The
Exonian
The Exeter School Magazine
2017
The Exonian 2017
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The Exonian 2017 The Exonian 2017 Editor Mrs Escott Pupil Editorial Team Emily Baty, Zana Beka, Catherine Eyre, Daisy Game, Abigail Grierson, Seb Lewis, Bobby Hayman, Francesca Matthews, Jenny McDowell-Langford, Matilda O’Callaghan, Will Piercey Sam Scougall-Knight, Maia Thomas, Jenny Watson, Harrison Yarnold, Lucy Zhang Staff Assistance With very special thanks to Mrs Brookes-Ferrari, Mr Seaton-Burn, Mr Davidson and Miss Mahaffy Magazine Design Miss Currie Printed by Brightsea Print Group
004 Editorial Foreword 007 New Staff 013 Leaving Staff 023 Features 045 Charity and Community Service 052 Commemorative Days 058 Trips and Tours 078 Art 086 Drama 096 Music 105 Science 114 English/Classics 121 Languages 124 Geography 127 History 130 Mathematics 136 Design Technology 140 Teaching and Learning 146 Sixth Form 157 Alumni Links 161 Outdoor Pursuits 177 Sport exeterschool.org.uk | 3
The Exonian 2017
Foreword
Welcome to the 2016 – 2017 edition of Exeter School’s Exonian Magazine
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s ever, the academic year at Exeter School has been characteristically busy with a diverse range of stimulating and enriching opportunities, which have involved pupils of all ages. Pupils in the Junior and Senior School have been engaged in a
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variety of exciting events, trips, memorable moments and provide activities and competitions, relishing an insight into the richness of life at the opportunity to grow both within Exeter School. and outside the classroom. In a year brimming with so many highlights and new endeavours, members of our Sixth Form editorial team share their personal experiences and Mrs Escott, Editor
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pper Sixth has been a very intense year, but it has not been without many highlights. Having been in the school since Form One, I have found the Sixth Form very interesting and we have been given a lot more responsibility. Progressing through the school years with so many of my peers has been a lovely experience. Similarly, developing more professional, working relationships with my teachers has been beneficial and enjoyable. Abby Grierson, Upper Sixth Form My descent into journalism has been an interesting aspect of this year. An otherwise demanding year of work and revision has been somewhat lightened by meeting with prominent journalists of our day, such as local reporter and writer Simon Hall. I hope to begin studying journalism at university next year and I feel that working on The Exonian has helped to expand my journalistic skills. Bobby Hayman, Upper Sixth Form
Foreword us to explore in an interactive manner the multiple readings of Hamlet and the vast influence of Shakespeare on modern culture. It was extremely interesting to experience different interpretations of characters on stage, and it really helped to broaden my Shakespearean knowledge. Emily Baty, Upper Sixth Form
personal nature of A2 languages topics, it can be quite cathartic in a sense, and I would say this has been the highlight of my year. Harrison Yarnold, Upper Sixth Form
My highlight of the year was definitely the Art trip to the Underground Passages. It was an amazing opportunity to undertake photography and studies of both the tunnels and underground spaces. The funniest part of the trip was when the majority of the group took a detour through a tunnel that was no more than a metre high and wide.
The main highlight of my year was the A Level Art trip to London where we visited several prestigious galleries, including the Serpentine and the Tate Modern, which provided valuable resources. We also got the opportunity to go to the Hunterian Museum, where we saw scientific experiments and discoveries of the anatomical kind. On our visits, we photographed the main exhibits and created our own studies; I enjoyed this particularly as it gave us a chance to experience a wide range
The trip was a great chance for us to develop our AS coursework theme of ‘Contained’. Francesca Matthews, Lower Sixth Form
of Art outside of school, providing inspiration for my individual project. Jenny McDowell-Langford, Lower Sixth Form
One highlight of this year was working on the Senior School musical, Guys and Dolls. Instead of acting in it, I helped Mr Brough with the organisation and supported the cast during the rehearsal period, and collected the various props needed for the production. It was great to watch it come together from an alternate viewpoint and see the hard work that goes on behind the scenes, as well as from the cast themselves. The best part of the process was watching the performance and seeing all the effort from everyone come together into an amazing production. Catherine Eyre, Lower Sixth Form My favourite experience of the year has to be performing in Guys and Dolls. Having always loved getting involved in Drama at school, this year’s performance was one of particular poignancy: it being the last time I would stand on the stage as part of a school production. I have been part of the plays here at school for the past seven years and stepping off the stage for the last time was a very sad, very strange moment, but one that I will remember fondly as I leave school behind me. Daisy Game, Upper Sixth Form
Having two native speakers of French and Spanish at your disposal is something that not every school provides for its Languages pupils. It’s been particularly beneficial during the preparation for oral exams, as we have had a period every week in which to speak individually with the language assistants – Emma and Josephine – and really hone our oral fluency and ability to respond to new One highlight (of many) of my Upper questions without hesitating. Aside Sixth year was taking part in the from the academic advantage, it’s also Hamlet workshop with the Four of simply pleasant to have someone Swords theatre company, as it allowed else to talk to; given the sometimes
My last year of Exeter School has undoubtedly been one of the best. Despite, at times, having a very challenging workload, I have developed more mature relationships with both my teachers and House staff. The process of UCAS, although arduous, has prepared me effectively for life after school as well as got me excited for university. Jenny Watson, Upper Sixth Form Spending a week in Westminster, gaining work experience with Exeter’s MP Ben Bradshaw, was a truly
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unforgettable experience. Taking place early in 2017, a particularly eventful time at the Houses of Parliament, I was able to witness first-hand moments of great political importance, for example the vote to trigger Article 50, the publishing of the Brexit White Paper, and Boris Johnson’s statement on President Trump’s immigration order, to name a few. Experiencing the heart of British democracy, my passion for politics was further inspired and I was able to learn rapidly in an enthralling environment. Lucy Zhang, Lower Sixth Form My greatest highlight would be enhancing my knowledge in subjects which I had not previously studied, such as Business and Politics. In Business, my teachers allowed me to build upon initial knowledge and develop a thorough understanding of a range of topics, which will be useful throughout my future career. In Politics, I was able to gain greater understanding of current political issues as well as having part of my AS Level exam answer featured on the Edexel website as a model answer. Without the teaching staff at Exeter School, I would never have recognised my potential and achieved what I have to date. Maia Thomas, Upper Sixth Form One of the most challenging, but rewarding aspects of this year has been my preparation for my application to study Geography at Cambridge. I really enjoyed the learning experience, and in the end, it was less about getting a place and
more to do with learning about a subject I really enjoy. The assistance I received from school was particularly useful, where I gained greater insight into current affairs and global issues. For example, the talk given by Passarlay, an Afghan refugee, was especially eye-opening. Matilda O’Callaghan, Upper Sixth Form
confidence in public speaking and the experience has further strengthened my aspirations of becoming an entrepreneur. Sam Scougall-Knight, Lower Sixth Form
The struggle and stress of creating a unique, interesting personal statement was a defining moment of my final year at Exeter School. The A personal highlight of my Lower process of collating several years Sixth Form year has been leading one of academic and extra-curricular of Exeter School’s Young Enterprise experiences into one coherent, companies. Being Managing Director engaging, 4000-character selfof our clothing brand, Fractured, appraisal has stood out for me this was a highly rewarding opportunity academic year. Despite totalling which allowed me to develop my eight drafts and agonising over leadership and communication every sentence - all of which had skills. Whilst I have also experienced to be succinct, memorable and a some of the more challenging true reflection of my enthusiasm aspects of management, as a team for History - I ended up submitting we have overcome difficulties to something that I was not only pleased succeed in our goal of establishing a with, but that actually strengthened compelling brand. As a result of the my interest in a subject that I will programme, I have developed greater spend the next three years studying. Seb Lewis, Upper Sixth Form One of the highlights of the school year for me was getting the opportunity to be a key investor in one of this year’s Young Enterprise companies. I invested in Fractured, an urban clothing line, when it was only in its formative stages, but I have been able to watch it develop over the academic year from just some great ideas on paper into one of the most successful Young Enterprise businesses at Exeter School to date. Will Piercey, Lower Sixth Form The greatest highlight of my year was taking part in the Exeter School Model United Nations conference. There were debates all day and many delegations put forward their clauses. Getting a clause passed on my first conference was a great experience and helped me gain valuable debating skills for future life. Zana Beka, Lower Sixth Form
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New Staff
New Staff Where were you this time last year? Teaching at The Perse in Cambridge and feeling like a whale as I waddled around the corridors with a massive baby bump! What inspired you to follow this career path? I found software engineering really boring in the company where I worked. I got more and more involved with volunteering through Girl Guiding until I was doing almost the same hours as my day job and then I realised something had to change. So I went back to uni and retrained. What music is currently on your iPod/phone? None actually, although my car is full of CDs. At
Alice Pinches
Head of Computer Science Where were you this time last year? Working at Millfield Preparatory School. What inspired you to follow this career path? A passion for sport and the realisation of the benefits of exercise to young people. What music is currently on your iPod/phone? Coldplay and Olly Murs. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Travelling to new places.
Daniella Lunn Teacher of PE
If you could have one super power for a day, what would it be and why?
the moment, I’m enjoying singing along to Keane and The Killers although I do also enjoy music that doesn’t begin with ‘K’. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Gardening, crocheting and discovering new places around Exeter. If you could have one super power for a day, what would it be and why? I’d create a few extra hours – there just never seem to be enough in the day! What is your signature dish? Raspberry and almond cake, which is known as ‘Birthday Cake’ in my house. What is your favourite film and why? I tend to change favourites very often, but today I’ll go with Ponyo by the Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki. His work is Teleportation, so that I can get to my destination quicker! What is your signature dish? Scrambled eggs, avocado and smoked salmon on toast. What is your favourite film and why? The Proposal, but any romcom or comedy that makes me laugh
absolutely beautiful and this is a relatively upbeat tale. Who do you admire? I watched a reunion of Fry and Laurie the other day and thought yet again how amazing Stephen Fry is. He’s such a clever man with many talents and manages it all alongside battling with mental health issues in the public eye. What a national treasure! What is your pet hate? Hmmm, I’m a bit of a stickler for proof-reading. I find it so distracting when menus and signs have obvious spelling mistakes and spurious apostrophes. If you were on a desert island what would be the three luxury items you would take with you? Sun cream, a tent and a big hat. As a person blessed with many freckles, let’s just say I’m not good in the sun!
nothing as my Dad says! If you were on a desert island what would be the three luxury items you would take with you? Unlimited chilled water, sun cream (an essential for me!) and my iPod.
Who do you admire? My Grandad, I always want to make him proud as he has achieved so much. What is your pet hate? Rudeness; manners cost
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The Exonian 2017 Where were you this time last year? In Bristol, dividing myself between the mathematical modelling of bacteria and trying to successfully grow perennial kale. What inspired you to follow this career path? The incomparable joy that I experience every time I share what I have learned, and the words of my favourite lecturer, who showed me that teachers can “change the world in 60 hours”.
Dario Cortese Teacher of Physics
What music is currently on your iPod/phone? Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles, Beethoven’s Late String Quartets, Keith Jarrett’s Köln Concert and a jumble of many other things,
Liverpool and Manchester for anyone struggling to place my hybrid accent). What you inspired you to follow this career path? I’ve always enjoyed learning and teaching demands that you keep on top of your subject. So it’s a good excuse to keep reading and it’s great to be able to share my enthusiasm for the subject with students.
Samantha Curless
Teacher of English Where were you this time last year? I was teaching at The King’s School in my beautiful hometown of Chester (it’s a little Roman city nestled on the English/Welsh border, not too far from Wrexham,
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What music is currently on your iPod/phone? An eclectic mix, including Bastille, London Grammar and the Blossoms. The OneLove concert has inspired me to dig out my old Oasis albums and What’s The Story Morning Glory has shot straight to top of my most played list. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Working on my allotment, walking my Labrador, tackling various DIY tasks (badly I might add), and reading, of course!
including Franco Battiato and Queen. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Whenever I can, hiking and camping in the wilderness (preferably high up in the mountains). However, in my spare time you’ll most likely find me in my garden, trying to grow all sorts of plants with the help of my partner Flavia, who is also an indefatigable gardener. If you could have one super power for a day, what would it be and why? I would definitely like to fly. In all my best dreams I fly. What is your signature dish? Mushroom and Tofu Phở. Or, if I feel particularly
If you could have one super power for a day, what would it be and why? The ability to stop time. The older I get, the more quickly it seems to pass. What is your signature dish? This is a tricky one as I am a hopeless cook. My husband does all of the cooking in our house and he makes a mean chicken pie. Apt, given that his family are from Wigan, where the local rugby ground is affectionately known as the ‘piedome’. What is your favourite film and why? Castaway. It gives me hope when I’m on long haul flights (I’m a nervous flyer). Who do you admire? My grandmother has long been my inspiration. She grew up during WWII and endured the hardships of war. Although she was the
nostalgic, Pasta e Ceci. What is your favourite film and why? Pulp Fiction, because I think it’s full of formidable ideas. Who do you admire? David Bohm for the independence of his thinking, Beethoven and Chopin for their ability to touch the deepest feelings, and all those who strive in order to free themselves from themselves. What is your pet hate? Slow computers and fast slugs. If you were on a desert island what would be the three luxury items you would take with you? A piano, a football and a solar-powered quad.
only girl in very patriarchal family, she was tenacious and demanded to go to university when she left school. Her father refused to give his permission but she forged his signature on the application form and went on to study Midwifery at Liverpool University regardless. She became a Health Visitor and helped countless families in the process. She taught me to follow your ambitions and not to conform to the expectation of others. What is your pet hate? Noisy eating. Ugh. If you were on a desert island what would be the three luxury items you would take with you? I would take my Labrador, a box full of books (my reading list has trebled since taking on the recommendations of my Fourth Form class) and a paddleboard.
New Staff
Where were you this time last year? At Windsor Castle with friends from America. A great day and even saw Queenie. What you inspired you to follow this career path? I love books and working with children. So, my perfect job. What music is currently on your iPod/phone? Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen and plenty of Prince.
Karen Cusick Library Assistant
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Running and walking. I will be attempting “Dartmoor in a Day”, a 50km hike in
14. I have always enjoyed fixing things (to my parents’ dismay, usually after I have taken them apart!) and I like helping people. A career in support was appealing.
Phil Gibbons IS Manager
Where were you this time last year? Working at the WESC Foundation as IT Manager and preparing for the birth of my daughter. What inspired you to follow this career path? I was interested in computers at school and saved up for my first Sinclair ZX81 when I was
What music is currently on your iPod/phone? Nashville (TV), Blake Sheldon, Nickleback, Avicii, Calvin Harris, George Michael, Guns ‘n’ Roses, Classical Music for Babies, A Party for Pooh, The Lumineers, Keri Hilson, lots of good swing and R&B music to dance to. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Just had a baby and started a new job. What spare time? I will be looking forward to getting back to: sailing (dinghy and yacht), climbing, cycling, skiing and dancing (west coast swing, modern jive and a little lindy hop). If you could have one super power for a day, what would it be and why? I think the ability to control
September. If you could have one super power for a day, what would it be and why? Superpower of speed so I could get all my jobs done in a minute and spend the rest of the time reading. What is your signature dish? ‘Carnegie’ cookies. What is your favourite film and why? Jean de Florette beautifully shot. Made me laugh and cry. A perfect drama. Who do you admire?
the weather like X-Men’s Storm. If it’s only one day at least I can make it a sunny one (but also rain just on my garden to save me having to water it). What is your signature dish? Chicken madras curry or traditional roast. What is your favourite film and why? As Good As It Gets – Great love story about someone who doesn’t fit into society and how they are abused by people who have little understanding. I think it highlights how everyone has feelings and a right to life, love and happiness. Leon – Just a great movie by Luc Besson. The Big Blue – Love the free diving and awesome camera work. Love Luc Besson’s work. The Replacement Killers – Great action movie with one of my favourite actors – Chow Yun-Fat Minions – Where do I start? Awesome.
I most admire the author J.K.Rowling. She has fired the imaginations of children and adults alike; made reading cool and and brought a bit of magic into our lives. A strong determined woman who overcame a lot of adversity and personal challenges to bring Harry Potter in the world. What is your pet hate? Cyclists on pavements! If you were on a desert island what would be the three luxury items you would take with you? Kindle, memory foam mattress and chocolate.
Paddington – I grew up with Paddington on the telly and I think this film just nailed it. Particularly the hard stare! Who do you admire? I am not sure I admire anyone really. I know Donald Trump is not one of them though. What is your pet hate? My pet hate is when I see people treating others poorly. Particularly because they are in a position of power. If you were on a desert island what would be the three luxury items you would take with you? A helicopter, plenty of fuel…. Seriously, I think I would need sedatives as I’m not sure I can go that long without any technology in my life. The complete Game of Thrones novels to keep me occupied. Lastly, a picture of my wife and daughter to motivate me to get off the island.
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The Exonian 2017 part of their Strength and Conditioning team and was delighted to see them get promotion to the Premiership.
James Bird Teacher of Geography
Where were you this time last year? After having run a Geography department for six years, I took a break from teaching to study for another Master’s degree. So this time last year, I was in the final throes of completing my MSc in Sports Coaching and Performance at the University of South Wales. I had just finished a placement working at Bristol Rugby Club as
What you inspired you to follow this career path? I was incredibly fortunate to have some outstanding teachers when I was at school - the majority resided in the Geography department - and their love of the subject inspired me to study it at university. There were some really encouraging lecturers in the Geography department at Loughborough University who suggested that I should apply to do a PGCE in the subject. I haven’t looked back since. What music is currently on your iPod/phone? More recently, I have been listening to the Pixies along with Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. However, I have a real love of electronic music, so Deadmau5, The Field, F.O.O.L and Aphex Twin, Daft Punk and Leftfield feature quite frequently on my playlists. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? If I had a spare few hours,
Where were you this time last year? I was just starting at Ivybridge Community College. What you inspired you to follow this career path? I would say that I was inspired to follow this career path because it was an opportunity to try and share my enthusiasm and enjoyment of Maths as a subject. What music is currently on your iPod/phone?
Finian Conway O’Brian Teacher of Mathematics 10 | @ExeterSchoolUK
I’d head out on a road bike and disappear across Exmoor. I’ve had a love of cycling for many years and I have been fortunate enough to live and cycle in some beautiful parts of this country. I’ll also find time to listen to some music and I do enjoy reading - I’ve just finished James Howard Kunstler’s The Geography of Nowhere, which is a superb book that attempts to discover how and why suburbia has ceased to be a credible human habitat, and what society might do about it. I am also a big Bath rugby fan; however, the less said about this season, the better. If you could have one super power for a day, what would it be and why? It would have to be the ability to fly. I have been sky-diving in Iguazu in Argentina and Aranjuez in central Spain a few years ago which included several solo jumps, so to be able to do that without having to actually land would be pretty immense. What is your signature dish? I can rustle up a pretty mean beef bourguignon
I lost my iPod 10 years ago and never got around to getting another one. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? In general, some kind of sport, but my favourite pastime is white water kayaking. If you could have one super power for a day, what would it be and why? The ability to stop time, because I was a fan of Bernard’s Watch when I was younger. What is your signature dish? Puttanesca.
if needed. I am probably better at baking so the Geography department will be well-stocked with brownies. What is your favourite film and why? I’m not sure I can narrow it down to just one film – there are just too many. One that really stands out for me lately includes Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth because it’s quite a dark, yet beautifully directed fantasy. Who do you admire? My very first headmaster who I worked for is someone for whom I have great admiration. He was a fellow Geographer and took me under his wing when I moved to County Durham. He had a profound influence on my teaching. What is your pet hate? Arrogance and a lack of humility. If you were on a desert island what would be the three luxury items you would take with you? I would have to pack an iPod full to the brim with music, a coffee machine with an endless supply of beans and a hammock.
What is your favourite film and why? Probably The Big Lebowski because it is hilarious. Who do you admire? Madonna. She made hit after hit. What is your pet hate? Mushrooms in Bolognese. If you were on a desert island what would be the three luxury items you would take with you? A boat, a fishing rod and a football.
New Staff Where were you this time last year? Living with my family on Dartmoor. What you inspired you to follow this career path? I have always loved children, from a fairly young age I knew I wanted to follow a career either teaching or nursing children. What music is currently on your iPod/phone? Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Adele (love Adele!)
Alison Bold
Junior School Teaching Assistant
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Up until two months ago, I would have said riding my beloved horse, but she has recently died, so I would now say walking my
Where were you this time last year? I was teaching a Year 4 class in an International School in South Korea. I was living on a small island called Geoje, which is near the city Busan.
Hannah Robinson Upper One Class Teacher
What you inspired you to follow this career path? I was inspired by my Year 2 teacher, Mrs Lane; I wanted to be just like her! When I was at secondary school I changed my mind a few times and thought about being a midwife or a physiotherapist. It was then my Maths teacher, Ms Sani, who changed my mind again back to teaching. Until she taught me, I did not like Maths and had a fixed mind-set about learning the subject. She showed me that I was very capable of learning Maths and I enjoyed her lessons a lot. This made me want to help other children discover what they were capable of and funnily enough, Maths is the subject I enjoy teaching the most now.
labrador and being with my two youngest children.
Who do you admire and why?
If you could have one super power for a day, what would it be and why? To be invisible, how much fun one could have!
Anne Frank, having read her diary several times it is both charming and harrowing. Through a time of such hatred, she was able to laugh and find good in people. A lesson we could all learn from.
What is your signature dish? It would have to be a pasta dish, with a fabulous salad and a good bottle of wine. What is your favourite film and why? International Velvet the sequel to National Velvet. My mother took me to see the movie on a rainy afternoon. The stunning location and beautiful music still to this day bring back a happy childhood memory.
What music is currently on your iPod/phone? I have a weird and wonderful mixture including: Adele, Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, Take That, Fleetwood Mac, Angus and Julia Stone and many, many more. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I enjoy going to the theatre to watch musicals and plays. I always make time for my friends and love eating out and trying new restaurants. I also enjoy running and going for long walks, especially by the beach. If you could have one super power for a day, what would it be and why? It would probably be to fly so I could go and visit my friends all around the world. What is your signature dish? I enjoy cooking lots of different things but probably my lamb curry would be my family’s favourite. I also make a
What is your pet hate? Bad manners! If you were on a desert island what would be the three luxury items you would take with you? Hair conditioner (I have inherited mad tight curls from my jewish grandmother- without conditioner I would be most unhappy!), a journal and music.
yummy oreo cheesecake. What is your favourite film and why? This is a really difficult question as I have lots of favourite films! I’ll say, Home Alone. One of my favourite films as a child and I still love watching it now. It always makes me laugh. Who do you admire and why? One of my closest friends, she has had to deal with some life changing situations over the past few years and I am so proud of how strong she is and how she has coped. What is your pet hate? I can’t stand it when people slurp their drinks or make a loud noise when they eat…table manners are so important! If you were on a desert island what would be the three luxury items you would take with you? My music, my bed and my cat, Fudge.
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The Exonian 2017 What you inspired you to follow this career path? My inspiration came from my own enjoyment of school as a child, as well as a few amazing teachers that I was lucky enough to have. I also knew that I wanted to follow a career that worked closely with children, as I love seeing them learn and develop into charismatic, self-confident individuals.
Hannah Trimming
Junior School Teaching Assistant Where were you this time last year? I was working as a Teaching Assistant in a different school in Exeter.
What music is currently on your iPod/phone? The question should really be what isn’t! I love listening to jazz, pop and singer/ songwriters, but I also am known to be a bit of a rock chick at times! What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I am a very keen tennis player (I have been playing since the age of two). I also am a member of a local a cappella ladies’ choir and enjoy writing and performing music as often
What you inspired you to follow this career path? Both of my parents are teachers. I remember thinking when I was in Year 2 that I’d like to be a teacher or an astronaut. The astronaut thing didn’t work out! What music is currently on your iPod/phone? A bit of an eclectic mix: Blink 182, My Chemical Romance, Sigur Ros, Less Than Jake, Sigma, Chase & Status, Radiohead, The Smiths and Belle & Sebastian.
Siobhan Morgan
Junior School Computer Science Co-ordinator Where were you this time last year? I was probably sitting around, watching too much daytime TV waiting for my second son to be born.
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What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I don’t have a lot of spare time with two young boys! I used to play a lot of sport and I’m keen to get back into playing football. I enjoy reading and playing on my Xbox, but mostly I like to spend time with my family. If you could have one super power for a day, what would it be? There used to be a children’s TV programme called Bernard’s Watch where
as I can. You will also quite often find me engrossed in some sort of arts and crafts activity – so it is likely you will regularly see me in Hobbycraft! If you could have one super power for a day, what would it be and why? I would like to have the power of flight because, as I am quite adventurous, I like to travel. Also I like seeing and learning new things and being able to fly would mean I could explore far more of the world to do this. What is your signature dish? Cake! I love to bake and I have made many celebration cakes for my friends and family. What is your favourite film and why? My favourite film is Pitch Perfect because I love singing along and it always makes
Bernard could stop time, which I always thought would be a useful power to have. What is your signature dish? I don’t cook because my husband is much better at it than me. However, the one thing I do make regularly is apple crumble. What is your favourite film and why? My favourite film when I was younger was The Witches, which was also my favourite Roald Dahl book. Now I’d probably say The Matrix and Inception are my favourites, as I like sci-fi and every time you watch those films, you see something new. Who do you admire and why? I love reading and my favourite books are probably J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. She created a world that was a big part of my life growing up. It is inspiring how one book that was rejected by so
me laugh! It is what inspired me to join an a cappella chorus. Who do you admire and why? I admire my mum. She has always been hard working, caring and kind and I look up to her. Even through illness and difficult times, she looked after my brothers and me unconditionally. What is your pet hate? My pet hate is rudeness and lack of manners. I feel we are all equal and should treat each other with kindness and respect. If you were on a desert island what would be the three luxury items you would take with you? I would take a photo-book of my family, a piano and a boat to get me and my piano off the island and return to my family and friends again! (Although I think that’s cheating!)
many different publishers went on to become a huge industry. The fact that she struggled in many ways, yet was ultimately so successful, sends an important message about persevering. What is your pet hate? Basic grammar mistakes, especially on TV and news websites. I expect this is because I’ve been a Year 6 teacher for a long time, where a large part of my job was teaching children to pass a grammar test. If you were on a desert island what would be the three luxury items you would take with you? I would have to ease myself into life without technology by taking my old Gameboy (long battery-life) to play some Super Mario or Prince of Persia. I would take my Harry Potter books to keep me entertained once the Gameboy’s batteries had drained. My final item would be a football. Hopefully I’d be able to improve my skills over time.
Leaving Staff
Leaving Staff Dave Gardner 1988-2017
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n old Bursar was once heard to say, “my Groundsman (David) ploughs a lonely furrow”; an apt description when one considers for the majority of the three decades David has been tending the sports grounds of Exeter School (29 years and 2 months to be exact) he has done so without assistance. Indeed, when he arrived in June 1988, having had two weeks instruction on what was required from a previous groundsman, Gerald Gibbons, he was left to it with a Lloyd’s gangmower and a tractor that did not actually operate! Demonstrating initiative, a quality he has relied upon many times over the years, he approached the Head of CCF at the time, Basil Selley, and asked if he could borrow their Landrover. For two months, he used this to tow the mower and ensure the outfield was kept in order. The attitude David demonstrated all those years ago to ensure the grounds looked their best has been apparent throughout his career. Whilst the majority of us take for granted the beautiful scene we witness day in day out as we look
across our fields towards the backdrop of the Haldon hills, it is in fact testament to the hard work and expertise David has brought to his role as Groundsman. However, it is not true to say David is lonely. He is a friend to everyone and expertly crosses the boundaries between academic and support staff and is highly regarded in all areas of the school. Pupils too have great respect for him and always take notice when they hear his booming voice warning them they should be ‘using the path’. That is not to say he is overprotective of his grounds, far from it; he likes nothing more than to see the pupils of Exeter School using them, playing sports of all kinds or even sitting out enjoying their picnic lunch on a warm summer’s day - as long as they pick up their litter of course! David cares and has a deeprooted pride in the part he plays in ensuring the school
operates at its best. To keep the grounds and fields of Exeter School looking as they do is a labour of love; consider the all-weather arena and what came before the Astroturf. The school endured a shale surface where the Astroturf currently sits and every Easter to ensure the progression from hockey to tennis David would have to place white tape onto the surface to form six tennis courts. This tape was literally nailed into the ground; five thousand nails that in
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The Exonian 2017 turn were taken out when the new term began and the surface was once again required for hockey; a backbreaking exercise that few people were aware of. However, despite the long days David would spend preparing cricket wickets, and rugby and hockey pitches, he still found time to help and assist in many other areas of the school. Hockey is possibly David’s biggest love and often he would be seen supporting the school teams after school or at a weekend, if indeed he was not keeping goal himself for ISCA hockey club. He has attended and assisted at both the National Indoor and Outdoor Hockey Finals
The
beautiful
scene we witness as we look across
ODE TO DAVE Davy G he’s our man, If he can’t cut it no one can. Topping and rolling from dawn till dark, Being a groundsman is no lark. Sitting inside his aircon cab, Ensuring that the grounds are fab. Preparing the pitch whatever the sport, Making sure all games lessons are taught. But woe betide the thoughtless fellow, Who will be met by a deafening bellow, If straying on to the cricket square. For you’ll be beasted by this horticultural bear. But rest assured his bark is worse than his bite, Although he’ll have given you a nasty fright. For if with Dave around the boundary you canter, You’ll soon discover he loves a joke and some banter. He knows what’s what and who is who, And he will share his wisdom over a brew. If you are lucky you may even get some cake, Which the fair Pamela stayed up late to bake. But I would suggest you would be a bit of a dope, If you mistakenly asked for a boundary rope. Thus sad are we as retirement looms near, And no more shall we see this Northamptonshire lad here. A friend to us all and a heart of gold, May he relax and enjoy a happy life as he grows old. But be not a stranger Dave, and seek us out. And if you see footballers on the rugby pitches feel free to shout! Mr Trelawny
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our fields
is testament to the hard work and
expertise
David has brought to his role
as Groundsman
and has umpired school teams in his time. Similar can be said of his support for rugby and cricket. He has played in numerous staff v pupils fixtures in a variety of sports including hockey, cricket, football and golf, the latter being a sport at which he is most adept and will take into retirement. David has supported numerous charity efforts at school and personally raised over £1000 some years ago when he committed to losing four and half stone in weight. He has acted as front of house at school plays and enjoyed over twenty years of Exonian cricket, although I am not convinced his average is in double figures as he says it is! David is the social cement that is so important in an institution like Exeter School and he will be greatly missed. David has recently expressed how honoured he feels to have worked for so long in such a wonderful place as Exeter School. However, it is all of us here at Exeter School that would like to thank him for his years of dedication and service and we all wish him many years of happy and fulfilling retirement. Mr Willson
Leaving Staff
Philippa Smallwood 2000-2017
front of house at school productions and concerts. Once she was offered a full-time position, Philippa also n early career within accepted the role of Deputy Head of management consultancy, House with Crossing House under based in London, was put the guidance of Mike Wilcock, and in on hold when Philippa and Neil doing so, this began her other major decided to have a family and move role within school that ran parallel to Exeter. Once Aidan and Gaby to her Mathematics teaching for the were of an age where Philippa could next fourteen years. Her empathy once again work, she decided to with pastoral work and her ability embark upon a career change and to get to the heart of an issue with enlisted on the Open University care and sensitivity was quickly PGCE to become a teacher of apparent and Philippa became Head Mathematics. Her first placement of Raleigh House just over two years in April 1998 was at Exeter School later. There will have been few who and it is significant and a mark of have managed this role with the her quality as an educator that the level of skill and professionalism that Headmaster then, Neil Gamble, Philippa displays on a daily basis offered her a part-time role within and the hundreds of pupils who the department to run alongside her have been through her care will all, teaching qualification within days of no doubt, testify to her qualities as her starting her observation period. a pastoral leader. Indeed, it was of It cannot have been at all easy to no surprise when Philippa was also teach and to train simultaneously, appointed Deputy Child Protection but Philippa managed this period Officer, allowing all her colleagues with great skill, juggling her different to benefit from her considerable roles successfully to conclude an experience and knowledge. impressive year. It is in Philippa’s nature to be For the next four years, Philippa busy and to be involved. For many remained part-time and became years, she assisted with Teacher involved in many different aspects of Training and was mentor to a school life including Ten Tors, Third number of successful student Form residentials to Pixie’s Holt, teachers. She has sung within tennis, pilates, and often helping with the Choral Society on numerous
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occasions and lists as one of her highlights singing with her children in Exeter Cathedral, despite Aidan’s terrible voice! She has always championed different charities and encourages her House members to be aware and involved in this respect. Retirement from teaching does not mean Philippa intends to take life more slowly. Indeed, it would not be straightforward for someone who has been at the forefront of Mathematics teaching and pastoral care at Exeter School for nearly nineteen years to be able to slow down. Whilst Philippa is not completely sure what comes next, she does intend to find time to explore her artistic nature, and I look forward to viewing her pottery in local and national galleries very soon. She will no doubt employ her significant problem solving skills somewhere along the line. Maybe teaching’s loss might once again become management consultancy’s gain! Philippa will be greatly missed at Exeter School by both colleagues and pupils alike and it is very much hoped she will stay in touch and look in on us often in the years to come. We wish her all the very best in her retirement from teaching and for the next stage of her life. Mr Willson
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The Exonian 2017
Nigel Howard
2000 – 2017
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igel started his working career at Exeter School as the network technician in 2000, overseeing two independent networks. As well as this, he also trained staff in the use of the management systems and other software. He then chose to join the teaching profession and qualified on the job. His teaching career started in September 2002. During
his time, he has taught from Form One up to the Lower Sixth Form in key skills. Despite the considerable changes in the computing world over the last 17 years, Nigel was always keen to introduce new software and hardware and maintained an interest in many aspects of new technology. He has enjoyed being involved in many aspects of life at Exeter School. His favourite memories outside of the classroom were touring HMS Exeter while she was being revictualled in
Portsmouth Harbour and coasteering off the North Cornwall coast with the Lower Fifth. He will look back upon his time at Exeter School with fond memories of teaching some innovative technologies to capable and interested pupils. He is planning to continue with his many interests in sports (both cycling and running), playing guitar and bass, and still of course coding computers. He will definitely not get bored! Mrs Cull
Warren Houghton
2003 – 2017
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arren joined Exeter School in September 2003 after serving in the Royal Navy and teaching at Exeter University. He has taught Physics and Electronics very successfully for fourteen years and inspired scores of pupils to further study in degree subjects in Physics, Engineering and Electronics. He became the Head of Electronics in 2010. There are many ways in which Warren has made an impact on the lives of pupils at Exeter School. There is his encyclopaedic knowledge of Physics, his passion for all things engineering and electronics and his relentless curiosity in how things work. Throughout his teaching career, at secondary level as well as in higher education, he has derived methods to encourage pupils to think independently and learn from their mistakes whether it is teaching Third Form Physics or preparing pupils for Oxbridge entry.
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He has organised the STEM Family Evening, been responsible for Exeter School Space Agency’s space balloon launch in 2015 and run the Physics Olympiad. He has helped huge numbers of pupils obtain excellent outcomes in GCSE and A Level Physics and his Electronics department has won numerous awards for their achievements at A Level. Dr Houghton has been a very passionate advocate for the Duke of Edinburgh Award and helped to run this activity at Exeter School
for many years. He solves Level 6 Isaac Physics problems to help him relax and his Friday break time baking exploits have been enjoyed by the Science staff. There are many other ways that Warren has contributed to the life of Exeter School and he will be much missed by his colleagues and pupils alike. We all wish him, his wife Stephanie and his children Helen, Aaron and Freya (OE) all the very best for the future and many happy cycling, paddling and walking holidays to come. Dr Wilson
Leaving Staff
John Madden J
2005 – 2017
ohn Madden left in June 2017 after twelve years’ service as the School Gardener. During this time, he brought his huge knowledge of plants and shrubs to bear in tending the many patches of greenery, large and small, which are dotted all over our site. While most will associate him with the regular noise of the grass-cutting and hedge-trimming machinery, many will not have noticed the variety and colour which he achieved in the flower beds and borders. John was always happy to discuss shrubs and herbs with any who had time to listen; many of us will have benefitted from his ‘sage’ advice on how to raise and maintain a healthy herb garden. John moves on to a new role as the gardener at a local caravan park, which has a large vegetable and herb garden where his talents can be used to even better effect than has been possible within the limitations of a school’s grounds. We wish him well in his new post. Cdre Hawkins
Sue Edmunds
House. It was at this point that Sue was appointed to the position of Library Assistant. In the earlier part of her career, Sue had been a respected PE Teacher, working in various Devon secondary schools. t the end of the summer term, Having joined Exeter School, however, we were very sorry to say she quickly became aware that she goodbye to Sue Edmunds after had another, unexpected, connection many years’ association with Exeter with the school besides her daughter School. Sue’s involvement with the being a pupil. It turned out school began in 1999 when her that a teacher in the PE daughter, Charlotte, joined the Third department, Mrs Alison Marsh, Form. One of Charlotte’s favourite was actually a former pupil of haunts in school was the library hers! (then in the Andrews Hall) and Sue Sue’s pupil management used to have trouble dragging her skills were a great asset to away at the end of the school day. the library, but when I joined This resulted in regular contact with Exeter School in 2010 it quickly the Librarian, Mrs Sue Price, who became apparent that Sue eventually invited Sue to become a was also extremely competent library volunteer. There were always with IT applications. The smart plenty of tasks to help with and Sue signing and guiding in the found she enjoyed this supportive library and eye-catching book role. In 2006, the library moved into review posters are just some much bigger premises in School examples of her work.
2006 – 2017
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In the last few years, Sue has also given generously of her own time in helping with preparations for Speech Day. Her attention to detail has ensured that the correct bookplate was always in the right book! Sue has proved to be a most loyal, efficient and flexible colleague and will be sorely missed. We wish her all the very best in her retirement. Mrs Taylor.
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The Exonian 2017
William Lines 2005 – 2016
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illiam Lines arrived at Exeter School in 2005 to transport us all into the new technological era. In those days, we were still
handwriting reports on pieces of A4 cardboard that were not allowed to be removed from the common room, one for each pupil. If a mistake was made, a new card had to be collected from the Head’s Secretary and each member of staff asked to rewrite their comment. Effort grades were done online by the issuing of 3.5-inch floppy disks to staff. We had a total of four projectors in classrooms and some PCs that needed coal to get them going. There was great need for a William Lines! Before his appointment at Exeter and after nearly 20 years in the Navy, William had designed and built the ICT system at St Paul’s School in London. He was very highly qualified for the task that lay ahead. Although a systems man rather than a teacher, he was already involved with pupils, assisting a couple of Sixth Formers on their A Level project which then was named “Firefly”. This became a business and now powers the websites and intranets at Exeter School and much of the independent sector. He is truly the architect of our ICT system, implementing project after project. Thanks to William there are over 400 computers in school, projectors in all classrooms, a system that never seems to fail, with a nightly back of all data, together with three separate networks. We are
David Sims
2009 – 2017
school. His patience is fantastic and I have never seen him stressed or rushed. This means avid started teaching at that he always has a quiet peaceful Exeter School in 2009 and reign over his classes. threw himself into it with During his time here, he has great enthusiasm. He has taught assisted the Junior School with from Form One up to Upper Fifth many clubs and activities, including Form and IGCSE ICT. He has always football. He has taken Pi Clubs, ensured that he gives the most encouraging the younger coders to of his time from the smallest of explore Minecraft with Pis. We wish pupils all the way through the him all the best for the future. Mrs Cull
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all familiar with the school website, iSAMS, document storage, but he has created the Alumni database and website too. Whilst we all take for granted the ICT infallibility, few are interested in how it has been achieved; what we do know is that it was William’s hard work, vision and ongoing maintenance that was the key to its success. Although an IT geek, many pupils will have come across William in other areas of school life. From 2008 until 2011, William ran and transformed our Ten Tors training programme. This consumed an enormous amount of his time, which he gave freely and willingly, recognising the difference it makes to individuals in developing confidence and resilience. His navigation skills were exceptional and constantly required during Field Days and Activity Week and he helped on many school trips, from the Third Form residentials to visiting Bath and Normandy. William is a force of nature, a perfectionist, a man of deep principles, a regular visitor of Chapel with a strong Christian faith, always serving those he works for with loyalty and pride. He cares deeply about doing the right thing and helping others. Having left Exeter School technologically secure and ready to take on new challenges, William has become an IT consultant. He is an expert apiarist, keeps various fowl and is a keen gardener, and he and his wife Sarah have continued to help with Exeter School’s Ten Tors training programme, and we hope he will do so for many more years to come. We wish William and Sarah, along with his four boys Tom, Andy, Matt and Ben who all attended Exeter School, the very best for the future and William, great success with his new venture. Mr Boddington, Mr Porter and Mr Hughes
Leaving Staff
Melanie Vaggers-Webb
spent weekends and holidays leading the University Officer Training Corps in exercises and training. She and her team of cadets have been a charges and quietly raising morale regular fixture at the annual Ten Tors by putting on films during wet or Challenge, where they helped run the cold lunchtimes. She was genuinely Jubilee Challenge. ry Googling Melanie Vaggers interested in the pupils and took the Mel has been a true role model for and the search reveals sporting trouble to listen, advise and celebrate her pupils and a number of parents achievements in athletics, cricket, achievements. have approached me to say how triathlon, skiing and hockey which She was well respected for her much they have valued the advice she date back to her childhood. Closer own athleticism, all-round ability and has offered their children on careers reading gives further evidence of an achievement. Her easy manner as a in the Army and officer training. As elite sportswoman, for instance in the coach has been popular with pupils: a department, we will miss Mel’s British Army Ladies’ Cricket team or she has imparted an understanding warmth and sense of fun. As she as coach for the Army Biathlon team. of hockey and cricket to all age leaves us to return to the Army, we When Captain Mel Vaggers joined the groups. A member of her 2016 2nd XI hope sincerely that she will one day Geography department in 2010 we girls hockey team said of her that she return to Geography teaching. Mrs knew she had the potential to inspire was an “exceptional coach, motivating Sail her pupils. us in and out of As a teacher, she commanded matches. She helped admiration and respect. High the team to gel and numbers of her pupils opted to achieve success”. continue with the subject from Lower Mel’s self-discipline Fifth Form to GCSE and from GCSE is legendary: while to A Level and beyond, and her meeting the demands results were always excellent. Her of being a teacher, own efficient organisation combined sports coach and with high expectations and good CCF officer at Exeter relationships ensured that even the School, she has kept most disorganised of her pupils kept up her own sports excellent notes and submitted work training, running and on time without becoming resentful! cycling over 100 miles This is something that even those of a week, swimming us who have been teaching for longer many lengths of the may well find enviable. school pool and fitting As a form teacher, she was kind in gym sessions. In and entertaining: looking out for her addition, she has
2011 – 2017
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Francis Malone-Lee
F
2013 – 2017
rancis is moving on after four years during which he has contributed an enormous amount to the life of the school, teaching the full age range of classes, from Third Form to Upper Sixth and contributing to broader school life. Upon taking up a post here, Francis quickly become a valued member of the Mathematics department. His love of Mathematics has made him a real ambassador for the subject and I know that pupils will thank him for the impact that he has had on the progress that they have made during the time that he has been working together with them. Francis’ teaching has been characterised, in particular, by an openness to innovative ideas, high skill levels of dedication, attention to detail and empathy. His work
has earned him the respect of the pupils that he teaches, as well as the school community, generally. Due to his commitment to the school curriculum in the widest sense, Francis has made a huge contribution to the life of pupils outside of timetabled taught lessons. His dedication to coaching the U12 boys’ hockey team best illustrates this. Francis had not coached hockey before working here, but his enthusiasm, resourcefulness, and ability to master any brief that he is given has meant that he has made a valuable contribution to school sport. As well as his commitment to sport, Francis has most ably supported the pastoral care of pupils in Buller House, has run the weekly quiz club and supported colleagues on numerous trips and visits away from school. Francis will be missed. We wish him all the best. Mr Bell
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The Exonian 2017
Derek Burnside
2011 – 2017
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Level teacher (and ardent Manchester City FC fan) Mr Burnside worked at Exeter School for six years as a knowledgeable teacher of Religious Studies, having previously worked as our Chaplain from 1999 to 2002. He made a generous and caring contribution to the life of our community and was often a welcome and thought-provoking visitor to Chapel services. Most appropriately, he left us to take up the role as Bible School Principal at the beautiful Capernwray Hall in the Lake District, where we wish him every happiness and success. Mr Griffin
Hannah Rhodes
2015 – 2017
School so it only felt appropriate to get their input in summing up ‘Miss hen Hannah came to Exeter Rhodes’. School two years ago she With the Form One pupils you can was already familiar with never be quite sure what answers the West Country having taught you will get but when asked for at King Edward’s Bath and Bristol words to describe Hannah they Grammar School. reeled off: Upon her arrival, she immediately Sporty, kind, clever, took on the organisation and joyful, teamwork, fast. running of the House Sports When asked to programme. This was a yeardescribe her in a round responsibility involving the sentence they were organisation of numerous House adamant that she was sporting competitions in both lunch ‘very good at jumping’, times and after school, as well as as well as ‘good at on-going liaison and communication helping us when we with House staff to ensure that get stuck’, with another teams are turning up on the right pupil interjecting ‘like in day in the right place. stuck in the mud!’ She became fully involved in the What was very clear wider community in the school was that the pupils helping out on numerous occasions, became very animated whether it be serving tea in the when describing her community service Christmas party, and that she had been helping as front of house in the an extremely popular school play or driving a minibus to and positive presence a play in Bristol. When the Exeter in their daily lives. area schools were struggling to In the Senior School find someone to run the county she coached the U14 cross-country event at Stover, and U15 teams in Hannah once again stepped up and netball and hockey organised an event for over 500 and they described her runners. as someone who was In her final week at the school, no ‘open minded and easy sooner had she cleared her desk it to talk to’. At the centre was filled with cards and gifts from of her coaching was pupils in both the Junior and Senior very clearly the focus
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on developing teamwork through enjoyment of both the sport and the company of your teammates. Hannah moves to the bright lights and the big city in her new role at Knightsbridge Prep School and we wish her all the very best in her future. Mr Mason
Leaving Staff
Nadine Cummings 2016 – 2017
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adine has only been with us for one year and a term and, in that short time, has made a big impact on the Biology and the Science department as a whole. She is professional and forward thinking; she has mastered and revamped our systems and the prep room under her lead has never looked so tidy – it is almost a thing of beauty! If we were to describe Nadine as a character, it would have to be a ninja. Not only does she execute all her jobs with expertise, she does so with such stealth and efficiency. You just finish a practical with all the apparatus and mess on the side, then the next minute you realise that she has cleared everything away without you even noticing she has been in and out of the room! Nadine has been incredibly helpful inside the classroom with pupils and demos too, recently assisting with forensics projects with Third Form, pond dipping
with Upper Two, and data-logging demos for Lower and Middle Fifth Form – almost back to back on the same day! In fact, Nadine has been the ‘Queen of the data-loggers’, helping us master the IT side; we bow down to her expertise. What we will miss most, however, is her positivity and cheerfulness. Whatever the task, she is always happy to help and nothing is too much trouble. We have come to depend on her reliability and skill; for such a petite lady, she leaves the most enormous shoes to have to fill! So, although it is with heartfelt sadness that we
say goodbye to Nadine, we do wish her and her husband all the very best for their new life in Bath. Mrs Metcalf
Rebecca Gillman
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2015-2016
ebecca Gillman left at the end of the autumn term after a year and a term of service to the school in her role as Library Assistant. Rebecca joined us from Exeter University and quickly became a valued member of the library staff. She was always willing to cheerfully embrace all aspects of her work and will be especially remembered for her wonderful display to support Holocaust Memorial Week and for the eyecatching book bunting which she created for the library’s tenth anniversary event in October 2016. Her new post is with the Environment Agency where she will continue to put her excellent administrative skills to good use. We wish Becky and her family all the best for the future. Mrs Taylor
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Kirsty Daws
2012 – 2017
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irsty has been a highly valued member of our staff now for the last five years. Her calm and caring approach, coupled with her thoughtful and reflective practice, has resulted in her becoming looked upon both as a highly respected Upper One Tutor and innovative practitioner. She has made such a difference to so many children and adults during her time with us, cheerfully contributing her considerable talents to so many aspects of school life, always with the best interests of the children firmly in at the forefront of her thinking. We wish her all the very best of luck with her studies as she embarks on her Masters course next autumn. We will all miss her very much, but hope this is au revoir, rather than goodbye. Mrs Marks
Tom Counsell
2016 – 2017
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om Counsell (OE 2016) has been our most capable and adaptable Gap Student and Reprographics Assistant. Tom joined us straight from Upper Sixth Form
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last September and very quickly and calmly found his feet in his new roles. He established caring and supportive relationships with the children and earned the respect
of the staff with his calm and conscientious approach. We will all miss him very much and send him all best wishes for next year at university. Mrs Marks
Features
Behind the scenes
Uncovering vital support staff roles at Exeter School
I
t is an Exonian tradition to include interviews with new members of the teaching staff here at Exeter School. We thought, however, that although the teaching staff may have the most exposure, that’s not to say that they are the extent of our staff. Many members of the school staff community play major roles in the smooth functioning
of the school’s day-to-day running, but their work is so good - so efficient - that they are barely even seen. We have found some of these vital, yet hard-to-pin-down, cogs in the machine of Exeter School, and this interview reminds us of how much they do on a daily basis without us even realising. Harrison Yarnold (Upper Sixth Form)
schools’ media. I work closely with the alumni office to share alumni news via the bi-annual publication, The 1633, social media and the website. I also work with the Admissions Office to create marketing material for prospective pupils and their families such as Exeter School Life, the Arts Calendar and prospectus. I am often spotted around the school taking photographs for all of the above!
Mrs Brookes-Ferrari COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER What are the main aspects of your job you do on a day-to-day basis? I share good news about Exeter School with pupils, parents and staff via the weekly newsletter, website, social media, and further afield via the local and independent
change and I wished to return home after a few years so moved back to Devon where I worked in marketing for a publisher of illustrated nonfiction books, promoting books to the trade press. This led onto a role with Devon & Cornwall Police working in editorial and internal communication, editing the Force magazine, writing features on crime investigations and interviewing interesting members of staff such as the forensic pathologist. I then worked for the Bishop of Exeter and the Diocese of Exeter in an external communications role, sharing good news stories with the media and the local community and setting up and working on social media channels. Luckily, this led Did you do a degree onto my current role where I am in journalism, or has a able to use my internal and external different course led you communications skills, honed by to your current role? years of editing, writing and attending numerous courses, including a I don’t consider myself post-grad certificate in internal a journalist; I am a communication. communicator. As a linguist, I was always Have you worked in a previous passionate about words and writing school? If so, how does Exeter and wanted to use these skills after School differ? my languages degree but didn’t know in what direction. I moved to I have never worked in a school Padua near Venice, Italy where I before – past employers range from worked for an international publisher, the Catholic Church to the Police via translating articles from Italian into the Anglican Church, the export office English and sub-editing articles of a mechanical engineering company for the English language edition of outside of Venice and a publisher their magazine. A career journey of non-fiction books – however I like meanders as your circumstances working at Exeter School best of all!
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The Exonian 2017 Mr Sprake NETWORK MANAGER How long have you worked here? 6.5 yrs How has the school changed since you arrived? Information technology is used a lot more frequently these days, especially in the teaching environment. A while ago, you could go without computers, but now we have a huge reliance on them. Also, the current teaching methods (especially at this school) are much more interactive than they used to be. What do you think is special about this school? It’s a fantastic environment to work in (especially compared to previous roles I’ve had in fairly dilapidated NHS buildings). It’s actually nice to come to school each morning, and doesn’t feel like a chore, which is perhaps something a lot of other jobs are prone to.
but we did also work quite closely with Corsham School near Bath. In terms of the IT systems used, this differs considerably as technology has moved on in the ten years since I last worked there. I would say that IT systems are considerably more reliable than they were ten years ago.
things are working as they should – my colleague Mr Lapenna does most of the running around! There’s also a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure things run as smoothly as possible that no one really sees.
Why does the school use Windows not Mac OSX? Do you find that people are more There are a number of reasons. self-reliant these days on the school Windows is still used as the IT systems, or do you still find preferred system for the majority of yourself dashing around to get them businesses and therefore from that unstuck all the time? perspective it makes sense for us to As people become more reliant on IT, it use Windows. There are also a lot of also becomes a bigger problem when applications that we use that aren’t IT doesn’t work as expected. Therefore supported on MacOS and therefore we we do quite a lot of running around would have to run both systems if we the school trying to make sure that wanted to use Macs.
Have you worked in another school? If so how does this one differ? Yes and no! Prior to working at Exeter School, I worked for an IT solutions provider. The majority of my work involved helping NHS organisations,
Jenny and Michelle CATERING STAFF
Also challenging is the transportation of heavy crockery/glasses etc around school using trolleys and going up What’s your funniest memory from and down flights of stairs. How long have you been at School? working at the school? Jenny: 6 years Michelle: Well I started to keep a book What is the main focus for the Michelle: 35 years canteen at Exeter School? of the funniest moments actually, but there soon became so many The main focus is on being mindful, What are the main aspects of your that I couldn’t write them all down. which is displayed on posters around job you do on a day-to-day basis? However one that stands out would the dining hall. It’s a holistic approach Jenny: I usually work as the dessert be a Junior School pupil, who I once - ways to enhance wellness by chef, so making lots of delicious heard saying “Gosh, this [parmesan having a healthy diet, being more desserts and hot puddings for the cheese] smells like my Dad’s feet”. active, clear healthy mind, positive children. It’s great seeing their faces environment and the value of being How many meals does involved in your community. Also we the school canteen serve like keeping up with the latest food on a daily basis? trends, such as street food. We serve approximately What have been the most notable 700 lunches a day, that’s changes in the school for you over without any extra catering the last 35 years? going on for events or activities. Michelle: The most notable changes for me have been how much the What are the biggest Senior School has grown, as has the challenges faced by the Junior School which is now more than kitchen staff on a daily twice the size in building and pupil basis? numbers. Changing from a boarding to a day school and going coDue to the uptake on educational was also quite significant. school lunches the Food trends have also significantly capacity of oven space changed over the years and we and hot holding is a embrace change and like trying new problem, but this should things. be resolved this summer.
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light up when chocolate sponge is on the menu (and around their mouths)!
Mrs Sanders SCHOOL NURSE How long have you worked here? 4 years Knowing that you play an important role in the functioning of the school, how does that feel? I feel privileged to give young people their first experience of healthcare without their parents present, and it’s really important to me that that’s a good experience.
started to graduate with degrees. I realised I needed a degree to be able to compete with more recent graduates so I ended up completing my degree while working and bringing up 3 young children. I would not recommend this!
Do you have any advice for anyone wishing to follow a career in nursing? My advice would be to go for it with enthusiasm and commitment. Demonstrate a vocation at interview as this career is not for How did you get into medicine / the fainthearted and is the kind of nursing? job that stays with you after you have gone home for the day. Work I got into nursing by accident experience as a care assistant is really. My mum and both her sisters not a lot of fun and doesn’t really were nurses, but I hadn’t really reflect what you would be doing considered it as a career until I as a nurse but it shows you aren’t dropped out of my A Levels and didn’t know what else to do! One day afraid to roll your sleeves up and do the more unpleasant tasks. During a career in nursing just popped into my head. I did some work experience my nurse training, I spent time in many different areas of nursing. I in a hospice and enjoyed it so I applied and got accepted. Luckily for was surprised to find that the areas I thought I would enjoy (midwifery), me you didn’t need A Levels to do nursing then, although this backfired I didn’t, and the areas I thought I would hate (mental health) I loved. on me after I qualified, as nurses
It’s important to keep an open mind. Nursing is a brilliant career as it offers so many diverse opportunities including working abroad. Since qualifying, I have worked in several different environments and specialties and enjoyed them all. What made you work in a school and not hospital etc? I started my career working in a hospital, but shift work is definitely for the young! I moved into practice nursing, then state school nursing, then managing the Immunisation Team that goes around all the schools in Devon giving immunisations. I used to come to Exeter School to give injections and thought what a great place it was. When I heard the school nurse job was advertised I applied because I love working with children and teenagers. I never know what is going to happen when I come to work and I like that. I get a high level of job satisfaction and even though I’ve been nursing for 25 years now, I still feel that I make a difference.
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The Exonian 2017
Stunning display inspires love of reading World Book Day competition
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xeter Junior School is a school of books! Pupil librarians are always on the look-out for ways to celebrate books and inspire other children in our community to love reading. As librarians, we enjoy reaching out and giving other children suggestions of great books to read and explaining how books will take them on the most amazing journeys. Entering the World Book Day competition gave us a wonderful opportunity to utilise our roles as pupil librarians. Primarily, we were inspired by Oliver James’s A Child of Books; when we shared this book in assembly we were able to show all staff and children the magic and adventure that occurs when you take a journey into a wonderful book. A Child of Books reminded pupils and staff, who might have forgotten, how powerful reading can be, and encouraged them to revisit some of their most loved tales. We wanted our display to represent collectively our school’s all-time favourite
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books; the ones that we love reading over and over again. It was important that the display belonged to everyone and it was for this reason that we conducted a survey to discover which books our school community loved the most. We awarded the top 10 books a rosette and then set about unleashing the magic and adventure of these most loved books in our display, supported by local illustrator and former pupil, Charlie Alder (OE 1987). The large red book we have suspended from the hall celling represents our school’s imagination being unlocked and the books we enjoy reading fly out as butterflies, taking us to the various book settings and destinations as depicted on the signpost; such as Mousehole Harbour, or Hogwarts. The butterflies have a book spine as their body and their wings are made up from the text in the books. They are illustrated to represent the words, characters and events that take place in each
adored book. The BFG has left his dream catcher in The Secret Garden and various characters are looking out from the Magic Faraway Tree to watch Ignis the Dragon happily licking lollipops from Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. The fairies from a Midsummer Night’s Dream are circling around the moon from Tom’s Midnight Garden, which is shining down on the yellow spotted lizards from Holes. Sam Winston’s clever use of typography inspired the librarians to papiermâché the Magic Faraway Tree from words from our top ten books and the canopy of leaves are also made from the wonderful words and tantalising text from Exeter Junior School’s most loved books. It is the words from these books, after all, that deliver our imagination to the destinations we dream of. Our World Book Day message is ‘read one of your favourite books today and give your imagination wings to fly!’ Mrs Hardy
Features
Short and sweet Snappy staff book reviews THE MAGUS BY JOHN FOWLES: On a Greek island is a house whose enigmatic owner weaves a darkly surreal world: this book is addictive and will leave you questioning reality. Mrs Ridler-Murray ON THE ROAD BY JACK KEROUAC: No other novel captures a sense of time, place, rebellion and freedom in quite such glorious technicolour prose. Mr Evans CIEN AÑOS DE SOLEDAD (ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE) BY GABRIEL GARCÍA MÁRQUEZ: A gloriously rich tapestry of an imaginary world, whose events reflect and symbolise the life, recent history, struggles and development of Latin America, through the story of the Buendía family. Mr Griffin
LITTLE WOMEN BY LOUISA MAY ALCOTT: I love the writing and the subject matter was way ahead of its time. My mum and granny read it to me when I was 11 and I read it to my daughters, so it has sentimental attachments too. Mrs Pettet 1984 BY GEORGE ORWELL: Orwell’s masterful presentation of a dystopian society is a chillingly familiar and prophetic piece of work written by an author at the height of his powers. Mr Seaton-Burn LIFE AFTER LIFE BY KATE ATKINSON: A wonderful novel. It has a skilful and compelling storyline that keeps you fully engaged page after page, and has characters you care deeply about. A story you never want to end. Mrs Cusick
Compiled by Catherine Eyre (Lower Sixth Form)
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Can you take a shelfie?!
s part of the World Book Day celebrations, this year staff were challenged to take a ‘shelfie’ – a photograph of their bookcase at home. Can you work out whom these weird and wonderful collections belong to? Answers at the end of the magazine… Mrs Escott
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World Book Day 2017 T
his year’s theme was ‘Super Science’ and everyone came in to school with lots of different science or science-fiction costumes. There were mad scientists, viruses, rockets and characters from Star Wars. I was Charles Darwin and my sister was Florence Nightingale. These two people were very important as Nightingale revolutionised medicine and health care in hospitals during the Crimean War in the 1850s and Darwin is famous for coming up with the theory of evolution. The parade was amazing. Nell Smith got the award for L2B. She was dressed as a failed experiment and Edward Witcomb got a special mention for his costume which was a virus. The costumes I really liked best of all were the Eden Project worn by Darcy Beau Hedden, three Stormtroopers – one of which was
Project 500
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ur librarians launched ‘Project 500’, an exciting reading initiative, which promotes Science reading for pleasure, this year. The librarians introduced a whole selection of newly purchased Science books that have been given pride of place in our library and are available to borrow straight away. Alex Leaver (U1B) explained: “Science books tell us a great deal about the world around us and they can be very interesting – and fun- to read.” Libraries often have many great science books for you to choose
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Roxanne Bosch and her brother, Sebastian, who was an AT-AT. Finally, Fran Jenner was a schoolgirl flying on a jetpack which I thought was really amazing. The display in the Junior School Hall was part of a World Book Day competition and Exeter Junior School were runners up so we got a signed book written by Oliver Jeffers called A Child of Books which was also signed by the illustrator. A few weeks earlier, a Professor from Exeter University, who reviews books for The Times, came to give us a book review writing workshop which was very interesting. He came back during World Book Week and looked at the book reviews we had written. He had written a review about The Twits by Roald Dahl which he shared with us. I did my review on War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
and I feel it was made better by the tips Martin gave us. At the end of World Book Day, we came back to school for bedtime stories. There was a book about Odin and Loki read by Alex and William’s mum, Mrs Hardy read Moana and Mrs Pettet read three books about hats. Mrs Golsworthy and Ms Barnes played the guitar and we sang songs whilst having hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows and biscuits. It was a scrumptious way to end the day! The following day, Andy Briggs the author of The Iron Fist and Gravity came to talk to us about being a writer. We discovered how much fun it can be working with other writers and having adventures all over the world whilst researching. He made every person in the room want to become a writer! Tom Knapp L2B
from – just find the books numbered 500-600! Hence, the project’s name, ‘Project 500’. We challenged our pupils to read some science books and to take part in some science book activities. Pupils who took part collected a passport from their Form Tutor. When they read a book or undertook an activity, they were given one or more planet stickers. If all 8 planet stickers were gained, then pupils have read their way through the solar system! Pupils were awarded
a Project 500 certificate in assembly to celebrate their achievement. Their work, photographs and pictures were then displayed on our ‘Project 500’ display. Mrs Hardy
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The Exonian 2017
A golden opportunity
Inspiring visit from GB hockey player On Thursday 13 October 2016, Giselle Ansley, a team GB hockey player who won Gold at the Rio Olympics, visited Exeter School.
“I had the opportunity to meet Giselle and talk to her about what she does. She told us lots of great stories about the Olympics and how the team won Gold and also said how important it was that she and her teammates really believed that they could win the Gold medal. She signed all our sticks, phones and shoes and everyone was very excited to hold her stick, with an amazing 28 short corner routines written on it! The best bit for me was wearing her gold medal, which is even bigger and better than it looks and made me want to win gold one day. Since she was born in Devon, it made me think that I could achieve the same one day if I try hard!� Lauren Hughes (Fourth Form)
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Features
Learning from the experts Professional coaching sessions prove invaluable to the senior rugby teams
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his season, we have been lucky to benefit from the developing relationship with the Exeter Chiefs. Throughout the season, Kai Horstmann has been coming in to school on a Wednesday to work with a variety of teams, getting to know the players and taking a strong interest in how they have been faring in matches. The continued support and experience he has been able to offer our players and our coaches at the school has been directly reflected in the progress and interest in rugby in these year groups. The 1st XV and U16 squads have also had two masterclass sessions
with Rob Baxter, at Sandy Park, and Jack Yeandle, here at school, respectively. These opportunities allow players to see how a professional player operates and what is required to be able to go all the way to the top of the game. For the 1st XV especially, having the access to Sandy Park and the top of the range training equipment, along with one of the top coaches in the country, enabled them to make significant progress in their rucking skills. Hayden Thomas and Phil Dollman were also on hand delivering sessions on ball handling and using space that the boys thrived in as it linked closely
to the fast paced game they liked to play. As front row players, the U16 forwards were able to focus on developing a stronger body position for the scrum and line-out to be more effective in winning their set piece. Jack’s experience in this area of the game is second to none and so to have that level of input was clearly seen in the following matches as they dominated the scrum especially. These insights in to the minds and detail of the professional environment are invaluable to the players as they progress with their rugby and hopefully inspires them to keep on playing after school. Mr Ross
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The Exonian 2017
1930s
2016
Celebrating ten years of the school library A wonderful cross-curricular event to mark this special occasion
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he library as we know it was finalised in 2006, but there has been a library in the school since the year 1881, and in the 1930s it was relocated to the Andrews Hall, and became a reference library used mostly by Sixth Form pupils, with the current library building used as a boarding house. In the 1970s, there was a second library installed in the Butterfield Hall which was open to all years. When the new library was established, the atmosphere was made to replicate that of an Oxbridge College in order to create a stimulating area for learning and research.
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We spoke to Mrs Taylor, who has worked as the Librarian in the school for seven years, and had long intended to host the ten-year anniversary of the library. When the current library was first unveiled, there was no celebration due to its late opening, which has made this anniversary the first honouring of this important space. The event was always intended to tie in with National Poetry Day, and Mrs Taylor worked closely with Mrs RidlerMurray in the English Department to organise a series of readings and to oversee the Third Form poetry competition. For the celebration, a delightful
gathering was held in the library after school on Tuesday 4 October 2016. Lawrence Sail (former staff 1982-1991) and Harry Guest (former staff 1972-1991), both former Languages Teachers at the school and esteemed local poets, presented the evening. They interspersed the event with readings of their own poems and anecdotes about how they came to be. Four Third Form pupils read their own original prize-winning poems from the perspective of aliens visiting Exeter School, with a sense of humour and imagination that was rewarded with book vouchers. Their poetry was brought further to life by the Dadaist photomontages created by Third Form pupils in the Art department on the same theme which were on display in the Library for the event. There were also several other poetry readings by pupils of a range of ages within the school and the selection was wideranging and compelling. The evening sparked a sense of creativity and community throughout the school and provided us with an opportunity to reflect on what an inviting and inspiring place our school library is. Catherine Eyre and Jenny McDowell-Langford (Lower Sixth Form)
Features
Steve Voake inspires Fourth Form pupils Exciting author visit
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setting
What made his talk so interesting was how he was inspired to write his books. It was almost as if Steve had taken us into a When Steve Voake came to completely new setting, in which Exeter, it was very interesting he showed us a story, which was as he told us the reasons rather fascinating. I learnt that behind why he wrote his books the best stories are often the and what they were about. This ones which draw on the author’s was cool as we saw it from the personal experiences. Steve told us author’s perspective. It was that many of his books are based awesome as he read us lines on events he has witnessed in from the books Bloodline and his life. For example, in Fightback, Fightback, which were incredible, he was inspired by the Harrods and inspired me to read on department store and its shopping which I did, and have now finished aisles. Steve Voake advised us to Fightback. I am currently reading pay close attention to detail and Bloodline. I recommend his writing use our imagination when writing a as there is such a variety of stories story. Visiting the place where your and I hope you enjoy them as book is based is always handy and much as I have. He is also a nice using a wide range of vocabulary is man and let us take a selfie with important in order for it to have the him!” Jack Cortizo desired impact.” Aidan Robins
“
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new
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completely
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into a
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n 14 March, renowned author Steve Voake made a visit to the school in order to offer advice to budding young writers, share his expertise and to read extracts from a range of his bestselling novels. We asked some Fourth Form pupils about their impressions of the talk… Jenny Watson and Emily Baty (Upper Sixth Form)
“
he
showed us
a
story
We really enjoyed Steve Voake’s talk to the school; the passages he read out were very enticing and made us want to read his books. We were inspired with all of his different ideas and how he saw the world in the view of a writer. For example, Dreamwalker’s Child, when he talks about insects being mini planes, tanks and many other ideas controlled by people inside them. It really shows how much thought and imagination he put into the book and made the reader have to use their imagination. We really enjoyed his visit to Exeter School and we hope that he comes back again as well as continuing writing books for us to read.” Jess Billingham and Holly Blair-Kitchener
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The Exonian 2017
Carnegie Shadowing Weekly book review club proves more popular than ever
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his year more pupils and staff than ever before elected to participate in the CILIP Carnegie Shadowing Scheme whereby school groups were challenged to read the eight books shortlisted for the prestigious Carnegie Medal and to contribute their reviews on the national website. In order to cater for the increased numbers, two groups were formed, one led by the Librarian, Mrs Taylor, and the other by Reverend Carson. Meeting weekly, discussions focussed not only on the plots, characters and style of each book but on a number of issues raised. Through reading this year’s Carnegie Medal winner, Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, we learned about the appalling loss of life resulting from the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff in the Baltic during World War II and about wartime refugees fleeing Eastern Europe. In The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon we were appalled to read of the plight of the Myanmar refugees
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held in detention camps and we did some research to find out more about this. We all agreed that this book truly deserved the accolade of ‘CILIP Amnesty Honour 2017’ for a book promoting human rights. Mrs Taylor CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL 2017 WINNER Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys Reviewed by Emma Halford, L5E
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hen I started reading Salt to the Sea I was sceptical. It seemed disjointed and its
structure seemed hard to get into. I was wrong. The plot follows four young people who have been surrounded and haunted by war. They all have different hopes but their paths are the same. This book’s layout gives the characters and the writing a further dimension. In most books, the story and characters are seen from just one point of view. Having the story told from four different angles really brings the story to life. With many books that use this layout the storyline fails to come together or does so in a way which doesn’t satisfy the reader. This wasn’t true of this book. Ruta Sepetys gives the characters well developed
Features OUR GROUP’S CHOICE TO WIN Rail Head by Philip Reeve Reviewed by James Waddington, L5D his is one of the best books I have read in a very long time. At first it drew me in with a whole new universe which the writer described really well. The characters are really relatable and the concept of living, interplanetary trains is very interesting and cool. The book also touches on some very realistic or philosophical aspects of the human mind. I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it for teenagers.
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CILIP AMNESTY HONOUR WINNER The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon Reviewed by George Heeley, 4B
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personalities. You can hear each individual voice and, after a while, you don’t need to read whose perspective the chapter is from, you can just tell from the voice. I think that this is a huge credit to the quality of writing in this book. There is very effective use of foreshadowing in this book. It is used to give hints to the characters’ mysterious pasts and provides intrigue and wonder. The way that the personality and information about each character is slowly released throughout the book is a fantastic way to introduce curiosity into the plot and adds yet a further aspect to this great piece of writing. This is one of the most emotional books that I’ve read. It teaches you so much about a tragedy which is largely unheard of and puts you in the shoes of the people who experienced it. You develop a connection with each character and feel what they feel. This piece of writing is truly amazing.
his book has really opened my eyes to the situation certain people are in in modern times. I really like these eye opening books even if they can be sad and somewhat depressing. The story made even more of an impact on me when looking into how much of this story is based on real life, including the riot near the end which lines up with a real life event. The book itself is mostly from the perspective of Subhi, an immigrant who was born in the camp, his family having come from Burma, now known as Myanmar. It is a really interesting and impacting decision on the part of the author to choose someone born in the camp, as from his viewpoint he knows no better than the camp and doesn’t really understand when Queeny and Eli are desperate for the world to see what happens in it. I like this approach as it really disheartens you that you are hearing these terrible events from someone who is used to life in the camp and sees it as nothing special. This is mirrored by Jimmie who, from her perspective, sees it as an awful thing but does not know why the refugees are there and does not completely understand it. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to be educated on the current immigration situation in a very intimate way. I honestly think that for any politician or member of the public to judge immigration at the moment they should read this book; it will stop them from thinking about numbers, but instead about people.
We asked two Fourth Formers about their experience of shadowing the Carnegie Medal.
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aving been part of the Carnegie Shadowing Scheme for two years now, I can safely say that it is an amazing thing to do. From the opportunity to just read the books, to the excellent company and refreshments at our weekly meetings, it has been a wonderful experience for all involved. A special ‘thank you’ to Mrs Cusick for mass home-made biscuit production, to Reverend Tom for running the Friday group’s meetings and to Mrs Taylor for being her usual inspiring self once again. Katie Ledger 4B
I
have really enjoyed Carnegie Shadowing club! Each week we have met to discuss the books and how well written they are. We judged them on characters, places, descriptions and whether the ending was credible. I have thoroughly enjoyed the books this year. However some of the books have had a few adult themes and I would not have recommended them to the age group of our club (aged 12-14). I think that Carnegie Shadowing is a great scheme because it covers multiple genres. I like the fact that each book is thought-provoking and gripping, I have read many books that I would not have otherwise read and would have missed out on and I have learnt a great deal about places and people in different times. I like this year’s winner as it is interesting and well written. However, my favourite this year was Railhead because it is fun, highly original and easy to read! This was the book our group voted to win. Overall, I have massively enjoyed reading this year’s great shortlist for Carnegie! Toby Grier 4D
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The Exonian 2017
From
foreign
waters to
homeland
Mrs Fairweather’s geographical journey
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his is the story of the adventurous Assistant Head Mrs Fairweather, who has crossed continents for her passion of teaching. Her last school in Kuala Lumpur was an excellent international school where she worked at the main site in Bukit Kiara, known as the green lung of Kuala Lumpur. Let’s see how this has compared to her Exeter experience… How are you finding your Exeter School experience so far?
The school communities are different, but in the end it doesn’t really matter which country you come from; everyone has to face the same pressures. However, what’s really nice here is being able to get involved in outdoor activities as it was just so hot and humid out in Kuala Lumpur, I have no idea how the kids played sports there! What were your reasons for moving to Exeter?
I’m really enjoying it, there’s a lot to learn with every day being so different, but everyone has been so friendly and welcoming.
We used to live in Bristol so we have always loved the South West being near the coastline and the countryside, so we knew we definitely wanted to return here.
What is your favourite part of the job?
How has your time abroad shaped your Geography teaching?
Working with young people, which has always been the way for me since I became a teacher. Now, I am enjoying the pastoral role, helping the pupils get through the difficult challenges in life as well as celebrate the good stuff.
It’s interesting to think about; I think now probably when I teach Geography I use a lot more examples from Asia. It was great being there for Geography with earthquakes happening nearby and hurricanes going on so we’d all just use examples from there. So I need to start shifting back a bit more into Eurocentric views, but that’s the nice thing about Geography: you can do it anywhere!
How is the culture and lifestyle in Exeter different to that in Kuala Lumpur?
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There’s examples all around us! As a Geography teacher, what do you think is the most important global issue at the moment? And how would you go about solving it? Well, the UN have set out a new set of development goals last year to run for fifteen years and that essentially contains every single world issue out there. Their aim really is to make the planet more sustainable; I think you’ve got to look at sustainability really for the future. But also solving world poverty - how you go about doing that, however, is hard to think. If I knew the answer to that I probably wouldn’t be working in Exeter School at the moment! I feel those are predominately the things to think about. If you weren’t here what would you be doing? If I could choose somewhere to live, out of all the places I’ve been, I’d probably go to Japan. It’s by far the most interesting culturally and geographically and it’s just a place I’ve been to a few times and loved a lot. Jenny Watson and Matilda O’Callaghan (Upper Sixth Form)
Features Free February. Pupils were made aware of the very real dangers of social media as well as the consequences of excessive phone use. For four days, pupils were encouraged to try different things such as speak to someone new or play a game of cards rather than spending time on their phones. Taking time away from screens is important because studies suggest teenagers who spend their free time looking at a screen find it harder to focus on schoolwork. In addition, spending too much time on your phone can affect your sleeping patterns, increase anxiety as well as affect your mental wellbeing. Upper Sixth Former Katie Ackland said: “During
Phone Free February Too tough a test?
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o coincide with Safer Internet Day, Mrs Fairweather challenged the school community to undertake Phone
Phone Free February, I noticed I could concentrate more on my schoolwork and I really enjoyed chatting more with my friends at break times.” Phone Free February turned out to be a very tough challenge and pupils found it hard to take time away from their phones. However, even a small improvement is a positive one and some pupils did feel they could focus more on their schoolwork. If we were to attempt it again, it would possibly be better to start with a shorter, more manageable period of time and build on this. Overall this initiative encouraged us to reflect on how much we rely on our phones and encouraged us to re-establish face to face contact with friends, family and teachers. Abby Grierson (Upper Sixth Form) THE AVERAGE PERSON CHECKS THEIR PHONE EVERY 6 MINUTES 1 IN 4 PEOPLE SPEND MORE TIME ONLINE THAN SLEEPING EVERYDAY SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME ON YOUR PHONE COULD DAMAGE YOUR EYES SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME ON YOUR PHONE DECREASES THE AMOUNT OF EXERCISE YOU DO
The Exonian 2017
Hidden talents The Exonian team uncovers some of the unusual or unknown interests and hobbies our teaching staff are involved in…
Miss Hilton
Skill/hobby: Climbing WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START CLIMBING? When I lived in Portland, I used to do running, but stopped due to a knee injury. While I was recovering, a friend told me about these amazing climbs on sea cliffs that she did after work. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN CLIMBING FOR? I have been climbing for about 10 years now. WHAT IS THE HARDEST OR BIGGEST CLIMB YOU HAVE DONE? • Anika Kuk in Croatia, which was 400 metres. • Dream of White Horses in Wales which was quite intimidating because if you fall then it is hard to get back on and it is above the sea • Spain, where you have to climb up to a cave and abseil down. The view was amazing! Often the bigger the route, the bigger and better the view!
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DO YOU PREFER TO CLIMB SOLO OR WITH OTHER PEOPLE? I’m not insane - I always prefer to climb with other people as I enjoy the adventure with other people. However, I do some bouldering alone, as these are only short distances.
WHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THIS HOBBY FOR OTHER PEOPLE? It is a good way to switch off the stresses of everyday life - you have to focus as you are sometimes in life or death situations. There are also lots of amazing views that you just can’t get normally.
Features Dr Smale
IS WRITING A NEW HOBBY OR SOMETHING YOU HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN FOR A LONG TIME? I have always enjoyed reading and it has always been my intention to write a book about something. In the end after experimenting with a short story some years ago I decided to have a go at writing a novel.
Skill/hobby: Knowing which song was number 1 for every month over the last 25 years as well as ‘useless’ music facts WHEN AND WHY DID YOU LEARN THE SKILL? I have liked music since I was a kid, and so my knowledge of the charts really just stemmed from there. I enjoyed looking at music stats (i.e.) what made people buy certain songs and how they moved up the charts and grew in popularity. I also wanted to support songs I liked and see what effect it would have to their position in the charts if I bought them. HOW DO YOU REMEMBER THEM? Often it’s by remembering where I was at that time and I associate that with the popular music at that time. IS IT A PARTY TRICK? HOW HAVE YOU USED THIS SKILL TO YOUR ADVANTAGE? I’ve won several music quizzes and music competitions on Radio 1. WHAT WAS THE NUMBER 1… ON 15 AUGUST 1999? ‘Westlife - If I let you go’ ON 11 SEPTEMBER 2001? ‘Blue - Too Close’ IN JANUARY 2005? Elvis re-released all his number ones - One Night/I Got Stung. There was also the 1000th number one during that month.
Mr Trelawny
Skill/hobby: Novelist WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE NOVEL YOU HAVE WRITTEN AND WHAT IS IT ABOUT? Clouds Over Coverack (or the Kindle version is called Clouds Over Cornwall) by G N Trelawny. It is a WW2 spy story set on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE IT? Both my mother and my father served in the Second World War. My father came from the Lizard area and stories of his war time experience first in the local Home Guard and then as a career Fleet Air Arm pilot have greatly inspired me. I have also read a good deal about the history of this area, not least how it was used during WW2. My mother was a VAD nurse in Cheshire and both their stories about evacuees and general life in the war have also influenced my writing. HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO WRITE IT? I wrote it in my spare time, often when waiting for my son to play rugby. Much of it was written on my phone and it took about a year.
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES AND REWARDS INVOLVED IN WRITING AND PUBLISHING A NOVEL? It’s a great way to both relax and to exercise the mind simultaneously. It’s also a good way to channel the knowledge you build up over your life. Once you have written something the next challenge is to contemplate publishing it. I took advice from a friend who is in publishing. I approached a few people who then read the whole manuscript after looking at sample chapters. In the end they decided it wasn’t for them. My friend then suggested self-publishing, which is becoming increasingly common. My wife had the first version of the novel printed up for a Christmas present. When I saw it in the flesh, this was the final encouragement to get a larger number printed up and to try to sell some, which I have. You also have to overcome the fear making your work public because, inevitably, not everyone will like it. That should not stop you though! Once you get some positive feedback then you feel a lot better. AND FINALLY... WHERE CAN WE BUY A COPY?! I sell them in a few shops in Cornwall where the novel is set, but you can also buy them directly from me. Or you can get it on Kindle, using the details above.
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Mrs Shrubb
Skill/hobby: Crocheting WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START CROCHETING? There were two reasons. The main one was to keep me awake in the evenings! I am not an evening person, but going to bed at 8.30pm does not seem to be socially acceptable and people get angry if you do not return their messages until the next morning. The second reason is that I love woolly hats and scarves in the winter but never seem to find the right thing so I just grabbed some wool of the colour I wanted one day and said: “I’ll make it myself then”.
Mr Reynolds
Skill/hobby: Making a paper aeroplane with feet WHEN DID YOU LEARN TO FOLD A PAPER PLANE WITH YOUR FEET? I think I was about 19. As a student at university, you sometimes have a little too much time on your hands (or feet).
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN CROCHETING? On and off for two years. I only really do it in the autumn and winter. WHAT IS THE MOST IMPRESSIVE THING YOU HAVE CREATED? A crochet penguin for a friend’s daughter. It took her a while to accept the concept of a warm, woolly penguin though as, in her opinion, penguins should be smooth and cold because of where they live… WHAT IS THE LONGEST AMOUNT OF TIME YOU HAVE SPENT ON ONE PROJECT? I am working on a blanket with a ripple pattern in beach
DO YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE UNUSUAL WITH YOUR BARE FEET? I quite often pick things up with my bare feet. I also once peeled and ate a banana using only my bare feet and a fork.
colours. I did not like the original instructions, as it was quite a small blanket so I decided to make it twice as big. One year later, I am still working on it. It is costing a fortune and once it is done I will probably be able to carpet the living room with it, but I will get it done. I. Will. Get. It. Done. WHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THIS HOBBY TO OTHER PEOPLE? I like it because of the creation aspect of it, and because it is very versatile. It has become quite popular again so there are lots of tutorials and inspiration on the internet. So if you enjoy ‘making things’ then give it a go.
ON A SCALE OF 1-10? From the reaction I get, I tend to assume it is quite unusual – probably a seven.
DO YOU MAKE ANY VARIATIONS ON THE CLASSIC PAPER AEROPLANE STYLE? WHY DID YOU LEARN TO DO IT? I haven’t tried any Mostly curiosity. I’ve often thought variations, but I have that people don’t take full advantage considered taking on of the potential of their feet. some more difficult origami. IS IT YOUR PARTY TRICK? No. I tend to keep my feet covered HOW UNUSUAL WOULD up at parties if at all possible. YOU SCORE THIS SKILL
Mr Bell
hour at a time and thought that I might have a go at a half marathon and then a marathon.
WHEN DID YOU BEGIN RUNNING? Aged 35. I started to run after I had stopped playing football. Running gave me the discipline that playing football had given me, and so decided to start to buy a pair of trainers and go out for a run for 30 minutes, three times a week. Eventually I got to the point where I was going out and running for an
WHAT HAVE YOU ACHIEVED? I joined an athletics club when I was 38 and competed until I was 42, when my hips gave up. I ran in a lot of the big city marathons in Europe (London and Berlin) and the United States (New York and Chicago). After a lot of hard work, I got really fit and was able to finish in the top 50 in London (twice) and Berlin. My marathon P.B is 2 hours 29 minutes.
Skill/hobby: Running
DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE RUNNER/ ATHLETE YOU ADMIRE? My favourite runners are the guys who competed for GB in the 1980s: Charlie Spedding (bronze medal in the Olympic marathon in L.A. and
won the London marathon) and Steve Jones (who still holds the British record for the marathon, and who won both Chicago and London marathons) - both very tough men! DO YOU RUN FOR FUN, FOR FITNESS OR SOMETHING ELSE? These days I run because I’ve learned that, as well as being good for physical fitness, it’s good for my mental fitness. My health isn’t great, so I can’t run every day anymore. I get out for a run when I can – 3 to 4 times a week, for 30 – 45 minutes. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER HOBBIES THAT ARE SIMILAR TO YOUR RUNNING ENDEAVOURS? Nope. The only thing that I’ve ever been good at is running in a straight line towards a target!
Features the amateur medals and ended up doing my finally professional examination when I was nearly 8 months pregnant - so a long time! WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE STYLE OF DANCING? I like all styles, but enjoy Latin American.
YOUR LIFE? The joy of seeing students grow from non-dancers into dancers and enjoying themselves. It also brings fun and exercise.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND PEOPLE TO START DANCING, AND IF SO WHY? WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE DANCER/ Definitely – it allows you to meet other people, get fitter and enjoy CHOREOGRAPHER? yourself. Darcey Bussell – as she is a fantastic role model and interested in many forms of dancing. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE THING ABOUT DANCING? It allows you to exercise and enjoy yourself on your own or with others. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SONG TO DANCE TO? Anything with a good rhythm.
Mrs Cull
Skill/hobby: Dancing HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DANCING FOR? I did ballet when I was tiny, but took up dancing when I started work as a form of relaxation. I then got roped into taking professional qualifications having taken all
WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART ABOUT DANCING? Learning several routines and as a teacher who danced with people in their examinations, it was hard to remember all the routines, calm the candidates down and get them around without the examiner seeing any errors and making it look as if the dancers were enjoying themselves not petrified with fear. WHAT DOES DANCING BRING TO
Mr Malone-Lee
Skill/hobby: Running and surfing WHEN DID YOU BEGIN RUNNING? A lot at school and at uni. WHAT HAVE YOU ACHIEVED? County champion, Cambridge Blues athletics team, and a 1hr 15 min half marathon PB - hopefully I will beat that this year though. DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE RUNNER YOU ADMIRE? Mr Bell. Also, Andrew Badley who I ran with at university, and was in the London 2012 Olympic final. I’m quite suspicious of most professional runners these days though! HOW OFTEN DO YOU RUN? I try to run 3-4 times a week with Mr Bell, in preparation for the half marathon. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER HOBBIES THAT ARE SIMILAR ITO YOUR RUNNING ENDEAVOURS? I am a keen surfer, and I try to go every weekend, normally in Cornwall and North Devon.
exeterschool.org.uk | 41
The Exonian 2017
Discussion
provides the
opportunity for us to
think deeply about how
Christian faith relates to our
daily lives
Opening the book An insight into Revd Tom’s Bible study group
R
everend Tom joined Exeter School in September 2015 as our new Chaplain and has played a significant role in pastoral care, leading collective worship and teaching in the Religious Studies department in both the Junior and Senior Schools. This academic year he also decided to run a coordinated Christian Bible study group for pupils in the Lower Fifth to Upper Sixth Form. Emily Baty, Jenny Watson and Matilda O’Callaghan interviewed him to find out more. Matilda O’Callaghan (Upper Sixth Form) How does the book group work? This Christian Bible study group is open to all pupils from the Lower Fifth to Upper Sixth Form on a Wednesday lunch time (pupils in the Third and Fourth Form have a Christian Union meeting on a Thursday lunch time). We discuss and reflect on passages from the Bible. In the Autumn term, we received guest speakers to provide insights into the Scriptures: Ed Surrey, the Youth Minister at St Leonard’s Church, Exeter, followed by Fr Andrew Down from St. James’ Church, Exeter. In the Spring term myself, Mr Reynolds and Mr Boddington have been running the sessions, studying the St Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.
42 | @ExeterSchoolUK
Why did you set it up? When I joined there were a number of small Christian groups which met at various times for different year groups. I thought it would be more effective to bring them together, so that we have a mix of pupils from across the school and have better input from a range of staff and outside speakers. What do you hope the pupils will learn? I hope that pupils will learn more about the Bible, grow in their faith and get to know each other better. Discussion provides the opportunity for us to think deeply about how Christian faith relates to our daily lives. How relevant are biblical passages to the modern day lives of teenagers? As the texts were written 2,000 years ago some bits may not seem immediately relevant, however, I believe that the Bible connects us with the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ and still gives us a pattern for how to live today.
What is the main message you wish to convey? I wanted to create a group that was consistent, well-organised and high quality so that young people have the opportunity to deepen their faith and talk with others who are seeking to do the same.
Burning bright
around 200 Christingles ready for the service. The service was held in Chapel and Revd Tom began by explaining the meaning of Christingle. The orange represents the world which God made, the four cocktail sticks with sweeties he Junior School held its first are the gifts of God to the world, the Christingle service this year. The candle represents God’s Son, Jesus, fun began after Christmas lunch who came to the world to bring light when pupils made their Christingles. and the red ribbon reminds us that Everyone had brought in an orange, Jesus died. and with a bit of red tape, a candle The choir then sang a beautiful in the top, four cocktail sticks with anthem, Star Carol, by John Rutter, sweeties and dried fruit, we had which had been sung in the Carol
Junior School Christingle Service
T
Service. We were very pleased to welcome Liz Hawkins, a representative of The Children’s Society, to our service. The Children’s Society work with vulnerable children and young adults who are in need. Liz asked the pupils to think about what they want for Christmas, and then reflected that many children in the United Kingdom hope for much simpler things: food, school books and clothing. The service continued with a Christingle hymn and then all the Christingles were lit. There was a wonderful atmosphere in the Chapel as the lights went out and Revd Tom said a prayer, encouraging everyone to think about those children in need and how we might shine light in the darkness. As children went to break time they enjoyed eating the sweets on their Christingles… Revd Tom
Festive fun
T
he Junior School lunch on Wednesday 14 December was a jolly affair, as usual. Mrs Hendrick and her fantastic catering team provided us with a lovely meal, along with crackers and party hats, which put us well and truly in the festive mood! The children really enjoyed the opportunity to wear their Christmas jumpers, too, which is a great addition to our annual ‘traditions’. Mr Wood
Cream Tea Party A truly memorable occasion
O
n Friday 30 June, Form One pupils were delighted to host a Cream Tea Party in honour of all their helpers throughout the year. Their thanks, in particular, went out to Mrs Drake and Mr Ashman, who hear readers each week. Pupils spent the weeks leading up to the Cream Tea Party using their English skills to plan the perfect party: invitations were carefully worded; instructions devised in order to make the perfect cream tea; informative menus and programmes were designed; shopping lists planned and entertainment practised and performed beautifully.
Excitingly, the guests were treated to a full factual history of the cream tea and all its controversies, as well as the usual scones and cream and such delights. The entertainment this year ranged from pogo stick mind reading to hilariously messy comedy double acts. The musical and artistic talents of our Form One pupils were also offered. The afternoon ended with a jolly conga dance around the perimeter of the Junior School, which added to a truly memorable occasion for Form One.
Eddie Leaver in Form One said, “I ate scrumptious scones, baked shortbread and juicy strawberries. All our guests enjoyed their food immensely. When we joined together to do the Conga at the end, I laughed so much that my sides hurt.” Mrs Hardy
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The Lightless Sky
The Exonian 2017
Passionate presentations I
Gulwali Passarlay’s life on the run
A
fghan refugee Gulwali Passarlay fled with his brother from their war-torn country aged 12, in an attempt to find a safer home. Geographers from across a wide range of year groups experienced the pain, frustration and hope of refugees, as Passarlay gave an emotional talk, in January 2017, about his journey tracing it to where he is now. This, he has also written about in his book, The Lightless Sky. His message questioned our assumptions on migrants and taught us how we should treat everyone, of any nationality, with humanity and equality. Pupils asked questions on the current crisis, and we learnt how we are all responsible for contributing positively to our society: a far away account that really brought the issue home. Matilda O’Callaghan (Upper Sixth Form)
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Pupils and staff deliver compelling talks as part of InspEXE 2016
n October 2016, the Crossing travel, a subject which he was able club ran inspEXE, a series of to talk about with great passion and inspirational talks by Exeter was clearly well researched. School pupils and staff. Sixth Form Tom Hubble and Will Silver pupils and staff are encouraged to talked about ‘The Importance of share their stories, achievements or Sleep and Dreams’, discussing the simply to talk a subject about which science behind why we need sleep, they feel passionately. The talks an important point for many of are similar to the audience TED talks in that members. they are strictly Meredith Marsh time limited and showed us ‘Five any questions Images That are asked after Shaped The the event. US Civil Rights The most This event Movement’ - a featured eight very powerful talks from presentation on a seven pupils hugely important and two staff time in history. members and Mr Bell’s talk was covered a very about ‘How to wide range Improve’. This of themes. talk was based Zachary on his marathon Marsh started the proceedings, experience and how he was enthusiastically putting forward overtaken by a man wearing a fairy a case to suggest that the UK costume, an event which caused should adopt a bill of rights. Then him to plan, train and improve. The Jake Kilmartin spoke about his final talk was from Thomas Loughlin John O’Groats to Land’s End cycle entitled ‘Star Trek – The New World which he organised and carried Economy’. With a light-hearted out last summer. Ms Barnes spoke approach, he theorised about a about her prestigious rowing world in which every person was achievements and how she worked given basic economical means. consistently to achieve great The event was a great success, the results. This started at university most popular inspEXE so far and we and led on to her group winning look forward to hearing from many at Henley Royal Regatta. Oliver more members of the school body Pike gave a talk on Cis-Lunar space in future. Dr Smale
A
great
success.
popular
InspEXE
so far
Charity and Community Service
How many balloons can you fit in a tractor?
Sixth Form celebrate charity day success
E
arly into the new academic year, the Sixth Form gathered on a sunny Sunday to run the annual Charity Day, set to be filled with amusing activities including bubble football, face-painting and ‘Guess the amount of balloons in the tractor’. We also enjoyed wonderful live music from the 5th String, a band consisting of our very own pupils. We chose two worthy charities: The Janine Di-Vincenzo Charity, which was set up by Janine’s family for parents with children under the age of 18, to fund advice and treatments that are not currently available on the NHS. The second was the Balloons Charity, which works with pre and post-bereaved children, young people and their families, to provide support after the loss of someone significant in their lives.
We were fortunate to have sunny weather throughout the day, which made the many fundraising activities even more enjoyable. A particular favourite was the bubble football tournament, returning for a second year running. Pupils and parents also challenged themselves with the welly throwing competition, took their chance on the raffle, and who could resist a slice of the mouth-watering lemon drizzle cake? All in all, it was a very successful day, we were able to raise a tremendous £1,244.48 for our inspiring charities. We couldn’t have done it without the help of parents who donated to the raffle, the teachers, maintenance staff and pupils who all dedicated their time to put on such a vibrant event. Emily Baty (Upper Sixth Form)
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Marvellous Movember Buller House supports worthy cause
T
he Movember Foundation is the leading global organisation with a commitment to changing the face of men’s health. The Movember Foundation started back in 2003 and since then it has grown to a global foundation gaining over 5 million supporters from all over the world. The Movember Foundation is the only charity tackling men’s health on such a global level throughout the year. Their aims are to address some of the greatest health issues faced by men: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide
prevention. One of the reasons why Movember was such a remarkable charity for Exeter School to choose to support is the fact they are independent from Government. Therefore, it is essential that the charity gained as much support as possible so that our funding would enable the charity to invest in what works for men fastest. One of the Movember movement’s current aims is to reduce the number of men dying prematurely by 25% by 2030; Exeter School is extremely proud to be part of this future achievement.
As part of their contribution to the charity, Buller House decided to host a cake sale on 24 November 2016 in both the Senior School and Junior School. All boys in the Upper Sixth Form of Buller House attempted to grow a moustache in support of the foundation as well as gaining sponsorship which would contribute to the school’s overall charitable donation of £1259. Meanwhile the younger children brought stick on moustaches and enjoyed sporting them for the day to raise funds and awareness. Maia Thomas (Upper Sixth Form)
Signature bakes Junior School raises funds for Children in Need
C
hildren in Need Day in November 2016 was celebrated in beautiful ‘bakeoff’ style by the Junior School, as we held a most successful bake sale in the Junior School Hall. Pupils, parents and staff all brought their ‘signature’ bakes to the sale, and the newly-elected House Captains enjoyed their role as sales assistants. The cake sale raised an amazing £217.70 and this, coupled with the mufti day donations, brought the total raised for Children in Need to a grand sum of £426.36. Mrs Sherrell
Charity and Community Service
Mufti day raises £1,284
D
evon Freewheelers are a team of 44 volunteer emergency vehicle drivers dedicated to providing a free weekday out of hours service (5pm – 6am) and 24/7 weekend service supporting the NHS in delivering essential blood, samples, medication and donor breast milk to hospitals all over Devon. Often riders are required to support other areas such as Bristol so the span of their work really does benefit numerous people over a widespread area. There are 22 volunteers who receive no government funding so therefore they rely on fundraising every year to support the team. A mufti day was held on 29 November for this cause which raised £1,284.
Fundraising for the Freewheelers
Exeter School were very privileged to have the Lord Mayor and members of Devon Freewheelers visit the school in January 2017 to receive a
cheque from the school and relay information about their invaluable work in the region. Maia Thomas (Upper Sixth Form) help on the day. A visiting speaker came in to talk to the House about her work for the charity; it was an extremely moving speech by Rachael Turner from Cancer Research UK - a breast cancer survivor.
Going…going…GONE! Maia Thomas interviews Mrs Daybell about the Crossing House Charity Auction
Which Charity is your House raising money for this year? Cancer Research UK How are both pupils and staff involved in the event? We discussed in House meetings how to raise money for Cancer Research, and decided that we wanted to do three fundraisers for the charity one per term. Sixth Formers came up with the idea of a charity auction so therefore wanted to help in the running of the event. In House meetings, we split into groups where pupils came up with list of what they could offer to be auctioned on the day and if not identified how they would
Why did the House decide to raise money in a charity auction not via another method? We had already hosted a cake sale and we contemplated holding an art auction or a jumble sale then settled on the idea of a charity auction. We wanted to do something different to attract greater attention in order to raise more money for a good cause. How much money did the house intend on raising for the charity? We wanted to at least match the £312 raised from previous cake sale When did the event take place? March 17 2017 What were the best items being auctioned? Items that went for the most were: a Spanish guitar, rugby ball signed by Exeter Chiefs, bottomless brunch at restaurant in new dining hall Queen St Exeter and an Upper Sixth pupil doing a painting of choice on commission. How much was raised in total from the event? We were really pleased to raise over £400. Maia Thomas (Upper Sixth Form)
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The Exonian 2017
Festive fundraising Lucy Zhang interviews Verity Stroud about her charitable endeavours What inspired you to make the Christmas CD? I wanted to raise money for Rowcroft Hospice in an original way in memory of my Dad to thank them for all they did for him. So I thought that as my Dad loved listening to my music, an original way would be to create a Christmas album. I did not want people feeling there was anything morbid about this tribute and thought that a Christmas album would be great fun and festive. How did you record the album? With my trusty iPod of course! I have an app and so throughout my summer holidays, spent time mixing samples, recording and editing. It was very basic as I don’t have the funds to finance professional technology... nor the knowledge!
Why did you choose these tracks? Firstly, I wanted to choose tracks that I know my Dad loved, which thankfully turned out to be ones that everyone knows. I also added an original, which I composed just to give a taster of my own music and to show Dad that I have carried on with my music and that I love it even more now.
What is your favourite genre of music? That’s always a very difficult question to ask a musician! It depends on my mood - mostly blues and jazz... I’m really into 20s Charleston and modern renditions like Caravan Palace at the moment. They’re fab! What is next for your musical endeavours? Well, I plan to go to university and study music. Hopefully I’ll get many opportunities to perform and record there. At the moment though, performing locally as a soloist or in orchestras and other bands is such a great experience! Lucy Zhang (Lower Sixth Form)
Who influences you as an artist? My own music is very different to Christmas music. It really depends on the type of song. I love Tom Odell and Keaton Henson. My writing is now developing to jazz and blues, so Davina and the Vagabonds are a great listen - I definitely recommend them!
Charitable cheers T Annual girls’ charity match
48 | @ExeterSchoolUK
he time came round for the Upper Sixth verses Lower Sixth Form charity football match in March 2017, in aid of R D and E Bolham Ward in memory of Alumni Patrick Tilbury (OE 1984). After many training sessions and stocking up of kit, we all headed down to the astro to play the big game. The play was tight with the Upper Sixth predominantly in their attacking half, however, the Lower Sixth defended admirably. The chants were loud and after a tight match it all came down to a penalty shootout. With back to back shots and misses, it ultimately came down to sudden death where Sophie Jefferson scored the winning goal for the Upper Sixth Form. After a notorious celebration from the Upper Sixth and a devastating defeat, the Lower Sixth cowered away and have already begun thinking about tactics to beat the new opposition next year. Although it was a very competitive game, the spirits were high and we managed to raise over £100 for our chosen charity. Romi Keliher (Lower Sixth Form)
Red Nose Day 2017 T he Junior School really enjoyed being involved in Red Nose Day in March this year. Noses were on sale before school and during break time, with some pupils buying large numbers of red noses in an effort to collect the whole set! The Junior School raised over £200 for Comic Relief. Rowan Mash, Upper Two, said: “I enjoyed seeing all the different noses with different expressions on Red Nose Day. The purpose of the noses was to bring attention to the good cause. My favourite was the Doggy nose.” Bea Hughes in Form One commented: “I enjoyed taking part in the fund raising event. We raised lots of money for children less fortunate than ourselves and have lots of fun at the same time buying and wearing our noses.” Revd Tom
Sign2Sing D
uring the week 6 – 10 February 2017, all Exeter Junior School pupils took part in ‘Sign2Sing’, an annual fundraising event from the Deaf Health Charity ‘SignHealth’. Along with children in schools across
Junior School raises funds and awareness
the country, the pupils had an exciting and enjoyable introduction to British Sign Language through learning to sign and sing a specially written song called Together. Having learned the song they then performed it in chapel on 9
February, singing to the backing track with great energy and signing at same time with skill and confidence. Pupils also wore mufti for the day and their mufti money – approximately £200 - was donated to the charity. Mrs Guthrie
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Concert raises over £2,000 to help conquer cancer
Budleigh Salterton Garden Party
A
number of our senior ensembles rounded off the musical year in Budleigh on the last Tuesday of term, raising over £2,000 for Cancer Research UK. Rather than performing in a church, this time the setting was the beautiful private garden of event organisers Mr and Mrs Parrish, and the British weather happily was on our side. Around 50 pupils performed in the concert, which featured Belles Canto, those in Boys’ Barbershop who will be going on the Manhattan tour, Chamber Choir, Vocal Ensemble, Chamber Orchestra, the senior String Quartet and Sax Quartet, along with a duet and 3 solo items. Mrs Daldorph
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The Exonian 2017
Words of inspiration I
Speech Day 2016
n September, Exeter School held its annual Speech Day, and this year’s guest of honour was alumna Sara Orchard (OE 2000). After joining the Sixth Form in 1998, Sara went on to become one of the youngest women sports reporters at the BBC. She has a passion for all sport, and has been involved in many high-profile events such as the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games, the Rugby World Cup and Wimbledon. Before she addressed the Speech Day prize-winners, their families and teachers, Sara joined Lower Two pupils in the Junior School Library for a question and answer session. During her time with us, we learnt much about Sara’s career, school days and love of sport. It was inspiring to hear of an alumna who had managed to succeed in a traditionally male-dominated profession, and have such a fulfilling and exciting career. From her answers to the children’s questions, it was clear that she is a tenacious, talented and determined lady, keen to inspire the younger generation, and from the rapt expressions on the children’s faces, I’d say she succeeded! Mr Wood
B
efore giving an eloquent talk to the Speech Day audience, guest of honour Sara Orchard met with a group of pupils for a seminar on journalism. Among the many answers she gave, ranging from her barrier-breaking world-spanning
52 | @ExeterSchoolUK
career, to her time at Exeter, the most important ones were what advice she could give to pupils (take all opportunities you are given and make the most of them), how the school had changed in her absence (bigger sports area and a nicer Sixth
Form common room), and most crucially, her favourite football and rugby teams (Brentford and Exeter Chiefs/Harlequins, respectively). It was an honour to meet her and learn from a very distinguished woman. Bobby Hayman (Upper Sixth Form)
Chase
the
dream
Sara Orchard (OE 2000) inspires the school community Sam Scougall-Knight and William Piercey (Lower Sixth Form) had the pleasure of interviewing Sara about her career. What inspired you to pursue a career in sports journalism? Well I must admit it was a bit of an accident! When I left school I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but I knew I was comfortable with presenting – that was something which never fazed me – and I liked the sound of my own voice! So it was a natural progression really.
It’s
What would a typical day for you entail? If I’m working for BBC London that day (Sara also works for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio 4) I’m in work for 9am for a 45-minute meeting with the whole BBC London news team. After that I’ll meet my cameraman on location and get ready to report on that day’s sports scoop. I’ve got to get the whole story done and ready for the 6.30pm news because if I don’t make that deadline, it’s a wasted day!
such a
rewarding career
What was it like to commentate on the Olympics? It was utterly amazing! I was so honoured to be selected out of so many sports commentators. It was hard work, however, and it involved really late nights because of the time difference – but it was great fun. Hopefully I’ll be selected for Tokyo 2020 – who knows!
What has been the highlight of your career so far? It has to be the Men’s Rugby World Cup last year when I became the first woman ever to commentate on the Rugby World Cup. I suppose it’s still quite alien to some people to hear a woman’s voice commentating on sport and if some people don’t like it that’s fine, I just don’t listen to them, everyone is entitled to their own
views. But my boss hasn’t fired me yet so I must be doing something right! How much has the school changed since you left the Sixth Form in 2000? Not a great deal, to be honest, I still recognise it all, however I’ve noticed some changes such as the larger gym and the vastly improved Sixth Form centre, and of course how could I forget the building of your fabulous new swimming pool! And finally what advice would you give to a student interested in a future in journalism? Firstly, I would warn them that it’s not quite as glamourous as it sounds: it’s long hours and it can be stressful at times. If money is your motivator, avoid journalism – it won’t make you a millionaire! But if you’re seriously interested in it, it’s such a rewarding career. I would encourage anybody interested to get lots of work experience: volunteering at local radio stations, writing articles for local magazines and so on. This experience will really make you stand out from the crowd in an interview situation.
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The Exonian 2017
Unsung heroes remembered A poignant message in the 2016 Remembrance Service
T
he annual Remembrance Service brought the whole school together. As everyone filed into the main hall, emotive slides were projected with pictures from the journals produced by Lower Fifth Form pupils in response to the Battlefields trip, while Rebecca Charman gracefully sung Weep No More. To begin the service, the entire school sang All my hope on God is founded, which was shortly followed by a minute of silence with Matthew Francis in the Lower Sixth Form playing The Last Post followed by the Reveille. The Heads of School, Senior CCF Cadets and the Chairman of the Old Exonian Club lay wreaths during the silence. There were three readings, two of which were heavily related to the Battle of the Somme, one of the bloodiest battles of World War I. Francesca Vercoe read Before Action written by the soldier W. N. Hodgson two days before he died. Tom Harris-Deans read On Somme by Ivor Gurney, which he had written while
Lest we forget
recuperating from wounds in 1917. A truly capturing quote from the poem is: “Hung between height and depth of the ugly fall Of Heaven to earth; and the thudding was illness own.” These were followed by a reading from the Bible: Isaiah 2.2-4 read by Lauren Cornfield. We were lucky enough to have Reverend Stephen Griffith as the guest speaker. He spent decades working overseas in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, as both a Chaplain and the representative to the Archbishop of Canterbury to the Heads of Churches there. He also worked closely with refugees in Syria and, in 2002, was awarded an MBE for his work there. Rather than focusing on the Western Front and its tragedies, Revd Griffith spoke of the more unsung
Junior School Remembrance 2016 54 | @ExeterSchoolUK
stories of the Eastern Front, such as the Siege of Kut. As well as this, he reminded us of the importance of forgiveness for everyone, even those we may feel do not deserve it. The Heads of School and Mrs Marks then led us in our prayers. Then service closed with the Junior School Choir singing the anthem Child of Peace, and a blessing given by Revd Tom. Catherine Eyre and Francesca Matthews (Lower Sixth Form)
O
n 10 November, the pupils of Exeter Junior School took part in their Service of Remembrance. The service started with the presentation of standards and a wreath from Junior School pupils in their youth organisation uniforms. Revd Tom welcomed the congregation to the service and introduced the anthem, which was beautifully sung by the Junior Choir. Mr Pidwell then led the main lesson. This year’s thoughts were inspired by the British Legion’s desire that we focus on more recent casualties of war. The pupils thought about and prayed for those servicemen and women who had been shattered, either in body, mind or spirit. Revd Tom led the two-minute silence, which the whole school observed in a deeply respectful, thoughtful manner. The Junior pupils were very grateful to Matt Francis who played The Last Post beautifully, U2A for their useful PowerPoint and L2P for their moving reading of In Flanders Fields. The pupils fully understood that, “they gave their today for our tomorrow.” Mr Pidwell
Commemorative Days
Examples of research and sketching undertaken by Lower Fifth Form pupils in journals during and following the trip
A
moving and
memorable
experience
Isobel Tremlett discovered more about her family history during the Battlefields trip
I
always knew that the Battlefields trip was going to be good, but I wasn’t expecting it to be so educational and fun. My great great grandfather served in Belgium as a Lieutenant Colonel and unfortunately was a casualty of the war. He is remembered at Ploegsteert Memorial. It wasn’t part of the route planned, but the school very kindly took me there. All the memorials, including Ploegsteert, we visited were surprisingly very beautiful and much larger than I thought. One of the most amazing memorials we went to was Thiepval Memorial because it was so grand; pictures don’t prepare you for the scale of it. Not one minute of the trip was wasted; we watched information films, sang war songs, and listened to talks. We all learnt a lot. At Thiepval Memorial, the school organised their own Remembrance Service as the public ones were too
busy. Charlie Hill and I were chosen to do readings at the service and Tom Harris-Deans was chosen to play The Last Post which he did very well. Mr Keyes read out the names of the relatives of Exeter school pupils who are remembered in Belgium. The trip made me really think about my own family history and made me very proud of my great great grandfather. It made me very sad that he died on 13 April 1918 which was so close to the end of the war. He had a little baby daughter at home and because of the war she grew up not knowing her father. This also made me appreciate how easy my life is and how difficult life must have been for soldiers and civilians during the war. Thank you very much to the staff who took us on this amazing trip and especially to those who made it possible for me to visit Ploegsteert. I really enjoyed it. Isobel Tremlett (Lower Fifth Form)
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Founders’ Day: a personal reflection Chairman of Governors, Andrew King, reflects on his very first Founders’ Day service 60 years ago… Founders’ Day, 1957
pray our knees freeze on the cold, damp flagstones. Then, after we he wettest March since the sing a bit more, we go back out war, they said. My second into the rain. The sirs stand around term at Exeter Prep, my first outside, their cigarettes glowing in Founders’ Day. the gloom of their umbrellas. Eighty boys, shivering in damp, This time we’re at the head of the short trousers, walking in a procession; Miss Hammond can crocodile to the Cathedral. Miss walk as fast as she likes. We pass Hammond, the Headmistress, leads the end of my road. the way. She walks quickly, and “Miss! Miss! Can I…?” we almost catch up with the boys She’s anticipated the question. from THE BIG SCHOOL. Scary. Slow “No, we all have to go back to down, Miss Hammond! school”. We take off our caps as we enter Miss Stribling stands in the the Cathedral; we all have caps, doorway, the register in her hand. though most likely not the ones we She doesn’t want the boys dripping started the term with. We sing a on the floor of her classroom; as bit, and then there’s some talking. she ticks each of us off she says The Headmaster, Mr Paul, is a tall, “you can go home now”. imposing figure, but speaks softly Outside, it’s raining harder than from the pulpit. When we kneel to ever. Andrew King
T
E
Founders’ Day 2017 56 | @ExeterSchoolUK
xeter School’s annual Founders’ Day Service was held at Exeter Cathedral on Wednesday 22 March. The whole school, consisting of all our Junior and Senior pupils, staff and governors, gathered to give thanks to its founders in a wonderful service. This year, we were delighted to welcome The Bishop of Crediton, the Right Reverend Dame Sarah Mullally, to reflect on the generosity of God’s love. The service was conducted by the School Chaplain, Revd Tom Carson, who was ably assisted by four of our Junior School pupils Katie McMurray (Form One), Todd Rook, (Upper One), Huw Isaac (Lower Two) and Georgia Pugh (Upper Two) who led the intercessions with confidence and clarity. Mr Wood
I loved
abseiling
Dartmoor endeavours
- the feeling of
weightlessness is
amazing!
- ANNA CZIPRI
Residential weekends encourage team building skills in the Third Form
During the first few weeks of the autumn term, the Third Form escaped to Dartmoor for a weekend at the activities centre, Pixies Holt. This was a chance to settle into their form group and develop long-lasting friendships. Here, some of our pupils share highlights of the weekend. Sam Scougall-Knight and William Piercey (Lower Sixth Form)
As I
climbed up the
towering cliff
I felt a
chill
run up my back
- JODIE BLACKMORE
Pixies Holt was a
great way of getting to know everyone
- THEO RICHARDS
Butterflies
exploded
in my stomach. It was a mix of
thrilling excitement and pure
terror!
- ALEX JAMES
Pixies Holt was
so much fun!
I enjoyed the
weaselling,
climbing,
and staying with
all my
friends
- MILLIE MARKHAM
Trips and Tours
An amazing weekend Amber Moeller reflects on her experience
P
ixies Holt was the Third Form residential trip. We left on Friday 23 September and came back on Sunday 25 September. During that time, we climbed, hiked and just generally had a good time. But first of all, we split into two groups to travel to Dartmoor. Pixies Holt is an outdoor education centre in the middle of Dartmoor. It took about an hour to get there, after which we unpacked, played a few
games, ate dinner and went to sleep. The next day, we left Pixies Holt at about 10am, and split up into the groups from the previous day. One group left to climb the tors on Dartmoor, while the other group went a bit further on to hike and learn about Dartmoor. On the hike, the first place we stopped at to learn about was the Old Quarry, and after that the Quarry Railway. Last, when we were nearly at the end of the walk, were the settlements on Dartmoor. We arrived at the climbing place and ate lunch with the rest of the class. After that, we spent the rest of the afternoon climbing, weaseling and bouldering. After we got back, it was the same as the previous night - we ate dinner, played a few games and fell asleep after a few false starts!
On Sunday, the last day, we went on a walk through Dartmoor with the Headmaster and played a game called ‘Is the Headmaster Lying?’ In that game, several different members of staff each state a different theory about what a specific place on Dartmoor was used for, etc. Only one of the theories was a fact. We had to work with the rest of our team to guess who was telling the truth. Once everyone had voted, the person telling the truth would make themselves known. It was hard! And that pretty much was the end. We took the bus back to school, and all dispersed pretty quickly. Pixies Holt was an amazing weekend, and a great experience for us all. Amber Moeller (Third Form)
Forming Friendships Lower Two Residential 2016
T
he annual Lower Two Residential was again very successful. The children bonded with each other and their form teachers to form a productive year group. A significant number of pupils (20) who joined this academic year found the level playing field and mixed activity groups particularly rewarding. New friendships were quickly made and the new pupils soon felt part of the Lower Two learning “family”. Over two days, the children had the opportunity to take part in
numerous, exciting challenges. These included: surfing, shooting, archery, abseiling, zip wire, challenge course and survival skills This year we closely reviewed PGL Beam House as the venue for the Lower Two residential. After receiving highly positive feedback from pupils, staff and management alike, it was agreed that this venue offered the range of activities, safe environment and age appropriate pastoral care that was best for our pupils. They also had a great time! Mr Pidwell
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Tortillas, tequila and work Cuenca 2016
I
n October, six Sixth Form and six Upper Fifth pupils travelled to Cuenca, and upon arriving we were greeted by our hosts in the early hours of the morning. Despite a late arrival, we started our week of lessons at 9.30am the next morning. During these lessons, we studied various topics including clothing, shopping and tourism, broadening our knowledge and vocabulary within these areas. After the morning of lessons, we returned home for traditional Spanish lunches, cooked by our host families. After lunch - and a siesta for some - we met back at the school in order to do our afternoon activities. On Monday, we played basketball which became very competitive between Mr Charters’ and Mrs Alborough’s teams. We tried pottery on Tuesday which was successful for some but very unsuccessful for others, despite best efforts. On Wednesday, we did a scavenger hunt activity in the old
60 | @ExeterSchoolUK
part of the town. During this activity, enthusiastic Spaniard, who was very we were split up into groups of impressed with our ability to dance, three and accompanied by a local but for a couple of us, it marked student to help us with some of the end of our dancing careers! the clues. We On Friday, we had to answer were taught questions and how to make a play games in tortilla properly Spanish in order by a Spanish to get the next professional. This clue and move produced results where our teachers on to the next that were much place and we displayed a level of skill more successful were able to than our previous that left us interact and talk attempt and to local students luckily, the of similar ages. tequila stayed in in In the evening, the cupboard! we were The trip was tasked with the very useful and challenge of beneficial for all making a classic that went, and Spanish tortilla I would highly with our own recommend it special twist. Laura Perring (L6th) to anyone who The ingredients Margot Perring (U5th) is interested used to put in Spanish or our unique Spain. Finally, I spin on the tortilla ranged from would like to say thank you to Miss olives and bacon to tequila and Alborough and Mr Charters for lime; the tequila and eggs inevitably organising a great trip and allowing did not go too well together. We us to truly experience Spain. Rory were taught flamenco by a very Gladstone (Upper Sixth Form)
The highlight for us was the
dance session
open-mouthed
surprise and
admiration
Trips and Tours
Creativity on the Cornish coastline
Upper Fifth Form residential trip to St Ives provides a wealth of stimulus
O
ur trip to St Ives took place in the last weekend of the October half term. We arrived at school early on Friday morning, looking forward to an exciting few days of art. The trip started with an interesting visit to the Newlyn Gallery in Penzance, before visiting The Liberties exhibition at The Exchange Gallery and the Tremenheere Sculpture Park. On the Saturday morning, we walked into St Ives, where we visited the Barbara Hepworth Sculpture Gardens and followed the St Ives sculpture trail that took us through the town in the rain. Although cold, it was a great day. On Sunday, we worked on our quick ‘en plein air’ landscape drawings that influenced paintings and further practical work when we arrived back at school.
Throughout our trip we stayed at Treloyhan Manor on the edge of St Ives overlooking Carbis bay. Despite the firework display at Porthminster Beach being cancelled due to the poor weather, the trip was really good fun. We enjoyed documenting our time in our sketchbooks and being taught and instructed by local artist Greg Humphries. We would all agree that the trip was a great time and we all learned a lot about the history of British art and about the range of techniques and styles that can be used to produce art, from sculpting to painting. We would like to say a huge thank you to the teachers, Mrs Escott, Miss White, Dr Bawn and Mr Mackintosh, for taking us on this great trip. Jamie Boddington (Upper Fifth Form)
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The Exonian 2017
Un voyage fantastique! Bonnes vacances à Montpellier
F
rom 30 October to 3 November 2016, we travelled to Montpellier for the Upper Fifth Form French trip. When we arrived at the airport, we met our host families and were shown into our accommodation. They were especially welcoming and helped us with our limited French. We went to the language school for three days in the city centre. Every morning and evening we had the challenge of catching a tram or bus to get to each location - c’était très amusant! We did many different activities
including a guided tour around the city - the culture and history was especially interesting to learn about. At the school, we were able to practise our speaking as we had the chance to go out and interview some locals. We also got to practise our writing and reading doing lots of challenging, but useful tasks. Although our hosts thought it was far too cold for it, we spent some time at beaches swimming in the sea and having delicious crèpes, ice creams and waffles. We also had some free time to do shopping as
well as time with our hosts families to practise speaking French and getting to know them. Every night they cooked us delicious meals and even took some of us dancing. Overall, the trip has really helped with our French and we feel more confident speaking it from all the opportunities we experienced. Merci Madame Francis, Madame Masters, Reverend Tom et Monsieur Bell! C’était un voyage fantastique! Becky Trelawny and Georgia Willis (Upper Fifth Form)
Although our
hosts thought it was
far
too
cold
we spent time
swimming
sea in the
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Trips and Tours
OUT AND ABOUT IN
EXETER
O
Members of The Exonian editorial team discover what the city has to offer young people
n Friday 23 June, the Lower Sixth contingent of this year’s Exonian team were given an Apprentice-style task for the day. In just a few hours, they were challenged to uncover the best things Exeter has to offer for young people in terms of eating out, cultural visits and educational experiences. This involved carefully planning their routes before trekking around the city, interviewing staff at different venues and making value judgements about their findings. Here, our roving reporters present their local hot spots… Mrs Escott
FOR THE CULTURE VULTURES SOBEYS VINTAGE CLOTHING 9 Gandy St, Exeter EX4 3LS A unique and quirky shop selling reworked vintage clothing, from old Levi jeans and leather jackets to retro womenswear and shoes. The industrial aesthetic and youthful vibe create the perfect shopping experience on the back lane of Gandy Street. It is well worth a visit to pick a bargain or to have a browse if window-shopping is more your thing. A student shop reviving the vintage style! Prices start from £4 and range to £60
performances are free to attend or cost about £10. Workshops are usually priced at about £25. THE BIKE SHED THEATRE 163 Fore St, Exeter EX4 3AT The Bike Shed is a critically acclaimed venue hidden away in the heart of Exeter. Hosting a great variety of stand-up comedy and tailoring its programming to suit a cross-section of society, this cellar-based theatre has a great atmosphere with food and drink to match. Young people with a love
of theatre will find themselves at home here, surrounded by other young people passionate about live performance and celebrating the expanding cultural opportunities Exeter is so lucky to enjoy. An inspiring venue for young people encouraging them to believe they can succeed in theatre. Students can take advantage of 2 For 1 Tuesdays with tickets at £5 per person, and a First Show discounted prices ticket at £4 for your first visit to the theatre. Sam Scougall-Knight and Lucy Zhang (Lower Sixth Form)
EXETER PHOENIX Bradninch Place, Gandy Street, Exeter, EX4 3LS This is the place for you if you love live music, art displays and getting together and meeting with other creative people. Alongside a wide range of performances and short films, the Phoenix offers courses and workshops for aspiring young musicians, painters, photographers and bloggers. Talented young creatives should definitely check out performances and courses here, such as the monthly Young Singer Song Club, since they are led by industry experts who can really help you bring out and develop your talent and creative flair. Many
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The Exonian 2017
FOR THE FOODIES CAKEADOODLEDO Deanery Place ‘Relaxed atmosphere. Like one little family as we all get on well and doesn’t feel like work.’ – Neil, Baker. This small local business is perfect for a cup of tea and a treat. You are able to see staff making the cakes behind the counter so all the baked
goods are fresh. The staff are very friendly and make the experience enjoyable; the cakes are around £2.50 - £3, great for the quality of cake. Open from 8.50am – 5pm. COMPTOIR LIBANAIS Guildhall Shopping Centre The food is great, delicious, and all freshly made to order. The
restaurant offers a new cultural experience and a taste of the Middle East. There is a wide range of meals that are all reasonably priced and great value for money. An average price for a meal is around £12. There is the possibility to order baklava for dessert for a different food experience. Open from 8.30am – 11.30pm. ‘Bright and colourful place, with really friendly and supportive staff.’ – Zana, Waitress. THE PLANT CAFÉ Cathedral Yard This cosy vegetarian and vegan café has warm and friendly atmosphere. As soon as you enter, you are met with the sumptuous smell of the cakes and tarts. It is situated on the Cathedral Green and has seating inside and out. The tasty wholesome food is not overly expensive - an average meal is about £7. Their fresh and healthy menu changes often so is a perfect café to revisit. Open from 9am – 2pm. ‘Everything sold here is made in store.’ – Polly, Waitress. Zana Beka and Francesca Matthews (Lower Sixth Form)
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Trips and Tours
FOR THE INQUISITIVE BOOK-CYCLE EXETER 7 West Street, Exeter, Devon EX1 1BB Book-Cycle is a registered charity focusing largely on supporting developing countries by sending donated books to schools and orphanages and the Exeter branch has been active for a decade. They ensure that all books are used in some way, and those that are not donated overseas or rehomed are recycled, as the charity is adamant that no books go to waste in a landfill. Book-Cycle is valuable to young people as they promote learning and charitable attitudes, as the books are free but customers are encouraged to donate. They also house a large collection of GCSE and A Level textbooks and literature guides. EXETER GUILDHALL High Street, Exeter EX4 3EB The Guildhall has always been the centre of activity in Exeter,
due to its location within the city walls. Whilst today it mostly acts as a tourist attraction, it maintains its use for occasional city council meetings and as a magistrate’s court. However, before 1600, it was a firehouse, police station, law court and, most importantly, a prison. After 1600, the Guildhall became more focused on its original purpose as a centre of commerce for the guilds of Exeter. The hall is relevant to young people because it is a key institution of Exeter, and it is a touchstone for the city’s past.
water into the city. Exeter is the only city in the UK to have tunnels of this type, making it a particularly unique attraction, and allowing young people to encounter history in an immersive setting. Entry Cost: £6 for adults and £4 for children. Jenny McDowell-Langford and Catherine Eyre (Lower Sixth Form)
EXETER’S UNDERGROUND PASSAGES 2 Paris St, Exeter EX1 1GA Exeter School pupils will surely remember their Third Form History tour of the city with perfect clarity, with the underground passages being a firm favourite. These passages were constructed in the 14th to 15th centuries in order to allow a supply of fresh drinking
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An enriching experience Reflecting on five years in the Model United Nations
W
ikipedia describes MUN as “an educational simulation and/or academic activity in which students can learn about diplomacy, international relations, and the United Nations. MUN involves and teaches researching, public speaking, debating, and writing skills, in addition to critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership abilities.” Over my five year experience with MUN at Exeter School, it has most certainly given me all of these abilities, but this alone would not have led me to love my experience as much as I did. When asked to describe MUN to potential new delegates, I often give a similar description to Wikipedia’s, and it often leaves them somewhat overwhelmed or disillusioned with the prospect, thinking that it does not sound much fun. Many people find the prospect of giving a speech nerve-wracking and I am most certainly one of those, speaking in front of people is often a terrifying thought. During an MUN conference you will get the opportunity to make 20 or 30 speeches during the course of a day. These speeches will often have little preparation, and no rehearsal time, and have to be given in the moment. In MUN, you don’t have time to worry about that kind of thing, people don’t expect you to be making
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a perfectly polished speech. It is worrying about making your speech impactful, persuasive and confident that prevents you from being impactful, persuasive and confident. Letting go of this enables you to speak to the best of your ability. MUN is an incredibly enjoyable experience and I want others to have this opportunity. If you have a chance, just sign up for one conference and give it a go. Model United Nations at Exeter School is open to Lower Fifth upwards. We meet once a week in Miss McCluskey’s room. At regular intervals throughout the year, we run a series of training sessions, run by the senior MUN delegates, which will prepare all new delegates in the basics of lobbying, resolution writing and debate procedure. We also issue an MUN booklet that explains all of the procedure that you would need to know for a conference. Exeter School participates in about five conferences per year. Last year we attended two local one-day conferences: Exeter College and Queen’s College, Taunton. These conferences are very well suited, so if you are considering joining, they would be an excellent start. We also attend to residential conferences: Royal Russell and Haileybury College. These conferences are for the more
advanced delegates, although less experienced delegates have attended these without issue in the past. This year 1,200 delegates attended Haileybury MUN and roughly 800 delegates attended Royal Russell. These conferences are international with delegates from Japan, the USA, Turkey and the rest of Europe attending. In my experience the best MUN experiences are had at the residential conferences. They really allow you to become immersed in the MUN community. We also host our own one-day conference here in school. This year we invited 75 delegates from local schools. This is a fantastic opportunity for newer delegates, as well as for more advanced delegates to get an opportunity to lead and organise. Exeter School is relatively small compared to the larger boarding schools that take part in the international stage of MUN. Most other schools our size cannot compete with the larger, longer standing MUN delegations. Despite this, Exeter School has a fantastic reputation for providing a small number of very highly skilled, well trained delegates that can easily throw its weight around with the big dogs! Thomas Loughlin, the outgoing Secretary General (Upper Sixth Form)
The Exonian 2017
Keen scientific poets brave summer weather Exciting trip to Stover Park for Upper One
I
t was with much excitement and a degree of trepidation, that Upper One pupils travelled to Stover Country Park. Heavy showers had been predicted, but Exeter Junior School scientists are made of strong stuff! Upon arriving, the children had a very enjoyable time pond dipping and exploring different habitats. The sun shone on some excellent pond life, which after being classified, was carefully returned to their habitats. Pupils were enthralled to observe newts, tadpoles, water boatman and back swimmers, to name but a few. The pupils also caught glimpse of a
Woodpecker
By Tess Hughes rare mandarin duck as well Woodpecker Woodpecker as the more Where can you be? common water Over the treetops looking at me? birds on the lake. After lunch, our Or would you be staring deep into the woods young scientists Drilling through bark looking for goods. became young Please stop knocking, I’m really fed up! poets. Pupils I have heard it all day, I’ve had quite enough! followed the Ted Hughes Poetry Trail drafts of poems were then recited and read and enjoyed his poems to the rest of the year group. in a natural location. After this, Both Mrs Daws and I were very small groups wrote their own impressed with just how good their poems, concentrating on imagery, poems were. A great day of both metaphors and similes. The first science and poetry. Mr Pidwell
Farmwise fun Upper One Geography field trip
U
pper One pupils enjoyed an action packed visit to the Devon Farmwise event held at Westpoint Arena. They were very privileged to be able to attend this 1,400-pupil-strong event, which provides a snapshot of concepts and processes at work in local farming communities. Each House group followed a varied programme of hands-on interactive activities taking place in themed zones such as dairy, arable, environment, forestry, poultry, fruit and seeds and pigs. The pupils had many an opportunity to ask questions of the farmers and to use the resources at hand to learn about different types of farming in Devon. Mr Bland and I were particularly impressed by the pupils’ engagement throughout the day while Governor Mrs Clarke reflected upon the field trip’s value in helping the pupils to understand where their food comes from. Mrs Daws
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Voice of the Governor: Mrs Helen Clark
“This was also an extremely worthwhile trip. It was well-organised by Devon County Council and structured to ensure school groups were able to access all areas without queuing. The experience for the children was refreshingly hands-on and all zones had genuine farmers/business owners engaging with the pupils.”
Fishy facts
and creative
creatures
Form One and Upper One are inspired at The National Marine Aquarium
O
n Monday 3 July, Form One and Upper One enjoyed a fantastically fun and fishy trip to The National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth. The trip complemented our Science and Geography work and was a fun, interactive learning experience. Our pupils were enthused by the amazing exhibits and visited The Creative Centre, full of artistic inspiration. The amazing sharks, the ‘smiley’ sting rays and ‘Miss Squishy’ the octopus were amongst the favourites for the children. In the craft session, the children created their own ‘shadow puppet’ sea creatures and were able to explain how their creatures were adapted to their habitats. The
The whole day was
hugely enjoyable
and the children were
bursting with
knowledge they had
obtained throughout the day
children impressed us with their creations! The whole day was hugely enjoyable and the children were bursting with the knowledge they had obtained throughout the day. Sebastian Bosch (F1C) learnt that if an octopus can fits its beak through a hole, then its whole body can squeeze through too! Katie McMurray (F1C) enjoyed spotting ‘Nemo and Dory’ amongst the coral. Tom Byrne (U1D) wrote down all his fantastic facts in his new notebook purchased from the aquarium shop! He learnt that the second most dangerous fish in the aquarium is the lion fish. Mrs Handley
Chess, mate? Checkmate! Success at the Devon Championship Exeter 19 Abbey 17.5 Broadclyst 11 Ellacombe 10
F
ive children represented Exeter Junior School in the Devon Championships. The games were very exciting and Nathan Ng was the top scorer and named as a
champion, receiving an impressive trophy. The rest of the team led Exeter Junior School to glory and we won! The five children playing were Nathan Ng (U2G), Charlie Hill (U2P), Albert Cooper-Wedge (U2P), Toby Page (L2P) and William Markham (L2R). We congratulate them on this wonderful achievement. You can see the scores above and realise how close a tournament it was. Mrs Goldsworthy
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The Exonian 2017
Exploring the Jurassic Coast
U
Upper Two Geography Field Trip
pper Two Geographers put their budding fieldwork skills into practice at the Jurassic Coast. All groups impressed Mrs Parkin
and me with their keen questioning of the rangers in the Lulworth Cove Heritage Centre classroom, as they learnt about the fascinating geology of England’s first and only natural World Heritage Site. As the day progressed, pupils explored the physical processes at work further and observed the products of many years of erosion as they carefully sketched beautiful Stair Hole. After lunch, we all enjoyed a hearty walk along the coastal path, over Hambury Hill, towards Durdle Door and Man-o-War Bay. The pupils are always struck by the scale and beauty of this natural arch. Experiencing the real wonder of the
Busy in Bristol Fourth Form Field Day
F
irst, we visited the @Bristol Science Museum, starting with a 3D stargazing talk in the UK’s only 3D planetarium. This was a really interesting and all involved learnt something. The talk covered various topics: the rings of Saturn and its hidden moon Pan; the Summer Triangle (Vega, Alstair and Deneb) and their sizes and distances from Earth as well as their home constellations - Lyra (the Lyne), Aquila (the eagle) and Cygnus (the swan), respectively; the comparatively tiny size of our sun and that we can see a meteoroid shower from the dust trail of the comet Swift Tuttle on 12 August. We also learnt that the largest known star could fit our sun inside it over 1 billion times. We were then set loose on the science museum itself, which contains a plethora of interactive displays. Next, after the walk down to the old docks that house the
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SS Great Britain, the maritime masterpiece of Brunel, we visited the aforementioned ship. First, we took a trip below the ship to see the strong 170-year-old iron hull and revolutionary screw propeller system, incorporated and masterminded by Brunel, who was the chief engineer in the ship’s production. After the dry docks, we wandered through the museum and on a journey back in time through the ship’s life as the world’s first ocean liner, an immigrant clipper and a windjammer as well as a trooping ship during the Crimean War. From there we had a view of the ship’s huge mainstay upon which sailors would have had to climb on over the open sea to adjust the sails. We were then left to explore the ship itself - the three levels and various passenger areas. There were huge contrasts between the cheapest places in the cramped steerage and the luxuries of first class. The ship had various displays and models of figures showing the lives of those on board. The ship is huge and extremely impressive. Katie and Beth Ledger (Fourth Form)
Voice of the Governor: Mrs Helen Clark
“This was a well-organised and interesting day with an impressive concentration of Geography features. It was very worthwhile having the local rangers to ensure that the maximum benefit was gained. The journey of 2 hours each way in a coach was long, but the children seemed to cope without complaint or incident and the quality learning experience was worth the journey. The children were well-behaved throughout this long day.” Jurassic Coast helps our pupils to make sense of classroom concepts. It stimulates their pondering over issues and problems this area faces now and may encounter in the future, and helps them to understand why the Jurassic Coast is worth preserving for future generations. Mrs Daws
Bell-ringing experience
O
n Friday 23 June, a group of Lower Fifth pupils spent the day learning how to ring church bells. The day included various activities such as a tour of the Cathedral tower (where sadly the bells were too big for us to ring), hand bell ringing, ringing bells in a simulator at the Cathedral School, and ringing proper church bells in Heavitree. We also had an hour and a half in town to have lunch and relax our tired muscles from the morning’s hard work. Three bell ringers from the Devon Guild taught us how to ring properly, and an internal pupil, Oliver Bates, who was a fantastic help. Also on the trip was Mr Tamblyn who although had fantastic rhythm, struggled to ring the hand bells in a certain order! This trip was run by Dr Rowland and we are all very grateful for him both running the trip, and for showing us his bell ringing expertise. Tom Harris-Deans (Lower Fifth Form)
Third Form Normandy Trip
I
would like to start by saying that the most enjoyable part of the Normandy experience was not when we went to the beach in St Malo, (though incredibly beautiful), when we went off into our activity groups (the instructor making every moment exciting), or even when Kevin the peacock woke us all up with his annoying screams, but in the evenings. All four evenings brought with them a new set of drama, laughter and sheer joy as the whole group came together and got to know one another. Personally, my favourite night was when we had the delicious barbecue, (expertly cooked by the wonderful chefs), and we ran around, sang and talked for several hours! There is one special thanks I would like to say, to Matron, for helping us when hurt, either physically or emotionally, and for sharing some special memories with us never to be forgotten. The beauty of the region is outstanding, ranging from a gorgeous sand-filled beach to perfectly cobbled streets selling the most amazing crêpes I have literally ever tasted! Every activity was amazing, and I have discovered that the mud from the parcours de santé really does help your skin, so lather it on even though there is the disgusting stench of cow’s poo! L’escelade brought a huge sense of pride as you reached the top, rang the bell and heard everyone cheering below your feet; Tir à l’arc left us feeling slightly embarrassed when you shot at someone else’s target and not your own; L’aéroballe, bouncing up and down, and feeling so exhilarated when you finally got the ball in the net in the last five seconds! One final thing; the ferry. You would think that it would be boring, being on a boat for five and a half hours, but really, it is not. You can go out on the deck with friends, pretend you’re in the Titanic, play in the arcade, eat a delicious pizza or even just watch a film in the cinema, it is anything but boring! It is an incredible trip that I was extremely lucky to have been on, and one last thanks to all the staff who took part! Jodie Blackmore (Third Form)
Making memories
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Spectacular views Senior School geographers explore Saas Grund
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n Wednesday 6 July, 36 Lower Fifth and Middle Fifth pupils set off on an adventure that would take them to the Swiss Alps, one of Europe’s most spectacular regions. After an arduous 22 hour journey, we arrived at the sleepy alpine village of Saas Grund and were immediately welcomed by limitless Swiss hospitality in the fantastic Hotel Adler. Following a bubble car journey to Kreuzboden, we had our first jaw dropping view of the Swiss mountains: views that would remain consistently stunning throughout the trip, whether we were in the picturesque Eggishorn (2,900 metres above sea level), gazing at the mindboggling Aletsch Glacier, exploring the town of Zermatt or simply trying to comprehend the awesome extent and history of the world-famous Matterhorn mountain. Particular highlights included the incredibly steep Funicular railway to Sunnegga, swimming in the Leisee, a mountain lake overlooking the Matterhorn, exploring the tragic history of early mountaineers, the thermally heated aquatic park
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at Brigerbad and (of course) the exhilarating ‘luges’ – a mountainstyle rollercoaster that rushed through the forests of Saas Fee at terrifying speeds. The trip was absolutely fantastic. Not only did we learn an enormous amount about glaciers and alpine tradition, especially through Mr Davidson’s daily briefings,
we also came away with a clear appreciation of the power and beauty of nature. Furthermore, the week offered an opportunity to strengthen friendship bonds and develop memories to last a lifetime. Thanks to all the staff involved and especially to Mrs Sail for her fantastic organisation. Sam Mullen (Middle Fifth Form)
Manhattan magic A memorable music tour to New York
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he trip began with a painfully early 2.30am start as 34 pupils and five staff made their way to Heathrow. After landing and settling into the hotel, we headed down a couple of blocks to ascend the Empire State Building in order to check out our new home for the week from the skies. Our first concert of the trip was the following day, aboard the Intrepid aircraft carrier museum. On the deck, we sang amongst the aircraft on show there - including the plane from Top Gun - and managed to gather quite a crowd of tourists. A brief pause for lunch at Gotham Market (sadly no sign of Batman) was followed by a walk along the High Line. During a brief rest, we decided an impromptu rehearsal was needed. We gained a captive audience of passers-by with the locals finding our quaint
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Everything
about the
evening
was completely
sublime: from the
moody lighting to the silky smooth tones of
Karrin Allyson herself
renaissance harmonies intriguing. In the evening, we headed off to Times Square for a meal at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. where the waiters held a wonderful Forrest Gump themed quiz and made sure our glasses were perpetually refilled. An early morning ferry trip on Tuesday offered us many spectacular views of the skyline, not to mention the Statue of Liberty, before our second concert at St Paul’s Chapel, a memorial to the victims of the 9/11 attacks, which happened only a few blocks away. A visit to the memorial pools left us feeling very sombre, but fortunately we had a truly amazing evening to follow at the Birdland Jazz Club. Everything about the evening was completely sublime: from the moody lighting and atmosphere to the silky smooth tones of Karrin Allyson herself. However, the
Trips and Tours
highlight for many was “The Beast”, the supremely charismatic and expressive drummer who wowed us with his polyrhythmic soloing. Wednesday began with our third concert in the Church of St Paul the Apostle before the group split into two with half heading off to high end fashion outlets in the centre of Manhattan and the rest relaxing in Central Park to the dulcet tones of Mr Tamblyn’s King Julian impression. An early evening meal followed at the Hard Rock Cafe before we made our way to Broadway for a performance of Wicked. The whole group was completely blown away by the magnificent staging, special effects and above all the jaw dropping singing and acting. Thursday was our relaxing last full day, the morning spent strolling around the Metropolitan Museum taking in some more, if slightly
older, culture and the afternoon spent cooling off in the Brooklyn Bridge Park pool. After stopping off for dinner at the Dallas BBQ we made our way back to the park for
across the Brooklyn Bridge and back to our hotel. Although we didn’t quite manage to fill the biggest cathedral in the world, the cathedral of St John the Divine for our final concert on Friday, the divine acoustic still created a truly spine tingling atmosphere as we sang what was was for several people their last concert as Exeter School pupils. One last stop at an NYC souvenir shop to stock up on postcards and fridge magnets for our families was followed by us boarding the bus the evening’s outdoor showing of back to the airport to begin the Casablanca. Sadly, shortly after the long journey back. We would like to film began the heavens opened and thank all of the teachers for making the storm that had been threatening this trip so enjoyable and especially to appear all week suddenly burst to Mr Brimelow for managing to in uninvited. The evening wasn’t organise a trip that will probably be completely lost though because one of the best holidays many of us what followed was a truly magical have ever had and ever will have. moonlit meander through the rain Matthew Francis (Lower Sixth Form)
The whole group
completely blown away
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Wow, was the
world
under the
surface
amazing
Diving into Cuban culture An exhilarating expedition
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his summer, 16 students from the Upper Fifth to the Upper Sixth along with Mrs Clark and Mr Boddington, took on a very challenging expedition to the Bay of Pigs, Cuba. The aim was to dive into the depths of significant scientific research on marine life, which is greatly at risk. Cuba, being situated in the tropical water of the Caribbean, has extremely complex coral reefs and high biodiversity. However, the 1983 disease that wiped out the sea urchins, the invasion of lion fish and greater human development has threatened these important coral reefs. Diving was an essential, but exciting part of carrying out lion fish hunts
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and 3D modelling underwater. For those of us who had never dived before, it was now time to gain our PADI open water qualification. This was quite testing with a variety of skills needing to be learnt along with physical examinations and a lot of theory. Despite a few ear problems and some sickness, we all pushed through and found our flippers underwater. And wow, was the world under the surface amazing. We had never seen such colourful fish from the common yellow tailed fish to parrot fish, nor coral so intricately designed. Will Silver (aka dobin of most days) was so excited that he lost the key to his bungalow down there. The special
sites we saw included rays, squid, barracudas, and turtles; this was our classroom now, and we loved it. Each dive was so different with opportunities to free dive and night snorkel too, and our enthusiastic instructors and dive masters always ensured we were having a whale of a time. We also learnt about the great oceans out of the water with daily lectures, even sometimes accompanied with a sing song of Under The Sea on the ukulele when there were power cuts and there were often power cuts! These went into fascinating detail of species type, their evolution and the great role that oceans play in our lives. These
Trips and Tours environment for us to experience. We also leapt into the Cenotés from a high overhang, into a 28m deep pool between two conservative plates: an exhilarating jump into new Cuban unknowns, as you never know what to expect in Cuba. Cuban culture gave us a whole new experience too, with the welcoming country people giving us a taste of their lives. For many of us, no internet was a shock at first, but it was a wonderful opportunity to talk to each other, learn salsa and feel part of a community. Much of the food was surprisingly tasty, and we all ran for the sweet, juicy mango as quickly as it was picked. Living was basic, but comfortable, creating a sense of gratitude for our very privileged lives and a greater respect for the Cuban people. Finishing our trip, we spent our last few days in Havana. The food we experienced here was incredible, especially with much greater choice than rice and bread. We dined like kings up a marble staircase,
were all given from distinguished graduates in this field. There was also time to dissect lion fish that we had speared for further research, due to their invasive nature. We were particularly happy to cut open one as earlier one of its spines had stung our poor dive master Tony badly. Despite their great beauty, they give great pain. Enchanted forests and magical pools evolved our ecology knowledge even further. Our walks through the tropical Cuban forests led us to wonder at the array of snakes, owls, crocodiles, turtles and the smallest bird in the world, the bee humming bird. Despite the mosquito swarms, it was a totally different
obsessed with their chocolate desserts. We also ate in the famous Hotel Nationale, a former host of the Mafia. This had spectacular night time views of the classic cars zooming along the Malecon. History and politics were not left out either, as our very enthusiastic Cuban guide seized every moment to relish in his country’s achievements on a walking tour round Havana. Our senses became alive with the sites of beautiful architectural buildings falling into ruins; and the smells of sweet roasted dishes mixed in with diesel fumes; and the feel of palm tree branches dropping on poor Ben Crocker’s head. Havana, you didn’t disappoint, as we gained our rhythm to salsa the last night away. Overall, it was a fantastic experience from learning to swim in troubled water to breathing effortlessly. We left only bubbles, but gained a whole tank full of memories, knowledge and passion for us always to dive in to. Matilda O’Callaghan (Upper Sixth Form)
Delightful drawings
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he Junior School pupils demonstrated their creativity with this year’s The Big Draw project. From twigs and pine cones to syringes to sponges, the vast array of different materials used was very impressive. The pupils particularly enjoyed visiting the Senior School art gallery to try out their brush and add it to the ever growing collection of brushes. “I loved seeing the different things people had used to make their brushes,” said Otis Challen (F1C). It is always a real privilege to be involved in a whole school project. The children feel a real sense of achievement when they see their work alongside that of the older pupils from the school and they have really worked hard on their creations. Mrs Handley
Build a brush… T make your mark
Inventive and creative responses to The Big Draw 2016
he Big Draw was founded in 2000 and is a charity that promotes art as a visual literacy. The charity leads a programme that includes empowering and engaging people with art and this is the main idea behind The Big Draw festival. The Big Draw is a national charity and many schools across the country take part in the annual activities. This year’s theme was STEAM (as opposed to STEM) which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics. In October and November 2016, pupils of all ages were challenged to create their own drawing instruments from found materials, natural or manmade. By
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constructing their own paintbrushes, pupils were embracing the theme of STEAM. They used a diverse and imaginative range of materials, from twigs to plastic bottles, to construct their own drawing tools. The aim was to produce a useable paintbrush with a varied and interesting texture and appearance that was able to leave a mark in ink upon the paper on the Senior School Art Gallery walls. All the paintbrushes that were made were hung in the Gallery for the Private View on 16 November and were later moved to the Library for the wider school community to enjoy. Zana Beka and Jenny McDowellLangford (Lower Sixth Form)
Art
Inspiring installations Three years of creative responses to The Big Draw displayed around the school site
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he impressive outcome from this year’s The Big Draw was installed in the Library in the autumn term; the exciting display of handmade brushes made by pupils of all ages now hangs in front of the stained glass window for all pupils, staff and visitors to enjoy. This installation is one of three which are now installed around the school site; the vibrant, embellished post-it notes from 2015 adorn the dining hall pillars and
the collaborative drawings of the Andrews building and the Chapel from 2014 are on display in lower corridor and the vestry respectively. It’s great to see the annual Big Draw has not only given pupils of all ages a chance to engage with collaborative or unusual drawing activities, it has also provided the school community with inspiring installations that can be appreciated in communal spaces over a longer period of time. Mrs Escott
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Hidden talents featured in the exhibition giving us time for reflection. Complementing the art were the melodic tunes played by the excellent harpists, Liz ixteen members of staff Grier and Emma Graham. Alison Escott, Head of Art, displayed an array of art in said: “We were delighted that a private showing of selfexpression. Creativity had long been 16 staff from across the Senior School, Junior School and support boiling within them before they staff contributed towards this exploded their ideas into sizzling year’s exhibition and we were artworks from an infinity-toasted really pleased to welcome some loaf to a blood-cell bed. Emotive newcomers. An impressive range art from the First World War also
Staff Art Show 2016
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of disciplines were on display, including photography, costume design, ceramics, printmaking, metal work and installation. The pupils enjoyed the challenge of trying to work out which piece of work had been created by which member of staff.” Overall, it was an impressive showcase giving the staff the opportunity to finally do some homework! Matilda O’Callaghan (Upper Sixth Form)
Christmas card creations Art Club rise to the challenge
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his year, Art Club pupils were set the task of creating the design for the Headmaster’s Christmas card. They decided to produce a design depicting all of The Twelve Days of Christmas on
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circular collagraph plates. The pupils created careful designs on paper before developing them into relief print blocks. Art Teacher, Miss White, said the pupils were all dedicated and diligent. They worked with great creativity and Christmas spirit to design an exceptional Christmas card. Art Club is open to pupils from Third Form to Lower Fifth and runs during the lunch period. The session
is a great opportunity for pupils to try out new techniques that are not always taught in formal lessons. Abigail Grierson (Upper Sixth Form)
Art
Sixth Form artists find themselves in a pickle
Artistic avenues Underground passageways provide stimulus for AS Art coursework
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n September 2016, the Lower Sixth Form artists moseyed on over to the underground passages in Exeter city centre as it related to our theme of ‘Contained’ for our AS coursework unit. There was a museum at the entrance which was lavished with interactive displays and a model of the tunnels which we drew sketches of. To add to our portfolios, we took graphite rubbings to capture the texture of the volcanic stone. There were also many other models of buildings from different time periods, including a model of the conduit (a glorified water tap). The highlight of the trip was scrambling through a network of tiny dusty tunnels, some of which were a metre high. However, these particularly small tunnels were not everyone’s cup of tea and so some people took a detour! This trip was worthwhile in terms of providing stimulus for our practical work, but not an ideal trip for those with claustrophobia! Zana Beka and Francesca Matthews (Lower Sixth Form)
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A trip to London with a difference
n 5 October, the Lower and Upper Sixth Form artists travelled to London to visit a series of art galleries to inspire their coursework projects. The first gallery we went to was The Serpentine which was in Kensington Gardens and we saw a modern exhibition that was more relevant to the Upper Sixth. Afterwards, we went to the Hunterian Museum, which was part of The Royal College of Surgeons, and houses a collection of pickled body parts. One of the most gruesome specimens we saw there was a foot affected with elephantiasis. As well as providing valuable artistic inspiration, the trip also developed certain pupils’ underground map reading skills! We then went to the Tate Modern where the Lower Sixth Form artists studied the evocative sculptures by Louise Bourgeois and the Upper Sixth Form studied artists which would inform their independent work on return to the studios. Zana Beka and Francesca Matthews (Lower Sixth Form)
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The Exonian 2017
Inspiring landscapes Celebrating 25 years of Geography field trips
Geography department as artist in residence on many exhilarating trips, from Spain to Switzerland. He produced the field sketches in response to the dramatic backdrops and also produced a series of impressive photomontages. he breath-taking tonal landscape Mr Seddon used charcoal for his sketches by former Head of Art, large studies to capture the shape Dave Seddon (former staff 1988- and atmosphere of the landforms. His 2006), were exhibited in the Senior work is gestural, but when observed School Art Gallery in February 2017 from a distance they resolve and as part of the ‘Inspiring Landscapes’ appear wonderfully detailed. The exhibition. wealth of mark-making and dramatic Mr Seddon accompanied the tonal contrast help to create real
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sense of place in his work, which have inspired past pupils and will continue to inspire the next generation of field sketchers. Zana Beka and Francesca Matthews (Lower Sixth Form)
OE’s bravery inspires pupils Pupils visit Oxford for event to commemorate alumnus Andrea Angel
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group of four Upper Sixth Form pupils along with Chemistry teacher, Dr Rowland, and I attended the Christ Church Chemistry and the World Wars event at Christ Church Oxford on Friday 17 March. The event included six lectures examining the dilemmas posed by developments in chemistry in wartime and featured a presentation by Governor Dr Martin Grossel on Andrea Angel and the Explosion at the Brunner-Mond Factory, Silvertown. Old Exonian Andrea Angel attended Exeter School from 1890-1896 and won an exhibition to study Chemistry
at Christ Church. He graduated with a First in 1899, and following research work in Oxford, he returned to Christ Church to run its laboratory as a tutor and lecturer in Chemistry. After the start of World War One, he volunteered for the Western Front to do his duty, but was sent to work in the Brunner-Mond Factory, London, as Chief Chemist and Manager. The old factory in Silvertown had been reopened to make explosives, but on 19 January 1917, a fire in the melt pot room led to the explosion of 50 tonnes of TNT. As a result of the ‘Silvertown Explosion’, 70,000 houses were damaged and 900 were destroyed. 69 people were killed outright and four died of their injuries. The death toll would have undoubtedly been higher if it were not for the bravery of Andrea Angel, who stayed
at his post directing the evacuation of workers and organising firefighting, knowing that the factory could explode. Though he helped save many lives, he lost his own in doing so. Angel was awarded the highest civilian award for his bravery, the Edward Medal. The Sixth Form pupils were fascinated by the presentations which complemented their recent work in Chemistry and Biology. Artwork inspired by Andrea Angel and the story of the Silvertown explosion created by Lower Fifth Form pupils was exhibited at in the lecture theatre and later in the Picture Gallery. The compositions encompassed imagery from a wide range of contextual sources, including the explosion itself, Andrea Angel’s life story and features from The Deluge by Winifred Knights. The group of Upper Sixth found the talks very interesting, and it was particularly inspirational to hear about what a former Exeter School pupil went on to do, despite its sad outcome in 1917. Mr Davidson
Art
Creative showcase T Junior School Art Show impresses visitors
he Junior School Art Show ran throughout the week of 24 April in the Senior School Art Gallery and celebrated the colourful and creative artwork produced throughout the year by the children. On the private view evening, visitors were treated to a performance from the Junior Singers, whilst they perused the wide variety of work achieved throughout the year. In addition, winners of our ‘Science in Art’ competition also had their work included in the gallery. The photos show the extensive range of techniques explored and the comments from the children clearly highlighted their enjoyment of the subject! “It was inspiring to see my work in the gallery. I was so happy when I found out that I was in the art show I was jumping around like a monkey”, said Jacob Hardy (F1C). “It was really fun sitting down doing something that I wouldn’t do normally,” said Harry Sprake (L2B). “I was really amazed and proud when I showed my parents my work in the show” said Lydia Brookes-Ferrari (L2R). Mrs Handley
Cross-curricular creativity Junior School Science and Art competition
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e had some wonderful artwork created with a ‘Science’ theme or technique for our Art competition. We were very impressed with the variety of mediums submitted and it looked like lots of fun had been had along the way too!
The following pupils’ work was included in our Junior School Art Show and each received a small prize: Katie McMurray, Alex Freemantle and Jacob Hardy (F1C), Dulcie Mason and Todd Rook (U1D), Lydia BrookesFerrari (L2R), Jasmine Hardy, Emily Ahmad, Connie Croft and Harry
Sprake (L2B), Darcy Beau Hedden and Xarinelle Keay (L2P). Xarinelle, who created the beautiful fused glass solar system, said she was very proud to see her art work in the Junior School Art Show. Mrs Handley
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n Monday 12 June 2017, Exeter School Art department had the pleasure of hosting the WESC Foundation’s annual Art exhibition. The exhibition was well attended by staff and pupils of both Exeter School and WESC, as we celebrated another year of creativity. The students’ enthusiasm for their work filled the gallery space with much excitement, setting the tone for a great atmosphere around the event. The exhibition theme this year was seasons and displayed a colourful assortment of tactile outcomes in a variety of mediums, from expressive painting through to large-scale textile pieces. Clay vessels were impressively formed and delicate ceramic leaves were suspended to highlight their life-like contours and intricate patterns. It is such a humbling experience for our school community to be able to engage with the creative work produced by the visually impaired students and we look forward to continuing to work closely with them in the future. Many thanks to WESC Art teacher, Lesley Mehigan and Exeter School Art Technician, Emma Taylor for coordinating such a vibrant display of creative work. Miss White
The Exonian 2017
Sensory seasons Inspiring annual WESC exhibition
Art
An impressive display Summer Art Show 2017
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he Senior School Art department hosted its annual Summer Art Show on Tuesday 27 June 2017. The event showcased work by the Third Form through to Upper Sixth and celebrated a wide range of creative disciplines. The private view was attended by over 200 pupils, parents, staff and governors and there was a real buzz in the studio spaces. Visitors were also treated to some wonderful musical accompaniment from the string and sax quartets. We always look forward to this event
every year as it is an opportunity to celebrate all that has been achieved in the academic year. The feedback from visitors was most complimentary and we hope that our younger pupils have been inspired by the GCSE and A Level artwork on display. The exhibition remained up until the end of the summer term and was enjoyed by a number of prospective pupils and parents during the Open Evening on 11 July. Pupils from the Junior School also enjoyed visiting the Art department
during the remaining days of the summer term and the feedback from Upper Two pupils was fantastic: Joe Lee said it was a very exciting exhibition. “I can’t wait to do Art in the Senior School!” Ptolemy Rydin–Orwin said: “All the art work is imaginative, creative and symbolic.” Freddie Coulstock said the colours were vivid and worked terrifically well together. Ben Wilson said: “I never knew Art could be so beautiful.” Mrs Escott
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A review of Two Gentleman of Verona at The Northcott Theatre Two childhood friends separate in order to seek their fortune only to be brought swiftly back together by the one thing which might successfully drive them apart: a girl.
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hakespeare’s age old romcom was played by a crowd of characters clothed in 1960s costume, standing upon a stage littered with instruments and lit by an orange and yellow haze. Shakespeare’s classic was brought
Photo: Northcott Theatre
An age old rom-com reimagined
firmly into the contemporary world by the Globe Theatre company: with the letters traded between the lovably foolish Valentine, played by Guy Hughes, and Aruhan Galieva’s fiesty Sylvia, taking the form of vinyl records, the sleeves of which were scrawled with Shakespeare’s famously lyrical sonnets. The humour apparent in the text was emphasised wonderfully by director Nick Bagnall, with Valentine’s exile being spent amongst a band of charismatic ‘outlaws’, alongside multiple instances of audience interaction, during which members were asked to hold an array of objects, varying from a walking
Photo: antonygormley.com
Another place
stick, to a shoe. However, perhaps the most effective element of Bagnall’s adaptation was his shockingly tragic ending. The audience were presented with an image of two girls: crumpled onto the floor in the act of weeping over their utterly lost loves. Shakespeare delivers his audience with a surprisingly unstereotypical conclusion to his tragic comedy, with friendship being valued above romantic love. This play was tremendously entertaining, with a dizzying array of musical pieces scattered throughout, all leading up to a particularly poignant finale. Daisy Game (Upper Sixth Form)
Daisy Game reflects on the A Level Drama practical examinations
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hether it was a woman ‘wailing for her demonlover’ , or 100 human figures standing on a beach near Liverpool, this year’s A2 Theatre Studies pupils were inspired by a number of sources in the writing and subsequent performing of their devised and scripted pieces. Having selected Antony Gormley’s sculptural installation, ‘Another Place’, and Samuel
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Taylor Coleridge’s ‘Kubla Khan’ as their stimuluses, the 2017 A level Drama class set about writing and selecting scripts which could be developed from these roots. A few months later, and six pupils had developed five performances of radically opposing character. Whilst one group penned a piece featuring a seventeen year old girl and her imaginary best friend, the other
team’s play featured a group of broke flat mates whose attempts to rob a bank go horribly and hilariously wrong as they find themselves in Swindon Arcade. The class’ varied approach continued into their scripted pieces, with performances ranging from Shakespeare to contemporary: providing an evening of diverse entertainment. Daisy Game (Upper Sixth Form)
The Exonian 2017
Behind the
scenes Emily Baty and Abigail Grierson interview staff about their involvement in Guys and Dolls Why did you choose Guys and Dolls for this year’s play? Since I arrived I have put the senior school production on a three-year rotation – Shakespeare, straight play and a musical; this year was the turn of the musical. It was Mr Tamblyn’s idea to do Guys and Dolls. We looked at lots of different options, but for our first musical working together it was hard to ignore this classic. It is a musical which is challenging, but not too hard musically, and it is also an excellent and very funny script. How challenging was it bringing the whole play together? In such a busy school where both pupils and staff are incredibly busy already, a challenge it certainly was. Fortunately, we put together an excellent production team.
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Hard work and organisation is key, and the pupils have to buy into it and love doing it, which they did. The most challenging thing is getting everyone needed into a room together at the same time. It takes great commitment and I commend the cast for their hard work and commitment – it all paid off in the end! It would have been hard at the best of times, but when you essentially have two casts to rehearse, we made it even harder for ourselves; but again, the cast were excellent in how they worked together to get the best out of each other. Describe the play in 1 word. Playful.
Mr Brough, Director
Where did you get the inspiration for the costumes? Mrs Davidson and I worked collaboratively on the costumes. We did a lot of brainstorming which involved looking at period costumes and many past West End productions of the play. What were your favourite costumes? My favourite had to be the Take Back your Mink number where the Hot Box girls wore red dresses and sequin fascinators created by Mrs Davidson. Both Isla and Verity played the part of Adelaide extremely well and looked amazing in their costumes. Describe the play in one word. Exhilarating.
Miss White, Costume Dept.
Drama
Going out on a high Daisy Game reflects on her final dramatic performance in a school production
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rom Shakespeare, to Wilder, to one of America’s finest and funniest musical extravaganzas, the school’s conclusion to its first three-year cycle goes out on a high. In 2014, the school embarked on a three-year journey; through the 1500s, jumping into the 1800s and landing in the 1950s, the Drama department has taken the school through the ages. In 2014, the production of Twelfth Night introduced the school’s new Head of department, Mr Brough, who went on the following year to direct Thornton Wilder’s Our Town: a piece dealing with the link between life and death, and the tragedy of lost love. It has therefore been a form of light relief for the cast to embark upon such a literally all-singing, all-dancing production alongside the school’s Music department. In keeping with the system of cyclical productions, the Drama
department chose to have two alternating actors for each guy and doll: with this expanded cast of principles backed by an equally expanded support cast. The show encouraged many pupils who had not been involved in previous school productions to take their place upon the stage, with the band of gambling crapshooters allowing multiple debut performances from many of the Upper Sixth Form rugby boys as they took their last chance before leaving the school. As a Drama pupil in her seventh and final year at Exeter School, it was a lovely thing to see so many being allowed to get involved in such a light-hearted play; and what might be goodbye for this year’s Upper Sixth, is hello to a whole new cycle, a whole new play, and a whole new generation of guys and dolls! Daisy Game (Upper Sixth Form)
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A role A reversal? Daisy Game sets the scene for the Middle School production of Animal Farm
nimal Farm, written by George Orwell in 1945, and now retold upon the stage of Exeter School, explores the disastrous effects of power through its satirical retelling of the Russian Revolution. When a group of farmyard animals succeed in overpowering their human keepers, what follows holds promise of freedom and affluence. However, what begins as a prosperous experiment in role reversal, quickly leads to the creation of a world bearing a disturbing resemblance to that of the human one supposedly ‘destroyed’ by this group of pigs, sheep, dogs and a horse. Daisy Game (Upper Sixth Form)
“All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others”
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eing in Animal Farm has been absolutely amazing and I would happily do it all over again! The enthusiasm and enjoyment has been sky high throughout the whole production and I’m sure everyone would agree it has been an unforgettable experience for all of us. There’s nothing like the relationships that form from being
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in a cast together, and this year the friendships have been more memorable than ever. Animal Farm would never have been possible without the amazing support and continuous encouragement from the teachers and staff behind the scenes, in particular Mr Brough. His unique take on this classic has inspired us
all and his direction was nothing short of professional and dedicated throughout. We would therefore like to thank him for all he has done to make this production possible. A massive well done to the whole cast for putting on a fabulous performance! Long live Animal Farm! Tara Hayes-Pankhurst and Francesca Vercoe (Middle Fifth Form)
Drama
Collaborative creations Middle Fifth mask-making for Middle School play
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ost of the mask-making took place on a Saturday in the art studios. A group of Middle Fifth pupils came in and collaborated to construct each animal mask: cat, sheep, pig, dog, goat, and so on. There was a great atmosphere.
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e started off by each collecting a base for our mask and, using water, we stuck gumstrip paper onto the mask to make the surface matt. We then used a hot glue gun to add a band to the mask, which had already been fitted for the actor’s/ actress’ head-size. Using cardboard with different textures (i.e. smooth or rough), we slowly began to build up the shape of the animal on the mask. For example, for the piglet we would build up the cardboard on the cheeks and forehead by using
Everyone was happy to help and chat together. The cardboard masks were left unpainted to give a woody and rustic feel. This was to induce the Animal Farm’s audience to imagine colours and textures on the creatures, really making them
engage with the play. I loved creating the characters and think that the end result was amazing. They looked professional and being behind the scenes of such an original play was a real privilege. Phoebe Bridgwater (Middle Fifth Form)
the smooth-textured cardboard to create the illusion of a chubby and young face. Once this was complete, we added the smaller details to the mask. This was when we included a wider range of textured cardboard. This would include creating horns for a goat, mane for a horse, and a snout and ears for a pig. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience. I learnt a lot and the process was very rewarding, especially when we could see the masks presented so well on stage in the performance. Francesca Giannachi-Kaye (Middle Fifth Form)
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The Gruffalo Form One and Upper One perform at The New School
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orm One and Upper One Drama Club took their production of The Gruffalo to The New School in Exeter. Twenty-three children from Form One and Upper One had worked hard at the beginning of the year, learning lines, songs and
dances to entertain the younger children at The New School. They first took part in a workshop involving the Year Two children. Members of the Drama Club confidently demonstrated acting techniques, voice projection and use
of body language to portray scenes. The younger children then joined in. The morning was rounded off by the performance, which was received by a huge round of applause from the audience consisting of every child in The New School. Mrs Pettet
Flying fairies and furniture! Junior School pupils enjoy performance of Pinocchio
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n 19 October 2016, the whole of the Junior School visited the Northcott Theatre to see a production of Pinocchio. This was a ‘physical theatre’ production with puppetry, flying fairies and furniture and no words at all. The actors used their bodies and sounds to create the story. For example, they cleverly created a ferris wheel with just their bodies and also a spectacular storm using black bin bags. The cat and the fox were slyly portrayed using dance moves and hand gestures and the puppet master was extremely menacing, bellowing unexpectedly and scaring the audience. Our favourite part was when the actors had strings attached and other members of the cast pulled them to give the illusion that they were making them move. It was brilliantly portrayed. Grace Hughes and Jessica Maunder (L2R)
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Enchanted by the forest Audience enjoy visual feast at the Upper Two Production
Drama
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pper Two ended a hugely successful year with a fantastic production of two Roald Dahl stories, Little Red Riding Hood and The Twits, directed by Mrs Goldsworthy. This wonderful show opened with the whole of Upper Two on stage giving a fantastic rendition of In the Jungle with four part harmonies and stunning solos. They were accompanied by Upper Two children playing the African Drums. The talent on display was tremendous. The stage was a visual feast with monkeys, exotic birds, leopards, sheep, wolves, pigs, all peeking from behind colourful leaves. The set transported us to a deep, dark wood.
Upper Two P and Upper Two G took on the story of Little Red Riding Hood with not just one but many Big Bad Wolves. The children playing the wolves were very menacing and no one felt safe, not even the audience. But this fairy tale doesn’t end as you would expect it and this Little Red Riding Hood was a girl who could definitely look after herself – with a little help from some pigs, sheep, birds and her trusty dog. The children sung, danced and acted with gusto. A thoroughly entertained audience laughed and clapped along. Upper Two G and Upper Two P left the stage with the audience clamouring for more. They were not disappointed, for
in the second half, on came The Twits. These two truly despicable characters were supported by a wonderful family of monkeys, The Mugglewumps. Having been captured by the terrible twosome, The Mugglewumps were subsequently rescued by the Rolypoly Bird and a terrifying martial arts expert. The whole show was hugely enjoyable and the audience were delighted to welcome back the whole cast for a finale of In the Jungle. Well done to Mrs Goldsworthy, Mrs Guthrie and most importantly to the whole of Upper Two. A triumph! Mrs Pettet
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Powerful performances Impressive 16th annual National Trust concert in Exeter Cathedral
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he National Trust concert captured the spirit of Christmas in the Cathedral for the sixteenth time this year. It began with Once in Royal David’s City with the traditional solo sung by Katy Armstrong (Lower Sixth Form) and carols continued throughout the evening, finishing with Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. Symphony Orchestra continued the evening with a seasonal rendition of The Christmas Song, and the Lower Fifth Singers followed with a delicate performance of The Little Road to Bethlehem. An addition to this year’s line-up was the inclusion of readings – a bible reading from the Revd Tom Carson, and poems from Grace Sail (Lower Fifth Form) and Deputy Heads of School Tommy Russell and Imogen Milner. The Senior Brass Ensemble, overseen as always by Mr Moore, delivered a slick performance of Puer Natus and Sleigh Ride, joined by Tara Brind on sleigh bells for Sleigh Ride. Tina Guthrie led the Middle School Choir in I Believe I Can Fly and a mature performance of Silent Night before a chorus of Unto Us is Born a Son and the interval. Vocal Ensemble impressed with their harmonies in two carols and O Waly Waly, and brought a smile to everyone’s face with their Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer in Latin! Chamber Orchestra
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demonstrated their dynamic versatility with movements from the Capriol Suite and Plink Plank Plunk, and the Belles Canto performed both a sensitive performance of Cradle Song (from Songs of Innocence) and a livelier Winter Wonderland arranged by Mrs Guthrie. Sax Quartet shone with Four of Kind, and the Chamber Choir had their first full outing since they expanded to over 50 singers, performing traditional Christmas music by Vaughan Williams, Poston, and Rutter. Juliet Everson (Upper Sixth Form)
Music
Rocking around the Christmas tree Christmas Concert 2016 generates a festive feeling!
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he concert started with a bang as the Junior Orchestra opened with an accomplished Jamaican Rumba, following in the footsteps of the more senior Concert Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra who also provided exciting performances. The smaller ensembles such as Flute Choir, Harp Strings, Sax ensemble and Maxi Brass proved quality over quantity and impressed with fluent programmes whilst vocal groups, Belles Canto and
the Boys’ Barbershop, furthered the festivity with fun Christmas numbers. Middle School Choirs’ angelic performance of Silent Night and Rocking around the Christmas Tree were magical and enthralled the whole room. Not to be outdone, the Jazz ensembles - Jazz Band 1 and Jazz Band 2, excited the audience with smooth and stylish solos whilst The Swunkettes and Swunk, directed by Dave Bowen, delivered expert performances. This
season, the Rugby First XV proved their skills on both the pitch and the stage, with an impressive rendition of Take Back Your Mink from the recent Guys and Dolls, led by the talented Adelaide. Neat footwork and melodic singing duly rewarded their commitment to rehearsals! The concert finished with a classic Christmas carol, which ensured everybody involved, left feeling truly festive! Sophia Marshall (Upper Sixth Form)
Jingle all the way!
Junior School Carol Service
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he annual Junior School Carol Service took place in the Senior School Hall and served as a very special start to the Christmas season for our Junior School pupils and their families. All the children from Form One to Upper Two were involved, singing carols and Christmas songs learned in class music lessons over the last few weeks, while the Junior Singers, Junior Choir, Junior Orchestra and Junior Wind Band performed pieces they have been rehearsing within their ensembles. The service also provided the congregation the opportunity to join the children in their singing, producing a rich choral sound, ably accompanied by Mr Adcock. The service included a number of readings, which pupils delivered with great poise and clarity, whilst Revd Tom’s Christmas reflection, on the theme of bells, was aptly followed in the order of service by a performance of Jingle Bells by the Handbell Ringers. Mrs Guthrie
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Music in
the
Junior School In the classroom
M
usic continues to flourish in the Junior School. In their Music lessons, the children explore a wide range of musical styles and sounds and also have hands-on experience of a variety of musical instruments. The Form One pupils, for example, have the opportunity to learn the basics of the violin; Upper One pupils play the recorder as an excellent aid to learning to read rhythm and
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pitch notation and they will go on to enjoy some sessions on the trumpet later in the year; Lower Two pupils have started to learn the ukulele and all pupils are working to develop their keyboard skills through regular focused sessions. Singing also forms an important part of the Music curriculum and is greatly enjoyed by pupils both in and out of the classroom.
Music
Out of the classroom
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here are many extra-curricular musical ensembles open to Junior School pupils, all of which have thrived this year. These include: Junior Wind Band – run by Mrs Goldsworthy and welcoming wind and brass players; Junior Orchestra – directed by Mrs Guthrie with Mrs Goldsworthy and open to players of orchestral instruments at all levels; Sizzling Strings – directed by Mr Gillett, one of our string specialists, and giving string players an opportunity to shine; Junior African Drummers – a vibrant and exciting group run by Mr Crossen, one of our percussion specialists, and open to all; Beginners Brass Group – an opportunity for pupils wishing to try a brass instrument under the guidance of Mr Moore and Senior School brass players; Junior Singers – a choir for any pupils in Form One or Upper One, directed by Mrs Guthrie; Junior Choir – a choir for pupils in Lower 2 and Upper 2. This group is divided into two sections – decani and cantoris – and sings an anthem in chapel every week, as well as performing in concerts throughout the year. In addition to these established groups, there are other exciting smaller groups including a delightful harp ensemble and a guitar group.
Performances
D
uring the autumn term, our biggest musical event was the Junior Christmas Carol Service, which took place on the afternoon of Tuesday 13 December in the Senior School Hall. This was a wonderful occasion in which the telling of the Christmas Story was punctuated by songs performed by each year group and by the two choirs. The whole school also joined together to sing two thrilling pieces – Hush, Hear the Angels Sing and Bells Ring Out. The orchestra played superbly to introduce the service and the wind
band concluded with a rousing We Wish You a Merry Christmas. Other performances have included the Advent Carol Service, at which Upper Two members of the Junior Choir sang beautifully. Another group of singers entertained residents on a wonderful visit to Jack Simpson House residential home, and Upper One singers delighted their audience with carol singing at the annual Pensioners Christmas Party organised by the school Community Service group. Mrs Guthrie
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Junior Wind Band W
e love making music at Exeter Junior School and this terrific band of woodwind and brass players enjoy making music together. We play lots of different music and in different styles. A highlight of the Autumn term was playing in the Carol Concert, performing We wish you a Merry Christmas and God rest ye merry gentlemen. Mia Ferrari-Relf (L2R) said: “I enjoy playing the clarinet with other children and learning the songs. It is all good fun!� Mrs Goldsworthy
An intimate and atmospheric evening of music
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he 2016 Chamber Concert was the first of thirty-three musical events hosted by the Exeter School Music department in the school year. Its most talented musicians and ensembles showcased their skills in the school chapel. Senior Brass, directed by Brian
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classic Fly Me to the Moon, followed by The Cradle Song, delivered with impeccable harmonies. The audience were also treated to a sneak preview of what the Exeter School musical production had to offer. Fred Tear, Jim Shepherd, and Jack Alderman shared their rendition of Fugue for Tinhorn. Verity Stroud and Will Pearce then performed Sue Me with remarkable character and gusto. Three different string quartets then played and the audience was treated to superb solo Moore, started the concert off. Vocal performances from Juliet Everson Ensemble then opened with their and Fynn de Sousa. acapella arrangement of O Waly Finally, the Chamber Orchestra, Waly, then sung the more wellplayed a few movements from known Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Capriol Suite as well as the funky Square by Sherwin, and ending Plink Plank Plunk, by Anderson, on the upbeat Who put the Bomp, all together ending a wonderful which threw the audience back to evening of stunning music. Fynn De the fifties. Belles Canto sang the Sousa (Upper Sixth Form)
Music
A prestigious experience Adam Cole reflects on his involvement in the National Children’s Orchestra
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took part in the National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain under 13 Easter residential. The NCO is Great Britain’s premier symphony orchestra for children, and auditions children across the country to take part in their 5 orchestras: under 10s, under 11, under 12s, under 13s and main orchestra. Four out of 110 children taking part in the U13 orchestra were from the South West this year. I joined about 110 children taking part in the Easter residential at Sherborne girls school from all over the country. We played the following
pieces: Wagner - Prelude to Act 1 from Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg; Butterworth - A Shropshire Lad; Tchaikovsky - Capriccio Italien; Williams arr. Brubaker - Harry Potter Symphonic Suite; Grieg - Movements 2 and 1 (in that order) from Holberg Suite; Curtis - Paths to Urbino (entire suite). The most challenging piece to play was A Shropshire Lad by George Butterworth because you had to count/sub-divide throughout the pieces and was very exposed at points with just a few players playing, so they had to get their playing spot
on! My favourite piece was Capriccio Italien by Tchaikovsky as it was a great experience to be playing in an orchestra where the quality of sound was fantastic and full on. The final concert was held at the Anvil, Basingstoke, which is ranked the fourth best concert venue for acoustics in the UK. They videoed the final performance, with four professional TV cameras, so it was fun to see how this was organised, and who the cameramen were focusing in on. Find out more about NCO at www.nco.org.uk. Adam Cole (Fourth Form) the Chamber Choir were mesmerising, with Bruckner’s Locus Iste being a particular favourite. All female group Belles Canto and male group Boys’ Barbershop performed with fun and enthusiasm. Mozart played a key role in the evening’s entertainment with three Concertos. Ella Greenberg played the artful Horn Concerto No. 4 accompanied by Senior Brass Ensemble, whilst Chamber Orchestra, admirably led by Fynn de Sousa, contrasted their repertoire with the mournful Piano Concerto No. 23, where Charlie Austin played beautifully, with true musicianship. This was followed by Verity Stroud playing the Bassoon Concerto in Bb, whose agile playing and sharp articulation added a real excitement to the evening’s entertainment. The finale, Symphony Orchestra, superbly led by Ben Bliss, had chosen a very tricky repertoire. The pupils performed with skill and attention to detail, providing a very dramatic end to the evening. We hope that the proceeds from the concert will benefit the valuable work undertaken by WaterAid in the future. Verity Stroud (Upper Sixth Form)
Rhythm and groove Annual WaterAid concert
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n its 16th year of raising money for the WaterAid Charity, this year’s concert was, yet again, a thriving success. Held at St Michael’s Church, the concert featured ensembles directed by Tina Guthrie, Peter Tamblyn, Tom Brimelow and Brian Moore. The concert began with the slick sounds of Jazz Band 1, featuring impressive solos from Matthew Francis on trumpet and Will Pearce on trombone, who also smoothed the audience with That’s Life, a Frank Sinatra classic, which, accompanied
by the mellow harmonies of the band, gave a relaxed beginning to the evening’s events. Another jazz group was the new ES10, whose polished rhythms and grooves were thoroughly enjoyed, featuring Matthew Francis and Michael Watson on baritone saxophone, whose solos were particularly enjoyable. A Capella group, Vocal Ensemble, captivated the audience with their close harmonies, with a Beatles favourite, Yesterday and Carter and Hudson’s Goodnight Sweetheart. Later on in the evening,
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Music
A family affair Robbie Guthrie reflects on the powerful performances at the Choral Society concert
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his year’s Choral Society concert in March featured performances of Haydn’s Nelson Mass and John Rutter’s Magnificat, separated by the Middle School Choir’s performance of Rutter’s For the Beauty of the Earth. The choir had been rehearsing every Tuesday evening since January, and involved many pupils, parents, teachers and friends of the school, including multiple members from 22 families! The orchestra, which also involved pupils and music teachers from school, made the performances truly outstanding when combined with the choirs. Opening with the Mass, the choir, conducted by Mr Brimelow, gave a phenomenal, powerful performance, accompanied by the marvellous orchestra. Stunning soprano and tenor solos were given by former Exeter School pupils, Beth Partridge (OE 2011) and Jon Schranz (OE 2012) Current Sixth Formers Verity Stroud and Zeb Cobb, as well as the Head of Modern Foreigh
This
contemporary, flamboyant
composition
had many
challenging features, but both the
choirand
orchestra
managed to
perform
it with
great success
Languages, Mr Latimer, were also magnificent as alto and bass soloists. Following this, the Middle School Choir sang Rutter’s For the Beauty of the Earth, which provided a delightful contrast to the Haydn. This was conducted by Mrs Guthrie and displayed the amazing musical talent of members of the Third and Fourth Form. After a short break, we had more Rutter, this time with his Magnificat. This contemporary, flamboyant composition had many challenging features, but both the choir and orchestra, conducted by Mr Tamblyn, managed to perform it with great success. This featured solos by Sixth Form pupils Emily Bairstow, Katy Armstrong, Rebecca Charman and Kate Furby, and Fourth Form pupil Theo Power, who each performed with great sensitivity to the music and made this conclusion to the concert a truly memorable one. Robbie Guthrie (Upper Sixth Form)
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An evening of musical favourites
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Junior School Spring Concert
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he grand finale to March is the Junior Spring Concert. This year the theme was ‘Musical Favourites’, featuring songs from Mary Poppins, Pocahontas and The Jungle Book, along with a concert selection from Oliver! All the children in the Junior School were involved, with each year group performing a song, along with both the Junior Singers and Junior Choir. Instrumentalists also had plenty of opportunities on stage, with Junior Orchestra, the Junior African Drumming Group, Sizzling Strings, the Guitar Ensemble and Junior Wind Band all appearing. A quick change in the interval transported the children back 150 years, as they wore waistcoats, caps, shawls and mop caps to perform the songs from Oliver! Large numbers of Upper Two pupils took on solo roles and all performed with confidence along with abundant musical and dramatic talent. Mrs Guthrie
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n Wednesday 26 April 2016, Upper Two travelled to Cornwall to the world famous Eden Project. The weather was cool, but sunny and the centre was inspiring. After finding out about how the project was built, the children explored the education area and the Mediterranean dome. After lunch, the pupils were divided into tribes and had to work out how they could survive in the rainforest without any equipment. Each tribe then entered the Tropical dome and noted which plants would be useful for food, water, shelter and medicine. To distinguish
Survival skills Upper Two visit the Eden Project
themselves, each tribe painted their faces with their chosen tribal emblem. At the end, the children performed a presentation about the different plants and the techniques for survival they had learned. Jay Lake said: “I really enjoyed finding what I could or couldn’t eat and which plants I could poison fish with.” William Dean: “The face
painting and becoming part of a tribe was brilliant. I really felt I was in a clan that would support and protect me.” I was very proud of the children’s intelligent questions and excellent behaviour on such a long day. Their level of focus and enthusiasm was exemplary. Move over, Ray Mears! Mr Pidwell
An explosive extravaganza!
Primary Science Day 2017
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hree local primary schools visited us for a superb day of exploring Science. It was a great opportunity to get to know and work with teachers and pupils from St Michael’s C of E Primary Academy, St Sidwell’s C of E Primary School and St Leonards C of E Primary
School. The pupils were busy all day studying their cheek cells under the microscope, blowing up Jellybabies, avidly watching Dr Wilson make a light-sabre, creating their own pan-pipes and getting hands-on in Chemistry with the bunsen burners. Hopefully, this will pave the way for
future projects where we can work collaboratively to promote Science to future budding scientists! The day ended with an exciting, explosive extravaganza of Science, which was thoroughly enjoyed by both our guests and the Junior School. Mrs Johnson
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www.viviencumming.com
Breath-taking landscapes An inspirational visit from Dr Vivien Cumming
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r Vivien Cumming studied Natural Sciences at Durham, and after her degree developed a love for Geology. She worked freelance, going on rare and exciting expeditions to extreme locations, such as the desert and the arctic. She often collected data on the geology of the landscapes and their extensive variety of wildlife. After working with the collection of data, she decided to utilise her photography skills
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and use them in her field of work. This then caused her to move away from collecting data and to begin reporting. She now has her own website with a gallery of her stunning photos. In the autumn term, she visited Exeter School to give a talk on her experiences in these remote locations and how to survive with the limited equipment. Jenny McDowell Langford, Zana Beka and Francesca Matthews (Lower Sixth Form)
“Her passion for Geology was inspiring and opened up an insight into a topic we don’t cover in great depth during class. She then went on to talk about the various kinds of climates she has experienced over the years. She talked about her trips to Greenland, Namibia and the Amazon rainforest and with each slide, she showed us more breath-taking images of the landscapes and animals she had encountered. It was fun to hear about her day-to-day life and the fact that just because she’s a scientist she doesn’t spend her entire day in a lab. Hearing about working in the different locations, how her and her team had to overcome unexpected problems and the danger associated with staying in such remote locations, made the talk inspiring and an enjoyable for scientists and nonscientists alike.” Emily Carr (Upper Sixth Form)
Science
A priceless experience Lower Sixth Physics trip to the Diamond Light Source
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group of Lower Sixth Form Physics pupils from Exeter School joined together with pupils from four other regional schools (Exmouth Community College, Sidmouth Community College, Colyton Grammar School and Exeter College) on a trip to the Diamond Light Source in Oxfordshire on 13 October 2016. The trip was funded by the Ogden Trust and organised by the Exeter and East Devon Physics Partnership of which Exeter School has the role of hub school. On the way we first stopped at Stonehenge, one of the Wonders of the World and the best-known prehistoric monument in Europe. This Neolithic site is more than 4,500 years old. Many pupils were amazed by its vast size; the stone circle is a masterpiece of engineering considering that, when it was built, they would have had limited tools and little technology. Even though its purpose is still a mystery today, there are many theories; the most generally accepted being that it was a prehistoric temple aligned with the movements of the sun. However, for many it is a spiritual place and a source of inspiration. Numerous photos were taken by our group and many trinkets purchased in the gift shop. We then continued our journey to the Diamond Light Source, Europe’s largest x-ray synchrotron (a particle accelerator designed to produce very intense x-rays). On arrival, our first impression was of a smart technology centre and a bird’s eye view of the site made it look like a doughnut.
The Light Source works like a giant microscope, harnessing the power of electrons to produce bright light that scientists can use to study anything from fossils to jet engines to viruses and vaccines. The machine speeds up electrons to near light speeds so that they give off a light ten billion times brighter than the sun. We started off by looking around the foyer and reading about the different laboratories and the experiments the researchers conduct. It was surprising to learn about the variety of uses for the X-rays created here, from studying biological molecules and treating cancer to setting fire to teeth to helping with forensic science experiments as well as numerous fundamental Physics and Chemistry experiments. A guide gave us a presentation on the different uses for the x-rays produced by diamond and the precautions taken to minimise the risks associated with the radiation as well as answering all of our questions. We were then given a guided tour of the site in small groups of only six people where it was interesting to learn how much engineering was involved in this large piece of equipment. Our tour guide showed us most
of the site including the accelerating ring, the storage ring and the laboratories, all the while explaining the function of the equipment: vacuums, magnets, electron guns as well as their part in creating the x-rays. On reflection, it was interesting to contrast the sleek circular lines of the Diamond Light Source with the prehistoric circular technology of Stonehenge. The Diamond Light Source trip, whilst having nothing to do with diamonds, was certainly a priceless experience. Emily Bairstow (Lower Sixth Form)
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A closer look Lower Sixth Biologists visit Plymouth University
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n 19 September, a group of Lower Sixth Biologists ventured over to Plymouth University, where they got to experience electron microscopes in action. The trip was accompanied by a trilogy of brief lectures on the two different types of electron microscopes and their contrasting
qualities, as well as the preparation process of specimens before being viewed. We also got to see the scanning electron microscope in action, but the transmission electron microscope was broken and out of use. The eclectic lectures presented a varied description
on the processes carried out by scientists, and the production of both two and three dimensional images. The trip gave the pupils an insight into university life, and what a Biology degree would entail. Zana Beka, Fran Matthews and Jenny McDowell-Langford (Lower Sixth Form)
Logic gates O
n Thursday 6 October, Catalyst Club enjoyed their second meeting of the year, with an interesting insight into the intricate world of logic gates, run by Dr Houghton. It was great fun experimenting with different combinations of gates. We also learnt about binary and how computers read codes. We all really enjoyed it. Ollie Bennett and George Daldorph (Lower Fifth Form)
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Science
Observing organelles Fourth Form and Sixth Form enjoy the Explorer Dome
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n January 2016, Lower Sixth biologists were invited to an interactive talk on the cells in an inflatable planetarium dome. Organelles were projected onto the walls of the dome, showing a unique perspective on all of the components of a cell. The presenter described the inner workings of cellular organisms and discussed the related topics, such as cloning and the revival of extinct species. Pupils were encouraged to join the conversation and voice their opinions on the ethics of how biological sciences are evolving, and the caution which should be taken when approaching the area of cloning and other newer areas of science. The talk provided engaging visuals and a relaxed area to discuss complicated subjects, which gave an inspiring view on the progression of
AS fieldwork in Dawlish
microscopic science, and the possible effects current pupils may have on our cellular future. Fourth Form pupils had also been to the dome for their own talk on the digestive system, linking into their syllabus. They loved hearing all the disgusting facts as they journeyed through their alimentary canal: Stellan Aalto said he loved how much the presenters interacted with them. “They really had good experiments,” he said. “I really enjoyed the mashing of the food in the stomach that Ioan Evans did. I learnt a lot and hope they will come back soon!” Maddie Keliher also enjoyed the disgusting digestion dome as she had no idea as to what was going
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ince their AS examinations, the Lower Sixth Form have been working hard learning about ecology and succession as part of their second year syllabus and have undertaken a required practical. This involved fieldwork on Dawlish Warren with quadrat sampling of vegetation
on inside her body. “It has advised me what things I have eaten and how I will eat more healthily.” Jenny McDowell-Langford and Zana Beka (Lower Sixth Form) and measuring of abiotic factors along a transect across the dunes. The weather was on our side and the Sixth Form worked in their groups, using the apparatus and techniques to collect their data. They worked so well that there was even time for an ice cream afterwards! Mrs Metcalf
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Using your marbles T Olly Scott-Robbins and Fred Fitt reflect on the events of the STEM family challenge
he STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) evening was a huge amount of fun and it made two hours whizz by. The event was led by Light Engineer and alumnus Tim Durrant, who delivered an inspiring speech and showed us all the jobs that STEM offers; a huge variety of jobs and around twenty thousand that do not exist today, but will in the future. As well as providing a huge career option, the engineer said that he was working on a new type of storage for data for “The Cloud� and had been working on several other interesting things. As for our challenge, we had to build a marble run out of paper and card. We could use funnels, loop the loops, sharp turns, and of course, lots and lots of tape. The aim was to get the longest time possible, we could buy stuff from a shop to help but the amount of money we spent would add to the time. The winning time was 19.6 seconds, which happened to be ours! Thanks to Dr Houghton and Mr Rose for organising the event, as part of the National Careers Week. Olly ScottRobbins and Fred Fitt (Third Form)
Future of gene technology Valuable experience for A Level Biologists
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n Friday 3 February, Upper Sixth Form pupils studying A2 Biology were invited to a workshop on gene technology, with scientist John Chilton and his team from Exeter University. The pupils gained first-hand experience of the procedures of research labs, as they were all given an opportunity to carry out restriction digests of human DNA and test methods of separating molecules, such as DNA using gel and electricity. This not only gave the pupils hands-on experience in advanced experiments, but also allowed them to talk to the academic scientists about possible career pathways and scientific research. Jenny McDowellLangford (Lower Sixth Form)
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Science
Success for senior Biologists
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he Olympiad is a gruelling two hour on-line competition with questions testing syllabus knowledge and beyond. Our Upper Sixth Form were amongst the 7,500 pupils who took part nationally and all of our twenty pupils who rose to the challenge were commended for their performance. Amongst our pupils, there were: four Bronze medals for Rachel Broderick, Polly Pittman, Owen Stait and Sam Tanner; six Silver Awards going to Tara Brind, Emily Carr, Rebecca Charman, Charlie Green, Emily Howell, Tom Murphy; and George Milner and Juliet Everson both achieved a Gold Award. George Milner achieved a high enough score enabling him to continue to the next round.
In March, it was the turn of the Middle Fifth Form with the Biology Challenge. This is a popular UK competition with more than 40,000 pupils taking part this year. Of the 68 participants from Exeter School, seven pupils achieved a Gold Award, 19 achieved a Silver and 29 of the Middle Fifth were awarded a Bronze medal. The seven Gold medalists were Phoebe Bridgewater, Rosie Cromwell, Jamie Campbell, Max Hill, Katie Pitts, Amelia Woolway and Josh Grier, who achieved ‘best in school’. Finally, at the end of term, the Lower Sixth had their chance to compete in the new Intermediate Biology Olympiad, joining more than 5,600 pupils from across the country. We were impressed with
the twelve volunteers who took up the challenge, as these pupils had only just returned from their AS examinations and several also came back into school to take part after a full day on medical placement. Several pupils were Commended or Highly Commended for their scores, Severin Baker, Ben Ford, Ben Hayes and Oenone Rodgers were awarded Bronze, Megan Stride achieved Silver and Emily Bairstow and Jake Kilmartin both took a Gold Award. The Biology department would like to thank everyone who took part from all three year groups and we congratulate all of the medal winners at each level of the competition. A superb set of results all round! Mrs Metcalf
Aspiring medics are put to the test
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MedSoc 2017
believe successful medics need to be motivated, organised, pro-active and confident. This is certainly true of the 14 successful applicants who gained offers for places at Medical School this year. After a gruelling year of writing applications, sitting BMAT and UKCAT tests, facing a barrage of interviews alongside working hard to secure the top grades required, it is fantastic to be able to watch these pupils succeeding in the first step toward their goal! I have hugely enjoyed their enthusiasm and and wish them all the best as they move on. The Exeter School Medical Society consists of about 30 pupils ranging from Lower Fifth to Upper Sixth Form. It is open to all pupils with a general interest in Medicine, Veterinary Science or Dentistry or who are considering entering the profession. It is designed, over four years to confirm pupils’ desire to enter Medicine and to develop the
skills and attributes required to make a happy and effective medic. The society is run by the Lower Sixth Form committee who choose the events and speakers, write the letters of invitation and thanks, introduce the meetings and publicise the activities. Over the year, we hold regular meetings, often with visiting speakers providing a flavour of their experiences and offering wisdom and advice. Alongside this, we will often hold ‘in house’ events where we explore key areas such as medical ethics, we discuss and prepare for the application process and consider the best approach to interviews.
Medical parents have kindly hosted a final practice MMI interview event with the Upper Sixth Form in the RILD building. Mr Griffin enjoys challenging the pupils once a month in some of the more contentious areas of medicine. Most meetings, however, are led by the senior pupils. This summer we are holding a MedEXE event giving opportunity for pupils to talk for five minutes on an area of medical interest. We have also attended fantastic talks on offer in the community. It is a busy and demanding programme, but then, that is life in medicine. Mr Boddington
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Introducing The Biology department’s newest arrival
Ember
resource during Biology topics such as classification and in teaching adaptations of predators, but more than this she has allowed some pupils to get up close and personal with snakes and abate their phobias. xeter School’s Biology The Biology department welcomes department would like to Ember and hopes she will be very introduce our new serpent happy at Exeter School. arrival, Ember the corn snake. “We have enjoyed getting to watch This species originates from North Ember strike her mouse and see America and her beautiful red, yellow her dislocate her jaw to swallow and black markings have captivated her food. This year we have also pupils this year as they learnt about measured her recently shed skin to how these allow corn snakes to be see how quickly Ember is growing,” effectively camouflaged amongst said Annabel Barton and Olivia the multi-coloured American corn Crowley. fields in order to catch prey and hide It has been tremendously from aerial predators. Pupils have rewarding observing both pupils’ regularly visited Ember during her and staff reactions to having a snake weekly lunchtime feeding sessions in the Biology department. My of a delicious mouse and enjoyed favourite is the look of joy the first feeling her reptilian dry, scaly skin. time someone holds Ember and then She has been a fantastic learning answering all their many questions
E
Microbiology in action Men in White Coats event
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n March, some of the Lower Fifth Form pupils got the chance to take part in the Men in White Coats workshop at the R D and E Hospital. This event requires pupils to carry out practical activities in the research labs as part of a problem-solving exercise. This year the scene was set around the beautifully devised Great Bideford Bake-off competition. A villain had sabotaged the town’s bread with a mutant yeast and everyone’s loaves remained unrisen and became exceptionally sweet. Our pupils were tasked with finding the culprit and solving the crime. They visited a clinical workshop in order to gain understanding of the diagnosis and symptoms of diabetes and even had a go at measuring their own BMI, glucose levels as well as their blood pressure. Upstairs in the research labs, pupils used various stains and microscopy to observe the different suspect’s yeast
about snake physiology. I’ve learnt lots this year about snakes through excellent questions asked by my pupils and I am hoping to make a display all about Ember next year. Mrs Coe strains and learnt how to set up a PCR machine in order to amplify the DNA and detect the mutant yeast’s genome. Mrs Coe said the Men in White workshop was an excellent experience for all the pupils. “There were lots of hands on activities for them to take part in that they would not usually get to experience and a fantastic opportunity to ask real researchers about their work,” she said. Charlie Kerr said the most interesting part of the trip was when they got to have a look around the DNA labs and talk to some real microbiologists and geneticists who have lots of practical experience and were thus able to fully explain how the process of ‘PCR’ (Polymerase Chain Reaction) works with the complicated bits left in. Tom Harris-Deans said: “My favourite part of the biology trip was observing the mutated yeast cells through the microscope. “This was truly fantastic as you could easily see the yeast cells moving and splitting, but also were able to see what an unhealthy cell would be like, if it was just misshaped or there was a change in the way it split into two.” Mrs Metcalf
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The Exonian 2017
Author Ben Kane’s inspirational journey
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n 15 March, author Ben Kane gave a talk to aspiring vets, writers and Romans (!) on his transition from vet to author and the many problems he had faced. Beginning with the finer details on bovine rectals and warning his audience on the dangers of trusting dog owners, Ben described his
journey. He explained how he was inspired to begin writing Roman novels after visiting Merv and learning of the Romans who lived there; the hard life of being both a writer and vet, having to work for up to 80 hours a week on both jobs; and the fun of travelling across the world both by himself and for charity. Far from letting his story of hardships
dissuade anyone who aspired to either career, Ben instead used it to show the power of perseverance and believing in oneself. Special thanks go to Mr Keyes for organising the visit, and to Ben Kane for bringing a collection of Roman armour and other commodities, and allowing the audience to try the heavy equipment on. Bobby Hayman (Upper Sixth Form)
A cultural experience Senior School Classics trip
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uring the summer half term, a group of ten Middle Fifth, two Sixth Formers and three teachers climbed aboard a minibus and set off on a Classics road trip. It was to be a trip of interesting finds
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and Nick Armstrong’s Spotify playlist. The first stop was Chedworth Roman Villa, where, amongst other things, we could see floor mosaics and a bathing complex. Some of our highlights included a live mouse that we saw running across the grass (which sparked a conversation about Romans eating dormice), the teachers’ discovery of a stall selling replica Roman items (leading to the increasing of the Classics Department’s stock of oddities), and some Roman snails that you are not allowed to touch without a licence. The next stop was Cirencester, where we first ran manically around an amphitheatre and then explored the Corinium Museum, which hosts some of the finest mosaics as well as lots of Roman artefacts found around Corinium Dobunnorum, Roman Cirencester. The second day was spent in Oxford. First, we visited the Ashmolean Museum, where we investigated the Roman and Greek sections as
well as the Cast Gallery. After this, we wandered around Oxford, soaking up the sights, before going off to the Pitt Rivers Museum, where we were generally just awed at the amazing collection of stuff (everything from charms to medical implements, weapons to trumpets). To round off the day, we ate at Pizza Hut and then went on ‘Bill Spectre’s Ghost Tour’ which, whilst entertaining, did not convince all of us. The last stop were the Roman Baths in Bath. Although most of us had visited the site in the Third Form, the teachers had figured that a trip of twelve and a trip of ninety contain different amounts of exposure to information; and they were right. Luckily for us, the weather held out and it only began to rain when we were about to get on the bus home. We all had great fun on this trip, learnt that we got along with people that we had never spoken to before, and realised that we can all do a pretty good rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody in the back of a minibus. I am sure that I speak for all of us when I say that we would like to thank Mrs Dunlop, Mrs Shrubb and Dr Chapman for accompanying us, feeding us, driving us and organising us on this trip. Rosie Cromwell (Middle Fifth Form)
English and Classics
Light work Upper Sixth pupils enjoy an afternoon with poet Lawrence Sail
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awrence Sail (former staff 1982-1991), visiting poet and pedagogue, held an afternoon workshop for Upper Sixth Form English pupils during the week of National Poetry Day 2016. In keeping with the modernist aspect
of the A Level English syllabus, Sail dissected poems by W.H Auden and Simon Armitage - along with one of his own - with the pupils. The approach Sail took to analysing and discussing poetry seemed to be of universal interest; the ability to get
to the crux of a poem quickly, as well as addressing the key themes, was a skill everyone recognised they could improve. Later, Mr Sail asked the pupils to think of the word ‘light’, in silence, for 25 minutes – no writing! The task during this time was to conjure images of light, whether personal or generic, and form links and connections between these images. Each individually-formed, imaginary story would provide the basis of a poem to be composed in the last five minutes of the workshop. The diverse range of ideas created by each pupil exemplified the intimate quality of words, and by the same token the often very private and sometimes ambiguous nature of poems. Mr Sail finished the workshop by reciting a few more jovial, amusing poems, showing the art form doesn’t have to be serious as it is often interpreted. Sail’s conspicuous and categorical passion for poetry was contagious, and every pupil came away from the experience having not only thoroughly enjoyed it, but learned more about the writing process and the ways in which to approach an unseen poem. Seb Lewis (Upper Sixth Form)
A blood-chilling performance Pupils enjoy Northcott Theatre visit
Photos: thewomaninblack.com/the-show
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utumn: the Halloween season, the perfect time to break a curse that The Woman in Black has placed over you and your family as she mourns her own child. Here, the Lower Fifth Form followed Arthur Kipps’ quest to banish the ghost of The Woman in Black and end the fear through the help of a young actor. Amazingly, the production was a two-man show, but these men do not walk alone, with the dark eerie scenery and warning sounds of another presence in the audience. A spine tingling show of incredible talent, certainly left these English pupils lost for words. Matilda O’Callaghan (Upper Sixth Form)
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Though this be acting, yet there is method in’t Examination text is brought to life for Upper Sixth English pupils
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hirteen English-studying, Exeter School Sixth Formers enrolled in an afternoon of Shakespearean acting experience - enthusiastically spearheaded by the Four of Swords production company – to bolster their understanding of Hamlet, one of the key A2 texts. After a brief game of four square, the workshop commenced with a task to re-imagine Shakespeare’s original text in several different genres, and then to pitch these alternative plots to the two visiting professionals. This resulted in derivations of The Lion King and High School Musical, as well as a version set in the high-rise of a Brazilian city, and another in
outer space. This activity helped elucidate that Shakespeare’s work of revenge tragedy was itself a product of several different genres and influences; something which defines its complexity as a piece of Renaissance literature. The workshop continued with the challenge to condense a section
of text from Hamlet into a more simplified version, showing how Shakespearean language - which is often quite inaccessible - can be abridged to make the text easier to analyse, especially in an A Level situation. Later, each group was asked to bring these newly envisaged texts to life in front of oneanother, which simulated discussion about how certain characters can be played differently in certain scenarios, as often seeing texts performed in person can incite fresh interpretation. Four of Swords, who previously have performed Stevenson’s Jekyll and Hyde and Shelley’s Frankenstein for Exeter School pupils at different levels of study, offered an insightful perspective into Hamlet, which will be invaluable in preparation for the A2 exams. Sebastian Lewis (Upper Sixth Form)
“I wanted to communicate what I had seen, so that others could see it.” Thought-provoking Film and Literature Society
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aurie Lee, here, is articulating the purest reason for why humanity chooses to create stories. We do it to share our thoughts, visions and feelings on the world around us. There is no thought without expression, no content without form. In Film and Literature Society, we attempt to dissect the artistic merits and intricacies of any work of narrative-driven art that is suggested. This system is flexible, for our range of group analysis has covered works from the Coen Brothers, to Stephen King and even Frank Miller. This is not to say, however, that we do not examine the negatives of particular pieces, for no matter how profound an idea is to a creator, if it does not provoke emotion within the audience, then it is poorly expressed, and so can be considered ineffective. Our
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collective discussion, and listening to one another’s ideas, has yielded a greater understanding of the considered works than any of the society’s members had envisaged. So, whether Wuthering Heights and
Lincoln are your preferred pieces of entertainment, or even The Gone Series and Deadpool, you may enjoy attending the next Film and Literature Society meeting. Cosmo Coish (Upper Fifth Form)
English and Classics
Budding poets rise to the
challenge Budleigh Literary Festival 2017
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ur task: to write a poem that inspired a strong image in the mind of the reader Our prize: to be published in anthology of poems written by young people across Devon, or to have our poems displayed on placards around Budleigh. We were asked to write a poem based around one of three themes: the local, natural environment in Devon; climate change, or flood prevention. This was harder than we first thought and I think that everyone was very impressed with the boy who wrote “An Ode To A Sea Wall”. I myself took a more figurative
route. This was because I chose the local environment of Devon as my theme (this decision being made on the premise that the poem had to be quite short and I had too much to say on climate change but too little to say on flood prevention), and it is far easier, in my opinion, to write a short poem on the concept of a thing than it is to actually write about the thing itself. I took the concept of “Mother Nature” and twisted it so it was the nature of Devon that I wrote about. This personification made it so I could be abstract when talking about my subject. This, in and of itself, was
so I could crowbar my words into a rhyme scheme. I had decided before I even started that I wanted to at least try to write a sonnet. Within our year, we created a huge variety of poems based on these themes, each with their own pieces of inspiration, and their own structures. There were those of us who wrote odes or sonnets, and those of us who created a mass of rhyming couplets, those of us who just wrote blank verse and those of us who just wrote. It was a fun and interesting experience for us all and it was a great activity to have taken part in. Rosie Cromwell (Middle Fifth Form)
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A multitude of messages Junior School Poetry Competition
even messages to worlds beyond our own. The enormous response displayed evidence of our children’s vast imaginations and it was a found it enormously difficult to pleasure to read each and every one judge the poetry competition, of them. but was delighted with the huge Prizes were awarded to first, variety in the response to the theme second and third entries in every of ‘Messages’. We had messages year group and ten runner up in bottles, messages to teachers, prizes across the school. Many messages to loved ones - human congratulations and a big thank you and animal, text messages and to everyone who entered. Mrs Pettet
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Youth speaks Junior School public speaking
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t all started when Mr Ashman told us we were going to be taking part in a public speaking competition. We had never been in a competition like this before and were eager to get started. We were all good friends before the competition so we decided to form our group. In the end, we decided Dominic Hemmings should be Speaker as he had the most experience with projecting his voice because he sings in two choirs. Then we decided that Spiro McKinnel should be our Chair and Alex O’Brien should be our Vote of Thanks. All of Upper Two formed groups of three and every group had a few rehearsals before performing to their teacher. U2A performed to Mr Ashman, our Form Tutor and English teacher. The teachers made a decision on the three groups – one from each class were chosen. Mr Ashman chose our group to
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go up against our fellow U2 (Year 6) classes U2G and U2P. After a few weeks, the day came for us to compete against the winners of the other class. Our teacher took all three groups and after drawing lots, it was decided we would perform last. Once we had all performed, the judges, Mr Griffin, Headmaster of the Senior School, Mrs Marks, Headmistress of the Junior School and Mr Brough, Head of Drama in the Senior School, decided that we were the winners of the Exeter Junior School Public Speaking Competition. We received a large plaque which then had our names engraved on it and which stands proudly in the Junior School Trophy Cabinet. This also meant that we would go through to the Rotary Club Youth Speaks competition where we would compete against other Exeter schools. We were so excited! After lots of practising, 11 January
came and we had to perform against the teams from the other schools. As the other groups began their presentations, we realised why they had been picked as they were all very good. We were third to perform and it was rather frightening because we had a large crowd. At the end of the evening, the two winning schools were announced. Unfortunately for us, we were not picked to go through, but it was still a fantastic experience and was lots of fun! Spiro McKinnel, Dominic Hemmings, and Alex O’Brian, U2A
English and Classics
The Pied Piper of Hamelin
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n Lower Two, the children study Robert Browning’s poem The Pied Piper. The children discuss the story, the rhyming pattern and learn some of the poem to recite by heart. They imagine they are a
newspaper reporter and retell the story of the disappearance of the children. Form One and Upper One Drama Club also learned to recite some of the poem, which formed the
opening of their musical play,The Pied Piper. The children performed the play to the rest of the school as well as an enthusiastic audience of family and friends in the School Drama Studio. Mrs Pettet
Challenging texts Junior School pupils explore Shakespeare
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n Upper Two English, we study all aspects of the writings of Shakespeare, including his plays: The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and The Scottish Play; also his Sonnets. In Drama Club, the children perform a Shakespeare play using
the original language. On 15 March 2017, the Ides of March, the children of Lower Two and Upper Two Drama Club performed an abridged version of Shakespeare’s mighty Julius Caesar in the school’s Drama Studio. Drama Club meet on Wednesdays after school and also have regular Saturday workshops. The children are all involved in the end result – they make suggestions and take part in improvisation, mime, dance and musical interpretation. We look at the language of Romeo and Juliet – the two star-crossed lovers who should never have fallen in love. Shakespeare’s play is littered with oxymorons such as “loving hate” and “wolfish, ravening lamb” to cement the plot involving these unlikely lovers. The children create their own oxymoron poems. They also write sonnets, sticking to the strict sonnet form of twelve lines comprising ten syllables (iambic pentameter); a complicated rhyme scheme ending with a rhyming couplet. Mrs Pettet
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Promoting reading in the Junior School A year of developments for the Library
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t has been an exciting year for Reading Development at Exeter Junior School. The academic year began with the librarians entering a National Display competition based on Oliver Jeffery’s A Child of Books, and they were delighted to be announced as runners up on World Book Day. We have worked closely with Belfast University on ‘Project 500’ developing pleasure in the reading of scientific literature. World Book Day centred on the theme of Science with a costume parade and a wacky Science morning, later followed by ‘Bedtime Stories’ to which we invited local storyteller, Katy Cawkwell. To end the week, Andy Briggs, author and screenwriter, conducted a day of
outstanding workshops, which reached out and touched every budding writer we have in school. Library Club has been thriving throughout the year with our pupil librarians taking centre stage in the management, care and circulation of books: often leading assemblies and presenting new books, competitions and initiatives. Our most recent major development is our subscription to the School’s Library Service which will commence from September 2017 and will regularly refresh stock and book choices and audit of the quality and relevance of our book choices. New topic boxes will be placed in each classroom and refreshed each term. We are moving from set book lists to recommended book lists in order to widen and extend pupils’
book choices, which will result in more frequently borrowed library books and electronic records of pupil borrowing. Mrs Turner, our Teaching Assistant, continues to be a huge help with library management as well as monthly visits from a parent helper. We are excited about the library revamp we have planned for this next year and the library re-launch which will take place on World Book Day next year. Mrs Hardy
Ghostly goings-on! Emily Baty and Jenny Watson interview Mrs Taylor about the Library Ghost Hunt for World Book Day What inspired you to come up with a ghost hunt for World Book Day? I wondered what I could do that was different and unique from the quizzes in the past. I considered doing a ghost hunt because I have always had a feeling that the library could be haunted. You only have to work in here in the Christmas holidays when it’s dark and you’re alone to see that!
How did the ghost hunt work? The idea I struck upon was to have a series of cryptic clues for people to work out similar to a crossword. Once solved, the clues would lead them to a particular book in the library, specifically gothic novels. In the back of each of the books, we had a pouch that contained a letter. In total, there were 11 letters which came together to form the name of a famous literary ghost. The ghost was Jacob Marley from A Christmas Carol. In order to get the prize they had to ask themselves where that ghost appeared in literature. Could you tell us
about the outcome? It proved really popular with 46 participants in total, some of which were Sixth Form. First prize went to Sixth Formers Emily Carr and Kate Furby. The next two to finish were in the Fourth Form, Anna Utting and Daisy Purchall. It was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone and managed to get them thinking about different areas of literature they may not normally consider. What was your ultimate aim for the hunt? We wanted to make people think laterally with something that wouldn’t immediately give the answer. It got people moving around the library to areas they would never normally go to and notice new things, hopefully encouraging them to want to spend their time here. Emily Baty and Jenny Watson (Upper Sixth Form)
Languages
Junior School enjoy Onatti production
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hipwrecked whilst holidaying in France, Tyler (a young English school boy) had to walk all the way back to his hotel along the coast. Little did he know that this journey would turn into a mini adventure and he would encounter many native French speakers along the way. Onatti, a visiting French theatre company, did not disappoint as they performed this very animated tale to our children. “The best one yet!” exclaimed Mr Ashman. Combining French language with humour, actions and interactivity proved an excellent recipe for our children to revise vocabulary encountered throughout the year. “I found it very funny and I enjoyed it a lot!” said Dylan Bone (U1B). “It was lots of fun as the actors were terribly funny. It was useful as you learnt to communicate without words,” said Amelia Johnson (U2P). “I thought the actors were really funny and it made it easy to speak French,” said Poppy Sadhegi (F1C). Mrs Daws
Shipwrecked en France!
Adorned in homemade costumes, they proudly retold this poignant story in French, for an audience of pupils, parents and staff. “Some people might have been orm One shone brightly as they performed a very special version nervous, but I don’t think anyone showed it!” said Cameron McDowell of the Christmas Story in the (F1H). school chapel in December 2016.
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La Nativité
Festive French for Form One
Daisy Brough (F1H) said: “The kings did a solo that was loud and very expressive. I enjoyed singing Away in a Manger. Everyone performed brilliantly!” Hearty singing of traditional English carols including We Three Kings and Away in a Manger, coupled with a joyful rendition of Vive le Vent, truly brought us all into the Advent season. “I loved it when it was my time to shine because that was when I got to sing my solo,” said Beatrice Hughes (F1H). “I loved it when I sang my part in We Three Kings of Orient Are,” said Olly Johnson, (F1H). “Everyone clapped loudly at the end. My favourite bit was when I performed,” added Choe Wallace (F1H). We extend our thanks to Mrs Guthrie for her expert musical direction, to the Form One Tutors and Mrs Buckingham for costume support, and to Henry Bill (U2P), Jack Wreford (U2P), Georgia Pugh (U2A) and Lucinda Emmett (U2A) for their enthusiastic ushering. It is these little touches that make La Nativité particularly special and remind us of the Christmas spirit of giving. Mrs Daws
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Humans of Exeter School
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Harrison Yarnold (Upper Sixth Form) presents Exeter School’s version of the wellknown New York blog…
CSE and A Level linguists have created their own version of Humans of New York, an inspiring website created by Brendon Stanton featuring street portraits and interviews collected on the streets of NYC. Encouraged by French assistant Joséphine Matsaeff (left), pupils from Middle Fifth to Upper Sixth have taken part in a similar project during which they learnt a great deal about one another, as they shared their dreams and anecdotes, all in French. Here are four examples…
LAURA PERRING
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’ai dix-sept ans et je vis sans réseaux sociaux. Non, je ne plaisante pas. Cela peut sembler curieux, mais j’assume. L’idée d’être sur Facebook ou quelque autre site ne m’a jamais tentée, et en regardant mes copains de classe passer la majorité de leur temps à vérifier leur messagerie et comparer leur profil aux autres, cela me conforte dans mon choix. Je trouve ça triste que les réseaux sociaux jouent un rôle tellement important dans la société d’aujourd’hui, particulièrement chez les jeunes. Personnellement je m’en passe facilement et je me contente de parler avec mes amis à l’école plutôt que d’être connectée 24 heures sur 24.
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Languages
MATT FRANCIS
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a passion c’est indubitablement la musique. Je ne peux pas me rappeler une époque où je ne l’aimais pas mais c’est surtout il y a quelques années qu’elle est devenue la chose que j’adore plus que toute autre. J’espère que je l’étudierai à la fac parce que j’ai hâte de pouvoir étudier la musique à longueur de journées.
ISLA GEBBIE
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epuis toujours j’adore le théâtre, mais c’est seulement depuis « Guys and Dolls » que j’ai compris à quel point. Etre sur scène avec mes meilleurs amis était une expérience inoubliable et je sais que je poursuivrai ce nouveau rêve que j’ai découvert. C’était probablement la meilleure expérience de ma scolarité – je ne peux pas décrire le sentiment que j’ai ressenti. Jamais je n’oublierai cette expérience !
TOMMY RUSSELL
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e que j’aimerais partager avec tout le monde c’est mon opinion sur l’importance de la communication des émotions. Bien sûr, je ne crois pas qu’on doive toujours partager ses émotions avec des inconnus, mais si quelqu’un de proche fait quelque chose qui provoque des sentiments, qu’ils soient bons ou mauvais, il faut qu’on lui fasse savoir l’impact de telles émotions. Ainsi, la conscience de nos amis et nos familles sera améliorée et la prochaine fois qu’une telle situation se produira, ils se souviendront et changeront leur comportement si nécessaire. Je ne dis pas tout ça parce que je suis un type très sérieux et profond, c’est seulement que je crois que beaucoup de la tristesse quotidienne (comme le sexisme et le racisme) pourrait être évitée si on communiquait ses émotions d’une manière plus claire.
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Form One go ‘walkabout’ Geography field trip
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orm One went on a ‘walkabout’ around the vicinity of Exeter School. The children were thinking about the question, ‘How does the location of Kampong Ayer compare with where I live?’ Using Digi map, they tracked their route and labelled house types and land use around the school. The children used lots of directional language and there was much turning of the maps, especially by me! Mrs Jones
City explorers
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n February 2017, Lower Two pupils visited Exeter to observe and record the land use in the city. The children needed to map read their way around the city centre, ending up at the Cathedral Green. They looked for
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different categories of land use including residential, business, administration, entertainment and education. Most children spotted multiple categories of land use at several sites. The children also looked out
for The Blue Boy, statues of Hope and Despair, the Roman wall and the Rising Phoenix emblem in Princesshay. They even managed to squeeze along Europe’s narrowest street (almost)! Mrs Jones
Geography
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Thunder lightning! Thought-provoking visit from the Met Office
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orm One were lucky to have Alexander’s grandfather, Dr Wyn Williams, in to give a talk about weather and the role of the Met Office. Dr Williams gave a super presentation with lots of interesting facts and images. We learnt about temperature, pressure and humidity and how these affect the weather. We also learnt about why it is so important for the Met Office to predict the weather. The children were full of questions and were
Exe Estuary explorers Upper One enjoy an interactive experience
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pper One children took part in a variety of practical investigations including shell hunting, worm digging and fishing, which helped them to appreciate the Exe Estuary as a unique ecosystem for different species, with a valuable biodiversity.
really buzzing about it all day. Alexander Ludman said he enjoyed learning the meteorological word for thunder: ‘a sonic boom!’ Rufus Lovell liked learning how the tornadoes are formed. “I found it amazing how high the clouds go up in the sky,” said Katie McMurray. “Lightning is very dangerous and can kill you and thunder can cause destruction,” observed Toby Donegan. Mrs Jones
“We found out that an estuary is where a river meets the sea. Estuaries are tidal. This means that the sea comes in and out during the day,” explained Rosie Batchelor (U1D). Her group found loads of lugworms, but not so many ragworms. “Most of the lugworms were really hard to find because they scurried away quickly! The prettiest thing anyone caught was probably a flat fish or a big crab,” she said. Wilfred Venn (U1B) thought that the ragworms looked spiky and they bite. Abe Tamblyn (U1D) said: “Josh and I found a whopper of a shrimp, lots of crabs and a prehistoric woodlouse.” Grace Lister (U1D) found lots of shrimps, five gobies, a prehistoric woodlouse, three crabs and lots of shells. They also found an amazing oyster which might have had a pearl in it. The children had a wonderful time and are to be commended for their excellent team work and inquisitive questions. “I think the estuary is an amazing place,” said Grace. “Most of all I liked the fishing in the creek. I think this is the best school trip I have ever been on.” Mrs Daws
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Bringing classroom theory to life Lower Sixth Geography field trip to Brampford Speke
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e started the day off by travelling on a coach to Silverton, where we walked along the river towards Brampford Speke. Whilst walking along the river we looked at physical geography; the different shapes of the river and how the river meandered and deposited material. It was great to see in person exactly what we had been learning in class. This gave great perspective and helped me to remember the different features of a river for my revision. After looking at the river, we walked into the
village of Brampford Speke where we did some human geography. We were given a booklet to fill out for which we were looking at the different land uses and how the village had changed from what it was a while ago to what it is like now and how isolated it is. We also looked at the main features of the village like the pub, village hall, school and church. This was useful for our settlement topic. We then hopped back onto the bus and made our way back into Exeter where we were dropped
From eels to elvers! Lower Fifth Geography field trip to Axe Valley wetlands
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knew a little about these before we went having swum with lampreys and eels (unintentionally!) but this field trip taught me in more detail about the myriad of different wildlife: trapping and counting mink; watching for dog otters as well as the vast quantity of birds of prey like barn owls, kestrels and buzzards with osprey putting in the odd appearance. Splitting into groups, we learnt about kick sampling, measuring the velocity of a river as well as the river bed shape and a host of other field work activities, including measuring wind speed and light intensity. Kick sampling included standing up to our knees in the river with a net and kicking the stones in a specific area. This caused all the wildlife hiding there to flow into the net. From here, we counted all the insects, fish
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and even an elver! The velocity of the river was measured by dropping a cork into a stretch of 10 metres of water and timing it. To measure the shape of the river bed, we found a straight line across the river and at small intervals measured how deep it was. This was then drawn up onto a graph to give us depth and shape. With the field work, we were given a map, an anemometer, a light meter and a thermohydrometer. We can all went to different sights and recorded temperature, wind speed, light intensity and humidity. We also had a tour around the wetlands, learning a little about the estuary, how the land is managed, different types of birds and animals and their habitats. All in all, the whole year group had a thoroughly enjoyable trip and learnt a huge amount from the experience. Flora Gray (Lower Fifth Form)
off near to St David’s train station next to the river. We looked at the mitigation methods of the river flood and defences and land uses surrounding the river. We also had a talk from a committee manager who is in charge of the hard and soft engineering strategies to reduce the flood damage. We ended the day by looking at the new defences that are being put in place and what the effect they will have. Overall, it was an informative day that helped me to learn; I enjoyed it very much. Amy Dixie (Lower Sixth Form)
Experiencing Victorian Britain
Coldharbour Mill 2017
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pper Two enjoyed a tour of the factory at Coldharbour Mill, where they found out what it was like to be a child worker in a textile mill in Victorian Britain. They also learnt about the processes involved in transforming wool into a range of manufactured products. Part of the day involved a drama activity where Mr Robson, a rather unpleasant and scary factory foreman (in role), put the children to work to decide their suitability for a job at the mill. Staff and children alike wore Victorian costume to help further the experience, with the pupils writing letters of application, in advance, to express why they needed work at the mill. Oscar Clements said: “It was a great experience and boosted my knowledge of factory life and weaving machines.” Albert Hughes loved looking at the big water wheels and boilers that they used to power the machines. Sophia Ridehalgh enjoyed the opportunity to dress as a Victorian and to experience the harsh life as a child working in a factory. Mr Bland
Re-living history’s darkest moment Holocaust Memorial Day 2017
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his year, for Holocaust Memorial Day, A Level History pupils travelled to Exeter University to hear Ernest Simon speak about his first-hand harrowing experiences of the Nazi rule. Ernest saw Torah scrolls burnt in front of him, saw friends and family attacked and faced great prejudice in his hometown in Austria. He managed to escape to the UK on Kindertransport, just before the outbreak of World War II, thanks to the desperate efforts of his father. This opportunity was very valuable to all pupils who attended as it provided a powerful and moving insight into what life was like for Jews living under the Nazi regime in Europe in the 1930s. The experience was made all the more sobering as Ernest effectively drew parallels
between the horrors that faced him and thousands of other innocent people in Europe in the 1930s and 40s with the suffering of those in
present day Darfur, South Sudan, where a tribal conflict has led to a genocide of innocent civilians. This has created a humanitarian crisis, which has brought untold suffering to thousands. This made the experience even more real, making it one that would stay with us for many years to come. Will Piercey (Lower Sixth Form)
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Walk like an Egyptian!
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very excited Form One arrived on Wednesday 18 January spectacularly dressed as Ancient Egyptians. Many had chosen pharaohs as their inspiration, but we also had some budding Howard Carters, two Egyptian mummies and even a sacred cat! An amazing effort by the children (and their parents!). A very busy day organised by the RAMM museum ensued. The children spent the morning being
archaeologists, piecing together clues from the tombs and sketching real artefacts. They had success taping together an Egyptian pot and deciding whether items were old or new (not as easy as it sounds!). “Trying to put an Egyptian pot back together was very hard but lots of fun!” said Alexander Ludman (F1C). “I really enjoyed sketching a Jackal,” said Eddie Leaver (F1C). The children then spent the afternoon learning about the
Form One enjoy Egyptian Day mummification process through role play, with each child acting out their ‘job’ to the audience. “My favourite part was the mummification. I was a spice worker. I had a bag of spice and dipped it in the oil and sprinkled it on the mummy,” said Daisy Brough (F1H). The children really enjoyed their experience of being an Egyptian for the day and gained a wealth of knowledge as a result. Mrs Handley
Transported back in time… Form One experience Roman Day
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orm One children were transported back in time, when they undertook the role of Celts and Romans for the day (thank you for the wonderful effort with the costumes!) led by the RAMM. They began the day as part of a Celtic tribe and were able to experience a wealth of artefacts to establish what everyday life was like in Bronze Age Britain. They discovered that the Romans were rapidly approaching their settlement and had some important decisions to make; were they going to accept the Roman invasion or fight? Some impressive debating ensued!
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The children made valuable contributions and were able to consider the changes that Roman life would bring, even participating as Roman soldiers and learning tactical manoeuvres like ‘the Turtle’ (they decided life as a Roman soldier would be very tough!). The afternoon culminated in a battle between the Celts (U1) and the Roman army. The children really benefitted from hands on experience with many different artefacts and we were very impressed with their behaviour and participation throughout. Well done, Form One! Daniel Adams said: “I really enjoyed the battle and including the Upper
One children.” Toby Donegan liked trying on the armour and looking very fierce in the photo. Katie McMurray said it was super fun when we looked at all the artefacts… some were very smelly! Daisy Brough said: “I was very surprised at how heavy the armour was. The Romans must have been very strong.” Bea Hughes said: “My favourite part was dressing up in real Roman clothes and jewellery.” James O’Connell said: “Our general was just like a Roman commander. He could talk Latin and was very grumpy!” Mrs Handley
History
Life on the The awesome Aztecs! Home Front History brought to life for Upper One Upper Two learn about Britain in WW2
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pper Two were transported back in time to World War II when storyteller Steve Manning talked to them about life on the Home Front in Britain. Steve brought the period to life with true life tales, songs and an airraid quiz. He also showed a number of different types of gas masks, which the pupils found fascinating, particularly the all-in-one baby suit. He also undertook the role of the indomitable and infuriating ARP Warden, Colonel Trotter, who held their attention with numerous amazing true life stories and facts. Charlie Ampleford said: “It was clever how Steve Manning changed in to the air-raid warden with his old fashioned clothes and real helmet.” Lucinda Emmett and Eliza Heard found all the old equipment really exciting: “We would have really worried how the babies had to fit in to a special suit to protect them from any gas.” “All the facts about the War were really eye opening, especially as all the stories Colonel Trotter told us were based on real life.” Mr Bland
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pper One were treated to some strange tales and fun facts about the Aztecs when they were visited by ‘Juan the Spanish sailor’ (otherwise known as storyteller, Steve Manning). Dressed in armour and all his finery, he helped to widen the children’s understanding and enjoyment of this fascinating time in history. “His stories and acting were great, appearing like a real old sailor,” enthused Todd Rook.
“The Aztecs thought the Spanish were gods when they used their ‘fire-sticks’ (guns/cannons) to kill them without touching them,” said Wilfred Venn. Aidy Wilson and Dylan Bone agreed: “We both really enjoyed the gory story about a giant who was tricked by three Aztec girls, who were actually the Spirits of the Maize.” “I liked how he pretended to be different characters and gave both the Aztec and Spanish version of events,” said Yasmin Brown. Mr Bland
Stepping back in time Lower Two find out about Tudor times
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ower Two very much enjoyed a visit from Storyteller Steve Manning, who held a workshop on the adventures of an English seafarer during Tudor times. As a well-travelled Tudor sailor, he recounted tales of exploration and life at sea with Sir Francis Drake. Using props, such as a giant portrait of Drake and a large scale Tudor world map, he spun tales of adventure, Spanish treachery, conquest, colonisation, and circumnavigation. Pupils were taken back in time and drawn into a maritime world, where sailors were sick with scurvy and the
biscuits were crawling with maggots! Jess Maunder (L2R) said she was inspired to do something adventurous. Matthew Roberts (L2R) really enjoyed Steve’s acting and hearing about many aspects of Drake’s life as well as learning lots of new things. Mr Bland
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Food for thought
Lecture sparks curiosity in Lower Sixth Form pupils
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n September 2016, the Lower Sixth Form Further Mathematics class, along with Miss Marshall and Dr Chapman, attended a talk at Budleigh Literary Festival about the limits of scientific and mathematic knowledge. The talk was given by Marcus du Sautoy, a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford and the Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science, as he explored some of the themes in his new book What We Cannot Know. As a charismatic and captivating speaker, he was able to convey complex ideas in an extremely accessible way. Interesting topics such as chaos theory, quantum physics, and probability were covered, and various questions were raised about the limitations of our knowledge, for example ‘can we ever predict the future?’ We left the talk with plenty of food for thought and an inspired curiosity, which would be incredibly useful as we embarked on our Further Mathematics course. Lucy Zhang (Lower Sixth Form)
Epilepsy explained Drama and Mathematics combine to convey important message
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n Thursday 16 March, the Northcott Theatre came to school with some mathematicians from the university to tell us how epilepsy works and what it actually is. They started by explaining roughly what epilepsy is and in order to explain to us fully they created a model of it. This was designed to make sure we understood the condition. The model was a family; each member was influenced by another member and influenced another or in some cases the same member. Some members were influenced by, or influenced, two or more members. When all the members argued because they all wanted different things, the brain was working normally. This is why we can multitask. However, when one member got what he/she wanted and everyone else agreed with them, this was
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an epileptic fit. One part of the brain had controlled all the others and the brain was only capable of doing the task that part of the brain wanted. You see this when someone has an epileptic fit; they stay still and stop breathing, another part of the brain has taken control and they are doing something else. Later, the mathematician from the university
who studies epilepsy explained to us in depth about the condition and how certain surgeries can help it. He explained that everyone has the capability to have an epileptic fit but some brains are more susceptible due to the connections between different parts of the brain, as with the model of the family. Joel Seaward (Middle Fifth Form)
Mathematics
Christmaths carols! Festive fun in the Junior School
Take off with maths! Lower Two enjoy trip to Exeter Airport
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has made me think a lot more about how airlines can make a profit or a loss, as a result of number of tickets sold, cost of fuel etc. I have realised how expensive planes are. I am very interested in the business side. I particularly enjoyed the visit into the Hangar and looking inside the aeroplane.
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or our Independent Christmaths Project 2016, all Junior School pupils were invited to create their own ‘Christmaths Carols’ or a mathematical versions of a wellknown carol. Fun mathematical references, challenges and mathematical questions related to their carols and kept school mates and teachers entertained as they tried to solve and answer a variety of fun questions. Pupils certainly used their imagination, mathematical knowledge and creative skills to provide a fabulous Christmaths carol gathering on the Atrium landing. Miss Marshall, Head of Mathematics from the Senior School, had a wonderful time judging and singing her way through the entries. A very hearty well done to all pupils who took part. Ms Barnes
Beau Piggott Gill (L2R) said: “I learnt things I never really knew about before. We asked our own questions and got some interesting answers. I did not know that they stored the fuel in the wings. The trip helped me with converting between metric and imperial measures.” Ms Barnes
ower Two had a fascinating time at Flybe Engineering and Training Academy at Exeter Airport, which helped them to connect their mathematical understanding with the wider world. They each prepared a variety of their own interesting mathsrelated questions before the visit and were then able to ask the experts! Angelica Fitt (L2P) said: “I enjoyed the Flybe Hangar because it was full of planes. I remembered the engines the most because there were so many gears and parts. The trip helped my maths understanding because of all the different measurements and knowledge needed to fly and repair planes.” Ben Mason (L2B) said: “The trip
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grow
Can you
a fiver?
Upper Two rise to the challenge
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pper Two delighted the whole school with their designs, creations and stalls set up for their Virgin Money, ‘Make your £5 Grow’ independent maths project, where they worked in small groups to make and sell a wide variety of products to generate a profit whilst learning a lot of other very important life skills along the way. They raised almost £1400 and have donated
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significant amounts to their three chosen charities. Short-listed teams presented their ideas to a team of six dragons in our very own ‘Dragons’ Den’ consisting of Heads of Department from the Senior School, Mrs Marks, Mrs Hooper, our Bursary Assistant, a representative from Virgin Money and Mr Kevin Cheney, Chair of the Junior School Governors. Ms Barnes and Mrs Goldsworthy
Mmmmmm…..maths! Upper One put their maths skills to the test at Wagamama
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pper One pupils always enjoy their maths trip to Wagamama, the Japanese noodle restaurant in Exeter. Amongst the different tasks, pupils taste and weigh different types of food, create, measure out and drink delicious juices, place food orders and create till receipts and rise to the chop-stick challenge! The pupils gleefully finish off the trip with a scrumptious bowl of Yaki Soba noodles, for which they had previously weighed out the ingredients. The following pupils received Headmistress awards for their excellent write-ups of the trip. Megan Roberts (U1B) said: “I learnt how to weigh different food and how to take orders. My favourite bit was eating our Yaki Soba!” Noor Shariff (U1D) said: “I most enjoyed finding out about how to cook different food using different
measurements. The food was delicious and my favourite bit was measuring out the sweetcorn, mange tout and peppers for our Yaki Soba!” Wilfred Venn (U1B) said: “I enjoyed weighing because usually I get it wrong. It helped me to get better and understand it more. The total weight of vegetables needed for our Yaki Soba meal was 40 grams which was added to 40 grams of noodles. My other favourite bit was when we made our smoothies. Mine included fresh orange and apple.” Freya Kotting (U1D) said: “I liked learning that they do not need to write down orders as they can do
it on an ipad which sends a signal to the computer. I really enjoyed putting my weighed vegetables into the food bag and twisting it around 360 degrees to make sure it was closed.” Ms Barnes
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Going for gold Another year of Maths Challenge success
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he Mathematics department has once again challenged the pupils this academic year by entering them for the UKMT Maths Challenges and Team Challenges. The problems reward determination and the creative application of mathematical techniques. Here is a brief summary of the highlights. In November 2016, 118 pupils from the Sixth Form and Upper Fifth took part in the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge, designed to test pupils’ ability to problem solve and apply their mathematical knowledge in unfamiliar contexts. The results were very encouraging, with nine pupils achieving Gold certificates. These were Will Austin, Tom Bayley, Tara Brind, Juliet Everson and Emily Smith from the Upper Sixth, and Lucy Zhang, Louis Withers, Jake Kilmartin and Will Pearce from the Lower Sixth. There were also 24 Silver awards and 44 achieving Bronze awards. Will Austin (U6) received the award for “Best in School” whilst Lucy Zhang scored highest in the Lower Sixth. Jamie Stephenson and Eleanor Loughlin were the joint highest scorers in the Upper Fifth. Will Austin, Tom Bayley, Lucy Zhang, William Pearce and Louis Withers were invited to take part in a follow on round, in which Will Austin was awarded a Merit.
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Also in November, Mr MaloneLee took Louis Withers, Charlie Austin, Will Pearce and Lucy Zhang (all Lower Sixth) to Exmouth Community College to represent the school in the Devon Senior Mathematics Team Challenge. This is a maths problem solving competition, with three rounds designed to encourage teams to work collaboratively to solve some extremely tricky problems. The team worked really well together against the 20 other schools competing, most of which included Upper Sixth Formers and finished sixth overall. They also sharpened their negotiating skills, getting a round of ice creams out of Mr Malone-Lee on the way home. In February 2017, approximately 240 pupils in the Lower Fifth, Middle Fifth and Upper Fifth Form took part in the Intermediate
Maths Challenge, with similarly excellent results. Gold certificates were earned by Upper Fifth Formers Jamie Stephenson, Adam Seaward, Charlie Mayall, Patrick Kelly, Lauren Sampson and Charlie Hayman, by Middle Fifth Formers Joel Seaward and Josh Grier and by Lower Fifth Former Oliver Bennett. There were also 29 Silver and 50 Bronze awards attained. As a result of this competition, Jamie, Charlie, Adam, Josh and Oliver were invited to take part in some follow on rounds known as the “Kangaroo” Papers and Oliver and Josh achieved a Merit. Joel Seaward scored the highest in the school in the competition and completed the prestigious and extremely challenging Hamilton Olympiad paper as a follow on round. He did very well, achieving a Merit. Also in the spring term, Mr Malone-Lee took a team of four Fourth and Lower Fifth Formers to Exmouth Community College to compete in the Team Maths Challenge against 29 local schools. The competition aims to encourage cooperative problem solving and
the team of Mark Pugh, Lauren Hughes, Emma Halford and Tom Harris-Deans worked well together through the four rounds. In spite of a small marking irregularity, the team was still able to finish in an
excellent sixth place overall, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the day out. Finally, in April 2017, our Third Form and Fourth Form pupils sat the Junior Challenge. The
top seven percent in the country received Gold certificates and we had eight pupils in this category. It should be noted that Mark Pugh, who was also awarded “Best in School”, qualified for the Olympiad follow on round, in which he did superbly well to achieve a Merit. Joanna Reynolds, Katie Ledger, Tom Metcalf, Ethan Hwang and Sophia Bosch also qualified for the Kangaroo follow on round. Other Gold certificate winners were Toby Grier in the Fourth Form and Fred Croft in the Third Form. In addition to this, 21 pupils achieved a Silver certificate and 32 Bronze. Congratulations to all pupils who were awarded a certificate this year and well done to everyone who tried hard, regardless of the result. Mr Parry
Pupils ponder national puzzles
Primary Maths Challenge 2016
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ur Junior School pupils embraced the Primary Maths Challenge again this year, enjoying a wide variety of problemsolving questions to test their higher order thinking and being part of this national event. 114 pupils from Upper Two, Lower Two and a small group from Upper One sat the paper on Wednesday 16
November 2016, with nine pupils achieving an outstanding gold certificate, twentyfour pupils achieving a super silver certificate and forty-three pupils achieved a brilliant bronze certificate. Others were awarded a ‘Taking Part’ certificate for stretching their maths thinking and approaching the challenge with a positive mindset. Ms Barnes
The Exonian 2017
And that’s a wrap! Form One Design and Food Technology
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orm One have designed ‘healthy wraps’ in Design and Technology in the autumn term. They tasted a selection, comparing their likes and dislikes including taste, smell, texture and appearance. The children learnt several cutting techniques whilst preparing their wraps including the bridge cut, claw cut and using a fork to secure the food whilst cutting. All the children enjoyed peeling and grating the fruits and vegetables too. Bon appetit! Mrs Jones and Mr Bland
Digital design Upper One enjoy visit to the Fab Lab
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Design Technology
An insightful experience
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n 14 -15 May, 25 GCSE Design and Technology pupils from the Middle Fifth Form visited the Land Rover and Morgan factories. Indoor go karting preceded the visit on Monday, this was a hotly contested event and a memorable team building occasion. Tom Peters set the fastest lap time, while Alf Raynor won the final. The traditional skills of Morgan and the automated mass production of Land Rover made for an exciting contrast. Pupils saw the birth of the Morgans from bare chassis up to rolling stage, then the traditional skills to create the ash frame, aluminium skin and leather interiors were observed. In stark contrast, the Land Rover Discovery production line demonstrated huge investment and lean manufacturing where 1000 lorries a day visited the site which only held four hours’ stock of components. No vehicle stock was held, all were made to order. The level of automation and complete lack of people in some areas was a great surprise to many! Mr Rose
Morgan and Land Rover factory visit
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uring the summer term 2017, Upper One had the opportunity to visit the Fab Lab (fabrication workshop) in Exeter Library. This is a community resource where you can learn about and use digital making to produce almost anything. The children took part in a 3D printing workshop to make a personalised keyring. They used laptops and design software to create their own product. There was great excitement as the first keyring was printed out! The children also saw a 3D scanner in action and were able to view Mr Bland’s head in 3D. They heard about how different materials could be used, even chocolate, and could see how alterations could be made. Mr Bland has never looked so good! “At the Fab Lab we made 3D keyrings. My favourite bit was when we scanned Mr Bland,” said Arabella Kennaird-Melling. “It was great fun and creative. I like all the tech things and how you send it from the computer to the Ultimaker,” said Yasmin Brown. “It was really interesting, I liked how all the machines work, and it was cool how they use different materials,” said Tess Hughes. Mrs Jones
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An impressive display Annual Design and Technology exhibition
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his year’s GCSE and A Level projects were on display on 18 May. GCSE Resistant Materials pupils and A Level Product Designers demonstrated a wide variety of skills from laser cutting, CNC milling and 3D printing, to traditional wood and metal work skills. The range of GCSE projects included a log trailer, kite boarding rack, stereos and a large variety
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of different storage solutions. A Level work saw a recycling solution, mechanical spice rack, an architect’s design aid, and a mechanics tool unit. As ever, after setting themselves some demanding design briefs, the pupils worked very hard and put in extra time to their credit. In addition to the fantastic making skills, there were some very impressive design
and rendering work, giving the Middle Fifth much to be inspired by as they begin their own coursework pieces. Pupils of note for impressive performances include Matt Cox, Annoushka Slivjic, Charlie Mayall, James Harris, Anna Starling, Anna Preece, Isobel Stylianides, Patrick Kelly, Mark Malone, Peter Quine and Tom Barlow. Mr Rose
Design Technology
Team Vulcan soar to success
prepared in most aspects, and this shone through to the crack team of judges we had been assigned, and one team pushed through to the national competition, Team Vulcan. The nationals were by far the most exciting part of the whole competiton. 1 in Schools is a competition run It was a more advanced and in many countries across the sophisticated ball park to compete globe, that entails designing, with, which really put the whole team building and racing a model Formula to the test in every aspect. 1 car, however, it is so much more To get to the nationals, the whole than just making a car! You have to team, plus Dr Rowland and Mr Rose make two five-page A3 portfolios, travelled down the night before, give a short (but scary) verbal stopping in a delicious gourmet petrol presentation to a team of judges, station, and then spending the night well-experienced in the field of in a top of the range Premier Inn. The engineering and you must design following morning, we arose early, your own clothes to wear. just after 8am. After eating a quick This year, Exeter School entered breakfast, we made our way down to 3 teams into the F1 in Schools Silverstone Circuit, where the event worldwide competition. All the was based. teams were capable and wellOnce we made our way inside, we
F1 in Schools competition
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had to quickly set up our pit display, due to us being held up in traffic, while our capable team manager collected paperwork. We were then judged on everything we had done in the competiton, including at the regionals. By the end of the day we were completely worn out, and ready to go home, when we unexpectedly won the ‘Innovative Thinking’ award! This was such a surprise to Redmond as he wasn’t even wearing team uniform. F1 in Schools has been an inspiring experience for all of us, and I can say on behalf of everyone who did it this year, thank you to Dr Rowland and Mr Rose for offering a capable hand with the team, and especially to Dr Rowland, who really helped in the run up to the nationals. Oliver Tucker, Team Manager (Middle Fifth Form)
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A busy programme for Catalyst Club liquid nitrogen, including making liquid nitrogen ice cream and creating an impressive explosion on the school field. Thanks must go to all of those his year there have been seven Historical Truth?” in which events were teachers who have given up their time Catalyst Club events, each one analysed from different viewpoints. to run these events which offer such run by a department in school. The final event was ‘Very Cool excellent opportunities for our pupils The aim of Catalyst Club is to provide Physics’. Mr Trim led the Catalyst Club to stretch and challenge themselves one-off events and workshops outside through a range of experiments with outside of lessons. Dr Smale of the normal teaching topics. The Music department invited alumna Rebecca German to run a workshop on “What Is Music?” a few days before she took up her studies at Cambridge University. Philosophy, led by Revd Tom, ran a thought provoking workshop on how you would rebuild society after an apocalyptic event. Mrs Cull in ICT ran an introduction to the Delphi programing language and Mrs Alborough hosted a session in linguistics for MFL. Electronics ran two workshops on logic gates (one led by Dr Houghton and one led by Mr Schramm), including the building of And, Or, Not, Nand and Nor gates. Mr Trelawny hosted an exercise entitled “Is there such thing as
Thought-provoking events
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Comets Club L proves very popular
ower Two and Upper Two have been lucky enough to be offered a huge range of sessions this year, including some which were so popular they had to be run twice to accommodate numbers. Some of the sessions run in the Junior School included RS, Thinking Skills, Maths, Latin, Geography, ICT and English. The Senior School also ran sessions in Chemistry, Maths, Biology, DT, German and Politics. The huge range of activities included making fireworks, dissecting a squid, this year’s general election and using a 3D printer to make Lego bricks amongst many other. Thanks must go to all of the teachers who have given up their time and in particular to Mrs Daws, who has run the club for the past four years, for her excellent guidance. Dr Smale
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Teaching and Learning
Crossing Club Holding a range of academic enrichment events throughout the year, Crossing Club aims to stretch and challenge pupils in the senior part of the school
Understanding Alzheimer’s
An interactive experience
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r Isabel Castanho and Luke Tait from the Doctoral Training Centre, part of the University of Exeter came in to give a talk to Crossing Club on Alzheimer’s disease and their research. Isabel is a Neurobiologist and her research focussed on Epigenetics and Alzheimer’s. Luke is a mathematician and his research uses mathematical
models to identify neural pathways by monitoring patterns of activity around different areas of the brain. The interactive talk included a demonstration of an Electroencephalogram (EEG) which monitors brain activity. Several of the pupils were able to try this and view their brain activity live on screen. Dr Smale
Behind bars Ian Acheson delivers an illuminating talk on extremism in prisons
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n November 2016, Ian Acheson came into Exeter School and gave an illuminating talk to the Crossing Club on the subject of ‘Extremism in Prisons’. This gave an interesting insight into a subject that has caused much controversy in recent months and, having been tasked by Michael Gove to research and
review the system, Ian was deeply knowledgeable and well qualified to give the talk. Ian began the fascinating lecture by exploring the meaning of the word ‘Extremism’, considering the ways that religion can be distorted and exploited to incite violence. He then went on to describe his
mission assigned by then Secretary of State for Justice, Michael Gove, to lead an investigation and review into the British Prison System, and the extremism within it. He told of his journey around the prisons of Great Britain and Northern Island, during which he had evidently amassed a huge amount of detailed knowledge. He talked fluently about the complex ideology of the Muslim faith and the misconceptions and misunderstandings he regularly came across during his investigation. He laid out the key facts and information in a concise, yet clear fashion allowing a light to be shone on our understanding of the topic. He went on to discuss and debate with us some of the key issues and problems surrounding the topic. Ian then finished by briefly summarising the findings of his report, outlining the main points, dilemmas and his suggested resolutions. The whole talk was delivered in a balanced, professional and highly informative style and during the fifty minutes of thought-provoking discussion, all present learned a great deal. We would like to thank Ian on behalf of the Crossing Club and the school for his time and the insight he brought to the subject. Ed O’Connor and Honour Budiman (Middle Fifth Form)
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Simon Hall: the 50-minute question
eponymous question, the average time spent by people working. After talking about how interesting and involving a career in journalism is, he then set an interesting interactive task to give the spectators a sense of what journalism is like, as well as highlighting some of the pressures of the profession. Quickly establishing a fake radio station for the school, of which the audience members were journalists, he then proceeded to create five fictional headlines, of which three were to be used in a fast approaching broadcast. However, as the deadline loomed, he added first one, then another similarly important headline, forcing the audience to rethink their choices on the spot. This was to emphasise just how different journalism is compared to other lines of work. To finish, he offered handy tips for careers, not just for journalism, but for all walks of work; namely, start looking early, and get relevant work experience to try out the work before part of 25 years covering some of you make a choice. His talk was what he called “the biggest stories really rousing, and was undoubtedly ever seen”, he was more than wellhelpful for all those there. Special prepared to handle a small group thanks to Simon Hall for coming, as of schoolchildren. After a brief well as Dr Smale and the Crossing introduction to his life, he showed off Club for hosting. Bobby Hayman some facts and figures, including the (Upper Sixth Form)
Pupils rise to journalistic challenge
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n a warm September afternoon, the esteemed Crime Correspondent for the South West, Simon Hall, visited the school to give an inspirational talk on journalism, ‘The 50-Year Question’. Having spent the best
The Guerrilla Gardener
‘Not guilty, your honour!’
guard at a local bowling complex and had been accused of inflicting actual bodily harm on Sam Mojid, a teenage girl (played by Olivia Emmett), whilst escorting her from the premises. ichard Reynolds (OE 1995), gave Witness statements from further a talk on urban regeneration. members of the Lower Sixth helped Also known as the Guerrilla the audience, who later formed the Gardener, Richard has carried out xeter School’s academic jury, come to the decision that the numerous projects, mainly around enrichment society, the Crossing defendant was in fact not guilty after Elephant and Castle in London, Club, held another highly the defence uncovered inaccuracies where he has taken disused successful mock trial in March. This in the prosecution’s case. spaces and converted them into year, the case considered an assault The Crossing Club wishes to thank community gardens. His work has occasioning to actual bodily harm, Mrs Victoria Smyth and Mr David been featured in many books, contrary to section 47 of the Offences Charlesworth from WBW Solicitors, magazines, television advertising Against the Person Act 1861. who played the Judge and the Clerk campaigns and even music videos. The defendant, Leigh Hinton, respectively. Sam Scougall-Knight Dr Smale (played by Will Silver) was a security (Lower Sixth Form)
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Crossing Club’s annual mock trial
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Lessons in life PSHE morning for Upper Two
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his event is organised by the Police in July and schools are invited to participate. We always go with Upper Two, because
this wonderful series of workshops enhances the PSHE programme of our school. The children learn what happens when someone makes prank calls, have a talk by the coast guard, they look at electrical safety in the home, are reminded about internet safety and experience wearing goggles, which gives one the impression of having had too much to drink! Upper Two really enjoyed the morning and it
reminded them of so many things they have learnt in school this year. The highlight of the tour is when the Fire Brigade show how hot a chip pan fire can get and demonstrate the effects of putting water on top of it. We are carefully chaperoned by them, and the Police, and even though we are cordoned off well away from the fire, we still feel the effects of the heat and it is very memorable. Mrs Goldsworthy
Minute of Listening New form time activity encourages reflection and imagination
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his year, our Junior School pupils have been enjoying a Minute of Listening during some of their form times. This is a new resource that gives every pupil the chance to experience the richness and diversity that the world of music and sound has to offer. Listening, and the way we experience sound, has a huge impact on our lives. Yet in a predominantly visual culture, time is rarely dedicated to exploring our aural experiences and developing our ability to listen in a concentrated or imaginative way. Over the year, the pupils have had access to a new minute-long recording, available for every day of the week, covering a wide and varied range of recordings from different times, places and genres ranging from variations on a single note played on a ‘Bow Chime’ to a field recording in a busy market
place, from a dramatic orchestral piece to an eerie recording or lively African drumming. The aim has been to encourage pupils to think about what they have heard in different ways. Some found the sounds challenging to listen to, while others made them laugh and even dance! Following each Minute of Listening the class have held a short discussion, beginning with the simple question; ‘When you listened, what did you hear?’, encouraging the pupils to reflect on what they had heard and to share ideas and
opinions about the sound. Minute of Listening has also presented an opportunity for the pupils to let their imaginations run wild, and to embrace the idea that there is never a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ response in talking subjectively about their individual impressions of what they heard. Ms Barnes
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Never too young Lower Two Careers Morning
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ll of Exeter Junior School’s Lower Two pupils took part in the second annual Careers Morning this year. We welcomed Dr Pete Francis from the Met Office who delivered an engaging activity on temperate change. Actor, set designer and poet, as well as a businessman, Stewart Clapp invited the pupils to explore creative thinking in groups through an unusual poem based on sounds. Dominic Neagle said he particularly enjoyed the Science session, because when they were working together they could see the actual effect of global warming. Amy Cornfield said: “I enjoyed finding out the different skills people need for their jobs.” Jake Powers said when Mr Clapp read out the poem at the end, it totally made sense. A quiz on careers and transferrable skills was also run for the pupils. This was a positive opportunity, which enabled our pupils to start thinking about different careers. Mrs Cheesman
Relishing reading at Library Club
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he Junior Librarians do a brilliant job. There are always some smiling, helpful faces in the library, ready to lend books and offer a helping hand to borrowers.
Each week, the Librarians and I meet up to blitz the library, discuss new purchases and plan events and activities to draw in the welcome borrowers.
Our pupil Librarians cover 15 shifts in total, enabling our children to borrow books and browse through our library every day. Mrs Hardy
Teaching and Learning
Roles of responsibility Junior School buddy system forges new friendships
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pper Two look forward to the new school year and taking on the responsibilities of being a ‘Buddy’ to the new Form One children. Our children remember what it was like to be new to the school and they love helping the younger children and encouraging them as they start their new school. House lunches and House meetings create a bond between the children. They immediately seem to relate to each other and chat away, sharing thoughts and fun. Experience has shown us that this special relationship can carry on
into Senior School as past Buddies connect again with each other. Our children certainly value this initiative in the Junior School: “I don’t think I would know the Form One if I didn’t have a Buddy. Through my Buddy, Fred PriceAcford, I know other Form One children,” said Harry Sharp (U2G). “It is really fun and you can tell them about your friends and get to know each other; be nice to each other,” said Fraser Scott (U2G). “Having a Buddy gives you more responsibility. I really enjoy it,” said Ben Briar (U2G). Mrs Goldsworthy
The right move C
hess is a busy and thriving club with over thirty children playing. They keep Mr Beckwith and myself busy. They love to
challenge each other and the adults to play. Mr Beckwith has won all his games, unfortunately I have not! Nathan Ng (U2G), Toby Page (L2P)
and Charlie Hill (U2P) are at the top of our Leader board and are members of the ‘Shark’ league. Our ‘Pikes’ and ‘Minnows’ also compete and there is a fierce competitive spirit between the groups. Recently we sent a top team, William Markham (L2R), Toby Page (L2P), Nathan Ng (U2G), Charlie Hill (U2P) and Albert Cooper-Wedge (U2P) to compete in the Devon Junior Championships held at Kingsteignton. It came down to the last game played by Toby, but our team won the championship and four players have been asked to play in the Devon team. “Chess is a fun way to get your brain working. It is really relaxing and I love playing games against other people,” said Charlie GordonLennox (U2G). Mrs Goldsworthy
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Taking T the lead Sixth Form enjoy pilot scheme
The Exonian 2017
his year was the pilot year for the ‘Sports Leaders Award’, a new Friday activity option open to the Lower Sixth Form. The course, run by Miss Carter, Mr Mason, and Mr Ross is intended to turn a dozen pupils into qualified sport coaches over the two-year period. The Award has two distinct parts: sessions all together on a Friday doing either classroom work or practical tasks, and weekly sessions with a junior sports club. The intention is to give the pupils doing the award a good knowledge of the theory of coaching
as well as doing plenty of work applying the skills they learn in the classroom. In the first year pupils are taught different methods of practice as well as leaning about utilising teaching styles to suit a class. Perhaps the most important part taught is class control with the younger years. The aim of the second year is to give the pupils more in depth coaching knowledge such as dealing with pupils with attitudes, and designing full sessions for senior teams. Second year pupils will also be enrolling in their own time into a national governing body coaching award in a sport of their choice. Mr Mason, who designed the course, has said it was something that he had wanted to do for some time. One of his main visions for the course is for pupils to give back to the community and school that they have grown up in, and gain a practical qualification in the process. We would like to thank the PE staff for making the award possible and look forward to the next year of the course. Mollie Tettenborn (Lower Sixth Form)
The problem of evil Ethics Conference sparks debate
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n 30 January 2017, the A Level Religious Studies group went to the Exeter Corn Exchange for a conference hosted by Peter Vardy. Peter Vardy is an eccentric and extremely intelligent man, well-known and highly regarded as a philosopher and theologian. His work has contributed to parts of the A Level syllabus. Throughout the day, there were three separate lectures on aspects of the course as well as two debates which involved passing round a microphone, allowing students to debate and express their views, which is an important skill to have for the A Level examinations. Vardy led the morning talks on methods and types of arguments for God and religious experience. The guest for the midday lecture was David
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Webster from the University of Gloucester who spoke well about the ‘problem of evil’, followed by the first debate on euthanasia. After lunch, Vardy led the final talk on natural law and its applications. The day was finished with a final
debate on human significance. Overall, it was a good experience and very useful in terms of revising as well as extending our knowledge of what we have covered so far in the A Level course. Jamie Khan (Lower Sixth Form)
Sixth Form
Bradshaw on biology, bureaucracy and Brexit
long term effects of Brexit. Pupils of all ages asked a wide range of questions on many aspects of the current politics as well as the future of Medicine which will stand potential Upper Sixth Form medics in good stead as they approach their interviews later this year. As a Politics student myself, the talk allowed me to gain a wider understanding of our current political situation and consider views which I never had before. The talk was not only informative, but en Bradshaw MP spoke to a fascinating insight into the work of also interactive, keeping all pupils a large audience at the first an MP who has represented Exeter engaged and leaving us with plenty Medical Society meeting of since 1997 and held a number of to think about in the coming days. the autumn term on Tuesday 20 significant positions in the Cabinet. We greatly appreciate Mr Bradshaw September. The meeting was open Mr Bradshaw spoke briefly on the giving up his valuable time to to both pupils considering Medicine, different approaches to medical present his views and also being those studying Politics as well as health care and discussed the open to discussion in all areas. The anyone interested in the current pros and cons of a National Health talk has undoubtedly encouraged political situation. The talk attracted Service before opening the floor to younger pupils in the school to a wide range of pupils and it was questions. Not only did he focus consider Politics as an A Level great to see both those in the Sixth on the area of healthcare, but he option and restored faith in those Form as well as younger years in the was also open to talking about considering Medicine as a future school taking such an enthusiastic the current political situation career. Maia Thomas (Upper Sixth approach to the topic. Pupils gained within his party, as well as the Form)
Local MP meets Med Soc
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Election fever Youth Parliament success
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his year Lower Sixth pupil Zachary Marsh launched a campaign to become Exeter’s next MYP – Member of the Youth Parliament. This is an organisation run by young people for young people with the aim of bringing about social change through meaningful campaigning and representation. Zachary’s campaign (The Right Choice For Exeter) focused on here main strands – cheaper public transport for under 18s, better mental health provision and a more supportive, skills-based education. The school electorate turned out in great numbers on Friday 3rd March, where we were delighted to see Zachary win a mandate from the school and the wider Exeter constituency. Zachary said it was an
honour and a privilege to be elected by young people in Exeter to be their Member of Youth Parliament. “I look forward to working with them to get their voices heard and make positive changes, particularly in making public transport cheaper and improving mental health awareness,” he said. “I’m sure this will be a great opportunity for me, but above all I want to make a real difference to those I represent.” As part of his role Zachary will join all UK Youth Parliament members in the House of Commons for two debates on matters concerning
young people during his term in office. We look forward to seeing the progress he makes in this prestigious position. Sam ScougallKnight (Lower Sixth Form)
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“If you were an element, what would you be?”
Sixth Form interview scheme 2016
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f you had a superpower what would it be?”; “Name ten uses for a pen other than writing”; “If you could invite two people to a dinner party who would you invite?” These are just a few of the questions the Upper Sixth
Form pupils were asked when they experienced two mock interviews during September 2016, hosted by Gilbert Stephens and RILD at the RD & E Hospital. Several local professionals, spanning from a corporate lawyer to an anaesthetist,
gave the pupils an idea of a real life interview situation: something that is highly important for both university and job interviews. This is what the pupils thought of the experience. Abby Grierson and Jenny Watson (Upper Sixth Form)
I think the interview scheme really helped me to acknowledge the importance of things such as
body language and eye contact,
which are aspects of an interview I wouldn’t normally focus on. I’ve learnt that in the future I need to be
more confident
and express my
the passion forsubject fully. Daisy Game This experience highlighted the
importance of preparation to me. I discovered that not only do you need to be passionate about your subject or job, but also
know all the facts and details
in order to convince the interviewer you are the
The interview scheme
made me more aware
of how I express myself, but that I need to maintain eye contact, even when thinking deeply.
right choice.
Jenny Watson
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Harrison Yarnold
The Exonian 2017
Life beyond Exeter School Alumni and parents inspire Lower Sixth Form with fascinating insights into their careers
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lumni, friends and parents returned to Exeter School in March to participate in the second annual Careers Afternoon, part of the new Lower Sixth Futures Programme. The highlight of the afternoon was the keynote talk on “Getting started on your career and how to ace the interview”, by alumnus Luke Boxall (OE 1983), Client Services Director, Robert Half, a major international recruitment organisation. Luke shared with pupils’ expert tips on interview preparation and how to prepare for careers after university. Following this, pupils enjoyed taking part in two informative discussion-based seminars, learning about different routes into various careers, ranging from business and management through to scientific research.
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The afternoon closed with a talk from Adele Ruston, Widening Participation and Undergraduate Recruitment Officer, University of Bristol. She provided insights on how to get the most from University beyond the academic subject, including engaging with the Careers Service, taking on positions of responsibility and seeking work experience. An opportunity was provided for Sixth Form to network and discuss in more depth what had been covered during the afternoon. Lower Sixth Former Lucy Zhang said, “I found the afternoon useful because it offered a combination of career-specific advice (tailored to our aspirations) alongside more widelyapplicable interview advice, including handshake technique!” Sam ScougallKnight (Lower Sixth Form)
Sixth Form
A helping hand T
hroughout this year, Junior School pupils have had the opportunity to try their hands at playing a brass instrument, with the help of some of our Sixth Form musicians. Evan Usher and Will Pearce have worked with Brass teacher, Mr Moore, to offer superb support and guidance to Lower Two and Upper Two pupils in the Beginners Brass Group on Wednesday lunchtimes. Mrs Guthrie
Science Ambassadors Junior and Senior pupils take on leading roles
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ower Sixth Form pupils who receive their Science Ambassador badges work as mentors and give up their Tuesday lunchtimes to help guide and mentor Junior School pupils at Junior School Science Club. The assistance of these conscientious pupils means that more ambitious experiments and experiences can take place. Lower Two children have used bunsen burners, high powered microscopes and solved various challenges using scientific investigation. The Junior pupils explore the scientific world around them for pure enjoyment and wonder. I have been very impressed with the dedication and seriousness with which our older pupils have approached this responsibility and the enthusiasm and behaviour of Junior School pupils learning in the Junior School science labs. It is hoped that the title of Science Ambassador might be able to be earned by Junior School pupils, leading science in the school and the wider community. Later, it was the turn of the Junior Science Ambassadors to pass on their skills and peer tutor younger pupils. This was particularly pleasing, as all of the Junior Ambassadors were taken from Science Club members who
had benefitted from peer support themselves. On Wednesday 3 July, nine Junior Science Ambassadors, Mrs Marks and I, travelled to the New School to run a science workshop with Year 1 and 2 pupils there. After a warm welcome from Headmistress, Ms Michelle Taylor, the ambassadors quickly got to work setting up the experiments the younger children would carry out. Our nine pupils, chosen from Junior School Science Club were very keen to share their skills and knowledge. The New School pupils enjoyed a carousel round of three experiments: one table run by Mrs Marks, one run by myself and the third purely led by Junior Science Ambassadors. The young pupils from The New School seemed to have a great time and were full of enthusiasm. I was massively proud of our Ambassadors who were caring, considerate, knowledgeable and made the perfect leaders in Science. They really were great ambassadors for our
school. Well done to all the children from both schools. A great day was had by all and everyone left enthused by Science. Mr Pidwell
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Entrepreneurial Exeter School
Young Enterprise continues to grow
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xeter School entered two teams into this year’s Young Enterprise competition. Young Enterprise is a nonprofit organisation that aims to further business education and personal development skills amongst entrepreneurial teens. The two teams entered were Fractured, who established an urban fashion brand, and County Roots, who produced a Devon-themed colouring book.
“BEING THE LEADER OF MY TEAM HAS ALLOWED ME TO ENHANCE MY BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT SKILLS AND I AM GLAD TO HAVE TAKEN PART IN SUCH A REWARDING PROJECT” The Managing Director of Fractured, Sam Scougall-Knight
SAM SCOUGALL-KNIGHT, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF FRACTURED What encouraged you to join the Young Enterprise programme this year? As someone with an interest in business, I felt this was the perfect way to enhance my knowledge and skills, gaining an insightful experience of business management. Why did your company decide to create a clothing brand? We felt that there was no other clothing brand created for young
people, by young people, so we set out to fill this gap. One member of our group (Thomas Aldridge) has an interest in graphic design and photography, allowing us to enhance our brand. Was the experience helpful in terms of your personal development? Yes, it has helped me to develop leadership and management skills, which I believe will help me in later life. How did you market and sell your products? We built up a strong social media presence, with a sales rep
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scheme to help raise awareness of our brand. We sold our products through our online shop and market trade fairs. What challenges did you have to overcome? Working to establish our brand took lots of time and effort. How have the company members worked well this year? We have managed to overcome difficulties to work together to sell our product. What advice would you give to a future YE Managing Director? Make sure everyone has suitable roles to suit their personal expertise. Has the Young Enterprise process inspired you to pursue a business career? Yes, it has empowered me to follow a career in business. Will Piercey (Lower Sixth Form)
Sixth Form What advice would you give to a future YE Managing Director? I would say a director’s most important task is to manage the pace of production. Because the Young Enterprise is completed over the course of an academic year, it is a race against time to get a great product out and sold within a limited time. Has the Young Enterprise process inspired you to pursue a business career?
CHRISTOPH VON WENTZEL, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF COUNTY ROOTS What encouraged you to join the Young Enterprise programme this year? I decided to join the Young Enterprise team this year because I knew it would be a great experience to lead and work with a team of young professionals committed to establishing an expert business. Why did your company decide to create a colouring book? We decided on our product as it embodied our company ethos, based around the idea that everything should be local. We chose this over our original idea of coasters because we would be able to get young artists (many from the school) involved in designing the book. Was the experience helpful in terms of your personal development?
I am indecisive about any future career paths at this point. However, I would say that Young Enterprise is an amazing experience if you are in any way interested in going into business, and it really made me realize what, originally 7, Sixthto market our product, not only Formers were capable in such a marketing it at school but also in several local magazines and on local short space of time. radio. What challenges did you have to overcome? Our greatest challenge was simply getting the product in the first place: we had to raise £800 merely as a start-up cost. Our printer then decided to pull out of the project, but we were able to find a local printer that worked at a lower price than our original, which was a huge bonus. How have the company members worked well this year? The team, which has grown throughout the year, really makes County Roots what it is today. I believe everyone’s willingness to work together to make County Roots is what has allowed us to win the Devon Finals this year!
YOUNG ENTERPRISE IS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE IF YOU ARE IN ANY WAY INTERESTED IN GOING INTO BUSINESS
Christoph Von Wentzel, Managing Director, County Roots Both Exeter School teams entered the Devon County Finals held at the Met Office in April, where County Roots won the award for Best Company Report and the Overall Company Award. This meant that they progressed to the regional South-West Finals in Gloucestershire in June. Sam Scougall-Knight (Lower Sixth Form)
I had an amazing experience being managing director of County Roots. Working with such a great group of people allowed me to develop not only my leadership but also my teamwork skills. How did you market and sell your products? We used several different methods
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An enriching programme Lower Sixth Futures week provides much food for thought
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he Lower Sixth Form returned to school after their AS examinations for a week of thought-provoking talks and activities on life beyond Exeter School. Three pupils share their experience of the programme...
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The importance of teamwork
uring Futures Week, we were welcomed by the cheerful and enthusiastic Paul Mattin and his team. Mr Mattin previously worked in the armed forces and now runs his own business which is focussed on maximising teamwork, leadership and personal development. During the session, Mr Mattin led us through three tasking activities. Whilst the objectives of each activity were light-hearted, it became clear as the tasks evolved that there was a serious purpose behind each of them. The first activity involved the group using tape, wood, rope and a flag, to build the highest flag pole. This, despite appearing the easiest of the three tasks, proved to be the most difficult. On reflection, this was due to the fact that the group was newly formed, disorganised, positions were not yet established, and personalities clashed. The objective of the second activity was to build a catapult, using similar equipment, that would fire water balloons the furthest. By this
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point leaders were starting to emerge and our team began to work more efficiently. People who were usually quiet seemed to find a new lease of life, as a competitive streak and a team ethic from within seemed to kick in. The third activity was creating a rocket that when pumped with air, due to a build-up of pressure, the rocket would fire up into the air. This was a simple task as most of the equipment had been provided so we didn’t have to do much to create the rocket, however the difficulty was in figuring out what caused the rocket to fire up into the air. The breakthrough was achieved by bringing all the team members’ ideas together and testing them to see if they were successful. The final challenge was to use a mixture of sticks, tape and pieces of drain pipes to design and build an apparatus capable of rolling a ball from a certain point, into a bucket. Unlike in the other tasks, where some people could sit on the side-lines whilst other people took charge, the
entire team was required to play a full part in the task. Having reflected on our performance as a team, the true benefit of these activities became clear: namely, that sometimes you get so caught up in trying to win, you can lose sight of the benefits that teamwork and leadership can bring. These are both skills that will be invaluable for the future. In the afternoon, we received a talk from Allison Havey, the co-founder of the RAP project. This is a project that willingly talks about topics that children often find too sensitive and embarrassing to discuss. During the time that we spent with her, Allison managed to create a safe environment in which pupils felt willing to participate in the interactive presentation. The presentation reinforced the consequences of getting too drunk, but also how planning your night outs can minimise the risk of something unforeseen from taking place. Ben Crocker (Lower Sixth Form)
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How to succeed in business
e received a talk from Project Trust about gap years. We discussed the reasons why you may want to take a gap year and the benefits for you, universities and employers that are gained from a well-structured gap year. Project Trust is a charity whereby successful applicants fundraise for their trip and then go abroad for eight or twelve months to numerous countries all over Asia, Africa and South America. During this time, you become a part of the community living alongside locals and either teaching, working in social care or on outward bound projects. The talk was incredibly informative and gave many ideas as to how to spend their gap year.
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Later, two Old Exonians, Giles Humphries (OE 2004) and Myles Hopper (OE 2006) gave us a talk about setting up and running a business. Two years ago, they created the Mindful Chef business, where food is sent with recipes allowing people to eat a healthier diet that is also hassle-free. They explained the process of setting up a business from product conception to marketing to running a successful business with over 3000 customers a week. They highlighted the challenges they faced, but also the bonuses of running your own business. After lunch, there was a Q and A session with Young Enterprise members which focussed more on the nitty gritty and many great
questions were asked from costing to the best way to market yourself. Our final talk for the day was from Tony Hawks, who quite simply hitchhiked his way around Ireland with a fridge. He told us his entertaining and eccentric story about how this began as a bet, but materialised into one of his most fun and worthwhile experiences. His final story of how he challenged the entire Mongolian football team to a game of tennis was also entertaining but he also explained how this led him to set up his charity that has in part led to his MBE. This talk was incredibly entertaining and certainly made you consider what you might get yourself into before taking a bet. Meredith Marsh (Lower Sixth Form)
Personal branding profiles
n the Futures programme on Friday 16 June, we were split into three groups for a carousel of talks. My first talk was on the ‘Interview Scheme’, something we’ll be taking part in next year. In this talk, given by Mrs Marsh and Dr Bawn, we looked at what the interview scheme entailed and what we would get out of it if we partake in it; it is a great way of getting us prepared for university interviews or even future job interviews. We had the chance to have a go at interviewing one another, and it gave us a chance to get feedback to help us improve in the future. We have to fill in a form for the interview scheme and during this talk we began to look through this form and started answering the questions. This allowed us to start thinking about what type of person we are and what we want to do in
the future. Later, Revd Tom and Mrs Fairweather gave a talk on leadership and listening. It was an insightful talk as it got us to reconsider what a leader really is. We learnt that anyone could be a leader and that everyone can make an impact on someone else. We also looked at how important listening is in a relationship. There are many types of listening and they all have a different effect on the person talking. We enacted the different types of listening in scenarios to see firsthand the effect had on the person talking; this allowed us to improve our listening abilities. Alumna Jo Murchie (OE 1993) presented her talk on personal branding and it was my final session. Jo is one of the UK’s leading Personal Branding Experts and previously
worked for Warner Bros as Director of Sales. She explained the need to have both a personal branding profile on LinkedIn and also a good CV. We were given tips on how to create a personal brand and what aspects from our CV should be developed. I had never really heard about LinkedIn before and Jo provided a real insight into the importance of it in the world of work, and how it could help you in job seeking and making connections. I also learnt that some businesses actually use Facebook to shortlist candidates for a position which did shock me. In the practical session, we looked at how skills gained from extra-curricular activities could be developed to improve our personal profile on LinkedIn and our CV in the future. Jessica Flanagan (Lower Sixth Form)
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Division of labour Lower Sixth Business Game addresses key social issue
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n Wednesday 21 June, the Lower Sixth Form took part in the annual Business Game. Organised by Mr Mackintosh, the game saw the year divided into eight groups, each tasked with coming up with an idea for a company which would somehow benefit and help to integrate LGBT+ asylum seekers in the local area. There were four prizes on offer: one for the team giving the best sales pitch to the judges, one for the best “mood board” presenting their company, one for the best video advertising their company and one for the overall best business idea. Teams first had to select a local building to act as the base for their company before working out the cost-effectiveness of their business venture. Mr Mackintosh made it clear that these companies were not charities, they had to be profitable organisations, which gave all the Economics pupils a chance to use
their skills. Another important factor to consider was what the market needed. If a company was pitching a business idea that had already existed then no one would want to invest. The teams needed to come up with something original and they certainly did not disappoint with ideas ranging from youth clubs providing accommodation for refugees, classes in yoga and mindfulness and even an LGBT+ wedding planners. In the end, the company “Layered” won the overall prize as well as the presentation prize for their café and hostel idea. The prize for best video went to “Mind, Body & Soul” and “Fusion” took the prize for best mood board. It was a very enjoyable day and really helped the teams understand the importance of teamwork and punctuality, as well as the need for effective division of labour. Matthew Francis (Lower Sixth Form)
Junior School Prefects
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s one of the new Junior School Prefects, some of my duties are to tidy up the library using the Dewey Decimal System and help the Junior children with book recommendations. One of the most important duties is to listen to the children read their books. This helps them improve their speaking skills as well as their pronunciation of certain words. This also helps improve my own ability to help others and increases my ability to spot English errors. I am keen to help them to develop more of an interest in reading. This is important as I can recommend books to them and help them broaden their experience of literature. Zana Beka, Lower Sixth Form
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“The Sixth Form pupils also help in the playground, assisting with supervision and the enjoyment of playing games with the younger children.” Mrs Buckingham
Alumni Links
Exeter School Alumni 2016-2017
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his has been another busy year for Exeter School’s alumni with a range of social, career and sports events. The formal dinners at the Royal Thames Yacht Club London, Downing College Cambridge, and St Hilda’s College Oxford were well attended with past pupils from the 1940s to recent leavers among the guests at all three events, joining current and former members of staff and Governors. Nearly one hundred young alumni came to the reception for 2015 and 2016 leavers on a sunny September evening at the Pavilion. Regional reunions took place in a skittle alley in Birmingham and a pizza parlour in Edinburgh, both well attended by students at nearby universities and Exonians living or working in those cities. Other social events have included an alumni family picnic in the grounds of Christ Church, Oxford and a wine tasting event in London. Career events for our alumni have also been popular. The Exeter Careers Networking event in September featured talks on the Exeter Business Environment and its opportunities, attracting
over 40 Exonians from the local area along with students and sixth formers. The London Professionals Networking evening in November was well attended with undergraduates and recent graduates enjoying a talk by award winning personal branding specialist Joanna Murchie (née Langton) (OE 1993), and a chance to meet each other and exchange ideas on employment opportunities in the capital. Many past pupils from the 1950s to current undergraduates have come back to school for a tour during the day to see teaching in action and a coffee and chat in the Alumni Office. The school has valued greatly the generous support of the many alumni who have given talks to pupils, run workshops and lessons or assisted with our various career events. The Old Exonian Club has enjoyed a busy year. OE Day in September 2016 included a reunion of those who attended the school around 1970 and featured a wide programme of activities including a generous buffet lunch, tours around the school, the now traditional Chapel
Concert and a cream tea. In the evening, the OE Club Dinner was held in the Dining Hall. OE v school sports events kicked off the year in September 2016 led by the OE v girls’ hockey match when the school’s experienced and dynamic first team secured a 3-1 victory. It was followed in December by the
OE v school football match with honours going to the OEs 1 – 0 in a closely fought game. In March, the OE v school boys’ hockey was an exciting and lively match. The very experienced OE squad of twelve players achieved a victory over the school 7-4 despite the school taking the lead in the middle part of the game. In April, the school golf team took on the OEs at the Exeter Golf and Country Club. The four pupils in the school team achieved an aggregate score higher than the OEs giving a win for the school, for the first time in recent history. The school looks forward to celebrating the 20th year of full co-education with our past pupils in the year 2017-2018. Mr Davidson
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Mixing business with pleasure Exeter School business professionals networking event
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his year’s theme for the Exeter School Business Professionals Networking Event was ‘The Exeter business environment and its opportunities’. Guests, staff and Sixth Form pupils met over drinks and canapés in September 2016 to share their experiences of setting up businesses in the Exeter area. The event was supported by JLL, the financial and professional services firm specialising in real estate services and investment management, and Director Tim
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Downer (OE 1981) from Westerly BMW. The highlight of the evening were the talks from Ben and former pupil Claire Jordan (née Bolton, OE 2004), who talked about the challenge of creating their new 2016 business venture ‘The Bear Trail’, an outdoor children’s play experience near Cullompton, and from Marcus Di-Vincenzo, Company Director, MIG Security, who gave a talk on the rebuilding of a failing company local to Devon. Both talks were of great interest
to Sixth Form pupils involved in the Young Enterprise venture. Sam Scougall-Knight, Company Director of Exeter School Young Enterprise company Fractured Supply, said that the evening “was a fantastic opportunity to connect with local entrepreneurs and to take advice from successful business people.” The evening concluded with a prize draw, with Ian Williams (OE 1986) winning the bottle of Taittinger donated by JLL. Sam Scougall-Knight (Lower Sixth Form)
Alumni Links
What is music?
Alumna Rebecca German considers the meaning of music
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uring the first Catalyst Club of 2016, the Third to Lower Fifth Forms were lucky enough to receive a talk from Exeter School alumna Rebecca German (OE 2016). Rebecca started her gap year working with the school’s Music department, and hopes to pursue a degree in Music at university. Many pupils and staff enjoyed Rebecca’s enthusiastic exploration of the question ‘What is music?’, in which she challenged her audience to think about what music means to them. One element of Rebecca’s talk consisted of playing a number
My Kingdom for a Code Entrepreneurial message from Alumnus Hugh Collins
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f you’ve played Minecraft over the last year you may have heard of Code Kingdoms, an online resource designed to teach kids how to code through Minecraft. On Friday 7 October, one of Code Kingdoms’ co-founders, Hugh Collins (OE 2010), visited Exeter School. Hugh started off his talk by
of sounds, ranging from birdsong to pop music. Opinions differed upon what is classed as ‘music’, but ultimately each pupil was encouraged to develop their own personal, emotional response to the pieces Rebecca played. When we spoke to Rebecca about her talk, we were able to discuss what the question meant to her. ‘‘I see it as a purely human process: we use music for communication, sharing social occasions and to provoke sadness, as well as joy.’’ The talk succeeded in challenging explaining the premise of his company. He explained that there are a lot of jobs that require coding expertise, but there are not enough people to fill them and that this is the driving force behind what the company does; they try to teach younger children how to code, in the hope that later on in life that skill will serve them well. Next he described the huge gender divide in computer science at the moment and how, when compared to other sciences, the number of women studying this subject has actually fallen in recent years. He tried to dispel the belief that coding is just for men then and there. He then went on to the main theme of his talk - entrepreneurship. He described the process of building up the company, and how they had raised the money to do this through investors, how they had been trained in teamwork and advertising, amongst a variety of other aspects. He summed up his talk at the end
people’s preconceptions of the term ‘music’, whilst encouraging pupils to search for the music that exists in their everyday life. Abby Grierson and Daisy Game (Upper Sixth Form) by explaining that Code Kingdoms is still in development and so could fall apart at any moment, but that if that was to happen, he knew he would just try a new idea and run with it. Special thanks to Mr Davidson for organising this great event. Evan Usher (Lower Sixth Form)
Creative Coding
Hugh Collins inspires Upper Two
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pper Two pupils were delighted to have a talk from Hugh Collins who told us about his work for Code Kingdoms, a company which he himself co-founded. Hugh Collins’ work focuses on computer coding and its implications in a range of areas, not least, the field of computer gaming. Hugh focused his talk on adaptations to Minecraft and how functions for characters can be adapted to a user’s personal preferences. He went on to tell us how these skills can be adapted to the workplace in future life. It was a real eye opener and an area where the pupils seemed to be far more aware of what was going on than the staff in attendance! Mr Ashman
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What is the state of our seas? Alumna Holly Griffin enthuses Junior School pupils and hooks A Level Geographers
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pper One learnt first-hand about the current state of our oceans from alumna, Holly Griffin (OE 2012, Geography graduate and Ambassador for the Royal Geographical Society), in order to enhance their Geography enquiry into why sea turtles are endangered and how we might manage threats to their survival.
Holly’s interactive talk familiarised the pupils with key marine species and environments from lion fish to coral reefs, and presented the current threats to oceans and marine life around the world such as fishing methods, poaching and pollution. She reminded us of our responsibility to interact with our oceans sustainably and reminded the pupils of the important role they can play in conserving ocean life by reusing and recycling waste. Pupils impressed Holly with their recognition of marine species and their enthusiasm and empathy shown towards this environmental issue. They very much enjoyed recording their feelings as to why we should protect coral reefs on their paper fish for the washing line! Mrs Daws
H
ow was your last fish and chips? Many of us do not spend time thinking about how our meal got to our plates. Holly Griffin, a former pupil, gave an illuminating talk on how damaging the fishing industry is and how we need to tackle its problems if we are to ensure sustainability. A Level Geography pupils learnt about both the value and fragility of fish resources in society. For example, fishing nets, so large that they could fit in 13 Jumbo Jets, are dragged along the seabed, destroying all ecosystems in its path. Efforts to save the industry, such as quotas and regulations, are difficult to enforce and often have their own problems such as discarding unwanted fish. Holly, however, inspired optimism among future geographers. She highlighted that by creating Marine Protected Areas we can help guarantee sustainability, leaving us with real food for thought. Matilda O’Callaghan (Upper Sixth Form)
The Future of Power Alumnus Chris Clay meets Sixth Form Physicists
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n Friday 17 March, alumnas Chris Clay (OE 2012) visited School to give a talk about his work on ‘Small Modular Fission Reactors at Rolls Royce’. I found the talk very interesting and relevant as this research could potentially be the future for nuclear power in the UK.
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Hearing about some of the complex Physics and engineering involved in the design and maintenance of the reactor was a useful extension to our AS studies as we look at nuclear fission at A Level. Chris also had some helpful advice on careers in the Physics and engineering sector
in general and about university life at Oxford. Personally, I am now much more interested in the energy sector as the talk gave me an insight into the importance of this research and the many large companies, such as Rolls Royce, investing in this area. Sophie Gibbins (Lower Sixth Form)
Outdoor Pursuits
A weekend in Widemouth Annual Upper Two residential
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he final weekend of the summer term annually sees our oldest pupils pack their bags for a two-night residential in the spectacular outdoor adventure centre overlooking Widemouth Bay, Bude, Cornwall. Upon arrival, the team was warmly greeted by a lively group of instructors before donning wetsuits and climbing gear, and embarking on a surfing and climbing adventure. Perfect waves awaited our beginner surfers. They warmed up with dynamic stretches and team building water games before riding the waves into shore. “It was really fun, especially when there were big waves, even though they did knock me down!” said Sarah Knapp (U2A). This was echoed by Archie Eden (U2P): “It was so
much fun when you got a big wave!” Oscar Price (U2G) said: “It was fun surfing. I liked it when you timed it right. You were happy when you caught it. Everybody really enjoyed it!” “The instructors commented that they have never seen so many children standing as they had today and were very impressed!” A real love of sporting challenge permeated the weekend as climbing, abseiling, surfing, canoeing and coastal traversing activities progressed. “My favourite bit was squeezing through the rocks and tunnels,” said Tristan Mash (U2A). Perhaps the biggest challenge of the weekend was conquering one’s fears to abseil down a sheer cliff onto the beach. Group team work and
encouragement were observed in abundance as the children acquired new skills and techniques, overcame their inhibitions and encouraged each other to achieve. “The children were a pleasure to be with and all felt that they had challenged themselves through each activity,” said Mrs Goldsworthy. The weekend culminated with a fabulous camp fire, toasted marshmallows, joke sharing and Mr Ashman’s infamous tale telling of ‘Yee Old Empty Barn’, this time in notable Scots. Rupert Hughes (U2A) was stunned by the setting sun and gestured all to admire our wonderful setting before heading to bed. Mrs Daws
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An
action-packed day Lower Two and Upper Two visit Haven Banks
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nce again, Exeter Junior School pupils sampled Haven Banks Outdoor Education Centre down on Exeter’s quayside. Every year, Upper Two and Lower Two pupils enjoy an activity day at the centre and this year was no exception. Added to that, the weather was kind to us, particularly in the afternoon.
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The children participated in two activities of their choice during the course of the day, and enjoyed their packed lunch adjacent to the canal. As usual, the range of activities was extensive and included sailing, climbing wall, raft building, archery, kayaking, team building and canoeing. As for Lower Two, this was a first
taste of Haven Banks for them as a school activity. Phoebe Redfern said: “It was a really fun day and I particularly enjoyed sailing, because I do it out of school, but this was my first time on the canal.” Jake Power said: “Canoeing was great, because I enjoyed working as a team and we did some fun games as well!” Mr Ashman
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CCF:
The Army Section S
eptember 2016 saw 72 Middle Fifth pupils embark on their CCF career undertaking the Tri-Service Common syllabus course led by the Army section and ably assisted by both RN and RAF officers and Cadets NCOs.
Autumn term FIELD DAY
MIDDLE FIFTH
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he recruits visited Woodbury Common to complete their Tri-Service training. The day was run by the Upper Sixth NCOs who had been involved in delivering the syllabus earlier in the term and consisted of stands which tested Cadets ability to deal with a multiple injury scenarios for First Aid and navigate around a micro-navigation course. Additionally, they were introduced to the basic survival skills of water purification and fire lighting by a team from Footsteps of Discovery.
UPPER FIFTH
T
he Upper Fifth, accompanied by Capt Trim and Lt Hilton, visited the
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Footsteps of Discovery site in LOWER SIXTH Cornwall for an overnight survival exercise where cadets were he Lower Sixth, accompanied instructed in improvised shelter by Capt Vaggers-Webb and building, fire lighting, axe throwing Mr Jones, made their way and rabbit skinning, and given the up the M5 to visit Blackrock opportunity to practise those skills in Outdoors where there were put an outdoor remote environment. through a series on physical tasks to help develop their teamwork and leadership skills in preparation for the role as senior cadets next year in the Upper Sixth. Cadet Oscar Stewart was most promising cadet and was presented with the Bugle in Final assembly.
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Spring term
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he new recruits embarked on their Basic Army Proficiency Certificate. The Upper Fifth continued with their intermediate training programme. The Lower Sixth, having completed their Advanced Army Proficiency Certificate, started their ‘Methods of Instruction Course’ in preparation for their role as instructors for the new recruits in 2017. On 28 April the Senior Cadet baton was handed over by Cadet WO2 Eli Broughton to newly promoted Cadet WO2 Jolyon Rouse.
Outdoor Pursuits
Summer term
FIELD DAY
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he section ran an Inter Section Military Skills competition for the Middle Fifth recruits. The cadets approached the day with enthusiasm, commitment and a will to win. Competition was very tight throughout the day with 1 Section led by Cadet SSgt Amy Dixie and consisting of Cadets Ianthe Bell, Tess Gebbie, Tabitha MacphersonJorgenson, Daisy Bishop, Alex Foster and Oscar Stewart emerging as winners; they were presented with the Jack Sadler Inter Section trophy and individual medals by Brigadier Steve Hodder - congratulations to them.
SUMMER CAMP PENALLY, SOUTH WALES 15 - 21 JULY 2017
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n 15 July, 17 cadets from all year groups departed Exeter School for the wilds of South Wales to partake in the CCF Central Camp run by the cadet training team for Wales. The week began with a contingent training day where cadets were given the opportunity to experience paddle boarding off the Pembroke coast and quad biking in the Welsh countryside. The following day we started the training week with watermanship training at Sealyham Lake, which involved being taught how to lash beams and barrels in order to build an improvised raft to traverse a course in competition with other rafts; this proved to be an exciting event as, after a certain point on the course, piracy and sabotage were allowed. Tuesday was range day; cadets were given the opportunity to fire the Cadet L98A2 weapon system live on the range. There was some excellent shooting during the day; all cadets passed the cadet rifle proficiency shoot with 9 being awarded 1st Class and cadets Tom Aldridge, Charlie Wrey, Tom Barlow
and Oscar Stewart being awarded Marksman. Wednesday was Adventure Training Day which gave cadets the opportunity to rock climb outdoors and to kayak on Sealyham Lake - this was a relaxed day and thoroughly enjoyed by the cadets. Thursday and Friday was the highlight of the week, the overnight exercise, and was anticipated by the cadets. We deployed to Pembrey Sands training area on the morning of Thursday 20 July and carried a
2.5km patrol into the harbour area where we set up camp using Bashas and cadets had their first taste of Army Operational Ration Packs for lunch. Cadets were given the opportunity to experience fire and manoeuvre and ambush drills. Thanks go to Capt Trim, 2LT Hyde and WO2 Smith for their help during camp. Without them it would not have been possible and to all CCF Army Section staff for their hard work throughout the year. Major Nick Moon
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CCF:
The Royal Navy Section A
s another year comes to a close it is time to reflect on the past year in the CCF Royal Navy Section. During the last 12 months, the 94 RN cadets have taken part in a wide range of exciting and adventurous activities whilst taking part in team building, character building and leadership activities. Our intrepid Upper Sixth took command of the section and were responsible for running the training
raft building on the outdoor pool, and George Milner led a series of personal leadership tasks. Tim Nicholson and Rory Gladstone used their sailing expertise to run a dinghy race training programme, and Ellie Stewart and Megan Leeder helped run the recruit training for the brand new Middle Fifth cadets. Kate Furby and Emily Carr ran an introduction/advertisement about the Royal Navy section to the new Middle Fifth recruits and resulted in
for the younger cadets. Ben Luxmoore and Annie Evans capably took charge of their peer group to deliver some excellent RN training further enhancing the RN skills of their Upper Fifth cadets. Frazer Campbell and Caitlin McKay ran
the RN section taking on 32 Middle Fifth cadets this year. These 32 new Middle Fifth cadets were thrown feet first into the activities of the RN section including completing their Emergency First Aid at Work award, undertaking map and expedition
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training and basic RN skills. They then spent three weeks either kayaking, beginner or advanced sailing and then had an enjoyable field day doing their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition. The Upper Sixth were also responsible for teaching the more advanced RN knowledge to the Upper Fifth. The Upper Fifth, having completed their DofE Bronze qualifying expedition in rather challenging weather conditions, were relieved to have some rather more genteel activities with the Upper Sixth during the winter months! A taste of leadership tasks and learning how to deliver presentations, as well as learning some more challenging knots and sea terms. To let off steam, a few sessions on the climbing wall and self-defence were also thoroughly enjoyed. For the new Lower Sixth, a change of course from being younger cadets to starting their journey towards becoming instructors started. The first part of their Leadership Cadre during Autumn Field Day involved the Lower Sixth going to Haven Banks. Ben Smith (Lower Sixth) reported: “Beginning this year, the Lower Sixth in the Navy CCF section have been doing training for their Leadership Cadre. Whilst this opportunity is already great, one of the highlights in the training is Field Day. This year we got the chance to go down to Haven Banks to do various activities. To warm up at the start of the day, we began with some team
Outdoor Pursuits enjoyed by both chefs and particularly the tasters. Thanks to all the cadets and staff for making it such an enjoyable experience. As the exam session approached, the time came for the Upper Sixth cadets to hand over the helm to the Lower Sixth cadets. This year the section was ably captained by WO Jenny Herring who managed her team of Upper Sixth with enthusiasm. Her contribution to the CCF was further recognised by being awarded the honour of being the Lord Lieutenants Award and was thoroughly deserved. She handed over the tiller to WO Ben Smith whose commitment to the RN section has been clear right from the start and he will be assisted by Chief Petty Officers Charlie Williams and Kat Berggren. building. For example, we were put into pairs, one blindfolded, one shouting commands. This sounds simple enough, but made quite a scene when there were ten teens screaming at their partners who couldn’t seem to avoid crashing into one another in the middle of a busy square. Following that was the obligatory raft building which went smoothly until the end where, typically, they fell apart and most of us ended up drenched in cold water. After a break for lunch, we went canoeing down the canal in pairs for the rest of the day. This year’s Field Day was a great opportunity to gain some initial insight into the Leadership Training and a good opportunity to have some fun.” The Lower Sixth then went on to deliver training to the new Middle Fifth and then run the ever popular RN v RAF Interdeck competition which I am delighted to report that the RN won! The highlight of the year was the annual Summer Camp which took place at Roadford Lake in the first week of the summer holidays. 19 cadets and six staff spent a delightful six days camping and sailing in the beautiful and windy Roadford Lake working towards various RYA sailing qualifications. A day was spent on the high ropes and learning to windsurf – with varying degrees of success! The night exercise was run by the very inventive James and Freya Harris, involving the fascinating Swedish Candle and Mr Badger, and the now traditional MasterChef competition
CCF National Sailing Regatta
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n Friday 8 October, four pupils from the Upper Fifth and the Lower Sixth CCF went to take part in the CCF National Royal Navy and Royal Marines Regatta at HMS Raleigh. Robin Edbrooke (Lower Sixth) reported: “We left on Friday afternoon and spent the rest of the evening setting up our kit for the next day. One of the things about being at HMS Raleigh is that cadets are treated to the same rules as the regular troops and that meant marching to and from mess. After a very early supper we went to the games room and three of us were swiftly taught how useless we were at table football with Kat Berggren winning every game she played and causing the rest of the schools to despair at our apparent lack of ability. The winning continued into the next day with the sailing. Having
got up at 6 o’clock or far too early in our teenage opinion, we were then transported down to the site where we would be racing and after a horribly long health and safety talk we were off! Having never even sailed the boats which we were going to be in we were rightly nervous. The RS 400 variant, the Topper Argo, was truly much bigger and faster than we had all sailed before and the conditions were thankfully perfect with around 20 knots of wind and nearly flat calm. Unfortunately, the boats did not all have a spinnaker and both of our boats started without a spinnaker. Despite the lack of spinnaker, the first race was won by Max and me. Kat and Gabe then continued to come consistently come fourth and fifth throughout the six races. Max and I came 1st four times and 2nd and 3rd in the other two races. Max and I were declared winners as we won the event by 12 points against some proper sailing schools from Ireland, Scotland and England.” Congratulations to RN Cadets Max Faulhaber, Kat Berggren and Gabe Tamblyn and Army Cadet Robin Edbrooke. Mrs James
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Royal Air Force
he RAF section have had a busy and productive year. As in recent years, the Middle Fifth cadets are all put through recruit training in their first half term before taster sessions and choosing their section. The RAF cadets then quickly progressed through their part 1 (First Class Cadet) training before splitting into two groups, with those opting to take DofE bronze and those who stayed in the section to do weapon handling, shooting, belay training, climbing, drill, raft building
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CCF:
and navigation. The Upper Fifth have also been split for much of the year with half of the group completing their DofE Bronze expedition whilst the others had self-defence, climbing and shooting. The whole year group have completed their part 2 (Leading Cadet) training, completed a certificated first aid course and fire safety training including putting out fires with extinguishers. Lower Sixth completed Method Of Instruction Training and have
been delivering sessions to the younger year groups and supporting the Upper Sixth in delivery of the training. There have been several additional highlights through the year. Field days have included DofE Bronze practice and qualifying expeditions, mountain biking, orienteering, bushcraft and of course flying. There have been two additional flying trips this year for Middle Fifth cadets on activities days, an extremely high value experience, the cadets able
Outdoor Pursuits
to fly Grob Tutors alongside RAF pilots, even completing aerobatic manoeuvres on occasion. In January, following numerous additional training sessions, a group of 13 cadets travelled to Blandford Camp in Dorset to compete in the Air Squadron Trophy Competition (ASTC). The teams compete in drill, first aid, leadership, aircraft recognition, RAF knowledge, shooting and fitness. The competing teams covered the South and West region from Truro to Reading. Exeter School came a respectable seventh place and were the highest ranked Devon team. Notable mention should go to Emily Smith who scored the joint highest individual score in the first aid task. We have had two trips to the recently opened Dismounted Close Combat Trainer facility at Wyvern Barracks and hope to continue to use this in future as it offers an excellent opportunity to fire L98/ A2 rifles without live ammunition by using a computer simulation. This also has the advantage of easily simulating a wide range of scenarios. At the end of the spring term, a formal parade was held in recognition of the work that the Upper Sixth NCOs had put in through their time in the CCF. Commemorative medals were awarded to those who had shown an outstanding contribution to the CCF. From the RAF
before the exercise. Despite this, the exercise was a great success. The Sixth Form led the Middle Fifth and Upper Fifth through a series of training tasks including camouflage and concealment, first aid, team building, bush craft and evasion. The cadets all then cooked meals from military ration packs using trangias. As the darkness fell, the Middle Fifth/ Upper Fifth teams set out on the exercise to navigate around the area, collecting clues and equipment from checkpoints, solving puzzles as they went, all whilst evading capture from the sixth form cadets who had radios and night vision cameras. Following the departure of Upper Sixth, the head of section for 201718 was announced as Meredith Marsh. The Head of Section receives an engraved trophy of a jet engine propeller to keep for the year. Section Ft Sgt Finley Haddican, Sgt The annual Summer Camp this Emily Smith and Sgt Werner Kirkby year was at RAF Benson from 15 -22 all received medals. It was also July. The packed programme for the during this parade that the winner week included flying in Chinooks, of the Jack Sadler Award was given Pumas and Merlin simulators. Many to the most outstanding cadet, cadets went shooting on the DCCT which for a third consecutive year range. Section Visits included a trip was awarded to the Head of the RAF to 32 squadron – The Queen’s Flight, section. Congratulations Ft Sgt Finley Motorised Transport, Air Traffic Haddican. Control, Fire Section, Dog Section The annual Interdeck Competition and RAF Regiment amongst others. between the RAF and RN sections There was a trip to London to take was, as always a fiercely contested in the RAF monuments and the battle. Teams from both sections RAF club. Interflight competitions compete in a number of physical included first aid, weapons testing, and mental challenges before the uniform, sports and drill. There were top teams competing in a tug of war. also low-ropes session social events. Unfortunately for the RAF section, we This year we were even lucky enough did not retain the trophy for a third to visit the Royal International year. Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford, which A major relocation exercise and coincided with our trip, including the revised activity plan had to be red arrows and a tour of the brand completed in the days leading up to new Airbus A400M “Atlas”. the annual Nitex as the area which Many thanks to all of the staff has been used in recent years had involved in all of the activities and been devastated by fire just five days trips throughout the year. Dr Smale
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CCF Charity Day T
he CCF held its first Charity Day in April 2017. The Upper Sixth Form cadets from all three sections combined to complete the ‘Devon Challenge’ which included cycling and running the length of Devon, rowing and cycling the length of the river Exe and climbing the height of High Willhayes, the highest peak in Devon, all in one afternoon! They also held a cake sale and barbecue on the same day with all profits going to the services charities Help for Heroes, The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity and The RAF Association. Dr Smale
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Outdoor Pursuits
Awards Parade A
ll three sections came together to reward the Upper Sixth NCOs who had given outstanding contributions to the CCF during their time at Exeter School. The whole contingent gathered on the quad and Contingent Commander Dr Chapman awarded medals of recognition to 12 cadets who had consistently put themselves forward and contributed to the progression of cadets in CCF. From RN Section: Emily Carr, Annabelle Evans, Kate Furby, Jennifer Herring and Ben Luxmoore received awards. In the Army Section: Eli Broughton, Charlie Green, Alfie Roddan and Tommy Russell. The RAF Section rewarded: Finley Haddican, Werner Kirkby and Emily Smith. The Jack Sadler Award was also given at this parade. The award goes to the most outstanding cadet in the contingent in memory of former pupil and Trooper Jack Sadler who died in conflict in Afghanistan. This year’s award was given to the highly deserving Finley Haddican. Dr Smale
The Exonian 2017
Silver Duke of Edinburgh
T
his year, during the Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award, we have had to take part in a physical activity, skill and volunteering activity for around 3-6 months. All of these are useful and enabled us to try lots of new things that we wouldn’t normally do. We also had to do an expedition. For our expedition, we walked for seven hours a day for three days on Exmoor. We had been planning our
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route cards for the expedition several weeks before, so we felt very confident about where we were going and where our campsites were. We set off from Wiveliscombe on the first day and headed north for the first two days until we reached Watchet. Here we had a very good view of Wales. For the third day, we then walked back to Wiveliscombe which was tiring but very rewarding once we had arrived at the finish. The weather was variable! There was some sun, however it rained very heavily on the afternoon of the second day which wasn’t very pleasant. Camping was also enjoyable, as you feel very independent when you have to set up the tents, cook and wash up all by yourself. It makes your rucksack very heavy when your group has to carry three
days’ worth of food, clothes, water as well as stoves and two tents. Overall, the award has been very good fun because we learnt lots of new skills, teamwork as well as providing a way to do something different. Thank you to Mme Masters, Ms Roff and all the other members of staff who have helped us with organising the expedition and for signing off each section of our award. Oliver Bates (Upper Fifth Form)
Outdoor Pursuits
Testing terrain Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition in Brecon
D
ay one was a tough start to the expedition as our bodies adjusted to carrying the weight of our bags; we had to be selfsufficient, meaning our rucksacks weighed around a quarter of our own body weight. This, combined with the unforgiving humidity, meant we were running out of water and energy fast. It soon dawned on us why so few people actually complete this challenge - only around 10,000 achieve their Gold Award nationally per year. We were certainly glad when we arrived at our campsite to find hot showers, a luxury not all teams were lucky enough to have. George Milner did a great job of reminding the team how pain comes in waves and is not permanent, and this was certainly the case on day two as we reached the summit of Pen-y-Fan, the highest point in South Wales. We were rewarded with breathtaking panoramic views across miles of countryside and spent a well-earned break taking photos and rehydrating. Our muscles were aching as we set off on day three and we found ourselves stopping regularly to stretch and remove our rucksacks a few moments of relief. The Welsh insect life had taken a liking to us and the bites on our arms and legs were causing us much discomfort, as were the blisters on our feet. However, spirits were high knowing that we were over halfway through our expedition and that the next morning’s instant porridge pot would be our last!
The Gold expedition requires each team to have an ‘aim’, which they must later do a presentation on. These included an injury diary, poetry and weather observations. Aside from this presentation, reaching the final checkpoint marked, for many, the completion of two years of hard work and commitment. We look forward to the privilege of receiving our awards in the near future. Rebecca Charman (Upper Sixth Form)
Through
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bracken and bog
Abbots Way Walk 2016
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n 2 October 2016, 54 pupils from the Middle Fifth to the Upper Sixth Form embarked on a 21 mile walk from Buckfast Abbey to Tavistock. Middle Fifth pupil Tabitha Macpherson-Jorgensen details her experience in the following piece of creative writing. Lucy Zhang (Lower Sixth Form)
A
s we stepped out of the coach into the grounds of Buckfast Abbey, we were met with the hustle of walkers, all kitted up with gear and food. We signed in and were off on our way through the small, steep hills, occasionally stopping to look at the map; many a time it was upside down. Large trees sat delicately on the banks, following and directing us towards the open moor. Once at the top, we were gripped by the stunning views,
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our eyes searching picturesque land for miles. Huge, rocky tors could be seen, assembled randomly on top of the hill, as if they had been dropped haphazardly from the sky. We trudged on through the bracken and bog, our feet wet and muddy, mile after mile. As we checked off each checkpoint we gained energy, speeding up and passing the endless groups of schools and walkers attempting the grueling twenty-one miles. Little yellow luminous dots
cascaded across the hills and as we became closer, we were able to see the tiny roads and town that housed Mount Kelly School. The ground soon became grey hard concrete; we were so close. The old buildings of the school came into view, and we powered up through the gates, soon encountering the groups that arrived before us, clapping and cheering us to the finish. We had done it! Tabitha MacphersonJorgensen (Middle Fifth Form)
Outdoor Pursuits
Not for the faint-hearted Annual 1633 Challenge
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n 24 March 2017, the seven Ten Tors teams set out for Dartmoor training centre. When we arrived, we immediately put up our tents and headed down the muddy hill for scrutineering. We unpacked our rucksacks and had them checked by the scrutineers. After a thorough examination we repacked our bags and headed up to the tents. Later we returned to the hall for dinner, where we were fed amazing hot pot and pasta, and apple crumble, cooked by Steve. After this, we had a briefing from Colonel Sharpe. We were shown our routes and the rules for the 1633 Challenge. We then returned to our tents for a good sleep ahead of the long weekend. We were woken by our alarms at 5 o’clock on Saturday morning and packed away our tents and headed
down for breakfast: bacon baps and porridge. We got into our teams and made our way to the start line. After a quick chat, we set off. At first everyone was bunched together and seemed to be going to the same place. However, the group soon dispersed and each group headed on their own route. We made good progress on the first day, being the first Exeter School group through each checkpoint thanks to some great navigating from Henry and Redmond Coleman. Everyone’s spirits were high and we kept up the pace through the whole day, with only a few breaks. When we made it to the car park at the finish we were told that we were the second group in and the first from Exeter School. The bad news was we had to walk down a hill and through yet another bog to reach the campsite.
We woke again at 5 o’clock on Sunday morning and put our tents down before having breakfast and being given a short briefing by Colonel Sharpe. We then set off on our routes. About halfway through the day around 11 o’clock we met three other Exeter School teams that were on the same route. We all thought that walking as one big group would be a good idea as it would increase morale and there would be more people navigating. We made very good time and at the last checkpoint we split up so each group could come in individually. Thanks go to all the staff of Exeter School, St James’ School, Launceston College and Bideford College who made the weekend possible. Special thanks goes to Steve for all the great food! William Furniss (Middle Fifth Form)
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Conquering endless hills A
fter completing many a training walk, seven teams comprised of Middle Fifth and Lower Sixth pupils headed off to Okehampton Army Camp, beginning their 35/45 mile weekend long challenge. Limited to 2,400 individuals, Ten Tors involves teams carrying everything they will need to complete their route and stay out on the moor overnight. Once at the camp, teams had various tasks they had to complete: intense scrutineering of equipment, precise map marking, and route planning, each a vital part of completing the challenge successfully. A hearty meal in the evening, cooked by the excellent Mr Porter, set everyone up for the early start on the hill. The cannons blasted at 7 o’clock, and hundreds of teens hurtled down the hill; it had begun. Over the next
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Ten Tors 2017 few hours, the teams climbed the endless hills and braved the foggy hill tops. As Saturday came to an end, everyone across the moor climbed into their sleeping bags and prepared for the last few miles on Sunday. Waking up early in the morning on the next day, the teams trekked along the final stretches of their routes and one after another descended the finishing hills that lead to the end. As the teams crossed the finish line they were met by cheers from friends and family, and the staff who trained them so well for this event. I would like to thank Mr Porter and Colonel Sharpe, along with other members of staff, who gave up their free time to train with us and make it such a memorable experience. Tabitha Macpherson-Jorgensen (Middle Fifth Form)
Rugby Senior School 1st XV
confidently into the local derby against Plymouth College. The game against Plymouth College was an extremely physical encounter as well as the first real test of the ollowing an unforgettable season. In spite of this, hard work preseason tour to South Africa from Jamie Kelly and Oscar Martin where we won four out of five at the breakdown secured vital games, the team went into the balls throughout the game. In the season full of confidence. The 1st final minutes, Zac Maclellan gave XV managed a staggering 14 games an inside ball to Oscar Martin who unbeaten, matching the previous broke the game line and then school record. We also matched to Will Counsell who finished it another previous school record scoring under the posts for an easy with a long and hard fought cup conversion. This was enough to take run, resulting in a place in the last us to a well-earned 24-22 win. 16 of the nationwide NatWest Cup. The next round of the NatWest The regular season consisted of 16 cup saw our opposition as local games in which we won 14, with a rivals, Truro School. The fixture win ratio of 87.5%, which at 1st XV was held at an extremely hostile level is a great achievement for all and windy Cornish ground. involved. After an early head injury to Vice The start of the season came Captain, Joe Boddington the team with the annual preseason game showed exceptional defensive against Crediton Colts, which skills throughout the game. Finally, always guarantees physicality Eli Broughton came on to take an and competitiveness. After some inspiring catch in the line out to set expansive rugby alongside brave a driving maul in which the majority defensive work, the game ended of the 15 men on the field joined to in a 42-0 win. Other convincing drive the team over to secure a vital wins included a 70-0 against West try and the 10-9 victory. Buckland and 45-0 against King’s More NatWest Cup games College Taunton in the first round of followed including a 34-17 win over the NatWest cup, seeing the team Weston College which saw us into
F
the last 16 in the country to play Sir Thomas Rich’s School. Unfortunately a well-drilled opposition saw us lose 15-29. However, for such a late stage in a National Cup we finished with our heads held high. A special mention and thanks must go to head coach Mr Wilson for the time and effort he has given the 1st XV throughout the cold and wet season and also to Mr Gardner for the countless hours he has put into preparing and maintaining the pitches for all ages to the highest standard. Will Counsell (Upper Sixth Form)
Success in the Rugby Sevens
O
n Sunday 5 March 2017, a reduced squad of 9 players travelled to the Colston’s Sevens tournament. The conditions ensured the day would be challenging from the off for the first run out of the 1st VII but the players adapted well and started the first game against Denstone School with some outstanding defence. The pressure of being pinned by good defensive shape and the wind led
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to some quick fire tries for Exeter and with our tails up the game finished 35-0. Next was the host, Colston’s School and again another good start, taking the opportunities, ensured another good win 32-17. Seaford College provided the next obstacle and having won their first two games it would be tight. Good play by both teams in a tense match
left the final score 19-19. Abingdon School were our last group match after King’s College, Taunton dropped out and the attrition of the day had taken its toll leaving us with 8 players against a squad of 14. The final score was 17-38 to Abingdon, but three good tries demonstrated the character of the group under immense fatigue. A nervous wait for the last group game between Seaford and Abingdon would determine U11A Captain James Matthews: the progress of all 3 “I was really pleased with passing teams. A win for Abingdon meant that they went to to the wing and the team playing the final and Exeter into open rugby. This pulled the the Plate Final to play opposition wide, making holes in Shiplake College who had pipped Clifton College to the defence that as the ball came the plate final. Another back again let us score using strong start saw Exeter dummies and changes of direction. score 3 well worked tries to end the first half 19-0 up. I was most proud of how few Shiplake replied after the tries we conceded and winning the break with a breakaway Plymouth College Tournament. try, but another Exeter I was also really proud with my try gave us the lead that would ultimately prove to team’s team spirit. “Come on, be enough, even after a we can do it!” said by everyone, few late tries to end the whatever the score. We all really game 24-19. The character, commitment and effort enjoyed a great season.” by all of the players was
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outstanding and typical of the XV a-side season with this group. Mr Ross
Junior School U11A
T
he senior rugby team of the Junior School had a superb season. They started very well and just got better and better. Ably led by Captain James Matthews, the boys started the season with winning the Plymouth College Rugby Tournament for the first time since the school, some 14 years ago, started playing competitive rugby. The boys won all four of their matches, without conceding a try. Next, they then played Exeter Cathedral School and won convincingly. This was to be repeated with all their matches except King Edwards Bath and Blundell’s. The team had a terrific game against a very well organised Bath side. The boys kept to their style and were soon scoring some great tries, the pretty stuff being augmented by a few “bash and crash” tries and some inspired interceptions by Freddy Lofthouse
Rugby and Ben PalmerChallen. The strength and power that Hugo Hepburn brought to the team further improved an already very skilful side. Eventually Exeter Junior School won 40 – 15. The penultimate match against Blundell’s proved to be “a bit of a shock to the system.” Having not really been really tested the physicality and power of the Blundell’s side at first seemed very daunting. The boys lost their shape a little and conceded tries in the first half. They rallied well in the second half but eventually lost the match 10 -25. The U11 rugby club really appreciated some additional training from Exeter Chief’s Jack Yeandle which helped set them up for the boys last game against Stover. The boys were determined to play “their” game and show what they could do. Lots of the team helped out a depleted Stover side by playing for the opposition. A certain Hugo managed to score for both teams! The boys played hard, commanded the game and finished
worthy winners. This was a fitting end to a truly outstanding season. Over the season, the boys played some really “beautiful” rugby with fast hands and passing and moving the ball, being the order of the day. That said, the boys were extremely tight in defence and ferociously fought for and claimed the ball at the break down. They won all but one of their fixtures. A 1st XV great team to train and just 2nd XV enjoy watching play. Mr Pidwell U16A
Rugby results P
W
D
L
16
14
0
2
10
5
1
4
8
3
0
5
U15A
12
5
1
6
U15B
6
3
0
3
U14A
12
4
0
8
U14B
6
0
1
5
U13A
11
2
0
9
U12A
9
7
0
2
U12B
5
2
0
3
U11A
12
11
0
1
U11B
5
5
0
0
U10A
9
8
1
0
U10B
4
2
0
2
U9A
18
5
1
12
U9B
5
1
0
4
exeterschool.org.uk | 179
Junior School TOURNAMENTS U11A Exeter Junior School U11 winners, Queen’s College U11 Semi Finalists, DEVON U11 winners WEST of ENGLAND U11 winners U10A Exeter Junior School U10 Semi finalists
Premiership rugby master class
O
n Wednesday 23 November the boys of the Upper Two rugby club were treated to a rugby master class, by rugby and Chiefs legend Jack Yeandle. Jack had been asked to help improve our boys play at “the breakdown” and we certainly were not disappointed. Jack introduced the boys to a series of drills that were perfect for what was required. The lesson had great content, pace and challenge and the boys learned a huge amount in a very short time. Just as importantly, the boys really enjoyed the experience and were truly inspired by a great local and premiership player. Ben Briar (U2G) said “It was really good to meet Jack. It’s not every day you get to meet a professional rugby player.”
Jennifer Herring was selected for the U18 Devon squad and trialled for England U20s team. Will Toms and Jack HardieEast were selected for the Devon rugby U13 Developing Player Program. Tom Kilmartin, Joseph Sampson, Sam Plumer and Oscar Cobb were selected for the U14 Devon Developing Player Program. Harry Emmett, Alfie Raynor and Finlay Johnson were selected for the U15 Devon Developing Player Program. 180 | @ExeterSchoolUK
U9 St Peter’s U9 Festival Blundell’s Prep U9 Runners up Jayesh Lake (U2G) said “I enjoyed learning new skills and seeing how we could use them in a game.” All Upper Two rugby club boys thoroughly enjoyed their master class and would like to say “Thank you, Jack Yeandle!” Mr Pidwell
Colours: Eliza Heard, Maddie Schuchter, Serena Ling, Lauren Brown and Roxane Bosch
Chris King was selected for the U16 Exeter Chiefs Academy. Daichi Budiman was selected for the U16 Devon squad
for the U18 Scottish Exiles squad.
Tom Hubble was selected to play for the U18 Irish Exiles and Exeter Chiefs Development team, Tristan May was selected for the U18 South-West Independent LAMBS team to play in the 4 regions tournament. Jay MacLellan was selected for the U17 Scottish Exiles squad, Zac MacLellan and Jonny Lorimer were selected
House Hockey: Winners – Blake
Captain of Rugby Will Counsell has continued to train with the U18 Exeter Chiefs Academy and play for the U23 Development side. Junior School - Main Competition Winners of Plymouth College Tournament. Junior School - Player of the Year, Kilmartin Cup: Ben Palmer-Challen, Hugo Hepburn (Shared)
Rugby
Q & A with the captains WERE THERE ANY ‘CHAMPAGNE’ MOMENTS THIS SEASON? 21 - 0 win against Plymouth College. BEN TOMS, 2ND XV
HOW HAS THE TEAM WORKED WELL TOGETHER THIS SEASON? We haven’t given up. On no occasion has the side ever been seen to give up, even at the very end of a game in which we were several points behind.
HOW WAS THE COACHING HELPFUL FOR YOUR PERSONAL AND TEAM SUCCESS? Mr Boddington’s coaching was excellent and really improved our team members individually and as a whole team. GEORGE HOBBS, U14B
HOW WAS THE COACHING HELPFUL FOR YOUR PERSONAL AND TEAM SUCCESS? Mr Ashman gave good tips and was really encouraging. JAYESH LAKE, U11B
HOW HAS PLAYING THIS SPORT HELPED YOU IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE?
WAS THERE A MOMENT THAT DEFINED YOUR TEAM Sport motivates me to work DURING THE YEAR? harder in all aspects of my life. We worked really well together when we played against Blundell’s TOM METCALF, U13A despite it being really tough FREDDIE HERRING, U16 competition. HAS THERE BEEN A LOW BEAU PIGGOT GILL, U10A POINT THIS SEASON AND HOW HAS PLAYING THIS HOW DID YOU OVERCOME SPORT HELPED YOU IN IT? HAS THE TEAM WORKED YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE? We lost against QEH, and we had WELL TOGETHER THIS YEAR? It has improved my confidence to rebuild as a team but we came Yes, we are all really good friends. and physical fitness, made me back fighting. TOBY CAPPS, U10B less stressed and happier and has TOBY COLLINS, U12A improved my team building skills. OSCAR STEWART, U15A
THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE THIS TEAM? Fast, strong, energetic.
HOW HAS PLAYING THIS SPORT HELPED YOU IN WHAT WAS THE FUNNIEST YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE? MOMENT OF THIS SEASON? WILFRED VENN, U9A It taught us that when we fail, Aaron ran over the try line but we can always get back up again didn’t put the ball down. stronger than before. WAS THERE A MOMENT THAT DEFINED YOUR TEAM SAM READ, U15B WILLIAM WADDINGTON AND DURING THE YEAR? HAMISH BELL, U12B WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO PLAY SPORT AT SUCH A HIGH LEVEL? Representing the school and the ability to be constantly improving. OSCAR COBB, U14A
The last game, we worked really well together and had good spirit.
HAS THE TEAM WORKED WELL TOGETHER THIS YEAR? AIDY WILSON U9B Yes, I’m really proud with my team’s spirit. “Come on, we can do it!” said by everyone, whatever the score. We all really enjoyed a great season. JAMES MATTHEWS, U11A
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Girls’ Hockey Senior School 1st XI
T
he U18 1st XI have had a very successful season winning 11 games, drawing 2 and only losing 2. Throughout the season, the team has improved immensely especially considering it has been a young squad consisting of five very promising Upper Fifth Formers. It took a couple of games for the team to gel and thanks to Mr Skinner’s patience and worldclass coaching we managed to keep a clean sheet at the Devon County Cup winning all our games and retaining the title as Devon Champions. Following the victory, we thought a suitable reward would be the addition of new kit. The answer was clear, we had to order sliders – a comfortable post and pre-match rubber slipper, Adidas of course. To mark this momentous occasion a slider
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presentation was required. Much to Mr Skinner’s disapproval there was only 10 minutes left of the training session and 15 very excited girls. Unfortunately, this shortlived victory did not last through to
At the front numerous hat-tricks from Demelza and Anna, Tabi’s speedy leads and Jem Cole’s legendary moves gave the team great attacking prowess Regionals, however uplifting tunes from the minibus DJs kept moral high. If it were not for our strong defence this season, we would not have enjoyed so much success. The formidable combination of Liv,
Imogen, Beth and Jenny and our outstanding goalkeeper Molly kept the opposition out. At the front numerous hat-tricks from Demelza and Anna, Tabi’s speedy leads and Jem Cole’s legendary moves gave the team great attacking prowess. In the middle excellent skill from rising hockey star Hope Evans (selected for HiPAC), and powerful counterattacks from Anna J and Maddie created scoring opportunities for the forwards. On behalf of the team, we would like to say a massive thank you to Mr Skinner and Mrs Marsh for putting up with us and inspiring us to play great hockey. As part of our squad, they also deserved sliders, which we presented at the EOSD following our end of season summary rap to Kesha ‘We R Who We R’. For three of us, our eleventh hockey season at Exeter School has come to an end, and it could not have been with a better team. Sophie Jefferson and Eka BarkerPrivalova (Upper Sixth Form)
Girls' Hockey
Junior School
We all think we have done really well this season. It is by far our strongest team and we have not lost verall, the Junior School girls a match because we have a great have had a most successful attack, defence and goalie. season. Whilst results are Our best result was at the county not the deciding factor in a term’s tournament. When we only drew coaching programme, it is rewarding the first two group matches we were to see that skills taught in lessons are anxious, and thought we would not showing in match situations. Over get through to the semis. We did 60 girls have attended the Monday manage to score in our next match evening hockey club, when we have and the win meant we advanced focused on small game play, and to the semi-final as group winners. seen lots of enjoyment for playing We scored five goals in that which the game. guaranteed us a place in the final The Under 9 squads are beginning against Blundell’s. It was an intense to understand about the need game but we came out as winners.” for positions and tactics. The A great thrill for the girls was U10 squads have developed an taking part in the West U11 regional awareness of where they need to finals at Millfield in April. What a be for effective game play but found wonderful occasion it proved to be! that implementing this has been The first match of the day resulted hard against strong opposition. They in 1-1 draw against Millfield. After have nevertheless given encouraging seven matches, and seven wins, signs that they will make even more they played Millfield again but this progress next year. time it was the final. Having started The U11A squad has been a large nervously against Millfield earlier in one this term. I am delighted that so the day, by the final their confidence many deserved the chance to play in was certainly stronger, and superb the ‘A’ team. The results have been attacking play resulted in some excellent but the season’s turning fine goals and the girls adding west point was the Queen’s tournament, winners to their wonderful hockey when they really started to play season. Mrs Parkin for each other. They have continued to improve as a unit since then and the achievement of becoming Devon winners at the county tournament was well deserved. Eliza Heard, hockey captain: “When we played Blundell’s earlier in the term we were really worried but we proved to ourselves that ‘what we put in with hard work, we get back with results’ as we won 6-3.
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The Exonian 2017
Girls’ Hockey results P
W
D
L
14
11
1
2
XI
11
3
4
4
3 XI
8
3
0
5
U15A
11
3
1
7
U15B
5
3
0
2
U14A
9
1
2
6
U14B
5
2
1
2
U13A
10
8
0
2
U13B
12
8
0
4
U11A Exeter Junior School U11 winners, Queen’s College U11Semi Finalists, Devon U11 winners
U12A
10
6
3
1
U12B
8
2
2
4
West of England U11 winners
U11A
9
9
0
0
U10A Exeter Junior School U10 Semi Finalists
U11B
9
4
1
4
U10A
5
2
2
1
U9 St Peter’s U9 Festival Blundell’s Prep U9 Runners Up
U10B
5
3
1
1
Colours: Eliza Heard, Maddie Schuchter, Serena Ling, Lauren Brown and Roxane Bosch
U10C
1
0
0
1
U9A
5
4
0
1
U9B
5
4
0
1
U8
1
0
0
1
st
1 XI nd
2
rd
JUNIOR SCHOOL TOURNAMENTS
House Hockey: Winners – Blake 184 | @ExeterSchoolUK
Girls' Hockey
Q & A with the captains WERE THERE ANY ‘CHAMPAGNE’ MOMENTS HOW HAS THE TEAM THIS SEASON? WORKED WELL TOGETHER My favourite moment was when THIS SEASON? the team was losing dramatically We’ve trained well together which and Mr Lowles said “losing by 5 is has led to huge improvements in better than losing by 6” our matches; from losing most – we ended up winning! games to being unbeaten in the NAOMI REYNOLDS AND ALICE second half of term. BAILEY, U14B
WHAT WAS THE BEST MOMENT OF THE SPORTING YEAR? The tournament, it is so fun playing against other schools. IZZY MASON, U11B
HOW WAS THE COACHING HELPFUL FOR YOUR PERSONAL AND TEAM WERE THERE ANY IF YOU WERE TO REPEAT THE ‘CHAMPAGNE’ MOMENTS SUCCESS? SEASON, WHAT WOULD YOU THIS SEASON? It was helpful learning new APPROACH DIFFERENTLY? techniques then trying Being the winning group at the Nothing. I love my team! them out in matches. Blundell’s Tournament. ISLA GEBBIE, 2ND XI
MEGAN STRIDE, 3RD XI
MINNIE CONIBEAR AND LAUREN HUGHES, U13A
SOPHIE BRENNAN, U10A
WHAT WAS THE FUNNIEST WHAT PRO SPORTING EVENT MOMENT OF THIS SEASON? 3 WORDS TO DESCRIBE OVER THE LAST YEAR HAS INSPIRED YOU? When Miss Rhodes got THIS TEAM? stuck in the minibus! Enthusiastic, friendly and strong. Meeting the Olympic Gold medal TARA HAYES-PANKHURST, U15A winner Giselle Ansley, she gave CLEO TURLEY AND great advice and was inspiring. JESS HOWELL, U13B HOW HAS PLAYING THIS SPORT HELPED YOU IN WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE? GIVE TO A CAPTAIN LOWER We feel a lot fitter and look forward DOWN IN THE YEAR? to the matches every week. Always say encouraging things to the team. Only give constructive KATIE PITTS, U15B criticism as negative criticism can lower the morale of your team. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU ROSIE HOBBS, U12A GIVE TO A CAPTAIN LOWER DOWN IN THE YEAR? Keep calm and don’t stress. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A CAPTAIN LOWER LILMAY GIRVIN AND EMMA DOWN IN THE YEAR? HALFORD, U14A Confidence is key.
EMILY AHMAD, U10B
WHAT PRO SPORTING EVENT OVER THE LAST YEAR HAS INSPIRED YOU? Rio 2016 – Giselle Ainsley, I got her signature! YASMIN BROWN, U9A
3 WORDS TO DESCRIBE THIS TEAM? Hip hip hooray! MAYA GILL, U9B
LAUREN CORNFIELD AND AMBER MOELLER, U12B
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Boys’ Hockey Senior School 1st XI
T
his season has been a very successful one for the 1st XI. At the start of the season, it was looking like it could be tough year with only a few of the boys having played 1st team hockey before. However, the season began with an outstanding performance against a strong touring side in Abingdon that resulted in a 2-0 win. This form continued with good wins against Wellington and West Buckland. Next came the local derby against Blundell’s which resulted in a hard fought 2-1 win, having been 1-0 down at half time. We then played King’s Bruton, which ended in a 2-2 draw. In the cup we were playing a physical King’s Taunton side having already won convincingly against South Dartmoor and Exeter College.
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Unfortunately and undeservedly, the match ended in a 2-2 draw, which meant penalty flicks were to follow. Sadly, we could not overcome the pressure, meaning a third round exit. Disappointment in the cup meant we had to pick ourselves back up for the remaining few games of the season. Good draws against both Millfield and King’s Taunton (playing with a weakened side) followed. Our final game was away against a Queen’s Taunton side who were strong contenders to be national champions having beaten King’s Taunton 14-0. A 7-2 loss did not reflect the competitiveness of the match with 3 goals coming very late on and a couple of missed chances in the second half. Throughout the season the boys performed fantastically with only one real loss. Having only had three boys playing regularly for the 1st XI in the
Throughout the season the boys performed fantastically with only one real loss
1ST XI UNBEATEN IN 11 GAMES
previous season, we can all agree this campaign has been a great success. I’d like to say thank you to Mr Skinner and Mr Jones for coaching us throughout the senior school and also to the lads who worked hard all season both in matches and in training. Jim out. Jim Shepherd (Upper Sixth Form)
Junior School U11A
T
he U11A team certainly led by example this year. Their playing record was extremely
Boys' Hockey impressive, winning all of their matches save two defeats in the U11 West Hockey Finalists. The all-important basic skills were there from the start, with confidence, an attacking mentally and plenty of magic moments, all helping to produce a huge number of goals over the course of the season. To match this, their unselfish teamwork and general camaraderie made them a great group to coach and watch, for which all the boys deserve great credit. Hockey Captain Freddie Lofthouse’s thoughts on the West Finals: “When we arrived at Millfield we had a spring in our steps having not lost a game all season. Our first game saw a 1 – 0 win, which gave us a great start. We then played a skilful team from Dean Close, sadly losing 0 - 2. Undeterred, we then recovered with two comfortably wins against St Ives School and Dumpton School. This meant we played Millfield in our last group game to see who qualified for the semi-final. Despite JS BOYS’ HOCKEY playing our best hockey of the day, with many Boys’ House attempts on their goal, Hockey: Scott it was one of their few counter attacks where they Colours: Freddie scored an unstoppable Lofthouse, Harry goal, that sadly knocked us Williams, Frazer out of the tournament.” Wickers Mr Bland
U16 DEVON RUNNERS UP
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The Exonian 2017 COACH OF THE SEASON:
HOCKEY REPORT
TEAM OF THE YEAR:
Despite facing the most competitive fixtures in a number of years, there are many positives to be taken out of this year’s hockey season.
power house - Millfield. We have had great numbers at training sessions, fantastic teas served by our wonderful dinner ladies and hundreds of friends and families supporting our matches.
Over 150 boys have played in competitive school fixtures. We have had Devon champions, Devon Runners up and West Finalists. As a school, we have beaten our local rivals Blundell’s, Wellington and West Buckland. We have drawn against the sporting
Well done to all of the boys that represented school this year. It is a privilege to play for a side with such a rich and successful history. Thanks must go to the coaches that have given their expertise and time to help the teams throughout the season. Mr Jones
Mr Charters Dedicated to school hockey. The U14s had a superb year under his careful and considerate coaching 1st XI Unbeaten in 11 games. Unfortunate not to progress in the National Cup. Outstanding performances against Millfield and Abingdon in particular.
CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL HOCKEY 2017:
Jim Shepherd Led the 1st XI superbly this season. Captained a young side with great passion and care.
U14 DEVON CHAMPIONS
Boys’ Hockey results P
W
D
L
U11A
15
12
1
2
U11B
5
3
1
1
U11C
1
0
0
1
U10A
7
6
1
0
U10B
5
2
2
1
U10C
1
0
0
1
U9A
5
3
1
1
U9B
2
0
1
1
U13 WEST FINALISTS
(DEVON RUNNERS UP)
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Boys' Hockey
Q & A with the captains
HOW WAS THE COACHING HELPFUL FOR YOUR PERSONAL AND TEAM SUCCESS?
WAS THERE A MOMENT THAT DEFINED YOUR TEAM DURING THE SEASON?
We lost 6-0, but we still had a laugh and tried our best, and it’s probably THE GOOD, THE BAD AND this that defines us; no matter the THE UGLY OF BEING A outcome, we go at each game with CAPTAIN? gusto and enjoy ourselves. Incredibly helpful. The training The best part of being a captain catered for all abilities and ROBBIE LORIMER, U14B is being able to give support to ensured everyone was involved. I the team, but it it sometimes would like to thank Mr Jones and difficult to balance support Mr Skinner for their hard efforts HOW HAS THE TEAM with playing my best. this season. WORKED WELL TOGETHER MATTHEW ROBERTS, 10A THIS SEASON?
JAKE KILMARTIN, 2ND XI
WERE THERE ANY “CHAMPAGNE” MOMENTS THIS SEASON? The U16 Devon tournament was a massive learning curve. GUY ROCHE, U15A
WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO PLAY SPORT AT SUCH A HIGH LEVEL?
Our team chemistry has built up throughout the season and it has HAS THE TEAM WORKED worked well in the tournaments we WELL TOGETHER THIS YEAR? participated in. Yes - we never hog the ball and TOBY RICHARDS, U13A always look to pass. TOBY CAPPS, U10B
WHAT WAS THE FUNNIEST MOMENT OF THIS SEASON?
THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE When Theo fell over! THIS TEAM?
TOM METCALF, U13B
Amazing, supportive and confident.
Hockey is fun and enjoyable and WHAT PRO SPORTING EVENT OLIVER ROCHESTER, U9A gives us transferable skills. OVER THE LAST YEAR HAS INSPIRED YOU? SAM READ, U15B WHAT PRO SPORTING EVENT The women’s hockey team OVER THE LAST YEAR HAS winning Gold at the Olympics. INSPIRED YOU? THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE ED AHMAD, U12A The Olympics, when the THIS TEAM? girls’ hockey team won. Enthusiastic, resilient and committed. IF YOU WERE TO REPEAT THE MATTHEW JOHNSON, U9B SEASON, WHAT WOULD YOU BOBBY HEARD, U14A APPROACH DIFFERENTLY? Our precision with pressured shots. TOBY COLLINS, U12B
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The Exonian 2017
Football Senior School 1st XI
The spring term kicked off with two friendly games in preparation for the Isca league. However a 1-1 draw to Shebbear College and a 1-0 loss to King’s Ottery meant that xeter School has seen another the team went into the Isca league fantastic year of football and with a slight lack of confidence, and a group of 15 individuals a goalkeeper crisis as Vice Captain, transform into a unit capable of Adam Cotgrove, was ruled out for tackling any quality of team. The the remainder of the season with a season officially started in October knee injury. Fortunately, we found with a strong 6-1 win over Colyton, a competent and enthusiastic followed by a 15-0 demolition replacement in the form of Charlie of Teignmouth Community Goodfellow. After the cancellation College, in which striker Frazer of the game against Taunton School, Campbell notched six goals. Due the team came to face their biggest to the weather conditions being game of the year versus Blundell’s. as consistently bad as the quality After initially falling behind and of opponent that we faced during with the addition of a fiery halfthe autumn term, three of the time team talk from Head Coach seven games against Clyst Vale, Mr Ashman, substitutes Sevvy Okehampton and Sidmouth had to Baker and Archie Harris scored be cancelled, meaning the season two vital goals to win the game 3-2 never really got going. Woodroffe and secure the illustrious victory provided the team with a more in the Isca League version of ‘El challenging game, but thanks to Classico’. Sadly we couldn’t harness an inspired team effort as well as the momentum from the previous a Man of the Match performance game and went on lose 4-0 to a from Jack Thomas, the team came very well drilled King’s Taunton away with a hard-earned 2-0 victory. side. The season ended on a classic The autumn term was wrapped up team performance from the boys in tragic fashion in the Old Exonian who put heart and soul into final game, after a last minute winner game against Wellington in which denied GK Adam Cotgrove a hardthe score line was the only thing grafted clean sheet and ceased that did not go in our favour and the team’s unbeaten streak held resulted in a 5-4 loss to a 90th throughout season, which came as a minute wonder goal. bitter pill to swallow. The 2nd XI enjoyed a notable
E
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win against Wellington in the Isca League and finished fourth overall, having lost one of the three games played. Thanks go to our coaches Mr Ashman and Mr Charters for their commitment and good humour over the course of the season! William Johns 1st XI Captain 2016/2017 (Upper Sixth Form)
Junior School U11A
T
he U11A team had a season to remember, winning all but one of its regular fixtures and performing fantastically well in three tournaments. We managed to retain our own ‘Invitation’ tournament, winning all five matches in the round robin format. We also managed to win the East Devon round of the ESFA Primary Schools’ Cup. The highlight of the season was the EFL Kids Cup. We managed to win the Exeter City round, in spite of missing Freddie Lofthouse, arguably our best player this season. This showed the strength in depth of the group and was a key factor in them all getting colours. We then went on to perform in the Regional Finals at High Wycombe, where Max Pullum (captain) takes up the story:
Football
Junior School results P
W
D
L
U11A
26
19
4
3
U11B
6
3
0
3
U11C
3
0
0
3
U10A
4
3
0
1
U10B
4
1
1
2
U9A
9
4
2
3
U9B
2
1
0
1
U8A
6
3
0
3
JUNIOR SCHOOL Winners of Kids’ Cup (Exeter City FC) Winners of ESFA Primary Schools Cup (Exeter & East Devon) Winners of EJS U11 Tournament Colours = Max Pullum, Freddie Lofthouse, James Matthews, Harry Williams, Ben Briar, Fraser Scott, Frazer Wickers, Oscar Clements Winners of House Competition = Scott “All of our team were very excited to play at Adams Park, the home of Wycombe Wanderers FC. All of the matches were played on the actual first team pitch. The team played really well, only losing two of six matches played. Unfortunately, we had to play in trainers which meant that it was difficult to play our normal passing game, as the grass
was so slippery, so we kept falling over! All in all, it was a fantastic day and we were very proud to represent Exeter City Football Club.” Having said that, we did win our own cup final beating the school representing Plymouth Argyle 1 – 0! The boys were an absolute pleasure to coach and Max and Freddie deserve a special mention for gaining representative honours with Exeter City and Torbay respectively. Mr Ashman
ESFA Primary Schools Cup 2016 winners
T
he Exeter and East Devon round took place with two groups of five teams. The winners of each group in would then contest a final. Our results were as follows: v Brixington (1) = won 1 – 0 (Max Pullum)
v Bowhill (1) = won 6 – 0 (Max Pullum 2, James Matthews 2, Ben Briar, Harry Williams) v Pinhoe (1) = won 1 – 0 (Max Pullum) v Pinhoe (2) = won 2 – 0 (OG, Ben Briar) Consequently, we topped our group with maximum points, having not conceded a goal. In the final, we were up against Exwick Heights and, after dominating possession and playing the majority of the match in their half, we ended up winning 2 – 0, with both goals being scored by Ben Briar. The boys can take great credit for an excellent series of performances. They were quick out of the blocks in all five games and pressed the opposition really well. Excellent passing and movement ensured a high level of control in all the matches. We created a hatful of chances and put a fair number away with clinical precision. Mr Ashman
THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE THIS TEAM? Never give up. OLIVER GRIBBLE, U10A
WAS THERE A MOMENT THAT DEFINED YOUR TEAM DURING THE YEAR? It was great when the whole team were cheering each other on during the St Peter’s match! MATTHEW ROBERTS, U10B
HOW WAS THE COACHING HELPFUL FOR YOUR PERSONAL AND TEAM SUCCESS? Our coach praises us when we do well so we feel inspired to do well again. TOM BYRNE, U9A
HOW WAS THE COACHING HELPFUL FOR YOUR PERSONAL AND TEAM SUCCESS? Mr Ashman helped us get used to tackling and not be afraid of it. ALEX WREFORD, U9B
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Netball
Netball
Senior School
the Upper Two and Lower Two girls and seeing them develop as a e have had a highly group. successful year of netball The Under 8 and 9 age groups and this has been reflected show a great deal of potential and it in the results. The U12, U15 and has been most encouraging to see U19 teams won their respective their skills develop this year. Many Exeter and District End of Season of them have attended the netball Tournaments. The U13, U14 and club and their developing play has U16s came runners up in their enabled them to finish the season tournaments. Martha Halse and with good performances in the Mahala Prince-Jones are training tournaments. with the U16 County Academy and Captain Lauren Brown writes: Isabella Sharpe is training with the verall, we had a most “We had a great netball season. U14 Satellite Academy. successful term with our We played very well at Millfield and We have been able to field four netball. All the girls in the even though we just missed out on strong senior teams. The senior Junior School had the opportunity to a semi-final place by one goal we squad has played a combined total represent the school. knew we were improving. We then of 27 matches: winning 17 and only Highlights were the very good went on to win the Exeter Junior losing 8 and scored a grand total of results at the tournaments. We School Tournament. It was such fun. 489 goals. Well done to all the girls enjoy being invited to tournaments We all tried very hard, especially that have played. and hosting our own at Exeter in the final towards the end when Thank you to Imogen Milner who School. It is a great opportunity to we were feeling tired! I have really has been a superb Captain of netball. play matches and to reinforce skills, enjoyed being the Captain this Congratulations to Jemma Cole, Isla whether we win or lose! It has been season: leading the warm ups and Gebbie, Eka Barker- Privalova and particularly rewarding working with organising the squad.� Mrs Parkin
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Charlie Green on receiving their full colours. My thanks go to all the girls for their hard work, commitment and dedication to training and fixtures. Thank you also goes to all the netball staff for their continued efforts and to Mrs Stewart, Mrs Culley and Mrs Marsh for their involvement in coaching the senior teams. Miss Carter
Junior School
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Netball results 1st VII 2nd VII 3rd VII 4th VII U15A U15B U14A U14B U13A U13B U12A U12B U11A U11B U11C U10A U10B U10C U9A U9B U8A U8B
P 9 9 7 2 7 7 8 7 7 7 7 7 9 9 3 8 7 3 5 5 3 3
JUNIOR SCHOOL NETBALL Tournaments: U11A EJS Tournament Winners U11B Semi- Finalists at EJS Tournament U10A Exeter Junior School U10 Runner up, Queen’s College U10 Runners up U9A Exeter Junior School U9 Runner up, Queen’s College U9 Runners Up, St Peter’s Prep Festival U9 Winners Colours: Lauren Brown, Isabelle Mason House Netball Winners: Grenville 194 | @ExeterSchoolUK
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Netball
Q & A with the captains HOW WAS THE COACHING HELPFUL FOR YOUR WHAT IS THE GOOD, THE PERSONAL AND TEAM BAD AND THE UGLY OF SUCCESS? BEING A CAPTAIN? HOW HAS THE TEAM At the beginning, we were all shaky WORKED WELL TOGETHER You get to have a say in decisions, on where to pass the ball to each THIS SEASON? you feel bad swapping people off other, but by the end of the season and you feel terrible if you lose. As we have played together for so we all were much improved and long, we have bonded really well LYDIA KHAN, U13A were getting into spaces. over the years and know each TEAM CAPTAIN, other’s style on the pitch. U11B WHAT IS THE GOOD, THE MARTHA HALSE, U15A BAD AND THE UGLY OF BEING A CAPTAIN? THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE The good part of being a captain is THIS TEAM? WHAT WAS THE FUNNIEST motivating the team, the bad part MOMENT OF THIS SEASON? Supportive, amazing, incredible. is when we lose, and the ugly is ‘We are not here for the when someone hurts themselves, or KATY FARMER, U10A satisfaction, we are here having to tell a team member to do for results’- Lexie’s comment something better. put a smile on our faces! IF YOU WERE TO REPEAT THE MOLLY MATTHEWS, U13B SEASON, WHAT WOULD YOU IANTHE BELL, U15B APPROACH DIFFERENTLY? THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE IF YOU WERE TO REPEAT THE Because I am a shooter, I would take my time and slow down to focus THIS TEAM? SEASON, WHAT WOULD YOU before attempting to shoot. Noisy, hardworking and dedicated. APPROACH DIFFERENTLY? MAHALA PRINCE-JONES, U14A
WHAT WAS THE BEST MOMENT OF THE SPORTING YEAR? Aside from winning games, there was one time when Izzy accidently scored from outside the D – it was pretty funny! ALICE BAILEY AND JESS MASON, U14B
We would make more of an MIA FERRARI-RELF, U10B effort to be open to trying new techniques and positions. WAS THERE A MOMENT SOPHIA BOSCH AND THAT DEFINED YOUR TEAM SUMMER HILL, U12A DURING THE YEAR? When Charlotte, the goal shooter, scored and we all hugged together HOW HAS THE TEAM in the middle of the centre circle. WORKED WELL TOGETHER EMMA BARTON, U9A THIS SEASON? We all know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and that has really WHAT WAS THE FUNNIEST helped us to work together. MOMENT OF THIS SEASON? IRIS MASON AND When one of my friends almost MILLIE MARKHAM, U12B did the splits falling over! ROSIE SELLEY, U9B
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Equestrian T
he equestrian team has had another sensational year. The school celebrated two team qualifications in the National Schools Equestrian Association (NSEA) finals at Hickstead plus a team entry in the National Team Show Jumping Championships at Bury Farm. The team finished a very credible seventh place nationally in the Hickstead
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event. Individual highlights have included Anna Johansson being selected to represent the South West in the British Eventing U18 National Championships at Frickley Park, Yorkshire in July. She has also been invited to join the U18 National Development squad and compete at CCIJ* level Millstreet, Ireland in August. Celia Nowill has qualified to compete in the 90-95 Eventers Challenge competition at Blenheim in September. Well done to everyone who has competed in competitions; anyone interested in joining the equestrian team should speak to Miss Carter. Miss Carter
HOW HAS PLAYING THIS SPORT HELPED YOU IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE? It has showed me that with hard work anything is possible and then you will go through rocky patches, but if you keep on trying then you will come out the end of it stronger. You can set yourself those personal targets and you can achieve them depending on how hard you work. ANNA JOHANNSON
HOW HAS THE TEAM WORKED WELL TOGETHER THIS SEASON? By being supportive. MEGAN BAILEY
Cross Country
Junior School House Cross Country
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t was a pleasure to take to the sports field for the annual cross country event where each pupil has an opportunity to represent their House. The Form One and Upper One race started proceedings, chasing the hare, Senior School pupil and last year’s Upper Two winner, Ollie Capps. Well done to everyone for completing the one-lap circuit. The winners in Form One were Jacob
Hardy and Katie McMurray and runners up were Ollie Johnson and Daisy Brough. In Upper One, Tom Byrne and Yasmin Brown won the race with runners up Wilfred Venn and Emma Barton. In Lower Two and Upper Two, the boys and girls have the option to run two laps of the course. In Lower Two, Toby Capps and Sophie Brennan came first with Matthew Roberts and
Letty Lovell in hot pursuit. Well done to Upper Two winners James Matthews and Maddie Schuchter who were closely followed by Hugo Hepburn and Lauren Brown. The final House positions were extremely closely fought with no House winning more than one race. Gilbert and Scott couldn’t be split and shared equal third place. Blake were narrowly triumphant, pipping Grenville to the finish line. Mr Mason
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Scoring runs in South Africa Middle Fifth cricketers in Cape Town
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ven though we had seen and heard much about previous Devon County Development U15 tours to South Africa, nothing prepared us for this breathtaking, exhausting and thoroughly exhilarating trip. The team played two matches at Skukuza CC in the Kruger National Park (which is, incidentally, the size of Wales!). The road from the thatched Skukuza Airport to our hotel brought immediate close up sightings of elephant, zebra, kudu, impala and giraffe - not exactly the normal school run! Our hotel accommodation comprised several safari lodges, which overlooked the Sabie River where wildlife was abundant. The local organiser of the Kruger segment of the tour was the Head of Kruger Park Anti-Poaching Police who showed us how the park tries to contain rhino poaching where a horn can be worth almost one million dollars on the black market.
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The cricket at Skukuza against a local school and a district development team was challenging, especially as the temperature was 36 degrees in February! We won both our games (with Sam hitting a 60 not out and James an unbeaten 31) and, for the first time in five years, Devon won back the prized Battle of the Kruger trophy. Little did we realise the scale of cricketing challenges awaiting us when we arrived in Cape Town a week into the tour! We played at superb cricket grounds, played our first ever day/night match under floodlights, with James scoring 43, and met the full force of the best Western Province young cricketers, some of whom were a year older. Devon won the floodlit game, drew the two-day game, and were not disgraced in losing the other two, Sam scoring 25 in one game and taking a total of 8 wickets on the tour. We all learned a vast amount from this tremendous cricketing
experience, during which we also both had priceless individual coaching from former England cricketer, Chris Read. Cape Town is a fantastic city, dominated in almost every direction by the sensational backdrop of Table Mountain. We took the cable car to the top, where the views included the Cape Peninsula down towards Cape of Good Hope, Robben Island, the Lion’s Head outcrop, Signal Hill and the spectacular Atlantic coastline. One of the strangest experiences was standing amongst African penguins at Boulders Beach in 30 degrees heat, and we were fortunate to visit an eye-opening Cape Town township and the impressive Newlands test match cricket ground. This really was a trip of a lifetime and we are grateful to the many people who made it possible. James Horler and Sam Read (Middle Fifth Form)
Cricket JUNIOR SCHOOL
Winners of U11 Devon Hardball Finals Winners of U11 West Region Hardball Finals 4th Place in National Hardball Finals Colours = Harry Williams, James Matthews, Harry Sharp, Max Pullum, Freddie Lofthouse, Hugo Hepburn, Charlie Gordon Lennox Batting Cup = Harry Williams Bowling Cup = Oliver Gribble Winners of House Competition = Blake Representative Honours: Devon U11 = Harry Williams Devon U10 = Oliver Gribble, Ben Mason
Cricket
Senior School 1st XI
of the season against Plymouth College Tom Lammonby played his only game for the 1st XI and showed his true class hitting an unbeaten 125 t has been another difficult season all around the park off only 66 balls. contesting with exams, player Once again George Milner was the commitments and the weather and pick of the bowlers finishing with 3 for only eight of the scheduled games 9 and Plymouth completed their 20 were able to be played. overs on 91 for 9. In the first match of the season The next match against Queen’s against King’s Bruton, Exeter batted Taunton was the final game the 1st first and despite getting off to a solid XI would play before a month long start with runs flowing from the bat break, for the players to focus on the fall of regular wickets started their exams, and the team were to take their toll and the team set a focussed on a secure third victory in below par 162 for 8 off their 30 overs. a row. At the start of the Bruton innings In what was to be the best bowling Joe Boddington and George Halse and fielding display of the season the bowled extremely well taking three 1st XI never released the pressure on wickets between them for 42 runs off the Queen’s batting line up bowling 12 overs to put Bruton on the back them out for 153 inside their 40 foot. Sam Read was the pick of the overs. Captain Jim Shepherd set bowlers completing his six overs with some challenging fields and all of the figures of 3 for 17. bowlers bowled tight lines. In a nail biting finish to the game it In reply, despite the loss of two early all came down to the final ball of the wickets, Jim final over and the final wicket in hand. Shepherd and Unfortunately Exeter was unable to Jamie Khan both stop the crucial single and the game hit unbeaten 50s was lost. to secure victory P The following weekend against with over ten West Buckland a far more mature overs remaining. 1st XI 8 approach to the batting saw Exeter The annual 2nd XI 2 finish their 30 overs on 224 for 6. Ben challenge for Abrahams hit a fine 72 opening but the 1st XI has U15A 9 the crucial innings came from Sam been to return U14A 8 Read who scored his maiden 1st XI to cricket after century finishing on 104 off only 75 the exam period U14B 2 balls. in good nick U13A 10 In reply West Buckland struggled to with the bat keep up with the required rate and and ball and U13B 3 ended on 157 for 8. George Milner with the levels U12A 11 finished with 3 for 12 from his 6 over of intensity spell. needed at the U12B 2 In the only midweek 20/20 match top end of the
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game. Things seemed to be going well against Blundell’s and halfway through their innings the 1st XI had Blundell’s struggling on 53 for 5. However after the drinks break Blundell’s were allowed to more than double their score eventually setting a challenging 216 for 8. As was to be the case on many occasions in the season, Sam Read was miserly with the ball, finishing on 2 for 21 off his 8 overs. It was also pleasing to see U14 player Tom Kilmartin in the 1st XI and picking up two wickets. In reply with the bat, Ben Abrahams scored an impressive 74 ably supported by another debutant James Horler (41). However the team were plagued by the continual struggle to rotate the strike and score quick singles and finished the game 19 runs short of the win with four wickets still in hand. The fixture against King’s College Taunton is always challenging and
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bowling first Exeter struggled to maintain their line and length leaking boundaries. Halfway through their innings things looked ominous with King’s on 126 for the loss of only two wickets. However Jim Shepherd set some clever fields and kept rotating the bowlers and was able to bowl Kings out for only another 95 runs. Once again after the break for exams the rust was showing in batting techniques and although players got some good starts no one was able to convert their start into a big score and the team were bowled out for a disappointing 133. In what was to become the penultimate match of the season
U11A U11B U10A U10B U9A U9B U8A
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against the MCC the team knew that, batting first, the MCC would look to amass a big score. At lunch the MCC has a good foundation to start accelerating from but once again with some clever fields Exeter was able to slow them down so that the declaration came on 248 for 9. At 70 for 3 in reply things looked bleak for the 1st XI and the game seemed to be petering out in to a very dull draw. However Jamie Khan, in the knowledge that Ben Green’s century the year before had secured him a trip to Lords as a guest of the MCC, started to hit the boundary with increasing ease. In a tense last over it all came down to the final ball with Jamie needing to hit a boundary for his well-deserved century. With the boundary peppered with players it seemed unlikely but Jamie struck the ball behind square on the leg side to finish on 102 from only 103 balls. The game finished in a draw with the 1st XI ending on 214 for 6. The final match was against Haberdashers’ Aske’s who were on tour from Hertfordshire. The 1st XI bowled first in the 40 over match and unfortunately once again leaked runs from the start. Haberdashers capitalised on this and Exeter were bowled out for 246. Hamish Dow was the success story with the ball taking three wickets on his debut. Haberdashers’ showed the Exeter bowlers how it should be done, bowling some excellent lines. U15 batsman James Horler was the only one able to mount a resistance, finishing on 54 not out as the team
were bowled out for 107. Three wins and a draw out of the eight matches completed this season was far below what both the players and the coaching staff had set out to achieve back in April. Going into the exam break the team had started to play with some good rhythm and accuracy narrowly losing their first game and then winning three in a row. However players returned from their exams out of touch and looking for form. Thanks must go to the captain Jim Shepherd for his excellent leadership on the pitch and his tireless work behind the scenes in getting teams together. Mr Mason
Junior School U11A
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his group of boys had shown their sporting potential in all the other main sports and I was very hopeful that they would do us proud in cricket as well. This certainly proved to be the case, as they won all of their regular fixtures, although it was a shame that the match against Blundell’s was cancelled due to the weather. However, as has been the case so often in the past, the true quality of the side was seen in its performances in the Saracens Cup, a national hardball competition, conducted in a pairs format. With qualification for the Devon Hardball Finals assured by means of a bye, we were delighted to host the county finals for the first time. The boys performed with great skill to comfortably beat Blackpool Primary, West Buckland and Trinity to become Devon champions for the third time in four years. The West Region Finals took place at King’s College, Taunton. Our captain, Harry Williams, takes up the story: “At the West Finals in Taunton we all played extremely well. We beat St
finals. We had two fairly comfortable victories in our group against Ashville College and Ratcliffe College, with a defeat against eventual winners, Prestfelde College, meaning that we had to play for the bronze medal against Manchester Grammar, captained by the son of a certain ‘Freddie’ Flintoff! We recovered superbly in the latter part of our innings, but ended up losing by 9 runs. It had been a very memorable end to an Hilary from Cornwall, Paragon School impressive season! Mr Ashman from Bath and Christchurch Junior from Dorset. All three games were extremely tough and we needed to take some important wickets to reduce the scores of the opposition. In the final against Millfield Prep, we got a good score of 231 on the he girls have worked really board, but we knew we had to bowl hard at their cricket skills and field extremely well to keep this term. I am pleased that them below it. The team responded a regular group of 20 girls have brilliantly and we won by 20 runs to practised on Wednesday evenings. seal a place in the National Finals at With superb input from Mr Mason Oakham School.” on finding a good bowling line and The boys were certainly not fazed tips on running between the wickets by playing at the highest level in the from Mr Skinner, the girls looked
Junior School Girls’ cricket
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WERE THERE ANY “CHAMPAGNE” MOMENTS THIS SEASON? Beating King’s Ottery in the Devon Cup Final.
forward to their matches. We held a festival at Exeter School in June. Taunton School and Wellington School came for a very enjoyable afternoon of pairs cricket. We played a round robin format with Exeter A winning three matches and Exeter B winning two. Further matches followed against Millfield Prep, where we secured wins for both the A and B teams and a match against St Peter’s Prep. I am delighted that several girls are now playing regular club cricket. Eliza heard has been selected for the U11 Devon girls’ squad. Letty Lovell and Imogen Daldorph have played for East Devon in matches. Cricket Captain Imogen Daldorph reports: “My personal favourite moment was winning the cricket festival and receiving the cup from Mrs Marks. The whole team was amazing at bowling, batting and persevering with their running.” Mrs Parkin
Girls’ cricket results U11A U11B
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HAS THERE BEEN A LOW POINT THIS SEASON, AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME IT?
WHAT IS THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY OF BEING A CAPTAIN? The good thing about being a Yes, when we lost against Blundell’s JAMES HORLER, U15 captain is that you get to choose in the County Finals, we overcame if you bat or bowl. The bad is that WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU this by even harder work! some of the decisions you have to GIVE TO A CAPTAIN LOWER NIALL MCCARTHY, U12 make are difficult. DOWN IN THE YEAR? HUW ISAAC, U10B WHAT WAS THE FUNNIEST You need to be unselfish, utilize MOMENT OF THIS SEASON? your teammate’s abilities and take When I accidently caught the WHAT WAS THE FUNNIEST the responsibility for your mistakes. cricket ball in my shirt and MOMENT OF THIS SEASON? TOM KILMARTIN AND couldn’t find it. Oliver throwing a ball at Mr Pidwell! BOBBY HEARD, U14A
WHAT IS THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY OF BEING A CAPTAIN? The good is all of the success that you get from winning games, the bad is the lows of losing and the ugly is when players start nagging at you constantly.
OSCAR CLEMENTS, U11B
WHAT WAS THE BEST MOMENT OF THE SPORTING YEAR? When Ben Mason bowled the opposition out, when we were losing.
GUS LOVELL, U9A
WHAT WAS THE BEST MOMENT OF THE SPORTING YEAR? Winning our first match. ALEX RAICHURA, U9B
LENNY TUCKER, U10A
FREDDIE O’CONNELL, U13
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ennis has continued to grow this term; there has been significant achievements in both the Aegon League competitions and inter school fixtures. Matthew Rutter and Zac Brown have had great success on the national and European tennis circuit. Matthew triumphed in the HSBC Road to Wimbledon South West Qualifier and has secured his place in the next round at Wimbledon in August.
U15 Aegon League
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he girls U15 team played well this term. They beat West Buckland, lost to Bideford and unfortunately narrowly lost in a shoot out to The Maynard. The boys played Stover and Newton Abbot and won both matches. They beat West Buckland in the semi-finals and progressed to play Trinity in the final. The boys played a competitive final match, which they narrowly lost 7-10 in a doubles shootout.
Tennis WERE THERE ANY “CHAMPAGNE� MOMENTS THIS SEASON? We won the Aegon Premier League title for Devon, and became County Champions. That was definitely a champagne moment! The girls also won their League title so Exeter School is now the top school in Devon for tennis. Come on!
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A CAPTAIN LOWER DOWN IN THE YEAR? Sportsmanship, good mentality and teamwork are crucial in this game, sometimes more so than the drive to win. JAMIE CAMPBELL, U15
MATTHEW RUTTER, U13
HOW HAS THE TEAM WORKED WELL TOGETHER THIS SEASON? HOW HAS THE TEAM WORKED WELL TOGETHER We are all really good friends so we THIS SEASON? had many fun bus journeys and a lot of laughs. We were all cheering We were very diverse which each other on during the matches allowed us to swap and change our and keeping positive. pairings throughout the season. MARTHA HALSE AND SUZIE BENSON, U15
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ISSY RUTTER, U13
U13 Aegon League
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he U13 boys have been very successful and are currently unbeaten. They move through to the regional round of the competition, as County Champions. The U13 girls are also unbeaten and progress through to the next stage of the league as Devon winners of Division 2. Congratulations to everyone who has played tennis and thank you to all staff for their help with coaching. Miss Carter
Junior School
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ennis is very popular and 45 pupils have attended the lunchtime tennis coaching throughout the year. In addition, the Monday club, where pupils have a chance to develop their skills through practices and matches during the summer term, has been well attended. Once again, a group represented Exeter Junior School at the IAPS Under 11 Championships at Millfield this summer: Oscar Clements, Ben Mason, Maddie Schuchter and Phoebe Redfern. Maddie Schuchter has been selected for the County U11 tennis training squad and she, along with Ben Mason, have been participating in tournaments around the South of England. Mrs Parkin
Rounders Senior School
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he girls have had a successful summer term of rounders. The numbers participating in after school clubs and matches has been very encouraging. The school has two girls playing in the England U14 squad: Isobel Rutter and Freya Munson. The U12A and B teams are currently on a 75% win ratio. The U13A and B teams are currently on a 60% win ratio. The U14s are on a 50% win ratio and the U15s are currently unbeaten. Thank you to all the staff for taking teams and umpiring matches. Miss Carter
Junior School
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ver the term, the Under 8, Under 9, Under 10 and Under 11 teams combined have played over 30 matches and only eight matches have been lost to the weather this summer. Every
girl in the Junior School has had the opportunity to represent the school in a rounders match. There has been superb batting, fielding and great decision making on display from all the teams. The U11A won a thrilling U11A Millfield Tournament beating Blundell’s in the final. The U10A team won four matches in their ‘round robin’ tournament at Millfield Prep. The final match of the afternoon against Blundell’s proved to be too great a challenge and they had to settle with runner-up spot. The Under 10B team also had a brilliant day at the Millfield Under U10B team festival, winning two and drawing one match to finish winners. Every Tuesday and Wednesday evening we have had rounders practices on the school playing field. When we play, everyone knows because of all the enthusiastic cheering that can be heard ringing around Exeter School. This year’s
House Rounders winners were Grenville. Rounders captain Maddie Schuchter says: “I had great fun being rounders captain this summer. I was really happy when we won the Millfield Rounders Tournament. I remember one particular moment when I had a great pass from Serena so that I could stump second post and run out the batter. It was great fielding from the whole team that helped us win so many games!” The final Under 11 matches of the term were against the Upper Two Mums. They were very competitive so we think they must have done some practising! It was a lovely way to end the rounders season. U11A girls lost 12-16, but the U11B girls was much closer and the Mums sneaked half a rounder ahead to win 8-7.5. Mrs Parkin
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU WERE THERE ANY THE UGLY OF BEING A “CHAMPAGNE” MOMENTS GIVE TO A CAPTAIN LOWER CAPTAIN? THIS SEASON? DOWN IN THE YEAR? The good is helping the team. When we were playing one Always be positive and listen to of our first matches of the season The bad is the pressure to perform your teammates. well and the ugly is when we get and everyone scored a KATIE COLE, U15 angry losing a match. rounder for about 8-10 balls. EMILY GOODISON, U12
GRACE HUGHES, U10B
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU WHAT WAS THE FUNNIEST GIVE TO A CAPTAIN LOWER WAS THERE A MOMENT MOMENT OF THIS SEASON? DOWN IN THE YEAR? THAT DEFINED YOUR TEAM When someone was bowling they Don’t be afraid to tell your team DURING THE YEAR? rolled it along the floor. your tactics for a game. When everyone was cheering for each other. ROSIE BATCHELOR, U9A ELIZA JONES, U14 SOPHIE RIDEHALGH, U11B
3 WORDS TO DESCRIBE THIS 3 WORDS TO DESCRIBE THIS TEAM? TEAM? Competitive. United. Strong. Enthusiastic, determined, funny. FREYA MUNSON, U13
PHOEBE REDFERN, U10A
WHAT WAS THE BEST MOMENT OF THE SPORTING YEAR? We won every match! TEAM CAPTAIN, U9B
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Squash Senior School
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enior school squash has seen many successes this year. Superb level of play by both the under 15 and under 19 squash players has led to many wins this year at both a national and local competition level with challenging matches against Devon, Cornwall and Oxfordshire based schools such as Richard Huish, Mount Kelly, and Millfield to name but a few. This is only achievable by the excellent hard work and dedication by our team members. Many thanks to the under 15 squash team: James Horler, Sam Read, Tom Peters, Max Cockram, Eddy Lister, Bobby Heard and Andrew Donovan; and
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the under 19 team Ben Ford, Simon Priddle, Will Cockram, Tom Perkins, Rohan White and Jake Kilmartin. Squash has continued to see new recruits at girls and entry level training sessions and next year there will be lots of opportunities to partake in matches against other schools. Mrs Coe
Junior School
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uring the year, 20 pupils have attended the Thursday evening squash coaching sessions with George Aplin. Many more have played in the lunchtime squash leagues. It is encouraging to see a keen interest in Form One and Upper One pupils who play on Friday lunchtimes. Squash is thriving in the Junior School among both boys and girls. In April, four pupils participated in the IAPS Squash championships at Millfield. It was a most successful tournament for Exeter Junior School players. Each player qualified from the group stage and progressed to the knock out stage of the event (last 16). In the open
THE JUNIOR SCHOOL SQUASH TOURNAMENT RESULTS Winner of George Aplin Trophy 2017 Oliver Gribble Runner up Freddie Cockram Losing semi finalists Harry Williams and James Matthews Main Plate Winner Oscar Clements Runner up Jayesh Lake Plate Tournament Winner Charlie Hill Runner up Jake Power Girls’ Tournament Winner Lauren Brown Runner up Eliza Heard Colours: Harry Williams doubles event Oliver Gribble and Freddie Cockram found themselves in the Plate tournament after losing in the first round of the knock out rounds. After some lengthy matches, they reached the final. Freddie and Oliver played superbly against much older opponents but could not clinch the match. Nevertheless, Runners Up in the IAPS Doubles tournament is a very good result. Congratulations to Oliver Gribble and Freddie Cockram who have been part of the County U11 squad this season. Mrs Parkin
Swimming
Senior School
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n preparation for the opening of the new pool restructured swim squads started training in the open air pool from March onwards. Momentum has grown and the squads transferred into the indoor pool at the start of second half of the summer term. Pupils have thoroughly enjoyed the new facilities, which includes touch pad timing, both through the squads and through PE lessons. New team tops and swim hats have also gone down well with the swimmers. The opening ceremony on 28 June was very successful with Chair of Governors starting the first race using the new electronic timing equipment. In addition to four interhouse galas there have been three
Swimming inter-school galas for the senior squad. The first of these was away against Wellington, which the team narrowly lost. The team came second in a gala with Exeter Cathedral School and Bramdean and finally won a very competitive event against The Maynard School. In August 2016, Exeter School commenced running RLSS National Pool Lifeguard Award courses for Upper Fifth and Sixth Form pupils. This one-week long course is the nationally recognised Lifeguard Qualification for swimming pools. The lifeguard provision for the school’s new indoor pool is provided using a combination of staff and pupils, and the academic year 2017 will commence with the backbone of this team consisting of 14 pupils who hold their National Pool Lifeguard Qualification.
From September next year, all swimmers in the existing squad will continue training along with the addition of a new senior squad on a Monday morning. A water polo club and lifesaving club will fill the suite of activities by alternating on a halfterm basis. Dr Robb
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A CAPTAIN LOWER DOWN IN THE YEAR? Be patient with other swimmers and don’t get stressed. Always believe in yourself, other people and the coach. Most importantly enjoy what you are doing and have fun. LILYMAY GIRVIN
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The Exonian 2017 SENIOR SCHOOL HOUSE GALA WINNERS
Third Form: Crossing Fourth Form: Acland Lower Fifth: Daw Middle Fifth and Lower Sixth: Collins
SENIOR SCHOOLS
HOME/ AWAY
DATE
Wellington (Away)
Away
8 May
Exeter Cathedral School and Bramdean
Home
The Maynard School
Home
Junior School
S
wimming is moving into an exciting phase at Exeter School. With the opening of the new
AGE GROUPS
RESULT
Boys and girls
Wellington 117
U15, U13
Exeter 111
26 June
Boys and girls
5 July
U13, U12
5 July
Cathedral School 91 Exeter School 84 Bramdean 57
Girls
Exeter School 125
U9, U11, U13, U15
The Maynard School 119
swimming pool, all pupils will have the opportunity to swim more regularly and use the pool for lessons the whole year round. The Junior School pupils have had a chance to train at lunchtimes and
after school. Teams were chosen to swim against The Maynard School and Queen’s College. Both were very well contested events. Eighteen of our swimmers took part in the Exeter Primary Schools’ Gala. There were many outstanding results with special mention going to our first place swimmers: Yasmin Brown (U9 SCOTT Freestyle), Matthew Roberts (U10 Back 118 stroke), Patrick Eveling (U10 Breast stroke) and Lauren Brown 3rd (U11 Breast stroke). In addition, both the boys’ 202 and girls’ relay teams won the Relay Cups for the fastest team times. 2nd The whole team is to be congratulated on 320 winning the Primary Schools’ shield. Mrs Parkin 2nd
Junior School Swimming House Gala Results BLAKE
GILBERT
GRENVILLE
F1 & U1
98
119
131
Placing
4th
2nd
1st
L2 & U2
167
266
175
4th
1st
3rd
265
385
306
4th
1st
3rd
COMBINED RESULT
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Lifesaving
Survive and save Lifesaving course 2017
T
welve members of the Middle Fifth took part in the summer term RLSS Survive and Save lifesaving course, which provides training including water safety awareness, resuscitation methods and water rescue skills. We started our course with a survival swim of 20 lengths non-stop, swimming lengths in clothes, treading water for ten minutes and demonstrating the huddle position in a huddle! This all took place in our first session! In the next few sessions, which took place in the rather cold conditions of the outdoor pool, we trained and practised different skills and techniques for life saving such as reach rescues, and towing casualties with floats, woggles and
other buoyant objects. We also learnt how to throw ropes, which is harder than it looks and took a few of us a number of tries before our technique was perfected. Learning these important skills was very interesting and fun to practise! In later sessions, we learnt about resuscitation, practicing on one another and on the resuscitation “Annies”. We also learnt how to deal with someone who was choking. I found it fascinating to learn skills that could help save someone’s life one day. In the final two sessions, we demonstrated all our rescue skills in the pool and then showed we could manage simulated incidents in the water. These included an asthmatic having an attack in the
water without their inhaler and a child falling into the water and struggling out of their depth. We had to ensure that we did not end up with our casualties on opposite sides of the pool and make sure we did not enter the water without the vital towing aids. Although challenging, the incidents were also great fun, especially being a casualty. I especially remember one of my friends shouting ‘I am panicking’ repeatedly when told to perform as a panicking mother, which caused everyone to laugh! Everyone passed the course and thanks go to our Lifesaving Instructors, Mr Davidson, Mrs Shrubb and Sixth Former Jake Kilmartin. Francesca Giannachi-Kaye (Middle Fifth Form)
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into answering a few questions about the amazing shot. HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT SHOOTING THROUGH THE POLO MINT? Shocked, I guess! DO YOU HAVE PAST EXPERIENCE ON A RANGE? Once before, in the last polo competition.
Biological bullseye! Quick-fire questions with Mrs Clark
A
t the Staff Shooting Competition, Mrs Clark was able to make the elusive polo shot (through the bullseye and a polo, without breaking the
Shooting success
W
ell done to Upper Fifth Former Tom Burhop who won the school’s polo shoot competition. He achieved this by firing a .22 bullet through a polo without breaking the mint from a range of 25 yards. Mr Smith said this was an excellent achievement. “He is only the second pupil to do this in 5 years and has won a cash prize of £10,” said Mr Smith. Mrs Brookes-Ferrari
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polo), making her the third person to achieve this in the last decade. While initially hesitant to answer questions about her experience, Mrs Clark was eventually coerced
HOW MUCH DO YOU FEEL LUCK FACTORED INTO THE SHOT? How do I answer that kind of question without sounding…? Mr Boddington would defiantly say so, since he was there! (edit: Mr Boddington later confirmed that he was there, and it was “a complete fluke”). ARE YOU PLANNING TO TRY TO REPEAT THIS FEAT LATER? I am doubtful that I will. Thanks to Mrs Clark for taking the time out of her schedule to answer these questions about this unique event. Bobby Hayman (Lower Sixth Form)
Rifle range named after Old Exonian
E
xeter School’s new 25 yard, .22 rifle range, was formally opened on 28 June and named The John Sampson Rifle Range, in John’s (OE 1955) presence alongside his family, the Headmaster, Governors and guests. This honour recognises John’s long association with the school shooting club which began when he was a pupil in the 1950s. Officially opened by Brigadier Steve Hodder, himself a former pupil and current Governor, the ceremony marked the completion of an extensive Sports department build that includes a new 25-metre four-lane swimming pool, new fitness suite, free weights room and studio area as well as new changing rooms. Shooting instructor John helps run the shooting club on Wednesday afternoons and after school and assists WO2 Fred Smith in the range and the armoury. Known affectionately by the pupils as “the Stig of shooting”, his calm and patient advice enables them to improve their confidence and accuracy, John enjoys the opportunity to take part in shooting competitions himself both at school and with the Devon Shooting Club. While at school, John was awarded shooting colours for three years in succession
and captained the very successful shooting club in 1955, trained by Mr Leger that won the coveted Devon Shield. John is proud of that fact that he has shot in four different ranges on the school site, the pre-1955 outdoor range, the first indoor range opened in 1955 and located in the CCF Huts complex, where the Goodall building is today, the 1991 range alongside the sports hall, and recently the new John Sampson Rifle Range. A member of Devon Shooting Club and a NRA official, John has nurtured Exeter School pupils, taking teams to the National Finals in Bisley 11 times from 2000 – 2011 with former teacher Richard Donne. Mrs Brookes-Ferrari
Athletics
Athletics Senior School
Junior School
event, whose combined result ensured they won the Larkman Cup he start of the athletics season Colours: James Matthews, Maddie U11 team shield. In the girls’ U11 saw athletes competing in the Schuchter, Ella Parry, Hugo Hepburn race, Maddie Schuchter came 6th Exeter and District trials and and Freddie Lofthouse and Lauren Brown 7th. then the Exeter v East Devon match. At the Arena Athletics competition In both of these, individual athletes unior School pupils took part (hosted by Exeter Cathedral School) were looking to finish in the top in the Cross Country events at our individual winning performances three positions to gain selection for Blundell’s and Stover. At Stover, came from: the Devon Championships. This year, they were the 2nd placed school in Jayesh Lake (U11 High Jump & four athletes represented the School the team event, with the girls’ teams 200m) James Matthews (U11 Long and East Devon at Exeter Arena in the leading the way that day with the U9 Jump) Eliza Heard (U11 High Jump) County Championships in June: girls’ team placed 1st and the U11 Hugo Hepburn (U11 100m and Toby Collins – Year 7 Boys 200m girls 2nd. The boys’ teams had very Javelin) Yasmin Brown (U9 800m) and 800m impressive results at the Blundell’s Emma Barton (U9 Throw). The relay Ollie Capps – Year 7 Boys 800m cross-country. This is a large event teams ran superbly in the last events Cleo Turley – Junior Girls Shot Putt with over 80 runners in each race. of the day. When all the results were Maddie Roche – Senior Girls 800m Most outstanding individual placings combined, Exeter Junior School was Toby, Ollie and Maddie all won their were James Matthews, Toby Capps the overall winner. Mrs Parkin events to become county champions. and Matthew Roberts in the U11 Unfortunately for the boys, this was the end of their journey as the Year 7 competition did not go to the regional level. However, Maddie competed in the regional event winning the senior Blake Gilbert Grenville Scott girls 800m race and was unlucky to F1 & U1 29 31 17 34 miss out on a qualifying time for the national finals. L2 19 14 11 13 The athletics season drew to a U2 24 29 20 34 close with the annual House athletics competition that saw the pupils Totals 72 74 48 81 running, jumping and throwing to 3rd 2nd 4th 1st gain points for their Houses. Mr Mason
T
J
Junior School Athletics standards 2017
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Junior School Sports Day
Results BLAKE
GILBERT
GRENVILLE
SCOTT
U1/F1
88 2nd
74 3rd
55 4th
113 1st
L2/U2
127 1st
105 3rd
76 4th
111 2nd
Overall
215 2nd
179 3rd
131 4th
224 1st
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S
ports Day delivered its usual fever-pitch excitement and competition. The weather was perfect and the pupils’ efforts, interHouse rivalry and excellent behaviour resulted in two great spectacles. Timings taken from PE lessons helped to produce some close duels on the track, with Ella Parry and Hugo Hepburn being awarded the Senior Athletes Awards. Well done to all participants. Mr Bland
The Exonian 2017
‘Can you take a shelfie?’ answers (page 27): 1. Dr Rowland 2. Mr Howard 3. Mrs James 4. Dr Smale 5. Dr Bawn 6. Revd Tom
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www.exeterschool.org.uk @ExeterSchoolUK Headmaster/Admissions: 01392 273679 Junior School: 01392 258738
Exeter School Victoria Park Road Exeter EX2 4NS 01392 258712