The Suttonian 2018

VOL. 39 NO. 3

2018

1918

THE SUTTONIAN

2018 2018

The Suttonian 2018 The Suttonian is the magazine of Sutton Valence School in Kent, a co-educational day and boarding senior school for pupils from 11-18 years.

Editorial Team

Contact Details

Editor

Mr W Radford

Editorial Assistance

Mrs H Knott Mrs S O’Connell Mr D Pickard Mrs K Williams

Design

Mr W Radford

Photography

Mr D Clarke Mr J Lewis Ahuvi Photography

Group Photography

Address Sutton Valence School North Street Sutton Valence Maidstone Kent

ME17 3HL Headmaster

Mr BCW Grindlay

Website

www.svs.org.uk

Email

enquiries@svs.org.uk

Bentley Photographic

Phone

01622 845200

Photography Editing

Stagg Creative

Editorial Email

radfordw@svs.org.uk

Printing and Binding

Lavenham Press

Editorial Note

W

ith the recent commemoration of the centenary anniversary of Armistice Day, the poignancy surrounding the various remembrance activities has allowed the School community to reflect, not just upon the losses suffered, but also upon the impact the conflict had on the School as a whole. Indeed, the Headmaster’s Speech Day address this year provided an anecdotal retrospective of the School back in 1918 and the limitations that education as a whole endured during the war. When comparing the 1918 edition of The Suttonian to this publication, it is apparent how far removed the School is now from those hardships. Rather, it is a thriving and positive environment, the successes of which are catalogued in the proceeding pages.

I must once again applaud the enthusiasm and willingness of staff and pupils to provide the content contained herewith. Whether the articles relate to music concerts, drama productions, field trips or sporting triumphs, there is a genuine eagerness to document School life. The community ethos that saw the School through those tough war years lives on today and is ultimately underpinned by the pride that the School shares in its achievements. As Sutton Valence continues to evolve and develop, I hope The Suttonian continues to provide the opportunity to take stock of our successes and celebrate all that is good about the School and its community.

As ever, I would like to thank the editorial team and contributors who have made this year’s edition so comprehensive and wide-ranging. Helen Knott, Sarah O’Connell, Karen Williams and David Pickard have been of invaluable support, and I am indebted to them for their efforts.

CONTENTS

HIGHLIGHTS

Highlights

2

Academic Updates

11

Art and Design

33

Performing Arts 47

Music and Concerts

53

Community and Charity

63

Combined Cadet Force

99

Duke of Edinburgh Award

121

Sport and Games

127

Valete 2017

173

World War I Centenary

187

Page 1 - The Suttonian 2018

HIGHLIGHTS

Headmaster’s Welcome

T

he editors of the 1918 Summer Term magazine wrote the following, reflecting on School life. “The war still drags on, and even for the most sanguine the end is hardly in view. The hardships we have to endure increase almost daily, and must continue to do so. But as long as all keep their spirits up and do not despair, we feel confident that readiness to put up cheerfully with what are, comparatively slight inconveniences, will continue to characterise all sections of the community. Every term the difficulties in running the School become greater, but if everyone does his best and we all work together, we are bound to pull through all right.”

So wrote the School editors in the 1918 Summer Term magazine. From the comfort of our twenty-first century lives made safe and possible by the brave men and women who gave their tomorrows for our today, it is hard to comprehend such strength in the face of adversity. Thankfully, the majority of us have never had to experience or know the hardships, pain and fear endured by that generation.

However, what we can relate to in the 1918 editor’s introduction and could well be written of our community today, is the final sentence, full of that Sutton Valence School spirit: “if everyone does his best and we all work together, we are bound to pull through all right.”

As a community, we are not in the practice of defining, labelling and judging people. I hope that what we are about is encouraging everyone to do their best, irrespective of individual strengths and weaknesses; learning to work together to achieve so much more; and recognising that if we get the fundamentals in place, then everyone of us will “pull through all right.” The fundamentals I refer to are not simply the wherewithal to pass examinations or the acquisition of academic knowledge, I mean the things that really count: personal traits, character and decency.

As I peruse the pages of this year’s magazine, it is clear to see that not only has so much been achieved this past year, but also that the things we hold dear are being absorbed, practised and shared by so many through the diverse activities and experiences on offer at the School. I thank all of our community for participating, trying their best and working together to achieve all they have this year. I would also like to reserve a special thank you to Mr Will Radford for all that he has done as editor of The Suttonian. He has invested huge levels of care and attention in his task as evidenced in every page of this impressive record of our achievements. In a hundred years’ time, I hope that the then Headmaster quotes from this edition and congratulates the editor for such a fine publication that truly encapsulates the spirit of Sutton Valence.

Best wishes

Mr Bruce Grindlay Headmaster

Page 2 - The Suttonian 2018

HIGHLIGHTS

A Level and GCSE Exam Results Mrs R Ball, Academic Deputy Head

I

n a year when the new linear A Level format has introduced greater breadth and depth to examination content, the School was pleased to announce an increase in A* to C grades of 4.5 per cent over last year’s already excellent results. In 2018, 84 per cent of grades achieved by students were A* to C. With an overall pass rate in excess of 98 per cent, a quarter of this year’s cohort achieved two or more A* to A grades. There were a number of exceptional performances including Marta Chronowska (three A*s and two A grades), Francesca Ash (two A* and two A grades), Ellie Agu Benson (one A* and four A grades), Faber Swaine (one A* and two A grades), Archie Averill (three A grades) and Marco Hu (three A grades). Marta will be going to Edinburgh to read Chemistry, Francesca to St Andrews to read English, Ellie has a place at Bristol to read PPE, Faber has a place at York to read Social Policy, Archie will be going to Bristol to read Mechanical Engineering, and Marco will be returning to Italy to attend h University.

On average, our students gained A Level results that out-performed their predicted grades by half a grade. As measured by Durham University Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring, Sutton Valence is one of the top-performing schools in the country for adding academic value and improving outcomes.

Many of our students also completed the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), with 67 per cent achieving A* to A grades.

Recognised by universities as providing students with essential skills, the EPQ is a self-motivated project that requires detailed planning and independent research and aids students to stand out in the UCAS application process.

Out of a cohort of 99 pupils, 71 gained places at university this year. Fifty-two successfully achieved their first choice and eight their second choice. Twenty-three of our pupils accepted places at universities such as Bristol, Exeter, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, King’s College,York and Cardiff, all of which are Russell Group universities. Pupils also gained places at the prestigious St Andrews University and Loughborough remains a popular choice. One pupil successfully gained a place at the Guildhall School of Music to study the viola and three have chosen

GCSE Results August 2018

to study abroad this year in Italy, Switzerland and The Netherlands.

Apprenticeships and training schemes such as veterinary nursing, property and the police were selected by four individuals.

Seventeen pupils opted for a gap year, some travelling abroad, some undertaking a ski season and some gaining relevant work experience before applying to university next year. The choice of university courses has been as varied as ever, including Medicinal and Biological Chemistry, Aerospace Engineering, Business Management, Hotel Management, Criminology, Tourism Management, Economics and Politics, English, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Security Management, Sport and Exercise Science, History, Marine Biology, Zoology, Early Childhood Studies, Agriculture, Geography, Real Estate, Media, American Studies, Illustration and Air Transport with Pilot Training.

A week after the A Level results were announced, the School community was delighted that one-fifth of the year group achieved seven or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 7, with an outstanding ten per cent of all grades at 9, the highest possible level. This is an exceptional performance against the national figure of only four per cent of entries graded 9. In total, 21 per cent of GCSE results achieved this year at Sutton Valence are graded 9 or 8.

In addition to such pleasing results across the year group, there were some exceptional individual performances. These included Lara Savage (ten grade 9), Amelia Semmens (six grade 9, four grade 8), Noah Swaine (eight grade 9, two grade 8, one grade 7), Tianyi Huang (eight grade 9, one grade 8, one grade 7), Louis Saunders (six grade 9, three grade 8, two grade 7), Tom Gray (three grade 9, five grade 8, two grade 7) and Anna Harrison (two grade 9, four grade 8, four grade 7).

A Level Results August 2018

“As A Level and GCSE examinations become increasingly more challenging, we are all pleased that our pupils have recorded a remarkable level of achievement”, said Mr Grindlay. “We welcome a broad ability cohort to the School and are immensely proud to consistently add so much academic value to our students. Through individual hard work and exemplary teaching, this year’s pupils are justifiably proud of their examination results. They can look forward to considerable future success as they embark on the next step of their education.”

Page 3 - The Suttonian 2018

HIGHLIGHTS

HIKSVS Opening Mrs K Williams, Director of Admissions and Marketing

T

he start of this academic year saw a hugely significant landmark in the long history of Sutton Valence School. As we published in last year’s edition of The Old Suttonian, we are immensely proud that, after well over two years’ hard work of planning, construction and recruitment, the HIKSVS International School opened to its first year-groups of pupils in the last week of August 2017.

Set in the heart of Tianjin, the School is an English-speaking, 7-12 years domestic and international primary school in a single coeducational setting. It represents a unique collaboration between ourselves and Hopeland International Kindergarten, which is managed by the family of Old Suttonian, Karl Yin (2006 W). The School is very much a ground-breaking project, as the very first stand-alone English-speaking primary or preparatory school in China, developed through a UK independent preparatory school.

The longer-term vision for the School is to provide a continuity of education, to SVS and UK standards, up to the age of 18.

The School itself has been purpose-built, offering state-of-the-art facilities, with the architecture designed to reflect the buildings at SVS in the UK. The similarities are also reflected in the HIKSVS educational philosophy, which mirrors the four journeys (Academic, Enrichment, Leadership and Community) that underpins our ethos.

In July last year, the Headmaster, Mr Grindlay and Head of the Prep School, Miss Corkran along with a number of governors, including Chairman, Lady Vallance visited China for the official opening. Then, on 21st August, the first pupils were welcomed and are now a year

Page 4 - The Suttonian 2018

into their studies. With the School roll increasing in size annually as each year-group moves up through the School, we are pleased to report that recruitment is strong ahead of the September 2018 entry, with over 200 pupils registered.

Not only is this an historic development in the history of Sutton Valence School, it is also a fantastic opportunity to build a close relationship between the two schools in the coming years. This is especially important for Sutton Valence Preparatory School, as a number of challenging, joint-curriculum activities are planned.

Mr Grindlay added, “The opening of HIKSVS represented a very proud moment in our rich history, as we step on to the international stage for the first time and welcome pupils, parents and colleagues in our sister school in Tianjin. Our very special brand and educational ethos are in demand internationally; SVS is acknowledged as a centre of excellence. As it grows and develops from such an exciting start, we wish HIKSVS International School every success.”

For Sutton Valence School itself, the collaboration with Hopeland International not only develops our international profile, but will also benefit The 1576 Fund to support SVS bursaries. With targets in mind for the number of bursary places the School is hoping to offer by the time of its 450th anniversary in 2026, the revenue from China will play a large part in supplementing the existing funds raised by Old Suttonians.

HIGHLIGHTS

The 1576 Fund Update Mr W Radford, Development Manager

A

s we have now reached the third anniversary of the creation of The 1576 Fund, it seems an appropriate opportunity to give an update on where the fund stands and the significance of the donations that Old Suttonians have contributed to make its launch so successful.

When we went live in October 2015, we were targeting a total of £500,000 by 2019. This total, held in perpetuity, would allow us to invest the capital raised, using the interest to fund bursary places. The initial campaign launch drew significant interest from the OS community, both in terms of the figures raised, but, more pleasingly, in terms of the breadth of engagement.

The strong start was supplemented by the realisation of a number of legacy gifts, originally pledged during the William Lambe Society fundraising drive. These generous gifts by legators added an additional £1,520,000 to the fund, allowing us to start our programme of bursaries in earnest. In September 2017, we welcomed our first bursary-funded student into the Lower Sixth. An England junior level Rugby player, he truly fits the mould of a local, talented and deserving pupil who would not be able to contemplate private education without the support that a bursary offers. Furthermore, with the fund currently sitting at £1,760,000, we were able to welcome our second bursary recipient in September this year.

Whilst this has formed the backbone of our fundraising efforts, additional campaigns have been run over the course of the last three years to provide a more regular income to the fund. In 2016, the School ran its first telephone campaign which saw over 350 Old Suttonians contacted by a team of recent leavers.

At a giving rate of just under 29 per cent, the gifts and pledges received provided a substantial addition to the fund. Even more pleasingly though was the positive feedback we received from the calls as an opportunity to re-connect.

This positive feedback meant that in August this year, we repeated the telephone campaign, this time managing a 38 per cent giving rate and a significant increase in both the income per call and overall total raised. On top of the gifts collected, the campaign also achieved some excellent results in terms of OS engagement. While many were unable to give, they were positive about their respective calls and were pleased to have heard from the School.

Having reached our initial target far in advance of expectations, we are now targeting a more substantial total of £10,000,000 by 2026. Supplemented by the investment income from China, plus parents gifting their deposits at the end of their child’s education, we hope that the continued generosity of the School community as a whole will allow us to celebrate the School’s 450th anniversary with a bursary fund that would potentially support up to 20 students.

Page 5 - The Suttonian 2018

HIGHLIGHTS

SPEECH DAY Mrs H Knott, Development Manager

T

o celebrate our community’s collective successes, pupils, parents, staff and guests gathered in School for Speech Day at the end of June. A range of junior and intermediate House competitions took place in the morning, including the junior Swimming and Tennis, as well as intermediate girls’ Cricket and Touch Rugby. The senior relays, held over from the earlier Sports Day, were then run on the athletics track.

Our artists produced some stunning pieces across a variety of mediums for the Art Department’s End of Year Show, and the Leavers’ Music Concert was an enjoyable morning interlude, presenting a range of pieces and instruments.

Chairman of Governors, Lady Vallance, welcomed everyone to the prizegiving ceremony, mentioning what had been her particular highlights of the year, before introducing the Guest of Honour, Dame Frances Cairncross, DBE,CBE, FRSE, FAcSS, the economist, journalist and academic.

Mr Grindlay followed to give his review of the year. In this year of the centenary of the end of the First Wold War, he used references of the time from the School archives and an Old Suttonian’s diary to compare and contrast the School as we know it now and to illustrate the successes and developments of the year.

At the end of the prize-giving, Dame Cairncross spoke inspiringly to the pupils about being their own person and not following the crowd. She touched on the dangers of immersing oneself in social media, rather than getting out there and forging your own history. To end the formal proceedings, Head of School, Eliza Lewis delivered an eloquent and sometimes emotional thank you to School, her peers and, most importantly, her family for all that she and the Upper Sixth had gained in their time at Sutton Valence.

Page 6 - The Suttonian 2018

HIGHLIGHTS

FIRST FORM PRIZES

SECOND FORM PRIZES

THIRD FORM PRIZES

Academic Excellence Award Sophie Browning

Academic Excellence Award Scarlett Washington

Academic Excellence Award Jonny Russell

Achievement Awards Katy Barr Alfie Miles Maisey Russell

Achievement Awards Helen Chambers Elizabeth Goodwin Hannah Slipper

The Macdonald Prize (Current Affairs) Suma Rai

Effort Awards Daniel Booth Olivia Farrell Jack Piller Camilla Polglase

Effort Awards Joshua Fawell Millie Sands Millie Wright

Most Improved Elizabeth Arthur Ethan Mason All Round Contribution Awards Callum Baker Thomas Duckworth Olivia Taylor Feng Wu

Most Improved Lily Bailey All Round Contribution Awards Edward Evans Heston King Evie Palmer Martha Tatnell The Junior Macdonald Prize (Current Affairs) Scarlett Washington

Achievement Awards Chloe Alexander Holly Clark Charlotte Farrell Harvey Morris Suma Rai Alice Roberson Effort Awards Felix Connell Thomas Llewellyn Anna Smith Michael Summers All Round Contribution Awards Louisa Hudson Andrew Loy Clayton Olson Honor Whiteley

FOURTH FORM PRIZES Academic Excellence Award Tarik Abed Effort Awards Joseph Crump Philippa Dow Charlotte Gilman Amelia Kirk-Brown Achievement Awards Ewen Barr Alexander Duckett

Achievement Awards (cont.)

Callum Hanna Daisy Hills Mariana Mason Maisie Rixon All Round Contribution Awards Josh Houry Muhing Okhrabu Jack Price Tess Pritchard

FIFTH FORM PRIZES Academic Excellence Award Noah Swaine Effort Awards Isabelle Busby Elizabeth Cavell Matthew Teare Edward Wheble Achievement Awards Isabella Dransfield Tom Gray Anna Harrison Tianyi Huang

Achievement Awards (cont.)

Lara Savage Amelia Semmens All Round Contribution Awards Isabelle Cook Elizabeth Drummond Hugh Harman Bethan Pepler Finn Swaine The Coles Prize (All Round Contribution to School Life) Paige Davidson

Page 7 - The Suttonian 2018

HIGHLIGHTS

LOWER SIXTH PRIZES Academic PE Prize Katie Marnane

Geography Prize Kate Woodford

Spanish Prize Tiggy Teare

Art Prize Emily Hall

History Prize Samuel Grindlay

Theatre Studies Prize Nina Harman

Biology Prize Olivia Smith

ICT Prize Shaad Dogra

Business Prize Elizabeth Welch

Kitchener Prize (Mathematics) Yonglang Zhu

Effort Awards India Fowle Poppy Gardner Samuel Millan-Norman Alexander Webb

Chemistry Prize Olivia Smith

Media Studies Prize Emily Bottle

Design Technology Prize Fergus Fowle

Music Prize Asher Regal

All Round Contribution Awards Lars Eastman Henry Jones Harry O’Rawe Harry Yorke

Economics Prize Lucy Hemmens

Photography Prize Elizabeth Condon

Maberly Prize for Achievement Thomas Cavell

English Prize Nina Harman

Physics Prize Xueqi Hou

OSA Prize (All Round Contribution to School Life) Emily Smith

French Prize Felix Dont

Psychology Prize Tiggy Teare

Further Mathematics Prize Ellen Crombie

Religious Studies Prize Francis Romano

UPPER SIXTH PRIZES Academic PE Prize Jonty Martin

Further Mathematics Prize Jingyi Zeng

Religious Studies Prize Laura Horley

Amy Lovegrove Prize (Outstanding Female Achievement in Sport) Emelia Hollingsworth

Geography Prize Harry MacLeod

Spanish Prize Francesca Ash Theatre Studies Prize Francesca Ash

Biology Prize Marta Chronowska

Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award Anup Ale Laura Horley Angus Michie Thomas Millington Alice Wilkins

Bloxam Prize (English) Francesca Ash

Grizelle Prize (History) Eliza Lewis

Bossom Prize (Public Speaking) William Dransfield

Joyce Drayson Art Prize Caitlin Allison

Design Technology Prize JieJie Chen

Media Studies Prize Verity Smith

Economics Prize Marco Hu

Music Prize Lara Bowles

Edward Craven Prize (Outstanding Male Achievement in Sport) Matthew Webb

Photography Prize Molly Cox

Angell Prize (Mathematics) Marta Chronowska

Fry Prize (ICT) Errol Brinkman

Page 8 - The Suttonian 2018

Psychology Prize Eleanor Agu Benson

Wheeler Prize (French) Sophie Watson Winstanley Prize (Chemistry) Marta Chronowska Wood Prize (Physics) Archie Averill All Round Contribution Awards Emelia Bonny Laurence Eastman William Harrison Michael Law Henry Overy Daniel Teare Callum Traynor Headmaster’s Prize Eliza Lewis Faber Swaine Matthew Webb

HIGHLIGHTS

Clothworkers’ Prize (All Round Contribution to School Life) Edward Mazumdar Ricketts Prize (All Round Contribution to School Life) Jack Hayes The Marjorie Popay Prize for Educational Achievement Eleanor Agu Benson CCF Sword of Honour Angus Michie Richard Horn Prize (Outstanding All Round Performance in Drama and Music) Naomi Lijesen The Froud Innovation Prize Alexander McDermott The WBP Aspinall Prize (Outstanding Originality of Thought and Action) Maxwell Harrison Headmaster’s Special Achievement Prize Fynley Young The Spirit of the House Competition Cup Harriet Aburn

COPY PRIZES Biology Suma Rai (Third Form) Certificate of Personal Effectiveness Tarik Abed (Fourth Form) Rory Baillie (Fourth Form) Ewen Barr (Fourth Form) Joseph Crump (Fourth Form) Tobias Dickinson (Fourth Form) Charlotte Gilman (Fourth Form) Patrick Mullen (Fourth Form)

Sophie Browning (First Form) Eliza Lewis (Upper Sixth) Alice Roberson (Third Form) Lara Savage (Fifth Form)

Extended Project Qualification Eleanor Agu Benson (Upper Sixth) Francesca Ash (Upper Sixth) Errol Brinkman (Upper Sixth) Marta Chronowska (Upper Sixth) Ellen Crombie (Lower Sixth) Angus Michie (Upper Sixth) Crest Award Francis Romano (Lower Sixth) Edward Humphris (Second Form) Faber Swaine (Upper Sixth) Alexander Webb (Lower Sixth) Samuel Millan-Norman (Lower Sixth) Drama Francesca Ash (Upper Sixth)

English Eleanor Agu Benson (Upper Sixth) Francesca Ash (Upper Sixth)

Geography Harry MacLeod (Upper Sixth) History Daniel Wild (Second Form)

Macdonald Prize Runners-up Helen Chambers (Second Form) Elizabeth Goodwin (Second Form) Jonny Russell (Third Form) Media Studies Gracie Rigby (Upper Sixth) Verity Smith (Upper Sixth) Music Samuel Pope (Fifth Form) Finn Swaine (Fifth Form) Religious Studies Francis Romano (Lower Sixth) Scholars’ Summer Project Tarik Abed (Fourth Form) Elizabeth Goodwin (Second Form)

Page 9 - The Suttonian 2018

HIGHLIGHTS

Head of School Speech Eliza Lewis, Upper Sixth

I

am sure it is quite a change for those of you who saw the School’s production of Chicago, to see me without the red lipstick, fish-net tights and high heels - although I can truthfully say this is far more daunting, and being Velma Kelly would be far less scary right now.

Today has been very special, as we have celebrated a fantastic year of School life. On behalf of the students at Sutton Valence, we are extremely grateful to you, Dame Cairncross, for celebrating with us today. The diversity and variety of your academic career is an inspiration to us all. You show that, with enough determination, passion and hard work - we can achieve whatever we wish. That is an extremely valuable life lesson, of which we will need to keep reminding ourselves in the years to come.

With 2018 being the bicentenary of the suffragettes, all I can say is thank heavens for those women and their male supporters. Their fight for equality gave us so much more than an equal vote - it showed us how change is possible and it highlighted our similarities, rather than our differences.

Everything is about to change for us Upper Sixth. The year has been a series of ‘lasts’, as we have wound down to the end of our School careers. We have had our last chapel service, last big match and last school lunch - and for the final time, been told to remove our jewellery and make-up - both the girls and the boys. It’s been an exciting year, but also exhausting and emotional. As a year group, we are all in the same place now and we are all ready for the big wide world and to face our next challenge. We must thank Sutton Valence for this.

For seven years we have been surrounded by an atmosphere bursting with energy and colour. It is because of the continuous opportunities we have been lucky enough to receive that, as a year group, we have had the confidence to try new things and develop as individuals. I think those of you who are familiar with the Upper Sixth will appreciate that we are a year with a variety of personalities and attitudes. Perhaps some of us don’t know where the hand brake is - but Sutton Valence has taught us that it is how we recover which is important, although knowing where the hand brake is, always helps.

We have been part of a way of life that celebrates diversity and individuality and this has taught us a great deal. With this in mind, I would like to thank the staff for their support and encouragement in absolutely every area of school life. Particularly during these last months, providing us with the best possible support and backup during an inevitably challenging final term. We, as Upper Sixth, could not be more grateful.

I cannot wait to see what we all do and where we go in the next few years. Modern technology means that for our generation total escape from your old class is almost impossible. I can’t imagine any one of us will go offline altogether. So, it will be fun seeing how we lead our different lives and from what angles we choose to view the world. But there is one thing we will have in common, wherever we end up. We will all hold a little piece of home in Sutton Valence, and that must be cherished, because it is so very special.

The other place we all call home, the places where our parents have been tiptoeing around us for the last few months, we also don’t take for granted. I have been extremely lucky with my trio of parents. You three have taught me so much. You’ve taught me how to walk, swim, ride a bike, drive a car and set up the foundations for me to take the next stage of the journey. However, my favourite lesson is one that cannot be categorised in so many words. It’s a feeling, or an initial reaction that you give me - and I love the fact you are totally unaware of it. It’s simple. You listen and you always show love and support no matter what the situation. I will always be so grateful for this. We are all the same, this is what we all need to be happy and successful in life.

I have one more thank you before our stomachs start rumbling - and that is to my year, for their friendship. I could not have hoped for a better bunch of mates. We are who we are because of each other, and although it is going to be hard not seeing all your gorgeous faces everyday, I know our friendships will only become stronger.

Page 10 - The Suttonian 2018

ACADEMIC UPDATES

ACADEMIC UPDATES “

With our academic year culminating in the excellent examination results reported earlier in the magazine, this is a great opportunity to reflect on the range of trips, lectures and activities that underpin the School’s day-to-day academic programme.This year has seen trips to Russia, France and Wales, as well as a number of opportunities for pupils to head off on shorter-term study experiences, including numerous London theatre trips. Our academic scholars have attended a range of talks through the Kingdon Society and pupils have enjoyed significant successes through our debating and public speaking programmes as well as the CREST awards. Whilst the majority of our day-to-day academic endeavours are, by their nature, routine, hopefully the following articles give a feel for the wide variety of opportunities and activities that our open to the School.

”

Mrs R Ball Academic Deputy Head Page 11 - The Suttonian 2018

ACADEMIC UPDATES

RUSSIAN HISTORY TRIP Francis Romano, Lower Sixth

I

n the current political climate, the only thing frostier than the St Petersburg streets is Russian-Anglo relations.

Despite numerous reports of the expulsions of diplomats and the possibility of anti-western feeling in Russia, an intrepid group of Sixth Formers boarded a plane for Moscow, not sure of the reception we would receive.We should not have worried, we were welcomed by our guide Yulia and indeed, all the people we came across were welcoming, and we saw no hint of the difficulties being reported in the western press.

The first stop on our packed itinerary was to meet Lenin a man who has been dead for almost 100 years! The Soviet government preserved his corpse and made his tomb a place of pilgrimage for his personality cult. Today, he continues to lie in state behind a glass façade looking very waxy and quite creepy, but the queues remain very long. Next, we got our first glimpse of Red Square, surrounded by the walls of the Kremlin and St Basil’s Cathedral, with its 13 multi-coloured domes. Apparently, Ivan the Terrible was so impressed by this cathedral, he had the architects blinded so they could never produce anything as stunning again. Or so the story goes.

Our next stop was the Gulag Museum, a poignant exhibition dedicated to educating young Russians about the oppressive political prisons inhabited by ‘enemies of the people’, at least according to Stalin. Modern estimates calculate that 20 million people became victims of these forced labour camps, although we may never know the real figure as the Soviet government destroyed the records. To lighten the mood, we visited a traditional circus in the evening. This circus was unlike anything you would see in Britain because it involved live endangered animals including a lioness and a white tiger, which is only legal in Russia and China.

The next day was our last in Moscow, so we went to the nerve centre of the Russian government, the Kremlin. Hiding behind thick red walls, Yulia took us through the Kremlin’s history. We looked inside the armoury, seeing collections of gold-plated carriages, crowns and elaborate gifted weaponry from Europe and Turkey, and then Mr Putin’s residence (from a distance of course). Our tour guide led us to the Moscow metro - not the sort of place you would expect to go sightseeing. We were all pleasantly surprised to see that this was actually where the USSR expressed itself. Stalin said, “You might not live in a palace but you can travel in one”, and this was one promise he kept.

The stations, all individually decorated, include marble walls, chandeliers, huge mosaics and statues celebrating the workers achievements and military victories.

The highlight of the first leg of our tour was definitely Red Square at night. As darkness fell, Red Square was enchanting as

Page 12 - The Suttonian 2018

the Kremlin and St Basil’s were beautifully illuminated. This left a lasting impression on us as we boarded the sleeper train to St Petersburg.This was an experience in itself and a highlight of the trip. A snowy platform welcomed us and we soon saw that the ‘Stalin Gothic’ architecture had been replaced by something far more familiar. Peter the Great designed the city in the European style because he had been inspired by his travels there.

St Petersburg, renamed Petrograd during WW1 and later Leningrad under the Soviets, certainly has a rich and varied history. Despite the best efforts of the communists to destroy religion and the opulent palaces of the once capital city, both have now been restored to their former glory. One lasting reminder of the city’s past that will not be wiped away is the huge WWII memorial, erected in remembrance of the Siege of Leningrad, a three-year siege that killed two million people in a city of mostly women and children. Stalin’s refusal to evacuate, in the belief that it would make them seem weak, is still felt, as our tour guide illustrated when she told us about her own family’s losses in the war. The memorial itself was moving, with statues of citizens bravely defending their city.

Of course, no trip to St Petersburg would be complete without seeing the world famous Hermitage, the Winter Palace and Catherine Palace. All of the palaces share the same theme, gold and dripping with opulence. The vast staircases were nothing in comparison to the huge ballrooms and reception rooms virtually covered in gold.There was also an amber room, covered with large amber stones, acquired at huge cost. Even the paintings in the room were created on a canvas of amber, using tiny artificially-coloured amber pieces as paint. Although hugely impressive, one cannot escape the feeling of inequality, as the majority of the population at this time were serfs, virtually slaves, suffering from regular famines and starvation while their rulers lived in unequalled luxury. It certainly helps to understand the context of the Russian Revolution.

On our final night, we indulged in our own evening of opulence hosted in the Palace of Grand Duke Vladimir for a traditional Russian Cossack show and grand dinner. By the end of the evening, we had all been engaged in traditional dancing and games and this was the perfect ending to our visit to St Petersburg.

There were obvious differences between the British and Russian cultures, but there were also many similarities. We learned that the people of Russia were friendly and fun loving and perhaps the stories we hear about in the press do not reflect the full picture of this vast country.

ACADEMIC UPDATES

Page 13 - The Suttonian 2018

Academic updates

Twelfth Night at the Globe Dr L Grindlay, English

I

t is one of the most iconic moments in Twelfth Night. The servant Malvolio has been duped into wearing yellow stockings, cross-gartered. They make him look ridiculous, and all around laugh at him. Malvolio has been tricked by the other servants into thinking that his mistress, the Lady Olivia, loves him and wants him to dress like this. In fact, she hates the colour yellow, and anyway, she is in love with another servant, Cesario.

Cesario, meanwhile, is actually a girl disguised as a boy…but that’s another story.

In May, the English A Level students saw this riotous, topsy-turvy play at Shakespeare’s Globe in London. A shout-out must go to both Georgia Best and Mrs Westlake, who wore wonderfully bright yellow socks as a tribute to Malvolio. For half of the performance students and staff were groundlings, standing by the stage, whilst for the other half they had the chance to sit and rest their legs.

Standing affords a fantastic opportunity to engage with the action and see the actors’ faces close up. Mr Davenport gamely opted to stand for the whole thing and I don’t think he stopped smiling once.

Malvolio’s entrance in yellow stockings was certainly a dramatic one, and its comic effect was accentuated by the addition of a rather extravagant codpiece, which was unnervingly at eye level for all who were standing!

Boudica at the Globe Nina Harman, Lower Sixth

B

oudica at Shakespeare’s Globe provided a fresh contrast to traditional portrayals of the rise and fall of the warrior queen.The heroine, played by Gina McKee, was a bloodthirsty character determined to win back her tribes and conquer the Romans. The plot was both witty and thought-provoking, as the story of arguably the original feminist unfurled through comedic and tragic turns.

The trip, back in September last year, was a brilliant two-and-a-half-hour escape into the time of Iron Age Britain under Roman control, with the occasional dance break to the sounds of Clash featuring 80s disco lighting. Thank you to Mrs Porter and Mr Plowden for a fantastic introduction to the Theatregoers’ year.

Page 14 - The Suttonian 2018

Performed by just eight actors, The Globe’s production captured the anarchic spirit of the play perfectly, playing on the lighter side of this comedy rather than its darker elements. All the A Level students have been studying Twelfth Night in depth, so as well as having a good laugh at poor Malvolio’s expense, we were consolidating our learning by bringing Shakespeare’s words to life.

ACADEMIC UPDATES

A Level English Gothic Trip Mr C Davenport, Head of English

I

n October, ten Upper Sixth English Literature pupils, accompanied by Dr Grindlay, Mrs Porter and Mr Davenport, enjoyed a fulfilling day of genre enrichment to aid their studies of the Gothic (the key genre in their linear course).

They started their day taking in the breath-taking façade of St Pancras Station – built in 1868. It is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture and allowed our pupils to create links and parallels with the literature they have studied, notably the imposing Castle Dracula in Bram Stoker’s famous novel, Dracula.

After lunch, they made their way to the Fortune Theatre to enjoy a performance of the haunting tale that is The Woman in Black. This once again enabled the pupils to immerse themselves in all things Gothic and see how it, as a genre, can shift us toward horror and suspense, but all the time embracing those key Gothic traits of fear and excess.

Thank you to the Sixth Form and to Dr Grindlay and Mrs Porter for making this such a great day – a fantastic time was had by all.

Following this, we moved on to St Pancras Old Church where a guided tour of this extraordinary graveyard took place. The links to literature in this place are astounding, including the tombs of William Godwin (writer, philosopher and father to Mary Shelley) and Mary Wollstonecraft (Mary Shelley’s mother and the founder of feminism). It is the very place where Mary Shelley and Percy Shelley met in secret during their early years courting prior to the writing of Frankenstein, her first novel and one of the greatest Gothic texts ever written.

Then there was the phenomenally-macabre Hardy Tree which takes us into the life of the novelist Thomas Hardy and Victorian society itself. It is also the final resting place of the author of The Vampyre, the often forgotten, John Polidori. To add to this, it is a venue that has hosted The Beatles while on an album tour back in the 1960s; some of our group had their picture taken in the very spot where the famous group sat almost fifty years previously.

Page 15 - The Suttonian 2018

ACADEMIC UPDATES

Hamlet at the Globe Francesca Ash, Upper Sixth

I

n April, a group of Sixth Form English students were fortunate enough to be able to see a production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet at The Globe Theatre. As a part of the English A Level course for many of us, this was invaluable revision, as well as a very enjoyable experience.

Our teachers had booked half standing and half seated tickets for the event, and we swapped round at the interval. Spending half of the performance standing in the yard, and the other sitting, we had the full experience of a Shakespearian audience.

We were able lean on the stage to see the actors within touching distance for one half of the performance, whilst sitting under the canopy for a complete view of the action for the other.

Having been warned previously that we would not be seeing a traditional interpretation of Shakespeare’s play, we were nonetheless surprised by the extent of the gender-blind casting, with the selection of a female Hamlet and male Ophelia providing a fascinating interpretation. The mix of Elizabethan period and modern costume added further to the interest, but did not detract from the moments of comedy and tragedy which define this Shakespeare classic.

The train ride home was filled with our various discussions and, having studied the original play in such depth, and many of us having participated in the School’s production of Hamlet last year, we were enlightened by such a unique and modern interpretation.

Five Guys Named Moe Nina Harman, Lower Sixth

L

ast October saw another Theatregoers trip up to London, however, this time of a very different nature.

Five Guys Named Moe at the Marble Arch Theatre, provides a sort of tongue-in-cheek ‘gentleman’s guide to love’ through the music of Louis Jordan. Despite the limited plot line, the show was a two-hour immersion into the energetic, buzzing world of the 1940s New Orleans nightclubs, with colour and excitement galore.

After concerns at the prospect of audience participation, all entered into the spirit (with hilarious and memorable results).

The evening provided a feel-good few hours of escapism, leaving us all in awe at the six tapping, jump-splitting, limboing cast members. Once again, a huge thank you to Mrs Porter and all the staff who made the night so memorable.

Page 16 - The Suttonian 2018

ACADEMIC UPDATES

Hairspray at the Marlowe Charlotte Gilman, Fourth Form

D

rama students from First Form to Upper Sixth visited Canterbury in May to watch Hairspray, The Musical. On the way, everyone was buzzing with excitement and ready for what was in store for us. As we walked into the auditorium to our seats you could feel the anticipation building. I had no idea what the musical was about, but after the first half I had fallen in love with the fun, energetic and exhilarating dances and songs.

The production kept us on the edge of our seats throughout the whole performance. Watching the musical was very inspirational because the main character, Tracy Turnblad, did what she believed in and even though she was put down by Amber Von Tussle she carried on. Everything from the costumes to the lighting was fantastic and we all had the songs going around our heads for days. Thank you to Miss Davies, Mr Fewson and Miss Williams who took us to see the show.

The Bloody Bake-Off Dr L Grindlay, English

I

n May, Upper Sixth English students marked the end of their A Level course with the now-annual ‘Bloody Bake-off’ tea party, where everyone had to bring cakes with a Gothic theme.

Students had been studying the Gothic genre all year, and their challenge was to construct a cake that referenced their set texts, The Bloody Chamber or Dracula. There were some fantastic results, including coffins, vampire teeth and blood-spattered flowers, as well as a cake covered in meringue bones and a four-poster bed with a corpse sleeping inside it. Clearly studying the Gothic genre has a profound effect on one’s baking talent!

Page 17 - The Suttonian 2018

ACADEMIC UPDATES

An Evening with Jane Austen Dr L Grindlay, English

L

ast year marked the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death, so, back in September, the English Society met in the Baughan Theatre to celebrate her life. We did this by doing something that Jane Austen herself greatly enjoyed: reading aloud. Whenever Austen wrote a new novel she took great delight in reading excerpts to family and friends, so this seemed a very appropriate way for us to remember her great works.

Jane Austen lived in a time of great turbulence and upheaval, but the violent events of politics and war did not make their way into her novels. Instead, she wrote about love and marriage amongst the gentlemen and gentlewomen who had to negotiate their way through the jungle that was Regency society. So why have her novels remained so popular if they are so limited in their scope?

Why can this novelist be called great,

who didn’t write about war, bloodshed and poverty, who never follows her characters on journeys to strange foreign climes and certainly never has them murdered or placed in any real peril? We discovered just why over the course of the evening.

Jane Austen never married or had children herself, and yet her novels are some of the greatest love stories every written. But they are so much more than that. Our evening with Jane Austen used the novelist’s own words to celebrate her rich characterisation and her wry wit and irony. With our English teacher hats on, we also looked at why these elegant novels, written by a brilliant woman who lived such an uneventful life, were so radically and astoundingly ahead of their time.

All years were involved, with pupils, staff and guests all taking the stage together. Members of the First Form delighted us with a presentation on some of the things Jane Austen said, whilst the Second Form discovered that this very romantic novelist could be decidedly unromantic on the theme of marriage. Meanwhile, members of the Third Form told us – with actions – about Jane Austen’s biting wit, in a section entitled ‘The Bitchiness Behind the Bonnets’. More senior pupils then joined with staff from the English, Mathematics and Drama departments, and Old Suttonians and friends to take on roles in readings from Jane Austen’s famous novels.

It was wonderful to see so many staff, pupils, parents, friends and governors join together to celebrate one of our greatest literary talents. We hope that Miss Austen would have approved.

Page 18 - The Suttonian 2018

ACADEMIC UPDATES

The Historical Association Debate Finalist Mr W Radford, Alumni Relations and Development Manager

E

ight of Kent’s brightest and most articulate young historians met head-to-head in November last year to debate the motion ‘Was the 1918 extension of the franchise the most significant moment in British democratic history?’ Francis Romano and Sam Grindlay (both Lower Sixth) and the other six contestants had to speak for five minutes and then face questions from the jury and their fellow speakers.

The jury benefited from the vast expertise in debating of its third member, Sir Michael Pownall, a former clerk to parliament.

After a closely-fought debate, Sam was judged the winner and became the first recipient of the newly-created Ian Coulson Award for Historical Debating. In announcing the winner, writer and broadcaster Jo Phillips declared the standard of debate to have been ‘very high indeed – a real tribute to the individuals and schools involved, and a strong marker for the future health of our democracy’.

As a result of his victory, Sam proceeded to the final round of the debate, The Historical Association Grand Debate Final, which was held in the Grand Committee Room at Westminster Hall in the Houses of Parliament in March 2018.

Sam was one of 23 finalists from around the country who had all won their heats. Each of the finalists gave a five-minute speech answering the same question as they had done in the heats. Sam delivered an excellent speech in support of the statement, arguing that the extension of the franchise led to the greatest increase in electorate size and using the 1832 Reform Bill as a comparison. Although Sam was not the winner, it was a huge honour and accomplishment for him to be part of the national final, and to be able to speak in such an amazing historical building.

Keble College Essay Success Mrs H Knott, Development Manager

I

n June, Francis Romano (Lower Sixth) was awarded an Honourable Mention in the Keble College Theology and Religion Essay Competition for his work answering the question of ‘In a post-Brexit, post-Trump world, does faith mandate a clear political stance?’

The main structure of the essay was establishing a division between an internal and external faith. The internal faith is a separation of faith and politics, with the example of Kierkegaard and evangelicals. External faith is developed by Pope Francis and Liberation Theology to be linked with politics to such an extent that they are in many ways the same. Francis’ conclusion is that the external view is correct and the internal view is too individualistic.

Page 19 - The Suttonian 2018

NICE

ACADEMIC UPDATES

JUNIOR FRENCH TRIP

Hannah Slipper and Jack Piller, Second Form

O

ver the Summer Half Term holiday, the 19 pupils going on the French trip arrived in the Quad ready to experience one of the best School trips they would ever go on - a visit to the Côte d’Azur to stay in Nice.

During our stay in Nice, we did many exciting things, including a trip to the famous perfumery, Fragonard, where we learnt all about the making of perfume and different scents, as well as being allowed to try on some perfume. That evening we went to the cinema to watch a French movie, which was very exciting. The next day we went into Monaco and although we did not get to see the Grand Prix, we had a great time relaxing on the grass and visiting the cathedral and Palace of Monaco. We also had the opportunity to go bowling later that evening, which was one of the highlights of the trip.

Page 20 - The Suttonian 2018

Before we caught our flight back to London after four amazing days in France, we had the chance to walk around Nice and to go to a local sweet factory. At the factory, they showed us how they make their confectionery and chocolates and how they also use the petals of flowers to make their sweets. We also had the opportunity to sample some of their range. Our trip ended with a visit to the château, which had amazing views over the Nice coastline.

On behalf of all the pupils that went on the French trip this year, I would particularly like to thank Mr Ellmers, Ms Akehurst and Mrs Callaway for letting us have an amazing time. Thanks also to Mrs Heurtevent for all the time and preparation that happened before the trip.

Academic updates

Day 1

Day 3

On 25th May, pupils from the First and Second Forms set off for the Junior French Trip to Nice. It was a very early start to the day as we met at the School at 4:30am for our drive to Heathrow Airport.

After a quick flight, we took a coach to the hotel. There was no time to lose – it was bags down and off to the flower market. This was a 20-minute walk through the streets of Nice. After a look around, it was back to the hotel for dinner, some relaxation time and lights out after a tiring day.

Monaco! The jewel in the crown of the trip, in my opinion, if not just so we could hear the Formula 1 cars at the nearby Grand Prix!

We jumped on the coastal train to Monaco and, in order to avoid the F1 crowds, we headed straight for the palace and cathedral.

We had lunch in the cathedral gardens and then set off to a park overlooking Monaco harbour. Here we were able to get some great photos and then it was back on the train and bowling later on in the evening.

Day 2

Day 4

After a quick breakfast, we set off to the French Language School where we had our French lesson. This involved a lot of talking French, with not a lot of English; in fact, none whatsoever! After a nice lunch in Jardin Albert, we took the coach to Grasse for a tour around the Fragonard perfume factory. After this, we headed back to the hotel for a quick dinner before heading out to the Cinéma Pathé to watch a French comedy.

Our last day, but before we headed back to the airport there were still sights to be explored. Firstly, we walked to Musée Matisse, which is where we also had lunch. After we ate, we walked down to the Confiserie Florian – a sweet factory. After this, it was a fairly long trek up the hills to take a look at the grounds of Colline du Château. This ended our trip to Nice. All that was left was a coach ride back to the airport to catch our flight home.

Page 21 - The Suttonian 2018

ACADEMIC UPDATES

Public Speaking and Debating Teams Miss J Manning, Master I/C

T

his year we had more students than ever wishing to be involved in public speaking and debating competitions.

In November, Scarlett Washington, Struben Savage and Helen Chambers won the local round of the Rotary Club Youth Speaks competition. Despite being the youngest participant in the competition, Struben delivered his speech about the capping of professional sportsmen and women’s salaries, without needing to refer to his notes and in a calm, confident manner. He was ably supported by both Helen and Scarlett. This is the fourth year running that Sutton Valence has won this competition and it was a well-deserved victory.

The English Speaking Union (ESU) Churchill public speaking competition took place in February. Sutton Valence had two teams in the competition. Elliot Gooding, Cameron Lamont-Brown and Tarik Abed made up one team with Elliot delivering a speech packed full of humour and statistics entitled, ‘Can we ever rely on statistics?’ Meanwhile, Lara Savage, who made it to the national finals at Dartmouth House in 2017, delivered her speech ‘Is there more to Paddington than his love of marmalade?’ Noah Swaine and Tom Gray acted as questioner and chairperson, respectively.

Lara’s team narrowly missed out on going to the national finals, coming second overall, but more importantly all of our students were praised for being ‘great ambassadors for the School’.

Tom Gray and Noah Swaine (both Fifth Form) were hugely impressive in the ESU Mace debating competition, going up against teams of Sixth Formers. This is only the second year that Sutton Valence has entered this competition. In the first round, they

Page 22 - The Suttonian 2018

competed against teams from The King’s School, Canterbury, St Edmund’s School, Simon Langton School and St Lawrence College.

One judge described the duo as ‘unflappable’ with ‘calm, controlled arguments’. We were delighted that they got through to the next round when they proposed to prohibit the media from using software to cosmetically improve an individual’s appearance. It is a huge credit to both Tom and Noah that their research and hard work paid off, ensuring a place in the regional finals.

A huge thank you to all of the students for taking part, but also to Mr Ellmers for his advice, enthusiasm and support in the lead up to the various competitions.

ACADEMIC UPDATES

RAF Presentation Team Thomas Dolan and Toby Loy, Second Form

T

he RAF presentation team paid a visit to the School in September last year to give the Juniors an exciting and informative talk about the modern Royal Air Force. The presentation was not only designed to talk about the RAF, but also many scientific principles that they work with everyday in their jobs.

To start the show, the team played an introductory video showing what the RAF do both in and out of war. After introducing themselves, they gave us a taster flight of their magnificent drone.

Then they explained the uses of their new drone, including the fact that it can hover, which led them on to introducing the new RAF fighter, the F35 Lightning II, that also has a hover function like the Harrier Jump Jet. They explained, using bad puns, the four forces of flight: thrust, drag, weight and lift. Next, they told us what the Henri Coanda effect was.They demonstrated using a beach ball and a giant fan and explained how its force can be used to cause lift.

Cyber crime is a major threat to the RAF’s drones.To demonstrate this, the team flew the drone with the camera on and got another

presenter to fight for control of the drone, via a different controller.

Next, they showed us how the different forces of flight affect aircraft using the weight of the new A380 commercial liner, which weighs more than 43 double-decker London buses!

They ended the show with their twin 10kg thrust jet engines. They had to vent it out of the fire escape and it was so powerful you could hear the wind brushing past your hair! Overall, the show was a very enjoyable experience.

Onatti Theatre Company Mrs S De Castro, Head of MFL

T

he Onatti Theatre Company returned to Sutton Valence in December last year with another fantastic interactive play for the Third Form.

Mes Chers Voisins (My Dear Neighbours) is a fun play that follows the lives of five teenagers who live on the same street. Just two actors played all five parts in this very entertaining 50-minute production. The play was entirely in French and the language was designed to be accessible to Third Formers. The pupils could follow the story line and even got involved themselves, being invited up onto the stage in several scenes. The Third Form French groups were given follow-up material, that they will work on in lessons.

It was a very enjoyable performance and a great opportunity to listen to ‘real’ French in an entertaining way. We are looking forward to April when the company will return with a Spanish production.

Page 23 - The Suttonian 2018

ACADEMIC UPDATES

Model United Nations Dr L Grindlay, Head of Academic Scholars

T

his week, twenty Sutton Valence students visited Emanuel School in South London to become UN delegates for the 2017 United Westminster Schools Model United Nations. They joined delegates from Emanuel School, The Grey Coat Hospital, Queen Anne’s School and Westminster City School.

The day was spent discussing and debating a range of global issues, from dealing with the threat of ISIS to global warming. Sutton Valence students represented Greece, Colombia, Iraq, Austria and the UK. Working in pairs, they had all written a resolution on a given topic from their country’s point of view. On arrival at Emanuel, they were split into groups, each representing a UN committee. In their groups they acted as delegates for their allotted country, lobbying for and then debating their resolutions.

Each committee then voted for one winner, which went through to the afternoon’s finals.

All countries joined in this afternoon debate for the winning resolutions, either supporting the finalists’ resolutions or arguing against them, under the watchful eye of chairman Mr Roy Blackwell, the clerk of the Foundation. Sutton Valence was the only school to have two winning resolutions, both from students representing Colombia.

The first, proposed by Francesca Ash and Naomi Lijesen, discussed how to provide aid not trade for developing economic countries, whilst the second, from Tarik Abed and Will Chambers was a motion on how to eradicate forced labour.

The debating was extremely rigorous and often very intense. Sutton Valence’s students faced some tough opposition, and debating in front of 100 other students was an extremely daunting task. They held their own, and conducted themselves with dignity and integrity. Although neither of our motions were passed, the four students from Colombia all won prizes, whilst Olivia Ferris was commended for her excellent questioning strategies, and Sam Grindlay won the prize for the most outstanding individual contributions to the debate. All the students who attended were true ambassadors for the School.

Page 24 - The Suttonian 2018

ACADEMIC UPDATES

Extended Project Qualification Mr J Soman, EPQ Coordinator

T

he second year of the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) programme at SVS saw sixteen Upper Sixth pupils complete projects, ten choosing to write 5,000word essays and six creating an artefact. Each student achieved a B grade or above, with four securing an A*, including Marta Chronowska whose mature and insightful essay about nanotechnology received full marks. Three Lower Sixth students also completed EPQs in the area of Philosophy, each attaining an A* grade.

The opportunity for pupils to research a unique area of their own choice can certainly be seen in the sheer breadth of topics covered in this diverse range of EPQs. Lily Crampton’s colourful and imaginative illustrations for a children’s book, for instance, totally contrasted the neat, professionally-presented TV script written by Angus Michie. Faber Swaine’s website, touching on a very personal issue, showcased her passion and strong ability to communicate to others, whilst fully-referenced essays in the fields of sport, literature, law and politics were completed confidently.

Essays n t Eleanor Agu-Benso erica and China affec onship between Am How does the relati America’s allies?

Francesca Ash feminist or feminist sentation of a protors in female authored Does the fictional pre aken female characte we or en gth en str message texts?

Marta Chronowska it worth it?

Nanotechnology: is

One such essay, completed by Ellen Crombie, focused on immortality, resurrection and materialism. She adds,“When starting my Extended Project in Philosophy, I was apprehensive about the vast amount of academic research into a field I had never studied before. However, under the wise guidance of Mr Jones, I had the opportunity to read and discuss many topics within epistemology, such as the question, ‘how can we know we are not brains in a vat?’ In my full project however, I focused on immortality. Entitled ‘Will I survive my own death?’, I researched and considered various concepts including Cartesian Dualism, resurrection, and parapsychology. Completing the project has not only proved helpful as a talking point in university interviews, but it has taught me important skills in deciphering scholarly articles and forming my own opinions on key philosophical issues.”

It has been a privilege to co-ordinate this fascinating qualification this year and I congratulate all of the students on their hard work and finished products.

Francis Romano tion of justice? With have a coherent no Do Catholic-Marxists liberation theology. an Plato’s republic d to e nc ere ref lar cu parti proven Sophie Watson ain anonymous until uld defendants rem To what extent sho guilty?’ of the Alexander Webb able? An evaluation alism morally justifi Is consensual cannib cannibalism. dilemma of passive

Ellen Crombie nce to immortality, n death? With refere Will I survive my ow terialism. resurrection and ma election William Dransfield nald Trump result in the psychology of Do To what extent did success? k of brain Jack Hayes schools given the ris Rugby be banned in y or uls mp co ld ou Sh quences? injur y and its conse th s of a Emelia Hollingswor ount for the opinion ic needle theory acc rm de po hy the es Do EU Migrant Crisis? sample group on the n-Judge prevented?

Rehannah Houghto ening and can it be slave labour still happ d an r ou lab ild ch Is ss b affect their succe Louis Regnier alth of a football clu we the es do t ten To what ex ?’ on the football pitch Bundesliga football Alexander Schuller d accounts of three she bli pu is the of n A compariso ms to assess which er League football tea mi Pre ee thr d an teams more efficient.

Artefacts g

Harriet Aburn ity affect orcas feedin does a life in captiv ow ‘H ed titl en e A lectur habits?’

Caitlin Allison house in different ssions of the same pre im ic ist d Gaudi. art of A series , deconstructivist an modernist, art deco architectural styles: Errol Brinkman ?!’ – A mini museum aren’t you dead yet hy W craft – s? ea ers ov ‘You fly in jet commercial air biggest developments exhibition about the history. en year Lily Crampton ’s book, for six to sev d design of a children an s on ati str illu e Th nes in the Stream. olds, entitled The Sto e Book Angus Michie TV series entitled Th ot episode of a Sci-Fi pil a for lay np ee scr A of the Yantao.

Faber Swaine d Me.’ lmonary Stenosis an A website entitled ‘Pu

Page 25 - The Suttonian 2018

ACADEMIC UPDATES

TREGARON

GEOGRAPHY TRIP Emily Smith, Lower Sixth

W

e arrived in the small town of Tregaron in full daylight, having enjoyed views of the beautiful rolling Welsh countryside en route and a running commentary from Mr Sansom, as he pointed out significant geographical landforms that we may otherwise not have appreciated or even noticed!

The surprisingly pleasant weather made wading through the rivers a lot more enjoyable for many, with all the geographers successfully setting up their methods of data collection or managing to collect raw data from the off.

After a long day in the field, we were rewarded with a barbecue back at the boys’ campsite.

The first day brought not only the sun, but also an immediate start to our geography data collection. With only three days in Tregaron we needed to make sure we made the most of our time there and were focused on collecting all the results we needed. With a variety of different coursework titles amongst the Lower Sixth group, there were a range of locations to which students were being transferred, with some concentrating on the soil moisture content and insects in the woodlands, to others measuring biodiversity and the aquatic life in the rivers in and around Tregaron.

As the responsibility for cooking dinner on disposable barbecues was handed to the students, there were concerns as to how we might be feeling the following day, knowing the culinary talents (or lack of them) of certain members of the group. However, with my group serving burnt and crispy sausages, the chance of these cremated offerings being undercooked was slim and hence we enjoyed our first evening in Tregaron, secure in the knowledge that food poisoning was not on the menu.

The students focusing on human geography projects took advantage of not needing to travel to more remote locations and dived straight into their surveys after breakfast, catching any willing Welsh locals in the town centre to ask them a variety of questions to aid their investigations.

Page 26 - The Suttonian 2018

The next day was our last full day in Tregaron and the last day of being woken up by the rather loud and annoying parrot in the girls’ accommodation. There was a final push to gather the last bits of any data anybody needed in the morning, with an incentive that once everyone was finished we would be able to enjoy the last of the sunny Welsh weather by the side of a tarn in the afternoon, just before our final evening meal.

ACADEMIC UPDATES

Our last meal in Tregaron had a slight Mr Bee twist. In order to be able to go inside and claim our meal, each Lower Sixth geographer had to present their data, as collected over the last two days, to the panel of teachers. This led to the equivalent of a geographical X Factor in the back of a restaurant where getting through to the next round meant being able to be fed, which was the real incentive. Once our last meal was enjoyed and awards for the best data presentation had been awarded, Verity Streek clinked her glass and made a great final toast to commend Mr Bee’s final geography field trip with SVS. It was a great three days in Tregaron, with locals even commenting on the impressive manner in which our Lower Sixth group of geographers not only represented the School, but went about carrying out their investigations.

A big thank you must go to Mr Sansom, Mr Jones, Miss Halleron and of course Mr Bee for making the trip possible and really helping everybody there complete their field studies and make the most of their time in Tregaron.

Page 27 - The Suttonian 2018

ACADEMIC UPDATES

Kingdon Society Dr L Grindlay, Head of Academic Scholars

T

he Kingdon Society has enjoyed another extremely successful year. Formed to give our Academic Scholars and Exhibitioners the chance to learn and discuss issues beyond the curriculum, it has gone from strength-tostrength with some fascinating topics discussed this year.

Over the course of the year, students enjoyed talks from a range of different speakers as well as some more interactive evenings. This included the introduction of critical thinking to intermediate and senior Scholars. It has been wonderful to see the pupils engage so passionately and intelligently with a range of topics relating to the world around them.

Junior Kingdon A Life in Surgery and a Life in the News

T

he junior Kingdon group had two very different meetings this year. In the Michaelmas Term, they were joined

by SVS parent Mr Abed, who talked about his job as a trauma and orthopaedic surgeon. His speech was about the sorts of operations he performs, how medical science has changed, the challenges he faces and also the huge satisfaction that his job brings. He explained to pupils the difference between trauma and orthopaedics. There are differences, they learned, between fracturing or dislocating something, and operations such as hip and knee replacements. The pupils were fascinated to find out how sophisticated surgery is now, and also that a break is the same as fracture. After his talk, Mr Abed and his colleague Shirley Lu showed pupils some of the amazing tools they work with and they got to have a go performing spinal surgery on a dummy.

Later in the year, there was a very different meeting, where John Young, a local journalist, gave junior pupils a taste of what it was like to be a news reporter. This was a truly interactive evening. Mr Young impressed all when he described the skills needed to work in a newsroom. He told pupils that to be a reporter you need to be ready for anything!

The main activity of the evening was a game called The Five. Each table was given the same nine news stories. They then had to decide which five they were going to put in a news report for a weekly show and in what order. However, just as they were deciding their stories the phone rang. It was a reporter saying that he couldn’t get to the story: all therefore needed to re-think.

Slowly, more and more stories changed and new stories came in.

Finally, all teams had worked out which five stories they thought were most relevant.

Mr Young then told pupils that all the stories we had been given were real examples and that the editors of South East Today had to make the same decisions as they had. He then showed us what order the stories were placed in the real show: the team that was the closest to this were the winners.

Intermediate Kingdon How Do Children Learn?

T

he intermediate Kingdon Society heard a fascinating talk from Dr Erika Nurmsoo, who is a lecturer in Psychology at the University of Kent, specialising in children’s cognitive and social development. The primary area of her research centres around how children’s developing social understanding supports their cognitive development, and vice versa.

Dr Nurmsoo’s presentation was entitled ‘Trust and testimony: Children’s understanding of others as sources of information’.

Her research evaluates how three, four and five year olds decide how to trust the information given to them. This is done by experimenting with giving the children false and true information in various controlled conditions. How do children judge whether to believe information that another has told them?

The entertaining presentation guided us through a number of different experiments which used an array of props to engage children. These included puppets, ducks and even a Smartie tube that was filled with pennies to counter a child’s expectations of what it contained. It was truly enlightening to see just how many complex decisions a child makes as they understand the world around them, and the scientific way in which this data can be recorded.

John Young Topic - Life in the News

Page 28 - The Suttonian 2018

Dr Nurmsoo left students with a puzzle: anyone who has been around young children will know how many questions they ask.

Although children make complex decisions about who to trust when asked for information, they seem to ask questions regardless of their prior understanding of the reliability of the person they are with.

ACADEMIC UPDATES

Dr Mike Leahy Topic: Contagious Diseases

Senior and Intermediate Kingdon An Introduction to Critical Thinking

B

oth intermediate and senior Scholars and Exhibitioners experienced a rather different meeting, where they were introduced to the intriguing topic of critical thinking. For these meetings, Mr Jones led talks on a variety of topics, before students broke into groups to discuss. Students were guided through subjects including ‘searching for meaning’, fake news, and the applications of critical thinking.

Students looked at the meaning behind critical thinking, essentially asking the audience to think about whether an ‘unexamined life is not worth living’? Starting with Aristotle and ‘knowing thyself’, the talk then progressed to the idea of existentialism and the absurd.

The final discussion on this particular section was entitled ‘Do we agree that existentialism is good?’

Senior Kingdon Contagious Diseases

T

he first senior Kingdon Society meeting of the academic year offered the Sixth Form Academic Scholars and Exhibitioners the chance to gain some striking insight into some of the world’s most killer diseases.

The talk was presented by Dr Mike Leahy, who is best known for his appearances on the BBC, Discovery and National Geographic television channels. His infectious charisma was second only to his passion for Virology and Molecular Biology. Attending the University of Oxford, Mike accomplished a D. Phil in both these areas and clearly knew his stuff. Giving up his job as a researcher, Mike pursued his passion with several television jobs taking him across 25 locations in eight different countries, where we learned how he faced snakes, fish, bugs and parasites, as well as about his experience with his first tape worm “Rory” and pet leeches that he has kept (and fed using his own blood!).

Students also discussed the topic of fake news. Unsurprisingly, Donald Trump was the first person to be discussed, and a spirited debate ensued about the ethics behind the Abu Ghraib scandal in 2003 in terms of the Utilitarian and Deontological Arguments.

They also thought about the applications of critical thinking to everyday life. This involved looking into the ethics of Costa, the coffee shop, funding exploitation in the harvesting of coffee beans in third world countries, but supporting a charity working against this exploitation.

Throughout both evenings, students were encouraged to discuss their thoughts which led to some compelling and often heated debates. All students were given a taste of the independent thinking needed for university life, debating topics that opened up interesting ideas for possible EPQ projects and further reading.

Thanks for their contributions to this review should go to Mr Jones, Ellen Crombie, Joshua Fawell, Struben Savage and Alexander Webb.

Specifically, Mike has appeared in several television series including Bite Me and Rough Science, where he put his body on the line several times, resulting in hospitalisations and several other unpleasant bodily experiences that he was delighted to share with us throughout the evening.This even included deliberate selfinfection (and extraction) of a fully-grown tape worm for live TV, which Mike was more than happy to do after a celebrity co-host decided it was too much for him!

Mike’s countless humorous stories were filled with truly-fascinating information on many of the species encountered on said television series, including ring worms, killer tropical river larvae and other deadly parasites that kill millions each year. He also stressed the importance of international collaboration in striving to eradicate terrible diseases such as polio and malaria worldwide. His talk concluded with an important message of compassion towards areas where these illnesses are commonplace, offering food for thought around the controversy of money taking priority over saving people’s lives in modern society.

Mr M Jones, Geography An Introduction to Critical Thinking

Page 29 - The Suttonian 2018

ACADEMIC UPDATES

CREST Bronze Award Mrs W Loy, Physics

I

n December, during a Second Form Mathematics lesson, Mr Cope dipped his biscuit into his coffee and groaned with dismay as half of it was left in the mug. He could not have imagined the flurry of research and experimentation that was to follow.

A number of pupils in his class went on their own personal quest to find the perfect dunking biscuit! Each budding scientist found an original way to tackle the project and brought their results back to School in an effort to provide Mr Cope with a scientifically proven solution to his biscuit-dunking problem. Given the high quality and originality of their hard work, they were encouraged to develop their ideas for submission for a CREST Award.

CREST is a national award programme, an initiative of the British Science Association and highly regarded by universities and employers. There are three award levels available at senior school age. Students have to work independently to research, plan and complete an investigation in an area of Science, Technology and Mathematics. I am delighted to say that six of our Second Form pupils were successful in achieving a bronze award. The assessors

were very pleased with the quality of the work and the pupils demonstrated impressive skills and a sound understanding of the scientific process. Hannah Slipper, Scarlett Washington, Helen Chambers, Toby Loy, Charlie Wood and Ethan Wynne were presented with their awards in Headmaster’s Assembly. We look forward to following their next discoveries when they consider a project for a silver award.

CREST Gold Award Mrs W Loy, Physics

S

am Millan-Norman was awarded a gold level CREST award this year for his project on investigating capacitors. In order to achieve this level of award, students have to take an enquiry-based approach, asking real-life questions then leading their own project to explore possible answers. Through his project, Sam has demonstrated enthusiasm and self-motivation throughout and he is well-deserving of this high-level flagship award in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics.

Sam explains, ‘I chose to investigate the function and use of capacitors because I know they are used in so many everyday applications, but I didn’t know why. I really appreciated the opportunity to develop my skills in writing a laboratory report and understanding the planning process for a science investigation such as this. I also had to teach myself some new mathematical skills in order to evaluate my results. I am delighted to have achieved a CREST award at the gold level and I will include this success in my application to study engineering at university.'

Page 30 - The Suttonian 2018

ACADEMIC UPDATES

Quality in Careers Standard Award Mrs H Knott, Development Manager

T

his summer we received the exciting news that the School has been awarded the national Quality in Careers Standard.

This standard is only awarded to schools and education providers who can demonstrate the importance they place on careers and how they support students to make decisions about their life after school. Sutton Valence is currently the only independent school in the country to have achieved this accolade.

The assessment process for the standard looked at all aspects of our careers guidance and how it contributes to students’ preparation for the world beyond Sutton Valence. It confirmed that we have a sound careers education programme in place across all years, fully supported by the governing body and the senior management team, which prepares students for the global economy.

The School’s own skills audit had highlighted the need to provide opportunities for students to develop creative and critical thinking and have experiential learning opportunities, which linked to the opportunities we provide for mini-gaps of three-to-four weeks in China and India. These, along with being offered a number of sports, volunteering, mentoring, Crest awards, STEM activities, Duke of Edinburgh Award and CCF outside of our normal curriculum were deemed to develop the whole person.

progression and career interests; many have provided placements.

Many parents, and Old Suttonians, are also involved in the biennial careers fair and, in the intervening years, a Next Steps event is run where OS return to talk about their careers and how they chose them.

Working with the PSHE department, careers is a feature of the junior students’ portfolio and more senior ones are provided with time to reflect on their personal development and record outcomes from their work experience at the end of Fifth Form.

As a result of all the programmes in place, the assessors found that our students are very positive about careers guidance, value the School taking an interest in them and how they are encouraged to think about their skills and their future through the different activities offered.

Under the expert guidance of Mrs Carter, we have been continually working to improve the chances and opportunities of all of our students. Christine brings a number of skills to the role and has completed her master’s degree and postgraduate Diploma in Careers Guidance with Canterbury Christchurch.We are delighted that her expertise, knowledge and guidance has been recognised in this unique way.

The School is fortunate to have a very strong alumni network in our Old Suttonians who support us in many ways, especially in

Page 31 - The Suttonian 2018

ACADEMIC UPDATES

Next Steps Careers Event Mrs C Carter, Head of Careers

A

t the end of the School’s Lent Term, eight recent leavers returned as part of the biennial Next Steps careers event. The Old Suttonians spoke to the current Sixth Form about their experiences having left the School, giving advice on university choices, school leaver employment schemes, apprenticeships, placement years and university life.

organising international placements, as she is about to spend a year at the Eindhoven University of Technology. Also in her third year, Bethany Webb described the benefits of her placement at Kantar Media as part of her Psychology degree at the University of Bath.

Beth also covered the importance of getting involved in the various clubs and societies available at university.

The Old Suttonian panel comprised of Peter Bannister (2013 H), Christian Broadhurst (2013 C), Cara McGannan (2014 S), Mia Van Diepen (2015 F), Guy Backhouse (2016 F) and Patrick Backhouse (2016 F), as well as Bethany Webb (2015 F) and Lydia Davies (2015 H) who returned having taken part in the inaugural 2016 event. The panel was expertly chaired by the Headmaster who fielded questions from the Sixth Formers covering areas including employability skills, interview preparation and the process of going through the UCAS clearing scheme.

That sentiment was echoed by both Backhouse boys who are currently in the second years of their respective courses. Patrick is studying Business Management with Marketing at the University of Exeter and is about to take up a placement at GlaxoSmithKline.

Guy’s placement at Disney in London is part of his Business and Marketing degree at Bournemouth University.

Currently in his fourth year studying Medicine (BM) at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Peter Bannister spoke of the hard work needed to succeed in a medical degree. He also offered insight into the possibility of changing courses, having originally planned to study a different degree. Similarly, Cara McGannon spoke of her change in direction - having planned to work at John Lewis through their A Level Leaver Apprenticeship scheme, she later changed her mind and opted to re-apply to university. She is now in her third and final year studying Philosophy at the University of Sheffield.

From the group of 2015 leavers, Mia Van Diepen is currently in her third year (of four) studying Chemistry (MChem) at the University of Durham. She offered insight into science-based degrees and the collegiate structure in place at Durham. She also spoke about

Page 32 - The Suttonian 2018

Lydia Davies, who like Beth took part in the first Next Steps event in 2016, offered advice on non-university, skills-based options.

Having left Sutton Valence in 2015, she studied for a professional diploma at Quest Professional in London before starting her career at PwC, where she is now a personal assistant. Similarly, Christian Broadhurst opted to join PwC via their School Leaver Programme as a trainee associate. Four years later, he is now a senior associate.

Both he and Lydia offered invaluable help for those who don’t feel university is necessarily the right option for them, and the success that they have both enjoyed provided real reassurance.

Our thanks go to all those who gave their time to make this such an informative and motivational morning. The transition from life at Sutton Valence School into university, further study or work can seem daunting, so hopefully the experiences and empathy of our recent leavers provided some reassurance and encouragement to the Sixth Form to help them take those next steps.

ART AND DESIGN

ART AND DESIGN “

Art and Photography have continued to evolve over the last academic year, and it has been a real pleasure to see the technical and creative progression of our young artists first-hand. Results have continued to improve at both GCSE and A Level, with more than 60 per cent of students achieving A*- A grades (or grade 9 – 7 at GCSE). Trips this year included our A Level Photography visit to Dungeness and Rye in September, a ‘Street Art Tour’ and visit to the Basqiuat exhibition at the Barbican for our A Level Art students, a Fourth Form trip to the Modigliani exhibition at the Tate Modern and a summer excursion to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.

As ever, the year culminated in the School’s own annual exhibition at Gulland Hall, representing the efforts of students at GCSE and A Level. This was an exceptional display, and a large number of exhibits are still hanging now, inspiring a new generation of young artists to develop and grow.

”

Mr M Thompson Head of Art Page 33 - The Suttonian 2018

ART AND DESIGN

Caitlin Allison, Upper Sixth

Charles Samuel Sparrow, Pope, Fifth Form

Finn Swaine, Fifth Form

Page 34 - The Suttonian 2018

Daniil Nikolaev, Fifth Form

ART AND DESIGN

Jack Lewis, Fifth Form

Jemima Bruce-Lockhart, Fifth Form

Elizabeth Cavell, Fifth Form

Isabella Dransfield, Fifth Form

Daniil Nikolaev, Fifth Form

Shujian Bao, Fifth Form

Page 35 - The Suttonian 2018

ART AND DESIGN

Street Art Field Trip Henry Jones, Lower Sixth

A

t the end of September, artists from the Upper and Lower Sixth Forms had the pleasure of travelling up to London to experience a small part of the vibrant, modern, outlandish world of street art. Firstly, we entered the multi-coloured area of Shoreditch, starting off at Ebor Street guided by the experienced Dave Stewart, who is one of the leading men in the world of street art photography. Dave then took us on to Redchurch Street, where he showed us the fascinating links between street art and leading technology.

Furthermore, he talked to us about the artists, their ways and methods of working as well as their challenging journeys, allowing us as a group to appreciate the subtle and meticulous art of these urban masterpieces. However, what made this experience so thought-provoking, was the fact that behind the façade of street art, there is often a deeper and hidden message; possibly one of global politics, personal struggles or a proclamation of love. One artist in particular, who portrayed some of the greatest poignant and symbolic meanings on display, was the world-renowned anonymous artist, Banksy.

We then later rushed to The Barbican where, after a light lunch, an exhibition of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s intriguing work was being held.

Basquiat’s work is highly complex in meaning and rather amazingly portrayed though the medium of art, which makes his work greatly significant. After all that, we all had a relaxing journey back home to Sutton Valence.

Royal Academy Summer Exhibition Mrs N Sutton, Art

A

s part of the last week of Summer Term activities, Fourth Form artists travelled up to London to visit the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, curated by Grayson Perry. The exhibition, now in its 250th year, allowed the students to view a huge selection of breathtaking, weird and wonderful artworks that acted as inspiration for their own GCSE portfolios.

The students enjoyed taking the time to sketch artworks in the upstairs section allocated for prints and drawings. After lunch in Leicester Square, we paid a brief visit to the BP Portrait Award exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery before catching the train home.

Page 36 - The Suttonian 2018

ART AND DESIGN

Art Field Day

TATE MODERN Muhing Okhrabu, Fourth Form

I

n November, the Fourth Form Art groups went on a research trip to visit the Tate Modern's exhibition on Amedeo Modigliani. This trip was to assist us with our next coursework project, which was based on portraiture and disguise. The Tate Modern has a variety of portraits that could influence our ideas for our coursework.

In the entrance to the gallery, we witnessed a swinging metal ball above our heads and, below, a slope with a giant carpet of contrasting colours.At the end of the slope there was a frame, which had giant swings attached to it.

When we first entered the Modigliani exhibition, we were struck by the unusual portraits, many of which were very different in their own ways.The rooms were filled with a collection of portraits that are mainly abstract, with solid colours and smooth, thin lines. Something that I noticed, as I looked at the pieces of art, were the curvy lines which outline the bodies and faces making the people resemble shapes; this is one method which I believe makes the paintings seem a little more abstract.

I noticed that the faces in Modigliani’s portraits do not have the normal proportions of features; they are elongated and the eyes are made thinner. Because of the decrease in facial feature proportions, the sizes of the faces seem much larger. As we walked through the rooms of portraits, we took pictures and drew our chosen paintings and wrote notes about what we noticed about the pieces of art.

Then, once we finished eating lunch, we went to the Artist Studios floor, which had a broad assortment of artworks, from traditional portraiture to strange Cubist abstractions. There were small 3D creations, some that used light to complete the piece and some that needed a certain angle.

Overall, the visit was a great experience and gave many of us inspiration for our coursework.

Page 37 - The Suttonian 2018

ART AND DESIGN

Gracie Rigby, Upper Sixth

Bethan Miles, Upper Sixth

Brandon Jackson, Fifth Form

Page 38 - The Suttonian 2018

Finley Plugge, Upper Sixth

Jack Lewis, Fifth Form

Jemima Bruce-Lockhart, Fifth Form

ART AND DESIGN

Edward Wheble, Fifth Form

Isabella Dransfield, Fifth Form

Anisha Thapa Magar, Fifth Form

Shizhao Zhou, Upper Sixth

Lily Crampton, Upper Sixth

Erin Densham, Fifth Form

Lara Bowles, Upper Sixth

Page 39 - The Suttonian 2018

ART AND DESIGN

Dungeness Photography Trip Mr D Clarke, Photography

A

couple of weeks into the Lower Sixth photographers’ first term, we all took the day off School and headed for the Sussex coast to gather plenty of images to use back in the classroom. We started the day at Dungeness before having lunch on the beach at Camber and then spent the afternoon walking around the old town of Rye. The shingle spit at Dungeness is the largest in Europe and is of international conservation importance for its geomorphology, plant and invertebrate communities and birdlife. There is a remarkable variety of wildlife living there, with over 600 different types of plant: a third of all those found in Britain. It is one of the best places in the UK to find invertebrates such as moths, bees and beetles, and spiders; many of these are very rare, some found nowhere else in Britain. I mention all this as a biologist rather than a photographer as I am very attached to the place! The landscape certainly divides people – a broad, echoing flatness with the famous nuclear power station on one side, the shingle dipping into the sea on the other.

The beach tells a story of time gone by where boats have been laid to rest, and where abandoned huts and random junk are scattered across the shingle.The most surprising thing is finding out that people live on the ness alongside the power station,

Page 40 - The Suttonian 2018

but in contrast the dwellings themselves are works of art and bring life to the area. Railway carriages have been turned into quaint, spooky dwellings and newcomers from “that London” have planted black, post-apocalyptic architecture alongside.

It’s altogether a fascinating place to spend time with a camera in hand.The uniqueness and diversity of the area provides many opportunities for a captivating set of photographs. It’s a place that offers students the chance to get creative and take photos that are just that little bit different. At first glance, the remains of the fishing industry’s junk are scattered utterly randomly across the beach, but occasionally you stumble across an organised collection of shells or a bench dedicated to the memory of a fisherman and you start to feel a personal connection to the area.

It’s a place that you leave feeling a little bewildered and you find yourself using words such as bleak, desolate, strange, emotive, interesting, unusual and inspiring.

Perched on a hill, the medieval town of Rye is the sort of place you thought existed only in your imagination. Almost suspended in time, Rye’s unhurried atmosphere and enchanting streets draw visitors with their warm welcome. It’s small

ART AND DESIGN

enough to make you feel at home almost straight away but holds enough secret treasures to entice you to stay much longer.

Cobbled streets and narrow passages reveal architectural treasures among beautifully preserved Medieval, Tudor and Georgian buildings. Mermaid Street is peppered with ancient buildings, with unusual names such as ‘The House Opposite’ or ‘The House with the Seat’. Even the sea is a little wayward – it retreated from the town centuries ago, leaving Rye a stranded coastal town. Walks wind their way through the historic landscape full of special photographic opportunities.

Once back at School, the students imported their images in to Photoshop and started working on them to try and capture the spirit of the places they visited.

But there is more to it than simply creating attractive, thought-provoking pictures; they learned to use many of the basic features in Photoshop that will stand them in good stead though the rest of their A Level course.

Thomas Cavell, Lower Sixth

Page 41 - The Suttonian 2018

ART AND DESIGN

Molly Cox, Upper Sixth

Edward Charles Mazumdar, Sparrow,Upper Fifth Form Sixth

Beth Pennal, Upper Sixth

Page 42 - The Suttonian 2018

Holly Thomson-Frost, Upper Sixth

ART AND DESIGN

Alice Wilkins, Upper Sixth

Angus Barclay, Upper Sixth

Daniil Polyakov, Upper Sixth

Maddie Chivers, Upper Sixth

Isabelle Stevens, Upper Sixth

Tim Anthony, Upper Sixth

Page 43 - The Suttonian 2018

ART AND DESIGN

BIG CAT

SANCTUARY Marta Chronowska and JieJie Chen, Upper Sixth

B

ack in March, as part of the Sutton Valence School enrichment programme, the Upper Sixth and the AS Photography group had the amazing opportunity to visit the Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden. For the pupils it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, as this centre is not usually open to tour groups.

sat majestically on a mound and watched from above as pupils continued taking pictures and admiring their beauty. In a separate space, neighbouring the lionesses, was Manzi, an African lion. Manzi is potentially going to be bred with the lionesses in the future. The keeper explained to us how recently there had been some ‘heavy flirting’ going on between the animals.

The group was greeted by a very passionate team of workers, whose enthusiasm quickly spread to the students, as they introduced us to the sanctuary's mission and rules. The first animal we saw was none other than Nias, a 15-year-old Sumatran tiger who made a huge impression with its beautiful and mighty looks. Separated only by a glass and no bars, pupils were able to face him at incredibly close quarters. This encounter made pupils more excited for what might await them.

Afterwards, the tour continued to a stunning white hybrid tiger called Narnia. According to the staff she is an absolute princess, which was very easy to believe seeing how she was posing for the cameras on a raised platform. However, she was soon interrupted by loud sawing noises coming from the opposite side of the path, where Artur – an Amur leopard – was demanding the pupils’ attention. Apparently he starts making those characteristic noises whenever someone talks about Narnia, simply out of jealousy. Yet another example of how animals and humans have many behaviours in common.

Next, pupils were able to see a whole family of cheetahs, including three brothers called Bajami, Keene and Martin. Right next to the cheetahs was a large enclosure for beautiful white lionesses, which were a unique sand colour, due to a mutation in their pigment.They

Page 44 - The Suttonian 2018

The group then proceeded to the young star of the Big Cat Sanctuary, a four-month old black jaguar called Maya.This lovely and

ART AND DESIGN

playful kitten was hand reared in the sanctuary. Her mother was unable to feed and tend to her, resulting in Maya being dehydrated just a few days after her birth. However controversial this decision was, this was Maya’s only chance of survival and allowed her to become the intelligent, confident and affectionate cat that she is now. The groups were lucky to be able to observe her play with a couple of keepers, while she was jumping on them and hugging their legs. On the way back, the group saw a few more cats, including Petra the lynx and two brother lions, Kafara and Tiny.

To finish the trip the group gathered to speak about the sanctuary's vision and ethos in more depth.The group discussed the sixth mass extinction and just how terrible it is, with the current rate of loss of species being 100 to 1000 times higher than the natural background rates. Using the example of the grey wolf's reintroduction to one of the national parks in the USA, it was proved how incredibly important biodiversity is and how each species contributes to the overall balance in nature.

Finally, pupils learnt some of the ways in which the animals could be helped, showing everyone that it is not too late to turn the situation around. There are species whose population has doubled thanks to the efforts of conservation centres around the world such as the Big Cat Sanctuary. We can all help through carefully choosing the products we are buying, donating to organisations concerned with such matters, or volunteering. The Big Cat Sanctuary, which is mainly concerned with breeding, but also assists with protection and returning the cats to the wild, offers work placements to those interested in contributing to this cause, while gaining valuable experience. For more information, please see Mrs Porter.

Thank you to the Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden which, although usually not open to large tour groups, allowed us to have this wonderful experience, while learning so many interesting things.

Thank you to Mrs Porter for organising this trip and to Mr Clarke, Mrs Eastwood, Mrs Lawrence and Mrs Carter who accompanied us.

Page 45 - The Suttonian 2018

ART AND DESIGN

Media Studies Coursework Mr J Zane, Head of Media Studies

E

very year, the quality of the work our Media Studies students produce continues to surpass all expectations and the 2018 cohort of Upper Sixth did themselves proud.

It was the largest group we have ever had taking Media Studies at the School and the students produced a wide variety of final products that, at their best, had a truly professional gloss.

Work varied from the creation of lifestyle magazines to horror film movie posters and from music marketing campaigns to fragrance advertising. We encouraged them all to explore their own interests and take ownership of what they were creating.

They employed all of the right visual signifiers to create impressive compositions that not only looked professional but also reflected a strong cultural awareness in their respective approaches. In their efforts to achieve the best possible outcomes, it was a delight to see the groups develop their understanding of design aesthetic and digital technology.

Completing work to a high standard not only demonstrated the creative flair of a very talented group of young people, but also a high level of resilience. The journey the classes went on to produce the exciting work that they did over two years was discernible.

The final products took a great deal of nurturing and many hours were spent by the students honing and refining their work until it reached the standard they were happy with. The selection of work below is a demonstrable example of the quality achieved, but does not do justice to the array of different projects that the groups achieved.

For a number of the students, their work has tied in with their future career plans, while for others, the creative journey they undertook and project management skills they developed will be invaluable experience to take to university and beyond into the workplace.

Max Stanton-Gleaves, Upper Sixth

Isabelle Stevens, Upper Sixth

Joshua Clark, Upper Sixth

Gracie Rigby, Upper Sixth

Page 46 - The Suttonian 2018

PERFORMING ARTS

PERFORMING ARTS “

There have been very few quiet moments in the Drama department this year. The showpiece was the triumphant production of Chicago in January. The choice of this iconic piece was made with a certain amount of trepidation on my part, but with the cohort being so well suited to the piece, I was able to put my reservations to one side. I was also grateful for ther support of the incredible staff who put their hearts and soul into the show - Mr Soman, Mrs Howell and Miss Davies’ tireless enthusiasm were invaluable.That said, the true stars of the show were the students; it never fails to delight us how they, when faced with challenges, rise to meet each one with skill and determination. That attitude was replicated by our younger performers, who brought the timeless tale of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to life with incredible sensitivity and class in the Summer Term.The fact that there were two full casts just shows the level of passion and commitment in the lower years and we look forward to helping this develop in the future.

”

Mr B Fewson Head of Drama

Page 47 - The Suttonian 2018

PERFORMING ARTS

CHICAGO Nina Harman, Upper Sixth

M

urder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery, all the things we didn’t know we held near and dear to our hearts… until January this year when students, parents, teachers, Old Suttonians and governors were transported to the Cook County Jail…

For four amazing, sold-out nights, the Baughan Theatre became home to multiple merry murderesses, sharp-elbowed reporters, an altruistic and compassionate lawyer and a fight to the top.

With topical resonances, the musical deals with a level of selfpromotion, media manipulation and a ruthless desire for fame and fortune, which might put some of today’s reality show contestants to shame.

The production was certainly one of firsts, with a fantastic set including a mechanical stage lift and light-up steps, confetti cannons and smoke machines, as well as the opportunity to tackle some ambitious dance routines. The cast, ranging from Fourth Form up to Upper Sixth, took this in their stride and with unwavering motivation from Mrs Howell were able to produce some huge numbers despite some having never attempted a box step in their lives (special mention to 1st XV Rugby players).

Other highlights included the brilliant band led by Mr Soman (Staff 2013-) who proved to be the life and soul of the show, keeping the cast going each night, sometimes against the odds.

The production also featured a choreography debut from certain members of the Drama department and rousing performances from many of the Upper Sixth leavers who, true to form, went out with a real bang.

From the point of view of the cast, we could not have wished for more supportive and enthusiastic audiences across the four nights.

For their patience, time, support and for overcoming their qualms, a huge thank you must go to all the staff involved behind the scenes. This was an incredible experience that we won’t forget in a hurry.

Page 48 - The Suttonian 2018

PERFORMING ARTS

Page 49 - The Suttonian 2018

PERFORMING ARTS

The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe Anna Smith, Third Form

I

n June this year, the First to Third Forms came together for the production of, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I loved being a part of this production and it will be something I will always remember as a highlight of my time at SVS. Within the Third Form cast, the four Pevensie siblings that discover Narnia were Holly Clark as Lucy, Andrew Loy as Peter, Joe Savage as Edmund and myself as Susan.

the White Witch and with the help of Aslan, the mighty lion (played

by Max Woods) they eventually overthrow the White Witch, freeing Narnia and taking the thrones for themselves.

The storyline is simple, yet gripping. The play is set during the Second World War, when the Pevensie siblings are evacuated from their home in London to a place in the countryside. During their stay, they decide to play a game of ‘Hide and Seek’, where Lucy hides in a wardrobe and accidentally discovers the enchanting world of Narnia. After returning and telling her siblings, who simply believe she is making it up, Edmund follows her into Narnia.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was lucky enough to have two casts. We had our Third Form casts, mentioned above, which took the opening night and the final gala night, and also our Second Form cast who took the dress rehearsal night and the middle night.

The Second Form cast consisted of Ethan Wayne as Peter, Helen Chambers as Susan, Toby Butler as Edmund and Martha Tatnell as Lucy. The part of the White Witch was played by Emily Ferris and Aslan by Scarlett Washington. The two casts idea was a great one, not only giving more students the opportunity to take on leading roles, but it was also fascinating to see your part developed and played out from a different perspective.

Eventually, despite Edmund denying ever having been in Narnia, the four of them stumble into Narnia together. Here they discover an alternative universe of talking beavers, fauns and the feared White Witch (played by Louisa Hudson), who rules over Narnia. The children take it as their mission to free Narnia from the tyranny of

A special thank you must go to Miss Williams. It was her final production before moving on from SVS.Without her tireless efforts and direction the production would never have come together. She was so supportive of us all as we went onstage, and she constantly encouraged and motivated us to do our best.

Page 50 - The Suttonian 2018

PERFORMING ARTS

Page 51 - The Suttonian 2018

PERFORMING ARTS

GCSE Drama Performances Mr B Fewson, Head of Drama

A

s ever, it has been another busy year as a record number of students have been completing their GCSE Drama qualifications. This has meant that a lot of hard work was dedicated to both their scripted and devised performances across both year groups.

Fifth Form - Group Devised Performances This year, the students spent most of their time and energy on the all-important devising element of the qualification. With the number of marks on offer, the will to succeed was high, with many groups making some exceptional decisions and producing some hugely thought-provoking pieces of theatre.

With topics as diverse as the 1984-85 miners’ strike, the life and times of Marilyn Monroe, child abuse, war and the strife of living with Alzheimer’s Disease, audiences left the performances with many new perspectives to consider. Particularly strong elements of the pieces were the physical theatre sequences that were used to explore many of the main set-piece moments of the respective narratives.

The performances were clear, concise and well-observed, demonstrating character development and depth far beyond the expectations of GCSE students. Audiences were captivated and educated in equal measure, and many left the auditorium having discovered a new topic.

Page 52 - The Suttonian 2018

Fourth Form - Group Scripted Performances The Fourth Form embarked enthusiastically on their group scripted performances as these would be the first opportunity to be assessed on the iGCSE criteria. The groups explored a wide variety of styles and subject matter with chosen texts such as Evan Placey’s Girls Like That, Carly Wijs’ Us/Them and William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.

Each of these performances had their own distinct performance style, with Us/Them taking a stylised approach to the 2004 Beslan school siege. This was a gruelling and affecting production, using the studio to represent the school gym in the play, wired up with explosives by the hostage takers. The play itself explored the emotional effects that the children suffered as a result and many in the audience will remember the piece for a long time to come.

Girls Like That and Lord of the Flies were startlingly similar in the way they were approached. Despite the fact that both plays are about one particular gender, they both make the point that if not controlled or checked, human beings are capable of inflicting terrible wrongs on each other. The students explored both pieces with strong physicality and clear commitment, ruthlessly seeing their characters’ intentions through to the end.

Overall an excellent start to the course and one that has prepared them all to excel in their all important Fifth Form performances.

MUSIC AND CONCERTS

MUSIC AND CONCERTS “

It is befitting, in a year that has seen the retirement of one of our longest-serving colleagues, that the Music department has enjoyed a fantastic programme of concerts that have really showcased the breadth of talent at the School. Eileen Field’s final Singing Soirée was a real highlight in the musical calendar that also included some fantastic performances in the formal and informal concerts each term. The standard and variety of pieces performed has seen audiences grow throughout the year, which is great to see.

This culminated in the summer concert, which saw an unprecedented number of people pack into Groves Hall to enjoy a programme of the utmost quality. While that concert is featured in this section, it would be remiss not to mention the other concerts that preceded it – we have maintained a high level throughout the year, which is testament to the hard work and commitment of our talented pupils.

”

Mr P Horley Director of Music

Page 53 - The Suttonian 2018

MUSIC AND CONCERTS

DIRECTOR OF MUSIC

REPORT Mr P Horley, Director of Music

A

s I write this report, the weather outside has a rather bleak, cold, autumnal feel; far removed from the extremes of weather that seemed to provide the backdrop to the concerts of last year.

I must start by saying farewell to Eileen Field, our redoubtable and longest-serving singing teacher, who, for the last 27 years has twice-a-week driven down the A2 and M20 to be with us.

Her knowledge of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) syllabus, which she wrote, has helped her pupils attain excellent results all the way through. The 26 Singing Soirées she has hosted have always been a highlight of the year, showcasing her pupils, not just individually, but also as an ensemble. My favourite all-time soirée was when she did Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial by Jury, where several staff were invited to join the jurors. When in the piece a drink was offered to the jurors, the adults were delighted to discover it was real whiskey! We will undoubtedly miss the expertise and experience she has offered the department. I know this is only semi-retirement, as she will continue with masterclasses and examining throughout the UK and the world.

Continuing on a choral note, the Chapel Choir performed every week in chapel services, ranging from Christmas, Advent, Confirmation, the occasional wedding and funeral to our normal, chaplain-led, Monday morning services. The repertoire covers a wide range of musical styles from favourite classics by Mozart to living composers such as Bob Chilcott.

For Christmas 2017, the Choir blended new and traditional music with this year’s offering ranging from Gaudette, from the Renaissance period, to more modern numbers such as Elizabeth Poston’s Jesus Christ the Apple Tree and an exciting Ding Dong Merrily On High to end.With the chapel lit by candles, the services were, as always, an amazing sight and sound.

A large part of the Chapel Choir featured in the drama production of Chicago. As well as those on stage, I would also like to mention Joseph Dale and Lara Bowles on saxophones, Sam Pope on guitar, Marta Chronowska on violin and several members of staff on other instruments. It is amazing that we have the talent at SVS to do everything in-house. With illness incapacitating our Musical Director, Mr Soman, on the first night, I was called upon to step in and huge thanks go to Mr Jones for coaxing me through it!

The Senior Strings go from strength-to-strength. The performance of Winter from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons was truly inspirational. I was used to Marta practising every morning at 7am, but her performance was staggeringly good.

Page 54 - The Suttonian 2018

She also inspired the rest of the strings to rise to her standard in this piece. It was fitting that we repeated this performance during the prize-giving at Speech Day. The Summer concert, as you will read about later, is the showcase for the ensembles. The Chapel Choir sang two movements from Mozart’s Requiem including the Larcramosa, the movement that Mozart was composing when he died.

Accompanied by some of the strings, this movement always brings tears to my eyes and this performance was no exception.

The Senior Strings produced an exceptional performance of Ralph Vaughan-Williams’ Five Variants on Dives and Lazurus with a guest harpist. This is probably the hardest (and longest) piece we have ever performed to date, with changes of tempo and sound required every few minutes. It was an honour to conduct this piece and it takes the strings above the category of a school ensemble. The professional harpist echoed that in her praise of her co-performers.

We then promenaded to Groves Hall, where we had problems.

So many people attended, we had trouble fitting everyone in and visitors were sitting on the steps, on the heaters, on bits of furniture and on each other’s knees to hear us. The Chamber Choir produced three pop numbers, ending with Bohemian Rhapsody. The Orchestra, not to be out-done, performed the theme to Lord of the Rings and included as many pupils who could play an instrument as possible!

Throughout the year we give a series of informal concerts, at which any pupil can perform. This ranges from pupils singing grade 1 pieces in preparation for their respective examinations, all the way through to Marta putting incredibly complex violin pieces in front of me on the day of the show.We also had over 30 pupils take Associated Board examinations throughout the year. Mentions should be made of three grade 8 violin awards in one term (a pass, a merit and a distinction), plus Samuel Grindlay passing his ARSM singing examination with distinction.

I could not report on the department in such glowing terms without the support of both staff and pupils. A special mention must go to all of my colleagues, but especially Mr Soman and Mr Holmes. They both keep me sane and provide encouragement and support, which undoubtedly underpins the high standards we have come to expect of the Music department. Another thank you goes to all the peripatetic music staff, who continue to challenge and push their tutees.

Finally, a thank you to the pupils, who make the department what it is - fantastic, friendly and a pleasure to be in.

MUSIC AND CONCERTS

Page 55 - The Suttonian 2018

MUSIC AND CONCERTS

Mrs Field’s Final Singing Soirée Mr P Horley, Director of Music

O

n the evening of 11th May 2018, the last ever Singing Soirée was held in Groves Hall. It was a lovely occasion and as always, the standard of performances from the pupils was phenomenal and befitting of the occasion as the School said goodbye to Mrs Eileen Field, who was retiring having taught singing with us for nearly three decades.

In the first half, all of Mrs Field’s pupils did a solo performance.

Everyone sang incredibly well with a wide variety of genres being performed from traditional songs to songs from musicals. The first half was brought to a close with a duet sung by Upper Sixth Form pupils Sophie Baxter and Eliza Lewis entitled Where Do We Go From Here? From the Lower Sixth, Sam Grindlay, Asher Regal, Nina Harman and Imogen Forknall sung Autumn Leaves as a quartet, which was a lovely way to end the first half of the evening.

In the second half of the show, all the pupils glammed up and united together to sing a medley of songs from the James Bond film franchise. Highlights of the second half included Adele’s Skyfall, Shirley Bassey’s Moonraker and Sam Smith’s Writing’s On The Wall from Spectre. The final song of the evening was Louis Armstrong’s We Have All The Time In The World, from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, where the audience was invited to join in and sing along with the students.

Page 56 - The Suttonian 2018

The evening concluded with speeches from Mr Horley, the Head of School Eliza Lewis and the Headmaster, Mr Grindlay recognising Mrs Field’s contribution over the past 27 years at the School. She was then was given gifts including a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a grand piano cake. Additionally, she also received a framed picture of the School, so that she can remember her happy times with us.

The evening was all the more special as many members of the audience were past pupils. These included someone who had performed in the very first Singing Soirée, as well as a past pupil who had flown in from Germany so that he could be part of her special evening. The evening was a great success. Special mention must go to Mrs Mount, who played the piano throughout the evening and accompanied us. Lastly, and most importantly, a special mention must go to Mr and Mrs Field, because without them the Singing Soirée would not have been possible.

I would like to thank Eileen on behalf of all of her students for the dedication and commitment that she has shown in making singing lessons enjoyable and she will certainly be missed in the music department at Sutton Valence School.

MUSIC AND CONCERTS

Page 57 - The Suttonian 2018

MUSIC AND CONCERTS

SUMMER

MUSIC CONCERT Mr P Horley, Director of Music

T

he end of year music concert featured all the major ensembles of the School. It was divided into two halves: the first half being ‘serious’ music in the chapel followed by the second ‘lighter’ side in Groves Hall.

different time signatures and tempo changes and solos (Samuel Grindlay and Marta Chronowska), all supported by beautiful sounds from the harp, before it dies away to nothing at the end.

What a treat for the packed chapel.

The concert started with the Senior Strings performing Vaughan Williams’ Five Variants of Dives and Lazurus. The strings have grown in number over the years to over 26 players, which shows the depth of strength in this particular family. A new sight and sound was the harp, wonderfully played by a new friend, Olivia Jageurs.

A quick change-around saw the Chapel Choir perform various anthems, starting with Bruckner’s Locus Iste, then the modern Chilcott’s version of Be Thou My Vision. They were then joined by a select group of strings under the baton of Mr Soman to perform with great panache two movements of Mozart’s Requiem (Confutatis and Lacrimosa).

This is probably the most difficult piece we have ever performed, starting with the rendition of the folk song (later re-written as the hymn tune Kingsfold). It then moves through an eight-part fugue,

Page 58 - The Suttonian 2018

The audience was far larger than expected, so during the interval extra chairs were hastily placed in Groves. It soon became

MUSIC AND CONCERTS

apparent that the front rows would be able to turn the pages of the first violins. However, the audience was blown away by the Brass Ensemble playing two pieces, Promenade by Mussorgsky and a light number echoing various French songs, all controlled by Mrs Fisher.

The elite singers of the Chamber Choir, under the direction of our Headmaster, then performed three very popular numbers, starting with Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin (nice co-incidence as the GCSE music group had just studied the group), with the Head of School, Eliza Lewis, performing the lead vocals. This was superbly accompanied by Samuel Pope playing the guitar riff at the start.

They then performed Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton before a rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody by Freddie Mercury. Accompanied

by Magnus Linn on the piano, the performance went down so well that the packed audience demanded an encore, during which they added their vocal expertise!

And so to the final number, the Orchestra.This was over 50 strong and is open to any instrumental player in the School. Led by Lara Bowles, it magnificently performed Lord of the Rings, so well in fact, that I decided if the Headmaster could do an encore, then so could I! The result was even better, even though I am not sure that the brass (Laura) enjoyed performing it again!

My thanks must go to all the staff, especially to my colleagues Mr Bowles, Mr Holmes and Mr Soman. A very large thank you to the wonderful audience, who were fantastic.

Page 59 - The Suttonian 2018

MUSIC AND CONCERTS

Chapel Choir Report Francesca Ash, Upper Sixth

O

ver the course of the last year, the Chapel Choir has completed another string of amazing performances.

As a final year for many of us in the choir, I can say that, without a doubt, it has added to the plethora of memories we will take away with us from our time singing at Sutton Valence.

Our first main performance of the year came at the Michaelmas Concert. As we were fast approaching Advent, we sung Jesus Christ the Apple Tree by Elizabeth Poston, featuring an excellent solo by Sophie Watson, as well as The Lord’s Prayer by David Fanshawe.

Next came a new, modern piece by William Todd called My Lord Has Come, which has a mixture of old and new harmonies, it was both dramatic and reflective in the same piece.

Following on from that, the choir’s much-anticipated performance at the Carol Service this year was preceded by the news that our performance of Love Came Down At Christmas from the previous year’s concert had been chosen by composer John Rutter to feature in his 2017 advent calendar. The online YouTube calendar featured 24 performances of various carols, including many of Rutter’s own compositions, by a variety of choirs and artists. It was a privilege and honour to have been chosen and recognised by the composer.

Above all, the news left us excited to complete yet another year of carol services. The final week of term was quickly upon us and

Page 60 - The Suttonian 2018

donned in cassocks, we stood outside the chapel, experiencing the now-infamous struggle of keeping our candles alight in the December weather! However, nothing could have distracted from the beautiful solos of Once in Royal David’s City performed by Naomi Lijesen, Nicole Avery and Nina Harman. The atmosphere of the full chapel and the beautiful performance given by the choir made for three unforgettable services enjoyed by parents, staff, Old Suttonians and fellow pupils alike.

MUSIC AND CONCERTS

Yet another unforgettable night was the annual Chapel Choir dinner in April. Now in its third year, the many traditions that come along with it have made it a staple of the choir’s calendar. With the choir arriving in their finest apparel, and the catering provided by John Devine and his team, the night was off to a great start. It was a night filled with quizzes of music school trivia, games of ‘Would I Lie to You?’, jokes from Mr Horley (as hard as we tried to stop him) and some brilliant karaoke performances.

One of the most exciting events of the night though, was the announcement of the new heads of Chapel Choir. Angus and I are delighted to hand over to Nina Harman and Asher Regal, who, I have no doubt, will lead the choir effortlessly and will make for an extremely enjoyable year. We wish them both the best of luck!

Before Angus and I, along with the other Upper Sixth members of the choir, departed we rounded out the year with our final concert of the Summer Term, which was undoubtedly one of the best the

choir has given. Having been told that we would be performing Mozart’s Lacrimosa, many members of the choir were extremely excited to take on such a famous piece of music. Accompanied by the String Orchestra, it was a truly beautiful and atmospheric moment.

It has been an honour being a member of the choir over my seven years at the School, and Angus and I have both thoroughly enjoyed getting the chance to be heads of choir in our final year. Writing out what felt like hundreds of Christmas cards, and frantically inflating balloons before the choir dinner, is nothing compared to the effort put in by the choir at rehearsals every week. With many of the members balancing other commitments, the time that they all dedicate is hugely appreciated. I will miss the experiences and the memories immensely, and can’t wait to hear everything that the choir accomplishes in the following years.

Page 61 - The Suttonian 2018

MUSIC AND CONCERTS

Violin Masterclass Mr D Holmes, Head of Strings

P

rofessor Nicholas Miller from the Royal Academy of Music visited the School for his regular autumn masterclass, just before the Michaelmas Half Term.

Highlights of his visit included working with Marta Chronowska on Winter from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and an intensive session with Lara Bowles, as she approached her conservatoire auditions.

Our recently formed Piano Trio worked on two bridge miniatures and two of our new violin scholars, Sophie Browning (First Form) and Yonglang Zhu (Lower Sixth, pictured), played for the first time.

As always, it was a hugely enjoyable day and the pupils gained a tremendous amount of knowledge and encouragement from one of the country’s most outstanding violin teachers.

Nicholas thoroughly enjoys his visits and once again, he commented on the impressive standard of string playing at the School.

Rock Concert Mr J Soman, Assistant Director of Music

B

efore the Michaelmas Half Term, the joint School Rock Concert took place in the Bates Hall at the Preparatory School. A large and receptive audience enjoyed an hour of contemporary music. The SVS jazz trio – featuring Joe Dale (saxophone), Sam Pope (guitar) and Mr Selby (drums) – played a chilled and confident rendition of Gershwin’s Summertime.

There were guitar and vocal solos from Finn Swaine and Angus Michie, with Katy Barr playing a superb drum piece on her own. Sam Pope and Finn Swaine performed their duet version of Frank Ocean’s Pink and White and Oliver Carter performed his own composition, Memphis, showing great maturity as a composer and performer.

Several of our guitar players performed an improvised Blues piece and featured in the rock band which opened and closed the concert. The Junior Choir, made up of First and Second Form pupils, sang I’m a Believer by The Monkees.

The evening was a celebration of contemporary music and I congratulate all who performed so well.

Page 62 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

COMMUNITY

AND CHARITY “

Our community ethos remains a fundamental part of life at Sutton Valence School and year-on-year this results in a range of events, trips, activities and fundraising projects that are enjoyed by pupils, parents, staff and Old Suttonians alike. Highlights this year have included trips to Nepal (a country where we continue to support various projects) as well as the second annual Australian exchange and Kolkata work experience trip to the Mathieson Music School. With fundraising through the Sponsored Walk, Movember and the endeavours of our staff cycling challenge, we continue to look at new ways to support our charitable giving. Back at School, the competitive edge to our community has once again seen a closely-fought house competition with some fantastically tight contests throughout the year. A bumper year of which the community should be very proud.

�

Mr D Sansom Assistant Head Page 63 - The Suttonian 2018

O

EXCHANGE

AUSTRALIAN

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

Lara Savage, Fifth

Form

Page 64 - The Suttonian 2018

ver the summer holidays, after completing our GCSE examinations, Gabriella Howarth and I were lucky enough to take part in a six-week student exchange with Roseville College in Sydney, Australia. We arrived in Sydney on 16th August, after an exhausting 24-hour flight, and were greeted at Sydney Airport by our wonderful exchange sisters, Lexie Gersbeck and Jessica Weiling.

With a week before school started, we had ample time to explore the city.Whilst it took a while to settle into the time zone, we had five days free to see all the famous sites.The Opera House and Harbour Bridge were of course spectacular and the beaches (including Bondi and Manly) were lovely – despite the winter weather. We enjoyed shopping at The Rocks and Manly markets and it was amazing to learn about Sydney and Australia’s history, including a bit about traditional, aboriginal culture.

traditional Australian damper for the first time – a bread cooked in the ashes and coals of the campfire. Gabi spent this weekend in the Blue Mountains and saw some of the most amazing mountain top views.

Whilst attending school at Roseville College Gabi and I chose to study a variety of subjects including Physics, English, Advanced Maths, Geography, History,Art and Design Technology as well as playing in the Roseville netball team and taking part in weekly school aerobics and yoga classes. It was fascinating to experience international school life especially in a school that is over 300 years younger than Sutton Valence School. Also, Roseville is an all-girls school and it was a totally new and exciting experience for both Gabi and I, who have always attended co-educational schools.

In addition to all of that, I was lucky enough to go to the zoo in the first week of my trip and can now just about distinguish between a wallaby and a kangaroo – although I must admit I thought they were all kangaroos in the beginning. I also saw wombats, koalas, kookaburras, platypus and many other Aussie animals, thankfully I did not see any spiders!

During our six-week stay in Australia, we also had one week allocated for work experience, where all the pupils in year 10 at Roseville College went out to work in the ‘real world’.

Gabi and Lexie went up to a marine biology centre by the Great Barrier Reef and they enjoyed snorkelling and diving off the coast of Lizard Island. I took this as an opportunity to visit some family in Australia and flew up to a rural town called Grafton on the border of Queensland (near Brisbane) to stay with my great aunt, on her farm.

I spent my first weekend in Australia camping, near the Yengo National Park, a while North of the city. This really helped me get to know my host family as we constructed treehouse tents, played lots of camp fire card games and went hiking where I saw some of the most incredible mountain top views. I also had a chance to try

It was incredible flying over the Australian outback and also terrifying! My flight landed in the evening and, in the dark, you could see the network of blazing wild fires that were eating away at the grassland below. New South Wales was suffering from a severe drought during our stay and there were frequent wild

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

fires in many rural areas. It was an amazing week, experiencing life on an Australian farm, helping to care for a variety of animals including chickens, cattle, horses, sheep and Banjo – the farm-dogin-training.Whilst there, I also managed to get in touch with a local veterinary clinic where I was able to spend a day doing ultrasound scans and check-ups on a variety of pets.

Notable trip highlights include climbing the Harbour Bridge, meeting the Bondi Vet (Dr Chris Brown), catching the Manly ferry, visiting the Botanical Gardens and seeing Mamma Mia 2 in a deluxe Australian cinema. Alongside all of these activities, we tried all sorts of new Australian treats including lamingtons, Anzac biscuits, Tim Tams, Caramello Koalas, fairy bread and of course Vegemite, to name a few. My favourite culinary discovery was actually New Zealand Marmite, which may – as much as it pains me to admit it – be better than the traditional British version.

It was an incredible experience thanks to the warm welcome we received from the Headmistress, staff and pupils at Roseville College but most importantly due to the generosity shown to us by our host families. They opened their homes to us, helped us to feel like part of their families and made our summer one we will never forget.

Jess Weiling and Lexie Gersbeck will arrive in England towards the end of October. Gabi and I are very excited to have them stay with us and we have no doubt that they will love experiencing school life as part of the Sutton Valence community as much as we enjoyed our time at Roseville College. We have planned trips to Harry Potter World, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, the theatre, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Canterbury Cathedral, Leeds Castle and hopefully a weekend in Europe visiting France, Belgium and the Netherlands!

Page 65 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

Nepal Expedition Karina Callaway, Upper Sixth

I

n December 2017, a group of 31 pupils and four members of staff ventured to the wild, unknown country of Nepal. There we experienced a completely different culture. For the first week, we trekked and witnessed some truly magnificent views.

Although the trekking was long and arduous, there was never a dull moment; every second, someone would be making a joke or would be doing something silly.We were fortunate to have porters carrying our bags, which held all our clothes and wash bags. We carried small daysacks that contained the bare minimum of what we needed during the day. Needless to say, we were all put to shame when the porters carrying our huge bags and wearing nothing but sandals on their feet, managed to beat us all up the mountain without breaking a sweat.

The second half of the trip was spent lathering ourselves in sun cream and mosquito repellent and having the privilege of watching many cultural dances. After trekking, we went back to the hotel in Pokra and the next day we were once again bundled onto a bus to go to Major Prem’s village. It seemed simple enough, however, we were soon to find out that the bus could barely hold 20 people, let alone 35. This resulted in our group being split amongst a tiny bus and two 4 x 4s.The four-hour journey to the village was interesting,

Page 66 - The Suttonian 2018

to say the least. There were many complaints from the 6-feet tall boys that their legs were getting squashed. The people in the bus were subjected to an interesting video of traditional Nepalese music or film trailers, we couldn’t quite tell which. I think it is safe to say that after three hours of non-stop music, we were all ready to throw something at the screen.

We finally arrived at the school Major Prem used to attend; this was the last stop before his village. At the school, we were greeted by excited, yet curious, children of many different ages. They gave us garlands to show their friendship and we had a red paste wiped on our foreheads. One of the boys took this opportunity to tell us that he felt like Simba from the Lion King.After a few cultural dances and the presentation of gifts from us to them, it was time for us to leave. We got back on the bus and went to the village, where we were once again greeted with flower garlands and red paste.

We found our tents and chose our room mates (or tent mates as the case may be), then it was time to party. The women performed many dances for us. Some of us got to wear traditional clothes and join in with the dancing. Many of us were told that our dancing was very good. The party continued long into the night and I think all

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

of us were asleep before the music stopped. The morning brought a cold wet dew and a magnificent view. There was a layer of cloud that had not yet been burned away by the morning sun, so it looked like the mountains were floating on the clouds.We said our goodbyes and clambered back onto the bus and went river rafting.

into warm dry clothes. Mr Head was half way through changing when Major Prem decided it would be a funny idea to get Mr Head into the water again. With the help of the boys, they picked Mr Head up kicking and protesting and they threw him in to the water.

When he surfaced, he did not look best pleased, to say the least.

We arrived at the river rafting place and, from the beginning, the splashing began and this led to some of the boys invading other people’s boats and dragging people into the water. There were alliances being made and broken and many war chants being created. We saw many of the local children playing in the river, while their parents or older siblings did the washing up and waited for their clothes to dry. By the end of the rafting, we were all cold, damp and tired, but we all still had smiling faces. That night was spent on the beach around two campfires, listening to stories and also discovering that one of our guides had a very good singing voice; he sang a few traditional songs to us, with the help of Major Prem and Muhing.

Our final stop was Chitwan, where we found the accommodation to be much more pleasing than the tents and we all rejoiced to find that there were hot showers. We immediately went to lunch and then on a safari, where we saw peacocks, elephants and a rhino.

Then it was back to the reserve and straight to sleep. The next day we did the six-hour drive back to Katmandu.

The next morning we were greeted with the familiar smell of pancakes that the guides had made for us. Then it was back into the wetsuits and into the water, sorry, I mean onto the water. Again there were many splash wars and on one boat, I believe, there was a mutiny. When we reached the shore, there were a few minutes of dragging each other into the freezing water, then time to change

Our last few days were spent shopping in the local markets, bartering for very late Christmas presents and listening to festive songs to remind us of what awaited us when we got home. The trip back home included chasing after misplaced passports, a competition to see who had the most money left and all of us excited to see our families again. We landed back in London at 10:13pm, sleepy, stiff and longing for home. We tumbled off the plane and into the arms of our families; some of us were picked up at Heathrow and the rest of us took a very quiet bus journey back to School, where we were welcomed by our parents. A special thank you must go to all the teachers involved, it was an amazing trip!

Page 67 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

KOLKATA SUMMER TRIP

Tom Gray and Hugh Harman, Fifth Form

A

t the end of the Summer Term, four pupils from the Fifth Form arrived at London Gatwick ready to board a 13-hour flight to Kolkata. To say that we were nervous would be a huge understatement, but upon arrival in India at 9am local time, we simply had no energy to be anxious.

Unfortunately though, upon touch down at the airport, we were told the delightful news that Libby Cavell’s luggage had never left England!

Our anxiety was then heightened as we embarked on the treacherous journey from the airport to our destination; it was a scary introduction to the traffic in the city. This left us with a less than ideal start to the trip, but the problem was soon put to the back of our minds once we arrived at the Mathieson Music School. We were welcomed immediately into their small and warm community with a whole school assembly in which we were

Page 68 - The Suttonian 2018

presented with traditional floral necklaces, whilst the children performed their school song for us.

After our assembly, we were briefed by the staff about the activities we would be doing over the coming fortnight. This mostly involved one-to-one reading with the 90 children at the school, as well as helping out with classes such as Geography, Mathematics and English. At the same time, we would be taking part in the Bengali lessons to learn a little of their native language. In the evenings, we were able to spend our free time how ever we wished, which mainly consisted of us playing either football or cricket, whilst the girls spent time practising traditional Indian dances! This allowed all of us to get to know the children better.

On the fifth day, we went on our first trip. Leaving the school at 8am with two of the children, we ventured into the city, firstly

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

visiting the former house of Mother Theresa, the serenity of which was so different to the rest of the city. After this, we walked to the Victoria memorial where we learnt about Kolkata’s turbulent history with the British Empire.We then took a short walk through Kolkata to the Indian equivalent of Costa Coffee, before journeying home.

On the Saturday, we set out with all of the staff and children of the school on what they referred to as a ‘village walk’, touring around the local area that ranged from small and compact residential areas to industrial storage buildings. Aside from the initial taxi journey to the school, this was the most eye-opening experience for the four of us, seeing the harsh living conditions that had somehow been transformed by the village people into innovative structures, combatting their challenging circumstances. Later that evening, we were overjoyed when we were told that we would be able to watch the England World Cup quarter-final, which the team won 2-0 against Sweden. This was only slightly marred by the realisation that the majority of the children hadn’t been supporting England, until they realised we might have a chance of winning!

We woke up on the Sunday and attended the school’s Sunday chapel service, which was much like our School assembly. Later that day we went to the kitchen for a cooking lesson. We were taught the recipe for chicken tikka masala as well as samosas and, better still, we were able to eat it all for lunch and dinner. During the afternoon, we left for the market. Once there, the girls bought their saris whilst we bought punjabis, both of which are traditional outfits in the Indian culture.

It was obvious for the duration of the trip that Tom was the more experienced in the kitchen, gracing us all with his culinary expertise throughout. This was proven, not only by his now internationallyfamous pancakes, but also by his cheese toasties, which were enhanced by Libby’s pot of Marmite. However, Tom’s diversity of cooking could not match up to the school’s, with incredible variety at every meal, ranging from the banana koftas to the different curries. Undoubtedly, everyone’s favourite part of the meal was the fresh mango, which Anup, the school’s founder, tried to convince us to take back in our suitcases, despite the laws against this.

Our second trip day began at 8am with a two-hour car journey to the Dhakhineswar temple. Whilst there we walked around the beautiful gardens admiring the monkeys and the ‘clear’ holy water of the Ganges.That day we ate lunch in the serene Botanic Gardens; where we learnt about many foreign trees and plants.

On Friday, it was concert day, for which the children had been rehearsing all week. The concert was at one of the city’s public schools, which was very different to the Mathieson Music School and was very interesting to see. During the morning Paige Davidson and Libby were dressed in traditional clothes, kindly borrowed from the school. We made our journey there on a bus, where we soon realised that the children don’t travel much, as they all experienced car sickness; some a lot worse than others. However, on arrival the mood lightened and the concert was a huge success.

Libby was honoured to be able to conduct the school’s orchestra, as well as take part in the senior boys’ Punjabi-style dance, along with Paige; a once-in-a-lifetime moment that they will remember forever. Exhausted by this, the children took the opportunity to sleep all the way home.

Our final day in Kolkata arrived and began with the last assembly we would have in the school. This was then followed by us presenting the project work which we had been doing with the children for the duration of the trip. The idea of this was to encourage the children to speak English in a creative way, a challenge they all rose to and spoke clearly and impressively. Following this, we had to pack our bags and prepare for the long journey home. The four of us then said a very sad goodbye to John, one of our favourite members of staff, who had to leave early.

At the party, we danced with the kids to both English and Indian music, whilst the kitchen staff made an amazing biryani for us which we ate with our hands, just like the children. The school gave us gifts of incense, tea and a hand-made card from the children. Some of us cried at the thought of leaving, and the boys tryied very hard not to. We said a teary goodbye and went to bed in time for our 5am start.

Next day, we woke up and sadly packed up our final belongings.

We went outside and took a walk down to the classroom, taking everything in to remember as much as possible. As we got in the car, we turned around to see that all of the girls had got up an hour early to see us off.After waving until they were out of sight we took on our last manic Kolkata road experience, and then embarked on our 13-hour trip back home, stopping at Dubai, which allowed us to get our first taste of home. We arrived at Gatwick safely – with all our luggage and memories that I’m sure will last a lifetime.

Page 69 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

Ski Trip 2018

WAGRAIN

Miss M Halleron, Head of Physics

T

he slopes beckoned last March as 39 pupils headed to the airport to make their way to Wagrain to spend a week in the Austrian Alps. Wagrain is in a larger resort of Ski AmadÊ, named after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This also inspired the name of the nearest gondola to our hotel – the Flying Mozart. We were lucky to have excellent snow conditions throughout the week and we had fresh powder to ski on most days.

The group was split into five ability groups, ranging from absolute beginners to advanced. Whilst the beginners were talking about pizza and chips for the first two days, after four hours of daily tuition, they soon made enough progress on the nursery slopes to attempt the blue runs at the top of the gondola. The other groups

Page 70 - The Suttonian 2018

were able to work their way around the mountains to the likes of Flachau, St Johann and Alpendorf, which all offered different opportunities for us to improve our technique and take advantage of their excellent facilities. A special mention must go to Sam Laird, whose skill greatly impressed his instructor, as well as to the group of beginners who demonstrated a determined attitude throughout the week.

The evening entertainment throughout the week consisted mainly of pizza and ice cream in the local village, but also included a quiz night, swimming, a disco, football and a movie night. We were all highly entertained by a game of traditional Austrian skittles. Instead of the automated system we are all used to, the skittles here were lifted by a low-tech system of strings. Despite Oliver Payne-Cook

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

and Joshua Houry celebrating strikes for their respective teams and everyone else’s best efforts, the teachers’ team won on the night, thanks to some very level-headed bowling from Mr Clapp.

The football match was hotly-contested by all, but Harrison Murray should be mentioned for his Messiesque wonder goal.

Thank you to all the staff that made the trip such a success: Mr Clapp, Miss Davies, Miss Halleron, Mr Penfold and Miss Radford.

It was a fantastic trip for all us First to Fourth Formers, and we are looking forward to next year’s, the preparations for which are well under way.

Page 71 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

The Great Gatsby

SIXTH FORM BALL Laura Horley, Upper Sixth

T

he Great Gatsby Ball took place on 17th March to raise money for the Red Cross Foundation. Laura Horley and James Smith, with help from Mrs Porter and others, took on the challenge of organising one of the main events for the Sixth Form.

Planning ahead was needed to organise the food, DJ, photo booth and much more.

However, with a week to go and still ordering decorations, we were very grateful for nextday delivery. On the day of setting up, six-hours before the event, we were let loose in the Refectory and, with the help of Anna Wilson, Lara Bowles, Hattie Aburn, Marta Chronowska and Angus Michie, we finished with just enough time to get ready.

As people started arriving, there was a queue for both the photo booth and the formal photos which were being taken by Mr Clarke, Jack McNama and Jacob Baldwin. With lovely food prepared by Mr John Devine, Denise MacDonald and all the catering team, we then had four birthday cakes to hand out to George Boret, Sam Chitty,Will Marsh and Katie White, the gap student. As the meal was coming to an end, James Smith and I gave speeches of thanks.

As in the tradition of previous balls, best-dressed prizes were given out. There were so many well-dressed attendees, but we decided to choose Jack Hayes and Verity Streek, as they were the best two to stick with the theme of The Great Gatsby. The staff were less tricky to choose as Mrs Schembri was wearing a typical Gatsby dress and Mr Waterworth was the only male member of staff not wearing a black bow tie.

As the formal part of the evening had finished, it was time for the dancing to commence. We would just like to say thank you to everyone for coming, despite the snow. We are glad that you all enjoyed the night.

Page 72 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

Page 73 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

Grandparents’ Day Mrs H Knott, Development Manager

A

s in their own families, grandparents are a valued part of the Sutton Valence School community for the support they offer to the School and, in May, we opened our doors for one of the School’s most popular events, the annual Grandparents’ Day. This year saw them come in record numbers to enjoy time with their grandchildren and to look around the School. Appreciated by both grandparents and the pupils, the day gives the two generations time together to better understand what goes on at Sutton Valence School, which this year was made all the more enjoyable thanks to the glorious weather on the day.

After a quick coffee, they embarked on a full tour of the site, taking in every aspect of our pupils’ lives in classrooms, Music, Sport, Drama, even venturing down into the village to visit Design Technology. Unfortunately, this year the Art department was not open, as pupils were sitting their examinations. We hope that next year there is not such a clash of dates, as the pupil’s art is usually a highlight. To assist with the steep walk back up the hill to the Quad, the Development Office offered transport from the village in a School minibus, which ran throughout the morning.

Returning to the Refectory, they were greeted by the Headmaster, Bruce Grindlay, who thanked them for their support of the event and the School and brought them up-to-date with some of the

year’s highlights. Sitting with their grandchildren and other families, the visitors had a delicious and very welcome lunch and had time to catch up with those they had met in years before. To round off their visit, grandparents were able to take advantage of the sunshine and have their after-lunch coffee sitting outside TC’s.

As ever, the warmth of the School community, the welcome that the grandparents received and the opportunity to spend time with their grandchildren were commented upon as being a really positive experience for all.

Movember Fundraising Miss L Cansick, Marketing Officer

L

ast November saw seven Upper Sixth boys take part in Movember, with the Headmaster’s permission, enabling them to raise money for the Orchid Cancer Appeal. The group abstained from their usually immaculate grooming to compete against one another in the month-long, beardgrowing challenge.

Jack Fenton raised the most, collecting over £250 for the charity. Jonty Martin was awarded the prize for the ‘furriest’ beard and Gareth Thomas’s beard was deemed to be the most stylish. Alexander Hill, Benjamin Hummerston, Edward Mazumdar and Thomas Millington also took part. All seven should be congratulated on amassing the significant sum of £1169.85 for the charity which supports those affected by prostate, testicular or penile cancer in the UK.

Page 74 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

Everesting Challenge Mr P Horley, Director of Music

I

t was about a year ago that Mr Hammersley appeared in the Common Room and announced to the cycling fraternity that he had a new project, to climb Everest on a bike! Well not actually climb Everest as such, but to climb the vertical height of 8,848m or 29,028ft in one ride, without sleeping, whatever the time and horizontal distance.

It must be one hill, repeated time and time again. So, having climbed to the top, you turn around and go straight back down, before ascending once again and so on..

So Mr Hammersley, along with Dr Hiscocks and Mrs Horley, started training, repeating hill climbs around Kent including the likes of Boughton Hill, Hollingbourne Hill and Ulcombe Hill. In May, a visit was made to White Hill near Ashford to try an overnight climb from 5pm to 5am, just to get used to it. This was very successful despite deer running across the road, and Mr Horley annoying overnight car parkers by brewing coffee and making bacon butties very late at night and early in the morning.

And then the day arrived. The first week of the holidays saw the three intrepid cyclists, and Mr Horley as emergency contact, arrive at Box Hill near Dorking in Surrey. They began at 10am on Tuesday 10th July with beautiful clear skies. Mr Horley helped by giving high fives, cheering, providing hot drinks throughout the day and

sometimes riding with them to give encouragement. And then, it went on, and on, and on and on...

Over the course of the next day, it was great to have Common Room colleagues, Miss Manning, Mrs Palmer and Mr Waterworth come along to support. It should be pointed out that Laura Horley also turned up to support, but mainly to get dinner out of her father. And then the night came and still they cycled. And the morning came and still they cycled.

And then there were the problems - Mrs Horley was in agony because she had a problem with her foot, so she had to borrow Mr Hammersley’s bike without cleats. Then, when this didn’t solve it, she had to resort to completing the last ten rides on Mr Horley’s bike, wearing Mr Horley’s shoes! Mr Horley had to wear Mrs Horley’s flip flops, but the less said about that the better.

And then they finished. They had aching backs, ankles, feet and various other aches and pains, but they had done it; 74 ascents, 231 miles, 29820 feet and 33 hours long with 24 hours in the saddle.

And the best news is that they raised £1,475 for the Nepal charity, if only someone else would contribute another £25!

Donate at https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SuttonValenceSchool

Page 75 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

CHAPLAINCY

REPORT

Mr G Davies, Chaplain

A

nother year has flown by in the life of the School chapel, as we continue to celebrate our community’s Christian foundation both in our regular Monday services and in the special services that mark Remembrance, Christmas, Confirmation and the departure of our leavers. This year our community has come together in both joy and sorrow following the events of the year, and it has been a privilege as Chaplain to lead its spiritual life.

On Friday 10th November, Charles Sparrow, as Head of Corps, read the lesson at a moving Remembrance Service as we continue to mark the respective 100th anniversaries of Old Suttonians lost in battle. This was preceded by the whole School assembling on Prefects’ Lawn at 11.00am to mark the Armistice with a twominute silence and the playing of The Last Post and Reveille.

At Christmas, the Carol Services were as popular as ever with full attendances at both. The quality of the singing never fails to

Page 76 - The Suttonian 2018

move, and a big thank you must go to Mr Horley and Mr Soman whose hard work and dedication never fail to impress. The integral contribution that the Choir makes to chapel life cannot be overstated. Christmas truly starts at the Carol Services.

In May, Bishop Trevor returned once again to chapel and confirmed or baptised four members of the School community. All were welcomed into the Christian faith which underpins our School ethos. It was an intimate and joyful family service, held in the building which embodies the spiritual life of our School community.

As usual, towards the end of the Summer Term we said an emotional goodbye to many pupils, some of whom have spent almost their entire life, from 3 to 18, as part of our community.

The final rendering of the School hymn, Jerusalem, always brings a tear to the eye, as much among the parents as the pupils. As they pass from pupils to the status of Old Suttonians, they remain a big part of our community.

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

Development Update Mr W Radford, Alumni Relations and Development Manager

T

he past year has been busy within the Development Office with a staffing restructure and a significant change to the operational structure of the School’s alumni programme. Firstly, and most notably, from September 2017, Mrs Knott took the first steps towards retirement with a reduced-hours contract. Her knowledge, expertise and enthusiasm for development work at the School over the last 16 years has been invaluable and the flourishing alumni relations programme today is ultimately testament to her impact. Although ostensibly working with Old Suttonians, her remit within the School has been sufficiently broad that I am sure parents and staff alike will join me in thanking her for all that she’s done for SVS over the years.

The second structural change involved the management and finances of the OSA. In February this year, a vote circulated determining the direction of the alumni association and its relationship with the School. The proposed change to the existing structure was put forward by the OSA president and supported by the OSA committee. In short, the vision document proposed that a merger between the OSA and the School’s Development Office should occur, whereby our collective efforts would be integrated into a partnership sharing the same higher aspirations. Ostensibly, the largest change would be the end of the OSA subscription charge and therefore the end of the School’s regular payments to the OSA. In its place, a proportionate sum (to that which the OSA would have received each year) will be held in the Development Office account and be used to fund the newly-centralised alumni programme. This resultant budget will be managed by the School through the Development Office, but will be guided by a new partnership board (comprised of Old Suttonians and staff).

The vote result was overwhelmingly in favour (298-3), and as this goes to press, the final stages of the transition are coming to a close. A final ratification of the change will happen at this year’s forthcoming AGM. As part of the forward vision, we would encourage any Old Suttonians interested in contributing to the new Partnership Board to get in touch with us, and we can provide further information.

One of the key areas that will be enhanced by the restructure is the OS event calendar, which has seen another busy year. Where previously the School would run its own alumni events and the OSA theirs, the feeling is that a collective effort will not only be a better use of resource, but also provide better continuity and planning throughout the year. For 2017-2018, we have run at least one event per month ranging from golf days to year-group reunions to London walks. With a number of events such as May’s SVS Car Show open to the wider community, it was pleasing to see parents, pupils and staff engaging with the OS community and we hope to develop this relationship going forward. As we try to broaden our reach by bringing in different types of events, hopefully there is now something for everyone.

With so many changes afoot, we hope the transition, at least on the surface, is unnoticeable. From both a School and OS perspective, we will continue to do all of the things so cherished by the SVS community. In time, as the new structures become more settled, we hope to build even further on what we currently offer with greater engagement and event opportunities. It’s an exciting time for the School and Old Suttonians and we value the community’s continued enthusiasm and involvement going forward.

Page 77 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

Dr Mark Sands (1990 F) Arboretum Memorial Mr W Radford, Alumni Relations and Development Manager

I

n January this year, the School unveiled a new tree planted in honour of Dr Mark Sands (1990 F) who tragically died, aged 43, in December 2015. Having left the School in 1990, Mark studied medicine at the University of Southampton, before moving to Australia where he worked as a GP and clinical educator.

Following his death, the Sands family, including his brother Martin (1995 F), has been promoting a living memorial to Mark by inviting people to plant a tree in his memory, sharing that planting through a specially setup social media page. Mark loved arboretums and the feeling is that this would serve as a fitting memorial.

Before January, trees had been planted in Australia, Canada and the UK. The planting of an oak sapling at Sutton Valence, where Mark shared many happy memories during the late eighties, brings the total planted worldwide to nearly 20. A suitable long-term position was found beside the CCF wall on Stoney, providing a location away from the risk of future School development.

A short ceremony was held by Shirley and Ralph Sands (Mark’s parents), as well his brother Martin. Helen Knott (Development Manager) and Will Radford (Alumni Relations and Development Manager) were joined by former members of staff David Pickard (Staff 1977-2001, 2009-2015) and Anne Wilkinson (Staff 19842016), as well as John Harcourt (Staff 1977-) and his wife Inge.

As part of the ceremony, Mark’s parents spoke of their son and the arboretum project as a whole.

“He would have appreciated this robust choice of tree. The mighty oak! A favourite tree of Mark’s, but one that many of us are unable to plant in a back garden. What better place to have a sapling than here. Like Mark, it will be nurtured by the School into a fine mature specimen.

It is our sad reality to live our lives without the effervescent and very competent Mark. His early death was a sad waste of a reMark-able man. His many abilities and skills mastered during his short life should offer us all comfort that we helped him along the road to so many achievements. In his short, but very useful, life he crammed in 80 years of fun experiences and achievements . He had that irrepressible ‘live every minute’ personality that drove him to enjoy life to the full. Carpe diem, ‘seize the day’.

As the months pass, we are realising that our obvious sadness of his loss must not marr our positive past happy memories of our lives with Mark. So today we celebrate Mark’s life remembering the fun factor he ensured. We have been told by colleagues and patients that laughter (the best medicine) was so often heard coming from his consulting or lecture room. In fact, his practice business partner admitted that he was, if honest, rather jealous of his fun rapport with his patients and colleagues. An accomplished musician, poet, athlete, doctor, educator, weight lifter, navigator and much more. A person who loved the natural world as well as that over-the-shoulder bag full of techno gadgets.

A little suggestion when you feel down about his loss is to write ‘hello’ in the dust or on a steamed-up, window anywhere.

Early morning on the bathroom mirror or in the frost on the car windscreen. This was Mark’s trademark we were always encountering it. As perhaps did the School! His tag.....non-harmful graffiti.. Let it go viral!”

We will continue to follow the family’s progress as the arboretum project spreads and are delighted to have been able to recognise Mark here at the School.

Page 78 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

Sponsored Walk Mr G Davies, Chaplain

O

n the last Friday before the Michaelmas Half Term holiday, the School held its annual sponsored walk. This year the walk was in support of Demelza House, whose care for Emily Evans, the daughter of Old Suttonian Samantha Evans (1996 S), was invaluable to the family. Sadly Emily passed away from a seizure in May. The Evans family have longestablished links with the School, with both Samantha’s brother and father having attended Sutton Valence. In caring for Emily in the final stages of her life, Samantha said that Demelza House went above and beyond; they were simply outstanding during a very difficult time.

With the weather being kind and dry, the walk was enjoyed by pupils, their families and, in many cases, their dogs. In total, ÂŁ4,524 was raised for Demelza House, for which the Evans family and the School are very grateful.

Page 79 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

SVS CAR SHOW Mrs H Knott, Development Manager

F

ollowing the success of previous events in 2014 and 2016, the School hosted its biennial Car Show at the start of May this year. Having previously been held in late June, the decision to bring it forward in the events calendar was designed to allow a full strength 1st XI Cricket team to take part in the fixture against the OS - an event which has traditionally dovetailed with the Car Show, but one that has suffered from Upper Sixth pupils being unable to take part as they are already on study leave by that point.

The decision to move seemed questionable after torrential downpours the day before, but thankfully Upper withstood the barrage and the show opened to an overcast, but dry day. With over 50 vehicles registered to attend (the most of any of the three shows thus far), Upper quickly began to fill up with an array of

Page 80 - The Suttonian 2018

vehicles exhibited by parents, grandparents, Old Suttonians, staff and the local community.

The entry field was broad, with vehicles ranging from a 1928 Lagonda 2.0 HC (Dick Slaughter 1964 W) all the way through to a 2005 Aston Martin DB9 (James Watson 1980 F). If cars weren’t of interest, there was also a 1942 Morris Commercial C8 artillery tractor (Andrew Thomas 2012 F) and a 1943 Willys MB military RC vehicle (Mr and Mrs Kent) as well as a variety of bikes including a 1959 Velocette Venom (Eric Dines) and a 2018 CCM Spitfire (Charles Tassell 1978 F).

Throughout the event, attendees were invited to vote for their ‘vehicle of the day’, which resulted in a narrow victory for a 1932 Ford Model B. After a lap of the north end of the pitches, Mr

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

Abrehart, a current parent of the School, collected his prize from the Headmaster in front of the assembled crowd.

Although the show managed to survive the weather, the proposed 1st XI versus Old Suttonian Cricket fixture had to be cancelled. Given the popularity of the two events side-by-side, the expectation was that the car show audience numbers may suffer, but to the contrary we were delighted to see so many parents, staff and Old Suttonians supporting the show. It was a great family event, and we look forward to building on it again for 2020! Many thanks to all of everyone who brought vehicles along, or who simply came along to support. A special mention should also go to Richard West (1964 L), whose expert curation and management of the event once again proved invaluable.

Page 81 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

Baton Race Mrs H Knott, Development Manager

A

ll of our House competitions are hotly contested, but perhaps none more so than the Baton Race, held in the final week of the Lent Term. The whole School is involved in the race to win vital points, with each House planning tactics and strategies as they bid for success on the cross-country course.

The history of the race dates back more than 80 years and, originally, was run through the School and along surrounding village roads. In later years, the increase in traffic has meant that we can no longer run on the roads, so the route is now solely within the School boundaries, but still includes tough uphill stretches and long straights for the runners to have to navigate.

Despite cool spring weather, pupils and staff congregated at the starting point, so that the Headmaster could start the races. The juniors and seniors set off around the course, checking in at ten points and swapping runners, before returning to Prefects’ Lawn. In the final reckoning, Founder’s triumphed in the junior race and Holdgate in the senior competition.

The senior winner’s baton was presented to Joseph McInerney from Holdgate and the junior winner’s baton was collected by Joshua Fawell from Founder’s. In time-honoured fashion, the winning batons were presented by the youngest child of a member of the Common Room.

This year that honour fell to Samuel, son of Miss McConnachie, who performed his task with aplomb.

Page 82 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

LEAVERS’ BALL 2018

Mrs J Browning, Friends of SVS Chairman

O

n a lovely June evening last summer, parents, staff and Upper Sixth leavers gathered in a marquee on Stoney for the annual Friends of Sutton Valence School Leavers’ Ball to celebrate the end of the School year and, for the leavers, the end of their time at the School.

and events throughout the year. Back in December, we had the pleasure of hosting the Christmas Sparkle Ball. At that event, a number of parents joined us to celebrate Christmas with a fabulous dinner and dance at Leeds Castle. It as great to see many new parents joining in as an opportunity to get to know others.

The theme this year was ‘Fire and Ice’ and over 200 partygoers were treated to an outside show of fire eating and a stilt walking ice queen, whilst enjoying a champagne reception watching the sun go down over the School. The evening continued with a superb three-course meal, followed by dancing until the early hours of the morning.

We also enjoyed meeting many at the hugely successful SVS Car Show back in May, and of course, at our regular Macmillan Coffee Morning.

Whilst the ball is open to parents from all year groups within the School, it is always an extra special time for the parents of the Upper Sixth leavers as they celebrate the end of their child’s School life in style. Similarly, for the leavers themselves, it was a fitting final farewell to the School’s largest ever leaving year group.

Whilst the Leavers’ Ball is undoubtedly the largest event that the Friends of SVS host, we also arrange a number of other functions

Looking forward, preparations for next year’s Leavers’ Ball are already well underway, so please save the date for Saturday 29th June 2019. In the more immediate future, the Friends are hoping to host a Burns Night celebration at the School on Friday 25th January 2019. More details will follow shortly! We are also concentrating on trying to organise gatherings in year groups.

Please look out for all our events, usually advertised in the weekly School newsletter, and feel free to get in touch if you would like more information. We would love to hear from you.

Page 83 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

Clothworkers’ House 2017-18

Clothworkers’ House Georgia Best and Digby Platt-Higgins, Lower Sixth

T

he past academic year was another highly-successful one for Clothworkers’ house. We enjoyed many victories and achievements along the way through the enthusiasm, hard work and devotion of the pupils in the house. This was most evident in the competition for Blue Points accumulated over the year, where we gained the most of all four houses.

Collectively, we worked hard in events such as the Baton Race and the Juniors’ Penny Race, in which our junior pupils came out victorious, as well as raising money for charity. On Sports Day, we came second and then joint first in the house competitions on the following day. We were also awarded second place in the annual House Singing Competition as a result of our enthusiastic ‘singing’, which was reminiscent of last year’s victory. This and much more paid off as Clothworkers’ was once again awarded the Baughan Cup, winning the overall house competition.

The events provided us with opportunities to showcase the wide variety of skills that flourish in the School, and more specifically, within the house, such as our wonderful soloists in the House Singing Competition: Gracie Rigby, Naomi Lijesen and Alžběta Hřivnová.

Clothworkers’ is a close-knit house that works together in the big events or even from tutor group to tutor group, allowing pupils to have links with students in every form, strengthening friendships across the School. This allows students further up the School to offer advice, which is primarily encouraged by having the mentoring scheme, pairing the new Third Form with members of the Sixth Form to give any extra help they may need.

Page 84 - The Suttonian 2018

Mr Jones’ charisma and motivation as Housemaster, in addition to the diligence shown by pupils and the efforts of each of the House Tutors (Dr Hiscocks, Miss Hughes, Mr Plommer, Miss Pritchard and Mr Zane)were the key to our successes.

We were able to show ourselves to be dedicated and hardworking, qualities that are on display from the top of the house right down to the bottom, with efforts from each form individually, ensuring that when we combine as a collective, we are the strongest group possible.

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

Founder’s House Cameron Evans, Lower Sixth

F

ounder’s started the new school year with great hopes and expectations, but also great pride and camaraderie. Our house spirit is competitive, but also one of fellowship. We work at being the best we can be when competing against other houses in various different academic and sporting events yet, within our house we support and encourage all house members of every age group to participate in Founder’s success; from the First Form all the way through to the Upper Sixth.

We have been fortunate to have Mr Cope as Housemaster for another year. He has a keen sense of humour and is an incredible inspiration to us all. He is the true Founder’s back bone! He will always support and deliver the values and principles of our house, Academically, the Founder’s pupils continually work hard and they are also happy to help with whatever is asked of them, This is reflected in the Blue Points competition, where we finished second - an excellent effort from everyone.

Overall, all of our house teams pulled together excellently, whether it be on the sports field, musically or in the other various competitions throughout the year. This saw many pupils putting themselves outside of their comfort zone to compete for the house.

This is no truer than on Sports Day when many of our girls, in particular, had to compete in events they had never tried before.

This is what we try to instil as a house - the sense of community in pulling together when the need arises. Overall,we finished third on the day, but that result doesn’t do justice to the effort that was put in.

Other notable mentions over the course of the year included our Juniors’ success in the Pancake Race in February and our victory in both the boys’ and girls’ tennis competitions in the summer. Overall, we finished the year in third place in the house competition.

Our ambition at the start of the year was to create a house that every Founder’s student was proud to be a part of and to contribute towards. We wanted to create a safe space for students to be able to raise any issues or concerns that they may have and that we would be trusted to resolve this on their behalf. We have formalised regular house meetings in order to be a better representation for Founder’s students.

We would like to thank all the Founder’s tutors: Miss Hallett, Mrs Loy, Mrs Morávek-Hurst, Mr Thompson, Mr Wells, Ms Williams and Mrs Wood, as well as our Housemaster, Mr Cope, for their hard work and support in making this an incredibly memorable year. In closing and in the words of Quincy Jones, “Once a task has just begun, never rest until it is done. Be the labour great or small, do it well or not at all”. As a head of this truly outstanding house, I can proudly say we have successfully completed all the tasks we set out to achieve.

Founder’s House 2017-18

Page 85 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

Holdgate House Miss L Gray, Senior Tutor

A

s it was Mr Alderman’s final year as Housemaster, ahead of his impending retirement, Holdgate pupils were keen to ensure that, as a house, he would leave on a high.

Ahead of the new year, Louis Regnier and Jemma Stuart were appointed Heads of House and set out to make their mark.

Their enthusiasm and competitive spirit encouraged all students, from the Third Form all the way through to the Upper Sixth, to give their all for Holdgate.

We had a good win ratio in the inter-house competitions. The juniors did well in the annual Penny Race, where students have to collect as many pennies as possible and lay them out in a straight line in a window of time. Holdgate came first with the collection of pennies. The junior pupils came second in their Pancake race. With regards to the senior pupils, we won a good proportion of the inter-house sporting events that take place throughout the year.

This included the Rugby competition and the Athletics relays. We came second in the Girls’ Cricket, and Boys’ Tennis. The spirit of Holdgate led us to a convincing win during the Baton Race. Despite several absences, students pulled together and were willing to run more than one leg of the race across the School site. We even managed to lap another house!

Despite many rehearsals for the House Singing Competition, where students really gave it their all, our rendition of Summer Nights from Grease was ranked joint third. It was a great occasion to see the day pupils unite with the Westminster boarding boys

and the junior pupils. It was certainly a loud affair, however, we did feel that our performance was not appreciated as we felt it should have been. Magnus Linn accompanied the singing with his beautiful piano playing.

The Summer Term culminated in the eagerly-anticipated Sports Day. As always, many Holdgate pupils were keen to involve themselves in as many events as possible. Despite the hot weather, pupils pulled together, donning green t-shirts and ‘warrior stripes’ painted on their faces; they meant business! Across the track and field events, Holdgate performed extremely well with some superb performances. This led us to overall victory on the day. In addition, both Elizabeth Wooff (Third Form) and Harry O’Rawe (Lower Sixth) received special awards, given in recognition of true sportsmanship across different disciplines.

With all of the hard work that the pupils had put in, as well as a plethora of Blue Points that had accumulated over the course of the year, we knew we were in a strong position to win the Baughan Cup ahead of the final results being announced. Unfortunately we just missed out, finishing a close second to Clothworkers’.

On behalf of the whole house, I would like to wish Mr Alderman well on his retirement journey; he really will be missed. As Miss McConnachie begins her own journey as the new Housemistress, hopefully, we will be seeing the Baughan Cup retuning to Holdgate in the near future.

Holdgate House 2017-18

Page 86 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

Lambe’s House 2017-18

Lambe’s House Ms L Burden, Housemistress

L

ambe’s is not renowned for being an overachieving house, but we have great spirit. As can be seen in the house points chart opposite, we were not placed highly in the overall rankings last year, but this leaves great room for growth.

Growth is indeed the operative word for Lambe’s. As a house, we are about growing together in a supportive community.

From the First Form through to the Sixth Form, we work to help each other. For us, it is not about winning, it is about the journey experienced during the competition. This was shown in our attitude to the annual House Singing competition; our performance of the Kaiser Chiefs’ song Ruby was the result of weeks of hard graft from the whole House, with Mr Soman putting in a special effort to coordinate us. All this work gave rise to us coming first, a solid result.

Our sports teams represented Lambe’s well this year, racking up victories in the house competitions, including the coveted Senior House Rugby event. Other teams’ hard work also paid off, with convincing performances from the House Hockey teams and intermediate Rugby team. Sports Day was a similar story, with the Lambe’s team working hard but not quite achieving the win. The Juniors were a special credit to the house, doing well in both the annual Pancake Race and the Penny Race. Their enthusiasm bodes well for our future growth as a house.

House Points Blue Points 1st 2nd 3rd 4th

Clothworkers’ Founder’s Lambe’s Holdgate

1108 931 896 864

Sporting Competitions 1st 2nd 3rd 4th

Clothworkers’ Holdgate Founder’s Lambe’s

425 425 400 275

Other Competitions 1st 2nd 3rd 4th

Clothworkers’ Holdgate Founder’s Lambe’s

475 425 375 200

Final Results 1st 2nd 3rd 4th

Clothworkers’ Holdgate Founder’s Lambe’s

2008 1714 1706 1371

Overall it was a promising year for Lambe’s. Although we may not have topped the tables, we came first place in our hearts.

Page 87 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

Sutton House 2017-18

Sutton House Alžběta Hřivnová, Lower Sixth

B

ig changes happened in Sutton House this school year as Mrs de Castro became our new Housemistress and moved in with us to the house! And a new year full of great memories, experiences and friendships could begin!

Our first trip was to Canterbury, where not only could we walk along the river and see the beautiful cathedral, we also had chance to shop. Shopping trips are popular with the girls and we had more of them happening at weekends throughout the year. The Canterbury one is perfect for getting to know the new boarders and catch up with your old friends, as it takes place the first Sunday back after the Summer Holiday.

As every year, we took a few trips to introduce the foreign boarders to Britain‘s rich history. We went to Blenheim Palace where we learned about its history through an interactive exhibition and then admired the beautiful grounds. As autumn was just starting, all the trees were turning brown, yellow, orange and red and combined with the warm sunshine that we were blessed with on that day, it created breath-taking views. In winter, when the snow was falling from the sombre London sky, we went to see the Tower of London.

Not only did we learn the chilling stories of the prisoners, we also admired the jaw-dropping Crown Jewels. And the snow!

In addition to history trips, we also went on a couple of adventurous trips – Thorpe Park and paintballing. Although very different, we had so much fun on both occasions, testing our scream levels on the high roller coasters and our survival skills in a forest with only a paintball gun to protect us.

Page 88 - The Suttonian 2018

In Sutton, art in all forms is very close to our hearts. We have talented artists with their breath-taking artwork and amazing musicians - both singers and instrument players. Many of them took part in the concerts held regularly by the Music department and others didn’t hesitate to go and support them in the audience.

A great example is Marta Chronowska, who never failed to amaze us with her violin pieces, the highlight definitely being Winter by Vivaldi at the Michaelmas Concert.

Last but not least, we can’t forget the theatre! Not only did we go on a trip to the Marlowe to see Legally Blonde (we sang its songs in the house for weeks afterwards), we also had our own girls appearing in the School’s drama productions of Chicago (senior production) and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (junior

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

production), where Louisa Hudson delivered a stellar performance as the White Witch.

Sutton girls are also the stars in the sports department, as they regularly appear in matches and often end up scoring! This could also be seen on Sports Day, where the girls were a great addition to the Clothworkers’ team and ended up winning a lot of the events; this definitely helped towards Clothworkers’ overall win!

We must mention the snow week! In February, when there was so much snow that the School had to close, a lot of us with homes thousands of miles away stayed in and our days consisted of snowball fights, building snowmen (Sutton the Snowgirl was guarding our house until the snow melted) and sledging down the hill in our garden, we even made it into an international competition! We like to think back to that week because we had so much fun and it definitely brought us closer.

Other highlights during the year included the boarders’ Christmas dinner and the Chinese New Year celebration, which were great events organised by the boarders themselves and enjoyed by everyone.

When the year was coming to the end, we started feeling more and more blue. That was mainly due to the exam season, but also because it meant we would have to say goodbye to our friends who were leaving. We held a leavers’ dinner for the prefects, which was a great opportunity to reflect on the great year we had and wish everyone all the best for the years to come.

Sutton is for a lot of us our second home and it really feels like it!

Although sometimes it can be challenging having 30+ sisters (try to find a free shower in the evening), every year we make friendships for life and memories that can never be erased from our minds.

Legally Blonde Trip Anisha Thapa Magar, Fifth Form

A

t the end of the Lent Term, the girls from Sutton House went to see Legally Blonde at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury. On arrival, we all got our tickets and then went into the show. For those that had never seen the movie Legally Blonde, it was hard to understand what was happening at first, however, everything became clearer as the play went on. The catchy music included the songs Omigod You Guys, Bend and Snap and many others, which encouraged the audience to sing along.

During the interval, some people stayed seated, whereas others decided to buy snacks and drinks. After the interval, people quickly took their seats, eagerly awaiting the second half of the performance. Again, the play carried on with the amazingly talented actors as they played their roles perfectly and sang with their charming voices. Many thanks must go to Mrs Castro for organising the event and for taking us.

Page 89 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

Boarding Weekend Trips Enric Thier, Lower Sixth

L

ast year, the Sutton Valence School boarding community went on a number of weekend trips to a variety of different places. As well as a festive trip to the Christmas market at Leeds Castle and an afternoon paintballing, we also went further afield to visit Canterbury Cathedral and the Tower of London.

If I were to describe Canterbury in a few words to fellow non-UK boarders, I would have to say that it is the perfect postcard city.

It was a very sunny September day when we visited, and the city centre was buzzing with activity . The first thing I did was to walk up and down the main street where all the shops are situated - the whole city is so full of history. It was especially nice as this was at the start of term and as a new boarder it was a great opportunity to meet and chat with other boarders and friends from all three houses.

Having explored the city, we then went inside Canterbury Cathedral, which was an amazing experience. I will never forget how impressed I was with the building’s beauty and size, in fact I was so impressed that I tripped over my own feet whilst staring at the ceiling! After that, we did a few more touristy things to finish off what had been a memorable day.

Following on from that, another trip was the boarders’ visit to the Tower of London, which was also memorable. Unfortunately

Page 90 - The Suttonian 2018

the weather was less kind to us that day, as it rained throughout.

Therefore, it was a relief to go inside the tower and explore its history. For me, what was so incredible was the opportunity to see the Crown Jewels, which were so impressive! Despite the weather, the trip gave us all a better understanding of the history of the British royal family. We would like to thank the boarding staff for organising and accompanying us on these trips, we are really grateful.

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

Westminster House Harry Yorke, Lower Sixth

L

ast year, was a roller coaster journey for the community in Westminster. Overall, we experienced a very positive year for the boys in the house. Academically, the A Level and GCSE students worked hard throughout the year to maintain the high work ethic for which Westminster house is renowned. All of this hard work paid off as the majority of the boys received the grades they wanted for universities or for entry to the Sixth Form.

As well as the academic side of life in the house, the mood in Westminster was on a constant high. Events such as our everpopular ‘Fright Night’ helped to reinforce this positive atmosphere, as pupils from all five year groups got involved in the evening.

Although hosted in Westminster, the night benefited significantly from the participation of boarders from St Margaret’s and Sutton too - so it’s an excellent cross-house event. Our Sixth Form had great fun planning and pulling off the spectacular event, although it seemed to result in most people returning to their houses with no voice!

In the summer, we were blessed by the sensational performance of England at the World Cup in Russia, which created a number of good evenings for the boys celebrating England’s journey to the semi-finals. It kept a constant buzz throughout the house, which, despite its international background, came together to support our country. Ed Mazumdar, our Head of House for the year, spent a lot of his time organising sporting events and film nights for the

boarders, which always kept us entertained. Invariably, these nights consisted of us going to bed having nightmares or in hysterics, depending on the type of film.

All in all, it was a very successful year in the house and we would like to thank our Housemaster Mr James and our House Tutors Mr Clapp, Miss McConnachie, Mr Westlake and Mr Waterworth for all of their hard work. A special mention as well for the constant support of our house matron, Debbie Aitken. Hopefully, as a house, we can build on our successes next year!

Westminster House 2017-18

Page 91 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

Blenheim Palace Trip Alžběta Hřivnová, Lower Sixth

I

n October, the boarders visited the marvellous Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. The outside looked very spectacular and the inside was even more luxurious. The rooms were filled with gold, marble and beautiful paintings and furniture. On the upper floor, there was a visual exhibition that took us on a journey through the history of the palace. We learned about all the Dukes of Marlborough, who previously owned the palace and when we were taking pictures in the gardens, the current duke drove right past us!

Speaking of the gardens, they were beautiful. As autumn was just starting, all the trees were turning brown, yellow, orange and red and combined with the warm sunshine that we were blessed with on that day, it created breathtaking views. There was so much to explore; Mysterious Maze, Butterfly House, Rose Garden, mini-train ride across the spacious lawns and much more. The few hours that the boarders had weren't enough to see everything, but an absolute must-see was the Column of Victory, that stands on the hill right opposite the palace.

The beautiful surprise was the sheep peacefully grazing on the lawn.

The boarders had a wonderful time. Thanks go to Mr Davenport, Dr Gergely, Mr Head and Mrs Kitchen for accompanying us on a lovely day.

Chinese New Year Celebrations JieJie Chen, Upper Sixth

A

t the start of February, the Chinese community at Sutton Valence School celebrated Chinese New Year by cooking a variety of traditional festive dishes for the rest of the boarding community, with the support of the catering team. The menu included red braised pork belly with steamed rice, shredded pork with black mushrooms, crispy fried pork, vegetable springs rolls and chicken chow-mein. We also cooked our own steamed dumplings, which are traditionally served during Chinese New Year celebrations to symbolise prosperity and wealth for the family.

This year we celebrated the Year of the Dog (representative of anyone born in 2018, 2006, 1994, 1970 and 1958). The traditional belief is that the animal you’re represented by can tell you a lot about your personality.

The Refectory was decorated with a stunning selection of Chinese scissor-cuts and the atmosphere was enhanced by the selection of traditional Chinese music, combined with some contemporary rap songs.

Alongside the Chinese New Year celebration, a charitable event also took place. A raffle was conducted with the selling of the traditional red envelopes.The charity that the boarding community is supporting is Great Ormond Street and we all hope that our contribution will make a change. All in all, it has been a success and with the start of the new Year of the Dog, we all hope that everyone will be able to achieve their goals!

Page 92 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

The Lure of Westminster Mr M James, Housemaster

O

ver the course of the Summer Term, Westminster House was delighted to welcome back two former Heads of House for impromptu visits - Phillip Hoad (1976 W) and Quentin Lewis (1989 W).

When Philip visited in May, the 2017-2018 Head of House, Edward Mazumdar (2018 W) had the honour of showing his predecessor around.

While they swapped stories about how boarding schools have changed over the last 40 years, Edward and the other lads who ‘toured’ Westminster with Phillip, discovered that boot rooms and kitchens had been moved or ‘lost’. Offices had been created where once stood common rooms, and the old dormitories had been converted to triple or double rooms. What did remain the same was Philip’s old Head of House room on the ground floor, and he swears it has not changed a bit.

Towards the end of the term, Quentin Lewis visited together with his wife and daughter. When he had left in the late-eighties, Westminster had already changed from Philip’s time, but the subsequent changes were all the more significant. What was reassuring was that the common rooms remained exactly as he remembered and the gallery of past house photos allowed a trip down memory lane. With Ed Mazumdar already on study leave, it was left to our current Head of House, Archie Yorke, to host.

Philip Hoad (1976 W) and Edward Mazumdar (2018 W)

The current boarders sometimes forget that they are part of a very long tradition and, while boarding changes, the warmth that exists in the houses remains. The camaraderie and friendships created in a boarding environment are very strong. There is no better example of this than Phillip, who now lives in Canada, but whilst visiting the UK, was actually staying with a friend of over 40 years whom he had met in Westminster.

It is always a privilege and pleasure to open up the house to past residents.

In a School with as rich a history as ours, the opportunities for the past and present to come together should not be overlooked. We are delighted Philip and Quentin returned and we would encourage others to do similarly. If you would like a boarding house tour (Westminster, St Margaret’s or Sutton) or a more general tour of the School, please get in touch with the School’s Development Office to arrange a visit.

Archie Yorke (Upper Sixth) and Quentin Lewis (1989 W)

Page 93 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

St Margaret’s House Mr S Head, Housemaster

W

ith the start of the new academic year, it was time for a new year group to step up and take on the mantle of being the senior students in St Margaret’s and around the School. It promised to be a good year, with a number of strong characters in the house.

Daniel Teare, our Head of House, led by example with his tireless work ethic and general willingness to help others. He ran a tight ship, always ensuring that everyone else knew what their roles were and what was expected of them. He was ably supported by a very strong Upper Sixth Form group that was willing to contribute to life around the School.

One of the more pleasing aspects of the year was seeing the interaction of the senior boys in the house and the more junior members of our community. I know that Callum Traynor and Guy Kennedy’s help with the junior sports programme was very well received. A personal highlight for me was seeing the man that Angus Michie had developed into, his performance in Chicago was simply incredible and a memory that will live with me for a long time.

Throughout the house, we had a strong representation in all of the major sports, and this meant that duty evenings often involved sporting conversations. It was always a pleasure to be able to have these and to be a part of the sport that had been played, Will Osborne ‘playing’ with the firsts, and some brutal power hitting

by Sam Chitty will always bring a smile to my face.

Page 94 - The Suttonian 2018

We had a good variety of activities during the Michaelmas Term to keep us occupied, whether it be in the common rooms or on the sports fields.Towards the end of the term, the excitement for Christmas maintained house spirits as the long first term drew to a close. The build-up to Christmas is always a fantastic time for the house to be together, and as-ever, included the ever-popular house raffle to entertain the pupils and staff alike.

The Lent Term flew by and before we knew it, the sunshine of the Summer Term allowed us to move outside to enjoy the weather, and any excuse to fire up the barbecue or throw a ball around was gleefully seized upon. Although competition between the houses remains strong, opportunities like this present an invaluable opportunity for the boarding community at Sutton Valence as a whole to come together.

The coming year bodes well for the boys with some strong candidates for senior roles coming through. The future looks bright and I look forward to helping the boys on the next stage of their journey. My thanks, as ever, go to my team within the House.

Beverley Sparrowhawk continues to offer the pupils invaluable support and guidance in her role as matron; thanks as well to Dr Gergely and Mr Soman, for their support as house tutors during the year and to Mrs Sutton and Mr Holmes, our two out-tutors for all they do to assist the smooth running of the House.

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

Beresford House 2017-18

Beresford House Mr C Davenport, Housemaster

T

he very special, but small community that is Beresford House has seen another enjoyable academic year pass by and another generation of junior boarding graduates move up and onward to the senior boarding houses at Sutton Valence School. All pupils and staff associated with Beresford would like to wish this year’s prefects Edward Lakin, Sam Foss and Jackson Hardwick the very best for the next stage of their time here as they move to St Margaret’s House and Westminster House respectively.

At Beresford, each pupil is given the opportunity to enjoy the beginnings of what we hope will be many years of happiness and a strong affinity with the caring boarding community. The ethos of the house is one of inclusion and kindness and we seek to honour this on a day-to-day basis during the time we all spend together.

Highlights of this academic year have been the many birthdays celebrated together, the Chinese New Year and, of course, the weekend trips out to destinations such as Dover Castle and the Christmas market at Leeds Castle. Additional highlights were provided by the weather, as the snowfall in February and March provided much fun in the garden.

I would like to thank the tutors, Ms Akehurst, Miss Gray, Mr Harrison Wells and Mr Wesselink and the staff for all the work they do to make Beresford a real ‘home from home’ for our junior boarders and all the pupils of course for their wonderful company and positivity over the year.

Page 95 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

The Juniors 2017-18

The Juniors Mr R Carr, Head of The Juniors

T

his has been another exciting, rewarding and enjoyable year in the Juniors and there have been a number of developments which have undoubtedly improved the day-to-day experiences of those in my charge. In September for the first time we started with a new structure of twelve tutor groups, with the average size of the groups being cut to an average of no more than eleven pupils. We welcomed the addition of Miss Akehurst, Mr Braddick, Mrs Gosden, Mrs Harris, Mr Henderson, Mr Latham and Mr Wellings as new tutors; what stars they have all proved to be! The smaller groups have definitely made it easier for the tutors to get to know their charges in a much more meaningful fashion and individual needs can be better catered for much better day-by-day.

We also welcomed Miss Natasha Bancroft as a member of the Juniors team in the newly created capacity as ‘Matron to the Juniors’. She has proved to be a tremendously valuable addition as an extra pair of eyes, legs and arms for the hassled Head of Juniors. Being a source of contact for the pupils each morning by their lockers, come rain or shine at the start of the day, has proved extremely beneficial as an early point of contact for the children.

Miss Bancroft also does a lot down in the day room areas and does a sterling job in making sure that the Junior tuck shop, which is run brilliantly by Lower Sixth volunteers each morning break, is run properly and efficiently. Along with this, she also helps Mrs Rose (our Designated Safeguarding Lead) from an administrative point of view. It has proved really beneficial for the children to have somebody else to be able to turn to who is neither a teacher or another pupil.

In early October, the new day room facility was opened and it has proved to be very popular and a real boon to the Juniors.

It has been named the Boat Yard, as it is where in days gone by the School’s sailing boats used to be housed. In times gone by it also served as the school baths and as a vegetable store when the Library used to be the school dining room. When taking into account the terribly dilapidated state which the building was

Page 96 - The Suttonian 2018

in, the Headmaster, Mr Fowle and Mrs Vicary must take a huge amount of credit for their vision and forethought in helping to create such a wonderful and transformed facility.

As ever, the Juniors have been regularly involved in events, competitions and outings – some new and some very traditional.

In October, the Second Form participated in a great visit to the Historic Dockyard at Chatham on Field Day. Whilst there they visited the largest RNLI lifeboat exhibition in the country, walked through the Cold War submarine - HMS Ocelet, went on board a Victorian sloop - HMS Gannet, and were bowled over by their visit to the last surviving Second World War Destroyer - HMS Cavalier.They also witnessed a demonstration of rope making and amused themselves greatly in the adventure play park. On the same day, the First Form had a most enjoyable day engaged in a competitive and exciting orienteering event at Bedgebury Forest, near Goudhurst. This all proved to be a first-rate team building exercise and helped them all to bond in an even stronger fashion during their early days at SVS. The annual Tug of War, Penny Race and Pancake Race were held in the Sports Hall and they all once again turned out to be extremely

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

competitive, enjoyable and close run things. Well done to Lambe’s on winning the former and to Founder’s for winning the other two competitions. It was once again really heartening to see all of the pupils competing in a friendly and fair fashion, whilst also displaying a determination to come out on top. Once again a huge amount of thanks must go to my Senior Tutor, Mrs Lesourd, for organising these events so efficiently and for invariably having a ready smile on her face – despite the excessive noise and screams of excitement which these events create!

Another event which caused much laughter and enjoyment was Clothworkers’ charity event ‘Juniors Have Got Talent’ which took place in the Baughan Theatre. We witnessed some extraordinary and bizarre acts – Josh Finley’s jokes and Freya Penfold’s rapping for example. Toby Butler sang an inspiring rendition of What I’ve Been Looking For, but the outstanding winner was Sam Brown who sang The Writing’s on the Wall quite beautifully. Sam, along with Kate Lazarides, must be given a lot of credit for organising this great new event and hopefully it will become an annual addition to our programme.

All of the houses contributed greatly to the various house charity events which were organised throughout the year, and I thank them, and the staff, warmly for their fund raising efforts. The very significant collection of food and toiletry gifts at Christmas time for the homeless in Maidstone was also hugely appreciated, and was once again testament to their generosity.

In May, a Second Form outing to Westminster Abbey, the Cabinet War Rooms and Greenwich was organised.Very sadly this had to

be cancelled at the last moment due to the tragic terrorist attack on Westminster Bridge. It is, however, planned to take the First Form on a similar trip in October.

The year was completed with an excellent graduation ceremony in the chapel for the Second Form, coupled with the awarding of their diplomas. This really is a special, if somewhat quirky ceremony, which is now firmly established in the School calendar.

This celebrates the successes of the pupils before they move out of my charge and up in to the senior tutor groups. Particular congratulations must go to all those who gained a distinction, and especially to Lily Bailey and Ethan Wynne who were awarded the Headmaster’s Special Prize. There were a large number of happy parents present and we all enjoyed a good tea afterwards – sadly not on the Chapel Lawn, but, due to a particularly inconsiderate and badly-timed downpour, under the new and really useful canopy outside the Refectory.

The year has as ever simply flown by and I wish all the Second Form the very best as they move on up the School. I hope that they will look back with fondness when they reflect on their first two years at the School. Finally, I would like to thank Miss Emily Davies for the fantastic job which she has done day-by-day as a tutor in the Juniors and for Clothworkers’ House, whilst at the same time wishing her all the very best as she makes the exciting move to Kuwait. Her ready smile and her ‘Always look to the sun and the shadows will fall behind you’ attitude lifted our spirits every day and we will miss her greatly.

The Pancake Race Mrs E Lesourd, Design Technology

O

n Thursday 8th February, the Juniors participated in the annual pancake race in the Sports Hall. The pupils queued up eagerly at the start line for the renowned relay race, where they would be throwing on an apron and a chef’s hat and then running the length of a netball pitch in order to flip their ‘pancake’ and return to their team.

At the early stages of the race the teams were close, however by lap 15 the Lambe’s and Clothworkers’ pupils’ more extreme flipping technique saw them drop slightly behind in the overall race. It should be noted though that the likes of Arthur Hodson (Clothworkers’) and Emily Ferris (Lambe’s) still achieved individual success for completing successful creative flips for their house. Through a fierce final push, both Founder’s and Holdgate saw some excellent flipping by Sam Laird (Founder’s) and Oliver Williams (Holdgate) and both teams steamed ahead towards the finishing line. Ultimately, whilst showing

dedication and enthusiasm towards the sport and skill of pancake flipping, the last member of Founder’s crossed the line in order to lead them towards first place.

All Junior pupils should be commended on their team spirit and engagement in this event and I look forward to seeing the same determination when we host our next event, The Penny Race, in March. Please note, Mr Carr has the house buckets in his centre block classroom for donations of 1p and 2p pieces, which will subsequently be donated to charity.

Page 97 - The Suttonian 2018

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY

Junior Leadership Miss L Gray, Junior Leadership Coordinator

T

he Junior Leadership programme has continued to evolve, incorporating exciting experiences for the Junior pupils. The First Form initially started the year with an introduction to survival skills; a particular favourite activity was making hot chocolate on trangias. They then began the community strand of the curriculum, focusing specifically on supporting Operation Christmas Child, which is a project ran by Samaritan’s Purse. Some pupils took part in an assembly presentation that was delivered to the whole School.

All pupils took part in wrapping and filling their own shoebox with useful gifts. These were then sent off to disadvantaged children.

The Christmas market was a real highlight; pupils made crafts, such as Christmas cards, crackers, candle jars and garlands, which were then sold during the Carol Services. More than £400 was raised, which was an excellent achievement.

The First Form had the opportunity to learn new skills in their ‘how to’ sessions in the Lent Term, including how to sew on buttons and polish their shoes, how to make a bed and do simple laundry. Pupils also had the opportunity to learn some basic cooking skills in the boarding houses. Once the warmer weather was upon us, we were able to spend time learning how to identify trees and we were able to serve the local community by helping to tidy up the local church garden.

The last activity saw pupils teaching an academic lesson at the Prep School. They had three weeks to plan their lesson, prior to delivering it. All four of these activities developed students’ communication as well as valuable life skills.

The year ended with the annual Junior Leadership Camp. Pupils spent the day at Bedgebury, where they took part in a firelighting and bushcraft workshop, as well as walking around the Pinetum.

The second day was spent den building and planning their menu for the cooking competition. A range of different meals were prepared, including a stew and kebabs. Pupils then spent a night under canvas, followed by a day of team games.

In the Summer Term, students spent some time learning how to read maps ahead of moving into the Third Form, where they would need such skills once they began their Duke of Edinburgh course. They also had the opportunity to serve the local church by recording information on gravestones. Many of the gravestones have weathered, so students were required to produce rubbings to identify the names on each stone.

The Second Form embarked on a 16-week rotation of four activities. Students completed both a first aid and personal survival in water course, which were run by outside providers. They also had the opportunity to plan a charitable initiative where pupils made a profit from five pounds. One group ran a talent show, which was a real success, another group made the popular slime and sold out very quickly.

During the last week of Summer Term, the Second Form went off to Northamptonshire for their Bushcraft experience. Here they had the opportunity to build dens and sleep out in them overnight, as well as cooking their own dinner on open fires. They also had a real-life first aid scenario to contend with. This trip really did utilise all the skills that students have learnt throughout the two-year Junior Leadership course.

Page 98 - The Suttonian 2018

COMBINED CADET FORCE

COMBINED

CADET FORCE “

Opportunities abound in the CCF and this year has been no different with cadets availing themselves of camps, courses and competitions. It is always a pleasure to see the cadets from the beginning of their respective journeys in the Third Form, all the way through to the end with the Upper Sixth NCO Dinner. To see the personal development they have made and the challenges they have faced and overcome is hugely rewarding. The CCF values of self-discipline, responsibility, self-reliance, resourcefulness, endurance, leadership and a sense of service to the community are alive and well here at Sutton Valence. This year, we paid tribute to the centenary of the Royal Air Force with a special parade and saw the inaugural leadership lecture; it is a pleasure and a privilege to be a part of a CCF that continues to develop and look for new challenges and adventures for its cadets.

�

Major G Millbery Contingent Commander Page 99 - The Suttonian 2018

COMBINED CADET FORCE

REPORT

CONTINGENT COMMANDER Maj Millbery

T

he CCF is built on a set of core values: courage, integrity, respect, discipline, selfless commitment and loyalty. During the course of a cadet’s time in the CCF, they will not only see these being exhibited by others, notably senior cadets but also get the opportunity to integrate them into their own behaviour and attitude. Hopefully, this will have an impact on the academic side of life. I have been fortunate enough to see cadets join in the Third Form and develop into exceptional young individuals – RSM Sparrow, my Head of Corps being a fine example. Charles, along with the cadet heads of section regularly gave up their time to assist the younger cadets and set an example of behaviour, appearance and attitude, giving the younger members of the cadet community something to aspire to when they reach the Sixth Form.

There can be no prouder moment in a contingent commander’s year than when the senior cadets march at the front of the contingent for the Remembrance Day service to pay homage to the service personnel who gave

Page 100 - The Suttonian 2018

the ultimate sacrifice – something that took on a greater meaning this year as we approach the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI. The year has been busy – field days, Remembrance parade, shooting camps, adventure training, the leadership lecture from General Wardlaw, sailing, as well as the courses that many individual cadets attend. We also had an outstanding drill display from the RAF section commemorating the 100 years’ anniversary of their founding. The year ended with a fantastic camp at Warcop in the Lake District, which emcompassed an incredible range of activities including repelling zombie attacks and a shooting team returning from Bisley with a host of second places.

The scope of the activities that the CCF is involved in is vast and and continues to amaze and delight me. I am impressed by the time and effort given by the cadets, the NCOs and in particular the staff, who not only attend the events but also spend a long time in the planning and preparation required to make them a success.

COMBINED CADET FORCE

NCO Dinner Maj Millbery, Contingent Commander

I

n March this year, the NCOs, officers of the Combined Cadet Force and invited guests gathered in Groves Hall for the annual CCF Dinner. This event allows the officers of the Combined Cadet Force to thank the NCOs for their service and dine them out with a formal dinner. The tables were decked in the silverware that the CCF had won over the previous year and the guests and our CCF Adjutant, Major Prem Ale, looked resplendent in their mess dress.

This year, the guests included Captain Stone and Lieutenant Pickering from 36 Engineer Regiment and Major Highway from Maidstone Grammar School. The heads of section each gave a speech about their time in CCF, with amusing anecdotes, followed by Head of Corps, RSM Charles Sparrow who gave a very thoughtful speech on unity.

The dinner remains a special event on the CCF calendar and it is an excellent opportunity for the NCOs to reflect on their time together, the skills they have developed and the impact they have on the younger cadets coming through – the legacy that they leave to SVS and the CCF. It is also an opportunity for the staff to show their appreciation. My thanks go to Mr Grindlay for his continued support of the CCF, our guests on the night and John Devine for a wonderful meal.

SVPS CCF Experience Maj Millbery, Contingent Commander

I

n March, Year 5 pupils from the Prep School visited the Senior School for a CCF experience. The children were split into three groups, so that they could all have a taste of the assault course, drill and laser shooting.

The children all tackled the assault course with enthusiasm, getting across the tall monkey bars, scaling the high sand wall and scrambling under the netting.

Marching proved a little more testing for some, but all managed to keep in step in the end. One of their number was delighted to be able to don a beret and NCO’s jacket and shout out the commands to her friends. Finally, it was the laser shooting, which was probably the most popular activity. The children were allowed several shots at the target, scoring points depending on how close they got to the bullseye.

A very enjoyable afternoon was had by all, not least due to the sweets from the CCF staff at the end of the day.

Page 101 - The Suttonian 2018

COMBINED CADET FORCE

CCF Leadership Lecture Maj Millbery, Contingent Commander

T

he School was privileged to welcome General Wardlaw to deliver the inaugural Leadership Lecture to the Combined Cadet Force. The general was met by a Guard of Honour, led by RSM Charlie Sparrow, followed by an inspection of the guard. After lunch with the Headmaster, the general delivered his lecture to the whole of the CCF. He covered his early years in the military, relating experiences he had to different tenets of leadership, including courage, integrity, self-confidence and inspiration. The address to the cadets finished with some ideas for them on how they could develop and grow as they start their leadership journey.

Following the speech, General Wardlow engaged in a question and answer session with the cadets, giving them the opportunity to ask questions. He then kindly stayed for a photo session with the cadets before departing. It is hoped that the cadets will reflect on the points the general made in his speech and use them to add to and develop their leadership skills over the next few days weeks, months and years.

Page 102 - The Suttonian 2018

COMBINED CADET FORCE

Becky Norris March and Shoot Maj Millbery, Contingent Commander

I

n May, cadets from across the School’s Combined Cadet Force took part in the annual March and Shoot competition for the Becky Norris Trophy. The competition involves three sections.

Firstly, the cadets must undertake a 1.5 kilometre march (army vernacular for run) in full webbing, carrying a large jerry can full of water. They must then tackle an obstacle course, before finally completing the shooting section.

This final section requires the cadets to complete two five-rounds grouping at 25 metres. Feeling the effects of the previous two sections, cadets need to gather their concentration in order to guarantee their best possible grouping at the 25 metre range. The three components are scored individually. In addition to this, the teams were given an egg, which they had to take round all three components and return intact.

It was a very close competition, with the RAF coming third and the Army narrowly beating the Navy to retain the title, even though they ‘lost’ their egg! As such, congratulations should go to the Army team consisting of Rosie Aylett, Alexander Bartleet, Suveen Gurung, Tyler Weekes and the team’s captain, Edward Ervine. Edward was also awarded the best shot.

I would like to thank the support of 36 Engineer Regiment and the Cadet Training Team, who ran the competition.

Page 103 - The Suttonian 2018

COMBINED CADET FORCE

Junior Field Trip Maj Millbery, Contingent Commander

T

he CCF’s Junior Company travelled to Crowborough Camp for their CCF Induction Field Trip on Wednesday 13th and Thursday 14th September 2017.

Apart from a rainstorm during the introduction to drill, the weather was on our side and the cadets kept relatively dry.

The two days are designed as an introduction to basic CCF skills including drill, how to wear the uniform, command tasks, introduction to rations, the obstacle course and the stalk.

It is also an opportunity for the pupils to get to know each other. The tasks are designed to develop skills of leadership, endurance, perseverance, communication and abstract thinking amongst the cadets.

The night exercise was its usual combination of running through the pitch black woods of Crowborough and screaming cadets unaccustomed to the idea of moving silently – all wrapped up under the military heading of “escape and evasion”.

The cadets showed enthusiastic commitment to the activities and started their CCF career with a good set of basic skills that will be developed on Wednesday afternoons. Thanks must go to the NCOs and the staff who gave up their time to run the lessons.

Page 104 - The Suttonian 2018

COMBINED CADET FORCE

Third Form Shooting Day Cdt Suma Rai, Third Form

O

n Wednesday 14th March, all of Third Form went on an exciting field trip to a shooting range in Hythe. Our day consisted of six fun activities in different groups. My first activity was archery. We all had two turns each to practise our skills with a professional archery teacher.This went on for forty minutes and we then moved on to our next lesson. With my group, I then participated in a shooting range simulator - DCCT, to practise for the big guns!

After our practice, with help from experienced NCOs and teachers, we were ready. I was excited as I proceeded to use a real rifle in my next activity – the 5.56, the same as the British Army use. I put on ear defenders to protect my ears and walked to the shooting range with the targets 25 metres away. The gun was heavier than expected and quite intimidating, but with the help of

an NCO, I was able to successfully use it.This also happened for my next activity, but using a different gun – a 7.62 sniper rifle. Overall, the experience was a wonderful opportunity and great fun!

We were then given a lunch break. After meeting up with friends, eating and going to the rest room, my group and another one proceeded to our last location, the “gallery”.This was an extremely long shooting range – 100 metres. Our group went to patch up the previous bullet holes on the targets and after the other group had shot their bullets, we swapped over. I used the same gun as I did before – the 5.56, so it was easier to use. I managed to get eight bullets out of ten onto the target, which was impressive for me, considering the far distance and the fact that I forgot my glasses!

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would love to go again!

Page 105 - The Suttonian 2018

COMBINED CADET FORCE

ARMY REPORT Capt Head, C/O Army Section

T

he Army section at Sutton Valence is going from strength to strength. It has an increasing take up amongst the junior cadets, and the changes in programme to help the more senior members develop their leadership skill is beginning to bear fruit.

In the previous year we developed our relationship with the regular personnel of 36 Engineer Regiment, and this meant that on our junior field day we were able to use their expertise to develop the training of the SNCOs, and this made the entire event more enjoyable for them.

Shooting remains a key strength of the section and the School as a whole and this has been evidenced by strong showings in national events and also in recognition for the cadets on summer camps.

The senior positions amongst the cadets are filled by interview after an application process. This has helped to increase the transparency of the process, meaning that all members of the section are able to know and understand what the various roles entail, and what their responsibilities are. This increased level of enthusiasm has

Page 106 - The Suttonian 2018

meant that we have been able to recruit more effective students as well, and we have new staff joining us at the start of the new academic year.

Further restructuring is occurring with the increased range of options available to the cadets in the coming year. We will be adding more field day activities which will give the cadets a greater chance to develop and hone their field-craft and leadership skills.

During the year, we have worked hard to take the cadets away from school on a Wednesday afternoon to practise skills that have been impossible to do on the playing fields, and to increase the confidence of the cadets when handling and firing weapons. This will have the added benefit of the cadets growing more rapidly into their senior leadership roles, and should help with the delivery of the key concepts by the cadets.

In all, this has been a positive year for the Army and, with the adjustments being made, the future looks even brighter.

COMBINED CADET FORCE

Michaelmas Army Field Day Capt Head, C/O Army Section

O

n Sunday 8th October, the cadets of the Army section boarded the bus to head off to 24 hours of field exercises at Pippingford Park in Sussex. Following on from the successful training that the senior NCOs had received from the engineer regiment in the summer, this was a good opportunity to test the calibre of the cadets and to see if their leadership skills had improved. Thankfully, the weather stayed kind and not as cold as we feared, which meant we were able to do some very effective training.

Initial activities included weapon-handling skills, ambush drills and responding to enemy fire under the watchful and enthusiastic oversight of Major Prem.

Once completed, this gave us the time to set up our camps and to look carefully at the areas that we would be using for the evening ambushes. It must be remembered that the skills practised are heavily led by the students with minimal staff intervention and it is to the credit of the NCOs that the evening ambush worked so effectively. Indeed, the volume of fire that we generated was incredible and the fact that the orders were given by cadets was very pleasing to see.

After a comfortable night's rest in their bashas, the cadets quickly cleared up to begin the morning's training. This time we practised assaults on enemy positions, and reaction to having casualties. The groups improved as the morning progressed with each being given the chance to learn from the mistakes of others; a valuable learning exercise.

Overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable training session, and one from which the cadets gained many skills. Hopefully, this will mean that the more junior members of the section will develop to become our NCOs of the future.

Page 107 - The Suttonian 2018

COMBINED CADET FORCE

WARCOP CAMP Capt Head, C/O Army Section

A

s the Summer Term drew to a close, a few able bodies of the Army section made their way up to a surprisingly warm Cumbria to take part in the annual summer camp, held this year at the Ministry of Defence’s Warcop Training Area. A full program of activities promised an exciting week, and England’s victory in the World Cup quarter-final on the way up made the journey go all the more quickly.

The cadets settled into camp, and the first day’s activities helped us to acclimatise quickly. A morning session on the range allowed the shooting team to show their skills, following by an afternoon developing close-quarter battle skills against zombies, featuring a star turn from our very own Major Millbery and Flight Lieutenant Kitchen.

Page 108 - The Suttonian 2018

The following day was our adventurous training day, with a schedule of kayaking and gorge-walking in the beautiful Ullswater valley. A quick change back at camp and we had the chance to visit the Gurkha Training Company at Catterick Garrison. After a fine meal and tour, we sat down with some of the new recruits; a valuable chance for them to practise their English skills.

The rest of the week allowed for lots of chances to develop the key military skills expected of an infantry regiment. This included a platoon-level assault in punishing conditions, fighting through woodlands, and learning key survival skills. A highlight of the week was being taught how to fight through a built-up area, and eventually to taking part in a proper building clearance exercise.

COMBINED CADET FORCE

On our last day, we spent some time building rafts and testing them out on one of the local lakes.This was followed by a session looking at foreign and interesting weapons, a rare chance for the cadets to handle an AK47.

At the end of the week, all of the cadets were tired, but agreed that the training that they had received was of an exceptional standard and that they had made good friends with the other contingents that were present. All round, it was a very good week’s training for all concerned.

Page 109 - The Suttonian 2018

COMBINED CADET FORCE

Summer Army Field Day Capt Head, C/O Army Section

A

t the end of the Summer Term, the Army section of the CCF headed off for their final field days of the year. Our usual location of Mereworth Woods was not available, so this time we decided to head off down to the southKent coast and the sunny surroundings of Reinden Woods, near Folkestone.

Ably assisted by the soldiers of 36 Engineer Regiment, the NCOs were put through their paces in order to prepare them for the more senior leadership roles that they would take on after the summer break, leaving the more junior members of the section to the tender mercies of the officers.

A round robin of training exercises was arranged for the cadets over our two-day stay, ranging from patrolling to ambush skills and from observation skills to map reading, The aim of the trip was to put into practice the skills and techniques that the cadets have been developing over the course of the year during their previous field days, as well as during their regular Wednesday afternoon CCF activities.

All of the cadets, both senior and junior, seemed to get a lot from the trip, especially the NCOs who, with an increase in their knowledge, brought about a noticeable increase in their confidence as well. It will be good to welcome all of the cadets back in the Michaelmas Term and to see how they build on this trip and how much their skills continue to develop.

Page 110 - The Suttonian 2018

COMBINED CADET FORCE

NAVY SECTION PO Richard Sawyer, Lower Sixth

T

his year, the Navy section has enjoyed trips to Portsmouth, Gosport and Rye to undertake a range of activities including spending a night on a Royal Navy vessel, kayaking and sailing.

In September last year, NCOs from the Navy section travelled to Crowborough Army Training Camp to give the new Third Form cadets an introduction to the CCF. This consisted of a night exercise followed by a carousel of stands to allow the group to learn about the three individual CCF sections.

In October, the whole Navy section then went to HMS Excellent in Portsmouth to visit HMS Victory and learn about life on board Nelson’s flagship. We stayed the night on HMS Bristol, which is moored permanently in Portsmouth Harbour. On the second day, we travelled the short distance to HMS Collingwood, the Royal Navy’s warfare school, to complete the low ropes activity. This involves working in teams and listening to your team leader.

For half of the academic year the Royal Navy section takes part in water sports. This happens in the first half of the Michaelmas Term and throughout the Summer Term. This is run by Rye Watersports and cadets work towards their Royal Yachting Association qualifications. In the Lent Term, the Fourth Form cadets also completed the Bronze Medallion Lifesaving Award, which involves learning basic pool rescue techniques and also basic first aid skills. Throughout the year Joe Crump and I completed additional courses funded by the Ministry of Defence focusing on leadership and competent crew sailing.

For the Summer field day, we returned to Portsmouth where we enjoyed a day of kayaking and paddle-boarding on the Solent, which was run by the Royal Navy Sailing Association. We also visited the excellent submarine museum in Gosport and stayed the night at the Peter Ashley Activity Centre at Fort Purbrook where we enjoyed an evening of laser tag.

Page 111 - The Suttonian 2018

COMBINED CADET FORCE

Navy Field Day PO Richard Sawyer, Lower Sixth

I

n October last year, the Navy cadets headed off to Portsmouth to spend two days at HMS Excellent and HMS Collingwood to get a feel for life at a Royal Navy base and undertake a number of educational and skill-based activities.

The group started their trip with a tour around HMS Victory, the oldest commissioned ship in the Royal Navy’s fleet. On a previous field day, the cadets had visited Chatham Dockyard and seen where HMS Victory had been constructed, so it was with interest that they learnt about life on board the ship and how Nelson commanded it at the Battle of Trafalgar. They were all amazed at the sheer size of the vessel and how deceptively spacious it was inside, if a little challenging for the taller members of our group!

The cadets then slept overnight on the (slightly) more comfortable HMS Bristol, which is moored at HMS Excellent. The decommissioned Type 32 destroyer, which was used during the Falklands War, is now used as a Royal Navy harbour training and accommodation vessel.

The cabins are exactly as they were during the ship’s active service, so they gave the cadets a feel for life on-board a naval vessel. Sleeping in bunks three-high, with lighting that remains on throughout the night, were a real test of the cadets resolve!

The group woke up the next morning to travel to the nearby HMS Collingwood, the largest Royal Naval training establishment in the country. Once there, the cadets had the opportunity to practise their leadership skills, whilst working as teams to complete the low ropes challenges and obstacle courses under the supervision of naval CCF trainers. Unfortunately, the weather became increasingly wet as the day progressed, but that didn’t dampen the spirits and the cadets performed excellently throughout the day. Our thanks to Lieutenant Wood for organising the trip.

Page 112 - The Suttonian 2018

COMBINED CADET FORCE

RAF Section Sgt Asher Regal, Lower Sixth

A

n RAF corps has existed at the School since September 1985, offering students a range of new opportunities as the School’s CCF continued to expand at that time. Now a well-established part of the contingent, perhaps the highlight of the year for the section was marking the Royal Air Force’s centenary year by performing a ceremonial guard-of-honour in front of parents, pupils and veterans.

Overall, this year has been a really busy one in the RAF section as we have focused on building our communication and leadership skills each week. We have participated in various command tasks and objectives that increase our awareness of ourselves and the people around us, so that we can construct an efficient group, where everyone understands what to do and how to achieve a shared goal. With the influx of new Third Form cadets into our section, we wanted to make sure that we are all ‘on the same page’.

As we are few in number, this allows us to know one another’s strengths and weaknesses, improving teamwork and followership.

This in turn allows us to work more effectively for each other, as a family.

We are introducing the RAF ideology’s to the new junior cadets, showing the importance of their presentation of themselves, from their uniform, to their drill. In addition to learning the basic field-craft skills that all cadets experience, the RAF offers the opportunity to fly, either in a Grob Tutor or in one of the gliders at a local RAF base. They also have been introduced to the shooting ranges, and I hope all are looking forward to the opportunity

to go onto our ranges, where the aim is for them to pass their basic weapons-handling test. The senior cadets have been further increasing their knowledge of the RAF, whilst introducing the multiple new NCOs to lesson planning and preparation, to teach future generations of cadets. As these older cadets generally all gain promotion to lance corporal, they provide a crucial link in the chain between cadets and the teachers and other adults on the staff.

On top of our teamwork skills, we have also made sure that our section’s drill is the best it can be, so it may present us in a favourable light, and better represent the whole of the CCF organisation.We also take pride in our appearance as our uniform has dramatically improved from the start of last year, to the present day.

With the addition of new cadets, we have worked on our knowledge of the RAF, with most of the senior cadets working towards their part two and three qualifications and MOI lessons.

I am delighted to say that a number of our cadets have also continued with their passion for the RAF outside the classroom, with some going on CADREs in the pursuit of an expanded education and appreciation of the service. As a senior cadet, the possibilities are endless, ultimately leading to gliding and flying scholarships and gaining their wings. Our thanks, as ever, go to Squadron Leader Cope and the other officers for their guidance and leadership throughout the year.

Page 113 - The Suttonian 2018

COMBINED CADET FORCE

RAF Summer Field Trip Sqn Ldr Cope, C/O RAF Section

D

uring the last week of the Summer Term, RAF cadets from the Third Form through to the Lower Sixth headed off for a two-day trip to Buckinghamshire to learn more about the history of the RAF and develop their own leadership skills.

On the first day we visited RAF High Wycombe, the Royal Air Force station that currently houses the Headquarters Air Command.The base was originally designed to house RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War and the cadets got the opportunity to visit the office that Sir Arthur Travers ‘Bomber’ Harris used during the Battle of Britain.The base is not open to the public, so it represented a fantastic opportunity for the cadets to not only see a working base, but also understand the significance of its history.

A more active afternoon followed as we headed off to Operation Encounter, where the cadets tackled a series of assault courses in a range of environments. As well as good team building exercises, there were opportunities for the group to develop their leadership skills, building on trust and developing skills to tackle the course.

On the second day, we once again focused on developing the group’s historical understanding of the RAF. Having celebrated the centenary of its formation earlier in the academic year, we were keen to provide the pupils with a better appreciation of the role that the service played, most notably in the Second World War. As such, we headed off to the Battle of Britain Bunker, which

Page 114 - The Suttonian 2018

housed RAF Fighter Command’s No.11 Group Operations Room throughout the Second World War. This was the location for Churchill’s now infamous “Never was so much owed by so many to so few” speech. It also housed the ‘plotting room’ where the RAF coordinated the defence of the United Kingdom during the Battle of Britain. It was here that Churchill famously asked “How many more do we have?” in relation to the number of fighter squadrons remaining, only to then be answered with “None sir!”

All-in-all, it was an enjoyable and reflective trip which hopefully provided the cadets with the opportunity to learn more about the rich history of the RAF and understand its importance in this, its centenary year.

COMBINED CADET FORCE

RAF Centenary Parade Sqn Ldr Cope, C/O RAF Section

T

his year the Royal Air Force celebrated the centenary of its formation which came about following the merger of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. Officially founded on 1st April 1918, the RAF represented the world’s first air force to be independent of Army or Navy control.

After the war, the RAF was greatly reduced in size and during the inter-war years was used to police the British Empire. The RAF then underwent rapid expansion prior to and during the Second World War. During the war, it was responsible for the aerial defence of Great Britain, the strategic bombing campaign against Germany and tactical support to the British Army around the world. Most notably during the Battle of Britain when Spitfires, Hurricane’s and Lancaster’s filled the skies in defence of the country. Indeed the RAF brought about one of the most notable quotes from Sir Winston Churchill: “The gratitude of every home in our Island, in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of the World War by their prowess and by their devotion. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. All hearts go out to the fighter pilots, whose brilliant actions we see with our own eyes day after day, but we must never forget that all the time, night after night, month after month, our bomber squadrons travel far into Germany, find their targets in the darkness by the highest navigational skill, aim their attacks, often under the heaviest fire, often with serious loss, with deliberate,

careful discrimination, and inflict shattering blows upon the whole of the technical and war-making structure of the Nazi power.”

During the Cold War, the main role of the RAF was the defence of the continent of Europe against potential attack by the Soviet Union, including holding the British nuclear deterrent for a number of years. After the end of the Cold War, the RAF took part in several large-scale operations, including the Gulf War, the the war in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War, indeed it is still active in the defence of our Island and support of the United Nations.

Sutton Valence School has a long tradition within the CCF RAF and our current Head of Section, CFS Max Harrison thought it fitting to perform a ceremonial guard of honour as close to the iconic centenary celebration as possible. Accordingly, this was performed in front of the School, parents and veterans on 18th April, shortly after the School had returned from its Easter break.

It was a fitting display, not only to commemorate the formation of the oldest air force in the world, but also as Max’s last hurrah with the section he has been an active and engaged member of for the past five years, enjoying all the opportunities afforded to cadets.

I would like to thank all those involved and Max in particular for giving their time to the practice and performance, some of whom had only been in the section for a matter of weeks.

Further to this, there are celebrations happening across the country and I would encourage as many people as possible to attend one, the RAF is not only a part of our history, but now part of our heritage.

Page 115 - The Suttonian 2018

COMBINED CADET FORCE

BISLEY SHOOTING S/Sgt Laura Horley, Upper Sixth

T

his year the competition was a week later than normal, being the second week of the holidays. Another alteration was our accommodation, instead of staying at Bisley itself, the team stayed at Brunswick Barracks.This allowed us to mix more with other teams and also enjoy a cooked breakfast at 6:30am, instead of just cereal.

Returning on Sunday from a week of holidays, the team were short of practice, especially with the Upper Sixth being away for their celebrations. Sunday was spent checking in weapons, then finding the accommodation and then relaxing before the main shooting started.

Monday was Pirbright day; shooting the A2 5.56 weapon at ranges up to 300 metres in different positions; standing, kneeling, sitting and prone. Unfortunately, our main competitors Charterhouse School had spent the week practising and it showed. However, Alex

Page 116 - The Suttonian 2018

McDermott came second on a tie shoot in the snaps and I came fourth in the overall rankings.

Tuesday and Wednesday was spent shooting the 7.62 at targets up to 600 metres. For some of the team, this was the first time they had really fired this weapon, which can go up to 1000 metres. They also learnt to act as spotters and registered keepers, with Harriet Aburn and I doing the coaching for the A team.

During the evenings, we visited the RAF shooting base where Charterhouse were staying and made some good friends. To break up the monotony, we also had a pizza night and went bowling in Guildford.

Thursday was Ashburton day, the main competition. It was fantastic to see so many parents and OS arrive to support the teams. Mr Horley had already suggested that we needed to re-start parents

COMBINED CADET FORCE

Old Suttonian Rifle Association Anthony Bromley (2014 W)

I

In the dull and dreary winter months of 2017, I became nostalgic about my time in the Sutton Valence shooting team. I fondly remembered the team spirit and camaraderie, not to mention the bright glint of silverware that adorned the entrance to the Headmaster’s Study at the time.

It appeared that few of the talented Sutton Valence marksmen had continued practising the sport of rifle shooting after leaving Sutton Valence. Mr Millbery was more than happy to set up regular, monthly OS shoots at the School 25-yard range.

After a slow start, old faces began to reappear, taking up the familiar position behind the rifle once again. It soon became clear that marksmanship was not a perishable skill: as the months of 2018 progressed, smallbore (.22 calibre) target score averages began to increase, with a high score of 99 by Richard Cantillon (2014 F) and notable performances by Harry Percival (2014 W), Chris Dale (2007 C) and Freddie Pawlik (2011 M). It was great to see such a triumphant return to target rifle shooting for the Old Suttonians.

Sutton Valence School Rifle Club, which is Home Office approved and NRA affiliated, is steadily building its OS contingent. The Old Suttonian Rifle Association (OSRA), affiliated to the larger SVSRC, is able to bring together OS of all years and all degrees of talent to reignite their ability and desire to shoot, and to serve as an inspiration for the current School team.

Ultimately, as a fully functioning veterans’ rifle club, it is hoped that the OSRA will be able to compete on a par with other veteran rifle clubs, such as that of Epsom or Uppingham, and serve as a pool of coaches for the School Shooting Team.

supplying cream teas for the team on the afternoon. Once the shooting stopped, we had done well. Even though we had not won anything, we were pleased with the results, considering over 90 schools take part.

I would like to thank every member of the team and especially Mrs Woods for being the sensible one, Mr Westlake for all his help coaching and finally Mr Horley for taking all the stress away.

Team: Laura Horley, Harriet Aburn, Alex McDermott, Daniel O’Brien, Jacob Baldwin, Alex Bartleet, Edward Ervine, Imogen Forknall, Isabella Eyers, Suveen Gurung, Tarik Abed, Dylan Cole, Thomas Arthur, Sophie Chapman.

As the club progresses, we hope to enter more team and individual shoots, such as .22 winter leagues, the KCRA Open, the veterans’ shoot at Bisley, and the larger Imperial Meeting. Through the support of Sutton Valence School and the Old Suttonians Association, the OSRA will continue to thrive. However, we need Old Suttonians to achieve this.

Join the OSRA and help secure its future. We do not expect high scores and it is as much about the social after the shoot, as the shoot itself. We welcome all ages and abilities; don’t hesitate, get involved by contacting the Development Office.

Page 117 - The Suttonian 2018

COMBINED CADET FORCE

Cadet Skill at Arms Competition S/Sgt Laura Horley, Upper Sixth

W

hile everyone else was enjoying exeat weekend, the Shooting Team, with Mr Horley and Mr Westlake, were staying at Pirbright Barracks for the CADSAAM (Cadet Skill at Arms) meet for this area.

CADSAAM is where CCFs and ACFs from Kent, Surrey, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight take part in various shooting exercises. In total there were 30 teams, each team consisting of four pupils, including an Under 16 firer.

The five disciplines included plenty of running in full combat gear, then shooting at different sorts of targets at 100, 200 and 300 metres distance. These targets may appear only for a few seconds at unannounced distances, or they may be held up for 30 seconds and you have to fire ten rounds at that target. We used the British Army 5.56 A2 rifle with iron sights – no telescope or anything to help.

This year, we had a morning to zero the weapons at Hythe ranges before moving to Pirbright Barracks – the home of the Guards’ training regiment. Once we had settled in and received the initial briefing, we were treated to a nice meal of fish and chips outside (that was after having army food in the canteen).

On the Saturday, we were up ready for breakfast at 7am, drew the weapons at 7.45am, the captains had a briefing, then we were ready to shoot from 8.30am till 6.00pm. We entered two teams, plus our reserve man, Suveen, fired for Abingdon School’s CCF B team. No results were given out during the day, so we just had to hope that we were doing well.We did know that our main competitors would be Charterhouse School, who had the advantage of practising twice a week on the Pirbright ranges.

Page 118 - The Suttonian 2018

On Sunday, we were up and ready for the same time, but we only had one shoot, the Falling Plate. This was a sudden death competition. Here the B team were knocked out early on, but the As reached the quarter final before being knocked out by the eventual winners, Charterhouse A. And then the results were awarded. We all got medals, including our reserve man who actually got a gold. As expected, Charterhouse won, but it was good to see that the A team gained more points than last year’s winning team.

Team Results Gold Medal CGR Match – Suveen Gurung (shooting as part of the Abingdon B Team) Silver Medal ETR match – SVS A team Bronze Medal (third overall) – SVS A team Bronze Medal Snap match – SVS B team

Individual Places Alex Bartleet - First in the Snap competition Laura Horley – Second in the Snap competition, third in the ETR and third in the Under 18 Champion Shot Reuben Hodson – Third in the Under 16 Champion Shot

COMBINED CADET FORCE

Imperial Shooting Competition PO Jacob Baldwin, Lower Sixth

A

fter a successful week shooting at Bisley in July, two members of the Shooting team, Edward Ervine and Jacob Baldwin, entered the Cadet Imperial. This competition was different to others, due to it being based more on the individual. It was also not just CCF, with the majority of competitors being from ACFs across the country. The Cadet Imperial is similar to the Imperial Meeting, at which an Old Suttonian team was competing, but instead done through the CCF.

Our fifth day went well, with both Jacob and Edward coming second and third respectively. In the evening, we had a trip to Sandhurst, where all British Army officers are trained.

Over the course of the week, Jacob won two silver medals and one bronze medal, while Edward Ervine won three bronze medals. We were both pleased with our results.

The rifle we shot was the .762mm target rifle, shooting at distances between 300 and 600 metres. We started off the week with an introductory shoot, where we established ourselves as good shots; Jacob Baldwin getting his first silver medal that day. The following day was similar with us both shooting well and Edward Ervine coming third for that day.

Our third day was the hottest so far, so hot in fact, that people started to faint wearing the heavy shooting jackets. Firing 17 shots takes roughly 30 minutes and the rifle weighs 10 kilograms. With no shade or water, this was undoubtedly the hardest day by far.

They cancelled the following day after this, opting instead to take us to a local water park.

11 Brigade Champions Maj Millbery, Contingent Commander

B

ack in April, the Shooting team returned victorious from the 11 Brigade Target Rifle Competition held at Stoney Castle Range, outside Pirbright in Surrey.

The team had an early start as they headed off for the competition which featured Combined Cadet Forces and Army Cadet Forces from Berkshire, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and Sussex.

With hundreds of cadets taking part, we were up against some of the best Shooting teams, not just in the South of England, but from the whole country.

The competition involved the team of four shooting from 300 yards and then 500 yards. Good coaching (and shooting) from Laura Horley led to outstanding scores from both Jacob Baldwin and Edward Ervine.

Thomas Arthur, taking part in his first competition for the School, also managed to achieve the highest score from Sutton Valence School at 500 yards.

Overall, the team performed fantastically well and were awarded first place – 11 Brigade Target Rifle Champions 2018. This is a monumental achievement given the other schools competing - to come out victorious against the likes of Charterhouse is a real success and those competing for SVS should be really proud.

Our thanks also go to the staff who attended, Flying Officer Westlake and Major Ale, without whom we would not have been able to participate.

Page 119 - The Suttonian 2018

COMBINED CADET FORCE

The Sergison Trophy 2018 S/Sgt Laura Horley, Upper Sixth

T

he first Saturday of the May Half Term holiday once again saw the annual .22 Sergison Trophy competition hosted at the School. The trophy, named after Jim Sergison (Staff 1951-1974), a former School Staff Instructor (SSI) in the CCF, sees five teams compete - staff, parents, pupils, the Shooting Team and an Old Suttonian team.

This year, it took place on a stunningly warm day with a record number of attendees taking part. Having enjoyed a barbecue, expertly managed by Major Prem and Captain Head, the competition started. Everyone got to fire ten rounds with the results being out of 100, and the average taken from each team.

The pupils did very well, with Daniel Wild (Second Form) scoring 89 and Yves Davis (Third Form) getting 83. The parents’ team matched them, with top scores going to Mr Wild (89) and Mr Duckett (85) and Mrs Laughland scoring an impressive 75.

The ever-competitive Old Suttonian team suffered as a result of several of their major shooters attending a university party. That said, they still managed some impressive scores led by Freddie Pawlik (2011 M) who scored 89, Chris Dale (2007 C) with 88 and Chris Pawlik (2011 M) with 85.

The School’s Shooting Team responded well with Laura Horley (Upper Sixth) scoring 86 and Harriet Aburn (Upper Sixth) scoring 82. The top scorer for the competition though was Lieutenant Horley competing on his own for the staff team, with a 91.

Page 120 - The Suttonian 2018

So, after the averages were taken, the final results were announced.

In fifth place was the parents’ team with an average of 64, one point behind the pupils’ team who finished on 65. The Old Suttonians finished in third place with an average of 80,narrowly losing out to the second-placed School Shooting Team with 81. That meant that the trophy was lifted by the staff team, benefiting from being a team of one with a final total of 91!

Next year, I look forward to returning with the Old Suttonian team. Special thanks must go to all the staff who continue to make this event possible.

DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD

DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD “

It has been another busy year for pupils working on the Duke of Edinburgh programmes. The Third Form were signed up at the beginning of the year and by the end, 14 pupils had completed their bronze award. In addition, the older pupils were also trickling through with their bronze awards and, for the first time, we were reaching our expected completion rates. Although the silver award is less popular, we still have 13 pupils currently involved, with two pupils completing it last year. Successes in the gold award continue to inspire our younger pupils, with six pupils completing their gold last year: Anup Ale; Tim Anthony; Laura Horley; Angus Michie;Tom Millington and Alice Wilkins.Angus has since been to Buckingham Palace to receive his award, alongside Harry Brunt (2017 F) and Cameron Knight (2017 M). The DofE continues to be integral to the co-curricular life of the School and our aim is always to increase involvement and completion rates.

�

Mrs C Kitchen Duke of Edinburgh Award Manager

Page 121 - The Suttonian 2018

DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD

GOLD EXPEDITION Emily Smith and Ellen Crombie, Lower Sixth

A

t the start of the year we signed up for the gold Duke of Edinburgh award having already completed the silver and bronze levels. This particular award requires a certain amount of time spent volunteering, doing physical activity, and practising a skill, but also two expeditions of four days and three nights in a national park, walking for at least eight hours a day and being self-sufficient.

Our group completed our practice expedition during the Easter holidays, which was exceptionally hard due to the extreme weather conditions. We walked 110 kilometres in four days and completely underestimated how hard gold can actually be. Quickly discovering that Lake District footpaths are very different to those in Kent, as footpaths in the Lake District didn’t really exist at all. Our group also managed to experience the full weather spectrum in the Lake District, starting in snow on the first day and returning sunburnt on the last! Though the silver lining within the (snow) clouds of our tough practice was that we had high hopes as a group that our final expedition in the summer, would be easier. Thankfully, we were correct!

Page 122 - The Suttonian 2018

We found the final expedition in the summer so much easier, as we had taken the time to research the camp sites we used and we also made sure our routes were more carefully planned.

Hills were our nemesis on the first expedition, so with this in mind we created a route that fitted our group view of being ‘allergic to hills’. Many of the teachers did find this amusing as they pointed out that the Lake District was full of them, but we decided why go over them when you can go round them!

Arriving in the Lake District, we spent the first day sorting out kit and going through route cards in preparation for the walk.

We also went on a little trip out to Penrith in the afternoon for lunch and enjoyed a large Wetherspoons meal in Keswick that evening, which we treated like our last supper as we were due to start our arduous walk the next day.

After being dropped off at our starting point, we set off at 7am. It did take a while for us to get used to the weight of the rucksacks on our backs (though they were all about 15kg). However, after a few solid hours of walking, we made good progress. From the

DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD

start, we all recognised that it was going to be a lot easier than at Easter. First, it was warm enough to walk in shorts and t-shirts, and secondly, our routes were shorter and flatter.

We walked 24 kilometres on the first day, 22 kilometres on the second, and then 27 kilometres and 22 kilometres on the third and fourth days. The flatter routes meant that we covered the ground quickly and always ended up at our camp sites by 3pm in the afternoon which was incredibly helpful for regaining the energy we needed for the next day’s walking.

On the first day, we walked from Catbells to Buttermere on a route that took us around Crammock Water. We then camped at Syke Farm before heading over the hills to Ennerdale on the second day. Each morning we set the alarm for 5am and made sure we were out walking by 6am, after packing up our tents and eating some warm porridge.The third day saw us climb an extremely steep hill in the morning (despite us trying to avoid them). Although the view was incredible, battling through the ferns was quite a challenge. Following on from the climb, we traversed down the hill and through a valley where our preplanned route along a footpath was nowhere to be seen. This meant we had to walk 6km alongside a river, trekking through a very wet bog. Everyone was completely soaked by the time we made it to the other side. We seemed to be wading through small streams and rivers more than we were actually walking on footpaths that day, and we had a few people falling in and finding that for the rest of the walk they were taking a bit of the river with them in their boots!

When we finally approached our last day, we decided to wake up at 4am, with the intention of getting the walk completed as quickly as possible. Putting on wet boots and shoes really wasn’t enjoyable at such an early hour, but it definitely seemed worth it when we finished at 11am. This was my favourite day. We walked over a hill at the side of Wasdale Lake and were greeted by the most amazing views. For the previous three days the weather had been cloudy and occasionally rainy, however, on that last day the sun shone for the whole morning. For once it felt like the Lake District weather was on our side!

After finishing, the teachers ordered us pizzas to eat in the evening, which was exactly what we needed. We then camped together for one more night before travelling back to Kent. My whole group have made some great memories to look back on and spending hours slugging through bogs really does bring a group closer. We are all so glad to have stuck with both expeditions till the end, even if there were times when the temptation to drop out was definitely there for all of us. We learnt first hand about the importance of teamwork, however clichéd that sounds, by learning how to motivate each other through not just physically challenging, but mentally challenging conditions.

Now we all just need to sign off the last components of our gold DofE before, hopefully, a final expedition together to Buckingham Palace to get our awards!

Page 123 - The Suttonian 2018

DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD

Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award Lara Savage, Fifth Form

O

ur silver expedition was certainly an experience I will never forget. In only three days we managed to experience all the Lake District has to offer, both the positives and negatives.

the road took its toll on us. Rain battered our faces and we all had frowns firmly plastered on – I think I can speak for everyone in saying we considered giving up. Thankfully, we all cheered each other on (Gabi Howarth and Suveen Gurung were always smiling) and made it to Low Lorton camp site, freezing cold but warm with Our first day began with an early start and by 8:30am we were pride. We went to bed that night in the snow, after constructing battling our first ascent up Latrigg mountain. We were full of tents in the toilets to avoid the weather and pegging them down enthusiasm despite the poor weather and maintained a great pace outside in record time. to the top, where we stopped and appreciated the grey skies and rolling hills around us, before the rain started.We spent most of the Thankfully, luck was on our side on the last day, and with bags packed day sliding in the mud down Blencathra and dashing from grass tuft and the scent of home, we got off to a racing start. Our third day to grass tuft as we desperately tried to avoid the mud. However, was wonderful, as we enjoyed spectacular views of Crummock despite the inclement weather, group morale never faltered. With Water, clear skies and finished off Reuben Hodson’s remaining mutual encouragement and determination, we continued ever supply of cherry sweets. The sun gave us the much-needed energy onwards, hoods on and heads up. The day was long, but we kept to carry on and, after a refreshing lunch by the lake, we began a going and after reaching the top of Low Rigg we were squealing lovely diversion into the valley and all the way down to Buttermere. with delight at the sight of Dale Bottom on the valley floor. The I can safely say the biggest smiles I saw across those three days were camp site worked wonders for team spirit and, after a speedy the ones we all wore at the sight of Mrs Kitchen in the minivan, descent, we were soon wrapped up in pitched tents and sleeping there to take us back to the Blencathra Centre. bags, ready to sleep.

Looking back now, my silver Duke of Edinburgh has been a The second day was a tough one, to say the least. Our team was challenge, there’s no doubt about it. Both our practice and qualifying suffering from blistered feet and frozen fingers, but we refused to expeditions were tough, but I still smile knowing we all persevered let this get to us and we all began the day with smiles on our faces. and made it to the end! My skills, volunteering and physical sections Tom Gray was a crucial member of the team – despite sodden were all fantastic experiences and doing my Duke of Edinburgh has boots and mud-caked trousers – he was the main navigator that day been both character building and very rewarding; I look forward to and despite a few detours, due to inconveniently blocked footpaths, tackling gold next. we made great time through the morning. It took us only two hours to get through Keswick and we were all in high spirits at The Lake District is beautiful – rain or shine – and I feel very lunchtime. However, this quickly diminished as we returned to grateful to have been able to experience it in all its glory. Thank walking after lunch. It was a long trek through the next valley, and you to all the staff who made our expedition possible – it was an as many of us were already nearing exhaustion, mile after mile on incredible experience!

Page 124 - The Suttonian 2018

DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD

Page 125 - The Suttonian 2018

DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD

Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award Holly Clark, Third Form

L

ast summer, everyone in my year (Third Form) worked towards achieving our bronze Duke of Edinburgh award. I found bronze DofE, although challenging, very exciting. It was really nice to do something so useful for my future, almost completely independently.

The volunteering, skill and physical elements of the scheme encouraged many of us to commit an hour of our time to each of our chosen activities every week. The juggling of commitments to the Duke of Edinburgh programme as well as everything else I do at School has meant that I have found it progressively easier, after this experience, to commit myself to revision and homework for School. It taught me to organise my time and it became an enjoyable part of my weekly routine.

For my volunteering section, I decided to help out at my local horse riding stables. It was so much fun and, whilst working there, I met someone who has become one of my best friends. I have continued to work at the stables, even though my DofE requirements have been completed. The decision to use that as my volunteering placement gave me a much better understanding of the horses and has helped me improve my riding skills, as well as giving me experience of working alongside other people I didn’t know very well.

For my physical activity, I used my training for Hockey and Netball, which was really good fun. Also, it was nice to know that all my

Page 126 - The Suttonian 2018

cuts and bruises were going towards an achievement, other than just playing sport.

The actual expedition itself was more fun that I could ever have expected! I made better friends with the people in my group and this has really helped me this year as classes have changed. On the DofE practice expedition, we started going around in circles and there were a few disagreements amongst our group, to say the least! However, we all pulled together and learned to work better as a team so we would be ready for the real thing.

On the real expedition, I set off enthusiastic and intensely confident.

Carrying our heavy backpacks, we had to find our way back to School, setting up camp along the way for one night. All the groups completed the walk and survived the night, despite my group walking around the same field, three times; but it was definitely worth it! We were all tired and in need of a bath, but it was a great achievement and a nice, fun way to focus on something away from classwork.

Overall, I really enjoyed the whole experience and I got so many things out of bronze DofE. I enjoyed it so much, that I am now continuing on with my silver DofE award. Everyone showed incredible perseverance and we all had a good time. We literally put blood, sweat and tears into it and now I’m doing it all again!

SPORT AND GAMES

SPORT AND GAMES “

This year, teams across all sports and all age groups have flourished, with 10 per cent of our pupils gaining representative honours at county level or above across 13 different sports.The percentage of pupils representing the School at sport rose and our fitness test data clearly indicates that our increased focus on health and fitness is having an immensely positive effect on the athletic capabilities of our pupils in their pursuit of personal excellence. A special mention to the 1st VII Netball team who averaged a 63 per cent win ratio, whilst the 1st XV Rugby team won 16 out of 18 matches, reaching the last 16 of the national competition.Whilst our major sports went from strength-to-strength, I would also like to mention the successes of our specialist sports such as Equestrianism, Swimming, Golf and Athletics along with the increased participation in sports like Badminton, Basketball and Cross-Country.

The following reports provide an account of all sports teams and highlight what a fantastic range of sports we have on offer at SVS.

�

Mr M Howell Director of Sport Page 127 - The Suttonian 2018

SPORT AND GAMES

Cricket, Tennis and Netball Tour

SOUTH AFRICA Mr G Alderman, Sport

D

uring February Half Term, 35 Fifth and Sixth Form pupils headed to South Africa to test their Cricket, Tennis and Netball prowess. We arrived in Cape Town in the early afternoon on Friday and we were up and running on an intense few days. We took a bus-top tour of the city and the environs, stopping at Table Mountain where we took the cable car to the top. As always, the views were stunning and we were lucky enough to have a clear day with views stretching in all directions.

The rest of the week was spent on the road. We visited Franschhoek, where we played Bridge House School and the boys played in Stellenbosch, because of drought-affected pitches. The boat trip out to Seal Island from Hout Bay was good fun, allowing us all to see the seals in their natural environment. We also made a visit to Simonstown (a naval town) to see the penguins up close and personal. Another highlight was the hands-on encounter with cheetahs at a breeding sanctuary.

Our first fixture was against Langa Township. Here we won all but the Cricket fixtures. Despite the poverty and poor living conditions, it does not mean that their sportsmen and women are without talent. We always receive a warm welcome here, as the people of the township are so pleased to share with others how they are building and developing their community, including improved housing. The shanty shacks are still there, but are slowly being replaced with brick-built accommodation and improved sanitation.

The pupils were met by many of the younger children and spent time playing with them.

A night’s stay at Buffelsfontein (a game farm) and an early morning game drive was exciting, as we could see all manner of wildlife including giraffe, lion, cheetah, zebra, buffalo, kudu, springbok, plus other smaller animals, as well as ostrich. It was unfortunate that the rhino were feeling a little shy that day, but a fantastic experience all the same. The tour culminated in a visit to Robben Island to see where Nelson Mandela had been held for 18 of his 25-year imprisonment. We also visited Victor Verster prison from where he was eventually released and made his ‘long walk to freedom’.

The pupils enjoyed the luxuries of hotels and bed and breakfasts,

Page 128 - The Suttonian 2018

SPORT AND GAMES

however, the most memorable occasions were when they were hosted by South African families and enjoying their hospitality.

As far as the results are concerned, the girls Netball A Team won all their fixtures, the B Team won three out of five, as did the Tennis team. The cricketers lost all five matches against strong opposition, who were coming to the end of their season. All of the students gave good accounts of themselves and learned a lot from the way their opposition played. There were some super individual performances as well. From a cricket point of view and, as we approach our own season, it has given focus to areas of further development before we take to the field in the Summer Term.

It was a tiring week, but thoroughly enjoyable whether a member of staff or a pupil. The students were good company and, as a teacher, it is always a pleasure to see them away from the School environment where their individual personalities can be seen more clearly.

Finally, I would like to thank all my colleagues who came along to help on this tour; without them none of the above would have been possible.

Page 129 - The Suttonian 2018

SPORT AND GAMES

1st XV Rugby

1st XV Rugby Daniel Teare, Upper Sixth

T

Record: Played 18, Won 16, Drawn 0, Lost 2

he potential for this year’s 1st XV to overcome all the challenges that arose was often talked about leading up to the 2017/2018 season. Seeing the individual development of many players on the pitches and in the gym over the past few seasons had boosted the prospect of this season to be one of Sutton Valence’s greatest.

The fourth round match of the National Vase tournament was away at Dartford Grammar School. The determination and drive was clear to see and it meant such a huge amount to put on the SVS jersey. Ultimately, this is what led to our superb 27-18 victory, where two quick tries were scored with less than five minutes left, putting us through to the fifth round of the national competition.

To our delight, we did just that. Winning 16 of our 18 fixtures and therefore finishing with an 89 per cent win ratio, made us the most successful 1st XV Sutton Valence has had. In addition to this was the great enjoyment that was experienced by players when representing Sutton Valence, due to a number of significant fixtures that helped define a thrilling season.

However, whilst our unique characteristics were apparent during this match against Hayes School, we were unable to convert any chances we had to score. A bad day at the office saw us going out of the National Vase. This, though, only spurred us on to finish the term in style.

One of those would be our 83-0 win against Kent College in the first round of the National Vase competition. This was an early insight into what a dominant season this could be for us.

Playing to our strengths, we were able to put a hugely impressive performance together against Kent College.

Following this fixture, we built on the result with a further five victories and advanced to the third round of the National Vase competition. Along with this, a resounding victory of 69-0 over Coopers’ Company and Coborn School left us in a confident position going into Half Term.

Page 130 - The Suttonian 2018

As our season came to an end, our focus shifted to The King’s School, Canterbury; a fixture that hadn’t been won by any 1st XV for 12 years. As we implemented our renowned physicality and aggression, King’s found themselves on the back foot for the majority of the game. With a key focus in training being to work on our accuracy and skill level, we were able to convert opportunity after opportunity; the game finished with a 17-13 victory and broke the long run of defeats that Sutton Valence had previously suffered.

Our last fixture, against Emanuel School, was another opportunity for us to compete for silverware. This annual fixture is played for

SPORT AND GAMES

the Abbot Cup which hadn’t been won by a Sutton Valence 1st XV for several years. With this being our last fixture, and for many players the last time they will represent Sutton Valence 1st XV, we would ensure that this fixture would end with a win. With high energy levels and a desire to win, we put a number of tries past Emanuel resulting in a 29-5 victory and possession of the Abbot Cup. Overall, we can see how these key moments helped to define the outstanding season that this team have had together through both the greatest and lowest moments.The coaching team of Mr Howell

and Mr Dawling has been superb and I would like to thank them on behalf of all the boys.

Squad (from): Anup Ale, Archie Averill, Harvey Beaton, William Bryant, Samuel Chitty, Alexander Crosbie, Archie Crouch, Felix Dont, Laurence Eastman, Edward Ervine, William Harrison, Jack Hayes, Brandon Jackson, Guy Kennedy, Jonty Martin, Thomas Millington, Harry O’Rawe, William Osborne, Henry Overy, Louis Regnier, Joshua Shing, Ross Sinclair, Daniel Teare (Capt), Gareth Thomas, Alex Thorogood, Callum Traynor, Matthew Webb, Harry Yorke.

2nd XV Rugby Mr R Carr, Master I/C

T

his was arguably the best 2nd XV which Sutton Valence have fielded in recent memory. The remarkable statistics speak for themselves, with a 91 per cent win rate [although one could argue that the loss against Tonbridge should not stand, as the game was abandoned with ten minutes to go] and a record which reads points for 469 and points against 49. Many strong rugby playing schools such as Cranbrook School, Colfe’s School, Duke of York’s Royal Military School, Emanuel School, Christ’s Hospital and The King’s School, Canterbury were quite simply brushed aside with ease; in fact, they were crushed.

In my experience, a side like this only comes along every twenty years or so. There were no obvious weaknesses and when the inevitable injuries occurred, the depth of the squad meant that positions were easily and seamlessly filled.

The attacking flair of the side was a joy to behold and it had our superb parental support applauding in excitement from one match to another.This was especially the case in the games against Colfe’s School and The King’s School, Canterbury, in which the speed of attack was quite devastating, leaving our opponents shell shocked. The team bonded from the start and put up a valiant fight against a Tonbridge School side first up. It was desperately sad to see Max Stanton-Gleaves break his leg with ten minutes to go. It is testament to his character that he subsequently came and supported us as much as he could and that he returned to play against Emanuel School in the final game of the season.

Record: Played 12, Won 11, Drawn 0, Lost 1

extremely elusive Barney Loxton-Barnard at stand-off half. Both of them scored a number of staggering tries with Barney’s dummies making opposition players look totally outwitted. In the centre, Jonty Martin was the lynch pin (when he was not sorting his camera out). Jonty also scored many barn-storming tries over the course of the season. Elsewhere, in the backs there was excellent support from Alistair Gooding, Jack Fenton, Henry King and Tom Millington. In Edward Ervine we had a quite outstanding full back who never once let us down. Edward also proved to be a highlyreliable and accurate goal kicker throughout the season. Mention should also particularly go to Sean McKeating, who proved he’s not only a versatile player but one who never had a long spell in the starting line-up. Ed Mazumbar whose season only lasted a few minutes before he again injured his knee also played his part as a very faithful ‘water boy’.

Whilst the side’s record will reveal some huge scores, it was arguably the game against Eastbourne College on a very windy

In Henry Overy, when he was not dropped to the 1st XV, we had an inspirational and high-quality captain who always took the game to the opposition and who consistently led from the front.

His searing pace meant that he scored a number of impressive tries; quite remarkable for a front row forward. The pack as a whole was hugely effective and there were just no weak links. The line-out work was always outstanding with the Eastman brothers, Charlie Sparrow, Harry Yorke and Harry O’Rawe coming to the fore. They were backed up by terrific performances from Fergus Fowle, Archie Averill, Will Harrison and from time to time by Will Bryant and Thomas Aiken. Special mention must particularly go to Michael Law who stepped in as captain on several occasions and who was without doubt one of our players of the season. His never say die attitude was truly inspirational.

There was also strength in depth in the three quarters and it was great to have a really strong pairing at half back by way of the tiger-like Harris Tunks at scrum half and the mercurial and

Page 131 - The Suttonian 2018

2nd XV Rugby

SPORT AND GAMES

Thursday afternoon which will live longest in the memory.

Having played with the wind in the first half and having only managed to score once, Sutton Valence turned round determined to give their all. The result was 35 minutes of defending our goal line with a ‘never say die, never surrender’ effort which was truly awe-inspiring. To hold out against an Eastbourne team, which included several members of their first team, was an utterly brilliant and remarkable effort. I suppose the other key game was the second thrashing in two years, which was handed out to The King’s School, Canterbury following our amazing victory away from home last season. It was good to see many of their parents shaking their heads in disbelief as their team was dismantled by us once again.

3rd XV Rugby

So, all-in-all, a quite remarkable and breath-taking season for this awesome side. Special thanks must go to Mr Howell and all the coaching staff, as I was unable to be at the training sessions, and just acted as the team manager for the matches each week. We were blessed to have a fantastic amount of parental support and, with Mr Martin acting as the manager’s bodyguard, I always felt safe! Thank you also to Ian Avery and the ground staff for regularly producing an excellent playing surface. My thanks to Mr Cope, Mr Farrell and Mr Dawling for refereeing our home matches and last, but not least, my thanks and warmest congratulations to all the players in playing their part in a truly amazing season which will live long in the memory.

Squad (from): Joseph Agu Benson, Thomas Aiken, Archie Averill, Angus Barclay, Alexander Bartleet, William Bryant, Elliot Carter, Thomas Cavell, Connor Cook, Lars Eastman, Laurence Eastman, Edward Ervine, Jack Fenton, Fergus Fowle, Alistair Gooding, William Harrison, Henry King, Michael Law, Barnaby Loxton-Barnard, Jonty Martin, Edward Mazumdar, Sean McKeating, Jack McNama, Thomas Millington, Daniel O’Brien, Harry O’Rawe, William Osborne, Henry Overy (Capt), Charles Page, Thomas Saltmarsh, Charles Sparrow, Harris Tunks, Jonty Watson, Archie Wooff, Harry Yorke.

3rd XV Rugby Jonty Watson, Upper Sixth

T

he 3rd XV team enjoyed a fantastic rugby season. We won four out of the five games that we played, with 99 points scored and only 32 conceded. Unfortunately, a few of our games were cancelled towards the end of the season, meaning we could not improve on our already outstanding record.

Highlights of the season included beating St Lawrence College 2nd team 36-0 and beating Sevenoaks in a very tense and exciting encounter, winning 17-10.

All those involved had a fantastic season, with some players being loaned to both the First and Second XVs to assist them in having just as successful a season.

Page 132 - The Suttonian 2018

Record: Played 5, Won 4, Drawn 0, Lost 1 Special thanks must go to Mr Cope for being our coach over this season. I am sure next season will be even better!

Squad (from): Joseph Agu Benson, Thomas Aiken, Angus Barclay, Alexander Bartleet, Elliot Carter, Thomas Cavell, Connor Cook, Oliver Dent, Shaad Dogra, Lars Eastman, Laurence Eastman, Cameron Evans, Jack Fenton, Louis Fulford, Alexander Hill, Toby Hurst, Henry King, Michael Law,Augustin Malbrel, Jonty Martin (Capt), Jack McNama, Samuel Millan-Norman, Daniel O’Brien, William Osborne, Charles Page, Digby Platt-Higgins, Thomas Saltmarsh, Joshua Scott, Charles Sparrow, Archie Wooff.

SPORT AND GAMES

Under 16A Rugby

Under 16B Rugby

Mr J Farrell, Master I/C

Jack Stanton-Gleaves, Fifth Form

T

his year’s Under 16A XV can be proud of what they achieved, but will also have been left with a feeling of what might have been. Three games – Tonbridge, Colfe’s and Sevenoaks – were lost by narrow margins. In contrast, the victory over Christ’s Hospital hinted at what could happen when a series of good decisions were made.

It was fitting that the best team try was left until the dying minutes of the season, in the fixture away at The King’s School, Canterbury.

This was a game, which we should have won by more, with the captain Brandon Jackson leading from the front. However, the tenacious approach of our opponents meant that it remained in the balance with two minutes remaining. A turnover from Joseph McInerney led to a series of phases of play, as we chose not to clear our lines. An overlap was eventually created to give Max Savage, who had been outstanding all season, the opportunity to run in unopposed from our own ten-metre line. Relief turned to delight as the boys realised that all of their hard work had come to fruition in those few moments. Brandon Jackson continues: “Throughout the season, there were outstanding performances from several individuals. Jack Lewis wowed with countless tackles making the opposition not want to run his way again. Arthur Genders with numerus pinpoint kicks wore down the opposition.

A mention must also go to all of our skilful backs, Oliver Laird, Thomas Taft, Ben Watkins, Thomas Allewell, Max Savage and Nathaniel Easton, who were all involved in some exceptional tries throughout the season. These tries would not have come about if it were not for our powerful forwards. With the power of the forwards and the skills of the backs, many teams had a problem with us, leading to some great play resulting in tries and, consequently, us winning numerous matches.”

Under 16A Rugby

Squad (from): Thomas Allewell, Luke Bernicchi, William Bull, William Catling, Nathaniel Easton, Arthur Genders, Awishma Gurung, Max Hansford, Hugh Harman, Reuben Hodson, Jack Hughes, Toby Hurst, Brandon Jackson (Capt), Emmerson Jones, George Jones, Oliver Laird, Jack Lewis, Sebastiaan Lijesen, Joseph McInerney, Arthur Moffatt, Toby Nottage, Max Savage, Jack Stanton-Gleaves, Finn Swaine, Thomas Taft, Matthew Teare, Benjamin Watkins.

Record: Played 5, Won 4, Drawn 0, Lost 1

T

he Under 16B Rugby team had a very successful session, winning four out of our five games, giving us an 80 per cent win record. Our record could have been even better, had it not been for a further four matches which had to be cancelled.

Our first game was against a Tonbridge School Under 16D team, which we convincingly defeated with the score ending at 55-7. This was a great result, as the year before we had lost to them. The next game was against Christ’s Hospital, which we also won, this time even more comprehensively with a final score of 52-0.

Our game against Colfe’s School was cancelled due to them not being able to put a team out, so we had to wait two weeks for our next fixture against St Lawrence College Under 16A. Given we were playing their A side, it was aways going to be a tough game and we ended up losing 12-17.

Further cancellations against Woodlands School and Reigate Grammar School, meant we went into our game against rivals Sevenoaks School having not played for ages. This game was especially important as we had lost to them the year before.

We got our revenge though and came home with a victory of 27-14. The final game of our season was against Caterham School, where we played a great game as a team and finished the season on a high with another victory of 41-21.

Our final game was supposed to be against The King’s School, Canterbury, but again, disappointingly that was cancelled. I must say a thank you to all the boys who played in the Under 16B team and a huge thank you to our coach, Mr Fewson.

Squad (from): George Baker, Luke Bernicchi, William Bull, William Catling, Max Hansford, Hugh Harman, Reuben Hodson, Toby Hurst, George Jones, Oliver Laird, Sebastiaan Lijesen, Thomas McLaughlin, Toby Nottage, Matthew Rackliffe, George Samuels, Louis Saunders, Jack Stanton-Gleaves (Capt), Herbie Stephenson, Noah Swaine, Thomas Taft, Jamie Warman.

Under 16B Rugby

Record: Played 8, Won 4, Drawn 0, Lost 4

Page 133 - The Suttonian 2018

Under 15A Rugby

SPORT AND GAMES

Under 15A Rugby James Mardon, Fourth Form

G

rit, determination and togetherness were the key words from the Under 15A rugby season. The relationship between the players and the gradual individual performance improvements led to a very enjoyable season, which drastically bettered the previous one.

Our first match was against a strong Tonbridge side. This was a game which showed the true character of our team from the first whistle. Trailing 12-19 with the game entering its last play, a fantastic rumble over from the forwards and clean conversion from Samuel Ellison saw the game levelled at 19 apiece. This last ditch try spurred the team on to two victories on the bounce against Christ’s Hospital and Colfe’s School. Slick hands and an abundance of offloads, saw the team play some fantastic freeflowing rugby against these sides.

St Lawrence College and Langley Park School for Boys would prove much tougher tests. They were made up of players much bigger in size, and with a greater physical presence. However, this would not stop Sutton Valence from giving it their all. The side showed fantastic comraderie and never let their foot off the gas. A brilliant defensive effort, especially from the smallest man on the pitch, Harvey Jeffery, saw the side produce a valiant effort against two very strong sides. Unfortunately, the loss against Langley Park saw the team knocked out of the county cup competition.

Over the course of the final six games, four were victories. A memorable game came against King’s Rochester. Both sides played

Page 134 - The Suttonian 2018

Record: Played 11, Won 6, Drawn 1, Lost 4

free-flowing rugby in what became the most entertaining, tiring and highest scoring game of the season. There were many great tries, but Finnian O’Keefe’s wonder out-the-back-door offload, was one which will live long in the memory.

The climax of the season saw the team travel to The King’s School, Canterbury. This game really showed how far the team had come.

Jack Walsh’s work rate was phenomenal and Oliver Payne-Cook was charging through the middle at ease. As with all of the games throughout the season though, everyone was committed and giving their heart to the team. Although it ended as a 17 points to 7 loss, it was by far one of the best performances of the year.

This team has come a long way over the course of the year and I cannot thank them enough for their hard work and dedication.

The team spirit is fantastic and I cannot wait for it to continue moving through into Under 16s. A special mention must go to Mr Waterworth and Mr Howell for their fantastic coaching and hard work in helping us progress.

Squad (from): Sam Allison, Rory Baillie, Bishesh Bhandari, Alfie Collins-Smith, Elliot Gooding, Nathan Horgan, Harvey Jeffery, Cameron Lindsay, James Mardon (Capt), Edward Marsh,Theodore Nelson, Joshua O’Brien, Finnian O’Keefe, Oliver Payne-Cook, William Saltmarsh, Myles Simmons, Jack Walker, Gregor Wishart, James Yeabsley, Archie Yorke, McKellen Young.

SPORT AND GAMES

Under 14A Rugby Joshua Laird, Third Form

T

Record: Played 10, Won 5, Drawn 0, Lost 5

he season started well with the team wining the first four games. The match away at Eastbourne College was, and remains, the most memorable as we won 27-17. What a fantastic way to start the season, but it also gave us a lot to live up to for the rest of the season. Our second match faced us against Christ’s Hospital away. In the opening minutes, we had to adapt our game due to the weather conditions; severe rain made the conditions quite difficult, resulting in many handling errors.

This game saw two of our key players, Alex Bowyer and Tyler Weekes, get injured and this was to have a huge impact on the remaining games.We didn’t finish the season as we hoped and lost our final two games to Duke of York’s Royal Military School and The King’s School, Canterbury. Several of our losses through the season came as a result of the opposition being a lot bigger and stronger than us, however, our organisation and speed to react to situations was also poor at times.

However, this did not put us off scoring many tries and winning the game 34-12. Due to hard training sessions working on our defence, we only conceded one try in both of our next two games; the first against Colfe’s School away which we won 38-5 and the second in the first round of the county cup against St Lawrence College, which we won convincingly 41-5.

Everyone in the team put in some great performances in defence and attack, with the main try scorers being Oscar Vas,Tom Barton, Sam Parsons and Will Barrett.They all put in some great individual performances as well as working well as a team. The forwards played consistently throughout the season rucking and tackling well and winning the backs good possession, often against the run of play. Special mention should go to Jasper and Tyler for their tireless work rate around the pitch. The season finished with five wins and five losses, scoring 204 points, but conceding 209. There is clearly room for improvement, but it was a positive season overall.

Squad (from): William Barrett, Tom Barton, Jasper Benson, Alexander Bowyer, Joshua Forknall, Pip Hodson, Joshua Laird (Capt), James Latter-Lumsden, Jenson McInulty, Harvey Morris, Samuel Parsons, James Reid, Freddie Rigby, Jonny Russell, Joe Savage, Robbie Simmonds, Oscar Vas, Tyler Weekes.

Under 14A Rugby

Our winning streak suddenly came to an end as we were now coming into the most challenging part of the season. We lost against Whitgift School, The Judd and Reigate Grammar although the losses were not all bad. In the game against Reigate, the forwards played the best game of the season, reflecting the intense training work we had covered at the rucks. The back line, however, did not have quite as good a game mainly due to poor defensive organisation.We were also let down by poor handling in the rainy conditions.The next game was against Sevenoaks School away. This was the closest game of the season, but we managed to win 10-8.

Page 135 - The Suttonian 2018

Under 13A Rugby

Under 14B Rugby

SPORT AND GAMES

Under 14B Rugby

Under 13A Rugby

Mr D Sansom, Master I/C

Alfie Jarrett, Second Form

Record: Played 9, Won 5, Drawn 0, Lost 4

Record: Played 10, Won 4, Drawn 0, Lost 6

W

hilst the statistics for the season speak of a 55 per cent win ratio, the reality is that this was far more successful than the raw numbers suggest. This was an excellent term’s rugby, with some impressive wins and very narrow losses played by a talented and committed squad. After a very close match and narrow loss to Eastbourne College in week one, things began to improve with a well-deserved win against Christ’s Hospital in a hotly-contested match that went down to the wire. It finished in controversial fashion, with the hosts thinking they had won and needing the referee to calculate the scores carefully to confirm the SVS win.

The winning streak continued with victories against Colfe’s School, St Lawrence College and a strong Whitgift School team before Half Term.The second half of term was frustrating in that in all matches Sutton Valence were the better team. They had more possession, but lacked discipline in defence to protect the lead time and again.

The match against Reigate Grammar School saw us lose to a last-minute try; Duke of York’s Royal Military School managed to creep back into the game after we achieved a commanding lead, but Sevenoaks School saw us win convincingly against a strong side. With the final match of the season against our old rivals The King’s School, Canterbury, I was keen to achieve our first-ever win over them at this level and trained the team hard in the sessions beforehand. Despite tackling heroically and keeping it neck and neck until the final third of the game, injuries and tiredness meant that King’s crept in front and we would have to wait another year to set the record straight.This was a hugely enjoyable season, with much to celebrate and the squad cannot wait to play again next year. Well done to all involved.

Squad (from): Alexander Barry, Troy Bartholet, Marcus Brown, Dylan Cole, Felix Connell, Gus Dickinson, William Fitzsimons, Joseph Gillett, Edwin Harding, Marko Jankovic, Ben Knighton, James Latter-Lumsden, Daniel Lenehan, Andrew Loy (Capt), Harrison Murray, Benjamin Myers, Clayton Olson, Joshua Pantony, Felix Plant, James Reid, Milo Skelly, Michael Summers, Alexander Tolhurst, Luke Wilson, Thomas Wilson.

Page 136 - The Suttonian 2018

U

nfortunately, our season didn’t get off to the best start, as we lost in a friendly to St Lawrence College.

We then faced three great teams in a row, Colfe’s School, Bickley Park School and Woodlands School and unfortunately our losing streak continued. We could have become very demotivated at this point, but our team never stopped trying, training hard and working hard for one another.

All of our hard work was to pay off in our first away game at Christ’s Hospital. After an excellent performance, we clinched the game in the last few minutes with a 25-20 win. It was a great feeling and lifted the team’s spirits.We then lost to Reigate Grammar, who turned out to be the best side we would face all season. Despite this result, we really started to enjoy our Rugby and that showed when we beat Dulwich Preparatory School, Cranbrook in one of the most spirited performances, coming from behind to dominate the second half and win 35-30.

The next game against Vinehall School saw our biggest win of the season (45-15), in a game where we played some great running Rugby. We were then away to The New Beacon which was, in my view, our best performance of the season.

Unfortunately, some key decisions went against us and we lost 15-25. We capped the season off with a great 45-25 win over Saint Ronan’s School to finish on a high. Overall, it was a season of two halves - a poor start, then a strong second half where we won four out of six games. I would like to thank Mr Davenport and Mr Howell for all of their support and coaching and say a well done to the Under 12 players (Sam Knighton, Jack Pillar and Sam Laird) who joined us for a couple of matches.

Squad (from): Tristan Button, Edward Evans, Joshua Fawell, Sam Fenton, Isaac Forknall, Matthew Hall, Jackson Hardwick, Jonte Hillier, Alfie Jarrett (Capt), Heston King, Sam Knighton, Samuel Laird, Alec Martin, Oliver Murch, Jack Piller, Maximilian Reeves, Ollie Smith, Olly Smith, Luca Vas, Maximus Woods, Ethan Wynne.

SPORT AND GAMES

RUGBY SEVENS Mr M Howell, Director of Sport

T

he Lent Term’s Rugby Sevens action was unfortunately hampered by the heavy snowfall that took place in March. This saw the cancellation of the Reigate Charity Under 18 Sevens and the Kent Under 16 Sevens that we host annually. Once the snow had thawed the teams showed once again what great ability and endeavour we possess as a school in the shorter version of the rugby game.

The 1st VII competed at the National Sevens at Rosslyn Park picking up notable victories against Emmanuel School and Welsh team,Ysgol Sir Thomas Picton.

The Under 16 VII entered the Queen Elizabeth Barnet Sevens, beating Coopers Company and Coborn School, along with Essex rivals New Hall School.

Unfortunately, they lost narrowly to Langley School and missed out on a place in the knock-out stages. The team also attended the National Sevens at Rosslyn Park, where competition was fierce against schools such as Harrow School and Durham School.

The Under 14 VII were the shining light on the sevens circuit this year. An extremely powerful and quick team won three out of their four matches at the Queen Elizabeth Barnet Sevens, disposing of Dulwich College and Abingdon School along the way. Whilst at the National Sevens at Rosslyn Park, the team continued their good form beating Framlingham College and Simon Langton Grammar School. They narrowly lost to Welsh giants Brynteg and therefore missed out on advancing to attend the second day of the competition.

All-in-all it was another excellent Lent Term of Rugby Sevens. Congratulations to all of the boys involved.

Page 137 - The Suttonian 2018

SPORT AND GAMES

1st XI Girls’ Hockey

1st XI Girls’ Hockey Rehannah Houghton-Judge, Upper Sixth

T

Record: Played 17, Won 4, Drawn 3, Lost 10

hroughout the season, we some had very tough matches, however, we approached every game with a determined attitude. We were involved in many outdoor and indoor tournaments including the Plumptre Regionals, the County Under 18s, as well as the Indoor County Under 18s and then finally the John Taylor Tournament, which Sutton Valence hosted.

losing to them in a tightly-fought match last year. To avenge that defeat, we were ready to put up a good fight, shocking them by taking a quick turnover and scoring in the first couple of minutes.

They came back strongly to equalise, but Sutton Valence was determined to win, and with some good pace and teamwork the ball was moved up the pitch swiftly, resulting in an excellent 7-1 win.

Our first game of the season saw us up against Hurst away, which proved to be a very competitive game. Getting into the motion of working as a freshly put-together team, we played to our strengths of defending, however, the opposition had very good turnover pace, resulting in a 6-1 loss.

Overall, we won four games, drew three and lost ten, although I don’t feel those statistics necessarily reflect our standard of play.

We managed to score 29 goals across all of the games, which is a huge achievement.

The highlight of the season must be the match which we won against Claremont School. In this fixture, Sutton Valence dug deep and we went out from the start with pace and strength in our tackles. Emily Smith and Alex Sacker controlled the middle, creating many goal chances for us. Jenna Boltman and Georgie Mancais scored some excellent goals and we came away with a definitive 9-0 win.

Another successful game for us was against Ashford School. This fixture always tends to be highly competitive and we ended up

Page 138 - The Suttonian 2018

The girls and I would like to thank Mr Henderson who was our coach for the season, he constantly pushed us and kept out heads high, giving us the confidence to perform to the best of our abilities in every game.

Squad (from): Phoebe Aucamp, Sophie Baxter, Jenna Boltman, Emelia Bonny, Isabelle Cook, Emelia Hollingsworth, Rehannah Houghton-Judge (Capt), Eliza Lewis, Naomi Lijesen, Georgia Mancais, Grace Mortley, Charlotte Percival, Alexandra Sacker, Amelia Semmens, Emily Smith, Verity Smith, Verity Streek, Isabelle Turner, Florence Watkinson, Charlotte Wooldridge, Fynley Young.

SPORT AND GAMES

2nd XI Girls’ Hockey

3rd XI Girls’ Hockey

Anna Harrison, Fifth Form

Imogen Forknall, Lower Sixth

Record: Played 9, Won 3, Drawn 2, Lost 4

Record: Played 7, Won 1, Drawn 2, Lost 4

The goalkeepers, Elizabeth Drummond and Imogen Forknall, deserve a special mention as they persisted to save goal, after goal throughout the season. Solid defence was provided by Anna Harrison, Charlotte Heard, Jemima Bruce-Lockhart and Gabriella Howarth, whose skilful tackling prevented many goals.

The midfield, consisting of Elizabeth Moore, Isabelle Turner, Harriet Aburn, Isabelle Dransfield and Charlotte Wooldridge, distributed the ball well, allowing multiple chances at goal.

These impressive balls were received by Amelia Semmens, Kate Woodford and Poppy Gardner, who used their strength and skill to score an outstanding total of 18 goals throughout the season.

A great and enjoyable season could not have been possible without our knowledgeable coach, Miss Hallett, whose enthusiasm for the sport lifted our spirits when needed and guided us to achieve an impressive set of results. A special mention must also go to Mr Harrison, whose invaluable input as a coach and umpire was very much appreciated.

2nd XI Girls’ Hockey

Squad (from): Harriet Aburn, Jemima Bruce-Lockhart, Paige Davidson, Melissa Dawson, Isabella Dransfield, Elizabeth Drummond, Daisy Fenton, Imogen Forknall, Poppy Gardner, Anna Harrison, Charlotte Heard, Gabriella Howarth, Naomi Lijesen, Katie Marnane, Elizabeth Moore, Grace Mortley, Lauren Robinson, Amelie Rossiter, Amelia Semmens, Jemma Stuart, Isabelle Turner (Capt), Florence Watkinson, Sophie Watson, Kate Woodford, Charlotte Wooldridge.

A

s we came into the season as a completely new team, with players ranging from the Upper Sixth down to the Fourth Form, we did well to come out with a 1 -1 draw from our opening fixture against a good Hurst team.

A week later, we faced a Sevenoaks School Under 18E team in a friendly fixture. Building on the result from our opening match, we were strong in both attack and defence, playing as a team and using plenty of quick passes to move around the opposition’s defence. Outclassing our opponents, we came away with an emphatic 12-0 win.

Despite such a convincing victory, we were we unable to continue our good form in front of goal against our next opponents, Ardingly College, coming away with a 0-0 draw.

Unfortunately, that result set us up for a disappointing end to our season, as we went on a run of four successive defeats. Our first loss came against a strong Eastbourne College team, who beat us 1-0. When we returned after the Half Term break, we succumbed to losses against Epsom College (2-0), Sevenoaks School (1-0) and The King’s School, Canterbury (3-0).

Despite this losing run, I wouldn’t say the results in the final four fixtures were a fair representation of how we played as a team. Our spirits remained high throughout the season, both in training and on match days, and I hope this carries on into next season as we compete for places in the 1st and 2nd XI teams.

Squad (from): Phoebe Aucamp, Emelia Bonny, Amber Brinkman, Alice Busby, Isabelle Busby, Elizabeth Cavell, Pescha Cordell, Lily Crampton, Paige Davidson, Melissa Dawson, Kathryn Douglas, Daisy Fenton, Imogen Forknall (Capt), Poppy Gardner, Katie Lang, Eliza Lewis, Annabel Mansfield, Katie Marnane, Grace Mortley, Bethan Pepler, Charlotte Percival, Maisie Rixon, Gabriella Romano, Amelie Rossiter, Lara Savage, Phoebe Sharp, Verity Streek, Jemma Stuart, Tiggy Teare, Anisha Thapa Magar, Isabelle Turner, Florence Watkinson.

3rd XI Girls’ Hockey

T

his year, the 2nd XI Girls’ Hockey team had an impressive season, including three very convincing wins. A mention must go to the amazing 9-0 win against Ashford School, where our skills and hard work came together to produce a dynamic performance. Another excellent match which must be mentioned was the incredibly close game against Sevenoaks School, which we lost due to a last minute goal. Although the final score did not fall in our favour, this match revealed some great game play from the entire team as we worked together fluently against an impressive opposition.

Page 139 - The Suttonian 2018

SPORT AND GAMES

Under 16A Girls’ Hockey Alexandra Sacker, Fifth Form

W

ithout any regular season block fixtures, the Under 16A team were focused on tournament play this year, attending the Under 16 County Tournament at The King’s School, Canterbury, as well as the Under 16 County Indoor Tournament at Polo Farm Sports Club.

The first of our fixtures came late in September, when we set off to take part in the Under 16 County Tournament Our first match was against Kent College, Pembury, which we won 3-0, showing good drive and strength to break through their defence. Our next game was against Bromley High School, and another solid performance saw us come away victorious and ready to face our last pool game against Colfe’s School.They were a strong team, but our defence stayed tight and fed the ball through the midfield and up to the forwards, resulting in an excellent 2-0 win.

Under 16A Girls’ Hockey

Our 100 per cent record saw us finish in first place in our pool and progress to the quarter finals to face Cranbrook School. Knowing that they were a strong side, Anna Harrison and Jemima BruceLockhart worked well to clear the ball at every opportunity. Good work from the forwards saw Jenna Boltman strike the ball into the back of the net resulting in a 1-0 win, seeing us through to the semi-finals, where we faced Sevenoaks School. From the start, they came at us with pace and excellent counter attacks, scoring an early goal, which left us on the back foot. We fought our way back into the game, but unfortunately we could not convert our chances and the match ended in a 2-0 defeat.

Page 140 - The Suttonian 2018

Record: Played 9, Won 6, Drawn 0, Lost 3

Three weeks later, we were back in competitive action, taking part in the Under 16 County Indoor Tournament. With a few extra training sessions under our belts, we were ready to play our first match against Kent College, Canterbury. We started fiercely, entering their half many times and winning many short corners, which Alex Sacker stepped up to flick the ball into the net multiple times. The match ended 3-0.

The second match against Benenden School saw us come away with another good win (2-0). Amelia Semmens and Jenna Boltman worked well together to get the ball behind the keeper, and another successful flick from Alex Sacker rounded off a solid victory. Our final game against St Lawrence College would determine who would win the tournament - with both teams boasting 100 per cent records thus far. They came at us hard and scored early on.

Unfortunately, we were unable to convert the few chances we created and our opponents scored another goal. The whole team worked tirelessly to limit St. Lawrence’s chances however, they continued to dominate and the match ended 0-4. We finished the tournament in second place.

Squad (from): Francesca Barton, Jenna Boltman, Jemima BruceLockhart, Isabelle Cook, Paige Davidson, Elizabeth Drummond, Daisy Fenton, Anna Harrison, Charlotte Heard, Gabriella Howarth, Katie Lang, Maisie Rixon,Alexandra Sacker (Capt),Amelia Semmens, Florence Watkinson, Charlotte Wooldridge.

Under 15B Girls’ Hockey

Under 15A Girls’ Hockey

SPORT AND GAMES

Under 15A Girls’ Hockey

Under 15B Girls’ Hockey

Mr V Wells, Head of Cricket

Eloise Turnbull, Fourth Form

Record: Played 7, Won 0, Drawn 1, Lost 6

Record: Played 7, Won 0, Drawn 4, Lost 3

I

t was always going to be a tough season for the Under 15A Girls’ Hockey team, due to a small Fourth Form year group and also a tough fixture list. Unfortunately, some of the girls work ethic in training sessions made things even harder for them come match day.

The first game against Hurst was a tough match. Although we were not always playing together as a team, there was certainly a lot of effort put in by a number of the players. Florence Watkinson was outstanding in goal, not just in this game but all season - performances that saw her selected for more senior teams during the course of the season. With her goalkeeping and some heroic defending, the score finished a respectable 3-0 loss.

The next fixture against Cranbrook School was an exciting affair. Sutton Valence dominated the first half to go in at half time leading 4-0, but the reverse happened after the break with the game finishing as a 4-4 draw. Unfortunately, the second half collapse may have knocked their confidence for the remainder of the season, as the girls lost their remaining five games. That said, you could not fault the team’s effort on match days and at last it looked like the girls were starting to enjoy their hockey and starting to play as a team.

Next year, a number of the girls from the team will play senior Hockey for either the 1st XI, 2nd XI or the 3rd XI which hopefully, they will enjoy more and develop further as players.

There are several players who are capable of doing very well in the future as they find their level and mix in with the older girls.

Squad (from): Francesca Barton (Capt), Elizabeth Cavell, Philippa Dow, Alice Gotke, Olivia Heard, Daisy Hills, Cameron Lamont-Brown, Sophie Lee, Desiree Loxton-Barnard, Mariana Mason, Grace Mitchell, Muhing Okhrabu, Tess Pritchard, Maisie Rixon, Katie Swift, Anisha Thapa Magar, Eloise Turnbull, Molly Veasey, Florence Watkinson.

W

e got off to a steady start in early September, playing our first match against Hurst. Although our team had not practised together before, we played with determination and effort and drew 1-1.

Unfortunately, after drawing our second match with Claremont School, we faced our biggest competition yet: Cranbrook School.

Predictably we lost, but if it were not for Jemma’s excellent defending, our loss would have been brutal. From there, it was a roller-coaster of ups and downs. We played in cold and rain, but always left each match with a smile on our faces. During these matches, our teamwork was incredible, hugely benefiting our overall performance on the pitch.

We hit our low point in mid November when we were thrashed

by Sevenoaks School (2-0). Feeling devastated and completely defeated, we dreaded our upcoming match against The King’s School, Canterbury. Knowing that the school had a great hockey team, we felt that a loss was inevitable.Two weeks later, the match began. The first half was not good. We were 2-0 down and feeling miserable. Luckily, we had Miss McConnachie to give us advice and support so we could go into the second half with confidence and play excellently, and we did. The final score was 3-3. Louisa Yorke was the player of the match, scoring two of our three goals.

It was a fantastic match to end the hockey season and saved the Under 15Bs from despair. Although we didn’t win any of the seven matches we played, it was very enjoyable and was a pleasure to represent the School.

Squad (from): Chloe Alexander, Nicole Avery, Emily Baldwin, Jemma Brown, Isabel Bruce-Lockhart, Alice Busby, Isabelle Busby, Elizabeth Cavell, Holly Clark, Harriet Connor, Jessica De Lucy, Philippa Dow, Kristina Duckett, Charlotte Farrell, Olivia Farrell, Emily Ferris, Charlotte Gilman, Daisy Hills, Amelia Kirk-Brown, Cameron Lamont-Brown, Sophie Lee, Mariana Mason, Grace Mitchell, Muhing Okhrabu, Lulu Pankhurst, Serafina Parrella, Rose Price, Tess Pritchard, Suma Rai, Alice Roberson, Katie Swift, Eloise Turnbull (Capt), Molly Veasey, Scarlett Washington, Florence Watkinson, Grace Wilson, Elizabeth Wooff, Louisa Yorke.

Page 141 - The Suttonian 2018

SPORT AND GAMES

Under 14A Girls’ Hockey Charlotte Farrell, Third Form

D

espite a tough fixture list including block fixtures and tournament matches, we played well throughout the season and improved week-on-week. Highlights of our season included a hard-fought draw against St Lawrence College and an excellent 1-0 victory over Ardingly College.

With Olivia Heard’s hits from 16 yards moving the ball up the pitch, we made many counter attacks using Lizzie Wooff, Louisa Hudson, Issy Bruce-Lockhart and Holly Clark. At the other end of the field, Charlotte Lang, Olivia Heard and Chloe Alexander remained a strong defensive unit and managed to prevent goals alongside Maddie Presland, our goalkeeper. Katherine Sawyer and I set the tempo, working tirelessly in the centre, and linking well with the wide midfielders, Anna Smith, Jessica De Lucy and Eliza Semmens. However, we were never quite able to convert the numerous chances that our endeavour and skill created.This meant the scores did not always represent how well we played.

Under 14A Girls’ Hockey

Despite this, in tournaments, we did well and results reflected this.

In the county tournament, held at The King’s School, Canterbury, we were in a pool with St Lawrence College, who we had already played earlier in the season, as well as Benenden School and Langley Park School for Girls.We beat Benenden School 1-0 and drew with both St Lawrence College and Langley Park School for Girls. This

Page 142 - The Suttonian 2018

Record: Played 9, Won 1, Drawn 2, Lost 6

put us in joint first in our pool alongside St Lawrence, but sadly, we lost to them on penalty strokes. As a result, we went through to play The King’s School, Canterbury, where we narrowly lost.

In a mini tournament at Burgess Hill Girls, we won in our group game against Roedean School’s B team and drew against Benenden School’s A team and Burgess Hill, putting us in second place. We then went into the quarter finals, where we won 3-0 against Benenden’s B team. In the semi-finals we played Bede’s School, but unfortunately lost 3-1. That meant we were through to the third-fourth place play-off against Roedean School’s A team, which we won 2-0, therefore finishing in third place.

We played well throughout the season with some narrow losses, but each week we got better with the coaching of Mr Clapp throughout the season, as well as with input from Mr Braddick and Mr Henderson.

Squad (from): Chloe Alexander, Isabel Bruce-Lockhart, Holly Clark, Jessica De Lucy, Kristina Duckett, Charlotte Farrell (Capt), Olivia Heard, Charlotte Holmes, Louisa Hudson, Charlotte Lang, Madeleine Presland, Suma Rai, Alice Roberson, Katherine Sawyer, Eliza Semmens, Anna Smith, Elizabeth Wooff, Louisa Yorke.

SPORT AND GAMES

Under 13A Girls’ Hockey Louisa Yorke, Second Form

C

oming back from a long holiday, the Under 13A team were quite rusty and needed to get back into the swing of things. Our first match was against Dulwich Preparatory School, Cranbrook and the long holiday caused us to be half asleep and not ready for the game. Dulwich ware a very strong side meaning the final score was 4-0 to Dulwich.

Probably our toughest match was against Sevenoaks School.

The girls were determined to win and some great skill down the right by Kristina Duckett meant we got a beautiful goal.

Scarlett Washington, Lulu Pankhurst and Demi Finch fought hard in defence hitting the ball out wide to our wingers. Some great saves by Grace Wilson meant it was hard for Sevenoaks to score.

The final score was 5-4 to us.

Under 13B Girls’ Hockey

Record: Played 23, Won 11, Drawn 3, Lost 9

A special mention must go to Millie Sands and Kate Lazarides because they came up to play with us for some matches and helped us get a victory. Rose Price also played very well as our centre forward, getting on the end of virtually every ball in the D. Her strong hit meant the ball ended up in the back of the goal more often than not. Emily Ferris and Olivia Farrell played well in every position, which meant if we were struggling in one particular area, they could help.

Squad (from): Kristina Duckett, Olivia Farrell, Emily Ferris, Demi Finch, Kate Lazarides, Lulu Pankhurst, Molly Parsons, Rose Price, Maisey Russell, Millie Sands, Scarlett Washington, Grace Wilson, Louisa Yorke (Capt).

Under 13A Girls’ Hockey

Kate Lazarides, Second Form Record: Played 11, Won 3, Drawn 3, Lost 5

T

he Under 13B Hockey team had a very enjoyable season.

New pupils to the School made the team considerably stronger and we all worked very well together, both in training and during the matches. Our opening match was against Dulwich Preparatory School, Cranbrook, which unfortunately we lost 4-5. Notable performances came from Millie Sands and Molly Parsons.

An early win against Lingfield College (5-1) lifted everyone’s spirits. The whole team played incredibly well with the defence showing real bravery to stop a strong Lingfield attack. The midfield demonstrated excellent skills, in particular Maisie Russell. A heavy defeat against Sevenoaks School (2-6) left us determined to work on our passing and corners. This approach proved successful against both Ashford School and Wellesley House, with an outstanding hat trick from Sophie Browning.

Under 12A Girls’ Hockey

A 1-1 draw against Vinehall School was a difficult game and the team showed real resilience; Claudia Bennett proved a very determined asset in midfield. We were disappointed that despite excellent play from the team, we suffered a heavy defeat to St Lawrence College. I am very proud of how well everyone played this season, the whole team made excellent progress both individually and as a whole. I would like to thank Mr Braddick and Mr Wellings for all their time and effort in coaching us and taking us to so many matches.

Squad (from): Claudia Bennett, Sophie Browning, Calia Cordell, Olivia Farrell, Demi Finch, Nina Ghale, Emma Horgan, Kate Lazarides (Capt), Edith McNair, Evie Palmer, Molly Parsons, Freya Penfold, Rose Price, Jodie Russell, Maisey Russell, Millie Sands, Martha Tatnell, Liberty Watkinson, Millie Wright.

Page 143 - The Suttonian 2018

SPORT AND GAMES

1st XI Boys’ Hockey

1st XI Boys’ Hockey Mr J Henderson, Head of Hockey

T

he 1st XI Boys’ Hockey team had a mixed season, winning only a third of their fixtures, but playing some excellent Hockey against tough opposition. The team itself was filled with natural talent and good physical attributes, which meant they were a tough test for any side they faced.

The team started its season with a home encounter against Caterham School. With many Fifth Form players making the step up to senior Hockey, it was very much a developmental team.With only a few training sessions under their belt, the boys played some good attacking Hockey through wingers Louis Ridge and Alex Thurgood. This resulted in an excellent 2-0 win, with Max Savage flicking in a superb goal.

The next fixture saw an away trip to Hurst, a notoriously tough opponent. SVS found themselves equally matched for the majority of the game, but two controversial late goals saw Hurst edge the match 3-1. Unfortunately, the game also saw a number of injuries to the team, with Lars Eastman taking a stick to the head, ruling him out for the majority of the season; a big loss for our defence.

Over the next few games, the injuries started to mount, with the full depth of the squad being used. Unfortunately, this affected the team’s cohesion and the boys lost 4-0 to Eltham College in a second round County Cup match, before succumbing to an 8-1

Page 144 - The Suttonian 2018

Record: Played 6, Won 2, Drawn 0, Lost 4

loss to a very strong St Lawrence College side, which worked well to expose our weaknesses.

After the Half Term break, the next home game versus The King’s School, Canterbury saw the return of some of our injured players, which boosted the team going into this local derby. SVS played some fantastic hockey and won 2-0. Unfortunately, our momentum was stopped by the great British weather, with the snowy period forcing our next three fixtures against King’s Rochester, Cranbrook School and Eastbourne College to be cancelled. This limited our end of season programme to a single match against Ashford School, which we unfortunately lost 4-1.

Overall, the boys worked hard over the season and improved throughout. Max Savage was the Coach’s Player of the Season and Jack Fenton was the Players’ Player of the Season. Harry O’Rawe will captain the side next season, hopefully building on the positives from this year with what looks to be a very exciting squad.

Squad (from): Lars Eastman, Edward Ervine. Jack Fenton. Fergus Fowle, George Gaston, Alistair Gooding, William Harrison (Capt), Oliver Laird, Sean McKeating, Augustin Malbrel, Thomas Millington, Harry O’Rawe, Henry Overy, Louis Ridge, Max Savage, Finn Swaine, Alex Thorogood, Matthew Webb.

SPORT AND GAMES

2nd XI Boys’ Hockey Tim Anthony, Upper Sixth

T

his year’s 2nd XI had another very strong season. With only six matches played in total due to cancellations, we came through with four wins, one draw and one loss. The team, run by Mr. Cope, consisted of Sixth Form and the odd, occasional Fifth Form player, which meant we always put out a strong and determined side.

Our first match was against Caterham School. We knew this was going to be a challenging match and with only two training sessions under our belts, we were still a bit rusty, which lead to a 6-1 loss.

Our next match was away to a strong Hurst side and after a gruelling bus journey, we were keen to get a win. Half time saw Hurst in the lead by one goal, however, with a strong attack, they finally conceded to a well-worked Ben Watkins goal, which saw the match finish 1-1.

Knowing our next match was against St Lawrence College, the hardest game of the season, we wanted to walk away with a victory.

The pressure was even greater as last year’s 2nd XI had won, so we wanted to carry on where they had left off. After some vigorous training sessions, we had high hopes of a victory.

The whistle blew, and our aggressive format meant we put immediate pressure on St Lawrence, with a couple of opportunities which we just couldn’t finish. Unfortunately, they capitalised on our inefficiency in front of goal and broke through, scoring on the

Record: Played 6, Won 4, Drawn 1, Lost 1

counter-attack, meaning we went into half time 1-0 down. Although morale was low, we came back strongly and Archie Crouch and I scored in quick succession, resulting in a great 2-1 win.

Our next match was against The King’s School, Canterbury, where we dominated the game and walked away with a 5-0 victory. Due to poor weather conditions, most pitches were frozen and our next three matches got cancelled. We finally got back on the pitch against Duke of York’s Royal Military School in mid-March and again came away with an outstanding 5-0 victory. Our last match was due to be against Eastbourne College, however, this got cancelled due to snowy conditions. Despite the limited number of matches played, the boys played to an exceptional standard, which led to a really positive season.

Squad (from): Joseph Agu Benson, Tim Anthony (Capt), George Baker, Luke Bernicchi, Sammy Blakely, Archie Crouch, Felix Dont, Laurence Eastman, Nathaniel Easton, Cameron Evans, Fergus Fowle, George Gaston, Arthur Genders, Alistair Gooding, James Gotke, Awishma Gurung, Hugh Harman, Alexander Hill, Jack Hughes, Emmerson Jones, Oliver Jones, Oliver Laird, Thomas Lazarides, Jack Lewis, Sebastiaan Lijesen, Augustin Malbrel, Antonio MalluzzoFisher, Sean McKeating, Jack McNama, Arthur Moffatt, Thomas Saltmarsh, George Samuels, Alexander Schuller, Joshua Scott, Jack Stanton-Gleaves, Finn Swaine, Noah Swaine, Jamie Warman, Benjamin Watkins, Jonty Watson.

2nd XI Boys’ Hockey

Page 145 - The Suttonian 2018

Under 15B Boys’ Hockey

Under 15A Boys’ Hockey

SPORT AND GAMES

Under 15A Boys’ Hockey

Under 15B Boys’ Hockey

Alexander Duckett, Fourth Form

Mr M Howell, Director of Sport

Record: Played 7, Won 4, Drawn 0, Lost 3

Record: Played 5, Won 1, Drawn 3, Lost 1

O

verall, the Under 15 Boys’ Hockey team had a strong season despite some mixed results. Some of the highlights of the season included a 7-0 win against Ashford School and an 8-0 victory against King’s Rochester. However, the team played some of its best Hockey in its matches against Hurst and The King’s School, Canterbury.

In these games, the team was able to use a strong defensive line and dynamic attack to put pressure on two very skillful teams.

The speed of our counter attack allowed us to beat Hurst 6-2, which is all the more impressive as our Under 15 teams have historically struggled against them. It was similarly the case in our fixture against The King’s School, Canterbury where we managed to come away with a 2-1 victory in a competitive match against our local rivals.

We also entered the Peter Firminger Tournament, where we reached the semi-finals before narrowly losing out to tough opposition. Unfortunately, we did not progress very far in the England Hockey County Cup, as we had a hard-fought 1-0 loss to a strong Langley Park School for Boys’ side.

Despite some very strong results, we were still unable to match St Lawrence College who utilised a skillful drag flicker to slot a number of goals passed us. This, combined with skilful open play from the opposition meant we lost 8-0. Hopefully, we can redeem ourselves next year! Overall, throughout the season we scored 23 goals and conceded 13, giving us a strong goal difference. Unfortunately, this was our last proper season as a team, as we will all be hoping the play in the School’s 1st, 2nd or 3rd XI teams next year. Thank you to our coach, Mr Braddick, for an enjoyable season.

Squad (from): Sam Allison, Ewen Barr, Bishesh Bhandari, William Chambers, James Crombie, Alexander Duckett (Capt), Elliot Gooding, Suveen Gurung, Callum Hanna, Louis Hillier, Joseph Lenehan, Theodore Nelson, Oliver Payne-Cook, Jack Price, William Saltmarsh, Finlay Sprent, Jack Walker, James Yeabsley, Archie Yorke, McKellen Young.

Page 146 - The Suttonian 2018

T

he Under 15B Hockey team enjoyed a workmanlike season, although this is not necessarily reflected in the results. Although the team only lost once, the majority of fixtures ended in a draw, as we struggled to finish off the opposition.

The season began with a hard-fought draw against a dogged Caterham School side. The team knew that with some better luck, the game could have been won and took that positivity into their next match against Hurst. Unfortunately, against a strong opposition side, the boys succumbed to a disappointing 3-2 loss, in what would become our only defeat of the season.

Two more draws followed either side of the Lent Half Term, firstly in a 1-1 result against St Lawrence College and then in a 2-2 draw at home to The King’s School, Canterbury. With better game management, these two results could easily have been victories. Unfortunately, due to the snowy weather in early March, our match against Cranbook School had to be cancelled, meaning the team went into their final match against Duke of York’s Royal Military School still searching for that elusive win.

Thankfully, they achieved it with an excellent performance that saw them run out 6-0 winners.

The team’s lack of an out-and-out finisher ultimately cost us, but as a group they should still be proud of the way they pulled together and put in consistent performances throughout. Their high work-rate and intensity was testament to the hard work they put in to every training session. Stand-out players across the season inlcuded William Saltmarsh, Joseph McDermott, Elliot Gooding and Cameron Lindsay.

Squad (from): Tarik Abed, Harrison Ashdown, Jack Baker, William Chambers, James Crombie, Elliot Gooding, Rory Lello, Cameron Lindsay, James Mardon, Edward Marsh, Joseph McDermott, Patrick Mullen, Joshua O’Brien, Oliver Payne-Cook, Jack Price, William Saltmarsh, Myles Simmons, Thomas Wilkins, James Yeabsley.

SPORT AND GAMES

Under 14A Boys’ Hockey Joshua Laird, Third Form

W

e went into the season eager to win, but aware of some tough fixtures against some strong Hockey schools. The team was full of confidence coming off the back of a successful season in the Under 13A when we won 21 of our 25 matches over the course of the Lent Term 2017.

Our first game this year was against Caterham School and, despite a close game, we managed to come away with a solid 2-1 away win. A few days later, we faced a much tougher opponent in a mid-week area cup game against a strong Tonbridge School team.

Unfortunately, they overpowered us and we were beaten 6-0.

Under 14B Boys’ Hockey

Under 14A Boys’ Hockey

The following Saturday we faced our first home fixture in a game against Hurst. We controlled the majority of the game, but didn’t manage to get a goal, with the score finishing 0-0. Although disappointed to not get the victory, we were pleased to keep a clean sheet after the Tonbridge defeat. Just before Half Term, we travelled to Ramsgate to face our biggest challenge yet, St Lawrence College. Despite a strong effort, we struggled to cope with their attack, again conceding six, with the final score a disappointing 6-1loss.

Record: Played 7, Won 4, Drawn 1, Lost 2

After Half Term, we came back looking to go unbeaten in the second half of the season. This started well with an excellent 5-0 home victory against The King’s School, Canterbury. A fortnight later we travelled away to Ashford School and continued our good form with a comfortable 2-0 win. Finally, for our last game of the season we faced King’s Rochester away. We were determined to finish the season well and got off to the perfect start with an early goal. This settled our nerves and we ran out 2-0 winners.

The team played well throughout the season, winning four of our seven matches. Keeping five clean sheets, our defence held strong with Freddie Rigby putting in some excellent performances at the back and Felix Plant making some important saves in goal.

Overall the season went well, however, there are things we need to improve on next year to hopefully go unbeaten.

Squad (from): William Barrett, Tom Barton, Felix Connell, Theo Dransfield, William Fitzsimons, Jonte Hillier, Pip Hodson, Joshua Laird (Capt), James Latter-Lumsden, Daniel Lenehan, Andrew Loy, Jenson McInulty, Clayton Olson, Joshua Pantony, Felix Plant, Freddie Rigby, Jonny Russell, Joe Savage, Michael Summers, Oscar Vas, Tyler Weekes, Luke Wilson.

Under 14B Boys’ Hockey Mr G Alderman, Sport Record: Played 4, Won 1, Drawn 0, Lost 3

T

he Under 14B Hockey season started full of enthusiasm, albeit with raw talent. There were a couple of established players, but the majority of the side lacked experience and match awareness.

All that said, during the first match against Caterham the huge potential of the team could be seen. There were times when we were caught out of position, but the hard work to recover could not be faulted. We could easily have won this match, but we just could not get the ball in the goal. This remained the theme for the rest of the season although the pattern and width of play improved week-on-week. The one exception was the only match we won against St Lawrence College.

It was a pity the season was curtailed by cancelled fixtures because the boys had worked hard in training, developing their stick skills and seeking out those illusive goals. Field positioning remains an area for development and they must learn to trust one another to do their job. All-in-all, we never really got going and I hope the boys pick up where they left off next season.

Squad (from): William Barrett, Troy Bartholet, Jasper Benson, Fergus Dickinson, Theodore Dransfield, Joshua Forknall, Pip Hodson (Capt), Ben Knighton, Sam Lawson, Clayton Olson, James Reid, Michael Summers, Oscar Vas, Tyler Weekes, Thomas Wilson.

Page 147 - The Suttonian 2018

Under 13A Boys’ Hockey

SPORT AND GAMES

Under 13A Boys’ Hockey Charles Wood, Second Form

T

he season started well with SVS winning our first couple of matches convincingly against Caterham School (9-0) and St Edmund’s School, Canterbury (6-1). Our third match was away to Hurstpierpiont College, and despite all of the confidence we had gained from our opening two fixtures, we soon realised that this would be a far tougher test of our strength and stamina.

Unfortunately, we conceded two quick goals from good short corner routines and as a result, by the time the half time whistle blew, we were 3-1 down. We regrouped though and our excellent work rate pushed us back to 3-3. Despite momentum being on our side, a couple of quick breaks saw us fall behind yet again (53) and with little time left, we knew that we had to score quickly.

Although we pulled one back, we couldn’t force an equaliser, with the final score ending at 5-4 to Hurst.

After this loss, we didn’t let our heads get down and came back with an impressive 8-0 victory over Ashford School. A mixed set of mid-season results led us into our biggest tournament yet - the Maylam Cup at Polo Farm, Canterbury.

At the tournament, we progressed through to the quarter-finals, where we played Junior Kent College. We dominated the match and our countless attacks led to Jonte Hillier and Finn Page scoring, meaning we progressed with a 2-0 victory.The semi-finals were next, where we came up against county champions St Lawrence

Page 148 - The Suttonian 2018

Record: Played 16, Won 11, Drawn 1, Lost 4

College.We had lost heavily to them (10-1) in a mid-season friendly, so were wary of their strength.

SVS started slowly and we conceded two goals early on. We did not give up though and after scoring a composed short corner, our spirits and heads began to get back in the game. With St Lawrence giving away another short corner, we knew that this was our chance to get back level. Fortunately we did so, as I managed to slot home the equaliser.

As a team, we then proceeded to work as hard as we could, desperately trying to catch them on the break. In one such attack, we managed to break through with Sam Laird scoring a coolheaded finish, putting us 3-2 up. With the game coming to an end we tried to maintain possession, but gave away a short corner, which provided them a lifeline to get back into the game. Despite their best efforts, Harry Mundell put in a great save to leave us 3-2 up and heading into the final.

The final would prove to be our biggest game of the year, against Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys. We had already beaten them in the group stage, so our confidence was high. This translated onto the pitch with SVS dominating the game. We went 1-0 up, but were pegged back as we were caught on the break . We did not let our heads drop though and Finn Page slotted in our final goal of the day from a superb counter attack. A special mention should go to Olly Murch, who played his first games for the Under 13A team,

SPORT AND GAMES

All-in-all, the team held strong and came out victorious.We were the Under 13 champions and won the John Maylam Cup! After this stunning victory, we went back to the fixture card and played two more block fixtures. Unfortunately we lost 5-2 to The New Beacon and then ended our season with a hardfought 2-2 draw to Saint Ronan’s School. Overall, the season was amazing and the boys have accomplished so much. Alfie Jarret and Olly Murch were excellent in defence, Alfie Miles, Sam Laird, Finn Page and I worked tirelessly in midfield and Jonte Hillier was brilliant knocking in the goals up-front.

Hopefully, we can continue our excellent season next year in the Under 14s. The team would like to say a huge thank you to Mr Wellings who has been our coach this year.

Squad (from): Edward Evans, Joshua Fawell, Isaac Forknall, Sam Fenton, Ethan Harris, Jonte Hillier, Alfie Jarrett, Heston King, Sam Knighton, Sam Laird, Alec Martin, Alfie Miles, Harry Mundell, Oliver Murch, Finn Page, Alfie Reeve, Oliver Smith, Jack Walsh, Samuel Wilding, Charles Wood (Capt).

Under 13B Boys’ Hockey Alec Martin, Second Form

We started the season on a high, comfortably beating Caterham School 6-0. It was a completely one-sided affair with Ollie Smith and Alec Martin scoring two goals each. This ended up being our best result of the season. Unfortunately, we couldn’t maintain this momentum during the rest of our matches, only managing one more win, which came a week later in our match against Hurst (3-1). In between those two victories was a solid 0-0 draw against St Edmund’s School, Canterbury. Another draw followed in late January, as we returned from Ashford School with a hard-fought 3-3 result.

A cancelled fixture against Duke of York’s Royal Military School just before Half Term meant we then went three weeks without a competitive match, which showed when we lost 6-2 to a good St Lawrence College side. We were unlucky that another two fixtures against Dulwich Prep, Cranbrook and Marlborough House School were canceled due to the snow. We then finished our season with two losses on a trot, firstly away against The New Beacon where we lost 3-0 and then at home to Saint Ronan’s School, where we again lost by the same margin.

Smith lead the way as our main goal scorer, putting in consistently strong performances.

Congratulations must also go to Olly Murch whose strong performances saw him move up to the Under 13A team during the middle of the season; a great achievement and thoroughly deserved! As a team, we would like to thank Mr Wells and Mr Howell for their support and invaluable coaching and advice this season. We hope to build on all that they have taught us and come back better and stronger for our Under 14 season next year.

Squad (from): Edward Evans, Joshua Fawell, Sam Fenton, Isaac Forknall, Matthew Hall, Ethan Harris, Sam Knighton, Alec Martin (Capt), Oliver Murch, Jack Piller, Alfie Reeve, Maximilian Reeves, Oliver Smith, Jack Walsh, Samuel Wilding.

Under 13B Boys’ Hockey

T

his year’s Under 13B Hockey team had a tough season with some mixed results, not helped by a number of cancelled fixtures which undoubtedly affected our rhythm.

That said, we showed some great team play and there were some excellent individual performances over the course of the season.

Record: Played 7, Won 2 Drawn 2, Lost 3

Notwithstanding the mixed results, the players made positive gains in working as a team, developing structured play as well as growing individual skills. Some stand out performances include Isaac Forknall who displayed exceptional skill as our goalkeeper, putting in some amazing saves. He was supported by the solid defensive play of Olly Murch, Sam Wilding and Sam Knighton. In midfield, Alec Martin and Sam Fenton distributed the ball well, and up front, Olly

Page 149 - The Suttonian 2018

SPORT AND GAMES

SCHOOL vs OS NETBALL Mrs H Knott, Development Manager

T

he penultimate Saturday of the Lent Term saw the successful return of the Old Suttonians versus School Netball fixture. Last played in 2010, the fixture saw two OS teams compete against the current School 1st VII and Under 16A sides.

The Old Suttonian first team boasted five past 1st VII captains Aimee Burnham (2011 H), Charlotte Hollingsworth (2012 H), Charlotte Crouch (2014 L), Lydia Davies (2015 H) and Georgie Ridge (2017 F), as well as Hannah Davies (2015 H) and Hettie Taylor (2017 F).

With the majority of the OS team still playing regularly, they made their experience count, finishing the first half with a commanding

Page 150 - The Suttonian 2018

lead. The School team rallied in the third quarter with a brilliant comeback but it was too little, too late, with the match finishing a respectable 36-30 to the Old Suttonians. It was a high quality match with some great play from both teams, played in an excellent spirit. It was also great to see the fixture being so well supported with parents, friends and family from both teams watching from the balcony.

After a short break, the second match of the day saw the School’s Under 16A team come up against an Old Suttonian second team featuring Hannah Wood (1992 V, Staff 2012-), Melissa Hamilton (2008 C), Emily Porter (2009 H), Alice Simmons (2011 G), Georgina Waters (2012 F), Georgie Porter (2013 S) and Charlotte Hollingsworth.

SPORT AND GAMES

The Under 16As, who at that point were on a three-match winning streak during their regular season, put in a solid performance, at times dominating the OS side, and eventually came out with a wellearned 28-19 victory.

Across both games, the School teams performed admirably against strong opposition and were gracious in hosting their Old Suttonian guests. Despite being the first time the fixture had been played in eight years, it proved to be an excellent afternoon of Netball and one that we hope to continue on an annual basis. As we develop the fixture, the intention is to create an OS versus School trophy which will cement Netball alongside Cricket, Football, Golf, Hockey and Shooting in the OS sporting calendar.

Annie Wilkinson (Staff 1984-2016) added, “ It was wonderful to see so many Old Suttonians maintaining their interest and enthusiasm in the game. I am really looking forward to this fixture becoming a mainstay of the OS Girls’ sport programme and I hope to see many new OS players returning for next year’s matches.”

With that in mind, we would encourage any OS interested in taking part to get in touch with the Development Office or to join the OS Netball group on Facebook ‘Sutton Valence School - OS Netball’.

Our thanks go to Lydia Davies and Charlotte Hollingsworth for their work in bringing the OS teams together and everyone who came along to support.

Page 151 - The Suttonian 2018

SPORT AND GAMES

1st VII Netball Emelia Hollingsworth, Upper Sixth

T

he 1st VII Netball team has been extremely successful this year which is a result of the hard work, extra training sessions and the high level of team cohesion in the squad.

Despite having several matches cancelled due to snow, the girls were successful in the majority of their matches and had some strong wins against some very tough sides.

The first match took place in November against a strong side from Townsville, Australia. They were playing in the peak of their season and we hadn’t even started ours.Winning the match 14-6, we were confident when we came to January as we knew we had a strong side for the 2018 season.

One of the highlights of the season was the home game against Christ’s Hospital. We knew as a team this was going to be a difficult match but we were ready to step up to the challenge. We were fortunate to have a very vocal and supportive crowd which motivated us to do even better in the match. The first quarter was exceptional and by the end of it the score was 12-1 to SVS. Kate and I worked hard to dodge around the tall defence and capitalised on every point we could. Georgie, Eliza, Fyn and Naomi worked tirelessly in defence as they stopped Christ’s Hospital, scoring any goals. Rehannah and Millie worked the ball down to the circle exceptionally, feeding some good balls into the circle, helping us to capitalise. The girls had a strong bond throughout the match, which really helped to motivate one another. The final score was a deserving 32-25 to Sutton Valence.

One of the highlights of the season was the Old Suttonian match, which was by far our most challenging match of the season. With all of the Old Suttonians still playing netball at high club standard, we knew we had to fight to win. The girls worked extremely hard,

Page 152 - The Suttonian 2018

Record: Played 16, Won 10, Drawn 1, Lost 5

putting all their efforts in and this did pay off as at half time we were drawing. However, the final score was 36-30 to the OS. It was a very enjoyable match and the girls did step up to the challenge of the strongest OS team ever.

The match against Claremont was a very impressive performance from all of the girls. Millie Bonny and Emily Smith had an exceptional game as they distributed accurate overhead passes to Kate and me in the circle, which led to a high percentage of goal scoring in the match. Despite attitude from the opponents, the defence stopped them capitalising through strong communication and working tirelessly to mark them close. The final score was 30-15 to Sutton Valence, which was very impressive.

All of these successful matches and hard training culminated in a match against Kent College Pembury. The girls had trained tirelessly throughout the season to maintain a high win rate and this effort showed in this match. The circle defence of Eliza and Naomi continually got rebounds, which allowed Kate and me to break centres and win the match. Mid-court players consisting of Rehannah, Millie, Georgie and Fyn distributed the ball well down the court and kept the work rate high, which really helped us when attacking. Kate’s shooting was effortless and the final score was an impressive win of 28-14 to Sutton Valence. We have had the most enjoyable season and I would like to thank Miss McConnachie for giving the Upper Sixth members of the team such a memorable last season.

Squad (from): Sophie Baxter, Jenna Boltman, Emelia Bonny, Emelia Hollingsworth (Capt), Rehannah Houghton-Judge, Eliza Lewis, Naomi Lijesen, Georgia Mancais, Emily Smith, Kate Woodford, Fynley Young.

SPORT AND GAMES

2nd VII Netball

2nd VII Netball Verity Streek, Lower Sixth Record: Played 11, Won 8, Drawn 0, Lost 3 The Sutton Valence 2nd VII team began the season with a strong victory against Colfe’s School (11-2). Going into the second match against Christ’s Hospital, the girls put up a good fight, with some strong defending from Izzy Turner and Verity Streek.The final score proved we were not at the top of our game, leaving us with our first lost (30-10).

We continued our success on the South Africa Tour at Half Term where we won our first match against Langa Township (22-14).

However, our winning streak came to an end when we lost to Bridge House School (5-23). After some words of guidance from the team’s captain, Izzy Stevens, we got back into our rhythm and went on to win the next two matches against Edgemead School (21-10) and Hezlia High school (17-4).

Our next victory back in the UK was our win against Kent College Pembury (27-8). We then played Duke of York’s Royal Military School 1st VII team, which was a goal-for-goal game. It saw some excellent play from Verity Smith throughout the middle of the

3rd VII Netball Harriet Aburn, Upper Sixth

court. The Duke of York’s team managed to pop a few more balls through the net in the closing minutes and we narrowly lost (2426). We finished the season with a home match against Ashford School, which put a good end to the season with a win (26-19).

I would like to thank all the girls that played in the 2nd VII team, and to thank Mrs Hallett who had given us constant support throughout the season.

Squad (from): Phoebe Aucamp, Sophie Baxter, Emelia Bonny, Harriet Cage, Lily Crampton, Ellen Crombie, Imogen Forknall, Rehannah Houghton-Judge, Ella Hughes, Katie Marnane, Lauren Robinson, Emily Smith, Verity Smith (Capt), Isabelle Stevens, Verity Streek, Jemma Stuart, Isabelle Turner.

3rd VII Netball

Claremont School was up next and due to our previous loss, the team was determined to bounce back in style, which they achieved with a phenomenal 32-0 victory. Onto the next match of the season, we played St Lawrence College with another incredible victory of 32-10. Some brilliant attacking play from Katie Marnane and Ella Hughes really helped to raise the final score.

Record: Played 5, Won 4, Drawn 0, Lost 1

W

e were a very strong 3rd VII this year, scoring 110 goals in total and only conceding 53. Throughout the season we had some bad luck, as a few matches were cancelled due to the snow.The highlight of the season was definitely our 36-4 win against St Lawrence College. Our only loss was against Christ’s Hospital, when the match was abandoned (with us losing 3-2), due to torrential rain!

As well as some excellent results, the team played some great Netball and given the side mainly consisted of Lower Sixth girls, I am confident next year will be another strong year for Sutton Valence Netball. I would like to thank all of the girls for playing with so much energy despite the often atrocious weather. Playing Netball at the School

has inspired me to continue the sport once I leave and that is testament to how much I’ve enjoyed being part of the team this season. Thanks must got to Mrs Kitchen for coaching us throughout the season.

Squad (from): Harriet Aburn (Capt), Phoebe Aucamp, Georgia Best, Lily Crampton, Ellen Crombie, Melissa Dawson, Kathryn Douglas, Imogen Forknall, Ella Hughes, Gracie Rigby, Phoebe Sharp, Jemma Stuart, Tiggy Teare.

Page 153 - The Suttonian 2018

SPORT AND GAMES

Under 16A Netball

Under 16A Netball Amelia Semmens, Fifth Form

T

he Under 16 A Netball team had a very successful season, winning four out of our five Saturday fixtures, including victories against Kent College, Pembury and Mayfield School, as well as a win in the inaugural match against the Old Suttonians. We also managed a strong performance in the Under 16 Tournament hosted at the School.

We kicked off the season against a very strong Under 18 Colfe’s School team. Despite having little time for training, we worked smoothly as a team and battled hard for the duration of the match.

Anna Harrison and Alex Sacker bonded well as a defensive unit to keep the Colfe’s attackers out of the match.The game ended at 16-9 to Colfe’s, but we were proud of our first performance, and knew what we needed to work on for our next match against Mayfield.

After an intensive week of training, our tactics – helped by some faultless shooting from Jenna Boltman and Annabel Mansfield – meant we won the game 23-11. Christ’s Hospital, another very strong side, was our next opponent. We won the game 16-9 and special credit must go to Charlotte Wooldridge for her strength in the centre of the court, playing fantastically both in defence and attack.

Our team then travelled to Kent College, Pembury, where we had our best game of the season. Issy Cook played brilliantly in the

Page 154 - The Suttonian 2018

Record: Played 11, Won 7, Drawn 0, Lost 4

midcourt, connecting the ball from our defence to our shooters and Gabby Howarth made many key interceptions throughout the match. The score finished at 35-7 to Sutton Valence. Our final Saturday fixture was an exciting game against the Old Suttonians, which we won 28-19.

To finish off our successful season, we played in a tournament hosted by the School. In the group stage, we beat Duke of York’s Royal Military School and St Lawrence College, but then lost very narrowly to The King’s School, Canterbury in the final. This meant we finished second in the tournament. Our player of the day was Jemima Bruce-Lockhart, for continually winning the ball and getting it up the court.

Our player’s player of the season went to Jenna Boltman for her consistently accurate shooting. The manager’s player went to Alex Sacker for her brilliant anticipation in defence. Anna Harrison was our most improved player, for her amazing marking in defence and the increasing confidence in her passing. Overall, we had a very enjoyable season with some excellent results and it was a privilege to captain this team.

Squad (from): Jenna Boltman, Jemima Bruce-Lockhart, Isabelle Cook, Anna Harrison, Gabriella Howarth, Katie Lang, Annabel Mansfield, Alexandra Sacker, Amelia Semmens (Capt), Charlotte Wooldridge.

Under 15B Netball

Under 15A Netball

SPORT AND GAMES

Under 15A Netball

Under 15B Netball

Grace Mitchell, Fourth Form

Muhing Okhrabu, Fourth Form

Record: Played 6, Won 4, Drawn 0, Lost 2

Record: Played 6, Won 4, Drawn 0, Lost 2

T

he Under 15A team had a successful term, winning twothirds of the matches we played and putting in some strong performances along the way. Despite a string of cancellations due to poor weather, we still managed some excellent games and trained hard throughout.

Our first match of the year was against Colfe’s School, which we won 19-11. This was an excellent start to the season and it helped the team become stronger and more confident in their play. Unfortunately, the momentum from that first victory couldn’t be continued as the next two fixtures we were due to play had to be cancelled due to the weather. Nevertheless, this gave us more training time to work on our skills. This helped for our next game against Maidstone Grammar School for Girls.

In a really close game, we managed to come away with an 18-16 victory.

With our next match against St Lawrence College in early February, we knew it would be our toughest game yet and we would have to work harder, at a faster pace and adjust our skills accordingly. Unfortunately, the opposition was too strong and we lost 8-49. The following week we hoped to bounce back against Kent College, Pembury, but again were unsuccessful, losing a close match 13-10.

With three more games until the end of the season, we knew we wanted to end on a high. This translated into our performances as we won 21-14 to Duke of York’s Royal Military School.

Another cancelled fixture against The King’s School, Canterbury then meant our only remaining match would be against King’s Rochester, which we also narrowly won 17-16. This made a good ending to the season, winning four out of the six matches we were able to play.

Squad (from): Francesca Barton, Alice Gotke, Cameron Lamont-Brown, Sophie Lee, Desiree Loxton-Barnard, Grace Mitchell, Muhing Okhrabu, Tess Pritchard, Katie Swift, Florence Watkinson.

W

hen we were first put into a team, we were unsure of our members. However, as the term progressed we went on to win all our matches apart from two, although there were many matches which were unfortunately cancelled. Our team had a lot of trust, being able to throw the ball into an empty space with faith that another player would be there. In the beginning, a few balls were tossed out of the court, but as the team got to know each other better, the balls were always landing in another team mates’ possession.

Our positions were allocated in the first games lesson, but along the way, we saw that some people had many positions that they played well in. For example, Maisie Rixon would play wing attack or defence, both of which she excelled at, meaning the number of goals we gained increased significantly. She made amazing passes from far distances and Daisy Hills would continuously catch the rebound, reaching Mariana at the other end. We also had Katie Swift as centre and Cami Lamont-Brown as wing attack.

Together they both made an unstoppable attacking pair. Molly Veasey is one of the team’s most reliable players at intercepting passes coming to her opponent. She is always there when a ball is reaching the court line; she is also capable of frustrating the opposition’s passes and continuing the game by quickly passing the ball to Katie and Cami.

If we were behind, our half time break would be of endless talks of improvements and motivation. Not just from our coach, but mostly from the team, pointing out the teammates’ good qualities as well as their flaws and how to improve. Together, we had a great season and we all agreed that our team was a great one. I believed that as we went through the term my teammates could do nothing but get better.

Squad (from): Emily Baldwin, Jemma Brown, Charlotte Gilman, Alice Gotke, Daisy Hills, Cameron Lamont-Brown, Mariana Mason, Muhing Okhrabu (Capt), Maisie Rixon, Katie Swift, Eloise Turnbull, Molly Veasey, Florence Watkinson.

Page 155 - The Suttonian 2018

Under 14B Netball

Under 14A Netball

SPORT AND GAMES

Under 14A Netball

Under 14B Netball

Katherine Sawyer, Third Form

Holly Clark, Third Form

Record: Played 3, Won 2, Drawn 0, Lost 1

Record: Played 3, Won 3, Drawn 0, Lost 0

W

ith new members of our team including Anaiya Rowswell and Eliza Semmens, our first match away to Colfe’s School was always going to be a challenge getting to know each other’s strengths on the court, but we were all eager to get started. After a rusty start and a firm talk from our coach, we realised where we were going wrong, so we picked ourselves up and managed to get ourselves back in the game, although it still ended in a disappointing 20-17 loss.

The following weekend, we were very aware of St Lawrence College’s capabilities and the wet weather didn’t help our spirits.

However, we started well, with our defence marking players tightly. Our passing improved throughout the game as we started to become familiar with each other, learning from our mistakes from our last match we managed to become stronger with the ball, resulting in a 28-18 win.

In our next match, we continued to become stronger, achieving a 36-10 win against Duke of York’s Royal Military School. Sadly, we were not able to play as many fixtures as possible due to the weather, however, we continued to work tirelessly in training, which I hope will stand us in good stead next year. The whole team put in some excellent performances, but a special mention should go to Chloe Alexander, our unstoppable goalkeeper, who made some brilliant interceptions, feeding the ball to our shooters, Charlotte Farrell and Eliza Semmens. They were both a credit to the team, allowing our hard work up the court to be translated onto the score board.

A big thank you to the whole team for their hardwork this season, I hope we can carry this on to next season, also to our coaches Miss Pankhurst and Miss McConnachie.

Squad (from): Chloe Alexander, Jessica De Lucy, Charlotte Farrell, Grace Finch, Charlotte Lang, Anaiya Rowswell, Katherine Sawyer, Eliza Semmens.

Page 156 - The Suttonian 2018

T

he 2018 Netball season has been a very happy and successful one for the Under 14B team. This year we were unbeaten, winning all three of our matches. That record could have been even better, as we were due to play more matches, but unfortunately the poor weather meant we suffered a number of cancellations.

The first of our three victories came early in January against Colfe’s School. A solid performance saw us come away with an excellent 26-7 win. We then had to wait until the start of February for our next game against St Lawrence College, which we won 25-17. Our final match of the season came in March against Duke of York’s Royal Military School, which ended 21-11 to Sutton Valence.

The whole of the squad had terrific energy and team spirit throughout the season, despite our limited number of fixtures.

Our attack always strived to score more goals with our two amazing shooters, Louisa Hudson and Charlotte Holmes, progressing consistently throughout the season, putting in some fantastic performances. At the other end, despite injuries to a number of our key players, our strong defence was effective throughout, tirelessly marking the opposition in all of our fixtures.

The season was one of the best I have been involved in. Special thanks must go to our coach Mrs Lesourd, and of course the girls. They should all be very proud of their performance and sportsmanship this term.

Squad (from): Isabel Bruce-Lockhart, Holly Clark (Capt), Harriet Connor, Ellie Fannon, Grace Finch, Charlotte Holmes, Louisa Hudson, Anna Smith, Elizabeth Wooff.

SPORT AND GAMES

Under 13A Netball Lulu Pankhurst, Second Form

L

ast year, the Under 13A Netball team had a fantastic season, remaining unbeaten with a total of 17 wins and just one draw. That run saw us win the Weald of Kent tournament and finish in the top four schools at the Kent County Tournament.

We started the season with a triangular fixture at home to Saint Ronan’s School and Holmewood House School, winning both matches 10-8 and 17-10 respectively. Our only draw of the season then came against Walthamstow Hall, before we got back to winning ways with a crushing 51-5 victory over Maidstone Grammar School for Girls.

Under 13A Netball

Returning after Half Term, we entered our first tournmanent beating Dulwich Preparatory School, Cranbrook (28-25), Kent College Pembury (5-2),Tonbridge Grammar School for Girls (6-1) and Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Girls (7-2). We were similarly successful at the Kent County Tournament in mid-March

Record: Played 18, Won 17, Drawn 1, Lost 0

when we won all seven of our fixtures against the likes of Hillview, Highworth Grammar School for Girls, Rainham School for Girls and Bromley High School, before defeating Kent College Pembury in the semi-final.

We were strong in defence with Demi Finch, Louisa Yorke, Annabel Calendar and Kristina Duckett alternating in defensive positions to secure a strong back bone. Our centre court players were sharp in movement and dynamic in play. Rose Price and Olivia Farrell fed the attacking players and shooters very well which enabled Lulu Pankhurst and Scarlett Washington to convert 258 goals for the season. We would like to thank our amazing coaches Miss McConnachie and Mrs Pankhurst who were strict, but that ended up being very rewarding for our team.

Squad (from): Annabel Callander, Kristina Duckett, Olivia Farrell, Demi Finch, Kate Lazarides, Lulu Pankhurst (Capt), Freya Penfold, Rose Price, Scarlett Washington, Louisa Yorke.

Under 13B Netball Emily Ferris, Second Form Record: Played 6, Won 2, Drawn 0, Lost 4

T

Under 13B Netball

he Under 13B Netball team started the season off with a game against Saint Ronan’s. We started the game well, but the opposition took advantage of our rustiness after the Christmas holiday and took the lead. This knocked our confidence going into the second half and we didn’t have the mindset needed to come back. It finished a 3-9 loss.

We then played our second game against one of our toughest opponents - Holmewood House School. Despite the girls feeling nervous about the match, we played well. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite go in our favour, as the end result was a loss of 5-12. We then played Dulwich Preparatory School, Cranbrook - our biggest competition. The girls tried their hardest, but our passes were getting intercepted and that resulted in a 3-16 loss.

After a rough start to the season, the girls redeemed themselves by winning our penultimate match of the season against Invicta Grammar School (6-5). The girls played with skill and a positive mindset. We then went on to win against King’s Rochester14-5.

All-in-all, the season didn’t start off very well, but ended fantastically, with the girls getting better throughout and showing their persistence. I am proud of every single player on our team for their hard work. I would like to thank each girl individually for their role in Sutton Valence’s Under 13B team.

Squad (from): Claudia Bennett, Annabel Callander, Olivia Farrell, Emily Ferris, Emma Horgan, Annabel Hunt, Kate Lazarides, Libbie McNamara, Molly Parsons, Freya Penfold, Maisey Russell, Millie Sands, Scarlett Washington, Millie Wright.

Page 157 - The Suttonian 2018

SPORT AND GAMES

South African Netball Tour Kate Woodford, Lower Sixth

W

e flew out to South Africa with a very strong A team for Netball. We played our first match against Langa township, which was an eye-opening experience for all the girls, as we saw a completely different way of living. The first quarter was tough and we started to slip behind. However, after an encouraging team talk, we came back determined and fought for the ball throughout. It was a close match but we managed to take the lead with little time to spare.

The final result was 20-17 to Sutton Valence.

The match against Bridge House School was the girls’ best match of the tour. Throughout the entire game, the score was goal-forgoal. Despite the heat, the girls worked incredibly hard to gain possession wherever possible. A special mention must go to Jenna Boltman who remained calm and scored the winning goals in the last few minutes to give us a 22-18 victory.

Our next match, against Herzlia High School, was affected by heavy rain and thunder. South Africa was in the midst of a long drought and they were overjoyed to see the rain. Luckily, living in England, we were immune to the horrible weather conditions and this did not affect our game! The defence, which consisted of Alex Sacker, Sophie Baxter and Verity Streek was strong and they managed to consistently intercept and pass the ball down the court into the hands of our shooter, which meant the result ended in 21-4 to Sutton Valence.

Throughout the tour the girls remained determined and focused in all of the games, which enabled us to be the most successful team on tour, winning all of our matches. Well done girls! I would like to thank Mrs Kitchen, Miss Halleron and Mrs Schembri, who coached and umpired all of our matches, without you the Netball wouldn’t have been possible.

Page 158 - The Suttonian 2018

SPORT AND GAMES

Senior Girls’ Tennis Emelia Hollingsworth, Upper Sixth

T

his summer season was extremely successful for the Senior Girls’ Tennis team. We had an 85 per cent win rate, only losing one match the whole season. The girls started training in April by working on the consistency of their shots and increasing the speed and percentage of their serves. This training paid off as we went into our first match against City of London Freemen’s School. Due to our loss against them last year, we were aware they were a strong side, but we were ready for the challenge. Kate Woodford stepped up as she joined me in the first pair, serving effortlessly with a lot of spin, which the opponent’s struggled with. Sophie Baxter, Eliza Lewis, Georgie Mancais and Verity Streek worked tirelessly and this effort paid off as the final score was 6-3 to Sutton Valence.

this season, there was some extremely high level tennis played.

Kate Woodford demonstrated hard work through a very strong and speedy serve and Georgie and Verity showed extreme consistency. Eliza and Sophie worked hard every week to enable their wins at the weekend fixtures.

The girls dominated the match against St Edmund’s School with a complete clean sweep of results, winning 9-0.This match showed some exceptional Tennis from all of the 1st VI and the hard work in training paid off as our doubles pairs began to work well together. Strong motivational talks from Miss Hallett in between matches were key to our success, as she encouraged us to keep the winning streak up.

As this is my last sport report at Sutton Valence, I would like to finish with a thank you to people who have been responsible for the success of Senior Girls’ Tennis this season. Thank you to my doubles partner, Kate Woodford, for her consistency and her endless laughter and entertainment. To Eliza, Georgie, Verity and Sophie for working hard every session and continuing this effort at the fixtures. I’d like to thank Alex for his coaching every week, for teaching us new tactics and techniques. Finally, I’d like to thank Miss Hallett for making this last season so enjoyable and for motivating us week in, week out.

It is a real shame to say that during examination season, two schools cancelled on us, which was unfortunate as we were having such a successful and enjoyable tennis season. The community spirit and willingness to play at Sutton Valence meant we had a full side every week, despite all of the girls having either A Levels or internal exams to contend with. Throughout

I must also congratulate the 2nd VI team who worked hard in training and matches. The highlight of their season was the exceptional 8-1 win against Mayfield School. Charlotte Heard and Gabriella Howarth displayed impressive technique and consistency as they enjoyed a clean sweep. Millie Bonny, Amelia Semmens, Charlotte Wooldridge and Bethan Pepler also put in excellent performances.

Squad (from): Sophie Baxter, Emelia Bonny, Charlotte Heard, Emelia Hollingsworth (captain), Eliza Lewis, Georgia Mancais, Kate Woodford,Verity Streek.

Senior Girls’ Tennis

Page 159 - The Suttonian 2018

Under 13 Girls’ Tennis

Under 15 Girls’ Tennis

SPORT AND GAMES

Under 15 Girls’ Tennis

Under 13A Girls’ Tennis

Eloise Turnbull, Fourth Form

Scarlett Washington, Second Form

Record: Played 7, Won 1, Drawn 2, Lost 4

Record: Played 3, Won 2, Drawn 0, Lost 1

T

he under 15A Girls’ Tennis team had a busy season, playing some excellent Tennis, which unfortunately was not reflected in our results. The girls always competed well though and trained hard throughout the season.

The year started with us competing in a practice match against the City of London Freemen’s School, which, although we lost 3-1, proved to be good preparation for our first real match against Mayfield School, which we drew 2-2. Unfortunately our next game against Kent College Pembury had to be cancelled, so we had to wait three weeks before our next fixture against Epsom College, which proved to be our best performance.

Epsom College are notoriously hard to beat, playing with accuracy and determination. As such, it was a great result when we came out 5-4 winners. Alice Gotke deserves a special mention as she secured the win with her incredible serves and backhand shots.

Unfortunately, we failed to build on that result in our next fixture as we returned from Cranbrook School on the end of a narrow 5-4 loss. Despite the result, it was a great match and we played excellently throughout; with a bit more luck, the result could have edged in our favour. That game began a run of three successive defeats to finish our season as we went on to lose 6-3 to Ardingly College and 6-3 to King’s Rochester. Overall though, it was a fantastic season and as a team, we had a lot of fun.

Squad (from): Jemima Bruce-Lockhart, Catalina Gomez De Olea, Alice Gotke, Gabriella Howarth, Amelia Kirk-Brown, Sophie Lee, Desiree Loxton-Barnard, Grace Mitchell, Elizabeth Moore, Bethan Pepler, Rose Price, Tess Pritchard, Lara Savage, Eloise Turnbull, Scarlett Washington.

Page 160 - The Suttonian 2018

L

ast Summer Term, the Under 13 Girls’ Tennis team had an excellent season, winning two of our three matches against other schools and competing in a number of tournaments against local schools.

We had a bit of a rocky start in our first fixture against Marlborough House, losing narrowly (4-5) to a good opponent whose powerful ground strokes were hard to defend. Although we lost, the games were a good opportunity for us to warm up for the season ahead. For our next match, we started to get our game faces on, winning against Epsom College (6-3) and Kent College Pembury (4-2). The games were tough, but we persevered; Louisa Yorke, Kristina Duckett and Lulu Pankhurst proving the effectiveness of volleys, while Rose Price and I went for all out power to win.

We also competed in three tournaments. In the Kent Schools Doubles Tournament in Bromley, Rose and I managed a commendable fifth out of 20, after some very hard-fought, but fun games. In the Maidstone Division 2 LTA Under 13 League, we won, which saw us qualify for the Kent Division 2 LTA Under 13 finals at Polo Farm. At that, our team of Rose, Kristina, Louisa and I came second.

It was an excellent effort by everyone. Rose and I also had the opportunity to play with the Under 14 Tennis team, which was an excellent experience for us. It was useful to learn from the older girls, which brought an element of style into our games and we look forward to playing at that age group next year.

Squad (from): Kristina Duckett, Demi Finch, Lulu Pankhurst, Rose Price, Scarlett Washington, Louisa Yorke.

Harry O’Rawe, Lower Sixth

S

trong, dedicated and striving for success would be the words to sum up the Tennis season this year. We came up against some forceful opposition, where we needed to dig deep and find a way to win. Luckily, we were fortunate to be in the hands of the mighty Mr Cope, who kept our spirits high when we weren’t in the right head-space.

With an impressive performance, we battled hard against a good St Edmund’s School team, coming away with a 5-4 victory. Our tactics on the day took their toll on the St Edmund’s side, who struggled to counter the fast approaches to the net from Laurence Eastman and me. Impressive volleying from Henry Overy and Finn Swaine racked up the points for the side.

Reflecting on the match, we agreed that despite the victory, we still needed to work on our on-court decision-making. Alex, the tennis coach, worked on drills incorporating this, so for our next game against The King’s School, Canterbury we were fully prepared, both physically and mentally.

Unfortunately, we lost that game 2-7, but there was still some impressive Tennis from the boys. As well as playing on the hard court, the boys also experienced the slip and slide of the clay surface when we came up against Langley Park in the cup competition. We knew they would be tough opposition with their ratings surpassing ours by significant amounts. However, we arrived at the ‘land of the red dust’ ready and eager to fight. With James Gotke playing one

Under 13 Boys’ Tennis Charles Wood, Second Form

A

lthough a small and elite squad of tennis players, the Under 13 Tennis team had a good season, winning three of our four matches against some good opposition.

Our enthusiasm was high, as were our expectations, as we entered our first match. We came through on top, with an excellent 3-1 win. The winning streak continued in our next two fixtures, when we produced some great performances to beat The Towers School and Harvey Grammar School.

Against The Towers School, we ran out emphatic victors, winning all of our matches, with a final score of 12-0. Then, against the Harvey Grammar School, we came away with an equally comprehensive 6-0 win.

Unfortunately, we were less successful in our match against Valley Park Community School, losing 6-2.

of the best players in the country, we were amazed at the sheer determination he showed and played some incredible points. The Eastman brothers and I all performed to the best of our ability, but with inexperience on the clay, it got the better of us.

After a whirlwind of a season I know that next year we will show our true colours and better our scores. However, the boys should be proud and a massive thank you must go to Alex, our coach, and Mr Cope for making the season such a special one.

Squad (from): Tim Anthony, Archie Crouch, Shaad Dogra, Felix Dont, Lars Eastman, Laurence Eastman (Capt), Edward Ervine, James Gotke, Arthur Moffatt, Harry O’Rawe, Henry Overy, George Samuels, Finn Swaine, Noah Swaine.

Under 13 Boys’ Tennis

Senior Boys’ Tennis

Senior Boys’ Tennis

SPORT AND GAMES

During the season, we also competed in a tournament, where the competition was high. Sutton Valence played several tight advantage point games although, unfortunately they did not always go in our favour.

Overall, it has been a good year with the partnerships of Thomas Wood and Charlie Wood as well as Finn Page and Sam Foss, strengthening game-by-game.

Squad (from): Isaac Forknall, Samuel Foss, Finn Page, Charles Wood, Thomas Wood..

Page 161 - The Suttonian 2018

1st XI Cricket

SPORT AND GAMES

1st XI Cricket Mr V Wells, Head of Cricket

H

aving lost a number of key Upper Sixth players from last year’s XI, the start of the 2018 season was going to be interesting to see how this young side would cope. The winter training programme went well, with the February tour to Cape Town being the focal point. On paper, the 1st XI had a strong bowling attack with pace bowlers Tom Aiken and Matt Webb remaining, plus leg spinner Rishi RoyMukherjee being the main bowlers. The big question was going to be in the run scoring department and whether a young batting order was able to back up Rishi Roy-Mukherjee again, following his successful 2017 season.

The tour to South Africa was a great success. Despite having a mixed group of ability and age groups, it was good to get some cricket outdoors, and enjoy the sunshine. As always, the opposition was strong, but it was a good test to prepare the boys for the season ahead.

The team was capable of having a decent summer, but they needed to continue to work hard and remain focused throughout the season. In full credit to this group of boys, they were a dedicated bunch and despite the mix of year groups, they very quickly became a team and enjoyed each other’s company. Much of this credit must go to the Upper Sixth boys and in particular the captain Mikey Law. The first game of the season resulted in a fine 76-run victory against The Forty Club. Batting first, SVS scored 225-7 in their 35 overs with last year’s top run scorer Rishi Roy-Mukherjee

Page 162 - The Suttonian 2018

Record: Played 16, Won 5, Tied 1, Lost 9

scoring a fine 97 and being well supported by Fifth Former Jack Stanton-Gleaves, scoring 62 not out. In reply, the Forty Club were soon behind the rate, eventually finishing on 149-8. This was an important start and set the team up nicely for the rest of the season.

Our second fixture was against Reigate Grammar. School. This was the first league match, with Sevenoaks School, The Judd, Eltham College, Reigate and now The King’s School, Canterbury involved. Batting first, SVS posted 138 in our 30 overs, which was well below par. In reply, Reigate got off to a decent start. However, at 80-3 things changed. A brilliant run out and some fine bowling put the Reigate batters under pressure and eventually they were dismissed for 122, with Matt Webb 3-21 and Tom Saltmarsh 2-11 the pick of the bowlers.

The following week we travelled to play our second league match at Sevenoaks School. With all the other age group fixtures cancelled due to rain, the 1st XI match was just about playable. With more rain predicted, it was agreed that we would play a Twenty20 game to try to get a result. Some fine bowling and fielding by the boys resulted in Sevenoaks scoring 83-7 with Fifth Former Max Savage taking 3-11. This was not going to be an easy target on a bowlerfriendly pitch and a slow outfield. However, a fine 52 not out from Rishi meant that we reached our target for the loss of just three wickets and an over to spare.

Unfortunately, our next three games against the MCC, Worth School and the Old Suttonians were cancelled due to the rain. It

SPORT AND GAMES

was such a shame to lose the MCC for a second year running and to miss seeing some old faces at Upper for the OS match.

Our next two games before Half Term turned out to be very tough fixtures. Due to the recent bad weather, the mid-week visit from Tenterden CC saw them include a number of players from their premiership side looking for practice, including their captain and Australian overseas player. Although this resulted in a five-wicket defeat, it was a great experience for our boys and full credit to Tenterden for playing the fixture in the right way. The last game before Half Term resulted in a defeat against a strong St Lawrence College side. Despite a side strain during the match to Matt Webb, plus three boys stopped from bowling due to the new no ball regulations, we were beaten by the better side on the day.

However, it was nice to see a 60-plus run partnership between Fifth Formers George Baker (43) and Arthur Genders (28 not out). The team were certainly enjoying their cricket and playing very much as a team. Winning three out of five games was a good way to go into the half term break.

The second half of term was going to be a tough one, having already been short of the fast bowling of Tom Aiken due to an elbow injury, we now were also without Matt Webb due to his side strain. This meant that we were relying on a young attack in our fixture against The Judd. The boys did not let us down with Max Savage 2-40, George Baker 2-21 and captain Mikey Law, who was starting to invent himself as a useful seamer, taking 2-26. On a good Upper track, this was never going to be enough. SVS reached their target for the loss of just one wicket, with Rishi scoring a fine 104 not out.

This brought us to our eagerly-anticipated match against The King’s School, Canterbury. This fixture has resulted in some very good games over the years. Batting first, we managed to put ourselves into a decent position only for some rash shot selection undoing all the hard work. We were dismissed for 167, which was never going to be enough on another great home wicket. Short of Tom Aiken’s pace and Matt Webb’s accuracy, it was going to be a difficult task. Despite a valiant effort, King’s reached their target comfortably for the loss of three wickets.

Our next game, a Twenty20 fixture against the Duke of York’s Royal Military School, resulted in a 78-run victory. SVS scoring 154-4, with the captain Mikey Law scoring a fine 63 not out and Tom Aiken 33. In reply, the visitors never really got going and were dismissed for 76. The next day, The Band of Brothers were our visitors. Deciding to bat first, they eventually scored 273-8 declared with Tom Saltmarsh taking 3-21 and his younger brother Will (Fourth Form) taking 2-19. Unfortunately, against a young side, including another Fourth Former in Cameron Lindsay, the opposition batted on too long, meaning a run chase was always going to be tough. A fine 78 from Tom Saltmarsh meant that the boys eventually finished on 170-4 to earn a well-deserved draw.

Sevenoaks, the eventual winners, defeated us by seven wickets, despite a fine 47 from Tom Lazarides. The final game against The Judd, which would determine who finished third and fourth, was an exciting ending for our Upper Sixth boys Mikey Law, Tom Lazarides, Tom Aiken, Rishi Roy-Mukherjee and Matt Webb. Going down to the last ball, we lost by just two runs, chasing 144 for victory. Leavers Rishi finished on 54 and Mikey on 45. Max Savage was the pick of the bowlers, taking a season best 5-12 and is someone to keep an eye on for 2019.

Once again, with the senior boys all now away, the final game of the season against The Headmasters XI was a good chance to look at some younger players for the 2019 season.As always, this is a great way to finish the season and it is always a pleasure to see some old faces. Batting first, the HM XI, captained by Mr Farrell and including Mr Davenport and Mr Clapp, scored 223-5 declared. In reply, a young SVS team were well in the game until three wickets fell in one over, including top scorer Jack Stanton-Gleaves for 64, with the 1st XI eventually dismissed for 162.

The boys performed very well and most importantly, they have developed into a team. They should all be extremely proud, especially as they were without their main strike bowler,Tom Aiken, for all but the last game of the season. This year, we lose Captain Michael Law, Tom Lazarides, Tom Aiken, Rishi Roy-Mukherjee and Matthew Webb. These boys have all been committed members of SVS Cricket and I would like to thank them and wish them all good luck for the future both on and off the sports field.

Next year will see another young SVS side take to the field. The winter is going to be important in preparing for the coming season, especially the batting and making sure that we are capable of putting competitive totals on the scoreboard. There are a number of good younger cricketers coming through and the future is looking bright.There will be a lot of competition for places in 2019 and that can only be a good thing for SVS cricket.

A big thank you once again goes to Harrison Wells (2013 C) for his continued support in coaching the boys through the winter months. Similarly, Neil Cox, Rob Harrison (1987 L) and Chris Vernon (2010 H) for their coaching input. Ian Avery, Kevin Stickles and the ground staff, John Devine and his catering team and umpires Philip Higgins (1970 F) and Andy Cox. Squad (from): Thomas Aiken, George Baker, Lars Eastman, Cameron Evans, Arthur Genders, Michael Law (Capt), Cameron Lindsay,Thomas Lazarides, Barnaby Loxton-Barnard, Oliver PayneCook, Rishi Roy-Mukherjee, Thomas Saltmarsh, William Saltmarsh, Max Savage, Jack Stanton-Gleaves, Benjamin Watkins, Matthew Webb.

Unfortunately, our next game and the final league game of the season against Eltham College was cancelled. The opposition was unable to field a side due to study leave and school trips towards the end of term. However, with victories against Reigate, Sevenoaks and The Judd, this meant that we had finished as joint runners up in the league just behind Eltham, which was a fantastic achievement.

On the penultimate Friday of the Summer Term, SVS set off to try to defend their title for the third year running in the fourteam Twenty20 tournament at The King’s School, Canterbury with The Judd and Sevenoaks School. Unfortunately, in the semi-final,

Page 163 - The Suttonian 2018

SPORT AND GAMES

2nd XI Cricket Mr S Head, Master I/C

A

fter losing several stalwarts of the team the previous summer, it was time for the new generation of Sixth Form players to begin to make their mark on the side.

Ably lead by Anup Ale, the team quickly showed that they had the potential to do very well, and that there were some outstanding individuals within the team, who would be pushing for selection for 1st XI honours.

Our first game was at home to Reigate Grammar School, and despite some excellent bowling from George Baker and an equally adept batting performance from George Jones, a theme for the season began to develop with the team narrowly losing in the last over. Highlights of the game were the impressive speed in the field and the commitment of the whole team in trying to stop the flow of opposition runs.

With our next two games against Sevenoaks School and Worth School cancelled due to the wet weather, it took the team a while to get around to their next fixture against Bethany School. During that game, the tactic of moving the boundary out a little seemed to be working as the flow of opposition runs dried up. However, despite some tight bowling and an outstanding knock from Sam Chitty, it was once again a game in which we were to fall agonisingly short.

A home game against Claremont School saw us come up against an opposition that had some very good players and led to our

Record: Played 5, Won 1, Tied 0, Lost 4

heaviest defeat of the season, losing by 100 runs. It must be said that for the third year in a row, we played in poor conditions, and it is a testament to the boys that they carried on and did their best to keep the game competitive.

Another cancelled fixture against The Judd School in early June led us into our final matches of the season against The King’s School, Canterbury and Kent College, Canterbury. Unfortunately, away at King’s, we suffered another close defeat with their last batsman scampering the two runs needed off the last ball to win. This was a definite lesson for the team in game management and how to close out a match.

Despite the run of defeats and cancellations, we managed to finish the season on a high with our only victory of the year, at home to Kent College in late June. A very strong all-round performance saw us win by eight wickets, with some outstanding individual performances throughout. Although on paper the season was unsuccessful, hopefully that final fixture will gives us optimism heading into next year.

Squad (from): Anup Ale (Capt), Tim Anthony, Archie Averill, George Baker, Alexander Bartleet, Samuel Chitty, Archie Crouch, Felix Don’t, Nathaniel Easton, Cameron Evans, Hugh Harman, William Harrison, Jack Hughes, George Jones, Michael Law, Barnaby Loxton-Barnard, Louis Ridge, Max Stanton-Gleaves, Benjamin Watkins.

2nd XI Cricket

Page 164 - The Suttonian 2018

SPORT AND GAMES

Under 15A Cricket

Under 15B Cricket

Under 15A Cricket

Under 15B Cricket

Oliver Payne-Cook, Fourth Form

Sam Allison, Fourth Form

Record: Played 7, Won 4, Tied 0, Lost 3

T

he Under 15A Cricket team had a mixed season, putting in some excellent performances, but at the same time never quite fulfilling its full potential.

That said, we finished the season off with a fantastic tournament win, which sets us up well for next year.

Unfortunately, our first scheduled game of the season against Eltham College had to be cancelled, so our first actual game was against Reigate Grammar School, which we won by 46 runs. This was a brilliant start to the season and filled us with confidence.

Unfortunately, our next two matches against Sevenoaks School and Worth School were cancelled, so by the time our next fixture against St Lawrence College came along, we were out of practice and lost by 137 runs. Sadly, this was followed by two further losses against The Judd School (lost by five wickets) and The King’s School, Canterbury (lost by 11 runs). Our final regular match of the season was against Kent College, who unfortunately could only field nine players, therefore making it very easy for us. With that advantage, we put in a strong performance and won convincingly by nine wickets.

In the second-to-last week of term, we played in a tournament against another three local schools. The first match against The Judd allowed us to avenge our defeat earlier in the season, winning by 29 runs. This was a great performance that saw us score heavily with a number of sixes.Winning that match meant we progressed to the final against a very strong Sevenoaks School team. However, with the belief and trust of our team, we came out fighting and won by four wickets, which was a brilliant result to finish the season.

Squad (from): Sam Allison, Ewen Barr, Bishesh Bhandari, James Crombie, Elliot Gooding, Cameron Lindsay, Joseph McDermott, Joshua O’Brien, Oliver Payne-Cook (Capt), William Saltmarsh, Finlay Sprent, James Yeabsley, Archie Yorke, McKellen Young.

Record: Played 4, Won 4, Tied 0, Lost 0

W

e all went into the season confident, due to last year’s unbeaten season. We were all looking forward to our games. Unfortunately, the first four games of the season, which were due to be against Eltham College, Reigate Grammar School, Sevenoaks School and Worth School were all cancelled, which was really irritating as we wanted the chance to play and put into practice what we’d been working on in training.

So eventually, our first match was against St Lawrence College and we all went into it eager to win. After an excellent performance, we won the game by five wickets, which was a real boost for us going into the next match against Bethany School. We knew it would be a competitive match, so we would have to put our game faces on, which we did, coming out of the match winning by 43 runs.

Our next game was against The Judd, however it also had to be cancelled, which was really unfortunate as that would have been the game that really tested us. Rather frustrated by the cancellation, we went into the next fixture against The King’s School, Canterbury really wanting the win. Mr Howell gave us a speech before and it motivated us to win the game by six wickets.

Our final game of the season was against the Duke of York’s Royal Military School and this was to decide if we would continue our 100 per cent record for the season. After a strong team performance, we won the match by three wickets, thereby seeing us go unbeaten for the season. A special mention goes to Mr Howell for coaching us and all of the players that won us the games.

Squad (from): Sam Allison (Capt), Harrison Ashdown, James Crombie, Harry Endenburg, Rory Lello, Joseph Lenehan, Joseph McDermott, Patrick Mullen, Theodore Nelson, Joshua O’Brien, Finnian O’Keefe, Tom Sharman, Gregor Wishart, Archie Yorke.

Page 165 - The Suttonian 2018

SPORT AND GAMES

Under 14A Cricket

Under 14B Cricket

Jonny Russell, Third Form

Joshua Forknall, Third Form

Record: Played 5, Won 2, Tied 0, Lost 3

Record: Played 4, Won 2, Tied 0, Lost 2

We were then unlucky to have our next two games cancelled, which caused us to lose our rhythm and resulted in three successive losses, however, we did come very close to beating The King’s School, Canterbury. We had put a reasonable score on the board of 124, but King’s were able to chase that down with only a couple of overs to go.

To finish the season, we had a great game against Kent College, Canterbury. We put them in to bat and with bowling performances from Freddie Rigby and me, we put them under pressure early and reduced them to only 100-7. We were then able to chase down Kent College’s score, thanks to a good batting performance from Will Fitzsimons in under 17 overs and we finished on 102-4, winning the game by six wickets.

Our overall season had mixed results, but I feel that the weather let us down a little. In the games we played, everyone contributed and we are definitely ready to improve for the seasons to follow.

Under 14A Cricket

Squad (from): William Fitzsimons, Pip Hodson, James LatterLumsden, Andrew Loy, Jenson McInulty, Joshua Pantony, Felix Plant, Freddie Rigby, Jonny Russell (Capt), Joe Savage, Michael Summers, Tyler Weekes, Thomas Wilson.

Page 166 - The Suttonian 2018

U

nfortunately, the mighty Under 14B Cricket team’s onslaught this year was delayed by the wet weather, with our first four matches of the season against the likes of Eltham College and Sevenoaks School being cancelled!

When the sun eventually shone, our first match was against St Lawrence College in mid-May, which we won by six wickets with some excellent batting from Ollie Smith and Felix Connell.

St Lawrence struggled against our strong bowling attack with wickets coming from Ollie Smith and Luke Wilson. With our confidence up, we went into our next game against a strong team from The Judd School. Sadly, their disciplined bowling performance limited our run count and we lost by seven wickets.

We picked ourselves up and enthusiastically went into our next game against The King’s School, Canterbury. Despite four wickets from Josh Laird and 38 runs not out for Jenson McInulty, we very narrowly lost the game by five wickets. That took us into our final game of our short season, against the Duke of York’s Royal Military School. Wickets from Alex Tolhurst, Ollie Smith, Josh Laird and an impressive three from Ben Myers, as well as 26 runs not out from our captain, Josh Forknall, saw us to a solid eight-wicket victory.

Thanks must go to the whole team for a good season of Cricket where we laughed a lot and enjoyed our matches.Thanks should also go to Mr Braddick, our coach for the season, who at times may have despaired at our relaxed demeanors and sense of fun, but who supported and helped us throughout the year in training and on match days.

Squad (from): William Barrett, Troy Bartholet, Tom Barton, Felix Connell, Fergus Dickinson, Joshua Forknall (Capt), Joshua Laird, Maximilian Laughland, Daniel Lenehan, Thomas Llewellyn, Jenson McInulty, Benjamin Myers, Felix Plant, Robbie Simmonds, Oliver Smith, Alexander Tolhurst, Tyler Weekes, Luke Wilson.

Under 14B Cricket

O

ur under 14A cricket team had a promising start to the season with a couple of encouraging batting and bowling performances. In our first game, that wasn’t cancelled due to the weather, we won the toss against Reigate Grammar School and opted to bat. Jamie Latter-Lumsden and Pip Hodson had a great start, but in the third over Jamie was unlucky to be bowled out, which meant I went in to bat. Pip and I had a great batting performance with me on 68 not-out and Pip on a remarkable score of 76, finishing our innings with a score of 167-3. A good bowling performance followed our batting and Andrew Loy took three wickets and Mickey Summers took two, restricting the opposition to 147-6 and meaning we won by 20 runs.

Under 13A Cricket Alec Martin, Second Form Record: Played 10, Won 5, Tied 0, Lost 5

T

he Under 13A team had an eventful but positive season.

Overall, we won half of our matches, but unfortunately the weather meant a number of fixtures were cancelled and we struggled for any consistency as a result.

Although we lost our first match against Reigate Grammar, we came back to beat Dulwich Preparatory School, Cranbrook.

Harry Mundell and Ollie Smith put on a solid opening partnership, followed by Alec Martin scoring a fifty. After a strong batting performance, our excellent fielding put Dulwich under pressure, securing an excellent 13-run win.

Unfortunately, the English weather turned unkind and the following four matches were cancelled. Our misfortune continued with us losing our next match against Saint Ronan’s, by eight wickets.

Despite the setbacks, we bounced back against Wellesley House, winning by 22 runs. Alfie Jarrett and Jackson Hardwick gave standout performances with the bat, securing a solid score for us. In the field, Olly Murch displayed exceptional skill when he ran out a Wellesley batsman by a direct hit, all the way from the boundary.

We were disappointed to lose our next match against The Judd School. We were the better team on the day, but let ourselves down. It was a nail-biting match going down to the final over. The

Under 13A Cricket

SPORT AND GAMES

season ended on a high with the team beating St Edmund’s School by a convincing 107 runs thanks to Alec Martin’s unbeaten 114.

Despite the mixed results, it was an enjoyable season. As well as some outstanding performances by Second Form players, a special mention should go to Harry Mundell, Jessie Gale, Sam Wilding and Ollie Barr who played up a year. Thank you as well to Mr. Davenport for being an amazing coach. We hope to build on this season and come back an even stronger team next year.

Squad (from): Oliver Barr, Edward Evans, Joshua Fawell, Jessie Gale, Jackson Hardwick, Jonte Hillier, Alfie Jarrett, Heston King, Alec Martin (Capt), Harry Mundell, Oliver Murch, Oliver Smith, Samuel Wilding, Maximus Woods, Ethan Wynne.

Under 13A Cricket

Page 167 - The Suttonian 2018

Girls’ Cricket Miss P Hallett, Master I/C

F

or the first time this year, Girls’ Cricket was offered as the primary Summer Term sport for girls, alongside Tennis.

As an option, it proved highly successful with the School able to field teams across a range of age groups.

Under 14 Girls’ Cricket

SPORT AND GAMES

For the junior teams, who were just starting out, most of their fixtures were played using Kwik Cricket equipment and using a pairs format whereby each team plays as pairs, rotating the roles (batsmen, bowler, wicket-keeper, leg side and off side fielders). The girls thoroughly enjoyed this format with the School fielding Under 13A, Under 13B, Under U12A and Under 12B teams in several sets of fixtures. Of those matches, there were impressive victories against the likes of Saint Ronan’s, Claremont School, Marlborough House School and Epsom College.

At Under 14 level, the girls managed an impressive programme of six fixtures (a further three had to be cancelled due to the weather). Captained by Charlotte Lang, the team should be very proud of their season. The six games included three wins against Lingfield College (won by seven wickets), Hurst (won by six wickets) and The King’s School, Canterbury (won by three wickets), which gave the girls valuable experience before moving onto the hard-ball format.

As well as their regular fixtures, the team also competed at the Colfe’s School Under 14 tournament, where they finished in second place, losing to the hosting school’s A team. Despite narrowly missing out on the tournament victory, the girls displayed excellent batting, bowling and fielding skills and really came together as a team.

As the season progressed, the team grew in both confidence and in numbers. With time spent in the nets, the girls’ skills in both batting and bowling grew considerably, which was evident in the end of season results. Special mentions must go to Harriett Conner for an outstanding batting performance, Jessica De Lucy for her superb bowling and Elizabeth Wooff who discovered she was a natural born wicket-keeper.

Fixtures at a more senior level were thin on the ground, with the Under 15 side only managing one game (an emphatic victory against Lingfield College by 10 wickets) and the Under 16 side playing twice (another 10 wicket victory against Lingfield College and a loss to Hurst). Hopefully as Girls’ Cricket becomes more established regionally, the number of games will increase with better competition at both Under 15 and Under 16 level.

Under 12 Squad (from): Elizabeth Arthur, Katy Barr, Claudia Bennett, Sophie Browning, Natasha Croke, Olivia Farrell, Jessie Gale, Annabel Hunt, Edith McNair, Isla Murphy, Harriet Onions, Molly Parsons, Millie Polglase, Maisey Russell, Savannah Taylor, Liberty Watkinson, Grace Wright.

Under 13 Squad (from): Eliza Averill, Annabel Callander, Helen Chambers, Kristina Duckett, Olivia Farrell, Emily Ferris, Demi Finch, Lily Goodwin, Kate Lazarides, Libbie McNamara, Evie Palmer, Lulu Pankhurst, Molly Parsons, Freya Penfold, Rose Price, Millie Sands, Hannah Slipper, Martha Tatnell, Scarlett Washington, Grace Wilson, Millie Wright, Louisa Yorke.

Under 14 Squad (from): Chloe Alexander, Rosie Aylett, Rosie Catling, Harriet Connor, Jessica De Lucy, Kristina Duckett, Charlotte Farrell, Olivia Farrell, Demi Finch, Jessie Gale, Charlotte Holmes, Grace Kent, Charlotte Lang (Capt), Rosie Larchet, Sophie O’Reilly, Molly Parsons, Maddie Presland, Suma Rai, Katherine Sawyer, Eliza Semmens, Anna Smith, Imogen Taylor, Scarlett Washington, Honor Whiteley, Elizabeth Wooff, Louisa Yorke.

Under 15/16 Squad (from): Chloe Alexander, Francesca Barton, Amber Brinkman, Paige Davidson, Jessica De Lucy, Erin Densham, Elizabeth Drummond, Charlotte Farrell, Daisy Fenton, Grace Finch, Anna Harrison, Charlotte Holmes, Charlotte Lang, Lily Marsh, Mariana Mason, Grace Mitchell, Muhing Okhrabu, Alexandra Sacker, Katherine Sawyer, Imogen Taylor, Anisha Thapa Magar, Molly Veasey, Florence Watkinson, Honor Whiteley, Charlotte Wooldridge.

Page 168 - The Suttonian 2018

Swimming Team

SPORT AND GAMES

Swimming Team Miss L Gray, Master I/C

T

he swimming team has continued to flourish this year, with the after-school swimming sessions proving very popular. The introduction of a Wednesday morning training session for swim team members has enabled more focused training to take place.

With much preparation taking place in the Michaelmas Term, we entered the Lent Term with a strong and well-prepared team, ready to embrace gala season. The swimming team consisted of 30 students, which is the biggest it has ever been. Some had not yet swum competitively.

The first gala was a home fixture against King’s Rochester. We won by 16 points, which was an impressive start. Our second gala was against Ashford School. Knowing they were tough competitors, the team gave it their all. There were some superb individual events, which were hard fought. The intermediate and senior girls won their front crawl relay and the junior boys and intermediate girls and boys won their medley relay events.

The final gala of the season was against Bethany School, which ended in another convincing win. For Holly Thompson-Frost, Eleanor Agu-Benson, George Gaston, Errol Brinkman, Jack Hayes and Henry Overy, this was their last gala as part of the Sutton Valence swimming cohort. They have been an integral part of the team for the past four years, and have helped hugely with team development. They will be sorely missed. Holly has done a fantastic job as captain, with her infectious enthusiasm.

Squad (from): Eleanor Agu-Benson, Joseph Agu-Benson, Tobias Butler,Thomas Allewell,Tom Barton, Errol Brinkman, Jemima BruceLockhart, James Ellaway, Edward Gaston, George Gaston, Alistair Gooding, Elliot Gooding, Zachary Hansford, Jack Hayes, Heston King, Andrew Loy, Jenson McInulty, Grace Mitchell, Isla Murphy, Henry Overy, Freya Penfold, Maximilian Reeves, Amelia Semmens, Katie Swift, Martha Tatnell, Holly Thomson-Frost, Thomas Wilkins, Louisa Yorke.

In March, we visited Cobham Hall for our annual girls’ gala. We won all the relay races, as well as the squadron race, however, the overall result was a draw. The penultimate gala was hosted by King’s Rochester, with Cobham Hall and Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School taking part. This was by far the most competitive gala; Sutton Valence were keen to make their mark.

There was a good proportion of wins for us. The final results were: the junior boys came second; junior girls won; the intermediate boys came second; the intermediate girls came joint first; the senior boys won convincingly and the senior girls came joint second. This meant that we won the gala overall; which was an excellent result.

Page 169 - The Suttonian 2018

SPORT AND GAMES

SPORTS DAY 2018

T

he last weekend of June saw the School’s annual Sports Day, the most eagerly-anticipated House event of the year.

Students competed in a range of track and field disciplines to secure valuable points for their respective Houses.

This year 11 School records were broken, which is all the more impressive given the swelteringly hot conditions experienced on both days.

In the junior events, the records broken included the junior girls’ discus, with Rose Price (Second Form) throwing an impressive 20.40 metres. Her feat was matched in the junior boys’ discus competition as Alec Martin (Second Form) threw an equally impressive 20.30 metres. On the track, Lulu Pankhurst (Second Form) broke the junior 400 metres record in a time of one minute, 14 seconds.

Records also fell in the intermediate events, with Maisie Rixon (Fourth Form) claiming two new School benchmarks. In the intermediate girls’ high jump, she shattered the previous record

Page 170 - The Suttonian 2018

with a jump of 1.45 metres and in the intermediate girls’ shot put, she beat her own record from Sports Day last year, posting a new best of 11.07 metres.

Elsewhere, in the boys’ events, James Crombie (Fifth Form) set a new best in the intermediate boys’ 1500 metres (four minutes, 31 seconds) and Tyler Weekes (Fourth Form) broke the intermediate boys’ discus record with a throw of 29.60 metres.

Finally, in the senior competitions, Katie Harrison (Lower Sixth) bettered the record she set last year by winning the senior girls’ 200 metres in 27.20 seconds. Imogen Forknall (Lower Sixth) also set a new School best with a hugely impressive 30.85 metre throw in the senior girls’ discus. In the boys’ events, Tom Gray (Fifth Form) broke the senior boys’ 1500 metre record (four minutes, 21 seconds) and Harry O’Rawe (Lower Sixth) set a new record in the senior boys’ discus with a throw of 30.85 metres. Overall success this year went to Clothworkers’.

SPORT AND GAMES

“

This year saw 11 School records broken, which is all the more impressive given the swelteringly hot conditions experienced on both days.

�

Page 171 - The Suttonian 2018

SPORT AND GAMES

UWS Athletics Event Mr M Howell, Director of Sport

T

he annual United Westminster Schools (UWS) Athletics event took place in May at the Millennium Stadium in Battersea. UWS Foundation schools, Emanuel School, Queen Anne’s School Caversham, Westminster City School, The Grey Coat School and Sutton Valence School, took part in what is always a hotly-contested affair. All of our pupils were a credit to the School and gave their all in every event they participated in. The team had trained well for the event and the hard work certainly paid off on the day.

Junior victories on the day came from Kate Lazarides (Second Form) who won the junior girls’ 800 metres, Louisa Yorke (Second Form) who was victorious in the junior girls’ high jump, Lulu Pankhurst (Second Form) who won the junior girls’ javelin and Demi Finch (Second Form) who put in an excellent performance to win the junior girls’ shot put. In the junior boys’ events, Alfie Miles (First Form) won the junior boys’ 800 metres, Alfie Jarrett (Second Form) won the junior boys’ javelin and Maximus Woods (Second Form) came out victorious in the junior boys’ discus.

At intermediate level, Oliver Payne-Cook (Fourth Form) won the intermediate boys’ hurdles, Oscar Vas (Third Form) won the intermediate boys’ 100 metres and James Mardon (Fourth Form) came out victorious in the intermediate boys’ 400 metres. James Crombie (Fourth Form) won the intermediate boys’ 800 metres, Archie Yorke (Fourth Form) won the intermediate boys’ long jump, Josh O’Brien (Fourth Form) was successful in the intermediate boys’ high jump and Tyler Weekes (Third Form) won the intermediate boys’ discus with a distance of 27 metres.

Overall, the boys’ team won the coveted Godfrey Trophy for the second year running. Before last year’s success, SVS had not won the trophy since 2004, so to win it two years consecutively is a real accomplishment.

This is testament to the hard work and dedication that the team put in throughout the Summer Term.

Sir Clive Woodward Visit Miss L Cansick, Marketing Officer

F

ormer England Rugby World Cup winning coach Sir Clive Woodward OBE visited Sutton Valence in September last year, to meet with the Headmaster and Mr Howell, Director of Sport.

Sir Clive heads up an International Ski Race Training Academy based in Tignes, France called Apex 2100. Max Laughland (Third Form) is a part of the academy and combines his elite-level training with academic studies at the School.

Sir Clive Woodward was taken on a tour of the School by Mr Howell and given an insight into the opportunities our students have in Sport, including our Talented Athlete Programme.

Page 172 - The Suttonian 2018

VALETE 2018

VALETE 2018 “

The strength of our community is something to be proud of. As our Upper Sixth leavers depart, we trust that our community has supported and set them up for success as they head off to the next stages in their lives. Likewise, as we bid farewell to the departing members of the Common Room, we recognise the vital roles they have played in ensuring that all of us continue to enjoy the benefits of working in an environment which is both stimulating and caring in equal measure.

Consequently, it is with no little sadness and much gratitude that I write these words as an introduction to the farewells for the departing members of our community.

They have new and exciting challenges to face and I hope that they will remember fondly the time they have spent with us.

�

Mr J Farrell Deputy Head

Page 173 - The Suttonian 2018

VALETE 2018

Harriet Aburn

Eleanor Agu Benson

Thomas Aiken

Anup Ale

Caitlin Allison

Tim Anthony

Francesca Ash

Archie Averill

Angus Barclay

Bipasna Bhandari

Emelia Bonny

George Boret

Lara Bowles

Errol Brinkman

William Bryant

Harriet Cage

Karina Callaway

JieJie Chen

Samuel Chitty

Maddie Chivers

Marta Chronowska

Joshua Clark

Connor Cook

Thomas Costin

Molly Cox

Page 174 - The Suttonian 2018

VALETE 2018

Leavers 2018 Harriet Aburn (2018 L) The Spirit of the House Competition Cup (Upper Sixth); Head of House, Ball Committee,Yearbook Committee; Alice in Wonderland (Soldier), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus); Chapel Choir; CCF - Corporal (Cpl); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold, Bronze; Hockey - 2nd XI and Half Colours, Netball - 3rd VII Captain and Half Colours, Rounders - 1st Team, Shooting - 1st Team and Colours Eleanor Agu Benson (2018 F) Academic Scholarship; Achievement Award (First Form, Second Form), Academic Excellence Award (Third Form, Fourth Form, Fifth Form), Spanish Prize (Lower Sixth), The Marjorie Popay Prize for Educational Achievement (Upper Sixth), Psychology Prize (Upper Sixth); English Copy Prize (Third Form), Art Copy Prize (Fifth Form), Psychology Copy Prize (Lower Sixth); Prefect,Yearbook Committee; Sweet Charity, Bugsy Malone (Bangles), Alice in Wonderland (Soldier), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus), CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Hockey - 2nd XI, Swimming - 1st Team and Colours, Tennis - 2nd Team Thomas Aiken (2018 C) English Copy Prize (Third Form), Art Copy Prize (Fifth Form), Psychology Copy Prize (Lower Sixth); Cricket - 1st XI and Colours, Rugby - 2nd XV Anup Ale (2018 F) Sport Scholarship; Prefect; CCF - Head of Juniors, CSM (WO11); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold; Cricket - 2nd XI Captain, Football - 1st XI, Hockey - 3rd XI, Rugby 1st XV and Colours Caitlin Allison (2018 L) Joyce Drayson Art Prize (Upper Sixth); Prefect; Bugsy Malone (Dancer), Alice in Wonderland (Soldier), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus), Chicago (Technical Assistant); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold, Bronze; Netball - 3rd VII, Tennis - 2nd Team Tim Anthony (2018 L) Sport Scholarship; Maberly Prize for Achievement (Fifth Form); CCF - Corporal (Cpl); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold; Basketball - 1st Team, Cricket - 2nd XI Vice Captain and Half Colours, Hockey - 2nd XI Captain and Colours

Francesca Ash (2018 C) Academic Scholarship; Achievement Award (Second Form, Third Form, Fourth Form, Fifth Form), English Prize (Lower Sixth), Bloxam Prize for English (Upper Sixth), Theatre Studies Prize (Upper Sixth), Spanish Prize (Upper Sixth); English Copy Prize (Second Form, Third Form), Geography Copy Prize (Second Form); Prefect, Head of Chapel Choir, Model United Nations, Blue Gown (Awarded in Fifth Form),Yearbook Committee; Les Misérables (Worker Woman), Hamlet (Norwegian Army Officer and Player), Chicago (Go To Hell Kitty); Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir, Chamber Orchestra, Jazz Band; Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze Archie Averill (2018 H) Information Technology Prize (Lower Sixth), Effort Award (Lower Sixth), Wood Prize for Physics (Upper Sixth); CCF Cadet (Cdt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Cricket - 2nd XI, Hockey - 2nd XI and Half Colours, Rugby - 1st XV and Colours Angus Barclay (2018 C) Head of House; CCF - Corporal (Cpl); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Rugby - 2nd XV Bipasna Bhandari (2018 S) Boarding House Prefect; Bugsy Malone (Dancer); Chapel Choir; Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze Emelia Bonny (2018 H) Sport Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Upper Sixth); Prefect; Alice In Wonderland (Soldier); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Netball - 1st VII and Colours, Tennis - 1st Team and Colours George Boret (2018 F) House Prefect; CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Football - 2nd XI

Harriet Cage (2018 F) Art Scholarship; Hockey - 2nd XI and Half Colours, Netball - 2nd VII and Half Colours Karina Callaway (2018 F) Portfolio Work Copy Prize (Third Form); Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir; CCF - Head of Juniors, Leading Rate (LH); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze JieJie Chen (2018 S) Academic Scholarship; Achievement Award (Fourth Form, Fifth Form), Further Mathematics Prize (Lower Sixth), Design Technology Prize (Upper Sixth); Design Technology Copy Prize (Fifth Form); Boarding Head of House, Boarding House Prefect, Prefect, Model United Nations, Debating Team; Badminton - 1st Team Samuel Chitty (2018 M) Sport Scholarship; Boarding House Prefect; Cricket - 2nd XI and Half Colours, Rugby 1st XV and Colours Maddie Chivers (2018 H) Home Economics Copy Prize (Fifth Form); House Prefect; Bugsy Malone (Dancer), Alice in Wonderland (Gardener), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus), Les Misérables (Drunkard), Hamlet (Gravedigger), LAMDA Level 5 With Distinction Marta Chronowska (2018 S) Academic Scholarship, Music Scholarship, HMC Scholarship; Chemistry Prize (Lower Sixth), Angell Prize for Mathematics (Upper Sixth), Biology Prize (Upper Sixth), Winstanley Prize for Chemistry (Upper Sixth); Boarding House Prefect, Prefect, Head of Chamber Orchestra; Chicago (Band); Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir, Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra, Strings; Badminton - 1st Team Joshua Clark (2018 W) Boarding House Prefect

Lara Bowles (2018 H) Music Scholarship; Music Prize (Upper Sixth); Chicago (Band); Chamber Orchestra, Jazz Band, Orchestra, Strings

Connor Cook (2018 W) Art Scholarship; CCF - Sergeant (Sgt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Silver, Bronze; Hockey - 3rd XI, Rugby - 2nd XV Captain and Half Colours, Badminton - 1st Team, Skiing - 1st Team Captain

Errol Brinkman (2018 F) Fry Prize for Information Technology (Upper Sixth); Design Technology Copy Prize (Fifth Form); Swimming - 1st Team and Colours

Thomas Costin (2018 M) Head of Charity Committee; CCF - Head of Stores, Colour Sergeant (C/Sgt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold, Silver, Bronze; Shooting - 1st Team

William Bryant (2018 M) Head of House (Lambe’s), Debating Team; Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Basketball - 1st Team, Rugby - 1st XV

Molly Cox (2018 H) Photography Prize (Upper Sixth); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze

Page 175 - The Suttonian 2018

VALETE 2018

Lily Crampton (2018 C) Art Scholarship; Effort Award (First Form), Art Prize (Lower Sixth); Bugsy Malone (Lena), Alice in Wonderland (Gardener), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus), Les Misérables (Madame Thenardier), LAMDA Level 5; Netball - 2nd VII Alexander Crosbie (2018 F) Sport Scholarship; Rugby - 1st XV and Colours Jack Delaney (2018 F) CCF - Corporal (Cpl); Football - 2nd XI Captain William Dransfield (2018 H) History Prize (Lower Sixth), Bossom Prize for Public Speaking (Upper Sixth); Prefect, Model United Nations, Public Speaking Team, School Council Representative, Debating Team; Alice in Wonderland (Executioner); CCF - Sergeant (Sgt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze Laurence Eastman (2018 W) Drama Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Fourth Form, Lower Sixth, Upper Sixth); Prefect; Romeo and Juliet (Peter), LAMDA Silver with Distinction; CCF Corporal (Cpl); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Silver; Basketball - 1st Team, Cricket - 2nd XI, Football - 2nd XI, Hockey - 1st XI and Half Colours, Rugby - 1st XV and Colours, Tennis - 1st Team Captain Jack Fenton (2018 C) Head of House; Hamlet (Francisco), Chicago (Court Clerk); Cricket - 2nd XI, Football - 1st XI Vice Captain and Colours, Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Rugby - 2nd XV and Half Colours Lucas Fulford (2018 W) Hamlet (Bernardo), Chicago (Court Juror); Football - 1st XI Vice Captain, Rugby - 1st XV George Gaston (2018 L) CCF - Lance Corporal (L/Cpl); Football - 1st XI, Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Swimming - 1st Team and Colours Maxwell Harrison (2018 C) Drama Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Second Form, Third Form, Fifth Form), The WBP Aspinall Prize for Outstanding Originality of Thought and Action (Upper Sixth); Politics Copy Prize (Fourth Form); Prefect, Blue Gown (Awarded in Lower Sixth), Debating Team, School Council, ESU Public Speaking Team, Oxford Union Debating Team; Sweet Charity (Dancer), Bugsy Malone (Ritzy), Alice in Wonderland (Frog Footman), SVS Dance Shows 2011-2017, LAMDA Bronze With

Page 176 - The Suttonian 2018

Merit, LAMDA Silver With Merit; Chapel Choir; CCF - Head of RAF, Flight Sergeant (F/Sgt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Ballroom Dancing - Team GB Member William Harrison (2018 H) Art Scholarship, Sport Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Fourth Form, Upper Sixth); Prefect; CCF - CSM (WO11); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Silver, Bronze; Cricket - 2nd XI and Half Colours, Football - 1st XI Jack Hayes (2018 F) Academic Scholarship; The MacDonald Prize for Current Affairs (Third Form), Biology Prize (Lower Sixth), Ricketts Prize for All Round Contribution (Upper Sixth); Prefect; CCF - Sergeant (Sgt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Silver; Football - 1st XI, Rugby - 1st XV and Colours, Swimming - 1st Team and Colours Alexander Hill (2018 W) Hockey - 2nd XI, Rugby - 3rd XV Captain, Swimming - 1st Team Vice Captain and Half Colours Emelia Hollingsworth (2018 H) Academic Scholarship, Sport Scholarship; Effort Award (First Form, Third Form), Amy Lovegrove Prize for Female Achievement in Sport (Upper Sixth); Portfolio Work Copy Prize (Third Form), Home Economics Copy Prize (Fifth Form); Prefect, Captain of Netball, Blue Gown (Awarded in Lower Sixth); Alice in Wonderland (Soldier), Bugsy Malone (Hood); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Netball - 1st VII Captain and Colours, Tennis - 1st Team Captain and County Representation Laura Horley (2018 F) Music Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (First Form, Second Form, Fifth Form), Music Prize (Lower Sixth), Religious Studies Prize (Lower Sixth, Upper Sixth); Prefect, Captain of Shooting, Head of Senior Strings, Ball Committee, Blue Gown (Awarded in Fourth Form); Bugsy Malone (Band), Hamlet (Backstage Crew), Chicago (Assistant Stage Manager); Chapel Choir, Chamber Orchestra, Jazz Band, Orchestra, Strings; CCF - CSM (WO11); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold, Bronze; Shooting 1st Team and Colours Rehannah Houghton-Judge (2018 L) Sport Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (First Form, Fourth Form, Lower Sixth), Effort Award (Third Form); Prefect, Blue Gown (Awarded in Third Form); Alice in Wonderland (Gardener), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus); CCF - Able Rate (AB); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Hockey

- 1st XI Captain, Colours and County Representation, Netball - 1st VII and Colours, Rounders - 1st Team and Colours Marco Hu (2018 W) Academic Scholarship; Effort Award (Fourth Form), Achievement Award (Fifth Form), Physics Prize (Lower Sixth), Economics Prize (Upper Sixth) Benjamin Hummerston (2018 M) Boarding House Prefect; CCF - Corporal (Cpl); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze Youlin Jiao (2018 W) Badminton - 1st Team Kalil Kayani (2018 H) Football - 1st XI Guy Kennedy (2018 M) Sport Scholarship; Boarding House Prefect; Jazz Band; CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Athletics - 1st Team, Rugby - 1st XV and Colours Henry King (2018 F) Hamlet (Lucianus), Chicago (Ensemble); CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Cricket - 2nd XI, Football - 1st XI, Hockey - 1st XI, Rugby - 2nd XV, Swimming - 1st Team Michael Law (2018 C) All Round Contribution Award (Upper Sixth); Prefect; Cricket - 1st XI Captain and Colours, Football - 1st XI, Rugby - 2nd XV Vice Captain and Half Colours Thomas Lazarides (2018 C) Sport Scholarship; House Prefect; Cricket - 1st XI Vice Captain, Colours and County Representation, Golf - 1st Team Captain and Colours, Hockey - 1st XI and Half Colours Eliza Lewis (2018 F) Academic Scholarship, Art Scholarship,Drama Scholarship, Sport Scholarship; Achievement Award (First Form), Effort Award (Fifth Form), Theatre Studies Prize (Lower Sixth), Grizelle Prize for History (Upper Sixth), Headmaster’s Prize (Upper Sixth); Head of School (Summer Term), Prefect; Bugsy Malone (Talullah), Alice In Wonderland (Alice’s Big Sister), Romeo and Juliet (Narrator), Les Misérables (The Bishop), Hamlet (Horatio), Chicago (Velma Kelly), LAMDA Level 3, 4 and 5 With Distinction, LAMDA Bronze With Merit; Chamber Choir; Hockey 1st XI and Colours, Netball - 1st VII and Colours, Tennis - 1st Team Naomi Lijesen (2018 C) Academic Scholarship, Music Scholarship; Effort Award (First Form, Second Form), Achievement Award (Third Form, Fourth

VALETE 2018

Lily Crampton

Alexander Crosbie

Jack Delaney

William Dransfield

Laurence Eastman

Jack Fenton

Lucas Fulford

George Gaston

Maxwell Harrison

William Harrison

Jack Hayes

Alexander Hill

Emelia Hollingsworth

Laura Horley

Rehannah Houghton-Judge

Marco Hu

Benjamin Hummerston

Youlin Jiao

Kalil Kayani

Guy Kennedy

Henry King

Michael Law

Thomas Lazarides

Eliza Lewis

Naomi Lijesen

Page 177 - The Suttonian 2018

VALETE 2018

Harry MacLeod

William Marsh

Jonty Martin

Edward Mazumdar

Alexander McDermott

Angus Michie

Bethan Miles

Thomas Millington

Grace Mortley

Daniel O’Brien

William Osborne

Henry Overy

Charles Page

Joseph Pallet

Beth Pennal

Charlotte Percival

Finley Plugge

Daniil Polyakov

Louis Regnier

Gracie Rigby

Lauren Robinson

Rishi Roy-Mukherjee

Benjamin Saunders

Alexander Schuller

Ross Sinclair

Page 178 - The Suttonian 2018

VALETE 2018

Form, Fifth Form), Design Technology Prize (Lower Sixth), Richard Horn Prize for All Round Performance in Drama and Music (Upper Sixth); Design Technology Copy Prize (Fifth Form); Prefect, Model United Nations,Year Book Committee, Blue Gown (Awarded in Fourth Form); Sweet Charity, Bugsy Malone (Dandy Dan), Romeo and Juliet (Narrator), Alice in Wonderland (Gardener), Les Misérables (Worker Woman), Hamlet (Player Queen), Chicago (Mary Sunshine); Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir, Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra, Strings; Hockey 1st XI and Colours, Netball - 1st VII and Colours

Hamlet (Player One), Chicago (Master of Ceremonies), LAMDA Silver; Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir; CCF - Sergeant (Sgt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold, Silver, Bronze; Fencing - 1st Team, Swimming - 2nd Team

Harry MacLeod (2018 C) Effort Award (Lower Sixth), Geography Prize (Upper Sixth); Alice in Wonderland (Executioner), Grease (Backstage Team), Romeo and Juliet (Balthasar); Flute Group; CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Swimming - 1st Team

Grace Mortley (2018 H) Academic Scholarship; Academic Excellence Award (First Form), Achievement Award (Second Form, Third Form, Fourth Form, Fifth Form); Prefect, Blue Gown (Awarded in Fourth Form); Bugsy Malone (Marbini); CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Tennis - 2nd Team

William Marsh (2018 M) Boarding House Prefect; CCF - Corporal (Cpl); Basketball - 1st Team Vice Captain, Hockey - 3rd XI Jonty Martin (2018 H) Academic PE Prize (Lower Sixth, Upper Sixth); House Prefect; Football - 2nd XI, Rugby - 1st XV and Colours Edward Mazumdar (2018 W) Drama Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Fifth Form), OSA Prize (Lower Sixth), Clothworkers’ Prize for All Round Contribution (Upper Sixth); Prefect, Boarding Head of House, Public Speaking Team; Alice in Wonderland (The King of Hearts), Romeo and Juliet (Lord Montague), Les Misérables (Pimp), Hamlet (Marcellus), Chicago (Judge), LAMDA Silver; CCF Corporal (Cpl); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Cricket - 2nd XI, Rugby - 2nd XV Alexander McDermott (2018 F) Design Technology Scholarship; The Froud Innovation Prize (Upper Sixth); Design Technology Copy Prize (Fifth Form); House Prefect; CCF - Cadet (Cdt), CCF - Lance Corporal (L/Cpl); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold, Silver, Bronze; Shooting - 1st Team and Colours Angus Michie (2018 M) Drama Scholarship; The Coles Prize (Fifth Form), Effort Award (Lower Sixth), CCF Sword of Honour (Upper Sixth); Boarding House Prefect, Boarding Deputy Head of House, Prefect, Deputy Head of RAF, Head of Chapel Choir; Alice in Wonderland (The King of Hearts), Romeo and Juliet (Servant), Les Misérables (Robber), Grease,

Bethan Miles (2018 L) Art Scholarship Thomas Millington (2018 L) Sport Scholarship; Head of House; CCF Sergeant (Sgt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold; Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Rugby - 1st XV and Colours

Daniel O’Brien (2018 F) CCF - Corporal (Cpl); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold; Football - 2nd XI, Rugby 2nd XV, Shooting - 1st Team William Osborne (2018 M) Boarding House Prefect; Silver; Rugby - 1st XV and Colours Henry Overy (2018 W) Sport Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Fifth Form, Upper Sixth); Prefect ; CCF - Corporal (Cpl); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold, Silver, Bronze; Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Rugby - 2nd XV Captain and Colours, Shooting - 1st Team, Swimming - 1st Team and Colours Charles Page (2018 H) House Prefect; Rugby - 2nd XV, Badminton - 1st Team Joseph Pallet (2018 W) Effort Award (First Form); CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Football - 2nd XI, Hockey - 2nd XI Beth Pennal (2018 L) Chicago (Annie), LAMDA Level 6 Charlotte Percival (2018 S) Music Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Fourth Form); Boarding House Prefect, Boarding Deputy Head of House, Blue Gown (Awarded in Fourth Form); Bugsy Malone (Hood), Les Misérables (Worker Woman); Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir; Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Netball - 3rd VII

Finley Plugge (2018 W) Art Scholarship; Art Copy Prize (Third Form); CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold, Bronze; Football 2nd XI, Badminton - 1st Team Daniil Polyakov (2018 M) Boarding House Prefect; CCF - Corporal (Cpl) Louis Regnier (2018 W) Head of House (Holdgate); Rugby - 1st XV Colours and County Representation Gracie Rigby (2018 C) Art Scholarship, Drama Scholarship; House Prefect, Head of Events and Charity, Christmas Tree Committee; Bugsy Malone (Velma), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus), Les Misérables (Lovely Lady), Hamlet (Gravedigger), Chicago (Matron Mama Morton), LAMDA Level 5 With Distinction; Duke of Edinburgh Award Bronze; Hockey - 3rd XI, Netball - 3rd VII, Rounders - 1st Team, Swimming - 1st Team Lauren Robinson (2018 C) Art Scholarship, Drama Scholarship; Art Copy Prize (Fifth Form); Bugsy Malone (Hood), Alice in Wonderland (Gardener), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus), Les Misérables (Lovely Lady), Hamlet (Gravedigger), LAMDA Level 4 and 5 With Distinction, LAMDA Bronze With Merit; Hockey - 2nd XI, Netball - 2nd VII, Rounders - 1st Team, Swimming - 1st Team Rishi Roy-Mukherjee (2018 W) Sport Scholarship; Kitchener Prize for Mathematics (Lower Sixth), Economics Prize (Lower Sixth); Prefect; Cricket - 1st XI, Half Colours and County Representation, Badminton - 1st Team Benjamin Saunders (2018 H) House Prefect; Football - 2nd XI Captain Alexander Schuller (2018 F) CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Football - 2nd XI Vice Captain, Hockey - 2nd XI Ross Sinclair (2018 W) Boarding Deputy Head of House, Prefect; Rugby - 1st XV Colours and County Representation

Page 179 - The Suttonian 2018

VALETE 2018

James Smith (2018 M) Boarding House Prefect, Ball Committee; CCF - Corporal (Cpl); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Hockey - 3rd XI, Rugby 3rd XV, Tennis - 1st Team Verity Smith (2018 C) Media Studies Prize (Lower Sixth, Upper Sixth); Head of House; Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Netball - 2nd VII Captain and Colours, Rounders - 1st Team and Colours Charles Sparrow (2018 W) All Round Contribution Award (Third Form); Boarding House Prefect, Head of CCF ; Head of CCF, RSM (WO1); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Basketball - 1st Team Captain, Rugby - 2nd XV and Half Colours, Shooting - 1st Team and Colours Max Stanton-Gleaves (2018 C) Prefect; Hamlet (Player King), Chicago (Aaron); Duke of Edinburgh Award Bronze; Cricket - 2nd XI, Football - 1st XI Captain, Rugby - 2nd XV Isabelle Stevens (2018 L) Drama Scholarship, Sport Scholarship; Bugsy Malone (Dancer), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus), Les Misérables (Lovely Lady), Hamlet (Gravedigger), Chicago (Shadow Dancer), LAMDA Level 5 With Distinction; Netball - 2nd VII and Half Colours Jemma Stuart (2018 H) Academic Scholarship, Art Scholarship, Sport Scholarship; Psychology Prize (Lower Sixth); Head of House; Bugsy Malone (Dancer); Duke of Edinburgh Award Bronze; Hockey - 2nd XI, Netball - 2nd VII, Rounders - 1st Team and Colours Faber Swaine (2018 L) Academic Scholarship, Drama Scholarship; Effort Award (Third Form, Lower Sixth), Headmaster’s Prize (Upper Sixth); Art Copy Prize (Fifth Form); Head of School (Michaelmas Term), Prefect, Debating Team; Alice in Wonderland (The Knave), Romeo and Juliet (Narrator), Hamlet (Reynaldo), Chicago (Sergeant Fogarty), LAMDA Silver With Distinction; Duke of Edinburgh Award Bronze; Tennis - 3rd Team Daniel Teare (2018 M) Sport Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Upper Sixth); Boarding Head of House, Boarding House Prefect, Prefect; CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Rugby - 1st XV Captain, Colours and Regional Representation Gareth Thomas (2018 F) Head of House; CCF - Sergeant (Sgt); Hockey - 3rd XI, Rugby - 1st XV and Colours

Page 180 - The Suttonian 2018

Holly Thomson-Frost (2018 C) Sport Scholarship; Swimming - 1st Team Captain, Colours and UK Representation Alex Thorogood (2018 F) Sport Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Third Form); Football - 1st XI, Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Rugby - 1st XV and Colours Callum Traynor (2018 M) Sport Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Upper Sixth); Boarding House Prefect, Prefect; CCF - Head of Army, RSM (WO1); Duke of Edinburgh Award Bronze; Rugby - 1st XV and Colours Isabelle Turner (2018 F) Drama Scholarship, Sport Scholarship; Head of House; Bugsy Malone (Hood), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus), Les Misérables (Drunkard), Hamlet (Gravedigger), Chicago (Shadow Dancer), LAMDA Level 5; Hockey - 2nd XI Captain, Netball - 2nd VII, Rounders - 1st Team Catherine Veasey (2018 C) Bugsy Malone (Dancer), Alice in Wonderland (Cheshire Cat), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus), Les Misérables (Lovely Lady), Hamlet (Gravedigger), Chicago (Shadow Dancer); Athletics - 1st Team Sophie Watson (2018 H) Effort Award (Second Form, Third Form, Fourth Form), All Round Contribution Award (Fifth Form, Lower Sixth), French Prize (Lower Sixth), Wheeler Prize for French (Upper Sixth); French Copy Prize (Second Form); Prefect, Head of Chamber Choir, Blue Gown (Awarded in Fifth Form), Head of Junior pupils for Holdgate; Bugsy Malone (Roxy), Alice in Wonderland (Soldier), Les Misérables (Worker Woman); Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir, Girls’ Choir, Strings; Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Hockey - 3rd XI Captain and Colours, Tennis - 2nd Team Jonathan Watson (2018 F) English Copy Prize (Second Form); Head of House; Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Football - 2nd XI, Hockey - 2nd XI, Rugby - 2nd XV Matthew Webb (2018 W) Edward Craven Prize for Outstanding Male Achievement in Sport (Upper Sixth), Headmaster’s Prize (Upper Sixth); Head of School (Lent Term), Prefect; Cricket 1st XI and Colours, Football - 1st XI and Colours, Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Rugby - 1st XV and Colours Alice Wilkins (2018 F) Hamlet (Technical Assistance); Duke of

Edinburgh Award - Gold; Rounders - 1st Team, Badminton - 1st Team Ella Williams (2018 C) Les Misérables (Lovely Lady); Hockey - 2nd XI and Half Colours, Tennis - 3rd Team Anna Wilson (2018 L) Effort Award (Fifth Form), All Round Contribution Award (Lower Sixth); Psychology Copy Prize (Lower Sixth); Ball Committee; CCF - Head of Navy, Petty Officer (PO); Duke of Edinburgh Award Bronze Archie Wooff (2018 W) CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Football - 2nd XI, Rugby 3rd XV, Badminton - 1st Team Fynley Young (2018 C) Sport Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Third Form), Photography Prize (Lower Sixth), Headmaster’s Special Achievement Prize (Upper Sixth); Prefect; Bugsy Malone (Dancer), Alice in Wonderland (Gardener), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus), Les Misérables (Drunkard), Hamlet (Prince Fortinbras), Chicago (June), LAMDA Level 5; CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Netball - 1st VII and Colours and County Representation Jingyi Zeng (2018 S) Shizhao Zhou, (2018 M) Effort Award (Fifth Form); Art Copy Prize (Fourth Form), Design Technology Copy Prize (Fifth Form); Boarding House Prefect

VALETE 2018

Verity Smith

Charles Sparrow

Max Stanton-Gleaves

Isabelle Stevens

Jemma Stuart

Faber Swaine

Daniel Teare

Gareth Thomas

Holly Thomson-Frost

Alex Thorogood

Callum Traynor

Isabelle Turner

Catherine Veasey

Sophie Watson

Jonathan Watson

Matthew Webb

Alice Wilkins

Ella Williams

Anna Wilson

Archie Wooff

Fynley Young

Jingyi Zeng

Shizhao Zhou

2018

James Smith

Page 181 - The Suttonian 2018

VALETE 2018

Andrew Bee (Staff 2003-2018) Mr R Carr, Head of The Juniors

T

he larger than life character who is Andrew Bee bounced into Sutton Valence from Colfe’s School in September 2003, taking over as Head of Geography from Ruth Hine. He served the School in several other capacities, namely Housemaster of Clothworkers’ from 2011, a member of the CCF, coach of the usually highly-successful 2nd X1 Cricket team and, last but not least, as fire officer in the Lambe’s building when the Geography department was based in the bowels of this Victorian edifice. However, if the truth be told he was rather inconspicuous in this latter role, as when he was actually called upon in this capacity he was discovered at home in the village marking Geography papers – although by a strange coincidence a test match just happened to be on television at the same time.

Andrew’s enthusiasm and humorous bonhomie set him apart from some of his quieter more ‘mouse-like’ colleagues, with the terrific roar of his laughter being clearly heard as far away as BM when he was engaging his friends and colleagues in conversation whilst in the common room. His raucous singing in chapel is sorely missed; with him always lifting the likes of Jerusalem to new heights. He took several chapel services, some of which to be honest went a little over the top, especially when on one particular occasion he based his talk on conquering Mount Kilimanjaro. This will live long in the memory as he used a pile of hymn books, rarely used by the pupil body for their proper purpose, to illustrate the correctlyscaled height of the mountain, before they crashed to the floor.

In the Geography department, Andrew proved to be an inspiring mentor to fresh-faced colleagues such as Mr Sansom. They were the perfect match, with Andrew’s love of Physical Geography and Mr Sansom’s love of Human Geography. As an inspired Head of Department, he led from the front and he displayed some innovative touches. For example, in order to match the History department’s excellent examination results, he proposed offering his pupils £10.00 per A grade, until the Bursar suggested that this was not the intended way for departmental budgets to be spent.

His numerous field (fishing) trips to his beloved central Wales were the talk of the senior geographers, who enjoyed them much more than the School minibuses, which he regularly drove into gate posts, pheasants or various farm animals. Trips to the north Kent coast to monitor long-shore drift using a collection of purple pebbles thrown into the sea confused many, as more often than not they didn’t move an inch over the course of four hours, whilst Andrew enjoyed a pleasant lunch in an eating house down the road in Whistable. A visit to Reculver, during which he encouraged the participants to throw stones at a sandy cliff, once led to a complaint from the local branch of the RSPB, due to the fact that some endangered sand martins came under a sustained attack.

I well recall Andrew crossing the great departmental divide and agreeing to join the History department on a visit to the Somme and Ypres. Yours truly pointed out a number of British hand grenades which had been ploughed to the surface and told him to watch where he walked. Of course, being the maverick that he is, Andrew ignored this sound advice and proceeded to see how far he could throw them and whether they would explode

Page 182 - The Suttonian 2018

or not. As they remained in one piece, he then thought it a good idea to collect them and take them back to School on board the coach. Luckily, our eagle-eyed guide spotted them before Andrew boarded, much to his disappointment. However, he did return home with a German entrenching shovel which he had discovered.

This rotted into a pile of further rust in his living room at home, over a number of years, much to Mrs Bee’s frustration.

After eight years of applying for further positions of responsibility (if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try, try and try again) he was finally appointed Housemaster of Clothworkers’ in 2011 and how he loved and fully embraced the role. His inspirational Housemaster talks were always delivered with much aplomb and the pupils rewarded him by winning the Baughan Cup on no fewer than three occasions. Andrew was always thrilled when the Chairman of the Governors made the announcement and handed over the trophy at Speech Day to the Head of House. The house budget however was regularly in the red due to his generous distribution of Easter eggs and Christmas presents to pupils and staff alike. Andrew always embraced the house singing/shouting competition in his usual enthusiastic fashion, although on one occasion his ad-lib conducting from the balcony got him into hot water from the visiting judge, and his house was nearly disqualified.

Andrew was always the life and soul of the party and there is no doubt that I have never met anyone quite like him during my own thirty-five years at the chalk face – nor do I expect that I will ever meet anyone else quite like him again. We wish him all the very best as he enjoys early retirement and spending time with his beloved father as they write a cricket book together.

This is not his first venture into publishing though, as I am reminded he wrote a book some years ago entitled The Fifty Finest (cricket innings of all time). As I reflect on Andrew’s time with us I think it fair to say that if Sutton Valence was drawing up a list of its fifty most inspirational, colourful, maverick-like and characterful teachers over the last four hundred and forty two years, Andrew Bee’s name would certainly be in the mix.

VALETE 2018

Graham Alderman (Staff 2004-2018) Mr V Wells, Head of Cricket

G

raham Alderman came to Sutton Valence in 2004, having worked for eight years at his alma mater, St Dunstan’s College, in both the sports department and as a head of year.

He took on the mantle of Director of Sport and quickly built a reputation amongst both pupils and staff. An experienced and versatile teacher of physical education, pupils knew where they stood with him. He could be tough, but he always wanted his charges to flourish and there was nothing exclusive about his approach. Everyone was included, whatever their ability or sporting preference.

His kindly, common sense, no-nonsense approach applied similarly to his colleagues; offering guidance and support when needed, but he was equally able to suggest when lines may have been crossed, frequently with humour.

After two years at the School, Graham and his family moved in to Beresford, the junior boarding house. With Lynn (Staff 20062012), assisting as houseparent, and their young children Anita (2011 G) and Tom (2014 L), they quickly established a real homefrom-home for our younger boarders. In the six years that he was housemaster, Graham guided many a young pupil and gave them memories and experiences that they will always remember; barbecues on the house terrace being one!

have secured permission for a tour to go to theme parks and ride rollercoasters!’ Always well-organised, thoroughly documented, with a good balance of sports matches, cultural and wildlife trips and relaxation, sports tours have become the expeditions to go on.

Latterly, parents were able to enjoy reading about their children’s exploits through his blog, which detailed each day’s events and also showed a side of Graham that pupils were not always privy to at School.

In 2016, Graham decided to relinquish his responsibilities as Director of Sport and turned his indefatigable enthusiasm to being Housemaster of Holdgate. Always competitive, he and his team of tutors set about conquering the Clothworkers’ domination of the Baughan Cup competition. Although this was not achieved in his two years at the helm, he ensured Holdgate set about house competitions with a fighting spirit.

This expertise led to Graham being asked to take on the role of educational visits co-ordinator, to which he applied his usual vigour.

It was not unusual to hear him asking at staff briefings that his colleagues remember to complete the necessary documentation, before taking a School trip.

Throughout his time at Sutton Valence, Graham became (in the words of a colleague) ‘the king of sports tours; the only person to

Now Graham is retiring to Whitstable and to Spain, so that he and Lynn can indulge in some travelling. They already have a trip planned to Australia and New Zealand, so that they can join Anita for Christmas. However, if there is an adage that says ‘once a teacher, always a teacher’, it could apply to Graham. Not content to sit and do nothing, he has become a tutor at the University of Buckingham. Another generation of pupils and colleagues will benefit from the kindness, support and straight talking that are so much a part of him.

For my part, I will always be grateful to have had his help during my early days settling in to the School. Despite his tough exterior and loud bark, he really cares, which was echoed by many staff I spoke to when preparing notes for his leaving speech at the end of term.

He has been a respected and valued member of the School community as a whole; he has a great relationship with the children and has served as an inspiration in the classroom to many of his colleagues. His inclusivity and determination to put the pupils first has seen him succeed in every role to which he has turned his hand.

We wish the Alderman family all the best and Graham and Lynn a happy retirement.

Page 183 - The Suttonian 2018

VALETE 2018

Emily Davies (Staff 2013-2018)

Sacha Morávek (Staff 2013-2018)

Mrs S Rose, Assistant Head

Mr T Cope, Mathematics

I

S

t is hard to find someone with as much energy as Emily.

Her enthusiasm for her job and passion for her subject was infectious and, as a result, we have never had so many children opting for Drama GCSE and Theatre Studies A Level. Her productions were well polished and professional and it is hard to believe that the actors are only children. Les Misérables was a truly awe-inspiring School production and precision-directing enabled Emily and Claire Davies (Staff 20122016) to create a West End standard show here in SVS. As well as Drama, Emily turned her hand to a number of other things – head of department for Home Economics, tutor in The Juniors and the Chef d’Equipe for the re-invigorated School Equestrian team. Within that role, she was the driving force behind last year’s amazing Equestrian event at Duckhurst Farm, where we raised £2,000 for the Riding for the Disabled charity.

Emily was diagnosed with cancer early into her time at SVS, but, never one to miss an opportunity to turn a negative into a positive, she was soon involved in charity fundraising as a young ambassador for CLIC Sergent. She is an inspiration to us and to many others fighting their own battles and demons.

As a professional, she is dynamic in her ability to get what she wants and make things happen. She is charismatic and elegant, a trendsetter and a leader. She is a truly special young lady who spreads a little magic wherever she goes. I feel lucky that a few of those sparkles have landed on my family and we have been able to enjoy her infectious, good-humoured, fun-loving company.

Page 184 - The Suttonian 2018

acha worked at Sutton Valence for a period of five years.

Her bright, bubbly and what can only be described as ‘pink’ persona endeared her to pupils and colleagues alike. Her Mathematics classes were always treated to varied lessons and she could often be heard comparing some of the topics in the scheme of work to either Rugby, cookery or business – all of which were passions of hers in and out of the classroom.

Sacha helped out in CCF and the way she wore her uniform was a style in itself – although not one I feel the British Army should adopt! She was also an enthusiastic tutor in Founder’s who imparted much care and attention to her charges. In fact one of her tutees even had their own ‘box’ stored in her classroom to help his organisation. Jensen, her son, could often be found roaming the Maths department and became somewhat of a mascot – helping Sacha with tutoring and generally keeping her in order. Toby, her elder son, enjoyed his time at the School and was an integral part of the Under 16 rugby team – his future is definitely bright.

Sacha will be greatly missed amongst the Mathematics department and the School more generally. We would like to wish her, Toby and Jensen all the best as she takes up her new role at Giggleswick School in North Yorkshire. She should remember that whilst we bask in the tropics of Kent, she will enjoy the bleak, cold and dreary north!

VALETE 2018

Laura Williams (Staff 2016-2018)

William Clapp (Staff 2016-2018)

Mr C Davenport, Head of English

Mr M Jones, Geography

L

A

aura Williams joined us two years ago, initially as maternity cover. She was an instant hit with the GCSE exam class she inherited and the results achieved that summer were outstanding. For that we, as an English department, will be for ever grateful.

Enthusiasm is infectious and Laura’s classroom style had this in bucket loads, she truly believed in the idea that pupils buy into the teacher and not the subject and used this so effectively to motivate and get the very best out of each individual she taught.

With the need for more Drama provision, the opportunity arose for Laura to remain at the School and she settled into her new role with similar conviction as she had done in the English department. Also taking on the mantle of a tutor in Founder’s, she quickly established herself as a reliable and ever-enthusiastic member of the Common Room.

With Laura leaving us at the end of the academic year to move to King’s Rochester, she signed off in style with a fantastic Junior production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - a real triumph that saw her translate CS Lewis’ famous work onto the stage with not just one, but two different casts.

I am grateful for her professionalism and support over the twoand-a-half years she has spent at the School and wish her well as she moves on and follows her heart into teaching English full-time.

fter a successful stint working in the City, Will made the jump to teaching and joined Sutton Valence in 2016 to complete his PGCE and NQT year.

Quickly establishing himself as an expert in physical geography, Will shouldered much of the Upper Sixth teaching in his final year at the School.

His relatively brief time at Sutton Valence should not belie his commitment and impact on the students and Common Room alike. Will threw himself into a seemingly endless list of School activities. From coaching Cricket, Rugby, Golf and Hockey, to ski trips, weekend boarding trips, helping out with the Equestrian team and numerous Geography field trips.Will laboured to help provide a plethora of opportunities for all of those under his tutelage.

In his two years at SVS, he proved himself to be a pillar of pastoral care. Countless boarders in Westminster, where he was a House Tutor, as well as those in the wider School, knew Will to be a wise and supportive teacher, every exchange peppered with humour and kindness.

Will leaves us to re-join his alma mater, Reed’s School, on the outskirts of Cobham in Surrey. He will be continuing the family tradition, teaching alongside his father in the Geography department and no doubt showing himself to be a sizeable force in all other aspects of school life, as he did at Sutton Valence. He will be greatly missed by all.

Page 185 - The Suttonian 2018

VALETE 2018

Coenraad Wesselink (Staff 2007-11, 2017-18)

Andrey Plommer (Staff 2017-2018)

Mr G Wellings, Head of Mathematics

Dr L Grindlay, English

H

A

I recall meeting Coenie for the first time. He was teaching a Second Form set who were having trouble with fractions. At the start of his next lesson, he pointed out a poster on the wall, it read. ‘Improper fractions helpline, open 24/7’! The humour and dry wit was not lost on the children or myself and this formed the foundation of his teaching.

A dedicated professional, Andrey developed an excellent rapport with younger pupils, while older pupils benefited from his detailed knowledge of the Gothic genre, particularly the novel Frankenstein. Andrey was also a meticulous and committed tutor in Clothworkers’, who involved himself in all areas of School life. He rapidly became a regular fixture at concerts, plays and carol services, showing great pride in the achievements of his tutees and pupils.

aving previously worked at Sutton Valence between 2007 and 2011 as both a teacher of Mathematics and boarding house tutor in St Margaret’s, Coenie came back to help the School last September when the Mathematics department had an unexpected departure. We are forever in his debt.

No matter how challenging the class found the topic in hand, Coenie would always put the pupil first and work tirelessly with them until they succeeded. A master at finding different ways to explain a concept, his enthusiasm and stoic approach always won over pupils and teachers alike.

Coenie, along with his wife Val (who also returned to work at the School in an administrative capacity during the Lent and Summer Terms) have returned to South Africa where they are enjoying their retirement. Their big passion is sailing, and they are spending many happy hours out on the ocean.

A wonderful man, an excellent teacher and an even better colleague. Sutton Valence is a stronger school for having had Coenie’s services.

Page 186 - The Suttonian 2018

ndrey Plommer spent a year with the English Department on a one-year contract. His warmth, generosity of spirit and quiet humour made him a popular member of the Lambe’s community, and we greatly enjoyed his sharp intelligence and quiet humour over coffee and cake.

Andrey brought a certain charm, culture and sophistication to the English department, his elegance of dress matched only by the elegance of décor of his classroom. His elaborate mobile phone park was the envy of all, and has inspired legions of colleagues to follow suit.

Common Room Valete In July, the School also said goodbye to Miss Amy Hughes, who completed her year’s Psychology placement and Mr Paul Lindsay who had been covering in the Physics department for the year.

We wish them both well.

WORLD WAR I CENTENARY

WORLD WAR I CENTENARY “

During the last seven years we have found out so much more concerning those Old Suttonians who fought in the First World War and done much to commemorate their brave endeavours. There was much heroism, and many startling adventures, however, some 20 per cent of OS who fought in the war were killed and this magazine, published approximately 100 years after the end of that terrible conflict, allows us the opportunity to reflect on their fate and to enhance our remembrance of them. Indeed, during the last four years, as the anniversary of each of those who died occurs, the Headmaster has commemorated their sacrifice in front of the whole School.

�

Mr D Pickard OSA Honorary Secretary

Page 187 - The Suttonian 2018

WORLD WAR I CENTENARY

SVS Centenary Commemorations Mr D Pickard, OSA Honorary Secretary

I

n November 1918 the end of The Great War was celebrated by the School in a big way. At 12.30pm on the 11th, the flag (not normally on view as it is today) was hoisted amidst loud cheering, and in the dining room several glasses were smashed, the vessels having been used as joy-bells. The whole School was let off lessons in the afternoon and in the evening a thanksgiving ceremony was held in St Mary’s Church over the road. This was followed by a hastily-organised concert, after which all the School blinds were lifted up and the brightly-illuminated buildings were visible from all over the Weald. Before bed, the rejoicing took a noisy turn. Bells, whistles, rattles and other cacophonous instruments all sounded out into the still night.

This year, 2018, saw the centenary of the end of the First World War remembered in an entirely different, more sombre, mood.

Despite the films we have seen, the war poems we have read, the reminiscences of those who fought we have heard, it is certain that no-one living today has any real notion of just how horrific it must have been to have endured the period of 1914 to 1918.

We certainly have no reason to celebrate something we have not experienced; far better then for us to reflect on the horrors that have been mentioned and to resolve that such a thing should never again be allowed to occur. They that fought did indeed give their today for our tomorrow.

Page 188 - The Suttonian 2018

By the end of the war, the School had grown from about 50 boys in 1911 to nearly 200 strong. But even amongst that increased number, it is a sombering thought that 52 Old Suttonians and three former members of staff lost their lives during the conflict.

Periodically, throughout the war the Headmaster had the awful task of remembering those who had fallen and telling their story to the pupils. The School magazines of that time, and there were three per year, were full of letters written by Old Suttonians from the front, outlining their adventures. Over the last four years, the present Headmaster has also reported on the anniversary of the deaths of our lads as and when they occurred.

Periodically, and frequently, our 21st century adventure has been interrupted by our hearing of the terrible events. We learned, via a letter written to the School by Robert Edmund Denny (1907 L), of the German gas attack in Ypres in 1915. He described how he and his Canadian colleagues were thrust into the breach opened by the retreating French, and how they managed to stop the enemy attack. Pride in his achievement was short-lived – his death was announced just a couple of weeks later. Then, the news prompted Denny’s younger brother (too young to fight) to abscond from School, twice, to enlist and avenge his sibling’s death. After a night in the cells he returned to School, leaving as soon as he could.

Fortunately, he managed to survive the war.

WORLD WAR I CENTENARY

For us looking back, 2014-18 has been a time of remembrance, but from a position of individual comfort. In 1914-18 individual privation was more the case. Fuel was in very short supply; it was common for the boarders to have ice on the inside of their windows in winter; showers were more often cold than warm. The Headmaster had great difficulty securing sufficient nutritious food, though a rural location alleviated some of the deprivation. So bad were things, that at the end of the war, education at the School was only possible because we employed women to make up one quarter of the teaching staff.

At the time this was considered desperation, but in fact they quickly realised that these new staff members were good (just as today, when our staff common room benefits from a very significant female presence – how attitudes change).

Sutton Valence School built its chapel to commemorate those who died in the War. It was not finished until well into the 1920s, so long did it take to obtain permission from the clerical authorities. Once we commenced its occupation, we installed a commemorative plaque to honour the fallen. There were 41 names on it. In recent years we have been able to research much more accurately and discovered 11 names that had previously been missed.At the beginning of this year the plaque received an additional panel and is now complete. No chapel is ever complete without a bell to call the congregation to worship. Just as the School honoured its First World War dead by building a chapel, so in this, the hundredth year after the war ended, the School and the OSA decided to commemorate all those who have fallen in conflict by the installation of a bell on the west wall.

On 9th November this year, the whole School and some distinguished guests witnessed the inauguration and dedication of the bell and the commemoration of the extra names on the plaque in chapel. At the bell ceremony, the names of the dead were read out by our oldest ‘active’ Old Suttonian, Ian Kay (1941 M), himself some 93 years young. Once the names had been read, the bell tolled 55 times, once for each of those brave lads. Chairman of Governors Lady Vallance unveiled the plaque informing us that the bell’s purchase and installation was a joint effort by the OSA and the School. Alex Bartleet (Upper Sixth) played the last post and the choir sang a beautiful anthem. By the time the dedication ceremony had concluded, it was a sombre group of guests who entered the chapel for the School’s annual service of remembrance immediately afterwards.

That ceremony commemorated the additional names on the World War 1 plaque and was centred on the Chaplain talking to us on the theme of loss. At Sutton Valence, we were deemed lucky that we had only one set of brothers killed in the war. The Chaplain told the story of families that had lost four, or even five sons. That said, our fallen boys represented something like 19 per cent of those who had left the School between 1875 and 1918. If that percentage were to be applied to today’s generation of Suttonians across a similar period, our death toll may well have been in the order of 380 - a startlingly reflective statistic.

Joy, gladness, relief and remembrance dominated our thoughts one hundred years ago. This year joy and gladness take a back seat.

“At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.”

Page 189 - The Suttonian 2018

WORLD WAR I CENTENARY

The SVS Fallen Jack Harry Mason Apps (1914 L)

Robert Hugh Alban Cotton (1908 L)

Killed at Bourlon Wood. After his company had taken several German trenches, he turned an officer out of a dug-out and, instead of shooting him, tried to capture him. He pursued him out of the trench and both of them were immediately shot by snipers.

The bishop of London allowed him to leave his curacy and he joined the Army Service Corps as a driver. On his way to Salonica he contracted influenza and passed away after nine days.

Hugh Glynn Baker (1896 L)

Arthur James Crichton MC (1914 L)

Missing in action during the Battle of Neuve Chapelle.

He was seen leading the battalion with a major and it is thought he was blown to pieces by a shell.

Charles Bessent (1903 L)

Norman Cruddas (1898 L)

Died in an accident whilst on ‘home duties’.

In the Boer War, he was in the Imperial Yeomanry and at the beginning of this war he resigned from his post in the High Commissioner’s Office in Swaziland and in the ranks of the Imperial Light Horse he served throughout the arduous campaign in South West Africa. He then obtained a commission in the South African Infantry and came to England.

Edward Winnington Blenkinsop (1913 L) Died of wounds received in fighting the previous day.

Wilfred John Chambers (1913 L) He was the bombing officer to his battalion and was killed after two months at the front.

Herbert James Clifford (1911 L) Joined the Army at the beginning of the war, and became captain in two years. He was killed gallantly leading an attack.

Herbert Stonehouse Coles (1894 L) Died on 16th May 1915, aged 37 in the battle of Festubert, France.

William Duncan Cecil Cooper (1911 L) His artillery unit was stationed on the side of the Ypres canal, a major front-line artillery position, north of Ypres. Virtually every day there would be exchanges of fire between the big guns of the combatants. Cooper was hit by such shelling, taken to Bard Cottage, a farm close behind the depot acting as a forward field hospital, where he died.

Ronald D’Albertanson MC (1909 L) Just two days after receiving the Military Cross for his conspicuous bravery, he was in the trenches at Longueval when he was hit in the shoulder by a piece of shell and died the next day.

Robert Edmund Barry Denny (1907 L) Along with two of his brothers, he enlisted in the Canadian contingent and was severely wounded. Returning to the front he was part of the Canadian forces that retrieved the position in front of Arras after the massive French retreat, suffering the first gas attack of the war. He died a couple of months later, further down the line in Béthune.

Sydney Harvey Dickinson (1895 L)

After leaving School and serving for some time in the Royal Naval Reserve, he moved to Canada. He was in British Columbia when war broke out and enlisted there. During the night of 27th September 1918, he was on operations in an advanced dugout in an opposition trench, together with three comrades after an advance, when a direct hit by a shell killed them all instantaneously.

Joseph Melville Druce (1905 L) He died during the first stages of the great Battle of the Somme and is buried in a cemetery established very close to the place where he died, the cemetery being named after one of the major communication trenches used by the British forces.

Wilfred Robert Bucknall Eyre (1908 L)

He had been in Canada for three years before the war began. He may also have served in the 66th Battalion Canadian Regiment.

He was in the trenches when he was killed in action during the fighting in the aftermath of the Battle of Arleux, one of several engagements that fall under the general title of the Battle of Arras, a major British and French offensive against the enemy.

Claude Henry Fischel (1909 L)

Wilfred John Chambers (1913 L) Died 18 August 1916

Page 190 - The Suttonian 2018

He was at the Middlesex Hospital. On qualifying, he went to Egypt and then to India and Mesopotamia, where he was wounded.

After convalescence at home, he was sent to Italy and from there volunteered to go to France where he was killed.

WORLD WAR I CENTENARY

Valentine Fowler (1894 L) As commanding officer of B company, he landed at Boulogne with the battalion on 10th September 1915. The battalion were pitched straight into the Battle of Loos on 25th September. Captain Fowler assumed command for a while, due to officer casualties during this action. In April, they moved down to the Somme. On July 1st 1916, when the Battle of the Somme began, the battalion attacked just to the north of Fricourt and on July 7th, Captain Fowler assumed command again when Lieutenant Colonel Eddowes was hospitalised. Valentine Fowler fought at Mametz Wood and Bazentin le Petit on the Somme and in October the battalion was moved to the Loos sector. In April 1917, Major Valentine led his men during the Battle of Arras, after which they had a month out of the line training at Heudecourt. May 31st found the battalion at the front again close to Henin, where they endured three days under heavy enemy shell-fire. Major Valentine Fowler was killed during these actions on June 2nd 1917, aged 40.

Stanley Frederic Gabb (1913 L)

Horse, and fought in Palestine. His Military Cross was awarded for bravery at the battle of Amman.

He was at the front for three weeks when he was wounded and died in a casualty clearing station three days later.

James Herbert Reginald Lendrum (1904 L)

Basil Every Gill (1909 L)

Appointed chaplain to the forces in May 1917 and, after serving in a camp at home, went to the front in November 1917. He was killed in action just ten months later.

He was just over a year at the front and was acting adjutant to the battalion. Despite a wound received in July, he stuck to his post.

Eric Hamilton (1896 L)

Eric Carr Liptrott (1906 L)

Hamilton was the first Old Suttonian to be killed whilst serving with the Royal Flying Corps.

He was wounded in the head by a shell and died five days later.

Only a few days before he, with his company, had charged and cleared a German trench without receiving a scratch.

James Molyneux Harrison (1886 L)

Vivian Charles Lowry (1906 L)

Harrison was a professional soldier. He had served with distinction in the South African War and also in West Africa. During World War I, he was a significant figure in one of the Cinderella organisations.

Ensuring that all the soldiers had sufficient weapons and ammunition, other equipment, food and everything else necessary to prosecute the war was a mammoth undertaking and one fraught with danger.

He enlisted as a private, but was commissioned in 1915. He served in France for a second time in 1917 where after being home on sick-leave, he joined the Machine Gun Corps. In April, he was sent back to France only to be killed in the fighting near Bailleul.

Francis Edmund Haynes (1892 L) He had seen service in the Dardenelles, at Suvla Bay. After evacuation from there in 1915, he was transferred with his regiment to Egypt.

Thomas Ross Higgin (1894 L)

He went missing during the general confusion of the second battle of Ypres, when gas was used for the first time.

John Gordon Hollingsworth (1899 L) He had been in the Dardanelles for a month. He took part in the landing at Suvla Bay and subsequent operations. He was killed in a charge.

Henry Norman Samuel Mummery (1913 L) After seeing considerable service in France in 1914 and 1915, where he was wounded at Richebourg, he went to Mesopotamia, where he was again wounded in the attempt to relieve Kut. He returned to France a second time and was wounded a third time and taken prisoner. He died as a POW after contracting pneumonia following influenza.

Alfred Ralph Nethersole CSI (1885 L) He was aboard the passenger ship Persia when it was sunk by a German submarine, in contravention of international law.

Alfred Wyatt Papworth (1896 L) Nothing is known of his death. He is buried in Aix-Noulette Communal Cemetery Extension I.V. 30.

John Calvert Kay (1902 L)

Harvey Spencer Paramor (1905 L)

He was killed whilst gallantly leading a night attack at Ovillers on some enemy trucks. He was wounded whilst getting over the parapet, but went on and was hit a second time and killed on the spot.

He joined the forces in September1914, almost immediately as war was declared and served unscathed for the whole duration. He served in Ireland trying to quell the rebellion there, and afterwards in Egypt, but by June of 1918, he found himself in France. With just four days to go before the Armistice would be declared, he died.

Thomas Llewellen Keen MC (1907 L) After School, he had gone to Australia to seek his fortune. It seems he worked his passage. He enlisted there shortly after the outbreak of war. He fought the war as a lieutenant in the 7th Australian Light

John Wynand Parks MC (1907 L) On 26th May 1918, the 1st East Lancashires transferred to 183rd Brigade, 61st (2nd South Midland) Division and were in action in

Page 191 - The Suttonian 2018

WORLD WAR I CENTENARY

the final advance in Picardy, crossing the Sambre in the first week of November. In late 1918, Parks was wounded during all this fighting and had half of his jaw shot away. He died in hospital in 1919.

Charles Rashleigh Ronaldson (1892 L)

Anthony Boydell Playford (1907 L)

A veteran of the Boer War, he enlisted when the war broke out in the Sportsman’s Battalion and was given a commission. He was killed in an attack on the German trenches by a grenade.When the Germans counter-attacked, his body had to be left where he fell.

He was undertaking a ‘recce’ in no-man’s land when the enemy attacked in force. After the battle, his body was never found.

Julius Brinkley Shaw (1901 L)

Shortly after war broke out he enlisted in the Australian Contingent and was made corporal and subsequently lieutenant.

He disembarked in France with the 18th Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment on 17th November 1915 as a private. He gained his commission on 25th September 1917 and, after this date, he was attached to the Northampton Regiment until his death.

John Walter Pym (1907 L)

Fleming Frederick Smythe (1910 L)

He was on the look out for a sniper and, having spotted him, was about to fire but the sniper was quicker and shot him in the head.

Smythe and his captain were in a small trench at the end of their line when a shell buried them. They were both dead when extricated.

Robert Cecil Richardson (1909 L)

Frank Atkinson Thew (1904 L)

He enlisted in the Border Regiment straight from School and initially served with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force before being transferred to the Western Front.

He went to France with the Royal Artillery in August 1914. He was killed in a gallant attempt to bring in a brother officer, who was lying severely wounded close to the enemy trenches.

Arthur Strangways-Rogers (1912 L)

Geoffrey Holland Thornhill (1907 L)

Charlton Hogarth Prockter (1907 L)

He was at SVS as a small boy for 18 months and then went to Rugby School. He was gazetted to the Grenadier Guards and was killed in the latter stages of the war after some three months at the front. He was shot in the heart by a machine-gun bullet and died as soon as he reached the aid post.

Edward Rogers MC (1900 L)

In the winter of 1914, he and his company had 32 days in the front trenches without a rest; he was really in the thick of the early fighting, was twice wounded and invalided home in January 1915. He recovered sufficiently to be put in command of Labour Companies, first in the Isle of Wight and then at Didcot. While there, he was taken ill with pneumonia on 6th May and died at a military hospital in Oxford four days later.

He had seen a good deal of service in the war, being employed in the Dardanelles and in Egypt before he went to France. For his services in the Dardanelles he was awarded the Order of Karageorge. In France, he did brilliant work, for which he was awarded the Military Cross. On his way back to his billet a high-explosive shell burst beside him and he never regained consciousness.

He was hit by machine gun fire while leading his platoon in an attack between Monchy and Scarpe.

Frederick William Rogers (1911 L)

He joined the army in 1914 and went to France in January 1917.

The part he took in the attack on Bullecourt gained him the Military Cross. He fell, leading his men, in the Battle of Menin Road.

On 15th September 1916, to avoid some deep mud, the party he was in got out of the trench and immediately afterwards a shell burst near them. He was the third of his family to be killed.

John Lancelot Tillotson (1914 L)

Geoffrey Foveaux Trenow MC (1906 L)

Bryan Montague Tuke MC (1909 L) He died in Jamestown, South Africa. As a captain he saw considerable service during the war in Gallipoli, Serbia, Macedonia, Palestine, Egypt and France. He was awarded the Military Cross for gallant conduct in Palestine. Later in the war, however, he was badly gassed, and his lungs were seriously affected. In the hope that the climate would bring about the desired improvement in his health, Captain Tuke went out to South Africa in 1919. Too energetic to be content with an idle life, he worked when he should have rested, and he died in 1919 at the early age of 29.

Thomas Bernard Wiltshire (1909 L) Killed by a shell which landed on the house where he was billeted, he had been in the wireless section of the Royal Air Force, but was attached to the Royal Field Artillery stationed near Amiens.

Robert Philip Wilson (1912 L)

John Walter Pym (1907 L) Died 07 July 1916

Page 192 - The Suttonian 2018

He was part of the second landing at Suvla Bay on 7th August.

When all had assembled on the beach, they were marched off to their objective, the hill known locally as Lala Baba. A charge up the hill was ordered and fighting went on all day and it was close to midnight before the hill was wrested from the Turkish defenders.

Wilson was killed in this conflict and his body never found.

Sutton Valence School North Street Sutton Valence Maidstone Kent ME17 3HL