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House Reports
DESBOROUGH House Report
by Mr Vincent Harden-Chaters, Head of House
House Captain: William Jones
The 2021/2022 academic year saw a return to a full roster of House competitions, and I am pleased that so many of the Desborough boys took the opportunity to get involved. Throughout this year, there have been many positives to celebrate, and for me, the strong sense of community has been paramount in our many successes. These past three terms, I have seen the best in each of the boys in Desborough House. They are all dynamic and enthusiastic young people with a passion for learning and extending themselves beyond the classroom. After the cancellation of the Song Contest last year, the boys were looking to put right the wrongs of previous years. However, it wasn’t to be. Even after an amazing rendition of Sweet Caroline followed up with Fire by Kasabian, we couldn’t do enough to overcome stiff competition. My thanks go to William Jones and Billy Dobby for leading the singing and to the band made up of Jake Goodman and Ethan Manzi on guitar, Tom Lever on bass, Daniel BootleWilbraham and Ruaridh Bell on trumpet and Jack Giddens on drums. I would also like to thank all the singers who are far too numerous to mention individually for their efforts. Throughout this year, the three debating competitions have been a source of style, wit, and oratory. The senior team of Joe Farnell, Seb McGill, James Manzi, and Kardo Mutabchie were dominant, using strong and well-researched arguments to steamroller all opposition and win the competition decisively. The intermediate competition was also won in a similarly stellar way with Tom O’Connor, Olly Betts, Billy Dobby and Miles Cobley trouncing Russell House. Hopefully, the junior team will learn from the older students and be able to emulate their success next year. Rugby has traditionally been a mixed bag for the House, and this year was no different. One group did stand head and shoulders above the others, so my congratulations go to the U15 boys who saw off some very stiff competition to win their age category. The boys showed a tenacious attitude and won after four years of trying. The U13 boys also had a strong showing, managing to finish second. The U14 and U12 boys showed great House spirit and gave it their all, which is all I can ask of them. Staying on the sporting theme, this year’s football results were a marked improvement from previous years and allowed the boys to showcase some fantastic skills. The U14 showed excellent form to win their age group, and the U12 boys came close to emulating this success but were pipped to the post by a strong Greville team. The U15 team had one of the most interesting results and somehow managed to secure a secondplace finish, even though they only scored a solitary goal. The cross-country competition saw some extraordinary running, with Rocco Maroussas winning the U12 race and Jake Goodman winning the U14. The other boys also showed great spirit, with the House finishing in second place in the U12, U13 and U14 competitions and third in the U15 event. Rounding off the Inter-House sports events this year saw a cracking cricket competition. The U12 continued to show their sporting dominance by jointly winning the U12 competition. The U13, U14, and U15 students finished second in their very competitive fixtures. Sports Day was the penultimate challenge for the House and one that has eluded Desborough for many years. Unfortunately, many of our U14 students were tired from their extended stay on the continent but seeing so many still manage to attend despite the lack of sleep was heartening. Before discussing results, I would like to make a special mention to the boys in Year 9 for filling in and ensuring we had a competitor for every event. In the U12 competitions, I would like to mention the following winners: Rocco Maroussas (100m A), George Sanders (100m B) and Xander Gavey (400m B). In the U13 competitions, congratulations on winning to Christian Fleming-Jenner (100m A and Long Jump), Nathan Jones (100m B), Andrew Razza (100m C), Veer Gill (High Jump) and the A relay team. The winners of the U14 competitions were Josh Morrison (High Jump and Hurdles A), Jake Goodman (800m and 1500m), Theo Maroussas (200m A and 100m A), Lucas Hayes-Garcia (200m C/D) and the A and B relay teams. The winners of the hugely competitive U15 category were Lewis Gomez-Moore (Hurdles B) and Cameron Bird (400m C). Last but by no means least were the U19 winners of James Manzi (Discus), Riley Whittington (High Jump) and the relay team. My thanks go to all of those who took part in all competitions for the House. Sadly, we were the bridesmaid for yet another year, but with renewed vigour, I am sure we can secure the win next year. The year’s final competition goes on throughout the entire academic year, the Inter-House Merit Shield. I believe this is now three years in a row that we have secured the shield, with the total for this year of 5,334 Merits eclipsing last year’s total of 3,522 Merits, so a huge congratulations to you all. I would like to offer my thanks to my tutor team, who undoubtedly hold the House together and have been a continued source of support for the students and myself. Their dedication and professionalism have seen the students continue their path to firmer things. In closing, I would like to leave you with a quote from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, ‘When you arise in the morning, think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love.’ The achievements here only outline the incredible efforts of the pupils in Desborough House. It is a privilege to work with them, make them think, and see them enjoy their time in school and develop a love for learning inside and outside the classroom.
House Reports Desborough
LEAVERS 2022
Angelo Silvestri
Joseph Farnell William Jones House Captain
Joseph Martin Edward Luckins
Naveed Uddin
Oliver Bellis Ryan Alavi Sebastian McGill
Alistair Clarke William McGuigan
GREVILLE House Report
by Mr Darren Howard, Head of House
House Captain: Anthony Robins-Kent
On our return, one of the few remaining Covid restrictions that did exist was limits on the size of gatherings. Whilst further helping me to update my rusty IT skills, unfortunately, it meant that House assemblies still had to be streamed to individual tutor groups, and this began to cut into Mr Wright’s hope of bringing forth a slightly different format to the House Singing Contest this year. When these regulations were eased, it was a joyous feeling that we were finally able to congregate as a whole House. Rehearsals could now get under way, and Greville was fully committed to its defence of the Inter-House Singing Contest. The multitude of lunchtime activities meant that getting the instrumentalists and singers together proved a bridge too far, but under the musical leadership of Anthony RobinsKent and his team, the House song began to transform into Greville’s unique twist on Bastille’s Pompeii. Behind the scenes, Tom Wittke, Jamie Lamprell, James McCummiskey, and Carter Robinson worked, not so quietly, on perfecting their rendition of Henrietta by The Fratellis. In the School’s Centenary year, it was going to be Greville’s time. A massive thank you to all who participated in this competition. A great start to the Autumn Term, and so much more was still to come. InterHouse Debating started, and with the junior, intermediate and senior levels, this competition ran throughout the year. Individual awards were achieved by Marcus Dunne (9G) and Lucas Symons (8G) as Top Speakers in their age groups, but Greville must undertake better preparation if we wish to be more successful in this competition. A huge amount of respect to those of you that battled their wits this year. Later in the term, the annual testosteronefilled competition, Inter-House Rugby, got underway. As so often in this event, there were Herculean team performances, but unfortunately, Greville could only come joint runners-up in both the junior and intermediate competitions. A big thank you to all those who took part in these bruising encounters and ensured that the House acquitted itself with honour. Congratulations to Owen Morris, James Taylor and James Wiltshire on being awarded their 1st XV Rugby colours. The Cross-Country competition was quickly upon us in the Spring Term. Over a humid week, this Inter-House event saw some strong individual performances. Jamie Lamprell came third in Year 10, and 8G came first in the U13 competition. With Year 10 coming second and Year 7 and 9, a valiant fourth, victory slipped away this year. A huge thank you to all the runners who ran their hearts out and gave their best in the Cross-Country competition. Throughout the final weeks of the term, it was time for pupils to try and emulate their heroes as Inter-House Football took place. Missed passes and some dubious refereeing decisions would all play a crucial role in deciding the outcome of these competitive games. Greville’s U12s twinkle-toed their way through to winning their age group and Year 10 managed to come joint second in their competition. With Year 9 finishing third and Year 8 fourth, it meant no overall win in any of the football trophies this year. A massive thanks to all the Grevillites who took part in the matches. Congratulations to Owen Morris, James Taylor and James Wiltshire on being awarded their 1st XI Football colours. In the Summer Term, various competitions took place, including Inter-House Cricket during games afternoon. Whilst consistency is a good thing, and many games went down to the last ball, we only managed to finish fourth in all year groups. We must try to ensure that we display a calmer approach if we wish to be more successful next year. Lunchtime Centenary Challenges kept the InterHouse rivalry simmering away. Greville only managed a single individual victory in the PS3 challenge, but we managed to come second overall. It is a shame that some people forgot to turn up, making it far harder to do well in this sort of competition. On a perfect day for athletics, Sports Day took place in Walton. The Greville spirit was displayed by Charlie Grant and Austin Johnson, who, whilst short on numbers, managed to fulfil all their events in an organised and seamless fashion. Although we fought hard and there were some fine displays of athleticism on the track and field, Greville could only manage third place in the Inter-House Athletics Cup. Individual performances went to Hayden Barrett (Senior Shot), James Breach (Long Jump Open), James McCummiskey (Senior Discus), Austin Johnson (Intermediate Sports Champion) and Zach Johnson (Senior Javelin). Despite narrowly missing out on breaking the 800m record, Spencer Bateman managed to break his own 2021 1500m time by 4.68 seconds. Many congratulations! Thank you all for your efforts towards the sporting events that took place throughout the Summer Term. To Mr Fuller and those students who will not be returning to Halliford next term, we wish you well in your future endeavours. Please stay in touch and let us know what becomes of you.
Greville
LEAVERS 2022
James Taylor
James Fife Anthony Robins-Kent House Captain
James Wiltshire Becca Miles
Lucas Dallon
Owen Morris Sean Rustin Sheridan Kerr
Spencer Bateman Theo Rowsell Thomas Wittke
RUSSELL House Report
by Mr Matthew Shales, Head of House
House Captain: Max Pillinger
Here we go again. Every year I seem to talk about the new challenges facing the students in the House, and this year is certainly no exception. Whatever this new normal is, the way in which they have all embraced the challenges in front of them is absolutely to their credit. What they have achieved this year is truly remarkable and shows that they all possess the key Hallifordian values. As a House, we have done some very good work for charity. As per usual, we did the stocks during Charity Week. Thanks to all the brave souls who volunteered their time to take an absolute soaking. It is always a sad time to say goodbye to the Upper Sixth, and this year is no exception. These boys will always be a special group to me as they are the first group I have seen all the way through from Year 7 to Upper Sixth as Head of Russell. It has been a real privilege seeing them develop over the years into the cracking young men that they are today and to welcome some wonderful new female students into the House as they joined us in Lower Sixth. The students have always worked hard, but what helps them to stand out is their collective sense of humour, always finding a way to make me laugh no matter my mood. They even found a way to get their final revenge on me through Ben in the Leavers Touch Rugby Match!! Max has been a superb House Captain, a real leader, and a shining example to the younger students of what it takes to be a true Hallifordian. This year’s Music Competition required two songs. The first sung by the whole House was Mr Brightside by The Killers, followed by the ensemble song, Don’t You Cry by Guns N’ Roses. Max put an amazing amount of effort into both songs and was ably supported by Josh Guild, Will Jackson, Will O’Loughlin and Scott Smith in the band. It was certainly one of our best performances for a few years, and although deemed not worthy enough of winning, hopefully, it was a positive step forward for us to be even more competitive next year. Once again, we dominated the Rugby Inter-House, with Years 7, 8, and 9 all winning their respective competitions, and we retained our junior, intermediate, and overall winner crowns. Congratulations to Ben Holmes, Max Pillinger, Ben Witham, Sankaran Suseelan, and Jai Toor on being awarded Rugby Colours. The following boys played all season brilliantly and were deservedly selected for the Headmaster’s XV: Dexter Lee, Felix Porter, Will Shanley, Leo Smith and Ben Witham. Inter-House Football was incredibly competitive this year. Year 7 came third, Years 8 and 9 both came second, and Year 10 came first, resulting in us winning the junior and senior competitions and therefore being the overall winners. Congratulations to Nate Broadhurst, Max Connelley, and Patrick Wanat on being awarded Football Colours, and to Zach Brief, Nate Broadhurst, Carson Curtis, Dexter Lee, Khai Vally, and Patrick Wanat for making the Headmaster’s XI. Once again, the Cross-Country was very competitive. The Year 7 students ran well, coming out first overall. Despite Dexter Lee and Tom Perrin 1-2 in Year 8, we could not quite pip Desborough, finishing second overall in the Junior Competition. Ethan Wilkin finished second in the Year 9 event, and we came third overall. Carson Curtis and Jack Warren secured a Russell 1-2 in the Senior competition, leading to an overall victory. Inter-House Cricket was a very close affair this year. The Year 8 and 10 sides came first, with the Year 9 side 1st equal. Year 7 narrowly came 3rd. This meant that, once again, we were the overall winners. Congratulations to Tom Wilkin on being awarded his 1XI Cricket Colours and to Will Hamilton and Felix Porter for being selected to play for the 1XI against the MCC. They also made the Headmaster’s XI alongside Dexter Lee and Ethan Wilkin. Sports Day was once again a great event. The standard of all the students who competed was as high as ever across the houses. There were some brilliant individual performances but what was particularly impressive was the teamwork shown in the relays. Some of the results from those boys in the C and D teams were brilliant to see. Once the results were finalised, we were once again announced as winners for the seventh year in a row. It is always a great thrill to see the whole House coming together to work as one, and this year’s Sports Day epitomised this. This year saw us be as competitive as ever in the debating. The Senior side was very unlucky to come second overall. Special congratulations to Maisie Russell, who was awarded Best Speaker in the final. The intermediate side was also sadly pipped into second place. However, the junior side of James Grant, Josh Newlands, Woody Perkins, and James Williams were able to go one better and win their competition. A fantastic effort to all involved and great to see us competing strongly again in an area that has not always been our strength. The penultimate week of the Summer Term saw the return of the Inter-House Challenges. Once again, the House Spirit on display was superb, and thanks to some great teamwork, Russell House won. I would like to congratulate Tilly Ludlam on being made the new House Captain, and I am very much looking forward to working with her. I have no doubt she will keep the boys and me on their toes!! To the boys and girls, thank you for all your superb efforts this year. On a personal note, it has not been an easy last couple of months, and I would like to give a heartfelt thank you for all the kind messages of support I have received.
Russell
LEAVERS 2022
Ben Holmes
Cormac Evans Max Pillinger House Captain
Kian McGrath Benjamin Witham
Max Connelley
Misha Edwards Patrick Wanat Sankaran Suseelan
Aidan Saunders
WADHAM House Report
by Mr James Greggor, Acting Head of House
House Captain: Archie Evans
It has been my great pleasure leading Wadham House in the interim this year following the departure of Mrs ButlerSmith. Taking over just before Christmas, I was instantly thrown into the action as the Inter-House Singing Competition was only a couple of weeks away. The House had two weeks to find a song, learn it and produce something competition worthy. The song selected out of a choice of three was Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi. With many tutor time and lunchtime practice slots, the House rallied together, and we did ourselves proud, finishing second narrowly! It is impressive that the students are always so willing to produce something competition worthy. The House is blessed with some outstanding musical talent. Arya Shafighian in Upper Sixth was instrumental in coordinating the successful House music entry. Lower Sixth students William Greaves and Jules Wain are two immensely talented musicians, who performed superbly in the recent Centenary Summer Concert, and I look forward to seeing what they can produce next term. Part of the joy of a pastoral role is the daily interactions with students, as you feel like you have a significant impact on them. Whether through weekly House assembly delivery or popping into form groups daily, the students in Wadham have been a real pleasure to work with. At the end of the school year, it is a great time for reflection, and many students in Wadham can be enormously proud of their achievements this year. The Inter-House Debating Competition schedule was coordinated superbly by Mr Lee this year. Students competed in junior, intermediate and senior categories, and the overall title went to Desborough House this year. However, I was extremely impressed with Wadham House and the willingness of students to participate and get involved. Hopefully, the House can go one better and challenge for the title next year. A key feature of the year is the House sporting competitions, starting with rugby in the Autumn Term. Participation numbers were fantastic, and many willing students participated across all age groups. Two third places in U12 and U13 competitions, a second at U12 where we were unlucky not to win, and fourth place at U15 meant we did not win overall. However, we can build towards next year to hopefully improve on this. The Spring Term saw two Inter-House competitions take place in the form of Inter-House Cross-Country and Football Competitions. The CrossCountry Competition always has fantastic mass participation as every student in the year group participates. As a House, there were some fantastic team and individual performances. The U14s won their year group competition. At U12 and U13, two third places were achieved, with fourth place for the U15s. Individuals in the House who performed well included Barney Connop in Year 9, finishing third place in his year group, and Stanley Goddard, in Year 8, finished third in his year group run. Year 7 students Oscar Lewitt and James Haines also finished second and third out of their entire year group. Moving to the Football competitions, Wadham’s U13s won their year group competition, and U12s came second in theirs. Both year groups played some particularly good football to achieve these positions. The Summer Term key competitions on the House calendar include Inter-House Cricket, played across several games afternoons and the final sporting event of the year, Sports Day. In cricket, we were consistent, finishing third in U14, U15 and U13 competitions. The U12s did superbly and won their age group competition. Sports Day is always a keenly anticipated event by the students. This year Wadham finished in fourth place overall. However, there were some outstanding individual performances. Year 7 student James Haines was awarded the Junior Sports Champion award after victories in the 1500 and 800 metres. Lower Sixth student Euan Cole won the Grimwade 100m Cup for the fastest time of the day of 12.53s. He also won the Lictor Ludorum prize for being the most successful performing senior athlete of the day. Year 10 Freddie Humphries won the Carrington High Jump Cup after jumping 1.55m. Year 10 student Dominic Connor also won the senior hurdles prize after securing the fastest time of the day, which was 12.93s. With my role as Director of Sport, it was not possible to continue to do the Wadham Head of House role moving forward. I have thoroughly enjoyed the interim period taking charge of Wadham House once again and am excited to hand this over to Mr Bruno from September and have no doubt he will be fantastic. I would like to leave you with a Winston Churchill quote I often refer to throughout the school year, ‘Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.’ This resilience has truly been demonstrated this year by Wadham House students, and I thank them for that.
