mgs life Inside Guys and Dolls Where are our captains now? Meet actor Robert Powell Changes to Sixth Form Life
Magazine of The Manchester Grammar School
2015 edition
Academic Success | mgs.org
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WELCOME
As MGS approaches its five hundredth anniversary it is interesting to reflect upon how much has changed over the last 500 years and the nature of the School as it is today.What, I wonder, would our founder, Hugh Oldham, make of the growth of the School and the education we offer? One of Hugh Oldham’s goals was the pursuit of good learning, and, whilst the curriculum has changed greatly, the vigour with which it is pursued has not. In 1515 the Classics would have been the mainstay of the education offered, and though there have been changes in emphasis, this tradition continues; Latin and Greek remain of great importance to us as paths for developing rigorous thinking and scholarship. Bishop Oldham would, I think, understand fully the importance of offering the modern languages French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish and, even in the sixteenth century, Mandarin (the Portuguese Navigator Jorge à lvares reached southern China in 1513). The same could be said of the study of Art, History and Politics, and perhaps some elements of Mathematics. I suspect, however, that he might regard the sciences as alchemy and not fitting for
a school! The other area that I suspect would be alien to our founder is the vast array of sport and extra-curricular activities on offer. The pages of MGS Life are filled with tales of inquiry, achievement and adventure that a Tudor bishop could scarcely have imagined; and yet, in extending our curriculum in this way, we have indeed lived up to the challenge of giving our boys a good education. One thing I am certain of is that Hugh Oldham would be very proud of the School he founded, and particularly so because so many boys without the means to pay for an education have been through its gates. In the year ahead we will reflect on the past 500 years, but I am sure all our benefactors would urge us to keep our main focus on the future, and the next 500. Dr Martin Boulton High Master
International Baccalaureate Our boys performed exceptionally well, with an outstanding average score of 40 points (the international average is 29.8). Three of these boys have been offered places at Oxford, three at Durham and two at American Universities.
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A-level
Ŕ 18 boys achieved three or more A* grades, and 39 two or more A*s Ŕ 81 boys were awarded 3 A grades or higher.
IGCSE For the second year in a row, MGS pupils achieved over 90% A*/A grades:
03 Captions 1. International Baccalaureate 2. A-level
Ŕ 38 boys achieved straight A* grades Ŕ 113 boys achieved seven or more A* grades.
3. IGCSE 4. Arron Gould 5. Sam Heath
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The most popular destinations for our boys this year were Cambridge, Oxford, Durham, Imperial, UCL, King’s, LSE, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham and Warwick. The most popular courses this year were Medicine, Languages, History, Economics, Politics, Law, Sciences, Geography and Engineering.
Destination USA
One in four of all grades were at the coveted A* level, whilst over 90% of grades were A*-B: 02
Top UK Universities
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Sam Heath and Arron Gould have secured themselves places at top American universities. Sam will be undertaking his studies in Japanese and Spanish at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, and Arron will be travelling to the west-coast to Berkeley University in California.
Academic Success | mgs.org
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Captions 1. Raymond Ding, Danny He, Max Croci, Francis Dunn (L to R)
5. Max Roseman, Umer Abbas, Raghul Ravichandran, Anvay Date (L to R)
2. Niall GrimbaldestonCherry; David Bullen; Alex Ward; Tayyeb Sheikh; Greg Alexander
6. David Ghosh (L) and Mharab Choudhury (R) 7. Theo Jefferies
3. MUN Delegates
CHALLENGING THE NATION
4. Daniel Abbas, Jamie Horton, Andrew Horton, Michael Fernandez (L to R)
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UK Maths Challenge Four students secured MGS’s highest ever ranking at the annual UK Maths Challenge event, held in London. The national finals welcomed 60 schools from around the country to participate. Our boys were awarded 19th place – the first time MGS has been in the top 20.
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Taking the Global Challenge Niall Grimbaldeston-Cherry has achieved the top score in Russian in the 2014 Vocab Express Global Challenge. Niall participated in the six-day long online competition which students from across the world participated in. MGS also secured second place on the Global leader board in the Chinese and Italian sections of the competition.
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Not Too Taxing
MUN
Year 13 student David Bullen has become the youngest ever person in the UK to pass an Association of Taxation Technicians exam, after he and a friend set up a local gardening business.
A 20-strong delegation of students from both MGS and Manchester High School for Girls participated in the Birkerød Sixth Form College Model United Nations conference in Denmark.
David became so motivated running the business that he decided to take classes about advanced taxation.
Together they won ten Outstanding Delegate awards after four days of debate on various issues, including topics such as China’s views on disarmament and international security issues.
Classical Association A team of students returned victorious from a regional competition organised by the Classical Association. Two students stood out for their individual victories: Tayyeb Sheikh won first prize in the GCSE Greek section and Alex Ward won first prize in the Sixth Form Latin verse section.
InvestIN Internship Greg Alexander has been offered a coveted internship managing the social media for London-based finance and law firm, InvestIN. Greg was selected from hundreds of applicants for the role, and will be responsible for promoting the company’s mini-internship programmes to schools across the UK.
Checkmate! Brothers Andrew and Jamie Horton, Daniel Abbas and Michael Fernandez have won the National Team Chess Challenge. It was the second victory that MGS enjoyed this year, after also winning the Millfield International Tournament.
Gold CREST Award Max Roseman, Anvay Date, Umer Abbas and Raghul Ravichandran have completed a challenging six month engineering scheme, resulting in each of them receiving a coveted Gold CREST Award.
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They worked with the global engineering company John Crane and the company was so impressed with them that it is hoping to offer them a summer internship.
Biology Challenge Year 11 students Mharab Choudhury and David Ghosh have won the 2014 Biology Challenge, in which more than 30,000 other students competed. The competition, run by the Society of Biology, consists of online multiplechoice questions which test students’ knowledge of the subject and stimulates their enthusiasm for the natural world.
Russian Essay Winners Theo Jefferies and Alex Ward won first and second place respectively with their inspired writing in a Russian Essay Competition. Theo won the top prize in the intermediate level category for his blog of a space tourist.
The Arts | mgs.org
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Captions 1. Guys and Dolls 2. Guys and Dolls 3. Portico Art Exhibition 4. Karl Adelman (left) 5. Vampire by Implication 6. William Hargreaves 7. Montreux Jazz Festival
BRIGHT LIGHTS
8. Simon Armitage with pupils
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Guys and Dolls The first major production of the academic year was the all-singing, all-dancing, all-male Guys and Dolls. Updating the Broadway favourite to a prison setting, this classic was given the full-scale MGS production treatment. Director Matthew Nichols said, “There were times when I wondered if our boys would manage to act, sing and dance, all at the same time. However, they rose to the challenge, and I was immensely proud of them.� The production played to packed houses, rave reviews, and a special Gala Night.
Montreux Jazz Festival In July the MGS Jazz Band was invited to play at the prestigious Montreux International Jazz Festival for a second time. The Band played to a capacity crowd on the Music in the Park stage, and the audience enjoyed their mix of Dixieland Jazz, Big Band Swing and Michael Leeb guitar numbers. If you would like to listen to their performance, you can find it at https://soundcloud.com/MGSJazz
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Portico Art Exhibition The Portico Library in Manchester has re-launched its ‘The Assembly’ art exhibition, in which schools are selected to exhibit work by students. The work by MGS boys was regarded by organisers as sophisticated and avant garde, with particular attention being paid to the ceramics and screen-printing work on display. The work of pupils George Lawley and Rory Cheetham were highly commended. 03
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Bar Mitzvah Boy
Vampire by Implication
Ramsbottom Music Festival
OMs Angus Macalister and Luke Gilfedder teamed up with Sixth Former Rohan Takiar, who performed in their new production, Vampire by Implication, at the Manchesterbased venue Joshua Brooks.
William Hargreaves won a hat-trick of awards at the Ramsbottom Music Festival this year, including a shield for his victory in the Grade 5 guitar performances, as well as the Elisabeth Sykes Trophy for playing a violin piece by a fourteenth century Italian composer.
Karl Adelman has won the award for ‘Best Youth Performance in an Adult Play’ at the annual National Operatic and Dramatic Association regional awards, following his performance in the lead role of Eliot Green in Jack Rosenthal’s play, Bar Mitzvah Boy.
The play was staged by Finn Youth Productions, which is co-owned by the MGS Old Boys. 07
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He was also awarded third place in the piano Grade 4 class for his rendition of a scherzo by Müller.
Simon Armitage Visit Multi award-winning children’s poet and author Simon Armitage visited MGS to share his inspiration and writing techniques with Year 8 boys. They were also treated to a reading of Simon’s poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
A Postcard From | mgs.org
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
As a special feature, we thought we’d catch up with some of our most recent School Captains to find out what they have been up to since leaving MGS.
Shivi Saggar
David Leeming
Medic – University of Cambridge MGS 2005-2012
Linklaters – Solicitor MGS 2000-2007
I left MGS to read Medicine at Fitzwilliam College, where I’m completing an intercalated BA in immunology, combined with a research project on cervical cancer and a clinical audit of bariatric surgery.
After MGS, I went on to read Law at the London School of Economics and Political Science. I gained a first and have recently completed a training contract at Linklaters.
University has allowed me to study a course that I am passionate about, and to meet some incredible people. I am President of my college’s MedSoc, as well as being the medical school’s Charities Officer and Student Rep. MGS influences continue, as I’m still a keen musician and still do the voluntary work at the MRI that I started in Sixth Form. I owe a lot to MGS for preparing me so well for all of these aspects of university life. My final year as School Captain pushed me to make the most of every fantastic opportunity, and I will take this experience with me through my career!
At Linklaters I have been fortunate to work on high profile transactions and spend six months in Tokyo. As a qualified solicitor, I shall work in the firm’s Projects department, advising clients on large-scale oil, gas, renewable energy and infrastructure projects. MGS still plays an important role in my life. Many close friends are Old Mancunians. I attend (and have helped to organise) Old Mancunian events, and I still stop by to watch cricket on the first XI square where I spent much of my teenage years. I am proud to have been educated at MGS and look forward to celebrating the School’s 500th anniversary.
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Captions 1. Shivi Saggar 2. David Leeming 3. Alex Young (centre) 4. Alex Handy 5. Jimmy Campbell
Since university, besides continuing to support AIP, I have worked in strategy consulting in London serving clients across Europe. I am fortunate to maintain contact with MGS through the London OM network and look forward to getting more involved in the future.
Jimmy Campbell 03
Alex Young Alta Advisers – Private Investment Company MGS 2002-2009 After leaving school I went to read Geography at St John’s College, Cambridge. My years at MGS prepared me well for university life, as I embraced both academic and sporting challenges alike. I represented the University in triathlon, cross country and athletics – building on passions developed at school. MGS encouraged me to think independently and explore all opportunities. I started a summer internship in a London start-up and returned to university to study Management at the Judge Business School. The internship had demonstrated the appeal of working in a small company, and upon graduating I chose an exciting, albeit less well travelled, route by joining a boutique investment group. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my first year with the company and the significant opportunities offered.
PhD student – University of Cambridge MGS 2003-2010 I left MGS in 2010 to study Natural Sciences at Robinson College. MGS offers the perfect rehearsal for university, attempting to balance work and extra-curricular activities. Currently, I am Student Association President at Robinson, which involves liaising with college authorities in order to improve student life. MGS introduced me to real tennis and I am now ranked in the top 300 in the world. The sport is a mix of racquet skills, tactics and speed (maybe less so in my case!) and I am forever indebted to OM Peter Barnes for introducing myself and others to the game. After completing my Masters in Materials Science, I was offered a place at Cambridge to undertake a PhD. I am currently working with motivated and talented people day-today, so the environment is not that far removed from MGS.
Alex Handy Rightster – Strategy Manager MGS 2001-2008 I left MGS in 2008 to study History at Robinson College, Cambridge. At university I became increasingly interested in business which helped motivate my transfer to the Management Studies tripos in my final year. Influenced by MGS, I developed an interest in entrepreneurship that focused on solving social problems. In 2010 I started the charity, the African Innovation Prize (AIP), inspiring university entrepreneurship across Africa. We have worked with over 1,000 students across six universities in Rwanda and Burundi. True to its values, MGS and its alumni have been generous in helping support the organisation’s growth.
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Making History Series | mgs.org
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ROBERT POWELL
MGS 1955-1963
You are greeted at the Powell household by a warm handshake and dogs racing around your feet. Robert lives in a three hundred-year-old converted farm cottage on the edge of Hampstead Heath, a few miles from the theatres of the West End and a world away from his upbringing in Salford. Robert came from an MGS family. His father, uncle and brother attended the School, and so it was almost assumed in his family that he would follow suit.
nomination. Many more films followed and also The Detectives, with Jasper Carrott. More recently, he has been known for his role as Mark Williams in Holby City, a part he played for six years.
After deciding against a career in law, Robert became an actor. Several repertory theatres later, he got his break in television, and went on to star in many films, TV series and plays. In 1975 he landed the leading role in the film Jesus of Nazareth, alongside a star-studded cast, for which he received a BAFTA
Were there any teachers who made a difference to you personally? “Brian Phythian had the greatest influence on my life at MGS. Although I was never taught by him I would go so far as to say
that he inspired me to take to the stage, and I know that Nick Hytner feels the same way too. Brian was inspirational in and out of the classroom. A dynamic Head of English, he led a sparkling department by example. He founded the School newspaper (The Mancunian), the MGS Brass Band and camped at Borrowdale. Most of all, he was a key director in a golden age of DramSoc.
‘Powell was impressive for his poise and assurance. He knows how to relax, how to walk a stage as though he is entirely at ease’ – Review of Dr. Faustus in Ulula, Summer 1962.
Jointly with other MGS staff, he lived in South Manchester in a house called ‘Luncheons’, making use of a sign discarded by a local café!”
Are you still in touch with friends from MGS? “Maurice Watkins was my scout troop leader when I was a lad – I occasionally bump in to him at fundraising dinners or at Old Trafford. Only last year we had a Classical VI reunion in London which was terrific fun, and I have always had a strong friendship with Alan Garner, although he was 10 years ahead of me at MGS. I’ve been fortunate that Alan has trusted me to do the recordings of many of his books, as we both share the same esoteric mind-set and a logical view of the world.
When I left MGS, I started a law degree, but continued my acting with the Manchester University Stage Society. Midway through my first year I was spotted on stage by Hugh Hunt, Head of Drama at the university, and he challenged my choice of degree. He offered me a place in the Drama Department and I made the decision to quit law for drama, discovering too late that without an Eng.Lit. O level (Latin & Greek A-levels carried no weight!) I hadn’t qualified. In fact, I never started my degree, instead finding work as an actor, and it was like coming home.”
Robert went on to have a stellar career in TV, film, and on the stage, with the University of Salford awarding him an Honorary Doctorate and naming their theatre after him in recognition of his theatrical contribution. At present, it is Robert’s voice more than his appearance I found that the biggest problem with that tends to be most familiar thanks to being educated at MGS is that you the voice-over work he carries out on become so bloomin’ logical, which is various history documentaries, as well difficult when you come out into an illogical world! In all seriousness though, as his narration of audiobooks, such as The Thirty Nine Steps (for which it is a real strength of the School that he played the lead role in the film boys are encouraged to challenge and adaptation as well!) question, and use logic to determine their answers.”
What were your aspirations after leaving school? “My final report at MGS summed up my time at the School. The High Master simply wrote ‘Very much enjoyed his Lear’, without any reference to my academic underperformance.
Are you looking to retire? “At the moment I’m finding the most interesting work to be in theatre, but if the right part came up I’d love to go back to television. Theatre really is hard work, and I’m not keen on long tours away from home anymore; not least because on the road it’s not easy to stick to a healthy diet, and I end up eating too many Greggs’ sausage rolls!”
Do you still return to Manchester and Salford? “I visit the School from time to time, and I’ve been a supporter of the redevelopment of Salford, particularly The Lowry and Media City. The change that has taken place in the Quays is beyond belief, with the only thing now lacking being a quality restaurant. At the beginning of the Media City project, I bet many of my media friends that, within 10 years, people would be asking to move up to Salford. A trend which is already happening – logical!”
Behind the Scenes | mgs.org
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A SPOTLIGHT ON MUSIC
Our aim is to make Music enjoyable, stimulating and productive for boys of all ages, with opportunities both for the enthusiastic amateur with little or no previous experience and the more seriously committed and experienced instrumentalist or singer. Alongside the wide range of vibrant opportunities our boys have to perform outside the classroom, our highly qualified staff provide a rich and stimulating range of courses and activities.
Our courses for younger boys combine a strong practical element (including steel pans, samba, ukulele and keyboards, as well as singing) with theory, listening and cultural awareness. This enables them to develop their own musical vocabulary and composing skills. Boys opting to continue with Music in Year 9 and through to IGCSE in Year 11 explore these areas and develop their musical skills in greater depth. Boys can also learn a musical instrument with one of our 24 Visiting Music Teachers, sit ABRSM music exams at school and opt into additional music theory classes. Boys studying Music in the Sixth Form (whether IB or A-level) perform, analyse and compose in a variety of musical traditions and styles. Many go on to study Music at top conservatoires and universities, including Oxford and
Cambridge (often with choral, organ or instrumental scholarships). Music is held in high regard by leading universities, and pupils studying the subject in the Sixth Form proceed to a wide range of degree courses, from Law and Medicine through to many other arts and science degrees. Music is an important, enriching part of the lives of many of our boys, regardless of whether or not they study the subject in the curriculum. Our extensive and vibrant co-curricular programme caters for every taste, and includes choirs, orchestras, bands, ensembles and musical theatre. Our vocal groups include the Thursday Singers, a joint chamber choir with Manchester High School for Girls and Withington Girls’ School. With the repertoire ranging from Gary Barlow to Sweeney Todd, Cole Porter to Britten and Purcell, there is truly something to challenge every boy. Recent highlights have included performances of Sweeney Todd and Guys and Dolls
in the Theatre, Britten’s War Requiem (a charity performance which raised £8000) and the Senior Orchestra’s performance of Beethoven Symphony No. 1, to a Memorial Hall packed with visiting primary school pupils. Equally memorable was the whole of the Lower School singing Gary Barlow and Pharrell Williams songs, accompanied by the Lower School orchestra, a rock band, steel pans and samba group! Opportunities to perform are not limited to the MGS stage, however. Our choir has regular overseas tours, and this summer our Jazz Band played for the second time at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival. We perform regularly at Manchester Cathedral, the Royal Northern College of Music and the Bridgewater Hall, as well as in London.
People and Personalities | mgs.org
SIXTH FORM LIFE
Whether boys are existing MGS pupils or new to the School, our Sixth Form provides an exciting new phase in their education.
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The Right Course In recent years there has been much discussion in the media of examination reform. In this context at MGS we have taken the opportunity to re-assess the courses we currently offer, and the extent to which they prepare our pupils effectively for higher level study. From September 2014, the History, German, Geography and English departments all started to teach new Sixth Form courses as an alternative to A-level. Whilst pupils are now being prepared for International A-level qualifications in Geography and English Language, those taking History, German and English Literature are studying the Pre-U. Developed by Cambridge International Examinations, the Pre-U is a linear qualification, meaning that pupils take one set of exams at the end of two years, rather than sit exams in each year, as is currently the case with modular A-level courses. A central benefit of this approach is that there is more teaching time, because the summer term in the Lower Sixth is not lost to exam preparation. Teachers and pupils can therefore explore their subjects in greater depth; in addition, pupils start to see the subject as a whole, rather than as a series of potentially isolated modules.
Other departments are also considering carefully the options presented by Pre-U and International A-level; the Economics and Chinese departments have already decided to offer the Pre-U course from September 2015, whilst Biology will become an International A-level subject from the same date. Pre-U and International A-level courses have been developed in collaboration with several leading universities. One reason why many universities view both qualifications very favourably is that they know how effectively they prepare students for study at university, allowing them to develop the skills, knowledge and work habits necessary for success in higher education. From an admissions perspective, universities also recognise that the Pre-U allows them greater scope than A-level to identify the highest performing students: its 9 point grading scale provides a mechanism for rewarding the very brightest students, with the highest Pre-U grade, Distinction 1, exceeding the A-level A* grade. Initial feedback from our pupils is that they enjoy both the challenge presented by these new courses and the increased opportunities for independent learning which they provide. Neil Smith Academic Deputy Head
College Life This year sees an exciting change to the Sixth Form at MGS, with its division into five new ‘colleges’. The colleges each consist of eighty pupils (forty from each year group), eight Tutors and a Head of College, after whom the colleges are named: Crawshaw, Farr, Lowe, Thom and Tucker. This change brings a number of benefits for our Sixth Formers. Tutor groups are smaller, enabling more personalised support from Tutors. The Heads of College, working with Tutors,
will oversee each pupil’s pastoral and academic progress; with only forty pupils in each year group in their college, they will be well placed to get to know each pupil and provide them with guidance, support and advice. The college structure also provides exciting opportunities for new intercollege activities in Sixth Form. Those planned so far include sports, quizzes, debating, drama, talent contests and radio broadcasts. This all provides even more scope for our Sixth Form pupils to get involved in running school activities and events, whilst also developing their leadership and project management skills.
We look forward to seeing how their imagination, energy and good humour will bring real verve to the next chapter of MGS Sixth Form life. Dan Farr Deputy Head of Sixth Form
Adventure and Activities | mgs.org
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CHARITIES AND CHALLENGES
Schools are not simply collections of buildings and playing fields, they are communities of people, and the extraordinarily active MGS community extends far beyond the School gates, to the immense advantage of our boys.
Hugh Oldham Award
Lower School Passport
Our Junior School boys are taking part in the Hugh Oldham Award, a new initiative promoting the same qualities as the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
This new programme encourages boys to carry out five hours of service (e.g. by raising money for charity or helping the elderly), each year, to achieve their MGS Service badge.
Each year group is given a series of challenges and tasks to complete over the course of the academic year, including tasks such as gardening, cooking and basic first aid. The award is presented at the end of Year 6.
John Willis Lower School boys met charity fundraiser John Willis, who was on a tour of 50 schools promoting his new charity, ‘Power2Inspire’. 02 John was born with only partial arms and legs, and his intention was to attract sponsorship by swimming 1,000m in the pools at each school he visited in 100 days. Boys from Year 7 decided to mirror his attempts.
The boys record their achievements on their individual service ‘passports’.
Captions 1. Hugh Oldham Award
4. Niamh Walshe
2. John Willis Visit
5. Stuart Dale Memorial Match
3. Lower School Passport; Ross Hook; Ben Sciama; James Guy
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6. School Crest Mosaic 7. South Africa
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Ross Hook
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James Guy
Mosaic
Sixth Former James Guy visited Lillian Timms in Malus Court, Salford.
Our school crest mosaic was created over two years by Abdullah Nasir and Wali Waheed as part of the skills unit for their Duke of Edinburgh silver award.
His visits initially were part of the Community Action programme, but he quickly formed a friendship with 98-year-old Lillian and continues to visit as much as he can, alongside studying at the University of Manchester.
Former student Ross Hook has been recognised by The Christie following a yearlong effort that has seen him raise more than £6,000 for the charity.
Good Samaritan
Ross became involved with the Manchester-based charity following his father’s treatment there over the past two years, because he was so impressed with the facilities at the hospital.
This was her first ever marathon, which she completed in 4 hours and 12 minutes. She raised £1,397.75 for the charity.
Ben Sciama Sixth Form student Ben Sciama has raised a magnificent £31,000 for local breast cancer charity, Genesis, by organising a golf event at Dunham Forest Golf Club. The event was well attended, with 84 golfers playing, as well as a further 90 people joining for the charity dinner after the event, where additional fundraising was secured with an auction and games.
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MGS staff member Niamh Walshe completed the 26 mile Brighton Marathon this year on behalf of the Samaritans.
Macmillan Cancer Support More than £4,000 was raised for Macmillan Cancer Support by MGS at the annual Stuart Dale Memorial football match: ex-professional footballers (including Bryan Robson), alumni, parents and staff all came together to commemorate the former MGS porter. In glorious sunshine hundreds of spectators enjoyed a great match.
It measures 2.5m x 1.25m and is crafted out of ceramic, glass and mirror tiles. The materials needed to make the piece were donated by the Parents’ Society, and it now sits proudly on the exterior of the Mason building.
South Africa During our rugby team’s tour to South Africa, the boys visited a primary school supported by the Umzingisi Foundation, where many of the pupils are orphans; MGS boys helped the staff there with sports coaching and classroom teaching.
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Adventure and Activities | mgs.org
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Captions 1. Battlefields 2. Battlefields 3. Mexico 4. New York 5. Russia 6. Tall Ships
THE MGS SENSE OF ADVENTURE
7. South Africa 8. Qatar 9. Italy
Whether boys want to travel on our renowned treks and trips to distant lands or join in the numerous activities here in the UK, the variety of adventures on offer at MGS is simply staggering.
Mountain Adventure Days (MAD) What a MAD year it has been! Since the inception of the Mountain Adventure Days in November 2013, a total of 115 boys over 14 weekends have been given the opportunity to do both mountaineering and scrambling. Most weekends see our staff, who are qualified mountain leaders, take groups of up to 25 boys up various UK mountain ranges, usually in North Wales, the Lake District and the Peak District. They travel in all weathers, providing the terrain is not dangerous, and have a thoroughly enjoyable time viewing the breath-taking sights.
Trek This year sees a whole new dimension to Desert Trek as world current affairs force a change of venue to the MiddleEastern country of Oman. During the October term breaks our boys trekked over the sands of Wahiba on foot, along with luggage-carrying camels, and covered a staggering 250km distance; an adventure they are sure to remember.
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The MGS trip to the battlefields of France and Belgium was ever-more poignant this year, thanks to the centenary of the beginning of the First World War.
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Over 30 boys visited sites such as Ypres and the Somme, and numerous memorials and war cemeteries, including Tyne Cot, where British soldiers who died defending Belgium in the war are buried, as well as the battlefields of Sanctuary Wood.
Mexico
Russia
South Africa
Four of our Sixth Form students went on an exchange trip to Xalapa, Mexico, during the October half term, where they stayed with a host family, undertaking a range of activities, including a trip to the local coffee museum!
Seven of our boys took a trip to Russia over the summer, where they spent two weeks in St Petersburg, studying Russian at their host school. During the rest of their time local school children acted as tour guides, showing our boys around the city and taking them to museums such as The Hermitage.
Our rugby 1st and 2nd teams toured South Africa during the summer. They not only played other school teams all over the country, but were also given sightseeing opportunities, including a guided tour around the prison on Robben Island, made famous by Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment there.
Tall Ships
Qatar
A new edition to our evergrowing list of trips, this summer ten boys sailed across the Channel, from Dartmouth to Guernsey; they also visited the islands of Sark and Herm, off the Guernsey coast, before sailing back to the UK.
MGS’s First XI football squad was invited to Qatar to participate in the International Hadaf Football Tournament.
A few days were also spent in Mexico City as a contrast to the traditional elements of the exchange.
New York During October half term, over 30 students were treated to a drama trip like no other: our boys took part in workshops with Broadway actors, and viewed both Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, as well as seeing the sights of one of the world’s great cities. 05
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The boys helped clean and sail the boat, as well as hoisting all nine of its sails. 07
This was a trip organised by the British Embassy to build sporting links between Qatar and the UK. The boys were able to train in superb facilities and were introduced to a new culture. The MGS team made it through to the final, where they faced Qatar’s Evolution Soccer Academy. The game was played on an indoor 4G pitch and televised. MGS won 6-1.
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An exchange to Vicenza over half term involved 28 boys staying at the homes of local families to develop their Italian, with the group also taking day trips to cities such as Venice, Verona and Padua. The Italian school will be visiting us in February for hopefully the first of many such exchanges.
Adventure and Activities | mgs.org
WHAT A WEEK!
Every year, for one week in June, our boys are offered the opportunity to explore and experience a variety of activities including camps, sports, drama, rowing, Spanish fiesta, skiing and snowboarding, journalism, photography and army training, to name just a few. Here is a selection of images from this year’s Activities Week.
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Sports News | mgs.org
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Captions 1. Will Abbotts
10. Kai Wolgram
2. ISFA Cup
11. Richard Hall
3. Under-13 Lancashire Cup
12. Oliver Critchley
4. St Ambrose Tens
14. Ben Ticehurst (L) and Saul Blankstone (R)
13. Adam Bolchover
5. Junior CrossCountry 6. Ben Varnham
15. James Salt (front row, fourth from right)
7. Under-12 Hockey team
COMPETING ON THE NATIONAL STAGE
8. Judo boys 9. Tom Hughes
Football
Rugby
Sixth Former Will Abbotts scored on his debut for the Bolton Wanderers Youth Team in the FA Youth Cup.
MGS’s Under-13 rugby team was crowned 2014 Lancashire Cup champions after beating their fierce rivals, Kirkham Grammar School, 17-13, in a stunning final, played at Aldwinians Rugby Club.
In addition to this, Under-15 George Johnston continues to progress through Liverpool’s academy, where he has captained in his age group, Adib Badri has been trialling at Oldham Athletic School of Excellence, whilst Under-13 Naz Kabbanni and Under-11 Drew Baker are now part of the Manchester City Academy. Three football teams made it through to the semi-finals of the national Independent Schools Football Association (ISFA) cup. It is the first time ever in MGS’s sporting history that the trio of the Under-13, Under-15, and Under-18 teams have each succeeded in getting to this stage of the competition, with the Under-15s battling through to the final. In addition to this, our Under-18s were the ISFA 6-a-side Plate winners.
Five pupils were selected to play rugby for the Cheshire County Under-16s Squad. Alex Hull, Abdul Khan, Sol Neild, Charlie Pozniak and Joe Thomason made up the largest single school selection in the squad. Charlie and Sol were also selected to train with the Sale Sharks Academy, along with Sixth Formers Jonny Evans, Matthew Geiger and James Hampson. Our Under-16s team lifted the cup at the St Ambrose Tens tournament, comfortably beating RGS Lancaster 21-14 in the final. 03
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Cross-country
Judo
Squash
There were smiles all round for our Junior athletics boys as they won a host of medals at the East Cheshire Harriers Invitational Junior School Cross Country Relays.
Five MGS students competed at the National Independent Judo Competition, winning a total of four medals, including gold for Sixth Former Sinan Erturk, as well as the Small Team Trophy for overall performance.
The 2014 squash season ended on a high for Richard Hall after he reached the quarter finals in the European Squash Federation Dutch Junior Open in Amsterdam.
Dance Our very own ‘Billy Elliott’, Ben Varnam, won a gold medal and a distinction for his dancing abilities in a recent ballet competition held at his club in Stockport, the only member of his class to do so.
Karate Tom Hughes won nine medals in the World Karate Championships held in Italy, including two Golds and four Silvers, after just 12 months of competing in the sport.
Hockey
Sailing
The Under-12 hockey team won the Rydal Penrhos trophy, beating the home team in a final which was taken to penalty dribbles.
Junior School pupil Kai Wolgram was selected to represent Great Britain in the GBR Team at the Irish Optimist National Championships. At just 9 years old, his selection made Kai the youngest British sailor to officially represent Great Britain in international sailing in 2014.
The Lancashire Cup was also lifted this year by our Under-13 hockey team.
Further to this, in a stunning start to this season, he won the Sutton Junior Open Squash Tournament.
Waterpolo Saul Blankstone, Robert Gourley, Sam Hanrahan and Ben Ticehurst have been called up to train with Great Britain’s water polo team and will train with the squad in the build-up to the European Championships in four years’ time. Recent leaver James Salt was selected for the Great Britain Junior Water Polo team and competed with the squad at the European Championships in Malta.
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Sports News | mgs.org
MGS Life Managing editor: Danielle Shepherd (d.shepherd@mgs.org) Design and artwork: VisualSense.com The Manchester Grammar School Old Hall Lane, Manchester, M13 0XT
COMPETING ON THE NATIONAL STAGE
Under-11s
Captions
Our Under-11 cricket team won the double! They successfully defended the AJIS Cup, beating King’s School, Macclesfield, in the final.
1. Junior Double Victory; David English ‘Bunbury’ Cup; Harold Bailey Cup
In addition to this, the team was victorious over Newcastle-under-Lyme School in the Reeman six-a-side cricket competition.
Under-12s The Under-12 cricket team lifted the Lancashire Schools Cricket Association David English ‘Bunbury’ Cup after an extremely tense final against Merchant Taylor’s School, in which MGS won by just two runs.
Under-14s The Under-14 cricket team confidently beat their rival, Ribblesdale School, to claim the LSCA Harold Bailey Cup. 01
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