64 minute read
Pastoral
Review Pastoral
ROYAL NATIONAL CHILDREN’S SPRINGBOARD FOUNDATION
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As always, Giggleswick remains extremely proud of its partnership with the RNCSF and it is a privilege to be a member of this ever growing network of schools throughout the UK committed to providing key opportunities for social mobility for some of the country’s most vulnerable care-experienced children. The RNCSF Scholarship programme enables us to welcome students from different backgrounds, and create a school community that is more open, diverse, and representative. In our ninth year of partnership with RNCSF, it has been wonderful to see the successes enjoyed by our SpringBoard Scholars and to benefit from the valuable contributions that they make to our school community. For Kyle, a SpringBoard Scholarship was something that he had aspired to from Year 7 when he was first introduced to the scheme at his school in Chester. The corridors of the school were adorned with a ‘hall of fame’ of alumni who had secured scholarships and, for Kyle, seeing these images were daily reminders that “If they can do it, so can I!”. Academically ambitious, Kyle spent the next four years working hard to ensure that he could realise his goal of securing an RNSCF bursary. The opportunity to complete his Sixth Form studies in a boarding environment was one that Kyle found both exciting and daunting. Whilst he was looking forward to the academic challenges that A Level study would present him, he would be the first to admit that he fell foul of the common misconception that his fellow boarding school classmates would all be ‘posh and snobby’. Suitably confident in his academic ability, Kyle knew that he severely lacked the social confidence needed to succeed and this was at the forefront of his mind when joining the 6th form in September 2020. In hindsight, he knows that he allowed his preconceived ideas of Independent School students to impact on his relationships at the start and choosing to isolate himself and focus solely on academic work was misguided. Making some poor choices in the first term and avoiding opportunities to engage in the wider boarding life soon took their toll, and it was then that Kyle realised that his default setting of going it alone and bottling up his emotions was not a healthy one.
For him, the support and friendship that he was afforded by his Housemates was key to turning things around. He admits that “Being in this environment 24/7, three weeks at a time or more made me realise that I can’t just bottle everything up, I need to talk. I need to accept the help that is presented to me.” The friendship that he has forged with his fellow students is one of the highlights of his time at Giggleswick and he will be eternally grateful for their support and guidance. In addition, Kyle recognises that the extra-curricular opportunities on offer at Giggleswick were super and having to engage in life beyond the classroom was refreshing and enabled him to gradually step beyond his comfort zone and encouraged him to pursue a hobby, something he had never done before. With his ambitions of an RNSCF bursary and being the first in his family to secure a university place, his sights are set on a new goal: succeeding as a competitive MMA fighter and we wish him every success in this new aspiration. As an Upper Sixth former, leadership responsibilities were presented, and Kyle embraced his position as Year 9 mentor, valuing this key role and recognising how he could ‘pay it forward’ through the opportunity to support other students as they made their transition into the senior boarding house. Despite his reservations about his ability to achieve the required grades, Kyle was successful in securing his first choice university place at Kingston to study Criminology and Forensic Psychology and it was great to see him able to celebrate his significant successes on results day in August. He is keen to experience the hustle, bustle and amazing culture of London life as well as the potential to do a sandwich year in Canada that the course offers. Kyle admits that his two years at Giggleswick were challenging and there were various demons that he had to face but he will forever carry Giggleswick with him – not only figuratively but also physically in the form of the tattoos of the chapel and his house crest that he has on his arm as a permanent reminder of what he classes as a life changing experience. He leaves Giggleswick a stronger, more socially confident and self-aware young person and without doubt his profile in his former school’s SpringBoard alumni Hall of Fame will serve to ignite aspiration in others. Kyle’s advice to future SpringBoard alumni is to “Take every opportunity you can, get yourself out of your comfort zone, talk to the people you wouldn’t ordinarily talk to, make a name for yourself and don’t be afraid to tell people who you are”.
Emma-Jane Wharton Head of Middle School
The Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation is the UK’s biggest boarding school bursary charity, providing opportunities in state and independent boarding schools for young people who need them the most: those that have faced challenging circumstances – children and teenagers in or on the edge of care or growing up in households and communities of high socio-economic deprivation where opportunities to flourish are limited. The Foundation’s aim is to have a long-term impact on social change within the UK ensuring that their alumni will be supported and empowered and positively contribute to society.
WELLBEING AT THE HEART OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AT GIGGLESWICK SCHOOL
How we look after our pupils at Giggleswick is equally important as academic achievement.
Wellbeing is placed at the centre of everything we do. It is embedded into lessons, co-curricular activities, boarding and day pupil life – and the school’s values of Participation, Respect and Ambition are representative of how important it is to develop the whole child. We believe that looking after a child’s wellbeing, not only comes before academic success, but also lays the foundation on which achievement can be built. Christian San José, Deputy Headmaster, oversees wellbeing at the school. He said: “Obviously schools are a place of education, so everything we do has got to focus on a provision of good learning. But it is also incumbent on us to ensure each child is safe, looked after and given the chance to thrive. “Societal changes have really pushed good mental health and wellbeing to the forefront of people’s minds, and
that’s a good thing. We should be looking out for each other and be comfortable having these conversations. “What it’s not about is a lessening of expectations. In fact, it’s the opposite. By giving children the tools and support they need, and chances to do new things and pursue their own interests, we are able to push them to achieve and develop their confidence.” Mr San José added: “One thing we’re very insistent on is a strong pastoral triangle between pupils, parents and us, and flow of information and conversations between each of the three corners of that triangle, recognising that supporting wellbeing is done in partnership with home.” Wellbeing is about ensuring all children have a balance throughout the week between class-based learning, being active, being creative and reaching out to support others. The school’s CAS (Creative, Active, Service) Programme provides over 70 different activities which range from academic enrichment, sport to creative classes and service across the community. The school has been awarded the Silver Award by the Leeds Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools, which is designed to ensure robust strategies are in place to enable a whole-school approach to wellbeing. Emma-Jane Wharton, Head of Middle School and Assistant Pastoral Lead, said: “Having a comprehensive strategy is essential and it is wonderful that ours has been recognised by Leeds Carnegie. Wellbeing is at the heart of everything that we do, and it is fully embedded into all aspects of the school’s curriculum, from Curriculum for Life lessons (our PSHE curriculum) and chapel services, to co-curricular activities and weekly tutorials. “One of the most important things is that children know they have someone to talk to. The child’s Housemaster or Housemistress is the key figure in their pastoral care, and our experienced Senior House Staff team play a vital role in helping ensure that the students enjoy good mental health. In addition, every child has a personal tutor, who not only looks after their academic progress, but has regular daily contact with them. “We also actively encourage the pupils to talk to their peers and in the Senior Boarding Houses the Sixth Form mentors are a great source of support for younger pupils. Each year our Lower Sixth are given the opportunity to become mental health ambassadors as part of a Peer Education Project, which gives them specific training in wellbeing and mental health and enables them to deliver workshops to the Year 7 pupils.”
CHAPLIN POST PANDEMIC
Starting a new post can always be a daunting task. Relocating to a new area, adapting to a new culture, and – when Yorkshire is considered – learning a new language, is a challenge. Of course, this is a challenge that some of our pupils undertake and overcome each year to thrive at Giggleswick. So, the question on my mind at the start of January was “would I be able to do the same?”
Starting a new post can always be a daunting task. Relocating to a new area, adapting to a new culture, and – when Yorkshire is considered – learning a new language, is a challenge. Of course, this is a challenge that some of our pupils undertake and overcome each year to thrive at Giggleswick. So, the question on my mind at the start of January was “would I be able to do the same?” Covid has had a dramatic effect not only on education but also on our social fabric. Within the realms of chaplaincy, which is such an interpersonal profession, these impacts were deeply felt and can be seen, for example, in the changing of the church service. I vividly remember the phasing out of the passing of the peace, which is such a dynamic part of the service that is a chance to meet others and to exchange a handshake or a hug in recognition of the peace Christ shared with his followers and that which we should emulate. Yet with the rise of Covid cases outside of Asia social distancing was emerging. Then in March 2020, the start of lockdown 1.0. Overnight, with the introduction of government measures to prevent the spread of Covid we had to adapt to a new way of living, a new way of educating, and a new way of doing chaplaincy. January 2021 was characterised by the government implementation of the stage system. Slowly through the year we crept from tier 4 down to tier 1, with each stage bringing more social contact. Stage 3 saw the return to face-to-face learning and by stage 1 some ‘normality’ was returning to school life both in the
classroom and outside. This felt like the end of the Covid horrors. Yet, of course, this was naïve. Covid was still very much part of our reality and over the winter of 2021/22 cases were rising once again. It seems surreal that in January 2022 our thoughts were captivated yet again by the possibility of another lockdown. So, January 2022 here I was, eager to meet staff and pupils at this idyllic Yorkshire boarding school. Yet my first interactions would be online through Teams. Of course, meeting staff and pupils face to face would have been preferred, but sensible precautions needed to be in place. If there is one key thing which Covid has taught us, it is the value of adapting. We can complain or we can adapt, and adapting is what Giggleswick School has been doing. So, we adapt, we learn new ways of delivering excellence, and new ways of interacting. Of course, doing an opening address to a camera on Teams – as opposed to in our beautiful chapel –was not what I had hoped for my first day, yet it worked, and the ball was rolling for activities in the chaplaincy to continue. The following weeks saw year groups, rather than the whole senior school, visiting chapel as the need to keep large gatherings to a minimum was still a reality. Yet with year group chapels came the opportunity to get to know the pupils and culture of different year groups. Catteral were full of energy and dynamic as always. The 6th form would confidently sing their way through the hymns. Whereas the year 10s, were slightly too cool to sing with gusto, but were involved nonetheless. At this stage I was also introduced to the first House Chapel Talks, something that is quite unique to Giggleswick and its culture of participation. The House Chapel Talks gave each of the boarding houses the opportunity to present a talk on a topic of their choosing. Carr House provided me a great induction to this culture, taking the opportunity to celebrate pupil successes and achievements, and highlighting the value of ambition. Morrison, Nowel, Paley and Shute gave talks in the Spring term before we ended the term with Style. Catteral’s turn came in the summer term. While we adapted to the challenges of Covid there were some aspects simply not possible to replicate; corporate singing was one. Digital medleys continued to provide a platform for individuals to sing and to highlight the school’s outstanding musical talent and ability, but it did not fulfil the same remit as a whole school rendition of “Shine Jesus Shine.” The magic of singing together, of our voices resounding to one anthem, is something key to humanity, something that is found in all cultures. So, with the reduction in Covid cases following the spring half term, it was a joy to be introduced fully to the musical culture at Giggleswick. Any visitor to the chapel will comment on the magnificence of the school chapel choir and I am no exception. Through my first six months at the school, I have been continually impressed with the choir, the orchestra, the general musical talent and the work of Mr Everhart and his team. One stand-out moment must be the performance of Hans Zimmer’s ‘Earth’ in the chapel, which coincided with a reflection to care for God’s creation. While looking up at the creation stained-glass window, as the melodic tones resonated around the chapel, I realised how much we had missed in the past few years and how fortunate we were. I will be honest, by the time the Easter Holidays arrived the initial Covid restrictions seemed like a distant dream. So much had taken place at Giggleswick in those 11 weeks and the pupils had adapted so well to the re-introduction of whole school activities that the woes of social distancing seemed like a bad dream. Re-establishing community, and addressing the scars, often unseen, of the past two years now became the new guiding narrative. The concept of new life, breaking free, healing the past, is of course the central message of Easter. Through the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ the offer of new life, of hope is given. Starting the Summer Term, it was a delight to welcome GJS to the chapel. It was simply a wonderful start to the term and quite the contrast to January; a glorious sunny morning, with the sunlight streaming through the East Window captured in a cloud of incense. Much of the Summer Term was of course focused on the return of national examinations. Within the Chaplaincy, themes of resilience, determination, and healthy mental attitudes were common. The summer term also saw contributions from the English and Modern Foreign Languages departments within the service, and instillation work from the Art department. Coming back together as a community, it was wonderful to have participation from so many in our chapel services, celebrating our diversity, and highlighting our talent. A key community event – the pinnacle event of the term – was Speech Day, with the fitting theme of “looking to the future”. Connecting our future to our past, the commemoration of the benefactor’s service provided a fitting reminder of the foundations of the school and wisdom to guide our journey forward. At the time of writing, major services such as the Upper Sixth Leaver, OG day, and End of Term were still exciting prospects. What lies ahead is unknow, but where we have come from has provided us with valuable lessons. Living through, and emerging from, the Covid pandemic has not been easy, but at least to this chaplain, it has highlighted four key points. First, we must adapt and persevere. Second, some things are in our control, but many things are outside of it – we must focus on that which is in our control. Third, the centrality of community. Giggleswick has a rich community, and the chaplaincy continues to play a key role in fostering and maintaining this. Fourth and finally, the importance of participation – one should always strive to give it a go and get involved. Giggleswick is truly a school where every pupil is encouraged to get involved and given the opportunities, should they wish to take them. January 2022 now feels like an exceptionally long way away and I look forward with eager expectation for future developments at Giggleswick and the future of the chaplaincy here.
O2
After being interrupted the previous year by Covid, at the beginning of this year Oxygen was welcomed back with open arms. Mr Ladds’ enthusiasm and spiritual knowledge allowed us to enjoy Oxygen, and we played many exhilarating games in the sessions; Oxygen classics such as ‘ninja’, ‘empires’ and ‘signs’ made a much-needed return. Every week we would go into detail about a relevant passage, such as something Mr Ladds had spoken about in chapel recently. This detailed going-over of a passage often involved a fun activity, such as some acting or drawing storyboards, which allowed us to discuss our own personal interpretation of the passage. Often people from Glod (which is a company that runs Christian youth reach outs) joined us for our weekly chapel or Oxygen sessions. They introduced new interesting games and new books from the bible to us. Sharon and Will (as they are known) continue to attend Oxygen sessions regularly helping to grow and guide our spirituality. When Mr Ladds left the school at the end of 2021, we saw the introduction of Rev Womack. He came to one of the weekly chapel services to introduce
himself and speak to us. Since then, he has made a great addition to Oxygen, bringing lots of enjoyment to the weekly sessions with assistance from Oxygen leader, Jemimah AllmandSmith. Every week we arrive to a selection of sweets and biscuits provided by Rev Womack. These are often eaten very quickly, and Rev Womack is thanked greatly for providing these. Since Rev Womack has joined the school and led Oxygen, we have studied the book of Mark. In this book we have followed the events of Jesus and have learnt the importance of our faith. We have ended the year on a high note having had some more social-focused Oxygen sessions to help reduce exam stress. We look forward to coming back in September to resume these sessions with Rev Womack and the people from Glod to get to know more about God.
William Smith-McShee Dylan Sampson Y11
CATTERAL HOUSE
As I reflect on this year, I find myself pondering several thoughts. One of which is ‘How do we measure success?”. A tricky question, and one where the answer could depend on several variables, such as age, gender, interests, job, or where you live. In a world where social media has such an enormous impact on the lives of so many people, I question if we are setting our goals towards shallow and meaningless end results that measure our success in an artificial way. The pressure of social media to post photographs, events, receive ‘likes,’ etc., makes for potentially a ‘virtual’ existence, something I cannot imagine any of us would really want to aspire to. However, this is the reality we face unless we take positive steps to change our behaviour. It is so important to encourage our young people to see themselves as individuals and not just part of a group who spend their lives doing the same things and having the same experiences, measuring themselves constantly against their peers. In Chapel recently we were encouraged to ‘run our own race’, something that is so important to emphasise for our young people. In addition to this, we need to encourage our young people to step out of their comfort zones, and to be brave and bold at times. In House assemblies we often talk about our kindness to ourselves, others, and our environment, and yet we all too often do not see ourselves as individuals with the ability to orchestrate change. Over time these occasions will hopefully prove to be a powerful reminder that we should celebrate difference and banish complacency, while recognising that to be passionate about anything usually requires time, determination, effort, and commitment.
Activities This year has seen the Catteral pupils getting involved once again in the vast array of House, co-curricular, and evening activities. These range from the more energetic (hockey, swimming, pavilion games, climbing and taekwondo) to the more restful (craft, Warhammer, cooking, reading club, chess, cards, board games and many more!). The children have benefitted from the opportunity to spend quality time together – particularly in the evenings – developing skills and experience in a variety of settings. One of the main aspects of all of this that I particularly enjoy and encourage is seeing the children have a go, participating in a wide variety of activities, and realising they have many skills and talents not previously known.
Singing and Speaking Competition One of the main highlights of this year was the annual Inter-House Singing and Speaking competition. It was fantastic for the children to be able to return to this event as we have held it in the past. As usual Catteral managed to punch well above their weight, producing a polished and emotive performance. It was testament to the many rehearsal sessions that the children were able to pull it out of the bag when it counted! The overall theme was ‘Months of the Year,’ and we drew December out of the hat. This gave us a fantastic opportunity to be creative while being very much aware of what Christmas can mean for some people. We were able to highlight a range of voices, together with some unknown skills and talents. A special mention must go
to our ‘Yorkshire Farmers,’ plus Lydia Benson, who got the performance off to a great start. Also to Elodie Martin, who in the last-minute was more than capable of pulling off an incredible performance as the Grinch. Rehearsals for such an event do not always run smoothly, but after much cajoling, persuasion, and a good measure of following the old adage ‘repetition is the mother of all learning’ the competition brought the House together and got both year groups working in tandem, supported admirably by the Catteral staff. The children were very well-deserved winners of the whole House singing prize, which was testament to their challenging work and resilience throughout the previous 10 days.
Rock Concert At the beginning of February, we saw the annual ‘Rock Concert’ held in the RWT. It was once again a magnificent evening, highlighting the musical depth and breadth of the pupils involved. There were several Catteral pupils who not only took part but were able to stand very proudly alongside the older pupils in the school. They demonstrated excellent all-round singing, playing, and performing which is no mean feat in front of such a large audience. It was a wonderful opportunity for the pupils, parents, staff and friends of the school to stand alongside each other experiencing the undeniable talent that took to the stage. The confidence that such an event endorses in the pupils is clear to see. I applaud the pupils’ desire to strive for excellence, something that always requires huge effort and commitment, but something that is certainly in abundance in the Catteral pupils that took part. They should be immensely proud of their achievements, and hopefully they have inspired others to take part in the future.
Scarrig Saturday 5th March marked a return to a longed for ‘normality’ as the school was able to host the annual Scarrig cross country run. This was able to take place in the true spirit of the event with the whole Giggleswick community getting involved and gathering afterwards in the dining room to celebrate the competitors in the medal ceremony. As a whole school event it is both longed for and dreaded in equal measure. However, it is an afternoon where children of all abilities can gain so much from taking part. At the front of the field there is real competition and a keen desire to succeed. Equally the same desire is seen in others for who getting to the finish line is a huge achievement and should not be underestimated. I would like to commend the whole House for their endeavour, determined attitude, and clear House spirit. Special congratulations go to the medal winners. For the girls this was Lucy Cowin, Mathilda Evans, and Elodie Martin. The boys were Jake Robinson, James Galley, and Fred Atkinson. The overall winning tutor group was Craven. Sports day On Saturday 14th May, Sports day took place on Pape’s Field. This occasion was welcomed by the whole Giggleswick community. Pupils, parents, OGs, and friends of the school were able to enjoy what was a wonderful afternoon in the sunshine. It was great to see a considerable number of committed pupils taking part with passion and determination. This was typified by the opening event, which was the year 7 and 8 mixed relay and was won by Fountains. The individual Victor Ludorum was won by Jake Robinson, and the Victirix Ludorum was won by Elodie Martin. The overall tutor groups scores were Malham with 136 points, Bowland with 149 points, and the Winners were Craven with 153 points. It was a thoroughly wonderful day of competition, and true team spirit was shown throughout.
House Dinner This is one of our main events of the term, something we have not been able to hold for the last two years. Therefore, it was great to be able to get the whole house together for what was a fantastic occasion, giving everyone the opportunity to dress up a little. We are lucky in Catteral as our house dinner always falls in the summer term, which usually makes for a particularly enjoyable evening, and this year we were blessed with beautiful weather. We began the evening with our prizegiving event for the year 8s in the Catteral Assembly Hall. Then after the hundreds of compulsory photographs were taken, we headed down to the Hobson room where we enjoyed our three-course meal of melon to start, followed by roast chicken, then Eton mess for dessert. There was no question that an enjoyable time was had by all, with the highlight of the evening being the ‘Guess the Baby’ competition, which the pupils found hilarious and challenging in equal measure. A special thank you to all the children and staff for helping to make this a fabulous and thoroughly enjoyable evening.
CARR HOUSE
It has been wonderful both to see so much happening this term for the students and to experience our new normal finally becoming a reality. I have been so impressed by how fast all of the girls have returned to wholehouse mixing; the friendships that have been established across year groups have been wonderful to observe. This year, we welcomed 22 new girls to the
House, each of whom has brought their individual dynamic and personality to the House, which is always warmly appreciated. The level of participation in all of this year’s activities – whether it was the House Varsity, the Walter
Morrison Concert, Chicago HSE, Much
Ado, the House Drill, Sports Day, A
Night at the Musicals, the Rock Concert or Scarrig – has been outstanding, and the sense of House pride has been evident on every occasion.
As always, Singing and Speaking was a highlight of the year and ran flawlessly with little to no help from staff, as the outstanding U6th took the reins and expertly organised everything. I can honestly say that putting on such a terrific performance was a true House effort, and I know that winning the audience prize meant a lot to all the girls. The entire Jail House Rock House song was full of energy and joy, and for so many girls to be in sync is a feat in and of itself! Olivia Henson, Sophie
Huber, Sophie Smith, Martha
Richmond, Claudia Parravano-Tomasso,
Sophia Henson, and Phoebe Cook sang, accompanied by Maud, the small group song ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ which was fantastic and moved us all. Whilst it was lovely to win the audience prize, the event was much more than its result. It was an opportunity to pull together as a House, to support each other, and to respect everyone’s contributions. There were some great performances both individually and collectively. Another highlight of the year was Scarrig. While just the thought of Scarrig can evoke a feeling of fear in some students, there are others that thoroughly enjoy the challenge. This year the girls all mucked in and gained valuable points for the House, with House spirit on full display; there was no denying the desire to retain that trophy! Each and every girl that was able to participate should be proud of their efforts. There were some outstanding individual performances including: Annie Scott (2nd), Phoebe Cook (3rd), and Cicely Cossens (4th) in the junior race, and Alison Fry (3rd), Madeleine Evans (4th), and Eleanor Curtis (5th). As there has been artistic and sporting success so too has there been academic success. It was lovely to see so many of the Carr girls rewarded for their incredible academic work during the end-of-term prize giving. There have been an inordinate amount of credits accrued this year and the average grades from the PPRs have been staggering. It is wonderful to acknowledge that the girls enjoy a healthy balance between their academic studies and an enriching co-curricular programme, all whilst having a fantastic time. As we have transitioned back to normality some old traditions have been resurrected. For the first since Covid began, Carr U6th hosted a wonderful Alice in Wonderland Charity Ball. They decided on the theme, decorations, and the charity they wished to support. This year they
Head of House: Sophie Huber
Deputy Head of House: Emma Wood, Sophie Smith
Praepostors: Maud Humphries, Martha Richmond (Head of School), Olivia Henson (Deputy Head of School), Rachel Curry, Alison Fry, Jessica Rudden
House Seniors: Julietta Rabe, Lucy Rawlins, Cecily Rigby
Salvete: Connie Attwood, Julia Horsley, Noorie Hussain, Daisy Laxton, Emili Reincke, Jule Gersdorf, Martha Desch, Greta Emmermann, Hannah Hartwich, Elsa Ralle, Henriette Sonntag, Manuela Wamba, Poppy Lether, Erin Attwood, Cicely Cossens, Millie Cross, Olivia Cullen, Isabella Dunderdale, Evelyn Robinson, Annie Scott, Poppy Sumner, Frances Winterschladen, Chloe Wright
Valete: Isabelle Bolles, Rachel Curry, Alison Fry, Olivia Henson, Sophie Huber, Maud Humphries, Julietta Rabe, Lucy Rawlins, Martha Richmond, Cecily Rigby, Jessica Rudden, Sophie Smith, Emma Wood, Emili Reincke, Martha Desch, Hannah Hartwich, Elsa Ralle, Henriette Sonntag, Manuela Wamba the school together for an evening of fun. It was also fantastic to have our annual House dinner back on the schedule. During the evening I focused on strong women with three main themes. Firstly, applaud each other’s accomplishments. Recognise that someone else’s accomplishments do not negate your own. Secondly, speak up for yourself. Make the most of the voice you have been given. What you have to say is of value and importance. Thirdly, discover your passion and pursue it. It makes no difference what your passion is, you should not accept no for an answer. Do not be frightened to be the first person to accomplish something. I believe that as a House these are things that we are encouraging, and I am proud of the strength of character that each and every Carr girl possesses. I will be sad to bid farewell to our U6th as they move on to the next stages of their academic careers. They have been inspirational role models to other girls in House and I am extremely proud to call them Carr girls. They are moving on to study some fantastic courses at amazing universities such as Martha Richmond going to Cambridge, Alison Fry going to Bath, Cecily Rigby to Northumbria and Olivia Henson to Hartpury. They have been impeccable students and excellent role models to all other pupils and we wish them all the best in the next step of their careers.
selected Winston’s Wish and Young Minds to support, both of which are close to a number of girls in Carr. Sixth form girls served delicious food, created by the amazing catering department, and the desert was a real spectacle. Following the meal there was then the chance to dance the night away. I was incredibly proud of the amazing 6th form students who put in a huge amount of effort to create a superb event that brought Hannah Wright Housemistress
What it means to be a Carr girl Our House principles, which represent the heart and spirit of what Carr girls should be, are embraced by every student in Carr. To be a Carr girl is to be kind, and Carr is an inclusive family that welcomes students from all year groups. Everyone is encouraged to participate in interesting house activities, the most famous of which is dip night, where we put our hummus knowledge to the test (we did quite well!). It would be hard to be the best we can be without the support and belief of the rest of the House; we excel at always supporting our peers in their different endeavours whilst also respecting and embracing people for who they are. Carr’s final value is to lend an ear and offer words of encouragement, encouraging one another that they have love and support in their home away from home. Being a part of our house means being caring, aspirational, polite, and reassuring. These are Carr House’s essential values, which the girls uphold to an extraordinary degree every day.
Sophie Huber, Emma Wood and Sophie Smith House leadership
MORRISON HOUSE
For Walter!
This year Morrison has demonstrated that it is a House that resists a simplistic identity. It is not the sporty House. It’s not the musical or the theatrical House. It’s not the academic House. What it is, in fact, is a House that encompasses all those things, which is fantastic. A house should be a place where students feel they can participate and excel in the widest variety of pursuits. Our Upper 6th of Max, Isaac, Henry, Tom and Robert can take much credit for establishing this culture. They devised a clear manifesto at the start of the year, which had a strong focus on Morrison students being able to flourish as individuals as well as to enjoy belonging to the House and the wider school. This group leave an impressive legacy and have ensured that Morrison House is more than just a one trick pony. Driven by these leaders, the House delivered a slick and polished Singing and Speaking set, which bore the hallmarks of excellent planning, of productive rehearsals, and of bags of graft. The musical talent of Daniel and Ben was apparent in their beautiful version of ‘April Come She Will.’ Oliver A, clad in silver spacesuit, provided a brilliant guitar accompaniment, allowing him to show this hidden version of himself. Although slightly less musically talented, Finn and Toby O injected infectious energy into the whole process, which was vital for its success. The joy on the faces of Morrison students, staff, and parents told of how much it meant to the whole community to show the rest of the school just what they could achieve. Mr Giles went to bed with a grin that evening and was still smiling when he woke up the next morning. The exhortation ‘For Walter’ was trundled out yet again at the excellent chapel service given by the House. The whole House explored the need we all have to belong and be a part of something, whilst at the same time recognising that this sometimes leads us to exclude others and prevent them from feeling that same sense of belonging. Thanks go to Max, Isaac, Henry, Tom and David for their contributions. Thanks also to Daniel, for singing ‘Glory, glory Man United’ and to Toby O for chanting, ‘Yorkshire, Yorkshire, Yorkshire’. From across the school, the House received lots of positive feedback on the message and delivery of this service. In the Spring Term, the boys undertook to complete a cycling fundraiser. To cycle for 24 hours was impressive. To cycle 750 kilometres was fantastic. To raise over £1300 was incredible. It was a brilliant effort, for a brilliant cause, and generated a wonderful atmosphere, all of which the boys can
cherish for the rest of their lives. Yes, it was For Walter but, much more importantly, it was For Guide Dogs, and the boys can feel that they have accomplished something that will make a genuine difference in the lives of others. Particular mention must go to Hugo Walton, Toby O, Alex, Isaac, Max, Henry and Finn, who stayed up all night and made sure that the graveyard shifts were completed. Hugo Warburton rode 18.5km in 30 minutes and not far behind was Will, who rode 18.1km. It was also great that the staff were involved, with Ed Buck putting in a late-night shift, Susie Lehmann riding over 16 KM at 7 am in the morning and Darren Everhart smiling his way through 30 minutes on the world’s most uncomfortable saddle. Then, Scarrig! Of course, Scarrig! The Junior Boys won their race, with an incredible 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 9th place! The Senior Boys also won their race. Unsurprisingly, Morrison won the overall event. Outstanding performances from Will T, Oliver B, Archie C, Hugo Warburton, Charlie Y, Gabriel, Max, Henry and Toby O were matched by the whole House effort and participation, which secured the win. Those boys who finished in the 2nd half of the field but worked hard to beat similar runners from other Houses can feel that the victory belongs just as much to them. The fabled House spirit was much in evidence on the day, but it was the graft and hard work leading up to the race that made the difference. No other House trained together, which gave us a physical and psychological edge. Learning that boys were calling across encouragement to each other is lovely. Learning that boys encouraged those from other Houses is even more lovely. We were blessed with super weather and some super performances at Sports Day. The Year 9 boys were very strong, with Archie, Max and Will all winning, but a strong all round display ensured that the younger boys were significant in contributing to the overall victory. The intermediate boys saw some excellent performances from Ben, Ollie B and Jesus, but Gabriel was inspirational and to see him bust a gut in the 4 x 400 relay after winning the middle-distance races was brilliant; he epitomised the House spirit. For the senior boys, Toby O shone in the open mile, but it was the all-round participation and the whole House striving to put in their personal best performances that ensured the overall victory. It is one that belongs to every Morrison student. Watching Toby and Alex rally the boys for the tug-of-war was to see how powerful the House spirit is. We say goodbye to Jonathan Curry, who has been a tutor in Morrison since 2007. There are so many boys, through the years, who have benefitted from Jonathan’s kindness, chemistry knowledge, and good company. I will never forget the fantastic pizzas he made a few years ago. He has been a wonderful tutor and leaves behind a sizeable gap. We wish him well. We also wish Oliver Mullins well as he moves out of the Morrison Flat but, thankfully, remains part of the tutor team. Yaqing Jia is to take up a role as a tutor in Carr House. She has been a stalwart for the last 3 years, always prepared to take on extra duties and extremely generous with her time, from which many boys have benefitted. This year has set the template for what we, as a community, can be. We have an outward looking culture that encourages its constituents to participate in every type of activity. Morrison is the sporty House but is also the musical House and the theatrical House and the academic House. It is a House that encompasses all those things.
Head of House: Maximillian Rayner
Deputy Head of House: Thomas Beau
Praepostors: Isaac Larkin (Head of School)
House Seniors: Henry Walton, Robert Braithwaite
Salvete: Oliver Gill, Max Green, Patrick Kavanagh-Hogg, Archie Siddons, William Teal, Alonso Gonzalez Vargas, Gabriel Vernay, Alvaro Garcia-Gasco, Bradley Green, David Kuempers, Toby Oakes, Daniel Overend, Mathis Renighaus, Alexander Richardson
Valete: Thomas Beau, Robert Braithwaite, Isaac Larkin, Maximillian Rayer, Henry Walton, David Kuempers, Alvaro Garcia-Gasco, Jesus DolzMateo, Ryan Phillip, Luke Quintana-Robinson, Gabriel Vernay, Charlie Yule, Alonso Gonzalez Vargas
NOWELL HOUSE
The Nowell students have continued to show respect for all that the school offers. The Nowell student is active, creative, and respectful.
With everyone back in House and mixing across the common rooms our theme for this term has been “Respect”. I have asked the boys to demonstrate this quality at all times: from walking around school, to waiting in the dinner queue, on the sports pitches, in the classroom, and, most importantly, to one another. The return to school fixtures, to a full co-curricular calendar, of Friday service, and of volunteering opportunities have all been welcomed and embraced by the boys in Nowell. The Nowell boys stepped up both in front of their House and backstage, to drive the school productions of Chicago HSE and Much Ado about Nothing to enormous success. The performances of Leo Gorner and Toby Brown were memorable and engaging in Chicago and will provide those individuals with lasting memories, whilst William Smith-McShee was notable for his calm and assured performance in Much Ado about Nothing. Moreover, without John Starkie, Myles Carr-Oddie, Ted Huber, Peter Moffat and Tom Stephens’ assistance and energy backstage the productions would not have been anywhere near as successful. With sports, an intensive week of House events started with our racquet players playing well to secure two second places in the tennis and squash before Tom Stephens, Alistair Stylar, Shintaro Nagamine and Lucas Lo dominated the badminton. The basketball saw a cohesive unit based around the skilful play of Aidan McChesney and Jack Ho stroll through their matches, with contributions from Max Ritter, Toby Brown, and Rowan Tweedale. An epic battle in the pool with Paley ended up tied despite Logan Birchall, Toby Burnett-Graham, Matthew Corry, and Toby Brown’s efforts. Our badminton, climbing and CrossFit exploits were impressive, especially Shintaro Nagamine scaling the climbing wall and Lucas Lo’s net skills in badminton. Rugby saw the boys throw heart and soul into their matches, displaying all the qualities we expect to see despite the atrocious conditions they faced. The deciding match was against Paley who just pipped our brave team with Kian Senior scoring a memorable try and Coach Rowan Tweedale enthusing the team throughout. The efforts of the House resulted in Nowell becoming the inaugural winner of the House Varsity Sport Week. I was delighted to see so many Nowell Students receive honours at the headmaster’s last assembly, from the whole House effort in being the top boys House for academic credits to the colours’ awards; with Rowan Tweedale receiving his full colours for rugby, Leo Gorner half colours for performing arts and Peter Moffat half colours for rugby. The House also received special commendations for Toby Brown and Ramsey Smith, while Jack Caton, Toby Burnett-Graham, Myles Carr-Oddie, and George Burke collected their Inter colours. The end of term CCF promotions of Angus Roberts, Peter Moffat, and Ramsey Smith, reflected their continued commitment and endeavours. A return to normality got closer in the second term. The whole school was able to come together for the Nowell Chapel service delivered by Kian Senior, Toby Brown, and Alistair Styler to full pews, with further readings by Max Ritter and George Topliss. I thoroughly enjoyed the full School Assemblies in the RWT, with Headmaster commendations for Shintaro Nagamine, Isaac Fairburn, Toby Brown, Aiden Rabbit, John Starkie, Leo Gorner and Alistair Styler for their PPRs. Moreover, during the week Nowell has seen pupils from other Houses visiting and enjoying the company of each other in our common room areas. There are so many highlights from the term but a few that stick in the mind are the Rock Concert, which was a fantastic evening enjoyed by the performers and those lucky enough to have been in the audience. The talent on show was incredible and it was clear to everybody how much time and effort had gone into the performances. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Leo Gorner’s work on the drums and Alistair Styler’s accompaniment of the baritone singing by Davor. The return of the House Debating saw Tom Stephens and Isaac Fairburn come up against the eventual winners, Style House, in a debate of the highest quality. They delivered their speeches with eloquence and passion but were narrowly defeated. William
Smith McShee was inspired by this to compete in the Youth Talks Debating Competition in Skipton, where he led the team to success. The end of term culminated in the CCF Dinner with our senior students in attendance, Alistair Stylar, Toby Brown, Ramsey Smith, Peter Moffat, and Angus Roberts, with William Smith-McShee waitering for part of the evening. This ran alongside the Nowell St. Patrick’s Day celebrations organised and compared by Mr Offland, Mrs Francmanis and Susan. This was Mr Offland’s last House night as he leaves Nowell as a Resident Tutor but will remain as a tutor for the boys in House next term. The last act of the term was the Final Assembly, which saw an avalanche of awards and victories for the House. We were the top Boys’ House for credits and combined this with our second victory in House varsity. There was individual recognition for academic success with Jack Caton and Alistair Styler winning their year groups for academic achievement and William Smith-McShee finishing runner up. We also saw Louis Roberts qualify for the national poetry competition in German. There were music colours and commendations for Leo Gorner, Alistair Styler and William SmithMcShee. Across hockey and football, Ted Huber and Alex Bird received inter colours and Peter Moffat a special commendation. While in football, Leo Gorner and Toby Brown got special commendations and half colours for Tom Stephens and Aidan McChesney, with the coveted players’ player award being shared by Nowell’s Aidan and Leo. Beyond this list of individual achievements, the best moment of the final day was the gifts that the boys gave to our cleaners Susan and Julie to say thanks for all their efforts and arduous work. A summer term of normality also included, for the first time in a long time, external exams. The students once again met the challenge of the exams head on and went into the exam hall with confidence in how they had prepared. All the Year 13 and Year 11 students can be proud of their efforts. The term was not only about exams though, with the House coming together for a variety of House nights which ranged from food tasting, to tug of war, to inter House football. This term we also saw the return of the CCF Camp, DofE expedition, the epic Gigg2Gigg and Sports day. On Sports day the glorious sunshine accompanied the epic efforts from all our students, with Oliver Burke, Leo Gorner, Alistair Styler, Tom Stephens, Seb Eastell, the 4x100m relay and the 4x400m relay team being victorious. Numerous other runners up and third place finishes saw Nowell narrowly pipped to the overall trophy. More important was seeing the House come together to support and challenge themselves in the athletics arena. We saw the return of the Gigg2Gigg Head of House: Rowan Tweedale
Deputy Head of House: Maximilian Ritter, Joe Power
House Seniors: Aidan McChesney, Kyle French-Wollen
Salvete: Aidan McChesney, Leon Thiesen, Oliver Burke, Jack Ho, Jack Caton, Toby Burnett-Graham, George Burke, Declan Noan, John Starkie, Stan Hollinshead, Logan Birchall, Aiden Rabbitt
Valete: Rowan Tweedale, Joe Power, Maximilian Ritter, Kyle French-Wollen, Aidan McChesney
with 57km of walking with 3 Dales Peaks to the summit. Both Leo Gorner and Alistair Styler accepted the challenge to depart at 0430 and walk throughout the day. The effort and resilience demonstrated is credit to these two young men and the 15 other students and staff who accompanied them. Nowell were once again honoured by the appointments of Toby Brown to Head of Army, Captain of Shooting Angus Roberts, 2ic Royal Marines Peter Moffat, 2ic Army Ramsey Smith and 2ic RAF Alistair Styler. The Year 10 students along with Isaac Fairburn, Shintaro Nagamine and William SmithMcShee undertook the CCF camp in the last week of term and bravely faced all the camp challenges, from section attacks to overnight sentry duty. The last couple of weeks are always tinged with a sense of sadness as we lose our Year 13 who leave for the final time but will realise that there will always be a part of them that is forever Nowell. We wish good luck and give thanks to Rowan Tweedale, Joe Power, Kyle French-Wollen, Max Ritter, and Aidan McChesney.
PALEY HOUSE
Leading the way with the organisation of House nights, the varsity sports event, and, of course, Singing and Speaking.
The return of the inter House Singing and Speaking competition in its usual format was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the year for everybody concerned. The themes were months of the year and Paley was drawn
‘October’. The format and the script were cleverly devised by Eve Russell, with the help of the other upper 6th formers. Oscar put a fantastic framework in place that was adapted and developed with the collaboration of the House. It was great to see the whole House working together and by
‘whole House’, I mean that everybody had an input into their roles in order to get the best out of each and every performer. From Oktoberfest to John
Lennon and into Thriller everybody played their part. Ned Smeaton, Year 9, played a convincing Vladimir Putin with
Sid Holden and Will Bagshaw as his burly security guards (roles that came very naturally to them!). The Halloween theme led to Michael Jackson’s Thriller being performed where there were some fantastic dance moves in place, with Jason Yang making an extremely scary zombie impersonation as Paley left the stage! The amount of time and effort that went into the overall performance must be commended and the fact that the boys were disappointed to come away with the
Best Whole House Spoken Item prize and not the Overall Winner shows how much it meant to them.
I have been really proud of the way that the Paley pupils have got involved with all sorts of co-curricular activities and represented themselves fantastically well both in and out of school this term. Several pupils deserve special mentions for what they got involved with. There are, of course, the members of Young Enterprise – Harry Cook, Johnny Scott and William Bagshaw – who came up with the Giggsaw jigsaws that sold very well. Alfie Lampkin deserves a mention for his international trials bike endeavours, long may his successes continue! Duncan Brocklehurst for going out on his Gold DofE expedition. All those on the CCF overnight exercise – Duncan Michael Atkins, Oliver Newbury and Dylan Sampson – where the cadets stayed out overnight on manoeuvres at Catterick Garrison and who took part in the CCF drill competition – Max Seddon, Duncan, William Towe, Eve Russell, Harry, Michael and Dylan, whilst Benjamin Clarke and Oliver played with the band. The inter House Varsity competition saw every pupil in Paley involved in a competitive sport whether that be swimming, CrossFit, squash, badminton, climbing, rugby, or tennis. The Paley tennis team consisting of Finn Karp, David Harrop, Jakob Niemeyer and William T, managed some fantastic performances along the way to beating all the other Houses. Winning the Senior House Rugby is always a feather in the cap and gives bragging rights to Paley for next year. It was competed for in atrocious conditions, where the wind and rain made playing conditions extremely difficult. The highlight of all games had to be Josh Fry’s outstanding cover tackle in the final match. Whilst on the subject of rugby, we must congratulate Sid Holden on his selection for the Yorkshire U17 Rugby Academy. Johnny, Harry, and Max Seddon were also involved in the Yorkshire Developing Player Programme for the year. Once again the House Varsity competition took place towards the end of term, with Paley triumphant in a great deal of the competitions. Winners in House hockey, football, tennis, Crossfit and swimming, to name a few. There were also some great individual performances along the way, especially from Alfie Lampkin, who showed great fitness and resilience to win the CrossFit challenge and Jakob Niemeyer who fought back from 3 break points to win the tennis for Paley. The great thing about the Varsity is that all pupils get to take part and compete for their House. Although disappointed to not win the outright prize (might have to call an independent adjudicator in!) they have not only fought hard but realised that there were some very small margins that can dictate a win or a loss and that sometimes those fighting for a third or fourth spot are just as important as the winners in a big competition like this. As Housemaster one of the favourite events of the year was Paley’s Chapel service where the topic was the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. The most pleasing part of this was that every person in House took part. The students either read a verse of
Psalm 31, which many Ukrainians were turning to in their time of need, or read a paragraph written by Duncan Brocklehurst and Harry Cook. This showed yet another example of a willingness to get involved even when you’re out of your comfort zone. There were some other showstoppers this year on the music front: the Paley ‘House’ drummers, Benji Clarke performed ‘Superbad’, and Finn Karp performed ‘You Know I’m No Good’ in the Young Musician of the Year, with Finn winning his category. Another turn up for the books was listening to Davor Paradzik’s performance of the John Denver classic ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ in the Rock Concert, it was a sight and sound to behold! And finally, the Spring Concert provided an all-round entertainment extravaganza with the outstanding section being the performance of the theme tune to Jurassic Park, which starred Oliver Newbury and Benjy.
Sports Day On a beautiful day in May, we had Sports Day, which may have to be renamed Johnny Scott Day! Johnny won the 100m, the 400m and the Long Jump, being awarded the welldeserved Victor Ludorum for his performances on the day. Although Paley did not win the overall day, the senior boys won their category. Contributing to this was the javelin winner Marcus Hanley-Keenan and the 4X100m relay team consisting of Johnny (again), Will Bagshaw, Sid Holden and Josh Fry. In the younger years, Harrison Glanfield won the Junior Boys Javelin and Piet Karp won the High Jump. The biggest trophy is fought for in the Tug of War competition, which is always a sight to behold. Mr Bellis set the tone for the almighty battle that takes place once a year. After a bit of stuttering at the start Paley finally got into the groove and started pulling in unison. Once a good rhythm got underway the boys made short work of the task in hand, winning the overall competition and bringing home the coveted trophy.
Gigg2Gigg One of the big achievements for the year has to be the completion of the Gigg2Gigg hike over the Yorkshire Three Peaks. This mammoth task was undertaken by five boys from Paley – Oliver Newbury, Jakob Niemayer, Harry Cook, Robert Miller and Piet Karp – who endured 34 miles of walking. The distance alone is long enough, but it was combined with over 6000ft of ascent, making it a huge physical challenge. The boys are to be commended on their achievement and the fact that when they were met at the finishing point they were still in such high spirits, despite being exhausted.
OG Day On Old Giggleswickian day it was a pleasure to welcome OG Bob Drake back into Paley House. He was the Head of House for Paley back in 1964 and enjoyed meeting and having a chat with some of our current Year 9. They were interested to hear how Paley had changed over the last 60 years and were surprised to hear that the current common room was a large dormitory sleeping 12 boys back in the 1960s! Bob also showed them his sons, who also came to Giggleswick, on the old Paley House photographs that are on display. It was great to see such a positive interaction between former and current Paley boys.
Speech Day There were prizes won by the following Paley pupils on Speech Day this year, congratulations to all of them. Piet Karp – Design & Latin Michael Atkins – Design & Brocklebank Media and Photography Trophy Harry Cook - Business Studies William Bagshaw – BTEC Sport Finn Karp - Simpson craft Prize, Economics & Extended Project Qualification Award Oliver Newbury - Silver Kukri Trophy (Achievement in Royal Marines) & Head of House Award
As you can see, this is just a snippet of what has been happening over the past year in Paley House. What has been mightily impressive is the ‘can do’ attitude of the Paley boys. They have all displayed the school values of participation, respect and ambition in abundance over the course of the year, and when the going has got tough there has been somebody there to offer support and encouragement. This, from a housemaster’s perspective, is an invaluable trait for a boarding house to have running through the heart of its culture and I would like to thank the boys for this.
Dan Cook Housemaster
Head of House: Oliver Newbury
Deputy Head of House: Duncan Brocklehurst
Praepostor: Eve Russell (Performing Arts)
Salvete: David Harrop, Davor Paradzik, Jakob Niemeyer, Jobst Czech, Harrison Glanfield, Piet Karp, Ben Wilson
Valete: Duncan Brocklehurst, Marcus Hanley-Keenan, Matty Jeffries, Oliver Newbury, Eve Russell, Davor Paradzik, Jakob Niemeyer, Ren Sekizuka
SHUTE HOUSE
“The start of this academic year was very much under the cloud of Covid and so the arrivals in September had to quarantine for 10 days. However, a few days after emerging from their isolation, a sense of normalcy returned, and the year quickly started off with two successful and momentous events – the charity sleepover and the House dinner.”
Iwas delighted by the collective House effort to raise money for ‘Shelter’ by sleeping out in October; over £1600 was raised by 12 boys who spent a frosty night on a hard floor to experience a little of what it might be like for those less fortunate than themselves. The sixth form were particularly prominent in this, and Mr
Wharton deserves some credit for drawing the staffing ‘short straw’.
A notable mention also needs to go to Ben Wilson as the youngest of those taking part, and points for commitment to those day pupils and flexi boarders who came back in for the occasion – Matthew Ellwood, Will
Scholey and Tom Reeson.
House dinner seems like a long time ago now but was one of the most enjoyable I have experienced – the boys were universally a delight and all the staff commented on what excellent company they were. Mr San-Jose gave an insight into the life that brought him to Giggleswick in an engaging and characteristically personable speech, and it was good that Shute had the opportunity to be the first house to make that link. Will Scott’s speech had to be broadcast by video link as he was still recovering from Covid, but it is safe to say that I have never heard such a strong message delivered with such genuine feelings as Will shared.
His advice to make the most of every opportunity was a simple one, but the authenticity of it was incredibly formative. In the Autumn term, Sherief and Kian did an exceptional job creating, organising, and practising the singing and speaking rehearsals, which resulted in a fantastic performance from the House from which I do believe we should have won something. Fantastic performances from Oscar Skelton as President Biden and the small group including Rasmus, Anton, Harry, Vittorio, Oscar, Reece, and Roland all blew the crowd away with their superb singing. The House has also welcomed new pupils and staff this term who have all made an excellent impression. Mr Burrows’ unflappable calm makes it difficult to imagine that he is still in the infancy of his career. The vacancy in Nowell for a resident tutor led to a brief tenure in Shute, but in his time here he gained a special place in the hearts of the boys. Mr Robinson joined at Christmas to replace the fantastic Mr Holland and has shown himself more than up to the task – his calm and quiet nature offering a bit of continuity from the qualities that Mr Holland brought. In the Summer term, Mr Nong was also a regular feature of Monday nights and his Sushi night, rocky road, and amazing pool triangle, engraved with ‘Shoot, Shute’ were genuinely appreciated by the boys. In his first end of term address to the pupils at Easter, the Headmaster spoke about coming ‘out of the dark and into the light’ and this was most fitting for the boys of Shute, for whom the ‘end’ of Covid restrictions is most significant. Just before the January exeat, 16 Shute boys were isolating due to Covid, and this thankfully now seems like an exceptionally long time ago. Since those dark days there have been three 18th Birthdays amongst the upper sixth for Kian, Nelson, and Sam – Kian’s mum making a wonderful surprise visit that we managed to keep concealed right up until the moment he walked down the drive and saw her. We celebrated Chinese New Year with probably the biggest takeaway order China China have ever prepared, and, with the resumption of ‘normal’ events, the boys have enjoyed performing in ‘The Gigg’, the Young Musician of the Year (well done to Jonathan Fitzau for winning the guitar class, and for playing Metallica in his school uniform!), Scarrig (well done to Roland for his 4th place), Pringle (fantastic result for Kian Schmidt and Will Scholey), the House Challenge, and the House Varsity competition. Individually, Will Scholey has stood out for the sheer volume and quality of his participation. Pringle and Scarrig have already been mentioned, but he also performed in the Spring concert and contributed more distance than any other pupil
by far with a phenomenal 830km in the ‘House Challenge’ – which (on top of everything else and his GCSE preparation) averaged out at around 20km per day. His excellence across the board was rewarded by his receipt of the Warwick Brookes Prize at speech day and he was truly a deserving recipient. Nelson received 4 Headmaster’s commendations over the course of the term. Not just for playing rugby this time, but for coaching rugby at primary schools and working with younger children. Vingo Fong’s fearless opening of the spring concert with the first lines of ‘The Greatest Showman’ also crowned an amazing term for him that saw him go from strength to strength. Personally, one of my most enjoyable days for a long time was taking Shute year 9s to Attermire Scar and climbing some of the new routes on ‘Moonshine Buttress’ on a windless, blue-sky day of a sort that only comes around a couple of times a year. The year 9s were great company and it was brilliant to see them appreciating the beauty of the situation, as well as a bit of climbing! Reece Boyd was again a fantastic assistant and has really shown his maturity and capacity for hard work as an ‘OP helper’. In February, Diana Frank moved onwards to take the position of PA to the Headmaster of the Junior School. Her 6 years of outstanding service to the boys of Shute and her support of me as a new (and not so new) housemaster have been greatly appreciated. Diana has been unhesitatingly generous with her time and unendingly patient with the male contingent in Shute. Never tiring of the need to teach boys how to tie a tie (sometimes even a shoelace) when they first arrive. Her bacon sandwiches on a Friday morning have become legendary and I am sure that her patience and fortitude will be great assets as she starts her new position. In the summer term, Shute welcomed back Aaron Berry, the much-loved former resident tutor in Shute and one of the few people who could provide comfort following the loss of the boys ‘favourite tutor.’ The cheer that greeted Aaron as he returned to Shute on the last day of the Easter term reassured me that not only do we have someone enormously capable and experienced, but also incredibly popular. Chris Taylor took Diana’s reins as day tutor and has since shown himself a calm and capable tutor, and the boys now have the bonus of a staff member who can talk knowledgeably about rugby with them whilst they guzzle their toast at morning break. With luck, September 2022 will see the boys build on the successes and lessons of this year. There is more work to be done on the common room, the boys are keen to do more charity events, and there is a determination to focus on winning some of the sporting competitions. We have an excellent staff team who are determined to support the boys and remind them of our shared values. I am looking forward to including Shute boys in the exciting new opportunities about to emerge in Outdoor Pursuits. As I write, next year’s new year 9s are joining Shute for the day for a taster activity and Will Scott also celebrates his 18th birthday. It is fitting that he can enjoy his birthday at a point in the year when his achievements as an outstanding Head of House can also be recognised, and when the next generation of Shute boys can be inspired by those that have gone before them. The House has a burgeoning sense of optimism and I look forward, as ever, to the challenges and opportunities of the next year.
Head of House: Harry Young
Deputy Head of House: Matthew Elwood
Praeposters: Vingo Fong, Vittorio Turnbull
House Seniors: Anton Hatz, Oscar Skelton, Rasmus Meyer-Loos, Ryan Chai
Salvete: Leo Turnbull, Ben Wilson, Fabrizio Fornero, Joshua Kazzim, Daniel MadeleyPetrovoich, Jonathan Fitzau, Constantin Veith, Vingo Fong, Jackson Whewell, Sebastian Mills, Woody Salt, Barnaby Symonds, Matthew Drakeford
Valete: Louis Sero, Nelson Delailomaloma, Sherief El Defrawi, Sam Johnson, Kian Schmidt, Roland Hodgson, Will Scott, Charlie Voss, Reece Boyd, Thomas Resson
STYLE HOUSE
A return for the House Spirit.
On joining Giggleswick School and Style House, I heard about the “Style spirit” and was excited to see what this was. Unfortunately, a global pandemic and periods of online learning dampened this spirit for my first eighteen months. However, in the past few months I have experienced the Style spirit out in force again, and it has been fabulous. I want to celebrate the thirteen Upper Sixth girls who are leaving us and have been such a huge part of making this happen. It is hard to believe how much courage they have shown in the face of adversity over the past two years, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the rollercoaster with them.
Upper Sixth Leavers Our Head of House, Holly, has wholeheartedly led from the front this year. I am not exaggerating when I say every girl in Style thinks of her as their friend. Never too busy to listen to someone in need, Holly has been a positive and calming influence in the controlled chaos of a large and lively House. In Little Howsons, Alicia and Polly have formed a dynamic double act and have planned many hilarious House nights for the younger girls to enjoy. Another double act, Poppy and Sophie, have thrown themselves into life at Giggleswick, in Style, and on the sports pitches. Emma produced one of the highlights of the year for Style with her winning Young Musician of the Year performance. The creative yin to my mathematical yang, Briony and Imy have ensured that Style House is a performing House and have led on so many musical and dramatical extravaganzas. I am not sure who will remind us to go to rehearsals next year. In the calmer Style Annexe, the girls have worked hard to achieve their goals. Kristie spent time away through travel restrictions, and Olivia joined part way through the year; both have worked exceptionally hard to succeed in the time they have been here. Bella’s passion for netball has been contagious and she has encouraged many younger girls to get involved. Zoe’s achievements in the classroom, and on the netball or tennis courts set an example to every Style girl. Becca has led and organised us in sporting events and has been another listening ear in the common room for the younger girls. What has impressed me most of all is that these girls are “can do” girls. They have organised Singing and Speaking, House chapels, charity events, House
“What has impressed me most of all is that these girls are “can do” girls. They have organised Singing and Speaking, House chapels, charity events, House Dinner Night etc. with little or no input from staff.
Head of House: Holly Warburton
Deputy Head of House: Polly Stapleton, Alicia Birchall
Praepostors: Imogen Crombie, Emma Belshaw, Isabella Fox-Tristram
House Seniors: Briony Moffat, Poppy Ribbons, Sophie Kershaw, Zoe Lenka, Kristie Meng, Olivia Lumb, Rebecca Harrison
Salvete: Susana Wamba, Marieta Del Olmo Gil, Juliet Freegard, Lilly Davey, Rebecca Zhang, Amelie Brown, Julia Counsell, Aaminah Iqbal, Elizabeth Allmand-Smith, Annabel Wass, Freya Meredith, Gabrielle Sykes, Anna Grauke, Maylin Steinkamp, Filippa Friedrich, Zara Harrison, Sophie Bargh, Erin Constantine, Wan Ching Wong, Lotta Bahr, Jule Gersdorf
Valete: Susana Wamba, Marieta Del Olmo Gil, Anna Grauke, Maylin Steinkamp, Filippa Friedrich, Rachel Chen, Emily Hoecker, Lotta Bahr, Jule Gersdorf, Holly Warburton, Polly Stapleton, Alicia Birchall, Imogen Crombie, Emma Belshaw, Isabella Fox-Tristram, Briony Moffat, Poppy Ribbons, Sophie Kershaw, Zoe Lenka, Kristie Meng, Olivia Lumb, Rebecca Harrison
Dinner Night etc. with little or no input from staff. They have developed some incredible skills of negotiation and communication that they will use in everyday life, and they have set an incredibly high standard for the younger Style girls to follow. There have been difficulties and, I am sure, too many late night Little Howsons discussions that I have not been party to, but this group of girls
leave together as young women who should be proud of all they have achieved. I hope they remember to be kind and wish them all the happiness in the world.
Style House Dinner Less of a dinner, more of a garden party, and the garden and the girls looked beautiful. The older girls enjoyed a Pimms reception, and our fabulous photographer (on loan from Carr House) captured the festival mood. Holly, Alicia, and Polly all spoke eloquently of their time in Style, and the tears started to flow amongst the Upper Sixth. They gave their sound advice to the younger girls and then followed with some light-hearted Message from the Head of House This year in Style all the girls have been super busy. Whether that be on the hockey pitch down at Eshtons, in the music school, or on the stage in the RWT. All the girls have thrown themselves into life at school and should be proud of themselves. This must be one of my biggest pieces of advice to the girls – take all the opportunities that arise at Gigg and put your all into every single one of them. Even if you only try something for a few weeks it is always good to have made something out of the opportunities given to you. The House spirit has been evident throughout the year whether that be at the House debating, the Varsity weeks, sports day, or the House drill competition; our homemade Style banners being held high at every opportunity. This is one of my favourite things about Style: we all come together to fully support one another in anything we do, which makes it feel as if we are a part of one big family. Although it may seem a while ago, Style really became a House during Singing and Speaking. Everyone got involved, and what initially seemed slightly nerve racking became much easier because we knew we were all in it together. Style has really been able to overcome the hurdles thrown at us over the past few years and if anything has come out stronger. In the evenings, the common room becomes a hive of activity, especially if it is Monday night baking with Miss Rowles. This really shows the family feel within the House and I hope the girls continue to be kind and supportive to one another so that this feeling can stay in Style forever. I am so proud of all the Style girls this year and wish them all many successes in the future.
awards. Congratulations to the whole of Year 10 for being awarded the wooden spoon for “Worst to go to bed”. After a delicious BBQ, music and dancing followed, along with a huge game of volleyball. It was without doubt the best Style night in the past two years. So, as my second year draws to a close, I could not be prouder of the sixty girls who call Style their home. Now, as a third of them leave for new adventures and challenges elsewhere, I hope that a little bit of the Style Spirit will remain in them always. #styleforever
Holly Warburton Head of House
