Decanian 2015/16

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September 2015 - August 2016

DEAN CLOSE SCHOOL Shelburne Road Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL51 6HE Telephone 01242 258044 Email: registrar@deanclose.org.uk www.deanclose.org.uk

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Born in Russia...

Born in Oxfordshire...

Born in Worcestershire...

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www.deanclose.org.uk

...inspired at

Dean Close Home of Creative Excellence

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An Indian Experience Meeting the Queen Young Entreprenuers

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Brook Court Dale Fawley Field Gate Hatherley Mead Shelburne Tower Turner

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High Society Inherit the Wind Pride and Prejudice Look Dack in Anger

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Spring Concert Commemoration Concert Advent Concert Fridays @ 6 House Competitions Music Diary

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An art workshop by Victoria Y-J GCSE - A Private View Upper Sixth Art Lower Sixth / GCSE Art Year 10 (Remove) Art

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Headmaster’s Speech Quad Run Prize Winners Emma Sky, Guest of Honour

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Dan and Peter Snow Prue Leith George the Poet Classics Talk

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Pink Dinner Wargaming Careers Conference Leiths Cooks Christmas Party

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Songs from the Shows The Big Breakfast Uganda Group The Christmas Fair The Napier Prize

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UK Maths Olympiad Game Theory Classics English Quantocks Modern Language Films

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Francis Bacon Society Mike Davies

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Diving in Oman Ski Trip Snowdonia Sixth Formers in the Wilderness The Battlefields South Africa Hockey Tour Salamanca

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editor

l t t i l A

n o i t c u d o r e in t

...from the Editor

‘Anyone who came to Chapel on Sunday 19 June will remember that day forever because it was Margaret Bowen’s Memorial Service’.

A

s a marketer, you won’t be surprised to hear that part of my job is to ‘go out’ and sell the School. So I do. One of the first questions a prospective parent might ask me is “what is a typical Dean Close pupil?” I think this magazine answers that question perfectly; there isn’t one!

IF I WAS NAILED TO THE SPOT AND ASKED TO PICK OUT MY OUTSTANDING HIGHLIGHTS OF 2015/2016 I WOULD HAVE TO MENTION THE HOCKEY BOYS

Proof reader: Photographers: Design:

Whilst regular readers of the Decanian might (I hope) notice that this year’s magazine has been redesigned with a fresh new look, essentially the extent of content is pretty much the same as it is every year. That’s because at Dean Close, as well as striving for excellence in everything we do, we never sleep! As each new academic year unfolds, we are incredibly fortunate to witness outstanding drama and sparkling musicals in our own theatre, to hear stunning music performed in venues inside and out, and to feel tingles in Chapel as our own choir strikes the sweetest chords which cascade around us. Our inspirational Art School can always be relied upon to deliver the wow factor at Commemoration and our sports teams, from a comparatively small pool, continue to punch above their weight in their interschool fixtures and even on a national level, with equestrian riders jumping above other schools who have their ponies’ stables onsite.

If I was nailed to the spot and asked to pick out my outstanding highlights of 2015/16 I would have to mention the hockey boys, who at every qualifying age group won themselves a place in the National Finals.

It was a huge privilege to welcome Old Decanian, Emma Sky, back to Dean Close, having not returned since she left in the 1980s.

Emma served as Political Advisor to the US Commanding General during the invasion of Iraq and came back as our guest speaker at Commemoration, telling her incredible story about life inside Iraq. Anyone who came to Chapel on Sunday 19 June will remember that day forever because it was Margaret Bowen’s Memorial Service. The entire proceeding personified Margaret; it was touching, poignant, humorous, personal and very Dean Close. It captured Margaret’s spirit perfectly, particularly Lloyd Allington’s Gloucestershire accent! If only she could have been there to see it. We also celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Art School in style, with an awesome display of Old Decanian works in their own, and very first, exhibition. I also could mention the Cheltenham Literature Festival, the stunning photos from the diving trip to Oman and so much more.

Finally, can I just remind you all that although this magazine gives you an extremely comprehensive view of life inside Dean Close, you can all follow us daily on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where there are many commentaries on our ‘not-so-typical’ Dean Close pupils.

Hope you enjoy the read.

Director of Marketing

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Royal Logistics Corps Competiiton Annual Summer Camp

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On the Edge Gold from the Palace Bronze Expedition Gold Award Practice Expedition

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Rugby Girls’ Hockey Boys’ Hockey Netball Cricket Girls’ Tennis Tennis Ace Golf Equestrian Club

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headmaster

he role of Headmaster of Dean Close School is not just any job. It is a specific job in the best school that I have worked in. It is specific, in that the role allows me to be a teaching Headmaster.

A Headmaster who is not constrained by many of the business pressures that can dominate the time of the modern, independent school Principal. With a new Warden and CEO in place, I am free to work on my own specialist area of education. Ever since my first day in the classroom, in an inner city comprehensive in Bristol, through a wide range of other successful schools as a teacher, Head of Department, Head of Section, Housemaster and Deputy Head, I have developed a deep love of, and interest in, education. As a father to three girls, all of whom have very different personalities and interests, I have been made aware that one size does not fit all, and that genetics and upbringing play some part in determining educational success but also that there is much that we can do to impact on an individual’s future possibilities.

Education takes place in every part of Dean Close, from the classroom to the stage, the muddy field to the concert hall, from the warm word of encouragement to the carefully chosen rebuke. It is difficult to quantify just why I think that Dean Close is an excellent school but the evidence is our pupils. They are not a typical product nor the outcome of a successful branding exercise but have been encouraged to grow through the significant resources at their disposal, the time and expertise of the teachers and the care and support of their parents. When you are leading such a community as Dean Close, the responsibility is significant. But when that community is committed to the same goals, it becomes both a privilege and a joy.

I HAVE DEVELOPED A DEEP LOVE OF, AND INTEREST IN, EDUCATION

Headmaster

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News

Whilst most pupils spent the school holidays seeing friends and doing some revision, Fifth Former Rei Chin travelled to Asia to take part in a medical project for school students.

He began by flying to Mumbai before going on to the Wala-Walker Hospital in the rural district of Chiplun.

It is a very poor area full of dilapidated slums where people live in dire poverty and where no one speaks English apart from the doctors.

Along with a handful of students from other British schools, Rei spent five days there on work experience with the opportunity to shadow doctors and see the shocking side of life for those without money for medical care.

The Indian health system works on a semi private scheme whereby a patient receives their first operation free but subsequently has to pay for further treatment. Rei watched surgeries, and in one incident recalls how a patient had chewed tobacco since childhood, as many do, leading to advanced oral cancer. Unlike in the UK, locals do not visit a doctor until things reach a critical stage and Rei watched as this man had half his jaw removed. On the wards, Rei learned a great deal of medical knowledge from the doctors attending to patients and was shocked to see that a man with leg pain could not even afford an x-ray which costs £2.50.

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Rei’s grandad is a doctor and he comes from a medical family so has grown up hearing interesting stories from the field, spurring his own interest. He says: “Going on this work placement has been a really valuable experience where I learnt a lot in terms of medical knowledge and also about India. I saw how poverty is a huge problem and how fortunate we are here to have the NHS, and how privatisation would not be a solution to our problems. After my experience, I now know that I would really enjoy it if I decided to go down the medical route.”

WE SAW THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD LEADERSHIP AND ORGANISATION SKILLS IN MAKING EVENTS LIKE THIS FUNCTION.

GOING ON THIS WORK PLACEMENT HAS BEEN A REALLY VALUABLE EXPERIENCE

Sixth Formers Ben Coombs and Abi Mellor grabbed the opportunity for some work experience by helping to organise the British Association of Friends of Museums Conference (BAfM). They were asked to help plan and organise a weekend conference on the subject of supporting Museums around the UK, to take place at the Chase Hotel in Cheltenham. They had the opportunity to learn and discover the logistics and highly specific planning behind such events, looking at venues, transport, catering and entertaining guests. Ben says: “We saw the importance of good leadership and organisation skills in making events like this function. We also experienced the event unfolding after all the planning that took place, which was satisfying and gave us a better understanding of events’ management.”

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CHRIS IS ALSO INVOLVED IN THE SKYSPORTS LIVING FOR SPORTS PROGRAMME AS AN ATHLETE MENTOR

In 2008, the then Dean Close Sixth Former, Chris Gregory, was selected

by Steve Redgrave for the Sporting Giants Programme, a coaching and fast-track development programme that aimed to prepared them as elite players in time for London 2012. Run by the English Institute of Sport (EIS) and UK Sport with the National Governing Bodies of Rowing, Volleyball and Handball, the campaign received over 4,000 applicants from tall, sporty 16-25 year olds from right across the UK. Chris went through several rounds before gaining his final selection, winning his place in the volleyball stream.

At Easter, Dean Close School ran its first GCSE and A level Revision Course, bringing a brand new resource to pupils wanting some extra support at such a critical time in their education. Young people from Dean Close, Cheltenham and beyond spent a week in school working intensively on two subjects at GCSE or one A level. The course met a number of different needs such as helping with focus, exam technique and preparing the right environment in which to revise. Look out for next year’s course with details available on the School’s website.

In January 2016, Chris returned to his old school to talk to the Fourth Form about all his experiences and how he eventually achieved a place in the GB Beach Volleyball team, sharing some of the amazing things he has experienced since leaving Dean Close. He and his volleyball partner, Jake, are hoping to qualify for the Rio Olympics later this year and are working hard at the moment to achieve their dream. Chris is also involved in the SkySports Living for Sports Programme as an Athlete Mentor, with a number of Dean Close Fourth Formers taking part in the initiative.

I can Residential & Day

Easter Revision Courses for A level and GCSE 4th - 8th April 2016 Highly qualified & experienced teachers, helping to maximise students’ performance in their summer exams

Last November, Dean Close was invited to by Commander Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, Lieutenant General Tim Evans CBE, DSO, to attend Imjin Barracks to be formally presented to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Mr Lancashire was accompanied by pupils Freddie Faux and Georgina Shephard. Her Majesty opened a new briefing room and visited the MOD Medal Office which assesses, engraves and issues awards of all UK Military and selected Civilian medals. Also part of the facility is the joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre providing a focal point for casualty administration, and the Commemorations team who manage identifying and laying to rest the remains of fallen heroes from previous campaigns from as far back as the First World War.

Congratulations to Amy Porter and Joe Morford, who have both been offered prestigious Vice-Chancellor Scholarships from Durham University, providing them with £2000 per year to enhance their artistic endeavours. Joe has been offered a Music Scholarship and Amy a Scholarship for the Arts. Conditions of the award mean that they have to help promote Music and the Arts at Durham University through school visits and workshops and are also expected to take part in at least three concerts or drama productions a year.

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DEAN CLOSE FINISHED IN 3RD PLACE, A BRILLIANT RESULT

Fifth Former Drama Scholar, Guy Amos, was invited to participate in the special service at Southwark Cathedral, in the presence of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh as part of the Shakespeare 400th Year Commemoration. Guy was asked to read Sonnet no 146. Afterwards he had the honour of meeting Prince Philip.

As well as already performing major leading roles in the busy theatrical life of the School (he has played Matthew Brady in “Inherit the Wind” and Mr Collins in an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice), he has played Edward VI in “Thomas Tallis” at The Globe Sam Wannamaker Theatre, alongside the world-famous choir, The Sixteen. Guy has also starred at the same theatre as Aeneas in Christopher Marlowe’s “Dido, Queen of Carthage”.

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AFTERWARDS HE HAD THE HONOUR OF MEETING PRINCE PHILIP

On Field Day in March we welcomed Futures to run the ‘Young Entrepreneurs’ competition with the Fourth Form. The day consisted of working in small groups to devise a product/service related to business or an idea linked to communications and technology. Once conceived, the idea was put down on paper and presented back to their peers. There were many wacky and weird ideas: Sunplugs, Trakachild and Work on Wheels, but the winners were group 3 with their ‘Renaissance – the flying train’ concept, which could re-define London transport, saving space and reducing pollution.

In May, Mobo Sotande-Peters, Edward Dunn, Leo England, Tasha Foster, Lara Stallard and Ellie Pietroni took their idea to a regional final at GCHQ, pitting their product against teams from schools such as Cheltenham College, The Crypt and Westonbirt. There were some good ideas from other teams, and everyone spoke with great confidence and handled the tricky questions from the judges with poise and certainty. During the break, pupils were able to try out some different activities such as languages, artificial bombs and even the Enigma machine. Dean Close finished in 3rd place, a brilliant result.

This year, Dean Close installed a brand new climbing facility for pupils.

The Traverse Wall now enables CCF cadets and pupils to learn and practise their climbing techniques in all weathers, significantly developing the adventurous training facilities in School.

The wall was partly funded by the J Davy Foundation, in recognition of the support that the School and CCF has

given to All Saints Academy and Lakers School, as part of the Cadet Expansion Program. The CEP is a government lead initiative to develop more CCF opportunities in schools.

Cadet Alex Green expressed his delight in using the facility for the first time, while 2nd Lieutenant Caz Hatchel said: "It is a great use of space and a really great development.”

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BrookCourt Fawley Gate

Dale

Houses

news

Field Hatherley BROOK COURT

Mead

DALE

Shelburne Turner

FAWLEY FIELD GATE HATHERLEY MEAD SHELBURNE TOWER

Tower

TURNER

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houses

Brook Court It is quite a task to sum up the year in the life of a boarding house in one pithy paragraph.

Events flow like a waterfall – many go unnoticed and the remembered are often the small ones.

The evening that young Ja’afar Shinkafi got his arm stuck in the pool table particularly springs to mind!

Luckily it was freed after 20 minutes, just before we called the Fire Brigade. Or perhaps the day I realised that the Sixth Form had regressed about five years in mental age, bought NERF guns to relieve the stress of exam revision and were using the house as a skirmishing ground. Some events are bigger though.

Winning both the House Singing and the House Music Competitions in the same year, getting a fantastic new Fourth Form prep room or watching our A-Team matrons cover for each other without any prompting as they both went 12 ~ DECANIAN 2015/16

THE AMAZING AND SLIGHTLY CRAZY HOUSE STAFF

through difficult operations, from which they are now fully recovered. As ever, it’s the amazing contributions of academic staff, matrons and the long-suffering cleaners that allow the house to run. Some events are best forgotten, like getting to both the Junior and Senior Quiz finals, only to narrowly lose both; while others will shine forever, like two of our Sixth formers getting dressed in an amazingly authentic drag for the Boarder’s Christmas Party and being mistaken for girls!

The best memories of a year are always about the boys though, in all their perfect imperfections, their witty comments and silly antics, their incredible achievements in class and outside, the love, support and care they so often show to each other. They are always at the centre of our vocation as boarding staff, and rightfully so.

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Dale

Joe Morford - Place at Oxford to read Biology at Merton College Pat Bunker - Place at Oxford to read PPE at St. Benet’s Hall Critical Essay Prize

Joe Morford

The Shadow Box – Max Thomas, Orly Giannini

Wilson Challenge

Will Bunker

Senior Public Speaking

Team Winners

Look Back in Anger – Oli Evans

Junior Public Speaking

Team Winners

Pride and Prejudice – Max Thomas, Jack Coombs, Orly Giannini, Ben Crossley

Senior House Quiz

Team Winners

Athletics Winners

U14 Team

Cross-Country Senior Individual winner

Will Hewer

Football Winners

Team

Hockey Winners Winners

Senior B Team Junior Team

England U18

Will Hewer

England U16

James Hunt

Lead Roles

Trophy Winners Max Thomas, Ben Crossley, Jack Coombs Medal Winners Max Thomas, Lewis Haywood, Ben Crossley, Andy Whitford, Orly Giannini, Leo England, Alfie Henson, Josh Brooks, Liam McKinnes, Sam Porter, Charlie Street, Jack Stanton-Cole

Choral Scholarship to Merton College – Joe Morford ACP Mess Band – Henry Hick

Senior Piano - Joe Morford Song Recital Trophy - Joe Morford Intermediate Wind - Lewis Haywood Intermediate Boys’ Singing - Lewis Haywood Grade 8 Distinction - Piano Accompaniment - Jason Richards Grade 8 Distinction - Viola – Salim Jaffar

Rugby England U16 – South West Camp Jonny Coniam Swimming Winners

U14 Team

Dale T20 Cricket Match Team A – 121 runs – Captain Harry Caro Team B – Winners 122 for 7 – Captain Jason Richards Show Jumping Qualified for National Show Jumping Championships in 1m Team – Lawson Day

I’m A Train by Albert Hammond

‘Cello - Joe Morford Piano Joint 1st Place - Jason Richards, Tinwai Cheung

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Fawley The Overseas Induction weekend was a great start to the year for Fawley and we welcomed new girls from all over the world. Our team of prefects, Kona and Bella (Heads of House) and Katy, Olivia, Pip, Elf, Grace, Millie, Lowri and Tori have given much of their time to supporting the House team and we will miss them hugely next year.

We started the year well by winning the part harmony song in House Shout, singing a song arranged by Katy. Our seniors were the House badminton winners and we were exceptionally proud of our Fifth Form winning the drill competition and overall 1st prize in the CCF competition. Molly and Lydia continue to compete aiming for national level in riding, supported by Ava B, Mollie, Millie and Bella A. We won the shooting competition and were particularly thrilled to see Kona and 14 ~ DECANIAN 2015/16

Georgie S come 1st. The Fourth Form has always been enthusiastic and has been strong across the board in house competitions - they did very well at the start of the year in Tug of War. Finally this year, the girls won the House rounders.

WE ARE THRILLED TO READ THAT ISSY BAILEY (FAWLEY 2012) HAS BEEN SELECTED TO REPRESENT GB IN THE PARALYMPIC SHOOTING COMPETITION

The Sixth Form enjoyed inviting Mr & Mrs Tottman and Mr & Mrs Sheldon for an evening of chatting about life outside DCS. We have loved our Saturday evenings in house, chilling, watching films and eating - with a health drive of fruit, carrots and humus being a popular option for snacks.

We are thrilled to read that Issy Bailey (Fawley 2012) has been selected to represent GB in the Paralympic shooting competition. Issy was permanently injured in a car accident in 2013 and has just graduated from Exeter University. She is inspirational.

The highlight of the year was the three new bathrooms which are modern, large and offer privacy and style. We welcomed Miss Chapman to our tutor team and Matron Sarah who arrived in January. As the year comes to a close we are sad to say goodbye to Mrs Feltham who has been a wonderful tutor and Assistant Housemistress, Miss Chapman, Miss Rose, Miss Vest and Mrs Spring-Wallis. Thanks to Matron Alison and Miss Stewart (who are staying!) and good luck to all our leavers.

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House Singing Inherit the Wind Ben Stott, Oliver Wood, Kieren Hutt, Felix Nelson & James Schubach Pride & Prejudice Ben Stott, Toby Pallister, Jacob MelvilleSmith, Oliver Wood, James Schubach, Kieren Hutt & Felix Nelson

Sherratt Strings

Louis Morford

Wind & Brass

Rowan Ireland

Brass

Rowan Ireland

Overall

Louis Morford

Colin Sherratt Cup

Louis Morford

Junior House Quiz

Winners

Senior A Hockey

Winners

Cross Country

Winners

Senior Badminton

Winners

Athletics: Winners (Intermediate Boys)

Senior B Hockey

Boys’ Runners-up (Whole House) Runners-up

Junior Hockey

Runners-up

Unconditional offer David Gibbons (Particle Physics, Royal Holloway)

Oxford offer

U14 National Finalists Jacob Payton, James Humphreys, Felix Nelson & Freddie Thomas U18 National Finalists Elliot Bancroft, Matthew Court, Jeremy Fox, Sam Norwood & Toby Pallister

John Wang (Engineering, Lady Margaret Hall)

Sherratt Strings, Overall Music and Colin Sherratt Cup winner Louis Morford

Matt Court House Table Tennis Winner House Shooting: (Luis Williamson)

Best Male Shot Jumptastic outings for Sixth Form and Fifth Form

Tennis: Aaron Osmond (City of Manchester U18 Finalist & selected to train with Men’s County Cup) Cricket James Humphreys (U14 County Cricket Team)

Mr Winter who moves across to Brook Court

Roc Soc

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Gate •

Gez’s masterful performance of Lalo Cello Concerto at Commem concert.

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Isaac, Jamie and Gez’s boy band at RocSoc – that guitar playing!

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Matthew’s Frank Sinatra tribute evening and his rendition of New York, New York which received a standing ovation from all of the Gate boys.

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Ukulele, banjo, electric guitar and plenty of singing in House.

Football – 2nd in Boarders Football with great goal scoring by Noah and Nik Rugby - Tom (England U18 squad), Jamie, Dan, Gus, Raf and Goz

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Swimming – National Finalists Robert and Rafael Plenty of basketball and badminton.

Plus, one trophy for winning House Chess. Well done, Erik!

Ian’s contributions to EYP Public speaking from Alex and Oscar Gez and Matthew in High Society Bachelor of the Year Competition – Lower vs Upper Sixth. Oscar may have won the tying a bow tie section, but the Lower Sixth boys gave the winning performance at bed making, ironing a shirt, and frying an egg.

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houses Highs Elsa captaining her last House Tennis team to victory Winning the Unison Song at House Shout Winning Senior and Junior Hockey Winning Senior Netball Dominating the track at House Athletics

Hatherley

Liv Street being the last woman standing in House Chess Danielle playing cricket for the School 1st XI and Gloucestershire Women Katie, Lara, Abby and Ellie going to U14 Hockey Nationals The Upper Sixth Originals learning to make a real martini Amy's solo at the Commemoration Concert Our House Musical, 'High Society' Sixth Form socials Karaoke, dancing, fort building and pizza in the Common Room

Lows When the adjudicator awarded the House Shout shield to Brook Court instead of us When the engravers accidentally gave us the Boys' Hockey trophy, instead of the Girls' Being responsible for two fire alarms, through toaster misuse (oops) Saying goodbye to our lovely Upper Sixth leavers, including the last five Hatherley Originals Saying goodbye to Lana and Megan Mourning the passing of our beloved Margaret Bowen, RIP

Thank yous To Liv and Elsa, for being a wonderful Head and Deputy Head of House To our leavers, for all they have contributed To Jennie and Carly, our cleaners, for keeping Hatherley so spic and span To all our tutors, for their time, energy, affection and good humour

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Athletics

Senior Shot – Ayesha Markham Senior Javelin – Ayesha Markham Junior Shot – Ellie Clarke

Mead

Cross Country

Eloise Allen

Public Speaking

Best Junior Speaker – Gabbie Sills

U16 Swimming

Shield - Team

U14 Swimming

Shield - Team

Swimming Overall

Shield

Charity Plan Paraguay

£192 raised to sponsor Natalia Oviedo’s Education

Great Ormond Street Hospital

£400 raised from SOIRÉE Evening

Intermediate Girls’ Singing

WIN – Cup – Bea Bennett

Lent Term

Freedog – Trampolining

Main Song

‘Accidentally in Love’ by Counting Crows

Harmony Song

‘Oh My Love’ by The Score

Michaelmas Term

324

Lent Term

182

Trinity Term

127

Championship Wins

Beth Ellison (3)

Rachel Christian Casey Foster Ayesha Markham Harriet Thomas Lara Deering Natalie Kroder Abi Mellor Judy Richards Ruth Truscott

Gabbie Sills (2) Harriet Thomas (1)

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Gold Medal Winners

Beth Ellison (1) Katie Humphreys (1)

Silver Medal Winners

Bea Bennett (2) Katie Humphreys (2) Liv Attwood (1)

Bronze Medal Winners

Evie Crawford-Poxon (2) Molly Caesar (1) Liv Attwood (1)

Midland Schoolgirls Tennis

Winner - Judy Richards

Show Jumping 1.10m

Qualified for National

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Shelburne In September, Miss Akenhead (OD) moved in as our Resident Matron and Mrs Davis and Miss Gordon joined the team. Our new Fourth Form came from a variety of countries from Russia to Ascension Island and we settled into crazy Shelburne life. Weekends were as busy as ever with our Juniors winning the boarders’ football competition, lots of Just Dance on the Wii, a disco with an “S” theme, masses of pizza deliveries, the chocolate fountain and the trip to the Clothes Show. Rehearsals went well for the House Shout and we won the Whole House song with She Loves You by the Beatles.

THE AMAZING AND SLIGHTLY CRAZY HOUSE STAFF

The Lent Term saw the return of the famous Shelburne Lake and we even featured in the Gloucestershire Echo!

The girls threw themselves into raising money for charities with a coffee morning for Sam’s Trust, waitressing at the Pink Dinner for Breast Cancer and helping at a race night for The Pied Piper Appeal. We decided to start watching some old classic films such as Wimbledon, Four Weddings and a Funeral and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days as well as take more deliveries of pizzas! Our Juniors won the Netball A competition and Janice performed in a trio in the Pump Rooms. We had a questionnaire from the girls about the House, nine of them want a House dog... still debating!

I DONT GET HOMESICK IN SHELBURNE

I LOVE LIVING WITH MY FRIENDS

Trinity was even busier than the previous terms with lots of girls performing at the Cheltenham Festival and Maddie Dunn struggling to carry all her cups and medals! It featured inflatables when the weather was good, ice cream, the House Soir´ ee with Tower and a mini trip to Gloucester Quays. The Juniors excelled winning the House Tennis, Athletics and helped the whole House to win the Cross Country. We are keeping all the same tutors for next year and look forward to watching the girls come through to work together as a team, look after each other like sisters and achieve great things in all that they do both in and out of the classroom. #bigupshelbz DECANIAN 2015/16

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Tower House Shout accompanist Senior House Rugby Winners Senior House Athletics Winners Overall Athletics Winners Senior House Swimming Winners Inter House Swimming Winners Senior House Chess Winner Junior House Chess Winner Indoor House Football Winners Lead Drama Scholar: (Inherit the Wind, Pride and Prejudice) Lead Drama Scholar: (Inherit the Wind, Look Back in Anger) Drama Scholars: (Missing Dan Nolan); (Inherit the Wind) Duke of Edinburgh Gold: Boys selected for England Rugby training camp: Representation for South West Region at Snowsport England:

It has been a great year in Tower, under the exemplary leadership of joint Heads of House Ben Coombs and Jack Slater. Indeed, the whole of the Upper Sixth have shown maturity and responsibility in demonstrating what it means to belong to this proud house.

The Fourth Form have been made to feel welcome, and there’s been a great sense of purpose alongside fun in the house throughout the year.

In the middle of the year, we said a fond thank you to Mr Baber-Williams as he stepped down from the role of Assistant Housemaster. Particularly during a time of big change in the House, Mr B-W offered the boys both consistency and calm wisdom, needed particularly through the tumult that can be the teenage years. Mr Spring Wallis took up that role, and immediately revamped the Tower Turret newsletter and has given fresh status and impetus to the House Forum. After two years in the role, we have also said thank you and (a kind of) farewell to Mr Chapman, who hands on the Resident Tutor position to Mr Youlton. Mr Chapman, like Mr B-W, is Tower through and through and is so often in the house cheering on and challenging the boys. I am so glad that both of these role models will be staying in Tower.

Tower is in fantastic shape. From brilliant house evenings, pizza nights, go-karting, duvet and donuts evenings to a great table tennis tournament final, the boys have entered into the full range of things that make up the house community. One new development this year has been to introduce ‘Tower Talks’, whereby outside speakers present on a range of relevant issues, which has been received well. In addition to house events, boys represent the School with pride across all sports, drama, music and the arts and make the most of their time at Dean Close School. Helped by a brilliant Matron and set of tutors the boys continue to flourish; it is with great pride that they are known as Tower boys, living right at the heart of the School. Leavers go with our great thanks and best wishes, and we hope to see them some time again – maybe at Cheltenham Balti, who knows!

B Poxon

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Turner Alla Kalmykova & Elena Maglione who both produced wonderful A2 creations, Alla also being awarded the Major Rickerby Prize for outstanding artistic achievements.

Jessie Wong who was presented with the Olive Morgan Cup for Piano and also gave a wonderful Fridays @ 6 recital supported by the full House.

Dionne Eboreime who won the triple jump in the House Athletics, the Turner Football team who won the House Football competition and Jessie Wong who trained with the Gloucester County Badminton Team.

Yalan Nie who gave a wonderful speech in the House Public Speaking competition and Sam Smellie & Aideen Teeling who were part of a winning regional team at the European Youth Parliament conference.

Elena Maglione who gained a practical certificate from the Leiths Cookery Course.

Alla Kalmykova who was awarded the Flecker Prize for Maths and Dionne Eboreime who was awarded the Bacon Prize for Chemistry.

For a House of only 16, Turner can be really proud of all it has achieved this year.

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High Society

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ebecca Vines’ production never took itself too seriously: there were some brilliant character sketch cameos from Kostya Zemskovas as Stanley the excitable butler (complete with feather duster), Ryan Beglarbegi as a stupendously rich, superbly drunken party guest, and Maddie Harris as a lustful granny with an appreciative eye for Matthieu Berbinau's bottom. The chorus of maids also deserve a mention for their strong singing.

As ever, casting was spot on. Dominic McClaran was all naughty pinches and strange grunts as the lecherous Uncle Willy, gravelling his way through ‘Say It With Gin’ and providing constant comic relief. Nick Mackay was a superb 'fall guy' as the rich but utterly dull George Kittredge, a slab of slow-moving, slow-thinking stupidity, easily outwitted by all those around him; he also deserves credit for not overdoing it and not playing for the easy laugh. There were some excellent performances from seasoned performers, such as Beth Leishman, playing the society hostess Mrs Lord with a voice like sandpaper and enviable comic timing. Others took more leading roles for the first time and impressed in producing performances broad enough for the material and big enough for the space: Benjy Lamb gave us a mature and nicely judged performance as the weak but well-meaning Seth Lord, Tracy’s father; Lauren Ferro rolled her eyes and sniped terrifically as Dinah Lord, Tracy’s younger sister and the only one with enough sense to see what is going on.

The witty Liz was well played by Olivia Preece, always ready with the smarts and thus protecting herself with sarcasm and sharpness, although one or two lines were a little rushed at times. One of the most delightful performances for me was Geraint Downing as the frustrated writer and society hack Mike.

Downing had just the right mixture of wry wisecracks and vulnerability, and his rendition of ‘You’re Sensational’ as he moons over Tracy was one of the highlights of the show. Downing and Kilsby also brought a light, easy comic touch to the famous Sinatra/Crosby duet of ‘Well, Did You Evah’. The plot rapidly descends into glorious silliness, with various combinations of characters falling on and off stage in increasing stages of inebriation, with ‘Let’s Misbehave’ a wonderfully naughty cast number.

Then there are the two romantic leads. Amy Porter and Laurence Kilsby are a match made in musical heaven: their voices blend beautifully, they make a delightful couple, and they have the gift of taking an audience with them.

AMY WAS BORN TO PLAY TRACY LORD AS THE GIRL WHO ASKS ‘AM I A PRINCESS

...AND THE WHOLE WORLD ANSWERED YES’

Laurence was debonair and effortlessly elegant as C. K. Dexter Haven, sauntering on and off, seemingly unruffled by the chaos around him and yet clearly still in love with his ex-wife Tracy. Amy was born to play Tracy Lord as the girl who asks ‘am I a princess and the whole world answered yes’: it was perfectly conceivable that three men could all be vying for her favour. Porter captured Tracy’s self-assurance, wit, and glamour; she could perhaps have made more of Tracy’s rigid, pretentious morals, if only so that we as an audience could enjoy her fall from grace (and superb drunkenness!) more. Her rendition of ‘Once Upon A Time’, which melts into the love duet ‘True Love’, was poignant; ‘It’s All Right With Me’ was full of excitement and daring.

Needless to say, all ends happily for both the cast and the audience, buoyed up by a wonderfully enjoyable evening. All credit to Helen Porter's band, always spot on and well-judged, and to Rebecca Vines and her cast.

G Hildick-Smith

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Inherit theWind ean Close audiences may have grown accustomed to the gloss and glitz of the musical – that golden rocking horse of whole school productions – but this production presented something more solid: a splendidly eloquent defense of tolerance and the freedom of thought in a bigoted world.

‘Inherit the Wind’ (directed by Lloyd Allington) opened with a screen projecting fragments of news reel covering the Scopes monkey trial of 1925, when a Tennessee high school science teacher was tried for teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution. This historic event forms the basis of the play, yet the foreword by the playwrights makes it clear that it should not be rooted in a particular period of history. Certainly, ‘Inherit the Wind’ remains as relevant today as it was in the shadow of the McCarthy hearings.

As the action unfolded, the screen (a still of a small town in America, representing the fictional Hillsboro) lifted to the reveal the main focus of the play: the courtroom. If all the world’s a stage, few places in it are more obviously so than a courtroom. For the prosecution, we had one Matthew Harrison Brady (Guy Amos), a thrice defeated presidential candidate and a hectoring fundamentalist; and opposing him, Henry Drummond (Max Thomas), a wily Chicagoan who champions ‘the right to be wrong’: the right to think.

And, of course, no courtroom would be complete without its own audience, comprising a rabble of bible-bashing Hillsboro hillbillies, braying ‘Amen’ in support of Brady, then growing hushed as they witness the felling of a giant.

Max Thomas was memorably human as Drummond, who addressed most of his thoughts to the floor until his powerful courtroom orations elevated him from a shuffling Colombo to the undisputed hero of the piece: the audience hung on his every weighted word. Two stellar speeches remain in the mind long after the production 24 ~ DECANIAN 2015/16

by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E Lee Main School Play Christmas 2015 Bacon Theatre

ended –the first about the price of progress: ‘Sometimes I think there’s a man behind a counter who says, “All right, you can have a telephone; but you’ll have to give up privacy, the charm of distance”’, and the second about the golden rocking horse that turned out to be made from rotten wood ‘all shine, and no substance’. Through his portrayal of Drummond, Max caught a mixture of sharp wit and great humanity. Furthermore, I believed that Max’s Drummond felt his age, felt the years he’d known Brady, felt the tragedy of a situation in which no one, personally, would win.

Guy Amos as Brady brought extraordinary power to this difficult role, playing a man finding his rock solid faith in the power of his own personality turn to quick-sand. Guy was superb as the self-regarding, oratorically booming Bible-basher, complete with glib gags: ‘I am more interested in the Rock of Ages, than I am in the Age of Rocks’. His downfall was superbly rendered, spewing out a ‘skull full of undelivered inauguration speeches’ as he is carried from the courtroom. Dom McClaran was deliciously cool and witty as the apparently cynical reporter, Hornbeck ‘who never pushed a noun against a verb except to blow up something’ and offered up a deadpan critique of the unfolding action in the dissonant riffs of a Beat poet.

Finally, special mention must go to Beth Leishman who is an alchemist on stage, turning the leaden part of Rachel into pure gold. Here was a character evolving before our eyes: we watched as she thought, and thought some more, and chose to reject her fundamentalist father (played by Olly Evans) and leave for Chicago with school teacher Cates (played by Rory Kavanagh). She gains Drummond’s (and the audience’s) admiration with lines such as this, ‘I was always afraid of what I might think- so it seemed safer not to think at all. But now I know. A thought is like a child inside our body.

It has to be born.’ Amen, sister, amen.

KM Ledlie

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CERTAINLY, REMAINS AS RELEVANT TODAY AS IT WAS IN THE SHADOW OF THE MCCATHY HEARINGS

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Pride and Predjudice LOWER SCHOOL PLAY BACON THEATRE (3 & 4 March 2016) Directed by Rebecca Vines

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to adapt an entire novel for the stage, but Rebecca Vines comes from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and had the magical idea (realised by whizz-kid Fifth Formers Gabbie Sills and Maddie Dunn) of blending lots of genres in an adaptation of what might be the greatest English novel: the audience were lulled at the start into thinking this was a “straight” performance of P&P; Mrs Bennet and her (mostly) shrieking girls getting excited about the arrival of Mr Bingley (the handsome, debonair and wide-eyed Jack Coombs making his debut here) in the neighbourhood.

Suddenly, the whole show is rudely interrupted by the music from the famous BBC series on an unfurling screen, and Director (Nick Mackay) pops up from the audience, complete with megaphone, and bewails the fact that every new dramatized version has to contend with the wet T-shirt competition of “Colin-bloody-Firth”… And we realise we are on a film set, in mid-shoot.

And so here we were with a wondrous and zany hotch-potch of genres: stage, novel and screen, all mixed up in the Lower School Cauldron of Jane Austen delights. Well, a lot of the time, Jane Austen it Ain’t, as we saw extras (Tweetiepie, cavaliers, spacemen, Spiderman) queuing for the portaloo, and stage hands rushing about shoving props and furniture round the hapless actors. But the core scenes were there, led by some lovely restrained performances from Izzy Moulding as Elizabeth Bennet, Gabbie Sills as the

swan-like Jane Bennet, and the shrieking baggage Maddie Dunn as the wayward Lydia Bennet. Izzy captured Lizzie’s aloofness and fury at Darcy, played with splendid hauteur by veteran Max Thomas, who managed to epitomise the word dashing in his tails and ruff-shirts. There was a super chemistry between them – pretty vital in this show – and the scene where Darcy declared his love (first time round) was especially good. Not easy, this, for juniors, but it was accomplished with maturity and understanding of what these characters are feeling. Gabbie Sills really stepped up to show a truly agonised Jane Bennet – for me, it was one of the strongest performances in the troupe. A delightful discovery was Lucy Elmes as the squawking Mrs B, all lace and fans and bonnets, giving Mr B (Benjamin Lamb, looking fairly wry about the whole thing) a hard time bythe-hour.

There were lovely cameos from others: Polly Kalashnikova as the bimbo Kitty and Jess Beeby as Mary Bennet were delightful. For many in the audience, the performance of the night was Guy Amos’ Mr Collins, oozing unctuously all over Nick Mackay’s dragon-Lady Catherine de Bourgh (Nick Mackay as director stepping in for Dame Judi – apparently drunk again in her trailer on set…). Jane Austen this definitely was not, but fun and frolics it definitely was, and the audience loved it. A smashing ensemble piece, and good to see so much girl talent exploited. A fabulous idea, and a fabulous romp.

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drama t is now 60 years since Osborne’s masterpiece took the theatre and arts world by storm with its premiere at the Royal Court in 1956, and turned the well-made play upside down. It spawned the term “Angry Young Man” and seemed to encapsulate the post-war and post-colonial disenchantment felt by many in the 1950s – with the sicknesses of the class system and women’s inequality slowly coming to the forefront. Those are some of the big themes: but at its heart is the complex relationship between Jimmy Porter (a toweringly difficult part to play) and his mousy wife, Alison. For the first time on stage, the British public came brutally face to face with the realities of gritty life in the suburbs: sex, adultery, miscarriages and the boredom of living. No longer were we in the elegant drawing rooms of Rattigan and Coward – but watching Jimmy read the Sunday papers in his vest, and Alison cope with the mundanities of ironing and day-to-day immensities of just surviving.

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Rory Kavanagh excelled as Jimmy: for a start, he looked like him: tall, handsome, brooding and threatening, he captured the volcanic nature of Jimmy’s impotent fury at the world and its unfairness and its ordinariness. His most powerful scenes were with his wife – his vituperative insults flung at the hapless Alison were powerful and spiteful. Flawed Jimmy

may be, but he is not grey or dull – and there are no Jimmys left now in this world. Amy Porter as Alison achieved the feebleness and vulnerability of the part, but it is very hard to capture the inner suffering of the woman – indeed, it is almost impossible for an actor of this age to do so. It is easy for actors of this age to descend into sentimental emoting: but part of Alison especially is a tall order, even for a talented young actress such as Amy. Beth Leishman’s inner bitch was released as the complex Helena Charles, who goes on a journey of discovery from prim actress to scheming adulteress – but she understood the complexity of the character and Helena’s fundamental decency in Act II. There were some touching scenes between Beth and Amy here. Oli Evans as the Welsh, genial lodger Cliff, had a natural gentleness and tenderness – essential to the role.

It is essential that we as a school and a department put on and see this kind of play – otherwise we descend into the anodyne and the trivial. The play is important, powerful and a mainstream of English Theatre, and we as a school are poorer for it if we ignore these things. Congratulations to a committed and strong cast for making such a success of it: we are proud that we have actors of this stature who are able to do so.

LS Allington

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Studio Plays Missing Dan Nolan

Too Much Punch for Judy 'Too Much Punch For Judy', directed by Rebecca Vines, warns of the dangers of drink-driving, as a drunk Judy crashes the car and kills her sister, Joanna. Polina Kalashnikova's performance as Judy captured her devil-may-care attitude, followed by disbelief and horror at her actions. Joanna, played by Lauren Ferro, came across as almost dreamy, which seemed entirely appropriate considering the elements of flashback and slow-motion employed by the writing and the direction. Bea Bennett's Vi Poulton, the girls' mother, conveyed much of the shock at finding out such terrible news; Alexia Morris also gave a promising performance as Denise, the first person on the scene following the crash and recounting what she remembers.

‘Missing Dan Nolan', directed by Georgina Hildick-Smith, tells the true story of a teenager's disappearance, using the words of his friends and family. He was never found and the disappearance is still unsolved. Playing Dan Nolan, Lewis Haywood's natural buoyancy and charisma made his character's disappearance all the more poignant. Lucy Pickering and Josh Stott, playing Dan's parents, gave performances of some gravitas and grief which were well beyond their years. Evie Crawford Poxon gave a moving and nicely-judged performance as Dan's sister, Clare, whilst Rob Hayes (George), Ben Stott (Joe), and Freddie Robb (Thom) deserve special mentions for their extremely realistic and engaging performances as Dan's school-friends.

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Music Spring Concert

ur annual Spring Concert at Pittville Pump Room took place on Sunday 6th March, involving some of our major groups - Orchestra, Sinfonia and Chamber Choir and two chamber groups - Close Harmony and a Clarinet Quintet.

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JASON PERFORMED WITH AUTHORITY, HIS PLAYING WAS IMBUED WITH POISE, STYLE AND LYRICISM

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The evening began with Sinfonia setting the high standard of the whole concert, playing the Praeludium from Grieg’s Holberg Suite and the exquisite Intermezzo from Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana. This year, Close Harmony has involved eight singers, enabling this advanced group to focus on some challenging eight-part repertoire. Tonight was no exception, with an impressive performance of O Clap your Hands by Gibbons. To end the first half, Joe Morford played Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C major, by memory (a commendable feat in itself) and this was just another in Joe’s long list of quite remarkable achievements this year – Oxford Choral Scholarship, winner of Song Recital Trophy, runner-up in the Keith Nutland, to name a few) and his playing demonstrated a secure technical facility, advanced musicianship and an amazing musical memory!

After the interval, Janice Ng – our talented pianist still only in the Remove – played the first movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto in D minor with precision, style and flawless technique. The thought of what Janice might achieve in the future is an exciting prospect!

Chamber Choir next took to the stage, directed by Simon Bell, with a very fine performance of the unaccompanied Hymn to St Cecilia by Britten. A notoriously difficult piece to bring off, Chamber Choir rose to the challenge and kept the intonation throughout, singing sensitively but producing real power when required.

Jason Richards led the first movement of Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet in A major, with Tinwai Cheung, Salim Jaffar, Ashton Mackinnon and Joe Morford providing the rest of the ensemble. Jason performed with authority and, as always, his playing was imbued with poise, style and lyricism.

The final item of the evening was a rousing rendition of Finlandia, by Sibelius, played by full orchestra, conducted

by Helen Porter. This piece really suited the orchestra who clearly enjoyed this epic masterpiece and managed to capture the varied moods so well to provide a fitting conclusion to this greatly enjoyed evening.

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Commemoration Concert THE COMMEM CONCERT HAD A DISTINCTLY PATRIOTIC LAST NIGHT OF THE PROMS FEEL TO IT

opped by Elgar, Pomp and Circumstance March no.4, and tailed by Wood, Fantasia on British Sea Songs and the singing of Jerusalem, the 2016 Commem Concert, along with its programme cover, had a distinctly patriotic Last Night of The Proms feel to it.

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A 65-piece Orchestra is some juggernaut to keep on the road. The conductor, Helen Porter, was very much in the driving seat and her Orchestra was very responsive, notably later in the programme in the 1st movement of Lalo, Cello

Concerto in D minor. In its opening salvo, Pomp and Circumstance March, no.4, the Orchestra was led with gusto by Louis Morford. This March is dedicated to George Robertson Sinclair, Organist at Hereford Cathedral, and it was first performed in 1907 when more of the globe was coloured red than at any other time in history which was reflected in the Orchestra's stirring playing of the nobilmente melody of the central trio.

Geraint Downing was the accomplished soloist in the 1st movement of Lalo, Cello Concerto

in D minor. The opening theme came across as it should, Romantic, grandiose, dense; the allegro maestoso worked particularly well; and throughout, the Orchestra complemented the soloist, neatly together, never dominating but enjoying its moments. Geraint Downing's playing was strong, lyrical and musing; changes of tempo were expertly managed; and Geraint's cadenza-like flourishes were impressive.

Fantasia on British Sea Songs is so very well-known that anything untoward can show up. It didn't! All the solos were movingly accurate and musical Rowan Ireland (trumpet) in the Admiral's Salute, Joe Morford's lingering melody

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A CONCERT HAS TO BE STAGED, AND MANAGEMENT AND PRESENTATION ARE KEY

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in Tom Bowling, Louis Morford and Doris Choi in Jack’s the Lad, Jason Richard's Clarinet Cadenza, and Harriet Abbott's hauntingly beautiful oboe in Home, Sweet Home.

performed in the Town Hall in 1995.

Again, the standard of performance was remarkably high with all technical aspects of singing being finely honed.

Sinfonia is quite remarkable.

The standard of the string playing is now exceptionally high and performances are highly professional. On this occasion, two contrasting pieces were played. The first movement of Elgar's miniature, Serenade for Strings was notable for its wistful, nostalgic, lyrical middle section. In contrast, Piazzolla’s Libertango, was Latin American, syncopated, and jazzy.

Amy Porter, accompanied so sensitively by her mother, sang one of the most popular arias in the mezzo-soprano repertoire, Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix from SaintSaëns’ Samson and Delilah. Amy drew on her stage experience to give a mature, compelling, seductive performance of beauty, poise and feeling; the top notes rang clear and true, intonation and diction in French were perfect. Samson stood absolutely no chance for this was truly wonderful, sublime singing under considerable pressure, an emotional as well as a musical highlight and rightly recognised as such by the audience.

And so to the singing, three sections all reflecting the amazing depth of choral talent, the first from Close Harmony demonstrating vocal dexterity, precise tuning, balance, accuracy, stylistic variation and clarity of diction. Particularly striking was the singing of Stanford's classic, The Bluebird, in which Katy Moorhouse's solo line, floating across the waters cold and still, was beautifully controlled and clear. Chamber Choir, directed by Simon Bell, sang three pieces from the Choral Suite, Birthday Madrigals, written

by John Rutter for the Cheltenham Bach Choir and first

There is more to a concert than just the performances. A concert has to be staged, and stagemanagement and presentation are key. It is important that this is acknowledged because it speaks volumes and considerably enhances the audience's experience when the boys are so smart and the girls so elegantly dressed.

RF Taylor

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Messiah

Advent Concert he programme for the Advent Concert was rich in quality and variety. The Concert Band set the tone from the top with Dambusters' March and White Christmas. The Brass Band then played a sensitive arrangement of Mozart, Ave Verum.

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Chris Li and Sinfonia gave a most accomplished performance of Keyboard Concerto in A major by JS Bach. To play Bach well is one of the most difficult challenges a pianist can face and Chris was certainly up to it, his precise technique and control of rhythm being particularly notable.

Sinfonia was equally impressive and the whole ensemble quite outstanding, as indeed it was when Sinfonia played Allegro from Sinfonia in D minor by Mendelssohn. Chamber Choir is another highly polished ensemble that can interpret complex choral works with accuracy, blend, balance and feeling.

n late November, Dean Close Choral Society put on a memorable performance of Handel’s Messiah in the Pittville Pump Room to a packed audience. Simon Bell conducted the choir, accompanied by the Bristol Ensemble, with authority and ease, maintaining a tremendous sense of unity and ensemble in this challenging work.

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The chorus, comprising 120 members, rose to the occasion and clearly enjoyed singing Handel’s epic masterpiece. This concert was special for two particular reasons. Firstly, it was the first time that the Prep School Chamber Choir, coached by Rachel Bowen, joined in a Senior School Choral Society concert. What a wonderful experience it was for them to sing this tremendous work, without doubt one of the greatest in the choral repertoire, and the thirty young girls contributed hugely to the sound of the top line, clearly gaining enormously from the experience. We are also particularly proud of the fact that five of our Dean Close School Music Scholars sang the majority of the solos alongside soprano Hannah Davey and mezzo Victoria Jess. Real credit must be given to these talented singers – Katy Moorhouse, Amy Porter, Laurence Kilsby, Joe Morford and Ashton Mackinnon – who sang with supreme assurance and musicianship and delighted with their youthful exuberance and astonishing poise. What a tremendous experience for them, if rather a daunting one, given that the wonderful, internationally renowned mezzo, Sarah Connolly, was sitting on the second row.

Dean Close has a splendid Symphony Orchestra, some 60 or so pieces. It has too few opportunities in concert during the year and that makes the standard it attains all the more remarkable - while rehearsing every week of the year is vital, there is no substitute for the 'match-day' experience when it comes to raising levels of performance. Louis Morford, its accomplished leader, was the soloist in Allegro non troppo from Lalo, Symphonie Espagnole in which

he demonstrated huge potential as a soloist, competently and sensitively accompanied by the full orchestra.

After the interval, Orchestra played two very well-known movements from Tchaikovsky, Romeo and Juliet and the seasonal 'goodie', Sleigh Ride. This was followed by three small ensembles of great quality. First, Girls’ Close Harmony Rocked Around the Christmas Tree, and very nicely they did too; second, a most professional and musical performance by Louis Morford (violin), Geraint Downing (cello) and Janice Ng (piano) of the Piano Trio, Primavera Porteña by Piazzolla - maybe a bit early for Spring but it's the warmest December on record; and third, a wonderfully entertaining and off-beat Twelve Days of Christmas from the brilliant Boys’ Close Harmony. Jazz Band, with the excellent Dionne Eboreime as soloist, brought this fabulous concert to its close.

Congratulations to the hundred or so who performed and to those who conducted, directed, and stage-managed.

HL Porter

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Fridays @ 6 A move to Chapel for Joe Morford and Jason Richards’ joint recital of music for cello and organ. After being treated to Bach’s 3rd cello suite and Bruhns’ Praeludium for Organ, Jason and Joe joined forces in a beautiful rendition of John Sanders’ Lament for cello and organ followed by Bach’s Chorale for cello and organ. The Lament was a particular highlight for many, with several requests for recordings and sheet music following the recital.

An academic twist to this one with the A level piano recitals given by Jessie Wong and Katy Moorhouse, interspersed with AS vocal recitals from Matthew Welch and Lucy O’Rourke. Both pianists demonstrated a command of the piano with some very stylish and sensitive playing which included Debussy, Prokofiev, Beethoven, Liszt and Ginastera with Matthew and Lucy giving a delightful contrast with music by Bach, Head, Schumann and Ireland.

A wonderful concert of vocal ensembles, directed and rehearsed by Ben Sawyer and Pat Coniam. The Close Harmony Octet began proceedings with O Clap your Hands by Gibbons, followed by an incredibly impressive line-up of 20+ boys singing The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard

by Britten. Pat Coniam confidently conducted another close harmony group in Over the Rainbow, and the recital closed with the octet singing You are the new day and I got rhythm.

The first recital of the year, given

by Laurence Kilsby (tenor) and Amy Porter (mezzo) with a delightful programme of solos and duets from Les Misérables and Miss Saigon - a real Schonberg and Boublil extravaganza! Laurence and Amy are quite a formidable duo when it comes to Music Theatre and exhibit a great chemistry on stage. There was hardly a dry eye in the house, particularly in A Little Fall of Rain and Bring him Home.

An opportunity for Geraint Downing (cello) to rehearse his Conservatoire audition programme. A very commendable recital which included the Piano Trio playing Piazzolla’s Primavera Portena.

Geraint was very professional in his approach, particularly when his glasses slipped off during the performance…!

(Geraint was subsequently awarded a place at Trinity Laban Conservatoire…)

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THERE WAS HARDLY A DRY EYE IN THE HOUSE, PARTICULARY IN A LTTLE FALL OF RAIN AND BRING HIM HOME

Fridays at 6 with a twist! Ciara Allen put on a great concert as a Tribute to Frank Sinatra featuring Dean Close Big Band, Combo and soloists in a relaxed Jazz Club setting in the PMH. Pat Coniam, Gabby Sills, Maddie Dunn, Katy Moorhouse, Maddie Harris and Laurence Kilsby all sang some great numbers with conviction and style but the highlight of the evening was Matthew Welch (who was responsible for suggesting the idea of a Sinatra tribute) who brought the house down at the end with New York, New York, accompanied by Jazz Band.

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House Music

Competition 1st 2nd

Katie McCabe Lois Dunning

1st 2nd

Patrick Coniam Charlie Waddington

1st 2nd 3rd

Bea Bennett Lana Slade Ellie Pietroni

1st 2nd

Lauren Ferro Maddie Dunn

1st 2nd

Lewis Haywood Linus Holmes

1st 2nd

Laurence Kilsby Amy Porter

1st 2nd 3rd

Lucy O’Rourke Maddie Dunn Lauren Ferro

1st =2nd =2nd 3rd

Joe Morford Amy Porter Ashton Mackinnon Laurence Kilsby

Solo Singing Competition This year’s Solo Vocal Competition comprised a Junior category (Grades 1-4), adjudicated by our own Simon Bell and Sylvia Klemz, Intermediate (Grades 5 & 6) and Senior (Grades 7 & 8) classes, split into boys’ and girls’ voices. For the first time, there were separate classes for Juniors and Seniors in the Songs from the Shows category. The adjudicator was James Gilchrist. The level of singing throughout the afternoon and evening was most impressive and entertaining, with some excellent performances that were highly commended by James.

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Song Recital Trophy

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his was such a special occasion and one I shall remember fondly for some time. It is events like this that remind me what a fantastic job I have - watching such incredibly talented and delightful young people getting a buzz from performing at so high a level before an appreciative audience has to be the very best part of all! This year was special for another reason, namely for being the first year of our new format, suggested by our longest serving singing teacher, Linda Parsons. In order to bring the singing competition into line with our instrumental Sherratt Prize, post Grade 8 singers now prepare a recital of up to nine minutes which must include a song in a foreign language and an English Art Song.

What was hugely impressive was not just the vocal maturity of all the competitors in this class but their high levels of communication and poise. None of them showed any sense of nervousness but rather put the audience totally at its ease, allowing us all just to sit back and enjoy. Such a treat when compared with those school concerts when it’s a case of wondering whether they will get through the challenging bars that lie ahead!

The six programmes were well constructed and presented us with an array of different languages (including Welsh!), styles and genres. All sang from memory and voice types included mezzo-soprano, countertenor, tenor and bass.

IT IS EVENTS LIKE THIS THAT REMIND ME WHAT A FANTASTIC JOB I HAVE

The competition was won by Joe Morford with Amy Porter and Ashton Mackinnon coming joint second and Laurence Kilsby third. Exciting though it was to discover who was deemed to be the winner by our superb adjudicator, James Gilchrist, ultimately the result hardly mattered because we had been treated to such a fantastic evening of delightful singing.

James Gilchrist, who has adjudicated similar competitions in many schools, said “the standard here this evening was totally extraordinary and many of these performances would not have been out of place in a Conservatoire recital.”

I have to say I feel immensely proud of our wonderful singers – to have one such singer of this calibre in the school is a real treat but to have six at this level (with more following in the lower years) is just a complete luxury!

HL Porter

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Sherratt Prize his, along with the new Song Recital Trophy, has to be the highlight of our musical year at Dean Close, with all of our very finest musicians on show and competing for the fiercely contested Sherratt Prize. This year the standard was impressively high across the board, with not an inferior item in sight. There were some staggering performances during the course of the evening and Meurig had some extremely tough decisions to call.

Although they did not win any of the top prizes, Doris Choi, Jeff Gao and Janice Ng all gave hugely enjoyable performances which, on

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Solo Instrumental

This year we were delighted to welcome as our adjudicator Meurig Bowen, who has huge experience in this field, having adjudicated for the BBC Young Musician of the Year on several occasions. Unfortunately, Meurig arrived with a migraine and so retired in the middle of the afternoon in order to recuperate before the Sherratt Prize in the evening. A mild panic ensued before Michelle Fleming kindly stepped in at the last minute to give an excellent adjudication for the remaining afternoon classes.

another occasion, might well have been winners. In the end it was Rowan Ireland (trumpet), Ernest Tang (saxophone), Jason Richards and Tinwai Cheung (piano) who took the cups for Brass, Woodwind and Piano respectively with the Strings cup being awarded to the indomitable Louis Morford who performed the virtuosic Ziegeunewiesen by Sarasate.

This is fiendish repertoire and not a piece to be undertaken lightly! Louis performed with enormous flair, technical expertise and musicianship and, as a consequence, was announced the much deserved winner of the Sherratt Prize.

The Junior category was adjudicated

by Simon Bell and Ciara Allen, with the prize awarded to Jemimah Bareham for her accurate and sensitive violin playing.

There were some very fine performances throughout the afternoon, with Lewis Haywood taking the Intermediate cup for his Swinging Shepherd blues on saxophone. The Senior cup was a close call with very promising items from Oscar Richardson, Joe Morford, Charlotte Schuberth and Ashton Mackinnon, but it was Jeff Gao playing Bach’s Sonata in G minor that impressed our ‘stand-in’ adjudicator most of all to receive the Senior cup.

The Popular Music category (for a maximum of 2 performers) always provides the audience (and adjudicator) with a few moments of light relief and there were some lovely performances here, including an original composition by Orly Giannini, but it was Amy Porter who walked away with the Popular Music Shield for the fourth year.

1st 2nd =3rd

Jemimah Bareham Ollie Wood Georgia Faux and Katie Hunt

1st =2nd

Jeff Gao (Overall Senior Cup) Charlotte Schuberth and Ashton Mackinnon

1st 2nd 3rd

Lewis Haywood (Overall Intermediate Cup) Andrew Whitford Daniel Barrow

1st 2nd =3rd

Oscar Richardson Hannah Woods Isabel Montgomery and Alix Atwick

1st =2nd

Lana Slade Orlando Giannini and Ellie Pietroni

1st 2nd 3rd

Joe Morford Louis Morford Enen Chong

1st =2nd

Michele Lam Oscar Richardson and Ellie Pietroni

1st 2nd

Amy Porter Emily Rose Millward & Polina Kalashnikova

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music

Music Diary Tuesday 22 September

What a privilege to welcome James Gilchrist to Dean Close to give a vocal masterclass. James has a wonderful manner with the young soloists and the astonishing rate of progress was clear for all to see. It was a most enlightening and entertaining afternoon with James quickly spotting the needs of each individual. His highly energetic style was rather exhausting even to watch with dancing around the room a feature of two of the sessions!

with The Power of Love by Huey Lewis and the News. The part songs once again saw the standard of singing reach even higher levels.

Every House submitted credit-worthy performances and special mention must go to Gate for a brave and sensitive performance by Matthew Welch and Geraint Downing.

However, this year the winning performances were Fawley, with a specially arranged film music medley by Katy Moorhouse, and Dale with I’m a Train which quite literally took everyone’s breath away. After a quick totting up of the scores, Hatherley and Brook Court were announced overall joint winners.

Chamber Choir, under the direction of Simon Bell, sang Duruflé’s stunning Requiem in the beautiful surroundings of Tewkesbury Abbey.

They produced a tremendous sound and were impeccably accompanied by Carleton Etherington on the organ. The anthem for this service was Versa est in Luctum by Spanish composer Alonso Lobo.

Friday 9 October

Sunday 15 November

On this evening we were treated to a wonderful organ recital in Chapel given by James O’Donnell who is Organist and Master of Choristers at Westminster Abbey. The first portion of his programme centred around contrasting works by JS Bach from the dramatic Fantasie & Fugue in G minor to three contrasting chorale preludes. Repertoire from the 20th century formed much of the remainder of the programme; Messiaen’s Joie et clarté showcased many interesting colours and jazz influences and was followed by the minimalist style of Ad Wammes’ Miroir. We were also treated to works by Marcel Dupré, Jehan Alain and the famous Toccata by Widor. It was wonderful to hear our new instrument played by such a prestigious performer.

This was an evening of light music in the PMH, with mood lighting, candles, drinks and nibbles creating the appropriate atmosphere for an array of acoustic performances. Music ranged from Elvis and Michael Jackson to Radioactive and James Morrison. There were items from the Slade family, Lucy O’Rourke, Maddie Harris, Laurence Kilsby and Amy Porter. One of the more unusual for impressive performances was an arrangement for guitar duet by James Harrison and Simon Fraser of Mice and Men’s Purified.

winning songs from House Shout – namely from Hatherley, Dale, Brook Court and Fawley.

Sunday 8 November

Sunday 27 September

We were treated to thirteen items in this concert from our new Music Scholars, most of whom are in the Fourth Form, but with a few joiners in other years – Ernest Tang, Evie Crawford Poxon and Matthew Welch. There were some most encouraging vocal and instrumental performances and the concert was a lovely opportunity to see the talent that will take us through the next few years.

Saturday 3 October

‘Love is in the Air’, or at least it was in the Bacon Theatre, as the whole school crowded in for the eagerly anticipated House Singing Competition. This year’s theme was songs with ‘Love’ in the title which provided the Houses with a wide variety of musical styles from which to choose. The tough job of adjudicating was undertaken by Jon Cullen, Director of Music from Magdalen College School, Oxford. After much deliberation, Hatherley was awarded first place in the girls’ unison category for their lively rendition of I won’t say I’m in love from Disney’s Hercules and Brook Court took the boys’ title

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Friday 16 October

Concert Band and Jazz Band framed this concert which included soloists Ernest Tang playing saxophone and Janice Ng playing piano. The remaining items included the

Thursday 19 November

This showcased our talented senior Music Scholars. Salim Jaffar’s first performance as a counter-tenor singing Cara Sposa really made the audience sit up in their seats – this is a young man to look out for in the future. There were some lovely instrumental items but it was perhaps the singers who stole the show this evening, most notably Salim Jaffar, Amy Porter, Ashton Mackinnon and Laurence Kilsby.

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music Wednesday 4 February

Sunday 31 January

Coming just after the tragic death of David Bowie, it was very fitting to have Life on Mars and Ziggy Stardust in the programme this year, featuring Justin Slade and Eric Harris, whilst some of our classical singers such as Salim Jaffar and Pat Coniam revealed very different musical talents from those seen in the Solo Singing Competition earlier in the week, rocking the stage with White Stripes and Blink numbers. The girls were on form too, with a moving performance from Polina Kalashnikova and Emily Rose Millward, and, later, a beautiful performance of Eyes Wide Shut by Amy Porter and Lucy O’Rourke. The Funk Band finished the show off with an Average White Band and Prince number and, as always, the audience clapped and danced to the fantastic lighting and effects. A great night!

Two aspiring Oxbridge Choral Scholars, Dominic McClaran and Tinwai Cheung, spent a day at Merton College, organised by Ben Nicholas, taking part in choral workshops and masterclasses under the direction of Carys Lane and Giles Underwood. This was a fabulous insight for the boys into the Oxbridge choral tradition, giving them helpful tips for their auditions, and ended with singing Choral Evensong with the Merton College Choir, which included OD, Tom Dyer.

the piece by stripping it down to the bare bones. The Choir was instructed to sing the piece using only the vowels sounds, allowing them to listen more closely to each other and further blend their parts. The melody has fantastic variety and Simon’s emphasis was on changing the relationships between the voices.

He asked the singers to move around, stand with different people, face them if necessary, to get them to really understand each other’s parts of the music. This new-found freedom resulted in a dramatic change to the sound of the piece.

Wednesday 27 April

Tuesday 9 February

Chapel Choir travelled to sing Evensong in Worcester Cathedral, a first visit for Dean Close.

Music included Clucas Responses, Howell’s luminous Gloucester Service and Byrd’s Sing Joyfully. The choir received excellent feedback on the quality of its singing and is looking forward to singing Evensong in St Paul’s Cathedral later in 2016.

Friday 12 February

This was an extremely varied programme with Henry Hick starting the concert as tuba soloist in a suitably lively Steamboat Stomp, accompanied by Concert Band, and Jazz Band ending with Birdland and Respect with Maddie Harris as soloist. In between, performers included Brass Group and the octet that makes up Close Harmony who sang two lovely arrangements of You are the new day and I got rhythm. Pianist Jessie Wong played a sensitive dance by Ginastera and the dramatic Tsunami

by Montague, followed by a passionate rendition of Why, God, Why? from Les Misérables by Laurence Kilsby.

A lovely opportunity for all three schools to join together to celebrate just some of the musical talent of our extraordinary young people.

The Senior School began the concert with an impressive Beethoven Piano Trio, the Carducci ended in spectacular form, as ever, with Mozart and in the middle of the programme the Pre-prep managed to supply us with a quite adorable string quartet which really won the show! Soloists included Michael Lei (violin), Talia Recine (piano), Niamh Allen (voice), Joe Pineger (clarinet) and, from the Senior School, Amy Porter (voice), Rowan Ireland (trumpet) and Louis Morford (violin).

Sunday 19 June

A reduced Chamber Choir provided two choral items for this very touching tribute to the much-loved Margaret Bowen, singing Like as the Hart by Howells and the very fitting The Lord Bless you and Keep You by Rutter. In addition, Laurence Kilsby gave an incredibly moving performance of Somewhere over the Rainbow, accompanied beautifully by Jason Richards.

Julie Kent and Jason played Simply the Best on saxophone and piano and Simon Bell ended with I did it my way on the organ. Margaret would have been proud!

Tuesday 26 April Sunday 19 June Simon is Choral Director of the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Chorus Director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Choruses and Director of the BBC Proms Youth Choir, to name but a few of his roles. On his visit to Dean Close, he worked very closely with the Chamber Choir on John Rutter’s A Lover and his Lass. During the session, Simon was able to help the pupils to transform 40 ~ DECANIAN 2015/16

Despite the miserable weather, this was a lovely event, hosted by Tim Hastie-Smith, former Headmaster of Dean Close School. The concert was an eclectic mix of vocal and instrumental, solo and ensemble items. Close Harmony, comprising Katy Moorhouse, Amy Porter, Ben Sawyer, Laurence Kilsby, Louis Morford, Matthew Welch and Ashton Mackinnon, started

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music the concert with some sacred masterpieces including If ye love me (Tallis), later singing some madrigals and ending with some more popular arrangements, including Goodnight Sweetheart.

This was polished singing and clearly enjoyed by both audience and singers alike. The rest of the programme comprised vocal solos from Laurence, Amy, Ashton and Matthew with violin solos from Louis and Jeff Gao. Monday 20 June

It was an absolute joy to welcome back Roddy Williams (who adjudicated our Singing Competition two years ago) to give some in-depth teaching to some of our most talented singers – Ashton Mackinnon, Laurence Kilsby, Matthew Welch and Amy Porter. All four came away buzzing from what they had been taught in their individual lessons which focused on response to the text in addition to some technical guidance and help.

Tuesday 21 June

There were twenty items in this programme of Fourth and Remove Music Scholars, demonstrating both instrumental and vocal talent.

The Bridge Piano Trio, played by Lana Slade, Rachel Hellier and Enen Chong (Rachel was “borrowed” from DCPS for this occasion) provided a most enjoyable start to the concert with some confident and sensitive playing and led extremely well by Lana. There were many very commendable performances, most notably from Liam McKinnes and Jeff Gao on the violin, Janice Ng, Tatyana Cheung and Enen Chong on the piano, Oscar Richardson on the clarinet and Ernest Tang on the saxophone.

Friday 24 June

The Valedictory Concert – our chance to say goodbye and thank you to our departing musicians – ironically took place on the same day that the country voted to leave the EU so, for some, a sense of nostalgia already pervaded the room before the concert began. Fifteen Scholars performed a mixture of solo and ensemble items, with the programme concluding with a lovely – and very apt – performance of Goodnight Sweetheart. After the concert we were all treated to a wonderful buffet supper provided

by Maria Taylor and her Leiths cookery students which we are very much hoping will be the start of a tradition!

Honours and Achievement Joe Morford, one of the School’s outstanding musicians, has obtained a Choral Scholarship to Merton College, Oxford, where he is going to read Biology.

Merton College Choir is directed

by Benjamin Nicholas, who was largely responsible for Joe’s musical progress from a young age when he entered the Tewkesbury Abbey Schola Cantorum. Joe has contributed enormously to the musical life of Dean Close School ever since, both as singer and cellist, and this scholarship is a worthy tribute to this talented and delightful young man. Joe has been a member of the prestigious Rodolfus Choir, directed by Ralph Allwood, and this year won the Dean Close Song Recital Trophy, adjudicated

by James Gilchrist.

Jason Richards has broken the School record books by achieving an incredible five Associated Board Grade 8 distinctions on clarinet, percussion, organ, piano and singing. Just when we thought this was the end of an impressive list, Jason was then awarded honours in Trinity Grade 8 Piano Accompaniment this year.

Jason scored over 140 marks out of 150 on four of the instruments, with 130 being a distinction, recently gaining 145 for grade 8 organ. He took the five AB exams in under two years.

He is an extremely talented accompanist, plays in the orchestra pit for musicals, has given several organ recitals, composes, is a jazz pianist, an improviser and also plays the organ at Stow Church. Jason performed an organ recital at Hereford Cathedral in September 2015 which was awarded by the Oundle Summer School for Organists. This year, Jason gave an organ recital at Queens’ College, Oxford.

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art

An Art Workshop by level art students started 2016 with a series of workshops led by artist, Victoria Young-Jamieson, to coincide with her exhibition ‘Lightwaves’, which was displayed in the BonBernard Gallery in January and February. The exhibition included paintings, glass pieces, photographs and moving visuals influenced

by Victoria’s seaside childhood.

A

Victoria spent time with the Lower Sixth Form where she worked with them to show how she develops a piece, from start to end, allowing them to see the thought process and journey that Victoria takes. During her residency she showed the students how to enjoy the process of experimentation and how to view 42 ~ DECANIAN 2015/16

art something in a different way, to be more experimental and to ‘see what happens’, demonstrating that there is no right or wrong way of painting.

Over the two weeks, the A level artists learned to mix untraditional materials such as clothes dye, salt, bleach, stain remover granules and fairy liquid with acrylic based inks and PVA to produce some exciting and unexpected results. The outcomes were displayed in the gallery, alongside Victoria’s work, following the conclusion of the workshop.

On completing her residency workshop, Victoria said: “The students have been enthusiastic to experimenting with ink, they have really engaged with each of the workshops and have created individual and unique responses

throughout the two weeks. It has been exciting to see their interpretations of my own work whilst being a great experience to reflect on my own practice.”

Victoria has been influenced and inspired by the reactions of light in her surrounding environment. She observes the way the light interferes with objects and surfaces as it becomes layered, reflected and distorted through the hindering structures, objects and materials in a space. She explains: “My practice starts with documenting these reactions with photography, I don’t confine myself to one process, but find excitement in experimenting with the challenges of a new material and overlapping it with previous techniques. Since growing up on the North Cornwall coastline I have become heavily influenced by the changing light of the different seasons and the effect it has on the colours of the land, sky and sea. In my paintings I try to capture a mood, recreate movement and texture within the landscape.

I find the process of mixing materials together on a canvas exciting and therefore takes over rather than trying to replicate what’s in front of me.”

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art

TALENTED FORMER PUPILS RETURN FOR n September, the School hosted a very special Private View and Dinner to mark the 20th anniversary of the opening of its Arts School. Over 30 alumni, many of whom have gone on to study and work in the Arts, brought back pieces of work ranging from paintings, sculptures, graphic pieces, photographs, clothing designs and jewellery. Leavers spanned back to the mid 1990s.

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The evening began in the BonBernard Gallery, located at the front of the Art School, where a host of pupils and staff, both past and present, gathered for the Private View.

Alumni professions included architects, graphic designers, opera house tailor, professional artists, jewellery designer, couture fashion designer and art teacher.

from our Old Decanians to be a part of this special event. It makes me exceptionally proud to welcome back these talented young people to exhibit in our gallery and to see the extraordinary diversity of the various artistic careers which they have forged for themselves in the years since we taught them Art at school. To feel that the Dean Close Art Department had a hand in inspiring and directing their lives in this way is a real thrill!”

IT HAS BEEN HUGELY GRATIFYING TO SEE THE ENTHUSIATIC RESPONSE WE HAVE HAD FROM OUR OLD DECANIANS

The party of around 60 guests had a fabulous threecourse dinner which was followed by a talk from the guest speaker, and old boy, James Richards, who works at Christie’s of London as the Head of British and Continental Pictures, Drawings, Watercolours and Interiors.

Director of Art, Caroline Evans, said: “It has been hugely gratifying to see the enthusiastic response we have had

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art

n November the School held a

I

Private View in the BonBernard

Gallery, showcasing the work of

22 pupils currently in the second year of their Art GCSE. Pupils

brought along their family and friends to the exhibition who were

also joined by teachers and other

visitors. The vibrant exhibition provided an excellent example of the breadth and calibre of Art and Design at the Senior School and was a superb opportunity to see a colourful range of ‘Hockney inspired’ landscape paintings, charcoal self-portraits, sculpted clay models and a variety of photography and print making.

The exhibition lasted for four weeks.

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commemoration

As he came to the end of his first year as Headmaster of Dean Close School, Bradley Salisbury used his Commem Speech to talk about his educational philosophy and how it fits Dean Close.

Excerpts from Headmaster’s Speech Commemoration May 2016

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his year, more than any I can remember, we have been forced by the government’s staggered and ramshackle approach to educational reform, to give serious thought to what our curriculum should be. If we start with the building blocks of the ancient system of education known as the trivium – grammar, argument and style - we have a basis on which to build. Selecting a curriculum which is founded on providing breadth, not simply a curriculum of utility. We must do all we can to provide opportunities for the pupils of Dean Close to have a significant body of systematic knowledge, that they can interrogate that knowledge with logic and communicate it with clarity and maybe a little flair. On that basis, I am delighted with the forward thinking, but rigorous, curriculum that we are offering in the new A Level world and believe that not only will it enable our pupils to secure 3 gold standard A Level qualifications with increased time in the classroom, but will also enable them to build a portfolio which helps

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them to stand out from the crowd in the increasingly competitive employment market and, after all of that, to flourish. …. Recently, I came across this fragment of a poem by William Cory. It paints a picture of a culture of creative curiosity. A reminder to us all of what we are seeking to achieve.

“At school, you are engaged, not so much in acquiring knowledge as in making mental efforts under criticism . . . you go to a great school not so much for knowledge as for arts and habits; for the habit of attention, for the art of expression, for the art of assuming at a moment’s notice a new intellectual position, for the art of entering quickly into another person’s thoughts, for the habit of submitting to censure and refutation, for the art of indicating assent or dissent in graduated terms, for the habit of regarding minute points of accuracy, for the art of working out what is possible in a given time, for taste, for discrimination, for mental courage, and for mental soberness.”

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commemoration

THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR WAS THE THREE NEW BATHROOMS

Very often it is through these challenges “that the light gets in.”

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commemoration We seek to avoid a surface approach to learning where pupils have memorised knowledge rather than that of the deeper approach to learning which facilitates a gathering of knowledge and provides opportunity for them to make sense of their learning. It is not enough to simply sit, write notes and pass an exam. For learning to take place, there needs to be more than a sketched outline, we need to throw ourselves in. It is, therefore, very encouraging to see some opportunities for deep and applied learning in the Fourth Form curriculum.

In Chemistry there was a ‘Kitchen Chemistry’ project where they have checked which fizzy drink has the most ‘fizz’ and then made mayonnaise, salad dressing and a strawberry bombe.

In Classics, Mr Wright describes a presentation of the blinding of the Cyclops in his cave (or in this case Classics 2) script written and scene directed by members of the cast of 9zCl1. Apparently, it was “Splendid entertainment – except for the Cyclops!”

In History, they have used the school archives, a tour and the display cabinets to ask the question “To what extent has Dean Close School changed from 1886 to the present day”.

The Biologists have been pitting themselves against pupils across the country in competitive Biology, ending with a very creditable 4 commended, 6 highly commended, 4 bronze, 4 silver, 1 gold.

In English they have been celebrating the Bard with an introduction to Shakespeare, writing motivational speeches inspire by Henry V and performing them to a stirring soundtrack.

In one Fourth Form Maths set a question from Evan Little led the class from Quadratic equations into the university level Maths topic of complex numbers.

The physicists are rarely in their classroom, preferring to spend their time on hover boards playing a game of “human-curling” all in the name of Force and Momentum or studying squirrels at the far end of Chapel Close whilst pretending to learn about light and lenses.

Head Boy Harry Caro

In an RS class studying Islam, pupils were invited to show what they had understood about how Islam works in practice (to move away from learning 6 key words about Islam and thinking they had understood the religion).

Amongst other things, the amazing return was a stunning range of food cooked according to Islamic food rules and a quite stunning Monopoly game based on the Hajj by Leo England.

ONE OF THE STRENGTHS AS A SCHOOL IS THE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES AVAILABLE

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I recently saw a sign which said: “Respect your parents, they survived school without Google.” In a world in which information is so readily available and where a typical working life may involve four or five different careers, we need to provide opportunities not only for learning facts but also habits that will serve them a life time. With that in mind, there is a need for us to place more emphasis on the value of reading, time for study and space to delve deep. We have already committed more time in the classroom, we are also planning to find more time for learning outside the classroom. We are seeking to create a counter-culture in which reading books is a preferred activity and learning is a priority for the many, not the few. Our trump card in this is the strength of the community. …. One of our strengths as a School is the range of activities available and the busy lives the pupils lead. But in that busyness there lurks a threat. In recent piece of research by the Children’s Society, the subjective wellbeing of children and young people in 15 countries was measured with England coming 14th. These sort of statistics together with schools’ own experiences of an increase in depression and anxiety have led to a surge in the number of mental health conferences and adverts for counsellors and teachers of mindfulness. At Dean Close we are not immune to these challenges but our response needs to be holistic and pro-active. We can put in systems of mental health first aid but if we are to

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commemoration really tackle this there needs to be a joined-up response.

This is a combination of working with pupils, parents and staff. It is not sufficient simply to put in some mindfulness classes and a School counsellor. We must emphasise the importance of a balanced and healthy life – the games department and our new cooking department will play a major role in this. Having time and space to think and reflect in the formal surrounds of Chapel or informal Christian Unions and Bible Studies encouraging pupils to look up and out, not just down and in, being prepared to challenge the constant demands of smart phones and social media and creating times when pupils can be offline. Ensuring tutor groups are small

and investing in training for pastoral staff enables us to support pupils on the everyday level. We do need to provide a range of expert support both to ensure we are well informed and to provide intensive one to one support when required. We are also continuing to develop strong partnerships with a range of external agencies. As we face this challenge together we should take real care to avoid the headline grabbing appointment which might serve as a reactive response. We should be brave enough to challenge the culture which is fuelling this significant curse and drive it out.

The year I left school, Leonard Cohen wrote a song called Anthem, which included these words:

“Forget your perfect offering There is a crack in everything That’s how the light gets in.”

WE SEEK TO AVOID A SURFACE APPROACH TO LEARNING WHERE PUPILS HAVE MEMORISED

If we care about a young person our instinct is often to leap in and remove the problem for them. Let us, instead, work together to create situations where the pupils of Dean Close are encouraged to develop initiative, perspective and resilience by working through the challenges that come up.

Getting a bad grade on a piece of work, a disappointing report, being misunderstood by a teacher or failing to make the team or be selected for a part in a play should not be seen as a judgement of character but as an opportunity to learn and grow. Very often it is through these challenges “that the light gets in.”

This year’s Quad Run saw Jack Dodd smash the personal best he achieved in qualifying to win the 2016 race. He managed to beat second placed Henry Sharp by over a second. Dodd’s time of 46.81” beat last year’s previous best time of 47.11” set by Dom Woodcock. The early stages of the race were hotly contested forcing the pace to be high, but as the finishing line of Chapel Arch beckoned, Dodd’s training regime in the Athletics programme came to the fore as he accelerated away from the rest of the field. Third place went to fastest qualifier Harry Caro, while Ruben Giannini finished a credible fourth. The Dodd and Sharp first and second gave Brook Court House supporters plenty to shout about, as they become the first Brook Court boys to appear on the Quad Run honours board.

The Quad Run was conceived in the School’s 125th year as a challenge for the Upper Sixth Form. They have to run through School, starting and finishing in the archway of the Quad, within 12 strikes of the bell. Successful entrants have the satisfaction of seeing their name immortalised on the honours’ board also mounted on the wall of the Quad.

A Stanley

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commemoration

)

DEAN CLOSE COMMEMO RATION

GONNER PRIZE ENGLISH (Senior) ■ GONNER PRIZE ENGLISH (Intermediate) ■ GONNER PRIZE ENGLISH (Junior) ■ FLECKER PRIZE FURTHER MATHS ■ FLECKER PRIZE MATHS (Senior) ■ FLECKER PRIZE MATHS (Intermediate) ■ FLECKER PRIZE MATHS (Junior)

prize givi ng &

■ CLAY PRIZE PHYSICS (Senior) ■ CLAY PRIZE PHYSICS (Junior) ■ CLAY PRIZE PHYSICS (Practical) ■ BACON PRIZE CHEMISTRY (Senior) ■ BACON PRIZE CHEMISTRY (Junior) BACON PRIZE CHEMISTRY (Practical) (Senior)

SATURDAY 28

programm e

MAY

■ ■ WOODWARD PRIZE BIOLOGY

■ WOODWARD PRIZE BIOLOGY (Junior)

■ WOODWARD PRIZE BIOLOGY (Practical)

■ FLECKER PRIZE CLASSICS (Senior) FLECKER PRIZE CLASSICS (Intermediate) ■ GRIFFITHS & WALLER PRIZE FRENCH (Junior) PRIZE CLASSICS (Junior) PRIZE SPANISH (Senior) ■ GRIFFITHS & WALLER PRIZE SPANISH (Junior) CONTRIBUTION TO EUROPEAN STUDIES ■ JOHN BAYLEY HISTORY (Senior)

■ FLECKER ■ GRIFFITHS & WALLER ■ MASSART-WEIT PRIZE ■ JOHN BAYLER HISTORY

(Intermediate)

■ JOHN BAYLER HISTORY (Junior) ■ BURRETT PRIZE GEOGRAPHY (Senior) ■ BURRETT PRIZE GEOGRAPHY (Intermediate) ■ BURRETT PRIZE GEOGRAPHY (Junior) PRIZE RELIGIOUS STUDIES (Senior) ■ FLECKER PRIZE RELIGIOUS STUDIES (Junior)

■ FLECKER

■ CHARLES & ■ WOODWARD PRIZE

ELIZABETH PRIZE RELIGIOUS STUDIES ■ WOODWARD PRIZE ECONOMICS (Senior) BUSINESS STUDIES (Senior) ■ WOODWARD PRIZE ECONOMICS & BUSINESS STUDIES (Intermediate)

■ SIR CHARLES IRVING CUP POLITICAL CONTRIBUTION ■ PSYCHOLOGY PRIZE PSYCHOLOGY ■ MAJOR RICKERBY PRIZE PHYSICAL EDUCATION ■ MAJOR RICKERBY PRIZE ART (2D) ■ MAJOR RICKERBY PRIZE ART (3D) ■ MAJOR RICKERBY PRIZE ART (Junior) ■ MAJOR RICKERBY PRIZE DESIGN TECHNOLOGY (Senior) ■ MAJOR RICKERBY PRIZE DESIGN TECHNOLOGY (Intermediate) ■ CALDECOTE DESIGN AWARD DESIGN TECHNOLOGY (Junior) ■ LEITH PRIZE LEITH’S COURSE DAVID LEPINE PRIZE MUSIC (Senior) ■ DAVID LEPINE PRIZE MUSIC (Junior) ■ DAVID LEPINE PRIZE MUSIC (Composition) ■ DAVID LEPINE PRIZE ORCHESTRA ■ DAVID WATSON PRIZE CHOIR ■ EMILY KENT CUP LIGHT MUSIC ■ COLIN SHERRATT CUP MUSIC ■ CHRISTOPHER EDWARDS CUP CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC PERFORMANCE

■ SONG RECITAL TROPHY SINGING

■ THEATRE STUDIES PRIZE THEATRE STUDIES (Senior)

■ THEATRE STUDIES PRIZE THEATRE STUDIES (Intermediate) ■ BAY FORD PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO DRAMA SPEECH and DRAMA Prize SPEECH and DRAMA

■ OLIVE MORGAN PIANO CUP MUSIC ■ CHRISTOPHER EDWARDS PRIZE MUSIC ■ BAY FORD PRIZE DRAMA (Senior)

■ KING REYNOLDS PRIZE DRAMA (Junior) ■ OLD DECANIAN PRIZE PUBLIC SPEAKING

■ ■ THE

BURGON PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO CULTURAL LIFE (JUNIOR) ■ FORBES SPORTS AWARD CONTRIBUTION TO SPORT (Junior Girls) ■ FORBES SPORTS AWARD CONTRIBUTION TO SPORT (Junior Boys) ■ SWAN SPORTS AWARD CONTRIBUTION TO SPORT (Senior Girls)

■ SWAN SPORTS AWARD CONTRIBUTION TO SPORT (Senior

Boys) ■ HALL EQUESTRIAN AWARD SERVICE TO DCS EQUESTRIANISM GAP YEAR AWARD ■ MAJOR GOLDER PRIZE FOR SERVICE TO CCF

■ JOYCE BARKER TRAVEL AWARD ■ ARMY LEADERSHIP PRIZE

■ THE GLOSTERS’ EGYPT CUP BEST RECRUIT IN TRAINING ■ Lt.COL DENLEY ENDEAVOUR SWORD ■ ARNHEM SHIELD ENDEAVOUR ■ NAPIER PRIZE ACADEMIC RESEARCH ■ NAPIER PRIZE ENDEAVOUR IN THE CLASSROOM

■ ABBEYDALE TRUST PRIZE ENGINEERING AT UNIVERSITY OR PRACTICAL CONTRIBUTION ■ LESLIE YOUNG PRIZE ALL ROUND ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE ■ ALFRED ROBERTS PRIZE ALL ROUND

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

■ BELLERBY AWARD ALL ROUND ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

■ JOYCE OWERS

CUP FOR SERVICE TO THE WIDER COMMUNITY

■ JOYCE OWERS PRIZE For COMMITMENT TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY ■ COLIN COCKS PRIZE SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL (Junior) ■ GILKES PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL

LIFE TO SCHOOL LIFE SCHOOL LIFE

■ ELDER PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE ■ DOUGLAS GRAHAM PRIZE CONTRIBUTION ■ TURNER PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE ■ HM PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO ■ HM PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE

■ HM PRIZES CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE

■ HM PRIZES CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE ■ CLARKE CUP FOR SERVICE (Girls) CLARKE PRIZE FOR SERVICE (Boys) ■ BOLTON PRIZE FOR SERVICE ■ 54 ~ DECANIAN 2015/16

■

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commemoration

n the 125th year of the Old Decanian Society, the School was especially honoured to welcome such an esteemed OD, Emma Sky, back to be Guest of Honour at Commemoration. Emma who was in Shelburne House and left Dean Close in 1986, is most well-known for her time serving as Political Advisor to US General Raymond Odierno, when he was the Commanding General of US Forces (2007-2010) during the invasion of Iraq. Emma subsequently wrote a book about her time in Iraq called The Unravelling: High hopes and missed opportunities in Iraq, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2015. It tells of the incredibly complex and courageous work she was involved with in Iraq but in a short paragraph she also alludes to some of the highs (friendship and academic success), and lows (a run in with the headmaster at the time) that she enjoyed and endured whilst at Dean Close. According to The Sunday Times she was ‘the most powerful Briton in Iraq during 2007-2010’.

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In her speech, delivered with a blend of seriousness, humour and anecdotes, the message was one of resilience and how, when things don’t fall perfectly into place, you should tough it out and keep going. She told of how when she arrived in Iraq, she was moved on to a number of different areas before finding her place and once there, her home was attacked by the militia in the first day. She stayed for ten years.

After her speech, a parent commented: “The speech was quite inspirational. It has to be the best school speech I have ever had the good fortune to hear. As a mother of two teenage boys I was truly inspired to do and strive for more. It has "pulled me up short" on some instances where I may have chosen to stop or give up. If it is worth doing......... as the old adage says.”

Currently, Emma is Director of Yale University's World Fellows program and Senior Fellow at Yale's Jackson Institute in Connecticut, where she lectures on Iraq and Middle Eastern politics.

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his was the 13th year that Dean Close School has supported the 10 day Festival which seems to engulf the whole Town with its exciting

array of visitors and buzz. The School purchased over 250 tickets,

sponsored four speakers, introduced three events, attended a literary

lunch in the Writers’ Room, hosted a visit from Prue Leith and met

several speakers along the way. There were groups of pupils coming

and going throughout the week. In addition, a group of Sixth Form girls who all aspire to the writing industry were really lucky to be invited to have lunch in the Writers’ Room with Head of Scheduling, Nicola Tuxworth. They were able to pick Nicola’s brain about how she goes about putting together such a colossal event as well as what it’s like to work with writers and publishers.

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Throughout 2015’s Literary Festival, I feel I have not seen anything as entertaining and enlightening as Peter and Dan Snow’s duet on Waterloo. It was introduced by Dominic McClaran, a DCS A level History student, who gave a truly passionate synopsis of their book ‘Waterloo’. It goes without saying that the pacing of this address was quite superb, as the duo swapped near-seamlessly from Napoleon’s side of the battle (told by Peter) to Wellington’s decisive victory (told by Dan). The pair’s incredible knowledge around their subject flowed straight into their presentation and was most prominent in the questions asked afterwards; making it, along with the crackling cheekiness from Dan that was only possible with their father-son relationship, a near excellent performance (bordering on marvellous). ‘Dan Snow and Peter Snow’s Waterloo’ has to be the most educational and witty lecture on the end of Napoleon’s reign that I have ever seen.

Linus Holmes

Dean Close School has been successfully running the Leiths Food and Wine Certificate for a number of years, so when they spotted that Prue Leith was coming to the Festival, they jumped at the chance to meet her. Evie Metcalf, a Leiths student at Dean Close, introduced Prue at the Festival, who was promoting her book, Food of Love. Evie said:

This was a “right royal event” (to quote the interviewer Caroline Sanderson).

Alison spoke about ‘The Lost Tudor Princess’, Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox. She lived through 60 years of intrigue, where love was both her saviour and her curse. It appears that she is the missing link in all of the Tudor stories. We heard a gripping tale of Margaret’s life, how she befriended various noble ladies, how she coped with serving most of Henry VIII’s wives and her assorted love affairs. We learned that she was thrown in the Tower more times than most and survived them all. We heard the stories of her family life and the tragedy of each of her losses as lovers, children and mother all died.

We learnt of her complex relationship with Elizabeth I and her political movements. At the end I asked Alison why she thought we hadn’t heard of this great lady before, if she was as key as she appeared. The only reason she could come up with was that perhaps it was because she had died peacefully in her bed at home and so did not appear as interesting to historians – until now.

Mel Ferro

ONE DAY I HOPE TO COMBINE MY LOVE OF COOKING AND MY LEITHS CERTIFICATE WITH BUSINESS MANAGEMENT TO POTENTIALLY HELP BUSINESSES IN THE FOOD MARKET GROW AND DEVELOP

“Prue is a truly multitalented woman: she can cook, run a successful business, create wonderfully delicious recipes and now she has written a novel. She is someone who I and many other young adults aspire to be like. Prue has also been chairman of the children’s school food trust, helping schools in Britain provide healthy and more appetising school meals, which many young people have greatly appreciated! One day I hope to combine my love of cooking and my Leiths certificate with Business Management to potentially help businesses in the food market grow and develop.”

After the event, Prue and her husband came along to the School to meet the cooks currently studying her course. She sat at the kitchen table for over an hour, with tea and cake, chatting to the students, probing them about their favourite foods to cook and eat. She also talked about her own life and love of food, giving secrets away behind the scenes of her current role on the Great British Menu. It was a lovely evening and she was very generous with her time, staying to have photos taken and sign the cook books of all the Leiths students.

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This event, which appealed to business students, demonstrated how some young entrepreneurs today are looking to create sustainable, social enterprises. It presented two inspirational philanthropists, Rob Forkan (Tsunami Kids) who helps build orphanages with Gandys Flip Flops, and Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow (whose Mary’s Meals charity is detailed in The Shed That Fed a Million Children) who described how he sought to create a great business whilst doing good at the same time. Dean Close Business Studies A level students, Pippa Speed and Alexy Kotovrasov, introduced the speakers at the Festival.

Pippa introduced Rob Forkan. She said: “It is such a pleasure to be here today and to introduce Rob, one of two brothers who has an incredible story to tell.

Over a decade ago teenagers Rob and Paul tragically lost their parents in the Boxing Day tsunami in Sri Lanka.

Some years later, having finished their education with the support of friends and family back home, the brothers were determined to honour their parents' message and to help those children affected by the same disaster, leading to Orphans for Orphans being born. Gandy's flip flops, the brand they have created has been a huge success and have been worn by basically everyone from Richard Branson to One Direction! Their phenomenal sales have seen their first children's home built in Sri Lanka, and their inspirational tale of courage and fortitude is told in their book, Tsunami Kids, Our Journey from Survival to Success.

As a business student, I underestimate the complexities of any business venture so I have a huge amount of respect for Rob and Paul and their ability to have been so successful at such a young age.”

Alexy introduced Magnus McFarlane-Barrow. He said: “In 1992, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow was enjoying a pint with his brother when he got an idea that would change his life – and radically change the lives of others. After watching a news bulletin about war-torn Bosnia, the two brothers agreed to take a week’s hiatus from work to help. What neither of them expected is that what began as a one-time road trip in a beaten-up Landrover rapidly grew to become Magnus’s life’s work – leading him to leave his job, sell his house and direct all his efforts to feeding thousands of the world’s poorest children. Magnus’ story shows us how an incredible strength of mind and a huge heart, coupled with good business sense, can make a difference.

Magnus has created Mary’s Meals; an organisation which is trying to eradicate child hunger.”

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My best literary experiences over the years have always had an element of memorability to them. This year has been no different. I went to see George the Poet. The talk was brilliant. George the Poet was intelligent, calm, confident and open and didn’t treat a member of the audience, who thought he ‘represented the whole audience’, like the moron he was. George the Poet seemed like an all-round nice guy.

After the talk one of my friends came up to me in the queue for the signing; this was at least two hundred metres long but I was excited to meet the genius I had seen on stage. As we began to approach the table, my friend and I were talking about how signing books must be so monotonous and mind-numbing so I suggested that we should enliven it in some way so that George the Poet remembers us. My friend then shot that idea down as he said he was sure every other person did the exact same thing.

Before I knew it I was walking to the signing table with a post-it with my name on it. I handed my book over and had a chat with George the Poet as he took the book in his right hand. Now, I don’t know if I was the most interesting person he had ever heard have an opinion on his work; which I doubt, or if his left arm had covered my name while he was writing (a problem many lefties have), more likely.

In any case, he spelt my name wrong.

Granted it’s not easy to spell and granted its four letters he’ll probably never need to sequence like that again. To be honest, I

only noticed because after years of people getting it wrong I check each time someone writes it. I mentioned it, quietly and calmly.

There was shock and almost melodramatic horror. The assistant looked at the queue, then at me. George looked up at me with concern. The assistant rummaged around the desk. He told me there wasn’t another copy; that there were only stickers to put over it. In a calm, collected way I said: “Don’t worry about it, adds to the value, just cross it out and start over. I mean, a poet spelling a name wrong?”

What it probably looked like was that a kid who was nervous, because he was holding up two hundred or more people, was trying to be cocky to a Cambridge alumni poet. But what it looked like didn’t matter - the guy laughed with me at my little nervous half joke, apologised profusely, shook my hand and thanked me, leaving me very happy with one of the most personally valuable books I own.

For most people, names are important; in many ways they define who they are. So the amount of regret for spelling my name wrong was appreciated. Moreover, it showed his humanity.

And sure, it’s not as if he is going to retell a story: “this one time at the Cheltenham Literary Festival I spelt a kid’s name wrong”, but at least it’s something different, right?

I’m sure no one else can say they have these words at the front of their copy: To Kier (lol soz) Keir YOLO (signed G) Keir Thompson

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A group of geography pupils went to the Festival to hear Leader of the Green Party, Natalie Bennett, journalist Oliver Morton (The Planet Remade) and climate scientist Chris Rapley present their views on how we, as a planet, could be dealing with the effects of global warming.

Natalie Bennett was particularly opinionated with her view that as a community we are not doing much to save the planet, blaming governments for not encouraging their countries to use public transport or to walk. She spoke of how in Australia people drive everywhere, even just five minutes down the road, and how this action combines to destroy our planet. The other two speakers, Oliver Morton and Chris Rapley, spoke more about how science is developing to save our planet and what we can do to reduce the impacts of climate change.

This created a really in depth and interesting discussion. They spoke about topics that related to everyday life and encouraged everyone to save their planet.

I am now able to understand that there are many different ways in which I can help to reduce the impact of global warming. However, it may be that we will never be able to agree on which is the best method for this, as different people see the problem differently.

Eve Metcalf

Tom Holland

We shall have to read DYNASTY to have Tom Holland’s answers, but his talk introduced us to several of the great questions which will always hang over the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Right at the start of Tiberius’ reign, Agrippa Postumus, the only surviving grandson of Augustus was killed; news reached Tiberius on his return to Rome and he seemed to be utterly dumbfounded by the messenger’s report that his instructions had been carried out. Holland believes that this fact has to point to Livia – Tiberius’ mother, who may perhaps have had a hand in several premature deceases, which eventually led to Tiberius’ accession. The other usual suspects are rounded up – but Augustus is exonerated, though some believe he feared that ‘supporters’ might elevate this inadequate young man to the throne as their puppet and consequently gave an order, to be deferred till news of his own death was published.

Holland’s overriding thesis is that Caligula and Nero, usually denigrated as lunatics and megalomaniacs, were actually very sane indeed. They knew what they wanted and how they planned to achieve it. The ancient sources tell of Caligula making his horse a senator; perhaps he was threatening only to do so to illustrate the subservience of that body and its lack of any meaningful role. Nero paraded across the bay of Naples on a long pontoon bridge – a spectacle hugely enjoyed by the people who witnessed it. His performance in musical and racing competitions shows a sense of his realising just what the people wanted.

At the outset, Holland discussed briefly the nature of the main sources; both Tacitus and Suetonius, whom he characterises by their similarities to a couple of modern daily newspapers, lived some while after the events which they recount. They had lived through challenging times, and Tacitus in particular may well have been working through some issues that he had faced during his career. The position of Tacitus himself is another story, though it must have a bearing on his account of the Dynasty. Like all really interesting questions, most of these issues will not ever admit of a definitive solution.

Oliver Taplin

Mary Beard

This was simply a wonderful hour spent in the company of one of the world’s foremost experts in Greek Tragedy.

Professor Taplin, formerly Tutor in Classics at Magdalene College, Oxford, spoke eloquently about the sustained relevance of ancient drama for the modern world.

Reflecting upon the number of plays that have revisited the Classical world recently (the Oresteia at the Globe and the Almeida, Hecuba at Stratford, Medea at the National), Professor Taplin spoke powerfully about Sophocles’ insistence on the fragility of human happiness and the ways in which truth can collide with ignorance with terrible consequences.

Professor Mary Beard of Newnham College, Cambridge has a new history of Rome, SPQR. Ancient Rome matters.

Its history of empire, conquest, cruelty and excess is something against which we still judge ourselves. Its myths and stories - from Romulus and Remus to the Rape of Lucretia - still strike a chord with us. And its debates about citizenship, security and the rights of the individual still influence our own debates on civil liberty today.

SPQR is a new look at Roman history from one of the world's foremost classicists. It explores not only how Rome grew from an insignificant village in central Italy to a power that controlled territory from Spain to Syria, but also how the Romans thought about themselves and their achievements, and why they are still important to us.

Covering 1,000 years of history, and casting fresh light on the basics of Roman culture from slavery to running water, as well as exploring democracy, migration, religious controversy, social mobility and exploitation in the larger context of the empire, this promises to be a definitive history of ancient Rome.

The Gratinists (Latin & Greek pupils) greatly enjoyed Harry Mount’s talk on his journeys across the Mediterranean, following in the footsteps of Odysseus.

Informative and reflective, amusing and challenging, Harry Mount proved to be a wonderful raconteur.

JM Allen

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events

his now traditional charity event was another huge success with the School dining hall festooned in pink regalia.

The Pink Dinner is advertised to all but until this year, it had not had gentleman attend so it was a great pleasure to welcome them amongst the ladies.

Dean Close boys and girls worked very hard to keep all the guests happy and amused. Entertainment came from Close Harmony, a boys’ dance routine and Julie Kent playing Baker Street on her saxophone. The food was primarily pink too with melon, salmon and a strawberry dessert. The best part of the event was raising a brilliant £1133 for Breast Cancer Care.

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ean Close offers some 40 activities in its MAA slot (Monday Afternoon Activities) one of which is the chance to participate in a wide range of table top strategy games from ‘Euro’ resource management games like Carcassone, Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Cataan, 7 Wonders, 8 minute Empire, Lords of Waterdeep, through to more martial games that simulate the Stalingrad and Midway conflicts.

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Here, Fifth Former, Isaac Crawford Poxon, recounts one such extended session (6+ hours) where the table was somewhat larger…

On Monday 23 June, four pupils: Alex Armstrong, Ewan Beattie, Isaac Crawford Poxon and Freddie Faux, joined Mr Garner to play a wargame set in the midst of the Vietnam War, run and using a system designed by Paul Davis of Fourth Form self-defence fame. The boys were given command of the US Forces, receiving charge of several squadrons of soldiers, two patrol boats and two combat boats equipped with heavy armament, a jeep convoy and tank, along with air support and plenty of artillery power.

They were charged to use this offensive power in order to take back Quang-Tri City, which had been captured by the North Vietnamese Army, as part of the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) Easter Offensive in

April 1972. This final push, in the last stages of the Vietnam War, was an effort for the PAVN, assisted by the US, to take back as much land as possible from the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong before the Paris Peace Accords, in an attempt to strengthen their negotiating position.

Meanwhile, Mr Garner and Tony Woodman, (St John’s on-the-Hill Bursary Department, DCPS parent and wargame enthusiast), took control of the Viet Cong and NVA respectively, trying to defend the city they had fought so hard to capture. The layout of the battlefield presented many challenges to the US Forces, with the enemy firmly entrenched in fortified bunkers on top of a hill, sheltering in the ruined houses of Quang-Tri city, and hiding in swamps and paddy fields on the right flank. The battle waged long and hard, but despite enemy airstrikes and artillery crippling and wiping out US air forces and ground troops, heavy casualties and liberal use of illegal napalm, the US was eventually named the victor thanks to overwhelming strength and superior technology.

The game was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone who attended, and gave pupils the chance to learn many details of a war that is not often taught in the history curriculum but still had a profound impact on the world, as well as develop their tactical thinking and strategic planning.

n Thursday 23 June 2016 the Nation went to the polling stations to decide the future of Britain in an In/Out EU Referendum.

On the same day, the School library became a hot house for debate as two Sixth Form politics groups represented each side of the European argument. The debate was well informed, robust and carried out with a calibre and civility which in many ways far surpassed the national campaigns. The discussion was wide ranging, taking in key topics as diverse as the economy, healthcare, sovereignty and immigration, amongst others. At the same time, Dean Close held a school-wide referendum, canvassing the opinions of both pupils and the Common Room. The high turnout in the School’s referendum reflected the significant levels of engagement from pupils with an issue in which they clearly hold a great interest. The result of the referendum showed that our pupils were firmly in favour of Remain, with a 72% vs 28% split in its favour. The result, whilst out of sync with the overall national result, was in line with the wider youth vote.

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THE GAME WAS THOROUGHLY ENJOYED BY EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED, AND GAVE PUPILS THE CHANCE TO LEARN DETAILS OF A WAR NOT OFTEN TAUGHT IN THE HISTORY CURRICULUM

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his year we welcomed Mr Christopher Jefferies to speak about his involvement in the Leveson Inquiry which is investigating media ethics, culture and practices.

Chris is a supporter of Dean Close music and the choristers, and is a regular visitor to Tewkesbury Abbey.

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‘Engineering – your path to diversity’, ‘A career in renewable energy’ and ‘A career in financial services’.

n the last week of the School year, during the Lower Sixth Pre-U Week (a university preparation course), Dean Close School held its first Careers Conference, opened by business tycoon George Davies, the serial brand creator who launched ‘Next’ in the 1980s before moving to start the fashion label ‘George at Asda’ in the 1990s. The Conference was a step up from the Careers Fair that established itself at Dean Close two years ago.

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Dean Close Sixth Formers and the last five years of leavers benefited from the day-long event which will featured a keynote welcome speech from George Davies, who shared his words of wisdom about his experiences of building a number of brands over his career. This was followed by 11 motivational and careers focused seminars with topics including ‘Outlaws, In-laws and Harvey Spectre: the Law as a career’,

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A NUMBER OF EXHIBITORS ATTENDING WERE FORMER PUPILS AND PARENTS OF DEAN CLOSE

In the afternoon, the Prep School Hall turned into an Exhibition Centre featuring 20+ visiting stands with representatives from Brewin Dolphin, Facebook, Schlumberger, The Bloodhound Project, Barclays, Oxford Instruments, Hartpury College and the Diocese of Gloucester, amongst others. Pupils had the opportunity to discuss a number of careers with visiting companies including engineering, law, scientific projects, charity work, graphic design, architecture, journalism. A number of exhibitors attending were former pupils and parents of Dean Close School who embraced the opportunity to come back and give us the benefit of their own experiences. The event finished with a drinks reception for everyone involved.

He addressed a group of pupils and staff over dinner at Dean Close House, speaking about his highly public arrest for a murder he did not commit in 2010, and his subsequent ‘trial by press’ when his character was defamed and his privacy violated.

His story was fascinating and prompted excellent questions from pupils, leaving everyone with admiration for the way in which he conducted himself in such a terrible situation. His recommendations for quality papers (the FT, Independent and Guardian) sent some of our Sixth form to delete the ‘Mail Online’ app from their phones..! Our thanks go to Chris for generously giving his time and for sending an important message to our young people.

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his year the School offered Sixth Formers the chance to cook up some classic dishes whilst having some social time, with the Leiths Confident Cooks Course. Pupils quickly mastered a variety of recipes including salmon with a parsley and lime crust, chicken with a tomato and olive sauce, raspberry and amoretti trifles, and white chocolate and cranberry cookies. They all enjoyed sitting down after each session to share what they had made as a 'family meal' where they could wind down after a hard day’s lessons and enjoy a well-earned chance to relax and chat. But the most exciting week came at the end of the Michaelmas Term when

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they prepared a full Christmas Dinner with all the trimmings.

They then demonstrated all they had learned by competently juggling the timings of a traditional roast dinner and producing some perfect, crispy, roast potatoes. They made and enjoyed roast chicken with lemon and herbs which they served with a rich 'old fashioned gravy', apple and sage stuffing, cauliflower gratin, roast potatoes, green beans, carrots and broccoli, all followed by a spiced apple crumble with custard and cream. There were clean plates all round, lots of laughter along the way and plenty of festive Christmas singing during the washing up!

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Dean Close is fortunate to have a number of fabulous singers and to celebrate this, the School staged a fantastic evening of ‘Songs from the Shows’ to raise money for the Uganda link school.

The concert was a huge success, featuring three girls and six boys who performed tunes from the West End and Broadway, to the delight of an audience whose ages ranged from

This year, the School took part in Cancer Research's Big Breakfast campaign, promoting it as the most important meal of the day. Over 400 staff and pupils flocked into the dining hall early one Friday morning to tuck into a breakfast feast prepared by the fantastic Dean Close

nine to ninety. The repertoire included sections from Disney, Bernstein, and Rogers & Hammerstein, and finished with a medley of great tunes from Schonberg and Boublil. The show also featured the talents of Louis Morford on violin and Jason Richards on piano, raising over £1000 towards the building of a bore hole to provide fresh, clean water at Nyakatukura, our link school in Uganda.

catering team. Diners donated money to have a delicious choice which included American pancakes, a smoothie bar, full English or continental style food. The diners raised over £200 for Cancer Research whilst being set up for the day!

DEAN CLOSE IS FORTUNATE TO HAVE A NUMBER OF FABULOUS SINGERS

THE BIG BREAKFAST RAISED OVER £200 FOR CANCER RESEARCH

Joe Morford said he liked the idea of helping to raise money for people in need, since he lives a privileged life so feels he should give back. Isobel Bruce said that she loves planning events and the Uganda group is a lovely group to be a part of as it has a warm and friendly tone under the leadership of Mrs Milne.

They explained that a lot of what they do revolves around planning and advertising events that can help raise money for Uganda. Isabel Bruce organised a very successful bake sale which made around £50, they organised a concert called ‘Songs from the Shows’ which raised around £1000 and also held a school disco with the theme something beginning with ‘S’ which made another £300. The group also runs the ROC sponsorship website where people can go to find out about sponsoring a Ugandan child through their education.

This year the Uganda group is raising money to dig a well, because currently pupils at the school have to walk three miles to reach the nearest water source. This initiative will also help the school to run their science block which has not been in use because there is no water to power it.

After only spending an hour with the Uganda Group it was obvious that everyone is very passionate about raising money for Uganda.

Katie Colbert-Smith

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The Christmas Fair this year was held in the Dining Room where various characters popped in such as elves and Mrs Christmas! Stall holders came from local jewellery and clothing outlets and the new ‘mug making machine’ in the Design and Technology Department proved the most popular stall of all, thanks to Ralph Fitch Kemp. A total of £350 was raised on the day.

t's been another great year in

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the Flecker Library as staff and

pupils continue to uphold the Library as a fantastic sanctuary for learning and knowledge,

and a hub for expanding skills and literacy.

The Flecker Library was once again

the venue for the Junior Critical Essay Award Dinner, this year on ‘Threats to Society’, with entrants and panelists enjoying a wonderful evening of debate, commentary and academic celebration in recognition of the very ambitious essays submitted by Lower School pupils.

Sam’s Trust is a small charity based in the Cotswolds that helps families who have a child with Cancer. They help in different ways, sometime through finance or equipment. Five girls in Shelburne have raised £1000 this year from cake sales, discos and a lovely coffee morning in the House where which was attended by Sam’s parents.

The House Quiz heats also returned to the Library this year, with new hosts, Mr Wilkes and Mr Allen sitting in judgement of our contestants’ general knowledge.

The hilarious, and often satirical, duo hosted ‘pub quiz style’ rounds for House Teams before the traditional University Challenge style finals in the Bacon Theatre. The quiz was exceptionally well attended, and in particular, Mr Allen’s Geography rounds and Mr Wilkes’ recitals of modern pop lyrics were a comic highlight.

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The Library was honoured to commend Lower Sixth Former, Tinwai Cheung, for the Napier Prize for Academic Research this year. Tinwai has consistently and effectively used the Library for research, both for classwork, projects and extra-curricular learning, demonstrating an excellent research ethic and good foundations for projects in the future.

To celebrate World Book Day The Big Read went school-wide this year, with every pupil reading a book of their choice for ten minutes in each of their lessons. Our Big Read Recommendations for 2016 were To Kill A Mockingbird, in celebration of the life and writing of Harper Lee who died early this year, and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe; argued to be the most defining African novel written in English of all time.

Other Literary Highlights:

In September, the Library hosted a showcase with award-winning and current Carnegie award shortlisted author, Marcus Sedgwick. Marcus came to talk to the Fourth Form about creativity, fiction-writing and the gothic, in the very apt setting of Dean Close Chapel. Pupils, along with visitors from neighbouring schools, were given a wonderfully interactive insight into what it is like to be a writer, the writing cycle, and how local history and culture holds great ideas and legends that can inspire the creative process.

A book signing and supper followed in the Flecker Library: the culmination of the Library’s celebration of the Gothic in art, literature and film. Crawling ivy, spluttering (electric) candles, Victorian apparel and a macabre collection of student artwork on display, created just the right level of appropriately disquieting atmosphere while pupils chatted with Marcus about writing short stories and novels.

This year will also see the return of young adult author G.P. Taylor, and our favourite Storyteller, Ben Haggarty. G.P. Taylor, whose bestselling book, The Midas Box, was made into a film starring Sam Neill and Lena Headey, will be talking to our Fourth Form about creative writing; Ben will again be demonstrating the literary legacy or oral stories and sharing our cultural memory. New for this year, Ben and G.P. Taylor will be joined by journalist, John Young, who will challenge the Fourth Form to run a Newsroom Bootcamp, to try their own hands at writing and presenting the news as they see it.

Our eagerly anticipated annual Krispy Kreme Break proved as popular as ever with pupils from all years coming into the Library for a World Book Day Doughnut and taking a look at our annual book sale. Waterstones Cheltenham came along to take part in our book sale this year, recommending new books for students and inspiring us by talking excitedly about the stories and authors they love to read. Lots of students chose to put their £1 WBD Book Token towards books they could take home, from young adult fiction to revision guides, with histories, poetry, political commentaries and popular science in between.

The Library has worked alongside the English Department this year to present monthly Literary Lunches, where Literature enthusiasts from both pupils and staff share thoughts and excerpts from their favourite books over a splendid buffet lunch. Both Mr Suckle and Miss Bailey were honoured to be asked as speakers: Mr Suckle disquieted book-lovers with Lovecraftian tales of horror, and Miss Bailey proved similarly unsettling with labyrinthine masterpiece, House of Leaves. The Library hosted a special Shakespearean Edition of the Literary Lunch in honour of the Bard’s 400th anniversary this spring.

2015 saw the return of the Michaelmas Reading challenge, with Houses competing to hold the highest number of reviews submitted by their readers over the run up to Christmas. This year, Mead stormed ahead with every girl in house reading at least three books and submitting a book review for each title. The winning house received a prize for celebrating their love of reading, with additional prizes for best reviews being awarded to Lara Deering (Senior) and Jack Tolchard (Junior).

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UK Maths Olympiad n March, the Dean Close European Youth Parliament delegation travelled to Birmingham where they won the Midlands Regional Debating Conference. As winners, they will now represent the Midlands at the National Conference.

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At the conference, which was held in the Birmingham Council Chambers and resembled an EU parliament debate, the team represented the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (or ECON for short) and proposed a resolution to the Greek Debt Crisis. It was nerve racking to be the first resolution debated, especially as all members of the team were new to the Youth Parliament style of debate.

Other debates included a range of controversial and increasingly relevant issues such as the Paris climate change conference, Europe's refugee crisis and how to deal with the growing threat of IS and terrorist attacks.

The delegates were praised for their ability to work as a team, the quality of public speaking and their contribution to the flow of debate. The team of nine included Beth Leishman, Jason Richards, Olivia Street, Dom McClaran, Ian Hayes, Aideen on-Dever and Samantha Smellie.

Dean Close was pleased to welcome Martin Cox, Director of the John Locke Institute, to talk to Lower Sixth pupils about ‘Mathematics in Game Theory’. Martin is a graduate and former lecturer at the University of Oxford, where he taught economics to PPE and E&M students.

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conflict and cooperation to determine behaviour such as decision making, is relevant across a myriad of areas. Martin covered some fascinating areas such as Game Theory in military warfare. He explained how the theory was largely responsible for preventing nuclear attacks in the Cold War, by stopping the world from going MAD. Mutual Assured Destruction, or

he School entered four talented maths pupils into the UK Maths Team Challenge this year and came a very impressive second.

The annual competition tests pupils’ mathematical, communication and teamwork skills, as they compete against teams from other schools and colleges from their region. This year, joint captains Angus Huang and Danni Wu attended the Regional heats at Malvern School, along with their team mates Henry Elsey and Louise Lovatt.

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The challenge consists of three rounds.

The first round saw the Dean Close team win with full marks, six points ahead of all other teams. After the second round, where the team had ten minutes to spare, our four mathematicians were still in the lead and five points clear of the competition. The final round was

particularly challenging – a high speed shuttle round, spilt into four sections. The team scored another two sets of full marks, thus holding on to the top spot. The final round put enormous pressure on the teams and while many crumbled, Dean Close held their nerve until the very end.

RGS Worcester only narrowly snuck ahead with 157 points to Dean Close’s 155 points.

The 2015 challenge marked the fourth consecutive year that a Dean Close team have placed second in the Regionals. The Head of Maths, Pete Garner, was incredibly impressed with the team – and having adjudicated at the Challenge himself, knows full well the high standard of competition. He said: “The team showed nothing but good humour and mutual support. I am most proud of them all”.

MAD, is a military strategy and national security policy which recognises that use of weapons of mass destruction by two or more opposing sides, would result in the obliteration of both the attacker and defender. Thus, preventing utter devastation during the conflict.

Martin also explained to the budding economists among the group, that the theory provides valuable insights into potential choices of others and, therefore, greatly improves

strategic decision-making.

As such the philosophy lends itself to commercial capacities and is increasingly exercised in business and economics.

Another handy tip on calculating the probability of pupils getting into their top choice university was also of great interest to the soon-to-be undergraduates.

The talk was illuminating for all, even those not mathematically inclined among the group, as it covered such a range of possibilities.

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The Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages at Oxford University ran a competition for budding film enthusiasts in Years 7-11 to embrace the world of French cinema. To enter the competition, students were asked to re-write the ending of the film, Tomboy (2011), in no more than 1500 words. The judges were looking for plausible yet imaginative new endings. The competition was open to all UK secondary schools with entries received from almost 50 schools, including Dean Close.

Congratulations to Remove pupil, Rose Tingey, who entered the competition and received a Special Commendation for her essay, with the Oxford professors noting her essay as “a very strong entry within a competitive field and deserving of special mention”.

In January we welcomed The Flying Theatre Company to the Bacon Theatre to deliver their production of Vive La France. The entire piece is performed in French giving pupils the opportunity to really immerse themselves in the language. The Fourth Form watched the quirky French act which aims to break down cultural barriers through the use of language and drama.

The performance was set in a quiet French village, where nothing is quite as it seems. Vive La France displayed reality with a twist, where paintings came to life …in French of course! The show was lively and interactive with plenty of clearly spoken French covering areas of the language such as food, the weather, gender, animals, the countryside, colours, parts of the body, directions, time and members of family. Head of department, Chris Hooper, said: “Vive La France was fun, educational and interactive and was a fantastic opportunity for our pupils to use their French outside the classroom and improve their language skills as they looked towards their GCSE years.”

he maintenance of a thriving Classics department in a world that has ceased to value any form of learning that does not have a direct application to modern life is challenging.

Increasingly, it is incumbent upon us to ensure that we make the worlds of Greece and Rome as accessible as possible to those whom we teach and it is imperative that we highlight the cultural and intellectual legacy of the two civilisations that lie at the heart of our European identity. To this end we offer our pupils the opportunity to visit archaeological sites and museums, to go to productions of classical drama and to attend talks given by some of the best classical scholars in the country. This is a snapshot of what studying Classics is like outside of the classroom.

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Ben Kane is a critically acclaimed author – he has written many novels set within the Roman Empire at critical moments in its history; the slave revolt of Spartacus, the Hannibalic wars and the rise to power of Julius Caesar. His latest book, Eagles of War, centres on the disastrous campaign of Publius Varus in Germany in AD 9 which led to the complete annihilation of three legions in the wilds of the Teutoburg forest.

Ben addressed all those studying Latin and Classical Civilisation in Fourth Form and the Remove. He is a Roman army obsessive who has walked the length of Hadrian’s Wall in full legionary kit! Ben talked with enthusiasm and not a little knowledge about cohorts, centuries, auxiliaries and camps. He arrived dressed as a soldier of the early Republic and proceeded to entertain and inform in equal measure. Ben’s delivery was excellent and the pupils really appreciated his visit.

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Dr Dunstan Lowe from the University of Kent gave a fascinating talk about ancient views on monsters and deformity. He took us all out of our comfort zone, citing some rarely consulted ancient sources in conjunction with 1970s freak show posters from America. His insights on the dual portrayal of Polyphemus in ancient artwork struck a particular chord with Sixth formers and staff alike.

The Lower Sixth enjoyed the opportunity to view the Parthenon Sculptures – unsurprisingly, given its iconic status, the Parthenon is a significant element in the AS specification and we have spent a great deal of time studying both its architecture and the sculpture which decorated it. The pupils were also given time off in which to explore other galleries in the museum.

This year all participants were invited to consider any work of art or building from classical antiquity, now lost to us, and to examine its significance. The response was very positive indeed with 17 entries.

The breadth of exploration and the depth of research was, in every case, very impressive. Presentations, amongst others, were made on the Colossos of Rhodes, the Forma Urbis Romae (a marble map of Rome), the chryselephantine statue of Zeus at Olympia as well as Praxiteles’ notorious Aphrodite of Cnidos. The winners were as follows:

We were treated to a wonderful talk on stylistic development in Greek freestanding sculpture from Dr Jane Masseglia, recently research fellow for the Ashmolean Latin Inscriptions project.

Dr Masseglia highlighted the chief characteristics (posture, movement, aesthetics) of statues like Polykleitos’ Doryphoros and Lysippos’ Apoxyomenos, thereby enabling the audience to establish approximate dates for other statues. Dr Masseglia spoke with great clarity and impressed all with her knowledge of the material. This was a great revision opportunity for the Lower Sixth Classical Civilisation pupils who are studying Greek Sculpture as part of their AS level, whilst the talk provided others with an opportunity to learn about an aspect of the ancient world with which they were not so familiar.

William Bunker for a stunning reappraisal of the Atlantis myth : Hugo Till (Statue of Zeus at Olympia) and Pollyanna Harris (Forma Urbis Romae) Lauren Ferro (Aphrodite of Cnidos)

Over 50 Latin students gathered at Monmouth School for the annual set text morning at which teachers from schools in and around Gloucestershire and South Wales present material on the prescribed set texts for that year. The morning is designed to consolidate the students’ knowledge and understanding of the literary works that are examined at AS and A2. The feedback from our pupils was very positive indeed – they enjoyed meeting with other classicists and felt that the sessions had really helped them, particularly as they were so exam focused.

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We were delighted to welcome Dr Helen Lovatt from the University of Nottingham. Dr. Lovatt’s talk on Aeneid 2 was an excellent opportunity for the members of theUpper Sixth Classical Civilisation set to revise the main events surrounding the fall of Troy as narrated by Aeneas himself.

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As ever, this year’s symposium was a great success and was appreciated by the students. The presentations made by members of the department ranged widely over many fields: literary, archaeological and historical. Mr Allen talked about the centaur in Greek mythology and its centrality in the visual culture of 5th century Greece, a symbol of barbarism, often used allegorically to represent the Persian invaders of 480-479 BC. Mr Evans talked about a Roman temple that he had visited recently at nearby Lydney. The temple was constructed in the late 4th century and it was dedicated to Nodens, a Celtic divinity who appears to have survived in the later figures of Nuada and Nudd/ Lludd in Irish and Welsh mythology respectively. He pointed out how Lludd's name survives in the place name itself of Lydney. Several model dog images have been found there, indicating it was a healing shrine; dogs were associated with such shrines and may have been kept to lick wounds.

Miss Chapman delivered a presentation on the concerns of Euripides’ tragedy, the Bacchae. She had produced the play whilst still at school: the cities of England had been convulsed by a summer of rioting and she found some disturbing echoes of the mob rule that briefly transformed the urban landscape of 2011 in the mass hysteria and fundamentalist pronouncements generated by the charismatic worship of the god Dionysus in Euripides’ powerful play. Mr Wilson spoke sensitively about the poetry of Sappho and delivered a fine reading and interpretation of Catullus 51. Mr Wright addressed the pupils on the subject of Masinissa, an individual most famous for his role as a Roman ally in the Battle of Zama and as husband of Sophonisba, a Carthaginian noblewoman whom he allowed to poison herself to avoid being paraded in a triumph in Rome.

Finally, Miss Stewart gave a spirited (!) talk about magic in the Greek world: curse tablets, amulets, the “evil eye”. This was a subject about which the pupils were totally ignorant and which they enjoyed learning about.

Not many people realise that two of the most important Roman sites in the UK are to be found just over the Severn Bridge and close to the city of Newport.

Caerleon was an important legionary base, home to the second Augustan legion that completed the conquest of Wales in the 70s AD. Although much of the site lies beneath the modern day village, one can still view the largest amphitheatre in Britain as well as the legionary baths. Pupils enjoyed the opportunity of translating the Latin inscriptions from the many tombstones on display in the museum. Meanwhile, Caerwent possesses some of the best preserved Roman fortifications anywhere in northern Europe – we walked around the town walls in the company of Mr Wright who enthused about their construction. Returning to Cheltenham we stopped at Tintern in the beautiful Wye Valley and enjoyed an ice cream and a cup of tea.

We had 13 Sixth form entries for the Senior round of the Wilson Challenge each was charged with investigating a work of art or building from Classical antiquity that has been lost to us; each participant had to explain its significance to a demanding panel of judges that was composed of Mr Wilson himself, Miss Hildick-Smith, Miss Stewart and Mr Wilkes. The range of the pupils' explorations was impressive and we were treated to presentations on The Colossus of Rhodes, the Library of Alexandria and, inter alia, the lost city of Heracleion. The winning presentations were from the following: Patrick Coniam on a highly original take on the Venus de Milo Dominic McClaran for his investigation into the Antikythera Mechanism Beth Leishman on the Library of Alexandria and Eliot Tottman on the statue of Zeus at Olympia.

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Gothic Night

…‘Twas a dark and stormy night in the convent, and the incessant patter of rain on the stonework jolted Sister Madeleine from her nightmare slumber, her heaving bosoms rising with the pounding of the thunder, which cracked and pulsated into the blood of her veins. A sudden bolt of lightning illuminated the crypt long enough to catch – silhouetted against the damp of the moss-ridden dungeon walls – a supernatural vision. A man. His face scarred, disfigured and distorted – but at the same time, irresistibly handsome. She clasped her crucifix tightly to her breast, as she burned with unrestrained passion and lust. The dark figure drew closer, near enough for her to see his face in the dim half-moonlight cascading through the shuttered windows. In the half-light, to her undying horror, she recognised – oh! trembling breast!...A piercing shriek echoed and resounded through the chambers and empty corridors of the deserted convent. And all was silent.

By Mr Allington, Mrs Jones, Rory Kavanagh, Beth Leishman, Georgia Toase, Maddie Harris, Jason Richards

A nun, in a ruined abbey in the Scottish Highlands, writes to her Mother Superior My dear Mother Magdalene, It has been many a month since a vow of silence was forced upon me with a surgeon’s knife. I find I must write to you for my soul is wracked and tormented by the phantom howling (of the wind) through the smitten pillars of this oncesacred abbey (located near Glasgow). Each evening as I go to my prayers, my thoughts are violated by the incessant howling of a shapely woman as yet unknown to me, but I’ll soon remedy that. Now my words fly up; my thoughts remain below; words without thoughts ne’er to heaven go. I am afeard, I must confess to sinister urges rippling through me as on the shores of the River Styx. I must have her, possess her, know her! Sorry about that.

Moving on, whenever I approach her on the blasted heath, she disperses as vapour and I am lost in mist. I am entranced by her fingering of the bagpipes, soft, sweet and low (and slightly rasping, discordant, nebulous). A figure of wax, a phantom of my desire.

Yours sincerely, Sister Claire PS Did you receive the gloves I knitted for you?

By Mrs Milne, Dom McClaran, Ellie Hill, Ben Flint, Katie Colbert-Smith, Caitlin Jackson, Lucy O’Rourke

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Duke Stevedore’s diary – Friday 13th May I had just managed to secrete myself inside the armoire when Count Cristopher entered the storm-darkened atrium, with coat freshly wetted and a sneer centred on Annabelle. Gliding to the cabinet, with Annabelle trembling under his cloak, the doors opened with the creak of clockwork. A black ram’s head was illuminated from within. Annabelle shrieked! The ram’s eyes glowed red as the Count laughed maniacally and his eyes carbunculated in the background.

The cabinet crashed shut and I lost sight of them. All light was extinguished. I leapt from my hiding place, stumbling across the floor, fingers fumbling for the matches. With a shaking hand, I lit the candle. I threw open the doors.

Annabelle stood, reaching for the ram’s head, watched eagerly by the Count. Rushing forwards, I desperately tried to intervene before I lost her in the same way I lost her mother. As my hand stretched ardently for her, the Count turned.

By Miss Hildick-Smith, Miss Bailey, Erik Ishkhanyan, Amy Mustoe, Linus, Poppy

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The Remove Recitals this year took place on a clement May evening in the outdoor Tuckwell Theatre, tucked away in the woods. Our adjudicator was Penny Spring, Head of English at Sibford, whose pleasant musings on the many benefits of learning poetry by heart, and her assiduous adjudication, were hugely appreciated.

The winner of this year’s recitals was Katie Humphreys, whose sonorous rendition of Heaney’s ‘Mid-Term Break’, beautifully captured the bewildered child’s perspective.

Runners-up were Max Thomas and Amanda Chinye. The following were also highly commended: Hannah Bettelley, Lauren Ferro, Bea Bennet and Pollyanna Harris.

Poetry Composition 1.

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- ‘Jabberwocky’, by Lewis Carroll - ‘Africa’, by David Diop - ‘As I Walked Out One Evening’, by W.H. Auden - ‘The World’, by Christina Rossetti - ‘Still I Rise’ by Maya Angelou - ‘I’m So Very Proud’, by Lea Lawley - ‘Computer Swallowed Grandma’, by Valerie Waite - 'From a railway carriage', by Robert Louis Stevenson.

- ‘About His Person’, by Simon Armitage - ‘Mid-Term Break’, by Seamus Heaney - ‘Mad Girl’s Love Song’ by Sylvia Plath - ‘Leisure’ by W. H. Davies - Sonnet 23 by Shakespeare - ‘Fire and Ice’, by Robert Frost - ‘The Day That Summer Died’, by Vernon Scannell - ‘Invictus’, by William Ernest Henley

“In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars…” This is the line that kicked off an evening of sharing Literature in the splendid surroundings of Dean Close House. English A Level students gathered in formal black tie dress for an informal evening of literary readings. Time was spent sipping port, enjoying canapes and talking about Literature, accompanied by a wonderful jazz soundtrack compiled by Jason Richards. A classy and memorable evening.

uring our study of poetry, Remove pupils were given the opportunity to write their own poems.

In order to explore the importance of form in poetry, they experimented with crafting different types. The pantoum is a form of poetry that repeats lines throughout the poem. It is composed of a series of quatrains; the second and fourth lines of each stanza are repeated as the first and third lines of the next. This pattern continues for any number of stanzas, except for the final stanza where the first line of the poem is the last line of the final stanza, and the third line of the first stanza is the second of the final. Here is an example by Katie Humphreys:

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You look beautiful now Surrounded by flowers Soft petals caressing your satin skin I wish I were beside you.

Surrounded by flowers In a brand new dress I wish I were beside you But I can’t come any nearer.

In a brand new dress I hardly recognise you But I can’t come any nearer It hurts too much.

I hardly recognise you Soft petals caressing your satin skin.

It hurts too much.

You look beautiful now.

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ver the last few years, the Trinity Term has ended for Lower Sixth English students with a literary journey in the Quantocks. And this year was no different. A couple of days of fresh air in the English countryside, walking and reading, it provided inspiration to the young students into writing their own poetry. The group started off at Tintern Abbey, then made their way to Nether Stowey, stopping at Coleridge’s cottage and then on to the Quantocks. And the weather held out (sort of!) to make this year another great success.

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On 3 May 1616 our very greatest playwright, William Shakespeare, died. The country marked this 400 year anniversary in many ways, and Dean Close joined in with a Literary Lunch dedicated to The Bard. Pupils and staff, with an affection for Shakespeare, gathered together to share their love and respect for his work, discussing their favourite plays, characters, quotes, greatest moments, observations, experiences‌.. all served with sandwiches and strawberries.

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L’Empreinte

La Doublure

n an April evening, the Fourth and Remove pupils gathered in the Bacon Theatre to watch Safy Nebbou’s ‘L’Empreinte’ which is based on a true story.

rarely watch films with subtitles but this modern French farce is very amusing. Written and directed by Francis Veber, La Doublure focuses on a parking valet, François Pignon, who is enlisted to pretend to be the lover of a famous fashion model in order to deflect attention from her relationship with a married businessman.

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The film shows the struggles of Elsa Valentin (Catherine Frot) as she suffers going through a messy divorce and other intimate family issues. One day, Elsa discovers a young child, Lola, at a child’s birthday party; Lola appears to look exactly like her deceased daughter, Lucie. The story shows Elsa’s attempts and struggles to get to know Lola and connect with the girl who she thinks is her daughter. The plot progresses to show how Elsa’s theory turns into a miracle and transforms her life. The film was gripping and interesting and had all of us on the edge of our seats throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend this film, and I’m sure the same would be said by everyone who attended.

Rose Tingey

Wild Tales n November we went to the Bacon Theatre to watch the Argentinian film, Relatos Salvajes (Wild Tales), directed by Damián Szifron and produced by Pedro Almodóvar.

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The film is a collection of six short tales which are truly on the wild side, and I would definitely recommend it to anybody with a dark sense of humour. My personal favourite tale was the one about a wedding that goes horribly wrong – I very much hope that my future wedding doesn’t turn out to be like that! Eliot and Will’s favourite was a tale about road rage that featured some hilarious reactions and cartoonish violence. However, the film is not without a moral tale: the stories are all about revenge, but they ultimately explore the extremities of human behaviour when they are pushed to such levels of distress, and as such we can learn a lot from them.

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The intricate storyline is full of carefully plotted surprises, lots of laughs and a few slap-stick moments. The strong cast expertly deliver the storyline, especially Kirsten Scott Thomas as Christine Levasseur, the wife of the businessman, Pierre Levasseur. She is not fooled by the set up with the fashion model and valet and so plays the situation for all it’s worth, making her husband jealous of François and Elena and eventually she brings about the split in Elena and Pierre’s relationship.

François, the valet, has his own romantic problems as he is in love with his childhood sweetheart Emilie, who has rejected his proposal, is seriously in debt and is being pursued by Pascal who is a bit of a ladies’ man. The sub plots are very entertaining as they interlink throughout the film and we meet many funny supporting characters such as the doctor who is allergic to his patients.

Levasseur gets his comeuppance but maybe not as you would expect. In fact the ending, although a little abrupt, brings the film full circle with Pierre Lavasseur photographed with a crossdressing prostitute. The story is very amusing, the cast is great and Paris is beautiful – La Doublure is definitely worth a watch.

Katie Humphreys

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Sir Dusty Miller joined the Royal Air Force in 1967 and initially completed a 2-year apprenticeship qualifying as an airframe fitter. He went on to become a pilot flying the Jet Provost, Hunter, Jaguar and Tornado and flying instructor on the Jet Provost and Hunter.

Most impressively, he was in charge of the Red Arrows.

In March, Sir Dusty came and spoke to the pupils about his life in the RAF, travelling and flying all over the world. Amongst others, he served in operational command with SFOR in Sarajevo and later as the Air Component Commander for Operation ORACLE, Afghanistan, for which he was awarded the CBE. He was appointed as the Air Officer Commanding Training Group before becoming the Air Secretary and was later promoted to Air Marshal and served as the Deputy Commander Headquarters Allied Joint Force Command Naples. He was knighted in the New Year’s Honours List 2007.

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NEVER CHANGE YOUR OWN PERSONAL VALUES WHATEVER YOU END UP DOING IN LIFE, BUT TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND TO DO WHAT INSPIRES YOU

This weekend brought former 5000m world record holder, David Moorcroft, to Dean Close School to dine with Sixth Formers at the Francis Bacon Society.

The event was hosted by the School Warden, Jonathan Lancashire, at Dean Close House. After the usual excellent dinner served by the catering staff, David spoke about his career. He told his audience that he has been motivated by athlete, Chris Chataway, who had been a hugely talented runner in the 1950s, and had inspired him to take up running and join the Coventry Godiva Harriers. He talked about his highlights such as breaking the 3000m and 5000m world

records, the latter by 5.79 seconds, and to be the last non-African to have set a world record at that distance. He also touched on the more difficult times when injuries blighted his progress. His final message was to “never change your own personal values whatever you end up doing in life, but to believe in yourself and to do what inspires you.”

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It was a glamorous evening when the Sixth Form diners welcomed designer, Beatrice von Treskow, to their Francis Bacon Society Dinner.

In September we were honoured to welcome Mike Davies, from Atlantic Productions, and his wife Abigail, to the first Francis Bacon Dinner of the year.

Mike is a BAFTA winning director of documentaries, working primarily with David Attenborough. He was an inspiring after-dinner speaker for our Sixth Form, urging them to work hard in whatever industry they decide to follow. He pointed out that everyone must start at the bottom and learn everything they can, proving yourself in whatever area you work in, as you move up to reach the top. He told us about the BAFTA ceremony and how after receiving his Award he was scared to put it down and so carried it around all night, which gave him arm ache the next day!

Many of us got to hold his Award as he brought it along, and we can confirm that it was extremely heavy!

After a delicious menu which included lobster bisque and succulent pork, Beatrice stood to give a talk about her early experiences of travel between South Africa, Germany and Afghanistan, explaining how these countries had influenced her career as a fashion designer. She began with a passion for design and worked her way up from shadowing a Marks and Spencer's designer in South Africa. Now her designs are distinguished by rich fabrics, colourful patterns and hand finished embroidery which she produces as beautiful, bespoke designs for clients all around the world, including royals and celebrities, with each of Beatrice's coats taking one month to design and make.

Her dedication and entrepreneurial creativity has allowed Beatrice to overcome the challenges of running a high quality factory abroad, as well as negotiating contacts and getting her name out into the competitive world of fashion.

The School was really grateful to Beatrice for finding the time to talk to them, and inspiring any potential fashion designers, as well as anyone wanting to set up a successful business. We wish her luck in the opening of her third shop, in Berlin.

Bella Acland

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he Senior House Public Speaking this year was of an extremely high standard and a most enjoyable evening. It was also defined by an unusual cross-pollination of speeches, where speakers and other team members frequently referred back to earlier speeches during the evening; the questions were also sharp and well dealt with by the respective speakers.

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Shelburne opened the competition with a detailed and engaging speech by Rachael Quarcoo about ‘The Misconceptions of Africa: The Danger of a Single Narrative’, for which she was runner-up for Best Speaker. Linus Holmes (Field) tackled the question ‘Will Humanity Ever Be At Peace?’; Beth Leishman (Hatherley) spoke with great clarity and good sense about the discrimination of the ‘tampon tax’ in a speech entitled ‘Luxury – No Strings Attached’; Ian Hayes (Gate) explored the topic of economic inequality and its potential benefits and disadvantages; Harriet Thomas (Mead) gave an earnest discussion of ‘Aid: Our Corrupted View of Generosity’. Yalan Nie (Turner) spoke without notes in an engaging and gently humorous talk on ‘Stereotype: Subtle and Harmful’; Kristian Manton-Dever (Brook Court) spoke passionately on the topic ‘Does Democracy Make You Free?’; Katy Moorhouse (Fawley) gave us a reasoned and well-researched talk on ‘Streaming: The Future of the Music Industry or The Instrument of its Downfall?’.

Dale were worthy winners of Best Team for a sophisticated and sharp overall performance – Jason Richards chairing with wit and deftness in dealing with questions, Pat Bunker giving a succinct vote of thanks, and Joe Morford speaking engagingly and persuasively on ‘Insects: The Future of Food’ (with plates to try!).

Rory Kavanagh (Tower) was awarded Best Speaker for his thoughtful and wide-ranging speech ‘From Babel to Babble: The Importance of a Second Language’.

Many thanks to our Chair of Trustees, Kathryn Carden, for her astute and encouraging adjudication.

G E Hildick-Smith

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hey stayed in the Al Sawadi Beach Resort and Spa Hotel and took part in ten incredible dives around the Dinmaniyat Islands where they saw sharks, moray eels and an array of amazingly beautiful underwater creatures. Out of the water, they were taken on two cultural outings. The first tour involved a visit to the famous old souq in Muscat where they enjoyed haggling for items such as frankincense, pashminas and chess sets. The second involved a tour into the interior to see arguably the most beautiful door in Oman at Al Hazm Castle and the hot springs nearby Nakhal Fort. The tour party talked about how incredibly hospitable, friendly and open the Omani people were, and that they had a truly memorable time.

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“When we finally arrived in Muscat, the capital, the heat was the first thing you noticed. It was hotter in the middle of the night than most days in an English summer. For me, this was a very new experience.

The dives themselves were amazing… seeing all the creatures, ranging from sharks to shrimp was an indescribable experience.”

Henry Elsey

“Sunday was our second to last day of diving. This made me think: why haven’t I seen a whale shark yet? On the bright side, Sunday was a good day for diving with most of the group seeing a sting ray and various turtles. On the Monday, we had another great day of diving and I looked down and there it was - a whale shark swimming underneath me – of course, this was challenging since I am scared of fish!

Tuesday was our last day: we visited two forts which were incredible and two hot springs; the last hot spring we visited was amazing; it was so picturesque and definitely my favourite part of the trip.

I would recommend this trip to everyone. It was a once in a life time experience.”

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typical day on the ski tour would begin at 7am with a wake-up call followed by breakfast half an hour later. Sugar Puffs and Coco Pops were the most popular options with few students opting for the more traditional bread, meat and cheese of Austrian fare. We then clomped up to the ski hire shop in ski boots to pick up our skis and alight the gondola to ascend Mount Horberg (2,300m).

Leaving behind a thin dusting of snow at ground level the lift would tip us out in to the blinding white playground of snow that is the Mayrhofen ski area.

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Our instructors were energetic, helpful and knowledgeable – they responded to what each group wanted to do and helped each skier to improve. The top group were the most technical but group 2 wanted to go fast (over 90km/h in some cases…we had the app!). Groups 3 and 4 wound their way across the mountains occasionally hitting the snow park for some jumps.

The beginners showed a staggering improvement over the course of the week and demonstrated this by tackling red runs with confidence and style.

The most memorable moments came on our fifth day when the clouds were quite low and we broke through them

to see only the blue sky and the peaks of other mountains poking through.

After a full five hours of skiing we’d head back to the hotel for a short break before supper.

HOTEL SIDAN IS KNOWN IN THE REGION FOR ITS AMAZING PIZZAS AND WE WEREN’T DISAPPOINTED

Hotel Sidan is known in the region for its amazing pizzas and we weren’t disappointed to find that they were on the menu two nights out of six.

Each evening had some form of entertainment and something for everybody whether it was active like ice skating or curling or more cerebral like Miss Donaldson’s fiendish quiz.

Over the week every student had been challenged in some way and I would like to thank the staff who helped to support them throughout the week: Mr Harvey, Miss Donaldson, Miss Gordon, Mr Bayntun and Mr Stanley. Stories of various exploits on the trip are still bouncing around School so it’s no great surprise that most of us are turning our attention to the next time we might find ourselves in the mountains…

A Spring-Wallis

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heir first stop was Bewdley, a small town on the River Severn, where they learnt how flooding has affected the town and the people that live there. The geographers even got a chance to listen to some interesting folk music as they walked down the river. At the next stop they had the chance to view some cirques before heading on to the Royal Victoria Hotel in Llanberis, where the group were greeted by a three course meal. The following day, the Sixth Formers headed down to Criccieth where, despite the windy and wet weather, they learnt about the town’s sea defences. They then carried on to Porthmadog to explore some physical coastal features and analyse the differences in the beach material and structure of all of the beaches they have visited. After this, they finally reached the mountains of Snowdonia itself, where the group visited Cwm Idwal and the stunning surrounding

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landscape it offered. Some walked around the entire cwm, whilst others climbed over the back wall and down the other side again in a very wet three hour long walk. This involved a lot of clambering up the back wall, and a slippery walk back down again on the other side due to the typical Welsh rain.

Congratulations to the very few who managed to stay upright for the whole walk down! It was definitely a walk worth doing, as there is a fantastic view of the Cwm Idwal from the top.

THERE WAS A FANTASTIC VIEW OF THE CWM IDWAL FROM THE TOP

The final day involved leaving the hotel, and the free Wi-Fi, to follow the course of a river from its upper course into its lower course, with some fortunately sunny weather. A very impressive view of the Nant Ffrancon Valley could be seen, which showed everyone the grand scale of the case study that they are learning about in the classroom. Overall, it was a great trip, and one that everyone enjoyed, even if they did complain about the weather.

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e arrived at our destination, apprehensive not only about the tasks ahead but also the weather.

However, the sun was out and all seemed well as we all got off the bus. Grabbing our bags we began to slip and slide through the thick and neverending mud into the wilderness and soon we were surrounded by a forest. We were put into our 'tribes' and assigned a brilliantly enthusiastic tribe leader who helped and guided us into tasks such as making our own shelter for the night.

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Dusk fell and after a few games of 'follow the lantern' the other girls and I were ready to curl up into our sleeping bags and crash out for the night. Soon after a cup of hot chocolate the thought of sleeping outside in the woods didn't seem so daunting.

The next day was full of activities such as learning to catch and trap animals, a health and safety course and a course on how to make your own fire and cook food from it. Not only were these exercises interesting and informative but they also brought the 'tribes' together and was a good opportunity to meet and talk to new people.

Maddie Harris

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GRABBING OUR BAGS WE BEGAN TO SLIP AND SLIDE THROUGH THE THICK AND NEVERENDING MUD

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ctober half term marked the annual GCSE History trip to the WWI Battlefields of Ypres and the Somme. The trip commenced in Ypres with a visit to the Passchendaele museum, followed by attendance at the Menin Gate ceremony. Pathetic fallacy marked the start of our next day. Starting with a visit to Tyne Cot cemetery, a Commonwealth War grave, which was masked in fog, we then moved on to see the contrasting memorial to German soldiers at Langenmark. Both experiences equally moving, and both testament to the devastation and destruction of war.

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Talbot House was in offering soldiers a break more familiar with their homes, than the trenches. Our final visits to the battlefields of the Somme enabled us to put our learning into context. Standing in the middle of no-man’s land we could envisage the different lines and consider the strategy of battle. We were privileged to have our own guide (and Dean Close parent) Mr Bill George, who led us over the battlefield and was an ever present source of knowledge on WWI and its Battlefields. As a result of this wealth of knowledge our days were interspersed with spontaneous stops to visit the graves of ODs, including the first OD to fall: Lieutenant Birch who fell on 14th September 1914 aged 19 years.

Our tour then moved to the Battlefields of The Somme. A visit to Talbot House, in Poperinge, offered a different view of war. Talbot House was a refuge for allied soldiers who were on R&R, and offered respite and a welcome break from the front. Talbot House is still a place of quiet and homeliness. We all enjoyed having a cup of tea in its large, farmhouse style kitchen. We could easily imagine how important

The trip ended on its third day with glorious sunshine and a visit to Vimy Ridge: the setting for the GCSE text ‘Journey’s End’. Once again bringing our learning from the classroom to life. The WWI Battlefields trip is now a tradition for the History Department and we hope that many more students will join us in the years ahead and benefit from this special experience.

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fter months of planning this year’s sports tour, the teams finally arrived safely in Cape Town.

On arrival we were met by Chervonne our tour rep and Luftie our driver who took us to our lovely accommodation for the 5 day stop at the Protea Sea Point.

After dropping off their bags the players were keen to test out the pitches and started their training straight away at the Oude Moulen Sports Complex which possessed an unbelievable backdrop, with Table Mountain feeling but a stone’s throw away.

The group trained really well for about 2 hours and managed to not only blow the cobwebs away, but started to develop some good team patterns and organisation ahead of the first game.

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trips The pupils woke up early the next day ready for a full day of activity before the first game against Bergvliet in the afternoon. Many had underestimated the potential impact of their experience in the Langa Township, the oldest township in Cape Town. Approximately the size of 100 football pitches, the township houses 100,000 residents. The living conditions were worse than any of us had expected, however, we were hugely humbled by the warmth and hospitality of everyone we met. We were shown around a very ‘affluent’ area of the township which had limited electricity, a cold water supply with many houses just two rooms big but accommodating whole families. This is known as the black district because of its lack of night time lighting.

The ‘less affluent’ areas of the township were very hard to witness and all of our party felt humbled and privileged to have had the opportunity to talk to and play with the local children. After such an emotionally challenging morning, it was time to get our game faces on and both sides won their first match playing some superb hockey. An inspiring start to the tour.

The next eye opening experience soon followed as the group took a trip to Robben Island to visit the cell of the former South African president, Nelson Mandella.

You could not help but be moved by the stories we heard and the pictures we saw. From Robben Island the group were taken to the base of Table Mountain.

“Please let go of the hand rail, the floor of the pod will rotate continuously until you reach the top” were not comforting words for many

of us, however, once at the top we were blown away.

The mountain allowed for views in every direction as far as the eye could see.

Back on the pitches our players had two really fantastic games. The girls won against tough opponents, while the boys had a really tough game narrowly losing to the Wynberg side in temperatures that must have neared 30 degrees. The final games in Cape Town were also of a very high standard and, unfortunately, both teams lost to strong teams, SACS (boys) and Rustenberg (girls).

We departed Cape Town for a final few days in Johannesburg. Upon arrival the group were treated to a wonderful meal and speeches by their new hosts before being separated for two nights of billeting and fixtures against St Mary’s (girls) and Protea (boys). St Mary’s Waverly (ranked top girls hockey school in the country with 900 girls) were a tough side but Dean Close were triumphant, coming away with a 1-0 win. The boys then went on to play Parktown Boys’ High School and the opposition’s coach was very complimentary of our boys who worked incredibly hard, narrowly losing 4-1.

A couple more losses against Pretoria Boys’ High and Manlo High School could not dampen spirits as the tour drew to a close. With further inspiring visits to the Nelson Mandela Museum and Apartheid Museum, the tour was without a doubt an incredibly moving experience for both staff and pupils and one that they will always remember.

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trips f I was to tell you one thing about the Salamanca trip, it would be that it is an amazing experience. Living in a Spanish stranger's home was indeed daunting at first but with the help of charades, full conversations developed. The lessons we had at ISLA in the mornings were immersive and fun and I know that everyone's understanding and enjoyment of the language increased greatly as a result. In the evening ISLA organised various activities for us to do, ranging from cooking 'tapas' (snacks) to salsa dancing. However, I have to say my favourite activity was karaoke - hearing five teenage boys passionately shouting along to Mamma Mia is a rare experience! Despite having lots of free time to wander around the town and two afternoons by the pool, I'm glad to say that no-one got burnt, but there was a high intake of Ferrero Rocher ice cream! I think I'll be returning to Salamanca next year!

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Maddie Dunn

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#FTFFG FLY THE FLAG FOR GEOGRAPHY is a competition that was launched this year to see how far and wide our students travel, and to find the best geographical places and features.

A flag was issued to every pupil studying Geography at Dean Close who were encouraged to snap some unusual photos for our gallery.

In January the Lower Sixth Politics students travelled to London to visit the Houses of Parliament. Shadowed by Mr Milne and Mr Sheldon, the pupils were given a tour of the Palace of Westminster, including both the House of Commons and House of Lords, and enjoyed a Q&A session with Cheltenham’s Conservative MP, Alex Chalk, in Westminster Hall. The trip is one that the Politics department has taken every year since 2007 and is one of the highlights of our programme of study. Indeed, for most of our pupils, so many of whom are native to the west of England, it is the first time they have seen the Houses of Parliament “in the flesh”.

AGA Milne

Field Trips

This year’s winners are:

We have had numerous field trips this year to a variety of landscapes around the UK. We have been fortunate enough to be able to be educated about these wonderful landscapes whilst doing some fieldwork also.

Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to one of the stalwarts of the department this year. John Talbot has

been a champion for getting out there to experience Geography and he will be greatly missed by the scholars and staff, but I am sure that he is imparting his knowledge on the residents of Edinburgh with a passion. This following year we have new syllabi for GCSE and A level which means a raft of new trips.

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arly in the School year, the English Department walked the entire Fifth Form - 97 pupils - en masse to the Everyman Theatre to see the acclaimed National Theatre production of their GCSE set text ‘An Inspector Calls’.

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Stephen Daldry’s production of ‘An Inspector Calls’ was truly surprising. The acting alone was of a fantastically different class. However, when the show is completely stolen by a child extra with no lines, and a woman playing the part of Edna, you know that something is wrong. Daldry’s use of symbolism throughout the play is unquestionably brilliant, especially when, after the Birling’s house is tipped onto the stage, Mr and Mrs Birling pick through the broken crockery and gather all that is useable, symbolising the older generation of Birlings desperately scrabbling to gather the broken pieces of their capitalist past.

Through the play, most of the cast lost about three items of clothing each by throwing their jackets at one another’s feet, or handing their accessories to the boy. Any English teacher would say that this symbolised capitalism giving way to the progressive socialist society that Priestley dreamed of. Credit must go to the actors for being able to get through a whole Priestley play without breaking down in tears or laughter simply due to the ridiculousness of the writing. The play which originally had a certain level of dramatic irony, reached new levels of humour as the actors rolled around the stage seeming to search through the audience (made up mainly of students and their accompanying teachers) for laughs. Eric’s time on the floor was only matched by the frequent floor time of Sheila as she tripped over her unnaturally long dress, and the broken crockery made Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” music video look like a children’s tea party. I said how Edna effortlessly stole the show with a two line part. This was done by sitting happily in a chair dunking a biscuit into a mug of 88 ~ DECANIAN 2015/16

tea, or knitting centre stage whilst all around her the most serious speeches were shouted above the laughter from the audience. Throughout the plays many revelations, build ups, or any minor event, a steadily crescendoing violin and piano surrounded the audience, its deep base notes sending ripples through the waves of laughter that built with the music.

And then, just as the laughter died down, the set exploded. This was undoubtable the funniest moment of the play. As flashing lights built to a dark glow the first tinkle of laughter grew and as the monotonous violin plus accompaniment built and the “dolls house” rocked forward, the laughter took over and in the midst of this cacophony of sound the dining table exploded and shards of the seemingly meticulous set flew out onto the stage. After this the play took an unnecessary journey into the postmodern, as the Inspector stormed back onto the stage in a cloud of heavenly smoke and street urchins and threw down the fourth wall yelling “Stop!” to the audience. The light suddenly warms and lights the darkened auditorium and the Birlings are given shock blankets (another brilliant device used by Daldry). Finally the inspector ascends in a cloud of white light, surrounded by the working class, and the play calms down. It then happily churned along until the final revelation, again accompanied by the booming backing track. The play ends much as it started, with the backing noise fading, and a child who, without lines, shone through the trashed set and played with the curtain which for some reason continued to lower until it all lay in a heap and was lifted again just in time for the bows.

The performance is a “must see” but I would suggest that any casual audience member takes their knitting, or a tea and a biscuit for the moments when we really just wanted to see the house fall over again.

Rowan Ireland

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n September the annual Royal Logistics Corps Inter-House Cadet Competition took place at Dean Close School. For the third year, cadets from All Saints Academy (ASA), our Cadet Expansion Partnership School, joined in the highly competitive event.

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Teams were put through their paces with a range of mental and physical challenges throughout the day such as a drill competition, command tasks, field gun run and swimming activity.

All were engaged and, judging by the loud level of encouragement from each other, all enjoyed the day. There were some senior military staff on

hand to witness the activities and hand out the prizes at the end of the day.

Fawley House was victorious, winning both the Drill Cup and winning the overall competition. Colonel David Carson, Brigadier Steve Hodder, Old Decanian Lt Eddie Brecht and the Warden of Dean Close were on hand to present the silverware. Following these presentations there was a symbolic parade to officially recognise ASA CCF as its own independent unit. Sergeant Poppy Slack led the ASA flag party to collect their Union Flag and CCF Banner which was presented by Sergeant Henry Hick.

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In the evening there was a joint Mess Dinner with a top table of guests including Brigadier David Short CBE from the Combined Cadet Force Association who spoke about the impressive start that ASA had made. The Head teachers and cadet staff from both ASA and Lakers School (Coleford) were also in attendance as Lakers has also recently joined the Cadet Expansion Partnership with Dean Close. CSjt Ross Haines spoke clearly about his expectations for the Corps and his understanding of the key values that being a cadet brings. OD Lt Eddie Brecht spoke humbly to the cadets of the dual role of Warfare and Welfare, that he had not imagined he would have been expected to balance, when he left Dean Close School just five years ago.

TEAMS WERE PUT THROUGH THEIR PACES WITH A RANGE OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL CHALLENGES

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Cadets travelled to a training area near Pendine Sands where they built shelters, conducted reconnaissance patrols, a platoon ambush and then occupied a harbour area for the night. The following day saw each section conduct section attack training and then returned to camp to de kit and clean weapons.

Evening activities included clay pigeon shooting, archery, a drill session with a guardsman, sports and a cinema evening. All of which added in to make the week a very full and rich experience. During the week staff were on the lookout for those individuals who showed a higher level of commitment and the following were noted and awarded a prize at the final Camp briefing.

Cadets were able to conduct the Full Bore classification shoot with the Cadet GP Rifle in the morning and a Familiarisation shoot with the Light Support Weapon in the afternoon. Sadly, the generous Welsh liquid sunshine came into effect and curtailed the shoot for A Coy. Those members of B Coy who classified will be awarded a badge to be worn on their uniform from September.

Cadets travelled to a quarry to climb and conduct watermanship with a team from the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers Militia. The climbing proved to be an appropriate physical challenge for all. The watermanship consisted of, learning how to lash planks and barrels together to form a very strong, buoyant raft and then paddle the rafts in a race. There was also an opportunity to have a go at kayak rugby. It was good to see that the damp conditions did not supress the spirits and those who chose to get stuck in really enjoyed themselves.

The week was, as ever, a challenge for the cadets; perhaps more this year as the weather presented its own challenges; I hope, now that the summer has passed, there will be good memories for all about aspects or activities during the week.

I would like to personally thank the staff from 145 Bde Cadet Training Team for administering a very slick camp, the Dean Close NCOs for their experience and support given to the cadets. Finally, a big thank you to the staff from both Dean Close and Lakers who gave up a week of their time putting in some very long days and nights. Without this support the experience would not have been possible.

Major DD Evans

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from the Palace A group of Old Decanians had an exciting day out when they travelled to London to pick up their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award from Prince Philip. The photo represents all the young people from the whole of South West England who received the award, with an impressive 11 being from Dean Close.

Furthermore, the School hopes to have at least another ten pupils there again in October 2016. This time the recipients were:

DofE managers were asked to set themselves a personal challenge to help raise money for young people who don’t have the opportunity to do so for themselves. Miss Hatchell climbed the Dean Close climbing wall at 6.30pm one evening and slept on the ledge through what was a very cold night, having harnessed herself to the wall. Throughout the day she had visits from pupils and staff including some serenading from a choir. She also had buckets which were lowered down for treats and morale boosting comments to keep her going before she touched back down at 6.30pm the following evening. After her epic challenge she said: "A massive thank you to everyone for being so brilliant and supportive over the 24 hours. I loved all my visitors. I had company the whole time...except for four chapters worth of my book and 30 minutes learning Spanish!"

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his year saw the biggest ever group of 60 exuberant Remove pupils venture into the Cotswolds to complete their Bronze DofE. It was full of drama: thunder, lightning, flooding, sunshine, banter (only the good stuff), dogs and even a broken wrist due to an innocent rugby tackle! Some of the keen expeditioners even chose to do two nights camping and walk an extra 8km – all in support of their team mates on the PE GCSE course.

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Friendships were tested and strengthened and memories were made for ever. The constant wet atmosphere meant feet were sore, but as I write this three days later, they’ve all bounced back to full working order again. The Cotswolds is a perfect location for Bronze DofE and I look forward to this year’s Removes having the highest completion rate and choosing to take on Gold as soon as they are 16 years old. An organised, fun and friendly year group. Well done, team!

C Hatchell

ail, snow, downpours, thick fog and then two days of glorious sunshine on the ridges of the Brecon Beacons was how the 22 hikers were greeted in their practice expedition during the Easter break.

The Lower Sixth contingents completed their Gold Duke of Edinburgh training expedition despite the tricky conditions and should be really proud with all they achieved.

DofE Leader, Caz Hatchell, said: “All the best training gets done in grotty weather and I don't think they'll forget Friday's challenge - 22km with 15-20kg on their backs, hiking up to 817metres and enduring thick fog for the whole afternoon. The compass skills were proved useful! Waking up to hail and rain on Saturday morning meant a few grumpy faces, but once up on the high ridges the sun came out and the joys of hiking in the hills was appreciated by all.”

Thanks especially to Brian Lloyd, Dom Evans, Kelso and Erica for helping on the trip and huge congratulations to the students for "keeping on keeping on".

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he Rugby Club has gone from strength to strength and this year has been no exception. With increasing numbers in performance pathways and an improved fixture card, Dean Close rugby is currently in good health.

With over 110 fixtures taking place from 1st XV to the U14C we have put out 11 sides this year on regular occasions, ensuring that all boys at every level have had the opportunity to represent the School in a safe yet challenging environment, with 215 boys representing the School this year.

Outside, our experienced Common Room we have welcomed external coaches in Peter Buxton and Simon Lane who both ran the Gloucester Rugby Academy the previous year.

Their experience, knowledge and enthusiasm was hugely important and their impact on the programme in support of Andrew Stanley was clear for all to see.

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The 1st XV welcomed new boys (Tom Seabrook, Ed Bogue, Dan Williams, Gus Maughan and Raphael Lum) into the team and their impact in pre-season was immediate. However, prior to the Southampton Festival we witnessed several low level injuries to significant members of the squad and this not only impacted on our pre-season but the first few games of the season whereby we lost games against RGS Worcester and Magdalen College, Oxford. From that point on, the boys only lost a further two games and went on to record notable results against Taunton School, Kingswood and Prior Park. The highlight of the season, however, came during our loss to Bloxham who had heavily beaten all other schools on their fixture card. The squad was captained superbly well by Guy Toye who, unfortunately, suffered a significant injury before half term that resulted in his unavailability for the rest of the year. The boys were a pleasure to work with and I look forward to Andrew Stanley and myself being able to push the boys on even further next year.

FROM 1ST XV TO THE U14C WE HAVE PUT OUT 11 SIDES THIS YEAR ON REGULAR OCCASSIONS, ENSURING THAT ALL BOYS AT EVERY LEVEL HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT THE SCHOOL

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U18 Tom Seabrook – England U18, Gloucester A team, Gloucester Academy Dan Williams – Gloucester Academy Luca Cappuccini – Gloucester Academy Ben Coombs – Gloucester Academy

U16 Bertie Tarrant – Gloucester Academy and Gloucestershire County Rotuk Rahedi – Gloucester Academy and Gloucestershire County

U15 Archie Benson – Gloucester Academy Elliot Bancroft – Gloucester Academy Ethan Butterfield – Gloucester Academy and England divisional camp Harry Trotman – Gloucester Academy Huw Longden – Gloucester Academy Jonny Coniam – Gloucester Academy and England divisional camp Josh Gray – Gloucester Academy and England divisional camp Kieran Cooper – Gloucester Academy Oscar Newcombe – Gloucester Academy Toby Haines – Gloucester Academy Toby Pallister – Gloucester Academy Oliver Horne – Gloucester Academy Max Coniam – Gloucester Academy Max Thomas – Gloucester Academy Monty Lewis – Gloucester Academy

U14 Harrison Farnworth – Gloucester Academy Chay Hawkins – Gloucester Academy Alfie Henson – Gloucester Academy James Humphreys – Gloucester Academy Matty Jones – Gloucester Academy Liam McKinnes – Gloucester Academy Jacob Payton – Gloucester Academy Nils Philip-Sorensen – Gloucester Academy Samuel Porter – Gloucester Academy Oliver Smart – Gloucester Academy Mobo Sotande-Peters – Gloucester Academy Charlie Street – Gloucester Academy Freddie Thomas – Gloucester Academy Jay Watkins – Gloucester Academy DECANIAN 2015/16

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This year we introduced the inaugural Headmasters’ XV vs School XV (inter-school seniors) which turned out to be a fantastically even and well contested game. The Headmasters XV (captained by Jack Slater) ran out eventual winners 12-7 and I would like to express my gratitude to the Haines family (parents of Ross and Toby) for providing a very appropriate trophy to ensure the tradition is kept alive for many years to come.

The U16 group had a mixed year and although there were significant injuries to key players, fought valiantly to the very end. As a first XV we were delighted to be able to call upon captain Bertie Tarrant, Tom Pearson, Toby Hitchens and Fergus Byron-Low for their first team debuts and I am very much looking forward to seeing how they develop over the next two years in the Sixth Form.

The U15s had an outstanding (probably the best in Dean Close history) season playing 22 full fixtures as well as a further 10 fixtures in pre-season and midterm tournaments. The boys bowed out of the national NatWest Cup at the last 16 stage (out of 600 schools) and ended the year ranked 2nd in the country according to the School Sports Rugby Website which is a fantastic achievement for the boys involved. The

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group was well represented in the Gloucester Academy with 15 boys being part of the DPP and Johnny Coniam, Ethan Butterfield and Josh Gray being called up to the England training camps. The School is hugely proud of their achievements and I cannot thank the boys and Chim Gale (coach) enough for their commitment and determination this year.

The U14s had a fantastic year only losing two fixtures all term, and really worked hard to ensure their development and the continued strong reputation of school rugby at Dean Close. With a large cohort of new starters, the boys worked well to gel quickly and develop into a potent team that saw off most opponents with a fantastic win against a very strong Bromsgrove side of 33-19, being a personal highlight. Several boys (Matty Jones, Mobo Sotande-Peters, Freddie Thomas and Nils Philip-Sorensen) were regularly selected for the U15 cup sides throughout the year and were also part of the side that toured to Langley.

Overall, the boys played 12 matches, winning 10 and scoring over 300 points in the process.

The rugby club is very proud of all of those that represent the School and I thank all players for their support at every level.

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Next year the fixture card has developed once more and we welcome new fixtures in St. Edward’s Oxford, King’s Worcester and Monmouth School. I would like to thank Andrew Stanley for his superb leadership of the rugby programme and all of the coaches for their ever present commitment, dedication and passion to the game and the School. I would like to wish on behalf of the rugby programme the Upper Sixth leavers all the very best for their futures and hope that they continue to play for many years to come.

G Baber-Williams

he Senior squad travelled to Hereford Cathedral School for the Marches 7s as their first competitive outing of the season. Despite this, the boys got off to a positive start, playing well and winning their opening game 26-14 against Monmouth School.

Although losing 29-10 in their next game against Sherborne School, they pushed the eventual Cup finalists closer than anybody else in the group stages, with a typically physical and gritty display. In the following game, Millfield starved Dean Close of early possession producing a lesson in restarts and scoring three tries straight away. This left a margin that Dean Close were unable to bridge, meaning that they would be placed in The Bowl for the knockout stages.

A solid victory in the quarter final against Hereford Cathedral set up a semi against King Edward VI School, Stratford. A number of injuries during the day saw the minimum number of players available for the last two games. This took its toll with Dean Close conceding late scores in the 26-12 defeat.

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Director of Rugby, Andrew Stanley, praised the players’ efforts but went

on to say: “The quality of schools at The Marches is of the highest order.

As a group, the boys realise that when we get it right, we are able to compete and match some of the best schools in the country. The challenge for us now is to be competitive for longer periods by sticking to what we are good at. Results will come on the back of this.”

Following The Marches tournament there was a short turnaround to the next tournament of the season at Wycliffe College.

Dean Close used their previous experiences to their advantage, putting in strong performances in their victories against QEH Bristol and Katharine Lady Berkeley's School.

Failure to consolidate early leads in their victories against both Kingswood School and Bristol Grammar School meant Dean Close had to work hard throughout their group matches. In the final, they faced a Sir Thomas Rich’s squad who had been beaten by eventual Marches winners, Harrow, in the semi final of that competition. The game started at a fast pace with STR scoring two early tries. Dean Close rallied and scored a well-worked try involving the whole team. However, they were unable to contain STR team in the second half.

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The County 7s was the next date on the calendar and following three strong victories in the pool stages STR again stood in the way of further progression into the finals. The strong STR side again proved to be the nemesis for Dean Close U18s and a semi final berth was a step too far for the players on the day.

Dean Close Director of Sport, Greg Baber-Williams, captured the mood when he said: “The boys are disappointed that we are not precise in the latter stages of the tournaments.”

Strong competition in the earlier tournaments left the squad well prepared for the Rosslyn Park National Schools’ Sevens.

Good performances in the first three pool games against Gresham's School, Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr & Newcastle RGS resulted in three wins and an opportunity, to progress to the knockout stages with a “winner takes all” game against St Paul’s School. The challenge proved too much against a side that managed to reach to the final of the Bowl competition. The boys will have the opportunity to learn from these experiences, as 75% of the squad were Lower Sixth pupils. With two Fifth Form players in the squad as well, the future looks optimistic for next year.

The same could be said for the U16s squad for next season. They played in the County and RPNS 7s with the vast majority of the squad made up of Remove players.

Despite this, they managed to reach the Plate final of the Wycliffe 7s and the Semi Final of the County 7s. Good wins against Clifton College and Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymn in the RPNS means that they have had a good insight into the standards required for success for next season.

Following the strong showing of the Dean Close U14s at the Rosslyn Park National Schools Sevens, the U15s travelled alone to the Sherborne School Rugby 7s to compete against some of the top rugby playing schools in the country. Due to the cancellation of the other tournaments in which they had been entered this year, Sherborne presented the U15s with their only opportunity to compete as a cohort this season.

The lack of competition was evident in the opening pool games as the boys struggled to find the fluent 7s rugby they have been noted for. However, they still gained victories against Eton and Portsmouth GS. A marked improvement against Clayesmore School, then set up the muchanticipated fixture against a strong Millfield School outfit.

Dean Close started with purpose and a real intent. This enabled them to build a notable buffer, which was only narrowed as changes were made to the team in the latter part of the second period. Canford School posed the final 98 ~ DECANIAN 2015/16

challenge of the regular part of the competition, and after a nervy start, Dean Close hit their straps and extended their unbeaten record which allowed them to advance into the competition final against Rugby School. Dean Close produced precise and fluent sevens during the whole game.

They were always in control and produced a display that saw them become worthy Champions.

Although a real squad effort, the competition saw a number of notable performances throughout the day. However, special recognition was given to Elliot Bancroft when the other coaches in the competition voted him ‘Player of the Tournament’ award. A significant achievement given that it was Elliot’s first 7s run out of the season.

Director of Rugby, Andrew Stanley, commented: “I was impressed with the approach of the boys today. We looked a bit rusty at the first two games, which is hardly surprising given the absence of game time the group has suffered from this season. There were some strong words spoken after the Portsmouth game and there was an immediate response from that. In fact, the boys gradually improved from then on and played their best rugby in the final.”

The U14s opened their season with the Bromsgrove School 7s. A route to the final came after victories against South Bromsgrove, Bishops Hereford, Crypt School and the hosts themselves. The opponents in the final ,Warwick School, need no introduction, but they were pushed all the way for the win in a game that could have gone either way right up to the final whistle.

Buoyed by this performance and the availability of all the players in the year group, the squad travelled to the RPNS 7s with a real focus. This focus was evident as they went on to win all their pool games and advanced to the elimination stage of the Cup competition on day two. The finals of the tournament commenced with eight of the best schools in the country playing in two groups. In their pool, Dean Close started well with victory against Sherbourne and a draw against Wellington College. Whitgift School were next up.

They took advantage of a slow Dean Close start to build an unattainable first half lead. Despite this result, Dean Close still had the opportunity to qualify for the semifinals and went all out in the last game against Berkhamsted School.

Even though they won 31-19, the earlier drawn game came back to haunt them. Whitgift advanced into the knock out stages and went on to reach the semi-finals where they lost to Warwick.

Director of Rugby, Andrew Stanley, described the mood of the squad after the final game of the year when he said: “ The boys are disappointed that they were unable to make the semi-finals but now understand the level of consistency that they have to achieve when they are playing against the best schools in the country. If they learn the lessons from their only losses against Whitgift & Warwick schools, the attitude and character they have shown during this season will stand them in good stead for next year.”

IF THEY LEARN THE LESSONS FROM THEIR ONLY LOSSES AGAINST WHITGIFT & WARWICK SCHOOLS, THE ATTITUDE AND CHARACTER THEY HAVE SHOWN DURING THE SEASON WILL STAND THEM IN GOOD STEAD FOR NEXT YEAR

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he 1st XI had a mixed season. We were superb in regular school fixtures, losing only to Millfield and drawing to Clifton. The team managed to battle it out against a strong Marlborough team to win 2-1 at Marlborough for the first time in recent memory. However, we sold ourselves short when it came to competitions.

Having won the County Cup, we went to the West Finals full of optimism that this could be the year for this group of young ladies. We got through the group stages and met Clifton in the semis. The team battled courageously and even only had 9 players on the pitch at one point. We forced the games to flicks – good job we had practised in our last training session.

Jess Thomas stepped up and slotted home, but unfortunately Judy Richards and Ayesha Markham couldn’t convert.

It wasn’t to be. The girls were fantastic though, and showed real grit and determination and pride that they had got this far. The team has been resolute, passionate and inspiring throughout the term. There were several highlights of the season, the Trent game being one that stands out in the mind particularly. Judy

Richards has been outstanding as captain, leading by example and expecting only the best from her team. Ayesha Markham has been an absolute rock in defence, and in several other positions she has had to play. As for Danielle Gibson, 28 goals in one season says it all, with some absolute scorchers! The next top scorer was Judy on 10. The other Juniors who have represented the 1st XI have developed nicely and will slot into the set up over the next few years to become regular starters for the team. It has been a thoroughly enjoyable term, with more ups than downs and I look forward to the next few years as we strive to get more teams to the National Finals.

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sport The 2nd XI had an encouraging season, improving significantly throughout the term.

Tough fixtures in the early weeks were challenging, but play got better and the season ended with a winning goal in the last 30 seconds against Cheltenham Ladies’ College and wild celebrations from players and supporters alike! Georgia Kent was solid in goal, as were Caitlin Jackson and Steph Phillips in defence. Eloise Allen was most improved and Beth Leishman was the trump card marauding up and down the right hand side.

The most pleasing win was against Wycliffe 1st XI and Saffron Greenwood captained the side with much passion.

After a lethargic and lacklustre start, the mighty 3rd XI really came together against Cheltenham College where they played with commendable tenacity. After another feisty performance against Malvern College, the team got better and better, helped by a few players coming down from the 2nds. The team were a delight to coach and there was a real sense of team spirit and good humour. They persevered in trying to perfect the art of doing a decent short corner routine and after much effort there was much rejoicing when it finally worked! Liv Preece proved a good captain and was willing to lead and set a fine example. The whole team enjoyed their hockey and can look back on some memorable moments – often in torrential rain.

The fearless 4th XI had a good season. Their enthusiasm and commitment were second to none. Outstanding goal keeping from Grace Starling kept the team in many a game.

Improvements in fitness and positional play helped and Miss Donaldson got ever so excited whenever the team scored! Great speed and pace from Chloe Barrow, energy and drive from Daisy Gourlay and great performance all round. Polina Kalashnikova was top scorer.

The U16 XI played enthusiastically all term.

They had a notable victory against Prior Park with a 5-0 win. Away at Trent, the side played strongly and controlled the game throughout to win 3-1. The team showed committed play throughout the season and were close on several occasions. The grit and determination shown was not always rewarded. Captain Hannah Woods was Player of the Season with Emily Millward making innumerable saves in goal.

The U15As had a much improved season this year compared to last. Erin McMahon Ansell led by example on the right and the European 100 ~ DECANIAN 2015/16

imports of Maxinne Huybreckx and Carlotta Hackbarth made a difference to the spine of the team. There was strong support from Lydia Ward, Ava da Costa Freeman, Lola Blacker and Sophie Horton. We struggled to score goals, but the matches were all competitive and the forwards of Molly Davies, Hannah Bettelley, Phoebe Wharton and Katie McCabe showed and lot of spirit and fight. Special mention to Kat Scott Payne for her valiant work in goal.

The U15B team has a successful season with improvement noticed in everyone individually and as a team. Most prominent wins came against Malvern College, Kingswood and Wycliffe. Notable performances throughout the season came from Millie Tingey, Sophie Brown, Ren Garcia, Georgie Shepherd, Tatyana Cheung, Pollyanna Harris and Rose Tingey.

Outstanding effort put into training and matches by everyone, resulting in a very enjoyable season.

The U14As had a remarkable season as they made their way through a hugely successful fixture card, as well as winning the County Cup, coming second in the West, winning their play off, and eventually making their way to the National Finals for their age group, at Lee Valley in London.

Tough fixtures against Repton and Millfield opened the season, and it was a steep climb up for our Prep School girls, as they adapted to longer, 11-a-side games, with a few new girls in their mix. Lucy Scudamore proved a wonderful addition, but was unfortunately age trapped for the Cup, whilst Harriet Reece quickly earned herself the nickname 'The Broom', sweeping in a number of crucial goals from her position at Left Forward.

It was perhaps not until the County Cup that we fully appreciated the strength and passion of this team, with the core trio of Abby Norwood, Ellie Clarke and Katie Hunt stepping up to produce the quality hockey which characterised our play throughout the County and West tournaments. Ellie and Katie, as captain and vc, offered steely resolve, confident skill and unflappable calm under pressure, whilst Abby produced some astounding passages of play, with the skills and runs which made her the stand out player of the West of England finals, despite our final loss to Canford, on flicks.

Super wins against the Ladies’ College, Malvern, Cheltenham College and Marlborough, to name but a few, all followed.

Great credit must go to Hayley Collenette and Beth Ellison, this season. These girls impressed us with their progress, at left mid and right back

respectively, and were certainly our Most Improved Players. The team also benefited from Ellie Pietroni's increasing confidence at goal keeper, Emelia Lovegrove's pace at Right Forward, and Georgia Hill's ferocious tackling at left back. Thanks also go to Fifi Russell and Grace Greaves, who joined our Cup side from DCPS, and performed with great courage and tenacity alongside their older team mates.

Although Nationals did not go our way this year, it was a fabulous learning experience for the girls. Not quite able to bring to Lee Valley the fearless passion and heart they had shown in their play in earlier tournaments, the occasion and strength of the competition seemed to overwhelm them a little. However, coming seventh in the Country in their first senior season demonstrates quite clearly that they are 'ones to watch', as they move up through the school.

This group has a wealth of hockey talent, and a gutsy style of play, which bodes well for future competitions. We are immeasurably proud of all that they achieved this year.

The U14Bs had their first game against Millfield which was a good indicator for the rest of the season. The team defended well and had a few chances but came away with a defeat. The next three fixtures were against tough schools, but the team got results – 2 draws and a victory against Taunton. The girls played with determination and drive and there was excellent team spirit. A great end of season draw v Cheltenham Ladies’ highlighted how much the girls were improving in confidence and also how much they had taken on board from the training sessions. The girls were a delight to coach and their constant high level of work rate throughout was impressive.

Special mention to Emily Tottman who was constantly supportive of her team and led by example.

The newly formed 14/15Cs were formed from both new and returning pupils where a significant numbers of girls had never played hockey before. They got stuck into learning and improving their skills and although they lost their two matches, there were encouraging signs.

The girls have been fun to coach and it has been lovely to see them develop as players.

Their keenness was demonstrated by the large squad of 14! Special mention to Vanessa Elumelu and Imogen Sparrow who both went in goal. Debora and Sofia Miloradova were the most improved players. Gretchen Felten, Bella Moss and Abi Turner deserve a mention for being motivational, encouraging, and supportive of their team mates.

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Having gained lots of experience from last year’s competition, it was felt that the U18 could do something this year. The West Finals weekend was one of mixed emotions, with tears and laughter throughout. We battled hard and rallied throughout our games with some good tactical nous coming from Liam Brignull on the bench. We got through to the semi finals, managing to avoid Millfield who were looking strong. We played Sherborne in the semis but a few cards for Jess Thomas and Danielle Gibson put the pressure on.

It didn’t help that Judy Richards went off injured with what turned out to be a broken elbow. All of this took its toll and Sherborne ran out winners. It was so disappointing for the team as they were odds on favourites to qualify for the Nationals. However, it wasn’t to be and lots of lessons were learnt for next year.

The U16s had a good day on the Saturday and after getting to grips with the rules of indoor, they rallied and put on a promising display.

All bodes very well for the future, with all of these girls returning for Sixth Form.

Maxinne Huybreckx was “find” of the weekend and put on a gutsy display.

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hirteen sides played hockey this season with all boys given good time on the Astro to improve their skills and technical play. A strong fixture list enabled the teams to compete at the top level and all had good results throughout the term. The 1st team had a strong season only losing one match with a notable victories against Trent and Repton in the last match. After a good pre-season the squad settled down and with competition for places in all positions there were some tough decisions made. Two Remove boys, Toby Pallister

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and Elliot Bancroft, made the squad and played well throughout the season. Will Hewer captained the side outstandingly and used all his experience to drive the squad in training and matches. Rory Kavanagh developed into an outstanding goalkeeper and was the story of the season with save after save helping us to have such an outstanding season. James Hunt and Sam Norwood marshaled the defence and goal scorers Oli Evans with 17 and Matt Court with 20 goals caused defence problems in every game.

A special thank you to Pat Bunker, Guy Toye, Jack Slater and Harry Caro who have given so much to the hockey over the years.

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The 2nd team had a very good season and played some exciting hockey. Joe Morford in goal, Jack Slater in defence and Pat Bunker formed the core of a very strong squad. Luca Capuccini was outstanding as a striker and they had notable wins against Magdalen and Bromsgrove away. A special thank you to the squad and Mr Stott for all the help and patience with players during the 1st team cup run. The 3rd team trained and played well but had a tough season with Ryan White and Keir Thompson playing well all season.

They had a good victory against St Edward’s Oxford. The 4th team enjoyed the season and even though they didn’t manage a win, played good hockey throughout with Henry Large captaining the side.

The U16As this season were enhanced by some of the U15 boys. They had some very close matches with good wins against Magdalen College and Dauntseys. Josh Stott stood out this season as a player who has developed well and was rewarded with several matches for the 1st team at the end of the season. Orly Giannini and Andrew Whitford had good seasons. The U16Bs had an enjoyable competitive season and with a large squad able to switch players

consistently. They had several good battles with a good result against Rugby and a good win at Christ’s College near the end of term. Will Pearson had some outstanding performances in goal and Artur Abramian dominated the midfield.

In the U16 cup campaign, the County Cup was won quite comfortably and after qualifying through the Zone round at Dean Close the West Finals were held at Millfield. The squad played well but were unlucky in two games losing late on in the match.

They beat one of the eventual qualifiers to show their real potential.

This year, with so many players playing in the U18s, it was going to be tough and the squad performed well.

The U15s group followed on from their strong season last year with some excellent results. The A team only lost two matches all season even though they lost several players to the 1st team and U16s. Archie Benson marshaled the defence and Jacob Melville Smith scored some outstanding goals throughout the season. It was good to see several of the boys that played for the Bs last year cement places in the A team this year. The B team ended up having the best overall record in the School, not losing a match all season.

Toby Haines, Johnny Conium and Matteo Alfonsi had good seasons and again the promotion of several C team players showed our strength in depth.

Outstanding results against Repton and Bromsgrove were the highlights. The U15Cs, losing several players to the Bs, had a tough season but were able to compete well in all their fixtures with a good result against Kingswood. It was good to see several players develop and, despite the team changing throughout the season the players fought hard. The U15Ds enjoyed their hockey and despite having to play some matches on the grass, only lost one, a good draw against Magdalen College the standout result.

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The U14s group had a strong season and the As only lost one match all season. They played some outstanding hockey and dominated all the sides in School matches.

Oli Smart had a good season in goal and Sam Porter in midfield had an excellent season. Jacob Payton scored several outstanding goals. Felix Nelson was the most improved player. The U14Bs improved with their skill and patterns as the season went on, with a good win against Dauntseys School. Chay Hawkins and James Humphreys had good seasons and influenced many matches. The U14Cs had an enjoyable season and competed well in all the fixtures. They played several matches on grass and had a notable win against Bloxham. Several matches were very close and they had a good spirit all season.

2016 was an intense but successful season and I would like to thank all the coaches for the help and expertise they have given throughout the season.

Especially to Mr Montgomery for all the umpiring. I would like to thank Liam Brignull for all his help and support over the last two years in driving the hockey program forward and wish him well with his own hockey over the next few years.

I could not end my report without mentioning Mr John Watson and his role in what Dean Close Hockey has achieved over the last 17 years. Mr Watson has led teams to two National titles and has given his expertise to so many pupils over the years. He has supported the hockey program in so many different ways. Dean Close Hockey is going to miss you, Mr Watson and best wishes to you and Mrs Watson in your retirement.

G Tredgett

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When the Dean Close U18s boys travelled to the National Hockey Stadium for the semi final of the National Knockout competition, they knew they were only the second side in the history of the School to reach this stage. It had been a remarkable achievement, particularly since every previous round had been drawn away from home. They started their campaign with a win away at Prior Park 2-1, then beat Canford away 3-2, then went on to Oxford to play Magdalen College who they beat 2-1. They were then drawn in the quarter final against Kingston Grammar School away and won 3-2; quite a journey!

The semi final at Lee valley was against Oakham School. The match started at a very high pace with chances at both ends and with both goalkeepers making good saves. After a period of attacking from Oakham, Dean Close broke away with Oli Evans, Elliot Bancroft and Matt Court combining to force a penalty stroke. Matt Court scored the penalty and Dean Close went 1-0 up. Oakham responded strongly and from a penalty corner

scored a superb reverse stick and then after several attacks went 2-1 up. Dean Close responded with captain, Will Hewer, and Sam Norwood driving the team forward. Dean Close equalised from Matt Court after a good move involving Oli Evans and Noah Hagen.

As the first half was about to end, Oakham scored after several defensive errors to go into half time 3-2 ahead. Dean Close dominated the second half with Oakham hardly getting a shot on goal. Chance after chance fell to Dean Close with Sam Norwood and Oli Evans trying to force an equaliser. Dean Close’s short corner routine let them down badly and they were unable to score so finally lost 3-2.

It was an extremely disappointing result for the players but still an amazing achievement. Will Hewer, the captain, led by example and with Matt Court and Oli Evans’ goals during the campaign, the side become close knit and hard to beat. A special mention goes to Rory Kavanagh our goalkeeper who had an outstanding season and kept us in so many matches throughout the season.

BOYS WARMING UP BEFORE THE BIG MATCH

The U14s qualified for the National Final after winning the County Cup and the West Finals, creating high expectations when travelling to the National Hockey Stadium at Lee Valley. The squad knew that the first match against Whitgift would be a tough match after meeting them in the Final in the previous year.

Dean Close started well with Sam Porter creating several chances but unfortunately our forwards could not score. After two defensive errors, Whitgift went ahead. Dean Close responded with Freddie Thomas creating with some excellent passes from the back but still Dean Close could not score. Whitgift then scored again to win the match 2-0. In the next match against Oakham, Dean Close completely outplayed their opposition and won 5-0. In the last match against Bishop Stortford, Dean Close needed to win to gain a place in the 3rd/4th playoff. However, the squad seemed drained of all energy and lost a dull match 1-0. A disappointing end to an excellent school and cup campaign.

There were many lessons learnt for the future, though.

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he first round of fixtures were against KES Bath. Always a tough fixture offering highly contested matches.

The 1st team gave an excellent account of themselves, demonstrating the depth the squad have by combining experience and new Fifth Form additions. Although at senior level, KES proved stronger on the day, the mighty Fourth team put up a gutsy fight only losing by 2 goals. At junior level the matches were also very close. The U15Bs drew showing they could be the team to watch.

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The following block of fixtures was a new addition to the netball calendar.

Seniors travelled away to Bloxham while the juniors hosted. The 1st team demonstrated, in Mrs Holder’s opinion, their best netball to date, in a closely fought game which went goal for goal. In true DCS style, the girls kept composure and capitalised on the opposition’s errors. Motivated by Captain Georgia Toase, they took the game 32-27 and confidence was high.

Dean Close won the fixture overall with all teams giving an impressive performance. The ever-improving 1st team also gave a strong performance against Wycliffe eventually drawing the game 27-27.

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term, winning 27-12. The 3rds had an excellent season with Miss Richards winning 6 of their 10 fixtures. Their goal tally reached 171 with only 155 scored against them. Tantamount to the strength of their defensive unit especially Chrystabel Chinye, who produced some excellent interceptions. The 4ths, under Mrs Milne, had a great run of 4 wins in succession, winning 5 out of their 8 matches with a dominating 30-6 victory over local rivals, Wycliffe. Although the 5ths failed to get a win they had some great competitive matches only losing by 1 goal to Bloxham.

At Junior level, the U15As worked hard throughout the season. Two impressive victories against Bloxham and Malvern showed what they could achieve when at full strength. The U15Bs played 8 matches, winning 4 and drawing 1. All their games were tight and could have gone either way. The U15Cs were unbeaten all season only drawing to Bradfield College. Well done Miss Rose and team. The U14As had some tough matches with mixed results. They developed as a team with Mrs Lait’s coaching and peaked with a strong performance against St Edward’s, winning 21-11. The U14Bs, under the expert eye of Miss Chapman, performed consistently throughout the term securing 6 wins from 8 fixtures. This was echoed by the U14Cs who also gave solid performances throughout. The U14D side played 5 fixtures. A good win against Bristol Grammar School was a confidence booster and although it was their only victory, they played with heart throughout the term.

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Our Tournament results were impressive this year. In each age group (U14, U16 and U19) each team competed against schools from the Gloucestershire area.

The U19s narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Regionals with a 5-9 loss to Hartpury in the semi-finals. This match was a brilliant result as they were up against a netball academy with some of the best netballers in the country, who are heavily involved in the England Performance Pathway.

The U16s had an excellent tournament. They dominated their group, winning all their games. They performed with confidence and flair which made them the team to beat. An exciting semi final against Stroud High went to the wire. At full time the score was 7-7 so it went to extra time. In a nail biting 2 minutes of play, Megan Brown scored the winning goal in the dying seconds and secured a place in the final and their spot at Regional Finals.

The U14s had tight group games but

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impressively won through as runners up on goal difference, putting them in the semi-final against Cheltenham College. A final score of 4-9 placed them 3rd overall out of 19 schools, again just missing out on the important top two spots to qualify. With all age groups securing a minimum ‘top three’ position this was by far Dean Close netball’s most successful County campaign to date.

this tournament confidence was high.

The round-robin format would see Dean Close play six games against some very skillful sides. As always Dean Close demonstrated great team spirit and gave 100% in every game.

The team demonstrated how versatile they are and that they have the capability to compete against the best sides in the region. A very well deserved joint third place overall.

In January the U16s made the long journey to Camborne in Cornwall for the Regional School Finals. In cold conditions we played the top teams from the South West for a chance to play at National Finals. In a tough group which included Millfield, Truro School and Canford. our U16s put up a great fight. Tight score lines and very tall opposition made it a tough day.

The girls played well and held their own against all the teams they faced.

Eventual runners up, Millfield, only beat us by 1 goal which shows how close it was on the day.

The U15As competed in the annual May Dent tournament. They performed well in their group stage but after some close matches failed to progress further.

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With six teams at senior level and nine junior teams the Dean Close netball program is thriving and participation across the school is excellent. With some tough fixtures across the term all teams rose to the challenge and gave 110% leading to some positive results all round. With a young 1st team in place the future of Dean Close netball is bright. This is supported and made possible by the enthusiasm, team spirit and commitment of all players and staff involved in the program.

K Holder, Director of Netball

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ean Close enjoyed a busy and exciting 2016 cricket season. As a School, we managed to complete 51 fixtures in the short summer term.

25 ended as victories, 25 were losses and the remaining game was a nail-biting tie between the U14Bs and their equivalents from Sir Thomas Rich's School. Plenty of good cheer; plenty of opportunities for the boys to reflect on what might have been.

The 1st XI started the season in reasonable form, reaching half term with 4 wins and 4 losses.

Important wins included progressing in both T20 cup competitions. Samuel Norwood captained the side well, opening the batting with Oliver Horne, which proved to be an effective partnership in all forms of the game. There were outstanding individual performances littering the entire season, including Tom Pearson’s batting counter-attack at Monmouth, Bertie Tarrant’s 6 wickets in a T20 against Malvern, Luca Cappuccini’s 5 wickets at Commemoration against the Old Decanians (including one particular golden duck that will long remain cherished by the boys involved), Sam Norwood’s vital 60 in the first round of the HMC T20 tournament and Matthew Court and James Humphreys’ massive century partnership against Bloxham during cricket week.

Unfortunately, consistency was lacking and, for various reasons, the quality of the cricket played by the team diminished after the half term break. We will be looking for the returning players to apply themselves in 2017 and to turn a W4 L10 season into a winning one. There are several younger players who should be looking to challenge established members of the 1st XI, especially in the current Fifth Form and Remove.

The 2nd XI were victims of Gloucestershire’s particularly capricious microclimate. Their results read as follows: Loss, Abandoned, Abandoned, Cancelled, Abandoned, Cancelled. Given this state of affairs, it is difficult to read much into the season as a whole.

Several of the players will hopefully return to play 2nd XI cricket next year, when perhaps the fates will grant them rather more access to their fixture card than was the case in 2016.

The U15s had an excellent season. We managed to put out three teams in this year-group, winning 12 games and losing 5. Indeed, the best win percentage in the school belonged to the Under 15B team, under

the watchful eyes of long-term servants of the cricket programme, Mr Allen and Mr Fullerton, who won 83% of their matches. The Under 15A side occasionally suffered from the 1st XI pinching their better players, yet still enjoyed an excellent season by most standards; several will form the backbone of the School 1st XI for years to come, including the dynamic Danielle Gibson, more of whom later on.

The U14s also enjoyed an excellent season. They started well, remaining undefeated as a year group until well into May, with all three teams posting early wins against good opposition. Two boys, James Humphreys and Matty Jones, performed well enough to earn a call-up to the 1st XI T20 Cup team; an excellent achievement for such young cricketers.

The year is stuffed with talent and we hope that they will enjoy a fruitful 2017.

Long-term watchers of Dean Close cricket will have been enjoying the recent progress of one of our cricketers with particular pride. Danielle Gibson, who is still only 15 years old, has been making a significant mark in the world of women’s cricket, representing Gloucestershire Women at senior level throughout the summer with distinction. With the women’s game recently starting to embrace professionalism, it is an exciting time for young female cricketers like Danielle.

We are very much looking forward to keeping an eye on her burgeoning cricket career and hope that she will still have the time to turn out for the school in 2017.

The final paragraph must be dedicated to our departing (and much loved) Director of Cricket, Rob Cunliffe, who has served Dean Close cricket in various capacities for several years. Under Rob’s watchful eye, a generation of young Decanians came up through the ranks of the Prep School to represent Dean Close Senior School, with many winning county age-group honours. He was always an enthusiastic and knowledgeable coach, a favourite with the parents and particularly good with the younger cricketers in our community. He will be very much missed, even by the Master in Charge, who once nursed a bowling machine-inflicted plate-sized bruise for a fortnight thanks to Rob’s insistence that it would be a good idea for me to understand what it would have been like to face Wasim Akram. The School hopes to appoint his successor in the Michaelmas term of 2016, in plenty of time for the upcoming winter training programme.

Alastair Milne, Director of Cricket DECANIAN 2015/16

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he season has seen some excellent tennis being played by all age groups, and saw the numbers of participants in both team and individual lessons rise greatly.

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Captain, Elsa Pool, led by example as an ever present player in the first team who was also part of the Aberdare team, along with Judy Richards, and youngsters Megan Brown and Lola Blacker. The standard of senior tennis, and the number of girls wanting to play, was as high as it has ever been. We regularly put out four senior teams but this could have been increased if facilities allowed.

The 1st team won three of their six school matches, registering pleasing wins against Cheltenham Ladies’ College and Cheltenham College, and losing very narrowly to Kingswood.

The 2nd team started the term with a very close match against Prior Park, losing in the final round but coming back with an impressive win against Wycliffe. The 3rd team won both of their matches against Prior Park and Wycliffe, but unfortunately the 4th reversed these results.

The National Championships team, which was made up from the squad of Elsa, Judy, Elsa and Lola, produced 110 ~ DECANIAN 2015/16

some fantastic tennis again this year beating St Edward’s, Cheltenham in a tight, long lasting match. However, they eventually succumbed to St Peter’s, Gloucester after some outstanding tennis from both sides.

In the Gloucestershire School Girls’ Doubles held on the last weekend of term, Katie Hunt and Abby Norwood along with Megan Brown and Jess Thomas travelled to Cheltenham Ladies’ College to represent the U14 and U16 age groups. Katie and Abby faced some tough opposition and, although they produced some good tennis, lost all 3 of their matches. Jess and Megan started strongly with a 6-2 win over St Edward’s. Their second match went to an exciting 5-6 score, sadly losing the match. Not to be defeated, both girls returned to court for their final game and produced their best tennis of the morning, winning 6-4 crowning them Champions.

The U15 teams have had a mixed bag of results. There were some notable performances especially from the first pairing of Lola Blacker and Lydia Ward. The A team won four out of their six games, but had by far the closest matches of all the teams, either winning or losing the match by only one rubber in four of their fixtures.

The B and C teams both managed two wins this season after some gritty performances.

The U14A team had a fantastic season remaining unbeaten throughout. The ever presents in the team were Katie Hunt, Abby Norwood, Daisy Blacker and Susie Hicks Beach.

The B team were unlucky not to have a 100% record also, losing 4-5 to Malvern College in a very tight game.

The C team comprehensively won three of their four matches, which bodes well for strength in depth in future years.

Well done to all girls who have represented Dean Close tennis this year – the teams have shown humility and grace towards their opponents, and I look forward to another fruitful season next year. We are very grateful to Mr Yemm who has come in and really raised the profile of tennis this year and a special mention to Judy and Elsa who leave us this year - they certainly will be missed!

R Donaldson

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Record- breaking Run This year, 1st team tennis players Elsa Pool and Judy Richardson achieved something very special: they broke the 105 year old Midland Schools Girls’ Tournament record by winning it for a fourth straight year in a row. Their group games were quite straightforward with some fantastic tennis being played. In the final they played King’s High and were clearly quite nervous at being almost there. After an extremely tense game at 2-2 in the one set final, they held their nerve and in the end were comprehensive 6-3 winners.

In the second pair, Lola Blacker and Megan Brown played in this tournament for the first time, showing no nerves at all. They won all their group matches and in a repeat of the first pair final, they comprehensively beat King’s High, securing the title 6-2.

Rhona Donaldson said: “It was a fantastic day and the girls were understandably thrilled. The rest of the schools will be happy to see Judy and Elsa are leaving!”

Congratulations to Year 10 pupil Aaron Osmond who was a finalist at the Boys’ U16 Winter Regional Tennis Tournament in Swindon. This was one of six competitions played across the whole country and players gain entry by ranking. In September Aaron was ranked 16th, having risen from 100th place.

At the tournament, Aaron's lack of match practice was evident in the first set of his first round match but he ran out comfortably in the end and this was followed by a successful quarter final. In the semis, he impressively outplayed a big hitting opponent 6-3 6-2 and in the final, met a highly ranked opponent two years older, who had dropped just a few games in his previous three matches. The quality of tennis was outstanding with Aaron matching his far more experienced opponent, separated by just a few points until he lost the first set 4-6 and was forced to retire at 1-4 in the second due to injury. Despite the loss, Aaron's performance impressed many of the people watching.

This year, Aaron was presented with the Mary Eyre Award for the outstanding male junior for 2015 at the Gloucestershire LTA Awards. Having qualified for the finals of the Road to Wimbledon, he came within a point of taking the eventual winner, from India, to a match tie break. In October, he played his first International event (in Thailand) and has been selected for the U18 county squad to play in the County Cup in March.

Significantly, Aaron has achieved all of this without a coach, unlike most players. Tennis is a very demanding sport and Aaron trains about 12-15 hours each week during term and even more during school holidays.

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his year’s golf has been book ended with two successes in the Tri-Schools Cup. The last match of last season saw three Fourth Formers win it, and in this year’s equivalent it was retained

by Harry Brookes, Josh Gray and Harry McKinnes.

They came back from two behind on the 16th to secure victory on a tense last hole. In between then we have played from Malvern to Monmouth and from Bromsgrove to Brickhampton. A highlight was the home and away victory over Marlborough the away leg being played whilst scurrying from hole to hole to avoid the torrential downpours from a constantly threatening sky.

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Congratulations to all of those who represented the school – and to Andy Whitford in particular for his victory at the Gloucestershire Schools Golf Championship with a one over par 73 at a windy and rainy Tewkesbury Park.

P Harvey

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RESULTS eams and Individuals from all over the country have to qualify throughout the year to compete at the National Championships. The Teams and Individuals compete at the National Championships in the Classes they have qualified for during the year and then only the top 8 go through to the Final Jump Offs. All three Dean Close teams and five individual riders finished in the top 8 in their Classes and went through to the Finals. Dean Close was the only School in the country with two Teams in the 1.0m Final Jump Off. These were fantastic results and a great team spirit with everyone supportive of each other – an exciting and brilliant three days at the National Equestrian Championship.

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Won Won Won Second Q * Second Q * Second Third Third Third

CLC Open Show Jumping at Rectory Farm CLC Advanced Open Show Jumping at Rectory Farm BS Intermediate Just For Schools Show Jumping at Summerhouse Senior Intermediate One-Day Event at Stonar King’s Open Show Jumping at Bromyard Dean Close Open Show Jumping at Rectory Farm NSEA Open Arena Eventing at Hartpury College Allens Hill Intermediate Show Jumping at Pershore Allens Hill Open Show Jumping at Pershore

Q* + Won Q* + Won Won Q* + Second Q* + Second Q* + Second Q* + Second Q* + Second Second Second Second Third Third Third

NSEA Open Arena Eventing at Hartpury College (Champs In 2015) Kings Advanced Open Pony Show Jumping at Bromyard Allens Hill Open Show Jumping at Pershore NSAE Advanced Open Pony Show Jumping At West Wilts Kings Open Pony Show Jumping at Bromyard Kings Advanced Open Pony Show Jumping at Bromyard Kings Advanced Open Horse Show Jumping at Bromyard Dean Close Advanced Open Pony Show Jumping at Rectory Farm CLC Advanced Open Show Jumping at Rectory Farm Land S One Day Event at Offchurch King’s 85cms Show Jumping at Bromyard CLC Open Show Jumping At Rectory Farm Gloucestershire Games Open Show Jumping at Hartpury College Dean Close Advanced Open Pony Show Jumping at Rectory Farm

From 24 qualified ponies and 31 horses these were the School results: 1st Individual Pony CHAMPION Molly Davies on Cuffsgrange For Sure 2nd Individual Horse Reserve Champion Molly Davies on Bayard IV 3rd Individual Pony Molly Davies on Running Bear 5th Team – from 18 teams Molly Davies on Cuffsgrange For Sure Harriet Thomas on Gypsy Queen Lydia Ward on Cafres Lakeland Blaze Lawson Day on Allez Cat 7th Individual Pony Lydia Ward on Kiltroms Woodie Jumpit

From 39 Qualified Teams 3rd Team Lawson Day on Allez Cat Philli Hall on Royal Blue V Molly Davies on Cuffsgrange For Sure Lydia Ward on Cafres Lakeland Blaze 4th Team Lydia Ward on Kiltroms Woodie Jumpit Harriet Thomas on Gypsy Queen Molly Davies on Running Bear

2nd Runner-up Molly Davies on Cuffsgrange For Sure

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sport Lydia Ward, an Equestrian Scholar at Dean Close, had an exciting season with her Eventing ponies to win the Open Arena Eventing Schools competition to qualify for the Nationals and winning the British Eventing Baileys 90cm JwS Novice Final held at Hartpury College in February this year. Mimi Payton, Emma Williams and Issie Tingey from the Prep School together with Millie Tingey and Bonnie Evans have joined Lydia Ward throughout the year to compete in One Day Events for Dean Close and have regularly been in the top ten places at Stonar and Land S.

In August, a team of three show jumpers, Molly Davies, Lydia Ward and Lawson Day made the long journey to the home of show jumping at Hickstead in Sussex for the All England National Schools Championships. 43 schools from all parts of the country took part and Dean Close came 6th. This was a great result which, once again, confirms Dean Close as one of the top Equestrian schools in the country. The same three will be travelling to Hickstead in August 2016 to take part in this prestigious competition once again but this time in the Senior Section.

The show jumpers started the new academic year jumping in the 1m and 1.10m classes at Rectory Farm with Lawson Day on Allez Cat, Lydia Ward on Cafres Lakeland Blaze and Molly Davies on Cuffsgrange For Sure all riding clear rounds for their first 1m team win of the season. In the 1.10m Class, Molly, Lydia and Lawson were joined by Harriet Thomas on Gypsy Queen jumping their way to a team win too.

Dean Close competed at the Gloucestershire County Equestrian Games held at Hartpury College in June and particular mention must go to Ava Bremner riding her new chestnut gelding, Chiddock Sport Check, brilliantly to achieve an impressive 5th place in the Combined Training and 6th in the Dressage Prelim 12.

Lydia Ward also jumped a superb round on Henry’s Choice to gain 3rd place in the County Games.

Molly Davies has, at the date of this publication, individually qualified her four ponies, Ruby Riot, Killack King, Cuffsgrange 114 ~ DECANIAN 2015/16

For Sure and Running Bear and her horse, Bayard IV, for the National Championships to be held in October and Lydia Ward has also qualified her pony, Kiltroms Woodie Jumpit.

An exciting day of show jumping at Kings in Bromyard saw some great clear rounds from Ava Bremner on Chiddock Spot Check, Lawson Day on his reliable thoroughbred, Allez Cat, Lydia Ward on Kiltroms Woodie Jumpit and Molly Davies on C.F. Sure, Killack King and Bayard giving Dean Close their first team to qualify for the Nationals at 1m.

The Equestrian Club also provides those who wish to learn to ride or to improve their riding the opportunity to do so with over 20 receiving instruction each week at Summerhouse Equitation Centre. These one hour lessons in the Senior School each Monday afternoon prove to be a popular activity and are thoroughly enjoyed by all those taking part.

In June, we held the fourth Dean Close Show Jumping competition at Rectory Farm, Nr. Cirencester, which proved to be as popular as ever with over 200 competitors.

This year, the Show was organised by Mrs Becky Payton most efficiently and calmly and the Equestrian Club is indebted to her for all the work she did prior to and on the day. The Equestrian Club riders, their parents and volunteers ensured the day ran on time and smoothly from 8am to 7pm.

Dean Close was also represented in every Class from 70cms up to 1.10m ranging from 8 year olds in the Prep School Year 4 through to 18 year olds in the Senior School Upper Sixth. Impressive clear rounds from Paddy Clarkson (DCPS), Corinna Clarkson (DCPS), Mimi Payton (DCPS), Ava Bremner and Mollie Tice show that the future of the Club is in good hands. The 1m Open Show Jumping team of Lawson Day on Allez Cat, Harriet Thomas on Gypsy Queen, Molly Davies on Killack King and Lydia Ward on Cafres Lakeland Blaze qualified for the Nationals in 2nd place and Molly Davies also qualified her pony Running Bear in the 1.10m at our Show.

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onathan Lancashire arrived at Dean Close as Bursar in 2000. His wife, Sally, became Head of History at Cheltenham Ladies’ College; their daughter, Hannah was educated there and their son, William, now an Officer in The Rifles, at Dean Close. They made their home at Redmarley with enough acreage to justify an ancient Land Rover and to share an interest with Tim Hastie-Smith in raising poultry (amongst other animals). Gladstone in particular could snap away to his heart's content.

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In School, Jonathan and I shared dividing walls for nine years, through one wall when he was Bursar and through another when he was Headmaster, a felicitous arrangement given our not dissimilar sense of humour. Jonathan has style and does things with style. He raised the bar for gentlemen's dress, his shoes always announcing his direction of travel along the corridor. Gracious, charming and witty, Jonathan endeared himself to Common Room quite early in his tenure by introducing Bursar's Drinks on a Wednesday at 6pm. After that, he never looked back!

Jonathan was a colleague-friendly Bursar, as I'm sure he was HM too, the sort to whom one could go with an outrageous budget request and he'd either find the money or you'd still come away feeling the visit was a positive experience. The 'noughties' were never dull, not least in the Michaelmas Term of 2008 when Jonathan became Acting Headmaster ('Interim' hadn't made it into official jargon back then) and then Headmaster from 2009.

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leavers As Headmaster, one suspects that Jonathan might say that his most important asset was Sally. Jonathan once described her in a Commem speech as his 'rock'. She was always there - as DCH hostess, at plays and concerts, at Schola events - and Sally was pivotal to keeping the show on the road when Jonathan had to take time out.

Gladstone eventually gave way to Dora at DCH. Dora was a marginal improvement on her predecessor but I'm afraid to say I can't recall a visit to DCH when I didn't tread on some part of her anatomy. I do apologise, Dora; you are now hopefully spared such indignity in the wide open spaces of Redmarley.

Every cloud and all that...

Jonathan has a profound sense of service (the motto on the gates of RMA Sandhurst was also a guiding light for him) and was always prepared to take a justifiable risk, a refreshing trait in a Bursar and a valuable one in a headmaster who often has to follow his instinct when dealing with a pupil or making a major decision. He encouraged independent thinking and preferred the human over the electronic interface, enjoying the company of pupils and colleagues at 18th birthday dinners at DCH, The Edinburgh Fringe, on touch lines, at plays, concerts, art exhibitions, taking part in charity events with them, indeed wherever and whatever to support the community. He loved Music, Drama, Art, Sport and CCF and particularly encouraged 'outward bound'.

Academic results were important but Jonathan also recognised that education involved wider challenges, balancing differing and sometimes conflicting demands, learning to meet those 'twin imposters' Triumph and Disaster and to treat both just the same, allowing for and learning from mistakes - these were the stuff of character-building and preparation for life beyond Dean Close.

The way in which he shared with the School his confronting the 'black dog' was brave and apposite at a time when 'mental health issues' are rising up the national agenda.

In the best tradition of headmasterly letter-writers and a good communicator, Jonathan's Headmaster's Reports at Speeches were fluent and witty, at times very funny, and always well received. He 116 ~ DECANIAN 2015/16

delivered countless vignettes, welcomes and thanks, saying elegantly just what was necessary with clarity, focus and meaning. Jonathan and Sally are most collegiate with a great sense of the Community that is Dean Close. They entertained all manner of groups - the OD Committee, those at School in various decades, Choral Society adults, the Close Community Committee, to name but a few.

His sense of Community and grasp of practicalities were behind much of Jonathan's vision. The setting up of the Development and Alumni Offices and the expansion of archival activity brought the past, present and future Dean Close Community into a more harmonious whole. The OD Society has been given a new lease of life and the Development Office is building a world-wide support network. Jonathan immediately saw the potential of appointing The Carducci Quartet as Head of Strings and Quartet in Residence and the distinguished OD composer, Matthew Martin, as Composer in Residence. Most recently, the bringing of St John's on the Hill, Chepstow into the Community of Dean

Close and the establishment of the Dean Close Foundation is a remarkable achievement for which to be remembered.

JONATHAN HAS A PROFOUND SENSE OF SERVICE (THE MOTTO ON THE GATES OF RMA SANDHURST WAS ALSO A GUIDING LIGHT) AND WAS ALWAYS PREPARED TO TAKE A JUSTIFIABLE RISK

Two of his important works are concerned with Music. Jonathan was quick to see the potential of the Schola project and its success owes much to his financial expertise, oversight and support. Secondly, when told that we needed a new organ in Chapel, Jonathan came quickly on side and as Headmaster drove the project through.

The magnificent Nicholson instrument is very much his lasting legacy.

One of Jonathan's greatest pleasures as Headmaster was to sing in Choral Society. He demonstrated a valuable lesson to the School, that one doesn't have to be a great musician to share in the joy of singing the greatest choral works. Fittingly, when approached on the subject, Jonathan asked that the School's present to him should be the gift of an instrument to the Music School - now that's style for you.

RF Taylor, Second Master 2000-09

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he thing one would want to say about JPW above all is that he is, first and foremost, a schoolmaster - not a teacher, but a schoolmaster. There is a difference - and it is a dying breed. For John fits exactly the description of the Latin tag uncovered on an Eton wall painting recently, from around 1520 Latin tags, where the schoolmaster stands over the boys, saying INCIPE PARVE PUER - GET A GRIP BOY! In a world where we are increasingly touchy-feely and soft, the boys of Dale House appreciated (though they may not have been able to put it into words) the no nonsense approach which John brought to running Dale for 12 years – and to Brook Court before that.

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But he also has the great gift of the master who can identify the differences in the talents of his charges. We are back to the wall-painting, which quotes Quintilian: VIRTUS PRECEPTORIS EST INGENIORUM NOTARE DISCRIMINA – “the excellence of the teacher is to identify the differences in the talents of pupils”. John's passion for games is well known - for hockey and cricket especially - and of his own personal prowess in those games – indeed, he is an Oxford hockey Blue. His enthusiasm for the outdoors is also well-known - for walking with Bonnie, his beloved labrador, and for shooting and other generally hearty and hale pursuits.

But there is another side to John, which he wears lightly, but which some of us, and many of his pupils in his English classes, have been privileged to get to know. John not only read English at university, but also History of Art: get him on the subject of poetry, or a painting, and his eyes light up just as much as if he were talking of short corners or penalty flicks or the convolutions of bowling angles and wickets.

And this is where the schoolmaster comes in: in John's time in Dale, and before that as Housemaster of Brook Court, he has had the wit and wisdom to recognise, just like the master in that 16th century faded wall painting at Eton, the varied and different potential of his boys. To list a few of them – because for John, teaching and the profession is not about him, it is about the pupils – and the list is impressive. He has nurtured some sporting greats: Liam Brignull, hockey international, comes to mind - and Will Hewer, currently in the Lower Sixth. Lloyd Evans and Tiff Eden in rugby. And many others. Dale House has produced a staggering array of musical and dramatic talent under JPW: Lachlan Bond, who went on to study at the highly

So many times John would take time with boys who have needed advice, guidance, sensitivity and a firm hand - and John is just somehow very right at this. prestigious Mountview Academy of Drama; Paul Sutton as a choral scholar and lawyer at Christ's College, Cambridge - Oscar Osicki as a Choral and Academic Scholar (and Double First) at the world famous choir of Trinity College, Cambridge - Ben Powell at Berkelee College in America, now making a huge name in Hollywood and films and TV and jazz; Tom Dyer as a choral scholar at Merton College, Oxford; and of course, Ashok Gupta, former organ Scholar at Clare, Cambridge, and performer with the Royal Opera House, Glyndebourne, and winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Accompanist Prize.

Will Northcott in the now-famous Out of the Blue in Oxford, and Paddy Fleming, who has taken the lead last year in War Horse in London. The list of Dale House achievers goes on and on. It has been a great strength of John’s Dale House boys that they have not been narrow specialists but have been Renaissance men. There were two Heads of School in his time – Jamie Leich and Harry Caro.

However, it is not only academic and artistic and sporting high fliers in whom John is interested. Far from it. So many times John would take time with boys who have needed advice, guidance, sensitivity and a firm hand and John is just somehow very right at this. His innate care for the boys, his common sense judgement, and his ability to take time and trouble with them over the smallest details – all these are his hallmark. His door has always been

open. And nowhere is all this given better formal expression than in John's House assemblies: John's talks to the House are works of art. They are constructed brilliantly, and the thought and wisdom which go into them is are a challenge for all his tutors in the House. There are few schoolmasters around nowadays capable of such fine and modest rhetoric.

I know that I speak for colleagues when I say that it has been a great privilege to work alongside John: he is unfailingly good-humoured, professional, and – one of his best qualities – he hates red tape, humbug and box-ticking. He is man of immense integrity. All colleagues know this, the boys know this, and Dale House has been the stronger for it for the last 12 years. It is no coincidence that Dale has thrived and been a nurturing ground of fine talent in so many areas – which is exactly what it is meant to be. This has been down to John’s leadership.

We will miss him hugely, and to end on a personal note, I will miss his presence, his wise advice, his humour, his immediate and genuine interest in whatever one is doing, and his unstinting support for me, my colleagues and the boys. I have been proud to work alongside him, and the School will be much poorer for his absence. John: we wish you and Paula every happiness for a very long and prosperous retirement.

LS Allington

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John’s trusty, Mary Poppins-esque briefcase must receive a mention: whilst I have never seen him withdraw a lamp (complete with shade) from it, he is invariably able to lay his hands on a hard copy of any sheet required whilst the rest of us trawl hopelessly through clogged inboxes. This is indicative of John’s attitude towards the increasing proliferation of ‘stuff’ generally: his wariness of data ensures that the children remain at the heart of discussions, rather than statistics, and he is a housemaster and colleague who prefers a conversation to an e-mail.

John’s eschewing of e-mail also means that he works at a different rate to the rest of us, one not dictated by the frantic ping of e-mail after e-mail.

He is also a rigorous and extremely well-prepared literary critic – his annotated texts are quite humbling. His teaching of Wilfred Owen and Edward

Thomas, in particular, has been second to none. On Thomas, John is equally at home discussing the intricacies of poetic metre, or the landscapes, weathers, and times of year which Thomas portrays: both John and Thomas are country men for whom the landscape is not a pretty background, but a place to be felt, endured, buffeted and uplifted by. This is probably why John sits facing the window during department meetings: MidYIS data and assessment objectives come and go (or – as John sometimes reminds us with a wry smile – just come round again), but the activity of the squirrel burying his nuts under the sycamore tree or the pigeons nesting under the eaves of the Bacon Theatre is real and for all time.

I have huge admiration for John as a colleague and Housemaster. I think that what I have learnt from him is even in the rush and frenzy of school life to stop and appreciate the real and the

Karline has been a superb Biology teacher, Fawley house tutor, sports coach and runner of zoo club. Her calmness, commitment to her classes and ready smile will be much missed next year.

Charles answered the call to teach Classics and Latin a couple of years ago. Mr Wright was the answer to an interview question earlier this year when the Headmaster asked a prospective employee to describe a teacher who inspired them and who they seek to emulate.

Liam has been an outstanding addition to our hockey and general sports provision over the last two years. As an OD and an elite sportsman his example as a person and an athlete have been hugely appreciated by us all.

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A SUPERB TEACHER IN THE MAKING, CONNIE HAS SUPPORTED THE DEPARTMENT IN ALL ITS EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Connie arrived at DCS fresh out of university, having graduated from Pembroke College, Cambridge.

Despite her lack of teaching experience, Connie soon demonstrated that she was a natural in the classroom: her lessons were well informed, creative and engaging and unruly Remove boys were simply NOT a problem. A superb teacher in the making, Connie has supported the department in all its extracurricular activities - her contribution to this year's Sixth Form symposium was particularly memorable: Connie related how she had produced Euripides' Bacchae whilst still a tender 17 year old at King Edward's School, Bath. Her chorus of Bacchants all wore hoodies as she sought to draw parallels between the mass hysteria generated by charismatic religion and the ochlocracy of the riots that disfigured England in the summer of 2011. In just five minutes Connie was able to disseminate both the plot and

concrete: conversations, people, the natural events and changing seasons behind some of the great literature we teach. And, perhaps most of all, to raise my eyes: to look over and above the everyday rubs and frustrations, the top of the computer screen and e-mail inbox, to the boys and girls before me, to see them properly – both what they are and what they may yet become.

G Hildick-Smith

the essence of one of Euripides' most powerful plays whilst making its concerns as central to our experience in the 21st century as to the play's original 5th century BC audience. That takes some doing! Her charges, particularly her Fifth Form Latin set, will miss her enthusiasm and the sharp intelligence she has always displayed.

Connie also played a significant role within the wider world of the School, in sport and as a committed and supportive tutor in Fawley House.

Alas, she leaves us after a single year to take up a Classics post at St John's School, Leatherhead. We wish her well for the future.

JM Allen

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hen the then Headmaster, Tim Hastie-Smith, appointed Paula and me as Housemistress and Deputy Housemistress of Mead respectively, neither of us knew what we were letting ourselves in for. We did not know each other and had no idea whether we would rub along together but we just dived in and got on with it. The fact that we are still talking to each other after 15 years bears testimony to TMHS’s good judge of character and to his hunch that we would make a good partnership!

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When we started working together in 2001, I quickly realised that I was working with a consummate professional and that Mead was in very capable hands. Before coming to Dean Close, Paula had been a Housemistress at Rendcombe for a number of years so she already had experience of the teenage girl in all her manifestations. The first thing I noticed in the House was that the noise level dropped dramatically without Paula ever having to raise her voice above a whisper. On her arrival Paula’s calm, organised persona permeated the House which has set the tone for her tenure over all these years. If I ever feel out of sorts I go to Mead common room, flop in a chair and invariable my spirits are lifted after a chat with one of the girls. Paula always has time for the girls, she senses when things are not quite right and that a quiet chat and a listening ear are the order of the day. This year’s Upper Sixth feel particularly close to Paula.

In 2011 Mead split into two and Hatherley was born. Before the division, Mead had 100 girls yet Paula coped with these numbers with her habitual composure and aplomb. Kate Milne, I know, was very grateful for Paula’s help and advice at that tricky time and said: “When I took the Hatherley girls out of Mead, Paula spent hours and hours with me, not only showing me systems and lists and management strategies, (she is the most organised person EVER) but also helping me deal with the emotional turmoil of growing into the position. It must have been a hard time for Paula, seeing her House split, but she was nothing but encouraging and helpful.”

“The most telling thing I think is the love and respect the equestrian club members have for Paula and therefore are so hugely supportive. Paula has run that competition like complete clockwork – she knows her industry inside out & backwards, she is completely direct without being rude or abrupt, everyone knows what is expected of them and it has been such fun to be involved because the appreciation of help, in whatever capacity, has always been made abundantly clear – and that is always nice! I know nothing about horses but can organise things – and I have never been involved in the organisation of any event where it has all worked so perfectly. Everyone is happy, the competition has kept to timings, every detail thought of, no stone unturned and such a huge success in every way.

I feel like I’ve really found a friend and support mechanism in her, both in and outside School, and a mutual respect, which is heart-warming. She is brilliant, in such an understated way.”

Paula has mentioned taking up golf in her retirement now that she finds riding more difficult, as well as spending time with John at their home in Spain. I would just like to conclude by wishing them every happiness for their well-earned retirement and hope that they will both come back and see us here at Dean Close from time to time, if only to show off their Spanish tan.

SC Villiers

Working alongside Paula, I have witnessed the huge amount of work that crosses her desk and how she works through each task quietly and efficiently. In her dealings with parents she demonstrates all the diplomatic skills of a trained hostage negotiator and they, in turn, appreciate her discretion and compassion. You might find it hard to believe that I can be prickly and even difficult at times and yet Paula has never snapped at me although I am sure that she has felt like it. Instead she has always been very supportive over the 15 years and I think that we have been a good double act sharing quite a few laughs and the occasional tear.

Outside Mead, Paula has really put Dean Close equestrian activities on the map and our equestrian teams regularly sweep up prestigious cups and prizes at interschool competitions. Once again, Paula is very well known on the horsey circuit for the great job that she does and she has forged excellent relationships with the parents of the young people involved. The hours she has put in to the training sessions and the competitions are long and anti-social and she will be a hard act to follow.

Someone from Dean Close who has worked with Paula in this field said: DECANIAN 2015/16

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Being a vicar to the Dean Close community is a complex and demanding role and Libby performed it with a smile and boundless enthusiasm. Her commitment to the lives of pupils, staff, parents and former pupils was evident each and every day. Taking time for an informal chat, supporting individuals and families through personal tragedies, encouraging those who were just finding life a little hard were all part and parcel of Libby’s ministry in the School.

The School Chaplain is one of the most public roles we have in School and Libby represented the beliefs and values of Dean Close with integrity and care in every service she led. Whether it was in a one minute thought for the day or a well-constructed sermon, Libby communicated a clear message in a relevant and loving way.

Throughout her time, Libby has beena massive supporter of events and took a real interest in the lives of the pupils. Her home was a place of welcome and hospitality and she was a regular visitor to boarding houses in the evenings. In the classroom, Libby taught an A Level theology paper with great success and often surprised pupils with how interesting and relevant the subject can be to their other studies and lives in general.

In her new role as Associate Vicar at St Paul’s and St George’s Church in Edinburgh, I know that she will bring those same character traits and skills to bear on this exciting and outward looking church. Libby will work incredibly hard, will help people to feel valued, will insist on high standards of presentation and dress, will increase the Prosecco budget and will communicate her faith with real warmth. Libby is a vicar who practises what she preaches and we are grateful to her for her service to Dean Close over the last 10 years.

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It will come as a surprise to many to hear that John was a part time teacher at Dean Close. As a teacher and Head of Geography, Director of Studies, tutor, hockey coach and husband to the Chaplain, John was ever-present.

Throughout his time at Dean Close, John demonstrated what an incredibly accomplished school master he is. He has been as adept at sharing his love of Geography, drilling a class through exam preparation, devising coaching drills to develop better exit strategies on a hockey pitch or relaxing with a group of tutees on an evening out. He has a restless mind that is always asking how we can do things better. This has not always made it easy for the Senior Management Team but has ensured we’ve been kept on our toes! His commitment to the pupils and his complete integrity have meant that his comments have always been taken seriously.

John moves on to a temporary position at the Mary Erskine School in Edinburgh but I am certain that as soon as the family is settled in, he will be making a similar impact on a very fortunate school community.

BJ Salisbury

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enys Carnill was born on 11 March 1926 and educated at Hitchin Grammar School. His National Service was between 1944 and 1948 in the RAF. Subsequently, he went up to Worcester College, Oxford, where he read History.

He showed considerable sporting talent from an early age. He gained an Oxford Blue for Hockey in the 1950-51 season and went on to play for Gloucestershire, the West of England, England (captain, 45 caps) and finally Great Britain (captain, 27 caps). He captained the national side in the Olympics at Helsinki (1952, where the team won a Bronze Medal), Melbourne (1956, when ES Hoare, another Dean Close teacher, was manager, and also during which Denys spent a year at Geelong Grammar School, Victoria, on exchange) and Rome (1960). He was also a very good cricketer and played for Hertfordshire for a number of years.

He came to Dean Close School in September 1951, appointed by AN ’Tony’ Gilkes, the then Headmaster, on the personal recommendation of the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, to teach Hockey and History, in that order. The Headmaster sought to rebuild the School’s previously good Hockey reputation after the problems resulting from World War II. Supported by ES Hoare, himself a former international, and CAP Tuckwell, formerly West of England, the quality of hockey rose and by 1957 Dean Close School was producing such players as RI Ireland, who later captained Cambridge University, Wiltshire and England and who also played for Great Britain, together with WJ Benton-Evans and FC Welles, who were to play for Wales and Scotland respectively. Talented hockey players seemed to flow frequently from the School.

It gave Denys much pleasure to discover that, apart from one year, there was continuous Dean Close representation in the Cambridge v Oxford Universities annual Hockey Match 1957-74. The Hockey XI in 1955, 1957 and 1961 were unbeaten by any other school side.

Denys himself handed over responsibility for Hockey in 1965, having run it for 14 years.

Denys realised that the future of Hockey lay in the use of artificial pitches, and it was he who was behind the fund-raising efforts that eventually resulted in the first artificial pitch in any school in England at Dean Close School. It consisted of ‘Redgra’ and was opened on 4 March 1961 by a match between a Hockey Association XI and the School XI. The latter won 3-2. Today the pitch, since completely remodelled, is called ‘Carnill’s’ in his honour.

When he first arrived, Denys was appointed House Tutor of Walton Court House, and so began the first of 33 years of service to Dean Close School.

He was an innovator, founding the Economics and Politics Department and arranging numerous visits and visiting speakers. He took over the Social Service Group in the 1960s and developed both it and ties with various

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homes and institutions such as the Cheshire and Eildon Homes, Nazareth House, Dr Barnado’s, Ullenwood, and Bettridge School. He became aware of the need for a wheelchair in 1973 for the Social Service Group, and arranged a special Chapel collection. This led to Denys organising, with two colleagues, the first School Midsummer Fair. Over the next ten years, the Fair grew into a large annual event, raising thousands of pounds for local charities as well as the Social Service Group.

Denys was appointed Housemaster of the first day boy House, Field, in 1957. There were 54 boys in the first year. He proved to be sympathetic and an effective champion of day boys when in many schools the idea of a day house was frowned upon. As one commentator observed, “…he managed to combine both a strict outlook with a wide compassion…he looked for the best in everyone and this occasionally may have made him unaware of their shortcomings. All… was … balanced by a delightful sense of humour which enjoyed nothing better than telling stories against himself…’’ He took immense trouble to liaise with, and get to know, day boy parents.

Denys retired a little early, in 1984, his health having given cause for concern for a long time.

He was now able to be with his family more often.

He had met and married Pam Clarke in 1961 when she had been the Dean Close Headmaster’s Secretary. They were married in the School Chapel by the Headmaster of the day, the Revd Douglas Graham. Denys and Pam had two daughters – Sally, born in 1963 and Elizabeth ‘Libby’, born in 1965.

His new freedom gave Denys time to develop his considerable painting talent. His pictures of landscapes and interesting buildings in Cheltenham and the surrounding area were – and continue to be – much admired, and his work was to be seen on display from time to time in Cheltenham.

The Old Decanians Society, celebrated Denys’ 90th Birthday on 11 March 2016 by sending him a 40 page booklet in which Old Decanians and former members of staff had included their greetings and memories of him. He read and understood them all but within three weeks of his birthday he had died. Three comments in those greetings sum up the man who was Denys Carnill. The first comment was “…[Denys] has always been the most humble of men despite being one of Britain’s most prominent Olympians and undoubtedly one of its Hockey Superstars…” The second observed: ”…A warm and kind person, incredibly sincere and down to earth…” The last from his first head of House, Jake Hensman, who later went on to become a Colonel in the Royal Marines: “… I learnt from [Denys] all those essential, but now largely degraded assets of life – honesty, integrity, humanity, humour, nobleness and respect for my fellow man. God Bless the man!”

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n the history of Dean Close School there are very few who have served the community for as long or as faithfully as Margaret Bowen. She originally came in 1972 as a temporary member of the catering staff. Over 44 years later she was still a member of the catering team as Evening Supervisor, even though she was well past retirement age.

When she first began work at the School, Dean Close had its own catering department, Christopher Turner was Headmaster and the Dining Halls – all three of them – were located where Fawley Day Room, the Resources Room and ICT are today. The kitchens were where the Design Technology Department is now.

In an interview she gave to The Decanian in 1999, Margaret remembered that when she first arrived there were fields where there are houses now, opposite the Estates entrance to the School. There were no astroturfs, then, no Bacon Theatre and no Music School. ‘…The food has improved dramatically since I’ve been here, ‘she said,’… in those days there were no salads or special foods or anything like that…’ She was at the School for its centenary in 1986, and right up to her last day at the School she always wore her School Centenary Brooch on her immaculate white blouse. A

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colleague said of her ‘…Her life was Dean Close School – she was a joy to work with…’

It didn’t matter whether you were a junior Decanian, an Old Decanian, a brand-new junior member of staff or a Headmaster, Margaret would treat you exactly the same, whether it was in the Dining Hall or at some function in Dean Close House or elsewhere.

She had an enviable mix of warmth and interest in you as a person, and a prodigious memory for names, faces and families. She was always courteous and gave excellent service - nothing was ever too much trouble - but at the same time she insisted that she addressed you as she thought was appropriate. She felt that all staff should be addressed formally, however well she knew them and however much some tried to persuade her to be otherwise.

She was immensely proud of the School and its achievements, and also of her family.

Her grandson, Jonjo Mitzzi, came to the School during the 1990s.

She once remarked, referring to the School, that ‘…There is a wonderful feeling of a family community here…’, a feeling that she undoubtedly helped create.

We will all miss her and her welcoming smile hugely. May she Rest in Peace.

CE Whitney

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12 5th An niv ers ary

his year the School launched a brand new Heritage Collection, a range of quality garments which incorporate the School badge and colours, marking the 125th anniversary of the Old Decanian Society. The range has enveloped the School’s identity through the use of the School badge and colours, the Bible as a reference to the School’s motto, Verbum Dei Lucerna (God’s Word: a Guiding Light); the pigeons

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which represent the discovery of the mineral waters that led to Cheltenham becoming such a notable spa town; and the wheatsheaf taken from the Close family’s coat of arms.

DEAN CLOSE

H E R I TA G E COLLECTION

The Heritage Collection includes men’s and women’s wear in sweatshirts, hoodie, sweatpants, polo shirt, golf shirt and golf hat which are all available from the School shop.

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won the extremely prestigious Kathleen Ferrier Competition. From an outstandingly strong field of pianists, Ashok won the Help Musicians UK Accompanist’s Prize.

One to watch for the future. is a British neuroscientist. This year Tim won ‘The Brain Prize’. This is one of the world’s most coveted science prizes which is awarded for outstanding contribution to European neuroscience…..and comes with a € 1 million prize as a personal prize.

English Actor; Film, TV and Stage. Most famous for his role in the BAFTA winning TV series Skins, where he won an RTS award. You can watch him now on BBC iPlayer, playing the role of Steve ‘The Nugget’ Davis in The Rack Pack, a comedy drama about British snooker. Will also performs every year in sell out performances at the Edinburgh Fringe, alongside other Old Decanians who set up both the ‘Close Up’ and ‘No Prophet’ Theatre Companies. You can follow Will on Twitter @will_merrick

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was elected as President of the Cambridge Union Society. Charlotte is the 14th female President of the Union out of the total of 52 that have been in office.

and Emily left in 2009 and Will in 2010.

Congratulations go to Commissioning Course 152 who had their passing out parade at Sandhurst. has been selected to represent the Great Britain Shooting Team at the Paralympic Games in Rio. After she was involved in a car accident in June 2013, Issy was introduced to the sport as part of her rehabilitation and found that she was a natural. She has represented Great Britain since March 2014. coached Wimbledon Hockey Club to winning the Men's National Championship for the second year in a row. He has subsequently become England Hockey Club Coach of the Year. presented her clothing collection at The Graduate Fashion Week 2016, which was held in June. is in Ireland playing at second row for Ulster Rugby.

was part of the England Hockey over 55's squad which retained their World Champions' status by winning gold at the Masters Hockey World Cup in Canberra, Australia. They beat the Aussies 3-1 in the group stages then played them again in the final beating them 4-1.

Pete Brown, plays second row for Ulster Rugby Club

was appointed the new Head of Dean Close St John’s on-the-Hill in Chepstow. Ruth is also a past parent as one of her sons, Luke, was at Dean Close School leaving in 2010 having boarded in Brook Court.

Ruth joins us from Cranleigh Prep School where she is currently Head of Middle School, Housemistress, Head of RS, Chaplain, Classics Teacher, Drama Teacher and also coaches the netball and rounders’ teams!

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Issy Bailey, Team GB Rio Paralympian Shooter

Tim Bliss, winner of the Brain Prize

Dale Mullins, Over 55s England International Hockey player

Emily Abbott and Will Lancashire, Commissioned from Sandhurst

Den Marsden, Wimbledon Hockey Coach and Premiership Winners

Will Merrick, star of BBC Drama The Rack Pack

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olddecanians 1891

2016 Mike Girling

The First Annual Dinner

1891 - Following the 1st Past vs Present cricket match, a dinner was held at which it was decided an Old Boys Association should be started. At this dinner the 1st secretary, G.B. Webb was elected.

1891

1892 - On January 6th the Society met for the first dinner. Tickets cost 5s. As First President Dr Flecker made a speech in which he asked “…the Old Boys to muster in strong force at the school on speech day”.

At this meeting an important topic of discussion was what to call past pupils…suggestions included Old Closians, Old Dean Closians, Decanians or Decimus Society made up of the initials DCMS. The First football match between the school and Old Boys in December resulted in a win for the school 9-2.

1899 - Founding member of the Society. He was credited with reigniting the Society following a lull in activity. He recounted his experience having taken over “I received no Minute Book, no list of members, no constitution or rules or funds - nothing, in fact, except the name…”.

1902 - Membership 150

1895 - The annual subscription was 5s for London members and 2s 6d for country members.

Gerald Bertram Webb

1893 - At the 2nd annual gathering a tie for the Society was chosen of maroon with two narrow white stripes. This was subsequently amended to encompass the Cambridge University ODs black stripe.

1912 - To celebrate the ‘coming of age Dinner of the Society’ 20 years in total, a musical programme was included which saw Dr Flecker deliver ‘Come into the garden, Maud’.

ODs won the first hockey fixture vs the School (5-4).

Edward Ellam

(President 1926-1927)

1926 - In 1891 Ellam arrived at Dean Close and died there in 1941.

It was during his Presidency, and due to his commitment, that in 1926 the OD Society donated £2000 to the chapel fund.

George Owen Birch 1914 - On 14th September George Owen Birch OD became the first OD to fall in the Great War, aged 19.

E.W. Willett Treasurer

1925 - In March, the 100th edition of the Decanian was issued. In July it was decided that every member of the Society would get a copy henceforth, with a section devoted to the ODS.

1919 - Over 770 ODs joined the armed forces in World War I and 135 are known to have been killed.

(1912-1927, President 1927-28)

The first issue of the school magazine was called The Decanian, however it is not until 1896 the Society formally adopted the name.

(1st Secretary of the OD Society 1891-1894)

1891 - As secretary, Webb was responsible for contacting school leavers from the previous five years.

Webb established the Colorado Foundation for Research in Tuberculosis in 1924. This was renamed the Webb Waring Centre at the University Of Colorado School Of Medicine following his death in 1948.

Arthur Niemann Smith (Secretary 1899-1906)

1906 - The Cambridge OD Society held a dinner in Deane’s Rooms (St John’s) with Dr and Mrs Flecker as guests.

1906 - Membership 218

ian Decan e Old th rsary f e o r iv e Ann th yea 5 th 2 1 h ed it e h w T ated ere join culmin . We w ty e rs n a ie u e c J y o S e ld in ross th Big Fie as a om ac fr w s It Ball on D t. r 200 O into the nigh e by ove ell rate th rtied w rk and celeb a a who p . ay to m f the Society fitting w ear o 125th y

1912 - Willett worked hard to establish relations between the ODS and the School, a link he felt mutually beneficial and of great importance.

Following service in the First World War he resumed his role as Secretary and began revising the rules of the Society.

1923 - On 1st November dedication of the chapel took place in memory of all those ODs who fell. Mr Ellam read the roll of honour.

1915 - OD subscription is half a crown a year

1936-1938 - The ODS launched an Endowment Appeal in 1936 to mark the School’s jubilee. The money raised helped support the School through the financially difficult 1930s and the Society continued to provide assistance during the Second World War. Individual gifts from ODs have continued to benefit Dean Close and stand as testimony to the affection of past pupils for the School.

1956 - As of January the annual subscription is 10 shillings

1960 - Annual membership abolished. All boys join as life members paying 6 guineas.

1958 - The first OD newsletter was produced in November.

Ernest Stanley Hoare

H.E. Newnham

(Honorary Treasurer 1927-1963, Honorary Secretary 1927-1957 School Secretary & Registrar 1957-1968, President 1965-66)

(President 1947-1949)

1927 - Arriving as a pupil in 1914, Hoare returned to Dean Close after Cambridge University as a maths and geography teacher. He was Housemaster of Brook and eventually Second Master until his retirement in 1968.

He won 35 England Hockey caps and managed the Melbourne GB Olympic Men’s Hockey Team with Denys Carnhill as Captain.

1947 - Having returned from Ceylon where he held the highest rank in the treasury, Newnham was elected President and it was under his presidency that regional branches were introduced.

(Secretary and Registrar 1969-1987)

1969 - As OD Registrar and Secretary of the Endowment Fund, Mike was central to the preparation of the centenary celebrations in 1986. It was his activity during this period that formed the basis of the School Archive Collection to which many ODs have donated.

1963 - The inaugural OD Dance was held at the Rembrandt Hotel.

1965 - In April R.J.H. Gaunt consented to act as secretary for the new OD Golfing Society.

1970 - Membership stands at 1900 and the first Old Girl, Pamela Rowles, joins the Society.

Current President: The Lord Bernard Ribeiro CBE.

1973 Membership 2000

1972 - The Annual Dinner was held at the Majestic Hotel.

It marked a departure from tradition as wives attended for the first time and Old Girl, Sue Bowes, was present.

1966 - Publication of R.F.Neile ODs School History.

Price listed as 25s or 27s 6d inc postage.

2016 - The OD Office is in contact with, and arranges events for, 4,000 ODs in 65 countries. The Society remains an integral part of the Dean Close Community.

2016 ODs are kept up to date through an annual magazine which is now called The Flecker.

Richard Padfield (Honorary Secretary, President 20052009, School Secretary and Registrar)

1989 - Richard was charged with updating the full OD register which was completed in 1971 and made available for 25p.

2016 - Decanian Online launched January 2016 bringing the history of the School alive.

In the 12 5th year of the O Decania ld n Society our Arch departm iv e ent put to gether th brief tim is eline of some o f the key mile stones and hig hlights.

Pupil Old Decanians (PODs) are the link between the OD office & the pupil body at Dean Close. Thanks to all of this year’s PODs who have help host ODs and also collected all of the leavers’ information so that we can keep everyone up to date with OD and School news when they leave.

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archives Archives have had a busy year with the digitisation of the School magazines 1892-2015, the launch of an oral history project, not to mention displays, exhibitions and a trip to the Antiques Roadshow with the school portrait of Francis Close. When the BBC brought the Antiques Roadshow to Tewksbury Abbey we could not resist taking along the portrait of Dean Francis Close for the fine painting expert, Philip Mould to take a look at!

BBC 1’s Antiques Roadshow

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archives

e celebrated the 125th Anniversary of the Old Decanian Society this year, which dominated our activity with research into the history of the Society and its early members, revealing a rich repository of characters.

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One such character was Arthur N. Smith who was credited with reigniting the ODs following a lull in recruitment. He left Britain in 1906 and became known as the “founding father” of Deloitte & Co in South Africa, remaining a partner until 1963 when he retired aged 89.

Arthur N. Smith

hree ODs were lost on the first day. The Commanding Officer of Edward Maurice Baldwin Cambie said “…the courage, skill and resource shown by him were extraordinary”. He was killed having advanced with his battalion to the German trenches aged just 21 years. Arthur Beach Hatt was 27 years old and had already been awarded the MC for his actions at Loos. His younger brother Edward was killed as part of the larger Somme campaign less than two months later. Finally, Alfred Maltravers Herapath, killed ‘advancing under very heavy fire’ aged 28. He was one of three brothers who fought.

His younger brother, Norman, was killed the following year. By the time the School returned in Michaelmas, 17 Old Decanians had fallen and a further two

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Reverend Canon William T. Money was the son of one of the founders of the School, and William recalled accompanying him to what was

originally a turnip field labelled ‘site of the Dean Close Memorial School’.

William went on to establish the Greenwich Scouts and Guides Association and was Commissioner of Scouts for London. His contribution to the School was huge, as both Life Governor and OD Committee member for 64 years, including a year as President.

Or indeed the Webb brothers, Frank and Gerald. Frank became a solicitor, but was remembered at School for putting a catapult shot through the forehead of the Francis Close portrait, whilst Gerald became an international authority on the treatment of tuberculosis and allegedly went shooting in the Rocky Mountains with the President of the United States!

would be lost before the end of the campaign that cost so many lives.

At home, School continued; J. Hanby broke the Junior High Jump Record with 4ft 6 1/2 inches.

Yet, the men away fighting were never far from the community’s thoughts. News and letters were regularly received from boys away fighting. Former Master, the Reverend T.W.L. Caspersz returned in February to talk to the boys about his experiences as a naval chaplain and wrote to Mr Nicholls later that year with an account of the Battle of Jutland.

At the prize giving of 1916, as indeed they had the previous year, winners received a certificate instead of a prize, and the money saved was put towards the fund for Cheltenham Prisoners of War in Germany.

Arthur Hatt

Alfred Maltravens Herapath

Revd. TWL Caspersz

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commonroom

J M Lancashire, MA, FCA J R Jones BEd (Oxon)

St John's College, Cambridge Oxford

2000 2016

B J Salisbury, MEd, PGCE

University of Bristol

2009

D R Evans, MA Mrs J A Davis, BA, PGCE M D Tottman, MA, MBA, QTS A P Bowcher, MBA, DipFS, FCIB

Oriel College, Oxford Girton College, Cambridge Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford City University, London

Senior Master (Communications), Classics Deputy Head Pastoral, Geography Deputy Head Academic, Housemaster (Gate) Bursar and Clerk to the Trustees

2001 2007 2004 2014

B K Wilson, MA, H.Dip.Ed Miss S C Villiers, BA, PGCE L S Allington, BA Mrs H L Porter, BA, LRAM, PGCE Mrs J D Kent, GDLM P S Montgomery, MA, PGCE Mrs F M B Harris, MA, PGCE Mrs C Allen, BMus, ALCM LGSM PGCE Miss A E Ash, BDes, PGCE J M Allen, MA, PGCE P J P Anstis, MA, MEd, PhD, PGCE D M Fullerton, MA Miss I M Carames-Castelo, BA, PGCE J P Watson, BA, Dip Ed A J George, MA, PGCE Mrs P S Watson A J Davies, FISTC J Slade, MA Miss R J Donaldson, BSc, PGCE P J J Garner, MA, PGCE G Tredgett Mrs C J Evans, BA, PGCE A R Needs, BSc, PGCE Miss R M O Vines, BA, FVCM, LALAM, ALAM D D Evans, BSc Mrs K E Milne, BA B P Price, BSc, PGCE Mrs R S Rushton, BA, PGCE The Revd E L Talbot, BA, MA C J Hooper, BA, PGCE J Mears, BA, PGCE A G A Milne, MA, PGCE Mrs M-A McClaran, BA, MA Miss G E Hildick-Smith, BA Dr M Bradley, MBioChem, DPhil PGCE J Talbot, BA, MA, PGCE Miss T L Williams, BSc, PGCE, GTP Mrs S Lait, BSc, PGCE J R B Stott, BSc, DipTh, PGCE

Trinity College, Dublin University of Birmingham University College, Durham University of Exeter City of Leeds College of Music Pembroke College, Cambridge Merton College, Oxford Royal Holloway, Univ. of London University of Liverpool Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge Christ's College, Cambridge Jesus College, Cambridge Santiago de Compostela University of Nottingham Downing College, Cambridge

Classics Modern Languages Director of Drama Director of Music, Assistant Exams Officer Housemistress (Shelburne), Music Housemaster (Field), History Mathematics Housemistress (Turner), Music Art Head of Classics Examinations Officer, Chemistry Head of Careers, Modern Languages Spanish Housemaster (Dale), English Director of Fourth Form Studies, Maths Housemistress (Mead), Equestrianism Swimming & Water Polo Coach Housemaster (Brook Court), Economics & Business Assistant Director of Studies, Head of Academic PE Head of Mathematics, Co-ordinator of Activities Director of Hockey Head of Art Head of Chemistry Head of Speech & Drama Head of Design Technology, Head of CCF Housemistress (Hatherley), English Director of Middle Years, Geography Art Chaplain, Religious Studies Head of Modern Languages, External Course Business Studies History, Politics, Head of Cricket Admissions Tutor English, Oxbridge Biology, Chemistry, Core Science Director of Sixth Form Studies, Geography Head of Psychology Assistant Director of Sport Mathematics

1958 1985 1987 1987 1990 1991 1991 1992 1993 1995 1995 1995 1996 1997 1998 1998 2001 2001 2002 2002 2004 2003 2003 2003 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2009

Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford Loughborough University Peterhouse, Cambridge University of Kent Hatfield College, Durham Cardiff University Loughborough University St Mary's College, Durham University of Bristol Middlesex University University of Bristol University of Bath Nottingham Trent University University College, Oxford Universities of East Anglia & York Hertford College, Oxford University College, Oxford University of Manchester Coventry University University of the West of England Durham University

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