The Standard - Spring Term 2021

THE STANDARD

The John Lyon School Magazine | SPRING TERM 2021

CONTENTS SPRING TERM 2021

1

2

3

FROM THE HEAD Spring 2021: A term of endurance and excellence NEWS AND EXCELLENCE Music, space, home learning and beautiful numbers on the menu as John Lyon Academic Society enters 2021 A-Level scientist takes his place alongside the world's most talented school students New Good Schools Guide review

4

Covid sets the stage for scientific, historical, religious and literary examination of La Peste

5

Co-Curricular goes Eco-Curricular

6

Hard work, kindness, the UK-India relationship and racism all on the agenda as Lord Gadhia talks to John Lyon students

7

Knowledge flows as guest speakers dial in

8

Partnership of knowledge proves fruitful for both John Lyon and Tottenham Sixth Form Community values displayed in Christmas food donations

9

THE ARTS Home is where the Art is

10 Kassem pulls the strings as he takes musical crown

13

11 The music doesn't stop through lockdown

19 Sudbury sees pitch invasion after months of silence

12 Friends, Lyonians, Countrymen, lend me your ears

20 Posh Troj shows his class

An adult-free world the focus of Spring Drama performance

Familiar face returns to the crease Pupils and staff run away from 2020

13 Lost Boy Eric finds his voice in 21 Strict bubbles mean star-studded Peter Pan competition remains performance in-House NEWS 14 2021 Flash Fiction competition 15 Pupils continue to cook up a storm

OLD LYONIANS 22 Careers advice goes online as OLs talk to pupils about their work

Flynn's Odyssey journeys to University Archive 16 “John Lyon’s careers support and education is constantly updated to meet the needs – and dreams – of our pupils” SPORT 18 Big names from Hockey and Cricket talk about their stellar careers

18

Spring 2021: A term of endurance and excellence

A

fter an Autumn Term in which we experienced a cautious return to normality, 2021 began with the news we had feared — that we would all be away from the School site for an extended period, for a second time.

Once again we would work online from our homes. Once again we would find innovative solutions to the challenges faced. Once again we would long to be back in School. Despite the difficulties, however, at no point did I feel that pupils, parents, teachers and support staff were giving anything other than their very best to ensure the success of John Ly-online.

Spring 2021 has felt very much like a challenge, a long challenge, but we have achieved a lot. It has been a term of endurance and excellence.

This edition of The Standard displays the very best of the past three months and is filled with news of occasions and achievements, not only online, but here on Middle Road and on the pitches of Sudbury Fields. There are examples of both

Miss Katherine Haynes, Head

individual and group successes, with some of our pupils' work showcased.

One very positive aspect of online learning has been the great range of external speakers we have been able to attract, to talk to pupils and inspire them in a great range of pursuits. In this edition alone, you will hear of virtual visits from an Olympic champion, a Test Cricket double centurian, three esteemed UK academic professors and a member of the House of Lords who has advised at the very top of UK government. By moving our annual Talks-on-the-Hill lecture evening online, we were also able to invite a world-leading expert who talked to us from her university in Canada.

The past months have taught us all to be cautious in our hopes and expectations for what might be just around the corner. The will of everyone at John Lyon is that on-site classroom learning is now back, for good. We must trust in the work of the many experts leading our fight against this dreadful pandemic and hope our School life will continue on the path to normality.

www.johnlyon.org/values

FRONT COVER Kassem Azzawi (10NB) winner of 2021 Musician of the Year

Music, space, home learning and beautiful numbers on the menu as John Lyon Academic Society enters 2021 The first of two Spring Term Academic Society meetings saw four pupils take their peers on a journey from the brain to the far reaches of the universe, as they presented on a variety of subjects

T

he Society — which sees students talk to students — allows each speaker to explore a subject they find fascinating and have researched beyond the curriculum.

The meeting at the start of January, chaired by Lower Sixth students Abbas Abedi (L6BRD) and Vinay Kapoor (L6BRD), included four presentations from pupils ranging in age from Year 7 to the Sixth Form.

Opening the session, A-Level student and accomplished musician Patrick Colson (L6REM) spoke on Music and the Brain, examining the science behind the music we listen to and how it can affect how we feel. Patrick talked about compressions, rarefactions, amplitude and frequency as the ‘physics of music’ and the fact that our brain interprets musical signals almost as if 2 | THE STANDARD | The John Lyon School Magazine

it were a second language, that we can all understand.

Mahdi Mossahar (7AJM) looked at the possibility of finding another planet for humans to live on, in his talk The Future of Space Exploration. He set out that in humans’ brief time on earth (a mere six million years) we had done much damage to our planet through burning fossil fuels and destroying habitats, so much so that we might want to consider finding another planet to call home. Whilst a fascinating prospect, Mahdi concluded protecting our own Earth through the use of a variety of renewable energy resources was the best, and perhaps only, option.

Racheith Rajan (8ADH) offered his thoughts on home learning, presenting research carried out by academics around the world as well as the results of a survey of pupils he had carried out himself. In his talk, Making Online Education More Effective, According to a Pupil, he thought that a discussion either for or against home learning was less useful than trying to find the best ways to conduct the remote lessons we have become used to in the past year during the Covid-19

Patrick Colson (L6REM) and Racheith Rajan (8ADH) deliver their talks. Inset, Fares Shehata (L6ND) tried to simplify a complex subject with diagrams.

pandemic, with the hope of making it comparable with normal classroom learning.

Finally, Fares Shehata (L6ND) gave a detailed mathematical examination of The Numbers You Won’t Find on the Number Line — those described as having a ‘bad reputation’, the so-called imaginary numbers. After an explanation of natural numbers, integers, rational numbers and real numbers, he went on to describe lateral numbers. Seen by many as being ‘impossible’, Fares described these numbers as beautiful and how the mathematics of lateral numbers is used today by electrical engineers and in quantum mechanics.

A second meeting in February included Mohamed Altaie (10SNA) on Rome’s Influence on the World Today, David Self (L6REM) on Cicero the Greatest Roman Orator, Rohan Thadi (9KS) on What I have Learnt from 2020, a Pupil’s Perspective, and Dev Patel (L6CKL) on The Rise of Populism in Western Politics.

Any pupils interested in speaking at a future Academic Society meeting should email Dr Weinberg at FRW@johnlyon.org

A-Level scientist takes his place alongside the world's most talented school students The prestigious Dr Bessie F Lawrence International Summer Science Institute (ISSI) will welcome Ashil Shah (U6TCF) for the 2021 event, a month-long global programme hosted online

R

unning for more than 50 years, the ISSI brings together 80 talented young scientists from many different countries to experience the challenges and rewards of scientific research. While there won't be the chance to work collaboratively

Ashil Shah (U6TCF), talking here at TedXJohnLyonSchool in 2019, will take his place alongside the world's brightest young scientists.

in laboratories at the ISSI's base in Israel with his peers, the month-long programme will still prove challenging for Ashil, with scientific projects with computational aspects and analytical sides.

To be accepted onto the course Ashil had to demonstrate excellent academic achievements in science studies as well as a proven involvement and interest in scientific research outside the classroom.

Ashil said: “I am thrilled to have been offered one of ten places in the UK to participate in Dr Bessie Lawrence ISSI. This opportunity piqued my interest after reading about the students who engaged in scientific research and produced

reports in Israel. I believe this will give insight into what a career in STEM would encompass. This year the trip will be held virtually, which will entail regular meetings with researchers to develop our projects.

I hope to expand on and apply my understanding of science in a unique and innovative way.”

In accepting him onto the course, ISSI said: "The applications we received were of a particularly high standard and we are delighted to have Ashil on the programme."

“WELL-ROUNDED AND THRIVING” – February saw the publication of a new Good

Schools Guide review for John Lyon. Following a period of research which included interviews with the Head and a number of parents, the UK’s leading school reviewer was keen to praise the School.

The final section, The Last Word, describes “A thriving school which provides a well-rounded, well-grounded education in a welcoming atmosphere. Great praise for the care and attention the pupils receive.” You can read the full review at www.johnlyon.org/GSG

Spring Term 2021 | THE STANDARD | 3

Covid sets the stage for scientific, historical, religious and literary examination of

With the world gripped by a pandemic the likes of which have not been seen for a century, John Lyon’s annual Talks-on-the-Hill lecture evening looked deep into a subject that has been a key part of human history: plague

I

nspired by the 20th century novel of the same name by French philosopher Albert Camus, Talks-on-the-Hill: La Peste addressed the subject of plague from different perspectives, with 15-minute talks given by four speakers: a Covid critical care specialist, a historian, a priest and John Lyon’s Head Boy. Hosted via Microsoft Teams as part of the John Lyon Excellence Programme at the start of February, and attended by an audience of more than 200 pupils, parents, staff, members of Harrow School and Quainton Hall School communities, and local residents, the event opened with a man who has become one of the media faces of Covid-19, Professor Hugh Montgomery.

4 | THE STANDARD | The John Lyon School Magazine

As Professor of Medicine and Director of the Centre for Human Health and Performance at UCL, as well as being Chair of the National Emergency Covid Critical Care Committee, Professor Montgomery was well qualified to look into the biology and sociology of Covid.

He gave the audience an insight into what he characterised as an inevitable path into the current pandemic, with human actions such as deforestation, commercial grazing, intensive farming and use of wet markets leading to spillover events such as Bird Flu, SARS, Ebola and now Covid-19.

He went on to talk of the hubris of governments at the start of the pandemic and huge flaws in the UK lockdown through 2020. “It didn’t”, he said, “need to be like this”.

Joining the event from Ottawa, Canada, Dr Lori Jones — an expert in the history of plague — told the audience of “plague’s long journey with humans”, notably the three Great Plague Pandemics, the first c.541AD which lasted for three centuries, the second from the Black Death of the

14th century to the late 18th century, and the third beginning in the 1850s and continuing to this day.

The Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of History at Carleton University spoke of how the masks, lockdowns, empty streets and mass graves seen around the world today may be outside our current experience but were well known by our forebears.

The Reverend Andrew Hammond, Chaplain of St John's College, Cambridge, looked into the symbolism of plague captured in The Bible — a total of 71 references including the ten great plagues of Egypt and the Apocalypse — and how different people interpret plagues, and other terrible things that occur, as being visited upon us by God. Fr Hammond however said that in the New Testament, this is an idea that is not visited by Jesus – that he doesn’t have an idea of a vengeful and angry God, rather a God of Love and not a God of Plagues.

Finishing the evening, John Lyon’s Head Boy, Daniel Wong (U6ASL), talked

CO-CURRICULAR GOES ECOCURRICULAR –

A global challenge to design, build and race an electric car has started at John Lyon, with Year 11 pupils and Sixth Form students spending their Co-Curricular sessions on Friday afternoons taking on the Greenpower Education Trust challenge. Designed as a programme to help address an engineering skills gap in the UK, Greenpower events see hundreds of teams from across the country – and a growing number from around the world – compete in races at various venues with an International Final held at circuits such as Silverstone. The John Lyon Formula 24 team, which includes (clockwise from top left) Vinaykarthik Rachakonda (L6ND), Youki Marr (11RS), Mr Nikhil Dholakia and Lucas Antoni (11LHF), will continue to build the car through Summer Term.

about Albert Camus’ novel, La Peste, and its sudden increase in popularity in the past year. Daniel looked into what he thought had made people rush to buy a 70-year-old French novel about plague, describing it as a tale which was prophetic of what we are now experiencing, including lockdowns, blame, questionable leadership and undervalued frontline workers taking the brunt of the risk.

Speaking after the event, Daniel said: “I was honoured to be asked to speak alongside some leading professionals in at this year’s Talks-on-the-Hill. Organising the event required no small effort from Dr Weinberg and Mrs Trafford, and all the speakers were clearly wellversed in their subject areas, although talking alongside those with extensive qualifications in their fields made me feel severely underqualified. The event was well attended with over 150 participants, and being able to have Dr Lori Jones call us from Canada was an unexpected positive of working online. Hopefully next year’s talks will allow for something more ‘normal’, whatever that is anymore!”

Professor Hugh Montgomery, Dr Lori Jones, The Reverend Andrew Hammond and Daniel Wong (U6ASL) each delivered a fascinating talk.

Spring Term 2021 | THE STANDARD | 5

Hard work, kindness, the UK-India relationship and racism all on the agenda as Lord Gadhia talks to John Lyon students

Rasool Twaij (U6PWM) hosted the session with Lord Gadhia and led the questioning of the experienced businessman and politician.

A wide-ranging discussion, beginning in 1970s Uganda and ending in the UK House of Lords, took place between leading businessman and parliamentarian Lord Gadhia and A-Level students

T

he virtual conversation, held at the start of February and hosted

by Upper Sixth student Rasool Twaij (U6PWM), covered a wide range of topics, from the determination of migrants to the work of short-selling hedge funds, exploring in depth a lifetime of work in private equity, big business and ‘selling’ the UK to the world, including to the emerging superpower of India.

Baron Gadhia of Northwood recounted his move to the UK in the early 1970s, expelled from Uganda by Idi Amin.

His family’s double migration – from India, to Africa, to the UK – was a fundamental part of his life, he said, stating that migrants were generally highly motivated, especially so those that had to do it more than once.

In the UK, he moved from school to an economics degree at Cambridge and then into the City in a merchant bank, 6 | THE STANDARD | The John Lyon School Magazine

before moving to various roles in the world of business.

Lord Gadhia’s work on the UK-India relationship formed a key part of the conversation, as he outlined his role and why the work was so symbolic and important.

“A respected Indian businessman once described the UK-India relationship to me as being ‘like a long-married couple’. We’re so familiar with each other that it’s easy to take each other for granted. Sometimes we need to find new sparks to revive the relationship. We need to work on the relationship and can’t be complacent.

“India has changed quite fundamentally, and we are now dealing with an emerging and aspiring superpower, which is the third largest economy in the world.”

He went on to talk about the relationship during the pandemic, with close working on the pharmaceutical supply chain, repatriation flights, vaccine manufacture and significant new satellite collaboration.

He added: “There are 1.5 million people of Indian origin living in the UK and the Indian prime minister has referred to this diaspora as providing a living bridge, which to me is a metaphor for the free flow of two-way traffic in people, language, sport, culture, food and commerce. And it’s exciting to be involved.”

The talk moved on to different areas of Lord Gadhia’s working life in the private and public sectors, as well as the importance of philanthropy, that “what you give is often what you get back”, “the doors we should open for others”, and “how to structure and deploy scarce resources for maximum effect”.

One hundred students, studying for their A-Levels and many with hopes of pursuing careers in business and finance, were also given some direct advice: “There is no substitute for hard work. Even those who might be naturally gifted need to apply themselves. If you are good at something and enjoy it, then that is a pretty good combination to double up on. Don’t lose track of right and wrong.

“You shouldn’t seek to be somebody but actually achieve something. And if you do your duty then everything else will fall into place.”

Speaking after the event, Rasool Twaij said: “It was a true privilege to have interviewed Lord Gadhia. He provided an interesting insight on moving from the private to public sector and how he transferred his expertise to guide the government with public investment.

“My highlights of the interview include his views on the evolution of the bilateral UK-India relationship and the contemporary issue involving retail investing versus institutional investing.”

KNOWLEDGE FLOWS AS GUEST SPEAKERS DIAL IN – One obvious benefit

of a school run largely online is the ability to welcome a far greater number and range of guest speakers than would normally be possible. Spring Term 2021 was one of the busiest ever for subject experts talking at John Lyon, with some even ‘visiting’ on more than one occasion. Academia was well represented, with three university professors.

Jeremy Horder, Professor of Law at LSE, spoke twice in January on False Statements in Election Campaigns, once as an Excellence event and again as a Sixth Form Goldhawk Lecture. Emma Widdis, Professor of Russian and Film Studies at Trinity College, Cambridge, talked on Putin, Film and Why we Should Study Languages, Literature and Cinema, and Dan Stone, Professor of Modern History and Director of the Holocaust Research Institute at Royal Holloway, University of London, gave an insight into What we Don’t Know About the Holocaust.

Another double guest was leading mathematician Dr Nira Chamberlain, who first asked Sixth Form students What is the point of Mathematics?, before telling an Excellence audience Why Mathematics is the Greatest Subject in the World. Returning guest speaker, Emma Rosen, once again spoke about her ‘radical sabbatical’ task of trying 25 careers before turning 25, and gave her insight into Finding a Fulfilling Career. Dan Burke, CEO of Young Harrow Foundation, talked about The Importance of Charity in a Pandemic, and how his work had to adapt in the past year. The great wealth of knowledge from within John Lyon was also on display, as ever, through the continuingly popular JLx lectures, short 15-minute lunchtime sessions at which teachers present an area of learning beyond the scope of the School curriculum. This term we looked at French Cinema, the work of a historian, the epic worlds of Homer and Virgil, life in virtual reality, and even at how to build a time machine.

Clockwise from top left: Dan Burke, Professor Jeremy Horder, Dr Nira Chamberlain, Professor Dan Stone, Professor Emma Widdis and Emma Rosen were among the term's many guest speakers.

Spring Term 2021 | THE STANDARD | 7

Partnership of knowledge proves fruitful for both John Lyon and Tottenham Sixth Form The knowledge flowing between John Lyon and London Academy of Excellence Tottenham is continuing to grow, with both institutions seeing the benefits of valuable partnership work, says LAET Coordinator Dr Morgan White

J

ohn Lyon’s relationship with sixth form college LAE Tottenham has continued to grow and develop through Covid-19 and periods of lockdown. I’ve had the privilege of tutoring Economics students online on a weekly basis,

exploring some key ideas from within the curriculum, including on themes of ‘value and catallaxy’. This course refers to the idea that economic relationships often fail to properly account for real value in the market. Students have been reading Elizabeth Anderson’s Private Government, which argues that large firms have too much power over employees and that the egalitarianism inherent in the market relations Adam Smith appealed to in The Wealth of Nations has been forgotten.

Alongside Mr Charlie Scotcher, Teacher of Politics and Economics, I have also helped LAE Tottenham with alignment interviews, at which prospective students are asked to talk about their interests and subject choices in order to ensure that new students are well-informed and motivated to study hard in their A-Levels.

Working with students at LAE Tottenham continues to be rewarding and gives a great insight into the drive and ambition of A-Level students at another institution.

As a teacher, it is really rewarding to get the chance to tutor young people with a thirst for ideas and the ambition to be the first in their families to attend top flight universities. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed offering help and advice about university applications and stretching students’ thinking beyond the confines of the A-Level syllabus.

London Academy of Excellence Tottenham opened in 2017 with the help of a main sponsor school and eight partner schools, of which John Lyon is one. It is a selective sixth form free school in an area of Eastern Haringey containing some of the most economically deprived wards in the country, with a mission to increase access to A-Levels and higher education at first class universities. In 2020 LAE Tottenham was named Sunday Times Sixth Form of the Year. LAET Head Jan Balon said: “To say that we couldn’t have done this without our partner schools is an understatement…thank you John Lyon, we are constantly grateful for all you do for us.”

COMMUNITY VALUES DISPLAYED IN CHRISTMAS FOOD DONATIONS – The

annual request for food to go to the people most in need once again saw many hundreds of items donated.

Led by (l-r) Charities Coordinator Mr Charlie Scotcher, Head Boy Daniel Wong (U6ASL), Deputy Head Boy Rex Baldwin (U6TCF), Charity Prefect Sanjiv Jadav (U6PWM) and Khari Bennett (U6AJC), the School was able to make sizeable donations to both Harrow Food Bank and Hillview Nursery.

8 | THE STANDARD | The John Lyon School Magazine

HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS – If

you're an artist and you're stuck inside most of the time, then sketches of hallways, stairs, landings and bedrooms are probably the most likely outcome. These observations by Odin Verden (L6REM) are for his A-Level portfolio.

Spring Term 2021 | THE STANDARD | 9

Kassem pulls the strings as he takes musical crown There is a new name on the de mello Cup for 2021 as classical guitarist Kassem Azzawi (10NB) took the title of John Lyon Musician of the Year

A

stunning rendition of 19th century French guitarist Napoléon Coste’s Study No.8 saw Kassem lead the field in the competition final at the end of March, which brought together all the category winners from the previous week’s House Music, with 18 instrumentalists and vocalists competing in two categories, grades 1-4 and grades 5-8.

With no live audience, the full concert was live-streamed on YouTube, with almost 400 pupils, parents, staff, governors and Old Lyonians watching from home.

However, one key person inside the Boyd Campbell Hall for the performance was guest judge, Jess Gillam, a world-renowned saxophonist, Classical BRIT Award winner, BBC Young Musician finalist, chart topper, BBC Radio 3 host, and Last Night of the Proms soloist.

10 | THE STANDARD | The John Lyon School Magazine

Clockwise from main picture: Kassem Azzawi (10NB), Guest Judge Jess Gillam, Ethan Greaves (L6BRD), Netransh Gupta (7SRP), Patrick Colson (L6REM) and Krish Magar (9JNL).

In the junior category, all performances were praised for their musicality and handling of nerves while being filmed by three broadcast cameras. The competition was close but the joyful and expressive performance of Krish Magar (9JNL) playing his own composition on the dhol drum took the trophy.

The senior category proved one of the most wide-open for many years, with any of the eight performances in with a chance of winning. While special mention

goes to last year’s champion Sammy Smith (11AJF) and Patrick Colson (L6REM), who each performed twice, the night belonged to Kassem, whose control of his instrument and lyrical phrasing led to victory.

Speaking after the competition, Director of Music Mr Huw Jones, said: “Huge congratulations to Kassem, our new Musician of the Year. It was a stunning performance that clearly impressed our guest judge. I must also thank Jess

Gillam for agreeing to adjudicate on this competition – I’m glad I wasn’t in her position as the quality of all 18 performances this year was incredibly high.

“A final thank you must go to the technical team behind the scenes, whose hard work meant the concert could be enjoyed by the audience at home, watching and listening to an incredibly professional production.”

THE MUSIC DOESN'T STOP THROUGH LOCKDOWN – The third

(and hopefully last) remote concert of the past year saw some of the School's most talented musicians play from their own homes. With Director of Music Mr Huw Jones pressing all the buttons on Microsoft Teams, the audience for the lunchtime Solos Concert in January were able to hear a host of instruments and musical styles, including Dylan Noronha (7SRP) on piano.

Spring Term 2021 | THE STANDARD | 11

FRIENDS, LYONIANS, COUNTRYMEN, LEND ME YOUR EARS – This year's Year 7

Drama Festival was one to remember, with four performances from four classes all rehearsed and performed from home. 7SRP gave a bright and vibrant rendition of George Orwell's dystopian Animal Farm; high frequency gags were offered up by 7AJM in The Least Offensive Play in the Whole Darned World; 7EJG went for something a little darker with Grimm's classic fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel and 7CJC channelled The Bard for their spooky rendition of Macbeth.

AN ADULT-FREE WORLD THE FOCUS OF SPRING DRAMA PERFORMANCE – The

term's major Drama production was a performance of Look Up

by Andrew Muir. The new play, part of the National Theatre Connections festival, was broadcast across two nights at the end of March to a wide John Lyon community audience.

Starring a cast of pupils from various John Lyon year groups, Look Up was rehearsed and recorded entirely remotely, with each performer acting from their own home, and the footage then put together to create the final performance. The process was a challenge, but the whole cast, including Rafi Smith (11MRF), Sameer Vekaria (10JEB) and William Davey (L6REM) has worked incredibly hard to create a piece of engaging theatre.

12 | THE STANDARD | The John Lyon School Magazine

Eric Zoica (7CJC) used his bedroom as a recording studio.

Lost Boy Eric finds his voice in star-studded Peter Pan performance

(GOSH), with the premiere released online on Christmas Eve. The London children’s hospital was gifted the rights to the Peter Pan story by Barrie in 1929, with royalties from performances used to fund the vital research, equipment and support for which the hospital is famous.

With theatres largely closed for a whole year, this vital funding stream has been hard hit but all money raised from this online audio production went directly to GOSH.

The line-up for the most recent adaptation of Peter Pan was stellar, boasting numerous Oscars and Olivier Awards…as well as Year 7 pupil Eric Zoica (7CJC)

Eric’s involvement in Peter Pan came thanks to his work with the GOSH Young People’s Forum, an organisation within the hospital made up of children and young people from ten to 21, who discuss hospital policies, how to make it more child friendly, and what actions they think the hospital should be taking.

ust before Christmas, Eric starred as Nibs in a brand-new audio version of J M Barrie’s classic play, alongside household names such as Sir Kenneth Branagh, Olivia Colman, Clive Rowe, Jane Horrocks, Bertie Carvel and Sharon D Clarke.

He sent an audition tape and was soon informed he would play the part of Nibs, described as “happy and debonair, possibly the bravest Lost Boy”. Because of the numerous restrictions in place, all his parts were recorded in a makeshift bedroom recording studio at home, with all equipment and props sent to the house and more than ten hours of rehearsals before the actual recording began.

The recording was in support of Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital

Eric said: “Recording Peter Pan was an amazing experience for me. It was an

J

unusual experience too, as it was all done remotely, but I can definitely say that it was one of the best things I have done in my life.

“Acting is one of my passions and it was fantastic to meet all these famous actors, chat and joke with them and ask them lots of questions and tips. My aspiration is that I will become one of them in the future!

“One of the reasons I decided to take part in this project is because I wanted to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital, a cause very close to my heart.

To know that I can contribute even a bit to the happiness and wellbeing of other children would be an honour and it is immensely rewarding to me.”

Spring Term 2021 | THE STANDARD | 13

“The tranquil sea is tempting me, but my life is at ease.”

Flash Fiction competition 2021

T

he winners of the John Lyon Flash Fiction 2021 competition were Rohan Thadi (9KS) and Flynn Kendall (7CJC), with stories of grief, and calm after chaos. This year’s Flash Fiction task was to write a 200 word story in response to an image of an old man staring out at the sea.

14 | THE STANDARD | The John Lyon School Magazine

Row, Row, Away

by Rohan Thadi

Blitz Fighter

by Flynn Kendall

I should head out to the sea, not let anyone know. Pack no food, no water. Die as the sun dips below the horizon, the last gasp of beauty before the death of day.

The blue horizon stretches seamlessly, a lone seagull shrieks, waves drag pebbles into the sea pulling me with them into the past.

Should I?

I race through narrow alleys, a hose writhing in my hand. My heart starts to beat faster, drumming loudly in my chest.

Perspiration rolls down my face only to be evaporated by the heat of the flame.

The fire devours everything around it, concealing the horrors inside like a veil.

I break through the wall of smoke as the wail of sirens reverberates in my head.

Should I leave my children?

Suddenly, flashes of memory boom through my eyes and ears.

‘Oh, where have you been, Billy Boy, Billy Boy? Oh, where have you been, Charming Billy’… ‘Welcome to school Danny, come along!’…There is a girl sitting on a bench and I can feel butterflies in my stomach, I asked what her name was…I can hear the pipe organ singing its dulcet song as that same person walks down the aisle…I can sense the rain spitting down and hear its tapping my umbrella while I stare at that woman in her eternal sleep.

Why did you have to leave me so soon?

The wrath of grief has left me though. The tranquil sea is tempting me, but my life is at ease. I have reached my peace. So, I tell you this, take the leap between the two cliffs. Don’t waste time finding the bridge miles away. Find the boat and row, row away.

Teacher of English, Mrs Maria Trafford: “Rohan has responded to the image with a very poignant description of a man in mourning for his wife and one drawn to the waves to contemplate suicide. His choice of imagery like ‘the last gasp of beauty’ are a foreshadowing of his wife’s death scene that seems to haunt him. He uses short paragraphs and questions to emphasise his confusion. I really enjoyed the flashback central section, where he describes the common idea that we see our lives flash before our eyes before death. It sums up his character’s backstory in a concise way and gives us a link to his ghostly wife that he addresses directly in the final section of the story. Snatches of songs familiar to us all return in the last line as he sends his wife’s memory away, deciding to choose life after all. I was impressed with how well Rohan used both structure and language to give a touching message on the theme of grief.”

Cladding crumbles around me, falling onto the pavement like confetti. Flames lick my heels, the wind howls at me and the stormy sky darkens to an ominous purple. I keep running. My heart quickens, frantically beating. Blood red flames swish like a tiger’s tail. My heart beats uncontrollably, as if it could burst out of my chest. I focus the hose at the fire.

Water rushes from it, pushing through the smog and beating back the flames.

The outline of ramshackle buildings are slowly revealed, as the fire retreats into the shadows.

Suddenly, there’s a bang and metal rains down.

Sea spray falls on my face. I taste salt. I see the sea, stretching to the horizon.

Mrs Maria Trafford: “Flynn does a great job of setting the scene on the shoreline before dragging the reader abruptly into his character’s tormented past. This piece of writing is especially good at creating tension through the use of present tense and fast paced sentences throughout. Flynn paints vivid pictures of the drama: personifying the fire ‘devouring’ with flames ‘like a tiger’s tail’ – super writing that reminded me of Shere Khan beating a hasty retreat in ‘The Jungle Book’. The piece has cohesion as the reader is subtly alerted to dangers from the sky above, ‘cladding crumbles… like confetti’ and the ‘metal rain’ which ultimately brings our narrator back to the present. Maybe there’s a suggestion here of a terrible injury that hasn’t healed. The final line uses sibilance to give a sense of calm after the chaos, but also perhaps hints at a lingering sinister memory that will keep returning like the ‘waves drag pebbles’. Excellent work from Flynn in Year 7!”

PUPILS CONTINUE TO COOK UP A STORM – The runaway extra-curricular hit of the

first lockdown continued to be popular in Spring Term as dozens of pupils and staff fried, grilled and baked their way through Monday evening's Cooking Club. After a number of sessions led by teachers, Khush Malde (7AJM) stepped up to the role of head chef to teach everyone how to prepare chestnut mushrooms and spinach with a creamy sauce on toast.

FLYNN'S ODYSSEY JOURNEYS TO UNIVERSITY ARCHIVE – As well as winning the Flash Fiction competition

(see opposite) Flynn Kendall (7CJC) had a piece of poetry accepted into a departmental archive at University College London.

Flynn's The Blind Man's Poem, written as a response to the epic poetry of The Odyssey, has been accepted into the UCL Department of Greek & Latin's living archive of Homer's Odyssey, which is available as a resource on the university's website.

Spring Term 2021 | THE STANDARD | 15

“John Lyon’s careers support and education is constantly updated to meet the needs – and dreams – of our pupils”

After a successful Careers Week in February, Head of Careers Miss Shira Patel looks at all the help and assistance available to John Lyon pupils

A

t a time when we were all adapting to working and learning digitally, it was perhaps fitting that our recent Careers Week speakers showcased the very best of cutting-edge modern and future careers.

To start the week, GCSE and A-Level years learned more about working in Artificial Intelligence from Rob McCargow, Director of AI at accountancy giant PwC. As well as talking about his work, he gave useful insights into choosing the right career path in an ever-changing landscape.

Later in the week, younger pupils heard

from Airbus Project Manager Harly-Joe Coutts, who spoke about his use of virtual reality in his work with the world’s largest airliner manufacturer, as well as game design. Both talks generated mature and inquisitive questions from pupils.

The world of work is constantly evolving.

Whilst our pupils can aspire to careers in well-established sectors such as law, medicine, finance and education, new career options are emerging all the time, especially in the digital sphere.

John Lyon’s careers support and education is constantly updated to meet the needs — and dreams — of our pupils.

Pupils in all year groups have access to the School’s expert Careers Advisor, Mrs Marion Harper, who provides impartial information, advice and guidance in either individual meetings or small groups. Careers drop-in sessions take place every Tuesday lunchtime and pupils can also request a one-to-one meeting with Mrs Harper to seek specific information or guidance.

Mrs Harper and I work closely together to offer a programme of events throughout the year to all year groups.

Careers Weeks typically take place in both November and February and give pupils a good introduction to how they may wish to look at their future work, through guest speakers, tutor time, PSCHE

16 | THE STANDARD | The John Lyon School Magazine

Clockwise from top left: Mrs Marion Harper at one of her careers drop-in sessions; John Lyon Governor, Mr George Stavrinidis OL talks about his career in the IT industry, Rafi Smith (11MRF) at the BBC's The One Show in 2019; two photos from a John Lyon careers fair.

activities and open discussion. There are also lunchtime talks throughout the year designed for specific year groups. We are able to attract inspirational professionals to talk about their work, including a number of successful Old Lyonians, who know just what it is like being an aspirational pupil here at John Lyon.

A biennial Careers Fair gives both pupils and their parents, from Year 9 upwards, an opportunity to meet professionals from a range of sectors — from media to the armed forces — who set up stalls and answer all questions.

Each year,Year 9 pupils take part in ‘Take Your Child to Work Day’, which allows them to spend a day alongside a parent and gain an insight not only into a specific career but also into what a normal professional working day can look like.

closely with the Head of Year and Head of Section and regularly speaks to pupils about their career choices and advises them on their A-Level options.

If you have any questions regarding the work of the John Lyon Careers Department, please feel free to contact me at SBP@johnyon.org or Mrs Harper at Marion.Harper@johnlyon.org.

Sixth Form students meet with the Careers Advisor to discuss university, degree choices, apprenticeships and career options. The Careers Department is also involved in the Sixth Form Enrichment Week, arranging for an assessment day which involves a psychometric test, interview preparation and team building tasks. Each year we arrange for a group of Lower Sixth students to visit the City and attend a range of talks from various companies about their careers and the different routes into these career areas.

Year 10 pupils have the opportunity to sit the Morrisby Assessment, an innovative programme that helps identify a student’s strengths and builds a comprehensive personal profile designed to help inspire pupils to look at different career and education options and get a feel for the opportunities available to them.

Following the assessment, pupils are given an interview with an impartial external advisor to go through their individual assessment reports and discuss potential career paths.

In Year 11, our Careers Advisor works Spring Term 2021 | THE STANDARD | 17

Maddie Hinch MBE making a crucial save in the Olympic final and inset, during her talk to pupils.

Below right, Rob Key celebrates scoring 200 runs at Lord's and inset, in his talk to pupils.

Big names from Hockey and Cricket talk about their stellar careers As part of the School’s drive to inspire the next generation of sporting excellence, Olympic Champion Maddie Hinch and England Test batsman Rob Key spoke of their own journeys to elite sporting success

18 | THE STANDARD | The John Lyon School Magazine

T

he online talks in Spring Term focused on each player’s route through their sports, from keen young all-rounders right to the very top, and how they each achieved excellence.

In February, Hockey goalkeeper Maddie Hinch spoke to pupils about the commitment and singlemindedness that led her to Olympic glory in 2016. “I always had goals”, she said, and “my inspiration has always just come from whoever is in the position I want to be in. How are they there and what do I need to get there?”

Similarly, speaking in March, former England Test cricketer Rob Key talked about how he dreamt of being at the peak of the sport and how his imagination helped him to get there: “Professionalism doesn’t mean you can’t dream and imagine. It doesn’t mean being serious all the time. I used to imagine in my room, probably 13 or 14, I used to play shots with my bat and I’d imagine Curtley Ambrose running in to bowl…See what the best do and try to get better than them.”

Despite playing different sports and having careers at different times, the same important messages came from

both Maddie and Rob: that hard work is important, that in sport you will have both ups and downs, and that while you should work on your weaknesses, you shouldn’t neglect working on your strengths.

On being a Hockey goalkeeper, Maddie said: “Goalkeeping is an awful lot of learning – a lot of getting it wrong and learning from that. When you’re playing you’re always learning and decision making is just experience. Every time you’re getting a decision wrong, trust me, it’s making you better…

“You have to be comfortable being uncomfortable. Strengths – make them super-strengths. Don’t make the mistake of only concentrating on weaknesses.”

On improving as a cricketer, Rob answered: “Just hit balls. Play the game as much as you can. Practise. Get people to throw balls at you. Play with your mates.

The absolute key, I think, is to think for yourself. If you’re given all the answers, what you’re not learning is how to work it out for yourself. When you’re older and standing in the middle, you need to make your own decisions. Don’t be looking for the answers from someone else all of the time.”

Speaking after the events, John Lyon’s

SUDBURY SEES PITCH INVASION AFTER MONTHS OF SILENCE –

As well as being back in classrooms, pupils have also returned to the pitches of Sudbury for the first time this year. And Sport was missed so much that as well as regular weekday sessions, dozens turned up for Hockey training on the first Saturday back. The season will pass without any competitive fixtures, but we hope when the next Hockey season comes around our young teams will be ready to take on all-comers, especially goalkeepers, Louis Duroux (7AJM), Nathan Harris (7EJG), Oliver Duroux (7SRP) and James Thwaites (7CJC).

Director of Sport, Mr Shane Cloete, said: “As well as being good to watch, the world’s best sports men and women are also inspirational to listen to and to learn from. This is certainly the case with Maddie Hinch and Rob Key.

“Despite playing different sports at different times, their messages are so similar: that talent must be backed up by hard work, that it’s OK to have setbacks but that it’s important to learn from them, and that sport should be enjoyable.

Hearing about the world of elite sport at

John Lyon is invaluable to our pupils and we hope they take what they’ve learned from Maddie and Rob out onto the practice pitch and into competition.”

A fuller version of this article, with videos, can be seen at www.johnlyon.org/news Spring Term 2021 | THE STANDARD | 19

POSH TROJ SHOWS HIS CLASS – Youth football is

on hold at the moment, but before the current lockdown Troj Mehmetaj (7EJG) made quite an impression while on trial with Peterborough United, scoring twice in his debut game.

He will be back training with ‘The Posh’ when everything is back up and running...

FAMILIAR FACE RETURNS TO THE CREASE – Spring Term saw the return of former

Middlesex professional Mr Chris Peploe to the School, and he was quick to get up and running by hosting Cricket Skills and Drills sessions from his living room.

It was great to see so many pupils take part...and we hope not too many household fixtures and fittings were damaged!

PUPILS AND STAFF RUN AWAY FROM 2020 – With 2020 still very much in people’s memories, the Spring Term

Sports Department Challenge was for all pupils and staff to run far, far away from the year that was. With the aim for everyone to remain active while learning from home, Sports staff asked the whole community to record their progress for 25 days to see how far we could all travel. While some chose the treadmill or exercise bike, others braved the cold and safely navigated their local area by either running or walking — many coercing parents or siblings to join them in the challenge. In total the School covered almost 5,000km (Land’s End to John O’Groats five times over).Year 9 led the way, closely followed by Year 7. Ten boys covered 100km each.

Year group winners included (l-r) Shaan Khoda (7SRP), Zac Addison (9LA), Alexander Rothwell (10NB) and Harjeevan Bains (8JOC). Director of Sport Mr Shane Cloete said: “The response to the challenge proved extremely positive and just goes to show the resilience and determination that our pupils are able to muster in such difficult times. The Department is extremely grateful to all those who took part and worked together as one John Lyon community despite having to achieve this challenge remotely.”

20 | THE STANDARD | The John Lyon School Magazine

Strict bubbles mean competition remains in-House

(l-r) Harvey Sharma (7SRP), Seyon Vigneswaran (7SRP), Paaran Bhalla (7SRP), Syrus Emerenini (7SRP), Lucas Ramackers (7SRP), Nohah Diedrick (7SRP) and Oliver Duroux (7SRP) celebrate House victory for Norwood. Below, Khush Malde (7AJM) in House Table Tennis action. Bottom, Zac Addison (9LA) shields the ball from Hrishi Kansara (9JDG) in House Hockey.

With no external fixtures for a whole year, pupils’ competitiveness has been shown through the various House competitions. Head of Activities, Mr Adam Ling, writes

L

ockdown has once again made it difficult to continue with our comprehensive co-curricular, extra-curricular and sporting programmes, so there has been a real focus on the select number of House competitions we have been able to safely host. Before our return to the School site in March, it was great to see so many boys keen to attend their online House assemblies, where they were given details of the three competitions we would be able to complete before the end of term.

Despite the challenges, we are pleased to have completed House Table Tennis, Hockey and Music across all year groups.

Participation has been excellent. There were a record 120 entries to House Music, lunchtime Table Tennis sessions have attracted large proportions of each year group, and House Hockey saw

dozens of pupils give up their Saturdays to attend and compete.

As I write, we can confirm that Moore are the winners of House Music. Table Tennis wins went to Butler (Oldfield),Vaughan (Juniors), Norwood (Colts) and Vaughan (Seniors). Norwood won Oldfield Hockey, with the other age groups still to be decided.

The Summer Term is filled with a number of rearranged events to ensure we can continue as close to normal as possible and maintain the competitive atmosphere that the House competition brings.

Spring Term 2021 | THE STANDARD | 21

Miss Katherine Haynes Head head@johnlyon.org

Danny Attias (OL1994), Amad Kayani (OL2012) and Adam Street (OL2002) were among the Old Lyonians to send in careers videos.

Careers advice goes online as OLs talk to pupils about their work With no Careers Fair possible in 2021, a video resource hub has been created for all pupils to hear from their predecessors about how they got into their fields, writes Alumni Relations Coordinator, Mrs Suzannah Chirnside

E

very two years The Lyonian Office and the School's Careers Department team up to run a Careers Fair in the New Memorial Dining Hall. Old Lyonians, parents and friends of the School generously give up an evening to talk to John Lyon students and students from local schools about their own careers and offer advice for students who are deciding what path they want to follow. In 2019, over 250 students came to the Careers Fair to talk to more than 40 professionals.

As such an event was not possible this year, we asked a selection of OLs to instead send us short videos of them talking about their careers — what they enjoy about their work, how they got there and any advice for current students. The response was fantastic and we have been able to gather videos covering a host of traditional and newer professions and career paths.

Mr Jonathan Pepperman Deputy Head JOP@johnlyon.org

On the John Lyon Planet eStream account, pupils can log in and hear from, amongst others: Amad Kayani (OL2012) an engineer at Historic England, de-carbonising historic buildings to make them ‘future proof’ in response to the challenge of the climate crisis.

Richard Evens (OL1982 and current parent) who works at St John Ambulance as Enterprise Projects Director and has been involved with the campaign to recruit 30,000 volunteers for the vaccination programme.

Tim Gellman (OL1990) who is Finance Director at a start-up supplying renewable energy to domestic customers.

Adam Street (OL2002) an Audio Visual Manager at Universal Studios theme park in Japan.

Phil Roker (OL1984) co-founder of successful catering company,Vacherin.

Danny Attias (OL1994) Chief Digital and Information Officer at Anthony Nolan.

We are hugely grateful to all Old Lyonians for giving up their time.

To update the Lyonian Office with any news, please contact Suzannah.Chirnside@johnlyon.org or 020 8515 9410

Mr Andy Sims Deputy Head AJS@johnlyon.org Mr James Bell Director of Operations James.Bell@johnlyon.org Open Day Dates www.johnlyon.org/opendays Miss Rebecca Davies Senior Registrar Tel: 020 8515 9443 admissions@johnlyon.org John Lyon Middle Road Harrow-on-the-Hill HA2 0HN 020 8515 9400 www.johnlyon.org @johnlyonharrow