Letter from the Head Master
Dear parents and guardians
As we approach the close of this Michaelmas term, The Warwickian once again provides a remarkable window into the life and accomplishments of our school community. From the first day of term to the festive finale, this has been a season of shared purpose, ambitious endeavour, and belonging, all shaped by our values of curiosity, courage, creativity, humility, perseverance and responsibility.
Under the banner of Serving Our Community, it has been inspiring to see the generosity of spirit that continues to flourish at Warwick School. From fundraising for Movember and Cancer Research UK to our partnerships with Kissing it Better and Guardian Ballers, we have sought to make a tangible difference. Contributions to the local foodbank further exemplify the compassion of our pupils and staff.
As always, this term Broadening Our Horizons has been a defining theme of life at Warwick School and the opportunities available have enriched the lives of the pupil body. Our musicians shone brightly at the National Concert Band Finals, exemplifying the highest standards of musicianship, while the 1st XV rugby team displayed both skill and perseverance in their journey to the semi-finals of the National Schools Cup, and the senior production of Sweeney Todd was a treat for the audience worthy of a West End stage. Beyond the fields
This has been a season of shared purpose, ambitious endeavour, and belonging”
and stage, pupils explored the world through educational trips to the United States, Barcelona, and the annual reading weekend at the Gladstone Library— each an adventure that broadened their horizons.
This term’s Warwickian also celebrates Excellence in Teaching and Learning From the creativity showcased in the Art Department, to the literary explorations of the English Department, and the global perspectives fostered in Modern Foreign Languages, our pupils have revelled in the range of opportunities available. Equally enriching have been this term’s Encounters, which have stimulated intellectual curiosity and fostered meaningful discussion.
Finally, our commitment to Knowing the Individual continues to be at the core of everything we do. This term, we were delighted to welcome Benji, our new wellbeing dog, who has already brought joy and comfort to many in our community. Supporting the mental health and emotional resilience of our pupils is vital, and Benji is a wonderful addition to our pastoral care provision.
I hope that as you turn these pages, you will be struck anew by the vibrancy and diversity of life at Warwick School. It is a privilege to lead a community where every pupil is encouraged to develop their unique talents, have a positive impact on the world around them, and embrace challenges with courage and perseverance.
Wishing you all a restful and joyful festive season, and I look forward to welcoming you back in the New Year for another term of discovery, achievement, and growth.
James Barker, Head Master
At a glance
A selection of this term’s news and stories in one place
A trip to Gladstone
r Jefferies, Mrs Thomas, and Miss Tedd took a Sixth Form group to the Gladstone Library for a Reading Weekend this term.
Initially constructed to provide public access to Gladstone’s enormous book collection, the Library is a very special place of study and reflection. As well as
studying, the group also learned about Gladstone and spent the evening relaxing in the extreme comfort of its common room.
High Sheriff’s Fanfare
Warwick School’s Fanfare Team are always honoured to perform at the annual High Sheriff’s Legal Service, which was held on 1 October at St Mary’s Church, Warwick.
Warwick School awarded prestigious status
We were absolutely delighted to have been awarded Centre of Excellence status in recognition for our work in helping learners flourish together.
The Leadership Skills Foundation is a prominent awarding organisation dedicated to the development of leadership skills in young people and only recognises the top 1-2% with this highly competitive award.
Warwick School was recognised for bringing essential skills to life through practically applied qualifications and accredited awards across the curriculum and beyond, empowering learners with the confidence to believe, the qualities to lead and the skills to succeed.
This was a wondrous occasion attended by Warwickshire’s VIPs and local dignitaries including The High Sheriff, The Lord Lieutenant, and various Mayors from across the county. Fanfare Team, conducted by our esteemed Head of Brass Mr Tibbitts, sounded the fanfare ‘A Canterbury Flourish’ to commence
proceedings and heralded the arrival of the legal procession. This was followed by an opening prayer, various hymns and readings before hearing from Reverend Canon Angus Aagaard who gave the address.
The service concluded with everyone singing the National Anthem, whereby the congregation were treated to a magnificent and polished performance from Fanfare Team playing the infamous Gordon Jacob’s opening and verse 2 fanfares.
Raising money for Movember
Staff and students across the school
have been discussing positive male role models as part of International Men’s Day this term. We are incredibly lucky to
£9,000
have some fine examples of positive male role models in the Sixth Form who are raising awareness and money towards the Movember charity. Here are some of the activities the boys took part in in November:
• Isaac and Felix completed 50 heavy workouts
• Alex, Alex and Matt cycled
• Andrew cycled 250km
• Hector walked 50km in a chicken costume
Other boys did a great job fundraising and raising awareness with their activities and Mos too.
An incredible amount of funds has been raised by the school. An amazing achievement for a worthy cause.
Congratulations to all boys involved – Chris, Edward, Freddie, Flynn, Will and Hugo.
King James I Banquet
Warwick School’s Fanfare Team (the Elite Trumpet Ensemble, conducted by Mr Tibbitts) has built up quite the distinguished reputation, performing at numerous prestigious events around the local community.
On Saturday 21 September, the Fanfare Team were called into action for the first time this year to perform for King James I Banquet at the Lord Leycester, Warwick. A fanfare was sounded to herald the arrival of the King, as well as more musical entertainment prior to the great feast, at this fantastic 17th century reenactment event.
Nimal shortlisted for Global Essay Prize 2024
Nimal from Year 9 has been shortlisted for the Junior Category of the John Locke Institute 2024 Global Essay Prize.
The John Locke Institute encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics that turn good students into great writers and their Essay
Competition invites students to explore a wide range of challenging and interesting questions beyond the confines of the school curriculum.
All essay prizes are judged by a panel of senior academics drawn from leading universities. Being shortlisted is a huge achievement, congratulations Nimal.
‘Kissing it Better’ at Warwick Hospital
Our Year 8-9 Wind Quintet took a walk to Warwick Hospital on 13 November to spread their love of music to patients on the Gastroenterology Ward.
George, Alonso, Alex, Clayton and Jayven performed Cornish Dance to three wards of patients, some of whom had been in the hospital for more than three quarters of a year. The impact was clearly meaningful, and the boys’ music was well appreciated.
Congratulations and thanks to the boys for making this such a wholesome and rewarding event; they were an absolute credit to themselves and the school.
Thrilling Senior Production
This term’s joint Senior Production with King’s High School was the thrilling musical Sweeney Todd, held at Bridge House Theatre.
Audiences were invited to step into the dark, twisted world of Sweeney Todd,
where vengeance and desire collided in a gripping tale of love, murder, and madness. With spine-tingling music by Stephen Sondheim and unforgettable characters, the show was a huge success. Well done to all those involved.
Remembrance Day
Remembrance is always a tremendously significant date in the national calendar to honour and remember our fallen heroes.
This year, Warwick School’s brass department deployed six buglers to sound the Last Post and Reveille at 12 Remembrance services including Warwick Foundation chapel and school assemblies, Warwick Town Cenotaph, and local village war memorials across Warwickshire.
This year, buglers Chris, Freddie, Rory, Edward, William, and Nimal all took on the huge responsibility of performing this solemn and challenging duty and they all did marvellously well delivering faultless renditions.
It is truly a privilege and an honour, and they are an absolute credit to both themselves and the school. Thanks go to the boys and Mr Tibbitts for overseeing these opportunities and preparing the boys so brilliantly.
Sixth Form speed interviewing
Every year we put our Year 13 pupils through their paces in some mock speed interviews. and this year was another
great success. We want to make sure our sixth formers develop a range of skills to set them up for success in the years to come - whether they want to progress onto university, apprenticeships, or the world of work.
The mock speed interviews were an invaluable experience with pupils being put through authentic interview situations and learned how to answer questions. Thank you to all who supported this year!
Funk After 8 music education workshop
On 9 October, The Kingsley Prep School pupils were treated to an unforgettable musical assembly, courtesy of Funk After 8 - our energetic NOLA style brass band.. Their incredible performance had everyone captivated!
A huge thank you to the talented musicians, Chris, Edward, Oliver, James, Theo, Huw and Ben, for sharing their time and passion.
Semi-final success for Chorister Nimal
Huge congratulations to Nimal from Year 9 who made it to the semi-finals of the BBC Young Chorister of the Year 2024. This is a phenomenal achievement and a
testament to Nimal’s hard-work and commitment to the various choirs he sings with both inside and outside of school. We are very proud of you Nimal!
Billy claims Terafinal Champion title
Earlier this term, Billy in Year 8 secured the prestigious title of Terafinal Champion after defeating his opponents in the world’s biggest school’s chess tournament.
Every year, many thousands of schoolchildren enter the Terafinal tournament and battle it out for places in the later stages of the competition. Billy was in a ferociously strong U12 field which included all the best players in his age category, including two who can already boast master titles. However Billy is unbelievable fighter with endless reserves of resilience and determination and showed the skill and will to take home the ultimate prize. Congratulations Billy!
Bringing music to the community
Over the half term break, the music department continued to carry out their fantastic community outreach work by supporting a local village raise vital funds for charity.
Leek Wootton held an afternoon tea fund-raising event for a life changing and imperative charity Cancer Research UK and Aaden from Year 11 used his talents to make this event extra special. He spent hours of his time sharing his musical skills and providing background music for appreciative guests. All in all, the afternoon was a huge success whereby as a collective, they managed to raise just over £1000.
Money raisers
We are immensely proud to have raised £810.06 for Guardian Ballers, a mental health and wellbeing service that empowers young people through engagement in Basketball activities, education and practical experiences. Students were asked to wear their favourite sports kit - the more retro the better - and to kindly bring a £2.00 donation.
Thanks to all those who took part!
ATCelebrating student achievements
his year, in Years 7 and 8, we introduced two exciting new projects in Key Stage 3. These projects aim to explore innovative ways for students to engage with art, drawing inspiration from renowned artists and diverse stimuli.
The first project, a music-inspired venture, was influenced by the works of artists Vasily Kandinsky and František Kupka. This project challenged students to respond to music as an input rather than relying on visual stimuli. For this, we selected The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, famously featured in Disney’s Fantasia. Students listened to the piece, paying close attention to the varying volumes, tones, and patterns within the music. They then translated these auditory elements into a visual artwork using watercolour paints and coloured pencils. This approach encouraged them to think creatively and abstractly, blending emotion with technique to create stunning, evocative pieces.
The second project was inspired by the contemporary artist Abby Diamond, known for her vibrant and expressive depictions of birds using pen, ink, and bold, radiant colours. For this project, students were invited to choose a bird they felt a connection to or one they wished to highlight due to its endangered status or environmental pressures. They then created a detailed and colourful artwork in response. The students brought immense thoughtfulness to this
task, researching their chosen bird and crafting pieces that combined artistic skill with a deeper message about conservation.
Both projects have been met with enthusiasm and dedication from the students. The outcomes are nothing short of extraordinary, reflecting the talent and hard work of everyone involved. These projects not only allowed students to develop new skills but also provided them with a platform to express individuality and explore meaningful themes.
We are incredibly proud of what the students have achieved through these projects, and their vibrant creations are a testament to their creativity and effort.
The outcomes are nothing short of extraordinary, reflecting the talent and hard work of everyone involved.
Our love of language
Michaelmas has been a busy term for Modern Languages. Teachers have enjoyed welcoming new Year 7 boys into lessons, where they’re studying two languages and seeing lots of progress already!
At the other end of the age spectrum, Sixth Form Debate Clubs in French and Spanish have been active this term, debating themes such as whether French school canteens should only offer halal meat, the banning of petrol and diesel cars, the ethics of bullfighting and whether mass tourism should be curbed by stricter rules. The language skills on display at the debates were highly impressive and they have given boys a fantastic linguistic workout. We look forward to more heated debates in foreign tongues next term!
The 26 September saw boys enter European-inspired cakes and artwork for the Great European Bake Off and EuroArt competitions as part of the European Day of Languages celebrations. All cakes and art were of a brilliant quality, and it was super to see the breadth of skill amongst boys in all years. As part of the European Day of Language celebrations, boys and staff enjoyed the Warwick School Languages Challenge in form periods. A selection of Warwick School pupils and staff submitted audio recorded greetings in their native languages for the school community to listen to and identify. There was fierce debate around which languages were which! It was an excellent
celebration of the linguistic and cultural diversity among Warwick pupils and staff.
In October half term Sra Goodbourn led the Sixth Form hispanists, along with the Sixth Form art students and Mr Parkinson, to Barcelona for a culturally immersive experience exploring Gaudí architecture, Picasso’s art, and Catalan food. Read more about it in the separate article in this publication!
A few weeks later the Sixth Form Spanish students went to see a stage production of La Casa de Bernarda Alba, one of the set texts studied as part of the A-Level course. Boys were pleased that the production was true to the original text and approved of its interpretation and the excellent acting. This production will go a long way to supporting the boys’ understanding of the play when it comes to essay-writing in their upcoming exams.
The language skills on display at the debates were highly impressive!
The Lower Sixth French students attended the British Film Institute at the end of November for an undergraduatelevel study day, exploring French New Wave cinema of the 1950s and 1960s and its impact on contemporary French cinema. The day ended with a screening of the iconic 1995 film La Haine, which is the set text film studied on the A-Level course. All boys agreed that La Haine is a timeless classic that is as relevant today as it was when it was shot almost 30
years ago. La Haine has been adapted for the stage in Paris, so if you’re planning a Parisian weekend away over the festive period, do go and see it!
As the Michaelmas term comes to an end, boys in Years 9 and 10 prepare for a Christmas markets trip to Aachen in Germany, departing on the last day of term. We very much look forward to getting a feel for how Christmas is celebrated in Germany, as well as a taste of some classic German Christmas treats!
It was super to see the breadth of skill amongst boys in all years.
Michaelmas term English in
It has been another busy and exciting term in the English department with poetry competitions, theatrical screenings, assemblies, community visits and lots of reward stamps! Below are just a few highlights from the Michaelmas term.
Winners announced!
Aspire Lectures for Year 11
Throughout the Michaelmas term, we have run a series of supra-curricular lectures, the Aspire Lectures, for our Year 11 pupils. Lectures have been well-attended and pupils have heard more about the craft and lives of some of writers on the syllabus. Pupils have learnt about Tennessee Williams’ use of Plastic Theatre; the life and times of H. G. Wells; Ted Hughes’ fascination with nature and the term finished with the return of our Paper 1 Panto.
Many thanks to the English staff for delivering these exciting and challenging lectures and to our pupils for their enthusiastic response to the programme. We look forward to more in the Lent term!
The 2024 Warwickshire Essay Competition and Warwickshire Voices Competition were launched in the summer.
Pupils were challenged to write an essay on the topic of ‘Silence in Literature’ for the essay competition and for the Warwickshire Voices Competition, our Lower Sixth were invited to write in any genre of their choice on the topic of ‘Language and Power’.
Seminars run by Mrs Hodge, Mr Town and Mrs Hardiman were well attended, with topics including, ‘Silence in Atonement’, ‘Public and Private Voices in Creative Fiction’ and ‘The Power of Journalism’.
We are delighted to announce that the winner of the Warwickshire Essay Competition 2024 is Felix Turner, and the winner of the Warwickshire Voices Competition is Rio Holton-Reeve. Both Felix and Rio impressed us with the originality and
confidence of their explorations of the competition topics.
We have already launched the 2025 competitions and are delighted that so many of our English A Level pupils have chosen to attend our seminars this term. We hope that the competitions, which are also open to other Warwick School Foundation schools will continue to grow and enthuse our outstanding pupils.
A spotlight on pupil work
As always, our fantastic pupils have outdone themselves this term. The topics and texts studied have been wide-ranging, from World War I poetry, to Chaucer, to ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’. Above are some beautifully illustrated poems from Mr Town’s Year 8 class, who wrote their own war poems.
National Poetry Day 2024
The theme of this year’s National Poetry Day was Counting!
Whether counting syllables or qualifying concepts or emotions, the theme highlighted how human it is to try to make sense of our world and the things that matter to us in it.
We celebrated the day itself with one of our English department corridor competitions. Visiting pupils had to find a long number code hidden within eight poems displayed along the corridor. Plenty took up the challenge and it
was wonderful to see so may of our pupils scouring poems by Frost, BarrettBrowning, Poe and Szymborska among others.
In the spirit of making Poetry Day count, on Tuesday 15 October, the English department led a visit a local retirement village, Austin Heath, to a community poetry event.
At Austin Heath, Warwick School pupils, from Year 7 to the Upper Sixth introduced and read a selection of poems to a huge gathering of the residents. From Michael Rosen to John Clare, our pupils took turns to read about
love, nonsense words, autumn, dogs, horses, philosophy and geography. We finished with a lively and very wellreceived reading of Pam Ayers’ ‘I wish I’d looked after my teeth’.
We all enjoyed listening to the residents of Austin Heath share some of their favourite poems with us too. It was wonderful to share the joy of the written word to mark National Poetry Day, and we look forward to doing it all again in October 2025.
Well done to the pupils who came with us. They performed brilliantly and were excellent ambassadors for the school.
Encounters
Michaelmas 2024
We love Fridays here at Warwick because Friday is Encounters day!
In our Encounters series, we are privileged to welcome a range of inspiring speakers - including authors, historians, racing drivers, and scientists - for a set diverse, exciting, and thought-provoking talks.
This term we have enjoyed some excellent Encounters ranging from an intriguing and many storied Encounter
with Brown’s Hotel (Andy Williamson) to a fascinating and insightful Encounter with the Blair Institute (Daniel Sleat OW). Reverend Jonathan Aitken provided a fantastic recollection of his friend, Richard Nixon, while Lieutenant General Sir Simon Mayall provided unrivalled analysis of the Middle East and developing security challenges to the UK. Dr Sukhvir Wright spoke brilliantly on brain fires and Peter Dumbreck provided a profound and personal insight into motor racing. Gareth
Russell also provided a fantastic talk on Titanic “The Ship of Dreams”.
Future highlights include (King’s High parent, Nichoas Milton on the “Birdman of Auschwitz” on Friday 17 January) and an Encounter with Horatio Nelson on Friday 31 January.
Encounters are open to everyone and take place from 4.15pm – 5.30pm in the Warwick School Science Lecture Theatre. https://www.warwickschool.org/ encounters
“A biographer’s journey around President Richard Nixon” Jonathan Aitken
An Encounter with Fighting brain fires from the laboratory bench to the patient bedside Dr Sukhvir Wright
An Encounter with Motor Racing and Peter Dumbreck
An Encounter with Tony Blair and Buddhism Daniel Sleat OW
An Encounter with Brown’s Hotel Andy Williamson
An Encounter with Applied History Lieutenant General Sir Simon Mayal
An Encounter with the Titanic Gareth Russell
Music
What a fantastic term of music making it has been! So many events in a packed calendar that has brought joy to many boys and audiences alike, with so much to celebrate and be inspired by.
Warwick boys have done us proud in the local community with their music, providing trumpeters for Remembrance Day at a number of nearby locations (organised by the ineffable Mr Tibbitts), and we have also had a selection of pupils (a Wind Quintet and the Undertones brass ensemble) provide music to long-term patients at Warwick Hospital as part of a developing relationship with the local charity, Kissing it Better.
Every boy in the school raised his voice with gusto at the annual House Shout event at the end of the first half of term, with Brooke the victors in a committed rendition of Living on a Prayer. It is fantastic to hear the whole school sing, as they have done with increasing frequency, learning the intricacies of the school song (so that it rings out with pride throughout, with the Floreats matched for volume with
everything else!) and reigniting a proud tradition of Chapel hymn practices.
In the spirit of uniting our own community, the whole of Year 7 combined in full voice across the Foundation, along with our Chapel Choir and members of Treble and Rebels to perform Christopher Tin’s Calling All Dawns at the Foundation Gala Concert in the Butterworth Hall at Warwick Arts Centre on 28 November. This was a real crown jewel moment in the term and exemplified all that we strive to achieve here in music; to provide a platform for excellence, and a place for
everybody within that, all the while, taking it seriously and enjoying it!
Other large-scale events have included the annual Band Stand Showcase, comprising a number of our wind, brass and jazz ensembles. For each ensemble, this high-quality event was a first outing of repertoire that was due to be performed elsewhere; FWO took their repertoire subsequently to the Foundation Gala Concert; Little Big Band, Big Band and Supertonics to the NCBF Regionals (all achieving Gold!); Jazz Lab to Eastside in Birmingham (they held their own against
Warwick boys have done us proud in the local community with their music, providing trumpeters for Remembrance Day at a number of nearby locations”
a conservatoire level Big Band at that gig). The Christmas Cracker provided the platform for our other large ensembles on 6 December, the event proving an enjoyable evening of festivities!
Boys have taken the chance to present their solo offerings at a number of smallerscale events this term as well, with many impressive improvisations in evidence at the Jazz and Scones concert, as well as a host of wonderful music at the various Informal Concerts and Award Holders Concerts. St Mary’s lunchtime recital series has also presented an opportunity for a selection of our pupils, with a chamber group due to perform on the
final day of term and Ben Adams giving an outstanding recital that received a standing ovation (and the largest audience that the series have ever received!).
The final item of the term remains in the form of the Carol Service which our Chapel Choir will of course be singing in (as they have the Harvest, Remembrance and Advent Services this term). It seems fitting, to my mind, that one of the final moments in the term’s calendar is a musical one; the spirit of music is alive and thriving in Warwick, and there is nothing quite like making music together that helps to foster the strong community that we are lucky to enjoy here.
Rugby roundup Sport
As always, the Michaelmas term has been crammed full of rugby activity. Saturdays have regularly seen almost half the school involved in rugby matches, playing from the U12Es, all the way up to the 1st XV.
Players at all levels and ages have shown great progress over the term, with many boys catching the coaches’ eyes
and pushing for selection in higher teams. The commitment from many of these players is admirable, and we regularly see the old adage that ‘You get out what you put in’ to be true.
The U12s have had a great start to the season and are fizzing the ball around the pitch on a regularly basis – which bodes well for the future. The U13s had
a fantastic tour to Scotland over the October half term, and this has galvanised them as a group – showing some great results over recent weeks.
The U14s have had the challenge of moving up to 15-a-side rugby, and this has opened up new avenues for learning, and new positional options for many boys.
The A team have had a fantastic start
to the year and are playing some great rugby under the guidance of Mr Willis.
The U15s have kicked on from last year, and at the time of writing are preparing for the 4th round of the National Cup. They are a resolute group of players who showed immense courage and fortitude in their game against Bromsgrove in the preceding round. Many boys are developing well in the B team and causing a few selection headaches in what is a competitive group.
The U16s continue to regularly put out three teams and have a hard-working group who are developing well on the pitch and in the gym. Some great
performance against Harrow, Bromsgrove and NSB show that there is some real talent coming out of this age group.
The senior boys have also been successful, with four teams regularly playing matches. The 3rds and 4ths have both proven themselves to be tough opposition – even taking on some local 1st/2nd XVs, and the 2nd XV had a memorable win down at Harrow and then at NSB this term. The 1st XV had a slow start to the season, but worked exceptionally hard over the first few weeks to turn things around. After a closely fought cup win against Bromsgrove the team was full of confidence, going on to beat Kings Worcester in round 3 and Stamford in round 4. One of the highlights of the season was a win against Sedbergh –only the 2nd time this has been achieved in 25 years. At the time of writing the team are preparing for a quarter final match against NSB, scheduled for the 4th Dec.
Congratulations to Diamond Ayiehfor, Josh Field and James Townsend who have all been selected to be involved with the England U18s this term. We wish them all good luck for future selections.
From all the staff involved in the rugby – thank you to the players for your commitment this half term we hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have!
International squad selection success
Congratulations to Barney Gale, Year 10, and Archie Goodrem, Lower Sixth, on their international squad selection following trials over this term.
Archie has made it into the Wales U18 squad as a goalkeeper and will now train and play in tournaments in the build up to the European Championships in the summer.
Barney has made it into the England U16 squad, which is even more impressive as he is a year young for the age group. He will also train and play with the squad throughout the season in the build up to their European championships this summer.
Both selections are due to the boys’ hard work and dedication to the sport in school and at their clubs and are excellent role models for the younger boys aspiring to achieve their own goals. Well done to both.
Football
Around 60 boys from Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth have shown great commitment so far to the football games programme running on Wednesday afternoons. Due to their efforts, we now have two U18 Warwick football teams ready to play external fixtures for the first time in years.
The 1st XI started the season with a competitive 2-2 draw away at Arnold Lodge School back in late September. With the return home fixture scheduled for early November it gave the boys time to train together as a newly formed squad. We ran out 3-1 victors in a muchimproved team performance.
Unfortunately, the recent bad weather got the better of us as both 1st XI and 2nd XI were due to play Princethorpe College Boys but both games had to be abandoned. These games will hopefully be replayed in the new year along with more fixtures in the diary against Kingham Hill School and Arnold Lodge School.
Thanks to Mr Hancock for organising our fixtures and Mr Bamford, Mr Whittle and Mr Stevenson-Ray for their help in training and squad selections!
Ski Racing podium finishes and British School Championships
The Michaelmas term is a busy one for the Ski Racers at Warwick, with focus on the ESSkiA Race series.
Training began again on the Sunday before term started with a session at our ‘home’ slope, Swadlincote. This was then followed with a good turnout at the ESSkiA Qualifying event with seven teams from across the Foundation competing.
The Warwick U16 team qualified for the ESSkiA finals in Norwich with the U19 team falling foul of a rule ‘quirk’ failing to be invited to Finals, despite placing first in their category!
On to Norwich and the U16s raced in their Age Group Finals with the team making the podium in third place - a great result with solid skiing from all the boys. Shout out to Fenton Cooper and Hugh Swabey-Collison who were 1st and 2nd U14s in the Category 3 boys event.
The ESSkiA Open Championship for
the ‘best’ school teams saw Warwick B finish in 14th and the A team in 8th. This earned the A team an invitation to the British Schools Championships. Mention should also go to our ‘new’ skier in Norwich, Winston Kelsey, who stepped up to ski creditably for the team.
The final event of a busy term was the British Schools Championships held recently amid the ‘weather’ of Storm Bert in Llandudno, Wales. The boys skied consistently to achieve a fantastic 9th place overall. For context, the last time the boys were invited to the British Champs they placed 18th. This was a huge improvement and testimony to the hard work and effort they are all putting into their ski racing and training.
Skiers representing Warwick this term: Tom Gilyead, Dan Gilyead, Josh Davies, Monty Hogg, Charlie Lovell, Felix Rapp, Fenton Cooper, Hugh Swabey-Collison & Winston Kelsey.
Trips
Edinburgh rugby tour
In the October half term, forty-one boys and six staff travelled to Scotland for the U13 Rugby Tour. After an epic journey, the group dropped their bags off and met tour guides for a Ghost Tour around Edinburgh. This is always an exciting part of the trip and showed a different side to both boys and staff!
The next day began with a tour of Murrayfield Stadium, the home of Scottish rugby. The whole experience was amazing and something the group won’t forget. Highlights were going into the home changing room and singing happy birthday to Leo, before walking down the tunnel and out onto pitch side. It was particularly special for Mr Thomson,
an avid Scotland supporter who has been there many times to watch games, but never in the inner sanctuary of the stadium.
This set the boys up for three afternoon fixtures against Glasgow Academy. All three games were great contests with the As losing to a strong side, the Bs claiming a fantastic win and the Cs losing narrowly. Despite a couple of losses, spirits were high because of the nature of the performances and the day ended with bowling.
The third day started with paintballing, which was a team bonding exercise as well as lots of fun. From there the group travelled to Melrose Rugby Club to play two fixtures against the famous rugby
club. Both games had great rugby on show under the floodlights, with Warwick coming out on top. The day was topped off with a lovely meal in the clubhouse and prizes handed out by Scotland International, Rory Sutherland.
The final day of tour saw the group do a tour of Edinburgh Castle, walk the Royal Mile and buy souvenirs and then visit Dynamic Earth before boarding the train home. This wasn’t the end of the tour experience however, as there were speeches and prize giving on the train which provided lots of entertainment on the journey. Overall, it was a fantastic tour, and Mr Maguire would like to thank all staff who gave up their time and made it a memorable experience for all involved.
Barcelona
Mr. Parkinson and Mrs Goodburn led a group of 10 Sixth Form artists and hispanists on an unforgettable trip to Barcelona, immersing ourselves in the works of Picasso, Miró, and Antoni Gaudí. While the main focus was art and architecture, the group also enjoyed delicious Spanish cuisine, indulged in some shopping, and even snagged some deals at the Barça store.
Their artistic journey began with a fascinating guided tour of the Picasso Museum, where they explored Picasso’s evolving philosophy and artistic style. This was followed by pastries and coffee at Els Quatre Gats, a favourite haunt of Picasso and his contemporaries, tucked away in the heart of the Gothic Quarter.
The group admired stunning examples of Catalan Gothic architecture at the famous basilica of Santa María del Mar, followed by an extraordinary, guided tour of the Sagrada Familia. The ascent to the Nativity Tower offered both breathtaking views and a rather daunting circular journey down on foot. Not for the vertigo sufferers! Later that evening, they explored the rooftop of Gaudí’s Casa
Chemistry in Action
The 19 November was a memorable day for the Lower Sixth chemists. Not only did the boys wake up to significant snowfall (exciting), but they were off to Warwick University to the Chemistry in Action event (very exciting!).
Kicking off the day was a fascinating talk by Dr Alex Baker on When Medicines become Drugs. He highlighted how small changes in chemical structure can have big influences on how a chemical behaves in the body. Following this Dr Suze Kundu gave a timely talk on how AI and data are transforming materials chemistry, driving sustainable solutions to global challenges.
After lunch the boys really enjoyed a talk by Dr Stephen Belding on sent-
sational chemistry. A particular highlight was the discovery of the worst smelling chemical ever made, thioacetone, which caused vomiting and nausea within a half mile radius of where the chemical was briefly released!
The penultimate talk by Professor Julie Macphearson focused on the wonders of element number 6 – carbon. Julie explored the many allotropes of carbon and invited our chemists to look into the future with carbon nanotubes, graphene and nano technology playing an increasing important role.
The day finished with arguably the most inspirational and engaging talk. In a wide ranging talk that delved into politics, brainwashing and climate change Professor Andrea Sella from UCL invited us to challenge our
Milà, where the iconic chimney “soldiers” were beautifully illuminated. Under a pink moonlit sky, the floodlit Sagrada Familia cast a magical glow, and the boys unanimously declared this evening to be the highlight of the trip. The group even managed to squeeze in a leisurely stroll through Park Güell and a funicular up to Montjuïc’s Joan Miró museum with spectacular views over the city.
The boys were delightful company – polite, enthusiastic, and a pleasure to travel with. Mr. Parkinson and Mrs Goodbourn are already looking forward to planning our next adventure.
preconceptions by looking at the world of Strange Ice. Andrea showed us how ice is a material so strange that it breaks nearly every rule in the book. On an icy day in Warwickshire this seemed a fitting way to end the day.
Overall, it was a thoroughly engaging day and many of the boys felt inspired by what they heard to consider a science related degree in the future.
Three cities and a battlefield
During the Michaelmas Term, Mr Jefferies, Mr Smith, Mrs Thomas, and Mr Hadley led a group of Warwick boys to the United States. In just eight days the party visited Boston, New York, Washington DC as well as the battlefield of Gettysburg.
Set against the backdrop of the climax of the US presidential election, the boys visited the JFK Museum in Boston and walked the revolutionary Freedom Trail. In New York they enjoyed a memorable tour of the United Nations, took the ferry to Ellis Island, went to the top of the One World Centre and the Rockefeller Centre and met Stuart O’Kelly OW at JP Morgan.
At Gettysburg they toured the battlefield and in Washington DC they visited congress, walked the Mall at night, crossed the Potomac into Virginia to visit Mount Vernon and met Will Todman OW, an expert on the Middle East from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. At Ford’s Theatre some of the pupils even recorded an “on location” Heaton Podcast with Civil War historian, Michael Block. It was a packed few days and
It was a packed few days and the boys demonstrated remarkable enthusiasm”
the boys demonstrated remarkable enthusiasm throughout as they unflaggingly engaged with history, politics, culture, finance, and US presidential memorabilia.
Combined Cadet Force
Our cadets get busy
It has been a busy term with the cadets involved in a number of activities.
14 cadets attended a ceremony at St. Michael’s church Budbrooke, where a new bench was being dedicated in memory of the fallen members of the Royal Warwickshire regiment. This was followed by a church service and laying of crosses on the war graves in the church cemetery.
36 Year 11 cadets parachuted into Vichy, France (well a coach ride to Leek training area) to support the Marquis in their struggle against German occupiers. To maximise training time with a heavy storm coming in, the cadets opted to continue through the night and have a late start to avoid the morning’s predicted poor weather.
Nearly 60 cadets and staff participated in the Remembrance Parade this year with the guard of honour leading the school’s Remembrance Parade on the 11 November.
A team of 12 RAF cadets headed to RAF Cosford to compete in the regional RAST competition, scoring highly in many of the competition’s rounds.
Pastoral
Ensuring the wellbeing of our pupils
Welcome to Benji
We were excited to welcome Benji as our new resident wellbeing dog as the beginning of September.
Benji is a friendly and playful young golden retriever puppy. He lives with Mr
Thomson and is based in the pastoral office with him during the school day. Benji loves playing with pupils and is incredibly affectionate.
Benji joins Agatha, a cockapoo, who began ‘working’ in the Wellbeing Hub in 2022 and has been a welcome and very popular addition to our wellbeing provision.
Aggie and Benji’s role is to support our pupils if they need a calming influence, want a cuddle, or just want some time away from the classroom in a warm and welcoming environment.
A huge success for Yondr pouches
Warwick School is committed to creating an effective phone-free environment for students in Years 7-11. The addictive nature of mobile phones is increasingly well understood, as are their concerning impacts on the developing brain. We know that by creating a truly phone-free environment we can improve pupils’ academic achievement, mental health and focus.
That’s why, back in September we issued pupils with their own Yondr Pouch. The pouches have enabled pupils to lock away their mobile phones during registration each morning, keep them in their possession and then unlock them at the end of the school day.
The initiative has been a real success so far – thanks to everyone for your support.
George Mclintock
Success for
Thanks to everyone’s effort, we have had such a successful term.
Warwick Voice
The Michaelmas term has been very successful for Warwick Voice, the new name for Pupil Voice.
Each of our committees have worked hard this term to furthering improvement and inclusivity at school.
After discussion with the chairs of Warwick Voice, we introduced a new system called Smart Schools Council which we have called three meetings with so far. Each form has the same question proposed to them enabling group debate and allowing everyone, not just members of Warwick Voice, to openly discuss and help drive positive change in the school. We have so far debated charity events, anti-bullying and men’s mental health.
The Religious and Racial Equality Committee invited a survivor of the Tutsi Genocide in Rwanda to come into school to share her harrowing account of one of the worst atrocities in human history. This was followed in October by Anti-Racism Week where the Religious and Racial Equality Committee led an incredibly rousing online assembly to raise awareness of the problems of racism. They also partnered with the Charity Leaders to raise money via a non-
The
Religious and Racial Equality Committee led an incredibly rousing online assembly to raise awareness of the problems of racism”
school uniform day and a doughnut sale for the charity Stop Hate UK. Thanks to a generous contribution from the pupils, a whopping 1500 doughnuts were sold within 15 minutes!
More recently, the Anti-Bullying Committee ran its awareness week with odd-socks day and a brilliant assembly highlighting the issue of bullying. This term we also trialed a new idea of Pupil Forum, starting with sixth form students, where a pupil-only meeting was held to reach out to all students to hear potential ideas to improve the wellbeing and enjoyment at Warwick School. Hopefully, more of this is to come in the future with
other year groups. Throughout the term, the generosity of the pupils has been highlighted in Foodbank Friday, with each year group donating food and items to foodbanks in the local region. Thanks to the work of our Charity Leaders, the foodbank has also begun to include a magnanimous donation from Morrisons each week. Warwick voice also held the annual Macmillan Cancer breakfast at school
A whopping 1500 doughnuts were sold within 15 minutes!
Movember raised a whopping
£9,000
with the prefects getting involved with serving food to those who came.
November came around swiftly and with it the start of Movember, led by the Sexual Equality Committee. The event started with a Sixth Form assembly, where Mr Stephenson and Mr Priestly both had their beards reduced to moustaches to set the example. Many boys have since got involved by growing moustaches, or completing sponsored challenge events to raise money for the Movember Charities.
Thank you to all who took part leading to a staggering total of over £9,000
raised. And not to mention a brilliant final assembly led by the always enthusiastic and amazing Mr Etheridge.
Throughout this term, the Project Ponta has continued to drive towards its goal of funding the construction of schools in Mozambique. A truly excellent cause with much more is to come in the future.
My thanks to all chairs, teachers and members of Warwick Voice for your hard work. As a result of your efforts, we have had such a successful term. I hope you all have a restful Christmas break and come back even stronger for 2025.
Foodbank generosity
It’s been fantastic partnering with Warwick district foodbanks during the Michaelmas term at Warwick School. The foundation of the partnership is our regular weekly donations in which all students have the opportunity to donate non-perishable items to those in most need in our community.
Warwick school has continued to give generously under the oversight and encouragement of our charity committee who have led our foodbank projects with diligence. As part of our regular donations Warwick school has also partnered with Morrisons supermarket who have generously added their donations to those being collected at Warwick School.
November has seen Warwick School take part in the foodbank’s ‘reverse advent calendar scheme’ in which each form group has collected boxes of the 24 most needed items to distribute to families across the region in the month of December.
Many thanks to all who have donated so generously across the term!
Hector walked 50km in a chicken costume.
PAWS
Parents Association of Warwick School
update
Community spirit, fundraising and events
The Parents Association of Warwick School (PAWS) began the year in true Warwick style with the much-loved Macmillan Coffee Morning in September. This popular event provided a perfect opportunity for parents to reconnect and for students to enjoy some delicious cakes. The morning raised an impressive £816, all of which was donated to Macmillan Cancer Support.
In early November, PAWS hosted its firstever coffee morning tailored specifically
for Year 7 parents. Parents had the opportunity to meet one another, connect with members of the Senior Leadership Team, address questions about starting at a new school and put faces to the names from their WhatsApp group.
The term concluded with the muchanticipated return of the Headmaster’s Quiz Night. Held in Warwick Hall, this fun-filled evening saw twelve teams competing in a lively but friendly battle for quiz supremacy. Congratulations to the winning team, the Warwick Wits! A special thank you goes to Mr Barker for hosting and keeping scores and, alongside Mr Cooley, for crafting such engaging quiz questions.
The collaboration between PAWS and local company, DryBones, to provide coats continued to grow, especially as the weather turned colder. The coats have proved popular with parents and Old Warwickians and we’re sure there will be a few under the Christmas Tree this year!
Nearly New Uniform Shop
The PAWS Nearly New Uniform Shop offers parents the opportunity to buy and sell gently used school uniforms. We sell high-quality items on their behalf, retaining a small percentage of the sale price to support PAWS’ fund. We also gladly accept donations, where 100% of the proceeds benefit PAWS.
This year, the team has already hosted two successful sales: the popular pre-term sale in September and a November sale. A big thank you to all the volunteers who make these sales possible! We are currently in need of senior-sized sports kit, so if you have any items to sell, please consider donating or selling through us. Our next drop-off day will be in January, and dates will be announced in the School Newsletter and on PAWS’ social media channels. For more information please contact us at nearlynewuniformwarwick@ gmail.com.
Stay tuned for details on future events in the weekly school newsletter and on PAWS’ social media channels. Follow us on @pawswarwick and @PAWSWarwick to keep up with the latest updates. Email us at warwickschoolpaws @gmail.com - we’d love to hear from you!
Alumni Development and relations
1. OWs from the 1960s braved horrendous weather for another Birmingham Bash.
2. The Old Warwickian Association continues to offer a range of social and networking opportunities, enabling OWs to stay in touch with the school and each other. During the Michaelmas term, OWs from different decades have enjoyed a range of events back at school, around the UK and overseas.
3. OW golfers enjoyed their Autumn Meeting at Stratford on Avon Golf Club.
4. Wessex Old Warwickians had another great get-together, this time at the Haynes Motor Museum in Somerset.
5. OWs in Hong Kong enjoyed this year’s Warwick Schools Foundation alumni gathering at the Indian Recreation Club in Causeway Bay.
6. A team of OWs tackled the Thames Hare and Hounds Alumni Race over Wimbledon Common, with 199 runners from 32 schools taking on the tough and challenging five-mile course. The OW team was complemented by Head of MFL Mr Stingemore and Izzy, grand-daughter of OW cross country stalwart Jack Thornton.
7. The OWA Annual Dinner and biennial Armed Forces Dinner are two of our traditional, formal OW events. Some of our Y13s were invited to the dinners, giving them a special insight into future opportunities to connect and reconnect with fellow OWs.
Foundation Ne s
The latest from across Warwick Schools Foundation
A Singing Town named as finalists for national award
A Singing Town was named as a finalist for ‘Outstanding Musical Initiative’ in the Music and Drama Education Awards 2025.
The awards celebrate outstanding achievements in Music and Drama education, and ‘recognises individuals, schools, and organisations that have made a significant impact in these fields, showcasing excellence in teaching, innovation, and leadership.’
The Foundation is delighted to support such a positive initiative, and this achievement reflects the the truly positive impact that it has on so many lives across the local community; from weekly singing tuition for children at local primary schools, to ‘Sing for Joy’ community choirs based at local community centres.
Orchestra of the Swan partnership continues to excite
The Foundation’s ongoing partnership with Orchestra of the Swan continues to excite, and on Thursday, 10 October, we welcomed actor Anton Lesser to Warwick Hall for the first Swan concert of this season.
The concert, also featuring conductor Rebecca Miller and the Swan’s professional orchestra, was once again outstanding; the combination of symphonic musical pieces with readings from Anton made for a wonderful
experience for those in attendance. We look forward to three more concerts at Warwick Hall throughout this season; On 26 January, Anton returns for ‘A Beautiful Thread’; on 20 March, our pupils will have the truly unique opportunity to perform side-by-side with the Swan’s orchestra in ‘Elements’; and on 19 June, we end the season with ‘Interstellar’.
Find out more at: https:// orchestraoftheswan.org/ concerts/#warwick
One of the great joys of my role as Principal is supporting as many events across the schools as I can”
Dear Parents,
As a chorister in my younger days, I loved the season of Advent (actually, I still do). There was something rather special about the very structured sense of climax towards Christmas, including less familiar, infrequently performed music. Later, as a Director of Music, by the time Christmas Day arrived, I never wanted to hear another carol ever again!
One of the great joys of my role as Principal is supporting as many events across the schools as I can. As I write, there have already been fourteen Christmas events, from nativities to concerts and services, and some thirtyfive yet to come. What I find most joyous is that each manages to capture the spirit and personality of the school. A Kingsley Carol Service has a uniquely Kingsley feel, just as the Warwick Carol Service is unmistakably ‘Warwick’. The
King’s High and Warwick Prep Services also showcase the shared values and traditions of their communities while celebrating their individuality. Each and every one is perfect.
A key Foundation Value - arguably the most important - is ‘drawing on the best of each other’. Another way of putting this is ‘sharing the best of ourselves’, because being as generous as we can with our gifts and talents is a tremendous way to live. The joy of our Foundation is that we can enable our pupils to do just that, by working towards common goals which enable them to contribute to a community larger than their own school, and in return, be the recipient of the support of their Foundation peers. So often when we do this, we see true magic happen.
Most recently, we brought together hundreds of pupils for our Gala Concert in Butterworth Hall. This was by far
A note from the Principal
the most ambitious whole Foundation endeavour we have staged, featuring over 450 pupils from our schools and pupils from our four key partner schools - Evergreen School, Exhall Grange Specialist School, Clapham Terrace Primary School, and Westgate Primary School. The concert demonstrated the depth and breadth of music talent and ambition within each school, provided an amazing experience for all our Year 7 pupils, and showed the heights that our most able musicians reach. Truly, an inspiring and unforgettable evening.
As we look beyond the festive period and into 2025, that sense of common endeavour will remain such an important focus for us – ensuring excellence in all that happens across our schools and our Foundation family. Thank you for your support in enabling it to happen. Richard Nicholson, Foundation Principal
Foundation Service of Thanksgiving
The annual Foundation Service of Thanksgiving took place on Friday, 27 September in the Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick. The service brought together representatives of our whole Foundation community: pupils, staff, parents, and Governors, and provided a moment to reflect on everything our community - past and present - has achieved.
Pupils were represented by different year groups and joined forces to make music. This included several student choral and music groups, such as massed choirs from our senior schools; our Foundation Chamber Choir; our junior-aged chamber music group; and Warwick School’s brass fanfare team.
Musical talent shines at Gala
On Thursday, 28 November, the Foundation Gala Concert took place at Butterworth Hall.
The concert was outstanding; bringing together singers and instrumentalists from all Foundation schools, and performers from our proposed Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) schools – including a performance of by the choir of Evergreen School.
The evening also included a performance of Christopher Tin’s ‘Calling All Dawns’, with the massed choirs of the Foundation, the proposed WSF MAT, and the Calling All Dawns Orchestra of staff and students.
Various Foundation ensembles performed on the night - including our Ambrassadors, Wind Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, String Ensemble, and Symphony Orchestra; some of the most gifted musicians from across the Foundation showcased their undoubted musical talent, and we couldn’t be prouder.
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