Ocellus Michaelmas Term 2018

Issue 40 • January 2019 • Record of Michaelmas Term 2018

THE

OCELLUS From the Headmaster

Some of you may have seen back in December the news reports of the Yorkshire school that ‘banned Christmas’. Of course the school did no such thing. It all stemmed from an RE teacher who wanted pupils to think more about the meaning of the holiday, and the presents they would soon enjoy. She announced mischievously, at an assembly, that the school would suspend Christmas celebrations unless the pupils could show they understood that it is more than a commercial conspiracy to impoverish parents. But many parents were indignant and wrote angry letters, local newspaper coverage was quickly overtaken by reports even in The Times and the BBC about Scrooge and political correctness. But, what the teacher actually wanted was to highlight the importance of Christmas, as primarily a Christian celebration, and one with evergreen messages about peace, and goodwill to all people. One feels the irony of that must have been lost on many of those who were outraged. I would rather hope that most people of goodwill will have welcomed the teacher’s intent. We know how important Christmas is to shops and manufacturers, and how much we rely on their success for jobs and the survival of our High Streets. But if you take away everything that associates it with its religious roots, what is left is hollow and shallow. It will be a great consolation to teachers to know that the children of that Yorkshire school, at least, knew what their teacher intended and embraced the challenge. In doing so, they will have gained a better understanding of the message of the angels, the plight of the poor and exiles and the real value of giving and receiving. Unless she is bruised by the response, I would not be surprised to hear that the RE teacher sets new challenges in the coming year, to discover the meaning of the Jewish festival of Pesach, for example, the significance of Ramadan for Muslims, and why Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Buddhist and Sikhs alike. That way they will also come to understand more fully that our peaceful future depends on a willingness for people to value each other, and a tolerance that works both ways.

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Front Page Photo: The Cokethorpe Plinth during War and Peace Week

Academic Contents

Page

From the Headmaster 1 Academic 2-7 Junior School 8-13 Sixth Form 14-15 The Arts 16-18 Sport 19-21 Houses 22-23 AOB 24 Beyond the Classroom 25 The Cokethorpe Society 26 CPA 27 Annual Fund 28 Wider Community 28 Archives 29 Tail Feathers 30 ‘Ocellus’ (pronounced ‘oh, sell-us’) refers to the eye in the tail feathers of a peacock.

First Form Technology Challenge Results Winners Jonathan Li Edward Chorley Finley Gregory-Newman Grace Soden Nathan Robertson Poppy Symonds Runners-Up Felix Batchelor Nancy Christensen James Harris Toby Lu Michael Rose Matilda Talbott Amaia Bowles Oliver Davies Amelie Hughes Alistair Murray Sam Slatter Thomas Wall

STEM Week

‘During the week commencing Monday 24 September, the School embarked upon a series of activities, lectures and competitions for STEM week. This year the programme was packed full of thought provoking and challenging events for pupils and staff to get stuck into. During Wednesday lunchtime a STEM Fayre took place which was an opportunity for pupils to see how STEM subjects have an impact on the curriculum. As well as looking at how lungs operate with the Biology Department, the PE Department demonstrated performance analysis. Many other activities went on, such as Maths code-breaking and the Paper Aeroplane Challenge, where tutor groups were tasked to make a paper aeroplane that could fly the furthest distance. The winners from each House went through to a final on Thursday. The winning distance of 20.7m was achieved by Charlie Whitby (Third Form, Feilden). First Form enjoyed a trip to Bletchley Park, and the National Motorcycle Museum also brought some vintage motorcycles into School and discussed the history of motorcycle engineering. There were also several talks and workshops including bouncy ball making and understanding sustainable energy.’

Mrs Clarke

Lower Sixth English Trip to Investigative Journalism Conference

‘On Friday 18 October, Lower Sixth English Literature students attended a conference entitled Conspiracy at Goldsmith’s College, London. The conference, curated by The Centre for Investigative Journalism, featured talks from experienced investigative journalists, whistle-blowers and hackers on topics ranging from spies to an algorithm used to identify serial killers. Students were particularly interested in the panel entitled Spies Like Us: The Return of the Espionage Act, which highlighted the dangers faced by journalists in hostile environments and featured a heated question and answer session, the subject being extremely controversial and topical. The conference provided information on a variety of interesting topics as well as a useful insight into investigative journalism.’ Miss Jackson

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First Form Technology Challenge Day

‘As part of STEM week, the Design and Technology department ran a morning activity for the First Form. Working in teams of six they designed, costed, marketed and created a souvenir to be sold at tourist attractions in New York. The teams organised themselves by sharing out roles and responsibilities including design, costing and manufacture, and by arranging meetings during the morning to discuss progress and share ideas. The deadlines were tight but the teams worked hard to deal with the pressure. It was impressive to see the collaboration and support provided to one another.’ Mrs Brown

Academic First Form Trip to Bletchley Park

Visit from the National Motorcycle Museum

‘As part of STEM week, the pupils in First Form visited Bletchley Park on Friday 28 September. This fascinating former military intelligence base was a fantastic way for the pupils to learn about how their own code-breaking in lessons had been used during the Second World War.

On Thursday 27 September, a visit from the National Motorcycle Museum provided a thrilling addition to STEM week. The Museum Director James Hewing and restorers Wes and Kyle Wall brought three incredible machines to School to demonstrate the mechanics of motorcycles. Pupils also heard talks about the history of British motorcycling by James and Mr Carter, our resident motorbike aficionado. The visit was rounded off with a live demonstration. We are extremely grateful to James, Wes and Kyle for giving their time and expertise to support STEM week.

A Level French Trip to Paris

'We had a fascinating trip to Paris, visiting all the tourist sites including the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and a terrace view of Notre Dame. We also spent time in the famous Musée d'Orsay which holds some of the most popular French art and the Museum of Jewish Art and History. We toured around the Jewish quarters of Paris where the book we study, Un Sac de Billes is set. This affected us all as it brought to life the descriptive area where the Jewish brothers lived at the time of the Second World War and was shocking to witness school plaques remembering their own losses. Overall the trip was eye opening and action filled by the events at the metro and attending the annual event of Nuit Blanche which was a very entertaining evening, packed with yoga and music!' Mrs Dawes

Pupils had a tour of the site and were able to see where Alan Turning, the inventor of the Enigma machine, worked as well as trying out a few interactive codes themselves. They also took part in a coding workshop where they were able to use the Enigma machine. It was a great opportunity for all the pupils to get to grips with how maths and technology have had a lasting historical impact on the world.’ Miss Dodson

Fourth Form and Fifth Form Trip to Warwick Arts Centre

On Thursday 4 October, Fourth Form and Fifth Form Drama pupils travelled to Warwick Arts Centre to see one of Britain’s most exciting touring theatre companies, Kneehigh, in their unique production of FUP. Their high energy, anarchic performance about the consequences of loss, included live music, audience interaction and some expert puppetry. The performance was a fantastic eye-opener for the pupils into the many techniques that can be employed on the stage, and will inevitably develop their knowledge and understanding of these techniques ahead of their own GCSE performances later in the academic year.

Fourth Form Art Trip to Oxford

On Tuesday 18 September, Fourth Form artists spent a day seeking inspiration in Oxford. They visited the University Museum of Natural History to draw their collection; bones, fossils, insects and dinosaurs were just a few of the artefacts they saw. After lunch they walked through Oxford to the Botanical Gardens to sketch from the wide selection of plants and trees. They were lucky with the weather, and enjoyed taking in the flora and fauna of the Gardens.

Third Form Trip to Harry Potter Studios

'On Monday 1 October, pupils in Third Form studying Design Technology GCSE had the opportunity to go to Warner Brother’s Studios to The Making of Harry Potter. We started the day by looking around the studios and the sets, costumes and props including the Great Hall and the Forbidden Forest. Then we went to a workshop where we learnt about how the sets are made. This included how production moves from drawing to white card models, and how the design will then be made as a real set. At the end of the day we got a bit of time in the shop. It was an amazing day!' Lucy Jenkin (Third Form, Gascoigne)

Sixth Form Trip to Classical Athens Conference

‘On Thursday 27 September, Sixth Form Classicists journeyed to Oxford to take part in the Oxfordshire Classical Association annual conference. The topic this year was Classical Athens. Students enjoyed talks from a host of stellar Oxford academics, such as Prof Gregory Hutchinson on the topic of how we understand Classical Athens and Dr Marchella Ward on the Tragedies of Sophocles. The Classics Department, and those Sixth Form students who attended, look forward to returning the welcome they received from Magdalen College School, when they host a similar event in February at Cokethorpe.’ Miss Murray

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Academic A Level Art Trip to Cornwall

Third Form Army STEM Day

‘During the October half term, the Sixth Form Art and Textiles students visted Cornwall to help inspire their ongoing coursework. There was a good mixture of practical work at the St Ives School of Painting and on the cliff tops of Cape Cornwall, which was followed by a session of critical analysis at the Tate and some of the commercial galleries in St Ives. The students benefitted hugely from interaction with the environment and the artwork they saw, much of which has impacted on the work they are now producing the in classroom.’ Mr Lawson

‘Third Form Design Technology pupils took part in an Army STEM workshop which focused on using LEGO Mindstorms Robotics to complete a mission. Pupils were able to show off their creative skills by building robots that were interesting to look at as well as carrying out the intended functions. The workshop provided a challenging enrichment to the curriculum and the pupils enjoyed fine tuning the program they had created for their robot to carry out the task.’ Mrs Clarke

Classics Trip to Italy Lower Sixth BTEC Trip to Unipart ‘On Monday 12 November, Lower Sixth Business BTEC students had an opportunity to meet with the Human Resources Director of Unipart, a multinational logistics and supply chain company, at their headquarters in Oxford.

The students were able to see how the recruitment process operates within this large organisation and the importance of adhering to employment legislation. This was a fantastic insight into the realms of recruitment and all came away with lots of tips on how to survive an interview and the assessment centre process. This will no doubt be extremely valuable knowledge for their own future endeavours.’ Mrs Gregory-Newman

‘During half term, a group of us set out on the Classics trip to Pompeii, very much looking forward to the sunny Italian weather. Despite the rain on our first day, we enjoyed a tour of the town of Herculaneum followed by a visit to the archaeological museum in Naples. The weather brightened for the rest of our trip and we enjoyed a visit to famous city of Pompeii. We also visited other historic sites such as the cathedral in the town of Amalfi. We all enjoyed our visit (and of course the ice cream)! Thank you very much to Miss Murray, Mrs Speight and Mr Laver for taking us.’ Poppy Wehrle (Fifth Form, Queen Anne)

Ha-Ha Launch Evening

'On Tuesday 11 September, the launch event was held in the Corinthian Room for both the Junior and Senior Ha-Ha, the School’s annual anthologies of creative work. Containing some excellent submissions in the form of poetry and prose, the anthologies are always a hotly-anticipated publication that highlights some of Cokethorpe’s most talented writers. From nomadic wolves trying to get on the piggy property ladder to ancient myths inspired by the Ridgeway – both anthologies are full of delectable writing. Pupils and their families attended the launch evening for readings and a general celebration of some inspiring work produced over the last year.' Miss Jackson

A Level English and Drama Trip to Othello

'On Thursday 20 September, A Level Drama and English students attended a wonderful adaptation of Othello at the Oxford Playhouse. This production by the English Touring Theatre Company was last seen by many students at its home in Bristol’s Tobacco Factory. Seeing it re-set for a proscenium arch space gave students much to compare and appreciate, given the significant changes of casting and direction. This production gave students much to discuss about the director’s purpose and the choices of the lead actors in their presentations. The purpose of the trip was to shape Drama students’ ideas for their own devised pieces, as well as to provide English students with knowledge of Shakespeare in performance. It was a wonderful and thought provoking performance that undoubtedly provided the students with a great deal to reflect upon.' Mr Elkin-Jones

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A Level Geography Field Trip

'Despite Storm Callum's best efforts, the Upper Sixth Geographers had a successful field trip to the beautiful Snowdonia National Park. Students practised fieldwork techniques in an upland glaciated landscape, as well as urban and rural regeneration sites before conducting data collection for field work. The students were fantastic in their attitude and work ethic, which will set them up really well for the write up of these projects. After three days of stormy weather, calm prevailed and the group was able to compare two towns with similar regeneration issues before taking on the challenge of the longest zipwire in Europe.’ Mr Capel

Academic GCSE Trip to Berlin and Krakow

'Over the Michaelmas half term, pupils on the History IGCSE course travelled to Poland and Germany to take an in-depth look at aspects of the Nazi dictatorship. The trip started in Krakow, where pupils were guided around the site of the ghetto and Oscar Schindler's factory. A sombre and moving tour of Auschwitz concentration camp and Birkenau extermination camp followed. Pupils commented afterwards on their understanding of the scale of the Nazi terror. There was also time in Krakow to experience the warmth of Polish hospitality during a traditional folk evening. A road trip to Berlin followed over the course of the next day, before a visit to the Wansee villa in a beautiful location on the outskirts of Berlin, where senior Nazis met in 1942 to discuss the Final Solution. Pupils also visited the 1936 Olympic stadium, built as a monument to Nazi power. The trip was extremely successful and helped our pupils put their studies into perspective, and understand more clearly the context surrounding the themes within the course. The opportunity for historians to bring history to life is always valuable.' Mr Carter

Maths Olympiad for Girls

‘In October, three Sixth Form Mathematicians participated in the annual Mathematics Olympiad for Girls. Neve Macken (Lower Sixth, Vanbrugh), Maggie Zhao (Upper Sixth, Gascoigne) and Katie Procter (Lower Sixth, Feilden) all put in two hours of effort. Well done to all of them for giving it their all, and in particular to Katie who achieved a merit.’ Mr Ladell-Stuart

Senior Maths Challenge

‘On the afternoon of Tuesday 6 November, all of the Sixth Form Mathematicians took part in the Annual Senior Mathematics Challenge. Sat under exam conditions, they tackled twenty five multiple choice questions. However, an added pressure came from the fact that any incorrect answers would result in marks deducted from their totals. The results of the challenge are listed below. All are to be commended for their hard work and keeping cool heads under pressure.’ Mr Ladell-Stuart

Senior Maths Challenge Results

Gold Award and Qualified for Senior Kangaroo Maggie Zhao Jacob Short

A Level Drama Trip to Dishoom

Best in School and Best in Upper Sixth Maggie Zhao

A Level Drama students experienced an unusual theatrical production at Warwick Arts Centre on Wednesday 17 October by Rifco Theatre Company. Dishoom is a fascinating blend of Bollywood film fantasy and naturalism set in 1970’s Britain, exploring a number of social, cultural and political issues. With hate crime on the increase and in the midst of Brexit, the play could not be more relevant. It posed many questions that sparked some passionate analysis, including what it means to be British, and lessons that could be learned from the past. It also gave the students some interesting ideas about performance techniques for their own performances.

Silver Award and Best in Lower Sixth Katie Proctor

Textiles Talk with Mrs Pollard

‘Textiles have been an integral part of human daily life for thousands of years. When settled Neolithic cultures discovered the advantages of woven fibres over animal hides, the making of cloth emerged as one of humankind's fundamental technologies. Today we are able to spin complex synthetic fibres, but they are still woven together using the same process as cotton and flax were millennia ago. The library talk introduced pupils to the history, present technologies and the future of woven textiles. To get a taste of the technique, pupils were then able to have a go at weaving on simple card looms, a giant tapestry loom and a traditional weave loom.’ Mrs Pollard

Bronze Award Molly Symonds Luke Storey Benjamin Newport Luke Graham Hollie Jackson Hayden Camidge Millie Henstone Henry Kerton Tom Kirchleitner

GCSE and A Level Drama Trip to Wise Children On Tuesday 13 November, GCSE and A Level Drama students saw one of the most exciting productions of the year at the Oxford Playhouse. Award winning director Emma Rice’s new show Wise Children explored one family’s warped history and their relationship with the theatre.

Littered with Shakespearian references, music, mischief and mistaken identity this powerful piece of theatre taught an important lesson about keeping your innocence and joy while harnessing your wisdom and power. This was part of a series of theatre trips taken by GCSE and A Level Drama students this term to inspire their own performances.

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Academic Pupil Thoughts on the Battlefields Trip

'I just gazed at the thousands of white graves and was utterly flabbergasted'. 'For me, the Battlefields trip was one that I will never forget. One of the most moving experiences was visiting Newfoundland Memorial Park on the Somme, dedicated to all the soldiers of Newfoundland who fought in the war. It was fascinating to hear the individual stories of some of the men who fought and it was particularly striking to see the battlefield where so many soldiers died in such a short space of time. Tyne Cot cemetery was another site visited that was also extremely emotional, and quite shocking. There were roughly 45,000 men there and about 34,000 of them had no known grave. I just gazed at the thousands of white graves, and was utterly flabbergasted. I was also struck by the fact that although it had been the place of a battle it was just so peaceful.' Jamie Wehrle (Third Form, Queen Anne) 'It was a touching moment to watch Cokethorpe pupils lay a wreath' 'Going on the Battlefields trip was one of the most fascinating School trips I have ever been on. It combined moving cemeteries with fascinating memorials to create a unique atmosphere unlike anywhere I have ever been. Having been to two of the sites previously, Lochnagar Crater and the Passchendaele museum, they still took my breath away when we are reminded of the sheer scale of the war itself. Another very thought provoking place was the German cemetery, Langemark, with a total burial of around 44,000 bodies and 25,000 in one grave. Also, on the first night, we went to the remembrance service at the Menin gate where we heard the Last Post and held a minute of silence. It was also a touching moment when we watched two Cokethorpe pupils lay a wreath as part of the ceremony. Thank you to all the staff for organising a trip that we will remember for a long time.' Charlie Whitby (Third Form, Feilden)

First Form and Second Form History Trips

‘As part of War and Peace Week, both the First and Second Form attended a museum trip to develop their understanding of the real world impacts of war. On Monday 5 November, the Second Form travelled to London to visit the RAF Museum and the Imperial War Museum and were able to enjoy their fantastic exhibits, viewing artefacts such as uniforms, weapons and personal belongings of soldiers in both World War One and World War Two. Then, on Tuesday 6 November, the First Form visited a replica of the Bayeux tapestry at Reading Museum, and also enjoyed a workshop run by the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum looking at WWI artefacts.’ Mr Rudge

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First World War Centenary: Cokethorpe Remembrance

War and Peace Week

‘The School commemorated the centenary of the end of World War One hostilities with a week of events entitled War and Peace Week. Mr Lapwood gave a fascinating lecture on the story of Hans and Sophie Scholl, whilst Mr Carter explored the testimony of veterans in his very moving lecture The Voices of War. Mrs Murray gave a lecture on the links between the Classics and the War Poets of WWI and we were lucky to host a visiting speaker, Professor Lowry from Oxford University, who regaled his audience of Sixth Form students and parents with the gripping life of Carton de Wiart, VC. Within lesson time the History Department have explored the history behind the traditions of remembrance in Britain and the Chemistry department gave a demonstration of the effects of chlorine gas. The Second and Third Form created projects commemorating relatives who have served during the 20th Century which was curated by the Art Department. The week itself culminated in the moving Remembrance Service in the quad attended by the whole School. It was a thought provoking week and with all of these events attracting large audiences from across the year groups, it was fantastic to see the pupils of Cokethorpe engage so well with the events on offer.’ Mr Rudge

Third Form Battlefields Trip

On Thursday 22 November, the History Department and the Third Form embarked on the annual Cokethorpe School trip to the battlefields of the First World War. This year was particularly significant as it marked the centenary of the end of the conflict. Visiting the sites of major battles such as Vimy Ridge and Newfoundland Park provided some unique context for study. As well as the sites of battle, pupils also visited several large memorials to the war dead that scatter much of France. Thiepval, the Menin Gate and the astounding Tyne Cot cemetery threw into sharp relief the sheer scale of the conflict. This year, Cokethorpe also had the honour of laying a wreath of poppies at the Menin Gate. It was an eye-opening journey for all of our pupils, who conducted themselves with the utmost respect for the events that took place 100 years previously.

Academic Kid's Lit Quiz

On Tuesday 27 November, over a hundred pupils aged ten to thirteen descended on the Sports Hall once again for the Oxfordshire and Berkshire heat of the Kids Lit Quiz. Teams of four students had to answer 100 questions on children’s literature divided into ten categories, including poetry, authors and nursery rhymes. Of the thirty-one teams that competed for the chance to compete in the national final in London, Cokethorpe finished a highly commendable seventh place amid some stiff competition. An added bonus for many participants was the attendance of popular authors who supported the event and were on hand to sign copies of their books. These included Jo Cotterill, author of the bestselling Electrigirl series, author of New York Times Bestseller Amazing Grace Mary Hoffman, and author of the Astrosaurs series, Stephen Cole.

Kid's Lit Quiz Cokethorpe Team

The team members and reserves for the Cokethorpe team were: Flo Adepoju Dee Biles Alex Brazier Malachy Brown Eddie Comerford Chiara Falzone Felix Horby Amelie Hughes Aoife Kirkham Simran Panesar Anna Pratley Anthony Skelly

Art talk with Mr Lawson

On Thursday 4 October, Mr Lawson held a talk on Art during one of the AOB sessions. The talk discussed the importance of art and artistic subjects in the curriculum and also how we might begin to create it. This involved some audience participation from the group of pupils in attendance who collectively put together a composition. This composition has since been the foundation for a piece of artwork by Mr Lawson which is now hanging in the foyer of the Art Department.

Onatti Theatre Performance

‘On Monday 19 November, the Onatti actors returned to School to put on a play in French about two people who are locked in a room and they have to find clues to get out of it. Cokethorpe pupils helped them find the clues, saying the key words and numbers in French. They responded well to a play that was 100% in French, and so quite a challenge for them to follow at times. We are very proud of the pupils for their enthusiasm and participation, and we cannot wait to see Onatti again. The next performance is in January with our Spanish groups.’ Mme Bertholle

A Level Spanish Trip to Granada

‘Despite initial travel complications due to a delayed flight and missed connection, we arrived in Granada, tired but triumphant. After a long trek up the winding hills of the area, we arrived at the apartment, located at the heart of the historic Albaicín Quarter. The following morning we had another journey uphill, but the destination was unlike anything we had seen before. The Alhambra palace was a marvel of classical Arabian architecture. That evening we also had the pleasure of watching a Flamenco show in a traditional Sacromonte cave. On our final day we experienced a tour of the city with sights such as the imposing Cathedral and the breath-taking sights of San Nicolas Viewpoint. We would like to thank Mrs Semenzato and Mr Laver for taking the time to plan it and accompany us.’ Austin Bowsher (Upper Sixth, Vanbrugh)

Third Form Drama Trip to Blood Brothers

‘Third Form Drama pupils had the exciting opportunity to watch the immensely successful and popular Blood Brothers at the New Theatre Oxford. The play deals with the themes of separation, friendship, loss, love, poverty and superstition and was enjoyed by all with its powerful performances, slick execution and moving score. This experience has allowed our pupils to formulate opinions on the academic criteria vital for live theatre evaluation and has broadened their cultural perspective beyond the classroom.’ Mr Walwyn

Upper Sixth Business Studies Visit to Mini Factory

‘In November, the Upper Sixth Business Studies students visited the Mini plant in Oxford to witness the production of Minis live. Students received a behind the scenes tour from two very experienced and enthusiastic tour guides and were provided with a useful insight into the importance of just-in-time production at the plant. They explained to us the details of the supply chain and logistics as well as other more detailed aspects of production. The sheer scale of the production operation as well as the use of robotics within the process was mesmerising and provided students with a stimulating context to apply their knowledge of the subject.’ Mr Biggs

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Junior School Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat Cast

6KF Narrators (Wives) Grace Clear Amy Maguire Connie Quartley Rosie Doland Pippa Allen Jacob Wilfred Curran-Kövesi Joseph Jack Turner Reuben Thomas Underwood Simeon Jackson Brewer Levi Jack Hammond Naphtali Cohen Bowles Issachar Freddie Morlock Asher Jude Kelly Dan Oliver Grenville-Jones Zebulun Luke Flemming Gad Dana Martin Judah Austin Hunt Benjamin Lucy Webber 3JD Ishmaelites and Camels Darcy Atkinson Oliver Bowden Atalanta Cannell Constantia Cannell Oliver Chorley Isabella Filo Molly Harding Bobbie Hunt Talal Ibrahim Jake Jolleys Beatrice Kendall Wilfred McGibbon Iona Mettrick Edward Mumford Alexander Phinbow Sienna Timms Henry Turner 5VM Joseph Samson Harding Potiphar Antonio Virk Mrs Potiphar Chloe Lukama Servants Amelia Palmer Callum Costley Jack Harris Hugo Mellor Emily Pratt Luke Demain Arthur Butler Millie Cross Lara Wilkinson 4GL Joseph Maggie West Prisoners Harrison Barnes Carter Burridge Isobella Clarke Sophie Grenville-Jones Stanley Harris Heather Homewood Jiho Lee Leo Middleton Isabelle Sales Katie Sheldon Monica Summons 4MM Joseph Daisy Drake Butler Kristian Richards Baker Benjamin Longman Prisoners Nathaniel Brown Merryn Tattersall Lewis Hardy Luella Hickey Seoyeon Lee Isaac Pool Katy Stiger

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Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat Michaelmas Performance

‘The Junior School received rapturous reviews after performing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat on Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 November in The Shed. The much-loved Andrew Lloyd Webber musical celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2018 – an excellent reason for Mrs Du Feu’s ambitious adaptation to be presented to Cokethorpe audiences. Highlights included the spectacular Joseph’s Coat, the candle lit, poignant Close Every Door, the disco style Go, Go, Go Joseph (complete with metallic pom-poms) as well as the emotional finale, Any Dream Will Do, sung by the whole school. Many of the songs were narrated by Year 6 girls who all did an outstanding job at singing every amusing lyric. There were many stand-out vocal performances including the five pupils performing as Joseph as well as the disbelieving, but powerful Potiphar and the energetic, flamboyant Pharaoh. However, it was the joy and energy from the whole cast that resonated with the audience. It was wonderful to see every child from Year 3 to Year 6, in different stages of their Drama development journey, perform together on stage. Once again, thanks go to Mrs Mace who excelled with a sumptuous array of costumes across the board including Joseph’s coat, which was of course a multi-coloured delight. The technically challenging audio-visual aspects added to the high-quality production, with colourful, sombre, moody and spectacular lighting set-pieces and carefully chosen musical links, supported by creative digital backdrops. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat captured everyone’s imagination in an experience that will reverberate for a long time.’ Mrs Du Feu

Year 3 Viking Visit

‘On Monday 8 October, Year 3 children arrived at the Corinthian Room to find Thor the Viking playing his lyre and surrounded by many amazing artefacts including horns, furs and weapons. The children listened intently to the sagas told and enjoyed taking part in a song and dance about a fisherman. It was great fun. The children each had a go at using a quern to grind corn and learned about the foods that Vikings liked to eat. The workshop really enhanced each child’s learning about this period in time. Finally, Thor demonstrated the use of the sword; slicing an apple in half … safely of course! Thank goodness he was a friendly Viking!’ Mrs Dow

Junior School STEM Week

'The week commencing Monday 24 September, the Junior School took part in STEM week. Across the School, children experimented, investigated, used new technology and resources but, above all, had fun! Some were even inspired to become scientists, engineers or designers. The Happy Puzzle Company kicked off the week and the children worked in teams to crack codes on padlocks. The paper plane competition challenged children to engineer an award-winning plane from a sheet of A4 paper. A winner from each class went forward to the whole School final at the end of the week. Year 5 and Year 6 also had the opportunity to test their coding skills with Microbits learning how to construct code to control various LED light sequences. Outside of School, children were invited to enter a competition, to design a Kinder Egg toy. Very well done to winners Pippa Allen (Year 6, Lockwood) and Oliver Chorley (Year 3, Lockwood). The highlight of the week for many Year 6 children was blasting off water rockets in their Science lessons. Children paired up to design rockets and then, once partially filled with water and outdoors, they pumped up the pressure until the rockets whizzed upwards.' Miss Fagan

Pre-Prep Trip to Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre

Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat Cast cont.

4MM cont. Prisoners Ivan ‘t Hart Chloe Webber 5LD Egyptians Emmeline Black Thomas Blackmore Andrew Homewood Hattie Hunt Megan Hunt Josh King Audrey McCormick Hannah Smith Alexander Monaghan Giovanni Virk Butler Imogen Wilde Pharaoh Archie Clarke (6BG) Joseph Zachary Wheeler (6BG) 6BG Narrators (Wives) Amelia Atkinson Matilda Walker Alexandra ‘t Hart Bryony Wyatt Lydia Monaghan Maia Brewer Reuben Felix Pool Simeon Oscar Keates Naphtali Edward Allen Dan Molly Ferrier Asher Cash Burridge Issachar Alexander McGibbon Levi Luke Taylor Zebulun James Mumford Gad Nathan Hunt Judah Jonathan Webster Benjamin Daniel Elliott Jacob Wilfred Curran-Kövesi (6KF)

Year 4 Trip to Roald Dahl Gallery

'The Pre-Prep had a wonderful wildlife adventure at Sutton Courtenay Environmental Trust. Although it was windy, the children were able to test their senses, just like all the animals that live around the woodland. They had fun pretending to be moles and had to feel their way round the trees by holding on to a rope guide. After lunch, we all visited the wild Herb Garden to see what we could find to make a potion. The children thoroughly embraced the hands on experiences and enjoyed holding some wriggly beetle larvae.' Miss Oliff

Hockey Report

'The girls are working hard and the coaching staff have seen some noticeable improvements this season. The U11 and U10 team have been struck with injury which has meant the squad had to adjust, but their performances against Carrdus and Kitebrook this season were excellent. Every girl has worked hard, but some stand out players have been Maia Brewer (Year 6, Symonds), Bryony Wyatt (Year 6, Gwyn), Imogen Wilde (Year 5, Lockwood) and Millie Cross (Year 5, Baker). The U9 and U8 have had a fantastic season, beating schools such as Chandlings, and Kitebrook. They have excited the coaching team regarding the future of hockey at Cokethorpe and I would encourage them to join a hockey club for future progression.' Miss Woodcock

‘On Wednesday 3 October, Year 4 embarked on a journey to a wonderful and wacky world – the world of Roald Dahl! In the heart of Aylesbury, amongst the old Tudor and Victorian buildings, lies the Road Dahl Children’s Gallery. The children explored the gallery, which took them on a journey through all the senses – the various optical illusions were a particular highlight! The children discovered more about Roald Dahl’s action packed life and how he gathered ideas for his stories. Using the Museum’s displays as inspiration, the children decorated a mini treasure chest – somewhere safe to keep mementoes from their own adventures!’ Mr Lewis

STEM Week Paper Plane Challenge Winners Overall Winner for Junior School Jiho Lee (Year 4) Class Winners James Miller (Reception Class) Molly Sheer (Year 1) Ollie Black (Year 2) Freddie McGibbon (Year 3) Luella Hickey (Year 4) Jiho Lee (Year 4) Luke Demain (Year 5) Alex Monaghan (Year 5) Cohen Bowles (Year 6) Nathan Hunt (Year 6)

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Junior School Pre-Prep Nativity Cast Narrators

Amy Lukama Georgia Cross Tamsin Pratt Scarlett Gould The Big Star Joseph Palmer Stars Toby Keates Ollie Black Pearl Geraghty Joshua Crumlish Ted Longman Mia Beechey Mya Demain Sheep Joseph Cranmer James Miller Julia Pisanello Angels Molly Sheer Portia Rudge Katie Bowden Shepherds Xavier Dodd Oliver Mettrick Kings Harry Skeen Brody Sikorski Ludwig Scholler Kings Servants Avalon Harris Berry Drake Joseph Diego Navas de la Fuente Mary Esmae Lakey-Dodson

Pre-Prep Nativity

'On Friday 7 December, Pre-Prep entertained parents with two performances of their Nativity Shine Star Shine. Seven beautiful stars entered the Corinthian Room, their sparkling costumes illuminated and glowing in the darkness. The Year 2 girls narrated beautifully, explaining that this was a story about a big star whose job it was to illuminate a stable for a very special baby. The problem was, he could not shine. This caused untold problems to the visitors trying to find their way in the darkness, including the shepherds with their sheep, and the three kings with their two Servants. Only the angels appeared to be able to see in the dark.The other stars did their very best to encourage big star to shine, including reading him stories, telling jokes, dancing and singing, but all to no avail. It was only when they had the clever idea to take big star to the stable to visit Mary and Joseph and see baby Jesus that he was finally able to shine.' Mrs Du Feu

Year 5 Trip to Buscot Lock

‘On Wednesday 15 October, Year 5 went on a Geography field trip to Buscot Lock, the smallest of the forty five locks on the River Thames. In Geography lessons, we have been learning about water systems so the visit to the lock was invaluable in developing our understanding of these features. We were greeted by members of the Environment Agency who kindly demonstrated how the lock operates and gave a talk about the history of the lock and local area. Following discussions in Geography about the impact of human activity, we looked for evidence of things such as tourism, recreation activities and boating, as well as damage to the local environment. We then went on a walk along the winding river, stopping to observe the meandering bends and local wildlife. We were lucky to see a fox running across the field, as well as various species of bird life. We also saw many signs of autumn in the surrounding plant life and kept an eye out for signs of rabbits and badgers.’ Mrs Davis and Mrs Mersh

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Languages Day

‘On Tuesday 2 October, the Junior School welcomed fourteen presenters to help us celebrate our Languages Day. Parents, teachers and Sixth Form students from across the School shared their knowledge, skills and experience of language and culture from a diverse range of countries including Guadeloupe, New Zealand, Zambia, India, France, Germany, Spain and Italy. The children had fun finding out more about the significance of wearing turbans, about the different languages spoken in Zambia and about how people live in South Africa. Parents from Spain and Germany shared stories from their own culture like St Martin’s Day in November. The day gave all the children a taster of different cultures and languages they will be learning about in language lessons at School.’ Ms Fuchs

Junior School The Big Soup Share

‘Throughout 2018, a range of Junior and Senior pupils have been involved in caring for the School Kitchen Garden. This term, the gardeners have been busy harvesting the crops ready to eat as part of The RHS Big Soup Share. School-grown potatoes, carrots and pumpkins were used by the Catering Team to be served at lunch as a delicious mixed vegetable soup. The RHS Campaign for school gardening launched The Big Soup Share in 2017. Over 57,000 portions of soup were served all over the country as a result. During the week of the event, the Pre-Prep children made decorations for the Dining Hall. They also took part in preparing their own herb and cheese bread to eat with their soup. It was great to see everyone working as a team and to see how excited the children were to be involved.’ Mrs Peace

Congratulations Congratulations to Chloe Webber (Year 4, Symonds) for her selection to the Oxfordshire County Tennis squad. Congratulations to Katy Stiger (Year 4, Lockwood) for achieving her Tae Kwon Do grading award. Congratulations to Luke Taylor (Year 6, Symonds) who has been invited to take part in the Bonus Round of the Primary Mathematics Challenge. Out of the 66,000 children that took part in this year’s Challenge, the top 1-2% are invited to take part in the Bonus Round. The below children are to receive special congratulations for their performances during the Cokethorpe Cross Country Event: Congratulations to Isobella Clarke (Year 4, Lockwood) who placed third in the U9 race.

Junior School Cross Country

‘On Friday 16 November, the Junior School hosted its annual cross country event in our wonderful grounds here at Cokethorpe. The course proved as always very challenging and enjoyable for all of the competitors. This year’s event attracted over 350 runners from fifteen schools across the county. Every Cokethorpe runner deserves commendation for their sportsmanship and effort on the day. The afternoon was rounded off with hot chocolate and cake in the Dining Hall in time for the presentation of the awards - a much needed chance to warm up for spectators and athletes alike!’ Mr Davies

Congratulations to Stanley Harris (Year 4 Symonds) who placed fifth in the U9 race. Congratulations to Hattie Hunt (Year 5, Gwyn) who came in second in the U10 race. Congratulations to Amelia Palmer (Year 5, Lockwood) for her triumphant victory in the U10 race. Congratulations to Archie Clarke (Year 6, Gwyn) who came fourth in the U11 race. Congratulations to Freddie Morlock (Year 6, Lockwood) who placed first in the U11 race.

Stay and Play

U8 and U9 Tag Rugby Tournament

‘The U8 and U9 rugby teams enjoyed a good afternoon out at the Abingdon Prep rugby tournament. Unlike previous years, scores were not officially recorded, so the aim was to just have fun and enjoy playing. A roundrobin style format allowed each school to play each other once, in a ten minute match. The U8 team, who were playing tag rugby, played with great focus. The U9s attacked well and as they started showing more determination when tackling they finally secured a win, proving that in some cases, a good tackle is just as important as a try! Against tough opposition, Cokethorpe competed well and did themselves proud. Some quality tries were scored and they all had fun!’ Mr Lewis

On Tuesday 9 November, Cokethorpe Reception Class welcomed visiting children to an afternoon of Stay and Play. On a beautiful autumnal day the children gathered in the adventure igloo and enjoyed a lovely story about a mole who lost his glasses. Inspired by the story, the children were then blindfolded and followed a special course through the trees using their other senses to guide them. After a fun playtime in the adventure play park the children gathered on the grass to make a ‘mole in a hole’ toy that they could take home. Everyone had a great time and it was lovely to welcome new families to Cokethorpe.

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Junior School U10 Rugby Festival at Magdalen College School

Year 2 Lessons In Pictures

'On the first day back to School after the half term break, the U10 rugby team travelled to Magdalen College School in Oxford to play in an U10 Rugby Festival. Moulsford provided us with our first challenge and it took a while for us to get back to our game form, and found ourselves two tries down in the first few moments in the game. In our second game we proved to be more of a challenge for Warwick School in a very competitive game against a team that would make the final we lost out by only 3-1. Our third game was won comfortably against Windmill School which left Magdalen College to play in the group. This again proved to be a competitive game with one try splitting the teams.

Fire Dress Up

Maths Estimation

Quill Writing

Our final game was played out against our old rivals New College School. Despite having most of the possession and territory, New College scored two break away tries to come away winners by a single score.' Mr Davies

Junior Inter-House Hockey

‘On Thursday 15 November, Inter-House Hockey took place for the Junior School Girls. All girls from Year 3 to Year 6 took part with many of the Year 4 girls dominating the match play from the start. It was a closely fought competition with many goals being scored in nail biting deciders. The top two houses were joint on points at the end so it was goal difference that split the two, with Symonds narrowly scraping the victory. Well done to all the girls who took part, it was a real showcase of just how hard you have been working to master your hockey core skills this season.’ Miss Woodcock

Junior Inter-House Hockey Results 1. Symonds 2. Lockwood 3. Baker 4. Gywn

Forthcoming Events

Junior School Arts Week Monday 4 March 2019 - Friday 8 March 2019 Cokethorpe School Junior School Evening of the Arts Wednesday 6 March 2019 6.00pm-7.30pm, The Shed Nursery Art Competition Saturday 9 March 2019 10.00am-12.00pm, Cokethorpe School Open Morning Saturday 16 March 2019 9.30am-12.00pm, Cokethorpe School

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Treasure Hunt Harvest Appeal

Measuring

This year’s Harvest Appeal in the Junior School was to raise money for a local charity, Witney Talking News. Each child took home a little bag in which to collect coins and notes. An excellent total of £615.68 was achieved. The children were delighted to present a cheque to representatives of the charity in a recent assembly. Three children were then recorded reading items for the Christmas broadcast. Witney Talking News is a free talking news service providing audio, local news for people living in West Oxfordshire who are visually impaired or have difficulty holding and reading newspapers. Each week, local news is recorded onto memory sticks and sent to listeners. It is an important service helping people to keep in touch with what is going on in their local community.

Christmas Appeal

'For this year’s Christmas Appeal, the children filled party bags with an inventive array of small gifts for the children in Kenya supported by the Nasio Trust charity. All these gifts have been sent abroad as Christmas gifts for the Nasio Trust children. For some of the little children, this will be the very first present that they have ever received. A raffle of a reindeer scene has also been held and a total of £55 raised from the sale of tickets. This money has also been donated to the Nasio Trust to help fund their crucial daily work. We have a long-standing connection with this charity and we know that our gifts are much valued. Thank you to Cokethorpe parents and children for their continued support.' Mrs Marchbank

Junior School U10 Cokethorpe Christmas Hockey Festival

‘On Thursday 6 December, Cokethorpe held its annual U10 Hockey Christmas Festival. With nine schools in attendance the quality of hockey on show was fierce. As usual, a wonderful afternoon of game play was concluded with Santa Claus presenting the trophy to the overall winners. The girls had a wonderful Christmas tea, and parents sampled the Cokethorpe mince pies and mulled wine. Congratulations to all the girls who took part, especially those in the Cokethorpe team, who finished an admirable second place. We look forward to next year's tournament and festive fun.’ Miss Woodcock

Pre-Prep Trip to the Pantomime

‘On Wednesday 28 November, the children in the Pre-Prep visited Chipping Norton Theatre to watch our annual Christmas Pantomime. This year we saw the theatre adaptation of Aladdin. From the moment it started we were hooked. There were so many thrilling moments but the one that stood out for the children was the flying carpet ride. This was performed using miniature puppets of the characters on giant top hats. Within the confines of a small theatre, the puppetry sequence created a moment of theatrical magic.’ Mrs Brash

U10 Christmas Hockey Festival Results

After a hard fought competition, the top three places at the festival were:

Michaelmas Term Junior Maths Challenge Report

'On Tuesday 9 October four Year 6 Mathematicians took part in the Maths Challenge at Dean Close School in Cheltenham. They had a fantastic afternoon competing in three rounds of challenging maths problems. These included working through equations and a series of different puzzles. In the week commencing Monday 5 November, two groups of Year 4 and Year 6 children all took part in Maths Challenge events in Oxford and Cheltenham. The Year 6 children encountered rounds of Countdown and a collection of lateral thinking problems. Whilst they tackled this, Year 4 faced a round robin of eight minute problem solving activities.' Miss Fagan

Rugby Report

'The U11 A and B Teams have had a cracking term of rugby. Towards the end of this term, there were a few occasions where we mixed the teams into two equal squads to play matches against slightly weaker schools, giving both the A and B squad players the valuable experience of adapting to working with different players. The U10 Rugby team have competed well throughout the term. We have a small squad of twelve boys in Year 5 who have all worked with a great deal of enthusiasm and commitment, showing improvements in their passing, running and contact skills. The whole squad should be pleased with their performances and progression. The U9 team have moved from playing tag rugby to the more complex game of contact rugby which has been a test for them. Playing lots of games in one afternoon at the various festivals we entered helped immensely with the development of the team. The U8s have had a great season. Their game has developed impressively and they have continued to grow their skills together. This is borne out both by the results of their matches and the excellent viewing they have provided for their spectators.' Mr Davies

1. Akeley Wood = Chandlings School 2. Cokethorpe Junior School 3. Kitebrook Well done to the Cokethorpe team for their wonderful achievement of second place of the nine schools in attendance.

Junior Maths Challenge Results

Dean Close School Maths Challenge Congratulations to Daniel Elliott (Year 6, Baker) and Luke Taylor (Year 6, Symonds), who achieved third place; and Archie Clarke (Year 6, Gwyn) and Freddie Morlock (Year 6, Lockwood) who achieved fourth place out of the 57 pairs of children taking part. Oxford and Cheltenham Maths Challenges Congratulations to Felix Pool (Year 6, Baker) and Wilfred Curran-Kövesi (Year 6, Gwyn) who achieved a very impressive fifth place of 58 pairs. Congratulations also go to Connie Quartley (Year 6, Lockwood) Pippa Allen (Year 6, Lockwood) Kristian Richards (Year 4, Gwyn) Benji Longman (Year 4, Lockwood) Maggie West (Year 4, Gwyn) Merryn Tattersall (Year 4, Baker) Stanley Harris (Year 4, Symonds) Leo Middleton (Year 4, Symonds) Daisy Drake (Year 4, Baker) Katy Stiger (Year 4, Lockwood)

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Sixth Form Introduction to Sixth Form Cheese and Wine

‘On Friday 7 September, after a very successful and energetic Lower Sixth Induction; students and parents were invited to attend a talk delivered by the Sixth Form staff which was followed up with the opportunity to meet with tutors whilst enjoying a glass of wine with canapés. It was a wonderful way to start the new academic year and was followed by a Welcome to Sixth Form Dinner for students and tutors later in the month.’ Mrs Gregory-Newman

Sixth Form Welcome Dinner

‘On Tuesday 25 September, all members of the Sixth Form community came together for our annual Welcome to the Sixth Form Dinner. A refreshing change of pace this year was the incorporation of a Spanish theme - with Spanish art, music and food accompanying a lively evening of laughter and friendship. It was also a wonderful opportunity for tutees to engage in conversations with their tutor outside of the classroom environment. As tradition, members of the Upper Sixth gave a very enlightening speech on how to survive life in the Sixth Form both in and out of school! A great night was had by all who attended, and thanks go to the Catering Team for all of their delicious food.’ Mrs Gregory-Newman

Lower Sixth Students Volunteer for Nasio Trust in Kenya

‘After months of planning, we met at Heathrow at the start of half term in our orange Nasio T-Shirts ready for the flight to Nairobi. We then took a short flight to Kisumu, where we met the bright orange Nasio van which took us to Noah’s Ark Day Centre. The reality of the harsh life that many live there became clear on the second day when some of us visited a family. The father was blind, there were five children and the water source was half a mile up a hill. We took part in many other activities such as sports day at the village school where we played football against a nearby team in front of the locals, and gave out food and toys at the maternity and children’s ward at St Mary’s Hospital. We also taught lessons at the school centres, including teaching older children about differences between the Kenyan and British political systems. At the end of our trip the team hired a band and all the children paraded down the street singing and dancing. The trip was so enjoyable and fulfilling, and we would recommend it to anyone!’ James Shaw (Lower Sixth, Harcourt)

Sixth Form Christmas Party

'The Sixth Form had an opportunity to fully embrace the Christmas spirit on Friday 7 December. The day started with a variety of fancy dress costumes and congratulations to Charlie Summerley (Upper Sixth, Vanbrugh) for winning the overall prize for his Marilyn Monroe outfit! WIT was spent with our annual twist on Advent and many thanks to our wonderful Sixth Form band for adding to the festive spirit. The day continued with the giving out of secret Santa presents and old fashioned party games before attending a fantastic dinner superbly prepared by the Catering Team. The evening ended in traditional Cokethorpe Sixth Form style with the singing of the Twelve Days of Christmas.' Mrs Gregory Newman

Lower Sixth University Visit

'On Tuesday 27 November, Lower Sixth students visited Birmingham University - the first step in planning the next stage of our education. After a talk about choosing the right university, held in one of the University's many lecture rooms, we were treated to a tour of the campus by current students studying a broad range of subjects. Despite the rain, it was enjoyed by all and we were able to immerse ourselves in the University's atmosphere by spending some time in the student union building. Talking to the students offered a valuable and unique insight into life as a student; we were able to ask questions ranging from why choose Birmingham University and how the work is structured, to what life is like living away from home, as well as hear tips for the UCAS application process. Overall, the trip proved both interesting and inspiring, setting our aspirations high and providing a goal towards which to work.' Katie Proctor (Lower Sixth, Feilden)

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Careers Networking

'On Tuesday 13 November, seven Lower Sixth students took part in a networking event held in The Fleece in Witney. We met with several marketing companies who shared their personal experiences in the business and gave an insight into what employers are looking for in young and upcoming business entrepreneurs. The event was not only an interesting experience but also allowed us to exercise our networking and social skills with employers we had never met before, preparing us for later life.' Nell Summerly (Lower Sixth, Vanbrugh)

Sixth Form Model United Nations

Sixth Form Advent Service Dressed as a mixture of elves, convicts and 1920s ‘flappers’, the Sixth Form enjoyed its very own Christmas Carol Service. With support from the Sixth Form band and a fast-moving sequence of carols, music and readings, it was a service to remember. Revd Lapwood highlighted the need for students to stand out from the crowd. This was a Carol Service with much laughter, goodhumour and powerful singing throughout - a typical Cokethorpe event which our Upper Sixth leavers will remember fondly next year.

'Four Sixth Form students took part in a Model United Nations Conference at Oxford University. Nathalie White (Upper Sixth, Feilden), Rachel Dodimead (Upper Sixth, Queen Anne), Téo Loeffen (Lower Sixth, Gascoigne) and Katie Proctor (Lower Sixth, Feilden) represented Jordan and the UK in debates on a range of global issues. They also enjoyed an address from the former UK Ambassador to the UN, Sir Mark Lyall Grant. It was impressive to hear our students speak confidently to a conference of 600 delegates and they thrived in an intellectually rigorous environment.' Mr Rudge

Pre-A Course

Sixth Form Information Evening

The Sixth Form Preview Evening is an exciting opportunity for the current Fifth Form, and those from outside the School who are interested in Sixth Form entry, to gain a greater insight into life as an A Level student at Cokethorpe. The evening highlighted the School’s approaches to A Level and BTEC courses, as well as the number of opportunities available to those completing their full time education with Cokethorpe. Internships, networking, work experience, AOBs and work with the Junior School are just some of the exciting opportunities that were discussed.

Enlightenment Lecture Programme Is Social Media Unhealthy for our Friendships? On Friday 28 September, the termly Enlightenment Lecture programme began with Dr Bernie Hogan from the Oxford Institute. Entitled Is Social Media Unhealthy for our Friendships?, he discussed how the paradigm of human interaction has shifted dramatically since the inception of social media in the 1990. Of the day, Dr Hogan said: 'It was a great experience to get to speak to the students at Cokethorpe about social media and unpack the issues surrounding it. The students were keen and asked some sharp questions. I hope they took away some words of wisdom.'

In early September, the incoming Lower Sixth attended a course over several days to help them settle in to life as a Sixth Form student at Cokethorpe. Entitled the Pre-A Course, this is always a great way for incoming students to find their feet in the School and for former Fifth Form pupils to enjoy their first use of the Sixth Form Common Room. With lectures and activities throughout the week including the exciting Operating Theatre Live, as well as friendly sports fixtures and other events, the week is a wonderful welcome to the Sixth Form.

Careers Talk: Love the Oceans

Pupils from Fifth Form and Lower Sixth Form were fortunate to hear a profound and compelling careers talk given by Francesa Trotman from Love The Oceans, who was accompanied by Mark Thompson (OC 2009, Feilden). They spoke about the non-profit marine conservation organisation that has been working in Guinjata Bay, Mozambique since 2014, with an end goal to establish a Marine Protected Area in the Inhambane Province of Mozambique.

Enlightenment Lecture Programme Reviews

Ms Fernanda Drummond: Reviews the Sixth Form!

On Friday 9 November, Ms Fernanda Drummond of Gapminder travelled from Sweden to deliver a talk to our Sixth Form students using visuals of houses from all over the world to compare the ways in which people live. Of the day, Ms Drummond said: ‘It was a great pleasure to talk to the students about dollarstreet.org. The students were respectful, interactive and curious. They asked advanced questions about how we developed Dollar Street, and how a non-profit organisation, like Gapminder, generates income.’

Dollar Street: Comparing Houses as if on a Single World's Street ‘This highly-visual presentation by Fernanda Drummond was based on research from the Swedish nonprofit foundation Gapminder. The internationally renowned institute specialises in presenting data in visually exciting, meaningful ways. In this case, a representative series of homes and the objects inside them from nations around the world were photographed, inside and out. These were then placed on a spectrum of a single global street, and the speaker scrolled along to reveal the similarities - but often very great differences - between nations. The comparisons shocked some students. In sum, it gave students a broader view on the world, showing them and the staff present how high we truly are on the global scale of things. Exploring that content in more depth, from someone who knows the company first hand, was an enlightening experience for all.’ Molly Symonds (Upper Sixth, Vanbrugh)

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The Arts It's A Wonderful Life Michaelmas Production Cast and Crew

George Bailey George Kinniburgh Young George AJ Rowe Teenage George Tom Orton Harry Bailey Jamie Minns Young Harry Josiah Cannell Teenage Harry Lewie Camidge Mary Hatch Ella Dalton Young Mary Jasmine Hammond Violet Bick Georgie Vallance Young Violet Rebecca Hutchinson Bully Joseph Curry Bully Rachael Elliott Father Bailey James Shaw Mother Bailey Grace Bartle Janet Bailey Jossy Brown Peter Bailey Daniel Ferrier Mr Gower Arthur Eve Ruth Dakin Frankie Brown Mrs Hatch Abbey Malin Uncle Billy Hayden Camidge Mr Potter Sam Carter Sam Wainwright Jack Roberts Rent Collector Poppy Stewart Potter’s Secretary Millie Knight Beddington Society PC Stevenson Rohana Saunders Pam Emily Martland Ernie Alex Brazier Karen Freya Coughlan Nancy Gemma Croker Susie Caitlyn Alford Nurse Miller Jasmine Mellor Bankteller Emily Martland Elaine Lauren Thomas Jane Scarlet Munn Julie Poppy Stewart Eustace Navid Mowat Chairwoman Zoë Smith Ernie Alex Brazier Tilly Clementine Ayres Ralf Lewie Camidge Bess Katie Connolly Bert Joseph Curry Bartender Nick Charlie Summerley Angel HQ Angelica Frankie Gem Jo Hazel Clarence Oriel Dina Laylah Charmeine Sara Muriel

Grace Ettinger Jamie Wehrle Lucy Marshall Molly Cockin Tatianna White Dylan Morris Maddie Abbs-Woodd Lily Cannell Mimi Dobson Mae Topley Amy Goodgame Bella Caffyn

Crew Lighting Tom Whittenbury Sam Copping Hair and Make-Up Mrs L Mace Sasha Palfreyman Millie Henstone Costumes and Props Mrs L Mace Stage Manager Georgie Vallance Stage Crew Tom Whittenbury Morgan Thomas Sam Copping Poppy Harris Charlie Kerton

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It's a Wonderful Life Michaelmas Production

‘It’s A Wonderful Life opened with a rush of excitement as the townsfolk of Beddington gathered beneath the heart-stopping sight of a man edging towards a perilous drop. The emotional energy of this scene set the pace for an exhilarating journey through the life and deeds of George Bailey, as he faced financial ruin and the seeming failure of his existence. On the brink of his suicide, we were whisked off to paradise and the pristine offices of Heaven’s Gate, a celestial call centre for the rescuing of souls in distress. Operated by the hilarious Grace Ettinger (Fifth Form, Harcourt), a team of angels tried their best to intervene before it became too late. There were excellent performances from all angels, but Jamie Wehrle (Third Form, Queen Anne) as the forgetful Frankie, Lucy Marshall (Fourth Form, Harcourt) as the fraught Jo and Dylan Morris (Third Form, Vanbrugh) as the naïve and hapless Clarence stood out with their energetic and polished performance skills. Back on earth, there were many great supporting performances such as Hayden Camidge (Lower Sixth, Vanbrugh) as the exuberant Uncle Billy, Poppy Stewart (Third Form, Gascoigne) as the feisty Rent Collector, Ella Dalton (Lower Sixth, Swift) as patient wife Mary and Sam Carter (Fifth Form, Queen Anne) as the insidious Mr Potter. The evening however belonged to George Bailey, played by different actors to represent the different ages of the everreliable protagonist. AJ Rowe (Second Form, Harcourt) and Tom Orton (Fourth Form, Swift) did a sterling job capturing the youthful intensity of the role, but it was the sincere and honest everyman portrayed by George Kinniburgh (Lower Sixth, Harcourt) who led us on through this heartfelt tale. George created a believable character of generosity and selfless kindness, driven to understandable frustration, as life’s lucky breaks eluded him. Those audiences who were lucky enough to see the performance were entertained and moved in equal measure.’ Mr Walwyn

The Arts St Cecilia Programme

Jazz Band Cold Duck Time Eddie Harris Road Song Wes Montgomery The Jody Grind Horace Silver Harrison Procter Sonata in A Op. 5 No. 9: Preludio Corelli Scarlett Howard If There Are Angels

St Cecilia Concert

'This year’s St Cecilia concert demonstrated yet another plethora of outstanding musical performances by pupils from across all years of the Senior School. This event is notable for featuring a performance by all members of the First Form who this year were joined by the Choir for a superb rendition of This is Me from The Greatest Showman. Complementing this were outstanding instrumental showcases by the Jazz Band and Orchestra, along with a variety of solo and duet pieces that included such works as Carol from Gerald Finzi’s Five Bagatelles for clarinet, Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in E, Can You Find it in Your Heart from Footloose, and Violin Sonata in A by Corelli. The evening illustrated how Cokethorpe’s musicians continue to develop their musicianship and perform to increasingly higher standards each year.' Dr Winkley

McDowall

Isabelle Carnell and Lydia Dale Duet No. V Chapel Choir Teach Me, O Lord

Attwood

Anna Pratley Carol from Five Bagatelles Izzy Ponsford Can You Find It In Your Heart First Form Choir This Is Me

Hook

Finzi Snow

Pasek and Paul

Lukas Russell Love Bade Me Well from Five Mystical Songs Vaughan Williams Charlie Clarke Sonata in E Op. 14 No. 1: Rondo Beethoven Olivia Stacey and Alice Woodwards Laudamus Te Vivaldi Orchestra Medley from Les Miserables Schonberg Symphony No. 5 in C Minor: Scherzo Beethoven Take On Me a-ha

Trip to the Proms

LAMDA Showcase

The LAMDA showcase in the Corinthian Room on Monday 8 October was one of the most impressive to date, with a small number of performers presenting some spellbinding work. Amy Goodgame (Second Form, Feilden) began as Rosaline from After Juliet, followed by Dylan Morris (Third Form, Vanbrugh) who gave a terrifying performance as the institutionalised Jeffrey. Then Jossy Brown (Fourth Form, Vanbrugh) and Rebecca Hutchinson (Fourth Form, Swift) brought some comic relief with their duologue from Backwards. Lucy Marshall (Fourth Form, Harcourt) brought lonely Blanche Dubois from A Streetcar Named Desire very much alive. Mimi Dobson’s (Fourth Form, Gascoigne) Rosie from Things I Know to be True was a sensitive portrayal of a young girl's experience in Europe. George Kinniburgh (Lower Sixth, Harcourt), who was also the host of the afternoon gave a convincing portrayal as the genius Will Hunting.

‘On the Thursday 6 September, the Music Department and the A Level Music students travelled to London to see a performance of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra Chorus, Royal Scottish National Orchestra Junior Chorus and the Huddersfield Choral Society. After a long journey, we finally arrived at the fabled destination; The Royal Albert Hall. We were sat in the Rausing Circle which was just below where the Junior Chorus and the chamber organ were, which gave us an extremely clear sound. It was the first time I had heard the War Requiem and I thought it was one of Britten’s most interesting works, as the choice of texts by W H Auden provided an excellent accompaniment to the traditional Latin text. The standard of the soloists was particularly stunning, with one of the highlights for me being the duet between the baritone and tenor.’ Lukas Russell (Upper Sixth, Gascoigne)

Polite Notice

Empty seats prohibit those on waiting lists from enjoying our productions. May we respectfully remind all parents and supporters of Cokethorpe Drama that unused tickets must be returned to the box office in advance of any performance.

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The Arts Advent Carols Programme

As every year, a wide range of traditional and modern Advent carols were used including O Come, O Come Emmanuel, The Holly and the Ivy and Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending. However, the choir also sung some beautiful carols including a new setting of The Holly and the Ivy and the old favourite, Once in Royal David’s City. These traditional favourites wonderfully offset the contemporary take on Christmas values presented in Revd Lapwood's sermon.

Forthcoming Arts Events Afternoon Music Recital Monday 21 January 2019 4.15pm, Corinthian Room

Advent Carol Services

‘At the busiest time of the busiest term, the annual Advent Carol Services give us all the chance to sit back and reflect. The theme this year was Darkness into Light and the choir led us beautifully with a combination of ancient and modern advent carols, interspersed with seven readings from the Bible. It was a simple message: empower young people to turn on light when they are in dark places. This was illustrated during a minute of silence when everyone was asked to think of a person in need, and then invited to turn on the light on their mobile phones and lift it high in the air. The effect in the darkened church was breathtaking. ’ Mr Lapwood

Open Door to Arts Academy Thursday 24 January 2019 4.15pm, The Shed Choral Evensong Thursday 7 February 2019 4.15pm, The Chapel Second Form Showcase Wednesday 13 February 2019 4.15pm, The Shed Young Musician of the Year Final Thursday 14 February 2019 7.00pm, The Shed Thursday Unplugged Thursday 7 March 2019 4.15pm, Corinthian Room Inter-House Drama Competition Final Friday 15 March 2019 4.15pm, Sports Hall Spring Concert Thursday 21 March 2019 7.00pm, The Shed Classics and Drama Production: Antigone Thursday 28 and Friday 29 March 2019 7.00pm, The Shed Live Lounge Tuesday 2 April 2019 7.00pm, The Shed

Music Award Holders' Recital

'The School's musical calendar commenced this year with an Award Holders' Recital on Thursday 20 September. The event showcased some of the School's top musicians who provided an enjoyable programme of music that ranged from works by Vivaldi and Haydn, to Kern and Moeran. It was clear that these pupils had worked hard over the summer holiday to continue their musical development and we look forward to their further successes over the course of this year.' Dr Winkley

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Thursday Unplugged

On the afternoon of Thursday 15 November, a group of pupils gathered in The Shed for this term’s Thursday Unplugged event. There were performances from pupils across the whole of the Senior School, including songs such as the 1973 classics Piano Man by Billy Joel, and others by Jack Johnson and Catfish and the Bottlemen. Some also performed original songs as part of bands and as solo artists, written with great skill and performed bravely. It was a great afternoon that effectively showcased the creativity of some of Cokethorpe’s most talented musicians, and a wonderful opportunity for them to perform some contemporary music pieces.

English School's Orchestra (Isabelle Carnell)

For the second year Isabelle Carnell (Fifth Form, Vanbrugh) spent a large part of the half term break preparing for the English School’s Orchestra gala concert which was held on Sunday 4 November in the newly refurbished Purcell Room at the Southbank Centre in London. This year the orchestra took on on Beethoven's Seventh Symphony, ahead of their Silver Anniversary next year. They performed on a smaller, more intimate stage this year, providing a richness of sound and a wonderful atmosphere for the performance. Our congratulations go to Isabelle for this outstanding achievement.

The Arts GCSE Music Recital

'This annual recital provides the School’s GCSE music pupils with an opportunity to publically perform those pieces that they have been learning to play as part of the performance coursework submission for their final qualification. This year a variety of musical styles were offered, ranging from Baroque vocal and string works, to contemporary pieces on drums and for the voice. The standard of the performances was characteristically high of our GCSE music pupils, who should be pleased that they have now completed 30% of their academic course.' Dr Winkley

Afternoon Recital

On Monday 12 November, a group of Cokethorpe musicians gathered in the Corinthian Room to perform in the afternoon recital. Well attended by staff and pupils, it was an excellent opportunity for the performers to showcase some pieces they have been practising over the half term break. With performances ranging from Elgar and Mozart to the enduring ballad Somewhere from West Side Story. It was an uplifting afternoon of performances for all.

Afternoon Recital Programme

Emma Foster Clarinet Sonata: Movement I C Saint-Saëns Grace Gunn Sonata in G: Allegro Alex Rose Romanze

A Vivaldi

W A Mozart

Monty Bolton Anvil Chorus

G Verdi

Saša Wilson Cherry Blossom

D Blackwell

Rebecca Pratley Pomp and Circumstance March E Elgar

First Form Mime

'Our First Form Drama pupils produced their first public performance this term with a series of mimes which had been entirely devised by the pupils. Building on their considerable foundation skills, each class provided a highly entertaining piece of drama which showcased their abilities in this discipline. It also evidenced the pupils’ progress towards their Lower School Diploma, the theme of which is currently Myths and Storytelling. The title of the performance was The Trip and the audience were treated to adventures on the high seas in a calamitous cruise, high jinks in the forest on a camping expedition, terror at 10,000 feet on a perilous plane journey and an extremely enjoyable visit to a theme park. This was a superb afternoon performance which allowed our Drama pupils to flex their creativity and prepare for the challenges of the summer production.' Mr Walwyn

Saša Wilson Concertino in D: Mmt I

F Küchler

Claudia Woods-Cano Concertino in D: Mmt 2&3

F Küchler

Malachy Brown Ballade J Burgmüller Caellum Sharp Andaluzia P Sarasate Gemma Croker Bad Things Kelly & C Cabello Grace Soden The Snake Charmer

P Wedgewood

Jamie Wehrle Caro miro ben

T Giordani

Athis Knox Somewhere

L Bernstein

Tom Potter Minuet

L Boccherini

Lydia Dale Sonata in E minor: Allegro Lukas Russell Fugue in B-flat

Arts Academy

A Vivaldi G F Handel

The Cokethorpe School Arts Academy takes place from 10.00am to 1.00pm every Saturday. The academy has two divisions; music which is overseen by Mr Mullin, and drama which is overseen by Mrs Whitcombe. If your child has an in interest in music or drama and would like to attend please fill out the Arts Academy letter which can be found on Firefly and come along for an enjoyable three hours. 19

Sport End of Season U14 Hockey Presentation

After a busy hockey season drew to an end, Miss Woodcock and Mr Mason decided to organise an end of season presentation for the U14 girls. This was a celebration of the hockey season and all that they had achieved over the Michaelmas Term. Congratulations to Isabella Clarke, (Third Form, Harcourt), Freya Coughlan (Third Form, Harcourt), Gemma Crocker (Third Form, Gascoigne) and Ruby Haynes (Third Form, Queen Anne) who all were worthy winners of some sweet treats. Well done girls!

Sports Colours

The awarding of Sports Colours in recognition for exceptional playing standards at Senior level and awarded as either half or full colours. Full Colours Hockey

Annabel Clarke Amelia Davies

Rugby

Chris Cossey Archie Fulbrook Freddie Gray Dominic House Sam Mason

Half Colours Hockey Rugby

Becky Alexander Hannah Craig Rachel Dodimead Georgie Vallance Will Allen Jack Hobbs George King Fredi Traish George Williams

Senior Captains

Congratulations to this term’s Senior Sports Captains. Rugby: Sam Mason Hockey: Annabel Clarke Being awarded the position of Senior Captain is a great privilege and having the responsibility of being a role model to the younger pupils in the School. It has been pleasing to see such a mature and professional approach to this task.

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Ski Trip

'As the final day of Michaelmas Term drew to a close 32 pupils and students rushed home to finish packing for the ski trip which departed early the following day. Risoul in the HautesAlpes region of southern France had seen significant snowfall over the previous few weeks and our skiers were excitedly looking forward to the promise of a fantastic week. Having been fitted for equipment on the first evening we were ready to ski bright and early the next day. The daily programme was busy, tiring but great fun as always. Pupils were divided into three groups by ability and received four hours of expert tuition each day. The instructors were wonderful, largerthan-life characters as always, and our pupils made great progress during the week. Skiing conditions were, quite simply, ideal. The first week of the skiing season in Risoul was incredibly quiet, and we often found ourselves the only group on pristine pistes. Even better, it snowed heavily on three days, and each was interspersed with sunshine, blue skies and freezing temperatures. All of our skiers experienced the exciting delights of deep powder; the pictures almost do justice to the superb days we experienced. Everyone, from our beginners to our experts made the absolute most of the week and the improvement in the skills of our skiers was incredible to watch. The group was, as ever, royally looked after by the staff in our hotel. Food was plentiful and excellent. Service was friendly and efficient. Our travel representative helped to organise a programme of evening activities, including bum-boarding, a quiz and games night and a movie night. The final evening culminated in an awards ceremony, with various categories up for grabs. The main winner, voted for by his peers as the 'skiers skier' of the week, was Oscar Penney (Fourth Form, Feilden). After a fabulous week our skiers returned home in good time, having narrowly avoided dronerelated problems at Gatwick only a few days before, ready to relax and recover over the Christmas break. All will be looking forward to the next ski trip and keeping fingers crossed for equally amazing conditions.' Mr Carter

Sport Pre-Season Rugby Tour to Biarritz

Individual Congratulations

'Over the summer break, a group of Senior School boys ventured to Biarritz for the preseason Rugby Tour. Landing at Bilbao airport on Tuesday 26 August, the coach journey to Biarritz took the group through the beautiful hills and lush green country side. After a light lunch upon arrival in the city, and the chance to refresh after the journey, the boys enjoyed a touch rugby session ahead of the real work later in the trip. The following day, the boys took a trip to the beach for some surfing lessons. After a tiring morning, the group went on to an afternoon training session at a local rugby club. The final leg in the trip was a series of fixtures against local club Boucau Tarnos. The U18s came up against stiff competition and unfortunately lost their thirteen-a-side game, before the U16s went on to win in their fifteen-a-side match. The group were then treated to a wonderful paella in the clubhouse where speeches and plaques were exchanged. It was a great training experience for the boys, who looked on great form for their full diary of fixtures during the Michaelmas Term.’ Mr Gaertner

Congratulations to Ben Orton (Third Form, Swift) who was selected for the U14 Oxfordshire Schools County Football Squad. Congratulations to Katie Reid (Upper Sixth, Harcourt) who won a Bronze medal as part of the U18 GB Women’s Ice Hockey Team. Congratulations to Ruby Colleton (Fourth Form, Gascoigne) who has earned selection for Oxford United. Congratulations to Gemma Croker (Third Form, Gascoigne) who was invited to attend a prestigious regional trial, and has been selected for the U15 Regional hockey squad. Congratulations to Emma Foster (Upper Sixth, Queen Anne) for completing her Dinghy Instructor Course. Congratulations to Patrick West (First Form, Feilden) who competed in the Windsurfing Inland National Championships in the Junior Fleet category. Congratulations to Chloe Elliott (Fourth Form, Vanbrugh) who won Top County Individual Award at the Oxfordshire Tennis Awards, the most prestigious accolade awarded by the organisation.

Girls Hockey Trip to GB v Belgium

Congratulations to Holly Craig (Fourth Form, Gascoigne) for achieving the Most Improved Player Award at the Oxfordshire Tennis Awards.

'On Wednesday 3 October, the First and Second Form Girls Hockey Teams were treated to a trip to London to watch GB Men take on Belgium in an international game at the Olympic Park. It is important that the girls have the opportunity to watch an elite game, and to analyse the skills and techniques of professional players in order to inform their own training. Needless to say, it certainly inspired some of the girls in training. Although Belgium eventually took the day, the girls had a wonderful time supporting the national side while Miss Woodcock and Miss Siese spent the day educating Mr Cook on the beautiful game.' Miss Woodcock

Congratulations to Matilda Talbott (First Form, Gascoigne) who competed in the British Schools Modern Biathlon Championships. Congratulations to Lucy Keeling (Second Form, Gascoigne) who won a gold medal in the Ages 11-12 Purple to Blue category in the Martial Arts British Championships. Congratulations to Harry Phipps (Fifth Form, Swift) for being invited to train with the England Deaf Rugby team.

Climbing Trip to the Wye Valley

'On Wednesday 10 October, Cokethorpe Climbers set out for a day of climbing challenges in the beautiful Wye Valley in Wales. Lucky with the weather, they enjoyed some early autumn sunshine on the rock face, making it easier than more recent rather windy attempts to make it to the top of the climbing tower back at School. All of the pupils who attended found it was an excellent opportunity to develop their skills on rock, with many approaching records for heights. They returned to School in time for buses, with plenty of rock face experience and skill as well.' Mr Carter

Hockey Results Highlights First XI 3-1 v Oxford High U16 3-1 v The Cotswold School U15 8-0 v Akeley Wood U15 2-1 v Tudor Hall U14 6-0 v Headington

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Sport Barbados Memories

'I felt honoured to have been chosen as tour hockey captain. It was an amazing experience for us to go to Barbados and play hockey. Both teams we played were extremely aggressive from the beginning so we knew we would have to change our game slightly. We quickly got used to the new playing surface and all the girls played their best which resulted in victory for us in both matches. This tour was one the girls and I will never forget, it was a once in a life time opportunity and I am so grateful.' Amelia Leslie (Fifth Form, Gascoigne) Hockey Captain 'Going to Barbados was such a different experience for me. Being able to play cricket against such talented players who were so welcoming was an amazing experience. For me, the greatest part of the tour was meeting new people who I might never have met if I did not go on tour with them. None of this would be possible without the perfect planning by the organisers and I am very grateful for this as they were the people that made it all possible.' Dominic House (Upper Sixth, Queen Anne) Cricket Captain 'The moment that stood out for me was engaging and bonding with the other teams and locals that came to watch. Speaking to them and watching them play really showed how much cricket means to them. They have changed my interpretation of cricket as a global sport and how great talent can be found anywhere.' Jack Harding (Fifth Form, Feilden) 'My best memory of Barbados was the day we all went on the catamaran cruise. The whole day was brilliant and full of relaxation, even if Dom played some poor taste in music. Even though a turtle nearly bit off my toes, seeing the ship wrecks and turtles was a great experience as well as jumping off the boat near a local beach. It was a great way to end the sports tour.' Izzy Coles (Fifth Form, Swift) 'I really enjoyed setting the turtles free into the sea. We were all walking along a path and then we saw loads of small turtles trying to walk across this path so people picked them up and put them in a bucket so they weren’t trodden on. We set them free and we could see them try to get to the sea. It was really cute.' Ella Shaw (Fourth Form, Harcourt) 'I’ve enjoyed every part of Barbados, on and off the field. The trip has made me to get to know other people, and make new friends from other years. I expected the weather to be incredibly hot, and was not disappointed! I would never have imagined in the world that I would be dancing my heart out, or singing karaoke in front of all my friends, but I did on this trip. Thank you to all the teachers who made this memorable trip possible.' Will Davies (Fifth Form, Vanbrugh)

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Sports Tour to Barbados

‘On Sunday 21 October, a group of thirty seven pupils and five staff embarked on the ten day Sports Tour to Barbados. This year saw a change in procedure as the boys joined the hockey and netball girls to tour the island playing a series of cricket fixtures. Every other day, the boys and girls would travel to another part of the island playing other schools such as Springer Memorial School and Alexander School, where they were hosted and treated to playing on the best surfaces the island could offer. Pupils also spent time jumping off inflatable obstacles on a rest day at the beach, and the boys got to watch the national side’s cricket practice before their fixture at the Kensington Oval. However, off the field the highlight of the tour was when the group worked with the National Turtle Conservation project where they saved and released 185 hatchlings back into the ocean. The trip was topped off by a Catamaran cruise around the island where all pupils got to investigate ship wrecks and snorkel with sea turtles. The trip certainly was one to remember, and all pupils and staff have come away with new friendships, experiences and memories that they will cherish forever.’ Miss Woodcock

Rugby Report

‘The Michaelmas Term was a hugely positive one for Cokethorpe Rugby with over 100 fixtures played and well over 200 pupils involved. In addition to this, the School hosted U12 and U13 Festivals for over thirty teams and we reached the County Cup Final in three age groups – U14, U15 and First XV – with Mr Morgan’s U15s going on to be crowned County Champions. The First XV would also reach the last sixteen of the National Plate Competition. At every age group the coaches have reported impressive levels of enthusiasm and sportsmanship and this is perhaps best exemplified by our U12 squad. Whilst it has been a tough season, the U13s have continued to grow and develop as a group and it has been hugely encouraging to see them develop in all facets of their game. The U16s have impressed in hard fought matches and we look forward to next season when their squad of twenty three will make the step up to 1st and 2nd XV Rugby.’ Mr Sheer

Sport Hockey Report

'We have had a record number of players representing Oxfordshire at county or regional level; a testament to how hard our players are working. Although it has taken the First XI time to find their feet they have ended on a high beating Headington School, St Edwards Cheltenham and holding MCS to an impressive 1-1 draw. The Second XI managed a great victory over MCS Second XI 7-0. The U16, U15 and U14 teams have all had a huge amount of fixtures, representing the School admirably and the U14s triumphed over St Edwards, Oxford High School and Tudor Hall School. The U16 girls have had a tough season playing mainly Sixth Form teams and they should be congratulated on their performances. The U15s have scored an impressive number of goals this season working hard with their coaching team, this is certainly a team to watch. The U13s started their season slowly, adapting to new positions but they have started to find their momentum. The U12s are another team to watch, and their improvements have been remarkable. Both A and B teams play with conviction and strength and have become extremely knowledgeable, displaying a mature tactical awareness.' Miss Woodcock

Sailing Regattas Report

‘The Cokethorpe sailing team took part in the BSDRA Keelboat Fleet Racing Regatta at Queen Mary Sailing club on Saturday 24 November. This was an essential part of our training programme for the National Schools Match Racing Competition that took place in the following week. This was the inaugural event in a five-person J80 Keelboat, which was a big step up from our dinghies! Both of our Cokethorpe teams were able to successfully sail the boats against the competition and won at least one race each, so it was a good warm up for the National Schools Match on Friday 30 November to Sunday 2 December. Here we were racing in four man keelboats and were using some of the actual boats used in the 2012 Olympics! The next day bought multiple wins for Cokethorpe. The last day of racing on Sunday saw us win every one of our races, some of which were against the best sailing schools in the UK. Thank you to Mrs Statham and Miss Mango for your work to get us here and to George Barker our sailing coach for all of his expertise and guidance.’ James Shaw (Lower Sixth, Harcourt)

County Hockey Tournaments

‘On Friday 12 October, the U14 Girls Hockey team held their eagerly awaited county hockey tournament. After such a successful start to the season, the girls were upbeat and confident that they could do something magical. Playing with flair and confidence, the girls were quick to make their mark by beating Bloxham 2-0, a big win over Tudor Hall 5-1 and clinching the win against a strong St Edwards School 1-0. This was rounded off by a resounding victory against Oxford High School 6-0.

Kayaking Team Report

'Once pupils have gained sufficient confidence during our regular Monday and Wednesday games sessions, they are often keen to go racing. These events are generally held by canoe clubs where participants are organised into divisions dependent on ability. This results in a gender and age neutral sport, meaning that our pupils are often at the same event as our world class athletes. One of the world’s renowned endurance events is the Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race. This race is 125 miles long! For those who are under 19 years of age, the course is completed in four timed stages over the Easter weekend. Consider racing an average of 36 miles a day for three days and then setting out into the dark at 4:00am on Easter Monday to complete the final eighteen miles down the Thames tideway to Westminster. Almost five marathons in four days! Our Kayaking team will taking on this challenge in 2019, and they have been organising their academic workload to free up eight months of Sundays in order to train in earnest.' Mr White

However, as the weather deteriorated and tiredness set in the girls took a defeat which would prevent them from moving forward to the regional finals this year. All the girls played brilliantly, with Gemma Croker (Third Form, Gascoigne), Rebecca Waite (Third Form, Harcourt) and Iman El-Megrisi (Third Form, Queen Anne) worthy of particular praise. Congratulations must also go to our U16 and U18 teams, who finished third and fourth respectively. All tournaments were highly competitive, and all teams played with utmost skill and sportsmanship. Well done to all.’ Miss Woodcock

Rugby Results Highlights First XV 29-0 v The Cherwell School U15A 47-0 v Burford School U14A 37-0 v Royal Latin U13A 25-0 v Shiplake College U13B 35-10 v Rendcomb U12 35-5 Cheltenham Bourneside U12B 25-10 v Shiplake College

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Houses Half Term Heroes

Lower House Heroes are selected for reasons such as good behaviour, positive contributions to School life or receiving a high number of recommendations. Below is the list of Lower House Heroes for the Michaelmas Term. First Half Feilden - Calla Whitby Gascoigne - Emily Stewart Harcourt - Felix Batchelor Queen Anne - Ella Goffe Swift - Qihao Sun Vanbrugh - Eloise Smith Second Half Feilden - Toby Lu Gascoigne - Grace Ponsford Harcourt - Chiara Falzone Queen Anne - Adam North Swift - Grace Soden Vanbrugh - Sanad Ibrahim

The Pratley Shield

Every half term the total recommendations in Lower House are calculated. The average amount per tutor group is counted and the Form with the best average is awarded the Pratley Shield, formerly Ashes Cup, which has been renamed to recognise the wonderful work of Mrs Pratley with Lower House. The Pratley Shield winners for the first half term was First Form Harcourt. The winners for the second half term was First Form Vanbrugh.

Inter-House Singing

On Friday 12 October, the annual Inter-House Singing Competition took place with Houses going head-to-head in a musical battle. The afternoon commenced with the Ensemble category with small groups of pupils from each House performing a range of pop hits including Next to Me by Emile Sande, All Time Low by The Wanted, Africa by Toto and Country Road by John Denver. The ensembles included pupils from across all year groups with pupils also providing their own accompaniment and direction. The House Song includes all pupils and staff from each House coming together to sing as one choir. This year’s theme was Sixties Hits. Cokethorpe was delighted to welcome guest judge Nick Parrans-Smith, who has enjoyed a successful career as a music teacher, professional trombonist and singer. Mr Hughes, Director of Music, said of the day: ‘It was an incredibly close-fought competition making it very difficult for the adjudicator to make his decision. I was impressed the standard shown – by far the best House singing competition in my five years at Cokethorpe. Many congratulations to Ollie Charles (Lower Sixth, Gascoigne) who was awarded the prize for individual contribution; a well-deserved award for his leadership of the Gascoigne ensemble as well as his commitment shown to the House Song.' After both rounds, congratulations go to Gascoigne who took first place, with Swift in second and Queen Anne in third place.

Inter-House Competition Standings Michaelmas Inter-House Singing 1 Gascoigne 2 Swift 3 Queen Anne 4 Harcourt 5 Feilden 6 Vanbrugh

Crawford Relay Results 1 Queen Anne 2 Harcourt 3 Vanbrugh 4 Gascoigne = Swift 6 Feilden Inter-House Sailing Results 1 Queen Anne 2 Harcourt 3 Gascoigne 4 Swift 5 Feilden 6 Vanbrugh Inter-House Climbing 1 Feilden 2 Queen Anne 3 Harcourt 4 Vanbrugh 5 Swift 6 Gascoigne Inter-House Hockey 1 Feilden 2 Gascoigne 3 Swift 4 Vanbrugh 5 Harcourt 6 Queen Anne

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Lower House Camp

'At the very start of term, the annual First Form Camp kicked off the year for the newest pupils of the Senior School. As always, it was a great success as lots of excited Lower House pupils converged on the School field ready for two days of action packed activities. Luckily the sun shone as the pupils split into their Houses and got to grips with climbing, kayaking, raft building, laser tag, archery and bush craft. It was fantastic to see all of the pupils mixing so well and really getting stuck into the activities. After a long day and having recharged their batteries on pizza and doughnuts the children braved the cold night in their tents. Everyone was in high spirits as they woke the next morning to even more sunshine. After two days of non-stop action it was great to see new friendships being formed and fears conquered which augurs well for the forthcoming challenges of life in the Senior School.' Mr O’Connor

Houses Inter-House Sailing

‘On Wednesday 5 December, the first Cokethorpe Inter-House Sailing Competition took place at Farmoor, organised by Captain of Sailing Emma Foster (Upper Sixth, Queen Anne). The regatta was very competitive with some excellent sailing from each House. It was a great way to introduce the development squad, and some completely inexperienced sailors, to fleet racing.

Crawford Relay

It was a glorious autumn afternoon on Friday 19 October for this year’s annual Crawford Relay. A highly anticipated event in the House competition calendar, the whole School turned out to support their House teams. It was a record-breaking event, with Queen Anne beating the previous course record by seven seconds. Harcourt followed thirty seconds behind, who were closely followed by Vanbrugh.

Special mention must go to Jir Sancar (Lower Sixth, Harcourt) and Matt Christensen (Lower Sixth, Swift) who, with no previous sailing experience, stepped up to the mark and sailed for their House. Everyone involved enjoyed the event which ended with Gascoigne in third, Harcourt coming in second and Queen Anne sailing past the line in first. The event was rounded off with hot chocolate and cake which was much appreciated after a very cold and windy session. Every sailor is to be congratulated for their tenacity and determination. We look forward to more Inter-House sailing regattas in the future.’ Mrs Statham

Inter-House Singing Programme

Inter-House Hockey

'This term, Inter-House hockey was spread across two competitions. The First and Second Form hit the pitch first, competing two weeks prior to the older years due to a heavy fixture schedule. Both competitions were filled with an array of hockey talent that had been built throughout the term. With Feilden coming out on top in the First and Second Form competition it was down to the senior girls to fight for their Houses. The senior competition saw an impressive amount for sportsmanship and team work with many players having to step out of position to fill a void for their team. A record number of goals were scored and the girls should be proud of how they have developed their finishing when attacking the goal this season.' Miss Woodcock

Lower House Disco

'The first half of term ended in a frenzy of excitement for our new First Form, as they held their annual disco. The Shed was transformed into a blaze of lights by our amazing Sixth Form and, with the sound system fired up and ready, the stage was set for a fantastic evening. The pupils enjoyed getting stuck into dance-offs, limbo dancing and the compulsory Macarena. They kept their energy up with the tuck shop, which was manned superbly by Katie Reid (Upper Sixth, Harcourt) and her team of Sixth Form helpers. A great night was had by all, and thankfully we had two weeks to recover before the start of the second half of the term.' Mr O’Connor

For the competition, each House had to perform a song together and present an ensemble piece from a selection of pupils. House Song Feilden I'm A Believer Gascoigne You Can't Hurry Love Harcourt My Girl Queen Anne I Want to Hold Your Hand Swift Calfornia Dreamin' Vanbrugh Ain't No Mountain Ensemble Song Feilden Gascoigne Harcourt Queen Anne Swift Vanbrugh

Next To Me Feel It Still All Time Low Africa Sing Country Roads

Forthcoming Inter-House Competitions Senior School Inter-House Netball Wednesday 27 February 2019 AstroTurfs

Inter-House Drama Competition Monday 4 March to Friday 7 March 2019 Various rooms Senior School Inter-House Football Wednesday 3 April 2019 Sports Fields Lower House and Second Form InterHouse Football Thursday 4 April 2019 Sports Fields Inter-House DT Competition Monday 13 May to Thursday 16 May 2019 DT Classrooms

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AOB Lent Term AOB Options

Ace your exams Advanced DT Workshop Airfix Club Amateur Radio Club Ambitious Applications Ancient Greek Applied Psychology Award Holder: DT/Art Bel Canto Below the Line Bootcamp Breaking News! Chess Club Clay Club Climbing Club Cokethorpe Shooting Club Confirmation Class C-SALT Debating and Discussion Club Digital Art Drama Award Holders Drama/Classics Lent Production Drawing Club Duke of Edinburgh Award Drop In Electromagnetic Acceleration Theory Fearless Fashion Fifth Form Revision Drop-In Sessions Fiver Challenge GCSE Ancient Greek GCSE Art/GCSE Textiles Gene Therapy, Catalysts and Quantum Theory Geog. Your Memory Girls' Football Girls' Indoor Cricket Golf Great Sporting Films Grow It, Eat It. Guided Reading History Club Homework and Study Session Indoor Hockey/Indoor Netball IRIS - Scientific Research Jazz Band Jazz Improvisation Law Society MUN Maths Sixth Form Run Homework Clinic Maths πrates Metalwork Club Mindfulness Music Theory Near Space Balloon Project News of the Week Online Safety Open Gym Session Open University Online Courses Orchestra Period 6 AOB Homework and Study Philosophy Café Physics Research Made Simple Primary School Latin Robotics Sci-Fi Symposium Scrub Up On Science 2018/19 Competition Sixth Form Art Sixth Form Calculus Club Sixth Form Craft Club Social Sciences in the Real World Spanish Clinic Strength and Conditioning Swing Band Table Tennis Textiles Club Texts in Translation The Choir The Line Touch Typing Wargaming World Challenge X-Country

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Grow It, Eat It

‘The Grow It, Eat It Gardening AOB meet once a week to plan, plant, grow and harvest their favourite fruit and veg. So far this term we have dug for potatoes, collected seeds for sewing next year and propagated strawberry plants, and have presented some of the bounties of the autumn harvest to the School kitchens in order to make soup to share with some of the Junior School. It is a great opportunity for both the green-thumbed as well as newcomers to gardening who want to learn more about the processes involved, or just get out in the fresh air during their AOB time.’ Mrs Walwyn

Guerilla Geography

'The Guerilla Geographers have been busy this term carrying out missions on the School site. We have explored our School landscape looking for letters hidden in the urban fabric, and we have mapped sounds around the site, listening for geophony, biophony and anthrophony. We have found the tallest tree on site and measured it using basic trigonometry and we have drawn maps of the school from memory then questioned why our maps have gaps. Interested to know more? Speak to one of the Guerilla Geographers (we can be spotted by our clipboards and investigative expressions).' Mrs Webb

Robotics

'Robotics AOB provides an opportunity for pupils to learn how to build and code using LEGO Robots. After completing some challenges using a basic model, pupils then have the independence to develop their own robot to perform tasks using a range of sensors including touch and colour. The pupils are able to explore, create and problem solve in teams which they thoroughly enjoy. It is a great opportunity to develop skills related to STEM subjects in School and broaden their views of how these subjects have a real world impact. We hope there are several future engineers among them!' Mrs Clarke

Badminton

Every Thursday lunchtime during the second AOB session, First Form to Upper Sixth pupils are invited to test and improve their badminton skills in the Sports Hall with Mrs Statham. There is a focus on learning and undertanding the rules of the game, and improving game tactics in both doubles and singles matches. There is always time for some fun games on the courts as well as dedicated skills sessions. The AOB is always looking for new players willing to put their skills to the test against it's current members and anyone interested in signing up for this popular session should speak to Mrs Statham.

Beyond the Classroom World Challenge Training Weekend

Sung Eucharist

'Once a year Cokethorpe is aiming to hold a voluntary Sung Eucharist for staff, pupils and parents from 4.15pm to 5.00pm on a Thursday afternoon. The School Choir sang an Anthem, Teach me, Lord by Thomas Allwood, and a setting of the Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei in the Eucharistic Prayer. Confirmed or full members of any Church are invited to take Communion, and all others are invited to receive a Blessing. Please do consider coming along next year, any attendees will be most welcome.' Revd Ian Howard

'The Senior World Challenge expedition party enjoyed a training weekend in the beautiful Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire. It was a great opportunity to test their skills in camping, trekking and cooking (on a small budget) ahead their expedition to Madagascar in 2019. Pupils were able to plan routes, navigate and experience scenarios which will confront them in Madagascar next July such as finding accommodation, food and transport for a large team. Mrs Riman, Mrs Pratley and I were impressed with the excellent spirit of the team and the willingness each student to volunteer for any roles required.' Mr Capel

Remembrance Service

Magic Science Show with Ian Dunne On Thursday 18 October, Ian Dunne from Do Science Ltd performed his show Science Magic...Magic Science to Cokethorpe Year 5 children, First and Second Form pupils as well as children from several local primary schools. The day culminated in an evening performance to Cokethorpe families, friends and Standlake Beavers. The show included robots, disappearing fire, static electricity, singing bowls and glasses and jumping water. He also demonstrated a Tesla Coil, Theremin instrument and Van de Graaff generator. Complete with a singing cat, the show was a sight to behold.

Campus Manilla Exchange

'Swiftly becoming a regular fixture on the Cokethorpe Calendar, the first half of the second exchange visit between Cokethorpe School and Campus Manilla School took place at the beginning of December. Eleven pupils from Sweden flew to Heathrow from Arlanda Airport, to stay with Cokethorpe pupils and their families. Arriving Sunday afternoon, our guests were whisked away promptly to enjoy the remains of the winter sunlight. Monday was spent in School, experiencing a typical Senior School day. In the evening, and also on the Tuesday evening, our guests were invited to join Cokethorpe pupils at the Advent Services. With a little Swedish pronunciation and language assistance, Reverend Lapwood was able to incorporate some Swedish into the service. The Campus Manilla pupils really appreciated this and, from their comments later, really enjoyed the service. On Tuesday, Mrs Scaysbrook took the party to Oxford for a tour starting outside the gates to Trinity College followed by the Divinity School and then taking in many of Oxford’s famous colleges and sights before ending the tour outside Christ Church. Sadly, this year’s visit was very short and our guests had to return home on the Wednesday morning. Nevertheless, we are hugely excited about our return Stockholm next June.' Mrs Scaysbrook

'At 11.00 am on the Friday 9 November, the whole School, Staff and guests gathered together on the Upper Quad to listen to prayers of remembrance. Once again, we heard trumpeters sound The Last Post and the Reveille, observed the two minutes' silence, and sang Abide With Me. Our thanks go to the members of the Bampton branch of the Royal British Legion who attended the service and brought their standard to the parade this year. However, this year the context was most unusual: at the end of our War and Peace Week, we were particularly remembering the signing of the armistice of the end of the First World War, exactly 100 years after the end of hostilities in 1918. As we celebrated peace, we were again rightly reminded of all those who had suffered and died in war. It is vital that we do not forget.' Revd Ian Howard

Thoughts from Campus Manilla Exchange

'When I first met Victor and Otto, my Swedish exchanges, I was nervous because I might give them the wrong impression, but it was okay because Victor and Otto were eager to meet me. We visited the High St American candy store in Oxford. ' Daniel Ferrier (Second Form, Vanbrugh) 'When Anton and Hugo came to England, we took them to mini golf at the Kassam stadium, we all had a really great time, especially Anton who won by several points. I am really looking forward to going to Sweden in the Summer and learning a bit more about their traditions.' Eddie Comerford (Third Form, Swift) 'I really enjoyed the Exchange. After we picked Beate up from the airport, we went to London to see the Big Ben, London Eye, and Buckingham Palace. It was her first time in the UK and therefore London was really exciting for her. I am looking forward to going to Sweden, as it is going to be my first time visiting and in photos it looks incredible.' Emilia Graf, (Third Form, Vanbrugh)

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The Cokethorpe Society Forthcoming Events

OC Annual London Drinks Reception St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square Thursday 7 March, 7.30pm – 9.30pm OC Football and Netball Tournaments Cokethorpe School Saturday 16 March 2019, 11.30am – 3.00pm Match teas will follow. OC Cricket and Tennis Cokethorpe School Friday 21 June 2019, 6.00pm – 9.30pm A BBQ will follow. OC Reunion Dinner Cokethorpe School Saturday 22 June 2019, 6.30pm – 10.00pm

OC Clay Pigeon Shooting

'Despite the terrible weather on the back of Storm Ali, a team of OCs valiantly braved the rain to pit their skills against each other. After a closely fought battle, Chris Cox (OC 2008, Harcourt) and Michael Staples (OC 2009, Swift) ended up tied for first place with forty each. A ten clay round was agreed upon to act as the decider. After a tense battle for first place, both OCs were determined to triumph and took ten of ten clays each. Sudden death followed, with Michael just clipping the winning clay. Ethan Bosse (OC 2013, Vanbrugh), who was last year’s winner, came a close third on thirty nine. Even with the weather, it was a wonderful afternoon of shooting. Well done to all who took part!' Mrs Hudson

Announcements

Congratulations to OC Jess O'Shea (OC 2008, Vanbrugh) who married Edward (Ross) Markham on Sunday 10 June at St Kenelms Church in Church Enstone. They surprised everyone with their wedding at the Christening of their son George (born 30 November 2017). Congratulations to OC Victoria Hughes (OC 2011, Vanbrugh) who married Sam Jenkins on Saturday 21 July at 2pm in Cokethorpe’s chapel. The ceremony was officiated by our very own Reverend Ian Howard, and the reception followed in a marquee on the grounds. The bride’s mother, Mrs A Hughes, teacher of Psychology, and brother, Mr A Hughes, Junior School Teaching Assistant, were also in attendance as members of the Bridal party.

Cokethorpe Society Donations

Christmas Wreath Making Workshop

'The Cokethorpe Society ran two Christmas Wreath Workshops this term. This new addition to the Society calendar was a sell out success across both dates. A selection of OCs, parents and staff got into the festive spirit making their own door wreaths, with all profits going to the Annual Fund. Christmas music accompanied the fervent floristry, and by the end of the day, everyone had enjoyed what was a wonderful way to usher in the festive period. We are delighted to say that between the two workshops as well as the raffles that were held at both events, we have been able to purchase outright one of the 2019 Annual Fund projects: a series of tree name plaques around the grounds of the School. Thanks go to Minster Flowers for running the workshop and the donation of two bouquets for raffle prizes. We very much hope to run the workshops again next year.' Mrs Hudson

We would like to thank Mark Girling (OC 1977, Harcourt) for his donation of his cricket paraphernalia to the School. If you do have any old photos, videos or stories you would like to share with the Society, we would be delighted to receive them for our archives and to share on social media. Please email any scanned documents to society@cokethorpe.org or, if sending by post, please address any packages to: Cokethorpe Society Cokethorpe School Witney, OX29 7PU

Cokethorpe Society Committee

Chair: Tom Biggs (2008) Treasurer: Tony Baker (1964) Secretary: Charles Bartlett (2008)

Cokethorpe Society Contact Details

society@cokethorpe.org 01993 892352 Facebook fb.com/groups/cokethorpesociety

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Profile: Elizabeth Buckley (OC, 2012)

'Following a gap year, I graduated with a first class honours degree from the University of Birmingham in 2016. Following my BA, I went on to study for a Masters’ degree entitled History: Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the University of Amsterdam. As my MA in the Netherlands drew to a close, I undertook an internship at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague, working in the Public Information Office. Now that I have graduated from my MA, I have started a women's empowerment platform called Sisterhoodworldwide - which aims to share the stories of women from around the world, and am working on this while applying for PhDs.'

Cokethorpe Parents' Association Murder Mystery Evening

'The Shed was transformed into the cruise ship The Big Floater, decorated with bunting, festoon lighting, life buoys and table lanterns for this year’s sell-out CPA Murder Mystery. The night followed the story of how each passenger had a motive to get rid of Lord Montague 'Monty' Carstaires, played by Mr Lawson, ranging from incriminating evidence to enormous debts and familial issues. The evening featured the brilliant Cokethorpe Players and support support from Lower Sixth student Hayden Camidge (Lower Sixth, Vanbrugh). Team Clueless (Mr and Mrs Goodgame, Mrs White, Mr and Mrs Higgins and Mr and Mrs Hancox) was the only team who managed to correctly identify Freddie Carstaires, played by Mr Walwyn, as the murderer, who was fed up with being overpowered by his older brother Monty. A big thank you to everyone involved and to the Catering Team for providing a delicious curry supper.' Miss Mace

Cheese and Wine Evening

‘On Friday 19 October, the CPA hosted a cheese and wine evening for the parents of children in Lower House, while their young ones were dancing away enjoying the Lower House Disco. It was a very sociable event with lots of chance to mingle and laugh, giving the opportunity for parents of First Form to get together and meet as a year group as they start their journey through Senior School. With a lovely selection of cheese and canapes, wine and tea and coffee on offer, the parents of new starters also got the chance to mingle with those who had already forged friendships when their children were in Junior School. It was a lovely evening, and we look forward to hosting it again next year.’ Mrs Christensen

CPA Murder Mystery Cast

Bonfire Night and Fireworks

On the drizzly and very windy evening of Friday 9 November, families and friends of Cokethorpe School gathered on the lawns in front of the Mansion House for the annual CPA Bonfire Night and Fireworks display. The weather did not do much to dampen spirits of those in attendance, and many took advantage of the rides and attractions. This was great way to wait for the fireworks to start, which were once again fantastically well-coordinated for the delight and entertainment of everyone who attended. The newly appointed CPA Chair, Mrs Christensen, said: ‘Another successful year despite the weather was thanks in no small part to the resilience of Cokethorpe families, friends and staff. Special thanks from the CPA must go to the Maintenance Team for all of their hard work’.

Christmas Fair

On Wednesday 5 December, the Dining Hall was filled with festive music and the smells of Christmas as the annual CPA Christmas Fair took place. Father Christmas sat by the roaring fire as customers milled around looking at stalls ranging from toys, to luxury handbags and jewellery to Christmas decorations and wreaths. The variety was unsurpassed, and popular with staff, pupils, parents and friends of the School. In the foyer, the Catering Team served up dishes of chips to stave off the cold and rain outside and a food cart made fresh Belgian waffles, much to the delight of Cokethorpe pupils. Of the afternoon, CPA Chair Mrs Christensen said: ‘We are grateful to all the stall holders who came along with a great selection of gifts on offer. The Junior School sang beautifully from the Dining Hall balcony. As ever we are grateful to the maintenance and catering team for all their support running this event.On behalf of the CPA committee we wish everyone a happy Christmas.’

John Bentham Mr Goulding Alice Sutton Miss Mace Penelope ‘Pest’ Petersham Mrs Hooper Freddie Carstaires Mr Walwyn Lord Montague ‘Monty’ Carstaires Mr Lawson Lady Caroline Carstaires Mrs Whitcombe Will Petersham Mr Laver Inspector Foot of the Yard Mrs Orton Lucinda Shipman Mrs Mace Lighting & Sound Hayden Camidge

CPA Committee Chair Vice-Chairs Treasurer Members

Catherine Christensen Clare Pristley-Smith Kirsteen Fellows Michael Ward Damian Ettinger Caroline Fuchs Gemma Ferrier Sarah Algar Sue Dooley John Dobson Shane Goodgame Kathryn Wannell Karen Coleman Angie Knox-Wells Nicola Thomas

The CPA Committee meets once a month at 8.00pm in the Corinthian Room. The Committee is always grateful to hear from anyone willing to join it.

Forthcoming Events Watch this space for an exciting programme of CPA events in the New Year, including celebrations of Easter and Burns Night. If you have any ideas for events, the CPA committee is always excited to welcome new members.

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Annual Fund Ways of Giving

All donations to the Annual Fund are put to good use immediately, so the impact of your gift will be felt by current as well as future generations of pupils. Participation is the key, not the level of generosity. Quite simply, every gift helps. There are many ways you can support and donate to the Annual Fund and more information about each of these can be found on our website: www.cokethorpe.org. uk/2019annualfund Some of the most popular ways to give include regular giving, single gifts, bequests, payroll giving, matched giving and stocks and shares.

What to do Next

Annual Fund 2019

This year, we are seeking support for the projects listed below: Tree Plaque Names - £400 The Trench - £900 Music Garden - £1,000 Storybus Workshop - £1,500 Tubular Bells - £5,500 Low Ropes Course - £8,000 We have intentionally chosen a wide range of projects supporting academic, sport, music and social areas of the School. The projects are also of varying value so that you can make a contribution towards your preferred project or purchase a whole project outright for the School. So that you are aware of the value of each project, we have put an approximate value for each project next to its description.

Full details of how you can support the Annual Fund using any of these methods can be found on our website. Alternatively you can get in touch using the details below if you wish to discuss making a gift. foundationoffice@cokethorpe.org 01993 892352 Cokethorpe School Witney Oxon OX29 7PU

Wider Community

Use of Cokethorpe Facilities

This term, the School has supported a number of local groups, businesses, associations and sports clubs, including: Cecily’s Fund Judo Council of Great Britain Kidslit Quiz Lower Windrush Choral Society 'Small Choir' Opera Anywhere Ride and Stride Standlake Beavers Standlake Cubs Standlake Explorers Standlake Scouts Tottenham FC Player Development Roadshow Witney Chess Congress Witney Hockey Club Wychwood Badgers Hockey Club Wychwood Ladies Hockey Club

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Tottenham FC Player Development Roadshow

'In August the School was delighted to host Tottenham Hotspur FC and their Player Development Roadshow – an event aimed at boys and girls of junior school age. Over the course of two days, professional coaches put over forty children through their paces. It is the chance to train with full-time FA and UEFA-qualified coaches, using training methods direct from the Tottenham Hotspur Academy. The Roadshow aims to provide the children with first-class football coaching at first-class venues.' Mr Sheer

Ride and Stride

'On Saturday 8 September, Cokethorpe School once more opened its Chapel to participants in the annual Ride and Stride in aid of the Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust. This is OHCT’s major event, raising thousands of pounds to support our rich heritage of churches. Each year on the second Saturday in September, sponsored Riders and Striders set out to support the cause. Determined cyclists may manage to visit all the churches in one deanery; walkers can choose to explore a town, or walk the field paths linking many of our rural churches.' Elizabeth Knowles, Ride and Stride Area CoOrdinator for Witney

Archives Then and Now

Below is a selection of photos showing photos of pupils and activities at Cokethorpe School past and present.

Aerial View 1956

A Midsummer Night's Dream 1960

Playing Rugby 1963

Aerial View 2018

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat 2018

Playing Rugby 2018

Turning Back the Pages Below are news items from past issues of The Bell Tower, The Peacock and The Ocellus. 60 Years Ago Excerpt from Some Amusing Memories of a Chorister 'I have spent the past four years (195761) in a Cathedral Choir in Oxford. Well, here are two of the more amusing things which happened to me. An incident occurred at Christmas one year. The parents of one of the boys who lived nearby, decided to give us a party. We all thought this jolly decent of them. The meal was superb. So was the liquid refreshment with it, and after it. Our hosts thought that just a little something' would not hurt us (they were only trying to be kind), and, generally speaking it didn't. But, unfortunately there were those among us who were slightly more thirsty than most. As a result, although they did not have to be carried home, they were slightly more elated than usual, and on waking up next day found that they had a headache, and had to spend the day in bed. Please, I beseech you, don't think that this happened every day. It was the only time it happened while I was there. And thus our quiet life went on!' D S Bezer, 4A 30 Years Ago Quantum Leap in Cokethorpe Computing Power! 'Last week the school took delivery of eight new Apple Mackintosh Classic computers. They have been networked with the Apple Mackintosh LC given to the school by the Parents Association. With the IBM computers and Amstrad word processor, we now have a well equipped IT department which is becoming increasingly popular. The BBC computers have been distributed around the other academic departments, so that there are many more opportunities for pupils to have "hands on" experience of this technology. It was the generosity of the Parents' Association which enabled us to "prime the pump" for this developement, and they have continued their support by agreeing to the purchase of a scanner for the school. This will enable photographs and graphics to be scanned into documents, a most valuable additional facility.' 10 Years Ago Parents in the News 'Charles and Annabel Asbridge accompanied their parents Sir Jonathan and Lady Asbridge to Buckingham Palace to watch Sir Jonathan being confirmed as a Knight Batchelor by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, for his services to Health Care. Sir Jonathan was until July the National Clinical Director for Emergency Care at the Department of Health, and inaugural President of the Nursing and Midwifery Council.'

In the Classroom Summer 1968

In the Classroom Summer 2018

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Tail Feathers Avete et Valete Mrs H Stapleton

Open Morning

'I have worked in the independent school’s sector since 2012 and arrive at Cokethorpe from Tudor Hall School near Banbury where I was Finance Bursar. I qualified as an accountant whilst working within the Omnicom Advertising and Marketing Group, and spent nearly twenty years in roles including Finance Director of a Government Affairs consultancy in Westminster and Brussels. I have loved my first term at Cokethorpe and feel fortunate to be part of such a great team and wonderful school community. I believe that Cokethorpe has a compelling offer and see this reflected every day as I walk around the beautiful grounds seeing happy pupils embracing every opportunity. I look forward to getting to know the community, pupils, staff, parents, governors and OC’s in the coming years.'

Mrs N Black

'I joined this term as Head of Cokethorpe Junior School from South London, where I was Head of the large Pre-Prep School at Dulwich College. Passionate about preserving childhood for children, I believe that the best route to academic success for our younger pupils comes through creative, memorable activity. With the facilities, outdoor learning opportunities and broad curriculum, Cokethorpe is a natural fit for me. When away from school I enjoy skiing, running and Pilates, but with two young children of my own, I spend most of my spare time with my family, who are all loving life in Oxfordshire.'

Saturday 16 March 2019 9.30am to 12.00pm Prospective parents interested in entry at any age are warmly invited to attend. All departments will be open, and there will be refreshments and activities. All welcome. For personal visits at other times, for a tour, discussion with the Registrar, Mrs S Sheer, or the Head of Junior School if appropriate, or to meet the Headmaster, please contact the Admissions Secretary, Ms C Bowerman (admissions@cokethorpe.org or 01993 703921).

Contact Information

Headmaster Email correspondence with Mr Ettinger (dje@cokethorpe.org) is particularly welcomed during the Headmaster ‘Live’ hour (8.00pm – 9.00pm on the first Monday of each month during term time). At other times please contact the Headmaster’s Secretary (01993 892325 or hmsec@cokethorpe.org).

Mrs S Landon

Senior Management Team Bursar: Mrs H Stapleton bursar@cokethorpe.org Deputy Headmaster: Mr J C Stevens jcs@cokethorpe.org Head of Junior School: Mrs N Black nab@cokethorpe.org Director of Studies: Mr A E Uglow aeu@cokethorpe.org Director of Co-Curricular: Mr G J Sheer gjs@cokethorpe.org

Staff News

Housemasters and Housemistresses Lower House: Mr M J P O'Connor mjoc@cokethorpe.org Feilden: Mr S G Carter sgc@cokethorpe.org Gascoigne: Mrs E Semenzato es@cokethorpe.org Harcourt: Mr W G Lawson wgl@cokethorpe.org Queen Anne: Mrs S A Orton sao@cokethorpe.org Swift: Mrs M H Cooper mhdc@cokethorpe.org Vanbrugh: Ms L A Mountain lam@cokethorpe.org

The Junior School children presented Mrs Suzi Landon with a beautiful picture of flowers as a thank you for over 26 years of dedicated service to the School. Under the creative direction of Mrs Helen Hammond, each Junior School child painted a colourful flower to add to a framed collage. Mrs Landon, Bursar, will be much missed by staff, children and parents. We wish her the best of luck for the future and hope she takes with her fond memorries of her time at Cokethorpe.

Editor’s Notes

The icon indicates that a longer write-up and/or further photographs are available on the School website. THE OCELLUS is edited and typeset by the Foundation Office. It is published by Cokethorpe School.

Congratulations to Biology teacher Mrs Smith and husband Ed on the birth of their son Oscar on Saturday 29 September.

Congratulations to DT teacher Mr White and his partner Sheona on the birth of their daughter Ivy Margaret Quenby White on Saturday 15 September.

Congratulations to Head of Psychology and Sociology Miss Rogers who married Rob on Saturday 15 December 2018.

Cokethorpe School Witney, Oxon OX29 7PU Tel: 01993 703921 Email: admin@cokethorpe.org

www.cokethorpe.org.uk

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