Decanian 2016/17

Decanian September 2016 - August 2017

A Year in the Life of Dean Close Senior School

Decanian 2016/17

Artists inspired in Venice Geographers awestruck in Iceland Sell out for Fiddler on the Roof Thrilling performance of Rhapsody in Blue Young entrepreneurs at GCHQ

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DEAN CLOSE

CHELTENHAM

SENIOR SCHOOL

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

2016/17

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DEAN CLOSE

CHELTENHAM

SENIOR SCHOOL

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Contents News Houses Chaplaincy Report Confirmation Drama Music Art Cookery School Commemoration Cheltenham Literature Festival Cheltenham Science Festival Events Charity Academic Highlights Societies Trips CCF Sport Leavers Archives Sixth Form Leavers 2016/17 Common Room List

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DEAN CLOSE

CHELTENHAM

SENIOR SCHOOL

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Having won the Dean Close round of the Young Entrepreneurs’ Competition, a Fourth Form group went along to GCHQ to compete in the Regional Final, pitting their product against teams from schools such as Cheltenham College, The Crypt and Wycliffe. The team’s winning product was The “Dorothy”, a pen that can translate languages for you as you write. It also has some Maths capabilities.

After arriving at GCHQ, and showing IDs to get in, the team settled down into the competition, judged by some impressive characters from GCHQ. There were some great ideas from other teams, and everyone spoke with great confidence and handled the tricky questions from the judges with poise and certainty.

During the break, the competitors were able to chat with members of staff from GCHQ and have a go at different activities – languages, artificial bombs and even the Enigma machine. After the break, the results were announced.

Dean Close was not placed in the top 3 but the deserved winner of the competition was Archway.

This competition was preceded by a day at Dean Close run by gFutures for the Young Entrepreneurs in Fourth Form. The day consisted of working in small groups to come up with a product or service related to business or an idea to do with communications and technology. Once the idea was conceived and put down on paper, it was presented to the rest of the year.

There were many wacky and weird ideas: the “U desk”; the “Intech 7”; the “Proband”; and the “Write4me”.

The winning team consisted of Tom Richardson, Elena Valdes, George Tang, Oliver Melville Smith and Henry Blunt. Unfortunately, Lily Talbot missed the Final as she was unwell. It was a great experience and very interesting to hear from people who work at GCHQ about their different roles. The only disappointment was not being able to go into the “Doughnut” itself!

Dean Close Drama Department was delighted to welcome Old Decanian, David Acton, back to his old school during his run as one of the two actors in The Woman in Black at The Everyman Theatre. David was starring alongside his fellow actor, Matthew Spencer, in the famous stage horror adaptation of Susan Hills’ novel – also made into a film with Daniel Radcliffe.

David has played the part of Kipps, the solicitor haunted by the terrible ghost the Woman in Black, once before – five years ago, in the Fortune Theatre in London, and the show has proved immensely popular and successful since it first went on stage.

Pupils were excited to meet David, who was at Dean Close in the 1970s, and played Hamlet and other big roles as a schoolboy. He answered questions about the show, his role, the stage tricks in the production, and his life at Dean Close, when he was a boy.

Lloyd Allington, Director of Drama at Dean Close, said: “It is always a pleasure to see David back here – he is such an engaging and delightful man, and he intuitively interacts with our pupils in such a friendly and interesting way. It was a privilege for them to meet such a stylish and intelligent actor, and Dean Close is very proud of him! We wish him well for the rest of the run of the show until the start of July.”

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Huge congratulations to Georgina Shephard and Hugh Phillips who have both qualified for the British Shooting Target Sprint National Finals to be held in Cardiff in September.

Both took part in a qualifying series held at Wycliffe College at the end of March. After a quick practice on the rifle and a stretch in the rain they set off against the other competitors to complete a gruelling run-shoot test. Both came third in their respective groups and with a

time of 8.17 minutes for Georgina and 6.47 minutes for Hugh.

The event takes the following structure: sprint 400m, stop and from a standing position using a prepositioned Air Arms MPR Air Rifle load and shoot down 5 targets, up to a maximum of 10 pellets. Then set off on another 400m sprint and shoot. Once all 5 targets have dropped, run a final 400m to finish.

B Lloyd

Sixth Former, William Cox, completed his trials season by winning the 2016 Overall Junior Classic Car Trials Championship for Stroud District Motor Club. Will has been competing in Car Trials (off road) since he was 14, first in a Citroen Saxo and more recently in the Marlin Roadster. Now that he has passed his driving test he can compete in long distance Classic Trials that typically cover about 70 miles and involve ascending steep rough tracks. These tracks can be anything from ancient highways to private estate roads.

In September, Will competed in the Ebworth Classic Trial, a crosscountry motor trial set in the glorious surrounding of Ebworth Woods, a nature reserve owned by the National Trust. More recently he competed in ‘The Mechanics’ Classic Trial on a route around Stroud, Cheltenham and Cirencester. Will is also passionate about circuit racing. He has his own racing car and has been preparing, testing and developing this in readiness for the 2017 season. Post A Levels, Will plans to race in the Monoposto Championship. This is a National Championship for single seater racing cars, divided into different classes, based on size and performance of the car.

There are high hopes for Will in this competition as, in a recent test at Castle Combe, he outpaced the lap times of the winner last time out.

This all began for Will at the age of four, when he started driving a scaled-down sports car which was powered by a lawn tractor engine, and has previously competed in the Castle Combe Junior Karting Championship. We look forward to seeing how Will progresses in his racing, as he’s one to watch for the future.

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In November, Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, who is President of the Guinea Pig Club, unveiled a commemorative tablet to the Club at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. The Guinea Pig Club was founded 75 years ago, mostly by RAF aircrew who survived fiery crashes during WWII. The club was set up in honour of the experimental treatments of pioneering plastic surgeon, Sir Archibald McIndoe.

Old Decanian, Wing Commander Geoffrey Page, DSO, OBE, DFC and Bar (Brook, 1937) was shot shown in WWII and suffered severe burns to his

face and head. He was treated

by Sir Archibald McIndoe. Page became one of the founding Members of the Guinea Pig Club and its first Chairman. In retirement, Geoffrey founded the Battle of Britain Trust.

It raised over £1 million and funded the Battle of Britain memorial that overlooks the Straits of Dover near Hawkinge, Kent which was opened by Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. At Page’s funeral in August 2000, Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Foxlee-Norris declared: ‘Even by the Battle of Britain standards he was the bravest of the brave.’

Huge congratulations to Sixth Form linguists, James Brown and Ellie Gammon, who won the Cheltenham Sixth Form Language Debate hosted by Cheltenham College.

The field of entrants was very strong, comprising Cheltenham College, Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Pate’s Grammar and Balcarras. The debates were topical and unknown in advance.

The Dean Close team saw off two Pate’s Grammar teams before reaching the final versus Cheltenham College, where they convinced the judges of the merits of Hilary Clinton over Donald Trump.

Debating in a foreign language is a challenging discipline and James and Ellie were strong under pressure and very clear in their views.

They will now go on to represent Cheltenham in the National Finals at the French Institute in London next year.

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Three Dean Close pupils have been awarded national youth theatre membership: Sixth Formers, Orlando Giannini and Gweneth Stabler, to the National Youth Theatre and Year 9 pupil, Thomas Bradford, to the National Youth Music Theatre.

Orlando has been a member since 2015, gaining a place at the age of 15.

Since then, he has been called to annual casting auditions for the NYT and has even starred in a production of ‘Stars and Stripes’, performing in front of patrons and donors of the NYT. Orlando commented: “I am very excited to be continuing my membership with the NYT. Many acting opportunities have arisen since being a member such as filming for the ‘The Nutcracker and the Four Realms’,

by Walt Disney Pictures, auditions for TV shows and agent opportunities.”

Orlando’s classmate, Gwen Stabler, auditioned for the first time in February at Hamilton House, Bristol. After extensive group workshops and an individual audition where she performed a monologue from ‘Orphans’ by Dennis Kelly, she was interviewed by a panel of NYT representatives. Upon receiving the news of her selection she said:

“Coming from a small Island in the Caribbean, I never believed that I would make it into NYT, let alone first time. I see this as a great opportunity to develop as an actor and as an individual.”

Thomas Bradford, who has been performing since the age of five, gained membership with the National Youth Music Theatre at the age of 13. At auditions, judges were looking for excellence in singing, dancing and acting in order to merit a place. Out of thousands across the country who auditioned, Thomas was ecstatic to be one of only 300 to be accepted. He said: “Gaining a place with the NYMT means a lot to me as it will help me in the future with my acting career. Over the summer I will be performing in ‘The Children of the New Forest’, at the Barbican Theatre, Plymouth and I am very excited to start rehearsals.”

Director of Drama, Lloyd Allington, said: “These achievements are a major feat for the young actors as auditions are notoriously tough, highly competitive and places much sought after. I am extremely proud of Orlando, Gwen and Thomas and look forward to watching their future successes.”

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HOUSES BROOK COURT 2016/17 -

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The year started with an excellent new addition to the house residential team, David Winter, as Resident Tutor. The boys have really appreciated his firmness, fairness and warmth during the year, while I have had the pleasure of working with someone who seems instinctively to get how the house works. I also enjoyed beginning to work with Dom McClaran, my Head of House, who pushed through a number of early changes to the way the communal spaces work to create a new games room and a different way of accessing screens. Probably the two Michaelmas Term highlights were the House Singing Competition, as ever, in which the boys sang a fantastic winning rendition of ‘I Get a Kick out of You’, and being very proud of Dan Barrow with his beautiful, poignant performance of the Last Post at our Remembrance Day service.

Brook Court has never been a house where winning is crucial – it’s all a little more about taking part and having fun.

There were two notable successes during the Lent Term, however. The first was the Indoor House Football, which featured a number of boys with the kind of energy and speed that a person of my age can only marvel at.

The whole competition came down to a final match, and in typical dramatic style, a final penalty in the last few minutes, with which we drew level with our competitors and, therefore, won the trophy on a goal difference supplied by this year’s Golden Boot winner, Gaspard Sauvage. The other, very different kind of success, was the House Music Competition, powered by not only some key performers at the top end, but also by an excellent showing in the intermediate sections of the competition from some future stars.

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The final term seems to rush past in a blaze of revision stress and finishes with bittersweet goodbyes for a departing Upper Sixth. The class of 2017 cohort were a notably talented and sparky group, particularly on the musical front, and we will miss being entertained by the likes of Ashton Mackinnon, Laurence Kilsby and Pat Coniam, all of whom offered fantastic valedictory performances. The other dominant theme is using up the entertainment budget – my favourite two events were a house outing to see the hysterical ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 2’ and the return of ‘Headhunters’ after a two year absence. Can there be a more enjoyable bonding experience than creeping around a Wiltshire wood for three hours in teams armed with state of the art infra-red rifles?

J Slade

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What a year it has been. I can’t believe I have only be House Master of Dale for one year. It all began with Tug of War, during which it became immediately clear how strong House loyalty and allegiance runs among the boys. It was great to see those Fourth Form not selected for the team cheering on their peers and getting really stuck in. House Shout was soon upon us and Jason Richards organised the songs superbly well and despite concerns, we managed to pull a second place out of the bag for the unison song. From there the House events came thick and fast. The House Play – All My Sons by Arthur Miller – was a great success with Oli Evans, Max Thomas, Josh Brooks, Liam McKinnes, Sam Porter and Ben Crossley all laying on outstanding performances befitting a School Play, let alone a House one. There followed victories in the Senior and Junior House quizzes as well as the World Book Day Quiz.

Who says Dale is simply a house full of sports jocks?

This term there was significant Dale representation in the House Singing and Music competitions, with Andy Whitford winning the Intermediate Boys’ Singing and the overall Intermediate Singing Cup. Salim Jaffar came a very respectable 2nd place in the Song Recital competition behind an inspired Laurence Kilsby. Nathan Kenshall and Ethan Bareham were runners up in FameLab, Ben Crossley achieved 12 green chits before Half Term, and 4 of the top 5 in the Upper Sixth for achievement in grades cards and reports came from the House. At the same time, Oli Evans and Will Hewer were playing National League hockey and were then selected to represent Wales and England U18s respectively, with Will then being called up to the U21 side. James Hunt was also selected for the U18 England side and Ellis Robson the U16s – two years early. As well as this, Oscar Newcombe, Jonny Coniam and Archie Benson have been part of Gloucester Rugby Academy. The House achievements have been copious and wide-ranging.

We kicked off in serious style with the House Soiree. What an evening it was: with Fourth Form stepping up and performing in front of parents and senior boys with confidence – not an easy thing to do.

Matt Candy, Nathan Kenshall, Evan Little, Josh Brooks and Ethan Bareham were outstanding in this regard. However, the show was dominated by the Upper Sixth with Salim Jaffar, Tinwai Cheung, Channen Chong and Jason Richards giving us a masterclass in top quality music which culminated with a revisiting of the House Shout part song, and a superb mini organ recital in Chapel by Jason. This was then soon followed by a win in the Senior Cross Country and Senior Swimming to remind people of our endurance sport credentials too.

The Upper Sixth have been inspirational this year: big personalities, plenty of Dale passion, and musical, academic, acting and sporting achievements from the very top drawer. Jason Richard is taking up the prestigious Organ Scholarship at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, and then the Organ Scholarship at Jesus College, Cambridge and Salim Jaffar a Choral Scholarship to King’s College, Cambridge – the most famous choir in the world (where there will now be two Old Decanians – a major national achievement).

It has been a year of increased integration of the year groups, support for one another, and celebrating the unsung hero who, ‘quietly gets on with things in House’. Not to mention: working hard, sweeping the sheds and employing growth mind-sets. The results have been superb and the atmosphere in House ever improving. We will miss the Upper Sixth but must thank them for the lead they have set and the inspiration they have been for those to follow in the coming years.

BP Price 2016/17 -

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Form tug of war. In all the major sports we competed with energy, enthusiasm and humour at house level, giving many girls chance to represent Fawley.

Georgie Shephard won 1st prize in shooting, and Lydia W and Molly D have competed at national level in riding outside school. There is a wealth of talent in Fawley and it’s great to see so much happening.

The year started with the loveliest of Fourth Form joining the House, and an outstanding Upper Sixth year group helping to run Fawley. We welcomed four new tutors and Miss Stewart started her role as the Assistant Housemistress working alongside the two best matrons ever in Sarah and Alison.

It was clear from the start of the year that 2016-2017 was going to be one of the best. With the impressive leadership of our Upper Sixth in preparing for House Shout, we won the coveted unison song with our rendition of Cole Porter’s ‘Anything Goes’ and seeing every single girl join in enthusiastically was a highlight.

As the year went on we won the Shooting Competition, the CCF Drill Competition, were the first girls’ house in Senior Quiz, and first girls’ and boarding house in Junior Quiz and we won Fifth

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IT WAS CLEAR FROM THE START OF THE YEAR THAT 2016-2017 WAS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE BEST

Our Soiree in the Lent Term was a fantastic showcase for the House and we were proud to raise money for BlueSkyeThinking through our raffle.

As the year draws to a close, I look back with pride at how the girls have worked hard and played hard, supported each other in many different ways, been kind to each other (very often across the year groups) and shown thoughtfulness, impeccable

manners and a love of life. Fawley is a wonderful place to live and learn and I hope it continues to be so next year.

We say goodbye to an impressive Upper Sixth – Hattie, Imi, Ellie G, Ellie H, Amy and Shoko who have been exemplary role models and we thank them for all they have done this year in their leadership roles. My thanks extend further to the wonderful tutor team which has supported me this year, and to the Fawley girls and their parents who have made Fawley the amazing House it is. I am grateful and will miss you all.

I leave with many happy memories and wish Mr and Mrs Spring Wallis, and Mrs Briggs all the best as they start their privileged role as Houseparents of Fawley.

JU Abbott

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We started the term with 55 boys including a talented Fourth Form intake.

We had lots of fun in the House tug-ofwar and then did brilliantly to come runners-up in the Unison Song and 1st (boys) in the Part Song with an arrangement by Louis Morford, ending up overall winners of the House Singing Competition – a first for us!

Hugo Till and the rest of the team did well in the Senior House Public Speaking Competition (with ‘The Private School Dilemma’) as did the House Badminton Team (Till, Morford, Osmond and Fraser).

On the CCF front, the boys came 3rd in the House Competition (captained by George Howell) and the House Shooting Team won the Boys’ Trophy with Hugh Phillips Best Male Shot (with a perfect 100). The term ended with a very happy Christmas Dinner.

Like all the other Houses, we had an incredibly intense term but possibly our most successful term on the sporting front. We managed a clean sweep of the Hockey Competition, winning both Senior Cup and Junior Cups. Ed Bogue (Head of House) represented the Gloucester Rugby Academy against Romania and finished the term signing a professional contract with the Club.

Louis Morford won the Senior Singing Cup. We had a wonderful Evening Concert with some superb contributions from each Year Group, culminating with the Upper Sixth singing 5 Years’ Time (Noah and Whale). The end of the term finished with various fun outings with the Removes going to Jumptastic and the Fifth Form to TGI Fridays.

The focus very much this term was on revision for the public exams. The boys competed with determination and guts in the House Athletics and the House Swimming Competitions.

Despite the pressure of exams, we managed to do some fun outings – there were a number of Tutor Group outings to TGI Friday’s as well as an end of term trip to JDR Go-Karting in Gloucester for the Upper Sixth.

George Howell drove with skill to

shunt his Housemaster into the Pit Stop lane on a tight right hand corner!

James Schubach and James Humphreys played a mature game for the 1st XI alongside some old hands such as Matt Court and Sam Norwood during Cricket Week. Harry Phillips is the new Head of House for 2017/18 and Hugh Phillips is a School Prefect for 2017/18. We wish our Leavers all the very best and hope for great GCSE and A Level grades in August.

PS Montgomery

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Our first House evening saw our inaugural Great Gate Bake Off! Pitting teams of 4 boys against the clock and with a limited budget, the challenge was to produce the best desert of the night. From lime cheesecake to Dean Close Mess, pancakes to ginger and pear crumble, the challenge produced some sensational and extremely tasty dishes. Gate has not always been a lead contender at House Shout, but this year the House was whipped into shape by our musical maestro Matthew Welch, ably backed up

by Orly Giannini.

The respect Matthew commanded from all of the boys, from imposing rugby players, to boys newly arrived on these shores and singing in a second language, was a joy to witness and to listen to as well – it really was “De-Lovely”. Our part song, “Under the Bridge” received the biggest cheer of the night, though sadly no official prizes came our way.

However, this didn’t dampen the boys’ spirits and they continued singing in fine form at our joint karaoke social afterwards with the girls from Turner House. Both dramatic and musical talent was also on display from Jonny and Rhydian as well as Matthew and Orly in the amazing school production of “Fiddler on the Roof”. Orly’s make up and acting were so convincing that his grandfather failed to recognise him until the final scene! There were also many Gate boys out in force at all levels on the rugby fields; some playing for the first time yet still making it into, and even captaining, the 2nd XV, up to those playing for Gloucester Academy and then making the England U18 squad.

At the end of the term we had to say goodbye to Jono Greyling, our South African exchange student. Jono had become such an integral part of Gate, even though he was with us for just one term. Musically gifted, we miss his guitar playing, his singing and his joie de vivre and wish him all the best for the future.

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Zorb football proved to be a great hit as a House Evening. On the rugby pitch I have witnessed many of Dan Williams’ awesome tackles – noone, it seems, can take him down. However, in zorb football even Dan succumbed to being flattened. The competitive spirit continued with our Bachelor of the Year competition, with events from tying a bow tie to frying an egg, from sewing on a button to making a bed. The Lower Sixth emerged victorious, in part thanks to Alex Aplin’s ability to conduct a fascinating conversation with Mr Harvey, who was roleplaying the character of a window cleaner.

The highlight of the term, however, had to be our Gate House Soiree when we enjoyed poems in Italian (from Brandon) and Arabic (Zak) alongside Rudyard Kipling’s “If”, together with songs in Mandarin (Alex Y and Jack) and Ukrainian (Alex D and Nik). Our Gate House Band made its first appearance, as did our improvising drummers – Alex, Alfie, Ted and Gus, with a little additional help from Dan, Goz and Tom. Some amazing performances from Jonny, Orly and Matthew ensured there were some truly class acts too.

Overseeing them all, Rafael introduced each act with great wit and insight. Our audience of parents, personal tutors, SMT, Gate cleaners and matrons had a wonderful evening and the plaudits poured in over the ensuing days.

Following exams we said farewell to our wonderful Upper Sixth by taking them for dinner at a riverside pub. At our Lower Sixth Black Tie dinner we enjoyed the company of our Guests of Honour: Miss Hatchell, whom we thanked for seeing so many of the Gate boys through their Duke of Edinburgh awards, and Mr Fullerton for all his sterling work and sage advice on university applications and careers. We also bid farewell to our two GTAs Mr Baldanzi and Mr Salmon. They, together with our evening tutors, Mr Harvey and Mr Hardaker, and our ever efficient matron Claire, have worked hard throughout the year and contributed so much to the fun and lively spirit that is Gate House.

Mr Tottman also leaves us to take up a new post as Headmaster at Dunottar School. Mr T took up the Housemaster of Gate role in 2008 and over the years has helped to transform the atmosphere in the House. Promoting our Gate House motto, Sapere Aude - “Dare to be Wise”, Mr T has encouraged the boys to achieve beyond their comfort zones, to take some risks and to learn from set-backs, but always within a supportive and caring environment. We will miss him hugely, but he will definitely be staying in close touch and I am sure he will return to play at least the odd game of pool for old times’ sake!

Well done to all the boys in Gate for another great year of achievement. #proudofyou RE Tottman

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Michaelmas Term Our lovely new Fourth Form settled quickly and embraced Hatherley life with enthusiasm. Work and hockey were attacked with equal vim, and it was wonderful to see so many of the girls singing, dancing and acting in the fabulous school production of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’. Special mention must go to Katie M, who gave such a beautiful performance as Tzeitel, and Hatherley newcomer, Verity, who got involved backstage to create some striking make up. We were victorious in the House Hockey, a great way to mark Georgia’s birthday, and also enjoyed competing in the House Shout, in which Maddie and Tatyana showed marvellous dedication and leadership in bringing the girls up to such a high standard.

Finally, a magnificent speech from Beth in the House Public Speaking, in which she discussed the importance of Arts and Drama in a rounded education, meant that we came away from the competition with the Best Speech trophy for the first time in the House’s history. Bravo!

Lent Term

Trinity Term

Lent saw the academic pressure mounting, with trials, but the girls rose to the challenge brilliantly, and, despite some understandable stress and nerves, the atmosphere in House was productive and supportive. And we still had plenty of time for fun! The Fifth Form enjoyed a surprise pizza lunch with their Mead friends, and the whole House came in early for a red-themed breakfast in honour of International Women’s Day. Perhaps unsurprisingly, as the School 1st VII is almost entirely Hatherley(!) we dominated in the House Netball, winning both trophies and there was also a chance for our musicians to shine, with the House Solo Singing and Music Competitions.

Special mention must go to our Juniors here, with Fourth Formers Mimi, Bethany and Abby T all singing beautifully to earn valuable House points, whilst Removes Ellie and Lois sang and played multiple instruments to great acclaim. Beth thrilled us all with her stunning performance in ‘And Then There Were None’, and it was great to see so many Juniors performing in ‘Macbeth’ two very scary productions! Hockey continued and the girls (including Jess, Izzy M, Izzy F, Abby N and Dani) claimed 3= at both Indoor and Outdoor Nationals - a fitting end to the hockey career of outstanding Captain Izzy F. Another Nationals highlight was Grace competing in Swimming at the Olympic Pool - wow!

Examinations for all! These were approached by the girls with great determination, and Hatherley soon settled into the rhythms of study leave, revision, clinics and papers that such demands require. However, upon their completion, there was time for all sorts of enriching activities, with Citizenship Week and Camp for the Fourth Form, DofE and CCF camp for the Removes, Skills Week for the Fifth Form, trips such as the Quantocks for the Lower Sixth, and - of course - the Leavers’ Service and Ball for the Upper Sixth; how I shall miss them! Meanwhile, Jess was selected for the England Hockey Future’s Cup, and Dani for Western Storm Cricket, whilst Abby T and Bethany finished the year with a beautiful dance performance at Dean Close House, and Captain Anna led the Fourth Form to victory in a toughly contested House Rounders to close June with one last sporting victory. Finally, we joined Mead for a lively, noisy, joyous House dinner, celebrating the end of a great year in Hatherley.

Huge thanks to Katie Colbert-Smith and Izzy Fairthorne, who served so faithfully as Head and Deputy Head of House respectively, and best wishes to all my leavers. Good luck as you conquer new horizons, and do come back and see us very soon!

KE Milne 2016/17 -

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Mead continued to celebrate with another House Public Speaking recognition; this time for the Junior Team of Katie Humphreys, Beth Ellison and Olivia Colthart. Once again Mead triumphed in the annual Reading Challenge run by the Library with 90% of the House submitting a book review.

Special mention to Eira Engedal for best senior review and also to Sydney Davies for the most reviews. The term was also a busy term with trial examinations, EPQ presentations, House Netball, House Football, House Music (instrumental and voice) and a Fashion Show thrown in for good measure. This term also saw Mead show off its creative talents with a good number of the House involved in

September 2016 marked a new era for Mead, with a change in Housemistress and a new tutor, Ms Maria Taylor, who also runs the Cookery School. There was little time to catch one’s breath as we welcomed a lively bunch of Fourth Form and kick started the term with a full house of participants in House Tug of War. This was swiftly followed by House Shout, House CCF, Senior House Public Speaking, House Badminton, House Hockey (both Senior and Junior) and House Quizzes (both Senior and Junior). Success in Public Speaking for Molly Caesar (Best Speech) and for Katie Humphreys, winner of the Junior Critical Essay competition ensured Mead’s tradition of pioneering young women is upheld, whilst Mead took a clean sweep in Headmaster’s Assembly as the House with the most Green Chits (rewards for work and effort) per student. It seemed that almost all of the House were also involved in the school production of “Fiddler on the Roof”. We ended the term with a wonderful in-house Secret Santa organised by Sophie and Sophie in Lower Sixth, cheered on by the sweet sound of our two flautists, Alix and Lucy, playing Christmas Carols. In amidst this busy term, the girls still found time to raise money for their chosen charity of the year: Helen and Douglas House, Oxford, with a pizza and movie night raising £150.

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Term started with a trip to the Ballet in May, swiftly followed by the House Soiree. Whilst the ballet was outstanding, the performances of the girls at the Soiree were a cut above. It was a joy to celebrate the individuality that exists in Mead: Fifth Form created a handprint canvas of each person in House, we had entertaining videos from the Fourth and Remove; outstanding music from Enen, Lucy, Alix and Myranda; entertaining drama from Sydney, Rachel and Evie; and rounded off with a superb final fundraising effort by the Upper Sixth and their hampers bringing Mead’s Charity efforts to an impressive £550 for the year.

All this interspersed with an entertaining “Guess Who” quiz run by the Lower Sixth. Mead maintained its reputation at the annual House Swimming Gala as the winning Girls’ House. The term ended with a House Dinner at Giannis, shared with our sisters in Hatherley House, and various tutor outings and year group treats; all food related. I would like to thank our

various drama offerings, most notably in the Junior Play “Macbeth”. Others shared their talents in the House Singing Competition enabling Mead to achieve the position of 1st Girls’ House (after Field and Dale). Well done to Beth, Bea and Rachel for their winning contributions. It was also a delight to hear several Meadlings sing in the Choral Society’s rendition of Orff’s Carmina Burana in the Spring Concert in February at the Pittville Pump Room.

This was followed by a superb delivery of Handel’s Israel in Egypt in March, with Lucy Pickering in solo (L6th). It was chocolate galore at the end of term with a House Easter Egg Hunt organised by Eira and Myranda.

Head of House, Iza Bruce and her Upper Sixth team of Molly Caesar, Tilda Darling, Clodagh Large and Eloise Allen who have been terrific role models for the junior girls and have contributed to the smooth running of the House. Ms Ash, Mrs Rushton, Mrs McKechnie, Mrs Ledlie, Ms Taylor and Ms Villiers have all worked very hard as academic and duty tutors. We have made full use of their talents this year with more art work in House, an inaugural Mead House Book Group run by Mrs Ledlie and various events involving the cookery school (with smoothies and pancakes for breakfast to drinks and nibbles at Christmas). We wish all the leavers every good wish as they move on to new places and thank everyone for their contributions to a hugely successful and happy year in Mead.

CM Feltham

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#BigUpShelbz We say goodbye to the Upper Sixth, led by Eva and Caitlin, as well as goodbye to Miss A, Miss Hatchell and Mrs Phelps.

Michaelmas Term

Lent Term

Trinity Term

The year began with a welcome to all the new Shelburnites who had their first experience of a House Evening with the customary ‘Ride my Pony’ Dance, apple bobbing, pass the balloon and wheelbarrow races. There were lots of competitions this term, from House Tug of War to the Shelburne girls shouting their way tunefully to second place in the Harmony for House Shout, top 3 spot in House Hockey and making the semi finals in the House Quiz. Some of our girls showed off their musical talent in the many concerts this term as well as their drama skills in the school play, “Fiddler on the Roof”.

This term flew by with trial exams, lots of netball and House trips. For the first House Evening, the girls were all taken to see “LaLaLand” at the cinema, what a treat. Inflatables were popular once again this term, with our new Instagram picture frame being a hit with the girls! It was a musical term too, with Roc Soc, House Music Competition and the House Singing Competition. We were wowed by the musical talents of the girls, including Janice, Maddie, Gabi, Jenny, Lily, to name only a few. The Fashion Show was the big charity event of the term and a lot of the girls were there to help and strut their stuff. #BigUpShelbz

In our final term, exams were the main focus. However, it did not stop the girls enjoying themselves! The first house evening involved Mrs Kent being “kidnapped” and the girls working in teams to find her. Shopping trips, coffee trips, a festival disco and the House Soiree were just some of the ways the girls relaxed and had fun this term.

Sporting success in both the House Cross Country with five girls in the top 10, overall winners in the House Sports Day and first in the House Tennis.

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What a great year it has been in Tower!

House wins in Tug of War, Rugby, Swimming, Athletics, Junior Singing (Tom Bradford), Senior Critical Essay (Rory), and team placements in Cross Country, and Public Speaking (Lewis, Rob and Jack Coombs) show just what a talented community it is, with boys who have skills in such a wide range of areas. Josh, Toby, Huw and Ethan have been selected for the Gloucester Academy, Matty Jones for South West England development squad, and Matt Smith continues to perform at the highest international level in skiing – against boys several years older than himself.

Grade 8 has been achieved by Jonny (distinction on both Cello and French Horn), Guy (distinction on Sax) and Rei (merit on Piano). Wins in the Brass section (Jonny) and second in Popular Music (Lewis), Tom Bradford’s selection for the National Youth Theatre, and astonishing performances in leading roles by so many boys in the school drama productions (Rory, Jack Coombs, Guy, Lewis), indicate such amazing talent and the hard work required to bring it off. And many boys continue to participate successfully in the Cheltenham Festival (Jack Coombs in particular), Duke of Edinburgh Award, the demanding Leiths Cookery Course and complete highly detailed EPQ submissions, on top of all the other requirements on their time, which amounts to a house that is achieving so well in so many arenas.

But just as pleasing has been the willingness of the boys to get behind the fund raising efforts for Reverse Rett, with a famous ‘Chunder Challenge’, and a 5km run. Both of these endeavours have encouraged the boys to look outward and towards the needs of others, and I have been grateful that the Heads of House, James Brown and Aaron Cook, -

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have led the boys to think about how this proud house can serve those outside our community.

The support of the Assistant Housemaster, Mr Spring Wallis, Mrs Charania (Matron) and the tutor team has, once again, been excellent, and we are very sorry to see Mr Youlton, Resident Tutor, depart for a new and exciting role combining faith and his passion for sport. Mr Youlton has been an excellent tutor to a group of Fifth Form boys who have the utmost respect for him, and the whole house presented an inscribed tankard to him at the end of term. The Tower Turret newsletter continues to be bursting with news, a record number of House Colours have been given out, 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 colours were deservedly given to Mr Chapman this year, for his unstinting support of the boys at every house event over the past six years. New flooring and even a water cooler have been great additions to the downstairs area.

So, Tower is in fantastic shape. From brilliant house evenings, pizza nights, go-karting, duvet and donuts evenings to a great table tennis tournament final, the boys have entered into the full range of things that make up the house community. The leavers, both in Upper Sixth and other years, go with our full support and best wishes for the next exciting stage of life, and with our thanks for all their contributions, which have helped to make Tower the very special place that it is.

B Poxon

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Yet another year has whizzed by with many memorable moments: The year began with the arrival of a lively bunch of new Lower Sixth who quickly made their presence known.

They energetically engaged in all House activities and were never afraid to let their voices be heard or opinions expressed – we will all remember Lexi’s engaging speech on “Free the Nipple” which raised quite a few eyebrows! The House then really ‘pulled’ together for the Tug of War and everyone got to see (& hear) Aideen’s competitive streak come through.

watching them perform at Acoustic Night and RocSoc and were wowed by Gwen’s performance in Fiddler on the Roof. The one thing, however, which has made a huge difference to Turner is our new dayroom. With such a spacious environment we had to take full advantage and started hosting our Sixth Form canapés evenings with the other girls’ houses. These proved to be great social occasions and a great way to get to know the other Sixth Form girls. All in all a great year!

Success in the House Badminton followed by the House football (for the second year running!) showed that what Turner is perhaps lacking in technical ability is definitely made up for in sheer determination. Musically we were also delighted to win the harmony category in the House Singing Competition and are very lucky to have some great voices in the House in the form of Izzy and Gwen. We all loved

C Allen

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Junior House Public Speaking

Senior House Public Speaking The Senior House Public Speaking was not only notable for the quality of the competing teams, but also the quality of the audience’s engagement and questions. Salim Jaffar (Dale) spoke energetically and confidently on ‘The Third Industrial Revolution’, with a clear, well-informed grasp of the main issues; Eric Wan (Tower) gave a personal and clear take on ‘One Nation, Two Systems: Conflict in Hong Kong’. Rafael Lum (Gate) spoke on free will, using good examples and some well-judged humorous moments; Flo Duckworth (Fawley) gave a factual and thoughtfully delivered speech on the difficult topic of legalising prostitution. Louis Morford (Field) captured the audience’s attention immediately with his opening, speaking on ‘The Private School Dilemma’ with lots of humour and a strong connection with his listeners. Lexi Morris (Turner) spoke on the ‘Free the Nipple’ campaign, making some compelling arguments; Kristian Manton-Dever (Brook Court) spoke on ‘Religion’s Special Status’, including an interesting selection of material. Shelburne won Best Team: Rebecca Leich as Chairman was particularly strong on interpreting and rephrasing questions, Maddie Dunn gave an engaging vote of thanks, and Gabbie Sills spoke forcefully on ‘The Shadows of History’, using powerful arguments and humour to discuss the position of women in history. The Best Speaker cup was won jointly by Molly Caesar (Mead) and Beth Leishman (Hatherley): Molly spoke about the UN’s choice of Wonder Woman as their honorary ambassador for the empowerment of women: she was in total command of both the audience and her material in an unforgettable speech, with an excellent handling of questions too; Beth’s speech on ‘Stuck in the Wings? The Role of Drama in Contemporary Education’ was powerfully delivered, and her humour and passion made this memorable. Thanks must go to Ruth Frett, for her astute, enjoyable, and detailed adjudication.

This year’s competition was of a particularly high standard.

Many speeches were heart-felt and passionate in delivery; quite a few dealt with kindness and tolerance towards others and ourselves. Amongst the speeches, Benjy Lamb won with ‘Seeing Through the Fog’ about his experiences with his autism. Of particular note were also Sophie Brown, who spoke very well on the importance of being an individual in a speech entitled ‘Girls Don’t Fart’, Verity Edwards discussing the social hierarchy and her experience of this in her own schooling, and Jack Coombs exploring the British education system and its potential problems.

The team performances were also very strong. Mead won for their tight teamwork, including appearing hair down, top buttons undone and shirts untucked to establish the point Katie was about to make in her speech about not judging a book by its cover. Tower and Hatherley also put in impressively cohesive team performances, as did Brook Court (with added quirkiness!).

David Fullerton’s adjudication was measured, thoughtful and appreciative.

GE Hildick-Smith

GE Hildick-Smith

It was with a feeling of great anticipation that the pupils and staff met the first School House competition of the year: the hotly contested 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. However, it stayed fine rendering the seven separate tug of war pitches fit for use. The spectators were not disappointed in a fabulous afternoon of some 70 contests which generated enormous excitement with cheering and roaring that could be heard miles away! The entire School gathered on the Humpty Dumpty field either to compete or support their House team.

Headmaster, Bradley Salisbury, said: “The annual Tug of War competition was initiated a few years ago by a group of Bruneian pupils, as it is the national sport of Brunei. I am pleased to see that the tradition has continued, as it is a fantastic team building exercise as well as a lot of fun.”

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The School held its first ever House Golf competition at Brickhampton Golf Club on Tuesday 14 March.

Teams comprised two players from each House with the rules stipulating that alternate shots were to be taken throughout. The sun shone and confidence was high as all teed off from the first. It soon became clear that the competition was going to be very close and indeed victory

was finally taken by Andy Whitford and Henry Elsey, representing Dale, by just one point. Tower (Josh Gray and Peter Hicks-Beach) and Field (Harry Brookes and Harry McKinnes) were a commendable joint second. All competitors added to the tremendous spirit of the occasion and all look forward to the chance of a rematch next year.

PJ Harvey

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Chaplaincy

CHAPLAINCY REPORT Well what a year! As I’ve looked back over our photos from the year, I’ve been reminded of just how Tardis-like a Dean Close term-time is. Who knew one could fit so many functions, conversations and so much laughter into just a few weeks?!

Besides variously sombre, fun and thought-provoking Chapel services and – amongst other CU series - some great times thinking how Christ kills FOMO (look it up!) from Paul’s letter to the Colossians, let me choose some other edited highlights.

At the posh end of things we loved hosting thirty of the Sixth Form for our inaugural Chaplaincy Black Tie Dinner. Not only was the nosh top notch, but we enjoyed digging deep into the surprisingly rich question of whether Christianity is intellectually credible. The Chaplain finished the evening as grilled as the chicken main course.

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As an excuse to eat more pizza, we held a School-wide initiative called The Big Conversation whereby each House could choose their thorny question to have answered by the Chaplain at an evening especially organised in conjunction with Dominoes (other pizzas are available… allegedly). We enjoyed chewing on anchovies at the same time as spicy issues including sex and marriage in the 21st century, suffering and a good all-powerful God, and Christian hypocrisy. Something to be repeated.

We loved hosting a team from The Steward’s Trust once again to help us put on our annual Lent Address series of talks.

Rev’d Pat Allerton came to speak on ‘Snapchat That Matters’ and helped us to consider how Christ’s message is as relevant as ever in a year which has seen everything from the refugee crisis, to Brexit, Trump and an increase in Social Media-oriented lifestyle. We also discovered who was the fastest at picking up their shoe (don’t ask – the Chaplain didn’t make it past the first round).

The year finished in chilled-out style with our CU Acoustic evening where singer/song-writers Timo and Gemma Scharnowski came straight from their honeymoon to entertain us and share something of their story. We’ll miss all the CU leavers and wish them all the very best, and perhaps most notably Mr Youlton and Miss Moule who are leaving us for pastures new. You’ll be missed terribly!

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“Defend, O Lord, these your servants with your heavenly grace, that they may continue yours for ever…” The opening words of the magnificent prayer for the special group of eight confirmation candidates this year; a prayer which was followed with a hearty ‘Amen’ by all the friends and family who were able to attend the annual confirmation service in May. Over the final five weeks of the Lent Term, the whole group met together to think further about what it means not only to assent to Christian belief intellectually, but also in every area of our lives (as well as enjoying Miss Moule’s regular snacks!). It’s amazing to think back to the first week when some of the group barely knew one another, to now when all of the shared experiences and open conversations have knitted them together into being a tight group of friends.

The whole course culminated in a special meal on the evening before the big day, where they discussed the finer points of mimicking American accents, the considerable merits of the chocolate fondant pudding and prayed for one another. The day itself was a memorable mix of sports’ day, seeing nearest and dearest who had come to support and of making significant promises to follow Christ publically. We are grateful to The Rt Rev’d Robert Springett (Bishop of Tewkesbury) and The Rev’d Julie Fay (Bishop’s Chaplain) for leading the service. As the candidates filed out of Chapel at the end of the service holding candles high, we were reminded that this is only the beginning of a lifelong adventure following Christ.

Thank you to all who came and indeed to those who prayed from a distance.

Rev’d John Ash

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DRAMA SCHOLARS’ PLAY PERFORMED IN BACON THEATRE CLOSE UP THEATRE PERFORMED AT THE EDINBURGH FRINGE

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n Leviathan (1651), Thomas Hobbes famously described the life of man as ‘nasty, brutish, and short’. The same could be said of The Taming of the Shrew, a comedy which leaves the viewer queasy rather than merry.

It is a difficult play to stage and Rebecca Vines’ use of a post-World War One setting made modern sense of some of the play’s strange contradictions. Vines replaced the Christopher Sly induction with an opening montage of women waiting, dominated by the ticking of a clock, giving a backstory for Katharina’s dislike for men and marriage: the man she loves, played by Laurence Kilsby (with shades of the dashing Roland Leighton), dies during the war. The montage dissolves into ‘Abide With Me’ and Katharina is left with Big Ben striking and a new world beginning. The setting continued to enhance and frame the issues of the play as the characters began to settle into two groups. The first were those who were aware of this new and frightening world and the crucible of horror which had created it: Petruchio, here suffering from shellshock; Grumio, his bat-man; and Katharina, beginning to become a suffragette. In the second group, most of the other characters – Bianca, her father, her several

suitors – bicker and flirt and bargain, blithely continuing as though nothing was any different.

The ‘straightforward’ comic characters were played with gusto.

Nick Mackay (Hortensio) and Guy Amos (Gremio) made a splendidly unpleasant pair of suitors to Bianca, including a wonderful scene where Hortensio shows off his guitar-playing ‘skills’; Oliver Evans a terrifically hen-pecked Baptista, at his wits’ end; Orly Giannini a quicktalking ‘spiv’ Tranio. Amy Porter was a charming and naughty Bianca and her successful suitor, Lucentio, was played with wide-eyed, naïve wonder by Rory Kavanagh.

But the darker scenes really made an audience uncomfortable. Petruchio’s wooing of Katharina was not in any way humorous or broadly comic, as it is sometimes played, but cruel and controlling; the scenes in which he mistreats both her and the frequently beaten Grumio (an extremely poignant performance from Geraint Downing) at his own house were nasty in the extreme. Katharina’s final speech has caused much critical and directorial head-scratching.

Indeed, Miss Vines did not direct it during the main rehearsals at school for the Edinburgh show,

but did much of it by discussion with Max and Beth on the coach on the way up. Thus, the speech become much more personal, more of a review of their relationship, and very much led by those two actors rather than the director. Here, it was a statement of defeat from Katharina, with the hint of violence to come from her husband if she does not say what he wishes her to – to the point at which Petruchio mouthed some of the lines, as though these were things he himself had said to Katharina. It made for a chilling rendition of the speech, especially as the other characters gradually melted from the stage to leave Katharina, her hand ready to be set under her husband’s foot, and Petruchio watching her.

Thomas and Leishman made an excellent Petruchio and Katharina. In his portrayal of Petruchio, Max Thomas suggested a figure who might once have been attractive and witty; however, shattered by war, he has become violent and easily angered. Subtle hints of this – a head-twitch, another quick nip from the hip-flask – made for a multi-layered portrayal of this difficult character. Beth Leishman gave a spirited, moving portrayal of the strong-willed Katharina, capturing her frustration and angry sadness at a world which has taken everything and given her nothing.

Things do not end happily: Lucentio and Hortensio are both dismayed at the selfish will they have discovered in Bianca and the Widow respectively; Katharina and Petruchio are locked together in a strange dark distortion of a marriage. I still dislike this play. However, Rebecca Vines’ inspired vision for the play and the strength of the cast made it a compelling and moving – as well as a deeply unsettling – production.

GE Hildick-Smith

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teel Magnolias is set in the old, deep American South of Alabama in the 1980s and follows the lives of six very different women as they embrace their hopes and face their fears with a steeliness that belies the soft, creamy ‘moonlight and magnolias’ romanticisation of a genteel civilisation long since gone with the wind.

Set throughout in Truvy’s beauty parlour, the women come and go, gossiping, sharing, laughing and providing the support we see is largely lacking from the men in their lives. This is a very funny play, and unashamedly celebrates female friendship and the strength to be derived from it. It is not unimportant to note that Dolly Parton played Truvy on screen if one is to understand the fundamental fusion of brassiness and heart necessary for the role, and Ava Da Costa Freeman tackled the blousey, wholesome Truvy with gusto. Truvy is the wise, wacky Auntie-figure of the group, replete with cereal-box wisdom, cookies and bosomy hugs, and the most likely to dance inappropriately with the handsome and much younger best man at your wedding. The bouffantted Da Costa Freeman built the role with skill, presiding over her little Kingdom with warmth and watchability, but the real test of her acting came later in the play when tragedy strikes.

Here, she did not disappoint, her eyes desolated by the realisation that death could come so cruelly, her face a mask of determination to carry her friends and try to find the light in the darkest of skies.

As Annelle, the naïve young hairdresser befriended by Truvy, Evie CrawfordPoxon presented a nervy, unsure young woman, haunted by the ‘PAST’ the others are so deliciously trying to uncover.

This was a natural and unforced performance, and Crawford-Poxon committed wholeheartedly to communicating the subtextual motivations of this quiet character. There was also great support from Sophie Horton as the rich, wise-cracking Claree and Lauren Ferro as her grubby, grumpy nemesis, Miss Ouiser.

moves away from home. The fierce love between these two was portrayed with a heart-breaking understatement at the outset, which developed with subtlety as the play developed. For Shelby has a chronic diabetic condition, and when she ignores medical advice and becomes pregnant, her kidneys slowly begin to fail her.

M’Lynn’s desperation to keep her little girl safe is thrown into new relief, and we become as tangled in the The plot essentially centres around the complexity of their stories as their coming-of-age of the beautiful, idealistic friends onstage. M’Lynn will do young Shelby, and her loving but anything to protect Shelby, Shelby will sometimes fractious relationship with her do anything to bring a new life into the mother M’Lynn. In the opening scenes, world: two tiger mothers at we see a radiant Shelby discussing her loggerheads over the very existence of imminent wedding, and it is vital that the their children. actress playing her lights up the stage with her youthful optimism, candour and When news comes that Shelby’s condition has weakened to a coma and lust for life. Katie Humphreys was finally, to death, M’Lynn’s heartbreak is outstanding as Shelby, capturing the hearts of the audience with the adorable overwhelming, and Pietroni showed exceptional promise in the mature and arrogance of youth, and inviting us to wrenching way in which she played see her mother - as she does - as something of a killjoy, always looking for these scenes. the negatives and planning for disaster.

This was an assured and charming As M’Lynn, Ellie Pietroni was excellent at demonstrating her pride in her daughter, and the anxiety for her as she

production, facilitated by our very own steel magnolias, Olivia Duffin and Georgina Hildick-Smith.

SET THROUGHOUT IN TRUVY’S BEAUTY PARLOUR, THE WOMEN COME AND GO, GOSSIPING, SHARING, LAUGHING AND PROVIDING THE SUPPORT WE SEE IS LARGELY LACKING FROM THE MEN IN THEIR LIVES

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Whole School Musical

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dapted for the stage from the novels of Sholem Aleichem, Tevye is the optimistic, good-hearted dairyman whose tussles with his religion, his conscience and his ambitions for his five daughters form the cornerstone of the plot. Made a considerably cosier character by adapters Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick, and Joseph Stein than he appears in the original, Tevye is one of the great male roles of musical theatre. Currently being played in a Chichester Festival revival by Omid Djalili, Tevye was most famously played on screen and for many, many, (many) years on stage

by Chaim Topol, and this is a showcase part for any actor: heart-busting, toe-tapping songs; winning audience asides; henpecked hilarity, and – at heart – a very real spirituality underpinning his every line and eyebrow raise. With the august Laurence Kilsby at the helm as Tevye, the audience knew that they were in for a treat from the outset: the yearning, love and humour of his superbly well-judged “If I Were a Rich Man” could easily have encored a dozen times over.

Playing more than somewhat against his natural casting, Laurence quacked and growled and wrinkled and shrugged his way through the show, revealing the sensitivity at the core of Tevye’s decisions and bringing a deep sense of humanity to the role and thus, to the production as a whole.

A new addition to the School, and an immediate audience favourite, Gweneth

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Stabler proved an excellent foil for Tevye as his busy, bossy, bustling wife Golde. It is essential that the actors create a relationship which is at once both testy and tender, and Gweneth’s deliciously honest acting style complimented Laurence’s larger-than-life characterisation perfectly. Whether in the touching recognition of all they mean to each other (“Do you love me?”) or the broader comedy of “Tevye’s Dream”, this was a knock-out partnership which framed the family life crucial to understanding this tightknit community.

Tevye’s five daughters are both his ecstasy and his agony, and his desire to find them husbands is matched only by their own youthful longing for love. “Matchmaker Matchmaker” is rightly one of the most famous songs from the show, and in this number, the sisters showed their exuberance, silliness and naivety as they clamoured for passion amongst the family washing. As the younger sisters, Gabriella Sills and Polina Kalashnikova shone with life and vigour, offering a simpler view of the familial situation than their more worldly sisters.

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Katie McCabe, as oldest daughter Tzeitel, is very much the ‘head’ of the family, and, in a delightful performance, dispensed wisdom and advice to her sisters and her fiancé Motel (an adorably gauche Lewis Haywood). Beth Ellison, as Hodel - the ‘heart’ of the sisters – was an idealistic, wide-eyed joy to watch as she navigated her unconventional romance with young firebrand scholar Perchik (an engaging and purposeful Guy Amos) and the realisation that following her heart would mean leaving her family.

The scene between Tevye and Hodel at a makeshift bus stop showed the impressive depth and range of Ellison’s talent, “Far From the Home I Love” tugging at every available heartstring.

Chava - the middle daughter - is the soul of the sisters: a reader, a dreamer and an idealist whose relationship with the Gentile Fyedka (a wistful Jack Coombs) proves to be the liaison which finally unravels Tevye’s patience with his troublesome girls. The always-excellent Maddie Dunn was heart-breaking in her scenes with both Fyedka and Tevye, and the enormity of Chava’s decisions was communicated with the smallest of eye or hand movements in a performance of enormous emotional truth.

Much of the charm of the show depends on the proficiency of the dance numbers, and in some gorgeouslychoreographed scenes by Sue Jones and Gabriella Sills, the multi-talented cast twisted, turned, high-kicked, spun and flounced with abandon. From the raucous drinking of “To Life” to the winsome ballet by the three younger sisters, each step was delicately symbolic of the unfolding plot and raised an already delicious show into an entirely different league. Kieren Hutt, Rachel Hellier, Sydney Davies and Bethany Clink should be especially mentioned for supporting the renowned dancing skills of leads Maddie Dunn, Polina Kalashnikova and Gabriella Sills in these scenes.

TO DIRECT, ACCOMPANY, STAGE, AND CHOREOGRAPH THIS GEM OF A MUSICAL WAS A GIGANTIC UNDERTAKING, AND ‘PULLING OFF’ SUCH AN EMOTIONAL SHOW WITH SUCH PINPOINT ACCURACY SHOULD NOT BE UNDERESTIMATED

seems invidious to single out individuals, but Sydney Davies, Grace Greaves, Ethan Bareham and Tom Bradford were particularly impressive in their Senior debuts, showcasing a mature fusion of the comic and dramatic talents necessary to bring Tevye’s tale - and that of the wider Anatevka community - fully to life.

There was some extremely fine support from Josh Brooks, Andrew Whitford and Ben Crossley as Tevye’s friends; Sophie Brown as the canny and self-serving matchmaker, Yente; and Orlando Giannini as the revolting butcher Lazar Wolf. Serving both as comic relief and narrative devices, these gifted performers switched the mood artfully from the levity of imparting village gossip to the gravity of news of impending pogroms and displacement. For Fiddler on the Roof is as much a history lesson as a night out, and these people we have

grown to love are destined to be uprooted and flung across the globe.

For some: a boat ride to the United States. For others: a train to Poland.

For all: a loss of the community that has birthed and nurtured them, and potential devastation as anti-Semitism sweeps Europe in a generation.

To direct, accompany, stage, and choreograph this gem of a musical was a gigantic undertaking, and ‘pulling off’ such an emotional show with such pinpoint accuracy should not be underestimated. The band, the entire cast, the ‘fiddler’ himself Louis Morford - all showed absolute commitment and sensitivity from start to finish. Congratulations to Director, Lloyd Allington and Musical Director Helen Porter for a truly outstanding production of great heart and memorable moments.

Dorothy Friendly

With Oxbridge priorities and more naturally straight-acting talents placing many of the Upper Sixth on gardening leave for this production, much of the success of Fiddler rested on the shoulders of a keen but young and relatively inexperienced cast. A strong showing from the new Fourth Form whose delicious strength of enthusiasm was more than matched by the steepness of their learning curve demonstrated, however, the tsunami of performance potential rising through the school. Everywhere one looked, faces were engaged, alive, in-the-moment.

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BACON THEATRE

by Agatha Christie

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Dir. Rebecca Vines created a world that not only pulled in every member of the audience for the length of the production but left them returning home with one eye on each peer

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nd Then There Were None is largely considered to be Agatha Christie’s greatest masterpiece, an impressive accolade considering its subordinates are The Mousetrap, Miss Marple and, of course, England’s most beloved detective: Poirot. In early 2017, the weight of Christie’s play was not only carried with ease but brought to startling life by the talented Dean Close Drama Scholars.

Setting a tone of both intrigue and suspicion, the play began with a hauntingly beautiful short film produced by Maddie Harris. Each clip invited them to either cast their first suspicions, staring down the barrel of a gun brandished by a rather intimidating Philip Lombard (Rory Kavanagh) or beginning to fear for the victims, captured by the entrancing vulnerability of Polina Kalshnikova’s performance.

Christie’s 1939 novel, which she adapted later for the stage, follows the story of ten very different people summoned to an old mansion on an isolated Devonshire island,

each under a different pretext. While this dark exposition is instantly established through the impressively grand and imposing set, the amusing absurdity of their situation is expertly explored through each character’s entrance and, unforgettably, the comic timing of Narracott (Isabel Bruce).

Marston (Laurence Kilsby) held the stage, exuding easy hedonism and making quick

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progress through the house’s liquor.

However, this comedy and ease was short-lived, as the characters began to drop off in a succession of disturbing deaths.

With no-one left on the island but the original ten themselves, both characters and audience were filled with suspicions as they attempted to define potential victim from villain.

Throughout the first half, the accusations and aspersions were not limited to the stage but had spread through the audience. The Drama Scholars’ unwaveringly tense performances left every spectator completely absorbed, careful not to miss a moment as student, teacher and parent alike were lifted out of their own Lent term realities and were allocated one shared role: detective. It must be Thomas Rogers (Dominic McClaran), whose ominous presence on the stage combined with his abusive treatment of the endearingly defenceless Mrs Ethel Rogers (Gabbie Sills) left little room for likeability. Or, perhaps it was Emily Brent (Maddie Dunn), rigidly pious and ruthlessly moral, whose intimidatingly adamant performance left the audience wincing.

The Drama Scholars’ unwaveringly tense performances left every spectator completely absorbed While Kavanagh’s Lombard was definitely bold enough to do it, his convincing affection for Vera Claythorne (Beth Leishman) revealed a weakness that suggested otherwise. Some pointed their finger at William Blore (Guy Amos) as while his confident presence that commanded the stage was calming, it was possibly more calming than one should be. Orlando Giannini’s complex portrayal of Dr Edward Armstrong’s intellectual strength and emotional weakness made him another feasible suspect, while the haunting gaze of General John Gordon Macarthur (Jonny Hart) raised questions of its own.

Fingers were pointed in every corner but not many suspected Justice Lawrence John Wargrave (Max Thomas). Thomas’s effortless portrayal of the respected judge in the winter of his life drew few accusations from audience members.

However, on the revelation of

Wargrave’s sadistic dream to punish those who have escaped justice in the past, a darker side to Thomas’ acting is unleashed. All too easily does Thomas tap into the vulnerability of a character but also the chillingly merciless domination of his victims. In hindsight, Thomas makes the perfect villain.

Dir. Rebecca Vines created a world that not only pulled in every member of the audience for the length of the production but left them returning home with one eye on each peer. After the mystery is solved and all are dead, there remains one question: how did the toy soldiers seemingly disappear, one by one as each character died? A trick of the theatrical lights? Was it tech genius Oscar Richardson running on in black? In what could only be the wish of Miss Christie, we are all left with the impossibly unresolvable question: whodunnit?

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JUNIOR PLAY

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his year, the Junior Play was all about ambition, both in terms of choice and theme, taking on one of Shakespeare’s big hitters - “Macbeth”. With the guidance of Miss Hildick-Smith, the cast and crew produced a play that was very impressive in the mature and confident handling of roles daunting to the most seasoned performers.

The first record of a performance of the play is 1611 but many believe it was written in 1606, shortly after the Gunpowder Plot.

Given Shakespeare’s interest in political affairs and the importance of the patronage of the Court, the links between the text and the monarch are clear. It combines the favourite themes of the new King; the supernatural and theories of monarchy (James’ own publications, “Daemonologie” and “The True Law of Free Monarchies”, were published 1597 and 1598 respectively). Macbeth’s latent ambition makes him susceptible to the words of the weird sisters; his ambition is unleashed and leads him, quite literally with the vision of the dagger, to unleash his ambition and murder a much respected monarch. He is roundly punished with a reign that is hellish, bloody and short.

These concerns were admirably reflected in the striking staging of the play. While the front of the stage was concerned with the politics of men steeped in violence and power-struggle, a change of lighting revealed a shadowy hinterland, peopled by the dead, surrounded by Hellish

images of decay and corruption. From this world, Lewis Haywood’s newly dead Banquo gazed, impassively, upon Macbeth’s terror and Lady Macbeth crept, freed from her madness, to the dark place of her soul. The staging was a powerful visual representation of the connection between two worlds, divided yet strangely porous.

Josh Brooks and Beth Ellison took on the roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth with admirable determination. Macbeth is a complex role, requiring by turns shows of bravery and abjection, ruthlessness and fear. We could see the bravado, but a change in lighting turned the mood instantly and the tortured morality of Macbeth’s mind was sensitively presented in the delivery of the soliloquies. Beth’s Lady Macbeth was all barely-masked ferocity in the first half and crushed despair in the second; her rising and falling roles illustrated by deft changes of costume and lighting.

The moments of high drama were compelling; the Witches were sinister and seductive, Macbeth’s fear at the Banquet palpable and the brutal murders of Banquo, Lady Macduff and her children did not fail to shock. Benjy Lamb’s slightly uncanny comic turn as the Porter provided little respite from the brooding darkness of the play. An unexpectedly compelling scene was that between Macduff and Malcolm; although lacking the visual drama, the clarity, pace and expressive p y Coombs and Ben Crossley made this scene a slightly unexpected highlight. The pace of the play was relentless and Macbeth’s unstoppable progress to his final, violent showdown with Macduff did not fail to deliver on drama.

The defeat of the wicked Macbeth was as crushing as James I could have hoped but, as ever, Shakespeare’s exposition of human weakness was laced with pathos, ably shown by the lead performances.

To stage “Macbeth” is always an ambitious undertaking.

The cast and crew are to be congratulated on such a vivid and engaging production.

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By Lower Sixth Former, GABRIELLA SILLS

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t is always exciting to see a new perspective on a famous writer – and this play offered us a take on F Scott Fitzgerald from the point of his neurotic and unfulfilled wife, Zelda (played by Gabriella Sills) – once described as the original flapper girl.

The hedonistic, alcoholic haze which became the febrile daily life of the Fitzgeralds was here concentrated into a One Act play, veering between Zelda’s time in an asylum (she was diagnosed as schizophrenic) and the apartment she shared with Scott, her boozed-up husband (played by the multi-talented Laurence Kilsby).

Their traumatic relationship - intruded upon by Ernest Hemingway and his wife (maturely played by Orlando Giannini and Maddie Dunn) - and wild behaviour was the talk of New York: the couple were frequently thrown out of the best hotels in Manhattan for drunkenness and debauchery.

In the play, Zelda shared her asylum with another inmate (madly played by Polina Kalashnikova) and suffered the indignity of molestation from the hospital doctor. This woman had little -

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luck in her life, really. Finally, we were left with an ambivalent sympathy for Zelda and her self-destructive sybaritic lifestyle: one felt that Beautiful Little Fool was apposite – a lovely nod towards Gatsby and the self-centred Daisy of Jay Gatsby’s idealised and unfulfilled yearnings. The parallels were clear.

Gabriella Sills’ short play was superbly well researched - the details of their lives not so much compressed into this piece, but rather given flavour in a series of vignette-flashbacks: we get the gist early on when we see Fitzgerald snorting coke on his wife’s thigh. The standard of writing by Gabriella Sills (who is still only 17) was to say the least - impressive.

Dean Close Drama Department is proud of the fact that the piece is being entered for the National Schools’ Drama Festival - a nationwide competition - and the play was being judged at its premiere by Professor Alexandra Spencer-Jones, Artistic Director of Action To The Word Theatre Company and who also teaches at Cambridge University and Brown University, USA.

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ll My Sons has none of those (potentially reassuring) trappings: what is perhaps most unexpected is how ordinary it is. We watch a family chatting about a storm the night before, what is in the papers, the return of an old family friend. The gently autumnal backyard set added to this apparent sense of normality. Nothing apparently happens for a long time: there are just occasional moments where a seemingly innocuous comment collides with a frisson of something more, like false relations in a piece of music.

There were some neat character sketches amongst the supporting cast: Sam Porter and Olivia Attwood gave endearing performances as Frank and Lydia Lubey, the all-American couple to whom an easy life has given a credulous, naive simplicity. Over the other side of the Kellers’ back yard (and the spectrum) were Dr Jim Bayliss and his wife Sue. Ben Crossley gave a nicely judged interpretation of the wry Jim, the would-be idealist had wife and children not got in the way. The sharp-eyed, sharptongued Sue was played brilliantly by Isabelle Moulding, bubbling over with energy and frustration, like an acid eating into the bright metal of the Kellers.

Of particular note was Josh Brooks, playing George Deever. This is a tough part to pull off, as George appears during Act Two, reveals important information for the plot, changes the

emotional balance of the play and then leaves: he is a catalyst and must judge carefully the way in which he begins to shift the dynamic of the action on stage. Too much too soon, and it all becomes a bit shouty; too little, and the tension does not build as it must. Josh captured George’s nervousness and uncertainty: like George’s father, George is a little man who up until this point has always gratefully warmed himself in the sunshine of the Keller family and is now having to look at the world in a harsher light.

Josh also gave a real sense of George’s betrayal: both the Kellers’ disloyalty to him and his family, but also his own horror at the way in which he and Annie betrayed his own father by believing Joe Keller’s version of events. The rawness of his grief and anger was really moving: this was a really impressive performance from a young actor in a key role.

Amongst the leads, Molly Caesar made a wonderfully vibrant Annie, bright-eyed, blooming, and in love. She also had the versatility in her performance to successfully portray Annie’s quiet strength and determination to win the man she has loved for years. Isabel Bruce captured the misplaced strength and zealous, rigid inflexibility of Kate Keller, and the resulting brittleness. She provided a good foil to Max Thomas as Joe Keller, who was particularly striking in his ability to convey a man who is not very intelligent but full of drive and magnetism: Joe thinks little and talks much. Thomas made the most of the bonhomie in the script and matched this with some cleverly deployed physical tics and his growing nervousness around Chris, neatly showing the underlying fear of being found out.

an important physical and metaphorical presence on the stage. He is the Golden Boy, the next generation, the literary twin of the adored and impossible-to-keep son in ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’, where the failings of the parents are similarly visited cataclysmically on their ‘child’.

When Kate Keller urges Chris to protect both her and her husband, we feel as an audience that he is capable of doing so because of what he represents and also his quiet, determined strength. Chris must be attractive to an audience, if a little intimidating too: the reactions of other characters to him - shown by Jim and Sue in the earlier parts of the play and then enhanced by his parents’ interactions with him in its denouement - show that this is a man of apparent great moral strength and character. Oliver portrayed Chris’ endearing shyness with Annie, his love for and perplexity about his ageing parents, and then a terrifyingly vast emotional journey as he is forced to confront what his father has done - and what he himself had always suspected. It was a towering performance from a remarkable actor and a fitting end to his many performances on the Bacon stage.

Congratulations to Rebecca Vines and her cast for an extremely moving and beautifully judged production.

GE Hildick-Smith

However, the most impressive performance was Oliver Evans as Chris. Whilst it is ostensibly Joe Keller’s tragedy, it is Chris’ play. Evans’ allAmerican, blond, well-built good looks suited him well for the role: his physical stature - much bigger than either Bruce or Thomas - made him

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PITTVILLE PUMP ROOM

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t is now 30 years since Helen Porter came to Dean Close, and what a transformation she, and we, have seen. And this was never clearer than in the programming and quality of the music at the Spring Concerts over the last five years or so.

We have seen musical giants come and go in the last few years - many of them to Choral and Organ Scholarships at Oxbridge - and this year is no

exception. Salim Jaffar (counter tenor) to King’s College, Cambridge; Jason Richard on an Organ Scholarship to Jesus; and Laurence Kilsby to the Royal College of Music.

It seems to me there are three reasons for the extraordinary upsurge in music talent: 1. The Schola Cantorum in Dean Close Preparatory School which feeds us brilliant talent, of which we are now seeing the benefits in abundance; 2. The Carducci Quartet (do most people here have ANY idea of how prestigious they are and how lucky we are to have them), who have transformed the quality of string playing, and built on the fine work of Robert Bishop; and 3. Helen herself, whose very high standards and professionalism the pupils appreciate and respond to.

So: to the concert itself: the orchestra opened with a favourite: The Hebrides Overture by Mendelssohn.

Here we must give pride of place to some wonderful, lyrical string playing (again, testament to the Carducci), but also to some thrilling woodwind sounds - especially clarinet. It was an arresting and inspiring start to an exciting evening.

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The Hebrides Overture ....was an arresting and inspiring start to an exciting evening

Ashton Mackinnon is a superb baritone with a huge voice, but here he chose some exquisite Gurney songs “In Flanders “ being exceptional in this reviewer’s opinion - and showed the softer palate of his voice. We were entranced.

No concert this year would have been complete without the Musical Titan that is Laurence Kilsby: and what was particularly special was that he chose to sing the Prologue from Turn of the Screw by Britten - not his usual milieu - angular and yearning and haunting. Utterly captivating. He followed this with “Dalla Sua Pace” from Don Giovanni: lyrical and lovely. How even more exciting will his voice become after three years’ training at the RCM - well, we can wait in anticipation. But any performance of Laurence’s over the last five years at Dean Close, I would have paid good money to hear.

Louis Morford (Lower Sixth) is in a strong tradition of very strong violinists at Dean Close in the last 20 years, and his playing of the first movement of the Mozart Concerto no 4 in E? earned him a stellar place in this line up. His technique is superb, stylish and with the right amount of Mozartian cheek. The audience loved this performance.

Finally we came to the big event of the evening: Carmina Burana by Carl Orff: old hat, some would say, and the piece seems to have fallen off since the huge spate of performances when it became massively popular and fashionable in the 70s and 80s. This was the first time I had heard it for 20 years, and in a version I had not heard before: the decision to perform it in the 2-piano scored version with percussion was a really good one: it seemed to have an exciting rawness which the orchestrated score (for all its variety and oomph) seems to miss. With Richard Knight and Sara Harris on pianos and a whole kitchendepartment of percussionists, this was quite a ride. The soloists were terrific fun: Sylvia Klemz (soprano), making a much-welcomed return to singing after way, way too long a gap, wowed us with her stratospheric top notes (“Dulcissime!”), Richard Thesiger-Pratt (tenor) screeched some fab falsetto noises as a roasted swan, and Theo Perry (baritone) was an outrageously drunk and lecherous Monk-on-the-Lookout for young talent. Sitting on the front row was slightly alarming. The big star of this was the Chorus, who just relished every manic rhythm, lyrical moment, and big chorus: all controlled by Simon Bell, clearly enjoying himself rather too much.

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he Commemoration stage was set for something very special from the moment the doors opened, the splendidly arranged flower pedestals on the front corners of the stage and the backdrop of projected images of past glories immediately setting the tone.

The Orchestra opened with the cheerful English Folk Song Suite by Vaughan Williams. Harriet Abbott (oboe) and the versatile Jason Richards (clarinet) were the lyrical soloists in the middle movement. Cantique de Jean Racine (Fauré) and Sleep by Eric Whitacre were performed by Chamber Choir who beautifully captured the essence of both exquisite pieces.

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Britten’s song cycle, On This Island, was sung superbly by Laurence Kilsby, perhaps the finest tenor and one of the most accomplished singers at School since Neil Jenkins in the 1960s. Sara Harris’s accompaniment was highly skilful and sensitive.

Mendelssohn composed his Octet when he was sixteen and it is one of the great masterpieces of all time.

The first movement was played con fuoco with an impulsive and impressive swirl by the Octet, splendidly led by Louis Morford. Special mention must go to Jonny Woods who managed to keep his composure and regain his place in the music after a gust of wind had taken it to the front row of the auditorium!

THE STAGE WAS SET FOR SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL FROM THE MOMENT THE DOORS OPENED, THE SPLENDIDLY ARRANGED FLOWER PEDESTALS ON THE FRONT CORNERS OF THE STAGE AND THE BACKDROP OF PROJECTED IMAGES OF PAST GLORIES IMMEDIATELY SETTING THE TONE

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Concert contributions by Close Harmony are always a highlight. Anders Edenroth, Words, a witty and sophisticated jazz a cappella look at words, was, appropriately, performed with total clarity of diction. Tuning was spot on, as it was in Cole Porter, Miss Otis Regrets (she’s unable to lunch today). Accompanied by Sinfonia, Harriet Abbott was the soloist in the popular Gabriel’s Oboe and Matthew Moorhouse ‘played’ the theme from Game of Thrones on the Bongo Drum.

So to the wonderfully thrilling, utterly compelling climax to the evening, a performance of Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin. There was so much to commend about it from Oscar Richardson’s opening clarinet glissando

in the manner of Ross Gorman, through the solos out of the orchestral sections, to the amazing way that the conductor, Helen Porter, navigated her Orchestra through this most complex of scores. It was a performance full of rhythmic invention, wildly and widely varied tempi, and extreme rubato throughout.

And all that before one comes to the soloist. Jason Richards is an outstanding, versatile and gifted musician, singer, clarinettist, composer, organist, and on this occasion pianist.

This was musical excellence at its best, piano playing to treasure, so very, very exciting. The standing ovation, long and sincere, that Jason and the Orchestra received was richly deserved.

Wow, some concert on which all involved are to be hugely congratulated.

The popular Fridays at 6 series gave the following scholars, all of Grade 8 standard & above, the opportunity to plan and prepare what proved to be some very fine recitals. Our audience numbers have grown over the years, reflecting the appreciation of the high level of musicianship of these talented musicians.

Friday 16 September Friday 11 November Friday 27 January Friday 3 February Friday 3 March Friday 24 March Friday 12 May Friday 19 May

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n March 28th, I arrived innocently at Dean Close House “for supper” to be met at the gate by the Warden, Roger Jones, and escorted promptly to the Orangery “as catering were unable to provide for the numbers attending”. Totally trusting the Warden (as you would) I followed him into an empty Orangery, again with total lack of suspicion, and it was only when I was ushered into the Bacon Theatre that I realised I was about to be treated to a surprise concert to mark my 30th year of being at Dean Close. This idea was hatched and planned by the inimitable Warden’s wife, the lovely Sue Jones, with the help of her accomplices, Ciara Allen and Sylvia Klemz. It proved to be an incredible and extremely touching concert – simply dazzling and so professional from beginning to end.

The evening was centred around the music of Sondheim and Lloyd Webber, thereby containing some great tunes and plenty of opportunity for some pizazz in true Sue Jones style. Perhaps the most wonderful aspect of the evening was the sheer enjoyment expressed by everyone on stage along with the obvious camaraderie and support they were giving to each other.

The hour’s programme consisted of solos and ensemble items of the highest quality, Jason Richards holding the entire evening together with his stunning piano playing.

One of the highlights was seeing Sylvia Klemz performing “the Prima Donna” - as she so rightly should complete with (fake) fur stole, alongside Laurence Kilsby, Matthew Welch and Orly Giannini. The emotional highlight of the evening was seeing my daughter

Amy walk onto stage to sing Send in the Clowns and later singing with Laurence, her stage partner of many a Dean Close dramatic production.

I still cannot quite believe that an hour-long concert could be planned over five months, rehearsed (and extremely thoroughly too) and executed without the Director of Music having the slightest inkling that anything was going on! The pupils rehearsed over the winter months, usually at Dean Close House or at moments in the Music School when I was known to be off site. Apparently, there was some “hiding round doors” when I unexpectedly walked in and my own tutees – Laurence Kilsby and Orly Giannini – have a lot of explaining to do...

Huge thanks must go to Jason Richards, Orly Giannini, Matthew Welch, Laurence Kilsby, Maddie Dunn, Gabbie Sills, Ben Crossley, Maddie Harris, Gwen Stabler, Guy Amos, Polina Kalashnikova, Ashton Mackinnon, Matthew Moorhouse, Sylvia Klemz, Ciara Allen and – of course – Sue Jones.

It was an evening I shall never forget and although I am not leaving yet (despite some rumours floating around on the night) it will serve as a wonderful valedictory event when I finally do throw in the towel….

HL Porter

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SoloVocal and Song Recital Trophy

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Solo Instrumental and Sheratt Prize

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his was a very strong competition, with 71 entries for the Junior, Intermediate and Senior classes. The day concluded with a delightful Sherratt Prize which consisted of 19 post-Grade 8 performances from a very talented cohort of scholars.

The eight hour long competition was adjudicated by former Dean Close Director of Music, Andrew Cleary, who is currently Director of Music of Christ’s Hospital. Andrew found the intermediate and senior classes relatively straightforward in his selection of winners but when it came to the Sherratt Prize, the decisionmaking was far tougher with an excellent array of performances covering a very wide sphere of performing repertoire. This year, the pianists and wind players proved to be the most challenging to adjudicate, with the top 3 or 4 performing to an exceptionally high standard. In the piano category, both Jenny and Janice performed Brahms, making the differentiation

slightly easier but Jason chose a more obscure, intimate piece of Liszt which he played exquisitely, placing him a very close second. The wind category was also an extremely close call but Hugo did indeed dazzle both adjudicator and audience with his Demersseman Fantaisie, placing him above Doris and Hattie whose playing was also stunning. Jonathan Woods was the only brass player but his beautiful performance of the Strauss deservedly gave him the Brass Cup while Ashton Mackinnon’s lovely viola tone and musicianship assured him first place in the strings’ category.

The Sherratt Prize felt more of a celebration of some incredible musical talent than a competition and it was a privilege to witness such fine playing from these lovely young people. However, competition it was, and this year the worthy winner of the Sherratt Prize was Janice Ng with second place awarded to Hugo Till.

unday 5th March saw the elite choral forces of Dean Close join together to take on the challenge of Handel’s ‘Israel in Egypt’ at the Pittville Pump Room in Cheltenham. The choir was composed of Dean Close School Chamber Choir and the Schola Cantorum, all under the watchful eye of Simon Bell.

movement from tenor soloist, Laurence Kilsby, immediately capturing the audience’s attention with his impressive, declamatory style. This was shortly followed by a movement from the counter-tenor soloist, Salim Jaffar, with his ever impressive projection and control of his range on full display before the belated entry of the chorus.

The concert began with a solo

The chorus itself was full of veterans

o fewer than 38 pupils performed in the finals of the competition, with auditions having taken place in early February. This competition continues to rise in standard, with all pupils performing off book this year. Julie Cooper, OD, and a member of The Sixteen gave a fabulous adjudication throughout the five hour long competition with positive, helpful and insightful comments for all the competitors. Julie’s biggest challenge was in the Senior Songs from the Shows as all four performances from Maddie Dunn, Matthew Welch, Laurence Kilsby and Gwen Stabler gave hugely enjoyable and characterful renditions of very varied repertoire from Sondheim’s The Worst Pies in London to Bring him home from Les Misérables.

The highlight of the day was, without doubt, the Song Recital Trophy - the second year this has been awarded - where we were treated to some fabulous mini-recitals by Patrick Coniam, Salim Jaffar, Lucy O’Rourke, Ashton Mackinnon and Laurence Kilsby. What an incredible standard. We have been so fortunate to have such beautiful voices over the past few years and this competition included not only a future King’s College, Cambridge Choral Scholar (Salim) but also a future scholar of The Royal College of Music (Laurence). Any one of these talented individuals would have a been a very worthy winner but Laurence Kilsby, who last won the solo vocal competition when he was in the Fourth Form, deservedly took the beautiful glass trophy.

of Handel’s 1741 oratorio, ‘Messiah’, and their thorough knowledge and experience in Handel’s style made for a very accomplished performance. In the second half, there was a serene duet from virtuosic soprano soloists, Lucy O’Rourke and Lucy Pickering, before the basses, Ashton Mackinnon and Matthew Welch, announced themselves with an explosive

realisation of ‘The Lord is a man of war’. All of this was accompanied by the stylish playing of The Bristol Ensemble, with organ scholar, David Rice’s ever safe pair of hands on the harpsichord. The concert culminated in a galloping final chorus, reprieving ‘The Horse and His Rider’ with even greater vigour than the first iteration, and met with due rapturous applause from the audience.

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Friday 28 April hilst Cheltenham basked in its annual Jazz Festival, Dean Close transformed its dining room for one night only in the name of Ronnie Scott’s. The room was unrecognisable as it was totally transformed into an atmospheric club-like venue, complete with bistro tables and moody lighting. The aim was to create a warm and relaxed atmosphere where the mix of music, food and conversation could all come together to make an enjoyable and memorable occasion for both the performers and the audience. And it did!

The different array of bands also added to this escapism. There were some classic jazz standards from the combo group: ‘St Thomas’, ‘Cousin Mary’ and ‘Woodchoppers Ball’ to name a few. This was enhanced by some wonderful solo items which showcased some real Jazz talent, such as Jason Richard’s rendition of two Bill Evans piano transcriptions or the musical humour and personality of the Rat Pack which was perfectly captured in the vocal sets which included such classic numbers as ‘Volare’, ‘Mambo Italiano’ and ‘When or Where’.

The evening was brought to a close with the full Big Band whose numbers included ‘Birdland’, ‘Hip to be ‘Square’ and the ‘Look of Love’. The food also played a major part in the evening with a wonderful array of different bowl foods.

This event really was a feast for all the senses.

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his year the Jazz Band was delighted to be invited to perform as part of the final night of the Christian Arts Festival. We were the warm-up act for the London Community Gospel Choir, a prestigious and well respected group who not only shared their stage with us but also their equipment and sound technician! We were delighted at how well our set went down with the 680 strong audience and welcomed the chance to perform outside Dean Close and to a wider audience.

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House Shout

House Shout 2016 was a lovely occasion. The unison songs, all chosen from the work of Cole Porter, all displayed fantastic enthusiasm, while the part songs were more varied, the quieter numbers being particularly skilfully executed.

Above all, it was a chance for the houses to display their unique personalities, evident as much in the way they entered and left the stage as in their singing!

Overall, first place was awarded to Field, under the direction of Louis Morford, partly on the strength of their part song, an entertaining medley of film themes. Their unison song, Who wants to be a millionaire? was also strong and was awarded joint second place with Dale’s I’ve got you under my skin. Overall second went to Fawley, who also won the girls’ unison song with Anything Goes; their part song was Beyoncé’s Halo, very effectively arranged by Fawley’s own Hattie Abbott. The girls’ part song prize was awarded to Turner Hall: their choice of Rhianna’s Stay was perhaps the simplest of the part songs, but held the theatre in rapt attention in a passionate performance by a select group of just three girls, each with fantastic solo voices in their own right. In his hugely entertaining adjudication, Tim McVittie (Director of Music at DCPS) stressed the need to tell a story through performance, which he felt Fawley and Turner Hall accomplished particularly well in their winning performances.

The boys’ unison song was won by Brook Court for their lively performance of I get a kick out of you, conducted with flair by Laurence Kilsby. The conducting award went to Jason Richards though, based on his ambitious programming and strong musical leadership, especially in Dale’s part song, Smoke gets in your eyes.

Hatherley gained joint second place for the girls’ unison song with a committed and tight performance of Who wants to be a millionaire? while the runners-up of the part song were Gate and Shelburne with spirited singing of Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ Under the bridge and White winter hymnal by Pentatonix.

While singing isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, it was really encouraging to see every single pupil on stage giving it a go, and the most enjoyable performances were those in which all the singers were really committed to the music.

A chance for our new Music Scholars to give their first performance at the Senior School and to demonstrate their talents, this concert was full of promising performances with Jenny Ng (piano) and Tom Richardson (violin) playing at a level beyond their years.

An intimate recital given by three of our top musicians – Laurence Kilsby (tenor), Louis Morford (violin) and Jason Richards (piano) to a very appreciative audience. Laurence and Louis provided a varied programme, beautifully accompanied by Jason.

Brass pupils from both Dean Close Prep and Senior schools were treated to a visit by Wells Cathedral School’s Head of Brass – Paul Denegri – and Brass Ensemble, culminating in a combined concert in the Centenary Hall. Paul gave an amusing and inspiring talk to Prep School pupils with several pupils taking up a brass instrument as a result.

Our annual community Evensong is always a joyful occasion, at which we combine the Senior School’s Chapel Choir with the boy choristers and lay clerks of Tewkesbury Abbey Schola Cantorum. The highlight of this event was the performance of two works by the Irish-born composer Charles Villiers Stanford; his majestic Evening Service in A major and the thrilling anthem For lo! I raise up.

The usual eclectic half term concert mix from Bruckner’s Locus Iste arranged for brass group to Field House performing their part-song medley from the recent House Singing Competition. A percussion ensemble provided real variety and rhythmic excitement with Salzedo’s Scherzo.

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The Chamber Choir led this celebration of the Eucharist, performing two complex double-choir pieces of the choral repertoire: Josef Rheinberger’s setting of the Mass in E flat major was partnered with Sir William Harris’s atmospheric setting of John Donne’s Bring us, O Lord God.

As this year was the turn of the biennial school Musical, Fiddler on the Roof, the Music Scholar’s Concert took the place of the Advent Concert, involving a large number of musicians, both solo and ensemble. The Orchestra opened with an exciting performance of the first movement of Mozart’s Symphony no. 40 in G minor, Sinfonia ended with Vivaldi’s Concerto for 2 violins and Warlock, and in between there was a musical feast of some of our top instrumentalists and singers performing a wide range of repertoire including works by Britten, Janacek, Vaughan Williams, Tchaikovsky, Haydn, Britten and Brahms.

This was a lovely concert and showcased the real breadth and depth of talent of our senior Scholars.

The popularity of Acoustic Night has definitely grown since its introduction three years ago, both in audience attendance and in the number of participants. This year, once again under the moody candlelit atmosphere, we were treated to an array of musical styles ranging from Zepplin to Adele. It was particularly encouraging to hear some great classics such as Simon & Garfunkle’s The only living boy in New York and Bob Dylan’s Knocking on Heaven’s Door, which shows you can’t beat a great tune no matter how old it is.

Particularly memorable performances were Orly Giannini’s Georgia on my Mind and Jonathan Greyling and Lauren Ferro’s aforementioned Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door. It was also great to see almost every year group in the School represented including a brave performance from the new Fourth Form cohort.

It is always a great privilege for the members of Chapel Choir to lead Evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral. The Choir rose admirably to the challenge of performing in such a huge and reverberant space, singing music by Rose and Stanford, and David Blackwell’s serene setting of the Advent carol Lo, how a rose e’er blooming.

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The traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols in the run up to Christmas is always a special occasion. This year, the Choir performed a particularly diverse selection of seasonal repertoire, including a setting of the traditional text Adam lay ybounden by Jason Richards, alongside works by Peter Wishart, Richard Lloyd, Carl Rütti and Bob Chilcott. The service concluded with a bombastic performance of Sir John Tavener’s A Christmas Proclamation, the famous declamatory baritone solo being sung

by Upper Sixth Former Ashton Mackinnon.

A small group of Sixth Form Scholars, along with Lloyd Allington and Helen Porter, travelled to the Cardiff Millennium Centre for a wonderful performance of Puccini’s La Bohème. For most of them, it was a first experience of the wonderful world of opera and, this is, arguably, one of the finest and most accessible operas with which to start. The group hugely enjoyed the performance and will, no doubt, be signing up to the next opera visit.

This event, led by previous Dean Close Choral Director, Benjamin Nicholas, gave two of our Scholars - Isabel Montgomery and Hugo Till - a most informative day on the Oxbridge admissions and Choral Scholarship process in addition to choral workshops led by Carys Lane and Giles Underwood. The day concluded with an opportunity to sing Evensong with the Merton College Choir in their beautiful Chapel.

Concert Band, Brass Group and Jazz Band produced a great end to the first half of the Lent Term along with some popular numbers by Adele, Timberlake and Jukebox the Ghost.

As part of this year’s enrichment programme for Music Scholars, Denise Ham, a former tutor at the Royal Academy of Music, came to deliver a masterclass in the art of conducting. Despite all participants having limited to no experience in this, Ms Ham developed each style with very simple but effective advice according to the Toscanini/Barzin Technique, bringing character out of the manuscript. It is much harder than it looks to bring an orchestra with you, let alone convey what you want in silence with a stick and your left hand but Ms Ham made the task accessible and, most importantly, enjoyable.

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It was a delight to welcome the supremely talented young organist Peter Holder to perform a recital in Chapel. Peter, who is the Sub-Organist at St Paul’s Cathedral, performed a thrilling and diverse programme, including works by Bach, Byrd, Litaize and Dupré. The recital concluded with a dazzling rendition of Edwin Lemare’s transcription of Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture.

An opportunity to hear some of the best talent across Dean Close, this was a most impressive concert featuring some very promising young musicians from both the Prep and Senior schools.

Although one would expect the youngest pupils to be inspired by the senior musicians, in particular the Senior School singers - Laurence Kilsby, Ashton Mackinnon, Lucy O’Rourke and Salim Jaffar - it is fair to say that our oldest pupils were also very inspired by the youngest performers, in particular Talia Recine (Year 4) playing Jenkinson’s Elfentanz on the violin with great aplomb and Michael Lei (Year 6) giving a beautiful performance of the challenging Debussy Arabesque no.1. In addition, Oscar Jack (Year 8) played his own composition which would certainly score very well at GCSE!

Our Choral and Organ Scholars – Theo and David respectively – treated us to a lovely eclectic recital programme of Mahler, Howells and Rodgers & Hammerstein, demonstrating their versatility to perform in a variety of styles.

Starting with a beautiful song cycle by Mahler Lieder eines Fahrenden Gesellen - in which Theo portrayed love’s anguish, David then performed two relatively unknown solo piano pieces by Howells from his Clavichord collection - Ralph’s Pavane & Ralph’s Galliard. Finishing on a lighter note, Theo gave us a characterful rendition of Soliloquy from Carousel.

Another opportunity to hear the youngest musicians of the School community and a great chance to see the tremendous progress some of them have made during the year. Of particular note were Ben Crossley and Rachel Hellier singing with considerable poise and increased maturity, Beth Rogers (oboe), Jenny Ng (piano) and Tom Richardson (violin), all three displaying noticeable improvement since the start of the year.

Upper Sixth Schola alumni joined Schola Cantorum under Simon Bell’s direction to sing a

wonderfully thrilling Choral Evensong. The trebles responded to the challenge in the glorious soaring phrases of Dyson in D, and both choir and organ held nothing back in a magnificent performance of Elgar, Give unto the Lord.

A superb Valedictory Concert given by our Upper Sixth leavers. Their organisation as a year group may not be their strongest point (a very last minute programme giving the Director of Music significant cause for concern!) but their talent is incredible and this was a delightful, extremely varied recital, from Tinwai Cheung’s magnificent Liszt Liebestraum to James Harrison’s impressive electric guitar solo.

This year group contains some truly magnificent singers and, consequently, the recital was heavily dominated by a wide range of songs from Laurence Kilsby, Lucy O’Rourke, Hattie Abbott, Pat Coniam, Ellie Gammon, Salim Jaffar, Dom McClaran and Matthew Welch – our very own Frank Sinatra! Jason Richards, who accompanied most of the items, also performed his own composition, a beautiful Romance.

The most entertaining item was undoubtedly Piano Man with Pat Coniam, Jason and Tinwai, the impromptu transposition delighting the receptive audience. This was a chance to say goodbye and thank you for a stunning contribution to Dean Close music from a fabulous set of musicians.

RocSoc simply gets better and better every year: improved sound quality, a range and variety of genres - from classic rock to pop to soul to metal - some superb practitioners and a pupil body that is generous in its support. I am a diehard fan, I must admit, but even so this year’s event was truly a great experience. Mr Slade’s tribute to Prince was as fitting as his tribute had been the previous year to David Bowie. The guitar pyrotechnics of James Harrison and Simon Fraser were dazzling - Hendrix aficionados, both of them. Then there was the ubiquitous Pat Coniam and Jason Richards, the former excelling as James Brown reborn, the other quietly impressing through his musicianship.

There were so many memorable performances - Laurence Kilsby’s heartfelt rendition of George Michael’s most famous song, Careless Whisper, the Slades’ Living on Love by Ilse Delunge (shouldn’t they have been covering Sister Sledge’s We are Family?!?) - but, perhaps, most memorably for this reviewer was the trio of Izzy Moulding, Emily Millward and Polina Kalaskinova whose interpretation of Suit and Tie by Justin Timberlake was exceptional. Once again RocSoc shone a light on young people who might not otherwise have an opportunity to display their talents in a school context, enabling them to celebrate the music that is clearly so dear to them. It was supremely well organised by Ciara Allen with musical assistance from Messrs Slade, Rushton and Harris (the next supergroup?). One last thought: if you only go to one official Dean Close event next year, put on your Ramones’ T shirt and go to RocSoc. 2016/17 -

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Singing: Cello & French Horn: Piano: Violin: Oboe: Percussion:

Lucy O’Rourke, Patrick Coniam, Tinwai Cheung, Eleanor Gammon Jonathan Woods Enen Chong, Louis Morford Jeff Gao Harriet Abbott Oscar Richardson, Matthew Moorhouse

In addition, Jason Richards received Grade 8 honours in Piano Accompaniment, taking his number of top grade 8 results to an unprecedented level of six, a stunning achievement.

Lucy O’Rourke

DipABRSM: LTCL: ATCL:

Jason Richards (piano) Janice Ng (piano), Doris Choi (flute) Hugo Till (saxophone, distinction)

has been awarded an Organ Scholarship to Jesus College, Cambridge, for 2018 and has been appointed Organ Scholar at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle for 2017-18. Jason has given several organ recitals during the course of this year as a result of attending the Oundle Summer School for Organists and has continued to develop his accompanying skills, which have been in great demand both in and out of school.

has been awarded a Choral Scholarship to King’s College, Cambridge, which he hopes to take up in October, alongside his offer to read Economics. He will be joining OD Stephen Whitford in the King’s College Choir which is renowned for its Christmas Eve broadcasts of Nine Lessons and Carols on BBC radio and television when millions tune in from across the world.

There will be an unprecedented two Dean Close Old Boys singing in what is arguably the most famous choir in the world.

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obtained three offers of scholarships to study Singing at conservatoires: The Royal Academy of Music, The Royal College of Music and Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He will be taking up his offer at the Royal College of Music, under the tutelage of Tim Evans-Jones in September.

Laurence also won the Keith Nutland Memorial Award, part of the Cheltenham Festival of Performing Arts and which is open to anybody in year 13 who lives in Gloucestershire and is going to study Music at University or Conservatoire. Laurence took the £500 cash prize, and future performance opportunities will result from winning this award.

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EXHIBITIONS

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n January, Dean Close Art School hosted exhibition of paintings by Kim Williams, formerly an Artist in Residence at the School. Kim left Dean Close in 2007 and brought back the work she has created over the last ten years in a show aptly entitled ‘Back to School’.

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im returned to Dean Close after 10 years away having previously worked in the art department as Artist in Residence and a teacher. As well as showing her beautiful work in our gallery, Kim ran a one day drawing masterclass with members of the Lower Sixth Form. Under her guidance they looked at various techniques with selected mediums and, also, how they might use the work of great Masters as a starting point to inspire their own work.

Kim was born in Brecon in 1967 and studied at West Glamorgan Institute of Higher Education, Swansea, Cheltenham School of Art and The Royal Drawing School, London. Exhibiting widely in England, Wales and abroad, she has achieved a number of awards for her drawings including: Royal Overseas League, Hunting Art Prizes, Cleveland International Drawing Biennale and the Elizabeth Greenshields. Kim’s work is inspired by the beauty of objects and spaces that she observes and experiences. This may be a group of apples, a vase of flowers, a landscape or an interior. Light plays a crucial role in her work and is most evident in her charcoal drawings of interiors. Her influences include painters of quiet, contemplative subjects such as Vermeer, Vuillard, William Nicholson and Gwen John.

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atasha, a well-known local sculptor, visited us twice to run a wood carving workshop with seven members of the Lower Sixth Form. This unique and exciting experience gave the students the opportunity to work with new tools and techniques and an excellent physical and mental challenge as they got to grips with the reduction process that carving demands. We hope to welcome Natasha back for an exhibition of her work and further workshops in the near future.

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I started with the broad theme of ‘nature’ as my sanctuary. Over the course of the year, however, my ideas evolved and I began to investigate art work which explored the subject matter of caged birds as a metaphor for entrapment. By reading the play ‘Miss Julie’ by August Strindberg, and watching it at the theatre, I finally decided to create a garment which represented the inner psychological struggles of the main character. The play is set in the 1890s and so I based my design on the Victorian era. This incorporated a cage for the skirt, to connect to the idea of a ‘bustle’, and the fact that Miss Julie is agoraphobic and has become trapped within her environment.

Interview with Upper Sixth A Level Artist,

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My main inspiration is Lee Alexander McQueen. Alexander McQueen became known for his theatrical fashion shows which combined raw innovation with the traditional skills of tailoring learnt on Savile Row. McQueen was inspired by the Roman Gothic and Victorian eras which focus on dark colours, thick fabrics, and red lace, which inspired my use of materials, as well as the colour scheme. Firstly, I made a conscious decision to make the piece wearable, with the aim of transforming it into a sculpture. The arm and the neck were made out of a black lace garment which I deconstructed then recycled in my design. I created a bespoke surface to the fabric of the skirt and the train by spray painting the motif of feathers onto the surface and by painting, staining and weathering the fabric by leaving it outside exposed to the elements to see what could be achieved by chance. This really helped to add originality to my design, a process which was inspired by my influence of the contemporary artist Anselm Kiefer. For the skirt, I based the structure on a bird cage to reference the character of Miss Julie.

Overall, McQueen has encouraged me ‘to think out of the box’ and combine materials in more innovative ways by blurring the boundaries between art and fashion.

When thinking about the title, the first thing that came to my mind was my love of the oceans and sea-life. I therefore decided to base my theme on the fate of our dying coral reefs and our lack of environmental concern and intervention. My aim was to encourage people to question their actions and to consider how we are universally responsible.

Through my experimentation, I created a bodice and a headpiece which incorporated seaweed and mussel shells to

celebrate the natural beauty of these forms. For my final piece, I decided to create a garment based on ‘mother earth’ who was carrying the weight of this responsibility demonstrated through the use of colour and by covering the form with a range of ceramic handmade pieces which were based on the form of coral. It was an enormous challenge to complete this task in the 15 hours allowed, but I was thrilled by the outcome of the piece and felt that I had managed to communicate my ideas.

I love the idea of combining different media to create something wearable. I not only want to create fashion, but also to combine it with fine art. I want to make women feel individual, empowered and confident while wearing my garments.

What I am working towards is creating my own successful brand, which I am prepared to work for through blood, sweat and tears if I have to! I would also love to return to school after my degree show and be the first OD to put on a catwalk show in the BonBernard Gallery or in the dining room!

I would advise them to not ‘rush’ the process and complete a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design first before applying for a degree. This helps broaden your outlook through the opportunity to try out different areas of art first; for example graphic design, illustration and textiles.

Also, degree courses often stipulate that it is an entry requirement, although it is not impossible to receive a place without one.

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My initial response was to deliberate what other people considered to be their sanctuary. Since the refugee crisis was so current and I had friends and a cousin who went to help charities in the jungle in Calais, I started to question what the refugees would contemplate to be their sanctuary. I came to the conclusion that the refugees’ dependency on boats to take them away to a better, more hopeful life, is perhaps what they consider to be their sanctuary. Henceforth I came to the conclusion I should make a boat that both reflected the spiritual hope the refugees have and also to reflect the awful conditions of the boats. I used driftwood to symbolise the dire state of the boats and help emphasise how desperate people must be to risk their lives by going in them. I made casts of individual faces and tied them to the mast to represent the way that the media desensitises our perception of the refugees; they are not viewed as individuals with their own thoughts and identity, but instead just a mass group of bland faces.

Interview with Upper Sixth A Level Artist,

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As well as taking Art A Level I take Business Studies too: I love the creative side of art but also enjoy the practical side of business.

Marketing allows me to combine my favourite components of each subject which is why I chose to specialise in it. I’m also studying psychology as part of my degree which should help me better understand how consumers spend their money and what affects consumer demand.

My main inspirations were Kathe Kollwitz and George Jeanclos. Both artists have lived through suppressive times, George Jeanclos was a Jew living in France during the Nazi occupation, resulting in him and his family fleeing to the woods where they then stayed for years. Kathe Kollwitz was a successful female artist living in Germany again during Hitler’s rule, the suppression that she was subject to and that of other women that she witnessed makes her work, and the work of Jeanclos, very powerful and relevant to the treatment of the current refugees.

Kollwitz creates dark and tense etchings clearly representing her own pain and anguish, whilst contrastingly, Jeanclos creates peaceful and tranquil sculptures. This further makes these artists more interesting to study as they have shared similar repression but have interpreted it in two completely different ways. Therefore for my own work, I decided to combine Kollwitz’s passion and darkness with Jeanclos’s equanimity and serenity.

I responded to the title environment by considering the physical and mental depletion of the elderly as they start to grow older and move over into another world. Therefore, I was studying the mental and physical environment of the elderly. My final piece was an elderly man in the transition from life to death, I had him lying on a bed enshrouded by covers to help emphasise his frailty and vulnerability as an elderly man. I then had two large wings almost hugging the figure, as the wings were protecting him on his transition from life to death. I made the wings out of lots of hand casts to suggest feathers; I did this as I felt that the hands better conveyed my overarching theme of protection and care. My ideas developed to become more spiritual and ethereal than I had originally intended, however the spirituality created a very powerful and emotional atmosphere which helped me convey my original idea of mental and physical depletion of the elderly.

I hope to work in the Fashion industry, either working in a magazine or within a major brand in fashion marketing. I have already produced two fashion articles for Cotswold Style which I really enjoyed and have given me an insight of what it would be like to work in this area.

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Old Decanian ormer pupil, Min Kim, returned to Dean Close to hold a Private View of her own, solo exhibition in the School’s BonBernard Gallery. She is the fourth student to return to the School with a solo exhibition. Min left Dean Close in 2007 and went on to study at The Slade School of Fine Art and, most recently completed her MA at The Royal College of Art. She is currently forging a career as a professional artist working both in the UK and Korea.

Her show, ‘Evolve’, was a retrospective exhibition that charts the past 10 years of her practice, from A Level to current day, as she has searched for her own pictorial language.

Min is an exceptionally talented young artist whose work is as beautiful as it is extraordinary, anyone who views her work cannot help but be impressed. It makes for fascinating viewing

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Head of Art, Caroline Evans, said: “Min is an exceptionally talented young artist whose work is as beautiful as it is extraordinary, anyone who views her work cannot help but be impressed. It makes for fascinating viewing.”

At Dean Close, Min experienced a new way of art education which was different from what she had learnt in Korea. Learning the importance of process and creativity made a strong base for further education in art colleges in London. Later her work drew inspiration from nature. The paintings are dreamy and other-

EXHIBITIONS worldly with bright colours and uncanny forms. Eventually, she began to focus on pure abstraction: colour, form, texture. The colours and forms in the abstract landscapes slowly formed into the basic shapes in the later works. She was interested in the relationship between each shape and creating unknown spaces within the 2D canvas space.

At the Royal College of Art, Min researched geometric abstract works and Russian constructivists such as El Lissitzky, Malevich and Mondrian. Since completing her Masters, her works are more

simplified and modernized. The shapes in the earlier works became much smaller and they are placed in a regular pattern cross the canvas. It looks like a kind of code or language at the first glance but they like to be read as separate individuals. As the figures became more complicated, the colours became simpler. The gradation (the changes of tone) have become much more important in her work.

Her work still has the feeling of a spatial or multidimensional world in the relationship of time and space.

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The BonBernard Gallery recently hosted a wonderful and vibrant exhibition of Year 10 artwork which was produced during the first year of GCSE. Works included a range of ‘Hockney inspired’ landscape paintings, charcoal self-portraits, sculpted clay models and a variety of photography and print making. A buzzy Private View evening gave pupils the opportunity to bring along family and friends to see their work, alongside teachers and visitors from other schools. There was also the chance to meet A level students and talk to them about their studies whilst they worked on pieces in the studio. The exhibition gave an excellent example of the breadth and calibre of Art and Design at the Senior School and was a superb opportunity to see a colourful range of work from such young talent.

On 6 March, the BonBernard Gallery welcomed parents and visitors who came to see the stunning Private View of GCSE artwork, showcasing the work of pupils currently in the second year of their Art GCSE course. The vibrant exhibition provided an excellent example of the breadth and calibre of Art and Design at the Senior School and was a superb opportunity to see a diverse range of creative outcomes. From a superbly sculpted birdbath, inspired by the story of Narcissus, and a dramatically lit muslin dress laced with paper butterflies to an atmospheric oil canvas of a stormy sky and a highly detailed acrylic painting depicting the Hong Kong skyline at night, this exhibition was a true celebration of artistic achievement. Head of Art, Caroline Evans said: “These students have produced some exceptional and highly individual art work that is particularly exciting and encouraging to see at this level.”

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cookeryschool

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n a Saturday afternoon when Dean Close pupils go off to matches, pupils from Gloucestershire’s Virtual School have been visiting the Cookery School to learn a range of cookery life skills essential when they leave Local Authority care and ‘make their own way’ independently. These fabulous young men and women have all faced challenging times in their personal lives and it has been a privilege to teach them a range of recipes from chicken fajitas to apple and plum crumble and everyone’s favourite - pizza. These lessons have cemented a firm ongoing partnership between Dean Close and the Virtual School and we are looking forward to many more joint ventures including hosting their Annual Awards Evening next November.

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he first 23 students to study the new Food Preparation and Nutrition GCSE have had a very busy year. They have worked hard and have found the course to be a challenging combination of academic food science and nutrition study and hands on practical cookery skills. Dean Close Cookery School has been filled with delicious smells as the students have made a wide variety of different dishes from pavlovas to understand the effect of acid on protein and foams, to a cheese and chive quiche to learn about coagulation of protein in egg and blind baking.

DEAN CLOSE COOKERY SCHOOL HAS BEEN FILLED WITH DELICIOUS SMELLS AS THE STUDENTS HAVE MADE A WIDE VARIETY OF DIFFERENT DISHES

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ust before Christmas, Dean Close held the official opening of the new Cookery School alongside a Leiths Christmas Canape Party.

Guest of honour was Viv Burroughs, a former teacher, who first introduced the Leiths Basic Certificate in Food and Wine to the School.

Around 60 guests arrived to a festively decorated BonBernard Gallery for drinks before going into the new facility for speeches. After a warm introduction from the Headmaster, Viv gave an amusing and emotional talk about her time at the School, recounting some funny memories such as a student who used a blender without a lid and another who threw spaghetti at the wall to check it was cooked! Viv said how incredibly impressed she was with the new facility and how thrilled she was to see cookery taking such a central role in the School.

New Head of Cookery, Maria Taylor, then stepped up to give a heartfelt talk about her love of cookery and how it can bring friends and family together, as well as make a difference to the quality of life.

She really showed her passion for cooking and talked about her pride in seeing her students take photos of their food to send home.

After speeches, guests returned to the BonBernard where they were served a delicious range of canapes that had been prepared by Leiths students during the day.

THE MENU WAS: YORKSHIRES WITH CARAMELISED ONION, FILLET BEEF AND HORSERADISH CREAM ENDIVE WITH FENNEL, SMOKED MACKEREL AND ORANGE STILTON, CELERY AND APPLE CHUTNEY FILO CUPS PULLED PORK BRUSCHETTA WITH SMOKED TOMATO KETCHUP AND PEPPERS MISO ROASTED AUBERGINE WITH CUCUMBER AND MINT THAI CHICKEN WITH CORIANDER AND SWEET CHILLI MERINGUES WITH ROSE CREAM, POMEGRANATE AND PISTACHIO MINCE PIES WITH ORANGE GRAND MARNIER MASCARPONE

The event generated lots of positive feedback and praise for the fabulous food and talented cooks. Maria Taylor commented: “It was the perfect event to officially open the new Dean Close Cookery School. Our Upper Sixth students worked so hard all day to make it a really special evening filled with good food and an overwhelming feeling of support for our new department. Their array of stunning canapes stole the show and guests were enthralled with the myriad of tastes and textures in each dainty mouthful. I am bursting with pride this morning and feel so lucky to have the opportunity to teach such inspirational young people.”

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The new cookery school combines a commercial catering facility with a sleek modern demonstration kitchen.

There are nine individual, stainless steel kitchen areas each with their own full set of kitchen equipment, oven and hob and double sink. The sleek marble topped demonstration area can seat up to 16 students and is designed and equipped to allow two chefs to work side by side to create a range of delicious dishes in front of students, combined with an audio visual system to enhance teaching and learning. Entrance hall, changing rooms, prep and storage areas complete this state of the art multifunctional facility.

o celebrate 10 years in business in Cheltenham, Savills Estate Agents pledged to raise £10,000 for The Gloucestershire Community Foundation (GCF) by completing 10 challenges. The fifth challenge was ‘The Great Savills Bake Off’, held in the new Dean Close Cookery School. Teams were tasked to bake ten identical cupcakes, all based on the theme of ten. Headmaster, Bradley Salisbury, teamed with a Prep School parent, Amelia Elwes, to represent the DC team. Donned in their aprons: I AM Head Chef and I AM Sous Chef, the team impressed the judge, Charlie Sharples from Gloucester Rugby Club, with cupcakes decorated as 10 Downing Street. Other imaginative interpretations of the brief included the Ten Commandments, ten-pin bowling, ten green bottles and tennis balls!

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his year six pupils - Charlotte Finney, Ewan Beattie, Molly Caesar, Peter Hick Beach, Louise Lovatt and Olivia Street - have all passed their Leiths Certificate in Food and Wine and deserve huge congratulations.

Special mention to Charlotte who has achieved a merit, and a special award from Leiths for gaining such high marks in the difficult written exam.

Head of Cookery, Maria Taylor, said: “I will always remember them as the group that brought elation and exasperation in equal measure to every lesson. Olivia once said we were all like a ‘rather dysfunctional family’ and it is fair to say we have all had our share of ‘ups and downs’. From the

day Peter stuck a metal skewer into a switch of one of the old cookers in the former cookery room causing him to fly across the floor with an electric shock, to the day Liv secretly replaced her ruined mayonnaise with the contents of a jar of Hellman’s and was surprised I noticed; it has been a rollercoaster of a ride - and one that I would not have missed for the world and will never forget!

From the custards that curdled and sauces that split; from the soufflés that sank and the profiteroles like pancakes they have emerged triumphant, ready and prepared for whatever culinary challenge may come their way. I am so proud of them all and will miss them so much.”

I will always remember them as the group that brought elation and exasperation in equal measure to every lesson

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Commemoration

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his year’s Commemoration of Benefactors, held on Saturday 27 May, saw over 1000 visitors arrive at Dean Close to celebrate the successes of the year.

For the very first time, the Service was held in Tewkesbury Abbey which involved the logistical accomplishment of busing the entire School community to Tewkesbury and back on a bank holiday Saturday. The effort was deemed worth it for the majesty of the surroundings and the stunning acoustics that resounded around the thick stone walls above the choir stalls.

After everyone returned to School the Houses held drinks receptions around the grounds to welcome families and friends to the event.

This was followed by speeches in the marquee from the Chair of Council, Headmaster, Head of School and guest speaker, Benedict Allen. This year the Headmaster touched on our rapidly changing world, questioning the value of a Dean Close education for a future that no one can possibly predict.

Head of School, Rory Kavanagh, gave an adroit speech equating his school days to the twists of a Rubik’s Cube before producing a 12-sided version to depict the start -

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of his new life after School, particularly negotiating the student loan system! Finally, after handing out prizes on stage, Benedict Allen stood to give an animated and highly amusing speech on his experience of surviving in the Amazon jungle alone, not without a few near-death experiences.

At lunchtime, picnickers stayed inside as the weather looked ominous but it did hold, which meant the traditional cricket fixture of ODs v 1st XI took place as usual, with the School victorious. The Old Decanian Society held a ‘Class of 1997’ reunion outside the pavilion

with over 30 ODs and their families coming together for picnics and fun at their old School.

During the afternoon families enjoyed attending the highly impressive art exhibition in the BonBernard Gallery, making their own ice creams in the Cookery School and looking around all the academic displays. Finally the Concert Band provided classic entertainment before the plethora of Uganda raffle prizes were drawn and handed out. At that point, it was officially half term and the School emptied after a thoroughly wonderful day.

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EXCERPTS FROM THE HEADMASTER’S SPEECH

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he hash tag “Very British Problems” is a collection of observations which poke gentle fun at what it means to be British. It is an interesting thing that, despite all of the political and technological changes, there are certain things that remain in our national characteristics. In the last 12 months we have seen incredible change: Article 50, May, Trump, Macron, AI, Elon Musk’s Driverless Cars and Kevin Ashton’s Internet of Things and now we are in the midst of an election, overshadowed by the horrific events in Manchester earlier this week.

Last night I was handed the results of the Dean Close mock election which followed a hustings event last Friday, all organised by Mr Baldanzi and Mr Sheldon. There was a very respectable 94% turnout of those available to vote on the day. In 4th place, but with a respectable 13% of the vote was Olivia Street’s Green Party.

Narrowly ahead of the Greens were Ian Hayes’s Liberal Democrats. In spite of the fact that a boarding school in the South West is not normally seen as a hotbed of socialism, Jason Richards managed to secure a very healthy 27% share of the votes for the Labour part. This means that Dean Close’s Member of Parliament would be the Conservative party candidate, Mr Luca Cappucini. Many congratulations to you, Luca.

Returning to the theme of rapid change, this is not a new thing. The speed may have picked up but generations have always had to respond to technological advances that have taken place after they have left school. Many of you will be familiar with Douglas Adam’s rules about our response to technologies:

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Two questions for today – how are our current pupils doing in the midst of all of this change and what use is a Dean Close education anyway? One of the things that tends to follow the technology is the ethics and over the last few years I have been greatly encouraged to see our social media ethical code coming together.

Let me give you an example of what I mean. This year, an unpleasant comment was made on one of the platforms and shared around a group of “friends”. The first person to respond commented that this was unacceptable which gave everyone else permission to do the same and the post was taken down. This may seem simple, but this wasn’t happening a few years ago. The bystanders are starting to step into the digital conversations and are having an impact on the way in which we build relationships online. Decanians are starting to critically challenge the social convention that all must be played out in public, that arguments and relationships are everyone’s business. We have some way still to go, but I am pleased with the conversations and progress we are making and the steps we are taking.

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commemoration But what about a Dean Close education, is it going to be of any use in our brave new world? Caitlin Moran is a Times columnist who tends to speak her mind on a whole range of issues. In a recent column she turned her attention to talk about education and to give her manifesto for schools: “My plan is very straightforward, and rests on two facts: (1) the 21st-century job market requires basically nothing of what is taught in 21st-century schools, and (2) everyone has a smartphone.”

I have some significant issues with this oversimplified, TED talk approach to modern education and it brings to mind the line from former US President Eisenhower: “Farming looks mighty easy when your plough is a pencil and you’re a thousand miles from the corn field.”

We fundamentally do not know what skills the 21st century job market will require nor what the role of the smartphone will be in two years’ time let alone 25 years’ time. Even if we did know all of those things we can also assume that most people will do a whole range of different jobs, that being able to read the first Google result does not equate to knowledge and that employability is one side of future life but it is not all of it. Education is not, and never has been, about training for a particular thing. Education has value, in and of itself.

William Bunker in the Lower Sixth, recently entered a successful essay into a national English competition at Corpus Christi, Cambridge. His essay was focused on Gertrude Stein’s “Tender Buttons”, a writer I was entirely unfamiliar with.

“Tender Buttons” is not an easy read and it challenges all traditional views of language and poetry but Will’s essay shows understanding of the purpose of these particular poems. He wrote this: “The poems are literally impossible to paraphrase.

Thus we are forced to contemplate the ‘objects’ in their ‘entire content or deliverance’.”

In a soundbite world, how good it is to be reminded of the dangers of simply looking for a kernel, of missing out the full meaning in an attempt to reduce life to 140 characters. How frequently do we espouse deep knowledge on a subject on the basis of 6 minutes of research on our preferred websites? That is a smartphone education. William

Poundland, a journalist not a Decanian, picks this up when he says: “The cloud will make us megaignorant: unaware of what we don’t know.”

Our aim is to provide a rich knowledge-based education which, as Matthew Arnold said, “draws on the best that has been thought and said,” critical thinking skills that allow our pupils to determine the difference between real and fake news, to know more about a situation than a 140 character summary: A truly three dimensional academic schooling which provides height, depth and breadth.

Last Friday, I was fortunate to be present at a wonderful evening of intellectual jousting at the Sixth Form Academic Scholars’ debate. If you had been there, you would have heard Hugo Till describing the EU’s fiscal policy as “economic waterboarding”, Jason Richard’s use of Latin American liberation theology to identify a possible clash of ideologies between the Christian faith and capitalism, Louis Morford’s deft response to a question on the “camel through the eye of a needle” teaching by pointing to a possible misunderstanding of the original Greek word that has been taken to mean camel and possibly meant rope or cable. What was most impressive to me about the evening, was the depth of knowledge and interest in the Brexit issue from those in the audience. An audience who had not prepared and who did not have access to their phones.

If you want to see examples of this for yourselves, take time to visit the various exhibitions around the Quad and in the Art School today. One piece of art that has stood out to me is right in front of you as you walk into the BonBernard gallery, but take care not to miss Imogen Blundell’s beautiful piece on your left on as you go in. In the middle of the gallery is a bed with a broken figure lying on it enveloped in a pair angel wings. The piece,

by Katie Colbert-Smith, demonstrates great knowledge of the work of other artists, a high level of skill, when you discover that the figure wrapped in the wings is a cast of Katie’s father who has been unwell. Alongside the skill and knowledge lies incredible emotional intelligence and grit as Katie expresses her understanding of

what is happening through her art. This work is not the product of a smartphone education.

If I am still an educational leader in 20 years’ time, I hope I will be able to draw on a workforce with hidden depths, not just a cloud over their heads.

We realise that knowledge itself is not enough. If Decanians are really going to be the young men and women who shape our future, they will need character, to be able to steer as well as drive fast.

Whilst some of that learning certainly comes through the academic life, much of it is learned outside the classroom. The character that comes from knowing that success does not make you a better person, that failure is a necessary part of life that you need to rely on others if you are to flourish: respect, kindness, curiosity, service and integrity.

The Big Conversation is a new initiative from the chaplaincy team – each house or pair of houses has nominated a thorny issue to do with the Christian faith and sat down to discuss it with the Chaplain, accompanied by an unhealthy dose of pizza, taking time to engage on a personal level with questions covering science and faith; sex; hypocrisy; freedom; reliability of the Bible. These kinds of discussions have the potential to provide sustenance for a long time to come and may be drawn upon in a conversation at some unknown point in the future.

We know that one of our particular strengths at Dean Close is our co-curricular reputation and this year has been one of the best. On an individual level, Dean Close pupils can be seen performing at a national and regional level in almost every discipline we offer. From rugby to choral singing, hockey to the dramatic arts, from a boy and girl in the Remove to the Housemaster of Dale House.

These high achievers show us all just what can be achieved with persistence and courage. If you’re not yet following the school on Facebook or Twitter, we would love to add you to our number who receive regular photos, videos and updates.

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As I hope you know, it is not only about excellence, but about the breadth of opportunities available to all of our pupils. For those of you who like your statistics, here are a few to keep you going: In music - 174 pupils have individual lessons, there have been 42 concerts with 102 different pupils performing.

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In drama - 202 pupils involved in one of the 7 productions with 105 of those having a speaking role.

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In sport - which is a compulsory activity - at the time of going to press we have played 543 different fixtures, won 287, drawn 40 and lost 216. 85% of the school has represented Dean Close at some point this year and 96% of the Fourth and Remove have done so.

This year, we have been fortunate enough to enjoy some of the most outstanding musicianship you could hear in any school with a particular group of singers who only come around once in a generation. The discipline of the choristers, their support of one another and their musical peers, and their understanding of music have been real blessings. The bar has been set very high.

Sometimes the example of those who have gone before, prepares the ground for the next generation. We have seen that in every corner of the school this year.

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There are times when it is not always easy for parents whose children are not selected for a team, cast in a play or successful in an audition.

The psychologist, Steve Biddulph, recently pointed to research which proved the importance of the relationship between teachers and parents in helping pupils to achieve their best. He says that “This has to go beyond being nice to each other at parent/teacher meetings. It has to be a real friendship that transcends formal roles.” This is not an easy thing to do but investing time and resources into building a closer relationship with the Dean Close parents is one of our top five priorities for the next couple of years. This is a two way street, for some this is easier than others, but if we fully engage with each other, if we seek to understand the pressures on teachers and parents, we will be in a far better place.

Alongside this investment in key relationships, we will also be using our resources to kick start a physical regeneration of the Senior School facilities this year by moving the English Language and Learning Support departments into the centre of the school as well as creating a new Sixth Form centre, cross department IT room, a first class new surface for one of the hockey pitches and rehousing the Maths department. This prepares the way for our first major project on both freeing up much needed academic space as well as creating 21st century pastoral facilities which will not only be safer and more functional but should

also enhance our sense of community across the houses. Alongside the investment in our physical buildings, we are also enhancing our virtual buildings - our internet service. By increasing our bandwidth fivefold, we aim to provide the speed and access that a modern boarding school demands.

I would like to finish with a word to all of those pupils who are leaving at the end of this term.

Whether you’ve been here for two terms or 52 terms. I am proud to say that whilst I can see the impact that your time at Dean Close has had on you, that none of you are a typical Dean Close product. Your individuality and differences are the mark of the impact of a great school. For some, the road has not always been straight and you will have made some and been subject to some mistakes. The measure of our community is partly the successes but is also in recognising our default position when things are hard. In the same way that you have shaped this community, I am delighted that you will be playing a part in shaping our future communities, whatever they may look like. Unsurprisingly, William Shakespeare says this better than I can:

How many goodly creatures are there here!

How beauteous mankind is!

O brave new world, That has such people in it!

Thank you.

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commemoration

Sixth Form Leavers

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he service this year was particularly special because it took place in Tewkesbury Abbey which greatly enhanced the dignity of the occasion. To look around and see so many young faces gazing up in wonder at the magnificence of the Abbey, and to hear and feel the waves of sound rolling round the Nave during the hymns, was to render it a very special occasion.

TO WORSHIP IN SUCH A MAGNIFICENT PLACE IS SOMETHING ALL SHOULD EXPERIENCE IN THEIR TIME AT DEAN CLOSE

The Abbey is a rewarding place in which to worship and to sing and it was fitting that in the year when the choir has perhaps its finest tenors and basses for fifty years or more, the choir was able to sing an anthem that would have been nigh impossible in Christ Church, Viri Galilei by Patrick Gowers. Here in the Abbey’s ethereal loveliness, the magnificent solo voices of Ashton MacKinnon and Laurence Kilsby rang out with such authority that one could feel the congregation sitting up at their sound. Vaughan Williams’ festive anthem, O Clap Your Hands, was also sung with great clarity. Such a high standard of singing is very much the product of Simon Bell’s direction. David Rice gave full vent to the famous Milton organ and the School responded with a rendering of Cwm Rhondda of which even the Welsh might have been proud. Jason Richards played us out to Widor’s famous Toccata from his Symphony No 5.

To worship in such a magnificent place is something all should experience in their time at Dean Close.

Commemoration seems as good an occasion as any.

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Commemoration

GONNER PRIZE ENGLISH (Senior)

GONNER PRIZE ENGLISH (Intermediate)

FLECKER PRIZE FURTHER MATHS (Intermediate)

FLECKER PRIZE MATHS (Senior)

FLECKER PRIZE MATHS (Junior)

(Junior)

PRIZE FRENCH (Junior)

FLECKER PRIZE CLASSICS (Senior)

FLECKER PRIZE CLASSICS (Junior)

GRIFFITHS & WALLER PRIZE FRENCH (Senior)

MASSART-WEIT PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO EUROPEAN

JOHN BAYLER HISTORY (Senior)

BAYLER HISTORY (Junior)

JOHN BAYLER HISTORY (Intermediate)

BURRETT PRIZE GEOGRAPHY (Senior)

BURRETT PRIZE GEOGRAPHY (Junior) RELIGIOUS STUDIES (Junior)

FLECKER PRIZE RELIGIOUS STUDIES (Senior)

CHARLES & ELIZABETH PRIZE RELIGIOUS STUDIES

MAJOR RICKERBY PRIZE PHYSICAL EDUCATION

WOODWARD PRIZE ECONOMICS (Senior)

PSYCHOLOGY PRIZE PSYCHOLOGY

MAJOR RICKERBY PRIZE ART (2D) Junior

MAJOR RICKERBY PRIZE ART (Senior)

(Senior)

CALDECOTE DESIGN AWARD DESIGN

COMPUTER SCIENCE PRIZE COMPUTER SCIENCE (Intermediate)

DAVID LEPINE PRIZE MUSIC (Senior) MUSIC (Composition)

CHRISTOPHER EDWARDS CUP CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC

OLIVE MORGAN PIANO CUP MUSIC

CHRISTOPHER EDWARDS PRIZE MUSIC PERFORMANCE

THEATRE STUDIES PRIZE THEATRE STUDIES (Senior)

PRIZE THEATRE STUDIES (Intermediate) TO DRAMA

BAY FORD PRIZE DRAMA (Senior)

KING REYNOLDS PRIZE DRAMA (Junior)

OLD DECANIAN PRIZE PUBLIC SPEAKING

SPEECH and DRAMA PRIZE SPEECH and DRAMA

FORBES SPORTS AWARD CONTRIBUTION TO SPORT (Junior

SWAN SPORTS AWARD CONTRIBUTION TO SPORT (Senior Girls)

SWAN SPORTS AWARD CONTRIBUTION

HALL EQUESTRIAN AWARD ACHIEVEMENT IN EQUESTRIANISM

SERVICE TO DCS EQUESTRIANISM CCF

THEATRE STUDIES BAY FORD PRIZE CONTRIBUTION

THE BURGON PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO CULTURAL LIFE (JUNIOR)

FORBES SPORTS AWARD CONTRIBUTION TO SPORT (Junior Girls)

TO SPORT (Senior Boys)

DAVID LEPINE PRIZE

DAVID WATSON PRIZE CHOIR

COLIN SHERRATT CUP MUSIC

SONG RECITAL TROPHY SINGING

LEITH PRIZE LEITHS COURSE

DAVID LEPINE PRIZE MUSIC (Junior)

DAVID LEPINE PRIZE ORCHESTRA

EMILY KENT CUP LIGHT MUSIC

Boys)

MAJOR RICKERBY PRIZE

MAJOR RICKERBY PRIZE DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

MAJOR RICKERBY PRIZE DESIGN TECHNOLOGY (Intermediate)

TECHNOLOGY (Junior)

FLECKER PRIZE

WOODWARD PRIZE ECONOMICS & BUSINESS STUDIES

SIR CHARLES IRVING CUP POLITICAL CONTRIBUTION

ART (3D) Junior

JOHN

BURRETT PRIZE GEOGRAPHY (Intermediate)

WOODWARD PRIZE BUSINESS STUDIES (Senior) (Intermediate)

GRIFFITHS & WALLER GRIFFITHS & WALLER PRIZE SPANISH

GRIFFITHS & WALLER PRIZE SPANISH (Junior)

STUDIES

BACON PRIZE

WOODWARD PRIZE BIOLOGY (Senior)

WOODWARD PRIZE BIOLOGY (Practical)

FLECKER PRIZE CLASSICS (Intermediate)

(Senior)

CLAY PRIZE PHYSICS

BACON PRIZE CHEMISTRY (Senior)

BACON PRIZE CHEMISTRY (Practical)

WOODWARD PRIZE BIOLOGY (Junior)

FLECKER PRIZE MATHS

CLAY PRIZE PHYSICS (Senior)

CLAY PRIZE PHYSICS (Practical)

CHEMISTRY (Junior)

GONNER PRIZE ENGLISH (Junior)

BURROWS GLOBE EXPEDITIONARY ENDEAVOUR

ARMY LEADERSHIP PRIZE LEADERSHIP OF THE CCF ARMY CORPS RECRUIT IN TRAINING

THE GLOSTERS’ EGYPT CUP BEST

Lt. COL DENLEY ENDEAVOUR SWORD NAPIER PRIZE ACADEMIC RESEARCH

HALL EQUESTRIAN AWARD MAJOR GOLDER PRIZE SERVICE TO

ARNHEM SHIELD ENDEAVOUR

NAPIER PRIZE ENDEAVOUR IN THE CLASSROOM

ABBEYDALE TRUST PRIZE ENGINEERING AT UNIVERSITY OR PRACTICAL CONTRIBUTION PRIZE ALL ROUND ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

BELLERBY AWARD ALL ROUND ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE SERVICE TO THE WIDER COMMUNITY COMMUNITY

JOYCE OWERS CUP

JOYCE OWERS PRIZE COMMITMENT TO THE LOCAL

COLIN COCKS PRIZE SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL (Junior)

GILKES PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE SCHOOL LIFE

ELDER PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO

DOUGLAS GRAHAM PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE

TURNER PRIZE

CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE

CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE

HM PRIZE

HM PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE

HM PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE LIFE

CLARKE CUP SERVICE (Girls) BOLTON PRIZE SERVICE 2016/17

HM PRIZE HM PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL

HM PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE

CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE

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LESLIE YOUNG

ALFRED ROBERTS PRIZE ALL ROUND ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

HM PRIZE

HM PRIZE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL LIFE CLARKE PRIZE SERVICE (Boys)

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cheltenhamliteraturefestival

OCTOBER 2016

The talk by Jonathon Trott, interviewed by Adrian Chiles, was really insightful into the mind of an elite sportsman. It highlighted how the pressures of the media, team mates, fans and the sportsmen themselves can turn success into an overwhelming pressure, leading to anxiety.

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ean Close has been associated with the Literature Festival since 2002, and this year it chose to support a Debating Strand, covering topics from Remembrance to Russia, and from reading to selfies. Furthermore, the School purchased over 200 tickets for a wide range of events, from Mary Beard talking Classics to journalists’ views on Brexit, giving many pupils the opportunity to experience this rich and stimulating Festival event.

Debating is important at Dean Close, and takes place in a wide range of forums, both formal and informal, from a topical lunchtime debate of a current issue such as the EU referendum to the competitive world of the house public speaking.

Now, more than ever, young people must be equipped with the ability to analyse materials, solve problems, think in innovative ways and synthesise vast amounts of information. That is why we chose to lend our support to debate.

Some of the events attended this year included:

A discussion about the role of in Society

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his event, supported by Dean Close as part of the Debating Strand, illustrated the complexities of remembrance and how such a contentious issue often raises more questions than answers. Rory Kavanagh, Head of School, provided a clear, confident introduction to proceedings which saw the Chair ask of the panel, ‘It our moral duty to remember or do we always forget eventually?’

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our budding writers in the Fifth Form took the opportunity to hear the benefit of published author Andy Mulligan’s words of wisdom as he gave them some insights into the writing process. The workshop that took place in Cheltenham Town Hall focused on how to create character using the first person narrative perspective. Pupils left feeling inspired to continue writing. Sophie Brown announced that she has now commenced her seventh novel!

The talk began by explaining how the Commonwealth War Graves Commission has moved from its original purpose of burying and memorialising the fallen to communicating the significance of the cemeteries to the younger generations. The panel argued that all will be gone eventually and that this can be a good thing, thereby challenging societal etiquette that remembrance is our moral duty;

another panel member acknowledged the worth of this view but said it was contrary to his belief that ‘truth no matter how unpalatable should be never forgotten.’ The only consensus was that WW1 remains very much in the public memory.

Rory said: “It was a great experience to try something new outside the Dean Close environment that I don’t think I would ever have had the chance to do elsewhere. The opportunity to meet and speak to famous authors was a great way to spend the afternoon.”

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Classics

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s usual the Literature Festival boasted a number of talks on the Classical world. Mary Beard, Britain’s most instantly recognisable Classicist and Professor of Classics at Cambridge University, got everything started with a talk about her very fine history of Rome, SPQR. The Town Hall was absolutely packed to the rafters – Dean Close’s Fifth Form Gratinists (who study Latin and Greek) really enjoyed the occasion, and were grateful for the opportunity to hear one of the country’s foremost intellectuals.

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his debate, attended by Sixth Form historians, involved three British history experts, Suzannah Lipscomb (The King is Dead), Anna Keay (The Last Royal Rebel: The Life and Death of James, Duke of Monmouth) and Oliver Cox (A Short History of the Long Eighteenth Century) discussing which of the 16th, 17th or 18th centuries had the biggest impact on Britain’s history. It was a lively and informative debate, exploring the political, intellectual and social history of the island in great depth, providing our historians with an insight into areas of history which they

have not studied. At the final whistle, the packed audience voted for a tie between the 16th and 17th centuries, although our students showed a preference for the 16th, being swayed perhaps by the glamour and intrigue of the Tudor court.

The Lower Sixth Latin and Greek students were treated to a wonderful discussion of the poetry of the Roman poet Catullus, delivered by Daisy Dunn, author of Catullus’ Bedspread, an intriguing reconstruction of the life of Catullus which has been published to wide acclaim.

Finally the Lower Sixth Classical Civilisation students spent an entire afternoon exploring the world of Homer’s great epic poem, the Iliad.

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pper Sixth Economists attended the very topical ‘We’re all Brexiteers Now’. This was a lively panel debate on the state of the post-referendum economy and what approach should be taken in negotiations with Brussels. The panel was balanced, comprised of a businessman, an academic and a journalist, all of whom contributed very positively.

The debate truly warmed up, of course, when the first Brexiteer question was raised from the floor. In what appeared to be a largely ‘Remain’ audience, and in the absence of a politician in the panel, this immediately increased the political temperature in the hall. The evening finished with dinner and a further discussion at ASK Pizzeria.

A great night all round.

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ttended by Sixth Form politics students, this was a somewhat less jovial affair, though certainly no less interesting than the history debate. Russia experts Keir Giles, Andrew Monaghan, Nazrin Mehdiyeva and Commanding General of US Army Europe, Ben Hodges, explored the role that Russia has played in numerous recent geopolitical events and discussed ways in which Russia’s long term strategic objectives might, or indeed will, clash with those of the West in the not too distant future.

Amongst many interesting topics of discussion, the one which really captured the interest of our students was the difference between the Russian narrative of the last 10 years

and that of the West, and an exploration of the reasons behind these different perspectives.

As well as listening to the two debates above, pupils Freddie Faux and Isabelle Moulding introduced the events to packed houses. Both gave fine introductions and showcased their public speaking skills. They were also fortunate to be able to go backstage beforehand and spend some time with the panellists. They were very impressed by the breadth and depth of knowledge of each of the speakers and their evident passion for their areas of expertise, and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to converse with real experts about events both contemporary and historical.

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cheltenhamsciencefestival

Cheltenham Science Festival

t was with huge surprise that Dean Close pupils from the Prep and Senior Schools greeted the Prime Minister, Theresa May, when she walked up to their activity stand at this year’s Cheltenham Science Festival.

Located in the centre of the Discover Zone inside the Town Hall, Mrs May appeared late in the afternoon just a couple of days before the General Election. Accompanied by a swarm of press photographers, the Prime Minister said hello to all the Dean Close team and spent several minutes talking to the children about the Periodic Table bookmarks which were being made at the Dean Close stand. She seemed thrilled to be given her own bookmark with her name made up of the correct elements.

Pupil, Hannah Porter said, “It was really exciting, the Prime Minister was very nice

indeed and asked us about the activities we were doing. We all shook hands with her and we had our photograph taken, I think we even made it onto Sky News! Today was a fantastic experience which I will remember for a very long time.”

The Dean Close stand was at the Science Festival Discover Zone through the Festival in June. Visitors were able to learn all about the Periodic Table, the elements it contains, why it is organised the way it is, some of the

latest elements to be discovered and fascinating facts about their properties.

They also had a go at the Dean Close ‘Goggle eye challenge’ which was an activity to demonstrate how the eye works. Wearing a pair of inversion goggles visitors took part in a variety of disorientating challenges such as finding their way on a map from the Prep to the Senior School, or sticking essential body organs onto a cartoon character which had lost them!

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events

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his is the Year of the Rooster, the tenth animal in the cycle. People born in the Year of the Rooster are characterised as honest, energetic, intelligent, flexible and confident with famous people born under the rooster sign including Rudyard Kipling, Prince Philip, Dolly Parton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Eric Clapton and Yoko Ono. A special dinner was held to celebrate Chinese New Year and to welcome in the Rooster. Pupils from China and Hong Kong, Korea and Thailand enjoyed a delicious supper of Peking Duck pancakes, a variety of dim sum and even banana fritters for dessert, all skilfully prepared by the School’s talented catering team. There was a wonderful atmosphere in the dining hall which had been decked out with authentic Chinese lanterns and decorations. Upper Sixth Former, Eric, who has been at Dean Close since Year 8, gave a confident and entertaining

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speech in both Mandarin and English to toast the season and wish the diners health, wealth and happiness for the New Year.

Furthermore, Lower Sixth Former, Alex, shared an impressive piece of Chinese calligraphy; a traditional poem called Thousand Word Classic, which he handpainted in old Chinese lettering onto a 32 metre-long scroll. The poem contains one thousand characters, of which each character is different. The Poem can be divided into four parts focusing on the formation of the world and creation; the self-cultivation of the human race; politics, literature and the epic war; and ending with a description of Pastoralism, praising those willing to serve their country without any rewards.

The final part of the celebrations came on Monday lunchtime when the whole school enjoyed the opportunity to come together and celebrate this important festival with a Chinese menu for lunch.

PEKING DUCK WITH PANCAK E ONION & CUC S, HOISIN, SPRING U M BER STEAMED POR K DUMPLINGS WITH HOT CH ILLI SAUCE VEGETABLE SP RING ROLLS W ITH LIGHT SOY SAUCE SALT & PEPPER SQUID CHICKEN CHO W MEIN ASIAN VEGETA BLE CHOW ME IN SWEET & SOU R PORK FILLET FISH FILLETS IN HOT CHILLI OI L BEEF FILLET IN B LACK PEPPER FRESH LYCHEE S & SLICED ME LON

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he whole school gathered in the Bacon Theatre late in the year to hear about the adventures of Charlie Martell.

Charlie is a former Royal Engineer Commando, trained in Explosive Ordnance Disposal, who left his military career to put his skills to use in the humanitarian sector as a demining specialist. After years working in postconflict situations in countries such as Angola, Georgia, Sudan, Nepal and Mozambique, Charlie was moved by the courage of these communities and decided to turn his hand to fundraising.

In 2006, Charlie and three military team mates took part in the inaugural Shepherds Ocean Fours Rowing Race, a 3100 nautical mile odyssey across the previously unconquered North Atlantic rowing route. Completing the treacherous journey from New York to Mevagissey enabled the team to raise over £250,000 for the Meningitis Trust.

But Charlie’s adventures did not end there.

Six years later, he decided to take on the challenge of rowing solo across the Pacific. 6000 miles of solitude for 133 days in a 7 metre boat. A month into his challenge, Charlie was hit by Typhoon Mawar, causing extensive

damage to his boat Blossom. Unable to continue, he was forced to activate his emergency beacon, only to be told by the Japan Coast Guard that it would take 41 hours to rescue him! He was thankfully rescued after 37 hours by a passing ship. “Those 37 hours were, without a doubt, the longest hours of my life”, Charlie said. He told the pupils that the boat had been painstakingly repaired to her former glory and everyone was excited to hear that the new and improved vessel was waiting for them outside.

Charlie spoke with great passion about how he plans to return to the Pacific to complete his mission in the newly repaired Blossom in 2018. His inspiring and epic tale provoked many questions from the pupils including questions about the design of the boat, how long it took to make and repair and even who Charlie loves more – Blossom or his wife! After the Q&A pupils were keen to go and meet the famous Blossom, parked up outside the Bacon Theatre.

The whole School wishes Charlie and Blossom the best of luck on their Pacific18 expedition and will be following their journey via his blog and social media with baited breath.

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o welcome back its boarders after half term, Dean Close held a spectacular fireworks display on Sunday 6 November. Pupils from the Pre-prep up to the Sixth Form arrived back at School excited to spend an autumnal evening with their friends and families. On a freezing cold night, the School welcomed families, boarders and local residents to come along for an evening of fun, food and fantastic fireworks!

The Dean Bean catering van was extremely busy selling the ever-popular pumpkin spiced lattés and soup, while the Leiths Cookery pupils spoiled guests with ‘posh’ hotdogs made with local sausages in brioche buns with homemade toppings. For those with a sweeter tooth there was also a popcorn stand, sweet cones and toffee apples. The weather was chilly and crisp making the conditions perfect for the impressive pyrotechnic show. Showers of colour filled the skies above the heads of the huge crowd, full of splendid colours with rockets soaring to incredible heights before bursting into shooting stars. It was truly impressive with lots of wows from the gathering below. Pupils, parents, staff and local residents all loved the show and it was great to see the community having so much fun together.

Spectators claimed that the display rivalled that of Disneyland and an Old Decanian in his 90s said “how lovely to be back at Dean Close, seeing the old building lit up by the fireworks was such a treat”. What a lovely way to return to School.

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t was a pleasure to welcome back OD Will Warley who came in to talk to current pupils about his experiences of working with refugees in the Calais ‘jungle’.

In the Library, Will used a PowerPoint presentation to enhance his message to the young audience about the horrific plight and living conditions of refugees currently camping out in northern France. He explained in detail about the 10,000 refugees, predominantly from Sudan, Eritrea and Afghanistan, who are struggling to live in ‘festival’ tents, and showed particular concern for the children in the camp who are very vulnerable. He urged the pupils and teachers listening to take action by perhaps writing a letter to their MP or fundraising for organisations such as Help Refugees or L’Auberge de Migrants.

When asked why he wanted to come back to Dean Close to campaign on behalf of the refugees, he explained: “The headlines we all read about the camps can really dehumanise the refugees, often almost comparing them to animals, such as the infamous David Cameron statement where he called them ‘a swarm’. When you go over to Calais and volunteer, you realise the nuances and complexities of every person’s story. They are human beings who have fled from horrific situations -

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When asked why he wanted to come back to Dean Close to campaign on behalf of the refugees, he explained: “The headlines we all read about the camps can really dehumanise the refugees, often almost comparing them to animals, such as the infamous David Cameron statement where he called them ‘a swarm’

and just want a normal life like everyone else.” Will spoke passionately about a recent incident of a 14 year old Afghan boy who had started the process of reunification with his brother in the UK. However, after three months and feeling desperate, the boy tried to jump onto the back of a truck which swerved across the road which meant the boy fell and was hit by a car. No one stopped, so the young teenager was just left in the road to die.

Headmaster Bradley Salisbury said: “It is a pleasure to have Will back and to see him growing into such a passionate

and responsible adult who is trying to make a difference in the world. We are very proud of him.”

As well as encouraging discussion with MPs and fundraising, Will finished his talk by recommending several charities that have been able to do much, even with very small donations. For those wanting to help in this way, he suggests googling Help Refugees and L’Auberge de Migrants, two excellent initiatives that really are making a difference to real people in real need.

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... HE TOUCHED ON THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON POLITICS, MOST NOTABLY THE MPS INFIGHTING FOR ‘FUNNIEST TWEET’ OR MOST RETWEETED!

Francis Bacon Dinner

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e were really fortunate to have our local MP Alex Chalk to come and have dinner with us at our Francis Bacon Society event. Before his speech, we sat down to have a delicious meal of a haloumi cheese salad, chicken and potato in cream sauce and an amazing pear and chocolate tart!

After dinner, Mr Chalk gave a speech about his life as an MP giving us lots of amusing anecdotes about life in Parliament, as well as speaking about the more serious side of being an MP such as going against the ‘whip’ and fighting for legislation, and how being an MP is not for the fainthearted. Furthermore, he touched on the effects of social media on politics, most notably the MPs’ infighting for ‘funniest tweet’ or most retweeted! He also spoke about current affairs such as Brexit and Trump, and his honest account of his own opinions was refreshing to hear as students studying these issues. He finished his speech rather surprisingly by admitting that he never wants to be prime minister as it is too much pressure and stress. I was surprised by Chalk’s genuine interest to meet and speak to everyone; he came round the entire dinner and spoke to every student and teacher. He was kind and thoughtprovoking in his pragmatic response to world issues, and whilst he hasn’t swayed me to become an MP, he has certainly educated me on what happens in Parliament and what an MP’s life actually comprises of.

Katie Colbert-Smith

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charity IT WAS GREAT TO SEE ALL OF THE CHILDREN IN THE PRE-PREP KEEN AND ENGAGED WITH THE ACTIVITIES, DRESSED IN THEIR AFRICAN COSTUMES OR UGANDAN FLAG COLOURS

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n January, the Uganda Charity Group went into the Pre-Prep to set up a range of activities for an ‘African Fun Day’ to raise money for the Nyakatukura School in Uganda.

These activities included African mask painting (run by Jack Bacon and Myranda Campanella), a sponsored African dance (run by Polina Kalashnikova and Alix Atwick), an interactive animal PowerPoint (by Tom Foster and Harvey Brown) and African drumming (by Andy Whitford and

Hannah Woods). It was great to see all the children in the Pre-Prep keen and engaged with the activities, dressed in their African costumes or Ugandan flag colours. Even the Gloucestershire Echo came to see how the children were so inspired to learn more about African culture. Whilst rather exhausted by the children’s exuberance at this experience, we were inspired by their enthusiasm and a great day was had by all.

Alix Atwick

n March, Dean Close pupils welcomed the charity, Rory’s Well, who came to speak to them about their work in Africa. It was very inspiring to hear them speak with such passion and energy about something so close to their heart, and their determination to make a difference.

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After the talk, the Mr and Mrs Evans joined with a group of Sixth Formers with a specific interest in International Development, Geography and International Relations for afternoon tea and a more in depth discussion of their work and the situation in Sierra Leone.

The charity provides water holes for remote communities in Sierra Leone, and was founded by Karen and Tony Evans in loving memory of their son, Rory, who was tragically killed in a road accident.

Dean Close has continued to raise funds for the cause, most recently donating £2200 which was collected from the Christmas production of Fiddler on the Roof. Community Action Programme Leader, Charlie Montgomery, said: “The Community Action programme of the School seeks to encourage a spirit of service, to raise awareness of need and to support projects in the local area and further afield. It has been very rewarding to partner with Karen and Tony in support of Rory’s Well.”

Rory was the boyfriend of Dean Close pupil, Jess Pool, who approached the School and asked if Dean Close could get involved in fundraising to help sink a well in Rory’s name. In 2014 the Dean Close Rory’s Well was established.

Since that time the charity has expanded to become more holistic, exploring the options of sustainability, healthcare, agriculture and education. In their visit to Dean Close, the couple explained to students how further funds raised by the School have been used to repair a vital bridge close to the well which provides a route for locals to collect water. Their illustrated presentation showed what a difference the Charity has made to the lives of the local community.

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ow can pupils living in the bubble of a boarding school in Cheltenham discover what it means to be part of a local community or a national ‘big’ society or an international, global village? One of the ways we try to grow this awareness is through our Community Action programme. All pupils have some engagement with the outside world through House or whole school charity events. Some individuals come into School with more personal stories and a passion to do something about a situation. About 150 members of the Lower and Upper Sixth give an hour of their time each week to service within the School community, out and about in Cheltenham or by raising awareness and fundraising for a project further afield.

In 2016-2017, we continued to support the Nyakatura Memorial School in Uganda and we nominated three local charities for particular support through a series of school events: Family Haven, the Sam Pilcher Trust and HCPT. In addition, money was raised through Houses or by one off events for Breast Cancer Now, the Royal British Legion, Helen and

Douglas House, Alive and Well, the Pied Piper Appeal and RP Fighting Blindness, to name but a few. Around £20,000 was raised through a number of different events, including mufti days, concerts, fashion shows, discos, jazz nights and collections.

We enjoy partnering with local schools and charitable organisations and our termly Field Days give us time to do this more effectively. We have been involved with around 30 outside agencies this year, including the Virtual School, Family Space, Youth for Christ, St Thomas More Primary School, Rowanfield Infants’ School, Springbank Primary Academy, St Rose’s School and a number of residential homes for the elderly and local charity shops. We have also been pleased once again to host the Sue Ryder Ryde for Ryder Sportive.

As ever, it has been busy, and often difficult, to squeeze volunteering in around other commitments, but most of our pupils have been brilliant at giving their time, talents and money, remembering the Helen Keller quotation: “I cannot do everything, but still I can do something.”

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n October over £1000 was raised by a group of Fourth Form girls from Shelburne House. The girls initiated and organised a pink themed mufti day in support of Breast Cancer Now, the UK’s largest breast cancer charity. As October was Breast Cancer Awareness month, Tori Russell, Lily Talbot, Romelle Mills-Moore, Molly Cook and Violet Little Wollage wanted to make sure that everyone at Dean Close was aware of the very important charity.

Pupils and staff all donated and wore their brightest pink clothes and accessories for the day. At break time the Quad was filled with colour as the pupils flocked towards the pink-themed bake sale that the girls had organised, with sparkly pink cupcakes of course. It was a hugely successful day and it was great to see so many people looking resplendent in pink.

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classic work, describing how she has focused on encapsulating the rhythm and feel of the Greek text in her translation, thus communicating Homer’s poetic style in the English.

Dr Smith’s talk was an interesting introduction to some of the most impressive monuments of democratic Athens, not least the Parthenon. She was keen to emphasise the close link between the Persian invasions and the function of much of the sculpture that either stood alone in the Agora or which decorated Athens’ temples.

As usual there was an impressively Classical hue to the Literature Festival and, as usual, we attended several lectures in the company of many of our pupils.

Sixth Form Classics Department students found the large auditorium packed full to the brim and Mary Beard spoke with her usual eloquence and insight about her book. She suggested that SPQR was the sort of book she had been keen to write for some time, and now felt she had sufficient experience and worldly wisdom to produce, without worrying what other scholars would make of her personal views. She discussed the meaning of Roman citizenship and the benefits it brought to those who held it. She also made the strong case for why some understanding of Rome and its history and culture is important for an educated understanding of British, European and Western society as we know it.

Lower Sixth Latinists listened to Daisy Dunn speak on the subject of Catullus’ life, on which she has recently published a book. Daisy gave some insightful comments about Catullus’ life and the pupils found the talk accessible and engaging, which is especially impressive as they had only been introduced to his poetry the week before.

Daisy’s enthusiasm for the subject clearly carried across to them and they all commented on her obvious interest in the subject: an excellent lecture enjoyed by all.

In the first of two talks on Homer’s Iliad, Caroline Alexander discussed her own recently published translation of the epic poem: a mammoth project which she has been working on for five years.

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In the second session, Georgina Godwin chaired a discussion with Caroline Alexander and Denis James, a serving soldier. Between them, they made some fascinating observations when comparing Homer’s epic version of the battlefield with the realities of war. One of the most striking moments to take away from these two talks was when Caroline Alexander made it clear that, first and foremost, the Iliad is a tale about war and its horrendous consequences – something which seems to its readers so blindingly obvious that we can sometimes forget it.

The 2016 Cambridge Greek Play was a double bill of Sophocles’ ANTIGONE and Aristophanes’ LYSISTRATA. We took all those in the Upper Sixth studying Classical Civilisation (they are studying Greek Tragedy) and all of our students who are studying Ancient Greek from Fifth Form and above. It was a terrific day out: Cambridge in the autumnal sun is a beautiful place – we managed to meet up with some Old Decanians in the Eagle for lunch: Steve Whitford who is studying Classics at King’s College (when he is not singing), Bella Stuart-Bourne, also studying Classics at MurrayEdwards and Rebecca Daltry who is reading English at Murray-Edwards. The Antigone provoked a great deal of argument amongst our Sixth Formers as they are familiar with the play. The acting was of a good quality throughout whilst the Chorus was very effective. The Lysistrata was a bawdy romp from beginning to end.

Almost 80 students and their teachers crammed into the Prince Michael Hall for a wonderful lecture in which Dr Lowe disabused his audience of a number of assumptions about how one should approach a Greek tragedy – he discredited the cherished idea of the tragic hero whose flawed moral character precipitates disaster and, in doing so, he restored to its original Aristotelian meaning, the item of vocabulary that has so vexed scholars over the centuries: hamartia – simply a mistake or an error of judgement caused through ignorance.

It was good to see colleagues and their charges from both the English and Modern Languages departments, testimony to the continuing importance of Greek Tragedy in our cultural lives.

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This was a wonderful evening in which Latin and Greek pupils were treated to a Greek-style meal, expertly prepared by the canteen staff. It was then straight to the department and four presentations on aspects of the Classical world that don’t reach examination boards and their prescriptions. Jon Allen spoke about an iconic Roman statue, the Augustus of Prima Porta, David Evans chose his three most important Athenian politicians (Solon, Pisistratus and Cleisthenes), Francesca Stewart discussed the attitudes of the ancients towards animals and Gabriella Archer entertained us with a talk on ancient medicine.

A Classical Association Lecture by Dr John Davie was given in the School Pavilion which was packed full with Sixth form classicists from Dean Close, Cheltenham Ladies’, St Edward’s, Cheltenham College and Monmouth schools.

Both Latinists and Classical Civilisation students are studying Virgil’s Aeneid and it is important for them to understand the nature of relations between the most powerful man in Rome and the author of the Romans’ national epic.

Dr Davie’s talk was a veritable tour de force, delivered in stately measure and in a mellifluous Scottish brogue. He sped from Homer to the Augustan principate in 40 minutes, focusing on patronage and the role of the poet in immortalising his kingly sponsor. He was quick to defend the poet Virgil against the charge of propaganda, emphasising his poetic vision and the beauty of his verse. The speaker concurred with the lapidary pronouncement of the great John Dryden on the merits of Virgil’s epic, the Aeneid: “The best poem by the best poet”.

Dr John Davie is well equipped to lecture to a large group of sixth formers from schools across Gloucestershire: he possesses a wealth of teaching experience, having taught Classics at Harrow and St Paul’s, London (where he was Head of Department for 15 years). Since 1999 John has taught at a number of Oxford colleges and now prepares the Classics students at Trinity for Mods (that is when he isn’t busy translating the plays of Euripides for the Penguin Classics series).

Fifth Former Max Thomas performed outstandingly well to win second place. Held at the Parabola Arts Centre, Max recited a passage from Book 1 of Virgil’s Aeneid (this year’s GCSE verse set text) with great expertise. The intermediate category in which Max was competing was strongly contested with 16 other participants from Cheltenham College, Cheltenham Ladies’ College and Malvern St James. The contest was adjudicated by Dr John Godwin, Head of Classics at Shrewsbury School and an authority on the poet Catullus, who was looking for accurate pronunciation and good meter.

The Upper Sixth Latinists travelled to Monmouth School for the annual A Level set texts morning. It is a particularly good event as all the talks are delivered by practising teachers who understand the demands of A Level examiners. Talks focused on Tacitus Annals Book IV and Virgil Aeneid Book VI whilst there were also two language sessions, one on verse unseen translation and the other, delivered by Head of Classics Jon Allen, on preparation for the prose unseen and comprehension paper.

in her Tardis to Pompeii, examining its representation in Dr Who. Congratulations to all those who participated in the challenge – it was yet another reminder of the enduring legacy of the Classical world.

Pollyanna Harris - Quo Vadis Ethan Bareham - Hercules Lydia Ward - Ben Hur

Will Bunker - Breaking Bad This year’s Wilson Challenge was an invitation to the pupils to reflect upon the ways in which the ancient world has been portrayed on screen.

Hollywood is fascinated by the worlds of Greece and Rome and it was interesting to hear the thoughts of the participants on blockbusters like Ridley Scott’s Gladiator and even Walt Disney’s Hercules. All of the entrants had carried out an impressive amount of research and all made intelligent presentations. Highlights included Pollyanna Harris’ exploration of the reign of the emperor Nero as presented in Quo Vadis and Will Bunker’s investigation of the hit series Breaking Bad and the influence of Aristotle’s Poetics. Louis Morford drew interesting parallels between the politics of the Star Wars films and the collapse of the Roman Republic whilst Maddie Dunn travelled

= Louis Morford - Star Wars Maddie Dunn - Dr Who: the Fires of Pompeii Aidan Nixon - Clash of the Titans

Remove Classicists visited the Roman Baths in Bath, which provided them with an opportunity to visit some of the most significant Roman remains in Northern Europe. The Remove ClassCiv set have recently studied Roman baths as part of their GCSE.

Dr Katharina Lorenz of the University of Nottingham delivered an excellent talk on the history of the excavations at Pompeii. She focused on the most significant areas and buildings of the town (the forum, the theatre) and discussed the importance of the wall paintings for which Pompeii is rightly famous. This was an excellent talk for the Fifth Form classical civilisation pupils who study both Pompeii and Herculaneum as part of their GCSE.

A tasty Greek-style meal of salad with plenty of feta cheese and chicken souvlaki was followed by a series of interesting presentations from members of the Classics department which included Roman Spain, the representation of the gods on the Parthenon Frieze and cosmetic surgery in the ancient world!

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ENGLISH his year has seen a series of Literary Lunches held in the Library, giving pupils and staff the chance to come together to share a love of books and genres (plus tasty sandwiches and fruit platters!).

December’s Literary Lunch was based on ghost stories which attracted a group of Fourth Formers to talk about their class text, ‘The Woman in Black’ by Susan Hill, sharing their favourite frightening bits!

The group talked about what kinds of things scares us in books, and how stories are very different from films. Mr Baldanzi spoke about how the novel ‘Perfume’ had managed to unsettle him, and students shared their feelings towards one of their favourite Young Adult novels, ‘The Enemy’ by Charlie Higson.

Miss Bailey and Mrs Ledlie also spoke about how landscapes can be scary, with Mrs Ledlie speaking about the isolation of the Arctic and Miss Bailey describing her unsettled wariness of moors and fens.

Miss Bailey talked about the deep, dark, primal fears that the natural world sometimes has for us, and read an excerpt of one of her favourite atmospheric novels, ‘The Wake’: a book written in a medieval style language.

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his year Lower Sixth Former, Gabriella Sills, was selected by judges Malika Booker and W.N. Herbert as one of the 85 Commended Foyle Young Poets of the Year 2016. Gabriella was selected from over 6,000 entrants from across the world, an amazing and impressive achievement. The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award is for poets aged 11-17. Since it began 19 years ago, the Award has kick started the career of some of today’s most exciting voices. It is the largest competition of its kind and each year, 100 winners (85 Commended and 15 Overall Winners) are selected by a team of high profile judges. They receive a range of book prizes, membership to the Poetry Society and continuing support from the Society.

Gabriella’s poem was inspired by her grandmother’s experience of living in Nazi Germany just after the war.

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Forming a circle around a statue of The Ancient Mariner in the harbour of Watchet while sharing a group reading of Coleridge’s ‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner’?

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hen asked by a Lower Sixth student what is involved in the Quantocks trip, exactly, the English Department remains deliberately vague.

There is a good reason for this: if you set out the Quantocks’ itinerary, the average adolescent would turn its nose up at the prospect: A tour of a ruined abbey (Tintern) with a monk and his nun sidekick?

Listening to the poetry of Wordsworth, Coleridge and Keats read aloud in remote rural locations?

A two mile uphill walk to visit an isolated old church (Culbone)?

Yet, every year, every adolescent who has experienced the Quantocks trip makes effusive comments about it such as this: “Thank you sooo much for inviting me on this trip and making it so enjoyable!

Some of the most relaxing and inspirational days to date. I really underestimated the idea of ‘poetry of place’ so I’m just grateful for the opportunity to experience both.”

The idea is a simple one, and that is one of the reasons why the trip works.

We follow in the footsteps of the Romantics, learning about the places they visited and lived in, and reading their poetry in the environs in which it was composed. It is carefully planned but feels spontaneous,

rather like poetry itself. We build in time for quiet reflection in which pupils can write their own poems, or simply take time out to be still and think.

There is also time for fun and enjoying one another’s company. For example, on the night of the first day, and after a substantial pub supper, we share ghost stories, which ties in with the Gothic element of the Romantic Movement.

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“When all the others were away at Mass” Seamus Heaney 3rd place - “The Jabberwocky” Lewis Carroll “Manchester” Houston “The Crocodile” Roald Dahl “Memories” “In an Artist’s Studio” Christina Rossetti “When I Think About Myself” Maya Angelou Holy Sonnet X / ‘Death be not proud’ John Donne 2nd place - “Imagine” Shelby S “The Flower That Shakes” “If” Rudyard Kipling “I know why the caged bird sings” Maya Angelou “Nothing Gold Can Stay” Robert Frost “The Soldier” Rupert Brooke Sonnet XII – Shakespeare 1st place - “Talking Turkeys” Benjamin Zephaniah

he Remove Recitals took place on a beautiful May afternoon in the Tuckwell Theatre (our sylvan amphitheatre). The 16 finalists from across the GCSE English sets took it in turns to declaim the poem that they had committed to memory. Everyone was word perfect and there were plenty of memorable renditions. Angel Zhang and Hayun Lee selected poems to perform in their native tongues and the beautiful musicality of their renditions moved the audience. Henry Hellens performed Kipling’s famous poem ‘If’ with great poise and dignity. It was clearly a poem that means a great deal to him personally and he communicated this with conviction and control. Fefe Wright cut a powerful figure on stage as she declaimed Maya Angelou’s poem ‘When I think About Myself’.

Matt Smith was awarded a worthy 3rd place with his compelling rendition of ‘Jabberwocky’. This is a poem that can be rather hard to recite with its feast of neologisms – new words, coinages and nonsense formations. However, he effectively communicated the story through the use of rhythm and tone. In second place came Georgia Faux with her moving rendition of ‘Imagine’ by Shelby S. This poem is about a teenager suffering from mental illness and feeling totally alone.

Georgia conveyed the anguish of the speaker with great maturity. As a complete contrast, Olly Smart entertained the audience with a hugely energetic and entertaining rendition of ‘Talking Turkeys’. He moved about the stage with confidence, used accent and gesture to enhance meaning and had the audience laughing out loud, while also communicating a serious message in favour of vegetarianism. It was a most joyous performance and was awarded first place.

Our Deputy Head Academic and vegetarian, Mark Tottman, was this year’s adjudicator: he was hugely impressed by the range and quality of the performances.

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ver the course of the year, A Level History students have attended a number of study days at universities to complement their courses. In November, our Germany students went to Warwick University for a day of lectures on Democracy and Dictatorship in Germany, hearing from notable historians including Sir Richard Evans. The topics included the reasons for Germany’s defeat in World War One, the causes of the collapse of the

Weimar Republic and a quite harrowing talk on the development of the Final Solution. Those studying the fall of Tsarism for their coursework went to Birmingham University for a day exploring the outbreak of the Russian Revolution, listening to lecturers including Dr Julia Leikin (UCL). These lectures were packed full of ideas and information for our students’ A Level courses, serving both as useful revision and extension of their learning.

his week, A level mathematicians travelled to Cheltenham Ladies’ College to hear Dr Vicky Neale of the Maths Institute at Oxford University.

Described as “mind blowing”, the lecture focused on Prime Numbers (primes are used to ensure internet security in on line financial transactions) and Riemann Geometry and was truly inspirational, generating many questions from the student group and igniting a great interest in studying Maths at Oxford.

Dr Neil had previously spoken to some of Dean Close’s aspiring Oxbridge pupils at a Further Maths talk at Balliol College, Oxford. She is working on what she called real maths, maths problems that have never been solved and consequently will benefit humanity in the future.

Head of Maths, Pete Garner said: “She is a person able to take a seemingly simple topic like Primes, reassure the audience that it is within their comfort zone and like a roller coaster carefully winch them up into the heavens so they can experience a thrilling ride at speed through some tempting but degree level maths, before landing them back on terra firma slightly shaken but inspired. All the time her passion for mathematics shines through. Our pupils wanted a group selfie with her, unknown in my 15 years of such talks!”

There are currently 90 pupils studying A level Maths at Dean Close, of which 37 are doing Further Maths. The three GMA lectures this year have been in Cryptoanalyis, Making Sense of Statistics and Prime Numbers.

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ill Bunker entered the prestigious Corpus Christi Christopher Marlowe essay competition, answering the question ‘What do you find new or innovative about any particular literary work or works written during the period 1860-2000?’. His essay on Gertrude Stein’s ‘Tender Buttons’ as a literary interpretation of the cubist movement is an outstanding piece of critical writing. We were delighted that he was announced a Runner Up.

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n March, a group of eight Lower Sixth Formers represented Dean Close at the European Youth Parliament competition, held in the debating chamber of the Oxford Union. The day started off with a thoughtful and challenging speech from the Rt Hon Andrew Smith, MP for Oxford East, who addressed the current difficulties and dangers facing Europe and Britain today.

The Dean Close team then proceeded to engage in a series of debates throughout the day, discussing the way in which the EU should respond to a variety of diverse contemporary issues, including how to build an effective relationship with the new US administration, how the EU ensures that it meets its ethical obligations when engaging in the international arms trade and whether or not the EU should impose a “sugar tax” to combat the growing problem of childhood obesity. In the final debate, three Dean Close pupils showed off their impressive language skills by making speeches in the foreign languages debate, addressing the importance and value of education whilst speaking entirely in French and Russian.

The day was a great opportunity for the team to show off their public speaking skills and their ability to debate effectively, and they very much rose to the challenge. They demonstrated the ability to think quickly on their feet and effectively respond to challenging interventions in fast moving debates, articulate their own arguments, critique those of opposing committees and successfully build political alliances with other groups of students. Overall, it was an enjoyable and stimulating day and the experience of debating contemporary affairs with pupils from other schools in such a famous setting is one that the Dean Close team will certainly remember.

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n the run up to the General Election, Cheltenham MP Alex Chalk visited Dean Close to give a talk to the Lower Sixth Politics students. Alex gave them his take on the various political developments of the last few months, before taking questions from the class on a range of topics: his election campaign and the results of the local council elections, his views on Brexit and the way in which the process is developing, why he is a Conservative and how he got into Politics, as well as some more local issues. This was a wonderful opportunity for our students to engage with someone playing an active role in local and national political developments, and to gain an insider’s sight into current affairs. Judging by the excited chatter as they exited class, I think it is fair to say that Alex sparked a few imaginations, and perhaps inspired a few of our students to consider their own potential for future political careers!

J Sheldon

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n the build up to the 2017 General Election, Dean Close hosted vistis from some of the candidiates running to be the MP for Cheltenham. Conservative candidate Alex Chalk (see separate story), Lib Dem candidate Martin Horwood and Green candidiate Adam Van Coevorden all came into the Flecker Library to pitch to our pupils. Each candidate gave a speech, outlining their main campaigning issues, and were then put through their paces by our pupils in wide-

ranging Q&A sessions. Following hot on the heels of the candidates, four of our own Upper Sixth stood in School’s own mock election. Jason Richards, Olivia Street, Ian Hayes and Luca Cappucini all took to the stage in the dining hall to deliver a speech designed to win over their peers and the Common Room.

Luca won the election for the Conservatives with 45% of the vote, followed by Jason for Labour with 27%, Ian for Lib. Dems. with 15% and then Olivia for Greens with 13%, with a 94% turnout.

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ongratulations to Sydney Davies who won the Dean Close rounds of Famelab, taking her through to represent the School at the Gloucestershire finals.

The competition began with Fourth Form pupils entering the Cheltenham Science Festival’s Famelab Academy competition.

Each pupil had to prepare a three minute talk on a science topic of their choice, using only props to help them deliver it. In lessons they worked with their teachers who provided help on which topics to pick, where to locate information accurately and how to present with confidence on stage.

Since then the School has held heats for each class culminating in a final for the best 10 contestants who competed against each other in a Pavilion presentation. The judges were impressed with the level of their talks and the clarity and confidence with which they spoke.

The winner, Sydney, delivered some very impressive science all about Dementia. She was closely followed by Ethan Bareham and Nathan Kershall with topics on hacking and teleportation.

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n February Edward Granger, a Commercial Barrister at Maitland Chambers in London, came to School to give a presentation to pupils on the UK Supreme Court ruling on the triggering of Article 50. This was followed by a Q&A session, with great questions asked by the pupils on a variety of topics such as: what Northern Irish and Irish relations will look like, the use and effectiveness of referenda, the impact that Brexit may have on the level of work for Barrister chambers and the amount of legislation that will be created if Britain leaves the EU. Edward also spoke on his own career path and his motivations for becoming a Barrister, discussing the various career routes into law.

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Going forward, Sydney will have a two day training course to attend at Gloucestershire University alongside 12 other finalists from different schools across Gloucestershire where she will put together a new three minute presentation that she can then use in the School Finals. Sydney has already won a £50 cash prize for getting into the Finals but has the chance of winning an iPad or a further cash prize should she win the competition. Good luck, Sydney.

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Modern Languages Belle et Sébastien L’Aventure Continue

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his is an amazing, adventurous, fun family French film based in a small village in the French Alps called Saint-Martin in 1945. Sébastien, played by French actor Félix Bousset, is a nine year old orphan boy with a sense of adventure and lives with his “grandfather” César, played

by Tchéky Karyo. Belle is Sébastien’s trusty, pet dog that he and César find in the Mountains one day whilst looking after their sheep.

At the beginning of the film, we see a plane crash with Angélina, César’s daughter, and American troops on. It crashes into the Italian Alps where it is thought to have no survivors. Sébastien and César await her arrival at the bus stop, only to discover that she wasn’t on the bus, or any of the other buses that day.

They are then met by French authorities who inform them that Angélina was on the plane when it crashed and there were no survivors.

Added to this the plane also started a raging forest fire that was spreading quickly.

Determined that she is still alive, César and Sébastien look to the only person that they know who has a plane, Sébastien’s biological father, Pierre. However, Pierre does not know that he and Sébastien are closer than just acquaintances.

They manage to persuade him, with a small bribe, to fly over the crash zone and look for

survivors. Little did Pierre know that he had two stowaways on board his plane, Sébastien and Belle. But Sébastien sees red smoke and doesn’t think that Pierre looked hard enough. Still in the air, he confronts Pierre and tells him they have to turn back, resulting in them crash landing by a lake, forcing them to walk. When César finds out that they have crash landed, he takes Louis, Pierre’s mechanic to walk to the site to help fix the plan. Meanwhile, Pierre is stubborn at first and won’t go anywhere. But when Sébastien walks off on his own, Pierre has no other choice but to follow him. On their journey, Pierre discovers that he is Sébastien’s father and they meet some new friends. As they get closer to the site of the crash, they come across an Italian logging camp. They meet a young Italian girl who wants to be a lumberjack called Gabriele.

When Sébastien and Belle try and continue their search, they are stopped by a fireman and Sébastien gets locked in a fire truck by his father. But Belle manages to find her way through the fire to a cave. Later that night, Gabriele helps Sébastien break free from his holding place. Together with Belle, they venture downstream to where they believe Angélina is. What they did not think about when taking supplies was getting stuck in a fire circle.

Luckily, Pierre followed them and saves them from the fire.

They continue to venture to the site. Inside the cave that Belle has led them to, Sébastien is lowered down to find Angélina and they are both hoisted up to safety. However, they cannot turn back because the fire gets sucked into the cave. They are forced to climb through the rest of the treacherous cave. The film ends with them all back home together and Pierre falling for Angélina by his wife and Sébastien’s mother’s grave.

It is an amazing film and I strongly recommend it.

You can listen and understand the French as there are subtitles underneath. It has you trying to predict what is going to happen next and it keeps you guessing. There is never a dull moment.

Georgia Faux

It is an amazing film and I strongly recommend it 2016/17 -

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Modern Languages

Cyrano de Bergerac! Un nez très long pour aller avec une pièce très longue

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yrano de Bergerac, a brilliant poet and swordsman, is deeply in love with his brilliant and beautiful cousin, Roxane. Each day of his life is lived only for her – every poem he writes, every duel he fights. But, despite his dash and his daring, Cyrano is afraid of revealing his true feelings, certain she will never love him in return. For who could love a man with such an enormous nose? Here Freddie gives his review in French…

Boule et Bill-French

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he whole Fourth Form was invited

by Miss Villiers to go and watch the French comedy film, Boule and Bill. Not only was this an opportunity to enjoy ourselves with friends in the Bacon Theatre, but it also gave us the chance to learn more French in the process.

Released in 2013, Boule and Bill is a big hit French comedy that is funny for all ages. The film is based around the daily adventures of a boy named Boule and his dog Bill. Ever since Boule was young, he had been desperate to have a dog and now at the age of nine he was still passionate for one. Then one day with his family on a leisurely drive absorbing the beautiful French landscape, they stumble across a home for stray dogs. Of course this is where Boule catches a glimpse of Bill.

Eventually Boule and his mother persuade the father to take Bill home with them and Boule is overjoyed.

However, from then on Boule’s dog Bill causes all sorts of mischief and the family are struggling to cope...

We believe that this event, put on by Miss Villiers, was a fantastic idea and is well worth going to in the upcoming years for the future Fourth Forms. Thank you for this opportunity and we all had a great time!

Theo Bancroft & Paddy Benson

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Deux heures et demie de blagues, la romance qui nous fait grincer les dents et une scène de mort déchirante qui dure environ la moitié de la pièce.

Cyrano de Bergerac est une pièce qui parle de la beauté et de l’amour. Elle raconte l’histoire de Cyrano, un homme doué avec les mots… mais malheureusement maudit avec un nez énorme.

Quand la cousine de Cyrano, Roxane (que Cyrano aime en secret), s’intéresse au nouveau cadet de l’armée, Christian de Neuvillette, elle demande à Cyrano de le prendre sous son aile.

Christian avoue son amour pour Roxane à la grande onsternation de Cyrano mais, néanmoins, il accepte d’aider Christian dans l’art de la poésie pour séduire Roxane. Ce qui suit est la poursuite de l’amour d’une femme entrecroisée avec la duperie, la stupidité, l’humour et la guerre. Cyrano

de Bergerac est sans doute une pièce très bien écrite. Le dialogue est éloquent et chaque personnage est bien dévelopé. Quelque chose que j’ai trouvé crucial à l’intrigue était la représentation des idées. Cyrano lui-même, représente de plusieurs manières des idées et des émotions telles que la peur, le sacrifice, l’honneur, et surtout, l’amour.

Cependant, la longueur interminable de la pièce est évidente car même les plus jeunes de l’audience se sont endormis vers la fin du spectacle. De plus, l’habileté de certains acteurs doit être mise en question, notamment celle de Roxane dont la voix crissait chaque fois que ses bramements résonnaient partout dans le théâtre.

Si vous êtes quelqu’un qui aime les histoires d’amour remplit avec la comédie, le combat occasionnel d’épée aussi bien que des chansons eh bien Cyrano de Bergerac est la pièce pour vous !

Freddie Scoular

Review of El Olivo

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n May, we went to The Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury to see the Spanish film ‘El Olivo’, directed by Iciar Bollaín. It follows Alma, a teenage girl with a powerful bond to her grandfather, Ramón. The grandfather sadly stopped talking 12 years ago after his son, Alma’s father, sold a valuable 2000-years-old olive tree in order to buy a restaurant. Ramón was deeply attached to this ancient tree after the death of his wife and consequently, he spends his days visiting the place where the olive tree was planted, mourning its loss, and refuses to eat or speak. Seeing the health of her grandfather decline in this way leaves Alma heartbroken and desperate to save him. Therefore, she begins to look for the olive tree, and she discovers that it was acquired by a German energy company located in Dusseldorf (1,700 km away!).

Alma does not let this get in her way and she tricks her uncle Alcachofa and her friend Rafa to take her to Germany from Spain in a truck, so that she can restore her grandfather’s health and mend her broken family.

I thought this was a brutally honest yet funny film that was not afraid to show the ugly truth within a family where relationships have become completely deteriorated. I would highly recommend this film to people of all ages since there is a big variety of characters and plenty of comic scenes despite the serious nature of the themes. We see flashbacks of Alma’s childhood and the strong bond that she had with her grandfather, who had been the one to help her in the past before their roles were reversed.

Although Alma’s plans are naive, it is admirable to witness her strong will to sacrifice anything for the grandfather whose broken heart she so wants to heal.

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Modern Languages

Suzanne

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his French film, Suzanne, is a story of a widowed father who tries his best to raise his two daughters without any help and very little money. The elder daughter goes off the rails during adolescence while her younger sister tries to help and protect her. The film ends tragically but not as you might think. Here, Sona has provided her review in French….

Suzanne est un film réalisé par Katell Quillévéré en 2013.

L’intrigue du film est tendue. Mais elle est très réaliste, car elle démontre les défis qui peuvent arriver à n’importe qui. Le protagoniste de l’histoire est Suzanne, qui est une jeune fille qui a une vie très difficile. Sa mère est morte quand elle était petite, alors Suzanne et sa sœur Marie ont été élevées par leur père. Suzanne tombe enceinte très jeune, et elle décide de garder l’enfant et élever son fils sans père. Après, elle tombe amoureuse de Julien et s’en enfuit avec lui, laissant le jeune enfant à la maison avec son père et sa soeur. À mon avis, cette action indique que Suzanne était très frivole.

Suzanne disparaît plus d’un an et puis elle comparaît devant un tribunal et Suzanne est condamnée à 5 ans de prison pour pillage. À ce moment nous voyons clairement la déception et la douleur de son père. Après, quand elle sort de la prison, elle refait connaissance avec son fils, qui même s’il se souvient un peu de sa mère il est heureux dans sa famille d’accueil. La vie de Suzanne est vraiment dure. Peu après elle fait une tentative de suicide parce qu’elle a perdu son fils en quelque sorte. Cet acte est très préoccupant pour son père car il l’a élevée et qui l’aime. Il a fait de son mieux et maintenant elle est sans espoir et très déprimée. A mon avis, Suzanne n’a pas apprécié la bonté de son père.

Suzanne rencontre Julien de nouveau et l’amour gagne. Ils s’enfuient loin au Maroc et elle semble être heureuse et donne naissance à une fille. Cependant, quand elle revient à la maison elle découvre que sa soeur Marie est morte. Par conséquent, Suzanne ne peut plus faire face à tous ses problèmes ni gérer son deuil. Donc elle avoue sa vie de drogue à la police. Suzanne retourne en prison mais je pense que ce serait le meilleur endroit pour elle à ce moment parce qu’elle est désespérée et fatiguée de ne plus faire face à ses problems.

Ce film m’a vraiment touchée et m’a impressionnée, il représente la réalité et la vraie souffrance. Bien sûr, je ne suis pas d’accord avec les actions de Suzanne, mais chaque personne choisit son propre chemin.

Sona Tartarian

Julieta

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n June we went to the Bacon Theatre to see the Spanish film Julieta, a heart-warming movie directed by Pedro Almodóvar and one of his biggest hits since Volver. It follows the story of a broken relationship between a mother and daughter, conveying heartbreak, love and loss.

Antía, Julieta’s daughter, lives on her own with her mother after the tragic death of her father in a shipping accident, and she disappears from her mother’s life as she becomes a young woman without giving any explanation whatsoever. The film explores the reasons behind her disappearance and the profound impact on her mother’s life. During the film Julieta relives her past and we see her as a young woman played by Adriana Ugarte, and falling in love with a mysterious fisherman on a train to Madrid. Their relationship progresses into young, idealised love which is deeply felt by the viewer as we connect with their passion and lust for each other. The best performance is from the older Julieta, Emma Suarez, who successfully portrays the pain of losing her daughter. This tale of suffering really resonates with the viewer as you see the infinite love that a mother has for her children. It displays themes of love, loss, forgiveness and suffering and is a movie that I highly recommend for people learning Spanish as the pace of the dialogue makes it easier to understand than most films. Despite its hardhitting subject matter it has a hopeful ending. It is perfect if you want a bit of a sob!

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This second game consisted of the British big ships trying to destroy the pirate harbour, but since the French & Turkish force had won the last game, the harbour knew of our coming. This made the game very interesting.

They had an advantage of having one more ship. A good chunk into the game, we had royal marines land ashore and cause some small havoc. Meanwhile Alex and I took on three of their ships. It ended as you’d expect with both of us being sunk and myself boarded and my ship claimed by the French & Turkish.

Our other teammate cleverly went to the harbour in an attempt to start destroying it but the 4th French and Turkish ships went to head him off and sank him. We surrendered with honour.

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n a bright, cold crisp Sunday morning, I took myself to the dining hall to collect packed lunches for a long day ahead of me. I was spending it with Alex Armstrong, Lucas Wood (OD), Tony Woodman (DCPS parent) and Mr Garner plus other members of the Greatfield Gallopers Wargames group.

The Game scenario was based on the Barbary Pirates who operated around North Africa between 1720 and 1815. What many people do not know was they operated from the Mediterranean Sea right across to the Atlantic Ocean. They snatched and seized Christian and merchant ships for kidnapping, ransom or slavery. Over a period of roughly 50 years, two and half million people were snatched.

All the affected countries were greatly bothered by this, especially Britain. The Americans would pay the pirates protection money for safe passage from piracy. However, the British didn’t want to do this, since they were against slavery. So in response they sent British ships to Africa to attack the pirates. The British Flotilla is one of the two teams in the game.

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his was played in an extended Monday Afternoon Activity (actually an 8 hour Sunday game!). Here are some of the NATO Commander, Freddie Faux’s thoughts...

Battered elements of the West German Army attempted to hold the line as the Red Army advanced into Denmark, supported by the Danish Army, three units of NATO marines and a large number of Home Guard. The Danes formed up in front of the forest with the sea and canals to their flanks, channelling the Soviet forces towards them. The West Germans held a small triangle of land centred on a fort.

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However, the game is set at the start of the Napoleonic War, so the French supported the pirates with aid from the Turkish who also benefited from slavery. The French and Turkish Alliance make up the other team in the game.

We played two games, one to familiarise ourselves with the rules and the other a full run.

The first game had 3 British frigates that were sent to intercept 4 French & Turkish ships bearing documentation, warning the slave port of a larger British ship coming to destroy them. The mechanics of the game were simple, once you had learnt them, but the game was very dependent of the wind, after all they were sailing ships.

We played the first game and it was a bit hectic.

In the game there is a firing mechanic which over time can destroy a ship. I had positioned myself in such a way that I could fire at Mr Garner’s ship and totally immobilised him. I had so much fun during the game I found it difficult to stop playing and have my lunch! After lunch we moved on to the next game, the real test of skill.

This was one of the best ways I have spent my Sundays, I would highly recommend people to play this thoughtful, mind-challenging and unique game.

Jimmy Gleeson

And here is the Warsaw pact Commander Alex Vinokurov’s view…

It was a game based in Denmark in 1984 right in the middle of the Cold War which suddenly turned hot. Being Russian, it was probably not surprising that I immediately joined the “good guys”, those being the Warsaw Pact of course.

And whilst everyone was talking amongst each other and exchanging hostile comments in the anticipation of the battle, I was admiring the countless tank columns I was given control of...

Despite being quite confident in our eventual

victory, the NATO soldiers didn’t seem too keen to be liberated from the imperialistic oppression. At the first sight of our armoured wave of freedom, all of them retreated for some reason and hid in the forest. Gradually we were worn out by the constant hit and run attacks and support from the air. But at the end of the day, everyone had a lot of fun!

The final score saw a NATO victory of 16 points to 10, with not a nuclear warhead in sight.

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T

he Senior Bowden debate, held in May, was an excellent occasion. Two motions were debated with wine and cheese accompaniment. The first was ‘This house proposes that Brexit is the best thing for Britain’. The proposition opened with a passionate socialist battle-cry from Head of English, Mrs Ledlie, claiming that the ‘Byzantine mess’ of the EU excluded too many; Hugo Till followed, using case studies to offer a mixture of moral arguments - the EU’s treatment of Greece and its ‘neo-colonialism’ in Kenya - and the failure of its economic agenda; Gabbie Sills concluded with a forceful, rhetorically able, and tightly organised summation. The opposition opened with Mrs Feltham offering a clear, factual explanation of how the EU actually works and aiming to overturn various misconceptions about its operation; Tom Foster put forward some economic arguments and engaged with Mrs Ledlie’s opening statement; Grace Starling concluded with thoughtful reflections on the points made. The floor vote was close with the proposition narrowly edging it. The adjudicators (myself and Mr Salisbury) felt that for cohesive teamwork and impressive individual performances, the proposition were the winners.

After refreshments, the second motion was ‘This house proposes that it is not possible to be a Conservative and a Christian’. Mr Slade opened for the proposition with an extremely funny and engaging economic retelling of the Parable of the Feeding of the 5000 (Jesus did not decide to profit from the situation of demand far exceeding supply), ending with a passionate appeal that ‘people matter’; Jason Richards argued that Conservatism maintains social order, whilst Jesus Christ was essentially about social unrest, and talked about the importance of universal brotherhood. Mrs Montgomery opened for the opposition, explaining that the opposition only needed to prove the statement possible, rather than desirable, and also noting that Christianity and Conservatism are both broad churches. Louis Morford then spoke, arguing that faith is more important, as the Bible can be used and interpreted in all sorts of ways, and that personal acts of faith do not necessarily encroach on politics. One of the resulting questions from the floor was ‘Would J.C. vote J.C.?’ The vote was tied 18-18; the adjudicators felt that the range of arguments presented by the opposition were impressive, naming them the winners of this second debate.

Many thanks to the participants and the audience, for a most enjoyable evening.

GE Hildick-Smith

Trips T

he Sixth Form art students spent the second weekend of October in London, where we visited several exhibitions at a range of galleries, seeing both innovative modern pieces and classic paintings by Picasso and Millais. Upon arriving in London, no time was wasted and we saw the Georgia O’Keeffe exhibition at the Tate Gallery which contained over a hundred of her paintings, ranging from her early works centring on emotive shapes to her paintings of New York buildings, New Mexico landscapes and also intricate animal skulls. A favourite of many people was O’Keeffe’s ‘Jimson Weed/White Flower’, which also happens to be the most expensive painting by a female artist ever sold at auction! After a quick lunch break on Southbank, we had another couple of hours to wander round the recently extended Tate, although even this was not long enough to fully observe and appreciate all the art work in the building – this obviously included the obligatory look round the gift shop and some artistic photos of each other staring solemnly at meaningful pieces of artwork.

Next, we went back to the hotel where we were staying and, after briefly settling in, we walked to an Italian restaurant for a relaxed meal over which many debates were had as to what everyone’s favourite pieces were.

of our excessive modern lifestyle. The Gallery certainly challenged many of our views on installation art and its purpose, after we walked into a room which was simply submerged in several inches of oil. Before returning to School, we lastly visited The National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery, to see the comparatively conventional paintings by artists like William Turner, who we had recently studied, and the exhibition ‘My Back to Nature’ by the Gallery’s associate artist George Shaw; this was my favourite exhibition of the trip due to Shaw’s interesting medium of Humbrol enamel paint and personal response to the woodland. If the rest of the School wasn’t jealous enough of our trip, the artistic instagram posts that followed certainly would have made them envious! We are all very grateful to Mrs Evans for organising the jam-packed trip, as well as Miss Ash, Mrs Rushton and Mr Suckle for making it such an enjoyable experience.

Gabbie Sills

The second day started with a guided tour and workshop in the renowned Saatchi Gallery, where the exhibition ‘Champagne Life’ displayed some of the most prominent up and coming talent in the art world. In the workshop, we were encouraged to explore ideals within the media and, through blockprinting, magazine cut-outs and colour, we each created our own personal collages in response to the exhibition and its theme 2016/17 -

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Day 1 was packed with activities as we got used to our new surroundings - no cars or roads! Our tour guide, Laurence, gave us a talk about the history of Venice while we walked through the streets towards St. Mark’s Square passing over the famous Rialto Bridge which gave us our first amazing view of the Grand Canal. St Mark’s square itself is stunning and forms the social, religious and political centre of Venice. We visited the world famous Basilica and took in its opulent Italo- Byzantine design and its dazzling interior of gold mosaics.

During lunch we had some free time to explore and afterwards we headed to see a Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition which aimed to bring his inventions and designs to life. We had the opportunity to ride in a gondola which was great fun and gave us a very different perspective on the city. We also learnt how the Venetians would travel and use the gondolas to take their dead to their graves in the old times.

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Dominos!! However, I would have to say the main highlight of Day 1 was when Mr Spring-Wallis fell into a canal.

Having soaked his only pair of shoes he found himself having to borrow a fancy pair of silver trainers from Orly!

factories were moved to the island, after fires kept breaking out, in order to protect the city. We watched a fascinating glass-blowing demonstration, in a factory which was actually an old church, and spent some time looking at all the beautiful glassware while Tatyana serenaded us on the white baby grand.

First stop of the day was the Jewish Ghetto. We spent about an hour exploring the main square which was surrounded by sky-high houses. Pre WW2 the Jewish population flourished but because they were confined to this small area of the city, just kept building upwards. We learnt about the history of the area and how the Jews were the city’s moneylenders and antique dealers. Nowadays, the square is quiet and a moving and artistic memorial commemorates all the Jewish lives lost in the holocaust.

The three synagogues and the pet shop with its colourful collection of singing canaries were also of interest here.

After lunch and shopping we took another boat to the neighbouring island of Burano, famous for its multicoloured houses and exquisite lacemaking. We were able to spend time here exploring and sketching. In the evening we sat by the lagoon and watched the sunset over the sea. Later, some of the group chose to attend a concert of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons which I didn’t go to but I’m sure was brilliant! The day was finished off with a trip up the Grand Canal on a busy Vaporetto (bus boat) to see the floodlit palaces by night.

Next we headed to the docks to catch a boat to the island of Murano; Venice’s famous glass blowing community. The glass blowing

We visited the Ca’Pesaro Modern Art Museum, a stunning palace on the banks of the Grand Canal. Here we saw an exhibition of work by the

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American painter, William Merritt Chase, as well as a display of Oriental Art and a distinguished permanent collection with work by famous names like Rodin and Kandinsky, as well as lesser known Venetian Modernists.

Afterwards, we went to the Scuola Grande di San Rocco to see the famous, and quite magnificent interior, painted by the Venetian Tintoretto over a period of 20 years in the 16th century.

After lunch in the Student Quarter, some of us also managed to see the popular Peggy Guggenheim Collection - my favourite visit - a really personal collection spanning Modern ideas like Cubism, Surrealism and Abstract Expression - with pictures by artists like Picasso, Miro and Rothko.

After crossing back over the Grand Canal on several wonky disused gondolas, we returned to our favourite pizzeria for dinner.

...it was a truly extraordinary visit.

Office, a 360 degree view of Venice, looking out over the Grand Canal, above the Rialto Bridge, to the bell tower and domes of San Marco.

In conclusion this trip is one that I will certainly never forget. Not only did we see and learn about amazing art and architecture but we experienced a completely different lifestyle and culture to that of England and made

enduring memories of a truly unique and fascinating city.

Thank you to Mrs Evans for organising such a memorable trip, and to Miss Ash and Mr Spring-Wallis for putting up with us, although I’m sure going to Venice wasn’t too difficult! Thank you all for everything you did, it was a truly extraordinary visit.

On the final day we had an early start and headed to Gallerie dell’ Accademia San Marco which was full of stunning works by the Venetian Masters, such a Tintoretto and Bellini, dating from the 13th century up until the end of the Renaissance.

Apparently, the collection includes a piece of work that had been left unfinished because the artist died from the Black Death before completing it!

Next, after a cheeky gelato, we visited a church called the Frari where a wonky campanile and vast, brick exterior concealed an explosion of life and culture inside. The church is home to the elaborately carved tomb of Titian and was full of beautiful altarpieces, my personal favourite being the stunning Titian painting at the head of the church which was a depiction of ‘The Assumption’. This church was extremely atmospheric and you could light candles and say a pray for loved ones which I know was an emotional experience for some.

The windows were vibrantly stained and the interior was full of gold and distressed wall décor.

Next, food, can’t forget that. I had gnocchi, it was insane, Pomodoro sauce, bit of Parmesan. Then, one of the best parts of the trip for me, was the view from the top of the Old Post 2016/17 -

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A

s we arrived, the Athenian countryside was bathed in brilliant spring sunshine – it was green and lush; it would not be long, I mused, before the broiling heat of summer would transform the landscape into a parched and arid patchwork of stony fields. We headed to the 5th century doric temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, the most southerly point in Attica. It was from these cliffs that the legendary king Aegeus had plunged headfirst into the sea, fearful that his son Theseus had died in his attempt to kill the Minotaur. Sounion is a really dramatic site, brilliant white marble columns that glow as the sun slowly sets behind them. Our hotel was situated in the heart of the capital and gave us easy access to the labyrinth of mazy streets that make up the Plaka or the old city. We visited the temple of Olympian Zeus, the largest temple anywhere in Greece, we walked beneath the arch of the Roman emperor and great philhellene, Hadrian and entered the Agora, the political and religious centre of ancient Athens before climbing to the Acropolis. Beneath the shadow of the Parthenon (surely the most iconic building of the ancient world?) we surveyed a concrete jungle that marched up mountains and seemed to stretch far beyond the horizon: modern day Athens, noisy, polluted and home to a third of the population of Greece!

We spent the afternoon in the National Archaeological Museum, home to the world’s greatest collection of Greek sculpture including the 5th century BC Zeus of Artemisium whose Olympian personality is perfectly captured as a god to be revered and feared. On the next day we walked to the New Acropolis Museum and explored its galleries (duly lamenting the depredations of Lord Elgin who had ransacked the Parthenon in 1801) before boarding the coach and heading for the snow-capped mountains of the Peloponnese. A brief stop for refreshments at the Corinthian Canal was followed by a visit to the remains of ancient Corinth and a giddy, stomach-churning descent into the Argive plain and our base for the next two days, the charming seaside village of Tolo. Here our hotel was located on the beach itself and each night we were lulled to sleep by the gentle lapping of the waves outside the front door! We were up early the following day – there was plenty of archaeology in which to immerse oneself: the sanctuary of Zeus at Nemea, the forbidding Bronze Age fortress of Agamemnon’s Mycenae and, arguably the highlight of the trip for the majority of pupils, the sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidauros with its perfectly preserved theatre.

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Sadly we had to leave Tolo with its friendly cafes and restaurants and head ever deeper into the mountains of rugged Arcadia, a land of lonely shepherds and the goat-god Pan. We made for two sites that are rarely visited by the traveller, Mantinea, ringed by lofty peaks and the vestigial remains of Tegea. Both city states had loomed large in the history of Classical Greece; however, the scattering of weed-infested stones which had once been temples dedicated to the gods and the grassy earthworks, all that was left of mighty fortification walls, seemed to tell a different story, of the rise and fall of great cities, of inexorable decline. I was reminded of Shelley’s great poem Ozymandias, and its meditation on the ephemeral nature of human power; as I reflected upon the poem’s potent imagery of fragility and hubris, the coach approached the city of Sparta. What remains of Sparta, once the most powerful city-state in Greece is testimony to a remarkably bold prediction made by the historian Thucydides who declared “Suppose, for example, that the city of Sparta were to become deserted and that only the temples and foundations of buildings remained, I think that future generations would, as time passed, find it very difficult to believe that the place had really been as powerful as it was represented to be”. How prescient – ancient Sparta is little more than an expanse of ruined masonry and fallen columns; how hard it is to imagine that her armies had once stood firm in the face of Xerxes and his Persian hordes! By way of contrast, Sparta’s Byzantine reincarnation at Mistras with its castle and monasteries is hugely impressive and we enjoyed traversing its medieval thoroughfares.

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After a night spent in the shadow of Mount Taygetos which rears up over Sparta like Hokusai’s famous Great Wave, we moved on to Messene and its perfectly preserved circuit of fortification walls; the engine of our coach screamed as we scaled the heights of Mount Kotylion to the most impressively situated of all Greek temples, the temple of Apollo at Bassae – standing at an elevation of 1,131 metres above sea level, this UNESCO world heritage site enjoys an unparalleled remoteness of location and is frequently cut off from the outside world by heavy snowfall.

We stayed the night in Olympia and explored the sanctuary of Zeus on the following morning. Home to the original Olympic Games that were established in 776BC in honour of the king of the gods, Olympia was a riot of colour; spring flowers covered the sanctuary in a blaze of reds, yellows and oranges. From there we crossed the Corinthian Gulf and headed to Delphi and Apollo’s oracle. For me, this is without doubt the most spectacular ancient site in mainland Greece – it is also the most numinous. Located on the craggy slopes of Mount Parnassos and overlooking the Pleistos Valley with its sea of olive trees, Delphi, the home of the Pythia, Apollo’s mouthpiece, transports the visitor to another dimension, to a world of cryptic pronouncements, laurel leaves, purification, votive offerings and bronze tripods.

And then it was time to return but not before we visited the beautiful and tranquil Byzantine monastery of Osios Loukas where time slips slowly by and all that can be heard is the chatter of the spring that bursts from the rock wall. Back on board the coach we made for the airport and our flight to the UK, leaving behind this land of shimmering blue skies, of towering mountains and silver-grey olive trees. But, oh what memories we shall have.

JM Allen

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n March the Lower Sixth Latin and Classical Civilisation sets joined forces with those studying History of Art on a visit to the British Museum. The Classical Civilisation students enjoyed the opportunity to view the Parthenon sculptures as they form a significant element in their AS course. They have studied the metopes and ionic frieze that decorated the temple in antiquity as well as the pedimental sculptures that

narrate important episodes in Athens’ myth-history; the competition between Athena and Poseidon to decide which of them should be the city’s tutelary deity and the miraculous birth of Athena, clad in full body armour and straight from Zeus’ head!

Whilst there, the students seized the opportunity to visit other galleries, with Roman Britain and Ancient Egypt being popular destinations.

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n November, Lower Sixth Politics students went on the annual trip to Parliament. The students were given a guided tour of the Palace of Westminster, 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?

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uring the October half term, 40 excited geographers set off for an adventure to the land of ice and fire: Iceland. The seven day trip was packed with activities and sightseeing, so packed in fact that the group rushed to their first destination straight after disembarking the plane. At their first Icelandic wonder, ‘The Bridge between two continents’, they actually crossed from Europe to North America and back again in a few short steps. The coach trip then continued to Gunnhver Springs. The Springs are rumoured to be haunted by the witch ghost Gunnah. No ghosts were seen but there were plenty of spectacular steam plumes which provided a fantastic end to the day.

The following day pupils boarded the coach and set off for Geysir. The landscape was wild and windy with great clouds of sulphur-smelling steam.

The geyser, after which the site is named, only erupts once or twice a year but the nearby Strokkur erupts every 6 – 7 minutes giving a fantastic display of super-heated water shooting 20 meters into the air. Pupils also had the opportunity to witness the Gullfoss waterfall, at the head of a steep sided gorge, the roar of the water and the curtains of spray were spectacular to see. The morning finished with a relaxing time in the geothermally heated spa. After a dip in the freezing lake there was a choice of pools ranging in temperature from 32 – 40 degrees centigrade.

Day three was another day of stunning scenery, subterranean exploration and ‘interesting’ Icelandic delicacies. First stop was the shark museum where the group learnt about the life, hunting and processing of the Greenland shark. It is an enormous creature whose flesh is poisonous to humans when fresh, but after it has been buried for six weeks and then cured for four months, it is considered a delicacy! Shark cookery lesson over, the coach set off on a remarkable tour around the peninsular, looking at the dramatic mountains and coastal scenery. The coach stopped at

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some lava tube caves where helmets were donned and pupils descended into the caves. They are created by lava flowing and cooling from a nearby (dormant) volcano that is situated beneath the ice-capped plateau. A highlight of the trip was conquering Holy Mountain, a small mountain and temple in honour of Thor. Pupils followed the local tradition and, mostly, managed to walk to the top in silence without looking back whilst thinking only happy thoughts. Once there it is customary to face east and make three wishes. A truly magical experience.

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On day four the trip moved on the northern town of Myvatn, with the group desperately hoping for a glimpse of the Northern Lights, after several false alarms. Sure enough that night, at 10pm, everyone started to drift off to bed and at 10.10pm were all back outside amid great excitement that the Northern Lights were starting. Head of Geography, Alisdair Cradock said: “It was such a privileged to see the famous light show, they started with faint wisps of what looked like cloud and culminated in dancing multi-coloured ribbons.

It was a truly magnificent experience.”

The next day the tour visited a moon-like volcanic landscape area known as Dimmuborgir, formed by a mixture of water and lava. On from there, they went to Krafla volcano where there was a covering of snow and so, naturally, a major snowball fight ensued. The last stop of the afternoon was the mud and thermal springs at Hverir. The steam jets were incredibly powerful and the bubbling mud was fascinating. On the final night it was decreed that it would be rude not to take advantage of the traditional spas one last time and so the day was rounded off by a two hour visit to the Myvatn nature baths to soak away the stresses of the day.

The trip was a massive success, with the party sad to say goodbye to the stunning country.

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he History Department took a group of IGCSE pupils on a three day excursion of the Battlefields of the First World War. The trip focused on the areas around the Somme and Ypres, the locations for a number of significant battles.

Sites visited included the intact trench system at Newfoundland, key Commonwealth cemeteries such as Tyne Cot, the memorial at Thiepval as well as the German cemetery at Langenmark.

Pupils also explored some different sites in order to provide a variety of perspectives, for example Deville Wood, the memorial to South African soldiers who fought at the Somme, reflecting the contribution made by other countries within the Empire to the British war effort, the execution post at Poperinge representing those executed by firing squad during the war, and Talbot House, an R&R centre for soldiers in Ypres.

First World War, but more importantly, in a time of increasing international tension across the globe, it provided them with the opportunity to pause and reflect on the nature of one of the most significant and traumatic events of the 20th century.

As the School prepares for its own remembrance events this coming weekend, the Tour will also have enhanced our pupils’ understanding of the importance and value of remembering those who died in this and other conflicts, including, but of course not limited to, the Old Decanians who died in the First World War.

Exploring a number of different aspects of the conflict helped provide an understanding of the multiple dimensions of this world conflict.

On the final evening of the tour we attended the Last Post Ceremony at Menin Gate, where two pupils were able to participate in the ceremony and lay a wreath. The experience supported pupils in their IGCSE study of the

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his summer 18 Sixth Formers plus staff set off on the eighth visit to our link school, Nyakatukura Memorial Secondary School in Ibanda, Western Uganda.

After 24 hours we were pleased to reach the very comfortable Speke Commonwealth Resort, Munyonyo, in its beautiful setting on Lake Victoria. Once more, we were very grateful to former parent Dr Sudhir Ruparelia for his generosity in providing complimentary B&B. After a full day of both recovering from the journey and preparing for our week at Nyakatukura, we set off for Ibanda, stopping at the Equator for the now customary photo shoot. In mid-afternoon, we arrived at our destination and were met by both the Headmaster, Revd Agasha Muhwezi, and the Chairman of the Board of Governors, Canon George Katungi. Within minutes the Dean

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Close students mixed with their Ugandan peers and the immediate rapport between both groups was a sustained theme of our visit.

That evening we experienced our first hospitality from members of the school staff. Our regular evening meals and lunches consisted of matoke (bananas), rice, potatoes and sweet potatoes, beans, peas, cabbage, millet, ground nut sauce, chicken sauce, beef and several fruits (pineapple, water melon and mango). We were even treated later in the week to avocado pears and pawpaw.

Sunday morning began with the sound before dawn of Nyakatukura students singing worship songs in the main hall. After breakfast we had a church service, at which we were welcomed and we all introduced ourselves. After lunch, there was a talent show with traditional dance

and song, and African instruments.

We did our tour song, led by Pat Coniam, and also a dance, put together by Gabbie Sills, which were both brilliant. The afternoon saw a lot more interaction and at the evening meal we were hosted by the Board of Governors and friends of NMS, including the Head Teachers of Bufunda, Integrated, and Nyakatukura Primary Schools. Later that evening, the boys were disturbed by a bat that had settled in their room during the day!

Monday started with a school assembly at 7.30am, with their whole school lined up in front of the Headmaster’s office. After some notices, the Headmaster urged his students to work hard and keep their rooms clean and then I was invited to give a Bible talk, in which I put together the themes from the last four Chapel talks of our term. We then joined in morning and

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ONCE MORE, WE ORGANISED LOTS OF ACTIVITIES FOR THE CHILDREN AND WHEN WE LEFT, THE WHOLE SCHOOL RUSHED TO SEE US OFF. IT WAS A VERY EXCITING MORNING AND THEY WERE SORRY TO SEE US LEAVE

afternoon lessons, and Mrs Harbit, Mrs Godley and Mr Baldanzi threw themselves into both supporting and teaching Chemistry, Music and History lessons respectively. Classes in main subjects at NMS are for whole year groups, which range from 70 to over 100 children in a classroom! The afternoon saw more lessons and interaction, while I visited some of the ROC (Reaching Orphans for Care) students and also met one of the ROC students’ family to see a co-operative at work - the father has helped to start a piggery, a goat herd and a plantation of crops with money from ROC, which over time should help them generate a decent income.

Tuesday morning saw the first of three visits to primary schools linked with Nyakatukura in a partnership called BIND (Bufunda, Integrated and Nyakatukura in Development). At Ibanda Kibubura Integrated we were

shown around the school and then welcomed at an assembly. This school has 1400 pupils and it has many good facilities. The following day we visited Bufunda, which has only 300 students and is the least well provisioned of all the schools in BIND. Our team this time entertained all the pupils of Bufunda with music, colouring and games. It was brilliant to see all our students get fully involved. The next day we went to Nyakatukura Primary School, which is on the same site as the Secondary School. Once more, we organised lots of activities for the children and when we left, the whole school rushed to see us off. It was a very exciting morning and they were sorry to see us leave.

As our week at Nyakatukura drew to a close, Alix Atwick suggested painting another mural and our artists set to work on the same wall as the mural painted by the 2015 team. Each person made a handprint with their name and the tree mural can be added to by future trip members. Next came the delivery of a diesel generator paid for by funds raised over the past year at DCS. There was great excitement as this was delivered, carried off the truck

by NMS pupils, and successfully installed in a purpose built storage facility. Our students were equally amazed that a project could be discussed on the Tuesday, a storage facility built on the Wednesday and Thursday, and the generator delivered and installed on the Friday. A pity Ugandan banks do not operate so quickly. Mr Evans spent two mornings trying to sort out the finances at the local bank and had to finalise all the details back in Kampala just before we returned to England! Friday morning saw a very moving visit to the Ibanda Babies’ Orphanage, run by some wonderful Catholic nuns, and then we had an afternoon assembly at which we were presented with gifts. It was a great privilege for us that Canon George Nkoba, the founding father of our link, made the effort to come to the assembly. He is not well but he was determined to visit us and see us off. Mr Eric Harris (Senior Master in the Prep School) challenged us all to remember our experiences at NMS and any resolutions made for the future when we got back to the busy world of life at Dean Close. He also distributed an envelope for each member of the trip with a photograph he had taken of each of us interacting with others at our Link School – a moving moment!

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This was yet again a memorable trip ...such a wonderful experience for the group

After our journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park and Mweya Safari Lodge, we headed off on our first land safari drive. The scenery is stunning with endless savannah country and we saw lions, Ugandan cobs, water bucks and warthogs.

However, the second early morning drive was incredible. Not far from the Lodge Jack Bacon spotted a leopard lying in a ditch close to the road. Then later we saw elephants and buffaloes, and then drove off road right up to a male lion, which had made a kill. Then came the afternoon river cruise in the Kazinga Channel, which connects two lakes on the Ugandan border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Here there are pods of hippos, water buffalo, some elephants, crocodiles and warthogs, plus literally hundreds of birds: kingfishers, egrets, herons and fish eagles and many more! Overall, it was a fantastic day of wildlife watching.

After the return journey to Speke Resort we had a day and a half to enjoy the facilities in this wonderful place before setting out on the journey back to England. This was yet again a memorable trip, and all the pupils and staff played their full part in making it such a wonderful experience for the group.

DR Evans

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“MONTPELLIER IS A PASSIONATE AND YOUTHFUL CITY WHICH BURSTS WITH LIFE”

his was our third biennial trip to Montpellier and the students made it the most enjoyable and successful so far. Why choose Montpellier? If you have never been, it is a must! Only 10km from the south coast, it is bursting with vibrancy, culture, history and boasts a stunning city centre and main square. It is the most popular university town in France and for good reason.

We flew out on the weekend after we broke up for the year, taking a group of 16 Remove and Fourth Form students accompanied by Mrs Montgomery and Miss Archer. The trip was a French study tour so the group had lessons every morning in the LSF language summer school. They also stayed with French host families to help further their French immersion. I have no doubt that the students benefitted greatly from their lessons and home stays and their understanding came on in leaps and bounds.

In the afternoons we went on trips to Nimes for its Roman amphitheatre and the Roman aqueduct, Le Pont du Gard.

We also visited the Camargue area (although the wildlife of bulls, wild horses and pink flamingoes all seemed to be taking a siesta from the heat!) and the beautiful old port of Aigues Mortes.

We enjoyed the seaside at La Grande Motte and Le Petit Travers and, for the customary last evening, we went bowling which was won by Nils “Cannonball” Philip-Sorensen.

This was the most cohesive and focused group that I have taken to France They found the sun and heat and the intensity of lessons and visits quite hard-going at times but they threw themselves into all activities and were a credit to Dean Close. My thanks must also go to Mrs Montgomery and Miss Archer for their company, good spirits, photos and organisation of the daily blog.

We are looking forward already to Montpellier 2019!

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his year’s Biennial Inspection was conducted by Colonel DJM Cason. The aim of the competition is to exercise the majority of the Corps in an enjoyable and competitive exercise, using sections of mixed ability and service, led by Cadets NCOs from the Sixth Form.

The inspection began with a review of a Guard of Honour involving cadet representatives in training dress and combat gear from the Army, Navy and Air Force. Following this, the Inspecting Officer toured the competition taking place across the School grounds, where teams from

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At the end of the inspection an awards ceremony took place where the winning team of Fawley House was awarded medals and a cup

each section of the CCF were put through their paces in a range of mental and physical activities to test their teamwork and leadership skills.

Activities included a challenging but fun inflatable assault course, a climbing wall, rifle range, a gun run and a construction trial.

There were also interest stands provided by the Army Outreach Team

from Bristol demonstrating lots of kit including weaponry and respirators. It was a great opportunity for Year 10 and 11 pupils of Dean Close to work together outside of the classroom environment.

At the end of the inspection an awards ceremony took place where the winning team of Fawley House was awarded medals and a cup.

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he training program started at full throttle with a military skills package including a Signals Classification test, Personal Administration in the Field and Section Attack Stands. This led into a quick evening meal in the field and the realisation that the 24hr ration pack food was more than just palatable. Overnight accommodation was in the form of kip sheets put up in a field. From there the sections were sent out to several locations to conduct night ambushes, some cadets were given command appointments and coped well with the pressure of appointment. The grey mist swirled as figures of the enemy loomed through the dark. The night sky was lit up with sustained gun fire, rendering the enemy a spent force. Successful in their mission the cadets returned to their overnight accommodation, ready for a good night’s sleep under canvas. The following morning following a good breakfast in the field, the troops yomped out to Wilsworthy Ranges. Here they conducted full bore electronic target range shooting and a basic and advanced .22 air rifle classification shoot. Other activities included archery, grenade range training and a foreign weapons stand. It was good to see that the Contingent staff were skilled and able to deliver the back ground activities.

The cadets were in good spirits to the end.

Back in camp on Monday evening and the cadets were able to relax for a while, then prepare for the adventurous training package on the Tuesday.

This included windsurfing, raft building, a 10m high ropes course and a little more archery; the cadets were beginning to think that Robin Hood had planned the training package for the week. Many pushed themselves and broke personal goals during this package, which was excellent to witness.

On Wednesday the Contingent travelled to Escot Park, a beautiful venue near Ottery St Mary. Here they had the opportunity to try their hand at Laser Clay Pigeon, Air Pistol and Rifle, Laser Tag and Segway racing. On return to camp, the weather closed in and set for the next 24 hours.

At the end of the day the scores were in and the entire camp paraded for the Officer Commanding Parade. It was impressive to see all schools on camp assembled. Major S Tinlin RLC spoke of the excellent attitude and resolute approach of all of the cadets on camp, in spite of some challenging weather conditions. Padre Jeans spoke of the capacity for tolerance and the ability to work alongside people from diverse and different backgrounds.

Although Dean Close did not quite manage to secure silverware, Cdt M Sotande-Peters won Best Basic Cadet during the Military Skills package and Cdt H Farnsworth was awarded Best Advanced Shot (Air Rifle). All cadets in attendance passed their APC Basic Signals Certification and Passed the Air Rifle Classification and were presented with a medal for completing the camp. Following the Parade, the contingent met for a final debrief and presentations:

Thursday saw an early start ready for the Camp competition. An 8 stand rotation that included: Paintball Targets, Navigation/Command Task, Road Traffic Accident First Aid, Section Attacks, Grenade Range, Air Rifle Grouping, Weapons Stand and a Tactical Observation Stand. Despite the poor weather and incessant rain, morale was high with each and every cadet giving their all until the end of the final stand.

Mention in Despatches: Cdt O Stuerken, Cdt V Edwards, Cdt Jeffery Lin for an outstanding effort on the High Ropes course. Cdt M Sotande Peters for poor personal admin and for showing great leadership during the Team Wyvern Challenge. Cdt H Brooks for a solid performance during the Wyvern Challenge.

My thanks to all the staff and support staff from the HQ South West Cadet Training Team, supporting units as well as the School Officers and staff that made this year’s camp the success it has been.

Major DD Evans 2016/17 -

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Duke of Edinburgh

UNFORGETTABLE TRIP AND MY FAVOURITE QUOTE FROM ONE OF OUR STAR SPORTSMEN AT SCHOOL: “THAT WAS THE HARDEST HONG I’VE EVER DONE”. TYPE 2 FUN!!

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hat a wholesome, sunny, green, lush, joyful year we have had on D of E hikes and cycle rides. I’ve loved this year. It all started cheekily early when four boys and their bikes headed to the Isle of Mull for a six day ride. The first two days were a tough warm up with a few mechanical issues, but the four day Gold Assessment started at Fort William and headed West to the most westerly point on the British mainland – the Ardnamurchan peninsula – I think one of the most beautiful roads in the country – minimal traffic, good tarmac and amazing colours. They continued to Tobermory on the Isle of Mull and circumnavigated the Island, finishing at the ferry back to Oban four days later.

All the boys are keen cyclists, and having experienced biking with four days food, tent, sleeping bags etc, I think they are more likely to choose the biking via pubs and youth hostels next time. An unforgettable trip and my favourite quote from one of our star sportsmen at School: “that was the hardest hong I’ve ever done”.

The Michaelmas term continued with regular Sunday hikes with Removes, who accompanied me on the Cotswold Way, learning navigation tips, camp craft gems and generally just enjoying a good hike in beautiful countryside. Thank you to all the wonderful staff who came with us.

January kicked off with an embracing all day ride with the Gold cyclists around the Cotswolds and a few more Sunday hikes.

February’s highlight was definitely taking the Gold Cyclists around Shropshire on the coldest, sleetiest three day training ride, with all their tents, sleeping bags and food bungeed onto their bikes. The minibus was warm for me, but Baltic conditions for the boys certainly added a few more hairs to their chests!

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March’s joy was the Bronze trainings – VERY cold, VERY dark and yet a full moon through the night and minus 5 temperatures meant we had minimal sleep and maximum brightness. But good times were had by all.

April’s highlights were definitely Yorkshire Dales in glorious sunshine with 16 of the Lower Sixth on their Gold hiking training… ..lambs, lambs, lambs, waterfalls, rivers, views…..fabulous……and then the cyclists 200 miles assessment starting in rainy Cheltenham and finishing four days later in sunny Cardigan Bay, via the Elan Valley…..a superb trip – I need to go and do it myself now! I hope it inspires the boys to take some great adventures in the future.

The Gold hikers completed their assessment in the Lakes in May half term, and enjoyed two beautiful days, plus two gruelling, foggy, cold and very hilly days in the middle. Full respect to all of you for embracing all the challenges thrown at you.

Finally 60 Bronze finished their assessment in the Stroud Valley, with two nights out and 40km of walking for most. The weather was kind, the teams were brilliant, and all ended up back at school tired, happy and rightly proud of all their efforts. I hope they remember it when they are 80 years old!

A huge thank you to all the staff who have been invaluable this year especially Mr Winter and Mr Baldanzi, Mr Lloyd, Miss Edwards, Miss Gordon, Miss Villiers, Mr Ede and the PE and DT department. It wouldn’t have happened without you!!!!

Caz Hatchell

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he season continued not only to build on the previous year’s success but also to add its own mark on the development of rugby at Dean Close. With a 97% participation rate in the juniors and 82% rate in the seniors participation levels are at an all-time high. The School has offered opportunities for boys in a wide range of levels from 1st XV to 3rd XV and junior A, B and C teams.

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The Rugby Club has continued to develop its ambitions and this has been reinforced not only with the results but also the numbers of boys achieving recognition at various levels of the performance pathways with Gloucester rugby and England.

The U14 age group teams have settled in extremely well to the Senior School and the U14A team demonstrated a superb level of competence achieving an unbeaten season whilst playing some superb rugby against some very strong opposition. Notable fixtures include the strong wins against St Edward’s School, Oxford and Kingswood School, Bath as well as a hard fought draw against Malvern College. The B

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and C teams competed superbly well and put some real pressure on the A team boys for selection as well as providing some fantastic performances along the way. The Club very much looks forward to seeing these sides develop over the coming years with both excitement and optimism and look forward to the challenge of the NatWest Cup next year.

The U15A side have had a fantastic season playing some superb rugby and, most importantly, demonstrating the ambition to achieve the very best that they possibly could.

Outside the NatWest Cup run, notable results included the turnaround win against Kingswood, Bath and a much improved win against Malvern College. The boys had a fantastic run this year and once again set the marker by reaching the last 16 in the country.

Losing to Wellington College 39-0 was nothing to be embarrassed about and whilst it was certainly disappointing not to progress, it was clear the Wellington College team was a superb one and they romped to the title with ease, being crowned national winners.

The B and C teams once more demonstrated great character and commitment and Mr Evans

and Mr Salmon were pleased with the boys’ improvement over the season and feel that certain boys will definitely be putting pressure on the U16A team next year. The U16 teams had a strong year once more with both A and B teams remaining unbeaten, and continued to demonstrate their individual desire to improve and challenge themselves at the very highest level. Throughout the term several boys represented the 1st XV and should be applauded for their positive start to senior rugby.

Outside our school programme, the focus this year was very much to support the transition for the 11 Gloucester Rugby academy boys as they progressed to the U16 age group, which resulted in the boys having to train at Hartpury twice a week as well as a heavy fixture card postChristmas.

We have been absolutely delighted with the achievements of the boys with all 11 being selected for the Gloucester Academy U18 summer training squads ahead of the U18 programme. The senior squads very much look forward to the U16 group as a whole moving up next year and challenging themselves in a far more physical and demanding environment.

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The senior squads had another strong year and should be applauded for their commitment, tenacity and overall desire to keep moving the rugby club forward. The 1st XV was delighted to welcome into the squad Ed Harvey, Matteo Cutrupi and Henry Sleeman and all three have contributed a great deal in both the fifteen and sevens codes of the game.

The season highlights included a very strong preseason in Southampton with some fantastic games being played culminating in a place in the final against Blundells School in which we lost 7-0.

This was, however, a very productive start to the season. This was followed up with a very physical performance against RGS Worcester which resulted in a 21-17 win in dire conditions.

Unfortunately, this was followed up with losses to Bloxham and Magdalen College, Oxford. The boys responded superbly well and put in a fantastic performance against Taunton School, winning 44-15 and losing narrowly to a very strong St Edward’s, Oxford 10-7.

With some narrow losses after half term to Malvern College and Monmouth School, it was pleasing to see the boys get some strong wins against Crypt Grammar School and Prior Park, Bath.

The boys have been a pleasure to work with and a special mention must go to all the Upper Sixth leavers who have contributed to the rugby club over the years. I wish them all the very best in their futures and, above all else, hope that they continue to play and enjoy the game of rugby union at whatever level they can.

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sport Tom Seabrook has been an outstanding captain for the 1st XV and has led by example at every opportunity both on and off the pitch. He has balanced his ambition to play for Gloucester with the captaincy with great effect and the way he has driven the boys forward has been exemplary. Both Tom and Ed Bogue have achieved the exceptional feat of being rewarded with professional contracts at Gloucester Rugby, only seven contracts were awarded so to have two from Dean Close is something that the School and Rugby Club is very proud of. Tom has also represented England U18 this year scoring tries against Scotland and France and was rewarded with his inclusion in the U18 squad that toured South Africa this summer, which certainly bodes well for him going forward. We wish both Tom and Ed the very best of luck as they embark on their careers as professional rugby players.

The support, coaching and dedication of the common room staff should not go unmentioned as without them none of the opportunities would be made possible. A fantastic group of coaches who have the pupils’ best interests at the centre of all that they do. We look forward with excitement to another rugby term and the club has great pleasure in announcing Ed Harvey as 1st XV captain. I am sure that you will all join me in wishing him the very best of luck as captain next year.

G Baber-Williams

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Owain Lonergan Ellis Robson Theo Bancroft James Pollard Matthew Candy Ben Limbrick Henry Blunt Joshua McQuaig Paddy Benson Kris Fugalis

■ James Humphreys ■ Matty Jones - also selected for the U15 South West of England training squad ■ Jay Watkins ■ Freddie Thomas ■ Chay Hawkins ■ Liam McKinnes ■ Charlie Street ■ Harrison Farnworth ■ Nils Philip-Sorensen

■ Previously named in article

■ Ed Bogue ■ Ed Harvey ■ Tom Seabrook (England U18) -

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he U15s faced a significant challenge at the start of this season if they were to match the achievements of last season’s squad. The fact that they will now be competing in the Natwest Cup after the Christmas break means that they have equalled our 2015 achievement of reaching the last 16 teams in the country.

The squad began their journey in this knock-out competition, which started this year with 512 schools, by winning games against Marling and Cleeve. These early games gave the opportunity to expose a significant number of Fourth Formers to the increased level of contest. The victories set up a clash away from home against an unbeaten Clifton College side. Viewing their fixture list, comfortable victories against Monmouth, Marlborough, Bryanston and Colston suggested Dean Close would be seen as the underdogs. The start of the game seemed to endorse this, as Clifton scored two tries to go 10–0 up in as many minutes. However, those were the last points Clifton were to score, as Dean Close cut loose to accumulate three converted tries during the rest of a frantic first half. The second half saw Dean Close complete victory with a spirited defensive effort that was full of character and grit.

The Clifton win earned the boys the right to finish the regional rounds with a home tie and local derby against Chosen Hill School. Playing with the conditions in their favour, Dean Close failed to execute a number of opportunities but still managed to go into half time with a 5–0 lead. A strong attacking surge by the Chosen Hill back row and midfield put Dean Close under significant pressure but the defensive line held firm. The effort seemed to give the home side an even greater intensity as they scored two further tries to win 17–0. This victory earns them a home quarter final against eight time finalists and three time winners, Wellington College or RGS High Wycombe.

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All competitions:

he 1st XI started well by winning the annual preseason tournament at Rugby, but came up against tough opposition in Millfield in the first fixture. They lost 21, but were to get one up on them later on in the term. The team quickly got past this first hurdle and went on to win every other school fixture. Whilst doing this, they triumphed at the County Tournament and went on to win the West Regional Finals – beating Millfield in the Final. It was a tense game, with a superb reverse stick goal from Danielle Gibson giving us the edge.

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However, they gave away a penalty corner in the dying seconds, but Jess Thomas managed to produce a great goal line save which meant Dean Close automatically qualified for the National Finals in March. With qualifying for the outdoor competition done, attention turned to indoor. We were lucky to have the

experience of our imports in Leah Seegers, Antonia Hermanns and captain Eva-Johanna Huelsmann. Having cruised through the county round, they battled it out in the Regional Finals and once again came up against Millfield in the Final. They came second, but still qualified for the National Finals in January.

The team were fantastic and showed determination and strength of character throughout the term. They were passionate and inspiring and thoroughly deserved to make two National Finals. Izzy Fairthorne was outstanding as captain, leading by example, and expecting only the best from her team.

Top scorer was again Danielle Gibson who as always, scored some absolute belters! The handful of Juniors who have represented the 1st XI have developed nicely and will slot into the set up over the next few years to become regular starters for the team.

The 2nd XI had an enjoyable but frustrating season. They dominated games, but have found it difficult to score goals and win! The team managed two convincing wins, however, against Queen’s Taunton and Wycliffe. Caitlin Jackson led the team from the back – tackling strongly and clearing the lines with strong hits up the pitch. Beth Leishman and Georgia 2016/17 -

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Toase drove the team forward and the most improved player was Shoko Niina. The commitment and effort of the girls was evident throughout the season and the results do not reflect some of the fine hockey they played.

The 3rd XI showed great spirit and enthusiasm throughout the term. Highlights included the standard of hockey shown against Taunton, ending in a 3-0 win. Some good wins against Wycliffe, and Queen’s, Taunton showed good patterns of hockey and tactical nous. Ellie Gammon and Ellie Hill dominated proceedings at the back and Poppy Phillips quietly and confidently went about her role at centre half. Isa Bruce was relentless in her vocal encouragement of the team during matches with her morale boosting words. Overall, an enjoyable season for the 3rd XI. The ever changing 4th XI coped admirably with personnel changes each week, with enthusiasm and determination.

The highlight of their season was winning the final match against Bromsgrove. Key players included the Gourlay sisters, Lexi Morris and Amanda Chinye.

The U16s started the season really well with a 7-0 win over Prior Park. The Cup squad won the County Tournament before being knocked out in the West preliminary rounds. Katie Humphreys captained the Saturday team, with Lydia Ward captaining the Cup squad. Phoebe Wharton was most improved player and Lydia, player of the season.

The mighty U15As were the most successful team this season, after the 1st XI. Some highlights included the fixtures v Taunton, Malvern and Queen’s where they dominated the play whilst scoring some excellent goals. Champagne hockey all round! Olga Steurken has been a

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great addition to the group and scored the best goal of the season with a reverse stick, top corner goal. Hayley Collenette was player of the season and was outstanding all term.

The U15Bs surpassed all expectation this term, winning 4 and only losing 2 of their fixtures. The girls set the tone from the very first game v Millfield where they battled from 3-0 down to take a 3-3 draw. Other highlights included a 1-0 win in the derby game v Cheltenham College and a 5-0 victory over Taunton. Verity Edwards was most improved player, and Nina Counsell only conceded 10 goals all season in goal.

The U14As have had a mixed term, with some great wins but some agonising losses. They came runners up in the County Tournament to qualify for the West regional finals. They played some dynamic and vibrant hockey throughout, but narrowly lost to Clifton in the semi-finals. A highlight of their school matches was the win over Taunton where they came back from 2-0 down to win 4-2.

The U14Bs had a mixed set of results, but as a team their tactics and individual skill levels came on enormously throughout the season. The team was captained well by Rachel Hellier, who in central defence was a force to be reckoned with.

They were lucky to have 2 goalkeepers in Anna

Lillywhite and Tori Russell who did a sterling job, not only for the 14Bs but other teams as well.

Special mention to Evie Sharpe who was consistently fab and Romelle Mills-Moore on the other side of midfield. Well done to everyone who has represented the hockey club this year, and thanks to the coaches and staff who make it all happen.

Having gained lots of experience from last year’s competition, it was felt that the U18s could really do something this year. With a few continental imports we fielded a strong squad for the county round of qualification. We breezed through this and went on to compete at the West finals the following weekend. There was a steely resolve about the girls this year – having gone out at the semi-final stage the last two years, there was a determination to make this 3rd time lucky. We got through to the semi-finals, managing to avoid Millfield who were looking strong. We played Cheltenham College in the semis and ran out a convincing 4-2 win. We faced Millfield in the final, but, unfortunately, couldn’t do the double over them and lost 1-0. However, we had qualified for the National Finals in January. Over the first weekend in the Lent Term, the squad travelled up

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sport to Bromsgrove to compete in what was a highly competitive competition. With Ben Mackey taking the helm (Gary Tredgett was with the boys at their National Finals), there was a different feel to the tournament. On the Saturday, we drew one and won one, which meant results on the Sunday were very important. An overnight sickness bug that knocked out Maddie Pendle and Grace Starling didn’t help matters, but we soldiered on. We smashed Queen Ethelburga’s but lost our final group game to Cranleigh which meant other results had to go our way.

We nervously watched Malvern in their final group match, who had to win to go through and knock us out! The game ended in a nailbiting draw and we were through to the semi-finals. It was an intense semi-final, with Hattie Abbott nearly having to go in goal as Grace was throwing up at the side of the pitch just before push back. Grace heroically carried on even though she was feeling horrendous.

However, it wasn’t to be as Repton were the stronger team and beat us to a spot in the final. I am immensely proud of the effort the team put into the tournament, they looked like they belong at the top level! Hopefully, next year we can go one better.

In March, the 1st XI travelled up to Lee Valley to compete in the U18 National Finals. It had taken a lot to get here, so the atmosphere on the bus was one of excitement and nervous anticipation. We arrived at the hotel and after dinner settled in for the night before the start of the tournament the following morning. We were up bright and breezy, raring to go on game day and after a hearty breakfast, we were ready for our first match against Stockport. We put some good plays and patterns together and came away with a good first win, 3-1: two good goals from Danielle Gibson and a short corner conversion from Izzy Montgomery.

Our second game of the day was against Framlingham who had already been beaten heavily by Repton earlier in the day. It was a difficult game, with the opposition setting up a wall of defence in order to stop our attacking threats. They were very tough n and we struggled to put together our flowing hockey. They had a break away with what was probably their only attempt game. We got more and more frustrated to chase the game, which resulted in some ds and a yellow card each for Jess Thomas Fairthorne. We ended up losing 1-0 which ely ended our chances of being in the final, pton still to play in our group. ith heavy hearts and raised emotions that ed to the hotel. To top it off, Gary to leave his camera on top of his car on the the hotel. It was only after we ran over it in e realised what it was! Danielle’s reaction d added some much needed humour to the camera was in the same state as our pieces. competition, we welcomed a bus full of me against Repton. There was nothing ame, so the team went out there and e best hockey I have ever seen them play. agne hockey, fearless and wanting to finish d high. It was a game that was worthy of ated play and did to Repton what s – we stopped them playing. The game osition, but that didn’t matter in the end. d showed what we are capable of. Good on to pastures new next season - it has

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e had 12 sides playing hockey with all boys getting good access to the astro turf to improve their skills and technical play. A strong fixture list enabled the teams to compete at the top level and all teams had good results throughout the term.

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The 1st team had another strong season only losing one match all term, with a notable victory against Repton away. After a good pre season the squad settled down and with even more competition for places in all positions there were some tough decisions to make. Having 10 of the side back from last year, it was important to blend new players and with several injuries, some of the younger players got their chance. Ed Hewer, Toby Pallister, Oscar Newcombe and Elliot Bancroft had good performances in important matches.

Will Hewer captained the side with great maturity and used all his experience to drive the squad in training and matches. Rory Kavanagh had another good season in goal. James Hunt, Toby Hitchins and Jeremy Fox marshaled the defence and Matt Court was outstanding in every match, scoring so many important goals! Oli Evans supported Matt upfront and made a special team together.

The 2nd team had a very good season and played some exciting hockey. Salim Jaffar captained the side well and Orly Giannini played well in midfield with Aaron Cooke and Luca Capuccini outstanding as a strike partnership.

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They had notable wins against Bradfield and Millfield and an outstanding draw against a very strong Repton side away.

The 3rd team had a good season with many strong results. Jake Williams, Pete Hicks Beach, Zak Tomlinson and Simon Fraser all had good seasons. The squad had good victories against Millfield and Magdalen. The 4th team enjoyed the season and had some good matches and wins with Harry Johnson captaining the side and good performances from Guy Amos and Rei Chin.

The U16As had another excellent season in school matches. The A team was captained by Archie Benson who led by example. Despite four or five players regularly playing for the 1st XI, the squad showed their depth with some outstanding results against Magdalen and Repton but probably their best result was a close 4-3 loss to eventual National Champions, Whitgift, in an outstanding match. During the season, Ben Gornall and Max Coniam marshaled the defence and Harry Brookes and Justus Roth played well in midfield with Jacob Melville Smith scoring freely upfront.

The 16Bs also had an excellent season winning all their matches except one and played some

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sport good hockey. Jonny Coniam, Toby Haines and Ernest Tang had some notable performances but the whole squad performed to a high level and enjoyed the season. They had notable wins against Repton away and Bradfield.

The Under 15s group had a strong season with several players maturing and starting to show their true potential. The A team dominated the majority of the school matches playing an exciting and skillful brand of hockey and had good results against Millfield and Bradfield. Olly Smart was outstanding in goal and Freddie Thomas, Liam McKinnes and Jacob Payton also had good seasons. The B team had a topsy-turvy season with some good wins but some frustrating results. Jack Coombs, Oli Wood and Jack Henley had good performances and led the side well. The C team didn’t manage to record a win but enjoyed their hockey and competed well in all matches with Jack Tolchard, Harry Robbins driving the side.

The U14s group also had a very strong season. The A team ended up being the most successful team in the School only losing one match all season. They played some outstanding hockey and dominated all the sides in school matches. Ellis Robson led the side superbly and, with excellent support from Paddy Benson and Theo Bancroft, the side matured into an excellent squad. They had notable performances against Millfield and Repton. Mr Mochan, in his first year, was a crucial part of the success with his passionate and skillful approach to the boys. The B team also had a good season with good wins against Millfield and Repton, playing some good hockey where several of the boys pushed the A team for places. George Coole led by example as captain and Owain Lonergan played well all season. Yousef Balla in goal also had some outstanding performances. I would like to thank Mr Salmon for all his coaching and help with the hockey program throughout the season. The C teams enjoyed their hockey and despite not winning a match were enthusiastic in training and matches, Oscar Faiers captaining the side well.

The 2017 season was an exceptional hockey season throughout Dean Close with results in cup matches and school matches being very strong. All members of the coaching team played their part in enabling the season to be so good. I would like to thank the whole coaching team for all the expertise and passion they have shown at all levels.

G Tredgett

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A short corner move, perfectly executed and scored by Will Hewer, meant a 2-2 half time score line. Dean Close dominated the second half but found themselves 3-2 down from a short corner.

With only a few minutes remaining, Matt Court scored an amazing individual goal to send the tie to penalties. Dean Close won the shoot out comfortably and progressed to the Quarter Final draw.

The squad waited for Twitter to reveal their opponents in the Quarter Final and they drew Repton, the winners from the last two years, away. The squad travelled to Repton and after a staggered build up due to injuries, were in a positive mood.

After reaching the Semi finals last year, the boys had high hopes of having a good campaign. They drew Katherine Lady Berkeley’s in the 2nd round at home and won comfortably 9-2. In the 3rd round they drew Magdalen College, last year’s last 16 opponents, and on a very snowy cold day they ran out 5-0 winners with Matt Court scoring a very good hat trick with good performances from Will Hewer, Toby Hitchins and Oli Evans. The 4th round draw was a re-match of the U18 Indoor West semi finals against a strong King Edward’s, Bath side, away. After a shaky start, conceding two early goals, a superb move between Toby Pallister, Sam Norwood and Matt Court led to Matt scoring from a narrow angle.

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A good start by Repton saw Dean Close go 1-0 down but the boys fought back with several chances created and scored from a short corner move, but to the astonishment of all parties had the goal disallowed. After a freak snow storm and a 45-minute delay, the game restarted with Repton scoring a second goal. Straight after half time Repton made it 3-0 before Toby Pallister, with a superb goal, reduced the deficit to 3-1. Matt Court then broke through and after a superb shot scored, but again the goal was disallowed for being millemetres outside the D! Dean Close pushed for another goal but left themselves open and lost 5-1 in the end, in a very frustrating match.

What a two years for the team though, and I am so proud of all they have achieved. The Upper Sixth group of Matt Court, Sam Norwood, Jeremy Fox, Will Hewer and Oli Evans have come from the Prep School right through and have done so much for Dean Close hockey over the years. A special thank you to you guys and all the best in the future.

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After qualifying for the National Hockey Finals at U14s and U16s, and after a week’s intense training and matches, the squads travelled to the National Hockey Stadium in London for the tournaments.

The U14s played Cranleigh first; in a tight first half, Dean Close created the better chances but couldn’t score and it was 0-0. After half time, Cranleigh scored a good goal but Dean Close responded with chance after chance but just couldn’t score. Cranleigh scored near the end to win 2-0. Dean Close rallied though and beat Repton 1-0 with a goal from Paddy Benson; they then beat Gresham’s with goals from Ellis Robson and Lorcan Knox.

gained several corners but could not score and Whitgift ran out 2-0 winners. In the third match against Trent, Dean Close dominated the match and won 4-2 with goals from Roth, Bancroft and Jacob Payton (2).

They then qualified for the 3rd/4th play-off against Altrincham and in a tight match which

Dean Close dominated with chances, Oscar Newcombe scored in a 1-1 draw. Dean Close went on to lose on penalties so came fourth.

Therefore, the U14 and U16 squads gained 3rd and 4th places in the whole country which is a great achievement.

Gary Tredgett

Dean Close missed out on the Final but played in the 3rd/4th play-off against Trent which they won 2-0 making them 3rd in the country, an excellent achievement but frustrating on the day.

The U16s played Felsted in the first match and played well and strongly, winning with goals from Elliot Bancroft, Justus Roth and Ed Hewer.

The second match was against Whitgift. It was a strong match in which Whitgift played very well and went up 1-0. Dean Close fought back and 2016/17 -

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Across the board there were some great matches for both Seniors and Juniors, with some strong performances which demonstrate how much the netball club has developed under the guidance of Mrs Holder. We also welcomed Josie Janz-Dawson and Afeisha Noel from the super league franchise Severn Stars, whose input has added an “international� dimension to our play. Josie in particular has been fabulous and I know the girls have really enjoyed working with her, as have the coaching team.

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fter a successful pre-season weekend, the 1st VII were keen and raring to go.

With the team unchanged from last year, it was time to continue to develop as a squad and build on the positives from the previous season. The team started strongly against Bloxham and began to put together some excellent netball, which was evident in the game against BGS where the girls had to work hard right until the end for their welldeserved win. Other notable performances from the team were against Bradfield College and Malvern College. They played with flair and confidence in both games, with top shooting from Hattie Abbott and Jess Thomas converting solid defensive pressure. The final game of the season v KES, Bath was a tough one and with a few key players missing, it was a chance for some fringe players to make a mark. The versatility of Beth Leishman was evident as she played out of her usual position, but was equally effective. An impressive season for the team who have played consistently throughout and demonstrated great team spirit. We bid a sad farewell to captain Georgia Toase, Hattie Abbott, Beth Leishman, Izzy Fairthorne and Louise Lovatt, and there will be some big shoes to fill next year.

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The 2nd VII had a great season and were the most successful team in the club with a 72.7% win ratio and the highest goal tally. They were ably led by captain Caitlin Jackson from the front and her top shooting kept them in many a game.

Defence was solid throughout the season, with Ava da Costa Freeman and Katie Colbert-Smith bringing the ball effectively through court.

Most improved player of the season, Lola Blacker, demonstrated great playmaking skills at GA and will be one to watch for the future.

Highlights included the wins against Millfield,

Wycliffe and beating KES, Bath by 1 goal in the final match of the season. A superb season all round, with some great skills on show.

almost entirely mid-court players! Special thanks to Maxinne Huybreckx, Verity Edwards and Lucy for adapting to defensive roles.

The 3rd VII have had a mixed season this term, experiencing a few losses, but lots of convincing wins too. The team spirit and effort from the girls have made it an enjoyable season, with the highlight being the greatly deserved victory against KES, Bath in the last match. Special mention to Ellie Hill who valiantly and encouragingly captained the team this term.

The U15Cs had a great term, captained chiefly by Lara Stallard. Their main strength lay in their good shooters – Susie Hicks Beach, Hunyi Lee and Lara.

Emily Smith even had a late move to a shooting position. Memorable games included a particularly satisfying win against Malvern late in the season, and the narrow loss to Millfield in a well fought battle earlier on.

The formidable 4th VII have had a great season, winning most of their games by a significant margin: most notably scoring 40 goals against Malvern and 30 against Wycliffe. As inevitable for the 4th team, there was quite a lot of player movement and injuries as the season progressed. Thanks go to the effective shooting of Tatyana Cheung and Millie Tingey, versatility of the mid-court players and the dependable enthusiasm of the defence. A tremendous season!

The mighty U14A team were superbly led by captain Lydia Smith. Although there were more losses than wins across the season, the girls enjoyed their netball and grew in confidence as a team. They were involved in tight matches with narrow wins against Bloxham and BGS, before losing a thriller against Teddies by only 3 goals.

After a season-ending injury to Violet Little Wollage, Oli Moss stepped in and was excellent.

Grace Greaves and Lydia were dominant in defence and we had versatile mid-courters. The season concluded with a convincing win over Malvern to end on a well-deserved high.

The U15As were a team with great potential and, when all parts of the machine fired, could beat any team on their day. Overall, the wins and losses averaged out and the squad should be pleased with their record, especially when beset by injury and illness throughout the season. The highlights included beating CLC and Teddies in the best fought and best spirited game of the season. Katie Hunt captained admirably, player of the season was Georgia Hill and most improved Daisy Blacker. It is clear that there is a solid foundation for the senior teams in years to come.

The U15B team had an excellent season, only losing 2 of their 10 fixtures under the captaincy of Lucy Scudamore. Half of the matches were won by a difference of 18 or more goals. Excellent enthusiasm and efforts from all in each match, but it is difficult to play with a team made up of

The U14Bs had a season with many lessons and a lot of improvement. The lowlight was definitely a tricky match against Millfield, but they progressed from there, learning to work as a team and to put in the required effort. The final match of the season saw them get a welldeserved win against Malvern, showing how far they’d come. Special mention to Tilly Amess who has become a solid mid-court player.

The U14Cs were a fab team, who contested every netball match with a positive attitude but, unfortunately, lost all of their games. The team changed on a weekly basis, but this didn’t stop the effort and determination. A good season with some good play, looking forward to some wins next year.

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Back in January the U16s travelled to Marlborough to take part in the Netball South West regional schools netball tournament.

Having won the County round, confidence was high within the team and we felt prepared as we progressed through to this next round.

We had six tough matches ahead of us against some of the best school teams in the South West including Royal High School, Bournemouth, St Peter’s, Truro, Taunton and Isambard. In the first game we had a nervous start which, due to illness, saw some girls playing out opposition. But, in true Dean Close spirit, they stepped up and put out a solid starting performance but just fell short of a win.

With more tough matches ahead, the girls tried

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hard but often missed out on wins by one or two goals. Impressive performances from Ellie Clarke and Lola Blacker demonstrated that even with no club players we could match most opposition. A tight final encounter against Isambard saw Dean Close work tirelessly and, by not giving up, got the win.

Even though we did not make it through to the National Finals, the team played well and gave an excellent account of themselves.

Squad: Lydia Ward, Lola Blacker, Emily Tottman, Abby Norwood, Molly Davies, Ava Da Costa Freeman, Hannah Bettelley, Emelia Lovegrove, Katie Hunt and Ellie Clarke.

D Richardson

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he Bath and Otter Cup is a swimming relay competition open to independent schools across the country and this year it took place on Friday 10 March. There are only two events: 200m front crawl relay and 200m medley relay. Dean Close fielded one team of boys (Hadley Trafford, Henry Elsey, Aaron Osmond and Rafael Lum) and two teams of girls (front crawl relay: Sophie Clink, Amy Mustoe, Lucy Pickering and Estella Depierre. Medley relay: Emily Stephens, Lucy Stocks, Immy Mason and Grace Greaves). It was a fantastic opportunity not only to soak up the atmosphere of such a large competition but also to compete in front of a huge crown in the London Aquatics Centre, where the Olympic swimming and diving events were held. The standard was extremely high and though none of the teams made it through to the finals the swimmers did Dean Close proud through their solid performance and excellent effort. There is plenty of talent coming up, particularly in girls’ swimming, so watch this space!

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A Spring-Wallis

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he Dean Close Cricket Club enjoyed a great season in 2017, with only the U14C team posting a losing record. Our current crop of Decanians played 54 cricket matches, winning 31 and losing 23, with several games going right down to the wire.

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Of particular interest to subscribers to the Decanian Magazine will be the recent appointment of Mike Powell as our new Director of Cricket. Mike came to us having enjoyed a lengthy and distinguished first-class career, primarily at Glamorgan and latterly at Kent. In total, he scored over 13000 first class runs. Some readers may even have been present at the Cheltenham Cricket Festival in 2006, when Mike scored a massive 299 for Glamorgan against Gloucestershire. Mike started at Dean Close in January and has made an immediate impact across both our Prep and Senior Schools. We look forward to Mike developing young cricketers at the School for many years to come.

The 1st XI had one of their best seasons in recent years, qualifying for the final of the Chesterton Cup for the first time in almost two decades (where we lost to Malvern) and getting through the first two rounds of the HMC National T20 tournament, beating Wycliffe and RGS Worcester before succumbing to NewcastleUnder-Lyme School by a mere 5 runs. Our better results included a grinding win against King’s, Gloucester in late May, over at Archdeacon Meadow in Gloucester, and a last-ball heartattack-inducing win against Bloxham in early June. In Cricket Week, at the end of June, we defeated Sir Thomas Rich’s School in our 2 day game by a margin of 44 runs, with Archie Benson scoring 77* in our first innings, and Bertie Tarrant taking 6 wickets for 53 runs in the second innings to win with nine balls to come before the draw.

Particular mention must go to Sam Norwood, who has captained the side for the second year in a row. Many of our boys have scored 50s this year, including the skipper himself, Ollie Horne, Josh Gray, Henry Sleeman, Archie Benson and Matt Court. Bertie Tarrant took 26 wickets at an -

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average of a shade over 15. Full colours were awarded to Sam Norwood, Matthew Court, Aaron Cook, Jason Richards and Bertie Tarrant.

Half colours were awarded to Ollie Horne and Henry Sleeman.

The 2nd XI, under the guardianship of Mr Chapman and Mr Poxon, were delighted to follow last year’s weather-destroyed season with a record that saw them win four games while losing only two. The undoubted highlight of the season was Archie Benson’s 101* against King’s Worcester, but Tom Pearson’s cavalier 85 against Kingswood must also get a special mention. The team was ably led by stalwarts Oli Evans and Rory Kavanagh, who managed a truly disparate band of boys through a challenging fixture card.

The Under 15s also had a good year, winning ten of their fifteen fixtures. It is a credit to our coaches, Mr Mochan, Mr Salmon, Mr Allen and Mr Fullerton, that we were regularly able to field three cricket teams in the year, without compromising on results.

James Humphreys and Matt Jones shone with the bat for the U15A team, while James Schubach’s leg spin beguiled teenagers across the county and led to a call up to the 1st XI for cricket week. The best game (for the neutral, if not Mr Mochan’s blood pressure) was against Kingswood, where Alfie Henson casually hit the last ball of the Dean Close innings for four, concluding an occasionally ramshackle chase of 117, which saw the team win by one wicket with no balls to spare!

For the U15Bs, the year’s best innings was Ned Greasley’s 65 against Monmouth in April, setting up an early win, while the best bowling was Toby Archard’s spell of 4 wickets for 3 runs off 3 overs, again setting up a good victory. The outstanding performance of the year for the U15C team was Sam Basham’s 88 against Bloxham, not a score usually attained by our C team players. Sam also took 3 wickets in a comprehensive man-of-thematch performance.

Special mention must go to David Fullerton, who has served Dean Close U15 cricket for a quarter of a century, mentoring hundreds of our less naturally-gifted cricketers and travelling the

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length and breadth of the southwest, in buses that haven’t always been blessed with cheerful drivers who know where they are going, to umpire cricket that usually, if we’re honest, only the most blinkered of schoolmasters would describe as “cultured”. We are grateful for the time he has given to our cricket programme and wish him all the best as he gracefully enters retirement; he will be monumentally difficult to replace and doubtless his longterm partner-in-crime, Mr Allen, will miss his companionship in the drizzle of late-April practice sessions.

The Under 14s also managed to put out three teams on a regular basis. They won eight and lost ten of their fixtures, although the U14A and U14B did achieve results parity. Mr Price and Mr Tomlinson ran the A team, while Mr George, Mr Youlton and Mr Mackay managed B and C teams that were sent as far afield and Somerset and Oxfordshire.

For the U14A, captained by Paddy Benson, Javey Sparrow achieved the best bowling figures of the seasons, taking 5 wickets against King’s,

Gloucester, with Owain Lonergan’s 4 wickets against the Cotswold School also standing out. Elliot Bancroft hit 53 against King’s, Worcester and Ellis Robson’s 55* against Prior Park led to a convincing win. The best partnership of the season was between Paddy Benson and Ellis Robson, who put on 100 against Crypt in May, helping the team recover from 1 run scored for 3 wickets down.

Mr Price commented on their great team camaraderie and we look forward to seeing many of the boys progress into the U15A team next year.

The season’s stand-out performance for the U14B team came from Kris Fugalis, who pummelled twenty-three 4s and two 6s in an innings of 116 against Prior Park. Our three U14 teams all won against Prior Park.

The final words should go on the School’s only active professional cricketer, Fifth former Danielle Gibson, who was recently awarded a contract by Western Storm for the 2017 T20 Kia Super League.

Danielle will be based in Exeter for the entirety of August’s campaign and we wish her all the best in her endeavours.

On the 22 June the Remove Cricketers played in the inaugural David Fullerton Cricket Cup. David has been involved with U15 cricket for the last 24 years and so it seemed fitting that the Cup should be named after him. The competition was a 10-a-side game with some rather different rules such as one-hand one-bounce, double plays and super overs where each run counted double. After a hard fought competition, the Ulster Frys beat the Gloucester Gladiators by 25 runs. David was on hand to present the Cup to the winning captain, James Humphreys.

THE SEASON’S STAND-OUT PERFORMANCE FOR THE U14B TEAM CAME FROM KRIS FUGALIS, WHO PUMMELLED TWENTY-THREE 4S AND TWO 6S IN AN INNINGS OF 116 AGAINST PRIOR PARK 2016/17 -

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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. The teams and individuals compete at the National Championships in the Classes they have qualified for during the year and then only the top 8 go through to the Final Jump Offs. All three Dean Close teams and five individual riders finished in the top eight in their Classes and went through to the Finals.

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2016 saw Lydia Ward earn her way for the first time into the British Eventing points League final at the Nationals having accrued British Eventing points during her season. Lydia performed brilliantly to achieve 5th Place in a very competitive class.

– from 22 teams

Molly Davies on Cuffsgrange For Sure Lydia Ward on Cafres Lakeland Blaze Lawson Day on Allez Cat Lydia Ward on Kiltroms Woodie Jumpit

Following her win in the 1.10 pony final on Cuffsgrange For Sure there was huge excitement for Molly Davies who was then selected to jump as part of the Nations Cup Team for England. A nail-biting final followed between England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales seeing England along with Molly Davies securing the win.

from 37 Qualified Teams Lawson Day on Allez Cat Molly Davies on Cuffsgrange For Sure Lydia Ward on Kiltroms Woodie Jumpit Emma Williams on Fairrose Fantasy Dean Close also had an individual rider in the Eventer Challenge with Lydia Ward giving a strong performance to finish 5th overall out of over 54 competitors.

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Dean Close has had some incredible successes this year within the British Eventing arena. At Stonar one day event a team of Emma Williams, Mollie Tice and Scarlett Rogers had a great day with good dressage scores and clear XCountry Rounds to secure a team 5th place, whilst Molly Tice with a double clear was 3rd individually in a huge section. Mollie Tice continued this great run with a 3rd at the NSEA BE Swalcliffe with Lydia Ward finishing 5th. Lydia has once again had a very successful eventing season, with her qualifying to compete at the Badminton Grass Roots 100cms BE. Dean Close has had a number of teams out competing in the Eventers Challenge and there has been success and qualification for the

NSEA Plate Championships in December in the 80cms with Emma Williams, Mollie Tice and Mimi Payton (from the Prep School) and in the 90cms with Emma Williams, Mollie Tice and Lydia Ward. We have also had great excitement at the St Marys, Calne event with a Team of Molly Davies, Lydia Ward, Emma Williams and Mollie Tice winning and qualifying for the NSEA Nationals in October for the 1m Jumping with Style.

We also had a great result with the 90cms team also qualifying for the Plate Championships in December.

There are so many new competitions coming up in the Eventing arena for school teams and Dean Close is already making a clear mark on them.

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In August 2016, a team of three Show Jumpers, Molly Davies, Lydia Ward and Lawson Day made the long journey to the home of Show Jumping at Hickstead in Sussex for the All England National Schools Championships. 43 schools from all parts of the country took part.

Unfortunately it was not to be and although all riders rode well the competition was fierce and a couple of poles down cost us a place. This summer sees one of our younger riders in the senior team, Emma Williams joining Molly Davies and Lydia Ward to compete once again at Hickstead in August 2017 to take part in this prestigious competition, in the Senior Section.

The Show Jumping teams have been quite quiet this year due to many of the team involved in GCSEs. However, Emma Williams with Fairrose Fantasy went off to Beacons Event ahead of the Nationals and won the 80cms and was 3rd in the 90cms on her other ride, King Weasel, qualifying for the NSEA Nationals and securing her place on the 90cms team.

Molly Davies has, at the date of writing, individually qualified her pony Blue and her horse, Bayard IV, for the National Championships to be held in October 2017. Molly has been having a great season with her show jumpers and has qualified for the British Master and most recently for the Horse of the Year Show. These are both huge achievements that put Molly truly in the lime light as one to watch for the future of Show Jumping.

The fifth Dean Close Show Jumping Competition was held at Rectory Farm, near Cirencester, proving to be as popular as ever with over 200 competitors and 42 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 7pm.

A special thank you again to Mrs Becky Payton whose assistance prior to and on the day was invaluable. 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.

Due to exam commitments of some of the Dean Close riders, the representation was not as strong for the hosting School as in previous years. However, on the day good rounds were jumped by Lydia Ward, Emma Williams and Mollie Tice but with such high standards there was sadly no placing for the team this year. However, Molly Davies was in great form with a 2nd on Blue in the 1m and a win on her lovely horse Bayard IV in the 1.10 class saw her qualifying individually for the NSEA Championships in October.

There are 20 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. As I close on my first year as Head of Equestrianism I reflect on what outstanding results we have achieved with such a small cohort of riders compared to the other schools we repeatedly come up against. I believe the success is down to the hard work of the riders themselves and that of the parents who willingly bring riders and horses to the competitions, whilst also acknowledging the support that Dean Close offers the riders and recognition of their achievements.

F Cradock

olf at Dean Close has had an exciting year with 12 fixtures across the region played in conditions ranging from driving rain to beautiful sunshine. The season started with a win against The ODs at Cotswold Hills and continued with the squad traversing the region taking in The Rolls, Marlborough and Bromsgrove amongst others. A highlight was the inaugural House Golf competition won by Dale on the very last hole. Congratulations to all that represented the School – and in particular to the newcomers to the squad from Fourth Form and Remove.

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he tennis season 2016/2017 has continued to see the popularity of tennis grow, with over 300 people across the schools having individual tennis lessons. Captain Sona Tartarian, in her first year at the School, led by example, ever present in the first team, and was supported by Jess Thomas, Lola Blacker, Lydia Ward.

season. The 2nd team won an impressive five of their seven matches, only just losing a very tight match 4-5 to Cheltenham Ladies’ College. The 3rd team won their matches against Malvern and Cheltenham College, and the 4th team produced an excellent display to beat CLC 7-2.

All these girls helped to encourage Alice Howitt and Susie Carter who are currently in Year 8 but came up to represent the Senior School first team on a number of occasions.

Sona Tartarian and Alice Howitt took on the mantle from Elsa Pool and Judy Richards, winning the 106 year old Midlands School Girls’ Tennis tournament for the first time, but for the fifth time in a row for Dean Close.

At the same competition, Lydia Ward and Lola Blacker played consistently good tennis in the round robin event and final to win the ‘B’ couple tournament.

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The standard of senior tennis, and the number of girls wanting to play, was high. We regularly put out four senior teams but this could have been increased if facilities allowed. The 1st team won six of their nine school matches, registering pleasing wins against Cheltenham College, Wycliffe and Clifton, and losing very narrowly to Cheltenham Ladies’ College after a nail-biting first match of the

The Aberdare National Championships team, which was made up from the first team squad produced some fantastic tennis again this year beating local rivals Cheltenham College but eventually succumbing to Red Maid’s School after some outstanding tennis from both sides.

The U15A team had a very good season winning four out of their six matches, losing only narrowly to Cheltenham College and Clifton. The ever presents in the team were Daisy Blacker and captain Susie Hicks Beach. The B team won

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two and lost two of their matches, whilst the C team were the only team to remain undefeated all season with good wins against CLC, Cheltenham College, St Edward’s Oxford and Clifton.

The U14 teams have had a very tough season. The A team managed good wins against CLC and Prior Park in two of their six matches, but unfortunately the B and C teams failed to secure any wins despite some brave attempts.

Well done to all girls who have represented Dean Close at tennis this year – the teams have shown humility and grace towards their opponents, and I look forward to another good season next year.

R Donaldson

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aron’s first tournament was the National Grade 2 U16 in Nottingham. He got through to the 2nd round where he met the eventual runner up. He came close to taking the match to a match tie break but whilst his seeded opponent had a bye in the first round, Aaron was involved in a 3 hour marathon match in very hot conditions.

The second week, Aaron entered the Bath and Bristol Grade 3 U18. He won this in style dropping only 11 games in 4 matches.

In the final he destroyed the top seed 6-3 6-1 winning 12 of the last 13 games!

Aaron played his first ITF Junior (U18) in Bangkok this summer. Despite the jet lag, a shoulder problem which limited his serve and a lack of training over the last 2 months with exams, Aaron put in a fighting display in a match lasting 3 hours in 35 degree heat and 90% humidity. He eventually succumbed to a much bigger big-serving Thai opponent losing 7-5, 3-6, 3-6.

Aaron will move to around National top 50 at U16 (County No.1) and No.170 at U18 (County No.3) something that should impress his new sponsors, Mantis Sport.

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ongratulations to Geography teacher, Ben Price, who recently finished 15th in the European Duathlon Championships in Germany. Representing Great Britain in his first ever elite level Duathlon, Ben completed the gruelling course of a 10k run, followed by a 63k bike and then a second 10k run in just three hours and 11 minutes.

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stella has continued to push herself to the limits in her quests for success in the sports of Biathle, and Tetrathlon. In her first Tetrathlon Estella picked up an individual 2nd place and team silver in the British National Tetrathlon Championships in Solihull. Estella also most recently qualified to represent Great Britain once more in the European Biathle Championships in Portugal this summer, with a personal aim of making to the World Championships in October.

At the first transition he was among the top 10 athletes including one other GB athlete. Ben said: “I’ve never felt pain like that in a race before! It was like a slow motion race by the end, all of the athletes were holding back cramp and pain from other injuries.”

Undeterred by this incredibly tough event, Ben hopes to get back on the course very soon but for now is taking a well-deserved break. Well done, Mr Price!

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his year Tom Seabrook and Ed Bogue were offered professional contracts with Gloucester Rugby Club. Given the small number of contracts awarded to academy players each season, it is outstanding that two of the coveted places have been presented to two boys from the same school.

Dean Close 1st XV Captain, Tom Seabrook, has been a regular in the Gloucester Rugby’s U18 Academy Premiership league fixtures for the last two seasons. These performances were rewarded with exposure to Gloucester’s Aviva Premiership ‘A’ League Programme. Tom also played representative rugby, being selected for England U18s five times against France, Wales and Ireland, and twice against Scotland, scoring tries in two matches.

Ed Bogue entered the Gloucester Rugby U18 Academy League programme in December 2016 and became a fixture in the rest of the Gloucester campaign, being selected three times for Gloucester United, starting against Exeter Braves.

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ongratulations of Dean Close pupils Will Hewer and James Hunt who have both been selected to play for England Hockey versus Germany this July, Will for the U21s and James the U18s.

In addition, Ellis Robson has been playing for England U16s at the age of 14. Over the border in Wales, Oliver Evans has played in the U18 squad and has also been involved in the U21 squad. Elliot Bancroft has played Wales U18s and his brother Theo has

been involved with U16 squad at the age of 14. Matthew Court, Oliver Evans, Will Hewer and James Hunt have all being playing National League regularly.

Dean Close has also had several girls playing in the National League regularly with Jess Thomas, Maddie Pendle, Izzy Fairthorne and Danielle Gibson all being an integral part of the girls U18s side who qualified for the U18s Indoor and Outdoor National Finals.

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uge congratulations to Year 10 pupil, Matt Smith, who qualified for the British Ski Championships taking place this year. Matt was in the English championships in Italy where he competed in the U16 category for the first time. Many of his competitors spend the winter months based in academies in the Alps giving them the advantage of six weeks solid training ahead of the event.

Matt competed in all the disciplines, the Slalom, Giant Slalom (GS) and Super Giant Slalom (Super G) and successfully completed them all. Scoring is calculated on a combined time, with two attempts allowed in the Slalom and GS providing the skier completes the first run. With the Super G event, competitors only have one run.

Matt came 19th out of 63 overall and 9th in his year group for the slalom which bodes very well for his 2nd year in U16s in 2018. In the GS, Matt came 33rd out of 63 competitors and Super G 38th out of 106.

Bearing in mind that he is in his first year of the U16 group, he has every right to be proud of himself.

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eorgie Hildick-Smith has worked in the English Department as a full time teacher of English for 9 years. She is an OD and, therefore, has in fact been at DCS for considerably longer. She crossed over the threshold from pupil to teacher after completing her English Honours Degree at Oxford, and returned as a Speech and Drama teacher but quickly filled a position that had become vacant as fulltime teacher of English.

However, she maintained strong links with the drama department, as the Director of Drama, Lloyd Allington, writes: “Georgina is pretty much a one-off: brainy, feisty and utterly dedicated, she has made a major contribution to the Drama at DCS – not only directing (and assistant directing productions) but simply attending rehearsals in her precious free time just for the love of it. Her delight in watching scholar actors on stage develop and deliver performances is palpable and infectious, and she has honed her directorial skills with a superb critical faculty which will be Magdalen College School’s gain and our tremendous loss.

Many a time I have been directing a scene, and Hildick will come in and respond immediately and brilliantly: sometimes a guffaw, sometimes a tear, and sometimes a fearless wrinkled nose “No, that doesn’t work at all, Lloyd…”. She has been our right arm, and her standards are absolute: we have seen this in her productions: Macbeth – reaching terrific heights with Juniors, and encouraging scholars well beyond what they thought were their limitations; in Playing for Time, a little-known Miller play about female Holocaust musicians (wow - what a piece); in the very dangerous Dangerous Liaisons – what a smashing, edgy production; and her involvement and encouragement to me and Rebecca Vines and the kids in endless productions from Les Miserables to Singin’ in the Rain to Fiddler on the Roof… the list goes on. It will feel unpleasantly odd not to have Georgie just THERE. She has been in every sense a member of the Drama Department just as much as the English Department. We shall miss her terrifying intelligence, her wit, her raised eyebrow, her wrinkled nose and her silvery laugh. More than anything we will miss her dedication to the scholars and the shows”.

As Head of English, it has been my very great pleasure and privilege to work with such a dedicated, loyal and intelligent colleague. She is the one who calls me ‘Boss’ with a twinkle of irony. Of course, I am not her boss, but her comrade and friend.

Georgie is the ultimate professional – she makes all decisions based on the welfare of her scholars. She has been described as ‘firm but firm’ by the Headmaster, and certainly woe

betide any sch However, this f very deep lov and for her pupils. She is one of the few members of Common Room who bemoans the reduced teaching load when the two examination groups commence ‘study leave’ in May. She has a feel for the job and understands its significance. When observing her lessons, she comes across as a very natural teacher. The classroom is her natural habitat and she is the light at its centre, exuding a joy of Literature and intellectual enquiry. She is highly creative in her approach, inspiring her scholars to engage with the richness of English Literature through a variety of well-thought out activities.

One memorable example is Lower Sixth scholar, Tom Ford, who was so inspired by her lessons on Milton’s Paradise Lost that he spent his holiday creating a highly complex and beautiful board game.

Georgie is a stickler for detail, rigorous in approach and maintains the highest standards.

She knows her subject matter with great authority. She became the mistress of the Gothic for the new linear A Level, working

last year is one of the best evenings the department has had. She is a devotee of our annual Quantocks trip. Sporting her army issue combat shorts and sturdy walking boots, she cuts an impressive figure battling through walls of nettles and scrambling up muddy banks. Yet, through it all she maintains her joyful disposition: she sees the good in everything and everyone, which explains her cast-iron loyalty and kindness. Her work for the Department is hugely valued. She is the tireless writer of departmental minutes – somehow she manages to extract poetry and humour from some of the more tedious aspects of being an English teacher, such as the endless marking.

She has adapted to constant changes to curricula with the spirit of the Blitz years. MCS is very blessed to have secured such a wonderful teacher and valued colleague.

Georgie will be hugely missed for her friendship, joyous response to Literature, great sense of humour and generosity of spirit.

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eter Anstis joined Dean Close School in January 1995 as Head of Chemistry, Examinations Officer and House Tutor and from that moment on he took a full and active part in Dean Close life. As Head of Chemistry, he was always held in a very high regard by all the teachers in his department and, talking from experience working under Peter, he was always there with a calming word or funny anecdote to make the world a seem more agreeable place. No matter how busy he was, Peter always had time to listen to you and offer sage advice.

Peter would like to be remembered as a School Master, not just as a Teacher, as he threw himself into each and every aspect of the role of School Master with his characteristic gusto, ranging from his sensitive and caring approach to his tutoring role to walking across big field, track suited in the pouring rain to take a session of either Hockey or Football, smiling as he went.

A testament to the high regard in which Peter is held is exemplified by our Lab Technician Sara Fletcher, who only worked with Peter for one year, but commented to me recently that she will really miss having the calming influence of Peter around the school and that there will be a big hole in the community where he once was.

I can remember after a School inspection in the early 2000s the comment was made that Peter ran the department ‘with an iron fist in a silk glove’, a comment that stayed with me for a long time and something I aspired to. He was a Head of Department who garnered so much

respect from his colleagues that we would do anything for him, often putting ourselves out in the process. In the department, his knowledge and experience has been invaluable to everyone from the quiet ‘nudge in the right direction’ to the introduction of new and exciting class practical sessions. Whenever I meet any Old Decanians the first questions they always ask is ‘how is Dr Anstis?’ an indication of the high regard the pupils have for him. In 2008 Peter stepped down from the role of Head of Chemistry to concentrate on being a Chemistry Teacher and Examinations Officer.

During this time Peter managed to combine both of these demanding roles with good grace and exceptional skill, continuing to impart his knowledge to many generations until he retired from chemistry teaching in 2016. But he remained part of the Dean Close staff as he concentrated solely on his role as Examinations Officer.

He has been utterly reliable in all his work for Dean Close over the years and we will all miss his calming presence in the examination hall during exam season.

To conclude Peter Anstis could be summed up by the following chemical equation: Integrity (aq) + Humour (g) + Dedication (aq) + Friendship (s) = Peter Anstis (s) Goodbye Peter, you will be sorely missed by the whole of the Dean Close Community and we would all like to wish you a pleasant, restful and well-earned retirement.

A Needs

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az joined Dean Close in 2011.

Her warmth and enthusiasm of all things Duke of Edinburgh and climbing made her an instant hit with Common Room and pupils alike. With her hand firmly on the DofE tiller, she was quick to build the Award scheme’s popularity at both Bronze and Gold levels. Many a pupil has benefitted from her love of the outdoors, rain or shine; a trip would not be complete without a notable thing happening and often it would be the keys to a minibus that would get lost, not the groups walking in the hills!

GENEROUS WITH HER TIME, CAZ HAS BEEN KNOWN TO HANG AROUND SCHOOL TO HELP OUT; THE MOST EXTREME EXAMPLE OF THIS WAS IN 2016 WHEN SHE CAMPED OUT ON THE SCHOOL CLIMBING WALL FOR 24HRS IN AID OF CHARITY

Generous with her time, Caz has been known to hang around school to help out; the most extreme example of this was in 2016 when she camped out on the school climbing wall for 24hrs in aid of charity. Ever up for a challenge, she joined the CCF as an adult instructor and during her time at Dean Close she has also cycled from Lands’ End to John O’Groats and studied A levels in languages, to name but a few achievements.

Her energy, faith and lust for life have been infectious; from a cheery hello in Common Room to a quick burst of song in Spanish or French as she instructed on the climbing wall or from behind the counter of the Dean Bean.

We will all miss your flamboyance and flair so much.

DD Evans

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Add to this, her tutoring of a number of Sixth Form students, and even, in the past, some teaching in the English Department, and it becomes clear that Mary-Ann’s commitment to Dean Close and her involvement in the life of the school goes way beyond the ‘day job’ of heading up our Admissions Team.

But what to say, and how to thank her, for all that she has done in that role for a decade? A full school with a broad spectrum of pupils with skills and talents inside and outside the classroom is a prerequisite for a successful school: socially, academically, co-curricularly and, last but not least, financially. The bottom line is quite simply, that if Mary-Ann and her colleagues do not bring in the pupils, we are all out of a job!

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first met Mary-Ann, when she came to Dean Close on an interview day for our Tutor for Admissions role to replace Emma Taylor. In a quirk of coincidence, the latter returns as Warden just as Mary-Ann leaves us to head off to join her husband, Anthony, in Melbourne!

Mary-Ann has waited for Dominic to finish his Sixth Form with us as a member of Brook Court, and this is the first of many thanks to her – for not only working so professionally for the past 10 years but also sending three of her four children to be educated here: Cecily into the Sixth Form, Lucy all the way through the Senior School, and Dom, first as a Chorister at DCPS and then again all the way through to his A levels. All three of her children here have studied a Classical subject at A Level so that is my second thanks – for generating classical scholars!

Speaking of Dom being a Chorister, leads to the next thanks, paying tribute to Mary-Ann’s faithful contribution to the alto line of Chapel Choir and Chamber Choir throughout her time with us. Music is a great love of hers and I am told that one of her colleagues’ fondest memories will be of Mary-Ann tunefully humming or singing under her breath the most recently-practised anthem or choral piece as she sails back into the Admissions and Marketing Office after Choir Practice!

THE BOTTOM LINE IS QUITE SIMPLY, THAT IF MARY-ANN AND HER COLLEAGUES DO NOT BRING IN THE PUPILS, WE ARE ALL OUT OF A JOB!

Not many people, outside the Marketing and Admissions Team, see all the hard work that goes into this role, and all the skill that is needed to make it work well. I have had that privilege throughout Mary-Ann’s 10 years, first as Director of Studies, as we interviewed Scholarship, Ordinary Entrance and preCE candidates together and met countless prospective parents, but then in my role liaising actively with the Admissions Team, and together attending Prep School Open Evenings, seeing the extensive administration for Open Mornings, Round the Clock, Scholarship Evenings and daily individual visits – all conducted with Mary-Ann’s meticulous eye-for-detail and a calm professionalism that

encourages confidence in the processes and us as a school. Add to that list regular reports for Headmaster, Bursar and Trustees, and liaison with Heads of Department the Housemaster body, and you begin to get a sense of the importance of this role!

A few final areas of thanks: thank you for all the times you have looked after prep school heads or other key people in the admissions process; thank you for all the trips you have been on at recruitment fairs to ensure as strong a recruitment as possible of international students. That group now comprises well over 20% of our pupil numbers, and many of those pay full fees. Some colleagues think that these trips must just be jollies, but I know that they involve long flights, change of time zones, long interview days with pushy international agents and parents, and then straight back into a full school day on return.

And finally, and perhaps most importantly of all, thank you for looking after the members of your Admissions Team, Sarah, Holly, Belinda, Amelia and now Kelly and Hannah, as well as liaising with Tracey and Amy in Marketing, with Rebecca and Rhian at the Prep School and now with folk at St John’s too. I know that your own team hugely value your support of them, as they have settled in to the Dean Close community, and they will miss you as much, if not more, than any of us. Safe travel to Oz! DR Evans

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ophie re-joined Dean Close in January 2015 after having previously done a maternity cover. In those two and a half years, she has not only become an integral part of the Biology Department but also a fully engaged and active member of the School community. She has taught across all age ranges, but has excelled in engaging younger pupils in Life Sciences and the strength of Biology numbers at both GCSE and A level must be attributable, at least in part, to her enthusiasm and energy.

She has pioneered (and shared) resources and her youth and ideas have been of great benefit to the delivery of Lower School Biology.

Outside the classroom she has made a significant impact on the equestrian scene and her personal interest and background with horses have been of great support to both Paula Watson and latterly Fleur Cradock as Heads of Equestrian. She has taught PSHE and Fourth Form Physics, run Biology clinics, helped with Zoo Club, paid her dues through involvement in the Girls’ Games programme and been a tutor to the Lower School Shelburne girls and a diverse range of Sixth Form students. She is always amiable, amenable and approachable, and she will be sorely missed across the whole spectrum of School life. She moves on to become Head of Biology at Hereford Cathedral School in September, and to a significantly easier commute! She takes our warmest thanks and fondest wishes with her.

M Wilkes

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Mark arrived at Dean Close in 2004 with his wife Romey, Houseparent of Gate House and Head of Learning Support, and their two children, Eliot, in his second year reading Classics at Exeter and Emily, in the Fifth Form completing her GCSE studies this year. Mark studied History at Oxford and then embarked on a successful career in management consultancy in the South East where he also completed his MBA.

We have been very fortunate to have benefitted from the leadership and presence of Interim Warden, Roger Jones at Dean Close for the last 14 months. He and his wife, Sue, have brought a vast amount of experience of schools and have added a real love for the pupils and community at Dean Close. One of Roger’s great gifts is to understand what is required in a given situation and to put his emotional intelligence to great use in pouring oil on troubled waters or driving something forward that needs a firmer approach. It should come as no surprise that a school leader of Roger’s stature should develop such a strong rapport with pupils with whom he has not had the benefit of spending a great deal of time.

We have also benefitted from Sue Jones’s presence in the theatre and dance studio. Sue is a highly accomplished professional dancer and her support of dance has done much to raise the profile of the discipline as well as helping to ensure that the School production of Fiddler on the Roof was such a stand out success.

As Roger and Sue try to retire for the third time, we wish them every happiness for their future in the South of France.

BJ Salisbury

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It was Mark’s skills as a Business Studies teacher that first caught the eye of then Headmaster, Tim Hastie-Smith, and he was quickly identified as a future leader of both the Business and Economics department and Gate House. Mark is a highly creative teacher with strong expectations of his pupils. His academic strength and ability to communicate make him an outstanding classroom teacher who consistently delivers not only outstanding results on paper but also in raising the aspirations of his pupils across a range of areas.

His commitment to bringing the A Level case studies to life have seen him devouring pastries from Greggs, taking his Sixth Form group on a “study” weekend to Center Parcs and arriving at his lesson dressed in the finest street clothes Superdry has to offer.

If being a Head of Department and Housemaster were not enough, Mark was also 1st XV rugby coach for seven years; Head of Rugby for five as well as tour leader of two highly successful tours: rugby to the Cook Islands & New Zealand in 2008; netball and rugby to Singapore and Australia in 2012. Mark has an enviable ability to develop teams. I have little doubt that the members of those touring parties and rugby teams will be boring their children with tall stories and anecdotes in the future.

As with many careers, teachers can be taken away from the thing that they love most of all and it is always the time that Mark spends with pupils that he talks about most fondly. Whether that is a Business lesson, a coaching session or a House assembly with the boys in Gate, Mark comes alive when he’s working with teenagers.

It was, however, inevitable that Mark would be sought after as a senior leader where his intelligence, analytical skills, presentation skills and team building could be put to use. As the Deputy Head (Academic), Mark embraced the changes to the curriculum brought on by his contemporary at Oxford, Michael Gove.

The A Level and GCSE curriculum,

reporting system, approach to marking, timetable and appraisals have all come under Mark’s project management and he has played a significant part in creating a bespoke approach to our academic studies that reflects the nature of the pupils and the aims of the School. Mark is like a master yachtsman who sees the changes in the wind direction and adjusts his course accordingly and before most others have seen anything coming.

It is no surprise to me that Mark has been successful in being appointed to the Headship of Dunottar School, close to the Tottman family home in Surrey. I have learnt a great deal from working alongside Mark and his future team has much to look forward to as he leads his new school forwards. Mark leaves a terrific legacy at Dean Close and I know that the whole community wishes him every success and happiness for the future.

BJ Salisbury

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t has been another busy year for the Archive Department. Of particular note was the acquisition of the Cedric Kennedy Collection. Kennedy was an Art Master at the School from 1938-1960 with a brief hiatus during the war. He painted a number of the Headmasters’ portraits which currently hang in the Dining Hall.

Julia has been connected with Dean Close for many years; as a parent of four daughters; teacher and Senior Mistress in DCPS; and since 2008 the Housemistress of Fawley House, Maths and PSHE teacher and games coach at Dean Close School.

“She should aid them in reaching the decision that no one can afford to spend in unworthy rivalries the strength which ought to be given to winning honest success.” This is an excerpt from a teaching manual published in about 1920 in the United States. The manual advocates that the “highest function of the school is character building”. This could just as easily have been written by one of the many “celebrity” educational blog writers of the present age and it is something that I both agree with and see at the heart of Julia’s work in the house, classroom and sports field.

Julia has worked tirelessly to create an environment in Fawley where the girls are independent, ambitious and full of integrity. There is no doubt that along the way teenagers are going to push against the guidance of an adult and yet when you look at the senior pupils in Fawley over the last few years, you can see a group of confident and characterful young women who are ready for the next stage.

Julia has developed a strong team of tutors to lead the house as well as equipping the senior girls to play their part in creating a positive and very

supportive environment in the house.

Fawley is a house that is known for its committed approach to house competitions, it is here that you see the strength of the spirit that exists between the girls.

In the classroom, Julia has a reputation for wanting the very best for every pupil and has a particular heart for the underdog, the pupil who finds it harder to arrive fully prepared for the lesson. If they are even slightly willing, they will find that they have a teacher, in Julia, who is completely on their side.

On the side of the sports field, in the second row of the viola section of the Orchestra, in the Bacon Theatre balcony at a dress rehearsal of the play or whipping up enthusiasm for a Saturday evening chocolate fountain, Julia has shown, time and again, how much she cares not only for the pupils’ current, but also their future, needs.

Julia’s new role as a pastoral leader and Maths teacher at Dorcan Academy near Swindon will bring a new set of challenges but I fully expect her to be the first person to volunteer to help a colleague, the first colleague to text to see if the Head is okay and the first teacher to provide a little more background information as to why a pupil might be giving someone a hard time. We will miss her commitment and friendship enormously.

In Michaelmas last year a catalogue for a memorial exhibition held in Kennedy’s honour at Cheltenham Art Gallery in 1969 was deposited in the Archive collection. In it was featured an exhibit entitled ‘Boys of Dean Close School 1945-1962’.

After a little research we were able to track one of these drawings to an auction two years ago, and via the auction house, able to contact the owner. Much to our surprise it turned out that rather than just one drawing the owner had a number of them and was willing to donate them to the School. Thanks to Mr Parkinson’s generosity, the archive now holds approximately 29 drawings as well as a much better understanding of Kennedy’s life and his work. Although we were aware of his service during World War 2 with camouflage design, we were not aware he also served during the First World War as a pilot, and having been shot down, was a POW for the rest of the war. The Imperial War Museum holds two of his paintings. One features a bi-plane on patrol from the first conflict and the other a camouflaged runway from the second.

BJ Salisbury

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archives

Another major achievement this year was the research carried out by Charles Whitney to produce the Distinguished Old Decanian List. This book features those alumni who have may have won medals, awards, been particularly successful in their given career or else pre-eminent in their sport. It includes 606 names among 840 entries. One such is that of the The Rev’d. Edward Victor Tanner, who served as a chaplain during the First World War, and was awarded the MC not once but twice. The first time for ‘gallant and self-sacrificing conduct’ in the battle for Passchendaele Ridge in September 1917 and the second at Neuve Chapelle March 1918 for leading several men to safety and looking after a seriously wounded German while under German sniper fire. An Old Decanian himself, Tanner also worked at Dean Close as both Chaplain and Housemaster of Gate.

Mr Parkinson

Distinguished Old Decanian List

Charles Whitney & Grace Pritchard-Wood

The Rev’d, Edward Tanner

Cedric Kennedy Collection

THANKS TO MR PARKINSON’S GENEROSITY THE ARCHIVE NOW HOLDS APPROXIMATELY 29 DRAWINGS AS WELL AS A MUCH BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF KENNEDY’S LIFE AND HIS WORK

Another entry is that of Emma Sky who returned to Dean Close last year as the guest speaker at Commemoration.

Sky also published that year ‘The Unravelling’ recalling her time as Political Advisor to a top US General in Iraq; later to the US Security Coordinator for Middle East Peace Process in Jerusalem and later still to the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan. The book is available from the school shop for £5.

G Pritchard-Woods Archivist Emma Sky -

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sixthformleavers

Aaron Cook

Aidan Nixon

Aideen Teeling

Alex Dankov

Amy Mustoe

Ben Flint

Beth Leishman

Bonnie Evans

Caitlin Jackson

Channen Chong

Charlotte Finney

Clodagh Large

Crystal Nip

Dan Evans

Dom McClaren

Ed Bogue

Ellie Hill

Eric Wan

Eva Johanna-Huelsmann

Fraser Nelson

George Howell

George Tregoning

Georgia Toase

Goz Ubosi

Gus Maughan

Hadley Trafford

Harry Johnson

Hattie Abbott

Henry Burgess

Henry Elsey

Ian Hayes

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Sixthformleavers

Isabel Bruce

Isabella Fairthorne

Jake Williams

James Brown

James Harrison

Janet Zhang

Jason Richards

Katie Colbert-Smith

Kostya Zemskovas

Kristan Manton-Dever

Lan Qi

Laurence Kilsby

Liv Street

Louise Lovatt

Luca Cappuccini

Lucy O’Rourke

Maddie Harris

Matthew Court

Molly Caesar

Oli Evans

Patrick Coniam

Peter Hicks Beach

Rachel Zhang

Raf Lum

Rory Kavanagh

Salim Jaffar

Sam Norwood

Samantha Smellie

Shoko Niina

Simon Fraser

Tilda Darling

Tinwai Cheung

Will Hewer

William Cox

Wongsarthorn Jitsukai

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Commonroomlist

RJ Jones, LVO, BEd (Oxon)

2016

BJ Salisbury, MEd, PGCE

University of Bristol

DR Evans, MA Mrs JA Davis, BA, PGCE AS Hall, BA (HMS) MD Tottman, MA, MBA, QTS AP Bowcher, MBA, DipFS, FCIB

Oriel College, Oxford Girton College, Cambridge Rhodes University, SA Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford City University, London

Senior Master (Communications), Classics Deputy Head Pastoral, Geography Deputy Head Deputy Head Academic, Housemaster (Gate) Bursar and Clerk to the Trustees

Miss SC Villiers, BA, PGCE LS Allington, BA Mrs HL Porter, BA, LRAM, PGCE Mrs JD Kent, GDLM PS Montgomery, MA, PGCE Mrs FMB Harris, MA, PGCE Mrs C Allen, BMus,ALCM, LGSM, PGCE Miss AE Ash, BDes, PGCE JM Allen, MA, PGCE PJP Anstis, MA, MEd, PhD, PGCE DM Fullerton, MA Miss IM Carames-Castelo, BA, PGCE AJ George, MA, PGCE AJ Davies, FISTC J Slade, MA Miss RJ Donaldson, BSc, PGCE PJJ Garner, MA, PGCE G Tredgett Mrs CJ Evans, BA, PGCE AR Needs, BSc, PGCE Miss RMO Vines, BA, FVCM, LALAM,ALAM DD Evans, BSc Mrs KE Milne, BA BP Price, BSc, PGCE Mrs RS Rushton, BA, PGCE CJ Hooper, BA, PGCE J Mears, BA, PGCE AGA Milne, MA, PGCE Mrs M-A McClaran, BA, MA Miss GE Hildick-Smith, BA Dr M Bradley, MBioChem, DPhil ,PGCE Miss TL Williams, BSc, PGCE, GTP Mrs S Lait, BSc, PGCE JRB Stott, BSc, DipTh, PGCE Mrs CHS Montgomery, BA, PGCE, Miss BP Puig Mrs RE Tottman, MA, PGCert, SpLD RP Wood, BSc, PGCE Mrs JE George, BSc, PGCE GN Baber-Williams, BSc, PGCE Mrs KM Brown MA Mrs EL Davis BSc Miss CE Hatchell BSc, PGCE, ML Mrs J Abbott BA, PGCE DK Chapman BSc, PGCE Mrs E Gillett BA, PGCE ZS Suckle BA, MA, PGCE Mrs RJ Vest BA, PGCE (CELTA) Mr SA Bell MMus, BMus, FRCO PJ Harvey BA

University of Birmingham University College, Durham University of Exeter City of Leeds College of Music Pembroke College, Cambridge Merton College, Oxford Royal Holloway, Univ. of London University of Liverpool Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge Christ’s College, Cambridge Jesus College, Cambridge Santiago de Compostela Downing College, Cambridge

Modern Languages 1985 Director of Drama 1987 Director of Music,Assistant Exams Officer 1987 Housemistress (Shelburne), Music 1990 Housemaster (Field), History 1991 Mathematics 1991 Housemistress (Turner), Music 1992 Art 1993 Head of Classics 1995 Examinations Officer 1995 Head of Careers, Modern Languages 1995 Spanish 1996 Director of Fourth Form Studies, Maths 1998 Swimming & Water Polo Coach 2001 HsM(Brook Court), Economics & Business 2001 Director of Studies & Head of Academic PE 2002 Head of Mathematics, Co-ordinator of Activities 2002 Director of Hockey 2004 Head of Art 2003 Head of Chemistry 2003 Head of Speech & Drama 2003 Head of Design Technology, Head of CCF 2004 Housemistress (Hatherley), English 2005 Housemaster (Dale), Geography 2005 Art 2005 Head of Modern Languages, External Course 2006 Business Studies 2006 History, Politics, Head of Cricket 2006 Admissions Tutor 2007 English, Oxbridge 2008 Biology, Chemistry, Core Science 2008 Head of Psychology 2008 Assistant Director of Sport 2008 Mathematics 2009 Modern Languages, Director of Community Action 2009 Spanish 2009 Head of Learning Support, Housemistress (Gate) 2009 School Marshall 2009 Mathematics 2010 Director of Sport,Asst HsM Tower 2010 Numeracy Support 2010 Teaching Assistant 2010 Duke of Edinburgh Award Leader 2010 Housemistress (Fawley), Mathematics 2011 Chemistry 2011 English, ELT 2011 Librarian, Study Skills 2011 EAL 2011 Director of Choral Music 2012 Head of Physics, Common Room President 2013

Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford Loughborough University Peterhouse, Cambridge University of Kent Hatfield College, Durham Cardiff University Loughborough University St Mary’s College, Durham University of Bristol Middlesex University University of Bath Nottingham Trent University University College, Oxford Universities of East Anglia & York Hertford College, Oxford University College, Oxford Coventry University University of the West of England Durham University University of Birmingham La Coruna University, Spain Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University of Reading Keele University & Cambridge UWIC Queens College, Cambridge University of York Swansea University St Aidans College, Durham University of Bristol Lancaster University University of Bristol University of Exeter Royal College of Music Pembroke College, Oxford

2009

2001 2007 2016 2004 2014

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commonroom

Mrs KM Ledlie MA, PGCE Mrs K Holder Miss DM Richards BSc, PGCE AH Spring Wallis BEng, PGCE FE Stewart MA A Spring Wallis BA, PGCE AA Stanley BSc MW Wilkes BA, PGCE Miss SV Phelps, BSc, PGCE Mrs CL Bourne, BA AI Cradock, BSc, PGCE Mrs MJ Davies, PGCE Miss KA Gordon BSc, PGCS JM Hardaker, BA Mrs HD McKechnie, BSc, PGCE MJ McKechnie BA Miss GM Moule, BA BS Poxon MA, PGCE JM Sheldon BA, PGCS Miss MA Taylor, BSc, GTC Mrs MW Watts, BA, PGCE MJ Yemm NL Youlton, BSc Miss GC Archer, BA DV Baldanzi, LLB Mrs CL Bourne BA Mrs F Cradock, BSc, MA, MSc Mrs CJ Derby, BSc, MSc, PGDip, PGCE Miss O Duffin Miss ML Edwards Mrs R Harbit Miss E Hodgkinson, BA, PGCE B Mackey DC Mochan BA, PGCE, MA, FRSA D Rice, MA,ARCO Miss SE Paterson, BA M Salmon M Powell DW Tomlinson, BSc, PGCE

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2016/17

Merton College, Oxford Brunel University, London University of Hull University of Nottingham University of Birmingham Univ West of England Herford College, Oxford University of Gloucestershire UWE, Bristol Newcastle University University of Gloucestershire University of St Andrews Manchester Metropolitan University of Nottingham University of Durham Durham University University of Bristol Lincoln College, Oxford Uni University of Bath University of Huddersfield Bristol City College Aberystwyth University University of Bristol Durham University University West of England University of Leeds University of Kingston University of Cambridge Royal Holloway, London University of Bath Selwyn College, Cambridge University of Gloucestershire

University of Gloucestershire

Head of English Netball Coach PE,Assistant HsM Shelburne Physics, Professional Tutor Classics English Director of Rugby Director of Sixth Form, Biology Biology Geography Head of Geography, CCF Design Technology, IT Mathematics Head of Business Studies & Economics Mathematics Physics Assistant Chaplain Housemaster (Tower), Head of RS Head of History & Politics Head of Cookery School Learning Support Tennis Assistant Chaplain Classics Graduate Teaching Assistant Geography Head of Equestrianism Chemistry Speech & Drama Chemistry Biology English Hockey Coach Head of Religious Studies Organ Scholar Graduate Teaching Assistant Graduate Teaching Assistant Director of Cricket PE

2013 2013 2013 2013 2014 2014 2014 2014 2015 2016 2016 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016

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5 20 30

Contents News Houses Chaplaincy Report Confirmation Drama Music Art Cookery School Commemoration Cheltenham Literature Festival Cheltenham Science Festival Events Charity Academic Highlights Societies Trips CCF Sport Leavers Archives Sixth Form Leavers 2016/17 Common Room List

2 5 17 19 20 30 41 53 56 63 65 66 70 72 79 83 94 98 119 123 125 127

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53 56

DC

DEAN CLOSE

CHELTENHAM

SENIOR SCHOOL

Decanian September 2016 - August 2017

A Year in the Life of Dean Close Senior School

Decanian 2016/17

Artists inspired in Venice Geographers awestruck in Iceland Sell out for Fiddler on the Roof Thrilling performance of Rhapsody in Blue Young entrepreneurs at GCHQ

DC

DEAN CLOSE

CHELTENHAM

SENIOR SCHOOL

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

2016/17

DC

DEAN CLOSE

CHELTENHAM

SENIOR SCHOOL