Malvern View Autumn 2019

M ALVERN VIEW Issue 35 | Autumn 2019

www.malverncollege.org.uk

Malvern View • Autumn 2019

From the Headmaster

2

The Autumn term has been racing by and the variety and quality of opportunities that have been on offer have been as high as ever. As well as the vast array of pupil-focused and pupil-led events, expeditions and achievements, I hope that you will note that staff have been setting a great example in their positions as role models, taking on their own challenges and creating their own transformational learning experiences. I hope you enjoy reading this term's edition.

Keith Metcalfe

Abberley Hall joins Malvern’s family of schools Abberley Hall School and Malvern College, after many years of close informal co-operation, will now have a more formal association. Abberley Hall joined the Malvern College family of schools in June this year. It is a thriving independent co-educational boarding school set in 90 acres of land north west of the city of Worcester and won School of the Year in the 2018 Worcestershire Education Awards. Its pupils are regular visitors to Malvern College, taking part in sports fixtures, coaching sessions, science events, debating, drama and music productions.

Malvern College already has a close and valued association with The Downs Malvern in Herefordshire, and with five developing sister schools in China, Hong Kong and Egypt. We look forward to working with the staff and pupils at Abberley Hall to help secure the very best independent boarding education possible for all of our pupils.

Sally Cooper-New, Director of Marketing and Admissions

3

Young Economists’ Summit Hamburg Josh Preston, Annabelle Moody, Dan Holland, Arent Riemer, Francesco Coppola, Konrad Barbers and Nikki Stonham were in Hamburg this term, taking part in the Young Economists Summit. The event required teams to present their own ideas or solutions to various issues facing the world today, from integrating refugees into society to dealing with climate change. Our team developed an idea for an app to encourage saving amongst

gig economy workers. The team had to make the presentation and then face critical questioning from their peers and a panel of experts. They did extremely well, fielding tricky questions and showing a tremendous depth of knowledge. They were Highly Commended by the organisers.

Andrew Wilson, Economics

The John Locke Essay Competition When I saw my name on the shortlist for the John Locke Essay Competition I had to look at it a couple of times to check that it was really me. This was the world’s largest essay competition and I knew the odds of my success where low so I had prepared myself not to have made it. But there it was, my name, Jan van Heusde, with the essay title ‘Do our intuitions provide a reason to believe one moral claim over another? Can we prove this?

Does it matter?’, entered in the Philosophy category, springing out at me from the page.

I was fascinated by this competition from the start and decided to enter an essay out of a pure obsession for the matter in hand. The question of the value of intuition had been of interest to me since I started doing philosophy at Malvern and, with this platform from which I could research it and express my opinions, and the hope of making the short-list to attend the gala event, the decision to enter was easy.

To be shortlisted in an event as amazing and prized as this was such a privilege. On the first day I was invited to attend a Gala dinner at New College, Oxford. Here I had the chance to meet students from all around the world who were of an incredible academic calibre, all writing on different topics and questions, all from widely varying backgrounds. I was given the opportunity to meet the Ivy League and Russell Group professors, some of whom had read my essay. It was at this stage that I learnt that I was one of the select few who had been chosen to receive a High Commendation for my essay. The next day I enjoyed the privilege of attending lectures given by both Oxford and Stanford professors on the essay question I had written, the topic of philosophy as a whole and how to be a good Oxford candidate. What an experience!

I am determined to pursue an application to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics; this has given me just the encouragement I needed.

Jan van Heusde, Upper Sixth

The John Locke Institute exists for the benefit of exceptional students.

This essay competition encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics that turn good students into great writers: independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis and persuasive style. Jan entered his essay into the Philosophy category and was invited to Oxford University in September to a Gala Dinner during which the prize winners were named. Winners were selected by the university’s senior academics, and named in the catagories in which they were submitted.

4

ASTON

SOCIETY

ASTON

SOCIETY

ASTON

SOCIETY

ASTON

SOCIETY

Masterclass lecture Terror at the Olympics: Munich ’72 and the birth of counter-terrorism in Germany Alexander Young’s talk focused on the tragic terrorist attack at the Munich Olympic Games in 1972, when the Palestinian Black September group infiltrated the athletes’ village and killed 11 Israeli athletes on German soil.

The German Interior Ministry was poorly prepared to deal with a hostage crisis, which ultimately contributed to this tragedy. As a result, however, the German Parliament passed a resolution which funded the creation and training of an elite counterterrorist task force named the GSG9. This unit trained relentlessly for five years and was then called upon in 1977 to liberate German hostages from a hijacked passenger plane which landed in Mogadishu. The GSG9 successfully neutralised the hostage takers and freed all the hostages. Since 1977, the GSG9 has been involved in a number of operations across the world and has established itself as one of the world’s most respected counter-terrorist units.

Staff Profile: Alexander Young, Head of German Alexander Young joined Malvern College in September having previously taught German and Russian at Wellington College in Berkshire. He has greatly enjoyed teaching IGCSE, A-level and the IB Diploma for a number of years and is also a GCSE and A-level marker for two exam boards.

Alexander is a graduate of the Universities of Bath and Birmingham and has travelled extensively across Russia and Ukraine during and since his studies. Before moving into teaching, he worked in the automotive sector in the UK, Germany and Russia as Executive Assistant to the CEO of Mercedes-Benz UK. He is a keen sportsman, having previously played rugby and lacrosse, and now assists the College’s cross-country team, which allows him to regularly explore the Malvern Hills. In his spare time, he loves playing music, having played guitar, drums and bass in several groups over the years. He lives near Malvern with his young wife and son. His wife is the Head of Sixth Form at a local school.

Alexander is delighted to have joined the Modern Languages team at the Malvern where he is looking forward to continuing to develop the thriving German department. He also leads the FY academic extension programme and runs a ‘Russian for Beginners’ club every Tuesday evening. He also enjoys giving academic lectures, having most recently spoken in the Aston Society series of lectures, for the Lower School, on the terrorist attack at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

5

Politics trip to London Brexit. This about sums up UK parliamentary politics at the moment and it was in this context that we made a planned school trip to Westminster this term.

With 31st October fast approaching, we knew we were in for an interesting time especially as there been a lot of criticism about the Prime Minister’s decision to shut, or prorogue, parliament for an extended period. Not only was this going to inconvenience Members of the House and the general public in terms of following the debate over Brexit, but it also meant that our keenly anticipated trip to watch the workings of House would be made with Parliament at a stand-still.

Instead of watching PMQs we had our own tour of the House with our questions answered by our local MP for West Worcestershire, Harriet Baldwin, former joint Minister of State at the Foreign Office and Department for International Development.

We were also fortunate to have a private tour of the Supreme Court where the decision on the lawfulness of the Prime Minister’s prorogation of parliament would be made. We were allowed to sit in the seats that would be occupied by Lady Hale and the eleven justices who made their historic decision on the 23rd September 2019 – that the Prime Minister had been acting unlawfully when he had prorogued Parliament for a longer time than would normally have been expected.

Our thanks go to Mr Tuthill for organising this trip that further illustrated our subject and its relevance to our daily lives.

The trip and this period in political history none of us will forget.

Follow us @MalvernCollege Remember you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and LinkedIn. Enjoy reading news about what is going on at Malvern, and sending us your comments!

Phoebe Palmer-O’Riordan, Upper Sixth

6

Malvern View • Autumn 2019

Wheeler-Bennett Society The Wheeler-Bennett Society is Malvern’s senior pupils’ academic society, led by the Sixth Form and overseen by the College Chaplain, The Revd David Ibbotson.

The Society seeks to promote the stimulation and exchange of ideas and the group meets three times a term. One pupil, or sometimes two, present a paper on a topic of interest and this is followed by a discussion about issues raised. Discussion is moderated through the Chair. This year’s Chairman is Cameron Coleman.

Last term the society discussed papers by Evyanne Ewusie on ‘The Economics of World Hunger – why some countries experience large scale food shortages’, and ‘Free Will versus Determinism’ by Imoesi Ogwemoh. This term, the society made a strong start with its first meeting held in in the third week of September. Two speakers gave presentations: Imogen Cole and Gemma Luscombe. Gemma's presentation "Has the first person to live to 200 already been born?", addressed the biological reasons for ageing as well as the societal ramifications of extended lifespans. Imogen's lecture, "Homegrown terrorism: are you responsible?", called us to question the traditional approach to tackling terrorism, encouraging us to consider those who may be alienated from society and no longer feel part of it. She encouraged a radical shift in our perception with respect to radicalisation and encouraged a focus on individual action to increase social cohesion. Audience participation was enthusiastic and robust.

Cameron Coleman, Chairman of the Wheeler-Bennett Society Gemma Luscombe and Imogen Cole

Otty Thomas GB – Prince Philip Cup in Ireland We travelled from home to Holyhead and then by sea to Punchestown Racecourse, near Dublin, with my pony Rocky; a fourhour journey across the Irish Sea. I was to represent England in the United Team competition in which the teams comprise one member from each home nation. The competition takes place over two days with four sessions involved, and I was excited to be competing with the other Prince Philip Cup England team members again.

We arrived at Punchestown Racecourse in the early evening and after a training session, had time to visit a bowling alley for some relaxation. Our hopes of victory the next day were high, but the Welsh team were strong and were the winners this time. The final party hosted by the Irish was really wonderful. The whole event was a great experience for me.

Otty Thomas, Hundred

7

Rhino Sanctuary, South Africa Lower Sixth Service Trip On the final day of the Summer term, ten Lower Sixth students (Imoesi Ogwemoh, Eily Lo, Abigail Planterose, Natsumi Nakamura, Oliver Cook, Harvey Freeman, Antonia Kuhr, Dominik Halbherr, Maxwell Horler and Ava Emery) departed for South Africa on a conservation project. Their focus: rhinos, in particularly the critically endangered white rhino. After 25 hours in transit, we arrived at 'Care for Wild' rhino sanctuary, an incredible place in a location that we cannot disclose, for anti-poaching reasons.

Upon our arrival, we were shown to our cabins for the week, and were in the process of unpacking and familiarising ourselves with our surroundings, when a chaos ensued. “Run! Run! Run!” was the shout from the sanctuary staff, who were themselves sprinting towards the 'viewers' (the safari vehicles). Within minutes of our arrival, we found ourselves whisked off at breakneck speed down to the helipad, where we were just in time to watch an injured, orphaned, baby rhino arrive by helicopter from Kruger National Park. It had been found wallowing in the blood of its mother, who had been killed by poachers for her horn. The baby itself – without its mother to protect it – had been mauled by hyenas and would not have survived without the intervention of the sanctuary. To see such a harrowing sight

quickly brought us up to speed on the importance of the work that the volunteers at 'Care for Wild' perform on a daily basis.

And for a week, we had the opportunity to muck in and help as well; it proved to be an unforgettable privilege.

From cleaning out the 'bomas' (the rhino pens), to preparing the bottled milk, to actually bottle-feeding the babies themselves, we were heavily involved in the rehabilitation process, and the pupils on the trip all felt as though they had made a significant impact; indeed, many are considering going back to help of their own accord in subsequent summers or on their gap years. The group was outstanding, and all immersed themselves entirely in the experience, including 5am 'PT' (physical training) sessions with the anti-poaching unit, and a game of football with all of the volunteers and staff at the reserve. Their courtesy and enthusiasm were remarked on by all they came into contact with, and Malvern College has been invited back to 'Care for Wild' next year as a result. The two days on safari in Kruger itself, at the end of the trip, was a well-deserved reward after the all effort at the sanctuary, and everyone returned home safely having had a truly formative experience.

George Bilclough and Flora Sagers, English

Pop-up Technology and Engineering Malvern was host to the Ingenuity Studio this term; a pop-up Technology and Engineering facility that offered our pupils, from the Foundation Year to the Lower Sixth, the opportunity to work on a set of challenges designed to solve a range of problems.

They were set a series of real-life challenges including: designing a flood warning system, bridge construction and portable exhibition and performance display and the pupils were able to try out different approaches to develop their engineering understanding and creativity. Their mentors from NMiTE were very impressed by all who took part, commenting that they were the best group they had worked with. The Malvern pupils rose to all of the challenges with enthusiasm and had brought some impressive creative thinking to the problem solving process.

Darren Stokes, Director of Design & Technology and Art

8

Malvern View • Autumn 2019

University Application Workshop All the Lower Sixth went off-timetable in June to attend the Malvern University Application Workshop. Pupils learned from a member of the Admissions Team at Warwick University about how to make a competitive application to top universities. They were also guided through the powerful comparison platform Unifrog, which Malvern uses to help pupils choose the right course and university for them.

Finally, they logged on to the UCAS (UK university application) website to start making their applications, and these will be sent off to their chosen universities in the Autumn term.

Richard Thurlow, Careers

Pupil Exchange programmes Japan Those who took part in the 2019 student exchange programme with Musashi High School, Tokyo: Left to right: Motoki Sakai, Francesco Coppola, Atsushi Oyaizu, Alessandro Coppola, Hiroya Furuhata, and William Vande Vyvere.

The boys can vouch for the great success of this year’s exchange.

South Africa and Australia Happy faces of those Remove pupils involved with this year’s exchange programme between Malvern and Tara School, Australia, and Somerset College, South Africa.

Jamie Russell, History

9

A new perspective Land’s End to John O’Groats on foot Stepping sideways out of one’s life is a strange and extraordinary notion.

Very grateful to have been granted a term’s sabbatical to mark our combined 52 years of service to Malvern College, Stephen and I set about the planning of the journey, on foot, from Land’s End to John O’Groats.

We knew it was going to be a challenge with a capital C and it was: both physically gruelling and mentally testing. We walked through freezing rain on Hay Bluff and the blazing heat at St Ives on Easter Day. I may have cried a lot. Walking days of as much as 40km took us anything up to 12 hours, and we only allowed ourselves one rest day in every twelve. By the time we reached our goal we had taken two and a half million steps and scaled and descended the equivalent of Everest eight times.

As it turned out, the challenge of accomplishing the journey was the least important part of it. What you might construe as ‘mindfulness’ was more significant. We hoped this venture would give us ‘time to think’ – but discovered that sometimes not thinking at all was one of the greatest gifts. As time on the path unfurled endlessly before us, so it closed behind us at the end of each day, another chapter completed. Our sense of time had shifted completely, both in the arc of a day and across the whole of the 1,100-mile distance of the walk. The plan was large-scale but somehow, the concept of the undertaking as a whole drifted away. Clock time ceased to mean

Staff training in Scotland All staff at Malvern are required to do courses to ensure their Continuing Professional Development. The staff in the OP department are no different, except we think that ours is almost certainly the most fun! I spent a week in Scotland this term working on my white-water kayaking skills, making sure that I stay one step ahead of our pupils who are as always nipping at my heels! When you do what you love as a job and it is your hobby too it never feels like you have to go to work!

Jay Watts, Head of Outdoor Pursuits

very much, and we were just taking one day at time. Our days became simply full of observation, breathing in fresh air, the rhythm of walking, and as we moved on the crest of the wave of Spring that was rolling slowly north with us. Nine weeks of bluebells and cuckoos!

Surprisingly, the hardest part for me was keeping our blog going. At the end of a day the very last thing I wanted to do was compose a record of what we had done. Sometimes I wrote until well after midnight and on one bad day, from 2am to 5am. Stephen’s daily challenge were the logistics, especially difficult when the June weather-bomb forced us to reschedule our journey from the west to the east coast of Scotland after we had been stuck for two nights on a mountainside, our route cut off by rivers in full spate.

There were times when we really missed our family and colleagues, unable to share the experience of both the exhilarating and the challenging, but somehow, we felt we remained connected and supported by them through invisible ties. We shed a few pounds and were undoubtedly fitter, but overwhelmingly, our journey cleared our minds. Stepping aside from our everyday lives has altered us, and given us a new perspective to return to Malvern and begin the new school year understanding better what are the priorities in life. www.walkingthelandscape.com Sophie Holroyd, ToK, English

10

Malvern View • Autumn 2019

Artists’ Summer Show An outstanding array of work, of an exceptionally high standard, was exhibited at this year’s Artists’ Summer Show in the Lindsay Arts Centre. Exhibits included work and installations from pupils in the Hundred and Upper Sixth studying Fine Art, Textiles and Photography.

Guests were able to see the work of our artists and engage with them to learn more about their art. We congratulate all who exhibited on a very impressive show.

Christine Pritchard, Head of Art

Tape Art roadshow The ‘Big Draw 2019’, inspired by the Tape Art Movement, came to Malvern College this term where Malvern College artists and guests set about the transformation of St Edmund’s Hall.

Thousands of meters of colored tape were installed on the floor and walls, giving each artist the opportunity to work individually or on installations with others.

We are already planning next year’s repeat event and look forward to welcoming all budding artists then.

Christine Pritchard, Head of Art

11

Summer Exhibition Photography This year we were able to display a wonderfully diverse range of styles from our Upper Sixth A level photographers. The images were of an exceptionally high standard, and pupils tackled a multitude of sophisticated subjects for their studies, including photographs and interviews relating to: the ‘Foot and Mouth’ crisis, life on the streets, the London Underground, seascapes and reflections, and life and conditions on a plantation in Kenya.

This was an inspiring display of photographic talent and the photographers enjoyed meeting our visitors and talking about their work.

Rachel Bridgen, Head of Photography

12

Malvern View • Autumn 2019

The Blumenau Lecture, 2019 This year’s Blumenau Lecture was delivered by Dr James Hawes. The series of lectures is dedicated to our distinguished former Head of History, Ralph Blumenau.

Dr Hawes is a polymath who has enjoyed a varied career. Germanist, novelist, film producer, historian, and Reader in Creative Writing at Oxford Brookes University, he is the author of The Shortest History of Germany, a book that reached number two on the Sunday Times Bestseller List.

Dr Hawes took us on a white-knuckle ride through 2,000 years of German history, in which he posited the idea that the area known as Germany was historically divided between a Latin, Catholic, Gallicinfluenced west and an east comprised of tribal borderlands on the Slavic frontier.

He charted the development of this area from Roman times until now, pausing to examine the rise of Prussia, links between Lutheranism and Nazism, and the problems faced since the Reunification of 1990 in attempting to achieve cultural unification in a politically unified state.

In his view, the AfD (Alternative für Deutschland), the current German farright party, has emerged from the same geographical and cultural context as previous far-right activity.

This lecture was fascinating, thoughtprovoking, and entertainingly delivered. It provoked much discussion among pupils, staff, and visitors over the following days.

We are extremely grateful to Dr Hawes.

Dr James Hawes

Jon Herod, Head of History

Pupil Exchange programmes Spain In October, eight of us, in the Lower and Upper Sixth, set off on a journey to Valencia, prepared to be immersed in Spanish culture for the week.

Our host families were waiting for us at the airport and quickly I realised from my exchange partner that her parents did not speak English; I was ready to take on the challenge! We spent a fun-filled weekend with our partners, scavenger hunting, enjoying delicious food and resting, and before we knew it, it was Monday. A beautiful bicycle tour of the old riverbed and an insightful visit to the museum of the traditional Valencian festival 'Las Fallas', were followed by lessons in the afternoon. It was fascinating to compare cultures and the differences in our daily routine. One thing of note was the time for dinner. I can’t say that having dinner at 10pm every night was a highlight for me, however the idea of “Merienda” (which is traditionally a sweet dessert after school) did delight me!

By Wednesday the time was fast approaching for us to depart. As a group we all travelled to a local ‘huerta’ to learn to cook paella and visit the countryside. It was an enjoyable day out; a particularly memorable moment was the tour of the land on a horse-drawn carriage, some of us were keener on this than others!

The next morning it was time to say our final adiós to our exchange partners.

As a whole, the trip was not only enjoyable, but also gave us an opportunity to become more confident when speaking

Spanish and more knowledgeable about Spanish culture. ¡Hasta Luego!

Fia McDonnell, Lower Sixth

13

Going the distance The 48th Rolex Fastnet Race, 2019 On 3rd August 2019, the 48th edition of the world’s largest offshore yacht race, the ‘Rolex Fastnet Race’, brought together 340 yachts and over 2,000 professional and Corinthian sailors from all over the world to compete in the famously hazardous 605-mile race from Cowes to the Fastnet Rock (southern tip of Ireland) and on to Plymouth. This year was the 40th anniversary of the 1979 disaster when 19 sailors lost their lives at sea in a deadly storm, so safety was at the forefront of the minds of all competitors.

At 12.30pm, the 340 boats gathered on the start line off Cowes. Emily Parker, a Geography teacher at Malvern College, is one of an 11-strong team onboard ‘Eclectic’ – an Azuree 46ft racer cruiser in the role of ‘pit’ and ‘relief helm’. They have been sailing together as a team in the RORC (Royal Ocean Racing Club) series for the past two years in the build-up to the Fastnet Race 2019, developing their tactics, sail handling, team work and navigation. On board, they operate in a rolling watch system, meaning that every three hours the team rotates between time below to sleep, and being on deck, helming or trimming the sails and discussing tactics to maximise performance at all times.

‘Eclectic’ had a fantastic start to the Fastnet, sailing out through the western approaches of the Solent, through the Needles and on to Portland Bill in fluky conditions, requiring plenty of sail changes. Steaming past Plymouth with the asymmetric spinnaker up and a favourable tide, they were lying in 10th overall but were threatened by a large hole of calm up ahead. By the time they reached the Lizard, the breeze had picked up and they were recording gusts of 30+ knots in a very challenging sea state. Unfortunately, because of a tactical navigational decision, they dropped back in the fleet crossing the Irish Sea (and back) but crossed the finish line in Plymouth in 96th place after 3 days 6 hours and 50 minutes.

Despite being a slightly disappointing result for the team, they had demonstrated excellent teamwork, completed 33 sail changes and dealt with some challenging conditions which they overcame without incurring any damage or injury – all positives.

They are hoping to up the stakes next year and head across to the Mediterranean next season to compete in the Voile de Saint Tropez and the Rolex Middle Sea Race (around Malta and Sicily).

Emily Parker, Geography

14

CCF

CCF

CCF

CCF

CCF

CCF

CCF

CCF

CCF

CCF

CCF

CCF

Army Camp Kent We arrived at St Martin’s Plain Camp, near Folkestone, on one of the hottest days of the year. St Martin’s is used by the British Army from Shorncliffe Army Camp for training and having settled into our billets and experienced the joys of mess food, we all turned in for the night for some much-needed sleep.

We first had a day of weapons-handling, followed by two days of shooting at the Lythe and Hyde ranges. Each cadet had an individual coach which allowed us to improve our technique. But the third day at Dymchurch Redoubt was the highlight for many cadets. In the afternoon we put into practice what we’d learnt that morning during our ‘Close Quarter Battle’ (CQB) activity, which involved smoke machines, strobe lights, sound effects and pop up targets. We also carried out a Training in Built up Areas (TIBUA style) manoeuvre to clear a bungalow and suppressed an ‘enemy’ around the moat of the Redoubt. Throughout the day we were able to fire over 150 blank rounds each – a unique experience for cadets. Adventure Training on the following day involved a vast array of activities including kayaking, canoeing, paintballing, archery, driving a buggy, volleyball and also building a raft out of canoes. This was fun and we enjoyed sunny weather and some team bonding! Back at camp we carried out a mass weapons-clean ready for the competition day the next morning which comprised a gun run, obstacle course, observation tasks, map skills and finally stalk and communication tasks.

This last day of competition was our most challenging, but we enjoyed putting all that we had learned that week into practice.

At the Parade Cdt Roberts was rewarded for being the best shot - from all platoons present - with skills worthy of a sniper.

One section of our Platoon also fared well, winning the Military Skills part of the competition. Finally, our platoon was nominated as the overall winner of Summer Camp 2019 and we have a shield to prove it.

Bonnie Green (Upper Sixth) and Bella Cole (Hundred), Malvern College CCF

Military Skills Competition Over the Leave-out, ten cadets took part in the Military Skills Competition. I am pleased to report that, in spite of the rain, which was very heavy, the cadets performed flawlessly.

If you were seeking to locate the Malvern CCF, at this event, you could find them in the vanguard of battle, at the front of the action, taking on different scenarios: fighting in buildings, casualty evacuation, navigation and first aid. The culmination of the competition, after limited sleep, was a 2.5-mile battle march in full combat equipment fighting order, followed by a shoot, all performed superbly. We were proud of these cadets who did well throughout, and were a credit to Malvern College.

Jon Nichols SSI, Malvern College CCF

CCF

CCF

CCF

CCF

CCF

CCF

CCF

CCF

CCF

CCF

CCF

CCF

Commando training in Devon Arriving at Lympstone, there was an overwhelming sense of the presence of the Royal Marines which gave all the Malvern cadets such a buzz.

We had a short time to settle down and get to know everyone before we were thrown in at the deep end; four consecutive days living out in the field. We stayed on Dartmoor on the first night then set off to do climbing and abseiling exercises in an old quarry. It was great! We then did some fire and manoeuvre drills and section attacks on the moor before setting up bivvis and spending another night under the stars.

The next day we headed to Plymouth where we got to train on some of the boats used by the Royal Marines for a beach landing assaults. We prepared for our own assault but the tides were unfavourable and we had to be ferried in on smaller zodiac boats – disappointed, but having established our position on the beach, we advanced, as planned, in sections through woodland completing section attacks as we went.

With all ‘enemies’ neutralised we set up camp about a mile away from a large Napoleonic fort. This would be our objective the following morning. But first we had to do a reconnaissance mission. We made our way quietly around the moat until we found our entrance - a window at around seven feet up in the wall. We helped each other up and squeezed through the gap to gain entry. It was dark inside, our flashlights lighting up the gloomy corridors. We took note of all we saw and returned to camp before sunset. I had been selected as one of two troop commanders, and we arranged the forthcoming attack that night, before getting to sleep.

The following morning was hectic with a scramble to load magazines and ensure all was ready. At the fort now for the second time, we followed the route we had established, waiting on the stairs for a burst of automatic gun fire to signal the start of the push. With this signal we swept through the fort, co-ordinating our move with other sections. There was a good hour of shouting, gunfire and smoke grenades before it was deemed that we had cleared the position and the exercise over.

We all collapsed in the middle of the fort soaking up the morning

sun before having some breakfast.

The next phase of the day, however, took us by surprise. We were made to lie face down, separated from our kit and marched off into the woods where we would need to survive for the rest of the day and overnight by making basic shelters and preparing a chicken and some vegetables for food. All was accomplished, we had the best night’s sleep of the week!

The next day, we headed back to Lympstone stopping off at 42 Commando Plymouth to fire live rounds on a range. This final day was spent unpacking and gun-cleaning and with time to reflect on how much fun the past week had been. I fully recommend anyone who likes getting stuck in to have a go.

Harry Finch, Malvern College CCF, Royal Marines section

Skill at Arms Competition The CCF put in a terrific performance at the Brigade Skill at Arms meet this September where teams from the Combined Cadet Forces and Army Cadet Companies from schools across the Midlands and Shropshire were taking part.

Malvern’s team comprised ten cadets in this competition held at the Kinsbury Ranges in Staffordshire.

Our team performed very well, winning Best CCF and came third overall, with particular congratulations to Bonnie Green who was Best Individual CCF shot (and a very close second overall), and to both Bonnie Green and Lucie Fletcher, who won best CCF pair.

Bert Lacey Contingent Commander, Malvern College CCF

15

16

Malvern View • Autumn 2019

Design Technology, Art & Photography London In September the Design, Technology and Visual Arts departments headed off to London to visit some inspiring exhibition venues. Our students of Design & Technology went first to 100% Design Show at Olympia, one of the biggest design trade fairs in Europe, to see the vast range of contemporary design work exhibited by designers from Europe and the UK. Then they moved on to the Design Museum. This was all good experience for them; to be able to see such a wide range of design approaches and products.

The Artists and Photographers made their way to Tate Modern to see and experience the work of Olafur Eliasson. They were all inspired by his work which explores his concerns about nature, geometry and the perception of space around us. One particular exhibit that stood out for most of the students was ‘Your Blind Passenger’; a corridor filled with fog that skews your senses and reduces your vision to 1.5m.

Cece Gerber has captured this installation superbly.

Darren Stokes, Director of Design & Technology and Art

Graduate Fashion Week Shoreditch This year’s Graduate Fashion Week was held at the Truman Brewery in East London.

Malvern College pupils studying Textiles and Design enjoyed a fantastic fashion show that featured designs from the best fashion and textiles universities and this was followed by a tour of the work of design graduates linked with George at Asda. Our pupils had the opportunity to meet recent graduates, look at some of the best portfolios and had the chance to find out about the vast array of careers available to them in the fashion industry.

We had lots of fun and a particular highlight was pressing our own badges onto Jack Wills T-shirts.

Pupils were inspired and informed by this trip which is set to become a regular date in our calendar.

Vanessa Young, Textiles, Design & Technology

DESIGN

&

TECHNOLOGY

DESIGN

&

TECHNOLOGY

DESIGN

&

TECHNOLOGY

Malvern’s Young Apprentice Project Lip-balm Towards the end of the Summer term, our Foundation Year was asked with coming up with an idea for a cosmetic product that could have retail prospects on the open market. Twenty-two teams went head to head, in true Alan Sugar Apprentice style, tasked with the manufacture of the product and with developing a marketing strategy, with collateral, to launch the sale.

To give them some background information and a perspective on the cosmetics industry, Vicky Charlesworth (No.4, 1994 -1999) and Claire Byrne, co-founders of the soon-to- be-launched Jaya Beauty cosmetics, gave our pupils an insight into the trials and tribulations of developing and producing cosmetics commercially.

We asked our pupils to select their market, make the product and come up with a marketing strategy. They would need to develop a brand, write a business plan, produce packaging and an advertising campaign, including a video, for the promotion of their product in another country.

Bomb Disposal challenge QinetiQ’s Young Engineers’ Challenge went off with quite a bang this year.

Three teams of pupils were tasked by their QinetiQ mentors with locating and disarming a simulated bomb (a balloon in a box fitted with a remote detonator) from a distance of 10 meters, without visual contact. They also had to collect as much forensic data as possible.

The three Lower Sixth teams, headed up by Esther Woods, Coco Charters and Georgina Inchbald, built a robot with a disarming device and camera that was capable of locating and cutting the detonation wire. Two of the teams completed their mission and were able to disarm the device before it exploded.

The third team opted to carry out a controlled explosion.

As always, we are very grateful for the support we receive from QinetiQ whose mentors give up their time to increase our knowledge. Our pupils gain a unique and inspiring insight into what it is like to work in this particular field of engineering; an incredible opportunity.

Darren Stokes, Director of Design & Technology and Art

At the end of the two-day project, all the teams where required to present to a panel of judges, who selected four teams to go forward to the final. Team ‘Zoetic’ triumphed and secured the winning prize. Congratulations to David Borha, Millicent Dobson, Eve Leslie and Sam Shardlow. Team Masha: Alek van Dam, Anastasiia Gura, Mary Needham, Samuel Laverty and Harry Graydon, came a very close second.

17

18

Malvern View • Autumn 2019

Festival of Innovation Aston Martin Lecture at Malvern College The Aston Martin Lecture, part of the programme for the Malvern Festival of Innovation, was held at Malvern College in October. Lead Engineer for Manufacture, Bal Choda, spoke about what it takes to pursue a successful career in engineering in the luxury sports car business and the philosophy behind the Aston Martin brand.

Darren Stokes, Director of Design & Technology and Art

Trip to Russia Once again, the History department used Half-term to take a 16-strong group of eager Sixth Formers to Russia. In the six days available to us, we did our best to get a feel for the panorama of modern Russian history – the glories and ghastlies of Tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union. And we didn’t allow the Moscow traffic to deter us.

Visits to the Peterhof Palace and The Hermitage in St Petersburg, and in Moscow to the Tretyakov Gallery, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and the Metro had even those with the lowest of cultural horizons looking on in awe. By contrast, a morbid fascination was awakened in them going around the Gulag Museum (relocated to a peripheral part of Moscow since our last visit) and seeing the office and balcony from which Lenin directed events before the Bolshevik revolution in October/ November 1917. Our thanks to Mr Herod for the time and effort he put in to organising what was a memorable trip.

Jamie Russell, History

OM

NEWS

OM

NEWS

Does the Devil wear Prada?

We were very pleased to have Amelia Wall (No.3, 2009-14) back at Malvern in June to deliver a lecture on her career in the fashion industry. Poised and confident, Milly gave us a glimpse of the sector and the pressures generated by last-minute design changes and large sums of money.

She says that her school days at Malvern were the happiest days of her life, and she praised her teachers for their support and encouragement. She always wanted to work in fashion, she said, but in this industry, praise is hard-won and she misses the confirmation of work well done – in this sense the industry does seem very close to its portrayal in the film from 2006 that gave her lecture the title.

Undaunted, she continues to do her very best. Resilience is the key, she says, and it has enabled her to rise to be an important part of the Emilia Wickstead’s bridal fashion business, as a bridal and bespoke co-ordinator. She had a hand in designing the Emilia Wickstead dress for Emma Watson at the première of Beauty and the Beast in London, which Milly attended, and has been part of the many shows that the design house has mounted since that time. She has clearly come far and we are very pleased for her.

Vanessa Young, Textiles, Design & Technology

Josh Penrice (OM) World Urban Games, Budapest The inaugural World Urban Games (WUG) took place in Budapest this September and featured new-generation events that highlight the competition, creativity, and lifestyle of urban sport. Sports featured in the games included: 3x3 Basketball, BMX freestyle, freestyle flying disc, parkour, and indoor rowing.

Josh Penrice (No.2, 2009-14) became champion of the Men’s Indoor Rowing Challenge by beating off opposition from Canada and China, who were second and third respectively, to take first place for Great Britain. An amazing feat.

01234Ăż6147894

8812 1Ăż

Ăż 4 Ăż 126 1Ăż Ăż 4 2Ăż0 64 88Ăż Ăż8 2 Ăż 2 Ăż Ăż 78Ăż0 6 Ăż! "Ăż# Ăż$788 2 4Ăż %& 'Ăż (18Ăż4 7601 Ăż ) *Ăż ( 2Ăż4 6 Ăż % +Ăż(

8 (Ăż 99 Ăż ,%

4 61

+*" '+ ". + "

19

20

LUCRETIAN SOCIET Y LECTURE

LUCRETIAN SOCIET Y LECTURE

Disruptive Innovation Saturn Bioponics at the interface between Science, Business and the Unexpected Malvern College’s Sixth Form and visitors were treated to a fascinating talk by Alex Fisher (OM No.5) and Dr Elena Riva (University of Warwick) on how they have used advancements in biology and chemistry to drive their successful business venture in the field of agriculture and food supply in countries around the world.

Alex explained that there is a need to reduce resource input and increase the yield of food production. We need a way of producing a clean, high-quality, high-volume crop that can meet the business case to allow its development. Elena showed how the issues that surround the demand for water in conventional crop production waste the resource and cause pollution and soil erosion. Growing one lettuce takes the equivalent of a single shower, she said, with all this water disappearing into the soil at

OM News During the course of September and October this year, over 250 Malvernians have returned to the College.

The Malvernian Society continues to support old Malvernians, just starting out, through the links they have with other OMs in a range of careers, who have volunteered their support and guidance.

Please contact Paul Godsland at the following address if the Society can help you, or arrange a visit to Malvern for you and your family. We would be delighted to see you again. malsoc@malverncollege.org.uk

LUCRETIAN SOCIET Y LECTURE

Back row (from left): George White, Floris Van Der Werff, Isobel Lloyd, Alex Fisher (OM No.5), Harvey Gearon, Jock Catto, Juntian Peng.

Front row (from left): Caterina Dianda, Dr Elena Riva, with Head of Science, Dr Natalie Watson, and Housemistress of No.8 Michelle Nardone.

the end of the process. Finding a way to recycle the water so that it can be used again in a safe and economical way is imperative.

Hydroponics offers some answers. It uses recycled water and nutrients to allow many more times the yield. The biology of the plants can be influenced not only to optimize the nutrition of the crop but also engineer the outcome in terms of shelf-life, flavour and the enhancement of a plant’s defence mechanisms.

Advanced chemistry is being used to treat the recycled water to maintain a clean, reliable supply. With a projected global population of 9.8 billion by 2050, these advancements in technology could be the key to sustainably meet the demands of the Earth’s ever-growing population.

Dr Stewart Vaughan, Head of Chemistry

SCIENCE

SCIENCE

SCIENCE

SCIENCE

SCIENCE

SCIENCE

The Group 4 Project The Group 4 Project forms part of the IB diploma (Group 4 being the Science subjects including D&T and Sports Exercise and Health Science).

The project allows pupils to work in multi-disciplinary teams to carry out research on a topic which they then present to the rest of the year group and members of staff. This year, as we are celebrating the ‘International Year of the Periodic Table’, the pupils were given a section of the table to focus their research on. There were many very interesting presentations.

One group found an excellent vehicle for moving through the first row of the D-block elements by creating a story: ‘A day in the life of Humphrey’ starting from the elements contained in Humphrey’s breakfast (I was not aware that mushrooms contain vanadium or that vanadium reduces human blood sugar levels!) to his titanium hip replacement at lunchtime and after a very quick recovery, the party he threw on his boat which had zinc blocks as sacrificial protection. They gave a good description of the electrochemistry involved.

A different group looked at the science of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen. They firstly focused on the effects of oxygen and nitrogen in scuba-diving, explaining how it is critical to consider the pressures of nitrogen and described the problems that occur when a person suffers from decompression sickness, then

they focused on fuels containing carbon and hydrogen both to power vehicles and also carbohydrates and fatty acids in the body as fuels and the role of ATP in energy release.

Another group focused on the manmade elements of uranium, describing the uses of the isotopes which are mainly used in nuclear reactors and nuclear bombs, and promethium which is used in superconductors and permanent magnets.

We also heard about the metalloids from elements as light as boron, the boron-10 isotope is able to absorb neutrons which makes it useful in slowing down or stopping chain reactions in

(though Boron-10 is incredibly rare and very brittle!), to the heavy Astatine which has several isotopes, one of which can be used in targeted alpha therapy (a relatively new form of cancer therapy) that kills cancer cells without killing the surrounding body cells.

Some excellent collaborative research was carried out this year under the banner of the Group 4 Project and the pupils all had the opportunity to present and to answer questions from the audience, a superb couple of days!

Dr Natalie Watson, Head of Science

Particle Physics Dr Maria Pavlidou from the University of Birmingham came to Malvern College to further our Lower Sixth's understanding of Particle Physics.

We started with a talk about the standard model of Particle Physics and how the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, in Geneva, is used to probe the structure of sub-atomic particles. With a bit of background knowledge, our pupils had the wonderful opportunity to use the same software used by Physicists at CERN and experiment for themselves. This gave them a real insight into how academic research is done, and it was a great opportunity for them to get hands-on with Physics.

Michael Hnatek, Head of Physics

21

22

SCIENCE

SCIENCE

SCIENCE

SCIENCE

SCIENCE

SCIENCE

Marine Ecology in the Cayman Islands August had finally arrived. We met at 4am on the 19th and quietly set off on our long journey to the Cayman Islands and what would be a 30-hour day because of the time zone changes.

We had been excited about the trip for a long time, but could never have dreamt of what was in store for us.

Jet lag was actually a good thing as we were all breakfasted and out by 8am (local time) and ready for our Blue Iguanas tour.

We were slightly perplexed at first as the iguanas did not look blue. But as the heat intensified they gradually transformed to take on their blue colouration. We moved on to a tour of the Botanical Gardens with Mr Hal who, as well as being superentertaining, knew everything about the flora and fauna of the islands. In the afternoon we joined a private charter on a luxury catamaran to visit Sting-ray City and to swim with and feed these amazingly tactile creatures. It was utterly breath-taking.

At Starfish Point, a little further on, we held star-fish and enjoyed snorkelling with other marine life.

The next day we flew to Little Cayman and were greeted by Maisy and Miriam from the Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI). This was home for us for the next seven nights, learning about the marine life in the Caribbean. As well as fish and coral identification sessions we also learnt about the threats to the reef, pollution and the problem caused by plastics, coral-bleaching and disease – every lesson in the classroom was backed up with diving or snorkelling, with the aim of consolidating the learning, and every day included a beach clean-up. During our time in the water we saw many beautiful shoals of fish but also great barracuda, turtles, lionfish, stingray, nurse sharks and reef sharks. We could not have wished for a better learning strategy and environment. Not only this, but we were on a small island and sharing a research institute accommodation with about 15 members of staff who made us feel completely at home. By the end of the week we had become a very efficient and caring family. During any down-time the pupils played card games or

returned to the beach to do extra voluntary clean-ups or found coconuts and cracked them open and shared the bounty.

On the final day the pupils used rafts, built from the detritus of the beach clean-ups, to row from the shore of Little Cayman to Owen Island (about 1 mile). Just when we thought that our experience was coming to an end and we had had all of the treats that we possibly could wish for, nature had another in store for us. We witnessed a turtle nest hatching and were able to help release nine of the hatchling turtles (who were stuck in the nest) down the beach and to the sea. There had already been many breath-taking moments whilst Scuba-diving or snorkelling but for many of us this was the most memorable moment of the trip. The following morning as the time came to leave, the weather was starting to turn. Hurricane Dorian was building further away, and this made the pain of saying goodbye to a place that we had all fallen in love with slightly easier, but we all left with very heavy hearts.

Back on Grand Cayman we resumed our quick tour of the island with a visit to the spectacular Crystal Caves, then, after sunset we were treated to a stunning display of bioluminescence as we kayaked in the dark with just a little red light to identify the position of each kayak. We all thoroughly enjoyed our time together; a group of 18 teenagers and three members of staff had become a close-knit family. We left with wonderful memories, both of the time together and the sheer beauty of what we saw in the ocean and on the shore. However, we also learned some hard lessons and we will all challenge ourselves, our families and wider community, to make changes in the way we live so that we help to protect our precious planet.

Dr Natalie Watson, Head of Science

23

24

SCIENCE

SCIENCE

SCIENCE

SCIENCE

SCIENCE

SCIENCE

The Magic of Science The Science department’s ‘Magic of Science’ event was visited by over 220 Year 6 pupils from local primary and preparatory school across two events in June.

At the first event our guest scientist was Dr Dani Pearson and at the second, Nick Barker, both from Warwick University.

They launched the day in the Lewis Lecture Theatre with fun demonstrations that included mysterious solutions that changed colour when shaken, exploding jelly babies and the creation of an amazing spiral of chemiluminescence, a process seen in some marine life such as jelly fish. Then using a rubber tube dipped into liquid nitrogen, a liquid nitrogen shower was created. This was a huge audience pleaser. The ‘Whoosh’ bottle, where fuel is ignited to make a “whoosh” sound, provided a great finale.

These experiments caused great excitement and curiosity among our young scientists who then relished the chance to do some practical science themselves.

Our Year 6 visitors moved to the laboratories in the new Science building to work on all three sciences, in rotation. In Biology they investigated their senses and how they responsed to stimuli; in Chemistry they looked at colour changes, exothermic and endothermic reactions, and then had the challenge of creating a rainbow in a test tube. In Physics the pupils investigated the science of a bubble mixture and tried to work out which mixture produced the bounciest, largest, longest-lived bubbles!

All great fun.

The schools attending on 18th June were Malvern Parish School, Welland Primary School; Hanley Swan Primary school; The Elms School, Beaudesert Park, and Birchfield Preparatory schools.

On 25th June the event was attended by The Downs Malvern and Moor Park Prep schools; the Wyche CE School, Hollymount, Our Lady Queen of Peace and Callow End Primary schools.

Dr Natalie Watson, Head of Science

Dr Watson said, “We always enjoy running these events.

The energy and excitement flows in both directions with the Malvern College staff and visiting pupils inspiring each other.

These young people will have the enormous responsibility of solving global problems in healthcare, global warming, water access, housing and many others in the future. Science will be at the heart of many of the solutions so it is so important that they take away the message that they should choose a field of study that they enjoy and work hard at it.”

PREP

SCHOOLS

NEWS

PREP

SCHOOLS

NEWS

PREP

SCHOOLS

NEWS

Preparatory Schools’ Debating Day A record number of 110 Preparatory school pupils from around the country (including Packwood Haugh, The Elms, The Downs Malvern, Abberley Hall, Beaudesert Park and Moor Park School) converged on Malvern to attend the annual Prep Schools’ Debating Day on Tuesday, 8th October. The day’s events included various workshops, games, masterclasses (on such topics as pacing, voice modulation, argument, gesticulation, ‘the power of the pause’ and teamwork), and, of course, the actual rounds of the annual debating competition.

The debates that ensued were vigorous, animated and quite passionate and while the votes from the floor did not always equate with the adjudication (allegations of voted stacking are still being investigated!), everyone was a winner on the day.

All pupils left with a greater understanding of the skills of verbal argument

and the power of persuasion. No doubt we will be hearing from these young speakers again in the future.

Special thanks to Drs Wells and Harris and to Ms Sagers for organising the day and to our senior Malvern debaters who were superb ambassadors for Malvern College in chaperoning the visiting pupils, coaching, and chairing and timing the

debates and running the masterclasses.

Oh, and congratulations to The Downs Malvern for capturing the title back from The Elms who won the competition last year. Commiserations to Packwood Haugh who were worthy opponents in the final.

Dr Bradley Wells, Head of English

Peer Mentors Peer Mentors at Malvern are a group of Sixth Formers, based in each House, who are available to support any pupil who has a concern or worry they wish to talk about. They are chosen by an application process and numbers are limited to two Peer Mentors per House. They all receive training for their work and offer their time entirely voluntarily for the benefit of others. The Chaplain oversees their work and supports them and offers advice as and when necessary. They provide a valuable addition to the pastoral support systems at Malvern.

Reverend David Ibbotson, Chaplain

25

26

OP

NEWS

OP

NEWS

OP

NEWS

OP

NEWS

OP

NEWS

OP

NEWS

Mountain Biking With the Malvern Hills on our doorstep, mountain biking is our Outdoor Pursuits bread and butter activity. We try to make use of our stunning location whenever we can, running two sessions each week. Earlier in the term there was a warm Autumn feel on the Hills which we very much

enjoyed. However, with darkness descending, we turn to our high-powered lights to keep us rolling and look forward to a winter full of mud and downhills!

Paddlesports Still we grow. We have more pupils than ever before playing canoe polo, with three pool slots a week now being run. We recently had our biggest white-water trip in terms of participation and the department is, as ever, having to invest in more boats and more kit to keep up with demand!

Paddlesports is all inclusive, so anyone of any age or size can get involved. The canoe polo side of things allows for the team

elements to come into play and the kayaking and canoeing offers independence and the opportunity to build self-confidence.

Even if paddling is just a chance to disconnect, be outside and enjoy the fresh air, it fulfils a very useful purpose to all who become involved.

Here’s to more boats, more trips, more paddlers – bring it on!

OP

NEWS

OP

NEWS

OP

NEWS

OUTDOOR PURSUITS NEWS Horse Riding Horse riding takes place twice a week, and those involved vary widely in terms of their experience. There is space and tuition available for all to progress, whether they are just learning to stay on, developing jumping skills or testing their riding skills at a higher level.

The horses we are able to use range from calm and predictable ponies to more lively thoroughbreds (some were racehorses) and greener mounts are available for those who welcome a challenge. Riders are also encouraged to take responsibility for returning horses to their stables, untacking and rugging-up, so they can learn and become comfortable with handling their animals on the ground as well.

Jay Watts, Head of Outdoor Pursuits

Climbing We have had a lot of interest from new climbers this term and the wall is always buzzing. Our more experienced climbers are a great help in (literally) showing them the ropes and they are quickly developing their belaying skills.

Dozens signed up for a weekend climbing trip to the Redpoint Wall in Worcester, many of whom had never climbed before. The Tuesday sessions take the best climbers forward, challenging them to learn new skills and push themselves both mentally and physically in the more demanding arena of lead-climbing.

Many hours are also spent discussing how we could modify the staircase to make an archway route, add a deep-water soloing wall to the pool and create a bouldering wall in the squash courts; the climbers are planning to take over! It was also a great pleasure to welcome once again a group of Indian teenage football players, travelling with the OSCAR touring squad, who came for a loud and entertaining session on the climbing wall.

OP

NEWS

OP

NEWS

OP

NEWS

27

28

OP

NEWS

OP

NEWS

OP

NEWS

OP

NEWS

OP

NEWS

OP

NEWS

Lost 2019 After the huge success of 'Lost 2018', we repeated the event for this year’s pupils in the Remove. We dropped them off 50km away from Malvern College without their phones or electrical gadgets of any kind, no maps and in some cases no ideas!

The teams had 24 hours to get back to school, without any help from the supporting member of staff who was there to ensure their safety only. No.2 were the winners this year, with the duo of Jonny Tunstall and Finley Morris making their way back to College in a blisteringly quick time. They were closely followed by Ellerslie House and No.9, literally minutes apart. Very well done to all those pupils who took on such a huge challenge!

No.2 is able to add the £1,785 raised by all Houses, to their nominated charity, the Teenage Cancer Trust. The 'Lost' event continues to be a unique opportunity for our pupils to show initiative, think outside of the box and to raise money for some truly wonderful causes. Looking forward to next year already!

The victorious Lost teams: Ellerslie House, No.2 and No.9

Prep Schools’ Adventure Day This September we welcomed those who will join Malvern College in the Foundation Year in September 2020, to take part in an Adventure Day which, for those of you old enough to remember, resembles The Crystal Maze, a 90’s television show.

Pupils assembled in teams and raced around the campus taking on various activities and challenges ranging from problem solving to the physical. The ultimate nerve testing challenge was abseiling down the main College tower building and it was fantastic to see them getting stuck in and having great fun in the process. Well done to all involved and very many thanks to the staff and current pupils who gave up their Sunday to help the event run so smoothly.

Jay Watts, Head of Oudoor Pursuits

29

Malvern College to Paris (MC2P) This is the most ambitious expedition yet devised by Malvern College’s Head of Outdoor Pursuits, Jay Watts. A group of ten 16- and 17-year-old pupils made a gruelling three-week trip from Malvern to Paris entirely by human power, using different modes of transport including canoeing, kayaking, paddle-boarding and mountain biking.

The team of seven boys and three girls were selected for their empathy, determination and teamworking qualities rather than pure strength or stamina, and trained hard for the challenge, including sessions on a giant paddleboard in the choppy waters off the Isle of Man. On 1st July the team left Malvern College to cycle to Wallingford in Oxfordshire before canoeing down the Thames and then they switched to sea kayaks to paddle through central London and out to Greenwich. From there they cycled to a Kent campsite then kayaked and cycled to Dungeness to wait for a suitable weather window for the Stand-Up Paddleboard crossing of the English Channel, the world’s busiest shipping lane. The window they needed occurred on 16th July at 11.30am and escorted by two powerboats they successfully crossed the Channel. The last stages of the expedition to Paris were done by bike, with the team arriving into Paris three weeks to the day after their departure.

Well done to the whole team on this fantastic achievement!

Jay Watts, Head of Outdoor Pursuits

30

Eastnor 10km Mud Bath Eastnor Castle Estate The annual 10km Eastnor Mud Bath is now a firm favourite with our pupils.

The course is set on the stunning Eastnor Estate and with many competitors trying to beat a personal best time, it has become a big event. For most of our pupils however, the main goal is to get as muddy as humanly possible! This year we seem to have been especially good at it so my apologies to the Houses for the clean-up operation that was required but this was a great event.

FY Residential trip to the Isle of Man Our annual trip for the Foundation Year, to the Isle of Man is now in its fourth year and, travelling in June, we were blessed with calm seas and sunshine. The whole year group tried all manner of outdoor activities including sea kayaking, gorge-walking, coasteering, mountain-walking, crate-stacking, raft-building, assault courses, zip wires, archery and a stunning 110ft cliff abseil. The residential trip allows pupils to spend their final week together as year group, trying new challenges and building selfconfidence before moving up a year. Well done to all of them for getting stuck in and thank you to their tutors for accompanying me on this trip.

Bloctoberfest Climbing Competition Redpoint Worcester Once again, a group of our best climbers took part in the ‘Bloctoberfest’ climbing festival at Redpoint, Worcester. As well as a bouldering competition, there were workshops, shoe tryouts, a rope-climbing competition, slack-lining and the chance to try out an innovative finger board stand playing ‘stamp the alien’. There were some interesting and challenging boulders which really put our climbers to the test; including running up a series of volumes, hanging upside down and a seemingly endless traverse. They approached it all with their usual enthusiasm, interest and impressive stamina.

31

Dof E Gold – Scotland Kayak Qualifier Expedition This year’s DofE Gold sea kayakers had a tough one in terms of weather. Their practice expedition, earlier in the year, had been all but grounded by gale force winds on the Isle of Man and they faced cold wintry conditions in Scotland in September, for this qualifying expedition.

The team crossed Scotland from the West to East Coast, wild camping all the way and paddling in what at times resembled mystically mysterious conditions on the water. The team rallied and made it through to the end in good spirits – very well done to you all.

Dof E Gold – River Wye Bike/Canoe/Kayak Qualifier Expedition This year, for the first time, on the DofE Gold level challenge we were able to offer kayaking and biking as modes of transport, along with the traditional walking and canoeing modes.

Teams were lucky to be undertaking their expeditions in gorgeous summer weather. They had a tough practice expedition earlier in the year and proved that if you train hard you can expedition easy! The groups worked their way down the River Wye over four days, negotiating rapids and leap frogging a number of other schools who were out on the water. The bikers followed the path of the Wye, riding in and out of the valley for their camps each day – their legs may not agree with the ease with which I make this comment, so well done to them and to all the teams who did a very good job.

White Water kayaking River Lune With the idea of making use of the November rainfall, we headed north to find some white-water rivers, and what a great weekend we had on them. The group, which included some of our senior paddlers as well as some white-water newbies, navigated their way down three different rivers, all in quite high level and each offering an assortment of rapids and drops that suited their level of skill and experience.

Well done, to all involved; more to come this winter for sure.

Articles by Jay Watts, Head of Outdoor Pursuits

32

MUSIC

MUSIC

MUSIC

MUSIC

MUSIC

MUSIC

MUSIC

MUSIC

House Singing Once again, we were treated to a fabulous evening of music at the annual House Singing Competition held in the Malvern Theatres.

The overall quality of the singing was the best in recent memory, with a consistently high standard across the board.

There seemed to be a real purpose in all the performers and there was a lovely, supportive atmosphere to the evening. Quentin Thomas (Director of Music at Oundle School) was the adjudicator and he was very complimentary about our pupils No.7 won the Adjudicator’s Prize for the very well-thoughtout and entertaining performance of Party in the USA by Miley

Cyrus (arranged by George White). No.8 were second with the warm, dynamic singing of Fix You by Coldplay (adapted by Lucie Fletcher and Anny Moody). The overall winners of the competition were No.2 with a performance of I will wait by Mumford and Sons (arranged by Jasper Penrice) that was full of energy and precision.

Thanks to all the pupils who sang so well and with such commitment.

Jonathan Brown, Director of Music

Team BG in Action for Epilepsy Edinburgh I have always enjoyed a good jog; however, until joining Malvern College in 2015, the furthest I’d run in one go was 10km, and that was a one-off in my school days.

Seconds after arriving at Malvern, I heard about The Ledder and I thought, why not, and having survived one of these, I hung up the running shoes for a bit. We had two children and, well, did a lot of nothing, exercise-wise, unless chasing errant twins counts.

Then, on Christmas Day 2018, Meg (who teaches at The Downs Malvern) and I joined the Garmin revolution: we treated each other to saucer-sized wristwatches and set about creating mutual challenges – the big goal being the Edinburgh Half Marathon. Training went reasonably well and come the Summer Half term, we were dressed (if not entirely ready).

One particular charity is very close to our hearts (and my brain). I have had epilepsy since the age of 12 and have been lucky enough to have been on medication that has kept me (largely) seizure-free. The majority of epileptics either do not have access to such medication or, if they do, they are not necessarily responsive to it. Meg and I decided to dedicate our Edinburgh Half Marathon to this cause in the hope of raising awareness and some money for Epilepsy Action in support of the brilliant work it does!

The response from friends, family and the Malvern College and The Downs Malvern community, in particular, was extraordinary: in two short weeks we raised £578 via our Virgin Money

Fundraising Page. Spurred on by this fantastic support, I have since done another Half Marathon for Epilepsy Action - The Royal Parks in London, and No.6 has got on board by making this their House Charity.

Sheenagh Brighton-Goedhals, English

MUSIC

MUSIC

MUSIC

MUSIC

MUSIC

MUSIC

MUSIC

MUSIC

Informal Concert Our first musical event of the year was an Informal Concert presented at St Edmund’s Hall in October. We were just four weeks into the term, but our musicians acquitted themselves excellently, with performances from Maissa De Oliveira and Ani King, Johnny Wan and Steve Hu, Maggie Walker and Nalni Chen, Lucie Fletcher, Cameron Eldridge and Harrison Hudson.

This was a perfect way to start the musical year and we look forward to some excellent music making in the coming months.

Jonathan Brown, Director of Music

NSSO at the Symphony Hall, Birmingham July 2019 This summer, the National Schools Symphony Orchestra (NSSO) concluded its celebrations of their 25th Anniversary season with a grand finale performed at the Symphony Hall, Birmingham.

The annual residential NSSO music course, based at Malvern College, welcomed more than 200 young musicians and singers for a week of music-making. All week the corridors of the Main Building at Malvern had been filled with the spectacularly dramatic sounds of Verdi’s Requiem, as the NSSO Philharmonic orchestra, conducted by Richard Dickins, practised its repertoire for their celebratory performance. Alongside them, the newly formed NSSO Chorus, led by Malvern College’s Director of Music, Jonathan Brown, held rehearsals in Malvern College’s magnificent Chapel.

All the musicians were put through their paces in readiness for this grand finale at one of the world’s most prestigious concert halls. Three orchestras, grouped by age and ability, performed at the event with the NSSO Academy opening the concert, followed by the NSSO Sinfonia (conducted by Leandro Silvera) joined by singer-songwriter, Emi McDade who performed Never Forget by Patrick Doyle (NSSO Patron).

Finally, the NSSO Philharmonic, the senior orchestra, together with the NSSO Chorus, the Malvern Festival Chorus, Emily Blanch (soprano), Melanie Armistead (mezzo-soprano), Robert Lewis (tenor) and Edward Grint (bass) gave an exceptional closing performance of Verdi’s magnificent Requiem.

33

34

DRAMA

DRAMA

DRAMA

DRAMA

DRAMA

DRAMA

DRAMA

Wendy & Peter Pan In the penultimate week of the academic year, dramatists from the Remove and Foundation years presented a wonderfully entertaining and heart-breaking production of JM Barrie’s classic coming-of-age story. First staged at the RSC in 2013, Ella Hickson’s adaptation suggests that behind the swashbuckling, the ticking crocodile and journey to Neverland, the real dramatic action lies not with Peter but with Wendy. Both protagonists are on the cusp of adolescence yet it is Wendy who must move on in search of emotional closure when the Darling family are tragically affected by bereavement.

Boo Forbes and Morgann McGee successfully captured the essence of Wendy’s character, revealed in the conflict between the freedom of childhood and the responsibilities of adulthood.

Oliver Doherty and Cameron Eldridge shared the titular role as the boy who would not grow up. Peter stands for lost youth and the passing of time and his charater is as elusive as his shadow.

Jack Yeoward performed Captain Hook as a snarling, ageing baddie who fears Peter’s youth as much as his sword. George McEwan as Hook’s devoted side-kick, Smee, provided wonderful moments of comic relief, so too Jasmine Ellis as Martin, the hopeless pirate who leads him to question whether a life of piracy is really for him. Cati Romanzina, Georgina Kenyon, Lucy Marriott and Bella Cole as the dastardly gang of pirates were suitably mean and moody.

Wendy wrestles with the demands of authority: “Why is it my job to fix everyone?” She campaigns for collective action with Ella Cooper’s hilariously punkish and matter-of-fact Tink and Otty Thomas’ go-getting, ‘Katniss Everdeen’ styled Tiger Lily.

With Captain Hook defeated, the Lost Boys saved (charming performances from Harry Graydon, Gia Neath, Freya Simpson and Chloe McKellar) and Tom ensconced in their gang, it remains for Wendy to figure out where grief must end and happiness begins.

Scenes were able to seamlessly switch at speed between the French windows of the nursery and the billowing sail of a ship or the Neverland forest. The creative team of Heather

Fryer (costume design), Leanne Hollyhead (Choreography/Stage Management) and Steve Doidge (lighting) supported this production with impeccable attention to detail. Jonny Stephenson operating sound and Alfie Mann on lighting did a first-rate job.

The theme of time as the villain, and the sense of loss, is peppered throughout this production and the poise and talents displayed by this young cast brought this to life. At the curtain call, the audience demonstrated their appreciation of a magnificent piece of theatre that combined light and dark in this tale so well told and kept both young and old at heart enthralled and entertained in equal measure.

Keith Packham, Director of Drama

Earthquakes in London The Sixth Form Drama production As Mike Bartlett’s epic play about climate change, written in 2010, takes on an even greater sense of poignancy, this play performed with maturity and commitment by a Sixth Form cast, was an apt choice by Keith Packham, Director of Drama.

The play addresses concerns about climate change becoming a climate crisis and is based on the central premise that disaster may completely overwhelm planet Earth. It combines the political and the personal; a bruising family drama mixed with humour, that culminates with a moving and inspiring finale that ‘Solomon’ may recalibrate society in aorder to secure the future of the planet.

For the production the Rogers Theatre auditorium was spectacularly transformed to create a traverse stage with the audience seated on either side and giant projection screens mounted high above a central ‘catwalk’ stage. At either end of the auditorium were two raised stages allowing more intimate

DRAMA

DRAMA

DRAMA

DRAMA

scenes. The playwright’s collage technique of presenting short, snappy scenes was executed brilliantly by the ensemble and helped the audience keep track of each character’s narrative thread. Each actor performed the parts with maturity and commitment in presenting a drama to which we can all relate.

This was another tremendous production from the creative team of Mrs Fryer, Mr Doidge and Mr Packham, that made the audience stop and think - how should we change our actions so that mankind can still live on the planet in 2525? The cast of Sixth Form actors delivered an arresting performance with intelligence and passion, in a thrillingly inventive and entertaining drama of our times that was presented with humour, tenderness and spectacular theatricality. Bravo!

DRAMA

DRAMA

DRAMA

35

36

HOCKEY

HOCKEY

HOCKEY

HOCKEY

HOCKEY

HOCKEY

Prep Schools’ Hockey tournament

Winners: The Downs Malvern, with Keith Metcalfe Headmaster of Malvern College

In September we held a training day and tournament for six preparatory schools.

The tournament was tremendously competitive and exciting to watch, and all players learned from the training and were able to put their newly acquired skills into practice.

The winners in the final, were The Downs Malvern but all teams had improved their playing skills and strategic play and this will help them in their hockey season at school.

Joanna Turnbull, Hockey Coach

Prestfelde U/11 Hockey team

Boys' Hockey development Boys’ hockey is proving popular and developing fast at Malvern. Last season, with a really solid fixture programme, the boys had a very successful year. All teams were training regularly, and we had some great results.

This Autumn some of the boys are also sharing the girls’ teams training sessions and they now have an indoor programme of their own. Additionally, some are starting to train and play for Stourport Hockey Club and have been selected for the Worcestershire County side. In addition, we have six boys selected for the Worcestershire Junior Academy Centre (JAC). Congratulations to Jasper Cleaver, Fergus Morris, Guy Sharp, Finley Morris, Will Brinkman and Shyam Sira who have made county sides.

In 2020 we will double the number of boys’ hockey teams we play, and we will enter both the U16 and U18 cup competitions. Our outstanding facilities allow boys’ hockey to grow and flourish at Malvern College and we are excited about the pace of development of the boys’ game and the future.

Mark Moss, Master i/c Hockey

SPORT

SPORT

SPORT

SPORT

SPORT

SPORT

SPORT

Girls’ Hockey successes Girls’ hockey remains as strong as ever, with a very large number of our girls progressing to the Worcestershire Academy Centre (JAC) this year. Fifteen are selected and we congratulate them all: Lily Angling, Isla Grammaticas, Freya Newman, Connie Shardlow, Arabella Shuttleworth, Emma Youngs and Isabel Barrett are in the U14 squad at Malvern and Georgie Clarke and Amelia Scott, new faces in the U15 squad. Heather Harris, Kinvara Clarke, Lucy Marriott and Jemima Martyn-Smith and Chloe MacKellar all return to the U17 county training programme.

We are hugely proud of our players.

They have fierce dedication and an admirable commitment that that demonstrates their passion for hockey. We wish them all the best for the season ahead.

Joanna Turnbull, PE

Women International Cricketers train at Malvern Early in the Summer term, both the England and West Indies Ladies Cricket teams held training sessions at the Malvern College indoor cricket facility in advance of their second One Day International (ODI) match, at New Road, Worcester.

England made 233–7 and West Indies 87-6 in a rain-affected match. England women won by 121 runs (Duckworth/ Lewis method of adjudication).

Chey Hooper-West, Director of Sport

37

38

CRICKET

CRICKET

CRICKET

CRICKET

National Twenty20 finals This year Malvern once again made it to finals day of the National 20/20 competition (the second time since the tournament began) and there was hope that this time, we could go one better and win it.

We were to face Merchant Taylors’ School in the first semi-final; they had taken the scalp of Tonbridge in the quarter-final. Winning the toss, Jack Haynes elected to bat and got us off to a blistering start smashing 21 off the first over. We gained momentum and an early advantage, compiling 75 runs off the first six overs. Robbie Hardwick eventually fell for 43, off just 19 balls. Dan Holland joined Jack and maintained the run-rate, striking the ball nicely to all parts of the ground.

Luke Tulacz finished our innings with a 4, another 4, and a 6, to amass an excellent

195. It was always going to be a difficult chase for Merchant Taylors’, but they too got off to a very good start, immediately putting our bowlers under pressure. The spinners persisted and wickets start to fall at regular intervals. Josh Baker took 3 wickets for 20 runs, Dan Holland 2 for 9 and Aaron Tomson 2 for 32, bowling Merchant Taylors’ out for 138.

And so, we moved to the final to play Sedbergh, who had beaten Millfield in the other semi-final. Malvern lost the toss and were surprised to be asked to bat.

Confident that if we could get around 160 it would be a difficult chase on a wicket that was beginning to turn, Jack Haynes and Robbie Hardwick, once again, began well, putting 41 on the board before the first wicket fell. Jack continued to bat

CRICKET

CRICKET

confidently but the boundaries were not coming, and it looked like we may have to defend 140. Jack eventually fell for 49 but Sean Aggarwal, Josh Dickenson and Luke Tulacz all batted with maturity allowing us to amass 155 in our 20 overs. We would have to bowl well, but this was a defendable total.

Josh Baker took a wicket in his first over, and a further 4 wickets in the first six overs; Ludo Staley grabbing two, one of which was Sedbergh’s England U19 player.

Malvern now had the upper hand and when Sedbergh were 57 for 7 the game was all but over. But was it? The Sedbergh batsman started to play with less inhibition, clearing the ropes and finding the boundary regularly. At 136 for 8 Sedbergh were now in the box seat and the Malvern bowlers once again under pressure. Josh Baker returned to bowl and duly took a wicket, caught well by Dan Holland on the boundary. Sedbergh needed 14 runs off 2.3 overs with a wicket in hand. It was getting very tense. A wicket was all that it needed. Aaron Tomson threw up one of his leg-spinners, the batsman went back, the ball found the edge, and then nestled into the gloves of Robbie Hardwick behind the stumps.

Malvern College were National 20/20 champions!

Mark Hardinges, Master i/c Cricket

Rising stars Congratulations to the following players:

Dan Holland scored a magnificent 176 against Wellington College. A great effort!

At the end of the season he was awarded the Tip Foster Trophy for scoring the most runs in the XI.

Rehaan Edavalath played in the Bunbury Festival which features the best U15 players in the country. Rehaan has also been selected for the Worcestershire County Cricket Academy.

Josh Dickenson was selected in the Midlands U17 to play in the Super 4s, the best U17 players in the country and picked for the Worcestershire County Cricket Academy.

CRICKET

CRICKET

CRICKET

CRICKET

CRICKET

CRICKET

Malvern win the Chesterton Cup After a rain-affected start at New Road, we managed to play a shortened semi-final round against Monmouth and win this match to go through to the final. Kings’ Worcester had beaten Bromsgrove School in a similarly shortened match, and on winning the toss they chose to bat in the final.

Malvern’s spinners bowled Kings’ out for 61 but, chasing a small total on a wicket that was spinning prodigiously, was always going to be tricky. After four overs Malvern had only managed to score 5 runs for the loss of one wicket and the game was in the balance until Dan Holland hit two boundaries in an over before being out LBW with the score at 24-2.

This gave Aaron Tomson and Tommy Boorman the opportunity to deliver, and they did. Tomson finished 5 not out, and a match winning 35 not out for Tommy Boorman saw Malvern home with 8 wickets to spare. This was a fantastic finish to a hugely enjoyable season. Winning the Chesterton Cup is always a very special victory for Malvern.

Mark Hardinges, Master i/c Cricket

U14 County Cup winners Malvern took on Bromsgrove School in the U14 County Cup final in September at Hanley Castle CC. Bromsgrove won the toss and elected to bat.

Malvern managed to keep them to 135 all out, Joel Cox finishing with figures of 4 overs 2-12 and Archie Bailey 3.5 overs 3-11. However, it would not be a simple run chase on a pitch that had variable spin and bounce.

Skipper Tommy Boorman opened the batting for Malvern with Joel Cox, who was lost in the third over. Archie Bailey instantly showed his intent with his running between the wickets. Bailey started to push the score on with boundaries in quick succession.

Boorman and Bailey stayed at the crease, both passed 50 and took the team home to victory with nine balls to spare, having established a partnership of 120.

Boorman had scored 68 off 57 balls and a superb allround performance from Bailey of 57 from 46 balls.

Liam Smith, U14 Coach

Archie Bailey and Tommy Boorman

39

40

SPORT

SPORT

SPORT

SPORT

SPORT

SPORT

SPORT

Sports Day There were many outstanding performances on the day as well as new records set by competitors: Imoesi Ogwemoh: Senior Boys’100 meters, in a time of 11.23 seconds beating the previous record of 11.31 seconds Banita Dodhia, Senior Girls’ Javelin, beating the previous distance of 26 meters with a throw of 27.86 meters Phoebe Palmer O’Riordan, Senior Girls’ High Jump, beating the previous height of 1.40 meters by jumping 1.45 meters Lucy Marriott, Junior Girls’ Triple Jump set the standard in a new event with a distance of 9.02 meters CeCe Gerber, Senior Girls’100 meters Hurdles, beating the previous time of 17.4 seconds with a time of 17.15 seconds Viv Kruse, Senior Girls’ Shot Putt, beating the previous distance of 8.63m with a distance of 10.34 meters

County Fencing Champion Congratulations to Noah Goryn in the Foundation Year, who recently retained his titles in both Foil and Épée at the Wiltshire County Championships in which he achieved Gold in both events. He retains the title of Hereford and Wiltshire Champion in both competitions.

Louis Staley, Senior Boys’ Javelin, beating the previous throw of 42.60 meters with a huge throw of 48.50 meters.

The winning Houses were: Junior Girls’: No.8, Senior Girls’: No.3, Junior Boys’: No.1, Senior Boys’: No.5.

Traditionally, as a finale, the Housemasters and Housmistresses take part in an Egg & Spoon Race. This always provides a great finish to the proceedings and rounded off a great afternoon of performances.

Joanna Turnbull, Hockey Coach

SPORT

SPORT

SPORT

SPORT

SPORT

SPORT

SPORT

Sporting excellence Tom Birley, in the Remove, competed in several swimming events over the summer, winning two Silver Medals in the Worcestershire County Relay Swimming Championships and a Gold Medal in the Cotswold Lake 62, a 3.8km open water swimming event in which he was first out of 96 competitors.

Swimming is his forte; Tom trains at school and at his local swimming club at Ledbury, but he is also an endurance specialist who cycles and runs as well. On the strength of his performance in the Upton Triathlon (U17) which he won, he was invited to join the West Midlands Triathlon Academy. This elite group of talented youngsters will take part in various trials working up to the British Triathlon Super Series to be held throughout next year.

Tom’s natural athletic talent is underpinned with steely determination and a great deal of resilience, qualities that were in evidence just before Half term, in the famous 10km Eastnor Mud Run in which he claimed the first place overall, recording the fastest time of all those who took part, across all category entries. This year’s Mud Run was staged in suitably wet weather and is, in any case, a hugely challenging event with over 500 competitors of all ages taking part this year. This further success therefore, is impressive.

Congratulations on all of your achievements, Tom. Justin Major, Housemaster No.2

Tom Birley, Upton Triathlon (U17)

HMC Foursomes – Golf National finals Having won the South West Regional final against Exeter College, Malvern reached the National finals in this competition for the second time in the last four years. Seven other regional winners joined us at Rye Golf Club in east Sussex for the final (Malvern ranked 8th).

In the first round we played Rossall Golf Academy (the eventual winners, ranked 2nd) and although we battled well, all three of our pairs (Allie & Marco, Izzy & Josh, & Rahul & Max) lost their games, giving Rossall a comfortable match win 3-0.

In the afternoon we played Tonbridge School (ranked 6th) and in this match we played really well with two of the matches going to the last holes. Max & Rahul enjoyed a thrilling match that went beyond the 18th eventually losing to a birdie from their opponents on the 19th. We lost the match (0-3), the score,

of course, not reflecting the close nature of the contest or the quality of the golf played by Malvern.

The following day we played Wellington College (ranked 4th) in our last group game, expecting that this would be another difficult match. Again, we competed really well, with Allie and Marco taking their top pair to the last couple of holes and playing some of their best golf of the week. The outcome was a loss (0-3) but the Malvern team had played and acquitted themselves extremely well.

The team learned a great deal from competing at a national level and will have benefited enormously from the experience.

John Cox, i/c Golf

41

42

Malvern View • Autumn 2019

Border Shield There was a tremendous turnout for the third, annual, Border Shield contest between Monmouth School for Boys and Malvern College at Ledbury Rugby Football Club just before Half term.

Conditions were damp from the start, with Malvern playing up the slope. An early penalty, conceded from the opening kick-off, gave Monmouth three easy points but the next passage of play was conducted in the middle of the pitch with both teams testing each other. Malvern was the next to score with Louis Staley crashing over from a well worked scrum move and offload from Charles Williams, Joe Randall converting the extras. Malvern struggled again against a resurgence from Monmouth who struck back with a try their own. The half-time score was 14-10 to Malvern who finished the stronger with a try from Jack Onslow.

Malvern made a strong start to the second half scoring another try, Josh Marsden powering over after good build up play from Imoesi Ogwemoh, Harry Smith and Kit Staley. The enduring strength of the Malvern defence would be the story of the rest of the game, as Monmouth raised the tempo in their play. Monmouth scored again to make it 21-15 to Malvern, with ten minutes to play. But the home side would eventually close out the game by showing great discipline and a strong work ethic in the final stages of the game to enable them to lift the Border Shield for second consecutive year.

Oliver Cook was named man of the match. He epitomised all that was positive about Malvern on the night. This was, as always, a fantastic occasion with some great rugby in evidence.

Nick Tisdale, Master i/c Rugby

43

Severn Stars Netball

Rugby News

Molly Gibbard played for Severn Stars U19s at the NPL tournament in Nottingham this term. She played superbly, and in several quarters scored with one hundred per cent shooting accuracy. Well done Molly.

It’s been a busy time for our rugby players at Malvern. Amongst the senior players, Imoesi Ogwemoh, Josh Marsden, Harry Smith and Tom Hughes have all been training with and playing for the Warriors U18s. In the U16s Joe Randall has been training with and playing for Wasps U16s and Harry Sigley has been playing for and training with Gloucester U16s.

There are a good number of Remove boys in the Warriors U15 DPP group, Frankie Jefferies, Noah Hanke, George Kidson, Oliver Kidson, Luka Janssen van Vuuren, Charles Hoyland, Cameron Smith and Sam Cook. Charles Hoyland is also training with the Welsh Exiles and Tom Morison is training with the Irish Exiles.

In the Remove, we have a number of boys in the Warriors U14 DPP group, Ethan Corbett, George Skerrett, Jem Horton, Fergus Morris, Harry Tsiquaye and Freddie Sharp. Jack Randall is training with the U17s academy.

Rhian Jenkins, i/c Netball

Nick Tisdale, Master i/c Rugby

44

OSCAR Providing educational support for boys and girls in India In October 2018 we had the great privilege of hosting 15 girls from India, under the auspices of the OSCAR Charitable Foundation. Members of Malvern College and those associated with the school raised in excess of £10,000 to support the foundation’s work. The OSCAR Foundation provides education and support for both boys and girls living in slums in Mumbai and in some of India’s poorest villages, promoting educational opportunities for boys and girls and supporting female empowerment. Three of our pupils, Hattie Sibthorpe, Lottie Bulley and Ishbel Spencer-Nairn were so inspired by meeting our OSCAR visitors last year that they applied to become OSCAR Young Leaders and have been working to raise money for the foundation over the past 12 months.

This term, we were delighted to welcome 15 boys from the OSCAR foundation, as part of a two-week football tour of the UK.

The OSCAR boys played our boys in a highly entertaining match, winning 2-0 in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd. They then enjoyed sharing an Indian meal with our pupils, rounded off with impromptu Indian dancing in the Gryphon Room, and then followed by sessions on our indoor climbing wall and in the swimming pool.

Fundraising is well advanced to help pay for the tour - the first time these boys will have had the opportunity to travel abroad − and for the wider, educational work that OSCAR does.

We are pleased to work in support of OSCAR who continue to expand their amazing work among over 3000 of India’s poorest children. Our OSCAR group at the College is continuing to fundraise and look at other ways in which we can support the OSCAR foundation.

Joe Gauci, Deputy Head: Academic

Future Activities 2020 Malvern College Open Morning Saturday 21st March − Entry all years Hockey Goal Keeping Academy October 2019 – June 2020 National Prep Schools Cross Country Sunday 8th March 2020 The Severn Shield Hockey and Netball Tournament at the Worcester University Arena (Prep school Coaching prior to exhibition match Malvern College v Cheltenham Ladies College) Friday 20th March Pride & Prejudice, the Scholars’ Play Wednesday 25th & Thursday 26th March National Schools Symphony Orchestra 2020 Residential orchestral and choral course for ages 9 to 19 at Malvern College 12th – 19th July 2020 For more information visit www.nsso.org

English Symphony Orchestra Youth Courses (at The Downs Malvern) Beginners Orchestra: 15th−16th February, 23rd−24th May Intermediate Orchestra: 22nd−23rd February, 25th−26th May Further details at www.eso.co.uk/community/eso-youth West Bromwich Albion Football Camps Day camps run during school holidays for ages 4 to 14.

For more details and bookings visit https://events.albionfoundation.co.uk/camps Worcester Warrior Rugby Camp Summer residential camp 2020 17th – 21st August for ages 10-16 For further information www.warriors.co.uk/community/rugby-camps MRM Hockey Coaching Day camps held at Malvern College and The Downs Malvern www.mrmcoaching.co.uk Kidz Club at The Downs Malvern Weekdays covering the Summer holidays.

Ages 3 to 11 years.

For further information contact kidz-club@hotmail.co.uk