The Warwickian - Lent 2024

Letter from the Head Master

Dear Parents and Guardians

The penultimate week of term provided a true snapshot of life at Warwick School. Mr Bamford took our team to finals of the national F1 in Schools competition; the U13s won the Midlands regional round of the Schools’ Hockey Competition and qualified for the national finals in May; we hosted the National Concert Band Finals where our four bands took home three platinum and one gold award. That is just one week, and all happened alongside academic teaching and the regular extensive co-curricular programme. It gives a flavour of the breadth and depth of the opportunities available - a breadth and depth that this edition of The Warwickian attempts to capture. I hope you enjoy reading the pages that follow as much as I have. They paint a picture of what an outstanding education should be. It should be judged over a lifetime, not just on exam results. A Warwick education is holistic, and provides a vast range of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. These co-curricular activities bring joy and help ensure that pupils come into school each morning excited about what the coming day will bring as well as providing memories that will last a lifetime. They are also the primary vehicle through which we seek to support pupils in developing a set of values and character traits that will equip them for life in a rapidly changing world. We call this The Warwick Way.

We want them to build on their individual strengths and help them grow into well-rounded young men; confident but not arrogant, who can play a positive role in the world. This term we appointed a new senior leadership position. It will be the task of the Assistant Head Character and Community to capture all this activity and encourage the pupils to reflect on what they have learnt from these experiences. A strong minority will actually go on to be professional sportsmen, actors, or musicians, but the experiences everybody enjoys at school will shape our pupils and prepare them to live happy, fulfilled lives. None of this is possible without dedicated inspirational teaching staff - one of whom we tragically lost far too soon this term. It is right that our own ‘King Radiator’ Dan Robertson adorns the cover of this magazine because Dan inspired a generation of Warwick School musicians, and in so doing shared a love of music but taught them so much more. Thank you, Dan!

James Barker Head Master

FOUNDATION NE S

SWAN YOUTH ORCHESTRA

10 Warwick pupils took part in the first Swan Youth Orchestra course last weekend, including showcasing their musical talent at a fantastic concert on the Sunday evening.

As part of a partnership between Warwick Schools Foundation, Orchestra of the Swan, and the Coventry, Warwickshire, and Solihull Music Hubs, the first Swan Youth Orchestra course took place on our Warwick Campus.

The Youth Orchestra, open to pupils between the ages of 11 and 18 and who work at grades 6 and above, provided pupils with the opportunity to learn from the professional Swan Orchestra and tutors from the three music hubs.

THE WARDROBE

This year’s Middle School production featured actors in Years 9 and 10 from Warwick School and King’s High School was a gripping journey through British history that showed how our country was shaped and how connected we are with our past.

Across seven centuries, small groups of children seek sanctuary in the same solid old wardrobe. It’s the safest place they know – but is it safe enough?

Sam Holcroft’s play The Wardrobe was commissioned as part of the 2014 National Theatre Connections Festival and premièred by youth theatres across the UK.

FOUNDATION SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA SPRING CONCERT

This concert welcomed several of the larger ensembles within the Foundation; the Foundation Wind Orchestra, Foundation String Orchestra and the Foundation Percussion Ensemble; to join with the Foundation Symphony Orchestra in an evening of music making that was dedicated to Mr Dan Robertson, who we lost so tragically at the beginning of this term.

With a vibrant repertoire performed across the evening, it was a touching tribute to a musician who inspired so many of us and with whom it was a pleasure and privilege to work.

ORCHESTRA OF THE SWAN

Orchestra of the Swan held yet another sold-out concert at Warwick Hall this term. Their final concert of the season is set to be equally successful. ‘Songs of Innocence and Experience’ is coming to Warwick Hall on Thursday, 27 June 2024.

COMBINED CADET FORCE

The CCF have had another busy term, with pupils from Warwick and King’s continuing their training to represent both their school and the Armed Forces.

This term say the launch of Cadet vocational qualifications including a BTEC, certificates from the Institute of Leadership and Management, and vocational courses from City and Guilds.

Look out for images from the 24H Exercise in next term’s magazine.

A note from the Principal Foundation

Last year, we shared the Foundation’s strategy for the next ten years. A key part of this was to articulate more clearly a character and personality for the charity of Warwick Schools Foundation. This included identifying areas of commonality and focus across the schools under the charity’s umbrella, and areas of focus where the charity itself can helpfully take a lead.

One of the strategic intents relates to community - our current and future Foundation community, and the wider community, with the aim of developing our reputation locally and further afield.

Within our own current community, this term’s Year 5 Pupil Conference, with representatives from Kingsley Prep, Warwick Prep, and Warwick Juniors, has highlighted areas where we can support our pupils’ ambitions to work together. One manifestation of this is the planned orchestra day in May, bringing together the current school orchestras, to create an enhanced musical experience for all.

As a charity, we are required to demonstrate public benefit. Unhelpfully, unlike in Scotland, there is no clear definition to work towards. Broadly, educational charities such as ours consider this in two ways: first, enabling access to pupils who would not otherwise be able to attend, and educational partnerships.

We are incredibly fortunate to be supported by local charities, who help us in fulfilling this obligation. For example, we receive financial support from the Charity of Sir Thomas White and King Henry VIII Endowed Trust for means tested access for pupils who live in CV34. Income from our investments supports bursaries for those in other postcodes.

King Henry VIII also supports educational projects for pupils in the town of Warwick, including attending Holiday Action activities, and ‘Sprint Finish’, and we look forward to our first CV34 Music Festival next term, which brings together primary pupils through partnership work with both Orchestra of the Swan and Warwick - A Singing Town. Over the years, we have developed especially

close relations with a number of our local maintained schools, and events such as this help to create even stronger bonds.

As a charity, too, all our income is reinvested in our educational provision. Use of our facilities when not required by the schools is an important and developing income strand for us, and here again we have developed strategic relationships especially in sports and the arts. This term, we hosted the finals for the National Concert Band Festival, and regional rounds of the national chamber music festival, Pro Corda. These help to cement our growing reputation as a national centre for excellence, and happily, our pupils’ ensembles which performed at them were recognised for their individual expertise, too.

Our longevity is well knownour schools having delivered education in the towns of Warwick and Leamington for a combined total of 1552 years is a remarkable achievement. Building our education provision, our partnerships and further enhancing our connectivity in our community, will help ensure that our charity’s future will continue to shine brightly, matching the ambitions of our forebears, whose vision has enabled countless generations to benefit from Warwick Schools Foundation.

Richard Nicholson Foundation Principal

At a glance

A selection of this term’s news and stories in one place

This year’s top physicists in Upper Sixth were amongst 3,137 pupils from 482 schools in the UK to participate in the annual Senior British Physics Olympiad competition, with ten securing a prestigious colour commendation from Bronze to Top Gold. The paper is extremely challenging and tests a range of student knowledge, preparation, ability, and problem-solving skills. Moreover, earning the Top Gold Certificate is very rare - awarded to just 5.9% of participants this year – a feat that two of our boys, Tom and Daniel, achieved.

A group of our brightest, budding writers in Year were selected to have their poetry published in a YoungWriters’ Anthology.

Pupils from across the district gathered on 26 January for a short service, readings, and poems in Warwick for Holocaust Memorial Day. Pupils from Warwick and King’s, as well as Myton and Aylesford, gave readings and performed poems, as well as sharing their involvement in the ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ project organised by the Holocaust Education Trust.

Greville House organised a sponsored run around school site, called the ‘Hog Jog’, to raise money for hedgehogs through the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. The boys sported fetching spiky hair and had loads of fun on a Friday morning for a good cause!

Congratulations are in order for nine of our Upper Sixth who are Oxbridge offer holders! We wish them the best of luck with their exam results in the summer, and look forward to finding out the possible destinations of all our Upper Sixth pupils in due course.

Our amazing School wellbeing dog, Aggie, celebrated her 9th birthday in February – happy birthday Aggie!

On Tuesday, 20 February, Warwick School’s Buglers were called back out into the local community. On this occasion, The Royal Naval Association hosted a service to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the sinking of HMS Warwick, held at the memorial inside the grounds of Warwick Castle.

Ptolemy (Upper Sixth) was announced as winner of The Philosophy Garden’s ‘Write a Script’ competition. The competition, which was open to all secondary school and sixth form pupils across the UK, asked young philosophers to devise a script for a potential animated video on how people with different beliefs and values can deal with disagreement. Professor Lisa Bortolotti of the University of Birmingham reported that Ptolemy’s script ‘stood out for complexity and originality’ and, as a result, his script will soon be published on The Philosophy Garden’s website and made into an animated video by Squideo. Not only will this video be made available to teachers and students all over the world, but it will also be part of an exhibition in the Philosophy Museum in Milan. Ptolemy formally received a certificate for his accomplishment at the Midlands Arts Centre on 18 March, at the Royal Institute of Philosophy event, ‘In the Mind of a Conspiracy Theorist’.

Worth a thousand words

Warwick’s photographers capture the sights of the school

A group of Year 10 pupils represented Warwick School at a prestigious Maths competition against 20 other teams. Our pupils claimed a comprehensive win with 98/100 marks, which was quite the achievement considering difficulty of the questions. The Advanced Mathematics Support Programme Maths Feast is designed to challenge the best problem solvers in Year 10. They needed to work collaboratively in their team to complete different rounds, each demanding a different type of higher-order thinking. Congratulations to the team - their achievement was noted by the organiser as being exceptionally good!

Hugo and Nate (Year

were the first pupils in the school to become Word Millionaires in the Accelerated Reading Scheme. This means that they have read at least 1 million words across several books –combined, they have read over 5 million words!

7), Robbie and Dylan (Year 8)

Evening Sunset over the Thornton Building Max (Year 7)

An industrious spider who ‘Aimed For Higher Things‘ Xander (Year 7)

This term, the whole of Year 7 was treated to a special musical event as part of their Music Scheme journeys. In collaboration with King’s High School and The Kingsley School, all pupils received an orchestral workshop from The Orchestra of the Swan, the Foundation’s resident professional orchestra. The day consisted of learning and performing a bespoke arrangement of ‘Trepak’, one of the character dances from Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet, The Nutcracker.

Year 7 Orchestra of the Swan Collaboration Day

Each period throughout the school day consisted of various opportunities to workshop and study this piece of music in finer detail. Firstly, pupils branched off into sectionals (Strings, Woodwind, Brass and Percussion), whereby they worked alongside professional musicians to further enhance their musical knowledge and ability on their instruments. Afterwards, each instrumental family combined to form one large orchestra which was conducted by maestro Enyi Okpara.

It was absolutely fantastic to witness every single Year 7 pupils within the Warwick Schools Foundation involved in this exciting project throughout the day and hear the superb results of just one period’s worth of rehearsals.

Music Medley

The Warwick School Chapel Choir performed evensong jointly with the choir of Exeter College Oxford, in the wonderful setting of their Victorian college chapel.

We were thrilled to have several Warwick School and Warwick Junior School chamber music groups through to the Semis and then Finals of this years’ Pro Corda Festival!

I t h a s b een anoth er bus ytermfor music!

Chapel Choir were in for a real treat as Ed Button (OW and King’s Singer) returned to Warwick School to conduct a brilliant workshop. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn from one of the best!

A number of Warwick School pupils joined their Foundation colleagues in a side-byside performance with the Orchestra of the Swan in February, to a sold-out audience.

WARWICK SCHOOL AND KING’S HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE FAIR 2024

Pupils across the Foundation came together to design, experiment, and present an impressive range of science investigations.

From non-Newtonian fluid to String Theory, pupils presented their findings to each other and visitors from Coten End Primary School.

Congratulations to Oliver, Dylan, Anson, Tony, Rohan, and Xianying (top right) - it was a very tough competition and the calibre of scientific exploration was exceptionally high! All who took part received commendations and winners came away with a sweet treat, a trophy, and house points.

British Science Week

THE GREAT SCIENCE BAKE OFF 2024

There are few competitions that draw as big of a crowd as the Great Science Bake Off - and for good reason!

Warwick Hall was filled with the smell of sugar, icing, cake, and sweets from an impressive range of bakes. Submissions were received from Warwick Preparatory School, Warwick Junior School, and Warwick Senior School.

Pupils were asked to bring a list of ingredients and ensure their entries were all vegetarian and nut-free. The submissions were marked on taste, mostscientific bake, and overall look.

Well done to Sam, Tom, Zane, Maanav, Rupert, and Xander who came away with trophies and a very handy wooden spoon (bottom left)!

The Lent Term started with a bang with over 150 boys attending the Young Voices Concert in Birmingham. It was a wonderful opportunity for the boys to join with children across the region in sharing the joy of music.

It was a very busy term on the sporting front with fixtures in football, swimming, chess, cross country and hockey. The boys also competed in swimming galas both locally and regionally. A highlight of the term was the annual Warwick Junior School Sevens festival with schools from across the country joining us showcasing teamwork, competitiveness, technical ability, athleticism and fair play.

Teamwork remained a theme during the residentials this term, Year 6 travelling to Snowdonia and Year 3 and 4 taking part in a joint 2-day residential to Derbyshire. The boys developed a whole range of skills including resilience, cooperation, independence and responsibility and made some lifelong memories.

Note from the Headmaster Terra House Charity Day

Terra House held their charity day in aid of Save the Children.

Boys donated money to wear charity shop items into school, take part in the cake sale and play ‘guess the children to save the children’, where they had to name teachers based on photos from when they were children!

It was a fantastic day, with lots of money being donated to charity both in and out of school. The boys raised a fantastic £618.85!

Years 3 and 4 Link Day

Pro Corda Chamber Music Festival

Throughout the term, several Junior School boys took part in the first round of the national Pro Corda Chamber Music Festival, with some great results!

They all worked together in small chamber ensembles, in addition to the groups that they already play in each week.

All of the boys who took part had worked extremely hard, including lots of extra practice – a big well done.

Years 3 and 4 from Warwick Junior School and Warwick Prep School enjoyed a very successful Link Day. Year 3 girls from Warwick Prep School walked over to Warwick Junior School to collaborate on an art activity, creating scenic pictures of Warwick Castle and enjoying philosophy games. At Warwick Prep School, Year 4 boys and girls battled it out in a ‘Guess Who’ tournament and a competition to build the tallest tower from marshmallows and spaghetti.

Plas-y-Brenin

Trip

One of the highlights of the term was the Year 6 residential to Plas-y-Brenin.

Throughout the five days, the boys experienced all of the elements of the Welsh weather - including some lovely weather, but also rain, snow and plummeting temperatures!

The boys had a fantastic trip, taking part in a variety of activities such as exploring the gorges, hiking, abseiling, and other team-building challenges.

Over the course of the trip, the boys became more independent, learnt some valuable lessons and demonstrated a variety of skills. It was a truly fantastic trip, with the boys exceeding all expectations.

Year 4 Play - Robin and the

Sherwood Hoodies

As always, one of the main highlights of the Lent Term was the Year 4 pupils’ drama production.

This year, the production was ‘Robin and the Sherwood Hoodies’, with the boys performing in two shows on separate evenings in the Bridge House Theatre.

The boys put on a fantastic show, and they should be immensely proud of their efforts!

Botanical Gardens Trip

On Wednesday, 6 March, Year 5 visited The Botanical Gardens in Birmingham. It was amazing! As we got onto the coach, I couldn’t wait to just get there and start all the fun and exciting activities.

As we arrived, I could already see the beautiful glass houses containing all types of different plants.

Sammy (Year 5)

The 32nd Warwick Junior School Rugby 7s Festival

On Wednesday, 28 February, Warwick Junior School hosted the 32nd running of our Rugby 7s festival.

With teams travelling from as far as Aysgarth and St Peter’s York, the standard was yet again extremely high with some fantastic Rugby 7s on show.

The Warwick team performed well throughout the day, making some excellent progress - not just with the results, but also with the type of Rugby that they were playing.

Year 7 lessons earlier this year explored a spooky scheme of work called ‘Darkwood Manor’, developing their acting skills in creating tension and suspense.

In this lesson, pupils used physical theatre to become the different elements (statues, gates, etc.) of a haunted garden, which some brave volunteers walked through towards the door of Darkwood Manor.

Year 9 performed their assessed pieces based on ‘The Island’ in the style of full-masked theatre company Vamos Theatre.

Vamos Theatre’s vision is to lead the way in promoting full mask theatre. It was an interesting challenge as the theatre becomes a lot more physical when facial expressions cannot be used.

They presented some moving and thoughtprovoking pieces based on themes of discrimination and isolation.

Most of LG form came together to film their entry for the House Drama ‘Lights! Camera! Re-enactment’ competition.

They recreated the scene from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II. It has become something of an online viral sensation - the scene where Voldemort declares “Harry Potter is dead”!

See if you can spot your favourite characters!

Upper Sixth Drama pupils have been working hard all year to perfect their A Level pieces ahead of their performance at the end of term.

Pupils are performing a piece from 1930’s comedy of manners

‘Private Lives’, by Noel Coward. It concerns a divorced couple who, while honeymooning with their new spouses, discover that they are staying in adjacent rooms at the same hotel. The performance is for their A Level Component

2 ‘Performance from Text’ exam. Directed in collaboration with Mrs Stevenson-Ray, the performers are adopting the style of ‘Kneehigh Theatre Company’, aiming to create an atmosphere of ‘irreverence’, ‘wonder’ and ‘naughtiness’.

Drama Review

GCSE C2 exams saw pupils performing a range of duologues and group pieces, ranging from Of Mice and Men (pictured, right), ‘Teechers’, The Importance of Being Earnest, Journey’s End and more.

Sound Investment

From humble beginnings in 2003, the podcast phenomenon shows no signs of slowing down in 2024 and podcasts have become a daily part of most of our lives. Finding a new favourite show could be closer than you think - here are a selection of Warwick School’s resident podcasts to add to your TBL (to be listened!)...

The

Heaton Podcast from Mr O’Brien and Mr Jefferies

A discussion of History and Politics from teachers at Warwick School. We aim to produce a podcast once a fortnight during term time. Topics will tend towards the last 200 years, but we will sometimes go back further into History.

The Thornton Podcast from Mr Leaf

The Thornton Podcast is a wonderful new series, exploring the personalities and memorable moments of teachers at Warwick School.

In this new podcast series Mathematics teacher and Head of Tudor House Ed Leaf meets with different teachers, past and present, who are widely held in great esteem and who offer some fascinating insights into their careers and experiences at Warwick School.

The Thornton Podcast is named after Ralph Thornton who passed away in January 2024. Ed had planned to interview Ralph as part of the podcast series and, before his death, Ralph gave his blessing to name the podcast after him and he was looking forward to being interviewed. The first episode was recorded before Ralph’s death. Ed hopes to produce a special edition of this podcast in the future about Ralph, with some of his former colleagues.

Series 1, Episode 1, John Jefferies, WS Staff 1995JJ talks about his deep love of history and politics with special insights on some of his ‘Encounters’ and what makes a great teacher.

Series 1, Episode 2, Martin Green, WS Staff 1970-2005 ‘Martin reflects on his 35 years as a teacher at Warwick School and the establishment of Economics as a Sixth Form subject, whilst simultaneously following a rugby coaching career.

Series 1, Episode 3, Robert Hudson, WS Staff 1972-2017 Coming soon!

The Box Box Podcast from Thomas, Year 11

Do you ever sit down, turn the television on, find some racing on, and wonder: “What are they talking about?” Cue The Box Box Podcast – the only podcast that strives to explain the ins and outs of racing’s greatest spectacle: Formula One. 20 cars battling for the coveted Drivers and Constructors Championships, speeds of up to 210 mph, new tracks, new countries, new drivers, an annual strive for more environmentally friendly events. From Physics to Geography and Art to Politics, F1 has it all. To learn more, join The Box Box Podcast for your pitstop.

Do you know of a Warwick School podcast that isn’t featured here? Get in touch and let us know!

Scan here to listen

While this ‘Reflections of a Head Boy’ does not promise any of the poignancy or wisdom seen in many a farewell speech, I do promise an earnest condensation of my time as Head Boy. It’s hard to overstate just how fast time passes towards the end of school; one minute you are in a Sixth Former’s natural habitat (the great plains of the green sofa), and the next you are preparing for A Levels and graduation.

At the start of my tenure, it felt like I had plunged into the deep end; the biggest stress in my life was working out how to ring the school bell properly. However, quickly, with the prefects around me bringing great energy, we found our pathway and began to thrive. Even more crucial, was the amazing team I had around me; Noah, Ollie, and James made up the best senior prefect team I could have asked for. Despite Mr Barker’s frequent jokes about Noah’s lack of Maths A Level, he is one of the most efficient and proficient people I know, not to mention his incredible skill as an orator. Ollie never fails to rally the troops, and it’s a good job he’s so tall, so that he can organise the prefects from way up in the clouds. Last, but not least, James - a man who is always there to bounce ideas off and be a reassuring presence... when he’s not jet-setting around the globe to sail for GB, that is. One of the things that has struck me in my time as Head Boy is Warwick’s continuous progression. An insect on the wall would struggle to find themselves

bored. From new initiatives to winning awards, and the ever-improving music and drama productions, it seems that - much like the city! - Warwick School never sleeps.

The events we’ve had this year lie over a broad spectrum - my favourite were those with the OWs. Firstly, touring around a group of boisterous old boys who graduated in 2013, I even recognised a few from my father’s form when I was a ‘nipper’ in the Junior School, testament to how long this school has been a constant in my life. If that wasn’t enough alumni excitement, we raised the temperature once more with the OW dinner, which, despite my impending interview the Monday after, was a hit. We were regaled with the stories and sometimes misadventures of increasingly talkative old boys as the night went on. A definite highlight was meeting one of the founding four of the Green Party, Michael Benfield.

Of course, this can only be a reduction of my time at the school and as Head Boy, but I hope my love for the school shines through. However, none of this would be possible without a very special group of people; a group who built me up into the man I am today; a group for whom no problem was too small and no question too large; a group who helped create memories that will last until my very last days. I am talking, of course, about the teachers of Warwick School, for whom no superlative does justice. I could go into immense detail about each and every staff member who has impacted my life in different ways...but instead I will leave it at this - one huge, enormous thank you. To my successor, I wish you the best of luck, and I hope you can yield just as much from the role as I have.

Farewell, and thanks to all.

Reflections of a Head Boy

Tom says goodbye to Warwick after 13 years

Lent term 2024

Professor David Reynolds

James Preece

Professor Michael Broers

Dr Heidi Meyer

Professor Peter Varnish

Dr Olesya Khromeychuk

Richard Hunt

Stephen Hammond MP

Professor John Mullan

PAWSupdate

Junior PAWS has had a fantastic start to the year, we started off the Michaelmas Term with a meet and greet for new and current parents, it was great to get to know new faces.

We enjoyed offering the boys a Halloween cake competition with some amazing entries, along with a pumpkin carving competition over half term.

In the last few weeks of term we had a brilliant time with the boys at our Christmas activity afternoon, where they enjoyed numerous games and activities.

To finish off the term we combined the Christmas concert with our Mulled Wine and Mince Pie party!

The Lent Term has been a period of new endeavours, an Easter Wreath Making event for parents and we are looking forward to hosting our first set of First Aid Courses for the boys in April. This event has been incredibly popular and sold out within 24 hours. We have partnered with an external training company to provide the boys with such important skills for life.

Senior PAWS started this term by launching an official supporters’ range of clothing for parents to wear while cheering on our sports teams. The first item is a coat that has been selling like hotcakes!

Watch this space for further items that are in the pipeline...

A generous amount from the sale of each item supports PAWS initiatives and there are plans to use the proceeds towards purchasing outdoor table tennis tables in the new academic year.

Keep your eyes peeled for information about forthcoming PAWS events - we aim to advertise them in good time via the weekly newsletters and all our social channels.

If you would like to get in touch, help out at any of the events, or want more information please email juniorpawswarwick@gmail.com or warwickschoolpaws@gmail.com as we’d be delighted to hear from you.

Sir Stephen Lovegrove KCB awarded GCMG

Sir Stephen Lovegrove KCB (WS 197895) has been appointed as Knight Grand Cross in the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (GCMG) for services to National Security. Stephen was the UK Government’s National Security Adviser until September 2022, previously serving as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence. He has held several senior roles across Whitehall, including Permanent Secretary for the Department for Energy and Climate Change, CEO of the Shareholder Executive (now UKGI), and was the UK Government’s representative on the Board of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

Ben unlocks more magic

Warwick School Maths and English departments were impressed to see Ben Hanlin (WS 1999-2004) weave his amazing magic as special guest on five episodes of Countdown in October.

And what’s he then, that says I play the villain?

Ralph Davis (WS 2003-14) “makes for a strong Iago, compelling in his ordinariness” (The Guardian) in Othello at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. www.Londontheatre.co.uk says “As that “demi-devil” Iago, an impressive Ralph Davis – a recent Benedick outdoors at the Globe – offers a fast-talking, laptopwielding malcontent ensnared in a boozy, blokeish culture that sweeps up everyone, regardless of class”. Othello plays to 13 April.

England cap for Fin Smith

It was wonderful to see Fin Smith (WS 2013-20) earn his first England cap in the Six Nations. Fin made his Premiership debut for Worcester in 2021 as an 18-yearold before becoming a regular starter in the team during the 2021-22 season. He joined Northampton Saints in October 2022 on a multi-year deal.

Fin follows in the footsteps of other OWs who have gained international rugby caps. In 1904 S N Crowther was part of the British touring side which played against Australian and New Zealand sides. Robert Challoner played for Australia at about the same time. Tim Dalton gained a full England cap in 1969 when he was on the winning side against Scotland at Twickenham. Marko Stanojevic (currently coaching rugby at Warwick School) represented Italy in the 2007 RWC and 2009 Rugby Sevens Cup. Charlie Hayter (WS 2000-07) made his Commonwealth Games debut in Glasgow in 2014 before going on to represent England in 30 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series rounds over five years.

OWs in the Armed Forces

Five OWs currently serving in the Armed Forces kindly returned to Warwick School to offer students special insights into varied career paths into the military. Maj Elliot Shale (WS 1996-2001), Maj Chris Cathcart (WS 2000-07), Surg Lt Cdr Adam Griffiths (WS 1996-2001) serving with the Royal Navy, Lt Flt Lt Matt Jackson (WS 1997-2008) serving with the RAF and Jack Hazel (WS 2010-17) serving with 40 Commando Royal Marines.

An Encounter with Artificial Intelligence

Prof Peter Varnish OBE (WS 1954-65 and OWA President 2020 and 2022) returned to school in February to deliver an amazing Encounter on Artificial Intelligence and its economic, social and security implications.

Honorary Doctorate

Professor Paul Dupree (WS 1976-84), Head of Plant cell wall synthesis and function in the Dept of Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Copenhagen.

Blue plaque for Fred Mulley

Former Labour Party politician, barristerat-law and economist Fred Mulley (WS 1929-36 and OWA President 1969) has been honoured with a Blue Plaque at his childhood home in Clemens Street, Leamington.

Fred (The Rt Hon the Lord Mulley) had a long career in politics including serving as Secretary of State for Education and Science in 1975 and Secretary of State for Defence in 1976.

The Mulley Tie is now well-established as an award at Warwick School. The tie was introduced to provide scholarly recognition for those pupils whose academic work far exceeds the requirements of A Level. For exceptional intellectual endeavour and achievement, a Mulley bow tie may be awarded. A Mini Mulley has also recently been introduced in the Upper School, recognising commitment beyond the scope of GCSE.

All Mulley Awards recognise the life and achievements of Fred Mulley.

Pupil Voice

Noah, Senior Prefect for Pupil Voice, gives his final report on another busy term

Since the turn of the New Year, I am delighted to report that the school’s Pupil Voice has continued to flourish, developing many new and exciting initiatives.

As well as continuing with Food Bank Friday, the Charities Committee has been very active in promoting a new, long-term charity initiative in aid of those living in Mozambique, coined ‘Project Ponta’. Over the coming years, the school will hold various charity days and events in order to raise money for the project, with funds being used to build a new school and nursery for the people in the village of Ponta Do Ouro. A non-school uniform day has already been held as an initial fundraiser, with £1,333.10 being raised in total, and boys will have the opportunity to propose their own fundraising events in the near future, as well as to visit the village over the coming years in order to see tangible progress. The committee hopes that this will really bring charity fundraising to life, and serve as a long-term project that the entire foundation community can get behind.

The Eco Committee’s projects this term have been focussed on the House Mascot Competition, aiming to raise funds for the Warwickshire and Worcestershire Wildlife Trusts. Each House came up with their own unique ways of raising money to support these local organisations, ranging from lottery raffles to fun runs, showing their support for the designated endangered species allocated to them for the competition. The committee looks forward to finding out how much money has been raised in the Summer Term, as well as

starting some outdoor projects, particularly gardening and conservation.

International Women’s Day was celebrated in March, and as well as the now customary whole school assembly, members of the Sixth Form were encouraged to wear an item of purple clothing alongside their normal suit, for example socks or a tie. This was embraced enthusiastically by all, and as well providing some comedic moments, the event also encouraged many valuable conversations and reflections across the Shared Sixth Form Centre.

April 2024 will mark 30 years since the start of the Rwandan genocide, and in order to commemorate this historic event, members of the Anti-Racism Committee have been involved with Mr Jefferies in organising an activity day, including a special after school Encounter with a guest speaker. The event promises to be fantastic and will involve all members of the school community, serving as a key milestone in our commitment to diversifying and expanding school events.

As part of the final project for the 2023/24 cohort of prefects, all committees have joined together in order to launch the inaugural ‘Pupil Voice Survey’, enabling pupils to have their say regarding what Pupil Voice has done well this year, and also to suggest some areas that they would like to see being explored further in

the future. The results of this survey will be used to guide the activities of the body over the next 12 months, led by our fresh team of Lower 6th Prefects, who will take over from our current Upper Sixth after the Easter break.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our outgoing prefects for their contribution to Pupil Voice over the last year, and to wish the incoming Lower Sixth

every success in both continuing the many successful events that have been held this year, but also in developing their own initiatives that will continue to innovate and change our school for the better. It has been a privilege to lead Pupil Voice during my time as a prefect, and I look forward to seeing the body thrive for many years to come.

The Accessibility Committee meet Melanie Barratt, Paralympic swimmer

Warwick School’s Accessibility Committee met with local Paralympic swimmer, Melanie Barratt and her brilliant guide dog Mikey. Born with congenital toxoplasmosis, leaving Melanie blind in her left eye and able to see close shapes and colours with her right eye, Melanie has won multiple golds at world championship level, and 2 Golds, 2 Silvers and a Bronze at the Paralympic Games in Atlanta and Sydney. More recently Melanie has started open water swimming. She swam Lake Windermere last

year and has a very exciting open water swimming challenge this year.

Melanie came along to school in February talk to the committee about our Accessibility takeover week in May and about how we can make our school accessible for everyone. We look forward to meeting Melanie again soon and for her to come and speak to our whole school community in the Summer Term.

PE and Performance Support Pathway

Year 12 PE and Performance Support Pathway athletes had a trip to University of Gloucestershire to take part in the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) schools’ competition. They took part in a range of physical tests to learn about how testing can be used to assess and enhance a range of physical qualities depending on their sport.

There were some excellent performances, with Felix and Josh having the highest scores in the RSI Jump test and the Wingate test on the day.

This was followed by a range of seminars on different topics related to sport such as; Sports Therapy and responding to an ACL injury. The pupils took part in an experiment looking at physiological changes to the body in cold environments. The pupils spent time in the environmental chamber at a tropical … -10.9°C!

Harrison took part in the dreaded VO2 maximal running test. He had to run until exhaustion as the speed increased on the treadmill. The monitoring of expired gases allowed calculations to take place and review how efficient his energy production is while exercising. Harrison had an excellent VO2 maximum score showing he is ready for his busy summer season of tennis!

Finally the pupils entered the BASES poster competition. They had to further research the science behind one of the tests they had completed earlier in the day and create an informative poster. Out of a large range of schools and colleges, Sam P was selected as one of the University’s leading posters to enter the national competition. Mr Willis and the other pupils eagerly wait to hear about how Sam gets on in the final round!

HOCKEY

There has been success at every level in hockey this term. Notably, the U13A team travelled to the Midlands Regional Finals, seamlessly securing a spot in the national finals in May. Congratulations to the U12A team who finished third place in the Midlands Championship final.

CROSS COUNTRY

In January two Warwick cross country teams took on the King Henry VIII relays. Each boy ran a 2.3-mile leg of a course with not only deep, muddy sections, but also long uphill sections exposed to the cold wind. The event saw over 50 teams from all over the UK competing, with some national-level runners on the starting line.

CHESS

Warwick pupils have been making waves in various chess tournaments all across the world, truly cementing this sport as a Warwick favourite!

Billy has played brilliantly against grandmasters both in the UK and abroad, and Gregory has won adult standardplay tournaments.

FENCING

On Sunday, 24 February Daniel travelled to Tudor Grange Leisure Centre to take part in the under 18’s at the West Midlands Age Group Foil competition. Daniel fences mainly epee so found this, the top age group of foil to be quite challenging. Despite this he managed to win a fight in his pool, finishing 8th overall.

KAYAK

As part of Friday Afternoon Activities, a group of qualified Upper Sixth pupils lead younger year groups on the Avon (supervised by staff). Kayaking has proven popular, with pupils learning how to safely capsize, how to ensure both speed and accurate steering, and have safe fun out on the water.

TABLE TENNIS

Congratulation to the U16 table tennis team consisting of Rex Wong, Starry, Ken and Isaac who won the West Midlands area teams finals. In the same competition, the U13 performed brilliantly too, winning in the first three rounds. Toby, Eshan, Shivam, Zane and Matei all performed brilliantly and behaved impeccably.

Saturday, 2 March saw the return of the Annual Warwick 7s rugby tournament.

This was the 55th year since the inaugural competition took place in 1969, and despite the poor weather in the lead up to the event we were able to host 44 teams and approximately 600 players, who took part in 104 matches across the day.

A significant number of pupils were involved in the organisation of the day - a massive thank you to all those who helped out as pitch runners, ball boys, with the catering and especially the referees in the U13 competition.

Ski Season Successes

Hugh and Fenton (both Year 7) departed for Norway this term to train in the English School’s Ski Squad (Category 2- years 7 & 8) in Slaata and Vestlia, following their successes in the school’s final last year. They trained in slalom and Giant Slalom each day, but also perform fitness and ski tuning whilst there.

The English Schools’ Ski Association aims to encourage as many children as possible to enjoy skiing in the UK and abroad, and to improve the excellence of young skiers.

Earlier in the year, Felix, Hugh and Fenton achieved an impressive sixth place nationally at the ESSkiA finals in Norwich. They participated in category 2 U13, and with only three people in their team instead of the usual four they had no margin for error. Several teams had at least one member disqualified for missing a gate as the course was difficult but the team, were up to the challenge.

The boys had an incredible experience and it was great to see Warwick and King’s High School pupils cheering each other on and being so supportive.

F1 in Schools

Floreat Racing took part in the F1 in Schools National Finals in Rotherham. Over 500 pupils competed for podium glory, racing the miniature F1 cars they had designed and manufactured. Creating their own version of an F1 team, pupils were assigned roles and responsibilities - each individual takes ownership of a specific area, such as designing the (miniature!) car, manufacturing it, testing it, branding it, or even becoming the Team Principal and ensuring they project manage everything! Teams then compete and present to a team of judges, comprised of industry professionals (and sometimes members of F1 teams!). Floreat Racing did not progress this time but they created a competitive car and had a great time racing and competing.