Halliford | The Hallifordian | 2023

Hallifordian The

2022 - 2023

TheHALLIFORDIAN

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Introduction

Contents Introduction.......................................................................................................... page 4 Autumn Highlights.............................................................................................. page 15 Spring Highlights................................................................................................ page 54 Summer Highlights............................................................................................ page 89 Art Exhibition..................................................................................................... page 124 House Reports................................................................................................... page 148 Old Hallifordians............................................................................................... page 156

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TheHALLIFORDIAN Whilst being intensely hard work for us all, on reflection, I think we all felt that it was a hugely affirming experience and that our hard work was paying off as we were able to tell our story of the journey we have been on as a school. During the feedback from our excellent Reporting Inspector, there was one phrase he used which he explained could never make it into the inspection report as it didn’t fit into ‘ISI speak’, but one which nevertheless he said the entire inspection team had felt they wanted us to know. Halliford School, he explained is so clearly a community where your students feel so proud to belong, and he explained that the inspection team felt this was because all students felt incredibly safe in the knowledge that they were free to ask questions about anything they wanted, safe in the knowledge that all members of staff would always listen and support them whatever their request might be.

Foreword

You may know that I joined Halliford School from a background in boarding schools, and I set myself a goal on arrival to see if I could build the same warm and safe community I had enjoyed within a boarding context here at Halliford in a day school. Hearing these words was the affirmation I had waited six long years to hear, and I was so proud of all that we had achieved. I just pray that these are words each and every one of you can attest to.

Looking through the pages of this wonderful publication, it is a reminder of just what a spectacular year this has been for Halliford School. It has been an absolute joy to have a year where we could operate as usual and, in the process, welcome all members of the Halliford School community back to the site for all the various events that help make our school so special.

As you know, the Inspection Report concluded with Halliford School being rated as Excellent in all areas and fully compliant – the very highest judgement that can be achieved. My thanks go to everyone involved in this gruelling process, and I hope that you will all share in the pride that we feel as a school in this magnificent result.

There is not a day that goes by where I do not feel immensely privileged to work alongside such a magnificent group of young people. Our students have achieved so much this year, and as you read through the many articles, I hope you will see what a diverse and hugely talented group of young people they are. Of course, none of this is possible without the hard work and dedication of the teaching staff, and our thanks go to each and every one of them for the endless opportunities they offer to our students.

We now move forward to build on this amazingly strong foundation. As we look ahead, the school roll continues to be full and much of this is due to the confidence in the school our families share with friends and neighbours, and I would like to thank you all for this. I hope you can enjoy sharing this edition of The Hallifordian with them so that they too can see what our students and staff have achieved this year.

by The Headmaster

This year marks my sixth as Headmaster, and looking back, the time has quite literally flown by. However, with six years also came the return of the Independent Schools Inspectorate as part of their cycle of routine school inspections. In my first year, the school’s compliance with the Independent Schools Standards was judged, and this year it was a return to the much larger comprehensive Educational Quality and Compliance Inspection.

Every area of school life was examined in forensic detail for four long days. The four-person team of inspectors visited copious lessons, co-curricular activities, break times, lunchtimes, and after school arrangements. They met with nearly half the staff and had seen over two-thirds of the students in meetings of one kind or another by the end of the week. Surveys were completed by students, parents, and staff to help, as they say, ‘triangulate’ the findings of the inspection team.

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Please enjoy this edition of The Hallifordian, and I send you all my very best wishes for the year ahead.

James Davies Headmaster

Introduction

Raibeart Archibald Head Prefect As we come to the end of this academic year, it has given me time to reflect on my life and experiences at Halliford School.

When I arrived in Year 7, I felt welcomed and became part of a school community which values each and every one of its students and nurtures everyone’s individuality. The school’s ethos of warm-heartedness has been ever present throughout my past seven years here, and I truly hope all our students share the same experience. I can honestly say I have not had a day where I have not looked forward to coming to school, and I know that at Halliford, success is not only about exam grades, but all achievements are celebrated, however small.

I have some wonderful memories to cherish and am so pleased I was afforded the opportunity to take part in some fantastic adventures. All of these wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the amazing teachers and staff who dedicated their time to organise these trips and accompany us on our travels.

We have been extremely fortunate to have had Mr Carroll and the fantastic Sixth Form teachers who have been incredibly supportive throughout our A Levels. We are all so grateful for the extra revision sessions and endless support they have given us to complete our coursework and extended qualification projects. They have helped each and every one of us to navigate our way through the university application process and supported us in making decisions about our future.

As I move forward, I know the school has prepared me for my next steps. I am grateful I have had the opportunity to be a student here, and I know that I have so many happy memories and have been lucky enough to have formed lifelong friendships. I will miss the school, but I am excited for the future. I will always be proud to call myself a Hallifordian.

It has been a privilege to be appointed Head Prefect this year and to work alongside Mr Davies & the Senior Leadership Team. I wish to thank all of the members of the prefect team who have supported the numerous school events and open days. The fun charity events, the Sixth Form prom, interviewing the new Deputy Head and supporting the recent school inspection would not have been possible without their hard work and continued commitment.

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TheHALLIFORDIAN

Lucy Durham Deputy Head Prefect My journey at Halliford started in Lower Sixth, where I was one of a handful of girls in a male-dominated environment - an incredibly daunting prospect. Still, the Head of Sixth Form guided me, and I quickly settled into this new and unique environment.

There is no simpler way to put it than Halliford is an incredible place. The past two years have been unforgettable and the best possible environment for me to grow and develop into a confident, well-prepared young woman. It has been full of highlights and continuously provided me with incredible opportunities. Not only have I been able to find my voice by joining Halliford, but I have also found a family that will stay with me for a very long time.

From my first day, I was welcomed into this community with open arms and immediately felt like a true Hallifordian. The close relationships I have formed with teachers and my tutor have made me feel supported throughout my academic journey; there was always someone there to listen and help. From exam stress to university applications, I was guided whenever and wherever I needed it. One of the school’s best assets is its pastoral care. Throughout my whole academic career, I had never felt more cared for - a huge thanks to Mr Shales!

I am particularly proud of our success in the Young Enterprise competition. The Head of Business Studies, Mrs Brown, offered me the opportunity to be Managing Director of our team within my first two weeks of joining the school, enabling me to come

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out of my shell, meet new people, lead them, and compete against other schools in the county. It fuelled my passion for business and brought out a competitive side that I didn’t know I had, encouraging me to apply for a Business degree with Spanish at university. Despite being robbed in the final (a sensitive topic still to this day!), it was an incredible experience that wouldn’t have been offered to me at many other schools.

Not only has it been a great place for me to learn, but also a place where I shared endless laughs with my peers and staff - every day here is different, and we are always involved in something new and entertaining. I am more than wellequipped with stories to tell from my time here! From skiing in Austria to visiting a Spanish theatre, there is an experience and opportunity for great fun for everyone, which I love about Halliford. Everyone’s interests are catered for.

Choosing Halliford as my next step after GCSEs was my best decision. It is a school like no other. Due to its size, it can nurture you whilst preparing you for the future, whatever path you wish to take. There have been many highs and some lows over the past two years, but one thing I will take with me is that I am proud to be a Hallifordian.

Introduction

Riley Whittington Deputy Head Prefect I joined Halliford in 2016. People had told me that joining a new school is one of the hardest things to do, especially when you don’t know anyone else there. But Halliford is not like any other school. Within my first week, I already felt a sense of belonging as a Hallifordian due to the caring nature of all the teachers and staff, which was evidently passed onto the students throughout the school, with older students offering to show us to our classrooms when we looked lost and giving us advice on how to make the best out of our time at the school.

been able to work with some incredible people, such as Mr Bruno and Mrs Rooke, who have helped me develop my acting ability to the best it can be and have allowed me to be a part of some incredible performances such as School of Rock and SPAMALOT! Although it has been a lot of hard work, it is all worth it on show nights. I have also had the joy of playing in the incredible orchestra and jazz band and singing in the choir.

Being a part of these groups, I have been enlightened to new and exciting opportunities for which I will always be grateful.

Unfortunately, like most, I have been through struggles and faced adversity, but through my years at Halliford, I have always felt like I have had someone there to talk to, whether a teacher, one of the matrons, or a member of the Senior Management Team. There has always been an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on or a voice of reason to give me advice and lead me in the right direction to get the help I needed. I personally believe that this is something that everyone at Halliford should be extremely proud of and continue to pride themselves in, as it not only helps the wellbeing of students but it also helps provide a sense of safety within the school, which allows every other aspect of Halliford life to flourish.

Another place that I have spent many hours in the past seven years is on the sports field, whether it be playing rugby, football or cricket. Being able to step out onto the field with some of my closest friends and working as a team wearing the Halliford badge, we have always managed to punch above our weight due to the strong cohesion formed throughout the years. Although we aren’t the most technically gifted team in any sport, it is the unity and pride that helps us strive and come out on top against schools much bigger and more technically gifted than us.

Co-curricular activities such as sport, drama, and music have been at the centre of my life at Halliford. For a school the size of ours, you would think that we wouldn’t excel in many areas, but one thing Halliford is not good at is being mediocre! Since Year 7, I have had the privilege of being a part of all three of these fantastic departments. In the Drama Department, I have

These past seven years at Halliford have been nothing short of amazing. I never thought I would say this, but I will genuinely miss the time I spent at school, and I am grateful for all that Halliford has done for me to help me succeed at university and in the wider world.

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TheHALLIFORDIAN

Editorial

by Mrs Olivia Oakley Marketing & Communications Manager It has been another busy and wonderful year here at Halliford, with many student achievements to celebrate, from great wins on the sports field and concerts displaying excellent musical talent to the Drama Department’s brilliant school production of The Odyssey. There have been international trips to Spain, Canada, America and Germany, and our fundraising activities through Harvest Festival, Movember and Charities Week have been hugely successful and great fun.

In December, we welcomed ISI into our school for a week and were delighted to learn that we have been rated ‘Excellent in all areas’. This is a testament to the hard work of all members of staff.

In April, we had a visit from The Good Schools Guide, where they spent the day speaking to the Headmaster and members of staff and students, as well as observing lessons and an array of co-curricular clubs that were running that day. They were so impressed with Halliford and wrote a glowing review that perfectly captured life as a Hallifordian, including an observation that ‘Halliford is so much more than just academic strength, celebrating every student’s success and taking pride in the fact that there’s no Halliford ‘type’. With their last word, ‘For those that are after a small school with a big heart and great outcomes, it should absolutely be on your shortlist.’

We were pleased to learn that we have been shortlisted for

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the third year running in the Independent School of the Year Awards, this time for London Independent School of the Year.

These are hotly contested awards, and so it is a huge success to even be shortlisted. We await further news in September of our progress when the finalists are announced.

This year has been interesting for me as I have personally experienced the Halliford Admissions process. From open events, interview, scholarship days, entrance examination day and taster day to offer letter, Mr Davies and Mrs Clatworthy have guided me through the process, and I am delighted and so proud that my eldest son will be joining the Halliford community in Year 7 this September.

It is a delight to be the Editor of this wonderful publication and to reflect on all the events we have hosted and everything we have achieved as a school community this year. All of this would not be possible without our amazing team of teachers and support staff, ably led by Mr Davies and our Senior Management Team.

Please enjoy this edition of The Hallifordian.

Introduction

Welcome to New Staff Mr James Norman joins us as Deputy Head Pastoral after 17 years at Reed’s School where he previously held the role of Head of House and History Teacher. After A Levels in History, Chemistry and Maths and playing the trumpet to Grade 8 standard, he went on to study History at the University of Nottingham. Mr Norman spent much of his youth dreaming of representing his country in the Olympics at hockey and still plays on a regular basis - a passion almost as intense as his desire for all things gastronomic.​He has a strong bond with South Africa and has led numerous school trips working in the townships in partnership with the Calabash Trust. In his spare time, he is most likely to be found watching any sport he can find or pottering in the garden or on the allotment.

Mr Guy Boyes joins us as Director of Teaching and Learning and will be responsible with the Deputy Head Academic and the Heads of Department for working with our staff and students to provide the best possible levels of pedagogy and classroom experience. Mr Boyes joins us from St. George’s College Weybridge, where he was Head of Geography for eight years. Mr Boyes will continue his passion for Geography as he works alongside Mr Aarons. Mr Boyes has travelled extensively throughout Central and South America and South East Asia and enjoys all sports, particularly cycling and golf, but also tennis and cricket in the garden with his six-year-old son.

Mr Richard Martin joins us as Head of Mathematics. Mr Martin has over 30 years of teaching experience in a variety of roles including Head of Mathematics, Housemaster, Head of Boarding, Director of Sport, and Director of Activities, with his most recent role at Claysemore School in Dorset. His children have all grown up and with his youngest heading off to Exeter University, he is looking at more time to improve his golf game.

Ms Kate Gerry joins us as a part-time Teacher of Economics and will also lead our lower school Computer Science course. Ms Gerry brings significant experience to Halliford School as a former Head of Economics in the state sector. Ms Kerry is mum to three boys and owns a black lab named Buddha. She is a keen runner and enjoys the gym, yoga, and Pilates, plus she loves to travel and owns her own campervan.

Mr Ben Hyde joins us as Teacher of Science (Biology). Mr Hyde has recently relocated to Surrey, having spent nine years at St. Columba’s College in Hertfordshire, and has over 20 years of Science teaching experience. Mr Hyde has two daughters and enjoys playing the drums, chess, art, fitness training, and learning Russian.

Mr Jack Perks joins us as a GAP Year Student–SEN Support and Sport. Mr Perks graduated from the University of Bath in July, gaining a BSc in Health and Exercise Science. Mr Perks is a keen sportsman having played football and cricket throughout his life, and he looks forward to helping the students achieve their sporting targets.

Mr Matthew Fieldhouse joined the Sports Department as Teacher of Physical Education with rugby specialism in January.

Mr Fieldhouse relocated to London in 2019 and joined Halliford from his teaching position at a grammar school in Slough. Mr Fieldhouse continues to work for England Rugby as a Coach Developer and Coach Mentor, bringing to Halliford his experience and knowledge of the ever-changing rugby landscape. To keep fit and active, Matt is a keen road cyclist, touch rugby and padel player, always looking for a sporting challenge to share with friends.

New Responsibilities Mr Matthew Shales has been appointed Director of Student Welfare and will be responsible with the Deputy Head Pastoral and the Heads of Houses for looking after the needs of our student body, including developing further our mental health support alongside our specialist school counsellor.

Mr Miles Aarons has been promoted to the position of Head of Geography.

Mrs Alex Rooke has been promoted to Head of Classics and Latin.

Mrs Nektaria Mousi has provided Latin cover this term and will take on a permanent part-time Teacher of Latin position. Educated in

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TheHALLIFORDIAN Classical Civilisation and Pedagogy at Athens University, Mrs Mousi has years of teaching experience abroad. In 2010, she relocated to London with her family, where she’s since held positions as a Latin teacher in preparatory schools and served as an official GCSE Edexcel Modern Greek examiner. Outside of the classroom, Mrs Mousi relishes travelling to Greek and Mediterranean islands, enjoys walks and runs in Richmond Park, and cherishes time spent with loved ones.

Miss Holly Mobbs takes over as Head of Psychology.

Ms Ashlea Armstrong is welcomed back from her maternity leave as Head of PSHE. Ms Armstrong will also be teaching Psychology, Religious Studies, EPQ and Study Skills.

Mrs Julia Kiteley joined us last year as one of our School Receptionists to cover maternity leave and now joins our busy Admissions Department supporting our Registrar as Admissions Assistant.

Mr David Morriss has been appointed as the new Head of Russell House.

Mrs Jennifer Piddock has been appointed the additional role of EPQ Coordinator.

Staff Farewells Mr James Bown, Senior Deputy Head Mr Bown joined Halliford School in September 2018, and it was clear to all of us who worked with him that his passion for pastoral care was at his very core. Mr Bown shared a vocation for teaching and a passion for helping our students deal with their challenges in a gentle and caring manner that has benefitted so many of our students. He took on the mantle of working with the Headmaster to deal with many safeguarding cases with a level of care and willingness to go way beyond what could reasonably ever be expected of him. It was with a very heavy heart that we learnt that following a period of absence from School, resulting from a complex knee injury, Mr Bown decided in November of this academic year to move on from Halliford School and to take up a teaching position closer to his family. We send Mr Bown our continued best wishes and our thanks for all he did to shape the pastoral life of Halliford School.

Mr Peter Hodgkinson, Head of PE Mr Hodgkinson joined Halliford in 2014 from Wimbledon College. Alongside his PE teaching commitments, Mr Hodgkinson developed our Senior Rugby, experiencing success winning our midweek Super 8 competition on multiple occasions and having successful cup runs in both county and national competitions. Mr Hodgkinson takes up an exciting opportunity teaching in Dubai and we wish him every success.

Mr Anthony Cunningham, Head of Classics After almost eight years at Halliford School, Mr Cunningham left in the Autumn Term. He will be missed for his wonderful sense of humour and care he gave to his students, particularly in his role as a Year 7 tutor. We wish him well with his future endeavours.

Mr Jonathan Willcox, Head of Geography, has been a dedicated member of the Geography Department since 2008 leading many successful school trips abroad, including our Ethiopia trips where we fundraised for and visited Edget Feleg General Secondary School in Gondar. He was also a much-loved Year 7 tutor, and we wish him all the best.

Mr Paul Diamond, Head of Mathematics, has been in the Maths Department at Halliford for 19 years. Mr Diamond joined Halliford School from Sydney, Australia where he had been teaching. Throughout his time at Halliford, first as Teacher of Mathematics and then since 2014 as Head of Department, his attention to detail and insight into his subject have been the hallmarks of a highly effective and much valued colleague. Mr Diamond possesses a wonderfully dry sense of humour and for many years he managed to convince generations of students that he was the person who rang the school bell as he had a button on his classroom wall which he would regularly be seen to press just at the time the bells sounded. If the bells don’t ring in September, we’ll be coming to find you Sir! Mr Alan Murphy, Chef It is testament to the profound impact that Mr Murphy had on all our lives that at every student speech for every Open Day the

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Introduction theme of how outstanding our food is features at the top of their list of reasons to consider joining our School. Making Gordon Ramsey seem like a mere pussy cat at times, Chef’s passion for his job and his deep-felt commitment to offering all members of the school community the very highest of standards of cuisine are clear for all to see, and his final Speech Day was no exception. When it came to PTA functions and the like, Chef and his team provided us with food that was worthy of a place in any 5* hotel. We will all miss Chef’s immense talent for catering for so many in such a small kitchen and producing such outstanding results. We wish him and his family well as he looks to relocate to his beloved Liverpool later this year.

Mrs Jean Oxley, Teacher of Business Studies and Economics Due to the explosion in the number of students wishing to study Economics, we felt truly blessed when following a decision to move to part-time work having previously been Head of Department at Charterhouse School, Mrs Oxley accepted the offer of a position here at Halliford. There can be no doubting Mrs Oxley’s willingness to go the extra mile for her students. They also discovered that Mrs Oxley does enjoy some of the finer things in life, and the Headmaster reflected on a visit to her classroom where she was teaching a lesson to her students on microeconomics, where taxation, government intervention and negative externalities are covered as she used the example regarding consumption and profits involved in the prosecco industry with her preferred brand of Freixenet. Sadly, earlier this year Mrs Oxley had to undergo some emergency surgery, and whilst we are delighted that she has recovered from this it has sadly prompted a decision for her to retire earlier than planned and so we wish her many hours to enjoy prosecco together with her husband and thank her for all she has done for our students.

Staff News

With sadness, we learnt of the passing of former Bursar Wendy Simmons in October 2022. Wendy was instrumental in the modernisation of Halliford School and saw the school double in size. Her financial acumen allowed the School to grow in student numbers and in the development of the school site, including the Baker Building, the John Crook Theatre and the Sports Hall.

She was so proud when the Governors announced the new sports hall would be called the Wendy Simmons Sports Hall, a welldeserved accolade for a very hard-working, highly professional and loyal Bursar.

MY HALLIFORD SCHOOL STORY

Samir Al-Falaki, 7G I decided to come to Halliford because it seemed like a very friendly school with many opportunities. I had come to two or three Open Days, and the teachers seemed caring, and there was a good school environment. My entrance exams went well, and I was very happy when I was told that I had got a place.

On the first day, I was nervous, but I knew a few people, which made me feel better. I made many friends in the first week and was very happy not to be overloaded with homework. My highlight so far has been winning the Middlesex Plate, as we worked hard for it and celebrated together. I am really pleased that I came to Halliford School because it is a friendly school with a great environment. The teachers are helpful, and there are so many amazing extra-curricular opportunities. The food is also brilliant and definitely lives up to expectations.

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TheHALLIFORDIAN

Speech Day 2023 – Prize Winners –

Achievement Prize

7D ������������������������������Zain Abou Hasan 7G ��������������������������������Samir Al-Falaki 7R ����������������������������������Noah Edwards 7W ������������������������������� Barnaby Pedlar 8D �������������������������������George Sanders 8G �������������������������������������� Kai Scanlen 8R �������������������������������� James Williams 8W ����������������������������Harry Woodward 9D ��������������������������������� Charlie Powell 9G �������������������������������� Thiago Martins 9R �������������������������������� Harry Jennings 9W ������������������������������Daniel McCrory 10D ���������������������Theodore Maroussas 10G ����������������������������������Oliver White 10R ������������������������������������ Jack Farrow 10W ��������������������������������������Ryan Choi 11D ��������������Daniel Bootle-Wilbraham 11G �����������������������������������Amar Ghotra 11R ���������������������������������� Sam Kinmont 11W �����������������������������Laith Shafighian

Progress Prize

7D �������������������������������Tom Leicester 7G ������������������������� Tommy Hawksley 7R ������������������������������ Ben Blackman 7W ���������������������������������Leon Bleach 8D ������������������ Aiden Sairanen Fuller 8G ����������������������������������Dino Barton 8R ������������������������������������ Ryan Karki 8W ������������������������������� Max McLean 9D ����������������������������� Alfie Saunders 9G ����������������������������������� Drew Jones 9R ����������������������������������James Grant 9W �����������������������������William Slater 10D ������������������������������� Amaan Mian 10G ������������������������� Max Burchmore 10R �������������������������Alexander White 10W �����������������������������Bill Ferguson 11D ���������������������������� Edward Gentle 11G ���������������������������� Jamie Lamprell 11R ��������������������������� William Garner 11W ������������ Ethan Goncalves Wilton

– Year 11 Prize Winners –

Art............................................................................................... Dominic Connor Biology ................................................................................ James McCummiskey Business Studies.............................................................................. Cameron Bird Chemistry...................................................................................... Cosmo Sumner Classical Civilisation.......................................................................... Miles Porter Computer Science......................................................... Daniel Bootle-Wilbraham Ken Russell Prize for Design Technology....................................... Edward Gentle Drama.......................................................................................... Carter Robinson English..............................................................................................Theo Howard French.......................................................................................... Laith Shafighian Geography....................................................................................... Thomas Lever German........................................................................................... Aayush Bathia Valerie Brooking History Prize.......................................................... Samraj Satha Norma Cook Prize for Latin.......................................................... Laith Shafighian Mathematics..................................................................................... Joshua Turley Sally Crosby Prize for the Most Improved Mathematician............... Carson Curtis Music....................................................................................James McCummiskey Physical Education............................................................................. Joshua Rowe Physics.......................................................................... Daniel Bootle-Wilbraham Religious Studies.................................................................... Freddie Humphreys Guy Valadon Prize for Science..................................................... Austin Vellender Spanish...................................................................................... Oliver Whitticase 12

Introduction

– Upper Sixth Prize Winners – Jonathan Hobbs Memorial Prize for Art.............................................Freddie King Biology ......................................................................................... Daniel Winders Business Studies ..................................................................... Finley Broekhuizen Chemistry .................................................................................... Daniel Winders Classical Civilisation ....................................................................William Jackson Computer Science ............................................................................Ben Carrodus Design Technology ............................................................................. Luke Elliott Drama ................................................................................................Tilly Ludlam Economics ......................................................................................... James Manzi Oliver Griffin Prize for Politics.......................................................George Phillips Neil Jones Memorial Prize for English Literature.................................... Abi Pring Wendy Simmons Prize for French.......................................................... Jules Wain Geography .................................................................................... Thomas Yacoot John Lewis Prize for History..................................................... Paul-Louis Howard Mathematics ............................................................................. Louis MacDonald Bahadur Sunderji Prize for Further Mathematics................................. Luke Ingles Music Technology ........................................................................William Jackson Music ..........................................................................................William Greaves Physical Education............................................................................... Max Hobbs Physics ................................................................................................ Luke Ingles Religious Studies ............................................................................ Maisie Russell Psychology ........................................................................................... Alex Batty Spanish..............................................................................................Oliver Hume

– School Prizes – Blakeney Shield for Best Sporting Newcomer..........................................Samir Al-Falaki Hardy Shield for Junior Rugby..........................................................................Dexter Lee Etherton Shield for Outstanding Sportsman......................................Paul-Louis Howard Nicks Plate for Sportsmanship.....................................................................Harri Roberts Owen Cup for Rugby...........................................................................Paul-Louis Howard Nauticalia Bat for Cricket.................................................................................. Euan Cole Football Captains Cup..................................................................................Carson Curtis Junior Drama Award....................................................................................... Leon Bleach Senior Drama Award.............................................................................Riley Whittington Phil Abbott Award for Outstanding Contribution to Technical Theatre .....William Jackson Junior Music Award........................................................................................James Grant Senior Music Award..........................................................................................Jules Wain Alexis Hitchens Prize for Creative Writing......................................................... Ben Mills Shepperton Aurora Rotary Community Service Shield................................. Jared Bullett Trophy for Service to the School.................................................................. Lucy Durham John Crook Prize for Improvement............................................................ Jake Fernandes Headmaster’s Prize..............................................................................Raibeart Archibald 13

TheHALLIFORDIAN

Upper Sixth Leavers - University Places University

Course

University of Bath

Sports Management and Coaching

University of Birmingham

Business Management

Cardiff University

International Relations and Politics, Ancient History, Business Management with a European Language (Spanish), Pure Mathematics, Politics, Business Management

Cornwall College

Operational Yacht Science

University of Exeter

Mathematics, Business and Management, Philosophy and History, Exercise and Sport Sciences

University of Hull

Music Production

University of Manchester

Film Studies and East Asian Studies

University of Nottingham

Computer Science

Oxford Brookes University

Business and Management, Sport and Exercise Science, Economics

University of Portsmouth

Biomedical Science with Human Biosciences, Engineering and Technology, Computer Games Technology

University of Sheffield

Mechanical Engineering

Sheffield Hallam University

Business and Management

University of Southampton

Mechanical Engineering

Swansea University

Journalism, Media and Communications, Business Management, Sport & Exercise Science

Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance

Music Performance and Industry

University of the West of England, Bristol

Automotive Engineering, Animation, Aerospace Engineering

University of Winchester

Computer Games Design & Development

University of York

Business and Management, Economics and Finance

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Autumn Highlights

My Trip to Mont Blanc in July 2022

by Jivraj Singh, Lower Sixth

An adventurous start to my aspirational trip to climb Mont Blanc as my baggage never made it to the aircraft, and we had to spend eight hours waiting for the luggage to arrive at Geneva airport. We arrived late evening at our base camp chalet in Chamonix on 20 July. Our group had seven experienced and fun trekkers from Australia, the USA, Wales and the Czech Republic.

Day 1 – Introduction with the guides who checked our equipment, and we had a quick trip to the shops in Chamonix to buy some last-minute recommended kit by the guides. The head guide advised that it was unsafe to climb Mont Blanc due to the perilous conditions caused by rockfalls and cracks in the ice. Sad! But he promised a trek to the equally challenging peaks surrounding Mont Blanc.

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TheHALLIFORDIAN We trekked for three hours to reach the Chabod Hut at 2,750m altitude on the Gran Paradiso National Park gaining about 900 metres in elevation. Altitude sickness hit me for about an hour (I was throwing up!) when I reached the hut, as the highest climb I had ever done was to Ben Nevis! It took some iced tea and a bowl of warm soup to get me back into action. The guides gave us a 45-minute crash course on how to use the crampons! The best part of the hut was their dining room, serving Italian food and the family working there were warm and welcoming. Early to bed, and the earbuds came in handy to fight off the loud snores!

Day 2 Getting up at 4am after a disturbed sleep was all I wanted! We started the climb to Gran Paradiso summit fully equipped and assisted by headlights. We reached the glacier around 6am after a non-stop 2-hour exhausting hike, and the guides asked everyone to put on their crampons and gaiters.

This is when the fun began as my dad, overly worried about me, had left his crampons back in the hut! I knew where this was heading and quickly turned my back towards him. He wanted me to come back with him, but I was not having it! With a heavy heart (I could see it on his face), he had to be escorted back (halfway).

To pacify his anxiety, the guide gave him a walkie-talkie so that he could be in touch all the time. The climb was challenging and adventurous as we navigated through the glacier at 3,500m. Now in normal conditions, the climb from the glacier is relatively easy (of course, nothing is ever easy at high altitude), it is covered in snow, and you have to trek up it, keeping an eye out for the odd crevasse. However, my ascent through the glacier was much harder due to a dry winter and the ongoing heat wave. It was filled with crevasses wider than the length of a van and some so deep you couldn’t see the bottom. Some I even

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had to jump across, which was by far the scariest thing I have had to do – it still gives me nightmares.

At around 3,900m, I decided not to summit the mountain as I wanted to save my energy for the descent through the glacier back to the hut. The trip back was much harder, navigating through what seemed to be a sea of endless crevasses, but we kept a steady pace and were back at the hut by 3pm.

To make up for not being able to climb Mont Blanc, Days 3, 4 and 5 were spent doing some fun but challenging activities, which included an adventurous rock climb called Via Ferrata (Iron Roads in Italian) and a glacier trek.

My learning from this trip was summed up by my guide, Francesco, who said, ‘Jiv, when climbing becomes difficult, one must not change the surroundings to make it easier but instead change one’s self.’

I also realised the impact of climate change, and we all need to play our part in protecting the environment. A great trip and I am looking forward to my next one. Watch this space!

Autumn Highlights

Year 8 Trip to Hampton Court Palace

by Mrs Fenella Wilbraham, Teacher of History

It felt like a welcome return to normality on a beautiful autumn day this term when we were able to return to Hampton Court with Year 8 following a Covid-induced three-year hiatus. To further their understanding of the Tudors, their History topic for the term, the boys took part in an interactive workshop on the religious rollercoaster of living under the Tudor monarchs when the English people were never quite sure whether they were supposed to be Catholic, Protestant or somewhere in between.

They then explored the palace and spent the afternoon in the gardens, where it seemed as though many of the boys set new world records for completing the maze before the inevitable trip to the gift shop. You can read extracts from the boys’ reports on their day at Hampton Court below.

Keelan Thomas, 8W My time at Hampton Court Palace was great! We went through the Great Hall and the galleries and got a tour of the palace.

We had a ‘Religious Rollercoaster’ workshop, where we learned

about how religion changed throughout the Tudor dynasty. We also learned about Henry’s six wives and how each monarch used the palace. We went into the Royal Chapel and learned about how Henry broke with Roman Catholicism. We also took a break in the palace gardens! This ties in with our History lessons about the break with Rome and the wives of Henry. It also taught us about life for the very rich in Tudor times and how they presented power and intimidation. Small, private rooms with the King made you afraid of him, and large halls and great galleries proposed enormous wealth.

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TheHALLIFORDIAN Harry Woodward, 8W

Freddie Phillips, 8D

For our Year 8 history trip to Hampton Court, we explored lots of the palace and its gardens. We discovered all about the history of those who owned it and how the Tudors came to own it. I particularly enjoyed the workshop, where we learned about the religious changes, what many paintings mean, and why they were painted. King Henry VIII even commissioned some paintings, whereas most were gifts for his many weddings. Some symbolised a lot more than you would think. My favourite part had to be the armoury while we were exploring the main palace, which was full of all sorts of weapons and armour, including rifles, pistols, halberds, swords, axes, daggers, helmets, chest plates, boots, shields, spears, pikes, bullets, leather pouches filled with who knows what and even horse armour. It must have been enough to arm an entire country. There were even drums for an old form of the royal band! What seemed like just a fun trip to a historical location was incredibly relevant to our current topic of the Tudors and their reigns due to the fact that King Henry VIII ‘owned’ it after the previous owner (Cardinal Wolsey, one of the King’s court members) died on the way to his exile (ordered by the King).

The best part of the day was when we were in Henry’s kitchen.

There was so much wood that the fire could keep roaring continuously for a year or so. Walking through the rooms, they became smaller and smaller to the King’s chamber, and you could feel how remarkable it was to stand in those rooms. For example, one room displayed guns, knives and armour hung on the walls.

Hayden Sanghera, 8R When we went into the great hall of Hampton Court, in the corner, we saw the hawk that was owned by one of Henry’s wives. Of course, it was made of wood because it would not survive nearly 500 years. In our workshop, we learnt all about the religions of the Tudor family. For example, we learnt that Henry VI was a Roman Catholic. Henry VIII was first a Roman Catholic, but then he separated from the Pope. Edward was a Protestant and believed in it very much. He even tried to make sure a Protestant person ruled after him so his sister wouldn’t be able to reign. He made sure Lady Jane Gray ruled, but after a few days, Mary killed her because she believed she should be Queen. Mary was a Catholic. After that, Elizabeth ruled and didn’t care about religion as much because she wanted to keep everyone happy.

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George Clark, 8D My favourite part was the gardens because we got to play manhunt in the maze, but I also really enjoyed the great dining hall because it was very interesting to know that the monarchs barely ever spent time there and that it was just for the servants. That confused me because they built such a huge and impressive room with priceless tapestries everywhere and never spent any time there.

Joshua Crook, 8W The workshop with the guide was very cool, and we even played games as we learnt about everything that happened in Hampton Court and the history of the Tudor Monarchs. I also loved the gardens because they were spectacular and very pretty, and the fountain was also amazing. Another really good part of the trip was when we went to the maze and played a big game of ‘It’, which was really fun. At the end of the day, we went to the gift shop, which was packed with stuff, from sweets to wooden swords. Overall, the day was awesome, and I would definitely go again with school and my family because the palace is a historical adventure worth visiting.

Raphie Scott, 8G On the Hampton Court trip, we did a lot of touring and exploring. I particularly liked looking at the priceless paintings and the tapestries on the wall. I was fascinated by how old they were and yet how well they were kept. I especially loved the paintings of Henry VIII and his son Edward VI.

Autumn Highlights

The Harvest Festival

by Mr James Davies, Headmaster

A huge thank you, once again, to our wonderful Halliford community, who donated so generously for our annual Harvest Festival in October. We were able to fill a huge number of boxes with a variety of items including tinned and dried foods, tea, coffee, juices, cleaning products and toiletries.

Head Prefect, Raibeart Archibald, our Deputy Head Prefects Lucy Durham and Riley Whittington and our Charity Prefects, Will Jackson and Maisie Russell, helped me to deliver the huge collection of wonderful provisions to the Manna Food Bank in Staines, who were once again overwhelmed by our donation.

My thanks to Will and Maisie for leading our whole School Assembly and speaking so passionately about the importance of charity and giving within the community.

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TheHALLIFORDIAN

The Spanish Exchange Trip

by Mr Igor Arriandiaga, Teacher of MFL

With huge excitement, our Year 9 & 10 embarked on the first MFL exchange trip post-Covid. We had not been to Cádiz to see our partner school there for four years, and it all felt rather surreal when we finally boarded the plane after so many obstacles in the previous years of preparation! There is no doubt, however, that the efforts of our Spanish colleagues to provide an unforgettable experience made our students’ Spanish improve exponentially and their self-confidence much greater.

We are always overwhelmed by our hosts’ welcome and how they make us feel at home, and we feel like VIPs on tour when the town representatives treat us like distinguished guests. This year was no exception. From La Liga football games to meals on the beach in unusual autumn heat or evening outings, let alone the Flamenco lesson or an impromptu game of American football on the Caleta beach, the week was a succession of highlights, indeed too many to describe fully. Mrs Whitticase and I would like to thank our students for being such good company and for embracing the experience, and we would also like to pay homage to our brilliant partners in the Compañía de María school in San Fernando, who always go the extra mile to provide the best experience possible. Some of the relationships forged by our youngsters on this adventure will last a lifetime, and they certainly will live in their memory forever.

Below, some of our students share their highlights of the experience.

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Jake Goodman, 10D For a week in October, my friends and I went to San Fernando, Cádiz. As soon as we hopped off the coach, we met our partners for the week. We were all a bit nervous but also excited. The highlight of the day was playing football against the other Spanish partners. Unfortunately, we lost 3-1, but it was a great evening getting to know everyone. Every evening, we would go to the park called Parque de Barrero, which we all enjoyed. We also did various activities, such as a treasure hunt, tree trekking, paddle tennis and many more. We got to experience a different culture in two different cities, which were Cádiz and Seville. The highlight of the trip was meeting up every evening at the park.

Alexander White, 10R For a week in October, we spent our time doing numerous engaging and entertaining activities. We arrived late in the afternoon on the first day and met our exchange families for the first time. We then went home with our families for our first

Autumn Highlights

night. In the morning, we all met up at school and discussed how our first night had been, the massive language barriers and other things. We spent the weekdays going to the sports centre, Cádiz, and Seville and enjoying treasure hunts. On the weekends, we were solely with our families, and everyone had different experiences; however, most people went to the adventure park together on Saturday. We were all very sad to leave Spain, and it was a very emotional goodbye. Overall, it was a wonderful experience for everybody involved, and we look forward to seeing them again in April.

Jack Farrow, 10R On 5 October I woke up very excited as I was going to Spain.

We arrived tired in the evening and were graciously welcomed by our hosts. Overall, it was a very fun week as we participated in a variety of activities. My favourite day was when we went to Go Ape and spent the afternoon at the beach. It was a great experience, and we all made some very good friends.

Alexander Ampleford, 10W

to expect. In short, I was pleasantly surprised by a lovely family and a fun time with my friends, but it was so much more in the long term. My partner’s family took amazing care of me, and my partner was very considerate. I found my Spanish slowly improved throughout the week, but I didn’t realise how much until I was back in classes. Overall, I found the exchange thrilling, and I cannot wait for my partner to visit me in April.

Lucas Hayes Garcia, 10D It was great going to another country with my friends and having an experience of a lifetime. It was the first exchange in many years, so I was very excited yet nervous to meet people I didn’t know. It was a wonderful family, and they were great hosts. As I am fluent in Spanish, I was able to speak with them and have a full conversation with them. Also, the activities were great. We went to Sevilla, and we also played Tennis and Paddle. Luckily, my exchange parents were able to buy seats to watch a football game.

Overall, the Spanish trip was a success, and I had a thrilling time with my friends and made new friends.

For a week in October, I was lucky enough to go to Spain with the school. This was the first time the trip had gone ahead since preCovid, so everyone was very excited for the week ahead. All of us lived fairly close to each other, so we met at various places across the town each day. The food and weather were great, and it has definitely improved my Spanish. I made many friends for life and can’t wait to see everyone again in April and maybe return to Spain sometime in the future.

Dayan Nana, 10G The Spanish exchange was a privilege of an experience that I was incredibly lucky to have. It was the first exchange trip in many years, so I was especially excited since I had no idea what 21

TheHALLIFORDIAN

Visit to the MINI Plant

by Mr Tony Lyons, Head of Computer Science

In October, Computer Science students in Year 11 and the Sixth Form visited the MINI manufacturing plant in Oxford. MINI was purchased by BMW in 1994 and benefitted from heavy modernisation and investment.

The plant in Oxford is now one of the leading facilities in Europe, exporting cars to over 100 countries.

The purpose of the trip was to see how computer science is used in industry. Computer-controlled machinery completes processes quickly, efficiently and with much greater accuracy than a person. The vast amount of data gathered is fed into the design cycle to continually improve the MINI and the processes that make it. This results in streamlined production, decreased costs, and a very reliable product.

The car industry likes to play its cards close to its chest, and even though BMW allows tours, there are still enough secret processes for them not to allow cameras on the tour, so our pictures are from the museum at the entrance.

By Daniel Bootle-Wilbraham, Year 11 In October, we went on a Computer Science trip to the main MINI production plant in the UK to learn how computers and robots have revolutionised the workspace. After a short journey,

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we arrived in Oxford, ready to see the factory. There was a large museum to look around detailing the journey the MINI has made from its first design. Then, we were given safety glasses, an earpiece to listen to the guide and a high-visibility jacket. We took a minibus to a part of the plant where the chassis of each car is constructed. The production line has been completely automated, with huge robot arms flash-welding each part together. Each section is constructed inside a self-contained pod, with pre-made parts inputted from the side. Feeding the machinery is the only thing in the building that needs human interaction. Once each part is completed, it is moved into the roof through a series of lifts and conveyor belts to come together into a single unit. The robots executed every task quickly and efficiently and were effectively maintained by an algorithm that predicted when they would need to be repaired. Thirty years ago, 20,000 people worked at the plant, but now there are just 600, alongside 1,200 robots.

Autumn Highlights Next, we moved to the assembly line. The unique thing about the MINI plant is that every car that MINI makes is constructed on the same production line, so electric cars are assembled on the same production line as petrol cars, left-hand drive and right-hand drive cars, and two and four-door cars. In addition, the number of customisable options a buyer can select means that there are 15 billion possible permutations, so all cars are likely to be different.

Keeping track of this is only possible with the RFID data boxes that stay with each car as they are being made and transmit work instructions to each assembly station. A new car is completed and driven off the production line every 67 seconds. The plant manufactures cars for export to 110 different countries. Overall, we learnt a lot about how the emergence of computers has affected the production of cars, leading to a more efficient plant.

plant makes 1,000 cars a day and that each car is pre-bought before they are even made. Lastly, the thing that impressed me the most out of everything I saw was the transponders. These are red boxes temporarily located in the bonnet of the car whilst it went around the factory. The transponder contains all the detailed information about the customisation options required by the customer. This information came up at each workstation so that the workers knew what to put on the car. Overall, I enjoyed the trip to the MINI plant in Oxford and recommend it even if you aren’t interested in cars.

By Daniel Bennett, Year 11 I thoroughly enjoyed my computer science trip to the MINI factory in Oxford. I saw several things that surprised me, such as the fact that the warehouse that makes the frames of the cars is made up mostly of robots. Secondly, I was amazed that the MINI

MY HALLIFORD SCHOOL STORY

Abs Sardana, 7G I decided to come to Halliford School because of the nice community. My highlights are the Games lessons, Prep, lunchtime, and my friends. I am really pleased that I came to Halliford School because it is small, and you get to know where everything is within the first two weeks.

MY HALLIFORD SCHOOL STORY

Aron Drishti, 7G I wanted to come to Halliford after hearing great reviews about the school. The Open Day was great, and everyone was very welcoming. The entrance exam was easy but still challenging. I was nervous on my first day, but I made many new friends. Also, it was nice not getting homework at the start. I have enjoyed being in the A team for rugby. Halliford was my first choice, and I am so pleased I came here.

Everyone is so kind, the lunchtime activities are fun, and the food is great!

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TheHALLIFORDIAN

Halliford’s Inter-House Pumpkin Carving Contest

by Ms Tamarind Hetherington, Head of Art In October, the Art Department launched our Inter-House Pumpkin Carving Contest for the third year running. Students and staff set to carving their terrifying pumpkins, fully demonstrating the Hallifordian value of creativity. The entries were outstanding, with many taking inspiration from cartoons and movies.

Over 50 students entered the competition, and it was great to see so many students getting involved. Each form selected their favourite from the photograph submissions, and these students were invited to bring their pumpkin into school on the first day back after the October half term, where they were displayed under the mulberry tree in the courtyard. Mr Davies had the unenviable task of judging the superb entries, and after careful consideration, he chose three worthy winners.

Congratulations to Oscar Luiz in Russell House, awarded first place for his totem pole design, followed by Arthur Hetherington-Johns in Desborough House for his amazing apple core design, and in third place, Aaric Thomas in Wadham House for his giant eye design.

Well done to all involved. It was a great display of our Hallifordian value of creativity.

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1st - Oscar Luiz , 10R

Autumn Highlights

2nd - Arthur Hetherington-Johns, 8D

3rd - Aaric Thomas, 10W

Barnaby Pedlar, 7W

Benjamin Raubenheimer, 7W

Harry Palmer, 7R

Humphrey Pedlar, 10W

Lucas Bullen, 9W

Ryan Mills, 9G

Farid Harb, 7R

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TheHALLIFORDIAN

Movember 2022

by Mr Harry Churchill, Teacher of Maths and PE Every year we support the very important Movember charity, which raises awareness of men’s health issues, including mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer.

This year’s fundraising once again proved to be a huge success as the staff and students went above and beyond to support this fantastic cause. There were some outstanding taches on show from staff and boys alike, with fundraising events including Splat a Tash, Whack a Mo and MoDarts!

Once again, the best teacher tash was awarded to Mr Shales, who raised an incredible amount of money through his own Movember page, which supplemented the school’s total.

We are delighted to be in the top 20 highest fundraisers for the Movember UK Schools Challenge 2022, raising an amazing £4,353.59 when combining the school’s page and Mr Shales’ page. I would like to personally thank all the staff, students, and parents who so generously donated. Charity Prefects Maisie Russell and William Jackson did a superb job. Well done to my Mo Bros for growing some superb moustaches - Mr Shales, Mr Cupido, Mr Zander-Holder, Mr Lee, Mr Greggor, Mr Carroll, Mr Fulford, Mr Harden-Chaters, Mr Hewitt, Mr Bruno, Mr Hodgkinson, Mr Slocock, and the Sixth Formers who got involved.

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Autumn Highlights

Metropolis Studio Masterclass

by Mr St.John De-Zilva, Teacher of Music Technology After a long wait for external trips, it was wonderful for our GCSE and A Level Music students to embark upon a trip to Metropolis Studios in Chiswick on Friday 4 November, and participate in a masterclass and tour at one of Europe’s most important and successful recording studios.

The studio has recorded the likes of Oasis, Stone Roses, and Michael Jackson, amongst many others, so the trip was keenly anticipated.

Working with Grammy award-winning Sound & Mix Engineer Liam Nolan, who recorded Adele’s 25 and Clean Bandit hits, he showed us his mixing technique for an Indie Rock Band, The Wombats recording he had been mixing in Atmos surround sound for Amazon in Pro Tools. This included a string section, plus the band and numerous vocal takes. He demonstrated equalisation techniques as well as editing and his use of effects turning a dry mix into a much more layered and sonically wider production.

The day ended with a tour of the live recording spaces and mix and mastering suites, and Will Greaves in Upper Sixth had the chance to play on the same grand piano that Freddie Mercury recorded with for Queen. It was fascinating to witness the array of acoustic treatment, studio monitors, hardware and the substantial Neve and SSL mixing desks available.

The boys relaxed for lunch in the green room playing PS5 and were able to see the platinum discs on view for Mastering from Led Zeppelin, Florence and the Machine and The Prodigy, amongst others. Thank you to Miss Peacock for accompanying the students on her last day at Halliford and Chef for making Students asked pertinent technical and artist-based questions, great packed lunches. inevitably including questions from the floor of whom he had worked with in the past. This included Sir Paul McCartney and Lana Del Ray and rumour had it there was an A-list star due to record that afternoon, but unfortunately for us, Liam would not divulge who, and alas, we were not invited to stay and see who it was.

After the mix demonstration in Pro Tools, Liam answered more questions about band recordings and how to get started in the industry and offered advice on recording and developing mixes.

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TheHALLIFORDIAN

Remembrance Service

by Mr James Davies, Headmaster It was one of the most magnificent and arduous feats of arms in military history. A million men from more than 20 nations, fighting a powerful and implacable foe through thousands of miles of intractable, malariaridden jungle, doggedly ploughing on, despite suffering a series of shattering early reverses.

With more than 100 languages and numerous faiths, customs and eating habits, the 14th Army was marshalled together by one man, General Sir William Slim. General Slim was a brilliant leader, loved by his men for his humanity and admired by them for his shrewd military skill. His leadership and the breathtaking bravery of those under his command ultimately led to a victory that freed millions from tyranny.

This is the story of the Burma Campaign in the Second World War, the story of the 14th Army, the largest Commonwealth Army ever assembled. By rights, it should be one of the most celebrated stories of that cataclysmic global conflict. Yet the 14th Army is known as the ‘Forgotten Army’. The long, hard, heroic slog of the Burma Campaign was overlooked at the time and is still very much in the shadow of the better-known campaigns fought in Europe, Africa and elsewhere.

Since I became Headmaster, I have tried to establish if any of our former students went on to take part in the events of the Second World War, and a few weeks ago, thanks to the eagle eyes of a parent, I discovered the life of Sergeant Peter Heppell who died

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aged 102 on 7 August 2022. His obituary in The Telegraph recalled how he had attended Shepperton Grammar School (the original name of Halliford School).

In 1943 Major General Orde Wingate won support for his plans to drop long-range penetration groups into Northern Burma behind Japanese lines. Known as Chindits, these special forces soldiers were trained for jungle fighting and sabotage.

Peter Heppell was called up in May 1940 and joined the Royal Engineers. In 1942, he embarked for the Far East with 67 Chemical Warfare Company. He was posted for ‘special duties’ and went on to take part in what became known as Operation Thursday, a deep penetrative campaign involving not only flying garrison troops and mobile columns into these fortified bases but also anti-aircraft guns, bulldozers and machinery to construct airfields for Dakotas to land on.

Heppell flew into Burma on 5 March 1944 by glider and his objective was some 150 miles behind Japanese lines. Sadly the scene was chaotic, gliders quickly crashed into others, and terrible injuries were sustained. Heppell recalled those first moments after

Autumn Highlights landing, ‘Something made me run for it. Then another glider hit ours, causing casualties, and the incoming glider’s wing knocked off my bush hat.’ Half of his section was seriously injured. Heppell witnessed intense close-combat fighting as well as relentless attacks from the air. He recalled that Japanese snipers would lash themselves to trees so that they could continue firing even when they were badly wounded.

During the following weeks, exhaustion, disease and a shortage of food took their toll. Heppell’s health deteriorated, but he refused to be evacuated. He then went on to be wounded by a mortar bomb and said he felt ‘relieved that the fragments had missed the three primed grenades in my pocket. I had just one thought in mind. The only way to get out of here is to walk’. He helped carry out the stretcher cases and was then asked to shoot the very badly injured, so they did not fall into Japanese hands.

Heppell went on to escape by river in a boat consisting of two native canoes lashed together and driven by an outboard engine that had been dropped from the air.

Aged 101, when he could no longer march past the Cenotaph in London on Remembrance Sunday, Heppell was taken in a wheelchair, but when it came to laying his wreath on behalf of the Chindits, he shuffled to the memorial and then insisted on carrying on along Whitehall until much further down the road as a mark of respect to his comrades.

As a result of reading this incredible story, Archie McGreggor in the Sixth Form and his mother were inspired very modestly to tell me the story of Major John Gordon James, Archie’s Grandfather. Major James was born the same year as Sergeant Heppell in Croydon and educated at Strode School in Egham. He went on to undertake an Engineering Degree at Queen Mary College, but when war arrived, he resented his friends enlisting and joined up himself. He was posted initially to Catterick in North Yorkshire, where he recalls being ordered to collect fresh snow from the Yorkshire Moors to replace dirty snow in the camp. However, his potential was noticed, and he was dispatched to the Officer Training Unit in India, travelling in a very overcrowded troop ship. He was posted around the same time as Sergeant Heppell to Burma after completing his training. In the words of one of his friends, Burma was ‘not a nice party’. Major James went on to be awarded the Military Cross as a result of his work in Burma with the Royal Signals Corp. The MC is awarded for exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy on land and is the second highest level of military decoration awarded to officers. The fact that Major James was a Signals Officer made this award even more unusual.

under enemy fire, a complete disregard for his personal safety. His outstanding devotion to duty has resulted in the communications within the Brigade always being in order, even during a very rapid advance over extremely difficult country.

On Ramree Island on 4 February 1945, Captain James supervised the laying of a telephone line from Brigade HQ at Yebadin to the forward Battalion of the Brigade at Konbaung. This involved his party passing through an area under heavy enemy mortar and small arms fire. Regardless of the enemy fire, Captain James continued to encourage his men and personally laid the line over a chaung crossing river bed which was coming under particularly heavy fire.

On reaching the Battalion HQ and finding that the line to one of the forward companies had been cut and the linesman of the Signal Section was all out on other tasks, Captain James volunteered to go forward and repair the line himself. This he accomplished, again showing complete disregard for heavy enemy fire.

The speed with which the Brigade could advance during these operations was in no small part due to the excellent communications provided by the Brigade Signal Section under Captain James’ command. The personal devotion to duty was an inspiration to the men of his section to maintain their work at a very high level of efficiency.

After the War, Major James elected to stay in the Army and met his wife, an Army Officer, during a posting in Cyprus. He travelled the world, and his penultimate posting saw him move to the MOD accommodation off Green Lane here in Shepperton. He retired aged 55 after his last posting with NATO in Brussels back to Shepperton. Four months before his 80th birthday Major James went rock climbing in Utah’s Arches National Park in his patent leather shoes only to come slithering down far too fast but then complete a brisk 3-mile round trip still in the same shoes. His daughter recalls that he was always immaculately turned out in jacket and tie, even when working under his car. He became a wellknown figure in Shepperton, regularly seen on his bike and sailing down the Thames in his boat.

The Burma Campaign came to an end in July 1945. While history has often referred to the Burma Campaign as the ‘forgotten war’, it is clearly worthy of remembrance. For us as a school to have two such personal stories connected with members of our community makes this an event for us to reflect upon as we mark Remembrance Day this year, and I am grateful to Archie and his mother for bringing in a selection of Major James’ Army memorabilia including his highly prized medals.

Sadly his original citation was destroyed in a fire, but a copy of his citation has been found and reads as follows: From 16 November 1944 to 15 February 1945, Captain (his rank at the time) J G James commanded 71 Indian Infantry Brigade Signals Section. During the whole of this period and in particular, during the operations which culminated in the capture of the Ramree Town on 9 February 1945, Captain James carried out his work with exceptional ability, untiring energy and, when working 29

TheHALLIFORDIAN

Inter-House Song Contest

by Mr Alastair Wright, Director of Music The ever-competitive Halliford Song Contest took place on Friday 18 November, with all four houses having a realistic chance of winning the competition. Wadham House, headed up by the multi-talented Will Greaves and Jules Wain, were the favourites, though Desborough’s House song was being talked up as a potential show-stealing winner.

Greville House, as the current holders, had strong prospects, whilst Russell House, perennial underdogs, seemed invigorated by their exuberant leader Tilly Ludlam and had outside chances.

As usual, the competition kicked off with the Year 7 music classes. 7J opened with Toploader’s 2000 smash-hit Dancing in the Moonlight, with the class enthusiastically belting out the famous chorus.

Tobi Adeseun was a real star on the drums for 7J, demonstrating great timing for a Year 7 student. 7K followed with a passionate performance of Owl City’s Fireflies, with several students singing solos. 7L finished the Year 7 songs with Keane’s Somewhere Only We Know, again with some commendable solos from students. Mr Chris Wray, Director of Music at Arnold House School and judge for the afternoon, decided that the winner of the Year 7 class songs was 7L for their graceful and tuneful performance.

We then moved on to the Year 8 class songs, with all performances now with added bass guitar, drums, and vocal harmonies. 8J started us off with Lovely Day by Bill Withers, a song requiring impressive breath control; compère Mr Slocock reliably informing

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the audience that Bill Withers holds a sustained note for 18 seconds at the end of the song, making it one of the longest ever notes recorded on an American pop song. 8K followed with a lively performance of Happy by Pharrell Williams, requiring excellent timing with the vocal entries, which the class pulled off well. Finishing the Year 8 performances were 8L, performing the massive 80s hit Africa by Toto. Whilst this sounds like an easy song to perform, there are some challenging moments, which 8L navigated manfully. 8J were judged as the winning Year 8 class for their impressive performance.

We moved swiftly on to the House songs, with expectations high for Desborough’s main song, Viva La Vida by Coldplay. Mr Harden-Chaters and the irrepressible James Manzi were bullish, and this performance did not disappoint. Accompanied by a lush string and piano accompaniment, Desborough’s timing, tone and dynamic range shone through in one of the performances of the day. A feature of this year’s event was the inclusion of costumes on stage, and we were treated to our first outfit of the event with

Autumn Highlights

Desborough House

Russell House Jared Bullett fittingly and splendidly dressing up as a king, leading Desborough with an extended baritone solo.

Last year’s winner, Greville House, followed with an interesting choice of song, Get Down on It by Kool & The Gang. Whilst the vocal part was a little repetitive in nature for a singing competition, Greville’s band, consisting of most of the members of the Year 11 rock band, played with panache, and the Upper Sixth boys grooved away to this funky disco number, despite not seeming to know the words to the song particularly well. Sadly, rumours that Mr Howard would join the boys onstage for one of his legendary boogies did not come to fruition.

An organised and surprisingly tuneful Russell House then performed I’m a Believer by the Monkees, a distinct vocal improvement from previous years. While Mr Shales tried to take credit for this vast improvement, it was clear that the Upper Sixth girls had the most significant influence. Many were a tad confused by some of the younger students wearing Shrek masks during the performance, though despite this it was an enjoyable watch.

Wadham House closed the full House songs with Live Forever

by Oasis. A rousing rendition of the chorus and a superb guitar solo by Jules Wain highlighted why Wadham was the house to beat. Complete with bucket hats and Mancunian swagger, the solos by Freddie King and Paul-Louis Howard added to the 90s Britpop feel.

Greville House

Wadham House their band song of Country House by Blur. Carter Robinson again oozed charisma as the frontman, whilst Jamie Lamprell, Olly Hume and James McCummiskey provided top-notch musical accuracy and timing with the accompaniment.

Russell’s performance of Locked Out of Heaven by Bruno Mars continued the impressive band performances, with Josh Guild as metronomic as ever on drums and the Upper Sixth girls leading the singing, especially during the more challenging parts of the song. One can’t neglect to mention the Lower Sixth boys in this performance, whose vigorous ‘Oohs’ were a personal highlight of mine. We finished with Wadham’s performance of Hotel California

by The Eagles, led by future Trinity Laban attendee Will Greaves.

This was a superb performance to finish the competition and may have swayed the vote to Wadham. Recently described by Mr Savides as the best guitar player he has come across in his 20-odd years at the school, Jules Wain again mesmerised with a tremendous guitar solo, whilst the vocals were some of the strongest yet.

Ultimately, Chris Wray decided that Wadham had pipped Desborough to win a highly fought high-class competition. The quality on show was a real step-up from the previous year, and my thanks go to the Heads of Houses and the House Prefects for their sterling work in making the competition such a success. I look forward to another great competition in November.

We finished the competition with the band songs, starting with Desborough’s performance of Baggy Trousers by Madness. Billy Dobby’s confident stage presence and some classy saxophone playing by Riley Whittington provided a solid and entertaining performance. Greville, as in keeping with last year, impressed with

31

TheHALLIFORDIAN

The Halliford School Winter Concert

by Mr St. John De-Zilva, Teacher of Music Technology The much-anticipated culmination of weekly student rehearsals guided and interpreted by staff from the Halliford Music Department came to a fitting and full fruition in the John Crook Theatre on 1 December.

Under the energetic and dedicated guidance of the Director of Music, Mr Alastair Wright, a musical smorgasbord from fledgling choirs to seasoned rock bands took to the stage with energy and vigour despite the arctic chill in the air and the end of a challenging week.

The Lower School Choirs embraced the moment with renditions of Dancing in the Moonlight, Fireflies, and Somewhere Only We Know with Lovely Day capturing the mood and energy of the audience.

The Brass and String Ensembles provided a captivating presence centre stage with harmonic and rhythmical synchronicity, with Sleigh Ride reminding everyone of the Yuletide ahead.

This paved the way for the three soloists accompanied on piano by the Headmaster. In different ways, each performer Hector Rutter, Louis Clark and Monty Savarino, took the listener on an uplifting flight of melodic fantasy.

32

Autumn Highlights

Our imaginations now piqued, the audience was treated to the full sonority of the Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Choir, who roused the spirits with renditions from the Viennese Prodigy with Horn Concerto No. 4 and Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus.

To close this part of the show, Will Greaves performed his own composition Mexico Harbour which stood out as the only original writing of the evening and was veritably performed by the versatile Music Scholar to great appreciation by parents and students alike.

With mood lighting enhanced and after a quick changeover, the stage was set for more contemporary rock and pop. The anticipation pulsating through our young performers and the eager audience was palpable.

Billy Dobby led the way in his inimitable fashion with effusive versions of Fly Away by Kravitz and U2’s Vertigo, ably backed by the Year 9/10 Rock Band.

In recent years the current Year 11 Rock Band have become an established tight rock outfit under the tutelage of Mr Savides and their frisson of electric energy has not dissipated. Carter Robinson donned shades in unison with his backline with bombastic interpretations of Franz Ferdinand, The Fratellis and Supergrass.

As recent winners of the Inter-House Competition, the Wadham Band sustained the momentum with the soothing Eagles classic Hotel California. This featured the expressive lead guitar of Jules Wain, who would remain on stage to perform with the Senior Rock Band as they weaved seamlessly through the Rock Hall of Fame with songs from U2, David Bowie and The Beatles, with Oliver Hume doubling stylishly as the Bromley Bard, and a finale of Twist and Shout sending the audience into a rapture before they shivered off into the night.

33

TheHALLIFORDIAN

Inter-House Christmas Card Competition

by Ms Tamarind Hetherington, Head of Art For the Inter-House Christmas Card Competition this year, Halliford students were invited to look beyond us to the current global wars and conflicts and create artwork inspired by the theme ‘Peace at Christmas’.

They could use any medium or combination of media, for example, paint, crayons, pencil, pastels, inks, collage or digital media.

All entries were sent to our Head of Art, Ms Hetherington, who displayed them on the mulberry tree in the school courtyard, ready for Mr Davies to choose the top three designs.

The winner was James Haines in Wadham House for his Ukraine flag inspired design. As first place winner, James had the honour of having his design as our Halliford Christmas Card. Well done to Thiago Martins in Greville House for taking second place and James O’Connor in Greville House for taking third place. Mr Davies also awarded a Headmaster’s Special Prize to Rocco Maroussas in Desborough House for his Halliford Hound design.

34

Winning design by James Haines, 8W

Autumn Highlights

Carol Service

by Mr Alastair Wright, Director of Music We were delighted to be able to host an audience at our annual Carol Service on Tuesday 13 December 2022, after two years of Covid related disruption and pre-recorded services. Whilst most music can come across well in recordings, it is difficult to recreate the ambience of a church service, especially one as special as the Christmas Carol Service.

St. Nicholas Church was packed out for the service, with the congregation and choir giving their all during the carols. A nice addition this year was the Chamber Orchestra joining the organ to beef up the accompaniment for the congregational carols. Hearing hearty renditions of O Come, All Ye Faithful and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, with trumpet and treble descants, was a fitting way to send us merrily off on our Christmas holidays.

To start the service, we were treated to a delightful musical interlude of Trumpeter’s Lullaby, performed by Louis Clark on trumpet and accompanied by Mr Davies. We swiftly heard our first vocal solo of the evening, with Billy Dobby showing all his musical experience and nous with a flawless Once in Royal David’s City solo. Readings aplenty were confidently and expertly delivered by students ranging from Year 7 to the Upper Sixth. However, the highlight was undoubtedly Mr Hoare’s acting masterclass during his reading of A Visit from Saint Nicholas.

As ever, a rousing rendition of Gaudete came early in the service, with the piece led with aplomb by Upper Sixth students Will Greaves and Oliver Hume. Other audience favourites sung by the choir included Personent Hodie and Torches, which were belted out with suitable vigour along with Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus. In contrast to these, Vaughan-Williams’ The Truth Sent from Above was performed beautifully by the choir, whilst the staff choir gave a captivating performance of Carol of the Bells. The musical highlight of the service was John Rutter’s Jesus Child, performed by the Year 7 and 8 trebles. This was a thrilling performance; the jubilant ‘Sing Alleluia’ refrain was complimented perfectly by the dulcet storytelling during the verses.

Our thanks go to Reverend Carole George for leading the service and to all the parents who attended and helped make it such a wonderful celebration of Christmas time.

35

HALLIFORD LIFE

Sixth Form Team Building Afternoon

Year 7 & 8 Winter Disco with Sir William

36

Queen’s Green Ca

nopy Planting

Movember Mad Perkins’s School

ness!

Science Club

Autumn Highlights

HALLIFORD LIFE

Halliford Year 7 & 8 Family Fun Day

Senior Inter-House

Debating Competit

ion

New Year 7 Sports Morning

ness!

Movember Mad Majesty Queen Elizabeth II He Remembrance Service for r

37

TheHALLIFORDIAN 1XI match against King Edwards Southampton

Autumn Term Sports Report

by Mr James Greggor, Director of Sport Rugby Season 2022

RUGBY

Halliford School’s rugby programme continues to go from strength to strength, and students have approached this term with incredible enthusiasm. Training numbers have been excellent, allowing A and B teams to be consistently fielded throughout the season. In many cases with lower year groups, some C and D team matches have also gone ahead, which for a school of our size is fantastic!

The students always represent the school superbly and are a real credit to us. As always, my sincere thanks not only goes to the students for their excellent commitment and hardworking attitudes but also to the staff who give up lunchtimes, evenings after school and weekends to provide these extensive extra-curricular opportunities.

U12 RUGBY Mr Greggor and Mr Churchill

A team Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Points For

Points Against

Points Difference

15

8

4

3

230

135

95

B team Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Points For

Points Against

Points Difference

8

5

0

3

227

147

80

C team Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Points For

Points Against

Points Difference

2

1

0

1

65

35

30

It has been a fantastic first term of sport for Year 7. They have made pleasing progress this term, where many of the year group were new to the game of rugby prior to starting at Halliford. Training numbers on Monday and Thursday after school have been excellent, and students have worked well to acquire new skills and develop existing knowledge.

38

Autumn Sports Report We have managed to field A-C teams consistently this term. In the final match of the season against St. George’s, which was sadly lost to frozen pitches, we had A-D teams selected with only three students in the entire year group who did not feel confident to be involved. This is truly outstanding and reflects the excellent approach Year 7 have tak­en to this activity area.

All teams have positive playing records, and particularly pleasing results came against Tiffin and Wallington, much larger schools than ourselves. Also three draws against Claremont, Claire’s Court and St. James’ showed a grit and determi­nation in the U12 age group to never give up and maintain high standards of performance until the conclusion of the game.

Many players have impressed this term, and Samuel Jones and Charlie Hoyne have been essential performers in the U12A team pack. They have been dominant ball carriers and excellent over the ball at ruck time. In the back line, Samir Al­Falaki has impressed at full back, joining the back line effectively and always offering an attacking threat with the ball in hand. Zac Wiffen has also impressed at scrum-half with his tenacity and never say die attitude. Dylan Hayes-Garcia and captain Dylan Simpson have also been very influential in matches for us and have always provided an attacking threat.

Barney Edwards in the B team has been an outstanding performer at fly-half. His quick hands and distribution wide have made it difficult for opposing teams to cope with. Will Andrews has also made great progress in the centres. New to rugby this term he finished the season playing in a combined A/B squad against Weybridge Vandals RFC and really impressed with his ball carrying capabilities. Zain Abou Hasan has also impressed in the pack. He has made valuable metres for his side in matches and has been very dominant at ruck time.

U13 RUGBY Mr Morriss and Mr Watson

A team Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Points For

Points Against

Points Difference

15

9

1

5

265

255

10

B team Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Points For

Points Against

Points Difference

7

5

0

2

185

95

90

U13 A: The U13s had their work cut out from the start, after the extremely high standards they set for themselves last year, having had an unbeaten season. There were some tough lessons to be learned at the beginning of the season as many of the boys jumped from U11 Covid-affected laws to the U13 laws on a full-size pitch.

The squad are a talented group of young sportsmen, and this was evident in the high-quality pre-season training and the early Games sessions. This meant that there was a lot of rotation throughout the first few matches to try and find the best-fit solution, with a total of 32 players having been selected.

39

TheHALLIFORDIAN The start of the season saw some tough fixtures against Claire’s Court, Tiffin, Grey Court, Hampton and Wallington. Despite performing well in all these matches, the boys were on the wrong side of the results.

This didn’t get them down though and the boys worked harder in training and really started to find their rugby style of play. The decision to play Zack Brief at fly-half and utilise the rugby brain of Leo Smith supplying the ball from the scrum-half position meant that the team had a degree of structure which paid dividends throughout the season. Perhaps the only position within the backline that remained consistent throughout the season was Harvey Connop’s position at full-back, which he retained from the start and very much made his own, thoroughly deserving his place in the Headmaster’s XV in a very competitive position. George Clark also put in some superb performances from the wing or centres, if asked and will certainly be an important player for this team in the future. The consistency in the second half of the season meant that the boys managed to end the season with a positive points difference and finished an excellent 3rd in the U13 County Festival at St. James’ School.

The second half of the season saw some outstanding performances in wins over St. James’ School, London Oratory and Churcher’s College. The forward pack were a little more structured from the start, and a group of nine players regularly fulfilled the six starting positions with each member rotating in and out of the starting line-up. Bertie Reynolds optimised this having represented the D-team in Year 7, along with Dino Barton who was ever adaptable and coachable. Ethan Johnson, Josh Berresford and Oscar Wintle were awesome both in attack and defence, ever reliable and putting in some of the best performances of the season. A few special mentions should go to Khai Vally for his try-scoring exploits, Oscar Lewitt for being the midfield lynchpin, James Haines for playing most of the backline positions, and Aiden Sairanen Fuller and Rocco Maroussas who both made the step up to the A team this season.

This team’s work ethic would not have been achievable without the leadership of Theo Fuller who was the main driving force behind the team’s success both on and off the field this season. He led by example in every game, making his tackles, hitting rucks and being top try­scorer to boot.

U13 B: This season has been a hugely successful one for the U13 B-team, curtailed by the simple fact that many of our larger competitors simply could not field a team. The matches that did go ahead were often tightly contested, and credit to the boys whose defence was outstanding throughout these fixtures and allowed their playmakers to create try scoring opportunities. Training has been so well attended that many of the players had to rotate into the already large match day squads, often allowing for players who lacked rugby experience to gain this in a strong side.

Many of the stronger players represented the A-team throughout the season and, in most other age groups, would have been starting in those teams, such is the strength in depth throughout the year group. This was most evident in the fixture against Weybridge Vandals RFC, where a mixed squad looked completely comfortable with the style of play and slotted into their positions alongside many of the A-team players with some style.

Jack O’Connor brilliantly captained the side throughout the season and settled into leading from the full-back position. Equally instrumental was his twin brother James, who between them pulled the strings with their rugby knowledge and organised the team in every aspect of the game.

An example of the team ethic amongst the squad was the rotation at scrum-half with Fin Dalrymple and Jack Barry sharing the responsibilities at 9 and playing out of position when called upon. The

40

Autumn Sports Report forwards were marshalled by Oliver Slaymaker and Will Friend who put in some superb displays and were regularly praised by Mr Watson in his match feedback.

A few players really stepped up and started to enjoy their rugby this season and none more than Kai Scanlen and Ben Snowball, who were both regular starters for this team throughout the season. Another couple of special mentions must go to Theo Clark, who played in almost every position this season to ensure the team had stability and to Jamie Lewis, who as an accomplished athlete, became the team’s top try scorer with an abundance of tries from the wing position. The depth within this squad will help them continue their success into next season and will provide continued competition for places amongst both squads in Year 9.

U14 RUGBY Mr Shales and Mr Lee

A team Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Points For

Points Against

Points Difference

10

8

0

2

276

106

170

B team Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Points For

Points Against

Points Difference

7

3

0

4

115

157

-42

U14 A: The U14 A team have had a very good season. The squad have worked hard in training, always willing to take on the new skills and patterns that we have been developing. We started with a 36-10 win against Claremont. It wasn’t our best performance, but a good way to start the season. This was followed by a very pleasing 33-0 victory over Tiffin. The game demonstrated that the team were beginning to get used to the style of play that we have been working on. Next was the first round of the Middlesex Cup against UCS. This 45-0 victory was a comprehensive one, built on a very dominant forward display. A hard fought 19-5 victory over Grey Court saw the side go into half term undefeated.

After half term, we started with a competitive 24-5 over Perins, by no means our best performance, but it set us up for the challenging fixtures to come. A trip to Wallington followed. It was a physical battle up front, but one that we prevailed 24-12 in. Next came the semi-final of the cup against a very strong Richard Reynolds side. This was a great challenge for the boys. Unfortunately, Richard Reynolds flew out of the blocks and took a 24-0 lead at halftime. We fought back brilliantly though, playing some of the best rugby of the season to win the second half. Sadly, progression to the final was not to be as we eventually lost 14-31. Next came the challenge of a trip to Churcher’s College. We started the game strongly, putting a lot of pressure on them with our attacking game and taking an early lead. However, we were not able to break down their superb defence further, and they scored a couple of tries on the counterattack. Two tries at the end of the game flattered them, and the final score of 10-33 loss did not reflect how close the contest had been.

The boys were eager to get their season back on track with the visit of Salesians. We started the game superbly and never let the foot off the gas. We were dominant up front, playing to our pattern before unleashing the backline on them. We ran in some quality tries in our 47-0 win.

The season finished with the visit of Windsor Boys, which we knew was going to be a tough challenge, and so it proved to be. We got off to a great start, putting them under pressure from the very first whistle and taking an early lead. Our attacking game was on point in the first half, but in the second half, Windsor came back into the contest. However, our defence stood firm, and the final score was a 24-10 victory, a great way to end what has been a superb season.

The boys have certainly gelled as a team this season. They have been very well led all season long by George Bellis. The forwards have been dominant all season, with Corey Pyke, Luke Golding and Harry Jennings leading from the front in both attack and defence. In the backline, Jack Giddens has pulled the

41

TheHALLIFORDIAN strings very well to create space for Dexter Lee, Christian Fleming-Jenner and Adam Claudet to exploit.

U14 B: The U14 B team have worked very hard this season but has come up against some very strong opposition. The season started with a narrow loss to Claremont, followed by slightly heavier defeats to Tiffin and City of London Freeman’s A Team. These results did not truly reflect the hard work that the boys were putting in during training and the pro­gress they had been making.

After half term, the boys hit the ground running with a 50-5 win over Wallington County. A defeat to a talented Churcher’s College side followed, before the side rediscovered their form with a 41-5 win over Windsor Boys.

The boys have gelled very well as a team, but special mentions have to go to George Thompson, George Dwyer and Will Slater for their efforts up front. In the back-line George Regan, Freddie Nash and Finley Camino have really contributed to the attacking game plan of the team.

U15 RUGBY Mr Slocock and Mr Greggor

A team Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Points For

Points Against

Points Difference

12

9

0

3

247

144

103

B team Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Points For

Points Against

Points Difference

5

3

0

2

86

101

-15

The U15s have had an outstanding season. Both Mr Slocock and Mr Greggor have been impressed with the numbers at train­ing for this age group, specifically the number of B team players who have trained consistently throughout the season. This has not only provided more depth to the A team but also resulted in competition for places.

The U15s have worked hard to develop their pattern of play introduced by Mr Slocock this year that mimics the way the 1XV plays. This not only helps the students transition into senior Rugby more effectively next year but also sees our side play in a very structured, entertaining way.

Both playing records above speak for themselves and reflect very successful seasons. The A’s remained unbeaten until Satur­day 19 November where a busy playing schedule and extensive cup run started to take its toll on playing personnel and saw us pick up a few injuries. Pleasing victories came against Claire’s Court, Tiffin and Wallington on our usual circuit early on. What has made this year special is the Cup run in the National Vase competition.

The boys have beaten Sunbury Manor, St. George’s College Weybridge, Reeds and most recently London Oratory in round four. This sees them draw Reigate Grammar School in round five of the competition scheduled to be played mid January. This is the first time since 2010 where the students will be playing rugby in the Spring Term due to progressing so far in this com­petition.

Stand out players have included Felix Porter. He has proved versatile being able to play in the back row, but utilised more frequently at full back. Captain Josh Morrison at scrum-half has lead the side superbly, and led by example with his perfor­mances on the field. JJ Lam-Denham has been outstanding in the centres, being solid in defence and carrying the ball superbly for the team, always making ground.

Leo Hobbs, Barney Connop and Austin Johnson have impressed in the pack. Their physicality has helped them be dominant at rucks and advance successfully when setting up driving mauls.

42

Autumn Sports Report The emergence of players, including Joe Arbiter, Dayan Nana and Charlie Moria has been pleasing to see.

The boys have trained hard and progressed which has resulted in more A-team opportunities being handed to these individuals, where lower down the school they were involved more consistently with the B team.

U16 RUGBY Mr Shales and Mr Churchill

Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Points For

Points Against

Points Difference

10

5

1

4

150

195

-45

The U16s have had a very successful season under the leadership of Ollie Hepworth. After a difficult start to the season, losing their opening two games to Tiffin and a very talented Windsor Boys, they kept working hard and turned things around.

Things started with a draw against Forest School 10-10, leading to wins against Leighton Park, Reading School and Reading Blue Coat. The side have shown real resilience as naturally with our Senior set up of a 1XV and U16 side some Year 11s do get called up to represent the first team where appropriate.

Sam Griffiths, Max Smith, Freddie Humphreys and Ollie Hill have all represented the U16s this season, and having impressed Mr Hodgkinson have been used regularly in our first fifteen, a fantastic achievement from these students.

Captain Hepworth has been a vital member of the U16 side at scrumhalf. Carson Curtis and Joshua Rowe have also remained constant attacking threats in the backline, being valuable outlets with their speed. We look forward to seeing how our current crop of U16s filter into the senior 1XV next season.

1XV RUGBY Mr Hodgkinson and Mr Slocock

Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Points For

Points Against

Points Difference

13

7

1

5

368

233

135

The 1XV was a new look side this season, and the successful Super 8 winning side of last year was a predominantly sixth form team made up of mainly Upper Sixth students. Captain Paul-Louis Howard, Freddie King, and Jai Toor, having played last season were part of a new-look side this season. Lower Sixth students who have come into the side and impressed have been locks Josh Guild and William O’Loughlin. Will Shanley was given a couple of opportunities last season as a Year 11 student, however this season has cemented his position as a starter at number 8.

43

TheHALLIFORDIAN Halliford’s 1XV have once again made fantastic progress under the leadership of Mr Hodgkinson this season and captaincy of talisman Paul-Louis Howard. Captain Howard has been a standout performer, showing true selflessness for the good of the team. As a back rower and having played there recently representing Surrey County’s U18s, Howard has often found himself playing fly-half for the good of the team.

This season saw King and Shanley become the heartbeat of the pack with Patterson and Rabett causing havoc for opponents in the back line. A large group of Year 11s, including Griffiths, Hill, Smith, and Humphreys stepped up into the side and showed that the future of Halliford is in extremely safe hands.

The season has seen the team make real progress, and this is highlighted by two defeats early on to talented sides Claire’s Court and Windsor Boys. Halliford’s 1XV beat Claire’s Court in their second meeting to advance to the final of the Super 8 competition where they met Windsor Boys and having lost to them earlier in the season, proceeded to beat them 22-0 in the final of the competition to become Super 8 champions for the second year in a row.

Halliford’s 1XV competed in the National Vase Cup competition for the first time this year. In round one, Salesian Chertsey were Halliford’s opponents, and the side made light work of the opposition winning comfortably 65-5 and advancing into round two. With round two came Reed’s at Church Road, and in a very competitive game Halliford lost the game 17-27, but the score perhaps flatters the opposition a little as this was a close contest. This loss came at a time in the season where the team in this period also experienced narrow 19-24 losses to both Windsor Boys and Tiffin School. The team dug deep at this time and with extra sessions at lunchtime in addition to Tuesday after school the hard work paid off.

The tide turned and momentum shifted starting with a 45-0 win against St. James’ in the Super 8 competition. This was followed by a Saturday morning victory against Sir Richard Reynolds 32-14. The side took confidence from this and maintained the momentum. This was followed by another 55-5 victory against Salesian College Farnborough in the Super 8 competition. The mentality of the side was tested against Wallington County Grammar school, a game which ended in a 12-12 draw. This highlighted the determination of the team as earlier on in the season this may have been one that slipped away.

Churcher’s is always one of the sternest tests of the season and this year was no exception. The final score was a 12-31 loss, however lots was taken out of the game and allowed a reset and focus for the final few games of the season.

At the start of the season having already played Windsor Boys and a very talented Claire’s Court, if you were to say Halliford would beat Claire’s Court in the semi final of the Super 8 and then advance to beat Windsor Boys in the final, following those initial matches we are not sure this would have been believed.

However an outstanding performance against Claire’s Court and taking advantage of an away team who expected to turn up and win comfortably, following the earlier result in the season saw a fantastic result of 31-30. This then saw Halliford advance to the final against Windsor Boys away.

Windsor were again guilty of complacency and expecting to win the game following a win against our 1XV earlier in the season. Halliford’s progress as a squad was truly highlighted with a 22-0 victory in this game. Disappointment came as our greatly anticipated final game of the season versus St. George’s College was cancelled due to frozen pitches.

Nevertheless a fantastic season and what has been pleasing to witness is how this team have developed. This marks Mr Hodgkinson’s last season coaching Halliford’s 1XV, as he moves on to take up a post teaching in Dubai. We would like to thank him for his outstanding record and all he has done to progress Halliford’s rugby at first team level.

44

Autumn Sports Report

Headmaster’s XV 2022

Each year Halliford’ s rugby coaching staff sit down to agree the Headmasters XV. Each age group is considered, and staff take into account who has impressed, influenced games, remained committed to training and shown an excellent work ethic throughout the season. As ever, some very tough decisions are made and many redrafts of the final squad take place. Below shows what was agreed for the 2022 season.

1

2

3

4

Leo Hobbs Year 10

Freddie King Upper Sixth

Zach Smith Lower Sixth

Barney Connop Year 10

5

6

7

8

Josh Guild Lower Sixth

Austin Johnson Year 10

Paul-Louis Howard Upper Sixth (C)

Theo Fuller Year 8

9

10

11

12

Josh Morrison Year 10

Jack Giddens Year 9

Christian Fleming-Jenner Year 9

Dexter Lee Year 9

13

14

15

16

JJ Lam-Denham Year 10

Khai Vally Year 8

Harvey Connop Year 8

Felix Porter Year 10

17

18

19

20

Lucas Hayes Garcia Year 10

Will Shanley Lower Sixth

Samuel Jones Year 7

Sam Griffiths Year 11

Rugby Colours Ties Colours ties are presented to senior students who have performed regularly for and impressed in our first XV this term. This year the senior side have really made progress. Examples come from recent matches against Claire’s Court and Windsor Boys where the team were defeated at the start of the season. Yet when playing these schools again in the second half of the Autumn Term season, they won both games.

Year 11 1st XV Colours ties are awarded to: Sam Griffiths, Ollie Hill, Freddie Humphreys, Max Smith Lower Sixth 1st XV Colours ties are awarded to: Carter Green, Josh Guild, Finlay Hanna, Hayden Haslam-Baker, William O’Loughlin, Louie Paterson, Harley Reynolds, Will Shanley, Zach Smith, Michael Van Rensburg, Oscar Wort Upper Sixth 1st XV Colours ties are awarded to: Edward Rabett, Harri Roberts 45

TheHALLIFORDIAN

Rugby Coaches Award

RUGBY

This year we have introduced a year group rugby coaching award to acknowledge some fantastic work by students. This may be awarded based on playing ability, significance to the team throughout the season, attitude, commitment to training, and demonstrating outstanding sportsmanship. Please see below who was awarded the award this year and presented with a rugby ball in the final assembly.

Year 7 / Charlie Hoyne - Initially picked in the U12B team, has cemented his position as a key player in the A team pack.

Year 8 / Henry Breslin - For his dedication to rugby this term, he has trained superbly and cemented his place in the A team.

Year 9 / Ryan Mills - Working very hard in training sessions all season to develop his skill set. Also selflessly going back to playing in the B team at scrum-half for the final two games of the season to help this side out.

Year 10 / Thomas Robinson - Has improved immeasurably throughout the season and is an invaluable member of the squad. He has worked hard both on and off the field to improve his general play and understanding of the game. Plus, he made every training session and played in every game.

Inter-House Rugby Results In the final weeks of the Autumn Term, each age group plays their Inter-House Rugby Competition in the year groups’ games afternoon. These competitions are always keenly anticipated by the boys and again reinforce our philosophy of mass participation as the majority of the year group offer themselves for selection by their House Captain.

U12

U13

U14

U15

Senior

1st

Greville

Greville

Russell

Greville

Russell

2nd

Wadham

Russell

Desborough

Wadham

Wadham

3rd

Desborough

Wadham

Greville

Russell

Desborough

4th

Russell

Desborough

Wadham

Desborough

Greville

Winner’s Categories Junior (Years 7 and 8) - Greville Intermediate (Years 9 and 10) - Russell and Greville Senior (Year 11, Sixth Form) - Russell

Overall winners: Greville

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Autumn Sports Report

Ibstock 6’s Football Tournaments Although Halliford play Football in the Spring Term, we are always looking to expand our vast sporting opportunities for the students. Ibstock Place School organised some age group sixes tournaments in September which we entered both Year 8 and 9 age groups into.

We were keenly anticipating the performances of both age groups as both teams were unbeaten in almost all of their Spring Term football fixtures last year. Sadly with the death of Her Majesty the Queen the U13 tournament was can­celled as a mark of respect. Our 13s were very disappointed as a result, however the U14 tournament went ahead. The side were taken over by Mr Churchill and adapted well to the 6-a-side format. Conditions were perfect for a fantastic day of football. With an important spine to the side with Giddens in goal, Lee in midfield and Fleming-Jenner upfront, the boys were confident they would have a competitive tournament.

FOOTBALL

Nine games in total were played in an action packed format. The boys’ playing record on the day was excellent, only conceding two goals in the nine games throughout the day! The first game saw Halliford beat Richmond Park School 2-0, matches against Portland School, Hall School and Kew House saw three more victories without conceding a goal.

Following these matches was a tricky encounter against Rutlish, a very tight match which saw Halliford concede their first goal, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Three more games and three more victories followed against Ibstock B, Ibstock A and Radnor House. This saw Halliford meet Rutlish once again in the final of the competition. Another very close encounter which had previously ended in a 1-1 draw in the group stages, Halliford managed to hold their nerve to win 1-0.

A fantastic day and well deserved tournament winners. We hope they can take this momentum into the Spring Term football season after the Christmas break.

MY HALLIFORD SCHOOL STORY

Barney Brown, 7G I came to Halliford School because of its nice community, and I liked the sports here. My first day was nerve-wracking because I didn’t make it to the Taster Day, so I was scared I would get lost. My highlight would be scoring five tries in a rugby match and hopefully scoring some goals in the football season. I am really pleased I came to Halliford because I have many different sports to do and I have made lots of new friends.

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Hallifordian Sporting Achievements

RUGBY

Christian Fleming-Jenner, Year 9

RUGBY

Paul-Louis Howard, Upper Sixth

Christian has remained a key performer for the U14 Rugby squad this term.

He has shown versatility as his pace makes him a dangerous back, utilised mainly on the wing. This season he has been playing more regularly in the back row and has demonstrated some ferocious carrying against opposing teams. Earlier this sea­son following a trial process Christian was offered a place at both London Irish and Harlequins OPP programmes. He decided to go with Harlequins and we look forward to monitoring his progress in this set up.

Following an impressive season captaining Halliford’s 1XV and maintaining exceptionally high standards of personal performance, Paul-Louis was selected to represent Surrey U18s. On Sunday 4 December he started in the back row against Kent. Surrey lost 5-22, however Paul-Louis was one of the stand out performers in the Surrey side.

Paul-Louis has also been selected against Hampshire which is due to take place on 18 December. The third game versus Sussex is scheduled for January.

Following this series of matches, we are keeping fingers crossed for possible selection for South East England as selectors have been at the matches.

CROSS COUNTRY

A few weekends ago, Josh took part in the London Youth Games Cross Country.

While Josh found the course, which was on a muddy and hilly Parliament Hill, challenging, the U13 Richmond boys came 5th and Richmond Boys and Girls came 3rd overall out of the 32 London boroughs. The Richmond team and therefore Josh have earned a bronze medal for their efforts. We look forward to seeing Josh’s performances in our Cross Country scheme of work covered in Physical Education lessons next term, which leads to our annual age group House Cross Country Competition.

Josh Cain, Year 7

MY HALLIFORD SCHOOL STORY

Arjan Thandi, 7G I decided to come to Halliford School because all the students and teachers were nice when I visited on the Open Days. I also thought that it was a perfect learning environment. I was nervous on Examination Day, but the teachers immediately helped me get rid of my nerves. My highlight so far has been winning the House rugby with Greville. I am really pleased I came to Halliford School because I have made loads of friends and the food at lunch and tuck is the best!

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Autumn Sports Report All three boys are very talented footballers and really impressed in their first Spring Term football season last year as Year 7s. They have been involved with Fulham’s academy and last year all signed two year contract extensions with the club.

All three boys have had a busy schedule this term, often resulting in them playing rugby for Halliford on Saturday mornings and then having academy matches the Sunday afterwards. In recent weeks they have played Tottenham, Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Brighton and Millwall.

We look forward to seeing how the boys develop.

Jack is a very talented sportsman, having represented Halliford’s A team at fly-half this rugby term, but his real passion is football. He is an outstanding young goalkeeper and we were delighted to hear last year following a trial process Jack signed for Sutton United. Jack has enjoyed the coaching he is receiving and feels his game is really developing. Earlier this term Jack got to play in a tournament at the home of English football, St. George’s Park.

FOOTBALL

Zack Brief, Kai Russell and Khai Vally, Year 8

FOOTBALL

Jack Giddens, Year 9

Jack has written an account of how this opportunity went below: St. George’s Park Tournament written by Jack On 25 October I travelled up to St. George’s Park with my team Sutton United. It was a very long journey of which we had to get to the stadium at 6 in the morning and it took us multiple hours to get there. Once we had arrived, we were dropped off near the dome which is where we were going to play in. Already in kit and we were given around about 30 minutes to warm up and prep ourselves before our first game. The tournament consisted of 12 teams such as: Reading, Charlton, Port Vale, Exeter, Forest Green Rovers, Cheltenham Town, Lincoln City, Burton Albion, Coventry City, Newport County and Fleetwood Town. The tournament was set up with two games going on at the same time, one game being 4 vs 4 which was played for 4 minutes and the other 7 vs 7 in 11 a-side goals and on a 9 a-side pitch allowing us a lot more time on the ball to dominate the possession. That was played for 6 minutes and the aggregate score on both pitches would determine who won. Our first game was against Burton Albion. I was playing on the 4 a-side pitch and we won 2-0 but at the same time we lost 2-0 on the other pitch meaning that the game ended as a draw. After playing another 10 group stage games we ended in a very respectable 5th place. We were knocked out to the eventual winners Charlton in the quarter finals but we put up a good fight and played well. My favourite memory of the tournament was grabbing an assist against Exeter and us as a team showing how good we are by beating Reading in the group stage.

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Great Britain Kayaking James has had a busy and successful racing season, competing at both marathon and sprint kayaking competitions at national and international level. For his club Elmbridge, James has won the U16 National Marathon Championships in the K2; and has secured national sprinting titles in K1 200m, 500m and 1000m.

KAYAKING

James Ross, Year 11

In September, James raced at Nottingham in the national kayaking club sprint regatta - competing in boys A class - competing against the fastest junior (U18) sprint paddlers. James did phenomenally well - securing victory in K1 at 500m distance.

James’ national success has been the foundation for his selection to the Great Britain squads for both marathon distance and sprint racing. In May, James represented GB at the German National Marathon Championships at both the K1 and K2, paddling in the class above his age group. In September, James was part of the team of Great Britain’s best upcoming canoe sprint athletes representing the nation at the Olympic Hopes Regatta in Bratislava, Slovakia. James’ performance in K1 500m at Hopes placed him fifth fastest in the world for this distance.

This year James is hoping to compete on the international stage once again.

He hopes to be selected to be part of the Great Britain K4 U18 squad at the ICF Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships in Auronzo, Italy; and to represent the nation as the solo U16 K1 sprint paddler at the Olympic Hopes Regatta 2023.

London Irish DPP

RUGBY

Oliver White and Leo Hobbs, Year 10

RUGBY

Lucas Hayes Garcia and Barney Connop, Year 10

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Following a successful trial period Oliver and Leo were delighted to hear that they were selected for London Irish’s Developing Player Programme. They have both been important performers for the Halliford U15As this season. This programme focuses on developing players’ skill development, game understanding and athleticism. The boys have been training on Tuesday nights after school and have both been enjoying the sessions. There will be the opportunity to play in some fixtures later on in the season so we look forward to seeing how they get on.

Harlequins DPP Both Lucas and Barney have had fantastic seasons in our U15As and continue to perform well outside school also. They both remain in Harlequins Developing Player Programme and have been training on Mondays after school from 7pm—9pm. The have been enjoying the training sessions and feel they are seeing the benefits of this in their games when representing both club and school. In the new year there is an opportunity to play in some fixtures, the first likely to be against Bath. We look forward to hearing how this goes.

Autumn Sports Report Jivraj has been working hard in our elite cricket group training every other Friday with Ed Young. Following a successful summer for both school and club, he was awarded the U-17 Cricketer and Batsman of the year award by his local cricket club, Hampton Wick Royal Cricket Club (HWRCC), for the 2022 season. Some of his stats for the year are as below: • • • • • •

Ranked 4 in the club - 21 matches, 577 runs Highest score of 58 Strike rate of 113.6 and an average of 30.4 47 boundaries and 4 sixes Scored 17% of the team runs Took 13 wickets this season, 79 overs, 399 runs, best 4 for 37, an eco rate 5.0, strike rate 3

Following a successful summer with Surrey, Felix has been retained for the U15 age group. He has been winter training at the Oval on Sunday mornings.

In these sessions he has been working with bowling coaches focussing on technique efficiency and gaining a little more speed. The winter programme is working towards summer County matches against other age group counties.

We look forward to seeing how the season goes.

Rajveer remains part of our elite cricket training group on a Friday after school. Rajveer attended the Middlesex Cricket regional festival week in August after having gone through all the Borough processes under the pathway. After performing well in that he was then invited to represent a Regional ‘Select’ side to play two games against the current Middlesex County side in which he also did well.

CRICKET

Jivraj Singh, Lower Sixth

CRICKET

Felix Porter, Year 10

CRICKET

Rajveer Johal, Year 9

Following on from that, he was selected for the Middlesex CCC U14 winter squad. This involves a winter training programme with Middlesex through to April/May 2023.

He plays his club Cricket at Sunbury CC and following a trial period has been attending training sessions on Fridays in Greenford at 6pm. We look forward to hearing an update on his progress and see where this leads to in the Summer Term when the Cricket season begins.

MY HALLIFORD SCHOOL STORY

Nicholas Lam, 7G I decided to come to Halliford School because it has a large courtyard area to play in, and the people here are kind and caring. After coming to an Open Day, I was happy to come to Halliford and found the entrance exam pretty easy. I was really excited on my first day and made a friend called Harry. One of my highlights was scoring a great free kick in a school football match. I am really pleased I came to Halliford School because there is a variety of sports to enjoy, and I have made many friends.

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TheHALLIFORDIAN Dan plays in goal for the elite PDA academy, U12 squad, an invitation only centre of excellence for footballers showing strong potential. He often finds himself playing against other U12 football academies, including Arsenal (pictured below).

Dan is looking forward to the Spring Term football season and we look forward to seeing him in action to showcase his talents.

FOOTBALL

Dan Gillam, Year 7

FOOTBALL

Dexter Lee, Year 9

Back in the summer Dexter was selected to represent the Independent schools football association in a tournament in the summer against other academy football sides. It was tough as the team had never met each other before the day of the tournament but they were a lovely group of lads and so that made things easier. They got off to a great start and beat Manchester United Academy 2-0 but had mixed results after that. Dexter did well during the tournament and scored the winning goal (off a corner) against Manchester United who the side played again in the Bronze trophy play offs. The tournament was the 2008 trophy which meant that most teams fielded majority U15 boys so the standard was really high and very physical. A great experience for Dexter!

Dexter has been invited for a trial at Chelsea Academy’s pre-academy U14 programme called the IRP. He has also been invited to join the invitational Josh Evans U14 academy as well as playing for his own U15s club. He has the Chel­sea and Sutton United scouts watching him at Josh Evans and the IRP so Dexter hasn’t been able to turn either of these down at this stage.

SAILING

Lucas Symons, Year 9, Harry Dence, Year 8 & Sam Dence, Year 7

An update on the ‘Halliford sailing team’ of Lucas, Harry (Year 8) and Sam (Year 7). Following some great results over the Summer, Harry has joined Lucas in being selected to train and sail with the RYA London and South East Junior Training Group. Harry had a great 4th place at Hastings in the 5.3 fleet and his brother Sam is also sailing well, winning the Chipstead 4.2 fleet event. The boys will be training hard and competing together through the winter.

Earlier this year Lucas was really pleased to qualify into the gold fleet final at the Topper World Championships at Lake Garcia, Italy and placed 72nd overall after five days of racing, on the water for five hours each day in the famous “Ora” winds. Closer to home and in lighter winds he placed 19th in the silver fleet at the National Championships in Weymouth.

Pictured at the Chipstead RYA selection event 52

Autumn Sports Report The swimming season has just begun. Jakob has been back training nine times a week for six weeks after a four week break over the summer and was selected to take part in the London Arena League with his club.

Teddington Swimming Club finished 4th out of seven other swimming clubs. Jakob raced in two individual events plus one relay event. He was pleased to PB in all three races.

Jakob is competing in a further seven galas in the lead up to Christmas and we wish him luck in these events and look forward to hearing how he gets on. He is training hard and we hope his dedication continues to pay off.

SWIMMING

Jakob Holder, Year 10

Leo Wright joined Halliford School in September 2022 into Year 9. Leo is part of the LTA National Age Group Programme and trains at The Dukes Meadows Tennis Academy in Chiswick.

He is currently the 3rd highest ranked player for his age group in Great Britain. Recent successes include winning a European competition in Edinburgh in July 2022 and just recently in early November, he reached the final of another 14U Tennis Europe in Liverpool.

In the summer and autumn, he travelled to Italy and Gran Canaria as part of an LTA National Age Group camp and competition trip.

He has also competed this year in Denmark, Austria and Turkey where he reached the quarter-finals.

He also played at the prestigious Orange Bowl event in Miami. His goals in the next five years are to compete in future ITF competitions and to try and qualify for junior grand slams.

TENNIS

Leo Wright, Year 9

Towards the end of the Autumn Term Leo received great news that he has been selected to play for GB 14U against USA in mid January in Manchester. Only four boys have been selected for this!

We look forward to hearing how this event goes.

MY HALLIFORD SCHOOL STORY

Barney Edwards, 7G I decided to come to Halliford because on the Open Day, everybody seemed really welcoming, and the Headmaster was very nice at the interview. On the first day, I was quite nervous about making friends, but within the first hour, I made friends with loads of people. One of my memorable moments was when I scored my first try against Claire’s Court in our first rugby match. I am really pleased I came to Halliford because I have lots of friends and the sports are great. Also, at break time, we get yummy tuck.

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Visit to the Goethe Institute

by Mrs Piddock, Teacher of MFL

Learning a language should never be confined to a classroom alone.

It is far more exciting and rewarding to seek other opportunities to speak and hear that language and experience the culture.

Watching foreign language films is an excellent way to learn about a country’s culture and perhaps pick up some new vocabulary.

Therefore in January, the MFL Department took their Year 10 German students to the Goethe Institute in South Kensington, a cultural organisation promoting the German language and culture worldwide, to watch the very popular Good Bye Lenin!

Below is a summary of the day by Tom O’Connor in Year 10.

On 18 January, our Year 10 German class went to the Goethe Institute in London. The Goethe Institute is a non-profit German cultural association operational worldwide with 159 institutes, promoting the study of the German language abroad and 54

encouraging international cultural exchange and relations. Around 246,000 people take part in their German courses per year.

When we arrived, we were given a very good presentation about German culture and all the things that are made in Germany. The presenter also told us why she chose to learn German and works as an ambassador for the Goethe Institute. We went for lunch and then came back to watch Good Bye Lenin!, a great film about life in Berlin when the wall separating the Eastern and Western parts of the city fell.

Spring Highlights

Youth Speaks Competition

by Mr Joe McElroy, Teacher of English

In the Spring Term, Halliford was again victorious in the Rotary Club Youth Speaks Competition. Both our Intermediate and Senior teams won Best Team, as well as several well-deserved individual awards.

The Intermediate team, which consisted of Year 8 students Nicky Bootle-Wilbraham, Hayden Sanghera, and James Williams, and led by the loquacious Mr Lee, did their very utmost to present persuasive arguments for and against whether children should play contact sports. For a school so proud of its sporting traditions and prowess, our public speaking teams are not afraid to approach controversial topics! Winning Best Team and Hayden winning Best Proposing Speaker, the team ultimately went on to the next stage at St. Mark’s School but did not progress to the third round.

The Senior team made up of Xander White and Dion Henderson in Year 10 and Ben Mills in Year 11 and led by the herculean Mr Hoare, were triumphant in their discussion of the dangers of social media, picking up Best Team and Best Proposing and Opposing Speaker awards for Xander and Ben. They too, went to St. Mark’s but, despite their best efforts, were unable to progress to the Regional Final.

Hopefully, we will reach that elusive third round next year. Still, it is clear that Halliford is finally rekindling the success it enjoyed in public speaking many moons ago. This is the first time we have managed to have both teams winning in the first round in recent years. The boys have very much done themselves proud.

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Strengthening the Reading Culture at Halliford School

by Mrs Tiffany Howkins, Librarian

On 31 January 2023, we (quietly) celebrated the new Halliford Learning Resource Centre’s first birthday. As we look back over our first year, we are delighted with the progress the students have made, engaging with the resources and using the space in a productive manner. We have many students choosing to come into the library before school, during breaktimes and lunchtimes and choosing to read from our vast selection of books.

We’re also thrilled with the students taking the time to download and read our eBooks. To ensure that students wanting to use the space for reading always have somewhere comfortable to sit, we have introduced designated reading zones.

Throughout the year, we have trialled different events to entice students into the LRC and encourage them to use the library web app – which does a lot more than just search the catalogue!

Some of our more successful events, Blind Date with a Book, and the Easter Egg Hunt will be repeated for many years to come.

As we continue to develop our library collection, these events

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familiarise the students with the resources we currently have and enable us to begin conversations about what they would like to read and see more of in our library.

Since the opening, we have been getting progressively busier with students using the space to work and study, but we have also seen a significant increase in the number of borrowed books—a whopping increase of 185% from Spring 2022 to Spring 2023. We plan to keep this trend going by arranging more competitions, author visits, and a trip to The Story Museum in the next academic year.

Spring Highlights

To support library staff during busy times, we have appointed several Student Library Ambassadors. Following an application process, Cosmo Chippindale, James Grant, Christopher Ellison, Victor Waters, Nat Kinmont, Jacob Hollyhead, Oliver Vamvadelis and AJ Scott have all volunteered to provide a helping hand during lunchtimes. They are here to support students in finding suitable resources and ensure that library resources are exactly where they should be. We also began a reading intervention in the Spring Term in which Sixth Form volunteers supported the reading of some students who find reading a challenge in Year 8 and 9. These interventions proved highly successful and popular with students and will be repeated next year.

Our Key Stage 3 students all take part in the Accelerated Reader programme. Throughout the academic year, students will take three assessments that give the English staff a detailed report of each student’s strengths and weaknesses, including an estimated reading age and a ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development). The students use their ZPD to select books that are within their reading capability but will also stretch them. If you would like more information on the programme, please visit the Accelerated Reader dashboard on the library web app or contact the librarians for an information booklet.

In February 2023, we selected a team of four students who have demonstrated reading widely throughout the year to enter the National Reading Quiz Championship run by the National Literacy Trust. This was our first-ever attempt at the online regional heat, and Noah Edwards, Keelan Thomas, James Grant and Lucas Bullen did so well to just narrowly miss out on the top three tie-break. The students learned that they should have

confidence in themselves and their answers, and I learned that it is not the best idea to crack open the chocolates so early in the morning! Next year, we hope to enter two teams into the competition, so KS3 students, keep quizzing and reading as the competition covers a wide range of texts from books you read in primary school, to new publications.

As of March 2023, we are proud to have five word-millionaires: Noah Edwards, Jasper Rutter, Kasper Winterbottom, James Grant and Oliver Vamvadelis and two word multi-millionaires, Barnaby Pedlar and Oliver Gardner, which is an excellent achievement. All students that achieve word-millionaire status will receive a Bene this academic year. To keep the momentum going, the class that reads the most words by the end of the Summer Term will get to write a shopping list for the librarians of books they would like to see in the library. We are also holding a raffle open to all students that have engaged with the programme since September. Every quiz a student has passed will be an entry into the raffle. The more quizzes a student passes, the more entries they will have.

Finally, while we are so pleased with the positive impact of the new library and Learning Resource Centre on the students’ attitudes to reading and learning, there is still more work to be done. Although students cannot borrow physical books from the library over the summer holidays, eBooks are still available, and we will be producing a special Holiday Library Dashboard with reading lists and armchair travel opportunities. Why not take this opportunity to ask your son or daughter what they’re reading now? What will they read next? I know we can’t wait to find out.

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Halliford School is ‘Excellent in all areas’ - ISI Report December 2022

by Mr James Davies, Headmaster

We are delighted to announce that Halliford School has been judged ‘Excellent in all areas’ in our Independent Schools Inspection Report. We were inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) in December 2022, and the report highlighted that ‘The quality of the pupils’ academic and other achievements is excellent’ and ‘The quality of the pupils’ personal development is excellent.’

ISI inspects more than 1,300 independent schools in England, and safeguarding is a focus of all inspections. The highly experienced inspection team of four inspectors observed all aspects of life at the school, including lessons, co-curricular activities, morning break and lunchtimes. They also interviewed significant numbers of staff and students and reviewed surveys completed by students, staff and parents.

Inspectors, like all visitors to Halliford School, were bowled over in their many meetings with Halliford students. There was barely a student who did not come into contact with the inspection team, and over half the students were formally interviewed as part of this process. One of the inspectors at the end of the process commented that Halliford is a school where students are recognised wholeheartedly for who they are and feel free to talk, safe in the knowledge that staff will always listen. That we achieved this at the end of the first full term of activities following the pandemic is testament to the strength of expertise and the consistent excellence to which we are 58

Spring Highlights all, as members of the Halliford School community, totally committed.

I am delighted and enormously proud of all members of the school community for all their efforts and enormous achievements, which have contributed to this outstanding result. It is testament to the hard work of our students and staff and the support of the parent body. The inspection team commented that rarely had they ever known such high levels of student and parent satisfaction in a school. I am so pleased that in the time the inspectors were at Halliford, they could obtain a truly accurate reflection of what it means to be a Hallifordian.

Ours is a community which thrives to ensure we aspire to the very highest of standards for the young people that our parents place into our care, and it is an absolute privilege to be Headmaster of such a wonderful and inspiring group of students, colleagues, parents and friends. We now look forward to building on this success as we take our school community forward to the next exciting chapter in our rich history.

It is with enormous pride and gratitude to all in the Halliford School community that we share the report of this visit on our website, which you will see has rated our Educational Quality as being ‘Excellent in all areas’.

Science Club

by Ryan Mills, 9G

This half term in Science Club, we have started a project building lightsabers to show off at Open Day in October. The start of the process was slow, especially when learning what resources were available. However, this never stopped our imaginations when it came to Star Wars.

We adapted our initial designs to fit the parameters of our abilities, and we continued constructing our lightsabers. We started to develop more ideas on how to further improve our hilts.

As they start to take their shapes, we need to solder the components of our mother boards. First, we had to drill a hole suitable for the button to slide into place. This was surprisingly easy as many of us have had visions of the finished project from the start. Thiago was able to paint his hilt, creating a very nice exterior to contain his motherboard. We hope to finish our hilts and start our soldering by the end of the year.

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The Halliford Production of The Odyssey

by Mr Roberto Bruno, Head of Drama

It is always a pleasure to welcome a live audience to see our school productions, and this year we had a great turnout for our interpretation of Hattie Naylor’s The Odyssey.

Presented by our brilliant Drama Department, this was a modern retelling of Homer’s epic poem. The play follows the journey of the main character, Odysseus, as he tries to return home to his wife and son after the fall of Troy. Along the way, he faces many challenges and obstacles, including the wrath of the sea god Poseidon, who is angry with Odysseus for blinding his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus. Additionally, Odysseus and his men are trapped by the allure of the sorceress Circe, who turns some of his men into swine.

Odysseus also encounters other characters from Greek mythology, including the spirit of his mother and the spirits of the dead in the underworld. Throughout his journey, Odysseus must use his wit and cunning to overcome these obstacles and return home to his family. He also faces internal struggles and moral dilemmas, such as when he must choose between his loyalty to his men and his desire to return home or when he must decide whether to sacrifice his men to the gods.

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Head of Drama, Mr Bruno commented, ‘When thinking about the next show we would put on at Halliford, I had to think long and hard about what we could do that would entertain our audience and rival our epic performance of SPAMALOT! That is when inspiration hit, and Mrs Rooke brought me Hattie Naylor’s excellent interpretation of Homer’s The Odyssey. It was perfect.

There were many parts, many ensemble images, and a script with moments of humour and passion. Then we had to try and figure out how to get a boat on stage! As always, I have loved working with our students. This year, we have many new faces who have brought excellent professionalism to the school show. We have laughed and cried, creating the epic journey. I am very proud of all the love and passion everyone has put into this show, and I am as proud as ever to be a Hallifordian.’

Thank you to every member of our audience who joined us for the performances and gave such rave reviews.

Spring Highlights

Maisie Russell, U6R

Ollie Browning, 7D

Oliver Hume (U6G), Will Greaves (U6W) & Maisie Russell (U6R)

Tobi Adeseun, 7G

Spring Term Lunchtime Concerts

by Mrs Helen Head, Teacher of Music

Our February Lunchtime Concert featured an array of pianists ranging from Year 7 to Upper Sixth. T-Rex Hungry was a popular choice from the ABRSM Grade 3 piano syllabus, played enthusiastically by both Eashan Chowdhri in 8R and Jack Crichton in 9G. James Grant in 9R provided a meditative contrast with Einaudi’s haunting I Giorni, and Oliver Hume in U6G impressed the audience with his performance of the Spanish Danza Espanola by Granados.

The March Lunchtime Concert featured a record number of Year 7 boys in their first Halliford performance, including three drummers: Dylan Hayes Garcia, Zachary Markham and Tobi Adeseun. Trumpeter Daniel Bootle-Wilbraham in 11D gave a spirited performance of the Gospel-inspired Hallelujah Preacher by Ryan Linham, which followed Blues for Three by Mike Cornick played by the Junior Piano Ensemble: Samir Al-Falaki in 7G, Leon Bleach in 7W and James Grant in 9R. Will Greaves in U6W proved to be our very own Billy Joel, playing the piano and singing his own composition, A Fool to my Own Heart. The Senior Piano Ensemble of Will Greaves, Oliver Hume, and Maisie Russell in U6R brought the concert to a rousing close with the famous Habanera from Bizet’s opera, Carmen.

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Battle of the Bands Competition

by James McCummiskey, Year 11

In March, we hosted Halliford School’s Battle of the Bands competition, a showcase of the music that has been prepared by the school rock bands throughout the year (including my own). Come 7pm, pre-drinks had been served and the lights went dim as the audience settled down to an introduction by our charming Sixth Form compères Tilly Ludlam and George O’Loughlin. The proceedings were kicked off by the Year 7/8 Band, covering Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes. It was a charismatic and complete performance and reassured me that the future of music at the school is in safe hands.

Following them was the Year 8/9 Band. Billy Dobby’s swagger as frontman led the band through covers of such rock icons as Blur, R.E.M. and David Bowie, with my personal favourite being Blur’s dynamic Song 2. Whilst they narrowly missed out on the final awards, they must be given a special mention for their musical ability throughout, particularly for a world-class drumming showcase from Laurence Hodson on the sticks.

By this point, my guitar was trembling in my hands, as I knew it would be a significant challenge to follow such outstanding performances. Our Year 11 Band played several songs (more than we were probably allowed), including an energetic Brianstorm by the Arctic Monkeys and the Alien Ant Farm version of Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal. I walked off the stage ecstatic; all credit goes to my bandmates, as that was certainly from my perspective - one of our best performances to date.

To close the evening were the titans of the scene, the Senior

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Band. The audience was treated to masterful covers of rock classics such as Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven and Won’t Get Fooled Again by The Who. The star of the show was, without a doubt, Jules Wain, who delivered several flawless guitar solos and a rare - but far from ill-prepared - performance on vocals over Jimi Hendrix’s Purple Haze. Frankly, I’m surprised he wasn’t distracted by the chants of “We love you, Jules!” from backstage. By the end, the audience was left wanting more, but unfortunately, it was time for the voting to begin.

A brief twenty-minute interlude of frantic QR code scanning and button pressing was soon over, and the results were counted. A heart-racing announcement - with an ironic lack of a drumroll to accompany it - revealed the Senior Band as deserving champions of the competition, as well as their Stairway to Heaven cover being voted as the best song of the evening. However, all was not lost for our Year 11 Band, as we were awarded Best Dressed Band, almost certainly down to

Spring Highlights

Carter Robinson’s and my insistence on wearing sunglasses as we played. Carter himself won Best Frontman for his confident demeanour on stage, while Jules Wain took home the award for Best Guitar Solo, also on Stairway to Heaven. It was a very closely run event, proved by the fact that the Year 11 Band came second overall to the Seniors by only 2% of the votes. Looking back, this was most definitely due to vision impairment from wearing sunglasses in a dark room (whose idea was that anyway?) The evening ended with an encore of

Stairway to Heaven, a fitting end to a fantastic night for both the performers and the audience.

Such an event would not have been possible without the organisation of our Director of Music, Mr Wright, and the coaching of Paul Savides throughout the year. The same goes for the crucial work of Mr Fleming orchestrating the lighting and Mr De-Zilva’s team of talented sound engineers, who all ensured the proceedings ran smoothly and immaculately.

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TheHALLIFORDIAN

The Elmbridge Literary Competition

by Mr Joe McElroy, Teacher of English

Every year, the English Department enters every Year 7 and Year 8 student into the Elmbridge Literary Competition 11-13 category. Run by the R C Sherriff Trust, this international competition is an excellent opportunity for students to showcase their imagination and enhance their creative writing skills.

This year, the theme was ‘The Road’ and the students were more than happy to take on all sorts of journeys, from missions to outer space to investigating a crime on their own street. One student even imagined what it would be like to be a road in Bushy Park in the style of Kafka’s cockroach!

Congratulations to all our students, particularly Felix in Year 8, who was awarded third prize for his story Willoughby Road, which you can enjoy below. We would also like to mention Noah Edwards, Ben Snowball and Oscar Lewitt for being commended on their entries. We look forward to another successful year in writing next year!

Willoughby Road

by Felix Farrant, 8W John was approaching Willoughby Road, he was excited for a very special reason, John was coming home to see one of the most important people in his life, his twelve year old son Fred. John had been separated from his son for ten sad, painful months, John had been on deployment with the army fighting in a horrible battle in Iraq. It was the latest of many separations John had experienced from Fred during his short life. He understood how important his job was but it always meant leaving the people he loved. John was full of mixed emotions, excited at the thought of being reunited but also a little nervous about returning back to the family. As he turned into Willoughby Road John felt an overwhelming sense of nearly being home, this road had given him so many happy memories over the years….

As John drove slowly down the road, he passed the post box outside number eleven. John imagined his wife Mary lifting Fred, who was too short to reach, to post pictures that he had drawn. It always made him feel so much happier when he opened the letters and saw the pictures. It made being in camp away from his family a little bit better. Opening one of

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his family’s letters always took John right back to Willoughby Road in his mind. Over the years Fred then started to write his name with some kisses in his letters. After that Fred started writing sentences in his letters and then they evolved to proper letters being sent to him. John treasured the letters Fred sent him, and kept them with him wherever he was based. John knew that some people would think it’s just an ordinary post box but to him that post box had given him lasting memories that he will remember and love forever. The post box was one of the most important things connecting him to his family when he was away on his deployment.

As John progressed along Willoughby Road he saw the green of the park on the left hand side. John instantly remembered that he had taught Fred how to ride his bike on that green. It had given John such an overwhelming sense of pride when Fred was first able to ride his bike on that green all by himself. Fred had been putting a lot of work into it and was desperate for the stabilisers to come off. John knew that the green had given him lasting, great memories that he will love and remember forever. The green was the one place where his son achieved something to remember and be proud of forever and he felt so thankful that he was there to witness his son’s achievement. Other great times had been spent on the green, games of cricket and football, picnics and tree climbing. John felt quite emotional as he passed, recalling happy times spent at home in Willoughby Road.

John was getting ever closer to Fred and finally the car stopped outside number 42 Willoughby Road. John sat for a minute staring at the front of the house getting more and more excited at the thought of being reunited with his family. John realised in that moment that even though he had travelled to some amazing places around the world number 42 Willoughby Road was the most important place in his life and there was nowhere he would rather be. He never wanted to call anywhere else ‘home’.

John got out of the car and walked to the front door feeling happier every step he got closer. John knocked on the door and waited for his son to answer, after what seemed like an eternity the door swung open revealing Fred standing there looking absolutely thrilled to see his father after such a long time.

Spring Highlights

French Theatre Production

by Mr Mike Gruner, Head of MFL

La Maison Hantée was a hilarious and thrilling theatrical experience for French language students in Years 7 and 8. The actors’ clear and expressive French made it easy for the audience to follow along and enjoy the performance. The play’s fun storyline, featuring Clara and Zoé’s adventure in a haunted house, kept everyone on the edge of their seats.

The actors’ invitation for audience participation made it even more entertaining, adding an interactive element that engaged the students in the action. Special thanks to the talented Barnaby Pedlar and his involvement in the play! This interactive comedy successfully combined language learning with excitement, providing an enjoyable and memorable experience.

The Onatti Company’s La Maison Hantée demonstrated the

power of theatre to make language learning fun and engaging, leaving the students with smiles on their faces.

Overall, La Maison Hantée by the Onatti Company was a resounding success that will undoubtedly enhance the students’ appreciation and understanding of the language.

MY HALLIFORD SCHOOL STORY

Josh Cain, 7G I am happy I came to Halliford because I don’t think I would have played rugby otherwise. I was excited on my first day and made a friend on my first day when we were collecting our Microsoft Go devices.

My memorable highlight is when I got moved up to the B team and scored a try in the first game, which almost won us the game.

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TheHALLIFORDIAN

Special Effects Workshop

by Ms Tamarind Hetherington, Head of Art

A highlight for the Spring Term was the Mould Making and Casting Workshop, led by Dave Oxborrow and Peter Tindall from Bentleys Advanced Materials. Both have many years of experience in the British film industry. Students were introduced to industry standard materials from Bentley, which is heavily involved in special effects used in Hollywood blockbusters.

They provided an all-day workshop where the GCSE students learnt the process of casting, mould making, props, silicones and special effects make-up. Dave Oxborrow, who led the workshop, gave advice for students considering prop production as a career and also answered questions in relation to their working practice.

Humphrey Pedlar, who is studying GCSE Art said, ‘I absolutely loved the Mould Making and Casting workshop. It was such a fantastic experience! The highlight for me was definitely learning how to create special effects. It was mind-blowing to see how different materials could be transformed into stunning pieces of art. I’m particularly excited because casting from moulds is something I’ve always wanted to explore in my own work, and this workshop has given me the perfect opportunity to do so. I feel like I’ve learned so much and gained invaluable skills that I can now apply to my artistic journey. It was truly an amazing and enlightening experience!’

The workshop was a particular success and gave students a real insight into the process of creating special effects work. It motivated students and provided stimulus for exciting new concepts and ideas.

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Spring Highlights

Making Lego poppies for Remembrance

Lego Club

by Mrs Nicola Sessions, Head of Learning Support

LEGO blocks originated in Denmark in the workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen, who began making wooden toys in 1932. Two years later, he named his company LEGO after the Danish phrase leg godt meaning play well.

At Halliford, Lego Club is a place for creativity, discussion, collaboration and of course, fun. The boys work together to complete challenges and make their ideas a reality; their imaginations know no bounds! With minimal direction, they are able to create designs that reflect significant school and global events, such as Remembrance Day and the recent Coronation.

We have learnt about the Halliford crest, and the boys recently worked together brilliantly to make their own! However, I think they would agree that their favourite activity is completing the ‘challenges’. These surprise challenges range from making futuristic vehicles, rocket ships, and ceiling-high towers to smaller designs made from just four bricks!

As Sam in Year 7 writes, ‘Lego Club is very enjoyable, picking challenges such as building your favourite animal or just using your creativity. It is a nice way to spend your lunchtime and make friends with similar interests to you.’

The power of Lego is known to support children with challenges by developing skills in language and collaboration. It also boosts self-esteem, helps with focus and concentration, and can (usually) help to reduce stress. It has certainly helped to improve my resilience and perseverance.

Oliver in Year 7 commented, ‘Lego has always been something I have enjoyed, and to do that with everyone at Halliford made it all the more fun. I personally really enjoy Lego Club as the challenges are great, and I know that others feel the same. I look forward to attending future sessions of Lego Club with a smile.’

As Head of Learning Support, I have the pleasure of supporting students across the school with a range of needs. Lego Club is a place where I can watch our students thrive and demonstrate their incredible visual and creative strengths. Lego Club allows each student to explore the Halliford values, and it is a pleasure to watch them have fun together.

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TheHALLIFORDIAN

The Halliford Ski Trip to Canada

by Mr Sean Slocock, Assistant Head Co-Curricular

The ski and snowboard trip of 2023 found its way to the amazing resort of Jasper in Canada. This was the third time Halliford School had made the long, arduous journey to this incredible resort, and once again, it did not disappoint! The resort, Marmot Basin, has 91 named runs on four mountain faces with 3,000 vertical feet of drop and a capacity of close to 12,000 skiers per hour on seven lifts. The best benefit is absolutely no button or T-Bar lifts at all – great for skiers but especially wonderful for snowboarders!

The trip had an interesting start with a journey that lasted 18 hours with a nine-hour flight and a six-hour transfer. Factor in checking in at Heathrow and an hour looking for the bag of a student who accidentally left his rucksack at the carousel, and the tour group only arrived at 2am. Thankfully jet lag is on your side when travelling to Canada, and the 6.30am wake-up to get ready, fed and set up with equipment meant that skiing could still start promptly. The fact that we kept moving throughout the journey was a huge bonus considering all the many horror stories from the coaches stuck at Dover when travelling to their ski resorts!

Our accommodation was the Tonquinn Inn, a traditional motel style, and with 64 students and seven staff, we took up most of the space and a huge proportion of the aeroplane! The

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weather in Canada did not disappoint, with each day ensuring a fresh dump of snow and off-piste conditions in which to ski.

The Canadian experience allows skiers and snowboarders to try their hand in various conditions not allowed in Europe. As the resort leaves several runs unbashed, there are off-piste conditions and the opportunity to ski through trees and wideopen areas of the mountain. Instructors in Canada are second to none, with students even being taken off to receive one-toone instruction to help them to improve.

As usual, there were many highlights, and the trip created some memories that will be recalled for generations. Overall, it was a resounding success as students were amazed at how quickly their five hours a day of skiing disappeared. The après ski included swimming in the massive public pool alongside

Spring Highlights

some dubious attempts at playing water polo, another brilliant trip quiz set by Mr Wright and the opportunity to watch an amateur game of ice hockey.

On each ski trip, there are always many awards for actions and events ranging from big falls to lost helmets, poles or skis, an essential part of your skiing equipment! The most forgetful student was George Bellis, who even forgot his ski boots.

However, a close second went to Ben Chapman, who forgot his rucksack at the luggage carousel in Calgary. Theo Clark produced the best comedy moment of the trip whilst Sam Walker was perpetually late!

Jacob Hollyhead smashing into me and then blaming me was deemed the winner of the Biggest Crash Award. However, Harry Jennings’ dismount off a jump, George Cotton’s epic fall and Mr Churchill taking out two 4-year-old students also deserve a special mention.

The tidiest tourists were Tom O’Connor and Thiago Martins, with Thiago pipping Tom to the post, whilst awards for most improved went to Henry Crowther and Best Newcomer to Leon Bleach. A Halliford tradition is always to have fancy dress or underwear on the outside of your salopettes on the last day, and an excellent George Regan ensemble won this!

being named the Team Player.

Some boys struggled more than others, but every student got up again and soldiered on, none more so than Tobi Adeseun, who won the Resilience Award. Jake Goodman was outstanding in the ski quiz and deserved the Intellectual Curiosity Award, whilst Thomas Perrin sourced the most thoughtful gift and funded most of it himself for his instructor to earn the Warm-Hearted Award.

All Halliford students were commended on so many occasions for politeness and respect, but the winner was an outstanding Samir Al-Falaki for having the best manners of all.

The highlight of any tour is the Best Tourist Award, and this year the nominations were Jonty Wright, Elliott Hague, and Zac Spencer, but the winner was the outstanding Tom O’Connor.

The last is the MOSS Award which stands for Most Outstanding Skier or Snowboarder. The recipient receives a trophy, and for 2023 the award went to the magnificent Owen Flower.

This was another fantastic ski trip thanks to the wonderful boys, the great snow and venue, Snowtraxx our ski company and the staff. Thanks to Mr Lee, Mr Wright, Mr Churchill, Mrs Morriss, Mrs Johnson and Miss Head for giving up their time over the holidays. See you all next year!

There are always fantastic moments in a trip, and a photograph produced by Freddie Nash deserved the Creativity Award, whilst Bobby Nash’s attentiveness and constant help led to him

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TheHALLIFORDIAN

The Drama Trip to New York

by Laurence Hodson and Toby Hill, Year 10

On the last week of the Easter break, Mr Bruno, Mrs Rooke and Mr Hoare took a group of GCSE and A Level students to Manhattan in New York for four days.

On the first day, after a slightly confusing 4am meet-up, we set off for the JFK airport at 8:30 London time and landed at 11:30 New York time. After checking into our hotel, we immediately went to Target to see what their food tasted like. Late afternoon we had dinner in the Tick-Tock Diner, where everyone instinctively had the cheeseburger. After dinner, we went to the Westside Theatre, where we watched our first musical of the trip, the hilarious Little Shop of Horrors.

In the morning, we were treated to a big breakfast buffet at Applebee’s, which consisted of pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs, potato wedges and lots of syrup. We then went to our first workshop of the trip, which was a singing and dancing one led by two professional Broadway stars from the Moulin Rouge production. After a stunning dance routine from Mr Hoare, we were allowed to make our own way for lunch before watching a matinee performance of the stage thriller Sweeney Todd. The whole production was outstanding, and a personal highlight for me was

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Spring Highlights seeing Gaten Matarazzo perform, who plays Dustin in Stranger Things and Mrs Rooke bumped into him on the street. Later, we had dinner at the famous Hard Rock Café before returning to the hotel.

After another Applebee’s breakfast on day three, we had an exciting stage combat workshop where we were taught how to do stage punches, falls and hair grabs. Afterwards, we had a backstage tour of the largest indoor theatre in the world, the Radio City Music Hall, which was huge. We were also lucky enough to go and stand on the famous stage and view the nearly 6,000 seats facing us, maybe hoping to perform there one day.

After lunch, we had an acting improvisation workshop which produced some very interesting and funny performances. Then we had dinner at Ellen’s Diner, where all the waiters sang and danced as they served you. We all needed a small break from the busy city life, so we were allowed to wander in Central Park for a while, which was a nice relaxing way to end our final full day in the concrete jungle.

We went to the One World Observatory at the World Trade Centre on the final morning. The top of the building was a true highlight of the trip, and the view of Manhattan and its famed skyline was incredible. After visiting the 9/11 Memorial, we were given one final time to shop in New York before returning to our hotel, picking up our bags and heading to the airport for a relaxing journey home.

We want to thank Mr Bruno for organising this trip and dealing with us for four days, and Mrs Rooke and Mr Hoare for looking after us on this fantastic trip.

Tennis Club

by Mrs Emma Whitticase, Teacher of MFL

The Halliford Tennis Club is going from strength to strength, and it has been wonderful to watch the boys’ progress. Rory, our coach, makes sure that we work on something different each week, and the standard of play has definitely improved as a result.

After some pretty gloomy weather earlier in the year, seeing better weather and playing in glorious sunshine has been fantastic. I am very much looking forward to seeing the boys continue to improve their technique next year, and if any boys would like to come and join us, newcomers are always welcome!

‘I think the School Tennis Club is a great way to improve my skills in a competitive, but fun, environment. The coaches are so helpful and make learning tennis enjoyable, which adds to an already fantastic experience.’

Xander White, 10R ‘In my opinion, Tennis Club is great because the people are welcoming and competitive, and the coach teaches me new things every week.’

Olly Madden, 10W

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HALLIFORD LIFE

Presentation from

The Girl On A B

ike

Wadham House Chilli Challenge

for Charities Week

Greville House Stocks for Charities Week Warhammer Alliance Clu

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b

Spring Highlights

HALLIFORD LIFE

Year 8 Aviation Club

International Wom

Safer Internet Day

Top of the Bench Chem

en’s Day Assembly

istry Competition

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TheHALLIFORDIAN

Spring Term Sports Report

by Mr James Greggor, Director of Sport The PE and Games Department continues to be extremely busy this term, providing as many sporting opportunities for our pupils as possible. We have had Spring Term football training and competitive fixtures, cricket nets in preparation for the Summer Term, Rugby Sevens, Inter-House Cross Country and football competitions and before school and lunchtime strength and conditioning sessions.

Training numbers have been outstanding, and we have consistently fielded A and B teams and have a growing fixture list for opportunities at C and D team level also. My gratitude goes to the pupils for engaging with our programme, attending training in fantastic numbers and making themselves available to play midweek and at weekends. Thanks must also be given to those dedicated members of staff who give their time after school and at weekends to provide these opportunities for our students.

Football Season 2023 A team Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Goals For

Goals Against

Goals Difference

11

6

5

0

26

14

12

B team Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Goals For

Goals Against

Goals Difference

11

4

1

6

22

33

-11

C team Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Goals For

Goals Against

Goals Difference

6

4

1

1

26

8

18

D team Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Goals For

Goals Against

Goals Difference

3

1

1

1

6

3

3

FOOTBALL YEAR 7 Mr Greggor

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Spring Sports Report The U12s have had a very successful season, as the results above show. They have attended training in outstanding numbers, with over 40 students turning out each week to train. As a result of this, we have made great progress this term.

The A team Captained by Samir Al-Falaki have had an unbeaten season. They have impressed on the pitch with their determination and hard-working attitude. Al-Falaki has provided great stability at the back, coupled with Gillam in goal, who has been a fantastic shot-stopper, making some key saves in matches. MacDonald up front has maintained an excellent goal conversion ratio, only needing one chance to score. Goy and Brief have been superb in midfield, being tenacious to win the ball back for the side and having calmness in possession with the ball to get the team passing it around well. There have been some fantastic results this season. Wins against Salesian College and Dunnottar saw us play some of our best football of the season. However, staying in games and finding a way to get results was also a key feature of this team, highlighted by close draws against St. James’, Hampton and Grey Court.

B, C and D teams have also had extremely competitive seasons. Oscar Squibb has provided goals up front for the Bs and Charlie Hoyne stability at the back. C and D teams have improved hugely over the course of the season as a result of their fantastic hard working attitudes at training.

YEAR 8 Mr Fieldhouse

A team Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Goals For

Goals Against

Goals Difference

6

5

1

0

34

6

28

B team Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Goals For

Goals Against

Goals Difference

7

4

0

3

19

15

4

C team Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Goals For

Goals Against

Goals Difference

3

1

0

2

9

5

4

It was a football season to remember for the U13 football players this year. After a strong Year 7 football campaign, the year group’s enthusiasm and hard work were clear to see from day one this season. Our training numbers have again been excellent all season, with an average of 32+ attending every training session. As a year group, we have witnessed some real growth on the pitch across the season. The ability to field A to C teams has created a strong playing pool of football players across the year group and a real competition for places. The season has been extra special for our U13 As, who have gone unbeaten all season; a fantastic achievement by all the players who played their part, something they narrowly missed out on last year.

A strong start to the season against Gordon’s School saw the U13 As post their highest score of the season, winning the game an impressive 9-0, with team captain Khai Vally scoring his first hat trick of the year. After a string of cancelled games, it wasn’t until 24 January we recorded our second win of the season, beating St. James’ Senior Boys 6-1 away from home. A superb volley from outside the box into the top right-hand corner from Leo Smith kicked off the scoring on the night, and a second hat trick of

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TheHALLIFORDIAN the season for Khai Vally rounded off an impressive victory. Our third game of the season saw a trip to 1XIamatch Edwards Laytmer Upper School at the end of January, and after bright against start toKing the game, we Southampton went behind for the first time this season. Strong performances from Kai Russell, Joe Kennedy and (GK) Theo Clark saw a change of fortune in the second half and the team ran away 8-2 winners on the day.

Our fourth game of the season saw our hardest test away from home at LVS Ascot. A tough first half saw the team 2-0 down at the break, and whilst heads at that point could have dropped, we dug deep and fought our way back into the game, with big performances from Zack Brief and Rocco Maroussas to finish up all square at the end of 60 minutes. The last Saturday fixture block of the term saw the A, B and C teams take on Claremont Fan Court School away from home. After a close first half of football for the U13 As and several chances by both teams, we went in at the break all square at 1-1. An astute tactical formation change by the players at half time moving to a more attacking 4:3:3 formation, seemed to get us on the front foot in the second half, and with some excellent football by our attacking players, we started to take control of the game, running out 6-1 winners on the day. The U13As final game of the season was a tricky trip to Glyn School in very tough conditions. After dominating territory and the opening exchanges, we were able to get our noses in front. The chances kept coming, through some hard work from our middle field, and we finished comfortable winners 3-0. Well done to the U13 As for successfully going unbeaten across the whole 2022-2023 season. The team scored 34 goals in our six games and conceded just six goals, down to the hard work of a back four and a standout season from goalkeeper Theo Clark. It has been a huge team effort, and the boys can take real pride in what they have achieved as a group and take huge confidence into next year’s football season.

Captain’s review of the season: ‘Overall, I think the U13 As have done extremely well, and the results speak for themselves, going undefeated all season and winning games on average by three goals or more. We have played better football than last year and controlled possession in every game. A couple of standout moments would be Leo Smith’s volley from outside the box in a 6-1 win vs St. James’ and the team’s 2-2 comeback against a decent LVS side.’ - Khai Vally The U13 B Team have been fantastic this season in both effort and attitude, both on and off the pitch. Developing a large player pool in Year 7, the B team have demonstrated excellent flexibility and adaptability in their football this season. Captain Ben Snowball has led from the front all year, demonstrating excellent leadership skills, and has been a standout performer at the back for the B Team. The back four have been a real strength of the team this season, with an excellent partnership in central defence between Emre Eksi and Will Davies. As a team, we have scored 19 goals this season, with some excellent footwork and goal contributions from striker Jack O’Connor.

Captain’s review of the season: ‘This year’s football season has been full of tight but fun football fixtures against the likes of Claremont, Latymer and Glyn. The whole team has put in 100% effort every week, especially the defence. Good season lads. We were unlucky not to get a couple more games to go our way.’

- Ben Snowball Last but not least, we have our U13 C team. It is a huge achievement by the year group to get three teams out this season and a feat most of our opposition is not able to do. The U13 C team have not had many games this season, but when they have had the opportunity to take to the field, they have 14+ enthusiastic players at every game. The U13 C team boys have scored nine goals this season and only conceded five, with a special mention to hat 76

Spring Sports Report trick hero Jack Ross scoring three goals in our final game of the season away to Claremont Fan Court.

A huge well done to all the boys for a hugely successful 2022-2023 season, and good luck to all the boys moving up to the U14 next season under the watchful eye of Mr Churchill.

YEAR 9 Mr Churchill

A Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Goals For

Goals Against

Goals Difference

7

6

1

0

15

5

10

B Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Goals For

Goals Against

Goals Difference

5

3

0

2

13

7

6

Following the progress made last season, Year 9 was looking to emulate the same level of success this year. The A team season started with a difficult game at home to Gordon’s, which resulted in a scrappy 1-1 draw. This served as a reminder to the team that despite their previous success, no games are to be taken for granted. Following this, the season was curtailed briefly by the wave of cold weather which gripped the UK. This gave the squad a chance to train well and implement the new approach this year.

Following this early break in the season, the group went from strength to strength. Mr Churchill put a focus on the defensive aspect of the game this year and the squad more than rose to the challenge. After losing Jones early in the season to injury, the partnership of Jennings and Kalenderidis offered a superb base from which to build. This partnership, coupled with the ever-present and very talented Giddens in goal, made for a strong defensive record this year.

The team has never lacked talent, but with the absence of last season’s top goal scorers Lee and FlemingJenner for large parts of the season, the boys had to find a new way to attack. The midfield pairing of Schofield, Nash and Wright stepped up to the plate in this regard, regularly producing some excellent performances and providing excellent service for those in front of them. Though chances were at more of a premium this year, the boys were clinical in their finishing and regularly came on strongly in the second half of games.

The most notable of these attacking performances came in the final game of the season away to Glyn, a fixture we had narrowly drawn last year. The whole squad functioned as a well-oiled machine, putting pressure on the opponent’s mistakes while keeping the doors firmly closed at the other end. With Lee returning up front and the midfield trio providing some excellent service, the boys were able to run out 6-1 winners, with Lee scoring his first hat trick of the year. This performance capped off another unbeaten season and came at a fantastic time in preparation for the inaugural football tour to Cologne during the Easter break.

This year the B team has come on a huge amount in a short space of time under the watchful eye of manager Mr Wright. Similarly to the A team, the focus for the Bs this year was on bolstering the defence and conceding fewer goals than last year. The season started in a tricky fashion, with a few narrow defeats and games falling to the wayside due to the cold weather. However, this was swiftly turned around with the team going unbeaten in the second half of the season.

The defensive element of the game has been a huge success this year and is down in no small part to the combination of the ever-present Hurn in goal and the new centre-back pairing of Golding and Hill. In combination with a host of other players, this has seen the B team cut their goals conceded in half when

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TheHALLIFORDIAN compared to last season, a real achievement and something of which to be proud.

The Bs have never been short of options this year with a total of 26 different personnel representing the team at various points throughout the season. Special mentions must go to the wide options of Goddard and Groombridge, who have all shown real talent and commitment to the team this year, regularly contributing with goals.

One of the highlights for this group was their biggest win of the season at home to Claremont Fan Court.

This game saw the culmination of both attacking brilliance and defensive resilience and highlighted the progress the team has made this year. The boys will look to cap off what has been an excellent year for both A and B teams as they head to Germany later this month.

YEAR 10 Mr Morriss

A team Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Goals For

Goals Against

Goals Difference

9

3

1

5

16

28

-12

B team Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Goals For

Goals Against

Goals Difference

5

3

0

2

7

7

0

The Year 10 squad was fantastic to work with this season, bringing a huge amount of enthusiasm and enjoyment to the football season. Despite not having the best record in previous years, they showed great resilience and worked tirelessly as a team to put this right. Their rugby season was fantastic, and this meant it actually finished during the football term, but they were able to use their teamwork ethic, selfless playing and work rate to help compete in every game.

This was especially evident behind the marvellous captain, Theo Maroussas, who set the standard in every single training practice, games session and match fixture. Morale was high going into the first game away at Gordon’s, and the team embraced the new formation and the tactics applied, which led to probably one of the best performances of the season and a 7-1 victory. Braces from Maroussas, Porter and Man-of-the-Match, Lucas Hayes Garcia, who also had the pick of the goals with a perfectly timed volley, captured superbly by the substitute’s camera phone.

Unfortunately, the poor weather intervened early in the season, and it was almost three weeks before the next match, so it was difficult to take any momentum into the next set of fixtures. The team battled well in their local derby against neighbours Thamesmead School, but this showed them what was required if they were to compete with more accomplished teams. This was again emphasised in the next two games as they were put to the sword against Latymer and Grey Court, but this simply whet the appetite about the type of football we were trying to establish. Unfortunately, the first thing that needed to be addressed was the lack of composure when defending and starting to tackle the correct team, let alone the correct player.

A choice of centre-back pairing from Austin Johnson, Jack Gyles and Leo Hobbs was often impenetrable, and this forced opponents out wide to test the full-backs. The squad were determined in training and, with half­term approaching, put in a brilliant home performance against an LVS, winning 4-1. Man-ofthe-Match, Josh Morrison was instrumental in how the team performed this season and used all his leadership qualities to support and encourage every single player. Felix Porter was once again on the scoresheet and deserves a special mention for his industrious running in each and every game, leading the line on his own up top with unquestionable energy.

Half-term provided the mid-season break that they did not actually want, which once again slowed down any momentum that the team had. Tough matches against Ibstock Place and St. James’ meant the boys once again had to dig deep and show character in these games, competing right until the final whistle but ultimately coming up short once again. The boys continued learning though, and with each 78

Spring Sports Report game saw an improvement in performance, and it was so close to coming together. The fruits of their labour were evident in another local derby match away at Claremont Fan Court School. The tempo from the start was better, and the boys were playing the ball in much better areas of the pitch, allowing more time on the ball with two wonderfully well­worked goals for Jake Goodman to finish off.

‘This season has been the best so far for this age group. With a total of 10 points from our nine fixtures, we managed to sneak over the nine points we managed last season. It started so well with a 7-1 drubbing of Gordon’s and the boys thought that Morriss-ball would be the way. However, after the introduction of the Veo camera, we experienced a bit of stage fright and lost three quite heavily on the bounce, including an unfortunate loss in the Shepperton derby. One of these losses included the infamous away trip to Latymer with Mr Shales at the wheel as stand-in coach, and despite the clear tactic of long ball to Felix up top, we managed to lose 8-1. The season ended with an away trip to Glyn and we managed to earn a well-fought draw to finish our best season yet. It has been great fun to captain this side, even though most of the players would rather play for the B team.’ - Theo Maroussas U15A Captain 2023 The Year 10 B team was absolutely fabulous this season, and it is no surprise that they had the biggest squad to select from on a regular basis. They trained enthusiastically from the first session right up until the final week and did so in fantastic numbers. It really is such a shame that they had so many fixtures cancelled due to a mixture of weather and the unavailability of the opposition. Harry Baker was a superb captain throughout the season and represented the A-team on several occasions, as did many of the regular squad when called upon, with especially noteworthy appearances from Jack Farrow, Loris Jackson and Alex Murat. They had much more success in terms of games played, but the style in which their games were played made them so enjoyable to watch. It was a great balance of skill, competitiveness and fun. Highlights of the season were certainly the victories against Ibstock Place and Claremont Fan Court. They showed great character in these games as they fought hard to the final whistle to ensure these successes.

SENIOR FOOTBALL Mr Morriss, Mr Churchill, Mr Greggor

It was certainly a season like no other, but that is what makes the 1st XI Super 8 league so exciting. There was plenty of anticipation, and expectations were high at the start of the season, with the coaching team of Mr Morriss, Mr Greggor and Mr Churchill looking forward to seeing this new mix of players. There were a lot of fresh faces from Year 11 joining the highly experienced Upper Sixth, and just a few Lower Sixth students added into the mix. It wasn’t the usual equal weighting of year groups, which certainly proved to be difficult in the early games of the season. A big loss to start the season away at Burnham Grammar left a lot to be desired, and the players knew that work was required in all areas if performances were to improve. Captain Max Hobbs and vice-captain Paul-Louis Howard were instrumental in helping this change in direction, leading from the back and setting the standards from training into match performances. An extra fixture against Latymer at the senior level was a great opportunity to test out some different tactics and positions. The opposition had already played plenty of fixtures and proved to be a great test and yard-stick measure of how far we had already come. The squad took the loss well, as it was the turning point in the season, with everyone starting to realise the potential of the team and what each and every player brought to the team. A controversial 2-2 draw at Holyport was

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TheHALLIFORDIAN another step forward before beating the eventual league winners, Reddam House 3-2 at home. Despite the attacking threat within the team, four of these goals had come from our defensive line of Hobbs, Jones, Tuckman and Shephard. The aforementioned attacking threat was certainly to come through as the games against Ranelagh and Claremont Fan Court School saw this in abundance. This had been bubbling all season and why the coaches were so excited for these year groups to combine at the senior level. Curtis, Hamilton and Rowe started making dominant performances within these games, but more importantly, were being fed the ball to create these opportunities. Take them they did! Some fantastic goals, and finally the Veo camera was proving a hit to watch for highlights rather than an awkward curse.

A special mention must go to Harry Tuckman, who as one of only two Lower Sixth included this season was the gel between year groups and proved to be an integral member of the team, proving his worth time and time again, covering distances that other players could only dream of. They showed grit and determination throughout the season and were a pleasure to coach. It concluded in a disappointing fashion, and everyone involved knew what could have been, but unfortunately, this wasn’t the season to see this as it turned out. Onwards and upwards though, and everyone wishes those moving on from Halliford all the best for their future footballing campaigns.

‘Although the season didn’t end how we wanted it to, the boys should be proud of their efforts throughout the season. This season was different to most, with lots of Year 11 cementing their place in the team with brilliant performances throughout the season. Despite the young squad, the boys showed in every game that they can play brilliant football and battled well in games where we didn’t come out on top.

We made Church Road a fortress, winning every game we played at home, including an excellent win against league winners Reddam House, proving that the talent within the squad allowed us to beat anyone in the league on our day. Throughout the season, the team saw a lot of tactical changes due to players being absent or injured, but the boys who stepped up did their job brilliantly. Although we didn’t win the league, the boys finished the season with a well-fought 4th place and can be proud of their efforts and their exceptional performances during the season. I am honoured to have captained the side this year and proud to lead a very talented team. I wish Halliford football the best of luck in the future, and I hope the 1st XI can make the most of the very talented footballers that Halliford have.’ Max Hobbs 1XI Captain

MY HALLIFORD SCHOOL STORY

Nathan Farquharson, 7G I decided to come to Halliford School because all the teachers and students were friendly and engaging at the Open Day. I was excited because it was a new start but a little nervous, as I didn’t know anyone who was also coming here. The teachers really helped me to get to know the school and make friends. My favourite memory so far is representing the school in sport and scoring my first goal for Halliford from outside the box into the top corner. I am really pleased that I came to Halliford School because I have made good friends and have really enjoyed all the sport and the different variety of clubs.

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Spring Sports Report

Headmaster’s Select Football Squad 2023 Halliford’s football coaching staff have sat down together to pick a Headmaster’s XI. This is always a very tough decision, and as with Rugby selection, we have opted for a bench. Students are selected based on several criteria, including their commitment to training, influence in competitive fixtures and attitude.

11

10

9

Carson Curtis Year 11

Khai Vally Year 8

Joe Kennedy Year 8

14

7

Ed Goy Year 7

8

4

Natty Schofield Year 9

Harry Tuckman Year 12

13

Theo Clark Year 8

5

Paul-Louis Howard Upper Sixth

3

6

2

Dexter Lee Year 9

Zack Brief Year 8

Max Hobbs (C) Upper Sixth

1

Rocco Maroussas Year 8

15

Samir Al-Falaki Year 7 16

Ruark MacDonald Year 7

Jack Giddens Year 9

Football Colours Ties Colours ties are presented to senior students who have performed regularly and impressed in our first XI this term. They were awarded to the following students: Year 11: Carson Curtis, Will Hamilton, Luke Harrison, Charlie Jones, Josh Rowe, Oscar Shephard Lower Sixth: Harley Reynolds Upper Sixth: Alex Batty, Freddie Chandramohan, Oscar Peacock, Harri Roberts, Riley Whittington

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Inter-House Cross Country The junior competition comprises a 3.3km route along the towpath by Walton Bridge, onto Desborough Island and finishing at Weybridge Vandals RFC. Seniors run 4.2km as a perimeter around Vandals which is added to the junior route. The scenery by the river is stunning, and pupils competed in their games afternoons.

U12

U13

U14

U15

1st

Wadham

Desborough

Greville

Wadham

2nd

Greville

Russell

Desborough

Russell

3rd

Desborough

Greville

Wadham

Desborough

4th

Russell

Wadham

Russell

Greville

Winner’s Categories Junior (U12 and U13) - Desborough Intermediate (U14) - Greville Senior (U15) - Wadham

Top three in each year group: U12:

1, E. Goy

2, W. Andrews

3, J. Cain

U13:

1, R. Maroussas

2, J. Haines

3, G. Clark

U14:

1, A. Claudet

2, G. Cotton

3, T. Perrin

U15:

1, J. Holder

2, J. Goodman

3, T. Maroussas

Inter-House Football Students always look forward to this competition, and it achieves true mass participation from the House teams. Below shows the competition for each age group. The winners are listed as the top House in each column.

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U12

U13

U14

U15

1st

Greville

Russell

Russell

Greville

2nd

Russell

Greville

Wadham

Wadham

3rd

Desborough

Desborough

Desborough

Russell

4th

Wadham

Wadham

Greville

Desborough

Spring Sports Report

Winner’s Categories Junior (U12 & U13) - Russell and Greville Intermediate (U14) - Russell Senior (U15) - Greville

Overall winners: Russell and Greville

Rugby sevens season is always greatly anticipated by Halliford staff and students. We always aim to get year groups at least two tournaments in the half term to complement the football season. Lunchtime practices proved to be popular among the boys.

RUGBY SEVENS

Following a successful Autumn Term of Rugby for our U12s, they turned their attention to the sevens season. Their first competition started at Orleans Park. The boys adapted well to the different format of the game and had a very successful day, narrowly missing out on some silverware.

Following a successful first tournament together, the boys made their way to St. James’ Senior Boys School in Ashford. Again they built on the experiences of Orleans Park beating Claremont and Latymer Upper in the group stages, with a narrow loss to hosts St. James’. They met St. James’ again in the final of the competition, again narrowly missing out on victory. Some excellent play throughout sets them up nicely for next season, having gained some valuable experience this year.

Our U13s sadly missed out on their Surrey schools sevens competition this year due to the snow we experienced in late February leading to this competition being cancelled, which saw them going into the prestigious Millfield Prep School’s tournament fresh and raring to go. Mr Churchill and Mr Greggor spent a day with the boys departing school at 8am to arrive in time for the first group games at midday.

This is always a tough tournament which sees some very strong schools attend. Halliford’s U13s held their own in the group stages, losing two narrowly to Dean Close Prep School and Haberdashers’ Monmouth and drawing one against Aysgarth school. These results saw the boys go through to the third-tier competition again, drawing one against Port Regis School and losing narrowly to Dulwich Prep and Taunton School.

The boys were magnificent company all day and played some well-structured sevens. A special mention to James Haines, who was injured in the first game.

We wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back on the sports field for Halliford.

Halliford’s U14s have had a very successful sevens season, starting at the Surrey Sevens hosted at Caterham School. In freezing conditions with snow in the air, the boys were in the minibus between group matches in order to keep warm! The challenging conditions did not affect performances on the field. In the group stages, some excellent results came with a win against Rutlish School, a draw to John Fisher and a loss to a talented Hampton side.

The boys progressed to the Vase quarter-final, where a game against the Howard School was one too far on the day and resulted in a loss. A valuable day and excellent preparation for Rosslyn Park which came next. This was an excellent experience for the boys competing in a tournament that attracts the best Rugby playing schools in the country. The U14s impressed, winning two in the group against Fulham Boys School and Lutterworth High School and losing to KCS Wimbledon. This meant they did not advance to day two of the competition.

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RUGBY SEVENS

Halliford’s U15s continued the fantastic progress they made in the Autumn Term and managed to transfer this to the sevens season. Their season started with the Surrey Sevens, and the team played superbly, beating Cranleigh, Emanuel and Richard Challoner to top the group and advance into the Cup quarter-final. Here they met Glyn, again winning convincingly 25-14. Following this, they met St. George’s in the semi-finals. The boys had already beaten this side in the 15 a-side season. However, on this occasion, they lost in an incredibly tight game, 19-21.

John Fisher’s tournament was due to be the second of the half term. Unfortunately, due to the snow that fell at the end of February, this tournament was cancelled.

Following warm-up tournaments at Churcher’s College and City of London Freemans for Halliford’s senior sevens side, they were disappointed that the Surrey U18 competition was cancelled by poor weather.

Nevertheless, they had Halliford’s Floodlit Sevens Competition and Rosslyn Park to still work towards.

The floodlits saw Halliford face an impressive Hampton side and almost saw Halliford try a little too hard in the first game, forcing things and, unfortunately, they ended up coming second. Following this, impressive victories came against City of London Freemans 19-17 and Salesian College 19-12. This saw Halliford come second in their pool and advance to the plate final, where they beat Windsor Boys to win the plate. A special mention must also go to Halliford’s barbarian side, who played in pool two on the night, replacing a side that pulled out late. At short notice, they were magnificent and well-led

by Mr Slocock and Mr Shales.

The senior season built towards Rosslyn Park and showing some promising signs, the boys did not disappoint, narrowly missing out on qualifying for day two of the competition.

Following two wins in the group, a loss to Peter Symonds College meant that was the end of the competition. However the boys did us proud.

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Spring Sports Report

Hallifordian Sporting Achievements Following the Autumn Term as 1XV Captain and maintaining his influence during the sevens season, Paul­-Louis has also achieved some significant personal achievements this season in rugby. Having previously represented Surrey County against Hampshire and Sussex, he was selected for London South East.

Paul-Louis played against the North at Warwick School and London South West at Ealing Trailfinders. Two fantastic achievements and Paul-Louis was very influential in both matches. He also enjoyed a training and preparation residential with the squad back in February half term. Paul-Louis has been an outstanding player for Halliford, and we look forward to seeing how his future develops in the game. He is aiming to play at university next year and also hoping to get his senior first team debut at his club Weybridge Vandals before the close of the season, which for an 18 year old is a fantastic achievement.

Following his acceptance into the Harlequins Developing Player Programme, Christian has been enjoying the training experience and feels this is really developing him as a performer. We have certainly seen evidence of this in the Rugby sevens season for Halliford. Christian is currently working towards fixtures against other academies, and we look forward to finding out how he gets on in these.

Three outstanding performers for Halliford’s U13 A team, Zack, Khai and Rocco have been training and performing well for London Independent Schools Football Association football side. They are working towards a tournament where all the regional ISFA sides will be narrowed down into one squad, the English Schools Independent Schools football association. Halliford has previously only had one performer represent the school at this level so we wish them luck for this process.

The boys have also successfully secured a place in the Surrey County side following a trial process. Three performers with great futures ahead!

Following signing for Sutton United, Jack continues to show what a fantastic young goalkeeper he is. A key performer for Halliford’s A team Jack continues to perform well for Sutton and benefits from an excellent standard of coaching. As well as playing for Sutton, following a successful trial process, Jack also represented Surrey County versus Kent, starting in goal.

RUGBY

Paul-Louis Howard, Upper Sixth

RUGBY

Christian Fleming-Jenner, Year 9

FOOTBALL

Zack Brief, Khai Vally and Rocco Maroussas, Year 8

FOOTBALL

Jack Giddens, Year 9

The score was 2-1 at half time, however Surrey really kicked on in the second half to eventually win 9-1!

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TheHALLIFORDIAN Great Britain Kayaking - James continues to compete at both marathon and sprint kayaking competitions at national and international levels.

KAYAKING

James Ross, Year 11

As previously reported, for his club Elmbridge, James has won the U16 National Marathon Championships in the K2; and has secured national sprinting titles in K1 200m, 500m and 1000m. Earlier this year, James raced at Nottingham in the national kayaking club sprint regatta - competing in boys A class against the fastest junior (U18) sprint paddlers. James did phenomenally well - securing victory in K1 at 500m distance.

James’ national success has been the foundation for his selection to the Great Britain squads for both marathon distance and sprint racing. In September, James was part of the team of Great Britain’s best upcoming canoe sprint athletes representing the nation at the Olympic Hopes Regatta in Bratislava, Slovakia. James’ performance in K1500m at Hopes placed him fifth fastest in the world for this distance.

James is hoping to compete on the international stage once again. He hopes to be selected to be part of the Great Britain K4 U18 squad at the ICF Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships in Auronzo, Italy and to represent the nation as the solo U16 K1 sprint paddler at the Olympic Hopes Regatta 2023.

He has been training hard in the gym and can be seen up there most lunchtimes at school. He has a training camp during the Easter break, and we look forward to hearing how he continues to progress.

RUGBY

London Irish DPP - Oliver and Leo have continued to train on Tuesday nights, having previously been selected for London Irish’s Developing Player Programme. Both boys feel this has had a significant influence on developing their rugby game further, and we certainly look forward to seeing them both back in action for the school in the Autumn Term 2023.

Oliver White and Leo Hobbs, Year 10

RUGBY

Lucas Hayes Garcia and Barney Connop, Year 10

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Harlequins DPP - Lucas and Barney have also been enjoying their DPP experiences at Harlequins. The boys feel that the training has really developed their skill set further and they have been provided with good feedback on performance.

They are currently working towards some fixtures against other academies, and we look forward to seeing how they get on in these.

Spring Sports Report Following Felix’s retention for the Surrey U15 age group, he has been working hard at winter training at the Oval on Sunday mornings. In these sessions, he has been working with bowling coaches focussing on technique efficiency and gaining a little more speed.

The winter programme is working towards summer county matches against other age group counties. We look forward to seeing how the season goes.

Felix has also been doing extra sessions at Halliford as part of Ed Young’s elite cricket group on Fridays before and after school. His hard work and dedication in these winter months will no doubt reap the benefits when the cricket season comes around. We look forward to seeing him in action and captaining the school U15A team.

CRICKET

Felix Porter, Year 10

Dexter has had a busy period with his football. Following a very successful period representing the Independent Schools Football Association, Dexter was invited to trial with both Chelsea and Southampton Academies. Following initial sessions, Dexter chose to focus on Chelsea, and after a successful six week trial period, Dexter has had this extended by a further eight weeks.

In the Easter break, Dexter has also been invited on a European Tour to Sorrento in Italy with the Chelsea squad, where they will be playing in a tournament against other Italian academy sides, including teams like Juventus and Inter Milan. Only 16 players were selected for this, so it is an excellent opportunity for him.

FOOTBALL

Dexter Lee, Year 9

Back in January, Leo represented Great Britain in a match against the USA. In mid-January, Leo (9W) represented GB in a friendly 14U match versus USA in Manchester. It was a competitively fought match, with USA coming out on top, but a great experience for Leo to represent his country for the first time.

Shortly after, Leo travelled to Tarbes in France for the prestigious Les Petits As tournament, dubbed the unofficial 14U World Championships, with past winners like Murray, Nadal, and Alcaraz. It was a great achievement for Leo to reach the main draw and get through round 1, eventually losing to the German No. 1 player in the 2nd round in a close match. Leo is looking forward to a great spring and summer of tennis, alongside his studies at Halliford.

In March, Jakob has the County Championships covering Middlesex (which, oddly, are harder to qualify for this year than the Regionals), competing in 1500m, 200 back, 200 IM and 100 free, as well as competing in two team relays for his club. He is also moving up to the top squad with his club, Teddington Swimming Club, which means more early mornings and late nights of training.

Jakob qualified for the Middlesex County Championships at the London Aquatic Centre in January for four events and was also selected for two relays for Teddington Swimming Club. Jakob achieved a silver medal for his 200m Backstroke and a bronze medal for the 4x200m Freestyle Relay.

So far, Jakob has qualified for ten events in the London Regional Championships which will be held at the end of April.

TENNIS

Leo Wright, Year 9

SWIMMING

Jakob Holder, Year 10

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TheHALLIFORDIAN

GOLF

Richard Baker, Year 9

Richard has represented Halliford School’s golf team previously. He has been working hard on his game, and his handicap continues to drop. He recently competed well in his local club competitions, finishing 8th out of 28 in a senior competition. He has also been complimented by his golf coach for his hard-working attitude and fantastic approach to the game.

Richard is looking forward to the start of the season, and he starts County competitions in April, so we look forward to hearing how he gets on.

The 2023 Topper sailing season is underway, with the first events for the National and London & South East regional series taking place. Lucas Symons (Year 9), Harry Dence (Year 8) and Sam Dence (Year 7) are taking part in both these racing series.

SAILING

Lucas Symons, Year 9, Harry Dence, Year 8 & Sam Dence, Year 7

The first of the London & South East Traveller Series took place locally at Island Barn Reservoir on 25 February. Out of 32 entries, Lucas came 4th, Harry 9th and Sam 22nd. There were four races, and both Harry and Lucas had a 2nd place amongst the results.

Weymouth was the destination for the first 2023 National Series event. It took place over two bitterly cold days at the beginning of March and consisted of five races. For Harry and Sam, it was their first experience of a National event and the numbers involved. Harry was 31st, and Lucas 54th out of 110 in the 5.3 fleet. Sam Dence was 13th out of 26 in the 4.2 fleet (the fleet with smaller sails for lighter sailors).

MY HALLIFORD SCHOOL STORY

Niam Thakrar-Vara, 7G I decided to come to Halliford School because it looked like a small school with a very good environment.

On my first day here, I was not nervous at all. I was excited to explore and learn at a new school. A memorable moment for me was when I made the A team in rugby, and in my first game, I made a winning tackle thanks to the advice from my coaches. I am really pleased I came to Halliford because it is a lovely, small environment. The sports coaches are the best there can be. The staff are very nice and will help you a lot.

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Summer Highlights

Music Trip to Cadogan Hall

by James Grant, Year 9

The Music trip to Cadogan Hall to watch the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra perform Beethoven’s 5th Symphony was a great success and very enjoyable for all involved. Despite a badly timed closure of the M25 (which led to our coach being half an hour late and us missing the first half of the concert), it was thoroughly worth the long coach journey.

We enjoyed some extortionately priced ice cream while waiting for the second half to start. We watched the last moments of Dohnányi’s Variations on a Nursery Tune on several television screens positioned around the waiting room.

Luckily, we were permitted to enter the hall for the last piece of the first half – a joint effort between the orchestra and St Gregory’s Catholic Science College. Called Celeste, it was a reimagination of the nursery rhyme Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. It proved to be a very enjoyable piece (despite some questionably tuned singing) with beautiful melodies and wellwritten harmonies.

In the second half, we were treated to what we had come to see – Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. The piece was very well played, with the rousing notes at the very beginning (sometimes referred to as ‘fate knocking at the door’) being my favourite part. Our favourite members of the orchestra included an extremely enthusiastic conductor, a woodwind player who

became progressively redder and redder as the performance went on, and a piccolo player who sat through the entire piece, doing absolutely nothing until the final few bars.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable trip, and a huge thanks to Mrs Head for organising it and to Mr Wright and Mr De-Zilva for putting up with us for the evening.

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Lower Sixth Geography NonExamined Assessment

by Mr Jonathan Willcox, Head of Geography

Unlike the majority of Geography Fieldwork trips, the sun shone throughout the three days the Lower Sixth Geographers spent developing their practical and online research skills to conduct their own Non-Examined Assessment projects, worth a very significant 20% of their A Level.

Our guide for all three days in early May 2023 was Barry Cullimore, an expert Geographer from GeoFieldwork Ltd. He began by engaging students in the variety of topics that could be investigated and the range of primary and secondary data sources that could be useful in a project. This included the recently released 2021 Census data and Indices of Multiple Deprivation data as well as providing theoretical understanding of the challenges with collecting primary data, focusing on Environmental Quality Indexes and questionnaires.

Having completed the theory, students were then able to apply their knowledge and understanding as they completed their own data collection along Shepperton High Street. One of the key questions that students explored was whether Shepperton High Street met the needs of those who go there. In particular, they focused on whether the High Street had become a ‘clone town’ or a ‘home town’. A ‘clone town’ is a town that has lost its unique character and become dominated by chain stores and restaurants. A ‘home town’ is a town that has retained its unique character and is dominated by independent stores. This is a trend that is affecting high streets up and down the UK, which is further exacerbated by the growth of online shopping and the

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impacts of lockdowns during Covid-19.

On Thursday, students focused on physical fieldwork and the water and carbon cycles. This included data collection methods and using a variety of statistical methods to show levels of significance of correlation. Students also measured rates of infiltration of water in the Shepperton woodlands across the road from the school and compared them to infiltration rates on the school field together with an in-depth discussion on various factors affecting the rates of infiltration and using coordinates plotted this data onto a map of the area.

On Friday, students turned their attention to focusing on their own specific NEA proposals discussing one-to-one with Barry how they could achieve the best grades possible.

Overall, it was an engaging and incredibly informative event where we learned many useful ideas that you wouldn’t find in a textbook. This format has proven to be an excellent way of supporting students to achieve some outstanding marks in their NEAs as last year’s cohort’s grades can attest to. No doubt, this will continue to support the positive results and flourishing in the Geography Department at Halliford.

Summer Highlights

Potential High Achievers

by Mr Joe McElroy, Teacher of English

The PHA (Potential High Achievers) students have continued to stretch and challenge themselves through afterschool sessions led by our team of teachers. They have very kindly given up their time to share their expertise and knowledge in advanced discussions of topics beyond the current curriculum. The PHA Symposium, the forum for these discussions, is open to anyone in Years 10 to the Upper Sixth.

Topics this year have included ‘Remembering the British Empire’ by Mr McElroy, Cultural Capital by Mr Lee, Miss Foster on renewable energy, Mrs Brown on the cost-of-living crisis, Miss Ferreira on ‘Philosophical approaches to free will and determinism’, Dr Brooks on the identification of a gene implicated in disease, and Mr Harden-Chaters on investment strategies. The Upper Sixth students also presented topics of their choice, which included discussion based on their EPQs. The PHA Critical Thinking sessions are only open to students identified as highly gifted academically in Years 8 and 9. This is based on attitude to learning, attendance and proven ability across various academic subjects. We also monitor and support students who are recognised as talented in sports, DT, Drama, Music, and Art. This year, the PHA students learned about

cognitive biases and presented on topics of their choice in the Summer Term, which included some fascinating discussions on the future of AI and transport, among others.

This year, I took the PHA students from Years 8 and 9 and some students from Year 7 to a series of lectures and activities at the PHA Thriving Minds Conference. It was an excellent opportunity for the students to complete a series of tasks and discussions with like-minded students from across the county.

They also learned about philosophy and quantum theory, which was a bit over my head to be honest, but the students enjoyed it! Theo in Year 8 said it was ‘very engaging and enjoyable’, and James in Year 9 said his favourite part was ‘getting the opportunity to converse with students from other schools and debate about interesting topics.’

MY HALLIFORD SCHOOL STORY

Ruark MacDonald, 7G I came to Halliford because it was quite a short drive from my house, and I found the school a really nice place. I visited on Open Day and found the food amazing! My favourite moment so far was scoring two goals in our first football match. I am very pleased I came to Halliford, as everyone is very welcoming, and the chef ensures our tummies are full every day! I also have lots of fun in all my lessons. Mr Davies is super nice, and everybody is friendly and happy to help you.

MY HALLIFORD SCHOOL STORY

Tobi Adeseun, 7G I decided to attend Halliford School because the teachers who showed me what we learn here on the Open Day were very friendly and taught me new things that I hadn’t learned at my old school. The entrance exams were manageable and went pretty well. I also had other friends from my old school coming here and previous students from my old school already attending. I was a little nervous on my first day but mostly excited. A memorable moment was receiving a Bene from the Headmaster in Assembly due to my performance in the Christmas Concert of 2022. I am really pleased I came to Halliford School as the other students, the teachers, and the environment are all very good. I always learn something new at school every week.

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Year 11 Celebration Day

by Mr Sean Slocock, Assistant Head Co-Curricular

Halliford students came together on a cold and wet morning to celebrate their final day as Year 11 students. The day was due to test their mettle as they braved the white-water rapids of the Lee Valley Olympic White Water Raft course! As always, the day began with a fantastic breakfast served by the catering staff as the obligatory signing of shirts took place.

There was a troublesome start to the morning as one of the coaches broke down mere minutes from the school, which necessitated a quick change as we crammed more students onto one bus and sent them on their way. Such is the irony that travelling to the water sports centre was surprisingly easy as the M25 flowed as quickly as the water tracks at Lee Valley, so much so that the second bus caught up soon after a significant delay.

The white-water rafting took place on the Olympic course under the watchful eye of several lifeguards and some incredibly skilful raft skippers. The students and brave teachers donned their wetsuits, complete with booties, and passed the swim test to admit them to race the rapids. There were stories of money exchanging hands to knock Mr Shales and Mr Slocock out of the rafts, but these were unconfirmed, and the students were also (mostly) unsuccessful in their attempts. Not for want of trying, of course. For an hour, students raced through the rapids as they tried to get as many of their peers to experience the pandemonium at the front of the raft as possible. ‘Paddles 92

up’, ‘lean left’, ‘lean right’, and ‘get down’ were the constant calls of the skippers along with, perhaps one or two members of the boat, staff and student, receiving a telling off or two along the way.

The year was split into two groups, and as one group braved the rapids, the second group whiled away the time with a little one bounce or enjoying a hot chocolate (or ten) in the warmth of the café. Some may have enjoyed the drama of watching certain staff members defending the boys to the centre staff, who incorrectly felt that the game of one bounce was too boisterous.

The return journey was as smooth as the outward voyage, except that another significant delay was incurred as a few students had forgotten which locker they had put their clothes into. This necessitated a long wait as the centre staff had to check every locker. Nevertheless, this probably reflected the end of Year 11 more appropriately – a brilliant time, with a little extra obstacle than was necessary but ending as it should.

Summer Highlights

Upper Sixth Celebration Day

by Mr Andy Carroll, Head of Sixth Form

On Friday 12 May, Upper Sixth students celebrated their final day of formal lessons before heading off for study leave. The day was a chance to reflect on their shared memories and look ahead to the final months of hard work and beyond. The day began with a final assembly and a chance for some motivational words before the fun began.

House Captains created a fun Kahoot quiz using questions about comedy moments throughout the year group’s time at Halliford. It was an excellent way to look back on what has been a fantastic seven years at Halliford in many students’ cases. The group know each other so well that after questions such as ‘Who has worn shorts every mufti day for seven years?’ and ‘Whose basketball was run over by a car in Year 7?’, the only way to separate the winners was on their knowledge of how many seats there are in the theatre! The quiz was followed by a delicious breakfast in the Sixth Form Café and good luck speeches from all four House Captains.

The Valedictory assembly was a chance for more reflection on the hard work that has led up to the final day of formal education. Head Prefect Rob Archibald gave a heartfelt and thoughtful good luck speech before more amazing cakes and food in the marquee as staff met students to wish them luck.

We then headed to Thorpe Lakes for an afternoon of watersports and ‘Total Wipeout’ style fun. Each student enjoyed a thrilling ride on an inflatable doughnut being pulled around the lake by a speedboat. They also spent a few hours conquering a floating obstacle course with slides, rope swings and a giant floating mushroom. Halliford Sixth Form students now hold the record as the only school ever to tip the giant mushroom upside down, a feat that took a considerable amount of teamwork and collaboration from nearly every student in the year group.

After the activities, everyone gathered to share a final farewell and wish each other luck. A fun day was had by all, even if it did take a while to warm up after enjoying all of the watersports.

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Freddie Phillips, Year 8

LAMDA Performance Evening

by Ms Shani Woodley, LAMDA Teacher

On Wednesday 10 May, the Drama Department hosted its fourth LAMDA evening. This evening is an opportunity for all the hardworking LAMDA students to showcase their performances to an audience.

Students who choose to study LAMDA have a weekly one-to-one Drama lesson with the LAMDA teachers Ms Woodley and Mrs Rush, who work closely with the boys choosing texts they enjoy, building their confidence and bringing out the performers within them. The LAMDA team strive to see the potential in the boys, and if it sounds like something you would be interested in, please contact Ms Woodley as the spaces fill up fast.

The evening gave our students a chance to show their progress this year. The ever-lovely Abi Pring hosted the evening, and she led the audience on a journey of magic, vulnerability, and comedy. Some stand-out performances from Hugo Callington, who sang a beautifully moving song from Kinky Boots: The Musical.

Joe Arbiter, who performed a monologue of comedy gold from Once a Catholic and Hayden Sanghera, who whizzed the audience from 0-60mph with his speech about cars.

Hugo Callington, Year 9

The LAMDA team are so proud of all the performers who took part in our evening of celebration, and it was a delight to see so many boys performing to such a high standard. Seeing the students cheering each other on and clapping extra hard as each performer gave it their all was heart-warming. My thanks to Will Jackson for acting as Stage Manager throughout the evening.

The complete list of performers is below. LAMDA students have also recently taken exams, and the team are thrilled to share the outstanding results, 100% pass rate, and over 50% of students achieved a Distinction.

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Hector Buckle-Wright, Year 8

Summer Highlights NAME

PERFORMING

GRADE/ SYLABUS

YEARS

Eashan Chowdhri Niam Thakrar-Vara Aron Drishti Aarush Bijja Alessandro Faccio Hector Buckle-Wright Freddie Phillips Zac Spencer Woody Perkins Arthur Hetherington-Johns Jack O'Connor George Regan Hayden Sanghera Thomas Perrin Rocky Lehmann Jack Crichton Lucas Bullen Hugo Callington Bill Ferguson Ruaridh Bell Monty Vinall Joe Arbiter Toby Hill

Cricket The Magician’s Nephew A Million Dreams – The Greatest Showman Basketball - Lakers The Owl and the Pussy-Cat Adrian Mole Macbeth Witches Cars The Scarlet Pimpernel Power of the Dog Beowulf Almost Supercars Sucker Punch The Lodger A Few Good Men Bottle Neck - Luke Barnes – Greg Hold Me in Your Heart - Kinky Boots: The Musical Chalk Farm The Party - stimulus one, devised Chatroom - Enda Walsh - 2007 - Jim Once a Catholic - Mary O'Malley - 1977 - Derek An Inspector Calls - J.B. Priestley - 1945 - Gerald

G3 Public Speaking G3 Acting G3 Musical Theatre G3 Public Speaking G3 Acting G4 Acting G4 Acting G4 Public Speaking G4 Acting G4 Acting G4 Acting G4 Acting G4 Public Speaking G5 Acting G5 Acting G5 Acting G5 Acting G5 Musical Theatre G5 Acting G5 Devising G6 Acting G6 Acting G6 Acting

Y8 - KS3 Y7 - KS3 Y7 - KS3 Y7 - KS3 Y7 - KS3 Y8 - KS3 Y8 - KS3 Y8 - KS3 Y8 - KS3 Y8 - KS3 Y8 - KS3 Y9 - KS3 Y8 - KS3 Y9 - KS3 Y9 - KS3 Y9 - KS3 Y9 - KS3 Y9 - KS3 Y10 - KS4 Y10 - KS4 Y10 - KS4 Y10 - KS4 Y10 - KS4

Cassius Buckle-Wright

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Simon Stephens - 2003 - Christopher

G6 Acting

Y10 - KS4

Joshua Turley Tommy Ballard Will Shanley Oscar Wort Carter Robinson

Michael in the Bathroom - Be more Chill - (2015) Carthage - Chris Thompson - 2012 - Marcus Jerusalem - Jez Butterworth - 2009 - Johnny Wise Guys - Phillip Osment - 1997 - Mike Winterling - Jez Butterworth - 2006 - Draycott

G6 Musical Theatre G8 Acting G8 Acting G8 Acting G8 Acting

Y11 - KS4 Y12 - KS5 Y12 - KS5 Y12 - KS5 Y11 - KS4

Carter Robinson, Year 11

Will Shanley, L6

Alessandro Faccio, Year 7

Joe Arbiter, Year 10

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Halliford Young Musician Competition

by Mr Alastair Wright, Director of Music

The Newcomer category for the Halliford Young Musician was dominated by former Staines Prep School students, with three out of the five students joining Halliford from the school. Tobi Adeseun, one of the stars of the Year 7 performances during the Song Contest, was one of the three, kicking off the competition with an accurate and accomplished performance on drums of Paul Weller’s You Do Something to Me. Samir Al-Falaki was the second of the former Staines Prep students performing, expressively playing I Hear What You Say

by Crosland on the piano, with a lovely balance between the melody in the right hand and the chords in the left hand. Barnaby Pedlar followed with an energetic performance of Lindham’s Pirate Adventure on the trumpet, displaying a delightfully impressive tone. Leon Bleach was the final former Staines Prep student taking part in the competition, and as with Samir was preparing for his Grade 4 piano exam by performing a piece for his exam. Leon performed Kabalevsky’s challenging Etude in A minor with poise and grace, ending the piece with a stirring ascending scale. Alfie Westen was the last of the newcomers to perform, confidently tackling Knockin on Heaven’s Door by Guns N’ Roses, with a splendid guitar solo to boot.

Last year’s Newcomer category winner, Raphie Scott, began the performances in the Junior category with Danse Rustique 96

by Squire on the cello. Accompanied by his dad on the piano, Raphie demonstrated an excellent vibrato in an energetic performance of the Grade 6 piece. Dino Barton followed on the piano, spiritedly performing Arabesque by Burgmüller with technical competency. James Grant displayed his beautiful baritone voice in a moving performance of May it Be by Enya, accompanying himself with superb musicality on the piano.

More piano performances followed by Eashan Chowdhri, performing the haunting Sad Ghost by Litten with adept dynamic and tempo changes, whilst Nicky Bootle-Wilbraham impressed with an accomplished performance of Beethoven’s Für Elise, displaying excellent technical control in the more virtuosic passages. Completing the Junior category was Seb Roberts, whose usually restrained drumming in Jazz Band contrasted with this suitably powerful and lively performance of Black Sabbath’s War Pigs.

Summer Highlights With the competition taking place after the Year 11 students had gone on study leave and right at the start of GCSEs, the Intermediate category was (almost) an entirely Year 10 affair.

Billy Dobby kicked off the category with Giants in the Sky by Sondheim, displaying the growing maturity of his voice and musicality in a challenging piece. Hector Rutter followed with a refined performance of the fun Grade 5 piece Tico-Tico no Fubar by de Abreu, impressing with his tone quality across a broad range. Laurence Hodson was commendably rhythmically precise, whilst displaying some nifty fills in his performance on drums of the oddly named Full English BrekerFest by Aldridge. Another rock performance followed with Jake Goodman’s electric performance of Knights of Cydonia by Muse, demonstrating some skilful hammer-ons and pull-offs. Joshua Turley, the one Year 11 performer on the night after taking time out of his busy GCSE revision schedule, concluded the Intermediate performances with a passionate performance of She Used to Be Mine by Bareilles, displaying an impressive lower register.

The Senior competition was also lacking some of the usual Upper Sixth musicians, as 18th birthdays and A Level revision took precedence. However, the quality on show in this category was extremely high and the result was incredibly tight to call.

One half of the 1st XV second row, William O’Loughlin, opened with a skilled performance of Hey Joe by Hendrix. William showcased his ability on the guitar with a tremendous solo that had Mr Savides purring in approval. The second half of the 1st XV second row, Josh Guild, followed with a typically wholehearted performance of Rosanna by Toto. Josh is a high-class drummer, and this performance highlighted what a strong sense of rhythm he has, with some impeccable fills. The competition finished with the two heavyweights of the Upper Sixth going head-to-head with Will Greaves performing his own song, Doves from Paradise, before Jules Wain performed Red House

by Hendrix. Will’s natural talent for song writing was evident in this song, a beautiful piano and vocal ballad with an exquisite melody, which Will performed superbly. Jules followed with a fittingly excellent end to the competition. Whilst his supreme guitar skills were known by everyone and did not disappoint, his voice, more of an unknown quantity, impressed many with its warm tone and natural vibrato.

Judge Anthony Merryweather, Director of Music at City of London Freemen’s School, spoke favourably about all the performers, expressing the difficult decision he had in choosing the winners for each category. Highly commended performers were announced as Barnaby Pedlar (Newcomer category), Seb Roberts (Junior category), Hector Rutter (Intermediate category) and Josh Guild (Senior category). Congratulations to the winners who were announced as Samir Al-Falaki (Newcomer category), James Grant (Junior category), Laurence Hodson (Intermediate category) and Will Greaves (Senior category).

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Summer Concert

by Mr Alastair Wright, Director of Music

It was delightful to be informed a day before the Summer Concert that, despite the slightly gloomy weather forecast, we had sold 200 tickets for the event, and it was a sell-out. This event is one of the highlights of the year for many, including myself, so it was wonderful to see so many parents, siblings, staff, governors and Old Hallifordians in attendance.

Chef Murphy and his team provided a great menu of food, whilst the PTA delivered a well-stocked bar, and the music was plentiful – so plentiful that the Senior Band had to cut one of their songs as we had reached the 10pm curfew. When informed of the cutoff, Senior Band guitarist Jules Wain whimsically commented, ‘I feel like Lana Del Rey at Glastonbury’. It is not often that the Halliford Summer Concert is compared to Glastonbury, so I took this as a compliment. Despite this being their last Halliford performance and that they had to cut their set short last year owing to a downpour of rain, the Senior Band took the news very gracefully.

This year thankfully, the rain didn’t halt proceedings. Instead, it was the wind that proved to be our main adversary. This was particularly evident during the first performance of the evening by the Chamber Orchestra, who performed the finale of Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto, extracts from Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Brahms’ famous Hungarian Dance. Even with clips and blu tack holding down sheet music on stands, the wind did its part to start the concert in a slightly comical fashion, with our principal 98

violinist seeing his music fly off mid-piece whilst I started to conduct one-handed, deciding that my other hand was best suited to holding down music for the cellists. Despite the farcical situation, the very talented performers, who will be performing as a group in Sorrento for our music tour in October, performed superbly well.

James Grant was the first of several soloists throughout the evening, beautifully performing the piece that won him the Junior prize at the Young Musician Competition. String Ensemble, led by the exuberant Miss Walshaw, followed James with a lively performance of Canarios by Sanz, featuring Mr Osborne on double bass – an instrument he only started playing about a week before the concert. There was a slight delay, caused by me forgetting that I was conducting the next piece (much to the amusement of compère Mr Shales) before the String Ensemble finished with the first movement of Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Next up was Monty Savarino, accompanied as ever by Mr Davies, inspiring many of the Junior members of the String Ensemble with his excellent tone and technique during

Summer Highlights his performance of Berceuse by Fauré. The Barbershop quartet followed with a touching rendition of Goodnight Sweetheart, featuring an impressive bottom C from James Grant.

Barbershop’s second piece was George Jones, a tale of the Jones family naming their first-born son and daughter. This adapted version of the piece contained over twenty staff members’ names as possibilities for the Jones family and was met with much laughter from the audience.

Finishing the Classical music part of the concert was Louis Clark, performing the Andante movement from Hummel’s Trumpet Concerto with excellent dynamic range and technical control.

Following more audience-pleasing self-deprecating humour from compère Mr Shales, the Chamber Choir performed the well-known Walking on Sunshine, featuring a baritone duet between Joshua Turley and Mr Osborne, before Will Greaves captivated the audience with his sensitive performance of The Long and Winding Road by The Beatles.

All Year 7 have been attending choir every Monday lunchtime this year, and they belted out an energetic and enthusiastic rendition of Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing, featuring stalwarts Will Greaves, Jules Wain and Josh Guild as part of the band.

Next up, we were treated to a couple of performances from Old Hallifordians Will ‘The Wizard’ Jones and Arya ‘The Professor’ Shafighian. Fresh from finishing their first years at Swansea and Oxford Universities, respectively, it was evident that they had both continued their musical development away from Halliford, delivering an alluring performance of I Left my Heart in San Francisco, featuring a flawless bass solo from Arya. Will’s smooth vocals, with his trademark warm vibrato, greatly enhanced a superb performance of Wave, the first of three consecutive Sinatra performances.

Continuing the Sinatra theme, ex-Emmerdale heart-throb Mr Hoare – English teacher by day, jazz crooner by night - dressed in black tie attire, sauntered onto stage to deliver a rousing rendition of That’s Life before making sections of the audience swoon with a passionate performance of the classic My Way.

Concluding the Jazz section of the concert were Jazz Band, ably led by Mr De-Zilva and music department honorary member Dr Yacoot. Highlights of their mini set were performances of Duke Ellington’s Caravan, featuring an animated drum solo by Seb Roberts and Herbie Hancock’s Chameleon.

The Rock section of the concert started with the talented Tom Lever performing Newstead’s My Friend of Misery, demonstrating all his virtuosic ability on the bass guitar before the Year 7/8 Band showcased their potential with a performance of Should I Stay or Should I Go by The Clash. The Year 9/10 Rock Band followed with three songs, with frontman Billy Dobby in fine form. A defiant performance of Alice Cooper’s Schools Out for Summer was the highlight of their set, with Jake Goodman impressing on electric guitar.

Sadly, this was the last Halliford performance by frontman Carter Robinson and bassist Jamie Lamprell with the Year 11 band.

Carter, destined for great things with his impressive rock/indie voice and ridiculously confident stage presence, led the band superbly. They delivered a dynamic set featuring songs from their favourite bands, The Black Keys and Arctic Monkeys. The multi-talented Jules Wain followed with his solo performance of Hendrix’s Red House, featuring supreme guitar skills and with Jules exuding a coolness that others can only dream of. Moving onto the 10pm curfew, the Senior Band finished the concert in a suitably majestic fashion. Final performances from Will Greaves, Noah Acheson-Fenton, Jules Wain and Oliver Hume made this an emotional performance, with them having played as a band many times over the years. Despite some technical difficulties during their first song, they did not disappoint, with Pink Floyd’s Time and The End by The Beatles being expertly covered, much to the delight of the impressed audience. Aptly, the band finished with Jump by Van Halen, a favourite of theirs from previous concerts.

This electrifying performance went down a storm and was the perfect way to end a superb Summer Concert.

My thanks go to all the performers, compère Mr Shales, Dr Yacoot, Mr Davies and the Music Department for making this such a special night to remember.

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Year 7 Residential Trip to France

by Mr James Davies, Headmaster

After the trials of their first set of summer examinations and an extremely successful first year at Halliford School, it was a pleasure once again to arrange to take the year group to Northern France to enjoy social time with one another and to absorb French culture whilst enjoying lots of opportunities to develop their speaking skills.

After enjoying a smooth crossing to Calais, the group set off for the magnificent Nausicaa Sea Life Centre, the largest in Europe. I think it is fair to say the boys would happily have spent all day looking at the many exhibits, with the ability to touch various sea creatures a real favourite. As we stood in the massive auditorium, it was amusing to hear one of the boys say that he couldn’t believe he had seen a manta ray as he thought they only existed in Finding Nemo! Barney commented that he thought the aquarium was just ‘amazing and my absolute favourite part of the trip, but the whole thing was just great, thank you for organising.’ Alfie was particularly captivated with the sea lion feeding session and thought they made even more noise than his year group at lunchtime!

Our accommodation was based on the beach edge in a quiet suburb of Calais, and we were treated to a spectacular evening meal before heading out onto a very windy beach for some beach

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football and cricket under the careful eye of Mr Arriandiaga and Mr Gruner. As well as burying one another in sand, the boys inevitably buried their room key cards, which was most likely a clever ploy for a slightly later bedtime than planned!

After a very traditional continental breakfast complete with bowls of chocolat chaud, we headed off to Le Touquet for the morning. After a chance to sample some traditional crêpe and look around a few shops for parental presents, it was off to the beach again for a chance to continue the next round of beach games. Fortunately, the sun obliged, and we all had a wonderful time letting off steam together. The afternoon saw the highlight of the trip for many as we visited Les Escargots du Bocage where the boys were able to learn all about traditional snail farming.

After a chance to get up close and personal with the snails, we got the opportunity to ‘enjoy’ sampling them. The boys were horrified at the prospect of being offered snail-flavoured juice

Summer Highlights

and were hugely relieved to discover later that it was in fact just 7Up! The Halliford spirit of adventure was on show though as many declared a new found passion for snails, so much so that later that evening, the kitchen at the hotel ran out as the boys raided the buffet to enjoy more slimy treats!

Nathan and Elliott ended up being our snail connoisseurs, discovering a new passion to add to their menu choices. That evening out on the beach I discovered many of the boys had never had the opportunity to fly a kite and so despite tornado-like winds we had a splendid time perfecting the art of kite flying until the sun went down.

The final day saw us head off to the beautiful coastal town of Wimereux where we enjoyed the delights of the local market and the incredible offering of the patisserie. The boys conversed confidently in French, and their excellent manners caused them to be something of a talking point amongst the locals. Oliver amazed the local baker with his confidence so much so that she wondered if he had French parents!

The afternoon activity was a visit to a traditional bakery where we discovered possibly the scariest baker in the world! Tom declared that he thought our Chef was scary, but this man took that meaning to a whole new level as he barked out the instructions for making croissants in French. I think it is fair to say the boys will never forget the recipe and ended up making some rather fine pastries that we then enjoyed on the journey home.

Thanks to all the staff for being so brilliant and to the boys for being magnificent ambassadors for the school, as always.

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Year 8 Trip to Grosvenor Hall

by Mr Ciaran Lee, Teacher of English

During this year’s Activities Week, the Year 8 cohort travelled to Kingswood Activity Centre at Grosvenor Hall in Kent. The boys enjoyed exciting team-building activities that tested and developed their confidence, leadership, and collaboration skills. These included a high and low ropes obstacle course, a zip-wire, a ‘Leap of Faith’, and a 3G gravity swing. In addition, they were given the opportunity to practise archery with qualified Team GB-affiliated coaches.

In many of the activities, such as the low ropes obstacle course, the students had to solve problems as a team which required them to cooperate and think on their feet. Furthermore, in some of the more daring challenges, such as the ‘Leap of Faith’, the students had to support each other physically and emotionally. It was extremely encouraging to witness so many of the boys motivate and reassure each other during these activities. In particular, it was heartening to see one boy overcome his fear of heights due to the steadfast encouragement and support of his peers.

The boys were given plenty of free time to enjoy each other’s company in the vast playing fields at the Grosvenor Hall facility.

I was pleased to see everyone getting on so well together, whether in a mass-participation version of football or a quiet card game in a circle.

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In the evening, the Kingswood staff arranged a variety of other fun activities, such as relay races, water balloon fights and a tug-of-war competition. One highlight of the evening was the tug-of-war between a team of seven Halliford teachers and approximately forty Year 8 boys. I am sad to admit that the teachers narrowly lost in this particular contest.

Overall, the Year 8 boys certainly acquitted themselves very well during the trip. They clearly demonstrated the Halliford values of resilience, respect, and warm-heartedness throughout their time at Grosvenor Hall.

It was a wonderful way to see out the academic year and I am quite confident that strong bonds and friendships were formed and strengthened within the year group from this valuable experience.

Summer Highlights

Year 9 Trip to Ypres

by Mr Luke McMillan, Head of History

Activities week for Year 9 started with the History Department’s annual two-day trip to Ypres and the World War One battlefields. The trip started with an easy coach journey down to Folkestone, where we boarded the train for a quick trip through the Channel Tunnel over to Calais, from where we continued to Belgium.

Our first stop was the excellent Memorial Museum in Zonnebeke.

Built close to the site of the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917, the museum proved to be totally engaging for the boys. It is housed in an old chateau, and the upstairs contains a vast collection of artefacts from the war, including weapons, soldiers’ uniforms and equipment and video recordings of veterans recalling their experiences. The best parts of the museum, however, are the trench reconstructions. In the basement, a reconstruction of soldiers’ underground living quarters fascinated the boys, and outside in the garden, a section of trenches and a variety of dugouts really brought the history of the war to life.

We then headed up the road to Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest British and Commonwealth cemetery in the world, with 11,961 soldiers buried there. Of these, 8,373 are unidentified and are therefore unnamed. The group also took the opportunity to pay our respects to Angus Wilson’s great-great-great uncle, Private John Chaplin. According to army records, Private Chaplin died in October 1917 at the Battle of Passchendaele, not from a weapon but simply because he drowned, like many others, in the mud. As his body was never recovered, he only has his name recorded on Panel 148 on the back wall of the cemetery. We located his name, and Angus was able to place a rose there. We finished the day

by attending the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate, and on behalf of the school, two boys laid a wreath in remembrance.

We began day two by visiting Essex Farm Cemetery. This was particularly interesting for the many boys in the year group who have chosen GCSE History as the cemetery contains the remains of a Casualty Clearing Station, which was the closest place to the front line where injured soldiers would be treated. Medical treatment on the Western Front is part of the GCSE History of Medicine course. After this, we made our way to the trenches at Hill 62, and the boys had time to explore the labyrinth of trenches, dugouts, and underground tunnels. This is always a highlight of the trip, and this small patch of land, which has been left as it was at the end of the war, provides us with a strong sense of how the trenches and the shell craters scarred the landscape.

We finished the trip by heading into Ypres town centre and visiting the In Flanders Field Museum, another excellent museum that contains a great deal of information about the war and its effects on Ypres and the wider area. We then finished our trip with lunch and some chocolate shopping before boarding the coaches and heading home. It was another superb trip, and both the boys and the accompanying members of staff learnt a great deal.

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Year 10 Residential Trip to Snowdonia

by Mr Sean Slocock, Assistant Head Co-Curricular

Following a week of experiencing the world of work, it was fantastic to have Year 10 students assemble in the courtyard for their trip to Snowdonia. Setting off in great haste, an impromptu stop to collect a late student at the Warwick Services necessitated two stops on the journey to North Wales.

The destination was a Mecca of outdoor activities, although, sadly, the wave machine was broken, and surfing was no longer on the cards. Upon arrival, the groups were divided, pods were allocated, and the games began. A quick round of 5-a-side football, cricket, rounders and rock collecting occurred before students were introduced to the Ninja Course. With obstacles

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Summer Highlights to overcome, mazes to work through, and slides to enjoy, the students were put through their paces before heading to bed for an early start on Monday.

Monday started with stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking, where Mr Slocock and Mr Churchill proved to be nothing less than targets for the students to tip over. Some of whom took full advantage of the situation! This was followed by more activities where students were split into groups to enjoy high ropes, a zipline, indoor climbing with the Jacob’s Ladder and Leap of Faith, indoor caving activity and a BMX Pump track. As the day wore on, records changed hands, with Barney Connop taking the title of fastest student up the climbing wall.

The evening ended with a run around the Ninja Course, but this time with laser guns as the teams battled it out COD style! No trip would be without its dramas, though, as Miles Cobley found out on his trip to the hospital following a mishap on the pump track, and the students and staff in bus two were to learn when the drivers took a wrong turn.

Apparently, coaches don’t always need four wheels on the road at all times! Similarly, Mr Wright learned not to take a bench from a pod that was not his. Overall, it was a fantastic trip, with students enjoying various activities and pushing themselves outside of their comfort zones.

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Lower Sixth Activity Days

by Mr Andy Carroll, Head of Sixth Form

In July, Lower Sixth students took part in two activity days. The week began with students participating in a UCAS personal statement workshop day delivered by Phil Moss, the former Head of Admissions at the prestigious London School of Economics.

Students completed a role play where they took on the role of Head of Admissions and analysed examples of personal statements before deciding who to make an offer to based on admissions criteria. They also worked in groups and with specialist teachers to plan and write the first draft of their personal statement. It was an invaluable preparation day as the year group looks towards taking the next exciting steps on their educational journey.

Tuesday saw the year group split into smaller groups as they participated in the 2023 London Challenge. Students had to visit 24 high-profile London landmarks, such as Tower Bridge, Downing Street, and the London Eye, completing challenges along the

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way. The challenges included having a picture with a Beefeater and finding any Halliford-related street names. In a mini version of the Channel Four television programme Hunted, groups also had to discover the location of Mr Ackroyd, who was hidden at one of the landmarks. The challenge enabled students to test their organisational skills, develop their team-working skills and, most of all, have fun! The eventual winners who were awarded a commemorative medal were Miss Mobbs’ team, with a top score of 24 points, closely followed by Mr Willcox and Mrs Brown’s teams, with 17 points. Students behaved impeccably and were great ambassadors for the school in all interactions with members of the public.

Summer Highlights

Arthur Hetherington-Johns, Year 8

Hayden Sanghera, Year 8

Will Dorudi, Year 8

Ewan Hill, Year 9

Lucas Symons, Year 9

Hugo Callington, Year 9

Photography Club

by Arthur Hetherington-Johns, Year 8

I had a really good time at Photography Club. I learned a lot of valuable skills and developed an appreciation for my surroundings and how to use this in my photographs. We explored various themes like wildlife, still life, action, and portrait photography, as well as looking into macro photography and light trails. I particularly enjoyed learning how to plan my photos and how to experiment and be creative. I also enjoyed learning about the science, history, and techniques of photography. I finished with a great set of images, showing off my new knowledge and skill set. The weekly sessions were fun and interactive, and I will definitely continue to develop my photographic skills.

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PTA Outdoor Cinema Night

Halliford School PTA Year in Review

by Mrs Wendy Luiz, PTA Chairperson

The Halliford PTA’s reputation for hosting brilliant events and a mean bar service continues to be our mainstay.

As we look back on the ‘Covid Years’, their sizeable impact on the PTA has been evident as we work to rebuild our network of reps and volunteers and increase support at our events.

I would like to express our sincere thanks to the outgoing Chairperson, Simon Rabett. Simon’s leadership and dedication have guided the PTA up to and through the unprecedented times of Covid-19. The school community has so valued his tireless efforts in organising social events and supporting the school, and we are grateful for his dedication and hard work.

Whilst our primary focus is to provide social events for our families and support school events, it is fortunate that we are also able to raise funds alongside this. Annually the PTA pays towards the Year 11 Activity Day, and the Upper Sixth Leavers gifts, which help celebrate these important milestones. Our contribution is hugely appreciated by the school and students.

The Lower Sixth students show their appreciation by providing waiter service at our Parents Spring Ball and other PTA events.

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This summer, the PTA has taken on the project of funding the new theatre seating. This is a significant investment for the school and will significantly enhance the theatre experience for students and the wider community. We really look forward to enjoying the theatre in the new seating.

In review of the year, the PTA has organised several successful events that have brought the school community together in a fun and engaging way. The first highlight of the year was the New Boys Picnic in September, created to welcome the new boys to the school. The boys were treated to a range of fun activities, including inflatables, games, and a delicious BBQ lunch.

Another success was the Quiz Night in November. This event was hotly contested, with teams competing against each other to identify songs, TV theme tunes and Halliford staff hidden in

Summer Highlights fancy dress. The big challenge raised to judges was the number of Queen Elizabeth’s Prime Ministers and whether Liz Truss should be counted as one at all! Another delicious meal from our Chef rounded off a wonderful event.

The Spring Ball was another fantastic event where the PTA team’s décor transported parents to a Night in Venice, enjoying another amazing three-course meal from Chef served by our Sixth Form waiters, with live music and dancing into the night.

A new addition to the PTA calendar was the Mums’ Painting and Prosecco Evening. A great evening was enjoyed and an opportunity for mums to relax, unwind and get creative. The PTA provided all the necessary materials, and the evening was a great success, with everyone producing some fantastic artwork – the gin bar was thoroughly enjoyed as well!

Family Fun Day

We hosted the second year of the Outdoor Cinema with families invited to enjoy a movie under the stars and the PTA team providing a bar and movie snacks. It was wonderful to enjoy a summer evening in the great outdoors.

It is pleasing to review the successful events over the past year, which have been a great way to bring the school community together, build relationships, and have fun. We are grateful for the hard work and dedication of the team in organising these events, and we look forward to more exciting events in the future.

Mums’ Painting & Prosecco Evening

MY HALLIFORD SCHOOL STORY

Tommy Hawksley, 7G I decided to come to Halliford School because the teachers were nice when I looked around the school and what I would be learning looked very fun. On the first day, students from the older years helped me to get around, and I was relieved that there was little homework at the start. One of my most memorable moments was in Science when we did fun and interactive experiments. I am really pleased I chose Halliford as now I have many friends and am having lots of fun. Every lesson is enjoyable, and I am learning lots.

MY HALLIFORD SCHOOL STORY

Will Andrews, 7G Halliford has amazing facilities, and I loved it when I visited on Open Day. I was excited to start a new school and make new friends on my first day. One of my memorable moments was our rugby game against Hampton. It was back and forth, but we ended up on top and were all very pleased with the result. I have fitted in well and made new friends. Halliford trusts you to become independent but helps you when you need it. I am very pleased I came to Halliford and look forward to my time here.

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HALLIFORD LIFE

Coronation Celebrations Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Practice Expedition

Arjan in Year 7 with his co mpleted guitar from Upper Six th AFor verbs’ Prom Build GumitaLea r Clu

ademic t robotics during Ac ou ab ng ni ar le 7 ar Ye k Collaboration Wee

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Summer Highlights

HALLIFORD LIFE

Speech Day

Modelling task in DT during Yea

r 10 to Sixth Day

Lower Sixth students take part in BP Interviews Welcoming our Spanish Exchange Students to London

Sixth Form MCC students helpMatch at the PTA Ball Cricket

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Summer Term Sports Report

by Mr James Greggor, Director of Sport Cricket Season 2023 The completion of the Summer Term rounds off another incredibly busy sporting year. As always, my great thanks goes to the student body. Their enthusiasm to engage with the programme on offer sees this aspect of school life go from strength to strength. The school has much to celebrate in terms of participation statistics, achievements of students, and success of individual age group teams. This rounds off an extremely busy calendar of training opportunities and competitive fixtures.

My thanks also go to the parent body who continue to support the school’s sporting programme. It is excellent to see so many supporting the teams on the side for mid-week or weekend fixtures. Thanks must also go to the dedicated team of staff who provide a huge amount of opportunities at lunchtime, after school and at weekends. Students have approached the cricket season with a fantastic attitude, and we have had many keen students wanting to involve themselves in competitive fixtures, highlighted by managing to field a D team for the first time at U12 when we took A-D teams over to Kingston Grammar School in May.

CRICKET

U12 Mr Churchill

A team Played

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The U12 cricket team have had a season of mixed results this year. The team has struggled when batting first but the players have shown their ability as the chasing side in a range of close encounters.

The team has come together well as a batting unit this year, with Samir Al-Falaki and Nathan Farquharson developing a strong opening partnership offering a good platform to build an innings. Samir has scored 112

Summer Sports Report over 300 runs this season in only 12 games, coming at an average of over 60, a superb effort. The pair have been well backed up by a host of middle-order batsmen, all of whom have chipped in with valuable runs over the course of the season.

As a bowling attack, the side has really flourished. Co-captain Arjan Thandi has gone from strength to strength with the ball in hand closing out the season with a brace of three wicket hauls. Goy, Wittrock, Jones, and Al-Falaki have all found form at points throughout the year and taken key wickets in close games. One thing which has been particularly pleasing has been the development of cricketers who have not played much cricket previously. One such player, Ollie Browning, has made himself a mainstay in the A team this year, the highlight of which was his brace of wickets against KGS. The side has had many highlights, but the top of the list was the tied game away at Latymer Upper School.

Competing with only ten men due to illness and injury the team bowled excellently against a strong opposition on a very tricky pitch. With typically tight bowling from the bowling unit, and an excellent 3-29 from Samuel Jones, restricting them to 123-6, the chase was set up. After losing early wickets, the partnership of nearly 100 between Al-Falaki and Abou Hasan was excellent to watch. With 13 needed from the last over, the game seemed lost. Some excellent boundary hitting, however, saw the boys score 12 of the 13 runs needed to tie.

This year, the B team has seen a large number of players handed their debut for the school cricket team.

With numbers at pre-season nets exceeding those seen in previous years, the selection process would always be a tricky one. All told this year, the B team has been rotated from a squad of roughly 20 players, all of whom have made valuable contributions throughout the season. A special mention has to go to the captain and wicket-keeper Josh Cain who has been excellent this year, always prepared and managing his team to allow everyone to participate in each game they played. The batting unit has been headed up by King and L. Cain, who have made good progress throughout the year.

As for the bowling unit, we have had over 18 different bowlers for the B team, a phenomenal testament to the strength in depth of the squad. Three bowlers have also seen themselves picked to represent the A team this year and when stepping up have done so excellently.

On the whole the Year 7s have had an awesome year on the cricket pitch! Playing 20 fixtures across four different teams with almost 75% of the year group representing the school on at least one occasion.

Next year I hope to see similar numbers to choose from and hope to see the team improve even further both with the bat and ball.

U13 Mr Greggor

A team Played

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The U13s have had an excellent season this year. They have been blessed with a large number of students wanting to engage with the competitive opportunities on offer. Regularly for 13A and B team fixtures, squads of 12 or 13 have been selected in order to provide playing opportunities for lots of keen boys.

The A team led superbly by captain Archit Dalvi and vice-captain Ben Snowball has been excellent this season. Standards in the field have been outstanding. Catching in particular has placed opponents 113

TheHALLIFORDIAN under huge pressure and led to plenty of early dismissals. Dalvi and Snowball have been excellent with both bat and ball, usually opening the batting. Both have been in fine form with half-centuries and opening batting partnerships, setting up the innings superbly. In almost all games this season, the team has managed to post 130+ runs when batting first, always putting opponents under pressure to chase this. The team have lots of batting depth, and George Clark has also contributed with some important knocks batting at three and occasionally opening.

Theo Bavister has been a solid presence wicket-keeping with very few extras getting by and taking some excellent catches. We have consistently used ten bowlers in fixtures which again highlights the huge amount of depth in the side. Offspinner Henry Breslin has been the leading wicket-taker this season with 12. He has worked extremely hard on his bowling and plays with great passion.

It has been an extremely competitive season, winning all games apart from two. One was a narrow loss to Wallington County Grammar which came down to the final ball of the innings.

The U13Bs have been led superbly by captain Theo Clark. The boys have had a very competitive season and again have demonstrated pleasing depth in the side with both bat and ball. Clark, Wintle, Johnson and Lewis have all contributed well with the bat this season, helping to set a target for the opposition or successfully chase a score set.

James O’Connor has impressed with the ball and maintained economical fixtures throughout the season. Eashan Chowdhri has had opportunities in both A and B teams and bowled very well for both. James and Jack O’Connor have also had opportunities in the A team, demonstrating a good squad mentality across both sides.

Wins against Dunnottar, Latymer Upper, and Harrodian highlight the strength of the team and how they have developed this season.

Year 9 Mr Shales

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The boys trained hard for the season during the winter nets and put some good work in to ensure they were match ready for the summer. The season itself was disrupted by a number of clashes with Duke of Edinburgh days and one team failing to even turn up! The season started with a trip to Salesians. Asked to bowl first, Jack Giddens and Rajveer Johal kept things very tight, picking up four wickets between them. Freddie Nash and Richard Baker continued the pressure, with Richard picking up a couple of wickets and with Caleb Baker having a great time behind the stumps, we were set 96 runs to win. Luke Golding and Josh Gusterson got us off to a good start, and after a couple of quick wickets fell, Jack and Dexter Lee put on a good partnership to see us over the line with a four-wicket victory.

Next followed the visit of Claremont. From the off, our batsmen dominated the bowling. Luke and Josh put on a great opening stand, with Luke making 55 and Josh 28. Jonty Wright continued the strong start making 22. We ended up on 163 for one off our 20 overs. All of the seven bowlers we used showed great discipline with the areas they found. Ben Parker picked up three wickets as we ended up victors by 83 runs. Next up we hosted Claires Court at Shepperton CC. We got off to a strong start, with Dexter 114

Summer Sports Report scoring 42 and Jonty 20. Although we scored 157 for eight off our 20 overs we were slightly below par.

Unfortunately, we didn’t turn up with the ball or in the field, and although two of the batters played very well, we made life easy for them and they chased it down for the loss of only one wicket.

After half term, Wimbledon College were the visitors. Once again, Josh, Dexter and Luke were dominant with the bat, with Luke falling agonisingly short of a hundred, holing out for a brilliantly made 95. We set Wimbledon a stiff target of 185 for victory. Once again, we were not giving anything away with the ball, and with wickets being shared around we won by 77 runs. Next followed a trip to Tiffin. On a tricky pitch and against a good bowling attack, we managed to get up to 106 for seven with good contributions won from Jack, Luke, and Angus Wilson. The bowlers defended this low total very well. They kept things very tight and took wickets at regular intervals, which led to a victory by 21 runs.

Our final match was a trip to Sutton Grammar. We bowled and fielded probably as well as we had done all season, with Jonty and Harry Jennings being the pick. Against the strongest bowling attack we faced all season, we paced our chase very well with Luke getting 51 and Dexter 40. Unfortunately, we lost a couple of wickets in quick succession and with some brilliant death bowling from the opposition, we fell two runs short. The boys should be proud of the effort they have put in this season and there is certainly more to come from them moving into next season and a tour to Jersey.

The Under 14B team worked hard this season and gave some impressive performances against tough opposition. Led superbly by Alfie Saunders, our first match was away against Claremont. After some big hitting from the Claremont opener, they posted a decent total which we narrowly failed to chase down, despite good innings by Ben Chapman and the skipper. Our second fixture against Gordon’s was particularly tough, as Gordon’s fielded a team that seemed to be made up of A and B team players. In extreme heat, and missing some of our key players, we toiled manfully but Gordon’s posted a big total.

We were then blown away by the talented Gordon’s opening bowler.

Our last fixture against Tiffin was our best performance of the season. Bowling first, we made early inroads, with Natty Schofield picking up three excellent wickets. Tiffin’s total was below par, though we had to contend with a Tiffin leg spinner who was on his game and ended up taking a hattrick to finish the game. A promising season, sadly with no wins, though with some excellent individual performances and a great team spirit.

Year 10 Mr Fieldhouse

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The U15 cricket team has had another highly successful season in 2022/23, with an 82% win ratio across both teams. As a group, we have used close to 30 players this season and have seen some real growth on the field from individuals within the year group.

The U15A season started with an impressive victory over Salesian College in May at Shepperton CC. After Salesian College won the toss and chose to bat, they managed just 71 runs in their 20 overs with a top score of just 13. The pick of the Halliford bowlers on the day was Theo Maroussas with bowling figures of 3/4 in just three overs. In reply, our opening partnership of Wilkin and Porter steered the ship brilliantly to 68

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TheHALLIFORDIAN before the fall of the first wicket. Porter top scored with 36 (n/o) in the game and the match was won by nine wickets in just 10.1 overs.

Our second game of the season saw the team take on Harrodian School at home a week later. Losing the toss and being put in the field, the group felt confident and went about putting pressure on the batsman.

Harrodian totalled just 71 in their 16 overs, with some good line and length being bowled by Oliver White and Oli Fenton. Positive battling from Felix Porter scoring 37 (n/o) saw the team go on to win the game by eight wickets.

Our first true test of the season came on a sunny afternoon at St. George’s. After an impressive bowling display by Oli Fenton and Owen Flower, St. George’s posted a score of 111 in their 20 overs. After some positive batting from our openers, Felix Porter and Ethan Wilkin putting on an opening partnership of 61, the team went on to win the game by eight wickets in just 16 overs.

Two days later saw the U15s travelled to Claires Court in a much closer affair. After being put into bat for the first time this season the team posted 133 runs, with special mention to Daniel Gray for his big 28 in the middle order. After Claires Court opening batting partnership failed, their middle order picked up the run rate and looked threatening, but as wickets kept tumbling they needed 15 off the last over. Jack Farrow sealed the win for the team with some excellent variation and accuracy with Claires Court only achieving 128.

The following week saw another excellent batting and bowling performance against Wimbledon College who reached just 91 runs in their 20 overs, with the pick of our bowlers Theo Maroussas taking 4/0 off just two overs. Our openers quickly set about the target with Charlie Scott (35 n/o) and Felix Porter (29 n/o) and things were all over by the 12th over.

At the start of June, we then came up against Latymer School at Shepperton CC. Winning the toss and choosing to bat, our openers Felix Porter (82) and Ethan Wilkin (52) developed an outstanding partnership of 150 runs, which set us up nicely to take the field. After a strong start with the ball and Latymer 30/2 of five overs, the game looked to be going our way. But as is often the way in sport, a curve ball was thrown our way and this one we could just not stop. After a promising start Latymer batters dug in with D Barret seeing out the innings in the 19th over finishing up on 99 runs.

A week later the team was back to winning ways after a convincing victory against Gordon’s School, setting our highest score of the year in an impressive 227 runs with Charlie Scott top scoring with an impressive 61 runs.

After that strong performance, the team were on the road again to Ewell Castle a week later in what turned out to be one of the games of the season. After losing the toss and being put into bowl, both openers frustrated our bowling attack, reaching 120 runs before the first wicket fell. 135 runs to win the game, the group felt confident as they went into bat. After a slow start to the innings, our middle order helped accelerate the run rate, but unfortunately, we never recovered and 40 from the last three overs was a touch too far for us, ending up on 131/6.

Our last home game of the season saw the group come together one final time at Shepperton CC, hosting Wallington County Grammar School on a sunny Saturday morning in June. After a strong batting display from their top order, Wallington reached 128/7 in their 20 overs. Learning from our mistakes the week before, we needed to make sure we had a strong start to our innings, with confidence high amongst the group. After two early wickets Oliver White (51) and Josh Morrison (40) saw the game home in just 13 overs after some brilliant batting both sides of the wicket.

I would like to thank the U15 players for their hard work this season and commitment to the two teams across the season. After some memorable victories for both teams and some outstanding performances with both the bat and ball, I wish all the players the best as they move into senior cricket next season. I would like to leave you with the final word of the season from Felix Porter U15A team captain.

‘The U15 team has been a great team to captain with some great wins and moments throughout the season.

The season started off on a sunny morning at Shepperton Cricket Club where we had a dominating game

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Summer Sports Report against Salesians with a nine wicket win. We carried on with great form with wins versus Harrodian, Claires Court and Wimbledon College, with the team ending up with six wins out of our eight matches and having an overall successful season. Stand out bowlers of the season are Theo Maroussas who took 12 wickets and Oli White taking 11. Stand out batsmen of the season are Charlie Scott, who scored 186 runs and myself with 285.

With special mentions of Lucas Hayes Garcia, Jack Gyles, JJ Lam-Denham, and Tom Robinson, who came into the team when we were short of players and did a great job.’

1XI Mr Shales and Mr Churchill

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This season saw a number of Upper Sixth boys come back to cricket after a few years away from the game, which was great to see. After a couple of cancellations, the season started with a home match against Gordon’s. Against some tight bowling, we managed to get up to 145 for five off 20 overs, Jivraj Singh scoring 50. With ball in hand, the boys were very clinical indeed. Bowling with great skill and accuracy, they skittled Gordon’s for 28, winning by 118 runs. Wickets were shared around Jake Fernandes and Oscar Peacock were the pick.

Next followed the visit of Salesians. With rain around, the match was reduced to 12 overs a-side. We posted 92 for four with Euan Cole and Michael Van Rensburg in the runs. Once again, the bowlers hit their line and length from the off and put pressure on the batsmen straightaway. They eventually made it to 61 for eight off their 12 overs giving us a victory by 30 runs with Harri Roberts and Sam Griffiths leading the way.

We then travelled to face St. George’s 2XI. On a belter of a pitch, our bowlers and fielders did well to restrict them to 160 for four off their 20 overs. Highlights of the innings were Oscar’s two catches, Euan’s run out, and Harry Tuckman taking a wicket on his return to cricket. The less said about Matthew Jackson dislocating his shoulder while throwing the ball, the better!! Our response was spearheaded

by Jivraj Singh, ably supported by Mannat Virk and Michael Van Rensburg. Jivraj batted superbly and with two runs required for victory and four for him to score a hundred he inexplicably ran a two, leaving himself on 98 Not Out and giving us a victory by eight wickets.

A visit to Latymer followed after half term. This proved to be one of those games where everything went wrong. The opposition took all their chances and bowled superbly, and their batsmen were in great rhythm and form, leading to a 10-wicket defeat.

On June 14 we hosted the MCC at Shepperton CC. Once again, this day was the highlight of the school’s cricket season. Fielding first on a sweltering day, the boys stuck to their task well, but the quality of the MCC batsmen shone through. All of the bowlers worked really hard in the heat, with Jake Fernandes being the pick in the end. The MCC batted about five overs too long, setting us an unrealistic target but more importantly, 37 overs to survive. Jivraj, Euan and Will Hamilton all made starts but were unable to go on to make a big score. We found ourselves seven wickets down with 13 overs to go, but thanks to a heroic rearguard action from Freddie Humphreys, Michael Van Rensburg and Sam Griffiths saw us survive for the draw eight wickets down. A great result for the boys against a top-quality opposition.

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Headmaster’s Select Cricket Squad 2023 As every sporting season draws to a close, the PE and Games staff sit down and face the difficult decisions associated with putting the Headmaster’s squads together. The cricket season is no different.

Below is what we have settled on for the Headmaster’s XI this year.

Nathan Farquharson Year 7 Wicketkeeper

Theo Maroussas Year 10 Bowler

Rajveer Johal Year 9 All rounder

Felix Porter Year 10 All rounder

Luke Golding Year 9 All rounder

Ethan Wilkin Year 10 Batsman

Jivraj Singh Lower Sixth All rounder

Jack Giddens Year 9 Bowler

Archit Dalvi Year 8 All rounder

Ben Snowball Year 8 Batsman

Samir Al-Falaki Year 7 Bowler

Euan Cole Captain Upper Sixth Batsman

Cricket Colours Ties Colours ties are presented to senior students who have performed regularly for and impressed in our first XI this term. They have been awarded to the following students: Year 11: Sam Griffiths, Will Hamilton, Freddie Humphreys, Cameron Terry Sixth Form: Jake Fernandes, Oscar Peacock, Harri Roberts, Freddie Scott, Riley Whittington 118

Summer Sports Report

Inter-House Cricket Inter-House Cricket takes place during allocated Games afternoons. Houses play each other in eight over innings in an 8-10 a-side format depending on the year group size and availability of cricketers in each form.

The competition is always great fun and all Inter-House competitions are popular among the students.

This year due to the busy fixture schedule and losing some early games to weather, only Year 7 and Year 8 competitions were completed. Results can be seen below:

U12

U13

1st

Greville

Russell

2nd

Wadham & Desborough

Wadham

3rd 4th

Desborough Russell

Greville

This year the golf team of Archie McGuff, Joshua Rowe and Josh Stimson played Hampton in the first round of the National Golf Knockout at Fulwell GC. Every match was a tight contest, with all matches coming down to the final two holes. Thankfully the boys held their nerve and won the match 2.5 - 0.5.

The reward for this was a second-round match at Burhill against Reeds Academy. This was always going to be a difficult match, given that all the opposition were nearly scratch golfers and one had just come back from representing England in a match at the weekend. Joshua Rowe went out first. This was a very tight tussle that went all the way to the 17th, with Joshua suffering a very narrow loss. Josh Stimson and Archie McGuff’s matches started well, but the quality of the opposition soon shone through, and both lost. The team put up a good overall showing against last year’s winners but unfortunately it was not quite enough. Pride was restored when the boys showed the opposition how to properly handle the post-match meal!

GOLF

The National Golf Competition was once again held at The Warwickshire Golf and Country Club this year. The team of Joshua Rowe and Richard Baker competed against the best schoolboy and schoolgirl golfers in the country on a very tricky course they had never played before. Both the boys equipped themselves very well in particularly windy conditions. Joshua finished his round with a superb two over par 74, which gave him a tie for eighth place overall. Richard also played to his handicap and finished in the middle of the field, a great effort in his first competition for the school.

This year saw the second instalment of the Halliford Golf Day, played at Sunbury GC this time. A 26 strong field of staff, students, old boys, and current students took to the course in sweltering conditions.

There was some very impressive, and some less than impressive golf on show, but a great day was had by all. It was tight at the top of the leaderboard but in the end one of the parents, Chris King was the overall winner by one shot.

The after-school golf activity at Sunbury GC has again proved popular this year. A number of boys have participated in this and made good progress with their technique.

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Sports Day 2023 Sports Day took place on Wednesday 5 July this year. It is a favourite event among staff as it achieves a true mass participation element. Throughout the day, students competed in a range of track and field events. There were many excellent performances all around from students. Competition between the four school Houses was very close throughout the day, with only a handful of points separating three of the four Houses moving into the final relay events of the day.

Impressive performances came from Barney Connop in the field events, particularly in shot put and discus. Luca Brief in Year 7 impressed with his speed on the track in both 100m and 200m. Louie Paterson was also superb in the senior 100m, narrowly missing out on the school record by 0.09 seconds! We hope he can go one better next year. Harry Tuckman also had two dominant performances in the senior 800m and 1500m, a convincing winner in both events.

The attitude and effort of the students was commendable and we are very grateful to the Xcel centre for allowing us to rent their outstanding facility. It inspired some excellent performances from the Halliford students. Congratulations to Desborough House who were the narrow winners this year.

Prize winners for the day are listed below: Trophy/Shield

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Age Group

Awarded to

Junior Inter-House Relay Race

Junior

Wadham House

Junior Sports Champion

Most Successful Junior Athlete

Luca Brief

Polgreen Cup

Fastest Intermediate 400m

Dexter Lee

Ashfield Shield Intermediate 1500m

Fastest Intermediate 1500m

Adam Claudet

Intermediate Sports Champion Cup

Most Successful Intermediate Athlete

Dexter Lee

Grimwade 100m Cup

Fastest Winning Race Time

Louie Paterson

Carrington High Jump Cup

Highest Jump of the Day

Dayan Nana

Long Jump Open

Furthest Long Jump

Christian Fleming-Jenner

Senior Shot

Furthest Senior Throw

Barney Connop

Senior Discus

Furthest Senior Throw

Barney Connop

Senior Javelin

Furthest Senior Throw

Eddie Rabett

Senior Hurdles

Fastest Senior Time

Josh Morrison

Victor Ludorum

Most Successful Senior Athlete

Harry Tuckman

Inter-House Athletic Cup

Overall Sports Day Winner

Desborough House

Summer Sports Report

Hallifordian Sporting Accomplishments Both Jack and Dexter have had fantastic football seasons at Halliford, however their achievements outside school remain superb, and they continued playing into the start of the Summer Term. Jack continues to excel at Sutton United and Dexter following two trial extensions at Chelsea is now on trial with Southampton. After attending the final few sessions of this year, Dexter has been invited to continue his trial through pre-season and into the start of the new playing season.

The photo here shows Dexter attending a tournament with Chelsea’s academy during the Easter holiday in Italy, where he gained a lot of game time on the pitch.

Both Jack and Dexter are pictured below for the Independent Schools Football Association. They played against Leicester in the Easter holidays, another fantastic opportunity for both of them.

Following this, Dexter was selected for ISFA against Welsh Schools on 7 May. Jack has also represented Surrey County, against Kent and Sussex (pictured here playing against Kent).

FOOTBALL

Jack Giddens and Dexter Lee, Year 9

We are very proud of both boys, who continue to play at a very high level. As they move into pre-season, we look forward to following Jack’s progress with Sutton United and wish Dexter the best of luck with his continued trial at Southampton.

Both boys are eagerly awaiting the new season to commence and will soon resume pre-season training with the Fulham Academy.

Both Zack and Khai have represented Surrey County this year and are pictured at a Surrey v Sussex match at the start of the Summer Term where Surrey were the winners, with Khai scoring two goals in this game.

FOOTBALL

Khai Vally and Zack Brief, Year 8

Both students have represented London ISFA this season past, and Zack and Khai have been asked to represent ISFA at national level for season 23-24, a fantastic achievement.

Gabriel is a talented sportsman and plays hockey outside school with Old Kingstonian Hockey Club. Before the conclusion of the season, his team won a bronze medal in the London Hockey Cup and Plate Knockout Competition for U14s. This is two years above Gabriel’s U12 age group category as a Year 7.

Around 100 teams were eligible for the competition across London, so it was a real achievement to get to the finals. The finals were held at the Olympic Park Stratford, where the GB team played in 2012.

HOCKEY

Gabriel Wittrock, Year 7

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TheHALLIFORDIAN Sam and Max have once again been involved with the London Irish DPP academy this season past. At the conclusion of the season at the start of the Summer Term, Sam and Max had their Harlequins Cup Final against Rosslyn Park at The Stoop. This match is always fiercely contested.

RUGBY

Sam Griffiths and Max Smith, Year 11

FOOTBALL

Dexter Lee, Year 9

London Irish won to take the cup for the second year in a row. The boys and their teammates were both extremely proud of their achievement against such a competitive side and had a wonderful experience to play at The Stoop.

At the start of the Summer Term, following his selection for the national Independent Schools Football Association side, Dexter was up in Cardiff for the England ISFA versus Welsh Schools FA match. It was a fantastic, competitive game and finished 2-2 at full-time. It went to penalties and unfortunately England ISFA lost, having had a chance to win it at one point.

Dexter didn’t take a penalty, however he was very happy afterwards as he felt he had one of his best performances as a centre back. His ISFA experience has been a fantastic one so far, and he waits to hear on selection for the U15 age group category. We keep our fingers crossed for him.

James already has an international vest on the wall in the PE block, and we continue to follow his progress closely. This year he has been juggling a busy training schedule with the demands of GCSEs.

KAYAKING

James Ross, Year 11

Recently following on from the National Sprint Regatta in Nottingham a few weekends past, he has once again been selected to represent Great Britain at the Canoe Sprint Olympic Hopes in Poznań, Poland, in September.

We look forward to seeing how he gets on.

Harry Dence (Year 8) and Lucas Symons (Year 9) were invited to take part in the three day RYA Eric Twiname Junior Championships at Rutland Water as part of the London & South East Team. Out of 90 Topper sailors from across the UK (all selected from the RYA Regional Training Squads) Harry came 21st and Lucas came 28th.

SAILING

Harry Dence, Year 8 & Lucas Symons, Year 9

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Lucas was really pleased to qualify into the gold fleet final at the Topper World Championships at Lake Garda, Italy and placed 72nd overall after five days of racing, on the water for five hours each day in the famous Ora winds. Closer to home and in lighter winds, he placed 15th in the silver fleet at the National Championships in Weymouth.

Both have a busy summer of training and events, and we look forward to hearing further updates on the boys’ progress.

Summer Sports Report Jakob recently competed at the London Summer Championships. Jakob qualified for four individual events and two relay events. Jakob was pleased to PB in all of his races. Next on the horizon are the Regional Open Water Championships in July and hopefully Welsh Nationals in August.

SWIMMING

Jakob Holder, Year 10

Rajveer has captained the U14A side this season at Halliford. Rajveer is a very talented cricketer and we are delighted he has been selected for the Middlesex County Cricket Club U14s final playing squad. He is also part of our elite cricket group, who train with Ed Young.

Only 12 boys have been picked for the squad which highlights how well he has done to have been selected. He has already played a few county fixtures and will continue to play throughout the season until late September, which involves a total of about 28 fixtures.

Leo continues to be very successful on a tennis court! Leo did well at the recent G1 National Grass Court Championships in East Gloucestershire coming runner up. As a result of this, he was awarded a Great Britain wild card into the 14U international event at the Wimbledon Championships this year! Both winner and runner up get wild cards. Leo will therefore compete against some of the best young tennis players from all over the world and the event will run alongside the adult championships at Wimbledon in the 2nd week on the championship courts. He has also been selected to represent GB in the Summer Cup in Spain run by Tennis Europe in the first week of July so an exciting summer coming up for him!

CRICKET

Rajveer Johal, Year 9

TENNIS

Leo Wright, Year 9

MY HALLIFORD SCHOOL STORY

Harry King, 7G I came to Halliford School because of the nice size, and the staff seemed really nice. The entrance exams were good because we were in classrooms instead of a hall. My highlights are dissecting a chicken leg in Science and building my photo frame in Design and Technology. I am really pleased I came to Halliford because of the size, my amazing friends, and the club opportunities. The teachers have been so nice and have made it an amazing first year.

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– Art Exhibition 2023 –

Ben Mills GCSE 124

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Ben Mills GCSE 125

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Sam Tavaziva GCSE 126

– Art Exhibition 2023 –

Sammi Matoorian-Pour GCSE 127

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Thomas Gavey GCSE 128

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Jamie Lamprell GCSE 129

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Arjun Pahuja GCSE 130

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Felix Labaki GCSE 131

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– Art Exhibition 2023 –

Samraj Satha GCSE 132

– Art Exhibition 2023 –

Cassidy Wyeth GCSE 133

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– Art Exhibition 2023 –

Theo Howard GCSE 134

– Art Exhibition 2023–

Ollie Collard GCSE 135

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– Art Exhibition 2023 –

Joshua Rowe GCSE 136

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Joshua Rowe GCSE 137

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– Art Exhibition 2023 –

Will Hamilton GCSE 138

– Art Exhibition 2023 –

Will Hamilton GCSE 139

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– Art Exhibition 2023 –

Lewis Gomez-Moore GCSE 140

– Art Exhibition 2023 –

Lewis Gomez-Moor GCSE 141

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– Art Exhibition 2023 –

Dominic Connor GCSE 142

– Art Exhibition 2023 –

Dominic Connor GCSE 143

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– Art Exhibition 2023 –

Freddie King A Level 144

– Art Exhibition 2023 –

Freddie King A Level 145

TheHALLIFORDIAN

– Art Exhibition 2023 –

Freddie King A Level 146

– Art Exhibition 2023 –

Freddie King A Level 147

TheHALLIFORDIAN

DESBOROUGH House Report

by Mr Vincent Harden-Chaters, Head of House

House Captain: William Jones to disappoint. His personal initial address left first win in over eight years! Before I discuss The 2022/2023 academic year bore witness not a dry eye in the house and was followed the results, I would like to make a special to phenomenal results in many of the House by the most succinct and logical argument mention of the boys in Year 10 for filling in competitions, and I am pleased that so many heard in these hallowed halls in many a year. and ensuring we had a competitor for every of the Desborough boys took the opportunity The boys were aptly rewarded for their hard event, and to Matthew Sanders for entering to get involved. Last year, I mentioned the work with another victory. The Intermediate all U19 events. In the U12 competitions, I strong sense of community being paramount competition saw far tougher competition would like to mention the following winners: in our many successes, and I can only say that than last time round, and unfortunately, the Fraser Greany (12B Hurdles), Dylan Hayesthis year has surpassed the last. These past pupils fell just short of the final. My thanks Garcia (100m C), Zachary Markham (100m B), three terms, I have been able to see the best in go to Billy Dobby for organising the team and and the 12B Relay team. In the U13 contests, each of the boys in Desborough House. They to Jenson Waite, Oliver Scott, Ruaridh Bell, thanks to Rocco Maroussas (1500m and are all passionate and caring young men with Rocky Lehmann, and Nicholas Bennett for 800m), George Sanders (100m B), Arthur a love for learning and taking on the chance to stepping up. The Junior team also made the Hetherington-Johns (100m C), Lagan final but were given a difficult topic and were Gomez-Moore (100m A), Aiden Sairanen push beyond their comfort zones. up against a strong Russell team. My thanks Fuller (Javelin), and the 13A relay team. In The first competition of the year is always the to Vic Waters, AJ Scott, Denis Lynch, and the U14 competitions, congratulations on Inter-House Song Contest, which for eight Nicky Bootle-Wilbraham for their fantastic winning to Christian Fleming-Jenner (100m A, years has eluded our grasp. An awe-inspiring preparation and resilience in the face of defeat. 200m A, High Jump, and Long Jump), Nathan rendition of Viva La Vida was performed by the Rugby has always been a difficult ask as often Jones (100m B and 200m D), Rocky Lehmann whole of Desborough, with the main singer, our strengths as a House lie elsewhere, but (100m D), and the C relay team. The winners Jared Bullett, even suitably clad as a king. The the pupils rise to the challenge each year and of the U15 competitions were Josh Morrison stripped-back band comprised of the virtuosos show their commitment. The U14 boys were (Hurdles B, 200m D), Jake Goodman (800m Billy Dobby on cello, Monty Savarino on violin, the pick of the results and when up against and 1500m), Theo Maroussas (200m B and and Daniel Bootle-Wilbraham on piano. This some stiff competition did well to finish 100m A), Lucas Hayes Garcia (200m A and was followed up with Baggy Trousers by second in their age category. The U13 and U15 100m B), Charlie Moria (100m C), and the A Madness, where Billy Dobby took the lead boys showed brilliant commitment but had and B relay teams. Last but by no means least with Jake Goodman on guitar, Thomas Lever strong opposition and thus only managed a were the U19 winners Harry Tuckman (800m, on bass, Monty Savarino on drums, Daniel fourth-placed finish. The Senior and U12 boys 200m A, 400m A, and 1500m), Edward Bootle-Wilbraham on keyboard, and Riley showed great House spirit and gave it their all, Rabett (Javelin), Harley Reynolds (100m Whittington on saxophone. Alas, we couldn’t which is all that I can ask of them.

B), and the relay team. My thanks go to all do enough to overcome the very experienced of those who took part in all competitions and talented Wadham band. I would also This year’s football results were a mixed lot, for the House and helped us secure a wellbut the boys showcased some fantastic skills like to thank all the singers who are far too deserved victory. numerous to mention individually for their and teamwork. The U14, U13, and U12 teams all fought valiantly to secure third-place The final competition of the year is the House efforts and hope that next year their efforts finishes, while the U15 faced stiff competition Merit Shield. Unfortunately, our three-year can seal the victory they so deserve. and had some unfortunate bad luck with winning streak finally came to an end with a Debating has always been a competition injuries and strong opposition. third-place finish of 4,342, just 194 short of in which we excel, and this year saw utter the winning total.

Onto the Cross-Country competition, which domination in the Senior competition. The team of defending champions was much not only saw some extraordinary solo results In conclusion, the achievements highlighted changed, with the only veteran of last year’s from Ed Goy (U12 Winner), Rocco Maroussas in this report merely scratch the surface victory, James Manzi, leading the team. He (U13 Winner), George Clark (U13 3rd place), of the remarkable efforts exhibited by the was joined by Jared Bullett, Harley Reynolds, Jake Goodman (U15 2nd place), and Theo students of Desborough House. It is an and Hayden Haslam-Baker. The boys breezed Maroussas (U15 3rd place). The other boys absolute privilege to work with them, to to the final, where they met a strong Russell also showed great spirit, with the House stimulate their critical thinking, witness team. However, the gods were smiling when finishing in first place in the U13 event, second their enjoyment of school, and nurture their we were given the topic to pose, which was in the U14, and third in the U15 and U12 events. passion for learning both within and beyond Britain is still Great. This being one of James’ This secured the Junior competition, which is a the classroom. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated tutor team who have been most passionate subjects, we were off to a fantastic result. great start. Harley opened by outlining the Sports Day always fills me with a feeling instrumental in upholding the spirit of the argument and showing that Britain does in fact of nervous energy. This is the penultimate House and providing unwavering support meet the definition. Next, Hayden, sporting challenge for the House and one that has to the students and myself. While we bid a fantastic pair of Union Jack socks, made eluded Desborough for many years. This year, farewell to Mr Churchill as he returns to his passionate arguments, which were followed however, was different. The school values beloved Wadham House, I am confident that

by James’ emotive speech. The ace up our of being a team player and resilience were they are fortunate to have him, and I anticipate sleeves was always Jared, and he did not fail in bountiful supply and helped secure our his continued success as a Year 7 tutor. Here’s to another year of fantastic achievements!

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Desborough

House Reports

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Riley Whittington

James Manzi House Captain

Raibeart Archibald

Oscar Peacock

Oliver Grayer

Luke Elliott

Jared Bullett

Edward Rabett

Daniel Winders

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GREVILLE House Report

by Mr Darren Howard, Head of House

House Captain: Finley Broekhuizen This year, a new competition, the Sixth Form Rusty Pole, kicked off the Inter-House rivalry. In this tennis and football hybrid game, Greville progressed to the final. In a ferociously competitive game, when down to our last player, Freddie Scott conjured up an inspired performance and managed to salvage victory away from the jaws of defeat.

In this inaugural competition, Greville was victorious. A good start to the Inter-House year, and this would, hopefully, be the first of many future successes to come our way.

has been the overall winner of the InterHouse Rugby Competition. A massive thank you to all of you who put your bodies in the firing line to ensure that the House acquitted itself with pride and brought home the silverware this year.

The Cross-Country Competition was quickly upon us in the Spring Term. Over a long gruelling week, this Inter-House event saw some strong individual performances. 9G came first in the U14 competition, meaning Greville won the intermediate category. An encouraging second position from the Year 7 students, in which Will Andrews came 2nd, With the Autumn Term progressing, this and Josh Cain came 3rd individually, bodes year’s Inter-House Singing Contest crept well for the future. Year 8 (3rd) and Year 10 slowly but surely closer. The search for a (4th) tried their best to support, but overall song seemed to take an eternity this year, but victory in the Inter-House Competition eventually, rehearsals began in earnest. With eluded Greville this year. A huge thank you the variety of clubs and activities running on to all the runners who ran their hearts out different days, although the House band and gave their best in the Cross-Country managed to meet, it proved difficult for Competition. the musicians and the whole House to get together for lunchtime rehearsals. Singing The Inter-House Football Competition to a backing track in the Learning Resource occurred as the Spring Term entered its final Centre and performing with a live band are few weeks. Although debatable refereeing two entirely different entities. Although decisions and the crossbar played their a good performance, this lack of practice inevitable roles in deciding the outcome of affected our funky rendition of Kool and some of the football games, Greville was The Gang’s Get Down On It on the day. fiercely competitive in these matches. With Composed of Noah Acheson-Fenton, Jamie Year 7 champions of their age group and Lamprell, James McCummiskey, and Carter Year 8 coming supportively 2nd, Greville Robinson, the House band’s performance of managed to secure the junior competition.

Blur’s Parklife was spellbinding. Even though This was replicated by U15, who won the Carter Robinson’s mesmerising stage senior competition. A valuable contribution presence was recognised, unfortunately, from the Year 10 students meant that we could not defend our reign in the Inter- Greville was able to walk away beaming House Singing Contest this year. A big thank with pride as we managed to win, although you to the whole House for the hours you jointly, the overall competition. It has been a while since Greville’s name has adorned the spent rehearsing. football trophy, so a huge thanks to all the As the term closed in on Christmas, Greville Grevillites that took part in the Inter-House and the other Houses went head-to-head football teams this year. in the Inter-House Rugby Competition.

Again, some bone-crunching performances The Inter-House Debating Competition were displayed this year, and many of the that had been running throughout the year group matches were nail-bitingly year concluded in the Summer Term. In close. Year 7 and 8 won their competitions, the Seniors, Roald Aschim (L6G) and in the meaning Greville triumphed in the Junior Juniors, Kai Scanlen (8G) were bestowed Competition. With Year 9 coming third and with Top Speaker awards. Whilst in both Year 10 winning their age group, the House categories, each team gave convincing were joint intermediate category champions. performances, neither team was able to It has been a long time since Greville House progress beyond the preliminary rounds.

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In the Intermediate Competition, Lucas Symons (9G) picked up a top speaker award and a passionate argument from Alex Slobodianiuk (10G), which meant that Greville made it into their first-ever debating final this year. Unfortunately, the team comprising Liam Nicklette-Doyle, Lucas Symons and Dayan Nana narrowly lost by two votes to one. Better provision has led to more success in this competition, and hopefully, this will continue in the future. A huge amount of respect to all of you who have exercised your minds in this competition.

With a busy school cricket fixture schedule and losing some afternoons to the weather, only the Year 7 and 8 Inter-House competitions were completed. Whilst Year 8 struggled to find their form with the willow, Year 7 prevailed in their competition. This meant Year 7 completed a clean sweep of cricket, football, and rugby. Mr Fieldhouse was immensely proud of how his tutor group competed through this year.

On a deceptively chilly and showery day, which saw Mr Morriss huddled in his jacket while keeping track of the ongoing tally, Sports Day took place in the Xcel Centre in Walton.

Greville gave their best, and there were some fine displays of athleticism on both the track and field, such as Tommy Ballard in the U19 High Jump, Barney Brown in the U13 Discus, Corey Pyke in the U14 Discus and Shot and Oscar Wintle in the U14 200m. In addition, Dayan Nana won the U15 High Jump and secured the Carrington Cup with the highest jump of the day. Unfortunately, Greville could only manage fourth place in the Inter-House Athletics Cup. Thank you, Finley, for your help as House Captain this year and to every Grevillite for all the effort you have expended this year, whether sporting or academic. To the Upper Sixth students who have completed their Halliford journey, we wish you well in your future endeavours. Please stay in touch and remember you will always be a Hallifordian. Finally, I hope you all have a restful summer, and I look forward to seeing you all in September.

Greville

House Reports

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Thomas Yacoot

Finley Broekhuizen House Captain

Oliver Willoughby

Oliver Hume

Noah Acheson-Fenton

Max Hobbs

Louis MacDonald

James Breach

Charles Newman

Ben Carrodus

Archie McGuff

Archie McGregor

Alex Batty

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RUSSELL House Report

by Mr Matthew Shales, Head of House

House Captain: Tilly Ludlam Mr Shales writes: Once again, Russell House continues to grow from strength to strength, and the House Spirit continues to shine through in all we do as a group. This was certainly seen in the way the boys and girls supported Charities Week, with the Russell House Stocks once again proving to be a particularly popular event, and I can’t imagine why!! My thanks to all the brave volunteers who took part. I have always found the hardest part of this job to be saying goodbye to the Upper Sixth; this year is no exception. As my classroom has been their Tutor Room over the years, I have had the pleasure of getting to know them particularly well. All I can say is that time with them was certainly never boring!! You can always be guaranteed a lot of drama, laughs, and most certainly noise in P24. A bunch of more dedicated and supportive students you could not wish to meet, and their all-round energy will certainly be missed by all. I feel blessed that they were my last cohort, and I wish them all the best for the future. They certainly will take the outside world by storm and deserve all the success they will undoubtedly achieve.

Inter-House sport at Halliford continues to get increasingly competitive every year, and the rugby competition this year was no exception. Years 7, 8 and 10 faced challenging opposition and put great effort into their performances. Year 9 and the Seniors battled incredibly hard to win their respective groups. This led to Russell coming joint first in the Intermediate Category and overall winners in the Senior Competition. The following performed very well for the school to be selected for the Headmaster’s XV: Josh Guild, Dexter Lee, Khai Vally, Felix Porter, JJ Lam-Denham and Will Shanley. Rugby Colours were awarded to Josh Guild, Finlay Hanna, William O’Loughlin, Louie Paterson, Harri Roberts, Max Smith, and Will Shanley.

Once again, the Russell spirit came to the fore in the Cross-Country. Although we did not win any overall competitions, Adam Claudet did come first in the Year 9 race, with Thomas Perrin finishing third.

Football was once again a strength of the House, with 8R and 9R winning their respective competitions. A strong effort from 7R led to us being joint winners of the Junior

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category and winner of the Intermediate and Overall competitions. Congratulations to Dexter Lee, Khai Vally, and Zack Brief on being selected for the Headmaster’s XI and Will Hamilton, Oscar Shephard, Harri Roberts and Freddie Chandramohan on being given their Football Colours Ties. InterHouse Cricket was restricted this year due to adverse weather and extra school fixtures being played. As a result, only the Year 7 and 8 competitions were completed, with 8R coming out victorious. Congratulations to Rajveer Johal, Felix Porter and Ethan Wilkin for being selected for the Headmaster’s XI and well done to Jake Fernandes, Will Hamilton, Harri Roberts and Cameron Terry for being awarded their Cricket Colours Ties.

Inter-House Debating. Although robbed of their rightful victory in the competition’s final, the senior debating team showed continuous commitment, charisma, and enthusiasm in their performance throughout the competition’s duration. Although left with a small sense of indignation, the younger members of Russell House went on to prove victorious, showing the true talent the House has to offer. An inspiring performance from the Junior Debating Team, particularly Hayden Sanghera, was shown in their whole school finale, which was followed by another victory for the Intermediate Debating Team of Dion Henderson, Toby Hill, Jacob Hollyhead.

Russell House and its phenomenal leader Mr Shales welcomed me and my fellow Sports Day was once again as competitive newcomers with open arms. We have been as ever. With some challenging weather provided with continuous support over the conditions, the boys worked really hard last two years and were instantly adopted in all their respective events. The Russell into the Halliford and Russell families. I have House spirit was on show all day, and I was learnt much about what it means to be a particularly pleased to see the camaraderie Hallifordian through my form tutor, fellow of the boys who filled in for their friends who students, and Head of House. My time at were not there on the day. Sadly, our fantastic Halliford would not have been the same run of overall victories was not to be repeated without them. The school’s ambition, spirit this year. However, there were some great and talent shine brightly in competitive individual performances. Luca Brief was the House challenges, and the affable nature Most Successful Junior Athlete, Dexter Lee in which I have seen my classmates and won the Intermediate 400m and was the younger students approach these challenges Most Successful Intermediate Athlete, Adam is a true representation of what this school is Claudet won the Intermediate 1500m, and all about. I want to thank Mr Shales for being Louie Paterson ran the fastest 100m of the such an inspirational and supportive leader day with an outstanding time of 11.19 seconds. and wish his successor luck in filling the big gap he will leave when taking on his Director Tilly writes: We began the year with the Inter- of Student Welfare role.

House Music Competition which, although not a victorious outing, allowed the family Mr Shales writes: I would like to congratulate spirit of Russell to come through as it grasped Mr Morriss on being appointed the new Head its opportunity to shine in a classic display of Russell House and George O’Loughlin of, I’m a Believer and Locked Out Of Heaven. on being made the new House Captain. I Although reputation proves music not to be am very much looking forward to seeing our forte, the House gave it their all and went how these two can drive the House further. as far as to feature a group of Year 8’s dressed Tilly deserves so much credit and praise as the young Shrek babies who feature within for her work as House Captain. She has led the film that I’m a Believer is best known for. by example and encouraged, occasionally Bruno Mars’ Locked Out Of Heaven furthered forcefully, the boys to participate across the this display of ambition following a plethora board and has certainly kept me on my toes. of rehearsals and starring some incredibly Leaving Russell House fills me with great talented musicians, including Maisie Russell sadness, but thanks to all the students over on the piano, Josh Guild on the drums, and the last eight years, I carry with me only the Will Jackson and William O’Loughlin on the happiest and proudest of memories. Being guitars.

Head of Russell House has been the greatest privilege, and I look forward to seeing past, The Music Competition was followed by present, and future Russellites ‘Come as you an incredibly strong performance in the are. Go as all you can be.’

Russell

House Reports

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William Jackson

Tilly Ludlam House Captain

Maisie Russell

Luke Ingles

Lucy Durham

Jake Fernandes

Jai Toor

Harri Roberts

Freddie Chandramohan

Abi Pring

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WADHAM House Report

by Mr Roberto Bruno, Head of House

House Captain: Freddie King

When it comes to Inter-House sports, it has not been the best year. As a House, we have This being my first year as Head of Wadham put some great teams together and worked House, I was ready for a challenge and to hard to achieve, but we have fallen short. try and step into the big shoes left by the As a person who is not very sporty myself, I former Head of House, Mr Greggor. I was am proud of all the teams that played their welcomed to the House with open arms and hearts out and attempted to win against really got to know the fantastic students in some impressive teams in the three other Wadham. We truly have some of the most Houses. The results for Wadham are as creative and warm-hearted students in follows. Cross Country; U12s 1st, U13s 4th the House who will rise to every challenge with James Haines receiving 2nd, U14s 3rd with passion and enthusiasm. Our House with George Cotton coming in 2nd and U15s Captain, Freddie King, was the role 1st. In Football; U12s 4th, U13s 4th, U14s model we needed. He showed his love for 2nd and U15s 2nd. In Rugby; U12s 2nd, U13s Wadham and would often be found talking 3rd, U14s 4th, U15s 2nd and Senior 2nd. It to members of the House, encouraging, has been a busy year, and as a result, only and leading them. In Wadham, we like to Years 7 and 8 got to play their Inter-House celebrate our successes and advise our Cricket matches, where Wadham took 2nd peers on what the future may hold. We in both. Though this is not a wash of first have had some fantastic assemblies where places, I am incredibly proud of every player students were asked to give advice to those working hard and having fun representing in the year below, and some of the nuggets the House. of wisdom were, ‘Revise little and often’, ‘Do not think you are too cool to get involved The House activities always spread wider in something, just give it a try’, and ‘Go on than singing and sport, and if I spoke trips, go on as many as you can!’ As Head of about how proud I am of them all, I would House, I really enjoyed this level of bonding be writing a dissertation. There is one among the students and aim to encourage it event that always makes me proud to be as the years fly by. a Hallifordian, and that is Charities Week.

Being the first year of having to take the The first House competition was the Interlead, I was gifted the amazing Head of House Song Contest. Our House Captain, House, Freddie King. Freddie and I spoke Freddie chose the House song Live Forever about how we would raise money for

by Oasis and every student in the House was charity, and he told me, with unwavering involved. We spent a lot of time working and confidence, that he had it in hand. My mind encouraging each other to sing our hearts was put at ease, and he ran with the fiery out with the motto, ‘Winning is not the aim.

Chilli Challenge. When he asked me to take Let’s have some fun’. I can say with my hand part, I panicked, unable to stomach spice at on my heart we had a lot of fun practising, all. Freddie was fine for me to support him and the final performance included in what became a complete success. Freddie bucket hats, shades, and a lot of guitars had arranged the most amazing event with (mainly inflatable). Our band song for the teachers and students eating chillies for competition was the rock classic Hotel charity and raised the most amount of California by the Eagles. The band consisted money for Charities Week. The theatre was of Will Greaves, Jules Wain, Jivraj Singh, jam-packed with Hallifordians cheering on Daniel Hurlock-Bow and Laith Shafighian. the staff and students who seemed unfazed The boys in the band did a fantastic job by the chillies they were eating. It was truly mesmerising the audience with their talent an event to be proud of, and I feel this will and securing victory for Wadham House! quickly become an event that will be part of

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Halliford’s history for years to come.

Sports Day is an event every school looks forward to each year, and this year was no exception. I was pleased to support the most amazing students as they participated in track and field events. Wadham worked hard during the day and had many students participating in extra events if there was an absence. We saw real Wadham spirit, with students chanting and supporting each other. Michael Van Rensburg in L6W was determined to participate in most events, and he did so with pride. Some special shout-outs must go to Barney Connop for throwing the furthest distance in both the shot put and discus. Edward Rabett for the furthest throw in the javelin and the junior relay runners, all of whom were awarded for their athletic prowess. Wadham did not win Sports Day, but we came a very close second.

The year ended with lots of celebrations, with Wadham winning the Merit Shield. A big well done to Anaay Bathia (7W) for the most merits in the House. All years should end with some time for reflection. As stated in my final assembly this year, I am proud of the House, but now we have to look at where we have excelled and where we need to look for improvement. Yes, we won the Merit Shield and did well in sporting events, but let’s see how hard we can push ourselves to strive for even greater things. I want to end this report by saying a huge thank you to all the boys and parents in Wadham who have been amazing and so supportive. The form tutors in Wadham are also true superstars.

The amount of work and support they do for the House is unlike any I have seen, and I would like to take this time to thank you all. I have thoroughly enjoyed this year and look forward to seeing what the future has in store for Wadham House.

Wadham

House Reports

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William Madden

Freddie King House Captain

William Greaves

Paul-Louis Howard

Owais Ahmed

Noah Warner

Lucius Furuzawa

Jules Wain

George Phillips

Euan Cole

Ben Wittke

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Old Hallifordians News

by Mr Sam Lawrence, Chairman of the Old Hallifordians Yet another exciting and successful year in the Old Hallifordian calendar comes to a close. It has been a year of exciting events, achievements and many a memory made.

The year opened with some sad news as we learned of the passing of Old Hallifordian and former Bursar Wendy Simmons, who served the school from 1976 to 2006 and was instrumental in the modernisation of Halliford and it becoming the school we know and love today. During her time at the school and under her watchful eye, the school added the Baker Building, the John Crook Theatre, and the Sports Hall. Her loss will be greatly felt by many a Hallifordian.

Throughout the Autumn Term, the school made a proactive effort to share the experiences of our female Old Hallifordians, with many gracefully sharing their memories with the school and the community throughout the term. We are so lucky to have such diverse and talented alumni, and hearing from so many was an absolute delight. Those memories culminated in the Old Hallifordian Girls reunion event in January, which welcomed back a number of Old Hallifordians to enjoy some food and drinks, a tour of the school and be entertained by this year’s school production of The Odyssey. Many of those who attended commented on the changes to the school and were genuinely impressed by the new Learning Resource Centre and the Woodward Building. We hope to hear from fellow Old Hallifordian Girls in the future and hopefully welcome more back to visit to relive some happy memories.

As the seasons changed into summer, the school held its second annual Golf Day at Sunbury Golf Club, which was well attended by a number of Old Hallifordians. The day was a roaring success, and many thanks to Mr Slocock, who was instrumental in reaching out to Old Hallifordians and arranging such a successful day at the course. Another fabulous opportunity for the Halliford community to bring together Old Hallifordians with parents and students. It continues to amaze how despite the years between, there is still a distinct spirit shared by all Hallifordians.

The summer also saw the return of the Old Hallifordian team at this year’s Summer Social 7s tournament at Richmond Athletics Ground. The day would not have been such a success without the input and organisation of Mr Churchill (an Old Hallifordian himself), so many thanks to him for all his hard work.

Finally, it would be remiss not to congratulate the school on its outstanding achievements this year in receiving an Excellent in All Areas judgement by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, yet another shortlisting in the Independent Schools of The Year Awards and an outstanding review in The Good Schools Guide. An exceptional year for an exceptional school.

The Old Hallifordians would like to wish the school’s staff and students all the best for the next academic year. We look forward to welcoming this year’s Upper Sixth into the Old Hallifordians as they progress onto university and beyond. Special thanks go to Olivia Oakley for all her hard work in promoting the Old Hallifordians and keeping things ticking over.

We would love to hear all your news and memories on our Facebook page and via email, so please do get in touch.

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Autumn Old Hallifordians Highlights

Old Hallifordian Society As always, we encourage all Old Hallifordians to get involved and help us to develop the society.

STAY IN TOUCH Facebook

All Alumni events are published on our Alumni Facebook page.

Please visit www.facebook.com/Hallifordalumni. Please like and follow the page.

LinkedIn

Our LinkedIn group can be accessed by visiting: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3929687/

Email

We would like to communicate with you electronically, so please register your details by completing the online form on the Old Hallifordians page on the school website. Please visit: www. hallifordschool.co.uk/about/old-hallifordians

OLD HALLIFORDIAN CONTACTS Old Hallifordian Committee Chairman – Mr Sam Lawrence Committee Members – Mr Joe da Costa, Mr Alex Lenoel, Mr Justin Holder, Mr Ben Connop, Mr Adrian Wetherill Are you vibrant and enthusiastic?

Then why not come along and join the OH Committee?

For more details, contact the Chairman by email: samjlawrence95@gmail.com or call +44 7917 761 012

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Independent Senior Day School Boys 11-18 Years • Girls 16-18 Years

Russell Road Shepperton TW17 9HX Tel: 01932 223593 Email: registrar@hallifordschool.co.uk www.hallifordschool.co.uk