the Computing Club as we finish our prototype-led displays using ping-pong balls and excellent microcontrollers (see photograph).
“During online lessons they demonstrated ingenuity in making use of a variety of materials found at home.”
‘There must always be two kinds of art: escape-art, for man needs escape as he needs food and deep sleep, and parable-art, that art which shall teach man to unlearn hatred and learn love.’ W.H. Auden This year the English Department focused on creativity in all its forms. Pupils and staff discovered the healing power of creativity. Whilst globally this was a challenging year for us all, we found hope in beautiful words and solace in shared understanding. True to the proverb that necessity is the mother of invention, being required to work in innovative ways led to the formation of new traditions. Several virtual author talks were held through the medium of Teams. Pupils heard from poet Dean Atta, novelist Alex Wheatle and children’s and young adults’ author William Hussey. We held a Fifth Form speaking competition, judged by Brian Jenner, founder of the European Speechwriter Network. Pupils were tasked with writing a response to a fictional planning proposal from Tesla Corporation to site a nuclear power plant on the
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Canford golf course before going head-to-head during online Teams lessons to select the best speeches from each class. Screenings of theatre productions in the Layard (with pizza) were offered, and pupils enjoyed A Doll’s House, Age of Innocence, Dorian Gray, Wilde and Twelfth Night. Poetry in several forms lifted our spirits. To celebrate National Poetry Day, we produced a peacock formed from poetic feathers to line the walls of the department (see photograph). The inaugural House Poetry competition was
“True to the proverb that necessity is the mother of invention, being required to work in innovative ways led to the formation of new traditions.”
won by Wimborne. Catalina Taylor won the global Never Such Innocence Poetry Competition (for the second time). The annual Poetry and Music Recital evening was released as a YouTube video for the first time. Our Lower Sixth pupils were highly commended in their entries to the National Poetry by Heart competition, and we had three winning entries to the Touching the Wild poetry competition. We look forward to celebrating many academic successes at the end of this extraordinary year. I have time to single out one notable success from our hugely talented Upper Sixth cohort: Catalina Taylor was offered a place to read English Literature at St John’s, Cambridge. Congratulations to her and to all our pupils who studied English this year. We are proud of all your achievements. Richard Redwood ‘Geography is going places’ is a phrase often used in slogans promoting the subject, yet it has been a year in which it doesn’t feel like we have been going anywhere! However along with ‘place’, we also like to look at ‘space’ and the last year has certainly provided many opportunities to explore how our use of spaces has changed – which spaces became more important, which faded into obscurity for us and how those changes will impact on our lives going forward. The world has felt much smaller over the last eighteen months, so we are now challenged with getting our pupils to look around and think globally again. With no trips allowed, the Canford grounds have been a blessing for field work, although it transpires that they are really lacking in any decent slopes! Beach profiling efforts have been rather thwarted, but the pond, river, graveyard and woods have all allowed us to continue to encourage practical application of theory and techniques. The exam season was yet another extraordinary
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experience, although it felt as if our pupils could demonstrate their best and were given a fair shot. It is not something any of us wish to repeat, but we are delighted that so many of the geographers have chosen to go on to study related degrees at university and achieved such great results. They are a resilient bunch! We look forward to the year ahead as an opportunity to spread our wings again, holding on to what we have learnt and embracing the small things that make this department such an engaging place to learn and teach. Alex Boulton Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the History Department unfortunately had to suspend both the Battlefields trip and annual Keith Hay Dinner this year, which I know was felt deeply by both the Fifth and the Sixth Forms. Despite these setbacks, the pupils have remained positive throughout this difficult time, and we are extremely proud of their resilience and determination to succeed this year. We had one successful Upper Sixth Oxbridge applicant who will be reading History and French at Oxford University, with the other two applicants also being invited to the interview stage, which is no mean feat in the current competitive climate. Some of our Lower Sixth used this year to achieve academic success outside school by taking part in various historical essay competitions. Harry Young’s essay entitled ‘Is a strong state a prerequisite or an obstacle to economic growth?’ was highly commended by the John Locke institute and Emma Jeffries’s essay, ‘How accurate was Shakespeare’s depiction of Richard III?’, came second in the Richard III Society’s essay competition. The History Department celebrated Black History Month in 2020 by incorporating areas of Black History in current areas of study using ‘Meanwhile, elsewhere in Black History’, which gave pupils a more diverse and global perspective of their current syllabi. As a part of the wider celebration of Black History Month, the History students, as well as the wider school, attended an online virtual talk given by David Olusoga in which he discussed Black History. Pupils asked thoughtful questions regarding the discourse around Black History. It was a privilege for the department and pupils to listen to such a highly regarded historian and it has certainly caused us to challenge our own thinking and view of the curriculum. Rachel Lines Adding to the Mathematics Department’s invaluable combination of experience and youthful energy, Rob Hoey continued his development as a new Maths teacher with us and we welcomed back Will Moreland, returning after a short stint at Epsom College. Despite having to adapt to the ‘new normal’ of Covid restrictions and hybrid teaching methods, we were confident of being able to continue to provide a high-quality and enjoyable Maths education – and that we did! Amongst our usual teaching of the GCSE and A Level syllabi, we were still able to offer pupils the opportunity to compete in the international Maths Challenge competitions. Due to the limitations on running mixed year-group activities, we were not able to prepare quite as thoroughly for these competitions as we have done in the past; nevertheless, there were still plenty of admirable performances. In the Intermediate Maths Challenge (Shells, Fourths and Fifths), ten pupils achieved Gold awards, with Megan Fan scoring full marks and thus qualifying for the
2020/21 was a challenging year for everyone, but despite the circumstances we did our best to make the learning of French as engaging as possible for our students. Teaching online meant we had to get creative in order to mix things up and inject a bit of fun into lessons, including making pancakes from our kitchens – following instructions in French! In October, during Black History Month, we introduced our pupils to the other countries where French is spoken and talked about colonialism and slavery. Some classes watched Black Dawn, a film recounting the founding of Haiti through the eyes of two captured African tribespeople, Sili and Simba. Animated from paintings by thirteen of Haiti’s foremost artists, including Rignaud Benoit, Philom Obin, and Philippe Auguste, Black Dawn celebrates the strength and artistry of the Haitian people (see photograph). These formed part of our visual display on cultural diversity in the French Department, which also featured the 1998 World Cup winning French team. In the leadup to the tournament, Jean-Marie Le Pen, the leader of the country’s far-right National Front Party, had attacked the multi-racial make-up of the team to further inflame anxieties in a country riven by racial tension. The togetherness of the team, and ultimately their victory as a
result, showed that diversity is a strength. Our very popular French film club continued this year. During Black History month, we watched Samba, a film about an illegal immigrant in Paris, with Omar Sy, who currently stars in Lupin on Netflix, and Tahar Rahim, who has recently starred in The Serpent on BBC. Lupin became a very popular series amongst all our French learners, who were encouraged to make the time to watch entertainment in French during the lockdowns. On 4 March, we celebrated World Book Day, and some classes were introduced to Le Petit Prince by SaintExupéry. The Little Prince has captured the hearts of readers around the world since he first appeared in 1943. On the surface it’s a simple story but the little prince’s messages of compassion and goodwill continue to endure. Although we didn’t manage it last year, we hope to be able to organise more outings and visits this year, and to experience all things French. Esther Saurel In the year of the 30th anniversary of the re-unification of Germany, it was fitting that one of the topics chosen by pupils for the German Pre-U speaking tests discussed the development of the former East Germany in the last 30 years. Other compelling topics were the German education system, veganism in Germany and the integration of migrants in Germany. This year’s Upper Sixth pupils also studied Barbara and Jenseits der Mauer, two films depicting life in East Germany in the 1970s and 1980s and The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Bertolt Brecht’s most famous play which has been performed all over the world. The IGCSE and Pre-U German candidates for June 2021 worked really hard and performed very well throughout the academic year, often under difficult and stressful circumstances, particularly during the testing periods. The pupils showed great focus and resilience and thoroughly deserve their success. Additionally, in the October 2020 Cambridge exams, Sophia WestbergOrton achieved a Grade 9 in her IGCSE, scoring 97% overall across all four components, a superb result! Three Upper Sixth pupils will continue to be directly involved with the German language at a higher level
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British Maths Olympiad. In the Senior Maths Challenge (taken by our Sixth Form Further Mathematicians), five pupils achieved Gold awards. Cicu Su made it to the second round of the British Maths Olympiad and Forest Li, our first fifth-former ever to take part, qualified for the first round of the Olympiad. For the first time ever, we also entered our Upper Sixth female Further Mathematicians into the Maths Olympiad for Girls and we look forward to being able to do so again this year. Pleasingly, this year also saw two of our Upper Sixth pupils applying for Maths degrees; both Sasha Witter (Durham) and Joe Louden (Bath) were successful in their applications and we wish them all the very best in their endeavours over the next few years. Perhaps a return to Canford as visiting speakers to our future budding mathematicians could be on the cards? Stuart Gordon
“For the first time ever, we also entered our Upper Sixth female Further Mathematicians into the Maths Olympiad for Girls.”
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“Despite the Covid-related restrictions, we still managed to celebrate the Día de la Hispanidad and the Dia de los muertos.”
after Canford, with Stella Jarvis studying in Zurich, Grace Campbell, the winner of this year’s academic German prize, studying International Management and German at Bath, and Aggie Cox studying Psychology and Language Sciences at UCL. Every year I am delighted to receive messages from former pupils telling me about their career development and their ongoing connection with German and how it has helped them professionally and personally. This year I had news from Theodora Ogden (Ma10), who, since leaving Canford, has become highly proficient in German. She has done translation and editing work, lived in Vienna and now works for the RAND Corporation, where she conducts research on defence and security and still uses her German. I also heard from a teacher who left Canford more recently – Herr Dant now lives and teaches in Germany and in only two years has already reached an advanced level in the language! Richard Wilson The past academic year was as eventful as it gets but the Spanish Department was delighted to see our Fifth and Upper Sixth hispanists being awarded the excellent grades they thoroughly deserved. As ever, most of the Upper Sixth have enrolled in university courses that include learning Spanish to a greater or lesser extent. Similarly, we were thrilled with the high number of fifth-formers that have signed up to become the last Pre-U cohort. Despite the Covid-related restrictions, we still managed to celebrate the Día de la Hispanidad and the Dia de los muertos with various classroom-based activities across year groups. Our traditional Chocolate con churros,
exclusive to the Shells, marked the end of the Christmas Term. With the arrival of the Easter Term, Cambridge applicant Catherine Wray saw her exceptional article entitled ‘Mental Illness in Alejandra Pizarnik’s La Jaula’ published in the Bulletin of Advanced Spanish, to the delight of the Bulletin’s Argentinian readership in particular. Stephen Hart’s Upper Sixth on-line lecture on Del amor y otros demonios by Gabriel Garcia Márquez was truly inspiring for our cohort that engaged with challenging questions and thought-provoking reflections on the work of the Colombian novelist. The Summer Term saw the arrival of the third issue of the Hispanista magazine with the nuanced title ‘Somos diferentes, somos iguales’, which translates as ‘We are different, we are the same/equal’. This latest issue, available on the Canford website, included twelve excellent pieces from as many Sixth Form hispanists who found the inspiration to produce articles on the vast cultural diversity of the Hispanic world, ranging from Ibrahim Ferrer (Buenavista Social Club) to the American Dreamers. The editorial team was hugely grateful to Jack Taylor (OC) for his key contribution to this issue. Fran Compan Despite the challenges caused by Covid-19 this academic year, many non-native, bilingual and native-speaker pupils continued to take Other Languages lessons and to do exam preparation sessions in Arabic, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian and Turkish outside the timetable, online, face-to-face or a combination of both. In the Cambridge International A Level examinations held in October 2020, Imogen Parker achieved her AS qualification in Chinese, a very special result for a nonnative speaker. In November 2020, pupils in the Fourth and Fifth Forms took early (I)GCSE exams in Turkish and Chinese, with all gaining top grades. In the Christmas Term, Mary Sorokina was one of the ten national winners of the University of Sheffield’s Russian Translation Competition for 2020. The exam candidates for summer 2021 in IGCSE Chinese and GCSE Italian showed great ability, tenacity and resilience during their learning and the intense testing process. They thoroughly deserve their success. Well done especially to our three non-native pupils who completed their IGCSE Chinese and performed so impressively: Lauren Corn, Hector Courteney and Lara Edsall. Serena Chen also became only the fourth pupil I’ve known in 22 years to obtain (I)GCSEs in four languages (French, Spanish, Italian and Chinese), an outstanding accomplishment. Hopefully, with normal lessons resumed, we will have more lessons and exams in Other Languages this year, including A Levels in Italian, Portuguese and Russian. It has been great to hear news from former pupils about their continued success and involvement in these languages since leaving Canford. My sincere thanks and gratitude go as always to our specialist language teachers for their support, guidance and expertise. All pupils involved in our Other Languages programme deserve high praise for their dedication in learning these demanding and complex languages with such success. Richard Wilson In a subject that relies on movement, the last twelve months have been tough for Academic PE! Trips from
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It has been an exciting year in the Philosophy and Theology Department. Very well done to the class of 2021, who achieved outstanding GCSE and A Level results. A particular mention goes to leaver Ollie Taylor, who won the Philosophy and Theology Prize for his contributions. I wish all the leavers the very best in their future endeavours. In March, we launched our Philippa Foot Society, where we invite speakers every week to lecture and answer questions about philosophy, theology and ethics, depending on their speciality. The society is pupil-led; Sixth Form mentors host and run each event. During 2020/21, our Sixth Form listened to and engaged with talks from: Prof. Kate Cooper (Christianity and Gender), Prof. Alix Cohen (Kantian Ethics), Prof. Daniel Whiting (Spinoza’s ontological argument), Prof. James Harris (Hume) and Dr Ben Sachs (Animal Ethics). For 2021/22, our mentors will be Seb Gallego, Lucy Thorne, Josh Fulford, Amaia Echebarrieta, Scarlet Raymond, and Jacob Abberley and we already have an exciting line-up of speakers. I look forward to getting back on track and having some sort of normality for the year ahead. Sam Leiper I was unsurprised by the way the Physics Department coped with a year of difficulties. The Physics teachers took the technology in their stride and the pupils responded positively and constructively to the disruption caused by flipping between online lessons and classroom activities. Lessons involved inventive home practical assignments, restructuring labs to allow near-normal classes and fun Kahoot! quizzes - How many wooden doors can be seen from the entrance to Lab 3? What does the L stand for in CLF? In fact I would suggest that our exam year-groups were nearly as well prepared to take exams as in any normal year. Although we missed the Physics book club dinners, the trip to Thorpe Park and visit to the Medical Physics Department at Poole Hospital, there were many academic successes produced by some dedicated and hard-working pupils. The Sixth Form continued to
show excellence – three Oxbridge engineer places, gold, silver and bronze medals in the Physics Olympiad and Physics Challenge and, from the lower school, a second consecutive finalist in the Year 10 Soroptimist STEM competition. It’s now out with the old and in with the new. Our two new teachers, David Hivey and Dick Carpenter, are well established, and after 25 years as Head of Physics and 38 years at Canford, I have decided to retire. A new Head of Physics, John Allison, will be taking over in September with, I’m sure, plenty of guidance from Emma Thornburrow and Dan Culley. It has been a privilege to work with so many outstanding, supportive teachers and so many enthusiastic pupils in Franklin, Physics and sports. Chris Fenwick In common with other departments, attention in Politics swiftly moved toward devising appropriate tests and challenges to determine TAGs. If the academic year 201920 was dominated by CAGs (Centre Assessed Grades) then this past academic year has been preoccupied by WAGs and TAGs (Working At Grades and Teacher Assessed Grades). Fortunately, the online teaching permitted pupils to remain abreast of their syllabuses. The one positive outcome from all the testing was knowing that my colleague, Mrs Collison, and I had been examiners from March through to June 2021. Setting appropriate papers, devising mark schemes and marking to the criteria set by the exam board gave us a helpful reminder of what examiners are actually looking for in a good written answer. In our case, guidance from the EdExcel exam board was supplemented by three separate afternoons of online INSET specific to the Politics exam. Sadly, the annual trip to the ‘Congress to Campus’ programme organised by the British Library could not go ahead. In the past, this event had always proved successful and interesting, combining presentations by UK academics on US politics, supported by a panel of former Democrat and Republican members from the House of Representatives. We had to make do with other resources online instead. Happily, a close study of day-to-day government management of Covid (or significant mismanagement, according to some) provided useful examples to illustrate the effectiveness (or not) of government and Parliament’s ability to hold government and its departments to account for their decisions, actions and failures. I am pleased to note that four of the Upper Sixth carry on to study Government and Politics at university in some form (including courses in International Relations and War Studies) and our best wishes go to Eleanor Warner, Digby Shepherd, Hugh Coughlan and Joe Cox as they pursue their academic interest in the subject beyond Canford’s classrooms. Finally, a special mention to Zac Prentice, whose curiosity about Japanese economic and political history found him applying to study Economics, Business and Politics at Waseda University in Japan: he was awarded a place. He has already enrolled and been studying from home, online, with a significant time difference to manage. Not quite the overseas university experience he was expecting, but once Covid measures are under better control there, he will be allowed to turn up at Waseda in person. Mrs Collison and I wish him well. Andrew Fearnley
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the classroom to the sports hall to reinforce or develop learning through practical scenarios have been limited, not least by online teaching, but also when at school by restrictions placed on interaction between pupils. All of us have been acutely aware of the need to keep things interesting and engage our pupils and, although this has stretched our imaginations, we have tried hard and our charges have responded well and produced some excellent work. We are still relatively new to having pupils taking the subject at GCSE and then moving on to A Level, and we are all delighted with how the two levels complement each other. Prior learning means we can spend more time on the most interesting and demanding topics, and stretching individuals in this way really pays dividends in the long-answer essay questions. We welcome Lucy Read to our department. She joins us from two years teaching in the Middle East and although her primary role is as Head of Netball, she is also a welcome addition to the Academic PE Department. Numbers taking this subject have continued to grow with 39 pupils at A Level and over 60 at GCSE. Our healthy cohort in the lower school is definitely having an impact on the Sixth Form and we now have two sets in each year. Nick Baugniet
“In March, we launched our Philippa Foot Society, where we invite speakers every week to lecture and answer questions about philosophy, theology and ethics.”
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PASTORAL Wellbeing
Above: If a pupil accompanies Lola for a walk, it encourages conversation as the dog is the focus.
Right: Yoga is taught to help with body and mind health, a great tool in managing your wellbeing with calming and relaxation benefits alongside the physical health benefits.
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WHETHER in person or online, pastoral care provision for Canford pupils continued to be delivered to the highest possible standard throughout the academic year. Tutors, HsMs, matrons, health centre staff, the Chaplain, teachers and coaches all maintained their focus on establishing and building relationships as well as motivating and encouraging involvement in all aspects of Canford life. Our return to school in September was coupled with optimism for a more ‘normal’ term but even then, some of our community were unable to be here in person due to international travel restrictions. Boarding houses and the health centre were used as quarantine facilities and much use was made of Teams and Zoom for opportunities to bring people together from all over the world. Undeterred by them not being able to be physically with us, our programme of pastoral education continued with speakers such as Alicia Drummond from Teen Tips and Karl Hopwood updating on E-safety joining us on screen. There was a collective sense of delight when we were able to welcome our first ‘in-person’ speaker back to Canford in the Summer Term: Lorin Le Fave from the Breck Foundation. The strength of the Canford community has persisted throughout this challenging time and the work of pupils and staff across the school has been exciting and dynamic, as illustrated by the Wellbeing and EDI programmes. Nicola Hunter, Deputy Head (Pastoral)
WELLBEING at Canford aims to support people to be the best of themselves and to empower pupils to manage their mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. We have all been living through unprecedented times and our community has had to adapt to changes no one could have predicted. Pre-Covid, Mr Vessey wanted to enhance and develop the wellbeing provision at Canford and appointed Heads of Wellbeing to facilitate the research, implementation and support of the Wellbeing Action Plan. Covid shone the light on what Mr Vessey already knew was an integral focus for our community. Over the past year we have provided pupils with a wellbeing journal to encourage self-management of their physical, mental and emotional health. Our Sport and Wellbeing Instagram page has enabled us to keep in touch with our pupils, and them to enjoy physical and mental wellbeing challenges such as yoga and positive affirmations. We co-ordinated celebration days such as #TuneUpTuesday, a day focused on exploring the creative arts, drama and music to help boost wellbeing. Pupils enjoyed time on the pop-up dance floor, a whole school percussion masterpiece and drawing activities. We have started implementing new nutrition education initiatives, encouraging our pupils to fuel their bodies and minds, inside and outside the classroom, as part of our ‘Eat to Excel’ campaign. We are launching the holistic Canford Sleep Programme, supporting our pupils on a fundamental area of health. We will be the first independent school to implement a full sleep education programme within our day and boarding houses. The aim is to educate pupils on key aspects of sleep management to empower them to make good choices on sleep health and hygiene. Sleep underpins all that we do, improves concentration, energy levels, hand-eye coordination and emotional regulation and supports our immune systems. The programme has received a great deal of interest, as you may have seen in magazines such as Tatler and Independent Education as well as on the Teen Tips Wellbeing Hub website. Last year we introduced a new peer mentor scheme, opening another avenue of support for our pupils. Lower Sixth pupils involved go through a training programme, learning and developing their listening and support skills; Canford values the human skills needed to support individuals and the community around them, and we integrate life skills into all aspects of school life, in order to help pupils through their school journey but also to prepare them for life beyond Canford. The mentor scheme supports Fourth Form pupils, who in turn have an opportunity later in their Canford journey to become mentors themselves. Developing relationships with the older years helps break down barriers and fears, making a vertical, not horizontal, open community. The team has been joined by Lola, the school dog. She creates opportunities to open conversation with pupils and staff met when she is being walked by my colleague in the department, Pagan Bishop. A dog is unjudgmental,
giving and receiving physical affection which is important for everyone, especially boarders away from family affection. Cuddling and stroking a dog can be a comfort – the sense of touch is a powerful primary need. Our wellbeing focuses and aims for the future are based on the theme, ‘Let’s start a conversation’. We are looking to open dialogue, to break down stigmas around mental health, wellbeing and equality, diversity and inclusion matters. The aim is to offer secure places and relationships within school for pupils to find friendship and strength to help them through the ups and downs with which life may challenge them. Melissa Clinton, Head of Wellbeing
EDI IT has been my privilege over the past academic year to chair a working group on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). Formed at the Headmaster’s behest, the group conducted research into EDI at Canford and developed a programme to make Canford a leader in the field. The group (staff Richard Redwood, Naomi Miles and Lauren Sewell; governor Tea Colaianni; pupils George Vessey, Inés de la Cruz, Arian Akrami, Celia Leavesley and Petrus Admiraal-Garbett) set out on a voyage of discovery about EDI issues, and along the way modelled a groundbreaking way of making strategic decisions which give pupils as much of a voice as staff. The Christmas Term was spent forming a picture of Canford’s EDI culture by examining admission, academic, co-curricular and social life for pupils, and recruitment and working practices for staff, then setting about a gap analysis to determine what Canford can do better.
Left: #TuneUpTuesday pop-up dance floor helped to celebrate the use of the creative arts, music and dance in managing wellbeing. It was a brilliant day, with whole school percussion kicking us off, creative poetry, colouring activities as well as the pop-up dance floor, helping with escapism, relaxation and positive mindset.
Left: David Olusoga was one of the speakers during Black History Month, addressing the Sixth Form remotely. He wrote the book, Black and British, and wrote and presented the BBC2 programme based on it.
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This made life especially busy for pupil leaders George and Inés, who also set up and ran Black History Month during October: organising a series of lectures and events which provoked much needed debate about racism. Meanwhile, to research Canford’s EDI profile, pupils used their network of friends to build a really strong sense of what pupils want. Armed with this knowledge, we set about formulating a three- to fiveyear plan to ensure that Canford becomes a leader in EDI. In March, the group presented the programme to the Governing Body. Governors were universal in their support for the programme and were so impressed with our pupils, who were articulate, passionate and wellinformed. Over the course of the Summer Term, the group continued to develop a road map for the next five years which will cover every strand of school. The group put together an EDI calendar to plan activities for next year and beyond and looked at how intentions and events could be broadcast to the whole school community. We also organised some immediate community events. It seemed apposite to start with sexism, in the wake of the Reclaim our Streets and Everyone’s Invited movements. The Lower Sixth proposed and led discussions for Shells and Fourth Forms to address issues of sexism in school. This pupil-led initiative showed how passionate and informed pupils can lead others and start a debate which benefits all. The group also put together an online panel on sexism in the workplace for Fifth Form and Upper Sixth pupils. The event was fantastic, with four brilliant speakers: Tea Colaianni chairing, Katy Jack (employment lawyer), Eliza Apperley (journalist) and Ben Gibbons (Beyond Equality organisation). Their reflections on gender issues were sophisticated and hard-hitting and led to spirited discussion in the group sessions afterwards. We also saw the first-ever celebration of Pride month at Canford and the formation of the Rainbow Alliance, a group led by pupils and supported by staff. Pupils, staff and OCs alike were thrilled to see the Pride flag around school and note the important message of inclusion which this sends to the LGBTQ+ community here and beyond. 2021-22 will be the Year of Inclusion, and there is an exciting line-up of events for the whole community. Our aim is that Canford is a place where every member of the community is welcomed, is valued and can thrive: a goal which is surely at the heart of the educational mission. Clare Ives
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BEAUFORT BEAUFORT girls have adapted brilliantly and positively to the ever-shifting environment this year. In many ways we have been a tighter unit than ever before with the need to minimise contact meaning even more time was spent together. Whether enjoying teacakes on Tuesdays, swing ball and the paddling pool in the back garden in the Summer Term or chats over a cup of tea with house staff, the atmosphere has been warm, vibrant, and entertaining. Passion was unleashed too, with the Lower Sixth leading brilliant debates about sexism in society; such activism can be a model for the future. The upper years have led the house beautifully, the Upper Sixth especially. They are ready to take on the world and I have no doubt they will make it a better place! As I leave Beaufort, I have tried to encapsulate how I feel about it in a poem: Beautiful dresses on a formal evening dinner, hoodies at rest though are always a winner. Effortless grace with another goal scored; the glow of trophies is always adored. Amazing wonder of the park all around us, dappled light inside house while we all discuss Unbelievable feats of house entertainment, which have us all laughing at extraordinary attainment. Forget our worries for a moment each day, have tea with matron, or let tutors allay Overwhelming feelings which the day can let loose, but house in its calmness can help to reduce. Relief when we’re able to turn tears and pain into calmness and strength which takes all the strain Teacakes on Tuesdays which we all enjoy, matrons and tutors are the real McCoy! Illumination of smiles which light up our day, the twinkle of fairy lights which make winter less grey Screams of joy as you welcome each other, after holidays, stories which help rediscover Beaufort’s allure impressive and lasting, a warmth which inspires and will be everlasting. Excitement for leavers as you depart. You can change the world and make a fresh start. Sorrow at leaving you and missing the sounds which make my heart happy and joy knows no bounds Thank you for the warmth, excitement and pace, which make our house, Beaufort, a magical place. Clare Ives
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COURT TO paraphrase Dickens, this Court year has simultaneously been the best of times and the worst of times; it has been an epoch of belief, it has been an epoch of incredulity; there was the spring of hope, there was the winter of despair. Or vice versa. Honestly, it has been tough at times and I know the constant chopping and changing has been challenging for our chaps – but I’m still left with an overriding sense of pride in their marvellousness. Throw them a beany burrito of a prospective closure and they’ll chomp on. How about a spate of Covid cases? Ah, that’s OK – they’ll just ride on. Give them the ‘open prison experience’, confined to house and year group, and they’ll enjoy the sun, picnic merrily in the garden and even set up an outside gym (to really perfect that exercise yard feel). Dickens has a point when he says, ‘There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour.’ The Court contagion of glorious camaraderie, goodwill and joyous can-do attitude is probably even more effective than Pfizer, AstraZeneca and the like and should be rolled out internationally. Laughter and good humour have been on display in the cross-year group volleyball league; in shared footballing fun with our Franklin friends; in house pool and house run; in the numerous barbecues, spike ball extravaganzas, chess contests, games nights, Court House Dining Society and so much more. We even managed to totally dominate the two inter-house sporting events that did happen – tennis and crosscountry – and the House Art Christmas tree was splendiferous. There is splendour in the chaps’ academic drive and achievement, too, with the Lower Sixth topping the school charts for effort and engagement. Jamie Tian published a paper in an international scientific journal (!); Jake McMillan is shortlisted for the NCH London Essay Competition; nine of our boys are Heretics; Felix Wigley and Harry Zheng triumphed in the Amnesty debate. Felix, Tom Amy and Jake are among the driving forces of Canford’s EDI group, which typifies the moral fibre of our Court Gents™, and while Miles Quick is stepping down as Deputy Head of School, Arian Akrami is stepping up as Head Boy. And the juniors are awesome too! It is strikingly clear that the future is an optimistic Court green. Sindre Vandvik
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DE LACY THE year started with lots of excitement, welcoming new girls to the house and catching up with friends. Year group bubbles were created and mask-wearing had to become the norm. Fortunately, the girls were fantastic at adapting and even through times of uncertainty, put their energy into work, co-curricular activities and, importantly, developing new friendships. We enjoyed some whole house projects, such as creating a house hope rainbow, decorations for the House Art competition or learning the house song. New year-group social areas were created and these improved spaces will continue to be available. There were opportunities to get together in house bubbles, with many events involving food: pancake making, cookie decorating and ice-cream floats to name but a few. While the pandemic has certainly had its challenges, the girls should all be proud of not only their achievements but also how they have learnt to adapt, supported each other and thrived in many new areas, too. The Upper Sixth hit the ground running, making the most of the school’s resources and getting their UCAS applications done. In the Lower Sixth there was a range of personalities and interests that thrived from the warm support they gave each other. The Fifth Form were extremely focused as they had more exams than usual but balanced revision with group events, with tea in the CR a regular feature. The Fourth Form were a happy group who not only participated in more activities than any other year but also made up their own games and quizzes. The Shells started as a quite a vocal bunch but learnt to value more quiet moments as they started friendships that will last a lifetime. Some activities had to take place remotely, which I know we all wish wasn’t the case. Technology, however, helped us stay in touch and a few events let us say emotional but happy goodbyes. I think it is fair to say that this year was one with more house activities than ever but also one of the most diligent years I have seen. Some girls are extroverts and others less so, but they embrace each other for who they are, and recognise the importance of breaking up their work with activities and time for family and friends. Sascha Deblander
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FRANKLIN IT has been such a pleasure to be in Franklin this past year with the boys throwing themselves into all areas of Canford life. The strength of character shown by all in the house has been remarkable. All of the boys have ensured that Franklin has maintained the key sense of being a home away from home during this tricky year, while also ensuring that they aspire to be the best that they can. Despite the difficulties of year-group bubbles due to Covid restrictions, the Upper Sixth demonstrated excellent leadership as they prepared the house for the House Music competition. The well-choreographed and delightfully tuneful edition of the Backstreet Boys’ ‘I want it that way’ rattled around the courtyard for weeks and it was such a shame that they were unable to perform to a larger audience than the Linley-Adams family, the tutors and matrons. Franklin’s House Art was another fine example of the boys working together as best they could in trying circumstances. The Franklin Christmas tree was excellently constructed under the expert guidance of Josh Fulford. This, coupled with a lovely Christmas dinner, signed off a very successful Christmas Term. Little did we know what was to follow! The move to remote education through Easter did not dampen the sense of community and Franklin spirit. There was a strong uptake in the remote events and the house competed well in the Lockdown Cup. However, I was delighted to welcome the pupils back before Easter. The return of competitive sports fixtures in the Summer Term was fantastic and I enjoyed being able to see so many of the house in action. Franklin performed excellently in the Senior Football, where three year-groups combined superbly. We topped the table throughout the competition but a surprise loss on the final day resulted in us being runners up on goal difference. The Summer Term marked the end of Tom Matthews and Josh Bingham as our House Leaders and I would like to thank them for all their help and guidance. Along with the whole Upper Sixth year, I could not have wished for a finer group at the top of the house. They were not only enthusiastic leaders, but they also set the tone academically and obtained very impressive grades. Will Linley-Adams
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LANCASTER THROUGH the frustrating and restrictive times, each and every member of the house used our team spirit to help them stay positive. Awesome leadership from the Upper Sixth saw all sorts of in-house competitions organised to help the Lancaster cohesion during the ‘remote world’. The house responded brilliantly to the challenge of remaining as a team, although scattered, by entering competitions whenever we could. As a result, we had forty entries for the House Poetry competition and ended up winning ‘best limerick’. Perhaps, though, the victory in the House Short Film competition was the pinnacle of our online success, with Lucy Hancock, Henry Barham and Mary Sorokina composing such a thought-provoking and emotion-stirring animation. Once the house was back to its vibrant best with all pupils returned, it was ‘all systems go’ with laughing, joking and general ‘Lanter’! Year-group teas on the lawn were enjoyed, as were the two Sixth Form football competitions – with a lot of vocal support, too! Then it was the task of defending our Day House Song trophy with the added difficulty of not being able to practise inside as a cohort. As ever, our prefects adapted and organised outdoor practices for each year group individually and this combined with a great effort from everyone to learn all the moves and words saw us hold on to the title. The contemporary was classy, too, with all year-groups involved again. Seeing this act along with the talented classical performance in front of the Sunken Lawn as the sun descended was one of the highlights of the year and Eliana Covell, Max Lockyer and Lucy Hancock did us proud. Cross-country saw us all dig deep to score points. Max Lockyer brought home a gold medal to the house following his clear victory. Our other sporting pole position came in House Golf, where an incredible finishing six holes (gross one under par) by Adam Reid saw the trio of Adam Reid, Tom Holtby and Johnny Walster take the trophy. It was great to be able to have the house Christmas party with all the year groups producing some entertaining acts – Johnny Walster’s stand-up comedy will long be remembered, as will some of the best elf costumes we have ever mustered as a Shell year-group! Owen Parkin
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MARRIOTTS TELL Marriotts girls what they cannot do and they will very quickly put their minds to what they can do within the parameters set. Year-group bubbles, isolation, lockdown, hand sanitiser, mask wearing and social distancing create barriers to the inclusive and happy environment that we have become accustomed to in Marriotts, but somehow, we still made it happen! Led by Imo Fairweather and Grace Pickup, the Upper Sixth got creative: House Music practice under the lights of the sports hall car park, socials on Zoom organised by volunteers of all ages, and Christmas Secret Santa gift exchange captured on screen. Miss Ryan and I marked every lockdown birthday on Instagram with the help of Mario (the house bear) and friends, something which seemed such a good idea – to start with. Shells and new Lower Sixth had to be reassured that these Covid times were not how the house should be known and were remarkable in the way they accepted the situation and then made the most of it. Our new house matron, Mrs Coward, joined Mrs K and Mrs R in making the house feel as homely as possible and the Friday baking proved to be very popular; who doesn’t like cake after a nine-lesson Friday? It was with great pride that I watched the resilience of the Fifth Form and Upper Sixth in action as they had to react to, accept and work hard towards the changed approach to exams. My last year in the house wasn’t quite as I had anticipated. The Marriotts girls that I shared the journey with will always be remembered for helping me help them make the most of what we had. I can say that whilst I did not get to see all the parents in person to say goodbye, the heartfelt messages, handwritten cards and the generous collective gift were very humbling, and I would like to say thank you once again for their support during what has been a challenging year. Indeed, a big thank you to the girls and to the house staff for making my role as housemistress one that I have enjoyed immensely. It has been a pleasure and privilege to work with such talented people. Cathy Byng
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MONTEACUTE DESPITE the challenges this year, we have had a great time and there have been some real highlights. We have celebrated plenty of success and plenty of enthusiasm when it has come to the myriad house competitions. House Art was a particularly positive experience and a massive ‘well done’ to the team that led it and returned the wooden palette to Monteacute once again as they took first place. To hold two of the major creative cups, music and art, at the same time shows the commitment and energy the boys have shown over the last couple of years, led by the Upper Sixth. Senior House Football came down to the final week and we just pipped Franklin to the trophy in the very last game. There were several events that, although remote, went down really well. The remote wine tasting hosted by Mr Dant in Germany was a real success. We have also had online boxing with Mr Graham as well as lectures, careers conventions and workshops that we could access without the need to travel. Will Toosey, our departing head of house, has been a highly respected role model and has galvanised his peers and the house. He has been fully supported by his year-group and we wish them all the very best as they move to the next stage of life beyond Canford. They have lived their lives here with a sense of fun and energy and balanced working hard and playing hard. Thanks as ever to the marvellous matrons, who have been a calm and consistent part of the boys’ lives. We wish Alex and Emma Graham the very best as they move out of the tutor flat and into their new, more private house in Wimborne. The good news is, Alex will remain a tutor in the house and we thank him for all his time and energy over the last three years. The ever-committed Cam Knight will take over as the house resident and Shell tutor in September. James Ryan has been a calm, reliable and dedicated tutor over the last two years. Unfortunately, we will lose him as our visiting tutor but we wish him the best in his new role in charge of Real tennis and squash. Dylan Lloyd
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SALISBURY DESPITE the disruption to the year caused by the ongoing pandemic, Salisbury pupils have continued to thrive and make the most of all opportunities. House leaders Matt Butterfield and Frances Fleming led enthusiastically from the front, starting with the House Music competition where we enjoyed the Day House performances, socially distanced, out on the Sunken Lawn. During the course of the first term we competed in lots of house events, including the House Art competition, where we designed a house Christmas tree and all members of the house contributed, House Football and House Cross-country. The term ended with a fantastic house Christmas dinner with some top entertainment from the year-groups. The Easter Term was mainly remote, which was a real shame, but this did not deter us! The Salisbury pupils had the chance to be involved in weekly house photography competitions as well as chess, Fifa and poetry competitions. Our heads of house hosted a quiz night for pupils and parents, then there was our remote charity concert and different year-groups hosted race nights. During this period of time the house raised over £750 for Macmillan Cancer Support and we won the Canford Round the World challenge, too! We returned for the final few weeks of the Easter Term and it was wonderful to complete our traditional Salisbury Easter Egg hunt. As things were feeling as if they were returning to greater normality, with sports fixtures resuming, team-building activities taking place, the house Upper Sixth leavers’ dinner completed and the house summer party on the horizon, we were all disappointed not to finish the year in the way we were expecting. We were, however, delighted to be able to see the Upper Sixth for their Speech Day on the final day of term and to celebrate all their achievements over their time at Canford. I want to thank all the Salisbury pupils, parents and staff for a brilliant last four years as I step away from the house to focus on family life. I have so many amazing memories and have loved leading the black and red team. I want to wish Mrs Ryan and the heads of house, Max Paget and Joanna Way, all the best for next year – they will do a great job! Laura Linley-Adams
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SCHOOL HOUSE WHILE the year started with some Covid restrictions to master, it was also filled with a huge sense of optimism. With the restrictions keeping year-group bubbles apart, except in the biggest of spaces, House Music was hugely influential at helping hold the house together, with ‘Rasputin’ by Boney M being regularly blasted out, both on stereos and perhaps less tunefully, but with no less passion, by the boys in rehearsals! We had to find new ways of expressing ourselves in sports due to the loss of external fixtures, but the boys were not deterred, reaching the finals in both Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth House Football and enjoying opportunities to compete in House Golf and House Cross-country. The term was rounded off in traditional School House style, with a fancy-dress Christmas dinner. The Easter Term saw us move back to remote lessons. What I loved though, was the sense of spirit, house identity and camaraderie the boys engendered. This positivity was infectious and ably demonstrated by the house winning Challenge 21, House Debating, House Film and the Lockdown Trophy – although I hope we never have to compete for this trophy again! The house breathed a huge sigh of relief when we managed a return to ‘in person’ lessons just before Easter. I am hugely proud of the way the Fifth Form and Upper Sixth faced a difficult and demanding period with resilience and determination – continuing to reach for the stars, despite the national context. During the Summer Term, we managed a return to elements of normality, including sports fixtures, with Jude Organ and Otto Thompson winning the inaugural Dorset 100-ball cricket competition with the 1st XI. Freddie Young and Luke Zamoyski-Freitag prepared for significant roles in Little Shop of Horrors and the CCF got away on an overnight exercise to Bovington. We also held a house BBQ to celebrate the winning of the Lockdown Trophy and the end of mini-tests, inviting back a few old faces to whom we hadn’t been able to formally say goodbye last year. The year was rounded off with a Speech Day for just the Upper Sixth, sadly without a Leavers’ Ball, but certainly a fitting finish to their time at Canford. We wish them all the very best for the future. Ben Coward
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WIMBORNE ALTHOUGH this past year has had its challenges, Wimborne was able to make the best out of the bad circumstances. The year started with us being able to perform in House Music; Wimborne did ‘Mr Bluesky’, a fun, upbeat song that was a great way to kick off the term. We also had the contemporary and classical pieces performed by a smaller group of very musically talented people. Although it was slightly different, we were all still able to thoroughly enjoy it and to sing our hearts out! Across the year, Wimborne participated in a number of house events such as chess, tennis, football, debating and so much more. Some of these competitions were more successful than others but nevertheless they were always enjoyed. Being able to represent Wimborne in whatever your passion may be is a great achievement. One of our particular favourites was House Art, in which the whole house was able to take part. We had to do it in a Covid-secure way, so we weren’t all together, but each year-group got to decorate ornaments that would be pieced together for the final product. Everyone in house takes part in several sports across the course of the year and many people are a part of the first teams or A teams, which is a great achievement. As well as sport, there are many pupils in the house who took part in musical concerts or theatre productions this year. We have had a mixture of online and in-person concerts which members of the house participated in, despite the extraordinary circumstances that they faced. Every year we have a house charity concert where each year-group performs a song or a sketch. Unfortunately this year we had to do it online, but all the pupils in each year had a fun time making it and putting it together, even without the normal atmosphere. Wimborne has a great community where all years get along and encourage each other to strive for the best outcomes. The support from our housemaster, Mr Pearce, Matron and all the other tutors adds to the wonderful house atmosphere that will be continued next year. Molly Taylor & Grace Betts, Heads of House
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Chaplaincy
Above: Socially distanced Sunday service.
“These minichapels were a highlight of the year for me, allowing for more personal interaction with the pupil groups.”
Right: Messrs Hoey and Jack exchange lockdown play lists.
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‘IF you only do what you can do, you’ll never be more than you are now.’ (Master Shifu from the film Kung Fu Panda). I firmly believe that the ongoing pandemic that interrupted 2020, and then went on to dominate the last academic year, will have left silver linings in many places. There was plenty in the past year that we couldn’t do at school and the chaplaincy was no exception. There were no whole school services, carol services, Lent addresses, confirmation services or house visits. Mrs Jack and I could not welcome people into our home, Merryvale, as we would normally for Snacks at the Jacks, Bible study groups and much more. However, not being able to do what we normally do has meant that we had think creatively and try new things … silver linings. Having successfully held an outdoor Sunday service for the boarders on Mountjoy, we needed to work out how to provide chapel week by week when we couldn’t all gather, and we opted for fortnightly year and house group ‘mini-chapels’ at various locations around the school. Finding the time slots and staff in the busy timetable for 50 gatherings per fortnight was also a challenge, but these mini-chapels were a highlight of the year for me, allowing for more personal interaction with the pupil groups and the chance to share highs and
lows, discuss questions and pray for peoples’ needs. Of course, it was great when we had access to the newly refurbished Assembly Hall for year-group chapels, and I am excited about whole school services again in the future, but I will always look back fondly on the season of mini-chapels. Another blessing of the past year has been the use of what was the tower classroom as the temporary chaplaincy office/meeting room. With Merryvale out of action, it was a brilliant space to host Sixth Form Bible study (SFBS), Crossfire, confirmation classes and the new Junior Bible study (JBS) – although the 95 steps up always left you a little out of breath. Despite this, we had plenty of regulars across the groups. It was always a joy to bring these groups together to eat the legendary Jack brownies (sometimes now made by Rev. Jack as well as Mrs Jack), catch up, play games and study the Bible, whether diving into Matthew’s gospel or unwrapping the Psalms. The way the different lockdowns fell meant that we had to use video technology for our annual carol service, which was a visual and aural masterpiece thanks to the technical wizardry of Kevin and Jonathon, and the brilliant singing of the Chapel, Chamber and Cantabile Choirs. However, many pupils braved the winter weather after House Cross-country and enjoyed singing carols on the sunken lawn, with mince pies and hot chocolate afterwards. Lockdown 3 in the Easter Term marked the return to video podcasts, where chapel met Desert Island Discs and a lockdown playlist was created, of both favourite songs and reflections from favourite Psalms (the song book of the Bible). Many thanks to those members of staff that appeared as guests – Mr Hardie, Mr Nicholl, Mrs Ings, Mr Hoey, Mr Holliday and Mr Jeffery. As things were moving back towards normal in the Summer Term, in one final twist as school closed early, another first for me was a pre-recorded sermon broadcast to the leavers on the Sunken Lawn as they returned on the last day of term for their speeches and farewells – a fitting if undesirable end to another turbulent year. Finally, none of this would have been possible without the support and hard work of Mr Nicholl, who has been a superb ‘gaplain’ for the past two years. He will be missed. Rev. Philip Jack
LOCKDOWN STORIES The entire Canford Community of staff, pupils, parents, OCs, local contacts, external members and many other friends of the School united over the lockdown to support each other, fulfilling the mission to make a difference to their own lives and to the lives of others.
the arts - ART
“House Art 2019 “I am amazed by was pupils’ once again our ability hotly contested, to soldier on, even with this when theyyear’s have themelast-minute ‘Album faced Artwork Design’ in complications homage artist a that couldto derail Peter Blake.” whole project.”
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LAST year I worked with the best people in the worst of conditions, and we rock! I am in awe of some of the pupils’ achievements as they navigate their own lives as well as the pressures of results and decisions about their futures. In the Upper Sixth we saw real ambition, excitement and fortitude as final collections of work began to emerge while we ducked in and out of online teaching. From a personal perspective it has been difficult to feel like making any creative work, and I am amazed by our pupils’ ability to soldier on, even when they have faced last-minute complications that could derail a whole project. A record number of art college applications were made, and places offered at universities including Central St Martins, Camberwell, Leeds Arts University, Brighton and
Cardiff. The application process incorporates written application, online interviews and digital portfolio submission. It is a lengthy task in a pre-pandemic world but this year we have prepared and sent 24 different digital portfolios for eight pupils! The end-of-year exhibition was open for Speech Day and showed work across a range of media – film, textiles, fashion, sound, illustration, craft and printmaking – and presented the viewer with ideas about domesticity, race, history and materiality. Imogen Fairweather, Olivia Hingston-Honeywell and Milenka Soskin achieved D1, the highest grade possible at Pre-U, which reflects a genuine obsession with their work and engagement. Alongside lessons we have been able to visit the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize at the Arts University Bournemouth which was a total joy and felt like a breath of fresh air! The Lower Sixth spent a couple of glorious hours looking at the work in the gallery at the university, talking about the exhibition, soaking up the atmosphere and realising how much we had missed exhibitions. In September 2020, Poole Hospital Trust launched an art competition to local schools. The brief asked for imaginative and creative illustrations to transform the children’s recovery areas in the theatre department. The designs would brighten the bare, clinical spaces that children stay in as patients, pre and post op. The focus of the work could reflect thoughts and ideas solely from the artist’s view and, most importantly, must relate to children. In the midst of the pandemic it was a challenge to complete and submit work, but three Canford artists were selected by Poole Hospital Trust to have their work adorn the walls of the unit. They are Abbie Crossley-Weir, Imogen Sharam and Amelia Frost. The work will be displayed in Poole Hospital and, when the planned move to Royal Bournemouth is complete, will feature at the new unit.
the arts - ART Outside lessons, our creative year has involved ‘yarn bombing’ the school. Colourful knit now decorates the trees and the mulberry arch, adding a little bit of cheer. The Canford Film Competition, ‘Just a Minute’, debuted and was eagerly received among pupils. Entries included accomplished drawn and stop frame animations and short films, and the winners were Mary Sorokina, Lucy Hancock and Henry Barham for the animation category, and Will Walters for the film category. House Art culminated at the end of the Christmas Term. In true seasonal spirit, the department dressed as elves and Father Christmas on a reindeer, and commandeered a golf buggy ‘sleigh’ to visit and judge the entries in houses. Each house made a Christmas tree to reflect the personalities and values of the inhabitants. The overall winner of the Artist’s Palette was Monteacute and in second place Marriotts, who won the Silver Cup. Monteacute created a hanging glass sculpture with a light projection onto the surrounding walls and ceiling. Accompanying sound included the voices of the house as well as original music and underpinned the sense of community. Marriotts presented a wooden sculptural tree and exquisite origami paper components. It was a community effort and each person’s offering built upon the whole sculpture. In the Art Department we have been very lucky to have been joined by Caroline Chourou MRSS (Royal Society of Sculptors) as a full-time teacher. She started in the midst of the hardest year any of us have experienced in education. Following ten years teaching at Bryanston, Caroline has also spent time working on her own practice as an artist. ‘I use paper for its instant transformational possibilities,’ says Caroline. ‘The materiality of paper, and its ability to create an embodied presence when folded and formed, moves it away from being a support for
image-making. I am drawn to the Japanese Wabi Sabi aesthetic in seeing the beauty of things incomplete, impermanent and imperfect. In metaphysical terms, Wabi Sabi implies that the universe is in constant motion, either evolving from nothingness or dissolving towards it. Yet “nothingness” is not believed to be empty, but a soup of unlimited creative possibilities. The metamorphic process of paper making and ultimately its degradation is a reminder of the Wabi Sabi philosophy. Whilst employed as an architectural conservator, I used materials such as natural stone pigments, copper/gold leaf and steel to make structural and decorative repairs to ornate stone carvings and frescos. Many of these materials have found their way into my fine art practice.’ Her experiences and approach to her work have inspired the pupils and her colleagues. We are excited and fortunate to have her at Canford. Nicola Will, Head of Art
“In true seasonal spirit, the department dressed as elves and Father Christmas on a reindeer, and commandeered a golf buggy ‘sleigh’ to visit and judge the entries in houses.”
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“Playing while “House Art 2019 seated twoagain metres was once away from the hotly contested, nearest with thismusician year’s is a challenge theme ‘Album for professionals, Artwork Design’ in but our pupils homage to artist coped admirably Peter Blake.” well with this imposition upon them.”
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‘LET us live to make men free.’ These uplifting words were rousingly performed by the Chapel Choir in a setting of ‘Mine eyes have seen the glory’ as their first, inevitably online and recorded, performance of the 2020 ChristmasTerm as they returned to school after the best-forgotten lockdown of the preceding Summer Term. Full of joy at the return to ‘real’ school, all of Canford’s musicians began in September 2020 the process of rebuilding those musical teams which are the school’s orchestras, choirs and ensembles with commendable determination and considerable musicality. Playing while seated two metres away from the nearest musician is a challenge for professionals, but our pupils coped admirably well with this imposition upon them. The Christmas Term saw live concerts resume with solo performances from the Fifth Form, and it was a great joy to be able to hear them play in the concert hall for the privileged few staff who were permitted to be there. The online audience was in fact much larger than we might have expected in person, and this has been one positive outcome from the necessary use of streaming as our main method of disseminating pupil work during the year.
The Chapel and Chamber Choirs worked towards a virtual evensong service, and Bainton’s glorious setting of a text from the apocalyptic visions of the book of Revelation saw our former Winchester Choristers, now on the tenor line, giving a most exquisite and poignant rendition of the line ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes’. The Cantabile Choir, Orchestra and Wind Band also recorded items for a virtual concert in November, as well as numerous other items which were released throughout the term. A particular highlight was the Orchestra’s performance of ‘Nimrod’. Released on Remembrance Day, it afforded many OCs and other members of our wider community the chance to show their respect for the sacrifices made in the past to win our freedom, given that the government had, without a trace of irony, banned Remembrance services. With 2400 views, this is our most widely watched YouTube release so far, and it is gratifying to see the talents of Canford’s musicians so widely appreciated. As we looked towards Christmas, each ensemble also worked on and recorded a festive ‘treat’, with a recording (or two) released online on every day of the final week of term. At the – again online – carol service, Harold Darke’s ‘In the bleak midwinter’ proved a somewhat prophetic choice of text when Boris cancelled Christmas, but we were fortunate to enjoy terrific solos in that piece from Flora Peddie and Charlie Anstee. Maddie Lyles’s ‘Once in royal David’s city’ provided a beautiful but elegaic opening to the event, and we also enjoyed a solo from Serena Blake in ‘This is the truth from above’. After the success of the Christmas Term, there was much music planned for the next. The unexpected closure, again, of the school saw the unwelcome return of remote rehearsals. We took the decision to continue to prepare repertoire as planned, which we hoped to perform together at the end of term and the
the arts - ART
pupils clearly worked hard to grind out nearly three months of online learning, as the live performances we managed in the last week of term showed. The Chapel Choir learnt John Sanders’s setting of ‘The reproaches’, and their powerful performance at the end of term, with its opening text, ‘Oh my people, what have I done to you’, was a musical reminder of the importance of corporate music-making as a community endeavour, and the profound effects of its loss. The Chamber Choir performed ‘The fruit of silence’ by Latvian composer Peteris Vasks with considerable poise and very significant musicality. Alistair Hardie sprinkled some magic dust, with the Orchestra learning a suite of music from ‘Harry Potter’, performed with panache, while the Wind Orchestra ‘Took Five’, in a rumbunctious rendition of Dave Brubeck’s eponymous piece. Whilst we did not produce very many remote recordings in the first part of the Easter Term, we did put together three performances. More magic came from the pen and baton of Mr Hardie in the form of a staff and pupil version of ‘Could it be magic’. The Chapel Choir members did a ‘one-take wonder’ recording of ‘All aboard’, making their remote recordings in the space of a 25-minute online choir practice, while almost all of the Shells contributed a part to a massed, remote performance of ‘One-note samba’, learnt as part of their class music lessons. The closure, for the fourth time, of the school in the Summer Term saw the cancellation of the summer concert. At this point, it was too late to do anything remotely. A fortuitous advance recording of the orchestra’s performance of ‘Carnival of the Animals’ and of the Chapel Choir singing in rehearsal, both released online, provided cold comfort as tattered remnants of what was supposed to be an end-of-term festival celebration. The Upper Sixth leavers were at least afforded the opportunity to perform outside at their Speech Day, and the occasion was much enhanced by
their efforts. The Upper Sixth choir members were also able to perform. I am sometimes asked what music at Canford is ‘about’ and I have reflected in previous Canfordian articles how deeply troubling is the national decline of the art form in schools. These words, from a member of the Upper Sixth, sum up perfectly why music matters – and why, perhaps, it mattered more than ever during the very difficult year that was 2020-21: ‘I loved the emotion of playing orchestra pieces such as “Nimrod”, the feeling of singing in such an amazing choir, the fun of our wind quintet teddy bears concert, and even the challenge of A Level Music. Even during Covid times, the remote recordings brightened up an otherwise rather boring lockdown. It has been incredible to be in a place where music was both respected and enjoyed, and I have so many lovely memories.’ Christopher Sparkhall, Director of Music
“It has been incredible to be in a place where music was both respected and enjoyed, and I have so many lovely memories.”
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the arts - DRAMA
“House Art 2019 was once again hotly contested, with this year’s theme “Drama‘Album is Artwork Design’ collaborative, it isin homage to artist about a shared Peter Blake.” live experience between audience and company, it is about all yeargroups working together to create entertainment, to share in a process and to develop relationships and memories.”
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2020-21 ended up being a year of hope, achievement and occasional disappointment in the Drama Department. It was, though, a year of endeavour and a year during which pupils and staff tried their hardest to make the best out of every situation we faced. Drama is collaborative, it is about a shared live experience between audience and company, it is about all yeargroups working together to create entertainment, to share in a process and to develop relationships and memories. Covid restrictions meant that we were never going to be able to have a normal Drama year, but bubbles, limited audiences and remote teaching certainly did not mean we were going to close shop and go dark in the Layard. Drama is not easy to teach via the medium of Teams (is any subject?) but we were constantly delighted with the way the Drama students adapted, engaged and made progress every time the computers were turned on and we logged in. Co-curricular drama also thrived online during lockdown as we explored plays, puppetry, reviews, costume design: there was something for anyone who wanted a break from endless Netflix and Sky movies. With an opening stage direction of ‘Six chairs, two metres apart, the cast walk on and sit down’, Enda Walsh’s Chatroom was the perfect play for a socially distanced cast. We felt very fortunate to actually achieve live theatre at a time when nearly every theatre in the country was shut and where very little live theatre in schools was happening at all. The Canford Panto, which is fast becoming an annual tradition, was this year written and directed by fourthformers Millie Jeffries and Isaac Siggers. Rehearsed and
performed by separate bubbles of Shell and Fourth Form pupils, The Sleeping Beanstalk was witty, irreverent and energetically performed. The joy of seeing so many pupils on stage and involved backstage was the tonic we all needed as the Christmas Term drew to an end. Be My Baby by Amanda Whittington was busily being rehearsed by Miss Craig and her cast of Lower Sixth girls when we entered the January lockdown. The challenge was therefore laid down: how can this play be staged creatively, effectively and professionally from several different homes and managed from the Layard? Kevin Wilkins and his team achieved the enormously complex task of bringing all the threads of a performance together to produce a live streamed performance, complete with backgrounds, lighting and music – don’t ask how, but believe me, it was technical genius! The return to school after Easter half term brought new hope and plans for a summer festival. Little Shop of Horrors, a dance show, Lost Prophecy, written by fourth-former Sophia Whelan, and The Twits were all planned, cast, rehearsed and then – well that’s another story. But despite the disappointment of not being able to perform when we were due to, the joy of the process, the rehearsing and the ensemble coming together, sharing ideas, enjoying the experience of creating drama with friends new and old, was always and will always be a worthwhile venture. It is now September as I type this slightly random report. The Layard is busy, it’s vibrant, it’s noisy. I do hope it stays like that for a long time to come. Rikki Jackson, Head of Drama
CHATROOM
After months of live-streamed, Zoomed and videorecorded shows, words cannot fully express just how this experience re-ignited the powerful engagement of mind, body and spirit in the full sensory experience that is live performance! Of course, the irony was not lost on us that we were watching a play in which the characters communicate entirely in the virtual world of internet chatrooms. Six diverse teenage characters share with us the confusions, challenges and anxieties that come with the territory of transitioning from child to young adult. This piece is terrifically demanding for the actors, each by turns having a variety of lengthy monologues that punctuate the quick-fire exchanges between them, and the whole ‘symphony’ depends on sensitive ensemble playing. William was played with convincing attack by Petrus Admiraal-Garbett, sparring with Eva, played by Chloe Markham, who glowered as she glowed, stoking the fires of manipulative power. Varya Darling as Emily gave a composed and convincing performance of quietly troubling anxiety, while Ollie Glen offered a highly sensitive interpretation of the confused and frustrated Jack. Laura has the difficult job of observing and listening in the dark throughout large parts of the ‘action’; she was thoughtfully and sensitively played by Olivia Jackson, providing the voice of calm and quietly positive hope and support. And then there is an ominous empty chair, building our curiosity until the character of Jim arrives, when Johannes Bishop-Weston gave an intelligent portrayal of a depressed young man reaching out for understanding and compassion from fellow ‘chatterers’. The tension that builds through the twists and turns of the relationships amongst the six was well orchestrated and sustained. The whole package was powerfully directed by Rikki Jackson, whose conjuror’s magic made for a memorable evening at the theatre in this unforgettable year of 2020. Jane Skellett
Amanda Wittington’s debut play about the issues surrounding teenage pregnancy in 1960s Britain proved to be an excellent choice for an online video performance for the ‘lockdown’ Britain of the 2020s. Any live performance in this medium is heavily dependent on the harmonious blend of skills that cross over between theatre and film, and on technical support of great sensitivity and reliability. The technical team of Kevin Wilkins and Jonathon Ledger gave terrific support to enhance the performances of this cast of six young women, directed by Helen Craig, as they reveal their characters’ stories. The sequence of scenes that jump between the matron’s study, the girls’ dormitory and the laundry was cleverly segued by clips from period hit songs from girl singing groups, such as the Ronettes, and matched with visual images of the record player (with the ’60s pop-art spinning disc) and a view of the austere Victorian building that is the ‘Home’. They conjured an atmosphere of the time and place, even though it was not possible for everyone to be filmed performing together in a shared period-dressed stage setting. The cast developed some solid character performances, with Lucie Marns capturing the essence of a well brought up girl who has fallen from grace in the eyes of society and who must gradually come to terms with the experience of childbirth, bonding with her baby and then accepting that she must let it go for adoption. The Matron was sternly played with a reliable unwavering resolve by Catherine Wray, beneath whose authoritarian exterior lie her attempts to counsel and support the girls with Christian faith and practical advice. Providing a significant contrast is Mary’s mother, coldly played by Matilda Perei, who is not concerned with her daughter’s feelings, but only with hushing up the whole affair. The screen presents these three as visually isolated for us, just as they are isolated by their lack of empathy for one another; the older two are trapped in their own stories of loss and pretence and keeping the ‘stiff upper lip’ of this often bitter generation who were only young women themselves during World War 2. But stories of the three other pregnant teenagers waiting at the home to give birth give different perspectives on the complex human dilemmas of the central issue. Amanda Cross Court, Eleanor Crawshaw and Joanna Salmon produced well-paced and contrasting performances as Queenie, Dolores and Norma respectively. With the restrictions of a ‘head-andshoulders-only’ view, the reduction of scope for physical expression made for extra challenges for the actors, but they still gave successful portrayals of these dynamically different characters. It must have been extraordinarily difficult rehearsing this in lockdown isolation, considering that everyone was each in their own isolated ‘home’ space, but in these challenging circumstances, their sense of trust must have been heightened and developed, giving the whole company an unforgettable experience and reminding us all of the power of good storytelling, whatever the medium. Jane Skellett
the arts - ART
BE MY BABY
“Their sense of trust must have been heightened and developed, giving the whole company an unforgettable experience and reminding us all of the power of good storytelling, whatever the medium.”
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ENRICHMENT
Yellow Hour has been popular once again this year and, taking Covid-19 guidance into account, moved into the woods in November. Making use of the natural acoustics of the trees, pupils and staff enjoyed poetry and music while toasting marshmallows on the open fire.
“External competitions complement the internal enrichment programmes and benchmark Canfordians’ standards against pupils from schools both across the country and globally.”
The cover of the programme for this year’s Festival of Ideas.
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WHILST our curriculum engages with issues of equality, diversity and inclusion in different ways, we decided to dedicate this year’s Festival of Ideas to focus on Black History Month. A remote talk by David Olusoga OBE to the Sixth Form was a fitting opening to the programme, discussing what our history reveals about contemporary society and the lasting effects of the British Empire. Notable musicians, artists, poets, academics and actors were celebrated through curriculum lessons and in cocurricular events, while the ‘This house believes modern Britain is racist’ debate in the Layard provoked divergent views. To celebrate World Book Day online in March, a ‘Shelfie Selfie Quiz’ challenged pupils to match the bookshelf to the member of staff. Teachers shared a reading of a short poem or an extract from a book of their choice in Teams lessons throughout the day. Shells had earlier in the year enjoyed a live reading by acclaimed author William Hussey from one of his bestselling books, Haunted. William also delivered a Gothic masterclass for our Sixth Form pupils, exploring the Gothic genre from its origins to the modern day. External competitions complement the internal enrichment programmes and benchmark Canfordians’ standards against pupils from schools both across the country and globally. The English Speaking Union’s MACE competition, held online, saw our pupils demonstrating excellent public speaking skills as they opposed the motions, ‘This house would ban job applicants from disclosing the names of educational institutions that they have attended’ and ‘This house would introduce quotas for women on company boards’. While remote learning from his home in China, fifth-former Jason Zhang was awarded a silver medal in an international business competition, the ASDAN Business Simulation, and was also one of three pianists out of 500 to achieve a gold award for performance in a recent series of online concerts focused on the work of Brahms. In the John Locke Institute Essay Prize, Harry Young’s History paper was one of just 35 selected for Very Highly Commended awards and Rupert Peach’s essay drew a High Commendation, putting Rupert
in the top 70 out of around 2000 submissions in the Economics category from entries spanning the globe. Alice Hazell was commended for her submission in the Newnham College, Cambridge, essay competition, Emma Jeffries won second prize in this year’s Richard III Society competition, and in the New College of the Humanities essay competition, judged by A C Grayling, Jake McMillan and Harry Young were selected as finalists from over 6,000 entries from sixth-formers across the globe. Eight pupils took part in the senior British Physics Olympiad competition and all performed extremely well, particularly given the challenging circumstances of sitting an online version from home. 5,270 students participated from 380 schools and four Canfordians were among the top 15% of all entries to gain Gold awards. A further two pupils gained Silver and two were awarded Bronze. Our annual Educational Partnership Day involves pupils from the Globe Ark Academy, the City of London Academy, Queen Anne’s School Caversham, Purbeck School and the Bourne Academy alongside Canfordians. This year, the Partnership Day moved to its first online event, welcoming Dame Mary Richardson, whose lifelong commitment to breaking cycles of deprivation and to supporting projects that help the young has provided opportunity and hope, particularly to those who have little of either. We said goodbye to Tom Marriott, who spearheaded many important initiatives in his role as Head of Enrichment, not least the Upper Sixth College Programme, Festival of Ideas and the Oxbridge preparation programme. He leaves strong foundations on which Jamie Ings will build in the coming terms.
COMMUNITY & PARTNERSHIPS
Global Connections IN a year when physical isolation has become the norm, it has proved more vital than ever to remind ourselves of the words of John Donne, the 17th-century English poet: ‘No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main… Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind.’ These words powerfully remind us that the Canford community does not stand alone, inwardly facing, tied to the Dorset acres that surround the iconic castle silhouette. Rather, our community faces outwards, stretching out threads which span the country, the continent, the world. Whether we embrace it or reject it, we cannot deny the role that technology has played this year not just in maintaining our global connections but also in forging new ones. Model United Nations has been popular at Canford for many years and recent expansion of the programme has meant that pupils from all years can become involved through various MUN activities. Over a weekend in February, eighteen Fifth Form and Lower Sixth Canfordians joined over 190 pupils from schools in the UK and Europe for an MUN Conference. The two-day event was held virtually and was organised by Magdalen College School, Oxford. Pupils from across the country formed alliances with other delegates representing particular nations and fought to have their resolutions passed, just as in the real UN. Canfordians represented delegates from India and the UAE on issues ranging from neo-slavery to aquaculture and whilst for many, this was their first experience of MUN, Canford came home with a total of seven commendations. There are few better ways of understanding international affairs than by putting yourself in the shoes of world leaders. From day 1, a Shell pupil within the carousel programme can try their hand at assuming the role of a national ambassador, attempting to explore and resolve some of the world’s most pressing issues. Spurred on by the focus on inequality spotlighted by the Black Lives Matter movement, the Fourth Form Global Connections programme was born. The programme aims to give all students the chance to
engage with complex global challenges and explore the links between their own lives and people, places and issues throughout the world. Five interactive sessions have been developed by staff with specific areas of expertise, ranging from journalism to previous involvement in the military. It is this personalised element which makes these sessions so unique – there is nothing quite like being taught by someone who has ‘been there and done that’. Over the year, pupils have engaged in discussions on freedom of the press, racism, and perspectives on charity, to best understand the global context of their local lives and inform decisions about how they can play an active role in their local and global community beyond the school gates. This particularly inspired one fourth-former, Chloe Nwankwo, to get involved on a more exposed level by agreeing to be interviewed in a year-group assembly on challenging narrow perspectives and stereotypes of Africa. Chloe encouraged all those present to ‘come to terms with your own prejudices and take the time to interrogate long-held assumptions rather than simply sweeping them under the carpet ... Often our perspectives on Africa are dominated by problems ... If we also focus on constructive, positive aspects, developments and achievements in African history and contemporary life, then we are several steps closer to eradicating oppressive stereotypes.’ If stereotypes present just a single story, then multiple relationships and countless stories are needed to reflect true diversity and identity. This year, we may have missed out on hearing those stories in person from our partnership trips, but these relationships are as strong as ever. Pupils have greatly enjoyed coming together to create an activity booklet for the children of the Hogar el Alba children’s home in Argentina, which the Lower Sixth would usually visit. Whilst the Spanglish in the booklet may be questionable, there is no doubt that the enthusiasm is genuine and I long for the day that the borders re-open and tangible friendships are created and reinforced. Until then, I look forward to the new interim partnership projects which will run as a Monday activity starting in September, heralding a greater involvement with other year-groups throughout the entirety of the year. It speaks volumes that in a year of closed borders, cancelled trips and remote lessons, Canfordians have endeavoured to prioritise connections, strengthen relationships and speak up for communities around the world who are experiencing injustice. I feel a great sense of pride that as a school, Canford has achieved Level One of the Global Schools Award, but this pride is focused not on the events that we have run, impressive though the list is, but on the tidal wave of feeling sweeping through the school that calls out injustice in all forms, declaring the mantra, ‘If not us, then who? If not now, then when?’ Naomi Ings
“Come to terms with your own prejudices and take the time to interrogate longheld assumptions rather than simply sweeping them under the carpet.”
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COMMUNITY & PARTNERSHIPS
Community Action “It really hit home to me how important this service was when one lady commented, ‘Your phone call lifts me and stays with me all day.’”
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I AM writing this 24 hours before the end of the Summer Term, so it feels like a good time to reflect on what we have achieved this year. It would be easy to say something along the lines of ‘not much’, but in reality, I am very proud of the pupils and my colleagues who have, against all odds, managed to put together a meaningful programme of activities and, as best as we can, served our external community. When I wrote this report twelve months ago, I was feeling very positive about what this academic year would look like. Pupils had signed up for a ‘pre-Covid’ activity programme and we were excited at the prospect of being able to make up for lost time. We had also, just in case, asked pupils to sign up for a programme of activities based entirely on campus. With hindsight, this proved to be a good decision, as it became apparent in the summer, even though infection rates were low, that there was little appetite from either the school or external organisations to allow regular volunteering to take place. So we started the Christmas Term full of hope and optimism that for a few weeks we would put on some activities for the pupils on site and then move off site after half term. As early as late September we could see that this was not going to happen with rising Covid rates, so we battened down the hatches and pushed on with our on-site activities. They revolved around making video recordings of various things that could be then securely shared with the local care homes and schools. These activities included Fran Compan’s sport leaders’ group, who recorded themselves coaching various different sports; Anne-Sophie Harrison’s French language group, who produced videos, PowerPoints and worksheets of
French language activities for primary school pupils; and Jamie Ings’s Bingo group, who recorded themselves calling bingo numbers and produced bingo cards that care homes could print off and use with their residents. One activity that ran all year and into the Summer Term was our outreach work with the elderly. Alex Boulton worked with a group of pupils who called various elderly members of the community to check that they were coping with the isolation that was brought on by Covid, and to develop friendships with each other. It really hit home to me how important this service was when one lady commented, ‘Your phone call lifts me and stays with me all day.’ This was also backed up by the dedication of Steve Ives in visiting some of these members of the community to provide company and also to help them around the home. Steve did take a couple of pupils to help with some gardening work at one point during the term and this level of service went above and beyond what is expected.
COMMUNITY & PARTNERSHIPS
It became quite apparent in November that the majority of pupils would be staying on campus for the Easter Term, so we planned accordingly. I am very grateful to Rachel Lines for stepping in at the last minute to run an ‘Amnesty International’ group who were involved in various lobbying and letter-writing activities. We did also plan to send some pupils out into the community to volunteer with low-risk organisations. We had a group pencilled in to help at High Mead Farm again, another to help at the food bank and a third to help litter pick on the various Dorset heaths. However, as we returned (for a day) in January, these plans were dashed by the second (or third, depending on your point of view) lockdown. With very little notice of the lockdown, we had an emergency co-curricular meeting the day before we went back to remote teaching, where it was agreed that we would put on remote community service activities again. As most pupils were going to do this anyway, it only meant around 80 pupils (those from CCF and the pupils we had been expecting to go off site) needed to be re-allocated. I was very grateful to a number of staff that helped with this at very short notice: Dick Carpenter and Joel Holiday for running the ‘isolation cookbook’, Al Tyndall for putting on the ‘community quiz newsletter’, Frank Shon for assembling a group of poetry readers and Richard Redwood for running some online debates. Clive Jeffrey also ran a group that collated all the resources being produced and sent them out to primary schools and care homes. This group proved to be important, as it helped to re-establish links with Canford that had faded due to the original lockdown. Clive also worked with this group to submit a bid for a grant from the Friends of Canford School to produce ‘outreach boxes’. This fantastic idea revolves around local schools being able to borrow a resource box that allows them to enhance their delivery of the curriculum (for example, a box may contain microscopes or musical instruments). I look forward to seeing how this develops over the coming year.
Throughout the year we also worked with City Reach as best we could. I was lucky to be involved with a group of fifth-formers (the core of this group being Topsy Holder, Lucy Fitzgerald, Jessica West, Mimi Taylor, Millie Todd and Lara Ela Ulkeroglu) who were motivated to support City Reach throughout the Christmas and Easter terms. The girls made craft activity exemplars which were then posted to City Reach with packs of materials to make the items. The activity went down very well and City Reach were very grateful for everything we provided. This group also travelled with me to Southampton on a dark Monday afternoon in December to drop off some Christmas party bags and party food so they could have a Christmas party. We were due to have City Reach visit in the Summer Term but unfortunately, the Delta variant ended this. It has been good to re-establish links with two of the SHINE schools again this term. I have visited both schools to launch the programme and they are excited to develop this relationship again. This has also involved both schools visiting during the last week of term for a sports morning (thanks to Callum Knight and Rosie Collet for putting this on) and an outdoor adventure morning (thanks to Jenny Ward and Craig Risbey). It was great to get these children back to use our fantastic facilities. This year I have worked more closely than before with the Friends of Canford School and I am very grateful to them on a number of levels, from organising the City Reach party bags, through giving me a nudge to try to put on a summer activity with Northam, to supplying a grant to Street’s Meadows care home to buy equipment for their cooking and gardening groups. I look forward to working with them again next term. In particular, I do need to mention Tiffany Fleming, whose energy and leadership has really moved this group’s activity to new heights. I am firmly keeping my fingers crossed for next term. We are very much planning on sending pupils back out into the community again. So far, the organisations we have contacted have been very positive about this and we are optimistic that next year’s community service programme will be very different to this year’s for all the right reasons. Dave Allen
“We are optimistic that next year’s community service programme will be very different to this year’s for all the right reasons.”
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COMMUNITY & PARTNERSHIPS
The Bourne Academy “As one parent recently said to the Principal, Mark Avoth, ‘My children just have to come here because it’s the best school in the area.’”
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2020/21 marked the ten-year anniversary of the Bourne Academy, sponsored by Canford. Just twelve minutes’ drive from Canford, the Academy replaced a school repeatedly judged as failing. Much of the catchment area is one of the most disadvantaged in the country: 37% live below the poverty line and 40% have no qualification of any kind. Many students have problematic home lives and almost half are designated disadvantaged. Despite this, the Academy is now a thriving school designated ‘Good’ and over-subscribed. It recently won the prestigious ‘BTEC School of Year 2021’ award. Sport England have made it a case study of how schools should best share their facilities with local communities. The Careers Department has been given local hub status in recognition of its excellence. What is now a partnership of equals is seen as a beacon of what the independent and state sectors can do together. As one parent recently said to the Principal, Mark Avoth, ‘My children just have to come here because it’s the best school in the area.’ Covid was a huge challenge and involved setting up a testing centre; moving to Teams teaching; continuing to run on-site learning for our ‘at risk’ students; and a leadership team meeting on New Year’s Day. When students were allowed back, it was to a zoned site and staggered starts. But we remained open throughout. The wider curriculum is key to the academy’s vision and during lockdown our streamed student music concerts were particularly popular. We still held a number of outdoor events including a summer music café, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, an all-school sports day, and dance and drama performances. 100 students completed a Duke of Edinburgh award, including twelve on a four-day Gold paddleboard expedition in Scotland. Lockdown was turned into a sporting opportunity with our virtual journey to our partner primary school, Osiligi Obaya in Kenya. Bourne staff and students jointly travelled
the 6,040 miles by walking, running, cycling, inline skating, rowing, swimming and skateboarding. The school learnt about the countries we virtually travelled through and the students were so keen that we kept going to South Africa. Literacy and cultural capital are key to social mobility and many of our pupils would never have actively read in the past. All pupils now start their day with our reading programme. We are already seeing improved literacy, with the added benefit that everyone starts the day calm and focused. As one student said, ‘It is a good way to start the day, it wakes up your brain and gets you ready for a day of learning.’ As part of the new Canford library, three sets of books were donated. Academic results this year were based on Teacher Assessed Grades, which involved a huge amount of work by both students and staff in a rigorous process that many felt was tougher on the students than normal exams. After five years of A-level results, the Academy had 65% of students gaining university entry with 31% to Russell Group universities; around 20% per cent embark on medical-related degrees. Four pupils scored straight A* grades, 44% of grades were A or A* and all entries achieved at least a pass. We also had our first student accepted into law school and one student obtained the highly sought-after Cobham Aerospace apprenticeship.
COMMUNITY & PARTNERSHIPS
However, success is more than a measurement of results and reports. As Mark Avoth says, ‘How do you measure the impact of some of our most vulnerable students designing and building a Greenpower car that ranked 27th in the international finals at Silverstone (a project first supported by Canford)?’ A key part of the vision is the development of a partnership between Canford and Bourne. Covid put a stop to our student visits and joint staff training day, but things like the joint book club moved online and a number of Bourne students attended the Canford Educational Partnership conference. Canford Sixth Form community service visits re-started this September and student exchanges are planned for this year. Revitalising the relationship is a key priority. I would like to mention Richard Knott, Canford’s previous Deputy Head, who stood down in December 2020 as Chair of Governors. Whilst many others have helped build the current school, he has been the consistent visionary and guiding hand from initial discussions with government through to today’s success. His attributes of energy, insight and humour will be sadly missed. The academy is a good example of ‘You will know a man by his works.’ This leads on to ‘What about the next ten years?’ Money remains incredibly tight in the state sector but thanks to strong management, we are one of the few comparable schools in the area to run a surplus, but that leaves little for development. After eighteen months of work behind the scenes, it was wonderful to finish the Summer Term with exciting news from MiSST (Music in Secondary Schools Trust). The
Bourne Academy is to be the only school in the south of England to join the MiSST programme, spearheaded by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Nicola Benedetti. From September 2022, every year 7 and year 8 student will be provided with a classical instrument, weekly tuition and access to annual residential performance workshops. MiSST provide all the tuition etc, but the final key was a generous grant from a local donor to fund the instruments. We are very excited about this. Years 7 to 11 (up to GCSE) are thriving and the goal there is to continue improving results and developing our students’ ASPIRE competencies (Ambitious, Selfconfident, Physically literate, Independent learners, Resilient, Emotionally Literate). As part of this we will continue to hire and train the best staff possible; we are proud of the number of new teachers who train with us as well as the number of middle and senior leaders we support through national leadership qualifications. As a successful school, we hope to respond to the government’s recent challenge to reach out to and develop partnerships with other local schools to help improve more lives. The key missing piece to complete our vision is a Sixth Form building, as success means we have outgrown our space. Currently we can only offer Sixth Form places to under half our GCSE students but we know that if forced to travel, many of our demographic are at significant risk of dropping out and becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training). We have exciting plans for expansion that have the full support and endorsement of the Regional Schools Commissioner, the Department for Education, the local authority, the previous Academies Minister, Lord Agnew, governors, staff, students and key stakeholders. Conor Burns, MP for Bournemouth West, says ‘I believe this to be an exceptional school. The opportunity to allow the Bourne Academy to meet the long-term needs of the local community through extended Sixth Form provision appears to me to make the project irresistible.’ However, in the current environment there is no government money available, so we will have to look to the charitable and philanthropy sectors and donors. If you would like to know more about the Bourne Academy and Canford’s sponsorship of it then please email me (hb@canford.com). Henry Bishop Chair of Governors, The Bourne Academy
“Canford Sixth Form community service visits re-started this September and student exchanges are planned for this year. Revitalising the relationship is a key priority.”
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THE CANFORD COMMUNITY
“Just less than ten weeks after we had started, we had made it and actually travelled further than the 24,901 miles required!”
THE Christmas Term provided some semblance of normality at Canford. Grateful to have the life and soul of the school back, pupils and staff very much settled into the mantra ‘stand up, mask up’. A lot of our Development work still took place from home and there was no chance at all of any visitors on site unless classed as ‘essential’. Our main priority for the year was to keep in touch and provide fellowship, communication and entertainment where possible. Sometimes this has had to take place online but there were a few chinks of light when we were able to meet in person. Let’s Talk The series was in full swing from autumn onwards and we very much enjoyed listening to OCs talk about their careers and experiences and reminisce about times at Canford. Guest speakers included Joanna Jensen (W88) of Childs Farm, noted as one of the UK’s most successful female entrepreneurs, Mike Hayward (W02), Metropolitan Police and Flying Squad officer, Dr Iain
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Broadley (F11), who graduated in 2020 and got straight to work as a junior doctor, and Howard Moody (B82), composer, conductor and keyboard player. Parents, OCs and Sixth Form pupils joined us for these online talks, which were both informative and entertaining. The Canford Round the World Challenge The Development team put their heads together early on in the Christmas Term to try and create some sort of project or challenge that would mean that everyone in the Canford Community could take part if they wanted to. With a big drive to keep everyone healthy at this time, we decided that it should focus on some form of movement. With travel so restricted and in a bid to get everybody on the move, we decided to challenge the Canford Community to collectively circumnavigate the world: some 24,901 miles or 40,075 km. The mode of travel could be anything where you could track a distance – running, walking, cycling, rowing. We invited everyone in the Canford Community to join the challenge and we also added a house element so that everyone was competing for ‘their’ house. We asked participants to take and share pictures while completing their activities and we also set up a Canford Community Strava group. The challenge started on 13 November, half-way through lockdown 2. Jerry Orme, former Geography teacher and leader of so many Canford overseas trips, not to mention cross-country and rowing coach, agreed to start us on our way with a 25-mile cycle ride which got Salisbury out of the blocks. Each week we updated the mileage and encouraged everyone to keep going. Christmas Day saw a lot of walking mileage, as did New Year’s Day. Lockdown 3 started and the challenge continued with renewed vigour. Just less than ten weeks after we had started, we had made it and actually travelled further than the 24,901 miles required!
The Martin Marriott Foundation The Lady Charlotte’s Walk Campaign was launched in the autumn, inviting members of the Canford community to sponsor a stone with all donations going to the Martin Marriott Foundation. The walkway (pictured) leads up to the new library and we have been delighted by the response with almost 200 stones being sponsored to date. For every stone sponsored, we donate a book to our partner school, the Bourne Academy. The number of donors who are regularly contributing to the Martin Marriott Foundation for bursaries is growing and we are immensely grateful for your support. We had planned to hold an in-person reception for our donors but sadly this couldn’t happen. The Nineveh Legacy Society The lunch held annually for those who have left a gift to Canford in their Will could also not take place. Not to be beaten by this, we held an online event for all of our donors in December. Ben Vessey talked about the school’s vision, ‘To 2023 and Beyond’, I was able to provide an update on bursary provision and feedback from some of our recipients, and there was then an opportunity to ask questions. The Friends of Canford School FCS were determined not to beaten by lockdowns and came up with some very innovative ideas to both engage and entertain parents along with raising funds. Online events started in the autumn with two very successful online quizzes attracting teams in silly hats, both locally and internationally! They hosted online Christmas wreath-making and two pamper events. Gift a Gift planned for January was postponed until after the Easter break and saw parents, staff and pupils donate
THE CANFORD COMMUNITY
Over 2700 different activities were logged with cyclists unsurprisingly travelling the furthest, and with runners and walkers reasonably well balanced for miles. Other sports were logged that we didn’t necessarily expect, such as windsurfing, surfing, kayaking, SUP, paddling, paddle boarding and sailing. In the house competition, Salisbury were winners, with Beaufort second and Court third. Pupils from the winning house were presented with donuts as their prize on their return to school (pictured). Our thanks go to everyone who took part in the Canford Round the World Challenge.
non-perishable food and gifts to Wimborne Food Bank. With lockdown leading to even more appreciation of our pets’ company and in celebration of our companions (canine and otherwise), the Friends of Canford hosted Canford cRUFFts (pictured), a platform to showcase happy hounds, pampered pooches – or, in the case of Mr Vessey, a gorgeous guinea pig. Animal shelters and rescue centres reported an increase in the level of animals requiring rehoming, so it seemed logical for the proceeds from Canford cRUFFts to be donated to Margaret Green Animal Rescue, whose local Church Knowle rescue centre opened in 1965. The online event ran for just over a week, with a variety of classes and voting taking place online, and raised almost £800. Not only did this raise money for a great cause, it was a lot of fun for all involved. The traditional Arboretum Tour went ahead as a wholly outside event and saw a record number of guests attend. FCS took the decision at the start of the year to donate to local charities that had suffered a loss of income as a result of the pandemic, or were supporting people affected by the pandemic. As a result of the tremendous enthusiasm and hard work by committee members, they have supported the following local charities in the past year: Wimborne Food Bank, High Mead Farm, Wimborne in Bloom, Wimborne War on Waste, the Wardrobe Foundation, Streets Meadow, City Reach. Thank you for your support.
“The number of donors who are regularly contributing to the Martin Marriott Foundation for bursaries is growing and we are immensely grateful for your support.”
Macbeth We saved one outdoor event from 2020 which we felt confident that we could fulfil at the end of term. It has become a tradition at Canford that the Lord Chamberlain’s Men grace the Canford lawn at the end of June. With very strict protocols in place, we saw the Canford Community come together for the first time for this type of event (pictured). Many current and former parents and OCs from various years were able to join us. The performance was fantastic and it was so good to see you! Rowena Gaston, Development Director If you are not receiving our regular e-newsletter, it may be that we don’t have your email address on record. If you unsubscribe to just one email from the Canford Community it will automatically block all future emails. If you would like to hear more, please let us know – community@canford.com
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OUTDOOR ENTERPRISES
Combined Cadet Force
“The cadet experience, following our award by national newspaper The Week as the Best of the Best CCFs nationally, was a mere shadow of what we normally offer.”
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THE worst year we’d had was during the foot-andmouth epidemic some years ago, when our Snowdonia trip was cancelled, but that was about as dramatic as it ever got – until now. We had hoped, having lost the Summer Term in 2020, to escape with some trips over the summer holidays, but discretion ruled and we could only sit and wait until September and some modicum of normality returned. Hope was indeed our maxim when, in September, we returned with our masks and our one-way systems, armed with our yellow squirty bottles of disinfectant and oversized blue loo rolls. The CCF was lucky in that we were mostly outdoors, could segregate the year-group bubbles, mostly, and offered a welcome relief to the regimen of the academic and indoor world. In many respects, we have had a very good year, all things considered, and it almost felt that the CCF had got away with it. But no, the sting in the tail was the final shutdown at the end of the Summer Term, which saw all of our camps cancelled once again and so, although it was a busy year and much was achieved, the flagships of our CCF offering – Norway, Snowdonia, Ten Tors, the Chepstow battlecamp, the Brecon Challenge and a Wye Valley canoeing expedition, together with the RM courses – all folded. The cadet experience, following our award by national newspaper The Week as the Best of the Best CCFs nationally, was a mere shadow of what we normally offer. But that was not before we managed one excellent whole day enterprise exercise in May with all cadets
away for the night on Bovington Training Area while the Navy headed for Portsmouth to find some water there. It rained, and it rained, and it rained, but this is what one of the cadets reported: ‘I learned that I’m better at dealing with tiredness than I thought and managed to maintain some sort of positive morale throughout. Despite being exhausted, I really enjoyed this trip and thought it was a great experience. It has definitely made me appreciate the little comforts in life more and has made me more appreciative of others.’ Another wrote: ‘I have learnt that although I was freezing cold and wet, I felt that if I put my mind to getting through it, I would be fine and I did that. I managed to put on a smiley face and get it done.’ And a third: ‘I have learned that I can be selfless at certain times, for example giving up food if someone didn’t enjoy their own ration pack, and I think I managed to keep morale high with my section.’ Clearly the educational outcomes had not all been lost. We had managed a full CCF parade just a couple of days before lockdown in March 2020 and were hopeful of a good offering in 2021. It was not to be, and mustering our NCOs leaving this year was all we achieved. Lieutenant General Sir Gary Robert Coward KBE CB, a school governor, a former parent and indeed father of Major Ben Coward who now runs the Army Detachment at Canford, presented the prizes: The Benner Award for Leadership - WO1 Ben Parkin The Clive Mayers Memorial Trophy Award for Services to the CCF - WO1 J Cox And at a separate ceremony: Best Junior NCOs to graduate from the Junior Cadre LCpl Imy Woodcock, LCpl Tom Windsor The following junior cadets were the best in their Detachment: Cdt Ellie Paget (RN) Cdt Charlotte Kersey (RM) Cdts Frederick Bowater and Zara Holt (Army) May I take this opportunity to thank the officers, and in particular Major Risbey and Lt Coward, for their patient and unstinting support over the course of the year, and for their time, effort and energy. Lt Col Dan Culley
OUTDOOR CANFORD ENTERPRISES COMMUNITY
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme DISRUPTION permeated so much of what we did here at Canford last year. Undeniably, individuals’ progress on the DofE programme has been affected and many pupils will not achieve the award as a result. This is down to a lack of contact with us, a lack of opportunity, or simply students being overwhelmed by a situation that demanded greater initiative and motivation. However, there is much that those who were proactive can be very proud about and reflect on, with a challenge risen to and overcome. Volunteering ‘During Christmas Term 2020 I was unable to continue with Shell hockey training due to restrictions but was boarding so could not do anything else. Over Christmas and New Year holidays I had to self-isolate and then more restrictions came into force in January. So I started to help the elderly and vulnerable with collection and delivery of food and supermarket shops. In February I started to cook meals and deliver it to those that are still in isolation or ill. I made meatballs and spaghetti and delivered it to people’s doorsteps, Covid safe.’ Physical ‘Throughout the year, karate has allowed me not only to progress with my fitness but also to learn technique and discipline and I have gained more of an insight into the art. I have found evidence of my improvement not only in my two gradings, one of which was online as the morning of the grading I had to start a self-isolation, but also in my confidence and knowledge of the finer details in kata and sparring. This year has been unexpected and stressful at times, yet it wasn’t until this year that I realised how important an activity such as karate is to me.’
them in an unsuitable tin. Because of this they did not cook properly. For the future I have now bought a small cupcake tin to go into the oven.’ And later: ‘This week I made cupcakes and buttercream frosting and it went much better than last time, so they tasted nice.’ Expedition The expedition phase has been plagued not only by postponements and fragmented groups, but by Storm Francis and various other challenges. A number of determined students have seen this element through nonetheless; some, having left Canford in June, returned to complete in the summer, while the final batch are venturing forth during October half term to bring the current Sixth Form back on track.
“As ever, those that have taken the programme seriously and persevered have prevailed – which in many respects is exactly what the programme is all about.”
Residential Unsurprisingly, this has been the most challenging to see through but those who have prioritised it have managed it, with choral courses, French and Spanish language courses, the Ocean Youth Trust, cookery, a park ranger course, teaching in Cape Town, working with disabled people, animal welfare, the Christian faith, watersports courses and even an orchestral course in France all challenging and developing our students. Overall, it has been a tricky period but on the flip side many alternative skills have been developed and as ever, those that have taken the programme seriously and persevered have prevailed – which in many respects is exactly what the programme is all about. My congratulations go to those who have succeeded. Dan Culley
Skills ‘I attempted to cook vegan cupcakes this week. However, they were really bad. I am learning to bake and am not at all good at it yet but am planning to learn from my mistakes. I found that I over-whisked the batter, meaning that it began to separate, and then I also did not have a cupcake tin that would fit into our oven, so I had to put
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SUPPORT MATTERS Change is here to stay
“The revitalised Gisborough Hall is already making a major contribution to Canford’s community feel.”
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CANFORD’S ambitious plans to make the school’s estate fit for its second century were just beginning to gather pace as the global pandemic struck in the spring of 2020. The governing body faced a tricky dilemma: should they take a cautious approach and put all major building projects on hold, or press on in the hope that the crisis would be short-lived and normality would be quickly resumed? The inherent strength of Canford’s finances and its robust business plan did provide governors with some leeway for their decision and a sensible compromise was reached: those projects already ‘on contract’, and hence likely to be difficult and expensive to postpone, would proceed, while less advanced plans were paused. In essence, the ongoing work to build a new library and increase the capacity of the assembly hall would continue, as would the construction of the first of two boys’ boarding houses, with the second boys’ boarding house having to wait. Our contractors were also keen to work throughout the lockdown, although the considerable constraints imposed by the lockdown legislation would prove to be particularly restrictive. This, combined with unprecedented challenges and delays within the supply chain, meant that progress on both building projects was often agonisingly slow and frustrating, even though the normal restraints of building while a busy school is in session were largely lifted due to the absence of pupils and staff. First to be handed over to the school was the assembly hall with its original steel roof trusses finally released from decades of being hidden behind a suspended ceiling and serried ranks of bench seating standing proud atop brand-new mezzanine levels. With its capacity increased to close to 800, Canford can now congregate as a whole school for the first time in many years and the revitalised Gisborough Hall is already making a major contribution to Canford’s community feel.
Next off the production line was the impressive new library (pictured) with its glazed link to the assembly hall, which opened in time to welcome back the pupils for the new school year. The last few days before term started saw a veritable hive of activity as the contractors and estates staff worked long hours to ensure that all was ready. Never before have I seen a completed building so closely resemble the computer-generated images used at the design stages and the library sits perfectly within its environment, complementing and contrasting perfectly with the almost century-old Gisborough Hall alongside. More important, however, has been the instant popularity of the new building with our pupils as a place for study, and the demand to book the three meeting rooms, which has exceeded all expectations. In all, the project is proving a great success. Last but by no means least comes the first of the two new boys’ boarding facilities. Nestled between Court House, the Real tennis court and the Old Farmhouse, on the site of the now demolished Old Court House, the new home for School House (pictured) will be occupied immediately after October half term. Whilst many will miss the undeniably unique character of Canford Manor with its charm and quirky layouts, no one will miss the unreliable plumbing. As the new School House begins to be filled with the life and laughter so essential in transforming a bare building into a home, so the second new boarding house, now signed off by the governors, grows ever closer to completion next door. It was the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, who said that change is the only constant in life, and that certainly rings true 2500 years later as we prepare for the beginning of Canford’s second century as a school. David Brook, Managing Director and Bursar
sport 2020/21 will definitely go down as a strange year for everyone, and particularly the world of Canford sport. It started with a term of internal sport, went back to remote learning, next a brief period back in summer competition, followed by a disappointing ending with all being back at home. However, what it did show was the amazing resilience of both Canford pupils and Canford staff to meet whatever challenges were thrown at them. Key highlights of the remote learning period were seeing the development of some of our younger pupils via the Athletic Development sessions, which will give them sound foundations for their future sporting endeavours. It was also amazing to see the number of kilometres clocked up across the finish of Canford Round the World, CardioFit, Challenge 21 and also from the netball teams brilliantly led by some of the Sixth Form girls. Skills School was a popular addition to the programme, delivered via Instagram by some of our graduate assistants. Other live sessions, including HIIT (high-intensity interval training) and Crossfit, gave the pupils the opportunity to work on their physical wellbeing in this tough period for all. The time of lockdown reminded us all of the need to look after ourselves both physically and mentally. This was delivered through some of the great messaging going out on Wellbeing Wednesdays and Feel-good Fridays via Mrs Clinton and the pupil leaders. Also, the #EATtoEXCEL cooking sessions put out via Instagram by Big Cook (Mr Short) and Little Cook (Mr Cronin) have hopefully inspired all to look again at what we are eating and why. Despite the frustrating end to the Summer Term, it was great to get back to playing some competitive sport and seeing our cricketers, rowers, tennis players and athletes in action both home and away. Fingers crossed that 2021/22 will see a return to some form of normality and Canford pupils exploring, expressing and excelling through their sporting endeavours. Tony Diprose, Director of Sport and Wellbeing In Athletics, training went on throughout the Summer Term, but Covid put restrictions on the number of events we were able to attend. The first fixture in almost two years was just before half term and was away at Dauntsey’s against Winchester, Leweston, Royal High School, Clayesmore, King’s Bruton, Bradfield, Sherborne and the home team, Dauntsey’s. Adam Kwan brought home first place in the senior boys’ hurdles with a new school record of 15.70 seconds and Charlie Bird had a fantastic performance in the 800m and a school record in the 400m with a time of 51.50. Polly Yule smashed the senior girls’ high jump with a height of 1.50, securing her first place. Sam Lukaitis’s jump of 1.70 (his PB) earned him joint second with Adam Kwan. Adam then went on to gain first place in the javelin with a distance of 43.58. In the inter girls, we saw Evelyn Young take first place in the discus, her winning distance being comfortably
over six metres ahead of second place and later in the season she became Dorset champion in the Dorset Schools competition. Also at the Dorset Schools competition, Munashe Motsi came first in the triple jump and Ollie Glen took second, Eliza Miller came second in javelin and Grace Cecil Wright secured fifth in both the 100m and 200m. Rhys Allen has also taken the title of Dorset Champion in the discus, as well as securing a place at the National Schools competition. Rhys has had a successful time throwing the discus this year and represented GB in the U20 age group. Natasha Wilson
“Other live sessions, including HIIT (high-intensity interval training) and Crossfit, gave the pupils the opportunity to work on their physical wellbeing in this tough period for all.”
A season of woe for all, with one cup highlight, best sums up our season of competitive Cricket. For the three senior teams, twelve fixtures were possible with one defeat. 1st XI success came in the inaugural 100-ball cup competition between us, Bryanston, Sherborne and Clayesmore. A superb all-round performance allowed us to dominate the competition and we will look to defend the title in 2022. The U15s were possibly the strongest year group for many a year, but they had the least luck: having progressed through to the county final, they had to withdraw due to our Covid closure in June. A competition that progressed into the nationals led to a season of ‘what ifs’…. The U14As played one external fixture but greatly improved their team ethos, tactics and fielding skills and became highly skilled in wet games Danish long ball! The U14Bs fared a little better and had some close games. Most importantly, players new to the game really grew to love it and hopefully will benefit next season. Girls’ fixtures with Bryanston were possible and lots of internal matches prepared the girls for a very exciting 2022. National cups at U15 and U18 beckon! As ever, our staff were amazing in what was a very difficult season to keep pupils engaged and motivated. Matt Keech
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sport
As with all sports in 2020/21, Cross-country has been very different for the pupils. In the Christmas Term the team got to know the Canford grounds extremely well as we were restricted to running on site, but a mix of time trials and a variety of distances kept the team engaged, competing with each other and themselves by pushing their previous bests. The training throughout the first term set the team up in a good position to compete well against their peers in our annual inter-house crosscountry. Charlie Bird completed the impressive feat of winning for a fifth year running in what was his last race at Canford. With a second lockdown in January, the runners each took responsibility to find their own safe routes to complete their planned sessions which included intervals, hills and some out and back runs. It was interesting to see and hear about the variety of settings in which pupils ran their own sessions. Nothing tests self-motivation like lockdown and I was delighted to hear feedback and results from the runners through the term. One highlight was Serena Blake’s fantastic achievement of 10 x 10km runs to raise money for the NHS. Tim Harris
“The Oaks 2020/21 vintage was, genuinely, the most exciting we’ve ever had at Canford, so it pains me that they never got to strut their stuff competitively.”
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A euphemistic ‘It was a game of two halves’ to describe the two terms of Football would have been a great start – but, alas, untrue. The 2020/21 season didn’t have halves, or indeed matches. What it did have, though, was a group of talented, dedicated and incredibly enthusiastic footballers who made the most of what was on offer. Whether in training or in the internal matches – arranged in a plethora of formats for a degree of variation – our chaps played with intensity and focus. And a great degree of skill. The Oaks 2020/21 vintage was, genuinely, the most exciting we’ve ever had at Canford, so it pains me that they never got to strut their stuff competitively. The Upper Sixth spine of the team –with Oscar Webb, Pavlos Karampoulas and George Vessey worthy of the highest praise – was superb, and enriched with a very strong set of Lower Sixth players. The competitive highlight was the House Football league in the Summer Term. It was hotly contested but ultimately won by Monteacute’s heavy metal footballers. Sindre Vandvik
There were times during the year when I thought that we wouldn’t play any competitive Golf fixtures. However, in the end we did play a few matches. In April, the best four golfers, Adam Reid, Tom Holtby, Charlotte Brook and Felix Wigley, took on a lower handicap team from the Leaf Academy in a new format of golf (I would love to tell you the rules but I signed a NDA so can’t). To add to the drama and pressure on the players, the whole match was being filmed, including using drones, and there were player interviews after each hole. The quality of the Canford golf was superb, with almost all holes parred, and Canford won the first piece of silverware for any sport in 2021 with an impressive victory of 50 seconds – I told you it was a new format! One of the annual national competitions was cancelled this year, just leaving the ISGA Matchplay Tournament. However, with problems scheduling a number of rounds, Adam, Charlotte and Tom played in a ‘winner takes all’ competition against six other schools to see who would progress to the national finals. The weather was atrocious with over 50 mph winds and driving rain, interspersed with heavy showers. The format was the best two scores to count and Adam and Charlotte both scored 29 points. After an anxious wait, King’s Taunton top pair scored 57 points, so we won by one point and qualified for the nationals. Unfortunately, they coincided with the early end of the Summer Term, so we were unable to take part. In House Golf, Adam won the boys’ competition and Charlotte the girls’, with Lancaster winning the house competition. It was great to see so many Canfordians enjoying the golf course during the year when it was difficult for them to do other sports. I know there was jealousy that pupils could use the course but not staff! My thanks go to Kelly Bridges, our PGA pro, and Joe Davis for their expert coaching during the year. And finally, after being a presence around Canford golf for over 40 years, Steve Ronaldson retired at the end of the year. He has done every job possible for school golf and the golf club, even extending to sanding the greens during lockdown, and will be sorely missed by all. We wish him well on the fairways of Northumberland. Gary Shaw
As well as a regular batch of internal Hockey matches to keep the pupils busy across the age range and Upper Sixth seven-a-side ‘Galactico’ encounters, the Canford Hockey Skill School provided a whole series of videos for pupils to replicate at home during lockdown. Core skill development and trick shots were the order of the day, allowing ‘Hockey at Home’ to be a part of their daily routine. The Summer Term brought fresh hope; following a break of over fourteen months since the last official match for our Canford teams, competitive hockey returned with two games apiece for the girls’ and boys’ 1st XIs in rainy May. The girls, in their first outing since December 2019, raced into a 2-0 first half lead following very well taken goals from Imo Fairweather and captain Molly Fairbairn. Millfield recovered in the second period to draw level at 2-2, which was a fair result between two evenly matched teams. Also against Millfield, the boys took the lead through Freddie Peters, whose outrageous first-time flicked finish went high into the net. Thereafter our dominance showed, Otto Thompson slamming in a penalty corner rebound to complete a comfortable 2-0 victory. Bryanston provided the opposition for our girls a few days later, and with vociferous home support we again started sharply, with a 5-0 lead established in the first fifteen minutes. Some positional changes enabled everyone to be fully involved as more goals were shared around the team in the remaining three-quarters of the game. The Upper Sixth had a memorable send off with a clinical 15-0 win.
Ironically, the Canford Lacrosse squad of 2020/21 was one of the strongest we have ever had, but Covid meant there were no external matches. However a strong core of Upper Sixth who have been playing together since the Fifth Form managed to pour a considerable amount of energy into a series of internal matches arranged for Saturdays led by the two captains, Georgie Litchfield and Sydney Brown. As is usual in sport, one of the best incentives to improve is good-quality competition and such was the depth of talent in this core of players that the internal matches were fearsomely fought and there was a very high level of play. Four players in particular excelled: the two captains, goalkeeper Lily Clarke and Nory Warner, who all won nomination onto the Regional Lacrosse Talent Pathway. Unfortunately they were thwarted here too by Covid as the academy weekends were cancelled. Considering the restrictions on the players this year, it was all the more remarkable how much determination and spirit they showed to enjoy playing, no matter what. They certainly had fun! Fingers crossed that we might be able to hold an OCs match in the first week of the Easter Term – January 15th 2022. If you are keen, please let me know: mxb@canford.com. Michelle Bray
sport
The final chapter was played out by the boys in their home outing against a strong Taunton side. Otto Thompson scored an exquisite deflection before adding a second with a well-taken lofted finish past the keeper. Will Whitmore banged in a drag flick and Freddie Peters neatly finished while rounding the keeper. A 4-0 lead inside 15 minutes delighted the partisan crowd. Thompson completed his hat-trick with a smart backhand finish, Whitmore added his second and the team’s sixth with a rehearsed penalty corner, and Tom Prest also bagged a late brace. A very entertaining and high-quality match ended with a resounding 8-2 win for Canford. Congratulations to captains of hockey Molly Fairbairn and Will Whitmore on their selection for the England U18 teams: a fine achievement. And my thanks to all involved in the hockey programme. Matt Collison
“Core skill development and trick shots were the order of the day, allowing ‘Hockey at Home’ to be a part of their daily routine.”
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sport “It was amazing to see match play continue and enjoy being in each other’s company through netball.”
During the first half of the season our Netball players found themselves in lockdown. They quickly signed up to the Canford Netball Facebook page and were excellent at engaging in the challenges. Imi Marley and Alicia Hudson entered the inter-school ‘Sock Shooting’ challenge with other schools in the country and made it through to the third round. All the club were assigned to one of five teams and each team had the challenge to complete as many kilometers as possible per day and post evidence on the Facebook page. A running total was kept, and in total, the netball family clocked up an impressive 6,805.34 kilometres. Luckily, after half term we were able to return to school and engage in actual netball, although under Covid restrictions. It was amazing to see match play continue and enjoy being in each other’s company through netball. The term ended with an Upper Sixth sports dinner, where full colours and the prestigious caps for excellent contribution to netball were awarded to Evie Corn, Milenka Soskin, Talia White and Polly Yule. These pupils have been in all the national tournaments possible since they started in Shells, an impressive achievement. Emily Cridland also received full colours and the Coaches’ Cup for her constant high performance with Team Bath and commitment to Canford netball, while Polly Yule received the Captain’s Trophy for being an awesome leader through a difficult time. Natasha Wilson Like many sports, Real tennis and squash were hit hard by the pandemic. Squash is not necessarily the most socially distant sport and suffered particularly, with a number of activity and carousel sessions dropped and many restrictions, including year-group bubbles, socially distant play and lots of disinfecting of surfaces. The result was that we had many fewer players across the year and limited exposure across the Shells and Fourth Form. However, we did persevere and brought in as many smaller first-year groups as we could to give Real tennis a try on Monday afternoons. The feedback was very encouraging and is likely to result in a change in our format for our new Shells from next year. Although the year has not been easy, we have been highly impressed with all the pupils we have seen. Their attitude and good humour made this unique situation that much easier; I applaud them and everyone else at the school for coming together in this particularly difficult time. Steve Ronaldson, our Head Professional, decided to take the plunge and retire from Canford after 39 fun-
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filled years. He has made huge contributions to Canford and the Real tennis world with his own unique maverick charm. He will be sorely missed by the school, club and whole Real tennis community. He has decided to move just over the border into Scotland and we wish him all the very best in honing his golf game in a slightly more temperamental climate and sampling many a Scottish ale. James Ryan Canford’s Rowing continues to thrive and this season’s scullers were welcomed with generally warm weather and flat calm conditions. Most rowers returned and around 90 pupils, including plenty of Shell boys and girls, enjoyed the boat club. Tuesday and Thursday afternoons were put to good use on the river in preparation for Saturdays, when everyone competed in the club time trial. Without any great expectations, Canford rowers delivered in fine style at the National Schools Regatta held at Dorney Lake just before the half term break. The boys’ quadruple scull clearly had their work cut out as one of 38 crews, with the top 18 to proceed to the A, B and C finals. Racing in the time trial, Ben Shaw, Jackson Kennett, Tenzing Whitley and Archie Gardner went as fast as they’ve ever gone but sadly, they just missed out by the narrowest of margins. However, the boys stayed to cheer on the girls’ eight, who were racing in the final of Championship girls’ eights. It was a first for our Canfordians to be on the start line – with only weeks of preparation – against the best of British schools, but our girls held their focus and gave a fabulous account of themselves to finish seventh. They were: Joanna Way, Elianna Covell, Phoebe Foxley (who had only started rowing on returning to school in March post-lockdown), Buzz Borneman, Agnes Brooke, Hester Mugford, India Herrington and Martha WarrenBarrett, coxed by Inés de la Cruz. Henley Women’s Regatta was an opportunity for the girls to race in one of England’s premier regattas. The crew was as at Dorney Lake, but with Jessica West and cox Imy Woodcock replacing India Herrington and Inés de la Cruz. They qualified into the regatta but were defeated in the first round by Latymer Upper School. However, the Canford girls had accomplished more than had been expected and the parents, who played a massive part, were also delighted to see the girls close the season on a positive note. Buzz Borneman and Archie Gardiner have been nominated as 2021 boat club captains and our congratulations go to both of them. Ian Dryden
sport There has been a tremendous amount of improvement across the board in Rugby over the course of this year. Even without fixtures to measure ourselves externally, the coaches across all groups have reported that we have used this time well to improve skills, game understanding and fitness. In the Sixth Form, the intent to play and the skills to back it up have been exceptional. New boys joining us this year have been well integrated into the group so that it is now difficult to tell who the new joiners are. This group is now a real collective and I look forward to seeing these boys in action. The Fifth Form continued to make steps forward under the watchful eye of Mr Martin and Mr Christopher. Real improvements were made by this group off the field, under Mr Cronin’s tutelage in the gym, and there is no reason to think these boys won’t flourish on the field. By the time you read this, it will be known whether any of this group was ready to push a 1st XV claim in September. The Fourth Form, too, are in a good place, given the lack of fixtures and length of the term. They have done well to stay engaged throughout the year, showing their thirst for the game, particularly with the numbers attending the summer touch sessions and participation in the weights room. This group is packed with ability and
a variety of complementary skill sets. They are especially good at being nice and direct, freeing up space on the edges for their threatening runners. The Shells had half a term on the rugby field, so there is still some work to do, but it was nice to see the boys laying sound foundations from which they can springboard next year. In summary, the year has not been without its issues but in true Canford spirit, the boys have managed any adversity well and played with skill and intent. We await the return of fixtures with real anticipation. Peter Short Just before the Tennis term started, it was announced that sporting fixtures could go ahead and Canford tennis club took full advantage of this. For the senior teams there was a lot of healthy competition to fight for spots each week, making the training session very energetic. This year our tennis captains were Daena Shah and Max Richards. The girls enjoyed a rare undefeated season, with our best win coming in the first match against Taunton, whom we have not beaten in five years, with a marginal win of 5-4. For the boys, the match against Winchester was the performance of the season: despite the loss, a really hard-fought contest. Across the many junior boys’ and girls’ teams, we had an array of mixed results. However, given that we had a year off competitive tennis, all of the coaches were very proud of the performances. Notable wins were the U15A boys against Sherborne 6-3, U14A girls against Bryanston 5-4 and the U15D girls against Dauntsey’s in a thrilling match. I would like to thank all of the players involved in the House Tennis and singles tournaments across the age groups; they were all fantastic events and very competitive. And thanks to the outgoing Upper Sixth, a large group of whom have worked very hard for the tennis team over the years and will be greatly missed. I couldn’t run the club without the dedication of the Canford staff who are part of the tennis club – it has been fantastic to get back out on court with all of you! Emma Bennett
“Even without fixtures to measure ourselves externally, the coaches across all groups have reported that we have used this time well to improve skills, game understanding and fitness.”
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