The Standard - Spring Term 2018

THE STANDARD The John Lyon School Magazine | SPRING TERM 2018

In this issue

South Pacific sunshine comes to John Lyon Oxbridge and Russell Group success Excellence Programme continues to grow Under 13 footballers have best ever season

CONTENTS 1

Head's welcome

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South Pacific sunshine brightens Autumn Term

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Oxbridge duo lead another year of university success

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John Lyon boys continue their Excellence adventure

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More room for reading

AMBITION ...............................

John Lyon gets political 6

An unprecedented double for Lewis as he retains his Music crown

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Life beyond A-Levels explored by Sixth Form students

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John Lyon and Harrow join musical forces to celebrate our founder

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Singing pupils make the small screen in critically acclaimed global hit

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John Lyon remembers as First World War centenary nears its end

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Music teacher pulls out all the stops in the City

EXCELLENCE ...............................

John Lyon boys go global on half term adventures 12

Literature beats the snow in absorbing university-style day of learning

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Importance of mental health and wellbeing highlighted by Peer Mentors Et tu, Brute? Julius Caesar meets his end once again

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INNOVATION ...............................

Creative industries celebrated in exhibition of work by Old Lyonians Endangered species artwork draws praise from the experts

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Woodpigeons knock magpies off their perch on Middle Road A hive of activity at Sudbury Fields

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Lights, camera, action on 'take your son to work day '

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Leading universities come to John Lyon to give glimpse of life after

RESOLVE ...............................

School Counting pounds and steps on City Walk to highlight careers in finance 18

Thousands raised as John Lyon boys continue charitable work

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Year 9 boys are 'awesome' and 'brilliant' in support of mental health in Harrow

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The house decides - John Lyon debaters continue to impress in linguistic duels

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HERITAGE ...............................

No sleep in class thanks to never ending energy sweets 'Freedom' the inspiration for budding young poets World Book Day brings out pupils' competitive streak Taste of the Orient comes to the New Memorial Dining Hall

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From hundreds to the last eight as John Lyon's young footballers cap

COMMUNITY ...............................

most successful season 23

Net gains for Hockey as John Lyon continues to embrace its new major sport School's first Hockey tour heads to sport's heartland

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Badminton thrives in all year groups Hooptime on the increase across all years

ENQUIRY ...............................

Soaring success for new Eagle Rohan 25

Boys make a splash and taste success in the pool How John Lyon led Oliver Cromwell, Sherlock Holmes and Florence Nightingale on London's railway tracks

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It's curtains up for dramatic new Lyonian venture Front cover: Edward Davey (L6ASL), Usmaan Khan (L6LH) and Javier D'Souza (L6AHR) in South Pacific

CREATIVITY ............................... www.johnlyon.org/values

Embracing our digital future The future of John Lyon is something we think about each and every day of the year. Whether we’re looking at the curriculum, academic standards, pastoral provision, improvements to classrooms or preparing our students for exams and university, we are always striving to improve what we do, for every single boy who studies here.

Since the start of this academic year we have been thinking a lot about John Lyon’s digital future. Parents will have experienced the introduction of the Bring Your Own Device programme – something which has so far worked well and we hope will continue to grow and improve as we look to enhance pupils' learning experiences and academic outcomes.

Firefly remains a valuable tool for pupils to be able to access important resources and Parent Portal is widely used to make important information readily available and for the School to quickly and easily send out important announcements via email.

Another addition to our digital future, which you may well have now encountered, is the School’s brand new website – www.johnlyon.org – a modern, easy-to-navigate platform that we hope will make John Lyon really stand out as a source of useful and reliable information, news and forthcoming events.You will now also find us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook – all @johnlyonharrow.

Miss Katherine Haynes, Head

It was the detailed process of launching this new website that meant you did not see a copy of The Standard in Autumn Term. But now we are back with a larger than usual edition covering two terms’ worth of news, short features and images giving you a snapshot of some of what has been happening since September 2017.

In truth, if we were to cover everything that happens here, this publication would be much larger, but we hope in these 25 pages you experience a good slice of what it is like to be a John Lyon boy.

While we remain hugely excited about our digital future, we hope you continue to enjoy this more traditional printed publication, which you will now continue to receive each term.

Spring Term 2018

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South Pacific sunshine brightens Autumn Term John Lyon’s annual musical production brought Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic wartime love story to the Ryan Theatre in December 2017, as writes Nathan Cuttica (L6LH) aka Seabee Morton Wise.

Although we were performing in winter, the three nights of South Pacific with pupils from John Lyon and a number of girls’ schools were a tropical spectacle of singing, dancing and, on one occasion, weightlifting.

The musical centres on the lives of American serviceman and nurses during World War Two. As the story develops, we are introduced to a wide variety of eccentric characters such as Bloody Mary, a wily Tonkinese lady who drives a hard bargain. We also see the development of a loving relationship between Emile and Nellie. Through the joy and hardships that

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all these characters face, we grow close to them and eventually find ourselves rooting for their success and happiness as the performance draws to a close.

Auditions had taken place at the end of the previous academic year and rehearsals began in September. After two weeks, the foundations were set. From this point on we steadily saw the development of a sandy island occupied by the American military, with sweltering heat and a lack of dames.

Through these rehearsals, we saw many strong friendships blossom. Positive bonds were also made with the members of staff who gave up their free time to help everyone reach their full potential and, above all, to enjoy the experience. When we finally reached the first performance, there was a whole world waiting behind the curtains for the audience. As they were drawn back the melodies of the South Pacific filled the Ryan Theatre.

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The beauty of drama is that the experience of a performance is exclusive to the audience that watches it. Once it has ended, there will never be another like it. As our final performance drew to a close and there were hugs and teary eyes, I knew this was also the case for South Pacific. The entire cast and crew worked tirelessly and it showed through both their own enjoyment and that of the audience.

We all succeeded in making some enchanted evenings that won’t be forgotten any time soon.

We thank the pupils, parents and staff of Hatch End High School, Nower Hill High School, The Royal Masonic School, Northwood College, Haydon School, Sacred Heart, St Helen's School and St Margaret's School for all their hard work in making the production a success.

Owen and Lami relax in the Red House garden after learning of their Oxbridge offers

Oxbridge duo lead another year of university success The world’s two best universities are each set to receive a John Lyon student this September.

Offers from both Oxford and Cambridge universities to John Lyon A-Level students have been the highlight of another successful year for the School’s Upper Sixth.

From top:The ensemble cast sings one of the show's numbers; Omar Mustafa (11MLT) flips Patrick Miles (11BRD); Alice Russell (Hatch End High School) with girls from a number of other schools who performed; Jude Hedges-Robinson (L6JWP) and Alice Russell steal the show as Emile and Nellie.

Left: The cast takes its curtain call

Everyone at John Lyon congratulates Lami Mabifa (U6GRI), who will read Human, Social and Political Sciences at Cambridge, and Owen Marshall (U6CKL), who will read History at Oxford.

The School’s Oxbridge success is backed up by a large number of offers from other leading Russell Group universities across the country, including Durham, Warwick, University College London, King’s College London, Manchester and Bristol.

From Dundee to Exeter, dozens of John Lyon students will head to university to read subjects including Law, Medicine, Economics, History, Geography, Politics, Classics and Modern Languages.

Miss Katherine Haynes is delighted with this year's success:

Having recently been named the best two universities in the world, Oxford and Cambridge really do remain the high watermark for higher education across the globe.

We are especially thrilled for Lami and Owen to have come through the notoriously tough examination and interview process with offers to read two extremely prized subjects.

Having watched and got to know the dozens of young men in our current Upper Sixth over a number of years – many having been here since they were just 11 – it is with both professional and personal pride that we see such success in these university offers, both in the number of offers being made and the great breadth of subjects they will study.

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Taranvir Bansal (8JNL), Lucas Antoni (8AJF), Dhiren Mahajan (8JNL) and Alexi Americano (8AJF) think about their clean 2050 city

John Lyon boys continue their Excellence adventure Following its launch by Professor Lord Robert Winston in 2017, it’s been full steam ahead for the School’s Excellence Programme, as writes Physics teacher and Excellence Team Leader, Dr Florence Weinberg.

Since the Excellence Programme began, we have had two exciting terms packed with fun and challenging events.

A Spaghetti Bridge Challenge saw dozens of boys attempt to build a bridge, made only from spaghetti, that could withstand large weights. All kinds of engineering solutions were offered up, with the

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strongest bridges able to hold more than 30kg. Our guest at the event, Head of the School of Design Engineering at Imperial College London, Professor Peter Childs, gave an inspirational talk to all the boys involved and was deeply impressed with the quality of the bridges built.

This Spring Term’s new and ongoing challenge is titled Bright Ideas. The aim is to come up with an idea for a city in 2050 that could create more clean and affordable energy or make the city more energy efficient.

Run by global oil and gas firm Shell, the competition invites young people to use their creativity, problem solving and teamwork skills to devise innovative

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solutions that could power cities of the future. Boys are hard at work to get their entries in before the April deadline.

As you can see in the challenges above, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) forms a central part of the John Lyon Excellence Programme as it covers a breadth of academic subjects in which our pupils excel.

We are therefore thrilled to be expecting a visit at the very end of Spring Term from members of the British Army and the people behind the Bloodhound SSC project – a British-led supersonic car project that hopes to set a new land speed record later in 2018 and potentially exceed 1,000mph.

John Lyon gets political Darshan Shah (U6DPB) and Umar Hussain (U6CKL) enjoy the new Reading Room

More room for reading

As well as launching the Excellence Programme, Professor Winston also opened the 1876 Reading Room in the Red House – a quiet space for boys on the Programme to use for reading and further study. It has quickly become a hugely popular space, used every day.

A hugely exciting upcoming Excellence event will be the visit of Laura Kuenssberg, BBC News’ Political Editor, in May 2018.

The much celebrated journalist will talk to boys from all years in the Boyd Campbell Hall. Hearing of her experiences and success will be motivation for our boys to keep striving for excellence.

Shaan Kerai (9TM) and Vinaykarthik Rachakonda (9CJC) inspect their spaghetti bridge

Their visit is part of a wide-reaching educational aim to encourage school pupils into STEAM subjects. When here, they will see our Year 7 boys’ own model rocket cars, each crafted from blocks of foam and fitted with axles and wheels before being raced down a guide wire.

We are not expecting to reach 1,000mph, but some of the designs so far look very speedy. www.johnlyon.org/excellence

Sarim Daniyal (7RAR), Prem Kumar (7RAR) and Ismael Doghem-Rashid (7RAR) get to work designing their rocket cars

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Lewis Johnston wows the audience with his winning performance

An unprecedented double for Lewis as he retains his Music crown John Lyon’s most illustrious musical alumnus returned to School to award the Musician of the Year trophy to Lewis Johnston for the second year, following a virtuoso performance.

The de Mello Cup, awarded to John Lyon’s Musician of the Year, is staying in the same hands for the first time ever after an outstanding performance at this year’s final.

The competition, which survived the snow and ice at the start of March, was won by Lewis Johnston (11MLT) for the second year in a row, after he wowed the audience with his rendition of Henri Wienawski’s Legende.

Judging the competition, Andrew Carwood (OL 1976-1983), who is Director of Music at St Paul’s Cathedral,

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was swept away by Lewis’ performance, commenting afterwards that it had seemed he and his violin had become one.

The evening, attended by a hardy group of parents, pupils and school staff, saw 15 performances of huge variety from the category winners of February’s House Music Competition.

In the Grades 1-4 category, Sanjam Singh (8AJF) improvised on the tabla, Arian Khan (9CJC) played Ludovico Einaudi’s popular tune I Giorni, Alexander Esau (U6KML) looped electric guitar tracks, and there were double performances by Varun Valentine (8AJF) who sang and played cello, and Ethan Greaves (9ECW) who played euphonium and drums.

Presenting the category trophy to Ethan for his Dora and Bootsy drum performance, Andrew Carwood commented on his exceptional rhythm and style.

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In the Grades 5-8 category, William Mitchell (8SBP) opened on acoustic guitar followed by Rahul Renganath (9ECW) on electric guitar. The evening’s second drum performance saw Aryan Rajan Gupta (7LJJ) make the night’s loudest noise before Benedict Tate (U6REM) changed the mood singing Schumann’s lyrical baritone solo, Die beiden Grenadiere. Sebastian CliffordVarley (11LHF) played Serocki’s edgy trombone sonata, Javier D’Souza (L6AHR) performed Handel on his flute and Jude Hedges-Robinson (L6JWP) finished proceedings with Chopin’s much-loved Minute Waltz.

All performers did themselves proud, but the evening belonged to Lewis Johnston, who received the trophy from Mr Joe de Mello, a long standing supporter of the School and former member of staff in the Music Department.

Pictures of all performers can be seen at www.johnlyon.org/MOTY

Life beyond A-Levels explored by Sixth Form students A visit from an eminent university lecturer gave A-Level students the opportunity to meditate on the nature and purpose of their study.

Lewis Johnston is awarded the trophy by Mr Andrew Carwood OL and Mr Joe de Mello

What if A-Level is not the summit of achievement, but the last staging post before approaching the next chapter – the degree and beyond? This was the challenge posited by Dr Andrew Green, Senior Lecturer in English at Brunel University, in his lecture to Sixth Form English students in late September 2017. Students were asked to meditate on the nature and purpose of literary study, the craft of the writer and the various critical lenses and contexts that shape our approach to a text. Dr Green left the students with much material to consider both in the context of their examination responses and possible approaches to university interviews.

Sixth Form students Asgharali Jaffer (L6JWP) and first Harpal Khambay (U6CKL) share their impressions:

Dr Green began by asking us what our own context was, in an attempt to get us to identify what makes us respond to literature as we do. Ideas such as sexuality, gender and religion came up. It is important to understand that we receive a piece of text differently now, because of the world and context we inhabit. Dr Green explained to us that no interpretation, especially in the world of literature, was wrong.

Ethan Greaves gives his drum performance, which took victory in the Grades 1-4 category

Sanjam Singh opened the evening with an improvised performance on the tabla

The Lower Sixth is exploring different analytical techniques when first encountering a text in the framework of our American Literature topic. This was therefore an apt time to have this lecture as it prepared us for our two years of literary study.

Lami Mabifa (U6GRI), Karan Dave (U6PDB),Thomas Salter (U6GRI), Shayen Patel (U6PDB) and Edward Davey (L6ASL) reflect on the purpose of their studies

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John Lyon and Harrow join musical forces to celebrate our founder Handel’s timeless oratorio, Messiah, capped a stunning musical evening, writes baritone soloist Benedict Tate (U6REM).

Following orchestral works by English greats William Walton and Ralph Vaughan Williams and big band jazz works by Neal Hefti and Thelonious Monk, it was time for the main event of the evening.

The Combined Choir and Orchestra of John Lyon and Harrow took centre stage in Harrow’s grand Speech Room to perform a selection of movements from Handel’s Messiah, led by our Director of Music, Mr Huw Jones.

The orchestral Sinfonia settled the post-jazz mood before the 100-strong choir exploded with the anthem chorus And the glory of the Lord. Despite the short amount of bonding time between the schools’ choirs and orchestras, the complicated polyphonic movement was executed in some style and the overall sound was certainly impressive.

The first solo came from John Lyon’s Jude Hedges-Robinson (L6JWP), who sang the recitative Thus saith the Lord.

The sheer power of Jude’s voice filled the room throughout the melisma dominated movement, impressing the audience.

Following more chorus movements I took to my feet for consecutive bass solos For behold, darkness shall cover the earth and

The people that walked in darkness. Singing these tricky movements in a great concert hall with a superb orchestra behind me was a real highlight and honour for me.

More great chorus movements, interspersed with solo movements by pupils from Harrow, led to the great climax of the Hallelujah chorus. The famous movement once again surprised the audience as the large choir produced a sound simply unheard by many before.

Speaking to the audience after the concert, it seems the sound the choir and orchestra produced was simply incredible, with one audience member stating it was “a sound you cannot get on any speakers in the world”.

Benedict Tate takes to the stage for his solo movements in Handel’s Messiah

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Taranvir Bansal (8JNL), George Neville-Alkiviades (8SBP), Sammy Smith (8SBP) and Lucas Antoni (8AJF) in the make-up tent at Elstree

Singing pupils make the small screen in critically acclaimed global hit The strength of John Lyon's singers led to an unexpected offer for pupils to appear in the Netflix hit drama The Crown, writes Mr Huw Jones.

Back in early 2017 I received a call from an ex-parent, Judy McPhee, who also happens to be the Director of The Windmill Studio Centre, a casting agency which has helped find young cast members for shows such as Call the Midwife, Silent Witness and Dickensian.

This time she was looking for a choir to step in to ‘be’ the choir of St George’s

Chapel in Windsor, in a scene for the baptism of Prince Edward in 1964, as part of season two of The Crown.

At one point we were sitting in the same pew as them, but alas autographs and selfies were strictly forbidden!

We were delighted to accept her offer and within just a few weeks were being fitted for costumes at Elstree Studios and then on set at St Albans Cathedral, which was masquerading as St George’s Windsor (although those who know the two buildings well would easily spot the difference).

We would like to thank Judy McPhee for this rare opportunity and I would personally like to praise all the boys who took part for their wonderful singing, especially Sammy Smith (8SBP) for his stunning solo.

The boys then sang their a cappella Amen many times in a beautifully decorated Abbey, with compliments from several in the film team. Seeing actors Claire Foy (The Queen) and Matt Smith (Prince Philip) up close was a real highlight.

But you don’t have to take my word that it was fantastic, you can watch it for yourself. We feature prominently in Season 2 Episode 10, from 55:00 minutes.

Enjoy!

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The whole School gathers for the Remembrance Day ceremony

John Lyon remembers as First World War centenary nears its end

One Hundred Years On

by Patrick Colson (9SOM)

The whole School gathered on the Red House Garden in November 2017 to commemorate those who have lost their lives in conflict.

For the first time in the School’s 141-year history, the Old Lyonians joined the School in the solemn and reflective commemoration – an especially poignant occasion as we entered the final year of the centenary of the Great War of 1914-1918.

Rushil Pithia (U6PDB) read from a letter by Old Lyonian AC Bayley, who had signed up to fight the War that ‘would be over by Christmas 1914’. The Old Lyonian

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Chaplain, the Reverend Hugh Wikner OL, then gave a short reflection on the importance of remembering our heritage.

After the Last Post sounded, an immaculately observed two-minute silence followed before wreaths were laid

by Deputy Head Boy Owen Marshall (U6CKL), World War Two veteran Lieutenant Commander RN Geoff Lancashire OL, Old Lyonian President Mr Joe Kerridge OL, and Head Miss Katherine Haynes.

After the ceremony, boys returned to their normal days, reflecting on how different their lives might be were it not for the sacrifices of both an earlier Lyonian generation and of those who protect us today.

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As we relax in our home, nearly 100 years on, We will never really know what really went on, As men were sent pointlessly over the top And on the big cities the bombs did drop People were running, crying, dying, Soldiers were giving it everything, trying, But as we relax all alone 100 years on We will never quite know, what really went on Soldiers in trenches, surrounded by mud, As all around them men died in cold blood,

Mr Andrew Furniss gets to grips with the Grand Organ of St Paul’s

Music teacher pulls out all the stops in the City

John Lyon boys go global on half term adventures A cappella in Italia

On October 2017’s Music tour to Venice, the School’s barbershop group couldn’t resist getting out the straw boaters and singing to the crowds in St Mark’s Square.

Mr Andrew Furniss took the Metropolitan Line into the City of London to give a recital on the Grand Organ of St Paul’s Cathedral – one of the world’s finest instruments.

With five keyboards, 137 draw stops and 10,000 pipes, the Grand Organ of St Paul’s is quite a handful. In fact, such is the prowess required for the vast historic instrument not many outsiders are ever invited to play it.

But in November 2017 Music Teacher Mr Andrew Furniss gave a Sunday afternoon recital under Sir Christopher Wren’s great dome. French composers

And the silence and tension made men less brave, As officers led their privates to temporary mass graves They are remembered with a church service and pillar But is this publicity just one big painkiller?

But while we relax in our homes, nearly 100 years on We will never fully know, what really went on ‘We will get there in the end’, is what the commander said, While in no man’s land, hundreds lay dead, These men were chess pieces in an oversized game, A game of life, war and death, not nearly the same, The officers, they didn’t really care About all the pawns, or any of their welfare

Vierne and Widor were on the programme, as well as J S Bach.

Speaking after his recital, Andrew said: It was a great honour and privilege to perform a solo recital at St Paul's. Not only is it one of the most iconic landmarks in the United Kingdom, it has one of the largest and most impressive pipe organs in the country.

But as we sit at home, 100 years on, So as we sit in church, and listen to the last stand As the scouts parade, maybe a marching band, Does it really mean anything, celebrating the many, not the few?

As the congregation stand, in their pew, Everyone is solemn, they think they understand, But if it happened to them, they probably wouldn’t withstand, So as we listen to a service, 100 years on, We will never really know, what really went on.

A tale of two trips with woolly hats for some and sun hats for others

February 2018 saw two very different adventures for John Lyon boys. While the Year 7s were in a blisteringly cold Paris, the Upper Sixth were trying to cool themselves down in Bangkok, Thailand. Both trips proved a huge success.

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Adam Zoromba (11SJM) considers Muhammad Ali’s boxing gloves on American Literature Day

Literature beats the snow in absorbing university-style day of learning Despite the snow keeping visiting pupils away, the English Department’s American Literature Day went ahead for John Lyon boys and was a great success, writes French and Graduate Assistant, Miss Lucy Aitchison.

On what, meteorologically speaking, was the first day of spring, heavy snowfall meant Holyport College and Avanti House were unable to join us for American Literature Day. Instead, the whole of Year 11 had the opportunity to participate in what was essentially a

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window into university-style teaching and what constitutes ‘a good academic’ at A-Level and beyond.

angle into American history and literature – from Abraham Lincoln’s teeth to Muhammad Ali’s boxing gloves.

To be interesting, you have to be interested – and indeed the level of engagement was impressive in spite of the snow swirling outside. This was especially evident in the boys’ response to unseen extracts presented by English teacher Miss Jade Boyle.

The Sixth Formers’ presentations on their individual research projects instilled a sense of excitement about the scope of study beyond GCSE, as was demonstrated by the Year 11s’ questions to the Sixth Form.

Deputy Head Mr Jonathan Pepperman’s comprehensive historical and political presentation was complemented by English teacher Mr Gavin Iveson’s ‘America in seven objects’, an original

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In response to Head of English Mr Jonathan Peel’s presentation theme, ‘Why study literature?’, the boys in effect answered this themselves.

Importance of mental health and wellbeing highlighted by Peer Mentors The innovative programme allows John Lyon boys to benefit from the experience and wisdom of Sixth Form students, writes School Counsellor Mrs Laura Herman.

Peer Mentors at John Lyon offer an additional strand of care within our pastoral system, which benefits not just the pupil being mentored but also the Sixth Formers giving their help and advice.

Mentors first undergo a rigorous

training programme that includes fundamental counselling and listening skills, confidentiality, boundary setting, safeguarding and developing selfawareness. They are also regular participants at Board Game Club where they interact and engage with younger pupils, acting as a role model, a kindly older brother, confidante and friend.

Mental health and wellbeing is central to the success of any community and John Lyon’s Peer Mentors play a significant role in contributing to the School’s ethos of showing compassion, care and respect for each other.

If you think your son might benefit from being allocated a Peer Mentor, or if you are a student wishing to become a Peer Mentor, please contact Mrs Laura Herman at Laura.Herman@johnlyon.org

Peer Mentors and younger pupils at the School's Board Game Club

Et tu, Brute?

Julius Caesar meets his end once again Pupils workshopped one of the Bard’s most famous plays at a Shakespeare Schools day at Rickmansworth’s Watersmeet Theatre in September 2017, Aryan Agarwal (8SBP) writes.

After a warm up to ensure our voices and bodies were ready, we dived straight into the workshop, where we learned five key elements to acting our scene from Julius Caesar: to enter the scene in character, to

avoid the ‘actor magnet’, to avoid the ‘kiss’ and ‘kill’ positions, to never turn our backs to the audience, and to use every part of our bodies.

Mark Antony, aka Louis Tyrrell (10ZA) grieves at the death of Caesar

With this knowledge we then ran through one scene using the rules we had been taught. We performed for the instructors and then they helped us improve certain areas. After practising what we learnt, we went through it one last time. It was perfect. We then gave a big thank you to our instructors for sharing their knowledge with us.

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Creative industries celebrated in exhibition of work

by Old Lyonians Artwork by former pupils, friends and parents was displayed in a richly varied exhibition in the School’s Mall Gallery in December 2017, writes Head of Art Ms Lorna Hope.

We were hugely honoured to be able to introduce this exhibition to celebrate the creative industries and the work of people connected to our school in various ways.

In the Art Department we are always eager to educate our pupils in the variety of opportunities related to creativity, through workshops, exhibitions and work experience.

What is possible in the future was clearly demonstrated in this exhibition, packed with wonderfully skilled work, including submissions by architects, fashion designers, sculptors, graphic designers, animators and fine artists, some of whom learned their early skills as John Lyon pupils. Those viewing were amazed by the quality and variety of what was shown.

A huge range of work by OLs, friends and parents was on display in the School’s Mall Gallery

Endangered species artwork draws praise from the experts In January the Art Department’s ‘artwork of the month’ winner Lucas Antoni (8AJF) was praised by leading pangolin experts for his paper collage depiction of the rare Asian mammal.

After the picture was posted on the School’s Instagram account, the IUCN Pangolin Specialist Group, a collective of leading biologists, zoologists, veterinarians and ecologists from around the world commented on the “excellent” picture.

You can find John Lyon on Instagram at @johnlyonharrow

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Woodpigeons knock magpies off their perch on Middle Road More than 20 different species of birds enjoy John Lyon’s grounds, writes Ornithology and Wildlife Society member Javier D’Souza (L6AHR).

After a week of torrential rain, freezing weather and thick cloud cover, the sun finally made an appearance in late January 2018 for the annual RSPB Big Schools' Birdwatch.

Last year, the inquisitive magpie stole the top spot, but for the first time since 2015 the woodpigeon returned to the top of the tree with a total of 53 seen in one hour, a new John Lyon record for the most sightings of an individual species.

Moreover, a total of 187 individual birds from 22 different species were recorded across the School campus.

Is it a bird? Is it a… …yes, it’s a bird

A hive of activity at Sudbury Fields

The 2018 Birdwatch also saw an increase in the number of garden birds including robins, blue tits and coal tits – a promising result following previous watches where their numbers had dwindled.

And this year, three different UK Red List Species, all of which have experienced a severe decline in the past 20 years, made appearances. The herring gull, starling and mistle thrush were counted several times throughout the hour.

If you’d like to know more about John Lyon’s Extra-Curricular programme, visit www.johnlyon.org/extracurricular

Where did it go? Thomas Burns (10OD) helps look after the bees at Sudbury Fields

As well as Hockey and Football down at the School’s 25-acre playing fields, you’ll find a new buzz of activity. While the residents of the John Lyon beehives are still largely keeping themselves warm for winter, our pupil beekeepers have been busy making sure the hives are pest free and well stocked with ‘winter fuel’. We hope the pampered bees will reward us with plenty of honey.

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Max Wilkinson reads the news with his mother Stephanie, at work in the BBC’s New Broadcasting House

Lights, camera, action on ‘take your son to work day’ The BBC, Deloitte, and Imperial College London were among many organisations to welcome John Lyon boys alongside their parents.

It’s a school day like no other for our pupils – a chance to see and experience a little of what their parents do for a living, and to stimulate their thoughts about what they may wish to do after their school years.

And with John Lyon parents working in a broad range of exciting industries, this

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year’s event was a real eye-opener for our boys.

Vivek Vadher (9SGJ) learned a lot about work in a corporate environment as he joined his father at Deloitte’s Central London offices. At Tesla in west London, Anish Kumar (9TM) joined his uncle for a day with the leading electric car manufacturer. The patience needed to be an architect was a big lesson learned by Harsh Hingorani (9ECW), who spent the day at Wolff Architects in Notting Hill. In the world of academia, Tian Patel (9TM) joined his father at Imperial College London, where he was welcomed

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into meetings with university staff and Microsoft. Law firm Clifford Chance welcomed Vinay Kapoor (9KS) with his father.

And Max Wilkinson (9TM) joined his mother, as studio technical operator for BBC News at her New Broadcasting House workplace. He worked in the studio control room operating remote cameras and lighting, met journalists, presenters, makeup artists and studio directors, and spoke at length to an experienced camera operator. His main lesson learned: to always ask people and listen to their advice.

Leading universities come to John Lyon to give glimpse of life after School The annual University Fair saw pupils from a number of local schools join John Lyon students, including Imad Rajput (L6TCF), to learn more about what different universities can offer.

A prominent event for boys in the John Lyon calendar, the annual University Fair aims to help students orientate and explore potential paths towards their ultimate goals. With over 35 universities, including some from abroad, City & Guilds, Gap 360, Ernst & Young and A Star Future, an umbrella organisation for students thinking of studying abroad, there was certainly plenty of information to soak up.

Students were presented with copious

choice as regards possible careers, along with a myriad of representatives from organisations such as the National Citizen Service (NCS), helping students broaden their extra-curricular commitments.

opportunity to speak to other students about where they were interested in applying.

The University Fair was not limited to advice on courses and prospective degrees, but included a popular talk on student finance given by the University of Bath for the Upper Sixth and parents, who were attending the Fair for the first time.

A valuable talk on the UCAS process was given to Year 11 pupils by Head of Higher Education Mr Stephen Mepham.

With students from Harrow High School, Hatch End High School, Nower Hill High School and William Perkins C of E High School also at the Fair, we had a good

Asher Weisz (L6JWP) weighs up his options at the University Fair

Counting pounds and steps on City Walk to highlight careers in finance Leading firms in the Square Mile have given their time to talk to John Lyon students, including Yenuson Venderkoon (L6JWP), about what it’s like to work within the financial sector.

Our day in the City was split into two activities: the first a workshop by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), and the second a session on risk management and insurance by global professional services firm Aon.

At ICAEW we had a presentation and then a group practical activity. We learned what a chartered accountant is and the opportunities that are available. It was useful to understand what we can do in the future for our careers. The practical activity gave us an insight into the work of a chartered accountant – we had to help a client with a shoe brand to choose between two manufacturers. From this brief project, not only did we understand the type of work a chartered accountant faces but we were also able to develop our skills in researching, team work and presenting.

After walking to Aon, which is based in the City’s Leadenhall ‘Cheesegrater’ Building, we were given a talk on the work of risk managers and insurers. We were also told about apprenticeship programmes, a way of continuing education after school but in the workplace instead of just going to university.

I found the day a very good experience, providing insights into possible careers as well as being mind-opening, as it introduced alternative ways to get to the careers we want.

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Messrs Jones, Vickery, Parker, Peel and Rao get ready for their 55 mile bike ride

Thousands raised as John Lyon boys continue their charitable work

Qalam Trevelyan (U6CKL),Thomas Salter (U6GRI), Adeel Aftab (U6REM), Daniel Guirgis (U6GRI) and Joao Sousa Costa (U6PDB) helped raise a lot of dough in the cake sale

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More than £12,000 was raised in a single term for a number of local and national charities as pupils and staff took on a variety of challenges, as well as some more traditional fundraising.

In November a small but determined group of students and staff undertook to grow moustaches for the whole month, in aid of the Movember campaign, which seeks to highlight men’s health issues including prostate cancer, testicular cancer and suicide. A great array of top lip styles and a determination to make it through the whole month saw a huge £7,300 raised. Alas, tracking down a participant to be featured in The Standard proved impossible.

A Macmillan Coffee Morning netted almost £1,500 to help support the vital work of their cancer support nurses, Jeans for Genes day made £600, over the festive

THE STANDARD The John Lyon School Magazine

period a Christmas jumper day raised more than £800, and 180 kilograms of food was collected for Harrow Foodbank.

In October five members of staff donned their lycra to cycle 55 miles from Chiswick to Tower Bridge on the Thames Bridge Bike Ride. Mr Jonathan Peel, Mr Ian Parker, Mr Sam Jones, Mr Luke Rao and Mr Martin Vickery raised more than £1,200 for the Stroke Association.

Also in October all Spanish students raised money for the local St Luke’s Hospice by undertaking a fiendish vocabulary test.

By knowing the Spanish for socks*, redhead** and timetable***, pupils were able to raise more than £1,000.

calcetines* pelirrojo** horario***

The charitable ethos that has run through John Lyon ever since its founding in 1876 shows no sign of slowing with this generation of pupils as bikes, coffee, jeans, Christmas jumpers and even moustaches help raise much needed funds.

Year 9 boys are ‘awesome’ and ‘brilliant’ in support of mental health in Harrow Having raised the £1,200 entry fee, two John Lyon teams quizzed it out with pupils from schools across the Borough to be named 2018 Harrow Master Minds.

The quick-fire quiz held at Harrow School in February 2018 saw schools from the area come together to test their knowledge in English, Maths, Science, the Humanities, Music and the Arts.

Having undergone some intensive quiz training, John Lyon’s two teams of five boys, Team Awesome and Team Brilliant, put up a great show – even bringing home a trophy.

Team Awesome captain Vinay Kapoor (9KS) writes: We began with a starter quiz in which Team Awesome managed to come 1st and we won a huge Easter egg as a prize.

Harsh Hingorani (9ECW), Rahul Renganath (9ECW), Vinaykarthik Rachakonda (9CJC), Mihir Malde (9KS) and Ethan Jayesinghe (9TM) line up for Team Brilliant

We then began the main subject round and at the end of the first round, Team Awesome were in 2nd place! By the penultimate round, we had slipped to 3rd and Team Brilliant were in 5th.

Overall, Team Awesome finished 6th out of 12 and Team Brilliant came 4th, which is a truly excellent result! Also, John Lyon won the prize for the most inventive fundraising ideas, which was incredible and showed that our hard work paid off.

Next, a general knowledge round saw Team Awesome go head-to-head against Harrow School and Team Brilliant against Park High. Finally, there was a bonus round after which the results were announced.

It was announced at the end of the day that this year all schools raised a total of £8,000, which is an astonishing amount for such a well-deserving cause. t

Yusuf Shaikh (9SGJ), Patrick Colson (9SOM), Vinay Kapoor (9KS) Arian Khan (9CJC) and Haaris Iqbal (9CJC) made up Team Awesome

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The house decides – John Lyon debaters continue to impress in linguistic duels It’s been a busy couple of terms for John Lyon’s impressive debaters, in competition against the ‘Barcelonas’ of school debating, writes Head of English Mr Jonathan Peel.

The Debating squad has been in action at both the Oxford and Cambridge Union Schools’ Debating competitions. These competitions are the high point of the schools’ debating programme across the country: the local rounds alone are fought

over by in excess of 100 students with a mere eight or ten moving on to the final rounds. It is hard graft.

The debates themselves are ‘blind’.

Students get 15 minutes to prepare a motion. There is no prior warning about the motion or about which side they are on. All electronic aids are prohibited. This requires a wide general knowledge and awareness of topical news items and a flexible mind.

Our boys performed well in both events, without moving on to the final. Indeed at Oxford, the competition is such that one school provided all but one of the winning teams. It’s a bit like playing against Barcelona. Our boys can hold their heads high. They won individual debates on both nights and pushed their opponents right to the end. And we know, the better the opposition, the better we debate.

Imad Rajput (L6TCF) writes about the thrill of the debate: An exhilarating experience, the adrenaline rush of prepping for five minutes, and having to speak with fluency, transparency and clarity, all while fighting off countless questions and interjections.

The experience is exhausting, but also intoxicating, thinking methodically and with celerity trying to think about prudent points to tactically counteract your fellow debaters.

Qalam Trevelyan (U6CKL), Imad Rajput (L6TCF) and Mantej Kambo (U6CKL) listen to Karan Dave (U6PDP) during a heated debate on universal healthcare in Friday afternoon debating

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THE STANDARD The John Lyon School Magazine

The discipline of debating is more of a sport, a game of intellect and rhetoric fought between multiple opponents, with polarising lines drawn across the table.

The intellectual stamina and skill of the sport must be practised and trained for, and like any sport, the gain of logical tenacity in constrained time frames improves your natural reasoning, intellect and confidence. Debating is an essential skill and one which proves its benefits time and time again.

‘Freedom’ the inspiration for budding young poets James Otaruoh (8JNL) gets to work inventing a brand new sweet on Roald Dahl Day

No sleep in class thanks to never ending energy sweets The annual Roald Dahl Day inspired a whole tuck shop full of new confectionery ideas, writes School Librarian Mrs Rita Halsey.

On what would have been the great children’s author’s 101st birthday in September, enthusiastic pupils gathered in the Gordon Surtees Library to celebrate Roald Dahl Day. Joined by the Librarians and their teachers, the splendiferous

Kabir Ghai (8SBP), Ibrahim Salem (8JNL) and William Mitchell (8SBP) try to work out which teacher is hiding behind which book

World Book Day brings out pupils’ competitive streak

The annual global day, which celebrates all things literary, proved as popular as ever in the Gordon Surtees Library. Pupils filled the Library in March to find answers in a literary quiz and to guess which members of staff were hiding behind their favourite books.

pupils took part in our gloriumptious literature quiz and an ‘invent your own sweet or chocolate bar’ competition.

National Poetry Day competition saw pupils reach new heights in verse.

Budding poets gathered in the Library in September to celebrate National Poetry Day with a poetry picnic and competition.

With the theme of freedom, and inspired by published poetry (alongside a tempting array of cakes and biscuits), pupils soared to new heights by writing their own poems on ‘poetry kites’.

Bolstered by a scrumdiddlyumptious variety of cakes, sweets and biscuits, the boys produced outstanding work.

A special mention goes to Christian Silcott (7LJJ) who invented a sweet for children who are sleepy in class.

His Scrumtumptious Fizzler never gets smaller, only works in school and gives tiny sparks of energy to keep you awake till the end of the school day!

Zak Samak (L6LH) tries his hand at making sushi rolls

Taste of the Orient comes to the New Memorial Dining Hall School dinners have come a long way from the days of soggy semolina. This was seen in a simple sushi demonstration in the dining hall, run by the School’s caterers Holroyd Howe in September.

Pupils have also recently enjoyed a Chinese New Year lunch and, closer to home, pancake day and British Pie Week.

Otto Verden (7RAR) writes his kite poem on National Poetry Day

From War to Freedom Shaan Kotecha (7LJJ) People are escaping Running as far as possible Freedom is getting closer Heading for the water Boats are leaving Boats are going to freedom Freedom is here

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From hundreds to the last eight as John Lyon’s young footballers cap most successful season Narrow victories and impressive comebacks saw the School's U13 footballers make the quarter finals of the ISFA Cup, writes Director of Sport Mr Kevin Paradise.

The John Lyon Under 13s began their Independent Schools Football Association (ISFA) Cup campaign with a positive 3-2 result against local rivals Berkhamsted School, before advancing to the last 64, where the competition really hotted up.

Our second opponents, Dulwich College, really tested our resolve and took a 1-0 lead into half time. But John Lyon came out brightly in the second half with Remi Onabanjo (8AJF) scoring from an early free kick.

We continued to apply the pressure and took the lead with a clever chip by James Otaruoh (8JNL). A 3-1 victory was sealed

by Luca Lombardi (7LJJ), netting from an outstanding free kick.

Remi Onabanjo battles for the ball in the quarter final match against Royal Russell

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THE STANDARD The John Lyon School Magazine

Through to the last 32, John Lyon were drawn against Thomas’s Battersea, and this

would prove to be a pulsating fixture which went to a tense extra-time period and the narrowest of wins for John Lyon,1-0.

Progressing to the last 16 against Richmond’s King’s House School, John Lyon really took it to the opposition and ran out comfortable 4-1 winners.

Now in the last eight and with a semi-final place at stake, John Lyon took the lead against Croydon’s Royal Russell School, but the opposition rallied bravely and scored an equalising goal in the very last minute. After an extra-time stalemate the match went to penalty kicks, which saw the cruellest of defeats for John Lyon, going down 4-3.

Despite not progressing to the semi-finals, it was a fantastic cup campaign from the John Lyon Under 13s, each of whom demonstrated just how much the quality of Football at the School has improved.

Net gains for Hockey as John Lyon continues to embrace its new major sport With Hockey now the School’s premier Spring Term sport, it has become a firm favourite, with success coming quickly, writes Head of Hockey Mr Adam Ling.

There has been a fantastic uptake to Hockey this Spring Term as it became a major School sport for the first time.

Participation levels are particularly pleasing, with large numbers of boys from all years showing an interest, and teams being made up of pupils who had never represented the school in Football. It is especially pleasing to see these new faces find their niche.

William Mitchell (8SBP) and Ali Malik (8JNL) battle for the ball in a training session at the Sudbury Fields Astroturf pitch

This year we have seen seven School teams compete in more than 70 fixtures with a number of successes along the way.

Of particular note are our junior teams, who have won more than half of their fixtures. This is no small feat considering that many of these boys will have had limited opportunities to play the sport before joining John Lyon.

Despite our senior teams not having experienced Hockey earlier in their School careers, it has been particularly impressive to see over 20 boys training and competing each week. While there is still a long way to go, it is clear that progress has been made and we are all excited to see how Hockey develops over the coming years.

School's first Hockey tour heads to sport's heartland Seventeen U14 boys embarked on the first ever Hockey tour in February 2017, to one of the sport’s strongest nations, the Netherlands.

The short Dutch tour included two fixtures and two specialist training sessions. In the first match our boys adapted well to the fast pace of the game and had a number of opportunities to open the scoring. Defensively, they worked well as a unit and managed to hold their own for long periods of the game. It was clear the opposition had played together for a number of years and eventually they managed to take victory. John Lyon certainly came away having demonstrated a strong resilience and took this into

The tourists take a break from Hockey for a press conference at Ajax’s Johan Cruyff Arena

their second fixture the following day.Yet again, we created a number of chances but a lack of composure in front of goal was our downfall and we eventually went down 3-0.

From the two games it was evident that much progress had been made in a short space of time.

Of course, no trip would be complete without some rest and relaxation and we managed to fit in some sightseeing at the Johan Cruyff Arena, home to Ajax FC, and an evening of bowling, which certainly brought out the competitive streaks in both staff and students alike.

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Badminton thrives in all year groups

With more boys attending badminton training sessions than ever before and a comprehensive programme run by Mr Ian Parker, it is little surprise we are seeing success across all age groups.

This year the Year 11 squad won the Harrow League, with impressive victories of 8-1, 8-1 and 7-2 against Rooks Heath, Nower Hill and Whitmore. They followed this with an 8-1 victory against Avanti House before beating Park High 7-2 in the Borough final. This earned them the opportunity to represent Harrow in the West London stage of the London Youth Games. After comfortably beating Hillingdon 5-0 they narrowly lost to Hounslow 3-2.

Adnan Kachwala (11MLT), Ibrahim Mohammad (11BRD), Umesh Dabasia (11PJC),Tanay Shah (11MLT) and Niale Emmanuel (11LHF) – the successful Year 11 Badminton squad

Our Junior teams continue to show promise and both the Year 7 and Year 8 squads ran out victorious in their fixtures against Pinner High.

group to reach the Borough finals, losing in a close fought match to Park High.

The Year 9 squad have competed once again in the Harrow League, winning their

Our Senior squads continue to compete in a number of challenging fixtures each

Hooptime on the increase across all years

Basketball at John Lyon continues to increase in popularity, with participation at its highest-ever level. A particularly strong group of boys in Year 9 saw the U14 team get to the semi-finals of the Borough league.

year against the likes of Harrow School, Charterhouse and Epsom College.

Aman Hoque (9ECW) and David Pruteanu (9TM) compete for the ball at tip off

The School is benefitting hugely from the experience of outside coach Steve Alexander, a former regional development manager for England Basketball and co-founder and life president of the Westminster Warriors club.

With this expertise and early success it is hoped more boys from the lower years will become interested in Basketball leading to much stronger teams at all ages.

Rohan Luthra with his England shirt

Soaring success for new Eagle Rohan

Having been training week-in week-out for almost a decade, success has come for young goalkeeper Rohan Luthra (11SJM) with a professional contract at Crystal Palace Football Club. Alongside his School Football commitments he is part of The Eagles’ U16 and U18 squads, training four times a week. In 2015 he made his debut for England Under 15s and made appearances against Belgium and Turkey. Rohan will leave John Lyon after his GCSEs this summer to take up his two year contract. We wish him all the best and will keep an eye out for his name in the first team squad in the near future.

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THE STANDARD The John Lyon School Magazine

Boys make a splash and taste success in the pool

League games and county call-ups have shown the growing strength of Water Polo at John Lyon. The School has now entered the London League at both U14 and U16 levels and Aryan Agarwal (8SBP), Oliver Castell (8SBP) and William Mitchell (8SBP) were all accepted into the U14 Middlesex County team.

The next goals are to work towards 2018’s London Youth Games at the Olympic Aquatics Centre and to push our most talented players towards national representation.

Koen Philippa-Gradillas (10ZA) sizes up the opposition in the pool

How John Lyon led Oliver Cromwell, Sherlock Holmes and Florence Nightingale on London's railway tracks Story of the School’s 110-year-old engine nameplate told in leading railway magazine.

This (below right) is John Lyon, the first Bo-Bo electric locomotive used on the Metropolitan Railway in 1906.

‘No.1' operated from the City of London out to Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire from 1906, and worked all the way through to 1972.

Being named as the first of just 20 of these engines would be a real honour to the School’s founder, especially considering some of the names that followed, including Oliver Cromwell, Sherlock Holmes, Florence Nightingale, Sir Christopher Wren, Lord Byron and Prime Ministers William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli.

Max Wilkinson (9TM) and Patrick Colson (9SOM) stand under the nameplate at the Red House

No.1's original nameplate now lives at the Red House. The story of the nameplate is featured in issue 237 of Heritage Railway Magazine.

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ASSOCIATION DAY Saturday 30th June 2018, From 1.00pm Sudbury Playing Fields Join us at the School’s picturesque Sudbury Playing Fields for an early summer’s afternoon of community, sport and food.

Miss Katherine Haynes Head head@johnlyon.org

- School vs Old Lyonian cricket matches - Tennis Tournament - all players welcome - Grand Picnic Lunch - Lyonian Association refreshment tent The Lyonian Association invites the whole John Lyon Community, including current, past and future pupils, friends, and their families to come along.

It’s curtains up for dramatic new Lyonian venture

Mr Andy Sims Deputy Head AJS@johnlyon.org

Pupils past and present came together for a stunning production and the launch of a new theatre company

A play written, directed and produced by Old Lyonians, starring current School pupils, proved to be a stunning start for the fledgling John Lyon Young Company.

The production, The Arrival of the Prince, written by Ethan Peters (OL 2009-16) was performed in the Boyd Campbell Hall in September 2017. Everyone involved in the play, from Director Alex Clarke (OL 2010-17) to the stage manager, lighting and sound technicians and actors, was or is being taught at John Lyon.

Plays being produced by OLs isn’t a new concept, with the OL Dramatic Club originally formed more than a century ago. The Club continued until the 1970s and it is hoped this new Company will revive the tradition.

John Lyon’s Head of Drama, Mr Sam Jones, has high hopes: “In years to come I hope to tour productions with this Company to international arts festivals at Edinburgh and Brighton.”

Matthew Evens (8SBP), Rafi Smith (8SBP) and Youki Marr (8JNL) star in The Arrival of the Prince

You can keep up with Lyonian Association news and events at their website www.oldlyonians.org

Mr Jonathan Pepperman Deputy Head JOP@johnlyon.org School Open Evening Tuesday 15th May 2018 5.00 - 7.00pm Mr Michael Gibson Bursar Michael.Gibson@johnlyon.org Miss Rebecca Davies Registrar Tel: 020 8515 9443 admissions@johnlyon.org John Lyon MIddle Road Harrow-on-the-Hill Middlesex, HA2 0HN 020 8515 9400

www.johnlyon.org @johnlyonharrow