School News

Higher Education & Careers

Meet the Team

Anna Dawkins

Studied Geography at Cambridge University, qualified as a Chartered Accountant while working in Corporate Finance at Andersens. She was a founding partner of a boutique corporate finance advisory firm, Argyll Partners.

James Hazeldine

Studied Economics and Politics at Sheffield University, and joined Charterhouse in 2000. James leads the team but also teaches Economics and is the current Head of Girdlestoneites (having been Head of Bodeites previously for eight years).

Belinda Sartori

Studied Economics at Newcastle University, then worked in Investment Banking for 15 years, most recently at Goldman Sachs.

Summer 2021 saw all pupils receive teacher assessed grades because of the pandemic. Two-thirds of our pupils’ grades were at A* or A in 2021, but we recognise that success looks different for each pupil. In a difficult year pupils’ strong work ethic, coupled with the generous support of skilled and dedicated teachers, helped many to exceed their expectations. As a consequence, more pupils than ever were successful in taking up places at their first-choice university.

Internationally, 14 went to study in the US at Brown, Boston University, NYU and UCLA. A further 8 went on to study at other international universities

Top 5 university destinations 2021:

1. UCL 2. Exeter 3. Edinburgh 4. King’s College, London /

Newcastle

Top 5 courses 2021:

1. Finance & Business 2. Politics / International relations 3. Engineering 4. Economics 5. Biochemistry, Biology,

Biomedical, Chemical Sciences

Top 5 university destinations 2020:

1. Durham / Exeter 3. King’s College, London 4. LSE / Imperial /

Manchester / Bristol

Top 5 courses 2020:

1. Finance & Business 2. Engineering 3. Economics 4. Politics 5. Biochemistry, Biology,

Biomedical, Chemical Sciences

Application Cycle for 2022

We expect this current application cycle to be very competitive. Universities are struggling with excess numbers following the pandemic-related grade inflation over the last two years, and a higher number of pupils leaving school. In September 2021, the UK government also announced that pupils sitting GCSEs and A levels in 2022 will receive fewer top grades than this year’s cohort. The 2022 exams will be treated as a ‘transition year’ with grade boundaries set midway between the pre-pandemic levels in 2019 and the record number this summer, with grades returning to normal by 2023. The proportion of pupils getting A*s and As is likely to drop by 10% on 2021 results, when 45% of entries were awarded A* or A, compared with 25% in 2019. This reduction in top grades means the most competitive universities are being much more cautious about the number of offers they give out than in previous years.

Oxbridge and International

Oxbridge applications are increasingly competitive. In 2020, 43,840 people applied to Oxbridge for 8,642 offers. Of those accepted, 69% got 3A*s or better at Cambridge and 58% at Oxford. The number of places going to independent schools has fallen from 41% in 2011 to 29% in 2020.

Internationally, we have seen an increase in applications to both the US and overseas universities such as Bocconi.

What is Charterhouse Connect?

Charterhouse Connect is our online platform for OCs and parents. With over 3,000 contacts in the directory, all searchable by location, career profile and how they are willing to help, this is a great resource to either build your own network and opportunities, or seek opportunities and internships for your children. There is also a Resource Library which hosts some talking head videos on a number of careers and an events section updated with all our upcoming events for the community. To join please use this link: www.charterhouseconnect.org.uk

Life After Charterhouse

We work hard to prepare pupils for the increasingly competitive graduate market and make sure they develop essential employability skills. There are numerous societies, lectures and talks at Charterhouse and we offer CV, cover letter and LinkedIn sessions for pupils. Although it has been difficult for pupils to find work experience in an office or business, one upside of the pandemic has been the rise in virtual work experience opportunities and insight events and these are a great way to learn about different careers.

To gain a greater understanding, all 2YS attend a talk about the graduate market which highlight the importance of work experience to increase their chances of a successful application. With over 82% of students being awarded a 1st or 2.1 degree in 2020, it is increasingly important that they have other ways to impress employers.

Facts about the Graduate Market*

400,000 graduates leave UK universities each year and the top 100 firms look to recruit just over 21,000. PwC had over 100,000 applicants for 1250 places this year.

*High Fliers Research

Final year students who’d completed an internship or other work experience were 3 times more likely to have received a definite graduate job offer, compared with those who’d had no work experience at all.

32% of the Top 100 jobs went to students who had done an internship with that employer. That figure rises dramatically for some sectors: 76% of graduate roles in Investment Banking and 58% in Law are filled by students who had already worked for the employer while at university.

5 Top Tips to Increase Success

1. Develop transferable skills through work and activities outside your course 2. Do work experience / apply to internships in the 1st and 2nd year at university 3. Practise psychometric tests used for selection 4. Visit your university Careers Office and attend company presentations and skills sessions 5. Sign up to Charterhouse Connect.

School Music

In the last few weeks of LQ2021 we were delighted to be enjoying a return of face-to-face teaching.

The achievements of our pupils, whilst engaged with Charterhouse@Home and Music@Home were, of course, worthy of celebration but it was so nice to be able to physically see and talk to people and hear the sounds of instrumental playing emanating from the Music Department once more.

CQ2021 ensured we all had lots to look forward to. In May we began our Evening Recitals programme, the first of which showcased truly exceptional performances by pianists Taki EjimaDalley (V) and Charlie Harrison (G21), alongside wind players Tony Zhang (H21) and Horace Choi (G). This was followed by our second Evening Recital just prior to Exeat. Vocal talent was firmly on display that evening with Eva Pomery (F21), Katharina Wallach (F21), Charlene Zehnder (F21), Nyx Fei (C21) and Sam Troy (G21) all taking to the stage. The four girls sang Ben Ponniah’s Litany to the Holy Spirit and each of them then performed one of Vaughan Williams’ Four Last Songs. A particular highlight of the evening was Bach’s Cantata no.82, performed by Sam Troy and accompanied by a string ensemble and solo flute. Jonathan To (L), then in his first year, also joined the quartet playing the cello.

CQ also saw a wonderful array of pieces from pupils all across the School as part of our Composition Prizes. Judged by the Head of Composition at Winchester College, Mr Oliver Tarney, Elvin Lam (H21) and Jago Brazier (R) were judged Senior and Junior winners with the Intermediate prize going to Eddie Chai (R). Lancelot Liu (S) was rightly Highly Commended for his astonishing piece for solo piano.

By this point of Quarter rehearsals for the School musical, Les Misérables, had significantly ramped up and we waited with baited breath to see if plans would be thwarted by this never-ending pandemic. And, unfortunately, Covid did rear its ugly head. Come performance week we found ourselves in an almost unheardof scenario – the first time cast and band would hear each other, would be on opening night itself! Both parties rose to the occasion and the cast were supported beautifully by a band of professionals and students alike. Huge congratulations to everyone involved as we saw five amazing performances to a live audience of grateful parents, students, friends and families, who all came along in their bubbles to support and celebrate this achievement.

After a welcome summer break the Music Department leapt into OQ2021 offering more opportunities for pupils to get involved with a range of new ensembles at Charterhouse: a Junior Chapel Choir alongside the main Chapel Choir; two Junior String Orchestras alongside Chamber Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra; and a Junior Wind Band alongside Jazz Band. It’s also important to mention that OQ2021 represents the first year that the School has been too big to fit everyone into Chapel, which means that for the first time ever there are two Chapel services, one for Year 9-11 pupils and one for the Specialists.

As rehearsals began for the next School production, all eyes were on the highly contested House Singing Competition. We were thrilled to

welcome back to adjudicate Emily Dickens, British Soprano and Choral Conductor (plus former member of acclaimed vocal group Voces8). And what a treat we had! But, winners there must be and four winners were chosen this year – two boys’ Houses and two girls’. Lockites (with Bohemian Rhapsody) and Gownboys (with Waterloo Road) took the boys’ prizes whilst Northbrook (with Don’t Stop Me Now) and Sutton took the girls’. Sutton triumphed overall with their performance of Jessie J’s Price Tag.

As we marched towards Christmas our pupils delighted us with the most moving services for Remembrance Day. Both Chapel Choir and Junior Chapel Choir performed in their respective services; Tim Colin (B) was masterful in his performance of The Last Post on both occasions. Such wonderful displays continued with Piano Prizes; an absolute triumph this year. Highly sought-after chamber musician and soloist Annabel Thwaite came to adjudicate our performers from Year 9 right up to Year 13. There were many highlights including Jack Wong’s (H) jazzy performance of Chris Norton’s Jingo, Taki Ejima-Dalley’s (V) rendition of Berg’s Sonata op.1 and Ava-Louisa Christiansen’s (F) performance of Scriabin’s Impromptu in B Minor, the latter winning the open class of the evening. But it was Justin Wang’s (L) astonishing 32 Variations in C Minor (Beethoven) that took the overall winner’s crown. Late November saw the return of end-of-term festivities bringing joy to the campus like no other time of year. The returning Junior Jazz Band and Big Band performed at the annual Jazz Concert (foot-tapping as always) and Chapel Choir gave two hauntingly beautiful Candlelit Carols. Chapel Choir, who rebuilt and reformed at the start of this Quarter (Covid more or less disbanded this ensemble the past two years), performed superbly, full of musicality. There were some beautiful contributions, including wonderful solos from Felicia Freeman (Su) and Hattie Palmer (F). The Junior Chapel Choir joined the Chapel Choir for the Parents’ Carol Service – the coming together of two Chapel Choirs for a major service, a unique event.

And no look back would be complete without the wonderful School production of A Christmas Carol. The company brought life and light and some much-needed theatrical festive cheer to full houses in the BTT.

As we turn our attention to LQ2022 we find ourselves in a very special year: one that celebrates the School’s move to Godalming 150 years ago (see page 26) but also the 150th anniversary of one of our most celebrated OCs, Ralph Vaughan Williams (see page 6). Not only will Music continue to play an important role in the fabric of the Charterhouse community but our aim is to bring this to the wider community. It should be a very exciting year indeed!

In November 2021 Claire Wang (Su) won third place in the Wales International Piano Festival, a remarkable achievement as the age category was up to 20 years old. At the age of 14, Claire performs to an astonishing standard and we are thoroughly excited to see her progress.

In the same month we had further success with Justin Wang, no relation, who made it to the final of just three competitors from the Hong Kong and Macau region for the 2021 Steinway Competition. The odds were stacked against him as the other two performed live from Hong Kong whilst Justin’s performance was livestreamed from Hall early one Sunday morning. Against the odds Justin won the ‘Professional C’ category.

Sport

Cricket

Cricket made a welcome return in 2021 and we were able to play most of our matches. The weather, however, had different ideas and many games were lost. The 1st XI, led by Ayush Patel (S21), had a mixed year with some fine performances but struggled to convert them into wins. Girls’ cricket made a welcome reappearance, and we look forward to a full programme of this next year.

Athletics

It was great to get back to competition last year with a full fixture card. Charterhouse hosted two 5-school meetings, as well as the Waverley Trials. The Removes were the strongest individual year group and the best athletes were in 1YS, one of note being Jeremy Ogbonna (H) who broke the School high jump record.

Boys’ Football

The 14A and 15A teams both made a fantastic start qualifying for the Elgin League Semi-Finals in LQ2022 after finishing top two in their division. The 15D, 15E and 16C teams all had strong seasons with excellent coaching from their beaks. The 16A team lost four of their players to the 1st XI every week, yet showed fantastic strength to produce some excellent results. The senior teams all had productive seasons with the 5th XI’s 6-1 win at Eton a standout result. The 1st XI had a challenging season but finished on a high note with a brilliant 5-2 win over Millfield. OQ also saw the launch of a fantastic partnership with the Chelsea FC Foundation who provided coaching support as well as coach mentoring to the football beaks.

Girls’ Football

Whilst we usually would have two large squads, this year we had just one, although some new strong players did arrive in the Specialists, adding to our talented team. Captained by Alexa Mukherjee (Su) the girls gave good performances against Westminster and Gordon’s but unfortunately drew ACS Cobham in the cup. Next Quarter they will play in our Invitation Tournament and the exciting house matches, which are usually highly competitive.

Girls’ Hockey

OQ saw the return of competitive hockey for our girls. We also had our 1st U14 and U15 teams representing the School in girls’ hockey. The U14 girls qualified for the county cup finals and the 1st XI recovered from a rocky start to win a number of matches in the second half of Quarter. The leadership team of Emma Haynes (Su, 1st XI Captain), Hattie Cole (Su) and Pippa Rogerson (Su, Vice Captains) have definitely moved girls’ hockey to a good place.

Girls’ Lacrosse

OQ saw the best season of Lacrosse to date with many players arriving in Specialists who had played before. The girls worked hard with Phil Collier and results in matches went our way. Dominating most with high scores we went into our Invitation Tournament looking strong. On the day, one result didn’t go our way and we ended up with the bronze; a good result as a newly formed team. House Lacrosse was also a highlight with Sutton taking the win for the second year in a row. Annabel Lawson (Su) did an incredible job as Captain this season.

Boys’ Hockey

It has been fantastic to welcome boys’ hockey back to the pitches. The 1st XI enjoyed success in the early rounds of the national cup with a good win over Churcher’s College but were knocked out by Bradfield College in the last 32. The U14A team have shown great promise and, along with the U14B team, remain unbeaten in Saturday fixtures. This team represented the School in the County Cup qualifying round and narrowly missed the final’s day on goal difference. The block fixtures against Cranleigh, Eton and Bradfield have all been hard fought and the senior teams have struggled against combative opposition. All matches have been fiercely competitive so far. Looking ahead to the spring, there will be some stiff opposition playing Reed’s School and Tonbridge as Saturday block fixtures and RGS Guildford in a Friday Night Light event on the last week of LQ.

Girls’ Netball

This year we held a Pre-season Tournament for the 1st team to prepare them for the season ahead. Having not played last year and being newly formed, we didn’t know how we would fend but they played very well and won the tournament. The 1st team have also had some good wins against local schools, Tormead and Ibstock Place. Annie Arbuthnott (Su) and Hattie Cole (Su) are leading the 1st squad with outstanding enthusiasm and the season looks bright.

This year we have six teams at senior level at a very high standard; those OC matches in future will certainly be of a good level. The Under School netball has also been successful, with every girl playing every week. Both the U14As and Bs remain unbeaten. After Exeat we will host Invitation Tournaments for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and U14 age groups which are sure to be a highlight for the season.

Water Polo

The boys’ U18 team had a fantastic start to OQ, winning their first 3 games. Later in Quarter they then partook in both the London Schools’ Tournament and the ESSA National Tournament where Charterhouse have progressed through to the Plate semi-finals (in both), taking place in LQ. OQ also played host to the U16 House water polo tournament, where, after a tight game against Hodgsonites, Daviesites were victorious.

Fives

Fives fixtures began again in September 2021. There were some tough losses against schools but, importantly, we did not give up and gritty performances led to hard-fought victories against Cranleigh and Westminster. The squad has come a long way and we look forward to the future.

Badminton

With the restart of sport came 70 Carthusians back on the badminton courts, with the usual space pressures that this entails. The squad was soon up and running again, under the careful tutelage of coach Dave Greatorex. Fixtures began and it was especially exciting to see first pair Nicole Poh (F) and Bill Zhang (S) (Captains) beat Harrow at a fixture that is often considerably one-sided in Harrow’s favour. The squad is improving rapidly and are very committed.

Basketball

The U18 team played eight fixtures in OQ, winning five. Captains Aidan Tang (S) and Jeremy Ogbonna (H) have ably led throughout. The Charterhouse Basketball team reached the final of the 2022 Wellington Basketball Tournament, beating Eton College, Harrow, Winchester College and Wellington College before losing to Bishop’s Wordsworth School in the final.

Squash

The 1st V have had a very successful start to the season with eight wins in friendly fixtures. The team also reached the semi-final of an Invitation Event at Surrey Sports Park and have reached Stage Two of the National Schools Championship. Captain Alex KelseyFry (S) has represented Surrey and Dominic Smith (V), ex Middlesex player, has showed outstanding skill at no. 1. The U14 girls’ team reached the final stage of National Schools with an unexpected win over Brentwood, despite all being beginners. Good luck to them in March at Nottingham!

Racquets

1st pair Charlie Bridges (W) and Toby Pascoe (g) got the season off to a fine start beating Haileybury 3-0. The Yearlings also made a great start with Ollie Webster (D), Alex Magliana (D) and James Robertson (D) all contributing to victories whilst the entire squad grows in strength.

Shooting

National and Cadet Shooting Competitions are back, and two of the squad have also been selected for National Cadet Teams. The training squad are all currently engaged in training and competing in the British Schools ‘Spring’ Small-bore League and the Cadet small-bore and air rifle competitions this Quarter.

Golf

Golf has been competing in our usual range of competitions and friendly fixtures. Our competition squad has also enjoyed some individual and group coaching at Worplesdon GC, where we have played several practice rounds. We are currently preparing for the Gerald Micklem trophy at Woking GC in the second half of LQ.

CAP

The Charterhouse Athlete Programme has grown this year with the welcoming of Fourths and Removes girls, totalling up to 79 pupils on the programme. Six weeks in to OQ we implemented the new testing battery assessing speed, change of direction, aerobic fitness and recording maturation, which brought out the competitive spirit in the pupils. By the end of OQ all CAP pupils received a performance review which visualised all training monitoring and testing data that had been collated over OQ, allowing pupils to reflect and identify their strengths and areas to improve.