The Suttonian 2020

VOL. 39 NO. 5

2020

THE SUTTONIAN

The TheSuttonian Suttonian Editorial Editorial Team Team Design Design and Editor and Editor

Mr Will MrRadford Will Radford

Sub Editor Sub Editor

Mr David Mr David Pickard Pickard (Staff(Staff 1977-2001, 1977-2001, 2009-2015) 2009-2015)

Editorial Editorial Assistance Assistance

Mrs Donna Mrs Donna ChildChild Miss Pippa Miss Pippa Goodridge Goodridge Mrs Helen Mrs Helen KnottKnott (Staff(Staff 2002-2018) 2002-2018) Mrs Karen Mrs Karen Williams Williams

Photography Photography

Mr Jordan Mr Jordan DavisDavis (2016(2016 H) H) Mr Jonathan Mr Jonathan Lockwood Lockwood

Printed Printed and Bound and Bound

Lavenham Lavenham PressPress

Editorial Editorial Note Note We were We were delighted delighted with with the resoundingly the resoundingly positive positive feedback feedback aboutabout last last year’syear’s redesigned redesigned magazine, magazine, combining combining both both The Old TheSuttonian Old Suttonian and The and The Suttonian Suttonian to create to create a broader a broader publication publication reflective reflective of theofSVS thecommunity SVS community as a whole. as a whole.

For those For those slightly slightly overawed overawed by the byincreased the increased pagination, pagination, you you will be will pleased be pleased that this thatyear’s this year’s edition edition is more is more streamlined, streamlined, though though that isthat is largely largely thanks thanks to thetoimpact the impact of theofwider the wider challenges challenges that we thathave we have all faced all faced over the overlast the12 last months.

12 months.

The Suttonian The Suttonian has traditionally has traditionally beenbeen an opportunity an opportunity to celebrate to celebrate the School’s the School’s successes successes and, although and, although that remains that remains the case the case with with this year’s this year’s edition, edition, it it wouldwould be remiss be remiss not tonot reflect to reflect the ongoing the ongoing challenges challenges and effects and effects that the that the COVID-19 COVID-19 pandemic pandemic has had hason had the onSchool the School and its and community. its community.

Thankfully, Thankfully, contrasting contrasting the negative the negative impact impact of the of pandemic the pandemic is theis positivity the positivity that that has epitomised has epitomised our collective our collective response response to thetocrisis. the crisis.

This positivity This positivity is feltis felt throughout throughout the magazine the magazine as weas not weonly notcelebrate only celebrate our usual our usual successes, successes, but but equally equally champion champion the resilience the resilience and fortitude and fortitude that has thatcharacterised has characterised our our community. community.

The production The production of a publication of a publication like this likeisthis largely is largely achieved achieved thanks thanks to theto the work work of an of array an array of contributors. of contributors.

In a normal In a normal year, year, their their generosity generosity of time of time and effort and effort is appreciated, is appreciated, but inbut a year in awhen year when they have they have beenbeen facedfaced with the with the adversity adversity of various of various otherother challenges challenges and demands and demands uponupon their their time, time, their their contribution contribution is all is the allmore the more valued. valued.

Whether Whether a staffa member, staff member, pupil,pupil, Old Old Suttonian Suttonian or parent, or parent, I am grateful I am grateful for your for time your and timeenergies. and energies.

FromFrom an editorial an editorial perspective, perspective, I must I must thankthank the Sub the Editor Sub Editor of the of Old the Old Suttonian Suttonian section, section, DavidDavid Pickard, Pickard, whose whose considerable considerable contribution contribution is is invaluable invaluable in ensuring in ensuring the School’s the School’s rich heritage rich heritage is reflected is reflected in its in annual its annual magazine. magazine.

I would I would also like alsoto like thank to thank the editorial the editorial teamteam of Donna of Donna Child,Child, PippaPippa Goodridge Goodridge and Karen and Karen Williams Williams for their for their help, help, together together with with former former member member of staff ofHelen staff Helen Knott.Knott.

ThankThank you toyou all to and, all as and, ever, as Iever, hopeI hope you enjoy you enjoy all that allthe thatmagazine the magazine has tohas offer. to offer.

CONTENTS

Welcome Introduction and Highlights

2

The School

Contents

Academic Update

7

Enrichment Activities

37

Leadership Focus

47

School Community

59

Sport

79

Old Suttonians The Sutton Shield

109

OS News and Events

121

From the Archives

139

Old Suttonian Community

163

Page 1 - The Suttonian 2020

INTRODUCTION AND HIGHLIGHTS

Headmaster’s Welcome Mr Bruce Grindlay

I

f someone had told me last year when I was sitting down to write my introduction to The Suttonian, that in a year’s time, we would have to deal with a global pandemic, develop a new remote way of teaching and have had to have closed the School for a term, I would not have believed them. What an unexpected and extraordinary year this has been and I can only congratulate our community on its resilience, patience and fortitude in dealing with it.

Having said that, every cloud has a silver lining and the experiences of the Summer Term have taught us a lot and demonstrated some real strengths. We have shown how quickly we are able to adapt; how creative and innovative everyone can be; our resilience and determination; and how digital technology and new ways of working can actually enhance, complement and improve our provision and educational offering.

However, what has really stood out for me is how supportive and strong our community is here at Sutton Valence. I have always been struck by the depth of support, understanding and commonality that our extended community constantly displays, but in a period of crisis and adversity, seeing us all pull together has been truly heart-warming. Whether that be the support the Prep and Senior staff showed to each other; the charitable and generous acts of kindness enacted by so many to those that needed us; or by the way the parent and student bodies rallied round, backed our initiatives and worked to make our Virtual Journeys a success.

It has been a pleasure to lead and be a part of such a strong, generous and committed community and I thank you for the part you have played in it.

Central to the success of our community are the Governors and it was such a blow to lose our Chairman, Lady Vallance, at the end of the summer term after a brief illness. We will all miss her support, sage-like advice and expertise and, for many of us, her friendship and love. I know that you would all join me in sending our condolences and best wishes to all of Elizabeth’s family. When we are able, we will hold a memorial service for her and celebrate her extraordinary life and the many years of it she dedicated to Sutton Valence.

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Many have suffered and missed out through the first lockdown but, here at SVS, I really feel for this year’s Upper Sixth who not only had to deal with the fiasco of A Level grading, but were also denied the normal end of year traditions, the rhythms and rites of passage that mark and honour their time at SV. I commend them all, thank them for being part of our community and wish them the very best for the next chapter of their lives.

As I peruse the pages of this year’s magazine, I believe it is clear to see that not only has so much been achieved this past year, but also that we have the capacity to adapt and re-invent ourselves and our way of working. However, what I hope we learn most from this year is the appreciation of what we have: being able to be

together and our rich and fulfilling educational provision that we took for granted eight months ago but that means so much to us. I thank all of our community for participating, trying their best and working together to achieve all we 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 to his task as evidenced in every page of this impressive record of our achievements. History will no doubt judge us on our handling of the global pandemic, but I hope historians uncover this edition of The Suttonian and see how well one small, but big-hearted, community in Kent dealt with the situation and how we have been strengthened by it.

INTRODUCTION AND HIGHLIGHTS

SVS Virtual Journeys Mr David Sansom, Assistant Head

A

s an educational community, Sutton Valence School’s philosophy embraces a breadth of challenges and there was no greater challenge than trying to maintain our vision for the education of our pupils through virtual channels during the difficult time of COVID-19 lockdown.

With the closure of schools coming just days before the end of the Lent Term, the staff body worked tirelessly over the Easter Holidays to create opportunities for pupils to continue to learn and make progress and provide them with access to the support and guidance of their teachers via Microsoft Teams and Zoom video sessions. Pupils were trained in the days before the end of term and more extensive staff training and network preparation took place remotely over the holidays as teachers and ICT staff gave generously of their time to ensure the School was ready for the start of the Summer Term (in addition to looking after children of ‘key workers’ at our Prep School).

The School’s provision was entitled Virtual Journeys in line with the four journeys that pupils undertake at Sutton Valence. Comprehensive guides were produced for pupils and parents that outlined plans for the continuation of their education from the start of the Summer Term and clear, regular communication with parents was paramount during this period. As well as enabling pupils to follow their usual timetable

via live lessons on Zoom and make resources, prep and all work available on Microsoft Teams, the School worked hard to ensure that opportunities for moral, spiritual and personal development were also available.

Virtual Chapel services, weekly Headmaster’s Assemblies, live tutor time each day via Zoom, PSHE and live House meetings enabled the supportive, caring and nurturing environment associated with the School to continue to be available to all. Co-curricular and enrichment opportunities were available each week that helped pupils to gain balance and promote wellbeing whilst working in unfamiliar conditions – Games and PE continued with gusto via the SVS I-Fit programme of video challenges and detailed fitness programmes for each year group, including weekly virtual fixtures against other schools in the South-East. Wider enrichment opportunities were made available for pupils ranging from the School’s Junior Leadership course, Zoomposiums for Scholars, preparation for life beyond school courses for Sixth Form to links for online co-curricular courses. These were just a few examples of the provision delivered.

Whilst the traditional ‘last week of the Summer Term’ programme of trips and residentials could not happen, the School provided pupils with a variety of entertaining and enjoyable activities that allowed pupils to have some time away from the screen and enjoy some communitybased challenges to mark the end of term.

Without doubt, the Virtual Journeys programme was a resounding success, with parents providing a constant stream of positive feedback and overwhelming support. So much so, that when Fourth Form and Lower Sixth parents were surveyed about returning to School after the change in guidance from the Government in June, over 85 per cent voted to continue with the online provision from home and take advantage of three days in School during the last week of term to launch the UCAS process and provide Fourth Form pupils with face-toface academic and pastoral guidance.

What has Sutton Valence learned from this experience? It has reaffirmed what we have always known – that the care, commitment and sense of community amongst everyone at Sutton Valence meant that one of the greatest challenges the School has faced in recent times was tackled with positivity and resilience. Such were the advancements made technologically, that we have been able to accelerate the launch of the School’s Digital Strategy earlier than planned, with all pupils being required to have a digital-ink enabled device for this September, all teachers using Microsoft Surface Pros for lessons and work and resources being used across the Microsoft One Note and Teams applications.

Whatever may be around the corner, Sutton Valence will be more ready than ever and pupils will continue to have access to the highest quality education.

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INTRODUCTION AND HIGHLIGHTS

A Level and GCSE Results Mrs Becci Ball, Academic Deputy Head

D

espite the unprecedented challenges faced by students this year, Sutton Valence School is delighted to announce another excellent set of A Level results. In 2020, 60 per cent of all grades achieved by our students were A* to B, with a very impressive pass rate of 98 per cent. Nearly one in five of this year’s cohort of students achieved three or more A* and A grades.

Once again, 100 per cent of our students who completed the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) passed, with 80 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 enables students to stand out in the UCAS application process.

Amongst the very good results, there were a number of exceptional performances, most notably Lara Savage with a perfect sweep of four A* grades, comfortably securing her place at the University of Cambridge to read Veterinary Science. Isabella Dransfield and Isabella Eyers both achieved three A*s and one A grade and will be heading respectively to Newcastle to read Spanish and Philosophy and Edinburgh to read Law. A further three students, Libby Cavell, Amelia Semmens and Noah Swaine, each achieved two A*s and two A grades. Amelia and Noah will both be heading to Durham to read Natural Sciences and Engineering respectively. Libby will be studying Philosophy and, having reapplied, is currently awaiting responses from her first choice universities.

This has been a truly testing time for all, but in particular for those denied the opportunity to really prove their worth in their A Level examinations.

We are so pleased that our students have received good grades that truly reflect their academic ability. Our Old Suttonians of 2020 can now move to the next phase of their educational journey knowing they were well-

A Level Results - Finn Swaine, Oliver Laird, Paige Davidson, Lara Savage, Noah Swaine and Tom Gray

prepared and fully-supported. The COVID-19 years will be a remarkable chapter in the history books, and we are very proud of the resilience and determination shown by our students and staff throughout this difficult period.

Following the successes at A Level, a week later it was the turn of our Fifth Form, as the eagerly-anticipated GCSE results were released. They did not disappoint and with almost 50 per cent of GCSEs graded 9 to 7, this year’s performance was even more impressive than last year’s achievements.

The percentage of coveted grades 8 and 9 gained by pupils at the School increased again this year, with 28 per cent of our GCSE grades awarded at the very highest level, eight per cent more than in 2019.

Of the 90 pupils in the year group, 29 per cent of the talented cohort achieved four or more grade 8 or 9 (formerly A* grade), with five students each gaining ten or more A* equivalent grades across a wide range of subjects.

There were a great number of outstanding achievements to celebrate amongst this year’s GCSE cohort and, as ever, there were some exceptional individual performances. These include Jonny Russell (ten grade 9s, one grade 8), Holly Clark and Charlotte Farrell (eleven grades 8 and 9) and Evangelina Kargaki and Harrison Murray (ten grades 8 and 9). A further four pupils – Thomas Llewellyn, Suma Rai, Alice Roberson and Alexander Tolhurst - all achieved nine GCSEs graded 8 or 9.

GCSE Results - Jonny Russell, Isabel Bruce-Lockhart, Jessica De Lucy, Chloe Alexander, Joshua Forknall and Charlotte Farrell

Page 4 - The Suttonian 2020

For all of our students, this was one of the most difficult years ever. However, the hard work invested by our pupils along with the guidance and support provided by a dedicated team of teachers has resulted in this outstanding level of achievement. We were delighted with the way our pupils rose to the challenges presented to them and were proud of everything they have achieved - they deserve enormous credit.

INTRODUCTION AND HIGHLIGHTS

Community Support Mr Will Radford, Alumni Relations and Development Manager

A

s well as the considerable amount of work that took place behind the scenes to ensure that our Virtual Journeys programme was up and running by the start of the Summer Term, the School also recognised a need to provide support for its wider community. Over the course of the four months after the initial lockdown had been announced, help was offered to the local community, local NHS services and Old Suttonians. Alongside that, focusing more on our internal School community, a number of initiatives were put in place to ensure that activities and events that would normally take place in the Summer Term, could continue online.

As the School closed at the end of the Lent Term, a number of staff members who live on site and whom otherwise would have used the Easter break to get away or travel, remained in Sutton Valence. As a result, they wanted to do their part by coming up with an initiative to help the local community. Mindful of the number of elderly and vulnerable people living in and around the village, a suggestion was made to provide a grocery delivery service to alleviate the earlylockdown issues of shopping for essentials. As such, postcards were distributed around the village and a WhatsApp group set up for the staff volunteers to manage their shopping rota. Through the initiative, a number of local

residents were able to receive their shopping and we are grateful to the army of volunteers who gave up their time so willingly.

At the same time, the School was contacted by a local GP asking whether we might be able to assist with the production of PPE through the resources available in our Design Technology department. Given the widely publicised shortages, our Head of Design Technology, Mr Simon Kirk quickly set to work on coming up with a prototype design for a visor. Soon a production line was set up, leaning heavily on the willingness of staff families to help.

News of the visor production reached the local press and, as a result, orders began to increase.

With our Senior Deputy Head, Mr Jeremy Farrell, managing the flow of finished visors to front line staff, we were delighted to help local GP surgeries, care homes, the Air Ambulance service and a number of Old Suttonians who work in healthcare. Not content with simply producing the visors, Mr Kirk also shared his CAD designs and through that we were able to help organisations throughout the UK, as well as in Germany and Italy. More detailed information about the visor project is included in the OS News and Events section later, but we are immensely grateful to Mr Kirk and all of those who volunteered to help, in particular Old Suttonian Fergus Fowle (2019 H) who gave so willingly of his time to assist throughout.

Once the Summer Term had started, the focus shifted back to our immediate community and ensuring that the School was able to continue with as many of the usual community events as possible, albeit virtually. The term is normally a mix of celebratory events, for those approaching the end of their time at SVS, and welcoming events, for those about to start their journeys at the School. As the term progressed and it became clear that holding events on site would be impossible, plans were put in place to adapt, whilst still providing the personal focus that make them so special.

Mr Fergus Fowle (2019 H)

For our First and Third Form Induction Days, normally an invaluable resource in allowing new pupils to acclimatise to the School prior to their September start, a virtual induction programme was created and launched online. This included pre-recorded lessons with exciting activities and challenges that the new pupils could undertake at home, as well as interactive Zoom sessions

Mr Michael Law (2018 C)

with their soon-to-be tutors and fellow pupils.

To build the excitement for the event further, each new pupil, totalling around 80 across both year groups, received hand-delivered welcome boxes. This was a mammoth undertaking involving an army of staff helpers, all of whom gave their time so willingly to drive around the Kent countryside on delivery runs.

A similar approach was then taken with the Leavers’ Service during the penultimate week of term. Each of our 84 leavers was hand-delivered a box containing individual notes from their housemaster or housemistress along with their Old Suttonian tie and an invitation to attend a Zoom version of the service. Broadcast live from the Chapel, we were delighted to see the leavers of 2020 on screen once again following the early curtailment of their time at the School. They seemed genuinely appreciative of the efforts taken to mark their departure with as much of a personal touch as possible. Once again, we thank the staff involved; many of whom had delivery routes that ran late into the night.

All-in-all, in a period characterised by great confusion and uncertainty, the sense of community, solidarity and selflessness that we have felt and contributed towards over the course of the Summer Term is admirable and befitting of a School where community holds such importance.

Page 5 - The Suttonian 2020

INTRODUCTION AND HIGHLIGHTS

SVS Foundation Update Mr Will Radford, Alumni Relations and Development Manager

L

ast year we were delighted to announce the launch of the SVS Foundation, an umbrella group designed to bring together the different aspects of the School’s wider community.

Initially this would include Old Suttonians, parents and past-parents, but with the intention to expand in due course to include the SVPSPA (the Prep School Parents’ Association) and the parents of children at HIKSVS, our sister-school in China.

With strong support and enthusiasm from the Foundation’s respective groups, we had hoped that 2020 would prove to be an exciting year, allowing us to fully launch the SVS Foundation with a range of events and initiatives designed to bring together the community. Sadly, for obvious reasons, that was not meant to be, however we look forward to bringing much of that content to fruition in 2021, once it is safe to do so.

Whilst this past year has been disappointingly bereft of events, we have been conscious of using the lack of activity to our advantage and putting in place a framework to support the SVS Foundation moving forward. In that regard, we are undoubtedly in a better position heading into 2021.

Behind the scenes there have been a number of important developments, not least the response to the OS and Past-Parent Update Survey, which we released last November and publicised

through The Suttonian last year. This was the largest survey the School had ever undertaken, both in terms of the number of recipients and the breadth of the information being gathered.

As well as providing vital details for the SVS Foundation, it was also designed to ensure a more robust GDPR compliance. The results were far in excess of what we were expecting; the last time a survey was completed (2016), we had 140 responses, this time we had over 1350.

The response was heartening for a number of reasons: firstly in terms of the number of Old Suttonians re-engaging, particularly those in the 30-50 age bracket. Also, it was fantastic to hear from so many of the past-parent group, who responded en masse expressing a desire to retain a connection to the School and become a part of the Foundation going forward. In the past, whilst the School’s alumni provision has been strong, we have not provided a commensurate offering to past-parents who often hold as strong an affinity to SVS as their children. As a result, we look forward to welcoming them to events in due course.

As well as being a catalyst for the launch of the Foundation, the survey was also intended to support the development of a new SVS Foundation website. After a year of planning, we are delighted to say that SVS Foundation Connect is now live (see below). The site is intended as a hub for all things relevant to the School’s wider community. Replacing svsconnect.com as the social network for OS,

www.svsfoundation.org.uk

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this new site is designed to not only cater for Old Suttonians, but also provide a social basis in a foundation-wide sense.

It offers a comprehensive directory and evergrowing digital archive, a news feed relating to both the School and OS network, as well as all of the professional networking opportunities of its predecessor site. This also feeds into an intuitive careers platform which allows Old Suttonians, parents and past-parents to provide careers advice and mentoring to current pupils or young OS, as well as engage in careers-based events at the School. On the social side, it also offers a complete events package bringing all of the School’s community events together in one place, allowing a streamlined booking process and a clearer approach to event scheduling.

That is really only scratching the surface of what the site offers and, it goes without saying, a networking site’s success is driven by the number of people engaging with it, so we would encourage you to sign up and explore the site.

In the coming pages of this magazine, you will read about the strength of community spirit shown during these challenging times. That is very much the basis of the SVS Foundation and, going forward, we hope to be able to come together as a wider School community to celebrate that spirit, put behind us the difficulties of the last 12 months and mark the significant changes ahead.

ACADEMIC UPDATE

ACADEMIC UPDATE

“

Against the backdrop of all that has happened this year, the results that our pupils have achieved have been outstanding. Our academic provision has been tested like never before and I am grateful to everyone for their resilience and adaptability as we have made the necessary changes. Whilst our Virtual Journeys programme was a resounding success, it does not necessarily lend itself to a magazine where pictorial documentation takes centre stage! That said, I am delighted that we managed to achieve so much before lockdown including a fascinating History trip to Krakow just before Christmas. We have seen the first Kingdon Lecture given by Dr Suzie Imber, and our EPQ programme continues to go from strength-to-strength. Overall, a year understandably lacking some of the more photogenic aspects to our academic programme, but still one filled with quality.

�

Mrs Becci Ball Academic Deputy Head Page 7 - The Suttonian 2020

ACADEMIC UPDATE

Oxbridge News Mr Matthew Jones, Head of Academic Scholars

A

s noted in the earlier A Level results article, we were delighted to announce that Lara Savage, our Michaelmas Term Head of School, was offered a place to read Veterinary Medicine at Jesus College, Cambridge.

Lara joins Old Suttonian Francis Romano (2019 L) , who is also heading to Cambridge having re-applied after a gap year. Francis will be joining Corpus Christi College, Cambridge to read Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion. Given the scale of national and international competition for Oxbridge places, it is a huge achievement to have been accepted and we wish them both all the best with their studies.

We are also delighted to announce that our other most recent Oxbridge entrant, Jessica Grindlay (2017 F) has been awarded First Class Honours in her undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Philosophy (BA) at St Hilda’s College, Oxford.

Jess’ time at St Hilda’s has gone from strength-to-strength. Last summer, following impressive second year results she was made an Allen Exhibitioner and this year, having achieved First Class Honours in both Mathematics and Philosophy, she has now become a full Allen Scholar. She was also the recipient of the university-wide Gibbs Prize in Mathematics and Philosophy for the highest performance in the 2020 Philosophy finals. Jess will now begin her fourth year working for her masters (MMathPhil), which will involve a Mathematics thesis (where she is going to focus on the development of intuitionistic logic) and a Philosophy thesis (which is on feminist epistemology).

Page 8 - The Suttonian 2020

ACADEMIC UPDATE

UWGCF Model United Nations Elliot Gooding (Lower Sixth)

O

n Thursday 10th October, 20 Sutton Valence students participated in the United Westminster and Grey Coat Foundation’s (UWGCF) annual Model United Nations at Queen Anne’s School in Caversham.

We arrived raring to start the lobbying phase of the competition. This is where the pupils of each chosen committee debate and try to convince each other to support their resolutions in order to get enough votes to get through to the next stage.

All of the Sutton Valence teams competed well and secured a healthy number of signatures.

There were some excellent points of information from Katie Lang (Upper Sixth) and Amelia Semmens (Upper Sixth).

During the lobbying phase, Elliot Gooding (Lower Sixth) and Oliver Carter (Upper Sixth) secured the greatest number of signatures in their committee, followed by brilliant debating.

As a result they progressed to compete in the General Assembly with their resolution on the problems surrounding ageism.

After a fulfilling lunch, we enjoyed a speech by guest speaker Nour Sakr, a lawyer for the International Observatory of Human Rights, who discussed the integration of Syrian refugees in Europe.

Talking from her personal experiences in Syria, Nour explained the work she has done to establish charities and how she has lobbied local governments to improve the integration of refugees into communities in the UK. She presented many fascinating points and there were some very sobering moments too.

After this, it was time for Sutton Valence pupils to support Oliver and Elliot in their nerve-wracking speech delivered to the General Assembly.

With keen, witty points the two boys debated well, answering very tough questions pitched by the floor. With excellent professionalism in their responses and valid points, the two boys managed to get their motion passed and therefore were among the winners of the overall competition.

answering questions during the morning and afternoon sessions, winning themselves awards for debating excellence.

Special mention should also go to Fourth Formers James Pepler and Struben Savage and Fifth Formers Holly Clark and Thomas Llewellyn for making their MUN debuts. They were the youngest participants on the day and did a sterling job. All-in-all, it was another successful Sutton Valence performance at the annual Foundation MUN competition.

Lower Sixth Form

Queen Anne’s School

Lara Savage (Upper Sixth) and Oliver Carter also won awards for their skills in asking and Page 9 - The Suttonian 2020

ACADEMIC UPDATE

Academic Scholars Mr Matthew Jones, Head of Academic Scholars

D

espite the inevitable challenges this year has presented, it has been a tremendously successful season for the Academic Scholars and Exhibitioners.

At the start of the Lent Term, the Junior Scholars and Exhibitioners enjoyed a talk by Graham Minter from Amnesty International, which provided a thought-provoking look into human rights.

As you will have read in the preceding pages, the year started with several of our Sixth Formers winning prizes at the UWGCF Model United Nations event for outstanding debating. The Michaelmas Term also saw the inauguration of an annual Kingdon Lecture, open to the whole SVS community. The talk, by the planetary scientist Suzie Imber is covered in more detail later. The Junior Summer Projects were also on display that evening with parents, governors and students able to read and enjoy the superb work which had been produced.

As we then entered lockdown in March, we launched the ‘Zoomposium’ initiative. Each week, a group of Sixth Form students completed some pre-reading and then spent an hour on Zoom thrashing out their ideas and arguments pertaining to what they had read. Topics of discussion included: the relationship between art and morality; Freudian slips and the thorny difficulties of dealing with complexity and facets of life which are unknowable.

September also saw the commencement of weekly Discussion Forums, led by Sixth Form students or members of teaching staff on topics varying from the lyrical genius of Bob Dylan to the ethical questions provoked by a potential rise in driver-less automobiles.

completed an essay on current affairs for the Macdonald Essay Prize. This year, we were thrilled that Henry Macdonald, whose father established the prize, was involved in the judging process.

The winner of the Junior award was Caitlin Calverley and the winner of the Senior award was Katy Barr. Both wrote essays asking ‘Should we test on some species and not on others?’. Caitlin’s essay was excellently researched and woven together in an impressive way. Katy’s argument was exceptionally clear and logical, exploring some complex philosophical questions with maturity. Elyse Ratcliffe, Daisy Dallamore and Sophie Browning were awarded Headmaster’s Copy Prizes for their superb entries.

The quality of listening, debate and argument on display each week was quite simply outstanding.

The Senior students involved proved themselves to be more than intellectually ripe for undergraduate life.

Finally, as is customary in the Summer Term, all First, Second and Third Form Academic Scholars

Dr Suzie Imber Talk

Graham Minter Talk Caitlin Calverley (Second Form)

Our first discussion was about the history of human rights and how divisive the topic can be. We started off by trying to define human rights. I was surprised to find that human rights, as defined by the UN, consists of 30 guaranteed rights; the list even included copyright!

The discussion was then extended to the various personalities currently popular in the news like Malala Yusefzai and Greta Thunberg, who each champion various rights. Malala is campaigning for the rights of girls to be educated and Greta is asking for us to take our planet’s future seriously.

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The group did not realise that these two are both standing up for one of the thirty human rights.

We also discussed Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who is being held captive in Iran. This is a breach of her right to a fair trial, right to freedom, right to marriage and family and right to be innocent until proven guilty. I was surprised by the number of human rights being violated.

We closed with a discussion on how we can help people whose human rights are being ignored and how we must make changes to benefit our environment. Simple changes like reducing the amount of wasted food at lunch would raise our consciousness of the human right to food for all. If we do not make these changes quickly, future generations will not enjoy the most fundamental right, the freedom to live.

Graham Miller

T

he only Kingdon Society talk which was able to go ahead this year was a thought-provoking presentation on human rights by Graham Minter from Amnesty International.

ACADEMIC UPDATE

The Kingdon Society

Dr Suzie Imber Talk Mr Matthew Jones, Head of Academic Scholars

W

e were delighted to welcome Dr Suzie Imber back to Sutton Valence School in October to deliver the inaugural Kingdon Society Lecture on ‘Adventures in Space’. Dr Imber spoke to a large group of students, governors and staff with great passion about her journey and experiences, from her early academic and sporting interests in school to her winning of the BBC Two competition Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?.

Suzie’s success in the competition and her subsequent recommendation from Commander Chris Hadfield, are rooted in her inestimable determination and energy. An elite rower, high altitude climber, intrepid explorer and space weather researcher, Suzie’s prowess as a polymath was truly inspiring. She detailed her current work on the BepiColumbo project, having been a key member of the team who built the Mercury Imaging X-ray Spectrometer (MIXS) instrument which will map Mercury’s surface, with the ultimate aim of improving our preparedness for an adverse space weather event.

We saw a video of Suzie during astronaut training in a centrifuge machine and heard the effect that g-force has on the human body. Another clip showed Suzie and two other contestants in a capsule bolted on the seabed, dealing calmly with an impaired oxygen supply. Various other photographs of Suzie and friends climbing 5,000+ metre peaks in the Andes were awe-inspiring.

One of the things that came through strongly was the importance of grasping life with both hands and taking the opportunities which present themselves. During informal talks afterwards, Suzie encouraged some members of the Upper Sixth to “get involved with everything” at university – valuable words!

Following the lecture and a fascinating question and answer session, the audience enjoyed refreshments and they were able to view some hugely impressive Scholars’ projects completed during the Summer Holiday.

We are immensely grateful to Dr Imber for speaking with such verve and expertise and we look forward to hearing of her future adventures.

Dr Suzie Imber

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ACADEMIC UPDATE

Theatregoers Mrs Fiona Porter, Head of Sixth Form

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his year’s Theatregoers once again provided an opportunity for those in the Sixth Form to enjoy the wonderful productions on offer in the West End and Canterbury. The following is a summary of what our students enjoyed over the course of the year.

The first show of the year came in early October with a visit to The Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury to see the Northern Ballet’s outstanding production of Dracula, as described by Nicole Avery and Charlotte Gilman (both Lower Sixth): “With a bus full of excited girls, we made our way to Canterbury. On arrival, we explored the city briefly before making our way to our seats. After much anticipation, the curtains rose to reveal one of the most intriguing takes on Dracula. The experience was made all the more exciting by the amazing dancers and stage sets. Being so close to the front, we could hear every click from their pointe shoes and every hiss from Dracula.

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From over-the-top facial expressions and the pure desire for blood, it really captivated us until the first half was over. With everyone in awe of the contemporary style of ballet, we could not wait for the second half to start. When the performance finished with an extremely dramatic end, we all rose to our feet and gave them a standing ovation. Everyone left the auditorium saying how ‘fangtastic’ it was and how we all craved more Dracula.”

A month later, our second outing of the year saw us head up to London to see Death of a Salesman at the Piccadilly Theatre. The Young Vic’s brilliantly re-imagined interpretation of Arthur Miller’s classic was a real treat, as Hugh Harman (Upper Sixth) explains: “As most of the Sixth Form students who went on the trip were studying English at A Level, Miller’s play, about the downfall of an ageing salesman from New York in 1940s America, presented many useful themes for coursework.

Clever staging and brilliant acting allowed the audience to see the stages of Willy Loman’s life through flashbacks, from his two sons’ adolescence and the promising American Football career of Biff, before his eventual downfall, to the peak of his sales career. These flashbacks alternated with the present, allowing Willy’s downfall to be represented through these memories that haunted him as a man.

One of the most relevant themes in the play seemed to be the desire for success, yet Willy’s exhaustion begins to hold him back from such success, which pains him greatly. Miller was not exactly on the side of individualistic prosperity and capitalism, which is very much portrayed in his work, and in a time where the world was torn apart by war, Miller was determined to present individual wealth as the separation of society.

Loman’s subsequent death was incredibly moving and left an effect on all the students present. The production was incredible and enjoyed by all.”

ACADEMIC UPDATE With lockdown fast-approaching, we were pleased to be able to squeeze one final production in as we ventured to the Marlow Theatre once again, this time to watch Cabaret.

I am grateful to Hugh Harman, who once again leads us through the production:

terms of the occupation of Nazi Germany during the 1930s. The play finished with a brief dialogue between M.C. and Ernst Ludwig, before M.C. and a group of others gathered in a huddle with their backs to the audience, depicting a gas shower, before the curtain fell.

“The 1973 classic by Kander and Ebb was an eclectic mix of flamboyant comedy and more serious undertones reflective of the harsh times in Germany during the 1930s. The opening numbers certainly raised a few eyebrows, especially for those fortunate enough to be on the side with a full view of a male actor whose towel was dropped. The play outlines the interaction between Cliff Bradshaw and Sally Bowles in one of Berlin’s seedy nightclubs, the Kit Kat Klub.

The musical was incredibly enjoyable, and a great experience especially for those who knew little about Cabaret before attending. The play would definitely be recommended by those that went. A special thanks must go to all the teachers for such a lovely evening in Canterbury, especially Mrs Porter for taking members of the Upper Sixth to what was certainly an ‘eyeopening’ musical.”

The musical’s famous numbers did not disappoint with Don’t Tell Mama and Willkommen being the highlights. Whilst the music in Cabaret lives up to its funky and fun reputation, the moments of realness brought it very much back to its roots in

All-in-all, the Theatregoers have enjoyed a real mixture of productions this year from the razzmatazz of Cabaret to the poignancy of Death of A Salesman with an interpretative version of Dracula along the way too. Unfortunately, our Summer Term trips were cancelled and, whilst sad that we were robbed of a final farewell for

Death Of A Salesman

our Upper Sixth members, our thoughts are with the theatre industry as a whole. The obvious limitations that the pandemic has created have had a devastating effect on the industry and we hope that it is able to recover quickly and that we are able to return to theatres as soon as possible.

Gothic Canterbury Mr Patrick Lee-Browne, Head of English

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arly into the Michaelmas Term, a group of Upper Sixth English pupils spent the afternoon in Canterbury, enriching their study of Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Merchant’s Tale and Gothic fiction.

After an excellent repast at the hostelry of Monsignor Zizzi, the last activity of the day was to watch a performance of Frankenstein at the Marlowe Theatre, complementing the A Level work on Gothic literature.

that became increasingly disconcerting as the monster sought his revenge on his creator. The character of Mary Shelley played a major part in the action to draw parallels between Victor Frankenstein and Shelley as subversive creators.

The group spent the first part of the afternoon on a guided tour of Canterbury Cathedral, following the probable route that Chaucer’s pilgrims would have taken to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket.

The production was rich in technical effects to recreate the awe and terror of the novel, particularly through its use of flash lighting

All-in-all, it was a successful and worthwhile event and our thanks go to Mrs Porter for organising the trip.

Our guide talked through the dramatic murder of Becket in December 1170 at the hands of Henry II’s knights. We were shown the cathedral’s beautiful stained glass windows that present Becket’s life story as well as scenes portraying miracles that were believed to have occurred as a result of prayer to, or the intervention of, St Thomas. Collectively, this helped to put the architecture of the building into its historical context.

Our next step back in time was to The Canterbury Tales experience, where we enjoyed a walking tour of five of Chaucer’s poems that evoked the sights, sounds and smells of their medieval setting. Some of the girls got into the spirit of the occasion by donning costumes to match (as pictured).

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ACADEMIC UPDATE

History Trip to Poland Mrs Amanda Sunde, Head of History

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t the end of a busy Michaelmas Term, 60 students headed off to Krakow for a four-day trip, incorporating much of the city’s rich Jewish history. This included a walking tour of the Old Town, a visit to Oscar Schindler’s Enamel Factory, the Galicia Jewish Museum and, most notably, the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp.

visited a gallery full of photographs that tried to capture what was missing from the city since the Holocaust. The photographs documented derelict houses and villages that once would have been full of life and the gravestones from the Jewish cemetery that were being used as paving slabs. This city was changed forever and the scars are still present, if you know where to look.

When my initial letters went out outlining a trip to Auschwitz, I really did not expect a huge uptake but I was astounded by the response. I was not offering to take them to some exotic location to take ‘selfies’, I proposed a trip to a memorial, made up of little more than brick buildings and barbed wire in the depths of winter. They would get to experience what could happen if we do not stand up for each other and a ‘them and us’ mentality pervades society. They would be challenged, feel uncomfortable and see just how inhumane humanity can be.

Many pupils were surprised to discover that the camp at Auschwitz is actually two camps. One smaller site housed the guards, camp prison and gas chambers. The second, much larger camp, housed the victims who were selected for work rather than immediate execution. On our tour we saw the huge rooms filled with the belongings of the victims of the Nazi regime; artificial limbs, suitcases, spectacles and shoes.

The most poignant of these was the case filled with human hair, some still in plaits and tied with ribbon.

To prepare for the trip to the camp, we embarked on a walking tour of Krakow. We walked the Jewish Quarter and visited a synagogue to get a sense of the Jewish community that would have lived in the city in the 1930s. We also

At the larger camp, words cannot describe the conditions that the victims were kept in. Up to 800 people were in a dormitory that looked very similar to a cattle barn, with no access to water or heating and a minuscule amount of food.

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Standing by the notorious train track that had transported millions to this terrible place, we all had some quiet time to reflect on the terrible events that happened here less than 80 years ago.

It was hard not to be moved by the poignancy of what we had seen, but Auschwitz’s legacy is a sad aberration of the otherwise beautiful and culturally-rich area of Krakow. While we were there, we had an opportunity to see a much lighter side of the city.

The beautiful city square was dripping with Christmas decorations and hosted one of Europe’s largest and most-popular festive markets. We went bowling and visited the Wieliczka Salt Mines that contained some very impressive chambers that served as chapels and ball rooms. We also enjoyed an evening of Jewish music and a folklore show that had everyone up on their feet.

Whilst it might not be accurate to say we ‘enjoyed’ the visit, everyone was very moved by what they saw and we now have a much deeper understanding of this most infamous period of history and this stunning city.

ACADEMIC UPDATE

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ACADEMIC UPDATE

Auschwitz Tobias Dickinson (Lower Sixth)

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s part of our trip to Poland last December, we had the opportunity to visit the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp. This was where the Germans executed millions of Jewish people (along with other minority groups at the time) during World War II. This was the part of the trip that many students, including myself, were most interested in viewing.

Upon arrival at the camp after a lengthy bus ride from Krakow, what initially stood out to me was the sheer size of the place.

It was massive. Tall, brick buildings stretched for miles in each direction. We were split into smaller groups and then began a walking tour around the site, led by a guide. The guides were full of knowledge about the camp and gave us a true insight into what daily life would have been like for the people being held here. The first piece of history we passed was the entrance to the camp, which above it holds a sign marked ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’, meaning ‘Work Sets You Free’. This was a chilling reminder to us of

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what happened here, and my mind drifted to what the prisoners must have thought the sign meant.

We continued to walk around and inside the buildings, one of which contained piles of intriguing objects, such as wedding rings and suitcases. We were informed that these were the last possessions of the prisoners that came here. This was truly shocking. These piles reached all the way up to the ceiling and stunned everyone into silence. Each room in each building contained a new piece of knowledge from the tour guides. I already knew a little about the actions inside the camp, but everything the tour guides said added to this, and I was constantly in shock. Everyone was.

We then moved on to the sister camp, Birkenau. This was situated a couple of miles away from Auschwitz and was even larger.

Wooden and brick huts were in enclosed fields as far as the eye could see. Once again, it was truly eye opening. A single track ran through the centre of the camp. We were informed that

ACADEMIC UPDATE

people would instantly be divided into the ones who could work (strong, young men) and those who could not (everyone else).

The ones who could not were instantly sent to be executed. This information sat with me, and many others, for a while, even after we left the site. I could not even begin to comprehend how the prisoners must have felt. On the far side of the track lay a plaque, reading ‘For ever let this place be a cry of despair and a warning to humanity, where the Nazis murdered about one and a half million men, women and children, mainly Jews from various countries of Europe’. I will always remember that.

The visit to Auschwitz and Birkenau was truly eye opening. To see first-hand the place where a mass genocide occurred was shocking. That is the only word I can use to describe the feeling.

I am glad I have seen the camps, as it is an important piece of European history that should never be forgotten. I would strongly recommend everyone to see it for themselves, and experience the chilling atmosphere of the camps.

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ACADEMIC UPDATE

Daisy Dallamore, James Lloyd-Jones, Elyse Ratcliffe (all Second Form) and Miss Julie Manning

Junior Debating Miss Julie Manning, Head of Debating

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t the start of the Lent Term, our Junior Public Speakers travelled to the Towers School in Ashford to compete in the Rotary Club Youth Speaks debating competition.

The competition, held annually, is designed as an opportunity for young people to develop the ability to speak on a public platform, carry out research and formulate ideas, improve selfconfidence and presentation skills and work as a team.

Sutton Valence had two teams competing in the intermediate section for 11 to 13 year olds and they were up against teams from Benenden School, the High Weald Academy and the John Wallis Academy.

The First Form was represented by Simone Rai (chairperson), Grace Williams (proposer) and Angus Brown (opposer). Simone introduced the topic and her team members. Grace argued that in the year 2020, it is finally time for professional sportswomen to achieve the same level of earnings as sportsmen. Angus had the more difficult job of opposing this motion, but put

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forward some interesting and valid arguments, using examples from Tennis. Overall, they did a great job.

to the Lent Term, that competition did not take place, but all three competitors should be proud to have made it that far.

The Second Form team, made up of Elyse Ratcliffe (chairperson), James Lloyd-Jones (proposer) and Daisy Dallamore (opposer) discussed whether more of us should become vegetarian. Elyse made an excellent start, asking the audience a series of questions about vegetarian food.

James explained why we all need to become vegetarian, or at least reduce our consumption of meat.

Thank you to the parents and Mrs Head who came to support on the night and a huge thank you to the junior debaters for taking part and for giving up so many break and lunch times in preparation for the competition.

Daisy then opposed the motion and explained the reasons why a balanced diet is the best approach. All three of the team members were excellent at engaging the audience with the topic. They were particularly enamoured with Daisy’s argument about not wanting to give up her roast dinner on a Sunday!

Lower Sixth Form

At the end of the evening, we were all delighted to learn that Elyse, James and Daisy had won the Intermediate group and would progress to represent the district in the regional finals in March. Unfortunately, due to the premature end

As well as winning the trophy, the Second Form team each won a ÂŁ20 Amazon voucher.

ACADEMIC UPDATE

ESU Mace Debating Contest Miss Julie Manning, Head of Debating

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n 19th November, our Senior Debating team travelled to Tonbridge School to participate in the first round of the ESU Mace Debating competition.

With former national finalists, Sevenoaks School and Bennett Memorial School also competing in this round, we knew it would be a tough night ahead.

Juliet De Banzie and William Chambers (both Lower Sixth)

Oxford Schools Debate William Chambers (Lower Sixth)

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n March, Juliet De Banzie and I, accompanied by Mr Ellmers, travelled to Dulwich College in London to participate in the Oxford Schools Debate. After a last-minute change of venue and the merger of the South London and South East regional rounds, we were faced with the largest regional debating competition in the country, judged by Oxford debaters with hundreds of participants from schools around the South East.

The competition consisted of debates in British parliamentary style, with each round comprising of four separate teams, each of whom was told the motion for debate 15 minutes before it began, with the teams evenly distributed into the proposition and opposition sides.

Our team, made up of Tarik Abed, Juliet De Banzie and William Chambers (all Lower Sixth), had to oppose the motion that trial by jury should be abolished. Having researched the topic and constructed their arguments under the careful guidance of Mr Ellmers, they were ready to take on their opponents, St. Simon Stock Catholic School.

Firstly, Juliet effectively outlined the history of trial by jury and explained that this system is being used all over the world.

St. Simon Stock, however, suggested that AI machines could replace humans in the future. Will then presented his argument, outlining why trial by jury is much fairer than trial by any other method (including by judge or magistrate). Finally, Tarik closed the debate by summarising our main points.

I was extremely proud of our SVS team who had worked so hard in the lead up to this competition and did an exceptionally good job on the night. Although we won our debate, sadly, we did not do enough to go through to the next round. Previous finalists, Sevenoaks School, who had proposed to make voting compulsory, were the overall winners of the night.

Juliet de Banzie, William Chambers and Tarik Abed (all Lower Sixth)

Each team then battled it out: the opening proposition spoke first, followed by the opening opposition, followed again by a member of the proposition until all members had spoken – all the while being challenged by points of information from opposing teams. Our first debate dealt with the notion that “This House would force the children and families of elected officials to use state-run education and health establishments”.

After a strong opening opposition speech from Juliet, in which she shot down many of the opposition’s points, together with clear opposition reasoning by myself, we progressed to the second round. Despite two further strong speeches, we, unfortunately, did not make it to the finals.

However, given the exalted levels of competition, we were both very pleased to be the first SVS team to reach this stage in this competition.

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ACADEMIC UPDATE

Extended Project Qualification Mr Anton Evans (2013 C), EPQ Coordinator

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n Extended Project Qualification, (EPQ), is a stand-alone research project which can be undertaken

by Sixth Formers alongside their A Levels.

Students who opt to complete an EPQ must undertake thorough research into a selfselected area of interest and then produce a product based on their research. This product can be an essay, an event, or an artefact such as a video, a presentation or a piece of art.

The topic choice, preparation and research process is an excellent opportunity for students to try out university-style learning, which is far more independently focused than the standard A Level curriculum. For most, this is their first opportunity to research outside of their preset syllabi and focus on something they are interested in or passionate about presenting.

Along the way, it is hoped that their respective projects provide an invaluable chance to develop skills such as project-planning, decision-making, record-keeping, evaluation and presenting. As a result, universities are increasingly looking for

EPQs as they evaluate candidates, with some institutions offering lower entry requirements to students with an EPQ, whilst EPQs also translate to UCAS points (worth exactly half of the UCAS points of a standard A Level subject).

This year, the 21 members of the Extended Project Qualification cohort produced some fantastically inventive and impressive projects, which covered a wide range of topics, culminating in a showcase presentation event before the School lockdown. The pupils’ projects took the form of either artefacts with accompanying written reports, or analytical essays which delve into a chosen topic in detail. All pupils presented to a combination of peers and staff on their EPQ journey and spoke eloquently about their new subject specialism.

Projects completed this year included an EP album by Finn Swaine inspired by British rock, this included tracks he impressively devised and recorded himself. Anna Harrison combined her interests in Psychology and an ambition to work with children to create a children’s book, which introduced the topic of depression in a child-

friendly manner. Amelia Semmens surveyed a selected pupil and staff sample across the School as part of her research question, ‘Should the National Health Service fund treatment of self-inflicted illnesses?’. This led to a detailed analysis and a very confident and accomplished presentation. Students that favoured essaybased projects included Isabella Eyers, who demonstrated tremendous self-motivation and dynamic decision-making to complete an essay entitled ‘Does social media shape societal opinion?’. Oliver Carter built on his personal interest in the music industry as he answered the question, ‘To what extent is it easier for artists to be successful in the aftermath of the digital revolution?’.

I would like to congratulate the pupils who undertook an EPQ this year and thank their supervisors for their expert guidance. The cohort demonstrated that hard work and perseverance leads to a very pleasing result, and they thoroughly deserve the high grades they achieved across the board.

Anisha Thapa Magar (Upper Sixth)

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ACADEMIC UPDATE

STEM Highlights Mrs Wendy Loy, STEM Coordinator

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t has been another busy year for the School’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) provision. In September, members of the Fourth Form enjoyed a fantastic day at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, visiting their annual STEM Fair. This is a joint venture between the Army and industry to showcase the breadth of educational and career pathways into STEM careers for young aspiring students.

After a short welcome speech in the Churchill Rooms, our pupils were escorted to the impressive Old College parade ground where there were over 50 stands presenting career opportunities from a wide range of employers from the world of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. Every stand had an interactive element including sniffer dogs, bridge building, flying simulators and the latest camera technology. Our pupils engaged with all the presentations with great enthusiasm, gaining insight into the vast range of career opportunities, work experience placements and training available beyond their GCSE studies.

The Fair also offered a wide range of military representatives, with backgrounds in STEM subjects, who have found successful careers in the armed forces. Popular exhibits were the bomb disposal robotics unit, the intelligence agency and the Apache helicopter, undergoing a service from its engineers. Special mention must go to Toby Butler for his winning shot in the Fire Brigade rescue demonstration and to our three Sixth Form STEM Ambassadors and their enthusiastic efforts on the eight-person circular bike, designed for group travel without the need for an engine.

cancellation of any on-site activities. The Junior Science curriculum was then adapted for online learning so that our younger pupils could enjoy exploring Space, despite the lockdown.

We were very impressed by their engagement in their studies as they ‘Zoomed’ into Space. Their research spanned from the key features of the solar system, to the life cycle of stars and the origins of the universe. The pupils made some fascinating models and presentations of the solar system, sent postcards to their families from far off planets and scripted speeches for Galileo to help him share his developments of the telescope.

people engage so enthusiastically with this student-led scheme.

The pandemic prevented us from submitting any projects for final assessment this year, however, a number of our Second Form had made significant progress towards their Bronze level award. They were given the theme, ‘Our Sustainable School’, to build on and feed into the work of the School’s new Environment and Sustainability Coordinator, Miss Oliver.

There was also an opportunity to review the work of space scientist, Dr Suzie Imber, a past speaker at SVS and winner of the BBC series Astronauts: Do you have what it takes? Several pupils were awarded Headmaster Copy Prizes for their outstanding work and learning in Science.

The pupils chose from three ideas for their investigations: our provision of food through the Refectory; our use of heat and light energy and the potential use of renewable energy on the School site. Their work included scientific surveys, observations, research and measurements, and although they have not achieved CREST awards at this point in time, their work will provide a boost for pupil engagement in our eco-projects over the coming academic year.

Our CREST award opportunities remain a key part of our STEM provision at School. The CREST Awards scheme is the British Science Association’s flagship programme for young people, designed to inspire and engage them in STEM subjects. Students have to take an enquirybased approach, asking real-life questions, then leading their own project to explore possible answers. It has been wonderful to see our young

Plans are already in place for CREST activities to continue into the new academic year. Several of our upcoming Sixth Form students have made proposals for projects at Silver level, ranging from the use of magnetism, the dangers of ultraviolet radiation and the design of new light bulbs. We look forward to returning to the Science labs and following their progress on these challenging ideas.

We all enjoyed a picnic on the famous steps of Old College with a chance to see the Princess Royal and the Academy Commandant as they toured the Fair. The day ended with a visit inside the Old College building, sadly not to join the Royal lunch party, but we enjoyed a fascinating Q&A session with a panel of representatives from ICT and the military. This activity was all the more interesting to us as a School, as one of the speakers was a new graduate now serving as an officer for one of the Gurkha regiments.

Space was to be the theme of our Science week in March, before the pandemic resulted in the

Sandhurst STEM Fair

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ACADEMIC UPDATE

A Level Design Technology Coursework Mr Simon Kirk, Head of Design Technology

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his creative and thoughtprovoking qualification gave pupils the practical skills and theoretical knowledge to apply their creativity, by producing prototypes of their choice. The students gained a real understanding of what it means to be a designer, and work closely with a client throughout the design process.

Some of the stand out designers included Elizabeth Fraser, who investigated the challenges of training for fencing on your own, and looked to design a product that can be used at home. Sam Mostowfi’s design assessed the problems associated with storing powdered chalk in gymnasiums and Jade Neale conducted intensive research to guide her iterative designing towards the creation of a toy/treat dispensing unit for dogs.

Elizabeth Fraser (Upper Sixth)

Sam Mostowfi (Upper Sixth)

Jade Neale (Upper Sixth)

Enriching Design Challenge Mr Simon Kirk, Head of Design Technology

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his year has seen a real commitment to design innovation, with pupils producing several artefacts, accompanied by well-documented reports.

The fabulous independent work both Daniel Wild (Fourth Form) and Edith McNair (Third Form) completed saw them awarded Headmaster’s Copy Prizes. Both students seized the opportunity to take up the challenge and develop their curiosity and problemsolving skills, by engaging in the enriching activities that the Design Technology department offers.

Students were set the challenge to design and construct a vehicle powered by a single rubber band. This required students to cover the concept of propulsion and the engineering design process, to develop solutions to the given brief. A set of constraints were given whilst responding to this challenge: the vehicle was to travel as far as possible in relation to horizontal distance measured; the

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vehicle could not have any human energy input; the construction materials had to cost less than ÂŁ3.00 and the vehicle needed to transport the weight of one standard/medium sized chicken egg.

The students showed real engagement with this project and clearly enjoyed the challenge.

ACADEMIC UPDATE

GCSE Design Technology Coursework

Yves Davis (Fifth Form)

Joshua Forknall (Fifth Form)

Isabel Bruce-Lockhart (Fifth Form)

Rosie Catling (Fifth Form)

Jessica De Lucy (Fifth Form)

Alexander Tolhurst (Fifth Form)

Michael Summers (Fifth Form)

Felix Connell (Fifth Form)

Kaylan Thapa (Fifth Form)

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ACADEMIC UPDATE

Oliver Jones (Upper Sixth)

Anisha Thapa Magar (Upper Sixth)

George Baker (Upper Sixth)

Jade Neale (Upper Sixth)

Media Studies Coursework Mr Julian Zane, Head of Media Studies

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he unique COVID-19 circumstances that we found ourselves in earlier this year failed to dampen the creative spirits of the Media Studies cohort of 2019 – 2020. Whilst lockdown meant that some of their web and radio work remained unfinished, most of the final year A Level students managed to get their print work finished and submitted to a very high standard.

groups to really get their teeth into an interesting area of media production.

One of the great things about Media Studies is the way the subject allows students to explore, develop and utilise their creativity in a focused way. This year’s A Level brief, set by the examination board, required students to make media products for an alternative, less mainstream audience and this allowed our

Other students introduced us to different cultures and film marketing campaigns that really understood the visual style of British independent film making. Examples of those included Oliver Jones’ work above, entitled Into The Void and George Baker’s horror-inspired work, Suspicious Mind.

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Our students produced an interesting collection of coursework that spanned across various different genres and design styles. This included travel magazines that encouraged the exploration of the seven seas - including Jade Neale’s excellent Travel Guru. magazine, showcased above.

In addition, some students opted to produce specialist magazines such as music publications that convincingly utilised conventions of the rap genre or magazines for the aspiring artist, such as Anisha Thapa Magar’s work Artisco above. As well as these examples, others opted for the likes of alternative food, golfing and photographic magazines.

As ever, we were highly impressed with the final productions and many demonstrated both a professional gloss and an insightful understanding of the needs of their chosen audiences and media contexts. The best work was original and visually exciting and a flavour of it is reproduced here.

ACADEMIC UPDATE

Head of Art Report Mr Martin Thompson, Head of Art

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espite this year being one of the most remarkable and unprecedented in living memory, I am so proud of the progress that continues to be seen in Art and Photography at SVS. A*- A pass rates were 89 percent in A Level Art, 67 per cent in A Level Photography, and 86 per cent (grade 9-7) at GCSE.

Earlier in the year we were able to take our Sixth Form photographers to Dungeness, and to X-ray artist Nick Veasey’s Process Gallery, as well as taking the artists on a Street Art Tour in Shoreditch, London. Fourth Form GCSE students were taken to the Tate Modern for a day, and drew the London City skyline from the riverside.

These results are truly outstanding, and were reflected in the quality of work on display at both the United Westminster and Grey Coat Foundation Art Exhibition and our own end-of-year exhibition in Gulland Hall (with its accompanying Virtual Exhibition). Sadly, this year, our A Level and GCSE artists and photographers were unable to complete their examination projects, but I was hugely impressed with the diligence, independence and resilience that all pupils demonstrated throughout the lockdown period.

Finally, this year’s Art competition, Endangered Species, encouraged students of all ages to respond creatively to the plight of threatened animal species. We were delighted to see the sensitive and thoughtprovoking manner in which our School community reacted to this challenging subject matter.

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ACADEMIC UPDATE

GCSE Art

Coursework

Honor Whiteley (Fifth Form)

Charlotte Lang (Fifth Form)

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Sophie O’Reilly (Fifth Form)

Ben Knighton (Fifth Form)

Grace Kent (Fifth Form)

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Natalie McCormick Fifth Form)

Charlotte Holmes (Fifth Form)

Evangelia Kargaki (Fifth Form)

Isabel Bruce-Lockhart (Fifth Form)

George Abrehart (Fifth Form)

Samuel Parsons (Fifth Form)

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ACADEMIC UPDATE

Evangelia Kargaki (Fifth Form)

Charlotte Lang (Fifth Form)

Honor Whiteley (Fifth Form)

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Clayton Olson (Fifth Form)

Jessica De Lucy (Fifth Form)

Kalyan Thapa (Fifth Form)

Imogen Taylor (Fifth Form)

ACADEMIC UPDATE

Tate Modern Trip Mrs Ngaere Sutton, Teacher of Art

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n 7th November, the Fourth Form artists went on a research trip to the Tate Modern and the South Bank in London. The Tate Modern houses the United Kingdom’s national collection of British art, as well as international contemporary and modern art.

In the galleries, students were inspired by the range of twentieth century and contemporary pieces on display. They spent time drawing and responding to the artworks, in order to add ideas to their coursework project.

The Media Networks gallery looks at how artists have responded to mass media and changing technologies.

Andre Fougeron’s Atlantic Civilisation provided an interesting opportunity for students to collect ideas.

After lunch, students were given the opportunity to gather some first-hand observational studies from the Thames and London’s architectural skyline.

UWGCF Art Exhibition Mr Martin Thompson Teacher of Art

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n December, the United Westminster and Grey Coat Foundation held their annual Art exhibition at the Tanya Baxter Contemporary Gallery in Chelsea.

All five UWGCF schools were well-represented, with a strong and diverse body of work featuring Art and Photography at GCSE and A Level, as well as a collection of mixed-media pieces by students from SVPS. As always, the event was very well attended, as an engaged and enthusiastic audience of students, parents, teachers and dignitaries moved around the impressive display.

Former students, Phoebe Aucamp (2019 C), (Henry Jones (2019 H), Jack McNama (2019 H) and Verity Streek (2019 S), as well as current students, Isabella Dransfield (Upper Sixth), Molly Veasey, Connor Field, Tess Pritchard and Jack Walker (all Lower Sixth), all had work on show.

Grace Mitchell, Connor Field, Molly Veasey and Tess Pritchard (all Lower Sixth)

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ACADEMIC UPDATE

Street Art Experience Elliot Gooding (Lower Sixth)

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n Wednesday 2nd October, a group of Sixth Form Art and Photography students and staff travelled by coach to Old Street, London where we took part in a street art tour around Shoredith and Old Street. The tour was led by UK street art journalist, Dave Stuart, a leading critic and expert.

As part of the day, we toured the East London streets gaining valuable contextual knowledge on pieces by different street artists, such as Jimmy C from Australia who specialises in the art of pointillism, using large spray paint ‘drip dots’ to make the portrait, instead of tiny paint dots. We discovered that Shoreditch is the world’s epicentre for street art and home to many of Banksy’s famous pieces, as well as other street artists who have developed influential and unique styles.

On our trip, we also had the opportunity to explore the Pure Evil art gallery, which gave us an insight into contemporary street artists' workspace and imagination. The gallery was unique, and showed how a street artist can make the transition from the urban to the commercial fine art context. We really enjoyed the non-elitist and inclusive nature of the gallery, allowing the pupils to get up close to the art and ask questions about the artist’s inspiration.

The street art revolution has had a profound influence upon contemporary fine art and modern design practices. The trip was a great opportunity for us to contextualise this movement, and to open our eyes to the myriad of creative possibilities arising from this emerging artistic genre.

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I particularly enjoyed exploring a very abstract and vibrant alleyway plastered with artists’ paste-ups and stencils originating from a wide range of contexts and backgrounds, each with their own personal message.

Our thanks go to Mr Thompson, Mrs Sutton and Miss Schofield for the trip; it provided real inspiration which I am sure will benefit our coursework going forward.

ACADEMIC UPDATE

Anisha Thapa Magar (Upper Sixth)

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ACADEMIC UPDATE

A Level Art

Coursework

Jade Neale (Upper Sixth)

Isabella Dransfield (Upper Sixth)

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Jasper Van Diepen (Upper Sixth)

Erin Densham (Upper Sixth)

Isabella Dransfield (Upper Sixth)

ACADEMIC UPDATE

Edward Wheble (Upper Sixth)

Erin Densham (Upper Sixth)

Gabriella Howarth (Upper Sixth)

Jack Lewis (Upper Sixth)

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ACADEMIC UPDATE

Dungeness Photography Trip Mr Martin Thompson, Head of Art

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group of ten A Level Photography students travelled to Dungeness, to undertake a landscape-based photo-shoot as part of their coursework project. The weather was beautiful, bringing clear skies and stunning views, a stark contrast to the many discarded, crumbling fishing shacks and boat wrecks that lay along the beach. Pupils captured images that were reminiscent of a bygone era – a working fishing village that had evolved into an outdoor museum.

During the afternoon, the group visited the artist Nick Veasey in the Process Gallery, his impressive working and exhibiting space. Nick is a well-known photographer and artist, who specialises in using X-rays to reveal what lies beneath the surface of everyday items. These images challenge our obsession with image and superficiality, as Nick hopes to let the intrinsic beauty of things shine through using X-ray technology and convince us that it is what is inside that counts.

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Looking through his X-ray images, the students were struck by the scale, honesty and remarkable details in his breathtaking artworks. Nick helped the students create their own X-ray images of everyday objects including Barbie dolls, phones and robots in his purpose-built radiation chamber.

It was a fantastic opportunity to explore some innovative approaches to creating images. The students returned to SVS enthused by the differing perspectives the day’s activities had given them.

ACADEMIC UPDATE

George Barton and Connor Field (Lower Sixth)

Harrison Ashdown and Sebastian Owen (Lower Sixth)

Jack Truman (Lower Sixth)

Harvey Sladden (Lower Sixth)

Sam Allison and Oliver Payne-Cook (Lower Sixth)

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ACADEMIC UPDATE

A Level Photography Coursework

Jack Laing-Williams (Upper Sixth)

Oliver Jones (Upper Sixth)

Elizabeth Drummond (Upper Sixth)

Above and main image on page 25 - Amie Stuart (Upper Sixth)

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Daniil Nikolaev (Upper Sixth)

Reuben Hodson (Upper Sixth)

ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

“

With our Music and Drama provision spread throughout our academic year, it was pleasing that much of the usual programme of activities in both areas managed to run as planned prior to our transition to online tuition. Some of the highlights of those first two terms included the fantastic senior production of The Sound of Music, showcasing the theatrical talents of students throughout the School. Led by some stellar performances from our senior pupils, the show was a real triumph. Musically, we enjoyed a varied programme of informal concerts as well as the Foundation Concert at St John’s, Hyde Park and the School’s outstanding Carol Services. What is equally pleasing though is the resilience of both departments to embrace the challenges of remote learning when it arrived. This was epitomised by the adapted plans for Rainbow’s Ending, which went from a stage production to a podcast play effortlessly. My thanks go to both departments for their tireless work this year.

”

Mr Bruce Grindlay Headmaster Page 37 - The Suttonian 2020

ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

Director of Drama Report Mr Ben Fewson, Director of Drama

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hat a year! I am sure that I am not the only head of department that feels that this has been one of the longest – and at the same time shortest years that I can remember! It has been a hugely challenging, but nevertheless successful year in the Drama department.

Senior Production - The Sound of Music January this year saw the Drama department once again team up with our excellent Music department to produce an enjoyable, uplifting and vibrant production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, The Sound of Music.

I had chosen the piece knowing the incredible talent in our Sixth Form and with the confidence that we had the performers to do the piece justice. Where I had some trepidation however, was with the difficulty posed in weaving together the various ages of the characters. In short, I was unsure if we had the strength of performer lower down in the School to choose actors to play the younger Von Trapp children. I need not have worried!

The talent demonstrated in the first auditions, and the warm welcome these younger performers were given by their older counterparts, set my mind at rest and again showed what a special community we are at Sutton Valence. The rehearsal schedule was punishing. Mr Moulton led the vocal rehearsals and I began demanding increasing amounts of the cast’s time trying to bring the iconic scenes alive for a new audience.

In addition, and perhaps most gruelling of all for many of the performers, were Mrs Howell’s energy-sapping dance rehearsals.

The students on stage bonded together wonderfully well and faced every challenge with humour and hard work. This was never better demonstrated than the full hour-long rehearsal a week before the performance that, as a result of a village-wide power cut, took place by torch light!

Another successful sold out production, showing the School’s many talented operators - whether that be the number of students operating the lighting, sound or working in Mrs Buckland’s crack backstage crew, or the fantastic Page 38 - The Suttonian 2020

orchestra (featuring pupils and Old Suttonians) that will live in the School’s memory for some years to come. Special mention here has to go to Mr Horley, who at short notice stepped in for Mr Moulton who had to go on paternity leave on the week of the show (congratulations to him and his wife). Mr Horley ran the musical with his customary understated brilliance.

LAMDA Examinations The LAMDA results are increasingly successful every year, with 100 per cent of the students who took the exams receiving Merit or above.

Many of these were the Junior performers, which is a hugely encouraging sign of the talent coming through the School.

Junior Production - Rainbow’s Ending In a final act of defiance to the lockdown, we were able to produce the enthusiastically rehearsed Rainbow’s Ending. This engaging and thought-provoking piece of work again demonstrated the School’s ability to adapt and to keep being creative at this most testing of times.

The two group pieces were full blown productions in all but name, each taking place in its own space with particular technical set-ups for each extract. The groups used Steven Berkoff as their chosen practitioner, which presented them with many stylistic challenges. Berkoff’s style of movement and delivery required the students to be hyper-controlled in their movements, gestures and speech patterns – leading to many difficult rehearsals.

The groups kept their spirits remarkably high through these challenging times, and in the final weeks were able to become much more attuned to the heightened theatricality. This was hugely satisfying for the Drama staff to see as the creative distance that the students had travelled in the rehearsal process was nothing short of magical.

In the shadow of the School being locked down with the rest of the country and with the again unwavering support of Mrs Ball and of course Mr Farrell, the massively successful performances were able to take place. As a result of this, students were able to demonstrate their skills one last time; leading to them all achieving the grades that their hard work richly deserved.

Special mention must go to the cast, the relentless Mrs Buckland, who directed, and the wonderful Charlotte Gilman (Upper Sixth) who served as assistant director. Collectively, they never gave up on the project in the face of such adversity.

Senior A Level Performances As part of their coursework this year, the Upper Sixth A Level Drama students took part in their senior examination pieces in the final week of the Lent Term.

The monologues undertaken by each student were hugely powerful this year. This reflected the fact that this was one of the strongest groups of performers we have been lucky to have in some time. There were diverse performances from playwrights like Duncan MacMillan, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Ariel Dorfman and Euripides each a well-judged result of months of individual research and character development.

Josiah De Bono and Finn Swaine (both Upper Sixth)

Amber Brinkman, Oliver Carter and Paige Davidson all Upper Sixth), Charlotte Gilman and Patrick Mullen (Lower Sixth), Sophie Browning (Third Form) and Lily Dowling (First Form)

ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

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Enrichment activities

The Sound Of Music Charlotte Gilman (Lower Sixth)

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musical full of elation, decadence, mischief, hatred, villainy and one strong-minded woman who we all hold near and dear to our hearts, allowed us to take parents, students, Old Suttonians, governors and many more to Austria in 1938.

For three nights The Baughan Theatre transformed into the home of seven headstrong children, a troubled captain, gossiping nuns, a few Nazis, a sarcastic butler and a woman who wears her heart upon her sleeve and always has a song on her lips. This allowed us to perform The Sound Of Music. Being such a classic musical there was an immediate buzz in the cast from the start. The cast ranged in age from our two Gretls (Rachel Farrell and Lily Dowling) in First Form, to the Upper Sixth. Through the rehearsal process the whole cast bonded and we became a family in our own right, showing Sutton Valence’s true community spirit. This in turn allowed us to connect with our characters more.

The rehearsal process was truly one to remember. The familiar songs meant everyone came into the first rehearsal already singing them. Even though we didn’t have Richard Rogers, we had the amazing School orchestra led by Mr Horley playing live music on all three nights. This immersed not only the audience but also us, acting on stage into the heart of the story. It is fair to say that everyone poured their heart and soul into all the performances and the singing. Patrick Mullen was particularly impressive, singing ‘Goodbye’ in So Long, Farewell, blowing us away with his high range! The performance could not have been complete without Mrs Howell’s incredible choreography, utilising the amazing set and a bed that folded up to be rushed off stage… not all the time. It all paid off as it created a wonderful atmosphere.

As it was a musical, this also could not have been done without Mr Moulton teaching us all the complicated four-part harmonies and spending extra break times with us to make sure they were cemented into our brains. Seeing the audiences’ reactions through shedding tears, huge smiles and wide eyes really made all the blood and sweat worth it. A huge thank you must go to James and the crew for lighting and building an amazing set, Mrs Buckland and Jamie helping backstage to make sure everyone was where they needed to be at the right time and of course Mr Fewson for directing another unforgettable School production.

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ENRICHMENT activities

Paige Davidson and Oliver Carter (both Upper Sixth), Patrick Mullen and Charlotte Gilman (both Lower Sixth) and Lily Dowling (First Form)

Isabelle Cook and Finn Swaine (both Upper Sixth)

Gabriella Howarth (Upper Sixth)

Jasper Van Diepen (Upper Sixth)

Bethan Pepler, Paige Davidson and Amber Brinkman (Upper Sixth) and Lily Dowling (First Form)

Bethan Pepler (Upper Sixth)

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Enrichment activities

Music Report Mr Phil Horley, Director of Music

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wonder how many of my colleagues’ reports in this year’s magazine start with the words “what a strange year”. It was certainly different...

It started so well with the Music department barbecue organised by Elizabeth Drummond before serious work began with the Foundation Concert at St John’s Hyde Park. Here the Chamber Choir, under the direction of the Headmaster, performed a couple of solo items and then lead the combined choirs in a performance of The Heavens are Telling by Haydn with SVS providing the three soloists - Elizabeth Drummond, Tom Gray and Oliver Carter (all Upper Sixth).

The Carol Service is always a highlight and this one was no exception.

It was also the first under our new Choir Director, Mr Danny Moulton.

With traditional carols being sung with the congregation, plus some old favourites and new pieces performed by the choir, it is a lovely way to introduce the Christmas spirit at the School.

And then came the new year; what a year! The first thing was the Sound of Music, which is reviewed elsewhere, but it was great to see so many of the Chapel Choir on a different stage. For the second time in as many years, I found myself directing and playing in the orchestra at very short notice, which had its anxious moments but very enjoyable.

It was also good to see Jack Price (Lower Sixth) in the orchestra as well as Old Suttonians Annie Pullar (2013 F) and Lara Bowles (2018 H).

And then rumours arose - COVID-19! The orchestra was hard at work with two pieces, by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Abba which was fun, the Senior Strings working on a work by the Swedish composer Dag Wiren, the Chapel Choir working on a variety of repertoire, some old, some new. All getting ready for the big concert in April. And then sudden goodbyes in March to the wonderful Upper Sixth, especially Elizabeth Drummond, Bethan Pepler and Finn Swaine. Onto Zoom teaching and rehearsals with Microsoft Teams.

My thanks go, as always, to the staff in the Music department, to Danny Moulton for coming in and running the Choir and especially to David Holmes for all the work he does, especially in keeping me sane.

And finally to all the pupils who make up the Music department, the coffee morning group, the ensembles and everyone who shares the hard work, the laughter and the incredible music making.

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ENRICHMENT activities

Informal Concerts Mr Phil Horley, Director of Music

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his year’s programme of informal concerts was slightly shortened, but we still managed four fantastic evenings of Music. It was a shame that our usual summer concert, traditionally a fitting farewell to the Upper Sixth musicians was not able to take place, but overall the year saw some phenomenal performances from musicians across all seven year groups in the School.

Our first concert, on 10th October, was played in front of a small, but supportive, audience.

This first concert of the year is traditionally a chance for pupils to perform pieces which are still a ‘work in progress’, revealing to them what needs to be revised with extra practice, helping them to conquer nerves and preparing them for examinations.

The performances, without exception, were to a high standard. Sophie Browning (Third Form) played the heart rendering theme from Schindler’s List, with Mr Holmes on the second violin, giving even more poignancy. Asia Davies (Fourth Form) performed Adele’s Someone Like You and Elizabeth Drummond (Upper Sixth) got into character from My Fair Lady. Amazingly, Lara Savage (Upper Sixth) stepped straight off the bus from the Model United Nations conference in Reading, to perform Leonard Bernstein’s Somewhere.

Jack Price (Lower Sixth) then closed the evening with a performance of Fritz Kreisler’s Praeludium and Allegro to end, which was so good it got a hug from Mr Holmes! I am presuming this was the equivalent of a ‘Hollywood handshake’ from The Great British Bake Off. A month later, on Thursday 14th November, we held our second informal concert of the year. This saw a large audience enjoying some fantastic music for over an hour. Pupils from First Form to the Upper Sixth put on an entertaining and high-quality show. Listeners were treated to wonderful pieces including a performance by Felix Connell (Fifth Form) of Minsky’s Broadway, Elizabeth Drummond tackling Adelaide’s Lament from Guys and Dolls and Amber Brinkman’s delightful rendition of Misty by Erroll Garner and Johnny Burke.

Early on in the Lent Term, we held an informal concert largely as a means of showcasing our

junior musicians. Unfortunately the programme was slightly reduced due to illness amongst the lower years, but that didn’t stop a small appreciative audience enjoying some fantastic music by the young performers.

I Dreamed a Dream, Joseph performed Stars and Charlotte sung On My Own. Nicole Avery (Lower Sixth), as pictured below, also went down the musicals route singing Rodgers and Hammerstein’s If I Loved You from Carousel.

To start, Otis Meneses-Bautista (First Form) charmed the audience with her rendition of Lionel Bart’s Where is Love from Oliver!, Grace Manning-Greene (First Form) then performed Astor Piazzolla’s Chiquilin de Bachin on the violin and Emily Slipper (Second Form) gave a measured performance of Jean Sibelius’ Joueur de Harpe on the piano. Avery Fletcher (Second Form) performed the first movement of Handel’s Sonata in F Major and Evie Smith (First Form) sung Jay Althouse’s traditional arrangement of Shenandoah.

In their final solo performances at the School, Katie Lang (Upper Sixth) gave a fantastic rendition of Billy Joel’s New York State of Mind, Oliver Carter (Upper Sixth) played the guitar and sang Redbone by Childish Gambino and Finn Swaine performed Old Man River by Kern and Hammerstein.

Some of our more ‘senior’ musicians then took to the stage with Sophie Browning (Third Form) playing Bach’s Giga from E Major Partita and Jack Price (Lower Sixth) giving an exquisite rendition of the first movement of Édouard-VictoireAntoine Lalo’s Symphony Espagnole. As he began to prepare for his conservatoire interviews, this was invaluable practice in front of a supportive audience.

Finally, on the week before lockdown, the musical community came together for what would prove to be our last concert of the year.

Thankfully though, we went out on a bang with a varied programme spanning all year groups.

Away from the vocal performances, Emily Slipper played Cornick’s Film Noir on the piano and Felix Connell played Goltermann’s La Foi on the violoncello, whilst his sister, Phoebe (Third Form) played Oster’s Rondo on the bassoon.

Violin pieces included Jonty Gillett (Second Form) performing Petite Rhapsodie Hongroise

by Carol Bohm, Alexander Tolhurst (Fifth Form) playing Bloch’s Viduion and Jack Price performing Bloch’s Nigun.

Whilst we had no idea at that stage that the musical year would come to an abrupt end, the level of performance on the night made it a fitting finale to a wonderful year of concerts.

Jack Price and Nicole Avery (Lower Sixth)

Vocal performances included Darcy Hanna singing God Help the Outcasts by Alan Menken, Daisy Dallamore (Second Form) performing Somewhere Over The Rainbow by Harold Arlen and Raphael Shaddick singing How Lucky You Are

by Stephen Flaherty.

Maisey Russell (Third Form) and Sophie Browning performed a duet of Homeward Bound by Marta Keen, with Sophie also tackling Andante in A,

by Haydn on the piano. Martha Tatnell and Asia Davies gave a beautiful rendition of Adele’s cover of Make You Feel My Love accompanied by Grace Bartleet on the piano. Asia also returned to the stage to tackle another Adele song, Turning Tables.

Helen Chambers (Fourth Form), Joseph Gillett (Fifth Form) and Charlotte Gilman (Lower Sixth) all chose songs from Les Misérables. Helen sang Page 43 - The Suttonian 2020

Enrichment activities

Kent County Youth Orchestra Mr David Holmes, Head of Strings

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his year, the Music department was delighted that seven of our string players were invited to be a part of the Kent County Youth Orchestra (KYCO), performing at concerts in September and December.

Strings Masterclass Mr David Holmes, Head of Strings

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ith the prospect of lockdown becoming increasingly likely, we were pleased to be able to squeeze in our annual Strings Masterclass in the middle of March. Hosting the masterclass once again was Nicholas Miller, Professor of Violin at the Royal Academy of Music.

Professor Miller studied under Felix Andrievsky and Carmel Kaine at the RAM where he won numerous prizes for both solo and chamber music. He has played across Europe and the USA throughout an accomplished career.

During the summer holiday, Elizabeth Drummond (Upper Sixth), Bethan Pepler (Upper Sixth), Jack Price (Lower Sixth), Joseph Gillett (Fifth Form), Alexander Tolhurst (Fifth Form), Felix Connell (Fifth Form) and Charlotte Holmes (Fifth Form) attended an intensive five-day course, which ended with a concert in the Winter Gardens, Margate. The orchestra performed a tremendously demanding programme, which included Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story and Malambo by Ginastera.

Following that, Elizabeth, Jack, Joseph and Alexander returned to take part in the KYCO Christmas concert. The four pupils were joined in the orchestra by Old Suttonian Lara Bowles (2018 H), currently in her second year of study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, who led the viola section. Lara is a stalwart for the KYCO, having originally joined nearly ten years ago.

During the Christmas course, the group focused on a hugely demanding all-Russian programme including Prokofiev’s Symphony No.7 and Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite (1919 edition). These major works presented contrasting challenges, but after five days of around six to eight hours of rehearsals, they had mastered it. The course culminated in a fantastic concert on New Year’s Eve at the Mote Park Leisure Centre.

We are tremendously proud of all of our strings players; performing with KCYO provides a wonderful opportunity to experience symphonic playing at a very high level. Over ten per cent of the string section were from Sutton Valence School, which is an incredible statistic and there are more approaching the required level. This is the ultimate recognition of musical excellence in the county.

The repertoire covered was extensive and included pupils ranging from Year 6 at SVPS to the Upper Sixth.

Our youngest attendee, Lydia Alexander tackled Vivaldi’s Concerto in A Minor, Katie Lang performed Telemann’s Concerto in G and Alexander Tolhurst played Bach’s Allemanda Partita No.2 and Bloch’s Vidui. Both Sophie Browning and Haydn Fletcher performed the theme from Schindler’s List, Anastasiia Trakalo played Paganini Cantabile and Jack Price, then only eight months away from his conservatoire auditions, performed Bloch’s Nigun and the final movement of Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole.

The day concluded with a very enjoyable session of Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Violins and Cello with the Senior Strings accompanying Elizabeth Drummond and Jack Price. As ever, Nicholas was impressed with the standard and we are always grateful for his time.

KCYO Christmas Concert at Mote Park

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ENRICHMENT activities

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Enrichment activities

Chapel Choir Bethan Pepler (Upper Sixth)

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he Chapel Choir, with over 50 members across the School, is a pillar of the musical community. Although we were unable to complete a full year of singing, we enjoyed three performances of the Carol Service and many Monday morning Chapel services. The Choir forms a key part of School services and it is great to join together and sing throughout the year at events such as the Conformation Service and Remembrance Day. December was a busy time as the Choir got into the Christmas spirit ready for our performances of the Carol Service. We put on our cassocks and gowns and tried to keep our candles alight as we sang Once in Royal David’s City whilst processing into the Chapel. We then started with Sussex Carol by Vaughn Williams, followed by Away in A Manger arranged by John Rutter. Next we sang The Lamb by John Tavener and Baloo Lammy which were new to our repertoire. These proved difficult to learn at first with exposed parts and unusual harmonies. However, it was a great achievement to perform these and it resulted in

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the Choir improving its listening and blending skills while learning how to use dynamics effectively.

In between readings and hymns we also performed Scots Nativity by Alan Bullard which was recorded for the School’s Christmas e-card.

We finished with the much loved favourite, Torches by John Joubert, which we all enjoyed singing. Our new Choir Master, Mr Moulton was able to keep us all energised with many tongue twisting warm-ups on a Monday morning and Thursday lunch times, during this busy season.

We would like to thank him along with Mr Horley and Mrs Holmes for their hard work and help throughout the year, whether in singing lessons, around the Music School or in rehearsals.

The Choir continued to enjoy learning new repertoire such as The Road Home by Steven Paulus and Bob Chilcott’s Irish Blessing as we prepared for a concert in April. Although this was not able to take place, we were still able to sing from home! Our rehearsals went online and through Zoom, we were able to

continue together with Mr Moulton helping us through our parts and Mr Horley playing the accompaniment. The leavers in the choir individually recorded parts of The Lord Bless You And Keep You by John Rutter which was pieced together and incorporated into the Upper Sixth virtual Leavers’ Service.

Having enjoyed many previous Choir dinners and barbecues, it was unfortunate that this year’s dinner could not go ahead and we missed out on the annual chubby bunnies competition.

However, there is always next year! It has been a pleasure to be the Head of Choir alongside Nicole and I now pass on to Joseph Gillett who will be co-leader with her.

We would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the Choir, especially the Upper Sixth, many of whom have been part of the Choir for many years and enjoyed countless concerts and Carol Services. I am sure we will miss it very much. I wish you all the best for the coming years and hope that the Choir can return to singing together in person soon!

LEADERSHIP FOCUS

LEADERSHIP FOCUS

“

Despite the obvious challenges in the latter part of the year, our leadership focus provided a number of positive stories both pre- and post-lockdown. For the CCF, it was excellent to see the return of flying to the RAF; I know the cadets really value the opportunity to take to the skies. The Army and Navy have continued to offer their range of activities including an engaging field day in the Michaelmas Term. It was also pleasing that changes to the Duke of Edinburgh awarding criteria meant that the year was not a complete write-off for those undertaking their awards. Even after the lockdown had been announced, I was encouraged to see our younger pupils engage with an online Junior Leadership programme which involved a number of ‘virtual’ tasks and experiences, often involving parental participation as well! Many thanks to everyone involved in delivering our leadership activities this year.

”

Mr David Sansom Assistant Head Page 47 - The Suttonian 2020

LEADERSHIP FOCUS

Contingent Commander Report Major Millbery, Contingent Commander

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hilst the last term of this year’s Combined Cadet Force (when we would traditionally be the busiest) was a washout, we were fortunate that the beginning of the year was packed with events and achievements for our cadets. These included Leadership and Cadre courses for the RAF; the Cadet Skill at Arms Meeting (CADSAAM) for the SVS Shooting team and the Canada selection process for Able Cadet 3* Andrew Loy, to name a few.

We were delighted this year to see the return of flying for cadets in the RAF section and afloat training for those in the Navy. In addition, the Army successfully continued its inadvertent tradition of picking the coldest night of the year to take the cadets out to sleep under bashas – something I think may be referred to as character building!

All of these activities take the cadets from the classroom and allow them to experience leadership, problem solving, communication and many of the skills that they can take forward into all aspects of their lives. This is particularly so Page 48 - The Suttonian 2020

of those that attend Remembrance Parades and represent themselves, the cadets, the School and their relatives who fought in conflicts. As always, it is one of my proudest moments as contingent commander to see our cadets parading with the British Legion.

The drill competition was deservedly won by the RAF section this year and I hope to see the other sections take note and raise their game for the next year.

Unfortunately, the sudden curtailment of the year meant that CCF activities stopped entirely in March. That said, we were fortunate that one of the last things we managed to do was a first aid course for all of our Fourth Form cadets.

Whilst they were lucky, I appreciate that the upper year groups missed out on a great deal.

For the Upper Sixth NCOs, Heads of Section and CWO Lara Savage, it was particularly disappointing that we could not dine them out and recognise their achievements as we normally would with the Summer Term CCF Dinner. It gives me even greater impetus therefore to thank them for their significant

contribution to the CCF, their leadership and commitment throughout.

Whilst in the lockdown period, we still managed to continue some traditions, including the awarding of the CCF Sword of Honour. This is bestowed on an Upper Sixth cadet who the three Heads of Section and the Head of Corps feel best exemplifies the qualities of the Combined Cadet Force: commitment, responsibility, self-reliance, resourcefulness, endurance, perseverance and service to others. The names of the four nominated cadets are then sent to the officers of the CCF who give their opinion as to who should receive the Sword of Honour based on the criteria. Although we were not able to present it in person this year, CSM Anisha Thapa Magar was the overwhelming choice of the CCF officers and I would like to congratulate her on her award.

I am grateful for the support of all officers of the CCF, especially Major Prem Ale and the Heads of Section for their originality in overcoming the running of CCF from a distance and their continued efforts to come up with novel activities.

LEADERSHIP FOCUS

Army Section Captain Head, Head of Army

F

ollowing on from the successful trip to Brunei that we held in the summer of 2019, we were all looking forward to a new term and year developing key skills in leadership and fieldcraft. We firmly believe that a structure that allows for advancement and the recognition of effort makes the sessions more enjoyable and this was something that we were keen to put into practice with the new Third Form ably overseen by Lieutenant Sansom and 2nd Lieutenant Barden.

Through their efforts, we were able to increase the skills and knowledge of the junior cadets and, with the new way of assessing the students, we were able to award qualifications and badges earlier than before. It was heartening to see that so many of this year opted to continue with the Army; clearly we are managing to make it more appealing and the leadership skills are valued by the cadets.

We continued our training with the Fourth Form and above and enjoyed another successful field weekend at Pippingford Park in the Ashdown Forest. It was here that Ed Marsh (Lower Sixth) showed his potential in leading the more junior members of the section in the ambush and section attacks. The weather was kinder

to us this year and we managed to avoid the early morning frosts that can make the trip less pleasant than we would like.

During the Lent Term, the Fourth Form cadets were given the opportunity to develop their bouldering skills in the local climbing centre in Maidstone, as well as their marksmanship skills under the auspices of Major Prem. This is a new departure for us and one that we hope to build upon in the coming years.

The Fifth Form continued their advanced training, always with one eye on completing the teaching course required to gain the senior ranks that would enable them to teach others.

It was pleasing to note that all of the cadets managed this by the end of the Lent Term, which will hopefully give us a good set of NCOs for the forthcoming year.

The ongoing pandemic made any further training more difficult than we would have liked but I am confident that the skills and knowledge gained by all cadets thus far will be retained and built upon in the coming year. We certainly look to have a good set of leaders and, once we are allowed to train off site again, we can only improve over time.

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LEADERSHIP FOCUS

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LEADERSHIP FOCUS

HMS Bristol Navy Field Day

Navy Section Lieutenant Wood, Head of Navy

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he Royal Navy section has managed to maintain a good level of CCF commitment this year despite all of the obvious challenges towards the end of the year.

The first half of the Michaelmas Term saw the much enjoyed return to Rye Watersports.

Although there was not enough time to achieve a certified Royal Yachting Association (RYA) qualification, the Navy cadets got an opportunity to improve their windsurfing or sailing techniques.

For the October Field Day, the cadets stayed on board HMS Bristol at HMS Excellent, the Royal Navy’s headquarters and front-line training resource near Portsmouth. HMS Bristol has now been converted into a training ship and the cadets experienced the pleasure of sleeping on bunks on a Type 82 Destroyer, along with the delights of the on-board ‘heads’ (Navy speak for toilets). Sadly, after many years of offering this Field Day activity, this will probably be the last time that cadets will have the opportunity to stay on-board HMS Bristol as it is due to be decommissioned in March 2021.

In stark contrast to HMS Bristol, the cadets then had the opportunity to visit HMS Victory in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. It never ceases to amaze how a crew of 821 men managed to live on board this ship, along with all of the supplies and weapons needed.

During the Lent Term, the Fourth Form cadets completed their Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) Survive and Save Qualification, whilst the Fifth Form delivered the Royal Navy Cadet syllabus to the new Third Form recruits. This involved teaching lessons on subjects including knots, communication and an overview of the various ships of the Royal Navy. They also ran drills and a range of team building tasks.

understandably, that was not the case this year.

Although disappointed at the lack of sailing, the online learning provision enabled the Fourth Form cadets to work towards their next rank of 1 Star which was then awarded once back at School after the summer.

Able Cadet Andrew Loy (Fifth Form)

The Lent Term also provided the good news that one of our cadets, Able Cadet 3* Andrew Loy (Fifth Form) had advanced to the national selection process of the CCF/ACF Cadet Exchange to Canada. In doing so, he was recognised as one of the top five cadets in the South-East.

Traditionally, the Summer Term offers a number of outdoor activities for the Navy cadets, but Page 51 - The Suttonian 2020

LEADERSHIP FOCUS

RAF Section Pilot Officer Oliver (2011 C), Head of RAF

L

ast year saw many successes for the RAF section. Leadership was our main focus and many aspiring NCOs attended a regional MOI course held at the School to improve their skills. We also had some cadets attend leadership CADREs where Flight Sergeant Tobias Dickinson (Lower Sixth) achieved best cadet and Cadet Callum Davis (Fourth Form) achieved best effort. Both individuals show great enthusiasm and these accolades are testament to all their hard work.

Many cadets achieved qualifications last year and I am thrilled that all members of the current Fourth Form passed their Part I exam and all members of the Fifth Form are ready to complete their leading cadet qualifications.

CCF gives cadets an opportunity to explore healthy competition and inter-section rivalry.

Every year we hold a drill competition at SVS. I think it is safe to say that the RAF section are very much the gold standard when it comes to drill and thankfully, we proved ourselves this year with a landslide victory. Corporal Yves Davis (Fifth Form) showed passion and outstanding instruction to drive the team to success.

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Unsurprisingly, the reason why most cadets join the RAF section is to get an opportunity to fly.

We were so fortunate to secure two flying days at RAF Wittering this year, however the weather was not on our side. On our first trip in October, we did manage to get all the senior cadets in the air, with some lucky enough to try some aerobatics.

However, the unpredictable autumnal weather resulted in some very disappointed cadets and an earlier than expected coach journey home, although for some, the ex-Sheffield United Football Club transportation was a highlight of the trip.

On our second trip to Wittering in March, the cadets were in high spirits. Flying Officer Westlake was at the wheel this time, as we ventured on our early evening journey back up to Wittering. A comfortable overnight stay in RAF accommodation meant that a good night‘s sleep was had by all and we were up and ready for 6am flying. However, the weather once again left us all disappointed and instead of an exciting day of flying, the cadets were faced with a journey back to School and an afternoon of lessons. Not all was lost, however. We decided that we would stop at the homeless centre on our way home and donate our lunches.

I was so proud of the cadets and their continued effort throughout our virtual journeys program and I cannot wait to see what is in store for the section this year. I would like to thank last year’s Head of the RAF section, Flight Sergeant Jack Laing Williams (Upper Sixth), for all his hard work and dedication to the section.

I am especially excited about the addition of Mrs Porter to the section who will be an asset, particularly due to her extensive experience in both the Army and Navy section. Clearly she chose to leave the best section until last.

LEADERSHIP FOCUS

Meritorious Service Award Major Millbery, Contingent Commander

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ack in October last year, we were delighted to receive the news that a stalwart of the Sutton Valence School CCF, Flight Lieutenant Christine Kitchen was to be awarded a Certificate for Meritorious Service.

The honour was bestowed by Lord-Lieutenant, Viscount De L’Isle MBE, at his annual awards ceremony for the Reserve Forces and Cadet Movements from all three services – Sea, Army and Air. The Lord-Lieutenant’s Certificate for Meritorious Service may be awarded to any serving reservist or adult volunteer of the Cadet Forces. The award is not intended as a routine recognition of long and faithful service; rather the criterion of exceptional service must be the principal factor.

Remembrance Parade Major Millbery, Contingent Commander

O

n Remembrance Sunday, representatives from the School’s Combined Cadet Force supported the local community by participating in Sutton Valence village’s parade, to remember and honour those who have sacrificed themselves to secure and protect our freedom.

With that in mind, we were delighted that Flight Lieutenant Christine Kitchen was recognised for her service to Sutton Valence School’s CCF. In a presentation ceremony at Penshurst Place, Flt Lt Kitchen was the only member of any Combined Cadet Force in Kent to be recognised and given this particular award. It was pleasing that her commitment to the cadets was formally recognised given all she does for the RAF contingent at the School.

Marking the 101st year since the end of the First World War, the parade and following service were, as ever, well attended by residents, local Cubs and Scouts, past and present School families, staff and Old Suttonians.

Alongside the Royal British Legion, 70 cadets from all three services, led

by Cadet Warrant Officer Lara Savage, Head of Corps and the colour party, marched from the School Quad to the War Memorial. The cadets looked immaculate in their uniforms and demonstrated excellent drill as they headed down the driveway and onto North Street with the Headmaster taking the salute as they passed. Having arrived at the War Memorial, the Head of Corps laid a wreath on behalf of the School.

Once again the whole School gathered on Prefects’ Lawn at 11am on 11th November to mark The Armistice. We remembered all of those who fell whilst serving this country, particularly the Old Boys of Sutton Valence School, with prayers and two minutes of silence.

The Headmaster, Chaplain and the Joint Heads of School Max Savage and Lara Savage (also present as Head of Corps), led the ceremony on Prefects’ Lawn with the whole School gathered around. The Last Post was played by Tobias Butler (Fourth Form).

Flight Lieutenant Kitchen

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LEADERSHIP FOCUS

New Cadet Induction

Cadet Skill At Arms

Major Millbery, Contingent Commander

Cadet Callum Davis (Fourth Form)

I

A

n what has become a fixture at the start of the Michaelmas Term, our new Third Form cadets headed off to Crowborough Army Training Camp for a field trip designed to introduce them to the Combined Cadet Force. With their new uniforms and boots, they undertook a range of activities and challenges to familiarise themselves with life as a cadet.

Their time at the camp started with some rigorous drill instruction from Major Prem Ale and individual practice leading to a final parade. Tea followed, then a navigation exercise where they became familiar with the layout of the camp. This was the precursor to an escape and evasion exercise highlighting the importance of night vision, slow movements and how far sound carries – as screams could be heard almost to Tunbridge Wells!

Waking up from the fun of the previous night, cadets were faced with a second day that involved an obstacle course (as pictured above), shooting, various command tasks, ranks, observation challenges, stalk (the military name for hide and seek), map and compass exercises and rations. The range of activities are designed to develop the key skills of leadership, endurance, perseverance, communication and abstract thinking amongst the cadets.

By the end of their two-day field trip, we had a group of tired but newlyinducted cadets, ready to begin their respective CCF careers. Collectively, they showed enthusiastic commitment to the various activities and gained a good set of basic skills that will be developed on Wednesday afternoons.

My thanks go to the various NCOs who gave up their time to help, guide, mentor and instruct the next generation of cadets and to all the officers who attended.

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t the end of September, the SVS Shooting team, comprising Thomas Arthur (Fifth Form), Dylan Cole (Fifth Form), Callum Davis (Fourth Form) and Isabelle Eyers (Upper Sixth Form and captain) attended the 11th CADSAAM (Cadet Skill at Arms) shooting meet. 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.

We arrived in time to zero our rifles (the process to ensure that they shoot straight) before we retreated to the wonderful Brunswick camp for dinner.

Saturday brought us the first shooting of the weekend. The team started with the Snap Shoot where we managed respectable scores all round.

We continued to three other shoots, with my favourite being the Urban Contact Match.

Dylan managed to get a perfect score on the Urban Match of 100 points and we felt certain of winning and receiving the promise of promotion by Major Prem. Once the shooting was over, we returned to base and waited with excitement for the prize presentation. We eventually finished in a respectable third place, which was a good result.

The Sunday was expected to be a short day as rain was forecast. We were competing for the final trophy of the meet - the Falling Plates competition.

This involves each team running 100 metres before attempting to knock down ten plates with 40 rounds per team in the quickest time and with accuracy. We started off well but our opponent, Vyne Academy, was stronger. It was a tough battle but we were knocked out in the first round.

All-in-all it was a good competition and the team were proud to come home with bronze medals. We look forward to next year’s contest.

LEADERSHIP FOCUS

OSRA - Training The Next Generation Cadet Daniel Wild (Fourth Form)

L

ike so many sports, the 2020 shooting calendar was badly impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Unfortunately, both the Bisley Schools Meeting and the Cadet Imperial competitions scheduled for July were cancelled. Without those competitions, or indeed the Kent Open, I was grateful that Anthony Bromley (2014 W), the Club Captain from the Old Suttonian Rifle Association, invited me to join the OSRA for a training day at the beginning of August.

It was a stunning summer morning as my Dad and I drove over to Bisley in Surrey, the home of British shooting. There is always something special about visiting Bisley. The National Rifle Association moved its official ranges from Wimbledon Common to Bisley in 1889. There are seven major ranges, club houses and accommodation spread over 3000 acres of heathland.

We started shooting at about 10am on the 300x (300 yards) Century Range. I borrowed one of the OSRA club’s 7.62mm target rifles, but I was able to use my own shooting jacket and sling from my regular .22 target shooting. This made a big difference to me being able to get into a comfortable shooting position.

The day was scorchingly hot, but the Century Range was still quite busy as many people were able to shoot for the first time in months. For my first detail Anthony coached me on my shooting position and technique.

centre bull ring called the V-Bull. This scores an extra 0.1 to any five score for the bull. This means the maximum score for a ten shot detail rises to 50.10. For world class shooters, these centre bulls make all the difference.

My two sighters hit the four ring, just outside the bull. There was a slight right to left breeze and we adjusted the sights by a couple of minutes to try and take account of it. My first shot was centre bull. A V-Bull at 1000 yards? Awesome!

After a good rest and a chance to rehydrate, I settled in for a second detail at 300x. This time another OSRA committee member, Chris Pawlik, kindly coached and spotted for me. I scored a reasonable 43.3. A couple of wayward shots scoring three brought my total down, but I did hit five bulls, three of them in the V.

My next three shots pulled slightly left again, into the four ring. Maybe the breeze had picked up? We checked the wind flags, but they seemed steady. Chris thought I might be anticipating the recoil too much, gripping the rifle slightly too tight. I tried to relax and control my breathing.

After lunch, we moved to the 1000 yard (0.57 mile or 914 metres) Stickledown Range. I had shot 300 and 600 yards with the School’s Combined Cadet Force at Pirbright, but never shot anything as far as 1000 yards before. The targets looked tiny in the distance and the mercury kept rising.

The next four shots were then clean. Four more bulls! Shot nine pulled left into the four ring again, but my final shot scored the centre bull. A second V. My final score was 46.2 (46 points plus .2 for the V-Bulls). For my first 1000 yard shoot I was really happy, but of course, there is always room for improvement.

The temperature was hitting 34 degrees and the air between us and the targets shimmered in the oppressive heat. Shooting positions were baking hot, with shooters dashing out, shooting their two sighters and ten main shots, then dashing back to the cover of some shade.

Chris Youngman took over my coaching.

Despite the heat, I’d started to settle into the rifle and Chris advised me on the small changes needed at 1000 yards. I had to focus. Ignore the distance. “Slow is smooth….”

The OSRA continue the great tradition of shooting at Sutton Valence, supporting both young aspiring shooters at the School like me and also alumni who want to keep on representing the School long after they have left.

I would like to thank Anthony Bromley, Chris Pawlik and Chris Youngman for a fantastic day at Bisley and I cannot wait to shoot with them again.

Effective full-bore target shooting requires a slightly lower shooting position than the small-bore that I shoot most weeks. This lower position reduces the greater recoil of a 7.62mm round impacting your shoulder and collar bone, transferring the energy through your body more effectively.

It took me a few shots to adjust my normal position, but by the end, I was starting to feel more comfortable and I was hitting the bull. The fundamental techniques of small-bore shooting transfer well to full-bore shooting.

Targets for full bore shooting score two points for the outer ring, rising to five points for the bull. So the maximum score for a ten-shot detail is 50 points. But inside the bull, there is another

Daniel Wild (Fourth Form) and Mr Anthony Bromley (2014 W)

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LEADERSHIP FOCUS

Junior Leadership Miss Linda Gray, Junior Leadership Coordinator

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ver the course of the last academic year, the School’s Junior Leadership programme has continued to evolve, aiming to produce confident, capable individuals, who are able to use their initiative to solve problems and make decisions which are, at times, out of their comfort zone and beyond their realm of experience.

There are four key strands that are reflected in the curriculum including survival, community, communication and development. The First Form started the year with an introduction to survival skills; the very first session saw students taking part in a competitive scavenger hunt across the School site, helping students to gain familiarity with where everything is located. A particular favourite activity from the survival strand was making hot chocolate on trangias.

As the nights drew in, we turned to the indoor activities, focusing on the community strand of the curriculum.

Over the past few years we have encouraged the Junior Leadership students to take responsibility for their global community by taking part in Operation Christmas Child, which

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is a project run by Samaritan’s Purse. All pupils took part in wrapping and filling their own shoebox with useful gifts. These were then sent to disadvantaged children globally. Some pupils took part in an assembly presentation on the charity, which was delivered to the whole School.

Students then turned their attention to making a variety of crafts to be sold at the Junior Leadership Christmas Market, which operates at the end of every Carol Service. Candle jars, pine cone garlands, reindeer jars, card holders and Christmas tree decorations were just some of the quaint items made. More than £600 was raised for Cancer Research, which was an excellent achievement.

The Second Form also started the year with a recap of their survival skills, including basic cooking on trangias. They then visited the Kingswood site at Grosvenor Hall in Ashford during their Field Day experience at the end of September. Although it was a rather wet day, all of the pupils took part in a variety of activities including a high ropes swing, climbing, abseiling and archery. All-in-all it was a very rewarding and fun day out.

The Second Form then began a comprehensive scheme of work that focused specifically on communication. Students had the opportunity to learn sign language, Morse code and semaphore, code-cracking skills and finally, they were able to put all their skills to the test by taking part in an escape room. The Founder’s Dayroom was transformed into a dynamic escape room experience, requiring teamwork and good communication in order to escape.

All pupils worked really hard here and were able to crack the relevant codes (although some groups required a little help) to gain access to the necessary keys which opened up the safe of sweets.

At the end of November, Junior Leadership was delighted to collaborate with the Friends of SVS for the inaugural SVS Foundation Quiz Night. As part of that, pupils helped with preparing table decorations as well as organising and sourcing raffle prizes. Over the course of the evening, many Second Form pupils stayed to help, serving as runners, responsible for collecting answer sheets as well as selling raffle tickets. All of the pupils who helped were a real credit to the School and impressed all of the guests at the quiz evening.

LEADERSHIP FOCUS

As we headed into the Lent Term, the First Form began to focus on the development and communication strands, where they had the opportunity to learn new skills in their ‘how to’ sessions, including how to sew on buttons and polish their shoes. They also learned about Sutton Valence village, they delivered a presentation on a country in Europe and learned the Highway Code.

At the same time, the Second Form began a series of activities including the £5 challenge, where each of them was given £5 and they needed to work together to come up with an initiative to generate as much money as possible for charity. Pupils also took part in a social action project; where they were tasked with developing an initiative to begin at School, serving the School community in some way.

Whilst planning for that, they also took part in first aid and water safety courses.

Unfortunately, all of the planned activities for the Summer Term came to an abrupt halt with the shift to online learning due to the pandemic.

However, that did not mean that Junior Leadership had to stop.

Pupils were still able to continue to learn the important life skills that Junior Leadership hopes to foster. One of the main aims of the virtual Junior Leadership programme was to encourage pupils to get away from their computer screens and, at times, to get outside.

Each week, pupils would receive instructions explaining the various tasks that they needed to complete. They were then asked to email photos of their work, which often appeared in the weekly SVS Newsletter. Pupils wrote birthday cards for Sir Captain Tom Moore, as well as creating badges to wear whilst clapping for carers.

They also researched local initiatives that were going on in their communities and reflected on ways they could show kindness during the lockdown. They were challenged to cook dinner for their families, took part in a bee count and learnt important map-reading skills. All of the pupils were so willing to involve themselves in the activities and it was particularly encouraging to see so many pupils inspired by the story of Sir Captain Tom Moore; so much so, that some pupils even completed their own challenges in their back gardens.

Despite the testing circumstances of this academic year, pupils have pulled together, shown great resilience and have got stuck into the various activities on offer. Well done to the First and Second Form who have all stepped out of their comfort zone and have developed better communication and leadership skills.

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LEADERSHIP FOCUS

Duke of Edinburgh Report Mrs Christine Kitchen, Duke of Edinburgh Manager

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his has been a very difficult year for the pupils undertaking their Duke of Edinburgh award at every level. With the majority of our qualifying activities taking place after Easter, the lockdown resulted in everything grinding to a sudden halt.

The restrictions put in place meant that pupils who would normally have undertaken their preferred activities outside, for example at Rugby or Hockey clubs, were unable to do so. Instead, they have had to be creative and change their activities to be done at home under the eyes of their parents. The Duke of Edinburgh staff at School then had to sign off their activities, which presented many more hoops to jump through than normal.

The expeditions were also curtailed and we missed our usual trips to the Lake District for the Gold participants and the treks around the Kent countryside for the Silver and Bronze participants. As a consequence, none of the Third Form could complete their Bronze award by the Page 58 - The Suttonian 2020

end of the year, which was very disappointing, although something we will look to rectify once conditions allow.

It was not entirely bad news though, as we had some successes too. At Gold level, 12 pupils succeeded in completing their award and five of these were in the Upper Sixth. Five pupils also succeeded in completing their Silver awards with four of them in the Fifth Form. We also had 19 pupils complete their Bronze awards from various year groups.

We had other good news, shortly before lockdown, when we had the pleasure of seeing two Old Suttonians, Laura Horley (2018 F) and Henry Jones (2019 H) receive their DofE Gold award certificates at a ceremony at St James’s Palace (as pictured opposite).

All-in-all, a challenging year. We hope though that the 2020-2021 year will be more successful and that our pupils will be able to take part in expeditions and complete their awards with some semblance of normality.

SCHOOL COMMUNITY

SCHOOL

COMMUNITY

“

At times of adversity, the role of community is more important than ever. For us at SVS, our community stretches from pupils to parents and from staff to Old Suttonians, all of whom have had to adapt to the challenges that this year has posed. Collectively though, the ability to tackle everything that has been thrown at us is undoubtedly something to celebrate. This year’s reports may be lacking the usual house competitions and overseas trips, but that is made up for with reports that show the resilience of our community and the good news stories that came out of the year. What was particularly pleasing was how the School community actively sought to support the local community through various lockdown initiatives. Whilst I hope we return to a more recognisable community retrospective next year, we should feel proud at how much we still managed to achieve in spite of the circumstances.

”

Mr Jeremy Farrell Senior Deputy Head Page 59 - The Suttonian 2020

SCHOOL COMMUNITY

SVS Prizegiving Mr Bruce Grindlay, Headmaster

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nfortunately, due to the lockdown, we were unable to hold our usual Speech Day this year. In spite of that, there was a determination that pupils should still receive due recognition for their efforts throughout the year. Accordingly, prizes were awarded and sent to the respective pupils at the end of the Summer Term.

Whilst lacking in the celebratory feel of a normal Speech Day, it was important that the pupils had a tangible record of their achievements and that we, as a school, maintained a tradition that forms an important part of the School year.

In spite of the challenges that the School community experienced, it had still been a most productive year and I reiterate my congratulations specifically to the prize winners listed below.

Academic Excellence Award Evie Smith

Academic Excellence Award Daisy Dallamore

Academic Excellence Award Phoebe Connell

Achievement Awards Lily Dowling Rachel Farrell Simone Rai

Achievement Awards James Lloyd-Jones Elyse Ratcliffe Katherine Slipper

Effort Awards Angus Brown Grace Manning-Greene Saffron Roberts

Effort Awards Caitlin Calverley Emily Slipper Ciara Smith

Achievement Awards Katy Barr Sophie Browning Alfie Miles Jack Piller Joshua Robinson Maisey Russell

Most Improved Jacob Pearton Imogen Robinson

Most Improved Fenton King Nadeza Manley Fred Mundell

All Round Contribution Awards Harry Demarne Wilfred Dickinson Tess Hodson Grace Williams

All Round Contribution Awards Rhys Harmer Elizabeth Myers Luke Penfold Otto Plant The Junior Macdonald Prize (Current Affairs) Caitlin Calverley

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Effort Awards Daniel Booth Thomas Duckworth Olivia Taylor Savannah Taylor All Round Contribution Awards Lucy Barrett Olivia Chadwick Olivia Farrell Ethan Mason The Macdonald Prize (Current Affairs) Katy Barr

SCHOOL COMMUNITY

Academic Excellence Award Scarlett Washington

Academic PE Prize Daisy Hills

Media Studies Prize Katie Swift

Achievement Awards Thomas Dolan James Gardener Elizabeth Goodwin Maximilian Reeves Struben Savage Hannah Slipper

Art Prize Elliot Gooding

Music Prize Jack Price

Biology Prize Daisy Hills

Photography Prize Tess Pritchard

Business Prize Patrick Mullen

Physics Prize Anastasiia Trakalo

Chemistry Prize Tarik Abed

Psychology Prize Marlo Cordell

Design Technology Prize Isabella Bailey

Religious Studies Prize Eloise Turnbull

Economics Prize Jingyu Liu

Spanish Prize Mariana Mason

English Prize Juliet de Banzie

Theatre Studies Prize Charlotte Gilman

French Prize James Crombie

Effort Awards Philippa Dow Charlie Hadley Cameron Lamont-Brown Archie Yorke

Effort Awards Edward Evans Heston King Rose Price Millie Sands All Round Contribution Awards Grace Bartleet Helen Chambers Callum Davis Oliver Murch

Further Mathematics Prize Callum Hanna Geography Prize Molly Veasey History Prize William Chambers

All Round Contribution Awards Tobias Dickinson Edward Marsh Grace Mitchell Henrietta Parsons

Academic Excellence Award Jonny Russell

ICT Prize Suzanna Fullick

Maberly Prize for Achievement Tess Pritchard

Effort Awards Charlotte Farrell Evangelia Kargaki Harrison Murray Suma Rai Alice Roberson Alexander Tolhurst

Kitchener Prize (Mathematics) Yun Chen

OSA Prize (All Round Contribution) Joseph Dale

Achievement Awards Holly Clark Joshua Forknall Thomas Llewellyn Milo Skelly All Round Contribution Awards Isabel Bruce-Lockhart Felix Connell Andrew Loy Anna Smith The Coles Prize (All Round Contribution to School Life) Joseph Gillett

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SCHOOL COMMUNITY

Academic PE Prize Pescha Cordell

Media Studies Prize Jade Neale

Amy Lovegrove Prize (Outstanding Female Achievement in Sport) Jenna Boltman

Music Prize Elizabeth Drummond

Angell Prize (Mathematics) Oliver Laird Biology Prize Lara Savage Bloxam Prize (English) Isabella Eyers Bossom Prize (Public Speaking) Oliver Carter Design Technology Prize Jade Neale Economics Prize Joseph McInerney Edward Craven Prize (Outstanding Male Achievement in Sport) Max Savage Fry Prize (ICT) Benjamin Kyd Geography Prize Jemima Bruce-Lockhart Grizelle Prize (History) Edward Wheble Joyce Drayson Art Prize Isabella Dransfield

Photography Prize Reuben Hodson

Headmaster’s Prize Anna Harrison Lara Savage Max Savage

Psychology Prize Ella Carter

CCF Sword of Honour Anisha Thapa Magar

Religious Studies Prize Isabella Eyers

Clothworkers’ Material Impact Prize (All Round Contribution to School Life) Tom Gray

Spanish Prize Edward Wheble Theatre Studies Prize Paige Davidson Watts Prize (Further Mathematics) Qien Cai Wheeler Prize (French) Isabelle Busby Winstanley Prize (Chemistry) Noah Swaine Wood Prize (Physics) Amelia Semmens All Round Contribution Awards Alice Busby Presley Farrance Awishma Gurung Gabriella Howarth George Jones Katie Lang

Art Camilla Polglase (Third Form) Design Technology Edith McNair (Third Form) Daniel Wild (Fourth Form) English Caitlin Calverley (Second Form) Daisy Dallamore (Second Form) Louisa Hudson (Fifth Form) Information Technology Caitlin Calverley (Second Form) Junior Debating Daisy Dallamore (Second Form) Page 62 - The Suttonian 2020

Sebastiaan Lijesen Elizabeth Moore Alexandra Sacker

Junior Debating (cont.)

James Lloyd-Jones (Second Form) Elyse Ratcliffe (Second Form) Junior Science Angus Brown (First Form) Maximilian Brown (Second Form) Elliemay Clare (First Form) Nadeza Manley (Second Form) Grace Manning-Greene (First Form) Erin McGregor (Second Form) Macdonald Essay Competition Sophie Browning (Third Form) Daisy Dallamore (Second Form) Elyse Ratcliffe (Second Form)

Ricketts Prize (All Round Contribution to School Life) Hugh Harman The Marjorie Popay Prize for Educational Achievement Jade Neale Richard Horn Prize (Outstanding Performance in Drama and Music) Bethan Pepler The Froud Innovation Prize Elizabeth Fraser The WBP Aspinall Prize (Outstanding Originality of Thought and Action) Finn Swaine Headmaster’s Special Achievement Prize Elizabeth Cavell The Spirit of the House Competition Cup Annabel Mansfield

Results 2019 - 2020 Holdgate

800

Clothworkers’

790

Founder’s

755

Lambe’s

565

SCHOOL COMMUNITY

Lara Savage (Upper Sixth)

Michaelmas Term Head of School Speech Lara Savage (Upper Sixth)

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his speech, I must admit, has been a real challenge. I spent far too many hours contemplating how I would make my speech stand out and really resonate with you all. I was struggling to decide on a topic because I honestly do not feel qualified to stand up here, in front of all of you, and offer advice when I am still learning, making mistakes and chasing, what is quite literally a childhood dream.

I have wanted to be a vet for as long as I can remember. When asked what inspired such ambitions, I am forced to admit that quite simply, I cannot remember. There has never been a single moment that sparked my love of animals, it has always just been there. My determination to live a life doing what I love is what motivates me, and I believe, wholeheartedly, that it has been a key contributor to many of the positive things I have achieved.

So, I am going to talk to you about the power of passion and offer you all a little bit of advice.

I have long believed that it is your attitude that determines what you get out of life. Ultimately, anything and everything you approach with a positive mindset, whether it is Music, Mathematics, the Arts or the Sciences, brings you one step closer to your goal, whatever it may be. To waste an opportunity because you have decided you cannot or will not do it before you have even tried it, is criminal.

For those of you still in search of what inspires you, trying new things is the key to success and discovery. And, for those lucky enough to know what they love, and even where they want to be in the future, just remember that you never know when that something you tried or that seemingly pointless book you read will be your window of opportunity.

In my search for inspiration over the summer, I wrote to someone who is undeniably passionate about what he does, Sir David Attenborough OM CVO CBE. His reply was not what I had been expecting, but I realise now how significant his words were. He explained that in 1945, as he began his Natural Sciences degree at university, he had no idea where it would take him – he was simply doing what he loved. At the time, television barely existed and he had certainly never considered a career in it. But today, he is one of the most recognisable voices on television, simply because he took a chance, made the most of an opportunity and followed his passion.

My second piece of advice is never to fear the risks that come with following your passion. At times it can feel as though you are fighting for the impossible in chasing hopes and dreams.

However, do not let potential risks alter your ambitions and remember you are part of a nurturing community.

At Sutton Valence School you are surrounded by staff and friends who are always there to offer encouragement and advice – all you have to do is ask. I have never let the risk of disappointment change my mind because I know that passion, enthusiasm, and hard work pay off in the end.

Do not let the fear of failure set you off course because, in the words of Professor Joseph Campbell, “passion will move men beyond their failures”.

Finally, share it. Be proud of your passion and embrace it. I love all that I do and I am proud of my passion, as we all should be. Throughout my time here at Sutton Valence School, I have learnt to embrace my passion and I believe that this has given me the confidence to stand before you all now, something I could never have done five years ago. In fact, before joining the School I had only one other memory of being on stage – as a grasshopper in my Year 5 play where I sang a song about being lazy (which is rather ironic looking back on it now).

What I am trying to tell you all is that attitude makes or breaks you and you can work any opportunity to your advantage, should you try to. No one benefits from a fear of failure. Allow your passion to not only empower you but to inspire all those around you as well.

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SCHOOL COMMUNITY

Michaelmas Term Head of School Speech Max Savage (Upper Sixth)

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hen waking up at 5am in Canada to phone calls from my parents and close friends to be told that I was awarded Head of School, I was overwhelmed. However, when it finally sank in, I was extremely nervous about this speech. As you have already heard Lara’s, I will try not to run on too long.

So I will start by telling you a little bit about myself. I have always struggled academically and have never been the best when it comes to reading, so as you can imagine, it is quite daunting standing here.

However Sutton Valence gives you something more than just grades at the end of your time here; it provides you with skills such as leadership and teamwork that are extremely important in the real world. This School also allows you to build up confidence and courage which pushes you out of your comfort zone.

As a few of you know, I normally wear a pair of funny coloured glasses due to my Irlen Syndrome. However, these have helped me to reach my potential in the classroom. This would not have happened if it was not for the

Learning Support teachers at this School. At first, I was extremely nervous about wearing them, especially around my peers, but the courage that I developed meant that I could wear them with confidence which came from the supportive people around me and other aspects of school life. From being on the Rugby pitch playing toplevel schools, to performing my GCSE drama examination in front of many students and parents, brings me onto what I want to talk to you about this afternoon: the idea of balancing your life.

During the 14 years that I have been at SVS and the many examinations I have taken, something really stood out to me; I have used a variety of different revision techniques, but the idea of balance enabled me to achieve the grades that I received for GCSEs. The dictionary says that balance is ‘an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady’. The something is the journey that everyone at this School is taking to achieve their potential so, if your life involves studying for seven hours a day, then your journey will not be steady or upright.

It is about finding the equilibrium. The balance

between academic aspects of your life, the other co-curricular aspects as well as your social life is extremely important for your success.

For me, sitting at a desk all day and blocking everything else out is my worst nightmare. In many studies, it is proven that exercise or other activities away from revision and work increase productivity and reduce stress. For example, learning to play an instrument stimulates the brain, improving functions like memory and abstract reasoning skills, which are essential for Maths and Science. However, this does not mean that playing the instrument takes priority over your studies, but you need to find the balance.

In addition to this, you also need to manage your time well. It is knowing the right time to get your head down and work hard and when to let your hair down. Giving yourself something to look forward to in a day will allow you to work that bit harder and finish that last bit of prep that is looming over you.

In my experience, the way you balance your life is not something that can be taught or instructed. it is something that comes with maturity. For example, when I was revising for my GCSEs, I found what benefited me was working for 45 minute periods with breaks in between and only working for four hours a day. This meant the overall period for studying was longer than most because my revision would have to start weeks before everybody else, but balancing my life like this worked for me.

Sutton Valence provides us with so many opportunities which may feel out of your comfort zone at the time, but will allow many more doors to open. Whilst the School provides so many opportunities, you still need to be able to find the time to put the work in to get the best results that you can achieve.

As is tradition, I will finish with a quote by Arianna Huffington, author and businesswoman, which reinforces the idea of using your time wisely: “We think, mistakenly, that success is the result of the amount of time we put in at work, instead of the quality of time we put in.”

Max Savage (Upper Sixth)

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Involving co-curricular activities to improve your focus and productivity will give you, in my opinion, the extra ten percent that brings success.

SCHOOL COMMUNITY

Lent Term Head of School Speech Anna Harrison (Upper Sixth)

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would like to start by thanking Sutton Valence School for this privilege; this opportunity has given me the perfect way to conclude my 15 years here. As a family, the Harrisons have combined an astonishing 85-year association with this School. So I think it is fair to say that Sutton Valence is quite literally in my blood, hence the honour, as well as pressure, I am feeling right now, representing my family.

After ruminating upon what to talk to you about today, I struggled to find an original idea, having listened to over 20 Heads of School speeches over the duration of my time at the School. However, it was in fact this calculation that inspired my chosen topic area: experience.

Having been here for such a significant chapter of my life, I believe that this has equipped me with the knowledge and understanding needed to deliver sufficient advice to you, for after all, I have done it all before. This is what led to the conclusive decision to base my speech on me and my time at Sutton Valence School.

It is fair to say that I have faced my fair share of challenges during my time here. I am not going to dwell on the detail, but conversely, I wanted to reflect upon this to offer you all some encouragement and advice.

I have come to know that the key to dealing with life’s inevitable challenges is tackling them head on. Running from issues only strengthens their potency and influence. This is what I want to talk to you about today. Experience has taught me that unfortunately facing challenges is inevitable; however, I encourage you to grasp these experiences and use them to develop your resilience and grow stronger. Sutton Valence allows this possibility and I am going to use my experience to show you how.

From classmates to your family and friends, everyone will face their own tests, however big or small. Whether it be friendship issues, family issues or the necessary completion of Miss Hallett’s much-loved Sport studies coursework, the best way to approach anything is head on; embrace the challenge. I am not going to stand here and speak hypocritically, as my friends and family will tell you, I am no stranger to procrastination. In fact it is fair to say I have mastered the concept in the past. However, hiding from challenges is something I have never done and I truly believe that this has

Anna Harrison (Upper Sixth) and the Headmaster

played a great contribution in moulding me into the person I am today.

guide us through the tricky journey of dealing with our challenges.

Sutton Valence School provides us with the support needed to tackle these challenges and I can tell you first-hand, all you need is the confidence to use it. It might sound cringey but I honestly cannot put into words how much my confidence has grown and developed over the past couple of years. Yes, standing here speaking to you all is still terrifying but there is no way I could have done this a few years ago and for that, I must sincerely thank our School. From a supportive group of teachers, to the best group of friends I could ever ask for, to my weekly School-related debates in the Sport office, Sutton Valence has created in me a confidence that I lacked for so many years and with this came my ability to tackle life’s tests.

Sutton Valence School is often referred to as a bubble, due to our tight-knit communal atmosphere. I see this as a protective bubble, a bubble of support, guidance and most importantly, comfort. I am only now starting to realise the extent to which Sutton Valence prepares you for life and all its inevitable, forthcoming challenges. Ironically, it has taken me until now, writing this speech, just before I pop my Sutton Valence bubble next term, to fully recognise this. Therefore, I hope this speech has enlightened you with this realisation whilst you still have the time, opportunity and confidence to use Sutton Valence’s bubble to create a tool kit needed to tackle future tests.

As I am frequently compared to Miranda Hart, I thought it only right to use part of her autobiography in my speech. She wrote “there isn’t always a road map for all the small but tricky issues in life”. Despite her usually reliable advice, I could not help but disagree with this remark, for Sutton Valence is our road map, here to help

As it is a tradition, I will end with a quote. In fact I will end with the knowledgeable words of Miley Cyrus. Whilst starring in what may not be the most intellectually advanced screen play, but none the less relevant, The Hannah Montana Movie, she says, or rather sings: “Life’s a climb, but the view is great”.

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SCHOOL COMMUNITY

750th Anniversary of Westminster Abbey Miss Lowri Turner (Staff 2015-2019)

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ack in October, the Headmaster, along with Mrs Kitchen, Mrs Wood and 27 pupils had the honour of attending a service to celebrate the 750th anniversary of the re-building of Westminster Abbey. The pupils had been selected from the Fourth Form and Lower Sixth and represented those who may otherwise be under-recognised for their efforts.

In the presence of Her Majesty, the Queen and the Duchess of Cornwall, the School was delighted to mark the occasion as proud members of the wider Westminster Abbey community. Being a part of the United Westminster and Grey Coat Foundation, we have enjoyed a long association with the Abbey. As well as the School, there are also connections between the village and the Abbey as William de Valence (after whom Sutton Valence is named) is buried there.

The Abbey’s history dates back to 13th October 1269 when the third Abbey church was consecrated in the presence of Henry III. The King had decided a quarter of a century earlier to replace the second church, which had been built at the command of Edward the Confessor and had been consecrated on 28th December 1065.

It was a wonderful service and we all felt very proud to be there, representing the School, and to be part of such an historic event.

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SCHOOL COMMUNITY

Sponsored Walk Mr Gwyn Davies, Chaplain

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t the end of September, the School took advantage of the beautiful Indian summer to take part in the annual Sponsored Walk. It involves everyone in our community, from parents to pupils to staff, walking almost six miles over public footpaths through the stunning Kent countryside.

The Sponsored Walk forms part of our annual efforts to raise money for worthwhile causes and keeps us mindful of our privileged position here at Sutton Valence School. It has become a highlight of the School year, particularly when the weather is as favourable as it was this year.

Teaching staff, once again, gave their time generously to guide and marshal the considerable span of the walk. My thanks go to the enthusiasm of the pupils as well - most of them made it round the course in a relaxing two hours or so, returning sun-kissed and exhausted but exhilarated.

In the end, the collective efforts of the pupils managed to raise £1,867.00. This year, the money will go to the Royal British Legion Institute to mark the 80th anniversary of the start of the Second World War. A worthy cause that we are delighted to support.

Movember Challenge Mrs Fiona Porter, Head of Sixth Form

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s has now become a tradition, seven Upper Sixth boys took part in Movember, with the Headmaster’s permission, enabling them to raise money for the Sam West Foundation. The group abstained from their usually immaculate grooming to compete against one another in the month-long, beard growing challenge.

2011. Sam showed talent in Music and Art which is remembered through the charity’s second objective, to advance the education of teenagers in these areas of the curriculum.

We are very proud of our Sixth Form students who were involved in this fundraising and

congratulate them on the magnificent total raised of over £3500. Special mentions go to George Samuels, the winner of the ‘Beardiest Beard’, Noah Swaine, the winner of the ‘Most Well-groomed Beard’ and Tom Gray who raised the most money for the charity, totalling an amazing £1001.

Tom Gray, Jack Lewis, Matthew Rackliffe, George Samuels, Herbie Stephenson, Noah Swaine and Luke Trigg took up the challenge to grow the best moustache, with the winners announced in Headmaster’s Assembly.

The group had decided to support the Sam West Foundation, a charity close to the School’s heart.

The charity promotes awareness, diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues affecting children, young adults and their families. It was set up by the parents of Sam West, in his memory, following the tragic news of his suicide back in January 2018.

As a school, we have particular affinity to the charity as Sam attended SVPS from 2005 until

Tom Gray, George Samuels, Noah Swaine, Luke Trigg, Jack Lewis and Herbie Stephenson (all Upper Sixth)

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SCHOOL COMMUNITY

Chaplaincy Report Mr Gwyn Davies, Chaplain

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itting down to write this Chapel report in the middle of the country’s second COVID-19 lockdown, it seems a long time ago that the 2019-2020 year started so normally, with no inkling of what was to come!

The first big service of the year was our Remembrance Service, where the CCF Head of Corps, Lara Savage (Upper Sixth), gave the reading. Colours were marched in with due pomp and ceremony, followed by the playing of the Last Post, whilst all in Chapel marked a twominute silence in respect of those lives lost in past conflicts.

The Carol Service seems to get more popular year on year as a packed Chapel, on both Sunday and Tuesday in the week leading up to the Christmas break, sang their hearts out and got into the festive spirit. The Chapel Choir once again rose to the occasion contributing beautifully with well known Christmas carols such as In The Bleak Midwinter, as well as some lesser known gems including Where Is This Stupendous Stranger, Page 68 - The Suttonian 2020

composed by our very own Magnus Linn (2019 W). It remains for many, including me, the high point of the year.

In the Lent Term, just a couple of weeks before we were locked down for the first time, we managed to fit in the annual Confirmation Service. This was the first such service officiated by the new Bishop of Dover, the Right Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin MBE QHC (pictured) who took over from The Right Reverend Trevor Willmott, who retired in May 2019.

circumstances, was a wonderful occasion and achievement. My sincere thanks go out to everyone involved in that service, particularly our Head of Music, Mr Horley, in putting together an online version of the Chapel Choir. It really was a moving occasion that marked the close of a quite incredible year in the life of our School.

At the service, we confirmed six of our community into the Christian faith, including two sets of siblings; they were Alice Gotke (Lower Sixth) and James Gotke (Lower Sixth), Nadeza Manley (Second Form) and Chinya Manley (Lower Sixth), as well as Phoebe Connell (Third Form) and Oscar Sandberg (Third Form). It was a lovely occasion, in bright sunshine, before the darkness of COVID-19 descended upon us.

In spite of the pandemic, we did manage an online Leavers’ Service which, given the

The Right Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin MBE QHC

SCHOOL COMMUNITY

Heart of Kent Hospice Moonlit Walk Miss Julie Manning, House Tutor of Sutton

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his year, the Sutton girls wanted to raise money for charity, so Head of House, Paige Davidson, and Deputy Head of House, Anisha Thapa Magar, decided to enter some charity walks and runs. The Heart of Kent Hospice Moonlit Walk was our first, taking place on Sunday 12th October.

Tallulah Field, Beth Abrehart and Grace Manning-Greene (all First Form)

Team Sutton had a great turnout, comprising of eight girls from the house, along with three girls from The Juniors, Mrs Palmer, Miss Du Preez and myself. In total, around 500 people took part in the eight-mile moonlit walk from Aylesford , through Larkfield and Leybourne stopping at West Malling before enjoying a lantern-lit cross country mile back to the Heart of Kent Hospice at Preston Hall.

Despite the constant rain, the girls were in good spirits. They had new head torches and pink T-shirts, but Harriet Connor (Fifth Form) decided to raise morale further by buying everyone flashing bunny ears; the musthave accessory of the night! Although cake was available in West Malling, the halfway point, Team Sutton did not stop and powered on through to the end, completing the walk in an impressive two hours, 45 minutes.

In total, the girls raised close to ÂŁ300, which is a fantastic achievement.

A special mention must go to Nicole Avery for being our top fundraiser.

Boarding Trip to Leeds Castle Anastasiia Trakalo (Lower Sixth)

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n the final Sunday before the end of term, a group of Sutton House boarders went on the annual trip to Leeds Castle Christmas market.

Although it was a bit colder than we had expected, the clear sky and sunshine promised a lovely day. We strolled through the market looking at a wide range of festive decorations, toys, and seasonal gifts. Christmas tunes, tempting food and the nostalgic Victorian carousel altogether created a joyful atmosphere of Christmas time.

Almost running out of time at the end of the day, we decided to take on the challenge of the famous Leeds Castle maze. It took us no longer than 10 minutes to solve and find our way out, but it was fun all the same. Also, it gave us the opportunity to see more picturesque views of the setting and take some photos of the castle.

Our thanks go to Mrs de Castro who organised the trip for us. We spent a fantastic time there and, without a doubt, it got us in the Christmas mood.

Frederika Phibbs, Lara Madeleine Herzog and Anastasiia Trakalo (all Lower Sixth)

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SCHOOL COMMUNITY

Sutton House Nicole Avery and Muhing Okhrabu (Lower Sixth)

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he beginning of what we thought was going to be a normal year, started with a joyful reunion of familiar faces and the welcoming of new members of the house. As well as this, we welcomed Miss Harrison as a new tutor.

The weekends, as always, were never boring and full of many adventures for us. Such was our shopping trip to Canterbury, allowing some of the new girls to experience a classic British town as well as some retail therapy. In October, eight of the Sutton girls volunteered to do a Midnight Walk for the Heart of Kent Hospice. With Miss Manning and Miss Palmer driving a bus full of girls singing karaoke music, we reached our starting point in Aylesford. The continuous rain did not seem to faze the girls and we powered through our walk into the middle of the night.

With our accessories of glow sticks and lightup bunny ears, we were definitely the brightest there!

In December, a long-awaited trip for the boarders came around: ice skating. Trying our best to make it around the rink without falling

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over we all had a great laugh. Some of us also attempted to be figure skaters, however, we drastically failed. At the end of the day to warm ourselves up, we all treated ourselves to a crêpe and hot chocolate.

As the festive season rolled in around the boarding house, we distributed our chocolate advent calendars and started the Christmas countdown. Nevertheless, some of the girls decided to eat it all in one day! Christmas songs blasted out of the television as we decorated our Christmas tree with colourful lights and tinsel. Preparing ourselves for a huge Christmas dinner, we all wore reindeer antlers and dug out our best Christmas jumpers! To finish off the evening, we all had the surprise of trying to guess who our Secret Santa was. A great way to end the Michaelmas Term and get us in the Christmas spirit.

As the new year began we had our yearly trip to the Marlowe Theatre. This year it was to see Annie. All of the girls enjoyed hearing the classic songs such as It’s A Hard Knock Life and You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile and seeing

them being brought to life in front of them. As usual, the songs were sung for weeks throughout the boarding house. With the year progressing, our next event was Chinese New Year. While the kitchen staff prepared a lovely meal for us all, the boarding houses came together yet again for another evening of great company and food.

However, this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our time in Sutton was cut short when the government announced a national lockdown. As the last day at School came around, we all said our emotional goodbyes not knowing when we would all be with each other again. In spite of this, it did not stop us from keeping in contact with everyone across the world, as we held our house meetings online.

When we all came together on Zoom, whether that be from the comfort of our beds or from our kitchen tables, it was great to see everyone together again.

As we finished the year in such an unusual way, I am sure all of the girls agree that we had two great terms in Sutton and made the best out of a bad situation.

SCHOOL COMMUNITY

Australian Guests Abigail Gilbert and Frederika Phibbs (Lower Sixth)

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n November last year, we were lucky enough to come to Sutton Valence School on a six week exchange from Sydney, Australia. We had so many fun experiences whilst we were there and made some great memories.

SVS was very different to Roseville College, our regular school back home in Australia, so we made the most of the different activities on offer, such as Shooting and CCF, as well as having the opportunity to play some great Hockey.

We were also lucky enough to go on various School trips including a visit to Westminster Abbey, the opening of the Royal British Legion Village (where we saw the Queen) and the Drama trip to see Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. At the weekends, we visited Maidstone, went ice skating in

Canterbury, enjoyed the Christmas market at Leeds Castle and took day trips to London.

Some of the big differences at SVS compared to Roseville include the wearing of business attire in Sixth Form instead of uniform, being coeducational, only studying three subjects in the Sixth Form, going to School on Saturday, boarding and the weather! Not to mention all of the differences between Australian slang and British words!

We were both so grateful to have gone on this exchange and we would recommend it to anyone considering it. Although we were only at the School for a short period of time, by the end, we did not want to leave or say goodbye. Everyone was so welcoming at the School, but especially the friends we made in Sutton House. We loved every moment of our time.

Abigail Gilbert and Frederika Phibbs (both Lower Sixth)

Boarders Leeds Castle Run Harriet Onions (Third Form)

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n 26th September, we travelled to Leeds Castle to take part in a 5K run, which the castle organises to raise funds for Kent Sports Trust. With the sun coming out to cheer us on, we felt excited, but also a little nervous as we set off down the scenic path to be signed in.

As we headed to the start, we were all gearing ourselves up mentally and raring to go. We had a bit of time to stretch and take some photos of the beautiful black swans and lake – a lovely distraction from the prerace nerves.

The man on the tannoy told us all to get into our race places so we did, wishing each other good luck. He counted down from three and we were off! At first, the course

seemed okay, then came the first hill, the second hill, and about five other challenging hills after that!

All-in-all, it was a tough course but a great atmosphere amongst the other competitors - it was especially fun to see people dressed up as bananas. One great thing about the run was the cheering and support given to everyone. It was very motivating and I know the rest of the SVS runners really appreciated it.

Having finished the race, the shiny medal at the end and the big buckets of Haribo made those tricky hills worthwhile!! Thanks to all who came and took part, with a special thanks to Mrs Manning, Mrs Palmer, Miss Radford and Mrs Horley for taking part with us and organising it.

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SCHOOL COMMUNITY

Westminster House Archie Plugge (Lower Sixth)

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ast year, Presley Farrance (Upper Sixth) had the honoured role of being Head of House and led the House by example.

It was an excellent boarding year for Westminster, despite the obvious restrictions at the end of the year.

Boarding activities were plentiful with some of the most popular ones being Dodgeball, House Football and movie night. The house would eagerly look forward to these weekly activities which would take place in various locations around the School such as the Sports Hall, the Astro and the Baughan Theatre. It would often prove to be the highlight of the week.

Brighton Trip Mr Michael James, Housemaster of Westminster

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arly in the Lent Term, Mr James, Miss Feilen and seven Sutton girls travelled to Birling Gap and Brighton for what was a great boarding trip.

The beach at Birling Gap is set at the base of the imposing, sheer chalk cliffs known as the Seven Sisters. On the day we visited, the sea was wild, the wind fierce and the tide high. This famous location and bright sunshine sparked the enthusiasm and spirit within the girls, as they giggled with delight as they ventured down the platform onto the beach itself.

The sea-foam had formed into small dunes, which were blasted by the wind and blown up over the magnificent cliffs. The National Trust visitors’ centre showed footage of previous cliff collapses and images of long destroyed houses and overall provided a great stop on the way to shopping and ice-skating at Brighton.

Brighton, an iconic holiday destination for many, provided lots of quirky shops in The Lanes and, of course, the world famous pier was a highlight.

There are many Boarder trips and we actively encourage all the students who board at SVS to take up these incredible opportunities.

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School life is not just about hard work and academic studies – there has to be an opportunity and some time put aside to let off steam, relax, socialise and compete with others. It is just as important for the boys and girls to have fun and down time to forge relationships and switch off from academic commitments and time pressures. Where better to do this than, for example, at one of the barbecue, pizza or fright nights?

2019/20 will be a year to remember for many reasons, unfortunately mainly for COVID-19. Whilst the pandemic has proved a hurdle for a lot of aspects of school life, the School, teachers and indeed all staff quickly adapted to overcome the restrictions imposed and make our experience as rich as it could be, under the circumstances. Of course, these strange times have meant that we have had to learn as a house to be more inventive.

The Summer Term saw a slew of new terms and phrases becoming part of our daily language. Whether it be in virtual lessons – “you are still on mute”, or ‘keep safe’ being signed at the end of emails or ‘no entry without a mask’.

Writing this now in the Michaelmas Term, we have all become fairly used to these changes, although I am sure that we all hope and look forward to getting back to some kind of normal, perhaps when an effective vaccine is available.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Housemaster, Mr James, Matron, Debbie and our various house tutors for all the hard work that they have invested in ensuring that the year runs as smoothly as possible.

SCHOOL COMMUNITY

St Margaret’s House Mr Steven Head, Housemaster

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eptember 2019 dawned on a house full of promise and with some very talented boys with the potential to do great things, both in and out of the House. The House leadership team of Awishma Gurung, Max Hansford and Herbie Stephenson quickly took on the role of planning for the term and arranging activities for the boarding community to take part in, forging strong and effective links with the other houses.

The always popular boarding quiz nights became a special part of the term under their leadership, and it was great to see the enjoyment gained by all and the developing confidence of the boys as they produced such an enjoyable range of events. This culminated at the end of the term with the much-loved Christmas raffle. As was stated at the time, it was an amazing show of togetherness from the House and helped with the atmosphere we are all trying to maintain.

It has been clear for a while that we have some strong and talented Rugby players in the House.

The addition of Max Halliday and William Hunt made the 1st XV even stronger, with the House providing five members of the 1st XV, and

numerous players further down as well. Having been given the chance to referee lots of games during the Michaelmas term, it was great to see so many of the boys out on a regular basis and representing so many of the teams.

I greatly enjoyed the chance to see many of the Margaret’s boys in the 1st XV this year, especially in their extended National Vase cup run. It will always be one of the great unknowns - how they would have fared in the final, but seeing the efforts that they put in to their training I will always be confident that they would have done themselves justice in the final. Hopefully, with the continuing development of Rugby in the House and School it will not be too long before we get another chance to prove ourselves.

The Lent Term showed that the boys were taking their studies seriously and working well towards the end of the year. This was all for naught as events overtook us, but I will always be grateful for the way that the boys adapted and changed their habits to accommodate the new style of learning. At least the lockdown gave the chance over the summer to make sure that the new heating systems in the house were fully up and running.

The results gained by the boys over the summer allowed them all the chance to go on and study further skills and I hope to hear back about their successes in the future. This year, with the new leadership team of Bishesh Bhandari, William Hunt and Ed Marsh in place, we hope to build upon the successes of last year and I hope to write a report that covers the entire academic year!

Boarding Ice Skating Trip Nina Ghale (Third Form)

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n the first Sunday in December, a number of Sutton House girls, along with some of the boys from Westminster and St Margaret’s travelled by bus to Canterbury to go ice-skating.

with some people gliding gracefully across the rink, while others took some bumps and gained bruises. Although many of the girls had not skated before, we quickly got into our stride and everyone improved as the session went on.

Once we arrived at the Canterbury on Ice rink in Dane John Gardens, we found that we had enough time before our allotted booking, to look around the city. As such, everyone rushed to get into Costa for hot refreshments before we got our skates on.

Overall, despite the falls and initial trepidation, it was really good fun and a great experience for us all. After we finished at the rink, we had another hour to explore the shops of Canterbury.

Everyone was exhausted by the end of the day but it was a fun trip out for all the girls (and some of the boys). We are grateful to Mrs De Castro for organising it for us.

After we had warmed up, we headed onto the ice. There was a real mixture of skating abilities

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SCHOOL COMMUNITY

The Juniors Mr Bob Carr, Head of The Juniors

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hope that this will be the only time as Head of Juniors when I can only fully write about two terms of the School year rather than three. It was a terrible shame that The Juniors, along with the rest of the School, missed out on the joys of the Summer Term. It was testament to their resilience and hard work that they rose up and met the significant challenges which came their way between March and July. I was immensely proud of them all as they faced up to their Zoom lessons and the strange ‘School life’ they had to endure.

Back in September, we welcomed four new tutors. Miss Oliver (2011 C), Miss Sagrott (2013 F) and Mr Law (2018 C) are all Old Suttonians who I thoroughly enjoyed teaching during their time at the School. They have proved to be excellent tutors and they have brought a breath of fresh air into their tutor rooms each morning. We were also delighted that Mrs Allman, our School Supervisor, was asked to join our team. She has a wealth of experience and always displays a calm and dignified presence at all times.

In the first two terms, The Juniors, as ever, committed themselves to a huge number of events and their ready enthusiasm in supporting both guest speakers and charitable events continues to be extremely heartening. In October the First Form listened to speakers from the Gideons Society intently and asked a number of pertinent questions. They received their Bibles in a very polite fashion, which impressed our visitors greatly. We were delighted to welcome Mr James Shone back to speak to The Juniors and once again they listened carefully as he told them his sad but uplifting message and as he promoted his I Can And I Am charity.

The Juniors fully embraced the sponsored walk and raised a considerable amount of sponsorship money as a result of their walk through the early autumnal Kent countryside. Later in the Michaelmas Term, the annual Junior Tug Of War proved to be an exciting and uplifting event which was well supported by senior pupils. After several titanic battles, Holdgate proved worthy winners. They displayed exceptional teamwork and their encouragement of one another was really great to witness.

Also in October, there was an excellent Geography field trip for the First Form to Reculver Page 74 - The Suttonian 2020

Park. Having filled in the relevant workbooks successfully, they then had a bracing walk along the beach and a marvellous cliff top picnic.

As ever, Table Tennis has continued to be extremely popular with The Juniors. This year, Mr Sealy and Lambe’s organised an inter-house tournament and the worthy winner was the ever-smiling Fenton King. The girls thoroughly enjoyed using the new Netball posts, which we had installed in the Junior Quad and the Netball staff have remarked on how their shooting has improved as a result. The boys and girls also enjoyed playing a lot more Basketball.

The following month saw 63 junior girls and boys get actively involved in a junior Football tournament organised by Joe Dale (Lower Sixth).

Once again, The Juniors raised a considerable amount of money for Cancer Research which, for personal reasons, is so close to Joe’s heart.

Soon afterwards, Lambe’s house organised a scrumptious Krispy Crème doughnut sale as they raised money for Abbie’s Army - a children’s brain tumour charity. This was soon followed by Mrs Allman’s tutor group raising over £100 for Cancer Research which involved a raffle to win some lovely sweet hampers.

The Michaelmas Term ended, once again, with a wonderful film and Christmas party afternoon.

This year, the children watched their old

favourite Home Alone. Ms Bancroft had done an absolutely wonderful job in decorating all of the day rooms for Christmas; they looked quite stunning and she will do well to live up to those standards in years to come!

On the last day of term, Mrs Head organised a brilliant house quiz which was held separately from the rest of the School in Groves Hall.

Yours truly was moved to tears as each house presented him with wonderful and meaningful gifts as he celebrated his 60th birthday. They also sang him a fantastically amusing song which was called The Twelve Days of Carrmass!

Less took place during the Lent Term, but Mrs Gosden’s tutor group found time to raise a significant amount of money by way of the children guessing the amount of sweets in a jar. The Australian Red Cross charity was the beneficiary of the children’s sweet teeth.

Once again, we held the annual Pancake Race, which proved to be an hilarious event with Founder’s running out as the worthy winners this year. It is always amusing to see how the Second Form pupils think that this event is beyond them but then how, when they get involved, they absolutely love it! This year, the race fell on Shrove Tuesday and therefore afterwards, all of the children tucked into fresh pancakes which were so kindly made by Mr Devine and his team.

SCHOOL COMMUNITY

In March, during Mental Health Week, we welcomed back Annie Price who spoke to the children about mental welfare. The children once again listened in silence as she spoke about how she has developed the resilience to face up to the terrible burns which she received as a baby. As ever, the children asked some really sensitive, sensible, probing and perceptive questions.

Finally, Mrs Head helped to organise a Sports Relief event in collaboration with Years 3 to 6 at the Prep School and it was great to see so many involved in running and swimming competitions. This ‘Aquarun’ amazingly raised over £2,000 for this very worthwhile charity.

Away from House competitions and charity events, we launched a new initiative by introducing a reading slot at lunch time for The Juniors and, overall, this was well-received and proved to be a success. I cannot thank Mrs Carter and Mrs Black enough for all that they do to encourage the children to pick up a book and read; it is something which The Juniors will benefit from for years to come.

This year we also invited overseas boarders to speak about their countries of birth in my weekly Friday assemblies. We had two brilliant talks about China and Brazil and, as a result of this, Clothworkers’ and Founder’s put together two marvellous displays in the dayroom about

each country. The aim of this was to raise the cultural awareness of the children.

In another new move each Second Form pupil was asked to give a five-to-ten minute talk to their tutor group on a topic close to their heart, as we try to develop their self-confidence when standing up to speak in front of their peer group.

A winner was declared from each house but sadly, due to lockdown, the final, which would have been held in front of all The Juniors, never did take place.

In the last week of the Summer Term, in place of their usual activity week, Mrs Westlake and others organised a remarkable ‘Spy School’ event.

This involved them solving a large number of different clues to try to find out which dastardly person had kidnapped Paddington Bear from the Junior’s Day Room. Many of the children embraced this somewhat quirky and amusing challenge. Several of them did eventually work out that the culprit was a very evil and cruel Mr Braddick.

Arguably the highlight of each year is the Second Form graduation ceremony that traditionally takes place in Chapel and afterwards on Chapel Lawn on the penultimate day of the Summer Term. It was a huge shame that the Second Form did not get their deserved send off as they moved up into the Third Form. To their credit, a large number of Distinction and Merit certificates

were sent home to them based on their Blue Point totals, summer examination results, effort grades and portfolios. I am delighted to report that the recipients of the Headmaster’s Special Prizes were Erin McGregor and Jonty Gillett.

In conclusion, whilst there was a sad end to the year, The Juniors have once again fully embraced the life of the School and have continued to lay solid foundations during their first two years with us. I would like to thank my extraordinary tutor team for all that they have done for their charges day-by-day; I am truly blessed to have them all in my team.

I would particularly like to thank my Senior Tutor, Mrs Head, for all her hard work. She has, as ever, been a great support day-by-day and I really appreciate her unflappability – especially when organising our PSHE programme. Ms Bancroft has also been a wonderful support for all the children each and every day, whether this has been meeting them by the lockers faithfully each morning or when supervising them every morning break and lunchtime.

Finally I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Fewson and Mr Braddick very warmly for all that they have done as Junior tutors over the last few years and I wish them all the very best as they move on to their respective senior groups.

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SCHOOL COMMUNITY

Clothworkers’ House Mr Matthew Jones, Housemaster

D

espite the obvious challenges that we all faced towards the end of last year, the Clothworkers’ community pulled together and, collectively, achieved some encouraging successes along the way.

With an early strong performance in the Dale Memorial Cup, in which we placed third out of eight teams, the year started on a promising note.

In the Michaelmas Term, our House Singing Competition entry of Amy Winehouse’s cover of The Zutons’ track Valerie was a little rough round the edges (despite its healthy sonorous heart), but we still managed to secure third place. Our general knowledge was shown to have improved on the previous year, as we scooped up marks in the annual Christmas Quiz, finishing in second place.

Holdgate House Miss Kelly McConnachie, Housemistress

N

o one could predict how 2020 would unravel, but how fitting that it was the Year of the Rat! “The rat has a resilient talent to adapt and thrive within every changing environment”.

Our pupils have shown an adaptability and resilience beyond their years; they were not going to let the COVID-19 lockdown dampen their spirits.

Highlights this year included our House Singing efforts, the junior Tug of War and the various sports competitions. Collectively, the House always gave their all and I am appreciative of their efforts throughout. Aside from the House competitions, Holdgate pupils excelled themselves in all aspects of School life and I was especially delighted to see Isabelle Cook, Tom Gray, Gabriella Howarth and Katie Lang take to the stage to give fantastic performances in this year’s senior production of The Sound of Music. The biggest highlight of the year for me though, and for many others, was the School-wide football competition run by Joseph Dale. During the Final of the Dale Memorial Cup, a huge rainbow shone over the pitch; this really summed up the magical power of a community coming together for the greater good.

It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to so many talented pupils this year: Heads of School Lara Savage and Anna Harrison, Art Scholar Isabella Dransfield and sports legends Jenna Boltman, Ella Carter, George Jones, Toby Nottage and Amelia Semmens. We also wave goodbye to the most fashionable Holdgator to date, Estelle McInerney, and to Amie Stuart who is off to hone her talents at the famous Leiths School of Food and Wine. A big thank you must go to our wonderful tutor team and to the Heads of House, Pescha Cordell and Joseph McInerney who were superb role models to the younger pupils.

Sadly, we finished the year without a Baton Race or Sports Day, however that did not stop us retaining the Baughan Cup for a second successive year! Next year (The Year of the Ox by the way) we will be aiming for a House Champions hat-trick!

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It was a strong year for Clothworkers’ in terms of academic effort and achievement. Before lockdown, the whole House pushed hard to improve the quality of their preps and achieved the highest prep average grades in the School. During lockdown, Clothworkers’ were ranked first for average class effort and average attainment against their target grades – a superb achievement, especially given the adaptation required to the virtual learning platform.

The House spirit and sense of togetherness during morning tutor times on Zoom was palpable. Many students engaged in co-curricular activities, such as the Third Form ‘Ready Steady Cook’ competition and the weekly English and Maths challenges. A number of senior Clothworkers’ used the final part of their Upper Sixth year to help form ‘Zoomposium’ – a discussion forum centred on a different critical thinking topic each week. Numerous students from across the House also engaged competitively each week in the InterSchool Virtual Sports Fixtures.

Spending months away from School and friends was tough, but so many students in the House dug deep and pushed themselves to engage in all that was on offer as a part of the Virtual Journeys. To highlight some outstanding performances, I would like to mention the following students for topping their cohorts for Academic Endeavour and Co-Curricular Involvement Blue Points, respectively: in the Third Form, Maisey Russell topped both; in the Fourth Form, Maximillian Reeves and Alec Martin and in the Lower Sixth, Chinya Manley and Elliot Gooding. A huge congratulations to all of these students.

The hunger for excellence shown by these individuals and the House at large, contributed to our topping the House points table during the Summer Term. For the academic year as a whole, we finished a close second place in the competition for the Baughan Cup. I was delighted to appoint as Heads of House, Chinya Manley and Suzanna Fullick. They wrote excellent letters of application and performed well at interview. In two new roles for this year, I was also thrilled to appoint Josh Houry as Student Welfare Officer and Oliver Bartleet as Head of Charities.

Both of these areas are vitally important as we return to School and look to renew our support for each other, both in School and in the wider community. I look forward to working with this student leadership team in the forthcoming year, with the firm belief we will once again have the House name engraved on the Baughan Cup in 2021.

SCHOOL COMMUNITY

Founder’s House

Lambe’s House

Miss Linda Gray, Housemistress

Mr Tim Sealy, Housemaster

T

A

he academic year of 2019 – 2020 has certainly been a year of two halves. However, despite all the challenges, all Founder’s House pupils have shown resilience with managing all that has come their way.

As this was my first year as Housemistress, I was keen to give the day room a bit of a revamp with new displays and our House name clearly depicted, giving the Founder’s pupils more ownership of the room. Every Friday, the whole House gathered for a House assembly, where I would often rattle off the names of all those who had received Academic Endeavours and co-curricular contributions. All I have ever asked of Founder’s pupils is to try their best and so I think it is essential to celebrate and recognise these achievements.

I also introduced the Founder of the Week award; each week up to three pupils would receive a token bag of chocolates for a particular achievement.

At the end of each term, tutors would nominate those tutees they felt had had a particularly excellent term to win a token prize too. Over the course of the year, all pupils contributed to our Blue Point count and I am still amazed by the diversity of talent of our pupils.

Towards the end of the Michaelmas term, we launched the House Christmas charity project; each tutor group was tasked with making a Christmas hamper, which in turn would be donated to a local food bank. I was really impressed with how all tutor groups came together, brought in various foods from home and designed and created very elaborate Christmas hampers. Three tutor groups designed a Christmas themed train, complete with a wooden frame, wheels and each hamper formed separate carriages.

We also had a series of Christmas sleighs, which were beautifully decorated.

With regard to Inter-House competitions, we started the year with the Singing Competition. Our choice of song was Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves. There were multiple rehearsals, some of which were rather quiet and we all lacked a bit of gusto, however, I soon found that if we rehearsed on a Friday afternoon, rather than a Monday morning, everyone was far more enthusiastic! Everyone gave it their all and we came second overall, which we were very pleased with. The whole School Christmas quiz is always a highlight, however, we need to put in some serious training ahead of next year, as we came fourth.

s the new Housemaster of Lambe’s, I started the year with a mixture of nerves and, in those early days, I was delighted to find so many of the students in the House shared my enthusiasm for the year to come. The new joiners in the House were quickly welcomed and integrated themselves smoothly, with the House demonstrating a tremendous early sense of community which was to prove so important later in the year.

As we approached the end of the Michaelmas Term, Lambe’s saw several victors in the inaugural Christmas Bake Off contest – in particular the salted caramel brownies produced by Madeleine Presland continue to live long in the memory (and on the hips!). Lambe’s (aided by the dulcet tones of the boys of St Margaret’s) then ended the Michaelmas Term on a literal high note, running out clear winners of the House Singing Competition with a very tuneful and uplifting rendition of Shotgun by George Ezra. It is fair to say the expert musicianship of Finn Swaine on guitar and George Abrehart on drums was key in our victory but the entire House played their part in a very satisfying outcome to take us into Christmas.

We returned for the Lent Term still riding high from our musical victory but were brought back down to earth with a bump due to the unprecedented global pandemic that would prove so devastating and difficult for so many of us. Whilst we were confined to our homes instead of being able to socialise in the Day Rooms, the students of Lambe’s House (and the Sutton Valence School community as a whole) came together admirably and refused to let the lockdown conditions dampen their sense of ‘togetherness’ over Zoom.

As a big believer in the importance of community, I was delighted to see so many of the form groups connecting via their respective ‘Teams’ and participating in the various form challenges they were set.

It was, of course, a real disappointment that we could not give the Upper Sixth of Lambe’s a proper send off in the time-honoured tradition, particularly when so many of them contributed so positively to the House throughout the year. I wish them all the best for their future endeavours. The 2019-20 academic year was certainly an unusual one by anyone’s standards – I only hope that 2020-21 is a bit more ‘boring’ by comparison!

As the Lent term was curtailed in what can only be described as unprecedented circumstances, we knew that it was going to be hard to keep the spirit of Founder’s House alive whilst pupils were learning from home. I was blown away with how quickly all pupils adapted to new systems and, with the beauty of technology, we were able to still have meetings. Initially, I recorded House assemblies, however, as we all grew in confidence with using Zoom, everyone was able to meet. The tutor group setting enabled pupils to discuss their learning experiences, as well as an opportunity to discuss the more mundane things, like what everyone was getting up to during lockdown.

Despite all the challenges our pupils faced, I must finally mention the Upper Sixth who have now left. It was so disappointing that we were not able to celebrate their leaving in the normal way, however, they have all got such exciting futures ahead of them and I would like to wish every single one of them the very best of luck for the future.

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SCHOOL COMMUNITY

Environment and Sustainability Miss Pippa Goodridge, Marketing Officer

I

n an effort for the School to be more environmentally friendly and responsible, a new Environment and Sustainability Co-ordinator was appointed back in September 2019. Miss Oliver (2011 C) took on this new role and, over the last year, she has set to work changing the way the School approaches its environmental and sustainability challenges.

Mindful that for genuine, meaningful change to occur, the process needed pupil involvement, she began by creating the Eco Society. This committee, comprising of 42 students ranging from the First Form to Upper Sixth, was born out of a suggestion by Molly Veasey and Thomas Poplett (both Lower Sixth) as a means to allow the students to have their opinion heard, as well as providing a vehicle to educate other pupils on the importance of environmental awareness.

The Eco Society started during the Michaelmas Term and was split into three groups, the juniors, middle school and seniors. Within each of these groups, the pupils were encouraged to think for themselves and drive the committee forward based on their own initiative. With one group meeting each week, they were charged with creating campaigns for the School, in which they needed to research, create case studies and implement their chosen strategy.

The first big project that Miss Oliver undertook was reducing how the School used paper.

Starting with a paper audit within each area of the School, she encouraged staff to print less and removed 36 printers from around the site.

This saw a significant reduction in the amount of paper consumed, and this has been further helped by our transition to Virtual Journeys.

In addition, the decision was taken to change the School’s paper supplier, moving from a recycled paper stock to a sustainable paper stock. By switching to sustainable paper, the energy usage is much lower, therefore making it more eco-friendly. The other big deciding factor was that the sustainable paper supplier is based in France, whereas the recycled paper used to travel all the way from Australia, so the swap also helped to reduce the School’s carbon footprint.

Another area that we have focused on is reducing food wastage. As a starting point, a survey was sent to the pupils and staff regarding

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their dietary preferences, for example favourite sandwich fillings, and the results then allowed the Catering team to remove the less popular ones from pack-ups. This contributed to a significant reduction in the amount of sandwich waste following the implementation.

As the School neared the end of the Lent Term, the COVID-19 pandemic meant that more immediate challenges needed to be focused upon. However, since the School re-opened, Miss Oliver and the Eco Society have worked hard to reinforce the importance of remaining environmentally conscious at the same time as being mindful of adhering to the various COVID-19 protocols. With the introduction of plastic masks, visors and single-use catering supplies, the group has been looking at ways in which we can adhere to national safety guidelines, whilst still looking after the planet. An example of this is how the School serves lunches in the Refectory. To avoid cross-contamination, all meals are now served in biodegradable, plant-based disposable boxes and they have eliminated plastic water bottles, encouraging students to bring in their own refillable water bottles.

One of their newest campaigns is to reduce the number of single-use masks used around the School. Sadly, 75 per cent of the used disposable masks, as well as other pandemic-related waste, will end up in landfills or floating in the seas,

and the potential consequences include health risks from infected used masks or the open burning or uncontrolled incineration of masks.

This, unfortunately, leads to the release of toxins into the environment. Even if disposable masks are helpful now, in the long run, they will have a detrimental effect on our planet, so they are encouraging everyone to wear reusable, nonplastic masks, wherever possible.

The next steps for our Eco Society include a Tree Scheme, and a proposal to use harvested rainwater as an alternative to piped water.

The Tree Scheme is in its early stages, with the intention to plant 105 trees on BM, donated by the Woodland Trust. It is hoped that they will get sponsorship to maintain this woodland on site. They are also looking at how they can incorporate more sustainable elements into our new refurbishments that are happening as part of Masterplan 450. One area they are exploring is the use of rainwater in the bathrooms of the new buildings Miss Oliver says, “It is our mission to allow our students to explore sustainability and ecofriendly ways to improve not only the School but every area of their life. We want them to think independently, to continue this hard work outside of the School and for the rest of their lives. I am extremely proud of their ideas, hard work and incredible campaigning they do for us all.”

SPORT AND GAMES

SPORT AND GAMES

“

The 2019/2020 year has been one of significant successes, occasional disappointments but, above all else, one characterised by adaptability and resilience. The highlight of our year was undoubtedly the progress of the 1st XV to the final of the National Vase competition. The team’s run, seeing off some of the finest Rugby schools in the country was outstanding. Sadly, the lockdown denied the team the chance to play the final at Twickenham, but that should not detract from their achievement. With successes also seen in Girls’ Hockey and Netball, the School’s overall record was encouraging and bodes well for the future. The pandemic also meant our Summer Term sport had to be cancelled, but I was delighted with how many pupils engaged with our online provision, especially the competitive element that saw us take on other schools in virtual exercise fixtures using the Strava app. I am grateful to my colleagues for their efforts in spite of the restrictions and the pupils for their efforts throughout.

”

Mr Mark Howell Director of Sport Page 79 - The Suttonian 2020

SPORT AND GAMES

1st XV Rugby Season Benjamin Watkins (Upper Sixth)

Y

et again, it has been a highly impressive Rugby season for the Sutton Valence School 1st XV – unbeaten in all of our block fixtures (home and away) and a place in the final of the National Vase, something the School has never achieved before. The block fixtures are covered below, with a separate report documenting our progress in the National Vase competition included later.

The season kicked off with our first match at home to St Lawrence College. This handed first 1st XV debuts to Lower Sixth pupils Charlie Galligan, Alfie Goater, Max Halliday, Dylan Harley, William Haywood, William Hunt and James Mardon. The game finished with a convincing 74-5 win for Sutton Valence after some seriously dominant, attacking Rugby.

After a victorious midweek fixture in the first round of the National Vase, we headed off for our next block fixture away at Cranleigh School

on 14th September. Cranleigh are a huge Rugby school with a massive influx of very high-quality players. It was a smash and grab game of Rugby and, with two tries coming from the unlikely source of our flanker, Nathan Bispham, we crafted a 28-17 win – beating Cranleigh, again something the School’s 1st XV has never done before.

Following this, the next two weeks of block fixtures were a breeze for the boys. Arthur Moffatt grabbed himself two tries as the team blew Colfe’s School away with a dominating 6410 victory. A man-of-the-match performance from Jack Lewis the following weekend, against Worth School, guided us through to a convincing 57-0 victory.

Despite these comfortable victories, we knew that the fixtures would get harder as we looked to retain our impressive unbeaten block fixture record. Perhaps most daunting was our trip to Whitgift School just before Half Term, the result

Record: Played 22, Won 21, Drawn 1, Lost 0

of which would be a pivotal moment in our season.

Unfortunately, we got punished early on due to some sloppy attacking play, turnovers into Whitgift hands only meant one thing. We were down 12-0 very early and needed a way back, quickly. Luckily, we have Brandon Jackson, who bulldozed his way through the Whitgift defence for a brace and put the half-time score at 19-19.

We pushed on from there and found ourselves in the lead, but the game started to find a pattern of Whitgift try, Sutton Valence try, Whitgift try, Sutton Valence try. We thought it was the last of it when Will Haywood touched down for a magnificent solo effort to put us 33-26 up.

However, with the last play of the game Whitgift managed to sneak a try in the corner and slot the conversion to gift both teams a draw. This was by far our most testing challenge yet, but the performance did not lack quality and we built from it in the following weeks.

1st XV Rugby

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SPORT AND GAMES

Arthur Genders, Benjamin Watkins and Jack Lewis (all Upper Sixth)

Thankfully, our return to competitive action after Half Term saw the team return to winning ways with a comfortable 31-7 victory at home to Cranbrook School. A week after this, we were again at home against rivals Sevenoaks School. We knew they had the capability to turn the game into a dog fight, as last year they held us 0-0 at half-time with some resolute defending. This year though, we came through with remarkable resilience and found ourselves on top yet again in a 34-14 win with tries from Brandon Jackson, Max Savage, Arthur Genders and Charlie Galligan.

Our final two block fixtures of the season were played with real style against good Rugby schools. Firstly, we headed up to London for the annual Abbott’s Cup fixture against Emanuel School. As a fellow member of the United Westminster and Greycoat Foundation, Emanuel always offers a highly competitive match, but thankfully, for the third consecutive year we came away with a victory. A solid 27-5 win saw us lift the Abbott Cup once again.

After a jubilant midweek fixture in the quarter final of the National Vase against Eastbourne College, the team had to regroup and focus on our final block fixture of the year against The King’s School, Canterbury. Avoiding defeat would see us finish the season unbeaten -

something we were all keen to achieve. The boys rose to the task and we came away with a compelling 39-5 win against a traditionally tough opponent. What a way to end the regular season.

All-in-all, it was an amazing season and an amazing bunch of lads. It was an absolute pleasure to captain a side of such raw quality and my thanks go out to Mr Howell and Mr Dawling for gifting me the role and all the work they do behind the scenes to make the team as successful as it is. Without their endless work we would not have been able to achieve some of the amazing results we have enjoyed this year.

So, thank you, it was a season of schoolboy Rugby I will never forget.

Squad: Tom Barton, Jasper Benson, Nathan Bispham, Thomas Cunningham, Yannick De Moubray, Presley Farrance (Vice-Capt), Charles Galligan, Arthur Genders, Alfred Goater, Elliot Gooding, Awishma Gurung, Max Halliday, Max Hansford, Dylan Harley, Hugh Harman, William Haywood, William Hunt, Brandon Jackson, George Jones, Oliver Laird, Jack Lewis, James Mardon, Joseph McInerney, Arthur Moffatt, Toby Murch, Oliver Payne-Cook, Max Savage, Luke Trigg, Ryan Washington, Benjamin Watkins (Capt), Tyler Weekes, Archie Yorke and McKellen Young.

Presley Farrance (Upper Sixth)

Luke Trigg (Upper Sixth)

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SPORT AND GAMES

NatWest National Vase Competition Benjamin Watkins (Upper Sixth)

L

ast year, the only blemish on the 1st XV’s record was a defeat at the hands of Hayes School in the Third Round of the National Vase competition. This season, we wanted to progress further in the competition and set off on a journey that would set new School records along the way.

Our journey began in early September with the first round of the area knock-out stage of the Vase competition against our local rivals, Maidstone Grammar School. Our Rugby was not at its best on the day, but with a man-of the-match performance from Luke Trigg and a wonderful solo try from Max Halliday, the score finished in a 27-18 win for the boys.

Two weeks later, we headed off to Tunbridge Wells for our second round match against Skinners’ School. It was a close game but, once again, Luke Trigg put in a fantastic performance and the game finished with Sutton Valence progressing to the next round with a 34-25 win.

This next round, the area knock-out quarter final, saw us travel away to Chislehurst and Sidcup

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Grammar School. On a very windy afternoon, we managed to come in at half time with a 17-8 lead. In the second half, we pushed on with Brandon Jackson leading the charge, booking us a place in the area knock-out semi final with a resounding 41-8 win.

After a run of away fixtures, we were pleased that the semi final match would be played at home. For this match, played shortly after the return from Half Term, we were against Duke of York’s Royal Military School, who were no match for us as we progressed with an excellent 44-3 win. This sent us to the knock-out final, which was the make or break match of our remarkable run of Vase results.

The match was away at Dartford Grammar School, whom we knew would be tough opponents. With a boggy pitch and a seriously quick wind, the conditions did the opposite of calming the nerves. We started slowly, allowing Dartford a 12-0 lead early on. Thankfully though, with racehorse Max Savage on the wing, we grabbed one try back which was converted successfully by Arthur Genders. We kept fighting

and slowly found the front foot, with Yannick De Moubray smashing over the line to put the halftime score at 12-12.

Based on the strength of our second half performances in the previous matches, we felt confident and with good reason. Ultimately, the second half defined our season. We showed huge gumption to book ourselves a place in the national quarter final after tireless work from Joe McInerney and Presley Farrance, gifting Luke Trigg, Brandon Jackson, Alfie Goater and Jack Lewis tries to put the final score at 44-12.

Moving from the area stage to the national stage was a huge accomplishment, but we wanted more. Standing in our way was a trip to the South Coast to face an impressive Eastbourne College side packed with quality. We knew that if the match went our way, it would book us a spot at Allianz Park for the semi final, creating another page in the history books for the School’s 1st XV. We started incredibly strongly with an early try from Luke Trigg and then built from there with Max Halliday and Presley Farrance extending the

SPORT AND GAMES lead to 22-8 at half-time. The second half gifted Tyler Weekes a 1st XV debut, but the match began to turn as Eastbourne pulled it back to 22-18. Reassuringly though, Presley Farrance settled the nerves with an unbelievably cheeky dummy for a try, tucked away nicely by Arthur Genders. Then, after an interception from Luke Trigg, he found Brandon Jackson who put a lid on the game and sent us through to the semi final with a 36-18 win.

From there it came down to one match. Nearly three months had passed since the Eastbourne game and during that time the RFU decided against holding the semi final at Allianz Park; instead it would be held at Sutton Valence with the game against Wellington School scheduled for Sunday 8th March.

Wellington came with a positive reputation, only losing four of their fixtures this season. Once again, we knew the stakes were high as a place in the national final at Twickenham was on offer.

Our nerves were through the roof and a huge crowd on Stoney only added to the pressure.

As the game started, Wellington had us camped in our half for the majority of the first half, defending for our lives. They managed an early try from a set piece through a big asset of theirs in the centre, with their kicker adding the extras.

We were 7-0 down.

chopped and changed with a bit of footwork and slid over for our second of the game, with Luke Trigg once again converting.

Wellington’s woes continued when they were caught in front of the kicker at the restart. This handed possession back to us from the scrum, allowing Presley to put in a well-weighted grubber kick, finding touch on the right. This time Yannick De Moubray snatched the lineout with our very own Kyle Sinckler, Awishma Gurung, gobbling up the ball and bulldozing through some bodies. A try looked likely for us but Wellington were awarded a scrum close to their line. Their scrum was won, but they attempted a clearance kick from the in-goal area, which was charged down by Presley, who regathered and scored. Luke’s conversion was unsuccessful, but this did leave the score at 22-7 SV. Wellington managed a late score with 20 seconds to go and the referee’s final whistle blew with a 22-14 Sutton Valence victory. It was an incredibly physical game, but one which booked us a spot at Twickenham to face Newcastle School for Boys, or at least so we thought. What a semi final though, made all the more special by the relentless support on the side-line from the huge crowd of pupils, parents, staff and Old Suttonians.

Unfortunately, the match against Wellington had been set against the backdrop of growing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. Sadly a week later we found out that the final would have to be postponed as the national lockdown began to take shape. Given the length of the lockdown, the postponement eventually became a cancellation and the final was called off. It was obviously the right decision but it was hard not to feel that we had been robbed of a chance of playing at Twickenham.

We can take heart though that we finished as joint winners of the competition, an accomplishment that the School has never seen before; in fact we had never been beyond the area final. We were underdogs in all of our games since the match against Dartford Grammar and to win all three matches was a dream come true. To captain a side of such determination, alongside boys I have been playing Rugby with since I was knee high has been an emotional and unforgettable journey.

We, as a squad, have deserved every result we battled for in such an unbelievable season and an achievement this remarkable will live long in the history books. Well done to the boys and thank you again to Mr Howell and Mr Dawling.

We built from here though and gradually made yards through Joe McInerney and Will Hunt’s big carries. We were awarded a penalty under the sticks, which Luke Trigg slotted with ease to get us on the scoreboard. Yet again though, Wellington pushed us back, but Nathan Bispham and Jack Lewis did their utmost to nullify any threat and we managed to hold off until halftime with us 7-3 down.

After a much-needed talking to at the break and some important changes including the introduction of Dylan Harley, we were ready for the second half. From the off, Dylan made the hard yards we needed, creating the space and gaps in the Wellington defence and giving the ball to Brandon Jackson. This meant one thing; try time. He weaved in and out, put the burners on and dotted down for our first try of the day, met with a huge reaction from our home support. Luke Trigg added the extras putting us 10-7 up and for the next 15, the ball was in Sutton Valence hands.

The shift in momentum continued as our supporters started to turn up the volume, with Brandon again running strongly and a succession of scrums won enabling us to take play into the right corner. With possession won, our forward pack drove to the line, but excellent Wellington defence held us up, gifting us another scrum, just under the posts. Wellington were pinged in the scrum and Presley Farrance tapped and went,

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SPORT AND GAMES

2nd XV Rugby Mr Bob Carr, Master I/C

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he success of this year’s 2nd XV just re-emphasised how strong Sutton Valence Rugby has been over the last few years, with the team nearly emulating the extraordinary success of the allconquering 1st XV. We were able to select from a very strong group of players and I think it fair to write that many of the fringe players would have been regular team members in years gone by.

It is always good to have new fixtures and this was the case against St Albans School early in September. After a very arduous coach journey the team ran out very comfortable winners 547. Switching Ollie Laird to stand off proved the turning point and from then on he was our playmaker for the rest of the season.

The following Saturday saw another long coach journey as we travelled to Cranleigh School on a very hot late-summer day, where we narrowly lost 24-10. This was frustrating, particularly as the opposition spent most of the match offside.

We then secured thumping victories over Colfe’s School, Worth School and Cranbrook School impressively running up a total of 177 points for only five against. In years gone by these would have been schools which we would have struggled to beat.

Record: Played 14, Won 11, Drawn 0, Lost 3

This string of victories was followed by a wellearned win over our local rivals Sevenoaks School and a very tight game against Coopers Company and Coborn School. We came away with a 17-7 win, which was all the more impressive as we were in fact playing against their 1st XV. As we got to the end of November, we were pitted against Duke of York’s Royal Military School 1st XV and, despite battling extremely hard, we went down 38 points to eight. The last two games of the season witnessed a classic victory over our sister school Emanuel 25-14, and we rounded things off with a superb away victory at The King’s School, Canterbury 26-5 – it is always great to win there and it is happily becoming something of a habit.

There was always a wonderful team spirit amongst the boys, and they were led splendidly by the ‘never say die’ George Jones. He always led from the front and was always in the thick of the action. There is not enough room to mention all the players, but I would like to highlight the commitment, skill and effort of Thomas Allewell, William Catling, Sebastiaan Lijesen, Toby Murch, William Saltmarsh, Finn Swaine and Jack Walker.

They gave their all for the sake of the side and always took the game to the opposition. Bishesh Bhandari was consistently one of our stand-out

2nd XV Rugby

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stars and was one of our key ‘go to’ players; he was absolutely fearless. Elliot Haselden proved a highly effective scrum half and in the centre Oliver Payne-Cook and Hugh Harman played out of their socks and were a very strong partnership.

On the wing Elliot Gooding showed that he had the pace of Johnny May and in Max Hansford we had an outstandingly good attacking full back.

All-in-all, this was another outstanding season for the 2nd XV and it was a genuine pleasure to coach and watch them week in, week out. Many of them will go on to represent the 1st XV next season which is hugely to their credit. As ever, we had a large amount of parental support and both the players and I were very grateful for this.

Roll on next season!

Squad: Thomas Allewell, George Baker, Bishesh Bhandari, Augustus Brummitt-Evans, William Catling, Alexander Duckett, Elliot Gooding, Charlie Hadley, Max Hansford, Hugh Harman, Elliot Haselden, Reuben Hodson, Harvey Jeffery, George Jones (Capt), Oliver Laird, Sebastiaan Lijesen, Toby Murch, Theodore Nelson, Toby Nottage, Oliver Payne-Cook, William Saltmarsh, Jack Stanton-Gleaves, Herbie Stephenson, Finn Swaine, Noah Swaine, Thomas Taft, Denby Timlin, Jack Walker, Gregor Wishart, Archie Yorke and McKellen Young.

Under 16A Rugby

SPORT AND GAMES

Under 16A Rugby Mr Jeremy Farrell, Master I/C Record: Played 7, Won 6, Drawn 0, Lost 1

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his year’s U16 A XV possessed talent in abundance. However their success reflected so much more than this. They approached training in a positive and mutually supportive way. They learnt how to best prepare themselves for matches on a Saturday and, above all else, they enjoyed each other’s company. As Tyler Weekes’ summary of the season reflects, their reward was to demonstrate how far they had developed compared to other sides who had pushed them close at Under 15 level: “The season started off with an unexpected challenge against Aylesford Rugby Club, with the score ending in a 19-14 victory to Sutton Valence.

Our next game was at home to a strong Cranleigh School side which ended in a 54-0 victory for the boys.

We then headed down to Worth School on 12th October expecting a very difficult game as last year when, playing as Under 15s, we drew 1212. It resulted in one of the best performances so far in which we won 47-5. We then played Whitgift School on our home 1st XV pitch which proved to be the best performance of the season. Despite losing Jensen McNulty to injury, the lads showed great heart and desire. Although it was a loss, we believe that this set us up for the rest of the season and all of the boys should be proud to have run the national champions from the year before, so close.

Our next game was at home on 9th November to local rivals Cranbrook School. With a couple of positional changes, the lads once again stepped up to the challenge, winning 58-14. We then headed away to Sevenoaks School where we put 48 points on them. We then had our last game at home against The King’s School, Canterbury, which we won 56-0, this was a fantastic result and it was great to see how much we have improved as a squad.”

In leading the side, Tyler set a wonderful example that was supported and enhanced by his other senior players. However, the most pleasing aspect was the way in which individuals developed, accepted the challenge of playing what they perceived to be “out of position” and placed the team before individual accomplishments.

This ethos was perfectly summarised when Alex Bowyer, having just come onto the field as a replacement, found himself to his own amazement and others’ astonishment scoring a try. The celebrations of his team mates were heartfelt and genuine. A special memory.

Squad: William Barrett, Tom Barton, Jasper Benson, Alexander Bowyer, Marcus Brown, Dylan Cole, Josh Forknall, Edwin Harding, Pip Hodson, Joshua Laird, Andrew Loy, Jenson McInulty, Harvey Morris, Benjamin Myers, Samuel Parsons, James Reid, Charlie Rust, Joe Savage, Robbie Simmonds, Oscar Vas, Tyler Weekes (Capt) and Thomas Wilson.

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Under 15A Rugby Mr Gwyn Davies, Master I/C

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n line with the whole School generally, the under 15As had a superb year of Rugby making huge gains on results from last year. Although we opened with a heavy loss to St Lawrence College, the boys learned a lot from it and took a sense of determination to rectify matters into the next match against Cranleigh School, our first meaningful league fixture.

This has always been a difficult encounter and to come away with a 41 to nil win was a magnificent achievement which really showcased the ability of the team when they clicked. Alfie Jarrett led by example with some barnstorming runs which remained the blueprint for matches throughout the season for him. Alec Martin led the back line confidently and he also developed superbly throughout the season.

The team followed this with a thumping 62-7 win at home against Colfe’s School, reversing a similar scoreline to the opposition the previous season. The boys were really starting to spark.

We were then put back in our box a bit by Worth School in a friendly, with a 15 nil defeat, and

Record: Played 9, Won 5, Drawn 1, Lost 3

this was followed by a 5-50 defeat at home to Whitgift School, who were a real quality outfit and showed us the standard that we needed to aspire towards. The boys reacted well, like genuine Rugby players, to those defeats and we were not to lose another game this season, winning the next three games on the trot in the league.

We ended with a match against traditional rivals, The King’s School, Canterbury, who had given us something of a beating the previous year. This year, however, with those three superb wins behind us, including a thumping 67-12 win against Duke of York’s Royal Military School, the boys were of a completely different mindset and the scene was set for a barnstorming encounter.

What took place that afternoon was my best experience as a coach in the eight years that I have been at Sutton Valence.

The match was a real ding-dong battle with SVS and King’s exchanging scores and some real venomous hits in an intensely hard match.

Going into the last minute we were trailing and all looked lost, when Alec Martin made a

break for the line and went through a gap, like a young Barry John, to score a magnificent try.

In converting his own try we thought that we had won and celebrations were ecstatic, only to realise that we had miscalculated the score and had actually drawn 24-24. I do not want to single out any other individual names in this match as all of the boys were absolutely outstanding. It was an amazing turn around given the heavy defeat suffered the previous year in the same encounter, and although slightly deflated that we had not actually won, the boys still ended the season on a high.

I would like to thank them all for giving me my most enjoyable season as coach here. We all loved every second of it.

Squad: Hector Anderson, Tobias Butler, Angus Chatterton, Pablo De Bartolome Del Amo, Bodhi De Moubray, Joshua Fawell, Sam Fenton, Isaac Forknall, Samuel Foss, Matthew Hall, Lorcan Hanna, Jackson Hardwick, Alfie Jarrett (Capt), Alec Martin, Oliver Murch, Fynn Page, Maximilian Reeves, Oliver Smith, George Sturges, Luca Vas, Maximus Woods and Ethan Wynne.

Under 15A Rugby

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SPORT AND GAMES

Under 14A Rugby

Under 13A Rugby

Under 14A Rugby

Under 13A Rugby

Mr Michael Law (2018 C), Master I/C

Jack Page (Second Form)

Record: Played 10, Won 2, Drawn 1, Lost 7

Record: Played 8, Won 8, Drawn 0, Lost 0

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This year, the boys were helped along the way in training sessions and on match days by Mr Mark Cornford, a coach in the Saracens Developing Player programme. This proved really useful for the players and continued the School’s fantastic partnership with Saracens. The boys had some tricky battles against big schools with a large cohort to select from, but still put up a great fight.

The season kicked off at the end of September with a game at home against St Lawrence College. Given that most of our team had not played for a year, we were pleased to finish the game with a ten point lead (35-25).

We then followed that victory up with a string of home wins as we began to settle into the season. The first of these victories came against Colfe’s School, which we won by 35 points to ten. A week later we then overcame Bickley Park School (45-15), before finishing our first Half Term with a 40-20 win against local rivals King’s School, Rochester.

oing into this season, it was the first opportunity for these boys to play a full, 15-a-side Rugby match, on a full size pitch. The boys had a tough calendar ahead of them against some challenging opposition teams throughout the season.

Unfortunately, the season got off to a losing start with a disappointing 53-7 loss at home to an impressive St Lawrence College side. Thankfully though, they bounced back quickly, winning fixtures against Cranleigh and Tonbridge. As the year progressed, the boys went from strength-to-strength and really improved their group cohesion, gaining a better understanding of the sport. A couple of stand-out performers throughout the season have to be Max Lindsay, with his great technical ability, especially his kicking, and Captain Samuel Laird, with his tenacious tackling ability and great leadership skills.

This season was challenging for the team, but a dramatic end of season match against The King’s School, Canterbury really showed the team’s improvement. An extremely rare 0-0 game displayed the boys’ willingness and determination to fight until the end. This season has put them in great stead going through the School and a chance to really kick on with all of their Rugby potential.

Squad: Oliver Aylett, Callum Baker, Oliver Barr, Harrison Cole, Max Cook, Finlay Gallagher, Zak Hansford, Sam Knighton, Samuel Laird (Capt), Max Lindsay, Joshua Miller, Harry Mundell, Brennan O’Keefe, Jack Piller, Alfie Reeve, Joshua Robinson, Alfie Stratton, Finley Thomas, Liam Thomas, Jack Walsh and Samuel Wilding.

he Under 13A Rugby team of 2019/20 had the perfect season.

We faced some tough opposition and, with no losses or draws, we won almost every game convincingly.

After Half Term, we continued with our good form as we took on the Duke of York’s Royal Military School in our first away fixture of the season.

We came away with a good 25-15 win. Another home game followed, which ended up being our closest fixture against certainly the strongest opposition. The game, against Vinehall School, ended with only a single try between us (30-25). That success was followed by the highlight of the season, a faultless 40-0 win over St Ronan’s School. Finally, we overcame Dulwich Prep, Cranbrook by 35 points to ten.

I was proud to be part of, and captain, a team that performed very well in all of our games, displaying great skill and determination which eventually led to an unbeaten season. A massive thanks goes out to our coach Mr Davenport and all the other Rugby coaches who helped and supported us throughout the season.

Squad: Maximilian Brown, Archie Burden, Adam Byskup, Toby de Lucy, Edward Dyer, Henry Ellis, Luca Esposito Lee-Kemp, Rhys Harmer, Otto Hart Banbury, Brook Homewood, James Lloyd-Jones, Oliver McNamara, Fred Mundell, Brennan O’Keefe, James Oliver, Jack Page (Capt), Otto Plant, Mackenzie Rowswell, Edward Smith, Zachary Stanley-David, Jack Travis and Benjamin Wilding.

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SPORT AND GAMES

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SPORT AND GAMES

Under 12A Rugby Mr Mark Howell, Director of Sport Record: Played 7, Won 5, Drawn 0, Lost 2

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he Under 12 Rugby squad enjoyed a fine first Michaelmas Term at Sutton Valence School with all of the boys showing a tremendous work ethic and willingness to learn and improve.

Under 12A Rugby

From the first training session, the players really bought into the fast and free style of play that is promoted throughout all of the year groups at the School. As a result, the team achieved some outstanding results over the course of the term, winning five of their seven matches, which was a fantastic achievement.

Notable performances over the season included their opening match against a strong St Lawrence College side, which ended in a dogged 35-20 victory. For a team playing its first game together, this was an impressive start.

Unfortunately, the boys were quickly brought back down to earth in their next match with a 45-5 loss against Colfe’s School - lessons were learned though, against a well-drilled opposition side.

Determined to bounce back, the team then enjoyed its first away fixture, with a trip to Bromley to face Bickley Park School. Returning to winning ways, the boys came away with a solid 40-25 victory.

This was then followed up with an equally impressive and highscoring 50-25 win against King’s School, Rochester.

Returning after the Half Term break, the team travelled to Duke of York’s Royal Military School, which saw another excellent performance, culminating in a 20-15 victory. Unfortunately, the team was not able to build on this victory as cancellations against Vinehall School and The New Beacon meant that the players had to wait a month for their next fixture.

By the time that fixture, against Saint Ronan’s School, had come around, the boys lacked some of the fluidity shown in previous victories and succumbed to a disappointing 30-10 loss. Thankfully though, they regrouped ahead of their final game of the season against Dulwich Prep, Cranbrook. Returning to winning ways, they played some excellent Rugby and came away with a deserved 3015 win.

Under 13A Rugby

Other Rugby Results Under 16B Played 6, Won 5, Drawn 0, Lost 1

Overall, all of the boys should be congratulated for an excellent first term of Rugby at the School. The future of SV Rugby is, without doubt, in safe hands and I look forward to seeing their progress as they continue through the year groups.

Under 15B

Squad: Angus Brown, Adam Byskup, Luca Callander, William Chadwick, Sam Charlton, JoJo Clements-Hunt, Harry Demarne, Harry Edwards, Harry Gaston, Fabian Gooding, James Hackett, Otto Hart Banbury, Otis Meneses-Bautista, Oliver McNamara, Harry Mewett, Jake Miller, Jensen Miller, Jacob Pearton, William Reeves, George Slater, Joshua Slaughter, Zachary Stanley-David and Benjamin Wilding.

Played 9, Won 2, Drawn 1, Lost 6

Played 8, Won 3, Drawn 0, Lost 5

Under 14B Under 13B Played 6, Won 4, Drawn 1, Lost 1

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1st XI Girls’ Hockey Anna Harrison (Upper Sixth)

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his Hockey season highlighted great passion and enthusiasm from all the girls who played. Although some of the results may not have fallen in our favour, this did not reflect the effort and strength of character which continued throughout.

This must be especially admired as injury and illness became a common hurdle in our dynamic team.

This year, the 1st XI Girls’ Hockey team, led by our dedicated captain, Jenna Boltman, was a closeknit group. The team was largely comprised of Upper Sixth Form students, which was good as we had played Hockey together for such a long time and enjoyed many sporting memories together at the School. That said, the team had good strength in depth with a number of younger students from the Lower Sixth and Fifth Form stepping up and contributing so much over the course of the season.

This year, the girls enjoyed a mixture of indoor and outdoor Hockey fixtures. That allowed

Record: Played 12, Won 2, Drawn 2, Lost 8

us to learn new skills whilst adapting to new rules experienced within the competitive environment of an indoor Hockey tournament.

Unfortunately, despite an early win against Hurstpierpoint College, the team struggled to get going and suffered defeats to the likes of Kent College, Pembury, The King’s School, Canterbury and Epsom College. One of the highlights, though, came in our challenging match against Cranbrook School, which was much-anticipated due to the competitive nature between the two teams. Despite the added pressure of playing against many familiar faces, we put on an exceptional defence display.

This, combined with super distribution from our midfielders and an aggressive approach driven by the forwards, resulted in a 1-0 win in our favour. It proved to be an extremely tense, yet rewarding fixture.

Many would agree that our best Hockey was actually played in the match against St Lawrence College as, although we did not win,

it is fair to say we shocked the opposition with our determination and drive. It was topped off by my last minute goal, scored against an international level goalkeeper, that reflected the resilience and perseverance of the entire team.

I would like to thank Mr Henderson for all the expert coaching we received, as well as his constant support and tactical advice. Lastly, I would like to thank all of the supporting parents for maintaining our high spirits, regardless of the conditions or the scoreboard; we are grateful for their encouragement throughout.

Squad: Chloe Alexander, Jenna Boltman (Capt), Jemima Bruce-Lockhart, Holly Clark, Ella Carter, Isabelle Cook, Paige Davidson, Charlotte Farrell, Daisy Fenton, Anna Harrison, Isabelle Hopkins, Katie Lang, Desiree Loxton-Barnard, Elizabeth Moore, Madeleine Presland, Rose Price, Amelie Rossiter, Alexandra Sacker, Amelia Semmens and Charlotte Wooldridge.

1st XI Girls’ Hockey

Other Girls’ Hockey Results Under 16A Played 4, Won 1, Drawn 0, Lost 3

Under 15B Played 8, Won 1, Drawn 3, Lost 4

Under 14B Played 7, Won 5, Drawn 0, Lost 2

Under 13B Played 12, Won 7, Drawn 0, Lost 5

Under 13C Played 10, Won 6, Drawn 2, Lost 2

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SPORT AND GAMES

2nd XI Girls’ Hockey

Under 15A Girls’ Hockey

2nd XI Girls’ Hockey

Under 15A Girls’ Hockey

Henrietta Parsons (Lower Sixth)

Mr Max Braddick, Master I/C

Record: Played 8, Won 2, Drawn 0, Lost 6

Record: Played 17, Won 7, Drawn 3, Lost 7

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s a team, it took us a few weeks to gel and get used to new members of the team including Grace Wilson, who stepped up from Fourth Form. This allowed for a change in defensive tactics and, after a few weeks of training and short corner work, we started to find our feet in the matches. We worked well as a team, passing between us and calling for the ball. We worked in threes, making it harder for the opposition to gain possession.

The first two matches against Hurstpierpoint College and Brighton College led to heavy goal losses but then we levelled off with a 5-0 win over Sevenoaks School and a 3-0 win over an equally competitive St Lawrence College. Unfortunately, a loss against The King’s School, Canterbury followed, although that did not reflect the hard work and effort put in by the forward and midfield players. The addition of Katherine Sawyer and Elizabeth Wooff battling it out at the opposition goal, using rebound balls to their advantage, worked well for us. The defensive players, including Chloe Alexander, Katie Lang and myself, worked well passing along the back line with the midfield players - Molly Veasey, Isabel Bruce-Lockhart, Daisy Fenton, Tess Pritchard and Amber Brinkman. This strategy worked well, pushing the players towards the goal, and helping our forwards, Sophie Lee, Alice Gotke, Gabriella Howarth and Daisy Hills, in sticky situations.

In terms of results, we would have liked more victories but, as a team, we worked well together and the score lines often did not reflect matches; the teamwork and passes that we made were impressive every match. Our coach Miss Hallett kept us steady and switched around the play as she watched the season progress, always enthusiastic and ready to advise us.

Squad: Chloe Alexander, Amber Brinkman, Isabel Bruce-Lockhart, Holly Clark, Isabella Dransfield, Daisy Fenton (Capt), Elizabeth Fraser, Alice Gotke, Daisy Hills, Gabriella Howarth, Katie Lang, Sophie Lee, Henrietta Parsons, Tess Pritchard, Gabriella Romano, Katherine Sawyer, Anna Smith, Molly Veasey, Grace Wilson and Elizabeth Wooff.

ollowing a second place finish at last year’s Tier 2 National Finals, the Under 15A Girls started this season full of confidence, defeating Hurtspierpoint College 1-0 in their opening fixture with a fantastic team performance. We hoped this would set the tone for the season ahead.

The girls also had a great victory over another Tier 1 side, Sevenoaks School, winning 4-2 at home. Their other victory came away from home with a 6-1 thrashing of local rivals, Cranbrook School. This result in particular showed what the girls were capable of producing, dominating possession and showing both patience and the ability to attack at pace when the opportunity arises. Sadly this was not always the case, especially in the latter half of the season when a string of losses dented team confidence.

Midway through the season, we took the girls to the Under 16 Tier 3 County Tournament for some more experience and exposure to tournament Hockey. As the team were competing against older girls, their skills, resilience, organisation and technical ability were pivotal in getting them out of the first group stage which they did without conceding a goal in four games! Having also then squeezed through the second group stage, they then lost 2-0 to a strong Tonbridge Grammar side in the semi final and 1-0 to Bromley High School in the third/fourth place playoff. However, finishing fourth out of 15 teams, in a competition full of older girls, was no mean feat.

The girls played fantastic Hockey throughout the year, working hard and improving week by week. The Coach’s Player Of The Year was awarded to Scarlett Washington, the Players’ Player Of The Year went to Grace Bartleet and the Most Improved Player award went to Millie Wright.

Squad: Rosie Aylett, Grace Bartleet, Caitlin Calverley, Asia Davies, Emily Ferris, Darcy Hanna, Annie Moore (Capt), Katie Moore, Lulu Pankhurst, Jemma Payne-Cook, Freya Penfold, Rose Price, Millie Sands, Isabella Sinclair, Scarlett Washington, Florence Wood, Millie Wright and Louisa Yorke.

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Under 14A Girls’ Hockey

Under 13A Girls’ Hockey

Olivia Thorogood (Third Form)

Evie Smith (First Form)

Record: Played 9, Won 4, Drawn 1, Lost 4

Record: Played 11, Won 9, Drawn 0, Lost 2

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he Under 14A Girls’ Hockey team had a successful season, playing a total of nine matches and playing in two tournaments. Overall our performances throughout the season were good, winning both tournaments, which saw us achieve a place in the regional finals.

Unfortunately, the season did not get off to the best start with the team suffering back-to-back defeats at the hands of Hurstpierpoint College (1-4) and Brighton College (0-1). We quickly bounced back, though, with hardfought victories over Cranbrook School (1-0) in the County Cup and St Lawrence College (2-1).

A 6-1 hammering at the hands of Epsom College should have knocked our confidence, but we were undeterred and five days later entered the regional tournament where we defeated Brentwood School, Kent College Pembury and Gresham’s. This saw us progress to the regional finals where we were defeated by Cranbrook School.

Unfortunately, the team suffered a number of injuries along the way; in particular Olivia Thorogood, the captain, broke her collar bone midway through the season. Overall the girls demonstrated great teamwork, which was reflected in the results. A special mention must go to the younger girls who played up a few years, Rachel Farrell, Darcy Hanna, Evie Smith and Florence Wood. They all played extremely well and gave the older years a run for their money.

Squad: Lily Ashcroft, Lucy Barrett, Claudia Bennett, Sophie Browning, Caitlin Calverley, Sophie Edwards, Olivia Farrell, Rachel Farrell, Jessie Gale, Darcy Hanna, Katie Henley, Annabel Hunt, Edith McNair, Isla Murphy, Maisey Russell, Isabella Sinclair, Evie Smith, Olivia Thorogood (Capt), Liberty Watkinson, Grace Williams and Florence Wood.

Under 14A Girls’ Hockey

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his Hockey season was an extremely exciting one for the Under 13A Girls’ team. We enjoyed some great wins over the course of the term, with lots of goals flying into the back of the net each match.

We kicked off the season with a pleasing 5-2 win against The King’s School, Canterbury and then went from strength to strength, winning the following week 15-1 against Mayfield School. This really boosted our confidence and we went on to win the next four matches against some impressive schools including, Lingfield College (6-1), Marlborough House School (5-2), Dulwich Prep, Cranbrook (6-0) and a huge 10-1 win over Benenden School. Sadly, our winning streak came to a sudden end when we met Epsom College, losing 1-6 in a hard-fought match. We got back to winning ways, though, and perhaps the highlight of the season was our final game against St Lawrence College. We won 12-0 and the team played some amazing Hockey, signing off the season in style.

Throughout the season, we had a strong back line including Caitlin Calverley, Elizabeth Myers, Flo Wood and our goalkeeper Jemima Wilson; this great defence made it very hard for the opposition to score. I played in midfield and distributed the ball out to our fast and attacking wingers, Rachel Farrell, Elizabeth Penfold and Elyse Ratcliffe. Darcy Hanna and Ciara Smith were up front as dynamic centre forwards scoring lots of goals.

The team had an amazing season and a big thank you must go to Mr Braddick, Mr Henderson and Mr Wellings for all their great coaching and support throughout the season.

Squad: Caitlin Calverley, Lily Dowling, Rachel Farrell, Darcy Hanna, Tess Hodson, Elizabeth Myers, Elizabeth Penfold, Elyse Ratcliffe, Ciara Smith, Evie Smith, Jemima Wilson and Florence Wood.

Under 13A Girls’ Hockey

SPORT AND GAMES

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SPORT AND GAMES

1st XI Boys’ Hockey Mr Jamie Henderson, Head of Hockey

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his year, the Boys’ 1st XI Hockey team continued to develop, following a successful season last year. Led by captain Max Savage, they continued their momentum and had a fine all-round season.

The boys began the Lent Term at a pre-season tournament hosted by Hurstpierpoint College, at which they faced a challenging day of matches against the likes of Charterhouse, Seaford College, Langley Park School and the hosts. After getting off the bus, they were slow to get going in their first game against Hurst, losing 2-1 but, from then on, the boys began to build momentum, drawing with Seaford and beating Langley Park and Charterhouse.

Our first home game of the season was a National Cup Round 1 game against Reigate College where the team produced a clinical performance resulting in an emphatic 18–3 win.

This then set up the team for wins against Kent College and St Edmund’s School in the Kent Cup

Record: Played 21, Won 10, Drawn 3, Lost 8

Round 1. The following weekend we once again came up against rivals Hurstpierpoint College.

The previous two seasons had seen a close loss and an exciting draw, so the team were raring to go to win this fixture. After a hotly contested game where SVS had numerous chances, the game came down to flicks which saw Finn Swaine pull off an amazing save against the Hurstpierpoint captain to secure the win.

With the team high from that victory, they were quickly back in action in the next round of the Kent Cup against Eltham College. The game was played away in horrendously wet conditions with SVS only able to travel with 12 players due to injuries. Against all the odds though, the boys produced one of the best team performances of the season closing out a convincing 5-2 win.

Following these fantastic results, the boys had some close games but unfortunately came out second best against Dulwich College and Skinners’ School in the next rounds of both cup competitions.

After Half Term, the team battled to a 1-1 draw against Cranbrook School and then eased to a 5-0 win against The King’s School, Canterbury.

Due to the COVID-19 situation worsening, the final game of the season ended up being a week earlier than planned against Eastbourne College.

In a nail-biting game, which had moments of excellence, the team unfortunately lost 5-6. It was a shame to end such a great season with a loss, but it gave the crowd a thrilling final game from an Upper Sixth cohort who really drove the standard of SVS Hockey for many years - Hugh Harman, George Jones, Oliver Laird, Louis Ridge, Max Savage and Finn Swaine.

Squad: Sam Allison, Bishesh Bhandari, Dylan Collie, Alexander Duckett, Presley Farrance, Callum Hanna, Hugh Harman, Louis Hillier, George Jones, Joshua Laird, Oliver Laird, Joseph Lenehan, James Lumsden, Oliver Payne-Cook, Felix Plant, Louis Ridge, Freddie Rigby, Jonny Russell, Max Savage (Capt), Finn Swaine, Jack Walker, Archie Yorke and McKellen Young.

1st XI Boys’ Hockey

Other Boys’ Hockey Results Under 16A Played 4, Won 1, Drawn 0, Lost 3

Under 15B Played 5, Won 2, Drawn 2, Lost 1

Under 14B Played 5, Won 3, Drawn 1, Lost 1

Under 13B Played 7, Won 4, Drawn 1, Lost 2

Under 13C Played 7, Won 5, Drawn 0, Lost 2

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2nd XI Boys’ Hockey Mr Vince Wells, Master I/C

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he 2nd XI Boys’ Hockey team played six fixtures in the Lent Term against some very strong Hockey schools, finishing with a mixed record of two wins, two draws and two losses.

Record: Played 6, Won 2, Drawn 2, Lost 2

2nd XI Boys’ Hockey

The two victories came against Cranbrook School (9-1) and The King’s School, Canterbury (5-0). As the scores suggest, when the team got into its stride, the boys played some exceptional flowing Hockey. The team’s two losses came in closely-fought encounters against Hurstpierpoint College (01) and St Lawrence College (3-4). In both games, the team was unlucky and, on another day, could have come away with at least a draw.

The most pleasing part of the season was the way the team played; they battled hard for each other and played fluid Hockey. As the season progressed, a number of the boys had their first taste of 1st XI Hockey and I am sure that many more of the team will experience this in the future.

Squad: Sam Allison, Ewen Barr, Dylan Collie, Alexander Duckett, William Fitzsimons, Arthur Genders, Hugh Harman, George Jones, Joshua Laird, Joseph Lenehan, James Lumsden, Arthur Moffatt, Patrick Mullen, Oliver Payne-Cook, Felix Plant, Freddie Rigby, Jonny Russell, Joe Savage, Finn Swaine, Noah Swaine, Jack Walker, Benjamin Watkins (Capt), Luke Wilson, Archie Yorke and McKellen Young.

Under 15A Boys’ Hockey Mr Max Braddick, Master I/C

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he Under 15A Boys had a mixed season, struggling to gather momentum and fluidity with what, on paper, was a very strong and much improved squad from the previous year.

Record: Played 7, Won 2, Drawn 1, Lost 4

Under 15A Boys’ Hockey

In home and away fixtures against Kent College, the boys drew 3-3 on aggregate in two hard-fought games. The team battled hard and potentially produced some of their best Hockey in a tough 2-0 loss against a strong Hurspierpoint College side. The highlight of the season was the 2-0 away victory at The King’s School, Canterbury where the boys dominated possession throughout and worked together as a unit across the pitch.

The side showed flashes of brilliance throughout the season, with plenty of the players showing the potential for inclusion in the 1st XI squad next year.

Collectively, they certainly showed that they were all capable and ready for senior sport going forward. In the end of season award, the Coach’s Player Of The Year award went to Lorcan Hanna, the Players’ Player award went to Charles Wood and the Most Improved Player went to Joshua Fawell.

Squad: Angus Chatterton, James Coates, Bodhi De Moubray, Joshua Fawell, Sam Fenton, Isaac Forknall, Lorcan Hanna, Jonte Hillier, William Howgill, Alfie Jarrett, Heston King, Alec Martin, Oliver Murch, James Pepler (Capt), George Sturges, Charles Wood and Ethan Wynne.

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SPORT AND GAMES

Under 14A Boys’ Hockey

Under 13A Boys’ Hockey

Mr Rob Harrison (1987 L), Master I/C

Rhys Harmer (Second Form)

Record: Played 8, Won 3, Drawn 2, Lost 3

Record: Played 11, Won 6, Drawn 1, Lost 4

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Prior to that match, the boys had suffered a succession of away losses to Kent College, Hurstpierpoint College and Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys in the Area Cup. With confidence built from their fightback at St Lawrence College, the team continued to go from strength-to-strength, enjoying a hat-trick of wins against some competitive rivals including Cranbrook School, Kent College and an exceptional 4-0 win against The King’s School, Canterbury. Concluding our Hockey season, the boys fought hard in a memorable 1-1 draw against Eastbourne College, which perfectly mirrored our progression from the start of term.

After winning all of our games, we qualified for the semi finals where we played Eltham College. Unfortunately, we drew this game and it went down to flicks, which we unfortunately lost 3-2. Despite the result, it gave the team lots of confidence for future games. We then entered and won the Dulwich Prep, Cranbrook tournament, with the team going unbeaten across all six games.

espite a slow start to the Under 14A Boys’ Hockey season, the team grew in confidence and achieved some great results, stimulated by an impressive draw against St Lawrence College, with the team valiantly fighting back from a 2-0 deficit.

One unique aspect of this team, which deserves much admiration, is the vast improvement achieved as the boys gelled together on the pitch. A special mention must go to Sam Laird, who captained the squad with great devotion. He was the driving force of the group, managing to maintain the team’s high spirits even when the scoreboard was against them.

With such a fulfilling, yet busy Hockey season, I would like to thank the dedicated parents who provided essential support from the sidelines, time after time; no journey was too far to cheer on this accomplished team.

Squad: Oliver Aylett, Callum Baker, Max Cook, Edward Fuller, Rhys Harmer, Samuel Laird (Capt), Max Lindsay, Alfie Miles, Harry Mundell, Jack Piller, Joshua Robinson, Jack Sheldon, Charles Taylor, Liam Thomas, Jack Walsh and Samuel Wilding.

Under 14A Boys’ Hockey

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he Under 13A team had a good season, only losing four games which is good for a team that had only been together two years. We started the year off with a 5-0 win over a strong St Edmund’s School team and a 9-0 win over King’s Rochester.

The team then set off to Kent College to play in the Tier 1 County Tournament. This was a huge success as the team won all of their group matches, playing against tough opposition. This gave us confidence to go on to win the rest.

We entered our final tournament of the year, the John Maylam Cup, full of confidence. The team won three out of four games in the group stage, narrowly losing to Skinners’ 1-0. However, we still qualified for the quarter finals where we faced Kent College. After a 1-1 draw, we won 2-1 on penalty flicks. We then went onto the semi finals against Junior King’s, unfortunately losing 3-1. This meant we went on to the third and fourth play-off where we played Ashford School, winning 1-0 and therefore finishing in third place.

We would like to give a special mention to Mr Henderson and Mr Braddick.

I would just like to say a big well done to the team for all the efforts given throughout the year Squad: Archie Burden, Toby de Lucy, Harry Gaston, Rhys Harmer (Capt), Brook Homewood, Fred Mundell, James Oliver, Zac Pantony and Otto Plant.

Under 13A Boys’ Hockey

SPORT AND GAMES

1st VII Netball Ella Carter (Upper Sixth)

Record: Played 8, Won 6, Drawn 1, Lost 1

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his year’s 1st VII Netball team was a group of enthusiastic, competitive and very tall girls! We started off well by getting through to the U19 county tournament finals before the season even started. This set the benchmark for an excellent season ahead.

Throughout the season, we liked to keep everyone (players and spectators!) on their toes throughout the matches, winning nearly every game in the final quarter. The best example of this being against Kent College, Pembury where we ended up going from 22-22 at the end of the third quarter, to winning the game 28-26.

Although our season was cut slightly short, we managed to play eight matches in the term, winning six, including excellent victories over the likes of The King’s School, Canterbury (3627), Christ’s Hospital (32-24) and Colfe’s School (35-17). We even managed to get a big win against our local rivals Cranbrook School (25-15), thanks to the diverse skills and determination of our team.

I would like to say a massive thank you to Miss McConnachie for all her hard work with us this season. She always inspired us before every match and set the best tactics against the opposition we played. One of her best decisions was to integrate Izzy Hopkins (Fifth Form) and Grace Mitchell (Lower Sixth) into the team, with both of them slotting in perfectly.

1st VII Netball

After an almost unanimous vote, our Players’ Player Of The Season goes to Izzy Hopkins, who made an amazing step up to first team Netball.

Although the youngest member, Izzy constantly stood out on the court and looks to be a great prospect for the future.

Finally, I would like to say a massive thank you to all of the girls in the 1st VII Netball team who trained hard, displayed a real team ethos and outstanding determination throughout the season, making my time as captain incredibly rewarding.

Squad: Jenna Boltman, Jemima Bruce-Lockhart, Ella Carter (Capt), Isabella Dransfield, Anna Harrison, Isabelle Hopkins, Annabel Mansfield, Grace Mitchell, Jessica Richards, Alexandra Sacker, Amelia Semmens and Charlotte Wooldridge.

1st VII Netball

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SPORT AND GAMES

2nd VII Netball

3rd VII Netball

2nd VII Netball

3rd VII Netball

Desiree Loxton-Barnard (Lower Sixth)

Paige Davidson (Upper Sixth)

Record: Played 8, Won 4, Drawn 0, Lost 4

Record: Played 7, Won 5, Drawn 0, Lost 2

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he 2nd VII Netball team had a mixed season. Although we only won half of the matches played, we performed well throughout and worked well as a team.

We had a difficult start to the season with the first match being away at The King’s School, Canterbury. They are always tough opponents and we were lacking match-practice so came away with a 17-28 loss. This was quickly made up for though in the second match, this time at home, against Ashford School, which we won 24-11. Two days later we enjoyed another impressive victory against Christ’s Hospital, winning 31-23.

Unfortunately, we failed to build on those two home wins and suffered another loss (38-22) on the road when we took on St Lawrence College.

Although we bounced back with another home win against Kent College, Pembury, we struggled for consistency for the remainder of the season, losing to Cranbrook School (37-19) and Duke of York’s Royal Military School (23-17) after Half Term. Happily, our season finished with an exceptional win against Colfe’s School, with the final score being 35-3. Despite the inconsistency, this shows how much we improved as a team from the start to end of the season.

The Player Of The Season award went to Issy Cook, the Coach’s Player Of The Season was awarded to Amelia Semmens, the Most Improved Player went to Daisy Fenton and the Players’ Player Of The Year went to Jemima BruceLockhart. A massive congratulations to all of the girls and a huge thank you to Miss Hallett for making it such a fun and successful season.

Squad: Chloe Alexander, Isabel Bruce-Lockhart, Jessica De Lucy, Charlotte Farrell, Isabelle Hopkins, Charlotte Lang, Desiree Loxton-Barnard, Lulu Pankhurst, Rose Price, Anaiya Rowswell, Katherine Sawyer, Eliza Semmens, Scarlett Washington, Louisa Yorke and Ava Young.

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ften seen as the least competitive of the senior Netball teams, the 3rd VII enjoyed a very successful season, winning five out of the seven regular season matches that we played as well as finishing as runners-up in a tournament.

The season got off to a poor start with a disappointing 19-7 loss to Claremont School, albeit we were facing their 1st VII so did well to keep the game relatively close throughout. Thankfully, that loss spurred us on to a winning run as we brushed aside our next five opponents. First of those was The King’s School, Canterbury in a game that we won 36-6. This was followed by similarly decisive victories over Ashford School 2nd VII (38-7) and Christ’s Hospital School (34-17).

Prior to Half Term, our run continued with a 33-9 win over St Lawrence College and a 41-9 win against Kent College, Pembury. Unfortunately our next match was cancelled and with Half Term thrown in as well, we went a full month without a competitive fixture. As a result, when that finally arrived we were badly out of practice and lost 19-18 in a closely-fought match away at Duke of York’s Royal Military School.

Our season finished with the King’s Rochester Tournament, where we competed against eight other schools from across the county. Although we lost to Benenden School (twice), we managed victories in all of our games against the likes of St Edmund’s School, Bethany School, St Lawrence College and the hosts, King’s Rochester. After an incredible team effort, we finished second overall. Well done to all of the team for their hard work and commitment all season.

Squad: Paige Davidson (Capt), Mollie Ferguson, Suzanna Fullick, Daisy Hills, Elizabeth Moore, Tess Pritchard, Amelie Rossiter, Lara Savage, Katie Swift and Anisha Thapa-Magar.

SPORT AND GAMES

Under 15A Netball Lulu Pankhurst (Fourth Form)

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Record: Played 16, Won 12, Drawn 1, Lost 3

he Under 15A Netball team had a busy season, playing a total of 16 matches and achieving some excellent wins along the way.

goal for goal. The match could have gone either way, but unfortunately we ended up losing 2930. The girls really did put everything into it and, despite the outcome, were proud of their efforts.

older players and to see how each team plays.

It ended up being a very close game and could have gone either way, but thankfully we came away with a 39-37 win.

We started the season against one of our biggest competitors, The King’s School, Canterbury. After a long history of being beaten by King’s, the girls went into the game determined to win. After a very strong start and confident performance throughout, we managed to come away with a strong 28-18 victory. This was largely thanks to the amazing defensive work of Freya Penfold, Louisa Yorke and Ava Young. Louisa caught almost every rebound in the D, whilst Freya and Ava moved the ball quickly up into the attacking end, putting Scarlet Washington (GS) and myself (GA) in positions to shoot and score.

Just before Half Term, we entered the Under 15 SVS tournament. The day was filled with some strong results, winning 11-5 against Kent College and 8-5 against St Lawrence College.

We also drew with Duke of York’s Royal Military School and Cranbrook School and lost to The King’s School, Canterbury. Overall, this meant we finished second.

Our final game of the season was against Colfe’s School, which is another strong Netball school.

Unfortunately, the game ended in a 24-38 loss, our heaviest of the season. There were a few slightly questionable decisions made by the umpire, but the team kept its composure and played their own game throughout. It was a frustrating loss, but I am proud of the girls all the same.

Our next match was against Christ’s Hospital, where we won 38-23. We were in the lead from the start, thanks to Rose Price and Katie Moore’s strong feeds into the D and accurate centre passes. They made sure to mix up each centre, to avoid becoming predictable, with Katie Moore and I alternating to collect the centre passes.

After two strong victories, the girls were full of confidence and it was clear that the work we had been putting into training was paying off.

Our next match was against Cranbrook School.

After drawing with them in the SVS tournament, we knew we had to prove ourselves and were pleased to come away with a 23-16 win. The girls worked so well together and took their time whilst passing. After another win in our next match against Ashford School (20-12), which we achieved despite a depleted squad, we then faced the SVS Under 16A team. This was a great chance to test ourselves against the

Overall, it was a very strong season in which we scored a total of 300 goals and conceded only 215. Well done to all of the girls.

Squad: Grace Bartleet, Annabel Callander, Maisie Cheriton, Annie Moore, Katie Moore, Elizabeth Myers, Lulu Pankhurst (Capt), Freya Penfold, Rose Price, Scarlett Washington, Louisa Yorke and Ava Young.

Our third game of the season came against Maidstone Grammar School for Girls, where the team once again started very strongly, setting us up for a dominant 35-7 victory. This win was once again achieved through our defensive work with Louisa Yorke and Annabel Callander barely giving the opposing team any chances to shoot as the ball came up into their defensive end. We kept a good shape throughout and managed to keep a strong amount of possession to the end of the game.

The next game was against St Lawrence College.

After past experiences, the girls knew that this game would be a close call, but luckily we started off with the correct mindset and managed to win 34-13. In our first four matches, the team had scored 145 goals and only conceived 61!

One of our toughest opponents was Kent College, Pembury who brought a strong team to SVS for the match at the start of February.

This game was, by far, one of the best games I had ever seen the girls play. We knew that we would have to work hard from the first whistle and the whole way through the match, it was

Under 15A Netball

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SPORT AND GAMES

Under 13A Netball

Other Netball Results Under 16A

Under 14B

Under 13B

Played 5, Won 4, Drawn 0, Lost 1

Played 5, Won 0, Drawn 1, Lost 4

Played 7, Won 6, Drawn 0, Lost 1

Under 15B

Under 14C

Under 13C

Played 8, Won 7, Drawn 0, Lost 1

Played 2, Won 1, Drawn 0, Lost 1

Played 6, Won 5, Drawn 0, Lost 1

Under 15C

Under 14D

Under 13D

Played 2, Won 0, Drawn 0, Lost 2

Played 3, Won 2, Drawn 0, Lost 1

Played 3, Won 2, Drawn 0, Lost 1

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SPORT AND GAMES

Under 14A Netball

Under 13A Netball

Mrs Elspeth Head, Master I/C

Elizabeth Myers (Third Form)

Record: Played 5, Won 1, Drawn 0, Lost 4

Record: Played 7, Won 6, Drawn 0, Lost 1

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raditionally, the Netball season is quite short, with poor weather usually an added element to contend with, but this year it was even shorter with some harsh conditions and an abrupt end to the season thanks to lockdown. The Under 14As started the season showing great potential and it is a shame that they did not get the chance to maximise their full abilities.

Many of our players were new to the School and so, whilst individually strong, we needed time to train together and develop as a team. The season started with a narrow defeat to The King’s School, Canterbury (18-17), the players settled into their positions and performed superbly under pressure.

We then travelled all the way to Christ’s Hospital School; spirits were high but we suffered a disappointing loss. The following week we took on St Lawrence College and, at last, had our first decisive win (24-11) showing that all our training was starting to pay off. The next few matches were cancelled due to poor weather. Finally the end of the season saw us playing Cranbrook School and Colfe’s School in two highly-competitive matches.

There was much impressive play both in attack and defence throughout the season. Special mention must go to Bella for her captaincy and her excellent play at centre, controlling the games with quick and adaptive play. The defensive players, Sophie and Liv, showed strength and fortitude against some excellent opposition and, in midfield, Maisey and Katie were fast and fearless, with impeccable footwork and consistent marking. We were blessed to have three versatile attacking players who were all able to shoot well; Lily, Jessie and Liv T. Thanks also must go to Claudia and Grace Williams for rising to the challenge when called upon.

Squad: Lily Ashcroft, Claudia Bennett, Phoebe Connell, Natasha Croke, Sophie Edwards, Olivia Farrell, Jessie Gale, Katie Henley, Isla Murphy, Maisey Russell, Isabella Sinclair (Capt), Olivia Thorogood and Grace Williams.

Under 14A Netball

he cold Netball season came around again and, although it ended up being cut short by COVID-19, we were able to play almost all of our matches, with only one needing to be cancelled. The team was a pleasure to play with and the girls always gave their full effort, whether in training or on match days.

Our first match was played on 15th January at home to Saint Ronan’s School.

After some great play from all of the girls, the match ended in a 28-8 victory for SVS. Full of confidence from that victory, we then travelled to Canterbury for a game against Junior King’s, which we won 23-8!

A week later, we played Invicta Grammar School at home. The match really showed all of the girls’ determination with a great 28-7 win. We followed that up with another two victories, firstly away at Marlborough House, which we won 23-8, followed by a home match against Duke of York’s Royal Military School, which finished 33-7 to SVS. Having won our first five matches, we headed to King’s Rochester at the start of March looking to continue our run. The match was closely fought the whole way through but unfortunately, ended with King’s winning 15-12.

Then, in what ended up being our final match, we grabbed a solid 14-6 win against St Lawrence College. Despite the cancellation of the game against Dulwich Prep, Cranbrook, we were pleased to finish the season off with a win.

I would like to thank all of the girls who always had great spirits even when the weather did not go our way! Finally, a big thank you goes to Miss McConnachie who was always proud of us.

Squad: Caitlin Calverley, Rachel Farrell, Darcy Hanna, Tess Hodson, Elizabeth Myers (Capt), Saffron Roberts, Ciara Smith, Evie Smith and Grace Williams.

Under 13A Netball

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SPORT AND GAMES

Swimming Team Miss Linda Gray, Master I/C

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he Swimming team has continued to grow in number, especially with the arrival of several keen swimmers from the First Form. Training sessions remained popular and pupils were keen to develop their technique ahead of gala season in the Lent Term.

The Swimming gala season began with three of our swimmers taking part in the Kent Schools Swimming Association gala. This involved swimming against the very best swimmers from schools across Kent. Edward Gaston (Fifth Form) took part in the 100 metre freestyle and 100 metre breaststroke events; both of his times were personal bests and he was placed ninth and tenth respectively in the Under 15 group.

On the girls’ side, Sutton Valence topped the table in the 100m breaststroke event for Under 12 girls. Evie Smith (First Form) won a gold medal and Caitlin Calverley (Second Form) won a silver medal. Evie also won a silver medal in the 200 metre individual medley event.

Following this excellent start to the season, all of the other team members were keen to compete in a condensed programme of galas. The first of these was due to be a home gala against Dulwich Prep, Cranbrook. Joining forces with SVPS, this was due to be a great opportunity for the junior swimmers to gain some gala experience. Sadly, due to a power cut on site, we had to cancel at the last minute. Unfortunately, this was followed by further disappointment as our next scheduled gala against Cobham Hall was also cancelled, due to broken heating at their pool. So this was not quite the start to the season we wanted!

We were delighted then when our first gala was actually able to take place: a home gala against Ashford School. As always, they were tough competition, however, this did not faze us. There were some excellent individual wins from Caitlin Calverley, Heston King, Isla Murphy, Maximilian Reeves and Evie Smith. In the team competition, we came first in the inter girls 4x25m front crawl relay and senior boys 4x25m front crawl relay.

After all of the races, Sutton Valence finished with 157 points and Ashford received 129 points (the lowest score winning). Although we did not come away with a victory, it was truly excellent to see so many swimmers involved and giving their all. Thankfully, it wasn’t long

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to wait for the next gala, with a home fixture against King’s Rochester the following week.

After some fantastic performances we secured our first victory, winning convincingly.

After the Half Term break, we then travelled to Rochester for a gala against Cobham Hall, St Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School and the hosts, King’s Rochester. The gala began with a medley relay race; both our junior boys and intermediate girls teams won their respective races. Individual events then followed, where there were some superb wins from Tobias Butler, Caitlin Calverley, James Ellaway, Rhys Harmer, James Lloyd-Jones and Evie Smith. The senior girls also won their front crawl relay.

It was great to see such wonderful sportsmanship from our swimmers on poolside; they all cheered for one another and there was a real sense of community amongst all of those who took part. Overall, our junior boys finished first, whilst the intermediate and senior boys both came second. On the girls’ side, the intermediates won their competition, the seniors came second and the juniors finished third.

Sadly, this turned out to be the last gala for the season, due to COVID-19 restrictions. As such,

we bid farewell to Thomas Allewell, Jemima Bruce-Lockhart, Reuben Hodson and Amelia Semmens, who have all faithfully served the Swimming team throughout their time at the School. It has been a pleasure to watch them develop as swimmers and become fantastic role models, always keen to encourage the younger members of the team. I would especially like to thank Amelia who did a superb job of captaining the team for the past two years.

Boys’ Squad: Thomas Allewell, William Atkinson, Tobias Butler, James Ellaway, Henry Ellis, Edward Gaston, Elliot Gooding, Fabian Gooding, Rhys Harmer, Reuben Hodson, Fenton King, Heston King, James Lloyd-Jones, Andrew Loy, Jenson McInulty, James Oliver, Jacob Pearton, Maximilian Reeves, Edward Smith, Thomas Wilkins and Maximus Woods.

Girls’ Squad: Jemima Bruce-Lockhart, Caitlin Calverley, Charlotte Farrell, Alice Gotke, Tess Hodson, Seren Lloyd-Jones, Grace ManningGreene, Grace Mitchell, Isla Murphy, Jemma Payne-Cook, Elizabeth Penfold, Florence Powell, Amelia Semmens (Capt), Eliza Semmens, Evie Smith, Katie Swift, Martha Tatnell, Grace Wright and Louisa Yorke.

SPORT AND GAMES

Cross Country Team Mr Mark Howell, Director of Sport

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ne of the sports that proved increasingly popular this year was Cross Country. With strong representation at both junior and senior level, the team achieved some fantastic results during the latter half of the Michaelmas Term and the Lent Term.

Firstly, on 22nd November, seven pupils travelled to Mote Park to compete in the Maidstone schools’ annual competition. Our team comprised of six First Form pupils (pictured opposite - Edward Dyer, Fabian Gooding, George Slater, Archie Burden, Saffron Roberts and Grace Manning Greene) as well as Joshua Fawell from the Fourth Form. Grace Manning-Greene and Saffron Roberts gave their account of the competition: “For some of us, it was the first time we had ever competed in a crosscountry race, so it was quite daunting. First of all, it was the First Form girls’ two kilometre race. As we looked at the wet, muddy conditions and made our way to the start line, we started to feel nervous, even more so when we saw the 200 metre hill towards the finish line. We conquered it though and Saffron Roberts finished in 17th position and Grace Manning-Greene came in at 37th, out of a field of 55 entrants.

Next was the First Form boys’ three kilometre competition. It was an incredibly fast race and the SVS boys ran fantastically well, with Archie Burden finishing seventh, Edward Dyer 11th, Fabian Gooding 20th and George Slater completing the course in 25th place, with a total of 50 boys competing. This was an outstanding achievement.

Finally, it was time to support Josh Fawell who was competing in the Fourth Form boys’ five kilometre race. We were all very happy to see him finish in a fantastic fifth place out of a total of 20 runners. Despite the wet, muddy conditions, we all thoroughly enjoyed our races.”

Fast forward to the Lent Term and in early January, James Crombie (Lower Sixth) and Tom Gray (Upper Sixth) competed in the prestigious Knole Park Cross Country 9.4 kilometre race hosted by Sevenoaks School. In difficult conditions and with an exceptionally strong field of 220 runners, James ran brilliantly to finish in 14th, with Tom also putting a good showing to finish in 111th.

Knole Park Run James Crombie

A week later, the Kent Schools Cross Country Championships took place at The Duke of York’s Royal Military School in Dover. Three of our pupils qualified for these championships: Archie Burden (First Form), Edward Dyer (First Form) and Saffron Roberts (First Form). Archie gave the following account of the day: “We arrived at the school on a beautiful, sunny but chilly morning, perfect for running. The course was over good ground, not too much mud and with some nice hills! Saffron ran first in the First Form girls’ 2.5 kilometre race, finishing 107th. She ran really well, especially as this was only her third race.

Edward and I ran the First Form boys’ three kilometre race. Ed came 38th and I came 28th. We were all so proud to have taken part in the race and to have represented SVS so well.”

Congratulations to all of our runners and, with such a strong crop of pupils in the lower years, we look forward to seeing what the coming years bring.

Kent Schools’ Cross Country Championships Saffron Roberts, Archie Burden and Edward Dyer

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SPORT AND GAMES

Cricket Tour to South Africa Mr Vince Wells, Head of Cricket

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uring the February Half Term holiday, the senior Cricket squad travelled to Cape Town, South Africa. The tour was a fantastic success with the team competing well on the Cricket field and making some lifetime memories off the pitch.

Following a direct overnight flight from London Heathrow to Cape Town, the tired but excited group were met by our good friends from Bundu Bashers travel company and, from there, it was straight up the incredible Table Mountain. Given the relatively short amount of time we were in South Africa, the tour was always going to be a fast-moving affair as we needed to fit in six Cricket fixtures as well as a range of sightseeing trips.

Table Mountain is always a great starting point as the magnificent views allowed us to pinpoint

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the many areas that we are going to visit, such as Robben Island, as well as our base for the next three nights at the Victoria & Albert (V&A) Waterfront.

After a good night’s sleep and breakfast at our hotel, we then made a short coach journey to the fantastic Rondebosch Sports Club for a few hours of light practice before our first Twenty20 match later in the afternoon. This was an added bonus as it allowed the boys to stretch their legs and to get used to playing Cricket outside again, in very different conditions, following four months of indoor nets.

After a relaxing lunch, the boys were ready for their first game against Edgemead High School.

We could not have hoped for a better start to the tour, giving a fine all-round performance with the bat, ball and in the field, which resulted in a good win for the SVS XI.

This match undoubtedly set the tone for what was to come, with the team quickly adapting to the new conditions. This resulted in another victory for the boys in their next game against Langa Cricket Club. The club, based in the Langa township, is always a great experience for any touring side. Unfortunately, those two victories were followed by narrow defeats to Paarl High School, Bridge House School (losing off the final ball) and Somerset College. We also had one match cancelled following heavy overnight rain.

Throughout the tour, the boys played some good Cricket with all members of the touring squad playing their part, although the combination of the hot weather and a relatively small squad was always going to take its toll as the tour progressed.

Off the pitch, the squad enjoyed a real mix of sightseeing experiences. As well as climbing

SPORT AND GAMES

Table Mountain, they visited Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was held captive during the apartheid years and took trips to Cape Point and Boulders Beach. They also enjoyed an opentop bus tour around Cape Town, taking in the spectacular sights, and visited some outstanding beaches. The group also saw its fair share of wildlife including cheetahs, seals, penguins, baboons and eagles.

The final evening of a memorable tour finished with a team meal at the V&A Waterfront which we returned to for the final night, following on from four glorious days in Stellenbosh and Franschoek. After a good night’s sleep, the boys had a final chance to do some last-minute shopping before heading to the Newlands Rugby ground to see The Stormers take on The Jaguares from Argentina in the Super Rugby

competition. This was another great experience to watch top level Rugby at this famous venue, which is due to be demolished in 2021 to make way for residential and retail developments.

Following a good win for The Stormers, we headed directly to the airport for our flight home to a much colder England.

Mr Harrison Wells (2013 C), Mr Mark Howell and Mr Vince Wells

Cape Town was once again a delightful location to play top quality Cricket whilst having experiences and visits that were truly fantastic - it was certainly a Senior Cricket Tour to remember.

Tour Party: George Baker, Harrison Endenberg, Cameron Lindsay, Joseph McDermott, Finnian O’Keefe, Oliver Payne-Cook, Louis Ridge, William Saltmarsh, Max Savage, Jack Stanton-Gleaves, Gregor Wishart and James Yeabsley.

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SPORT AND GAMES

Equestrian Team Miss Zoe Radford, Master I/C

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he Sutton Valence School Equestrian team continues to go from strengthto-strength with some fantastic performances and results across the board, both individually and as a team.

The team started its year at the NSEA Petley Wood Show Jumping qualifier. Ella Barr (Year 5), Toby de Lucy (Second Form), Maisey Russell (Third Form) and Sophie Edwards (Third Form) competed in the 70/75cm and 80/85cm classes and Alfie Miles (Third Form), Oliver Barr (Third Form), Daisy Hills (Lower Sixth) and Pescha Cordell (Upper Sixth) rode in the 90/95cm and 1/1.05m classes. Overall, the team performed really well, with our older pupils having a particularly strong showing, finishing fourth in their classes and qualifying for the National Plate Championships.

A month later, five members of the team travelled to the NSEA National Championships at Addington Manor in Buckinghamshire.

The championships incorporated both show jumping and dressage, with riders from SVS competing in both. In the show jumping, Daisy Hills and Jessica de Lucy (Fifth Form) competed in the Prelim Individual Championship, where they finished seventh and tenth respectively. Daisy also competed in the Novice Championship where she came third. Alfie Miles was the only rider who qualified in the show jumping; he had two good rounds in the 90cm and 1.10m but with very unlucky poles in both.

The dressage team of Toby and Jessica de Lucy, Maisey Russell and Daisy Hills came a very respectable 13th out of 27 teams, against serious competition. Daisy also finished fifth individually in her arena. Overall, Daisy put in an excellent performance to become the British Eventing Points League National Champion, leading from start to finish with a 28 in dressage and a double clear in the show jumping – a fantastic achievement.

Daisy Hills (Lower Sixth)

Towards the end of the Michaelmas Term, Isabelle Hopkins (Fifth Form), the newest member of the team, competed at the Petley Wood Show Jumping Qualifier in East Sussex. It was a fantastic debut for Isabelle and her horse, Buckley’s Royal Flyer, who came in second place in the 90cm and first place in the 1m. Isabelle rode incredibly well throughout.

On the same weekend, Imogen Trott (Second Form) competed in the Grassroots regional competition. She missed out on the top spot in the first class as unfortunately her pony was spooked by the gallery, however, she still managed to achieve third place. In the second class, she rode a very good round, coming ninth overall which was an excellent result given she was up against a large field of competitors.

Fast forward to the Summer Term and Daisy Hills (Lower Sixth) and Maisey Russell (Third Form) represented the School in the NSEA Spring Pop-Up Dressage competition. Both performed brilliantly with Maisey achieving second place in the Prelim class and Daisy achieving second place in the Novice class. Both girls achieved very high scores and we are very proud of their efforts. At the end of the term, we also received the fantastic results from the NSEA Virtual Dressage competition which saw Daisy place first in the Novice Dressage and Maisey come second in the Prelim Dressage.

Jessica De Lucy (Fifth Form) and Daisy Hills (Lower Sixth)

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With many of the competitions cancelled in the latter half of the year, the team would have hoped for more opportunities to compete, but overall the competitors should be congratulated for their performances throughout the year.

THE SUTTON SHIELD

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THE SUTTON SHIELD

The Sutton Shield - Introduction Mr Will Radford, Alumni Relations and Development Manager

B

ack in 1959, a young ESU student named Edwin Hall (1960 M) came to SVS from Minnesota with a passion for journalism. Together with an editorial staff of student volunteers, he quickly established The Sutton Shield, a termly publication that ran alongside The Suttonian. The point of difference was that The Sutton Shield gave students a platform to pass comment on current affairs and explore philosophical debate. The magazine only lasted for a year, usurped as the termly School magazine developed into the larger annual publication, as it is today. Some 60 years later, we hope to resurrect its legacy through its inclusion in The Suttonian.

The School has long aspired to develop the intellectual curiosity of its students and develop their cultural appreciation and understanding of the world beyond SVS. Through our Extended Project Qualification provision in the Sixth Form and the wider Academic Scholars’ programme, students are encouraged to explore a range of topical issues and present them through written work. This results in a breadth of philosophical and academic pieces that explore pertinent issues and topics affecting the younger generation.

Alongside that, when collating content from previous editions of The Old Suttonian magazine, we often receive written contributions from Old Suttonians which don’t necessarily fit into the traditional mould of an alumni piece.

Rather than being centred on the School or memories pertaining to their time with us, these tend to be more reflective, comment-based pieces with topics driven by personal interest.

Whilst insightful and generously provided, their inclusion can risk seeming tangential or incongruous amongst the more Schoolorientated Old Suttonian content. With that in mind, we hope that the inclusion of The Sutton Shield as a feature section will provide a natural home for both student and Old Suttonian literary content.

Closer to home, last December’s General Election fuelled further questions surrounding the increasing use of ‘Big Data’ in electoral profiling and campaigning. The case of Cambridge Analytica brought the issue of misappropriation of digital assets and data mining to the fore and

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Will Chambers (Lower Sixth) has provided an insightful discussion point on the topic through his EPQ study.

As we headed into the New Year, we all witnessed the distressing scenes of the Australian wildfires that devastated huge swathes of the country.

Old Suttonian Peter Hylands (1968 F), a freelance videographer based in Australia, has provided his own coverage of the environmental impact of the disaster, along with some poignant photography of the areas devastated by the fires.

Sadly, the tragedy of the wildfires was quickly overshadowed by the global plight in tackling the emerging COVID-19 pandemic and we are grateful to Old Suttonian Dr William Selway (2004 G) for his report on working in an ICU ward at the height of the crisis.

This summer’s worldwide protests spearheaded by the Black Lives Matter movement brought the continued issues of systemic and institutional racism to the fore. Old Suttonian, Michael Adebiyi

(2015 M), has been proactive in promoting the Black Lives Matter cause by helping to create the website We Create Change and has provided a balanced assessment of what is needed to prompt a meaningful change.

We then finish with the publication of the winning entries from this year’s MacDonald Prize competition for pupils in our First, Second and Third Forms. This year, both prize winners, Caitlin Calverley and Katy Barr, tackled the ever-topical question of whether it is right to test on certain animals and not others.

We are grateful to all of the above contributors for their part in this year’s edition of The Sutton Shield. Hopefully the topics arouse your own intellectual curiosity and showcase both the breadth of experience of our Old Suttonian community as well as some of the outstanding work produced by current pupils.

If you would like to contribute to future sections, please do get in touch with the Development Office.

THE SUTTON SHIELD

Is Big Data Undermining or Aiding Democracy?

William Chambers (Lower Sixth)

P

roposition 1 – Big Data Results in Demagoguery Through Oversimplification

“Demagoguery consists of political activity or practices that seek support by appealing to the desires and prejudices of ordinary people rather than by using rational argument.” – Oxford English Dictionary Plato states how he believes that oversimplifying political points grows political prejudices and creates a more polarised society (Plato, 375BC). Up until the present day, this practice was made difficult by the condition that any mass-distributed political message had to be blanketed to everyone, through billboards or TV broadcasts. This made it easy for the news media and political opponents alike to denounce these litotes to be flagged and denounced as distorted and misleading, such as the Liberal Democrats recently becoming embroiled in controversy from their misleading leaflet campaign depicting them as the only feasible opposition to the Conservatives in the 2019 election (O’Carroll, 2019). Big Data acts as a hack to get around this. Not only can political campaigns circumvent scrutiny by not publishing their ads on mainstream media, instead straight to a voter’s mobile phone, but they can also create much more distinct and personal ads that will have the greatest effect in scaring, encouraging and influencing a person how to vote. Even if these targeted adverts are flagged, it is unlikely that anything can be done.

Once a person has been exposed to something that is so specifically targeted towards their fears and prejudices, reversing their opinion is a difficult task. Entrenched and immovable opinions lead to a stagnant society of deadlock (Tisdall, 2018). Furthermore, these ads are published at the digression of the platform they are posted. This means that only the company policy decides the guidelines for these ads and this is unlikely to change based on ethics, given the amount of money companies like Facebook make from targeted advertising.

messages used on social media by political parties, it has become much cheaper for campaigns to reach more people. For example, campaigns can distribute around one hundred bespoke electronic ads to target voters without the cost of post, paper and minimal manpower.

Overall, this new online exposure to politics can increase voter turnout by millions, giving both campaigns and the legitimacy of democratic systems the confirmation they need to prove that they are working.

On the contrary, if these new voters are exercising their democratic right based on false, oversimplified or inflammatory information that has been constructed specific for them, based on their online trait profile, this is a fundamental shift away from the traditional ways in which a voter makes up their mind. It calls into question the capacity of an electorate to make an informed decision and for a population to become influenced by omniscient data sets. Big Data is a campaign tool that can understand, target and influence individual people at a level never before possible. Those in society who are gullible or unaware enough to realise when they are being subtly influenced by their social media, a quintessential part of many people’s lives that they trust beyond sensible limits, could pose a serious threat to democracy by becoming uninformed surrogates of false information, allowing the campaign that can

afford the most effective and greatest number of online ads to become the de facto winner of the election. This widespread misinformation can also lead to prejudices and polarisation becoming entrenched parts of democracies around the world, stoked by Big Data’s ignition of hate, anger and fear among a population.

Proposition 2 – Losing the Political Appeasement Appeal of the Centre Ground Throughout modern history, the governing party of a nation tends to have won the support of the centre ground of the electorate, winning the crucial floating voters that build upon a party’s bedrock of faithful and reliable supporters. This can be seen clearly in recent years, through happenings such as Tony Blair’s huge capitalisation of the centre ground in his several landslide victories, or Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party “En Marche” winning huge majorities in the French national assembly and the presidency. Big Data poses a threat to this (Todd, 2017) by compromising the traditional practice of politicians battling for the centre ground votes. Big Data’s microtargeting techniques mean that campaigns can identify voters that will almost undoubtedly vote for them, and instead of trying to convince floating voters to lend them their vote, they

However, there is an argument that although this targeted political advertising distorts political messages, it also engages more of the population in political matters and hence can increase a population’s involvement in its elections. With the growth of directly targeted

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THE SUTTON SHIELD will instead pool their recourses into mobilising core supporters. This is put into perspective by Democratic lawmakers in the USA focusing on mobilising Black and Hispanic voters to take part on election day , while shifting their ideological stance to the left as they no longer have to focus on winning centre-ground floating voters to win elections. This problem would encourage a lack of bipartisanship, as both parties would no longer be inclined to cater for the centre ground voters that have values that both parties share, shown by the decrease in Democratic and Republican congressman with overlapping ideological traits by 133 between 1914 and 2002 (Todd, 2017). Hence, the point of democracy would be defeated in two ways. Firstly, by rendering the legislature useless as any incentive of bipartisanship is lost, causing gridlock unless parties have strong majorities in both the lower and upper houses as well as the controlling the executive. Secondly, Big Data could cause large swaths of the population to go unrepresented who’s political opinion lies within an ideological overlap between parties.

Despite this, Big Data can counteract this effect to an extent by giving politicians the ability to gauge public opinion on laws and policies (Goet, 2016), as well as allowing politicians to understand what kind of legislation members of the public would like to have implemented.

This kind of information is difficult to extract nowadays, and politicians are forced to rely on time consuming and expensive polls. Big Data analysis can provide a cost effective and fast way for lawmakers to craft legislation in highly detailed way that suits the majority of people.

However, if the incentive for politicians to compete for a majority of votes is lost, then a core part of democracy is compromised. This kind of politics would mean that the natural ideological swing of parties to each end of their given spectrums, seen particularly in American politics (Yglesias, 2015), would lead to a situation where it became impossible for parties to appeal to and represent the majority of people.

Instead, parties would remain eternally locked in their chosen political positions that best suited the party, relying purely on the support of their guaranteed voters, activated by Big Data, that only require a few policy commitments to win their support, such as winning over Hispanic voters in America with citizenship reform (Narea, 2019). They would make no attempt to adapt their ideological stance to steal votes from other parties, the traditional method of winning elections. Furthermore, this new fastening of ideology would limit the discourse that would take place between parties, as each one would no longer be attempting to convince voters that their stance is the correct one as swing voters would be substituted for more reliable core voters, identified and activated by Big Data.

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Proposition 3 – Big Data Could Conceivably Convert a Democracy to a Technocracy Although both of the above problems raise concerns for a democracy when it comes to voting day, Big Data can also seep deeper into the fabric of a country’s governing establishment and create much deeper and more serious hindrances to a democratic society and for the rights of those that it supposedly provides for. These problems exist in the forms of corruption and discrimination, as well as the possibility of the governing elite being replaced by technology experts, converting a democracy into a technocracy that is fully dependant upon data. It has already been shown how Big Data can create detailed and intricate digital profiles of people (Timblin, 2018), using information collected from surveillance and online activities.

These profiles can be utilized by corporations to give discriminatory prices to those with a low income (O’Neil, 2016), but more importantly they could be used by democratic governments to profile their citizens. This practice has already been seen in China, where a points-based system rates a citizen’s behaviour and loyalty to the government (Monbiot, 2017), restricting certain privileges, such as air travel, based on a citizen’s score. Although this level of extremity may not be seen in every case where this practice is used, and China cannot be looked upon as the epitome of a democracy, once a government begins to build up a highly-detailed profile on a citizen, it would be logical and likely that these profiles were applied to more and more government services. Examples of this stretch from cutting job seekers benefits for those who are not spending adequate time online actively searching for jobs, to not giving access to free A&E services to those deemed to shows signs of hypochondria by their online activities and shopping habits. Eventually, a government’s omniscient ability to have in-depth knowledge of all its citizens would make it difficult to draw the line as to the extent that a democratic state should interfere with and analyse its people’s lives and at what point does state interference infringe on privacy rights.

However, this aggregate data set analysis could strengthen human rights in a democracy through equalising representation for the working classes and minority groups through the means of technology. For example, it could help to map inequality and free speech suppression, as shown by the Southern Poverty Law Centre’s hate map. Big Data can analyse extremist’s lifestyles to find the root causes of hate groups and find ways to exterminate these causes. Digital traits and characteristics of potentially violent or harmful individuals can also be identified and used as evidence in criminal prosecutions, such as domestic abusers,

strengthening the rule of law and safety while protecting free speech, three key cornerstones of a democracy. On top of this, public spending could also be cut back with the tracking and identification of funding misappropriations by more accurately measuring how effective government schemes are, such as the Home Department’s “knifefree” program launched in 2018. Tracking knife crime and local unrest based in mass aggregate online monitoring and surveillance could make a society more egalitarian, efficient and safe for everyone.

Despite this, a culture of mass surveillance and hyper-analysis of the general population would likely lead to a degradation of democracy, as it would consolidate power into the hands of very few individuals with the power to collect and use this data. This could easily lead to a corrupted and gridlocked society, where the governing class would transform the state into a technocracy of unelected data analysts making up the oligarchy. Big Data’s ability to compile and analyse information would therefore make it an undoubtedly valuable piece of kit for governments, but one that could be heavily manipulated and corrupted.

Proposition 4 – Problems with Regulation However, the transition to a technocracy is not the only way that Big Data could interrupt democracy at a deeper level. The difficulty of finding a balance between making Big Data powered tools accessible and useful without infringing on users’ privacy is one that has proved practically and legally difficult to enforce.

This issue stems from the lack of compatibility between the rate that new legislation is created and the rate that new Big Data technologies are developed and implemented (Koopman, 2018).

Like a perpetually growing skyscraper without regulatory foundations, Big Data’s control in the hands of profit driven data giants like Facebook and Google has encouraged rapid growth and progress in the field without regulatory oversight. It took the breach of millions of Facebook users’ privacy (Davies, 2015) in the Cambridge Analytica scandal in early 2018 for lawmakers to realise that a problem existed surrounding data privacy at the hands of data heavyweights. Since then, demand for data powered products such as fitness trackers has only grown, with new developments such as facial recognition making data harvesting ever more invasive (Körner, 2019). Since consumers only see the benefits that these developments bring, there is a lack of public campaigning to tighten data laws, unlike other issues of strong sentiment such as government cuts and gun violence. The government is therefore only incentivised to make changes when major

THE SUTTON SHIELD scandals are exposed, leading to an irregular implementation of laws that do not match the linear developments of data manipulation that the public should be protected against.

Despite this, Big Data cannot be held responsible for the actions of its user. Although Big Data was the method used in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, it is the offenders who were deservedly prosecuted. In the same way, a knife is not blamed when a fatal stabbing takes place, but the user is prosecuted, governments should discourage commercial malpractice relating to Big Data by use of fines and other punishments and not go after Big Data itself. Big Data has the potential to rejuvenate and fast track developing economies, proven by Guadalajara’s rapid transformation into a smart city (Hwang, 2018) where essential services such as ambulances are deployed more efficiently and effectively.

Using regulations to clamp down on data mining and consolidation would cap growth and development in a sector that could improve the lives of millions of citizens and stabilise countries at a faster rate, leading to the inevitable adoption of a more democratic state. Being a relatively cheap system to set up, data-based foreign aid could be a highly cost-effective way for developed countries to give long lasting and versatile support to developing states, leading to rapid worldwide deployment.

Despite the benefits that Big Data could bring, a democracy must also grapple with the fact that this is a global problem. Countries prioritising individual interests through the use of data could lead to a damaging global climate where different data laws and infrastructure allow for different levels of growth in different countries.

Nations with poor internet connection, such as Paraguay, or with strong restrictions on data, such as Qatar could be left behind economically and socially in a potential data revolution, whereas zero regulation could cause categorical problems in a democracy due to reasons previously mentioned. Equal access and transparent data regulation is a solution that would stop developing countries being stuck in a permanently stagnant state of growth that could never catch up with the rest of the world and become fully functioning democracies, while still protecting the rights and privacy of citizens that use data services.

Conclusion To conclude, there are four main arguments laid out surrounding how Big Data could impact and how it has impacted democratic societies around the world. The first of which is the risk that Big Data generates demagoguery in society by oversimplifying political matters in order to appeal to the individual concerns of voters.

This argument has its roots in Plato’s Republic,

which raises the issue that simplifying political matters in order to satisfy individuals desires and prejudices neuters original thought in a democracy. This point is rebutted by arguments that by sending out political adverts online using Big Data more of the population is engaged and voter turnout may increase.

The second proposition builds on how politicians’ use of Big Data could damage the norms of election. Supported by NBC news journalists, this point highlights the capability of campaigns, thanks to Big Data, to locate and activate voters that would almost certainly vote for their party, however normally do not vote.

This would therefore remove the incentive for politicians to target floating voters as they would be able to locate enough safe votes. This would lead to neither candidate adapting their policies to win more votes, making legislating even more polarized. This is countered by the possibility for politicians to gauge public approval on legislation through Big Data, a point propagated by various studies.

The third proposition details how Big Data can fracture a society past that of an electoral level.

Various practices such as giving discriminatory commercial rates to customers of ethnic minorities and the hyper-surveillance by national governments are made possible by Big Data. The case study of the Chinese national surveillance scheme combined with the practice of rating citizens based on observations made, serve as the backbone for this argument of the potential dystopian effects and breaches of civil liberties that could be caused by Big Data. The ability of Big Data to map and root out hate and voter suppression is used to counter this argument.

The final proposition states that the difficulty of providing education about Big Data and the need to regulate, pose to a democratic society. I argued that many democracies are being subtly influenced by Big Data processes as their populations are unaware when they are compromising their privacy and providing usable information. The Cambridge Analytica scandal of 2018 supports this argument by showing how regulations are difficult to create to protect users’ privacy and how without education surrounding the subject many victims of Big Data manipulation are unaware that it is happening.

Therefore, my propositions are clearly distinguished into issues surrounding Big Data on an electoral level and on a deeper societal level. The ways in which Big Data can be used by campaigns to impact how we vote, the clearest pillar of democracy, is then contrasted with the possible breach of civil liberties that we hold dear in democratic society. This is then followed up by what can and must be done to stop these effects on democracy.

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THE SUTTON SHIELD

Fighting Coronavirus on The Front Line Dr William Selway (2004 G)

F

ollowing my response to a career update request, I was asked whether I would be happy to write a short piece about my experiences as an NHS worker during the COVID-19 pandemic. I felt that I could use the opportunity to my advantage as I have not really sat and reflected properly about the whole scenario since my initial involvement.

I qualified as a doctor in the summer of 2013 from Bart’s and The London Medical School.

My foundation years were spent at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford and then Southend Hospital. I began training as a general surgeon at Southend and continued for two years as a surgical registrar at Ipswich Hospital. In October 2019, I relocated back to London and embarked on training as a vascular surgeon. My initial post has been at St George’s Hospital Tooting. During these years, any pandemics that occurred seemed to remain overseas although my emergency department rotation at Southend fell during the Ebola outbreak between 2014 and 2016. Looking back, the precautions taken for seeing possible cases due to recent travel or temperature seem minimal!

As COVID-19 started spreading leaving a trail of devastation behind it, there was only a matter

of time before the UK was affected. We were all working on the theoretical basis that we were maybe 14 days behind the curve of Italy and Spain in terms of admissions to hospital.

Colleagues of mine in the Anaesthetic and Intensive Care departments would feed back horror stories from their colleagues in Italy as their departments became overwhelmed.

It was early in March when St George’s started asking doctors across the hospital, outside of the Anaesthetics and Intensive Care departments, what other skills they may be able to contribute if and when the inevitable requirement to expand the number of intensive care beds became apparent. I had done four months of anaesthetics in my second year as a doctor, so I fed that back on the survey. At the same time, I put my name forward to volunteer to work at the NHS Nightingale Hospital. A week or so later I was sitting in a video conference with my fellow vascular registrars and one of our professors of vascular surgery deciding who would be released from the firm and to which area. I ended up being released to help in intensive care; a far cry from my day job dealing with pathologies of the aorta and other arteries.

I was fortunate enough that St George’s had been planning for a catastrophic resource failure early on – potentially 600 ventilated patients in the event of a super surge when the normal capacity for ventilated patients here is around 60.

Phased redeployments meant that those of us being brought in with more historic experience were able to have some refresher training before working on the units. After a week’s crash course of sessions covering everything from knobology (ventilator buttons), specialised ventilator settings, how to prone a patient who is intubated, the ins and outs of blood pressure management and the specifics of managing multi-organ failure in the COVID-19 patient, we were put to work on the various COVID-19 intensive care units. The boot camp session on ‘the medical ward’ with simulated patients was harrowing, as when they deteriorated in front of you and went into cardiac arrest you were expected to leave the patient to put on more substantial protective clothing before returning to attempt CPR. Invariably the simulated patients died. This was due to the pretend ward round being conducted in simple PPE of a mask and plastic apron whereas each chest compression

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of CPR would be aerosol generating and without proper PPE of overalls, FFP3 mask, visor and gloves you would risk inhaling a significant viral load with each compression.

The first unit I worked in was a makeshift one.

An area normally designated as a ward had been turned into an intensive care unit with both ventilated patients and those recovering.

I remember being quite anxious the night before as I would now be, knowingly, potentially exposing myself to the virus. I was also concerned about my mum and family worrying about me putting myself at risk. As someone who would often visit my family it was hard not knowing when I might physically see them all again and when I did get to see them would I take COVID-19 to them? It was just under seven months before I physically saw them. My partner Joanna, a paediatric trainee in London, also ended up looking after adult patients in her paediatric intensive care ward, such was the demand for beds. We were lucky to still be able to see each other and provide each other with much needed support. I ended up rotating across several units before ultimately working on what was normally an intensive care unit.

I cannot overstate how incredible the nursing staff on all the units were. Many of them had been redeployed and were looking after several patients, well outside of their normal comfort zone (the normal ratio on intensive care is one nurse per patient). They really helped me every step of the way. The intensive care consultants too, were wonderful and so supportive of us all. Through the amazing fundraising efforts of some of the nurses, all the staff were provided with meals each day from restaurants in the area around the hospital.

Before COVID-19, seeing a patient was just a matter of approaching them and speaking to them then examining them, if required. On the COVID-19 units, there was a need for proper PPE. This involved wearing scrubs, hat, coverall, FFP3 mask, visor and gloves along with rigorous hand washing before entering the area with patients, after touching patients and before leaving the area. The process of donning and doffing the PPE was incredibly stressful. Did I wash my hands in the right place? Did I just accidentally touch my face? Am I going to get COVID-19? I would end each day thinking to myself, did I catch it today?

THE SUTTON SHIELD Working in PPE presented its own challenges.

With a mask, hat and visor on along with coveralls, it was very difficult to hear colleagues and patients speak. It was also difficult to get patients to understand or hear whilst speaking from behind a very tight-fitting mask. These challenges aside, it also became incredibly hot and sweaty very quickly under all the items of clothing. Thankfully, as the medical team, we would pop in on the ward round and pop out again unless there was a significant problem with the patient so our time in PPE was limited.

The poor nurses would spend hours kitted up.

Many of the patients I ended up caring for were relatively stable, despite being intubated and ventilated and requiring blood filtration as their kidneys were not working properly. Of the small cohort of patients that I was personally involved with the majority ended up recovering and were ultimately discharged home, albeit shadows of their former selves. One patient in particular eventually recovered after being on a ventilator for close to 60 days.

There were of course many who sadly died.

Colleagues of mine, who had been on the front line a few weeks earlier, had a much tougher time in terms of workload and sheer number of patients dying in quick succession. It was not just the elderly dying either. I am 34 and you could look down the list of patients being treated and see a significant number who were a similar age or younger who were seriously unwell. The youngest death I witnessed was 21.

I have mentioned about the communication difficulties above. When I look back, I suppose talking to relatives was the hardest thing I had to do. How do you tell someone over a phone that their loved one who has been ventilated for 20 days is doing OK? Trying to provide reassurance when all they see in the news is how bleak everything is. Trying to relay to a loved one that the person they cherish knows they are thinking of them even though they have not been able to visit them for nearly a month. A service was set up for us to video call relatives so they could see their loved ones. For many the image of their relative unconscious connected to tubes and machines was the last memory they will have.

Overall, I spent about four weeks on the COVID-19 units, and I saw a lot of things that will stay with me for a very long time. I was incredibly pleased to get back to my normal job with the vascular team although trying to return to and deliver a ‘normal’ service has also presented problems.

Particularly difficult were those patients who had delayed coming to hospital through fear of catching COVID-19. When they did finally present with a problem it was often too late for us to offer any means of salvage. Several patients ended up with major limb amputations due to this and other patients had become so unwell that it was not safe to offer them an operation. I

am concerned that we will be heading towards a repeat of this scenario in the coming months.

COVID-19 sadly looks set to be a part of our lives for the foreseeable future. It has devastated the lives of numerous families both directly and indirectly through those patients who succumbed to COVID-19 and those who did not seek medical help for other complaints through fear who ultimately died from conditions not related to COVID-19. It took the lives of colleagues from the medical profession and will undoubtedly influence the mental health of healthcare and other key workers in time. I do count myself lucky that despite my front-line role I have remained asymptomatic, all tests I have had have been negative and as of yet my family and friends have remained well.

At the time of writing this, it seems that we may well be looking at another large influx of patients across the country in the coming weeks. Would I go back and work on the COVID-19 units again if asked? Yes, I probably would.

Dr William Selway (2004 G)

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THE SUTTON SHIELD

We Create Change Mr Michael Adebiyi (2015 M)

A

s the country began coming out of the first wave of COVID-19 in June, we were all shocked to see the news emerging from America of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. His unnecessary death caused by the brutality of police officers sparked outcry worldwide and began a summer of protests. The images of Mr Floyd being pinned down by the knee of a white police officer became something of a parable in America’s continuing racial story and a rallying point for the need for action. This reverberated around the world and made countries including the UK accelerate their own debate about systemic and institutional racism.

The Black Lives Matter movement forced me to address the many emotions that I had long suppressed and buried. As part of that, I began to have conversations about race that I would have avoided previously for fear of making friends uncomfortable. At the beginning of this, like many, I was angry at how George Floyd had been killed and traumatised by the footage of the incident, to the point that I actively avoided

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watching it. Over time though, that anger dispelled and I felt invigorated and fired up to seek justice, not just for George Floyd, but more generally for the racism suffered by black people throughout the world.

In many ways, as the protests became increasingly mainstream, I felt alive and brave enough to tell my story and be validated by the countless stories of other black people who have suffered racism in similar ways. This was less about the brutality that characterised the George Floyd incident, but more of the systemic racism that we encounter every day going about our lives. Something as mundane as black people going to a shop and subconsciously feeling the need to keep hold of the receipt, no matter how small the purchase, just in case they are targeted for questioning by a security guard. Similarly, we have all seen on the news the many accounts of black people being stopped and searched by police officers and even arrested for disagreeing to be searched without justification. All-in-all, this summer’s protest made me incredibly proud of those who stood up and spoke up in solidarity with their black friends and family.

For me, the ability to speak up offered possibilities beyond the various protests that took place across the country. The toppling of statues, including that of Edward Colston in Bristol provided short-term headlines, but I was aware that this was needed in order to create long-term meaningful change centred on educating people on our history and the cause.

We Create Change started after a friend, Andriy Zapotichny, called me one day during the peak of the movement to point out that there was a lot of information being shared on social media, but there was no single site to find all of these resources, for future reference.. We had both worked together on a website during our internship at Google and were already quite experienced in building websites from scratch using Google Site. As a result, we took the proactive decision to create the resource ourselves.

A couple of hours later, he bought the website domain - WeCreateChange.co.uk and then invited a friend, Hamaad Kairm, to join us in creating the website. All three of us set to work

THE SUTTON SHIELD to develop and populate the site with all of the useful information we had come across in the days after George Floyd’s killing. Less than 12 hours after starting the site, we had completed 90 per cent and decided to start sharing it with our friends and family whilst we finalised the remaining parts.

The aim was to centralise this information and invite people to educate themselves by buying a book we recommended, watching a video on a black person’s experience of racism or even reading articles on the extent of systemic racism in the UK. Ultimately, we wanted people to be engaged and contribute to the movement by having a variety of petitions to sign, causes to donate to and a template to write to their MP to demand justice for black people in this country.

We strongly believe that to create the change, we need our white, brown, friends and family to stand with the black community in this fight to eradicate systemic racism because this is not a ‘black’ issue, it is a humanity issue.

We had only anticipated receiving somewhere around 300 page views and potentially reaching a few international countries where we had friends. However, within one week we had received 10,000 page views and gathered a team of influencers some who have appeared on shows like Love Island, Made in Chelsea, even music artists who believed in our vision and shared our website with their followers. We are proud to say we have now hit the 20,000 mark, with this number still rising and have reached over 90 different countries around the world

such as Argentina, Australia, Canada, India, Nigeria and South Africa.

We are also pleased to announce that Amazon Alexa has listed us as one of only two sites to visit when asking for resources about BLM. When asking the device about the movement it will respond with “Black lives matter. I believe in racial equality. I stand in solidarity with the black community in the fight against systemic racism and injustice. To learn how you can take action, I recommend visiting blacklivesmatter.com and WeCreateChange.co.uk.”

As a proud Old Suttonian with so many fond memories of SVS, I am still mindful that much can still be done within the School by way of creating its own institutional change. I recognise many schools around the country have, at times, struggled to fully engage with the topic of racism. This is not always an issue of the respective school, but moreover a central issue caused by the lack of content in the national curriculum. That said, I do believe that Sutton Valence School still has some way to go in terms of diversity amongst its pupil and staff population. While I fully recognise that there are some issues out of the School’s control, there are many areas that can be resolved to create a culture where black pupils do not face the levels of racism and discrimination that some may have encountered before.

It must be said that the School’s recent efforts to educate pupils about racism especially using Black History Month in October was

Michael Adebiyi (2015 M)

commendable. This cannot be tokenistic though and I would urge the School to carry this momentum on throughout the School year.

As part of their new TIDE For Change initiative I would also encourage the invitation of guest speakers to talk about inclusion, diversity and equality and run workshops to help pupils to become better allies for their peers.

From those initial days of seeing the tragedy of the events in Minneapolis to now, I genuinely feel that we have begun to create change. The importance though is that this continues and ultimately I hope this heightened awareness will bring an end to systemic racism in my generation and that my children are born into a world “...where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character”.

TIDE For Change Mr Tim Sealy, TIDE For Change Coordinator

R

eflecting on Michael’s thoughtful and impassioned words, it is immediately apparent that we share a very similar perspective on recent events, particularly when considering how important the next step in this process truly is. It is, as he correctly identifies, vital that anything that we do as a School enacts real, tangible change to the way we move forward when addressing issues of race and diversity in all its forms.

The Chapel services and Headmaster’s Assemblies, that have profiled various black historical figures during Black History Month this past October, formed an important basis for discussions in our weekly PSHE sessions. If I might reference

a phrase that has had slightly more pandemic-related connotations of late, one aspect of the remit for TIDE (Team for Inclusion, Diversity and Equality) For Change is to make these kind of discussions one part of the ‘new normal’ when it comes to the topic of diversity.

TIDE has been formed with the aim of broadening the entire community’s awareness and understanding of the day-today challenges being faced by all our students and seeking out ways to improve the School’s response to these areas.

It is an initiative that is open to all students in both the Prep and Senior Schools, the staff rooms and the Old Suttonian community and I would welcome anyone who is interested in being involved to get in touch with me.

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THE SUTTON SHIELD

The Impact of the Australian Wildfires Mr Peter Hylands (1968 F)

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n last year’s edition of The Suttonian, we featured a profile of Old Suttonian Peter Hylands (1968 F), whose media company, Creative Cowboy Films, produces a range of documentaries, blogs and e-books focused on culture, nature and conservation. When last year’s magazine was being published, Australia began to be engulfed by some of the worst wildfires in its history and we are grateful that Peter has contributed another article, this time on his own experiences of the impact of the fires and the devastating effect they have had on Australia’s indigenous wildlife.

It’s mid December 2019 and we are flying into Central Australia, where we experience our first taste of the wildfires. As our aeroplane begins its descent, the smoke and dust from the fires far away obscure the desert landscapes. We are about to land in Alice Springs, Australia’s geographic centre. It is mid-morning and the heat of the day is building. Climbing down onto the tarmac, the powerful wind brings with it a heavy mixture of dust and smoke. The vast fires have already left their mark, even in distant Page 116 - The Suttonian 2020

desert country like this. For us though, this is only the start.

Fast-forward to early January 2020 and we are now in Victoria. As the most extensive fires in modern Australian history rage in fury around us, we head north from Melbourne and it is a race against time to get through before the main road, the Hume Highway, connecting Melbourne and Sydney is closed before the fire-storm heading our way arrives. The car dashboard gives a reading of 43 degrees Celsius.

The road ahead shimmers in the heat as the smoke from the fires casts an ominous pattern across the adjoining farmland. We make it through just in time.

We stay the night in Canberra before heading east to the small settlement of Cobargo. After arriving in Canberra, we decided to have dinner in a restaurant we like. The food is very good, and all around us, tables of happy people drinking wine and eating beautifully prepared meals, meanwhile the fires devastate the land and animals close by. Like something out of Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy, here

we all were, completely disconnected from the events around us. Then, that night, the black rain came.

Next morning, another grim drive, this time to Cobargo, around 250 miles south of Sydney, where the fires were so fierce that no one had seen or imagined anything like it before. A sizeable chunk of the Cobargo high street had gone, now just a jumble of bricks and roofing iron, possessions scattered and burnt.

Our work here was to look at what had happened to the wildlife in this part of New South Wales.

Given the intense nature of the fires, it was hard to imagine that anything had survived. The data released subsequently estimated that over the course of this terrible tragedy, the fires killed around three billion mammals, reptiles and birds. Many of the species impacted by the fires were already in trouble, so this was yet another dimension to our concerns.

What was remarkable was that animals were reemerging from these burnt lands. Food, water and often rescue were now the critical issue.

THE SUTTON SHIELD We found wallabies, kangaroos, echidnas and wombats, all clearly in shock, as they searched for food and family in their devastated home.

Survival was possible by sheltering in deep creek formations or underground if you happened to be small enough to enter the maze of wombat tunnels. So that was for a lucky few. We stopped for a moment to think about our little menagerie, of wombats, echidnas, lizards and lyrebirds, all sheltering deep below the Earth, courtesy of the wombat family, as the fire raged and exploded above them.

Back in Victoria things were equally grim. As of 7th January 2020, the Victorian fires had already severely burnt 34 of the state’s 104 major parks, 31 per cent of the state’s rainforests, 24 per cent of wet or damp forests and 34 per cent of lowland forests. In all this carnage, at least 185 Victorian species, many rare and threatened, have been affected by the fires, including 19 mammal species, 13 frog species, ten reptile species, nine bird species, 29 aquatic species and 38 plant species.

I will say this simple thing, all wildlife in Australia is in crisis because of the severe impact of climate change being experienced across the Australian continent and the situation will continue to deteriorate unless we change our own behaviour. The estimates were that the Australian bush-fires had added an additional two per cent to global greenhouse emissions and would add as much as one billion tons by the end of the fire season.

The suffering of wildlife is also reflected in human populations. Remarkably, because of changes in the advice given by authorities, which now says leave the fire zone, rather than stay and defend your property, relatively few people died given the scale of what had occurred. A vast number of houses were, however, destroyed. Peoples’ lives and livelihoods vanished in the roar of wind and flames.

Our brave friends worked day and night to rescue animals and, along with donations, vets arrived from around the world to help the wounded wildlife. As I write this story, many of those animals are thankfully being released back into the wild.

And so it was that we spent two grim months in the fire grounds and, in that time, we gathered a great deal of material from those terrible and dangerous days.

The fire season is about to begin once more. It looks like the coming summer will be wetter so we can only hope that the potential for catastrophic fire-storms is lower. We think of all the wonderful array of animals out there. Let us hope they make it through the next Australian summer.

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THE SUTTON SHIELD

The Macdonald Prize 2020

Should we test on some species and not others?

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ach year, the School’s junior Academic Scholars are invited to submit essay entries on a range of current affairs topics as part of the Macdonald Prize competition. Originally sponsored by his father, this prize was re-instated in 2013

by Henry Macdonald (1958 W) to mark his gratitude to the School for educating him and his brothers, Bruce Macdonald (1961 W) and Christopher Macdonald (1964 C).

This year, we were delighted that Henry joined our Head of Academic Scholars, Mr Matt Jones, in judging the competition.

From all of the entries, two winners are selected - one from the Third Form and one from the Juniors (First and Second Form).

The winning entries are included below, both of which chose to write on the topic of whether we should test on some species and not others.

Senior Prize - Katy Barr (Third Form) Testing on animals is a widely discussed and highly controversial subject. Scientific research is done all around the world using a large variety of animals, from cats to fish, mice to horses and monkeys to cows, but where do we, or should we, draw the line?

In 2015 an estimated 3.52 million experiments that included animal testing were carried out in the UK, 564,000 of which reportedly caused the animals moderate or severe suffering (as reported by the experimenters). These tests were performed on a whole variety of different animals, approximately 71 per cent on rats and mice, 13 per cent on reptiles and fish, 2 per cent on “farm animals”, 5.2 per cent on typically domesticated animals (dogs, cats, birds etc.) and 9 per cent on non-human primates.

Perhaps the first question we should be asking is actually, should we be testing on animals at all?

For some guidance, we can look to the Animal (scientific procedures) Act of 1986 which states that a regulated procedure is one that does not cause any more pain, distress, suffering or longlasting harm than that of a needle prick, but unfortunately the subject is not as black and white as the Act. For example, there are many Page 118 - The Suttonian 2020

different types of testing, such as medical and cosmetic, some of which are more important, and indeed some of which are more agreed upon, than others. Also, of the 3.72 million experiments that included animal testing (UK, 2015), 1.72 million were to do with genetic modification, most of which caused no known suffering to the animals, but even then, might have some ethical questions surrounding them.

To try and find some answers we can start with our natural feelings; our first thought is obviously going to be that testing on dogs and cats is much worse than testing on rats or mice, but are our connections based purely on which animals are typically domesticated and we therefore have more feelings for, or is it more deeply psychological? The first way we naturally judge an organism is by its appearance and physical appeal which means rodents are a lot more likely to be tested on than say, pandas.

Notably, rodents also have much more similar DNA to humans than pandas do, making them much more useful for testing. We also show compassion for animals with similar appearance and behavioral characteristics to us for obvious reasons, and to animals with a larger size because they are often more mentally, physically, and possibly, emotionally complex.

So, based on this we could start to form some more concrete questions that need considering, if we want to decide whether testing on a particular species might be acceptable. Firstly, reliability – how similar to human results are the animal’s results going to be? This may make it not worth the risk in the first place. Secondly, emotional intelligence - does this animal typically have a high pain threshold and how does it experience complex emotions such as loneliness or depression that it may be inclined to whilst being used in an experiment? Thirdly, how much harm will be done just by removing it from its natural ecosystem or, conversely, if it were released into the wider world?

Using these three main factors and our physiological impressions, rodents are the most obviously suitable for testing, with their genetic, biological and behavioral characteristics closely resembling those of humans (we share over 90 per cent of our genes with the rat species), meaning many symptoms of human conditions can be replicated in them. Also, they are widely perceived as having a low emotional intelligence and can be easily bred specifically for the experiments causing no harm to the ecosystem (unless they manage to escape).

THE SUTTON SHIELD But do any animals actually have a higher or lower emotional intelligence and level of consciousness than us and each other?

Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words: What Animals Think And Feel, has dedicated his life to understanding animals. When interviewed by National Geographic, he said, “It seems illogical for us to think that animals might not be having a conscious mental experience of play, sleep, fear or love... In laboratories the dogma persists: don’t assume that animals think and have emotions and many scientists insist that they do not.” So perhaps many people don’t want to think that animals are conscious in order to make it easier for themselves to do harmful things to them. Maybe the only thing allowing them to do that is the actual thing that differentiates animals and humans: the complexity of our communication compared to theirs which leads firstly to them not being able to express their pain and suffering in the same way as us, and then to the excuse that they don’t actually feel it. In fact, many scientists now agree that most animals do feel emotions such as loneliness and fear when being tested on but, for the purposes of the question here, do some animals feel more than others?

We know that animals certainly feel physical pain, but what is less clear is whether the emotional suffering they feel is the same as us. Rats are widely regarded as unintelligent therefore perceived as having a smaller, if any, emotional range, and probably their status as pests and vermin doesn’t help. However, a paper

by I.J Makaowska and DM Weary of the University of British Colombia explores the emotions of rats used in laboratory testing. Through different experiments and results it demonstrates the complexity of their emotional ranges, for example, they enjoy being tickled, and show different facial expressions for flavours they like and dislike, similar to humans. This report proves how rats are no different in suffering than any other animal and therefore it is a concern that people are more likely to support animal testing in rats than any other animal.

So, rats, once thought to tick all the boxes (small, unintelligent, and useless), are now being discovered as emotional intelligent creatures, but will this really change the international use of them for scientific research? Even with intelligence they are still the top candidate, easy to produce and store, creating comparable outcomes to testing on humans, and unloved by the general public, So, from pests to pets, where do we draw the line? If we are okay with slaughtering and eating certain animals, why are we not okay with low level research on them? Some argue that animals can be treated as well, or better, in laboratories than they are on farms but because we are directly benefiting when eating them do, we tend to overlook that?

Caitlin Calverley (Second Form), Mr Matthew Jones and Katy Barr (Third Form)

At the other end of the scale is testing on primates which, on the face of it, many would baulk at. In February 2011, a team of scientists at Cambridge University (lead by Peter Walsh) injected six captive chimpanzees with an experimental vaccine against the Ebola virus, but this was no ordinary experiment: this vaccine was intended to help chimpanzees with the disease caught from tourists and researchers.

Though this seems more ethically correct, as we are testing on them to help their own species, many scientists still think that curing animals’ diseases is wrong and unnatural even if we did introduce those diseases ourselves. They also did the tests on rats and mice before the chimps, complicating the ethics even further.

This study, in which scientists tested a vaccine on captive chimps to protect wild chimps, rather than humans, is the first of its kind and may also be the last study of its kind, as it’s currently only legal in the United States of America and Gabon because of a variety of laws in these countries, not only regarding testing on chimps but also medical procedures that “enhance the propagation or survival of the affected species”.

Preferences for testing on certain animals are obviously apparent, and do have reasons behind them. Similarity to human biological make-up (therefore providing the most accurate and usable results) is arguably the most valid reason for these preferences, unlike appearance or, in fact, emotional intelligence, purely because there is no solid evidence that some animals feel more physical or emotional pain than

others. Therefore, I believe that because there are minimal alternatives to medical testing, experimenting on animals in a humane way is, at times, necessary and there are animals, for the reasons above, that are better suited to it than others.

Junior Prize - Caitlin Calverley (Second Form) Testing is used to evaluate the safety of drugs, vaccines, food additives, household and workplace products and even water and air pollutants. The products need to be evaluated as some of them contain potentially harmful ingredients. Without testing these products, life changing injuries can be caused to the user. An early documented cosmetic disaster was the ‘Gouraud’s Oriental Cream’ which was a skin cream found to contain a mercury compound.

It did not undergo any testing before it went to market and ultimately caused dark rings around the eyes and neck and blueish black gums and loose teeth in its users. The only way to test and evaluate a product properly is to use a live specimen.

The most common animal species tested on are mice, fish, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, farm animals, birds, cats, dogs, mini pigs and non-human primates. In addition to animal testing, the human species has been tested on, sometimes without their consent. To decide Page 119 - The Suttonian 2020

THE SUTTON SHIELD what species we should be testing a product on, we should be considering the scientific, ethical and moral issues, and the current law in the jurisdictions where the testing takes place. This makes deciding which species to test a product on complex. For the purpose of this essay, we are focusing on invertebrates, mammals and humans.

Scientifically, there have been many advances achieved in veterinary medicine through animal testing for domestic animals, wildlife and endangered species. However, the greatest advances have been made for humans. Each year, in the UK, it is said that 50,000 new people have been treated for breast cancer, 400,000 diabetics use insulin and 40,000,000 prescriptions for antibiotics have been issued, none of these scientific developments would have been made without animal testing . Deciding which species should be tested on for the benefit of human scientific research should be guided by the amount of genes shared with a human, as it would be pointless testing on a subject which did not have a similar biological make up to a human as the results could not be relied upon.

The closest genetic match to humans is chimps where we share approximately 98.5 per cent DNA. However, surprisingly mice share 97.5 per cent of their DNA with humans.

Mice are consequently frequently used and have the same vital organs including the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and brain. In addition, the short life span and breeding cycle of a mouse allows the impact of the product tested, to be quickly understood on future generations. Moths and fruit flies are also commonly used to test new drugs and their efficiency as they react to microbial infections in similar ways to mammals, thus reducing the need for mammal testing. By using insect larvae, the number of mice needed to complete an experiment is reduced by up to 90 per cent. Testing is also quicker as insects

Henry Macdonald (1958 W)

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show results in 48 to 72 hours whereas mice usually take four to six weeks. These factors help to make the results more precise and help make the process quicker and more cost effective.

However, because animals are unable to display natural behaviours during laboratory procedures and in laboratory environments significant adverse effects on test results become prominent. For example, the stress that rats are put under causes them to develop chronic inflammatory conditions and intestinal leakage which could hinder results. The inaccuracy of results has raised questions over the benefits of testing on different species. For example, the drug Opren, used to treat arthritis, was tested on monkeys where there was no problem however when given to humans it killed 61 people. This shows that however closely genetic a species is to another it still behaves differently on a molecular scale. Furthermore, the drug Thalidomide, which hit the press in the 1960s because it was linked to birth defects in the children of mothers who had taken it through pregnancy, is now used to treat some cancers and leprosy. The problem with the initial testing was that it was only tested on non-pregnant animals.

However, many argue that testing on nonhuman species who cannot give consent is inhumane. Further, it is estimated that around 5 million animals are required for testing in the UK each year. Over the years there has been an ever growing number of organisations against animal testing who believe that in addition to the pain and distress from the actual testing procedures used, the animals will suffer from the same symptoms of the disease that is being tested for. For many years, the conditions the animals were kept in, in the laboratories, were also very poor being cramped and unnatural.

As a consequence to the negative reaction towards animal testing from activists and the general population as a whole, laws and legislation have been developed and implemented to help improve the conditions of the laboratories and the well-being of the animals and to regulate the testing on humans. An example of this is the Animal (Scientific Procedure) Act 1986 which regulates procedures conducted in Great Britain and covers all vertebrate and cephalopod species (but excludes the first half of foetal stage). This legislation also means that the number of animals tested upon each year must be counted and the procedures must be documented. However, this legislation does not cover invertebrates such as fruit flies and nematode worms. These species are excluded from protection, but why? The reason they are excluded is, it is believed that there is a lack of evidence that these animals can suffer, partly due to them having a different level of complexity in their central nervous system compared to vertebrates.

So, should we test on humans? In a chilling example of human testing, 60,000 American GIs underwent tests and experiments including exposure to radiation, nerve agents and biological agents which led to many injuries and sometimes death between 1955 and 1977.

However, by comparison in recent years, the NHS regularly invites people to take part in clinical trials, most recently to help find a treatment for COVID-19. In the UK clinical trials using human specimens is governed by the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2004.

This law governs who can carry out trials, who pays for the trials and how the trials are carried out. But are there any better alternatives to even human testing?

Further scientific research has led to an increase in testing on human cells and tissues, using computers to predict the effects of chemicals and drugs, new advanced technologies (such as robotics) and tissue engineering (such as synthetic skin which is used by The Body Shop) or even not testing at all.

In conclusion therefore, there are many different factors influencing whether we should test on some species and not others. Not testing, is not an option as the adverse consequences on the ultimate user of the product, whatever species, could be catastrophic. There is a scientific need to replicate the genetic make up of the species (usually human) who will ultimately benefit from the research and to replicate the ultimate beneficiaries’ circumstances (e.g. pregnancy).

Scientifically the best way to test with maximum potential and in a cost effective way is to begin with insects as it is thought that their suffering may be less than other animals, it reduces the need to test on as many mammals and ultimately provides a safer test for human trials.

However, this has only happened because of the pressure over the years put on governments and laboratories by activists and the general public to improve conditions of the species tested on and increase the relevance of the tests. Hopefully in the future alternatives will be found to replace testing, whatever the species and the question “Should we conduct tests on some species and not others?” will no longer be relevant.

(NB) We were hugely grateful to Henry Macdonald (1958 W) for the time he gave to help assess this year’s entries. Although Katy and Cailtin’s essays were worthy winners of the prize, the standard of essays across the board was incredibly high and the other junior Academic Scholars should be incredibly proud of their respective efforts. It is reaffirming that our students’ ability and desire to structure and present analytical arguments remains as strong now as it was when Henry himself was at the School.

OS NEWS AND EVENTS

OS NEWS

AND EVENTS

“

For obvious reasons, the OS event and sport programmes have been severely depleted this year. The cancellation of the likes of the Car Show, the Golf Day and the Rugby reception at Twickenham has meant that Old Suttonians have had limited opportunities to get together. That said, it is pleasing that some events still managed to be held prior to the lockdown. In particular, I was delighted to hear of the success of the popular 1940s and 1950s reunion hosted by Ian Kay (1941 M), as well as the excellent ‘Next Steps’ initiative allowing some of our younger OS to impart their advice to the current Sixth Form. Away from events, we have attempted to lift some of the proverbial doom and gloom by focusing on some of the positive news stories received during the pandemic. Whilst I appreciate such good news was not enjoyed by all, it is reassuring to read of those making the best of such a challenging situation.

”

Mrs Helen Knott (Staff 2002-2018) SVS Foundation Council Secretary Page 121 - The Suttonian 2020

OS NEWS AND EVENTS

OS Chairman’s Report Mr Robert Sinclair (1967 M)

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e are all suffering from the side effects of the pandemic.

However, as an eternal optimist, I genuinely believe that we will emerge from it more resilient and more prepared to embrace new methodologies in how we live our lives. Like many of my generation, I feel the frustrations that the current period of limbo creates, but from an Old Suttonian perspective, it is as much an opportunity as a hindrance.

In this period of uncertainty, my two favourite words are ‘collaboration’ and ‘disruption’, both of which form the basis of my aspirations for the SVS Foundation and Old Suttonian programmes moving forward.

As Helen mentioned in her introduction, the restrictions in place have meant that much of our usual alumni programme, focused around events and sport, has had to be cancelled. On first inspection therefore, it may appear that our provision for Old Suttonian activity has ground to an apparent halt as we sit around waiting for the period of limbo to end. Sitting around is not the SVS way though. Behind the scenes, a great deal of work has been carried out by Will Radford to ensure that next year, we will not just be up and running again, but in a better position than we were before the lockdown ensued.

To facilitate that, we need to do things differently and this can only happen through ‘collaboration’.

We are seeking to change how the Old Suttonian community works, breaking down generational barriers along the way. In a way, we want to ‘disrupt’ the status quo of how the OS has been run. It is only by engaging with Old Suttonian members that we can make the Old Suttonian programme properly work.

Our first job is to expand the current Old Suttonian Committee so that it has representatives from each generation that has left SVS in the last 70 years. This objective is not going to be easy, but with support, we can do it. As such, this is partly intended as an appeal - if you would like to get involved, please do get in touch via the Development Office.

Our next task is to appoint ‘captains’ of the various activities, interests and professions that make up the Old Suttonian community

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The game plan is to change the direction of influence in respect of OS activities - instead of waiting for instructions to come from ‘head office’, we want the generations to interact and use collaboration to promote the various activities and events. This means that the head office simply becomes the facilitator, the diary keeper and when necessary, provides support to make each event a success.

Building on that, we need to find activities that break down barriers between the different generations. The ability to transcend generations is not as hard as it may seem. Other than the common denominator of having been at SVS, there are many other hooks to assist engagement. The most obvious of these is the development of connections based on industries or professions. The School’s OS database can undoubtedly help with that as it has the ability to build hypothetical connections from the business and professional information that we have provided. Using this to our advantage will naturally develop the interests and activities that, in turn, will increase engagement.

To maximise the effectiveness of such a system, we are reliant on Old Suttonians providing the requisite information to keep our records upto-date. I am delighted to say that following the online survey that was circulated at the end of last year, we had a phenomenal response - over 1300 SVS Foundation members (Old Suttonians, former staff and former parents) provided and updated their details. That survey formed the first part of a wider programme of changes, the largest of which being the launch of the new SVS Foundation website.

The website (www.svsfoundation.org.uk) will assist in making our industry-driven groups more effective. Whether you are a doctor, scientist, banker or property professional, the site is designed to act as a connectivity catalyst which, in turn, will hopefully facilitate offline networking. I would encourage you to make the most of this online platform - it is easy to navigate and will be all the more effective if it is widely used. It also shows the School’s commitment to creating a dynamic alumni community, which we, as Old Suttonians, should support.

This level of background work is geared towards one thing - creating a basis from which the

OS can grow. For me, that growth should be underpinned with one essential aspect - it should be fun. Once members appreciate that the Old Suttonian community is alive, then it will be far easier to develop our engagement.

With all of that in mind, I return to my original point of finding opportunity from the current period of limbo. In effect, the current restrictions force us to start afresh and we can do so with a carte blanche mentality. In this respect, our suggestions box is open. Please do not be shy and let us hear your suggestions to improve the community going forward. Essentially, our offering should be about what Old Suttonians want and not what we think they want.

A real example of this is the Old Suttonian Rifle Association. Set up by Anthony Bromley (2014 W) and his committee, the OSRA has gone from strength-to-strength. This is not just down to excellent organisation and administration, it reflects the fact that it is run by Old Suttonians with a genuine interest in what the group offers.

It is not forced, but built by like-minded OS. Accordingly, we need other OS to follow this example, put their hands up and take the lead in organising something that they and other OS care about. We will be more than happy to help through OS funding and access to our various communication channels, but this should be grown by you. Please do get in touch with your ideas and suggestions or, indeed, if you would like to get involved with the OS Committee.

OS NEWS AND EVENTS

1940s and 1950s Reunion Luncheon Mr Will Radford, Alumni Relations and Development Manager

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t the start of March, the Headmaster headed up to London to meet a group of 20 Old Suttonians who left the School in the 1940s or 1950s. The reunion lunch at the Royal Air Force Club takes place on the first Tuesday in March each year and continues to be a popular and well-supported event in the Old Suttonian calendar.

anniversary fast approaching in 2026, events like this provide an invaluable opportunity for us, as a community, to celebrate our rich history with those who have played an important part in it. Over the next couple of years, our regular programme of reunions will expand to engage

as many Old Suttonians as possible, both in the UK and overseas. In addition, through the SVS Foundation, we hope to provide opportunities for the current generation of pupils and parents to foster additional links with the Old Suttonian community as we celebrate our past together.

With leaving years ranging from 1941 to 1959, the various age groups each provided their own fond memories of their time at Sutton Valence.

After lunch, the Headmaster provided an update on the School and an insight into the future development plans, which will be taking place over the next few years. This was followed by a further talk from the SVS Foundation Archivist, David Pickard (Staff 1977-2001, 2009-2015), who delivered a presentation on the links between the School and London, with particular focus on our founder, William Lambe.

The assembled party enjoyed a fantastic lunch, which provided the opportunity to reconnect and reminisce with one another, regaling stories of the School as they once knew it. With the 450th

10 -Year Prefects’ Reunion Mr Will Radford, Development Manager

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t the start of the Michaelmas Term, to celebrate his tenth year at the School, the Headmaster and Dr Grindlay hosted past-prefects from across his time at the School to a reunion dinner in London. In total, 24 past prefects joined them for this anniversary event at Fino’s restaurant in Mayfair.

With prefects ranging from 2010 leavers through to a leaver from last year, it was great to see such a spread of year groups represented. The group enjoyed a three-course meal and the chance to reminisce about their time at SVS. With such a breadth of careers and university courses between them, it was a pleasure to learn of their continuing successes.

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OS NEWS AND EVENTS

Sutton House Reunion Mr Will Radford, Development Manager

B

ack in September, we were delighted to welcome back a number of Old Suttonians and former staff to a reunion at Sutton House to celebrate girls' boarding at the School. The group included SVS leavers spanning from 1991 through to 2016, as well as two former Sutton housemasters.

Blessed with fantastic weather, the group enjoyed a champagne reception on the Sutton terrace before current Sutton boarders gave them tours of the House.

A subsequent tour of the School provided the opportunity to see the various changes around the site and an opportunity for the Old Suttonians to chat to one another. A fantastic afternoon - many thanks to all of those who attended.

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OS NEWS AND EVENTS

Next Steps Careers Event Mrs Christine Carter, Head of Careers

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t the end of February, we were delighted to welcome back nine recent leavers as part of our biennial ‘Next Steps’ careers talk for the current Sixth Form. The Old Suttonians, who left the School between 2015 and 2018, took part in the talk in the Baughan Theatre, chaired by the Headmaster.

The event opened with the panel being asked the topical question of whether university still represented good value, inspired by a recent article in The Guardian claiming that one in five graduates lose money across their lifetime by going to university. The consensus was that it was, given the life skills and experience gained. Other topics for debate included the advantage of placement years and gap years, as well as non-university routes, including direct-to-work schemes and apprenticeships.

Our thanks go to Michael Adebiyi (2015 M), Lydia Davies (2015 H), Bethany Webb (2015 F), Adam Dawkins (2016 H), Vendula Hoppe (2016 S), Tom Lennard (2016 H), Annabelle Blake (2017 C), Edward Simmonds (2017 M) and Harriet Aburn (2018 L) for giving up their time to take part. Our appreciation goes to them all for making this such an informative and motivating morning for the Sixth Form.

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OS NEWS AND EVENTS

OSRA - An Exceptional Year Mr Anthony Bromley (2014 W), OSRA Captain

I

mean exceptional in both senses of the word: not only has this been a uniquely challenging year for us all – and one that we hope remains the exception rather than the rule – but the OSRA has also had its most successful year to date.

Life After Lockdown Lockdown put an end to the shooting season in March – or at least postponed it – before it had really begun. Following a few small group shoots in late June and early July, we were finally able to organise our first major shoot of the year in late July, in the weekend that should have marked the beginning of the Imperial Meeting.

Eight Old Suttonians, separated into two groups, shot at 300x, 600x and 900x, shooting two sighting shots and ten to count at each distance, with a highest possible score of 50.1. After some steady scores at 300x from Edward Ervine (2018 H) [48.4] and Freddie Pawlik (2011 M) [48.3], the team confronted 900x.

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Faced with a hazy target and drizzle at our backs, we shot in pairs: Chris Dale (2007 C) managed a 50.4 to match my own 50.7; Chris Youngman (2016 M) shot his first ever HPS (Highest Possible Score) with another 50.4, alongside Harriet Aburn (2018 L), who shot a 48.4. This flurry of top scores proved that lockdown had not tarnished the OSRA’s performance, and suggested that we would put in a strong performance in the postponed competitions from August onwards.

English XX Meeting Given that we shoot entirely outdoors, in large open spaces, competitive fullbore target rifle shooting was permitted to resume earlier than other recreational sports. As such, in August, five OS attended a meeting held by the English XX, the governing body of full bore shooting in England.

This meeting was a Queen’s-style shoot, which means it follows the same structure as the Queen’s prize, held annually at the Imperial:

two sighters and seven rounds to count at 300x, 500x, and 600x; 2&10 at 300x, 500x, and 600x; 2&15 at 900x and 1000x.

Matching the standard set by previous years, the OS placed well in a competition full of some of the best marksmen in the world: I came 27th; Chris Dale 63rd; Chris Pawlik (2011 M) 95th and Freddie Pawlik 96th. Special mention must go to Chris Dale for shooting two 50s at 300x and 500x, to Freddie Pawlik for shooting a 35.2 at 500x and a 50.6 at 600x, his first two HPSs, and to Harriet Aburn for her excellent scores of 34.6 and 33.1 at 500x and 600x.

The Imperial Given that the Imperial, usually held in July, had to be cancelled this year, a smaller replacement event was held in its place in mid-September.

While many of us were unable to attend due to work, Chris Dale and Chris Youngman waved the OSRA flag at the reduced meeting. Chris Dale should be especially commended for

OS NEWS AND EVENTS scoring highly in a number of competitions and winning an NRA tankard for coming 19th in the Alexandra competition.

The Blues Match The Blues Match is now firmly positioned as a major event in the OSRA calendar. Following the suggestion of Harry Percival (2014 W), who was undertaking his military training at Sandhurst at the time, this internal match, established in 2019, was designed to create teams of levelled ability and give the role of captain to younger, aspiring members of the club.

In October 2020, following a difficult year for many, we had a record of 12 Old Suttonians interested in competing in the match. Whilst this did not include some recent leavers, who unfortunately had to isolate due to COVID-19, it did include some old faces whom we had not seen in a while: Harrison Sharpe (2016 M) and Harry Pawlik (2013 M). It also included Daniel Wild (Fourth Form), who had joined us earlier in the year for a post-lockdown shoot.

The Blues Match was comprised of three smaller competitions at 600x and 1000x, building from a 2&7 to a 2&10, and finishing with a 2&15 at 1000x. The group was split into three teams, in accordance with social distancing guidelines.

The wind at 600x for the first two shoots was fierce. Unlike an individual competition, a team

match allows a firer to have a coach, who reads the wind for the firer and makes suggestions on sight changes. I have to commend Chris Pawlik, Harrison Sharpe and Harry Percival for some excellent coaching under these trying conditions. Harry himself walked away with the top score for the first match, with a 35.5 (ex.

35.7), while Chris Dale had the top score for the second match, with a 49.7, bagging himself the Veterans Shield, which we were unable to award due to the cancelled Veterans Match this year.

will enter in 2021. In these strange times, it has been a pleasure to watch the OSRA continue to grow and flourish. The team is a fine example of what can be achieved in the face of adversity, and I remain excited to see what can be achieved next year and beyond.

At 1000x, the skies brightened and the flags steadied, but there was still enough variation in the conditions to make wind reading a challenge. Special mention must go to Freddie Pawlik for scoring a 71.5 at this most difficult of distances.

Overall, Harriet Aburn’s team, comprised of me, Harry Percival and Henry Marden, a shooter from Durham University, won the Blues Match with 584.30. Harriet was awarded with the Blues Match trophy and a bottle of whiskey, as per tradition.

Endnote The achievements of each member of the OSRA this year far exceed the unprecedented challenges of 2020. Not only have Old Suttonians performed in high-level competitions, but the strong performance of each team in the Blues Match also bodes well for the team matches we

Christopher Youngman (2016 M)

Harriet Aburn (2018 L) and Anthony Bromley (2014 W)

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OS NEWS AND EVENTS

Old Suttonians vs School Netball Ella Carter (Upper Sixth)

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n 7th March, the 1st VII Netball team welcomed the Old Suttonians in their annual battle for the Worsfold Cup. Having lost out to the 1st VII last year, the OS were keen to regain their crown and brought a strong team, with players ranging from 2012 to 2018 leavers. The game was well supported with the upstairs gallery full of spectators hoping for a good contest.

The game started off very even, with the OS settling quickly back into the game and making very few mistakes. Nearly every centre led straight to a goal, so it was a close score of 10-11 at the end of the first quarter. We broke their centre early in the second quarter, and this meant we were completely even, with some tough battles between the centre court players.

With a score of 22-22 at half-time, we were hoping the Old Suttonians’ fitness would be slowly declining but it was, in fact, the opposite.

The OS defence started picking off our balls into

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the D and their goal attack never missed a shot although our defence put up a good fight. The OS took it away in the final quarter, winning 3648. It was a very heavy scoring match though, so huge congratulations to the shooters from both sides.

Hannah Davies (2015 H), Lydia Davies (2015 H), Emily Finch (2017 L) and Elena Sagrott (2013 F).

1st VII - Jenna Boltman, Ella Carter, Anna Harrison, Isabelle Hopkins, Grace Mitchell, Jessica Richards and Charlotte Wooldridge,

As part of the presentation, Ella Carter was magnanimous in defeat and thanked the Old Suttonians for coming back to School to play.

We were delighted to have Naomi Worsfold (SVPS Staff 1983-2010), who had originally donated the cup in 1995, on hand to present the trophy to the OS Captain, Lydia Davies (2015 H). It proved all the more meaningful as she had taught Lydia, along with three other members of the OS team whilst they were at SVPS in the mid-2000s.

Our thanks go to everyone who came along to watch the game and the players on both teams, listed below.

Old Suttonians - Emelia Bonny (2018 H), Aimee Burnham (2011 H), Charlotte Crouch (2014 L),

Emelia Bonny (2018 H)

OS NEWS AND EVENTS

Old Suttonian Golf Mr Christopher Cornwall (2000 M), OS Golf Captain

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he following Grafton Morrish report from the OS Golf Captain, Chris Cornwall (2000 M), just missed publication in last year’s magazine. Sadly though, as the 2020 Grafton Morrish competition was cancelled, the previous year’s competition remains the last action for the team, so we have published it now.

For those who have not heard of the Grafton Morrish, it is an alumni Golf competition set up by two Old Suttonians Peter Grafton (1933 M, Governor 1971-1996) and Peter Morrish (1943 W, Governor 1976-1991) to be a more inclusive version of the Halford Hewitt, which is only open to a select few schools. The idea was to have regional qualifying around the UK, meaning teams have to play into the finals and therefore be selected on merit.

For Old Suttonians, qualifying is always at the picturesque Knole Park in Sevenoaks. The format (for qualifying) is scratch Stableford foursomes, consisting of three teams. With a week to go, we were struggling to field a team before we were saved by two excellent new squad additions - Sam Wroclawski (2003 C), a former US tour professional and Emily Royer (2012 C), who had been Kent county champion at 15. After a few brief introductions our new look team took to the course and, despite the wet conditions and James Sanderson (2011 W) tearing ankle ligaments on the 15th, pulled through with a points total of over 80 – a job well done.

battle with the 2018 Plate champions, Whitgift School (Old Whitgiftians). He was paired with our most capped player, Mark Williams (1983 C), whose words about how well Sam played that afternoon are unrepeatable!

With our strongest pair on paper of Chris Cornwall and Richard Raye (2002 F) making hard work of the last few holes, the score was 1-1 with our final pair the only group on the course. With darkness setting in, George and Jeremy were staging an outrageous comeback. They were two down with four to play and won the 15th, 16th and 17th holes to be one up playing the last. Having hit the green in two, Jeremy decided to test George’s nerve with a knee-knocking four footer. With a gallery around the 18th, Palmer wasted no time coolly tapping in to the elation of our boys. The feeling was euphoric – what a comeback. After a long day of Golf and an emotional roller coaster, I needed a beer!

With a late tee off on Saturday, we had earned a well deserved lie-in before our encounter

with Solihull School (Old Silhillians) in the third round. We got off to great start with our two top matches taking early leads and the final game remaining tight to the end. After a spectacular back-nine come back from the Peaky Blinders’ top pair, we went one down after seemingly having the game in the bag (lesson learned).

Luckily, Sam and Mark were still taking no prisoners and levelled the battle 1-1 after a three and two victory, meaning it was again down to our final pair of Jeremy and George. After securing a half on the 18th, it was now playoff time. With 40 or so people huddled around the first tee and our team’s hopes resting on the outcome, it was pressure on. Two arduous holes later we had succumbed to Solihull, a team we should have beaten (and will next time!).

I would like to thank all the boys who came and made the trip so memorable. There were old friendships rekindled and new ones made for years to come. Watch this space, with a full strength team, Grafton success is not far away.

With a new found optimism, we embarked on the finals in high-spirit. The main event is played across two courses – Royal West Norfolk and Hunstanton Golf Club on the blustery Norfolk coast during the first weekend of October – with the format of scratch foursomes match play. This was, by far, our strongest squad to date with a highest handicap of two and a good blend of youth and experience; we were determined to show the School in a good light.

Our first round opponents of Highgate School (Old Cholmeleians) put up a spirited fight but we were able to overcome their challenge (2.5 – 0.5) when George Palmer (2004 W) and Jeremy Baldwin (1979 F) won our final match on the 17th. Going to the finals with a squad of seven meant someone had to be left out.

With Sam being left out in the morning, it is fair to say he was fully charged for our afternoon

Emily Royer (2012 C), Chris Cornwall (2000 M), Jmes Sanderson (2011 W), Mark Williams (1983 C), Jeremy Baldwin (1979 F) and Samuel Wroclawski (2003 C)

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OS NEWS AND EVENTS

Old Suttonian Publications I’m fine, thanks

Mr Christopher Doveton-Gerty (1955 L)

W

e are delighted to share the news of a new novel by Christopher Doveton-Gerty (1955 L) entitled I’m fine, thanks. This is the third novel he has written having retired from a long career in the publishing industry. In fact, this very magazine, The Suttonian, was printed by the Doveton Press throughout the late-1970s.

Having retired from the printing business, Chris began writing and in 2012 published his first novel entitled The Spanish Dream, a suspense/ thriller based on his personal experiences and those of his many friends who were tempted by buying a property in Spain. Five years later, under his nom de plume of Christopher Hamilton, he then penned In The World’s Shadows, a story of growing up against the backdrop of great historical events, with a childhood spent in colonial India, in South Africa during World War II and then in bleak post-war England.

I’m fine, thanks was released this year and provides an insightful and powerful look at male mental

Chris Doveton-Gerty (1955 L)

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health and the tendency to repress feelings of despair. In his words, “Men of my era are born with stiff upper lips. We don’t suffer depression or grief. If we are knocked sideways, or flattened to the ground, we shout ‘jolly good’ and keep calm and carry on. That was me. I used to inhabit an armour-plated world where nothing could escape and no one could get in. But one day, life threw me a curveball so all-encompassing that it left me vulnerable, exposed and defenceless.

Survival depended upon my owning up and admitting to the world around me that my stiff upper lip was, in fact, a little droopy around the edges and that I needed all the help I could get.

This is the story of how I tried, failed, tried, failed, tried and eventually succeeded in detaching my heart from its breastplate and shield and began wearing it on my sleeve.”

The curveball that he mentions is the harsh reality of his wife Anne’s diagnosis with Friedrich’s Ataxia, a rare and fatal genetic disease. Chris and Anne were enjoying a loving marriage in the prime of their lives and, for ten years post-diagnosis, they endured the secret

of her illness alone. After Anne’s death, Chris, ravaged by crippling grief, realised that his survival depended upon him ridding himself of his aforementioned stiff upper lip. He learned to open his heart and cry. Saved from the depths of misery by life-saving therapy, he discovered a life beyond despair, rekindled his lapsed faith and found love again.

Chris continues, “While the book tells a poignant story of grief and loss, I hope it will provide encouragement to anyone facing illness, sorrow or bereavement that, however dark things are, life can become worth living again. I am very honest in the book about the mistakes I made, including how I tried to repress my emotions instead of opening up and seeking help. The book tells how, through counselling, and through rekindling my faith in God, I was brought back from the brink of despair. I hope that my account will resonate with readers facing their own slough of despond, and show them that there is always hope.”

OS NEWS AND EVENTS

Old Suttonian Publications Rate of Climb

Old Suttonian Publications The Tale of the Scottish Dexter

Air Commodore Richard Peacock-Edwards (1957 F)

Mr Andy Bee (Staff 2003-2018)

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T

In total, Rick Peacock-Edwards served for over 30 years in the RAF, flying Lightnings, Hunters, F4 Phantoms, Gnats, Hawks and many other types of aircraft and helicopters. He introduced the Tornado F2/3 to RAF service in 1984 and commanded the F2/3 Conversion Unit at RAF Coningsby and the front line Tornado base at RAF Leeming.

Mike Denness’ route to the England captaincy was something of a knee-jerk reaction. On 27th August 1973, the country witnessed the single largest defeat on home soil for the England Cricket team; a record that still stands: defeat by an innings and 226 runs at the hands of the West Indies. The national humiliation led to the swift sacking of the long-standing captain, Raymond Illingworth so, step forward Mike Denness. Thrown in at the deep end as something of a stop-gap, no-one gave Denness a prayer as he was challenged to re-galvanise a team devoid of all confidence and cohesion.

ver the last few years, we have been indebted to Richard Peacock-Edwards (1957 F) for his help in facilitating various functions for Old Suttonians at the RAF Club in Piccadilly.

Rick is the Club’s former vice-chairman and served in the RAF for the majority of his career, rising to the rank of air commodore. His long and illustrious career has provided the opportunity for a fascinating autobiography, which was released this year entitled, Rate of Climb.

He later served as the RAF Commander at Dhahran in the lead up to the first Gulf War and as an assistant air attaché at the British Embassy in Washington DC. On promotion to air commodore, he became the Inspector of Flight Safety for the RAF and his final tour was as the Director of Eurofighter Typhoon at the Ministry of Defence.

Rate of Climb explores all of this, drawing on previously unpublished family and archival material. It is an action-packed account of a foremost flyer’s life with endless good stories and a colourful cast of characters to match. His compelling recollections reveal a life of considerable achievement, in a very personal way, capturing the ties of airmanship that the author has been privileged to share.

hose who remember Andy Bee from his 15 years of teaching Geography at the School will know that, away from the classroom, his real passion was always Cricket. Whilst still teaching, Andy published his first book, Fifty Finest: A Tribute to England’s Test Cricket History and he has now followed that with a new book, The Tale of the Scottish Dexter, a biography about the former England captain Mike Denness OBE.

Andy’s biography encapsulates the roller-coaster ride of Denness’ captaincy, including the highs of his first two Test centuries that capped a resounding series win against India in the summer of 1974. The book also traces Denness’ 14 years with Kent, including his role in their County Championship victory of 1970 and his succession of Colin Cowdrey as captain.

Andy, an avid Kent supporter, counted Mike as a family friend and his biography reflects the affection that he held for him. The book is now available from Amazon and on Kindle.

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OS NEWS AND EVENTS

Coronavirus Response Wetton

Mr Richard Harvey (1963 C)

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t would have been hard to put together an interview series this year without mention of the pandemic, such is the impact it has had on all of our lives. With that in mind, I wanted to use this issue of The Suttonian to report on how a couple of Old Suttonian businesses have coped with the COVID-19 pandemic by planning ahead and turning the circumstances to their advantage.

I start with local cleaning company, Wetton, which has a strong family connection to Sutton Valence School, both past and present. For a company which specialises in cleaning services for the corporate sector, it might be assumed that Wetton is one of those companies for whom COVID-19 is seen not as a problem, but an opportunity to make a difference.

And so it has proved for the Sevenoaks-based company, which is something of an Old Suttonian enterprise – Nicola Holmes (nee Baker 1986 V) is managing director, Justin Baker (1990 L) is operations director, his twin brother Jason

(1990 L) is finance director, while Justin’s sons Jack (Lower Sixth) and Callum (Third Form) are currently students at the school.

Wetton employs 1,500 staff plus seasonal temporary workers and has some of the bluest of blue chip clients, including Wembley Stadium, Hilton Hotels and the Institute of Directors, along with many schools, educational locations and local authorities around the country, from Kent to Solihull.

But, like any business, with the advent of the pandemic Wetton faced its share of regretful clients phoning to say their need for regular cleaning services would be suspended for the duration.

Says Justin: “On the face of it, we were looking at a drop of 50 percent in revenue, particularly from the hospitality, retail and office sectors.

But we looked at the situation, and realised that our skills on decontamination and prevention cleaning would be vital to organisations in the front line.

“We worked hard to be ahead of demand. In February, for instance, we identified reliable and trustworthy suppliers of personal protective equipment, from face coverings to full bio-suits, which we supplied free of charge to NHS popup testing centres in Tonbridge and Sevenoaks.

In addition, we worked with Marks & Spencer to provide them with free lunches and sanitised the sites daily whilst they were in operation.

“We carefully researched the integrity of chemical products before supplying them to clients and were able to confirm which were reliable and those that were not - of which there were quite a few. One such product came from a supplier in America, whose primary business we discovered was in nightclubs and not the supply of cleaning chemicals!”

In the midst of the crisis, Nicola, found out about Liam Scott, a local four-year-old who had been battling a rare form of cancer, called neuroblastoma, for over a year. Liam’s parents were attempting to raise almost a quarter of a million pounds to send him to America for life-

Liam Scott and his parents

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OS NEWS AND EVENTS

Justin Baker (1990 L) and Jason Baker (1990 L)

saving cancer treatment. Together with family and friends, they put together an amazing programme of fundraising activity, under the banner of ‘Kids Solving Kids’ Cancer’.

Having learned more about the campaign, Wetton took a proactive stance in publicising and supporting it, led by Nicola’s son Charlie, a professional footballer, formerly of Dagenham and Redbridge FC. Charlie completed a gruelling 140 miles of running in 14 days, all streamed live on Instagram during lockdown. This sparked a series of challenges, with supporters running and cycling 100 miles in ten days, and crossing the Channel in a kayak. The appeal raised money from as far afield as France and South Africa and benefited from a sizeable donation from World Cup winner, Pepe Reina.

When lockdown was announced, the appeal had raised £28,000. By the end of July, the target of £232,000 had been reached and, in midSeptember, Liam travelled to New York for the start of his Bivalent Vaccine treatment.

This type of charitable endeavour is part of Wetton corporate social responsibility programme – for instance, they supplied free high street sanitising units in Sevenoaks High Street to help restore confidence for shoppers and support their fellow local businesses. They have supported a number of charities such as UK Youth and Shelter with teams running the London Marathon and Great North Run. Now the family and their staff are looking at opportunities beyond the immediate crisis by offering sanitising services using a solution which can continue to fight the COVID-19 virus for up to 90 days.

And with the hopeful return of restricted numbers of supporters to sports fixtures in the coming months, one of the company’s first tasks will be to boost their cleaning team at Wembley Stadium to ensure the fans can enjoy a safe and hygienic environment.

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OS NEWS AND EVENTS

Coronavirus Response Bardsley England Mr Richard Harvey (1963 C)

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f you were looking for a firm which has not just survived, but flourished through the pandemic, then Bardsley England would be right at the top of that list.

As one of Kent’s leading fruit growers, with 29 farms and orchards yielding 155 million hand-picked apples, pears, plums, apricots and cherries each year, the Bardsley family was confronted with doom-laden headlines at the beginning of the pandemic forecasting that companies such as theirs were faced with a drastic shortfall of pickers from Eastern Europe, and that fruit would simply rot on the ground as a result. It did not happen.

The company mounted an intensive email campaign to more than 400 Romanian and Bulgarian pickers, who had previously worked for Bardsley England, and assured them they were welcome to return and that full personal safety protocols had been put in place. They were supplemented by local people recruited from the ‘Pick for Britain’ campaign to recruit workers, and more than 100 Ukrainian workers sourced via a government initiative.

The fact that the recruitment drive worked so well was critical, as major customers such as Marks and Spencer, Tesco, Aldi and

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Morrisons were putting in increased orders to meet demand from shoppers turning to healthier foods to help fight off COVID-19. The result? Bardsley England is in line for a 20 percent increase in turnover this year, allowing them to push ahead with a three-year, £5 million investment in new technology, including robotics.

This comes on top of £5.5 million spent since 2018, purchasing new orchards and upgrading packaging and storage facilities to handle more than 35,000 tonnes of fruit a year. This investment includes the acquisition of Deal-based fruit grower Newmafruit, which manages over 1300 acres of production.

The family firm was founded in 1892, and is today run by two Old Suttonians – Nigel Bardsley (1975 F) who represents the fourth generation, and Managing Director Benjamin Bardsley (2003 G) as the fifth generation. The family has a long association with the School, with other Old Suttonians including Ben’s sister Harriet (2006 C), who now lives in Australia, and Nigel’s late brother Andrew (1977 F).

“We embrace change and challenge”, says Ben. “It’s a key factor in our development, along with product quality, empowering our people, smart working and a clear investment plan. We’re

OS NEWS AND EVENTS

Ben (2003 G), Annette and Nigel Bardsley (1975 F)

constantly looking at new ways of working and bringing new products to the market.”

The Company’s innovative approach can be seen in its forensic attention to detail – for instance, every piece of their fruit is photographed 130 times in an automatic grading system which checks size, weight, colour and sugar level.

Apples – 90 million of them - account for the majority of Bardsley’s production, and the company are looking to bring new varieties to the market next year.

Nigel (1975 F) and Ben Bardsley (2003 G)

And Bardsley England have also ventured into growing grapes for the booming market in English sparkling wine.

Not long ago, it would have been impossible to grow Chardonnay grapes in Kent – Bardsley are showing it can be done.

Adds Ben: “Because of our approach to business, the effects of COVID-19 have proved to be less of a problem and more of an opportunity. We moved quickly to reassure our pickers that working for us was as safe as it could be and to our customers that we could meet their growing demand.”

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OS NEWS AND EVENTS

The Quest for a Memorial Mr Will Radford, Alumni Relations and Development Manager

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n amongst all of the early gloom that 2020 brought, we received the positive news that Old Suttonian David Nelson (1966 C) had succeeded in his efforts to have a Holocaust survivor’s memory properly recognised. David was so touched by the story of Kurt Kriszhaber that he spearheaded an international GoFundMe campaign to provide him with a proper gravestone.

The story begins in late 2009, when the Holocaust Museum and Cohen Education Centre in Florida was contacted to see if they would be interested in a trove of family correspondence, documents and photographs belonging to the late Stanislaus and Sala (Sally) Faktor. They were Holocaust survivors who had lived in Naples, Florida. The Faktors had no children and their materials had been passed to a friend, who in turn offered them to the Museum for research purposes.

In 2015, the Museum used the artefacts to form the basis of an exhibition entitled The Faktor Investigation - Solving the Mystery through History.

Using the correspondence and documents, the museum pieced together a history of the Faktor family from its roots in Vienna. Their research discovered that as the Second World War began, the family had become scattered across the world. One particular letter on display in the exhibit, written in English by a certain Kurt Kriszhaber, caught David’s interest and, as an amateur genealogist, he began to research it further.

Kurt Kriszhaber

David Nelson (1966 C)

The letter was written in 1941 to his relative, Sally Faktor, who was living in New York at the time.

Kurt had written it from behind barbed wire in an Australian internment camp. As an Austrian Jew, Kurt had been deported from the UK aboard the ship Dunera as an ‘enemy alien’ in July 1940. In writing the letter, he sought information from Sally about his family whom he thought may still be alive in Nazi-occupied Europe.

David began combing through the Faktor correspondence in an attempt to answer the questions Kurt was asking - where was his father, his aunt and uncle, his grandparents and his sister? Perhaps unsurprisingly, the answers David eventually found were not good - Kurt’s father, Franz, was murdered in Auschwitz, his aunt and uncle in the Minsk ghetto, his grandparents died in Theresienstadt and his sister appeared to have disappeared in Vienna. Sadly, Kurt’s family had been destroyed.

After spending two years in internment, Kurt joined the Australian Employment Company and, in 1946, he applied for Australian citizenship.

On 5th September that year, his citizenship

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was officially announced in the Australian Government Gazette. He was a young man on the brink of starting an exciting new chapter in his life. Sadly, two days later he was dead, gassed by a faulty bathroom heater in his lodging guest house. He had avoided the gas chambers of Auschwitz, only to die in a tragic accident in Melbourne.

After further investigation, David found out where Kurt was buried and he asked his niece, Juliette, who lives in Melbourne, to get a picture of Kurt’s grave site. When she got there, she was shocked. Since September 1946, there had been nothing but a bare patch of earth. And so began the project to give Kurt back the dignity of his name and erect a suitable memorial to an innocent collateral victim of the Holocaust.

David’s research and subsequent fundraising drive saw $5000 raised and in May 2020, the memorial was finished and placed in Fawkner Cemetery in Melbourne. Its formal dedication ceremony is due to take place on 21st March 2021, on what would have been Kurt’s 100th birthday.

OS NEWS AND EVENTS

The Visor Project - OS Connections Miss Pippa Goodridge, Marketing Officer

A

s you may have read in the earlier article about the School’s COVID-19 response, the School was contacted by a local GP in early April to ask whether our 3D printer could produce visors. On realising that GPs were not issued with visors as part of their PPE, our Head of Design Technology, Mr Kirk, used his valuable knowledge and resources to design a visor prototype.

Over the coming weeks, he tweaked his design regularly to maximise production and reduce the manufacturing time. Our visor project soon became public knowledge and requests for visors increased.

One such request came from Old Suttonian Kate Stockton [née Murray] (1992 V), who works as an administrator at the Trinity Manor Care Home in Sherborne. Happy to help, our Senior Deputy Head, Jeremy Farrell, organised for a batch of visors to be produced. They then made their way down to Dorset with the help of Hannah Wood

[née Ward] (1992 V). The Trinity Manor general manager thanked the School and added, “It seems like the pandemic has brought our community spirit and togetherness back into our hearts; this is a true example of the kindness that travels miles.”

A similar request was received from Old Suttonian Felicity Roberts [née Lynes] (1994 V) on behalf of staff at the William Harvey Hospital.

Eighteen visors were collected and put to good use.

The Old Suttonian connection extends beyond those requesting visors though, as Old Suttonian Fergus Fowle (2019 H) charitably assisted Mr Kirk throughout the production process in the Design Technology department. In total, they, and their troupe of helpers, produced over 840 visors - an incredibly selfless contribution to keeping our community safe and healthy.

In times like these, it is evident that kindness, and community is what will get us through the difficult times.

Positivity Through the Crisis

Michael Banks (1973 L)

Mr Michael Banks (1973 L)

F

or the first 24 hours of the lockdown back in March, I felt intensely depressed. But then, I realised the opportunity that existed within the crisis.

lockdown. In addition to being very fulfilling, these two activities meant that I continued to get the same retainer amount each month right through the lockdown.

I had not been able to focus on my podcast series Heroic Journeys From Crisis To Transformation because of other priorities, but now I realised I had the time and space to launch a new series called Leadership Luminaries. This was under the aegis of PeopleSmart, a company with whom I am affiliated. In addition, I started to write more articles on leadership and emotional intelligence as part of PeopleSmart’s social branding campaign that also began at the beginning of

The podcast series does not make money but it is going really well. I interview amazing men and women from all over the world who are inspiring thinkers and doers in their field. It is available to listen at https://anchor.fm/peoplesmart.

So I suppose the moral of my journey through lockdown is that while things can get pretty grim, always look for the gifts inherent in any difficult and challenging set of circumstances.

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OS NEWS AND EVENTS

Returning The Little Buddha Miss Pippa Goodridge, Marketing Officer

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t the start of the year, the Revd Kenneth Bell (1948 W) returned from a three-week trip to Sri Lanka with a copy of the Sri Lankan Sunday Times under his arm. The newspaper led with a story detailing the return of a Little Buddha statue nearly 100 years after it was given away. The statue had been safely returned to its temple home by the grandson of the eminent 19th century archaeologist, H C P Bell. That person, of course, was OS Kenneth Bell.

Harry Charles Purvis Bell, was considered the ‘Father of Archaeology’ in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) and held the important post of archaeological commissioner from 1890 until 1912. In that role, he slashed and stumbled through thick jungle to uncover the country’s hidden treasures, including the fantastically-preserved rock fortress at Sigiriya and the buried cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. His love of the country saw him retire there, in a house in the hills above the Kandy lake.

The tale of the Little Buddha statue goes back to the time when Kenneth’s parents were dating

in the 1920s. In her memoirs, his mother recalls how her future father-in-law, Harry, took her to the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy. There, he picked up the Little Buddha statue from the altar and asked the saffron-robed priest if he could give it as a gift to his soon-to-be daughter-inlaw. The priest graciously gave it to him as a mark of his gratitude for the work the acclaimed archaeologist had done in translating their ‘olas’.

Thus, the statue passed into the ownership of the Bell family.

second lieutenant, serving at home in the UK, training troops.

Kenneth himself is no stranger to Sri Lanka.

Although born in Nairobi, as his father worked in the tea trade in Tanganyika (now Tanzania), the family would spend a lot of time in Sri Lanka.

Kenneth often reminisces fondly about the time he spent at the house in Kandy before his grandfather’s death and burial there in 1937.

He discovered the family story about the Little Buddha having found a reference to it in his mother’s memoirs. Even though the many hues of the wooden statue had paled slightly over time, the Buddha, in the Samadhi posture, had been treasured by his parents, going with them wherever they went. From Ceylon to Kenya, to Tanganyika, back to Ceylon, to India and then to England, it always occupied a prominent place on their mantelpiece.

In 1945, Kenneth arrived at Sutton Valence School, staying for three years as a boarder in Westminster. Having completed his studies with us, he went on to the University of Aberdeen achieving a certificate in tropical agriculture with a strong focus on tea planting. From there, he completed a stint on National Service as a

He then returned to his family’s roots, working with tea in Malawi (then Nyasaland) for the next 22 years. His calling to the ministry in the Church of England came “well into his thirties,” he says. Thereafter, it was back to England for his theological studies, before taking up duties as a curate. From there he began shepherding his own parish.

After his parents passed away, the Little Buddha was in the possession of his sister, Daphne, until her death in 2014, when it was eventually passed to Kenneth.

Kenneth had long felt that the statue should return to its home in Kandy and, given his age (he turned 90 this year), he felt he may have a limited window of opportunity to return it.

Reflecting more spiritually, he adds: “This is a gift I wanted to bring to Sri Lanka, a country muchloved by my grandfather and also very much a part of my own childhood. The statue’s return is an act of peace and unity between our religions of Buddhism and Christianity.”

Accordingly, in December last year, Kenneth, along with his children, Andrew and Fiona, travelled with the statue from his home in Overton, North Hampshire to Sri Lanka. There, he proudly presented the statue to the Sri Dalada Maligawa (the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic) in Kandy.

On 9th January, BBC’s South Today news programme featured Kenneth’s story using some of the video footage taken on the day of the ceremony.

Our thanks go to The Test magazine from Kenneth’s home parish in Overton for the original story and image.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

FROM THE

ARCHIVES

“

Over the course of the lockdown period, one of the unlikely side effects has been the unexpected increase in the appeal of nostalgia. With the country grinding to a sudden halt, it provided the opportunity for us to take stock, reflect and cherish our memories. For Old Suttonians this has seen various groups set up over social media for the purpose of reconnecting with old friends and a number of OS getting in touch with various questions or emails regaling their halcyon days at the School. As an archivist, this has encouraged me to provide an archive section with a broader appeal - looking at more recent history, as well as the more traditional archival content. Consequently, this year we have endeavoured to make the stories more relevant to younger generations, which I hope will appeal to their newly-found yearning for all things nostalgic.

�

Mr David Pickard (Staff 1977-2001) SVS Foundation Archivist Page 139 - The Suttonian 2020

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Letters to the Archivist Old Suttonian Questions

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n the last couple of editions of The Old Suttonian, we have posed questions or included archival photos for which we needed Old Suttonian assistance in identifying individuals. Such has been the strength of response that we decided to broaden the scope to include questions posed by Old Suttonians for one another.

Much akin to the old ‘Letters to the Editor’ feature in The Suttonian, we will then publish responses in subsequent editions.

If you would like to answer one of the questions below, or indeed pose a question of your own for future editions, please email David Pickard (pickardd@svs.org.uk).

The Baton Race Map Dear Editor, I was intrigued to read in the latest edition of The Suttonian about the Baton Race. I was in Lambe’s from 1963 until 1968 and ran the race four times (I can’t remember which year I missed or why, but I do recall spectating one year). It was the event which our Housemaster, Roger Douglas, was always proudest of winning because it involved 48 of the 64 or so boys in the House.

Lambe’s had a tradition of winning the race each year because we had the map (printed in last year’s magazine) and we were the only house team not to get lost on one or more sections.

On the Sunday before the race (which if memory serves was run on the last Tuesday of the Lent Term), there would be a practice run-through and the prefect in charge would make sure every boy knew where they were to start and where they had to run. I think we were the only house which did this.

The map was framed and hung in what was then the Lambe’s Junior Day Room to the right of the fire place by the door to the End Shows.

I don’t remember if it was there all the time or just came out in good time for the race. I was told it had been drawn by a Lambe’s boy a little before my time and it was most definitely house property, although I think there was one occasion when another house borrowed it so it too could prepare for the race.

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Lambe’s, in my day, was a very sporty house and we boasted that, because we were the furthest senior boarding house, by quite a distance, from Top School, the Refectory and Chapel, we were always the fittest. We also boasted two captains of Cross Country Running, Robert Lynden-Bell (1965 L) and Jeremy Deeks (1968 L). On the other hand, we took perverse pride in coming last every year in the House Drill Competition and the House Music Competition, much to Roger Douglas’ disappointment.

In a similar vein to the Baton Race, in the Summer Term there was also the annual Penguin Swimming Race. The was a 20-boy Swimming relay, with each boy swimming a length of the School pool. It was the finale to the annual house swimming gala and, if I remember correctly, only boys who had not competed in the finals of any other events could take part. The trophy was a model penguin - and - as I recall Lambe’s always won it!

Staff and Saturday Society Dear David, In March 1958, the Staff and Saturday Society produced three short plays which were called Harlequinade, Break-Time and Trial by Jury.

Whereas Harlequinade and Trial by Jury were established works, Break-Time was, I believe, written specially for the performance in 1958. It was composed, almost certainly, by Messrs Horn and Foulkes who, I seem to remember, sang the song too.

I would very much like to have the words and if possible, the music for Break-Time and I would be most grateful if any OS who has this material would let me have copies - perhaps they could be sent to David Pickard at the School.

Best wishes,

Yours faithfully,

Richard Clough (1968 L)

Richard Mant (1961 M)

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Legend of the Clock Tower Dear David, I have often wondered about the credibility of stories about the loft beneath the Clock Tower.

I was told that, before my time at the School, the loft was apparently, surreptitiously, fitted out as a club room for nefarious get-togethers by a discreet group of pupils. Is it a myth or a legend?

Not long after, so I have heard, there was a discreet brewing enterprise quietly operated by pupils beneath the stage in the hall (now the Baughan Theatre). That definitely falls within the legend, rather than the myth, category! Maybe a breaking out of early career entrepreneurship.

Related, or not? If not censored, I will be interested to hear the history!

Beneath the SVS Clock Tower

Best wishes,

In Response Mr David Pickard (Staff 1977-2001, 2009-2015) Douglas Horner (1962 M)

Pupils Returning as Staff Dear David, Over the course of the last few editions of the magazine, I have noticed that a number of former pupils are now back at the School as members of staff. Is this a growing trend and how many of the current Common Room are Old Suttonians?

From our teaching days and even before then, I know there is a history of Old Suttonians returning to teach - most notably Edward ‘Tubby’ Craven (1924 D, Staff 1928-1969), Michael Beaman (1952 W, Staff 1963-1992) and Colin Shaw (1955 W, Staff 1971-1998). Perhaps a potential future piece might explore their lifelong association with the School and their role in continuing the SVS values that they have grown up with themselves.

Yours sincerely

John McCormick (Staff 1964-2005)

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am grateful for the questions posed in last year’s magazine. As an archivist, I am always pleased for an excuse to dive into the School’s records. Thankfully though, my job was made considerably easier by other Old Suttonians who wrote in with their own answers to some of the questions.

I will start with the question received by David Manook (1961 M), asking about the Alternative School Song. Unfortunately, our records are not all that substantive when it comes to the nonofficial aspects of SVS history, so I am pleased to see that Richard Mant (1961 M) has, in part, answered the query through his Glossary of SVS Terms, which appears later in this archives section. I have a belief that the song might have originated with Neville Sarony QC (1958 M), though I am yet to fully investigate. I believe the question still remains of the music that accompanies the lyrics printed within the glossary, so please do get in touch if you are able to help.

Second was the query posed by Richard Mant himself, regarding the Baton Race map which we printed pictorially in last year’s magazine.

Richard enquired as to the history of the map, particularly who had drawn it. I am grateful to Richard Clough (1968 L) whose letter we have included opposite. Within his reply, he has cleared up the confusion regarding the ‘ownership’ of the map; apparently it was the property of Lambe’s, though it may have been loaned out to other houses upon request.

Following my own research, it appears the cartographer is Richard Miller (1963 L).

To supplement Richard Clough’s response, I have discovered that it was traditional for the captain of the winning team to enter the time taken and the distance by which the race was won – these entries are found on the back of the map. Lambe’s were frequent winners in the early days, possibly because of the map, but as the course became more ‘known’, their superiority dwindled.

Last, but by no means least was the question posed by Richard West (1967 L) about the Lambe’s Bell, in particular when it was removed and whether the School had any plans to replace it. In response, I have quizzed members of staff who were here during the 1955-65 period. None of them can remember anything about the bell other than it rang and then it did not ring. The view is that when the Dining Hall in Lambe’s became redundant, as the Refectory up in Main School was opened, the need for the bell ceased and it was removed.

This view is supported by the fact that at the same time as the bell disappearing, the stained glass windows were also removed and their eventual destination remains a mystery (the popular belief is that they were removed lest the nasty boys from the Lambe’s day-room do them damage!). Concerning a replacement, I believe that it is unlikely as pupils are currently summoned to class by electronic bells located in every building.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

The Early Days of RAF at the School Mr Geoff Piper (Staff 1985-2008)

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his year, the Royal Air Force Section celebrated its 35th year of existence as part of the Combined Cadet Force at Sutton Valence School. Over that time, a vast number of cadets have enjoyed the benefits that the Section offers. To celebrate its anniversary, we are delighted that Geoff Piper (Staff 1985-2008), the founder of the Section at SVS has written the following account of his time at its helm: When I came to Sutton Valence School in January 1985, the Combined Cadet Force only consisted of an Army section. Having previously served as an RAF cadets’ officer for 11 years at two former schools: the City of London School and Whitgift School, I was keen to introduce an RAF Section at SVS. As a new member of staff to the School, I did not want to impose it so, instead, I started by running the Signals Army Section, but wearing my RAF uniform. It was not too long before cadets began to ask if they could have an RAF Section. So, with the help of then Contingent Commander, Chris

Parkinson (Staff 1978-2005) and assistance from my RAF contacts, we formed a section and even took cadets to a pre-formation summer RAF Camp at RAF Brawdy in Wales.

Why be an RAF cadet? Well, to quote Phil Day (1997 F), who was later senior CCF cadet: “We can do all the things the Army cadets do AND fly!”

The RAF generously supplied a new CCF hut which became the HQ and stores (as it remains today), which meant that the old headquarters could be commandeered to use as the RAF hut. This was soon decked out with aeroplane paraphernalia: posters, books, zaps (stickers from squadrons) and many model aircraft hanging from the beams. This also served as a “crew room” to be used by any RAF cadets in breaks or lunch hours. On a short ceremony at the end of parade, the RAF Standard would be lowered before “dismiss”.

I was lucky enough to lead the Section in its “golden days”, when there were many

RAF stations, aircraft and relatively close Air Experience Flights (AEFs). This meant that with my connections from before, I was able to get frequent helicopter visits to the School (as pictured below). Two Puma and two Chinook squadrons were usually very obliging at sending an aircraft so that the crew could chat to the cadets and give them flights around the area.

We also had a couple of visits from the Search and Rescue Sea King when it was based at Manston; it winched the cadets up before circling and landing. Most years we had three or four helicopter visits.

We had numerous trips every term to RAF Manston and later RAF Oakington in Cambridgeshire to AEFs. The cadets always had a 20 or 30 minute flight in a Chipmunk (later Bulldog, then Grob) with an experienced RAF pilot who let the cadets take control for most of the flight. We also had many trips to cadet gliding schools for air experience.

As the Section developed, so did our resources and in 1998 we bought a one-man hovercraft kit which was great fun (and a serious learning tool, of course!) with every cadet enjoying many rides on it around BM. I wonder what ever became of it?

Most of our field days were to the likes of RAF Odiham in Hampshire, RAF Benson and Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire because they all had big aircraft which could give flights to RAF cadets, if we asked nicely!

Since formation, several cadets have been awarded flying scholarships (free flying lessons which cover half of a private pilot’s licence) several RAF Certificates of Good Service and one international air cadet exchange (the whole summer in Canada).

Over the years, our cadets have totalled a few hundred hours flying time in Scout, Wessex, Sea King, Puma, Chinook (helicopters), Chipmunk, Bulldog, Grob trainer, Hercules, VC10, BAC 111, HS 125, Nimrod, BA 146 (fixed wing) and I managed to scrounge a lift in a Hawk at RAF Valley.

RAF Sea King visit to SVS in Michaelmas Term 1990

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Over the course of my time at the helm of the Section, a few things stick out in my mind:

FROM THE ARCHIVES

RAF Chinook visit to SVS in 2004

The First Ever Field Day When the time came for our first Field Day, we headed off to a farmer’s field near Canterbury with rabbits from a butcher (because we did not expect to catch any) two real parachutes and sleeping bags and we had to “survive” overnight.

W/O Jake Scott from the Army Section came with us and showed us how to skin a rabbit in the morning so that we could cook breakfast.

I then drove the cadets to Reculver, from where we were going to ‘yomp’ all the way to Margate!

We had a rest half way and lucky for them (prearranged) an RAF Wessex Search and Rescue helicopter arrived, winched them up and took them to RAF Manston Airmen’s Mess for Sunday lunch! Sadly, I had to walk back to the minibus.

RAF Honington Trip One year, we organised an overnight Field Day at RAF Honington in Suffolk. The cadets (but not the officers, of course) spent the night in tents. It was a cold night and one silly cadet had forgotten his sleeping bag! So at night time the aforementioned Phil Day somehow managed to find his way into the Officers’ Mess, found out

which rooms the officers were in and knocked on a door (fortunately not mine) to ask for blankets! You see, the RAF Section gives scope for cadets to use their initiative.

Mastering the Equipment As well as our one-man hovercraft, we also bought a large radio controlled aircraft to aid with our activities. On its maiden flight, one of the cadets, I think it was Daniel Willdridge (1997 L), said that he had experience at flying them, so he took control and did quite well. It was only half way through his flight when he said “I have never landed one though”! The cadets (and I) became quite proficient later at mending model aircraft.

Chinook Flights A vivid memory for many cadets was flying fast and low-level around Kent in a Chinook (as above) with the back open. On most helicopter flights, when we least expected it, the pilot flew a “hump-back bridge” shape which made us all feel weightless; the Loadmaster would hold onto a rail, jump and float horizontally.

Mishaps Along the Way Once, when persuading a Chinook pilot to come to SVS, I said that if he gave us a ride in his hover machine, he could have a go in our hovercraft.

It worked and he loved it although he drove it like a boy-racer and on the huge expanse of BM managed to collide with a Rugby post.

Geoff Piper (Staff 1986-2008)

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

RAF Summer Camp at RAF Rudloe Manor -1988

My Final Biennial Inspection On my final Biennial General Inspection, I invited Air Vice-Marshal David Walker (later Air Marshal) to be the inspecting officer. He was delighted with all of the activities on show and the calibre of cadets across all of the sections. On ‘final parade’ he addressed the cadets with the memorable line: “You are probably wondering what this old bloke is doing out here? Well when I was YOUR age, Mr Piper was my teacher! Now THAT’S old”.

Summer Camp at RAF Lyneham - 1992

Summer Camp at RAF Swanton Morley - 1990

Air Vice-Marshal Walker was due to fly back by Chinook, but the poor weather had grounded the helicopter. However SVS was to outdo the RAF. Melissa Luck [née Saggers] (1999 S) who later became the Head of Section already had her pilot’s licence and she had helped restore a vintage Auster aircraft. She and a pal did a flypast over SVS during the final parade in two Austers. Great stuff! Mel would later go on to become a commercial pilot.

A Flyby To Remember In 1990, I invited a Tornado crew of two to come along; they gave a presentation to the cadets and finished up by planning a bombing run on the School: cross country from Norfolk, along the south coast and then the run-in from Bewl Page 144 - The Suttonian 2020

Water at 300 feet altitude and 500 mph (it took one minute and 25 seconds).

In the following week, they actually did it and we were all on top of St Margaret’s tower watching the amazing spectacle then listening to all the car alarms in the village sounding afterwards. I have a copy of the run-in film taken through the head-up display.

Overall, I feel that I have been very privileged and have gained enormous pleasure from seeing young cadets mature, gain confidence, experience the camaraderie of the Section and later use their initiative and take a big part in the running of the Section.

For me, the RAF Section was always a happy place to be and the efficient running and fun of it all was enhanced significantly by my fellow RAF officers. In particular, in the early days, Caroline Midwood (Staff 1987-1996) and latterly Kay Andersen (Staff 1988-2016, 2018-2020), who would eventually take over leadership of the Section from me.

It is reassuring to read in the report from the current commanding officer, that the RAF is still going strong and I’m delighted the cadets are back flying again. For me, my time leading the Section was both rewarding and great fun; never any hassle. 35 years??? Good grief!

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Group Captain John Ellis (1934 D) Mr Will Radford, Alumni Relations and Development Manager

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s the country marked the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day earlier this year, it is a fitting time to celebrate the efforts of an Old Suttonian who played his own part in the eventual Allied victory. As a fighter ace in 610 Squadron, Captain John Ellis was famed for downing five Luftwaffe aircraft in a 48-hour period. With 2020 also marking the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, his role in that particular conflict was of significant importance as the RAF fought to protect our skies.

John Ellis was born in Deal in 1917, attending the School for six years, up until 1934. After a brief time working for bankers Jardine Mathieson, he followed his passion for flying and joined the RAF in 1936. After training, he was posted to 213 Squadron at Northolt in March 1937.

Initially equipped with Gloster Gauntlets, the fastest bi-plane fighter of its day, the squadron was soon re-equipped with Hurricanes, giving Ellis important experience of a decent modern interceptor before the war broke out. When it did, he moved as a flight commander to 610 Sqaudron, based in Wittering in Wiltshire.

There he continued to fly Hurricanes until they were hastily swapped for Spitfires at the end of September 1939.

When the German offensive opened in France and Belgium on 10th May 1940, the squadron was moved to Biggin Hill, from where it provided air cover over northern France as the British Expeditionary Force retreated to the coast.

Ellis had his first combat victory on 29th May, shooting down a Mel09 over Dunkirk. Two days later, he destroyed a Do17 bomber.

campaign) saw 610 Squadron enter its most intensive period of air combat. Taking to the air in between enemy attacks on Biggin Hill, the squadron beat off wave after wave of bombers and fighters. By the time the squadron was moved north to Acklington in Northumberland for a well-deserved rest (where the photo below was taken), it had already downed over 90 enemy aircraft with Ellis taking his own toll of combat victories to 14.

within the camp’s ‘escape committee’. He was eventually released and repatriated in time to take part in the Battle of Britain flypast in September 1945.

Ellis was rested for a period and sent to an officers’ training unit at RAF Usworth. It was there, in May 1941, that he learned he had been awarded a Bar to his DFC for his services in command of 610. Early in 1942, he was posted to another training unit in Khartoum and later joined the Desert Air Force in North Africa. From there he was posted to Malta as leader of the Krendi Wing, providing air superiority over the Mediterranean in preparation for the Allied landings in Sicily.

Ellis will undoubtedly be best known for his time in command of 610 Squadron. Collectively the squadron took a considerable toll of the enemy, but equally suffered severe casualties of its own during the fraught summer months of 1940. In a period of 18 days in August 1940, the squadron lost 11 of its pilots (six killed and five injured).

Despite only being 23 himself, Ellis’ s presence and example sustained the courage of a band of young men whose nerves were under fearful strain, not just whilst they were in the skies, but also on the ground as the air attacks on Biggin Hill became increasingly heavy. Ellis led from the front though and his reputation as a crack-shot meant he was not only admired by his squadron for his leadership skills, but also for his flying prowess.

In 1943, the engine of his Spitfire failed whilst on a mission over the Sicilian coast and he crash -landed and was captured. He was eventually sent by the Germans to Stalag Luft III at Sagan in Silesia, where he would spend the remainder of the war. Whilst there, he served as the No.2

After the war, Ellis continued in the RAF, converting to jets and serving in one of the first Meteor units. He was made an OBE in 1956 and then a CBE in 1960. He retired in 1967 and died in December 2001.

John Ellis (1934 D) sat on the plane with the 610 Squadron in early 1941.

He continued to add to his score after Dunkirk, as German attacks on shipping in the Channel intensified and gradually merged with the Battle of Britain offensive. In one particular 48-hour period, Ellis shot down three Mel09s on 24th July and another two the following day. The day after that, he was promoted to acting squadron leader and given command of his squadron. He had already been awarded the first of his two Distinguished Flying Crosses (DFCs).

The three week period starting 11th August 1940 (the start of the Luftwaffe’s Adlerangriff

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

New School, New Headmaster William Holdgate (HM 1910-1932) Mr David Pickard (Staff 1977-2001, 2009-2015)

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he Old Suttonians’ Association, some influential locals, some staff and, indeed senior pupils at Sutton Valence Grammar School were very doubtful about the likely success of the Clothworkers’ Company’s initiative to ‘sell-out’ their interest in the School to the United Westminster Foundation, who would, in their turn, build a new School, populate it with five times as many pupils as before and employ a new Headmaster to run the operation.

The date is 1910 and the success of William Lambe’s Grammar School in Sutton Valence has been on an increasingly steep upward curve for just over a half century. Its current Headmaster, George Bennett was beloved by all and revered by nearly as many. If he was past his prime, he still had a few years of service left in him, and there were extremely good men on the staff who could easily pick up the reins and lead the School to further glories.

The reasons for change were not to be found locally. The Clothworkers, commendably loyal to Lambe’s instructions, were unhappy at the

constant drain on their funds because of the cost of the School’s upkeep. Administering the School in a relatively remote location was difficult, and Lambe’s legacy was such that their influence was very limited anyway. Consequently, when they found an organisation willing to take over their burdensome responsibility they abandoned their original intention of closing the School down, organised land to be available on which to build and encouraged the transfer with a £5,000 donation.

The United Westminster Foundation was very aware of local antipathy towards the changes.

George Bennett was close to retirement age and thus the decision to make a completely fresh start was an easy one for them. William Wyatt Holdgate took over the mantle of headmaster at Easter 1910, and the magazine of June that year reads: “The Reverend William Wyatt Holdgate, who has succeeded Mr G. L. Bennett in the Headmastership, is a M.A. of Trinity College, Cambridge, and graduated (1st class) in the Natural Science Tripos of 1894. After being Assistant Master and Chaplain of Trent College

for five years, he was appointed Head of Magdelen College School, Brackley, Northants, and his remarkable success there augurs well for the future of Sutton Valence.”

Holdgate had a difficult start. Pupil numbers were down. The uncertainty that change brings made prospective parents wary about committing their children to Sutton Valence’s care. The new School was being built above the old one with considerable hustle and bustle.

The brief to the architect and builders was to produce a School that should be a collaboration between them and their client. Holdgate would spend as much time on the building site as in the School which needed his attention.

Additionally, echoes of the previous regime hung about to cause him discomfort as he attempted to step into Bennett’s shoes. Several parties were organised to thank Mr Bennett for his services to the School, the village and sports organisations, Holdgate being invited. Bennett himself was ever-present at the home fixtures of the sports teams he had helped to nurture and at the OS Reunion that year the dominant theme was a celebration of the past rather than a consideration of the future.

Holdgate’s energy and leadership soon overcame the reservations of the gainsayers and doomsters. Rapid progress on the new buildings generated optimism, new societies improved the atmosphere academically and a revival in the provision of weekend entertainment did wonders for morale. So confident was Holdgate of the quality of developments in the School that in 1912 he invited the Board of Education to send an inspection team to the School. Their report was full of praise. A new, enlarged library was provided and rooms in the old School converted into a boarding house for the most junior pupils.

The Rev. William Holdgate and the Common Room in Summer 1932

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If Holdgate was charging ahead at full steam in the first four years of his tenure, he would have to redouble his efforts just to maintain forward progress in the next four. The Great War was one of those expected events that comes as a surprise when it happens. Holdgate had begun the process of providing an Officers’ Training Corps before the War, but it took him the whole of the first year of that conflict to

FROM THE ARCHIVES acquire governmental approval. Holdgate was not a war-monger. He did not encourage boys to go off to war. If they did so, they were going to be as well-equipped as possible to look after themselves and others in their care. His main concern was that of keeping the School going as an academic institution. There was a lack of coal, food (especially potatoes, sugar and flour) and staff (conscripted or volunteered to go to the front).

“Place aux dames. Our staff now includes three lady teachers who have come to do the work of teachers of the sterner sex. It is indeed a sign of the times and we extend a cordial welcome to these ladies, who are so pluckily ‘carrying on’ amidst what must be strange and difficult surroundings.” The above is recorded for the autumn term of 1918.

These three ladies were, in order of appointment; Muriel Turner (aged 41) 1st class honours (higher certificate) Cambridge, who taught junior forms in History and French, paid £150/annum together with free board and lodging; Evelyn Prowde (aged 38) BA London, who taught English and History to the upper forms and Latin in the Fifth Form – paid the same as Muriel; Grace Marsh (aged 34), a scholar at Girton College, Cambridge, who taught Classics – her academic status allowed her another £30 per annum). All three stayed for just one year and it may be of interest to know that their salaries were roughly in line with that paid to their male colleagues. A fourth lady, Mrs Monica Hughes, BA London, was also employed for two short part-time stints during this time. Living ‘out’ and not needing board and lodging from the School, she was paid £225.

Regularly, harrowing tales of the deaths of former pupils were read out in morning Chapel. It may have been some consolation to Holdgate that not a single pupil who had been at the School while Holdgate was headmaster was killed whilst serving in the forces. Nor did the War give a reason for diminished numbers. In 1918 there were twice as many boys in the School as 1914.

After the War, Holdgate set about providing the School with its own Chapel. He met strong resistance from the Church authorities and he was not able to see the realisation of his dreams until 1928. In the meantime, he provided a tuck shop! This was a hut in the vicinity of the place that would be taken by the present Chapel, situated next to the German field gun, a souvenir of WW1 provided by the government.

In its first year of operation, the tuck shop made £106 profit, a sum equal to 16 per cent of its turnover and that profit was ploughed into the games fund. If this was not a sufficient boost to morale, the news that Thomas Jones (1917 M) was selected for the Cambridge XV to play Oxford in 1922, the first such blue since 1906, was evidence of excellence at the School.

The Rev. William Holdgate in 1929

The 350th anniversary of the School’s foundation, in 1926, provided a stimulus to the efforts to provide a chapel for the School and this time the relevant authorities relented. Permission was granted and fund-raising began. By Speech Day of 1928, sufficient progress was made to be able to lay the foundation stone. Much landscaping was necessary. The tuck shop was removed elsewhere and the German field gun was buried somewhere close to the gate to School Lane.

Holdgate had wanted a chapel at the School ever since his appointment. According to the magazine back then: “…18 years ago, when in his first term as Headmaster the Foundation stone of the new School was laid. He contrasted the cool reception he had then with the warmth of the feeling shown by parents now, a feeling that filled him with courage and thankfulness.”

And in 1929, the magazine continues: “Those of us who have watched the chapel slowly take shape will always associate with it in our minds the picture of the headmaster in company with Mills, the foreman, daily superintending the laying of each stone and the disposal of each barrow-load of earth, on fine days and rainy days, with the familiar hat drawn down in characteristic fashion on his forehead. The building of the chapel represents for him the

fulfilment of a hope conceived many years ago… …When the building actually began it was for him a matter of daily concern, and no detail passed unconsidered.”

At the end of the autumn term of 1931 Holdgate retired. There is no doubt that in the 21 years of his tenure he had transformed the School in the face of considerable obstacles.

He took over a School that feared his arrival, a School priding itself on the unusual friendly relationship between pupil and teacher; but he preserved that relationship and in passing on the role of leader to TM James, a teacher here for 15 of those Holdgate years, he knew that the relationship would continue to develop – as it has to this day.

He extended the playing fields, built the chapel and a sanatorium and founded the OTC. Numbers increased from less than fifty to over 200. With much tact and diplomatic skill, he won over the gainsayers and the doomsters of the early years and with fortitude and endurance he found a way to keep the School going during the War. Strong in mind, but weak in body, twice he needed periods of convalescence away from School after serious illness; his courage and leadership were an inspiration to his generation.

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BM - The Bloody Mountain Mr Michael Beaman (1952 W, Staff 1963-1992)

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don’t think anyone knows why or when Bloody Mountain (or BM as it is more commonly known to most Suttonians) acquired its name. As far as I know, there is no evidence that a battle was ever fought there but there may, perhaps, have been some sort of a skirmish there, perhaps in the 17th century during the Civil War. Long before then, the suggestion is that BM forms part of a Roman cemetery. Indeed, some Ordnance Survey maps even mark the area accordingly. I’m not convinced it was there and am of the opinion that the cemetery was on the other side of lower BM, where the current allotments are situated. That said, I wonder what, if anything, of archaeological interest lies beneath the surface of BM. For now though, here is an overview of how the land has been used by the School over the course of the last century.

At the beginning of the 20th century the large field was part of Manor Farm – one of many local farms that were part of the Filmer’s East Sutton

Estate. Much of that estate was auctioned in 1916 and in the sale catalogue the southern part of BM was divided into three potential building plots, each with a reserve price of £100.

Not one of them sold and so presumably they were reunited with the rest of the field as part of Manor Farm.

At some stage after the 1916 sale, the Manor Farm land lying to the east of the main road was divided up and sold and it was then that the School acquired it.

When I arrived as a pupil at the School in 1947, it was only the northernmost 150 yards or so (i.e. the most level party of the field) that was used by the School. That part of BM, roughly the area above the tarmac pathway that now runs up to the Athletics track, was separated from the gently sloping southern part by a post and rail fence. At that time, it was all under grass but I believe that the southern portion had been cultivated during the war and some people referred to it as ‘Gen’s Field’.

Just to the south of the post and rail fence and about half way across the field, there was a small wooden hut surrounded by four aerial masts, each about 20 feet tall. Nobody seemed to know exactly what it was and it was not until some 50 years later that I learned that it had been a Y Station, twinned with another in a field in Chart Sutton. Manned 24/7 during the War, they intercepted German radio signals, transcribing the Morse Code and relaying the coded signals to Bletchley Park.

The section of land that the School owned to the north of the post and rail fence was used solely for Rugby. There were three pitches aligned north-south, although their suitability for competitive sport was slightly questionable due to the length of the grass. Although the School’s land , as well as the land to the south of the fence, was occasionally gang-mown in the summer, the grass was long enough for skylarks to nest there!

Back in the later 1940s, the School’s Athletics programme was squeezed into the last two weeks of the Lent Term with pupils using jumping pits and a hastily marked out track on Upper, with the caveat that all evidence of it had to be erased before the Cricket season started at the beginning of the Summer Term. Obviously this was less than ideal, and it was only in the 1950s that a more permanent Athletics track was marked out in the top corner of BM, which necessitated the reorientation of the Rugby pitches in an east-west alignment.

As the number of pupils in the School increased, the post and rail fence and Y Station hut were removed and the School expanded with more pitches marked out on the gently sloping ground to the south. In addition, if I remember correctly, a Hockey pitch was also marked out inside the Athletics track – all Hockey being played on grass in those days.

The increasing School roll also meant the need to expand the number of Cricket pitches and several wickets were mown on BM on which House league games were played. They were not good enough, of course, for serious Cricket but eventually an attempt was made to produce a wicket on which junior matches could be played. The grass was killed, the ground levelled and a coconut matting strip pinned down for

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

the wicket. By that time, the skylarks no longer came to BM and, although the grass was gangmown, it was seldom as short as it should have been for a Cricket outfield.

In the south-west corner of the field, the School used part of the land as the site for a new Headmaster’s house, which was built in 1965, during the latter stages of Ronnie Evers’ tenure.

Up until then, the headmaster’s accommodation had been in St Margaret’s House because William Holdgate (HM 1910-1932) and TD James (HM 1932-1950) had combined the roles of housemaster and headmaster. This was not a satisfactory arrangement once the two roles were separated though, hence the need for separate accommodation elsewhere.

By the time Michael Ricketts (HM 1967-1980) had arrived, a number of pupils and staff had become accustomed to practising Golf in the wide open spaces at the lower end of BM. As a result, in the mid-1970s, the three hole ‘Royal Douglas’ course with bunkers and greens was laid out. Traces of it can still be seen but it is no longer maintained in a playable condition.

Moving closer to the present, the line of lime trees close to the northern boundary of BM were, I think, planted at the suggestion of Michael Fairbank (Staff 1955-1984) and Raymond Wickham (1918 M, Governor 1952-1980). When the trees were first planted, they were interplanted with Lombardy Poplars but, as the trees grew, the poplars were taken out.

Now that their crowns are large enough to merge with those of their neighbours, the limes certainly make the top end of BM look less windswept than it did before they were there, but the greater part of BM is still a pretty bleak place to be playing sport in winter when the wind is blowing from a northerly or easterly direction..

In recent years, a number of new developments have impacted the landscape of BM. The most notable of these was the construction of a purpose-built, state-of-the-art Athletics arena in the north-east corner. It was opened, to much acclaim, by Sir Roger Bannister in 2009. Sir Roger had been a student at Oxford at the same time as Old Suttonian Jim Scott-Wilson (1943 D, Staff

1947-1948) and they knew each other as they were both good athletes; Roger on the track and Jim cross-country.

I have so far referred to that northernmost part of BM as the most level part of the field, but it slopes more than one might imagine and a considerable amount of earth moving was necessary in order to produce a level surface for the new arena. The cost of the arena was partially covered by Maidstone Borough on agreement that the arena could be used by other schools and clubs within the borough.

For Sutton Valence School, BM forms an important part of its estate, allowing the everdeveloping sporting provision to flourish with its fantastic facilities. As part of the School’s 450th Anniversary Masterplan, I know there are plans afoot for a large development in the south-western corner of the fields. With that in mind, BM will form an even more important part of the School; a far cry from its humble agricultural beginnings.

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A Glossary of Terms - Part One

Terms used at certain times at SVS between c1910 and c1990 Mr Richard Mant (1961 M)

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hope everyone who reads this glossary will enjoy doing so. For those of us at SVS during the years under consideration it will I hope bring back memories of the school we once knew so well and all the things that played a part in our lives at that time. For those at SVS after 1990, I hope this glossary will reveal the customs, traditions and character of the school that make SVS so special, then and now.

A, B and C Roads, Short Buff and Long Buff These were runs on tarmac roads which were used for training purposes or when the pitches were too wet to be used for games. All five runs started with the same route: across the Quad (explanation in part two), past the Chapel, out of the School gates, up North Street, past Upper and down to Warmlake crossroads. There A, B and C Roads turned right. A Roads was the longest run, B Roads was shorter and C Roads the shortest. All three runs returned along School Lane from the East Sutton direction.

Short Buff and Long Buff turned left at Warmlake crossroads. Long Buff went to The Buffalo’s Head in Chart Sutton and returned to School via Chart Hill Road and Chart Road. Short Buff turned left at Church Road passing what is now SVPS before

returning along Chart Road. More details of the five routes can be seen on the Baton Race map (q.v.).

Almshouses, The There are two Almshouses in the village but most boys in their time at the School will only have known of one by that name - and these are the original Almshouses which are located next to Lambe’s. Over the years they have been used for a variety of purposes, such as ballroom dancing and music lessons, and at one time they were the home of the Hunting Society (q.v.). The other Almshouses were better known to boys as Bentley’s or Holdgate House.

Alternative School Song, The This light-hearted song was sung on occasion in the late 1950s and in the early 1960s: We come from Sutton Valence, That well known country club, Our rivals at King’s Rochester And Tonbridge we do snub.

We’re good at games We’re good at plays But work, ah! There’s the rub Oh life is fine at Sutton Valence, Flore, floreat Suttona.

The life at Sutton Valence is idyllic and ideal, Our views about the catering will never change I feel, Just think of all the bacon rinds that go to make a meal, Oh life is fine at Sutton Valence, Flore, floreat Suttona.

Baton Race, The The route has varied over the years but in general it was more than eight miles in length and involved more than 40 of the best runners from each senior house. The first SVS Baton Race was run on March 1st 1933. Traditionally, the race started in School Lane, right in front of the School gates and directly in line with the clock tower. The Master in charge of the start would say ‘Ready’, ‘Steady’. ‘Go!’ to coincide with the first stroke of the hour designated as the start time.

Information on how to organise the race and the route to be taken was handed down yearby-year to succeeding Captains of Athletics in each house and between 1963 and 1987, and possibly thereafter, a highly detailed map of the course was in use. When the route involved running across the Weald it was possible, from a good vantage point, to see the runners in each house handing on their baton to the next runner. Armed with binoculars, Masters would sometimes watch the runners from outside The Queens Head.

Blackheath Harriers This running club had strong links with SVS for many years and appeared on the School’s Cross Country fixture list from around 1931. Many SVS boys joined this club and it was only natural that the three Wooderson boys would too. Alfred Wooderson (1930 W) joined first and younger brothers Sydney (1933 W) and Stanley (1933 W) joined soon after.

Blue Books

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Black Jackets For a number of years the black jacket was the standard School uniform and worn with a white shirt and dark grey trousers was very smart, so long as the jacket elbows did not become white with wear. Other than the black jacket, only two alternatives were allowed. Boys might wear a blue SVS School blazer in the Summer Term and those who had been awarded School 1st team colours were entitled to wear a double breasted, or single breasted, blue blazer at any time, but not on Sundays when all boys had to wear the black jacket.

FROM THE ARCHIVES Blue Book, The This was the name for the SVS calendar which was published each term. At one time the Blue Books had a somewhat unique cover of textured cardboard and were colour-coded depending on which term it was. The Autumn Term had a dark blue cover but over the years that was changed to white; the Lent Term was in varying shades of blue; and the Summer Term was Cambridge blue (see opposite page).

BM This is an abbreviation for Bloody Mountain, the large spread of pitches which the School owns on the brow of the hill. The pitches may have got their name from the fact that a Roman battle was fought there and Roman remains have been found. For more about its history please refer to Michael Beaman’s article on the previous page.

Ma Browns (under canopy) c.1908

Boaters All boys were required to have boaters for the Summer Term and they were worn on occasion, such as when walking to Upper to watch a Cricket match. The boaters were made of straw by the well known hat manufacturer, Battersby & Co. The School’s colours (explanation in part two) were worn on a grosgrain band round the boater. This was fixed on by one’s house matron as the boaters came without the band.

Bogs, The This was the SVS name for lavatories.

Boot Hole, The Every house had a place to keep shoes. In St Margaret’s and Ponts (explanation in part two), this was under the stairs and led to the boiler, hence it was the warmest place in the house.

The heat was not wasted and drying racks were installed. The Boot Hole was also used as a workshop. It was where, for example, one changed Rugby studs on boots, where one modified the toe cap on a new pair of CCF boots with a hot spoon and shoe polish, and where the School barber cut boys’ hair.

Browns At one time, SVS boys called copper coins Browns. This is because the village sweet shop (now called Green House) was generally known as Ma Brown’s, for it was owned and managed

by Miss Brown and Miss Priest. In those days (pre-decimalisation) copper coins (pennies, halfpennies and farthings) would buy a variety of sweets at Ma Brown’s.

Call Over This took place in each house every morning before breakfast and on Sundays before Evensong. It was taken by the duty Prefect who would call out every boy’s name in the house, except for those in Shows, and every boy had to answer his name. Punishments awaited those who missed Call Over regularly.

CCF Drill in the Quad

Caps At one time, every boy had to have a cap. The caps were light blue with the top part of the School Coat-of-Arms woven on, ie a demi-lion holding between the paws a mullet.

CCF The Combined Cadet Force at SVS was formed in 1914 when nationally the CCF was then called the OTC (Officers’ Training Corps). The SVS Contingent for many years only offered the Army section to boys. The Navy and Air Force sections were yet to come. Many will remember the battledress uniform worn before and after World War II and will therefore recall the skills involved in applying blanco, Duraglit and boot polish, and the special care needed when liquid boot polish was used.

The CCF played a prominent part in the life of the School for all boys had to join once old enough. field days, General Inspection, the House Drill Competition, the Corps of Drums, and, at one time, two parades a week ensured the CCF was ever-present. There was also a Colour Party and Guard of Honour on special occasions such as the visit to the School by Princess Marina in Summer Term 1961. The School has a proud history of shooting success and all boys were tested on the range for their shooting ability.

The Chapel c.1951

Chapel, The The SVS Chapel was completed in 1929 and enlarged with side aisles in 1962. It was well known to SVS boys as on weekdays a service was held every morning (except on Wednesdays when in place of chapel the School met for Assembly in the School Hall) which was compulsory for all boarders to attend.

On Saturdays a hymn rehearsal was held and on Sundays, Matins was compulsory, as was Evensong. A Communion service was held every Sunday before breakfast which was available to those who had been confirmed.

Chip Shop, The This was the SVS name for the School carpentry workshop. It was based in an unusual building which could be entered on the first floor. When boys asked about it they were told it had once been the School gym. The building is in the lower part of the village and was a very difficult place for a new boy to find. He was convinced he would always be late for the start of the class.

The location of the building is shown on the map of the Baton Race. It was converted into the Craft, Design and Technology Centre in the 1970s and remains as such today, now referred to as the DT Centre.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES Christmas Supper The catering staff provided this evening meal at the end of the Autumn Term. The main course was turkey with roast potatoes, sprouts, stuffing and all the trimmings, followed by Christmas pudding. It was a very good meal and on at least one occasion, it was candlelit, which created quite an atmosphere in the old Dining Hall in the Lambe’s building. Boys would line the route and clap the Headmaster and the Masters into the Dining Hall.

Chuck Bread was always referred to as chuck at SVS. This term is given in the Dictionary of Public School Slang as being peculiarly Suttonian.

However, it appears to be a general Kentish term for anything which is edible and probably derived from ‘chunk’.

Clock Tower, The Much else may have changed over the years but not the chimes of the School clock. The clock strikes four times in every hour and is a ubiquitous feature of School life. A flag pole is mounted on the top of the clock tower and the School flag is flown from it on special days in the School calendar. Rumour has it that one can see the sea from the top of the clock tower.

Counter’s This was a sweet shop and newsagents which boys used to frequent. It was perched, it would seem, somewhat precariously on the bank between the High Street and Lower Road in the village. The shop took its name from the owners, Mr and Mrs Counter, and boys of at least four generations would have known them well. Mr Counter was business-like and moved briskly round the tiny, cramped space between the jars of sweets and piles of newspapers. Mrs Counter, standing in for her husband on occasion, was quieter but equally friendly. At one time the shop had a bakery beneath it.

Crawl Class Until a boy had Passed Out (explanation in part two) at the swimming pool, he was a member of the Crawl Class and had to attend every swim that was arranged.

Dining Hall, The The Dining Hall was in the Lambe’s building and was an impressive room with stained glass windows which were memorials to the OS who fell in the Boer War and to the Rev Charles Kingdon. It was at one time called Big School.

It was approached by a long corridor lined with School team photos. All boys were summoned to the Dining Hall (for breakfast, lunch and tea) by a bell which hung in the bell tower above Lambe’s. The bell was rung by one of the matrons. Boys entered and left the Dining Hall in silence. With the arrival of the Refectory in 1962, the Dining Hall was converted into a dayroom and then, later, into the School Library.

Dibs A time for personal prayer was put aside as soon as boys arrived in their dormitory to get ready for bed. The duty Prefect would call out Dibs and boys, if they wished, would kneel by their beds for three or four minutes in private prayer.

Silence was maintained for these prayers. It is suggested that Dibs is a diminutive from ‘Divvers’ or Divinity.

End Show This description was used not only for the Shows themselves but also to identify boys who were no longer members of the Senior Dayroom, who had a Show, but were not Prefects. The nomenclature is taken from the location of the Shows. End Shows are to be found in St Margaret’s and in Ponts, with three Sixth Formers in each Show, and take their name from the fact that they are at the end of the house. In the case of Ponts, the two End Shows are beyond the Senior Dayroom and are either side of the

The Dining Hall (now the Library)

corridor where the house ends and the House Master’s accommodation starts. In St Margaret’s, the two End Shows are on the staircase leading to the dormitories and are at the end of the house where it joins onto the School Block (explanation in part two). One is on the first halflanding, hence Lower End Show, and the other is on the second half-landing, hence Upper End Show. The equivalent rooms in Ponts were used as cloakrooms where boys hung their raincoats and caps. Those boys who had been issued with army greatcoats kept them there as well and they wore them in bad weather on the walk up to BM for games. At a later date one of the rooms became a general store and the other became the house Trunk Room.

Fagging All new boys in a senior boarding house had to fag for a Prefect, often for one and a half terms.

This involved being on-call during break times to run errands for the Prefect or to carry out jobs for him such as making tea and toast, cleaning his CCF uniform for the next parade, or cleaning his Rugby boots. The Fag normally worked with another Fag, given that two Prefects shared a Show. Fags were summoned by either of the two Prefects calling out the surnames of the two Fags. If there was only one job to do it was given to the Fag who turned up at the Show last. In Ponts, if the Fags did not turn up when called, then the Prefect would call ‘Boy!’ and the last boy to arrive from the Junior Dayroom (q.v.) was given the job. Fags might be given a small cash payment by the Prefect at the end of term.

Fire Drill This was organised by the Prefects in each house and took place without warning soon after 10.00 pm when most boys were asleep. Boys were woken by shouts of ‘fire’; ‘leave everything and come now’; ‘don’t run, don’t talk’. On at least one occasion in St Margaret’s House the drill was made particularly realistic, for the landings and stairs were full of smoke and flames. The Prefects had put newspaper, which they set alight, into metal waste paper bins. Firemen in uniform were in attendance.

Counter’s Newsagents - 1948

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First and Second Bell These bells were on an automatic timer (except in the junior houses where a hand bell was rung)

FROM THE ARCHIVES and intended to get everyone up in time for Call Over (q.v.) and breakfast. On weekdays the bells rang at 7.15 am and 7.30 am. Except for fags, no one generally got up before First Bell. Fags often had to clean up the Show from the day before and on CCF days it was essential for the Fag to get the Prefect’s Corps uniform ready for parade as well as his own.

Free Show If the two Prefects who shared a Show were going out for the afternoon (perhaps an ‘away match’ for the team in which they both played), they might give their two fags a Free Show. This meant that the two fags could make the Show their own for the afternoon and enjoy the stocks of chuck, grease, jam, grit, tea and coffee. They could always add to the food in the Show by buying extra such as eggs and baked beans and then they would have a ‘fry-up’.

Gaining Ground This Rugby game would seem to be almost peculiarly Suttonian. It is played with no more than four aside and often played with only two or three aside which makes it particularly demanding. It is an ideal game of Rugby for the weekend, or whenever there is spare time, because it does not need a referee (if played in the right spirit) for the rules are largely those of the Rugby Football Union. One only needs a Rugby ball and a Rugby pitch. As with Quad Hockey, boys organised it for themselves – Masters were not involved - and have been known to keep playing until they were dropping from exhaustion. The name ‘Gaining Ground’ was only given to it circa 1960 though it was being

played throughout the 1950s, if not before. It was only when Gaining Ground became the form of Rugby played between the OS and the School on OS Rugby Day that the rules were formalised and published. For reference, a copy of the rules were included in last year’s edition of The Suttonian.

Grace This thanksgiving before and after every meal in the Dining Hall at SVS was said by the duty Master or the duty School Prefect. No one sat down before the meal until grace was said and everyone stood up for grace to be said at the end of the meal. The SVS grace before the meal is ‘Benedictus, benedicat’ (May the Blessed One give a blessing) and after the meal ‘Benedicto, benedicatur’.(Let praise be given to the Blessed One).

Grease This was the SVS name for butter or margarine.

Greasy Grind This notorious feature is to be found on the SVS Cross Country route. It is a steep slope which is more often than not both wet and muddy. In the days of plimsolls (as opposed to modern trainers) it was especially difficult to negotiate.

House Cups and Trophies Each house had a trophy cabinet where all the cups and shields were kept which the house had won that year. Boys in the Junior Dayroom were required to clean these trophies from time to time.

House Pancake Relay Race This is a less well known inter-house event. The pancake race was a relay race and was run on Shrove Tuesday in the lunch hour. It was held on Lower and the course was from the Tuck Shop built in the 1950s, towards Cornwallis House and back, parallel with the line of trees. Each house runner was armed with a frying pan and the pancake had to be flipped in the air a given number of times en route to the next runner.

House Prefects These Prefects were appointed by the Housemaster from Sixth Form members of the house. The appointment entitled the Sixth Former to wear the Prefect’s tie, the Prefects’ square or cravat, to have a Show and a fag, but the appointment also brought with it certain duties and responsibilities such as taking Call Over, Litter Squad (q.v.) and Prep in the evening.

Dormitory duty involved being responsible for ensuring that Dibs took place, that boys washed and got into bed, for putting the lights out and that no talking took place thereafter. Their duties were organised on a rota basis by the Head of House. In general, House Prefects were responsible for good behaviour in the house.

House Rugby Feast This event took place in the evening of the day the House Match final was played and was enjoyed by all those who played in the team. It was a substantial meal provided by the School caterers. It was not unknown for beer and cider to be consumed. A suitable room in the house was used for the occasion, such as the Quiet Room (explanation in part two) in St Margaret’s.

The School Swimming Pool - 1951

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FROM THE ARCHIVES House Swim An organised swim for the house quite often took place in the cool of the evening in the Summer Term and at one time these took place between 8.00 and 8.30 pm (between First and Second Prep). This practice changed in about 1958 to a House Swim just after House Prayers (about 9.15pm) but this might have been something only enjoyed by St Margaret’s House and explained by the fact that there were in this House at that time, and for some years, a number of the swimming squad and water polo team.

House Ties Every boy wore his house tie, the only options being a School colours tie for those who had been awarded colours, or a Prefect’s tie. House ties were black with thin stripes, the stripes being in the house colour. Each house had a colour, as follows: Bennett House Cornwallis House Founder’s House Holdgate House Lambe’s House St Margaret’s House Westminster House

Mauve Pink Yellow Green Red Blue White

Hunting Society, The This was the name for the SVS debating society.

It took its name from the master who established it, Mr H W Hunting, who was second master at SVS at one time and a member of staff from 1885 to 1920. The society was very well organised with a president (The Headmaster) and two or

St Margaret’s Dormitory

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three vice presidents who were masters. Much of the running of the society was in the hands of the boys who filled such positions as Chairman, Secretary, Guardian of the Gavel and Clerk of the House. The society had a biennial dinner for its members which was held in the Dining Hall. A very good dinner was provided by the School caterer and her staff, such as a two-course meal followed by coffee, cheese and biscuits. White wine was served during the dinner. Printed menus on stiff card with deckled edge added to the occasion and toasts were proposed to the Queen, the School and the Society.

Junior Dayroom, The Unless they started their School career in a junior house, all boys would normally start off in the Junior Dayroom of a senior house and they would be members of that dayroom for one or two years. On a rota basis, boys in the Junior Dayroom had various cleaning tasks to perform to keep the house clean and tidy.

Litter Squad Each house had a Litter Squad and boys could be put into the squad by Prefects for misbehaving.

There was generally very little litter around the School for the boys to pick up (even for the St Margaret’s squad and their area included the path from the Tuck Shop) and so the Prefect taking the squad would often send the boys in after five or ten minutes.

Lower This area is so called so as to distinguish it from Upper. It is a large, flat playing field which at one

time contained tennis courts, Cricket nets and a small Rugby pitch, and still left plenty of room for boys to play impromptu games of football. It was clearly separated from Stoney (explanation in part two) by a steep bank.

Lower Dorm This was the name given to the dormitory on the first floor in St Margaret’s and Ponts in which there were sometimes 30 beds. The dormitory was divided by a number of wooden partitions and there were normally two beds in each partitioned area. The dormitory was always kept spotlessly clean by the cleaners. There were no curtains or carpets and heating consisted of one small pipe running around the perimeter of the dormitory. Boys had to wear house (indoor) shoes when they went up to bed. Boys were not allowed to visit the dormitory during the day unless they had a very good reason and permission.

Lower Dorm Labs Labs was the SVS name for a washroom.

The Lower Dorm Labs were adjacent to the dormitory and contained showers and about 25 basins. The two baths were a later addition.

Large hot pipes served the Labs and some boys would practise their pull ups on these pipes as they were a convenient height off the ground.

Boys kept their towels and sponge bags in the Labs on pegs that were labelled with their names. Ponts did not distinguish between the Lower Dorm Labs and the Upper Dorm Labs.

They were just referred to as Labs.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Glossary Acknowledgements I have been thinking about compiling this SVS glossary for some years now and my thoughts in this respect have been considerably helped by the support and encouragement I have been given by David Manook (1961 M) and David Morris (1961M). I would like to thank them for all of the help they have given me.

Special thanks must go to Michael Beaman (1952 W, Staff 19631992) who kindly put his extensive knowledge of the School and the village at my disposal; to the late Frank T W Blatchley-Hennah (Staff 1946-1953) for his book A Short History of Sutton Valence School which provided very useful information; to David Pickard (Staff 1977-2001, 2009-2015) for his articles in The Suttonian and The Old Suttonian, for the School archives which he has catalogued and for finding the map of the Baton Race, all of which have been most helpful; to Will Radford (Alumni Relations and Development Manager) for his support and for providing me with vital facts in an instant, even when requested at weekends.

I am most grateful to the following OS for their support for the glossary and for the information which they have given me: Bill Bentley (1950 W); Richard Clarke (1963 M); Andrew Dixon (1966 M); Richard Dixon (1960 M); Keith Gilham (1959 M); Richard Harvey (1963 C); Douglas Horner (1962 M); Rupert Humphrey (1978 L); Don Lion (1962 M); Bruce Macdonald (1961 W); Henry Macdonald (1958 W); Alan Marsh (1962 M); Richard Memmott (1963 L); Miles Shepherd (1962 C); Ann Vernon-Smith (daughter of Norman Bentley) and Graham Waters (1962 W).

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

The Style Changer

Michael Ricketts (HM 1967-1980) Mr David Pickard (Staff 1977-2001, 2009-2015)

B

y the middle of the 1960s, it could be said that the School’s development had begun to wane. Whilst still successful, its growth was not moving at a pace akin to many of its competitors.

William Holdgate (HM 1910-1932) and TD James (HM 1932-1950) had guided the School from 1910 to 1950, and had undoubtedly left a solid foundation despite the financial ravages of two world wars. The first of their successors, Bryant Aspinall (HM 1950-1953), was only in post for three years so had little time to enact any purposeful policy. He was succeeded

by Ronnie Evers (HM 1953-1967), who had run the School for 14 years as a cautious man in times of austerity. However, as the country’s financial recovery from the hardships of wartime began to take shape in the 1960s, alongside a significant social revolution, it provided the opportunity for a headmaster with vision and the drive to see that vision to fruition. Michael Rodney Ricketts was this man.

year had railed against the perceived negative effect of over-reliance on exam qualifications and extolled the virtues of ‘broad’ educational targets. There is no doubt that the School could be very proud of a significant number of boys who went on to Oxbridge, teaching hospitals and other universities, but it is just as true that far too many were not reaching their full academic potential, not because the teaching was poor but because the culture here valued sporting excellence and military skill in at least as high regard as the pursuit of academic goals.

The Ricketts era saw a marked change in the balance. Academic potential was much more

Michael came to us from Bradfield School, where he had been a housemaster and teacher of Modern Foreign Languages. The son of a bishop, one of his first decisions was to reduce the attendance at Chapel on a Sunday! Until his arrival it was the rule that both morning and evening services were compulsory. This was reduced to one compulsory service and one voluntary. The Headmaster decided that the benefits to the pupil having an extended exeat (in the days when boarding boys, 75 per cent of the School population, were allowed home only once or twice each term) was greater than the influence of imposed religion. However, he also increased the number of times that pupils had an opportunity to attend communion and he established a programme of School chapels that had pupils taking an active role, indeed in some cases leading the services.

In the year immediately before Ricketts’ arrival, his predecessor, Evers had proudly declared that the O Level results were continuing to improve and had reached an average of 5.5 passes per candidate, and that as many as 35 boys had achieved two or more A Levels in their exams. The editorial in The Suttonian of that Page 156 - The Suttonian 2020

Michael and Judith Ricketts

often achieved, and a respect for academic excellence was forged, and also a greater number of extra-curricular activities began to appear in the School calendar.

A major contributor to the change was the establishment of a permanent home for the day-boys. Until 1968 day-boys (day-bugs) to the unsympathetic boarders were uncherished and unappreciated. They had been housed in temporary and inferior accommodation, moved many times from location to location and they must have found it extremely difficult to motivate themselves to contribute to the common cause. Ricketts emptied the sanatorium and re-

FROM THE ARCHIVES established it elsewhere and then modified the building for student occupation in a manner at least as opulent as provided to the boarders.

He appointed really good housemasters, successively, Bob Chance (Staff 1961-1993) then Brian Little (1969-1986) to instil positivity and self-confidence into their charges. This was important because the period of Ricketts’ tenure saw an increase in the proportion of day boys, up to about a third of the total. The local council paid for a small number of scholarships each year to promising local children. An upward shift in the quality of the intake, together with the professional nurturing of boys became an influential component of improved academic results across the whole School.

New squash courts were built beside the Sports Centre in 1971 and a Modern Foreign Languages ‘laboratory’ established, full of (for that time) technical wizardry. Unfortunately, high-tech wizardry can often go wrong and the enterprise was never wholly successful. The squash courts on the other hand were a great boost and helped to strengthen the School’s link with the village, since the village Squash Club had its home there.

This was also the year that the appeal, ‘Towards the Quatercentenery’ was launched. Ricketts’ aim to improve standards coincided with a very historic anniversary; an opportunity to help fund his ambitions. He worked tirelessly on this project for five full years, visiting all the continents in the process, looking to re-acquaint Old Suttonians with the School and to seek their help.

The first non-wartime appointment of females to teach at the School came in 1973. Marjorie Popay (Staff 1973-1989) taught Mathematics and Barbara Piper (Staff 1973-2004) taught Pottery and Art. They would serve the School well and long after Ricketts retired, by which time they would be joined by a greatly increased number of their sex. Ricketts also established an annual ‘Industrial Conference’ in 1973. The week-long event had seminars and workshops led by men and women from Kent and London and became a really important addition to the careers department armoury. Big-name politicians, industrialists and trades-union leaders gave key-note speeches. (It is difficult to imagine in today’s world of pressure in education that a School could willingly give up a week’s teaching of its Sixth Form for such a purpose and be well supported in the endeavour by its paying customers!)

The 400th anniversary of the founding of the School was celebrated throughout 1976, but especially in the Summer Term. It was an opportunity, eagerly accepted by Michael Ricketts, to put the School on show and demonstrate the great strides forward it had

Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy with Judith and Michael Ricketts during the 1976 Quatercentenery celebrations.

taken under his leadership. It takes very many people to make a success of such a year, and the work of the staff and the boys was so purposeful that success could not be denied.

Ricketts was really good at appointing the right people to teach here and to be involved in all of our doings. Once he had appointed them, he proved to be a forceful leader. He could sometimes take a long while to come to a decision, but that was because he was prepared to consult widely and listen to opinion before making up his own mind. I know that staff felt included in the decision making, most of them at one time or another serving on working parties or short-term (project) committees that the HM had set up. A brief analysis of (nonretiring) staff leavers during the 1970s shows a large proportion moving on to senior positions elsewhere and anecdotal evidence of their subsequent behaviour in their new posts shows them to have made a success.

The success of fundraising for the quatercentenary allowed the Headmaster to build a new Music School (Groves Hall) and an all-weather Hockey pitch, the opening of the latter having to be delayed because of bad weather! Another valuable addition was Gulland Hall, gifted to the School. Originally Ricketts intended it to be a theatre, but structural

problems prevented this ambition and it was decided to turn it into an Art Centre. Ricketts’ time had been one of constant additions and alterations to our fabric. But people change was also a constant - not content with providing the School with its first full-time female teachers, he also invited a lady to give away the prizes on Speech Day in 1978. This was none other than Arianna Stassinopoulos – then a wellregarded columnist and later the founder of The Huffington Post. In his address to the guests at his penultimate Speech Day, the Headmaster articulated what was for him the aim of his tenure at Sutton Valence, the education of the ‘whole’ person. “We cater for all sides of a boy’s development:” he said, “the spiritual, the pastoral, the physical and the academic.”

At the end of the 1980 academic year, the deterioration of his hearing – the result of a long-standing war wound – became rather burdensome for the Headmaster and he decided to retire just a couple of years earlier than he might have otherwise done. He would have had longer to see the benefits of his labours develop. He was probably glad not to have to wrestle with the problems associated with the introduction of computers. A school, through time, is on a development curve and during his tenure this School’s trajectory was steeper than before – and most definitely upward.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

The History of Underhill Mr Will Radford, Alumni Relations and Development Manager

G

iven the rich history of the Senior School, the heritage of Sutton Valence Preparatory School can often be overlooked. Although only a part of SVS since September 1995, the formerUnderhill Preparatory School offers an equally fascinating background that spans the last 200 years.

In truth, we are not entirely sure when the main house Eylesden Court, that is now School House, was built, but we do know a building stood here in the latter half of the reign of George III, from an engraving showing the house, the church and Chart Place.

In 1800 a Major James Eyles bought the estate that included the house of Chart Place and the cottage opposite that is now School House. He went on to fight at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and sadly, upon his return, found his wife had died. After this, it was said that the sound of the nearby bells of St Michael’s Church so distressed him that he sold Chart Place and retained the “cottage” thus dividing the estate. On his death, around 1850, he left his land and properties to his niece, Katherine Keays, who lived in

Hereford. She in turn left it around 15 years later to a nephew, Colonel Henry Young, who added Keays to his name after the inheritance.

Colonel Keays-Young married Lucy Wentworth from Melbourne, Australia and they enlarged the cottage considerably; hence the dates 1887 and 1897, which can be seen on some parts of the School. By 1900 the house hardly resembled the original Georgian cottage and looked more as it does today, a fine example of Victorian architecture. However, one can still see the original slate roof beneath the tile one of today, from a window in the attic.

Around the turn of the century, Lucy and their two daughters died due to poor medical care during an illness and Colonel Keays-Young married Henrietta MacNaughton and the house was further extended to its present size: it then became known as Eylesden Court, reflective of the house’s owner from a century previous, Major James Eyles.

Colonel Keays-Young died in 1910, but his widow and two daughters continued to live here until 1923. Apart from the very anxious

Underhill School 1988

New Pre-Prep Building 2001

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period of the Great War from 1914 to 1918, these were happy years, with summer house parties, tennis, croquet and the family playing an active part in the life of the village. It is said that if anyone in the village missed church one Sunday, Mrs Keays-Young would call upon them the next day with fruit, since illness could be the only reason for missing a service!

In the early 1920s, Mrs Keays-Young and her younger daughter Julie, went on a world tour and spent many months in China. On their return, they decided to move to Oxford so that Julie could attend university, thus the house was tenanted out. This began a period of flux for the property with a number of residents over the course of the next 20 years. The first of the tenants were Colonel and Mrs Ogg who only lived in the property for a couple of years before it was converted into a nursing home, named The Fontenay. Unfortunately the rural location didn’t prove successful and the owners relocated the home to its current site in the heart of Rochester.

The tenancy for Eylesden then passed to Major Adrian Vallance who sought to establish an educational institution for “the sons of gentlefolk”.

Around the same time, Mrs Henrietta Salmon, a relative of the Keays-Youngs, offered her house at Norton Court (situated further along Church Road from the School), on a tenancy to the Reverend Fortescue-Thomas, who arrived in Chart Sutton with the hope of running a preparatory school alongside his duties as the local vicar. He exchanged leases with Major Vallance and Eylesden became Eylesden Court School for Boys.

The school’s time in the property was relatively short-lived though and in 1953, Eylesden Court School for Boys moved to new premises in Bearsted, where it would remain until it closed down in 1997.

When the School departed for Bearsted, the property at Eylesden was left empty and abandoned for five years, becoming the target for vandalism with windows smashed and lead stolen from the roof. Its saviour came in the form of Mrs Doreen Salmon, who had arrived in Chart Sutton in 1957. She saw Eylesden crumbling into ruins and encouraged the Keays-Young family to repair the house. They agreed to help if a tenant could be found.

FROM THE ARCHIVES That tenant came in the form of Ms Waller, who had founded a junior school six years previously in what was then the old vicarage of the village, now called Priory House. The success of that school had spurred her to expand to create an associated senior school and she therefore took on Eylesden in 1958. Her existing school was about half a mile south of the present school and was literally “under the hill”, hence both schools being referred to as Underhill. Over the course of the next eight years, Ms Waller’s enterprise grew and the school would go on to house around 45 senior pupils aged between 11 and 18.

In 1966, Underhill (both the original junior site at Priory House and the senior site at Eylesden) was sold by Ms Waller to Mr and Mrs Eric Leyland, who already owned a school in North London.

Their tenure was brief however and they moved back to London two years later, selling Priory House in the process.

Despite their own departure, the Leylands installed their son, Jeremy, as headmaster of the Eylesden site of Underhill School. He quickly made the decision to close the senior school and move the more-successful junior school

into Eylesden once Priory House had been sold. In the process, he also changed the age range of admissions, extending the previous Priory House policy to now educate pupils up to the age of 11. The School thus became truly preparatory. In 1974 with the introduction of state comprehensive schools, the age range was increased to 13, where it remained until 1994 when the age of intake to the grammar schools changed to 11.

Hall was also built to cater for the increased demand for Sport and Drama.

Since moving to Eylesden, many additions have been made to the School: firstly a new Kindergarten block and then the conversion of the old stables into a laboratory. In 1970 came the outdoor swimming pool, then new changing-rooms, a new classroom block for the junior school, a new music room and an individual study room.

Since becoming Sutton Valence Preparatory School the growth has continued. Modern changing rooms were added as an extension to the Coles Building in 1997. A new purpose built Pre-Prep block was opened in 2001 and was named Underhill House to retain the association with the old School name. Most recently, a new block for Art, Science, IT and a library was completed in 2004. The School gained its own artificial turf Hockey pitch later that year, which was named after Ian Stainton-James as a fitting memorial to his enormous contribution to the present success of the School.

In 1979, the School was rescued from financial disaster by a group of parents and in 1981 Ian Stainton-James was appointed as headmaster to rebuild the School. During his time, Underhill went from strength-to-strength growing in numbers and facilities. The Coles Building was added as more classrooms were required, along with a library, art room and laboratory. The Bates

By the time of the merger of Underhill with Sutton Valence School in 1994, Ian StaintonJames had built a thriving and prosperous school with a reputation not only for academic excellence, but also success in Music, Drama and especially Sport, all within a warm and caring family atmosphere.

Sutton Valence Preparatory School is today a thriving and prosperous school built on the strong foundations of its past.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

SVS Ghost Stories Mr David Pickard (Staff 1977-2001, 2009-2015)

W

hen you ask any generation of Old Suttonians, particularly those who boarded, about the School’s ghost stories, one story will generally always be told. The fabled tale of the little drummer boy has a firm place in SVS folklore but there are other stories, of equal merit, worthy of a mention. In this article, we explore the tales that have haunted our hallways and elicited fear amongst junior boarders.

At the turn of the 19th century, the youth of England were stirred by tales of glory on the battlefield. Napoleon Bonaparte was being driven further back from Spain into France and on the high seas, his ships were being trounced by the Royal Navy. One little lad, an inhabitant of Sutton Valence village, became enflamed with a desire to serve his country. He knew of, and admired, boys of the Grammar School of William Lambe who were themselves beginning a career in the army and old soldiers, returning from their war-time experiences, full of exciting stories.

The boy knew that his tender years would not enable him to serve as a normal soldier so he took up learning to drum; he knew the army was always looking for bandsmen to maintain the spirits of the troops and march them into battle. Unfortunately, not being lucky enough to be educated at the Grammar School, the lad spent most of his day-time hours working alongside his father and elder brother with the horses on a big farm along the road to East Sutton. In the evenings he would steal out of the house and find a quiet spot to practise his drumming. After a little while he found the perfect spot, just above the School along the side of the original village playing field (situated where the Quad, Centre Block and the boarding houses have since been built).

The boys of the Grammar School began to become familiar with the earnest endeavours of the little lad. They often frequented the field after their evening meal for exercise and for the chance that they may meet up with a local village girl. To most of them, the lad was a minor distraction; his rat-a-tat-tatting was no hindrance to them in their romantic pursuits.

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But to one pupil, he was a real nuisance. As a result, he threw stones at the boy and chased him away whenever he saw him.

On one occasion, he was restrained by other pupils from giving the drummer boy a beating and was livid that he had been humiliated in front of his peers. He had only wanted to teach the boy a lesson; the lad was getting ideas above his station in life. Perhaps emboldened by the support from the majority, the drummer carried on coming to the field and playing his rhythms.

One evening in the late autumn, he failed to turn up, nor did he come the next night, nor the next. The Grammar School pupils heard he was missing from home, presumed to have run off to join the Army. However, on the fourth night, in a copse just a little to the south of the playing field, the boy’s body was found hanging from a tree and his drum, with the skin smashed in, lay at his feet. An enquiry took place and the pupil who had beaten him came under suspicion, but foul play could not be proved. Life returned to normal. But not quite…

On evenings, usually just before sunset, whenever our bully walked upon the playing field, the rat-a-tat-tat of a little drum could be heard and its sound seemed to follow the boy as he walked. On evenings when he did not venture out, the drum could not be heard. This mystery became known to all in the village and there was much whispering behind the schoolboy’s back, to his face, too, from some of the villagers. Protesting his innocence to the last, the now very unhappy schoolboy departed back to his home in London. It was here, some years later, he was convicted of mistreating his servants and was packed off to Australia.

The village was calm and remained so for very many years. The School expanded and constructed its new building (Centre Block and the boarding houses) on the land that used to be the village playing field. Between all three, a lovely grassed area was sown in what would eventually be known as Prefects’ Lawn.

An enlarged School occupied the building and the boarders quickly established themselves there. Among them was a senior pupil, not very well liked, a bit of a bully, who enjoyed frightening the younger boys with stories of bad things that could happen in a school environment. The younger lads were both fascinated and appalled by the stories.

Somehow, the senior pupil learned of the sad tale of the drummer boy.

One night, just before sunset, he gathered the young lads on Prefects’ Lawn, sat them down in a circle and told the story of the drummer boy, with ghoulish additions to make the saga even more frightening. At the termination of his story, a friend who had been hiding in the bushes began to tap out a rat-a-tat-tat on a small drum. This so unnerved the little lads they ran to their dormitory in fear. Very satisfied with himself our senior rescued his friend from the bushes and sent him on his way with many thanks for his cooperation.

He sat alone for a while reflecting on his ability to scare the youngsters. He lit a cheroot and began to imagine himself as a great storyteller, when from just behind him he heard the sound. Rat-a-tat-tat, rat-a-tat-tat. He spun round but no-one was there. Through a window on the first floor he could see his friend in animated conversation with others, no doubt re-telling the story of the night and his part in it. Then rat-a-tat-tat, rat-a-tattat sounded behind him again and when he turned round no one was there. He was shocked. He had a very troubled night. When he awoke the next morning he discovered that his hair had turned white overnight.

(Look it up. It is a well-known fact that hair turns white overnight quite unexpectedly for some people. It is thought in many cases that the event is related to shock and stress of some kind.)

FROM THE ARCHIVES

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

The Refectory Cricketer

A

while ago, after recounting some of the ‘ghost stories’ of the School I was approached by lady members of the catering staff.

‘Did you know’, they asked me, ‘of a ghost that is seen in the Refectory?’ I had to admit that I did not. More than one of their number had seen, it seems, the vague outline of someone in Cricket gear at the rear of the Refectory. One, indeed, was certain that the figure walked from the outside through the plate glass walls that are found there, just as though there was no wall to impede movement.

I questioned the ladies closely and I satisfied myself that they had no knowledge of the history of the site on which the Refectory is built.

Whilst they may well have made up a story of a ghost to tease me, it was difficult to work out why they might have thought he was a cricketer.

This is not a part of the School where there seems to be a Cricket connection at all. Quite the opposite; this area is as far removed from Cricket activities as anywhere in the School.

Further enquiries led me to understand that the ‘sightings’ had occurred long before the ladies had mentioned them to me. As such, they were not inspired by my stories to tell me a tale, they were reminded by my stories of something they had seen just a while beforehand.

What I knew, and believed the ladies did not, was that the site of the Refectory had been the village playing field and also the site of the School’s Cricket matches in the period between 1840 and 1893, after which Cricket moved to the Upper.

The Lady In White

A

nother popular story in the 1970s was that of the ghost of a lady dressed in white, walking the upper corridor in Centre Block. The stories were always quite vague and, for numerous reasons, seemed implausible.

The main reason for doubting their authenticity was that we did not have female teachers in Centre Block until recently (except briefly during the two World Wars, when male teachers were in short supply) and there were obviously no female pupils at the School until the mid 1980s.

In addition, as far as I’m aware, nothing untoward happened to any of the wives or daughters of the various housemasters of Westminster or St Margaret’s either, which ruled out that suspicion.

As such, there is nothing to connect that space with a lady, even less with one wearing white.

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One night though, in the late 1980s, I had to go up to Centre Block to collect some work from my room at the opposite end of the corridor from the James Room. It was dark and spooky, but I had a torch. I had just reached the top of the stairs when I felt a wave of cold air pass me by.

It was warm, then cold, then very cold and then, quickly, warm again.

During the few seconds of this experience I felt perfectly fine, but afterwards, for no reason at all, I was aware of a strong feeling of bewilderment.

I took a couple of minutes to remember why I had gone up there in the first place. Whilst completing my work, I remembered the story of the lady in white.

Some while later, a few years in fact, I told this story to a colleague, also of long-standing in the School. After listening to me, he replied that he had heard a story of a lady in white by a cleaner at the School who claimed to have seen her.

The bit of her story he had never passed on to anyone was that during the time of the ghost’s ‘presence’ she said that she felt a very sudden and momentary coldness, much like I had.

The Lambe’s Dog

I

t has been recounted that, on his very first night in Lambe’s boarding house, one young lad heard the repeated sound of a whining dog.

‘It started about midnight’ he told his mates after breakfast the next day, ‘and lasted for about twenty minutes’. No one else had heard the dog.

No one in the building owned a dog, nor was one to be found in houses nearby. He told the story to the School’s oldest inhabitant a few days later. Mr Craven, for that ex-teacher was he, smiled grimly when he heard.

‘Did you know,’ he said to the lad, ‘ Mr Piersenné, our music master in the 1950s and a tutor in Lambe’s, whose rooms were right next to the dorm in which you sleep, committed suicide on Christmas Eve by gassing himself. Strangely, he was found with his pet dog, also dead from gas, at his feet.’

OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY

OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY

“

The challenges that we have all faced this year are reflected throughout this magazine.

They spur us on to think about the values that we hold, as well as how we can adapt in the best way to evolving circumstances. Values are embedded in our community. Friendship amongst Old Suttonians is valued, lifelong and an optimism during such times. The positive news shared by many of you on these pages is a delight. We welcome our newest members, who had the misfortune to leave the School without the usual fanfare. We wish them every success as new futures are embraced and look forward to continuing the links built by them at the School as they are welcomed into our wider community. Sadly, that renewal is accompanied by the loss of some of our stalwart members. They have our great respect and we thank them for their friendship over lifetimes. Floreat Suttona.

�

Mr Douglas Horner DL (1962 M) SVS Foundation President Page 163 - The Suttonian 2020

OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY

Upper Sixth Valete Thomas Allewell (2020 W)

Alice Busby (2020 F)

CCF Head of Army, RSM (WO1); 3rd XI Hockey, 2nd XV Rugby (Half Colours), First Team Swimming (Full Colours)

All Round Contribution Award (Lower Sixth, Upper Sixth); School Prefect; Mulan (Ensemble Cast) LAMDA - Level 5; Orchestra, Strings; Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed), Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 3rd XI Hockey, Third Team Tennis

George Baker (2020 M) 1st XI Cricket, 1st XI Football (Vice-Captain), First Team Golf Nathan Bispham (2020 M) Rugby Scholarship; Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 2nd XI Hockey (Half Colours), 1st XV (Full Colours and Regional Representation)

Isabelle Busby (2020 F) Academic Scholarship; Effort Award (Third Form, Fourth Form, Fifth Form), French Prize (Lower Sixth), Wheeler Prize for French (Upper Sixth); School Prefect, Model United Nations Delegate; Orchestra, Strings; Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 3rd XI Hockey, Third Team Tennis

Prize (Upper Sixth); Blue Gown Recipient (Fifth Form); School Prefect, Model United Nations Delegate, Ball Committee; Alice In Wonderland (Guinea Pig), The Sound Of Music (Frau Schmidt); Orchestra, Strings; 3rd XI Hockey Isabelle Cook (2020 H) Drama and Sport Scholarships; All Round Contribution Award (Fifth Form); Mulan (Mushu), Chicago (Mona), Blue Stockings (Tess Moffat), The Sound Of Music (Elsa Schraeder), LAMDA - Grade 4; Chamber Choir; Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); First Team Athletics, 1st XI Hockey (Full Colours), 2nd VII Netball (Half Colours) Pescha Cordell (2020 H)

Jenna Boltman (2020 H) Sport Scholarship; Amy Lovegrove Prize for Outstanding Female Achievement in Sport (Upper Sixth); 1st XI Hockey (Captain, Full Colours and Regional Representation), 1st XI Netball (Colours and County Representation)

Qien Cai (2020 W) Further Mathematics Prize (Lower Sixth), Watts Prize for Further Mathematics (Upper Sixth); School Prefect, Boarding House Prefect, Ball Committee; First Team Basketball

Effort Award (First Form, Second Form, Lower Sixth), Achievement Award (Third Form, Fourth Form) Academic PE Prize (Upper Sixth); Blue Gown Recipient (Fourth Form); Head of Holdgate House

Charlotte Bowyer (2020 C)

Ella Carter (2020 H)

Paige Davidson (2020 S)

Sport Scholarship; Psychology Prize (Upper Sixth); School Prefect; Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award (Pending), Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 1st XI Hockey (Full Colours), 1st VII Netball (Captain and Full Colours), First Team Swimming (Full Colours), First Team Tennis (Full Colours)

Academic and Drama Scholarships; Effort Award (Third Form, Fourth Form), The Coles Prize for Contribution to School Life (Fifth Form), Theatre Studies Prize (Lower Sixth, Upper Sixth), Portfolio Work Copy Prize (Third Form); Blue Gown Recipient (Fifth Form); School Prefect, Head of Sutton House, Boarding House Prefect; Mulan (Mulan), Chicago (Shadow Roxie), Blue Stockings (Celia Willbond), The Sound of Music (Liesl Von Trapp), LAMDA - Gold; Chapel Choir, Head of Chamber Choir; Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed), Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 1st XI Hockey (Full Colours), 3rd VII Netball (Captain)

Amber Brinkman (2020 F) Drama Exhibitioner; All Round Contribution Award (Fourth Form); Head of House; Grease (Miss Lynch), Les Misérables (Student) Mulan (Loazi), Chicago (Shadow Dancer), Blue Stockings (Librarian), The Sound Of Music (Louisa Von Trapp), LAMDA - Gold; Chamber Choir; Bronze Duke of Edinburgh (Completed); 2nd XI Hockey, First Team Swimming Jemima Bruce-Lockhart (2020 F) Sport Scholarship; Geography Prize (Lower Sixth, Upper Sixth); Blue Gown Recipient (Fifth Form); School Prefect, Model United Nations Delegate; Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed), Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 1st XI Hockey (Full Colours), 2nd VII Netball (Vice-Captain and Full Colours), First Team Swimming (Vice-Captain and Full Colours), First Team Tennis (Full Colours) William Bull (2020 W) Effort Award (Lower Sixth); First Team Shooting

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Oliver Carter (2020 F) Bossom Prize for Public Speaking (Upper Sixth); Model United Nations Delegate; Grease (Jonny Casino’s Crew), Mulan (Liu), The Sound Of Music (Friedrich Von Trapp); Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir, Guitar Group; CCF Head of Juniors, Sergeant (Sgt); Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed)

Josiah de Bono (2020 W)

Corporal (Cpl); 2nd XV Rugby (Half Colours)

Drama Scholarship; Les Misérables (Stage Crew); Mulan (Chi-Fu), Blue Stockings (Edwards), The Sound of Music (Max Detweiler) LAMDA - Gold with Distinction; Cadet (Cdt)

Elizabeth Cavell (2020 C)

Erin Densham (2020 F)

Academic, Music and Art Scholarships; Achievement Award (First Form), All Round Contribution Award (Fourth Form), Effort Award (Fifth Form), Headmaster’s Special Achievement

English Copy Prize (First Form), Effort Award (Second Form); Head of Founder’s House; 3rd VII Netball

William Catling (2020 F)

OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY

Thomas Allewell

George Baker

Nathan Bispham

Jenna Boltman

Charlotte Bowyer

Amber Brinkman

Jemima Bruce-Lockhart

William Bull

Alice Busby

Isabelle Busby

Qien Cai

Ella Carter

Oliver Carter

William Catling

Elizabeth Cavell

Isabelle Cook

Pescha Cordell

Paige Davidson

Josiah De Bono

Erin Densham

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OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY

Isabella Dransfield

Elizabeth Drummond

Isabella Eyers

Presley Farrance

Daisy Fenton

Mollie Ferguson

Elizabeth Fraser

Arthur Genders

James Gotke

Tom Gray

Awishma Gurung

Max Hansford

Hugh Harman

Anna Harrison

Reuben Hodson

Gabriella Howarth

Yuqian Hu

Brandon Jackson

George Jones

Oliver Jones

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OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY

Upper Sixth Valete Isabella Dransfield (2020 H)

James Gotke (2020 F)

Art Scholarship; Achievement Award (Fifth Form), Art Prize (Lower Sixth), Spanish Prize (Lower Sixth), Joyce Drayson Art Prize (Upper Sixth); Blue Gown Recipient (Upper Sixth); School Prefect; 2nd XI Hockey, 2nd VII Netball

Academic Scholarship; Head of Founder’s House; Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 2nd XI Cricket, 1st XI Football (Full Colours), 1st XI Tennis (Captain, Full Colours and County Representation)

Elizabeth Drummond (2020 S)

Tom Gray (2020 H)

Music Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Second Form, Third Form, Fifth Form), Music Prize (Lower Sixth, Upper Sixth); Blue Gown Recipient (Fifth Form); School Prefect, Boarding House Prefect, Ball Committee; Grease (Duchess), Les Misérables (Worker), Mulan (Hong), Blue Stockings (Miss Bott), The Sound of Music (Sister Berthe); Head of Senior Strings, Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir, Chamber Orchestra, Jazz Band, Orchestra; Corporal (Cpl); Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed)

Academic and Drama Scholarships; Achievement Award (Third Form, Fourth Form, Fifth Form), Portfolio Work Copy Prize (Third Form), All Round Contribution Award (Lower Sixth), Clothworkers’ Material Impact Prize (Upper Sixth); Blue Gown Recipient (Fifth Form); School Prefect, Model United Nations Delegate, Debating Team; Alice in Wonderland (Do-Do), Grease (Jonny Casino’s Crew), Mulan (Yao), Chicago (Amos Hart), Blue Stockings (Will Bennett), The Sound of Music (Rolf Gruber), LAMDA - Gold with Distinction; Chapel Choir, Head of Chamber Choir; CCF Head of Stores CSM (WO11); Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award (Pending), Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed), Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); First Team Athletics (Captain), First Team Cross Country (Captain)

Isabella Eyers (2020 F) Religious Studies Prize (Lower Sixth, Upper Sixth), Bloxham Prize for English (Upper Sixth); Model United Nations Delegate; CSM (WO11); 3rd XI Hockey, First Team Shooting (Captain and Full Colours) Presley Farrance (2020 W) Sport Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Upper Sixth); School Prefect, Head of Westminster House, Boarding House Prefect; 1st XI Hockey (Full Colours), 1st XV Rugby (Vice Captain, Full Colours and Regional Representation) Daisy Fenton (2020 C) Sport Scholarship; Most Improved Award (First Form), Business Prize (Lower Sixth); Head of Clothworkers’ House, Yearbook Committee; 2nd XI Hockey (Captain), 2nd VII Netball Mollie Ferguson (2020 L) 3rd VII Netball Elizabeth Fraser (2020 F) Design Technology Prize (Lower Sixth), Froud Innovation Prize (Upper Sixth); Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 2nd XI Hockey, 3rd VII Netball Arthur Genders (2020 F) Sport Scholarship; 1st XI Cricket (Full Colours), 2nd XI Football, 2nd XI Hockey, 1st XV Rugby (Full Colours)

Award (Second Form, Third Form, Fifth Form), Psychology Prize (Lower Sixth), Headmaster’s Prize (Upper Sixth); Blue Gown Recipient (Fourth Form); Lent Term Head of School, School Prefect, Model United Nations Delegate; Alice In Wonderland (Butterfly), Grease (Rydell Cheerleader), Les Misérables (Drunkard), Mulan (Dressmaker), Chicago (Shadow Dancer); 1st XI Hockey (Full Colours), 1st VII Netball, Third Team Tennis Reuben Hodson (2020 C) Achievement Award (Third Form), Photography Prize (Upper Sixth), Portfolio Work Copy Prize (Third Form); School Prefect; Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 2nd XV Rugby, First Team Shooting, First Team Swimming Gabriella Howarth (2020 H)

All Round Contribution Award (Upper Sixth); School Prefect, Head of St Margaret’s House, Boarding House Prefect; CSM (WO11); 1st XV Rugby (Full Colours)

Music and Art Scholarships; All Round Contribution Award (Lower Sixth, Upper Sixth); Blue Gown Recipient (Fourth Form); School Prefect; Alice In Wonderland (Butterfly), Grease (Rydell Cheerleader), Les Misérables (Worker), Mulan (Yun), Chicago (Ensemble Cast), The Sound Of Music (Mother Abbess); Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir, Chamber Orchestra, Strings; Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award (Pending), Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 2nd XI Hockey (Half Colours), 2nd VII Netball, First Team Swimming, First Team Tennis (Half Colours)

Max Hansford (2020 M)

Yuqian Hu (2020 S)

Head of St Margaret’s House; First Team Golf (Captain), 2nd XV Rugby (Half Colours)

Boarding House Prefect, Ball Committee

Awishma Gurung (2020 M)

Brandon Jackson (2020 M) Hugh Harman (2020 C) All Round Contribution Award (Fourth Form, Fifth Form), Ricketts Prize for All Round Contribution to School Life (Upper Sixth), English Copy Prize (First Form); School Prefect, Model United Nations Delegate; Alice In Wonderland (Ensemble Cast), Grease (Jonny Casino’s Crew), Les Misérables (Convict), Mulan (Chen), Chicago (Ensemble Cast); Lance Corporal (L/Cpl); Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award (Pending), Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); First Team Basketball, 1st XI Cricket, 1st XI Hockey, 2nd XV Rugby (ViceCaptain and Full Colours) Anna Harrison (2020 H) Academic and Sport Scholarships; Academic Excellence Award (First Form), Achievement

Sport Scholarship; Boarding House Prefect; 1st XV Rugby (Vice-Captain, Full Colours and Regional Representation) George Jones (2020 H) Sport Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Upper Sixth); School Prefect, House Prefect, Model United Nations Delegate; Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award (Pending), Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 1st XI Cricket (Full Colours), 1st XI Hockey (Full Colours), 2nd XV Rugby (Captain and Full Colours) Oliver Jones (2020 C) Les Misérables (Farmer), Chicago (Ensemble Cast); Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 2nd XI Football (Vice-Captain) Page 167 - The Suttonian 2020

OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY

Upper Sixth Valete Benjamin Kyd (2020 F) Most Improved Award (Second Form), ICT Prize (Lower Sixth), Fry Prize for ICT (Upper Sixth); Alice In Wonderland, Grease, Les Misérables, Mulan, Chicago, Blue Stockings, The Sound of Music (Lighting/Backstage Team); CCF Able Rate (AB); Bronze Duke of Edinburgh (Completed) Jack Laing-Williams (2020 W) Photography Prize (Lower Sixth); Les Misérables (Stage Crew); CCF Head of RAF, Flight Sergeant (F/Sgt); Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); First Team Basketball Oliver Laird (2020 F) Academic and Sport Scholarships; Achievement Award (Fourth Form), Angell Prize for Mathematics (Upper Sixth); School Prefect; Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 1st XI Hockey (Full Colours), 2nd XV Rugby (Full Colours) Katie Lang (2020 S) Music and Art Scholarships; Achievement Award (First Form, Second Form), All Round Contribution Award (Third Form, Upper Sixth); OSA Prize for Contribution to School Life (Lower Sixth); Blue Gown Recipient (Fifth Form); School Prefect, Model United Nations Delegate, Ball Committee; Alice In Wonderland (Rabbit), Grease (Rydell Cheerleader) Les Misérables (Drunkard), Mulan (Lin), Chicago (Shadow Dancer), Blue Stockings (Carolyn Addison), The Sound of Music (Nun); Chamber Choir, Strings; 2nd XI Hockey (Vice-Captain), 2nd VII Netball Jack Lewis (2020 F) Academic, Art and Sport Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (First Form); 1st XV Rugby (Full Colours) Sebastiaan Lijesen (2020 C) Sport Exhibitioner; Most Improved Award (Second Form), All Round Contribution Award (Upper Sixth); School Prefect; Grease (Jonny Casino’s Crew), The Sound of Music (Admiral Von Schrieber); Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir; Lance Corporal (L/Cpl); Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 2nd XV Rugby Annabel Mansfield (2020 C) The Spirit of the House Competition Cup (Upper Sixth); Blue Gown Recipient (Upper Sixth); School Prefect, Head of Clothworkers’

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House; Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award (Pending), Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 1st VII Netball Estelle McInerney (2020 H) Drama Scholarship; Alice In Wonderland (The Duchess), Grease (Patty), Les Misérables (Student), Mulan (The Matchmaker), Blue Stockings (Miss Blake), The Sound of Music (Assistant Director), LAMDA - Gold with Distinction

Daniil Nikolaev (2020 M) First Team Basketball Toby Nottage (2020 H) Grease (Jonny Casino’s Crew), Les Misérables (Convict); CSM (WO11); Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 2nd XV Rugby (Half Colours) Bethan Pepler (2020 L)

Joseph McInerney (2020 H) Sport Exhibitioner; Economics Prize (Lower Sixth, Upper Sixth); Head of Holdgate House; Debating Team; Cadet (Cdt); 1st XI Football, 1st XV Rugby (Full Colours and County Representation) Thomas McLaughlin (2020 M) Boarding House Prefect Arthur Moffatt (2020 W) Sport Exhibitioner; Charity Committee; 1st XI Hockey (Full Colours), 1st XV Rugby (Full Colours and County Representation, First Team Tennis (Half Colours) Elizabeth Moore (2020 L) Sport Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Upper Sixth); Blue Gown Recipient (Upper Sixth); School Prefect; 1st XI Hockey (Half Colours), 3rd VII Netball (Vice-Captain), Second Team Tennis Sam Mostowfi (2020 L) Sport Scholarship; English Copy Prize (First Form); Gymnastics (National Representation)

Academic, Music and Drama Scholarships; All Round Contribution Award (Third Form, Fifth Form), English Prize (Lower Sixth), Richard Horn Prize for All Round Performance in Drama and Music (upper Sixth); Blue Gown Recipient (Fifth Form); School Prefect, Model United Nations Delegate; Les Misérables (Worker), Mulan (Zhang) Blue Stockings (Ensemble Cast), The Sound of Music (Maria Rainer), LAMDA - Grade 5 with Distinction; Head of Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir, Jazz Band, Orchestra, Strings; Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed), Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 2nd XI Hockey, Second Team Tennis Matthew Rackliffe (2020 C) Bronze Duke of Edinburgh (Completed) Jessica Richards (2020 C) Blue Stockings (Ensemble Cast); 1st VII Netball (Half Colours) Louis Ridge (2020 M) Sport Scholarship; Business Prize (Upper Sixth); 1st XI Cricket (Half Colours), 1st XI Hockey (Full Colours and National Representation) Gabriella Romano (2020 L)

Toby Murch (2020 C) Sport Exhibitioner; Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award (Pending), Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 2nd XI Cricket, 2nd XI Football, 3rd XI Hockey, 2nd XV Rugby (Full Colours) Jade Neale (2020 S) Effort Award (Fourth Form), Maberly Prize for Achievement (Lower Sixth), Design Technology Prize (Upper Sixth), Media Studies Prize (Upper Sixth), Marjorie Popay Prize for Educational Achievement (Upper Sixth); Boarding House Prefect; CCF Head of Juniors, CSM (WO11)

Music Scholarship; Effort Award (Third Form, Lower Sixth); Blue Gown Recipient (Fifth Form); Grease (Rydell Cheerleader), Les Misérables (Worker), Mulan (Dressmaker), The Sound Of Music (Nun); Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir, Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra, Strings

OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY

Benjamin Kyd

Jack Laing-Williams

Oliver Laird

Katie Lang

Jack Lewis

Sebastiaan Lijesen

Annabel Mansfield

Estelle McInerney

Jospeh McInerney

Thomas McLaughlin

Arthur Moffatt

Elizabeth Moore

Sam Mostowfi

Toby Murch

Jade Neale

Daniil Nikolaev

Toby Nottage

Bethan Pepler

Matthew Rackliffe

Jessica Richards

Louis Ridge

Gabriella Romano Page 169 - The Suttonian 2020

OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY

Amelie Rossiter

Alexandra Sacker

George Samuels

Lara Savage

Max Savage

Amelia Semmens

Jack Stanton-Gleaves

Herbert Stephenson

Amie Stuart

Finn Swaine

Noah Swaine

Thomas Taft

Anisha Thapa Magar

Luke Trigg

Jasper Van Diepen

Ryan Washington

Benjamin Watkins

Edward Wheble

Soraya Williams

Charlotte Wooldridge

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OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY

Upper Sixth Valete Amelie Rossiter (2020 L)

Amelia Semmens (2020 H)

Anisha Thapa Magar (2020 S)

Drama Exhibitioner; Effort Award (First Form), English Copy Prize (First Form); Debating Team; Grease (Cha-Cha), Chicago (Ensemble Cast), LAMDA - Grade 3; First Team Athletics, 1st XI Hockey (Full Colours), 3rd VII Netball (Half Colours), Second Team Tennis

Academic and Sport Scholarships; Achievement Award (Fourth Form, Fifth Form), Chemistry Prize (Lower Sixth), Wood Prize for Physics (Upper Sixth); Blue Gown Recipient (Upper Sixth); School Prefect, Model United Nations Delegate; Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 1st XI Hockey (Full Colours and County Representation), 2nd VII Netball, First Team Swimming (Captain and Full Colours), Second Team Tennis (Half Colours)

Art Scholarship; Effort Award (Second Form, Third Form), Media Studies Prize (Lower Sixth), CCF Sword of Honour (Upper Sixth); Blue Gown Recipient (Upper Sixth); School Prefect, Deputy Head of Sutton House, Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 3rd XI Hockey

Alexandra Sacker (2020 S) Sport Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Upper Sixth); School Prefect; 1st XI Hockey (Full Colours and Regional Representation); First Team Tennis George Samuels (2020 C) Model United Nations Delegate; Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir; Lance Corporal (L/Cpl); Bronze Duke of Edinburgh (Completed); 3rd XV Rugby, First Team Tennis

Jack Stanton-Gleaves (2020 M) Sport Scholarship; 1st XI Cricket (Captain and Full Colours), 1st XI Football, 2nd XV Rugby

Jasper Van Diepen (2020 F)

Herbert Stephenson (2020 M) Head of St Margaret’s House; Blue Stockings (Professor Anderson); 2nd XV Rugby

Ryan Washington (2020 F)

Amie Stuart (2020 H)

Academic Scholarship; Academic Excellence Award (Second Form, Third Form, Fourth Form), The Macdonald Prize for Current Affairs (Third Form), Achievement Award (Fifth Form), Biology Prize (Lower Sixth, Upper Sixth), Kitchener Prize for Mathematics (Lower Sixth), Headmaster’s Prize (Upper Sixth), Chemistry Copy Prize (Third Form), Portfolio Work Copy Prize (Third Form), Biology Copy Prize (Fourth Form), ESU Public Speaking Copy Prize (Fourth Form), French Copy Prize (Fourth Form), English Copy Prize (Fifth Form); Blue Gown Recipient (Fifth Form); Michaelmas Term Head of School, School Prefect, Model United Nations Delegate, Debating Team, ESU Public Speaking Award; Grease (Rydell Cheerleader), Les Misérables (Worker), Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir; Head of CCF, Cadet Warrant Officer (CW0); Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed), Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed), Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 3rd XI Hockey, 3rd VII Netball, First Team Shooting (Full Colours), Second Team Tennis

Music Exhibitioner; Ball Committee; Alice In Wonderland (Badger) Mulan (Dressmaker); Flute Group

Sport Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Fourth Form), Academic PE Prize (Lower Sixth), Headmaster’s Prize (Upper Sixth), Edward Craven Prize for Outstanding Male Achievement in Sport (Upper Sixth); Blue Gown Recipient (Upper Sixth); Michaelmas Term Head of School, School Prefect; 1st XI Cricket (Full Colours), 1st XI Hockey (Captain and Full Colours), 1st XV Rugby (Full Colours)

Sport Scholarship; 1st XI Football, 1st XV Rugby (Vice Captain, Full Colours and Regional Representation)

Drama Exhibitioner; Mulan (Ling), The Sound Of Music (Franz), LAMDA - Grade 3; Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir, Guitar Group; Cadet (Cdt)

Lara Savage (2020 H)

Max Savage (2020 C)

Luke Trigg (2020 W)

Finn Swaine (2020 L) Sport Scholarship; Most Improved Award (First Form), All Round Contribution Award (Second Form, Third Form, Fifth Form, Lower Sixth), The WBP Aspinall Prize for Outstanding Originality of Thought and Action (Upper Sixth), Science Copy Prize (First Form), Music Copy Prize (Fifth Form); School Prefect; Grease (Johnny Casino), Les Misérables (Sailor), Mulan (Captain Shang), Blue Stockings (Mr Banks), The Sound of Music (Captain Georg Von Trapp); Chamber Choir, Head of Band Noah Swaine (2020 L) Academic Scholarship; Achievement Award (First Form, Second Form, Third Form, Fourth Form), Academic Excellence Award (Fifth Form), Physics Prize (Lower Sixth), Winstanley Prize for Chemistry (Upper Sixth); Blue Gown Recipient (Fifth Form); School Prefect, House Prefect, Model United Nations Delegate, Debating Team; Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award (Pending), Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 2nd XI Hockey, 2nd XV Rugby (Half Colours), First Team Tennis (Full Colours) Thomas Taft (2020 M) Cadet (Cdt); 2nd XV Rugby

Academic and Sport Scholarships; Effort Award (Lower Sixth); Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); First Team Basketball (Full Colours), 1st XI Cricket (Full Colours), 1st XV Rugby (Full Colours) Benjamin Watkins (2020 C) Sport Scholarship; House Prefect; Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 1st XI Cricket (Full Colours), 1st XI Football (Captain and Full Colours), 2nd XI Hockey (Captain), 1st XV Rugby (Captain and Full Colours) Edward Wheble (2020 C) Art Scholarship; Effort Award (First Form, Fourth Form, Fifth Form), Achievement Award (Third Form), History Prize (Lower Sixth), Grizelle Prize for History (Upper Sixth), Spanish Prize (Upper Sixth), English Copy Prize (First Form); School Prefect; Grease (Jonny Casino’s Crew), Les Misérables (Gavroche), Mulan (Qian-Po), Blue Stockings (Prof Collins), The Sound Of Music (Herr Zeller), LAMDA - Bronze; Cadet (Cdt); Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed) Soraya Williams (2020 S) Boarding House Prefect; The Sound of Music (Stage Manager) Charlotte Wooldridge (2020 L) Sport Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (First Form), English Copy Prize (First Form); Head of Lambe’s House; Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (Completed); 1st XI Hockey (Half Colours), 1st VII Netball (Vice Captain and Full Colours), First Team Tennis Page 171 - The Suttonian 2020

OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY

Common Room Valete

A

long with our departing Upper Sixth students, the School also said farewell to a number of staff members this year. I am sure Old Suttonians will join the School in expressing a debt of gratitude for all that they have done for SVS over the years.

In Summer 2020, the School bid farewell to Emily Schofield, who had taught Art and Photography. From Modern Foreign Languages, we also said goodbye to Rebecca Howard and our French Assistant, Francis Callaway. Finally, in December this year, we said farewell to the Headmaster’s PA, Sarah O’Connell, who retired after 16 years at the School.

Miss Emily Schofield

Mrs Francis Callaway (Staff 2009-2020)

Miss Emily Schofield (Staff 2018-2020)

Mrs Sophie de Castro, Head of MFL

Mr Martin Thompson, Head of Art

F

E

Having grown up in Morocco, Francis’ first language was French. As such, her language skills, combined with her detailed knowledge of the British school and examinations system, made her an ideal candidate for the French Assistant role.

When Don Clarke (Staff 1985-2019) departed, Emily seamlessly took over the traditional darkroom and chemical-based Photography delivery, largely teaching herself these techniques from scratch, which worked surprisingly well... and we were forever grateful for this, as were her students.

Over the course of her time with us, Francis ensured that the pupils practised their examination technique thoroughly, but she also encouraged them to develop their language skills through general conversation. As part of that process, her pupils always enjoyed hearing her anecdotes and stories of having lived and worked all over the world.

In Art, Emily often bridged the gap between Fine Art and the more vocational aspects of the subject and worked tremendously hard to help improve provision for all year groups. Throughout her time with us, Emily remained largely unflappable, despite huge work-based pressures, especially in her first year. She was always a meticulously organised and forward thinking professional and she, Ngaere and myself have bonded well as a team.

rancis Callaway joined the Modern Foreign Languages department at SVS in September 2009 as our French Assistant. She quickly became an integral member of the department, providing invaluable support and guidance to the pupils as they prepared for their respective A Level and GCSE speaking examinations.

As well as teaching French, Francis also helped to run the administrative side of the department and made sure staff had all the equipment and resources they needed. For many years, she kept the department supplied with tea, coffee, biscuits and homemade cakes and she has always been a most supportive colleague to everyone .

She will be missed by everyone and we wish her all the best for her retirement and hope that she will be able to fulfill her dream of travelling around America.

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mily joined us two years ago as a young fashion designer with no prior teaching experience, to take on the iPGCE training programme with Buckinghamshire New University.

It was immediately obvious that she had great potential - and qualities that would see her succeed in her new career - honesty and exceptional work ethic to name just a couple.

Outside of the Art department, I know that Emily did a lot for the School community as a whole. She was, by all accounts, a fine tutor in Sutton, coached Netball and sang in the Chapel Choir. As a result, there are many within the community who already miss her energy, enthusiasm and friendship.

As she moves on to King’s College School, Wimbledon, we wish her every success for a long and fulfilling career in education.

OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY

Mrs Rebecca Howard (Staff 2017-2020) Mrs Sophie De Castro, Head of MFL

R

ebecca Howard initially joined the Modern Foreign Languages department as a temporary cover teacher between March and July 2017.

When we called on her to cover again in September 2017, she ended up staying for a further three years.

From that first cover period, Rebecca quickly settled into the department and became a valued and respected colleague. She gave her time willingly to help with departmental initiatives and accompanied the successful

Spanish trip to Cordoba in October 2018.

As well as teaching across the age range at SVS, Rebecca provided invaluable support as a Spanish assistant to pupils in the Fifth and Sixth Forms, preparing them for their speaking examinations.

Her easy-going nature and ability to remain calm and composed at all times were very welcome in the department and she will be greatly missed.

We wish her every success in her new position at Invicta Grammar School.

Mrs Rebecca Howard

Mrs Sarah O’Connell (Staff 2004-2020) Mr Bruce Grindlay, Headmaster

S

arah O’Connell retires this year after 16 years as PA to the Headmaster and she will be sorely missed by us all. Prior to joining SVS in 2005, Sarah had held many important roles including being PA to the Chief Executive of the Lawn Tennis Association; PA to Lawyers Bank of Bermuda (working in Bermuda) and secretary to the Secretary of the Test and County Cricket Board.

Sarah has been a wonderful PA: efficient, unflappable, proactive and brilliant at organising big show-piece occasions like Speech Day and the Leavers’ Dinner. She has also given considered and wise counsel and I thank her for allowing me to bounce ideas off her and to discuss difficult situations, my thought processes and decisions with her. She has so

much experience and possesses a very sensible, measured, humorous and refreshingly-honest approach to life. So honest that I am left in no doubt how she feels about having to minute our weekly staff briefing!

Sarah has always been very sporty, playing lacrosse at school and representing the county at swimming. This love continues as she is a regular player at Bearsted Tennis Club, attends weekly yoga classes and hopes retirement will give her the opportunity to improve her Golf handicap. I know that Sarah will not have a quiet or sedentary retirement and wish her well for her planned travels with her partner Graham; spending time with her talented children, Dominic and Claudia and continued success in whatever role she is lumbered with at the annual Hollingbourne Panto.

Mrs Sarah O’Connell

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OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY

Old Suttonian Updates

W

e are always delighted to hear news from Old Suttonians, whether it be in the form of a yearly update or, for those whom we have not heard from in a while, a more comprehensive overview of their time since leaving the School. The following is a selection spanning some 70 years of OS history. To have an update included in next year’s magazine, please contact the Development Office.

BURTON, John (1949 D) As part of the Government Service, John initially worked in Northern Frontier, Kenya, where he was the Officer in Charge of the Mandera Division. With the Shifta in the area becoming more violent, he was flown out of the country and returned to the UK in 1966, working out of Portman Square in London as a secretary for the National Trade Development Association. Whilst there, he was approached by Selection Trust and offered a job in Sierra Leone.

Having moved there in 1967, John ran into fellow Old Suttonian, George Harvey (1952 W), and they have remained in contact ever since. Whilst out in Sierra Leone, he also met a Canadian nurse, Susanne, who would become his wife in 1969. They eventually moved to Canada in 1978 when he was offered employment with Dow Chemical in Sarnia, Ontario.

He eventually retired from Dow as a manager of their Eastern Canadian and Canadian Region Security and Emergency Service. Since then, he joined a local hiking club and soon found himself organising one of his own. That group proved very successful and over the course of five years, they managed to hike some 1000k!

Sometime after 1997 he received an invitation to attend a reception at Saint James Palace in London, to mark the end of the Colonial Service, which was also attended by the Queen and Prince Phillip.

JORDAN, Patrick (1957 M) On leaving SVS in 1957, Patrick was told by his father, who was an ex-soldier from the Second World War, that he had to do National Service and should enlist straight away. The recruitment office suggested the Guards as he was 6’4” tall and he opted for the Household Cavalry, thinking riding a horse would be more fun than standing guard at palaces and the like. His state duties included three Trooping the Colours and the state visits of the Shah of Persia and the King of Thailand. He also rode alongside Princess Margaret’s coach at her wedding to Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960.

Having completed his time in the Cavalry, Patrick was commissioned into the Green Howards, a Yorkshire regiment, and served in Germany, Cyprus, Malta and Libya. Then, having left the Army he entered the oil industry where he spent the next 25 years in sales and marketing. He retired from Shell International in 1989.

His next career move was into training the long term unemployed, helping them back into work, which he did for eight years. More recently, he worked as a non-emergency ambulance driver for the NHS out of West Middlesex hospital. Allin-all a varied career lasting over 60 years.

Patrick has been married twice, firstly to Linda with whom he had a daughter, Emma-Louise.

She was trained by the Ballet Rambert in dance and still continues to practice her skills teaching in Southern Germany. Secondly to Julie whom he married in 1986. Together, they have a son, Marcus, who is currently reading Mathematics at the University of Sussex.

Hugh Tidby (1962 W)

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These days fully retired, Patrick likes to play a little golf and lives happily in Chiswick, West London.

SARONY, Neville (1958 M) Neville has recently completed the recording of an audio book version of his first novel The Dharma Expedient and hopes that this will be available before Christmas. In addition, the third in the Max Devlin series of adventures, The Chakrata Incident, is with the publishers and should also be out before Christmas.

Neville also reports that he had a most enjoyable meeting with Arthur Bowring (1968 L) this year and is hopeful of meeting up with fellow exGurkha Julian Buckeridge (1980 C) later in the year.

KOJECKÝ, Dr Roger (1961 L) Roger is pleased to report that he reorganised the Christian Literary Studies Group conference usually held at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, to a Zoom format, with scope for double the number of participants. The 2020 theme ‘Heaven and Nature’ brought in offers from Australia, France and the USA as well as the UK.

TIDBY, Hugh (1962 W) Upon leaving the School, Hugh began working in the City of London and qualified as a chartered accountant. He got married in 1972 and shortly afterwards moved to Canada with his wife.

He was employed by the firm of Coopers and Lybrand, which subsequently became PricewaterhouseCoopers. Having qualified as a chartered accountant in Canada, he became a partner with the firm in 1980. He was seconded to the federal government in Ottawa, where among other things, he led a comprehensive review of Atomic Energy of Canada. As part of that, he appeared before the Public Accounts committee of the House and his review led to a financial restructuring of the company.

Having worked in Winnipeg for several years, Hugh subsequently moved and became the Managing Partner for Atlantic Canada. He was on the Board and Executive Committee of the firm and was responsible for the firm’s country wide service approach to private business.

He was the lead partner internationally on McCain Foods Ltd. This assignment led to much international travel as, in addition to its headquarters in Canada, the company has

OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY operations in England, France, Germany, Spain, Poland, Argentina, Brazil and Australia, among others.

Hugh was also president of the Saint John Board of Trade and chairman of the Board of Governors of Rothesay Netherwood School, a co-educational independent boarding school in New Brunswick which both of his children attended.

He retired several years ago and he and his wife have spent several summers cruising on their yacht, which they keep in Maine. During the winter, they like to travel, though that has obviously been restricted this year.

He adds that he was touched by a piece in last year’s edition of The Suttonian mentioning Bob Hanworth (Staff 1954-1965). “Bob was one of the members of the School’s faculty who offered much needed support to me, an immature boy, an indifferent student and athlete, during my time at the School. I look back on him and his encouragement and support with much gratitude.”

PATTINSON, Stephen (1965 L) In July this year, Stephen and his wife, Val, celebrated their sapphire wedding anniversary.

Their daughter Juliette is now a professor and reader in Modern History at the University of Kent. He sends his regards to all other Lambe’s House pupils of 1962 to 1965.

RICHARDS, Neil (1967 F) Neil was featured in mid-July on an ITV News report about the return of village Cricket following the period of lockdown. Filmed at Merchant Taylors’ School in Rickmansworth,

Neil Richards (1967 F) on ITV News

Alan Murray (1971 C) and granddaughter, Esther

where he used to teach, Neil made a particular effort to ensure he was wearing the correct PPE, albeit upside down!

MURRAY, Alan (1971 C) Alan continues to live in South Australia having emigrated in 1983. The first 28 years of those were spent working in advertising agencies in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney with, most notably, Young & Rubicam Advertising.

A few years ago, having recognised all the signs of becoming AGOM (a grumpy old man), he decided to apply his skills and experience in pastures new, leaving the agency corridors for a new career in pet cremation!

YATES, Stephen (1971 F) Stephen reports that he retired after 40 years of teaching English as a foreign language just three days before the start of lockdown. His retirement has therefore not necessarily been as he had imagined it might be, including a cancelled trip to Seoul when he had hoped to spend time with his daughter.

Following his last update a few years ago, he was delighted to hear from a former classmate and he would be pleased for a repeat after this update. As such, if any Old Suttonians from the mid 1960s to early 1970s era would like to get back in touch, please contact the Development Office, who will be able to provide his contact details.

He accepts that this is as far away as possible from the Mad Men world of his previous career, but that “visits to vet clinics provide a daily and constant source of inspiration and positive experience…the vets, vet nurses and all who devote their days to the care and healing of our pets are a special breed…and I am very fortunate to have found myself working around these generous spirited people in the twilight of my working life.”

Finally, on a similar note, he is wondering if any former classmates from the 1965 intake are interested in a reunion, either in 2025 (for the 60 year reunion of their arrival at the School) or earlier, at a pub in a convenient location? If so, please do get in touch by contacting the Development Office.

He has recently welcomed his newest grandchild, Esther (pictured) born to his daughter Sarah. His eldest daughter, Rebecca is also expecting her third child later this year.

Mark left SVS in the early 1970s to complete his secondary education at a grammar school.

He went on to read for a bachelors and then a masters degree at London and the University

HISKETT, Mark (1972 C)

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The Venerable Amaro Bikkhu (1973 F)

of Reading respectively, before attending Sandhurst officer training in early 1980.

He joined the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers on a short service commission and subsequently took the option to extend this to a regular commission. He served as an infantry officer in various theatres around the world and enjoyed a variety of different roles. After a full career, he retired from the Army in 2014 and returned to his agricultural interests by working as an account manager for Anglia Farmers for three years.

He is married to Morag and they have two daughters, who work as a doctor and a lawyer, respectively. Mark and Morag live on the eastern side of Salisbury Plain in the Avon valley, where he enjoys cycling, golf, field sports and his family connections with Scotland.

BIKKHU, The Venerable Amaro (1973 F) Last year, Amaro, formerly Jeremy Horner (1973 F), was given a new ecclesiastical title within the Thai Buddhist system. In December 2015, he had been given the title and name Chao Khun Videsabuddhiguna; but last year he was given a new name and a title of the next rank up, Chao Khun Rājabuddhivaraguna. The title is Page 176 - The Suttonian 2020

something of a cross between being a knight and a bishop, although instead of being dubbed with a sword or having a crosier and mitre, he receives a ceremonial fan (as pictured).

In other news, in March last year, Amaro was invited to an interfaith conference on the environment at the Vatican, entitled ‘Religions and the Sustainable Development Goals’. He was also invited to give the keynote address to the UN in Geneva (remotely) for this year’s Buddha Day in May. This is the only religious festival the UN hosts each year, based on the agreement of all member nations on the positive contribution of Buddhism to global well-being.

BETTS, Dr Andrew (1977 F) Andrew reports that he has just retired after 30 years of teaching French and German at Lancing College. He was also a housemaster for 12 years, the Head of French and finally the Registrar for his last five years.

He now lives in Steyning, not far from Lancing and hopes, when conditions are better, to split his time between there and his house in Creuse in France, which he has had since 2002.

This summer, he welcomed Mabel, his third grandchild.

DIGBY, Dr Richard (1978 F) Richard graduated from the Welsh National School of Medicine in Cardiff in 1985 and went on to work as a general practitioner and partner at The Old School Surgery in Cranbrook for the past 35 years. Recently retired, he married his partner Claire, in October this year.

TAKI, Samer (1978 W) Samer is still with Merrill Lynch in the New York area, now working from home and adapting to the new reality of using technology to connect with clients and the office.

He remains in regular touch with Michael Darling (1979 L), Richard Nichols (1978 L) and Ibrahim Mardam-Bey (1981 C) as well as his Westminster housemaster at the time, the great Graham Able (Staff 1969-1983). He has also reconnected with Nicholas Timms (1978 W) and Richard Fetherston (1978 W) as well as Neville Sarony QC (1958 M) in Hong Kong.

He writes that “Sutton Valence for me represents very important and formative years that shaped my adult life until now. It was an all-boys school of course and that toughened me up and accelerated adapting to being away from

OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY home. The Music, Arts, Literature and Science I was exposed to during my time at SVS still stay with me and especially for Music, bring back the sights, sounds and emotions of the School during the 1970s. I did play Rugby for a while and it was hilarious when I tried to explain to my new friends at university in the US that I played the position of ‘hooker’!”

MONCUR, Guy (1981 W) Guy retired from the Army in 2013 as a lieutenant colonel after just under 30 years in the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. He then spent four and half years working for Capita before moving to his current role as a principal consultant, focussing mostly in the Defence and Security sector, with PA Consulting.

EDWARDS, John (1988 F) In November 2018, John’s previous employer, NEX Group was acquired by CME Group (Chicago Mercantile Exchange) and in June last year, he accepted a significant increase in his responsibility and now works as the Managing Director, Global Head of BrokerTec. BrokerTec offers three trading platforms to access fixed income markets. This covers anonymous matching, request-for-quote (RFQ) trading, or relationship-based streaming. BrokerTec has been vital to the fixed income markets for over 20 years. BrokerTec central limit order book (CLOB) is the industry-leading, dealer-todealer electronic trading platform supporting US Treasuries, US and EU repo markets and European government bond cash markets.

Like many, John and his wife, Catherine, have been working from home since March and there is no plan to return any time soon or in any significant capacity. He notes that the switch for the financial markets from office-based to home or remote working practices has been broadly very successful and well adopted, in many cases seeing an increase in productivity.

Home life is still focused in and around Tunbridge Wells with his children, now five and seven years old enjoying school at Holmewood House School.

BRUMBELOW, Robert (1990 W) Many of you will remember Robert, an ESU scholar who spent a year in Westminster House from 1989 until 1990. Unfortunately, his health has deteriorated over the course of the last year and he sent us the following update explaining the situation: “Since my last update, I have survived a bout of necrotizing fasciitis, found out I have Addison’s

disease, autoimmune hepatitis, multiple sclerosis, “disappearing bone disease” and a myopathy for which we are still waiting on the results of a genetic test to know which one it is. I will soon be wheelchair bound and so this has put a hold on my medical school studies and for the time being I am studying Public Administration at the master’s level.

I spent the period between 27th January and 2nd July 2020 completely bed bound with these conditions and a series of falls that left my back broken in three places. The good news is that I can walk about 50 to 75 steps with the assistance of a cane and that is a dramatic improvement.

Please keep me and my doctors in your thoughts and prayers, they will be installing a pulling seton which will slowly cut through the wound like a string through ice, hopefully dragging the wound site with it.”

Samer Taki (1978 W)

I am sure that those of you who remember Robert will want to send your best. If you would like to get in touch with him, please contact the Development Office, who will provide his contact details.

MITSON, Guy (1990 M) After working for the BBC in London, Guy moved to North Somerset in 2004 where he continued to work in online media, before setting up his own business making bespoke, handmade furniture from timber reclaimed in South-West England and Wales.

His business specialises in building items for musicians and recording studios, drawing upon his time as a sound engineer in his early 20s and a lifelong passion for all things wood. To view some of Guy’s pieces please go to his website at https://chunkystudiofurniture.co.uk. Away from work, he has two sons who are both now in secondary school, aged 11 and 15.

Guy Moncur (1981 W)

HINCHEY (NÉE TAYLOR), Janine (1991 V) After working for an aviation-based training company for five years, the period of lockdown inspired Janine to take a leap into the unknown and set up her own business as a CV writer and interview skills/employment trainer, helping people get interview ready and find the right job.

JONES (NÉE KOHLI), Sujata (1991 S) Sue is currently living in Kent with her partner, Edward. She works for Morgan Stanley managing corporate travel procurement for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, APAC and the US.

Guy Mitson (1990 M)

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OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY She still regularly sees fellow Old Suttonians Emily Sykes (1991 V) and Abigail Dale [née Cooke] (1990 S) and keeps in touch with sisters Krystyna Bielecki (1989 S) and Ruth Bielecki (1989 S), visiting them last year with Emily.

Three years ago, Sujata organised an exValence House reunion lunch at Sea Containers London for the girls in her year. In total, ten of them enjoyed a great afternoon and plenty of champagne!

Joining Sue that day were Victoria Acquah [née Grey] (1989 V), Lucy Burrage [née Piper] (1990 V), Nicola Ellis [née Aviss] (1991 V), Amanda Fowler (1990 V), Anita-Lynne Henderson-Beale [née Henderson] (1991 V), Janine Hinchey [née Taylor] (1991 V), Saffron Jelley [née Tom] (1991 V), Hannah Nixon (1989 V) and Elizabeth Perks [née New] (1991 V).

AMISSAH, Leslie (1993 M) Leslie lives and works in Accra, Ghana and runs several companies in the PR, marketing and hospitality industries. The two main ones are Portobello & Company and mosaicblue communications Ltd. His son, Leonard James Amissah-Mueller was born in April 2015.

CHANCE, Robert (Staff 19611993) Bob writes that he has now retired as a member of Headcorn Parish Church choir during which

he was choirmaster for a good number of years, his last service being the Christmas morning service of 2017.

Unfortunately, within a few weeks of that date, Anne, Bob’s wife for 55 years, fell ill with a nasty depressive illness. She was in hospital for nearly nine months and, since her discharge, she has been at home with Bob serving as her principal carer.

They have both been very grateful for the help provided by many friends and neighbours who have been prepared to sit with Anne, as well as the Crossroads Care organisation, which has been especially prominent. Bob also wishes to thank David Pickard (Staff 1977-2001, 20092015) for the hours they have spent on the putting greens of local courses allowing Bob some welcome fresh air and an opportunity for a natter.

Bob wishes to express his sadness at the passing of Richard Eaton (1972 C), whose obituary was included in The Suttonian 2019. He recalls that a tutor system had been introduced which threw them together. They had many worthwhile conversations, Richard being a friendly, courteous young man who was clearly going to have much to offer once he had moved on from the School environment.

Bob also remembered John Waters (obituary also included in The Suttonian 2019). John’s son, Tim (1978 M), had just left St Margaret’s at the time that Bob took over the House from

Keith Smith (Staff 1968-1991). Bob particularly remembers John when they had met at Folkestone racecourse – sadly no longer in existence. Their most frequent rendezvous was at the Tote windows where John was collecting his winnings!

Just before Anne left hospital in the autumn of 2018, Bob received correspondence from Amaro Bhikkhu, formerly Jeremy Horner (1973 F). He had been the 1st XV hooker in 1971-1972 and Kent Champion in the Under 18 hurdles in 1973.

He was kind enough to send Bob four of his books published over the last 20 years. Having travelled the world teaching Buddhism, he is now Abbot of the Amaravati Buddhist centre outside London.

Within his update, Bob wished to include the following reflection, “Life takes so many turns and you just have to roll with the disappointments and make the very most of the highs when they come along. This simple creed has served us well, and our three children and five grandsons are all a delight and prospering in their different spheres.

Forget the lows, the unfairness, the times when everything about you seemed to pile up against you and remember the joys, the family happinesses, and the special occasions when circumstances have served up brilliant and shining examples of what makes life worth living. And most of us will have many, many memories of the latter, overwhelmingly eclipsing the former.”

KAUFMANN (NÉE KLINGEMANN), Laura (1998 S) Pippa Scott-Haynes (2004 H), husband David and son, Edward.

Laura left the School in 1998 having spent a year in Sutton House. She now lives in Calberlah, just outside Wolfsburg in Lower Saxony, where she works for Volkswagen. She is married and has a son, Kimi.

HAYZELDEN, Charles (1999 L) In December last year, Charlie and his wife Claire welcomed their first child, daughter Edith Sophie Hayzelden. Charlie is keen to catch up with others from his time at SVS.

SCOTT-HAYNES (NÉE SCOTT), Philippa (2004 H) Philippa and her husband, David, are pleased to announce the birth of their first child, Edward Robert Haynes (known as Eddie), on 30th July 2020 at Pembury Hospital weighing 7 lbs 10 ounces.

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ROBINSON, David (1989 W) After completing my A levels at SVS, I started my career in the Ministry of Defence. My primary responsibility was to be part of a team procuring helicopters and their engines, after which I transferred to the Air Staff, where I looked after public concerns due to incidents relating to low flying aircraft in Scotland and Wales.

I left the Ministry of Defence just after the shocking Chinook crash in the Mull of Kintyre and moved out to Australia. Upon getting lost on a solo trip trying to cross a desert, I ended up in a small town where I met an individual, in the local pub, who was running a helicopter outfit in Papua New Guinea. He offered me a job. I took up his kind offer, found my way home and flew out to PNG. Working there, living in some hardy conditions, flying in helicopters in the most awesome environment, learning how to get along with locals was an experience for a 24 year old and I shall always be thankful for it.

The PNG helicopter company operated Russian, French and American helicopters which were used for all sorts of activities. The Sandline Affair put Papua New Guinea in the news and after a good few years in PNG and the Far East, I found myself working in Hawaii and Vancouver. Returning to the UK just prior to the end of 1999, I joined the UK Defence Industry and within three years I became a senior executive specialising in commercial business and international trading in Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. I helped a company in the US to defeat IEDs in Afghanistan and Iraq through partnering with other technology companies. I also worked in mergers, acquisitions and divestments and traded in a broad portfolio of products and services from submarines, communications, ships, robotics and air systems as a director within various defence companies.

I left the Defence Industry in 2012 and returned to the Pacific to secure air navigation business to help the countries redesign their airspace to improve safety whilst improving their GDP from more efficient management of air traffic. During this time, I was offered the opportunity to work in Libya, traveling to and from the country over a number of years. My task was to help open up the airspace and airports to help the country introduce some much needed commerce and improve security. Libya was a real eye-opener into how the world really worked politically, and how commerce and industry fitted into that political environment. After two and a half years in Libya, there was a chance of installing my own privately-funded company, in Malta, to help the Libyans open their air transport routes, working with Arab and European commerce, but unfortunately the opposing factions within Libya could not find compromise and the country fell into political chaos.

I became a general manager of an overseas remote digital (air traffic) tower company for a time and then returned to the UK as a consultant. I now work for myself, selling my skills into companies to help them win large business deals from conception to closure, as a campaign/capture director, which I really enjoy.

Travelling through “difficult” countries during my career was challenging. I have been pulled out of cars at roadblocks, arrested for no reason, car-jacked, shot at, robbed and negotiated deals with some fairly unscrupulous individuals. I am not sure I would have wanted it any other way: probably felt differently at the time!

I purchased a thatched cottage in Wiltshire and married my wife some years ago.

I was delighted to have Chris Parkinson (Staff 1978-2005), The Revd David Barnes (Staff 1976-1986), Roger Oaten (1989 W) and Andrew Miles (1989 W) attending the wedding. I now have a son called Albert, now 13, who is taught Cricket at his school, Dauntsey’s, by Bill Wilson (Staff 1984-2003), my former Westminster House tutor. Now approaching 50 years of age, I feel very content and have started to reflect on my earlier years and SVS. I am proud to be a product of SVS: it’s where it all began for me. It has been said “show me the boy at 12 and I will show you the man”, granted, but this man is ever so grateful to SVS for the values that were instilled when I was there. Those values and the learning I received at SVS from my teachers, and particularly my two housemasters, travelled with me always and remain with me to this day.

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SELWAY, William (2004 G) Since his last update in The Suttonian, Will spent two years as a general surgery registrar on the East of England training programme where he spent his time working at Ipswich Hospital.

As of October 2019, he relocated to London to take up a new training post as a vascular surgery registrar and is currently based at St George’s Hospital, Tooting.

Earlier this year, St George’s evolved into the COVID-19 hub for south west London and, at the height of the pandemic, he was redeployed to work on the Intensive Care units looking after those worst affected by the virus. His insightful account of his time in this role is included in the Features section of this magazine and we are grateful, not only for his service, but for his time in providing the report.

Thankfully he is now back with the vascular surgery team and in October this year, he began two years of research into acute aortic syndrome at St George’s, whilst continuing with clinical work with a view to obtaining a Doctorate of Medicine (MD). The rest of his training will take place in the vascular centres across the London teaching hospitals.

DOHERTY (NÉE HUTCHINSON), Rosie (2005 C) Rosie and her husband Daniel are delighted to announce the arrival of their second child, born on 9th May 2020. Daisy Rae Doherty was born weighing 8lb 4oz. She is a little sister to Chloe who was born in February 2018.

COYLE, Henry (2006 C) Having previously worked for the Bank of England, Henry now does a similar job in Dubai.

In September 2015 he married Louise Clare Flower at East Sutton Church, with the reception at Barling Farm in East Sutton. Last Christmas, the couple welcomed a son named Albert Harry Willoughby Coyle (known as Bertie) weighing 5lb 12oz.

DODD, Matthew (2006 W) On 31st August 2019, Matthew Dodd married Alana Cane at Beaconside House, Bideford in Devon. Fellow Old Suttonian Toby Withers Green (2006 W) served as best man and other OS present included Henry Coyle (2006 C), Adam Bowman (2007 W) and Wesley Jackson (2007 H).

SCOTT, Jonathan (2006 C) On 5th October 2019, Jonathan Scott married Hannah Slack at All Hallows School Chapel in Brisbane, Queensland. Jonathan’s sister, Pippa Haynes [née Scott] (2004 H) was chief bridesmaid, Ben Pearson-Clarke (2006 M) was the best man and Henry Coyle (2006 C) was an usher. Other Old Suttonians attending on the day included Jonathan’s father Mark Scott (1976 F), his uncle Andrew Scott (1971 F), Elizabeth Skinner [née Mannington] (2004 C) and Christopher Scragg (1969 F). In total, a party of 50 guests travelled from the UK to Australia for the wedding and reception held at St Lucia Golf Club on the shores of the Brisbane River.

Hannah Slack is the daughter of Andrew and Caroline Slack from Brisbane. Andrew was captain of the 1984 Wallabies Rugby Union team that had a Grand Slam tour that year to Great Britain and Ireland.

Jonathan and Hannah have now settled in the Chelmer suburb of Brisbane where he works in commercial property for Cushman and Wakefield.

WITHERS-GREEN, Toby (2006 W) Toby and his wife, Louise, welcomed their third child, born on 4th October 2019. Clementine Florence Withers-Green is a little sister to twins Matilda and Phoebe, who were born in 2017.

COYLE, Benjamin (2008 H) Ben Coyle married Elisa Bandini on 6th July 2019 at a ceremony in Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy. They now live in Germany , where Ben works as a Financial Controller and Elisa is working towards her PhD.

WATERS, Harry (2008 W) Harry continues to work as a portfolio manager for Axa Investment Managers but has spent the last six months working from home. He and his wife Ruby [née Burfoot] (2009 L) were delighted to welcome their first child, Hugo, who was born on December 28th 2019.

KERSTHOLT, Sven (2010 M)

Rosie Doherty (2005 C) and her daughter, Daisy

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On 26th September, Sven married his partner Carina in Freienohl, Germany. His brother Nils (2009 M) attended, but unfortunately other Old Suttonians who were due to attend were unable to do so due to the travel restrictions. As further good news, Sven and Carina are also expecting their first child in April next year.

OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY

Matt Dodd (2006 W) and his wife, Alana

Jonathan Scott (2006 C) and his wife, Hannah

Sven Kerstholt (2010 M) and his wife, Carina

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WALSH, Hayden (2010 H) Back in March, Head of Cricket, Mr Wells, caught up with Old Suttonian Hayden Walsh Jnr (2010 H), who has established himself as a regular in the West Indies One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 Cricket teams.

Hayden, born in the US Virgin Islands to Antiguan parents, attended SVS as a Richie Richardson Scholar - a scheme that allowed promising West Indian cricketers to attend the School. Since leaving us, Hayden has carved out a successful career in Cricket and is an inspiration for many of our pupils.

Hayden kindly gave the School a West Indies signed shirt, that we will proudly display in the Sydney Wooderson Sports Centre.

HUTCHINSON, Andrew (Staff 1995-2011, Governor 2013-)

Andrew Hutchinson (Staff 1995-2011, Governor 2013-)

We received the fantastic photo (to the right) of SVS Governor Andrew Hutchinson at the Lee Valley Velopark at the Olympic Park in Stratford.

Andrew was cycling as part of a present from daughters Sophie (2003 H) and Rosie (2005 C) for his 70th birthday. His track session concluded with a flying lap in which he came 10th out of 11, although he was giving at least 25 years to all the other riders!

the role that our built environment has in global warming and climate change, accounting for more than the industrial sector and transportation sectors. His interest in this area ignited his passion for green building, propelling him into a postgraduate Masters of Architecture course which he is set to complete in 2022 at the University of Arizona College of Architecture Planning and Landscape Architecture (CAPLA).

KELLY-JONES, Alec (2013 M)

Alec has recently accepted the position of president of the University of Arizona chapter of the United States Green Building Council, which enables architecture students to achieve their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation expanding their skill sets and employment opportunities post graduation.

Since leaving Sutton Valence, Alec has been continuing his education at the University of Arizona in Tuscon. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Built Environments in 2019 which, as he explains, served to highlight

ŠKODOVÁ, Pavlina (2013 S) Pavlina was due to marry fellow Old Suttonian, James Aburn (2013 M) in August, but they have decided to postpone the wedding until next summer (2021) due to the COVID-19 restrictions in place. Pavlina originally met James on her first day at the School having joined as an HMC Scholar in 2011. After leaving Sutton Valence, they both pursued further studies at the University of Aberdeen, completing their undergraduate and postgraduate studies there.

Since graduating, Pavlina has worked in public affairs and she is currently working as a communications officer for a Member of Parliament.

Hayden Walsh (2010 H) and Vince Wells (Staff 2008-)

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PERCIVAL, Harry (2014 W) Harry reports that back in March he and Guy Thomas (2015 F) commissioned from Sandhurst

as Second Lieutenants into the Royal Artillery.

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions, they were not able to have a full commissioning ceremony but were sent straight to their new regiments. Guy deployed with his battery from 47RA to man testing units in the Midlands region over a two-month period. Harry was sent to 16RA and whilst his soldiers were also involved in testing units, his regiment did not deploy officers.

DAWKINS, Adam (2016 H) This summer, Adam graduated from Loughborough University with a First Class Honours in BSc Geography with Economics.

He is currently seeking graduate positions in management consultancy, business consultancy and technical operations. He has also offered any advice or guidance to current students who may be considering Loughborough as a university choice.

HOPPE, Vendula (2016 S) Congratulations to Old Suttonian Vendy Hoppe (2016 S) who has been awarded the Dr Greg Wells Research Award from the University of Warwick for her master’s thesis. The award will support her archival research in Venice, investigating how foreigners shopped in the city in the sixteenth century.

Having left SVS in 2016, Vendy studied History and French at the University of Manchester before transferring to Warwick for her masters course. Having completed that, she will now be returning to the University of Manchester to undertake a PhD in History, for which she has received full funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY

In Memoriam ABRAHAM, Denis (1936 M) Died 03 June 2020

HARDWICK, Robert (1940 M) Died 01 February 2020

BERTIOLI, David (1973 C) Died 23 January 2020

HOLLOWAY, John (1950 M) Died 05 November 2019

CLARKE, Christopher (1961 W) Died 27 August 2019

HOWARD, Sir Michael Died 30 November 2019

CLIFTON, Albert (1957 M) Died 07 April 2020

LEIPER, David (1960 L) Died 27 April 2020

DAVIES, Richard (1958 M) Died 17 November 2019

MATHER, James (1940 M) Died 23 September 2019

DE LUCY, William (1966 F) Died 07 December 2019

MORTIMER, Andrew (1966 F) Died 22 December 2019

EATOUGH, Christopher (1940 W) Died 02 April 2020

STEWART, Ian (1942 M) Died 26 December 2019

EVENDEN, Simon (1981 F) Died on 20 October 2020

STOFFEL, Allen (1956 M) Died on 15 February 2020

FISK, Robert (1964 W) Died 30 October 2020

STUBBLEFIELD, Rodney (1955 M) Died 07 October 2019

GODFREY-FAUSSETT, Thomas Died 12 July 2020

VALLANCE, Elizabeth, The Lady Died 08 July 2020

HARDWICK, Anthony (1946 M) Died 24 July 2019

WHEELER, Harold (1939 M) Died 15 August 2020

HARDWICK, Henry (1945 M) Died 27 September 2020

WICKES, Peter (1942 M) Died 07 October 2019

HARDWICK, Richard (1943 M) Died 26 February 2019

YONGE, Charles (1964 F) Died 20 January 2020

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Harold Wheeler (1939 M) Passed away on 15 August 2020

A

dedicated farming educator and broadcaster who was one of the early pioneers behind Norfolk’s agricultural college, Harold ‘Bill’ Wheeler (1939 M), has died in New Zealand at the age of 99.

Bill Wheeler was one of the original lecturers at Easton Agricultural College when it was founded in 1951, and he served as vice principal there from 1955 to 1977 while extending his educational reach through TV and radio broadcasting.

Just before his death he had given much merriment to Nigel Jones and Anne Wilkinson who visited him on behalf of the School, just prior to his hundredth birthday. He told them of the good times he had whilst at the School, remembering his participation in plays and on the games field in particular. One thing he remembered, which may distinguish him from many is that his entry into Oxford was the result of his not pursuing his first choice of Wye College! He was just beginning his studies to prepare him for his agricultural course at Wye when he was given some stern advice from the Careers Master, and together they determined on Hertford College Oxford, into which he passed in 1941 with a leaver’s scholarship from the School.

A morning radio show was followed by TV appearances on the popular Farming Diary programme from the mid 1960s, and he covered farming topics for the BBC in the eastern region.

He also made 30 farming education films which took him all over the country, focusing on dairy farming, pig production, mechanisation and farm management.

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Born in Sussex in 1921, Mr Wheeler graduated with an agricultural degree from Oxford University in 1944. During his wartime military service he was involved in the development of radar as part of the defence of the east coast, and he also met Margaret, whom he married in 1945.

After the war, the couple moved to Norfolk and, in 1948, Mr Wheeler joined a new educational establishment at Woodbastwick Hall, known as the Woodbastwick Farm Institute, which was set up to retrain former military personnel in the nation’s new priority of agriculture and food production.

He then moved to Easton in 1951 and, after retiring as vice principal in 1977, he was able to spend more time at Hill Farm in Welborne, near Mattishall, which he had bought in 1964 to set up a pig enterprise – his agricultural speciality.

He sold the farm in 1980 and moved to Dereham, from where he carried out consultancy work for leading farming families and groups. He moved to New Zealand in 1987, where his daughter Sue had already made a home.

We are grateful to the newspaper in his home town in New Zealand for providing most of this information.

OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY

Christopher Eatough (1940 W) Passed away on 02 April 2020

C

hristopher Eatough (1940 W) was born on 1st February 1926 and arrived at SVS shortly before the Second World War. Originally a junior boarder in Bentley’s (Holdgate) he latterly transferred to Westminster. Unfortunately his time at the School was cut short by the war and he was evacuated to the United States in 1940. We heard of his death from his daughter, Paula, who included the following obituary for her father: “My sister and I have been overwhelmed by the kind words that we have received following the death of our much loved father, Christopher Eatough. He often talked with fondness about his time at Sutton Valence School, albeit it was cut short when he was evacuated. Having left the UK, he finished his education at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. Whilst there, he was part of a soccer team captained by a young, future President, George H W Bush. When not at school, he spent time in

New York with his aunt, later regaling stories of his enjoyment of the high life of 1940s New York society. He returned to the UK after his schooling, but immediately returned to the US for flying training just before the war ended.

Having once again returned to the UK after the war, Chris settled in Woking and married Margaret in 1950. Their enduring and happy marriage only ended with her death in 2018. He trained as a chartered surveyor and commuted to London, working on projects including the new computer building at Heathrow Airport. At the end of his working life he spent two years in Zimbabwe working at the Wankie Power Station.

He was a devoted family man, fine father to my sister and me and loving grandfather to his two grandsons. He loved his golf and was a pillar of New Zealand Golf Club. The memories that have been relayed to us have been of his enduring love for Mum and his persona, as a truly gentle man. He is much missed.”

Ian Stewart (1942 M) Passed away on 26 December 2019

I

an Douglas Battersby Stewart (more recently known as Gerald) died, aged 94, last Christmas. Born on 29th April 1925, he attended Sutton Valence School as a boarder in St Margaret’s from 1939 until 1942.

cases of Palestinian and Jewish terrorists. He was eventually discharged from the Army on medical grounds and became a professional photographer working for Tempest, the national photography group specialising in early years, schools and university images.

Upon leaving the School, he followed his father into the Army and was commissioned into the Scots Guards and subsequently joined the Black Watch. He attained the rank of captain and served in Germany and Palestine, where he worked on military tribunals in

Subsequent to that, he set up his own business and was well known in and around Kent and East Sussex as a school photographer. He did not marry and lived for the last 40 years in Tunbridge Wells.

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The Hardwick Brothers Standing: Cecil (1945 M) and Richard (1943 M), seated: Anthony (1946 M) and Robert (1940 M)

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e are sad to report the passing of brothers Robert, Richard, Cecil and Anthony Hardwick, who collectively attended the School between 1936 and 1946. The four brothers, who each lived into their nineties, all sadly passed away within 18 months of one another. We are grateful to the family and, in particular Cecil’s wife Wendy, for collating and contributing the following obituaries.

Dr Robert Hardwick (1940 M) Passed away on 01 February 2020

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he eldest of the four Hardwick brothers, Robert grew up with his siblings at Uplands in Headcorn and was the first to arrive at Sutton Valence School back in 1936. Having completed his studies at the School, he moved on to train as a doctor at St Thomas’ Hospital in London.

When first married, he had a house built at the top of Mill Bank in Headcorn, where he also had his surgery. He then moved to Shenley House, opposite

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the Headcorn aerodrome in 1973. He took over as Headcorn GP from his father, before becoming a consultant at Maidstone Hospital and running a doctor training scheme, working as a geriatric consultant and helping to set up the new hospital.

Robert always loved sport, playing Tennis, Rugby and Cricket at the School, and going on to be an active member of Headcorn Cricket Club. He was also a member of the Parish Council for 50 years and served as chairman for many of those.

He was happily married to Audrey for 62 years and had two children, Nicola and Philip (1973 F). Maintaining a strong affinity to SVS, he sent Philip to the School in the late-Sixties. Like his father, Philip excelled at sport, playing for the 1st XV as well as the School’s Athletics, Cross Country and Sailing teams, the latter of which he captained.

Some twenty years later, a third generation of the family arrived at the School with Nicola’s daughter, Emma Poultney (1993 V) [née Lloyd]. She also took full advantage of the sporting provision, captaining the Girls’ 1st XI Hockey team.

As you will have gleaned from the above, Robert was very much a Headcorn man; he lived in the village all of his life and died at home there, aged 97 whilst watching Rugby on the television, having had lunch in the George and Dragon that day!

OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY

Dr Richard Hardwick (1943 M) Passed away on 26 February 2019

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ichard was the second of the brothers to attend the School.

He remembered a happy childhood exploring the local countryside, enjoying experiments, one of which blew a hole in the nursery ceiling, and the excitement of the Battle of Britain fought above the Kent fields, where he was hay making.

At the School, he recalled the swimming pool being full of ash from the guns of Dunkirk. Though always talented at Mathematics, Richard struggled with English and Languages. Determined to be a doctor, this made matriculation seem impossible, but thanks to extra tuition, he finally passed Latin.

Studying at St Thomas’s Hospital during the war, he excelled at science subjects, played Rugby against all of the major clubs, played water polo and had some fairly wild sailing holidays in a consultant’s borrowed boat!

After ten years in hospital jobs, he followed his lifelong dream of being a country GP. He joined a two-village practice in Hampshire with John Ker, and soon built up his Liphook end and built a new surgery. He was noted to be an excellent diagnostician and with his hospital experience and MRCP qualification, became one of the early GP trainers.

In 1966, he married Valerie McLachlan. These were very busy years with huge surgeries, driving around doing home visits, a growing family of four children and always two Labradors. He enjoyed gardening and took up bee-keeping, making all of his own hives and equipment. Holidays were spent walking in the Lakes in spring and camping in France in the summer.

He was a strong swimmer and loved fishing.

He retired late, just in time to miss the targets and reorganisation of general practice. He loved medicine, meeting people and becoming an integral part of the village. He became the ‘voice of reason’ in his Parish Council, dealt with swarms for the local bee-keeping society, maintained a large garden and played tennis until 84. He is remembered by his extended family as a towering figure who loved to preside over huge family gatherings.

Cecil Hardwick (1945 M) Passed away on 27 September 2020

During compulsory military service, he attended a University of Cambridge short-course and had hoped to continue there reading Chemistry but, with so many post-war applicants delaying his entry for a further year, he elected to read Metallurgy at Battersea Polytechnic.

Half of his career was spent in the steel and aluminium industry and half in injection-moulded plastics which took him around the world. Having retired on his 65th birthday, he worked tirelessly as a volunteer for local charities. He was married for 65 years to Wendy Allan-Smith (the elder sister of Anthony’s wife, Penny Allan-Smith). He was a family man, loved his garden and allotment, enjoyed taking grandchildren on holiday in a trailer tent or canal boat - and to his two daughters was just Daddy.

Anthony Hardwick (1946 M) Passed away on 24 July 2019

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nthony was the youngest of the four brothers and had fond memories of Sutton Valence School - the friendships and the freedom he enjoyed there. Having spent the large part of his time at the School during the war years, this led to some fascinating, though at times alarming, stories of his exploits, including finding shrapnel in the grounds!

On leaving the School, he studied at the Royal Veterinary College in London and from there followed his dream job as a vet in the countryside of West Sussex. With his veterinary partners, including his life-long friend, Ian Haggis (1946 M), he expanded Downland Veterinary Group practice across the county. Anthony loved his career as a vet; the outdoor life, the people he met and the range of animals he came across (including camels...).

Anthony was an enthusiastic cabinet maker, carpenter and DIY man. He volunteered his skills at the Weald and Downland Museum (now home to BBC’s Repair Shop) and created furniture for his home. A keen sailor in Chichester Harbour, he delighted in days messing around on the water in his dingy or his windsurfer. He had a love of hiking and his passion for gardening saw him through his whole life.

Anthony married Penny Allan-Smith and they brought up four children in West Sussex, later enjoying 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

He found pleasure in all he did and he leaves lasting memories for his family of a man with great resilience, quiet determination and gentle companionship.

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ecil was the only one of the brothers to be known by his second name; baptised Henry Cecil, he was always called Cecil. He outlived his three siblings, but sadly died in September this year.

He always spoke of childhood and his school days at Sutton Valence School as happy times. Growing up, he enjoyed games such as bicycle polo, tennis and cycling around Headcorn collecting bomb shells.

He preferred sport, especially Rugby, to academic school work and knew from an early age that he did not intend to follow a medical career like his grandfather, father and two elder brothers. Instead, upon leaving the School, he joined the Army on VE Day. Whilst with the Army, he learned a lot of bad language very fast, quickly discovered he could sell his cigarette allocation, and realised how protected his childhood had been!

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Rodney Stubblefield (1955 M) Governor (1995-1999) Passed away on 07 October 2019

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t the end of last year, we were sad to learn that Old Suttonian and former School Governor Rodney Stubblefield had died at the age of 81. An active member of the former OSA, Rodney retained a lifelong connection with Sutton Valence School and will be missed greatly by all who knew him. We are grateful to fellow Old Suttonians Adam Maberly (1957 F) and Mark Grundy (1955 W) for their respective contributions to the following obituary: “Rodney came to SVS on a Foundation Scholarship in 1951, joining his elder brother, Peter (1952 M) who, by then, was in his final year. He studied at the School for four years as a boarder in St Margaret’s. He was a talented sportsman, representing the Athletics team and playing 1st XV Rugby and 2nd XI Cricket. Upon leaving the School, he studied Law at University College London, graduating in 1958.

Having completed his studies, Rodney went straight into practice and became a much respected solicitor, working as an assistant and then subsequently a partner with Gamlens, a firm in Lincoln’s Inn Fields. In 1991, the business amalgamated with Penningtons, in a move that saw Rodney become a partner and subsequently a consultant until his retirement in the mid 2000s.

He had a varied practice, although principally a private client specialist advising on finance, residential property, wills and estate administration, in addition to trusts and commercial property. At various times he acted as a director or secretary of a number of companies, including one involved in heritage protection and another in property management. He also worked on a pro bono basis to help fellow solicitors requesting advice associated with their practice or their personal circumstances.

He was an active sportsman for many years, most notably playing Squash. He did so at the RAC Club, of which he was a long time member.

He was a keen bridge player, playing to a high standard principally at a domestic rubber bridge level, which he preferred, rather than at a competitive duplicate level.

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He was very sociable with a wide range of friends collected through the years. Having retired from active practice, he was a very generous host, entertaining groups of friends for lunch at the RAC Club, often at his own expense. Always gregarious, Rodney would ensure that such lunches would continue into the late afternoon.

He also regularly invited friends to attend wine tasting events at the club in Pall Mall and at their country club house.

His affinity to Sutton Valence School continued throughout his working career and he returned as a member of the governing body in 1995 alongside his friend and fellow Old Suttonian Michael Maberly (1955 F). Despite living in Sunngingdale, Berkshire, he would relish the opportunities to travel back to SVS over the course of his four years in the role.

He married Jenny Instone in April 1967 and together they had two children; a son, Mark, born in 1968 and a daughter, Julia, born four years later. Jenny was a cordon bleu trained cook and the couple would regularly entertain friends at their home.

Sadly, later in life, Jenny was diagnosed with a form of Alzheimer’s disease and Rodney acted as her carer. He did so with compassion for some years prior to her having to be moved into a care home.

Rodney will be missed by many for his kind hospitality, for his capacity for forgiveness of the various foibles of his friends and for their appreciation that if they needed help, he would always be available.”

OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY

Allen Stoffel (1956 M) Passed away on 15 February 2020

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n February this year, we heard the sad news that Allen Stoffel (1956 M) had died at the age of 81. We are grateful to his son, Nicholas, for providing the following obituary.

Allen was born on 22 September 1938, attending SVS for four years between 1952 and 1956. He enjoyed sport at the School, representing the Fives, Football, Cricket and Athletics teams.

After leaving the School, he studied Law in London and became a solicitor, practising in Catford and Beckenham at the family firm, Stoffel and Co. Outside of work, his love for sport continued and he played Rugby for Beckenham RFC as well as enjoying Cricket and Sailing. He was also a member of Catford Rotary Club and was regularly involved in fundraising for the RNLI. In his later years, his retirement was unfortunately troubled by a long period of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s, of which he eventually died. He leaves behind a wife, Sally, and three children, Sara, Nicholas and Dominic.

John Holloway (1950 M) Passed away on 05 November 2019

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ld Suttonian John Christopher Holloway, known as Chris, was at SVS in the late-1940s. Last year we were sad to hear the news of his passing from his wife, Immy, who wrote the following obituary.

Chris, a Londoner, spent his early school years evacuated to Wales. After the war, he attended Sutton Valence School as a boarder in St Margaret’s. He particularly liked languages, Music and Art classes in school. His older brother, Dennis (1940 M), a classical pianist, also went to the School.

After leaving Sutton Valence, he worked in the travel industry in the USA and Britain.

This gave him the opportunity to travel the world with his family. After taking a degree as a mature student, he taught Tourism Management in higher education, finally retiring as Professor of Tourism Management at the University of the West of England in Bristol.

His interest in art, music and architecture was lifelong and sustained him. Chris was married to Immy for 61 years. They had two daughters, three grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

The family was with him during his final days at home.

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David Leiper (1960 L) Passed away on 27 April 2020

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e were sad to report the death of David Leiper (1960 L), a regular attendee and supporter of Old Suttonian events. We are grateful to his close friend Iain Wyness (1960 L) for the following obituary.

David joined Sutton Valence School back in 1956 as a boarder in Lambe’s. From an early age, David demonstrated an obvious talent and interest in electronics, though sadly Information and Communications Technology (ICT) was not offered within the curriculum at the time. As a result, he sought opportunities outside the classroom to develop his passion and, as part of that, he founded the Electrical Society operating from a room beneath the Sanatorium.

Within the society, he coached some in the intricacies of the wiring and valve use in radio

receivers. One of his memorable demonstrations included the mysterious acquisition of several television cathode ray tubes which he arranged on the lawn behind the Sanatorium. Each was connected with a coil of copper wire which heated when connected to a high amperage current, resulting in the dramatic sequential implosion of each tube, closely resembling the firing of a sub-machine gun.

Other acquisitions included ex-Army and ex-RAF transmitter/receivers. With these, David began the famous broadcasts of ‘Radio Bogbrush’, which included the Westminster Sextet led by Alan Noah (1960 W) playing jazz and acting as DJ. The broadcasts proved very popular throughout the School, the village and further afield. Inevitably it provoked the eventual arrival of the forces of law and order in the form of The Post Office, then the responsible authority

for ensuring the legality of radio transmissions.

Thus, ‘Radio Bogbrush’ met an abrupt and much lamented demise.

On leaving Sutton Valence, David pursued his studies in electronics. Subsequently he commenced employment with Decca. His obvious ability was recognized early and he was involved in the experimental stages of colour television transmission, as well as contributing to the technical design of military aircraft radar systems.

He would go on to be head-hunted by a number of international companies. In his professional capacity he travelled widely and acquired a fluency in French with a passable knowledge of other European languages, including Russian.

His linguistics and knowledge meant he was in demand as a speaker on complex technical matters in electronics.

Latterly, he set up his own business, Innovative Electronic Technology Ltd in 1981. His company was so successful that it was bought out in 2014 by a large rival firm, Securefast Plc, one of UK’s leading manufacturers and distributors of access control and locking products.

David still found time for competitive equine pursuits including trials and dressage. He kept horses for some years. His other interests included motor sport: he was in his element tweaking engines to squeeze an extra ounce of speed. As part of that, he attended the School’s three Car Shows, bringing along various vehicles including a 1994 Lancia Delta Integrale Evo 2 Giallo and a 2006 Maserati Quattroporte.

A talented musician, who had excelled at woodwind during his time at SVS, David took up playing the electric organ during his retirement and entered various national amateur competitions.

For some years he had suffered from leukaemia but he was able to manage it without any major influence on his activities. However, he was diagnosed last year with pancreatic cancer. The result was inevitable, but he stoically approached it with fortitude.

He leaves a son and daughter and two grandchildren.

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Albert Clifton (1957 M)

Christopher Clarke (1961 W)

Passed away on 07 April 2020

Passed away on 27 August 2019

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lbert Clifton, more commonly known by his middle name of Martin, was born in Lincolnshire in 1940. At the conclusion of the war, his family moved down to Kent to farm at Court Lodge in Appledore and he had been based in the county ever since.

He was a pupil at Sutton Valence School from 1950 to 1957, initially in Lambe’s and then latterly in St. Margaret’s.

After leaving the School, he followed in his father’s footsteps and began arable farming on Romney Marsh, later establishing Martin Clifton Ltd. Based out of Priory Lands Farm, the business grew to encompass seven other farms totalling over 3,000 acres, roughly half tenanted and the rest owned by the business. The business primarily farmed wheat, oilseed rape, spring beans, potatoes, linseed, grain maize and daffodil bulbs. In the 1970s and 1980s, the farm was renowned for its springtime garden displays with thousands of visitors coming to view them at “Appledore’s Answer”. He was something of a farming pioneer, making numerous innovative changes to farming practices, which have been widely followed by others. These included the installation of wind turbines on his Little Cheyne Court Farm.

In 1961, he married Judith and they went on to have four children. Their eldest son, Adrian (1980 M), followed his father by attending Sutton Valence School for five years in the late 1970s. In 2007, the Cliftons became a threegenerational SVS family as Adrian’s children Hannah (2012 S) and Daniel (2016 M) also joined the School. This year, another of Martin’s grandchildren, Alexander (currently Third Form), became the latest Suttonian.

Away from his work and family, Martin loved sport and played Rugby for Ashford Rugby Club for many years. He also enjoyed Tennis and developed an interest in Shooting in his later years. Sadly he died on his return from a holiday in Spain having contracted COVID-19. He was a much loved and respected member of the local community and will be greatly missed.

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e are sad to report the death of Christopher Clarke (1961 W), an Old Suttonian and former parent. Chris attended the School alongside his cousins Richard Clarke (1963 M) and Stephen Clarke (1967 C). Chris’s son, James Clarke (1990 F), later followed in his footsteps at the School.

Chris started at Sutton Valence in Bennett House and two years later went up to Westminster. After he left, he spent five years working in a couple of furniture stores in order to learn the trade before joining the family business Clarkes of Maidstone. Here he concentrated on the service side and being good with his hands, started renovating furniture and creating a second hand department.

All of this was interrupted in January 1995 when the store was completely destroyed by fire. However, in due course, he managed to carry on, working out of the warehouse and by now specializing in Ercol furniture, for which he had discovered there was a ready market. Clarkes opened a new store in the town in December 1996, but in 2007 the business was sold to another retailer, Lenleys of Canterbury. By now, having seen the gap in the market for renovated Ercol, rather than retire he very successfully carried on working from outbuildings at home for another ten years.

He had always had an interest in Volkswagen cars and restored many Beetles and Kamper vans. For some years he hosted a VW Festival every summer which proved very popular and on one occasion caused gridlock on the local roads!

In 2018 he developed health problems and was diagnosed with kidney cancer, to which he finally succumbed in August 2019 after a brave battle.

He leaves his wife Liz, two daughters and a son.

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Robert Fisk (1964 W) Passed away on 30 October 2020

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hilst producing the magazine, we received the sad news of the death of Robert Fisk (1964 W) and wanted to include an obituary accordingly.

We are grateful to Richard Harvey (1963 C), another Old Suttonian of the early 1960s to have gone into journalism, for the following piece about Robert.

Robert Fisk (W 1964), the most distinguished of Old Suttonians who chose journalism as a career, has died in Dublin aged 74, following a suspected stroke.

Robert’s career was hallmarked by his championing of the underdog and vilification of the oppressor. As he put it, the journalist’s job was to question authority; “during the time of the slave trade, I’d have interviewed the slaves, not the captain of the slave ship”.

He had a visceral dislike of US, Israeli and Western foreign policy, which earned him enemies in high places. While he was described as “probably the most famous foreign correspondent in Britain” by The New York Times and “an outstandingly poetic writer” in his obituary in The Times, he was frequently accused of exaggerating to prove his point. His journalistic creed was to question the motives of governments and the military, never accepting the official version of events without forensically examining the evidence.

After spells on the Newcastle Chronicle and the Daily Express, he came to prominence as a foreign correspondent, first at The Times and then The Independent, reporting from war zones ranging from Syria, Iraq and Lebanon to Kosovo, Bosnia and Northern Ireland.

His reputation as a fearless commentator earned him a shoal of awards, including International Journalist of the Year seven times in the Britrish Press Awards, reporter of the year twice, the Orwell Prize and three prizes from Amnesty International. Four months before he died, he was the subject of a documentary film This Is Not A Movie.

His time at Sutton Valence School revealed the first signs of that nascent unwillingness to placidly accept the status quo, and need to challenge authority. SVS was a very different

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place in the late 1950s and early 1960s – public school practices such as corporal punishment and compulsory membership of the Army Cadet Force met with the teenage Robert’s vocal disapproval.

As a result, he sometimes reflected in newspaper articles about the shortcomings of the public school system at that time, although he admitted that his disapproval of the harsher tenets of life at Sutton Valence were tempered with the freedom it gave him to enjoy his two great passions, English Literature and Latin.

In an interview with The Old Suttonian, he said: “I vividly remember one hot summer’s day, sitting on the steps outside Westminster, breathing in the dawn from the Weald of Kent, and then reading all day, right through to sunset. I couldn’t get enough of Milton, Shakespeare or Latin.”

He recognised that he partly learned his love of literature from the School’s English department, while Norman Bentley (Staff 1921-1964) – Sutton Valence’s own version of ‘Mr Chips’ – took the young Fisk for additional Latin lessons, teaching him the intricacies of the language which he enjoyed reading for the rest of his life.

In 1976, he moved to Beirut, where he lived for 30 years, and learned to speak Arabic.

The Middle East provided him with his most notable despatches, seeing at first hand, the results of battlefields and bloodshed in a series of regional conflicts. He had a disdain for ‘hotel reporting’ – despatches by journalists not allowed by their offices to venture alone into the street – and, as a result, experienced war at its most bloody and brutal.

He showed enormous courage by reporting directly from battlegrounds, once running across open terrain avoiding sniper’s bullets.

He used to quote Winston Churchill that “nothing is as satisfying as being shot at without effect”. He said he learned to use fear to his advantage – “hesitate or panic, and you’ll die”.

Among Robert’s most notable exclusives was interviewing Osama Bin Laden three times during the 1990s, who he described as “every

inch the mountain warrior of mujahedin legend”.

Whilst it gave him, and the outside world, an Islamist perspective on Western intervention in the Middle East – the Al Qaeda leader even suggested that he should convert to Islam – his scoops also earned him condemnation for giving a mouthpiece to an enemy of Western civilization.

The flame of non-conformity always burned brightly. “I’ve never voted and never supported any war”, he said. “If that makes me a pacifist, so be it.”

He accepted that his long career in journalism meant he had to repeat to succeeding generations why he took a particular stance at a particular time. As a result, he believes he could never ‘win the argument’. “But you never stop fighting”, he says. “Fight, fight and fight again. You’ve got to keep going.”

Asked in his interview with The Old Suttonian what advice he might offer to Sutton Valence pupils, he said: “Do what you want to do. Do it well. And never give in.”

Robert’s passing brought forth a torrent of obituaries, and although some of them highlighted his contrarian tendencies and entrenched convictions, all recognised his extraordinary talents and achievements.

In the 1980s he had bought a house in Ireland and took Irish citizenship. On his death, Irish President Michael D. Higgins wrote: “With his passing the world of journalism and informed commentary on the Middle East has lost one of its finest commentators”.

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Charles Yonge (1964 F) Passed away on 20 January 2020

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hen news broke of the death of Charles Yonge (1964 F) at the start of this year, obituaries appeared in a number of the UK broadsheets. This is reflective of Charles’ renown as a leading climber, explorer and caver, not just in the UK, but worldwide. Over the course of his career, he opened up many new routes and discovered caves in places including Cuba, Barbados, Mexico, the US and Papua New Guinea.

Born in Chesterfield in Derbyshire, Charles was the son of Wing Commander John Yonge, an RAF pilot, and his wife, Enid, who worked in surveillance for MI5. He attended SVS for seven years, alongside his brother Mark (1961 F).

Having completed his studies with us, he attended the University of Surrey, where he gained a degree in Physics in 1967. He followed that up with an MPhil in Physics at the University of Sheffield, where his interest in climbing and caving began.

Not long after he graduated, his new passion nearly resulted in a catastrophe when, surprised by a freak rainstorm, he and a group of potholers were almost drowned by rising water in a deep cave near Settle in North Yorkshire.

In 1977, Charles emigrated to Canada on the basis that it was “where the real mountains are”.

Initially he lived in Ontario, and studied for a PhD in Geochemistry and Palaeoclimatology at McMaster University, Hamilton. There he met Pamela Burns, who was studying Mathematics, and who later became a computer programmer/ analyst. They married in 1981.

Charles opened a number of new climbs in Ontario on the Niagara Escarpment, including at Buffalo Crag and Mount Nemo. Later he settled with Pamela and their newly-arrived triplets in Canmore, Alberta, in the Bow Valley of the Rocky Mountains. It was here that he made his name as a geological caving specialist, taking part in research projects in countries such as Cuba, Barbados, Mexico, the US and Papua New Guinea. During these visits he often explored, mapped and wrote about previously undiscovered caves.

In 1998 Charles set up a wild cave tour business

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in Canmore, with Pamela running the accounts.

He lent his name to local climbing guidebooks and would frequently be seen clearing detritus from future rock climbing routes. He established climbs throughout the Bow Valley, many now regarded as classics.

One of his sidelines was dating moon rocks that had been brought back to Earth on the Apollo 11 mission of July 1969. During this work he found out that the International Astronomical Union was seeking names of well-known female authors for the physical features on the planet Venus. Because he was a direct descendant of the Victorian author Charlotte Mary Yonge, he

put her forward, and a crater was named after her in 1994.

Towards the end of his life, which was affected by cancer, Charles published his book Understanding the Banff Hot Springs Through Karst Hydrogeology in 2019. In the same year, he was awarded the Sir Christopher Ondaatje medal for exploration from the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

He is survived by Pamela, their three children, Emma, Carolyn and Alexander, and his siblings, Charlotte, Jane and Mark.

OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY

Professor Andrew Mortimer (1966 F) Passed away on 22 December 2019

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ndrew Martin Mortimer (1966 F), who died after a short illness aged 71, was an agricultural ecologist with expertise in weed management. His research focused on the mechanisms that maintain genetic diversity in perennial grass pastures, the evolution of herbicide resistance in cereal weeds and successful methods for the establishment of directseeded rice in Asia. He was determined to enhance sustainable livelihoods in agriculture and alleviate poverty.

Martin published widely in his chosen field. With a colleague, Mike Begon, he wrote the influential undergraduate textbook Population Ecology (1981), which was a key text bringing together the population dynamics of both animals and plants, described in The Biologist as “without doubt … the best introduction” to the field.

Once he was semi-retired, the family moved to North Wales. Facing the Llantysilio mountains, near Llangollen, he was most often found on

his ride-on mower, planting trees, landscaping, beekeeping and tending to the estate. He was diagnosed with a brain tumour eight weeks before his death.

Martin met Sue Cusden (nee Hindley) on a blind date at a New Year’s Eve gathering and they married in 1979. She survives him along with their children, Fergus, Andrea and Hugh, and grandchildren, Jessica, Philippa and Leo.

Born in Maidstone, Kent, Martin was the son of Dorothy (nee Coveney) and Jack Mortimer. The couple had waited until Jack returned from his wartime service in North Africa to his job in insurance before marrying in 1945. Martin was brought up by his mother on his grandparents’ farm, Spout House, near Leeds, after his father died of cancer while Dorothy was pregnant with him.

He attended SVS from 1959 until 1966, before going on to study Agricultural Botany at the University of Wales, Bangor in 1969, and completed a PhD in Plant Ecology there in 1972.

As a Lord Leverhulme post-doctoral research fellow (1972-75), he investigated the genetics of the phytophthora group of plant pathogens, dividing his time between Bangor and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1975 he was appointed a lecturer in Botany at the University of Liverpool, where he worked for the remainder of his career.

Martin was seconded in 1996 as a weed ecologist to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Manila, the Philippines, where he researched the ecology and management of weeds in direct-seeded rice in south and south-east Asia.

He established an international reputation and his work was of prime importance in overcoming crop production problems in countries such as India, Bangladesh and the Philippines.

He returned to Liverpool in 2002, becoming a professor in agricultural ecology in 2007.

More recently, Martin played a major role in founding the N8 AgriFood programme and in setting up the University of Liverpool’s Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Food Systems. He also led Liverpool’s international collaboration with universities in the Philippines.

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William de Lucy (1966 F)

Simon Evenden (1981 F)

Passed away on 07 December 2019

Passed away on 20 October 2020

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E

Born in 1948, Bill attended the School initially as a boarder in St Margaret’s, but latterly as a day boy in Founder’s, living at his family home at Langley Lodge. A keen sportsman, he played in the 2nd XV Rugby team, 1st XI Hockey team and 1st X1 Cricket team. The latter was his real passion and he continued his love for the sport throughout his life, most notably through his close ties to Lavenham Cricket Club where he lived for much of his life.

Simon left SVS in 1981 at the same time as his younger brother Mark (1988 F) joined. Upon hearing the sad news of his passing, three former members of staff summed up his time at the School. Bob Chance (Staff 1961-1993) remembers him as a most formidable prop forward in a good Rugby side and John Harcourt (Staff 1977-) remembers him as being very loyal to the School values, a pupil who was ‘always on-side’ and very effective as a leader in Founder’s House. David Pickard (Staff 1977-2001) remembers Simon as an A Level Geography student, willingly pounding the streets of Maidstone for days and weeks recording and mapping data and analysing it in an innovative way. His diligence would serve him well in his career to come.

he de Lucy family are one of very few whose attendance at the School has spanned four generations. When Bill de Lucy joined the School in 1962, he became the second of those generations to attend, following in the footsteps of his father Henry Lucy (1925 D) and uncles William (1923 D), Arthur (1930 D) and John (1931 D). Bill’s grandfather Francis Lucy was also a School governor.

After leaving SVS, Bill followed in his father’s footsteps and went into the world of investment. He worked as a sales director of Gartmore Fund Managers for 11 years before joining Investec Asset Management where he spent nine years. In 2001, he joined Govett Investments as the Director of Offshore Sales but, after a company restructure a year later, he joined Foundations Capital as a sales manager. Most recently, Bill worked as the Institutional Sales Director for Rudolf Wolff Ltd. Continuing the family association with SVS, Bill sent two of his children to the School; James Stuart (1987 W) and Nicholas Bills (1992 W). In turn, a fourth generation of the family has followed with James’ children Benjamin Stuart (2017 H), Jemma Stuart (2018 H) and Amie Stuart (Upper Sixth) attending, along with two further grandchildren: Jessica de Lucy (Fifth Form) and Toby de Lucy (Second Form).

A larger than life character, Bill will be remembered for his charm, warmth and sociability. A regular attendee at OS functions, he will be missed by all.

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arly in the Michaelmas Term, we learned of the death of Old Suttonian and current parent, Simon Evenden (1981 F). Simon had battled multiple sclerosis for the past decade and passed away at The Heart of Kent Hospice after his condition deteriorated.

Simon went on to the University of Bath, where he studied Business Administration, graduating in 1985. From there, he worked as a graduate at BP Oil, based in Victoria Street. When they relocated, he then joined BP Chemicals on Buckingham Palace Road. The lure of Kent beckoned Simon back and he joined his father in the family tyre business, Boxley Tyre Services, where he would remain for 25 years, eventually taking on the role of sales and marketing director.

Unfortunately, Simon was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and, as a result, retired and sold the business in 2011. He then began a period of part time work as a marketing consultant for Fine and Country, Cranbrook and Simon Miller Estate Agents. Simon was also a parish councillor in Headcorn and was always ready to contribute to the society in which he found himself.

Simon married Emma in 2003. They have a son, Jolyon (First Form), who has followed in his father’s footsteps by attending the School.

OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY

Thomas Godfrey-Faussett Governor (1987-2002) Passed away on 12 July 2020

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arlier this summer, we were sad to hear that former governor, Captain Thomas Godfrey-Faussett had passed away following a fall. He had served as a governor at SVS, Underhill and a trustee with the UWS Foundation.

Tom was born in Tunbridge Wells in November 1932, the only son of the Reverend Peter Godfrey-Faussett OBE and his wife, Edith.

He served with the London Rifle Brigade before working for Courtaulds and then Kimberly-Clark as the UK Personnel Director at its site near Maidstone. Within that role, Tom was a key influence in the reorganisations and appointments necessary to cope with the Company’s continued expansion. Highly respected by colleagues, he strongly promoted training and collaboration, bringing together the Company’s Human Resources directors from its subsidiaries across Europe to enable them to learn from one another and facilitate panEuropean understanding and appointments.

He retired from Kimberly-Clark in 1994 and his attention turned to SVS and Underhill School, where he had been a governor since 1987, chairing the latter since 1988. His role with both schools also saw him become a trustee (and later chairman) for the United Westminster Schools’ Foundation. Tom was heavily involved the process of assimilating Underhill School into SVS, converting it into SVPS. Tom’s eye for detail and, at times, Machiavellian approach, helped to ensure the smooth transition.

Having retired from his role at SVS in 2002 and then UWS in 2005, he remained in touch with the School and would regularly be seen at Speech Days and other functions. He is survived by his wife Anne, their three sons, Peter, Hugo and Charles, and his daughter, Fiona.

David Bertioli (1973 C) Passed away on 23 January 2020

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e were sad to hear from Paul Bertioli (1971 C) about the death of his brother, David, who had attended SVS between 1970 and 1973.

Unfortunately, David’s final months at the School were spent with a stainless steel rod in his spine in order to correct the curvature of his back. That did not stop him gaining strength and determination in later life in everything that he did and set out to achieve.

His early years in his business life were spent at Hedges and Butler Ltd, the renowned wine and spirit merchants, looking after all of their wines held in bond. From there, he moved on to Mondial Wines, where he became manager. For the last 12 years, he worked for Vinissimo Wines in Westerham, where he built up a great reputation as a manager and earned respect from his staff, friends and his many Italian restaurant customers.

Outside of work, David loved anything Italian, be it food, wine, cars, powerboats or planes. He is survived by his wife Liz and his daughters Vicki and Sam. He will be missed greatly, especially by his brother Paul and his mother, Betty. David’s great personality, character, wit and strength will be cherished and remembered by all who knew him for many years to come.

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OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY

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OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY

Lady Vallance of Tummel Governor (2006-2020), Chair of Governors (2016-2020) Passed away on 08 July 2020

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n July this year we received the incredibly sad news that the School’s Chair of Governors, Lady Vallance of Tummel had passed away. Elizabeth had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a couple of months previously but, sadly, the medication and chemotherapy treatment she underwent proved unsuccessful. She returned from hospital to her home in the village and passed away peacefully with her family around her.

A philosopher, magistrate and doyenne of countless charitable committees, her leadership expertise and indomitable strength of spirit made her a natural successor to Bryan Baughan as our chair of governors and she contributed so much throughout her time with the School. She will be missed not just by SVS and its community, but by anyone who had the pleasure of her company; she was an exceptional woman, full of life, charisma, care and insight.

She was born Elizabeth Mary McGonnigill in 1945 to William McGonnigill, a company director, and Jean Kirkwood, a journalist, and grew up in the affluent Glasgow suburb of Bearsden. After attending Laurel Bank School, one of the city’s most demanding girls’ schools, she went on to achieve a First in Politics and Philosophy at the University of St Andrews and then an MSc at the London School of Economics focusing on Political Philosophy. She followed that up with a PhD at the University of London.

served as a magistrate, taking a brisk approach to feeble excuses from lawyers and their clients alike. She was a member of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, most notably reporting on MPs’ expenses, and of the Court back at the London School of Economics, where she had been a student. In other roles, she chaired the Institute of Education in London University (2000-2009) and had been High Sheriff of Greater London (2008-2009).

A fervent advocate of social justice, she worked to make it happen. She held clear but pragmatic feminist beliefs and in 1980 was a founder member of the all-party 300 Group to promote women in parliament and public life. It began in response to their dismay that of 635 MPs elected in 1979 under the country’s first female prime minister, only 19 (three per cent) were women.

Today the proportion is 34 per cent.

Her relationship with Sutton Valence School began in 2008 when she joined the Governing Body. Living in the village, she quickly developed an affinity to the School, its fabric and the responsibility it bears for those who pass through it. Elegant and gregarious, her regular attendance at School events and ability to relate to whomever she encountered, made an

immediate impact. In 2016, after the passing of the then-Chair Bryan Baughan, Elizabeth stepped up to lead the Board of Governors.

She did so with aplomb and her leadership has allowed the School to flourish and build upon Bryan’s legacy.

Her caring and determined leadership was matched by an incomparable joie de vivre.

Memorably taking to the stage at an English department Shakespeare soirée to perform a sonnet alongside pupils and staff, she was not afraid to get involved in everyday School life.

Her willingness to do so came from a genuine care and interest in the educational impact that the School has on its pupils.

Retaining the poise and professionalism required of someone in her role, but without the usually-associated airs or graces, are talents themselves and things that she achieved so effortlessly. We all owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Elizabeth for her generosity of time, care and commitment over the last 14 years. As a community, we will miss her greatly.

(Obituary includes content from The Times, published 19th October 2020)

From there, she became a philosophy lecturer at Queen Mary University in London, working to set up a Politics department that she eventually headed. She wrote two books on women legislators, Women in the House (1979) and Women of Europe (1986), both of which focused on equality issues. However, she came to feel that in the academic world she was learning more and more about less and less. At 45, she embarked on a second masters in Leadership and Strategy at the London Business School, which paved the way for a string of nonexecutive directorships.

She also flourished in the public and voluntary sectors. For nearly a decade she chaired St George’s Healthcare Trust, followed by a number of strategic and advisory roles in healthcare. She Page 199 - The Suttonian 2020

OLD SUTTONIAN COMMUNITY

Sir Michael Howard OM, CH, CBE Governor (1954-1967), Chair of Governors (1960-1967) Passed away on 30 November 2019

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e are sad to report the death of Sir Michael Howard, a governor and former chair of governors during the 1960s. Relatively young at the time of his appointment at the School, Sir Michael played an important role as the School emerged out of the postwar financial doldrums and began to plan for a more expansive and ambitious future.

Away from his SVS duties, Michael was arguably the most influential British military historian of his generation. He left a mark on public and professional debate internationally. He also had a key part in building institutions: what is now the International Institute for Strategic Studies, based in London, which became the model for similar think tanks around the world; what is now the Sir Michael Howard Centre for the Study of War at King’s College London and the graduate studies programme in International Relations at the University of Oxford.

He enjoyed a unique combination of beliefs, skills and, as he freely admitted, luck. The Page 200 - The Suttonian 2020

unifying theme of all his work was the placing of military history and strategic thought in the broadest social and political context.

In his view, armed force was an ineluctable element in international relations. He also knew how catastrophic official decision-making on war often is. The approach to international security that he advanced avoided the pitfalls of hawkishness and pacifism. His writing and lecturing was trenchant and accessible. He combined intellectual distinction with common sense. His views were respected even by those who took a different stance.

He was the epitome of respectability, even grandeur: a Guards officer, member of the Athenaeum, regius professor, author of official histories of the second world war, and recipient of honours including the Military Cross, a knighthood (1986), CH (2002) and OM (2005). Yet he also had a non-conformist streak, reflected in his support throughout the Cold War years for tempering nuclear deterrence with moderation and for practical measures of arms control.

Nonconformism also infused other aspects of his life.

Beginning his career in academia in 1947 at King’s College, London, he worked his way through various lecturing roles to become Professor of War Studies at the university. From there, in 1968, he moved to become a Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. 12 years later he transferred to Oriel College, Oxford as the Regius Professor of Modern History and Fellow. Finally, in an effort to extend his teaching career, he left Oxford in 1989 and moved to the US, as the Robert A. Lovett Professor of Military and Naval History at Yale University.

In his 80s, Michael’s life gradually became a real retirement, firmly anchored at Eastbury in Berkshire. On the first day on which it was possible to do so – 21 December 2005 – Michael and his long term partner, Mark James entered into a civil partnership, rectifying, as Michael said, an anomaly of over 40 years.

Sutton Valence School North Street Sutton Valence Maidstone Kent ME17 3HL