The Peterite 2020-2021

Peterite THE

2020-21

Centuries of Singing

St Peter’s becomes the Choir School for York Minster

Valiant Vaccinators

Vaccination Training at St Peter’s

Independent School of the Year

National Recognition for St Peter’s School

Enterprising Young Pupils Young Enterprise Group reach the European Finals

Contents

06

04

WELCOME

22

VALUES

06

Key Moments – Vaccination Training at St Peter’s

14

Behind The Scenes

08 16 20

Our School Family Our Community Our World

ACADEMICS

22

Key Moments – Independent School of the Year

28

Learning 8-13

24 32 37

Learning 2-8

Learning 13-18 Exam Results

38

SKILLS & INTERESTS

62

38

Key Moments – Enterprising Young Pupils

46

Clubs & Societies

40 50 56

Art & Design Drama Music

62

Key Moments – York Minster Choristers

68

Sport

64

Life Skills

LIFE AFTER ST PETER’S

74

Leavers’ Destinations

78

Old Peterites

76 82

Careers

Key Moments – In Conversation with…

EDITORIAL TEAM Editors Catherine Hodgson Sarah Opie Design www.mercerdesign.co.uk Photo Editor Beth Harrison

Print Wood Richardson School Office, St Peter’s School, York, YO30 6AB

Registered Charity No: 1141329 © 2022 St Peter’s School, York

www.stpetersyork.org.uk

Tel 01904 527300 Email enquiries@stpetersyork.org.uk

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Welcome What a year it has been! We have once again had to change and adapt on so many occasions, from full lockdowns to different levels of restrictions in and out of school. Set against such a backdrop, the many and varied achievements celebrated in this edition of The Peterite are even more impressive than usual.

The sense of team spirit and camaraderie across the school has perhaps never been stronger. A particular highlight was our first whole foundation Carol Service, which featured performances from all three sections of the school and the York Minster Choristers, who joined St Peter’s in September 2020. This special service reflected our ability to work together to overcome challenge and adversity with positivity and creativity.

Jeremy Walker, Head Master

We were also proud to support the national effort against the Covid-19 pandemic, transforming the school into a vaccination training centre for St John Ambulance during the spring term.

We have collectively done a magnificent job of rising to the challenges we have faced over the last year, finding new and exciting ways of keeping going. Well done and thank you to pupils, colleagues, parents, governors and everyone who contributes to the life of the school.

By any measure, it has been a very good year at St Peter’s and I hope you enjoy reading about everything that has been achieved.

St Peter’s 2-8 Welcome We have been on another extraordinary journey this year at St Peter’s 2-8. Our fabulous team of teachers, teaching assistants and support staff have once again been sensational, overcoming the challenges we have faced with remarkable determination to deliver an exceptional learning experience for each and every child.

In April we were honoured to receive the Tes Pre-Prep School of the Year Award for the second time in three years, and to follow this up with the accolade of Independent School of the Year was an astonishing achievement. Lead judge Annette Robert said that St Peter’s 2-8 “showcases everything an independent pre-prep school should offer: an outstanding innovative and broad curriculum, which encourages curiosity in an ever-changing world.”

Phil Hardy, Head of St Peter’s 2-8

To achieve this award after a year of challenge and uncertainty is testament to the dedication of our brilliant staff, the ongoing support of our fantastic parents and the enthusiasm of our children, who inspire us every day with their resilience, adaptability and love of learning.

Each term the children at St Peter’s 2-8 explore a different theme, and our theme for the summer term was Grab Your Backpack and Let’s Go Travelling. Learning about different cultures and faraway lands is such an important aspect of a child’s education, and let’s hope we all have the opportunity to travel again soon. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy reading about our adventures closer to home in this edition of The Peterite.

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St Peter’s 8-13 Welcome It was wonderful to be able to start the academic year back in school, after the summer term in lockdown. Year group bubbles did mean that we could not yet do everything in the way we wished, but the staff were fantastic at adapting things to ensure the children could do as much as possible. Many children started the year just picking up where they left off, but for others it took time and support to get used to being back in a busy school and classroom environment after a term of online learning, particularly if they were new to the school.

The York Minster Choristers joined the school in September after the sad closure of The Minster School during the summer. They were brilliant at quickly getting used to being in a new school environment whilst continuing to fulfil their extensive chorister commitments throughout the year, when restrictions allowed.

Andy Falconer, Head of St Peter’s 8-13

Many children had to self-isolate at some point and so teachers were teaching hybrid lessons where most children were in the classroom but some at home online. This was a very tiring way to teach but they were able to ensure that the children at home were involved in lessons as much as possible.

We were able to continue with drama productions, music concerts and sports fixtures in various guises as the national restrictions eased, finishing the year with an outdoor prize giving in the sunshine on the tennis courts.

St Peter’s 13-18 Welcome The academic year 2020-2021 has been a time of extraordinary change at St Peter’s 13-18.

We have continued to provide our pupils with as many opportunities as possible, inspired by our four pillars of qualifications, skills, interests and values.

We have moved fairly seamlessly between remote learning, learning at school and a hybrid version. This has required the teaching staff to be incredibly adaptable, and the willingness of pupils and teaching staff to accept and overcome these challenges has been inspiring.

Although there have been restrictions to our co-curricular programme, the depth and breadth of opportunities available remains remarkable. At one point there were over 165 co-curricular sessions taking place per week, requiring a tremendous amount of planning, co-ordination and communication.

Jeremy Walker, Head Master

Our boarders have experienced additional challenges this year, with many not seeing their families for several months. All Boarding Houses have also endured periods of self-isolation, and their cheerful stoicism throughout has been commendable.

The Upper Sixth were just beginning to enjoy Sixth Form life when the world changed, and many of the things they were looking forward to were taken away. The way they have responded has been nothing short of remarkable and they have led the school admirably.

I hope this edition of The Peterite will remind our Upper Sixth and all pupils at St Peter’s of their ability to thrive and flourish under difficult circumstances, an ability which will no doubt prepare them for happy and fulfilled lives after school.

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Key Moments

Vaccination Training at St Peter’s School

S

t Peter’s School was transformed in February 2021 when it temporarily became a Covid Vaccination Training Centre for St John Ambulance as part of the NHS Covid Vaccination Programme.

St John Ambulance were asked by NHS England to set up Covid Vaccination Training Centres across the UK to support the national NHS Covid Vaccination Programme.

With the country in lockdown and pupils learning remotely, St Peter’s was

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in the perfect position to offer weekend vaccination training sessions for St John Ambulance First Aiders.

The training sessions were held at St Peter’s School on Saturdays and Sundays for one month from 6 February.

We provided four ventilated training rooms, including the Shepherd Hall and Queen Anne’s Dining Room.

In just four weeks, St John Ambulance trained an incredible 450 First Aiders at St Peter’s to be able to administer vaccinations.

In recognition of the school’s outstanding contribution in support of Covid Vaccinator Volunteer Training, representatives from St John Ambulance returned to St Peter’s in May to present a special plaque.

Jeremy Walker, Head Master, said: “I am so glad we were able to support St John Ambulance in their vital work and huge thanks to all of the amazing volunteers.

It was wonderful to meet so many inspiring volunteers and play a small part in helping the rapid rollout of the vaccination programme.”

Peter Ashton, Vaccination Site Lead for York, said: “We are immensely grateful to St Peter’s School for generously offering their facilities for the Covid Vaccination Training Programme.

The 450 people who were trained at St Peter’s have now been deployed to administer vaccines in York and more widely across Yorkshire and Teesside.”

4 450 WEEKS

FIRST AIDERS TRAINED

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l o o Our Sch Family A

ll pupils at St Peter’s School belong to a House, from Reception to Sixth Form, but the introduction of year group bubbles placed limitations on our usual House activities this year. Nevertheless, we have still benefited from the caring and inclusive community spirit created by our House System and our school family has remained strong throughout another difficult year.

One School, One Family Despite the ongoing restrictions, we have sought ways to gather together this year (often virtually) to celebrate as a whole school community.

In November, we gathered for the first time in eight months to mark Remembrance Day with a socially distanced service on the cricket pitch. The service lasted just 10 minutes, including an Address from the Head Master, Readings, a Two Minutes’ Silence and the Last Post and Reveille.

Christmas provided another opportunity to join together, with virtual concerts and performances recorded for the whole school community to enjoy online.

We hosted our first virtual whole foundation Carol Service in the Chapel, with each section of the school recording their performances on different days.

In March, we celebrated World Book Day. From 11.20am until 11.40am on 4 March, 1,400 staff and pupils turned away from their screens to read for 20 minutes. Pupils of all ages also engaged with World Book Day activities at home, from ‘extreme reading’ challenges to mystery reader competitions.

Pupils and staff were also invited to wear fancy dress for Red Nose Day and make a contribution to Comic Relief. There were lots of creative and imaginative costumes on display, from the characters from Toy Story to inflatable dinosaurs. The Estates Team also embraced the spirit of the day, and dressed as traffic cones for their morning parking duties!

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Wellbeing The uncertainties we have faced over the last two years have been unsettling and our children are under more emotional pressure than ever. We have therefore taken every opportunity to celebrate the importance of wellbeing this year, to support and guide them with their mental health.

In October we marked Mental Health Awareness Week with a range of events and activities, including yoga and mindfulness sessions, meditation techniques, interpretive dance, Zentangle Art and Tai Chi. The whole school also united from 16-20 November for Anti-Bullying Week. All pupils were encouraged to wear odd socks and shoes on Monday 16 November to celebrate difference and diversity and teachers organised a range of activities inspired by this year’s theme ‘Unite Against Bullying’.

Finally, we participated in Inside Out Day on 3 February as part of Children’s Mental Health Week, wearing clothes inside out as a reminder that you never know how someone might be feeling inside. The pupils talked about the importance of kindness, resilience and gratitude and how these values can be practised each and every day.

Inter-House Challenges Teachers and pupils have adapted to ensure the continuation of our much-loved InterHouse challenges, which encourage friendly competition between the Houses.

The General Knowledge Challenge returned to St Peter’s 13-18 in the autumn term, with different year groups participating over the school year on rotation. The competition was fierce with impressive knowledge on display, and the Challenge continued throughout the year, moving online during lockdown in the spring term.

An Inter-House Debating competition for St Peter’s 13-18 was also launched in year group bubbles, with each House competing to win the coveted ‘Inter-House Debating Cup’. Motions included ‘This House Believes We Should Impose a Second National Lockdown’ and ‘This House Regrets the Rise of Social Media as a Primary Source of News Media’. All year groups demonstrated excellent levels of style and reasoning. Well done to everyone who participated and the overall winners Queen’s.

During lockdown in the spring term, the House Isolation Olympics returned to St Peter’s 13-18, much to the delight of our pupils who were isolating at home. A range of challenges were devised to help pupils have fun, stay connected and learn new skills at home, including frugal cooking and photography. Well done to all of the pupils who submitted such creative and inventive entries, especially for the Pets in Fancy Dress competition!

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Our Boarding Community This year has been particularly challenging for our boarders, many of whom have spent many months away from home and their families. The boarders have remained cheerful throughout, despite spells of self-isolation, and they should be applauded for everything they have achieved this year.

The boarders have engaged fully with our Inter-House Challenges, and also welcomed the opportunity to celebrate with their annual Christmas House Dinners at the end of the autumn term. Each House celebrated on a different evening, but the dinners provided a much-needed opportunity for the pupils to dress up and enjoy a delicious evening meal.

Chris Hall, Head of Boarding, said: “It was wonderful to see our boarding communities joining together to celebrate Christmas with such enthusiasm.

Despite having spent much of the year apart, our boarding communities are stronger than ever.”

End of year celebrations The summer term saw the relaxation of some restrictions, giving us the opportunity to enjoy many of our usual end-of-year celebrations in a fun but socially distanced way.

St Peter’s 2-8 celebrated the end of term with a special Beach Day in the sunshine, described by one child as ‘the best day ever!’ Treats included a pizza picnic, an ice cream van, colourful inflatables and a refreshing water fight. Other activities included the Nursery graduation ceremony, the Reception Summer Ball, and a Summer Disco organised by the Friends of St Peter’s 2-8.

St Peter’s 8-13 gave their J5s a fabulous send-off with two days of activities, including a visit to the North Yorkshire Aqua Park, orienteering, zorbing, dance, water polo and a Bake Off. The J5s also enjoyed a leavers’ dinner followed by a Silent Disco. To mark the end of term, the whole school gathered in one place for the first time in 15 months, with prize-giving on the tennis courts in socially-distanced year group bubbles.

At St Peter’s 13-18, Upper Sixth Leavers gathered for Leavers’ Day which began with breakfast and Chapel followed by a day of activities including inflatables, a magician, a caricaturist, a photo booth, a BBQ and an ice cream van. We celebrated the achievements of pupils at St Peter’s 13-18 with our annual Commemoration and Prize Giving which was live-streamed for the school community to watch at home. We welcomed our Upper Sixth pupils to the Chapel for the service and enjoyed beautiful music from the Chapel Choir and the Chamber Choir.

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Heads of House and Heads of School Thank you to all those pupils across the school who have led their Houses this year, helping to preserve the House System which is so important to our school family.

We would especially like to thank our Heads of School and Monitors who have led the school admirably, leading by example both in school and at home. Our Heads of School, Hope and Ben, and Deputy Heads of School, Jennie and Olly, deserve special recognition and praise for their cheerful optimism and determination to retain as many aspects of normal school life as possible.

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s e n Behind The Sce T

he St Peter’s School family includes around 400 full-time and part-time staff in both teaching and support roles. We are immensely grateful for everything our teaching and support staff do to ensure the smooth running of St Peter’s School.

Our support staff often work behind the scenes, so this edition of The Peterite celebrates their invaluable work over the last year which has helped us to navigate the unchartered waters of the coronavirus pandemic.

Our Catering Team Covid-19 restrictions and social distancing created new challenges for our Catering team, affecting the way they prepared and served meals.

Our Memorial Hall was transformed into a bespoke dining room, serving breakfast and lunch six days a week, and the menus were adapted to ensure that food could be served as quickly and safely as possible. Delicious and nutritious ‘one pot’ meals helped to speed up service and reduce queueing at meal times.

Craig Robinson, Head of Catering and Hospitality, said: “We truly hope that all pupils and colleagues have enjoyed our new menus this year and I would like to thank everyone for adapting so quickly and positively to our new lunchtime routine.”

Our Housekeepers The full reopening of the school campus and Boarding Houses in September 2020 saw various changes to routines and expectations for our Housekeeping team. Some staff took on additional hours to carry out extra tasks such as refilling sanitiser stations, wiping down surfaces in high traffic, high contact areas and generally responding to requests and expectations with good humour and a desire to help.

Boarding House matrons and housekeepers have also responded with characteristic professionalism when faced with the uncertainty of new protocols and challenges of adapting to situations of pupils in self-isolation. Their desire to ensure that our boarders continue to have a full and settled boarding experience has been evident throughout.

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Our Health Services Team The Health Services Team worked incredibly hard to support the school in reopening safely in September 2020, liaising with many departments across the school and Boarding Houses to enable them to operate safely. Advice and support have been provided to parents and carers whilst our nurses continue to help pupils with their day to day health needs.

St Peter’s School now has a central temporary medical centre, meaning the old medical centre can be free to see pupils with symptoms associated with Covid-19 – to keep everyone safe and separate!

We have also appointed a new mental health nurse to enhance our multidisciplinary health team.

Ashley Mason, Health Services Manager, said: “I am really pleased that we have been able to put in place the facilities to continue to deliver the high standard of care and health support our pupils are accustomed to, in a safe manner.”

Our Facilities Assistants The Facilities Assistants work in all corners of the School, from Boarding Houses to broom cupboards, to create a safe and secure learning environment for staff and pupils.

In September 2020, they added ‘fogging’ to their list of duties and they named themselves ‘The Foggers’ in honour of their newly acquired role. ‘Fogging’ involves spraying an atomised spray of antiviral disinfectant into various spaces across the site from classrooms and meeting rooms to corridors and dining halls.

The Foggers have primarily been working out of school hours, on weekends and evenings, to ensure that all spaces are thoroughly disinfected. Occasionally, though, they have been asked to drop everything and do some fogging to ensure the smooth running of the school.

Fogging is carried out in addition to the cleaning done by the school’s Housekeeping team and provides an extra layer of antiviral protection.

The team of Foggers includes Jack ‘The Machine’ Hopwood, Gary ‘The Legend’ Marshall, Mick ‘The Bandit’ Hagan and Dave ‘The Handyman’ Matterson.

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Our Community

W

e are proud to support our local community, and we encourage our children to engage with charities and community organisations in York to help those in need. Once again, our pupils have demonstrated their compassion and desire to help others this year, raising money for good causes through innovative fundraising initiatives and campaigns.

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St Peter’s 2-8 Community Carols Children at St Peter’s 2-8 spread Christmas cheer virtually this year by recording carols for residents of a local care home. We have worked with Musical Connections over the years and the children usually visit local care homes to take part in musical activities organised by the charity.

Unfortunately the children weren’t able to participate in the organised activities this year, but they maintained their musical connections with the local community by recording their own Christmas carols to share with the residents of Ebor Care Home in Poppleton.

10k Any Way During the February half term break, children in Year 1 decided to undertake the challenge of the ‘10k Any Way’ fundraiser for York NHS Trust. Led by Sofia B, the children set their own personal challenge to get to 10k, joining other people of all ages and abilities taking part in the challenge across the country.

Covere d

674.5km Raised

over

£5,000

The children dragged their families out of their homes during half term to run, walk or cycle to raise funds in support of York Hospital. In total, the children covered 674.5km and raised over £5,000 for York NHS Trust.

Sleep Out St Peter’s 2-8 slept out for Shelter to raise money and awareness of homelessness.

The children were encouraged to ask their friends and family to sponsor them for a Big 2-8 Sleep Out. Children could sleep either in the garden or in a part of the house where they don’t usually sleep. They raised a staggering £2,250!

da Raise ring e stagg

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St Peter’s 8-13 Salvation Army Christmas Appeal St Peter’s 8-13 supported the Salvation Army Christmas Appeal by encouraging pupils to donate a new toy or money to the charity. Children from J1 to J5 (Year 4 to Year 8) were asked to bring in gifts for children of their own age. Over 390 toys were donated during the Christmas term and the gifts have been passed onto the local Salvation Army branch in York.

Carols for Carecent To mark the end of term, teachers from St Peter’s 8-13 serenaded the children and parents as they arrived at school on Friday 11 December, singing carols outside on the pavement to raise funds for local homeless charity Carecent.

Mrs Craven organised the socially distanced charity carol sing with a small staff choir, following safe distancing protocols to raise money for Carecent. The carols were even accompanied by bagpipes!

390 Over

ere toys w ed donat

18 || The Peterite 2020-21

St Peter’s 13-18 Hoping Street Kitchen St Peter’s 13-18 teamed up with HOPING Street Kitchen York at Christmas to help homeless people living in the York area and give them a gift on Christmas Day. To support the campaign, St Peter’s School asked tutor groups to create gift bags of small and inexpensive items. Each pupil contributed an item towards one of these gift bags, from hats, gloves and scarves to chocolates, biscuits and mince pies.

Over 125 gift bags were delivered to HOPING Street Kitchen on Friday 11 December, along with a sizeable donation for the York Foodbank. 40 bags went to the Peasholme Centre, 40 to Changing Lives on Union Street, 25 to Changing Lives on Robinson Street and 10 to Ordnance Lane.

Rory’s Soup Run In March 2020, Upper Sixth pupil Rory launched a soup run to support the over 60s in the village of Husthwaite, delivering nutritious soup to his elderly neighbours twice a week. Rory even fashioned a delivery vehicle out of his Dad’s golf trolley to deliver the soup safely.

Despite returning to school in September and entering his final year in the Upper Sixth Form, Rory persevered with his soup run. On his final run before Christmas, Rory delivered his 1000th portion of soup.

He has walked an incredible 82 miles, used 280kg of vegetables and spent 228 hours of his own time making soup.

120 Over

gift bag sw delivere ere d Drumming up Support We were delighted to support Gillamoor C of E Primary School by providing 28 drums for their online African Drumming Workshop. We donated the drums after the African Drumming Workshop, organised by North Yorkshire County Music Service, moved online due to coronavirus restrictions.

Andrea Hayes, Headteacher of Gillamoor C of E Primary School, said: “The 28 drums were collected and saved what proved to be an excellent and enjoyable day. The pupils loved finding out about the different sounds the drums make and had so much fun. An all-round thoroughly great day!”

Partnerships – York Independent State Schools Partnership (ISSP) We are proud to be part of the York Independent State Schools Partnership, an equal partnership of 12 secondary schools in York including 9 state / academy schools and 3 independent schools.

This year 282 pupils participated in York ISSP’s 2021 Masterclass Programme. Held annually since 2008, the programme is designed to push and challenge York’s most able and interested pupils in Years 7-10 and is focused on delving into a theme, seeking the answers to complex questions.

228

aking m s r u ho soup

This year’s Masterclasses focused on the theme Freedom to Choose?, encouraging children to look to the future and to the past across a diverse range of subjects such as classics, psychology, building a green economy and the birth of maths!

Pupils in Years 8 and 9 have continued to meet half termly for the ISSP’s Maths Excellence Club, and staff from St Peter’s School have also continued to teach Latin and Astronomy GCSEs to pupils in Years 10 and 11 at ISSP schools.

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OurWorld W

e inspire our children to learn about the world around them. From climate change to issues of diversity and equality, our pupils and staff are leading the way in creating a better world.

Lizzy raised a total of

£357.50

Fairtrade Fortnight Year 3 celebrated Fairtrade Fortnight by delving into the world of sustainability and supporting Fairtrade farmers. The children learnt about the impact of deforestation, and wrote a persuasive letter to David Attenborough to inform him of the current situation and shock him with terrifying statistics!

Brood of Ducklings Year 2 cared for a brood of ducklings in the Easter term for the second year in a row.

The children watched the eggs hatch and nurtured the ducklings. The eggs were sourced from respectable small-scale poultry breeders and conservationists who support children’s education. The ducklings were delivered as eggs about to hatch with an incubator, brooder and pen. Pupils were learning about conservation and habitats, so this was a great way to put their learning into action.

Lizzy’s Fundraising Campaign In the summer term Lizzy (J4) sold squishy, slap bands and touchable bubbles with an aim to raise money for orphaned orangutans who are being taught the skills to go back into the wild. Lizzy raised a total of £357.50 after selling items to J1, J2, J3 and J4 across several weeks, ably assisted by Imi and Emma.

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Diversity and Equality We marked Schools Diversity Week this year with a rainbow-themed non-uniform day to coincide with LGBT+ History Month. Pupils of all ages engaged in activities throughout the week celebrating difference and diversity, from poster competitions inspired by inspirational members of the LGBTQ+ community to focused PSHE lessons and pupilled assemblies on issues of diversity and equality.

School Nurse Speaks Out Jessie Emms, School Nurse at St Peter’s School, spoke at this year’s UN Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) in March, with a team of young leaders from the charity The Girls’ Brigade International. Jessie, aged 24, joined The Girls’ Brigade when she was just five years old and is now a leader for the charity and an Under 30s representative for The Girls’ Brigade England and Wales.

Jessie and her team delivered an interactive session called ‘She Speaks – Young Women on Faith, Social Justice and Transformational Acts’. Using spoken word, drama and film, the team demonstrated how they are seeking to eradicate mental health stigma, improve girls’ access to education, and end violence against women and gender specific persecution.

Eco Schools Our Eco Clubs across the school have been busy this year, helping us to create a sustainable future for St Peter’s.

Pupils at St Peter’s 8-13 and St Peter’s 13-18 created bird boxes in Design and Technology to help our feathered friends during the winter months, part of the Eco Club’s plan to develop part of the school’s grounds as a haven for wildlife.

In spring, J2 pupils also put up bean poles and planted courgettes in the sturdy vegetable planters built by our gardeners. They even made a little orchard with a variety of fruit bushes.

Thanks to the hard work of the Eco Council and Eco Club, St Peter’s 13-18 has also received its Eco-Schools Silver Award in recognition of the steps we have taken towards a more sustainable lifestyle. We have now completed 80% of the work needed for our first Eco-Schools Green Flag!

The pupils continue to focus on reducing the use of single use plastics and collecting hard to recycle items through the Terracycle scheme. To demonstrate their commitment to the environment, Fifth Form pupils joined the Waves of Waste project run by Yorkshire Wildlife by taking part in a beach clean in Scarborough in June.

80%

of the work needed for our first Eco-Schools Green Flag!

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Key Moments

t n e d n e p e Ind

School of the Year

S

t Peter’s School was named Independent School of the Year at the Tes Independent School Awards in April 2021, one of the biggest nights in the UK education calendar.

St Peter’s School was shortlisted for the Prep School of the Year Award and took home the Pre-prep School of the Year Award, following up this accolade with the overall Independent School of the Year Award.

These awards reflect the continued excellence of St Peter’s School, which has been recognised with a number of prestigious awards in recent years including Tes Prep / Pre-Prep School of the Year 2018 and The Sunday Times North Independent School of the Year 2019.

The Tes Independent School Awards celebrate the teachers and teams from independent schools across the UK that are raising the standards of education and making a positive impact on the personal and academic success of students and the wider community. This year’s awards have highlighted the extraordinary work that schools have done in spite of a most challenging year.

The judges felt that, in a competitive field, St Peter’s School stood out in exemplifying some of the best practice in the independent school sector.

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The judges praised the school’s use of a range of approaches to support pupils’ wellbeing and personal growth, whether through its Forest School, encouraging pupils to use ICT independently or helping pupils champion a campaign to stop single-use plastic bottles in school.

Phil Hardy, Head of St Peter’s 2-8, said: “It is an honour to receive the PrePrep School of the Year Award for the second time in three years, and to follow this up with the accolade of Independent School of the Year is an astonishing achievement.

“These awards reflect the continued dedication of our incredible colleagues, both teaching and support staff, and the support of the wider school community including parents, governors and children. The awards have added poignancy this year as we reflect on all the challenges we have overcome as a school community in recent months.”

Andy Falconer, Head of St Peter’s 8-13, said: “We were thrilled to be short-listed for the Prep School of the Year Award. It is a wonderful reflection of all that the children, staff and parents have achieved together throughout a very different school year.”

Jeremy Walker, Head Master of St Peter’s School, York said: “I’m so incredibly proud of all my colleagues and our pupils for these awards. I’m delighted that the school has been recognised for the development of the whole pupil and for the promotion of fun and creativity. York offers some of the best schools in the country and these awards reflect everything that York and the wider region can offer.”

Jon Severs, Editor of Tes Magazine and Chief Judge of the Awards said: “The Tes Independent School Awards is a celebration of the fantastic achievements of the independent sector. These winning and shortlisted schools have shown ingenuity, ambition and perseverance during what has been an unbelievably challenging year.”

The Tes Independent School Awards were held virtually for the first time in April to comply with the ongoing coronavirus restrictions.

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Learning 2-8

E

very day is a new adventure for children at St Peter’s 2-8. The children are given a new theme each term centred around a high-quality text which immerses children in learning. Our thematic approach helps children to become ‘experts’ in their theme, which unfolds and develops throughout the term.

Adventures on our doorstep In the autumn term, Reception embarked on an adventure around the school campus to discover all things related to the number ‘1’. They enjoyed visiting Mr Walker’s office, where they found one Head Master wearing one tie. Well done Reception!

Year 2 learnt about Australian animals including wombats, koalas and kangaroos.

Mrs Mckie answered their weird and wonderful questions and the children learnt fascinating facts about these special creatures. Did you know Wombats can run 25mph and have cube shaped poo?!

Reception also had a go at scrumping apples from Mr Walker’s garden! Reception used their teamwork skills to reach the apples on the taller branches. They then carried their apples back to school to chop them into a yummy, stewed apple treat.

The children also learnt about the importance of protecting the habitats of Australian animals in January 2020, when we heard about the terrible bush fires in Australia.

Mrs Mckie’s Virtual Talk Our family of schools love to help each other learn and grow. In the autumn term, Year 2 had a special virtual talk with Mrs Mckie from St Peter’s 13-18 Science Department.

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Resilient Romans Year 3 engaged in some innovative activities in the autumn term to support their learning theme, the Resilient Romans.

They underwent serious training at Forest School to discover what life might have

been like for the Romans. Our little adventurers built their own huts and cooked with apples, showcasing their impressive resilience and survival skills as they worked successfully as a team.

The children have also used a fantastic range of techniques in class to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the Resilient Romans. In art they drew Pantheons and moulded their own Romaninspired clay pottery, whilst in cookery classes they have made edible Roman Rocky Road.

Year 3 also created visitor guides for tourists visiting ancient Rome and used apps to transport themselves back in time.

Wild Robots Year 1’s learning theme for the spring term was inspired by their book ‘The Wild Robot’. Pupils followed Roz on her

adventures making friends amidst danger and hardship.

As part of National Storytelling week, our Year 1 children designed their own puppet characters from their theme story ‘The Wild Robot’ showing their creativity and imagination. They used their puppets to create their very own films at home inspired by their favourite scene from the book. They made their own settings using recyclable modeling materials, wrote their own scripts and edited everything together using clever movie apps such as Spark video or iMovie.

Staff sent invitations out in the post for a special Roscars ceremony, which included mocktail recipes. On the day of the Roscars, pupils and staff watched their films whilst sipping mocktails and eating their homemade Robot-themed cakes, dressed in their best finery and all from the comfort of their own homes!

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Batty About Bats Jonathan in Year 2 featured in an edition of The Young Batworker Magazine, after he impressed the Bat Conservation Trust with his bat habitat design.

Year 2 learnt about the natural world in the spring term, including hibernation. The children were asked to research an animal of their choice which hibernates. After producing an information sheet, they then made a habitat box based on the same animal in their art lesson.

Jonathan chose to focus on the vampire bat, one of his favourite animals. He created a detailed fact sheet and designed a cave habitat, complete with hibernating origami bats.

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After seeing the photos of Jonathan’s bat habitat on Twitter, the Bat Conservation Trust contacted St Peter’s School and asked if they could feature Jonathan’s design in the next edition of The Young Batworker Magazine.

Jonathan has always loved bats and one of his favourite superheroes is Batman!

National Book Week Children at St Peter’s 2-8 enjoyed a very exciting week for National Book Week!

Throughout the week the children watched members of staff and monitors reading stories, including the Head Master, Mr Walker. There were also quizzes and prizes, including ‘Who is hiding behind the book?’

Children at St Peter’s 2-8 took on an ‘extreme reading’ challenge and took pictures of themselves reading in some unusual locations. Prizes went to Tilly in her canoe, Sasha who read at great heights, Annaliese for reading in a tree and Alice who read quietly in her bedroom... on top of her wardrobe!

For World Book Day the children dressed up as their favourite character from a book.

This year the theme was ‘Reuse, Recycle and Create’, using items found at home.

Prizes were awarded for the most creative costumes in assembly with an exciting Zoom fashion show. The winners for the most imaginative costumes went to Albert, Aurora, Joseph and Miles.

Grab Your Backpack!

The theme for the summer term at St Peter’s 2-8 was Grab Your Backpack and Let’s Go Travelling! Our pupils enjoyed learning about different cultures and faraway lands.

Reception hosted backpack adventure sessions and used their own travel experiences to direct their learning. Each week, four children from each class shared with their classmates the places they have travelled to around the world. The teachers used their adventures to create an interactive map accessible through a QR code, featuring the children’s photos from their adventures.

Year 1 focused on Asia and the core text Elephants of the Tsunami. The children learnt all about the mistreatment of elephants in Asia and even made a Zoom call to Phuket Elephant Sanctuary to find out more about these amazing creatures. The pupils learnt about different Asian countries along the way, exploring

concepts including faith, spirituality and belief, happiness and dreams, adversity, democracy and strength. They have been chefs, explorers, artists, inventors, builders and much more. They concluded with a Grand Exhibition for parents, to showcase their learning throughout the term and to sell homemade products in aid of the elephants at the sanctuary.

Year 2 learnt about Madagascar and its indigenous plants and animals, including lemurs and vanilla. Pupils explored the world map and oceans including looking at climates, continents and the Equator.

In class, the children discovered the importance of conservation, debated animals in captivity, and baked vanilla biscuits to raise money for the charity Vanilla for Change, which is committed to giving a fair price to vanilla farmers in Madagascar. The pupils had a very extensive reading list including Madagascar, Into the Jungle, One Plastic Bag and The Big Book of Just So Stories.

Year 3’s learning theme was ‘On the Road to Africa’, inspired by their class text The Boy Who Biked The World by Alastair Humphreys. The pupils explored continents and countries around the world and learnt about different cultures and religions, from Christianity to Islam. On their journey they baked French baguettes and explored the work of wonderful artists including Paul Cezanne and Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

The children also researched famous explorers of the past and present and looked at STEM designs of famous landmarks, such as the Blue Mosque in Istanbul and the Egyptian Pyramids. A highlight of the journey was definitely Africa, which inspired the children to create their own Masai Shields in Kenya and Tinga Tinga art in Tanzania.

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Learning 8-13 R

esilience is at the heart of our approach to learning at St Peter’s 8-13, inspired by our Learning Habits and Growth Mindset. The children are encouraged to see mistakes as a crucial part of the learning journey, and adapt to change with an open mind and a willingness to learn. This approach has enabled our pupils to overcome the many challenges they have faced this year, creating a seamless transition between learning at home and in the classroom.

Satellite Libraries Satellite libraries were introduced at St Peter’s 8-13 this year to make sure that our pupils could still benefit from the fantastic range of books available in the Library.

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We are delighted that our pupils have still been able to benefit from the joys of reading during these challenging times.

Although classes were unable to visit the Library for much of the year, they still had access to a great selection of books thanks to Mrs Locket’s new ‘satellite’ libraries.

Vikings!

In the autumn term, J1 pupils enjoyed spending the day as Vikings in a replica Viking settlement based at Murton Park.

The unique educational environment formed part of the history curriculum on their study of Invaders and Settlers.

Mrs Locket created a small ‘satellite’ library for each class bubble. Each bubble had a trolley with around 200 - 300 books, and Mrs Locket carefully chose the books to ensure that they were age specific and covered a range of subjects.

During the course of the day, they were farmers, hoeing the field and craftsmen making clay oil lamps. Children were even able to dress up in period-appropriate costumes and carry out a range of activities including collecting firewood and grinding wheat to make bread.

Guard training was given to help the new settlers protect the village from marauding Saxons. Our pupils certainly took a ‘Viking’ to the day!

Back at school, J1 celebrated with a special Viking Day, acquiring new skills including weaving, making flatbreads and creating Viking inspired jewellery.

Spelling Bee Success Three pupils from St Peter’s 8-13 reached the national final of the Modern Languages National Spelling Bee this year.

Isabelle, Sophie and Will secured their places in the final after competing in the Yorkshire and The Humber regional finals.

Isabelle achieved first place in the German competition, Sophie achieved first place in the French competition and Will came third in the Spanish competition.

This amazing achievement is testament to many hours of dedicated learning and practice.

Latin and Classics Miss Downes awarded merits to several J4 Latin pupils to celebrate their ingenuity and innovation. The pupils translated a short scene of the play ‘In Basilica’ in class and were given two weeks to create their own visual interpretation of the play.

The pupils edited and recorded their videos at home via Zoom or Teams, with innovative results.

Sam and Charles made a video in full toga costume with the background edited to show them in a lawcourt, whilst Elliotte, Heidi and Lexi produced a video with costumes and an appearance from Heidi’s dog, which they managed to record ‘speaking’ using an app to edit the video.

Congratulations also go to Arthur (J3) who entered a national competition with Athena’s Owls to write a new account of a famous Greek myth from the point of view of one of the mythical monsters. Arthur won the 8-13 age category!

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Becky’s Book Review Well done to J5 pupil Becky who had a book review published by Books Up North in March.

Becky, a member of the Books Up North Kids’ Review Panel, wrote a compelling review of Jonathan Stroud’s book The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne.

Set in a broken, future England, the story is the first title in a fantasy teen series with a feisty female heroine.

Becky’s review vividly brings to life the central characters and cleverly explores the central themes of the book, without revealing the plot. According to Becky, “if you enjoy comedy, mixed with thrilling action, this is the book for you.”

Sarah Tyson, from Books Up North, said: “Jonathan’s book is not published yet but after reading Becky’s brilliant review we’re sure you’ll add it to your reading list!”

Young readers who would like to join the Books Up North Kids’ Reviews panel should visit booksupnorth.com Minecraft and Matza Bread From Minecraft to Matza bread, pupils at St Peter’s 8-13 used some innovative learning techniques to fully immerse themselves in the curriculum during lockdown.

Our Saturday Enrichment Programme gave pupils the opportunity to choose their own activities from horse riding to draughts.

Other pupils used their Saturday mornings to respond innovatively to the curriculum, from baking cakes inspired by the journey of a river for Geography to cooking dishes inspired by European dishes for Modern Foreign Languages.

The teachers also encouraged the children to think outside the box when learning from home. As part of their work on Sikhism in Religious Studies, J1 and J2 designed their own Gurdwaras. They were given their brief in the form of an architect’s letter and have used drawing, LEGO and models to bring their plans to life. One of the pupils even used Minecraft to create their designs!

Meanwhile, J3 pupils cooked delicious food associated with the festivals they had been studying in their lessons on Judaism, including potato Latkes and Matza bread, whilst other children made impressive models of Sukkot booths.

Well done to all pupils for adapting so positively to new ways of learning.

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Enterprise Project Our talented pupils at St Peter’s 8-13 are very proud of their finished designs for their Enterprise Project.

Our pupils worked in groups to create a product, adding a design using sublimation techniques. They then made adverts and sold the products online. Project ideas included embroidered jellyfish keyrings, hand-painted flower place mats, and mugs with hand drawn designs.

The Enterprise Project celebrates ingenuity and business sense, giving our pupils an experience of what the world of business is like. This project allowed them to show creativity, co-ordination with others, people management, and analysis and decision making... Skills that our young people will need to thrive.

Each year, the team with the best collaboration, design ideas, advert and profit margin wins. The profits are used to supplement the project the following year, and the rest are given to charity.

Science Week Our annual Science Week returned in the summer term, with a series of exciting activities and tasks for the pupils. Science Week usually involves all pupils at St Peter’s 8-13, but this year we restricted the activities to J5 to comply with Covid-19 restrictions and to ensure that the J5s could enjoy their final Science Week. The chemistry challenge involved making a rainbow fizz and creating some chemical rockets, whilst the physics challenge required the pupils to use their knowledge of stable shapes to build a tower from spaghetti and marshmallows.

Ms Miller also did a lesson of ‘explosions’ to demonstrate to each class - including the whoosh bottle and methane bubbles.

Mindfulness in Schools Our J4 pupils have been taking part in the mindfulness programme throughout the year, including during lockdown. Mr Draper led the 10-week .b (Dot B) course, which was created by the Mindfulness in Schools Project.

The pupils have learnt different strategies including how to be mindful and how to cope with everyday stresses and distractions.

They have undertaken simple practices whilst sitting, walking, standing, or moving, bringing mindful awareness into everyday life. This has enabled them to bring calm and focus to the start and end of their lessons and activities in school. The pupils have even started to lead short mindfulness sessions in their classes and are continuing to practise mindfulness each week as part of the PSHE programme.

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Learning 13-18 I

t has been another challenging academic year at St Peter’s, once again requiring our teaching staff to find innovative ways of delivering our varied and inspiring curriculum both remotely and in the classroom. The pupils have embraced new approaches to learning and their academic progress has been extraordinary despite the challenges they have faced.

Poetry Competition As part of our National Poetry Day celebrations, the St Peter’s Library and English Department organised a poetry competition for all pupils at St Peter’s 13-18.

The competition was linked to the MFL Department’s activities for European Day of Languages and to the Lessons for Life Department’s work with World Mental Health Day. Congratulations to the winners Niamh, Max, Beth, George and Abigail.

Booker Prize Debate Pupils and staff at St Peter’s School, York, hosted their own Booker Prize Debate on 17 November.

Upper Sixth pupils and staff members gathered in the Library to hear shortlisted books being heartily defended by Upper Sixth pupils and teaching staff. Each book was represented by two Upper Sixth pupils and a member of the English Department.

Audience members were then asked to cast their vote to determine the winning book.

This year’s winning book was Who They Was by Gabriel Krauze, defended by Issy,

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Khushi and Miss Todd. Issy and Khushi each received copies of the officially shortlisted titles to add to their own personal book collections. They also received copies of the novel Who They Was signed by Gabriel Krauze, after the author read about their success at the St Peter’s School Booker Prize Debate on Twitter!

Lessons for Life Lessons for Life have been introduced this year, designed to better prepare our pupils for the next steps in life after school.

Lessons for Life is a bespoke programme, both encapsulating but going beyond statutory PSHE provision. All pupils spend six weeks focusing specifically on Mental Health and Wellbeing, with a lean towards learning practical skills necessary to develop positive mental health themselves and identify the first signs of poor mental health in themselves and others.

Making every moment count Our Maths pupils have performed exceptionally well this year, making every moment count.

5%

They performed exceptionally well and made it to the top

Jimmy and Thomas from Third Form have been nominated to join the prestigious York Mathematical Excellence Club in recognition of their mathematical skills.

York Mathematical Excellence Club (y=mx+c) provides coaching and support for the most able young mathematicians in the city.

At the start of November, 52 of our most able maths pupils attempted the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge. 41 of those pupils achieved either gold, silver or bronze results, which places them in the top 60% of all participants nationally.

Of those 52, the top 11 pupils managed to progress to the next round of either the Kangaroo or Olympiad round.

The results from last year’s Intermediate Maths Challenge further rounds have also arrived, after a delay due to lockdown. 3 pupils took part in the Grey Kangaroo, achieving one merit and two qualifications. 5 pupils took part in the Pink Kangaroo, achieving two merits and 3 qualifications. The best 3 intermediate pupils took on the challenge of the prestigious Olympiad round, which is reserved for the top 1,500 pupils in the country, obtaining one merit and two distinctions.

52

Finally, in October a group of Lower Sixth pupils entered the annual Ritangle competition, hosted by Integral Maths.

Ben, Hugo, Theo, Josh and Wilf successfully completed all preliminary rounds in October and worked throughout November and December to successfully complete 24 challenging maths problems. They performed exceptionally well and made it to the top 5% of all teams entering!

School Trips School trips made a welcome return this year. Our Geography pupils returned to the field in the autumn term, exploring York and the Yorkshire coastline to collect data for an investigation they had designed. The pupils chose to investigate urban and coastal landscapes close to York, from Bootham to Bridlington. They investigated a variety of phenomena from pollution patterns in York to environmental damage on the sand dunes at Bridlington. Our Geography pupils also enjoyed trips to Dalby Forest and Bridlington in the summer term, a welcome opportunity to stretch their legs after the spring term lockdown.

In the summer term, our Upper Sixth English pupils ventured to Windsor to see

of our most able maths pupils attempted the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge

60%

of all teams entering!

which places them in the top of all participants nationally

41 11

of those pupils achieved either gold, silver or bronze results

pupils managed to progress to the next round of either the Kangaroo or Olympiad round

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Hamlet performed at the Theatre Royal.

They thoroughly enjoyed the play and the opportunity to enjoy one last trip together before leaving St Peter’s.

Biology Fourth Form pupils really got to the ‘heart’ of the subject in their biology lessons in the spring term. Every year Fourth Form pupils dissect lambs’ hearts as part of their GCSE biology curriculum, giving them an important insight into the anatomy of the human heart.

It wasn’t possible for pupils to dissect hearts at school this year due to ongoing lockdown restrictions. Instead, six willing pupils offered to dissect hearts at home whilst their classmates observed the dissections on Zoom. Pupils and parents liaised with their local butchers to source the hearts and the dissections took place on kitchen tables and worktops, instead of the biology lab.

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Following the lesson, a St Peter’s School parent commented: “I’ve been eavesdropping on the heart dissection lesson and I’ve never seen my son so engaged. Well done to Mr Stephen covering remote biology. Awesome job.”

Laurentius Lectures We launched our Laurentius Lecture series this year with a series of fascinating lectures delivered by pupils in the Lower Sixth.

The Laurentius Lecture series provides an opportunity for Academic Scholars at St Peter’s to share ideas on topics that are of interest to them. Pupils deliver a short lecture of fifteen minutes to their peer group, the Head Master, the Head of Scholars and members of staff with a particular speciality in a given area, followed by questions from the floor.

This year’s programme showed a breadth and variety of interests from Sustainability,

Neuroscience, Law, Artificial Intelligence and Veterinary science through to aspects of Music, Fine Art, Linguistics, History, Literature and Design.

Bon Appetite!

The Modern Foreign Languages Department delivered a series of cultural events for our pupils in the summer term. Our Lower Sixth pupils enjoyed a tapas-tasting session in May, our Third Form pupils participated in Zumba-style sessions to Spanish music, and our Fourth Form pupils indulged in a French picnic for breakfast. Fourth Form were also invited to a Spanish Cultural Evening in June, which included talks, salsa dancing and continental cuisine. Although foreign travel remains challenging, it has been wonderful to see our pupils engaging with different cultures through the curriculum.

Supreme Essay Writing Skills Lower Sixth pupil Justin was awarded second place in The Supreme Court

of the United Kingdom’s Essay Writing Competition this year.

Justin chose to focus on ‘Does the law do enough to balance the right to religious freedom against the possibility of unjustified discrimination?’ He developed a clear thesis focused on two relevant Supreme Court cases, Bull v Hall and Lee v Ashers Baking Company, and his essay was judged by the Judicial Assistants who work at the Court.

Justin, who boards at St Peter’s School, explained how the unexpected lockdown gave him the opportunity to do more research than he could have done in normal school days. Justin spent a month and a half researching his chosen subject, formulating his arguments and writing the essay, alongside his A Level studies in English, Mathematics, Politics and Religious Studies.

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Exam Results T

he cancellation of exams in summer 2021 again presented teachers and pupils with unforeseen challenges including the introduction of Teacher Assessed Grades.

Pupils and teachers have all adapted to new ways of learning and the staff at St Peter’s worked tirelessly to ensure the assessment process was carried out to the highest standards.

2021, 56.8% of GCSE results were awarded at grades 9-8

52%

2019, 46% of GCSE results were awarded at grades 9-8

91%

2020, 92% of A Level and equivalent Pre-U examinations awarded at A*–B

85%

Our Fifth Form and Upper Sixth pupils have achieved so much over the last two years under the most difficult circumstances. We applaud their maturity, resilience and whole-hearted commitment to their studies which they have continued to demonstrate throughout these challenging times. This year’s results are a fitting reward for all their hard work.

56.8%

2020, 52% of GCSE results were awarded at grades 9-8

GCSE Results 56.8% of GCSE results were awarded at grades 9 and 8, with 75.7% at grades 9 to 7 and 99% at grades 9 to 4 (grade C and above).

Mr Walker said: “I am incredibly proud of our Fifth Form pupils. They already make a valuable contribution to life at St Peter’s and we look forward to seeing their skills, values and interests develop further as they progress to Sixth Form.”

46%

2021, 91% of A Level and equivalent Pre-U examinations awarded at A*–B

92%

2019, 85% of A Level and equivalent Pre-U examinations awarded at A*–B

A Level Results 91% of A Level results were awarded at A* to B, and almost all pupils achieved grades from A* to C. 37% of all grades were awarded at A*, with 13 pupils achieving all A* grades and 15 pupils achieving four or more A Levels at A*/A. Mr Walker said: “Possibly more than any other year, I want to recognise the efforts of all of our Upper Sixth pupils. They have worked extraordinary hard over the last two years, coping with all the trials the global pandemic has brought them. In spite of, or perhaps because of, the situation they have faced, these young people have achieved a huge amount and I hope they will go on to lead fulfilled lives after school.”

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Key Moments

g n i s i r p r e t En

Young Pupils

A

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group of enterprising Lower Sixth pupils reached the European finals of the Young Enterprise Company of the Year competition, organised by Young Enterprise.

20

pupils in the business The Young Enterprise Group launched a social enterprise called ‘Caring Through Cooking’ in the autumn term. Their mission was to bring generations together with a cookbook designed to enable families of people affected by Dementia-related diseases to partake in the simple act of cooking.

There were 20 pupils in the business, ten of whom sat on the board of directors. The pupils were appointed to key roles including Managing Director, Head of Marketing and Head of Sales. Together they built a business which went from strength to strength and raised over £1,200 for the Alzheimer’s Society through the sale of their cookbook.

The Young Enterprise Group progressed to the National Finals after winning the North Yorkshire County Final and the North East, Yorkshire & Humber Regional Final. They were one of only 12 teams in the UK to reach the National Final, representing the best student businesses in the country.

The pupils were awarded the Innovation and Technology Award in the National Final and progressed to the European Company of the Year Finals after achieving third place in the UK round of the competition.

Achieving

3rd place in the UK round of the competition

Raised over

£1,200

for the Alzheimer’s Society One of only

12

teams in the UK to reach the National Final

Lucy White, Managing Director, said: “Reaching the European Finals is an amazing achievement and we have received helpful and constructive feedback from the judges. We are incredibly passionate about our product. Through the everyday act of cooking, we aim to bring generations together and create a spark of joy and a glimmer of happiness for families affected by Dementia.”

Mr Dom Shread, who co-ordinates the group, said: “I have been astounded by the growth in confidence, hard-work and entrepreneurial spirit displayed by the pupils. I am so proud of everything they have achieved.”

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Art & Design

A

rt and Design forms a vibrant part of school life. Our innovative pupils bring their creative ideas to life with the support of our Art Departments and Design & Technology Departments, with each year bringing new and exciting opportunities

St Peter’s 2-8 Art and design play a central role in our thematic approach at St Peter’s 2-8, and the children are encouraged to draw, paint, and create in response to their learning themes and special events throughout the year.

Poppy Designs The children at St Peter’s 2-8 learnt about Remembrance and the symbolism of poppies in the autumn term. Inspired by their lessons, the children all created a poppy using different designs. Some of the designs featured striking black and white photos of the pupils’ hands with painted poppies. Other designs were inspired by mosaics, with small red and black tiles used to decorate the poppies. The beautiful designs were attached to the fence on Clifton Courts for Remembrance Day. Christmas Wish Bauble Day St Peter’s 2-8 celebrated Christmas early this year with a special Christmas Wish Bauble Day. The children decorated their own baubles before writing a Christmas wish to be placed inside their bauble. The baubles were added to the Christmas Trees in the school Foyer and Library on Friday 27 November, with designated timeslots for each class bubble to make their Christmas wish.

Christmas Craft Day Pupils at St Peter’s 2-8 had lots of festive fun during their Christmas Craft Day on 10 December. Children in Reception and Years 1, 2 and 3 enjoyed a range of activities including icing Snowmen biscuits, creating paper Christmas Wreaths, making 3D Rudolphs and an assortment of festive figures, and taking part in Christmas relay races and snowmen races.

Nursery children created Christmas Trees, angels and reindeer hats to take home.

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St Peter’s 8-13 Rocking Robins Pupils at St Peter’s 8-13 made clay robin decorations to take home for Christmas. The pupils created their robins in their Art & Design classes and each decoration features a robin sitting on a log and wearing a Christmas hat. The robins were crafted from clay, before being fired, painted and glazed. The process started several weeks before the end of term, to ensure that the robins would be ready in time for the children to take them home at Christmas.

Lockdown Learning Art and Design lessons continued throughout lockdown at St Peter’s 8-13.

J2 created colourful paper animals in their Design and Technology lessons using card, paper and other materials found at home. The designs ranged from bees and butterflies to frogs and birds.

J3 developed their watercolour painting skills in Art by painting adorable baby Emperor penguins at home. Miss Leaver was very impressed by their compositions.

Meanwhile, J4 learnt about one- and two-point perspective in their Design and Technology lessons. Miss Leaver asked them to think about horizon lines, light sources, oblique angles and the basic principles of isometric drawing.

Finally, J5 created some stunning artwork using watercolour paints, from brightly coloured parrots to delicate wildflowers. They also practised their pencil drawing skills, using pencil sharpeners as their subject matter.

Photo Competition We organised a Lockdown Life Photo Competition for children and parents at St Peter’s 8-13 during the lockdown in the spring term. Participants were asked to enter up to 3 images that conveyed aspects of what ‘Lockdown Life’ looked like for them.

The year group winners were chosen by our special guest judge, Michael Blyth, a professional photographer based in Wiltshire. Well done to our winners, Alistair, James, Nicola, Heidi, Lizzy and Thomas and thank you to everyone who took part.

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St Peter’s 13-18 Makerspace The Design and Technology Department launched MAKERSPACE this year, an exciting new Co-Curricular club. Makerspace gives pupils the opportunity to pick up a new skill, work with exciting materials and components and meet with like-minded, creative and inquisitive people. We’ve strived to make the club accessible to all (even staff) so that there really is something for everyone.

Sessions take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school and the most popular session this year was mask-making, with pupils and staff choosing unique and innovative designs to create their own face masks. They have also made bird boxes, embossed leather bookmarks and laser cut Christmas decorations, to name but a few.

Primo Art Exhibition On Monday 8 March we launched ‘Primo!’, an exhibition of Third Form art in the Whitestone Gallery which ran until 3 May. Visitors were able to enjoy a spectacular exhibition of artwork created by the Third Form, showcasing a wide variety of techniques and skills, from painting, drawing, printmaking, photographs, mixed media and ceramics.

Stations of the Cross We collaborated with York Minster to create a special Stations of the Cross exhibition for Holy Week. The exhibition was on display in Dean’s Park in the weeks leading up to Easter, featuring artwork created by pupils at St Peter’s School.

The pupils who created the Stations were thrilled to see their artwork on public display after a twelve month delay due to Covid-19. Scarlett Ellis, one of the pupils, said: “I am very proud to have been chosen to display my ceramic artwork at the Minster, representing St Peter’s School.”

The exhibition featured nine Stations of the Cross, starting with the moment when Jesus was condemned to death and concluding with Jesus rising from the tomb. Each Station was accompanied by an interpretation panel, including a passage from the Bible, aids to reflection and a prayer.

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Design and Technology Awards Our Fourth Form Design and Technology pupils were eager to get back into the workshop in March after lockdown. The pupils each made a USB-powered desk lamp, shaping their moulds to vacuum form; casting their Jesmonite bases; laminating their plywood veneer stands; 3D printing their shades and soldering their circuits up in the final assembly!

Four pupils received Design and Technology Awards in recognition of their hard work. Best Portfolio went to Maggie, Edison won the Design Risk Taker Award, Sophia won the GRIT Award, and Meriel received the Best Executed Product Award.

Kibo Cranes Penny Phillips, local artist and Ceramics Teacher at St Peter’s School, York, collaborated with York Minster on an inspiring community art project this summer. Families, children and schools across York were invited to participate in the Kibo Cranes project, which saw hundreds of paper cranes displayed in the central crossing of York Minster as part of a summer exhibition.

The Kibo Cranes exhibition was inspired by the Japanese tradition of creating paper cranes as a sign of hope or ‘kibō’, and children were encouraged to make origami cranes to express their feelings about the last year. Pupils and staff at St Peter’s School alone made over 500 cranes for the exhibition, many of which were designed by our boarders.

Imagine 20 and 21 Each year, we host an end-of-year exhibition of pupil artwork called ‘Imagine’ in the Whitestone Gallery, but last year’s full exhibition was sadly delayed due to lockdown and we were only able to host a small exhibition of Upper Sixth artwork. This year we were delighted to host Imagine 21 in the Whitestone Gallery, featuring artwork from pupils across the school with a particular emphasis on Upper Sixth and Fifth Form art. We also hosted Imagine 20 in the Dining Hall to celebrate our talented pupils who were unable to display their work in 2020. Both exhibitions featured artwork created using a variety of materials and highlighted the remarkable artistic talent of our pupils.

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Clubs & Societies T

here are over 80 different co-curricular clubs and activities at St Peter’s School. Children at St Peter’s 2-8 can choose from up to 30 activities, with the choice and variety of activities increasing as they move through the school.

Our extensive co-curricular programme has continued to thrive this year, despite the challenges posed by year group bubbles and another national lockdown. Debating, Duke of Edinburgh, CCF, Eco Club, Keystone, Community Action and Radio 627 all continued online, alongside a variety of other co-curricular activities in sports, music, drama and the arts.

CCF The Combined Cadet Force battled against the odds in the autumn term to ensure that their newest recruits could celebrate their passing out parade. After returning to school in September they trained weekly, with activities including drill and weapon handling.

Following a successful training schedule, the newest five recruits received their berets on Tuesday 13 October with a special passing out parade at school. Promotions to Lance Corporal were awarded to Ella and Lucas, with Lucas being named ‘Best Recruit’.

The parade would have traditionally been held in the summer after their final exercise, but the recruits were unable to finish their training earlier in the year due to lockdown restrictions. The recruits joined a team of 22 cadets at St Peter’s in the Fifth and Sixth Form, and were joined by Fourth Form pupils who began their basic training after October half term.

The CCF also continued to meet weekly over Zoom during lockdown in the spring term.

In addition to short lessons on military topics, cadets were encouraged to take part in the weekly Contingent Challenge, in the form of a military themed puzzle to solve.

Thankfully, the CCF were still able to enjoy their annual camp from 15-16 July. Fourteen cadets took part in the CCF Annual Camp, which was reduced to two nights this year with a day training at Driffield Training Area followed by an overnight camp in the school grounds.

The cadets demonstrated excellent teamwork during all of the challenges presented to them and enjoyed the opportunity to put their recently acquired skills to practice.

Lance Corporal Ella said: “I love CCF because it is completely different to other cocurricular activities. Through CCF I have developed important teamwork skills and made new friends. I really missed drill over the summer, so it has been great to get back to training this term.”

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Debating The Debating Society returned to socially distanced, face to face debating in September, with pupils tackling topical, controversial and sometimes satirical topics to develop their research, debating and public speaking skills.

Three pupils from St Peter’s School also reached the Grand Final of the ESU Churchill Public Speaking Competition 2021. Third Form (Year 9) pupils Victoria, Eliyah and Evie became Regional Champions following the regional round of the ESU Churchill Public Speaking Competition on Friday 19 March.

The regional round, which was hosted online via Zoom, featured six teams including two teams from St Peter’s School, and teams from schools across the North East.

Evie was named Best Speaker of the round with a speech entitled ‘Is Social Media Still Guilty of Limiting Our Political Viewpoint?’

Meanwhile, Eliyah and Victoria were Questioner and Chair respectively for the speech entitled ‘Man is born free, and is everywhere in chains’ (Jean-Jacques Rousseau).

The prestigious ESU Churchill Public Speaking Competition, sponsored by the International Churchill Society, is the largest such contest in England and Wales, with around 400 teams.

Each team comprises a speaker, questioner and a chairperson. The different roles allow pupils to practise and excel in different skill sets, and the competition’s unique format, which pairs the speaker from one school with the chair and questioner of another, encourages quick thinking and relationship building.

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132

pupils have completed practice and qualifying Duke of Edinburgh expeditions this year Duke of Edinburgh Working towards the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award can be a life-changing experience. Pupils discover new interests and talents, have fun with friends and develop essential skills for life and work. 132 pupils have completed practice and qualifying Duke of Edinburgh expeditions this year, despite restrictions on school trips.

There are five sections to complete the Gold level, including the Volunteering section which encourages pupils to give time to help people, the community or society, or the environment. Pupils are encouraged to look to their local area to complete the volunteering section of their award.

All pupils must set up their own volunteering initiatives, giving at least one hour of their own time each week over twelve months. Many of our pupils have had to adapt and find new volunteering opportunities due to Covid-19 restrictions, whilst others have been inspired by volunteering activities which have arisen as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hannah from the Upper Sixth volunteers at the York Covid-19 vaccination centre at Askham Bar, whilst Upper Sixth pupils Holly and Maddie volunteer in the Royal Voluntary Service Café at Foss Park Hospital. Other pupils who have identified innovative ways to volunteer include Megan, who tutors a girl from the Ukraine on Zoom; Emily, who helps a young individual develop her skills and confidence when playing the piano; Charlotte, who goes litter picking in her local village; and Melissa, who has been volunteering with Kent Mapping Online to put local businesses in Kent ‘on the map’.

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Keystone Despite lockdown restrictions, budding journalists in the Sixth Form successfully published the latest edition of Keystone, our pupil-led school magazine.

Keystone is a periodical written and edited by Sixth Formers interested in the creative arts and contemporary culture at St Peter’s School. All liaison with the publishers, design, editing and distribution are the responsibility of the pupil team, led by a designated chief editor.

This year, the production of the magazine was delayed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, but the pupils continued to collaborate remotely using cloud-based software to produce a professional quality magazine. Keystone - The Covid-19 Edition, with its iconic front cover, explores topical issues from Black Lives Matter to mental health, and is a snapshot of life as a young person in the years 2020-21.

In recognition of their hard work, the magazine went on to win the ‘Rising Stars 2021 Award’ at the Shine School Awards in August, the most prestigious school media awards in the UK! Sirius Society This year we launched a new society for pupils interested in furthering their involvement in academic pursuits beyond the classroom. The Sirius Society, named after our Headmaster of 1094, is a pupil-led society for pupils who want to generate ideas for talks, trips, discussion groups and clubs that will further their understanding of subjects and inform vocational choices.

Sirius means ‘bright, shining star’ in Latin and the Sirius Society provides a platform for our pupils to shine. The Society is chaired by a Lower Sixth pupil and supported by Ambassadors who have a particular passion for certain subjects or vocational areas such as Law, Medicine, Engineering or Marketing.

Ambassadors are encouraged to organise events and discussions alongside teaching staff specialists for the benefit of all pupils at St Peter’s 13-18.

On Tuesday 24 November, pupils enjoyed the inaugural Sirius Society event. Pupils joined a Motorsport Engineering Q&A with Old Peterite Jonny MacGregor (Queen’s 2002) for their first Academic Extension Talk via Zoom.

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Drama

I

t has been another difficult year for Drama pupils and teaching staff, with a number of performances postponed or restricted due to year group bubbles and national lockdowns. Still, teachers and staff in all three sections of the school have worked hard to deliver a number of outstanding productions this year.

The show must go on!

Ho Ho Ho What A Show Children from St Peter’s 2-8 performed a number of Christmas shows for family and friends to enjoy at home. Over 235 children took part in five performances in December, which were livestreamed using a special streaming service. The login details were shared with parents who were able to watch the shows remotely.

Nursery sang a selection of Christmas Singsongs whilst Reception performed Ho Ho Ho What a Show. Year 1 chose an alternative nativity called Prickly Hay whilst Year 2 performed The Nutcracker. The performances concluded with Year 3’s production Lights, Camel, Action, featuring dancing camels and a tango dance between shepherds and their brooms.

Mr Phil Hardy, Head of St Peter’s 2-8, said: “It is so important that the children can feel the magic and wonder of Christmas at school, and at St Peter’s 2-8 we transformed our main hall into a film set allowing children from Nursery to Year 3 to each perform their Christmas show.”

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Over

235

part in k o o t children rformances five pe cember in De

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Drama Workshops In the autumn term, pupils at St Peter’s 8-13 learnt a range of techniques in their drama lessons, from monologues to characterisation.

Pupils watched lockdown monologues before creating their own duologues to be performed to their class. Pupils were encouraged to think about facial expressions and pauses when performing their duologues.

Our younger pupils enjoyed a special Mr Men and Little Miss drama workshop. The children were asked to choose a character and act out their chosen adjectives.

Following the workshop, pupils wrote their own books and created new characters based on different adjectives. This was a challenge as there are already 79 Mr Men and Little Miss characters!

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d ehearse n r s l i p u o J5 p roducti p r i e h t for summer d i M A of Dream ’s t h g i N

A Midsummer Night’s Dream 38 of our J5 pupils spent the autumn term rehearsing for their production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream as part of the Shakespeare Schools Festival.

Despite disruptions to the rehearsal schedule, the pupils successfully stage managed the production, complete with costumes, sound and lighting. The final performance was recorded and shared with their peers on Wednesday 9 December in the Shepherd Hall.

Drama teacher Ms Bev Veasey, who co-ordinated the production, said: “I think that the disruptions to rehearsals and delayed performance times has really bonded the group. There was no way we were going to be cancelled without a fight and I am immensely proud of the way the cast and crew maintained their enthusiasm despite the project overrunning by three weeks.”

The Shakespeare Schools Festival is the world’s largest youth drama festival. Schools who participate perform half-hour abridged versions of Shakespeare’s plays in local, professional theatres all over the United Kingdom, with 20,000 children participating each year.

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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory At St Peter’s 8-13, the whole of J3 are usually involved in a large-scale musical production during the Easter Term. Usually, rehearsals start in December and pupils practise all the way up to Easter. This year pupils put on their own adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in just three weeks!

Due to Covid the production did not involve any singing, and Ms Veasey was also unable to cast and rehearse in the usual way, holding the auditions online instead. Pupils even made their own props and costumes due to theatrical hire places being closed due to lockdown.

90 pupils (4 full classes) were involved in the production, which was split into four parts so that each of the J3 classes had their own section of the story to tell.

90

p (4 full c upils las involve ses) were d in produc the tion

The performance was recorded by Mr Falconer so that family and friends could watch the show from home. Ms Veasey was particularly pleased to see the finished production, as she gained special dispensation from the Dahl Trust for the J3s to perform the play during lockdown.

Practice Makes Perfekt At the end of each academic year, all J1s participate in a play in which every child has a speaking part. The production usually involves a number of songs and dances, and although the pupils were unable to sing this year due to Covid-19 restrictions they certainly made up for it with lots of dancing! The production of Practice Makes Perfekt involved 70 pupils and was filmed by Mr Falconer for parents to enjoy at home. The J1s performed in front of a live audience of J2s, who thoroughly enjoyed the production.

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LAMDA Success LAMDA pupils at St Peter’s School achieved excellent results once again this year.

Of the 42 candidates who sat their exams at St Peter’s 8-13 in March, we had a clean sweep of 42 distinctions across the whole school ranging from Introductory Poetry exams through to and including Grade 5 Acting Performance exams.

At Peter’s 13-18 opportunities to study Public Speaking exams are encouraged and a particular mention goes to Oaken who was awarded his Grade 7 Public Speaking with Distinction. As part of this exam Oaken was required to write and present a speech about a Moral or Ethical issue and a contrasting speech of his own choice. He also had to deliver an impromptu speech, with just 15 minutes to prepare having been given a choice of 3 topics!

Other notable achievements were from Madison Hill with a High Distinction for her Grade 5 Acting and Ella and Jazz who were star duo LAMDA partners and achieved their Grade 8 Gold Medal with Distinctions whilst preparing for their A Level finals.

LAMDA is the UK’s largest statutory speech and drama awarding body, with a global reputation for excellence. LAMDA sessions are fun and improve communication skills, teamwork, memory skills and creativity, allowing pupils to become self-motivated and self-disciplined as they are encouraged to meet learning deadlines.

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ctions n i t s i D

Putting on a Show Upper Sixth pupils celebrated the end of the autumn term with a special performance, broadcast virtually for friends and family members to enjoy from home.

Due to social distancing regulations, it wasn’t possible to organise the full school musical this year. However, the Drama Department at St Peter’s pulled out all the stops to ensure that the Upper Sixth pupils could still put on a show.

On Friday 4 December, the Drama Studio was turned into a film studio by Miss Burns, and our fantastic pupils performed live to a small Upper Sixth audience and at least 200 people via TV screens. The production was live streamed as a one-off performance and the audience applied for free tickets in advance.

The production included two Acts featuring the play ‘Elephant’s Graveyard’ by George Brant and a montage of “Songs from the Shows”. In the first Act, each cast member really brought their characters to life for the audience. The circus folk were vibrant and sparky and the townspeople were excited and righteous.

The singing in the second Act was professional and a joy to listen to and watch.

Lower Sixth pupils worked towards an outdoor performance to be produced in the Summer Term, with live music and gritty themes, whilst Fifth Form pupils worked on a devised piece based on the Hindu story of Ramayana.

Fourth Form pupils have also formed a drama improvisation group and are looking at new writing and in particular a play about young unaccompanied refugees.

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Music

M

usic is the heartbeat of life at St Peter’s School and this year has been no different. Our Music Departments have continued to deliver high quality performances against all the odds, and we were also privileged to become the Choir School for York Minster in September 2020. Congratulations to all of our pupils and staff for everything they have achieved.

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The children learnt over Making Music Class music lessons resumed at St Peter’s 2-8 in September, along with individual music lessons and bubble choirs for Years 2 and 3. In the autumn term the children learnt over 40 new songs and there were a total of 430 individual music lessons!

Year 3 also hosted a special concert for parents via Zoom. The children celebrated their musical talents with solo performances and choir singing. Some of the children were brave enough to perform solos on their instrument for the first time.

The children continued to make music from home during the national lockdown in the spring term. Children in Reception and Year 2 made musical instruments from recycled objects, Year 1 learnt a new alphabet song, and Year 3 continued to expand their musical repertoire.

Musical Notes In the summer term our Reception and Nursery children had a special visit from Cherry and Cecelia - members of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

40

new songs There were a total of

430

individual music lessons!

Cherry brought with her some recorders and an oboe and Cecelia played the double bass.

They took the children on a magical journey exploring different songs using music from the Baroque and Classical periods of music. The children enjoyed conducting Cherry to the pasta song from Italy and had to keep up with a runaway train!

Our children in Nursery, Year 2 and Year 3 were also treated to a fantastic workshop with Billy Hickling from ‘The Trash Bang Man’. Billy has been Musical Director for the stage show STOMP! so the children had lots of fun learning new rhythms to play and even a few tricks with beaters. All the instruments were made from recycled materials proving you can make music with just about any old junk! They loved making lots of noise and it was a lovely musical finish to an unusual year.

New Music Pods When we returned to school in September, the children at St Peter’s 8-13 were delighted to see the addition of four beautiful music pods for individual music lessons. The pods have given us more music teaching space, to support the delivery of 270 individual lessons each week given by an amazing team of 26 instrumental and vocal specialists.

The children threw themselves back into music-making and it was lovely to see the joy on their faces. It has also been wonderful to hear the sounds of the York Minster Choristers rehearsing in the Music Studio each morning.

270

individual lessons each week

An amazing team of

26

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We enjoyed

35

concerts Approximately

450

performances

21

ensemble performances

10

staff performances Over

200

children involved

Ensembles Virtualosity Pupils at St Peter’s 8-13 extended their weekly Virtualosity Concert to include all ensembles in the school at Christmas.

The Virtualosity concerts usually feature solo performances from individual pupils, but the Music Department were determined to showcase the school’s fantastic ensembles with a special Christmas performance.

107 pupils participated in the Ensembles Virtualosity Concert. Each ensemble was recorded separately to comply with social distancing regulations and the performances have been edited together to create a virtual concert.

The concert included String Ensembles from J1, J2, J3, J4 and J5, Wind Bands from J1, J3 and J4, Brass Ensembles from J3, J4 and J5, the J2 Flute Duo, the J5 Cello Ensemble and a J1 Duet.

Virtualosity In March we celebrated one year of Virtualosity concerts at St Peter’s 8-13. What started out as a small project during lockdown has turned into a huge unstoppable force.

At the start of the first lockdown, Mrs Craven invited our musicians to a weekly lunchtime concert series. The Virtualosity concerts aimed to keep our musicians motivated during lockdown by giving them a performance to work towards.

The first concert was on Thursday 26 March 2020, and the concerts are still going ahead every week! The pupils perform (in their bubbles) to show off their talents and the concerts are streamed live on YouTube every Friday.

There has been a debut performance every week and each week a new child has asked to take part. Virtualosity is now part of our concert offering in school.

From March 2020-March 2021, we enjoyed 35 concerts, approximately 450 performances, 21 ensemble performances, 10 staff performances, with 10 parents and over 200 children involved.

We have seen performances on the flute, clarinet, saxophone, piano, trombone, trumpet, harp, cornet, electric guitar, bass guitar, drum kit, acoustic guitar, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, double bass, voice, French horn and descant recorder.

Return to Choral Singing It was fabulous to return to choral singing this year. On Monday 7 December, the Upper Sixth Chapel Choir sang Evensong at York Minster. It was the first time that parents had seen their children singing as part of the choir ‘in real life’ since March. The choir included 16 pupils from St Peter’s, accompanied by Keith Wright, Assistant Director of Music at St Peter’s 13-18.

The Upper Sixth Choir also sang five movements of Fauré’s Requiem at a special service of music and readings for Holy Week in the School Chapel on Friday 26 March. The service was recorded for the school community to enjoy from the comfort of their own homes.

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Junior and Senior Music Festivals It was a real joy to hear our talented musicians at St Peter’s 13-18 performing in our Junior and Senior Music Festivals this year. Well done to all those who performed in the semi-finals, and congratulations to those musicians who reached the finals. The standard of playing and singing was very high throughout.

A wide variety of music and instruments were featured, including a full range of orchestral instruments, piano, percussion, singing, bass guitar, harp, mandolin and zither! The repertoire was drawn from across the centuries from Bach to Christina Perri. These were the first major live music events in school since March 2020.

The Junior Music Festival Prize for the outstanding performance of the evening was won

by Edward Hughes on the violin with a beautiful, musical performance of ‘Hatikvah’, a traditional Hebrew melody.

The Senior Music Festival Prize was won by Charlotte Gee with an exciting performance of Miserere Paraphrase by Michael Nyman on the Soprano Saxophone.

Music Concerts The pupils and staff at St Peter’s 13-18 have delivered a number of exceptional concerts this year, all recorded for parents to enjoy at home. Each performance was recorded in year group bubbles in the School Chapel and edited together to create the final production.

The Autumn Concert showcased a wide range of solo pieces with compositions in a variety of styles from Bach to Vaughan Williams. There were also two ensemble performances, with the Clarinet Choir and Chapel Choir.

The Christmas Concert began with baroque music from the Upper Sixth Form String Quartet and moved through different time eras, before concluding with the Girls’ and Boys’ Barbershop groups who entertained the audience with a selection of Christmas classics.

In the spring term, our 6-2-7 concert series returned, with an hour-long concert featuring solo and ensemble performances recorded by pupils at home. The programme included music by Bach, Chopin, Liszt, Beethoven, Reger, Grieg, Fauré, Hisaishi, Gershwin, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Zequinha Abreu, Kit Morgan and Elton John.

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Cabaret It was a very different, distanced Cabaret Concert this year. We aimed to provide the pupils with the best experience that we could within the guidance.

The School Choir was split in half and performed over two nights, with each year group bubble maintained and distanced within themselves and widely spaced in our Memorial Hall.

The Upper Sixth did not disappoint with some wonderful solos. The stage bubble also contained the Swing Band, who provided a fantastic foundation to a number of solos, and the Boys’ and Girls’ Barbershops, who greatly enjoyed their sets, with some highly enjoyable and fun singing. The Clarinet Choir contributed a stylish ‘Tango’ and the School Choir were in fine form with separate items for the boys and girls and a heart-warming combined medley from ‘The Sound of Music’ at the end.

This was a joyful and emotional return to live music and captured the spirit of our Cabaret, which has long been one of the musical highlights of the year at St Peter’s.

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Whole School Performances We were thrilled to host our first Whole Foundation Carol Service in December, featuring music from the choirs of all three sections of the school. We enjoyed performances from the Year 2 Choir, Year 3 Choir, J3 Choir, J4 Choir, the Chapel Choir and the York Minster Choristers.

The Advent Wreath and Christingles were lit as part of the service and families were encouraged to sing along with the carols at home as the service was live-streamed on YouTube.

Year-group ensembles of all ages also had the opportunity to perform in our Whole Foundation Concert in May, which was also broadcast online. The programme showcased a variety of choral and instrumental items, giving a sense of the musical make up of the school.

We were also fortunate to include a contribution from the York Minster Choristers which saw both boys and girls singing together for the first time since Christmas 2019. The concert concluded with a joint item sung by a choir from each school.

Individual Successes Congratulations to all pupils who have achieved individual success in music this year.

Upper Sixth pupil Harrison was offered a place at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London, specialising in voice, and joins a number of pupils who have been accepted into the RAM, RCM, RNCM and Leeds Conservatoire in recent years.

Upper Sixth pupil Tommy passed his Grade 8 drum kit with distinction. Tommy took the challenging and technical exam as a digital grade and he clearly hit all the right notes.

A number of pupils have also achieved excellent results in their ABRSM Music exams, including five diplomas, all at distinction and merit.

Special mentions go to Rupert, who achieved an ARSM in singing with distinction and an ARSM in clarinet with merit, Rachael who achieved an ARSM in clarinet with distinction, and Olivia and Oscar, who both achieved an ARSM in singing with merit.

Congratulations also to Ben who achieved an ATCL in piano with distinction this year.

5

diplomas, all at distinction or merit

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Key Moments

r e t s n i M York

Cover Story

Choristers “I love singing every day and especially singing in the Minster. I like spending time with all my (Bea, J2) chorister friends.”

All choristers and their siblings were guaranteed a place at St Peter’s from September 2020, helping to reassure Minster School parents and pupils during a tumultuous time. Choristers now have full access to our active Music School, one of the largest and most diverse music departments in the UK, and enjoy an outstanding education at St Peter’s 8-13, supplemented by our extensive Co-Curricular programme.

W

ith a shared heritage dating back to 627AD, St Peter’s and York Minster have a long history of collaboration. When York Minster made the difficult decision to close the Minster School in June 2020, we wanted to do everything we could to ensure the continuation of the worldfamous choir and provide the best possible education for the Minster’s 40 girl and boy choristers.

The closure of York Minster during Covid-19 led to a catastrophic loss of visitor income which sadly led to the closure of the Minster School, where the Choristers were educated. To safeguard the Minster’s centuries-old choral tradition, it was essential to secure an alternative education for the choristers.

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The choristers have quickly settled into school life, and their daily routine is carefully scheduled so they can take full advantage of the exciting opportunities offered both at St Peter’s and York Minster. They have enhanced our already excellent music provision, contributing to our thriving Music School by participating in ensembles and inspiring other pupils to pursue their own musical talents.

Lola said: “I really like the school.

The Music Department is amazing and having facilities like the science labs is great. The grounds are big and I have lots of friends. I love being a chorister because I love the music and the services, and I feel calm when I sing.”

Chorister fees continue to be subsidised

by York Minster, to ensure that all local children have the opportunity to join the choir. Located just five minutes’ walk from York Minster, St Peter’s is ideally situated as the new Choir School. It is now the second oldest choir school in England as well as the fourth oldest school in the world.

Jeremy Walker, Head Master, said: “There is a sense of a homecoming and confirmation of the long, entwined relationship between St Peter’s and the Minster. Our music has always been excellent, and this will ensure our ability to provide an outstanding education for the choristers as well as strengthening music at St Peter’s.”

Robert Sharpe, Director of Music at York Minster, said: “The very sad decision to close the Minster School was set alongside an excellent opportunity for our choristers to continue to be educated together a short distance away, and for the Minster’s mission and choral tradition to continue to flourish for years to come.”

St Peter’s School, York, has joined 35 choir schools across the country as a member of the Choir Schools Association, in recognition of its new role as the Choir School for York Minster.

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Life Skills W

e encourage our pupils to develop key skills for life, through the wide variety of co-curricular opportunities available and academic extension programmes which help to prepare our pupils for life after school. Many pupils also hone their skills and interests outside of school, and we are incredibly proud of everything they have achieved this year.

Ready, Steady, Cook!

Cooking lessons start early at St Peter’s 2-8 and even our Nursery children learn basic cookery skills. This year, our Nursery children celebrated Pancake Day by making their own pancakes, although eating the pancakes was definitely the best part of the day!

Children at St Peter’s 2-8 also put their cooking skills to the test with a Healthy Pizza competition, judged by the Development Chef and Director of New Product design at Morrisons’ Supermarket. The judges chose six finalists, who have all received an apron and chef’s hat, and two winners were selected following an official taste test. Their pizzas were created with bespoke packaging and delivered to school on Friday 26 February. Well done to the finalists Esmie, Lexie, Lottie and James and the winners Natalie and Edmund.

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Life Skills Older pupils at St Peter’s learn essential life skills as part of our Wellbeing and Life Skills Programme at St Peter’s 8-13 and our St Peter’s Enrichment Programme at St Peter’s 13-18.

Both programmes are designed to teach pupils important skills required for life after school.

Cooking is an essential part of both programmes, equipping pupils with favourite recipes to impress their family and friends at home. Our older pupils at St Peter’s 13-18 have learnt other valuable skills this year including First Aid Training and Self-Defence.

Bushcraft Day Each year J3 enjoy a Bushcraft Day, which encourages our pupils to develop life skills outside the usual curriculum.

Bushcraft Day is an outdoor activity day designed for the pupils to work together in teams to try new challenges. The four tasks they attempted were: building and making fires in lots of different ways; shelter building and testing them for comfort and resistance to water; building and using a stretcher and purifying water.

When Monty was asked how the morning had been he said “It was brilliant. We made a really cool shelter and it was more like glamping as we put a TV in there to watch!” the TV was in fact a piece of rope in a square, but imagination has no limits.

Heidi’s Eco Wax Melts Enterprising pupil Heidi (aged 11) created her own Eco Wax Melts business from her garage during lockdown.

After just two weeks she had received over 80 orders via Etsy and had made over £800 in sales. Heidi has paid back her original loan and has reinvested most of her profit into more stock and better equipment, so she can scale up her business more quickly.

The starter pack is her best seller. The sales are coming in from far and wide and Heidi has even set up her own Facebook page to market her products.

Andy Falconer, Head of St Peter’s 8-13, said: “We’ve all heard stories of how people have developed new skills during lockdown but Heidi has taken this to a whole new level!

I’m so proud of her entrepreneurial spirit and look forward to watching her on the Dragon’s Den, where she’ll probably be one of the investors.”

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Katie’s Hearing Dog Over the past two years, Katie (Fourth Form) has helped to train, Alba, a golden Labrador, to be a hearing dog for deaf people. Alba has passed all her exams and is now an official Assistance Dog! Thanks to Katie’s hard work and dedication, Alba has passed her exams with flying colours and has been nominated to become a child’s dog, which has very stringent guidelines, so Katie and her family are doubly proud!

Alba will go to an 11-year-old boy who is profoundly deaf. Alba will be his constant companion, sleeping in his room, to ensure he feels safe, happy and confident. It is a bittersweet moment for Katie and her family who have trained Alba for the past two years but also knowing Alba will be a “life changer “ for her new owner.

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Ava’s Films Fourth Form pupil Ava has enjoyed a series of filmmaking successes over the last year.

Ava created a short 3-minute film called ‘Players’ with local neighbours after the first lockdown, and the micro-film has earned Ava a global reputation. It has been screened at 17 Festivals in around 10 countries and has won numerous awards. The film also resulted in Ava being one of just five shortlisted for the IMDb new Filmmaker Award 2020. She is the youngest ever person to be shortlisted in the history of this global and very prestigious award.

Ava also made an epic film entitled Beth during summer 2020 which was premiered in Ilkley in January 2021. Beth was written, directed and edited by Ava with a large cast and crew.

The period piece, set in in 1898, is based around true events at The West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum in Wakefield, later renamed High Royd.

Speaking of her film Beth, Ava said: “This is a film that dodged 2020 Covid restrictions every step of the way - it was clearly meant to be made. Coming out of lockdown, I was very lucky to find brilliant crew who were furloughed from the UK TV industry who were all delighted to be working again!”

We look forward to seeing Ava’s film-making skills develop as she progresses to Sixth Form at St Peter’s.

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Sport

S

ports fixtures were not possible for much of this year, so House Sports became more prominent, helping to boost the physical, social and psychological wellbeing of our pupils. Thank you to our Sports staff for keeping our pupils motivated throughout the year to maintain an active lifestyle, both in school and at home.

St Peter’s 2-8 Super Sports The children at St Peter’s 2-8 have enjoyed practising their sports skills in their PE lessons this year. They have developed their throwing and aiming skills, dribbling skills, endurance skills and much more.

The children also enjoyed a return to competitive sport. In the autumn term, Year 3 participated in a House Hockey tournament, representing their respective Houses and showcasing their impressive skills.

Physical Education is a key area in the curriculum at St Peter’s with all children from Nursery to Year 3 participating in two specialised lessons each week. As the children move up the school swimming lessons become a fantastic addition to their physical education.

The children are taught the skills of many competitive games as well as gymnastics and dance. In Year 3 all of the children experience playing as part of a team in inter-school fixtures providing an important introduction to competitive sport.

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Sports Day The sun was shining for our St Peter’s 2-8 Sports Day this year. Reception and Year 1 competed in the morning and Year 2 and Year 3 in the afternoon.

The children had worked extremely hard on their practical skills in their PE lessons and it was amazing to see them in action. The atmosphere was fantastic, and after a two-year delay, the children were finally able to compete!

All of the children were brilliant, but a particular well done to Martha (Year 1) and Hugh (Reception) and to Micklegate for winning the Reception and Year 1 Sports Day trophy.

Congratulations also to Edward (Year 2) and Noah (Year 3) and to Micklegate and Walmgate, who jointly won the Year 2 and Year 3 Sports Day. It was lovely to welcome parents to spectate both in person and via our live streaming platform. Whether virtually or in person, there was a wonderful atmosphere and the children absolutely loved it.

Particular thanks must go to Miss Flockhart, ably assisted by Miss Beaumont, who organised a fabulous day for the children.

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St Peter’s 8-13 Remote Games Pupils at St Peter’s 8-13 stayed active at home during lockdown thanks to a full PE and Games programme developed by the Sports Department.

The children have demonstrated curiosity and creativity by designing hockey obstacle courses in their gardens and homes, including the innovative ‘crockery hockey’. They have practised alone and with their siblings to improve their hockey drags, 3D control skills and movement patterns.

The Sports Department even hosted a House Hockey left/right drag competition, with each House averaging 40 drags in 30 seconds. Alcuin won with 41.23 drags followed closely

by York with 40.28, Ainsty with 39.65, Fairfax with 39.62 and Elmet with 39.59.

The girls have also created netball circuits to perfect their netball techniques and skills, including passing, pivoting, footwork and change of pace. Some pupils have been focusing on their stamina by completing the Couch to 5k whilst others have been developing their form and techniques with the Sports Departments PE fitness circuits.

Mr Savage said: “We’ve been really pleased with the resilience and perseverance from children who have continued to play a full active part in physical education lessons at home. Their enthusiasm and dedication is clear to see.”

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Sports Day The St Peter’s 8-13 Sports Day was totally different this year. It would have been incredibly difficult to welcome hundreds of spectators on campus along with 360 pupils, all mixing out of their bubbles, in a safe environment. So, instead, the St Peter’s 8-13 Sports Department decided to run each year group’s Sports Day separately.

Normally the children only participate in about two events each, as every child in the school is competing on the same morning. However, this altered format gave the children the opportunity to compete in mini heptathlons, within their Houses. The children all took part in high jump, long jump, ball throw, sprints, middle-distance and long-distance runs. The seniors also had the experience of competing in the javelin, shot put and discus.

During their PE lessons the children practised each event feverishly and then fortunately, we were able to pick five glorious afternoons when each year group could compete against the other Houses. Every child’s individual scores were added up with the rest of the House and we were able to calculate a House average.

It was a close-run affair with York winning on 65 points, Ainsty 67 points, Elmet 69 points, Fairfax 78 points and Alcuin 93 points. Ice creams, sunshine and lots of friendly competition meant that everyone thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

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St Peter’s 13-18 Game, Set, Match In September we welcomed back recent leavers from the St Peter’s tennis team to play a friendly fixture against our current Upper Sixth on the newly built Clifton Courts.

Following NGB guidelines, this was an excellent and close-fought match, with the Old Peterites coming out on top.

It was lovely to see our recent leavers and to have an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and enjoy some friendly competition.

It was the first tennis match to be played on the new Clifton Courts, so it was an exciting game for our Old Peterites Sophie, Georgina, Leah, Stella, Polly & Katie!

The pupils at St Peter’s 2-8 also use the Clifton Courts as a playground and our younger pupils enjoyed watching the tennis matches from a distance.

Inter-House Sports Due to a lack of competitive fixtures in the autumn term, the Sports Department introduced competitive sport through Inter-House events. Pupils from the school’s ten Houses competed in their year groups each week to secure points for their Houses.

Sports included Hockey, Touch Rugby, Tennis and Football. A great variety of sports were played and it was also great to see a number of mixed events such as mixed hockey and tennis.

The manner in which the boys and girls have worked together in teams has been a real success.

Stay Home, Stay Active Our Sports Department at St Peter’s 13-18 delivered another inspiring remote Games programme during the national lockdown in the spring term. Pupils enjoyed weekly fitness challenges every Monday, live strength and conditioning on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 5 minute ‘time out’ challenges on Fridays.

House Challenges also continued remotely, including the 5k Challenge and the Inter-House Marathon. Well done to everyone involved, especially to Natasha who completed a solo marathon in four separate runs.

The latest House Sports Challenge was to create a symbol using strava or any other running app. We had some highly original entries including a dinosaur from Jodie, a dog from Kayla and the symbol of a mitochondria muscle cell from Mathew!

On 24 February, pupils also attended a talk delivered live on Zoom with Olympian Austin Smith, who discussed his cultural influences and Olympic journey.

Mr Williams, Director of Sport at St Peter’s, said: “We are proud of all our pupils who have engaged with the co-curricular Games programme and the motivation they have shown to remain fit for their chosen sports, and also to our individual coaches.”

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Henley Regatta Hannah and Sophie took part in the Henley Women’s Regatta on 3 July - the world’s premier international rowing regatta for women and the most prestigious Women’s Regatta in the country. We are so proud of them for meeting the high standard to participate in such a celebrated event!

Freddie’s Racing Success Freddie achieved his first ever podium result in racing in October, placing him in the top 10 in the British series of the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship. The Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship is the UK’s longest running and most prestigious junior series for 14-17-year-old racing drivers. They provided the support race action for the British Touring Car Championship at Croft Circuit on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October. Freddie, aged 15, came home 6th in his first race and placed 2nd in his second race, achieving his first ever podium result.

Rugby Dream Team Olly Tomalin was named one of the best U18 rugby players in England for the 2020/2021 season. The prestigious list of Top 15 Prospects for U18 rugby players was selected

by NextGenXV, who cover and promote schoolboy rugby across the world. Olly was originally placed in the top 100 and then gained recognition in the top 15, which was announced on Wednesday 27 January 2021. Part of the Yorkshire Carnegie Academy, Olly has enjoyed several successes over the last 12 months, despite the restrictions imposed by lockdown. In April 2020, he was selected for the Schools Rugby Dream Team following an online public vote and in October he was selected by the England Rugby team to participate in one of two half term U18 Development camps.

Judo Success Third Form pupil Tom has become one of the best young upcoming judo players in the UK. Tom was invited to train with Ashley Mckenzie, the leading Senior British male judo player (and one of the best in the World in his weight category), before Ashley departed to Tokyo to take part in his third Olympic Games. Tom has operated at a very high level in judo for several years now and was titled British Champion in 2018. His dedication to the sport and the training is unwavering.

Cricketer Schools Guide St Peter’s School, York, has once again been named as one of the top schools for cricket in the country by The Cricketer Schools Guide 2021.

St Peter’s is one of 170 schools featured in the issue, including the top 100 senior schools, the top 50 prep/junior schools and the top 20 all-girls schools. St Peter’s 13-18 has been selected as one of the top 100 senior schools in the country and St Peter’s 8-13 has been chosen as one of the top 50 prep/junior schools in the country.

All entries were judged against an extensive set of criteria, which included a compelling commitment to cricket in the curriculum, facilities, fixture programmes and coaching.

Gareth Sharp, Head of Cricket at St Peter’s, said: “Our inclusion this year in ‘The Cricketer’ Top 100 is credit and testament to the work and dedication of all those involved in our extensive cricket programme, from 8-18. The pupils and the coaching staff who devote their time and energy towards our beliefs and principles; as well as the wide support network behind the scenes who share our vision and show steadfast commitment towards cricket at St Peter’s.”

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Leavers’ Destinations

Adebiyi Kolawole John University of Liverpool Adeleke Olivia Scarlet Bukola Newcastle University Ali Amirah Alshayma Newcastle University Andreeva Polina University of Sheffield Aubrey Hannah Rose The University of Edinburgh Baker Joseph University of Exeter Barker Emily Newcastle University Bennison Joshua Arthur University of Exeter Black Charles Newcastle University

Black Katherine Newcastle University Bone Olivia Gap year Bramley Charles Nottingham Trent University Brent James University of Warwick Brown Abigail University of Nottingham Brown Michael John University of Bristol Burley Isaac University of Manchester

Butters Henry University of Bath Charge William James Charles University of Liverpool Chow Tsit Yu Serena University of Bradford

Clarke Sophie Durham University Claudius-Cole Bankole Nottingham Trent University Cleobury Olivia Eleanor Durham University Coggrave William John Newcastle University Costin Hannah-Marie Anglia Ruskin University Coulter Pepper Henry John Beau University of York Davies Jack Newcastle University Dawson James Newcastle University Doeg Corby Newcastle University Dunsmore Benjamin University of Manchester Durham Jennifer May University of Leeds Ford David Gap Year Frank Phoebe Rose UCL (University College London) Fricker Edward Alexander Loughborough University Garbutt-Smith Samuel Loughborough University Gath Joshua Gap Year Gilbert Daisy Warlow University of Oxford Gration Harrison Royal Academy of Music Gration Harvey University of Exeter Greaney Iris Niamh University of Oxford Greenwood Isabelle Gap Year Grelli Giacomo Arturo Loughborough University Hamilton James Gap year Hanson Andrew Richard The University of Edinburgh Hatfield James Martin University of Nottingham Hawes Oscar Gap Year Hollinrake Arabella University of Bristol Hollinrake Max William EDHEC Nice Hollinrake Thomas Gap Year Holmes Phoebe Jane Gap Year Hudson Thomas University of Bristol Hughes Hugo John William University of Leeds Jacques Thomas Campbell University of Warwick Jain Khushi University of Manchester Jefferson Lewis The University of Edinburgh Ji Lingkun UCL (University College London) Kerr William University of Liverpool Lam Chi Kit Lawrence Imperial College London Lawrence Joseph Bristol, University of the

West of England

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Aerospace Engineering with Pilot Studies with a Year in Industry History Law Politics, Philosophy and Economics Biological Sciences History English Literature Economics with Year Abroad Business Accounting and Finance Flying Start Degree Programme Law Gap year Agriculture Economics, Psychology and Philosophy (EPP) Law Economics and Accounting Modern Language and Business & Management (French) (4 years) Politics and International Relations Ancient History MPhysiotherapy (Sport and Exercise Medicine) MPhysio (Hons) Ancient History Business History Agri-Business Management Paramedic Science Computer Science (with a year in industry) Geography Architecture and Urban Planning Geography Music Medicine Gap Year Law with French Law (4 years) Sport and Exercise Psychology Bioengineering (with placement year) Gap Year History and German Music English English Language and Literature Gap Year Natural Sciences Gap year Physics with Meteorology History and Politics Gap Year Economics and Mathematics International BBA Gap Year Gap Year Computer Science Ancient History Biochemistry with Placement Year Medicine Architecture Biochemistry Aerospace Engineering with Pilot Studies Medicine Filmmaking

2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2022 2021 2022

2022 2021 2022 2021 2021 2021 2022 2021 2022 2022 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2022 2021 2021 2022 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2022

Leon Jodie University of Bath Lever Abigail Diane University of Sheffield Lister Henry James Oxford Brookes University Luo Jiahong UCL (University College London) Luo Jiaping City, University of London Masucci Marco Luca Loughborough University Matthews Thomas University of Bath Maude Hector Tudor Oxford Brookes University McBeath Oliver University of Liverpool Mckeown Samuel Ryan The University of Edinburgh Meere Thomas Staffordshire University Mikhail Maximus University of Manchester Moseley Charles Ashton University of Southampton Ng Matthew Hong Kong University Nixon Jasmine The University of Edinburgh Norza Angelysia University of Exeter O’Neill Cecily University of Oxford O’Shaughnessy Elise University of East Anglia UEA Padgett Joseph King’s College London,

University of London Parkyn Eva Newcastle University Pearey Kate Amelia Rose University of Bristol Pears George Newcastle University Phillips Daniel Durham University Pope Archibald Samuel Howson University of Exeter Pope Theadora Durham University Robinson Lucy-May Loughborough University

Robinson Tyler Harper Adams University Roebuck Edward Sandhurst Gap Year Programme Ross Russell Samuel University of Nottingham Ryan-Briscoe Antonia Newcastle University Search Toby Gap year Shi Junyu SOAS University of London Simpson Henrietta Georgia Hope University of St Andrews Southgate Flynn University of Bath Stanford Annabelle Lancaster University Steenberg Poppy Gap Year Stephenson Olivia Rose University of Aberdeen Stephenson Phoebe Lily University of Manchester Storey Thomas Nicholas University of Oxford Sykes John Joseph UCL (University College London) Thistlewaite Ellie Olivia University of Leeds Thompson Hollie University of Exeter Tomalin Oliver James Durham University Try-Banton Alexander University of Leeds Urwin Freya University of Liverpool Walker Rupert Durham University Watkinson Billy Gap Year Watson Elliot University of Manchester Watt Rory Cameron Harry Newcastle University Webster Benjamin Robert Newcastle University Wheelhouse Beth Rosa King’s College London,

University of London White Ella Eilish University of Manchester Winn Dominic Gap year Wschiansky Gabrielle Gap year Wu Yirui University of Sussex Xiong Yinghua University of Warwick

Xu Zetai University of Cambridge Zhang Tingyue University of Warwick Zhang Xiang University of Warwick Zhong Pei Shan Imperial College London Zinurova Ekaterina Courtauld Institute of Art,

University of London

Economics (with placement) Psychology Real Estate Architectural & Interdisciplinary Studies Accounting and Finance Architecture (with placement year) Chemical Engineering (wth placement) Real Estate Business Management Architecture Computer Games Design Accounting and Finance Aeronautics and Astronautics Medicine (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) International Business with Spanish Law History Education with a Year Abroad Management and Modern Languages with a Year Abroad

2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2022 2022 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021

Biology Politics and International Relations with Study Abroad Agriculture with Farm Business Management Anthropology and Archaeology History Ancient History Sport Science, Coaching and Physical Education (with placement year) Agricultural Engineering (with Placement) Sandhurst Gap Year Programme Veterinary Medicine Geography Gap year International Relations and Social Anthropology Art History Politics and International Relations Psychology Gap Year History and Legal Studies Arabic and a Modern European Language Philosophy, Politics and Economics Ancient History International Development Law Economics Economics Psychology Theology and Religion Gap Year Computer Science and Mathematics Marine Biology Business Management Liberal Arts

2021 2021 2021 2021 2022 2021

Planning and Real Estate with Professional Placement Gap year Gap year Neuroscience Mathematics, Operational Research, Statistics and Economics (MORSE) Natural Sciences Economics Mathematics Chemistry History of Art

2022 2021 2021 2022 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2022 2022 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2022 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021

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Careers T

he Careers and Higher Education Department offers help and guidance to pupils who are considering their next steps after St Peter’s. This might include higher education, employment, apprenticeship schemes or gap years.

Old Peterite Mentoring Pilot This year, the Careers and Alumni departments ran the pilot of an Old Peterite mentoring scheme. The purpose of the scheme is for our pupils to gain an insight into the career of one of our Old Peterite volunteers, and gain invaluable information, knowledge and skills to help them plan and prepare for their future beyond school. We feel it is hugely important that our pupils are given the opportunity to talk with professionals in industry, and they can begin to understand that everyone’s career journey is unique and important. The pilot scheme consisted of a small group of pupils who met each week on Zoom with their mentor to discuss a variety of career-related topics. The pilot was a huge success, and the mentoring programme will now benefit all of our Lower Sixth pupils during their time with us.

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Fourth Form Employability Day Every year, our Fourth Form pupils have the fantastic opportunity of spending a day learning employability skills, to set them up for success in the future. From completing team activities to designing their own products, our pupils learn valuable skills that employers value, such as teamwork, communication and critical thinking. The Fourth Form pupils learn the value of working with their peers to generate profit, and of course win fantastic prizes (of the chocolate variety!).

Lower Sixth Team Building Day In June, all of the Lower Sixth participated in a Team Building Day to enhance their teamwork and collaboration skills. They completed a series of ‘hub challenges’ led by an external company, Wiseup. The pupils contributed with superb team spirit and enthusiasm, ensuring that a great day was had by all.

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Old Peterites

Charity Bike Ride Congratulations to Old Peterite Toby Simpson (class of 2014) who successfully completed a cycling challenge this summer to raise thousands for cancer and mental health charities.

Toby’s cycling challenge involved cycling to all of the National Parks in the UK in just 40 days. He began his journey on 1 June, returning to York on 9 July for his sister Hope’s final day at St Peter’s. The final leg of his journey saw Toby cycle back over the Yorkshire Moors, ready for his grandparents’ Diamond Wedding Anniversary on 10 July.

Cycled

Toby’s challenge was inspired by two charities – The Walk and Talk Trust and The Eve Appeal. In a rash moment, Tony also pledged to grow a moustache until the end of the ride if he hit the £1,000 mark so his moustache continued to grow as he cycled! Toby aimed to raise £1 for every kilometre he cycled, and he eventually raised an astonishing £11,386 pounds after cycling 4,400km around the United Kingdom.

around the United Kingdom

Toby left St Peter’s in 2014 and after studying Materials Engineering at Imperial College, now works for Bain and Co, one of the top management consultancy firms in London. Toby took advantage of the ability to take several weeks off work to complete the cycling challenge, having caught the cycling bug after buying a bike with his first pay cheque!

4,400km

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Commemorative Kneelers Old Peterite, Richard Harding (Class of 1966) made his 75th Commemoration even more special by presenting two kneelers to Rev Daniel Jones, for the Chapel at St Peter’s.

The kneelers feature the Cross Keys and were designed to commemorate Richard’s 75th consecutive year of attendance at St Peter’s School’s annual Commemoration.

It is wonderful that Richard chose to make such a special gift to the School to mark this special occasion.

Richard is a former Governor, was President of the Old Peterite Club from 2012-2014 and Secretary of the OP Club from 1980 – 1991. Richard is also a regular donor to the 627 Society, which supports bursaries at St Peter’s School.

Son of Robert Harding (former Member of staff and Houseparent of The Grove), Richard attended his first Commemoration in his pram, aged 6 months!

Richard was confirmed in the Chapel in March 1961 by the Archbishop of York, Dr Michael Ramsey and his two eldest daughters were christened in the Chapel.

Richard produced and updated the chronology of St Peter’s in 1982, which is an amazing resource for all and contains a huge variety of facts and useful information about the School and the Old Peterite Club.

We are delighted that Richard was able to attend his 75th Commemoration in the Chapel and look forward to celebrating his 76th year, which we hope will be back in York Minster next year.

A special thanks to Richard for his ongoing support of St Peter’s and for these commemorative kneelers, which will be cherished by the School.

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Old Peterites Online Our series of ‘Old Peterites Online’ events were developed in lockdown as a way to continue our Old Peterite event programme, helping to keep the Old Peterite community in touch with the School and with each other.

The series was a great way to celebrate our Old Peterite community and ranged from webinars broadcast from School, such as our series of ‘In Conversation with’ events, to small groups of Old Peterites meeting

Old Peterite Christmas Drinks 2020 A tasting evening with York Gin Not being able to meet in person didn’t deter a number of Old Peterites from meeting for Christmas Drinks on 18 December 2020.

Meeting on Zoom and hosted by Old Peterite Harry Cooke (2001) with tasting boxes at the ready, Harry gave a great insight into how York Gin began, the development and production of their variety of gins and how the company is creatively dealing with the challenges of lockdown.

Those who came along had pre-ordered the gin tasting boxes, which contained 5 of the best-selling York Gins in miniature, accompanied by mixers and garnishes for a full tasting experience.

Harry talked us though the process for the production of the gins and explained how York Gin distill and develop their flavours differently to some other gins on the market.

It was a fascinating insight into the industry and this very popular spirit. Harry kept us all entertained throughout, sharing lots of facts 80 || The Peterite 2020-21

online to participate in events such as gintasting and Negotiation Workshops, which were generously hosted and delivered by Old Peterites too.

The move to include online events in our programme has meant that Old Peterites from across the UK and overseas have been able to participate and this is something we look forward to continuing. Thank you to everyone who joined us and joined in!

and interesting points including some of the awards they’ve won and how some of the big gin producers in the USA have now tasted and heard of York Gin! After (almost) 5 gins, and a great opportunity to ask questions throughout, OP President Harry Gration gave a huge thanks to Harry for making this happen. It was a great opportunity to bring members of the Old Peterite community together for a very enjoyable and entertaining evening.

Class of 2020 Quiz Old Peterites from the Class of 2020 joined us in December for a chance to team up and compete against each other in our Class of 2020 Christmas Quiz. Staff members from different departments set some great questions to really test the OPs and all took a turn in hosting a round. It was a great chance for the OPs to catch up with teachers and each other. Well done to ‘Team Christmas Puddings’ who took the win with 44 out of 50 points. We look forward to seeing you all in person soon to welcome you all properly to the OP Club!

Old Peterites Have Negotiated with The Negotiation Club!

Perhaps one of the most important life skills we will ever use at business or in our personal lives is negotiation; and yet we very rarely, if ever, take an opportunity to understand or even practise it.

With many people working and schooling from home, there has been a growing number of Old Peterites and current school pupils who have been putting this right.

They joined Philip Brown (The Rise 1990) CEO, Founder of The Negotiation Club in practising their skills online through Zoom in a series of Negotiation Workshops.

The super engaging, fun and highly effective format that Phil has created has been growing in popularity with businesses, universities and schools and is making the development of this skill far more accessible than at any other time.

“Having virtually no experience in negotiation I found the presentation and the techniques that you demonstrated most interesting, informative and fun and I would expect that those in the last year of school - particularly those with a business interest - would find participation in the webinar interesting, stimulating and rewarding.” Kenneth Wilson (Oldest OP to take part at 90 years!)

“Phil is fantastic at simultaneously pushing you out of your comfort zone yet encouraging you to learn and improve after each negotiation.

The session wasn’t what I expected, it was really interactive but I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a huge amount which I use in other areas of life now too.” Sara Foster (1999)

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Key Moments

In Conversation with…

Harry Gration We were delighted to welcome Old Peterite President Harry Gration to St Peter’s on Tuesday 8 December for our first ‘In Conversation’ event, with Head Master Jeremy Walker.

‘In Conversation with Harry Gration’ was hosted in the Head Master’s study and broadcast live via Zoom. The audience tuned in to hear Harry reminisce about his school days, discuss his career, recent retirement from the BBC and his hopes for the Old Peterite Club. The audience included Old Peterites, parents, teachers from St Peter’s School past and present, and even some of Harry’s old classmates.

Dr Harry Gration MBE DL (Queen’s 1969) was installed as the Old Peterite President earlier this year. Harry was educated at St Peter’s School and his twin boys are both educated here.

Harry has fond memories of school, including his time in the CCF, and he has always been a great supporter of St Peter’s and the Old Peterite Club since he left school in 1969.

Harry went on to pursue an illustrious career as a BBC presenter which lasted 40 years.

In 2013, Harry was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting and in 2019 he was appointed Deputy Lord Lieutenant for North Yorkshire. Harry made his final appearance on BBC Look North on 21 October 2020 (the day before his 70th birthday).

Head Master Jeremy Walker said: “I thoroughly enjoyed interviewing Harry and it was wonderful to be able to share the conversation with our Old Peterite community through the medium of Zoom.”

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‘Here Come The Girls’ We celebrated International Women’s Day on Monday 8 March with a special online event, in conversation with the first five girls to be educated at St Peter’s School.

The event was broadcast live on Zoom, and was hosted by Head Master Jeremy Walker and Old Peterite Victoria Inness, who left St Peter’s School in 1990 and was the first female Head of School.

Jeremy and Victoria were joined virtually by Sue Miller (née Elston), Louise Denison (née Stansfield), Louise Morales (née Adams), Nicky Goodwin (née Jesper) and Zoe Jones (née Jackson), the first five girls who joined St Peter’s for the Sixth Form in 1976.

They spoke about their first day at St Peter’s, the warm welcome they received from other pupils, society’s changing expectations, their subsequent careers, and their happy memories of St Peter’s School.

The women also answered questions from the audience, including why they wanted to come to St Peter’s School, what surprised them the most, how they think they will be remembered, what advice they would give their 17-year-old selves, and what message would they give pupils on International Women’s Day. Jeremy Walker, Head Master of St Peter’s School, commented on how the five women had blazed a trail for girls joining St Peter’s. He said: “It can’t have been easy, but it is quite astonishing to look back and consider that you were the ones who opened the doors for all those generations of girls and women who followed you... You were the pioneers but now there is a great sense of legacy and history of girls being at the school.”

Today, St Peter’s School is fully co-educational and provides an outstanding day and boarding education for girls and boys aged 2-18. From just 5 girls in 1976, St Peter’s now educates over 500 girls.

Both ‘In Conversation with’ events were recorded and are available on the St Peter’s School YouTube channel.

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School Office, St Peter’s School, York, YO30 6AB Tel 01904 527300 Email enquiries@stpetersyork.org.uk

www.stpetersyork.org.uk