The Ocellus | Winter 2023 | Issue 51

T H E

Ocellus

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Front cover image: Oliver Beechey (Year 1, Symonds) and Kamiyah Muldrow (Year 1, Lockwood) Inside front cover: Reuben Uglow (Second Form, Gascoigne) Back cover: Photography AOB - Jacob Liu (Fourth Form, Gascoigne)

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

Ocellus Issue 51 | Winter 2023 Editor: Mrs L Williams (Communications Officer) Design and Layout: Mr N Brownless (Creative Officer) Published by Cokethorpe School.

Headmaster’s Welcome

T

he expression, ‘they do not suffer fools gladly’, is an interesting one because it starts from the point of view that the other person might be a fool. I suppose foolishness in others is sometimes transparent, although I suspect that often the ‘fool’ here is just someone who sees or does things differently to us. But diversity of view is hardly unexpected. There are probably as many perspectives as there are people in the world, and perhaps the French expression ‘vive la difference’ encapsulates a more productive way of perceiving those around us.

In fact, I want to say a few words about the importance of empathy as a quality of leadership but this seems like a good place to start. Leaders do well to recognise that those they lead are not necessarily lined up behind them, as a single-minded file of obedient followers. Except in science fiction, even generals do not lead a clone army! One of the most important tasks of leadership is to help release the potential in others, to embrace difference, and to allow that diversity to enrich the community they help to lead.

But if the character of others is elusive, as I have suggested, is there any potential for empathy?

This is more than feeling sad when someone else is hurting, important though that is. It is being able to put oneself in another person’s shoes, not just when they are in pain, but in any situation they face. If everyone is different, can we ever truly empathise with anyone else? Can a person who jumps at any opportunity to stand up and speak in front of an audience, for example, understand the sheer terror another person might feel? Or can a person who happily embraces constant change have any fellow feeling for someone for whom change is a constant challenge?

In this issue...

Heads of House Pages 2-3

Instrumental Scheme Page 4

Aligning Emotional Intelligence with Learning Characteristics Pages 8-9

Pastoral Care: The Foundation of the School Environment

Perhaps it is a matter of degrees. Complete empathy may not be possible. But when we make the effort, we can develop a measure of empathy, which will also serve us as parents, and not just in formal leadership. We know that some challenges excite us, some situations frighten us, and some mountains seem too steep to climb. Sometimes we want someone to accompany us and sometimes we want to be left to deal with things. The challenges may not be the same for everyone, but the emotions are similar enough. When we lead we have to try to be aware of this possible range of feelings, and be sensitive to it, not to steamroll. Moreover, if this is true when we try to lead our fellow adults, it is even more so with our children, many of whom have personalities that are far from fully formed. If we are not to damage that character as it develops, we have to be sensitive to the fact that there are various positive ways this can unfold.

A final thought. This reflection also prompted me to look again at those famous lines of Robert Burns: ‘O wad some Power the giftie gie us / To see oursels as ithers see us!’ I am glad that I only had to write that, and not to try to pronounce it! This perspective puts the burden back onto the subject, to be concerned about what others think of them. I do not want to deny totally the significance of this. But what is more important for leaders, and I think perhaps for everyone, is to accept that others perceive things differently, do things differently, and we should welcome that as a benefit.

Pages 16-17

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HEADS OF HOUSE Building a Strong Pastoral System

We spoke to three Heads of Houses about their experience of the House system. Head of Lower House, Matthew Rees (Upper Sixth, Queen Anne), Head of Queen Anne, Freddie Murfitt (Upper Sixth) and Head of Vanbrugh, Bella Caffyn (Upper Sixth).

Congratulations on your appointment as Heads of Houses. Can you talk to us about the House system – how did it support you as you went through the School?

BC – As soon as you join the Senior School, you are put into a tutor group and a House. It feels like you leave your family home and join your other family at School. I have always felt that there is a real sense of belonging. Being in your tutor group the whole way through School, you get to know everyone so well and create such strong bonds with your peers in the group. You grow up together. You are part of a smaller family within the Cokethorpe extended family.

MR – As the Head of Lower House, there is a sense of community, especially in that first year where you are in a year group rather than a House. It gives you the opportunity to really get to know your year group before joining the wider House system which can be quite daunting when you first start the Senior School. Once you are in the wider House system, you immediately feel part of it.

FM – Being part of a House has definitely supported me throughout my journey in the Senior School. It is good to have role models at the top end of the School, like the Prefects in your House who you can talk to if you have a problem or need some help with something.

It creates bonds between year groups, and demonstrates that age is not a barrier to friendship.

When did you join the School?

FM – I joined the Prep School (it was the Junior School back then) in Year 3.

MR and BC – We both joined in the First Form.

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So for you, Matthew and Bella, you both joined the Lower House which was your first impression of the School. How was the experience?

BC – It meant we did not go straight into the Houses, where you feel like everyone is so much older than you which can be a little terrifying when you are joining a new School!

You feel more secure being surrounded by your own year group.

MR – Some of the events run by the School when we first joined really helped us to settle in, the First Form Disco and the Camp, for example. Especially for someone like me who came from a really small village primary school, to join a group of almost 100 pupils who I did not know. It really helped to break the ice and gave us the opportunity to get to know the School and our peers.

FM – I was in Symonds House in Prep School and remember being very happy when I got put in Queen Anne as both their House colours are green! It was great to meet all the new pupils. Joining the Lower House and then wider Houses from the Prep School makes you feel supported and part of something before you have even really started the Senior School.

As the Heads of Houses now, how do you support those younger pupils?

BC – I like to visit tutor groups as often as I can, so I can meet and get to know everyone individually. Although they are in Lower House, they are still part of your House. I think it is important for them to know who you are. It also means they can talk to you when they have an issue, sometimes it is easier for the younger pupils to talk to a student than a teacher as we can feel more approachable.

FM – I really enjoy seeing the younger pupils around the School and being able to say hello to them.

MR – There are also some organisational aspects to being Head of Lower House, such as organising the First Form disco. I spend time with Housemaster of Lower House, Mr O’Connor, talking about upcoming events, then getting a group of students together to organise it and ensure it is a good event which is a positive experience for the pupils. Having been to these events ourselves, we know the value of them and the important role they play in helping First Form pupils to settle.

Do you have much interaction with the Housemasters and Housemistresses?

MR – Definitely, in the Prefect meetings.

FM – We discuss anything that relates to the House, for example organising House events. This year, I helped pick the team for the Crawford Relay, we put forward names of pupils that we think might be suitable.

BC – Because you are a student yourself, you sometimes have insight into the pupils’ talents and skills of which the teachers might not be aware. It is a great way of recognising and encouraging other pupils’ talents.

FM – I also think it is really important to acknowledge the contribution tutors and other members of staff make to the Houses.

MR – I agree. For me, particularly, with Mr O’Connor, and some of the tutors when organising events and activities, you work together and create bonds

Do you have favourite events? Why are House events important?

BC- Mine has to be House Drama, which we won last year. You see new talent coming through the School and watch pupils grow and get more confident in rehearsals. It is also a really inclusive event - whether you want to direct, act in it or work behind the scenes. It is good fun and everyone can come and watch too.

you can do that. When younger pupils see you contributing it encourages them to do the same, as well as giving them more confidence.

FM – The long-term goal, of course, is to win the House Cup at the end of the year!

MR – It is slightly different for me, mine is to instil that sense of belonging in the Lower House and being a positive influence on the younger pupils.

Why would you recommend being a Head of House to other pupils?

FM – For me, it would have to be the Crawford Relay. Mainly because for five out of the six years I have been here we have won it! And set records. I think it is one of the best events, as you have the whole School out watching you and cheering you on. It is a great spectator event, as well as being a fitting way to end the term.

FM – Throughout my years here, I have always looked up to the Heads of Houses. Observing them enabled me to see the qualities they had, which I then looked to evaluate. It has been one of my goals and something I have aspired to do. This also motivated me to get involved in as much as I could throughout my time in the lower years of the Senior School.

BC – Sports Day is another great and inclusive event, there is something for everyone.

It gives you a real sense of pride for your House. In the House sports events (rugby or hockey for example), we are always supported by our peers, the boys always come and watch the girls compete, and vice versa.

The House system in general fosters a really healthy competitive spirit amongst pupils in a supportive environment.

Is it a lot of responsibility for you?

MR – House Music is one of my favourites, it is really fun getting the whole House together.

There is always a good sense of camaraderie, and the mood is always great on the day.

The variety of competitions means every pupil gets a chance to participate – whether it be sport, art, DT, drama, music – there is something for everyone.

How did you become Head of House?

MR - Your teachers and Housemasters put you forward. A group of Prefects is then put together. You also get recommended by the year above who have just left. The final decision on who becomes the Head of House is made by Mr Stevens and Mr Ettinger.

BC – Throughout my time in the Senior School, I have always contributed to House events and School life; including music, drama and sports and really enjoyed it, I always put myself forward for as much as I can to get the most out of my time here. I think the School recognises this when they look to select the Heads of Houses.

FM – Your main responsibility is to be a good role model around School, looking presentable and making sure everyone else is too. You are there to have a positive influence on the pupils in your House.

BC – You have a responsibility to get to know a little bit about everyone in your House, so you have a way to connect with everyone in your House on a personal level.

MR – Also organising events, you have to put yourself forward and get the job done.

How do you manage the role alongside your studies?

BC - It is a lot to manage – but can also be a welcome break from your studies too. House events add lots of fun for everyone involved, and are a nice break from the routine of the school day.

MR – It definitely tests your organisational skills and challenges you, but in a positive way.

What are your main responsibilities?

FM - Organising events and assemblies, every two weeks we have a House Assembly. Sometimes the Housemaster or Housemistress will ask you to contribute something to the Assembly.

BC – It is so important as a Head of House to lead by example and demonstrate leadership skills, the School places a lot of value in it.

Engaging in Assemblies is one of the ways

MR – It brings you together as a group, especially the Prefect body, and gives you a real sense of community. We all sensed Dee Biles (Upper Sixth, Gascoigne) would be Head of School, but we waited for her and congratulated her. We come together as a body.

FM – On a personal level it is nice to be recognised for everything you have done and contributed throughout the Senior School.

You have been involved in the House, and you have trust put in you to be given the role.

What qualities do you think you need to be a Head of House?

MR – Well, certainly the six Leadership Traits: Integrity, Courage, Empathy, Judgment, Ambition and Responsibility. These underpin the ethos of the Prefect body and what we are trying to model to the younger years.

BC - You also need confidence, and the ability to speak in public.

FM – You need to be multiskilled. Our Heads of Houses this year have a diverse range of skills, which is fantastic. You need to be motivated and enthusiastic about all House events, not just ones you are good at or are your favourites!

BC – I look forward to handing over the baton next year, we are always keeping an eye on the Lower Sixth to see who might have the potential to take over the role. It is always lovely to give someone else the opportunities that you have had.

FM – It really is a huge honour to be chosen, you have been chosen for a reason and it is important to remember that.

The Heads of House were talking to Mrs Williams, Communications Officer

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INSTRUMENTAL SCHEME Albert Einstein once said: ‘Life without playing music is inconceivable to me. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music... I get most joy in life out of music’. Back in September, Cokethorpe decided to try something completely new and quite unusual. Something which, or so the science tells us, is pretty crucial in helping academic, mental and social development. Something which helps to build confidence and patience. Something which benefits self-discipline, personal responsibility and time-management skills. Something which, in short, is, above all, fun and rewarding, and will transform music-making at Cokethorpe.

Learning how to play an instrument is indeed very special. I look back at my childhood and am constantly grateful that music played such an important role. The musical experiences open to me were profound, from the people I was able to meet to the places I was able to perform in, and will, forever, stay with me. And, like our pupils in Years 4 and 5 and First Form, all these experiences were only possible by a) learning an instrument and b) sticking with it.

For the past five months, almost 90 pupils have been learning an instrument, the vast majority of them from scratch, with lessons from September to the Lent half term paid for by the School. From the flute to the bassoon, the double bass to the viola, Cokethorpe’s Music Department has been buzzing with music-making and awash with progress, development and perpetual positivity. There have been countless hurdles traversed with personal successes aplenty. Towards the end of last term, for example, we celebrated the first pupil in the Instrumental Scheme (who had only been learning from September) performing in our Friday recital series, Corinthian Concerts and Cake

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– an impressive achievement! We have also welcomed a handful of new players to the Senior Orchestra, playing alongside our experienced musicians: such vital training.

Of course, at the same time, none of these successes come without huge amounts of hard work, perseverance and determination. We live in a world where it is easy to give up when the going gets tough.

That our musicians have committed so well to the scheme, wanting to impress not only their teachers but themselves, perfectly reflects the culture, attitude and expectation Cokethorpe requires from its pupils. In addition to getting the pupil body making music, one of the other most important reasons for adopting the Instrumental Scheme was personal responsibility, in which, from an early age, pupils can become accustomed to balancing commitments, both academic and co-curricular. This will prepare them well not only for sitting exams, etc, but also for life beyond School, as they will have to juggle a plethora of commitments.

It is well-documented that there is a clear correlation between musical proficiency and academic success; pupils who study music are more likely to do well at school. Like Einstein, I too would say that it is inconceivable to imagine life without music. You would, however, expect me to say this – after all, I teach Music! When we think of Einstein, however, our first thoughts would probably be drawn to his work on relativity, or quantum mechanics, or E=mc² (thank you, Wikipedia). That he, for all of his scientific accomplishments, could not imagine his world without music, is testament to music’s power, importance and, above all, joy.

MEET THE SCHOOL - MRS ORTON What do you do at the School?

When did you join?

We have all valued the quality of the relationships that we have formed whilst at Cokethorpe, learning and exploring new things, and have all enjoyed our time spent in the School’s beautiful grounds. We have embraced the rhythm of the academic year in our own ways but have looked forward to the same key events each year – Prize Giving, plays, concerts - and have enjoyed following the seasonal changes of each sport, noticing the newly set up football goals, rugby posts or tennis nets with great excitement as we drive into School on the first day of a new term.

Tell us about your new role in the School?

Each of my three boys is, of course, different, so on an academic level, they have taken different things from their time at the School. However, be it as an actor, historian or business graduate, they have all moved on from Cokethorpe ready to try new things - surrounded by friends, with excellent relationships with their much-loved teachers and a desire to explore and travel. What more could we ask for?

In September I took on the role of Director of Professional Development at the School.

I joined the School in February 2010 as a Learning Support teacher, having moved as a family to the area from Essex. With my previous roles in schools including Head of Music, and having worked in a number of specialist SEND settings, I was excited about a move to a more rural school and a focus on developing the literacy skills of pupils within the school community.

My new role in School is a busy one and allows me to invest time in enhancing the culture of learning within the staff Common Room.

A key area of the role is mentoring teachers who are in the early stages of their careers, as either Early Career Teachers or undertaking teacher training. As a staff body, we have a responsibility to ensure that these teachers are well-supported and are developed such that they thrive in the profession and deliver the best results for pupils and parents.

I would hope that Cokethorpe can be established as a centre of excellence in the training and development of new teachers.

It is exciting to explore ways of enhancing pupil outcomes through the development of teachers at the School and evaluating the impact of initiatives within the classroom. Professional development must be relevant and useful if it is to be effective.

Just as it is important that our pupils are collaborative in their approach to their learning, it is similarly important for our teachers to come together and share ideas. As such, our learning breakfasts and small group training activities, are a valuable part of our INSET and development plans. There is much to look forward to over the remainder of the academic year, with all departments keen to access training materials and explore new ways of delivery - as expected, there is always much to learn.

What have been the highlights of your time at Cokethorpe?

I think that many of the highlights from my time at Cokethorpe have come from my time as Housemistress. It really has been such a privilege to support the pupils of Queen Anne House over the last few years as they grow and develop into the impressive students that leave us after Sixth Form. If I had to name a few specific highlights, one would definitely be the competitive spirit seen on Sports Days, as pupils give their all in races and tug-of war events. But my personal favourites will always be the Crawford Relay and the inter-House Singing Competition, both of which have seen Queen Anne pupils shine over recent years. Both events are hard work and certainly have their fair share of ups and downs, but what stays with me is the laughter and fun that is shared between teachers and pupils as we rehearse and prepare our performance.

Your children have been through the School, how has their experience differed from yours?

Although my children’s experience of the School has probably involved more mud and social events than my own, I think that our experiences have actually been very similar.

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COKETHORPE CREATIVITY - PREP ART

Will Rainey (Year 5, Baker)

Rupert Heaton (Year 4, Lockwood) Shannon Edwards (Year 5, Symonds)

Left: Lisa Wang (Year 2, Lockwood) Right: Oliver Beechey (Year 1, Symonds)

Lucy Smith (Year 6, Symonds)

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Lorenzo Dodd (Year 3, Baker)

COKETHORPE CREATIVITY - SENIOR ART

Darcy Atkinson (Second Form, Feilden) Elissa Boyle (Second Form, Harcourt)

Freya Winfield (Fourth Form, Feilden)

Nina Larsson (Third Form, Queen Anne)

Ella Sharp (Fourth Form, Vanbrugh)

Audrey McCormick (Fourth Form, Vanbrugh)

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ALIGNING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE WITH LEARNING CHARACTERISTICS Prep School pupils are well versed in understanding their emotions thanks to programmes such as RULER and the Cokethorpe Characters. Mrs Black, Head of Prep School, explains the approach.

We ‘check in’ with the children about how they are feeling throughout the day, talking to them about how they might like to feel – where that sweet spot of emotion is, somewhere between yellow and green – and then we can discuss strategies to help them with understanding how to get back to that point when something or someone knocks them off balance emotionally, what we term the ‘Meta Moments’.

What is RULER and how do we make use of it?

RULER focuses on teaching emotional literacy to the youngest pupils in the School. It is actually an American scheme, developed at the Yale Center of Emotional Intelligence, and is an evidence-based approach to teaching children about emotions.

It has a fantastic methodology and is easily understood. RULER is an acronym, as you might expect; it stands for Recognising Understanding Labelling Expressing and Regulating emotions. It explicitly looks at the emotions that we are feeling, helping children to empathise with others and consider how their actions might make other people feel and what another person might be thinking in any given moment. One of the ways it is approached is through the stories that we are sharing and the books that we are reading. However, in order to help the youngest children in the School identify the emotions meaningfully, RULER is a scheme which attaches a colour to different kinds of emotions.

Energy

Mood Meter Enraged

Panicked

Stressed

Bitter

Shocked

Surprised

Upbeat

Festive

Exhilerated

Livid

Furious

Frustrated

Tense

Stunned

Hyper

Cheerful

Motivated

Inspired

Ecstatic Elated

Fuming

Frightened

Angry

Nervous

Restless

Energised

Lively

Enthusiastic

Optimistic

Excited Thrilled

Anxious

Apprehensive

Worried

Irritated

Annoyed

Pleased

Happy

Focused

Proud

Repulsed

Troubled

Concerned

Uneasy

Peeved

Pleasant

Joyful

Hopeful

Playful

Blissful

Disgusted

Glum

Disappointed

Down

Apathetic

At Ease

Easygoing

Content

Loving

Fulfilled

Pessimistic

Morose

Discouraged

Sad

Bored

Calm

Secure

Satisfied

Grateful

Touched

Alienated

Miserable

Lonely

Disheartened

Tired

Relaxed

Chill

Restful

Blessed

Balanced

Despondent

Depressed

Sullen

Exhausted

Fatigued

Mellow

Thoughtful

Peaceful

Comfy

Carefree

Despair

Hopeless

Desolate

Spent

Drained

Sleepy

Complacent

Tranquil

Cozy

Serene

Pleasantness Rather than thinking of emotions as positive or negative – anger being a negative emotion and happiness being a good emotion, for example – which runs the risk of implying to children that they should be happy all the time and there is something wrong if they are not feeling that way, RULER helps children to understand that everyone experiences a whole range of different emotions and can be triggered into feeling an emotion by things that may be different to their own triggers. Emotions are instead considered in terms of energy and pleasantness. We would describe emotions like anger as red because they are high energy and low pleasantness, whilst an emotion such as feeling ambivalent or slightly melancholy, we would call our blue emotions because they are still low pleasantness but also low energy. Excitability (high energy, high pleasantness) are our yellow emotions, green is more mellow with high pleasantness but low energy contentment. In talking about our emotions, we will discuss what makes each emotion okay or even positive to feel – there is nothing wrong with feeling angry because, although you might be experiencing low pleasantness, the high energy element will help motivate you to take a positive step to regain that pleasantness.

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There are tools we use in the classroom to work with RULER. One of those is the Mood Meter. The children can self-register on the Mood Meter on the wall in their classroom to express what their mood, their emotion is at that time. It is something that we encourage them to return to and update throughout the day. It is a useful indicator to the teacher, not necessarily of where they might need to intervene, but how they might want to approach covering the material in the next lesson.

It is important to also recognise that every child is going to be coming to School each day having had a different experience; they might have had a difficult journey in, or been really excited about something they were doing at home before they left, they might have not felt hungry at breakfast or have had a bad night’s sleep, for example. We do not all begin the day from the same starting point and it is beneficial to get a measure of the mood across the classroom.

Another tool associated with RULER is the blueprint, which is a pro forma we use in association with behaviour management. If there has been a conflict of some form – a sense of injustice about the amount of time playing with a certain piece of popular equipment at break time, for instance, we ask the pupils to complete a blueprint, reflecting on their behaviours and emotions and the emotions of others involved and reflecting on what they could have done better. When we brought in the blueprint model it really had such a significant impact; pupils were so much more attuned to how one another might be feeling in any given scenario, which has been hugely beneficial to emotional literacy and self-regulation of emotions. So often with emotional development, the assumption is that we are all modelling it around children, they will pick it up almost by osmosis. We would not take that approach to an academic subject, we would anticipate that a child will need some degree of support, guidance, or instruction. RULER does not make that assumption.

It is more of a contemplative approach than the teaching of coping mechanisms?

Exactly. It is proactive. Rather than reacting in the moment, where those fight or flight responses might kick in when you are angry, upset or scared, talking those things through in advance and considering those emotions through stories where you are looking at other people – often with younger children it is animals that are being personified – when they do find themselves in a difficult situation, they will be better equipped to react appropriately.

And how receptive are the pupils to the approach when they join the School?

They are really receptive, particularly in Reception. It is not necessarily about them understanding the words around those emotions but being able to identify the feeling in a way that is tangible and meaningful to them. We might do this pictorially, for example.

It is important for parents to feel comfortable with the approach too, being able to recognise and comprehend the terminology their children are using in expressing their feelings. When we brought RULER in, we ran sessions for parents alongside those for teachers and pupils to be able to introduce that and the workshops are something we repeat each year with the new Reception Class parents. Parents have been very receptive to RULER and the Prep School’s emotional literacy programme, and it is actually a useful tool for parents at home.

You mentioned earlier the personification of animals, of course, we use the Cokethorpe Characters in the Prep School; what are their meaning and purpose?

In the Senior School we have had for a long time the leadership traits – Integrity, Courage, Empathy, Judgement, Ambition, and Responsibility – that are important characteristics which we value across the whole School. Previously, our Cokethorpe Characters related to the characteristics of learning. Some of those Characters overlapped with the leadership traits, but actually the traits were the key factors that we kept referencing within the Prep School and the Characters did not all quite align with them. We therefore adjusted the Cokethorpe Characters so that we were focusing on the same characteristics all the way through the School.

You would talk about ambition, responsibility or empathy differently with an eleven-year-old than you would with an eighteen-year-old, and the same applies in the Prep School. By applying the animal to the characteristics it becomes a tangible way for the children to identify with the Characters and those traits.

Brave Bear

Responsible Red Panda

Go For It Gorilla

Proud Peacock Wise Old Owl

Caring Camel Honest Hippo

We have the themes for each half term in the Prep School to show the interconnection between subjects. Does this work pastorally as well?

We have Personal and Social Health, and Emotional (PSHE) education in the Prep School which encompasses all of the personal and pastoral education. The Cokethorpe Characters fit within that PSHE umbrella, as does RULER. It can be taught through our themes alongside the academic subjects and it sits comfortably with them. Our theme at

the moment is ‘we are family’ and we are focusing on Ambition from among the Characters, you can see how translatable that theme is to understanding emotions, as well as to the characteristics of learning. It is not by accident; these elements are all designed to link well.

What are the other core pastoral structures in the Prep School?

When children are younger, having that same point of contact for the majority of the time when they are in school is hugely important. In Reception, they are with Mrs Brash, or their Teaching Assistant, Mrs Hughes, will go with them when they are having sessions with the specialist subject teachers. The five or six adults those children work with is beneficial and reassuring at that early stage of their education.

As they get older, the number of specialist sessions they have increases, reflecting their growing emotional maturity and confidence in the setting, but they will still spend the majority of their time with their class teacher who is responsible for their pastoral care, and the first pastoral point of contact for parents.

Classes are, of course, aligned with school years. The House system gives us that opportunity for vertical streaming, as well as a framework for celebration, competition, and collaboration. We have a traditional house points system, which feeds into that celebration of the children’s successes across different areas of school life. There is a tangible benefit to each child personally in seeing their contributions through their own individual strengths and efforts towards a common benefit, such as house points. Our pupils really celebrate one another’s successes. An example of this was my bumping into one of our pupils and their parents at the Ashmolean Museum looking at the exhibition for the Young Art Oxford competition which the Prep School pupils enter each year. I asked the pupil if they had come to see their work exhibited and they told me that they hadn’t been a finalist, but they wanted to come and see their friends’ work on display. That really encapsulates that celebration of one another’s achievements at Cokethorpe so well.

We also believe that instilling a sense of service and gratitude is important, an understanding that the children are fortunate to be receiving the education they are, and the importance of giving back to their community. We do this from an early age. For example, once a month, five children from the Reception Class on rotation will join children from one of the Corinthian Partnership schools in visiting the Rose Bank Care Home to read to the residents there. There is a real benefit for the children in doing this, and there is also a benefit for those people who they are reading to as well.

Our Sixth Form students are brilliant role models to the pupils in the Prep School, and the Tutor Partnering programme has been a superb addition in the last couple of years. We have extended the success of the programme this year whereby all the Year 6 pupils, ahead of their transition up to the Senior School have an informal interview with a member of the Lower Sixth. This is an opportunity to have a chat with one of the senior members of the School community, giving them that reassurance that they have another friendly face acting as a sort of pseudo mentor to them when they join the First Form. Those links with the Senior School are really important and provide so many benefits pastorally in smoothing that transition for the Prep School pupils when the time comes to take that next step.

Mrs Black was talking to Mr Griffiths, Head of Marketing

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PUPIL PERSPECTIVES - SCHOOL COUNCIL To date, the Prep School Council have implemented a number of fabulous new initiatives including: Girls’ football, timetabled Forest School sessions for Years 3 to 6, Archery and Fencing Clubs, an annual Year 6 disco and milkshakes and smoothies for snacks. We spoke to Shannon Edwards (Year 5, Symonds) and Arthur Abraham (Year 3, Gwyn) about their role on the School Council.

First of all, can you tell us what the School Council is?

AA – It is a team of pupils from the Prep School that work together on ideas that might make the School better. We represent the Prep School and are a voice for the Prep School children.

SE –There is one pupil per class from Year 3 to Year 6 and we meet every Tuesday lunchtime.

How are you elected?

SE – You can volunteer and be voted for by your classmates. We read a speech we had

written to the class, then everyone had the chance to vote for one representative from each class.

AA - I volunteered myself, as I was on the School Council at my last school.

How do you decide which ideas you might be able to take forward?

SE – Pupils put their ideas into the suggestion boxes we made. We then go through the suggestions and write them down, then we discuss them in the School council meetings, deciding which ones might be possible.

What have this year’s Council been involved with so far?

What skills have you gained from being on the council? Do you think any of these might be helpful when you move up to Senior School?

SE – Responsibility and organising ourselves.

We go to the meetings every week and take responsibility for sharing others’ ideas. Also, confidence. Before I was School councillor, I was scared of speaking in front of big crowds and being on stage, and now I am fine with it. We have just finished the Little Red Riding Hood play and I was in it!

AA – I also think it is a happy memory we will take with us; we have made lots of new friends in other year groups.

SE – Taco Tuesday! This was a suggestion from pupils.

AA – We also updated the Christmas Jumper Day to include hats, pyjamas, costumes or anything Christmassy! This was a suggestion from the council.

MEET THE SCHOOL - MISS BOUBKARI When did you join?

I joined in September 2023

What do you do at the School?

As the newly appointed Head of Modern Foreign Languages, I have dedicated myself to shaping the linguistic journey of pupils from First Form to Upper Sixth. Empowering young minds through language education is both my mission and delight.

Tell us something about yourself.

I am passionate about travelling and I find that languages are a gateway to cultural understanding and open-mindedness. Trekking in the mountains with only a backpack is my favourite thing to do as it allows me to enjoy life’s simple pleasures and truly immerse myself in the surrounding nature.

Do you have any particular passions you would like to introduce as an AOB?

Handball is my utmost passion, my favourite sport since I began playing at the age of eleven.

The game’s tactical intricacies and exhilarating nature captivated me. I would love to introduce handball at Cokethorpe as it has the potential of fostering teamwork, self-surpassing, resilience, quick thinking and adaptability among pupils.

Beyond the physical activity, it serves as a powerful tool for personal development and teaches life skills which are crucial for overcoming challenges. Introducing such a dynamic sport could contribute to our pupils’ personal growth and equip them with valuable attributes for the future, an advantage I personally experienced and believe in.

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OUTREACH What do we mean by ‘Outreach’ and how do we go about it?

There are a couple of components. A significant aspect of the programme is our involvement with the Corinthian Partnership – an association of three primary schools in West Oxfordshire with Cokethorpe. The Partnership sees members of the Lower Sixth and our Sports Award holders regularly visit the schools to deliver sporting sessions and work with the children from Years 3 to 6 to deliver wider activities, helping to improve their interpersonal skills. It provides an excellent opportunity for our pupils to utilise and enhance their leadership qualities, as well as assisting them with learning how to interact with people of a different age and, in a few cases, from a different socio-economic background. We offer activities based on the requests and requirements of the Corinthian Partnership schools.

We also have a partnership with Colet Mentoring, setup originally by St Paul’s, London. Our Sixth Form students can sign up to partake in an online tutoring programme with Fifth Form pupils from other schools, many of which are inner-city schools where some of the pupils are disadvantaged for various socio-economic reasons. It works by a pupil, usually doing GCSEs, posting a question they are stuck on in one of the Sciences or Maths and one of our students – who have all been trained to assist with working through the issue, aiding the pupil’s learning, rather than simply giving them the answer – will respond. It provides all sorts of benefits to our students, from empathy and responsibility, to articulately working through a problem whilst assisting another person’s understanding of the subject at hand. We now have our second cohort of Lower Sixth students up and running having completed their tuition – a sort of ‘crash course’ in teaching techniques – and safeguarding training.

The other side of the Corinthian Partnership programme sees the member schools – Ducklington Primary School, Aston and Cote Primary School, and Combe Primary School – come to Cokethorpe for a day of enrichment activities, such as a STEM Day, a cross-country competition, or a Lego teamworking day, as well as utilising some of our facilities, such as The Shed for productions. One of the challenges the schools have is transport, so we provide our minibuses for them to ferry

the children to and from the schools for these days.

I also go out to the schools and do a science show and demonstrate some basic experiments with them; ‘Fire and Ice’ is always a popular show with the children!

As a charity, we have a responsibility to be active and contributory members of the community. Our collective expertise are in and around education, I believe we therefore have an obligation to assist others as best we can in sharing our experience and the wealth of our knowledge, and to offer some of the incredible facilities we have available at the School to others whose settings cannot sustain their own.

The Headmaster often talks about a duty of service, is this reflected in the pupils?

Certainly – the emphasis of the outreach programme is completely in keeping with that mantra. I am always particularly impressed by the number of pupils who go on after leaving Cokethorpe to work or volunteer in their own time in support of others who are not so fortunate. It is a message which clearly resonates with our pupils, often motivating the choices they make whilst at school and in later life. This is not always in the way you might think – we have current pupils, for instance, who are talented sportspeople and contribute their time and skills to coaching others, often in external sports clubs of which they are members. The conversation around the benefits of physical activity is a well-trodden one and I think we all know what they are.

Understanding how to get the best out of the children using praise, how to keep control – they are acting as the adult in the room rather than the older cousin coming to play.

How would you like to see the Outreach programme develop?

The most direct development I would like to see is having more schools involved and having more events available for them.

On the flip side of that, I would like to find ways to get more of our pupils involved in these activities; those that take part in our outreach activities really benefit from the experience. The programme works well with our Lower Sixth members, but I think the younger year groups would really benefit from it as well. We have examples of this through the work of our Sports Award holders, which includes younger year groups already. There are opportunities to hone and develop skills that will be of tangible benefit to them as they move up through the School.

I would also like to see more work within the community developing; we used to work with a Day Centre though this wrapped up owing to the pandemic, for the obvious reasons.

It would be something I would like to see rekindled and built upon in the months and years ahead.

Dr Flaherty, Assistant Director of Studies (Outreach), was talking to Mr Griffiths, Head of Marketing

With some of the pupils leading sessions, how do we prepare them for this?

We do provide training to the pupils. Some of that training is more formal – how to approach planning the sessions, thinking about the capabilities of children in those age groups, thinking about the correct tone and language to use in explanations, by which I mean ensuring it is not overly complicated rather than us worrying what they say might be offensive! It also includes some of those more informal elements, remembering to get down to their level physically when you are explaining something or if they need some support, for example.

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WIT PROGRAMME We spoke to Miss Gardiner about the WIT programme in the Michaelmas Term of 2020. Since then, the WIT Programme has undergone some significant changes under the leadership of WIT Co-ordinator, Miss Ryan, who is now in her second year running the Programme.

For those unfamiliar with the WIT Programme, can you tell us what it is and how it has changed?

WIT stands for ‘Wellbeing and Integrity Toolkit’. It teaches pupils how to interact with a changing world, whilst also giving them the opportunity to develop the tools to make strong decisions and negotiate that world.

We aim to raise awareness of some of the issues they may meet. This is particularly pertinent in an ever-changing digital world and the amount of content pupils are exposed to online; how do pupils filter what is appropriate or inappropriate? What is biased and what is not biased?

One of the biggest redevelopments in the programme is the way in which these lessons are taught. I try to get pupils to learn by doing, rather than just giving them facts. Trying to get pupils to come to a realisation themselves, and then presenting facts to build on that realisation.

Can you give us some examples of how you put this into practice?

Last term, for instance, the Third Form were looking at finances. I wanted them to understand that the cost of things has increased quite dramatically over the last couple of years compared to the last half century. I gave them the costs of eight basic items; meat, cheese, milk,

petrol, and a few other things. I asked them to map out what they think the prices would have been over the past 50 years for those items. Pupils were surprised to learn that that the cost of cheese had increased more in percentage than petrol. We then drew this back to the cost-of-living crisis. How has it come about? How has the war in Ukraine influenced the lack of fuel or wheat for example? Pupils were then challenged to think about what products or services would be effected if you reduced the amount of wheat available and the list they came up with was huge. Pupils were then encouraged to come to the realisation themselves of the knock-on effect this could have.

What do you hope pupils will gain from the Programme?

By the end of the Programme, I hope that pupils will be more empathetic and more responsible in their choices. This can be something relatively minor, such as turning off a light, so they are not costing someone money. Or having a larger impact, such as when we have a food bank drive; I want pupils to realise the importance of it and feel that they really understood the issues surrounding that hardship and that they want to meaningfully contribute. It is a matter of providing opportunities for personal growth and then helping them to reflect on those opportunities they have been given.

The Programme aims to encourage pupils to dig deeper and to question. If you are curious, you are awake, conscious and interacting with the world. I want them to leave Cokethorpe with a balanced and whole view of, themselves, their boundaries, their expectations, and the wider world. These pupils are the future - the gamechangers. They have the potential to enact change that could affect the few, or the many. We want to create strong, confident pupils that are well-rounded and leave School with a courageous empathy.

Is that your motivation for doing this?

My degree is in Computer Science, and I worked in the industry for a few years before I retrained to become a teacher. That was because I felt like I was missing out on impact, there was no real impact to what I was doing that I could go home and feel wholesome and proud about. I was introduced to PSHE and realised that this was what meant the most to me, these are the topics that matter. As much as I adore teaching Computer Science, this is the content for me that has the impact to change someone’s pathway. This has the potential to empower someone to make a lifechanging decision that betters their situation, it is the content that might stop someone from falling into a situation that is negative, whether that be financial or a relationship, through education or mental health.

Although I might not be able to change government policy myself, I can have a conversation with a pupil that has the potential to grow up to change government policy. By shaping our pupils into global citizens who are aware and passionate about expanding their influence beyond themselves, they feel a sense of empowerment. They can then contribute to their home community, School community, local community, and global community.

What content have you covered recently?

To give an example, in the Lower Sixth, I have been looking at social media usage and how their personal social media usage could affect their professional opportunities or outcomes. Although this may seem

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obvious to some, students often do not see an issue with sharing as much as they do on social media. They feel they should be allowed to say whatever they want and do not see how this could be problematic.

I try to get them to understand that what they are essentially doing is creating a brand, an online social brand of themselves, which directly influences their professional brand. The two things should be consistent.

Sixth and how people become radicalised online, we have looked at alternative forms of terrorism or radicalisation that might not be the ones you expect. Instead of looking at religious radicalisation, we have looked at radicalisation between genders. The idea is to challenge both the terms used, and for the students to think about whether it could mean something else beyond a narrative that they already understand or are aware of and expand their viewpoint.

We have also been looking at distortion bias. Through liking things on social media, they are put into what are called ‘filter bubbles’. The more you ‘like’ certain types of content, the more of that content you will see. I set them a challenge to change and manipulate their social media feeds, so they assess the ‘core topics’ they are seeing regularly, and then are tasked with trying to broaden that content. They can then expand their ‘media diet’, if you will, in a practical way. This helps to broaden perspectives and not to see a kind of shrunken world view presented by your social media feeds.

How do you tailor the material for different year groups?

How do you put the content together?

In the Second Form, they revisit human rights but with a different focus.

They learn about the United Nations. They explore the organisation, what it does, and then they participate in a model UN. I ask them to represent different countries on a certain topic and give them some background information to inform their viewpoint. They then have a lesson where they come together to discuss it and come to an agreement for the problem they have been posed and find a solution.

This also teaches them the skills of successful negotiation. The content of the Programme spirals up as pupils progress through the School, but it is always appropriately delivered for the year group.

There are two mains places I get the content from; one is from me, and the other is the guidance that the PSHE association provides. The association provide a guidance booklet which covers topics under the headings: Health and Wellbeing, Relationships and Sex Education, and Living in the Wider World. These headings encompass a number of topics, including physical health, mental health, boundaries, extremism, seeking support, tax, media and digital media. These are the core elements of the WIT Programme, but what I choose to teach within those topics and how I choose to teach it, comes from me.

I am currently looking at a variety of studies from different organisations such as UNESCO, government research programmes, or research programmes from MIND, for example. I then look to potentially challenge the content that we currently have. For example, do we need a whole term in the Fourth Form on controversy? So perhaps rather than taking the approach ‘this is discrimination, this is how we don’t discriminate, this is why we shouldn’t discriminate’, instead I try to contextualise that for them and demonstrate that they are surrounded by controversy on a daily basis - through their friendship groups or through social media content. How do they spot that? How do they understand the impact of potentially discriminatory behaviours?

I spend a lot of time making sure we are addressing content that is relevant, perhaps beyond the guidance of what people might think is traditional. For example, when looking at ‘terrorism’ with the Lower

It is based on something called a spiral curriculum. The idea is that themes will be touched upon in every year group but in different ways. So, for example in First Form, they have been studying human rights, children’s rights, what their responsibility is as a global citizen, their social responsibility, and looking after the environment. This includes their own environment, School environment, and the wider environment. What are your rights? What extra protection do you get as a child? What is your impact on the world?

Any plans for the future?

I was really pleased with what I had in place last year and thought the content was strong, but there is always room for improvement. I want this to be another area where we stand out as a School compared to other schools. External visitors and speakers are a fantastic way of enhancing what we learn but it needs a really strong foundation in the classroom. I really want to embed the idea with pupils that this is a worthy and meaningful 50 minutes of their week and to realise that there is an important reason as to why we do this. I would like to develop a solid seven-year programme that builds all the way through from the First Form to Upper Sixth. In the future, I would like to expand the Programme further beyond the classroom, but the solid foundations must be there first.

Miss Ryan was talking to Mrs Williams, Communications Officer

A WIT session on the impact of social behaviours such as gossiping, banter etc.

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A CHRISTMAS CAROL On a cold winter’s eve, the audience for A Christmas Carol were heartened to join a joyful welcome in the Mansion House, in the festive glow of carol singing and a roaring fire. Fuelled by mulled wine and song, the merry crowd sang their way up towards The Shed, only to be halted by a sombre scene in the Upper Quad, where black-clad Victorian undertakers stood as solemn sentries around the open coffin of Josephine Marley. This dramatic shift of tone characterised the inventive and emotional journey that the audience was about to experience.

We were plunged into the dour existence of Ebeneezer Scrooge, brilliantly characterised

by Oscar Luckett (Upper Sixth, Vanbrugh), who spat and threatened with menace. He crushed any attempt to allow a smidgen of warmth to infect his miserable hovel, despite the exuberant efforts of Freda, played with joyful cheer by Stella Willis-Bund (Fifth Form, Feilden) and Henry Cook’s (Lower Sixth, Harcourt) wonderfully earnest portrayal of Bob Cratchit.

This misery was to meet a horrifying challenge however, in the rasping, shrieking, terror of Kacy Nguyen (Fifth Form, Vanbrugh), whose disturbing depiction of tortured soul Josephine Marley, set the tone for Scrooge’s night of dread and cognisance.

The ‘Ghost of Christmas Past’ was marvellously captured by the triple-act of Lottie Bayliss (Fifth

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Form, Gascoigne), Grace Clear (Fifth Form, Gascoigne) and Sofia Bell (Third Form, Feilden), whose creepy choreography and ghoulish gaze led Scrooge through his past mistakes.

There were charming performances by Xander Luckett (Third Form, Vanbrugh) as Young Scrooge, Tibby Bignone (Second Form, Feilden) as Little Fan, and the jubilant cheer of Mr and Mrs Fezziwigs was superbly provided

by Adam Rees (Lower Sixth, Queen Anne) and Dee Biles (Upper Sixth, Gascoigne). Such nostalgia was tempered by bitter scenes however, as Bella Caffyn’s (Upper Sixth, Vanbrugh) sincere performance as Belle, and husband Herbert, played with great humour by Kai Pullen-Campbell (Fifth Form, Queen Anne), demonstrated the melancholic realisation of how Scrooge might have enjoyed the love and warmth of family life.

We were thrown into the magic of ‘Christmas Present’ with a high-spirited performance by Bryony Wyatt (Fifth Form, Swift) as the ghost who sweeps Scrooge through the reality of his self-isolation. They visited the warm hearth of the Cratchit family, all of whom were excellent in their portrayal of happy siblings and commandingly led by Darcey Snaith (Fifth Form, Harcourt) as Mrs Cratchit.

These happy scenes swiftly led to dread however, as the dawning of ‘Christmas Yet to Come’ arrived in Scrooge’s baleful bedroom.

Audience members were terrified as glowing eyes and floating limbs drifted through the

mist to converge into a horrific spirit. At ten feet tall, with flowing white tendrils and silent trepidation, this puppet was skilfully rendered by the exquisite design of Mrs Wilkinson and the talented puppeteers, who worked together to veer, point and drift through one malevolent scene after another. Such haunting menace was matched by the many cackling characters of the scavengers, who divide up Scrooge’s meagre possessions. There are too many to name here, but particular mention must be made of Evie-Rose Burdick (Fourth Form, Queen Anne), Nancy Christensen (Lower Sixth, Swift) and Jasmine Hammond (Upper Sixth, Gascoigne) who shrieked with glee and delight at Scrooge’s demise.

Particular mention must also be made of Isy Noon (First Form, Gascoigne) who, due to unforeseen circumstances, stepped in at the last minute to play the ‘Boy’ with courage and aplomb, and also to mark Ruby Daly’s (Second Form, Gascoigne) bravura debut as Tiny Tim. With outstandingly professional performances from the wonderful Pit Band and expert dedication from the Backstage Crew, this was a production which demonstrated the very best elements of teamwork, responsibility and leadership from our pupils. With stunning visuals and charismatic performances this was a moving and mesmerising production, loaded with talent and future promise.

Mr Walwyn

PREP DRAMA Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf

On Thursday 22 November, Years 3, 4 and 5 stepped into the enchanting world of Roald Dahl with a fresh take on the classic fairytale, Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf. The pupils delivered an outstanding performance with a mixture of wit, humour and mischief.

The acting was nothing short of fantastic, with standout performances from our Year 5 principals. All the characters were bursting with personality and charm, this reflects the pupils’ hard work in and out of rehearsals.

But we cannot forget our amazing Year 3 and 4 supporting cast, who showed off their exceptional storytelling skills.

The production contained challenging music, with the help of Ms Du Feu, the pupils certainly rose to the challenge. Each song was delivered with enthusiasm and captivated the audience.

The incredible singing was supported by Year 6 members of the Prep Choir. Our fabulous live band added another wonderful layer to the performance. We would very much like to thank Mr Wilson, Mr Lewis and Anna Pratley (Upper Sixth, Feilden).

As always, Mrs Wilkinson’s vibrant costumes provided a feast for the eyes and transported the audience into the story.

The story was not only full of unexpected twists and turns, but also contained some valuable life lessons; resourcefulness, cleverness, and to never judge a book by its cover. The production was not just entertaining, but thought-provoking for the pupils.

Pre-Prep Nativity

Pre-Prep sparkled in two performances of their fabulous nativity on the morning and afternoon of Friday 8 December. The Twinkly Nativity was a heart-warming performance which celebrated the true meaning of Christmas. The children brought the timeless nativity story to life with their infectious enthusiasm - from fabulous acting to magnificent singing, our children delivered a magical performance which left everyone feeling exceptionally proud.

As always, Mrs Wilkinson provided us with amazing costumes, which further enhanced the wonderful performance. The memorable and joyous event reminded us all of the wonder and happiness that this season brings.

Miss Wilcox

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PASTORAL CARE: THE FOUNDATION OF THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT The Tutor Partnering is a significant factor for us at Cokethorpe by way of that influence and role modelling as it provides a formal setting, as opposed to some of those more ad hoc interactions I described, with members of the Sixth Form joining Tutor groups regularly, from the very youngest members of the School in Pre-Prep, right through to Third Form. It provides great leadership roles for the Sixth Form and provides examples and influences to follow for the younger pupils, and it has proved a hugely successful – and popular – programme since it was introduced a couple of years ago.

Cokethorpe prides itself on the strength of the pastoral care system. Here, Deputy Headmaster, Mr Stevens, discusses the system and what makes it so effective.

What are the core elements of our pastoral care?

There are two factors at the heart of the system. You have the mechanics of the structures, and then you have the relationships which underpin them.

We have strong foundations, structurally, behind our pastoral care.

These take the shape of our House system and our Tutor system that works throughout the School. These give a clear framework for staff, parents and pupils to understand where the care is coming from, and who is responsible for particular aspects of it. We top and tail what is a vertical nature to our House system – with the intermixing of year groups – with a Lower House, helping the First Form to familiarise themselves with Senior School life, and the Deputy Heads of House in Sixth Form who are responsible for a particular year group, all are part of that House system. The structure allows for a greater sense of identity and belonging than it would, say, in a more informal structure where the ‘House’ grouping is represented in, for instance, only an inter-House sports competition.

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That puts an emphasis on the older year groups to act as mentors and role models for the younger pupils in the House. We aim to try and embed that through Sixth Form students leading House Assemblies, taking the lead in charity initiatives, in being Peer Mentors, and the Prefect body who have specific responsibilities, such as the Lower House Prefect and the two Prefects for the Prep School who support these activities and responsibilities in their respective areas. These are key elements of providing the influence and role modelling for the younger pupils. There is that relationship piece in this too; when the pupils see the older students around the School, they have that reference of a familiar face and a friendly association who will look out for them, be that ‘touch point’ with life further up the School, who might be on their bus route, work with them in an AOB or spend time with them as part of the Tutor Partnering programme.

Having protected Tutor time twice each day with small tutor groups is significant in allowing relationships and understanding between teachers and pupils to flourish. Some Tutors may be with the same group for three or four years, following them up through the School.

It allows for a really individualised consideration of the needs of each pupil. What encouragement, what nudging might they need, what support might be required at a particular moment in time, where do they need to be inspired, to be pushed or challenged in order to achieve the very best academically that they can. The whole notion of pastoral care is not a matter simply of kindness or of emotional support, it is also there to support what we are doing as a school to produce children who are flourishing and reaching their potential, whatever that potential might be, across all areas of the School.

How does the Tutor’s relationship underpin the wider structure?

The information picked up on by the Tutor will feed into the Housemaster or Housemistress, when it is appropriate for it to do so, and ultimately to myself. We work on the basis that any small cause for concern or even awareness, in isolation might seem relatively innocuous, but as part of a wider jigsaw of information from, say, a teacher in a particular lesson, or a coach on the sports fields, might create a different picture. The role of the Tutor in this framework is crucial, given the amount of time spent with the pupils and the regularity of it.

I also meet weekly with the Housemasters and Housemistresses to take the temperature, to see what threads might be emerging that we need to be mindful of, what issues there might be in a particular year group or among a group of friends that might need addressing or awareness provided to staff about. Similarly, I meet regularly with the Prefects to get their take. The mechanics around the pathway from Tutor to Housemaster or Housemistress, to myself and, ultimately, the Headmaster, is a clearly defined one and a well-oiled machine which operates effectively, providing a flow of information in both directions.

The other crucial element of the pastoral structure is the third point of the triangle alongside staff and pupils: the parents. The relationship between Tutors and subject teachers and the parents is important.

Those relationships with parents, with the House system providing a good structure for that to develop, are crucial – we all have a vested interest in seeing the development of the children under our care.

When parents have good relationships with Tutors, Housemasters and Housemistresses, as we have here, it allows the parents to know that we have the best interests of the child at heart, such that if and when a bump in the road occurs, it allows for better outcomes for the child in their development.

We are a day school, what impact does the boarding school house system have here?

We were of course a boarding and day school at Cokethorpe through until the early 2000s. There is a lingering legacy there, I am sure.

Although, perhaps of greater significance, the Headmaster and I, and indeed several other key members of staff, have prior experience in boarding schools, acting as Heads of Houses in those settings. The cohesive nature of a vertical structure in the houses, with the role modelling provided by the senior pupils, is a common element in the boarding system. Whilst we are not looking to replicate that experience and that setting, and nor should we, what we can do is to pick out some of the best elements from them and apply them here.

The nature of modern life, such as the advent of the smart phone, has meant that the boundaries between school and what’s happening outside of school at the end of the day have blurred to a greater extent than ever before and, with that, the importance of that partnership and the triangular relationship has grown still further.

The focus on wellbeing and emotional health has grown substantially over the years, what has the effect been?

Things have moved on exponentially. Thinking back to the start of my teaching career, there were not really any conversations around mental wellbeing. There was still that element of support and taking care of pupils, but the growth of interest in, and acknowledgment of the importance of mental wellbeing, as a society and as a nation, is pronounced, not least being brought into stark relief by the covid pandemic. The impact of social isolation among children in key developmental stages of their lives cannot be underestimated and will likely be present for some years to come. At the same time, the funding for services like CAMHS, although higher than it has ever been, is still nowhere near meeting demand.

That raises all sorts of questions about how we can backfill on services that the state is not able to provide to ensure we fill in as much as we can, whilst recognising that we are not medically qualified. A few years ago, this resulted in the School’s employment of a full-time counsellor.

It also led to the peer mentoring scheme, whereby a number of our Sixth Form each year are trained to work with younger members of the School community to help support them and be available to pupils who they are closer in age to than members of staff will be.

It is a national challenge, and we have to look to how we can address it. We have our WIT programme that helps pupils to face up to some of the challenges that they are meeting and we have to be mindful of doing so without impacting on their mental wellbeing. We have a broad curriculum that insists on the importance of physical exercise and all the benefits it brings. We provide and ensure pupils eat a nutritious and healthy diet and guide them to understand the importance of that to their physical and mental wellbeing.

You mention the WIT programme, how important is the content of that course to pupils’ development?

It has a hugely important role to play. Pupils today have influences on them that you or I might not have had to deal with until much later in life. We want pupils to be informed, to make the right decisions at the right time. Whether that is ideas that have been around for a number of years, such as issues around consent as young adults emerge and become aware of their sexuality, where our approaches and means of informing the pupils have developed and become more nuanced, or some of the more modern challenges – the transition in the tobacco

industry’s approach and marketing to younger people with vaping is harder to monitor and to educate pupils on than cigarettes were previously, for example – especially where legislation is lagging behind developments. Social media channels and the irresponsible pushing of harmful content into the path of young people is another clear example.

Where there are these lags, it is crucial that we are trying to steer children into the right ways of considering the content they are seeing, how these platforms can be used to manipulate and influence them.

Looking to the longer term, helping our pupils to be aware of these issues, some of the moral and ethical concerns around social media, for instance, is important in the context too of our wider school values, of leadership, of becoming global citizens. We are mindful that our pupils are among those who will go on to shape things in the future, whether that might be in government and their working lives or how they behave in personal and social settings. It is an area where I feel we are getting it right – I am always impressed by how much our pupils are aware of and keen to look beyond their own horizons and interests, thinking about the wider, global picture, whether it be a consideration of green initiatives or thoughts on rights and liberties. They are thinking on a bigger scale than I can remember in prior generations.

Having a space to call one’s own is important, how do we facilitate this?

We are blessed with an inspiring setting that provides plenty of space outdoors for our pupils though there are restrictions at certain times of year. One of those areas we have perhaps lacked is those social indoor spaces that are not multi-use – such as classrooms – when the weather is inclement. The Sixth Form, of course, have their magnificent Sixth Form Centre and we looked to replicate this for the Fifth Form with their Common Room, albeit presently having been re-sited to the popular 1950s double-decker London bus. We are lucky too that our library is an inspiring space and that is also somewhere that pupils can go to have some moments of separation from the rigours of the School day should they so wish. However, we are also mindful of finding social spaces for other year groups that allow the pupils to have time for conversations without always being under the eyes of staff – if we are doing our jobs correctly in imbuing the Leadership Traits, we should have confidence that they will act responsibly in those spaces, and we should trust them to be able to do so.

We are limited in this endeavour by factors such as the planning office and finances – to conjure up common rooms for all year groups would be a project that might well run into the millions. In considering alternative solutions, the School has been able to procure, refurbish and repurpose some ski gondolas that were, until recently, in use in northern Italy. The gondolas, which can seat eight pupils at any one time, will be distributed around the School site, providing spaces for about 100 pupils and conveying an important message about recycling, restoration, and what might be achieved through lateral thinking.

Mr Stevens was speaking with Mr Griffiths, Head of Marketing

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COKETHORPE ACADEMIC The Tiger Who Came To School

Retelling The Wild Robot

Barn Owls

Once there was a girl called Ruby. She was playing families at school. There was a knock on the door. There was a furry tiger.

The Otters came over and played with the crate. Suddenly, one of the otters accidently pressed the button and the robot came life.

The Robot was Roz.

Barn Owls are majestic with a supernatural essence, the regal of the dusk. They are apparitions in the day and lethal assassins in the cool night.

She watched the crab scuttling diagonally along the rocks up the mountain, so Roz copied. Roz is brave so climbed to the very top. She was astonished to learn she was on an island. As she looked out over the vast island a storm came. When Roz looked up, she saw a wall of darkness. She quickly slid down the mountain and hid under a tree.

Stealth. Sneaky. Sly.

Ruby Jennings (Year 1, Symonds)

Mrs Black said, ‘I wonder who that can be?’ It can’t be Etta because she’s in Year 3. It can’t be Mummy because she’s at home, or Daddy because he is at home. And it is not Freddie because he’s at home. It can’t be Grandma because she’s in Manchester. It was a big, furry tiger.

First the tiger went to the Art room. The tiger messed up all of the paint.

Next he scratched all of the curtains. Then he said to Mrs Hammond, ‘Where is the library?’

He got out all of the books.

Finally he went home. Mr Ettinger and Mrs Black bought a very big tin of tiger food, in case the tiger came again. But he never did!

Blue Milles (Year 2, Symonds)

A Volcano

Arthur Abraham (Year 3, Gwyn) Mount Gerodo protects Rito Forest like a monarch guarding its kingdom. It’s a sleeping fire hound. Inside this conical monster, its stomach churns feverish boulders and weeps like a witch’s cauldron. Acid rises through the volcano’s throat. The hound is awake from its dormant slumber. Soon enough, the volcano explodes like a crimson firework.

Sizzling bombs fly through the sky and land everywhere. The ash clouds are eagles flittering in the air. Lava snakes down the beast as people shriek.

Narnia

Acrostic poem based on the character Roz from The Wild Robot Ben Crumlish (Year 2, Gwyn)

Cares for the animals she has just met On the island Roz is brave Under the trees she built a nest Roz is taking care of the gosling And Brightbill loves her Gently Roz holds Brightbill Everyone is now working together.

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by Sam Idiahi (Year 5, Baker)

They may look graceful with their manicured fingers but beware rodent! Unexpectedly she’ll stab you with her dagger like talons.

Barn Owls dance gracefully with their marshmallow toasted wings. Beware rodent!

Once she’s laid eyes on you, she will become invigorated and strong.

They might twirl in the lunar, night sky although you get this feeling of death hanging in the pitch-black sky.

When you see an owl, the question is rodent, death or life?

The Chihuahuan Desert

by Lucy Smith (Year 6, Symonds) Endless….

An isolated, desolate place, perilous to humans with torturous heat!

Starla Firth (Year 4, Lockwood)

Statues cowered under the beaming glow.

Swoosh!

The sun was hot headed, an almighty fiery ball towering above, hunting for prey.

The lamp-post flickered and glowed in the chalky mist. Trees spied as they curled their branches over Lucy. Apprehensively, she stepped into the gloomy wood. Crunch crunch. Why did she get here through a wardrobe? The small clean white crystals speckled the blue horizon. The lamplight glowed as fiercely as the sun! The wind whistled softly.

‘This is Narnia!’

So… hot…

How could anyone survive?

The dust around you like little ballerinas, but they were no match for the sand dunes curling like dripping honey.

The wind whispered and then took on an almighty howl, bellowing ferociously.

Then an eerie silence.

Scuttling beetles hid under gnarled and twisted branches, the heat was stifling.

Map of Pompeii

Belle Larsson (First Form, Queen Anne)

House from Pompeii

Alex Regardsoe (First Form, Swift)

Unjust

Silence

An Exploration of Shakespeare’s Othello Lily Charles (OC 2023, Gascoigne)

Save the rainforest, What has it done to you?

Stop planting palm forests To use their oil for shampoo!

Silence.

Silence filled the air.

Silence in the wind.

Silence everywhere.

Save the rainforest, And use both sides of the paper.

Don’t build massive factories, That let off toxic vapour.

The trees sway silently.

While the silent stars stare.

The flowers blooming graciously, Silence everywhere.

Save the rainforest, Stay off processed meat and plastic gum.

Think of your future And the generations yet to come.

But no, there is something.

Something we call hope.

Something we find comforting It’s what will expose this hoax.

Save the rainforest, Or you’ll start to feel regret.

Because Earth will become uninhabitable, And you, too, will suffer, I bet!

This is the beginning The beginning of an end Will this be the reckoning Or will they somehow fend?

Bradely states that Iago ‘is not simply a man of action; he is an artist’. Whilst Leavis expresses that ‘Iago is subordinate and merely ancillary’.

This manipulative and deceptive nature of this tragic villain is fundamentally illustrated through Shakespeare’s language choices in act one scene three. ‘Virtue? A fig! ‘Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus. Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our souls are gardeners’.

Here Shakespeare’s use of prose reiterates Leavis’s idea that Iago is a ‘subordinate’ character and that Iago’s language and use or false words subsequently lead to Othello’s downfall, thus, highlighting Iago’s villain complex. Furthermore, the symbolism in the metaphor ‘our bodies are our gardens’ refers to the garden of Eden, which is often associated with love and female seduction, the use of this biblical imagery alludes to Iago’s cynical views towards love, wherein he believes that his dismissal of love makes him superior, yet ironically, he still succumbs to the same jealousy and lust that he mocks the other characters for.

Lottie Graves (Second Form, Gascoigne)

Leo Middleton (Third Form, Gascoigne)

Watch as it emerges The silence backing down Will it be confirmed Can you hear that sound?

Growing faster than ever Speech has become renowned But has the silence been severed Or will it remain in booming sound?

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These diagrams have been created in Microsoft’s OneNote. OneNote is a digital notebook, a digital exercise book, and a lever arch folder all-in-one, as well as being all of this for a pupil and teacher at the same time. Teachers can see everything the pupils do, and pupils can see everything the teacher has done. Collaboration across these spaces is quick and efficient, and always saved instantly and updated instantaneously. In the simplest terms, it has replaced exercise books in some lessons, but it is far more powerful and flexible than what it has replaced.

Formation of Tropical Storms

Audrey McCormick (Fourth Form, Vanbrugh)

Essay on Homer’s Iliad

Sam Farr (Lower Sixth, Swift) ‘The actions of Homer’s characters tell us more about them than their words’.

Evaluate whether you think this is true of characterisation in The Iliad.

The way characters in The Iliad act and the way they speak do not always align. When deciding what reveals more about the characters, it could be argued that the actions based on instinct – meaning that of violence and reaction – characterise the characters in a more honest light, for within speech is the possibility for deceit and dishonesty, which despite revealing elements of a character, do not shed light on the amount of dissonance revealed through instinctual action.

The duel between Paris and Menelaus shows the contrasting attitudes held by either party.

By describing Menelaus ‘as delighted as a lion,’ the bloodthirsty nature of his being is shown in a way impossible to achieve through speech. Furthermore, by the way Menelaus ‘leapt from his chariot to the ground,’ his enthusiastic delight in a duel alongside his confidence allude both to his arrogant and wise nature, as his hubris could make Paris deadly, for Menelaus underestimates his skill.

And he is wise as he realises that the easiest and least bloody way to win the war is to fight in the duel, irrespective of his opinion of Paris as a fighter. Moreover, in the duel, by ‘hurling himself at Paris,’ and attempting to ‘drag him back into the Greek lines,’ the inherent

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Earthquake Proof Building Design

Sukhmani Panesar (Fourth Form, Queen Anne)

bloodlust of Menelaus contrasts Paris and reveals a primeval aspect to him that could not be similarly revealed through speech.

What makes these physical acts so important is that they cannot be replicated through any words exchanged, for either party could alter aspects of themselves to change the oppositions opinion of their ability.

This dissonance between characters is shown through Paris’ reaction to Menelaus’ confidence. His ‘heart fail[ed]s him completely,’ and he retreats ‘into his own contingent of warriors to avoid death.’ Here, the instinctual actions of Paris contrast with the Paris who entreats Hector to let him and ‘warlike Menelaus meet in the middle to fight it out over Helen.’ This contrast between action and speech highlights how Paris tries to be strong and act correctly, yet his fear is irrepressible no matter how he tries to hide it, and his claim that Hector should not hold against him ‘the irresistible gifts I have from golden Aphrodite,’ could be an example of an excuse for his weaknesses, or could be proof of his self-awareness, as he is wary of disobeying the gods, and favours to act in accordance to their will.

Achilles, whilst being absent from more than half The Iliad, has more lines of speech than any other character. This fact could reveal crucial factors of his personality that are not as easily evoked through his feats in battle. Speeches are a means of structuring identity in the text, whilst also establishing relations with other characters. From Achilles’ frequent speeches – take his violent

speech to Agamemnon in book one as an example – it can be argued that his inflated sense of self contributes to his aggressive attitude towards others. He goes so far as to order Agamemnon to ‘give the girl back now,’ as if he has the authority to make such a claim. This reveals Achilles’ over-confident attitude, as he feels he can assert authority over everyone – including his own leader – because of his renown. Furthermore, him calling Agamemnon a ‘shameless swine’ shows the recurrence of the motif of wrath so commonly associated with Achilles, and provides insight into his nature, for if wrath was a trait of Achilles’, his wrathful attitude towards Agamemnon is completely honest.

This could prove that Achilles is not asserting authority over anyone, merely being honest.

Therefore, it can both be argued that Achilles speaks through speech so much because of his arrogance, and because of his honesty.

However, the attitude he adopts in speeches alludes more to his character than any battle could.

To conclude, whilst deceit contained within words is a commentary on characters, the primeval natures promoted from the instinctual actions of characters provides an unfiltered look into a character, and outlines the possible lies contained within their speech. Whilst these lies are interesting to analyse, they would not be so easily found if it were not for a demonstration of instinct, so as to outline the character as they are, before analysing how the character presents themself.

Finn van Landeghem (Lower Sixth, Vanbrugh) was recently shortlisted in the John Locke Institute Essay Competition for his Philosophy essay on Personal Identity. This is a global competition which invites students to explore a wide range of challenging questions across seven subjects: Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology and Law. Finn was also invited to attend the prize-giving ceremony in September.

In what sense are you the same person today that you were when you were ten? (Essay Extracts) Finn Van Landeghem (Lower Sixth, Vanbrugh)

Personal identity is the idea of a common thing which connects ten-year-old you to your reading my essay now. It plays a requisite role in the premise of society and the human experience itself, informing how we think of ourselves over time and how tangible our promises and obligations are to others, directly permeating into our societal structures such as the idea of ownership, debt, and even marriage vows. Leibniz wrote in his law about the identity of indiscernibles that two objects are identical if they have the same properties. For personal identity, the property that persists is ‘the self’. Therefore, to understand how we persist over time, we must question the concept of ‘the self’ itself, including what it is and whether it even exists…

Locke captures this essence as ‘past consciousnesses’, creating the first version of the psychological continuity criterion.

Locke stated that x is the same as y if x has a psychological link to y. He mainly attributes this to memory links; if x can remember being y, they are the same person. In other words, if a person has an episodic rather than a semantic memory of an event, they must have been the person who experienced that event.

Intuitively negating people with amnesia, dementia and brain damage who often have an interruption in their memory chain or whose consciousness has altered significantly, which leads to them being ‘like a different person’.

The main problem in Locke’s theory is its inconsistencies for the early stages of human development; essentially, no person remembers being born or their first years of infancy. Therefore, asserting that although a person remains the same person as they were when they were ten, they are not the

same person as they were when they were born, which is problematic. Furthermore, philosopher Thomas Reid noted the circularity of the theory itself, pointing out that memories cannot exist independently and so must be a part of an already existing self, meaning that identity, which is, according to Locke, comprised of our memory chain and started with our earliest memory, must itself belong to an antecedent ‘self’. Reid also discerned that Locke’s memories are non-transitive, meaning if A=B and B=C, then A≠C. Consider an old general who cannot remember being a young boy flogged at school for stealing but remembers being a middle-aged officer. When he was an officer, he remembered being a young boy. Reid suggests that the general is still the same person as the boy even though he does not have direct memories of that time because of his remembering as an officer, whereas Locke disagrees. If this is not the case it means that Locke’s memory chains are not able to function as a sufficient condition for identity, as they are not able to link any versions of a person which they do not episodically remember. Another problem with the theory is the imperfect nature of our consciousness and memory; we have false memories often not only on an individual basis but also on a societal level, with phenomena such as the Mandela effect. So, does that mean that if a person does not remember the day of their primary school graduation, they are not the same person that graduated?..

Derek Parfit analysed the problem elaborately and gave the most convincing account for personal identity thus far. Mainly, Parfit removed the problem from its previous metaphysical mess and gave a reductionist account of the problem. Consider a scenario where a person’s brain (A) is ideally cut into two and inserted into two identical bodies, making them have the same bodies and brains. Does that make two people who are the same as the first person (A) as they have the same body and memories as that person?

Parfit argues not, highlighting the implausibility of the theory of brute physicalism and Nagel’s theory about the persistence of the brain.

Alternatively, consider a tele-transporter, which can transport you from Earth to Mars by copying your body and brain, including all your memories, sending it to Mars, creating a perfectly organic copy of you there, and subsequently destroying you on Earth. You remain the same person for Nagel and Locke because your psychology persists. Parfit then highlights the absurdity of this notion by asking you to imagine that our body on Earth is not destroyed after you are copied.

Are there now two people who are you?

Here Parfit again identifies that, although there is a continuity of consciousness and an exact sameness in physicality, the original person is still distinct from the cloned version.

Therefore, Parfit abandons the notion of the self altogether and takes a reductionist approach. He uses Hume’s bundle theory to visualise that personal identity should be understood as a collection of interconnected physical and mental states, not held together by a self. Hume explains by enquiring about the meaning of a nation. He defines a nation as a group of people living inside a particular territory. However, without the people and the territory, the concept of a nation is nothing, which is the same for people. We are an ever-evolving bundle of memories, values, characteristics, and traits that define us, which means that a person is the same person as they were when they were ten, not because of an unchanging self, but because of the continuity of one’s various physical and mental traits…

Overall, Parfit’s reductionist approach to the problem allows for the most plausible outcome, where although one does not persist because the idea of the self is an illusion, one survives and is comprised of many different characteristics and traits, both physical and immaterial, explaining why my interest in the abstract has persisted since I was ten. However, my vested interest in Dora’s adventures has not, yet I have survived by the most plausible analysis of persistent personhood.

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SCHOOL NEWS Learn Together Maths Workshop

During October, we were delighted to welcome parents to Prep School for our first ‘Learn Together’ Maths Session. Parents were invited to join their children, from Reception through to Year 6, for a Maths lesson with their child’s class teacher. Many parents find that elements of maths are taught in a different way to that which they learned at school and are keen to be able to support their child at home. All sessions were extremely well-attended, as children enjoyed learning alongside their parents, delighting in explaining their work. They provided an opportunity for parents to see how maths is taught, enabling them to better support their child’s learning at home.

Parental feedback was extremely positive, with many parents commenting on the sustained focus and attention of the pupils, as well as the high level of engagement and pace. Parents were able to see how concrete manipulatives are used in the classroom to support understanding, as well as take away numerous ideas for mental maths activities that can easily be done at home. One parent remarked that ‘It was lovely to see how well the children respond to you and how you teach them new things in a fun way. Subtraction was an exciting homework in our house yesterday!’

We hope to offer more such opportunities in Prep School in the future, welcoming parents to learn alongside their children.

Year 3 Trip to the Natural History Museum

As part of their studies on Earth and Rocks in their Science and Geography topics, Year 3 pupils visited the Museum of Natural History in Oxford. They explored the Museum making detailed sketches and notes on the prehistoric creatures and fossils they discovered.

The trip underpinned their studies on the wider Creative Curriculum theme of ‘This Land is Our Land’, and our young explorers demonstrated their interest in the subject with their engagement and exemplary behaviour throughout the trip.

The highlight for most was seeing a full fossil of an Ichthyosaur, the same kind Mary Anning discovered. Year 3 have been studying Mary’s life and work, so it was exciting for the pupils to put some of what they have been learning in the classroom into context.

Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

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An intrepid group of Sixth Formers embarked on their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award qualifying expedition, having completed their

training and practice expedition back in June.

Armed with the necessary equipment, they set off for Dartmoor the night before their expedition was due to begin to make their final preparations.

The rain did not dampen the spirits of the two Sixth Form groups who adjusted their routes to accommodate the wet, boggy ground from the rain the previous week.

Over the next couple of days, the Sixth Form students soldiered on courageously, before having to relocate their campsite and rewrite their routes for day four. The expedition was completed by all students, who demonstrated courage, ambition and judgement in challenging conditions.

in the sunken shipwreck as well as exploring the ocean floor and mangroves. They studied coral seas and tropical marine biomes and the Lower Sixth made friends with a giant grouper fish and a honeycomb moray eel that seemed to pose for their sketches. They continued their search for other interesting natural habitats by visiting Bristol University’s Botanic Gardens. The glasshouses were steamy hot and pupils viewed giant waterlily and enormous cacti before cooling off in the surrounding gardens.

Katya Balen Author Visit

Art and Textiles trip to Bristol Aquarium and The University of Bristol Botanic Gardens The Art and Textiles GCSE and A level pupils visited Bristol Aquarium to collect visual research for their current coursework themes of Nature, Habitat and Environment. They enjoyed sketching and taking photographs

There are books that we enjoy, books that we treasure and, just once in a while, there

will be a book that is absolute perfection on every level. October, October by Katya Balen is that book. Katya’s writing is like no other and is brimming with rich and unexpected first-person descriptions, written in an unconventional punctuation style that explores the complexities of family, freedom, nature, individuality and self-expression.

It was wonderful to welcome Katya into School, in the month of October, to teach a writing workshop for pupils in Years 5 and 6 from Cokethorpe and from Combe Primary (one of our Corinthian Partnership schools).

She spoke about her life as a writer, explained how she writes, and shared insights into what inspires her remarkable imagination.

Members of our Catering Department had also read and enjoyed the book in order to prepare a wonderfully themed lunch with beautiful owl balloons, autumnal decorations and rice-paper covers of the book. Katya was delighted, having never been anywhere before that had gone to such lengths to celebrate her work. She said that she had had a wonderful day and would love the opportunity to come to Cokethorpe again.

STEM Week

STEM Week is a stalwart of the Cokethorpe calendar, engaging pupils from the Prep School to Sixth Form in a week packed full of stimulating STEM-related activities, based around a different theme each year. This year the theme was inclusion, which opened up a host of opportunities to explore STEM subjects across the School.

The week began with an inclusive product design workshop for the First Form, challenging pupils to redesign the humble toaster and develop a garden aid for those with limited dexterity. A Discovery Lecture to the First and Second Forms from Mr Richards compelled pupils to delve deeper into the wonderful world of science. Cokethorpe teams participated in the Faraday Challenge, a national competition aimed at inspiring future generations of problem solvers. The teams worked incredibly well in finding a solution to

a complex real-world problem that involved using electronics and moving parts.

The Third Form took part in a sensory deprivation exercise to help them understand what they might need to consider when designing products, and Second Form took part in an excellent workshop run by Miss Ryan focusing on AI and how it could be used for developing design. The annual STEM fayre generated lots of excitement with a range of activities for pupils to try from the Maths, Science, PE and DT Departments.

Inter-House Singing

Dr Sarah Cullinan Herring of Wadham College explored the portrayal of Pentheus, King of Thebes, in Euripides’ play The Bacchae. This discussion proved particularly relevant for our Lower Sixth Classical Civilisation students, who are studying Greek Theatre this year as one of their A Level modules.

Dr Thomas Mannack of Lady Margaret Hall rounded off the conference with a fascinating insight into what Greek vase painters reveal to us about ancient Greek theatre. This stimulated the interest of all pupils, who agreed that it had been a highly enjoyable and worthwhile evening.

Corinthian Challenge

The Senior School came together for the annual House Singing competition, with staff and pupils sharing the stage for six different performances spanning a range of musical styles. House Singing is a unique competition amongst House events: it brings together all pupils from all year groups, sharing responsibility and having an equal part to play and contribution to make. Each House chose what it wanted to sing which resulted in an extremely close and impressive competition.

It was a pleasure to welcome back Dr Richard Dunster-Sigtermans to adjudicate this year’s competition who was extremely impressed by every House’s performance and offered excellent feedback, with the unenviable task of choosing the winner. The Pupil Leadership Award went to Caellum Sharp (Lower Sixth, Vanbrugh), with Swift and Feilden awarded joint second place, and Harcourt crowned the overall winners for their performance of Counting Stars by OneRepublic.

Greek Classical Conference

On Thursday 21 September, Lower Sixth Classicists and Fourth Form Ancient Greek pupils attended an exciting series of talks at Abingdon School organised by the Oxford and Bucks Classical Association. The subject was Ancient Greek Tragedy. Along with pupils from a range of local schools, they were treated to a lively discussion of Sophocles’ Oedipus plays

by Dr Emma Greensmith of St John’s College, Oxford and an exploration of gender fluidity in Euripides.

Wednesday 13 September saw the inaugural Corinthian Challenge at Cokethorpe. This was a cross-country race around the glorious School grounds, blessed with perfect running conditions. The First and Second Form ran a 2.2km race, the Third and Fourth Form covered 3.5km and the Fifth and Sixth Form ran 4km.

The top five boys and girls from each race scored for their House and their finishing positions were aggregated to find winners in each age-group competition, and an overall champion House. The top runners in the First and Second Form for the girls and boys were Jemima Jewson (Second Form, Swift) and Joshua Spolander (Second Form, Queen Anne), in the Third and Fourth Form they were Immy Harris (Third Form, Gascoigne) and Antonio Virk (Fourth Form, Queen Anne) and in the senior race the champions were Mae Serjeant (Lower Sixth, Swift) and Harry Richards (Upper Sixth, Feilden).

Overall, however, there was no stopping Swift as they were crowned the first ever Corinthian Challenge House Champions, with a score of 50 points lower than their nearest competitor.

Their efforts go to show that it is not necessarily having the very best runners that counts, but all people contributing effectively and trying their very hardest for the House.

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Prep Sports Festival

the implementation of the Final Solution, before heading to the airport to return home.

History Department Lectures

There was an enjoyable afternoon at the Cokethorpe Sports Festival for some of our U12 and U13 girls experiencing their first ever hockey fixtures. Out of the five Cokethorpe teams in competition with the likes of Beaudesert Park and Dragon School, it was the Cokethorpe Tigers who eventually progressed to the Plate final.

The U13 boys performed admirably at the Cokethorpe festival, securing second and third place. They displayed their prowess by defeating Abingdon Prep and Lord Williams School in some very competitive fixtures.

The U12 boys were also in action at the Cokethorpe Sports Festival, and the boys’ rugby showed real ambition and courage on Wednesday, with mixed teams, to learn from each fixture, demonstrating great improvement over the course of the afternoon. Renamed The Bulls and The Hornets, the Bulls won both their pool games against Abingdon Prep and Burford School, progressing to the Cup final where they lost to a strong Beaudesert team. Despite The Hornets losing both pool fixtures, they progressed to the Plate final, where they beat Abingdon Prep to lift the trophy.

Ava’s Golf Tournaments

Congratulations to Ava Fegan-Smith (Second Form, Vanbrugh) for her success in recent Golf competitions. Ava won both the Nicola Sparks Memorial Trophy 2023 and Midlands South County Championship 2023.

MUN Conference

Over half term, Finn Van Landeghem (Lower Sixth, Vanbrugh), Sam Farr (Lower Sixth,

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Swift), Rafi Layish (Upper Sixth, Vanbrugh), Marit Tweehuijsen (Upper Sixth, Feilden), Rohana Saunders (Upper Sixth, Queen Anne) and Lily Charles (OC2023, Gascoigne) represented Cokethorpe at the Oxford Global Model United Nations Conference.

Representing a diverse range of nations from Mongolia to Denmark the pupils excelled, debating complex issues including the protection of marginalised languages to the circumnavigation of sanctions. Special mention must go to Rohana who co-chaired COP28 and Rafi (Brazil) who won Outstanding Delegate for the ECOFIN Committee.

The pupils are looking forward to further conferences in the Lent and Summer terms.

History Trip to Berlin

Fourth and Fifth Form History pupils visited Berlin for an illuminating and informative, albeit emotive, trip to Berlin. On arrival, pupils embarked on a walking tour of the historic centre of Berlin, including stops at the Brandenburg Gate and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.

The second day was spent visiting the famous dome at the Reichstag building before learning about persecution and repression in Nazi Germany at the Topography of Terror Museum. In the afternoon, pupils visited the Olympiastadion Stadium, the centrepiece of the 1936 Olympic Games as well as many famous football matches, concluding the day with a spectacular view of the lights of Berlin from the top of the TV Tower.

The final day of this poignant trip began at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, followed by a visit to Wannsee Conference House, the site where leading Nazis planned

The first of the History Department half termly lectures was delivered by Mr Uglow and posed the question ‘Why do we need a Black History Month?’. The talk covered the history behind the foundation of Black History Month, and the importance of telling a previously largely ignored history. Pupils were encouraged to discuss the themes raised, why it is important for us to mark Black History Month and how they thought it should be marked.

JSP Trip

Embarking on a school trip to the leading protective equipment manufacturer, JSP, proved to be an enlightening and captivating experience for a group of enthusiastic Sixth Form students in October. The excursion provided a first-hand glimpse into the intricate world of manufacturing.

The students were absorbed in discussion of the evolution of a product, from its early conception in the research and development phase. The manufacturing floor, a hive of activity, buzzed with energy as students observed the transformation of raw materials into refined quality products. Safety took centre stage next, highlighting the meticulous protocols and safety standards in place to ensure the highest of standards for both the products they make and those who wear them.

As the day concluded, the students left JSP with a newfound appreciation for the journey a product undertakes before reaching the consumer. The school trip not only broadened their understanding of manufacturing but also sparked inspiration and curiosity about potential career paths in the dynamic realm of design and technology.

Six Five Dinners

In September, we introduced the Six Five Dinner Challenge to the students in the Lower Sixth. The idea is simple: in pairs of Houses

Evening. This was an opportunity for students, supported by their parents, to begin the process of Sixth Form subject choice and to learn a little about the Sixth Form: what to expect and what is expected.

they plan, organise, budget and host an early evening dinner (plus entertainment) for pupils in the Fifth Form (plus their parents).

Inspired by The Apprentice, the challenge is a test of teamwork, leadership, imagination, organisation, initiative and – above all – flair; the end result, was three wonderful social events in the Dining Hall and Sixth Form Centre, organised entirely by students.

The first Six Five Dinner was hosted by the Lower Sixth of Feilden and Gascoigne. The theme was Treasure Island; food was a squid starter followed by ribs, and the Dining Hall was decorated into a galleon. There were plenty of buccaneers and buried gold to boot.

The highlight of the evening was a Treasure Hunt around School. The prize? Arr, that was a bottle of rum me hearties.

The second was hosted by the Lower Sixth of Harcourt and Queen Anne. The theme was Cosy – with plenty of excellent slippers on display. The food was as comforting as the slippers, and the evening ended with Bingo in the Sixth Form Centre.

The third and final Six Five Dinner was hosted by the Lower Sixth of Swift and Vanbrugh, and the theme was Christmas. We ate delicious braised beef, and, after the meal, adjourned to the Sixth Form Centre for part pudding part activity: in teams of six, guests were challenged to a Gingerbread House construction competition – bricks (AKA gingerbread) and cement (AKA icing) were provided. It was competitive, to say the least, and the winning house was fit for a king. A small king.

The Six Five Dinner Challenge was a great project, enjoyed by all involved; it brought together the Lower Sixth, and it gave a welcome to the current Fifth Form (and their parents), who – in only a few months’ time – will be calling the Sixth Form Centre their home.

Sixth Form Preview Evening

On Tuesday 10 October, Fifth Form pupils were joined in the Dining Hall, Library and Sixth Form Centre for the Sixth Form Preview

There were two elements to the evening: a 30-minute series of presentations, and a Subject Fair. The presentations were given by students in both year-groups focused on the journey through the Sixth Form, and included advice relating to the process of subject choice. Also included was a short presentation given by Alice Smith (Upper Sixth, Swift) about her EPQ, based the enduring success of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships.

For the Subject Fair, each department was represented by both teachers and students – it was an opportunity for guidance, conversations, and lots of questions.

the students enjoyed various enrichment elements: a wonderful lecture given by Alex Hibbert, Polar Explorer, about an unexpected winter in Greenland; a ‘life’s meandering river’ workshop (featuring Mrs Orton and Mrs Cooper); and a carousel of skills workshops, including ‘How to Cook’, ‘How to Buy a House’ and ‘How to Manage Difficult Conversations’.

An enjoyable, challenging and illuminating day was had by all.

Vamos Mark Workshops

Third Form Latin Ancient Schoolroom

Both First and Second Form pupils enjoyed a Drama workshop with the renowned and exciting Vamos Theatre company in two separate sessions. Capitalising on the current term’s exploration of mime and physical expression, our pupils experienced a masterclass in how to use professional techniques such as ‘clocking’ and ‘leading’, using the guise of Vamos’s unique set of expressive masks. Everyone was free to experiment with props and masks and they devised scenes which were moving, sincere and hilarious in equal measure. The Shed was ringing with laughter throughout both sessions, and pupils will now hopefully build upon this experience and knowledge as they explore the realms of stagecraft and communication in the Cokethorpe Drama course.

On the last afternoon of the Michaelmas Term, the Third Form Latinists enjoyed a fascinating visit to the Oxford University Classics Faculty, learning what it was like to be a pupil in the ancient world. They were dressed in Roman tunics, sandals and head bands, before entering the class to meet their teachers with a greeting of ‘salve, magister!’ (hello, teacher!), as was usual at the time. They were then given a number of assignments in different subjects typical of a Roman school, including Mathematics and reading archaic poetry.

Equipment included real Egyptian papyrus and ‘tabulae’ (counting boards) with Roman numerals. The assignments were completed by the pupils sitting on the floor before handing them to their teachers for checking.

The afternoon concluded with the pupils performing dialogues in Latin to their teachers.

Sixth Form Taster Day

On Tuesday 17 October, all pupils in the Fifth Form were given the opportunity to sample the Sixth Form experience. The pupils attended four full-length Sixth Form taster lessons (which they had chosen in advance); for many this was a chance to try subjects that they have yet to study (for example, Psychology and Philosophy). In addition,

This immersive experience really brought alive the world of the ancient school technology-free and thoroughly absorbing.

We are grateful to the Reading University outreach team for providing this glimpse into the world of school two thousand years ago.

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CPFA Events

Over 1,500 visitors gathered around the Mansion House for the CPFA Fireworks Extravaganza. The roaring bonfire was quite the spectacle as it blazed away on the field.

Visitors enjoyed the fairground rides whilst warming up with hot drinks and mulled wine, or sampling some of the delicious food on offer. There was even more excitement this year as, for the first time, the fireworks were choreographed to music. The crowd were delighted with the spectacular display, which truly made it a night to remember.

The ‘Last Resort Holiday Camp’ was the scene of this year’s annual CPFA Murder Mystery evening, as the audience tried to uncover the culprit in this hilarious ‘whodunnit’. Written by our talented pairing of Mrs Hooper and Mrs Ringham and performed by the cast of current staff and OCs, the Murder Mystery evening is always a sell-out event which never fails to disappoint. The performance had the audience captivated from the beginning and laughing to the very end, and the delicious curry by the Catering Department was truly something to savour.

topics were represented, with projects from ‘Memory’ to ‘Murder’ to ‘What Constitutes a Soul?’. Judges of the exhibition, Head of School, Dee Biles (Upper Sixth, Gascoigne) and Ellie Lunn (Fourth Form, Swift), had the impossible task of choosing this year’s winners. Dee said ‘I was impressed with how passionate each Scholar was about their subject, engaging in deep discussions about their hypotheses and findings. Ellie and I spoke to all the Scholars individually and were impressed by the extraordinary amount of effort behind each project.

We are, therefore, excited to read the upcoming Scholars’ Journal articles where they will have a chance to explore their subjects in greater depth.’ Congratulations to all our Scholars, but particular congratulations go to our winning Scholars: Lottie Graves (Second Form, Gascoigne); Emmeline Black (Fourth Form, Feilden); and George Keates (Lower Sixth, Vanbrugh) for their research and displays.

Oxfordshire Youth Chemistry Conference

There were over 30 artisan stalls selling everything from bespoke jewellery to handmade clothes, local cheese and holidays at the CPFA Christmas Fair. The Catering Department were on hand, selling delicious hot food and refreshments to keep the cold at bay and visitors were greeted by giant fire lanterns as they entered the Quad.

The Lower Library was transformed into a winter wonderland, as our younger visitors queued to meet Santa in his North Pole grotto.

Scholars’ Exhibition

The annual Scholars’ Exhibition provides an invaluable opportunity for our Scholars to flex their cognitive muscles and showcase the fruits of their labour. 23 Scholars from the First Form to Lower Sixth presented their independent research projects, demonstrating the diversity of their interests and commitment to their scholarly pursuits through their thorough research. A variety of

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The Oxfordshire Youth Chemistry Conference, held at Wychwood School, had the topical theme this year of ‘Out of this World – how chemistry contributes to space exploration’.

The Conference aims to inspire and showcase excellence in science across the county.

The Conference opened with an inspirational recording from Helen Sharman CMG OBE, chemist and the first British astronaut. Her words were particularly moving, where she explained how people set their own limitations, pupils should be courageous and push themselves, as you never know where the road will take you. This was

followed by a very (very) brief introduction to astrochemistry, an exciting talk that set the scene for the presentations from pupils from a range of schools. Ella Sharp (Fourth Form, Vanbrugh) and Sophie Sharp (Fourth Form, Vanbrugh) eloquently discussed the role of the lunar cycle in our lives, Poppy Lloyd (Fourth Form, Feilden) and Evie Walker (Fourth Form, Swift) spoke passionately about the formation of a nebula and Samarth Agnihotri (Fourth Form, Vanbrugh) confidently proposed his view of the vital work being done using the James Webb telescope. It was an absolute delight seeing the pupils present beautifully on their subject of choice, they were absolutely amazing.

Third Form Public Speaking

On Wednesday 13 December, the entire Third Form gathered in the Corinthian Room for the final of the English Department speaking competition. After reading and practicing writing speeches in lessons, pupils put this to the test by crafting their own speeches on a topic they were passionate about.

To determine who made it to the finals, classes held individual competitions where everyone delivered their speech to the class. The final saw the participation of judges: Mrs Whitehead, Miss Hutchinson, and Mr Uglow, who had the all-important job of deciding the winner of the competition.

Speeches covered a range of issues, from ‘reality TV’ to ‘the frustrating presence of seagulls’.

The finalists should be commended for making it to the final and for their courage in delivering their speeches to the audience.

After careful deliberation from the judging panel, they awarded third place to Xander Luckett (Third Form, Vanbrugh), second place to Eylül Kaban (Third Form, Swift), and first place to Sofia Bell (Third Form, Feilden). Sophia’s speech centred around the prevalence of extreme consumerism exacerbated by fast fashion companies that offer tempting deals at low prices.

Jack’s Skating Success

Congratulations to Jack Hammond (Fifth Form, Gascoigne) and his skating partner Annabel who competed in the British Figure Skating Championships in December. It was their first competition as a pair and, after three fantastic skates they proudly came home with the Silver medal. They hope to compete internationally in 2024.

Maths In Action

methodologies of theatre practitioners, Gecko, the storytelling was beautifully presented via physical communication, with little reliance on dialogue. On the surface, the story concerns Alice who, when she eventually gets what she so desperately wished for, a long-awaited baby, her life begins to fall apart, and she loses herself in a virtual world to escape her demanding reality, but the piece raised many more issues about self-worth, desire and whether it is possible to truly live in the moment.

teachers) showcased their amazing dance moves in several entertaining activities and games to keep the excitement going. From dance-offs and limbo challenges to the best dressed contest, there was never a dull moment. To further fuel the enthusiasm, our Sixth Form prefects, led by Matthew Rees (Upper Sixth, Queen Anne), as Head of House, provided a variety of delicious snacks and refreshments.

We are grateful to the teachers and Sixth Formers who generously offered their time and support to make this event a tremendous success. Their hard work and dedication were instrumental in creating a positive and enjoyable experience for our First Form pupils. Once again, the First Form Disco was an overwhelming success, providing our pupils with an opportunity to socialise, dance, and create lasting memories.

Christingle

Philip Croker Barbarians RFC

On Wednesday 22 November, a group of Sixth Form students headed to the University of Warwick for Maths in Action.

The day consisted of a series of talks from a variety of expert mathematicians (and, in one case, also a professional juggler!). Students found the talks fascinating, particularly Dr Colin Wright looking at the area of topology, a new area for students to consider, and how this works with a Möbius strip. They were also intrigued by the talk from Dr Tom Crawford, who explored the mathematics involved in Pokémon games. He looked at the equations that determine the likelihood of being able to catch your favourite Pokémon and checking the consequences of some of the statements made in the Pokédex, such as Wailord being less dense than air. Hopefully the day has inspired students to see mathematics in the wider world.

Congratulations to Philip Croker (Lower Sixth, Gascoigne), a member of our First XV Rugby squad, who played for the U18 Barbarians team in a 150-year anniversary match against Rugby School. His selection for the team is testament to his raw talent, hard work and dedication to his sport and training.

First Form Disco

A Level Devised Drama

A Level Drama students Bella Caffyn (Upper Sixth, Vanbrugh) and Jasmine Hammond (Upper Sixth, Gascoigne) presented their devised work in The Shed for a live audience, entitled ‘Virtuality’. The fascinating piece explored escapism in the modern world and questioned whether we know ourselves as well as we think we do. Utilising the

If you are a lover of the YMCA, the Macarena or the Cha Cha Slide, the First Form Disco was the place to be. Grace Gunn (Upper Sixth, Gascoigne) our resident Sixth Form DJ got the dancefloor bouncing with a mix of popular chart-toppers and classic hits. Everyone was on their feet dancing energetically for the whole evening. The pupils (and some

Within the beautiful setting of the Chapel, the Prep School gathered together for a magical and somewhat moving Christingle Service.

Christingle (Christ Angel) is related to a word of Germanic origin, Christkindl, meaning ‘Christ Candle’ or Christkind meaning ‘Little Christ Child’, and it is used to celebrate Jesus Christ as the ‘Light of the World’. The pupils made a joyful noise, singing traditional carols, including: In the Bleak Mid-Winter, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, and a beautiful, candle-lit version of Silent Night. The service provided pupils with the opportunity to reflect on the love that God has for us, and how God’s mercy and grace are with us always, spreading across the globe.

Thanks to Mr Wilson for some magnificent organ playing, for the Year 6 readers who shared the story of the nativity, to the Chamber Choir and soloists who took part, and for those who angelically held the Christingle itself.

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SOCIETY OC Brunch

Saturday 18 November 2023 marked a joyous occasion as 24 Old Cokethorpeans gathered at the School for a sumptuous brunch. The air was filled with laughter, camaraderie and nostalgia as they revisited the School – some of whom had not been back since their last day as a student.

quick to remind me of my sense of humour as First XI cricket scorer at Dean Close. The score had reached an unusually high score of 180 and the voice came from the score box impersonating the now late darts referee Jack Price!

In attendance was Mr Peter Green, who played a pivotal role in the success of the Sports Campaign. The event served as a fitting opportunity to give our thanks to Peter for his unwavering dedication to the cause. His commitment will not only enhance the sporting facilities of the School, but his untameable approach has meant that old friends have been bought back together in joint support of his fundraising efforts.

Ms Wynne, our Director of Development, took the guests on a heartwarming tour down memory lane. As they strolled through familiar grounds and shared anecdotes from their student days, a flood of happy (and mischievous!) memories engulfed the group.

The echoes of youthful laughter resonated in quads, and the spirit of camaraderie was clear to all.

The Headmaster, Mr Ettinger, gave a speech in which he welcomed us back for our visit, and thanked Peter Green whose project to raise money for sport at Cokethorpe is proving a tremendous success. Brunch was served, followed by tours for us to see the School as it is now. It was interesting to see my old dormitory and the old matron’s office now as classrooms.

The reunion was more than just a gathering; it was a testament to the bonds forged within the walls of Cokethorpe School ranging back as far as the 1950s, to our more recent leavers of the last decades. Friendships that stood the test of time were rekindled, and our OCs reminisced about shared experiences that shaped their foundations for their careers after Cokethorpe.

It was also good to see and share memories with my fellow OCs, especially a friend who was in the Third Form when I was in the Fifth Form. Not only is he a former pupil, but he has also sent his own children to Cokethorpe, the youngest of which is still at the School.

Amidst the laughter and conversations, it again became evident that Cokethorpe School holds a special place in the hearts of its OCs. The School’s impact extended far beyond academics, shaping individuals who went on to contribute significantly to various fields.

Our Old Cokethorpeans left full of gratitude, a renewed sense of connection, and a taste for future events we have planned for 2024.

A word from Patrick Wood (OC 1983, Queen Anne)

It may have been an overcast November day, but it was quickly brightened up when my former History teacher, and First XI cricket coach and umpire Mr Peter Green, was

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not only contribute to the physical wellbeing of Cokethorpe pupils but will also be a valuable resource for the wider locality.

Our commitment to accessibility is illustrated by the Climbing Tower project as it aims to benefit both Cokethorpe pupils and the community at large. The outreach programmes, partnerships with Corinthian schools, and engagement with youth groups will further enhance the positive impact of the facility. Additionally, opening the Climbing Tower for hire outside of school hours and offering it as part of corporate team-building packages demonstrates a commitment to community engagement and sustainability.

The Greaves Outdoor Centre, with its expanded facilities, not only serves as a hub for adventure and teambuilding but also aligns with the School’s sustainability goals and we embrace the holistic approaches to learning and development.

Once again, sincere thanks to the anonymous donor for their generosity and vision in making this project possible.

The Climbing Tower project is poised to be a valuable addition to Cokethorpe School and the broader community, promoting collaboration, wellbeing, and a sense of adventure.

Upcoming Activities •

A wonderful couple of hours. Thank you to all who helped in making the event a great success!

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The Greaves Outdoor Centre, Phase Two – Cokethorpe Climbing Tower

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It is fantastic to share with you the progress and expansion of The Greaves Outdoor Centre at Cokethorpe School, especially with the upcoming completion of phase two, the Cokethorpe Climbing Tower. The generous support of the anonymous donor is truly commendable and will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the School and the community.

The inclusion of a newly built eight metre climbing tower is exciting, as it will offer a versatile space for various outdoor adventure activities with a special emphasis on teambuilding and challenge. This facility will

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School Community Business Directory – launching Lent Term 2024 The Tony Baker Chapel Preservation Project – launching Lent Term 2024 OC and School Cricket Match – Summer Term 2024 Reunion Dinner – past, present, future Cokethorpe – 15 June 2024 Ongoing OC visits and bespoke networking brunches.

MEET THE SCHOOL - MR GOODWIN What do you do at the School?

Advanced Threat Protection, we are able to protect our devices and users from the latest cyber threats.

When did you join?

You have been at the School for a while now, what has kept you here?

Head of IT Services.

I joined in 2004.

How does our IT set up now, compare to when you started?

When I started in 2004, our computers were on Windows 95 and we had no broadband – just a very slow ISDN line. There was not a hint of Wi-Fi! I recall having to drive home at lunchtimes to download software as I had a slightly better internet connection at home. IT has obviously changed an awful lot during my time here. The systems have gradually moved to the cloud and we are dependent on Wi-Fi and internet more than ever. Cyber security has never been more important.

Over the years, we went through stages of having many IT suites with desktop computers and lots of departmental laptops in trolleys. In 2019, the start of our digital transformation commenced. We deployed 1:1 Surface devices and the IT hardware in classrooms was standardised.

We also upgraded our core network, internet and Wi-Fi, ensuring our network infrastructure was sufficient. IT became much more reliable in lessons and together with good systems and training, staff were able to use IT with confidence. Last year, we became a Microsoft Showcase School, which was a lengthy eighteen-month application. It is nice to be able to showcase our use of IT to other schools looking to do something similar.

Driving into the beautiful grounds every morning, I still feel very fortunate. Cokethorpe has always been a very warm and friendly environment. IT is changing constantly, which means there is always something new to learn.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievements?

Assisting with the digital transformation project and playing my part in the Microsoft Showcase status. Obtaining Cyber Essentials accreditation for Cokethorpe, ensuring we are following best practices.

On a personal level, I have run four marathons (with my wife Sam), raising money for Macmillan, Alzheimers, Sobell House and Dreams Come True.

Technically, the transition from traditional Active Directory to a modern hybrid Azure environment, has been a very steep learning curve, but also very rewarding. Using Microsoft Security Essentials and Windows

STAFF NEWS Births

Congratulations to Teacher of MFL, Mrs Moore and her husband Andrew, on the birth of their son Raphael Andrew, born on Wednesday 11 October, weighing 9lbs 3oz.

Welcomes

Welcome to Mr A Nott, who has joined as a Governor.

Miss M Boubkari, Head of MFL Mrs S Brownless, Music and Development Administration Mr J Everling, Teacher of English Miss S Freeman, Pre-Prep Teacher Mr J Granados Trujillo, Teacher of MFL Mr W Horton, Teacher of Physics Mr S Howells, Head of English Miss A Hutchinson, Teacher of History and Joint Head of Scholars Miss O Jones, Teacher of Sport

Miss A Lloyd-Jones, Teacher of MFL Mr J Mackey, Teacher of Classics Mrs S Naylor, Assistant Director of Sport Dr E Regardsoe, Head of Chemistry Mrs J Slader, Prep School Teaching Assistant Mrs K Thorpe, Teacher of Science Miss M Tomlin, Prep School Teaching Assistant Mr C Tyer, Head of History and Politics Miss M Wilcox, Trainee Teacher of Drama and Prep School Teaching Assistant

Farewells

Miss C Clarke, Teacher of DT Mr M Mullin, Music Coordinator Miss A Perrin, Prep School Teaching Assistant Dr E Winkley, Head of Music

In the next edition...

a focus on... Sports and Outdoor Education

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The Ocellus has been printed on Carbon Balanced paper.

This equates to 253kg of paper which will create 44.89 square feet of new Native Woodland here in the UK, and will capture 0.167 tonnes of CO2.