Culfordian Prep and Pre-Prep 2015/16

The Culfordian 2015/16 Prep and Pre-Prep School

Culford School, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 6TX Tel: 01284 728615 Email: admissions@culford.co.uk www.culford.co.uk

Prep and Pre-Prep School

The

Culfordian

2015/16

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contents THE CULFORDIAN

Contents Welcome..........................................................4

Editors: Tessa Black and Lesley Martin

Prep School Prize-giving.....................................5

Editorial Team: Anna Paterson and Michelle Davey

Prep School Celebration Day .............................9 Salvete and Valete ..........................................10 Upper Third Valete ..........................................12 Academic Achievements...................................15 Visual and Performing Arts ...............................21 Author Visits.....................................................32 Harry Potter Book Night ...................................34 Opening of New Sports Facilities.....................35 Trips and Activities..........................................37 Community Spirit............................................41

Pupil Editorial Team (pictured above): Back row (left to right): Lucas Doff (U3), Jake Sweetman (U2), Cecilia Delgado (U3), Kiera Williams (U3) and Heidi Mason (U3). Front row (left to right): Rufus Thompson (U2), Henry Derbyshire (U2), Josie Gooderham (L2), Lucy Allum (L2), Yazmin Celik (L2) and Grace Baxter (L2)

Sporting Achievements.....................................47

With grateful thanks to all who contributed articles and photographs

News from the Foundation...............................65

Front cover photo by Jono Le Grice, Sixth Form Pupil at Culford School Designed and printed by The Lavenham Press. Tel: 01787 247436

Photo Credits: Wendy Turner/Red Shed Photography, Simon Jones/Bonjour Photography, Warren Page, Tom Soper and Jono Le Grice.

Culford School makes reasonable effort to include accurate information in The Culfordian but makes no warranties or representations as to the accuracy of the published content.

Registered Charity No. 310486

THE CULFORDIAN welcome

Welcome from

Culford Prep and Pre-Prep

A

very warm welcome to the second edition of the standalone Pre-Prep and Prep Culfordian. We are delighted to share the news of a wide variety of events that took place during the year. With the Nursery moving to become part of the Pre-Prep again we have really enjoyed having much more contact, not only with our younger children, but also with families through our weekly Parent, Baby and Toddler groups. Our Stay and Play sessions, which are designed to help new children integrate into school, have been a wonderful success. We were especially pleased to see so many Dads and Grandads at our Fathers’ Day breakfast, and Mums and Grandmas at our Mothers’ Day tea. I do hope you enjoy reading our magazine and relish the opportunity for the trip down memory lane!

Sarah Preston At the Prep School we are delighted to present such a breadth of experiences which encapsulate the past academic year. Our pupils and staff have committed to a huge variety of educational, social and fundraising events which contribute to a genuinely enriched programme. As we all enjoy the new music, drama and library facilities opened during the past year, we are now turning our attention to our curriculum content and further provision within the creative arts, along with classroom makeovers and improvements to those areas of our school where pupils, parents and staff access each department. Our extended day model continues to serve our busy families extremely well and we will continue to be flexible in our offer in response to parental needs.

Mike Schofield 4

prize-giving THE CULFORDIAN

Prep School

Prize-giving

C

ulford Prep School celebrated their annual Prize-giving on the last day of the Summer Term. The guest of honour was former Mayor of Bury St Edmunds, Patrick Chung.

Patrick presented prizes for academic achievements and enjoyed a musical showcase from Prep School pupils.

Prize-giving is also a chance to thank the outgoing Head Boy and Head Girl, Marcus Packer and Sophie Connor, for their great support over the year. We welcome Holly Reynolds and Dean Hafermann to their roles from September 2016. William Tozer and Ella Francis Alagoa also step down as Heads of Cadogan as they move to Senior School.

The new Heads of Cadogan are Matthew Beardmore and Evie Hall. We wish you all great success.

Headmaster, Mike Schofield with Guest of Honour, Patrick Chung

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THE CULFORDIAN prize-giving

Headmaster’s

Prize-giving Address

I

am delighted to welcome our guest speaker today, Patrick Chung, former Mayor of Bury St Edmunds, former guardian to Culford pupils from as far back as 1983, a friend to many in the Bury St Edmunds community, and supporter of numerous charitable and business trusts. He joins us to celebrate yet another bustling and successful year in the Prep School.

In 2009 we noted that the recession would be long and hard but that it was also an opportunity, and that we needed to work hard to weather whatever storms come and exit the recession ready to seize the opportunities on offer. If we were commercially astute and educationally driven we could emerge from the recession stronger and confirm our position as one of the leading independent schools in East Anglia. This last year, as the economy has improved, we have fulfilled that promise.

Our new £2.3 million library opened in September and has transformed the academic heart of the school. Prep School now use it for pupil learning events and parents’ evenings, we enjoyed a fantastic Harry Potter Book Night and most recently we welcomed a record number of new arrivals for the induction day. This is a fabulous addition to our facilities and a clear indication of the strength of being a through school.

Frankly, in terms of being commercially astute and educationally driven, I think we could rest on the laurels of our library, the upgraded Cadogan House and the new music facilities as evidence that we have

pushed this school forward as the recession ends. The development of a second floodlit artificial hockey pitch has also, however, been a huge leap forward. From September we will have two artificial turf pitches available for our pupils, doubling our provision there; and we will have increased tennis provision by 50% as we also open two new year-round courts.

This year we must say goodbye to some Common Room colleagues. Miss Stinson leaves us after five years. We thank her for her unstinting enthusiasm, dedication and the initiatives she has brought to the science department. Not only has Miss Stinson led within the department, she has also been the first to volunteer to plug gaps, be they for boarding duties, concerts, weekend activities or school trips. She has a sense of fun which is recognised by the children as, and I quote, “a teacher who brings science to life with some really wacky ideas like running round a human circuit board or having to pretend to be a light bulb going on and off.” We wish her well with her move to Royal Hospital School where she is returning to teaching science up to A level, and will no doubt relish the opportunities

Left to right: Guest of Honour, Patrick Chung with outgoing Head Boy and Head Girl, Marcus Packer and Sophie Connor and Prep School Headmaster, Mike Schofield 6

there to join in with all that life in a boarding school offers.

Mr Paul Harrison left us at Christmas after eight years of service to the School in a number of areas, including Head of Maths and latterly ICT, along with his role in the senior team, where he worked alongside both Mr Hopton and Mrs Bentley leading the academic side of School. His additional contributions to sports, in particular in hockey and athletics, gained recognition from not only colleagues, but pupils and parents in abundance. As a National Standard veteran athlete he is now back in training as he focuses on his target of international representation for GB Athletics in Triple Jump. Paul continues to work building his maths website, Hedgehog Mathematics, following his passion for nature conservancy work in East Anglia, and working in the field of examination setting and design.

I would like you to join me in thanking our Common Room. One of the best things about having passionate colleagues is their ambition to improve. This year Governors and the executive spent time discussing where the School has been, where it is now and where

Left to right: Guest of Honour, Patrick Chung with incoming Head Boy and Head Girl, Dean Hafermann and Holly Reynolds and Prep School Headmaster, Mike Schofield

prize-giving THE CULFORDIAN

it should, in our opinion, be in the future. As part of that we debated a set of words that could express our values. We know we want education here to be challenging, enriching and fun, but that does not tell us what values we as individual teachers should have, what the School as an organisation should live up to, and what we hope our pupils can become.

We chose four words and declared that we want Culford, its staff and pupils to be Flexible, Innovative, Dynamic and Resilient.

The world is in perpetual motion; our pupils will need to be flexible, innovative and dynamic to take advantage of that in their future lives; and they will need to be resilient because without that their best ideas will never come to fruition and their most important relationships will not endure. We also noted that to show those characteristics of flexibility, innovation, dynamism and resilience requires that we and our pupils are honest, courageous and compassionate: honest enough to know when change is needed; courageous enough to make it so; and compassionate enough to do so in the most positive way possible.

This has been another vibrant and successful year for the Parents’ Association under the guidance and leadership of Mrs Taylor, a highly dedicated committee, and an increasingly broad group of helpers. New ideas are in abundance, with the most noticeable being the recent addition to Sports Day of a summer fete. This event raised £300 for the Gee Wizz charity, and the summer stalls and golden ticket model proved a resounding success. We thank the Parents’ Association for their hard work and fundraising efforts which have led to thousands of pounds’ worth of new resources and play equipment for the pupils of the School.

I hope you have enjoyed the regular editions of E-Arch which have arrived in your inbox. They will have kept you up to date with many of the great achievements and wonderful learning experiences the pupils have enjoyed this year. The second year of Culford’s Got Talent was a great success with a band of Lower Second boys rocking their way to first place. Several pupils experienced success on a national scale in the BBC’s 500 Words short story competition and there was an unforgettable visit for Lower Third to The Jewish Museum in London where English, RS and history came together through the recollections of a Kindertransport survivor.

There were Roman Days and Viking Days with fashion-conscious interlopers invading the School, visits from award-winning authors and a day of European Languages where frogs’ legs and snails hopped onto the menu. We topped it off with a sunny Celebration Day where we officially opened our new music suite and enjoyed an extraordinary display of the children’s art.

The excellent musical performances today from Florence Wilson, Molly-Anne Gimson and Holly Reynolds remind us that it has been a busy and exciting time for music, with over 200 performances in concerts across the year. We’ve also enjoyed engaging instrumental showcases, in which some of our visiting music teachers demonstrated their instruments with exceptional skill. These have been entertaining and inspiring events and I’ll particularly remember Archie Jones, from the First Form, being taken completely by surprise and yet putting in a performance on the drums that was enormous fun. All this musical activity has been underpinned by the development of the new music classroom and facilities, made possible by the great generosity of the Fretter family.

The Summer Term got off to a great start with the Second Form production, Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations. This excellent performance saw pupils transformed into German army officers, a crowd at a boxing match and African dancers. As ever, the backstage crew was made up of pupils under the expert direction of Mrs Hafermann and the vibrant and exciting set was testament to Mr Calvert’s tireless vision and energy. Along with Mr Clay’s dedicated teaching of the songs, and Mr Calvert’s expert direction, the show was a triumph and played to packed audiences.

Another incredibly busy year for sport comes to an end and it was fantastic to see so many of our Third Form pupils receive awards during the end of term Sports Presentation Evening. Culford continues to be recognized nationally for its tennis programme and we currently have three GB international players: Kylie Bilchev, Derrick Chen and Matthew Gedney, who have enjoyed success this year across Europe. Matthew, Kylie, Derrick and Millie-Mae Matthews also played in the Orange Bowl tournament in Florida, one of the leading World Junior tournaments.

Our Culford swimming programme continues to grow with our swimmers taking part in a full timetable of squad training sessions as well as individual technical sessions, which include underwater videoing and analysis with classroom feedback. We currently have 16 swimming Scholars and 21 pupils on the development programme across Prep and Senior School. This year we had 21 swimmers take part in an IAPS swimming regional round with five of those making it through to the National Finals and four competing in the final itself.

Currently we have five Prep School golfers who have weekly individual coaching either on site or at our academy courses. Whilst there are no golf Scholars within the Prep School at this time one particular Prep School pupil has made her mark and secured a scholarship to Senior School. Georgia Parker has consistently performed well in junior opens for the past year and subsequently has been selected to represent Suffolk junior girls.

Athletics continues to be a strength in the Prep School with the U13 teams finishing 7

THE CULFORDIAN prize-giving

second out of 15 schools at the West Suffolk competition. The cross-country season finished with the East Region Prep Schools Competition where a great performance by Culford pupils was rewarded with team prizes leading to Culford finishing in second place overall.

Charlie Wakefield, Holly Reynolds and Harry Wakefield were all selected to represent Suffolk at the Regional Schools cross-country event held in Boston, Lincolnshire and Charlie was then selected to compete at the English Schools Cross-Country Championships.

Cricket in the Prep School has been the focus of particular development, with the introduction of girls’ cricket.

Our U13 netball teams have had a very successful season. Several of our players have been selected for the Suffolk satellite group including Kimaya Surti, Maisie Fitton, Isobel Bettley and Holly Reynolds.

Prep School rugby continues to develop as is shown by the consistent selection of our players into the Northampton Saints age groups. All our teams had good seasons, winning plenty of matches and more importantly playing with good spirits. At U13 level, sevens rugby has continued to grow.

The team had success in the Northampton Saints Cambridge Series Sevens, narrowly losing in the final, and also fared well in the Brentwood School sevens.

and install new suspended ceilings within the dormitories, including improved lighting.

Visitors to Cadogan continue to compliment House staff on how well-organised pupils seem to be in managing their personal areas and belongings. Mr Burrows will be moving out of Cadogan as he takes up his new post in the Senior School, with Mr Pook, our incoming Head of ICT, joining the residential team for September.

As pupils move on to Senior School, or elsewhere in their educational journey, the close knit boarding community inevitably shares mixed feelings. Education is about progression, but we all feel our pride and joy tinged with sadness at this time of year. In particular, many of our international pupils stay with us for only one year as part of their educational journey.

It is incredible to think that a full academic year has passed since we welcomed this year’s group in September. They, like so many others, have achieved an incredible amount.

Several of our 1st team girls’ hockey players have also represented the U14 team on a Saturday to further their development. Isobel Bettley and Hettie Carter have both been selected to play for Suffolk.

As a school we are committed to go beyond excellence in all aspects of provision and with the support of our pupils we have already identified areas for further improvement in health and well-being. Such areas have recently included a review of rewards and sanctions. Our School Council is an important and effective channel of pupil voice and has continued to highlight the needs and wishes of the pupils in their aspirations to improve parts of School life and facilities. This has led to the complete refurbishment of the boys’ toilets and suggestions for new activities and play equipment.

Boarding continues to thrive; indeed such is the demand for space in Cadogan that we have taken the decision to convert the old hobby room into a brand new dormitory, which will open in September. We also plan to decorate Cadogan from the top floor down

The Charity Committee has been effective this year in raising a considerable amount of money for local, national and international causes. We have supported numerous charities including Suffolk Community Foundation, St Nicholas Hospice, Guide Dogs for the Blind,

In boys’ hockey we saw great determination and persistence and some outstanding individual performances. This clearly shows an increase in our hockey development and was pleasing to see. In addition, Michael Ahrens was selected for the Suffolk JRPC Tier 1 Regional Hockey Squad.

8

RSPCA and Save the Tigers. Of particular note was the fundraising day organised by a group of girls for Alzheimer’s Society which raised over £800.

We thank our outgoing team of School and Cadogan Prefects, Chairs of Charity and School Council committees, Librarians, Activity House Captains and Activity House Sports Captains. We are also grateful to our outgoing Head Boy Marcus Packer and Head Girl Sophie Connor who have been very committed in their role.

All of this achievement depends upon the efforts of many people. Each year I ask my colleague, the Operations and Finance Director, Elaine Boardley, to take our thanks back to all our colleagues, who do so much for us in the grounds and gardens, the House and classrooms, the kitchens and the offices here. The works team, cleaners, caterers and all the rest do so much for us and can never be thanked enough. Another unsung group are our Governors. They are as committed as anyone else to this School; yet they do it for free in their own time or by squeezing their working lives to accommodate us. I am truly grateful to them all for that.

This academic year has certainly been ‘challenging, enriching and fun’ for both pupils and members of the Common Room, at times for parents too, I hope. On behalf of our staff I would like to thank you as parents for all the support you offer throughout the year, whether on sports fields, at concerts, plays, parents’ meetings or Celebration Day workshops. On a final note, I would like to extend my thanks on behalf of the pupils to all members of the Common Room, a great team of dedicated and talented teachers who work tirelessly for the School.

Mr Mike Schofield, Headmaster

celebration day THE CULFORDIAN

Prep School

Celebration Day

C

ulford Prep School parents and pupils enjoyed an exciting day at their annual Academic and Creative Arts Celebration Day in May. Parents and guardians were invited to join their children for the day, taking part in activities such as ‘Have a Go Lessons’ in art and science and ‘What is the BIG question?’ in religious studies. They were also able to see first-hand what their children had been learning in a range of subjects by visiting their classrooms, viewing some of their work and taking part in lots of activities, including some flamenco dancing!

Continuing on the musical theme, pupils demonstrated their creative abilities and entertained the audience throughout the afternoon. All Year groups performed short five minute musical sets, which included everything from singing to playing glockenspiels and the recorder.

The celebratory day finished with everyone enjoying afternoon tea in the sunshine.

This special day also saw the official opening of the Prep School’s new music facilities, which have been re-designed and refurbished thanks to a generous legacy gifted to Culford by former matron, Thelma Fretter. The classroom is now fully equipped with iPads to enable work on interactive practical projects and new acoustics and lighting is in place.

Mr Clay, Head of Music at Culford Prep School, is naturally delighted. He said: “We have created great facilities which help to place us at the forefront of music teaching and will encourage pupils to engage with the subject in new ways.”

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THE CULFORDIAN salvete/valete

Prep and Pre-Prep Common Room

Salvete Rachael Drake is a specialist maths and primary teacher and joins the Prep School to fulfil both of those roles. Prior to joining Culford, Mrs Drake ran Kumon Maths in Norwich and taught at two Norwich Prep schools. In her spare time, Rachael enjoys fitness classes and also volunteers at her local parish church where she runs Sunday Club.

Blake Burrows joins Culford as the Head of Prep and Senior School Hockey. Prior to joining Culford, Blake was a National League Coach in Japan. Originally from Australia, Blake has moved to the UK with his partner Helen Grant, High Performance Sports Coordinator, to start a family and coach hockey at Culford.

Katie Clarke joins Culford as a Lower Second form teacher. She has over ten years of experience teaching across the primary age range both in London and Oxfordshire. Now living locally, Mrs Clarke has two daughters and combines a busy working and family life with an interest in sport and exercise.

Valete This year we said goodbye to some members of the Prep and Pre-Prep Common Rooms.

Matt Copping came to Culford in 2012 and leaves us to take on a new role as Director of Sport at Ashfold Prep School. Mr Copping is an incredibly talented and versatile teacher and sportsman, and has been a superb Assistant Housemaster. Over his three years in the role, Mr Copping planned all weekend activities with skill, knowledge and experience. In addition he organised all overseas transport arrangements and has run a significant number of duties. Mr Copping was also a fantastic Director of Hockey. Before he left, he was interviewed by Henry Derbyshire and Rufus Thompson. n How long have you been at Culford and what was your role?

I have been at Culford for four and a half years and was Director of Hockey, Assistant Housemaster of Cadogan and teacher of PE. n What will be your best memory of your time at Culford?

Days where everybody is outside playing, getting active, having fun and enjoying themselves, and the Inter-house matches. n What’s the funniest or favourite moment you’ve had in the classroom, boarding house or sports field?

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When an Upper Third Girl jumped for a ball and did a backwards roll although she was nowhere near the ball! n What will you miss most when you leave?

The fantastic pupils, the environment and Culford Park. n What has been your greatest achievement in your life so far?

Playing in the National hockey final when I was 18 and winning man of the match award, and then the English Selection final.

Although now I have thought about it, I should say my time at Culford.

valete THE CULFORDIAN

Tracylyn Stinson enthusiastically led the Prep School Science Department for five years.

She was passionate about bringing science to life and was instrumental in getting pupils out into the community to investigate the world around them. Whether it was our very own Culford Park, or visiting habitats, clinics, businesses or Cambridge University, Ms Stinson laid the groundwork for numerous educational trips that added a valuable dynamic to the department. She worked equally hard to bring specialists into School, from zoologists to astronomers, and was keen for pupils to interact with a variety of scientists working across various fields. In addition to leading the Science Department, Ms Stinson was an extremely dedicated Third Form Tutor who was a bright light on the Upper Third Leavers’ trips to France and Italy.

Paul Harrison arrived at Culford in September 2007 to take up the position of Head of Maths. Paul quickly involved himself with life at the Prep School, not just in the classroom but with many extra-curricular activities also. He is remembered for his enthusiasm and sense of humour, and his willingness to demonstrate and be involved, rather than just instructing from the side-lines.

Paul is extremely musical and contributed to School productions by playing the flute in the orchestra, most memorably in Fiddler on the Roof, accompanying his son Robert whilst he was on the stage. Many from the Prep School will remember his cameo performance as the Elvis Presley inspired Pharaoh in Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.

Paul was also an indispensable member of the Carols Choir each Christmas. He was proud of discovering the musical talents of a young Katie Hargreaves (OC 2014), encouraging her up on the stage one Speech Day to sing. She has gone on to pursue a career in acting.

and wisely. On the hockey pitch, he worked with the Senior Prep School teams, accompanying the girls to the National Hockey Finals, but was just as happy to be working with those not in the top teams.

As he moves on from Culford, we wish him well, and thank him for the wisdom and compassion he showed during his time here.

Andrew Bedwell (OC 1997-2004), joined Prep School as a sports coach and resident tutor in Cadogan. After attending Warwick University to read Philosophy, Andrew coached hockey full time for a number of years, having played throughout his School and university career and latterly as player and coach for Harleston Magpies. While he considered the move to fulltime teaching, he ultimately decided to return to the family business and will continue to coach hockey. We wish him well for the future and thank him for his service to the School and particularly the boarders in Cadogan House.

On the sports pitches, he encouraged many to seek to improve and enjoy their sport.

His contribution to athletics is immeasurable.

As a long jumper and triple jumper himself, he coached many to Regional and National School level and gave his time generously

Susannah Burrell joined us in the Pre-Prep School ten years ago. She was always an energetic, friendly teacher who added greatly to the PP2 team, sharing her strengths in ICT, mathematics and RS. She also directed the summer production in which the PP2 children starred. After starting her own family, she worked in

successful job-shares in both the Pre-Prep and Prep School, where she was a First Form teacher. In addition, Mrs Burrell was involved in CCF for most of her time at Culford. She had been a keen member of Norfolk ACF and a member of the University Officers’ Training Corps and made good use of that experience with our cadets. She attended

basic training at the Cadet Training Centre at Frimley Park on being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and was subsequently promoted to Lieutenant. Mrs Burrell regularly attended weekend training and Summer Camp and was always a good humoured presence and a thoroughly professional example to our cadets.

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THE CULFORDIAN valete

Upper Third

Yiannoula Fernandes Cardy

Valete This year we say farewell and good luck to 65 pupils in the Upper Third as they move on to the next stage of their education at Senior School. We look forward to hearing their news and welcoming them back to Culford Prep School in years to come. Here are a few words from each of them, reflecting on their journey so far.

Cecilia Delgado Villanueva

Cecilia joined Culford this year and has made some very good friends. She has enjoyed boarding in Cadogan and improving her English. Cecilia has been part of the editorial team for The Culfordian and her main interest is art.

Charlie Wakefield

Charlie joined Culford in Lower Second. This year he was a Prefect, Charities Representative and Librarian and was on the School Council.

He made the most of the opportunities given to him in Prep School, by taking part in sport, science work and activities. His interests are running, playing badminton and anything active. One day he would love to compete for Great Britain in the Olympics for middle distance running.

Isabel Mordue

Isabel has been at Culford for two terms and her main interests are gymnastics, reading and cycling for pleasure with her family. The event she has most enjoyed was the cycling trip to Holland, where she visited Amsterdam and had a great time at a theme park. Isabel is looking forward to the upcoming challenge of Senior School.

Maisie Fitton

Maisie has been at Culford for ten years.

Maisie was a Prefect and Netball Captain of the U13A team.

She enjoys sports; her favourite is netball and she was awarded full colours. She also enjoys reading and won the Reading Champions Competition twice and the Waterstones Reading Cup in Upper Third.

Michael Gu

Michael has been at Culford for four years and was House Captain for Honess. He has enjoyed playing tennis and all the sport centre facilities. His main interests are tennis and rugby. In the future he would like to be a rally driver.

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Elizabeth Mole

Elizabeth joined Culford in Upper Second and has been Librarian and School Council Chair this year. Her most enjoyable time in Prep School was the trip to Holland. Elizabeth’s interests are reading, dancing, scuba diving in the Caribbean, and animals. In the future she hopes to become a vet.

Edward Harvey

Edward has been at Culford for two years and had the responsibility of being a Prefect. His interests are swimming, football and playing the guitar.

He has enjoyed the sport and the activities; his favourite academic subject is science. He is unsure of his future career but would like to do something connected to science.

Alex Williams

Alex has been at Culford for nine years and was Sports Captain for Floyd. He has enjoyed the sports facilities at Culford especially playing tennis and rugby and taking part in athletics. He enjoyed the cycling trip to Holland and the days out as part of the post CE programme. In the future he would like to run his own business.

Hettie Carter

Hettie has been at Culford for three years.

She was Captain of Hockey and Sports Captain for Leigh. She enjoys most sports especially golf, hockey and netball and her main interest is Art. In the future she would like to be a sports instructor and join the Royal Navy.

Jordi Llompart

Jordi has been at Culford for one year as an international student.

He has thoroughly enjoyed the experience of boarding in Cadogan.

His interests are tennis and football and he would like a career with animals.

William Tozer

William has been at Culford three years and in Upper Third was Head of Cadogan, Librarian, Prefect and a representative of the School Council and Charity Committee. He enjoyed boarding and loves all sports, especially swimming, rugby and cricket. William would like to have a career connected to sport.

Ciaran Rees

Ciaran has been at Culford since the beginning of Lower Third and held the position of Prefect. He has enjoyed the sports facilities at Culford and has found the teachers to be friendly. He is interested in rugby, cricket and banking and in the future would like to work in the stock market in Singapore and later be an accountant.

Ramsha Naseem

Ramsha has been at Culford for a year and has made many friends with whom she enjoys spending time. Her main interests are drawing and reading and she also enjoys playing netball. She has liked the days out in Upper Third especially the visit to Thorpe Park. In the future she would like to run her own business.

Indi Franklin

Indi has been at Culford for two years and has enjoyed going on school trips with her friends.

The trip to Holland and the visit to the Water Park were highlights.

She attends musical theatre and dance classes in Bury St Edmunds and enjoys playing the piano for pleasure.

Hugo Clifford

Hugo has been at Culford for five years and was Newman House Captain. He enjoys playing most sports but especially rugby. The event he most enjoyed in Upper Third was the visit to Thorpe Park. His favourite subjects are maths and science and his main interest is technology.

Yiannoula has been at Culford for four years. She has been Form Captain and has enjoyed the experience of boarding and being with her friends. She enjoys playing netball and in the future would like to be a nurse.

Lucas Doff

Lucas came to Culford two years ago and has been on the Charity Committee, a Librarian and also a Cadogan House Prefect. Last year he was on the editorial team for The Culfordian, and also was awarded an Arts tie. He has enjoyed the sports activities and his favourite academic subjects are science, maths and religious studies.

Lucas played the lead role in the school play ‘The Witches’. Lucas would like a career as a banker.

Gonzalo Vaca Avozarena

Gonzalo has been at Culford as an international student. He has made lots of new friends and has enjoyed boarding in Cadogan.

He has taken part in many different sports, his favourite being tennis and football. In the future he would like to be an engineer, tennis player or footballer.

Henry King

Henry joined Culford at the beginning of the Upper Third year and has enjoyed all the sporting activities.

He was awarded half colours for swimming.

His main interests are swimming, water sports, mountain biking, rock climbing and cricket.

Gus Bentley

Gus has been at Culford for two years and held the positions of School Prefect and Rugby Captain. He has enjoyed playing rugby, hockey and football and was awarded half colours for hockey. In the future he would like to be a comedian.

Molly Lovejoy

Molly has been at Culford for six years and was Head of Honess House. She really enjoyed the school trip to France and visiting the water park in Holland. She enjoys athletics, especially running. She also enjoys horse riding and taking part in show jumping competitions. Because of her love of art she would like to be a graphic designer.

valete THE CULFORDIAN

Jennifer Dahl

Jennifer has been at Culford for three years and was Floyd House Captain. She has made many friends here.

She enjoys sport and her hobbies include gymnastics, hockey and horse riding. In the future she would like to be a gymnastics coach.

Millie McCallum

Millie has been at Culford for one year and has enjoyed her time in Upper Third making many friends. Her favourite subject is English and her interests include writing, drawing and Star Wars.

In the future she would like to be a concept artist or scriptwriter.

Zak Winter

Zak has been at Culford for four years. He was a School Prefect and received the Arts tie and half colours for hockey.

He really enjoyed the trip to France in Upper Second. His main interests are art and hockey and he would like to be a design engineer.

William Gibbs

William has been at Culford for 11 years and was House Captain of Leigh. He has enjoyed all the after school activities he has taken part in and his main interest is hockey which he would like to pursue as a career.

Kiera Williams

Jimmy Cailes

Georgia Parker

Michael Ahrens

Kiera has been at Culford for two years.

She was a Form Captain, Librarian, Cadogan House Prefect and was a member of the editorial team for The Culfordian. She has enjoyed the Prep School trips and her interests are swimming, drawing and reading. In the future she would like to be an architect.

Georgia has been at Culford for two years and was Sports House Captain for Newman.

She has enjoyed her time in Prep School and thinks the teachers were fun. Her interests are golf, cricket and football and she would like to be a professional sports player or a coach.

Marcus Packer

Marcus has been at Culford for four years. This year he was awarded the responsibility of Head Boy. He was also 1st X1 Cricket Captain and was awarded full colours.

He enjoys spending time with his friends and playing sport and he would like to be a cricketer.

Nina Dahl

Nina has been at Culford for three years and was Sports Captain for Floyd. Her main interest is hockey and she plays for Culford School, for Bury and for Suffolk. She enjoyed the School trip to Holland, especially the theme and water parks. She likes spending time with her friends and in the future she would like to be a hockey player.

Jimmy has been at Culford for one year.

He thoroughly enjoyed the rugby season. His interests are rugby, cricket, tennis and football and he would like to become a marine biologist.

Michael has been at Culford since Upper First. This year he was a School Prefect and was awarded an Arts tie. He has enjoyed DT lessons in the Pringle Centre and playing hockey.

His interests are hockey, fishing, kayaking and spending time making things. In the future he would like to be an automotive engineer.

Heidi Mason

Heidi has been at Culford for two years.

She was Activity House Captain for Newman and part of the editorial team for The Culfordian.

She has enjoyed many activities in Prep School especially the netball and athletics clubs. Her interests are sewing, baking and netball. She would like to be an author or a journalist.

Kylie Bilchev

Kylie has been at Culford for two years.

She was Cadogan House Prefect and Captain of Girls Tennis. She has enjoyed spending time with her friends, playing tennis and being a boarder. Her other interest apart from tennis is making cosmetics. In the future she would like to be a professional tennis player.

Cameron Couch

Cameron has been at Culford for three years and was Head Librarian.

He has enjoyed learning martial arts and the activity he enjoyed the most was Pioneers. Due to his love of animals and his interest in all forms of construction, he would like to be a zookeeper or an architect.

James Naseby

James has been at Culford for two years.

He was a Cadogan House Prefect and House Captain for Floyd.

He has enjoyed the after school activities and the Post CE programme.

His main interests are tennis and other sports, science and maths. In the future he would like to be a scientist, preferably a physicist.

Tori Holt

Theo Gibson

Theo has been at Culford for two years and was Chair of the Charities Committee.

He thoroughly enjoyed the Upper Third trip to Holland and all the cycling. His interests are rugby, football, cycling and Formula One. He would like to be a surgeon or something connected to biology.

Isobel Bettley

Isobel has been at Culford for two years and was on the School Council. She also held the position of Vice Captain for hockey. She enjoys sports especially hockey and netball and was awarded Full Colours. In the future she would like to be a relationship manager and play hockey for England.

Imogen Guntrip

Tori has been at Culford since Upper First. She was a School Prefect and was awarded an Arts tie. She enjoys sport, especially hockey, and plays for Bury and JAC for the county.

She likes art, cross-country and running. Tori is looking forward to her time in Senior School.

Imogen has been at Culford for ten years.

She was a Prefect and Head of Leigh House. She enjoys sport especially netball and rounders.

Her favourite subject is biology and she would like to be a naturalist or interior designer.

Ella Francis Alagoa

Laurie Cruikshank

Ella has been at Culford for three years. She was Head of Cadogan House and a Prefect. She has enjoyed her time being a boarder and all aspects of boarding life. Her main interest is athletics and in the future she would like to be an architect.

Brandon Sibanda

Brandon has been at Culford for a year. He has enjoyed boarding and spending time with his friends. Since being at Culford he has taken advantage of all opportunities to learn new things. His interests are rugby and swimming. He would like a career as a forensic pathologist.

Matthew Gedney

Matthew has been at Culford for two years.

He was Head of Tennis for Kids Programme at Culford and ViceCaptain of Tennis for the 1st team. He has enjoyed sport and after school activities and his interests are tennis and rugby. He would like to be a professional tennis player and aims to be number one in the world.

tennis player.

Laurie has been at Culford for seven years and was Honess House Sports Captain. She enjoys sport and playing tennis and was awarded half colours. She would like to be a professional

Jana Higazy

Jana has been at Culford for a year and was awarded a Tennis Scholarship. She has enjoyed making new friends and boarding life. She has liked the weekend activities, especially shopping in Bury St Edmunds. Her main interest is playing tennis and in the future she would like to be a tennis player.

Mason Bickers

Mason has been at Culford for six years.

He was Sports Captain for Newman and was awarded a Sports Scholarship. He was awarded full colours for hockey, rugby and cricket. He enjoys all sport and in the future would like to be a sportsman.

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Amelia Brayshaw

Amelia has been at Culford for five years.

She was Prefect of Cadogan House and School Prefect. She has enjoyed boarding and all the facilities that Culford has to offer.

She has liked the school trips and being with her friends. She would like to be a counsellor or primary school teacher.

Monique Marrs

Monique has been at Culford since starting in Nursery. She was joint Chair of the Charities Committee and her favourite time was the residential French trip in Upper Second. Her main interests are dancing and horse riding. Monique would like to be a vet.

Anna Dawson

Anna has been at Culford for a year. She has really enjoyed the after school activities and spending time with her friends in the library.

Her interests are horse riding, dog agility and reading. In the future she would like to be a dog behaviourist and a vet.

Seb Koci-Edwards

Seb has been at Culford for two years and received a Tennis Scholarship. His main interest is playing tennis but also he likes science and computer programming. He has enjoyed the school trips with his friends, especially the trip to La Manga, Spain. Seb would like to have a career in tennis.

Oscar Endean

Oscar has been at Culford for one year. He was Form Captain and was on the Charities Committee. He has enjoyed playing sport and likes to take part in triathlons and cycling. His other interests are athletics and cross-country. In the future he would like to be a sports presenter.

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Max Chambers

Max has been at Culford for four years and was Form Captain.

He really enjoyed the French trip and the trip to Holland. He is interested in sport, especially rugby, and played in the First team all season, receiving his half colours. In the future he would like to become a professional sportsman.

Joseph Herbert

Joseph has been at Culford for four years.

He really enjoyed the French trip to Normandy in Upper Second. His interests are cycling, running, tennis and music and his favourite subjects are maths and science. He hopes to become an engineer in the RAF.

Sophie Connor

Sophie has been and Culford for four years and was Head Girl and a Cadogan House Prefect.

She enjoys drama and sport, especially netball.

Her main interest is photography and in the future would like to be an actress or a doctor.

Joshua Lewis

Joshua has been at Culford since Lower Second. He was a School Prefect and joint Chair of the School Council.

He has enjoyed the School trips especially the visit to France and the Post CE trip to London. His interests are DT, running and gaming. Although he is not sure of a future career he would like to do something to do with biology, engineering or games design.

Millie Stennett

Millie has been at Culford for nine years.

She was Form Captain and School Prefect. She enjoyed the Post CE programme especially the Leavers’ Dinner and Disco and had great fun paintballing. Her main interest is horse riding and she competes at the top level. In the future she would like to be a professional horse rider and compete at the Olympics.

Amy McCullough

Amy has been at Culford for four years. She was a Prefect and received an Arts tie. Amy really enjoyed the Upper Third trip to Holland. Her interests are Art and playing hockey for Bury U14 team. Amy would like to be a vet working with racehorses.

Millie-Mae Matthews

Millie has been at Culford for a year and received a Tennis Scholarship. She has enjoyed playing tennis in America and also in La Manga, Spain. She has made many friends in Prep School and enjoys tennis and drama. In the future she would like to be a tennis player or an actress.

Georgia Preston

Georgia has been at Culford for nine years.

She was a Prefect and received an arts tie. Her favourite memory of Prep School was being in Lower First with Mrs Carrington and more recently the School trip, cycling in Holland. Her main interests are art, drawing and painting, singing and playing the piano and she would like to be an artist or designer.

Ross Clarke

Ross has been at Culford for two years.

His most enjoyable moment in Prep School was the Upper Third trip, cycling around Holland and visiting a theme park there. He enjoys reading and his favourite subject is Maths. He is looking forward to his time in Senior School.

Derrick Chen

Derrick has been at Culford for two years.

He was Tennis Team Captain and was a Tennis Scholar. He has enjoyed socialising with friends and learning new things. He enjoys all sports but mainly football and tennis. In the future he would like to be a tennis player and be number one in the world.

Luke Watson

Luke has been at Culford since Lower Third and was Sports Captain of Leigh. He enjoys being with his friends and appreciates all the sports opportunities on offer at Culford. He plays tennis regularly and was awarded half colours.

In the future he would like to be a sportsman.

Kimaya Surti

Kimaya has been at Culford for six years.

She was a Prefect, Performing Arts Captain, Captain of Netball and received an arts tie.

Her favourite year was Lower First with Mrs Carrington and she really enjoyed the trip to Holland. Her interests are netball and music, especially the harp, violin, singing and the piano.

She would like to become a famous musician.

James Graham

James has been at Culford for four years and he was Games Captain for Honess.

He has enjoyed taking part in sport and his main interests are rugby and road biking .He enjoyed the visit to Holland in particular the water park. In the future James would like to be a rugby player.

Thachawich Soonthornmanee

Thachawich has been at Culford for two years.

He has enjoyed playing all the sports on offer at Culford and has had a great time with his friends. He has enjoyed the weekend activities and the visit to Jump Street. His main interest is football and in the future would like to be a footballer and play in goal.

Ella Wood

Ella has been at Culford for one year and is a Tennis scholar. She has held the position of Form Captain. She enjoys sport especially tennis and had a great time on the tennis trip to La Manga, Spain. Ella enjoys cooking and going shopping. In the future she would like to be a professional tennis player.

Academic Achievements

THE CULFORDIAN academic achievements

Focus on

Nursery

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n September 2015 the Nursery made the exciting move to a new location within the Pre-Prep building. The children were amazed that their new Nursery had the same climbing frame and digging area as their old Nursery!

We soon had welcome feedback as to how parents and children were settling in; they gained a greater feeling of belonging to Culford Pre-Prep School. The Pre-Prep staff found getting to know the Nursery children a fun and enriching experience too.

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The transition was seamless this academic year as the older Nursery children moved to Reception.

The Nursery take part in many events throughout the year: Harvest Festival, The Nativity, the Dance show, Sports Day, music workshops and Toddle Waddle are all annual events. The year culminates with the Nursery show; this year was based on going to the seaside and all the children had a great adventure singing and acting and entertaining an appreciative audience.

The Nursery and Reception children were involved in a project called Living Eggs. The whole school was buzzing with anticipation as the due date arrived for our eggs to hatch; we had a very successful time raising the chicks and learning first-hand about the life cycle of a chick. Taking care of and handling the chicks gave the children valuable experiences. Our chicks went to families after a tense competition drawing names from a hat. We know that the cockerels have learned to crow and the hens are laying.

academic achievements THE CULFORDIAN

In the Summer Term the Nursery children looked carefully at the life cycle of the butterfly, hatching out caterpillars, observing the cocoons and witnessing first-hand the butterflies emerging, finally releasing them into Culford Park. The children enjoyed making links with the story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.

These are just some highlights of the year, but Nursery is full of unique experiences for the children and teachers. We also thank all the parents for their partnership and continued support.

Rona Ratcliffe and Elizabeth Grey

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THE CULFORDIAN academic achievements

Focus on

Pre-Prep

T

he children and staff had another industrious year. In the first two weeks of term, PP2 went to Lackford Lakes for an environmental science day where they looked for mini beasts and carried out some investigations.

The whole Pre-Prep School joined in with samba workshops for drumming and dancing which proved quite challenging for children and staff. The parents enjoyed the assembly and picked up a few samba pointers. Thank you to Mr Mole, one of our Prep School parents, who kindly came and taught the dancing.

Harvest Festival was well attended and the PP2 children took all the donated produce to the Foodbank at the Vineyard Church in Bury St Edmunds.

PPR have covered lots of different topics this year; their project on dinosaurs was great fun and their topic on space saw them enjoying their role play corner, which had a space ship and astronaut helmets. They even tried some dried astronaut food from the Kennedy Space centre, thanks to Mrs McNeil who visited there in the holidays.

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academic achievements THE CULFORDIAN

PP1 this year enjoyed being super-heroes for a week; the children got into role and enjoyed wearing their capes and masks as they worked during the week. This was enjoyed by all, including the super-teachers, and the children produced some super written work during the week.

Pirate Day was another huge success. PP1 enjoyed listening to the visiting pirate who came and spent a day with us which ended with a treasure hunt where everyone found some gold.

PP2 took part in Castles Day in the Spring Term. The History Off the Page company led a fantastic day. The children and staff dressed the part all day while they experienced what Tudor life was really like. The children all had hands-on experiences making things throughout the day. In the afternoon they enjoyed a feast and some jousting.

We are extremely grateful for the PTA who kindly financed many of our events and trips.

As well as our visit to the pantomime at Christmas, the Hurricane Theatre visited us and performed their version of Mother Goose.

PP2 enjoyed their three day residential stay at Whitwell Hall in Norfolk. Miss Widger organised the trip with her usual military attention to detail. The children enjoyed sleeping in dormitories, river dipping, singing around the campfire, orienteering and building and racing their own model boats down the river, to name but a few things. We were so proud of how well behaved they all were and how independent they could be.

In the Summer Term, we hosted a forensic science workshop in the Weston Hall. All the children enjoyed using clues to work out who had stolen something from the safe in the office.

Some other highlights of the year included a trip to the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds where we saw the Gruffalo’s Child; PP1’s annual visit to Pizza Express, and the PTA fun afternoon on May Bank Holiday. This had previously been held on a Saturday, and the change of day proved to be a great success as mums and dads were able to attend, as well as families who were new to Culford in the Autumn Term. Mr Funforce and a variety of side-show stalls kept everybody entertained. It never ceases to amaze me how many things we pack into the School year, and how much the children gain from all the different experiences.

Mrs Sarah Preston, Headmistress

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THE CULFORDIAN academic achievements

Focus on

Mrs Bentley, Deputy Head Academic Interview by Grace Baxter and Yazmin Celik

Prep

n Tell me about your path into teaching.

I did some community service at school working with seven and eight year olds and really enjoyed it. I wanted to do a job that would be different every day so considered teaching.

W

ith one of largest year cohorts for some years, it seems only right to begin by reviewing the recent Common Entrance performance. With sixteen papers to sit over the course of four days, these exams are a thorough test of their knowledge and I am delighted with how well our pupils rose to meet the challenge. Nearly 90% of all grades awarded were between A* and C and over a third of grades were A* and A, a fantastic achievement for all concerned.

To pick out just two of the many positives in this year’s results, a remarkable 65% of grades in religious studies were A* and A, an increase of over 35%, whilst Latin saw 30% of pupils awarded an A*.

In terms of our top performers, Amelia Brayshaw was awarded 5 A* and 4 A’s; Michael Gu and Amy McCullough both achieved 4 A* and 4 A grades, while in total, one quarter of the year group were awarded a combination of 5 or more A or A* grades. Our leading academic in the year was Charlie Wakefield whose results consisted of 9 A* grades! These all constitute remarkable achievements for these pupils and I congratulate them, and all our successful Common Entrance candidates and scholars. I want to take this opportunity to reiterate how delighted we are, as a School, that so many pupils sat for awards this year. To be invited to take highly competitive scholarship exams is, in itself, hugely commendable, and I know that with the extra lessons they took part in

n Why did you want to be a teacher?

I wanted to do something worthwhile and to feel that I was making a difference. and the extra hours of practice and revision completed at home or in the boarding house, every one of this year’s candidates have benefitted from the process.

Visitors and trips enriched the curriculum with hordes of Vikings and Tudors galore gracing us with their presence. The Lower Third were thoughtful during their visit to London’s Jewish Museum where they were fortunate to meet a lady who had left Nazi Germany on the Kindertransport. Upper Second increased their French fluency during the Easter residential trip and we all enjoyed the visit from the French theatre group. Such trips and visits bring learning to life and allow pupils to enhance their creative skills while seeing the relevance to everyday life and current news stories.

Celebration Day was a sunny success and we were blessed with a full day of dry weather.

The famous Culford cream teas delighted all and came at the end of a day where we were able to share so much all-round effort and success from pupils in their academic endeavours and creative arts. The quad was a riot of colour with 2D and 3D Art displayed as far as the eye could see. Every Year group performed a musical interlude in front of an appreciative audience as we rounded off a busy half-term.

The academic life of a school is not just measured by grades and percentages but also by the passion shown by the pupils for learning and Culford Prep has a plethora of passionate pupils.

Claire Bentley, Deputy Head Academic 20

n What do you love most about teaching?

I enjoy the unpredictability of teaching, and working with children. n What has been your best memory from your time so far at Culford?

The Upper Third trip to Holland. n What unique quality do you think you have brought to Culford?

I think I have a passion for academic life and raising standards. n What are your plans for this year?

Continuing to let the School grow, and reviewing the curriculum. n What were you like at school?

I was really good and well behaved. n What did you want to be when you were younger?

I wanted to be a physiotherapist or join the Army. n What’s the one thing you know now that you wish you could have known when growing up?

The value of being patient. n What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Persistence beats resistance. n What makes Culford School such a special place to teach?

Out of all the schools I have taught at, Culford is the friendliest. n Tell me a little bit about your life outside of teaching; what do you like to do in your spare time?

I love walking my dog, running, going to the gym, reading and skiing. Also I enjoy visiting new places. n Can you reveal something unexpected which your pupils wouldn’t know about you?

I used to write blogs and won an award for them.

Visual and Performing Arts

THE CULFORDIAN visual and performing arts

Pre-Prep

Art

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t has been another busy year for Art and DT at the Pre-Prep. PPR were inspired by their topics Space and Dinosaurs, making a life sized T-Rex to guard the classroom, astronaut costumes and the solar system.

PP1 looked at the artists Wassily Kandinsky and Andy Goldsworthy, made houses for the Three Little Pigs, created Chinese dragons and used natural materials collected during their Forest School sessions to make beautiful collages.

PP2 created their own vehicles, looking carefully at axles and self-evaluating their designs. They made Tattybogle Scarecrows for Harvest and explored observational drawing using mixed media.

We were lucky enough to be able to extend our artists’ talents with an Art Enrichment

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programme run by Mrs Whiter. The children were given the opportunity to explore new techniques, stretch their imaginations and discover artists from around the world.

As well as these core topics, Pre-Prep pupils experienced several other exciting Art workshops throughout the year. These

included a DT day for PP1 in which they made houses with the help of the Head of DT in Senior School, Mr Devlin; a whole school Easter Parade where the children created their own bonnets; and The Great Suffolk Wellie Hunt where the children upcycled their old wellies, even turning them into flower pots!

visual and performing arts THE CULFORDIAN

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THE CULFORDIAN visual and performing arts

Prep School

Art

P

upils in the Prep School continue to maintain high standards, as can be seen by the quality of the work featured in The Culfordian and throughout the School. Their enthusiasm to learn, to experiment and explore media and techniques has resulted in a diverse range of work from huge dragon collages to Giacometti-inspired sculptures.

On Celebration Day the Art room and Quad became pop up galleries which showed pupils’ work at its best. Vibrant colour filled the Prep School. Bunting was hung throughout the Farr Fretter wing, complementing the circus themed paintings.

Seascapes brightened the corridor outside rooms 1 and 2 and Indian Madhubani designs jostled for space alongside lino prints.

Pottery and sculpture was briefly displayed before being whisked away by children eager to claim ownership of their work.

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visual and performing arts THE CULFORDIAN

During the morning, a workshop was held for parents and friends. Pupils in Art Plus surpassed themselves in the way they demonstrated printing techniques and worked alongside our guests. They were true ambassadors for the Prep School. These children attend an activity and workshops on a Saturday to further their interest in Art. Many built a portfolio and applied for an Art or DT Scholarship to the Senior School.

This year Georgia Preston was awarded two Scholarships, one for Culford and the other to Worksop College.

Pupils’ work goes from strength to strength and their breadth and ability to extend their ideas and use of media never ceases to amaze me. Pupils will continue to gain confidence, acquire new skills and be challenged that step further and I look forward to welcoming you to our next pop up gallery.

Mrs Helen Whiter

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THE CULFORDIAN visual and performing arts

Pre-Prep & Nursery

Productions

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n November, all pupils at Pre-Prep and Nursery captivated their audience at the annual Dance Show.

by George Frankland. The play was superbly narrated by Ruby Cobbold, Jared Del Rosario, Phoebe John and Bunny Young.

The Nursery children went on a teddy bears’ picnic, demonstrating how to point and turn.

The Reception girls then took to the stage, dancing magically to Hushabye Mountain from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang before the Reception boys danced to The Work Song.

The woodland animals, fairies and pixies were horrified by the Goblin’s terrible behaviour: he stole a rather exclusive tree trunk house, littered, and ruined a birthday party and the Fairy Dell Ball. There were lots of very strong

In PP1 the children begin modern dance and performed various routines which put into practice the steps they had learned in this term’s lessons. The girls built a House of Bamboo and the boys re-enacted a scene from the musical Oliver! and definitely created a stir ‘picking a pocket or two’.

PP2 closed the show with a focus on tap dancing. They have all thoroughly enjoyed putting on their tap shoes each week and performed some traditional rhythmic sequences.

The Goblin Next Door was the Pre-Prep’s summer production. There was a disturbance in the usually serene Fairy Dell, with the unexpected arrival of the Goblin Man played

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performances from our PP2 pupils. Lord and Lady Wood-Pidge were played by Cassius Cooper and Connie Fitton and they played their regal roles with great confidence.

There was a memorable singing solo from Holly Jones playing the squirrel who helped the Goblin find his kind side again and all ended well in the Fairy Dell.

visual and performing arts THE CULFORDIAN

Nursery

Summer Production

A

ll of the Nursery children took part in their annual show in July.

The pupils told the story of a grumpy bus driver taking children on a trip to the park, the seaside and the farm. Theo Tattersall was fantastic as the ever-grumpy bus driver who had a change of heart at the end of the show. The singing was brilliant with songs such as Wheels on the Bus, Old MacDonald’s Farm and A Tiny Caterpillar.

Mrs Ratcliffe narrated the story and all the children joined in visiting the various places and picking up artefacts on the way.

All the staff at Pre-Prep & Nursery are so proud of how confidently all the children performed, and particularly enjoyed the sunglasses song!

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THE CULFORDIAN visual and performing arts

Prep School

Productions The Witches

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n November 2015, Third Form pupils brought the fun of Roald Dahl’s The Witches to life with their spellbinding performance.

An audience of parents, friends and teachers gathered in Cadogan Hall to watch the play come to life. The children took on roles as both cast and crew to pull together a visually challenging play, using puppetry, pyrotechnics and brilliant soundtracks to entertain their guests.

The play was adapted from Roald Dahl’s famous story, and contained all the magic and madness of the original. The Witches centres around two main characters, Grandma and Boy. After losing his parents in an accident,

Boy moves to a new city and learns all about the world of sorcery. After coming across a big group of witches in the hotel where he is staying, he discovers their plans to get rid of all children with Formula 86 Delayed Action Mouse-Maker. When he falls victim to the Grand High Witch’s wicked plans, he proves that even the small can be mighty and Boy battles against the odds to save the children of England with the help of his Grandma.

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Mr Calvert, Head of Drama and Director of The Witches, was delighted with the performances, which were very technical for both cast and crew. He said, “The backstage team had to deliver a number of special effects which involved turning two of the cast into mice! The puppeteers were excellent in bringing life and energy to the mice, making them appear very real to our audience, young and old. All in all, it was a brilliant performance.”

visual and performing arts THE CULFORDIAN

Mrs Gumbleton Interview by Rufus Thompson and Henry Derbyshire n Tell me about your path into teaching.

I studied psychology at university and particularly enjoyed the modules about child development and how children learn. I decided then I would like to be an educational psychologist but in order to do that, you must teach for a couple of years first.

Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations

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n May, Second Form pupils performed a high-energy production of Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations by Alan Ayckbourn. Parents, grandparents, friends, and fellow pupils travelled on the visual journey of a young boy’s imagination that comes to life.

This surreal musical transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary; soldiers and spies in the living room, a champion grandma boxer at the fair, impromptu

film crews, and an underwater monster called Seaweed.

Mr Calvert, Head of Drama, said: “It has been brilliant to watch the pupils grow in confidence through rehearsals and performances, and to see the teamwork and support they have offered each other, both on stage and behind the scenes. I felt very proud as I saw them bring laughter to the audience with their acting, clear singing and enthusiasm.”

n What do you love most about teaching?

Helping children to achieve; helping them to find and build upon a real love of learning; watching children having those ‘eureka’ moments. n What has been your best memory so far at Culford?

I really enjoyed the Lower Second trip to Kentwell Hall. It was as if we had been transported back to 1593 and it was great to see the children in their costumes learning about life in Tudor times. We even tried a bit of Tudor dancing. n What are your plans for this year?

I want to learn all I can about teaching English and become the best possible English teacher I can be; so lots of hard work, from me and my pupils. n What were you like at school?

Very studious, enthusiastic and hardworking.

I wasn’t very sporty though. n What did you want to be when you were younger – and why?

A teacher because I loved school and learning. n What’s the one thing you know now that you wish you could have known when growing up?

Everyone else has doubts and worries too and your best is all anyone can ever ask of you. n What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Keep things in perspective. n What makes Culford School such a special place to teach?

It is a beautiful place full of warm, welcoming people. n Tell me a little bit about your life outside of teaching; what do you like to do in your spare time?

I love baking and eating what I bake, reading, walking and playing with my dog, Ziggy.

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THE CULFORDIAN visual and performing arts

Pre-Prep

Music 2015/16

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usic has become an exciting part of life in the Pre-Prep. We began the Autumn Term with a Samba Week. The children took part in a Samba music workshop where, after an introduction to samba music, they played different samba drums and percussion instruments all day, before performing everything they had learned to parents and friends. This was followed by a samba dancing workshop for all classes, led by Adrian Mole, a Prep School parent and professional dance teacher, and parents were again invited in to see what we had been learning.

Following the annual Harvest Festival, we began our preparations for Christmas.

Our performances included the traditional nativity play with plenty of songs and musical accompaniment; the reception children took the lead roles and were very well supported by the rest of the school.

We also visited Risby Care Home to perform to the residents as part of their Winter Wonderland celebrations. Here the children saw Father Christmas, enjoyed ice skating and playing in the ‘snow’, explored the gardens, collected candy canes, talked to residents and drank hot chocolate.

performed superbly on piano, drums, guitar, violin, cello and voice. We also celebrated Easter with singing and readings at our Easter service in the church where we all enjoyed our Pre-Prep favourite song Spring Chicken.

Throughout the year, we piloted our first Strings Starter Scheme in the Pre-Prep. This scheme has previously been available to First Formers in the Prep School; however, as it is most beneficial to learn a stringed instrument from as young an age as possible, we decided to offer this scheme to PP2. Our children were invited to try a set of six lessons on either the violin or cello, free of charge, in groups of two or three with Culford’s specialist peripatetic music teachers. At the end of each set of lessons, a short performance was held for parents and the rest of the School. I was delighted that by the end of the Summer Term in Pre-Prep we had nearly a dozen violin or cello players ready to move up to their new School.

Connie Fitton The Summer Term was another busy term, particularly for the PP2 Leavers. They took the lead roles in the School production; the other classes joined in with singing and playing percussion instruments. We also held our Transition Event for PP2 and First Form at the Prep school: a Performing Arts Workshop allowing children the opportunity to sing, dance, act and compose. This year, our theme was The Lion King; the children worked hard with four tutors all day in small groups and performed an incredible show for parents at the end of the day.

Congratulations to Connie Fitton (PP2) for winning the Stagecoach talent show last term. The music and drama group ran the competition to allow the children to perform a solo or group act. Connie spent time choosing a song and then making up a dance routine and performed in front of her Stagecoach group of about 60 children from 6 to 18 years.

In the Spring Term, we held our Soloists’ Concerts, a series of short informal concerts at the end of the school day for parents and friends, with tea and cake afterwards. Children

Connie did incredibly well and managed to win the contest. Culford Pre-Prep are very proud of her achievement.

This was another superb year of music at the Pre-Prep and a reminder that this is such an enriching and exciting environment in which to work.

Suzanne Combes, Head of Pre-Prep Music 30

visual and performing arts THE CULFORDIAN

Prep School

Music

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his year there were over 200 excellent performances at concerts, Collective Worship, Presentation Assemblies and Prize-giving, ranging from solos to the whole First Form performing together on recorders.

The Choir, which is going from strength to strength, also performed regularly at events ranging from Remembrance Day to the Gala Concert, in which they sang Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man with Culford Choral Society.

Perhaps the highlight of their year was their performance at Opera in the Park at the end of the Summer Term.

more about an instrument and perhaps consider taking it up themselves. Other musical highlights included a very successful Strings Festival and a charming First Form Nativity play.

Success in the ABRSM Grade exams has also gone from strength to strength, with a significant proportion of our pupils achieving a merit or distinction.

Singing in general had a higher profile, with a fantastically enjoyable Inter-house singing competition in March, won by Floyd, and a pleasing increase in the number of pupils singing in the choirs of St Edmundsbury Cathedral.

Pupils were treated to engaging Instrumental Showcase Assemblies, in which some of our visiting music teachers demonstrated their instruments with exceptional skill.

These events inspire pupils to find out During the year Kimaya Surti earned our thanks for all she did as Performing Arts Captain and Molly-Anne Gimson’s excellent start as the new Performing Arts Captain fills me with confidence that she will excel in the role of promoting Music and the Creative Arts in School.

Finally, an account of the past year would be incomplete without mention of the new music classroom and facilities, made possible by the great generosity of the Fretter family.

Designed entirely in-house and with a range of new equipment, including iPads for each pupil, the up-to-the-minute classroom signals a dynamic new phase for music education at Culford.

Mr Stephen Clay, Director of Music 31

THE CULFORDIAN

Author Visits

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his year, Prep School pupils had visits from four fantastic authors.

Only one week into term, we celebrated the official opening of the new library with local author Julian Sedgwick.

Julian is the author of the Mysterium trilogy and the children were amongst the first to hear about his new series, Ghosts of Shanghai. Julian’s entertaining presentation had a thrilling climax as he demonstrated juggling with knives, despite the rather low ceiling in the new Watson Lecture Theatre.

Samurai sword. Chris is the author of the Young Samurai and Bodyguard series, and is qualified in both disciplines. He spent the morning as a Samurai and gave an absorbing demonstration of his skills as well as discussing his books. In the afternoon,

after a quick change into bodyguard mode, he spoke to Upper Prep pupils about the Bodyguard books and got them practicing elite personal protection techniques. He also found time to give an interview which you can read on page 33.

Pupils in First and Second Form had the opportunity to meet another local author, Inbali Iserles, who came to talk to them about her new series of books Foxcraft, which combines factual details about foxes, their habitats and behaviour, with beautifully imagined fox culture and magic, and weaves it into an enthralling adventure.

Chris Bradford is an exciting author to have as he comes complete with his genuine

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Author Chris Bradford with Prep pupils Kiera Williams and Lucas Doff

THE CULFORDIAN

Finally, the year ended on a high with a visit from the Carnegie Award winning author Philip Reeve. This event was arranged with Waterstones and pupils from other schools joined us in Centenary Hall to hear about Philip’s latest book, Railhead, an exciting futuristic thriller involving interstellar travel on sentient trains, androids, spies and mysterious Hive Monks.

Interview with Author Chris Bradford n What kind of research did you do for your books?

I do something called method writing, which means I choose a cool topic like Samurai, ninjas or bodyguards, and then I go and train in that discipline. So when

you read my books you realise they are authentic and the stories then have a real truth about them. n What advice would you give to a young writer?

My advice would be to read a lot; you have to fill your head with words and it is important to have a passion for books.

Also keep writing even when it is hard, even when people say they don’t like it; keep writing until you are the best you can be. Believe in yourself and never give up. n If you were writing a book about yourself what would the title be?

I would call it Happy With Life because that’s how I feel. n What inspired you to be an author?

To be honest, I always wanted to be a rock star!

Kiera Williams, Lucas Doff and Heidi Mason Author Philip Reeve at his book signing for his latest thriller Railhead

Author Inbali Iserles in Culford’s Library 33

THE CULFORDIAN

Harry Potter Book Night This took place in February and was one of thousands of events going on all over the world.

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t was a fun night and very enjoyable.

At the beginning of the evening everyone, dressed in amazing costumes, gathered in Cadogan Hall. The children from Upper Second and Lower Third then settled at the front of the Hall where Hagrid explained the evening and Miss Kirby-Smith read a chapter from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The Sorting Hat then sorted everyone into their Houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin or Ravenclaw.

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e started off the evening by getting dressed in our costumes and going to Cadogan Hall where Hagrid greeted us and read the first part of the book. After that we were sorted in to Houses. We were in Slytherin, boooo! Then we were ready to walk down to Hogwarts, but we had to look out for Aragog.

Hagrid led the way by lantern light to the new library where we did various activities: Professor Snape’s Potions class; Ollivander’s wand workshop; Divination with Professor Trelawney, and making golden snitches with Madame Hooch. After this the evening was brought to an end with cakes, butter beer and a speech from Dumbledore. It was a night to remember.

Kiera Williams and Cecilia Delgado

When we got to Hogwarts (the new library) each House went different ways. We had potions class first where we made our own potions and used dragons’ teeth (dry ice) to create smoke. The next class was making golden snitches with ping-pong balls, feathers, and gold nail vanish. Then we had fortune telling class with Professor Trelawney; her costume was amazing. We got a cup with tea leaves in it: you shook the cup and looked at a list of pictures to see what matched up and that was your fortune.

The last class was wand making; we used paint, chopsticks, hot glue and beads.

After that we had butter beer or pumpkin juice and cupcakes.

The evening was brilliant and we really enjoyed it.

Rufus Thompson and Henry Derbyshire

Mrs Martin would like to thank all those who helped to make the evening such a success: Mrs Bentley, Mrs Black, Mr Calvert, Mrs Deering, Mrs Hafermann, Miss Kirby-Smith, Mrs Gumbleton, Katie Noorlander, Mrs Recknell and Mr Schofield; the Fourth Form and Lower Sixth pupils who helped out on the night, and the catering staff for the cakes and butter beer.

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THE CULFORDIAN

Rio Olympian Gold Medallist and Wimbledon Star Open New Sports Facilities

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ulford School welcomed sporting stars Tim Henman OBE and Laura Unsworth to open its new state-of-the-art sporting facilities on Saturday 10 September 2016.

GB’s Olympic hockey gold medallist Laura Unsworth took part in a hockey masterclass with Prep School pupils, sharing some of her tips and tricks on how to reach national standard.

She then officially opened the new all-weather hockey pitch at Culford, in partnership with Bury St Edmunds Hockey Club. The sand-dressed floodlit pitch, with tiered standing for spectators, was funded by the Club and its members in partnership with England Hockey, the National Hockey Foundation and Sport England, and with support from Culford who provided the site.

On the same afternoon former Wimbledon semi-finalist and world top ten tennis player Tim Henman OBE unveiled two new seasonally covered outdoor tennis courts. These will add to Culford’s superb tennis facilities, including the Indoor Tennis Centre, which was also built with significant support from the LTA.

As well as a masterclass with Culford’s Tennis Scholars, Tim held an inspirational question and answer session with pupils and parents who are part of Culford’s renowned high performance programmes.

Mr Johnson-Munday hopes that the opening of the new facilities will inspire a generation at Culford. He said, “Our vision at Culford is to have all children involved in sport, whether as elite performers or recreational players, and today we have had over 400 children playing tennis on the new courts and hockey on our all-weather pitch opened

in partnership with Bury St Edmunds Hockey Club. We were delighted to have Tim and Laura with us to inspire our pupils and their support made this a fantastic way to launch our new facilities.”

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Trips and Activities

THE CULFORDIAN trips and activities

Prep School

Trips & Activities

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t the beginning of Autumn Term, Lower Second spent a day dressed up as Tudors on their annual visit to Kentwell Hall. Yasmin Celik and Grace Baxter enjoyed dressing up and visiting the historical site. They said: “It was amazing seeing all of the year dressed up in their marvellous outfits. When we arrived, we had to change our money into tiny delicate pieces and then we had to face some scary guards! We learnt how to dance and sing like Tudors and even met the alchemist and the milk lady. It was a great experience and one we will not forget.”

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As well as this, Prep School pupils and teachers took part in European Languages Day in the Autumn Term. Everyone wore red, white and blue non-uniform and pupils and teachers were encouraged to speak in a second language throughout the day. The highlight was lunchtime where members of the Prefect body dressed as French waiters and waitresses served a wide range of foreign food.

Pupils from Lower Third and Upper Second joined the new Prep School Archaeology Club in the Spring Term, run in partnership

ulford Prep School’s Eco-garden has been awarded Level One, Two and Three of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Campaign for School Gardening.

The idea for the Eco-garden began in Spring Term 2016, with support from the Headmaster, the Prep PTA and the weekly First Form garden activity group, run by Mrs Guntrip and Mrs Dearman, with the aim of allowing the children to experience the joy of gardening. The garden is divided into four mini-gardens; a herb garden, a wild garden, a fairy garden and a vegetable garden.

The gardening activity group visited the greenhouse where they planted pumpkin seeds ready for Autumn. They continue to work towards Level Four.

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with the nearby Anglo Saxon village at West Stow. Pupils visited West Stow each week to learn about experimental archaeology, tour the Anglo Saxon village and take part in a scavenger hunt with cameras to find different types of joinery, roofs and walls.

Upper Second also took part in their annual French Trip in April 2016. Whilst at the Chateau the children enjoyed a week full of exciting activities, which included cooking, fencing, archery, assault courses and much more.

trips and activities THE CULFORDIAN

Before the end of Summer Term, 30 Upper Third pupils travelled to Holland for a fun-filled cycling adventure. The children managed to clock up a staggering 160 miles, using the Dutch cycle path system known as a Fietspad.

The pupils’ journey took them along paths through woodlands, towns, heathland and dunes. The group stayed in a number of different hostels, each with their own particular character and facilities, from the middle of a city, The Hague, to a medieval castle surrounded by beautiful gardens and a moat. They had a great experience at each one, with traditional Dutch breakfasts and local food.

The pupils were brilliant as they took on the many daily routines to ensure the group kept moving on. A big thank you to Mr Calvert, Mrs Hafermann and Mrs Bentley who added their expertise and pedal power to the trip, as well as Jaap and Marianne, the Dutch emergency team.

Ms Waghorn, French and EAL Teacher Interview by Grace Baxter and Yazmin Celik n Tell me about your path into teaching.

When I left school I went to Spain to teach English as a second language, which made me decide to go into teaching. n Why did you want to be a teacher?

I love spending time with young people, seeing their enthusiasm and giving them optimism. n What do you love most about teaching?

When pupils are enthusiastic and show interest and improve. n What has been your best memory from your first year at Culford?

Going to Tenerife with the Sixth Form, and watching the Prep and Senior School plays. n What unique quality do you think you have brought to Culford?

A rather childish sense of humour, and positivity. n What are your plans for this year?

To enjoy the new challenges ahead. n What were you like at school?

A little naughty! n What did you want to be when you were younger – and why?

I wanted to be a nurse because I wanted to help people. n What’s the one thing you know now that you wish you could have known when growing up?

Enjoy life to the full; positivity can bring success. n What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Be determined, resilient and kind. n What makes Culford School such a special place to teach?

The surroundings, fabulous, fun members of staff, and that pupils feel proud of their achievements. n Tell me a little bit about your life outside of teaching; what do you like to do in your spare time?

I enjoy spending time with family and friends, travelling, and I am in two book clubs. n Can you reveal something unexpected which your pupils wouldn’t know about you?

One of my ancestors discovered the overland route to India.

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THE CULFORDIAN trips and activities

Pre-Prep & Nursery

Trips

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n September, PP2 had their first trip of the year to Lackford Lakes. The children all had a brilliant day comparing habitats, using maps and learning how a key can help to interpret map symbols. Pond dipping proved popular with an amazing array of creatures being discovered. After discovering trees and how different they can be the children had the opportunity to participate in some craft activities in the woods including mud painting, twig weaving and natural collage.

PP1 had an enjoyable trip to Bury St Edmunds in the Autumn Term, where they were guided around the Cathedral and the surrounding areas. As the children walked around the town, they identified different features including the war memorial, signs and the magnificent Cathedral. They also managed to find eleven of the wolves that are situated throughout the town as part of the wolf trail.

In October, PPR had a wonderful day out at Bressingham, which linked to their topic of transport and journeys. The children enjoyed visiting the locomotive sheds to look at the huge steam engines and climbed aboard an old mail train and found some very dusty letters.

PP1 enjoyed their history trip to Moyse’s Hall in November to learn about the differences between the past and present. The children participated in different activities to experience first-hand how things have changed. They enjoyed trying on clothes and armour, mixing spices using a pestle and mortar, comparing and playing with toys from the past and having a go at the Victorian Wash Day. Reception, PP1 and PP2 all visited the Cathedral Discovery Centre in December to learn about Advent. The pupils listened to the story of Advent and learnt about the ring of candles.

The children in PP2 enjoyed an exciting and busy couple of days on their annual residential trip to Whitwell Hall in Norfolk in March. They participated in lots of activities, including orienteering around the estate,

finding clues whilst walking amongst the sheep, frogs and muddy bogs, where a few wellington boots were lost! River dipping was a strong favourite amongst the children, where they discovered water spiders and fresh water mussels.

As part of Literacy in May, PP1 read the story Owl Babies by Martin Waddell. To support their learning, the pupils set off on an adventure to Stonham Barns to see if they could find Percy, Sarah and Bill, the characters from Owl Babies. The children were introduced to an array of different birds of prey and learnt lots of interesting facts about them. The highlight of the trip was seeing a two-week-old owlet.

To finish the academic year, Pre-Prep pupils were transported into the world of Julia Donaldson’s The Gruffalo’s Child at the Theatre Royal in Bury. They watched in awe as the slithering snake performed his salsa dancing, the wise owl taught them to fly and the sly fox started an auction for the Gruffalo’s Child. The lucky winner was George Hansgate from PP1 who bid £30,000!

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Community Spirit

THE CULFORDIAN community spirit

Charities

Pre-Prep & Nursery

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n October, pupils in PP2 made a large donation to the Storehouse Foodbank following their Harvest festival celebrations. The pupils were invited to visit the foodbank run by the Vineyard Church in Bury St Edmunds to make their donations in person, and to find out more about the charity. The Storehouse regularly provides bags of groceries to those in need in the local area, each containing a wide selection of items including dried and tinned foods, long-life products and toiletries.

In December, the children had a spectacular time at the Risby Care Home’s Winter Wonderland Charity event run by parents Mrs Fitton and Mrs John. Reindeer and elves welcomed them, before the children wandered through the snow covered gardens, where they met Santa in his cabin.

The pupils enjoyed bouncing inside the giant inflatable snow globe, ice skating with the residents and riding the carousel. The children also sang some Nativity songs to the residents and guests at the event.

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community spirit THE CULFORDIAN

In June, Culford Nursery took part in the sponsored Toddle Waddle, in support of The Meningitis Trust. The Parent, Baby and Toddler group also walked through Culford Park with the Nursery children. In total, Pre-Prep raised £135 with Aurelia and Calista Truman raising £100 between them.

Prep School Charity

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our Culford Prep pupils raised over £800 in December for the Alzheimer’s Society. The fundraising began with a spooky-themed non-uniform day. The pupils, Lucy Allum and sisters Chloe, Josie & Louisa Gooderham, created and manned a themed cake sale which took place during break time, selling their creepy creations to pupils and teachers.

With a little help from their parents, the girls not only organised a cake sale but also planned fun fair stalls to be set up after school, offering their fellow pupils the chance to win prizes or enter a raffle.

Their games included lucky dip, guess the number of sweets in the jar, name the cat and the spooky straw draw.

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THE CULFORDIAN house news

Cadogan House Report Housemaster: Mr J. Herd Assistant Housemaster: Mr M. Copping, Mr B. Burrows Heads of House: Ella Francis Alagoa and William Tozer

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he end of another busy year of boarding life provides me with an opportunity to reflect on fervent House spirit, huge individual successes and collective personal and intellectual growth.

Cadogan House continues to be the heartbeat of the Prep School for our boarding pupils.

Being such a full and vibrant community means that there is never a dull moment, and there is always something for the children to do in their free time. Whether they are outside building a den, hanging out together with a film or completing a project from school, even our youngest boarders learn to make the most of every shared moment.

A full academic year sees significant changes in pupils of Prep School age. One of my biggest joys is helping to guide pupils as they start to discover and develop who they are as individuals. Although all children have unique talents and interests and all progress at

Cadogan Housemaster, Jon Herd with his wife, Emma and daughter, Jemima

different rates, our boarders are all on a similar journey heading towards enhanced skills of self-confidence, empathy, independence and tolerance. The care that Cadogan pupils show for each other regardless of age or gender is very special. Our hope is that as these children

become young adults they will have learnt for themselves that working as a community always beats working in isolation, even if compromise has to be reached.

We were sorry to say our farewells to Mr Copping, who had become a pillar of Cadogan life. His swan-song and Cadogan legacy was our Christmas Formal Dinner, which he had hosted superbly for a number of years. We were very pleased to welcome Mr Burrows to replace Mr Copping, and he made an immediate positive impact by running our trip to Wembley to watch the Super Sixes hockey within his first week.

Other trips that have been very well-received this year include crabbing and rock pooling at Walberswick, our trip to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, the Colchester Zoo trip, Jack and the Beanstalk Christmas pantomime at the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds, go-karting, tobogganing and the trip to

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house news THE CULFORDIAN

Great Yarmouth to visit the Sea Life Centre and beach. Many people that visit us for the first time comment on the varied weekend programme that we offer. We believe that the balance of the programme, planned for the year ahead with pupil input, is outstanding, and its popularity is a key part of the success of boarding with pupils of this age.

Cadogan House itself currently looks superb.

The flower boxes on the front façade complement the windows that were recently painted. Our bespoke wardrobes have now all been built and installed, and pupils are very grateful for the privacy and increased storage that they have been afforded.

Success breeds success, and Cadogan remains almost full. Individual tennis and swimming programmes complement the busy schedule of many boarders. This year, pupils have managed to maintain other personal interests by representing local clubs in rugby, hockey and football. The traditional boarding model may have been ‘one size fits all’ with boarders eating, working, playing and sleeping at the same time, and it is true that

routines in boarding continue to underpin the consistency that we seek to provide. Our boarding philosophy, though, is more about personal opportunity, choice and growth within collective structures and values.

A personal note of thanks to the out-going team of Prefects led by Ella Francis Alagoa and William Tozer is appropriate. The team gelled well throughout their time, and were particularly visible role models in the early days of this academic year, supporting new and younger boarding pupils. This is the time of year for mixed emotions. We wish all of our leaving pupils good luck and every success for the future. We will certainly miss them, and hope that they will look back at their time in Cadogan House fondly. They will always be welcome to visit, as are all of our leavers.

Jon Herd 45

It’s about the journey.

Whole School Opening Morning Bank Holiday Monday 1 May Pre-Prep & Nursery (ages 2¾-7) Prep School (ages 7-13) Senior School (ages 13-18)

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An independent boarding & day school for boys and girls aged 2¾ to 18 years

admissions@culford.co.uk

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Sporting Achievements

THE CULFORDIAN sporting achievements

Pre-Prep

Sport

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upils at Pre-Prep and Nursery took part in their annual Tennis Tournament in May. The children had been practising their skills all year and parents enjoyed seeing the progression through the Year groups. Nursery pupils used balloons and their spatial awareness to complete their tasks. Reception used racquets to stop the ball and pass it back to their partner, demonstrating good hand eye co-ordination.

PP1 and PP2 participated in mini-tournaments where the audience enjoyed some spectacular rallying. The overall winners of the Tournament were the Red House.

Pre-Prep pupils participate in weekly swimming lessons throughout the year and the Swimming Gala at the end of the term put their skills into practice. Pupils showed progression through the Year groups and worked beautifully in teams to complete their House race. Thank you to our swimming teachers Mrs Almond, Mrs Nash and Mrs Leslie

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for making it a huge success. The overall winners of the gala were Blue House.

In the Summer Term, pupils at Pre-Prep and Nursery enjoyed a superb Sports Day. The children demonstrated an assortment of skills, from throwing, balancing, striking and jumping. They particularly enjoyed the fun races, dressing up in flowery hats and balancing new potatoes on spoons! It was wonderful to see the progression from Nursery all the way up to PP2.

sporting achievements THE CULFORDIAN

Sporting Achievements

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ongratulations to Henrietta Wilson who achieved distinction at British Gymnastics National Development Plan Club Grade 6 this year.

The Culford Mini Tennis (8 and Under) Girls team travelled to Brandeston School in the Summer Term to play against Brandeston School and Holbrook School in the Suffolk Schools Tennis Competition.

The girls’ team Charlotte James, Charlotte Anderson, Holly Jones and Caitlin Magee won both their matches 4-2 against Holbrook and 6-0 against Brandeston.

They all played superbly and qualified for the County Finals.

William Brown (PP2) has been busy this year competing in a variety of sports.

A highlight was playing in the U9s Culford Hockey team and winning their first game v Barnardiston away, 2-1. Another great achievement was in football as William was spotted by a Scout from Ipswich

Town FC at a tournament and now trains with their Youth Academy at King Edward Grammar School. He has also had many successes with Bardwell U9s Cricket Club, which also features Dylan Major.

Eve Totman started riding at the age of five and this year was lucky enough to get her own pony. Alfie is an ex-show and stud pony who stands at 12:2hh.

Since April, Alfie and Eve have entered several show jumping and eventing competitions being placed in the top three on most occasions. At the end of pony club season, Eve won best Soham pony club member in her eventing class. Now Eve is part of Culford’s NSEA and will be competing alongside other Prep pupils such as Leah Fitton and Patience Leslie.

Eve is also taking Alfie to Norfolk BHS master class for eventing with none other than Lucinda Green – something which she is very excited about and, she hopes to learn a lot.

Becky Leslie n Tell me about your path into teaching.

I decided that I wanted to follow a new and more rewarding career path. I chose something I loved doing and trained to become a swimming teacher and a teaching assistant.

n What has been your best memory from your first year at Culford?

The new Reception children forgetting my actual name is Mrs Leslie for the entire first half term and renaming me Mrs Lovely!

n Why did you want to be a teacher?

Once I became a level one swimming teacher, I realised how much I enjoyed working with young children and helping them to learn.

n What did you want to be when you were younger – and why?

I wanted to be a professional horse rider and ride for Great Britain.

n What do you love most about teaching?

Seeing the children’s understanding, skills and confidence grow and develop is so rewarding. I love those ‘light bulb moments’ with children at Pre-Prep age.

This is so satisfying as a teacher when you have encouraged them and worked hard to boost their confidence.

n What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Its not how many times you fall off your horse, its how many times you get back on that counts.

n What were you like at school?

I was always a very good girl at school, of course.

n What makes Culford School such a special place to teach?

The people that work there and their enthusiasm, the beautiful and very special setting and of course the sports facilities.

n Tell me a little bit about your life outside of teaching; what do you like to do in your spare time?

I am a mum of two very busy girls, have two dogs, a pony and a horse so life is pretty busy. I do love to go on long walks with my dogs and ride as much as I can. I also love yoga and have recently discovered skiing which is great fun.

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THE CULFORDIAN sporting achievements

Prep School

Sports Day

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rep School Sports Day was the usual colourful occasion, with pupils wearing their House polo shirts and the sports field basking in sunshine for most of the day.

Field events took place in the morning, with some excellent jumping and throwing. In the high jump, Oliver Ford had an impressive

technique when winning the Second Form boys’ competition, whilst Thachawich Soonthornmanee had others watching in awe as he easily scissor-kicked over 1m 25cm. Anoushka Fernandes Cardy shows promise for the future, whilst Jennifer Dahl and Amy McCullough dashed between the high jump and the triple jump, proving

Field Event Winners

NR = New Record

First Form Girls High Jump

Upper First – Anya Lorriman-Hughes Lower First – Charlotte James

1m 75cm

First Form Boys High Jump

Upper First – Guy Melia Lower First – Christos Fernandes Cardy

95cm 95cm

First Form Girls Long Jump

Upper First – Isabel Winter Lower First – Charlotte James

3m 2.65m

First Form Boys Long Jump

Upper First – Guy Melia Lower First – Ross Jones

3.30m (NR) 2.80m

First Form Girls Ball Throw

Upper First – Anya Lorriman-Hughes Lower First – Charlotte James

20.25m 15.04m

First Form Boys Ball Throw

Upper First – William Anderson Lower First – James Bettley

31.50m 31.80m

Second Form Girls High Jump

Anoushka Fernandes Cardy

1.09m

Second Form Boys High Jump

Oliver Ford

1.15m

Third Form Girls High Jump

Jennifer Dahl

1.25m

Third Form Boys High Jump

Thachawich Soonathornmanee

1.35m

Second Form Girls Long Jump

Polly Cailes

3.85m

Second Form Boys Long Jump

Guy Salisbury

3.47m

Third Form Girls Long Jump

Maisie Fitton

3.67m

Third Form Boys Long Jump

Luke Watson

4.52m

Third Form Triple Jump

Luke Watson

9.35m

Third Form Girls Triple Jump

Molly-Anne Gimson

6.90m

Second Form Girls Javelin

Madeleine Lorriman-Hughes

18.43m

Second Form Boys Javelin

George King

21.37m

Third Form Girls Javelin

Emily Morton

23.91m

Third Form Boys Javelin

Charlie Wakefield

28.04m

Third Form Girls Discus

Amelia Brayshaw

18.27m

Third Form Boys Discus

Angus Bentley

23.49m

Third Form Girls Shot Putt

Holly Reynolds

7.29m

Third Form Boys Shot Putt

James Graham

8.28m

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their versatility and desire to win points for their Houses. In the long jump, Polly Cailes equalled the Second Form girls’ long jump record at 3.85m, despite only being in Lower Second, whilst in the Third Form boys’ competition Luke Watson was triumphant in both the long jump and the triple jump.

On the track the Third Form girls’ and boys’ 800m were won by Holly Reynolds and Charlie Wakefield respectively. Charlie set a new record time of 2m24s. Gus Bentley dominated in the Third Form boys’ 400m, equalling the record time, whilst Bella Sinclair had a great run to win the Second Form girls’ 600m.

In the First Form races, Bruno Endean won both the sprint and the distance race for his age group, with Esther Almond doing the same for the Lower First girls. Olivia Edwards and Anya Lorriman-Hughes stood out in the Upper First girls’ races.

All those who competed earned points for their Houses. Overall, Floyd came fourth with 390 points, and Newman and Leigh tied for second place with 466 points leaving Honess to take the victory with 523 points.

The Victor Ludorum was Luke Watson, for the second year running, and the Victrix Ludorum was Alice Wilson.

Track Event Winners

NR = New Record

Second Form Girls Hurdles

Imogen Gotch

11.75s

Second Form Boys Hurdles

Henry Derbyshire

10.03s

Third Form Girls Hurdles

Florence Wilson

11.12s

Third Form Boys Hurdles

Thachawich Soonthornmanee

9.56s

Third Form Girls 800m

Holly Reynolds

2.44min

Third Form Boys 800m

Charlie Wakefield

2.24min (NR)

Second Form Girls 600m

Bella Sinclair

2.07min

Second Form Boys 600m

Harry Wakefield

1.58min

Third Form Girls 300m

Alice Wilson

51.18s

Third Form Boys 400m

Angus Bentley

1.02min

Upper First Girls 400m

Olivia Edwards

1.33min

Upper First Boys 400m

Bruno Endean

1.16min (NR)

Lower First Girls 300m

Esther Almond

1.05min

Lower First Boys 300m

Teilo Ruffles-Francis

1.04min

Second Form Girls 200m

Polly Cailes

30.98s

Second Form Boys 200m

Harry Wakefield

31.72s

Third Form Girls 200m

Alice Wilson

30.96s

Third Form Boys 200m

Luke Watson

27.28s

Lower First Girls 60m Final

Esther Almond

10.79s

Lower First Boys 60m Final

Taku Chakabva

10.36s

Upper First Girls 60m Final

Anya Lorriman-Hughes

10.16s

Upper First Boys 60m Final

Bruno Endean

9.09s

Second Form Girls 100m

Jasmine Westcott

14.88s

Second Form Boys 100m

Daniel Kemiki

13.32s (NR)

Third Form Girls 100m

Alice Wilson

14.49s

Third Form Boys 100m

Luke Watson

12.69s

Second Form Girls Relays

Leigh

1.08min (NR)

Second Form Boys Relay

Newman

1.04min

Third Form Girls A Relay

Leigh

1.06min25s

Third Form Boys A Relay

Newman

59.27s

Third Form Girls B Relay

Floyd

1.07min

Third Form Boys B Relay

Honess

1.02min 51

Prep 1st XV Back row (left to right): C. Wakefield, M. Ahrens and M. Chambers.

Middle row (left to right): B. Sibanda, H. King, L. Watson, J. Graham, J. Cailes and P. Ekpe.

Front row (left to right): M. Packer, A. Williams, C. Rees, G. Bentley, M. Bickers, T. Gibson and A. Wildish.

THE CULFORDIAN sporting achievements

Prep

Rugby U8 and U9 All the boys in Lower First and Upper First played rugby for the school. Both the U8 and the U9 teams were very successful, only losing one game each in the season. The team played with courage and creativity.

In particular, strong performances in the U9s were from Monte Stamper, Max Watson and Archie Jones. The U8s star performers were Ross Jones and James Bettley.

U11 The A team developed and improved as the season went on despite not seeing a victory, and some of the games were very close.

They showed real spirit and determination and never gave in. Strong performances from Harry Wakefield and William Bettley were of note. The B team also played with determination and applied maximum effort although they too did not manage a win, despite some narrow defeats.

Prep 2nd XV Back row (left to right): W. Smith, N. Holt and M. Beardmore. Middle row (left to right): L. Doff, J. Herbert, T. Soonthornmanee, O. Endean, E. Harvey, A. Lorriman-Hughes, W. Fitch and M. Brais. Front row (left to right): R. Clarke, B. Flux, Z. Winter, M. Gu, W. Tozer, G. Swain, A. Hutchinson, G. Pisarev and D. Hafermann.

Prep 3rd XV Back row (left to right): D. Rodriguez, C. Couch, J. Lewis, J. Llompart and J. Miller.

Front row (left to right): W. Gibbs, G. Vaca Arozarena, N. Shrewsbury, A. Bellot, L. Sussex and H. Townsend.

1st XV The Firsts had a super season, winning nine of their 12 fixtures. The team were competitive from the outset and lost only three games throughout the season. All players performed well and played a fast, expansive and dynamic style of rugby. Particularly strong performances from Captain Gus Bentley, James Graham, Michael Ahrens and Luke Watson were a highlight. The School has

also introduced a Rugby Sevens programme.

In their first competition, the Cambridge Sevens, the team narrowly lost in the final, and the team were competitive in the

U11A Back row (left to right): F. Jones, G. Williams, G. King, R. Bartlett and T. Lebbon.

Front row (left to right): F. Preston, W. Bettley, H. Derbyshire, H. Wakefield and D. Kemiki.

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Brentwood School Sevens. Three of the team were selected in the Northampton Saints Developing Player Pathway.

Mark Bolton

U11B Back row (left to right): F. Keane, P. Nebot, J. Hope, R. Thompson, J. Sweetman and A. Kilbane. Front row (left to right): L. Nicolai, G. Pym, O. Marrs, N. Winter and A. Couch.

sporting achievements THE CULFORDIAN

Hockey Prep Boys U9 The boys had fun learning the skills of hockey and playing some matches. They have made enormous strides this season and thanks must go to Mrs Bunting and Mr Hollins for this. The boys worked on pushing, trapping, hitting and their positional play. They had a productive term and we hope to see the emergence of our next group of Culford County and Regional players.

U11 All Second Form boys played in competitive fixtures against opposition schools this season. They were a great group of boys to work with and will develop their hockey skills further next year. It is very pleasing to see the pupils’ progress in team work and understanding set plays with regards to

short corners. Guy Salisbury and Joel Hope stood out in their play this season.

U13 The team had a mixed season this year with good wins and tight losses. Some highlights this year were matches against RHS, which we won 3-0, and King’s College, a 2-1 win

Prep Girls U9 The U9 team had some matches this year but unfortunately didn’t get the desired results. However the improvement that we saw in the all the girls and their ability to play hockey was extremely pleasing. They worked on stick and body positioning as well as understanding

the field of play, and they were almost always organised and ready to play.

U11 The U11 team had some wins this year; the foundation to building a successful group going forward. The introduction of short corners and full games in addition to

for us. We restructured our play and learned new formations. Particularly outstanding individuals this season were Thachawich Soonthornmanee, Michael Ahrens, goalkeeper Gus Bentley and Alex Hutchinson who played in the C and D teams.

Blake Burrows

competitive matches week in week out was extremely positive for the group. Their understanding and level of game play increased as well as their skill sets, which was very encouraging to see. Edlyn Rai and goalkeeper Lia Cutmore stood out.

U13 The teams had some good wins early on and mixed results for the rest of the season. They consolidated what they had previously learnt and constantly made positive decisions on the field.

Connections between players increased, our overall team play improved each week, and they were encouraged to be creative on the field while learning the parameters of playing in a team sport.

Hettie Carter and Isobel Bettley in particular had an outstanding season.

Well done to all teams and thanks to Miss Kammeijer and all teachers who help throughout the season.

Blake Burrows

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THE CULFORDIAN sporting achievements

Hockey Teams 2015-16 U9 Girls Back row (left to right): M. Markesteijn, E. Godfrey, E. Blanchard, M. Hansgate, A. Lorriman-Hughes, A. Hafermann, S. Green, E. Fothergill, T. Lacey and I. Wooley.

Middle row (left to right): L. Gredley, E. Hart, I. Winter, O. Edwards, C. James, T. Clarke, E. Westcott and C. Hinkley.

Front row (left to right): O. Dearman, K. Gibbs, A. Herbert, I. Callaghan, T. Gillis, E. Hollingsworth, E. Almond, I. Frankland and A. Garnett.

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U11A Girls Back row (left to right): P. Leslie, E. Rai, L. Endean, I. Melvillie-Ross and G. Baxter.

Front row (left to right): R. Almond, O. Whyte, L. Cutmore, I. Sinclair and J. Gooderham.

U13A Girls Back row (left to right): H. Reynolds, T. Holt, N. Dahl, A. McCullough and G. Preston.

Front row (left to right): J. Dahl, I. Bettley, H. Carter, A. Hassan and MA. Gimson.

U11B Girls Back row (left to right): P. Cailes, L. Fitton and P. Fothergill.

Front row (left to right): G. Stammers, G. Ironmonger, L. Ironmonger, L. Surti and J. Westcott.

U13B Girls Back row (left to right): A. Brayshaw, A. Shields, M. Fitton, E. Francis Alagoa and E. Hall.

Front row (left to right): M. Stennett, K. Williams, S. Connor, L. Gooderham and I. Guntrip.

U11C Girls Back row (left to right): I. Corbett, C. Mole, M. Valero and L. Sykes.

Front row (left to right): Y. Celik, J. Peters, L. Ironmonger, M. Moore and M. Lorriman-Hughes.

U13C Girls Back row (left to right): H. Hilsum, K. Surti, M. Lovejoy and L. Gaywood.

Front row (left to right): A. Wilson, H. Dearman, E. Morton, M. Brown and Y. Fernandes Cardy.

U11D Girls Back row (left to right): T. Ironmonger, A. Fernandes Cardy, R. Harris and L. Allum.

Front row (left to right): T. Chu, M. Morrison, A. Edwards, I. Gotch and M. John.

U13D Girls Back row (left to right): S. Gu, S. Molina, I. Franklin and M. Marrs.

Middle row (left to right): I. Westcott, E. Arbuthnot, E. Holt, H. Mason, R. Naseem and C. Delgado.

Front row (left to right): M. Molina, T. Edwards, H. Taylor, S. Walker, A. Fox, E. Mole and F. Wilson.

sporting achievements THE CULFORDIAN

U11A Boys Back row (left to right): O. Marrs and G. Salisbury.

Front row (left to right): L. Nicolai, M. Derbyshire, N. Winter, H. Wakefield and F. Preston.

U13A Boys Back row (left to right): M. Packer, T. Soonthornmanee, J. Graham, L. Watson, C. Wakefield and D. Hafermann.

Front row (left to right): Z. Winter, M. Bickers, A. Bentley (Capt), M. Ahrens and W. Gibbs.

U11B Boys Back row (left to right): A. Waterman and F. Jones.

Front row (left to right): G. Pym, W. Bettley, M. Griffiths, D. Kemiki and A. Bettley.

U13B Boys Back row (left to right): O. Endean, M. Beardmore, A. Lorriman-Hughes and N. Holt.

Front row (left to right): G. Swain, A. Wildish, G. Pisarev (Capt), P. Ekpe and M. Chambers.

U11C Boys Back row (left to right): G. King, H. Meadows, R. Thompson and A. Kilbane.

Front row (left to right): O. Ford, T. Weyers, G. Watson, F. Baker and A. Sussex.

U13C Boys Back row (left to right): W. Tozer, M. Beardmore, J. Cailes, M. Brais, J. Herbert and W. Smith.

Front row (left to right): L. Sussex, E. Harvey (Capt), A. Hutchinson, T. Gibson and M. Gu.

U11D Boys Back row (left to right): P. Nebot, J. Sweetman, J. Learney and A. Couch.

Front row (left to right): O. Bridges, C. Hollingsworth, C. Magee, V. Ruffles-Francis and T. Dawson.

U13D Boys Back row (left to right): R. Clarke, C. Rees, H. Clifford, L. Doff, W. Fitch, C. Couch, N. Long, H. Townsend and J. Miller.

Front row (left to right): G. Vaca Arozarena, D. Rodriguez, B. Sibanda, A. Hutchinson, A. Bellot, B. Flux and N. Shrewsbury.

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THE CULFORDIAN sporting achievements

Prep

Netball U9 The team had a very successful season. They played High Five netball which gave them the opportunity to play many positions, as well as keep time and score. The A team won the Plate competition at Orwell Park. The highlight of the term was hosting OBH for a fixture, which became a tournament with every girl in First Form playing. This culminated with Culford and OBH playing in the final, drawing 1-1, a fitting end to the day.

U10 The U10s had some very close matches throughout the season with the highlight being the match against Orwell Park. They won by 6 goals to 5 with outstanding shooting from Georgie Stammers. Leah Fitton, Patience Leslie, Olivia Whyte and

Bella Sinclair all made valuable contributions as Lower Second players

U11 The U11s had an encouraging season and all the girls gained experience of match play as the term progressed. In the A team, Madeleine Lorriman-Hughes switched from defence to attack, working well with Isobel Melville-Ross in the shooting circle.

Lyla Endean, Edlyn Rai and Polly Cailes all worked to support them from the centre of the court, with Mia Moore and Anoushka Fernandes Cardy in defence.

U12 The U12s had a fantastic season and really found their form as the term progressed.

They were strong when defending and Emily Morton captained her team from the back, creating a strong partnership with Evie Hall.

The attacking combination of Sara Molina and Amelia Fox were unstoppable at times

and this was demonstrated in the final match against a strong Norwich team, which saw the Culford girls playing a perfect game and winning the match convincingly.

U13 The team had a successful season winning 7 out of 9 games, and improved as the term progressed. Maisie Fitton organised her defence perfectly, denying oppositions countless goals and creating a perfect defensive unit with Kimaya Surti, Ella Francis Alagoa and Imogen Guntrip. The attacking combinations grew in confidence and learnt to work with each other. In the match against Finborough the team were down for half of the game; a change in combinations saw the girls come back to draw in the third quarter and win overall 24-20. Kimaya Surti and Holly Reynolds developed their shooting partnership, with Isobel Bettley, Amelia Brayshaw and Alicia Hassan providing the balls into the circle, which led to numerous victories.

Mrs Collette Reynolds

U9 Netball Back row (left to right): E. Westcott, E. Hollingsworth, I. Woolley, T. Lacey, A. Garnett and E. Almond. Middle row (left to right): K. Gibbs, M. Markesteijn, E. Fothergill, E. Anderson, A. Herbert, A. Lorriman-Hughes, O. Dearman, T. Clarke, C. Hinkley, L. Gredley and C. Gooderham. Front row (left to right): I. Callaghan, T. Gillis, E. Hart, M. Hansgate, A. Hafermann, O. Edwards, I. Winter and L. Taylor.

Blue Team Back row (left to right): A. Herbert, A. Lorriman-Hughes and M. Hansgate.

Front row (left to right): E. Hart, A. Hafermann, O. Edwards and I. Winter.

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Red Team Back row (left to right): C. Hinkley, E. Anderson, T. Clarke, M. Markesteijn, T. Gillis and E. Fothergill. Front row (left to right): L. Gredley, C. Gooderham, I. Callaghan, L. Taylor, O. Dearman and K. Gibbs.

sporting achievements THE CULFORDIAN

U10A Back row (left to right): P. Cailes, L. Fitton, G. Baxter and Y. Celik. Front row (left to right): G. Stammers, L. Surti, P. Leslie, I. Sinclair and O. Whyte.

U10B Back row (left to right): C. Mole, R. Harris and A. Edwards. Front row (left to right): M. John, L. Allum, L. Sykes, I. Gotch and J. Gooderham.

U11A Back row (left to right): L. Endean, M. Lorriman-Hughes, A. Fernandes Cardy and I. Melville-Ross. Front row (left to right): L. Ironmonger, M. Moore, E. Rai, P. Cailes and O. Whyte.

U11B Back row (left to right): J. Peters, P. Fothergill, T. Lacey and T. Ironmonger.

Front row (left to right): G. Ironmonger, M. Morrison, J. Westcott, R. Almond and L. Cutmore.

U12A Back row (left to right): S. Walker, M. Molina, E. Hall and E. Arbuthnot.

Front row (left to right): A. Wilson, S. Molina, E. Morton, A. Fox and MA. Gimson.

U12B Back row (left to right): S. Gu and E. Holt. Front row (left to right): L. Gaywood, M. Molina, M. Brown and MA. Gimson.

U13A Back row (left to right): I. Bettley, A. Hassan, E. Francis Alagoa and T. Holt. Front row (left to right): H. Reynolds, M. Fitton (Capt), K. Surti (Capt) and I. Guntrip.

U13B Back row (left to right): A. McCullough, A. Brayshaw, Y. Fernades Cardy and M. Lovejoy.

Front row (left to right): H. Carter, J. Dahl, S. Connor (Capt), N. Dahl and G. Preston.

U13C Back row (left to right): C. Delgado, M. McCallum, H. Mason and I. Franklin. Front row (left to right): R. Naseem, M. Marrs, K. Williams (Capt), M. Stennett and I. Mordue.

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THE CULFORDIAN sporting achievements

Cricket Prep Boys U9 This year we have revamped the U9s cricket programme. With the emphasis still on fun, we have combined basic skills training of fielding, bowling and batting. Through games like ‘last man standing’ we have introduced ‘creeping up’, running between the wickets and fielding. We believe that by giving pupils the basic traditional skills at an early age they can develop them and build new skills as they progress up the School.

The U9 team trained hard on Wednesdays and Fridays and performed well in their four matches, being undefeated. The nucleus of future teams now has all the basic skills to help them progress up the age groups in the years to come.

U9A Back row (left to right): J. Reeks, G. Melia, T. Williams, V. Chapman, W. Anderson and W. Brown. Front row (left to right): T. Kusch, J. Bettley, A. Jones, M. Stamper and A. Modie.

U11 The U11Bs had a positive season with no less than 16 players being rotated through the line-up. We had some very close games including a fantastic victory over The Abbey, where we scored over 100 runs in 20 overs.

Our bowling has become more consistent, which has reduced the number of extras we give to our opposition. Some of the stand-outs in bowling this term have been Lucas Nicolai and Thomas Chapman. Our batting at the start of the season was a little inconsistent but the team concentrated on their footwork and the timing of their swing

U11A Back row (left to right): M. Griffiths, F. Jones, I. Melville-Ross, G. Williams and O. Marrs. Front row (left to right): H. Wakefield, G. Salisbury, W. Bettley, A. Bettley and M. Derbyshire.

U13A Back row (left to right): A. Wildish, C. Wakefield, L. Watson, A. Lorriman-Hughes, G. Parker and M. Brais.

Front row (left to right): A. Bentley, M. Bickers, M. Packer, C. Rees and D. Hafermann.

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and improved every week. George King led the team against The Abbey which was the performance of the season.

The U11A team progressed well this season, being competitive in every fixture, and won two games. In particular, the narrow win against The Abbey was a highlight. The team developed their all-round cricket skills and there were several notable performances, including William Bettley’s half century and his hat-trick of wickets against The Abbey, and Harry Wakefield’s superb 35 in the final game of the season.

U11B Back row (left to right): V. Ruffles-Francis, R. Bartlett, R. Thompson, H. Meadows, O. Ford and F. Baker. Front row (left to right): N. Winter, J. Hope, T. Chapman, L. Nicolai, F. Preston and G. King.

U13B Back row (left to right): M. Chambers, J. Herbert, W. Fitch, H. King, T. Soonthornmanee and A. Williams.

Front row (left to right): A. Hutchinson, Z. Winter, W. Tozer, J. Cailes and J. Graham.

U13C Back row (left to right): L. Sussex, M. Gu, R. Clarke, H. Clifford, L. Doff and H. Townsend.

Front row (left to right): A. Hutchinson, M. Beardmore, W. Gibbs, P. Ekpe and T. Gibson.

sporting achievements THE CULFORDIAN

2nd XI

1st XI

The team made significant progress over the term. They were well beaten in their first match but subsequently all the players worked hard at improving their game.

The bowlers bowled with more accuracy, the batters valued their wicket and at the same time maintained a run rate of at least five runs each over, the running between the wickets got quicker and the ground fielding became more consistent.

This led to a big improvement in performance and results.

The 1st XI had a tough year. They played six games winning just one, against Moreton Hall. The whole squad worked hard on and off the field to improve both performances and results, and the type of cricket we are trying to play. We aim to be positive with the bat, be attacking in the field and bowl one side of the wicket, which will build pressure. The success of this shows in our steady progression in the number of runs we have scored per innings and the rate at which we score them.

We started to field a lot better too and this is due to the sheer volume of energy each player has put in to cricket practices.

Individual highlights include Marcus Packer’s 51 and a new steady wicket keeper in Arthur Wildish. Both show a lot of promise.

Special mention must go to Georgia Parker, who has been a regular in the side. She has bowled superbly picking up four wickets across the summer.

Mr Andrew Northcote

Prep Girls

T

his year saw the beginning of girls’ cricket at Culford. The majority of schools in our area are gradually adopting cricket as their major summer sport and with the success gained by our National Women’s side and the growth of the sport generally for girls, this was a welcome move for many. Cricket is a highly technical sport but can be accessed by the majority. The focus this summer, therefore, was on building basic skill level, confidence and enthusiasm for the game.

Two cricket fixtures were played and the girls greatly enjoyed both.

Culford School 257, Moreton Hall 241 – Culford win by 16 runs Moreton Hall won the toss and decided to bat first. Their two openers got off to a flying start and were able to score freely for the first three overs. A couple of late dismissals at the end of the fourth over slowed the scoring down and allowed us to settle. From this point on we bowled really well, hitting good consistent areas, with the more able players bowling exceptionally straight and picking up wickets at key intervals. Moreton Hall staggered to 241 and our girls were feeling confident at the half way mark.

Everyone batted sensibly, with little risk, and we ended on 257 runs having lost just two wickets. This is a great start to girls’ cricket for our Upper Thirds.

U13A Girls Back row (left to right): N. Dahl, E. Francis Alagoa and A. Brayshaw. Front row (left to right): J. Dahl, P. Cailes, G. Parker, I. Bettley and I. Melville-Ross.

Culford School 208, Moreton Hall 271 – Moreton Hall win by 63 runs On our return match, we took a team of Lower Thirds as a reward for their effort this summer, and this proved to be a very valuable experience for them. Moreton Hall hosted us superbly and, although we lost, the girls really enjoyed themselves.

Batting first, we continually lost wickets which meant we could not rotate the score enough or play the attacking cricket we have been taught. We limped our way to 208. The greater experience of the Upper

Third Moreton Hall side shone and they eventually won by 63 runs. It was a spectacular effort by all involved and one that will set us in a good position for the summers ahead.

Looking towards the future, the girls will aim to field more teams and have regular matches. With the opportunity to participate in tennis, athletics and swimming in addition to cricket, the Summer Term is certainly a hectic one for the girls with plenty of opportunities to shine.

Miss Charlotte Olley

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THE CULFORDIAN sporting achievements

Cross-Country

T

he cross-country season started, as always, with the Inter-house competition.

Winners were Charlie Wakefield and Holly Reynolds for Third Form, Harry Wakefield and Lyla Endean for Second Form, Monte Stamper and Olivia Edwards in Upper First and Ned Chapman and Esther Almond in Lower First. The winning House was Honess.

Those who performed well were invited to take part in the Suffolk Schools’ Cross-Country trials, a series of races leading to the chance of selection for the Suffolk Schools’ team.

The first event, held at the Royal Hospital School in October, saw an excellent run by Holly Reynolds to win the Minor Girls race comfortably ahead of the other competitors.

Lyla Endean, Alice Wilson, Harry Wakefield, Paul Ekpe, Matthew Beardmore, William Smith and Arthur Wildish all ran well in their races. Culford pupils also triumphed in the Junior Boys race, which was won by Charlie Wakefield, with William Tozer and Oscar Endean not far behind.

Holly’s good form continued through to the final round of the Suffolk Schools events.

The final selection races were held here in Culford Park in January on a day of horrendous weather but despite the rain, strong winds and freezing temperatures, Holly, Charlie and Harry all performed well enough to be selected for the Suffolk Schools’ team, and to compete for Suffolk at the Anglian Regional Cross-Country held in Boston, Lincolnshire in February.

Charlie had an excellent cross-country season, being selected to represent Suffolk Schools at the English Schools’ Cross-Country Competition, held in Nottingham in March, competing against other boys up to a year older than him. Over a hilly course,

he performed well, and can be proud of his achievements this season which also included competing in the London Mini Marathon, after qualifying by winning the Norfolk County Championships.

The final cross-country event for the Prep School was the East Region Prep Schools Competition, hosted by Woodbridge School.

Culford had a good turn-out for this event, demonstrating the commitment of our athletes.

Excellent performances from all the Culford runners saw team prizes for the U13 Boys team, and third places for the U13 Girls and U12 Boys teams. Overall, Culford finished in second place – a fitting end to the season.

Mrs Elisabeth Long

Athletics

T

he Prep School Athletics season started with the Schools Cup, a team competition against schools from across Suffolk. Culford performed well, with the boys finishing in an excellent third position, and the girls finishing fifth. There were strong performances from Gus Bentley in the 300m and Thachawich Soonthornmanee in both the hurdles and long jump.

The number of Lower Third pupils involved in these teams shows good potential for the future.

The next team competition was the U13 West Suffolk Schools event and this showed the benefit of more training time, with improvements in the boys and girls overall performances. Holly Reynolds was an outstanding performer for the girls in the 800m, and Matthew Beardmore for the boys in the 1500m. The girls took

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third place and the boys second, meaning Culford took second place overall out of fifteen schools taking part.

The Eastern Region Prep School Competition in Bedford gave athletes the chance to test themselves as individual competitors. Here, Matthew and Holly again impressed in their events, whilst Charlie Wakefield is to be congratulated on his third place in the 1500m race. Madeleine Lorriman-Hughes, in her first competition, finished in third place in javelin and Henry Derbyshire ran an excellent race to finish a close third in the sprint hurdles final.

Polly Cailes will be one to watch in the future. As a Lower Second, and so competing against others at least a school year older than her, she challenged for places in the sprints and long jump events throughout the Summer Term, gaining valuable experience.

The final team event for the girls was the U12 County Final in Ipswich, against the top schools in Suffolk. An excellent team spirit and hard work from all members of the team resulted in an excellent fourth place overall and was a great way to end the season.

Mrs Elisabeth Long

sporting achievements THE CULFORDIAN

Prep

Tennis

T

he success enjoyed by Prep School pupils this year has surpassed the achievements of previous years.

Currently we have 13 Tennis Scholars and full programme players, along with a further seven very promising Lower Prep School players. The School Tennis Development Programme continues to flourish with a further twenty players who play regularly throughout the year. The programme is unique in offering individual and group lessons to children of all standards at different stages of their tennis development, including three Great Britain internationals, Matthew Gedney, Kylie Bilchev and Derrick Chen.

Matthew, Kylie, Derrick and Millie-Mae Matthews played in the Orange Bowl tournament in Florida in December, one of the leading World Junior tournaments.

Derrick went on to have a fantastic year playing for Great Britain against France and winning Tennis Europe events in Bulgaria, Switzerland, Germany and Croatia. Kylie, even by her own high standards, reached new levels of brilliance this year. She was selected to play for Great Britain, won Tennis Europe events in Italy and Slovenia, reached the Quarter-Finals of the European Championships in August and, the highlight of the year, finished sixth in the World Junior Championships in Florida in December. She also won the 18 and Under Suffolk LTA Junior Girl of the Year award in February at the Suffolk LTA Awards.

Matthew Gedney

Kylie Bilchev

Other highlights include the following: • Millie-Mae Matthews represented the Year 8-11 Girls team competing in the LTA National Schools Finals in December, performing superbly to finish in second place among schools competing across Great Britain.

Millie-Mae played brilliantly all weekend and having only come back from injury a few weeks before the event deserves enormous credit.

• Kylie Bilchev, Millie-Mae Matthews, Laurie Cruickshank and Jana Higazy were the key players in the 18 and Under team that won the Regional Final against Southend High School for Girls to qualify for the National Aberdare Cup Finals.

• Millie-Mae, Laurie, Jana and Georgia Parker won the Year 8 and Under County Schools title in June to qualify for the regional qualifying stage in October.

• Sebastian Koci-Edwards, Matthew Gedney, Luke Watson and Gene Swain won the Year 8 and Under County Schools title to qualify for the regional qualifying stage in October.

Derrick Chen

• Five Prep School Boys and Girls teams won County team titles across the Year 5, 6, and Y7/8 groups.

• Millie-Mae Matthews finished runner-up in the LTA National U12 Grade 1 finals in March and won the 14 and under consolation event at the National Championships.

• Dean Hafermann represented Suffolk in the AEGON County Cup 12 and Under Boys event in Frinton in June.

• Luke Watson was awarded the prestigious title of 14 and Under Suffolk LTA ‘Rookie’ Boy at the Suffolk LTA Awards evening in February.

• Laurie Cruickshank finished fifth overall in the National Finals of the Quorn Family Cup at the National Tennis Centre.

• Sebastian Koci-Edwards is ranked no. 1 Under 12 in Suffolk.

• Sebastian, Polly Fothergill and Laurie Cruickshank won Improver of the Year awards at the Tennis Awards evening in May, and Will Anderson, Max Griffiths, Matthew Gedney, Kylie Bilchev and Derrick Chen won their respective Player of the Year age group awards. Ella Wood was awarded the Strength and Conditioning Trainer of the Year award.

• Will Anderson has attended LTA Regional Training camps across the year.

• The following players also reached their respective County Championship Finals in August: Laurie Cruickshank – Finalist of U14 girls, Cambridgeshire Luke Watson – Finalist of U14 boys, Suffolk Sebastian Koci-Edwards – Semi-Finalist of U14 boys, Suffolk Matthew Gedney – Winner of U14 and U16 boys singles, Lincolnshire Millie-Mae Matthews – Winner of U14 and U16 girls singles, Nottinghamshire 61

THE CULFORDIAN sporting achievements

IAPS National Prep School Tennis Championships

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en Prep School pupils travelled to Millfield School to compete in this year’s IAPS National Tennis Championships.

We were hopeful of emulating our previous success in the competition which has seen us win 11 National IAPS titles in the last nine years. The players performed superbly and we reached the late stages of the competition with comparative ease. In the 14 and Under Singles Laurie Cruickshank

LTA 18 and Under Team Tennis Schools National Championships

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ulford were the only school in Great Britain to have four teams represented, which is the first time this has been achieved in written records. Of the 19 players representing Culford at the event, four players were from the Prep School: Kylie Bilchev, Millie-Mae Matthews, Laurie Cruickshank and Jana Higazy.

Kylie performed superbly for the Girls A team and won all her singles matches. The team finished fourth overall, losing an agonising tie-break shoot out against Cheam High School in the 3rd/4th play-off match.

The players were magnificent and all performed superbly; they were a real credit to the School both on and off the court and we created a huge presence at the event.

The Girls B team of Jana Higazy, Millie-Mae Matthews, Abby Taylor, Laurie Cruickshank and Marie Owino were outstanding for such a young team and did well to finish tenth overall.

We were delighted with the final positions of the teams which reflected the progress we have made when comparing ourselves with the best schools in Great Britain.

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lost a close match in the quarter-finals, and Ella Wood, playing her first tournament for eight months after coming back from injury, played well to reach the quarter-finals.

Laurie and Ella also reached the knock-out rounds but lost to a steady pair from Millfield School.

Jana Higazy and Millie-Mae Matthews however both marched towards an all Culford 14 and Under Singles Final duel.

The standard of tennis from both girls was amazing. Jana went into an early lead and whilst Millie-Mae played superbly Jana’s aggressive attacking play made the difference and she won the match 6-4.

The girls also teamed up in the doubles to defeat Millfield School in the Final in very decisive fashion, producing a fantastic controlled performance.

In the 14 and Under Boys, Sebastian Koci-Edwards, Matthew Gedney and Luke Watson reached the quarter-finals with Mason Bickers only just missing out in the first knock-out rounds after playing some

very good matches. Luke and Sebastian lost close matches in the quarter-finals to leave Matthew with the opportunity of progressing to the Final. This he achieved in style and played fantastic tennis in the final to win the title.

In the doubles both pairs played well and met in the quarter-finals with Matthew and Luke coming out on top. They then won their semi-final to play a good pair from Dumpton School in the Final. It was a really tense match and the boys held their nerve to win 6-4.

Ralph Bartlett and Max Griffiths were our representatives in the 12 and Under Boys Singles and Doubles. Max, playing his first IAPS event, handled the pressure of the event well and reached the quarter-finals.

Ralph, playing some superb attacking tennis, marched into the Final in impressive style and produced a highly accomplished performance against a very good player from All Hallows Prep School to secure Culford another National title.

Tennis Awards 2016

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ur second annual Prep and Senior School Tennis Awards evening was held on a beautiful summer’s evening in June in Centenary Hall with over 120 guests attending.

Category

Boy Player of the Year

Girl Player of the Year

Most improved boy

Most improved girl

Mini Tennis Red 8 and under

Awarded Externally

Charlotte James

Awarded Externally

Charlotte Anderson

Mini Tennis Orange 9 and under

Will Anderson

Imogen Callaghan

Rocco Richardson

Awarded Externally

Mini Tennis Green 10 and under

Max Griffiths

Edlyn Rai

Awarded Externally

Polly Fothergill

12 and under

Matthew Gedney

Millie-Mae Matthews

Sebastian Koci-Edwards

Laurie Cruickshank

14 and under

Derrick Chen

Kylie Bilchev

Warok Rai

Awarded Externally

14 and under strength and conditioning

Derrik Chen

Ella Wood

Year 5 and Under Girls O. Whyte, I. Callaghan, J. Gooderham and M. Hansgate.

Year 6 Boys O. Marrs, G. Williams and A. Waterman.

Year 7/8 Boys A L. Watson, M. Gedney and S. Koci-Edwards.

Year 5 and Under Boys A. Jones, T. Williams, G. Melia and W. Anderson.

Year 6 Boys W. Bettley, M. Griffiths, A. Bettley and R. Bartlett.

Year 7/8 Boys B M. Bickers, D. Hafermann, G. Swain and J. Naseby.

Year 6 Girls P. Fothergill, P. Cailes, I. Melville-Ross and E. Rai.

Year 7/8 Girls J. Higazy, M-M. Matthews, E. Wood, L. Cruickshank and G. Parker.

Year 7/8 Boys C J. Cailes, A. Williams, A. Hutchinson, M. Gu, G. Vaca Arozarena and M. Chambers.

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THE CULFORDIAN sporting achievements

Swimming IAPS National Swimming Finals

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ive Culford Prep School swimmers competed in the IAPS National Swimming Finals in May, placing well in a mixture of disciplines.

George King was the first in the pool. The atmosphere in the arena was electric, but George maintained his focus, securing eighth place in the heat, and then coming strong off the block to gain fifth place in the U11 25m butterfly final.

Pre-Prep Swimming Gala

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re-Prep pupils enjoyed competing in the annual Pre-Prep swimming Gala this year, where they are given the chance to showcase what they have been learning in their weekly swimming lessons. Results were as follows:

PP2 Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Race 4 Race 5 Race 6 Race 7 Race 8 Race 9 Race 10 Race 11 Race 12 RELAY PPR Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Race 4 Race 5 Race 6 RELAY PP1 Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Race 4 Race 5 Race 6 RELAY 64

1st Ivo McLean George Frankland Connie Fitton Caitlin Magee Bunny Young Ruby Cobbold Connie Fitton Caitlin Magee James Oakes Beth Miller Connie Fitton Eve Totman Red 1st Jack Young Harry Tomalin Kitty Cooper George Brown Harry Tomalin Kitty Cooper Blue 1st Benji Jacobs-Robinson Charlotte Anderson Benji Jacobs-Robinson Jasmine Steady Carys Fairley Charlotte Anderson Blue

Y R B B Y Y B B Y R B R

Y Y B R Y B

Y B Y R B B

2nd Bunny Young Alice Leslie Dylan Major Eve Totman Sasha Tyler Beth Miller William Brown Henrietta Wilson Erin Tattersall George Frankland Jared Del Rosario Caitlin Magee Yellow 2nd George Brown Joshua Abrey Emily Brown Max Carter Sam Cobbold Emily Brown Yellow 2nd Nicholas Cameron Jasmine Steady Nicholas Cameron Thomas Cameron Benji Jacobs-Robinson Jasmine Steady Red

Y Y Y R B R R Y B R B B

R B B B Y B

R R R R Y R

3rd Hope Deane Ruby Cobbold Jared Del Rosario Henrietta Wilson James Oakes Cassius Cooper TĂŠo Barker Eve Totman Bunny Young Ruby Cobbold Joe Pennells Henrietta Wilson Blue 3rd Max Carter Sam Cobbold Edward Childerhouse Bunny Crompton-Battersby Joshua Abrey Jaydn Dovaston Red 3rd Max Cattliff George Hansgate Max Cattliff Charlotte Anderson Nicholas Cameron Thomas Cameron Yellow

B Y B Y Y B R R Y Y R Y

B Y R R B Y

Y B Y B R R

The girls were also on good form, three of them making it through the heats to the final. Grace Baxter ranked eighth in the U10 25m freestyle and Isobel Bettley placed eighth in the U13 50m breaststroke.

Other pupils that competed were Holly Reynolds, who was second reserve for the finals, and Kiera Williams; both girls put in strong performances.

East Region Swimming Championships

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illiam Tozer and George King represented the Prep School at these championships. William missed out on a place in the 13 years 200m butterfly final by 0.2 of a second securing ninth place.

William also finished ninth in the gruelling 400m IM and rounded off his weekend competing in the 200m IM event where he placed 19th. George King, competing in his first Regional Championships, qualified for the 50m backstroke event, finishing 25th in the 12 years age group.

culford foundation THE CULFORDIAN

News from the Foundation What is the Foundation?

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he Foundation department works hard to friend-raise and fundraise for Culford School. Set up in 2000, the Foundation keeps in contact with over 4000

The Foundation Team: Samantha Salisbury (Foundation Manager), Jo Johnson-Munday (Foundation Director), John Humphries (OC Liaison Officer) and Jessica Glover (Alumni Officer)

Old Culfordians and East Anglians (OCs and OEAs), offering regular social and networking events. We also raise funds for the development of facilities at Culford and for bursaries which provide financial help for children who would not otherwise be able to attend the school.

The Foundation team, led by Foundation Director Jo Johnson-Munday, organises a variety of reunions, sporting and other events throughout the year. This includes an annual drinks reception in London, exhibitions in the Foundation Gallery, Opera in the Park and the Leavers’ Ball.

Foundation Events 2015/16 The Foundation hosts a series of fantastic events for Old Culfordians and friends of Culford throughout the year. Please see a selection of photographs below: London Drinks Reception, April 2016

For more information, please visit the website: www.culford.co.uk/foundation

Careers Support for Recent Leavers

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he Foundation is keen to utilise its fabulous network of OCs to help current and former students with their careers whenever we can. We do this by making connections for them with alumni working in the industry that they are interested in and occasionally helping past pupils with work experience at Culford. Two of these shared their recent experiences with us:

English and History of Art at Sussex University and as a student has long summers; never one to sit around Lizzie worked in the Foundation Office during most of June, July and August this year. This meant that she was fully involved in Opera in the Park, the Leavers’ Ball and preparing for the official opening of the new tennis courts and hockey pitch in September 2016.

While she was still at school Lizzie Burge (2013-2016) helped out with Culford’s first ever Opera in the Park in 2014 and she has continued to help with the opera every year, being a key member of the organisational team. Lizzie is now studying

Lizzie says “I am interested in Event Management since working in the Foundation Office. It’s been excellent industry experience for me, which is such an important thing when I start to look for employment after leaving university”.

Ruth Friswell (2007-2014) was at Culford for seven years before she started her architecture degree at Sheffield University in 2014. She says, “I always had an interest in teaching and wanted to see what it was like. I arranged a couple of weeks’ work experience at Culford in the design technology and art departments.” Under the supervision of Culford teachers, Ruth was able to lead some Fourth Form lessons and also impart some design knowledge to Sixth Formers doing their A Levels. However, sometimes work experience shows what a person might not enjoy pursuing, as much as what they would, and this was the case for Ruth who explains, “I came to the end of a very tiring ten days fairly firm in the knowledge teaching was perhaps not the career for me at this stage in my life, though I’m not ruling it out for the future.”

She has decided to continue with her architecture degree and to look for a placement to begin her RIBA part two training.

OC Hockey Matches, January and September 2016

Fifth Dinner Club Reunion, September 2016

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Opera in the Park THE CULFORDIAN culford foundation

Saturday 18 June 2016, South Front

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ulford was thrilled to welcome over 600 guests to its third outdoor Opera in the Park with London Festival Opera on Saturday 18 June. Once again the evening was sold out and the sun came out for picnics, Prosecco and sublime music, with generous opera goers donating over £1,400 to St Nicholas Hospice Care.

On the beautiful South Front lawns, guests enjoyed pre-ordered luxury hampers, took the opportunity to explore Culford’s glorious gardens and even had the chance to look at an Audi R8 Coupé, which was parked on the lawn, courtesy of Opera in the Park’s supporter, Bury St Edmunds Audi.

With the support of the event’s lead sponsor, Lacy Scott & Knight, London Festival Opera gave an abridged performance of Mozart’s The Magic Flute and a gala performance of opera favourites after the interval. We were also thrilled to welcome back talented former pupils Florence Taylor and Joseph Dodd, who sang with the company.

Profit from ticket sales went to the Campaign for Culford, which is raising funds to refurbish the School’s main art studio.

Culford’s Foundation Director, Jo JohnsonMunday, said, “It was a stunning evening.

After a day of rain, the sun came out just

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at the right time. London Festival Opera’s performance was exceptional. It was especially wonderful to hear Old Culfordians Florence and Joe perform on the night.

We are already looking to next year’s event and hope we can raise even more for charity.”

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The Culfordian 2015/16 Prep and Pre-Prep School

Culford School, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 6TX Tel: 01284 728615 Email: admissions@culford.co.uk www.culford.co.uk

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