The Warwickian - Lent 2022

WARWICKIAN The

A fresh look for The Warwickian

Packed with pupil content, staff interviews, artwork, achievements, and more!

Letter from the Head Master

Dear Parents/Guardians

As I reviewed an advance copy of this magazine I was overcome with an enormous sense of relief. Writing this letter, it is exactly two years to the day since schools were closed for the first time on 20 March 2020. This term’s Warwickian is evidence that for the first time since I became Head Master the pupils have enjoyed the full Warwick School experience. The sporting programme is back in full swing and we celebrated the 53rd anniversary of the Warwick 7s. The arts are back centre stage with the Middle School production, an eclectic range of concerts and the start of an exciting new partnership with the Orchestra of the Swan that embodies two of the key priorities from Our Vision; to become a national centre for the arts by hosting world class visiting artists and to serve our community by sharing these opportunities with the town.

In a term so rich with highlights I wanted to draw attention to two areas. The responsibility to create a better world around us is one of the values that form the Warwick Way. It has been wonderful to see this value in action this term. Fundraising initiatives in support of the Sir Stanley Matthews Foundation and UNICEF’s Ukraine appeal both raised significant amounts of money; through non-uniform days, doughnut sales and most importantly student led initiatives like the auction so capably masterminded by Lower Sixth Josh Turner. Financial generosity is one aspect of charity, equally if not more important is generosity of time and leveraging our talents in support of those less fortunate. Seeing pupils actively involved in these campaigns has been fantastic. Another area where pupils have given their time and talent is the volunteering programme, which is now back up and running and pupils from years 10-13 have been visiting Westgate Primary School every Friday afternoon.

The second area is that of academic enrichment. The Encounters series has been a huge success, a diverse range of visiting speakers have richly entertained and inspired audiences from Warwick and King’s High almost every Friday afternoon. This lecture series has promoted the intellectual curiosity recognised in the presentation of the first tranche of Mulley Mastery awards to members of the Sixth Form in recognition of their thirst for knowledge and enthusiasm for learning.

A Warwick education seeks to broaden horizons both inside and outside the classroom and ensure that every pupil leaves with a set of memories and a passion they will carry through life. Finally freed from the restrictions of the recent past, this Warwickian is a record of the opportunities available and the pupils’ determination to make the most of them. I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I have.

James Barker Head Master

This term’s highlights

A fantastic debut for Orchestra of the Swan…with more to come!

This term began with a crescendo thanks to our partners at the Orchestra of the Swan, with their dazzling sold out concert, Arcadiana taking place in January in Warwick Hall. The Swan were directed by virtuoso clarinettist, Michael Collins and brought Mozart to Warwick. And to end the term, only a couple of weeks ago, we were once again treated to an incredible performance from the Swan – this time, Pastoral saw Vaughan Williams’ ‘A Lark Ascending’ directed from the violin by the amazing Thomas Gould.

A word from the Principal

As I sit writing this message, I have on my desk the programmes from two recent performances which exemplify the wonderful opportunities for our pupils of working together across our schools on this site.

The first is from is the production of The Musicians, the Middle School production, which saw a tremendous cast and crew from Warwick and King’s High bring to life a really innovative play under the direction of Mr Perry. I have to say that I thought the ‘virtual’ orchestra was very convincing, far more so than many you may see on screen!

From a virtual orchestra, we move to the real thing, as the second programme marks the Foundation Symphony Orchestra’s concert last week. Here, a full orchestra of some eighty players performed an exceptionally demanding repertoire – including Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story to a most appreciative audience. Our musicians certainly deserved their standing ovation, as under the baton of Mr Laing they gave performances of which they should be truly proud. Easily surpassing the standard of many county orchestras, the joy of the players was palpable. I believe this is the first time the orchestra has undertaken a full concert programme on its own; may it be the first of many.

Our partnership with the Swan also features a series of masterclasses and workshops with Swan musicians, both with Foundation pupils and local primary and secondary schools partaking in sessions with the Swan’s professional players. The third concert is the much anticipated Family Concert, featuring Prokofiev’s much-loved tale of a fearless boy and a ferocious wolf and preceded by an introduction to the instruments of the orchestra for children of all ages. Saturday, 18 June in Warwick Hall – book your tickets from the Bridge House Theatre Box Office.

Remaining for a moment with Music, this term has also seen the consolidation of the Foundation’s relationship with The Orchestra of the Swan. The music mentoring scheme between our pupils and the Swan players has commenced, and it has been a great pleasure to welcome so many who had previously not had contact with the Foundation, to the concerts staged this year in Warwick Hall. There are many other areas of school life where collaboration is paying dividends. A key development for next year is the establishment of a range of shared House activities, which has the potential to bring such richness to the co-curricular life of our schools. It is very exciting to see how the ‘best of both worlds’ vision is being enhanced and lived out day by day.

Finally, something of which I hope we can all be proud is the way in which our schools are constantly seeking to develop the education we provide and, indeed, break new ground. I am therefore delighted that we are hosting a national conference, ‘FutureFwd’, which brings together educationalists and employers, with the aim of ensuring that our young people are fully equipped for life beyond school; it also includes a ‘Platinum Jubilee’ conference for Lower Sixth. This is a cross-sector event, with our key partners being the University of Warwick and Warwickshire College Group. More details may be found here: www.futurefwd.org. If you would like to attend, please do sign-up, and be part of this vital conversation.

Richard Nicholson Foundation Principal

Charity & community

Altruism at its finest

Young Enterprise fundraiser

Having started our Young Enterprise in September we got going quickly. We researched previous YE winners, and the most successful products focused on improving the environment – from this, we explored a range of ideas before eventually deciding on plantable cards.

Young Enterprise has been a great experience, and it has been wonderful to build our team – which has become increasingly stronger since September, and navigate through the more challenging aspects of running a YE company. We are looking forward to the coming rounds of the competition against other schools.

Josh, L6

Tea time with local residents

Every Friday afternoon, Warwick School pupils visit the older local residents at the Pickard Street Community

Centre, playing games and chatting. The boys volunteer their time every week and play games, make tea, serve biscuits, and have a great time!

Beyond Warwick

total raised this academic year (and counting)

As part of Friday Afternoon activities, twenty Warwick boys in Years 10, 11, 12 & 13 have been volunteering at Westgate Primary School. The boys have embraced volunteering, using their talents to help young children and impart their knowledge and expertise they have developed during their time at Warwick. The boys have demonstrated their competencies in creativity, numeracy, problem solving, and communication, and found a very worthwhile cause to put them to good use!

Mr Tapper-Gray Head of Careers and Volunteering

I have really enjoyed volunteering at Westgate Primary School, as it has provided me with the opportunity to help children to read and express themselves. I have been working with one child to create targeted resources, and have seen a massive improvement in this child’s communications skills, which has been very rewarding. They appear much more confident now, and always smile when they see me on Friday afternoons!

Henry, L6

Artwork donated to Warwick Hospital

Healthcare charity Kissing It Better work to connect young people with older people in their local hospital and care homes to bring the generations together to end the isolation of old age. This term, in partnership with Kissing It Better, Warwick School has donated a number of landscapes to three wards at Warwick Hospital which have older patients, some with Dementia. The patients were so appreciative and moved that they had been thought of, and they all commented on the high standard.

On graduation, pupils join our community of over 6,500 Old Warwickians around the world. The Development and Alumni Office stays connected to all school leavers and provides opportunities to socialise, network and grow, especially supporting young OWs in their first few years after leaving school.

Alumni Networking Breakfast

On Tuesday, 8 March, thirty five former pupils from Warwick School and King’s High had an early start at The Lansdowne Club, London, for a networking breakfast with the Foundation Principal, Richard Nicholson.

Spring Mentoring Programme

Many of us will know the importance of having mentors and champions. Our Spring Mentoring Programme aims to unlock the power of our Foundation community.

Can you help mentor someone? Would you like to network with other members of the community?

Warwick Foundation Connect is a global community of almost 1,400 members, with many opportunities to provide and gain support. Please register at www.warwickfoundationconnect.com.

Meet the teacher

Mr Allen, Physics

Q What made you want to become a teacher?

AAt university I always loved the theory of Physics much more than the Mathematics and lab time! And coupled with my second love, which is talking, it was a natural progression! Joking aside, I have always been very outgoing and social, and teaching gave me the opportunity to best use the skills I had. I knew teaching would give me the chance to change young peoples’ lives in the same ways my teachers had changed mine.

QHow would your pupils describe you?

AHaha, great question! I would hope they would say engaging and someone who celebrates them and always has the time! But I think they would also say I’m a bit of a nerd (for F1 mainly) and someone who loves a bit of a student competition (to win a sticker usually)!

QWhat is your best teaching moment or memory?

AOh wow. This one is from the archives! I was teaching on my PGCE in an up-and-coming school in Birmingham and had a wonderful Year 8 class to teach. Before the class, the pupils were lining up outside and the most enthusiastic young boy asked me “Sir, are we doing a miracle today?!”.

After a moment I realised he meant a practical. I never did work out if he thought practical work was a miracle or magic, or was simply confused, but it reminds me of why I got into this job. To this boy he was seeing something beyond his wildest expectation. I can still see his face light up in my memory as I write this.

Q What three words describe Warwick School to you?

AAspiration, dedication, co-operation.

QIf you could go anywhere in the world, where would you take your classes on a field trip?

AEasy! Tromso, Norway, to see the Northern Lights. Aside from the insanely beautiful spectacle which is the Aurora Borealis, the scientific principle rabbit-hole you would dive into to explain this amazing scene would leave more and more questions for students to keep themselves intrigued long after the plane home had come in to land!

QWhat’s your favourite Physics fact?

AEvery atom of oxygen in your lungs, of carbon in your muscles, of calcium in your bones, of iron in your blood –was created inside an aging star, millions of years before Earth was born. The fact that humankind worked this out always amazes me.

QCan you give one piece of advice to Warwick School boys?

ASuccess is a process, never an event. Failure is an event, never a person. In great pursuits it is glorious even to fail. So give everything you can to your passions and you will be surprised with how far you can go.

Academic news

Mulley Mastery awards

A select group of Sixth Formers were presented with their Mulley ties by the Head Master at the first all-school assembly this year. These ties commemorate the achievements of Old Warwickian, Fred Mulley – a man of humble birth who became Education Secretary, Defence Secretary and a member of the House of Lords. They recognise love of learning and intellectual inquiry and are only offered to a small number of Sixth Formers each term, for going above and beyond in their pursuit of academic enrichment. A huge congratulations to Ed, Oliver, James, Sam, Josh, Alex, Patrick, Ethan and Jonathan.

Oxbridge Success

Congratulations to all boys who have been offered a place at university, on an apprenticeship, or in employment when they finish their studies at Warwick – and the best of luck to those still applying. Well done all, and good luck for next term’s exams and results.

We’d also like to congratulate the following pupils for receiving offers from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge – every year competition is incredibly fierce for Oxbridge places in particular, so an offer is a fantastic achievement.

• Ben – Selwyn College, Cambridge –Natural Sciences

• Elliot – Merton College, Oxford –History

• Oscar – Pembroke College, Oxford –Music

• Alex – Jesus College, Oxford – Law

• Andrew – Trinity College, Oxford –Engineering

Young Debaters

The ESU Mace competition saw Sebastian, Elliot and Arjan in the second round of the competition, debating on the subject of lowering the voting age to 16. The judges praised their insight, argumentation and rebuttal.

The U14A team were more successful in their ESU Public Speaking district final. Ptolemy, Tom and James debated on the subject of freedom of speech and defeated Concord College. The judge was immensely impressed with their professionalism.

The Lower Sixth were the next competitors at the Rotary Youth Speaks competition with the fantastic trio of Ed, Atticus and Joshua debating on the relevance of History with a great effort and many crowd-pleasing gags.

A mix of age groups took part in the Cambridge Union Debating Competition on Saturday, 5 February, where the senior debaters took part in four rounds of British Parliamentary debating across the day. While our teams did not make the break for finals day, they all had high placing and high scoring rounds. Well done to Elliot, Cornelius, Ben, Max, Jacob, Barnaby, Freddie and Ryan for their hard work.

Ben gave a particularly strong performance and ended the day as the 11th ranked debater out of sixty-four debaters from across the region. Our youngest debaters, Ryan and Freddie, took two second placings in their rounds. Jacob and Barnaby, both new to competition debating, took a first-place position in their final round of debating.

Ed, Atticus and Joshua being presented with their runners up awards.

Junior School news

World Book Day

The costumes were incredible for this year’s World Book Day, with everyone getting involved (including staff!) on the theme of stories by either JK Rowling or Roald Dahl.

New Prefects

Four new prefects were appointed at the start of term. Shiven, Henry, Rhomun and Jack made their declaration in front of the school before receiving their prefect ties. Congratulations to all the boys.

U11 Hockey – Regional Champions

In February the U11 boys won the qualifying tournament at Abingdon School with some excellent performances along the way. In the final, Warwick faced Ashfold School – the game went to penalty strokes and despite the fact that Arthur saved the first, the result was in doubt until Ellis converted his penalty to win it for Warwick.

Charity Days – Drake and Nelson

Eddie Jones

In January, a number of our Year 6 boys enjoyed a special coaching session with Eddie Jones, the Head Coach of the England Rugby team. It was a day to remember for our boys and he commented on their skills, commitment and ability.

A huge thank you to all our families for the amazing response to Drake House’s request for household items to support the Doorway Charity. The boys also contributed poems and pictures based upon a theme of ‘being thankful’. The boys also raised £450.30 – a magnificent effort. As well as encouraging all boys and staff to wear an item of orange clothing, Nelson House boys helped organise a brilliant fete. Stalls included a blindfolded challenge placing two bananas in the hands of an orangutan. In total the boys raised an impressive £506.88.

Computational Thinking Success

WJS has had another successful year in the annual international Bebras Computational Thinking Challenge, with fifteen Year 6 boys gaining a Gold Award for scoring in the top 10% nationally at their age group. They are now invited to take part in the Oxford University Computing Challenge in February. The Year 5 boys also entered this year’s Bebras competition in pairs. All boys were challenged to think logically and computationally, achieving excellent results. Alexander and Dylan were awarded with Best in School for Year 5.

Rugby 7s

Wednesday saw the 30th running of the Warwick Junior School U11 7s Rugby Festival. After a brief hiatus last year, it was fantastic to welcome back some familiar faces, with schools travelling from as far as QEGS Wakefield and Aysgarth Prep in North Yorkshire to take part. Due to a late pull out from another school, Warwick formed a Barbarian side with five boys joining forces with boys from the other schools. They competed admirably in the competition, showing a fantastic attitude throughout despite some very tough games. Mr Burchett

Y3 Strings Project

Our Year 3 boys treated us to a wonderful concert demonstrating their impressive progress playing their chosen strings instrument.

Junior School Art Exhibition

Piano Performance Platform

A number of boys took part in a Piano Performance Platform showcasing their polished pieces alongside pupils from the Senior School.

Chess

2022 is turning out to be a very busy but fruitful year on the chess front, with multiple tournament successes for boys in Chess Club. Billy kicked off the year with an incredible performance in the University of Warwick Rapidplay, beating all the students to win outright the Major section of an adult chess tournament for the first time. In the Kenilworth Junior Open, all boys from Warwick who entered won medals, which included silver for Jonathan, Ajay (playing in their first chess tournament outside of school), and Billy, and bronze for Ilyas who is still in Year 3 and played opponents up to three years older. The icing on the cake came when Gregory scored an excellent 4/6 in the Brentwood Junior Open. Mr Lam

With COVID taking our annual ‘young local artists’ exhibition online, we decided to put on our own exhibition. The work the boys have produced that is on show is great, and exhibiting is a wonderful opportunity for boys to experience their work being on display, and to be inspired by their peers.

Dinosaur Week

Our Year 3 boys enjoyed a special ‘dinosaur week’ in February. All the boys were tasked with creating a dinosaur poster detailing the habitat, diet and special characteristics.

The Arts

On Wednesday, 9 March the Warwick School Chapel Choir, directed by Mr Nicholson, led evensong worship at Pembroke College Oxford. Highlights of the trip included the stunning beauty of the Damon Wells Chapel, hearing our own Francis (L6) play the organ, and the choir raising the roof with Mathias’ Lift up your Heads. It was an excellent trip, and it was good to see some familiar OW faces supporting us from the congregation.

Chamber Concert

Drama

This term, the Middle School production of Patrick Marber’s The Musicians took to the stage, with boys and their King’s High counterparts wowing over three nights. Their performance of the trials and tribulations of a school orchestra performing at the European Festival of Youth, despite their instruments having been impounded by Customs, was a joy to watch!

We can’t wait for the Sixth Form production of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, which offers audiences an intimate production with a capacity of 20 audience members only.

And rehearsals are well underway for a Lower School production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which will take to the stage in the Summer term.

National Concert Band Festival

Congratulations to Super Tonics, Jazz Lab, Big Band Blue, Big Band Red, Little Big Band and the Foundation Wind Orchestra who were each awarded gold for their performances in the regional round of the National Concert Band Festival in November. We wish them well in the National Concert Band Finals in April.

Music

The joyful sound of music is once again heard in the classrooms and performance spaces across Warwick School. Jazz at the Bridge and Brass for Africa were amazing. The Music Scholars’ Concert featured a range of exceptional solo performers, and the annual Chamber Concert showcased our superb small classical ensembles, including piano trios, string quartets, a saxophone ensemble, chamber choir and fanfare team.

Music Scholars’ Concert

Pupil showcase

This page, top right:

Chuck Close-inspired self portrait by Max, Year 8

Bottom right: Chuck Close-inspired self portrait by Dan, Year 8

Bottom left:

Chuck Close portrait by Ralph, Year 7

Opposite page:

Chuck Close-inspired self portrait by James, Year 7

Essay from a student

How should psychological researchers respond to the coronavirus pandemic?

Congratulations to Tom in Upper Sixth who came third in a National Psychology Essay Competition.

By researching this topic for the National competition, I have developed a deeper understanding and knowledge of the impact the pandemic has had on our society. The most interesting parts of this for me was research into ways that psychologists could respond to the effect on babies, as I certainly think that this would be a major factor that was influenced by COVID.– Tom

Abstract

During the pandemic, psychologists in all fields have had the opportunity to take advantage of what could be seen to be a unique social experiment. So far as was practical, researchers should have responded to this pandemic through an increase in observations of the mental and physical well-being of the general population. Specific sub-groups were worthy of extra attention, for example the babies born in lockdown. Also, psychologists should have considered the prevalence of those living with mental illness, such as OCD or anxiety, as well as seeing how quarantine has affected the symptoms of it.

Essay (abridged)

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected us all in our everyday life. People’s ability to socialise was severely restricted for an extended period of time. This is likely to have led to a huge rise in mental health problems, the full extent of which is unlikely to be understood for some time. The challenge will be for psychologists to identify the impact that the pandemic has had on mental health to ensure that resources are channelled most effectively to assist those who require it.

Firstly, one way that psychological researchers could respond to the pandemic is to monitor the mental health of the general public. A method that was introduced last year allowed any member of the public over 18 years of age to sign up for weekly check-ups via a mobile app. This would

allow people to easily register their mental and physical well-being and receive the right help if needed1. In addition, by monitoring the general well-being of the public it will allow psychologists to give suitable help to those who need it most. Despite this, a weakness of using this app is that it will not be representative of the general population as a whole. By only allowing members of the public over 18 access, it will miss a percentage of the overall population who are suffering from mental health problems. In addition to this, as people report issues themselves, they may be subjective in terms of what they say. Therefore, they may not receive the quality of support they actually need as psychologists may deem them not suitable for the more intensive help.

Secondly, in response to the pandemic, research should be done on young children and babies raised in lockdown. Due to large amounts of time spent inside with family and a lack of social interaction with children their age, it is likely their mind-set will be different from babies born in previous years. As a result of this, young children may become more reliant on their mothers than would be the case if they were spending days at nursery. One step that researchers could take is to repeat the well-documented research on cultural variations by Van Ijzendorm and Jin et al. Arguably, cultures have become more similar than before, at least for a short time, as lockdown has restricted social interaction in cultures where this is traditionally more prevalent making them more similar so those cultures where social interaction is less. It would be interesting to see if this pandemic has affected attachment of such babies as a result of this. According to recent research from The University of East London, there have been obvious changes in the mannerisms of babies born during lockdown. They were observed to be a lot shyer than those who were

born before lockdown. This can be explained due to the lack of social interactions at nursery2. Therefore, researchers, in addition to replicating this study, should monitor the number of attachment types. If there is a rise in the number of babies showing high stranger anxiety, there may be a rise in the number of babies classed as insecure resistant. This may mean that our society may shift from a secure predominant one to insecure resistant. This could lead to a change in our culture.

In conclusion, over the recent months, there have been many opportunities for psychology researchers to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic. This could be by way of new research but also by repeating previous research surrounding a topic, particularly those topics which are closely associated with social interaction. Upon doing so, they will be able to draw conclusions about societal shifts and changes to our culture arising from the pandemic. Although the pandemic has been seen as a negative event generally, it has also presented a once in a lifetime opportunity for research.

End notes

1. The Psychologist How psychology researchers are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by Matthew Warren https:// thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-33/ may-2020/how-psychology-researchers-areresponding-covid19-pandemic

2. https://www.uel.ac.uk/news/2021/05-may/ the-impact-of-covid-on-lockdown-babies

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC7280119/

References

Matthew Warren. (2020) The Psychologist: How psychology researchers are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.vol33.BPS.Research Digest. University of East London. (6 May 2021) The Impact Of Covid On Lockdown Babies.

Prestia Davide, Pozza Andrea, Olcese Martina, Escelsior Andrea, Dettore Davide, and Amore Mario. (June 9th 2020). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with OCD: Effects of contamination symptoms and remission state before the quarantine in a preliminary naturalistic study.

Spotlight on co-curricular clubs

Print Making

I chose print making as it provides me with a unique creative outlet where I can use the departments printing press to create interesting and colourful designs. These work hand in hand with my art coursework in which we are studying the artist Peony Yip. It is also a great time to consult our art teachers about anything to do with the course or the activity.

James, Year 10

I have never been that good at art and I only joined this activities because my friends were doing it. However, I have really enjoyed my time doing print making and I have found it a lot easier than I thought it would be. I have really enjoyed making art that I want to do, and I highly recommend it.

Adi, Year 10

Manga and Comic Book Club

To me, Manga Club allows me to communicate and discuss many Manga related questions such as “Who is the strongest stand (from Araki Hirohiko’s world renowned manga “Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure” specifically looking at Parts 3 to Part 8 – “Stardust Crusaders”, “Diamond is Unbreakable”, “Vento Aureo”, “Stone Ocean”, “Steel Ball Run”, “JoJolion” – and other official and non-official OVA’s such as “Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe”) that has a non-time related ability? Or what the best “Berserk” manga Panel is? These discussions with fellow avid Manga fans allow me to experience many new Manga and anime. I am thankful for this wonderful experience of being able to socialize with other people like me.

Flynn, Year 10

There are so many amazing co-curricular activities happening across the school, from the ordinary to the unusual. You are probably already familiar with debating, choir, sport and Young Enterprise, to name a few, but here are a couple more that you may not realise are happening every week.

“I am thankful for this wonderful experience of being able to socialize with other people like me.”

Visiting speakers

Simon Weston CBE

With more and more visiting speakers as we start to open as ‘normal’ again, it’s been a brilliant term for learning new things and seeing new perspectives.

Inspirational British Army veteran, Simon Weston CBE visited the school in January to kick off the wonderfully successful Encounters series. Simon spoke about the Falklands War 40 years on and how he remade his life following his life-changing injuries, when he suffered terrible burns when HMS Sir Galahad was set on fire by Argentine missiles.

Owen James OW

Owen was educated at Warwick School, Jesus College, Oxford and London Business School. He commissioned from the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst into the Welsh Guards and served in Afghanistan in 2009 where he led an infantry platoon in combat at the height of the conflict. Owen shared his platoon commander’s perspective of the war in Afghanistan, the challenges he faced and the lessons he learned during his 6-month operational tour.

Matt Oldfield

In March, in the week of World Book Day, we were lucky enough to welcome author Matt Oldfield to the school. Matt writes the Ultimate Football Heroes and Classic Football Heroes series with his brother Tom. Matt also works with The National Literacy Trust and The National Football Museum, and delivered one of his famous workshops to all Year 7 pupils.

Every term we have a variety of visitors come into the school to share their experiences, knowledge, and advice, and the Lent term has been no different.

Stephen Sidaway

Stephen is a retired Detective Inspector from Warwickshire Police who turned to rowing later in life. With the opportunity of time afforded to him he set his mind to rowing across the Atlantic Ocean – during this Encounters event Stephen talked about the challenges he faced on his voyage and his reflections on the lessons it provided.

Sir Anthony Seldon

Sir Anthony is the author of numerous books on British Prime Ministers, and he spoke on the 53 men and 2 women who have held the highest office in the UK Government to a full audience at Kings High Hall. Probably the most influential Headteacher of recent years, Sir Anthony also served as Vice-Chancellor of Buckingham University. He has recently completed a 1000km pilgrimage along the western front.

Luke Hanrahan OW

Luke studied A Levels at Warwick School and, following university, worked as an investigative reporter for the BBC. He began his career at BBC local radio in Coventry and has gone on to work internationally as a freelance news reporter at the BBC, CNN and ITN. His recent assignments include reporting from COP26, Ukraine and natural disasters in both Europe and America. We were honoured to discuss Luke’s advice on how to break into journalism and the media, and his insights on the Ukraine crisis.

Matt Dickenson

As an award-winning writer and filmmaker with a passion for climbing and adventure, we were so excited to welcome Matt Dickenson to Warwick in March. Having travelled all over the world with his film career, and most notably completing the incredible achievement of climbing Mount Everest, Matt has started writing fiction for teenage readers. His books include thriller series Mortal Chaos and The Everest Files Lie Kill Walk Away is his latest teen thriller. Matt spoke at our Year 8 creative writing conference, inspiring a new generation of adventurers and writers!

Sport

Eddie Jones coaching visit

Following a talk in the Bridge House Theatre to promote his new book on Leadership, rugby great, Eddie Jones returned to Warwick School to run a number of incredible coaching sessions in January.

After hearing Eddie Jones was to give us a session in our next games lesson, we didn’t know what to expect. We headed into the huddle to find out what he had planned for us where we learnt we would play a game they love to use at England. He said we’d play for about 20 minutes; I thought really, we normally have a good hours session but after those twenty minutes I don’t think anyone was needing 40 more minutes. The intensity he brought was immense. There were short 30 seconds rests to problem solve in our team, he’d sometimes stop the session to show us where we could improve, such as ball presentation, and he’d pick up on how one player not working hard would cost their team by giving a turnover. But apart from these, he’d keep the game flowing allowing us to play some “brilliant rugby”. He closed the session by commending our hard work, challenging us to always work that hard and maybe one of us will be in the 2027 World Cup huddle.

Cameron, L6

This term in numbers

A fantastic 52% win ratio across all sports

6 chess teams –with 39 participants

102 swimmers

36 hockey teams

16 different sports participated in

Over 800 boys playing in rugby fixtures

Sporting snapshot

Hockey

The U13A team have had a very successful few weeks with two wins in the ISHC against Kimbolton School and Seaford College.

Fencing

Fencers Ben and Michael took part in the ‘West Midlands Age Group Epee Championships’ in January, with Ben winning three and losing one in the pools whilst Michael won one, seeding them 5th and 13th.

Cross country

Ongoing success for cross country, including Ben who came in the top 10 in the Senior County Race and Ruben who had a great finish to take the win in the Inter-Boys County Race and qualified for English Schools.

53 years of the Warwick Rugby Sevens

The Warwick Sevens returned triumphantly at the beginning of March with teams across the UK entering the best tournament outside Rosslyn Park! Founded in 1969, the 53rd anniversary of the tournament came back with a bang with many more teams than the original twelve!

The U13-U16 Warwick teams did fantastically well, with the U14s losing to Wellington College in the semi-final, the U15s to Hampton also in their semi-final and the U16s going one better and losing narrowly to Kings Macclesfield in the final. The best part of the day was the fantastic support for all teams from pupils and parents. The hardest working players from each age group were U13s Oliver and Guy, U14s Tommy and Will, U15s Ollie and Sam and U16s Henry, Freddy and Oliver.

Tennis

Year 9 and Year 10 brave the cold for Winter Tennis Training.

We raised over £4000 for two charities; the Ukrainian UNICEF appeal and testicular cancer charity, Oddballs. Well done to all involved in this brilliant event!