The Radleian ST21

THE

RADLEIAN SUMMER TERM 2021

Back to Reality

THE RADLEIAN

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FROM THE WARDEN I like the picture opposite. Peace and tranquility.

Radley is indeed a beautiful place.

As we move into a Summer holiday, I am a sure a dose of peace would be welcome for us all. We might not get it on a beach abroad . . . but I hope for all boys and families that they manage the odd moment of relaxation and refreshment. After a year that has been anything but peaceful, we all deserve that.

The picture is misleading, however. We are anything but soporific. The rest of this magazine gives a small indication of the vast array of activity that goes on.

I am very proud of the fact that we have maintained momentum in so many areas and not allowed the challenges of Covid to dull our imagination or our dynamism. Not for us, I hope, the functional utility of educational continuity. Ambition remains the order of the day.

The right sort of ambition, I trust. Seeing creativity emerge from the challenges of digital learning. Stretching the boys’ minds with curriculum elements beyond the narrowness of the syllabus. Pressing ahead with drama and music amidst the challenges of social distancing.

Investing in technology to satisfy those with a thirst for robotic challenge. Perhaps most importantly, our work in partnerships; an exciting programme of initiatives that not only targets help to those who need it but broadens the experience, skills and perspective of the boys. All in these pages. And more.

The two strands come together. I hope that there has been a calmness about Radley in the last fifteen months as we have sought to navigate the storms of Covid.

I am reminded as I walk to work every day just how lucky I am in terms of place. As I am with the people I work with. But that must not lead to inertia; I hope too that there is always a visible dynamism of purpose too, constantly seeking to do what we do better, in partnership with you. Enjoy this glimpse of it.

John Moule The Warden

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THE RADLEIAN

PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION I

n nineteenth-century aesthetics, Baudelairian ennui was seen as the archnemesis and worst nightmare of the artist. Almost two centuries later, faced with three lockdowns, many of us had to come to terms with a similar kind of existential boredom. It was a challenging task to learn how to tame the ample amounts of time we had on our hands in the quietness and sometimes solitude of our homes, far from our friends, families and schoolmates. But like many difficult situations, the dark cloud of lockdown boredom quickly presented a silver lining, as it enabled us to explore creativity in a new way, with perhaps more space for contemplation and self-reflection.

The photography competition has been the humble vehicle of this heartwarming outpouring of creativity, from students and staff alike. During the seven weeks of the competition, it felt as if the whole community was digitally re-united through photography.

The competition covered a variety of themes, which gave the students latitude to express their creativity and range with brio. The competition kicked off with the theme of winter, which coincided with the first heavy snowfalls of the season. The first round of submissions harbingered the quality of future entries. Artfully framed snowy landscapes evoked the cosy peace of a winter’s afternoon, whilst some poetic images conjured up the nostalgia for the snows of yesteryear.

In the second week, the competition explored the timeless genre of the Still Life, once again with outstanding

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results. Clean, crisp compositions and masterful use of lighting helped create striking images from an ever-growing number of entries.

The third week focused on Cinema and created one of my favourite vintages to date – breath-taking photos were sent from the UK, but also Europe, Asia and America, which once again showed how closely-knit our global community was in a time of adversity. Dystopian cityscapes, retro-futuristic neons and moody film d’auteur atmospheres highlighted the endless imagination of the contestants.

Week 4 revolved around Movement and Shadows, which spawned once again beautiful, ambitious images with a great graphic quality. The following week continued in the same visual vein with the theme of Black and White, which prompted entries that ranged from Bauhaus-esque compositions to soft melancholic portraiture.

WEEK 1 – WINTER

As winter slowly gave way to spring, Nature and the Environment were featured in the competition, and it was truly astounding to see not only the imagination but also the technical skills of the entries – from macro images to action shots, the range was impressive and the quality professional.

In the last week of lockdown, we focused on Hope, which was very much in the air as everyone was getting ready to slowly step back into normality. As the season of cherry blossoms was in full swing, that last week prompted a batch of very poetic pieces that presaged better days to come.

Andria Pancrazi Head of French

WEEK 4 – MOVEMENT AND SHADOWS

WINNERS WEEK 2 – STILL LIFE

WEEK 3 – CINEMA

WEEK 5 – BLACK AND WHITE

WEEK 6 – NATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT

WEEK 7 – HOPE 5

THE RADLEIAN

ROBOTICS W

ith the increasing impact of disruptive technologies in society, it is important that Radleians are aware of their ability to influence the future.

Robotics is one such technology and the College has introduced opportunities for boys to enhance their engineering and programming skills through the global Vex Robotics competition. A year-long season sees teams develop a robot to participate in an intense and highly competitive championship which leads to a global final, held in the US. The competition is designed to aid the development of the technical skills of mechanical engineering and coding and requires rigorous design and development work. Alongside these, teams are judged on their ability to work effectively with others within their group as well as their contribution to the wider competition community.

Radley has created a dedicated facility for robotics development in the Design Engineering Department. The ‘Makerspace’ area includes 3D printers and all the resources required for boys in the Removes upwards to participate in weekly activities. From September, around 20 boys in 6.1 will be approaching next season’s competition via the Curriculum Enrichment Programme. Regional events involve a day’s competition and teams might compete in two or three such days in a season. Those that win a regional qualifier, reach the National Final.

Those that are successful in the Nationals qualify for the World Championship, and while the last two have been online, held in virtual spaces, hopefully next year’s competition will be more orthodox.

The competitions are intense with matches lasting just a few minutes.

Each team is placed in a new alliance for each match and the points earned are shared. For this reason, collaboration

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skills are key – working well with others throughout the day is the way to score highly. In addition, teams get to choose their alliance partners for the final.

This selection tempers the competition to focus on engineering solutions and great collaboration to the benefit of everyone’s development and this forms the heart of the competition’s ethos.

Boys will also compete in an autonomous challenge, as there is a large element of working in this way in the teamwork matches. This gives everyone a chance to further develop and flex their coding skills in Python or C++, or a Scratch block-based system.

Judging of the competitions is not limited to scores from the arena. Boys are interviewed about their code, designs and build by experienced engineers from the sponsoring companies and others.

The global competition attracts major companies including Google, Northrop Grumman, NASA and Dell among others.

As such, participation in this programme can be transformational. The experience can introduce boys to new directions and opportunities and is a first-class springboard to any engineering or code-based career.

Alastair Vaan Head of Computer Science

ANIMAL FARM T

he Remove Play was the first full production to be staged since March 2020, so we were all very excited at the prospect of a live show. The production of Animal Farm, directed by Amber Wiles, had me engaged from the beginning.

I was expecting the company of actors to appear with a ludicrous set of masks and costumes resembling farm animals, but instead was presented with a cast wearing bold military red and black attire, a design feature which set the tone for the rest of the play. What followed was a dark interpretation of Orwell’s book, where the strong cast and dramatic lighting was used to create an

ominous and chilling atmosphere. It was not a struggle to sympathise with the animals, who were always present on stage and grew ever more hopeless as the play went on. I must not forget some of the comedic moments too; delivered sharply they helped release some of the tension created by Napoleon’s (Zach Wickens, J Social) commanding act, or Squealer’s (Arthur Burdess, F Social) intimidating performance.

My favourite moment was probably a ridiculous poem performed by Minimus (Sam Maynard, K Social), one of Napoleon’s sycophantic pigs, in honour

of Napoleon. The lyrics, lighting and live music (provided by Kim Chin, K Social, on the piano) all came together to perfectly ridicule the 1940’s Soviet Union. The fact that I found myself humming that same tune on my way back to Social tells a lot about the piece.

Animal Farm may not have been the ludicrous comedy we were expecting but instead a tragedy with a few, well timed, hard-hitting comedic moments, a combination which left me in both shock and laughter after the show.

Nick Crossa L Social, 6.1

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THE RADLEIAN

I

s digital art the first chapter in a new story of art? Will Gompertz, BBC Arts Editor, asked this question when he reviewed the sale of Beeple’s (aka Mike Winkelmann) ‘Everydays: The First 5000 Days’, a digital artwork comprising of 5,000 Instagram posts assembled into a photomontage, which sold at Christie’s New York for $69 million. There were gasps from the Shells as we watched a rerun of the live auction in class and debated with passion whether this digital montage was a great work of visual art to treasure, or a tradeable commodity/ financial investment. We all were united however in the thought that it seemed a lot of money for an encrypted JPEG. However, what was not in doubt during our discussions was the fact that, due to the pandemic and the digital lives we are currently living, art is being made in new mediums and with new materials. With the timely roll out of iPads to all the Shells, we embarked on a digital portrait painting project during the second episode of Virtual Radley in the Lent Term 2021.

We began by considering the history of portrait painting and enjoyed a virtual talk by the National Gallery, where the ranges of styles and different paint-handling techniques were discussed in the context of a number of extraordinary portraits. Following this, and bringing us right up to date, we held a virtual workshop with the digital portrait artist, Roz Hall, who showed us different digital paint-handling tools and opacity effects. Inspired by these investigations, the Shells created their own digital selfportrait in Procreate, an art app on their iPad. However, unlike Beeple’s image, the boys’ work was not intended to become a digital NFT (non-fungible token) but has been combined to form a larger montage of all the Shells’ digital self-portraits in the format of a huge Zoom call to commemorate VR2. This will then be put on display in Covered Passage.

Whilst evaluating the digital portrait project at the end of the second term of virtual school, we debated whether we would buy a piece of digital art. Many were still baffled by the sale of Beeple’s work and the astronomical price achieved given the entire absence of a physical work of art. In contrast, with regard to the Shells’ digital self-portrait montage, we were pleased that, despite using new digital means, there would still be a tangible artefact on the wall at Radley to represent the boys’ newfound skills and hard work. A real world reminder of our time working together on-line.

Ruth Tufnell Director of Art

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Whilst the nation was in lockdown, all our lessons were taught online as part of ‘Virtual Radley 2’. In the course of our art lessons, we studied portraiture and looked at a number of different artists’ portraits throughout the ages in a wide range of media. We then embarked on a digital self-portrait. I found using an iPad to paint has some similarities to the work of Andy Warhol and it was a fascinating process using portrait photography to express the image in a different form.

I developed new skills using the digital portraiture app and was really pleased with the outcome. The digital art portraits will eventually be displayed in Covered Passage.

Benedict Hunter B Social, Shell

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THE RADLEIAN

RADLEY CHORISTERS One of the signs of normality returning to Radley has been seeing the Radley choristers back in Hall, in Chapel and in the Music School. The choristers have, throughout the Covid pandemic and during much of the Chapel expansion project, lost their home. Zoom was not made for choir rehearsals, which rely on the shared experience, energy and camaraderie of being together in a room. Like choirs across the world, the chorister staff team has had to become specialist in the art of the ‘online rehearsal’: hours of pre-prepared video tutorials, year group breakout rooms, online warm ups, special guests, shared scores, virtual suppers and much more to keep the boys singing. Late nights grappling with video editing enabled us to create the split screen virtual choir

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performances that became ubiquitous last year. With a brief return in Michaelmas 2020 (interrupted by the November lockdown), the boys were able to record a Carol Service in Chapel and an evensong for local churches, a remarkable achievement given the challenge of singing socially distanced from each other. Along with the hymns and responses recorded earlier in the year, these ensured that choral music could be at the heart of online services for many hundreds of people around the world.

It is thrilling, after months of perseverance, to be able to welcome the boys and their parents back onto the College site and, for the first time in many months, to hear them sing in

Chapel alongside the older boys.

Confidence is beginning to come back, and we are enjoying exploring the acoustic of the larger Chapel. Of course, the arrival of the new organ, not too long away now, will provide a huge lift and added inspiration.

The choristers (around 25 boys each year) all come from local schools. They sing alongside the Chapel Choir each Sunday, attending rehearsals three times a week and providing the ‘top line’ in services. There is a specialised preparation programme for boys in Year 2 before they audition for the choir, ensuring that auditions are open to boys from all backgrounds and levels of experience. In their journey from probationers to Senior choristers

As they come to the end their of their time as choristers, our head choristers Samuel and Lohan took time out of a rehearsal to reflect on the last few years: What are your favourite memories of being a chorister?

Lohan: Singing in different places, the Madrid trip and performing in amazing venues. The Christmas recording in Keble College was fun and we enjoyed the pizzas too. (It emerged that food was a frequent highlight for both Lohan and Samuel).

Samuel: Something I am going to remember for the rest of my life is the camaraderie and friendships. Four years with the same people means you get to know people and it really expands your friendships.

What would you say to someone thinking of being a chorister?

Lohan: It’s a great opportunity. When I joined, I hadn’t started piano and I don’t think I was very good at singing. I wouldn’t have thought of music as a good thing before I came here but now, I do. (Lohan is starting Radley as a Shell music scholar in September 2021).

Samuel: Go for it! You learn so much and gain so much for the rest of your life, such as lessons on any instrument you want.

How has being a chorister helped you?

Samuel: I remember when I was younger, I was always humming and singing.

The whole experience of being a chorister has allowed me to express myself.

What instruments do you learn? (in Year 8, age 13), they receive free instrumental, singing and theory tuition, go on tour, perform in concerts and services in amazing venues, and their families become an integral part of the Radley College community. This is celebrated every year at the Chorister BBQ, where we welcome back former choristers, some who have become pupils at Radley. Others are now studying music at University or Conservatoire, are cathedral choral scholars, music theatre performers or embarking on careers as professional musicians.

It is a remarkable scheme, which transforms the choral possibilities for the boys at Radley and provides life-changing experiences for the choristers.

Lohan: I play the violin and the piano.

Samuel: The Oboe – I really enjoy it – it is an instrument I wouldn’t have thought about learning without being a chorister!

What are your first memories of being a chorister?

Samuel: I have a vague memory of being in Chapel for the first time and standing next to Alex Knipe (a former Head Chorister and now Senior Music Scholar in 6.2 at Radley) and listening to him sing and thinking I would never be able to sound like him. It has been an exciting journey.

How has being a chorister over lockdown been?

Samuel: For some people this year was hard, but it gave me a sense of independence and that Radley has trusted me. I was able to organise myself and work around my own schedule of recording and learning music.

Lohan: It meant I had more time to learn the songs. We don’t normally record our music and the recordings were great to listen to. Other clubs mostly stopped during lockdown and it was good that our sessions continued.

Sam Gladstone Precentor

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THE RADLEIAN

MATHS

MENTOR

W

hat is a hackathon? Apparently, it involves the coming together of a global community to collaborate on software projects. Nasa’s hackathon in 2020 – Space Apps Challenge – attracted over 26,000 people from nearly 150 countries. I am not sure that Radley’s partnership work can claim to be hitting those numbers (yet!), but the success of these events lies in the ability of a community working together to meet a particular challenge.

The recent lockdown presented many children with the challenge of accessing curriculum support when away from school, especially where parents were unable to provide support.

It was through a Twitter post that we learnt about EasyA maths, now part of

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Colet Mentoring, an online maths mentoring platform developed by two alumni of St Paul’s School, in collaboration with their old school.

Contact was made, discussions were positive, and by late December more than 50 Radley A-level mathematicians were trained and ready to support students at two schools: Broadway Academy in Perry Barr, Birmingham and Newman Catholic College in Harlesden, London. Both schools are some distance from Radley, but the nature of online support meant geographical barriers were removed.

The concept is simple. A student snaps a photograph of their maths problem, posts it on the EasyA app where a Radleian is waiting during a predetermined homework hour. The

mentee asks questions and the mentor guides, providing feedback through visual cues and text conversation.

The beauty of the platform is its simplicity. The designers, Phil and Dom Kwok, have created an intuitive software and through partnering with them we have been able to share ideas, suggest new features and feedback the comments from both mentees and mentors. Mentees have been able to rank their mentors, with special recognition given to ‘Number Gods’ or a ‘Maths Wizard’. Working with EasyA has allowed us to best address the needs of the students we can support while developing new skills, greater awareness and a sense of pride in Radleians. Our boys are making a genuine difference.

RING

Headteacher, Ron Skelton, of Broadway Academy has written that “since the introduction of EasyA Maths at Broadway, the students involved have shown a more independent attitude towards their learning.” Ron goes on to write that the reputation of the support among students is such that some of those who are not involved have asked if they can be in the future. “The mock exam results show that those students who used the platform the most have made significant progress over the last few months.” An excellent testament to the work that has taken place.

Over 350 individual tutorial sessions have now happened, supporting over 50 students at the two schools. Felix Cripps (J Social, 6.1), a Radley mentor, writes that it has been an amazing partnership with the improvement being so apparent in the students he has supported.

This is further reflected by the mother of a Broadway student who writes that her daughter has gained so much new confidence and is now really engaged with her studies. Another pupil put it simply, “EasyA Maths has been brilliant.”

The head of Maths at Newman College

wrote of the students’ praise for “the invaluable help received from the online mentors.” She goes on to say that they are keen to further develop this “mutually beneficial relationship.”

The scalability of the project has meant that other schools across the country have been able to join, train their students and support schools with whom they partner. A genuine ripple effect, providing maths support to hundreds of children across the country.

Through its hackathon, NASA invites its community to build innovative solutions to challenges we face on Earth. In much the same way, meeting the challenges of learning during lockdown has required innovation and collaboration. It has been a great pleasure to work with Colet Mentoring and see Radleians at the forefront in helping to meet these challenges and be part of an initiative delivering genuine impact.

Further information can be found at https://easya.io/colet-mentoring/ or follow through Twitter @coletmentoring John Sparks Director of Partnerships

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THE RADLEIAN

D

espite the difficulties of lockdown, Virtual Radley 2 (VR2) allowed us to enjoy the fruits of innovation and adaptation garnered from VR1. Boys read more widely and they attempted ‘academic stretch’ courses put on by the Open University, Coursera and other high-quality providers. It was felt important to have an even more dynamic online programme for VR2 and so emerged the overarching theme of ‘Making the most of a CRISIS’.

Six themes centred around:

Careers explor ation R eading Independent research Skills acquisition Issues of the day Service to the community

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The Radleian Society organised a tremendous collection of careers-focused talks led by Old Radleians and Radley parents, and boys were encouraged to consider career paths in both traditional and less conventional spheres. Talks by Nick Newbury (entrepreneurialism), Theo Bromfield (charity sector) and Andy Monu (technology marketing) were popular examples, but all the talks were of stellar quality and well-received. The weekly online Radley Lecture was a fantastic opportunity to showcase speakers addressing topics such as environmental entrepreneurialism (Kresse Wesling OBE), looming conflict with communist China (Professor Christopher Coker), divisions caused by identity politics (Ayishat Akanbi) and key themes affecting the UK in international affairs (Dr Ziya Meral).

Throughout this period of virtual learning, we recognised afresh the value and strength of community at Radley and the creativity, talent and dedication of boys and staff alike.

Co-curricular activities continued apace during VR2. The Music Department produced a plethora of Zoom performances and concerts using the expert editing skills of Radley Video, meaning that we still had the opportunity to connect with people. The Precentor produced weekly music assemblies for primary schools, with performances by our boys and teachers for hundreds of primary school children across Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and beyond.

Additionally, a host of community Zoom concerts were shared with local care homes. Our Young Sports Leaders produced a range of sporting adventure videos for local school children under the lead of the Director of Sport. Boys and dons demonstrated skills, including racquet sports and throwing and catching, in a variety of short films for local primary schoolchildren.

The ‘Workouts of the Day’ and Strava challenges were very well received with RCBC paving the way with Zoom training

VIRTUAL RADLEY 2

sessions and weekend marathon challenges for charity, which went on to raise over £15,000 for Young Minds. Not to be outdone, RCAFC’s Strava support for #Challenge45 helped to raise funds for Sobell House. A huge community effort meant that the College Strava club covered the 6,775 miles to our partner school, Gehandu Secondary School in Mbulu, Tanzania, in just 15 days.

It was heart-warming to witness the whole Radley community come together to fundraise and volunteer for causes close to our hearts. There were many highlights, including: baking for doctors and nurses in hospitals; cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats to fundraise for laptops for local schools; procuring an outstanding 3,000 England football kits for the Kit4Kenya charity and the launch of a second ‘Art for the Heart’ online art auction supported by both the Sewell Centre Gallery and the Zuleika Gallery to raise money for Maggie’s Oxford.

Despite the days spent away from Radley, boys and staff continued to reach out to their communities. The Community Action Programme saw boys volunteer more than 150 hours during the lockdown period with a host of activities taking place, from litter picking to creating and restoring outdoor spaces that can be used by the local community.

Radleians also demonstrated smaller but no less noteworthy acts of individual kindness and generosity, such as boys gardening for others and helping elderly relatives and neighbours.

Across the school, departments innovated and adapted their customary events online. The annual Declamations competition went virtual with more than 170 boys performing in the semi-finals held over two nights, and the Biology department introduced a Virtual Animals Society. The newly paperless Admissions department went digital with written assessments and interviews conducted

via Zoom and Teams. Academic Scholars sat their papers via remote invigilation at home and boys selected for Round 2 attended interviews on Zoom, as well as the usual round of games, fun, quizzes and Cocoa with the Warden, albeit remotely. New Social videos were made by each of the Tutors for the 2021 cohort, who then enjoyed online Social get-togethers via Zoom.

We could not possibly have foreseen what a global pandemic would bring and while everything seemed to change, Virtual Radley has offered many opportunities: to innovate, to develop new skills, to engage with new experiences. Our founder, William Sewell, once described what he wanted all Radleians to be: "good sons, brothers, husbands, servants, masters". We hope that in the face of a national crisis, our experience is such that we make that vision much more likely.

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THE RADLEIAN

NEWS The Milligan Cup

CCF Raft Making

Forty boys entered this year’s competition with a brilliant array of solo performances, from West End classics to new Broadway hits. The Cup was awarded to Ed B for his performance of ‘Don’t Even Know It’ from ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’.

There are many moments that Radley boys remember from their Shell year. The lake crossing is always one of them. The boys in each Social are given 30 minutes to make a raft and are then challenged to cross the College Pond 6 times.

New Cricket Nets

Junior Royal Academy of Music

The start of the 2021 cricket season was greeted with brand-new cricket nets. 19 lanes of artificial nets have been erected beside the 1st XI Pavilion on Bigside and will be used by all year groups to bolster cricket training across the season.

Tremendous news for Calver B who has been awarded a place on the prestigious jazz course at the Junior Royal Academy of Music, starting in September. Next year Calver will run his own jazz ensemble at Radley.

Thames Clearance

Gaudy Week

During Charities Week the Fifths cleared more than 1000 litres of rubbish from the banks of the River Thames. Their hard work to reduce river pollution took them all the way from Sandford Lock to the Radley Boathouse.

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Declamations

A huge variety of activities took place during Gaudy Week. Highlights included a One Day Film School, a CCF Inspection Day, table top gaming, Argentine empanada cookery and a day spent making podcasts with DJ Spoony.

The Declamations Victor Ludorum Prize was awarded to Joshua T for his comic yet sensitive delivery of the opening monologue to Tom Wells’ ‘About a Goth’.

This year’s theme was ‘Solidarity’ and with boys spread around the world during lockdown, our declaimers joined together virtually for the traditional event.

Radley Video

Radley Video has produced more than 22 videos and livestream events this term alone. Drama productions, musical performances, sporting events, partnership activities, a Chapel tour and much more have been recorded helping to keep our community engaged with life on campus.

Radley STEPS

Radley STEPS, an Academic Enrichment programme in partnership with nine primary schools in the Abingdon and Oxford area, welcomed back 24 children for the day. Heads of Departments put together a wide range of lessons including Maths with Mr Hills, Physics with Mr Pullen and History with Mr Norton before finishing with a visit to the Library.

Olympic Success

GB Sailing

The Warden’s Music

ORs Tom George, Charlie Elwes and Ollie Wynn-Griffith will represent Team GB in the Men’s Eight at the Olympics this summer. They said: “Over a decade of hard work has gone into this and it is surreal to see the Olympic rings on our kit. We cannot wait to get out there and represent Great Britain on the biggest stage.”

Congratulations to Hector B, who has been selected to be part of the Great Britain Sailing youth training squad.

Hector has recently qualified for the World and European Championships, proving his worth to compete at the top level. The World Championships will take place in Italy this year.

Amongst many highlights were a moving performance of Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto and some fiery work in Shostakovich’s Second Piano Concerto, both accompanied by the College Orchestra. It was a thrilling performance and a wonderful celebration of ensemble music at Radley.

Army Field Day

Fly Fishing

Battle of the Bands

During the Army Section Field Day, the cadets learned how to create a two-person shelter and how to camouflage and conceal themselves.

Further activity included a timed gun run, a two-mile stretcher race plus a communication stand.

The pond is now home to more than 200 trout and this term the boys have been improving their fly fishing skills with the help of the Countryside Centre which has been offering lessons in casting, tackle selection, entomology and fishing techniques.

The last night before Leave Away was marked with an energetic and highly entertaining evening of fabulous performances in this year’s Battle of the Bands. Best overall performance was awarded to ‘Under the Cow’.

Ready Set Go Challenge

Serpentes

John Piper Art Workshop

A ‘Bike & Helmet Drop Off Point’ was organised by Will M, Ed P, George O’C and Ed A at Clock Tower Court. The boys, who are working in partnership with Oxford Hub, donated more than a hundred used bikes to the charity which helps children in Oxfordshire.

The bikes will be fully refurbished and delivered to Oxford’s ‘Bike Library’.

‘Serpentes’, Radley’s Academic Journal, promotes a dynamic approach to academic life at the College. Contributors are able to write on any subject of their choice, giving the magazine a vibrant and eclectic profile. This term, the editorial team has published the sixth edition featuring a range of subjects from the early years of surrealism to the philosophy of quantum theory.

Art students from across all year groups had the opportunity to attend a John Piper mixed media workshop, hosted

by Kieran Stiles. The boys particularly enjoyed developing their experimental approach and admired how Piper’s radical use of colour explores the identity of a place. The drawings created during the workshop were inspired by the beautiful buildings across Campus.

Photo by British Rowing

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RADLEY R

adley Chapel, designed and built in 1893 by Thomas Jackson, has stood at the epicentre of the College campus for the last century and during the extension project it has offered up more discoveries, challenges, setbacks and successes than thought possible. From finding the original foundation stone with intact time capsule enclosed, to propping the great East window whilst demolishing the wall underneath, to jumping into the 21st century with a lighting system controlled wirelessly from a phone, the Chapel Project 2021 will, we hope, be more than just a footnote in the school’s history.

The Chapel is at the heart of the College and a fixed point in each day for the boys. Starting in 2019, the building has undergone a dramatic transformation following a demanding building programme to extend the capacity to house the whole school. Through wind, rain and snow, pandemic closures, large scale demolition and with a taskforce of specialist craftsman and bespoke materials, the build has reached its conclusion and Chapel is ready to take back its place as the centre of school life.

As part of the planning and design of the extended Chapel, there was a clear direction to create a structure that read sympathetically as part of the original brick and stone-built construction. The proposals by the appointed architect, Purcell, allowed for an extension that was sensitive to the historical aesthetic whilst incorporating the best of modern materials with methods of construction that have been developed since the Victorian times.

The new extension may look the same externally, with the handmade bricks and quarried British stone, but this hides a more efficient, sustainable and structurally effective inner concrete core. The blend of old and new techniques has allowed for a building that meets modern building regulations with a celebration of traditional craftmanship skills.

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CHAPEL Externally, the shape and finish of the new Sanctuary looks remarkable, especially in the sunlight, as the top section of the roof is a pointed lantern of individual panes of overlapping glass. This was lifted in one piece onto the new oak-framed roof structure and will allow the light to pour into the Sanctuary below.

The reredos, arguably the key focal point of the old chapel, has been carefully dismantled for the duration of the works and taken away for cleaning. The specialists have dusted each individual figurine of the tableaux, undertaken repair works to the surround and painstakingly cleaned away the years of dust.

An additional step to clean away the very top layer of gilt, believed to have been applied at an earlier stage of its history to add some ‘bling’ to the historic artefact, has revealed exquisitely painted facial expressions, lettering and fabric textures that add to the intricacy of the piece. The octagonal structure of the extension serves to embrace the reredos, framed by the new stained-glass windows to create a jewel box-like enclosure that emphasises the relocated altar area.

The reredos will be reinstated into the new Sanctuary during the summer as the finishing touch.

The bespoke stained-glass windows to the new Sanctuary were commissioned and designed by York Glaziers Trust. From a chance viewing of an example of their beautiful, stylised work in Oxford, York Glaziers were invited to design and install a contemporary stained glass unique to Radley that draws upon the hidden motifs and original design intent of Jackson’s chapel.

Each individual element of their design has been drawn from the Chapel environ; from pew ends and friezes, to the external carved stone corbels. We hope that all those who visit Chapel will be able to experience this design journey that offers up so much on closer inspection.

David Anderson Estates Bursar

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THE RADLEIAN

From the Foundation When we launched the Chapel and Silk Fund campaign in January 2020, none of us could have imagined the way the world would change.

Chapel is an essential part of Radley life, for all generations of Radleians, and we have been delighted to receive over 350 donations from the broader Radley community (of parents, Old Radleians and friends).

We are immensely grateful to have received the generous support of 31 current Radley families, from across all year groups, towards the Chapel fundraising campaign. A number have chosen to sponsor pews, which are an integral part of extending the capacity of the Chapel to benefit generations to come. To support the school in this way is a significant commitment, and we are delighted to give special family recognition.

Chapel brings us together as a community to find peace and sanctuary. As we move to the final stages of the campaign, support of any kind is hugely valuable and very gratefully received. In the Warden’s words, “We are investing in the building that is at the centre of the College and our ethos, in order to keep the great tradition of the community alive and thriving. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than being with the Radleians day by day in Chapel as they belt out their favourite hymns.”

Elisabeth Anderson Development Director

This is clearly an important moment, and the wide-reaching support of the community reflects just that. To thank the community and recognise the importance of this, families who make a gift of any amount to Chapel are being named on a permanent donor board outside Chapel in Covered Passage.

To find out more about supporting the Chapel fund, please visit www.bit.ly/ RadleyChapelFund, or scan the QR code to the left.

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From the Chaplain There is something very special about gathering each evening in Chapel for Evensong and to share the Eucharist on a Sunday. The boys, of course, sing beautifully but there is something else – something that is deeply warm within the stonework – it is the many years of worship and prayer that infuses through the whole building. The founding principles of the Oxford Movement and the beauty of worship captures the imagination and gives space for the boys and staff to sit collectively in a tranquil setting and reflect on the struggles and joys of the day past.

The beauty of the Anglican way is that it is all embracing and welcoming. Within our national life Her Majesty the Queen is the head of the Church of England and our Bishops serve within our national parliament. The established Church serves each and every person that lives within the parochial system of England. In the same way Radley reflects the established order in that the Chapel and Chaplains are employed to serve each and every person within our community. Within our daily gatherings we welcome all – Christian, people with doubts and boys of other faiths – the community of the Chapel is central to the experience of the whole life of the boy and don alike and all are welcome.

As the boys leave Chapel each evening, they walk past the Colours of the Grenadier Guards and the Standard of the Blues and Royals. These Regimental symbols act as a constant reminder to all the congregation of the Christian character that they embrace: Love, Service and Sacrifice.

Love: the deep friendship and support that is given to each other in the life of the regiment. Service: The way in which each soldier dedicates their lives to the service of Queen and this United Kingdom. Sacrifice: And ultimately that each soldier is willing to lay down their lives for this nation – the faith and values that it upholds.

And now we move on to a new chapter in the story of this great Chapel and I have every confidence that it will remain central to the life of the College and that Jesus Christ will remain central to the life of Chapel.

With God’s Blessings.

The Revd Dr David Wilson CF Chaplain

SUMMER SPORT S

pirits remained high during the Summer term and much competitive sport returned to the fields, track, courts and Radley College Boat Club (RCBC).

The refreshing buzz of collective sporting endeavour was apparent, as squads of all abilities embraced the opportunity of weekly block fixtures.

Notable mentions must go to the Midge 1 cricket squad for maintaining an unbeaten record and the 1st XI cricket squad who enjoyed good wins against Charterhouse and Shiplake in the National T20 competition. In tennis, the Bigside squad enjoyed a successful season seeing off strong opposition in Harrow and Tonbridge. Our U14, U15, U16 tennis squads emerged victorious against Wellington and Bradfield in the ISL 2 tournament and the U16s also beat Tonbridge. Ex Davis Cup player, Danny

Sapsford, has delivered a coaching masterclass and RCBC crews have raced and beaten many top schools in one-toone head races with the J14 and J15 squads looking particularly impressive in wins against Eton, Hampton, St Edward’s and Shiplake.

In athletics the boys have been focusing on achieving PBs (Personal Bests). Both the Inters and Seniors set new school records in the 4x300m. At our first fixture at Harrow the boys achieved 40 PBs, with some boys getting three in the one afternoon. Just after Leave Away we hosted the Multi-Events match against some very tough opposition. Once again, many PBs were set, and our Senior teams came in 5th, 7th and 8th.

James Gaunt Director of Sport

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SIXTH FORM CURRICULUM EXTENSION PROGRAMME A

cademic life in the sixth form at Radley is about a lot more than A-levels. The Curriculum Extension Programme (CEP), which runs alongside A-levels in the 6.1 year, gives boys the opportunity to broaden their intellectual and cultural horizons. In different ways, all CEP subjects promote and develop the kind of study skills that are needed to flourish at university, as well as providing an opportunity for boys to try something new that will make them a more well-rounded person as a result.

The CEP options on offer vary a little from year to year, but in September 2021, the boys could choose from the wide range of options below.

Mini-MBA Art AS Chinese History of Art Music Technology • International Relations • Reading for Pleasure • Astrophysics • • • • •

• Extended Writing (EPQ) • Film Studies • German • LAMDA • Philosophy • Portuguese • Robotics • Chemistry research • Natural History

The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) exams are practical exams where boys perform a selection of duologues from Theatre or Film. They are also questioned on the wider context and preparation of the pieces. Prior to the

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exam (early in the Summer term) there is an evening showcase event in the studio theatre. This option is not just for those who already have experience of acting, as LAMDA is a wonderful opportunity to improve speaking skills, understand and improve body language and develop selfconfidence. Indeed some of the boys who gained most from the qualification had never acted before.

For the mini-MBA, Radley has partnered with the world renowned Hult International Business School to develop a course that has now been running for four years. It is taught by Radley dons using material developed by Hult Ashridge on their online learning platform and offers an excellent introduction to the world of business. The first few weeks of the Michaelmas term are used to prepare boys for the student investor challenge and then they are taught other CEP options during the rest of the 6.1 year.

After the soft skills of the Michaelmas term (including a psychometric test and seminar delivered by Ashridge personnel on personality types and teams), the Lent term is more focused on the basics of financial management and boys act as bookkeepers for a fictional second-hand car dealership (Bob’s Bangers) before switching to marketing and strategy for the Summer term.

There is growing body of evidence to show that reading for pleasure has a significant impact on intellectual

development and on wellbeing. In this option, boys read quietly in all the CEP lessons but are also expected to read in their own time. The books chosen are from a variety of genres and range from more serious books to lighter reads such as detective fiction and thrillers.

The Art AS course is a wonderful way for boys to develop their creativity if the full Art A-level doesn’t fit in with their other subject choices. Different themes are used to stimulate ideas and boys can then choose from a wide variety of artistic media for their final pieces. Exam results from boys in previous years have been excellent and the support from the Art Department is outstanding. It is quite common for boys to choose this option even if they did not study Art for GCSE. We are lucky at Radley to have a talented Common Room that can offer such a breadth of choice for the CEP. With most boys choosing two options on top of three A-levels, there is a lot of scope to choose options that suit their plans for life after Radley. For some that means an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) that allows them to dive deeper into a particular subject, whilst for others it is more about breadth than depth.

Whatever approach they take, the Curriculum Extension Programme is now an integral part of life in the 6.1 year.

Kevin Mosedale Head of Curriculum Extension

HAPPY 175TH RADLEY! O

n 9 June 2022 Radley College will be turning 175 and to mark the occasion we have an exciting year of activities designed to bring the Radley community together.

Commemorating the past

Celebrating the present

Radleian boy ‘175 Ambassadors’ will be generating ideas to help celebrate the anniversary year.

Warden’s Music for the whole community will be held at Cadogan Hall in London.

175 new trees will be planted across the site.

Gaudy 175 in July 2022 will be a super-sized end of year celebration!

Radley will outline its ongoing approach to sustainability.

1847 Day: The actual birthday of the College will be marked by a special day of celebrations.

September 2022 will see the launch of Old Radleian Day.

We will continue to strengthen our Partnerships programme.

The College will host a football match between Radley and Exeter College, recreating Oxford University FC’s first official fixture in 1872.

The Chapel extension will be officially opened with the dedication of the new organ.

A ‘175 Lecture’ series will be launched examining the past and exploring concepts in the future.

Covered Passage will be refurbished and will include displays of material from Radley’s archives

Looking forward to the future

Untold Stories – Being part of Radley’s story Our Anniversary book will feature the names of all the boys and staff on the College roll and celebrate people that have made the community at Radley across the last 175 years.

The book will look at the founding principles of Radley and their role in the College’s past and present through voices and reminiscences that have not always been heard.

From unnamed Matrons to pet terrapins; from the work of the Radley Mission to Dons’ plays; and from the Film Society to indoor wet-bobs, the combined stories build up a fascinating glimpse into what made and makes Radley the place it is.

This beautiful hardback book combines ‘coffee-table’ visuals with an informative and interesting text and is available to pre-order now at: www.profileeditions.com/radley.

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something extra, and this is where WOCM’s ‘loopy-juice’ came into play. He told his players that this Isotonic Hydration Formula, which he had them drink at half time, was the closely guarded secret of Olympic cyclists. His players would gulp down this magical elixir and return to the field convinced that they possessed superpowers. Like all great coaches, he made his team believe that they were invincible, and the results speak for themselves.

WILL MATTHEWS 1966-2021 I

t is hard to find any corner of the Design Engineering department that does not bear the mark of WOCM. Will Matthews joined the Design Engineering Department in September 1995 and quickly established himself as a capable and dynamic teacher. From the outset, he demonstrated boundless ambition for every student lucky enough to find themselves in his company. The scale of projects produced by boys in his classes has long been a source of amusement, and sometimes despair! Ideas, often conceived at a modest scale, would invariably get the WOCM treatment that would see them rapidly expand. His motto in life seemed to be, ‘never knowingly under-engineered.’ He could not resist supersizing even the most modest of Shell projects, and nothing illustrates this more perfectly than the trebuchet he built to demonstrate a

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design principle. It was always his hope that one November 5th, he might be allowed to light the College bonfire with a fireball hurled from this magnificent machine. The Design department boasts some of the most impressive equipment to be found in any school, driven by WOCM’s relentless ambition for Radley to have the biggest and the best.

As a well-respected rugby coach, WOCM enjoyed many successful seasons coaching the 4th XV where he quickly recognised that the power of the Rugby Club was at its most impressive, by virtue of weight of numbers. Few schools enjoyed the depth of talent from which WOCM was able to select his 4th XV, and this gave him the competitive edge he always sought.

However, tight games against the likes of Harrow and Tonbridge needed a little

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Other Radleians will remember his enormous rucksack and gigantic stride that ate up the miles on CCF Field Camps. WOCM loved the outdoors and the more demanding the conditions, the more he seemed to enjoy himself. CCF Field Weekends in the Brecon Beacons would always see him suspended in his hammock, alongside the stream, at the Crickhowell campsite. A weekend in the hills was something that many Radleians faced with real trepidation, but walking with WOCM rewarded even the most reluctant weekend warrior with a good tale to tell on his return to College. I remember one particularly unpleasant afternoon, descending from Pen-y-Fan to the goat track, finding WOCM and his group of six cadets happily eating their lunch inside his bright orange, 8-man survival bag. As my group struggled to find a spot out of the wind, I could see accusing looks cast my way as my cadets wondered, ‘Why don’t we have one of those?’

WOCM was equally at home in the Music department. Coming from a family of talented musicians, he encouraged generations of budding guitarists. His band played gigs in the JCR for the boys on many a Saturday evening, but he gained equal enjoyment from the performance of his pupils. Playing music did much to raise his spirits during those tough months of isolation in Papworth hospital along with sketching out designs for future projects.

Will Matthews will be sadly missed by friends far and wide. He was a wonderful teacher, coach, mentor, and friend, but most of all, he was a great schoolmaster.

Radley College

Ben Holden Sub Warden

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