Decanian Magazine 2017/18 by Dean Close School

September 2017 - August 2018

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Decanian A Year in the Life of Dean Close School

Highest number of successful Oxbridge candidates in 10 years Memorable Prince Michael Hall 20th Anniversary Concert Sixth Form excel with outstanding A level results

Decanian 2017/18

Dean Close community rises together for charity Yoga in the Park

DEAN CLOSE

CHELTENHAM

SENIOR SCHOOL

DEAN CLOSE SCHOOL Shelburne Road Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL51 6HE Telephone 01242 258000 Email: office@deanclose.org.uk www.deanclose.org.uk

2017/18

DEAN CLOSE

CHELTENHAM

SENIOR SCHOOL

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News Houses Chaplaincy Report Drama Music Art Cookery School Commemoration Cheltenham Literature Festival Cheltenham Science Festival School Life Speakers Charity & Community Action Academic Highlights Trips CCF Sport Leavers Sixth Form Leavers 2017/18 DC Futures Archives Common Room List

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DEAN CLOSE

CHELTENHAM

SENIOR SCHOOL

contents

2017/18

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news

TOP SCHOOL IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE FOR ACADEMIC PROGRESS

News Best Independent School of the Year

We were delighted to announce that, in a published survey, Dean Close School ranked first in the county for academic progress from GCSE to A Level in 2017. The results on the government website show that Dean Close is the only school in the area to have achieved a score that is ‘well above average’ in terms of pupils’ progress at this key stage of their education. The figures released by the government show how much progress pupils who studied A levels at Dean Close made between the end of their GCSEs and the end of their A level studies, compared to similar pupils across England. The score our pupils achieved places Dean Close in the top 5% of schools in the country. A score above zero means that pupils made more progress, on average, than students across England who got similar results at the end of Key Stage 4 (Year 11), while a score below zero means students made less progress, on average.

ollowing an exciting nomination and shortlisting process at the start of this year, Dean Close School has been crowned the Best Independent School of the Year at the first ever SoGlos Gloucestershire Lifestyle Awards.

Warden, Emma Taylor, and Dean Close School Headmaster, Bradley Salisbury were amongst 250 guests, dignitaries and hopeful businesses gathered at Blackfriars Priory in Gloucester for the inaugural Gloucestershire Lifestyle Awards. Excited to be a part of the celebrations and nominated with Kitebrook Preparatory School, Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Hopelands Independent School, Malvern St James Girls’ School, Rendcomb College, The King’s School, the Dean Close representatives were delighted to accept this prestigious award. Dean Close staff and pupils give over and above what is requested of them time and time again, staying late for music rehearsals, travelling to matches in all parts of the country, organising visits, trips and speakers to enrich pupils’ learning, providing extra coaching or tutoring to achieve the very best grades or just reassuring a pupil who may be missing home. The award is a wonderful way to give public recognition for the extraordinary, and usually 2 - DECANIAN 2017/18

invisible, efforts every pupil and member of staff makes to create this remarkable community. SoGlos said of the School, “The winner of the Independent Schools Award is more than just a school; it’s a vibrant, colourful community, where all pupils are given the opportunity to thrive. With some of the best educational establishments battling it out to be crowned as the winner, Dean Close was set apart with its vast offering of academic and artistic subjects as well as outstanding pastoral care.” Headmaster, Bradley Salisbury, said, "It was wonderful to be part of an event that spanned the whole of Gloucestershire and to be recognised alongside some very well established businesses as well as some brand new enterprises. The most satisfying part was that we have been voted for by members of the Dean Close community – parents, pupils and staff. To know that those individuals are ready to support the School in a public setting is incredibly encouraging."

Thank you to everyone for voting and supporting the Dean Close community in winning this very special award.

Headmaster, Bradley Salisbury said, “When a parent chooses a school for their child, they hope the school will get the very best from their son or daughter, no matter what their starting place is. Value added scores give some indication of how successful we are in that, repaying the trust placed in us. To be honest, a school with our resources should be achieving at this level. The real story behind this statistic is that the Dean Close sixth formers and teachers have worked incredibly hard to achieve some excellent results. When this is set alongside the achievements of the academic high flyers it is great to see confirmation that we are a school of height and breadth."

news

#Deanflix

Oxbridge Success

In October Dean Close launched a brand new video channel called #Deanflix.

Congratulations to the eight Sixth Formers who have achieved their offers to study at Oxford and Cambridge this year. This is the highest number of successful pupils from one year group since 2008 at Dean Close and the breadth of subjects is impressive. At Oxford the students have offers to study Economics & Management, Music, Biochemistry, PPE and Engineering. The Cambridge offers are for Medicine and Geography. In total, 21 pupils made applications from a cohort of 92, with 16 called for interview. It is a delight to see that so many of our girls and boys have given themselves the opportunity to study at these prestigious universities once they have left Dean Close. The School works hard to ensure that all pupils stretch themselves academically and achieve their potential.

he channel is home to a collection of films, put together in series form, giving exposure to unique pockets of life, thoughts and feelings around the School, providing an insight into the real experiences of a variety of members of the Dean Close community. The first series explored the Art Department, examining individual pieces through the eyes of their artists, providing an understanding into what motivates and inspires each pupil to create their artwork.

DCFM

enjoy. As well as this, it creates a portfolio of work for those hoping to go into broadcast journalism or similar careers. In today’s world of social media, DCFM models a positive, productive way of using the internet for all students.

This year saw the launch of a brand new podcast series, DCFM, set up and run entirely by Dean Close pupils.

The podcast series was run by two Upper Sixth Formers: Freddie Faux and Izzy Moulding. They were assisted by the Creative

Director, Matthieu Berbinau, who creates original artwork (including some rather entertaining caricatures) for the podcast series. When asked about their hopes for the podcast series, Izzy commented: “I want DCFM to be something the whole school listens to and enjoys,” while Freddie pointed out that through the power of social media, anyone has the opportunity to make a difference.

group of Sixth Formers worked through the summer to bring together this new and exciting channel for the Dean Close community and beyond. DCFM will feature debates, speeches and original music from all year groups at the School. Listeners can expect a fiery debate on the relevance of Christianity; a sensitive exploration of life as a military child; a hauntingly beautiful and original piece of music; with a great deal more to come.

The aim of the podcast series is to give pupils a platform for their writing but also to create something both pupils and the public can 3 - DECANIAN 2017/18

houses

DALE

BROOK COURT

FIELD FAWLEY

HOUSES GATE

MEAD

TOWER 4 - DECANIAN 2017/18

HATHERLEY

SHELBURNE

TURNER

houses

Brook Court or my final Decanian report it is difficult to sum up what has been an exhilarating, joyous and sometimes crazy ride as a Housemaster for 14 years. This last year has been a microcosm of the whole experience however, with all the triumphs and challenges one might expect. A year in Brook Court has a rhythm to it and it always begins with the low throb of war drums for the first notable annual event - the House Shout. After many years of sourcing sheet music, it was a pleasure to work with talented musicians like Matthew Moorhouse and Oscar Richardson on a vocal arrangement of Girls, Girls, Girls. Ever aspirational, the boys requested Mr Blue Sky as a whole house song and sang it with some panache. Over-exuberance in performance on the night sadly precluded a place on the winnersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; rostrum - a lesson for the future I think!

The next milestone was Christmas. I have always loved lighting up the House at the beginning of December to provide a beacon of homeliness at the end of a tired and dark Michaelmas Term. Much of what happens in the House is like the dynamics of a family home, a metaphor drawn

out very emotionally and amusingly by Matthieu Berbinau in his Head of House speech at the Upper Sixth Dinner. All the members of the pastoral team were allotted family roles and it seemed to encapsulate something special about a group I will miss greatly. Their diversity is their strength, but all united by their love for and dedication to a job that sometimes feels thankless but is right at the heart of what a boarding house is about. Of all the annual traditions one could write about, Headhunters has a special place. On the surface it is just tag, and hide and seek with infra-red rifles in a wood in Chippenham. Yet it also sums up the egalitarianism of Brook Court. Teams are picked at random, from the energetic and poorly camouflaged 4th Year to the more tactically circumspect U6th in their jungle gear and sniper suits, and the fun begins. Staff join in too, though their physical recovery process over the subsequent few days is rather more prolonged. Finally, the party organised with some subterfuge and secrecy at a local hotel by Mrs Slade and ODs to mark the transition to a new

Housemaster was one of the most humbling experiences a person could ever have. To have touched so many lives over the years is an incredible privilege and it was really special to see 'boys' return as men, with successful careers and family photos. The torch is now passed to Jonathan Pitt, who I trust will finish his tenure in due course with similarly wonderful memories to those I will treasure long into my old age. An excellent U6th will explain the ways of the House and the 'Brook Court Love' and he will in turn bring his wealth of experience and passion to the task of creating the memories the ODs of the future will treasure. J Slade

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Dale t has been another very enjoyable year in Dale; a year of working hard, sweeping the sheds, developing the no-excuse culture and fostering growth mind-sets. Well, for most of the time! So much has happened since September: there have been some incredible achievements in sport, music, drama and academia as well as great laughs and fun along the way. I am in awe of the talent in this House!

Way back in the Michaelmas Term, Andy Whitford had the unenviable task of following in Jason Richard’s considerable footsteps in leading Dale’s House Shout. He did this with aplomb, demonstrating impressive leadership and much creativity which ultimately resulted in the part-song victory with a very funny, catchy and uplifting a capella version of Postman Pat. George Richards, Max Thomas, Oli Smart, Paddy Benson, Nathan Kenshall, Ben Crossley, Ethan Bareham and Evan Little were superb and made the House very proud! On the rugby field, there was an England U18s Six Nations call up for one of our new signings, George Barton, and there was plenty of 1st team and Gloucester Academy involvement including one of our other summer transfers, Joe Lambon. In hockey, there were international call ups for Oli Smart and Ellis Robson at U16 level and James Hunt at U18 level. Isaac Crawford-Poxon then led the Dale team of Johnny Coniam, Max Thomas, Will Bunker and Andy Whitford to victory in the Senior House Quiz. Not to be outdone, the juniors responded to take the title in their competition with their captain Ben Crossley leading the way with top contributions from Alex Bryan-Taff, Finn Fleming, Henry Cronin, George Richards and Ethan Bareham throughout. During the latter stages of the Michaelmas Term, there was a significant Dale presence in the school play: The Beggar’s Opera. Max Thomas was his usual captivating self on stage as Mr Peachum and Ben Crossley was brilliant as The Beggar. However, mature

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and eye catching performances were also made by younger members of the House including Ethan Bareham as Filch, Nathan Kenshall as Wat Dreary and Oscar Faiers as Robin of Bagshot. Throughout this time the green chits and academic achievements poured in, not to mention the good deeds and feats that resulted in difficult decisions for the Man of the Week award! The Lent Term was also a busy term for the House with a number of boys taking part in the singing competition. Paddy Benson put himself forward for this – taking himself of his comfort zone - and sang brilliantly. There were strong displays in House Hockey and in Junior Public Speaking. During the latter, Evan Little intellectualised on ‘Problematic Permutations’ whilst simultaneously completing a Rubick’s Cube! Ethan Bareham was an excellent ‘chair’ and George Richards delivered a polished vote of thanks. The senior public speaking was another great evening with Andy Whitford leading the Dale charge as he spoke on ‘Collaborating with Aeschlyus’. Max Thomas chaired proceedings with command and intellect whilst Will Bunker added further cerebral clout in the vote of thanks. We continued our recent dominance in House Golf with Andy Whitford and Alfie Henson claiming the spoils. We were then cracking on with the Trinity Term and the Dale House Soirée was upon us. What an evening it was! It began with Will Bunker giving us a real insight into his incredible intellect, vision, creativity and talent portrayed in his art. There were dramatic and amusing acting performances by Josh Brooks, Owen Houser and Ethan Bareham plus a hilarious act by George Richards and Max Thomas. There was uplifting singing from Nathan Kenshall,

Andy Whitford and Ben Crossley then the duo of Finn Fleming and Matt Candy treated us to a masterclass on their acoustic guitars. Soon after this the boys completed the House Athletics/House Cross Country double. Incredibly, they were victorious in every single age category in both events. I am particularly proud of this achievement because this was about the commitment by all athletes in the House, not just the shining lights who took the wins. The boys recognised the importance of their role in the team and put in the hard graft for the House. It says much for their commitment to one another and the Dale House. Finally, the U6th have been great for the House this year with Matteo Cutrupi - our passionate and inspirational Head of House - leading the way. They have helped the sixth-form integrate brilliantly and are part of the reason why new joiners such as Harley Holdship, Finn Fleming and George Merritt have settled into the house so effortlessly. In fact, these three boys deserve a special mention because they have brought not just great talent to the sports fields/music school/academics but are really hard-working, honest boys, who have embraced - and to an extent personify - the culture we are trying to create in Dale. It is this culture that I will end on. It is clear that there are strong friendships in the House and it is uplifting to see these forming across year groups. There is now a genuine feeling of pleasure when peers in the House achieve great things, whether it is your thing or not. Yes, there have been some fallouts and incidents along the way – this is a House of 57 teenage boys after all – but we are learning, developing and growing. The excuses are becoming fewer and further between. Good luck to the U6th as they leave Dean Close: work hard and take the opportunities you are given. B Price

houses

Fawley aving moved into Fawley at the end of August, we were all thrown into the whirlwind first weekend as we welcomed our new international girls. We were impressed from the beginning by how quickly they, and the new Fourth Form, settled into House and school routines. It wasn’t long before term was well underway but we did find some time to relax; most notably during the ‘High School Cliques’ House Evening organised with typical energy and good humour by Flo and Grace. The highlights from the Michaelmas Term included a wonderful victory in the House Shout Part Song competition, with a performance of an original arrangement by Angela. It was wonderful to see Fawley girls on the stage in the production of ‘Jane Eyre’ and to see Georgia Hill and Hunyi in the Acoustic Night. As ever, the girls threw themselves into the mix when it came to sport and there were some great performances in both the Junior and Senior House Hockey. The girls’ creativity shone

through as they re-wrote Christmas Carol lyrics on the last night of term, with hilarious consequences! The Lent Term, too, was jam-packed with activities and achievements, although some of these were postponed in favour of building snowmen and having to find the best footwear to brave the trek over to school in thick snow! A whole-House highlight was the annual soirée, which saw a variety of group and individual performances and raised money for the charity Blue Skye Thinking. Several girls were part of the Choral Society and their concert in Chapel was a lovely evening. The House Football at the end of term was very entertaining to watch, and the Badminton team was brilliant under the leadership of Crystal T. We, and Teddy, had a wonderful time in Fawley and feel privileged to have had two terms looking after such a dynamic and talented group of young people. Amy and Alan Spring-Wallis

hen I took over Fawley at the start of the Trinity Term, revision was the name of the game and I was impressed by the hard working atmosphere created in the House. The girls still made time to participate in House events – the Senior girls took House Tug-of-war particularly seriously and were delighted in their victory (and celebratory pizza!). The term continued with a string of personal and House victories for the Fawley girls: Molly Davies was selected to compete at the European Horse Trials, Lydia Ward contributed to the tennis team winning the Midlands School Girls’ Doubles tournament, Millie Watkins and Georgie Powell were selected to represent the school at Nationals for U14 hockey, Beth Rogers and Georgia Faux gained some excellent results at the Cheltenham Festival, and Phoebe won the inaugural Inter-House cookery competition. In such a short term it has been clear that I have inherited a House full of talented, independent and busy young women. I cannot wait to see what they all achieve next academic year!

J Briggs

7 - DECANIAN 2017/18

Field

houses

Michaelmas Term

Trinity Term

he year got off to a terrific start with unusual success on the House Singing Front. Field came 2nd = in the Boys’ Competition for both the Part Song and the Whole House Song which meant Field were Overall Joint Winners (with Turner). There was much celebration that night! The boys also enjoyed the House CCF Competition (Runners-Up) and the Tutor Outing to see Gloucester Rugby play Saracens at the Kingsholm Stadium. It was a fun journey on the train and a terrific match. Thanks to Mr Milne for organising that one! The U6th gained some excellent university offers; including three from Oxford. After a sumptuous Christmas Dinner, the boys were ready for a well-deserved rest.

The term started with a number of boys in the House competing in the Hockey National Finals at Lee Valley. They put in commendable performances. Toby Greaves, Joseph Crathorn and Kieren Hutt won various medals and cups at the Cheltenham Festival. Alex Chihota, William Duberley, James Humphreys and Toby Pallister were victorious in various track and field events on Sports Day at the Prince of Wales Stadium. Elliot Bancroft and Kieran Cooper have been appointed School Prefects for next year and we are also thrilled that Jacob Melville-Smith and Toby Pallister have been appointed Head and Deputy Head of Field House respectively for 2018/19. It has been another very happy, creative and productive year. Friendships have been made and deepened and we wish our leavers all the very best for the future.

Lent Term Predictably, this was an action-packed term. Cups included Junior House Hockey and House Music. In addition, the House Public Speaking Teams put in very polished performances. Junior Speaker Felix Nelson spoke on “Should we retrospectively censor the portrayal of women in art?” Speaking in the Senior Competition, Louis Morford spoke on “Victimhood Culture” and both teams ended up winning the Best Team Cup. Harry Brookes and Harry McKinnes were “formidably consistent” in the House Golf Competition, ending Runners-Up. In addition, Jason Perry did particularly well in the Fame Lab Academy at Gloucester University speaking on “The Mystery of Magic”. Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Milne on the safe arrival of Albert Scott Milne! 8 - DECANIAN 2017/18

P Montgomery

houses

Gate Gate House has enjoyed another busy year with some incredible achievements. ne of the many highlights of the Michaelmas Term was Gate’s victory in the House Shout competition with a fabulous whole House performance of The Script’s “Rain”. Brilliantly coached by Orly Giannini, the boys rehearsed for hours and it was an amazing feat for a group of boys who had not known each other in September, and most of whom had no musical background whatsoever, to come together to sing their way to victory. At Christmas we said a sad farewell to Alex van Hoogstraten, our South African exchange student, who made some friends for life despite his short time with us.

The Lent Term saw an awesome display of talent at the Gate House Soirée where the boys performed an incredibly diverse programme: with music by Mozart and The Animals, poems in Dutch, Italian and Mandarin alongside some Kipling and Shakespeare, improvised drumming and a wonderful reflection on a Chinese wedding by Eric Yu which managed to be very moving, very funny and very insightful all at the same time. The evening really showcased the warm, friendly and supportive atmosphere that makes Gate House such a special place. Throughout the year the boys have also excelled in numerous other activities. In sport, Jonny Hart had an impressive season of rugby in the 1st XV and Ted Cernik discovered his cricketing talent. Alfie Orr Ewing, Orly Giannini and James Boden have played with great commitment and success in sport across all three terms. Sam Crichton and

Orly have given memorable performances on stage, Patrick Xu was offered a place at Cambridge, Zak Tomlinson ran his first marathon and Max Chatterji has been learning sign language. This is just a sample of the many activities the boys have been involved in; such a talented group of boys! As I leave Dean Close this year I would like to pass on my thanks and best wishes to all the boys and wish them well for the future. In particular, I would like to express my gratitude to Orly who has been a terrific Head of House and who has led by example in encouraging the boys always to do their best. A massive thank you also to all the Gate House tutors who work so hard and contribute so much to the vibrancy and fun. From the wise and experienced Mr Harvey and Mr Hardaker, to the keen new tutors this year, Mr Sumner, Mr Jenkins and Mr Robertshaw, their dedication and support has been invaluable. We also say goodbye to Claire, our wonderful matron, who has done so much to make the House a home for several generations of Gate boys. Her creativity, her pastoral care and her efficiency will be greatly missed and we wish her all the very best in her new job and for the future. She really has been a “Patron of the Matrons” - as one boy described her. Thank you to all the current and former Gate boys and staff for some wonderful memories and all the very best for the future to all the new boys and staff. Remember the Gate House motto: Sapere aude - “Dare to be wise.” R Tottman 9 - DECANIAN 2017/18

houses

Hatherley t's been another busy and successful year in Hatherley. A vintage hockey group, Captain Jess, plus Izzy M, Dani, Abby, Katie, and Grace were all involved in the 1st XI, reaching National Finals, and we were also able to dominate the House event, on a very cold December day at Dean Close.

Further sporting laurels were won during sunnier times, at the House Swimming in May, where Captain Lizzie led Hatherley to victory, and at Sports Day, where Dani was able to retain her Victrix Ludorum crown, and Izzy B gave a stunning performance on the track. It has also been lovely seeing the girls give their time to help others in sport, with Bella and Abi T completing their Lifeguarding certificates, and many of the girls volunteering through Community Action to coach younger students. In the academic sphere, Hatherley's work ethic has remained second to none, and we are highly optimistic for the summer's results, with all our UVIth holding exciting university offers from establishments including Cambridge, Exeter, Bristol and Birmingham. At school, it was great to see Izzy M and Izzy B both produce excellent speeches for the Senior and Junior Public Speaking competitions, respectively, and further accolades

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came for Hannah B's role in our EYP team, and for Liv's French debating, as well as for Izzy M giving a beautiful Chapel talk, and Jo winning a distinction in her Leith's exam. The creative scene has been equally exciting. We won the Unison Song at House Shout (thank you Izzy M and Phoebe!), and Tatyana was named Best Accompanist. She and Katie M were also recognised in our House Music Competition, whilst Lauren has continued to shine with Close Harmony and the Chamber Choir, as well as with writing her own songs and playing at Acoustic Night. Art Exhibitions and plays this year have featured Hatherley girls in abundance, and it has been great to see the younger members of the House getting involved - for example, Grace in 'Jane Eyre' and Hannah P in 'The Beggar's Opera' and as I write this we are eagerly awaiting Katie S's role in 'My Fair Lady'! Saying goodbye to our lovely leavers is always tough, but we wish them well and thank them for all they have contributed. We hope they take with them many happy memories of Hatherley life. And for those remaining - here's to making more memories next year! K Milne

houses

Trinity Term

Mead Michaelmas Term

September 2017 saw a sharp increase in the number of bodies in Mead with the addition of 16 new IVth form. They brought with them a great deal of talent. Whilst no overall success in the first House competition of the year: House Shout, Mead certainly win the number of girls in Chapel Choir, boosted by IVth form. In a break with tradition, new talent in sport is emerging in Mead, with 2nd place in Junior House Hockey. U6th believe that the addition of the new House mascot: Robert the Reindeer may have something to do with their success. Robert joined us along with a delivery of over 50 House Hoodies and Sweatshirts, ably organised by Heads of House, Sophie and Saxon. It’s even easier to identify a Mead girl these days wearing their blue with pride. The true heart of Mead continued to beat strongly with success in the Junior House Quiz. The team powered their way through the early rounds to gain a much coveted spot in the finals, on the final day of term on stage in the Bacon Theatre. The only female team to hold its nerve to this position (in a while). Although nerves seemed to get the better of us on the stage, the girls did Mead proud and once again held true to the pioneering female spirit which is the foundation of Mead House. Community spirit also continues to be a strong force within Mead with our Pizza and Movie evening in December raising money for Blue Skye Thinking. There were several significant individual achievements this term, including our proud moment watching Sydney Davies in Remove, perform the lead as Jane Eyre in the Junior Play. What was most touching was that all her friends in Mead Remove joined her on stage as part of the cast, in some way or another.

The Trinity Term continued with the busy buzz of the previous terms, and our annual trip to the Ballet at the Everyman. This time we ventured outside tradition with a performance by Balletboyz: Fourteen Days. May was a particularly busy month with a real highlight on Friday the 11th. With an early 7.30am start in the morning, numerous Mead girls and their parents attended “Yoga on Big Field” and continued with their support late into the evening when we held our annual Soirée rounding off with another superb fundraising effort - bringing Mead’s donation to their chosen charity (Blue Skye Thinking) to a grand total of £475. Sports Day came and went, with lots of frolicking on both track and field in the sun, and this year there was more success including a significant victory for the Junior relay team. The Juniors finished the year in style with a whopping win in House Tennis, too. Whilst they were unable to sustain their record for victory in House Rounders, I was overwhelmed by their enthusiasm for the event, when we fielded a team of 22 (which had to be split into a batting and a fielding team). This is MEAD.

Throughout the year academic effort has been superb. Often lead by example from our 5th form and U6th, who worked their way calmly and industriously through the summer term and external examinations. Fingers crossed for some superb results this summer.

Lent Term Sporting success continued to grace Mead in the Lent Term, with a win in Junior House Netball and Junior House Football. Although the Seniors may not have been as successful, they should be commended not only for their perseverance and good spirit, but also for their support of each other and of the Junior teams too. However, one notable highlight for the Seniors was as runners-up in the House Badminton competition. Mead continued to prove itself a worthy opponent in House Public Speaking this year. Myranda Campanella’s speech on the limitations of free speech was commended as “polemic”, whilst the Junior Mead House team of Beth Ellison, Sydney Davies and Rachel Hellier were worthy runners’ up with Sydney giving us all a “Reality Check” with her speech. The musical talent in House impressed again in the House Music Competition with Bea Bennett (L6th) winning the Senior Singing and Rachel Hellier (R) winning Junior House instrumental.

I would like to thank our Heads of House, Sophie Clink and Saxon Foster, and Deputy Head of House, Myranda Campanella for their leadership this year, along with their U6th team of Alix Atwick, Eira Engedal, Emily Farnworth, Lucy Pickering and Sophie Turner. The girls have been terrific role models for the junior girls and have established some key traditions such as Mead Secret Santa and a Mead Easter Egg Hunt, which will continue well beyond their time here. Ms Ash, Mrs. Rushton, Mrs. McKechnie, Mrs. Ledlie, Ms Taylor and Ms Villiers have all worked very hard as academic and duty tutors. We say a fond farewell to Ms. Taylor as she moves on to her new position at Truro School. We have benefited hugely from her presence and the various opportunities to use the cookery school and share the wonderful food. We will miss her generosity of spirit and wish her every success. We wish all our leavers every good wish as they move on to new places and thank everyone for their contributions to another hugely successful and happy year in Mead. CM Feltham 11 - DECANIAN 2017/18

houses

Sociable Shelburne From Day One we like to enjoy our down time in Shelburne. We enjoy a Dominos Pizza delivery on a Saturday Night, a new DVD release, cookies on a Sunday afternoon and plenty of birthday cakes. The Upper Sixth enjoy some cheese and wine at their Tuesday Night Prefects Meeting! Our new routine has been a weekly visit to The Green Coffee machine for girls of all ages who are free around 3 p.m. on a Sunday. The smoothies, gluten and lactose free cakes and complicated Lattes go down a treat! This year we also took all the Asian girls to the Mayflower in Cheltenham for a special Chinese Treat.

Successful Shelburne Our team events proved to be both popular and successful this year with Big Wins in both Senior tennis competitions, Netball and Junior Athletics and Rounders. In the House Music Competition, we absolutely excelled with our wonderful musicians led by Hannah Woods and Doris Choi in the Upper Sixth. The points were also boosted by Jenny and Janice Ng, our Piano playing sisters who have an incredibly outstanding talent and sometimes can be pulled together to play duets.

Service in Shelburne

3 Ss of Shelburne

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We are proud to give to others in Shelburne. Three of our Fourth Form took part in wheelchair football with young disabled people in the Michaelmas Term as well as waitress for the new Mayor of Cheltenhamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s launch and many of our girls are offering hockey coaching or help in our Prep School boarding house as their service for Duke of Edinburgh. A group of girls also volunteered at a Summer Show, face painting and modelling! #bigupshelbz Julie Kent

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Tower t has been an absolute joy to see Tower House boys do so very well this year. From wins in the House Rugby, Boarders’ Football, House Swimming and House Football, an amazing second place in House Shout – complete with Josh Gray’s line out moves – to House Singing wins for Guy Amos, second for Tom Bradford, and first place in Junior Public Speaking for Jack Coombs, ably supported by Nils and Rob, it has been another year of success, fun and growth. Jack Coombs’ great lead in Jane Eyre, with other fantastic performances across the range of theatrical performances, are added to the boys’ achievements in the classroom, and in the sporting arena – both in and out of school – as well as in Music, and the Arts.

If I listed all the additional things the boys have done – such as Lin Mo finishing in the top 100 mathematicians in the country, Jonny, Rei and Alex writing excellent essays in the Critical Competition, Matt Smith excelling on the slopes again, Matty Jones and Josh Gray pursuing rugby at an elite level, Freddie and Toby Hitchins playing hockey at a very high level, Lewis, Ethan, George, Jonny, Davin, Tom, Edmund, Guy and others performing

throughout the year, great results from the Cheltenham Festival, Jed’s national baking success, and the number of prize winners at Commem - this report would need to be three times the length! Completion of the Duke of Edinburgh, Leiths, music grades, and successful EPQs all add to the achievements of the boys. Perhaps just as pleasing has been the way in which the UVIth boys, under Jonny, James and Tom’s guidance, have led the House, with mature wisdom and individual care. Under Rei’s guidance, the junior boys have been helped with their studies, really showing the abundant community spirit in Tower. It’s very exciting to think of this particular group of UVIth going out into the world to contribute their skills, talents and character to university and work environments. The Tower staff team have been, again, such an outstanding support to the boys and to me. We are very sorry to see Mr Mackey move on, as he has been a great presence in the House and a very willing and calm emergency tutor. Mr Suckle moves on to Gate House, and we will find it hard to replace such a fine tutor who has always had the interests of the boys at

heart. Mr Spring-Wallis is also embarking on the next stage of his journey, and I have been so grateful for his wise and unstinting support to both me and the House in his role as Assistant Housemaster. We are incredibly fortunate that Mr Chapman will be stepping up to this role next year, as we know how committed he is to the House. From paintballing to KFC nights, to the table tennis final to zorb football, to go-karting and donuts and duvets, and memorable singing on the bus to Commem, as seen in the Tower Turret newsletter, this has been a memorable year. The boys keep taking every opportunity to win House Colours, and the House Forum remains a vital part of how we function as a community. Tower House Talks continue to make us think about the wider world, and particularly issues concerning mental health. Not sure if the new PS4 helps with that, but the boys have certainly enjoyed that addition to the House. It remains to say thanks to all those who are moving on at the end of the year for the fantastic and unique contributions you have made to what makes Tower the wonderful and special place it is. B Poxon

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houses

Turner nother year has flown by and the lively spirit of Turner has continued to thrive (largely under the leadership of our fun loving U6th). The year got off to a fantastic start with Turner winning the House Shout competition - a huge thank you to Gwen and Izzy for leading this so passionately. Following on with passion, this is something Turner is definitely not lacking in: Lexi once again gave a fantastic speech on art for the House Public speaking and as ever Turnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s participation in the House competitions were full of energy. Sadly we just missed out on retaining our House Football trophy but winning the House Netball B competition was great compensation.

There is always plenty of cooking going on in Turner and we have been lucky enough to share a House Christmas Dinner together as well as having a sushi making evening. Congratulations too must go to our Leiths girls, Tatty, Phoebe, Sydney and Ellie who all passed their exam with flying colours, Ellie gaining a distinction. A great year with some great girls! C Allen

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housecompetitions

House Competitions

INTER HOUSE

The Great British Bake-Off style evening was hosted by pupil presenters, Lewis Haywood and Felix Nelson. The presenting duo kept the evening flowing with plenty of comedy and offered a helping hand to teams in need. Most of the teams opted for the custard slice first, thankful for the safety net of the recipe provided. However, some attempted the risky Swiss roll, all failing on their first attempt. With the teams set up with new ingredients, they were on their way again. However, one team clearly felt that one practice attempt was not enough and botched the Swiss roll for a second time. Sophie Brown and Matt Smith managed to pull through on their third attempt, though undercooked and somewhat raw, their Swiss roll required some DIY, as they tended to their desert with a blowtorch! The custard slices seemed to go according to plan with thanks to a 25 step recipe allowing little room for failure. Unfortunately, this proved too little for one team who struggled to tell the difference between self-raising flour and caster sugar. As the final ten minutes dawned upon the teams, tensions were high as they scrambled to make their dishes look as close to the picture on their recipe sheets as possible. Washing up was heavily neglected and the finished dishes made their way up to the judgesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; table. Dean Closeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very own Paul Hollywood, Deputy Head Mr Hall, impressively consumed over five custard slices! Finally, the winners were crowned and Phoebe Wharton (Fawley) and Matthew Chan (Gate) were the first winners of the Inter-House Cookery Trophy.

n the Trinity Term, five mixed teams competed for the coveted title of the Inter-House Cookery Champion. The inaugural competition was held as part of a series of events to celebrate 50 years of Co-education at Dean Close School. The teams tentatively entered the Cookery School to find the necessary ingredients for two complex dishes; a custard slice

and the classic, Swiss roll. Pupils were given a recipe to follow for the deliciously tricky custard slice, the Swiss roll on the other hand was to be attempted with no recipe at all! The ten pupils taking part were paired with pupils from different houses and year groups and had varying levels of baking experience, some having never baked at all. 15 - DECANIAN 2017/18

housecompetitions

House Shout House Singing Competition 2017 s ever, there was a great buzz and sense of anticipation in the Bacon Theatre as the whole school gathered for an evening of songs based around this year’s theme, “Weather”, and having been given such an open category from which to choose, the students came up with a wide variety of styles of song, ranging from the music theatre classic Singin’ in the Rain to the contemporary hit, Rain, by The Script. The task of judging the ten Houses’ entries fell this year to Rebecca Cavill, herself an experienced and in-demand choral singer, and Director of Music at St Mary’s School, Calne. After having been praised for their slick performance and imaginative arrangement of Katie Perry’s Hot n Cold, Hatherley was awarded 1st prize in the Girls’ Unison Song category, with the Boys’ prize going to Gate with Rain. Once again, the level of vocal talent on display in the Part Song competition astonished all present, with every House bringing forward polished and highly original performances. This year, Dale gained the top boys’ prize in the category with their comedic arrangement of Postman Pat, with the 1st prize in the girls’ category being awarded to Fawley for their rendition of Sweet about me, featuring effective use of body percussion and modal harmony. However, due to their consistently high performances in both categories, Field and Turner came out as the overall joint winners of this year’s competition.

M Stephens-Jones

House Shout Results Unison Song – ‘Weather’ Girls 1st

Hatherley

Girls 2nd

Shelburne (It’s raining men)

Boys 1st

Gate

Boys =2nd Field

(Hot ‘n’ Cold) (Rain) (Ain’t No Sunshine)

Tower

(Walking on Sunshine)

Boys 1st

Dale

(Postman Pat)

Boys 2nd

Field

(Canon in D)

Girls 1st

Fawley

(Sweet about me)

Girls 2nd

Turner Hall (Stand by Me)

Part Song

Conductor’s Prize:

Louis Morford (F)

Best Accompanist:

Tatyana Cheung (H)

Overall by points = 1st

Field & Turner Hall

It was with great anticipation that staff and pupils approached the hotly contested annual Inter-House Tug of War. Last year’s event was washed out by torrential rain and many did not know what to expect with the current unpredictable weather. Five separate tug of war pitches ran a total of over 60 contests on Monday afternoon generating a huge amount of excitement and even more noise! The cheers could be heard from Dean Close boarding houses, over half a mile from the pitch, as the whole Senior School of 480 pupils united to support their House teams.

Tug of War 16 - DECANIAN 2017/18

The competition was initiated a few years ago by a group of Bruneian pupils, as Tug of War is the national sport of Brunei. It is wonderful to see that the tradition has continued, as it is a fantastic team building exercise as well as a lot of fun.

chaplaincy

Preaching, not teaching Chapel is a fundamentally different space, as compared with other learning spaces around a school such as ours. Of course, in common with the classroom and lecture theatre, Chapel is a crucible within which ideas may be disseminated, chewed on, committed to memory and enjoyed. We’ve had much of that, especially throughout our ‘I wish someone had told me…’, and Exodus series. And yet there is one key difference, for Chapel is the space in school where our founding ethos and personal convictions dictate that we do more than merely teach the Christian faith. Chapel is the place where we preach. That is to say where having educated the mind, we actively encourage our listeners to respond in radical, sometimes revolutionary, ways. In a supposedly post-truth culture which is increasingly apathetic as regards conviction, creed and lifestyle it has been our privilege to offer a push from the front to confront and consider the counter-cultural claims of Christ. Here is education for the whole person!

Chaplaincy Report I continue to be struck by the particular privilege it is to serve this school as Chaplain, in partnership with Mr Strange and Miss Ackroyd on the Chaplaincy team, and wider staff. If we are serious – as I believe we are – about offering a holistic education here, then it is certainly the case that the Chaplaincy team are tasked with making some unique contributions. Here are three examples to illustrate the point, which have been highlighted in this 2017/18 academic year…

Chapel is a crucible within which ideas may be disseminated, chewed on, committed to memory and enjoyed

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chaplaincy

Community, not individuals in proximity The increasing fragility of this supposedly snowflake generation is being given many column inches, and tweets. Whatever we may think of the reasons for the phenomenon, one of the increasingly prevalent symptoms is an increasing loneliness amongst young people. Many of us will know how possible it is to be lonely in the midst of a crowd. It is certainly possible for a teenager to be lonely in the day or boarding house, or sports team, or teaching set, or drama cast ‘crowd.’ Proximity is not the same as community. The proclamation of Christ has always bred a rich type of community, which orbits around shared worship, world view and wonderfully – food! And so it proves at Dean Close. Whether it be the regular gathering of School at Chapel at the bookends of the week, or the more intimate communities of Christian Union, House Bible studies or one-to-ones, it has been special to be knit together this past year. Notable highlights have included the CU Getaway on Dartmoor, the sixth form black tie dinner, and ‘Story’ (this year’s Lent Addresses) with its accompanying pop up café. It has been especially salutary to see community grow across the years and between cliques in the pupil body; something exemplified in this year’s confirmation cohort.

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chaplaincy

Identity, not achievement The Chaplaincy team have found ourselves reassuring pupils that ‘you are not what you do’ or that ‘you are more than your results.’

In such a rightly aspirational setting as ours, it is an occupational hazard to mistake identity for achievement. Again and again, and especially in exam season, the Chaplaincy team have found ourselves reassuring pupils that ‘you are not what you do’ or that ‘you are more than your results.’ In an increasingly utilitarian culture which collapses human value into human productivity, these are increasingly revolutionary sentiments. The groundshattering truth that every pupil has an inherent dignity made in God’s image and is loved enough for the Easter Christ to give of himself for them, is the most robust foundation on which Decanian self-value and worth can be built. Here are the foundations for a resilience which will outlast failure and which won’t be puffed up with success! J Ash

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drama

The

Beggarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Opera Gay's 1728 London thieves, crooks and doxies became America's 1920s Mafiosi and their Molls

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drama

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Gay's original was intended to be an opera for The Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

he Beggar's Opera by John Gay was the Main School Play this term, and - rather like Brecht's recreation of the piece in his Threepenny Opera - was given a new setting by Director Lloyd Allington and Musical Director Jason Richards. Gay's 1728 London thieves, crooks and doxies became America's 1920s Mafiosi and their Molls, led by Guy Amos as the ambivalent anti-hero Mac Heath and Max Thomas as Peachum the Fence.

In one sense, this piece is the first "Musical": Gay's original was intended to be an opera for The People - as opposed to the contemporary operas of Handel for the toffs - and so the characters routinely burst into short snatches of song. It was Jason's new score which added great vitality to the piece - jazz, blues, catchy tunes which lived

in the memory, and which gave the characters life. There were outstanding turns from Maddie Dunn as the hapless, spurned (but ultimately successful) Polly; Izzy Moulding as the unfortunate victim Lucy Lockit; Orlando Giannini as her cruel father, Lockit the Gaoler; and Gwen Stabler as Peachum's scheming wife Mrs P. Ultimately there is almost no-one we can sympathise with in this fun but puzzling piece - but all ends well, as Mac Heath is about to be hanged, but is saved by the timely arrival of the Deus ex Machina in true Age of Enlightenment style; and we realise that the villain may well get off scot-free but in a world where things are pretty harsh, it is better to end with a song and a dance - then everyone is happy. L Allington 21 - DECANIAN 2017/18

drama

JANE EYRE by Charlotte Brontë Adapted for the stage by Rebecca Vines Junior Play October 2017 Directed by Rebecca Vines

e r y E Jane ebecca Vines’ adaptation and vision of Charlotte Brontë’s 1847 Gothic bildungsroman, Jane Eyre was a fast-paced, dynamic retelling of this classic novel. At times wholly naturalistic, at times communicating through narration and physical theatre, a team of leather-jerkined narrators progressed the plot with an immediacy and pace which allowed not only the rich prose of the original to be shared with the audience, but Jane’s voice as the architect of the story to unfold much as it does in the novel.

Unloved and uncared for by the selfish and brutal Aunt Reed (an intimidating Lydia Smith), little Jane is bullied by her vicious cousin John (a strutting Liam McKinnes) and two spoilt, empty-headed sisters (Freya Clark and Mimi Ousey). The only solace she finds is with kindly maid Bessie (a clucking Georgia Faux) and her own thoughts: which are not only dangerously original, but also at odds with the expectations for Victorian children – especially orphans thrown on the mercies of their extended families – to be seen and not heard.

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drama

‘Jane Eyre was a fast-paced, dynamic retelling of this classic novel’

When the sadistic evangelist, Reverend Brocklehurst (Josh Brooks at his chilling best), colludes with her Aunt to send her to boarding school, Jane is hopeful that she might flourish in an atmosphere of learning and enlightenment, but the reality (based upon Brontë’s own experiences at the Cowan Bridge School) is a routine of barelydeserved punishments, abuse, starvation and premature death amongst girls whose spirits have been broken by their privations. Only with the pious Helen Burns (an all-too believably-consumptive Beth Rogers) and the gentle Miss Temple (a sensitive performance by Rachel Hellier) does Jane learn to understand love and friendship. From this cold, grey world, Jane emerges into the adult world, ‘poor, obscure, plain and little’ and increasingly dependent on her own reserves of strength and common sense. And when she replies to an advertisement for a Governess at the forbidding Thornfield Hall, her life changes forever. As Mrs Fairfax, the Housekeeper of Thornfield, Grace Greaves was bustling and kindly: whether giving servants their orders or attending to Mr Rochester’s whims, Greaves imbued her role with a maturity and sagacity far beyond her years. As Rochester, Jack Coombs showed us a man haunted by a past he had had little control of and desperate to rehabilitate himself through the goodness offered by Jane’s ‘strange, unearthly’ being. There was more to this growling autocrat than cartoonish frowns and curses: Coombs gave us a Rochester racked by torment for the state of his first wife, for the rottenness of the world, and his own part in it. Against the spare and functional set (a multi-purpose wooden scaffold), this Mr Rochester was devoid of the fripperies and romantic, Byronic fantasies of so many filmed adaptations – he was very real, and very wounded. As Jane, Sydney Davies carried the weight of the play on her young shoulders, and in underplaying her status as the ‘lead’, led the audience into the narrowness of her little world, making her worries and anxieties never less than real and heart-wrenching. By turns brittle, loving, brave, frightened,

impulsive and reserved, Davies gave an exceptionally strong performance, making the character accessible and modern without ever losing sight of her historical anchor. In her scenes with Coombs, one could really see why this odd couple seek out each other: no longer just a Brontë wish-fulfillment, as the darkness of the stage (cleverly lit by Matt Reading) threatened to engulf their daily lives, each character seemed to represent the spark of connection needed to forge ahead. Ethan Bareham played St John Rivers - the uptight clergyman who asks for Jane’s hand as more of a business arrangement than a love match - with pinpoint accuracy, and, once again in this production, offered something more three-dimensional and real than the more-easily caricatured and comic creation he could have been. Bareham was well-supported in his scenes by Ellie Pietroni and Olivia Attwood as his well-meaning sisters Diana and Mary, and his proposal scene with Davies showed how deeply this young actor understands the subtextual complexities at the heart of Brontë’s writing. This was a large cast, in which every single face was engaged and every character believable: from the monotonous rigidity of the Lowood girls in their lessons to the vibrancy of the narration team, the effort and attainment from all involved was clear to see. There was particularly strong support from Ben Crossley as the spineless Richard Mason; Beth Ellison as the beautiful, bitchy Blanche Ingram; Amara Humphries (DCPS) as Rochester’s ‘ward’, Adele; and as Bertha Mason - Rochester’s mentally-ill first wife - Lily Talbot was sensational in achieving the right amount of sadness and terror which should be evoked by this pathetic creature. The drama department at DCS is indeed fortunate to have the talents of Rebecca Vines, whose adaptation was lovingly, even fervently sculpted out of Brontë’s original: her ability, not only to coax quite extraordinary performances out of such young actors, but also to mould this adaptation around their strengths, is a huge asset to the department and the School. Brava. L Allington

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drama

or me there was an ironic symmetry in this compelling production. I was born in 1950, the year of Orwell’s death, and thus was 34 in 1984. I remember smiling then at its far-fetched hypothesis and how we’d avoided his ‘prophecies’, but this production, another 34 years on, struck me entirely differently.

GEORGEORWELL’S Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell (adapted by Rebecca Vines) Dean Close Drama Scholars’ play Bacon Theatre March 2018 Directed by Rebecca Vines

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drama

‘There are two possible climaxes to a theatre experience. There is the climax of celebration in which our participation explodes in stamping and cheering or stunned silence’ Peter Brook

At the time of the performance, our TV screens are filled with people in chemical suits cleaning up the mess of a nerve agent attack in Salisbury; the issue of fake news is having to be addressed in schools; President Trump’s claim that his inauguration was attended by greater numbers than ever despite photographic evidence to the contrary still rings hollowly; we believe there is a war over there somewhere (Ukraine); the murky reputation of the Guantanamo detention centre is an enduring reality; CCTV surveillance is widespread; and instances of racism, trolls, hate mail, and intolerance are worryingly far too familiar in Britain. Furthermore Orwell’s vocabulary of Big Brother, newspeak, thought police, thought crime, doublethink, unpersons, and Room 101 are in everyday use. Winston Smith (Orlando Giannini) is different from his fellow intellectuals because of his ability to reason and think for himself. He keeps a diary and in his challenge to the authority and wisdom of Big Brother, who has galvanized the people into hating the invisible enemy known as Emmanuel Goldstein, he finds an ally and a source of encouragement in a lover, Julia (Maddie Dunn). His ‘conversion’ through torture conducted by O’Brien (Max Thomas) brings to an end the

last vestige of individual thought as he’s hollowed out. The torture scene was played with such conviction that it had us squirming and wincing in our seats. It’s a bleak conclusion that there’s no one left to think independently and thus the power of the state to control has no opposition. Orlando, Max, and Maddie led the cast superbly with their convincing and visceral portrayals, but they were not alone. The supporting cast of cheerfully anonymous and androgynous intellectuals, some of whom were involved in officially shrinking the language, were played with chilling resonance by Benjamin Crossley, Jack Coombs, Liam McKinnes, Samuel Crichton, Samuel Porter, Flora Leather, and Beth Ellison. I would also like to mention Joshua Brooks, who was so convincing as the consumptive Orwell at work on his dystopian masterpiece before the curtain went up. How could such a weakened and dying man have written such a powerful work? Rebecca Vines sets high standards in her work with drama students and never more so than in this play, which was spare in its presentation and yet deeply affecting on our reactions. Clever staging with computer and TV screens, flashing, strobe and search lights, and screeching sound effects all contributed to the overall effect of a stark and brutal drama, even if we’d rather it hadn’t been memorable!

That is the power of this significant drama production, because by the end of the play the audience was almost too stunned to applaud, which brings me to the one section of the cast I have yet to mention: the faceless ones embedded in the audience, who stood up to chant hate slogans. Their very presence amongst us provided a forceful lesson in how easy it is to be swept up in dark and deeply troubling events before we know it. This was a disturbing play, especially because those faceless ones were holding up mirrors to the rest of us. The theatre director Peter Brook has observed that there are two possible ways in which the audience can mark the end of a production: celebration or silence. We celebrate the end in school productions, because we want to applaud young actors and show our appreciation of their performances, though on this occasion it was understandably a little muted. Not to put it too bluntly, we’d been shocked by the insidious advance of “1984” into the present day, and for once silence would have been a perfectly valid and honouring response. It may have been all smiles in the Orangery afterwards, but the point had been made. A Judge

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drama

Out of the

shadows n celebration of the centenary anniversary of (some) British women achieving the right to vote, along with the 50 year anniversary of girls joining Dean Close School, Shelburne House took to the stage for a revue performance of Out of the Shadows. An inspiring play that showcased powerful women throughout history.

Shelburne House is home to many talented drama pupils and several of the girls are very familiar with the Bacon Theatre stage. Particular highlights included the extraordinary performance from Polina Kalashnikova who stunned audiences with her rendition of ‘Rainbow High’ as Eva Perón. Sixth Form pupil, Gabriella Sills, not only carried several characters in the show but was responsible for all of the choreography as well as helping to create the script itself. Gabriella’s sensational creativity and keen eye for detail certainly left its mark on this sparkling performance. Amidst the comedy and uplifting music, one particular moment of poignancy came from Pollyanna

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Harris’ sensitive portrayal of Emmeline Pankhurst, which was paired with verbatim comments that opposed women’s suffrage. However, as well as showcasing Dean Close’s most experienced thespians, ‘Out of the Shadows’ featured a number of pupils performing for the very first time (not that the audience would have known). Ren GarciaRodriguez was one of many rising stars, captivating all with her comical yet rather sympathetic performance of Mark Twain’s Eve. The Shelburne girls were also supported by several boys who helped to explore the issue of gender equality from a male perspective. Director of the production, Emma Hodgkinson, said, “Every member of the cast worked together with inspired energy to create a performance that not only left audience members in peals of laughter but carried an incredibly important message during a time where gender equality is such a relevant topic.” O Duffin

An inspiring play that showcased powerful women throughout history

music

20th Anniversary Concert n Thursday 9th November a packed Prince Michael Hall was treated to a concert given by ODs, current members of the School, the Carducci Quartet and both full-time and visiting music teachers.

The evening began and ended with the Carducci Quartet performing the 1st movements of string quartets by Mendelssohn and Debussy. The Carducci came to Dean Close in 2011, the impact of which has been incredible, particularly on our chamber and orchestral music, and the passion and verve of their playing is simply inspirational. Current pupils Louis Morford (violin) and Hugo Till (saxophone) gave us two very different performances – Hugo’s was a spellbinding and atmospheric rendition of contemporary composer Amy Quate’s Light of Sothis whilst Louis’ Danse Espagnole by De Falla was virtuosic and exciting.

The central item of the evening - the 1st movement of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto no.3 in G – involved DCS pupils, the Carducci, full-time and visiting music teachers joining forces to tremendous effect. It was an absolute pleasure to welcome back ODs Ashok Gupta (Dale, 2006), Henry Neill (Brook Court, 2007) and Brenna Tin (Turner Hall, 2016) to play and sing in this prestigious concert. Brenna is currently studying at the Royal Academy of Music, whilst Henry and Ashok are pursuing musical careers, both undertaking recitals at the Wigmore Hall in 2018. Brenna’s playing of the Schubert A major Sonata was refined and beautifully poised, while Ashok perfectly captured the humour and capriciousness of several Beethoven Bagatelles. Henry absolutely wowed us with a mixture of Schubert, Vaughan Williams and Poulenc, injecting incredible vitality and humour into his singing. The concert was a lovely way to celebrate and represent the achievements of past, present and future musicians that pass through the doors of this magnificent building. H Porter

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music

Dean Close Commemoration Concert his year’s Commemoration weekend celebrations began in a suitably festive spirit at the Friday evening concert, opening with Walton’s ever-popular coronation march, Crown Imperial brought to life with considerable patriotic pomp and vigour by the orchestra, from the quietly energetic opening to the great sweeping melody which ends the work, creating in the Bacon Theatre a great sense of occasion, ceremony, and expectation for the rest of the evening. After such celebratory bluster, a moment of light refreshment was in order, and this was supplied perfectly by Close Harmony’s performance of the well-known madrigal Now is the Month of Maying, which was characterised by its buoyant and jovial manner, welcoming in the summer months.

The Union Flag design on the front of the programme seemed to promise the audience a selection of British favourites, and they were by no means disappointed, as next came the Sinfonia to play Elgar’s Nimrod from the Enigma Variations. This was sensitively treated by all, and the long lyrical melody was made all the more moving by the intimate strings-only arrangement. This was followed by Tsintsade’s Georgian Folk Song, opening with a deeply expressive cello solo imitating the style of traditional Jewish song, played with great feeling by Jonny Woods. The theatre was at this point filled with a mystic atmosphere, which was then suddenly broken as the rest of the players took up the lively and relentless dance which formed the second section of the work. Jonny Woods, Louis Morford and Janice Ng took centre stage in the third movement of Brahms’ Trio for Piano, Violin and Horn. This movement, though presenting considerable and equal technical and musical challenges in all three instruments, was brought off with considerable professionalism and assurance by 28 - DECANIAN 2017/18

the three scholars, making the most of the spirited interplay and energetic style. At this point more vocal music was in order, and so the Chamber Choir came on to perform a selection of songs from the United States. Beginning with Barber’s intimate Sure on this Shining Night, the text of which seemed to sum up perfectly the atmosphere of the evening, they followed this with a set of four of Copland’s Old American Songs. The final song, I got me a cat, was sung with suitable humour as the audience was given musical caricatures of various animals including a horse, a pig, a cat, a goose, and a remarkably vocal duck. For the finale, it was time for the orchestra to return for a performance of Bruch’s celebrated Violin Concerto no.1 in G minor, featuring its brilliant leader for the past four years, Louis Morford, as soloist. Having been voted the number one work in the Classic FM Hall of Fame 1996, this concerto is a staple of the repertoire, loved by soloists and audiences alike for its perfect blend of beautiful melodic writing and technical fireworks for the soloist. However, Louis took every musical and technical challenge that the piece threw his way well in his stride, allowing his musicianship and insight into the work to shine through. This would not have been possible if not for the secure and unwavering support given to him by the rest of the orchestra, conducted expertly by Helen Porter, from lyrically flowing 2nd movement, to the brilliantly energetic 3rd movement, racing ever faster to its thrilling close. Mention must also be given to our Jazz Band, who accompanied the post-concert drinks on the terrace so fittingly with a range of jazz classics, providing the perfect counterpoint to what had come before. M Stephens-Jones

music

House Music Competition 2018 VOCAL On Thursday 22nd February the department held the vocal section of the House Music Competition. This year we were delighted to have as our adjudicator Alison Sutton, a former singing teacher of Dean Close, who travels the country adjudicating. The standard of our solo singing has steadily increased over the past few years and it was lovely to see all performers singing off book and starting to engage with their audience. There were some very promising performances throughout the afternoon. The Junior category (Grades 1–4) was won by Ethan Bareham with Finzi’s Ferry me across the water but commendable performances were also given by Megan John, Paddy Benson and Nathan Kenshall. In the Intermediate category, Lily Talbot was awarded the overall cup, with Ernest Tang winning the boys’ section with A Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square. Beatrice Bennett walked away with the Overall Senior Cup with Dring’s Take, O Take while Ben Crossley won the boys’ section with a beautiful song by Fauré. After supper, the audience was treated to some stunning performances of show songs with Ben Crossley coming away with first prize in the junior section with his stylish performance of Embraceable You by George Gershwin. The senior section was a tightly fought contest, with Guy Amos claiming the Show Song Cup with a well characterised and moving rendition of Stars by Schönberg.

SONG RECITAL TROPHY This took the form of five short recitals, each comprising three items, including an English Art Song and one work in a foreign language. As in previous years, the standard was hugely high, with assured and confident performances by Maddie Dunn, Hugo Till, Alix Atwick, Orlando Giannini and Louis Morford. In the end Louis Morford was awarded the trophy for his performance of works by Handel, Quilter and Schumann with Hugo Till placed second. Congratulations to all the performers on a splendid evening’s singing.

INSTRUMENTAL

THE SHERRATT PRIZE

Mark Shepherd, Director of Music at Charterhouse School, adjudicated the 2018 House Music (Instrumental) Competition and the Sherratt Prize. His remarks, succinct and helpful to every performer, frequently highlighted three aspects across the board – the standard of musicianship, notably reflected in performers having a clear idea in their minds of where they wanted to take their pieces; the high level of technical accomplishment; and the poise of the instrumentalists.

In honour of Colin Sherratt, an outstanding pianist in his day and one-time Head of Keyboard Studies at Dean Close, the Sherratt Prize is a highlight of the Music Calendar. This year’s competition consisted of eighteen compelling individual performances. Four gifted pianists, Rei Chin, Hugo Till, and the Ng sisters were the contenders in the Piano class in which Janice Ng, playing Prokofiev, Sonata No 3, was outstanding for her power, sensitivity and sheer brilliance at the keyboard. The Woodwind class was dominated by two exceptional saxophonists, Ernest Tang who played Fantasie by Demersseman, and Hugo Till who performed Light of Sothis by the contemporary composer, Amy Quate. Doris Choi (flute) and Oscar Jack (clarinet) also gave polished performances in a class of a very high standard. Dan Barrow was the sole Brass player to have made it through to this stage and his trumpet playing earned considerable praise from the adjudicator. In the Strings’ class, the audience was treated to the beautiful tone of Jonny Woods (cello), the emerging talent of Finn Fleming (guitar), and Jeff Gao’s

While the competition element inevitably means there are winners, all who participated are to be congratulated because everyone gave a complete performance without hesitation or obvious error. Ellie Pietroni (violin), Oscar Richardson (clarinet) and Tatyana Cheung (piano) gave winning performances in the Intermediate and Senior classes, while Tom Richardson (violin) was perhaps the outstanding player of the afternoon classes, winning the Overall Senior Cup.

considerable ability on both violin and viola. Louis Morford gave a highly accomplished and entertaining performance of La Ronde des Lutins, a show-stopper of a piece by Bazzini, to be the runner-up to Janice Ng, this year’s winner of the Sherratt Prize. During the eight hours of competition, there were fifty-four solo performances, most requiring an accompanist. In thanking the accompanists, Mr Shepherd made the point that accompanying is done in addition to everything else and requires considerable stamina as well as expertise and hours of practice. Soloists in the Sherratt were very fortunate to be accompanied by Simon Bell, Sara Harris and Helen Porter in what was a wonderfully absorbing and most enjoyable concert. R Taylor

The overall House Music Competition was won by Field, with Shelburne taking the trophy for the Girls’ House.

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News This year, Grade 8 distinctions were obtained by the following scholars: Louis Morford (singing), Oscar Jack (clarinet), Maddie Dunn (singing), Orlando Giannini (singing), Hugo Till (singing) and Tatyana Cheung (piano). Three pupils were successful in gaining diplomas this year: Ashton Mackinnon ARSM (singing), Hugo Till ATCL (saxophone) and Doris

Louis Morford

Choi LTCL (flute). In September, Jason Richards began his year as Organ Scholar at

Louis Morford has been a Music Scholar at Dean Close since the age of 11, having started at the Pre-Prep aged 2. He has been leader of the orchestra for the past 4 years, and has been a highly valued member of most of our musical activities, appearing as a regular soloist in concerts both in and out of school. Louis takes up his Choral Scholarship and place to read Music at Merton College, Oxford this October.

1) When did you first become interested in music and how did it develop? I first started out of jealousy for my brother, who was starting to learn the cello. After that I picked up the violin and then joined the choristers, which got me reading music on a daily basis. Since then, I've always enjoyed performing music, but it's only more recently that I've begun to enjoy listening to music just as much.

2) You have been awarded a choral scholarship but are also a talented violinist. Do you think one of these will take precedence over the other? I've always seen myself mainly as a violinist, especially after my voice broke as I joined the Senior School. I'll certainly be doing a lot of singing at university, so it wouldn't surprise me to see this change. I'm also interested in conducting, so it'll depend on what opportunities I can take advantage of over the next few years.

St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, where he had the honour of being involved in the recent Royal Wedding! In October, Salim Jaffar took up his Choral Scholarship at King’s College, Cambridge and appeared (along with OD Stephen Whitford) in the Nine Lessons and Carols broadcast on Christmas Eve. Laurence Kilsby took up his place to study singing at the Royal College of Music. Louis Morford and Hugo Till have both been awarded Choral Scholarships, to Merton College,

3) What are the highlights from your time at Dean Close?

Oxford and Queen’s College,

I've really enjoyed the choir tours during my time at Dean Close; I was lucky enough to go to New York twice, once in the Prep School and once in the Senior School. I also really enjoyed getting the opportunity to play a concerto with the school orchestra, rather than just a piano reduction. My favourite moments have probably been in the pit band for the school musicals, Oliver!, High Society, Singin’ in the Rain and Fiddler on the Roof, playing as part of a joint student and professional band.

Oxford respectively. Janice Ng

4) What do you imagine yourself to be doing in ten years’ time? I really have no idea! I'm sure I will still be involved in music and playing my violin, but in what context, I don't know.

reached the finals of the Gloucestershire Young Musician of the Year competition, performing a recital in the Pittville Pump Room as a result. Oscar Jack won the Philip F Walsh Memorial Prize from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music as a result of

5) What is your favourite piece of music and why?

achieving the highest Grade 8

That's very difficult to decide. I've always enjoyed early music like Byrd and Tallis, but I'm a huge fan of Richard Strauss and Beethoven as well. If I had to chose one piece, it would probably be Beethoven's 6th Symphony, especially how he plays with the 'Shepherd's Hymn' in the final movement.

Clarinet mark in the UK in 2017

6) Do you have any advice for music scholars? Try to develop an efficient way of practising. You'll always be busy in the Music Department at Dean Close so it's very important to use your practice time well, solving specific problems rather than just playing things all the way through. I've certainly been guilty of practising ineffectively in the past, but I can now get a lot more done by repeating short passages in a more focused way. 30 - DECANIAN 2017/18

(144/150) and, similarly, Louis Morford was given a Silver Award in recognition of his outstanding achievement in his Grade 8 singing (146/150).

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ROC SOC ocSoc yet again showcased the talents of a wide range of scholars and staff: newcomers to the stage like Sam Crichton, experienced performers in the persons of Orly Giannini and Polina Kalashnikova and old school rockers like Mr Slade. As always this was a celebration of music that mattered – music that spoke to every single scholar who picked up a microphone, strummed a guitar or beat a drum. Orly Giannini was quite literally a one-man band as he played keyboard, bass guitar and drums to set up loop patterns on No Diggity by Backstreet. Sam Crichton delivered a fine Freddie Mercury impersonation on Another One Bites The Dust (I would advise him to invest in some lycra) whilst his interpretation of Green Day’s Boulevard of Broken Dreams was unexpectedly powerful. A star is born, perhaps? There was some outstanding singing from Lewis Haywood (Ed Sheeran’s A Team) and Saph Leweni (Best Part by Daniel Caesar) whilst Polina Kalashnikova and Emily Millward’s interpretation of Major Laser’s Get Free was tender and tugged gently at the heartstrings. Mr Slade’s Brook Court tribute to the great Tom Petty was a fitting finale (Free Falling) with Nick Mackay on vocals and looking as if he owned every inch of the stage. And so to Orly Giannini, Matt Moorhouse, Oscar Richardson, Saph Leweni, Louis Fleming, Finn Fleming, Matt Candy, Lewis Haywood, Ethan Butterfield (who exchanged his rugby ball for an acoustic guitar), Tom Bradford, Sam Crichton, Alex Glenshaft, Polina Kalashnikova, Emily Millward and the inimitable Nick Mackay, WE SALUTE YOU.

J Allen

Singer Song-writer Competition Following on the back of the talent exposed in Acoustic Night, it was decided to run our first ever singer-songwriter competition, prior to the RocSoc concert. All the singers accompanied themselves on instruments ranging from guitar and piano to bass guitar. The subject matter was varied from love affairs to reflections on society to the enjoyment which shopping brings. Congratulations to all our competitors, Hattie Gammon, George Orr-Ewing, Sophie Brown, Orly Giannini and Lauren Ferro. After much deliberation Mr McVittie from DCPS picked out Sophie as the runner-up with ‘Society’ and Orly as the overall winner with ‘New Shoes’. We hope to see this event grow in future years.

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Concert Spring

he conjunction of The Beast from the East and Storm Emma had led to the cancellation of the Spring Concert in the Pittville Pump Room scheduled for the previous week. The Music Department worked miracles to stage the concert in the PMH a week later when at least some semblance of spring had arrived. The programme was necessarily designed for Pittville’s acoustic space which allows for orchestral and choral as well as chamber and solo works. While Chamber Music transfers to the PMH easily enough, accommodating a large audience and performing big orchestral pieces in there is more problematical.

The Orchestra opened the programme with Mendelssohn, Overture to a Midsummer Night’s Dream, once described as a ‘marvel of maturity’ from the then 17 years’ old composer. The Orchestra seamlessly managed the harmonic transitions and various expositions, notably of dancing fairies and a braying Bottom with some excellent pizzicato and ‘hee-hawing’ clarinets, through to the recapitulation and the Coda giving the fairies, as in the play, the final word. Jeff Gao was the violin soloist accompanied by a reduced Orchestra in a charming performance of Beethoven, Romance in F; soloist and orchestra were as one in a performance of clearly articulated notation along with well-controlled phrasing and shaping. Four vocal pieces followed. First, Close Harmony, under Louis Morford’s direction and with Hugo Till as soloist, sang Ben Sawyer’s arrangement of Greensleeves. Alix Atwick sang Orpheus with his lute (Coates) and Orlando Giannini, Go, Lovely Rose from the cycle of Five Songs by Quilter. Both Alix and Orlando are poised, confident singers with mature, rounded tone, to whom to listen is a real pleasure. Maddie Dunn was the third solo singer; a gifted singer, performer and communicator (‘colle pupille parlar con mille’), Maddie made a convincing Despina urging the Neopolitan sisters in Una donna a quindici anni from Così Fan Tutte that at fifteen a woman knows her own mind and to go along with the Albanian soldiers. The soloists are so fortunate to be accompanied by such professional exponents of the art as Simon Bell and Helen Porter.

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Jeff Gao was the violin soloist accompanied by a reduced Orchestra in a charming performance of Beethoven

The conclusion to the first half was a wonderful performance by Jonny Woods (French horn), Louis Morford (violin) and Janice Ng (piano) of the final movement of Brahms, Horn Trio in E flat major. The players played with vibrant vitality: this really did have the ‘wow’ factor – three excellent musicians on top of their game, absolutely superb playing, and there was a great reaction from the audience. One of the benefits of doing the concert on home soil was the refreshment available to all in the interval to complement such splendid musical fayre. This hospitality was greatly appreciated and without the pressure of time, a most sociable occasion. The second half began with Schubert, Mass in G in its original score. Accompanied by Michael Stephen-Jones on the Chamber Organ and the Carducci Quartet, Chamber Choir, directed by Simon Bell, clearly felt the mood music and performed with precision, balance, phrasing and contrasts. The soloists, Maddie Dunn, Alix Atwick, Lucy Pickering, Louis Morford, Hugo Till, Matthew Moorhouse and Oscar Richardson, were all excellent; the trio in the Benedictus was notable for its particularly fine diction and phrasing. The singing of the Gloria, one of the most glorious of all Glorias, turned thoughts to heaven. Hannah Woods (flute), brother Jonny (now on the ‘cello), Louis Morford (violin) and Jeff Gao (now on the viola) comprised an accomplished quartet to perform the first movement Allegro from Flute Quartet No 1 in D major by Mozart. Hannah’s articulated runs were a joy as was the togetherness of the quartet. This was followed by Dan Barrow, along with Simon Bell on the Chamber Organ and Sinfonia directed by Matt Denton, playing Purcell, Trumpet Sonata in D. Dan produces a bright tone so suited to Purcell and his was yet another fine and musical performance. Sinfonia concluded the evening with a lively, celebratory rendition of St Paul’s Suite composed by one of Cheltenham’s most famous sons, Gustav Holst, providing a fitting end to a remarkable concert. R Taylor 33 - DECANIAN 2017/18

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Music Diary 28 September

10 October

17 November

Lunchtime Recital: Ashok Gupta

Prep Schools’ Orchestral Day

Fridays @ 6

The lunchtime recital series began with OD Ashok Gupta playing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto no. 1 in C major, with Helen Porter providing the orchestral reduction on second piano. A very spirited and exciting performance, with Ashok putting the Director of Music through her paces with a particularly fast tempo for the finale!

Nearly 100 musicians from 6 different prep schools spent an enjoyable day at Dean Close in sectional and full rehearsals, joining forces with our own school orchestra for a splendid rendition of Jenkins’ Palladio and other pieces.

Ashok Gupta returned to perform two Beethoven piano sonatas as preparation for the upcoming international Telekom Beethoven Competition in Bonn, Germany. Ashok reached the semi-finals of this esteemed competition and was awarded the prize for chamber music.

13 October

Fridays @ 6 30th September

House Singing competition 5 October

Our popular concert series on a Friday evening continued to flourish this year. In this first concert of the year, Louis Morford (violin) treated us to a fantastic, varied programme of Mozart, Massenet, Bruch, Kreisler and De Falla.

19 November

Acoustic Night

Lunchtime Concert I 20 October 6 October

New Scholars’ Recital Fifteen fourth form and new remove pupils provided a varied programme of vocal and instrumental items in their first recital at Dean Close Senior School. Particular mention must be made of Louis and Finn Fleming, who performed brilliantly on drums and guitar respectively, Sebastian Till for the hauntingly beautiful Aria by Bozza on the saxophone and Oscar Jack for not only playing the Fantasiestucke Op 73 no.3 with considerable panache on clarinet but for also treating us to one of his own compositions for piano.

8 October

Chamber Choir sings Evensong at Tewkesbury Abbey Chamber Choir made their annual trip to sing Evensong in the atmospheric surroundings of Tewkesbury Abbey. They sang Bryan Kelly’s spirited Evening Service in C, alongside Morten Lauridsen’s sumptuous setting of O nata lux.

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Half Term Concert A concert of mostly lighter music, including items from the Concert Band and Jazz Band, Dean Close Voices and Close Harmony and a chance to hear some of the winning houses in the recent House Singing Competition.

9 November

Community Evensong Immediately after the half term break, DCS Chapel Choir joined forces with the boys and men of Tewkesbury Abbey Schola Cantorum for a combined service of Choral Evensong in Chapel. The anthem was Charles Villiers Stanford’s motet Beati quorum via, and the choirs gave the premiere of OD Matthew Martin’s Fifth Service. This setting of the Evening Canticles is dedicated to the memory of Margaret Bowen, who was a much loved colleague at Dean Close for over 40 years.

An opportunity for our more experienced Music Scholars to take to the stage with some very commendable performances, most notably from Oscar Jack (clarinet), Oscar Richardson (piano), Hannah Woods (violin), Daniel Barrow (trumpet) and Janice Ng (piano).

16 November

23 November

Lunchtime Concert II

Lunchtime Concert III

22 November

Music Scholars’ Recital

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8 December

24 January

Advent Concert

Chapel Choir sings Evensong in St George’s Chapel, Windsor

Our biennial Advent Concert took place in the Bacon Theatre and provided a suitably uplifting and seasonal end to the term’s music-making. This concert featured our main instrumental and smaller choral groups: Concert Band, Dean Close Voices, Chamber Choir, Jazz Band, Sinfonia, Close Harmony and Orchestra. The programme consisted of a very varied repertoire, ranging from He shall feed his flock from Handel’s Messiah sung sensitively by Alix Atwick and Lucy Pickering and accompanied by the Carducci Quartet to All I want for Christmas is You, sung with character by Benz Boonsiritakorn. Chamber music featured strongly with A Christmas Card, a medley of Christmas Carols, played by the wind quintet and the third movement of Dvorak’s Piano Quintet performed with flair and sophistication by Louis Morford, Hannah Woods, Jeff Gao, Jonny Woods and Janice Ng. Louis also played the hauntingly beautiful Spiegel im Spiegel by Pärt, which evoked a real sense of atmosphere in this predominantly festive concert. The evening concluded with orchestra performing Jenkins Palladio and Christmas Crackers, a substantial arrangement of some of the best Christmas tunes by ex-Director of Music, Richard Knight, ending with audience participation in Hark the Herald.

13 December

DCS Nine lessons Booklet_Layout 1 13/10/2018 13:20 Page 1

9 Lessons and Carols

Chapel Choir travelled to the splendid surroundings of St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, to sing Evensong. It was good to meet up with OD Jason Richards who is currently spending his gap year there as Organ Scholar. We performed Matthew Martin’s Fifth Service for a second time, alongside William Byrd’s festal motet Praise our Lord, all ye gentiles.

25 January

Lunchtime Concert IV

appreciated. It being late January, illness took its toll but Simon Bell expertly marshalled and guided his forces through these two great and wonderful works.

1 February

Lunchtime Concert V 2 February

Fridays @ 6 A stunning organ recital given by our Director of Choral Music, Simon Bell, and featuring music by Mendelssohn, Bach and Dupré.

26 January

7 February

Fridays @ 6

Live screening of Puccini’s Tosca

Jenny Ng (piano) treated an appreciative audience to a delightful programme of Bach, Haydn and Brahms.

8 February

28 January

Choral Society Concert Choral Society, accompanied by Regency Sinfonia and conducted by Simon Bell, returned to Dean Close after many years on the road for performances of Handel’s Coronation Anthems and Haydn’s Nelson Mass. These two pieces worked well in Chapel with the Chorus in the seats beyond the Choir Stalls and Sinfonia and soloists beyond and above on the Sanctuary level. This arrangement enhanced the experience for both the chorus, which often doesn’t get to hear clearly the soloists and band, and for the small but appreciative audience.

Merton College Choral Day An opportunity for potential Oxbridge Choral Scholars to spend a day learning about the application process and singing with the Merton College Choir in a combined Evensong in Merton College Chapel.

9 February

Half Term Concert This included a spirited rendition of John Williams’ Jurassic Park by Concert Band, Lauren Ferro’s own song, Anemone, which she performed ‘from the heart’, Greensleeves from Close Harmony and items from the Jazz Band.

22 February

Nine Lessons

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SUNG BY DEAN CLOSE SCHOOL CHAPEL CHOIR

The Service of Nine Lessons and Carols took place in a candlelit chapel and the Chapel Choir, conducted by Simon Bell, sang a mixture of traditional and more contemporary carols, including this year’s commission by Malcolm Archer, As I sat on a sunny bank, which was very traditional sounding, in stark contrast to some of our previous recent commissions! Some of the more familiar carols were given a modern twist, such as Gabriel’s Message, arranged by David Willcocks, and Ding Dong! Merrily on High in Stuart Nicholson’s version. There were some reflective, tender moments in the well-known Coventry Carol and William Todd’s My Lord has come. The choir was on excellent form and not only sang all nine carols with authority and beauty of sound but also led the congregational carols, the sopranos providing strong descants above.

In 1727, Handel was the most famous and fêted composer in England when asked by King George ll to compose the collection of anthems to be sung at various points in that king’s coronation ceremony. The chorus engaged fully with the stately pomp of Zadok The Priest as well as with the more refined elegance of My Heart is Inditing in which soloists and chorus combined effectively. Nelson Mass, one of the most dramatic and emotive settings of the mass text, never fails to inspire performers and move singers and listeners, as indeed it did on this occasion. The positioning of the soloists behind the chorus and alongside the orchestra was a considerable test for the singers and players themselves. Hearing each other, for example, was never easy for the soloists but the superb musicianship of all four shone through. Sylvia Klemz (Soprano), Juliet Curnow (Mezzo Soprano), David Barclay (Tenor) and Nicholas Perfect (Baritone) were excellent and greatly

Solo Singing Competition 23 February

Prep Schools’ Choral Day 1 March

Lunchtime Concert VI 9 March

Fridays @ 6 This recital marked the 50th concert since the Fridays at 6 series began in 2011. Matthew Chan (piano), Hannah Woods (violin) and Isabel Montgomery (soprano) all performed their A Level recitals.

11 March

Spring Concert 35 - DECANIAN 2017/18

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16 March

Fridays @ 6 Another evening of A Level recitals, this time given by Louis Morford (violin), Hugo Till (saxophone and baritone) and Orlando Giannini (baritone).

The Vivaldi Concerto Grosso, op. 3. No. 8 as performed by Chloe Dunwell, Michael Lei and DCPS senior strings was particularly impressive and Samuel Bradley from Pre-Prep gave a rousing performance of America on the violin. The Carducci Quartet closed the concert with the first two movements of Shostakovich’s Quartet no. 8 in C minor.

8 May

Rocsoc Concert

21 March

Instrumental Music Competition

4 May

Lunchtime Concert at Chapel Arts 20 April

Fridays @ 6 The last of the A Level recitals given by Lucy Pickering (soprano) and Daniel Barrow (trumpet) and the final Fridays at 6 recital of the year.

29 April

Music for a Summer Evening A concert of vocal and instrumental music in the exquisite setting of Deerhurst Church, in aid of the Church funds. The evening began with an exuberant performance of the first movement of Mozart’s Flute Quartet in D major, with flute played by Hannah Woods, while Close Harmony rounded off both halves of the evening with an appropriate mix of traditional and modern songs. Solo items were given by Hugo Till, Jonny Woods, Bea Bennett, Louis Morford and Orlando Giannini.

2 May

A Celebration of Music across Dean Close

10 May

Lunchtime Concert VII 17 May

Lunchtime Concert VIII Chapel Arts is Cheltenham’s newest performing venue, opened in the summer of 2017. It was a delight to offer a lunchtime recital in this lovely acoustic, with accomplished performances by Doris Choi (flute), Ben Crossley (tenor), Jeff Gao (viola) and Dan Barrow (trumpet). Louis Morford ended the concert in superb style, wowing the audience with Bach, the beautiful Méditation by Massenet and ending with the show-stopping, virtuosic La Ronde de Lutins by Bazzini which could not help but leave a massive smile on the face of everyone in the audience.

8 May

Song Writing Competition

It is now an annual tradition to combine some of our best musical talent across the three schools in a joint celebratory concert. This year’s concert on Wednesday 2nd May was a delightful occasion, all the more so for having the largest audience to date at this event. In fact, it was a good decision to hold it in the Centenary Hall at the Prep School as the Prince Michael Hall would not have accommodated everyone!

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Following on the back of the talent exposed in Acoustic Night, it was decided to run our first ever singer-songwriter competition, prior to the RocSoc concert. All the singers accompanied themselves on instruments ranging from guitar and piano to bass guitar. The subject matter was varied from love affairs to reflections on society to the enjoyment which shopping brings. Congratulations to all our competitors, Hattie Gammon, George Orr-Ewing, Sophie Brown, Orly Giannini and Lauren Ferro. After much deliberation Mr McVittie from DCPS picked out Sophie as the runner-up with Society and Orly as the overall winner with New Shoes. We hope to see this event grow in future years.

26 May

Commemoration Concert 7 June

Lunchtime Concert IX 8 June

A Level Composers’ Concert A delightful afternoon concert featuring seven A level compositions, one for solo piano (Izzy Montgomery’s) but five of which were written for/or included string quartet, so who better than the Carducci to perform them?! Louis Morford’s was written for two additional solo violins (we are still asking how Louis himself managed to avoid playing one of the technically challenging solo parts) whereas Hannah Woods chose the oboe as her solo instrument and so persuaded her mother, Liz, to play the solo in a concert for a change, as opposed to sitting in the audience. Lucy Pickering’s composition required a flautist and Sarah McCann (formerly Bastin), an OD, came in especially to perform this virtuosic jazz piece. Baroque Ritornello form featured strongly, as in Hugo Till’s and Gwen Stabler’s pieces, whereas Orlando Giannini’s composition could have been taken directly from a film score. These ambitious and highly successful compositions, usually just heard on the extremely unmusical

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37 - DECANIAN 2017/18

art

Evelyn Dic k

This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recipients of the Major Rickerby Prize for Art have been Evelyn Dick (3D Senior) and Will Bunker (2D

Senior). Here the pair explain their A level work and reflect on their time in the Dean Close Art department. tudying Art at Dean Close for the past 5 years has been enjoyable and chaotic. Although it has been stressful and hard work, I am thankful to everyone in the Art Department and I have enjoyed working in such a lively environment.

In my coursework, I explored the theme of fantasy against reality and the importance of creativity. My piece was particularly inspired by Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable, an installation by Damien Hirst exploring the importance of belief against objective facts. I wanted to capture the importance of creativity, imagination and aspects of life beyond our control. The wave represents an element of fantasy overpowering a boat, which represents reality. In my exam piece, I wanted to capture the idea of movement and freedoms in animals. Whilst I initially intended on showing companionship between animals and humans, in the end, I created an expressive scene of cockerels fighting. This idea was particularly inspired by artists Sally Matthews and Ellen Jewett. After I leave school, I am planning to take a gap year and then go on to study Graphic and Visual Communication at the University of Leeds. 38 - DECANIAN 2017/18

art

nker u B l l i W

orking in the Dean Close Art department for the last five years has been a truly rewarding experience. I am so thankful for all of the opportunities that have been offered to me, as well as the consistent support and assistance.

Although the majority of the works I have made in this department have been paintings and drawings, in my most recent work, I have been encouraged to develop an artistic language based in a wider range of materials and processes. In doing so, I feel that I have begun to find an expressive voice that really corresponds to my own sensibility and experience. My most recent piece is based on my study of the exposed architectural fragment â&#x20AC;&#x201C; structural members which are usually concealed beneath the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;skinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of a building. We naturally associate these elements with rigidity, support and regularity, in that they are necessarily required to maintain the structure of a building. But what if these

elements were liberated from their practical function? Devoid of any real meaning or purpose, they are left merely to express their own materiality. Meanwhile, I made a number of drawings and paintings from video footage, in turn working with time-lapse footage. Attempting to capture the rapidly shifting pictures of time-lapse footage seems to emphasise the discrepancy between visual perception and the ability to physically record an image. By working within this gap, drawn marks take on an independence of their own, released from any representative function. Therefore, I tried to reconcile the freedom of the drawn mark with a visual language strictly based in construction, thereby pushing the physical properties and limitations of these materials, and subverting our preconceptions of them, by essentially creating a de-structured architectural fragment. Next year I am very excited to be starting an Art Foundation course at Camberwell.

39 - DECANIAN 2017/18

art

After the success of his solo exhibition, George returned in November to present a masterclass, in oil painting from observation, to L6th art students. Kat Scott-Payne writes, “In the workshop he taught us how to use the sight-size technique to record our subject accurately on the canvas. We also learnt about colour definitions such as ‘hue’, ‘contrast’ and ‘vibrancy’ and how best to use light.”

exhibitions George Thomas

left Dean Close in 2013 with A Levels in History, Politics and Art and went on to do an Art Foundation course at SGS College Stroud. Whist studying in Stroud I worked as a caricature artist at the local farmers’ market where I realised the need to work under time pressure! After completing my Foundation Course I moved to London to study at the London Atelier of Representational Art (LARA).

LARA is an art school which focuses on training its students rigorously in traditional academic drawing and painting techniques. My passion for portraiture, figurative and highly skilled representational art (which has been with me since an early age) was my reason to study at LARA as opposed to at a university. During my time studying in London I continued to work as a caricature artist, working at events across the country. I have exhibited both figurative and Plein Air art in various exhibitions in London including on The King's Road, Chelsea and at Candid Arts, Angel. 40 - DECANIAN 2017/18

In 2016 I won the Tuscany Plein Air Scholarship where I spent a week painting landscapes in a villa in the Tuscan countryside. I have been on many painting adventures; these include climbing a flat top mountain on the VenezuelanBrazilian border where I painted a watercolour using water I'd collected from a mountain stream, travelling to the Pyrenees to paint in the snow, and asking locals in Tarifa, Spain to sit for me whilst I drew their portrait. All these have furthered me to seek inspiration to create captivating and beautiful artworks. My art is routed in the boundaries of observed light and form. Working predominately from life I seek to capture an accurate likeness of the figure, landscape or object I am depicting. I seek to capture the feelings and emotions of my subject. I design my composition to highlight the elements which bring the sentiment of the scene to life and convey these to the viewer.

art

While listening to African music, some of the Fourth Form were able to spend time in the gallery drawing directly from Natashaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sculptures.

Natasha Houseago am a professional Sculptor working mainly in green wood, believing it to be a magical, potent, living, material. It has a history, a life and as an artist, you immediately form a relationship with your material. You collaborate and are not alone in this creative process, which after thirty years I still find very exciting.

All my wood is local and has fallen naturally and I love that sense of giving it another life. I always work outside, feet on the ground and connected to the elements. As I strip of the bark there is that feeling of releasing the wood's spirit. The repetitive drumming of the mallet on chisel, induces a connection with the conscious and unconscious, which propels me into another state of being. I begin by doing many loose working drawings which I transfer in chalk onto my solid block of wood. I then begin the very physical process of carving, hacking, slashing as I go to battle with my materials. I block out initially with a saw and then define the form using chisel and mallet, finally finishing with rasps and scrapers. For me Constantine Brancusi's statement says it all, "The artist should know how to dig out the being that is within matter.... and be the tool that brings out its cosmic essence..." My sculpture became more figurative after studying in Cyprus and I am still seeing recurring forms from that period in my work. Crescent moons, horns, convex and concave shapes. I like to open out my carvings, create space, viewing holes, whilst also trying to keep

the forms simple and to their bare minimum. I like to create different textures, sometimes scorching the wood, which strengthens as well as emphasises the form. My love of Miro's work inspired me to use acrylic paint, strong primary colours to bring life to a sculpture. I have always had an absolute need to carve, quickly learning it is essential to my well- being, since my carving is a way of working out and expressing my innermost fantasies, feelings and dreams about this complex and confusing world we live in. In recent years my work has been concerned with the personal experience of my family being boxed in through "garden grabbing" development. New work still reflects this loss of light and space. Pierced forms let in cracks of light and open up shapes, carved wooden pegs are then hammered back in.

Over a period of two days Natasha worked with a group of our Sixth Formers to teach them some of the basic principles of wood carving. This was an exciting and quite physically demanding pursuit which gave our students a real appreciation for the skills involved in the creation of Natashaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sculptures.

My current work has been influenced by Ossip Zadkine's powerful carvings and is made in direct response to these very turbulent times we live in. In the spring I am starting two very exciting commissions and residencies. One with Gloucestershire Archives and the other at Vale Community Hospital "Art on the Plot".

41 - DECANIAN 2017/18

art

Old Decanian George Thomas unveils his portrait of former Headmaster and Warden Jonathan Lancashire

Fifth Form Art

he BonBernard Gallery held a special event in the Michaelmas Term: the unveiling of a portrait of the previous Headmaster and Warden, Jonathan Lancashire. The portrait has been painted by former pupil, George Thomas, who has met with Jonathan six times over the last eight months to produce the 90cm x 70cm sized oil painting.

To coincide with the event, the School also hosted a special exhibition of drawings and paintings produced by George since he left the School in 2013. George started as a caricature artist and after completing his Foundation Course moved to London to study at the London Atelier of Representational Art (LARA). Head of Art at Dean Close School, Caroline Evans, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;George has come a very long way in just four years. He was always one of our star pupils artistically, when he was at School, but what he is achieving now is really impressive and makes us very proud! He would appear to have a wonderful career as a portrait artist laid out ahead of him and we wish him great success with this.â&#x20AC;?

Nils Philips-Sorensen 42 - DECANIAN 2017/18

art

Verity Edwards

FeyFey Wright

Lucy Richards

Hayun Lee

Georgia Faux Gavin Lee

Henty Moulding

Mobo Sotande-Peters

Jacky Li 43 - DECANIAN 2017/18

art

Francis Duckworth

Orlando Giannini

Sixth Form Art

Sophie Turner

Alex Yang

Mattieu Berbinau 44 - DECANIAN 2017/18

Sixth Form Art

art

Phoebe Neville

Chelsey Wang

Saxon Foster

Alexia Morris

Lizzie Neil 45 - DECANIAN 2017/18

cookeryschool

Leiths The Leiths Sixth Form food and wine course continues to be a hugely popular choice for Sixth Form enrichment, especially as it has now been accredited by Ofqal and the ‘Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality’ as a ’Level 3 extended diploma in Professional Cookery’ with up to 36 UCAS points awarded for a Distinction. The course is far from ‘a bit of cooking’ as students are challenged week on week with 3 hours to produce a range of dishes with complex technical skills. From handmade tortellini with parsley oil and garlic foam, to a herb crusted rack of lamb with boulangerie potatoes and a dessert plate of ‘raspberries three ways’ our scholars are required to produce restaurant quality creations. By the end of the course filleting a trout, whipping up a meringue Suisse and making homemade mayonnaise seem like second nature. This year’s Upper Sixth achieved our best results yet with three merits and two distinctions for marks consistently over 80%. Special congratulations must go to Jo Ovenstone for being awarded the prestigious Leiths book prize who, despite protestations that she ‘still can’t cook’, produced the most beautifully prepared and cooked salmon noisette with Vichy carrots and lemon mayonnaise and a perfectly light and crisp lemon meringue pie as part of her final practical exam menu. If you find yourself at university living on the same corridor as one of our Leiths graduates from Dean Close, you are very fortunate indeed!

Cookery School f you walk across Tower Lawn these days you will be met by an appetising aroma drifting from the Cookery School – be it a waft of garlic and onions , or the comforting smell of freshly made bread and homemade cakes and scones.

This year has seen the first cohort of Food Preparation and GCSE students complete their practical exams, each preparing and cooking a ‘Celebrity chef menu showcasing technical skills and local ingredients’. After a trip to the Cheltenham Farmers’ Market just before Christmas scholars designed masterchef styled menus using a range of local produce from Bibury trout to Gloucester old spot pork and Cotswold honey. Watch out Saturday Kitchen – Dean Close is coming! Monday afternoon activities have been another excuse to ‘get cooking’ with a range of courses from Fifth Form ‘Cooking for life’ with classic recipes such as chilli con carne and pavlova, to Sixth Form ‘Cooking for Uni’ with favourites such as a chicken, honey and lemon traybake to pasta with chorizo and rosemary – far from the traditional student fayre of beans of toast and super noodles! Wednesday afternoons have been equally busy as every Fourth Former has learnt some ‘kitchen basics’ as part of their life skills programme. The ‘Healthy KFC’ of chicken goujons and potato wedges were a real hit, involving gallons of ketchup and mayonnaise as Fourth Formers tucked into their ‘healthy takeaway’ at the end of a busy afternoon. Throughout the year the cookery school has also opened its doors to prep school pupils who have visited as part of their activity day programme. Pupils from Year 7 have enjoyed making apple and apricot flapjacks and the Year 8s got ‘stuck in’ to making homemade pizza dough which they stretched and topped into magnificent margarita pizzas in true Italian style.

46 - DECANIAN 2017/18

We have also been delighted to continue to welcome pupils from a wide range of other local schools who have visited on a Saturday afternoon to learn how to cook ‘from scratch’. It has been heart-warming to see so many young people leave our cookery school on a Saturday afternoon clutching bags of homemade goodies from cottage pies to chicken tikka masala to take home and share with their families and friends.

Toward the end of the year our very own ‘Paul Hollywood’ aka Jed Nelson from Tower won a place in the National Boarding School Bake off in Windsor with his ‘Tower’ cake. The final took things to a whole new level requiring a three tiered ‘show stopper’ which was judged by celebrity chef James Tanner. Jed’s magnificent 3 tier cappuccino creation entitled ‘BSA Night & day’ stole the show and he was awarded first place and crowned BSA Baker of the Year! As the year began to draw to an end, May and June saw a hugely successful ‘Summer Suppers’ series of evening cookery demonstrations for parents and friends. The Asian menu proved most popular with a starter of sticky salmon with pickled cucumber, main course of Thai chicken burgers with Asian slaw and a winning coconut and cardamom Pannacotta with mango and lime for dessert. Watch out for next years ‘Summer Supper’ dates and menus which will be back by popular demand! M Taylor

commemoration

Sixth Form Leavers

Commemoration his yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Commemoration of Benefactors, held on Saturday 26 May, saw over 1000 visitors arrive at Dean Close to celebrate the achievements of the year. Celebrations started with pupils, parents and staff travelling to Tewkesbury Abbey for the Service of Commemoration. As well as beautiful surroundings, the Abbey provides stunning acoustics for the 800 strong congregation and the renowned Dean Close Choir.

As everyone returned to School the rain started to fall, but in true Dean Close fashion, the community were unperturbed. The Houses held drinks receptions around the grounds, gathering under umbrellas and trees for shelter, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere despite the drizzly conditions. The Concert Band were also on hand to liven up the slightly gloomy weather and provided classic entertainment as pupils and visitors entered the marquee. Once inside the marquee, the Chair of Council, Headmaster, Head of School and guest speaker and Warden of the Dean Close Foundation, Emma Taylor, delivered their speeches.

This year the Headmaster dedicated his speech to celebrating the co-curricular successes of the pupils. He asked pupils to stand up if they had played in sports fixtures, performed in a concert or play, sang in a choir, exhibited their art, taken part in a community action project, or taken part in the Yoga in the Park event. By the end of this list every single pupil had stood up at least once, with many of the pupils standing up in a number of of the

47 - DECANIAN 2017/18

commemoration

Headmaster’s Speech 2018

categories. Head of School, Izzy Montgomery, gave an insightful speech about how the School is like a hockey team. Izzy equated all of the School groups to different positions on the hockey pitch, including pupils, parents, teachers, house parents, matrons, estates staff and catering, to name just a few. She explained how they are all vital to the successful running of the School and that behind every front runner and goal scorer is a strong team of defenders. Finally, after presenting prizes on the stage, Emma Taylor stood to give a speech sharing her experiences during her first year as Warden of the Dean Close Foundation. Mrs. Taylor focused on futures, not just of those receiving their awards and moving on to the next step in their educational journey, but of the School

itself and its development in the coming years. As guests left the tent the sun broke through the clouds just in time for lunch! Picnickers braved the lawns and the bouncy castle, that had thankfully dried off in time for the Old Decanian Society’s ‘Class of 1998’ reunion and their children. During the afternoon, families enjoyed attending the impressive art exhibition in the BonBernard Gallery, making their own ice creams in the Cookery School and looking around all the academic displays; while some of the School’s most established musicians busked outside the marquee to raise money for the Uganda project. As the day drew to a close and Half Term officially began the School families and visitors made their way home after a thoroughly wonderful day.

would like to join Mrs Carden in welcoming you all to this gathering of the Dean Close Community in these most beautiful of surroundings. Whether you have travelled many miles to be here, chosen to be here or are compelled to be here, you are all equally welcome.

My particular thanks to the Reverend Simon Austen for the time he has taken not only to prepare and deliver such a relevant message in our Abbey service this morning but to both Simon and Fiona for spending their weekend with us. I am also very grateful to our Warden and CEO, Mrs Emma Taylor, for handing out the prizes and for agreeing to be our speaker. This is, of course, not Mrs Taylor’s first Commem here but it is a wonderful opportunity for us to hear a little more about her vision for the future of education and specifically Dean Close. Shaquem Griffin is an American Football player who has just been accepted to play for the NFL side, the Seattle Seahawks. What is interesting is that he will join his twin brother, Shaquill who joined them last season. The gym bunnies will be interested to note that to be selected, he bench pressed 102kg 20 times and ran the 40 yard dash in 4.38 seconds. What is more interesting is that he only has one hand, due to a prenatal condition. Imad Alarnab fled Damascus in July 2015 after his restaurants were bombed. He made his way across Europe on foot, his was one of the faces that we would have seen in the news footage of that summer. His pop up restaurant in Bethnall Green has proved so popular he has extended its opening until the end of next month. All of the profits go to Aleppo’s Hope Hospital.

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commemoration

Sylvia Bloom worked as a legal secretary for a Wall Street law firm for 67 years. When her boss asked her to buy certain stock, she would invest a small amount of money in the stock too. By the time she passed away, she had amassed a fortune of $9m of which her family knew nothing. She left almost all of it to charities that help disadvantaged students. Behind these stories are values of resilience, kindness, service and integrity. As we share some of our successes today I hope that we will be aware of the values that underpin them and also that we are only hearing about the tip of the iceberg. There have been some great public and private stories of success this year and this is just a tasting menu of all that has been accomplished by the young people in this tent this morning. First it seems right that we recognise the effort of last year’s Upper Sixth who, following their A Level results, took Dean Close to the very top of the added academic value table in Gloucestershire and have passed this mantle on to this year’s Upper Sixth who have led the way in the classroom with their curiosity and determination to see just how far they can go. This is embodied in the eight students holding offers to study at Oxford and Cambridge but can also be seen in the eight others who had interviews and the five who were in a strong enough position to make an application. It is seen in the array of offers from the country’s other top university courses, courses in the

United States and those looking to continue their education on highly competitive degree apprenticeships or choosing to dip their toe in the world of work. You have been great academic leaders for us and I am grateful to so many of you for the example you have given this year. Academic resilience is seen every day in the classrooms of Dean Close when a pupil gets a poor mark or faces a tough prep but works through it themselves, seeks support at a subject clinic or with a senior pupil as part of the new mentoring scheme instigated by Tower House’s, Rei Chin. We have been blessed to have a group of academic leaders at the top of the school who have set a new bar of just what can be achieved, building on the work of pupils from the past and passing on a challenge to the all of the other pupils gathered in this tent. Please can I encourage you during your afternoon tour to include the academic displays in the Library, and the Art and DT departments – where you can see some of the finest work we’ve had for many a year. Before we move on, I would like to take a moment to pay tribute to the Heads of Department. The last few years have seen unprecedented curriculum change and at times a lack of clarity from exam boards. New schemes of work, inset courses, countless webinars and hours spent researching both

I hope that there is something long lasting about a Dean Close education.

subject materials and exam syllabuses and we are very fortunate to have a team of highly committed and learned individuals leading the academic life of Dean Close. As we enter the season of exam setting and marking, we are sometimes cheered by some hopeless but humorous answers: One question in a biology paper asked: At birth, the personal traits of identical twins will be the same in a number of ways, but later in life some of their traits might be different. Give two reasons as to why their traits might be different in later life: The candidate wrote: Firstly, they might get annoyed at being confused by strangers, so they could wear different colours to show they are different. Secondly, one could turn out to be an evil twin. Here’s one from a physics paper: The question asked: Radio waves, microwaves, infrared and visible light are all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum that are used for communication. State one property they all have in common. The candidate wrote: They are all used in James Bond films. Or a personal favourite of mine from a Theatre Studies paper: The question said: Give an example of how movement can be used to show the personality of a character on stage. The candidate responded: If an actor moves around slowly it means they have probably had a big meal before the play started. Co-Curricular All Decanians know that education is not limited to what takes places in the classroom so before we move onto handing out the prizes, we should take a moment to recognise some of the extraordinary achievements in our co-curricular life. School, I would like you to quickly and quietly stand up when I mention an activity or event you were part of: On the sports field: Stand up if you have represented the school in 49 - DECANIAN 2017/18

commemoration

any form of sports fixture this year, from Badminton to Hockey; Equestrianism to Swimming. Stay standing if you played at a National final this year. Stay standing, or stand up, if you have been selected to be part of a squad for a National team. That probably includes you, Mr Price. In music: Stand up if you sang evensong at St George’s Chapel, Windsor earlier this year; if you have performed on an instrument or sung in any concert at all this year – Lunchtimes, End of Term, Spring, Acoustic, RocSoc, House Soirée or last night’s superb concert. Moving to theatre: Stand up if you have been involved in the recent Speech and Drama festival; stand up if you have taken part in one of the Bacon Theatre productions this year. In the art world:

Stand up if you slept out in the Quad to raise awareness of the plight of the homeless; if, and please stand up if you, pupils, parents or staff, took part in the Yoga in the Park event a couple of weeks ago. Stand up if you have represented your house this year in any level of competition – public speaking, quizzing, singing, sport, drama. When you consider that we haven’t even touched on CCF, activities, Duke of Edinburgh, Lent Addresses, CU, Confirmation, School trips . . . the list goes on. You would be hard pressed to find another school anywhere near our size that does so much, at such a high level. We really do punch above our weight and are deserved winners of the Independent School of the Year in Gloucestershire in the recent Lifestyle Awards. Many thanks if you took the time to vote. Staff Farewells

As a mark of our outward looking nature:

As we move towards the end of the school year, we have the inevitable changing of the guard in the Common Room as we say farewell and thankyou to a number of colleagues who have given not only their knowledge and their time but have committed wholeheartedly to opening doors for Decanians.

Stand up if you are part of the group who run an after school club sport or activity club for local kids every Wednesday afternoon; if you have been involved in visiting an elderly member of our community; if you were involved in the recreation of a refugee slum a few weeks ago.

My thanks to our departing Organ Scholar, Michael Stephens-Jones; Graduate Teaching Assistants, Eliot Robertshaw and Ashleigh Winters; Hockey coach Ben Mackey and Speech and Drama teachers, Lizzie Sharpe and Liv Duffin. All of these young professionals have bright futures in education and beyond.

Stand up if you have been named as a Woman of the West for your work in the charity sector;

From the academic staff we will be saying farewell to Miss Hodgkinson, who is moving to Paris to work in a bilingual school; to our Head

Stand up if you have had a piece of art exhibited in the BonBernard Gallery this year; stay standing if you have won a national Boarding Schools’ photography competition this year.

50 - DECANIAN 2017/18

of Food, Mrs Taylor, who is taking her food education mission to Truro School in Cornwall; to our Head of Geography, Mr Cradock, who is taking his own advice and pursuing an adventure in Qingdao in China where he will take up the post of Head of Humanities; our Biology Technician, Giya George who is going to be retraining as a Teacher of Science in September and Mr Spring-Wallis, who is seeking to broaden his experience of education with a short move across town to Balcarras School. Many thanks to you all. As you will know, the Houses are the heartbeat of the School and it is good to have the opportunity this morning to thank two longstanding Houseparents for their service in Gate and Brook Court respectively. Romey Tottman joined the school 13 years ago and has been an incredibly diligent and efficient Head of Learning Support, leading staff training and managing the increasingly complex exam arrangements. In addition to that Mrs Tottman has ensured that a generation of Gate boys know how to iron a shirt, tie a bow tie, engage in polite chit chat and make a bed. My thanks to Romey as she joins her family in Surrey at the end of this term. Thanks as well to Mr Slade, who is not leaving Dean Close but has led Brook Court for 14 years and given his heart and soul to the care of each one of the boys he has worked with. His commitment to valuing each individual, just as they are, is woven into every corner of the House. Mr Slade is going to be leading a project that both researches and responds to the way in which Dean Close enhances the emotional, mental and social health of its pupils. I will miss his end of year house reports, they are a work of professional genius.

commemoration

Last year, we partially thanked a member of staff who had taught full time in the school for the previous 24 years. I am grateful that we have been able to draw on his expertise in careers this year but it is important that we formally mark his retirement and thank him for his wonderful service to this community. David Fullerton was originally employed as the coach of the U15B cricket team, a role he continued with throughout his Dean Close career. On the side, however, it became apparent that he was also a wonderful teacher and Head of Modern Languages, an astute and knowledgeable leader of our careers and universities department, a committed Dale House tutor and professional schoolmaster. Mr Fullerton is a class act. In the words of a chant from your beloved Chelsea, David, we hope that your next chapter is “Carefree, wherever you may be.” Earlier this year, Katy Humphreys and Ed Lee were invited to take part in a Holocaust Memorial Trust trip to Auschwitz, along with a large number of pupils from other schools. When I was looking into previous trips that took place I came an account by the journalist Paul Vallely. He wrote: “We stood by the gates and we realised this is the most spectacular engineering.” The purpose of a great engineering education must be to improve the lot of humanity, not to destroy it. The purpose of a Dean Close education is more than just academic or any other type of achievement. It is about developing a character and value system that means we not only do well but that we live well and by doing so enable others to flourish. One of the places I hope you will take some time to visit, to pause and reflect today is in the new poppy cloister where 128 poppies have been placed, thanks to the generous gifts of many in this tent and beyond. These poppies serve as a daily reminder of

personal sacrifice. They say to us: “I have died; how will you live?” In our Remembrance service this year, Sophie Brown in the L6th in Shelburne read one of her poems which touches on this theme. The second verse contains these words: The field of poppies salute to the sky Their arms weak with the question of "why?"

Commem Abbey Service

As they watch blundering souls tear apart peace where they are laid. Would they ask if their sacrifice was well paid? I have so many hopes for the lives of Decanians. I hope that they will flourish during their time but that their best days are still to come. I hope that they will have fulfilling careers, relationships and be part of life affirming communities. But I hope that they won’t just be doctors, lawyers, artists, business leaders, teachers or service men and women but that they will be doctors with integrity, respectful lawyers, artists with a sense of service, resilient business leaders, curious teachers and service men and women who are full of kindness. I hope that a Dean Close education prepares its pupils for whole life success. I recently had a conversation with a former parent who told me that she was once sitting across a table from a young man who was a complete stranger. The young man smiled at her and there was something in the quality of that smile that made her think he had been to school at Dean Close. It turns out that he did. It is probably the most inappropriate way to introduce a prize giving ceremony but prizes fade away and qualifications slip down a CV and I hope that there is something long lasting about a Dean Close education. Something that is recognisable in the quality of our smiles and our character.

For the second year now, it was an honour to be welcomed back to Tewkesbury Abbey for our Commemoration of Benefactors service. The setting, sound of singing, readings and sermon were all in keeping both with our founding ethos and with the occasion as we looked back on the year past and forward in faith to the year to come. We’re especially grateful to Rev’d Simon Austen for preaching with challenge as he encouraged us to build our lives on the only foundation which will last the storms of life, by putting Christ’s teaching into practice. Thank you also to Father Paul and the Abbey staff who hosted us wonderfully – as ever.

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prizewinners

DEAN CLOSE

CHELTENHAM

PRIZE WINNERS

OL SENIOR SCHO

ATION COMMEMORM & A PROGR MENG I V I G E Z I R P

2018

GONNER PRIZE ENGLISH (Senior) Madeleine Dunn l GRIFFITHS & WALLER PRIZE SPANISH (Senior)

MAY 201 SATURDAY 26

Madeleine Dunn l GONNER PRIZE ENGLISH (Intermediate) Oliver Smart l GONNER PRIZE ENGLISH (Junior) Olivia Nelson l FLECKER PRIZE FURTHER MATHS Michelle Lam FLECKER PRIZE MATHS

(Senior) Crystal Tse l FLECKER PRIZE MATHS (Intermediate) Evan Little l BACON PRIZECHEMISTRY (Junior) Evan Little l FLECKER PRIZE MATHS (Junior) George Tang l CLAY PRIZE PHYSICS (Senior) Isaac Crawford-Poxon l CLAY PRIZE PHYSICS (Junior) Angel Zhang l CLAY PRIZE PHYSICS

(Practical) Alexander Green l BACON PRIZE CHEMISTRY (Senior) Joshua Stott l BACON PRIZE

CHEMISTRY (Practical) Doris Ye l WOODWARD PRIZE BIOLOGY (Senior) Rei Chin l WOODWARD

PRIZE BIOLOGY (Junior) Hunyi Lee l WOODWARD PRIZE BIOLOGY (Practical) Emily Farnworth l LORD RIBEIRO PRIZE FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES MEDICINE Jonathan Woods l JOYCE BARKER

TRAVEL AWARD GAP YEAR AWARD Jonathan Woods l FLECKER PRIZE CLASSICS (Senior) Andrew

Whitford l FLECKER PRIZE CLASSICS (Intermediate) Zachariah Truscott FLECKER PRIZE CLASSICS (Junior) Helena Montgomery l GRIFFITHS & WALLER PRIZE FRENCH (Junior) Susan Hicks Beach

l GRIFFITHS & WALLER PRIZE FRENCH (Senior) Grace Starling l GRIFFITHS & WALLER PRIZE SPANISH (Junior) Liam McKinnes l MASSART-

WEIT PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO EUROPEAN STUDIES Olivia Cross l HISTORY OF ART PRIZE Alexia Morris l JOHN BAYLEY HISTORY (Senior) Thomas Foster l JOHN BAYLER HISTORY (Intermediate) Benjamin Crossley l JOHN BAYLER HISTORY (Junior) Jack Logan l BURRETT PRIZE GEOGRAPHY (Senior) Isabel Montgomery l

BURRETT PRIZE GEOGRAPHY (Intermediate) Susannah Main l BURRETT PRIZE GEOGRAPHY (Junior) Alice Howitt l FLECKER PRIZE RELIGIOUS STUDIES (Senior) Polina Kalashnikova l FLECKER PRIZE RELIGIOUS STUDIES (Junior) Lydia Smith l CHARLES & ELIZABETH PRIZE RELIGIOUS STUDIES Emily Smith l WOODWARD PRIZE

ECONOMICS (Senior) Hugo Till l WOODWARD PRIZE BUSINESS (Senior) Elizabeth Neil l WOODWARD PRIZE ECONOMICS & BUSINESS (Intermediate) Olivia Attwood l

COMPUTER SCIENCE PRIZE COMPUTER SCIENCE (Intermediate) Jack Tolchard l COMPUTER SCIENCE PRIZE COMPUTER SCIENCE (Senior) Brandon Cardillo l FOOD PREP

& NUTRITION PRIZE DEDICATION & COMMITMENT TO FP&N Lara Stallard l SIR CHARLES IRVING CUP POLITICAL CONTRIBUTION Alexander Aplin l PSYCHOLOGY PRIZE

PSYCHOLOGY Saxon Foster l MAJOR RICKERBY PRIZE PHYSICAL EDUCATION Sophie Clink l MAJOR RICKERBY PRIZE ART (2D) (Senior) William Bunker l MAJOR

RICKERBY PRIZE ART (3D) (Senior) Evelyn Dick l MAJOR RICKERBY PRIZE ART (Junior) Mobolaji Sotande-Peters l MAJOR RICKERBY PRIZE DESIGN TECHNOLOGY (Senior) Harvey Brown l MAJOR RICKERBY PRIZE DESIGN TECHNOLOGY (Intermediate) Sumire Kaimore l CALDECOTE DESIGN AWARD DESIGN TECHNOLOGY (Junior) Rachel

Hellier l LEITH PRIZE LEITHS COURSE Josephine Ovenstone l DAVID LEPINE PRIZE MUSIC (Senior) Isabel Montgomery l DAVID LEPINE PRIZE MUSIC (Junior) Bethany Rogers l DAVID LEPINE PRIZE MUSIC (Composition) Louis Morford l CHRISTOPHER EDWARDS PRIZE MUSIC PERFORMANCE Louis Morford l SONG RECITAL TROPHY

SINGING Louis Morford l DAVID LEPINE PRIZE ORCHESTRA Jonathan Woods l DAVID WATSON PRIZE CHOIR Hugo Till l COLIN SHERRATT CUP MUSIC Janice Ng l

OLIVE MORGAN PIANO CUP MUSIC Janice Ng l CHRISTOPHER EDWARDS CUP CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC Hannah Woods l THEATRE STUDIES PRIZE THEATRE STUDIES

(Senior) Guy Amos l THEATRE STUDIES PRIZE THEATRE STUDIES (Intermediate) Beth Ellison l BAY FORD PRIZE DRAMA (Senior) Orlando Giannini l EMILY KENT CUP LIGHT MUSIC Orlando Giannini l BAY FORD PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO DRAMA Madeleine Dunn l KING REYNOLDS PRIZE DRAMA (Junior) Jack Coombs l SPEECH &

DRAMA PRIZE SPEECH & DRAMA Joshua Brooks l OLD DECANIAN PRIZE PUBLIC SPEAKING Frederick Gilgallon-Scoular l THE BURGON PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO CULTURAL LIFE (Junior) Benjamin Crossley l FORBES SPORTS AWARD CONTRIBUTION TO SPORT (Junior Girls) Abigail Norwood l FORBES SPORTS AWARD

CONTRIBUTION TO SPORT (Junior Boys) Freddie Thomas l SWAN SPORTS AWARD CONTRIBUTION TO SPORT (Senior Girls) Jessica Thomas l SWAN SPORTS AWARD

CONTRIBUTION TO SPORT (Senior Boys) Thomas Pearson l HALL EQUESTRIAN AWARDS ACHIEVEMENT IN EQUESTRIANISM Molly Davies l HALL EQUESTRIAN AWARDS

SERVICE TO DCS EQUESTRIANISM Amelia Tingey l BURROWS GLOBE FOR EXPEDITIONARY ENDEAVOUR Not awarded this year l MAJOR GOLDER PRIZE FOR SERVICE TO

CCF Alexander Green l ARMY LEADERSHIP PRIZE LEADERSHIP OF THE CCF ARMY CORPS Frederick Faux l THE GLOSTERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; EGYPT CUP BEST RECRUIT IN TRAINING Jack Tolchard l Lt. COL DENLEY ENDEAVOUR SWORD ENDEAVOUR Harry Phillips l ARNHEM SHIELD ENDEAVOUR with reference to music Daniel Barrow l NAPIER PRIZE

ACADEMIC RESEARCH Isabelle Moulding l NAPIER PRIZE ENDEAVOUR IN THE CLASSROOM Hannah Woods l ABBEYDALE TRUST PRIZE ENGINEERING AT UNIVERSITY OR

PRACTICAL CONTRIBUTION Patrick Xu l LESLIE YOUNG PRIZE ALL ROUND ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE Hugo Till l ALFRED ROBERTS PRIZE ALL ROUND ACADEMIC

EXCELLENCE Louis Morford l BELLERBY AWARD ALL ROUND ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE Alexander Yang l JOYCE OWERS CUP FOR SERVICE TO THE WIDER COMMUNITY

Madeline Pendle l JOYCE OWERS PRIZE FOR COMMITMENT TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY Mahmud Mahmoud l COLIN COCKS PRIZE SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL (Junior) Jack Coombs l GILKES PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE Gabriella Sills l ELDER PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE Rei Chin l DOUGLAS GRAHAM PRIZE

CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE Frederick Faux l TURNER PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE Grace Starling l HM PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE Alexandra Atwick l HM PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE Hugh Phillips l HM PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE Myranda Campanella l HM PRIZE

CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE Henry Sleeman l HM PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE Lucy Pickering l HM PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE Phoebe Preece l HM PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE Orlando Giannini l HM PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE Sophie Clink l HM PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO

SCHOOL LIFE Eloise Taylor l HM PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE Thomas Ford l HM PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE Harvey Brown l CLARKE CUP FOR SERVICE Zak Tomlinson l CLARKE PRIZE FOR SERVICE James Adejumo l BOLTON PRIZE FOR SERVICE Isabel Montgomery

52 - DECANIAN 2017/18

literaturefestival

Cheltenham Literature Festival

Katie Piper It was an absolute honour and privilege to be introducing Katie Piper at the Cheltenham Literature Festival. Katie gave a compelling talk about her book, Confidence: The Secret. Not only was she an inspiration to myself, but everyone who suffers from anxiety whether that be through body image or even social situations. The fact that she is able to still smile and love herself, after experiencing a horrible acid attack is testament to her courage and strength of character. As a teenager, it really opened my eyes to the bigger picture and understanding that it is ok to feel selfconscious and that in order to become a better person you need to get out of your comfort zone and more importantly love yourself.

Robert Webb

Izzy Moulding As part of Dean Close’s sponsorship of the Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, I was honoured to be given the opportunity to introduce comedian, actor and author, Robert Webb to the packed Times Forum tent on Saturday 7 October. The Peep Show star was joined by renowned journalist for the Guardian and the Observer, Alex Clark, to discuss his book How Not to be a Boy which explores the expectations forced upon men and boys at every stage of life. During the discussion which lasted from 8.30 to 9.30pm, the pair took questions from the audience and addressed a broad range of issues encompassing everything from the arbitrary toy and clothing colours (primarily blue and pink) prescribed for young boys and girls, to Mr Webb’s own experiences growing up in a working-class household in Lincolnshire and the frame of toxic masculinity which surrounded him throughout his childhood and into which he was shoehorned as a young man. Mr Webb advocated a society liberated by a collective condemnation of pigeonholing. He related this message through his own experiences with characteristically self-deprecating charm and humour, without forgoing a necessary edge of sobriety. Before going into the event, I was fortunate enough to meet Mr Webb and Ms Clark backstage. During this time, they asked me about Dean Close and we talked about my experience reading an advance copy of Mr Webb’s book in preparation for the event and its points of resonance with my own experiences as a young man growing up in the twenty-first century. The event closed with a book signing in the adjacent Waterstones tent at which Mr Webb thanked me for introducing him and signed a copy of his book for me. Max Thomas

Mike Brearley & Matthew Syed As part of their studies, PE pupils are asked to read Bounce by Matthew Syed in preparation for their A level course. Matthew Syed represented GB in the Olympics at Table Tennis. Alongside ex England cricket captain, Mike Brearley, Matthew discussed how we become the best that we can be, as individuals and as organisations, transferring experiences of dealing with the competitive edge and psychological pressures of sport. It was a fascinating insight into the psychology of sport and the wider world and psychological topics such as the Ringelman Effect and Social Loafing, which are part of the A level curriculum.

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literaturefestival

Professor Mary Beard and Dr Llewelyn Morgan The Classics department were thrilled that after a year’s hiatus, How to Read a Latin Poem, a series of lectures delivered by Professor Mary Beard of Newnham College, Cambridge and Dr Llewelyn Morgan of Brasenose College, Oxford, returned to the Cheltenham Literature Festival Virgil’s ninth Eclogue was chosen for analysis, a foray into the collateral damage caused by Rome’s Civil Wars of the late first century BC. Virgil focuses on the inhabitants of the Italian countryside, thrown off their smallholdings by generalissimos, eager to repay their soldiers with plots of land. The mass evictions and confiscations caused by the return of thousands of Roman soldiers is conveyed by the two protagonists of the poem, Lycidas and Moeris who expose the reality of Peace. Virgil imbued the idyllic landscapes created by Theocritus (Virgil’s Greek model) with the revolutionary changes that were shaping Roman society and thereby changed the nature of Pastoral poetry forever.

Tom Daley Thirteen Sixth Formers went along to hear Tom Daley talk about his training and fitness regime in the run up to his major competitions, how he dealt with the heartbreak of his Dad dying before he reached the top and how he coped with bullies at school. It was particularly interesting for our pupils to hear how Tom felt he’d done better in his GCSEs and A levels because of all his hours of training each day, than he would have without it, as it made him more disciplined and had given him an inner desire to succeed. He discussed the importance of looking after your body and allowing it to recover – something which is important and sometimes our pupils don’t allow time for. It was very much enjoyed by everyone who attended and we found out that if he was stuck in a lift he would chose to be stuck in there with the Queen, David Beckham and his mother (question asked by Ethan Butterfield!).

Judy Murray

Lunch with the Head of Programming Wednesday lunchtime proved a most interesting one as Sixth Form English pupils with an interest in journalism were taken to meet Nicola Tuxworth, in the Writers’ Room of the Cheltenham Festival for a literary lunch. Nicola is in charge of programming for the Festival, organising the likes of Hilary Clinton. We discovered the festival’s process of finding these big names through their agent and questioned Cheltenham's response to any controversial views being presented. I asked if Nicola believed the festival was attracting an older generation and is, therefore, less accessible to young adults our age, and she revealed the festival’s technique of inspiring younger people, an example being a 'literary crawl' -a night offering literary episodes through pubs around Cheltenham. This lunch gave us an insight into the busy organisational process of such a big festival, as Nicola and her team were already preparing for next year’s theme, using a mood board. Before leaving we were shown her planner which this year’s festival runs on, and were inspired to come back and volunteer for the festival in years to come. 54 - DECANIAN 2017/18

Judy Murray shared her story of her two sons growing up to become world numbers ones. Coming from Dunblane, a small town in Scotland, where Andy was in the school when the Dunblane massacre took place, she talked about the struggle financially and the lack of support she received from British Tennis in helping Andy and Jamie reach the top of their games. She has often been perceived as a pushy mum but her story was a heartfelt and emotional one. As well as coaching her boys from a young age and supporting them appropriately as she progressed, she has fought to enter the ‘man’s world’ of performance coaching and really campaigned to increase the coverage and support of women’s tennis. She now works delivering tennis workshops to areas with no courts, specialist coaches or equipment in order to train up volunteers to raise the profile of tennis in the UK. It was a truly inspirational talk that everyone who attended enjoyed immensely.

Francis Bacon Society We had two Society Dinners in 2018/19. The first one welcomed Brian Morman who is the CEO at Brunsdon Financial Services in Gloucester. He went to Sir Thomas Riches School in Gloucester and worked his way up in the company and has written a book which he duly signed for those that wanted one. It covers aspects of leading a successful, healthy and prosperous life covering Healthy Body, Mind, Finance and Relationships with a sense of purpose and fun along the way. The second dinner focused on taking chances in life and the speaker and guest was Oli Christie DL. He is the owner and founder of Neon Play which forms games for mobile phones and Rock the Cotswolds which is his way of promoting the Cotswolds which he loves and feels that is undiscovered in many ways. He says that there are hotels and restaurants in the Cotswolds that would make London blush! Both proved to be popular with our Sixth form who dressed in black tie and enjoyed fine food and wine as well enjoying the School toast and grace in Latin…..more to come next year…

sciencefestival

Cheltenham

SCIENCE FESTIVAL isitors could test their sensory skills with the ‘Soundbite’ experiment and ‘Paper Gramophone’ activity on the Dean Close stand in the Discover Zone of this Year’s Science Festival. Covering all areas of science, Physics (Soundwaves), Biology (How the ear works) and Chemistry (Periodic Table bookmarks) the Dean Close team shared their knowledge about the science of sound and the elements that make up our extraordinary planet.

By placing a straw over the end of a metal rod, which was attached to a speaker, which was, in turn plugged into a MP3 player, visitors could experience hearing music through their jaw bone. Soundwaves can travel through solids, liquids and gases. By vibrating the jaw bone the team could demonstrate that sound waves can travel just as effectively through solids to the cochlear in the inner ear, which triggers the auditory nerve as ordinary sound waves travel to the ear through the air. “Wow, that’s amazing! Incredible, weird!” Were just some of the visitors’ responses as they tried this unusual experiment. No music can be heard at all until the user bites the straw, then the song can be heard just as clearly as if the sound waves were transmitted through the air to the ear. Other activities on the stand were the demonstration of amplifying sound from an old fashioned record player using a paper gramophone. The paper gramophone acts as a speaker, converting vibrations created by the grooves in the record to sound waves via the increased surface area of the gramophone. Once again, visitors were amazed by the clarity of the music once the gramophone was put in place. Finally, pupils and parents could make their own Periodic Table bookmarks. Choosing letters from the Periodic Table, they could personalise bookmarks or make one for a friend or family member. Whilst doing so visitors learnt fabulous facts such as the number of elements now discovered, why they are grouped the way they are and which element is the rarest on earth. Throughout the week the stand proved incredibly popular as pupils, teachers and parents visited from far and wide. The Dean Close stand was also featured on the ITV News, West Country. Science Teacher, Crystal Lewis spoke to the reporter explaining, “Our future is in the hands of the next generation so these kinds of events are essential for engaging them. We hope the children and parents who have visited our stand know a little bit more about the science of sound and the purpose of the periodic table and will be inspired to find out more.”

55 - DECANIAN 2017/18

schoollife

Life

SCHOOL

Chinese New Year

Pekkin Pe in g D Du ucckk w wiitth hP Pa a

n ncca akke ess, H Ho oiisi s in n,, S Sp prrin in g O On Cu Cuccu niion on & um b be er

St Stea eam e ed dD Du um p plilin ng gs w wiitth hH Ho ot C Ch hiilli lli S Ve Veg Sa au ge ucce etta ab ble le S Sp prrin in g R Ro ollls ls w wiitth hL Lig ig h htt S So oy S Sa au ucce

St Stea eam e ed d JJa assm miine ne R Riicce e Sw Swe ee et & So Sour ur Po Pork rk fill fille ett Ki K in ng gP Prra aw wn nss iin nH Ho ot C Ch hiilli lli O Oiil Be Beef ef Fi Fille llet iin nB Blla acck p pe ep pp pe err St Stea eam e ed dP Pa ak C Ch ho oyy

Fr Fres esh Ly Lych ch

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e ee es & S Slliice ce

d Me elo lo n

schoollife

Christmas Dinner

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schoollife

Young Entrepreneurs Competition ean Close was pleased to welcome GFirst LEP, for this term’s Field Day. Representatives from the Gloucestershire Local Enterprise Partnership ran the Young Entrepreneurs Competition for the whole of the Fourth Form. The pupils were split into 14 small groups and were tasked with inventing a novel service or product to help a business with communication; such as a new technology or cyber security. The groups had to create brand new ideas, along with a marketing plan, finance strategy and a professional pitch.

groups worked very hard to create new and innovative ideas, ranging from ‘The Butler’, a new style of office chair, to ‘BED2O’, a new mattress designed to reduce stress for business men and women.

Several local businesses also kindly came to support each group, providing them with a valuable insight into the corporate world and sharing business acumen. The

After lunch the competition continued with presentations. The first round of judging took place, this whittled down the 14 strong teams to just four finalists. All of the Fourth Form then gathered in the Bacon Theatre for the grand finale. With four teams in the running for a spot in the Inter-School Final at GCHQ, the final commenced. Once the groups had made their final presentations they faced challenging questions from the judging panel about their products and after much deliberation a winner was chosen.

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Pupils were split into 14 small groups and were tasked with inventing a novel service or product to help a business with communication

Nathan from GFirst LEP announced that Team 14 had won, with their invention of the ‘MBB’. The Meeting Bubble Briefing is a virtual personal assistant, designed to lighten the load on busy professionals. Liv Nelson, Alice Howitt, Lucy Brookes, Vlad Petrov and Ben Stafford are all very excited to travel to GCHQ in May to represent Dean Close at the Inter-Schools Competition. Organiser of the day, David Tomlinson, said, “The day was a superb experience for the whole of the Fourth Form, and the winners are thrilled to have the chance to compete for the trophy in May.”

schoollife

Drone Racing @ Dean Close This summer saw teams from Dean Close Senior School compete in the inaugural rounds of the Airgineers School Drone Racing Competition. Airgineers is a STEM focused activity where participants must design, build and learn to fly micro and professional racing class drones. Pupils use Computer Aided Design (CAD) software to design and 3D print their drone. Before assembling the electronic components and tune each craft using the on-board computer. Flight skills are honed on a computer simulator. Once they have earned their wings, pilots then use First Person View (FPV) googles and a camera mounted on the quadcopter to place them right at the heart of the action. The activity culminates in a series of competitions against other schools where the pupils design and piloting skills are tested in a series of team and individual events. Visits to both St Edward’s in Cheltenham and Cranleigh School in Surry brought success in the micro class individual events, securing podium finishes for both Head to head and capture the flag. You can follow Airgineers on twitter @Airgineers D Fitzgerald.

NATO vs Warsaw Pact - 1984 On a warm pleasant Sunday, the 10th of June, four members of Dean Close Senior School were invited to play a table top game at Dean Close House. The game in question was a scenario of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) defending against a Warsaw Pact invasion of West Germany set in 1984. Freddie Faux and Mo Lin played as NATO and Ben Sansom and Jimmy Gleeson played as the invading Warsaw Pact. We each had an experienced player on our sides. Mr Garner, Head of our Board games, played with the Russians and Mr Davis, a board game volunteer, played with NATO. Then other members of the board gaming group were dispersed amongst the teams. The game was overseen by Mr Woodman, who works for Dean Close in Bursary. The game started with the Warsaw Pact units being deployed, this comprised Soviet, Czech, Polish, East German and Mongolian units. NATO equally met with West German, American, British and French units. The outcome of the game is dependent on Victory points and whichever team has the highest, wins. The game was played throughout the day, and from the beginning it seemed that NATO would have the advantage. Their task was simply to defend and block the Warsaw pact from advancing west and the Warsaw Pact had the

job of moving west and taking four strategic cities. (Munich, Hanover, Hamburg and Stuttgart). The strength for the Warsaw pact units lies in numbers but where the Russians had numbers, NATO had skill and experience. This meant NATO had the higher quality of units. As the game played on, it became apparent that the progress of the invasion started to stop and in the North and South ends of the conflict there was regression not progression. Towards the end of the game, I thought of an idea, in a desperate last attempt, to eliminate a city and stop NATO from earning 3 Victory points. Therefore, I loaded my remaining units with nuclear assets and attempted to ‘nuke’ Stuttgart. However, I soon realised in this game the nuclear assets didn’t work like the missiles you see in the movies. My units needed to be in direct contact of the city and Mo Lin was quick to react and thwarted my efforts very cleverly. What is more impressive is the fact the Mo Lin played as an experienced and wise player but is still in the Remove. Overall, NATO played with foresight, tactics and calculated moves and meant in the end, NATO won by a comfortable lead of 20 points. However, despite having lost, I thoroughly enjoyed the game. The sign of a good game is enjoying it and there never being a dull moment, even when you lose. At either end of the table,

there was always something happening and given our environment we played in, it felt fitting to play as a general. Gratitude must be given to Tony Woodman, who created the scenario for the game. He spent hours researching what each unit would have for assets and making sure that the game was played with historic accuracy. Having not only researched the game, he also umpired the entire game, learning the extensive rules and making sure the game was played fairly. Furthermore, I extend a thank you to Mr Salisbury who made the day possible and very kindly allowed our board game community to play at Dean Close House and another thank you to Julie from the catering team, who gave up her Sunday to provide a wonderful lunch and much needed tea and coffee during the game. I hope that if you’re given an opportunity to play a table top game, do it. I promise that you won’t regret it and we all thank Pete Garner for organising the event and making sure everyone had a wonderful time and we look forward to playing more games in the future. If you are at Dean Close School, more games are available at the Table top games Monday Afternoon Activity and it is that activity which has enabled me to play the games I have and met the people I know now. Jimmy Gleeson 59 - DECANIAN 2017/18

speakers

SPEAKERS

Ben Smith ean Close was very pleased to welcome motivational speaker and athlete, Ben Smith, to speak to the whole School in the Bacon Theatre. The inspirational fundraiser, and founder of the 401 Challenge, motivated and moved the pupils with his hard hitting story and passionate message – “anything is possible”.

Ben’s story began when he started boarding school at the age of 10. He attended a school with no pastoral care system and was bullied very badly all the way up until he left school at 18. As a teenager he attempted to take his own life, and slipped into a very deep and dark depression. At university he gained a lot of weight and smoked and drank to excess. At the age of 29, while at work, Ben suffered a TIA (an incomplete stroke) a tragedy he calls his eureka moment. Ben vowed that he would turn his life around and once he had recovered from the stroke he 60 - DECANIAN 2017/18

agreed to go with a friend to a local running club. Overweight and having not exercised since he was a child, this was unsurprisingly a daunting and difficult experience. However, by the end of the session he had completed 5K (jogging and walking) and the great sense of achievement spurred him on to join the club. Ben ran every week and within six months he had completed his first half marathon. Exactly one year on from his first run, he competed the Brighton Marathon, but that wasn’t enough for Ben. He wanted to raise £250,000 for charities that would have helped him as a child and set out to run 401 marathons in 401 days in order to achieve this goal. The 401 Challenge gained international media attention and Ben was soon dubbed the British Forest Gump! Thousands of supporters joined Ben on his runs and he completed his challenge (despite a broken back during marathon 284!) having smashed his target, raising £330,000 for antibullying charities; Kidscape and Stonewall.

The pupils were hugely inspired by Ben’s talk and asked many questions at the end; Has he run since? What’s his next challenge? Has he managed to get his partner out on a run with him? The runner stayed long after the talk to chat and was more than happy to have selfies with the pupils (and staff!). Ben continues to raise money for antibullying charities and is now CEO of the 401 Foundation. If you would like to find out more about Ben’s inspiring story or details on how you can donate, please visit his website: http://www.the401challenge.co.uk

speakers

Jamie McDonald Dean Close was very pleased to welcome a real life Superhero, Jamie McDonald, to speak to the whole School in the Bacon Theatre. The inspirational fundraiser, also known as ‘Adventureman’, motivated and moved the pupils with his epic tale and passionate message – “never give up on your dreams”.

‘Eddie the Eagle’ There was much excitement at Dean Close when Eddie the Eagle visited the School. Eddie became famous in 1988 at the Calgary Winter Olympics when he represented GB in the Ski Jumping and although he came last, was jettisoned to fame for his gutsy jumping and endearing personality. On arriving, Eddie was met by a group of Sixth Formers who had arranged tea and cake ahead of his talk. He disclosed that as a young man, he had done some plastering at Dean Close School with his dad! He also joked that he could pass on the mobile numbers of Hugh Jackman and Tom Daley which he had in his phone! After tea, Eddie presented to the School in the Bacon Theatre. He gave a very animated talk (taking ski jump positions!) telling his life story, beginning as a young boy of 13 who went on his first school ski trip. As a youngster Eddie loved a dare and would do almost anything his friends challenged him to do. It was on that trip that he attempted his first jump after they dared him to jump across a road! As he grew older, Eddie pursued his love of skiing by spending every free moment at Gloucester Dry Ski Slopes. He then saved enough money to move to Lake Placid, New York State, where he discovered ski jumping for the first time, beginning at the 10m height. Bored at the lower heights, he quickly moved up to the higher jumps in the space of one day without any coaching assistance, something most jumpers take years to do. Still with no financial support, Eddie knew he needed to find bigger jumps so borrowed his mother’s car and drove to a Swiss training camp where he slept rough in barns and churches and scavenged for food, sometimes eating others’ left-overs. His kit was old and worn out and included a helmet tied on

with string which would fly off every time he jumped. Teams from other countries felt for him and donated new kit which improved his jumping, especially new goggles so he could see for the first time! His talk could not go without mentioning his blockbuster film. When Eddie won the ITV competition ‘The Splash’ he was contacted by a producer to shoot a film chronicling his extraordinary life story which relaunched Eddie’s popularity. He told us that Robbie Williams was first picked to play him, and then Rupert Grint was cast but that did not go ahead. Finally Taron Egerton was awarded the part with the film released in 2016 to great reviews. In finishing his talk, he said that his greatest and most important asset was his resilience. His self-belief had pushed him on when all those around him said he couldn’t do it. He advised his young listeners that if they had a dream in any sphere of life, they should go for it and not be put off by what others think. Many hung behind after the talk to say hello, shake Eddie’s hand and most of all take a prized selfie. Eddie was very happy to do all of these, was thoroughly entertaining and great company.

Jamie spent the first nine years of his life in and out of hospital with a rare spinal condition known as syringomyelia. Combined with a very weak immune system and epilepsy, Jamie’s health was very poor, but against all odds, he has become something of an adventurer. As his symptoms eased at the age of nine, Jamie fell in love with movement, having been told by doctors that he would never walk, and set about becoming as active as he possibly could. In 2012, he bought a second hand bike and decided to cycle the 14,000 miles from Bangkok to his hometown in Gloucester. Upon his return, Jamie attempted the world static cycling record. He set up a bike in Gloucester Quays and pedalled for a world record breaking 268 hours – more than eleven days. Throughout both challenges, Jamie raised tens of thousands of pounds for a charity that benefits the children’s ward of Gloucester Royal Hospital – the hospital in which he was cared for as a child.

In February 2014, ‘Adventureman’ became the first person in history to run the 5,000 miles from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast without the aid of a support crew. The epic journey began in March 2013 and raised more than £250,000 for sick children in Canada and the UK. He battled -40°C temperatures, numerous potentially challenge-stopping injuries (including the permanent misshaping of his right foot), three days without food and much more to finish the challenge in Vancouver, running the equivalent of a marathon most days – whilst wearing a Superhero costume. To demonstrate the positive benefits of movement, Jamie invited the Headmaster and Deputy Head to the stage for an on the spot race with pupils cheering for the winner. The smiles throughout the Bacon Theatre from both the spectators and the racers more than proved his point. At the end of the talk the pupils were eager to meet the inspiring fundraiser and Jamie was more than happy to shake hands and take selfies with them. Jamie continues to raise money for a number of causes as co-founder of the Superhero Foundation. If you would like to find out more about Jamie’s inspiring story or details on how you can donate, please visit his website: www.jamiemcdonald.org 61 - DECANIAN 2017/18

speakers

Kerry Bennett Dean Close pupils were thrilled to welcome to School, Flight Lieutenant and contestant on the BBC Two series ‘Astronauts: Do you have what it takes?’ - Kerry Bennett. To demonstrate the themes of dream big, work hard and don’t give up when things don’t go to plan, Kerry spoke to parents, staff and pupils about her journey to becoming an RAF Pilot and the challenges she faced on the television series. Kerry explained how she wanted to be a Jet Pilot and after four years of training didn’t make it through the final selection process. Whilst this was a huge disappointment, it meant that she went on to be part of the Royal Squadron, flying VIPs around the world. Some of her passengers have included The Queen, Prince William and actor Daniel Craig. Kerry is best known for her participation in the series ‘Astronauts: Do you have what it takes?’ where she made it to the final three. Kerry explained some of the challenges she faced including learning to fly a helicopter, making thousands of origami birds, learning Russian and the ‘dunker’, a simulator that tests astronauts in an underwater crash situation. Kerry’s favourite task was the zero gravity experience, during which contestants had to assemble an old Polaroid camera. The pupils from Year 9 and 10 were eager to ask Kerry questions, such as “Have you ever had to perform an emergency landing?” and “Were you scared of any of the challenges on the show?” Kerry recalled a situation in

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which a buzzard flew into the wing of the aircraft she was piloting and her need to be calm under pressure due to the possibility of engine failure. The calm and collected pilot also told pupils that she was incredibly nervous during the filming of ‘Astronauts: Do you have what it takes?’ and at times she felt intimidated by her fellow contestants. After one particular task she felt she had done so badly that she was surely the next contestant to be eliminated, however; her calm demeanour under pressure and her gracious handling of failure compelled the judges to keep her in the competition. Kerry asked pupils to consider the question “What would you do if you were not afraid?” Kerry said, “There are so many opportunities for young adults today and many different career paths open to them. Whichever route each individual chooses there are bound to be challenges along the way and unexpected bumps and curves in the road. I hope from the experiences I have shared today they will embrace the challenges they face with bravery and positivity. The pupils were a pleasure to talk to and asked some challenging questions, I wish them all well with their adventures.” Throughout the afternoon Kerry demonstrated times in her life, overwhelmed and not good enough and still pushed on to succeed. She still dreams of being an astronaut and is working hard to achieve her goal. We wish her well and very much look forward to following her progress.

Dr Hazel Morrison n Monday the 15th of January, the Fifth and Sixth Form were treated to a special talk in the pavilion from Dr Hazel Morrison. Dr Morrison currently works in the NHS in Bristol. She volunteered to work with Medicins Sans Frontiers. She spent 9 months in South Sudan on a medical relief mission. MSF is a non-governmental organisation, or simply a charity, which focuses on providing medical care in countries where there is poor healthcare or shortages of healthcare. South Sudan was considered as one these countries which has very poor healthcare, therefore Dr Morrison was sent to South Sudan for 9 months to provide her medical proficiencies to help with very low healthcare in South Sudan. In order for her to get to there, she had to get a flight with the UN since there are no commercial flights to Juba, the capital.

Dr Morrison told us in the lecture about the work she did within the 9 months. MSF especially targets pregnant women and children, since in South Sudan 1 in 7 women die in pregnancy and 1 in 10 children die before the age of 5. She focused on treating pregnancy and the nutrition of younger children below the age of 5 but would still treat children up to the age 16. This medical base was in Aweil; a small town towards the northern border. There was a hospital but it was not like the conventional hospital one would imagine. Many of the wards were tents

speakers

This was a very clear demonstration to me how brutal diseases can be in countries where there is next to no healthcare

which could be propped up or taken down at a moment’s notice. Some of the biggest problems that Dr Morrison faced were malnutrition and malaria. Having studied Malaria in Biology, I understand the devastating effects the disease can have when not treated quickly enough. She told us of a case when a mother walked three days from her village, carrying her 13 year old son who was infected with malaria. But by the time she had arrived at the hospital, it was too late to treat. Dr Morrison told us if the son had received help 3 days before, there may have been a chance for him. This was a very clear demonstration to me how brutal diseases can be in countries where there is next to no healthcare. I found this and other stories very harrowing. We later heard in the talk about some of the large problems Dr Morrison had when she was working in South Sudan. When children arrived at the hospital with severe malnutrition, they could be treated but the problem was to what extent Dr Morrison could treat them. The most important process in recovering from malnutrition is eating regularly. But MSF could only do this until the children were discharged from the hospital. Then the children would have to be dependent on other charities like the World

Food Organisation. This was a large issue since during the South Sudanese wet season many NGOs left South Sudan and those that relied on food parcels were left without a stable source of food. This led to a significant increase of malnutrition which Dr Morrison had to deal with. But despite her challenges, she managed to continue her noble work and kept calm and carried on. This, I think, was really inspiring and I will consider spending time with NGOs after my university days, or maybe even after A levels. Following the talk the Sixth Form were invited to a Geography, Goudie Society dinner where they had the opportunity to ask Dr Morrison any further questions. This was a great chance to ask any further questions that we didn’t have to chance to ask during the talk. It was also a great time to learn a bit more about what Dr Morrison does day to day and see what her future plans were for doing voluntary work. Overall, I really enjoyed both the talk and dinner and it has given me a greater insight to what life is like in South Sudan and what we very privileged people can do to help others who are less fortunate than us. Thank you, Mr Cradock. Sixth Form Geographer

Dr John Rhodes ean Close was very pleased to welcome Dr John Rhodes to deliver an insightful lecture on ‘The story of vaccination: from Edward Jenner to the Global Campaign to rid the world of polio’.

Dr Rhodes is an immunologist, who has studied the secrets of immunity and the power of vaccination at research centres in London, Cambridge, and Washington DC. His book, ‘The End of Plagues: The Global Battle against Infectious Disease’, sets out to explore the universe of germs and the mysteries of immunity, explaining in everyday language the natural ways in which our bodies defend us against infection. The story begins with Edward Jenner and his discovery of the smallpox vaccine, and spans three centuries in pursuit of the story of vaccination as it spreads across the globe. It is a controversial story, peppered with crises, cliff hangers and dramatic shifts of fortune, and it leads at last to the global defeat of smallpox, the imminent eradication of polio and a new war on tuberculosis, malaria and HIV-AIDS. The fascinating talk provoked many questions amongst pupils from Year 9 to Year 13. Pupils questioned the cost of vaccination, who should cover the costs and whether Dr Rhodes thinks that the pricing is fair. Dr Rhodes explained that although vaccinations are expensive, pharmaceutical companies have a dual pricing strategy that allows access to these vital inoculations for poorer countries. The speaker was asked which vaccine he believes should be worked on now. He responded with Tuberculosis. Though the BCG vaccine already exists, it is ineffective in tropical parts of the world where it still kills many people, often already weakened by HIV. Sixth Form pupil, Rei Chin said, “It is not an easy task to explain such a complex topic to a large group of different ages and interests, but Dr Rhodes told such a thought-provoking story, everyone will take something new and interesting away from this lecture.” The immunologist said, “It was a pleasure to speak to the pupils and staff, as individuals protected by immunisation, parents making crucial choices to protect our children and global citizens in a world which can defeat disease, we are all participants in this extraordinary story.”

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charity

CHARITY

Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can. Even if there are a few wobbles along the way.

These were the words of Sally Hall to over 500 Dean Close pupils, parents, staff, Old Decanians and friends before an early morning charity yoga session.

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Yoga in the Park he entire Dean Close community woke up and rose together with an early morning yoga practice to help raise funds for children’s brain tumour charity, Blue Skye Thinking. Current treatment for childhood brain tumours involves surgery plus a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy or proton therapy.

Each of these has devastating consequences in terms of side effects. Following the loss of their beloved son, Skye, Sally and Andrew Hall (Deputy Head) set up the charity Blue Skye Thinking to fund research into innovative treatments. The charity’s target is to raise another £25,000 to get them to their £200,000 target for a second fulltime researcher. The Dean Close community coming together for Yoga in the Park was a great start towards this goal, with over £6000 raised so far and donations still flooding in. The session was led by staff member

and yoga teacher Liv Duffin, bright and early on the School’s main playing field, followed by a healthy breakfast outside. Liv said, “It was such a special opportunity to get the whole Dean Close community together. I was blown away by the number of people. I am full of so much admiration for Sally and Andrew and what they have achieved with Blue Skye Thinking”. The pupils started the day feeling refreshed and positive, saying, “It was just amazing. There were over 500 people here this morning sitting together to do yoga and reaching for the ‘Skye’”. Another pupil commented, “There are just no words. The energy on the field speaks for itself.” As well as raising a fantastic amount of money for charity, the Dean Close community were reminded that in the light of such sadness, there can always be positivity and hope for the future.

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Community

ACTION

ommunity Action has continued to play an important role in the week to week life of the School, with a large number of Sixth Form students involved in volunteering on site or out in the wider community. Some visit the elderly and some help in local charity shops; other scholars work with younger children, helping to run sports activities, reading with them, running youth clubs or organising mentoring sessions.

As usual, some activities have quietly taken place on a regular basis, while others have been one off events, whether involving individual students, houses or departments or indeed the whole school community. Habits are being formed and interest ignited and we hope Dean Close scholars will head

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off into higher education, the workplace or their local communities with a real desire to serve others, whether by volunteering their time or talents or by raising money or awareness.

In 2017-2018, our particular focus has been on raising money for the three charities nominated at the start of the year: Goals Beyond Grass, Cheltenham YMCA and Cheltenham Open Door. Supporting local organisations helps us to get beyond logos and national campaigns to engage with individual stories and we are able to build up links with local volunteers. In addition to this, school drama productions, house events and the whole Dean Close community Skye Blue Thinking yoga event have raised considerable sums for other good causes. A personal link, whether through an OD or a current pupil or member of staff, has often been the starting point for an event and this personal connection often leads to much more commitment to a project from those involved.

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Field Days give us more time to devote to an activity and this year one Field Day was divided between two activities. Some students chose to sleep out in the quad in cardboard boxes to raise money for and awareness of the YMCA Sleep Easy, an annual event with the strapline “Sleeping rough so others don’t have to”. The majority of the Sixth Form spent the afternoon in the Old Gym which had been transformed by the charity Empathy Action for a Poverty Trap activity, a simulation of two weeks in a Bangladeshi slum. This high intensity, noisy and chaotic experience was highly effective in provoking discussion and enhancing our understanding of the complex issues involved for those in Third World countries living in extreme poverty. Some members of staff also threw themselves into roles as enforcers and shopkeepers in the slum, working for a ruthless landlord and showing no compassion towards the slum dwellers (or DCS scholars).

In the words of Baroness Cox:

“We cannot do everything but we must not do nothing.”

We have also been pleased once again to host the Virtual School awards evening (with food provided and served by our Leiths cookery school students) and the Sue Ryder “Ryde for Ryder” Sportive. Our school shop continues to sell donated second hand uniform in aid of our link school, the Nyakatura Memorial School in Uganda. A new addition this year has been the opportunity to learn British Sign Language in weekly lessons. In the words of Baroness Cox: “We cannot do everything but we must not do nothing.”

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academichighlights

Academic Highlights A year in the life of the

Classics Department CLASSICAL ASSOCIATION The first Classical Association meeting of the academic year saw Dr Peter Stewart of Wolfson College, Oxford deliver an excellent talk on the Augustan monuments of Rome. Before moving to Oxford in 2011, Dr Stewart was Reader in Classical Art and its Heritage at the Courtauld Institute. Dr Stewart’s interests lie mainly in the field of Roman sculpture about which he has written extensively. Dr Stewart focused on three monuments in particular, all of which were vital in underpinning the public image of Augustus: the Temple of Mars Ultor, the Ara Pacis Augustae and the famous Prima Porta Statue. Those studying Virgil’s Aeneid in Classical Civilisation and wishing to understand the Augustan context of the epic will have had much to ponder.

CHELTENHAM LITERATURE FESTIVAL After a year’s hiatus, it was good to see the return of How to Read a Latin Poem, a series of lectures now in its fifth year, delivered by Professor Mary Beard of Newnham College, Cambridge and Dr Llewelyn Morgan of Brasenose College, Oxford. Virgil’s ninth Eclogue was chosen for analysis, a foray into the collateral damage caused by Rome’s Civil Wars of the late first century BC. Virgil focuses on the inhabitants of the Italian countryside, thrown off their smallholdings by generalissimos, eager to repay their soldiers with plots of land. The mass evictions and confiscations caused by the return of thousands of Roman soldiers is conveyed by the two protagonists of the poem, Lycidas and Moeris who expose the reality of Peace. Virgil imbued the idyllic landscapes created by Theocritus (Virgil’s Greek model) with the revolutionary changes that were shaping Roman society and thereby changed the nature of Pastoral poetry forever.

GREEK TRAGEDY EXPERT TALKS TO SIXTH FORM Sixth Form Classical Civilisation pupils were very pleased to welcome Professor Richard Rutherford of Christ Church, Oxford. Professor. Professor Richard Rutherford of Christ Church, Oxford, a renowned expert on Greek Tragedy, delivered a fascinating talk on the style and language of Greek Tragedy. He focused on Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus and demonstrated how Sophocles’ distorted use of language, that often lacks grammatical clarity, mirrors the incestuous and polluted world in 68 - DECANIAN 2017/18

which Oedipus and his “mother who was no mother” cohabit. Simply brilliant.

CLASSICS SYMPOSIUM The Classics Department entertained members of Year 11 studying Latin and Greek with a tasty Greek meal on top table followed by a series of presentations on various aspects of the Classical world, including an excursion into the Underworld and an exploration of Ovid’s tale of Apollo and Daphne and its interpretation by later artists such as Bernini and Pollaivolo.

THE MYTH OF CUPID AND PSYCHE Dean Close Classics Department welcomed Dr Clemence Schultze, formerly of Durham University, as she addressed an audience of classicists and pupils of History of Art. Dr Schultze investigated the myth of Cupid and Psyche, made famous by Apuleius in his Metamorphoses, the sole surviving novel from antiquity. She looked at the ways in which the myth had been reinterpreted during the 19th century, focusing on the works of the last preRaphaelite painter Edward Burn-Jones and the novels of Charlotte Young and Sylvia TownsendWarner.

HISTORY OF ART TRIP TO NATIONAL GALLERY A very early start in the morning meant that the History of Art scholars arrived at the National Gallery with plenty of time ahead of them in which to enjoy the nation’s premier art collection.

From devotional paintings of the 12th century, the brilliance of the Old Masters through to Monet, Van Gough and Rousseau, this was nothing less than a visual banquet and a great opportunity to see many of the paintings that the pupils have studied.

WILSON CHALLENGE The 2018 Wilson Challenge, the School’s premier Classics competition, was held at the end of the Lent Term. The pupils were asked to select a classical myth and to deliver a PowerPoint presentation in which they investigated the ways in which the myth had been interpreted by artists of the modern era. The standard of the competition was very high indeed and Mr Brian Wilson’s role as chief adjudicator was far from easy. The results were as follows:

Junior Competition: 1st prize: Beth Rogers on Orpheus and Eurydice by Christoph Gluck 2nd prize: Ethan Bareham: Icarus by Henri Matisse 3rd prize: Helena Montgomery: Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw

Senior Competition: 1st prize: Pollyanna Harris: Leda Atomica by Salvador Dali 2nd prize = Andrew Whitford: the Dream of Narcissus by Salvador Dali William Bunker: the Pail of Ganymede by Robert Rauschenburg

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GEOGRAPHY his year we have been concentrating on the new specifications at A level and GCSE, and preparing those students for the first exams in these. This has opened up some new learning for everyone, from Earth’s life support systems with the carbon cycle, to economic change in Malaysia, to Changing Places in Cheltenham. Many units are very exciting, contemporary and stimulating, and it also allows us to link more trips and visits to the curriculum.

To excite and enrich the Geographers, there have been a series of lectures and workshops this year. These range from Dr Hazel Morrison from MSF to tell us about the humanitarian aid work that she has done; a fascinating and harrowing medical relief mission to South Sudan; to specific exam related revision courses from exam specialists, to trips to Bristol University attending lectures from the University professors. All of which have enabled the students to explore outside of the syllabus and make decisions about Geography in their futures.

Geography is always more than learning theory in the classroom. We rightly need to get ‘out and about’ to fully appreciate the processes and interactions. The location of Dean Close School has afforded us some excellent opportunities. There are many trees in the grounds that can be measured to see how much carbon they store, and there are a variety of areas of Cheltenham which vary enough in socio-economic status to be examined and used as case studies. This formed the basis of some of our local field work for A level, and prepared the students for their A level investigations. On top of that, we took a trip to Snowdonia for four days to start their investigations and gather some data. In September, the weather was as expected for that time of year in that part of the world – sunny and rainy. But there is no such thing as bad weather – just bad clothing. GCSE trips also involved an October trip to Snowdonia at the beginning of the Remove to collect data from Cricceith beach, and a day trip to Bristol in June. For the GCSE, two separate visits have to be carried out to explore human and physical Geography. Having a residential trip at the beginning of the year gives the group a chance to bond and focus their minds on the geography for the year.

There have been some excellent results in the trial exams this year from those that are not only stretching themselves at their level,

but also from those aiming for the new top 9 grade at GCSE. We would also like to offer congratulations to those Sixth Formers who have been offered places to read Geography next year, and especially Izzy Montgomery who has been offered a place at Cambridge. She has been on top form over the two A level years, and produced an outstanding individual investigation, which has set her up well for the grades that she requires. We would like to wish our leaving Geographers all the best for the future and to build on the memories and learning from their time in Geography at DCS. A Cradock

Critical Essay Competition very year, Dean Close runs the Critical Essay Competition, challenging pupils to dig deep and produce a significant piece of writing outside of their normal classroom studies. At the time of judging, all applicants are invited to a formal dinner where the adjudication is handed down. This year saw a record number of entries for the Junior and Senior Critical Essay competitions.

The Junior competition was open to all pupils entering Years 10 and 11 in September 2017. They were asked to write an essay of no more than 1,500 words on the following statement and were free to fill in the blank with whichever topic they wanted: “The discovery of ____ has had the greatest influence on humanity. Justify your view.” The entrants wrote their essays over the summer holidays and handed them in at the start of the Michaelmas Term. Four members of staff adjudicated and gave their feedback to the pupils at the Junior Critical Essay dinner, held in the Flecker Library. There was a great selection of titles, from the discussion of electricity to money, reality TV to equality. Matilda Amess was the winner of the competition, with an insightful essay on mental health and Beth Ellison was the runner-up, who wrote about the impact of both medicinal and recreational drugs. Classics Teacher, Francesca Stewart, said, “All of the pupils who chose to enter the competition should be very pleased with their essays and I hope that they enjoyed the process.”

The Senior Competition also saw a complete spectrum of subject matter, addressing issues including: the future of AI technology in cars, the history of the Post-It note, the ‘angry young women’ playwrights of the 21st Century, the gestural basis for the development of spoken language, Marxist perspectives on music, the Parthenon, the implications of CRISPR, and the existence of altruism, to name but few. The standard was exceptionally high and made judging the competition particularly difficult for the Warden in her first term at Dean Close. However, there had to be a winner and the results were as follows: 1st Place: HUGO TILL Are the election of Donald Trump and the vote for Brexit the products of common causes? 2nd Place: JONNY WOODS Gene Correction in Viable Human Embryos: Questions from the Future 3rd Place: ZAK TOMLINSON The Post-It note - How it was discovered and the secret behind it? Director of Sixth Form Studies, Matt Wilkes, said: “Congratulations to all who took part on the production of some excellent work that was mind-broadening in both its production and digestion.” 69 - DECANIAN 2017/18

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ENGLISH DEPARTMENT Lower Sixth Quantocks Trip 2018 ne week before the end of the Trinity Term, our Sixth Form English scholars embarked upon a trip to the stunning landscape of the Quantocks. ‘Beauteous forms…passing even into my purer mind with tranquil restoration’; overlooking Tintern Abbey, Wordsworth’s lines did true justice to the remarkable landscape and allowed the students to immerse themselves in the Romantic poets from the very beginning.

Close to Coleridge’s house, the spot where his verse ‘Fears in Solitude’ was composed held no less beauty as our scholars were inspired by its reading to attempt their own poetry. The following day, the hometown of the most well known interrupter in perhaps all of literary history, Porlock Weir, evoked the European in us all as the beautiful weather ushered the Mediterranean into this corner of England. A sense of foreign shores was heightened by the steep crevices of the walk to Culbone church, nestled among the glades of oak and pine, and the dazzling blue of the Bristol Channel. To say that this was merely another school trip is not to have been there; the Quantocks provided the perfect place for our Sixth Formers to leave behind the assessment objectives and predicted grades, and instead to enjoy and experience another dimension of English Literature immersed in the landscapes that have so inspired it. Bea Bennet 70 - DECANIAN 2017/18

Quantocks Poetry 2018 These poems were composed by two Lower Sixth scholars during the Quantocks trip, June 2018

CARELESS EXISTENCE

THE ROAD

The cluster of cottages sit beaten down by the shadow of the modern world, Their roofs tell stories of winters passed, But satellites and cars invade the serene picture. The grotesque metal flares offensively in the bright sun.

The road goes slowly forward Passing golden fields and tapestries of trees The dusty tracks in no hurry to reach their destination. The winding path where Lives change, stories recited, Words drop like stones into the stillness, Broken only by the warbling orchestra Of the gentle songbird.

Soon these rolling hills, crashing like waves will be condemned to a world of sky scrapers and traffic. But for now the skyline is filled with the dusting of light clouds, Reaching stretching like the hands of starving men, Looking for a place beyond the darkness of industry, of revolution and the triumph of egotistical men.

Maps cannot locate it. No flocking crowds of eager tourists With ice cream smiles and greedy eyes Stop to drop their plastic wrapping carpet. But those who’ve seen the road, Walked its kindly curves and Known its friendly banks Can recite every turn. The road is always remembered.

Men’s whose eyes so huge for their brains droop, like red balls of fire on to their cursed lips. Their roots uplifted like the thousands of trees that fell at their hands Which now lie waiting, wishing for the end. The end of our destruction and the end of our careless existence...

But. Less and less. Fewer and fewer. People stop visiting. Old friends no longer tread The familiar route. The gentle road pines for company, But even something made to be remembered Must one day be forgotten.

By Sophie Brown

By Evie Crawford Poxon

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The Duchess of Malfi n May we took a Sixth Form group to the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon to see a production of one of our set texts, the The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster, directed by Maria Aberg. The play tells the story of the widowed Duchess who, despite the protests of her two brothers, Duke Ferdinand and the Cardinal, secretly marries the lower-class Antonio and has three children before they are discovered. The Duchess and Antonio attempt to run away, with only Antonio and their eldest child managing to escape. The Duchess is betrayed by her servant Bosola, and her two younger children are executed. This injustice turns Bosola against the Cardinal and Ferdinand and he swears revenge on them for the Duchess.

This bloody, spectacular adaptation of the play displayed the struggle of feminine sexuality and the challenges of misogyny that run throughout the dark, sensuous and violent Senecan tragedy, challenging of the ideas of masculinity and femininity through the use of music, which helped to paint the plight of the Duchess ruling in an intensely masculine environment. Disturbing, captivating and, at times, filled with dark humour, Aberg’s adaptation resonated with the audience as a tale of suffering and the struggle for dominance, brought to life through the magnificent performance of every member of the cast.

DCS English Remove Recitals 2018 During the week after exams, each Remove pupil was challenged to choose, learn and recite a poem to our classmates for a chance to go through to the final and win a £20 Amazon voucher. Every pupil got really stuck in and came up with a range of poems for their classes to hear and the final fourteen really engaged their audience of the entire Remove yeargroup, the English department and the judging panel of Mr Hole and three Lower 6th English scholars on Saturday 16th June in the PMH. However, to get to the final, we first had to choose a poem. This, for most people, was the hardest part as there were just so many to choose from and so many directions to go in. But, after a quick Google search or rustle through the English department bookshelves, we had found the perfect poems. With twelve lines as the minimum, the real work began, as committing the poem to memory was the next step. If you stood in the centre of an English classroom, on the week before the heats, you would hear excerpts of Shakespeare interrupting shouts of Sassoon or lines of A.A. Milne overlapping whispers of Brontë, with the students ardently testing one another and comparing choices. When the day of the heats finally came, however, the whole corridor was silent with nerves. But we needn’t

have been worried, each recital was well executed and enticing as we heard the stories of other people’s poems. Although, saying that, there were a couple of mishaps, including a rare Raven recital which left most of Set 1 in tears (of laughter) and a most mature choice of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” being performed. But on the whole, everyone rose to the challenge of performing in front of their peers and performed really well. Some teachers, at this point, turned to democracy to decide the qualifying three, letting our classes anonymously vote for their favourite recital, and some teachers chose themselves, for fear of some interestingly biased voting. This left the final fourteen who then had the anxious wait until Saturday before they recited their poems again – this time to a judge. The air in the PMH on the morning of the 16th June was one of anxious delirium, with us discussing the poems we were about to hear and who we thought the winner might be. We went through in alphabetical order of first names with Abbey Tanega starting us off with Maia Angelou’s powerful poem The Lesson and ending with Yousef Balla’s interesting, if not unexpected, rapped rendition of The Owl and the Pussycat with a speaker beat. In between, we witnessed the horrors of War alongside the

fun of a school classroom, all in the space of about half an hour. Then it was time for Mr Hole and our three co-adjudicators, Max Thomas, Katie McCabe and Josh Gray, to decide the winner and two runners up. They left the PMH and went into an adjacent music room where they heatedly discussed all of the poems they’d heard and decided on what they would focus on. One of their main points was authenticity and understanding of the texts the finalists were speaking which they said, in the main, was done really well by all performers. However, in the end, they had to choose the top three. Lin Mo came in third with his heartfelt and moving performance of I Loved You by Alexander Pushkin, Ethan Bareham came second with his recital of The Seven Ages of Man by Shakespeare and Lily Talbot took first spot with her amazingly expressive rendition of Brian Patten’s The Geography Lesson, a poem about a memorable Geography teacher and his longing to go abroad. Overall, all of the recitals were of a very high standard and the English department believe that this has been the best year of Remove Recitals so far, so well done to everyone who competed. Watch out Fourth Form, you’ve got a lot to live up to. Bethany Rogers 71 - DECANIAN 2017/18

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een involved in a number of day trips h Tudor students took a guided tour around vents of the Reformation impacted the e. In May our Crusades pupils took a trip to o get an insight into some of the military ents represented Dean Close as part of ct, which you can learn more about from

Over the course of the year, our 6th form History students have been involved in a number of day trips designed France and Belgiumtheir for the annual Firststudies. In October, our L6th Tudor students took a guided tour around to extend classrooms ored key areas and sites around Gloucester Cathedral, to gainthe a fascinating insight into how the events of the Reformation impacted the he experience of fighting in the First Cathedral and are reflected in theWorld development of its architecture. In May our Crusades pupils took a trip to al Park, gaped at the awesome explosive Goodrich Castle in order to explore its design and development to get an insight into some of the military day at the Somme and even enjoyed a bit hallenges faced by the Crusaders, and in March two of our students represented Dean Close as part of struction in the First World War is difficult he Holocaust Educational Trustâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lessons from Auschwitz Project, which you can learn more about from metery went some way to helping visualise ver the course of the year, students explored key areas and sites heir write-up of theinProject. e able to participate the Last Post our Sixth Form History around the Somme and Ypres, gaining

HISTORY

use and reflect. The Tour will have helped ly gave each of our students the ificant events in European history.

students have been a fresh perspective and insight into the involved in a number of experience of fighting in the First World day trips designed to extend their War. We trawled through the trenches During the October half-term, a group of IGCSE historians visited France andourBelgium for the annual classrooms studies. In October, L6th at Newfoundland MemorialFirst Park, dents have been involved in a number of day trips Tudor students took a guided tour gaped at the awesome World War Battlefields Tour. Over three days, our students explored key areas and sites around theexplosive around Gloucester Cathedral, to gain a power of mines at Lochnagar Crater, ober, ourand L6thYpres, Tudor students a guided tour around Somme gaining atook fresh perspective and insight into the experience of fighting in the First World fascinating insight into how the events traced the route of the first day at the to how the events of the Reformation impacted the War. We trawled through the trenches at Newfoundland ofMemorial Park, gaped awesome explosive the Reformation impacted the at the Somme and even enjoyed a bit of R&R sower architecture. Inat May our Crusades pupils took the a trip to of the first day at the Somme and even of mines Lochnagar Crater, traced route Cathedral and are reflected in the at Talbot Houseenjoyed in Poperinge.a bit evelopment to get an insight into some of the military development of its architecture. In May, f R&R at Talbot House in Poperinge. The scale of death and destruction in the FirstTheWorld is difficult scale of War death and destruction in o of our students represented Dean Close as part of our Crusades pupils took a trip to THE TOUR WILL HAVE Tyne Cot cemetery went some way the Firstto World War is difficult to o comprehend, but visits to Thiepval Memorial and helping visualise Goodrich Castle in order to explore its schwitz Project, which you can learn more HELPED aboutREINFORCE from comprehend, but visits to Thiepval he vast numbers of fatalities from the war, and our students were able totoparticipate in the Last Post design and development get an THEIR STUDIES OF THE Memorial and Tyne Cot cemetery went insight into some ofand the military Ceremony at the Menin Gate, providingFIRST a moving moment to pause reflect. The Tour havevisualise helped WORLD WAR, some waywill to helping the vast challenges faced by the Crusaders, and MOSTbut most importantly gave each of our numbers einforce their studies of the First World BUT War, students the from the war, and of fatalities in March two of our students IMPORTANTLY GAVE our students were able to participate in pportunity toFrance exploreand some of the of one of the most significant events represented Dean Close as part ofin theEuropean history. orians visited Belgium forreality the EACH annual First OF OUR the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Holocaust Educational Trustâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lessons udents explored key areas and sites around the THE STUDENTS Gate, providing a moving moment to from Auschwitz Project, which you can OPPORTUNITY TO pause and reflect. The Tour will have insight into the experience of fighting in the First World learn more about from their write-up of EXPLORE SOME OF helped reinforce their studies of the and Memorial Park, gaped at the awesome explosive the Project. THE REALITY OF ONE First World War but, most importantly, e of the first day at the Somme and even enjoyed a bit OF THE MOST During the October half-term, a group gave each of our students the death and destruction in the First World War is difficult SIGNIFICANT EVENTS of IGCSE historians visited France and opportunity to explore some of the Tyne Cot cemetery went some way to helping visualise IN EUROPEAN Belgium for the annual First World War reality of one of the most significant students were able to participate in the Last Post HISTORY Battlefields Tour. Over three days, our events in European history.

oment to pause and reflect. The Tour will have helped ost importantly gave each of our students the he most significant events in European history.

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academichighlights

POLITICS O

ur Politics students have been following the Brexit negotiations with great interest, and in April a number of pupils attended an event organised by “Our Future Our Choice”. OFOC are campaigning on behalf of young people to stop Brexit, and Femi Oluwole, one of the founders of the group, came to Dean Close to give a talk entitled “What does Brexit mean for young people and students”. The students who attended certainly appreciated Femi’s passion and motivation, but they were somewhat sceptical about the feasibility of the group’s campaign and ambitions, and indeed a number of students questioned the legitimacy of campaigning against the referendum result. Our students will certainly be keeping a close eye as Brexit continues to unfold. n November, our L6th Politics students went on the annual trip to Parliament. The students were given a guided tour of the Palace of Westminster Palace, taking in the House of Commons, the House of Lords, Central Lobby and various other key locations. As well as enjoying exploring these locations, our students also engaged in a bit of MP spotting, with a

number of notable faces being seen! Walking “the corridors of power” and spending some time in the debating chamber gives a real insight into the reality of our Parliamentary democracy, and who knows when and in what position some of our students might return here? Trump, Brexit, Corbyn… Politics has certainly entered a turbulent period recently, with some commentators arguing that we are entering a new political era and are witnessing the return of populism. Eager to learn more, a group of Politics students went to a lecture delivered by Professor Matthew Flinders (University of Sheffield) examining the 2017 General Election and the growth of populist politics, hosted by the Ladies’ College. Professor Flinders’ lecture explored the role of anti-political sentiment in the 2017 election, and indeed the 2016 Brexit referendum, the “new tribes” of political affiliation and the potential perils of playing with populism for electorate and elected alike. The students were intrigued and challenged by his analysis, which provided the stimulus for a number of engaging conversations and debates over the next few months.

Lessons from Auschwitz committed to fighting against hatred and deeply passionate never to let the Holocaust become ‘normalised’ or forgotten. In preparation for the visit, we attended an orientation seminar in Birmingham, where we took part in various workshops and gained background information on the Holocaust and the lives of European Jews, in order to make our trip to Poland more rewarding. We also met and heard from Rudi Oppenheimer, an Auschwitz survivor, who told us her story and gave a talk on “rehumanising” the Holocaust.

n February 2018, we were lucky enough to travel to Poland and visit Auschwitz-Birkenau with the Holocaust Memorial Trust. Both of us studied Nazi Germany for GCSE and understand how easy it is to lose perspective and view this period of history in terms of facts and statistics; the Lessons From Auschwitz project completely humanized the Holocaust and made us aware of the human suffering inflicted upon the Jews (as well as ethnic minorities, homosexuals and other targeted groups) by Hitler and the Nazi regime. Visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau was life changing, giving us a completely new perspective on the Holocaust. Walking through the gates of Auschwitz, under the ominous sign ‘work will set you free’, as thousands of Jewish prisoners did in the 1940s, was eerie and surreal, yet unlike these prisoners we were able to walk out free a few hours later and return to normal life. Visiting a piece of history with such contemporary relevance in today’s polarised society made both of us

‘Seeing is not like hearing’; we were in no way prepared for how harrowing and disturbing Auschwitz-Birkenau is. Trying to understand how people survived being imprisoned here was difficult, and trying to comprehend how no one else seemed to know was even harder. There were numerous powerful and emotive moments, such as seeing the piles of inmates’ shoes and suitcases. The individual roles of the perpetrator and bystanders at Auschwitz-Birkenau are such grey areas, making labels almost impossible which stimulated interesting debate between all the students over the blame that can be given to all the individuals involved in the Holocaust. One of the most striking memories of our trip was the unbreakable human spirit displayed by some of the imprisoned Jews at Auschwitz-Birkenau, who would sacrifice some of their limited hours of sleep to get up and pray together despite everything happening to them. Upon returning from Poland and going back to school we talked to everyone about our experience. We felt it was important to ‘rehumanise’ the Holocaust and teach people to understand it in terms of the individual’s suffering and story instead of just learning statistics and facts. The camps, such as Auschwitz-Birkenau, act as a physical reminder of what happens when evil goes unchallenged to future generations, something which can never be forgotten. Ed Lee and Katie Humphreys 73 - DECANIAN 2017/18

academichighlights

A YEAR IN THE MODERN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT / UN AÑO EN EL DEPARTAMENTO DE LENGUAS MODERNAS / UNE ANNÉE DANS LE DÉPARTEMENT DE LANGUES VIVANTES / EIN JAHR IM LEBEN DER MODERNE SPRACHEN ABTEILUNG VON DCS SEPTEMBER /SEPTIEMBRE / SEPTEMBRE / SEPTEMBER FRENCH FILM EVENING - BELLE ET SÉBASTIEN Belle and Sébastien is about a young boy who is growing up in a small village called Saint Martín in the French Alps during the Second World War. Sébastien lives with César, his adoptive grandfather and Angelina.

Sixth Form French Students to see Tugdual Denis

rench A Level students mixed linguistics with politics at a talk given by French political The movie begins with César journalist, Tugdual Denis. The talk and Sébastien exploring the focused mainly on the party ‘Le Front French Alps in search of “The National’ and the remarkable story of Beast” who is killing César’s the Le Pen family from the party’s and other farmers’ animals in formation in 1972, under the the town of Saint Martín. controversial leadership of Jean-Marie Sébastien later on in the movie Le Pen, through to the recent election finds “The Beast” and washes with his daughter Marine, and how the the animal in the river. The party might lead forward with beast’s becomes clean Image 2 -fur Sixth Form linguists and CJH at the Modern Audiovisual Translation workshop Marine’sImage niece3 -Marion. Students were Languages instead ofDebates mangled fur with interested to learn how the party has years wear from wandering adapted and evolved so much since through the Alps. Sébastien then decides to call the beast Belle as that is Beautiful in French.

its early days, in terms of rhetoric, policy and the differing styles of the leaders themselves; from the rarelycredible and caricatured figure of Jean-Marie, to the talented orator and populist Marine. They were equally fascinated to realise the similarities (and also differences) between politics in France, the UK and in the US. Lower Sixth Former Johnny Coniam commented, “We all really enjoyed the evening, not just as a chance to learn moreImage about politics and 4 -French Poster for journalism, L'Odyssée but also Film as a useful opportunity to improve our French.”

Image 2 - Sixth Form linguists and CJH at the Mode Languages Debates

Image 1 - Belle et Sébastien film poster

Later on in the film the hunters are still after “The Beast” who we now know as Belle. One of the dozens of men trying to shoot her successfully does so and injures her hind legs. Form French students and She later on also manages toImage save6 -aSixth family with a girl the CJH with Tugdual Denis same age as Sébastien cross the border to Switzerland. Belle has one last job to do which is to cross the family over safely in the dead of night on one of the most dangerous paths in the Alps.

- Belle et Sébastien film poster

Toward the end of the film the whole of the Fourth Form were completely in love with Belle and what she had overcome in the film with multiple results, so everyone after said that it had a very gripping meaning behind it and they Image 5 - Poster for University of Bath visit all enjoyed the film and would love to see the sequel sometime soon. Charlotte Read

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Image 10 - German Students Christmas Gingerbread Houses

Image 7 - Poster for UK Linguistics Olympiad Image 8 - Toby Pallister and Johnny Coniam in Oxford for the Modern Languages Study Day

Image 9 - Poster for Le Redoutable

We all really enjoyed the evening, not just as a chance to learn moreFrench about French politics and and Image 6 - Sixth Form students journalism, but also as a useful opportunity to CJHImagewith Tugdual Denis Image 12 - Students and Teachers in the 11 - Fourth Form Group climbing Plaza Mayor, Salamanca improve our French one of Salamanca's Cathedrals

Im L

academichighlights

e 1 - Belle et Sébastien film poster

NOVEMBER / NOVIEMBRE / NOVEMBRE / NOVEMBER

DECEMBER / DICIEMBRE / DÉCEMBRE / DEZEMBER

Image 6 - Sixth Form French students and CJH with Tugdual Denis

Image 7 - Poster for UK Linguistics Olympiad

Weihnachten - Gingerbread house making competition erman made a long-awaited return to the curriculum in September 2016 with a group of L6 students choosing to learn the language as an enrichment option. As a second group got going in 2017, a group of four of the originals continued into the U6 and sat their GCSE in the summer of 2018. As well as learning how to buy that all important Bratwurst and discuss Image the offside rule (in simple terms of 4 - Poster for course), students enjoyed grappling with word L'Odyssée Film order, the case system and compound nouns and we still found time to make gingerbread houses atImage Christmas. 1 - Belle et Sébastien film poster

Image 2 - Sixth Form linguists and CJH at the Modern Image 3 - Audiovisual Translation workshop MODERN LANGUAGES DEBATES Languages Debates The two teams of Aaron Osmond and age 5 - Poster for University Hannah Bettelley for Spanish, and Grace Bath visit Starling and Olivia Cross for French, put in a strong performance at this year’s Cheltenham Sixth Form Language Debates. 10 - German Students Christmas The debates were topical and unknown in ImageJANUARY / ENERO / JANVIER / JANUAR Gingerbread Houses advance, with competitors given just ten UNIVERSITY OF BATH VISIT minutes to prepare their ideas and their language for each motion. Debating in a nrico Cecconi from the University of Bath came to foreign language is a real challenge and our talk to the MFL Society about the importance of teams excelled under pressure and were languages in the modern world and where they clear in their views, even when our Lower can take us. Students from Dean Close were joined by team camestudents across stiff opposition visitors from Pate’s Grammar School and Bournside Image 6 - SixthSixth Form French and Image 7 - Poster for UK against Upper Sixth competitors from other CJH with Tugdual Denis School for a fascinating talk in which Enrico talked Linguistics Olympiad schools. Although our teams could not enthusiastically about the job opportunities a replicate our previous success at the event, command of a modern language can bring. they flew the flag for Dean Close and had He spoke to us about theImage courses8 on offerPallister at the - Toby a great evening putting their linguistic skills in the University of Bath and his and ownJohnny route toConiam becoming to use. Oxford the Modern polyglot he is today. Many of ourfor students stayed Languages Study Day behind to ask questions about the courses on offer and it was a thought-provoking chance to consider their future paths.

Sixth Form Lectures in Bristol

Image 10 - German Students Christmas group of Sixth Form Gingerbread Houses

students travelled to Bristol for a series of lectures offered by the

Association for Language Learning (ALL). Experts in the fields talked to

us about El patrimonio cultural, arquitectura y arte (Spanish) and Le bénévolat (French). It was a great opportunity to discover more about these A Level topics and to speak with students from other schools about their thoughts on the topics.

Image 8 and Joh Oxford f Languag

Image 11 - Fourth Form Group climbin one of Salamanca's Cathedrals

Image 9 - Poster for Le Redoutable Image 5 - Poster for University of Bath visit

French Film Evening - Belle et Sébastien 2

elle et Sébastien 2: L’Aventure Continue is a heart-warming sequel to the first Belle et Sébastien film. The story revolves around a charming little orphan boy, Sébastien, and his loyal dog, Belle, from a small villageImage in the Alps. 12 - Students and Teachers in the Image 11 - When Fourththe Form Group climbing plane carrying Sébastien’sPlaza missing Mayor, Salamanca one of Salamanca's Cathedrals friend Angelina crashes into a hillside, he runs away with Belle in the hopes of finding her. However, they need a plane to be able to search from above, and as Sébastien is a poor orphan child, they cannot afford one - so instead, they enlist the help of the unreliable Pierre, who also happens to be Sébastien’s long-lost father. On the way, Belle and Sébastien make several new friends and see a side of the world they had never even imagined. When Pierre abandons them, Belle, Sébastien, and their new friend Gabriele climb many mountains and hills independently to search for Angelina - promising to only give up when she was found, one way or another. This film is gripping, sweet, and perfect for a family. Its twists and turns make it one of the best films I have seen all year, and I encourage anyone who is taking French to watch it too! Hattie Gammon

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MAY / MAYO / MAI / MAI OXFORD FRENCH FILM COMPETITION ur Sixth Form French students stretched themselves outside their comfort zones to write alternative endings - in French - for the film Des Hommes et des Dieux. This is a demanding film that requires considerable background cultural knowledge or research in order to be best appreciated. Max Thomas (Dale) was highly commended by the judges for his superbly written piece.

Modern

Image 3 - Audiovisual Translation workshop iss Villiers organised a French film underwater

FEBRUARY / FEBRERO / FÉVRIER / FEBRUAR

UK LINGUISTICS OLYMPIAD

Image 2 - Sixth Form linguists and CJH at the Modern Languages Debates

French Film Evening: ‘L’Odyssée’

evening for the Fourth Form to see L’Odyssée.

The film opens in 1948 when Jacques-Yves Cousteau, his wife and sons live in paradise in a nice house overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. But Cousteau dreams of adventure. With his invention of scuba gear that can breathe underwater, he discovered a new world. Now he wants to explore this world. And for that, he is ready to sacrifice everything. Image 3 - Audiovisual Translation workshop Overall I thought this film was very interesting and I enjoyed watching it. A lot of my friends would say the same. This film was so captivating mainly because of the quality of the cinematography which really gave us an incredible insight into

Image 4 - P L'Odyssée F

life. We followed the subtitles because the dialogue was in French but this did not detract from our enjoyment.

Imageor4you - Poster for a If you speak French don’t speak L'Odyssée Film word, I definitely recommend seeing this film. It will give you an insight into the deep sea. The film is so inspiring and very moving, it is definitely a must-see film! Phoebe Channing

Audiovisual Translation Workshop

e were delighted to welcome accurately describing the actions whilst Carme Calduch and Eli Vilar keeping up with the images on screen from the Department of made the group reflect about this type Image 6 - Sixth Form French students and Modern Languages and Cultures at of ‘translation’ and the decisions they Image this competition, students had to solve a 7 - Poster for UK CJH with TugdualorDenis Queen Mary University of London. needed to make. It was a great activity Linguistics Olympiad series of linguistic data problems, which this to stretch our Sixth Formers beyond the Eli Vilar first spoke about the School of year included the Austronesian language curriculum and show them language Languages, Linguistics and Film at the Fijian, the Gilbertese language (an Austronesian Image 8then - Toby Pallisterapplied to a different Image 9purpose. - Poster for Le university. Carme Calduch language spoken in Kiribati), N’ko script (used and Johnny Coniam in Redoutable introduced the group to the idea of across a range of West African nations), and Oxford for the Modern audio description, Languages narration tracks Icelandic. All students performed admirably and Study Day intended primarily for blind and visually got to grips with some very challenging impaired consumers of visual media. problems. We hope that some of these students Her talk entitled “Close your eyes, I will will compete at Advanced Level next year. see things for you” was followed by a The following pupils sat at Intermediate Level in hands-on session in which smaller teams February and were commended as follows: attempted to describe a brief video in AARON OSMOND: Silver Spanish or French. The challenges of

Image 7 - Poster for UK Linguistics Olympiad

AMANDA CHINYE: Bronze

ELLIOT BANCROFT: Bronze mage 10 - German Students Christmas Gingerbread Houses 76 - DECANIAN 2017/18

Image 8 - Toby Pallister and Johnny Coniam in Oxford for the Modern Languages Study Day

Image 9 - Po Redoutable

- Students and TeachersTranslation in the Image 2 - Sixth Form linguists and CJH at the Modern Image 12 Image 3 - Audiovisual workshop Image 11 - Fourth Form Group climbing Plaza Mayor, Salamanca Languages Debatesone of Salamanca's Cathedrals

a the Modern Oxford for ay s Study D La ngua ge

academichighlights

JUNE / JUNIO / JUIN / JUNI

Modern Languages Image 4 - Poster for Study Day: L'Odyssée Film Exeter College, Oxford

ovisual Translation workshop

mas

ars

Image 14 - Churros con chocolate for breakfas

and Johnny Coniam in“I enjoyed the second Redoutable Toby commented, Oxford for the Modern seminar on French Caribbean literature because Languages Study Day it was an aspect of the French speaking world completely new to me, something I’d never really considered. I was able to develop a greater understanding for the language application process at Oxford and also massively benefitted from the tour which gave me first hand insight on student life.” Johnny added, “I particularly enjoyed learning about linguistics, a subject which I had hitherto not encountered and one about which I now want to find out more.”

rm Group climbing Cathedrals

hers in the

wo of our L6 and Teac - Students 2 1 e g a students, Toby Im a n ca yor, Salam a M g a in z b la lim Pallister (Field) P c orm Group and Johnny Coniam - Fourth F ls ra d e th Image 11 ca's Ca (Dale) attended a n a m la a S o ne of Modern Languages Study Day at Exeter College, Oxford. First, they attended talks about the French Course at Oxford, before attending sample seminars on an JULY / JULIO / JUILLET / JULI introduction to linguistics and French Caribbean authors after decolonisation. Image 8 - Toby Pallister Image 9 - Poster for Le

TRIP11 TO-SALAMANCA Image Fourth Form Group climb one of Salamanca's Cathedrals ifty-three students in the Fourth Form, Remove, Fifth Form and Lower Sixth enjoyed a packed week in the beautiful Spanish city of Salamanca. Students were warmly welcomed by Spanish host families in the city who treated them to a taste of the Spanish lifestyle, including some great food. Each morning, our students attended lessons at a language school before having the chance to explore the city and take part in numerous different activities. Highlights from the week included a guided night tour of the city, climbing one of the city’s cathedrals, a salsa dancing class, two afternoons at the swimming pool, a cooking class, a

Image 12 - Students and Teachers in the Plaza Mayor, Salamanca

‘microtheatre’ performance, and a breakfast of churros con chocolate. And, of course, a chance to watch the World Cup matches in the beautiful surroundings of the Plaza Mayor! Kate Smart (Hatherley) commented, “I really enjoyed the trip to Salamanca and it was a great opportunity to experience the culture there. My favourite activity was the salsa dancing. It was a really fun activity to do after lessons. I think that the best thing was staying with the families, especially when they don’t speak much English. I also really enjoyed having the freedom to walk around Salamanca.” We cannot wait until our next trip in 2020!

French Film Evening: ‘Redoubtable’, Guildhall, Gloucester

Image 4 - Poster for L'Odyssée Film

group of Sixth Form linguists travelled to Gloucester to the Guildhall to see a showing of Michel Hazanavicius’s biopic of Jean-Luc Godard, the nouvelle vague director who himself called the film’s production a Image “stupid, 9 - Posterstupid for Le idea”. Set in May 1968 against the Redoutable backdrop of the civil unrest and student protests in Paris, it was a fascinating glimpse into contemporary France and the life of this controversial director and how he struggled to remain relevant later in his career. For those who had seen some of Godard’s films, the allusions to his style were a welcome inside joke and a useful reminder of the A Level topic of le septième art.

Image 14

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Image 17 - Fourth Form Salsa Porter Image 13- Lower Sixth Karaoke stars phne Bennett ost mother

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77 - DECANIAN 2017/18

academichighlights

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY upils this year have really caught the Computer Aided Design Bug with pupils in Year 10 getting to grips with the Laser and 3D printing facilities at DCS. We are the proud owner of two 3D printers and both have been used extensively in the manufacture of vital parts of GCSE, AS and A Level projects. Pupils develop their skills over a number of short designing and making activities in Year 9 & 10, building in confidence and interest as their ability to use 2D and 3D industry standard software grow.

A range of projects that showcased the skills of the individuals were on display at Commem, with examples of Year 9 Salad Servers and Jewellery Boxes ; Year 10 projects such as the ever popular Jelly Bean Dispenser, Acoustic Speaker and Hanging Basket Bracket show the great attention to detail that a design education can offer. Be sure to look out for Harvey Brown’s watch display unit, The floor lamps produced by Harry Phillips and Toby Hitchens would not look out of place in most homes and Dan Barrow’s 78 - DECANIAN 2017/18

tool storage /workbench unit would be a good addition to any DIY enthusiast’s garage. The bench models by Lily Hill, Monty Lewis, Kieran Cooper, Pheobe Wharton, Sam Crichton and Toby Haines are a genuine use for 1/3 scale Artists mannequins. Toby is also displaying the fruits of his EPQ project where he investigated ‘How versatile is wood in furniture manufacturing?” Further to these are an array of GCSE projects; Sumire Kaimori’s CNC cut jardinière is a very good example of fine tech and traditional wood working blended. Jewellery boxes by Zac Truscott and Maxinne Huybreckx would command good prices in a boutique shop, as would the knife storage blocks that Jeffery Lin and Joshua Brooks have lovingly made. I am proud of the efforts of all that have passed though the department this year. Please come in and take the opportunity to have a good look at just what is cooking in Product Design Technology (was the old school kitchens). D Evans

academichighlights

Religious Studies he 2017-18 academic year has seen a great deal of change in the Religious Studies Department. With the changes in GCSE and A Level, the old system of taking the GCSE exam a year early is no longer viable and so the subject has gone into the option blocks along with all the other subjects. Numbers have been good with one third of the year group opting to take the subject at GCSE. The pupils taking the new A Level have certainly seen a difference in the style of writing and amount of subject knowledge required in order to attain the top grades. The new GCSE is studied from both a Christian and Islamic perspective. There is a much larger emphasis on assessing arguments rather than simply giving opinions and so the pupils have enjoyed the challenge of “pulling apart” the work of noted Philosophers and Theologians such as Plato, William Paley, and St Thomas Aquinas.

The department has been busy over the year seeking ways to enhance the learning experience. All the A Level students

were taken to Bristol Cathedral to see the legend that is Dr Peter Vardy. As the former VicePrincipal of Heythrop College, Dr Vardy brings a great deal of academic gravitas as well as showmanship to his presentations and all the pupils were energised by this day long conference. The department also had a visit from Mrs Laura Mears, a former Head of RS at Dean Close, who delivered a session to the Upper Sixth on exam technique. Her rather more “hands-on” approach resulted in the students learning a dance to help them remember key passages of the Bible, something which most of them had not experienced before. For the 4th Form, the highlight of the year is the “Places of Worship” visit which takes place as part of the Citizenship Week at the end of the Trinity Term. The pupils visited the Birmingham Buddhist Centre, the Shree Geeta Bhawan Hindu Mandir and St Chad’s Cathedral before finishing at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara for a traditional Langar lunch. It was a long day with much to take in but the pupils very much enjoyed the chance to visit places which were outside their usual experiences. D Mochan 79 - DECANIAN 2017/18

Throughout the academic year the science department has sought to support pupils’ applications and extend their perception of science. To this effect we have run biochemistry academichighlights sessions for the sixth form and we are looking forward to welcoming Chosen Hill and ethics School to these sessions next year as part of our science outreach program. The fourth form have taken part in the annual ‘Famelab’ competition, where the students have 5 minutes to explain a scientific concept without using any visual presentations and congratulations must go to Jason Perry for winning the school competition. We have welcomed Fiona Harvey from ‘Bridge to Life’ (photo supplied of Fiona Harvey and the Bridge to life logo) to Dean Close who gave us a fascinating talk on how harvested organs are transported from storage to the site of the transplant and how the different fluids that ‘Bridge to Life’ supply, keep the organs viable.

SCIENCE

017 and 2018 has been a busy Table bookmarks) the Dean Close WE HAVE time in the Dean Close team shared their knowledge about WELCOMED FIONA Science Department and all of the science of sound and the elements HARVEY FROM the three sciences continue to that make up our extraordinary planet. ‘BRIDGE TO LIFE’ be vibrant places for learning Throughout the week the stand proved TO DEAN CLOSE as highlighted by the fact that a very incredibly popular as pupils, teachers WHO GAVE US A high percentage of the Upper Sixth and parents visited from far and wide. FASCINATING TALK have gone on to study science related “Wow, that’s amazing! Incredible, ON HOW degrees at university. Particular mention weird!” Were just some of the visitors’ HARVESTED should go to Joshua Stott, Alexander responses as visitors could test their Vinokurov and Rei Chin who accepted ORGANS ARE sensory skills by placing a straw over offers from either Oxford or TRANSPORTED the end of a metal rod, which was Cambridge this year and our three FROM STORAGE attached to a speaker, which was, in successful medics (Rei Chin, Jonny TO THE SITE OF THE turn plugged into a MP3 player, visitors Woods and Henry Elsey) plus Isaac TRANSPLANT AND could experience hearing music Crawford-Poxon for being offered an through their jaw bone. Other activities HOW THE apprenticeship at GE, an extremely on the stand were the demonstration DIFFERENT FLUIDS competitive position to be offered. of amplifying sound from an old THAT ‘BRIDGE TO Throughout all three of the sciences the pupils have the opportunity to the really stretch fashioned record player using a paper Throughout the academic year LIFE’ SUPPLY, KEEP their understanding, with frequent opportunities to take part in Department Olympiads and the gramophone. Once again visitors were Science has sought to Cambridge THE ORGANS amazed by the clarity of the music support pupils’ applications and University Chemistry Challenge. VIABLE once the gramophone was put in extend their perception of science. To One of our big commitments during the year is our presence at the Cheltenham place. effect we have run biochemistry Science Festival, where we have a permanently mannedthis stall in the ‘Discover Zone’ situated and ethics sessions for the Sixth Form Finally, pupils and parents could make in the Town Hall covering all areas of science, Physics (Soundwaves), Biology (How the ear and we are looking forward to their own Periodic Table bookmarks. works) and Chemistry (Periodic Table bookmarks) the Dean Close team shared their welcoming Chosen Hill School to these Choosing letters from the Periodic knowledge about the science of sound and the elementssessions that make up next year as our part ofextraordinary our table, they could personalise science outreach program. planet. bookmarks or make one for a friend or Throughout the week the stand proved incredibly The popular as have pupils, and family member. Fourth Form taken teachers part in the parents visited from far and wide. “Wow, that’s amazing! annual Incredible, Were ‘Famelab’ weird!” competition, wherejust some The Dean Close stand was also the students minutes toaexplain of the visitors’ responses as visitors could test their sensory skillshave by 5placing straw over the featured on the ITV News, West a scientific without using anyintoDecanian end of a metal rod, which was attached to a speaker, which was,concept in turn plugged a MP3Science Country. Science Teacher, Crystal Lewis visual presentations and player, visitors could experience hearing music through their jaw bone. Other activitiesspoke on to the reporter, explaining “Our 2017 and has been congratulations must go2018 to Jason Perrya busy time in the Dean Close Science Department and all future is in the ofas thehighlighted next the stand were the demonstration of amplifying sound from an old fashioned record player of the three sciences continue to be vibrant places for hands learning by the fact that for winning the school competition. generation soonthese kindscience of events are degrees at a very high percentage of the upper sixth have gone to study related university. Particular to Joshua Alexander Vinokurov and Rei Chin forStott, engaging them. We hope We have welcomed Fiona mention Harvey should from goessential who accepted offers from either Oxford or Cambridge this year and our three successful the children andIsaac parents who have for being ‘Bridgemedics to Life’(Rei to Dean Chin,Close Jonnywho Woods and Henry Elsey) plus Crawford-Poxon an apprenticeship at GE, an extremely competitive position to be visited our stand know a little bitoffered. more gave usoffered a fascinating talk on how Throughout the academic year the science department has sought to support pupils’ about the science sound harvested organs are applications andtransported extend their from perception of science. To thisofeffect weand havethe run biochemistry purpose the periodic and willChosen Hill storageand to the sitesessions of the transplant and ethics for the sixth form and we areoflooking forwardtable to welcoming to these next to year as be partinspired of our science program. to findoutreach out more.” how theSchool different fluidssessions that ‘Bridge The fourth form have taken part in the annual ‘Famelab’ competition, where the Life’ supply, keep the5organs students have minutesviable. to explain a scientific without using any visual Then, toconcept cap a very successful year in presentations and congratulations must go to Jason Perry for winning the school Throughout all three of the sciences the science, the team welcomed a large competition. have welcomed Fiona Harvey fromof‘Bridge Life’ (photo of Fiona group Year 7topupils to thesupplied labs in our pupils have theWe opportunity to really Harvey and the Bridge to life logo) to Dean Close who gave us a fascinating talk on how ‘Round the Clock’ activities ranging stretch their understanding, with harvested organs are transported from storage to the site of the transplant and how the from using meeting the animals frequentdifferent opportunities to‘Bridge take part in supply, fluids that to Life’ keep themotors, organs viable. to making slime in the labs. Olympiads and the Cambridge University Chemistry Challenge.

ramophone. Once again visitors were amazed by the clarity of the music phone was put in place. nd parents could make their own Periodic Table bookmarks. Choosing letters c table, they could personalise bookmarks or make one for a friend or family

an Close stand was also featured on the ITV News, West Country. Science al Lewis spoke to the reporter, explaining “Our future is in the hands of the so these kind of events are essential for engaging them. We hope the rents who have visited our stand know a little bit more about the science of purpose of the periodic table and will be inspired to find out more.” (Picture

One of our big commitments during the year is our presence at the Cheltenham Science Festival, where we have a permanently manned stall in the ‘Discover Zone’ situated in the Town Hall covering all areas of science, Physics (Soundwaves), Biology (How the ear works) and Chemistry (Periodic

cap a very successful year in science, the team welcomed a large group of Throughout all three of motors, the sciences the pupils have the opportunity to really stretch the labs80 - DECANIAN in our ‘Round the Clock’ activities ranging from using 2017/18 their understanding, with frequent opportunities to take part in Olympiads and the Cambridge University Chemistry Challenge. mals and making slime in the labs. One of our big commitments during the year is our presence at the Cheltenham Science Festival, where we have a permanently manned stall in the ‘Discover Zone’ situated

library

FLECKER LIBRARY CELEBRATIONS 2017/18 It is rarely a slow day in the Library; information travels fast in the 21st Century and so do we, but some days are bigger than others. Here are a few of our year’s best…

Banned Books Week (24th September)

Storytelling Day (25th June) World Book Day (1st March) Also known as the Librarian’s Christmas, our yearly celebration of books (banned or otherwise) and reading started as any other: with a fantastic book sale sponsored by Waterstones and an obscene number of Krispy Kreme donuts to sweeten the deal. Whence followed the slugfest of the year: the Beast from the East vs Dean Close and awarding- winning author Kathryn Evans. Considering the conditions, few writers, perhaps, would have followed through with the appearance, but Mrs Evans was due to give a talk on writing and resilience and the die was cast. Practising what she preached, she did just that, though what started as a Y11 workshop became an impromptu wholeschool event, as we gathered in the Bacon Theatre, snow-boots and all, to be warmed by her inspiring words. The undisputed winner: Dean Close.

Rounding off the year and kicking off our Fourth Form Citizenship week was our annual celebration of how stories shape our world and bind us together. As Terry Pratchett noted, our species is erroneously named - ‘wise man’ (Homo sapiens) is far less fitting than Pan narrans, the ‘storytelling ape’, - an insight given rising precedence as academics and anthropologists increasingly see this innovation as key to humanity’s own story of survival and dominance. Our visiting speakers this year encompassed three very different modes of storytelling: novelist GP Taylor captivated audiences again with his creative writing workshops; Beano cartoonist Kev F Sutherland taught pupils than anyone can draw stories in his Comic Art Masterclass; and journalist and news anchor John Young challenged a new generation in regard to the ethics, and dangers, of news and reportage. Each provided pupils with a new set of skills and inspirations to take with them into the summer, asking the question: what stories will they tell?

Our first event of the year may be our most important: celebrating the freedom to read. Standing with the Banned Books Week Coalition (an alliance of libraries, authors, publishers, teachers, schools, and artistic advocates), we highlighted the power books have to stand up to the powerful, the challenges they face and the differences they make. Pupils and staff explored an all too wide-ranging and startling selection of the bold, brash and, at times, brutal, voices that continue to speak to the truth that the pen can indeed be mightier than the sword.

A Farewell and a Welcome This year also saw the departure of our amazing Assistant Librarian, Miss Bailey, who has now taken on her own library at neighboring St Edward’s School. Miss Bailey has been an incredible asset to the library and will be dearly missed, though we wish her the very best in her new role and responsibilities, for which we well know she will be more than capable. We need no longer feel diminished, however, as we have now welcomed our new Librarian, Miss Prosser, who brings a whole new set of skills to the table and will no doubt add even more to all that we seek to offer. Certainly, there is more to follow and some even bigger days ahead... watch this space. Z Suckle 81 - DECANIAN 2017/18

trips

WW1 BATTLEFIELDS ver half term, 18 GCSE History pupils visited France and Belgium on the annual History Department ‘Battlefields of the First World War’ tour. The trip, designed to complement and support their GCSE studies, provided the opportunity to visit various sites and battlefields in the Somme and Ypres region. Over three days the group visited sites from some of the major conflicts in the Western Front, walked the battlefields themselves, visited cemeteries and memorials to get a sense of the scale of the conflict, explored restored and historic trenches, and even did a bit of dressing up and handling of First World War equipment! We were fortunate

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to be able to visit the graves and memorials of a number of the students’ relatives, some in wellknown locations, such as Thiepval Memorial, and others in less visited and rather hidden away locations. Ably led by our tour guide and the superbly researched “We will remember them”, Charles Whitney’s survey of ODs who died in the two world wars, we were also able to visit and pay our respects to a number of former pupils who died in the war. All told, the trip will certainly have enhanced and furthered the pupils’ understanding of their GCSE course, but most importantly it provided a timely opportunity to engage with and reflect upon the legacy of the war. J Sheldon

trips

EDINBURGH HOCKEY TOUR he tour took place over three days in half term. We (Gary Tredgett, Kate Milne, Ben Mackey and Paul Montgomery) took 13 girls from Remove to UVIth and stayed in Edinburgh for two nights, during which period we played matches against Strathallan School, Mary Erskine School and Uddingston Hockey Club. We also played a ‘friendly’ with a reduced side against Repton on the way home. On tour in Scotland,

we recorded three wins out of three. Visiting Strathallan was particularly memorable, as we were able to meet up with former Dean Close teachers Mr. Hamill, Mr. Kent and Mr. McGowan, and we enjoyed dinner after the match with all their coaches and players. Katie Humphreys scored a hat trick in the game, and was awarded man of the match. At Mark Erskine, we were umpired by former colleague Mr. Talbot, and in a close fought game, Captain Jess Thomas scored a hat trick to secure our victory. The same

evening, we played Uddingston and secured our final win. Alongside the hockey, the girls enjoyed some free time in Edinburgh, looking around the city and seeing the university, and numerous team meals. There was great team spirit and camaraderie, for which, all credit to Captain Jess Thomas and Vice Captain Maddie Pendle, who kept everyone entertained with songs and games on the long coach trips!

mini oxford A group of Sixth Form Product Design Technologists travelled to the BMW Mini production facility at Cowley, near Oxford. The site, which began with the production of the Morris Oxford in 1913 and manufactured MG cars for many years, is currently home to the production of the third generation Mini. The group toured the Body in White facility and at one point stood on a gantry, surveying 360 degrees of the continuous movement of 2100+ robots, all busily picking, moving and welding the body shells of vehicles as they moved along the production line. It was quite a sight to be surrounded by £10.5m+ of unceasing robotic manufacture and really brought aspects of the curriculum to life to see just how the parts are combined.

The pupils then went on to look at how Lean Manufacture and Just-inTime production methods are used in the assembly plant, where overall it takes a Mini around 28 hours to go from a highly scheduled set of parts to a running vehicle, with over 95% working from first start. Quality control, logistics and team work were highlighted and it was quite mind blowing to see how the planning and scheduling, from six weeks before, was played out. Head of Product Design Technology, Dom Evans, said: “The group were given a real insight into how the use of technology helps build each car and how its ‘DNA’ of data supports every stage; from the time

and power used in each weld to the smooth running of the assembly line, data was collected and stored. The facility’s environment was safe, clean and highly organised as one would expect. Our thanks to all at BMW Cowley but especially John Strange our guide for the afternoon”.

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trips

SKI

he ski trip this year proved as popular as ever, with 60 pupils from Year 10 to Upper Sixth travelling to St Michael in Lungau, Austria. The 4:00am start on the first day of the Christmas break left most of the group bleary-eyed but once they had landed in Slovenia and passed through a mountain tunnel and out in to a winter wonderland the early morning was forgotten. There was already plenty of snow on the ground and that evening, as the pupils collected their ski equipment, there was another heavy snowfall.

There were plenty of snowball fights that evening and it also meant that our first day on the mountains yielded more fresh powder than we could have hoped for. On the first morning pupils split in to ski instruction groups for five hours of tuition a day. The ‘elite’ group were rarely seen and only then fleetingly on account of their speed and technique which refined throughout the week. Groups 2a and 2b tended to be heard before they were seen, such was their enjoyment of the slopes. Groups 3 and 4 made fantastic technical progress during the week and were in the perfect place for people who wanted to be challenged but also enjoy the view. The beginners’ group started out on blue runs and, 84 - DECANIAN 2017/18

trips

TRIP We were in the perfect place for people who wanted to be challenged but also enjoy the view through determination and resilience, were hitting the blacks by day three. The instructors all spoke about how brilliant our students were; they all listened, pushed hard, were polite and looked out for each other. The fun didn’t stop on the mountain! The après ski activities included bowling (Austrian style), an ice cream night, swimming, movie/board game night and presentation evening. There was also a collective sigh of relief when they discovered that there was a ‘Hofer’ (Austrian Aldi) supermarket within walking distance of the hotel. Trip leader, Alan Spring-Wallis, said: “The students were positive, enthusiastic and excellent company throughout the trip and a credit to their school. Thanks must go Mrs Davis, Mr Cradock, Miss Gordon, Mr Stanley, Miss Stewart and Miss Paterson for their invaluable support.” 85 - DECANIAN 2017/18

ccf

CCF

range of skills and techniques for Fire lighting, Safe knife work and an inter-contingent team relay in the afternoon really pulling the groups together, with the rank underdogs coming in a very respectable second place.

Army and RAF Summer Camp

Okehampton 2018 he Cadets assembled on Saturday 23rd June to travel to Devon for their annual summer training camp. Nervous of what was to be, but evidently excited for the challenges ahead, they arrived on camp ready to give the week their utmost efforts.

Combat Training Shoot, Drill and a Paintball Close Quarter Battle lane. With very hot weather, the concern of heat injury was in everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mind so the mantra of sun cream and water was adopted early with all buying into this from the start. The sections worked hard at each stand and were complimented on their efforts.

Sunday saw the contingent in camp for a series of eight activities including Casualty Simulation, Navigation & Leadership Exercise, Section Attacks, a Climbing Wall, a Dismounted Close

All the cadets were of a basic level of training and so when pushed onto the Military Skills day they had to go from 0-100% in very short order. With a couple of rehearsals under their belts they were then put to task with Snap Ambush and Section Attack drills in advance of a big push in the afternoon. The heat was relentless but so were the staff in ensuring that water was taken on board at every opportunity. Some were pushed up to their limit on this activity but all showed true grit and determination to give of their best for the whole day. Some were given lead appointments and although found it really challenging carried off the work with skill, showing their potential for leadership in the future. Survival and Leadership were the order of the day for Tuesday and the Cadets were shown a

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With the weather continuing to bake the North of Dartmoor, the cadets were pleased to hit the water on Wednesday with a trip to Roadford lakes where they were instructed in Sailing, Windsurfing, Stand Up Paddling and raft building. The wind blew constantly and the water was a cool refreshment after the previous few days in full uniform. Start Point near Exmouth was the location picked for the 5.56 Basic qualification shoot and the range team were able to bring the best out of all of the cadets and all passed the shoot. Best female shot was Emma Williams and best male shot was Louis Fleming. Interspersed were opportunities to socialise with in the ranks and with other schools where new friends were made not only with other UK schools but a contingent of Estonian, Lithuanian and Latvian cadets who were on an exchange camp over the week. Further to this the following cadets were given command appointments: P Benson, H Blunt, M Candy, B Rodgers, R Hellier, E Sharp, H Holdship, J Crathorn, I Mason, L Knox, I Barlow, G Grieves, J Basham, T Amess, B Limbrick, A Asher, R Mills Moore, R Swan, S Davies, J Pollard, O Moss, B Huxtable, V Leweni, M McCuaig, S Thekepat, G Coole. My thanks go to all of them for their efforts in helping with the smooth running of the week. D Evans

ccf

INTER HOUSE COMBINED CADET FORCE COMPETITION C adets from the Remove and Fifth Forms have been battlling it out in the Inter House Combined Cadet Force Competition. Teams of 14 from each House assembled to pit their wits against a range of physical and mental activities; drawing on initiative, ingenuity, innate skill and leadership. Each team was led by a Sixth Form NCO, with each and every cadet having the opportunity to demonstrate their skills at different points of the day.

The competition concluded with a medals parade and presentation, overseen by Old Decanian and current Governor, Major Ed Taylor RA, who was impressed by the ethic and enthusiasm shown by all

on parade. The competition winners were Brook Court for the second year in a row and the runners-up were Field. Fawley also celebrated winning the Drill Competition Cup for the fourth consecutive year.

Head of CCF, Major Dom Evans, said: “It is really good to see young people working together and having fun, often with unfamiliar faces, to achieve a common goal. The cadet experience is an excellent opportunity for individuals to develop a range life skills; namely leadership and teamwork that have been high on the agenda today.”

‘The competition winners were Brook Court for the second year in a row’

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dukeofedinburgh

AWARDS WERE AS FOLLOWS: Best Male Cadets: Harley Holdship & Barnaby Huxtable Best Female Cadets: Sydney Davies & Lucy Stocks Most Improved Cadets: Lorcan Knox & Evie Sharp Best NCO: Tilly Amess Most Enigmatic Cadet on Camp: Paco Arrisa de la Rosa

The Camp held an awards parade where Sydney Davies was awarded an award for Best Endeavour for her efforts during the AT package and all cadets were awarded an attendance medal. It was quite a sight to see all 320 cadets on parade from the eight units who were on camp that week. My thanks to the cadets for their individual efforts and to the Contingent Staff and instructors for their support. The staff and Instructors from 43Wx Bde Cadet training team really pulled out the stops this year to provide a safe and challenging experience for all in attendance. It will certainly live long in the memory for several reasons: The way in which the cadets stepped up and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;leaned inâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to the activities, the whole experience and the weather; I have never experienced such sunshine on Dartmoor. Major DD Evans

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dukeofedinburgh

Duke of Edinburgh he Duke of Edinburgh programme this year has been very busy with Bronze Expeditions. We have had a bumper year completing bronze expeditions for the removes and Fourth Form. 41 Removes and 70 Fourth Formers have all adventured into the Cotswolds this year.

The first Fourth Form practice expedition was unfortunately cancelled due to the snow and was rearranged; suddenly their two expeditions came on back to back weekends – hard core! The next weekend we did venture out in much nicer temperatures with the Removes. Camping down in Cranham the groups were set the task of cooking dinner, getting the tents set up, sleeping, then get up, pack up and walk back to school via Middle Pig Farm or Barrow Wake. The two assessed expeditions were great. The Fourth Form had quite a hike and arrived in the campsite from 5pm onwards, ready to put the tents up and cook some dinner. The Removes had different routes but definitely hotter weather. Everyone was in good spirits when we met them on the way, and there was a lot of trying to find extra water and everyone they met seemed to have a link to Dean Close – Thank you to the wider DC community! THE FIRST 4TH FORM PRACTICE EXPEDITION WAS UNFORTUNATELY CANCELLED DUE TO THE SNOW AND WAS REARRANGED; SUDDENLY THEIR TWO EXPEDITIONS CAME ON BACK TO BACK WEEKENDS HARD CORE!

All groups have to complete a presentation after their expedition and I often encourage them to write a song or rap while walking based on their experiences and linked to the group’s aim. I had some fantastic videos, articles and poems, but a couple of highlights was a song all about the different animals they saw on the way, and a harmonised layered song on all the tree types the group had seen.

Moments that have really highlighted how D of E is good include:

“I have never done it before but I’ve discovered I’m really good at map reading.” Fouth Form girl

½ mile out from Cheltenham racecourse, a girl didn’t think she would make it but the rest of the team carried her rucksack and she made it to the end - rucksacks are not light especially carrying another! Fourth Form girls group

“I love not having my phone” “It’s been really social” Highlights of the Duke of Edinburgh are definitely seeing all of the groups at the end arriving at the destination with a real sense of achievement - having been pushed out of their comfort zone. In the debrief, I often go round the team and get everyone to highlight what each member has brought to the expedition and it’s brilliant seeing them all being encouraging and finding the best in each other. This year we haven’t run any Gold Expeditions but they will be coming soon! It was a real pleasure to see photos of several ODs at Buckingham Palace meeting many royal and famous faces to gain their Gold Certificates. As ever, thank you so much to all the staff who have helped with the D of E this year – it would not have been possible without you and there are a lot of you!! From planning and kit, to walking, to time on checkpoints, to camping and driving minibuses! THANK YOU. 89 - DECANIAN 2017/18

sport

1ST XV

2ND XV

Sport 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 a very strong position. With over 100 fixtures taking place from 1st XV to the U14B we have put out 10 sides this year ensuring that all boys at every level have the opportunity to represent the school, of which over 200 boys did, which is fantastic. Outside our fantastic and experienced ‘Common Room’ we have been supported by external coaches in ex Gloucester and Worcester rugby player Lee Fortey, Gloucester rugby legend Terry Fanelua and Chris Lane, who have all brought along with them a great deal of experience, knowledge and enthusiasm to the rugby programme and I know that all of the boys have appreciated their input

The 1st XV welcomed last year’s Fifth Form into senior rugby as well as Dean Close new boys George Barton, Harvey Dickinson and Joe Lambon. The boys started fantastically well during pre-season and after a week’s training we headed down to the South Coast Rugby Festival at King’s School, Southampton full of confidence. After strong performances and good results against Bedford Modern, Bishop Wordsworth and Portsmouth Grammar schools, we found ourselves in the final against Beechen Cliff School. We rounded up what was a very positive week with a 12-0 win ensuring that we lifted the cup for the first time. The positive performances kept coming with strong wins 90 - DECANIAN 2017/18

against RGS Worcester, Magdalen College, Oxford and Bloxham School, however highlights from the first half of the term were the wins against St Peters (41-0) in the national cup and the 32-0 win against St Edward’s School Oxford. After the break we picked up where we left off with a 66-18 win against Malvern College in a day that saw all of our teams, both home and away, come away with wins which was great to witness. Highlight of the second half of term, however, was the 50-20 win against RGS High Wycombe in the last 32 of the National Cup which was played away. Frustratingly, we were not able to progress beyond the last 16 of the National Cup as we lost in a tough game against Bishops Wordsworth School who we had

RUGBY beaten previously during the pre-season programme. 30 boys have represented the 1st XV this year and everyone one of them has made the season an enjoyable and productive one with plenty of anticipation for next year. Our gratitude must go to Captain Ed Harvey who has led the boys superbly well this year, and even when faced with his own injury that kept him out for a long time, his leadership was clear to see. The Seconds and Thirds represented themselves very well over the term and the depth of rugby at the school at present is certainly better than in recent years. The Seconds had some really good battles and highlights were the wins against Bloxham (55-0) and the 5-0 win against Monmouth Boys’ School.

U15A

sport

U14A

The highlights for the 3rd XV were the 43-7 win against Bloxham School and the 36-7 win against Taunton School. The U16A group had a strong term overall winning 8 out of their 10 games which certainly highlighted the quality of player and team spirit within the group. Due to strong performances, Freddie Thomas, Matty Jones and James Humphreys were regulars in the 1st XV particularly during our cup run. This certainly allowed other boys to have the opportunity to play at A team level and the development of pupils such as Sam Basham and Toby Archard did not go unrecognised. Highlights of the season were 21-7 win against Malvern College and the 24-33 loss to St. Edward’s Oxford in which Mr Price was full of praise with regards to commitment and attitude which was very pleasing to hear. The U15 had another fantastic term playing 14 full fixtures as well as a further 5 fixtures in preseason. Unfortunately, the boys were not able to maintain their 100% win record from last year and lost to St Edward’s, Oxford by 2 scores however in the long run, now that they are free of that mind set, I am sure we will see greater development and resilience in what is a very positive year for the school’s overall rugby programme. The boys bowed out of the national NatWest Cup at the last 32 stage out of 600 schools to Cheltenham College by a last ditch try. We very much look forward to this group developing over the years to come as the challenge for higher honours both as a team and as individuals. The U14 group had a really tough start to their rugby experience which was not helped by injuries to Alex Chihota, Freddie Philip-Sorensen and Nick Schubach. With plenty of effort but only one positive result in the first half of the term it was fantastic to see the resilience of the group to bounce back and end up winning 50% of their fixtures overall which we are delighted with and

we very much look forward to this group progressing knowing what strength of character they have within them. Highlights of the season were certainly the 26-25 win against King Edward’s, Bath and the win against Malvern College (29-21) straight after the half term break. The rugby club is very proud of all those who represent the school and I thank all players for their support this year at every level. Special mention should go to the following boys who have challenged themselves at an elite level trying to better themselves and their rugby ability.

SENIORS England and Gloucester U18 George Barton

Gloucester U18

Rugby alongside last year’s 1st XV captain Tom Seabrook (Gate) who signed a three year contract whilst also getting England U20 recognition a year young. Tiff Eden (Dale and Gate) has recently signed for premiership newcomers Bristol Bears and we look forward to seeing how he develops in the premiership. Next year we once again look forward to welcoming new boys into all years and most notably into the Fourth Form and the Sixth Form. The fixture card has developed once more and we welcome new fixtures in Solihull School and Colston’s 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 to the school. I would like to wish, on behalf of the rugby programme, the U6 leavers all the very best for their futures and hope that they continue to play for many years to come. G Baber-Williams

Ed Harvey (c)

Tom Pearson

Archie Benson

Ethan Butterfield

Joe Lambon

Harvey Dickenson

Toby Pallister

Elliot Bancroft

Kieran Cooper

Josh Gray

Toby Haines

Gloucester U16 Freddie Thomas James Humphreys

Matty Jones Jay Watkins

We also have a number of boys in the U15 and U14 DPP Gloucester system who will be challenging themselves to ensure that they too get the opportunity to represent Gloucester in the future a U16, U18 level and beyond. We have been delighted to see Old Decanians doing so well in English rugby. Lloyd Evans (Dale) has recently extended his contract with Gloucester

U14B

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sport

Rugby 7s he Dean Close Senior Rugby 7’s preparation was disrupted by the weather this season with a number of tournaments being cancelled. Their first competitive outing of the season was at the County 7’s held at QEH’s playing fields. Despite a lack of tournament preparation, the boys got off to a positive start, playing well and winning their opening games. This included a particularly strong performance against Sir Thomas Rich’s where Dean Close won 32-0. The key game of the pool saw the unbeaten Dean Close face Clifton College. After starting strongly, Dean Close produced a number of scoring opportunities that were not finished. Clifton did not make the same mistake as they won the game and the tournament.

Dean Close Director of Rugby, Andrew Stanley, captured the feeling within the squad when he said; “The boys are disappointed that we did not capitalise on the early pressure applied on a very good Clifton side. We need to be more precise if we are to realise the obvious potential within the squad.” Dean Close prepared for the Rosslyn Park National Schools Sevens well in training. A good performance in the first pool game against Plymouth College set Dean Close up with an opportunity to face their nemesis from the XV’s season, Bishop Wordsworth in the second game. A slow start from Dean Close saw them go behind by two scores before touching the ball. Dean Close then hit their best form and battled back to press for the victory. Unfortunately, the opening exchanges allowed Bishop’s to hold on. Victories against Trinity College, Croydon and Prior Park, were not enough for Dean Close to progress to the knockout stages of the tournament. Director of Sport, Greg Baber-Williams, summed up the mood of the camp. “The boys will have the opportunity to learn from these experiences, as 75% of the squad were Lower Sixth pupils. If we do that, we have the potential to go well in this competition.”

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The boys will have the opportunity to learn from these experiences, as 75% of the squad were Lower Sixth pupils. If we do that, we have the potential to go well in this competition The U16s started their season off with a trip to the Wycliffe tournament. A young squad and came up against a strong Sir Thomas Rich’s squad. Building on that experience, Dean Close approached the County 7s at Bristol Grammar School in determined mood. Better performances ensured that they progressed into the latter stages of the competition. A strong squad was then assembled for the Rosslyn Park National Schools 7s. With positive outcomes in the first two games, including a 45-7 win over Queen Ethelburga’s, Dean Close went into the key game against Tonbridge School in good spirits. A very slow start saw Dean Close fall behind by 24 points. Dean Close then enjoyed long spells of pressure but could only convert that pressure into a single try. Needing to force matters in the later stages of they game, Dean Close conceded more points. Despite the slow start, the performance was positive against a strong Tonbridge side, that would go on to reach the semi finals of the tournament. The U14s season was hit hardest by the weather and they travelled to the RPNS 7’s as their opening tournament. However, they hit the ground running and produced a solid

performance to beat Plymouth College 22–0. They then faced Bromsgrove School, who need no introduction. Dean Close matched them and consistently bettered them in all areas and were leading with time up on the clock. However, a turnover was conceded allowing Bromsgrove to go into the lead with the final play of the game. Bromsgrove went on to reach the Plate semi final. The Dean Close boys won their last two games against Sherborne and Abraham Derby Academy convincingly, but were understandably disappointed not to advance to the second day of the competition. Director of Rugby, Andrew Stanley, described the mood of the squad after the final game of the RPNS 7s when he said; “The boys are disappointed that they were unable to get themselves into the second day of the competition. However, they could have seen the Bromsgrove game out but for a turnover. I am sure the boys will build on that experience. They have come a tremendously long way since the start of the rugby season. At Rosslyn Park they fronted up against some of the best schools in the country.” A Stanley

sport

Girls’Hockey The Girls’ Hockey term ended in May this year! It was an outstanding season with the Girls qualifying for 3 National Finals, which no other year had done in history. he Girls’ U18s qualified for the Indoor and Outdoor National Finals and the Girls U14s for the Outdoor Finals. The Girls’ U18s came 3rd equal in both the Indoor and outdoors in the country and the Girls’ U14s came 3rd equal too just missing out on the Final a remarkable achievement. Jess Thomas was selected for the England U18s squad and gained her first cap v Wales in May.

We had 10 sides playing this year and even though the first part of term with the new Astro being finished was challenging all the girls embraced the program and improved their skills and all round technical match play.

1ST XI

The 1st team really started training in the summer term with several girls spending time preparing for the season ahead which benefited the squad. We started with Pre Season at Rugby School and took a large squad to develop as many players as possible. This prepared the squads well for the start of term.

The 1st team had a strong season and, in school matches in a very strong fixture list, were tested in many matches. Jess Thomas captained the side and integrated all the new players to the squad well and led from the front in all matches. There were several highlights to the season with a 3.3 Draw with Cranleigh after being 3.0 down and a closely fought match v Repton in the school match. Issy Montgomery was outstanding at the back all season with Maddie Pendle dominating midfield with Jess Thomas and Danielle Gibson breaking all school records scoring 53 goals in one season an unbelievable achievement. The 2nd team had a mixed season but played some good hockey throughout the season and enjoyed training and matches. Notable results were a good draw away to Marlborough and a good win against Malvern. There were several players moving up and down from the first team, which sometimes meant the side was changing weekly. Kat Scott Payne had an outstanding season in goal with Jo Overstone and Phoebe Preece and Ava Costa Freeman controlling the 93 - DECANIAN 2017/18

sport 2ND XI

back. Ren Garcia Rodriguez worked hard in midfield with Pollyanna Harris. Izzy Moulding captained the side well. The 3rd team enjoyed the season and had some good wins against Cheltenham Ladiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; College and Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Taunton. Emily Rose Millward played well in goal with Olivia Coulthart controlling the back and with Rose Tingey and Amanda Chine playing well in midfield and Kate McCabe leading the attack the 3rds played some good hockey. The 4th team had notable wins against Rendcomb and Malvern and enjoyed their hockey with Tatiana Courlay and Megan Williams driving the side in matches with Eloise Taylor who played several 3rd team matches playing well in goal. The U16s had a difficult season and with several injuries during the season and several players also promoted to the 1st team the squad was disrupted at different times. Ellie Pietroni was outstanding in goal and Emily Smith and Georgia Hill defended well with Lucy Scudamore dominating midfield. Issy Blackburn used her pace well upfront with captain Emelia Lovegrove. The U15As had an good season and despite losing two players to the 1st team showed their character, resilience and quality in training and matches. They had notable wins against Malvern and Kingswood and played a good brand of hockey all term. The team was led well by Captain Imogen Mason with Harriet Minter and Lydia having good seasons in defence. Emily Stephens controlled the midfield and Sydney Davies played well up front. Several players moved up from the B side the previous year and played well. The 15Bs had a mixed season but enjoyed their hockey all season. They achieved several good wins and were captained by Abbey Tanega. Lily Talbot controlled the side from midfield and Romelle Mills-Moore was determined in all matches. 94 - DECANIAN 2017/18

The 14As had an outstanding season only losing one match all season - their first match when two of their players were playing in the 1st team! They had notable wins against Repton and Bradfield. Helena Montgomery controlled the side at the back with the Midfield trio of Fifi Russell, Louisa Neal and Susie Carter dominating in Midfield. Hannah Porter had a good season upfront. The U14Bs had a good season too improving during the season and had good wins against Malvern and Kingswood. Bella Stephens played well in goal and Valentina Alfonsi, Issy Tingey and Lily Griffiths also did well. The whole team showed character and learned so much as the season progressed. The 14Cs were an enthusiastic and determined squad who only had a few matches but won two of them convincingly with several players getting their chance in the Bs. Iona Hutton dominated the midfield with the whole team contributing during training and matches.

4TH XI

U15A

U15B

U14A

U14B

3RD XI

sport

U18s NATIONAL INDOOR GIRLS’ HOCKEY The Girls’ 18s travelled to Bromsgrove for the National Indoor Finals. They started with a match against Kent College and, in a game of changing score lines, Dean Close were 5.3 up only to be pegged back 5.5 in the last minute of the match. he second match was against Trent who had knocked out Repton and in an equally pulsating match the score was 5.5. In the last play of the match Jess Thomas scored to win. The third match was against Beaconsfield and yet again a close match ended with Danielle Gibson scoring from the last play to equalise and secure a 3.3 draw.

This all meant that a win against Queen Ethelburga’s would secure a semi final

spot and to win the group. Dean Close ran out 8.1 winners with Danielle Gibson scoring seven goals! The semi final was against a strong Framlingham School side but Dean Close dominated the first half and were 3.0 up before being begged back to 3.3 in the last seconds and taking the match to Penalties. Unfortunately, Dean Close lost the penalties and ended up Third in the country still a great achievement but so frustrating! Danielle Gibson was top scorer in the tournament with an incredible 14 goals and 7 more than anyone else.

U14s NATIONAL GIRLS’ HOCKEY FINAL ean Close U14 girls travelled to Lee Valley National Hockey centre in London for the National Hockey Finals after qualifying way back in November with a powerful West Finals win. The first match against Framlingham School was going to be crucial match for Dean Close. Dean Close started hesitantly but defended well and conceded several short corners, which Alice Howitt managed to block. Dean Close started to create some chances and from a good short corner move Fifi Russell scored. Framlingham then increased the pressure but some superb defending from Louisa Neal and Helena Montgomery with Susie Carter dominating the Midfield enabled the squad to see out a 1.0 win. The second match against St George’s Weybridge was an open and end to end match with St George’s taking the lead after 6 mins. Dean Close hit back though and equalised with a good strike at a short corner from Alice Howitt.

In the second half, Dean Close started to play some good hockey with Louisa Neal, Susie Carter and Hannah Porter causing problems for St George’s. Dean Close created chances but were not able to score and Phoebe Channing made good saves to keep St George’s at bay too. The game ended in a 1.1 draw with both sides still able to make the Final. Dean Close played Kirkham Grammar in their last match of the group and needed a result to give them a chance of making the Final.

What an incredible week for Dean Close Hockey on the National Stage

Dean Close played some good hockey in midfield but were not able to create chances and were caught out several times at the back and, after several excellent saves from Phoebe Channing, Kirkham scored. Dean Close tried hard to equalise and had several short corners but just couldn’t score. Phoebe Channing saved a Kirkham penalty and the game ended in a very disappointing 1.0 defeat which meant Dean Close ended 2nd in the Group and 3= in the country. The squad tried very hard and produced some good hockey but just stumbled at the final hurdle. The U14 girls have played some amazing hockey throughout the season and coming 3rd in the country is a great achievement. 95 - DECANIAN 2017/18

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Boys’ Hockey This year’s Boys’ Hockey term was exciting and successful but had many challenges with the weather. We had several Boys playing international hockey with James Hunt England U18s and Oli Smart, Ellis Robson and Jacob Payton playing England U16s. Theo Bancroft also played for Wales U16s. he Indoor season this year saw the U16 Boys after winning the West Finals, qualifying for the National Final against Whitgift and coming a close second in the country. The outdoor season was also very successful with the U16s also qualifying for the National Finals winning the West Finals and then getting through to the Final and coming 2nd in the country an outstanding achievement. The U18s Boys also had an outstanding campaign in the U18 National Knockout cup qualifying through to the Semi Finals for only the 3rd time in the school’s history and eventually ending up 4th in the country.

We were able to field 11 sides this year and all sides played and trained on the artificial turf, which led to improvement in skills and match play throughout the season. The 1st team had a good season with many new players coming into the squad this year. They started with a pre 96 - DECANIAN 2017/18

season tournament at Cranleigh School, which enabled the Squad to knit together and get some very important pre term matches. Losing so many players from last year’s squad enabled many players to come into the squad and under the excellent guidance of Captain James Hunt the squad prepared well. The school matches went well with only two loses and outstanding performances from Toby Pallister, Toby Hitchins and Elliot Bancroft enabled the younger and new players to the squad to integrate more easily. Toby Hitchins and Josh Stott again marshalled the defence well and with Jacob Melville Smith’s energy as a forward enabling the squad to be successful. The second team captained by Orly Giannini enjoyed a strong season with good wins over Bloxham and Magdalen and a very close match against Repton with Jamie Slatter-Drinkwater outstanding in goal with James Boden dominating the midfield. Harvey Brown and Jonny Woods had good seasons in defence with Artur Abramian’s skills opening up many

defences. Will Bunker and Harry Brookes played well as forwards and Will finished his Dean Close career with a fine goal v Repton after a superb pass from Orly Giannini to finish off a good season. The Thirds had a mixed season. We won more than we lost and ended up with a positive goal ratio. It is fair to say that the team did not fulfil its early season potential, however, and we conceded too many goals through mistakes and switching off.

sport

U18

U18 BOYS

NATIONAL HOCKEY FINALS Highlights included an 11-2 demolition of Millfield with 3 players scoring hat tricks (Amos, Butterfield and Hayes) and we dominated a Repton team winning 3-0. Amos and Byron Low shared the captaincy duties and Amos was top scorer, averaging almost 2 goals a game.

Finn Fleming dominating the midfield with Josh Basham, their played some very good hockey. The U15Cs had a tough season of results but enjoyed their hockey and Henri Cronin captained the side well and Ilya Mordvintsev was excellent in goal.

We are very grateful to Harry Phillips for donning the pads to do a manful job in goal. The 4th team enjoyed their season, with Tom Foster as Captain and Oli Wood and Jack Henley playing well all season with a good win over Rendcomb.

The U14s group this year enjoyed a mixed season but enjoyed some very good results and improved as the season progressed. The A team squad won all but two school matches and as the season progressed started to play as a team but in crucial matches just couldn’t finish off sides they had dominated. Freddie Sorenson led the defence well with Ed Stevens Captaining and dominating the midfield. Alex Chihota had a good season as an attacking midfielder and Jamie Baker was the most improved player throughout the season. The 14Bs enjoyed their hockey and improved as the season progressed. Charlie Fewings and Seb Till put in strong performances during the season.

The U16s group had an excellent season only losing one match. Liam Mckinnes captained the side and led from the front and with good wins against Millfield and Magdalen the squad went from strength to strength. During the season there were excellent performances in goal from Melchior Kuhne and Otto von Sechow and the defence was marshaled well by Freddie Thomas. Sam Porter dominated the midfield with Jacob Payton outstanding upfront with both players having several matches for the 1st team. Leo England was the most improved player and became an integral part of the squad in cup and school competitions. The U16Bs had a mixed season but played some good Hockey while struggling with some notable injuries. They did, however, play some good hockey with Josh Sansom, Sam Basham and Oli Wood playing well all season.

The season was outstanding in the achievement of all groups of the school and I would like to thank all the coaches, umpires and everybody who simply make the Hockey season go well. I would especially like to thank Mr Montgomery for all his support throughout both terms in what was probably, with all the weather issues, one of the busiest Hockey terms on record. I would also like to thank Mr Mackey for all his support and coaching and wish him all the best in his new venture playing and coaching.

After a good win in the Quarter Final of the U18 National Cup away to RGS Guildford to qualify for the National semi finals for only the third time in the schools’ history, the squad travelled to Lee Valley National Hockey centre in London for the semi final. The match started at a fast pace and Dean Close were under early pressure and after several good attacks which Dean Close couldn’t convert Repton scored and pressured Dean Close into mistakes to go 3.0 up. Dean Close then had a superb finish by Jacob Melville Smith disallowed to make it 3.1 and that turned the match. Repton scored two more goals before half time to make it 5.0. Dean Close played well in the second half but it was all too late and a good finish from Elliott Bancroft gave Dean Close a consolation goal and the final score was 6.1. Dean Close then played a 3/4th play off match against a very strong Whitgift side and lost. A disappointing two days but 4th in the country and a very good season from the whole squad.

The U15s group, after an excellent year last year, continued to improve and all the teams in the year group showed an excellent attitude to training and matches, which resulted in them playing some excellent hockey. The 15As only lost one match all season and dominated matches in all areas. James Pollard was excellent in goal with Paddy Benson marshaling an excellent defence. Lorcan Knox and Theo Bancroft dominated midfield with Matt Candy and Richard Swan playing well as forwards. Several of the U15s were part of the U16s Cup campaign. The U15Bs had a mixed season of results but enjoyed their Hockey and had several good wins. Yousef Balla played well and enthusiastically in goal, and with

U18

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U16s BOYS: NATIONAL HOCKEY FINALS The U16s Boys came out of a very strong and powerful West Finals which they won to play at the National Finals at the Lee Valley National Hockey centre in London. The first group game against Cranleigh was a hard match and, after a strong start from both sides Dean Close took the lead from with Otto Von Stechow after a superb pass from Jacob Payton. Cranleigh equalised from a short corner immediately and then took the lead from another corner. Just before half time Jacob Payton scored a superb goal to equalise. The second half was end to end but Cranleigh took the lead to make it 3.2 and with literally 5 seconds left Vincent Kallrath dribbled through to score and make the final score 3.3 a very important goal! In the second match, against Perse School, Dean Close played well and ran out 4.0 winners with goals from Jacob Payton,Theo Bancroft, Freddie Thomas and

Sam Porter. Dean Close had to beat Repton in the last match to progress to the final which they did with a strong performance and with two goals from Sam Porter and one from Theo Bancroft. In the final Dean Close met Whitgift School. Dean Close started slowly and Whigift scored an early goal but Dean Close then created several chances but just couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t convert them and went into half time 1.0 down. The second half Whitgift started to take control again and some superb saves from Melchior Kuhne kept Dean Close in the match but Whitgift scored a second late in the match and made it 3.0 on the last play of the match. A superb effort from the Dean Close squad and still an amazing achievement by the whole squad to come 2nd in the country. The side was captained superbly by Liam McKinnes and have come 2nd in the country at both Indoor and Outdoor this year.

U16

U16s: NATIONAL INDOOR BOYS The Boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Under 16s travelled to Whitgift School in Croydon to play at the National Indoor Finals. They started well with a last second winning goal against Worksop School from Ellis Robson after a quick break from Otto von Sechow. Their second match was against a very good Altrincham side but Dean Close dominated and ran out 5.2 winners with Liam Mckinnes outstanding at the back. Dean Close then had a match against Forest School to guarantee a place in the semi finals with one group match to go and they won 5.2. The last group match against Whitgift School Dean Close lost 4.0 but had a semi final against Repton School. In a tight first half, Repton took the lead 2.1 but Dean Close rallied in the second half with Leo England,Liam McKinnes and Ellis Robson securing a 5.2 win and ensuring the first Dean Close Boys side a National Indoor Final. Dean Close were to play Whitgift again who had not conceded a goal all tournament and after a tight first half with the score at 0.0 Whitgift scored and despite great efforts from Dean Close ran out 3.0 winners. Still an amazing achievement getting to a National Final and coming second. G Tredgett 98 - DECANIAN 2017/18

Netball

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Pre-season on the first day of term saw 30 senior and junior girls refresh their netball skills for the season ahead with great enthusiasm. Our first fixtures versus Dauntsey’s School gave us great competitive matches to settle into the respective selected teams.

1ST VII

ur block fixture versus Bristol Grammar School is always a feisty and competitive one. The 1st team who were a new structured team were nervous about this game but with determination they fared well up against some solid opposition. Bristol Grammar School eventually came out as winners by one goal. The other teams competed well and overall across the block fixture we narrowly won on wins and loss percentages, which was very positive. At the end of January the U14 girls trundled down to Bournemouth for the Regional Finals of the National Schools Netball competition. An early start on Saturday and a well-rested team woke up with determination to play at 110% to try to qualify for the Nationals in March, which looking at our group section would be challenging but not an impossible task. The squad won two games and narrowly lost the others. In what turned out to be a much closer group than expected, the margins were very small and we missed out on progressing to the semi-finals. This, however, was an excellent effort for a young squad in cold and wet conditions and an exciting future awaits them. The senior girls had 5 teams to represent the school this year. The 1st team had a tough season with a young line up but showed determination and commitment to the cause. The 2nd team were as feisty as ever under the leadership of Miss Richards and always gave of their best, a memorable draw versus Wycliffle Colege a highlight. The 3rds and the 4ths both had stable seasons under the leadership of Mr Wilkes, Mrs Feltham and Miss Ash. The girls thoroughly enjoyed their term of netball and competed well. Excellent matches versus Bradfield College and St Edward’s, Oxford showed the squad’s strength. The 5th team competed in a handful of matches and the most memorable being the wins 24-10 versus Cheltenham Ladies’ College.

The 1st team carried on the season with strong performances versus Millfield School narrowly losing 33-37. U15A team beat Cheltenham Ladies’ College and Wycliffe College, both excellent results. The lower junior teams found it more difficult to compete against the bigger schools but showed great determination throughout the season, improving all the time through the ages with encouraging movement and team work. The U15A team showed promise throughout their season. Miss Longdon led this group of girls to wins Vs Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Bristol Grammar School and Malvern School to name a few. Honourable mentions should go to Grace Greaves, Lucy Stocks and Violet LittleWollage in particular, who have displayed great potential for the coming years. The U15B, C and D teams had an enjoyable season, regardless of some disappointing close results.

U15A

U15B

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U14 CHAMPIONS

Within the U14s, the C and D team had experienced a variety of result, with the Cs achieving a sizable win against Wycliffe College and Bloxham School. The U14B team played some good netball showing consistency with close losses, convincing wins and a few draws across the season. The U14A team, however, had the most promising season within the Dean Close Netball Club, winning all their matches beating Bradfield College 33-14 and Wycliffe College 28-12. Special mention to the defence Kate Smart and Alice Howitt who performed with maturity and consistency, Leah Barton and Izzy Tingey being the feisty players in centre court linking up the defence and the shooting circle. Overall the netball season saw both excellent individual and team performances. The players played with enthusiasm, and represented the school well throughout the term. With some strong junior squads coming through there are some rising netball stars for the future,

U14A

Special mention to the 1st team squad girls who were led by Captain Jo Ovenstone and vicecaptain Isabel Montogmery this year and to all the senior players that are leaving Dean Close to continue their educational chapter. S Lait

Swimming Swimming at Dean Close this year has been exciting and there have been a number of different opportunities available to cater for a variety of abilities.

he three games sessions during the week have had a bit of a shake up and now focus on the development of technique, stamina and aquatic skills. It’s been fantastic to see many of the students making progress in all four strokes, shaving time off their 25m PB and advancing their racing starts. Typically Saturday afternoon is the time to blow off some steam with water polo, aqua aerobics or a swim down to recover from the week’s 2.5km.

Many students have set their alarms early for the new Thursday morning training sessions; it’s been great to see the usual team and some new faces too. Likewise the open swim session during MAA has had plenty of interest and also been the arena for a bit of friendly competition between Toby Haines and Jed Nelson, who have also succeeded in knocking a few seconds off their sprints. There have been some brilliant personal achievements over the course of the year. Several senior girls were adamant they couldn’t swim butterfly but, a few weeks later, represented their house in 25m fly for the gala. Jonny Hart knocked an eye-watering 5 minutes off his 32 length timed swim. The Sixth Form boys participated in aqua aerobics with smiles on their faces (at the same time as ‘not enjoying it’)! Bella Moss, Emily George and Evie Crawford Poxon must get a mention for hard core commitment to swimming by training twice a day at times. And, of course, the unforgettable tug of war kick off between 100 - DECANIAN 2017/18

Katie Humphreys and Jonny Hart, where girl power triumphed. With March seeing the inter-house gala and the Bath and Otter Cup, it was a busy time for the pool. Many found time to get a bit of extra training in and it was clear that this paid off for some. The inter-house gala was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon with a mixture of individual and relay events. Brook Court and Fawley juniors were victorious whilst Tower and Hatherley clinched it for the seniors. A new addition this year was music between events and this, along with some very supportive noises from the balcony, gave the event a real buzz. We even managed a little YMCA dance along at the end. We also had the Bath and Otter cup; a swimming relay competition open to independent schools across the country. This year we took a team of 8; Bella Moss (C), Olivia Moss, Grace Greaves, Lucy Stocks, Ollie Hodgson (C), Toby Haines, Ben Ma and Aaron Osmond. Each team took part in two events; front crawl relay and medley relay. It was a fantastic opportunity for our swimmers to compete in such a large event but to also swim in the London Aquatics Centre. The standard was very high and although neither of our teams made it through to the finals (the boys missed out by a few seconds), they all excelled in their efforts and did Dean Close proud. They are already talking about training strategy for next year to make some real gains! K Long

sport

Internationals This year the Dean Close sport programme has achieved a great deal. Not only have our pupils achieved high levels of success within our teams but also individually. Sport for all is the underpinning philosophy and with 100% of the Juniors and 76% of the seniors playing sport against other schools and within in our team/competition structures, we have played nearly 450 separate fixtures across 12 sports and with over 90 teams ranging from A-D level. ur new partnership with David Lloyd Gloucester has already proved extremely beneficial with our carousel groups going off site to experience activities such as ‘spin’ and ‘body pump’ as part of their games commitment, of which the feedback has been extremely positive.

Once more our hockey programme has delivered some fantastic results with six teams reaching national finals in both the indoor and outdoor game, which is a fantastic achievement and one that we should be extremely proud of. It is the first time that the school has managed to get two girls’ sides into the national finals at the same time, and it is fantastic to see our girls’ sports developing at such speed. With over 300 tennis lessons occurring on site each week throughout the year it is no surprise that the girls’ and boys’ tennis teams are performing so well on the court. The boys’ rugby teams have once more put in some fantastic displays and have certainly enhanced the school’s sporting reputation reaching the last 16 of the U18 national competition and the last 32 of the U16 putting in some fantastic performances along the way. Some competition highlights are listed below and I would like to thank all staff and pupils for their commitment and determination to succeed. n Girls U14 & U18 into National Outdoor Hockey Finals (3rd and 5th respectively) n Boys U18 and U16 through to National Outdoor Hockey Finals (4th and 2nd respectively)

n Girls (U18) and Boys (U16) represented the school in the indoor national finals (3rd and 2nd respectively) n U18 Rugby – Last 16 in the country of the NatWest Schools Cup n U16 Rugby – last 32 in the country of the NatWest Schools Cup

n Girls U14 netball squad competed at the regionals in Bournemouth after winning the county qualifiers Mike Powell, our new Director of Cricket has been challenging the cricketers over the winter months and whilst the weather has unfortunately

SPORT FOR ALL IS THE UNDERPINNING PHILOSOPHY AND WITH 100% OF THE JUNIORS AND 76% OF THE SENIORS PLAYING SPORT AGAINST OTHER SCHOOLS & WITHIN IN OUR TEAM/ COMPETITION STRUCTURES, WE HAVE PLAYED NEARLY 450 SEPARATE FIXTURES ACROSS 12 SPORTS AND WITH OVER 90 TEAMS RANGING FROM A-D LEVEL

had a significant impact on the fixtures and opportunities to train outside, the boys and girls in the programme are certainly making great strides this year. With an increasing range of sports on offer it has been great to witness the growing numbers playing for the school at badminton as well as the numbers challenging themselves in the water under the guidance of our new Director of Swimming, Kelly Long. The major outing of the year so far was the Bath & Otter relays at the Olympic Pool in Stratford in which they competed valiantly against all the other independent schools in the country. A fantastic experience and opportunity for all involved. As a School we have been privileged to witness the individuals within the various programmes excelling across a variety of sports. They have proved to be fantastic ambassadors for the School at all levels of their respective pathways be that in rugby, hockey, netball or fencing, Biathle or tennis to name but a few. It is fantastic to see so many challenging themselves to achieve their goals in their chosen discipline. Special mention should go to the following pupils who have achieved success.

HOCKEY: There are over 40 boys and girls in the performance pathway, with the following achieving high honours: n England U18: Jessica Thomas, James Hunt n England U16: Ellis Robson, Oliver Smart, Jacob Payton n Wales U16: Theo Bancroft RUGBY: There are over 30 boys in the Gloucester Academy pathway with the following receiving particular recognition: n England U18: George Barton

n The following boys are currently in the Gloucester Rugby U17/U18 programme: George Barton, Josh Gray, Tom Pearson, Ed Harvey, Archie Benson, Harvey Dickinson, Joe Lambon, Freddie Thomas, Matty Jones, James Humphreys TENNIS: n Aaron Osmond: U18 ranking (national): 60 Men’s ranking (national): 139 n Alice Howitt: Winner of the Cheltenham U16 Open and runner up in the U18 Open

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS TO BE PROUD OF: n DANIELLE GIBSON Senior Academy England Cricketer, Western Storm and Gloucestershire Women

n SOPHIE CLINK Cheltenham Water-polo - Women’s National League

n MATT SMITH In the British Ski squad for European Majors

n LYDIA WARD Winning the Pony Club Dressage Championships

n ESTELLA DEPIERRE Team GB in Biathle and Modern Pentathlon

n MOLLIE DAVIES Representing Great Britain at the European Selection Show Jumping trials in Belgium

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Cricket

1ST XI

The “Beast from the East” loomed large over our preparations for the 2018 fixture card; unseasonably late snow interrupted grounds preparations and regular rainfall thwarted our best attempts at early matches, so it was not until early May that home cricket began in earnest at Dean Close. he 1st XI were captained this year by Lower 6th former Oliver Horne, with James Boden as his vice-captain, and found themselves unfortunately among the teams with a losing record in 2018. The early signs were good, however, with our opening game seeing a nine wicket win against Cathedral School (Llandaff) in the first round of the HMC National T20 cup, with a good performance from our bowling unit of James Boden, Matty Jones, Oliver Horne and Oscar Newcombe. James Humphreys led the successful chase, scoring 58* from 46 balls.

T 1ST XI

Our next fixture saw us against new opponents in RGS Worcester, a school we had until this year only played in the occasional cup encounter. The coaches were optimistic when Dean Close reduced RGS Worcester to 83-5 in the 22nd over, but they recovered to post 179-7. Despite a second consecutive 50 from James Humphreys, and some cavalier strokes from Tom Pearson down the order, the RGS Worcester bowlers kept us in check and we lost by 35 runs. King’s Gloucester were our next visitors, and we posted 232-8 from 35 overs, with Oliver Horne top scoring with 69 from 68 balls, with Josh Gray hitting 53 and Alfie Orr-Ewing nudging his way to 24* at the death. Top bowling all round, especially from our parsimonious openers James Boden and Oscar Newcombe, who conceded only 26 runs from their 13 combined overs, saw King’s fall 88 runs short. With the Commemoration Game wiped out because of the weather, our next fixture saw us tackle King’s Worcester in the second round of the cup, a game which saw us post a low total of 101-6 and the opposition canter home in the 16th

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and so it proved. The Wednesday saw the first visit of Wrekin College from Shropshire and we split the day into two, with a T20 either side of lunch and a “Hundred Ball” format in the second game either side of tea. In the T20, one Wrekin opener hit a round 100, and their total score was 168. Our chase was on target in terms of run-rate for much of the innings, but too many wickets fell too quickly and we ended up 35 runs short. In the “Hundred Ball” match, a first-ever at Dean Close and a test of the format that the professional game is looking to adopt in 2020, Wrekin posted 128, with Dean Close ending 18 short despite a valiant 40 from the skipper. Two losses, but both played in excellent spirit, with both teams merrily mingling over a BBQ and a couple of mass-produced ciders by the pavilion after the game. The final game of cricket week was a rematch against Bloxham, played over 35 overs. On a fast-deteriorating wicket, Dean Close posted 1419 in 35 overs, with Henry Sleeman top scoring with 34. Bloxham struggled throughout their chase, but made it over the line with 3 wickets to spare.

over. The following day, we travelled to Kingswood, where we collapsed to 65 all out on a wicket that ended up proving itself unfriendly to both teams, with Kingwood only knocking off the runs with 5 wickets to spare, having been 6-3 at the end of the 3rd over. Bloxham was our last block fixture and we travelled there with optimism. Although we took regular wickets, they managed to rack up 173-9 batting first, on a wicket that could best be described as unpredictable. Our reply only really hit its stride in the latter half of the chase, with Oliver Horne hitting 35 and Alfie Orr-Ewing hitting his maiden 50 for the school, ending with a 52 that included every shot in the book, from the straight drive to the ramp. It was too little too late, and we ended up losing by 27 runs.

To have ended the season with three consecutive losses was disappointing, but the boys were very competitive in all their fixtures. That afternoon, we awarded full cricket colours to Oliver Horne, James Humphreys and Henry Sleeman, with half colours being awarded to Alfie Orr-Ewing, Josh Gray and James Boden. The bulk of our core will return next year, when we hope to see an improved results table. The 2nd XI, supervised by Mr Poxon and Mr Chapman, had an excellent season and their record is disputed. Their coaches claim that their only loss (against Malvern) was actually in the calendar as a 1st XI game, so shouldn’t count towards their tally; they may have a point! In their other games, they beat Bloxham by 7 wickets, RGS Worcester by 6 wickets, King’s Gloucester by 7 wickets and Kingswood by 8

2ND XI

wickets, a series of results that shows that they were categorially a team that preferred to chase and that they had a strong upper order batting line up. The undoubted highlight of the season was the win against RGS Worcester, where they knocked off 180 inside 23 overs, with Toby Pallister hitting 97*, denied his century only by his batting partner “accidentally” hitting the ball for four as Toby watched from the non-striker’s end. The team was marvellously captained by Orlando Giannini, whose energy and leadership impressed all the coaches. He can be proud of leading his team to what was comfortably the best record in the school. The 3rd XI played two matches this season, winning one and losing one, with one further match cancelled. A comfortable win away at Bloxham and a heavy loss at Malvern ended up being the sum of their season. Their limited fixture card was the result of a combination of poor weather and exam pressure. We hope to have a more significant match programme for next year, when many of our promising younger cricketers will enter the senior cricket squads. The U15A, under the custodianship of Mr Mochan, had an extraordinarily mixed season, playing 6, winning 3 and losing 3, with a further 2 lost to the elements. They started dismally, being rolled over by Malvern in double quick time,

2ND XI

Cricket week started, in blistering and glorious heat that was to last all week and beyond, with a two day, two innings declaration match against Sir Thomas Rich’s School. The bat dominated, with Dean Close posting 263-4 dec (Humphreys 91, Horne 57*, Gray 51) in the first innings and Tommies replying with 303-4 dec in their first innings. A slow over rate meant we lost 10 overs on Day 1 and this, combined with the high scores, meant Dean Close batted until 4.30 on day two, scoring 237-7 dec (Horne 83, Sleeman 36*) in our second innings, setting Tommies 200 to win in around 27 overs. A draw, with Tommies on 113-6 chasing the game, was always favourite 103 - DECANIAN 2017/18

sport

U14A

and then losing narrowly to RGS Worcester by 2 wickets. They then entered a little purple patch, winning three of the next four. King’s Gloucester saw a win by 5 wickets, chasing down 147 on Archdeacon Meadow. The Kingswood match tested Mr Mochan’s blood pressure to the limits; chasing a mere 78, Dean Close appeared to be sauntering to an 8 wicket victory at 72-2, until a collapse of monumental proportions meant that we had to be saved by the opposition wicket keeper conceding a series of byes, allowing us to creep home by 2 wickets. We then lost to Sir Thomas Rich’s school comfortably, before a narrow win against Bloxham at home, where we successfully defended 167-9. The win against Bloxham was a thriller with the opposition well on track to get the runs before a collapse triggered by Josh Basham, Isaac Barlow and some top fielding. Owain Lonergan, the captain, and Ellis Robson were a solid opening partnership whilst Paddy Benson added a bit of solidity to the middle order. The bowling was shared around with Paddy being top wicket-taker. The most improved players in the bowling were Oli Melville-Smith and Louis Fleming. Many of these players will be competing for places in the 1sts and 2nds next year. The U15B were curated by the team of Mr Robertshaw and Mr Mackey. Their season suffered from multiple cancellations, but they managed a winning record overall. At this level, the focus is usually on participation, but the match against Sir Thomas Rich’s was a particular highlight, with the ball flying to all parts of Chapel Close and Ben Limbrick occasionally threatening the integrity of the Library’s lower windows during his entertaining 50. The U14A were lucky to have Mr Price and Ryan Higgins, the former Zimbabwe cricketer, as their coaches. The results belie the quality in this team; they were a strong side and a couple of very close results did not end in their favour. Highlights include the 161 run win over King’s Gloucester with John Lindsay and George Merritt scoring brilliant fifties followed by a fine bowling display with Jack Logan taking 3 wickets with his “enforced” leg spin. Jack also took 3 wickets in a spirited display from the team as they defended a low total against RGS Worcester, which would have been far lower if it wasn’t for some tenacious batting from Conor Brockie who top scored with 26. 104 - DECANIAN 2017/18

The match against Kingswood was the game of the season – a real example of the unique pressure and excitement that only a close finish in cricket can produce. After a positive start from John Lindsay and Ed Stevens, who put on 50 for the first wicket chasing an imposing 202, we slumped to 130 for 8 and it appeared to be all over. However, an incredible counter-attacking knock from Raife Hackett gave us hope and as he flayed the opposition bowlers around Chapel Close, it looked like we might just do it. With just a mere handful of runs needed, we found ourselves nine down and George Orr-Ewing joined Raife, trying to hand over the strike as much as possible as the game reached its climax. Heartbreakingly, in the final over, George nicked one and was caught behind, leaving us 2 runs short and Raife on a heroic 47 not out.

U15B

U14A

In the penultimate match against Sir Thomas Rich’s, some excellent batting late on from Jack Logan (37 not out) and Alex Chihota (45 not out) gave us a respectable total of 120 in 20 overs. The team bowled well as a unit, giving the opposition very little to score off and they ended up 33 runs short with 5 wickets down. In the final match against Bloxham, Conor Brockie showed great resilience in the lower order, top scoring with 24, but 105 was never going to be enough against a strong Bloxham side. Two wickets for Jamie Baker early on gave the opposition a bit of a wobble, but they walked away with a 5 wicket victory. The team played with passion and commitment all season and were very well led by George Meritt, who deserves a special mention. The U14B also enjoyed a varied season, with their undoubted highlight being a sound win against Sir Thomas Rich’s School in the middle of June, with the margin of victory standing at 49 runs thanks to some excellent bowling. Having posted an admittedly-meagre 99-7 in our innings, the Dean Close bowlers reduced their opponents to 50 all out, with the wickets shared by Conor Brockie (3-19), Vladislav Petrov (2-13), Noah Edwards (2-9) and Ollie Hodgson (2-5). It was not Conor’s best bowling analysis by quite a stretch; he produced figures of 6-11 against Kingswood, an afternoon which should certainly live long in his memory, despite the team losing. Overall, the team played in four matches, winning one and losing three. A Milne

U14A

U14B

SUMMARY OF RESULTS 1sts

P10 W2 L7

Cancelled 4

2nds

W4 L1

Cancelled 2

3rds

W1 L1

Cancelled 1

U15A

W3 L3

Cancelled 2

U15B

W2 L1

Cancelled 4

U14A

W2 L3

Cancelled 2

U14B

W1 L3

Cancelled 3

Totals

P35 W15 L19 D1

Cancelled 18

sport

Sports’Day S

ports’ Day 2018 turned out to be a fantastic occasion yet again with the sun shining and both boys and girls giving it their all to win points for their Houses. Whilst no records were broken this year there was plenty of competitiveness and endeavour. The boys and girls were exemplary in their support of each other and demonstrated the qualities expected in Dean Close pupils throughout the competition.

Congratulations to Dale House for winning the boys’ event at every age group with some outstanding individual performances from George Barton (200m, Triple Jump) and Monty Lewis (Discus and Javelin) who were joint winners of the Senior Victor Ludorum. As well as the Dale House winning the senior and junior relays, the intermediate relay went to Tower House. Intermediate Victor Ludorum went to Matty Jones from Tower House who won the 100m, 200m and Discus, with the Junior Victor Ludorum going to Alex Chihota of Field House who won the 100m and 300m sprints. BC

Junior Boys

Rank

Inter Boys

34 4

Rank

Sbtl

158

122

Rank

Senior Boys

Rank

Total

254

188

135

Rank

Senior Victor Ludorum: George Barton, Monty Lewis (both Dale House) Inter Victor Ludorum:

Matty Jones (Tower)

Junior Victor Ludorum: Alex Chihota (Field) The girls’ competition was won on points by Shelburne House in a much closer competition with Hatherley House winning the senior competition. Congratulations to Sydney Davies of Mead House who won the Junior Vitrix Ludorum wining the 100m and Javelin competitions and Danielle Gibson of Hatherley House who won the 100m and Long Jump to claim the Senior Vitrix Ludorum. No one house dominated, however, Shelburne picked up more points consistently without necessarily winning everything, so congratulations to them for competing so well across the board. Me

Junior Girls

Rank

Ha 44

#N/A

Senior Girls

Rank

Total

116

113

Rank

Senior Victrix Ludorum: Danielle Gibson Junior Victrix Ludorum: Sydney Davies A special mention must go to all of the Common Room staff who help make this event such a smooth and well run event, as well as all of the pupils for participating with such positive spirit and competitiveness. 105 - DECANIAN 2017/18

sport

Tennis

2017/2018 has been a very successful tennis season for Dean Close with a win rate of 65% across all teams.

he standard of senior tennis, and the number of girls wanting to play, was high. Due to the new astro being completed and the Day Village construction getting underway facilities have been restricted somewhat and therefore fixtures for all four senior teams limited. Fourth Formers Alice Howitt and Susie Carter joined Sona Tatarian, Jess Thomas, Lola Blacker and Lydia Ward in a first team that remained unbeaten in school matches all season. Their toughest fixtures came against Kingswood and Cheltenham College, which both resulted in a 6-3 win for our girls.

1ST TEAM

The 2nd team won an impressive five of their seven matches, overcoming Cheltenham Ladies’ College 5-4 in a closely fought encounter, and demonstrating their dominance over Clifton College and Malvern College. The 3rd team played admirably throughout the season losing by the narrowest of margins to Cheltenham College and Cheltenham Ladies’ College, and the 4th team produced an excellent display to beat Cheltenham College 6-3. We continued our winning streak to a new record 6th straight win in the 107 year old Midlands School Girls Tennis tournament with Sona Tatarian and Alice Howitt winning for the second year in a row. Lydia Ward and Lola Blacker played consistently good tennis in the ‘B’ couple tournament to retain their title. The Aberdare National Championships team reached the regional finals for only the second time in recent years after beating a strong St Peter’s High School team comprehensively in the

1ST TEAM 106 - DECANIAN 2017/18

semi-final. The final against Prior Park was always going to be a tough ask, despite the home advantage, but the girls certainly did themselves proud eventually losing 4-2. The U15 teams have had a tough season. The A team managed good wins against St Edward’s, Oxford, Clifton College and Prior Park and only lost narrowly 4-5 in three other fixtures. As the most improved team from the previous season, the U15B team managed to win half of their fixtures this season, winning against Kingswood, Malvern College and Clifton College. The C team failed to secure any wins despite some brave attempts. The U14 A and B teams had an outstanding season, with the As losing their only fixture of the season in their final match with a 4-5 loss to Prior Park. The B team maintained the 1st team with a 100% win record finishing the season strongly with a great win against Prior Park. The C team managed to win half of their matches with convincing wins against St Edward’s Oxford and Malvern College. The success at this bottom end really bodes well for future years. In the Gloucestershire Schoolgirl doubles tournament Alice Howitt and Suzie Carter won the U14 competition convincingly, and the U18 pairing of Sophie Horton and Lola Blacker were runners up. Well done to all girls who have represented DCS at tennis this year – the teams have shown humility and grace towards their opponents, as well as the competitive edge required. I look forward to another good season next year. R Donaldson

sport

4TH TEAM

2ND TEAM

U15A

3RD TEAM

U15B

U15C

GOLF This year saw us play from Blackwell down to Marlborough with many matches in between. Our Captain, Andy Whitford, led the way in his last year at the School, carding below his 3 handicap on numerous occasions.

e also led Dale to a second successive House Golf victory at Brickhampton. Sadly some matches - notably an inaugural Tri School match versus Bromsgrove and Malvern - lost out to the March snow, but there is always next year to look forward to! Many congratulations to all of those representing the school this year - especially those who did so for the first time.

107 - DECANIAN 2017/18

sport

Equestrian Round Up NSEA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS October 2017 eams and Individuals from all over the country have to qualify throughout the year to compete at the National Championships. For the first time the Nationals was a four day long competition with Dressage, Eventers Challenge, Jumping with Style and Show Jumping. Dean Close was represented in all the disciplines which was a huge achievement.

EVENTING /JwS/ Eventer Challenge his year’s eventing schedule got off to a slow start due to the awful wet weather we saw in the spring with many events abandoned and cancelled. Dean Close riders patiently waited for the rescheduled events in the summer to start their NSEA One Day Event campaign.

Dean Close competed competitively in all their classes and had top 8 places in both the SJ and dressage. Both Show Jumping Captain Molly Davies and Eventing & Dressage Captain Lydia Ward led the way at the nationals. Molly Davies on her outstanding horse Bayard IV in the 1.15 elite class had an unlucky pole to finish 5th overall. In the Dressage Lydia Ward finished 3rd individually in the prelim test with Henrys Choice.

Dean Close have had a number of teams out competing in the Eventers Challenge and there has been success and qualification for the NSEA Plate Championships which were held December. In the 80cms Eventers Challenge we took Mollie Tice and Mimi Payton, and Georgia Day in the 90cms with Mollie Tice, Mimi Payton and Georgia Day who jumped really well to secure 5th in both the 80cms and 90cms. Lydia Ward has had a great season on her new horse Heathcliffe III to win the 1.10 Jumping with style (JwS) and qualified for the National Championships.

In the 1m JwS (Jumping with style) the Team of Emma Williams, Lydia Ward, Mollie Tice and Molly Davies had an unfortunate 8 faults to just be pushed out of the placings. Lydia Ward on Silver was clear and finished a very credible 6th Place individually. In the 90cms Eventers Challenge the team of Millie Tingey, Emma Williams, Lydia Ward and Molly Davies jumped really well to secure 3rd place and qualify for the Plate Championships. Our dressage team of Mimi Payton, Lydia Ward, Millie Tingey and Mollie Tice all rode clean and accurate tests to finish 15th out of the 23 teams that took part. Fantastic Results and a great team spirit with everyone supportive of each other - Exciting and brilliant 4 days at the National Equestrian Championship.

SHOW JUMPING n August 2017, a team of three Show Jumpers, Molly Davies, Lydia Ward and Emma Williams 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, unfortunately it was not to be and although all riders rode well the competition was fierce and some faults meant the team didn’t go forward to final round.

Georgia Day who joined Dean Close in September 2017 has been setting the show jumping scene alight and was part of the 1m SJ team at the plate championships with Molly Davies. Millie Tingey and Mollie Tice. They jumped a great round to finish 3rd overall. Georgia has subsequently gone on to qualify in the 1m SJ finals at the nationals and 1.10 elite finals at Hickstead on her pony Diante. Molly Davies on her horse Bayard IV, has also been having a great season and has 108 - DECANIAN 2017/18

secured her place in the 1.10 elite horse finals at Hickstead also. Molly has been competing in the U18 international young riders’ tour and went out to Belgium to be one of the U18 individuals for Great Britain in the Nations Cup jumping at a height of 1.40m, this was a huge achievement for Molly who is developing into a rising star.

sport

DRESSAGE EQUESTRIAN RESULTS for 2017-18 TEAM (Q * = QUALIFIED FOR NSEA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS) Q*WON

COUNTY CUP DRESSAGE QUALIFIER AT Kings Bromyard

Q*WON

1m-1.05 JWS at St Marys Calne

Q* WON

1m-1.05 SJ DEAN CLOSE SJ – RECTORY FARM

SECOND

NSEA 2017 CHAMPIONSHIPS 1.10 SHOW JUMPING Addington Manor

SECOND

SENIOR INTERMEDIATE ONE-DAY EVENT at Stonar

RIDING LESSONS

Q* SECOND DEAN CLOSE OPEN SHOW JUMPING at Rectory Farm 90cms JwS St Marys Calne

THIRD

80cms EVENTER CHALLENGE – Addington Manor

THIRD

90cms EVENTER CHALLENGE – Addington Manor

THIRD

1M EVENTER CHALLENGE – Addington Manor

Lydia Ward made a big impression at the Dengie Pony Club dressage finals winning her class and going over all winner following a ride off. Mimi Payton has been clocking up back to back wins in the dressage arena at Hunters Cirencester on her lovely pony Steepleton Sadie.

Q* SECOND KINGS OPEN SHOW JUMPING at Bromyard

THIRD

he Dean Close dressage team has gone from strength to strength and for the second year running Dean Close, with Mimi Payton, Lydia Ward, Emma Williams and Millie Tingey was the only school from Gloucestershire to qualify to compete at the county cup finals at Addington.

The Equestrian Club also provides those who wish to learn to ride or to improve their riding the opportunity to do so with over 15 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. For those students wishing to learn to ride or unable to bring their own horses to school this is a wonderful opportunity to have access to the equine world.

INDIVIDUAL (Q * = QUALIFIED FOR NSEA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS) Q* + WON

NSEA OPEN ARENA EVENTING at Hartpury College

Q* WON

St Marys Calne -1.10 SJ Elite horse - Hickstead

Q* + WON

KINGS ADVANCED OPEN Pony SHOW JUMPING at Bromyard

Q* + WON

KINGS BROMYARD 1.10 Pony Elite - Hickstead

Q* + WON

KINGS BROMYARD 1M - Pony - Keysoe

Q|*+ WON

ALLENS HILL 1.10 JwS HORSE - Keysoe

WON

ALLENS HILL NSEA DRESSAGE 2017

The 6th DEAN CLOSE SHOW JUMPING COMPETITION SUNDAY 10th JUNE

Q* SECOND DEAN CLOSE 1m SHOW JUMPING at Rectory Farm Q* SECOND NSEA -ELITE HICKSTEAD SJ WEST WILTS 2018 Q* SECOND COUNTY CUP NOVICE DRESSAGE - Kings Bromyard Q* SECOND EVENTERS CHALLNGE 1m - Addington Manor Q* SECOND JwS 1-1.05m St Marys Calne Q* +SECOND NSEA ADVANCED OPEN Pony SHOW JUMPING at West Wilts Q* +SECOND KINGS OPEN Pony SHOW JUMPING at Bromyard Q* +SECOND KINGS ADVANCED OPEN Pony SHOW JUMPING at Bromyard

he 6th running of the Dean Close Show Jumping competition held at Rectory Farm, Nr. Cirencester, proved to be as popular as ever with over 188 competitors and 35 different schools attending on the day. The hard work of Mrs Cradock and the many members of the Equestrian Club riders and their parents saw the show run smoothly and efficiently ensuring the day ran on time from 8am to 6pm. It was also lovely to see so many Dean Close members of staff attending the day and offering their time to help and support the event; it really brought a sense of school community to the fore.

The day was topped off by the Dean Close 1m team of Lydia Ward, Georgia

Day and Mimi Payton winning the 1m class and qualifying for the NSEA National Championships. There are 22 riders competing at all levels for Dean Close and Equestrian Scholarships in the Senior and Prep Schools are being filled with more talent each year. The Dean Close equestrian squad has achieved great success which is down to the hard work of the riders themselves and that of the parents who willingly bring riders and horses to the competitions. With new riders joining us in September and young riders growing and developing their talents we have a lot to look forward to for 2018/19. F Cradock

109 - DECANIAN 2017/18

careers

Careers Highlights This year saw our long-serving master of Careers, David Fullerton, pass on the mantle to a new team and an expanded service. Each new university entry coordinator - Dom Mochan (Higher Education), Josh Sumner (Oxbridge), and Charlie Montgomery (International Universities) - has hit the ground running, providing a host of opportunities to explore and develop pupils’ choices. Amidst all this, on the wider Careers front, we have sought to provide more and more occasions for pupils to encounter the professional world and shape their own Career journeys. Here are this year’s highlights…

Student Investor Challenge For our seventh year, from October to March, Dean Close pupils (and a few foolhardy staff) have participated in the international Student Investor Challenge, a long-term competition testing teams’ investing acumen through a live trading platform based on real-time data. Out of the 4856 teams taking part in the competition, DCS fielded 30, with five teams making it through to the semi-finals. Another hearty congratulation to investment guru Ilya Mordvintsev and his team, the Brook Courters, for winning our school competition for the second year in a row.

Hazlewoods Careers Evening As one of the UK's Top 30 independent Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers, we were thrilled to be invited to Hazlewoods, Staverton, for an evening of engaging discussions and group-based business scenarios. Working fluidly with pupils from a range of Cheltenham schools, our group of Lower Sixth developed their professional understanding, received direct advice on exciting career pathways, and networked, acquitting themselves, in typical form, fantastically in the process.

110 - DECANIAN 2017/18

Speed Networking Circle2Success & Futures Week The whole Lower Sixth had further chances to practise their networking skills in two large-scale speednetworking events. The first, run in December by Circle2Success (C2S) - a local business community with a focus on building relationships, establishing connections, maximising growth, collaboration and best practice – opened all eyes to the incredible opportunities out there, both just around the corner and globally. The second, hosted by DCS in our end of year Futures Week programme, built upon the former, specifically targeting the professional areas pupils themselves had identified as key interests through their previous career discussions. Masterminded by Shelburne

Careers: Early Steps to Development Starting as we mean to go on, the Fourth Form were swiftly introduced at the start of the year to what to expect from our new Careers Service. Teaming up with GFirst Local Enterprise Partnership, our new arrivals discovered what career development could be and how to start selling one’s strengths in a competitive world.

Housemistress (and Woman of the West 2018) Julie Kent, each event enabled pupils to encounter a diverse range of professions and professionals, generating superb feedback from all sides.

Careers in the City In the thick of the student trading season, it was fitting to welcome two leading Citybased finance professionals, Paul Godfrey of Pine River Capital and Fred Ward of Olivetree Financial, to the school to share with pupils their wealth of experience working in the City and global financial markets. Our visiting professionals developed pupils’ decisionmaking in some dynamic workshops and over a tray lunch, exploring investment analysis and strategies, multinational mergers pulled straight from the headlines, and, of course, opportunities and tips for pursuing a career in a huge range of City-based occupations.

Coming Soon… To us, the above represents a great start, but we are keen to make next year even better. If you would be interested in providing further opportunities for pupils to experience the professional world and advance their career journey, please let me know. Z Suckle ~ Head of Careers

leavers

Leavers Olivia Duffin

Alan Spring Wallis lan joined Dean Close in September 2013. He was employed as a Physics teacher and yet within days it became clear that his energy, enthusiasm and professionalism were going to lead him into many of the other aspects of life in such a busy and vibrant boarding school.

His Physics teaching has always been of an extremely high standard. He is a reflective practitioner and is constantly thinking of new and better ways to deliver those potentially tricky concepts to students of all ages. This interest in the theory of learning and indeed teaching led him to apply for the role of Professional Tutor, a role he was duly appointed to. He has helped develop the teaching practice of many colleagues and has organised and run numerous NQT conferences over the years. There are cohorts of teachers both from DCS and elsewhere who are very grateful for his input.

IN HER TIME ON THE STAFF, LIV WAS A WONDERFULLY PROFESSIONAL AND EXCITING TEACHER - ONE ONLY HAD TO WITNESS HER ENERGETIC WARMUPS WITH CASTS OF HUNDREDS TO REALISE THAT THIS IS A YOUNG LADY WHO COULD TAKE ON THE SAS AND WIN

livia Duffin left DCS as a Sixth Former in 2011 and went off to the prestigious London Academy of Dramatic Art (LAMDA for a foundation year, followed by the University of Kingston-uponThames to read Drama - only to find herself back on the staff at DCS in 2014, teaching in the Drama Department, where her infectious personality was hugely welcomed by Lloyd Allington and Rebecca Vines - her former teachers. In her time as a scholar at DCS, Liv was especially remembered for her feisty Ophelia to James Evans’ Hamlet in 2010, preceded by her stunning role as Eponine in the never-to-be-forgotten Les Miserables of 2008, where she was part of one of the finest casts ever assembled at DCS. But those were the tip of an acting iceberg for Liv: and upon her return, she brought back all the bubbly enthusiasm and expertise she had gained in her time away from us.

Not content with just those roles, Alan has been the organiser of the school ski trip, has run the Junior Critical Essay for several years (not many Physics teachers have a second degree in English) and has been a Civilian Instructor with the CCF. On the sporting side of school life he has coached rugby, started a triathlon club and is i.c boys swimming. He is one of the first to volunteer his time to support school trips and manages to juggle all of these commitments with good humour, positivity and enthusiasm.

Though, if truth be told, it never really seemed as though she went away. In her time on the staff, Liv was a wonderfully professional and exciting teacher - one only had to witness her energetic warm-ups with casts of hundreds to realise that this is a young lady who could take on the SAS and win. Her pupils adored her – and scored some super results in LAMDA exams; and nothing was ever too much time or trouble – as was seen when she and Caroline Baillie organised what must be one of the biggest yoga events ever (800 people present?) in May 2018, on Big Field, to raise money for Blue Skye Thinking – a charity combating cancer in children. Liv was out there, leading from the front everyone had the highest praise for her energy and sparkle and sense of fun.

Alan leaves Dean Close to explore new challenges in a different school setting. He will no doubt take those characteristic traits of his - boundless energy and very much a ‘can do’ attitude - with him and enjoy deserved success in all that he does. He will be sorely missed by all and we wish him all the very best for the future.

As she moves to Cardiff to be with Oli, her partner, we wish her huge luck and happiness, and know that this is not goodbye – that would be too hard – simply “See you next week, Duffin”. We are really proud of you and will miss you daily.

Alan has always been interested in the development of the whole child though and regards work outside the classroom as being as important as within. His role as Assistant Housemaster of Tower has allowed him to use his considerable skills as a mentor to great effect and the relationships he has developed with his students are based on high levels of mutual respect. He is known by them all as a teacher for whom nothing is too much trouble - someone who will always ‘go the extra mile’. The boys of Tower will miss him very much.

P Harvey

L Allington 111 - DECANIAN 2017/18

leavers

Farewell to Emma Hodgkinson he English department bids a fond farewell to Emma Hodgkinson who leaves us to take up a place at the highly prestigious Rose Bruford College - one of the finest theatre schools in the country.

Maria Taylor nitially, Maria began her time at Dean Close flying a little under the radar, joining the school to teach the Leith’s Cookery course in 2015. It wasn’t until the following year that she exploded onto the Dean Close scene as the Head of the shiny, new Cookery School, which she designed, and really began to make her mark! Since then Maria has taken cookery at Dean Close to soaring new heights. She has introduced Food Preparation and Nutrition as a popular GCSE option and firmly established the school as a flagship of the Leith’s Course provision gaining much success with eager and dedicated 6th formers who have all been enthused by her energy and expertise and flourished and excelled under her care.

Maria has also worked tirelessly for Dean Close Services and has brought a wealth of specialist knowledge, experience and professionalism in order to deliver a variety of exciting corporate events. She has led an enterprise in partnership with GCC Virtual School for Children in Care. It has meant, as an outcome, that children in care who have shown an interest in learning how to cook independently have gained valuable life skills. Maria made these Saturday afternoon sessions a very nurturing experience.

On 16th November 2017, The VS Annual Award Ceremony was held at DC in the Bacon Theatre. Entirely, Maria’s initiative, this event was combined with a Leith’s Canapé Evening which saw the Leith’s students working in a mentorship role with the VS children as they cooked and served together. In her penultimate week at the school Maria took 4th former Jed Nelson to the BSA’s Bake-Off Final where, thanks to her tireless counsel, he came home the winner! This is just one of many examples where Maria’s passion for what she does has inspired success. Maria has been a consistently impressive Head of Department who has strived to make her department the best it can be and has been prepared to go the extra mile to make this happen. What she has achieved in a very short space of time must be applauded and celebrated! She has also become a very good friend and confidant to many members of the Common Room, including myself. We shall all miss her great zest for life, brilliant sense of humour and delicious baking (!) and we wish her all the very best as she takes up her position as Head of Cookery at Truro School. Our loss will be truly their gain in so very many ways. C Evans

WHAT SHE HAS ACHIEVED IN A VERY SHORT SPACE OF TIME MUST BE APPLAUDED AND CELEBRATED! 112 - DECANIAN 2017/18

Emma joined the school as a teacher of English and Drama in September 2016. She quickly made her mark in the English department with her energy and enthusiasm for English teaching. She became a very popular teacher, inspiring some of her GCSE scholars to continue with studying Literature at A Level. She has inspired others to write poetry, and she speaks fondly of finding verse written by her pupils left on her desk, awaiting her appraising eye. She certainly has an ability to bring the best out in her pupils who have thoroughly enjoyed her lessons. She is an impressive mixture of organised yet creative, professional yet caring, energetic yet calm. In short, a natural and gifted teacher. It is hoped that teaching may be a profession to which she returns once she has explored other avenues in her life. The English department would like to thank Emma for all her hard work, her beautifully conceived teaching resources and her unstinting commitment to her students.

Emma split her teaching between English and Drama, and she proved herself an immensely popular and sought-after teacher of Speech and Drama. Her love of the scholars is our abiding memory of her - and her willingness always to get thoroughly stuck in, with enthusiasm and with not a moment’s hesitation - in lessons, in rehearsals, in warm-ups, in workshops, in theatre trips, in department drinks outings. We are devastated that she is leaving, because she is that most rare of creatures - a born teacher. She is also professional to her toes, whilst never for one moment losing her sense of twinkly mischief and fun. While we wish her the very best of dramatic luck with her acting future, we also secretly hope that she will see the error of her ways and come back into the pedagogic fold one day. Big, massive luck, Emma - thank you for all you have done in drama, and go out and wow the acting world. K Ledlie L Allington

leavers

David Fullerton ~‘a class act’

MF was an outstanding Head of Department and appreciated by scholars and colleagues alike. In a very stressful role he was unflappable, extremely hard working and very well organised. Under his leadership the dept was a well-oiled machine quietly humming through the term, meeting deadlines and preparing our charges well for their exams. One of DMF’s many gifts was that he was able to spot an error in a document from about 50 paces and given how myopic he is, that was no mean feat. I used to call him lynx-eyed because this skill seemed quite extraordinary, almost super human. If any material needed to be proof read in any language, DMF was your man. He inspired affection in the dept by being a good leader, listener and agony aunt. He always had time for his colleagues and was never snappy, dismissive or unreasonable as the pressure of term mounted. David and I also shared a love of reading but rarely enjoyed the same books. On the rare occasions when are tastes did coincide, there would be much whooping for joy in the dept, dancing on the spot and broad smiles all round.

He developed very strong bonds with his pupils not only because he taught them well and they trusted him, but also because he could get alongside them with his passion for football and his empathic, caring manner. He was DCS’s Mr Chips and this was underlined by the many loving comments ODs contributed to a booklet about DMF when he retired

DAVID ALWAYS HAS TIME FOR PEOPLE. HE IS POLITE, COURTEOUS AND WELL MEANING. IT DOES NOT MATTER IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM OR THE YOUNGEST OR LEAST EXPERIENCED MEMBER OF THE CR: DAVID WILL ALWAYS HAVE TIME FOR YOU AND THAT, I THINK, IS A TRULY REMARKABLE GIFT

from teaching last year. I think it is fair to say that modern teaching methods where pupils work in pairs or learn through playing games was not really DMF’s strong suit but his pupils knew that they would be rigorously prepared for their exams and they respected his sharp intellect. DMF wore his learning lightly but his grammatical knowledge of French ( and I suspect German) was encyclopaedic and if I ever had a grammatical query I would merely scuttle next door to his classroom to find the answer. David was a true school master the like of which is increasingly difficult to find. S.Villiers David Fullerton joined Dean Close in the late nineteen-eighties but left soon afterwards to take up a post at Bristol Grammar School. He returned in 1995 and in the ensuing 23 years since, David established himself as an excellent Head of Modern Languages, a superb head of UCAS and Careers, the pioneer of Pre-U week and a long-serving and an utterly committed tutor in Dale House. He has also been a wonderful personal tutor, a role that he very much enjoyed. He has forged long-lasting partnerships and friendships, both professional and personal, with so many people, from ancillary staff to members of the CR, all of whom are bound together by their

admiration and affection for him. Nor should we forget, either, the under 15 Bs cricket team that David helped to coach and to lead for over 20 years. Then there have been the House football matches and tournaments, both for boys and girls and that familiar voice at Sports Days announcing the victors in track and field and celebrating school records smashed and consigned to history. Were I to encourage David to reflect on what gave him his greatest pleasure or sense of fulfilment at school, I would wager that he would declare that it was his role as Head of UCAS since it granted him an unrivalled opportunity to get to know the entire 6th form, with all of its personalities and characters. He has worked tirelessly and selflessly on the behalf of the young people of Dean Close School and he has always been ready to give up his time to assist and to advise. Finally, David always has time for people. He is polite, courteous and well meaning. It does not matter if you are a member of the Senior Leadership team or the youngest or least experienced member of the CR: David will always have time for you and that, I think, is a truly remarkable gift. As the Headmaster said at Commemoration: David Fullerton is a class act; we owe him a huge debt of gratitude and we will miss him a great deal. JM Allen

Ben Mackey en has been an outstanding addition to our Hockey and has been part of a very successful two years. He has developed the skill level of the elite players and advanced the Indoor program to a very high level. The pupils have enjoyed learning new skills from Ben and he has dedicated his time to help the pupils. We wish Ben all the best in his new school and look forward to seeing him playing at the top level next year.

G Tredgett

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leavers

Romey Tottman Romey arrived at Dean Close in 2004 with her husband Mark and two children Eliot and Emily. She leaves after 14 years to move back to Surrey, the area that she calls home. During her time at DCS she has filled various roles - all with her customary commitment and zeal, and all to her exceptionally high standards.

omey’s early years at the school saw her work in the Bursary and also in the History Department where her History degree from LMH was put to good use. It is perhaps in her two major roles as Head of Learning Support and Head of Gate House though that she has made her greatest mark.

Romey has always had a passion for education and in helping students learn. When an opportunity arose in 2010 to join what was then called the Curriculum Support team she jumped at it. Her dedication and skill were easy to see and when a new Head of Department was required a few years later she was the very obvious choice. The demands, expectations and regulations surrounding Learning Support have increased enormously over the time of Romey’s stewardship and yet she has steered the ship with a deft touch and an impressive calm through all the issues thrown at her. At all times though she has remained utterly focused on the heart of her department – her students. They all talk of her care and her warmth and Romey leaves a long line of very grateful students behind her. When asking for comments for this article, one of her students looked at me, paused, smiled and said, ‘She’s great. That’s it’. Romey become joint Head of Gate House in 2008 with her husband, a role she has held on her own since 2017, and it is perhaps this role which has given her the greatest satisfaction. I have had the pleasure of working for her in this House for five of those years and have seen at first hand the incredible care and dedication that she has given all of her charges. She has a natural and deep understanding of the emotional needs of the boys, instinctively knowing what approach is required to help them through what can be a daunting two years. The majority of boys are new to the school at 6th Form, and new to the country, and that clearly brings challenges –and yet the atmosphere she has created is warm and collegiate, with all of the boys talking of Gate as being the space they want to come back to – be that after lessons, sport or indeed Exeats. This was highlighted by the Head of House at the recent Gate U6th leaving dinner. He spoke eloquently and with heart felt emotion about how Gate House was very much Home away from Home – and how Mrs T, as she is known by the boys, was the absolute architect of that. Romey will be missed by all of the school community: the students, her colleagues, parents and all of those who have been fortunate enough to overlap with her world. Nevertheless we are all delighted that she is moving for the right reasons for her and we wish her all the very, very best for the future. P Harvey

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schoolleavers

Artur Abramian

Myranda Campanella

Evelyn Dick

Orlando Giannini

James Adejumo

Brandon Cardillo

Florence Duckworth

Frederick Gilgallon-Scoular

Guy Amos

Edward Cernik

Madeleine Dunn

Tatiana Gourlay

Alexander Aplin

Matthew Chan

Eira Engedal

Alex Green

Alexandra Atwick

Rei Chin

Wentao Fan

Jonathan Hart

Jack Bacon

Doris Choi

Emily Farnworth

Edward Harvey

Daniel Barrow

Sophie Clink

Frederick Faux

Toby Hitchins

Matthieu Berbinau

Isaac Crawford-Poxon

Anson Foong

Polina Kalashnikova

Harvey Brown

Olivia Cross

Thomas Ford

Michelle Lam

William Bunker

Matteo Cutrupi

Thomas Foster

Jessi Lau

Fergus Byron Low

Lawson Day

Saxon Foster

Rebecca Leich

Class of 2018

Milly Li

Alfred Orr-Ewing

Gabriella Sills

Sophie Turner

Nicholas Mackay

Josephine Ovenstone

Henry Sleeman

Alexander Vinokurov

Mahmud Mahmoud

Valerii Ovsiannikov

Gweneth Stabler

Chelsey Wang

Emily-Rose Millward

Thomas Pearson

Finley Stallard

Andrew Whitford

Isabel Montgomery

Madeline Pendle

Grace Starling

Edward Williams

Louis Morford

Hugh Phillips

Joshua Stott

Jonathan Woods

Alexia Morris

Harry Phillips

Sona Tatarian

Hannah Woods

Isabelle Moulding

Lucy Pickering

Eloise Taylor

Patrick Xu

Oliver Mustoe

Phoebe Preece

Jessica Thomas

Alexander Yang

Elizabeth Neil

Angela Resgonia

Hugo Till

Doris Ye

Phoebe Neville

Benjamin Sansom

Zak Tomlinson

Eric Yu

Trevor Ng

Sydney Scott

Crystal Tse

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development

DC F U T U R E S

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

CAMPUS

For the past year Dean Close has been working on ambitious development plans with the central aim of giving pupils even better preparation for the future.

Work is now underway on the construction of the Day House Village: the development of a cluster of day houses on the eastern edge of the Senior School campus to replace the current day houses. Emma Taylor: “Of course, there will be an immediate win for our day pupils, with the provision of purpose-built accommodation. But beyond this, by freeing up space in the heart of the school, the Day House Village project serves as the enabler for a really major project at the very heart of the Senior School, which will have profound benefits for every pupil.” “The Academic Quad re-development will be a transformational project with a strong focus on 21st Century teaching and learning, in preparation for the

How it might look. A possible new configuration of the academic quad - made possible thanks to the construction of the Day House Village.

world beyond school and university.” Having already invested significantly in the creation of the Day House Village, Dean Close will need help

We owe it to these young people to be bold in planning for the future.’ Emma Taylor, Warden

The Day House Village: opening in 2019.

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from generous ODs and parents to deliver this major project. So, a major capital appeal is planned.

development

The late, Denys Carnill. The first Foundation Award is created in his memory and funded by ODs who were inspired by him.

Leadership

COMMUNITY

Dean Close now has a Development Board. The aim of this new body is to serve as a forum for refining the development plans and to provide leadership and advocacy for the fundraising.

Dean Close is launching a new category of bursary: the Foundation Awards. This new bursary scheme will provide very generous feeassistance to talented and financially-deserving pupils, who will inspire those around them and

Matthew Smith (Chairman) - past parent, trustee

contribute to school life. Teachers are enthusiastic Helen Daltry, past parent, trustee

about the effect Foundationers are likely to have across the whole school, based on experiences

Eve Fateh, past parent

to date of helping realise potential through the award of generous bursaries. Fundraising for the Foundation Awards is already underway, with parents of 2018 leavers making contributions towards the scheme. And the school has awarded the first Foundation Award, with the new ‘Foundationer’ starting in the Senior School in September 2018.

‘These pupils act as catalysts, energising everyone else. The spin-off benefits are massive.’

Vasily Pasetchik, current parent

Paul Montgomery, Housemaster, Field House.

Participation: the key to Success

While an obvious benefit of the Foundation Awards will be the life changing opportunities awarded to those who are awarded places, an diversity of pupil-backgrounds as the scheme expands. Bradley Salisbury, Senior School Headmaster: “Diversity of experience, attitudes and beliefs brings an educational flavour that cannot be replicated through theoretical discussions.”

CURRICULUM comprises an innovative approach to the curriculum to build in preparation for life beyond school, and employability. While there will be an immediate funding need for at least one staff position to drive this area of innovation forward, it is anticipated that the real scope for OD and parental support will come in the form of help with work experience, mentoring and

Emma Taylor, Warden

We are placing a strong emphasis on the participation of ODs in supporting the development plans. Felicity Copp, Development Manager: “We are providing a real choice of levels of support, because we aim to reach a position where a really significant percentage of ODs are part of this. Whether it’s through giving a few pounds a month or much more, it doesn’t matter. Participation will be the key to creating a sustainable culture of support which is what Dean Close will need to fund these ambitious developments.”

equally important benefit will be the growing

The third area of development activity

Mark Philip-Sorensen, OD, current Parent

‘Raw, gutsy, happy to take risks... some of our most invigorating pupils come from the most challenging backgrounds.’ Lloyd Allington, Head of Drama.

Ready to receive You can now support the three different aspects of the campaign by making a pledge online – www. deanclose.org.uk/support-us. Do also get in touch if you would like to know more about any of the developments or if you have other suggestions about how you might help.

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