The Stahl Theatre

The Stahl Theatre continues to provide a range of highquality theatrical opportunities. The Scholars’ Studio is gaining momentum, strengthened by the promotion of some senior pupils to the role of Scholar. This year, Drama Scholars enjoyed an away day to London where they met leading theatre professionals, had backstage tours and watched Come From Away in the West End.

House plays continue to be a real strength. Pupils relish the occasion and the pupil directors show hugely impressive leadership skills as they coordinate their peers to mount a successful production. Meanwhile, the whole School musical made a welcome return, with a cast of 40, a crew of 13 and a band of 16 pupils all bringing Lerner and Loewe’s musical comedy My Fair Lady to life.

In the Summer Term, the First and Second Form relished the opportunity to work with professional director Tom Fox on David Almond’s Skellig. 40 of our youngest pupils took part either onstage or backstage.

In February, 60 pupils took part in a rotation of workshops led by Theatre Re, Lamphouse Theatre and Paper Birds as part of the Wontner Drama Day. In the evening they enjoyed a performance of Broke performed by Paper Birds at the Stahl, where they had the opportunity to see how the techniques they had learned during the day were put into practice by the professional performers.

Highlights included

15 First - Fifth Form pupils selecting Stahl Backstage as their Electives option

A further six Fifth and Sixth Form pupils working backstage on a Wednesday afternoon

Drama Scholars performing A Walk in the Park, a selection of monologues and duologues all selected, performed, directed and written by themselves.

3 House plays

3 School plays

7 professional productions

1 School musical theatre production

Music

The academic year commenced on the back of one pupil scooping up the top Organ Scholarship to Oxford, two pupils gaining Oxbridge Choral Scholarships, two pupils gaining places in the National Children’s Orchestra, and one pupil winning a place in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. The number of pupils learning instruments remains steadfastly strong at 859, with an equally impressive number of ensembles. Numbers studying at GCSE and A level are vibrant, bucking the national trend. More than 100 music examinations were taken, with five pupils taking (and gaining) Diplomas.

Alongside the plethora of concerts, jazz evenings, choral performances and orchestral delights, it was wonderful to reprise the breadth of visits and masterclasses from music professionals. These included iconic pianist Melvyn Tan who worked with our orchestra and soloist preparing Beethoven’s Emperor Piano Concerto before giving a Masterclass and a stunning Recital, trumpeter David Hendry who ran an enlightening Masterclass and presentation on ‘Trumpet through the ages’ and Gabriella Teychenné (Sn 11) who gave a Conducting Masterclass. The year concluded with a much missed jazz tour to France for pupils who performed in Caen, Bayeux, Mont St Michel and Île de Ré.

Highlights included:

17 young violinists performing the solo part to the A minor Concerto in Vivaldi Extravaganza

Three Music Award Holders Concerts focusing purely on our Scholars

House Singing , involving virtually every single pupil with a wonderful resurgence of expectation and Oundle culture.

SPOTLIGHT Royal College of Music (RCM)

Our partnership with the RCM has been revolutionised, with five strands at its heart:

● The appointment of an RCM Fellow to develop our outreach with local schools, offering valuable experiences for both our pupils and those outside our walls

● Hosting an annual concert at the RCM in its stunning Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall

● Three visits over the year from RCM professors across differing music specialisms

● Professional development opportunities with RCM professors, including shadowing professors and world-class performers

● The development and hosting of music opportunities outside term-time, effectively acting as a northern hub for the RCM in conjunction with local music services.

Key date for your diary

Our inaugural RCM annual concert

7pm Sunday 19 March www.oundleschool.org.uk/whats-on-listing

Objective 2

To be Associated With the Very Best of 21st Century Boarding and Day Education

The last two years brought many challenges with regard to pastoral care and we remain highly mindful of the effects of lockdowns and remote learning on our community. The Emotional Wellbeing Team and Health Centre continue to work closely together and the coming year will see nurses spending more time in Houses with the pastoral teams and pupils. The Pupil Pastoral Forum (PPF) continues to be a driving force for pupil voice, with two Sixth Form ambassadors representing an area about which they are passionate, ranging from Charity, Digital, Environmental, Health and Gender Equality to LGBTQ+, Mental Health, Neurodiversity and Racial Diversity.

In the annual pupil survey, two new sections were added to explore pupil views on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and on Healthy Relationships and Respect between pupils. Most positive across the welfare piece was pupils’ enjoyment of School, knowing where to go if they need emotional support, feeling safe in their Houses and how well their Tutor knows them. In terms of academic, most positive was the pupils’ view that they are encouraged to do things for themselves and work independently, with active support from their Tutors. Pupils were also questioned about online safety, with the PPF Digital Ambassadors helping review the responses, giving mature and helpful insights to those teachers involved in safeguarding, pastoral and Learning for Life provision. Survey feedback is acted upon throughout the School, with the Head speaking to all pupils through year group assemblies, Hsms working in teams at House level and all staff involved with understanding and implementing resulting actions.

2022 also saw a pupil-initiated review into School uniform address a lack of parity in the Sixth Form, where suits were compulsory for boys while girls remained in School uniform. This led to the introduction of a new, non-crested navy tweed jacket to accompany the much-loved culottes, with a broader range of shirts and v-neck jumpers also available for all Sixth formers, promoting both inclusion and equality.

Opportunity takes its place among the five things we value most as a School: pupils, staff, opportunity, community and quality – minding about doing things well. The rejuvenation of the Electives programme as part of the whole co-curricular offering, with its 75+ options spanning the broad categories of creativity, cultural, intellect, physical and spirituality/ service, captured the imagination of both pupils and staff. A new publication, Oundle Opportunities, was shared with pupils to pique their interest, encouraging them to set aims and seek new experiences as well as to reflect upon on their own personal development.

Read Oundle Opportunities to find out more about Oundle’s extraordinary co-curricular offering