1 2022MAGAZINESCHOOLELSTREESALVO
I am heartened by the chatter and laughter that rings out through the Elstree corridors, by the boys and girls who have joyful enthusiasm for school life and a healthy twinkle in their eye. It reminds me that children need a safe environment where they can try new things, make mistakes and then learn from them. We have a responsibility to prepare the children for the highs and lows of an everchanging world.
So how do we prepare children for a future we cannot predict? Resilience, creativity and resourcefulness are all skills that need to be developed, and practising them with awareness and empathy for others will be paramount.
WELCOME
Welcome to the 2022 edition of Salvo. No two years are ever the same, and Elstree rarely stands still. It is with such joy that we can all look back on a happy and successful year which has seen pupils, staff and parents join together again properly. Once again, our pupils have flourished as they have embraced all aspects of an Elstree education. As they seek out new knowledge and adventures, they are encouraged to be curious, to be bold and to try new things. Friendships are being built, skills are being learnt and characters are being formed. It remains a privilege to guide and support all the children through these formative years. The happy hum of Elstree is loud and clear. Excellent Common Entrance results are in, Scholarships have been awarded and all our Year 8 Leavers have deservedly been awarded their first choice of senior school. Beyond academic excellence, we will always encourage our pupils to pursue a wealth of extra-curricular activities, helping them to realise their talents and develop as individuals.
Every effort is made worthwhile by the support of our Elstree families and, of course, the wonderful enthusiasm of our children. The spirit of Elstree shines bright; what fun this year has been.
Above all, Elstree pupils are encouraged to be overwhelmingly kind to others. As they progress from their lessons in the classrooms, in the woods, on the sports fields, during music practice, in the Art and DT rooms or on the stage, our aim is for Elstree children to grow in confidence. With the simple belief that if they work hard, make the most of every opportunity and support each other on the way, they will succeed in achieving their goals. As you will see in these pages, the children have already achieved so Oliviamuch.and I would like to thank our fantastic team of staff who work with such enthusiastic commitment and energy to make Elstree the ambitious and purposeful school it is. As a team, they plan with meticulous thought and care to guide the children both in and out of the classroom, and across the Pre-Prep and Prep school. Next year will see Elstree mark its 175th anniversary and we plan to celebrate in style. Our 175 Anniversary Ball will take place on Saturday 8th July 2023, and we look forward to welcoming the whole Elstree community to this event and other celebrations during the course of the year. There is a genuine buzz about the school at the moment and we can all look forward with great optimism and positivity.
Contents Valete,
4 Co-education 6 Academic 8 Boarding 20 Drama 24 Music 32 Art and DT 38 Trips 42 Church 50 Charity and Events 52 Friends of Elstree 70 Enrichment 74 Pre-Prep 84 Sport 102 Leavers 142 Editor: Beth Davenport Proof Readers: Olivia Inglis, Debs Burles, Alexandra Harrison and Steve Bates Photographers: Olivia Inglis, Chris Shuman, Crispy Kidson, Issie Swanborough, Jon Bond and Andrew Gemmell. All sports teams photos have been reproduced with kind permission of Gilman and Soame Photographers and can be ordered online at www.gsimagebank.co.uk/elstreeschool/ With special thanks to all the staff, pupils and parents for writing articles and taking photos. WELCOME3
Sid Inglis, Headmaster Salvete, Bravo
4 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022
Debs Preston
At the start of 2020, Debs decided that she would like to return to class teaching and began to split her time between the Pre-Prep and Learning Development Department.
Juggling many roles and working hard is not new to Debs as she has a busy family life with her two lovely girls and husband who she supports in running a Senior School boarding house. She has been a wonderful addition to the Pre-Prep where she is passionate about bringing the children’s interests into their learning. She always puts so much into everything she does, and the children are always at the forefront of her mind. Debs is not afraid of being creative and her classroom was often bursting with colour, excitement and joy. We will miss Debs enormously and wish her all the best for her exciting new role at St Neot’s.
When you mention Deb’s name to anyone, their face breaks into a smile. Her friendly, positive and caring nature means that she is loved by colleagues, children and parents alike.
SLMA veryteamsheJanetheirkindness,Thedisplayhasasteam.andlovelySheJanegoodthewithforstaffOnebeenArtmanyandhappywhopairthewithcommencingJaneJaneSALVETE,RabbiosijoinedusinthePre-PrepinJanuary2021,aswewerethesecondCovidLockdown.InsteadofhelpingReceptionasplannedorstayingathomeasmostofcountrywereaskedtodo,JanecameintobeanextraofhandsinNursery.ThisexamplehighlightsexactlyJaneis.Sheissomeonewhowillalwayssayyesandistohelpwhereversheisneeded.Overthelastyearahalf,shehasbeenthemostincrediblesupporttosopeople.ShehashelpedatourDucklingsclub,ledanclub,supportedvariousyeargroupsandhasalwayshappytolendahandwhereneeded.ofmyfirstmemoriesofJaneisofhercleaningouttheroomfridgeonherfirstday.Shehadonlybeenwithusamatterofminuteswhenshegotdownonherkneesabottleofdetergentinhandandstartedcleaningoutstafffridge.Ismiledtomyselfthinkingwehavegotaonehere!hasn’tjustbeen‘good’though,shehasbeenexcellent.iswellknownforherwarmthandsmile,andshehasawayoftalkingtothechildren.SheisincrediblycreativehasproducedsomemasterpiecesfortheEarlyYearsYoualwaysknowwhichclassroomJaneissupportinginthedisplayboardsarelikewalkingintoanartgallery!Janethingshangingfromtheceiling,everythingis3Dandeachboardsomehowseemstotopthepreviousone!childrenloveJanetooandwillrememberherforhergamestheyplayedandforhercarewhentheycutknees.willbegreatlymissednextyear.However,IknowthatwillbethemostwonderfuladditiontotheassistantatThorngroveandweallwishJaneandherfamilythebestofluckintheirnewadventure.
Debs came to Elstree in 2016 to work part time, joining the Learning Development Department under Gill Tilley.
VALETE,
When Gill left, she was instrumental in helping me to lead and develop our flourishing department. Over the past few years, Debs has been a central part of our wonderful team and my ‘right hand man’, happy to take on whatever task or challenge is needed, bringing her creativity and adaptability into her teaching, always for the benefit of the children we work with. Debs has worked alongside and supported many children with their learning needs, always showing enthusiasm, kindness, and ambition for her pupils. She has had huge success with her pupils, who have often exceeded all expectations at Common Entrance despite their difficulties.
AB
To sum up Tish’s contribution to Elstree in a couple of paragraphs is almost impossible. Tish gave so freely of her time, energy and skills and is sorely missed by all at Elstree.
Tish Gauci
James CongratulationsHannahandMorristoJamesandHannah who were married on 23rd March 2022. We wish them every happiness.
5
For me Tish’s greatest quality was her ability to work as part of a team – getting the very best out of people and always making them feel valued. Given how long she has been at Elstree, almost every current Elstree family has benefitted from a ‘Tish welcome’: her reassuring patience, calm professionalism and comprehensive knowledge of ‘all things Elstree’. On a personal level, Tish was a fantastic support to me and a loyal friend. I really miss her but know she isn’t far away. Elstree’s loss is very much Reading University’s gain, and we wish Tish the very best of luck with her new adventures. OSI
BRAVOSALVETE,VALETE,5
Tish joined the Elstree team as Registrar in 2014, and it was immediately clear that she was utterly professional. Her calm and organised manner, even when things were frantic, was exemplary. Tish had hundreds of plates spinning on a daily basis and she never, ever looked flustered. Tish took on so much at Elstree: prospective parent visits, redesigning the website, social media, Salvo, Echo, outreach events, visas, uniform shop visits, bursary applications, Open Mornings, networking events.... I could go on!
BRAVO
The move to full co-education means that our pupils are naturally prepared to take their place in the wider Nextcommunity.year,we will have 85 girls throughout the school and will be fully co-educational from Nursery to Year 8. Our younger girls will have exceptional role models to look up to. True innovators with a strong moral compass and an inspiring hunger to take on all that Elstree has to offer. We hope that they will be a steadfast influence on the growing cohort of young girls joining Elstree.
ACTI CO-EDUCATION
We have expanded our extracurricular programme to incorporate dance, art and cooking alongside our more traditional activities such as fencing, judo and golf amongst other Girlsopportunities.andboys are invited to try them all and it is wonderful to see them embrace all activities with such Sportenthusiasm.forbothgirls and boys continues to flourish at Elstree. In the Summer Term we were thrilled to see Sophie Payne make history by smashing the 300m track record at Caldicott School, finishing lengths ahead of the boys. Tennis has been enduringly popular, the girls and boys served up a feast of skill and sportsmanship. The nets were alive with activity and mixed teams fielded for cricket throughout the summer. As the Autumn Term approaches, we await the return of football and hockey. There is always a wonderful team spirit and friendly cooperation that makes these activities so rewarding for children, at every level.
We are looking forward to seeing the girls take the next step in their educational careers. We are seeing an interestingly equal split in the number of girls who are going on to single-sex schools and those who will remain in a co-educational environment. Downe House, Wycombe Abbey, St Mary’s Calne and Sherborne Girls are popular single-sex choices and Bradfield, Wellington, Marlborough and St Edward’s Oxford are the main co-educational contenders.
True to our Elstree values, we continue to nurture and inspire every child, according to his or her ability and interests. Our tailored approach and ability to recognise each pupil on an individual level has made the transition to a co-educational school very straightforward. Because the very ethos of an Elstree education remains the same, it is as if the girls have always been here.
Two years ago, we fundamentally changed the DNA of Elstree School. Family values have always been at the heart of the Elstree ethos, so it feels entirely right that boys and girls are able to enjoy both a full Pre-Prep and Prep school education with us.
CO-EDUCATION7
“It is a new opportunity to look for books and there was a big variety of books; not just focusing on one type of book. I picked, ‘Kids Who Dare to be Different’ by Ben Brooks.”
The Elstree Book Fair was held in the Ward Library from Monday 13th June to Friday 17th June 2022. A selection of fabulous books, both fiction and information, were supplied from The Travelling Book Company. All week the library was full of excited children choosing and recommending books to each other. The favourite book this year was Rock On! This was a book about minerals, rocks, gems and geodes and had the added attraction of four gemstones attached. Other popular titles were Allies, by Alan Gratz, The Dancing Bear and other Animal Stories, by Michael Morpurgo and The Football Handbook This popular event is also planned to encourage our pupils to make a great start to their summer holiday reading. School Librarian Mrs Ruth Walker said, “We love the Book Fair at Elstree. It is a perfect way to get our pupils even more excited about books and reading. Children ask me every term when the next one will be!”
ACADEMIC
“It was really cool to see the wide range of books that we wouldn’t usually see. My favourite book was ‘Our Castle by the Sea’ by Lucy Strange.”
Fergus Hoar, Year 7
Alex Song, Year 8
Elstree Book Fair
RY
Maisie Brown, Year 6
“There was a wide range of books with many options, I chose ‘Nightshade’ by Anthony Horowitz. I liked the big blow-up dinosaurs and ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ was clever.”
9
The Canford School Earthshot Competition
Canford School in Dorset launched an exciting competition for school pupils in Years 5 and 6. Following the launch of the global Earthshot Prize in 2020 by Prince William and David Attenborough, Canford decided they wanted to find out which of the shortlisted entries pupils would choose. So they created the Canford School Earthshot Competition. Our Year 5 pupils were among the competitors. First, they had to choose one of the five categories from the Earthshot website. The children then had to think about why it is such a big issue facing the world. Then, they looked up the three finalists in that group and decided which one they thought should win. Following their decision, they had to tell the judges about what the initiative does and how it is helping. It was entirely up to the pupils to decide how to showcase their findings. They were encouraged to be as creative as they liked. Examples included sending a report of 500 words, drawing then annotating a diagram or logo, creating a poster or sending in a short video report. Canford gave some guidance about what to focus on, including why the pupil cared about that particular issue and most importantly, the reasons behind their choice of winner. There were some wonderful entries and we were delighted that Alfie Burles was awarded the joint first prize for the Year 5 competition. Alfie selected Pristine Seas, which is involved in protecting the Ocean’s last wild places. He was joint winner with a boy from Eaton House in London. Alfie received some World Wildlife Fund vouchers and he and his class will be invited to a Plastics Workshop at Canford in 2022. Mrs Alex Boulton, Head of Geography at Canford said, “The thought that went into the presentation and content of the video was excellent and really impressed us all. Great work from him. Both entries were so good (and so different) that I couldn’t separate them!”
“I am so happy to win. We made the film at half-term when we went to visit my Granny in Minehead. I’ve spent the voucher on adopting an elephant, and I’m going to share it with my class.”
Alfie Burles, Year 5
AWP ACADEMIC
10 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Bula! performedusAofwithpractisingthetraditions,detailsLanguageaChineseIncompetition!performanceWellpommemoussaka,wurstinternationalfoodpastaouringredientswhichfoodthefindthethenthathadguessingcompetitionsoffabulouscelebration.anotherInanddepartmentTheHallo!Konnichiwa!Privet!ModernForeignLanguagesisbustlingwithactivitieschallenges.theAutumnTerm,ElstreeenjoyedbrilliantLanguageWeekWekick-startedwithaassemblyontheimportancelearninganotherlanguage.HouseincludedalanguagegameforYears3to8;pupilstoguessthedifferentlanguages21teacherswerespeaking.WeplacedEuropeanflagsacrossschoolandchallengedpupilstothemandidentifywhichcountryflagbelongedto.Finally,wehadaquiz,wherepupilshadtoguesscountryfamousdishesandcamefrom.Toppingitoff,fantasticcateringstafforganisedademonstrationstation,astreetpartyforboardersandasuperblunchincludingcurryfromGermany,avegetarianaGreeksalad,Frenchfritesandwaffles.doneEastforyouroutstandingandwinningtheHousetheSpringterm,wecelebratedNewYearinstylewithmemorablemeal.BoardsinthedepartmentdisplayedaboutChinesecultureandaswellasthestorybehindChinesezodiac.PupilsenjoyedChinesewordsandphraseseachotherbothinandoutsidelessons.brilliantFrenchassemblytransportedalltoParis.Theboysandgirlsacustom-madebilingual
script based on young students visiting different landmarks of the capital city. We also enjoyed a delicious French meal including du coq au vin, de la ratatouille, une purée de pommes de terre, des haricots verts, des carottes à la Vichy et un délicieux sablé breton. In the summer term, 6PAS delivered a very entertaining assembly on Spanish culture and traditions which was very well received with a Macarena dance move to finish - what a start to the day that was! Prayers were led by our Spanish pupils who also presented the menu in Spanish. The taste of tapas was fantastic, we loved la paella con pollo y chorizo, la paella vegetariana, los guisantes, la ensalada, el pan con aceitunas y sal marina, el tapas bufé, las rosquillas azucaradas de canela y salsa de Thechocolate.Modern Foreign Languages department thrives and aims to promote all languages; pupils are encouraged to experiment with their knowledge and to try something new. PAS
Josh Singleton, 5JRD
RYW
“Michael Morpurgo had a fascinating way of writing books and ‘sewing’ books and ideas together.”
“It was amazing fun! It was great to see other people’s costumes.”
11 Elstree School’s Book Week Cleopatra, Gandalf, Sherlock Holmes, Julius Caesar and of course Harry Potter were just some of the roles enacted for ‘Famous People and Characters Through Time’ as part of Elstree School’s Book Week. The school grounds, library and classrooms were full of excited pupils transformed into a huge variety of characters from the past and featured in favourite books. A musical Carnival Parade of all pupils and staff took place in the Elstree School grounds accompanied by soundtracks to The Great Escape, Oliver Twist and The Dawn Patrol. Extra fun was added with The Conga and The Lambeth Walk . It was an exciting moment for the school to tune in to virtual talks from the Henley Literary Festival 2021 which included authors Michael Morpurgo, Liz Kessler, Jenny McLachan and Zanib Mian. Author Jenny McLachan told the children, “The amazing thing about writing books is that you can make magic happen”. From writing a simple alphabet poem to a Shakespearean Sonnet, performance poet and author, Joseph Coelho, gave valuable poetry writing ideas to children.
“I was character.”youlikeshowGranger.HermioneYoucouldhowmuchyouabookandwhatfeelabouta
George Mills, 4ELB
All in all, it was a wonderful week of celebrating books and reading, thank you to everyone who helped to make it such a fantastic week for the children.
ACADEMIC
“I had so much fun at the library party tea. It was the best!”
A Readers’ Celebration Party with hot chocolate, marshmallows, hot dogs and brownies took place in Elstree School’s fabulous Library. The party celebrates the enthusiasm pupils put into reading books over the summer holidays. Entry to the event is for those that have made a special effort with their reading. Pupils and staff have the opportunity to explore their favourite reads and share recommendations on which books to read next.
Phoebe McEwen, 4ELB
Fergus Hoar, 7AJP
“Book Week was amazing and it was great fun seeing the teachers dressed up!”
“I did feel it was a bit of an achievement and felt proud about my books. I wanted to share them with everyone.” Ralph Weatherill, 4ELB
Isobel Clark, 4ELB
THE PROGRAMME Year 3
Poetry Performance
The Lesson by Roger McGough performed by 3CMS Year Write4a Rap Rap by Tony performedMittonby4PJL
12 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022
The Trouble with my Brother by Brian performedPattenby3CMK
Two Years Ago by 8LJO performed by 8LJO
The Lion and Albert by Marriot Edgar performed by 6PAS Year 7 An ode to an Elstree day by performed7AJP by 7AJP
Two dead boys got up to fight by Chalsey Wilder performed by 4ELB Year 5
The school had such a wonderful morning watching the class Poetry Performance. This was an “in-the-round” performance with the audience sitting around the central stage, creating an intimate atmosphere in the McMullen Hall. Pupils from Years 3 to 8 each performed a piece of their choice with all the students participating in bringing their class’s poem to life. We listened to literature from the 21st century and the Victorian period and we visited the squalid trenches of World War 1. LJO Thank you to all the pupils for their effort and the teachers for their hard work.
The Snakes At School by Pamela J. Langdon performed by 5JRD Casabianca by Felicia performedHemansby5CLP Year 6 Song of Myself by Walt performedWhitmanby6FAW
The Listeners by Walter De La Mare performed by 6JCM
For the Fallen by Lauren performedBinyonby7TDW Year 8 Dis Poetry by Benjamin Zephaniah performed by EGG 59 by Harry performedBakerby8AJB
The Year 5 and 6 debate was very interesting to watch. It was wonderful to hear all the points that were made on the three following topics which were: 6JCM: “Should gasoline cars be banned by 2035?”; 6PAS: “Should men and women play sport together and get equal prize money?” and 6FAW “Should animal testing be Thebanned?”debates were very close and, comments and questions from the audience showed lots of interest in the topics covered. There were valid arguments for both sides which led to some very close votes. Even afterwards pupils were still arguing their points. This is a brilliant opportunity as we have learnt so much about debating and about what matters to us.
LJO Junior Debate
13ACADEMIC
Senior Debate In December, Years 7 and 8 met in the McMullen Hall to contest the annual Senior Debate. Each Year 8 class put forward a motion to debate for and against. The motions were: this house believes: 8LJO: “Major political nations have the responsibility to intervene in other countries’ affairs” (motion passed); 8EGG: “Diesel vehicles should be banned by 2035” (not passed) and 8AJB: “Every 18 year old should complete military service after finishing school” (not passed). The debate was an opportunity for the pupils to express their opinions, to practice speaking in front of an audience and to polish their debating skills; it was also a chance to learn about the topics that were discussed. Everyone arguing their points conducted in-depth research and entered into the debate well. Those who weren’t speaking were fantastic listeners and asked thoughtful questions which allowed the debate to go into depth on the topics. An academically stimulating evening for all involved.
Maisie Brown, Year 6
ready to race in 40 minutes! With the finished cars ready to race, the pupils gathered outside the McMullen Hall. The racetrack made from guttering was put in place and angled to perfection. Rachel Pither, Head of HR, was the race starter and judge. Kitty Butler, Kate Oliver and Sophie Payne won the best design award. In 2nd place for the race came Jacob Gearing, Sebastian Fowler and Sebastian Black. Winners were Isla Sanford, Tilly Lloyd and Maisie Brown.
All of the Year 6 pupils were winners at developing their creative and engineering skills. Well done everyone involved! AWP
STEAM Project
14 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Year 4
The wooden blocks of their aerodynamic designs were carefully penned before building the cars got underway. Mr Duarte guided the pupils through the cutting, sanding and gluing process. There was a great deal of banging hammers and excitement at this Finally,point!and just in time for the race, pupils painted their model cars. Mrs Syckelmoore came to add some finishing touches. Hair dryers enabled the pupils to paint and dry their cars
Year 4 had a fantastic morning creating ceramic table lights for their STEAM project. Pupils were put in groups and given a thrown ceramic form. The idea of the project was to create a lamp by cutting shapes out of the form without it Thecollapsing.mosteffective table lights would be the ones with more shapes cut out, allowing for more light to pass through. However, the more that is cut away the higher the risk of the form collapsing.
STEAM links elements of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. Children work collaboratively on projects that incorporate aspects from each subject. In turn, they learn about risk-taking, teamwork, resilience and communication in a great fun way.
Pupils also created their own circuit to bring their clay structures to life. Each group showed great resilience, teamwork and creativity. The final results were beautiful. The pupils felt confident talking about their designs and how Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths were used in the making. Each light created some mesmerising shadows with the shapes reflecting on the surfaces.
Well done to all involved.
JRD Year 6
pricingPupilsgrippeditcarofdiscussionschoiceaerodynamicspupilspartracedjudged(unpoweredandthreeYearProjectSTEAM6pupilsworkedingroupsoftodesign,resource,build,testdecorateamodelwoodencarandunmanned),tobebyaninvitedguestandthentoseewhosewasfastest.Asoftheresearchanddesignphase,consideredmaterials,frictionandwhenweighinguptheirofwheels.Otherimportantbetweenthegroupswereascientificnature:shouldthemodelbelightweightorheavytomakegofaster?Shouldthemodelhaveplasticwheelsorsmoothones?werethengivenarangeoffordifferentitemsfortheir
model cars. If pupils bought all of the most expensive items they would have spent close to £18. If pupils spent very little it would have been close to £8. The pupils debated long and hard about which items were worth spending more money on. Whether an axle was needed caused huge debate!
Flora Napier, Year 5
began by experimenting with crystal paints and resist techniques. They looked at how different colours can be mixed to make others with crystal paints. They then spritzed water on to watercolour paper, creating bursts of vibrant colours, and watched excitedly as an amazing firework of colour lit up the Itpages.was important to learn how to separate mixtures to understand the different colours they are made from.
The pupils did this in two ways. First, they used glass blocks (called prisms) to split white light into ‘rainbows’. Secondly they used filter paper and pipettes to find out that coloured felt tip pens contain a mixture of colours.
The group then had a go at marbling eggs with nail polish. They were intrigued by the way the nail polish floated on the water, due to it being less dense than water. They also constructed a drafting machine, a pantograph, which we used to duplicate our drawings to larger and smaller scale than the original drawings. Next on the agenda was creating ‘magic’ drawings using refraction of light. The children discovered that when light passes through transparent objects (in this case, the front of a glass, the water, and the back of the glass), it refracts or bends. However, when the glass was full of water, it acted as a cylindrical convex lens, and produced an inverted image. The inverted image appeared larger, smaller or the same size, depending on where they positioned the paper, the glass and their Finallyviewpoint.theylooked at how different coloured fireworks can be made using a range of chemicals, this was naturally a popular activity with the group!
Josh Singleton, Year 5
Eddie Law, Year 5
“One of the best bits was when we put a glass in front of our drawings, it looked like they were moving. Oh and the Bunsen burner and painting eggs was really fun.”
“All of it was fun. I really liked doing the crystal art activity and also when the different colour flames came out of the Bunsen burner.”
Alfie Burles, Year 5
15ACADEMICYear 5 departmentprojectYearProjectSTEAM5enjoyedafantasticSTEAMintheArtandSciencewithMrsSyckelmoore
JWS and AJB
“It was good fun to see different minerals burn and new colours appear.”
and Mr TheBrown.children
“I liked making different coloured flames by heating it with a Bunsen burner. This explained why fireworks are different colours.”
Alex Anderson 8AJB, who read ‘The De struction of Sennacherib’ by Lord Byron, “Really captured the mood. Some lovely well-placed phrasing. Really mature and sophisticated in your presentation.”
16 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE
Sophie Singh, 3CMK who read, ‘The Doves of Damascus’ by Ftoun Abou Kerech, “That was beautiful Sophie. Very poignant. What a great choice of poem.”
Henry Pritchard, 5CLP who read, ‘Jabberwocky’ by Lewis Caroll, “Great humour and change of tone. Very well practised. Superb.” Isobel Clark, 4ELB who read ‘Matilda’ by Hilaire Belloc, “Great pace and great drama. Super choice.”
LJO and RYW
JowonderfulAlexanderHenryJuniors:CongratulationsmakingalthoughwasandatAdjudicatorthepupils.enthusiasmcommentedyear’sintoDeclamationsInDeclamations2022January,Elstreehelditsannualfinal.Itwasapleasurehavethefinalistsperforminperson,theMcMullenHall,followinglastvirtualevent.Theaudienceonthejoy,vigourandondisplayfromalltheThiswasarealcelebrationofspokenword.JoWest,HeadofEnglishDowneHouse,wasveryimpressedsaidaftertheperformance,“Itanabsolutepleasuretojudge,thestandardwasexceptionalitaverytoughjob!”tothewinners:IsobelClark,MiddleSchool:PritchardandSeniors:Anderson.WhatfeedbackfromMrsWest.
Portals to the Past – WWII Elstree Year 3s were treated to half a term’s history lessons in one day, delivered by Carl from the company Portals to the Past. The pupils were dressed in World War II evacuee costumes and their imaginations were gripped by the activities and information about the war. It was like travelling back in time and that’s got to be the best way to learn about the past. Many thanks to Carl who entertained the boys and girls for the entire day. Huge thanks must also go to our parents who kitted their children out in such amazing costumes. This will be a day that will be remembered for many years to come. What did the children think of it? CMS
“I liked the material of my costume. It was great seeing a real soldier that had fought in Kosovo.”
“I loved dressing up as evacuees and all the activities.”
“I loved the guns, I loved the speeches, I loved everything.”
Alfie Steward, 3CMK
“I liked my gas mask box and the Adolf Hitler picture quiz.”
“It was a really good day and cool seeing all those weapons. I wished it could go on forever.”
17
Sara di Rienzo, 3CMK
“I liked breaking the code and the buzzthe-wire game, a bomb disposal exercise.”
Charlie Pannell, 3CMK
Jonty Ridley-Day, 3CMK
George Grodnev, 3CMS
“What I really liked was the World War II history he taught us and dressing up. I love history.” Sophie Singh, 3CMK“I enjoyed the activity sheets and breaking the codes.” Iris Yao, 3CMS
ACADEMIC
Reuben Ruddick, 3CMS
•
•
Logical thinking, flowing creative juices and innovative ideas shone through as Years 4, 5 and 6 competed in this year’s Maths and Science Challenge. This is an inter-house event where pupils are put into small groups within their house. All three year groups are mixed together in an effort to help their house win!
•
All of these activities had to be completed whilst only communicating in animal noises OR only being allowed to use the words ‘fractions’, ‘decimals’ or ‘percentage’ OR having to turn over a sand timer every 30 seconds. With groups scattered around the school grounds and classrooms I’m sure you can imagine the chaos, energy and laughter that followed!
For those who have watched Taskmaster you will instantly be able to imagine the types of challenges and entertainment that filled the morning: Draw the largest and most perfect circle without using stationery Make a graph from nature Climb your team through the smallest thing possible Make the numbers from 1 to 10 only using shadows Rotate a strange object of the team’s creation Hang as many items as possible from a piece of string.
IDH
18 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Years 4, 5 and 6 Maths and Science Challenge
•
Our Year 7s ran all of the tasks and were the judges for the competition. They were suitably impressed with all four houses but had to settle on East as the overall winners. Well done to all involved.
•
•
19 Year 8 Leavers
Coat Joshua Chan Wellington Thomas Clothier Radley Kitt Dorich St Edward’s Jack Duffield Abingdon Mason Hill Pangbourne Kit Harris Bradfield James Holden All-RounderSherborne, Award Inigo Egusquiza Returns to Spain Lucas Lee Charterhouse Jack George St AcademicEdward’s,Exhibition Jerry Liu St Paul’s Monty Greatrix Monkton Coombe, Art & DT Award Stanley Pearey Bloxham Alexander Price Eton Aaron Roberts Abingdon Taro Sakamoto Eton Alex Song Harrow Finley Stubbs St Edward’s Johnson Sun Stowe Sergey Teliatnik Uppingham William Utley Radley Toby van den Bergh Eton Sam Wang Radley Hugh Walker Radley Eddie Warman Sherborne Tommy Welchman St Edward’s ACADEMIC
Alexander
Reading
ACTI Akintunji Akinola Marlborough Anderson Harrow William Anderson Eton Ben Baxter Bradfield Edward Betts Bradfield Adam Bond Bradfield, Dr Gray Rounder Scholarship Brown Blue
All the Year 8 pupils were accepted into their first choice of Senior School. We are incredibly proud of all their academic success both at Common Entrance and Scholarship level. We wish them every future success and happiness for the next chapter in their lives.
Alexander
All
Escape from Colditz was bigger and better than ever and it was so good to have nearly all the boarders in for the evening. Once again, Mr Prichard did a super job putting everything together despite a very chilly night, everyone had a great time and quite a few managed to sneak past the guards! With Covid hard on our heels, it was great to be able to squeeze in our Boarders’ Christmas party just before the end of term and some early departures of the full-boarders. Lara and her team pulled out all the stops for a delicious meal with music and some (impromptu) dancing all adding to the festive feel! IDH BOARDING
Autumn Term
We have enjoyed a fun-filled and action-packed term with the boarding community in fine fettle! The boarding house has had a great buzz about it, and it has been so good to see the children enjoying each other’s company and having lots of fun in the evenings after supper. We have trialled a new system for clubs, which has been a great success. Instead of staff offering the same club each week, they have been given the flexibility to choose something they would like to offer on a more ‘ad-hoc’ basis. This has enabled them to offer a variety of activities to suit the mood and to respond to what the children would like to do. The aim is always to have some ‘sporty’ offering each night (for both juniors and seniors) as well as some quieter options to cater for those that may be feeling a little worn out after a long day. The children have enjoyed everything from wink murder to dodgeball and all sorts in between! Girls’ boarding continues to grow in popularity and we are at a tipping point of being over-subscribed, with not enough beds for the number of girls who would like to board. It is therefore likely that we will accelerate our plans to move the girls’ accommodation to more spacious surroundings sooner than the original plan of September 2022. Watch this space for more details! The autumn term is always a busy one in the boarding house and this term has been no exception. Since September, the Year 6, 7s and 8s have all enjoyed ‘Big Weekends’ and it was particularly fun to be able to welcome the girls from Downe House back to Elstree for a social. The excitement shown by the Year 8 children as they danced the night away really brought home how important these social events are and how much they were missed during lockdown. We also had a splendid ‘Murder Mystery’ night with approximately 140 boarders and their families all working together to unmask the murder of one of our poor Gap students! There were dodgy accents and some seriously dubious acting skills on show, but bags of enthusiasm from both children and adults made for a really fun evening!
21BOARDING
We enjoyed a superb Boarders’ Family Race Night, with the children and parents proving remarkably adept at picking the winning horses and for once, the poor bookies certainly did not come out on top! Fuelled by lashings of orange squash, crisps and nibbles, the betting was fast and furious, and we all had a splendid time. The Year 8 Big Weekend was a black-tie affair and a James Bond Theme – a night at Casino Royale! We were delighted to welcome the Year 8 girls from Downe House who all looked very elegant in their party frocks, and caused quite a stir amongst the young bucks of the Elstree top year. Old friendships were renewed, and nascent ones developed over the roulette tables and delicious finger food provided by Lara and her team. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening with much fun had by all. The term finished with our Boarders’ Easter party, with almost every boarder in attendance. Once again, Lara and the kitchen staff outdid themselves with a feast of delicious food for the boarders to enjoy. Some great music and lots of our traditional party games ensured the night was both memorable and fun, and a great way to celebrate a wonderful Lent Term. IDH
The children all returned after the Christmas holiday full of energy and there was a real buzz about the place as everyone caught up after the break. It was wonderful to be able to operate normally again after some of the more draconian covid measures were lifted. Unfortunately, Downe House were not able to join us for the Year 7 Big Weekend, so we introduced a brandnew event for the children – an Elstree take on the popular ‘80’s gameshow, Crystal Maze. The children were all put into teams and then rushed round the campus completing various challenges against the clock, while trying not to get locked in (or out!) of the different rooms. There were physical, mental and skills-based challenges, with collaboration and teamwork a prerequisite for the most successful teams. It was lots of fun and a great new addition to the Big Weekend roster!
22 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Lent Term The Lent Term is always a busy one in the Boarding House and this term was certainly no exception!
Iain Hepburn, Head of Boarding
The Elstree Boarding House was in great spirits and full to the brim for the Summer Term! We have been blessed with some fine weather and the pool, cricket nets and outside pizza oven have seen plenty of use. Over the Easter holidays the bathrooms in Sanderson’s benefitted from a major overhaul with a brandnew shower room complete with 5 new shower cubicles, new loos and new sinks. Falmouth dorm was repurposed into a bright and cheery Common Room. The builders did a terrific job and feedback from the children has been very positive! Over the Summer holidays, the rest of Sanderson’s will be re-decorated and ‘freshened up’ so that the whole landing should be really smart for the start of the Autumn Term 2022.
Family events have been as popular and well attended as ever. Our Year 8s enjoyed a wonderful social with Downe House on a glorious summer’s evening. The ability and ease of adolescents aged 12 or 13 to mix with new people in new surroundings can be daunting, but any feelings of anxiety were soon forgotten as the children mingled and enjoyed the exciting activities laid on by Downe House. Bungee trampolining and crazy golf were huge hits, and hungry tummies were fuelled with a takeaway van of various chippy delights! It was lovely to see our children introducing themselves to others, and conversations soon blossomed in the glorious evening sunlight. Laughter could be heard throughout the evening, and we all returned to Elstree in high spirits. Year 6 had a Wildly (wet), Wacky weekend, with some last-minute improvisation required as heavy rain and a cold wind ruined plans for the pool party. However, the sun shone on Sunday morning for some bushcraft and survival skills delivered by a new company, Mud and Guts, who did a terrific job and ensured everyone had lots of fun. Miss Gluck and her team masterminded a wonderful Elstree Award Weekend for the Year 7s. If there was a category for ‘least sleep achieved in a tent’, the leader board would have been long and distinguished! However, everyone survived, bleary-eyed, to complete the walk on Sunday morning. Well done, all! Girls’ boarding continues to go from strength to strength, and we were heavily oversubscribed this term with only one dorm at our disposal. The girls’ boarding will move into Sanderson’s at the start of the Autumn Term 2022, with Years 4 to 6 moving to Uppers and Years 7 and 8 accommodated on the Lowers landing. This should create more space and we can look forward to giving the growing numbers of girls all the space they require! It was also lovely to welcome parents to the Girls’ Boarding Information evening where plans for the future of Girls’ boarding at Elstree were outlined, and everyone was given a tour of the boarding house and Sanderson’s wing.
23 Summer Term
BOARDING
Big Weekends, Socials and Boarders’
DRAMA
June evening the Year 8 parents were transported back to the slums of 19th century London. It is true to say that the boys had a captive audience - we had been unable to watch them perform a play for so long (thank you Covid 19) that we were never going to be too picky. That said, in spite of disrupted rehearsal times, broken voices and a hectic end of year schedule, the boys put on a fabulous performance of Oliver! We were all so pleasantly surprised and impressed. The whole cast put in so much effort and genuine enjoyment to their performances, but special mention should go to the boys who succeeded in nailing their lines and hitting the high notes. James Holden gave his Oliver an innocence and a sweet as honey voice. Aki Akinola was a joyful and mischievous Artful Dodger with masses of energy. Alex Anderson gave his Beadle a gravitas and nailed his Boy for Sale - eat your heart out Harry Secombe! Fagin was played with intelligence and maturity by Adam Bond, who didn’t resort to the cheap tricks of previous actors in the part. Toby van den Berg was a truly menacing presence as Bill Sykes and surprised us all with his method acting when Nancy was hurled to the floor. Kitt Dorich played that part impressively especially as his singing voice had taken on a new timbre in the months between being offered the part and the actual performance.
Special thanks to Anna Oliver for sticking with the play and ensuring the boys and their parents were able to enjoy such a splendid evening before saying goodbye to Elstree. Without these theatrical experiences, it would be unlikely that our sons would be brave or enthusiastic enough to continue acting at senior school so thank you very much!
Miranda Dorich, parent DRAMA
25 OnOliver!awarmsultry
The other characters who did not have as many lines or solos must be congratulated as well. The likes of Kit Harris with his waspish manner, Sergey Teliatnik with great comic timing and many others (all of the Year 8s were involved) kept the audience laughing and hugely entertained. Behind scenes the cast were given huge help from the likes of Shelly Francis who orchestrated all the costumes. She did so well as the dressing up box is not normally meant to dress hulking lads about to leave prep school. Sian Bond came to the rescue and managed to create, as if by magic, a London Street scene and other set decorations. I know the effort involved by both, and the boys and parents are so grateful. The lighting was expertly managed by Pete Smith and his helpers, Inigo and Inigo.
Jacqueline Fane, parent
The detectives who have been watching the entire time, take back control and demand the murderer make himself known. Great mirth and confusion as both Maya and Horemheb blame Aye.
And for the great unveiling Mr Mesquita suddenly appears on stage and puts us all out of our misery.
Lord Carnarvon and Carter appeal to two detectives, the studious Homes and enthusiastic Gardens, to solve the mystery of the Pharaoh’s death. And as luck would have it, the intrepid detectives wander into a hidden chamber which is in fact a time portal. A quasi-panto approach with a pun on words, punctuates the entire score. We are encouraged to look out for constant clues regarding the Pharaoh’s ultimate demise. The children not only know their lines, but they are performing their roles, as if seasoned actors. The quality of the performance is ticket worthy.
The haughty Lord Carnarvon with the most distinguished accent, unveils the tomb and we discover that all is not right with the mummy. Carter points out that although the body is well preserved, there is a slight indentation on the back of the head and there appears to be a bite mark on his left cheek! The curse looms over the entire play, “Death shall come on swift wings to him who disturbs the rest of the Pharaoh.”
The opening scenes depict Tut as a young boy. A typical nine year old, he has his monosyllabic friends over for supper and of course a food fight ensues. The presence of the Tut’s father, the majestic Akhenaten is memorable. He commands discipline but soon all puerile behaviour is forgiven and we are treated to a musical trip down the Nile. A riparian set design and colourful costumes, present a feast for the eyes. Some years later and we are introduced to Tut’s chief advisor, the sinister Aye (pronounced “I” or “eye”). He is brilliantly cast, and his performance is noteworthy. It is evident immediately, that he has a lot to gain from the young Pharaoh’s death. Being Tut’s uncle, he also admits to knowing all Tut’s strengths and weaknesses… And so, our first suspect is revealed. Scene 4 introduces us to our two further suspects, Maya, Tut’s chief treasurer and Horemheb, chief of the army. Maya seems quite intent on the building of Tut’s tomb and Horemheb has an unnerving desire to lead Tut into battle. All three are opulently clad and are always accompanied by their respective leitmotif. Their performances cloaked in suspicion. Their scene is wrapped up with the very catchy ditty Do the Egyptian Step which has hands clapping and feet tapping. In Scene 5 we meet the older Tut and the irony is not lost on the fact that he is shorter and smaller than the young Tut. His power seems to have gone to his head, as he regales us all in song that he has us “Wrapped Around My Little Finger”. Four more years pass and Tutankhamun’s power continues to grow. In dialogue between Tut and Aye we learn of a fall at speed, from a chariot, which gives us a clue to the head injury, discovered by Carter and Lord Carnarvon in the opening scenes. Then a complete change of mood, as Tutankhamun is reintroduced to his old friend, the beautiful Ankhasenamun, who is to become his wife. An uplifting and emotive duet You Gave Me Wings has most mummies fighting back the tears, as an ethereal mood fills the room. But it is not long before Schuman’s score has us back on track, as we are introduced to the sleek Year 3 cool cats. Facial expressions (hugely enhanced by expert make up artistry) and feline movement, have us spellbound and fixated on the mischievous, stealth like Anothercreatures.touching scene between husband and wife, as Ankhasenamun elucidates on the meaning of their names, “ankh” meaning eternal life and “amun”, translating into the hidden one. The conversation leads to Tutankhamun opening up about something that is bothering him, but he is abruptly interrupted by the dreaded mosquitoes. He calls for the SWAT team and the audience are treated to a very wellchoreographed Tango to swatting Ourmosquitoes!finalscene culminates in the great banquet. Tutankhamun toasts each of his trusty advisers in turn and lastly his beloved wife. Once it has been established that all food and drink has been sampled by the tasters, an evening of festivities begin. And then a blood curdling scream, the Pharaoh has collapsed with his head in the fruit bowl. The royal physician confirms the worst – “I’m afraid he is dead.”
The narrator involves the audience and we’re all a little dumbfounded, as to who killed Tut. Voting for at least one of the advisers who have piqued our doubts or aroused our suspicions, during the course of the play. But just as we think it is all over, the mosquitoes cause havoc and clear the stage. Homes and Gardens stumble back into the time portal and discover they have been gone for 4 months and that Lord Carnarvon, too has died. He suffered at the proboscis of a mosquito.
Poor Gardens suffers the wrath of Homes and is called a buffoon for not understanding the confession, is not a confession, but in fact an allegation.
we were met by the elegant Tutankhamun and his beautiful wife, Ankhasenamun, welcoming us to Ancient Egypt and handing out artfully illustrated programmes. Enter the marquee and we were indeed transported to Ancient Egypt, a stunning backdrop of pharaohs, ancient pillars and rich hues of blue. The threat of the deftly crafted, papier-mâché red-eyed mosquitos, looming ominously above the heads of the audience. It wasn’t long before the Egyptian murder mystery was underway.
26 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 An AsWhodunnitEgyptianwestrolledpasttheWellingtonia,
He asks the question – Do you believe in curses? Dun dun duuuun…
He explains the mysterious bite on Tutankhamun’s face, exactly where Lord Carnarvon was bitten. Mr Mesquita admits his great ancestor killed King Tut and that he killed Lord Carnarvon, before making a rapid exit – must fly, he states. And so, the conspiracy theory that the Pharaoh was in fact killed by malaria, remains in our subconscious forever more.
After a standing ovation, it was a play that left the normally verbose headmaster lost for words. The legendary Schuman had pulled off his best production to date, and Sid Inglis called for an encore.
Enough praise cannot be given to our in-house playwright, the legend that is Mr Chris Schuman. Together with his team of choreographers, stage designers and costume designers, they have managed to transport the entire audience into the Egyptian time portal and left us contemplating the true demise of Tutankhamun. We were completely transfixed by the perfectly themed music, the masterful script and the talented boys and girls that gave his words and song, Whenlife.asked where his inspiration comes from, he humbly replies, “I get all my inspiration from the children, they inspire”. Mr Schuman, we salute you.
27DRAMA
Maisie Brown, 6PAS
Arabella Pannell, 5CLP
“Everyone was really friendly, it was great fun.” Clara Schmidt, 7AJP
“It was funny being an elephant with Bella and Kweje!”
“I really enjoyed it and the best bit was when we performed the actual play.” Eva Lockhart, 5JRD “We sang some of the songs in Swahili but the teachers helped us a lot.”
28 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Lion King at Downe House Elstree girls from Years 5, 6 and 7 visited Downe House recently for ‘The Lion King Prep Schools’ Day of Musical Theatre.’ This was an opportunity to meet some drama and dance enthusiasts and to take on an incredible challenge of learning and performing Disney’s The Lion King in a day. On arrival, all the schools gathered in the Performing Arts Centre for an introduction and warm-up. After a short break, the pupils were split into five groups. Sessions in drama, acting and dancing were organised for these groups with plenty of snack breaks throughout to keep the stamina and energy levels up! After a delicious lunch, it was almost time for the technical rehearsal to begin. Visiting families and friends enjoyed an afternoon tea, and then the performance began. What a wonderful opportunity to showcase the skills that the girls had learned during the day, on stage. Not only were they able to bring such a wide array of fantastic characters to life, but they also fully embraced their new experiences, made new friends and had lots of fun. This was a great experience for our girls and they thrived with the challenge. Well done to Kate Oliver who won the Downe House certificate for “the pupil from their group who was the best team player and showed the most drama scholarly qualities”. They presented it in front of the audience and parents at the end of the Louise,show.Alumnae and the Events Officer at Downe House said, “We are delighted your girls had a wonderful time. We so enjoyed meeting you all, and please pass on my compliments to all the girls as they were an absolute delight and very talented”. A huge thank you to the whole team at Downe House. The organisation was superb and our girls had a wonderful time. AO
(Jessica di Rienzo, 5CLP and Flora Napier, 5JRD
“It was amazing to be able to do this in one day!”
29 YearPaddington5studiedScriptedDrama in their lessons this term and focused on Paddington by Michael Bond. Both forms were put in mixed ability groups and shared characters in a programme of short playlets. Children learnt to perform in the style of Brecht’s Epic Theatre, using only token costumes and setting up their own stage and props whilst the audience watches. This meant we had to be very organised and responsible, with each group member playing their part. Everyone rose to the occasion and our audience particularly enjoyed the colourful and humorous characters so typical of Paddington stories. Well done everyone! AO DRAMA
30 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022
The Lion, The Witch and Year 6 exceeded all expectations with their brilliant production of CS Lewis’ classic The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe adapted by Glyn Robbins. The four Pevensie children (Sophie Payne, Ethan Lockhart, Maisie Brown and Harry Clothier) had the audience spellbound as they jumped back and forth into the magical world of Narnia through a beautifully crafted, spinning wardrobe. Once in Narnia they encountered adventures with a Faun (sensitively characterised by Tilly Lloyd), a fearsome White Witch played by Kate Oliver and the amicable pair of Beavers (Seb Fowler and Kitty Butler). A big shout-out to Lachlan McGeoch for his stage debut as Aslan, and to all of Year 6 who rehearsed for hours to make the play the success it was. We also owe our achievement to the beautiful set and costumes made possible by Jo Butler, Shelly Francis, Ed, Stuart, Paul and many mum volunteers. Other thanks must go to those involved with the lighting (Mr Smith, James, Alex), props (Mr Duarte, Mrs Syckelmoore), front of house (Thomas, Alex), programme cover design (Ryan), rehearsals and learning lines (Mrs Attwood, Mr Baxter and Mme Simonin), Lara (catering) and the gappers for their general support throughout. And a standing ovation is certainly due to the whole cast and Musical Director, Liz WellCollins.done everyone! AO
The Wardrobe
Oliver Anderson, 7TDW
AO
“I had a really fun day, and I learnt a lot on how to act properly and improvise well.”
DRAMA
George Johnstone, 7TDW
“I had a great time. I would hope to repeat the day again.”
Gabriel Islam, 7AJP “I really enjoyed this play in a day and cannot wait to do it again; to feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins and to have the time of my life.”
“It was a very fun day for me and it helped me to develop my skills like improvisation to a better level. I give huge thanks to them for organising this”.
31 Play in a Day Year 7 had a fantastic opportunity to participate in an all-day drama workshop led by two professional actors from the Watermill Theatre, Newbury. Both Lizzie and Joseph are graduates of The Watermill’s Youth Theatre and having trained at drama school, they returned to their roots by teaching the theatre makers of Thetomorrow.boysand girls started the day with some fun teambuilding and skillsbased drama games, after which they were presented with some stimulus for their Play in a Day. Lizzie had written a poem called, The End of the World which got the pupils thinking about which aspects of life they would find it hardest to live without. In a practical sense, they were challenged to imagine what “the end of the world” would be for them. Each group had different responses, ranging from never having sport to a Jubilee catastrophe - the Queen passing. After much collaborating, creating and improvising, a story about a boy named Arthur started to unfold. Arthur had a dream in which the world ends, but thankfully, he wakes at the end of the play. All in all, the day was a lot of fun for everyone. We were delighted to have our parents in to watch and I am sure they will all agree, that once again, our Year 7 pupils did us proud.
Leonardo La Corte, 7AJP
Let us see what the New Year brings! MPW Results of Music Exams Associated Board Oliver Anderson Clarinet Grade 5 Merit Toby Bi Oboe Grade 3 Merit Sebastian Black Trombone Grade 2 Merit Eddie Law Piano Grade 1 Distinction Koichi Sakamoto Drums Grade 2 Merit Joshua Sameke Piano Initial Grade Merit Autumn Term 2022 MUSIC
Another consequence of the pandemic was the formation of smaller ensembles; thus we enjoyed hearing the Cello group, String Ensemble, Vocal Ensemble, Wind Band and Piano Trio, thus providing specialist coaching for the budding musicians. These groups performed at various events, including in the chilly early morning on the Front steps to welcome in the festive Christmas season. Other musical events of note included an Orchestral Day at Wellington, a series of year group Informal Concerts, and some successful music exams. Good musicians need to be determined, resourceful and adaptable, and whilst some of the calendar items had to be shelved, the business of music carried on. As always, we ended the term on a high note (literally) singing descants to favourite carols outside in the rain-drenched Rose Garden!
“The only thing better than singing is more singing.” Ella Fitzgerald We took this to heart as the Covid restrictions were eased and we lifted our voices in song like there was no tomorrow! We sang hymns in church, we sang songs from Oliver! we sang centuries-old folksongs from other countries, we sang rounds, we sang in parts, we sang solos, we sang to celebrate Cultural Diversity Week and we finished the term by singing carols - admittedly outside! Our four choirs sang their hearts out in their weekly practices, we held a vocal concert, we sang at the Gift Fair, in Prayers and in our music lessons. Singing is at the heart of everything here, not just in the music curriculum, or even the music department but the whole school and like anything, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and we have never appreciated this natural human activity so much!
Autumn Term
33MUSIC
This is where all professional musicians started, and the social and performing skills pupils learn are invaluable, especially after having been starved of opportunities over the last two years. Music can play an extremely important role in developing teamwork and it was uplifting to see so many pupils engaged in this event.
The term began with the Performing Arts Soirée. This annual event was originally devised as a means of enabling music scholars to give their pieces an airing immediately prior to their senior school auditions. It has since evolved to include drama and emerging talent from younger years.
We were treated to high-level performances from pupils as young as 10 years old, as well as from experienced Year 8s. Five drama scholars and five musicians presented a programme of poetry, monologues, violin, piano and recorder items. In the quiet stillness of the Long Room, with its beautiful acoustic, there was not a single audience member who was not touched in some way to the depths of their heart by the words or music. “The sounds and atmosphere they created by their haunting playing won me over” wrote an audience member, and we all felt lucky indeed to be surrounded by pupils who have chosen to develop their God-given gifts. In the middle of the term we were delighted once again to host our annual Candlelit Concert in St Peter’s. This is a magical evening of favourite Chapel Choir anthems, readings, solo piano performances and congregational hymns. The singing from the packed church provided a welcome and cathartic release of a very human almost primeval right to sing as part of a company to help celebrate the joys of simply being alive, and - as the Headmaster mentioned at the end of this emotional evening - for this brief hour, we felt that all the troubles of the world could be taken care of, as we were transported to a higher plane, and what a joy it was.
Associated Board Toby Bi Piano Grade 7 Merit Charles Chen Piano Grade 6 Pass Gabriel Islam Trombone Grade 4 Merit Aki Akinola Cello Grade 3 Pass Nicky Xu Flute Grade 3 Pass Hamish Fawcett Singing Grade 2 Distinction
The end of term saw the first Spring Concert since restrictions were lifted and gave the newly reformed groups a chance to perform, as well as some of the higher level soloists in the school. The importance of playing in a musical ensemble cannot be overestimated; children of different ages, levels and experience get to know each other and understand how to work together in a rehearsal.
In between these large-scale concerts was a series of Informal Concerts for each year group, each one wellsubscribed, and it was a pleasure to welcome back a live audience. I feel this was a term we have waited for so long - one where we could share without the restriction the joy of live-music making!
Results of Music Exams
Jack Li Violin Grade 2 Pass Mide Sonuga Cello Grade 2 Merit Harry Clothier Trumpet Grade 1 Merit Wilf Foulds Piano Grade 1 Pass Sat Li Piano Grade 1 Merit Sophie Payne Piano Grade 1 Pass Valentina Ridley-Day Piano Grade 1 Pass Sophie Singh Violin Grade 1 Merit Lent Term 2022
MPW
34 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Lent Term The music at Elstree this term demonstrated the power this art form has in uniting people; carrying them upwards, out of themselves and to a higher plane. The level of excellence achieved in some of the performances was extraordinary, particularly when you consider the age of the pupils, and each event was made more special after a Covid-induced absence.
The Music Department leapt straight into action two days into the summer term with the concert for Grandparents’ Morning, featuring the Year 5 and 6 Choir, The Chapel Choir and the Vocal Harmony Group. All three went down very well with the large audience in the McMullen Hall.
MUSIC
And so finally to the whole House songs, this year complete with props, banners, masks, coloured shirts, facial decorations, an all-enveloping lion headdress, shades and choreography! We really got into the spirit, and congratulations to West for winning with a song from The Lion King Mr Tester kept us waiting until the very end for the results and South were declared the overall champions (How apt that We are the Champions was their chosen House song!)
The second round was the ensembles and what a varied mix we had - a sea shanty, some Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and, the winner – Imagine Dragon’s Enemy from East House, complete with a most impressively delivered rap from our Head Boy. I can’t wait for his Sports Day speech! It was great to see not only a wide range of styles and instruments but also some pupils who we have not heard singing before.
The Informal Concert series throughout the term was again well subscribed and the wonderful and large array of assured performances makes us realise that the musical future looks rosy as we see these young performers making their way up through the school.
Although our speaker towers may not have been as high as Glastonbury’s or Reading’s, or our quota of fans in the high thousands – we certainly raised Elstree’s roof, had immense fun and proved the enduring power of music to bind and heal.
Alex Tester, Director of Music at St Edward’s was our visiting adjudicator and explained clearly at the start what he was looking for: well-drilled performances where everyone was engaged, and of course answering positively to the question - “Am I enjoying this?”
The first round was the soloists: three pianists and a violinist competed for the cup and James Morris Weston is to be commended for his beautiful performance, which Mr Tester said truly took us on that all important musical journey.
Everything was delivered with confidence to the “tough crowd” as Kitty called them!
This was swiftly followed by the House Music Festival – and what a fabulous one it was this year. This event has evolved over the years and 2022’s was definitely the best! I say “Festival” – in all honesty it is a House competition, distinctive in that every single member of the House performs together – pupils, staff and gappers. Whilst obviously enjoyment of music and teamwork are key, there was a healthy edge of fighting spirit in the performances – and that was just amongst the staff! This was Elstree at its best- as one staff member commented, it had just the perfect mix of “talent, fun, teamwork and great sportsmanship”. The buzz created was something I have never witnessed before.
35 Summer Term
The standard of singing was most impressive and there was a wonderful variety of genres represented, so we came away feeling inspired and full of ideas for our repertoire.
Results of Music Exams
The ever-popular Summer Concert was held in the Marquee, preceded by “Salon Music” in the Long Room. This event gave all the groups one last chance to perform before the end of the year, and provided some memorable musical highlights, beginning with the Orchestra’s polished rendition of Pirates of the Caribbean, and ending with the evocative and rousing singing of the Year 5 and 6 Choir, with As long as I have music, and Sing! Viva la musica! MPW
Gabriella Ajani Piano Prep Test Hugo Kayser-Booth Piano Prep Test Summer Term 2022
Matt Lowe, Director of Music at Bradfield spent an hour one Tuesday morning with some of our cellists, coaching each one of them on a different aspect of “Quintessentiallytechnique.
English” is how we would describe the wonderful Chapel Choir evening concert at St Mary’s, Beech Hill just before half-term. The church looked stunning with its beautiful mosaics and scented flowers, the sun shone, there were drinks and canapés and – most importantly of all – the choir was in fine voice. The choristers concentrated hard and gave a superb and polished performance. The choir is arguably at its best in the summer term having worked together as a team all year. They have become familiar with the repertoire and the combination of anthems, reading, congregational hymns and organ solos made for the most perfect evening.
As a Prep School, one of our priorities is to equip the pupils with skills for senior school and beyond, including one of the most precious of all – the ability to enjoy making music with others. As one parent commented afterwards, “His days at Elstree really have cemented something magical”. I hope every chorister went away from the evening with a spring in their step knowing they are firmly on the path of their special musical journey.
Associated Board Florence Allison Piano Grade 3 Distinction Harry Clothier Singing Grade 3 Distinction Sat Li Cello Grade 3 Pass Sophie Payne Singing Grade 3 Merit Hamish Fawcett Violin Grade 2 Merit Edward Law Piano Grade 2 Merit Henry Allison Piano Grade 1 Merit Jacob Gearing Singing Grade 1 Distinction Ethan Lockhart Saxophone Grade 1 Pass Iris Yao Bassoon Grade 1 Merit Kweji Sameke Piano Initial Distinction
36 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 After the Junior Choir’s performance at Spring Concert, the Chair of the Woodley Choral Festival warmly encouraged the pupils to enter a competition - so we did! Twelve Year 4 pupils headed off on a sunny Tuesday afternoon to the Prep Schools Choral Competition at Heathfield School Ascot. After the six choirs had sung their choice of two songs each, we listened to two of Heathfield’s own choirs before the judges gave their adjudication. The comments were positive and encouraging and each choir felt proud as they headed off to a substantial tea!
The summer term is always packed, and the Platinum Jubilee celebration, a Chapel Choir trip over the fields to a local hostelry for a well-deserved burger and chips, a recital on Sports Day and a full day of Associated Board exams helped round off the term.
This was one of our first musical trips to take place postcovid and reminded us of the value and importance of sharing the gift of music - well done to the pupils who took Therepart.isnothing so inspirational as seeing others your own age play and we were so privileged and delighted to welcome the Sedlak Virtuosi – a Czech family string quartet. After a masterclass to four of our top string players we were treated to the most stunning recital in aid of the Charlie Waller Trust. The programme included a delightful mix of duets, trios and quartets and was utter magic! This was swiftly followed by two further masterclasses – one for woodwind, and one for cello. We were very privileged to have received a visit from the world-renowned Ferio saxophone quartet – and what an amazing sound a quartet of saxophonists playing with such brilliance and verve makes! Their first piece included tiny excerpts from what seemed like hundreds of well-known classical tunes, a bit like a very fast-paced aural guessing game as you quickly tried to identify them before the next one came along. This dazzling display of their talents and ensemble work was followed by a demonstration by each individual member - the soprano, alto, tenor and baritone, followed by a piece where each size got the tune in turn. A question-and-answer session was followed by a short masterclass with Nicky and Charles on flute, and Oliver on the clarinet; some useful tips were gleaned pertinent to all instrumentalists.
37MUSIC
38 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE ART2022
39ART
40 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 DT
41DT
TRIPS
43 Year 5 History Trip to Warwick Castle “Would you rather Attack or Defend?”
Alfie Burles, 5JRD “This was my first Elstree school trip and it was brilliant! We could see so far from the top of the ramparts!” Jessica di Rienzo, 5CLP
TDW TRIPS
“It was so fun to be at the castle, it was massive and I loved it when the bird of prey nearly hit our heads!”
“Where are the weak spots?” “How does Warwick defend itself?” These were the questions posed to Year 5 as they arrived at Warwick Castle for their history trip. They were an excited group of children glad to be out on a school trip again. Moreover, they were delighted and rather awed by this great structure. Throughout the day, the children experienced how the castle had developed over time. Furthermore, they discovered how its defences had been improved as siege weaponry became more powerful. The children went up and down the Motte. There was an intriguing investigation of the Mighty Trebuchet. The Falconer’s Quest show was a highlight as well as the Horrible Histories maze. Finally the children clambered along the battlements and then enjoyed an exploration into the depths of the castle as it prepared for war. It was great to be able to visit Warwick Castle, and on the way back to school there was much discussion about the answers to our initial questions.
Akinniran Akinola “The rain made the trip more special. It made me feel happy.”
Luca Rabbiosi
Timi Sonuga
“When we saw the eagles coming, people started screaming. One of the eagles’ wings skimmed my head!” Megan Roberts
44 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Year 3 howinConservancywouldManyincrediblefromowl?vulturethehadwhichasTherevarietyoftoConservancyconservationhugebreathtakingweek.dayTheTripConservancyHawkYear3childrenhadanamazingattheHawkConservancylastTheywereallenthralledbythebirddisplaysandlearntaamountabouttheveryimportantworkthattheHawkdo.Theraindidverylittledampenthespiritsandenthusiasmthechildren,wholovedseeingsuchaofdifferent,beautifulbirds.wasmuchchatonthecoach,wetravelledbacktoElstree,aboutwasthemostawesomebirdtheyseen.WasittheSecretarybird,baldeagle,theperegrinefalcon,theoroneofthemanyspeciesofThereweresomanytochoosethattheyallagreedeverybirdwasfordifferentreasons.ofthechildrenhavesaidthattheyverymuchliketovisittheHawkagainwiththeirfamiliestheholidays,whichjustgoestoshowmuchtheyenjoyedtheirday.
“My favourite show was ‘The Wings of Africa’ which demonstrated the flying techniques of different birds. My favourite bird was the Secretary bird which tried to stamp on a pretend snake.”
“In ‘The Valley of the Eagles’ display, the eagles’ faces went pink because they were excited to see us! That’s what the presenter told us.” Iris Yao “Sling shots were used to fire food into the air. We then watched as the circling red kites fought over the food.”
CMK & CMS
45 Year 4 History Trip to SS Great Britain
James Fane, 4PJL “Walking inside the ship, then under the glass roof and seeing the rudder and propeller was really cool.”
“We had a great day visiting The SS Great Britain and we learnt lots about Brunel. I enjoyed the museum and going to the cinema. The ship was amazing.”
Tristan Anderson Wheeler, 4PJL “I enjoyed the Victorian classroom and playing with the toys which were made of wood. We tried on Victorian clothes and drew some pictures before exploring the SS Great Britain. It was a fun day away from school.”
Jack Sanford, 4PJL
Year 4 enjoyed a day out in Bristol visiting the SS Great Britain, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It was the world’s first great ocean liner. The trip was to support the Lent term’s History topic on the Victorians. On arrival at the historic dockyard the children were given a range of activities to do. This helped them appreciate what life was like on board for both passengers and crew on the ship’s voyages to New York and Melbourne. They could play with toys like those of the period, dress up as Victorians, try writing with pen & ink and try to guess what a range of Victorian artefacts were used for. A member of the crew took us on an informative tour of the ship where we looked at conditions in First Class, Second Class and Steerage as well as experiencing sounds and smells in the doctor’s surgery, galley and engine room. We then went ‘under water’ to look at the ship’s hull and how it is being preserved against further corrosion. Finally, we visited ‘Being Brunel’, an interactive museum, which had lots of Brunel’s original notes and sketches as well as the chance to draw a perfect circle (which apparently Brunel could do) in a moving train carriage. A fun, informative day for everyone.
Charlie Utley, 4PJL
PNS TRIPS
“The rooms inside the ship were small and the beds tiny. I wouldn’t want to be there. We saw 1st class which was better. The ship was interesting.”
46 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Year 7 Trip to YearWintershall7attendedtheproduction
of The Life of Christ at Wintershall, enjoying spectacular scenery and the final performance of the character playing Jesus, after his 25-year stint in the role. The Wintershall Estate is known too for its Passion Play in Trafalgar Square at Easter, but this play covers Jesus’ life from conception to ascension with sharp consistency with the Gospels’ wording. Moreover it has funny improvisation from the actors, muttering and chuntering away to provide a realistic backdrop. The story is broken into four acts, using three locations across the Surrey countryside – field, lakeside, hillside. Naturally, the finest English weather made for an excellent day out. Horses and sheep joined in the action, and the children got front row turf. They watched the turning of water into wine, crucifixion and resurrection, and feeding of the 5000, with joyfully plenty of fresh bread passed out. Elstree pupils tend to show their support for free and plentiful food with eye-catching enthusiasm, let’s say. Having attended the performances at Wintershall over the past 20 years now, we salute James BurkeDunsmore for his unbelievable work as Jesus over that time. AJP
Field Trip to Durdle
AWP
James Yun
“I really enjoyed walking to Durdle Door and eating the ice cream on the beach.”
Harry Anderson
“I enjoyed the fossilised wood.” Mofe Adeyinka
“I think the trip was fun and exciting and you should do it for the following Year 6s in the coming years. It was good fun learning and having fun as well.”
47 Year Geography6
Edison Brown
Sophie Payne“I enjoyed eating Peanut yesterday.”flavouredButterice-cream
“I loved going down to Durdle Door and learning about how the massive arch was formed over thousands of years.”
“I enjoyed the tennis ball experiment.”
YearDoor6wereexcited to visit Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove this week on a geography field trip. This term Year 6 are studying the topic ‘Coasts’ and so to measure longshore drift beneath the arch of Durdle Door was a brilliant way to bring the learning to life. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed an ice cream and skimming competition at Lulworth Cove as well as seeing some real life plant fossils on the beach. The sun was shining and the pupils were exemplary in their learning. Hydraulic action, abrasion, attrition, biological weathering, chemical weathering, caves, arches and stacks were all covered in one day!
TRIPS
Monty Robinson
IDH
All in all, it was a wonderful trip with much fun and laughter with this very special group of children.
48 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Year 8 Leavers’ Trip
There was a palpable sense of excitement amongst the Year 8 Leavers as we loaded up the minibuses and set off for Wales. The forecast looked good, and everyone settled in for the 4-hour drive to Preseli Venture in Pembrokeshire. We had a good run, which included a quick pit stop in the glamorous Cardiff services where the children went bananas buying as much tuck as they possibly could with their £5 stipend. We were greeted warmly by the centre staff and after a quick lunch we all went straight into our first activity. A glorious afternoon was spent surfing or coasteering in the warm(ish) and crystal clear waters of this beautiful part of Wales, and we returned ravenous and exhilarated by the experience. After a good supper, the instructors took charge for the evening activities which included some mad-cap races and games on the back lawn. Everyone was pretty tired when it finally came to bedtime! The next couple of days followed a very similar pattern with activities in the morning, a good lunch and then the same again in the afternoon. As well as the surfing and coasteering, the children all enjoyed a morning exploring St. David’s, eating ice-creams, browsing the shops, and a superb boat ride round Ramsey Island spotting porpoises, seals and other assorted wildlife.
All too soon it was time to return to school and Common Entrance results! The children were fantastic packing up and leaving their rooms as clean and tidy as possible for the centre staff to clean. Many took the time to thank the staff for a great week, a gesture which is always appreciated.
49TRIPS
CHURCH
AJP
So many people make our Church services work so well. Thanks go to Headmaster, Mr Inglis for leading the services, and to Mrs Inglis for organising and preparing our readers and prayers. Thanks too to our church wardens Hugh Walker, Alex Brown and Tommy Welchman for their hard work over the last year. Our enormous thanks to Mary Westley for leading the choir and to Rory Darling for his invaluable support, to the swelling choir, to the bell ringers Ben Baxter and Stanley Pearey, and to the many boys and girls whose trumpeting, plucking, beating and drumming have provided our hymns with that hearty extra something.
51 Saturday mornings at Elstree… Weekend calm, the beautiful setting of St Peter’s Woolhampton, boys and girls on best behaviour, blazers and ties. Three great ingredients our visiting speakers love. We’ve been treated to a selection of headmasters, registrars and housemasters from some of England’s finest: Sherborne, Radley, Cranleigh, St Edward’s, St Mary’s Ascot, Charterhouse, Canford, Friends International, Uppingham, Winchester, Eton and, the Home Team. Prep school children invite the most engaging of talks. Our Years 5 to 8 pupils attend the services, and our speakers strike a great balance between giving those nuggets to chew on, and entertaining with some good comic turns. We thank the Rev. David Campbell (Sherborne School) for his talk on heroes and the importance of service of others. We think also of James Mckinnel’s (Winchester College, Elstree Governor Elect) rocket which fizzled out, showing how impressive looks tell us nothing about the heart, as he described how God chose David rather than any of his brothers (1 Samuel 16). Profound thanks go to Brigadier J. Anderson, current Elstree grandfather, who spoke so soberly on Remembrance Saturday about sacrifice, service and leadership. Our talks point at something ‘other’, just as we look at the mystery of God and how he has revealed himself in his word and in the person of his Son. Church is the absolute highlight of the week when we stop to reflect on what (or who!) we don’t think of enough.
CHURCH
ThisNighthasbecome a firm favourite in the Elstree Leavers’ Programme. Each Year 8 pupil invites a guest for dinner at Elstree – either a godparent, uncle, aunt, family friend, teacher or grandparent. After a lovely walk around the grounds enjoying the evening sunshine with their guest, everyone gathered on the lawn in front of the dining room for drinks and canapés. There was such a happy and relaxed atmosphere as the children introduced their guests to their friends, with lots of animated chatter and catching up. Lara and her team produced the most delicious canapés, followed by a wonderful main course and a trio of puddings. A particular shout out to our Year 7 waiters who were incredibly attentive: topping up glasses throughout the evening, serving canapés and waiting at the tables with charm, grace and efficiency. Don’t worry, it will be your turn to invite someone next year! OSI
Year 8 Guest
ANDCHARITYEVENTS
AO and AB EVENTSANDCHARITY
history and culture in the month of October has been a British tradition since the 1960s. This has taken on various forms in the past, including African & Caribbean dance, art exhibitions and drama.
Elstree School Pre-Prep and Prep celebrated Cultural Diversity Week with a variety of exciting activities. This was an opportunity to celebrate the diversity and cultural richness that exists within our community and beyond. Moreover, the week helped to deepen social awareness and provide a greater understanding of issues associated with cultural diversity.
Year 5 and 6 pupils performed a short programme of drama, poetry and song based on a historical overview of British Black History. Elstree pupils and staff were taken back as far as Ancient Rome, with the first Black African settlement recorded near Hadrian’s Wall. We were able to share in the joys, successes and suffering of the many minority cultures who have made Britain their home. Some of these cultures and tribes were represented at morning drop-off, when some parent and pupil volunteers welcomed the children in their traditional cultural dress. It was a wonderful, vibrant atmosphere in front of the school, as our boys and girls learned how to greet in Yoruba, as well as spot the differences between Jamaica and Tanzania!
Year 7’s project was based on African inspired art. The visual arts of native Africa, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, tend to include such media as sculpture, painting, pottery, rock art, textiles, masks, personal decoration, and jewellery. Our pupils produced some great pieces in ceramics as well as paint and pencil drawings. In the Pre-Prep, Mrs Bond spoke to the children in assembly about celebrating and respecting differences and who our ancestors are. To mark the week, the children were invited to come to school wearing traditional dress from any country. We had children wearing their parents’ old clothes to show their heritage, a little boy with clogs on, children dressed in Salsa dresses, lederhosen and even Elmer the Elephant to represent being different and special. To top off the day, Lara and her team served up a lovely menu of Jollof Rice & Chicken, Jerk Tofu & Callaloo and Burnt Basque Cheesecake. All in all, it was a very enjoyable week and we look forward to celebrating our rich diversity again next year.
53 Cultural Diversity
CelebratingWeekblack
Black History Month was originally founded to recognise the contributions African and Caribbean people have made to the UK. Now, Black History Month has expanded to include the history of not just African and Caribbean people, but black people in general.
“I love the buzz of a competition and doing my best for my team mates to hopefully get the win.”
Felicita Burnett, Year 2
“It was my first triathlon. It was quite tiring but fun and I liked the music!”
JCM “It was so nice to have a picnic on the lawn with my friends.”
Elstree Triathlon
Harriet Burnett, Year 3
Josh Singleton, Year 5
Alfie Burles, Year 5
The much-anticipated Elstree Triathlon took centre stage with a fantastic number of children choosing to sign up and test themselves over the challenging Forcourse.the second year running, Years 1 and 2 in the Pre-Prep also took part, as well as (for the first time ever) two members of staff! My thanks to Mr Prichard and Mr Doran for being such good sports.
“The Swimming was fun and tough, but dancing with Mr Inglis was the best.”
The Triathlon is the last sporting event of the academic year and it gives the Year 8 leavers a chance to strut their stuff around the pitches and grounds for one last time. The Shaw Triathlon Cup winner this year was Aaron Roberts who completed the Senior Long Course in a very quick time. Huge thanks to all the competitors and to all the staff for their good humour, hard work and enthusiasm throughout the event. Here’s to another brilliant Triathlon next year.
54 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022
Mr Attwood had constructed a fantastic “Obstacle Course” in the second arena next to the lake, which included hurdles, bending poles, hoops, tunnels, seesaws and hoops. Encouraged by a plethora of dog treats and plenty of enthusiastic children, the dogs were cajoled around the obstacles, as Mrs Attwood kept a beady eye on the stopwatch. Many congratulations to the eventual winner Ollie with Bracken. Running throughout the afternoon was the “Waggiest Tail Competition” brilliantly won by Oakley for his 180-degree tail wag. “The Best Trick” was awarded to Bracken (Anderson) who sat with a treat on his nose, until asked to eat it. Finally, Mrs Lavoipierre ran the competition “Guess How Many Dog Treats In The Jar?” Our congratulations to Max who was spot on with his guess of 227 treats, which will now be enjoyed by the lucky Scruffy (Fawcett).
A massive thank you to all the Elstree staff for their help with running the events, the children and parents for taking part and of course the dogs for entering into the spirit of the occasion with such enthusiasm. My final thank you goes to our wonderful judge and former Elstree parent, Dr Chris Tufnell BVMS FRCVS, from Coach House Vets, who rose to the occasion magnificently. Thank you! OSI Some comments overheard on the day:
55 Elstree Dog Show It was a scorching hot afternoon for the inaugural Elstree Dog Show. With DJ Duarte on the decks, Dave’s Ice-Cream Van doing a roaring trade and over 70 excited dogs on the Front Lawn, we were in for a busy afternoon!
Next up was “Musical Sit”, which was incredibly popular and luckily the very decisive Mrs Westley, Mrs Bond and Mrs Burnett were able to whittle down the entrants to the last few. What incredibly well-trained dogs we have at Elstree: when the music stopped, they sat down immediately, as did their owners! There was remarkably little to choose between them. Many congratulations to our impeccably trained winner, Titian (Salvesen). Finally in the main arena, our Judge, Chris Tufnell, assisted by Mr Inglis and Mrs Bond, had the unenviable task of selecting ‘Best in Show’, which was won by Izzy with the very impressive Poppy (Turner).
“Thanks
First up was the “Fancy Dress Event”, with some hilarious and very creative entries, as both dogs and children paraded around the main arena. It was a tough decision for our judges who eventually chose Harry dressed as a policeman, with Inca (Haskell Horsey) dressed as a convict as the winners.
for the ice creams – the best!” “I loved the obstacle course the best!” “Can we do one for cats? If not, I am going to get a dog!” “Please can it go on for longer?” “Could it be twice a year?” “It reminded me of the Queen with the flags. Could we get a corgi next time?”
EVENTSANDCHARITY “The best Wednesday ever!”
56 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Conquer the Coast butmarathons!equatinggroundsincludinghereaIn(CampaignofathehavingnotfinishedSundayChallenge’wascoastline.SevenLebus,(allGeordieThreeChallengeCharityElstreealumni,RufusMcGrath,Wainwright,JamieProwse2009Leavers)andtheirfriendSamtackledSevenMarathonsinDaysalongthePembrokeshireThismammothundertakingcalled‘ConquertheCoastwhichtheystartedon11thSeptember2021.Theythisgruellingeventhavingjustrunsevenmarathons,butclimbedacumulativeelevationheightofEverest–andraisingstaggering£80,000insupportmentalhealthcharityCALMAgainstLivingMiserably).supportoftheirchallenge,wehadslightlyunusualstarttotheweekatElstree.Thewholeschool,staff,ranamilearoundtheinsteadofmorningassembly,tothetotaldistanceofsevenSomeran,otherswalkedeveryonetriedtheirhardest.
JCM Chapel Choir concert at St Mary’s, Beech Hill
“Quintessentially English” is how we would describe the wonderful Chapel Choir evening concert at St Mary’s, Beech Hill. The church looked stunning with its beautiful mosaics and scented flowers, the sun shone, there were drinks and canapés and – most importantly of all – the choir was in fine voice. The choristers concentrated hard and gave a superb and polished performance. The choir is arguably at its best in the summer term having worked together as a team all year. They have become familiar with the repertoire and the combination of anthems, reading, congregational hymns and organ solos made for the most perfect evening. We received a very grateful letter from the churchwarden at St Mary’s with some quotes as followed: JCM
Well done everyone involved for a wonderful performance. MPW
“You are andseamless,performance,youryetplayingoutonbeforeandyouwhatprofessional.unbelievablyIknowbusylivesleadatschoolthatmomentsyoujumpedthebusyouwereonthepitchessport,andwhenyouturnattentiontotheitisbeautifulmoving.”
“Everyone in the village truly loves your visits and look forward to your arrival with eagerness. We feel very lucky to be a fixture on your performance tour.”
First off were the Juniors (Charlie Utley, Sam Norris, James Fane and Tristan Anderson Wheeler). They ran with great spirit and were the most successful of our three teams. Then came the turn of the Intermediates (Harry Clothier, Harry Anderson, Harry Goodbourn and Wilf Foulds). They demonstrated very determined running. Our last group were our Seniors (Tommy Welchman, Kitt Dorich, Stanley Pearey and Aaron Roberts) who put in a great Althougheffort.we finished just outside the medal positions our Elstree athletes were a pleasure to be with and conducted themselves in great sporting fashion. The highlight of the run was the massive puddle to run through and the delicious Cadbury’s hot chocolate and snacks available for every runner once they had competed the course! CMS
LJO
57CHARITYANDEVENTS
ISFA Under 11
The weather was fine but rather chilly for this popular annual event, the Ludgrove Relays, and our teams ran well.
InTournamentFootballOctober,Elstreehostedthe annual Berks, Bucks and Oxon regional ISFA Under 11 7-a-side football tournament. The Elstree team played four group games with convincing victories against New College Oxford and St Joseph’s from Reading. Hard fought draws with Ludgrove (the eventual champions), 0-0, and Papplewick 1-1 meant Elstree finished second in the group playing Bishopsgate in the quarter finals. An enthralling match could not split the two sides leading to a tense penalty shoot-out which Elstree lost on the 7th round of penalties. It was a great pleasure to take our team and their camaraderie, spirit and general approach was both outstanding and memorable. The footballers were such a terrific credit to their families and themselves whilst also, technically, not losing a match in normal play. They’ve made significant progress this term and the afternoon was a celebration of skill and hard work. Special mentions to Wilf Foulds captaining the side, Harry Clothier as top goal scorer and Pablo Lavin as Elstree’s ‘Rock in Defence’. A great afternoon and thanks, as ever, to Mr Bates for the organisation.
Ludgrove Relays
‘Well
58 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022
We were honoured that the competition this year was judged by Mrs Karen Pilkington, who herself baked the Queen’s birthday cake in 2012, her Golden Jubilee Year. She was incredibly impressed with the entries and of course more than qualified to give her feedback: The entries for this competition made it very hard for our judge. We had a Union Jack flag cake made up of 3 different ‘bakes’: Lemon drizzle, chocolate brownie and rice crispy cake. There was a Banana cake in shape of a coin with the Queen’s head on it whilst another entry was banana and nutella cupcakes. There was a bite-size Union Jack cake, several Royal Crown Cakes, a classic Victoria sponge with fantastically patriotic decorations. There was even Her Majesty’s favourite Birthday Cake (with a special meringue twist!). What a wonderful variety!
Winner: Petra McKay Highly Commended: Sergey Teliatnik
From
summer
patriotic
PRE-PREP Winner: Carrie Blackwell Highly Commended: Jonny O’Neill YEARS 3 & 4
Elstree Jubilee Bake Off
Winner: Sam Norris Highly Commended: Lance Kneeshaw YEARS 5 & 6
and congratulations!”
During half term, the Elstree children were invited to take part in the ‘Great Elstree Jubilee Bake Off’. The challenge was to bake a cake fit for the Queen. Creativity abounded as entries with cakes of all shapes and sizes reflecting the interests and traditions of the British Royal family came flooding in.
Winner: Mila and Bella Tryon Highly Commended: Harry Clothier YEARS 7 & 8
Well done everyone, and we hope you enjoyed eating the results of your hard work! OSI done everyone! edible corgis, to strawberries, your wonderful cakes all looked utterly delicious. It was very hard to choose winners, as you all did so brilliantly; I think the Queen would love all your creations. Bravo
Dîner en Rouge, Blanc et Bleu
lighting - Lower looked resplendent. Laura and her catering team did a fantastic job in setting the table places and serving welcome drinks to all. Also, a thank you to Jon Bond for taking some stunning photos and drone footage of the evening. Thank you to everyone who attended for making this inaugural event so much fun and we hope you all enjoyed the rest of the Jubilee celebration events over half term. OSI
What fun it was to welcome over 200 smiling faces to our inaugural ‘Dîner en Rouge, Blanc et Bleu’. The aim of the dinner was to mark the Jubilee, evoking a spirit of ‘friendship, laughter, and elegance’, with our own take on a ‘Dîner en Blanc’. Everyone was asked to dress in red, white and blue, and take part in a pop-up ‘bring your own’ picnic. The somewhat breezy evening was kept at bay by the warmth of the Elstree community who came together dressed in their patriotic best to get our Platinum Jubilee celebrations off to a fine start! It was fantastic to see so many parents across the Pre-Prep and Prep Schools as well as lots of staff in such great Aspirit.huge thank you to Julia Burnett for instigating this event, what a great idea and let’s see if this might become an annual feature in the social calendar!
Thank you also to the maintenance and groundsmen team for setting up and taking down the tables, chairs and
59CHARITYANDEVENTS
OSI
“More than anything, Elstree oozes great warmth and happiness which is entirely due to your leadership. All credit to the two of you. The children are indeed blessed to have the opportunity to grow and develop in such a wonderful environment.”
“I was delighted to see how Elstree is flourishing and how friendly all the staff and children are. Alfie whirled me round the school and grounds and I definitely got my day’s exercise in so doing!”
“Both boys have much to thank Elstree for, and I know that in years to come, they will look back at their time at Elstree as having been very special years.”
60 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE seegrandchildrensupportWethewonperformancesMcMullenTopool,thegrounds,ofgrandchildrenAftergenerationthematPre-Prep).TerrenceandvisitingThereeachsomecakes.LongchurchFollowingtospendingonItforGrandparent’s2022morningYears5-8wassuchapleasuretowelcome70grandparentstoElstreethefirstSaturdayoftheSummerTerm.Thechildrenlovedprecioustimewiththem,andhavingtheopportunityshowthemaroundElstree.abeautifulserviceatStPeter’s,Woolhampton,(thehasNEVERbeensopacked!)theyheadedbacktotheRoomandtheTerraceforcoffee,tea,sandwichesandItwasanidealmomentforthegrandparentstomeetofthecurrentElstreestaff,andalsotocatchupwithother.wereplentyoffamiliarfacesamongstthegrandparentsElstree,includingSydandJaneHill(formerHeadmasterHeadmaster’sWife),HarrietBridle,(formerHeadmasterMcMullen’swife)andSueEvans(formerHeadoftheAfewofthegrandparentshadalsobeenparentsElstree,soitwaswonderfultowelcomethemback,andfortoseethemanydevelopmentsthathavetakenplaceaon!awelcomefromHeadmasterSidInglis,thetooktheirgrandparentsonindividualtoursElstree,showingthemtheirfavouriteplaces:thebeautifulthegolfcourse,thecricketpitches,theathleticstrack,dorms,classrooms,sciencecentre,sportshall,swimmingmusic,DTandartdepartmentsandthediningroom.concludethemorning,allthegrandparentsgatheredintheHallforawonderfulvocalconcert.TherewerefromtheYear5and6choir(whohadrecentlytheWoodleyChoralCompetition),theVocalGroupandChapelChoir.aresogratefultoallthegrandparentsfortheircontinuedofElstree,andforcomingandjoiningtheirforwhatwasaveryspecialmorning.Comeandusagainsoon,youarealwaysverywelcome!
“I am still smiling when I think of Grandparent’s Day on Saturday – such a happy and positive atmosphere. Thank you both for showcasing the school and for looking after us so “Elstreewell.” really is a very special school and we feel so very fortunate to have six precious grandchildren with you. They are all thriving.”
“Flora is so happy and fulfilled – thank you.”
Some quotes from Grandparent’s thank you letters:
61CHARITYANDEVENTS
Year 8s and Mothers’ Tennis Tournament
Big congratulations go to the van den Berghs who were the overall winners. Thank you to all the mothers, who regardless of their ability, agreed to play with their children. A very happy and memorable day was had by all.
Normally you get one or two outstanding performances in a concert like this. This concert was, however, in a different league.
The first two numbers reached the bar of perfection. Then James Holden’s solo in The Lord is My Shepherd rang with the purity of a heavenly choir. Alex Anderson read the poem Daffodils with great maturity and control which gave it a freshness all of its own. Jerry Liu and Derek Lee both managed to transcend the two worlds with their masterful playing on the piano.
All three hymns that the congregation were invited to join in with, were classics in their own right. The congregation’s singing, after a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19, was a welcome and cathartic release of a very human almost primeval right to sing as part of a company to help celebrate the joys of simply being alive. The evening reached its peak with William Anderson’s subtle but powerful reading of an extract from the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It was as if the meaning of life had suddenly been revealed to the intimate company of St. Peter’s Church. The song Go Down Moses gave the school choir the opportunity to display its rich harmonies in all their resplendent colours. One of the tenor voices in particular was absolutely sublime.
The standard of play was particularly high and as ever, there were lots of encouraging words of advice from pupils to mothers throughout the morning - as well as lots of laughter.
CLP Music by Candlelight
A group of wonderful Year 8 mothers joined their children for the Year 8s and Mothers’ Tennis Tournament on a glorious sunny day on Saturday 11th June.
The Headmaster spoke briefly at the beginning and end and hoped that for this brief hour, all the troubles of the world could be taken care of. We were certainly transported to that higher plain and what a joy it was.
Many thanks to Mary Westley and Liz Collins for bringing their talents to the fore and for giving us a most glorious musical and spiritual treat. CMS
How can 70 years of service be summed up in 15 minutes? Those with eager fingers and dexterous minds were put to the test in making their own mini drum, fit for any Royal drummer. Putting on the front lawn provided a more sedate and thoughtful moment. Meanwhile, everyone seemed to find plenty of energy to catapult sweets at the Elstree teachers and for those with any steam left in the tank, there was an addictively fun opportunity to wang a welly or two.
62 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Elstree Jubilee Jamboree!
We paused proceedings for a picnic lunch in the sunshine and during the break, we planted our ceremonial Jubilee Oak Tree, which we hope will be a long-standing reminder to all of the significance of this historic occasion.
This brilliantly fun and patriotic day was capped off by welcoming parents and friends of Elstree School to an afternoon tea and Prep school concert – an opportunity to enjoy a spectacular array of cakes and glass of fizz to toast the Queen. The Prep school children proudly performed Run, Rabbit Run! the school song Clario ex Obscuro and of course, the National Anthem amongst others. Their stirring rendition of The White Cliffs of Dover brought a few tears to eyes but on the whole, joy and pride prevailed. What a glorious way to see out the first half of our Summer Term and of course, to celebrate our wonderful Queen and the historic Platinum Jubilee. BD
Bums hit the floor more than we like to see in Musical Chairs, but some fine creative skills shone through in making Union Jack flags and face painting. We don’t doubt that the Queen herself would have devoured the cupcakes, although we are less sure she would have been honoured by Jubilee Bingo.
The pupils and staff were split between the Front Lawn and the Rose Garden where the grounds team had set out an endless array of apparatus in accordance with Mrs Inglis’s meticulous planning and coordination. Excitement at a high, fingers twitching and ready to burst into action, the bell rang and pupils were off! There was a competitive burst of energy at the Table Tennis tables, speedy thinking with a sporty version of Connect 4 and shrieks of laughter and frustration as the tail of the corgi just couldn’t be pinned in the appropriate place.
Pre-Prep were just as energetic with a hobby-horse gymkhana, rubber duck fishing, pinning on the Queen’s knickers, tin-can alley, skittles, quoits and yes –welly wanging very much on the go too!
ThisJamboree?wasa day that promised to be action-packed, full of camaraderie, high-jinks and patriotic symbolism –and it didn’t disappoint! The boys, girls, teachers and staff all came to school dressed in red, white and blue. The school had been well and truly decked with Union Jack bunting inside and out and our Pre-Prep and Year 3s donned a remarkable array of crowns – surely giving the Queen’s own selection a run for its Anticipationmoney!grew throughout the morning, but the children did well to stay focused on their final lessons before the start of our Jubilee celebrations. We joined together for an outside briefing from Mrs Inglis in the stunning May sunshine, making sure pupils and staff alike were prepped for a whirlwind carousel of events. Pre-Prep had their own more age-appropriate rota of jubilee pursuits while the Prep school were divided into their 12 different forms, enjoying 12 different activities, each one lasting 15 minutes.
What better way to celebrate the historic achievement of our Queen and her 70 years of loyal and inspiring service than with our very own Jubilee
It was a perfect Midsummer evening for the annual Elstree Parent and Pupil golf event. This year we had a record number of entries with 16 pairs, including our first girl pupil, Kitty Butler. The course had benefited from the new mowing machine, with the greens clearly defined and ‘relatively’ smooth. Needless to say, the array of obstacles, including sightscreens, high jump mats, benches, scoreboxes and pavilions, provided a tough challenge for the competitors. The 8th hole in particular, had players hitting through the gazebo marquee towards the flag! The baked ground meant that it was harder to control the ball, but did allow for some very long drives down the 7th. Eventually the prizes for longest drives were won by Wilf Foulds (pupil) and James Ward (adult). However, the most remarkable tee shot was by Mr Akinola who hit his tee shot onto the green, finishing only 15ft from the hole. The 9th was the battleground for nearest the pin and saw some very fine shots. In the final group Mr Foulds saw his putt for a two horseshoe around the hole, but the Fawcett family reigned supreme with Hamish nearest the pin for the pupils and father, Jeremy, nearest the pin for the adults. The latter then added to the excitement by holing his putt for a two in front of the massed galleries of the other competitors. With all the cards in, the final nett scores were very close with only six shots separating the top five places. In third were the Francis family, runners up were the Hargreaves, and the narrow winners were the Fawcetts, carrying off the very fine glass trophy.
Thank you to everyone that took part and we look forward to another fine evening next year.
Team, comprising Wilf Foulds, Harry Clothier (Captain), Harry Goodbourn, Harry Anderson and Henry Dalton, came third in this well-organised annual crosscountry fixture at The Oratory Senior School. The course was muddy, so our runners wisely ran in rugby boots. Wilf narrowly missed out on a medal coming fourth, Harry Goodbourn was 11th, Harry Clothier 12th, Harry Anderson 19th and Henry Dalton 20th. The entire team were chuffed to get bronze medal certificates. Ludgrove were second and Summer Fields the winners.
CMK
I couldn’t have been prouder of our boys, whose behaviour and attitude were spot on. They ran as a team and looked out for each other. Special thanks to Benji Doran, our excellent gapper, and the parents that came to support.
63CHARITYANDEVENTSOratory Cross-Country Our2022Year6
Our Year 7 team were even more successful with some excellent individual placings. Oliver Irvine, our captain, was placed second with Hamish Fawcett just behind in bronze medal position. Jaime Tabuenca came in eighth, Tom Shaw in tenth and Oscar Pritchard in 21st place. Overall, Summer Fields were third, Ludgrove second and Elstree first. This is the first time we have won this event and all credit to the boys who ran their hearts out.
What a wonderful afternoon of sport! CMS Parents’ and Children’s Golf Tournament
Mr Ben Walker, parent
Performing Arts
Paters’ Match We enjoyed a perfect July day at the end of the summer term for the traditional First XI cricket match versus the Paters. For the Paters at least, all keen supporters on the boundary rope throughout the season, this was surely the most anticipated fixture of the season… and finally an opportunity to put some of their helpful advice over the season into practice.
We are lucky indeed to be surrounded by pupils who have chosen to develop their god-given gifts. Well done to everyone who performed, it really was outstanding. MJW and AO
The First XI won the toss and elected to bat. Notwithstanding the challenging variety of seam, spin, medium-pace and occasionally slow bowling from the Paters, runs flowed freely from the boys, who showed some impressive depth in their batting line-up. The immaculate pitch – much admired throughout the season – was unforgiving after the recent spell of dry weather and the Paters struggled at times to prevent the ball racing to the boundary at 100mph. The First XI put on an impressive 345 after 20 overs for the loss of only 4 wickets. Highlights of the innings included a spectacular C&B for Mr Sideso off William, rallying cries of “wicket ball” and some very impressive wicket-keeping from Mr Welchman on his maiden appearance with the gloves (he did not concede a single bye). Some areas for improvement for the Paters would include catching (4 dropped catches) and refining the “long barrier” when fielding. In reply, the Paters faced a sustained bowling attack and struggled at times to maintain the required run rate. Their running between the wickets lacked some of the zest seen in their offspring, meaning that they sought the boundary rope and in doing so offered various wicket opportunities. Some flourishes in the middle to late order kept the game alive but the Paters ended up 19 runs short after the loss of 8 wickets. It was a well-deserved victory by the First XI – who were fantastic hosts at their home ground – and a great reminder for the Paters just how difficult this game is! One of the Paters was celebrating a significant milestone and it is hard to think of a better way to spend it than the day we had. Huge thanks to Messrs Champkin and Morris, the catering staff and groundsmen for organising and umpiring this very happy day.
64 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022
This comment by an audience member of the Performing Arts Soirée is no exaggeration; the quality exhibited was of the highest standard and every performer displayed exceptional competence, confidence and Thiscommitment.annualevent was originally devised as a means of enabling music scholars to give their pieces an airing immediately prior to their senior school auditions. It has since evolved to include drama and emerging talent from younger years, and thus we were treated to high level performances from pupils as young as 10 years, as well as from experienced Year 8s. Five drama scholars and five musicians presented a programme of poetry, monologues, violin, piano and recorder items, and in the quiet stillness of the Long Room, with its beautiful acoustic, there was not a single audience member who was not touched in some way to the depths of their heart by the words or music. “The sounds and atmosphere they created by their haunting playing won me over” wrote another audience member.
“ThatSoiréewasthe best concert I have ever heard at Elstree!”
This was a great start to the Bank Holiday weekend, topped only by the generosity of the community to ensure we raised a total of £6,155 for our chosen charities of Winston’s Wish and Cystic Fibrosis Trust. DB
After the welcome and prayer from Mr Inglis we were off. The energetic strode away down the lane and the younger children and dogs gambolled backwards and forwards. The countryside looked stunning in its spring splendour. The rolling Downs reminiscent of a David Hockney painting with the vibrant fields of rape seed in contrast to the pastures of varying shades of green. The refreshment stops were thoughtfully spaced out with both adults and children eagerly devouring the delicious brownies and flapjacks, baked by Lara and her team and served by the bursary team and willing parents. After the sugar boost the next few kilometres were a breeze.
as a naval diving officer and offered some tips to the boys on how to overcome fear. It was a very moving and poignant week as we remembered those who have given their lives in service for their country.
What perfect conditions for the longawaited return of the traditional 10km sponsored Ridgeway Walk. The crowds soon started to appear as Mr Attwood’s carefully planned logistics came into play. The grounds and maintenance team welcomed everyone, and the Pearey family provided juice and biscuits to ensure the younger members were all set.
OSI
65CHARITYANDEVENTSAct HeservicetoandgrandfatherwelcomedOnceramictheseonesencouragedoccasion,thetrumpetersasplacedthecrossoffromTheschoolgatheredNovember,JustRemembranceofbefore11amonThursday11ththeElstreeCommunityoutsidethefrontofthefortheActofRemembrance.ServiceopenedwithsomewordstheHeadmaster.AnumberboysandgirlsthenlaidawreathonbehalfoftheirhouseandPre-Prep.Afterwhich,MrSmithawreathonbehalfofthestafftheElstreeflagwaslowered.TwoplayedtheLastPostfromroofoftheschool.Toendtheallpupilsandstaffweretowritethenameoflovedonawoodencross.Afterwards,wereplacedonthegrassbythepoppies.thepreviousSaturdaymorningweBrigadierJ.Anderson(Ret.),ofcurrentpupilsWilliamHarry,andoldboysTheoandJack,speakatourRemembranceSundayatStPeter’sWoolhampton.spokeverymovinglyabouthistime
Once on top of the Ridgeway it was a fantastic sight to look back and see the ribbon of the Elstree Community winding through the open countryside. Before long we were on the final stretch and as we followed the road back to the West Ilsley Cricket Club, a certificate and the ice-cream van were a welcome sight. There was also some happy reminiscing from a group of Old Boys (and Girl!) who had taken part in a similar walk whilst at Elstree in the The1980’s!whole event could not have taken place without the superb organisation of Mr Attwood. He put countless hours into ensuring that the whole event ran incredibly smoothly. Many thanks to all those that donated to the event, helped-out on the day or took part in the walk.
Ridgeway Walk
To give everyone a well-deserved break from marking exams papers, Elstree and Bradfield staff went to battle on the beautifully scenic setting of Pit at Bradfield College. This is always such a special evening with this year’s match going right down to the final couple of balls. Batting first, Bradfield posted a more than respectable score with Mr Sanford top scoring with a destructive 25. Mr Owens ensured that Elstree’s reply got off to a steady start and Mr Champkin saw us home with some heavy hitting and aggressive running alongside Mr Williams. We were hosted superbly well after the game with a few cold beers and lovely food, along with great company and a gorgeous Pit sunset being just what the doctor ordered. We look forward to hosting the Bradfield staff back on the Elstree Cricket Ground next year. JCM
66 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Rugby Tour On Wednesday morning we left Elstree in two minibuses. We ate snacks and watched movies together before arriving at Farleigh, where we drew in a close competitive game. Alex Anderson scoring a 60 metre try was a real highlight. From there we started the journey to the fantastic Springfield country hotel. When we arrived we quickly unpacked, eager to jump into the hotel’s pool, spa and gym facilities. After we had a team quiz (which the forwards annoyingly won) involving some sports questions. On Thursday we woke up to an amazing full English breakfast. From there, we hiked from Studland Bay to Swanage to play some beach cricket and rugby then of course, had to have some fish and chips. After a short trip to Bournemouth we soon arrived at Rock Reef where everyone (even the coaches) had a go climbing up the walls. A great memory was of the “leap of faith” where you had to jump off a platform into the air and cling on to a punch bag. The evening was perfectly rounded off by a delicious supper at Aruba. Friday was the last day and match day. We woke up and had another amazing breakfast then packed our bags and left the hotel. We arrived at Monkey World at 10am. We travelled around learning lots, but more importantly having fun walking around with our friends and working out the best monkey rugby team. The Gorilla being the obvious choice for No. 8. From Monkey World we set off for Bishop Wordsworth in Salisbury. We arrived there and played the match which we sadly lost to a very strong defensive team, although we played to the very end, never giving up and even managing a try in the last play. All in all, it was a fantastic trip which we will never forget, with happy memories that will last a lifetime.
Alex Price - Captain of Rugby Staff Cricket vs Bradfield
Year 4 teacher, Mrs Lavoipierre said, “Julius Zebra was a great success. They loved the drawing and I think the results are amazing!” Years 5 and 6 enjoyed Fantasy Maps and Story Tips with ex-teacher Vashti Hardy, author of Wildspark , Brightstorm and Harley Hitch Pupils created their own fantasy story maps with Vashti. This enabled them to write some amazing essays in their next lesson.
Raef Salvesen, 3CMS
“I love the way he joins up words to create a whole new vocabulary.”
On World Book Day itself, all pupils and staff were given free copies of The iNewspaper and they were read and studied in breaks and lessons where relevant throughout the day. Mrs Walker also had copies of the free 2022 World Book Day books that she offered to all classes during their library lessons as well as a voucher that the pupils were able to take to bookshops to swap for another free book. There were also details of a Harry Potter competition on the voucher.
George Rollo, 3 CMS “I’m going to read his books again. He’s a very funny man.”
“He should be very proud of the hundreds of books he’s written.”
Ruth Walker, School Librarian said, “We have had a brilliant week and are very grateful to Bournville BookFest for their help as well.” They produced some fabulous author/writing/drawing sessions which our pupils found fascinating and motivating and created some amazing drawings and fantastic essays as a result.
67CHARITYANDEVENTS
Megan Roberts, 3CMS
Luca Rabbiosi, 3CMS “Julius Zebra books are the funniest I’ve ever read and drawing the pictures was brilliant!”
Year 4 enjoyed Rumble with the Romans with author and cartoonist Gary Northfield. The pupils were able to learn about his books and life in Roman Times. Pens and pencils at the ready, they drew along with Gary as he showed them how to draw the character of Julius Zebra. Some splendid results were produced in just twenty minutes.
Year 3 pupils enjoyed listening to author of Astrosaurs Steve Cole. His performance was called ‘Dinosaurs in Space and Creating Great Story Ideas!’ It was broadcast live from a dinosaur museum and Steve accompanied his interactive session with his ukulele!
The week of World Book Day started at Elstree with a 3 minute warm up video shown as part of Monday’s assembly by rap poet and educator MC Grammar. The children enjoyed recognising as many books as possible that were mentioned within the video.
RYW “Steve Cole has encouraged me to write my own story.”
What a fun and inspiring week, and a great celebration of books and reading.
Felix Brims, 3CMS
“He’s made me want to write longer stories.”
“I liked listening and drawing to the Julius Zebra talk.” Ollie Cook, 4PJL
Petra McKay, 7TDW
A Slam Poetry Masterclass entitled ‘How Anyone Can become a Poet’ with the award-winning Zohab Zee Khan was the exciting session for the Year 7 and 8s.
Elstree World Book Day Elstree celebrated World Book Day for a whole week in March. Whilst the PrePrep were dressed up as their favourite book character, the pupils at the Prep School were involved in a variety of exciting literary activities.
George Zhao, 4PJL “I really liked listening to Kohab Zee Khan. He seemed to write from his heart and was energetic and imaginative.”
OnCelebrationsLeavers’thelastnightofterm,inkeeping
68 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Year 8s and Fathers’ Tennis Tournament
CLP
After the match, staff and Year 8 Leavers attended the Leavers’ Supper, which was hosted outside on the front lawn. It was a beautiful English summer’s evening with a lovely atmosphere, full of chatter and reminiscing over fun memories. Lara prepared a very delicious and fitting supper to send off our Year 8 boys: steak and chips with salad, mozzarella and a sweet chili dressing. For pudding everyone tucked into ice cream sundaes and then it was time for Mr Inglis to bid the Year 8s a fond farewell. With wise words ringing in their ears, and fun photos, stories and memories filling the Leavers’ Books in their hands, the final night for our Year 8s came to an end. The following morning the pupils, parents and teachers of the Prep School attended the Leavers’ Service at Douai Abbey. It was the first time the whole school has been into Douai Abbey since the Carol Service in 2019. It was very special to be back in such a magnificent setting with beautiful acoustics. The service was led by Head Boy,
with true Elstree tradition, Mr Prichard led Staff and Year 8 teams out for a game of Crocker on Yard. A mix of rounders and football, the sun-drenched match saw the Leavers put staff firmly in their place with a convincing win of 202 runs vs 176. It was a great fun match, full of laughter and a final testament to the team spirit, sporting enthusiasm and quick wit of our Elstree pupils.
The Elstree School Year 8s and Fathers’ Tennis Tournament is always a highlight of the summer calendar. This year we had thirteen fathers who gamely joined their children on Bates for a sunny evening of tennis. All pairs played at least six matches of three games. The standard of tennis was extremely high this year, yet all the games were played in good spirit; the Year 8s made their fathers proud. Our 1st Team player, Toby van den Bergh, and his father scored the most games overall, winning the tournament with a total of 17 games. The Prices were close runners-up. All players would have kept going long into the evening had there been sufficient light. Altogether, another successful event in the Elstree tennis calendar. Year 8
OSI EVENTSANDCHARITY
69 William Anderson with a thought-provoking sermon from Lay Chaplain, Mr Prichard. The School Choir, Year 8 Leavers and congregation sang so beautifully. It was a wonderful atmosphere, with emotions and pride running justifiably high. The final day of term drew to a close with Leavers’ Drinks in Rose Garden. Under a bright sun, it was a chance for the Year 8 pupils to say a final thank you to teachers and for us to say a goodbye to the wonderful families who are leaving Elstree. It will always be the families who join Elstree that make the school the place it is, they are a bright and fun community, wonderful supporters and loyal friends. We are privileged to have taught and cared for the children of any family that joins Elstree and we so look forward to hearing about what our Year 8 Leavers get up to next.
FRIENDS OF ELSTREE
A massive thank you to the fantastic Friends of Elstree Committee for organising such a brilliant Late Summer Social. The setting at Elstree looked absolutely stunning: a cool stretch tent on Yard with twinkly lights from Casper Sunley Events, delicious canapés, bowl food and brownies by Melissa at The Pop-Up Kitchen, free flowing wine and cocktails, a banging playlist and beautiful decorations, candles, firepits, cushions, rugs and flowers. It was the perfect recipe for a really great party and a lovely opportunity for the whole Elstree community, both parents and staff, to get together and have some fun after such a long time. OSI
Late Summer Social
The Elstree Gift Fair is back! With over 40 stalls spread between the Dining Room and McMullen Hall, there were plenty of tempting gifts to buy. Moreover, there were lots of happy shoppers, excited children, hampers galore, delicious coffee and cakes from Imogen’s Apron, all interspersed with some beautiful singing from the various Elstree choirs. It was wonderful to be able to welcome Helen from PALS, so she could speak with lots of the Gift Fair visitors about their fantastic work. We are delighted that 50% of the proceeds, £4066.19, was donated to PALS. Friends of Elstree were fundraising for the Low Ropes course and the remaining 50% of money raised from the Gift Fair went towards this. A massive thank you to the wonderful Friends of Elstree team for organising the beautiful hampers which generated some very enthusiastic bidding! And, of course, a final thank you to the Gift Fair Committee, headed up by Melissa Price, who put together this fantastic event. We hope you all managed to make a start to your Christmas shopping! OSI
ELSTREEOFFRIENDS
71 Gift Fair
72 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022
Bonfire Night What a fantastic evening! The wonderful Friends of Elstree team had worked so hard to make it a night to remember. Above all, it was extra special to be able to celebrate together having had a “closed” event last year. The Pre-Prep children and parents had a preview of the stalls before the Festivities officially started – and what a choice there was. There was a Shaken Udder Milkshake Bar, a Vintage Sweet Stall, a Hot Chocolate Bar, Popcorn, Hot Dogs, Neon Headbands, Wristbands, Finger Torches and Slapbands, an Autumn Produce stall selling wholesome winter goodies and the ever-popular Bottle Tombola. The Grown Up Bar sold out of their delicious mulled wine and gourmet sausage and vegan rolls. The Spiced Apple Winter Warmer, Ramsbury Gold, fizz and wine were also a real hit with the parents. The Elstree branded sloe gin by Wiltshire Liqueurs was a brilliant addition to the Bar. The rest of the pupils descended on Yard and the Terrace in a flurry of excitement. Pocket money was spent, headbands and wristbands modelled and tasty treats were bought and Weconsumed.hadso many offers to run the stalls including the Year 8s who help as part of their Elstree Award. They should be proud of themselves as many commented how friendly and efficient they were. One parent commented: “The Year 8 helpers were truly amazing: selling hard, personable, reliable and very friendly. I was truly impressed and cannot wait for my son to grow and follow the same path.” Leading up to the event, Head of Art Mrs Syckelmoore had enlisted some eager helpers to make the Guy. He looked very relaxed as he sat in the Main Hall for a few days which added to the intrigue and thrill of the big day Followingitself. in Elstree tradition, the youngest child in the school has the privilege of helping Headmaster, Mr Inglis light the bonfire. This year, Lance Kneeshaw (3CMS) enjoyed this exciting role. The fireworks soon followed and were magnificent. As a result, there was much cheering as one firework followed another, and another. Illuminating Park as they soared into the sky, the atmosphere amongst the children (and parents and staff!) was buzzing. Back to the Terrace for excited chatter about the fireworks whilst listening to the tunes spilling out of the Long Room. Boarders went to bed reluctantly and day boys and girls headed home after a magical family evening of fresh air and fun. All proceeds from the evening will be split between PALS West Berkshire and the Low Ropes Course Thankimprovements.youtoour groundsmen, who did an incredible job building the bonfire and organising the fireworks. A special thank you to everyone else involved, especially Didi and her Friends of Elstree team and for all our generous supporters. OSI “The Year 8 helpers were truly amazing: selling personable,hard, reliable and very friendly. I was truly impressed and cannot wait for my son to grow and follow the same path.”
Our fabulous Friends of Elstree Committee organised a cracking Summer Fête. After a very enjoyable Summer Concert in the marquee, everyone headed to Yard where there were plenty of Summer Fête activities on offer - welly wanging, bottle hoopla, a surf simulator, a huge climbing wall, a giant inflatable slide, crazy croquet and of course, the old favourite... throwing sponges at the teachers in the stocks! Meanwhile our younger visitors also enjoyed hook-a-duck, face painting, and guess the lego. The semi-finals and then the final of the inaugural Elstree table tennis tournament, (which was organised by a Year 8 boy) took place in front of a mesmerised audience in the McMullen Hall. Many congratulations to Charles Chen who was the winner of the Year 5 & 6 tournament and Lucas Lee who was crowned champion in the Year 7 & 8 category. Two very generous families donated trophies for this event, which will definitely become a regular fixture in the Elstree calendar! The standard of table tennis in the final was absolutely extraordinary. For those wanting refreshments there was plenty to choose from: a beautiful afternoon tea on offer on the Terrace (all served in vintage tea cups), a bar serving Pimms, bubbles and rosé, strawberries and cream, a vintage ice cream stall, cakes, pots of mini sausages, warm sausage rolls, mini bags of sweets, and the most delectable goodies on the produce stall. We have some seriously talented bakers and cooks in the Elstree Community at the moment and are so grateful for all your delicious donations! The bottle tombola was a huge hit and our very generous Chairman of Governors auctioned off a Jeroboam of Whispering Angel and a limited edition Platinum Jubilee Merrythought Paddington Bear. Thank you so much! All in all, it was a very happy day and the rain thankfully managed to stay away until 5pm - phew! The day raised a massive £4,910 and we look forward to understanding how Friends of Elstree will choose for these funds to support the school. As ever, we thank Friends of Elstree for their hard work, enthusiasm and boundless energy. OSI
73FRIENDSOFELSTREE
Summer Fête
After an hour of hard work, it was time to head back to our campsite and get ready for some well-earned sleep. Before bed, the children enjoyed /hot chocolate and marshmallows around the campfire. Eventually it was time to rest before they did it all again the next day. It was an early wake-up at 6am with a brief window to complete challenges that hadn’t been finished the night before. Once these had been ticked off, it was time for a well-earned breakfast. Once they were all well-fuelled it was time to pack-up, clear up the campsite and get ready for our hike.
The Elstree Award
The Year 6 children learnt how to build shelters, start fires, tie knots and, critically, elementary first aid. They were taught about what to pack and wear when you go hiking and have studied flora and fauna around the school grounds. As part of their charity work, the children helped out at the Autumn Term Gift Fair. They finished the year by completing a quiz and we are delighted to see that we definitely have some budding Bear Grylls out there.
Split into three groups, the children had to navigate using their route cards which took them from Elstree School, around Woolhampton and then back to Elstree. Each group had a teacher with them just in case they went off course.
Everyone had an opportunity to lead the walk and test their skill of taking a bearing to ensure we got back to camp safe and sound. Then it was time to take down tents and head home for some real sleep. The Year 7s did a great job and showed excellent leadership skills and
ENRICHMENTteamwork.
In Year 7 the Elstree Award is based on The Duke of Edinburgh Award. The children have to complete charity work, learn a new skill, keep physically fit and camp outside. This group offer their support to local charity PALS, when they visit Elstree and they also helped at the Elstree Summer Fete as part of their charity work. In the Lent Term, the children put together a presentation on any topic they wanted. These were then judged, with the best one going on to be presented to the whole year group and their parents. At their camp this year, the children had to complete a lot of challenges. We started with a first aid talk from Sister Cook. After this they had an hour to put up their tents. With teamwork and a lot of help from the Gappers it took less than hour for five 8-man tents to go up, and then the children moved in and made themselves at home. However, they didn’t have long to relax before being split into groups and taking part in more challenges, these included kayaking on the lake, water safety in the pool and planning route cards for their walk the next morning.
The Elstree Award focusses on outdoor education, outdoor skills, teamwork and leadership. Year 6 work on their Bronze Award, Year 7 on their Silver Award (which comes with the Governor’s Award) and the Year 8 finish by achieving their Gold Award.
AG ENRICHMENT
75
The winner of the Elstree Award 2022 was Oscar Hargreave. In Year 8 the children helped with Bonfire Night, which is great fun but always needs their careful assistance. These older children are always practicing great teamwork and demonstrating the leadership skills they learnt in earlier years, before they became Prefects, Librarians, Heads of House, Head of a Sport, Head of Music, Head of Choir and so many more responsible roles. It has been another successful year for the Elstree Award. Well done to all the children.
76 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022
LJO
Enrichment Week Following their examinations, the scholarship form enjoyed their annual ‘Enrichment Week’. This included a day in Oxford visiting the university as well as punting and playing real tennis. The boys were visited by the Head of Learning from Downe House, Andy Atherton, who presented a fascinating lecture on the history of books. The boys also enjoyed a bowling trip and some free time in Newbury. This week was fully deserved following the rigours of the scholarship process.
After a break of nearly two years, we are thrilled to have welcomed back children and adults from PALS to Elstree again. PALS is a local charity that supports children and young adults who have physical disabilities. Several times a year they visit Elstree School and are supported by our Year 7 pupils in trying a range of different activities. This year, activities have included making art using natural materials: fir cones, twigs, leaves and the odd feather. Inspired by the Paralympics we had a game of boccia and used a parachute for other games. The children made gingerbread biscuits in all shapes and sizes - hearts, stars, butterflies and even frogs! Helped by Mrs Syckelmoore, they made clay thumb pots and leaf prints too. On their final visit to Elstree, PALS were invited to a year-end BBQ. A range of games were played on the front lawn including cricket, badminton & putting. It was a fun evening and the Year 7s are to be commended for making the children from PALS feel so welcome. We look forward to seeing them again next term. PNS
PALS visit Elstree
77ENRICHMENT
Kitt Dorich Acting Combined Grade 5 Merit Leonardo La Corte Solo Acting Grade 4 Distinction
James Fane Verse and Prose Grade 3 Distinction
Sophie Payne Solo Acting Grade 4 Distinction
Toby Bi Verse and Prose Grade 2 Merit
Ethan Lockhart Verse and Prose Grade 2 Distinction
LAMDA Examinations
Maisie Brown Verse and Prose Grade 3 Distinction
Phoebe McEwen Verse and Prose Entry 3 Distinction
Jack Duffield Acting Combined Grade 4 Merit Eva Lockhart Acting Combined Grade 1 Distinction
Harry Anderson Acting Combined Grade 3 Distinction
Tom Shaw Combined Acting Grade 3 Distinction
Jack George Acting Combined Grade 4 Merit
Nicky Xu Acting Combined Grade 2 Distinction
Wilf Ward Solo Acting Grade 1 Distinction
Kweji Sameke Acting Combined Grade 1 Distinction
Frank Tang Verse and Prose Grade 5 Distinction
Adam Bond Acting Combined Grade 5 Distinction
Willem Loader Acting Combined Grade 2 Merit Bobby Blackwell Acting Combined Grade 2 Merit Calvin Wu Verse and Prose Grade 5 Distinction Raef Salvesen Acting Combined Grade 1 Pass Timi Sonuga Acting Combined Grade 1 Pass Nicky Xu Solo Acting Grade 4 Distinction
Akinniran Akinola Acting Combined Grade 1 Distinction
Sebastian Buck Verse and Prose Grade 3 Merit
Jerry Liu Solo Acting Grade 5 Merit Max Venning Acting Combined Grade 5 Distinction
George Johnstone Combined Acting Grade 3 Distinction
Gabriel Islam Solo Acting Grade 4 Distinction
James Fane Verse and Prose Grade 2 Distinction
Jonty Shaw Acting Combined Grade 2 Merit Charles Chen Acting Combined Grade 2 Merit Charles Utley Verse and Prose Grade 1 Merit
Katherine Oliver Solo Acting Grade 3 Distinction
Kevin Hu Verse and Prose Grade 2 Merit Joshua Singleton Acting Combined Grade 2 Merit
Leonardo La Corte Acting Combined Grade 2 Distinction
Arthur Ward Acting Combined Grade 5 Distinction Hamish Fawcett Acting Combined Grade 3 Merit Joshua Chan Acting Combined Grade 3 Merit Isla Sanford Acting Combined Grade 3 Distinction Matilda Lloyd Acting Combined Grade 3 Merit Sebastian Black Verse and Prose Grade 2 Merit
William Anderson Acting Combined Grade 5 Distinction
Mide Sonuga Solo Acting Grade 2 Merit
Phoebe McEwen Solo Acting Grade 1 Merit Sergei Teliatnik Solo Acting Grade 5 Distinction
Harry Clothier Combined Acting Grade 2 Merit Wilf Foulds Combined Acting Grade 2 Distinction
William Utley Acting Combined Grade 5 Merit
Petra Mckay Solo Acting Grade 5 Distinction
78 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022
Felix Brims Acting Combined Grade 1 Distinction Autumn Term 2022 Spring Term 2022 Summer Term 2022 Year 8 themselves.Themiddleapparentlyteacher’sDistrict,thecomeSkittles.thecriteria.werepoints,Theyfromoutschool.lessonsMondayonmembers.thepupils)Elstree’sMorningTakeovernewteachingstaff(Year8performedexcellentlyunderscrutinyofsomeofitsolderAftersometeachertrainingMondaymorning,theyspenttoWednesdaypreparingtwotodelivertotherestoftheTheboyschosetheirlessonsofapot,assigningthemanything3CMKHistoryto7AJPLatin.producedstarters,teachingactivitiesandaplenary,andmarkedonsevendifferentTopicsincludedsatellites,BlackDeathandprobabilityusingAfewinterestingstorieshaveoutoftheselessons:apparently,RiverNileinfactendsintheLakethesofainHill9isagoodchair,andteachers,too,needloobreaksintheoftheirlessons.Year8pupilsclearlyenjoyed AWP
Jack Duffield
Ben Baxter, William Anderson, Alex Anderson, Adam Bond and Eddie Warman.
parents that were involved and helped in the running of the Life Skills Morning, it was great fun. We will carry the skills we learned for life. In particular, cooking was entertaining and the food was delicious. We all look forward to using the skills in our day-to-day lives and I’m sure our parents would find it a relief that the washing will be finally done. Another terrific activity was the breathing activity, and I’m sure that it will be used by many of the pupils.
Joshua Chan
Year 8 Life Skills ThankMorningyoutoallthe
“I enjoyed the dog grooming and the cooking because they were engaging and the food was scrumptious!”
“I enjoyed ironing because I found it relaxing and satisfying, I also liked cooking because the omelettes were tasty!”
Alexander Brown
79ENRICHMENT
“I enjoyed the sewing and ironing because I fixed the button on my shirt in the sewing and I was good at ironing.” Akintunji Akinola “I enjoyed the breathing exercises because I fell asleep and I also like the cooking because I really liked making omelettes.”
EGG Year 3 Year 4 Year 7 Year 8 Year 5 Year 6
PAS Year 7 gathered in the Sports Hall for the “River of Death challenge”. With a floor of lava, the teams, made up of Form Groups, had to cross it with the help of two crash mats. The challenge was to work at speed chaperoning blindfolded pupils or losing the right to speak! The forms had to collaborate with a variety of communication styles.
AJP The Year 8 team building was a great spectacle to behold! The challenge was to work together to create a way of safely transporting their precious cargo (three raw eggs) from point A to B. Based in Park, the materials available included sticks, leaves and foliage as well as a limited supply of string and tape. There were certain rules in place, such as keeping the eggs 2ft from the carriers and not being allowed to touch the eggs or use clothing – all of which curtailed their designs. The contraptions ranged from simple to complex and inspired. After the construction phase, the timed race was on. Teams set off at intervals and had to complete the course without incurring penalties. The pupils did themselves proud and it was enormous fun to do and watch – well done Year 8!
The pupils then moved to Lower for a carousel of activities in mixed groups: the Three-Legged Water Race, Exotic Crisp Tasting, Human Connect Four and a Blindfolded Rope Assault Course. Common themes around the challenges involved stepping up to lead, devising strategies quickly, and listening to everyone in the group. The year group showed great togetherness and desire to listen to each other.
80 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Team Building What a fun morning everyone had at this term’s team building session, despite the unexpected downpour! The girls and boys were split into year groups led by a number of staff. Whilst the activities were aimed to challenge and excite, they were also designed to help break down barriers after a long summer holiday, encouraging new friendships to be forged at the start of the academic year.
Here is a summary from our form tutors and pupils about the morning: It was lovely to witness the Year 3s going outdoors for some team building games, designed to help them get acquainted with each other and having great fun in the process. They were joined by Mrs Sanford who introduced a couple of new and exciting competitions. One of them involved getting their team across the shark-infested waters using hoops and plenty of teamwork, communication and cooperation! They then had to pass the hoop around their circle without breaking the link. Another challenge the children were given was to make up a simple dance routine in their Houses. The dance routine from Iris Yao, Mckenzie Cirone and Luca Rabbiosi (South) was particularly spectacular. CMS Year 4 went Orienteering around the school with Mr Attwood, Miss Boyd and Mrs Lavoipierre. Their main checkpoint was down on Bates and the students had to run to checkpoints all around the school such as Hewitt Pavilion, the Sports Hall and the Gruffalo Bridge. They learnt about compass points, directions and how to use a map to identify various landmarks around the school. They all had a good run around with plenty of laughter and smiles from everyone despite the weather. ELB Year 5 battled the rain to work together on three different challenges. The aim of the first challenge was to run a ball along two pieces of guttering for 400 yards without letting it drop. The two classes worked well together and discovered that golf balls were far trickier to use than tennis balls! For their second challenge, the children had to create a newspaper cradle for an egg, which they then transported safely around the low ropes course. Each team member was only allowed to take two steps before passing the egg on. A few brave souls attempted to crawl along the dark, wet and muddy tunnel with their precious egg. Overall, their favourite challenge was the last one which involved the children attempting to tap a balloon around the obstacle course without popping it. The whole year group were super sports and they all thoroughly enjoyed their morning. CLP Year 6 enjoyed a wide range of challenges. Gapper, Mr McKendrick opened proceedings with a “feet off the ground” challenge, this required the group to do press ups. Mr Morris led the “form order” challenge which included putting dates of birth, peg numbers and surnames in order - all in total silence. The groups surprised themselves by making this work! For Mr Williams’ “shrinking ship” challenge, the pupils worked together very well, sharing ideas to find the right strategies. Remaining calm was key and most importantly, they had to listen to each other!
Pupils were then ready for the next “minefield challenge”, which was full of obstacles. The children were blindfolded and guided through the course by a peer, they had to follow instructions to avoid touching obstacles. It required a lot of patience and careful listening. Once they had their first run through, Mr Morris and Mr Williams did the challenge too guided by one of the pupils. Later on, the pupils moved on to Madame Simonin’s challenge. They were allocated to mixed groups and given different French sentences of between 6 to 8 words. The children had to agree on how to say it, practise, perform and translate it. This then led to the “wool shape challenge” which ranged from making shapes to writing words; it required some thinking and agreement on how best to create them. Finally, they did a relay carrying an envelope which contained a quiz question. The Year 6 group did very well, everyone was in great despite the rainy start.
81ENRICHMENT
their
and
your team
it
Sanford,
the minefield
Isla Year shrinking ship challenge with the rope tested our communication and we helped each other a lot, which was very nice.”
6 “The
Kate Oliver, Year 6
Mila Tryon, Year 6 “I really liked the
“My favourite task was one as was all about trusting mate following instructions.” wool activity as it was very challenging - we had to work together and speak to one another.”
Wednesday 25th May: Eco Assembly delivered by the girls on the eco committee and headed by Sophie Payne. The topic was on environmental issues at Elstree School and covered what we do well and what issues are yet to be tackled.
October 2021: Waste Week . Food waste is measured for the period of one week and winning tables (with the least waste) are usually rewarded. Waste week occurs twice a year and raises awareness of food waste and encourages greener eating habits.
Friday 20th May: Green Flag Review - undertaken by William Anderson and Jack George plus all the pupils in 3CMS. Our eco topics for this particularly academic year were School Grounds, Water and Healthy Living. We were able to go through all the paperwork necessary for the now annual green flag award.
Monday 9th May: Reps from Year 4 and Year 5 participated in a Sustainability Day at Wychwood School in Oxford. The main focus was climate change and the children went away with some positive eco ideas to influence other members of the community. Paul from the Ministry of Eco Education delivered an inspiring talk and we also heard ideas from pupils from the other participating schools.
November 2021: Switch-Off Fortnight . Over the course of a fortnight, electricity consumption is recorded. In previous years, consumption has dropped by 15%. The secret is to sustain this! Switch-Off fortnight occurs twice a year and is designed to raise awareness of energy consumption. Eco Committee members are also sent around the classes to see who has remembered to switch off all lights (and unnecessary electricity consumption overnight).
Bella Tryon, Year 5
“Take little steps to solve our climate crisis as these steps will, in turn, become big steps.”
Dariya Maximova, Year 5
Tuesday 10th May: Eco Committee Meeting, which meets formally twice a term and has two reps from each Year group. Dang Dang Liu fed back from the previous day’s Sustainability Day. We also discussed the forthcoming termly Eco Assembly which, on this occasion, was to be led by all the girls on the eco committee.
The Garden Plots have been cultivated in art classes/gardening club with the valuable assistance of Mrs Joan Syckelmoore. These were on display for Elstree’s celebrations of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. They included vegetables as well as a fine array of flowering plants.
CMS “If individuals and governments work together, and remember goodwill, we can solve all of Earth’s problems.”
November 2021: Two of our pupils represented the school and their constituencies in the first ever Children’s Parliament This initiative was started by the late Sir David Amess. It was a great success, despite being online, and it looks set to become an annual event. Our reps were Harry Anderson and Sophie Payne.
December 2021: Planting of Saplings by the eco committee and grounds staff up in Park.
OurSchoolWychwoodatYear4and5pupilsfrom the Eco Committee were excited to take part in the Eco Day at Wychwood School, Oxford this week. Paul from the Ministry of Eco Education gave a series of talks, asked us many questions and got us thinking about global environmental issues. At the end of the session each pupil made a pledge on some aspect of the environment and pinned them on a large notice board. We left feeling more positive about how to help look after our planet. Many thanks to Wychwood School, Oxford, for hosting such an amazing event and well done to Jack Sanford, Harry Lockwood, Ralph Weatherill and Izzy Clark from Year 4 and Dang Dang Liu, Bella Tryon and Dariya Maximova from Year 5. CMS
A timeline of Elstree’s InitiativesEco September 2021: Toilet Twinning with a toilet in Afghanistan. Details of this are recorded in a framed certificate in the Gents’ Loos. This was financed by the Elstree Community.
April 2022: Hydration Stations set up in the Dining Hall. April 2022: New Yew Trees planted all along the Pineapple Walk. These were donated by Peter Fane and family.
“Rather than scaring people we were advised to say, with positive images of a hopeful future planet, this is what planet earth could look like if we all look after it.”
82 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Eco Day
April 2022: New drinking fountains set up on Bates.
Izzy Clark, Year 4
83 4.3.2.1.Eacheducation,willisinterestaopportunityThetoasofsomethingorganisationfortimeSinceProjectHeadmaster’sJanuary,Year6haddedicatedeachweektocreateanartefacttheHeadmaster’sProject.Creativity,anddesigndevelopmentiswefeelisimportantaspartouracademicaspirationsforpupils-isdedicatingtimeduringabusyweekseeanideabecomeareality.Headmaster’sProjectisanforYear6Pupilstocreatepieceofworkonanythingwhichisoftothem.Theaimoftheprojectforpupilstodevelopnewskillswhichbeinvaluablethroughouttheirincluding:•Self-regulation•Organisation•Research•Development•Presentation•Self-reflectionpupilwastaskedto:CreateaprojectintheformofanartefactoranessayHavetheirworkevaluatedbyamemberofSeniorManagementCompletealogbookreflectingupontheirlearningjourneyPresenttheirlearningjourneyandartefact/essayattheHeadmaster’sProjectReview.
Mr Ben Gallagher, ‘The Conscientious Biologist’. He examined the fundamental concepts of life itself. Specifically, he talked about cells and how DNA is used to create proteins which govern almost all of the metabolic processes that allow life to exist. He went on to discuss how an understanding of DNA can allow scientists to modify cells through genetic engineering… and how science fiction is rapidly becoming science fact. The children listened really well and came up with some thoughtful questions too. AWP
ENRICHMENT WeBiologistConscientiousThehadanexcellentlecturefrom
Results
The Chair of Governors, Mr James Sunley, kindly agreed to judge the Project. It was such an incredible crop of projects and choosing the top three was a hard choice. The prizes were presented on Sports Day. Winner Sebastian Buck – ‘D-Day Landings Omaha Beach’ model 2nd Place Tilly Lloyd – ‘A New Relationship with the Sea’ banner 3rd Place Ethan Lockhart – ‘Dinosaur Timescale’ Wellmodeldone everyone for your hard work and creativity, we hope you enjoyed the challenge. AWP
PRE-PREP
85 Brambly returnedbrownedoneyesTheybeforeeach.childrengetchanceclassroomTheface-paintingactivitytowhethertobigaskedmeasuringlovestheirdecorateaoftheirgatheringbox.theirOthertoclaytransitionedofRaffertywecouldchancelittleDuringtheirwerewoodland.thattoininWePre-PrepthemedToLearningOutdoorHedgeDaycelebrateourBramblyHedgeOutdoorLearningDay,thewasoverrunwithlittlemice!startedthedaybymeetingoutsidetheplaygroundtofindoutwhatwasstore!EachteachertookitinturnstellthechildrenabouttheactivitytheyhadplannedforthemintheThenwelliesandlayersputonandthechildrenmadewayuptothewoods.thecourseofthemorning,themice(children!)weregiventhetochoosetheactivitiestheydo.“Oncewehaddoneone,couldchoosesomethingelse!”saidAddington,Year1.Squealsdelightfilledtheairasthechildrenfrommakingmouse-sized,pinchpotstogatheringlittleleavesstickaroundadrawnsnailshell.childrenspenthoursdesigningownmousehouseusingashoeItwaswonderfulwatchingthemvariousitemstofurnishhouses.ThisalsoinspiredsomethechildrenwhochosetocreateChristmastreeforthemiceanditwithnaturaldecorationsinfree-playtime.MrsBaxter,whoMaths,setupanestimatingandactivityforthechildren.Sheeveryonetothinkabouthowamouse’sbathorcupmightneedbe.Thechildrencouldchoosetousearulerorsmallcubessupporttheirguesses.MrsKidd’swasverypopularallmorning,lotsoflittlemice!childrencamebacktotheforapicniclunchandafortheirhandsandfeettoniceandtoasty.Afterlunch,theshapedahedgehogbreadrollFirst,theyhadtorollitintoaball,pinchingtheirhedgehog’snose.thenaddedtwocurrantsfortheandusedscissorstosnip‘prickles’it’sback.Whilstthehedgehogsintheoven,thechildrentothewoods!
In the afternoon, the children were paired up to take part in a mouse scavenger hunt. They had to search for eight different signs that mice had been in the woods. It was lovely for our eldest Year 2 children to support our youngest in Nursery and for Reception and Year 1 to pair up too. Finally, the children ended their busy day with a moment of free play. Unsurprisingly, the majority of this centred around imaginary animals and mouse houses! being a liked looking for the mouse things with friend.”
mouse” Raife Williams, Nursery “I
AB PRE-PREP “This was the best day EVER!” Hermione Bond, Year 1 “I liked
my
Noah Dallimore-Fox, Reception Autumn Term
86 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022
TheFunPre-PrepDaysunshoneaswe welcomed back all the families to our Pre-Prep Family Fun Day this year. The popular event is organised by the wonderful Pre-Prep Friends and is adored by everyone. It was the perfect opportunity to catch up on everyone’s adventures from the holidays and for the new families to make friends and become more familiar with the Pre-Prep before starting Farmyardformally.looked so inviting with a gathering of gazebos and bunting. The grounds team had worked tirelessly throughout the summer and the Elstree grounds and flowerbeds were looking at their finest.
A real highlight was Roly the magician. He treated all the children to a hilarious magic show. Balls kept appearing, things disappeared, and a beautiful rabbit even emerged from nowhere! Once he had finished his magic show, he spent the remainder of the afternoon modelling balloons for each child to take home. Whilst the children played, the parents chatted and enjoyed some of the delicacies that had been baked and donated by various volunteers. The Pimm’s also went down very well as it was such a hot afternoon! A huge thank you to Mrs Rebecca Mills (chair of the Pre-Prep Friends Committee) and her team for making it such a success. VT
The children arrived with their parents and siblings and were treated to a host of activities. In one corner of Farmyard, tigers, princesses, and bats were appearing from the face painting table. Other children enjoyed icing and decorating their own biscuits before tasting their creations! Once tummies were full, the children had fun testing their patience as they hooked a duck from the paddling pool. There was also a treasure map to explore and welly wanging too!
The Elstree Early Years children were extremely excited to head down to Bates on a windy afternoon to participate in the famous ‘Mini Olympics’. Mr Bates and the Year 8 boys had done a wonderful job of setting up a variety of sports for the children to participate in. The teams moved around from one activity to the next. There was beanbag throwing (an adaptation of shotput for 5-year-olds), standing long jump, sprinting races, ribbon dancing and hurdles. A firm favourite amongst the Reception children had to be the javelin. Their competitive side came out in force and the children loved seeing who could throw it the furthest!
87 Mini Olympics
All the physical activity, in addition to the wind, resulted in some very tired children who were very grateful for a warm sausage roll and orange squash in the Long Room to complete a wonderful afternoon. The Early Years children really impressed us with their behaviour, eagerness and energy levels and we may even see some of them become Olympians in the future! It was a very special afternoon and we were delighted that children from Boot Farm Nursery could come and join us too. Contributing to their Elstree Award, the group of Year 8 helpers were very friendly and gave the Pre-Prep children super direction and encouragement with the different challenges. HJ “I like running with my fast trainers.”
Edwin Bendelow-Smith, Nursery
Freddie Hughes, Reception
PRE-PREP
“Everything was my favourite, but throwing the things was best.” Constantin Hill, Reception “I loved running around and being chased.”
AB
88 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022
Pre-Prep Clubs Throughout the children’s first four years at Elstree, we aim for every individual to learn without realising they are doing so. We hope that they are excited by education, seeking to discover more and to challenge themselves to ask why. Aside from the academic lessons, we hope to provide individuals with experiences and activities to broaden the offerings at Elstree. We work hard to facilitate engaging learning experiences and encourage children to find an avenue outside the classroom that they are passionate Withabout.the recent move to being a co-educational school, we were delighted to set up a netball club for children in Years 1 and 2. Boys and girls were welcomed to the Sports Hall on a Wednesday morning to learn some of the key skills and rules of the game. Netball is taught in a fun and relaxed manner, meaning the children can gradually equip themselves with the skills required for some of the more competitive matches that they will play in the Prep OtherSchool.popular clubs include Dance, Judo and Football. Specialist teachers who visit Elstree weekly taught these to our pupils. The children in Nursery also had a Dance lesson included in their timetable and children in Years 1 and 2 were able to sign up for 1:1 dance lessons, in the same way 1:1 music lessons are Whenarranged.talking to the children about the highlights of Elstree, the rich offering of activities is often something that is mentioned. Current clubs include Science, French, Dance, Tennis x 2, Arts and Crafts x 2, Judo, Netball, Football and Athletics. We are always looking at new club avenues, keeping in mind the children’s interests and passions. We are excited to see what next year might bring!
ThePrepongrowinghouseholdmuchcommunityThankreallyjoinedweofGodjoyvegetables.wreathsdecorationssongtheManley.inspecialcelebrationsThisHarvestPre-PrepFestivalyear,ourHarvestFestivalweremadeevenmorebybeinginvitedtocelebrateStPeter’sChurchwithRev’dJaneTheservicewaslovely,andchurchwasfilledwithbeautifulandhugesmiles.Home-madeincludedautumncrowns,andanarrayofcolourfulItwascertainlyavisionofasweallgatheredtogethertothankfortheharvestaswellasthinkingthosewhoarelessfortunatethanare.Thankyoutoeveryonewhousinthechurchtocelebrate.Itwasaveryspecialoccasion.youalsotoourwonderfulwhokindlydonatedsonon-perishablefoodandotheritems.WelovedseeingthetableofwonderfuldonationsdisplayeachmorninginboththeandPre-Prepentrancehalls.Pre-Prepalonecollected313.8kg of offerings which equates to 659 meals, and the Prep collected 493kg of offerings which equates to1035 meals. The West Berkshire Foodbank were “so grateful for every single item”. Again, a huge thank you to everyone for your attendance, generosity and for a super Harvest Festival.
HP
YearMuseumSTEAM1hadawonderful trip to the STEAM Museum. The children were completely immersed in a different era, dressing up and exploring steam trains. Everyone had a turn to be a train conductor, build their own model steam trains and then explore a life-size version – even looking underneath to investigate the inner workings. The children were beautifully behaved and were great ambassadors for Elstree Pre-Prep. HP
PRE-PREP
89
Story Museum Reception had a wonderful time at the Story Museum in Oxford. The children were so excited to be going on a coach for their first school trip! We arrived in Oxford and made our way to the museum, where we got into our space suits straight away. Henry Barton knew exactly what we had to do to blast off and gave a wonderful count down. We were taken into space, we saw the moon and stars, rockets and all sorts of exciting things. We heard a Native American myth about how the stars got into the sky and we then listened to stories about space using props to bring them to life. Ollie Hill loved steering a plane into space. We then came back down to Earth and explored the Small Worlds area of the museum. Each area was book-themed, so we went on a bear hunt, the bunnies’ bus and helped the Jolly Postman. Noah Dallimore-Fox told the class that his best part of the trip was driving the bus, but for many it was the giant bed where we read bedtime stories with the biggest teddy I think we’ve ever seen!
SO’N
AB
90 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 World WorkshopsThe Environment
We wanted to offer the children at Elstree something additional to the experiences and learning opportunities provided by the ‘standard’ curriculum. To this end, we launched World Workshops and the first one took place in the Autumn Term. Inspired by the Earthshot awards, the theme for this term was The Environment. The topic was launched in the PrePrep assembly with Mrs Bond reading the book 10 things I can do to help my world by Melanie Walsh. This provided the children with ten practical and simple things they could do to make a difference to their planet. The children left full of ideas about how to make a change, whether it be turning out the light as they left the classroom, using both sides of paper to draw on, or turning the tap off whilst brushing their teeth. Following the assembly, each class took part in a small workshop. It was Nursery’s turn first and they helped to create a compost bin by the Pre-Prep gardens. The children went into each class collecting their fruit peelings and mixed it with leaves from the grounds. The children all helped to roll the compost bin to mix it together! They have enjoyed going back to check on it to see if it had turned into compost yet! It was then Reception’s turn to make bird feeders. We talked to the children about why this was important to do, and the children thought about the weather in the winter and how it might affect the birds in our school grounds and our gardens. The children worked in pairs to pour seeds, crushed biscuit cones and stale Pom Bears into their mixing bowls. They then used their hands to mix it into a wonderful bird cake with lard. The teachers and children talked about food waste and where it goes once we put it in the bin. The children were excited not to waste the old food, but instead give it to the birds. They have all hung their bird feeders on the tree outside their classroom so that they can watch the Elstree birds feeding on them. Finally, it was time for Year 1 and Year 2. These children helped to do some weeding and planting. We have a lovely Pre-Prep Garden containing a pond and five raised beds. These planting areas have been a little neglected of late, so the children went out in their classes with trowels and forks and dug up the old roots and dead plants. Once the weeds had been removed, the children enjoyed digging holes to plant tulip and daffodil bulbs. They are looking forward to seeing them bloom in the spring and hope they will help the Elstree bees and other insects!
Reception Family Tea
The topic in the Autumn Term for Reception centred around families and so we decided to invite special visitors in for a tea party. The children spent the morning making scones, where Heidi said, “We got our hands really sticky!”
Throughout the projects, the children worked wonderfully as a team, helping one another outside the classroom. All took the activities very seriously and felt proud that they were making a difference. Many children talked about wanting to take their ideas home and it was a delight to hear our youngest children showing passion and enthusiasm towards our planet and making a difference. We are sure the children will really enjoy these themes, and that they help to broaden the values of the children at Elstree.
In the afternoon we were delighted to welcome mummies, daddies, uncles, aunties, grandparents and siblings to the Pre-Prep. We all enjoyed the yummy scones with jam and clotted cream as well as delicious cakes and treats from the wonderful catering staff. Noah said, “I love having Daddy and Nanny at school.”
The children all loved the tea party, showing off their classrooms and spending time with their family members. SO’N
91 proudday.toimpressedstoryandshepherds,camels,storyDJswerewithloveSheinspiringWewonderfulplannedlovedThewerechildrenwereWewhichTheremasterpiece.regularlyscript,playsenjoyingspecialAfterNativityPre-PrepPlaythelastyearitwasparticularlytoseeparentsandchildrenbothourChristmasnativityintheMcMullenHall.ThewrittenbyCharlieWood,whofilmsourproductions,wasawereplentyofamusinglines,thechildrendeliveredbrilliantly!wereimpressedhowquicklylineslearntanditwasgreattoseethehelpingtheirfriendswhenlinesforgotten,oractorsdistracted!songswerecatchy,andweallthem.Thepupil’sactions,someandsomejustfromjoy,weretowatch.areincrediblyluckytohavesuchanmusicteacherinMissCollins.enthusesthechildren,andtheyallher.MrsKiddhaddonewondersthecostumesandthechildrendelightedtogetdressedup.ThedidawonderfuljoboflinkingthetogetherandtheKings,Queens,stars,angels,stableanimals,naughtysheep,Mary,Josephofcoursethedonkeybroughtthetolifeforus.WewerereallythatthechildrenmanagedperformsobrilliantlytwiceinoneWelldoneeveryone,weareveryofyouall. RJB “I liked it where I said: “And you’ll be pleased to know the donkey eventually cheered up.” Harry Mills, Year 2 “I loved everything and singing.” Alice O’Neill, Year 2 “My favourite bit was when I went off stage and came back on.” Hugo Kayser-Booth, Year 2 PRE-PREP
Mrs Bond was fortunate enough to visit South Africa during the Christmas break; a trip that inspired the Lent Term PrePrep Workshop. It was an interesting trip to share with children, with the colourful scenery, exciting animals and the abject poverty and slums that are in such a stark contrast to our lives here. Transferring the realisation of how fortunate we are sparked wonderful conversations with the children, who really wanted to understand what they could do to help. Exploring the differences in people’s lives, the children learnt about the Maasai Tribe - their houses, schools and the jewellery that they make and sell to tourists. This launched the project idea for the Pre-Prep children to work as a team, with each one making their own bracelet. They would then set up a shop and invite children in Year 3 and 4 to come and buy their jewellery. All proceeds would be sent to ‘Where Rainbows Meet’ a charity supporting a range of families in Africa. The bracelet making was a roaring success. Year 2 children were challenged to plait and knot their bracelets using embroidery threads. Our youngest children in Nursery also joined in, threading their beads onto a slightly thicker elastic. Hand-eye coordination and patience were certainly tested, but they all did a wonderful job. The day of the shop finally arrived, and the bracelets were carefully presented to look appealing to the visiting shoppers. Four classes from the Prep School took it in turns to attend. It was wonderful to see the Pre-Prep children’s joy as their bracelets were chosen and sold, making a total of £239.53. In addition to this wonderful profit, it is what the children learnt that was valuable. That 2-year-olds could recognise how lucky they are and that all the children in the Pre-Prep have an awareness that some people in the world are less fortunate than themselves. It was empowering for them all to make a difference. Term
92 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022
WorkshopsWorldBracelet Making
AB Lent
The children in Year 1 were treated to the most wonderful workshop in the Lent Term, hosted by Newbury showground. They started the morning by making a delicious smoothie packed full of healthy fruits. We were very impressed with all the little chefs we had, some children helped to cut the apple, pour in the orange juice and measure out some frozen berries. It was such fun watching all the fruits whizzing up together in the smoothie maker and the best part was trying it children made some porridge. They talked about where the oats came from and how we get milk. Luckily, Year 1 had already learnt about the journey of milk so they enjoyed recalling all they remembered. Rafferty in 1HB was an excellent porridge stirrer, he made sure it didn’t stick to the bottom and that it cooked evenly. The children loved having a small helping in a little bowl and they added honey to make it taste that extra bit special!
Charlotte Rose, Year 1
AB PRE-PREP
“I liked the porridge and milking Buttercup. It was really fun.”
“I loved the smoothie. It had mango and all my favourite fruits in.”
Rex Ruddick, Year 1
The children returned to the PrePrep for a quick run around. When they arrived back at the McMullen Hall, they could not believe their eyes, inside was a cow! Buttercup (the wooden cow) had come to visit Elstree Pre-Prep and she had four very full udders that needed milking.
The children learnt how milkmaids used to sit on a little wooden stool and how to get the milk out. All the children had a turn and they managed to fill a bucket! Finally, everyone in Year 1 was able to plant some crops of their own ready to grow at home. They tipped some soil into a small flowerpot and arranged 6 seeds. Some chose oats, others went for barley and some decided on wheat. The children carried this home with such excitement; we can’t wait to hear how they develop. It was such a special morning and a wonderful opportunity for the children to share what they already knew and to learn some new pieces of farming information.
Afterafterwards!this,the
“I liked the colours of the smoothie.”
Brilliant Breakfast Workshop
Christabel Ridley-Day, Year 1
93
AB
World Book Day
Felicity Barclay, Reception “I love my bonnet so much!”
Johnny Ruck Keene, Year 1
The theme for this year’s World Book Day in the Pre-Prep was Julia Donaldson books – and what an array of fabulous costumes we saw. The morning’s parade was full of excitement and the children loved listening to stories and bringing so much of what they heard into their learning and games throughout the day. Reading The Paper Dolls and making chains of paper friends, KS1 children explored the value of friendships and making memories. Zog inspired a lesson in Dragon school where children learned to fly and to roar quietly, squeakily and loudly. They also breathed fire with tissue flames. After hearing the story Hospital Dog, the children thought about what makes them feel happy and safe if they are nervous, scared or sad about something.
What a wonderful day we all had celebrating books and reading!
“I loved learning to fly. I got a golden star.”
“My favourite bit was listening to Highway Rat.” Sam Turford, Reception
“I loved using porridge oats to decorate my bear picture.” Henry Clark, Reception
Alice O’Neill, Year 2
SO’N
94 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 holidaystoprocess.playgroundParade.creationstheTheGarden.makingNurseryprecision.andacreativity.classroomgrandparentsEastertheandWorkshop.inManyParadeEasterPre-PrepBonnetofthePre-PreptookpartourannualEasterBonnetWiththesunshiningafeelingofspringintheair,childrenenjoyedcraftingbonnetswiththeirparents,andteachers.EachwasaseaofcolourandTherewereEasterEggsplentybeinggluedontobonnetschicksbeingpositionedwithDuetothemildweather,enjoyedtheirbonnetoutsideintheEarlyYearsPre-PrepchildrenthenhadopportunitytoshowofftheirduringourEasterBonnetVisitorscongregatedintheandwatchedthechildrenItwasawonderfulwayendthetermandtostartthewithasmile.
“I liked waving to everyone.”
PRE-PREP “I
95 New Playground
AB
The Pre-Prep couldn’t believe their eyes when they came back after half term to discover a new area of their playground had been developed. Harry from Year 2 kindly funded a large proportion of the project after winning a ‘design your own pizza’ competition at The Royal Oak. It seemed fitting that he opened it for us. Special thanks to the Year 2 Pre-Prep classes of 2021 and 2020 for their donations to the playground too, and to our fabulous grounds team for working so hard to complete it over the half-term break. The new area has provided hours of fun this term and is a well-loved area of the playground. All the children were also challenged to grow their own sunflower. Seeds were planted in the raised beds surrounding the new area with a competition launched to see whose sunflower will grow the tallest!
the PrePrep Poetry Performances on a grey Monday morning. The entrants ranged from Nursery through to Year 2 and all must be commended on their oral presentation skills. Mr Owens, Head of English, was kind enough to give up his time to come to listen to the performances. He commented, “It is something quite special to be able to stand in front of a packed crowd and recite your poem, never mind if you are three or seven!”
One child even sang their poem –very impressive! Two children wrote their own poems with their fathers – one amusingly about life at Elstree and the other commemorating the upcoming Queen’s Jubilee. The poem was so special and delivered beautifully, the Pre-Prep are planning to use it as inspiration for the celebrations in June. AB was so happy to cut the ribbon!” Harry Mills, Year 2
WePerformancePoetrywereveryluckytowatch
96 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Healthy Laramuchfull,newThe‘edibleanwashumous,tryingforpickedSomewerefruitswereAtitleafsomethingwithouttree.showedLaradiningtosomething.outourWevitaminsenjoyaboutThelunchtimelooktheimportantishelpsorangebodies.andvegetablesthattoAfteroursuggestionshealthywhybycompany,aYearWorkshopEating1and2weretreatedtoavisitfromnutritionistfromourschoolcateringHolroydandHowe.Shestartedgettingthechildrentothinkabouttheyneededtochooseandeatfoods.Shewasimpressedbythewhichrangedfromkeepingteethhealthytokeepingusalive.this,thechildrenwereencouraged‘eattherainbow’.WediscoveredthevariouscolouredfruitsandallcontaindifferentvitaminsmineralswhicharegoodforourDidyouknow,carrotsareandcontainVitaminAwhichoureyestobehealthy?Broccoligreenandcontainscalciumwhichisforourbonesandteeth.Allchildrensaidtheywereexcitedtoatthecoloursontheirplatesatfromnowon!nutritionisttalkedtothechildrentryingnewthingssothatwecanmorefoodsandhavedifferentandnutrientsinourbodies.wereinterestedtohearittakesbodies10timesof‘trying’toworkwhetheryoureallylikeordislikeTheteacherswillmakesureremindtheirclassesaboutthisintheroom!Grant,ourcateringmanager,usawonderfulhealthyeatingAtthemoment,itisalittlebaremanyleaves.Everytimewetrynewatschool,wecanaddatothetree.Wecan’twaittowatchblossom.theendofoursession,allthechildreninviteduptolookatthecolourfulandvegetablesondisplay.Theyabletopicksomethingnewtotry.wentforradisheswhilstothersasparagus,manyevencamebacksecondsorthirds!LeoBondlovedsomeRomanescowithbeetroottheteachersalsothoughtthisrathertasty!Larahadmadesucheffortwiththedisplaysandcreatedgardens’foreveryonetoenjoy.childrenwereinspiredtoexploretexturesandtastesandleftwithhealthytummies!ThankyouverytoHolroydandHoweandtoGrant. AB “I tried a yellow carrot. It tasted like a normal carrot.” Oscar Sydney-Smith, 2LT “Everything was so good!” Leo Bond, 1SP “I had a tomato and the inside was so juicy. Then I put it in the beetroot humous and it was soooo nice.” Johnny Ruck Keene, Year 1 “I tried a radish, like Peter Rabbit!” Johnny Ruck Keene, Year 1
PRE-PREP
RB “I’m going to ask my mum to bring me back here again!”
Gabriella Ajani “This chain mail is seriously heavy, I nearly dropped it!” Alex Fowler “Wow! Look at those swords on those guns.”
Year 2 finally visited Windsor Castle during the Lent Term. Our topic the previous term was Castles, and the children were all extremely excited to finally go to a ‘real life’ one! As the coach approached Windsor the children were keen to catch their first glimpse of the castle and there were great shrieks of delight when it came into view. We were met by Martin at the Visitors’ Centre and set off for a visit to St George’s Chapel. We had a quick chat about showing respect and talking quietly in the church. The children were amazed by the height of the ceiling and the sheer vastness of the space. They especially loved looking at all the flags by the choir stalls and the altar. There was great excitement when someone spotted a sword and some amour hanging by a painting. They did an amazing job of trying to whisper their reactions! We went back to the Visitors’ Centre for a workshop on knights. Our guide, Martin, did a fabulous job of capturing our attention and imaginations. The children loved seeing the outfits worn by pages and squires and we had plenty of volunteers to model the costumes, chain mail, armour and to try out some of the weapons. They were all astounded at the size of the lance used for jousting and it took two of them to lift a practice lance! After lunch, we walked over to visit Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House. The children were thrilled to see the miniature house and particularly impressed to hear that all the electrics and hot and cold water taps actually worked. The guide at the door also told us that the mini champagne bottles actually contained real champagne! Our visit to the Dolls’ House led on to a journey through the state rooms. Each one brought new cries of “Look at this!” “Wow!” and “This is the best day ever!” The gold room was a highlight, as was the dining room with hundreds of coats of arms on the ceiling.
97 Year 2 Trip to Windsor Castle
Visitors’ Centre to collect our things before heading home. A tired but happy crew got back on the coach, and we all felt it had been a wonderful finale to our Castle topic work. The staff were very proud of the children, who remembered huge amounts from last term, and all behaved beautifully.
Oscar Sydney-Smith
As we left the staterooms, we saw three soldiers marching past in their smart red tunics and bearskin busbies. The children watched them check on the guard near the Queen’s apartments and then followed them back across the castle grounds to their guard room. There was quite a sound of small feet marching as we went back to the
Takingaround!inspiration
from Julia Donaldson’s book The Stick Man, we first explored the grounds for sticks of different lengths, widths and shapes. We came back to create our own stick families and carefully decided what materials would be best to use in creating our masterpieces. We used pipe cleaners, wool, string, twine, tape and googly eyes! Our stick families looked brilliant! After lunch, we had a great time in Plantation, making dens using larger sticks and some people even created rafts to float on our Pre-Prep pond. Nursery and Reception played with their stick men in the woods wearing their beautiful home-made stick crowns. They also created Stick Men sun catchers and even used some of their sticks to practise natural weaving with wool! Everything looked fabulous. We were incredibly lucky that the sun was shining for us all day and we couldn’t have wished for more glorious Spring weather. What a wonderful day had by all!
The Look Out Discovery Centre
What a wonderful day Reception had when we visited The Look Out Discovery Centre in Bracknell. We arrived and the children quickly became engrossed in the huge variety of hands-on Science activities. They built dams, watched how their bones and muscles moved when they danced, tried to put a body back together and heated air to make a hot air balloon float, to name a few! Arthur loved the special mirror box and managed to count 32 Arthur’s! He explained that the box was made of lots of different mirrors. After lunch we had a lesson about minibeasts, learning which creatures live in the woods and how to identify insects. We learnt a catchy ‘heads, thorax, abdomen’ song and enjoyed joining in with the actions. After that, we went on a minibeast hunt. Some of the children found an enormous woodlouse which they were very excited to show the teachers. Rafael said it was the best trip he’d ever been on.
SO’N Summer Term
98 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 ‘Stick Man’ Outdoor Day
HP
Another fantastic ‘Outdoor Day’ filled with fun, adventure and huge smiles all
We were blessed with glorious sunshine and the children were all very excited as they waited for their special guests to arrive. We made our way up to Plantation, via the Early Years woods which the children visit every Wednesday. The children loved telling their guests about where their tribe plays each Onceweek. we got to Plantation everyone started making their dens - there were some amazing creations and we were so impressed, Henry Barton said, “We’ve made a huge den with loads of people. Consti brought ropes and tarpaulin to make a roof and I brought bunting to make our den Olliepretty!”and Noah spent a long time looking for camouflage for their den, afterwards Noah said his favourite part of the day was building the dens. He said, “To start with, me and Ollie didn’t help but then we started helping and we liked helping.” Henry Clark even built an annexe on his den for a Sophielavatory!said,“My favourite part was building the den with Granny because we got bark and charcoal and we made tiles and we drew a ladybird and stuck it on to the roof.” After we had all admired each other’s dens, there was a very competitive game of children versus parents ‘hide and seek’. Thank you to all the parents and grandparents for coming and making the day so special. SO’N
PRE-PREP
99
Reception Den Building Day with Visitors
What a wonderful day Reception had in the woods with their visitors!
Mr Ames talked to all the children about different types of vets and what they specialise in. He explained that he was a small animal’s vet and that he mainly helps poorly cats and dogs.
The children listened with such interest, and many said they hoped to be a vet when they are older! We are all excited to hear from some other visiting parents later in the term when we will learn more about their jobs.
Silly Snowy had eaten 6 golf balls which needed to be cut out. Edwin, Aggie and Rex performed the surgery very well, cutting open Snowy and taking out the golf balls!
Mr Ames - a local Vet Jack from Nursery felt very excited knowing his Daddy was coming to school this week! Mr Ames is a local Vet and Mrs Bond thought that the children in the Pre-Prep might like to know a little more about his work and what he does.
Snowy the toy dog came to visit the children because he had been feeling unwell. Mr Ames told everyone how he takes the history of the patient by asking the owners what has been wrong. After this, the vets work from the animal’s nose to their tail, checking for signs and symptoms. Mr Ames said being a vet was like being a detective. The children were invited to perform a pretend operation. Edwin (Nursery), Aggie (Year 2) and Rex (Year 1) looked wonderful in the surgeon clothes! They wore an operating overall, a hat, gloves and a mask. Mr Ames showed everyone an x-ray of Snowy’s tummy.
100 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022
Mr Ames also showed the children how to bandage different creature’s arms and legs. It was great fun having a go and making sure the bandages were wrapped tightly and securely.
AB Elstree Hour
The now well-established Elstree Hour is designed to give the Year 2 children a small taste of what is to come before they ‘graduate’ up into the Prep School, as well as giving them a chance to meet and get to know some of the staff. This years’ programme included some Bushcraft Fun with Mr Attwood, Outdoor Art with Mrs Syckelmoore, an Introduction to Year 3 with Mrs Kidson, a Cricket Tournament with Mr Bates and a lovely picnic with Mr and Mrs Inglis. My thanks go to all the staff who kindly volunteered their time to ensure that the Year 2 children had so many fun and beneficial afternoons at the Prep School.
JCM
Freddie
“My favourite was Pin the Tail on the Corgi because I loved the music.” Rose, Year 1 “I loved all of the running races!” Hughes, Reception “I liked the Daddies’ race, my Daddy was really fast!” McEwen, Reception
Sam
Charlotte
101 OnSportsPre-PrepDayFriday1stJulythePre-Prep took part in their greatly anticipated ‘Great British’ Sports Day. The rain clouds loomed, but the weather held off for a wonderful event on the glorious pitches. Mr Morris and Mrs Sandford lived up to the previous traditions of themed races to music, and to fit with the Queen’s Jubilee Celebrations earlier in the term, we witnessed some perfectly regal competitiveness! The event of the year began with Nursery and the ‘Opening Ceremony’ race. The children ran a length of the track proudly waving their Union Jack flags, before handing over to their next team member. Next, saw Reception taking part in ‘Royal Ascot’ where, as the name suggests, they galloped with their hobby horses over hurdles whilst being cheered on as though we were indeed, at the races! Year 1 then took part in the very British tradition of afternoon tea. However, this race was by no means relaxing, instead the children had to run up the track carrying their tray of teacups, saucers and cutlery, ensuring they didn’t spill any items. Thank goodness the Queen wasn’t here waiting for her sandwiches because I’m not sure they would have arrived in one piece! Year 2 then treated everyone to a ‘Jousting Tournament’, which saw them carrying a swimming noodle under their arm as their lance, while hopping over hurdles on their hobby horses. Other races from the afternoon included ‘Queen for the day’, ‘Changing of the Guards’, ‘Pin the tail on the Corgi’ and ‘The Royal Bank of Elstree’. However, a firm favourite among all of Pre-Prep was ‘The Royal Dash’ by Year 2. They took it in turns to run an entire lap of the Elstree athletics track, cheered on by Nursery, Reception and Year 1. Not only did they do this once, but we were also treated to a lap by the boys, closely followed by the girls. They definitely had lots of energy to Luckily,showcase.the weather held off long enough to see the return of the famous Mummy, Daddy and Visitor races. Mr Morris carefully selected the races to re-create after watching the children, and there were a record number of participants. For the children, it was a real highlight to watch some of their parents running a length of the track and demonstrating their competitive side. Lastly, after encouragement and cheers from both parents and the children, the teachers took part in a race all of their own this year. Interpreted in their own unique way, the Pre-Prep staff all linked hands together to run past all the classes and hit the famous Union Jack finish line at the opposite end of the track. It is safe to say the whole Pre-Prep community had a brilliantly royal afternoon at the ‘Great British’ Sports Day and everyone took part with a smile on their faces, cheering on their friends. A huge thank you to both Mr Morris and Mrs Sandford for masterminding yet another incredible Pre-Prep Sports Day. HM6 PRE-PREP
SPORT
Well done to them all.
Played 18 Won 9 Drawn 4 Lost 5
Cheam on the final Saturday, was not going to be easy.
SPORT
As a group, they endured all manner of emotions on this rollercoaster of a season. There were the highs of the first two games. A steady early victory at home against the unknown quantity that was New College, followed by the unheard of 2 – 0 away win at Lambrook. What next?
Unfortunately, what followed was a battling loss (4-3) against the much larger Latymer Upper in the ISFA Cup. Facing a much fancied Papplewick and coming comfortably second and a frustratingly, uncharacteristic, stuttering loss at Farleigh. The mood was certainly a little down.
Thankfully the IAPS 6s came at the right time. It was torrential conditions that met us at Summer Fields, but the smaller squad played with a greater determination and sense of enjoyment. To go out on penalties was sad, but the day was a definite lift. Back to the 11-a-side team and momentum was carried forward into two convincing performances against St Andrew’s (2-0) and Brockhurst (3-0) and a draw away at Summer Fields (1-1), which actually does not tell the full story of the dominance of Elstree throughout the entire game.
Just before Half Term a lack of focus for 5 minutes, cost the team dearly against Ludgrove and the scoreline (1-4) flattered the visitors. Thankfully half-term gave the chance to rest tired bodies and minds after an up and down period of football. What followed after half-term, I am sure, will be the abiding memory for this group of players. A clinical 2nd half against Crosfields, scoring 5, kick-started a real resurgence in belief in the style of football they were capable of playing. An unbeaten Pilgrims, were negotiated after a strong first half which set up a final 3-1 win.
I think that this will be a season we will look back on with a great respect for this group of players. Judging just by the results, it certainly was not a stellar season, but it is what the results do not show that will live long in the memory.
Then came Cothill. A strong side that had outplayed harder opposition than us the week before. Elstree went toe-to-toe with them and matched them with commitment, but superseded them with work rate. Elstree came from behind 3 times and, once the 4th goal went in, to a player the ‘we will not give this away’ attitude kicked in. That was a real marker as to how far this team had come in such a short space of time.
Another unbeaten side, but the game before had given Elstree a greater courage and they pushed the visitors in every area of the pitch. Twice going ahead deservedly, only to be levelled with minutes to go. To say that the Team were disappointed with a draw, really showed us how much they had developed and grown as a group.
TDW & JCM
It is always a shame when the season ends, especially when you are playing so well. But the ride has to stop somewhere and for this group, it was certainly worth queueing up for!
103 Boys’ Football 1st XI
The coaching has always tried to emphasise the players’ ability to control and move the ball on quickly and accurately, to be aware of space and movement and to make decisions. The boys have played small-sided games to increase their involvement on the pitch and their touches on the ball which has worked effectively. We have aimed to rotate positions and encourage the boys to get their head up and pass the ball to each other. Our performances in matches have consistently improved and our results speak for themselves: Played 13, Won 11, Lost 2. Game 2 has been an absolute delight to coach from trials on day one to the awards ceremony after the final match.
3rd IX Played 13 Won 11 Drawn 0 Lost 2
104 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 2nd XI Played 11 Won 10 Drawn 1 Lost 0
Award winners at the end of season celebration: Players’ Player of the Year – Ben Baxter (captain), Coach’s Player of the Year – Toby van den Bergh, Unsung Hero – Kit Harris, Golden Boot – Monty Greatrix, Best Goal – Harry Hinge, Sporting Ambassador – Alexander Hoare Nairne, Outstanding Team Spirit – James Holden, Most Improved – Hamish Fawcett, The Talisman – Koichi Sakamoto, Player You Would Least Like To Play Against –Taro Sakamoto. JRB
The 2nd XI have had a wonderful season and have been a particularly nice group of children to coach! One of the biggest reasons being how supportive they have been of one another. As we all know, there is little more corrosive to team morale, and the ultimate success of a group, than the internecine bickering and recriminations so often seen on the games field. In total contrast, the 2nd XI were unwaveringly supportive of each other, especially when times were tough or we had our backs to the wall! The team was led superbly by Stanley Pearey, who absolutely personified this approach and was instrumental in ‘setting the tone’. Our midfield worked really hard to win the ball and then distribute, and we were blessed with two superb strikers up front who always made the most of any chances we had. Thank you all, for a season to remember! Bravo à tous…! IDH
The 5th IX had an unprecedented season, not only did they win every game but importantly they only conceded three goals in ten matches! Our wingers George Johnstone, Oliver Anderson and Pelayo de Villa were outstanding at getting around the opposition defence and crucially getting the ball to the feet of our humble goal scoring machine Gabriel Islam. Oscar Pritchard ably captained the team from the mid-field and when the ball fell at his feet he was often outside the box ready to send the ball to the top right of the net. In defence, Joshua Sameke saved us on many occasions from a break-away goal with a game winning tackle. Wardy’s goal against Cheam will be etched into my mind forever, as will Oscar Hargreave’s top right against Pilgrims. Max Venning’s ball skills in defence were worthy of playing striker! Jerry, our keeper who loved to come up to the half-way line and scare us frequently was a wall at the back. It’s not every day you beat Ludgrove 5-0 and Cheam in double figures. Certainly a season to remember.
AWP
FAW
4th IX Played 11 Won 10 Drawn 1 Lost 0 Game 2s’ ‘Invincibles’. Hugely successful but more importantly, enjoyable. This season it has been a joy to be a part of a group of boys who strive to play an attractive, attacking brand of football. When a coach tells his players to ‘make the ball do the work’, ‘find the easy pass’ and ‘play the ball on the ground’ - at fourth team level you are rarely met with exactly that, and it made a huge difference. The development of skills catapulted from day one and by the end we had players passing with their weaker foot, moving at pace into wide spaces and sending crosses across the face of goal to be met with first time volleys sending the net Thebulging!bestgoal of the season: Gonzalo and Thomas combining superbly down the left to give Eddie the chance to finish clinically - The beautiful game. With Aki, Finley and Will ever composed in defence only Ludgrove and Horris Hill’s 3rd team could give us a scare. Both times the team, guided brilliantly by Captain Anderson, snatched a deserved result.
105SPORT
5th IX Played 10 Won 10 Goals For 65 Against 3
The Under 11As were a pleasure to coach this term. Whilst small in stature, they were a committed group of boys who played aesthetically pleasing football and conducted themselves with grace and valour in the pink and blue. The boys probably learnt most from a close 4-2 win over Summer Fields but equally valuable was the 1-0 loss to Ludgrove; the latter showing that XG and statistics on number of shots taken matter not if you cannot find the back of the net.
106 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 6th IX
PlayedU11A
Overall we had a brave goalie (Sebastian Francis), an increasingly determined and effective defence (Justin Jian, Alex Song and Alex Anderson) , some hard-working combinations in mid-field (Nicky Xu, Calvin Wu and Mason Hill) and some opportunist strikers up-front (Frank Tang, Derek Lee and others). The team must be congratulated on their efforts this term.
The boys finished the season with a 6-2 victory at Cheam in the rain and I thank them for their effort and good company. Special mentions goes to Wilf Foulds the captain and central midfielder; to Harry Clothier, scoring 22 goals in his lone striker role and to James Morris-Weston for a wonderful season in goal. LJO
This season has been a mixed bag of fortune and loss. Many players have performed with growing confidence and skills and each match was fought with determination but also enjoyed for its own merits. Our first three matches were a test of character as although we battled bravely and looked to play some good open football, our endeavours weren’t rewarded with goals. We were beaten by Lambrook (2-1), Summer Fields (0-2) and Ludgrove (0-4). After half-term things began to click and we returned to winning ways with a well-deserved win against Crosfields (3-2), a confident display against Pilgrims (0-4) before winning in style against Cothill (7-0) with everyone scoring a Ourgoal.final match against Cheam proved a fitting end to the football season as we entertained the crowd with a spectacle of end-to-end football, running out worthy winners (8-1).
Drawn 0 Lost 3
SCA
14 Won 8 Drawn 0 Lost 6
Played 7 Won 4
14 Won 9 Drawn 1 Lost 4
11 Won 6 Drawn 1 Lost 4
107SPORT
PlayedU11C
The U11Bs had an incredibly rewarding season. The boys progressed after every match. The season was completed with 6 wins, 1 draw and 4 losses with a goal difference of Most13.
our wins came in the second half of the season. This is when the team really began to gel and all the boys got used to their positions. The strategy of the season was to start with a solid defence and Seb Black and Seb Fowler built a very reliable partnership. With this strong defence we could then move the ball forward to Hugo who was our play maker in midfield. He would then use the speed of Jacob and Monty on the wings to stretch the opposition defence. This left space up front for Czedale to put the ball in the back of the net. Having Caspar in goal gave the team confidence as he was very consistent in goal and was able to find long counter attacking passes. Having Seb Buck and Alan to assist the team when needed was also incredibly important - the energy they brought onto the field helped to overcome some difficult moments. The boys showed real grit and determination to improve and they never gave up. I am incredibly proud of the achievements of the team. JRD
PlayedU11B
It has been a long but nevertheless successful term for the Under 11C football team. The quality of the football improved with every match played. It would be fair to say that at the start of the term, wherever the ball was on the pitch most players would be in close proximity. But that was not the case at the end of the term. Everyone learned to move into space, giving their team-mates more options or passing the ball into space. Ball control and the pace at which the ball was moved up the pitch was another area which was worked on and improved upon. The majority of players had the opportunity to play in most positions on the pitch, meaning they understood what skills are required to play in such positions. The camaraderie in the team has been great and all those who played did so with real spirit and a positive attitude. My thanks to all those who played for the Under 11C team this term and made it such a successful one. PNS
The U10As came back from a Covid-affected non-match year with force and fluency, achieving some high-scoring wins and some battling performances. The season began with a 5-0 win at New College on what felt like a summer’s afternoon, finally ending with a blowy barnstormer at home to Cheam, every Autumn Term’s thrilling climax. Some early defeats against Lambrook (7-1) and Papplewick (2-9) and a tough afternoon at the Bradfield U10 tournament refined the team, returning from the foundry to claim seven successive wins on the bounce, scoring 32 goals and conceding 14 in the process.
The match of the season was, by far, the one against Farleigh, where everything clicked and we played some of the best football seen all season for the whole match and went on to win! AJP
Noteworthy wins over Summer Fields and Ludgrove were won by small margins against worthy opponents, though the spinal partnership of Ollie Duffield, Leonardo Raphael and Joshua ‘goal-machine’ Singleton made for easy watching. Jonty Shaw, Jack Hedley, Dew Sakamoto, and Otis Pearey also contributed a great deal, with Toby ‘reflexes of a cat’ Bi in goal. There is still room in this team to develop some more expansive football, and I will follow them closely next year. A massive term from them all.
AJP
11 Won 4 Drawn 0 Lost 7
Won 8 Drawn 0 Lost 3
108 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 PlayedU10A11
PlayedU10B
A real roller coaster of a season! Right from the start, the boys focussed on playing as a team, encouraging one another and, most of all, having fun. Each team member took turns as captain or vice-captain and each led the team by example on the pitch whenever it was their Theyresponsibility.started the season with a resounding win in their first match. Although the results that followed didn’t always go our way, the team really developed their skills and showed a “never-say die” approach, never letting their heads drop if things weren’t going their way.
Won 6 Drawn 0 Lost 6
11 Won 3 Drawn 2 Lost 6
This has been encouraging season for the U9A football team and there is no doubt that all players have improved from start to finish. What is also pleasing is the type of football we ended up playing, looking to build up play from the back and aiming to pass the ball out wide in attack. Players have developed their individual skills with one ball each at the start of the sessions improving coordination and skill. We have done plenty of attack v defence situations, 4v4 progressive games and some shooting practices as well. We have played some very strong teams none more so than Papplewick which was our first game but showed resilience to come back from that game and improve with a draw against Farleigh and a great team performance against Thorngrove on a sunny afternoon to get our first win of the season. Perhaps the most pleasing performance was against Summer Fields which was a great close game but the boys played with determination to go on and win 3-1. Most of the games we played were 7 a side but it ended up being 6 a side against Cothill and there was noticeably more space on the pitch creating a better quality game. Our plans of a 2,2,1 in defence and a 1,3,1 in attack worked incredibly well which was great to see in action in the match and showed that the boys were coachable. With more practice there is lots of potential with this team and they have been an enjoyable group to work with. Well done! BJC
109SPORTPlayedU10C12
PlayedU9A
The U10Cs have had a solid season in which they showed much improved fitness and excellent team spirit. As the training sessions unfolded, we settled into our positions. James Marshall played valiantly in goal, relentlessly saving attempts on our goal. Thomas Mitchell took up his position in defence – clearing the ball admirably from the box repeatedly. In midfield, we saw Dang Dang Liu on the left wing, Willem Loader on the right wing and Alfie Burles in the centre, often in the striker position. Our dribbling, decision-making, and passing grew ever more quick and accurate which meant we had the ball in the opposition’s half much of the time, enabling strikes on goal. The support from parents on the side line really helped the boys to play their best. It was a pleasure to coach them this season. EGG
110 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022
Drawn 3 Lost 6
Our next set of matches, against Lambrook, proved to be a tough contest. With the A Team hanging on for a thrilling 5-5 draw, both the B and C Teams were on the receiving end of some heavy defeats. Some impressive performances against Crosfields, and comfortable wins for all three teams, topped off a thoroughly enjoyable season for Year 3.
PlayedU9B
I have been so pleased with how they have approached their football this term and I am unsurprised that every single one of them has noticeably improved. Well done to them all on what has been a thoroughly enjoyable term. JCM
There were some close fixtures with a thrilling 4 - 4 draw against Crosfields towards the latter part of the season. A comfortable win against Cothill House where the boys played a quality brand of football, moving the ball well, attacking the space and showing strength in defence.
This season for the U9Bs was a great learning experience with improvements in all areas of the game. It has been very encouraging to see players come together over the course of the term to work as a team both in matches and training with such a positive atmosphere present on the pitch. They are a determined group of boys and despite the record this season, I was always impressed with the work ethic and desire to progress as footballers.
This term the Year 3 boys have enjoyed a fantastic term of football and have worked hard in Games sessions in order to prepare themselves well for matches and improve their general skills. The focus has always been on match play and giving the children as much opportunity as possible to succeed and/or make mistakes and subsequently learn from them. With regards to the fixtures against other schools, we started our season against Thorngrove and enjoyed some good victories across the board. Next were matches away at Pilgrims with our boys demonstrating an impressive ability to keep possession of the ball. This resulted in another impressive set of results.
11 Won 2
15 Won 6 Drawn 3 Lost 5
PlayedU8
Throughout this season, the boys have been able to keep their heads high when the times were tough, testament to their character and something they should all be proud of. They have been a pleasure to coach and I wish them all the best next season! FMcK
It has been lovely to see the U10 girls enjoying hockey matches at Elstree this term. Indeed for many, it was their first experience of competitive hockey. The girls played against a number of strong, well-established sides including Cheam, Daneshill and Crosfields, gaining a huge amount of experience from each fixture. Throughout the term the girls worked hard in their training sessions to develop their passing and tackling, and the progress and improvement over the weeks was noticeable. The highlight of the season was their performance in the final match against Cranford House, a team who had beaten us at the start of the term. The girls played with an incredible amount of enthusiasm, determination and skill, and managed to win the game 5-0. It was the perfect way to end a successful term of hockey. Well done girls! KS
Girls’ Hockey PlayedU11
8 Won 6 Drawn 0 Lost 2
111SPORT
PlayedU10
The U11 Girls’ Hockey team have had a busy season. Our first match, against Cranford House, was a hard fought battle against an experienced side. Elstree narrowly lost 2-3. A few weeks later, the team took part in a triangular against Marlston House and St. Andrew’s School. The girls played very well in the tournament, winning all their matches. Over the season, we scored most of our goals from short-corners, with Kitty Butler pushing the ball, and Sophie Payne slapping in the goals consistently. The most exciting game of the season was our match against Cheam which saw us down early in the first half. However, the girls quickly demonstrated true grit and determination, winning the second half by two goals and only conceding one. Our keeper, Mila Tryon made some amazing saves which prevented any further damage. Tilly Lloyd, one of our backs, was heroic in her defence of the Elstree half. In our final match of the season against Cranford House, the girls recorded a decisive 3-0 win which demonstrated the huge progress they had made in their hockey skills and stick work over the course of the term. Overall, the girls have the makings of a superb team. JCM
7 Won 2 Drawn 1 Lost 4
112 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 U8 & 9
The Under 8s and 9s had a fantastic first hockey season and introduction to hockey matches. Both teams had several friendly matches between Thorngrove and Lambrook School where they were able to practice and develop the basic skills they were learning during games sessions. Later in the season, they had a competitive match against Crosfields. We took two teams, which were a mixture of Under 9s and Under 8s. One team came away with a 2-0 win and the other team, after a tough match, lost 0-2. The girls all worked hard on their hockey skills and showed great improvement across all areas in hockey, and it was wonderful to see their game-play confidence increase with every match. Well done on an incredible season.
ELB
ElstreeJudoJudo Club is once again back in full-swing, after the ravages of Covid. Numbers are looking healthy and next year we aim to start-up some matches against other schools once again. Martin Small continues to be our inspirational coach and has, this year, been helped by another coach/parent, Paul Cirone. The year started with a judo demonstration for the whole school and ended with a fun demo during Sports Day, aimed at gaining new recruits. Sessions during the week are on Mondays and last 45 minutes. There is a junior and senior group. Some pupils have also benefitted from the holiday camps that Martin Small Martinruns.commented on the Elstree pupils, “I have had the pleasure of coaching Elstree Prep and Prep-Prep children this year. The Judoka at Elstree are looking very strong, and I am excited to see what they can achieve. It has been such a pleasure teaching judo at Elstree this past year; the children have exceeded all of my expectations.” CMS
113SPORT
It was an incredibly rewarding season in lots of ways for the first team this year. Although the results did not always go in our favour, the way the boys stuck together as a group and conducted themselves in difficult circumstances has been highly commendable. Often playing against big, powerful, and talented boys from other schools, we battled hard to achieve performance related goals, showing remarkable resilience and improving massively over the course of the season. With every match and training session there was significant development both individually and as a team. The boys learnt how to play in different conditions and how important it is to look after the ball and keep possession. The scrum was a real positive throughout the season, not only winning our own ball but also some against the head thanks to solid body positions and scrum technique. Rucking skills, body positions and an urgency at the breakdown certainly reached a level where we retained possession consistently, providing a platform for attacking opportunities.
114 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 PlayedU13ARugby10
Our backs developed particularly good attacking moves and handling skills which were exciting to watch. Defensively, the tackling was commendable but the defensive structure in the second and third phases let us down on occasions. One of the most thrilling games to watch was the Papplewick match. Free flowing attacking rugby was adopted by both teams and the lead changing hands five times. In the end we won, holding on to a slender lead at the final whistle. Our captain Alex Price led the way on and off the pitch, keeping the defence honest with some lovely showand-goes but also demonstrating huge commitment to improving his tackle technique. Another player who had an outstanding year is Taro Sakamoto, his desire to steal the ball back for his team and be the enforcer at the rucks was pivotal to our possession-based style. The intensity matched with skill and technique needed to make dominant tackles takes a huge toll mentally and physically, Toby van den Bergh was a shining light in this regard for the first team. The amount of important and devastating tackles Toby put in were too many to count, but hugely Thesignificant.development all the players in the team was superb and it was a very enjoyable season.
AFJW
PlayedU13B
7 Won 7 Drawn 0 Lost 0 More pleasing than the string of unbeaten matches was the boys’ general attitude and improvement throughout the season. The epitome of an Elstree team: hard working, brave and generally committed. Well done to Sergey Teliatnik for captaining the side and to Jerry Liu who finished the season with 19 tries. The most memorable matches include: the end-to-end thriller against Ludgrove; the rampaging riot of Cothill and the opening season champagne rugby at Papplewick. Good fun to coach and I wish the boys well with their future rugby endeavours. LJO
Won 4 Drawn 1 Lost 5
115SPORT
PlayedU12A
The season started off with a challenging triangular competition with St Andrew’s A team. Whilst pre-season training had gone really well, it was always going to be daunting going into the first game of the season against an A team. It was soon evidently clear that there was nothing to worry about: strong running and tackling from the off saw an impressive first win. Moving into the second game against the traditionally strong Cheam team, the boys knew they would have to up their game. Again, impressive tackling, counter-rucking and strong carries from the forwards and quick breaks from the backs saw an impressive 75-5 win, made all the more so as the opposition started to bring some of their A team subs on! Despite the disruptive effects of Covid, the boys continued the season unbeaten, ending it with an impressive display against Ludgrove, with the opposition parents applauding their “A team” moves. The one good thing to come out of the disruption was that a good number of the boys were able to play in the A team, equipping themselves admirably. The boys have been a pleasure to coach. I have really enjoyed seeing them all develop their skill set, with a special mention to those who had never played rugby before! Great work ethic, fantastic team-spirit and an unbeaten season - what could be better!!
AJB
5 Won 5 Drawn 0 Lost 0 What a season!
PlayedU12B
9 Won 9 Drawn 0 Lost 0
William Sideso and Oliver Irvine led our U12A team to an incredible nine straight victories this season. This season will live long in Mr Pilkington’s memory for the team’s incredible defence (specifically Josh Sameke, Oscar, William and Oliver) with very few tackles missed and only 70 points scored against us. Our attacking force was led by Laurence Moore at fly half offering miss passes to Alfie Hamilton-Shaw, and at times cross field kicks to our wingers Oliver Anderson and Jaime Tabuenca or Koichi Sakamoto. Tom Shaw was a brilliantly safe pair of hands under the high ball at full back. Our pack of forwards were immense, Hamish Fawcett, Oscar Hargreave, Gabriel Islam and Fergus Hoar who took down some huge players over the course of the season. An undefeated season but remembered for the high-quality patterns of play.
AWP
116 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022
PNS
PlayedU11B
Every aspect of play has improved greatly during the season: passing, tackling, defence. We came up against some big teams and although we may not have been able to match them physically, we more than matched them in determination and a willingness to play a good standard of rugby. I would echo the views of those who supported us in that when it came to passing there was no better team. Every game was played in the correct spirit with players supporting their team-mates as well as congratulating the Myopposition.thanksto everyone who came and cheered on the team, your support was most appreciated. Finally, my thanks to those boys who made the season such a great one and one I hope they will look back on in years to come with immense pride.
8 Won 4 Drawn 0 Lost 4
8 Won 5 Drawn 1 Lost 2
TDW
This was an enjoyable season full of excitement and progress. Each player looked to improve their personal skills, as well as improve their team performance. The fixtures were well fought affairs with some convincing wins (St Andrew’s, Cothill, Cheam and Papplewick) and, unfortunately, some lesson-learning defeats (Summer Fields, Ludgrove, Farleigh and Lambrook).
To a player their game awareness developed, especially having a greater understanding of the importance of looking after the ball in contact. It was fantastic to see this in action in the last game against Ludgrove. Despite losing by two tries, this was by far the best performance, which was credit to all their hard work throughout the season.
It was such a pleasure not to lose any matches to frozen pitches or snow this term. Throughout the season those who played in the team, be it one match or every match, have given their all and put into practice what they have learnt in their regular games sessions.
PlayedU11A
PlayedU10A
PlayedU11C
117
The U11Cs had a storming season, running through a series of wins until the final day at Ludgrove. The team showed excellent understanding in forming defensive lines and breaking quickly; down to the physicality and speed of a few key players, with the marking and organisation of the entire team, the score lines were very impressive. We beat Summer Fields 45-25, Papplewick 60-20, Lambrook 75-15, Cothill 50-35, and Farleigh 70-5. We had players who could seriously run and seriously tackle! The final day at Ludgrove sadly asked too much, and the unbeaten season was lost in a spirited performance against a superior team. These boys learned so much about perseverance and the technical aspects of making space on the pitch. A big well done to them on a very memorable season. AJP
SPORT
9 Won 3 Drawn 3 Lost 3
6 Won 5 Drawn 0 Lost 1
This has been an encouraging season for the U10A rugby team and whilst all players have noticed the setbacks of not having played normal formats last year, the U10s needed to transition from Tag rugby to contact with tackling, rucking and uncontested scrums. It took some time to build up these new skills and techniques as well as developing confidence. With each practice and match, the tackling improved and some of the attacking play and offloading was excellent, which always meant we could score tries. With a well-practiced attacking free pass move we worked at our organisation in second phase play. The players developed their understanding of the game and were able to keep defensive structure for longer as the season progressed. Other areas that improved were the sense of teamwork, encouraging each other and respecting referees’ decisions. Memorable performances include an exciting draw away at Summer Fields, a great away performance at Cothill and the final game of the season at home against Ludgrove, where the team showed lots of determination, skill and organisation - not conceding a try. Well done! BJC
6 Won 0 Drawn 0 Lost 6
118 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022
PlayedU10B
It turned out to be a tough season for the U10Bs in terms of results, but we learned a huge amount over the course of the season and improved a lot in all areas. Rucking was something that we struggled with to begin with, but once the children got the hang of a good ‘tower of power’ position over the ball, we were much more successful in our matches. We also scored some super tries, with Charles Chen in particular using his pace to good effect. Sat Li and Toby Bi made some good tackles, showing real courage. Overall, we had lots of fun and learned a huge amount which will stand the children in good stead for next year.
JCM
IDH
The U9A Team had a thoroughly enjoyable season with some truly memorable matches against some strong opposition. Brilliant victories over Cothill and Pilgrims paid tribute to how well the boys played as a team throughout and how much they improved over the course of the season. We tried hard to develop a passing style of rugby that, coupled with strong tackling, would make the game fun to play. We had some tough days along the way too but finished the season superbly with a strong victory. The boys had brilliant fun in the Brockhurst tournament and really started to understand the importance of tackling low and binding their arms around the opposition player. I will look back at the season fondly and thank all of them for their good humour and hard work throughout the term.
5 Won 2 Drawn 1 Lost 2
PlayedU9A
This has been a fantastic season of tag rugby for the U8s and all players have engaged in developing their skills and learning about the game, both in training and matches. We have done lots of work on improving ball handling and working on handeye coordination by practicing ball skills crossing the midline of the body with right and left hands. We have worked at the push pass technique off both hands and practiced lots of defensive line structure as well as tagging. In practice games we have played lots of 5v5 looking to run straight and pass quickly when tagged as well as encouraging players to attack the space and scan for gaps. Support play has also been a keen focus which the boys have become really good at. There have been some fantastic performances in matches including a brilliant afternoon at Brockhurst for the rugby festival and also a very close exciting game against Pilgrims to finish the season! Well done to everyone. CMS
8 Won 3 Drawn 3 Lost 2
PlayedU8A 9 Won 8 Drawn 1 Lost 0
SPORT
PlayedU9B
The U9Bs had a very enjoyable season. They played a mixture of tag, touch and contact rugby. The boys really progressed over the course of the season. They showed the greatest progression when it came to their handling skills and overall understanding of the game. Playing the different forms of the game helped everyone get involved and the team showed great teamwork and commitment throughout the season. JRD
119
120 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Tag Rugby U8B & C
The Under 8B Team: Jonty Ridley-Day, Gaby Caloia, Timi Sonuga, Luca Rabbiosi, Alfie Steward, Tom Marshall, Sean Chen.
The Under 8C Team: George Grodnev, Raef Salvesen, George Rollo, Ned Rollo, Lance Kneeshaw, Felix Brims, Henry Mount. BJC
This has been an exceptional term of tag rugby for the Under 8s. The focus, dedication and team ethos has been outstanding and, as a result, plenty of progress has been made. This has been a super year group to coach and the future looks very bright. We had a delightful Tag Rugby festival hosted at St Andrew’s School in which several schools participated. Scores were not kept as the emphasis was on enjoyment and improvement of basic rugby skills such as catching, throwing and handling of the ball. There were some noticeable performances in the Cs by George Grodnev and Raef Salvesen, both of whom scored a number of tries. The B Team looked strong throughout the tournament, and all have promising futures in this particular sport. Our final match of the season, against Pilgrims’ School, was evenly matched and made for a wonderful finale to the term. Many thanks go to Mr Benji Doran for coaching the Bs so well.
Played 9 Won 8 Drawn 1 Lost 0
The Under 8A Team: Reuben Ruddick, Akinniran Akinola, William Cropper, William Hedley, Oliver Lloyd, Charlie Pannell, Bertie Barton.
The U10 girls have enjoyed a busy and exciting term of sport. The term started with two tough netball matches against Crosfields and The Oratory. The girls were still getting used to the different formats of the game and finding their feet playing in a variety of different positions. This was followed by a very successful triangular match against St Andrew’s and Cranford House. Just before half term, the girls were fortunate enough to take part in a Netball Masterclass session with Thea Thompson, the U14 netball coach from Marlborough College. The girls enjoyed the session immensely and worked hard to apply what they had been taught in their forthcoming matches. The second half of term started with a very busy week of tournament play. The girls attended two prep school netball tournaments hosted by Bradfield College and The Manor. They played a wide range of schools and finished an impressive 4th out of 8 schools at The Manor. Their final two netball matches, which resulted in a draw against Aldro and a convincing win against Chandlings, really highlighted how much progress the girls have made this term. They played a variety of different formats including 7 a side, 5 a side and some matches with rotating positions, and this has given them a much broader understanding of what the game involves. Well done girls! KJS
The U11 girls have had a very successful term of netball. Throughout the season they played two different formats of the game, with some matches being 7 a side and some being 5 a side with rotating positions. The latter enabled the girls to experience playing all positions on the netball court which was a great experience for the girls. The season started strongly with two convincing wins against Crosfields A & B teams. This was followed by a tough match against a very strong Oratory side. The girls then played a triangular fixture against Lambrook and Holme Grange, narrowly beating both sides. Just before half term, the girls travelled to St Andrew’s for an afternoon of netball against St Andrew’s A & B team and Cranford House A & B team. The girls had a brilliant afternoon, only losing one match. The girls were fortunate enough to take part in a Netball Masterclass session with Thea Thompson, the U14 netball coach from Marlborough College. They very much enjoyed the session and worked hard to apply what they had been taught in their forthcoming matches. After half term the girls played two more netball matches against Chandlings and Aldro – the highlight being a thrilling 11-10 win against Aldro. KJS
PlayedU10
Won 7 Drawn 1 Lost 4
9 Won 3 Drawn 1 Lost 5
SPORT
121 PlayedU11Netball12
122 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 U8 & 9
The U8 and U9 girls have had a fantastic term of netball and football. They started the season by playing a mixed friendly with Crosfields with the aim of developing their netball skills and understanding of game play. They then had a more competitive match against Lambrook where they won one match 3-0 and lost one match 2-0. Later in the term the girls attended a netball festival at Marlston House, along with St Andrew’s, where they had a successful afternoon winning all of their matches. As the term continued the girls took part in a fun and friendly netball afternoon hosted by Thorngrove, aimed at helping them to develop their tactical understanding of the game. Towards the end of the term the girls played Cheam where they had a successful afternoon winning both of their matches convincingly. In their last match of the season the girls came up against some strong opposition facing a very well-drilled Daneshill team. Netball over for the season, they went on to play some fun and friendly matches of football against Crosfields, where each team came away with a win. KJS
PlayedU10 3 Won 2 Drawn 0 Lost 1
KJS Football PlayedU11 2 Won 1 Drawn 1 Lost 0
The U10 girls played three football matches against Thorngrove, The Oratory and Aldro. The sun was shining for the last match of the season and the girls enjoyed a 2-1 win over Aldro in a very close fought game. The enjoyment and effort that they put into their football matches was lovely to see.
Girls’
The U11 girls played in two football matches this term. The first match was against The Oratory. Having lost to them at netball earlier on in the term, the girls were determined to come away with the win. The effort and determination shown by the entire team was impressive and the game ended in an exciting 5-5 draw. The last match of the season was played against Aldro in the beautiful sunshine. The girls enjoyed a convincing 7-1 win. Well done! KJS
123
SPORT
AMG
The passion for hockey was much like the score line of the matches: improving every week and with a growing sense of confidence. The boys showed more nuanced skill and understanding of the game as the season progressed.
Particular highlights include the wet win in West Reading again Crosfields and the demonstration of ‘Total Hockey’ against St. Andrew’s. Well done to Joshua Chan for captaining the side and to James Holden who became the linchpin in defence. A pleasure to coach.
4 Won 2 Drawn 0 Lost 2
We played 4 matches this term against Lambrook, St Andrew’s, Eagle House and Crosfields. The spirit of the team was outstanding and the growth in skill and confidence amongst the players was fantastic to see. The boys always played the game in the correct spirit and were always looking to attack and show-off all that they learnt. It has been pleasure training this team.
4 Won 3 Drawn 1 Lost 0
PlayedU13C
JCM
5 Won 4 Drawn 0 Lost 1
124 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Boys’ Hockey
LJO
The 1st VII enjoyed an excellent hockey season with plenty of ups and downs. Having started the season with a heavy defeat to a very strong Eagle House team, we bounced back in fine fashion with a great performance and 7-1 victory over St. Andrew’s. Better discipline without the ball and an improved understanding of ‘letting the ball do the work’ in attack really made the difference. Next up was the Berkshire Schools Hockey Tournament, held at Pangbourne College. After defeat to Lambrook in the first game, we won the rest of our matches to qualify for the next stage as runners up – a superb achievement considering some of the talented hockey schools that were in Readingattendance.Hockey Club hosted the regional stage of the tournament with a big step up in class anticipated. This proved to be the case and although we suffered one or two more defeats here, we ended the day with a fantastic comeback win over Abingdon Prep. Our final game was against Lambrook; always a tough test. We lost the game 4-1 but this was by some distance, our best performance of the season. Individual brilliance on their part proved to be the difference. Elstree, in my eyes, were the better team. Thank you to Monty Greatrix for leading the team so well. I enjoyed every second and hope you all did too.
PlayedU13B
PlayedU13A
The U13 E&F enjoyed Monday hockey training throughout the Lent Term on Pitch 3 down on Bates. They really developed their stick skills, passing, shooting, tackling and short corner routines. The players were enthusiastic and worked hard in games sessions aiming to use the width of the pitch and getting the ball to the right. They showed great improvement each week. Their performances in matches was first class and we were able to demonstrate the skills and type of hockey we had been working towards, which was very pleasing. There were impressive victories against Eagle House, Crosfields and Lambrook and some of the passing, work rate and finishing skills were outstanding coupled with a determination to work as a team. Whether it’s at their next schools or in Year 8 at Elstree there is some exciting potential here! Well done. BJC
It has been a great pleasure watching you develop over the last few weeks. Huge credit to those coaches who built your skills up from September onwards to make you into the competitive force you have become. Allez! Allez! Allez! Allez!
Very well done to Leo La Corte, a first-time goalkeeper who managed to keep clean sheets in all four games, Johnson Sun, our quick and slick sweeper, Jack George, whose performance in our first game against Eagle House (Won 4-0) ensured promotion to the Cs (sadly, never to return). Louis Vere Nicoll, alert and fit for the contest, Oscar Hargreave, multi-skilled and a goal machine, George Johnstone, clever movement and great technique, Josh Sameke, lion-hearted and ever-willing, Hugh Walker, tactically astute and loves a reverse stick. Last but not least, Thomas Clothier, stand-in goalkeeper and outfield defender, who cleared a rogue goal-bound Lambrook shot off the line with two minutes to play in the final game (Won 1-0).
125SPORTPlayedU13D
JRB
4 Won 4 Drawn 0 Lost 0
U13E &
F
126 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 U11A, B & C
This has been an improving season for Year 6 hockey. Working hard on individual skills and technique in the Autumn Term and then focusing more on match preparation in the run up to the actual Season. There have been some really positive results for the A, B and C team, with clean sweeps against St Andrew’s and Crosfields. Eagle House were a tougher opponent and a good learning curve for all three teams. As I write, the Under 11 A squad are awaiting a trip to Reading Hockey Club to take part in the South Central Finals for the In2Hockey competition, having qualified 2nd in the Berkshire regional section, a first for this age group. An enjoyable season for all concerned.
TDW
PlayedU10A
3 Won 2
Under 10 hockey has been going from strength to strength in recent years. Every boy in the year group represented the school in at least four hockey matches this term. The U10A Hockey team have had a very successful season, playing in two tournaments and three matches. After nine games, the boys went on to win the St. Edward’s School U10 Hockey Tournament. A week later, they were runners-up in the Bradfield U10 Hockey Tournament. Our matches against Eagle House, Crosfields and Lambrook were hard fought contests. The highlight being our very exciting final game against Lambrook which resulted in a 3-2 win. The boys should feel very proud of their performance and the hard work they have put in to their training over the last six months. The As have grown as a team, and improved their stick skills immeasurably. CLP
Played 9 Won 6 Drawn 0 Lost 3
Drawn 0 Lost 1
PlayedU10C
4 Won 2 Drawn 1 Lost 1
4 Won 2 Drawn 0 Lost 2
The Under 10 Cs had a brilliant season of hockey, growing in confidence and skill with each game. A memorable win came against Crosfields where the pouring rain could not dampen the boy’s spirit and determination as they focussed hard on keeping their spacing and making strong passes. As the short but enjoyable season progressed, we began to really nail the basics of hockey such as, having your hands low on the stick and stepping into our passes. I thank the boys for their enthusiasm to improve and progress in their hockey abilities. BD
127SPORT
The second half of the Lent Term always whizzes by in a flash, and it is always such fun to finish with some hockey after the rugby season ends! Having coached the children for rugby all term, I knew the children would work hard at their hockey skills and give their all in our matches, and that certainly proved to be the case! James Marshall was brave and effective in goal and Sat Li a tower of strength in defence. Toby Bi was skilful and doggedly determined, with a canny knack of making a tackle just when the striker thinks they’re through. Alfie Burles improved considerably over the last few weeks, as did Henry Pritchard, and together with Thomas Mitchell put together some really lovely passing moves. Lots of fun and well done to the children for a super season! IDH
PlayedU10B
Congratulations to each and every runner and many thanks to the wonderful staff team for ensuring a seamless set of three races. CMS
Seniors (Years 7 & 8)
1st Oliver Irvine (North) 2nd Aaron Roberts (East) 3rd Tommy Welchman (South)
There’s something quite wonderful about this annual school event and this year’s was no exception. The cumulonimbus clouds had faded into the distance and we were left with what felt like the early throes of spring. With the temperature notching into double figures, we were in for ideal running conditions. Bearing in mind that some pupils don’t quite see this as their ideal sport, everybody tried their hardest and team spirit, this term’s focus, shone through resplendently. One couldn’t be more proud of the excellent attitude of each runner and, after each race, runners became spectators and were able to cheer on their respective houses in jubilant fashion. For the first time, we were fortunate to have three cameras capturing the excitement in vibrant and high-definition images. The individual winners this year were as follows:
1st Wilf Foulds (North)
Juniors (Years 3 & 4)
128 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Cross Country
2nd Harry Clothier (West) 3rd Harry Goodbourn (South)
1st Tristan Anderson Wheeler (East) 2nd Sam Norris (West) 3rd Charlie Utley (West) Intermediates (Years 5 & 6)
I have been particularly proud of their fantastic team spirit. It has been rewarding to see the pupils improve steadily over the weeks and turn in to confident tennis players.
ThisJuniorsyear,wehave
TheSeniorsTennisElstreeSenior
Tennis Team have had plenty of match practice throughout the term, playing in eight tennis matches and five school tennis tournaments. Bates has been a constant hive of activity over the last two months.
129SPORT
The tennis team have shown a great depth of talent, and a squad of over 25 pupils battled it out for a place in the top eight slots each week. This has meant that twenty of our finest players have been selected in at least one tennis match during the term.
CLP
The team’s collective mental strength was tested against Ludgrove and then again, against Cothill. They should all be proud of the way they have played this term; they are to be congratulated on their sportsmanship.
been in the fortunate position of having a large squad of eager players from which to pick the weekly U11 team for Junior tennis matches. Our match squad has been led very well each week by Sophie Payne. We have played 8 matches in total - Cranford House School (14-2), Summer Fields (35-31), Crosfields (6-3), Thorngrove (3-2), St Andrew’s (10-2), Oratory Prep (1-0) and Cothill (8-1) winning 7 matches and losing only 1, narrowly to Ludgrove (6-10). Our U10 team has debuted on court in our final match against Cothill where they unfortunately lost (4-5) but gained valuable match experience for next year. We have tended to play doubles matches and have emphasised the need to support your partner and look past a losing point, ahead to the next play. I have been impressed by how well the children host the opposition, display sportsmanship on the court and conduct themselves well as ambassadors for Elstree. A very successful season! EG
Special mention to Sophie Payne and Mofe Adeyinka who won through to the National Prep School Championships in Nuneaton where they competed in the Under 12 girls 200m and Under 12 boys shot putt. Congratulations to Mofe who came Sportsfourth.Daywas a great success with Years 3 and 4 holding their own event on the Friday and Years 5 and 8 holding theirs on the Saturday. West won the tug-of-war but North came out as overall winners. All Sports Day medallists, Victor Ludorum winners, second and third place winners and their performances, can be seen under Sports Day Results.
130 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022
ItAthleticshasbeenagreatterm for athletics. In every athletic games session, there has been a real focus on technique and improving personal bests. It was good to take part in the Caldicott meeting for the first time in three years. Although we did not win the event, we had a good number of medal winners. Some fine performances were witnessed at the Radley College meeting which resulted in us coming third out of eight competing teams. For the first time, we attended the West Surrey Area Championships in Guildford. Although we only had a team of seven, three were medal winners.
PNS
131SPORT
“At Elstree, swimming is open to all abilities, we have training sessions regularly and I like the atmosphere of galas, it is fun and serious at the same time.”
have been keen to get back into training and races! We had a record number of pupils volunteering to join the Swim Squad training sessions. Drilling sessions were well-paced and varied with a focus on building stamina, improving strokes, practising diving and tumble turns. We enjoyed races against Horris Hill and St Andrew’s as well as House Galas and Swimming Finals.
“I enjoy swimming, it is fun being in the water trying out all the skills. I like the fact that a lot of other pupils do it and I enjoy competing.”
ThisSwimmingseason,ourElstreeswimmers
I would like to thank our Captain Finley Stubbs for leading his team with commitment to all events. There were notable performances throughout the season from Finley Stubbs, Johnson Sun, Eddie Warman, Alex Brown, Jerry Liu, Hugh Walker, Fergus Hoar, Clara Schmidt, Sophie Payne, Naomi Chan, Arabella Pannell and Charles Chen.
Kate O “I enjoy the competitiveness and you have to wait until the end to see the results, you can’t get in a middle of a race. I prefer when we race other schools.”
Finley Stubbs, Captain of swimming
Mila T
Monty R “I enjoy the competitive drive in the middle of a race because being behind someone spurs you on!”
PAS
Hugh W “I really enjoyed the practices, it is a big team effort which means it is even more fun. It helps you to build strength with front crawl for example.”
“I find nice to be able to cool off and relax in the water. It is also quite fun to do matches to prove yourself how good you are.”
Naomi C
132 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 InRidingJune,Phoebe
McEwen, Year 4 riding Luna and Felicita Burnett, Year 2 riding Penny, travelled to Rectory farm, Cirencester to compete against many schools from across the south in the National School Equestrian Association (NSEA) show jumping national qualifier, with the championship held at Hickstead. Both girls were competing in the 30cm grassroots class, against 40 other competitors. The girls supported each other in the course walk and warm up and looked incredibly smart representing Elstree. Felicita jumped first and completed a lovely clear round on Penny. Unfortunately, Phoebe’s pony, Luna, wasn’t on form in the warm up arena and she decided it wasn’t her day and withdrew from the class. The class was judged on riding style and was a close fought competition with some very smart pony & rider combinations. Felicita wasn’t placed this time but both girls took lots of experience from the event and look forward to representing their school again in September. There was a picnic in the lorry park and ice creams all round afterwards!
JB
SPORT
OnGolfSunday May 22nd 2022 we had 6 boys representing Elstree in the Prep Schools Golf tournament at Bradfield College Golf Club. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and the course was in excellent condition, although the rough was very long and boys were advised beforehand to keep out of it as much as possible. There were 4 schools taking part this year, Daneshill, St. Andrew’s, Pinewood and Elstree and each school entered two U13 pairs and one U11 pair. We had Alex Price and Kitt Dorich playing as one of our U13 pairs and Arthur Ward and Hamish Fawcett playing as the other. Wilf Foulds and Lachlan McGeoch were Elstree’s U11 pair. Our boys played incredibly well against some very tough opposition and the standard of their golf was very high. Their driving, pitching and putting skills were hugely impressive and I really hope all these boys will continue with their Golf in the future as they are all talented golfers for their age. Not only that, but all six Elstree boys were excellent company and very good ambassadors for the school. I was very proud of the way they conducted themselves both on and off the course. I am delighted to say that for the first time since 2005, Elstree won the competition overall, which is an amazing achievement. On top of this, Elstree also won the U11 individual Team award, with Wilf being the overall winner of the U11 section and Lachlan the runner up in the U11 section. Our winning streak doesn’t end there, however, as Alex Price won the Longest drive with a massive 230yd drive and Wilf won the nearest the Pin competition, hitting it to within 3 feet of the hole.
133
Dr Stevens, Headmaster of Bradfield College, presented the Elstree boys with their individual prizes and the whole team were presented with a large framed signed portrait of the 2002 Ryder Cup Team which is signed by all of that Year’s Ryder Cup team. Mr and Mrs Inglis will now have the task of deciding where it should be hung until we have to hand it back in a years’ time. I would like to thank Bradfield College for hosting such a fun competition and for providing everyone with a delicious tea afterwards. I would also like to say thank you to the Elstree parents who very kindly supported the team and helped to score, and in some cases caddied for their son too! It really was a lovely way to spend a sunny afternoon and was made even better by our wonderful win. Well done to all six of the Elstree boys. CMK
The boys have been an enjoyable group to coach and have worked hard to develop as young cricketers and do well for their school. Well done to Hugh Walker for captaining the side in some tough matches, it is always a challenge being a captain of a cricket team with so much to think about.
We wish the Year 8s all the best for their future cricketing careers. Well done.
There have been lots of improvement in knowledge of field placings and setting fields to different bowlers, getting every player thinking and contributing to this. At times we have bowled well but too often, as a team, we have been inconsistent with our lines and lengths, struggling to build pressure if not taking wickets. Easier said than done sometimes but pitch the ball up and bowl straight!
That said, we had some unfortunate injuries to Alex Hoare Nairne’s hand and Adam Bond’s foot which didn’t help in the middle of the season.
Jack Duffield’s destructive 45 against Crosfields forcing his way into the team with some brutal hitting power in the middle order. Oliver Irvine’s best performance against Pilgrims of 4-11 was a great spell of bowling, pitching the ball up and finding some swing as was Thomas Clothier’s 4-24 against Papplewick. William Sideso often gave us a solid platform at the top of the order, opening the batting which is no mean feat for a Year 7 boy. Fergus Hoar has also really come on, learning his trade as an off spinner and is now looking to develop some variations for next year along with his left-hand batting.
BJC, JCM
A special mention to our wicket keeper. They say that if you don’t notice the wicket keeper in a game of cricket that he has had a good game. Tommy Welchman has been fantastic behind the stumps all season taking some stunning catches and takes down the leg-side. He is awarded the fielding cup and has shown a quality work ethic behind the stumps.
It has been an enjoyable season for the 1st XI cricket team and as we reflect on the season as a whole, they have come a long way. It has been quite a young team, with five or six Year 7 boys consistently playing and gaining lots of experience. We have also been involved in some very exciting, close games which is great for the players to be involved in. When put in close, high-pressure situations, they learn the most. We have trained effectively, aiming to emulate match situations by setting targets to chase with the bat and defend in the field. In the nets they have been learning to value their wicket by coming out of the nets when wickets are lost. They have been trying to think about bowling a good Someover.highlights of the season have been our wins over St Andrew’s, Summer Fields and Crosfields which saw some impressive individual performances, as well as undoubtedly our best team performances. There have been some memorable innings from individual players, Alex Hoare Nairne 66 against Cheam in the first game on debut and his 55 against Crosfields. Adam Bond’s 51 against Cothill and Thomas Clothier’s 62 against Summer Fields, as well as a couple of important knocks from captain Hugh Walker in the 40s and Alex Price’s 41 in the first game.
Won 3 Drawn 0 Lost 7
134 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Played1CricketstXI10
The close games against Cheam at the start of the season, Papplewick, Cothill and Pilgrims may have been different on another day but the boys have to understand that it’s the team that wins the key moments. Those who step up with belief usually come out on top in such close contests.
135SPORT
This has been a special season for the 2nd XI not necessarily due to results, but due to the growth and development in performances. Cricket is a game with numerous nuances and technical elements and it is not easy to get to grips with them all, but this group have done really well to develop a far better understanding of the game, through their practices and Ablymatches.ledbyCaptain
With the frailties of our batting exposed, our focused training was a benefit for the remainder of the season. Always batting first, the runs came quickly and easily with many half centuries; two (Aki and Holden) in the Farleigh game, a notable 45 off 18 balls from Toby; one in the Summer Field’s game (Holden); two in the Cothill game (Vere Nicol and Toby) and one in the Pilgrims game (Vere Nicol).
Even at this level, scores of 25 or more are significant totals and there were 12 of those.
2nd XI Played 7 Won 5 Drawn 0 Lost 2
3rd XI Played 9 Won 9 Drawn 0 Lost 0
Insurmountable totals, the largest being 211 against Farleigh. With consistent bowling and low economy rates none of these teams could get within 30 runs and the victories kept coming. A special mention to Leo for his impressive fifer against Summer Field’s, Toby, James, and Louis for devastating batting displays and lastly to Aki for captaining the team brilliantly and achieving ‘invincible’ status for all his matches throughout his final year at Elstree School in football, rugby, hockey, and cricket. What an achievement! FAW
Papplewick next and a pivotal match in our season. 26 for 6 after 7.2 overs, our opening batsmen had made some schoolboy errors, when Shaw came to the crease. Tip and run the go-to tactic and Shaw was majestic. The lead batsman in three partnerships took him to 29 runs but importantly the team to 112-9. Whilst things could have been far worse, we had something to protect but knew wickets were the only way to win. An aggressive field and pressure on the bowlers, calm and poise was needed. Sakamoto with the first ball of the innings, wicket. Right keep it steady boys. Next over, Shaw. 1 dot 1 wicket! The perfect start. Sakamoto next, wicket again first ball! The next 7 overs saw three more wickets and just 26 runs in total, oddly they were 26 for 6 just as we were, but from 10 overs. By the 14th over they had got to 45 for 8 and the win seemed a ‘Shaw’ thing but Aki, our captain, did not want to let the pressure off, calling Shaw back into the attack. Quickly taking the remaining 2 wickets they were all out for just 56 runs, Shaw was awarded ‘Man of the Match’ for a scintillating performance.
Anderson, each player has improved their particular strengths and also worked hard at their weaker areas too. The crushing defeat at Cheam was an abrupt but useful starting point for lessons to be learned. What followed was a far greater determination for that not to happen again. Following performances showed that the bowlers, batters and fielders combined well to comfortably control the games against: Papplewick; Summer Fields; Farleigh, Cothill and The Oratory. There were one or two notable individual performances, but the efforts of the collective team was key to success. This was a very positive season and to the leavers I wish them well in their future cricket and for those that remain, next year Elstree Cricket looks in safe hands. Well done one and all. TDW
What a superb season – undefeated and impressive performances aside, this season has been a joy. Happy, supportive and responsive players who enhanced the whole experience for themselves and those around them, it was a pleasure to be a part of the Elstree 3rd XI. With just one player happy to open the batting the initial fear of ‘where will the runs come from’ was quickly erased with Warman scoring 61 off 49 balls in an early match against St Andrew’s, and others looking handy too. Steady bowling made us hard to score off and the total of 155 became impossible by the 7th over.
Starting the season with a win against Cheam always bodes well! Mason Hill led our team as Captain in the early stages of the season. Our bowling was a clear strength with Arthur Ward bagging three early wickets in this first match. Derek Lee emerged as one of our key batsman over the course of the season with 39 not out against Papplewick. This was only trumped by 69 runs for Jack George (retired) towards the end of the season against The Oratory. Our final game of the season showed our highest batting total in the last six years that I have taken the 5ths, with 169 off twenty overs. A classic 5ths season, lots of sunshine, laughter and plenty of match teas.
5th XI
AWP
We played extremely well in our first game, against Cheam, after only a couple of practice sessions. Alex Anderson scored a patient, sometimes risky, 43 to anchor the innings and Inigo, standing in the wrong position at the crease and holding the bat like a first-timer, proceeded to smite ten fours in a very rapid 41! He had never heard of Johnny Bairstow at the time (and probably still hasn’t!!). 150 runs proved too many for the opposition and Finley Stubbs received a richly deserved commendation from their umpire for his consistently sporting behaviour in welcoming their batsmen to the wicket. Kitt Dorich, Jack George and Jaime Tabuenca each made useful contributions with the bat in close wins against Papplewick and Cothill, and Alex Song and Sergey Teliatnik were particularly consistent with the ball. Crosfields 3rd XI were beaten too, and then to Oratory Prep.
What an enjoyable season – we should cherish every moment of being outside together and playing social team sport again. The weather was occasionally poor and sadly some schools were unable to fulfil a 4th team fixture, so we missed a few games.
JRB
Played 7 Won 5 Drawn 0 Lost 2
This was a Saturday fixture away on a rather cold and gloomy day. When we arrived, there was nobody there, no stumps or flags marking the boundary, no coach and no team. Eventually, six players turned up and the coach, who had been checking that other teams were ready, was embarrassed to discover his six thought the others weren’t coming. Determined to have a meaningful and fun game, we let some batters bat again once they were all out and supplied them with four fielders so they could plug the gaps. You won’t be surprised to learn that our generous spirit led to Oratory Prep ‘winning’ by 17 runs, which only added to their coach’s embarrassment. To be fair, we didn’t play very well, except Arthur Ward, who took 4 wickets and hit his first ever six off the last ball. Although some of the boys were a bit miffed that it destroyed our unbeaten season, we did the right thing that afternoon and I hope the boys remember what we did for the good of the game. My slightly confusing playing record at the top reflects the moral high ground we took that afternoon. My sincere thanks to Mr Attwood, who galvanised the team during my absences for sciatica and Covid.
136 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 4th XI Played 6 Won 5.95 Drawn 0 Lost 0.05 Cancelled 4
The U11Bs this year were a star-studded mix of newcomers and never-say-dies, getting some bashing wins and getting bashed just the once. Lachie McGeoch opened the season as main run scorer, before his justified move to his proper place in the As. He captained with class, also scoring two 50s in his few games with us. Caspar Williams soon took over the reins from behind the stumps, also commanding things from in front, picking up some great scores. It’s always telling that a boy’s heart is just to slog when he changes his whole technique straight after getting his 50, getting bowled when a hit to cow corner couldn’t wait any longer. This could be said for most of the boys – they mostly played smart when in, and hit out before retired out to get bowled out, in a roundabout way of speaking… We opened with wins over Cheam by 123 runs, St Andrew’s by 40 runs, Papplewick also by 40 runs, before a narrow defeat at Farleigh. 3 runs made the difference in a nervy and memorable finish. We beat Summer Fields by 73, before a barnstorming slaughter from Cothill by 9 wickets. Not something to dwell on. The team responded with a bang, beating Pilgrims by 9 wickets, The Oratory by 47 runs, and Crosfields by 12 runs in an excellent finisher. Well done to some excellent players and a very enjoyable season: Mofe Adeyinka, Hugo Cropper, Henry Dalton, Seb Fowler, Jules Foxon, Harry Goodbourn, Pablo Lavin, James Morris-Weston, Kate Oliver, Jorge Tabuenca, and Tom Utley.
137
The pupils of the Under 11As have had a very busy and successful term. They have benefited from indoor and outdoor training that has included work in the nets; use of the bowling machine; catching and fielding exercises as well as small-sided games. I have been delighted with the progress the team has made in their efforts to bat for an entire innings and how to field with intensity and concentration. It has been great to see everyone in the team contribute, with many strong bowlers. The children have made plenty of progress and appear ready for senior Prep School cricket. LJO
7 Won 3 Drawn 0 Lost 4
SPORT
10 Won 8 Drawn 0 Lost 2
AJP PlayedU11A
PlayedU11B
LJO
7 Won 4 Drawn 0 Lost 3
PlayedU11C
We have been working hard and improving our running between the wickets, our batting and fielding skills. During the second half of the season we starting practising hard ball cricket in preparation for next year. The U11Ds have tried hard this season, are always very energetic and enthusiastic every match and practice. Well done on a great season! AMG
We have played 7 matches this season winning 4 and losing 3. We played against St Andrew’s Prep School, St Gabriel’s School, Summer Fields School, Farleigh School, St Helen and St Katharine, Cothill School and Oratory Prep School.
9 Won 4
PlayedU11D
The Under 11C team enjoyed a very encouraging season, full of enormous growth for each and every member. Brilliant victories over Summer Fields and The Pilgrim’s School paid testament to our improved abilities to minimise wides and our aggressive style of running. Throughout the season, we went from a team that struggled to bowl accurately to a team that was attacking the stumps with almost every ball, as evident when we bowled just 8 wides in our match against The Oratory School. As the boys and girls progress in their skills, we could put more emphasis on the little things in cricket, such as always remembering to back-up and walking in with the bowler.
I thank the children enormously for their passion for cricket and their enthusiasm for every games session and match. I look forward to seeing them grow and improve as cricketers in the future.
138 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022
Drawn 0 Lost 5
PlayedU10B
I am extremely proud of the progress and improvements I have seen in the U10B cricket team this season amongst every single player. Although we didn’t get the results we wanted every game, each player should feel accomplished in what they have achieved individually through the outgoing effort and enthusiasm that is brought to each and every game. Looking back to the start of the season to where we played with a soft ball and struggled to bowl in a straight line, to the end of the season where we played hard ball every game and saw every player enjoying their time on the cricket field, makes me believe we had a successful and pleasant season. I would like to personally thank each and every player for the tremendous effort and resilience they put in every match and training session and I am proud to say that I have enjoyed my time coaching the U10Bs and I wish every player the best as they continue on their cricketing endeavours.
NE
9 Won 1 Drawn 0 Lost 0
139SPORT
On paper, it may look like it has been quite a tough season; and in terms of results, I suppose it has. But, as is often the case, the headlines only tell half the story! The reality is that this has been a wonderful group of players, who have worked so hard to improve over the course of the term. Everyone has played their part and contributed equally, regardless of ability. Dang Dang Liu’s wicket keeping has improved beyond all recognition and he was a contender for man of the match against Crosfields. Arabella Pannell has a fine bowling action and the temperament and technique of a test match batsman; Oliver Duffield is a big hitter who can also play with soft hands, Jack Hedley has been a super captain and led by example; Leonardo Raphael has been both a pleasure to coach and watch bat; Eddie Law, Sat Li and Dew Sakamoto move around the field competently and their understanding of the game is also much improved. Otis Pearey and Josh Singleton have both had some ‘champagne moments’ on the field, and Henry Pritchard has a bowling technique modelled on Paul Adams (for the cricket buffs!) that can bamboozle even the finest batsmen. Well done, all – a lovely season! IDH
8 Won 1 Drawn 0 Lost 7
PlayedU10A
140 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022
Drawn 0 Lost 3
The U9As have had a great season. The boys have really enjoyed their cricket and I know that they were all excited to use the hardball. The season was completed with 3 wins and 3 losses. The boys showed real progression throughout the season. The boys played a mixture of incrediball and hardball. Their understanding of the game grew with every match and training session, and this enabled the boys to play with more confidence. Our bowling as a team was incredibly consistent and a lot of wickets were taken in matches. Our batting in the early part of the season lacked confidence but with more game time this confidence improved and the communication between the pairs also improved allowing for more runs.
Drawn 0 Lost 5
PlayedU10C
The final game of the season against Cothill was a particular highlight for the boys. They bowled beautifully with the hardball and batted with confidence finishing the game with a win. The boys should be incredibly proud of their achievements and progression this season. JRD
6 Won 3
7 Won 2
The U10Cs have made good progress throughout the cricket season and have worked hard as a team to develop their tactical understanding of the game, as well as their batting, bowling, and fielding skills. For some, the bowling technique was a new skill this year, but by the end of the season, most members of the team could consistently bowl a good ball. As the team gained match experience against other schools, all players became far more assertive when batting. They communicated well in their pairs, running between the wickets, and calling with much more confidence. Unfortunately, the matches against Cheam and Papplewick were cancelled but the U10Cs enjoyed success against Summer Fields, St Helen and St Katharine. Some tougher games followed against Cothill, Pilgrims, The Oratory and Crosfields but the players demonstrated great teamwork and resilience, always finishing their matches with a smile on their faces. Well done on a great season. KJS
PlayedU9A
My thanks to Mr Doran and Mrs Sanford and to all the children. Well done! BJC
PlayedU8
141SPORT
ELB Under 8B Under 8C
6 Won 1 Drawn 0 Lost 5
6 Won 4 Drawn 0 Lost 2
PlayedU9B
The Under 9Bs have had a fantastic cricket season where they have worked hard on developing and improving their basic cricket skills such as batting, bowling and fielding. They started the season with a couple of tough matches against Cheam and Crosfields and wet weather led to a couple of games being cancelled. However, as the season progressed their confidence grew in leaps and bounds and they had an excellent game against Thorngrove where they won by 12 runs. This was closely followed by a nail-biting game against The Oratory who needed 6 runs off two balls to win and just managed to clinch the win in the final few minutes. We closed the season with a friendly match against Cothill which was a fantastic opportunity to make new friends and practice their cricket skills.
This season, the U8s have enjoyed a successful season and made great progress in learning about the game and developing their skills whilst playing pairs cricket. We have focussed on the three main areas of batting, bowling and fielding in skill development as well as playing lots of games in Thetraining.children have improved their knowledge of the game specifically fielding positions, running between the wickets and calling for a run, backing up, and how to value their wicket. We have played tee ball so when a wide or no ball is bowled, the batter still gets the opportunity to hit a drive off the tee to develop their hitting. For some, the bowling action with a straight arm has taken a while to perfect and more practice is needed, but this is a tricky skill!
Matches have gone very well despite cancelling the St Andrew’s game due to the rain and The Oratory because of New Pupils Day. We enjoyed some exciting matches against Crosfields and Thorngrove and overall, it has been a productive season. All players have enjoyed their cricket and made strong improvements, so we are looking forward to seeing how they progress as they go up the school!
It doesn’t just take a letter like this to make me proud, but seeing these words in black and white certainly brings home what must drive us all when we have the privilege of looking after these special people in front of us.
Headmaster’s Speech
142 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Sports Day 2022
Many people have been kind enough to say that when there is cause for a celebration or to mark a particular occasion, Elstree does it in good style. The Elstree community likes to party and we have seen plenty of this in evidence over the past year, whether it has been the festivities of the late summer social, a packed house for Bonfire Night, the outside Jubilee picnic, the inaugural dog show or indeed our Leavers’ lunch today. Any excuse for a party and we’ll all be there! I know that you all read my newsletters from start to finish and in which case you’ll know that next year Elstree is celebrating its 175th anniversary. Please keep Saturday 8th July 2023 in your diaries. This is the date of the Elstree 175 ball. It will be a pure fun, celebration party at Elstree, with all the fanfare and pageantry of a royal occasion.
As I have done in a couple of previous speeches, I have weaved in a few key words that the children (and adults) might want to spot. There are 15 in all, so listen out. This year there’s a royal theme, so, now that you’ve digested your Coronation Chicken and the fanfare of the occasion, listen out for a succession of Royal words, but remember we mustn’t keep the lady (in) waiting (Nicky Anderson)…
Unashamedly today gives me the opportunity to congratulate and reward our current group of outstanding Year 8s as they come to end of their time at the school.
Chairman of Governors, ladies, gentlemen, guests, families, boys and girls. Welcome to our Sports Day 2022. It is a great pleasure to welcome you here today as we celebrate and reflect on the year that has passed. And what a difference a year makes. This time last year we held a memorable and intimate Year 8 prize-giving, having held separate sports days for the different year groups. Lovely, but not quite the same as having a big marquee full of parents and children from different year groups across the school.
I want to particularly thank the Pre-Prep Friends and the Friends of Elstree, who have been so proactive in ensuring that the parent body and Elstree families feel properly connected with the school. Many thanks to the fantastic committee – Lizzie Shaw, Charlie Yarrow, Clare Pannell, Rebecca Mills, Sophie Law, Emily Utley, Gayle Moore, Olivia Pearey. They have been led brilliantly by the indefatigable
Some have been here since the nursery days – over 10 years - and others for a shorter time but each and every one of them, in their own way, has made an impact on the happiness and the success of the school. Their good values and Balmorals have been plain to see. It is heartening that amidst all the obstacles that can stand in the way of young people, be it the challenges of the past couple of years, the stresses and strains of a growing exam culture, or an uncertain political world both at home and abroad, the children still have the opportunity to be children, to try things, to be challenged but also supported and to make friends that will last a lifetime. They know how to deal with the highness and lows of life and always having an attitude of ‘where there’s a Wills there’s a way’.
Didi Walker and we owe so much to her for energy, charisma and enthusiasm. I would like to present her with a small gesture of our thanks for all her amazing hard work.
I am so proud of everything that the boys and girls have achieved during the course of the year and, naturally, we have all celebrated the ability to return to all the wonderful opportunities to join together again as a school community.
I think the recipe for a happy and successful school is a relatively simple one. Blend and combine lovely families, with energetic, open and enthusiastic children, stir in committed and hard-working staff, present it in beautiful and inspiring surroundings, and you have got a dish to be proud of – a Queen of Puddings, if you like.
I am fortunate to receive many complimentary emails and letters about the school from all sorts of people – visiting sport coaches, senior school preachers, grandparents of pupils and members of the local community. I would like to share one such message with you this afternoon which was written by an old boy of the school following a visit to the school: “Dear Headmaster. I wanted you to know how much I enjoyed my recent visit to Elstree. I found there to be the most remarkable energy to the place which has resonated with me ever since. It seems as if your teaching team go over and above for the pupils and do far more than simply teach in the classroom. The children that I met were so friendly and chatty. They seemed to be so proud of their school and wanted to share their experiences with me. I was astonished to hear about the academic achievements of the pupils over the years, the success of the sports teams and the opportunities they are given in the creative subjects. What struck me most, however, was their straightforwardness and their wonderful enthusiasm for school life. They seem to be so at ease with each other and comfortable in their skin. Confident but not arrogant. Enthusiastic but also measured. Part of a community but clearly so individual. You should be very proud of your school.”
This is also a time when I get the chance to thank my fantastic team of staff, both teaching and other. Day to day life is fast-paced – I do expect people (children and adults) to work hard and give everything for the school. Our teaching staff certainly do that and I regularly see situations when they go over and above to support a child, whether they need stretching further or require an encouraging boost.
It is so important for us all to take pride in everything we do – how we approach our work, how we contribute to the school, the kindness that we show to others. Also to show humility and good grace, to approach school life with determination, commitment and an open mind, and to realise that life is full of challenges that will test our resolve and resilience, but can still be overcome.
SPORT
If I can take some of the words of Her Majesty the Queen and give you Year 8s some advice. We would all do well to live our lives in the way that she described her husband, Prince Philip. She said: “His sense of service, intellectual curiosity and his capacity to squeeze fun out of any situation - were all irrepressible. That mischievous, enquiring twinkle was as bright at the end as when I first set eyes on him.”
143 Of course, this year has marked her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee – 70 years on the throne – and our various Jubilee celebrations have been a great success. The Queen exemplifies many things that we would all do well to observe and take notice of. Her qualities are many and varied, and we have seen and heard marvellous tributes to her over the past three weeks or so from people from all over the world and from all walks of life. In one of my assemblies recently, I asked the boys and girls to suggest some of the qualities that they believe the Queen to have, and we went on to discuss them in greater depth. We would all do well to follow her example with regard to work ethic. The hard work of an Elstree boy or girl does not involve the State Opening of Parliament or hosting other world leaders, but, in their own way, the children can aim to emulate her example. I am pleased to say that we have seen plenty of hard work and endeavour in the classroom this Importantlyyear.
We have seen teamwork in evidence every day, whether this is through our sport teams, choirs, orchestra, drama performances and in the boarding house. We have had a busy and successful year on the sporting front with our teams from all age groups winning plenty of their matches but also, and importantly, developing their sporting skills. These Windsor (wins are) important but the children know that they can’t have their Kate (cake) and eat it too.
They are three themes that the Queen herself displays regularly and indeed were suggested by some of the pupils.
My thanks go to all those staff who are involved in coaching, encouraging and supporting our sporting teams throughout the year.
As you may know, our themes for this year have been Pride, Teamwork and Initiative, and we have seen plenty of these qualities in evidence during the course of the year.
Thank you too to Pete Smith who has masterminded today’s athletics events with brilliant attention to detail and care. Without the support and energy of the staff team, Elstree would not be the school it is today.
I must congratulate our Year 8s for all passing Common Entrance to their chosen schools, or for scoring well in their scholarships, many with outstanding grades. The crowning achievement at the end of their time at Elstree. With competition for places being very strong, their achievement is all the more impressive. This year we are sending boys to 18 different senior schools and this reflects the importance of finding a school that suits the individual child rather than necessarily worrying about the name and status of the school.
It has been a busy and productive year for the music department. I love the fact that our choirs are full to bursting with boys and girls singing their hearts out. Musical highlights include our regular informal concerts, the evening choral concerts in different churches and the performing arts showcase. My thanks as ever to the marvellous Mrs Westley who masterminds everything with her characteristic panache. We look forward to a wonderful Summer Concert before the fete next weekend.
I am also hugely grateful to the unsung heroes of the school who work so hard for us all – I think you will all agree that the grounds and gardens look absolutely magnificent. My thanks go to the grounds team - Jay Stiles, Simon and Steve – Ed, Mason, Paul and Stewart in maintenance; Lara and the catering team, the office and bursary staff and our matrons.
144 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Further examples of teamwork have been on display on the stage in our various productions; we are looking forward to the junior play next week and the Year 8s rearranged performance of Oliver! Somehow our drama department manages to give every child the opportunity to be on stage in a play once a year. With Lamda also flourishing, children continue to astonish us with their confident performances in front of large audiences. Perhaps next year we might have Aladdin and Eugenie (the genie)!
The boys and girls they love to learn Cricket, tennis and athletics too They’ve done so very well Elstree School, we are a team The finest crew that you’ve ever seen Bat room cricket, three sweets and buns We all have so much fun With Art and DT, drama too They love to explore something new Music, choirs and trips away They’ve thrived so much this term Elstree School, we are a team The finest crew that you’ve ever seen Bat room cricket, three sweets and buns We all have so much fun The classroom work is oh so key The Year 8s they have smashed CE With top grades to the very best schools We wish them lots of luck Elstree School, we are a team
The boarding house is a happy place Look at the smiles on their face Big weekends and slippy slide And kayaks on the lake
The finest crew that you’ve ever seen Bat room cricket, three sweets and buns We all have so much fun The summer is the favourite term
We see this in evidence in our marvellous Art and DT departments where the children are encouraged to stir their creative juices and experiment with different materials and themes. Do take a moment to view the Art and DT work on display around the school and in the McMullen Hall. As we know, the most important traits that young people should display to any future employer extend beyond simple exam grades. They include an appetite for hard work, creativity, humility, determination, empathy, the ability to problem solve and of course initiative. Children these days mustn’t Harry (hurry) away their time. We develop these skills in a number of ways: Life skills day, book week, charity giving through the Ridgeway Walk and other events, music lessons outside on the lawn, the string ensemble playing together with a pupil from each year group represented, Headmaster’s debates, an educational trip, inter-house Maths and Science challenges, community service and leadership developed through the Elstree Award.
There once was a ship that sailed the sea A jolly good school they call Elstree The boys and girls are so lovely We’re proud of all they’ve done Elstree School, we are a team
Finally, using one’s initiative is one of the most underrated skills that any young person can possess. In an age when children are used to things happening immediately and things often being done for them, it is essential that we develop in them the quality of using initiative, making their own decisions, trying things, failing and then trying again.
What I do hope is that our three themes for the year will be embedded in all pupils at Elstree. I hope that they/you will take pride in everything they do and remain proud of their prep school and everything they have achieved during their time here. That they will always remember the importance of being part of a team and being inclusive and welcoming to others; and finally to show that sense of initiative to try new things, take some risk, seek new opportunities, sail on wider seas, and strive to be leaders not followers.
Finally, I hope that they will respect and appreciate the value of family, the power of good friendship, the beauty of their surroundings and the good fortune of the opportunities presented to them.
The finest crew that you’ve ever seen Bat room cricket, three sweets and buns We all have lots of fun
And so the good ship HMS Elstree sails on. The Captain is delighted with his crew. The voyage continues. But… wait… hold on a minute… I think it must be time for a song… maybe a shanty to send us on our way. Because ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we are a team. We’ve got the finest crew that you’ve ever seen. Bat room cricket, three sweets and buns do keep us going and we certainly all have lots of fun. So here’s a little sea shanty that I’ve just made up – do please sing along with the chorus and, by the way, I want the chorus sung in holiday destinations around the globe this summer. The beaches of Cornwall, Devon and West Wales, the bars and restaurants of Corfu, Cephalonia and the Algarve, and in the villages of West Berkshire:
Elstree Sea Shanty
Ladies and gentlemen and boys and girls watching, I salute this super bunch of young men and wish them every success. We will miss you hugely and you are all welcome back at any time. I now invite Sara Gilbert, the mum of our Head Boy, Harry, to present the prizes.
145SPORT
Let’s hope there aren’t too many surprises
They’re great Year 8s, it’s not a lie Thank you for your great support Our families are the best Elstree School, we are a team The finest crew that you’ve ever seen Bat room cricket, three sweets and buns We all have lots of fun And now it’s time for all the prizes
The prizes are all ready to give We thank her very much Elstree School, we are a team The finest crew that you’ve ever seen Bat room cricket, three sweets and buns We all have lots of fun
Thank you all – parents, grandparents and friends for the support you give to your children and to the school. To the Governors for their time and support for all things Elstree.
ACTI
The children make us very proud Of everything they’ve done Elstree School, we are a team
Elstree School, we are a team The finest crew that you’ve ever seen Bat room cricket, three sweets and buns We all have lots of fun And soon it’s time to say goodbye
The finest crew that you’ve ever seen Bat room cricket, three sweets and buns We all have lots of fun Mrs Anderson’s here and ready to start Her brand new hat looks oh so smart
To the staff who work tirelessly for the children. Thank you to Olivia for always being a wonderful support to me. I hope you have all had an excellent day seeing Elstree at its very best. I now invite Nicky Anderson, mother of this year’s Head Boy, William, to present the prizes.
Firstly, we have the staff, for whom this is a significant day, but one which they experience every year, Covid or not. They may of course be sitting here reflecting on the meaningful contributions they have made to the journeys of the wonderfully talented boys in this particular cohort… or of course they may be quietly thinking about West Ham’s amazing season, or about the relative merits of batting or bowling in the Sri Lanka T20’s.
I’ve always thought that being asked to be Head Boy was like being asked to be the best man at a wedding… you’re massively chuffed to be asked, you really want to make a contribution, but you can’t really enjoy it until you’ve done your speech!
But we can be sure that whatever challenges we have faced at school, they are for the most part minor, compared with what may come in future life. If Prep School teaches you nothing else, it shows you how to put you best foot forward, whatever the circumstances. I cannot move on from this without reflecting on the example which has been set by Mr and Mrs Inglis over the last 18 months.
This could be a difficult speech to make because we have three very different parts of our audience today.
Good Afternoon Chairman, Governors, Headmaster and Mrs Inglis, Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls.
146 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Sports Day 2022 Head Boy’s Speech
On the other hand, a crucial section of our audience are the parents, who will be feeling quite differently. I hope they are all full of pride at the splendid young men that their precious cherubs have turned into. They will be talking a great deal about how much everyone has grown (as if that wasn’t what they were expecting!) and anticipating a day choked with emotion and memories.
Then there are the boys who, mostly, are the opposite of their parents, who would frankly pay good money to be mucking around on Bates, rather than sitting here in their blazer and tie, being asked to think about how they actually FEEL about their friends, and what it all actually means to them (much easier to take someone out with a two-footer, then say what a brilliant six years it has Thebeen).Elstree
Experience is multi-faceted. As a Year Group, what advice might we have for those coming up through the school? Unlikely as it seems, you may encounter anything from a marauding wolf on the run in Woolhampton
Perhaps we haven’t always loved the teams we have been selected for, or perhaps we haven’t loved going to rest when headers and volleys in the squash courts were such an enticing prospect.
Our DT projects may have collapsed at the crucial moment. We may, even, have suffered the burning injustice of a conduct mark for something that wasn’t our fault (honestly Mrs Westley it wasn’t me).
When it comes down to it, I think that what you learn at prep school can be identified as one simple thing, which is about putting your best foot forward.
Mr Inglis is fond of saying that whenever in doubt, he consults his trusty Headmaster’s Handbook, which apparently resides in the downstairs cloakroom at the Headmaster’s House. So, when a deadly virus came into view, I’m sure that he said to Mr Attwood, “No worries, I’ll just look up the chapter on pandemics”.
through to the equally terrifying wrath of Mr Smith for failure to remove football boots before entering the boot room. Our advice in both situations would be to make yourself scarce, pronto. You’ll be taking trips to France in Y5 and Y7, you might want to avoid the snails, as the entire year group may go down with food poisoning, as Mrs Inglis will testify. In Boarding, from my own experience, if you have been given 5 Haribo’s by Mr Hepburn don’t go back for a sixth.
Prep School is exactly the place to recognise this. We might never play the violin like Henry or do the rubix cube as fast as Chenyu. We may never have Mrs Kidson’s kind common sense, Mr Inglis’ ability to find the positives or even Mr Morris’ questionable singing talents every Friday morning in the dorms. We may have none of these, we may not even want some of them! But we have been shaped by our relationships with all these people and with each other, so that we will bring things to our new schools, which no one else can. It has been an extraordinary privilege.
William Anderson, Head Boy
147 Given the apocryphal nature of this handbook, it is really remarkable that by making the best decisions at each point in time, by following the guidelines and putting their best feet forward, in circumstances that no one has ever before imagined, Mr and Mrs Inglis and all the staff, have guided the school through these bizarre and challenging times. The job of a school is evidently no longer to further the education of the children it its care, but it is also now their responsibility to protect the health of those children, and by extension the health of their families. We are so grateful to you for having achieved this. So, what does a remote school even look like? It is the zoom era. All those technology issues and glitches, still ultimately managing to learn how to double screen Microsoft teams and the Inbetweeners… And that was just the staff (the boys got there much quicker).
Despite everything we still felt like a community, we were in it together, doing star jumps with Mr Morris (I’ll never forget Move with Moz!) and vocab tests with Madame Simonin, not just surviving, but thriving. We owe Mr and Mrs Inglis and their staff a debt of thanks for leading us through and out of the other side, best feet forward.
On behalf of all of them, the greatest thanks go to our parents and to the whole Elstree family for our wonderful time at prep school. We will never forget it.
SPORT
On Mr Inglis’s shelf, next to the Headmaster’s Handbook, I am pretty sure there is a copy of another book, by an author and illustrator called Charlie Mackesy, of whom Mr Inglis is fond of quoting. We also have a copy of this at home (this being a book that actually exists, unlike the Headmasters’ Guide). And the page which has always resonated with me is where he writes “You are important, and you bring things to this world which no one else can”.
I would like to close by thanking everyone who has been involved in organising today. And then reorganising it, and reorganising it again, in order that we can be here, and be here safely. The school and grounds look magnificent as always and I would like to thank the groundsmen for all their hard work. It takes armies of people to create and maintain a setting quite as beautiful as this. It then takes a different kind of army to feed and maintain the inhabitants! Thank you to Lara and the catering team, not just for today but for years of Buns, match teas and fantastic meals. Sister Cook and her team have also worked tirelessly to support our health and wellbeing. I don’t think there is a child here who hasn’t been fortunate to be expertly cared for and made to feel better up at Matron’s rooms. We are greatly in their Finally,debt.well done to all the boys and girls who have competed here today.
U 10 High Jump James Fane 110cm South Oliver Cook 110cm
U 12 800m Wilf Foulds 2:52 North Harry Goodbourn 2:54
Winner (Gold) Result House Second (Silver)
U 13 70m Hurdles Race 1 Oliver Irvine 13:67 North Oscar Pritchard 14:10
U 13 100m William Sideso 14:74 South Koichi Sakamoto 15:23
U 11 70m Hurdles Race 1 Leonardo Raphael 14:53 East Jack Hedley 15:23
U 13 Discus Sebastian Francis 19.25 South Sebastian Francis 17.86
U 14 800m Taro Sakamoto 2:36:56 North Tommy Welchman 2:45:99 U 10 Cricket Ball Charlie Utley 29.90 West Oliver Lloyd 25.75
U 13 200m William Sideso 30:91 South Fergus Hoar 32:38
U 14 Long Jump Alexander Price 4.30 North Oliver Irvine 3.80 U 14 Shot Jack Duffield 10.08 West Toby van den Bergh 9.14 U 9 75m Tom Marshall 13:44 East Gaby Caloia 13:59 U 10 75m Akinniran Akinola 12:60 North Charlie Utley 12:95 Oliver Cook 12.95
148 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022 Sports Day Results Event
Seniors Tug - of - War West North U10 55m Hurdles Race 1 Jasper Vere Nicoll 11:60 North Jack Sanford 12:25
Inter House Shuttle North 41 East 40 Overall House Result North 530 East 448 Winner Runner up U10 Victor Ludorum Inigo Barker Charlie Utley
U13 Victor Ludorum Oliver Irvine Will Sideso
U9/10 4x100m Relay North 1:13:00 South 1:14:81 U11/12 4x100m Relay East 1:04:81 South 1:05:89
U 13 Javelin Oscar Hargreave 16.34 West Sebastian Francis 15.18
U 14 200m Aaron Roberts 29:45 East Alexander Brown 30:34
U 13 Shot Sebastian Francis 7.90 South Laurence Moore 6.83 U 14 High Jump Ben Baxter 132cm South Leonardo La Corte 130cm
U12 Victor Ludorum Mofe Adeyinka Sophie Payne & Wilf Foulds
U14 Victor Ludorum Aaron Roberts Taro Sakamoto
U 11 Cricket Ball Oliver Duffield 34.78 West Dew Sakamoto 33.05 U 12 Javelin Jacob Gearing 17.58 South Lachlan McGeoch 16.84 U 14 Discus Jerry Liu 20.86 North Thomas Clothier 20.35
U 12 Shot Mofe Adeyinka 8.46 East Ryan Chang 6.73
U 12 70m Hurdles Race 1 Czedale Brown 13:64 North Jacob Gearing 14:09
U14 400m Taro Sakamoto 1:05:43 North Alex Anderson 1:07:48 U 14 Triple Jump Aaron Roberts 10.18 East Alexander Price 9.26
U 9 200m William Cropper 36:03 South William Hedley 36:36
U13/14 4x100m Relay North 59:45 East 59:99
U 11 100m Joshua Singleton 14:34 North Oliver Duffield 15:18 U 12 100m Mofe Adeyinka 14:52 East Czedale Brown 15:32
U 14 100m Aaron Roberts 13:18 East Inigo Garcia-Palencia 13:75 U12 1500m Wilf Foulds 5:47 North Harry Clothier 5:48
U 14 75m Hurdles Race 1 Kitt Dorich 13:03 South Inigo Garcia-Palencia 13:42 U 9 Cricket Ball Reuben Ruddick 28.70 East Akinniran Akinola 27.50
U 10 300m Jasper Vere Nicoll 1:02:97 North Wilfred Ward 1:07:18 U 12 400m Sophie Payne 1:14:65 East Caspar Williams 1:17:72 U13 400m Alfie Hamilton-Shaw 1:11:86 East Koichi Sakamoto 1:13:28
U 11 200m Joshua Singleton 31:66 North James Marshall 34:63
U 12 High Jump Sophie Payne 125 East Wilf Foulds 120 U 12 Discus Monty Robinson 18.80 North Harry Clothier 16.09
U14 1500m Toby van den Bergh 5:32 North Oliver Irvine 5:35 U 10 Long Jump Inigo Barker 3.81 South Oliver Cook 3.22
U 10 800m Tristan Anderson Wheeler 2:59:00 East Inigo Barker 3:04:72
U 12 200m Mofe Adeyinka 31:18 East Sophie Payne 31:64
Result
U 10 200m Tristan Anderson Wheeler 33:86 East Inigo Barker 34:28
U 12 Long Jump Harry Anderson 3.54 East Leonardo Raphael 3.49 U 14 Javelin Inigo Garcia-Palencia 28.37 East Toby van den Bergh 21.76
149 House Third (Bronze) Result House Fourth Result House East South East Sam Norris 12:81 West Alfie Steward 13:44 West North Sat Li 15:87 North Thomas Mitchell 16:28 South South Mila Tryon 15:26 East Toby Walker 15:49 West West Oliver Anderson 14:42 North Leonardo La Corte 14:46 South East Eddie Warman 13:74 West Alexander Brown 14:10 North North William Hedley 25.30 North William Cropper 19.90 South West Jack Sanford 95cm East Isobel Clark 90cm North East Jacob Gearing 3.45 South Harry Clothier 3.42 West North Ben Baxter 20.94 South Jerry Liu 17.57 North South Monty Robinson 6.62 North Isla Sanford 6.31 East South Charlie Utley 03:05:15 West James Fane 3:08:25 South South Harry Anderson 3:03 East Henry Dalton 3:08 West South Inigo Egusquiza 2:50:71 West Hamish Fawcett 2:55:67 North North Sam Norris 24.75 West James Fane 21.60 South South Louis Vere Nicoll 14.64 North William Sideso 12.73 South North Joshua Singleton 115 North Bobby Blackwell 110 East West Jules Foxon 15.40 East Caspar Williams 14.07 South North Jaime Tabuenca 3.52 West Lucas Lee 3.50 East North Alex Anderson 7.83 North Hugh Walker 7.14 West North Timi Sonuga 13:62 South Harriet Burnett 13:91 East Alfie Steward 13:91 West West Thomas Bevan 13:67 East WestWest James Marshall 16:09 East Charles Chen 16:34 South North Jorge Tabuenca 15:53 West Naomi Chan 16:36 West North Oliver Anderson 15:45 North Thomas Shaw 15:84 East East Alexander Price 13:61 North Jack Duffield 14:15 West Joshua Chan 14.15 West West Harry Goodbourn 6:11 South Pablo Lavin 6:39 East North Jaime Tabuenca 5:40 West Tommy Welchman 5:50 South West Oliver Lloyd 2.63 North Ferdy Dugdale 2.14 North North Alfie Burles 24.41 West Mide Sonuga 07:26:24 South North Kitty Butler 12.50 West Isla Sanford 10.33 East West Taro Sakamoto 19.33 North Kitt Dorich 18.38 South North Derek Lee 6.62 West Oliver Anderson 6.59 North South Alexander Brown 130cm North Oscar Pritchard 130cm West West Sophie Singh 1:07:78 West Reuben Ruddick 1:08:78 East South Jorge Tabuenca 1:21:00 West Sat Li 1:22:58 North North Jaime Tabuenca 1:15:75 West Laurence Moore 1:17:39 North North Jack George 1:08:29 East Kitt Dorich 1:12:98 South North Inigo Egusquiza 8.47 West Jack Duffield 8.22 West North Bertie Barton 38:38 West Jonty Ridley-Day 38:93 East South Wilfred Ward 39:68 West Thomas Bevan 39.68 East East Oliver Duffield 35:78 West Arabella Pannell 36:16 North East Jorge Tabuenca 33:81 West Toby Walker 34:78 West North Louis Vere Nicoll 32:70 North Gonzalo Tennenbaum 33:20 East North Inigo Egusquiza 32:23 West Ben Baxter 33:00 South South Joshua Sameke 17.45 South Joshua Sameke 17.26 South West 1:16:14 East 1:16:43 North 1:08:53 West 1:10:07 West 1:00:31 South 1:01:49 South 38 West 37 West 386 South 380 Winner open Visitors race (under 5) Marina Cropper open Visitors race (over 7) Nacho Lavin open Visitors race (over 10) Sissi Liu open Old pupils race Debs Burles
SPORT
150 ELSTREE SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2022
151
