The Ardvreckian 2018-2019 Online

THE ARDVRECKIAN 2018 - 2019

Loretto Pre-School

A small school, big on heart, big on ambition

Meet our teaching and house staff, who make Loretto a welcoming place where pupils thrive.

Discover our safe, leafy 85 acre campus, and its extensive facilities dedicated to Academics, Sports and Creative Arts.

Senior Open Days: 21 March 2020 and 26 September 2020 Book your visit: admissions@loretto.com – 0131 653 4455 Loretto School – Independent, boarding and day school for girls and boys aged 0 to 18, located in Musselburgh.

Visit our website www.loretto.com – Like us on Facebook @LorettoSchool – Follow us on Twitter @LorettoHead 1

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FOREWORD

THE ARDVRECKIAN 2018 - 2019 From the Headmistress

Contents Foreword Staff List Prize-giving House Reports Little Ardvreck Class Reports Maths English Science Humanities Music French Art Drama Barvicks Outdoor Pursuits Events Adventures Abroad Sport Activities Friends of Ardvreck OA News

2 3 4 9 13 17 19 20 21 22 25 27 28 29 31 33 39 41 43 53 58 59

We are sure you will enjoy perusing this review of a wonderful year at Ardvreck. Our annual magazine serves as a record of a year in the lives of our pupils, a prospectus for those who would like to know more about the school that we love on the hill, and a celebration of the tremendous achievements of our boys and girls.

Ali Kinge Headmistress March 2020

Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

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STAFF

School Governors and Staff GOVERNING BODY Maj Gen Mike Riddell-Webster CBE DSO (Chairman) Mr T. Edge Mrs M. Mennie Mrs L. Leader Mrs R. Russell Mrs K. Liddiard Mr C. Stewart Mrs R. Mackenzie Smith Mr T. Wright HEADMISTRESS Mrs A. Kinge BA(Hons), PGCertEd DIRECTOR OF STUDIES Mr P. Banks BSc(Hons), PGCertEd, CSciTech, MRSC, FMCCT HEAD OF PASTORAL CARE / CHILD PROTECTION OFFICER Mrs S. Mannion BA(Hons), PGCertEd, Forest School Level 3 (Form One) BURSAR Mr I. MacDonald TEACHING STAFF Miss S. Beamish (Nursery) Mrs T. Cashman BA(Hons), PGCertEd (Pre Prep) Mrs T. Deacon BSc(Hons), PGCertEd, Dip M (Form Three, Erskine House) Mrs J. Downey BA(Hons), PGCertEd (Class teacher) Mrs F. Earl LLB(Hons), PGCertEd (Form Two) Mr R. Gibson BA(Hons), PGCertEd (History) Mrs A. Gilmore BA(Hons), PGCertEd (English) Mr P. Grant BMus(Hons), PGCertEd, PGDM, LGSMD (Music) Mr M. Gray BSc, PGCertEd (Learning Support) Mrs W. Hardie BA(Hons), PGCertEd (Art) Mr D. Knock BA(Hons), PGCertEd (French, MacLellan House, Boys’ Games) Ms Z. Mackintosh BA(Hons), PGCertEd, MCCT (Form Three) Miss L. Parkinson BA(Hons), DipSW, MA (After-school Club) Mrs S. Phillips BA(Hons), PGCertEd (Maths) Mr A. Robertson BSc(Hons), PGCertEd (Geography, Outdoor Pursuits) Mr S. White BSc(Hons), PGCertEd, PGDE Outdoor Ed (Nursery) MATRONS / HOUSEMISTRESSES Mrs J.Erdal, Miss L. MacLeod, Mrs J. Ridley, Mrs E. Kidd SCHOOL NURSE Mrs S. Milne ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Mrs G. Murchie - PA to the Headmistress Mrs C. Snowball - Admissions Mrs J. Fraser - Secretary Mrs T. Oates - Assistant to the Bursar

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The Headmistress’ Speech A warm welcome to our wonderful pupils, staff, parents, governors, friends of the school and, of course, to our very special guest Jamie Baulch, who is a television presenter, a former British sprint athlete and an Olympic medal winner.

Jamie, thank you for coming all this way to join us in our celebrations and we look forward to hearing your inspiring words.

You may have read a blog I wrote for the website recently in which I reflect upon my initial year as Ardvreck’s first Headmistress since its founding 136 years ago. In it is a description of my utopian, Enid Blyton-esque dream to make this the happiest, kindest and most mischievous school in the land. A laudable ideal, I think, and if it is to be achieved, Ardvreck is certainly the one place in the world where it can be realised.

But today, I’d like to assure you all that I’m not, in any way, living in a 1940s, Famous Five nirvana, with endless lashings of ginger beer. My aspirations for this wee school are great; my appetite for progress is certainly not complacent; the graveyard of ambition it is not.

On my appointment last summer I devised an ambitious, 33-page development plan for the school which is divided into seven sections. In preparation for the final Board of Governors meeting of this academic year, I colour-coded the objectives in the development plan to show progress thus far and it was most gratifying to see that, out of the 103 objectives listed, 61 were green – indicating completion; 25 were amber, meaning under way; and 15 remain red – yet to be tackled. But just to put the reds in perspective for you, some of them include pretty outrageous projects such as establishing an Ardvreck School abroad, building a centre of excellence for sport, and constructing the longest, steepest dry ski slope a prep school has ever owned!

The Governors have so far given me a pretty free rein to develop the school how I see fit although I suppose I can understand their reluctance to let me loose on the budget for these somewhat bolder projects. At this juncture, I should like to thank the governors for their time and expertise which they give so freely to the school and in particular you, Mike, for your support, guidance and trust in me during my first year as headmistress.

Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

So what do the objectives which have already turned green in the development plan actually look like?

Without listing all 61 of them, they include: a redesign of the school day and timetable; the re-introduction of prep; the inclusion of Outdoor Pursuits and Scottish Country Dancing in the timetable; swimming lessons for all; an ICT review and upgrade; the Form One and Two split; a review of the pastoral system; the appointment of a school counsellor; mental health first aid qualifications for boarding personnel; a determined and highly successful overhaul of staff to create (wait for it, teachers – this must surely be on your bingo cards) the dream team; rebuilding the music department to put Ardvreck back on the musical stage; the opening of our new reception in the former library; the replacement of the old minibus; a new tractor for the maintenance team; the launch of new sports kit; a review and update of policy and procedure across the school; a new website and, most recently this week, the launch of our ambitious alumni programme.

It’s been a busy year and it was so rewarding this month to receive confirmation from inspections by both Education Scotland and the Care Inspectorate that the education and care we provide here at Ardvreck is top notch.

Standing still has never been my thing and I shall spend some of the summer, along with my recently appointed leadership team, replacing the 61 green objectives in the development plan with new targets for the coming academic year.

One of the purposes of the Head’s speech at any prize-giving is to run through some of the highlights of the preceding year and, in my promise of brevity, what follows is, relatively speaking, a tiny snapshot of the pinnacles of life at Ardvreck this year.

The arrival of Mr Grant has been key (excuse the pun) to the overhaul of the music department. He has orchestrated a symphony of success in terms of ABRSM and Trinity music exams, class music, an upgrade in the appearance of the music school, the quality of singing at Ardvreck, and the enjoyment levels in choir and during congo. The calibre of the children’s performances and, consequently, of our musical events, has undoubtedly shot through the roof since his appointment and I shall never tire of boasting to prospective parents that our director of music is not just a former professional opera 4

PRIZE-GIVING

Prize-giving

PRIZE-GIVING

singer but also a former prop in the London Scottish rugby team: the perfect skillset for an Ardvreck teacher. The children have wowed audiences with their musical prowess at venues across Scotland as well as through numerous, magical concerts back at school (including performing for The Master of the Queen’s Music, Judith Weir) but who could ever forget the courageous performance of Macbeth the Musical, which was truly awe-inspiring?

A great year of musical achievements was matched by some amazing outdoor adventures. Benefiting from the Bear Grylls prowess and enthusiasm of Mr Robertson, our provision for Outdoor Pursuits and outdoor learning continues to develop throughout the school. We now have an outdoor expert in our Nursery in the form of Mr White, and as the children move up through the early stages of their Ardvreck education they benefit from forest school principles through the expertise of Mrs Cashman and Mrs Mannion. The benefits of outdoor education cannot be underestimated and Kurt Hahn’s observation that it is culpable neglect not to impel young people into experiences is very much part of our ethos.

This academic year our lucky children have had the opportunity to experience an enviable number of adventurous opportunities, including rock climbing and abseiling; white-water rafting; canyoning; mountain biking; sea kayaking; via feratta, Munro-bagging (both in and out of the snow); skiing; snowboarding; trekking; scrambling; wild swimming in sea, loch, river and waterfall; camping; wild camping; donutting; and weaselling.

It’s no wonder that our pupils have a reputation for having plenty of grit, resilience and determination.

All three of these qualities have certainly been prevalent on the sporting front this year at Ardvreck – and I should like to salute, in particular, the senior girls who, despite low numbers, have shown great spirit and endeavour in all of their matches. Sports tours south of the border have shown that we can certainly punch above our weight against much bigger schools in Englandshire and it was most gratifying to learn of a victory for our senior boys at the Terrington Rugby Sevens Tournament.

Other notable sporting highlights of the year include the success of Curtis McD at the Belhaven cross-country event; a double bowling hat-trick for Kerr B in consecutive cricket match5

es; a haul of 16 medals for Ardvreck at the IAPS athletics championships at Fettes, including a second gold in the 4-by-100 relay from the feisty Form Three girls; and a win at the Blairmore Cup for the U12 boys’ athletics team. With our smart, new Samurai kit on order, we have big plans to develop our sport to ensure that the performance of our teams matches our impressive sartorial appearance.

In addition to our team sports, several pupils have excelled at national level in individual sports including Rory H and Daisy H in eventing, Kerr, Brooke and Callie B in skiing, Findlay and Tally McL in kayaking, Henny J in downhill mountain bike racing, and Amelia P in highland dancing. Furthermore, to add to the school’s already diverse list of sporting activities, we have recently added polo and fencing to the enviable opportunities available to our pupils.

Charitable ventures have always been a big part of my life and, as an educator of privileged pupils, I feel very strongly that making sacrifices for good causes should become a priority in our childrens’ lives and must be instilled into our charges from an early age. This develops a foundation of values that will enable our pupils to develop a sense of wellbeing with the added benefits of empowering them with the knowledge and understanding that they can make a positive social impact and contribute to the lives of those less fortunate than themselves. To that end, in September, I introduced the concept of a ‘charity of the year’ for Ardvreck and chose Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance as our first partnership.

One of the highlights of the last year for me has been the way in which the whole school community has got behind ‘philanthropy fever’.

It has been a year of hugely enthusiastic cake baking, coffee drinking, long-distance walking and cycling, carol concerting, artistic designing – and I shall never, ever forget being somersaulted over by stunt biker Dougal and the rest of his stunt team, who were kindly invited by the Jones family to help with our pupils’ 500 miles charity cycling relay. The cumulative sum raised by the Ardvreck Community through its charitable endeavours over the year is still rising, but I’d like to express huge gratitude to everyone here for your undertakings, your sacrifices, your donations and your support because, together, we have managed to raise over £10,000 for SCAA. At this juncture, I wish to single out one individual whose fundraising efforts throughout www.ardvreckschool.co.uk

Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

100 new guy ropes for this very marquee!

The cheerleading parents are certainly not exclusive to the Friends of Ardvreck – I realise you are all out there spreading Ardvreck’s good name and for that we are hugely grateful. We feel extremely honoured to have such a devoted, skilled and feisty posse of parents supporting the school and your word of mouth is undoubtedly invaluable to the success of Ardvreck.

I can’t let this moment pass without paying tribute to my amazing colleagues. I have been in a very lucky position this year as I have been able to retain, but also to appoint (and bring back) an unbelievable team of staff who are talented, intelligent, committed, loyal, hard-working and incredible amounts of fun. They are movers and shakers, optimists, can-doers and smilers, who all care, beyond belief, about the education and wellbeing of every single child in our school. Folks, I truly love working alongside every one of you and I have to say – the children are incredibly lucky to have such inspirational characters as their role models.

Finally, let’s celebrate the achievements of these remarkable young people before me and, in particular, it is to the Sixth Formers I now turn. These fine boys and girls who will shortly be coming up to receive their prizes have aspired, endeavoured and achieved in so many areas of their lives already.

Thank you, Sixth Formers, for your passion and commitment, for always being willing to give things a go and for looking out, not just for yourselves, but for each other. You have been an absolute inspiration to your younger peers in every aspect of school life, from winning an astounding 19 scholarships between you to achieving wonderful things in the classroom, on the stage, on the sports field and out in the Scottish wilderness. As you move onto senior school, cast your net wide, have big dreams and ambitions. Ardvreck has prepared you to be resilient and has equipped you with a daring spirit to succeed and to overcome the inevitable knock-backs you will encounter along the way. Positivity attracts positivity – and positive people are generally great to be around.

We wish you all the very best with whatever you choose to do as you travel on your life journeys.

Continue to be the courageous pioneers you have become – and please don’t forget Ardvreck – you will always be welcome back.

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PRIZE-GIVING

the course of the year have been quite extraordinary. This young man has not only raised a substantial sum by selling coffee at school and in his local community to raise funds for SCAA but, during the Easter holidays, he completed the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, a 740km trek across Northern Spain, raising a further £1,563.64 for our charity.

This is an outstanding achievement and I should like to invite everyone to join me in a huge round of applause for Tom G.

Yesterday the Fifth Formers gave pitches to the whole school to persuade us all to support their charities of choice for the next academic year, and the whole school voted.

I’m thrilled to announce that The Amber Trust won the vote. The Amber Trust’s vision is to give blind and partially sighted children the best possible chance to fulfil their aspirations and the teachers are already planning a ‘Grade-Oneathon’ – it is our intention to reach grade one on an instrument we have never played before by the end of the next academic year.

Whilst reflecting on this year, it has occurred to me so many times that any school can provide excellent academic rigour, a strong pastoral ethos and a broad co-curricular programme, all of which we do very well indeed.

What sets this school apart is most definitely the people, the characters, the personalities who are somehow, at Ardvreck, a rather rare and often quirky breed!

The Chairman has already alluded to the amazing work of the Friends of Ardvreck and I think those of you who attended the climax of their year’s work at the Ard Ball last night will agree that they are a real tour de force at this school and I should like to say a particular thank you to Caroline McDermott and her amazing ball team for masterminding the event. Please join me in applauding their efforts. The Friends’ next project is to create a magical, Harry Potter dining hall and we’d be so grateful to any of you who feels able to sponsor all or part of a table.

Your family’s name will be etched in Ardvreck History for hundreds of years to come!

At this point, David Fox-Pitt, The Friends’ inspirational leader, and of course, Jo, must be thanked for their generosity to Ardvreck of time, equipment and land and David is to be congratulated for winning an MBE earlier in the year for his charitable activity. The school and the Friends of Ardvreck have joined together to purchase a very apt present to thank the Fox-Pitts:

PRIZES AND AWARDS

Prizes and Awards Subject Prizes English Florence A Maths Jack H French Florence A Latin Florence A Science Florence A Geography Florence A History Willa G Art Isla F-P RS Kristina D Form Prizes Form 1 Nancy G Form 2 Poppy F Form 3G Maxence M Form 3T Isabella C Form 4 Sandy N Form 5 Matteo C Form 6C Tom G Form 6S Florence A Progress Prizes Form 1 Annie P Form 2 Finlay A Form 3G Kiki P Form 3T Molly G Form 4 Alexandra P Form 5 Fraser K Form 6C Imogen L Form 6S Kristina D Ivor Ramsey Prizes Form 1 Esther B Form 2 Millie A Form 3G Rosie A Form 3T Amelia P Form 4 Oliver P Effort Prizes Form 1 Alexandra D Form 2 Callie B Form 3G Sinead Mc Form 3T Henny J Form 4 Wattie G Form 5 Freddy F Form 6C Ottilie B Form 6S Daisy H Sport The Griffiths Cup for Cross Country Running: Curtis Mc 7

Attainment Prizes Form 1 Freya K Form 2 Ferdinand H Form 3G Addison O Form 3T Julius P Form 4 Daniel R Form 5 Xan A Form 6C Charlie L Form 6S Willa G Music and Art Thomasina Bowyer Bower Trophy: Isabella C Hutchison Trophy : Imogen L Bird MacLellan Cup: Connie T Raybound Quaich: Charlie L Mannion Quaich: Archie C Jane Hope Brown Memorial Trophy: Burns Isla Cameron Cup: Florence A The Lowrie Quaich: Curtis Mc Cricket King Trophy (best under 11s): Robert F Rounders Henderson Bat: Kristina D The Ardvreck Cup: Willa G Munro-Wright Cup: Ottilie B Tennis Rose Cup: Jack H / Ottilie B Inglis Cup: Ambroise G McNab Cup: Hortense De T Wemyss Tennis Cup: Rosie A Squash The Mac Squash Cup: Jamie S General Ard’ Challenge Cup: Schiehallion Herodotus Award: Matteo C David Comrie Quaich: Raphe P Ardvreck Cup for Humanities: Willa G Phillips Plate for Sporting Endeavour: Findlay Mc Pullar Junior Citizenship Cup: Molly G / Ania N Broadfoot Character Cup: Tom G Illingworth Citizenship Cup: Imogen L Gammell-Ivory Progress Prize: Archie C Progress in Maths in Form 6: Imogen L Progress in English in Form 6: Isla F-P / Tom G

www.ardvreckschool.co.uk

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Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

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HOUSE REPORTS

JUNIOR HOUSE

By Janine Erdal We started the year with many new pupils, including some from Spain and France, who brought with them quite a cosmopolitan feel.

Everyone settled in well, quickly becoming firm members of the large Junior House family. It was wonderful to have such a full house, especially with lots of girls.

Renovations began, starting with fresh new curtains. Three dorms were repainted and decorated in a more modern, funky style, while still keeping the essence of Ardvreck. Although work is still underway, we are already enjoying these improvements.

The year has been busy with an array of events including Grandparents’ Day, Hallowe’en, Christmas parties, World Book Day, school plays, music, sport and recital competitions. Junior House has been very much involved in all of these activities, with some awe-inspiring performances, inventive dressing-up and, most of all, a willingness to join in whole-heartedly. The children never cease to amaze us and make all the staff incredibly proud of them.

We also had our annual Fourth Form 9

Final Fling: this year we went to Landmark Forest Adventure Park near Aviemore and had the most wonderful day, followed by an amazing meal with the Molyneux family who really pulled out all the stops!

In the Summer Term, we were joined by more children: some returning, as well as quite a few younger siblings of those who have spent previous summers with us. They all settled in well to life in Junior House, and it was a pleasure to have them.

One of the big changes this year has been to the weekends, during which we have packed in even more activities including swimming at Olympia in Dundee, ice skating, rock climbing, bouldering, weaselling, mountain biking, and ten-pin bowling. Many thanks to all the dedicated staff who helped support these adventures.

Finally, a big thank you to Miss MacLeod, and to all our wonderful Gap students and duty staff who helped to make Junior House such a happy, fun and safe place for the children to live and grow, and most importantly to all the wonderful children who were such a pleasure and inspiration to be around. www.ardvreckschool.co.uk

By Tania Deacon It has been a busy year in Erskine with a very enthusiastic and proactive group of full-time and flexi-boarders.

Under the watchful eye of Mrs Kidd, the girls had a very productive Autumn Term with all sorts of arts and crafts on the go. Inspired

by The Great British Bake Off, they held a bake sale in support of SCAA, the school’s chosen charity.

At the start of the Spring Term, the girls moved into Dalvreck dorm, and Springbanks was swiftly converted into a games room with a table tennis table, table football and a darts board. This gave the girls the opportunity to host Mac boys on a number of occasions, including for a dinner party which they cooked entirely themselves.

Puzzle-construction, baking and more arts and crafts continued to keep the girls entertained during the long dark evenings.

The Summer Term saw 6C preparing for their Common Entrance exams. Activities moved to the All Weather court and evenings were spent playing tennis, football and other games with the Mac boys.

It has been a pleasure to spend the year with such lively, happy, energetic and enthusiastic girls.

Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

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HOUSE REPORTS

ERSKINE HOUSE

HOUSE REPORTS

MACLELLAN HOUSE

By David Knock 2018/19 was another great year for Mac House.

The usual activities up the Knock and around the school helped our boys to have such a funfilled year.

The Autumn Term saw an abundance of rugby matches against many old friends, both home and away. We also had the tour to the north of England; concerts from internationally renowned musicians including cellist Raphael Walfisch; enrichment talks from Headmasters of public schools and from world record-breaking cyclists; Scottish country dancing; visits to Glenalmond for balls and musicals; and plenty more events besides.

During the Spring Term, the boys enjoyed a vast array of activities: hockey and rugby 7s tournaments all across Scotland and indeed the rest of the UK; cross-country events around Crieff, Belhaven and Merchiston; and musical events in Dundee and Edinburgh. A huge number were also involved in what was an incredibly successful staging of Macbeth the Musical.

Renovations continued with a totally revamped common room and, as such, Mac proved to be a lovely place to have fun in the wet and wild winter months.

A number of changes took place over the 11

Easter holidays: Mr Banks moved up the hill to the Brae Cottages; I stepped into the Housemaster’s role; and we welcomed Mrs Kidd back to Ardvreck (once again!) to become Assistant Housemistress.

The Summer Term, therefore, started with the new look team and we set to work making sure that everyone had a fun final term.

The long summer evenings certainly do play into our hands at Ardvreck, enabling us to make the most of our beautiful surroundings and to really enjoy our outdoor lifestyle. With many cricket matches and lots of athletics, tennis and of course touch rugby, there was plenty of sport again this term.

In addition, there were the two Summer Term trips: Sixth Form went on their Leavers’ Camp and had a lot of fun in the outdoors; whilst Fifth Form spent their week in Normandy on the French trip.

It has been a fantastic year and whilst it was sad to say goodbye to ten boys, and indeed farewell to Mr Banks, we thank them for all their help and kindness whilst they were in Mac House, and we wish them every success and happiness for the future. We look forward to continuing to develop and enjoy the boarding house next year. www.ardvreckschool.co.uk

Ut abo. Mus doles n

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LITTLE ARDVRECK

ARDVRECK NURSERY

By Steven White When I arrived in Little Ardvreck in February I was filled with excitement and wonder. I knew it would be an amazing and fulfilling year, as the aspect that had impressed me the most was the desire to engage the children in all the school has to offer.

We have continued to engage the children in outdoor education and the group has become very familiar and extremely confident in their surroundings. Little Ardvreck children easily express and demonstrate this confidence, both within a group and individually, during their pursuits.

The children have enjoyed multiple offsite visits including to the RSPB bird sanctuary, where they learnt about bird watching and how to identify the characteristics of the birds we observed.

The children have also loved learning how to make and sustain fire, on which they discovered how to cook many delicious feasts out in the open air!

In the Summer Term, the children and their parents spent an evening camping in our beautiful grounds.

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www.ardvreckschool.co.uk

LITTLE ARDVRECK

Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

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LITTLE ARDVRECK

GREAT

ADVENTURES

By Tracey Cashman It was a very busy, fun, and varied Summer Term for P1 and P2 children. We learned about the world and in particular the Brazilian rainforests, which, for a class of animal lovers, was great fun! Good progress was made by all in Maths and English, and plenty of adventures, big and small, were had in the Great Outdoors.

Little Ardvreck Camp

The first ever camp out for the little ones saw the weather gods smile on us and a stunning evening unveiled itself. With the help of expert chef Mr Robertson, we made pizzas in the wonderful pizza oven. This was followed by lots of games in the field, and marshmallows toasted on the fire.

Morning saw lots of laughter at ‘bed hair’.

Overall, it was a great success.

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Musical Extravaganza

Our spectacular Little Ardvreck concert, led by our wonderfully talented Mr Grant, showcased the amazing singing and rhythmical talents of our pupils. Many different types of music from around the world were performed to parents and staff, as well as to some of Crieff’s oldest residents (who had a special little twinkle in their eyes for the children!).

There is always a feeling of mixed emotions at the end of the year, as we say goodbye to those moving up: while it’s sad to see them go, we are also delighted to see them progressing onwards. www.ardvreckschool.co.uk

LITTLE ARDVRECK

Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

16

CLASS REPORTS

WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN

By Sarah Mannion To complete our learning about the Egyptians this year, First and Second Form went to the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh for the day to see ‘for real’ what the artefacts looked like in the museum’s new collection. It was an impressive haul, with so many colourful and fantastic objects on display. There were coffins, canopic jars, pieces of jewellery, carvings, art, shabti figures and of course, those all-important and fascinating mummies! The children each chose their favourite object in the Egyptian room, which took a while as there were just so many from which to choose.

Following this, we went to the ‘Handling Room’. We spread ourselves out around four tables and each group had time to investigate and handle the objects. Most of these were real Egyptian pieces from thousands of years ago – and only a few were replicas. We had a great time! Some of the jewellery was so fine, delicate and colourful whilst the canopic jar carving was simply stunning. The only disgusting part was the supposedly ‘nice smelling stuff’ they used to mask the stench during mummification – that smelly stuff wasn’t actually that much better in my opinion.

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Lunch was eaten swiftly as a quick tour of some other parts of the museum had been promised.

The children thoroughly enjoyed the natural world section – those enormous and life-like animals really do steal the show, as well as the planets, space, and rocks and elements sections. Before we knew it, we had run out of time; we had to return to the bus and head back to Crieff. It’s always best to end a day out feeling like you wanted to stay and see more because that means you can always go back again. The enthusiasm for learning and the thirst for knowledge lives on in Ardvreck’s First and Second Form children – so much enjoyment and so much learning took place on our trip – we all loved it! The children made our job very easy with their impeccable manners, endless enthusiasm and incredible interest – thank you, my little friends. www.ardvreckschool.co.uk

By Zazie Mackintosh An influx of new pupils at the start of the academic year meant Form Three was split into Forms 3G and 3T. Nonetheless, on many occasions, we joined forces, particularly during Topic lessons. During the Autumn Term, we studied the Vikings: we created maps, wrote in runes, designed ships’ figureheads, and crafted our own helmets and shields. The highlight of the term was undoubtedly the raid on the Headmistress’ office, when Mrs Kinge was forced to hand over all of Ardvreck’s gold (chocolate) coins! During the Spring Term, we studied Ancient Greece: we built Greek houses out of Lego, designed Greek pots, and each researched a Greek God and then took part in a performance as that character. In our final term we studied World War 2, with a particular focus on the Home Front: we used primary sources such as Pathé News footage, audio recordings and newspaper cartoons to better understand the period.

Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

18

CLASS REPORTS

DISCOVERING HISTORY

MATHS

FINDING SOLUTIONS

By Sarah Phillips At Easter I returned to Ardvreck following almost a year on maternity leave and found that I had to quickly adjust to the changes made during my absence. There had been several alterations to the school day: the length of each lesson had returned to 45 minutes and the number of Mathematics lessons per week had increased. I also found that several of my colleagues who were teaching Mathematics were new to Ardvreck.

With these exciting developments, I felt it was the ideal time to refresh the school’s Mathematics provision. The priority was to introduce a scheme that would link Little Ardvreck and First through Fourth Forms with a structured approach and ensure progression and consistency of expectations.

In Little Ardvreck to Fourth Form, you will see new workbooks and textbooks in your child’s Mathematics class as well as teachers making use of an abundance of teaching tools provided by the new scheme. Most exciting of all is the ‘online pupil world’, where interactive games provide opportunities to practise and secure key mathematical skills whilst having a

great deal of fun!

In Fifth and Sixth Forms, it is still our priority to prepare pupils for their Common Entrance or Scholarship examinations. The Mathematics Common Entrance papers are rigorous and highly regarded examinations that prepare pupils for the challenge of National 5s and GCSEs at their future senior schools.

Ardvreck’s academic focus is to provide an excellent education that nurtures confidence and enjoyment in learning. The Mathematics department is committed to this focus and strives to prepare pupils for success beyond our beautiful hillside campus.

Challenge yourself!

Here are some problems to ponder. Please do submit your solutions to Mrs Phillips.

Fly Away Problem Holiday Headscratcher In this addition, each letter represents a dif- “What day do you go back to school, Horace?” ferent non-zero digit. asked his grandmother one day.

Find the values of A, F, L, W and Y. “Well,” Horace replied, “Nine days ago, the day before yesterday was three weeks before the second day of term.”

If Horace had this conversation on a Sunday, what day of the week did he start school?

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Ode to Autumn

By Flo A, Form 6 The frozen ground as hard as rock; Cold sunlight glistens down on the crisp morning.

The frosty breeze weaves through the bushes, The floor is coated in a topping with coloured leaves.

Orchards overflowing with rosy fruit, Juicy wild berries flourish on their hedges.

Trees are billowing in the wind, Their bare branches pricking the sky.

- Paul Engle

Magical Moment

By Isla F-P ,Form 6 I was waiting and waiting till midnight.

The bonfire was crackling, the smell wafted in the air. The heat clutched my face like two hands. I could see the glowing stars in the pitch-black sky. The moon was like a torch shining in the distance. I lay down on the warm grass, I could feel it prickling my skin.

Hedgehogs snuffling through flakes of gold; The titter of birdsong fills the air.

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. It was New Squirrels scatter, scanning for food, Year, the excitement sent a shiver down And geese slicing through the air in a determined arrow. my spine. All at once I could hear the fireworks screaming in the sky. Every The land readies itself for winter; colour exploded and showered down on The first family fires are lit. us. The sky was dancing in the air. It was Children collect conkers, 2018.

And drink hot chocolate in the warmth.

The cold prises its icy fingers through my coat, Sparkling spiders’ webs shimmering with raindrops.

I hear the steady rhythm of my boots, Love Sonnet And feel the warmth of my vibrant bobble hat.

By Willa G, Form 6 I breathe smoke into the crystal clear air.

Shall I compare thee to a setting sun?

The garden is singing its goodnight song; You are more peaceful and more beautiful As the plants fall into their winter slumber, Mean words do hurt you as much as a gun And the trees let fall their fluttering leaves.

Your presence makes me happy and joyful You are colourful and bright and pretty The smell of bonfires creeps up my nose, And you can calm even a thunderstorm.

Oozing marshmallows, melting over the flames.

The season brings my family together, With dens and games for the refreshing outdoors. And your beautiful hair is velvety Your colours save me from being forlorn But you don’t depart my world at night The time for gloves and mittens approaches, Your constant care is all I’ll ever need Slowly, steadily it fades into winter.

Do not depart as I’ll get such a fright Swifts and swallows prepare for their journey, From your majesty I will take my lead And the trees weep their goodbye tears.

So long as birds can fly, and dogs can play On this wide, wide earth your beauty will stay.

O Autumn is the month of gold, The pale sunlight shines on all.

My ears pick up the simple silence, As I stumble through the season’s bliss.

Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

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ENGLISH

Poetry is ordinary raised to the Nth power

SCIENCE

ECO-WARRIORS

pupils discover how to improve the school’s environmental impact

By Peter Banks We’ve had a blast in Science this year at Ardvreck. All classes have undertaken a number of exciting projects, especially making use of the new Chromebooks to take measurements and work with big data.

In January, pupils in Fifth and Sixth Forms had an opportunity to make great change at Ardvreck: every pupil researched the school’s environmental impact with a view to improving the school’s footprint. Pupils presented their work to the Bursar, using new presentation techniques, including video, to illustrate their points. The Bursar was very impressed with the standard of the suggestions: “Many pupils produced very compelling statistics which helped to make their points very firmly. The drive that they showed will help us improve our school’s environmental impact.”

To finish the year, pupils used the Chromebooks to develop their knowledge of digital technologies. Fifth Form became fluent in Boolean, and Second and Third Forms began to learn coding. This is an exciting new adventure and we very much look forward to learning more coding languages and developing our digital fluency.

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HUMANITIES

Religious Studies

By Richard Gibson This year’s Scholarship Sixth Form have had the opportunity to write about ethical decisions affecting human life. Pupils have been asked if it is right that Christians should go to war and whether capital punishment is compatible with a Christian society.

We have looked at the reasons for putting convicted criminals in prison, and pupils were asked if ‘conscience’ is an invention of the Church.

When studying the ‘Creation’, pupils were asked if science disproves God and they looked at the evidence regarding Christ’s resurrection and asked if it really was important.

Pupils studied works by Plato and David Hume, and John Stuart Mill’s belief in ‘utilitarianism’. They also looked at key figures such as Trevor Huddleston, Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King, Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador, and Mother Teresa.

Pupils in the Common Entrance classes in Fifth and Sixth Forms studied passages from Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

the Old and New Testaments and described the Bible stories by looking at the deeper issues pertinent to modern society.

Pupils in Third and Fourth Forms studied the world religions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. When studying Judaism, pupils investigated the traditions associated with the Passover, Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), Sukkot and Hanukkah. When studying Islam, pupils researched the Five Pillars of Islam and focused on the Hajj. Some pupils also visited the Edinburgh Central Mosque.

This subject is aimed at giving children the opportunity to understand the beliefs and customs associated with religions of the world.

It also gives children the chance to study specific passages from the Old and New Testaments.

Children are encouraged to relate these passages to people and events in the present day.

By studying world religions in this way it opens children’s minds to the ethical issues, cultures and traditions which surround them in the modern world.

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HUMANITIES History

By Richard Gibson This year we have encouraged Fourth Form to look at the Reformation and identify how it affected both England and Scotland. Pupils have been encouraged to evaluate a variety of source materials regarding Henry VIII’s Great Matter and break from the Roman Catholic Church. However we seemed to have the greatest amount of fun when we investigated the murder of Lord Darnley.

We looked at the circumstances before Lord Darnley’s death and the actual crime scene itself. Each pupil presented their own findings identifying motives and suspects, while using an array of written and pictorial evidence, including the testimony of various eye witnesses. We then moved on to study the Spanish Armada. Pupils were encouraged to investigate why the Armada failed by looking at a variety of primary and secondary source materials.

In the Spring Term we went on to investigate the causes of the American Revolution.

We drew conclusions about the viewpoints of the colonists from a variety of political cartoons.

Pupils were asked to evaluate the viewpoints of writers who may have influenced the American Declaration of Independence. We also looked at source materials which criticised the viewpoints of the colonists. We then looked at how these colonists managed to beat the British.

Finally, we looked at the philosophers who influenced the French Revolution. Pupils also evaluated contemporary political cartoons produced before the French Revolution. We then asked pupils to identify numerous reasons 23

for the French Revolution occurring.

Pupils in Fourth Form are challenged to evaluate source materials and to produce structured accounts identifying the causes of events. The work they produce should broaden their understanding of the world. It should also enable them to start the challenging Common Entrance syllabus in Fifth and Sixth Forms.

Fifth Form pupils had great fun evaluating if William II’s death was indeed murder and who might have hired Walter Tirel. We also considered the possibility that Tirel was conveniently framed for the murder of the king.

This involved re-enacting the ‘Death of Rufus’ in the classroom. We also looked at how people behaved immediately after the ‘incident’. History is a cheerful subject so we then went on to look at the murder of Becket, and pupils looked at whether Becket chose to die a martyr.

Finally we studied the First Crusade and the reign of King John. We looked at whether John really was as bad as the Church portrayed him.

This involved looking at a variety of contemporary and secondary source materials.

Sixth Form pupils have been studying the Black Death, and the Peasants’ Revolt.

They then studied the Hundred Years’ War and focused on the campaign of Edward III. Pupils in the scholarship class have been asked to evaluate why we study history. We have also looked at how history repeats itself.

The aim of this subject is to help children understand their surroundings but also to equip them to form their own well-qualified opinions about people and events. www.ardvreckschool.co.uk

HUMANITIES

Opportunities abound at Uppingham As a full boarding school we believe the complete immersion in education gives our pupils the richest and most profound experience of school.

Reg Charity No. 1147280

The value of an all-round education, in which each individual and their talents come first, is fundamental to the Uppingham experience.

To learn more about Uppingham School please visit www.uppingham.co.uk or contact Admissions on 01572 820611

Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

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MUSIC

Inspiring Music

By Peter Grant With a new Director of Music comes new ideas, and each of the classes at Ardvreck have had a taste of something different this year. The ukuleles have proved a big hit with Third, Fourth and Fifth Forms with each of the children putting together their own versions of a variety of wellknown songs.

First and Second Form have been introduced to the music of, amongst others, Jean Sibelius, Gustav Holst, Edward Elgar and Ralph Vaughan Williams. They have created their own pieces inspired by these musical greats and have had a shot at conducting the class ensemble too!

The children in Little Ardvreck worked towards a concert entitled ‘Around the World with Little Ardvreck.’ This concert featured songs from Scotland, England, Ireland, Hungary, USA, Australia, South Africa, Spain and France, and we were joined by residents of Ancaster Care Home in Crieff who took great joy in singing along to the Scottish folk song ‘Coulter’s Candy’.

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We were hugely honoured when The Master of the Queen’s Music, Judith Weir, came to Ardvreck in May to adjudicate the House Music Competition and rename the music studios after a variety of Scottish musical legends.

Over the course of the year the children were incredibly fortunate to be able to attend performances by the world-famous Yale Alley Cats and two tremendously gifted Old Ardvreckians, Finn and Brianna Mannion.

Music continues to thrive at Ardvreck and it is with great excitement that we look forward to next year!

www.ardvreckschool.co.uk

By Peter Grant The children had another year of incredibly enriching extracurricular musical activities. The annual Glenalmond Choral Day proved to be a great success, the highlight being Vaughan Williams’ marvellous ‘Let All the World in Ev’ry Corner Sing’ ringing out in the spectacular chapel.

Members of Little Ardvreck, First and Second Forms put on a magnificent Christmas production ‘Lights, Camel, Action’, in which the children danced their way through the Christmas Story all the while being judged by the donkey, the innkeeper’s wife and King Herod!

The Christmas Carol concert took place on its traditional final day of term and the girls’ choir excelled in singing Benjamin Britten and Bob Chilcott. They had warmed up in the rather cold weather, outside the Crieff Food Company singing carols the Saturday before as part of Crieff’s Christmas market.

MUSIC

Extracurricular Music

Facebook.

The Summer Serenade was particularly impressive this year: the String Orchestra played Vivaldi and Mr Segaud’s own version of ‘Baby Shark’! The School Orchestra supplied some Burns and Johann Strauss’ Blue Danube Waltz, and there were contributions from the Flute Group, String Quartet, Junior Choir, Senior Girls’ Choir, Little Ardvreck, Clarinet Group, Ceilidh Band, Guitar Ensemble and Ottie and Connie, who sang ‘I Know Him So Well’ from the musical Chess. The proceedings were rounded off by an encore from Little Ardvreck who sang The Beatles’ ‘Hey Jude’. The entire audience then joined in for a House Sing Off, which was won by Burns House.

Getting out into the local community was very much part of the festive period with all of Third Form singing carols and Christmas songs at Crieff Hydro together with our wonderful Pipe Band.

The Spring Term started with the magnificent Burns’ Supper and the Ceilidh Band serenading the assembled company.

As the Ardvreck teachers prepared for their North Coast 500 SCAA charity bike ride, I rewrote the words to Queen’s ‘Bicycle Race’ and The Proclaimers’ ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’ to inspire them. The children recorded this in assembly and it was duly shared on Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

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FRENCH

Parlez-vous français?

By David Knock Little Ardvreck continued to enjoy lively classes learning numbers, colours and basic language through song, chanting and drawing. First to Fourth Forms enjoyed their lessons too as they begin to look more closely at the grammar and nuances of the language, while challenging themselves to learn more vocabulary. Fifth Form pupils have worked solidly towards their final push next year and have grown in confidence both in written and spoken French thanks to the ever-excellent trip to Château de la Baudonnière.

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The Common Entrance candidates worked hard throughout the year and did themselves proud with some very impressive results.

Some children took scholarships to a number of different senior schools: Flo A wowed one senior school by using subjunctives in her oral interview!

Another fun year has come to an end in the department. We look forward to next year and the arrival of our French Gap student, who will be a huge help in supporting the children as we continue to improve the French at Ardvreck. www.ardvreckschool.co.uk

By Winsome Hardie Congratulations must go to those of our Sixth Form pupils who embarked on the Art Scholarship Programme, working hard to prepare their portfolios and sketchbooks from the latter part of the Spring Term up until the end of the Autumn Term. Those presented for Art Scholarships to their chosen senior schools were successful, as were the previous round of Sixth Form pupils, who completed theirs at the beginning of the Spring Term.

The Art Scholarship Programme at Ardvreck is a continuous conveyor belt of creativity into which a considerable amount of time and dedication goes, and it is an accomplishment the pupils should be proud of, as they develop and grow as artists over that time.

All pupils in First Form and above practise drawing, painting, collage and mixed media, while pupils in Fourth Form also worked with wire and explored the ‘wet felting’ process, to Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

successfully create both flat and beaded pieces.

The two mediums were then skilfully combined into one final piece, through sewing. Various design challenges have also been undertaken, with the children working either in groups or as individuals with briefs, budgets and deadlines set to test them.

Younger pupils designed and created their own Egyptian masks. Pupils throughout the school contributed towards a memorial display in the Crabbie Hall, as part of our school Remembrance events. Some pupils were also involved in the creation of props for our magnificent production of ‘Macbeth’.

The Summer Term saw us utilise the luxury of our wonderful policies for lessons outdoors. In May, the Fifth Form took their annual trip to the Degree Show in Dundee. This provides the opportunity to engage with current graduating artists, and also inspires the pupils in their own work, helping them to understanding that art can take many forms!

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ART

ART IS EVERYWHERE

DRAMA This year’s whole-school production was a musical version of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

The Crabbie was converted into 11th century Scotland and the apparitions, the weird sisters, Banquo, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth descended on the set. With over 50 children involved in every area of the production, it was a great success that vividly brought the story to life.

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www.ardvreckschool.co.uk

DRAMA

Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

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BARVICKS

The Best of Barvicks The year was filled with a multitude of Barvicks: fittingly a trip to Barvick Falls was just one of the adventures organised. Others included biking at Comrie Croft, golf, scavenger hunts, a Crieff to Comrie Canter, and a hike up Schiehallion.

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www.ardvreckschool.co.uk

BARVICKS

Choinneachain Clamber

By Tania Deacon For this Summer Term Barvick, an intrepid group of Third through Sixth Form girls were keen to go “off piste”!

Setting off from Loch Turret carpark, our aim was to summit the local Corbett Choinneachain Hill – a familiar lump on our skyline. Rather than take the path, the explorers followed the Bhaltair Burn up to 700 metres before tackling the final 90 metres to a long rendition of ‘100 Green Bottles’.

Keeping to form, our descent was straight down to the dam from the top track at 600 metres with lots of tumbles and laughs along the way. A brilliantly fun day and right on the doorstep of school. Who needs tracks and paths anyway?!

Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

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OUTDOOR PURSUITS

Adventure

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www.ardvreckschool.co.uk

By Andy Robertson Over the course of the year, the children were lucky to be able to participate in a wide range of outdoor pursuits. These included rock climbing, white-water rafting, skiing, mountain biking, weaselling, hill walking and many, many others.

Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

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OUTDOOR PURSUITS

is out there

OUTDOOR PURSUITS

Let’s go camping.

Nursery - Sixth Form Camps

By Andy Robertson All of the children at Ardvreck were given the opportunity to join a camp this year, from the three-year-olds in the Nursery to the boys and girls in Sixth Form. These ranged from a few activities and a night on the Ardvreck playing fields, to white-water rafting for the First and Second Form; gorge walking and wild swimming for the Third Form; kayaking and canoeing on Loch Tay for the Fourth Form; canyoning for the Fifth Form; and a full week of adventure for the Sixth Form. These camps all help the children to build resilience to develop an adventurous spirit and to form strong friendships.

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www.ardvreckschool.co.uk

OUTDOOR PURSUITS

Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

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LEAVERS’ CAMP

Making

Memories

Sixth Form Leavers’ Camp

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www.ardvreckschool.co.uk

LEAVERS’ CAMP

Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

38

EVENTS

AN EVENTFUL YEAR

North Coast 500 & Cycle Relay

By Flo Earl In support of the teachers biking the NC500 for SCAA, we set up our own challenge for the pupils to cycle 500 miles between them. To get us in the mood, Mr Grant concocted an Ardvreck mash up of The Proclaimers’ ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’ and Queen’s ‘Bicycle Race’. Prior to the morning of the cycle relay, Banksy’s Biking Barvick banked us quite a few miles whilst the Mac Boys got on the turbo trainer to clock up some more.

On the day, everyone from Nursery to Sixth Form grouped in their houses and cycled determinedly round and round the pitches. Rosie L, with her broken arm, clocked up the final miles on the turbo trainer to take the total to 500.

After all that hard work, we were in for a treat: the stunt bike team ‘The Clan’, featuring none other than our very own Dougal J, came to perform for us. Generous supporters had sponsored the teachers to be leapt over by Dougal and his professional pals on their bikes, all in aid of SCAA! A massive thank you to The Clan for making our day.

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www.ardvreckschool.co.uk

EVENTS

Hallowe’en

By Zazie Mackintosh Hallowe’en 2018 brought a new tradition: pumpkin carving. Over 70 pumpkins were brought back to school after half term, carved into countless different designs.

Hallowe’en itself began with the usual catwalk of classroom finalists. Overall winners were Sinead McD and Hester SF for their monstrous two-headed serpent. The staff too embraced the fancy dress competition: this year’s winner was Mrs Erdal, dressed as a Dementor.

The evening continued with games played by each Form. One of the highlights was the Sixth Form’s Messy Madness: two teams raced to see which would be first to find sweets hidden in jelly and flour, using only their mouths. The resulting mess delighted one and all.

Grandparents’ Gathering

By Zazie Mackintosh On Monday 8th October, we held our annual Grandparents’ Gathering. Despite the rather changeable weather, over 60 grandparents attended the event.

The afternoon began with a warm welcome from the head boy and girl, Curtis McD and Flo A. Thereafter, the children escorted their grandparents around the length and breadth of the school, stopping off in classrooms, dorms, the art room and the music school to allow them to catch a glimpse of life at Ardvreck.

Some grandparents had either sent their children here or even attended the school themselves and so, for them, it was a happy trip down memory lane.

The tours were followed by a scrumptious afternoon tea in the Crabbie, where the catering staff spoilt us with a feast of sandwiches and sponge cake.

The Gathering finished with a performance by the Pipe Band around the flagpole. Grandparents and pupils alike stood entranced by the band’s rousing renditions of traditional tunes. It was the perfect end to a lovely afternoon.

Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

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ADVENTURES ABROAD

En vacances

By David Knock The Fifth Form set off at 8pm on Thursday 6th June by luxury coach to Portsmouth. We all snatched a few hours of sleep and then had a wonderfully flat crossing to Caen. A quick coach ride took us to Château de la Baudonnière in Normandy.

After our first supper we had an extensive tour of the property, entirely in French.

Each day we experienced a number of different activities, managed and presented completely in French by dynamic French animateurs.

These activities included archery, fencing, climbing, raft-building, orienteering, team building, and the parcours de santé (assault course), which resulted in all the children being completely caked in mud! Meals too were presented by an animateur, using repeated phrases which helped pupils to consolidate their French. The food was good: meals took much longer than back at school as we savoured the interesting and numerous courses. During a French soirée we even tasted snails! On other evenings we 41

enjoyed a quiz, a show (spectacle), aeroball, and Jeux sans Frontières, when we all ended up with flour on our faces!

We had planned two excursions. Our first was to Mont Saint Michel, where we crossed the famous bay and found the sinking sands.

We then had a quick tour around Mont Saint Michel itself, soaking up its history and fables as we explored streets which must have been the inspiration for the Harry Potter novels. Our second excursion was to the market at Saint Hilaire, where our Pipe Band entertained the locals (and a little money was raised for the children to share on the return crossing). Everyone had to buy their own lunch, speaking French at the stalls, or else they would go hungry!

I really enjoyed the French trip once again and long may it continue as it is an invaluable experience for the children in the lead up to Common Entrance. Thank you very much to Mrs Kidd and Miss Summers for helping to run this exciting event! www.ardvreckschool.co.uk

By Andy Robertson Ardvreck ran its first overseas ski trip for many years, and this lucky group of children enjoyed some fantastic conditions in Pila, Northern Italy during the February half-term break.

Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

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ADVENTURES ABROAD

On The Slopes

SPORT Colts Rugby

By Peter Grant The Colts Rugby teams produced some fantastic performances over the course of the season with notable highlights being the victory at Craigclowan in October and the home victory over Merchiston Castle in the November gloom.

There were numerous individual highlights: from Rory H’s match-turning tackle at Gordonstoun to Lawrie B’s magnificent clearout at a ruck, down in the shadow of the Greenyards at Melrose in November. Team captain Robert F led from the front all season, chalking up a total of seven tries. This total was matched 43

by Harrison McK, who was sorely missed from a significant number of games due to an injury sustained in the Loretto 7s. Special mention must also go to Third Form boys Struan M and Jamie F-P, who contributed four tries each during the campaign, despite still having a year to play at this level.

With a good number of Third Form boys having represented the A team this year, not to mention Sholto C, who made an admirable captain of the B team, we very much look forward to next season. www.ardvreckschool.co.uk

SPORT

Under 7s Rugby

By David Knock The 23rd Ardvreck 7s Tournament was won by Belhaven in a carbon-copy repeat of their final last year against Merchiston. The Ardvreck team played well but unfortunately just missed out on winning the Charity Competition. However, this did not deter the Ardvreck heroes as they fought on and continued to improve their 7s skills.

We continued to train in the Spring Term before making our annual trip down to Yorkshire to be a representative for Scotland at the Terrington 7s in March.

We played magnificently at this tournament and, having lost one match in the pool, we went into a Plate competition. Despite thoroughly foul conditions and a slow start, our grit and determination shone through and we came away from England with victory in the Plate. Our brilliance on the field was matched by our generosity off it as we allowed Merchiston (who had travelled by train) to share our minibus to shelter from the elements and keep kit dry. A great day all round marked the end of our 7s season.

Under 13s Rugby

By David Knock The U13s had a tough season: with a small top year, it meant that 12 of our 1st team squad of 19 were U12s (and nine of the starting 13 were regularly U12). However, the boys battled hard all season and improved no end over the course of the term. They should be immensely proud of what they have achieved and certainly we could not have been happier with the progress they made.

We had an excellent rugby tour to the North of England, hosted well by both Sedbergh and Ampleforth. We won two of the three matches played across three days. Back-to-back matches are never easy but our boys stuck to their task and played brilliantly whilst also enjoying the social elements of the weekend.

Over the whole season we won six of our 14 games, and scored more points than we conceded, which is pleasing.

We were also very well represented in the last ever WOSPS vs Dandelions match with six of our boys in the squad, and Curtis was selected as WOSPS captain.

Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

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SPORT Under 9s Rugby

By Richard Gibson At the start of the term, most of the boys were completely new to the game. Despite this, all were able to represent the school on a regular basis. We played a total of 13 matches: we won three, lost six and drew four.

Our first series of mini matches was played away against Fettes. Our boys were able to pass the ball down the line and were adept at weaving between the opposition.

As the season progressed the boys had good possession of the ball, supported each 45

other well, and had learnt to offload the ball at just the right time. There was some excellent tackling by Sanjay L-B.

By the end of the term, the team had learnt not to clump together. They ran up the centre and stopped giving the ball away by running into the side lines.

This was an excellent ending to the season. The boys had been challenged and had enjoyed both the ups and downs of playing against various schools. They were closer socially and, most importantly, they had learnt to be part of a team. www.ardvreckschool.co.uk

SPORT

Girls’ Rugby

By Sophie Beamish Touch Rugby at Ardvreck is always enjoyed by the girls, especially the seniors who have an annual fixture against Belhaven. We were very lucky this year to have the help of Glenalmond’s Head of Rugby, Graham Smith, and Mr Humphries, father of Daisy. After some awesome training sessions both at Ardvreck and Glenalmond, the girls were ready to play. It was a very close match against Belhaven, with the ball travelling from end to end. But with true Ardvreckian grit and determination, the girls managed to score a final try in the dying minutes of the game to secure a win. It was a fantastic afternoon of Touch Rugby!

Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

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SPORT

Quick Cricket

By Richard Gibson Quick Cricket has different rules from ordinary cricket: the batting team gains two points for a wide; lose five points if the ball is caught or if a batsman is run out; and lose five points if the ball hits the wicket.

Every member of the U9 Cricket team was given a chance to bat and bowl in every match of the season. At the start of the summer term, most of the U9s had to be taught how to bowl, how to bat and how to guard their wicket.

Our first match was played by both girls and boys against Fettes. We were able to bowl

Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

relatively well, though we were slightly hesitant in choosing when to run.

Ardvreck put up two ‘U9’ Quick Cricket teams to play against Gordonstoun. Again, both Ardvreck teams were a mixture of girls and boys. We bowled better than the opposition and we were on occasions able to score sixes. The team were getting better at fielding and managed to stop the opposition scoring runs. Notably Poppy F was an excellent fielder.

Over the season the team’s bowling improved significantly and their batting was superb.

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SPORT

Boys’ Cricket

By David Knock The cricket season was affected by some lovely Scottish summer weather but when we did get our matches in, we managed to win as many as we lost – which is always good news.

The team as a whole fielded and bowled exceptionally well, never allowing the opposition to settle into a rhythm and always harrying them and trying to find ways of taking wickets.

I have never seen a hat-trick live before and I was able to witness two in two games and – although it cost me two match balls! – it was a remarkable occurrence. The crowd really did go wild when Kerr sealed his second one against Strathallan, just a week after his first!

The Glenalmond 6s was once again an excellent event and our boys should be very proud of their performance in this tournament. Having endured a tough time against Belhaven in the first game of the season it was excellent to take two quick wickets from them at the start of the match. It was another great season.

Girls’ Cricket

By Flo Earl The girls had an exciting term on the cricket pitch with the school fielding teams at both U11 and U9 level. While they narrowly lost to a much older and more experienced Loretto side, the U11s enjoyed a successful match against Gordonstoun. Their highlight came in taking on the might of Clifton Hall Boys U11 team, when they fought hard and forced the opposition to play their best cricket in order to beat them.

The U9 girls played some cricket alongside the U9 boys. As well as a fixture against Loretto, they also played a match against a more experienced Fettes team, when they only narrowly lost.

Girls’ cricket is certainly on the up, and we will hopefully see many more successes next year!

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www.ardvreckschool.co.uk

SPORT

Girls’ Hockey

By Sophie Beamish The senior girls had another enjoyable season of Hockey: they played five matches, winning four and losing just one.

In true Ardvreckian style, the girls were always feisty and enthusiastic both in matches and in training. Ottie B was a superb captain for the term, demonstrating great leadership skills as well as fantastic stick work. The strikers this term came away having scored some excellent goals – an impressive 21 in just five games – and showed huge determination in their efforts.

There was some fantastic support

throughout the season from wonderful parents and of course from all team members.

At the other end of the pitch our goalkeeper, Isla F-P, was outstanding. She was always extremely focused upon the ball and made some incredible saves. Our midfield players had a tough task trying to support both the attack and defence, but throughout the term the girls worked well together as a team, growing in confidence week after week.

Ottie B, Isla F-P, Flo A, Connie T and Tally M were selected to play for the WOSPS match against the Dandys. All the girls represented their school with distinction.

Boys’ Hockey

By Richard Gibson The Boys’ Hockey team played their first match of the season against Fettes. During the first half we tended to clump together, however we clearly played to a higher standard after half time. (Our first match of the season is usually a big learning curve!)

During Ardvreck’s match against Cargilfield, the boys were comfortable in their positions and spread out more effectively. There was some excellent use of space and Finlay A and Sanjay L-B were able to help set up the opportunity for Ferdinand H to score. We played as a team. Our performance showed that we had significantly improved. Frequently Charlie J, Freddie L and Herbie H stopped Cargilfield scoring and were adept at giving the forwards the opportunity to take the ball forward and score.

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SPORT Athletics

By Flo Earl We have had a very proactive and productive Athletics season this year. Our athletes competed in three external fixtures in quick succession. In the first half of Term a group of U13 and U11 boys attended the Merchiston meeting. The following day we were off en masse to the IAPS Athletics Championships at Fettes. The children really did themselves proud, taking home an impressive 16 medals including gold (again) for the U10 girls relay team, the Dream Team aka Kiki P, Amelia P, Sinead McD and Rosie A!

With barely enough time to catch their breath, we headed to Lathallan, this year’s hosts of the Blairmore Cup. Our athletes put in some terrific performances and the U12 boys should be congratulated on their joint win with Lathallan.

We have been fortunate enough this term to have Mrs Pagett and Mrs McKinney give up their Thursday evenings to coach the children. Their expertise and enthusiasm have been invaluable to our athletes. During these sessions we have reintroduced hurdles, which allowed us to enter competitors for the IAPS. Well done to Charlie L and Harrison McK for bringing home medals in this event, and a huge thank you to these marvellous mums for all their hard work.

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SPORT

Netball

By Sophie Beamish The girls worked extremely hard over the course of the season and it was very rewarding to see everybody show huge improvement. Willa G was our superb captain for the Term, demonstrating fantastic leadership skills.

Quite a number of our matches were close games, with both teams always managing to turn the ball around. However – frustratingly! – we were often pipped to the post.

Willa G, Ottie B, Daisy H, Imogen L, Flo A, Tally M, Connie T and Kristina D were all selected to represent the WOSPS team this season. All the girls played exceptionally well and represented Ardvreck with pride and passion.

The girls were also lucky enough to head down to the South of England on a mini tour, where they played strong games against a number of different schools.

Cross Country

By David Knock Up the Knock, down on the pitches, along the river and even in the river(!), we have the perfect surroundings to enjoy a run in the beautiful Perthshire air! We have several great events over the course of the year, starting in the Autumn Term with the Mini Marathon. This year the race was won by Curtis.

The latest addition to our Cross Country calendar is the Ardvreck Adventure Race! This year’s event saw our children scrambling up a hill using ropes, crawling through pipes and wading (twice!) through the Turret Burn. We cannot wait to give this race its second outing next year!

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ACTIVITIES

Under 9s Rounders

By Sophie Beamish The U9 Rounders team worked very hard this term. They played in four matches against Belhaven, St Mary’s (Melrose), Loretto and Cargilfield. Over the course of the season, the girls showed great improvement, especially in their game-play and decision-making. The highlight was their win against Loretto when they played fantastically and won by one rounder. Well done on a fabulous season!

Under 11s Rounders

By Sophie Beamish Both the A and B teams enjoyed a series of 10 matches between them this term. Throughout the season we were impressed by the girls’ improvement in their fielding and batting skills. Over the season, they learned various tactics and strategies which they began to use to their advantage.

The girls are a very young team, being predominantly U10, but they held their own against older opposition and showed great promise for next year.

Under 13s Rounders

By Sophie Beamish This year the girls have enjoyed a very exciting season: they played seven matches, winning two and losing five, as well as playing in the annual Kilgraston Rounders tournament.

The season began in the first week back with a very tough triangular fixture against Cargilfield and Craigclowan. As the season went on, the girls worked extremely hard to ensure their fielding was tight, and their batting precise.

The Kilgraston tournament was played on astro – a very quick surface – which meant the girls had to work hard on their tactics. The team delivered an excellent performance in their pool.

This was down to all their hard work and dedication during training sessions.

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ACTIVITIES

Ballet All dancers successfully completed their ballet exams in their category: Pre-Primary, Grade 1 and Grade 2.

They all looked very smart and, although they were nervous, all came out smiling!

Tennis

By Sophie Beamish This year a large number of pupils grasped the opportunity to have lessons during the Summer Term, with our super tennis coach Mr Reed.

Our Sixth Form boarders participated in the Belhaven Tennis tournament, during which the assembled crowd enjoyed some gripping matches.

One of our couples, Hortense and Ambroise, won the whole tournament, which was the icing on the cake. All our couples thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

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SPORTS DAY

Sports Day

Our Sports Day was on Saturday 22nd June and after an impressive afternoon of athletics, Barrie were awarded the inter-house trophy.

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GORDONSTOUN CHALLENGE

Gordonstoun Challenge Over the weekend of 14th June, five pupils from Fourth Form travelled to Gordonstoun School for the annual Gordonstoun Challenge.

The children were hosted by a Sixth Form Old Ardvreckian who had many fond and amusing memories of his time at Ardvreck.

After settling into their tents on Friday evening, the children attended a Services display followed by dinner and Scottish country dancing in the Sports Hall. All day Saturday and Sunday morning the children then competArdvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

ed in a series of challenges that ranged from climbing to using machinery in the DT labs.

The final challenge on Sunday saw the children using a contraption they had built to carry a small plastic ball in a shuttle race.

Ardvreck did not place in the top three, but they did receive special mention for their Art project and their climbing ability. It was a fabulous, well-organised and exhilarating weekend that the children will remember fondly for years to come.

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ACTIVITIES

DISCOVER THE SPIRIT OF SEDBERGH

WWW.SEDBERGHSCHOOL.ORG

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SEDBERGH SCHOOL | SEDBERGH | CUMBRIA | LA10 5HG www.ardvreckschool.co.uk

FRIENDS OF ARDVRECK

Friends of Ardvreck

By Sarah Mackintosh The Friends of Ardvreck had an exceptionally good year raising funds for projects to enhance the experience of all Ardvreck children. From all the events we supported this year we raised a phenomenal £36.5k!

The Ard’ Challenge is an awesome event and one of the highlights of the year, with the entire school and its community getting involved. It is run by WildFox events, supported by the Friends of Ardvreck and Glenalmond College. The competitors are split into teams for an 11-mile hike through the stunning Sma’ Glen. There are challenges and activities along the route, including target shooting, fishing, first aid and reconnaissance. The day culminates in a feast by an enormous bonfire on the banks of Loch Tay. This was its fifth year, and it just keeps getting better and better.

Our new Annual Quiz night was a rip-roaring success – not to mention intellectually – demanding with parents and children together in mixed teams.

While Sports Day and Ardvreck Rugby 7s are both run by the school, the Friends provide support in the form of food: our tea tent and home baking have a reputation for excellence, while our fresh wood-fired pizzas and flame-grilled burgers helped put our annual Rugby 7s tournament firmly on the map for visiting schools! No Ardvreck sports day is complete without the traditional Dog and Duck races – which are the highlights of the day.

The Ard’ Ball has become a tradition held Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX

at the end of the academic year. It is our biggest fundraising event and takes a large number of volunteers to organise. However, it is worth the effort, as this year we raised a staggering £19k.

Set in a captivating Moroccan marquee on the school’s top pitch, the evening began with drinks in the sunshine, followed by a sumptuous supper and dancing through the night!

We have supported and run many projects at the school, including Mac house table football and ice hockey tables; new table tennis tables; assisting in the refurbishment of Junior house dorms; the school play; the new playground; new kit for the music school; the climbing tree; and the dining room project, to name but a few.

How can you help? We would love you to volunteer but the easiest way to raise funds is when online shopping. Sign up to www.easyfundraising.org.uk and select Friends of Ardvreck School as your chosen charity. We have raised over £1,500 through this route alone, and it does not cost you anything extra. You can use it when online shopping for anything – groceries, a washing machine, or a holiday!

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OLD ARDVRECKIANS

Greeks v Trojans Clay Pigeon Shoot

By George Presslie and Patrick Thomson 31st July 2018 was the date chosen for this year’s Annual Clay Pigeon Shooting Match. As the team members gathered at the Gleneagles Shooting School for pre-match coffee and an opportunity to re-engage with old friends, the skies were unusually grey and there prevailed a gusting wind, all conspiring to enhance the challenge of the day.

This year’s event, in part by design and in part by chance, saw a dramatic drop in the average age of participants. We were joined, for the first time, by Christian Stewart (1975-1981) and Mike Melville (1952-55). Christian Melville (1972-1978) was victim of a cancelled flight from Oslo, and at very short notice our Senior Umpire, Annie Le Roy-Lewis, recruited her son Torquil (2003-2012) to shoot in Christian’s place. With the co-option of the Board Chair-

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man, Maj Gen Michael Riddell-Webster (who has regularly shot for the Greeks, but this year joined the Trojans), the teams were numerically evenly matched and, as it transpired, closely so in shooting skill.

The organisers consulted with the team captains, Nicky James (Greek: 1940-1946) and Alan Mickel (Trojan: 1944-1948), and it was agreed that we would change the system of scoring with a view to encouraging participation of shots of the full range of skill or experience.

The team score now depended on the total score of the top three performers in each team and the total of the flush. The Greeks were suspicious that this was a Machiavellian attempt by the organisers (both Trojans) to reverse the experience of the original horse.

With the guns silent, we retreated to the shelter of the Shooting Lodge for the prize-giving. There, Annie Le Roy-Lewis, after the announcement of a Greek victory by 128 scoring points over the Trojan score of 120, graciously presented the Challenge Trophy to the Greek Captain. Willie Scott (1946-1950), with a new gun, retained his hold on the gold medal, with Michael Riddell-Webster also retaining silver and Patrick Thomson (1946-1955), on this occasion, sharing bronze with Michael Melville.

William Berry (1949-1955) acknowledged the sad loss last year of Colin Maitland Dougall (1943-1945), participant, senior umpire and reporter over the past six years. www.ardvreckschool.co.uk

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My three children are all very different and each one of them flourished at Strathallan.

- Parent testimonial

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www.strathallan.co.uk Strathallan School, Forgandenny, Perthshire, Scotland Tel: +44(0) 1738 812 546 | Email: admissions@strathallan.co.uk

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