The Grovian 2021
The Grovian 2021
Contents Official Reports
3 - 14
Brontë House
17 - 28
Boarding
29 - 31
Out of the Classroom
33 - 35
Performing Arts/Arts
37 - 48
Sports Reports
51 - 67
House Reports
69 - 82
Official Reports
Headmaster’s Report
This year saw the best of times and the worst of times. Just as it has been worldwide, this was an academic year of great anxiety and uncertainty for the entire Grove community. However, it is clear that the resilience, positivity and creativity demonstrated by our pupils and staff, who adapted superbly to these unique circumstances, has been quite outstanding. I have been enormously proud of them all and have genuinely enjoyed watching them rise to the challenges and do things they did not believe they could, or would ever have to, do.
Much has been written about Teacher Assessed Grades. Given that the approach to determining grades in 2021 was different from any previous summer, the overall grade distribution in 2021 was always likely to look different from 2020 and years when exams took place. It is, therefore, difficult to draw comparisons with previous sets of results. However, it is very important to stress that while these grades have been ‘teacher assessed’, they are very much the results of our students’ own work in the final part of their courses.
Trying to find the time and space to reflect on all that has happened, whilst so much is still happening, is not easy. However, I see this process of reflection as being hugely important. What we have to accept is that Covid-19 has changed things; and we should try to resist just going back to how it was, and instead work to embrace positive changes we can make. Our students and staff have been much more adaptable to change than we might have expected before the pandemic.
All exam candidates sat a series of assessments in all courses, in exam-like conditions. Grades were generated from the marks attained and the evidence the students produced. These marks were then examined through internal and external quality assurance processes. The results are better than they would have been under the stress of the full exam series, perhaps, but the results attained are testament to the hard work, determination and maturity shown by the students, despite the disruption of the pandemic, and thanks to the careful preparation and dedication shown by their teachers. We quite rightly celebrate the many highlights in these results proudly – they are richly deserved.
Perhaps the greatest success over an incredibly challenging period is that pupils and staff simply found ways to carry on, to keep learning, to keep smiling and to make the best of the situation. The outcome, quite remarkably, was that the gap in attainment amongst our students seems to be much narrower than expected – particularly when compared to their maintained sector counterparts – to the point where there is plenty of evidence of significant progress being made during this unsettled period.
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On Saturday 03 July 2021, the School hosted a Year 13 Leavers’ Celebration. A truly memorable event at which I reflected on the fact that our 2021 Leavers’ greatest legacy to the Grove lies in what they have given each other and the rest of our community. Those small but important every-day
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moments of kindness, friendship, and generosity of spirit. The Grove is a special place because our young people make it that way. Accepting of the fact that they are all individuals, yet knowing they are part of something bigger.
are dedicated, professional, conscientious and care deeply about our young people and the School’s reputation. We are very fortunate indeed to have such a group of outstanding teachers who, first and foremost, believe teaching to be a caring vocation.
The current generation of Grovians has been hit hard by Covid-19. In the months that have passed, they have had to adapt, learn, re-organise, re-think and re-imagine how they work. Out of war time, I cannot think of a group of young people of whom more has been asked, or from whom more has been taken. However, our students are also a generation that is politically aware, socially responsible and engaged with the world.
When stepping back and reflecting, for me, there are three key issues that come to mind when considering the School’s recovery plan post-pandemic. Firstly, Mindset: as teachers we need to be prepared to evolve our approach to teaching. Those of us who regard ourselves as traditional in our approach need to ensure that this is not a barrier to innovative approaches, such as flipped learning and incorporating technology fully inside and outside the classroom.
Like those before them, the current crop of Grovians display energy, creativity and a sense of purpose and this has never been more evident than over the last 16 months. When they returned to school, full-time, last September, it was clear that, as a result of their enforced time away, they had a unique sense of the value, not just of education, but of community and social interaction. This could well turn the Grovians of today into a remarkable and powerful generation. Thanks to the advent of Teacher Assessed Grades, the Summer Term was a very intense period, creating a huge additional workload for our teachers, who have also had to turn around End of Year assessments for other year groups whilst meeting tight Reporting deadlines. While setting, marking and moderating Year 11 and Year 13 student work to assign and award Teacher Assessed Grades, my colleagues were, quite understandably, constantly questioning themselves over whether they had been following the guidance properly. They felt like this because they
Secondly, Creativity. There needs to be a shift away from our pupils being simply good at exams, good at answering exam questions, getting good grades and securing places in higher education. They need to be good problem finders and problem solvers. Teachers need to facilitate this problem finding which comes back to my first point about teacher mindset. Careful planning over how the curriculum is presented to pupils is required. Allowing students the time and space to go off on tangents makes for far more interesting lessons, albeit one must get through the syllabus within a given time frame. The use of Microsoft Teams to facilitate one-to-one and small collaborative groups within lessons is one example of how students can learn in the future, whilst also providing them with a taste of university style collaborative teaching. Finally, we need to Embrace But Not Replace! Embrace the modern technology and ensure we develop our understanding of how it can assist with education by facilitating greater collaboration and
Prize Day 2021
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team working. However, it should never replace the face-to-face contact which is so crucial to our basic human needs and those of our pupils. Let us never forget that teachers have the single largest impact on pupils. Teachers who love their subject and have excellent subject knowledge enjoy the company of youngsters and have remarkably high expectations of all their pupils. As I’ve already recorded, at Woodhouse Grove, we are remarkably lucky to have so many teachers who, first and foremost, believe teaching to be a caring vocation. We should not take them for granted. At the end of the academic year, we said goodbye to Mr David Hole, who retires after 31 years of loyal and dedicated service. After 8 years leading the School’s boarding community, Mr Vernon departs to take on a Senior Leadership position overseas. We also say farewell to Mr Jones, Mr Price and Mrs Innes and wish them all the very best for the future. To our parents, thank you for your patience, support and understanding, and for just being there, through the good times and the not so good times. As a parent myself, I fully understand how frustrating, and at times heart-breaking, it has been to see our children miss out on various events and activities that, prior to the pandemic, we had taken for granted. As we all know, going to school is not just about academic achievement and narrow educational development. Children need other children and, in the
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vast majority of circumstances, teachers need to have face-to-face contact and interaction with their pupils. This being the case, the kind of disruption to normal school routines we have seen, particularly towards the end of the last academic year, is not sustainable and cannot continue. Having navigated our way through to the end of the academic year, in a backdrop of the easing of national restrictions and systems of control in schools, now is perhaps the time to consider what the future of education will look like in a post-pandemic world. The reality is that we simply do not know what the next 18 to 24 months will hold. I am hearing calls from some that education needs to be radically different, whilst other commentators and eminent educationalists are promoting a more cautious approach of ‘let us wait and see’. For my part, I am enormously grateful for your continued support and encouragement and am very much looking forward to pressing the ‘reset button’ on the new academic year. Finally, I should like to record my thanks and gratitude to the team responsible for putting together another excellent publication.
Mr James Lockwood - Headmaster
kind and generous.
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WOODHOUSE GROVE SCHOOL FOUNDATION
Every gift matters and with your help we can build an even better future for all our Grovians. Your help and support is invaluable; without it we would not be able to assist the growing numbers of pupils who could not enjoy a Woodhouse Grove education otherwise. Read ‘how you can make a difference’ by joining other Old Grovians who are giving a monthly amount to the Foundation…. woodhousegrove.co.uk/old-grovians/waysofgiving/
foundation@woodhousegrove.co.uk woodhousegrove.co.uk
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knit community within itself, and quickly my fears transformed into comfort. Aisha: I agree James- when I first joined the Grove, I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly I fit in, and how welcoming the staff were. Moving up through the school, the sense of community only increases as you begin to build relationships with teachers, where, leading into the Sixth Form, it honestly feels like one big family.
Head Prefects’ Report Here is an extract from the speech our Head Prefects, Aisha Mian and James Swarbrigg made at the Year 13 Prize Giving and Leavers’ celebration in July. This is followed by a small piece from both students reflecting on their time at the Grove. We wish them both all the very best for the future. Aisha: Whilst it’s going to be difficult to disregard the events of the past 2 years, we think it would be appropriate to go back to when we both started at the Grove, in Year 7. James: For me, Year 7 was not only a year of transition but also realisation. Before I joined the Grove I had expectations of this big fancy school, top hats and canes. However, excluding Mr Tedd and Mr Carter from this of course, two very well dressed gentlemen I must add, it only took me a few days to realise that in fact the Grove was its own tight
James: Although some relationships may not have been the greatest to begin with - recalling a common lunch time experience to have nearly half the year 8 boys escorted out of the Davy building - I personally feel that maturing as a year group allowed our relationships and friendships, not only with each other but also with the staff, to become more positive. Aisha: It would be hard to talk about my time at the Grove without shining the spotlight on the range of co-curricular activities offered here and how it has made my experience just that bit more enjoyable. James: I personally feel that engaging with these activities has allowed me to become a more well-rounded person, and possibly benefitted my lacking social skills, although I am still often described by teachers in my reports as ‘typically quiet and reserved in and out of lessons’... to put it nicely at least. Aisha: Netball has made such a huge impact on my experience at the Grove, from Year 7 all the way through to Upper Sixth. From the dreaded Monday evening fitness sessions where Miss Thompson almost killed us, to the netball picnic, which was a symbolic finish to our netball career at the Grove.
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James: For me, sport has been a massive addition as well, alongside my academics. Beginning both rugby and cricket in Year 7 and the odd confused appearance on the football field, I feel that we could all share numerous memories from our time playing sport here.
Aisha: It became apparent that we were slightly more familiar than a few of the more senior members of staff with technology because many were struggling to operate the likes of Microsoft Teams and come to terms with new vocabulary such as “One Drive”.
For me, one of my fondest memories would have to be the cricket tour. Now I would like to go into details but I will leave it with the common phrase ‘what goes on tour stays on tour’.
At this point, I would like to say that, despite Mr Hole’s limited technical abilities, he is genuinely one of my favourite teachers at the Grove and I can’t believe that he will be retiring this year. I can honestly say that I wouldn’t have been able to get through organic chemistry without him. Thank you for everything you have done for the Grove and we wish you and your family all the best for the future.
Taking away the social aspects however, it was a great opportunity to be able to go abroad and experience such a different climate of competitive sport, and for those who missed out due to Covid I hope you will one day get the same opportunity, whether it is for a club or university if you decide to go. Aisha: Although we never managed to go on a girls’ tour, it’s safe to say we have definitely made the most of what we could, and I've enjoyed every second of being on court with the girls. James: But we can’t forget music! Aisha: My shocking singing was greeted with open arms by the school’s arts department. For a solid 6 years, I sung with great enthusiasm, delusional in thinking I had the voice of an angel. Meanwhile, Mr Tedd gave me nothing but words of encouragement and compliments. It is because of this support that I am still the first to volunteer whenever karaoke is an option on a night out…despite my mum saying that I sound like a dying cat. James: Although Mr Tedd made many efforts to get me singing in the school choir, I took it upon myself to save people’s ears with my presence in the pews rather than singing at the front. Instead, I decided to grace the school concerts and the occasional out of school performance with the flugel horn. For those confused as to what that is, just imagine a rather oversized trumpet. It has been a pleasure to be a part of the arts department at the Grove. Aisha: Moving into Year 12, I don’t think that any of us expected that the most active we would be, was moving from bed to desk, and occasionally downstairs for food; and I certainly didn’t expect to be spending my time looking at my teachers chins or ceilings. James: However, I do feel like us young'uns had it slightly easier during this time. Page 8
James: During this period of online learning, a few members of staff often succumbed to the terrible fate of being muted or kicked off a call by the students, by accident or on purpose, I’m not sure. Aisha: But I do know that a few teachers may want to have those privileges implemented back into the classroom when certain students can get a little bit too noisy. However, I think we can speak on behalf of the year group when we say, we all greatly appreciate the effort put in by our teachers during the online learning period and it never seemed like the quality of lessons dropped when switching from in person to online learning. James: Looking back to some stressful moments of Year 13, let’s move on to the topic of exams. Aisha: It was a weird feeling starting 2021 being told our A-level exams were cancelled. Whilst it was a very different experience sitting assessments in class rather than the Morton Hall, the stress was definitely still there, and we hope that everyone got the grades they deserve. Hopefully the parents will also now be thankful that assessments are over and the household stress levels will finally decrease. James: My parents, for example, were delighted when I put down my textbooks and notes and finally left my room. For the first time in what felt like forever they were graced with my constant presence, which, speaking on their behalf it is the best thing that happened to them this year. Aisha: Reflecting on the last 7 years, there have been countless funny memories that will stay with us for years to come.
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James: For me one of those memories had to be way back in Year 9 on the Battlefields Trip when the history teachers told the rugby team the bus had broken down and that we needed to form a 15 man scrum formation to push it to get the engine started. What we had failed to realise however, is that it was in fact April the 1st and it had all turned out to be one big April Fools joke - possibly to provide a bit of much needed comedic relief to the teachers who’d just had to deal a bunch of screeching 13 year olds all night and were probably running on lots of coffee and little to no sleep. Aisha: Being part of the Grove for the last 7 years has taught us both so much and right now I can't imagine how next year we won't be coming back. James: I never once thought that I would one day have the confidence to stand up at Prize Day and speak for 10 minutes in front of the entire year group, staff and parents - and that is all down to the help and support the Grove has given me over the years. Aisha: As the American philosopher William James once said - ‘It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which will affect its successful outcome’, and I feel this is something being at the Grove has taught me; that no matter what it is you are faced with, it is your mindset that can help you achieve anything. James: I have to agree with that, especially over the last few years, the Grove has taught me a feeling of determination and a desire to put my all into every task I do, and yes, that is including the GCSE French homework, which I promise was my favourite thing to do on a Wednesday evening. Aisha: For all of our year, whatever you go on to do in life we wish you all the best of luck . James: Also, make sure that you don’t forget the many life lessons and Grovian values that you have picked up, whether you have been here since Ashdown Lodge or joined in Year 12.
James and Aisha have also written the following for the Grovian: James Life lower down school was definitely memorable for many different reasons, ranging from the stress free times of Years 7 to 9, where I had the opportunity to take part in such a wide range of sports and house activities, and the fun times working on various
history, art and DT projects. Going into Sixth Form, I felt that the experiences I had in lower school really shaped and set me up for Sixth Form and the GCSE years, although demanding, really allowed me to prepare for the concept of external exams - skills that will stay with me all throughout my time in education. One of my favourite memories from lower school has to be the Ski Trip to Italy in Year 8. It was such a great trip and was really made worthwhile by the presence of friends and members of staff throughout the week. Whilst ultimately my leaving year at the Grove will be held most dearest to me, I’ll never forget the funny moments, both inside and outside the classroom experienced throughout my time in lower school and I am very thankful for the support and friendship from both peers and members of staff along the way. Aisha I have so many fond memories of my time at the Grove, from Year 7 Adventure Day through to the Christmas Concert in Year 11. I started Year 7 as a very shy girl and left Year 13 being the most confident I have ever been! This has all been a result of the teachers’ unwavering support throughout each of my years at the Grove and also due to the many extracurricular activities and trips I have been able to get involved in. I will always remember when I first joined the school orchestra in Year 7 and how supportive Mr Tedd was in making me feel welcome (despite my sometimes off key clarinet playing)! The trip that stands out the most for me has got to be the trip to Iceland where we saw some unforgettable geographical landscapes whilst also building stronger relationships with the teachers and other members of our year group. The memories and values I have built at the Grove will stay with me for life and have built me into an all-rounded person who is now set up to face the wider world.
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Chairman’s Report I was delighted that we were able, in these extraordinary times, to gather together in the summer to celebrate the achievements of our Upper Sixth pupils and offer them our very best wishes in their future careers. I was very much aware of how such a celebration was just as important to the parents of our students as to the students themselves. As a former parent, who had a 10 year association with the School through my children Kate and Craig, I can still remember the emotions I felt when my youngest left the school – even though this was 22 years ago. At the time, Woodhouse Grove was a significant part of our lives and we had made wonderful friendships with both parents and staff. It really felt like the end of an era. My thanks go to all Woodhouse Grove parents for their unstinting support and understanding over the years – none more so than over the past 18 months. It is through the good relationships between pupils, parents and staff that effective school communities are created. We are all part of the Woodhouse Grove family. The Grove staff – both teaching and support – have been outstanding in their efforts and adaptability over the last academic year. The speed, flexibility, imagination and innovation they have shown in delivering education to our students in such difficult circumstances has been amazing. We are all extremely grateful. I would like to recognise two staff leavers: Firstly, Simon Vernon who, over the last 8 years, has led our Boarding and Overseas recruitment operation and is leaving to take up a prestigious Assistant Principal role overseas. Good luck Simon. And secondly, David Hole, our highly respected Chemistry teacher and Senior House Master, who retires after 31 years of dedicated service to the Grove. David took up his role in 1990 and was immediately involved in the Grove community through Boarding and Sport. Whilst his passion was football (he is a big Manchester City fan), being an all-round sports enthusiast, he was soon involved in Rugby and Cricket, including taking part in Staff representative teams. David has been Tour Manager on two overseas rugby tours to Australia and New Zealand in 1997 and 2006. To quote the words of Roger Howard, David was “…a brilliant Tour Manager, as good as you could possibly have”. To quote the words of our son, Craig, who was fortunate to go on the ’97 tour. “Top man – wonderful for knowing. But what happens on tour stays on tour!” Throughout his Page 10
time at The Grove, David would do anything to help the school and the children – a true professional, very well respected by all his colleagues. We wish him a long, healthy retirement and thank him for those 31 years of dedication to the Grove family. I would like to take this opportunity to thank one further individual, who clearly represents the continuity between students, staff and parents – having been Head Boy, First XV Captain, a Grove parent himself – and our Headmaster. I’m sure readers of The Grovian will join me in their gratitude to James for his unflagging leadership during what has been the School’s most challenging period in its history. James is always first to say that a team leader is nothing without a strong team around them. But the skill of a strong leader is in the building of that team, fostering trust, enthusiasm, dedication and loyalty. Always modest and humble, I am certain James would rather I did not include this paragraph in my report! But he is indeed a proven leader and we could not have had a more caring, knowledgeable person at the head of our community to guide us through these turbulent times. Thank you James. Finally, I would like to extend my thanks to all my Governors for their considerable efforts and, again, the incredible flexibility, time and expertise they have shown and given so willingly and freely in order to enhance and support the school. A long standing Governor, Frank McAleer, is standing down from the Board after nine years’ service. Whilst we will miss his involvement at our meetings, we are fortunate that we will not lose his expertise as he has also been a MIST Property Trustee and will remain in that role for the near future. I am delighted to welcome to the Board, joining us from September 2021: Andy Wood - Ethics Partner, Managing Partner Grant Thornton in Leeds; Beverley Proctor - HR Director, Medical Protection Society; and Dr Kulwant Johal Managing Director, Piccadilly Properties Limited. I am certain our three new Governors will make a significant contribution to the Governing Body. In closing, I am delighted to report that, in spite of the impact of Covid-19 and the ever-changing marketplace, the popularity of Woodhouse Grove amongst parents seeking a place for their children remains very high. The School’s reputation is such that there is a great deal of interest in securing a place at the Grove, at every level of entry. We cannot thank the entire Woodhouse Grove community – Teachers, Support Staff, Parents and Pupils - enough for that being the case.
Alan Wintersgill BEM, FCA - Chairman of Governors
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I have always known how important it is for us to nurture human connections, after all we are social beings, dependent on one another. The period of lockdown and social distancing has reinforced that belief! Being outside of our communities is not good for us, we need a sense of belonging to connect us to the people and relationships that shape our identity and enrich our lives. Often, we don’t realise the value of something until it is taken from us! Until our community was segregated in response to social distancing, we might have been forgiven for thinking that the communal nature of school life was for practical purposes. The necessity of having everything needed on one site to educate different people of different ages. However, we have been reminded this past year that communal life at WGS is much more than a place where education happens. It is a space where we grow together, a place where we find comfort in difficult times, a place where we challenge and are challenged. We have pulled together in the most difficult of times to support one another and our wider community. Coretta Scott King said that, “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” This past year staff and students have not only looked out for one another, but they have also played a role in the wellbeing of our local communities in a variety of compassionate and creative ways. Students and staff have written letters to socially isolating residents in care homes, made face masks and visors for GP practices. They have donated to and volunteered at local Foodbanks and been part of the NHS volunteering service, helping people in the local community who are socially isolating.
Chaplain’s Report Recently someone asked me about the highs and lows of school life during the past year. In truth there have been too many low points because of the pandemic, but I do not want to focus on them! Instead, I want to focus on the biggest high point of 2021, which is the community sharing daily life together once more. In September we returned to school with the responsibility of lifting some of the previous restrictions that segregated the community whilst still controlling potential risks, in line with government guidelines.
This past year, we have discovered that together we are brave, strong, empowered and resourceful, which when combined with compassion makes for a GREAT community! Being able to appreciate the everyday and the ordinary once again, reminds us that we are part of an extraordinary community, which is something to celebrate and thank God for.
Rev Vicky Atkins School Chaplain
What happened when we returned with the easing of restrictions exceeded my expectations, there was a noticeable positive change in the atmosphere. Joyful noise, chatter, laughter, debating could be heard in the social spaces, the locker rooms, dining hall and staff room. The energy of people sharing thoughts and ideas and participating in activities together was truly uplifting. I am Grovian
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Year 13 Results Grade A (or equivalent) passes are marked with an asterisk and Grade A* passes are marked with two asterisks.
Z Abbas W Ackroyd F Ali N Amrat L Anderson E Armitage P Benito Martin B Bobak B Boffin A Bowdler O Bowling O Burrows O Butterworth B Carpenter E Cerra F Clark W Cockerham W Collinson G Dale M Dixon E Driver H Dutton O Eastell A Fidler D Glossop J Goodison H Green L Griffith L Guthrie J Hall O Hall C Hartley N Hawker A Hinchliffe L Hudson R Hussain A Ijaz H Imran K Jamieson B Jepmond Senior W Johnson F Kavuru J Kelt A Khan S Kildunne
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biol, chem, phil* bus, geol, ent* econ, maths, phil, fin bus, econ*, psych* econ*, maths*, frth maths, fin* eng lit, ent*, sport** econ, pol*, span**, fin bus*, phil*, psych dram**, econ**, hist** art, design, photo, ent* maths, frth maths, phys, fin biol, chem*, geol* bus*, econ*, maths** bus**, eng lit*, pol biol*, hist, span** bus, ent**,sport**,fin biol, chem, geol* bus**, geog**, sport** bus, econ, ent* art, design, ent*, fin art, psych, span art, eng lit*, hist art, eng lit, fre eng lang, photo*, sport** econ, maths*, phy* bus, econ, geog, fin biol, eng lang, sport** design eng lang, geog, sport** biol, eng lit*, psych biol, psych, sport* art, eng lit, psych biol, design* geol art**, eng lit*, psych** phil, psych, ent* bus, econ, ent**, fin* biol, chem**, maths** biol**, chem**, maths** dram*, eng lang*, eng lit bus, ent*, sport**, fin bus, ent**, sport**, fin design, eng lang, ent* biol*, chem, geol* econ**, maths**, phys** bus*, design** sport**, fin*
CH Lai C Lebuabanga O Maiden Lumb S Malik B Markey H Marsden L Martin J McCann J McDonnell E McLelland Z Memon T Merali W Metcalfe A Mian D Muchechetere C Myers S Myers B Peat A Pyrah Q Qu A Ramsay A Ranson A Roche M Sajjad S Samia H Sardar A Seib H Shafiq O Silverman J Skingle C Smith CH So S Spence J Stephenson L Sugden J Swarbrigg N Swinnerton M Tanner L Tarleton M Teasdale N Thaksin E Thorpe A Van Ek S Vuksanovic O Wade J White J Williams MH Yu
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design, maths, phys, chin** hist, phil, psych bus, ent**, fin chem, econ*, maths, fin* bus, hist, sport** bus*, eng lit*, psych**, fin* biol, chem, fre**, sport** maths, frth maths, phys bus, ent*, sport**,fin design, geol, ent, sport** chem*, econ*, maths* dram**, eng lit*, phil** bus, ent*, sport**, fin biol**, chem**, psych** chem*, econ*, maths*, fin* design**, econ, phys eng lit*, hist*, pol** bus, eng lit, sport** fre, hist, pol** chem*, econ**, maths**, chin** econ, pol*, psych biol**, chem**, maths** biol**, chem**, maths** eng lit, pol, sport** biol*, chem*, psych** bus, geog, pol eng lit, phil*, psych* hist, phil, psych bus, eng lang, ent** bus, sport**, fin maths*,frth maths*, phys* chin, ent hist, maths, phys maths, phys, sport** chem*, maths**,frth maths* chem*, eng lit**, maths** biol**, chem*, fre**, maths* art, ent, sport econ*, maths*, span*, fin* bus, eng lang, psych bus, maths, phys design**, maths**, frth maths*, phys** bus, design, geog bus**, econ*, psych**, fin* biol, chem, maths* biol** biol*, geol, psych bus, maths, chin*, sport**
GCSE Results The number following the student’s name represents the number of GCSEs attained at Pass grade or better. S Anwar K Bardouille-Lewis I Barker M Barnes K Barry E Berry S Binns S Birdsall E Burns D Burrows C Cater A Cavaliere H Chen J Chen HC Chiu MN Chow D Clarkson D Coates G Constantinou C Darren A Davison L Deall E Dixon J Driver S Farndon I Fay M Fellows C Ford A Gracey C Gregson D Gupta S Haley E Hamer F Hartley R Hawker O Helliwell P Hellyer-Whitworth E Hewitt K Huang A Hudson J Hunt I Idle Z Ilyas H Iqbal H Jones R Kanda
10 9 9 9 9 8 10 9 9 9 10 10 6 3 3 8 10 8 8 9 10 10 3 7 9 8 9 8 10 9 9 8 10 8 9 7 10 9 9 7 5 9 9 9 9 10
J Kaur H Khan S Kiani H King CY Lau J Lawson CY Li D Loginov J Luxton M Mackenzie A Mangin E Manogue G Marshall L Marshall O McCann N McCormack A Mian A Mogul K Myers A Newsome E Okpala L Pang L Peacock R Penaser R Pickard H Pinkney C Popely C Potter O Ranson M Richardson E Robins A Salvador Medina S Singh PM Siu F Smith E Smithies O Speed H Stratford F Stubbs L Sugden I Swarbrigg E Tang G Taylor K Tennant E Thornton S Townsend
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9 6 9 9 7 9 8 3 4 9 9 10 7 9 9 8 10 6 3 8 9 8 9 9 9 10 7 9 10 10 8 9 9 10 6 9 9 7 9 10 9 9 10 10 9 9
R Tran P Trinder CN Tsang O Ward J Wilde W Wood A Worrall L Worrall A Wright Y Xiao Y Zhao M Zuberi
4 9 2 9 9 10 9 8 10 11 9 9
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Colours & Credit Awards
Platinum Awards
School Colours 2020/21 (* re-awards) Academic Y13
Brodie Boffin, Abdullah Ijaz, Kiri Qu, Eoin Thorpe, Sara Vuksanovic, Aisha Mian*, Alex Ranson*, Luis Sugden*, James Swarbrigg*, Nicole Swinnerton*
Y12
Elsa Beese, Paul Blakey, Elliot Brady-Beck, Alexander Broome, Mia Chan, Daniel Cheng, Jacques Chocron, Catriona Cochrane, Beth Jenkinson, Ishaa Malik, Christian Masiye, Sophia Nwachukwu, Charlie Plein, Luke Schoeman, Adam Shann, Lucy Thornton, Fiona Trimby, Tom Vernon
Creative Arts
Brodie Boffin, Edward Hawker, Aisha Mian, James Swarbrigg, Nicole Swinnerton, Eoin Thorpe
Year 8 Adam Bashir, Maisey Bellwood, Jacob Best, Lily Bickle, Zain Botosh, Dan Burdon, Isabel Burnett, Tilly Bywell, Nicole Cater, Cecily Cothliff, Morgan Crew, Seth Crosby, Isabella Defurey, Chase Dobbins, Natalie Flynn, William Gaffney, Philippa Green, Will Hall, Woody Ham, Abigail Hickman, Macey Holmes-Moxon, Grace Huntington, Laiqa Hussain, George Ingham, Jenny Ingham, Megan Jennings, Isabella Kaye, Reilly Keates, Lorna Kerr, Alishah Khan, Ibrahim Khan, Tara Khan, Helaina Lamb, Elijah Lawson, Oliver Lawson, Siôn Lloyd-Parry, Olivia Lockwood, Beatrice Mackenzie, Olivia Mackenzie, Izza Malik, Michaella Masiye, Liam Matley, Jack McElhone, Henry Murphy, Joshua Myers, Shreya Naik, Zac Nelson, Belle Nimmo, Erin Nulty, Oluwatisefunmi Onigbogi, Archie Peaker, Oliver Rimington, Jamie Roberts, Grace Roy, Sarah Rueger, Daniel Rutter, Lezain Shyllon, Ethan Taylor, Zach Taylor, Noah Thirkill, Dara Treanor, Phillip Trimby, Ben Vernon, Candela Vidal-Barker, Alyse Warburton, Joe Warrington, Ned Waterhouse, Harrison Welsh, Jamie Wheelhouse, Harry Wilde, Scarlett Williams, Ella-Grace Wilson, Josh Wright, Thomas Yeadon
Sports Football Louis Anderson, Ethan McLelland, James Skingle, Bolan Jepmond Senior* Netball Harriet Green, Abbie Hinchliffe, Abi Roche, Naveena Amrat* Basketball Pablo Benito Martin, Marcus Yu Climbing Eoin Thorpe
Credits Autumn 2020
Summer 2021
Year 7 1st Lois Turner 2nd William O’Toole 3rd Isla Eaglestone
Year 7 1st Libby Pierson 2nd Harry Edwards 3rd Prabhekam Kaur
Year 8 1st Liam Matley 2nd Woody Ham 3rd Pippa Green
Year 8 1st Jenny Ingham 2nd Natalie Flynn 3rd Adam Bashir
Year 9 1st Caitlin Marshall 2nd Tilly Raj 3rd Charlie Wright
Year 9 1st Anna Parsons 2nd Kitty Hawker 3rd Charlotte Collinson
Year 10 1st Emily Greenwood 2nd Callum Hyland Dugbo 3rd Summer Anderson
Year 10 1st Philip Wright 2nd Lola Henderson 3rd Thomas Craven
Year 11 1st Olivia Ranson 2nd Catherine Potter 3rd Samuel Siu
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Year 9 Alicia Ayub, Isla Bagshaw, Harry Bates, Sophie Bates, Libby Bennett, Grace Bentley, Oscar Binns, Laaibah Bostan, Emma Burrows, Lexie Cadman, Gaelle Carrasco, Charlotte Collinson, Amelia Cooper, Harry Davison, Ellen Dawes, Maisie Dobbins, Daisy Downs, Lily Edwards, Catie Fay, Tom Fell, James Flynn, Kira Grahamslaw, William Gray, Finley Hainsworth, Samuel Hall, Trey Halliday, Ella Hamer, Lucy Hanson, Kitty Hawker, Tom Hirst, Leo Horsley, Daisy-May Hurford, Anna Jarvis, Abby Kelliher, Arsalan Khan, Joshua Kippax, Tilly Lawrence, Daniel Littlejohns, Lily Lucas-Hooton, Hebe Mak, Izzie Manning, Caitlin Marshall, Lilly Miller, Eilidh Molloy, Danny Morgan, Melissa Ng, Paola Nlemchi, Ishen Parekh, Anna Parsons, Dhilan Patel, Tilly Raj, Georgina Rayner, Georgia Rhodes, Matthew Roberts, Natalie Schoeman, Zak Shahzad, Natasha Simpson, Annabel Smith, Ayomide Solaru, Maria Speed, Jessica Strudwick, Fran Tartaglia, Ravneet Toor, Vinay Toor, Eimer Treanor, Phoebe Turner, Tommy Vale, Daniel Varley, Jessica Weir, Ruby Wighton, Charlie Wright
Year 7 Megan Atkins, Millie Batty, Miranda Bayliss, Rosalind Bayliss, Lucy Bedford, Pippa Bennett, Gracie Boffin, Alex Butler, Anya Choudry, Laura Clarke, Charley Clark-Taylor, Ted Cooper, AJ Cullip, Connie Dawes, Grace Dunn, Isla Eaglestone, Thomas Edgar, Harry Edwards, Thalia Felipe-Scargill, Ellie Fisher, Matthew Hands, Oisin Higgins, Matilda Holt, Sara Hussain, Erin Isbister, Hiero James, Harry Jarvis, Nihal Johal, Sam Johnson, Prabhekam Kaur, Juncen Li, Amba Luthra-Cragg, Ammarrah Malik-Akram, Grace Manning, Daisy Marshall, Freya McDonald, Charles McLarnon, Theo McLelland, George Ng, SJ O’Neill, William O’Toole, Zach Parsons, Lilly Peacock, Libby Pierson, Ash Poplar, Betsy Raj, Fred Rayner, Harrison Riley, Matty Roberts, Emily Robinson, Dexter Small, Elizabeth Smith, Isabelle Sowerby, Tilly Sugden, William Thornhill, Summer Tindall, Harris Turnbull, Lois Turner, Maya Verma, Reuven Walker, Archie Wallace, Ilaria Walton, George Webster
I am Grovian
Email neil@natural-construction.co.uk
Brontë House
Head’s Report With the previous academic year ending in lockdown, the beginning of the September term brought a great sense of excitement and anticipation that we would be returning, at last, to some semblance of a normal routine. As we were to discover, the year would be anything but normal… With brightly coloured stickers stuck to corridor floors to demarcate Year Group Zones and one-way signs adorning the walls, it was plain for all to see that this year was going to be different. Table groupings were replaced with forward facing desks; strict seating plans were in place in all lessons and children spent the majority of their time in their classroom with their form teacher. Swimming lessons were cancelled, as were sports fixtures, much to the disappointment and frustration of the older children. Covid certainly afforded us a very different Brontë experience in that first term but the control measures and strict protocols did their job and we kept the virus at bay and the children were happy, once again, in the company of their teachers and classmates. The professionalism of the staff team was exemplary. Sandwich picnic lunches soon lost their appeal, so the catering team began producing hot pots of chicken curry, sweet chilli noodles and not-to be missed fish and chips. Ordered each morning by the children, and delivered at lunchtime to classrooms by Mr Perfit, the addition of hot food on cold winter days was a firm favourite, particularly to those with larger appetites in Year 6! Mrs Downs devised a clever three-tiered timetable that ensured children from different parts of the Page 18
school were kept separate in shared spaces in between lessons and at playtime. Calling on the PE Department to provide an additional lesson each day, they quickly added a ‘Wake up Workout’ for all children in Years 5 and 6. Providing six lessons per day of physical activity is no easy task and Mr Waterhouse can attest that he ended the year considerably fitter than when he started! The magic of Christmas was not lost and though we weren’t allowed to sing, we could certainly dance! The same high-quality performance that we have come to expect from all Mr Phenny productions was evident in the online show that showcased Years 1-6. Ashdown too produced a stunning Nativity under the roof of their outdoor canopy. It was at this time of year that we said goodbye to Mrs Richardson. With 21 years of knowledge of the inner workings of the school, she was leaving very big shoes to fill. Fortunately for us, we found our new Office Manager in Mrs Bedford, who has proven herself to be an outstanding addition to the Brontë team. As staff renewed their first aid training on January’s INSET day, news began to circulate in the afternoon of a possible return to lockdown measures, to be confirmed in the Prime Minister’s news conference in the evening. As we now know only too well, this is the exact course of action that was taken and our children returned, once again, to working from home; though this time, with the added feature of live, daily teaching.
Brontë House
Following our experience in the first lockdown, back in the Autumn Term, Mrs Ellershaw, our ICT lead, had delivered staff training on the use of Zoom technology. Teachers had, in turn, practised delivering lessons to children on iPads in a different section of the school. This experience was to pay dividends in instilling a sense of confidence during a time of real uncertainty. Whilst the school community remained plugged into online learning for eight long weeks, the improved programme of live streamed lessons each day meant that children were able to interact with each other, maintain crucial friendships and retain a greater sense of class identity. Whilst there is no substitute for learning in a physical classroom, surrounded by friends and companions, I do hope that the introduction of this live element of teaching made a very difficult time a little easier. The return to school in early March saw a resurgence of the routines present in the previous term with handwashing and distancing remaining the order of the day. Whilst local junior schools suffered with numerous Covid outbreaks, we remained relatively virus free. At the end of the month, we bid a very fond farewell to our Queen of the Brontë House Kitchen, Julie Johnson. After 40 years dedicated service to the School, she was off to pursue her passions of cycling and dogs! As the longest serving member of staff in the history of the School, we thank her for her commitment and passion for serving nothing but the best quality food for the last four decades. The warm suns of spring and summer brought with them a sense of optimism. One particular highlight was the sound of the piano, expertly played by an eager pupil in Year 5, in an individual music lesson. As I stood listening, it struck me that this was the very first time we had heard the instrument played by children in over a year! The Skipathon and Danceathon came in quick succession in May, the latter raising an astounding £8500 for children living in poverty in Leeds, providing beds, pillows and pyjamas for those that would normally go without. Sports days went ahead in Year Group bubbles, with several school records broken and all children enjoyed a final outdoor topic day. Mrs Downs dressed in Tudor armour with Mrs Ellershaw as her trusty steed was quite a sight to behold! With the end of the year looming, we were determined to give our Year 6 children a befitting end to their Brontë House journey. Miss Pearson ordered the weather in advance and three scorching hot days were provided for their 3-day adventure camp. Rocks were climbed, canoes were
paddled and screams of delight could heard as our oldest children dangled from ropes on the front lawn. Suits and beautiful dresses were on display at the end of year party and the Kitchen staff surpassed themselves to meet the children’s ‘last meal’ requests. The following day, the Year 6 bubble was burst in every sense and our Brontë leavers started their summer holiday several days earlier than planned. We also said goodbye to a number of staff, some long-serving and some with us to assist with Covid measures. Mrs Pinkney in Year 5 returned to her Librarian role at the Grove and Mr Boggie left us to pursue his career in strength and conditioning. Mr Moorhouse moved on to a maintained school in Bradford and Miss la Via, who joined us on a short term contract, also said goodbye. After 21 and 14 years respectively, Mrs Ward, one of our Ashdown Lodge practitioners, and Ms Stega, a stalwart of the Brontë PE Department, both moved on to pastures new. We wish all of these staff the very best for their future and thank them for their time with us. With Covid causing so much disruption to our daily lives, it is easy to focus on the negatives, but it is important too to draw positives, wherever possible, from the last 12 months. Children, staff and parents must be commended for their adaptability and willingness to take on board new ways of working, and the efforts of teaching staff to provide high quality provision to all learners must be celebrated. New routines and systems, a number of which we are retaining, have improved the structure of our day and the partnerships built between home and school have stood firm, leading to positive outcomes for our children’s wellbeing and academic development. Most importantly, Covid has given us a new-found appreciation for the people around us, including those within our school community. Whilst we aren’t yet sure what next year holds, we feel confident in our abilities to deal with any challenges or obstacles in our path.
Mrs Sarah Chatterton - Head
Brontë House
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Ashdown Lodge The lockdown year in Ashdown was certainly interesting. We were almost empty at points and full at other times, but never without children. Although this period was a pain for many, it enabled us here at school to forge some strong relationships that perhaps would have been missed without the experience. Slowing down the pace left more time for reflection and this in turn led to many improvements, both obvious and below the surface. One such improvement was the refurbishment of our Pre Nursery room. A few years ago, we started to take children as young as two years old. This has become very popular and has led to their space being modernised with a new floor, all new furniture and a kitchen area. It is now a lovely bright and clean space in which the children can learn and thrive. This room is where our children begin their Woodhouse Grove journey and where their school memories and life long friendships first begin.
Nursery was not left out, and as part of our continued improvements, a kitchen was installed in the classroom to enable the children to do lots of baking and cooking. You never know, we might just have the next Mary Berry or Paul Hollywood amongst us! Baking is brilliant for children’s development and learning as it brings in so many concepts and skills.
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Brontë House
Rolling and mixing help them to develop their physical skills and maths concepts such as weighing and counting are involved. The children also learn about hygiene, where food comes from and the skills of patience and taking turns. Baking can also be instrumental in encouraging some of our fussier eaters to try new foods. In Pre Nursery we celebrated World Book Day, we all dressed up as our favourite book characters and celebrated by reading a range of books with peers and staff. In Pre Nursery we regularly focus on specific stories such as the bear hunt, Elmer and Super Tato, within this we create physical and creative activities both indoors and outdoors. Pre Nursery children spend a lot of our time outdoors, whether this is digging, mark making, planting, or exploring the grounds. The children love to put on their puddle suits and wellies and explore! In Reception, with more science experiments and artists covered than ever before, we have had a very busy year! Road safety week provided us with an opportunity to talk about how to cross a road safely. We made some posters and practised using the zebra crossing on the school site. We even received a certificate to prove we could remember what to do. Throughout the year we have celebrated each and every child in Reception's birthday by holding a monthly party. In the absence of soft play centres being open and the restrictions around having visitors to each other’s houses, we felt it was only fair and proper to make sure each child was able to celebrate their 5th birthday with their friends. The parents brought in gifts and we provided the games, food and fun! The restrictions made it altogether more challenging for Christmas 2020 but, in true Grovian spirit, the show must go on. The Nativity performance still went ahead but without an audience this year. The children rehearsed their parts and then performed outside in our wonderful canopy area. We filmed it so it could be shared with our families over the Christmas break. Despite the lockdown and restrictions, we still gave the children a good time with our Christmas parties, complete with traditional games such as pass the parcel. Mrs Richardson, our school secretary, retired. She will be deeply missed as she has been a part of Brontё House for many years and is known to all our parents and children alike. However, we will not be saying goodbye altogether, as Mrs Richardson remains a regular visitor at school when she collects her grandchildren at the end of a day. Mrs A Hinchliffe
Brontë House
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I must also commend our dedicated team of visiting instrumental staff for keeping lessons going and continuing to inspire our pupils via Zoom. Towards the end of the Summer Term a small number of our pupils were entered for ABRSM exams. They were all successful and some passed with merit or distinction.
Performing Arts 2021 has proved to be a challenging year for the performing arts throughout the world as well as here at Brontё House. Social distancing measures meant that we were unable to perform together in large groups or invite any audiences into our school. It is only when many of the things that we have taken for granted in the past have been taken away, that we can truly appreciated what an integral part of our school life they are.
Although we were unable to perform to audiences, not even a global pandemic was going to stop us performing. We embraced technology to produce digital performances that were of an equally high standard as our ‘live’ ones. For the first time, we produced one Christmas show that involved all pupils from Year 1 to Year 6. “Strictly, the Nativity” saw characters from the Christmas story performing dances in front of a panel of very discerning judges, which included a sheep, a donkey, a camel and Caesar!!!! Dance styles ranged from disco dancing stars and conga-ing sheep to the wise men dancing a charleston and street dancing travellers.
The music department, and the school as a whole, felt a much quieter place as pupils were not permitted to sing for the entire academic year and individual instrumental lessons did not recommence until the Summer Term. However, this did give us greater opportunity in class to focus on percussion, keyboard, music technology and music theoretical tasks - by the end of the academic year most pupils from Year 2 upwards were able to read the notes on the musical stave.
I would like to applaud all our pupils for their work during the home-schooling period. It is not easy to complete musical and dramatic tasks by oneself and sometimes with limited resources. I was constantly surprised by the quality of our pupils’ performances and by the ingenious way that many of them were presented. Page 22
Brontë House
In the Summer Term, Year 6 reflected on the events of the global pandemic in their show, “Wow, What a Year!”. Through drama, song and dance, our pupils retold the challenges and events of the last 8 months including: working remotely from home, a tribute to Captain Tom, the heroic role of key workers, the discovery of a vaccine and even the shortages of food and toilet roll! We were even introduced to the virus itself, or should I say, herself; Iris - The Virus! All 60 of our Year 6 pupils had a speaking role and they performed in a respectful yet light hearted manner.
Both these shows were shared within our school community via YouTube and we received many positive comments about the high quality of our pupils’ performances. Although we have learned much from the last year that we continue to utilise, I sincerely hope that the new academic year will allow us to return to some form of normality and the sound of mass singing will fill the corridors of Brontё House once more.
Mr P Phenny Brontë House
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Trips
Adventure Days The Class of 2021 ‘Year 6 Bubble’ made it until the very last week of the Summer Term. The children were all looking forward to celebrating the end of term with friends and having some well-deserved fun. To kick off the programme, team building activities took place in our beautiful Brontë House grounds and gave the children the opportunity to try something new and, for some, push themselves out of their comfort zone.
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Brontë House
It was great to see the children working cooperatively and supporting each other during Crate Stacking, where the team had to build a tower of crates as high as possible whilst a team member stood on top. The children had to plan and discuss tactics to build the tower as high as possible without toppling the stack. Many children succeeded in using every crate and reached great heights; for some who were less confident about climbing and heights, this was a real moment of personal victory! The Bushcraft session was an opportunity to connect with nature and the environment with an introduction to foraging followed by making and eating popcorn. Many children proved to be natural archers, and there were a few who hit the bullseye!
The Catapult Challenge enabled the children to work in teams to design and construct a freestanding catapult and propel an object the greatest distance possible from the fixed starting line. There was some outstanding teamwork, and the children were competitive to see who could catapult the furthest.
A highlight for many children was kayaking in rafted open boats at Reva Reservoir in the glorious sunshine. Of course, the children (and Mr Waterhouse) loved the opportunity to play games and, at the end, jump in and get wet. Rock climbing and abseiling at Ilkley Cow was an adrenaline-fuelled challenge requiring children to face their fear of heights. It proved quite a challenge for some but was an experience they will never forget.
Miss Pearson, Mr Graham and Mrs Rayner Brontë House
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Sports Day
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Brontë House
After a disrupted year of sport, we were delighted to be able to hold a traditional sports day event, despite it looking a little different. Each year group was involved within their bubble, competing for their respective houses. Despite the absence of parental spectators the atmosphere was fantastic and seeing the children working together and cheering each other on was a delight to see after so long being apart. The Brontë House spirit certainly had not dampened during lockdown.
There were some excellent performances throughout the year groups with a new Year 3 high jump record being set by Kieran Jemmett, clearing a height of 1.16m. The previous record of 1.15m being set by M. Devereux in 1994! An outstanding and well deserved achievement, Kieran.
Mrs C Couzens Brontë House
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Brontë House
Boarding
Fast forward to September 2020 where we knew for at least a little while, boarding life wouldn't be quite the same. The boarding staff pulled together to ensure we could offer a comfortable introduction to life at the Grove. It is worth saying that the new students did extremely well to transition to a new culture and routines in the most challenging of circumstances. The first term was a testing time with boarders in and out of quarantine, the only saving grace was that they were together and well versed in the use of educational platforms for remote learning. Students had to get used to being confined to the school site and activities were limited. We were open for half term looking after many international students who enjoyed a relaxing time in familiar surroundings with the option to use the school facilities for sporting interests. We had to adapt and keep student wellbeing at the forefront of our minds. When Christmas finally arrived, it was our first glimpse of normality. To keep morale high, we enjoyed a toned-down Christmas celebration with activities. This involved 'winter welly wanging' and a Red vs Green football match. It was a successful event which took us into a well-deserved Christmas break. Again, many of our boarders did not manage to go home, which was another test of character.
Boarding Review “I am an individual, yet I am part of something incredible”. Never has this statement about the Grove been more meaningful than over the past academic year within our Boarding community. At a challenging time for everyone, our international boarders faced the additional hardship of not being able to travel home during the school holidays to see their families. The strength of the Grove community and the dedication of the Boarding Staff came to the fore to keep morale high and help students through this difficult time. Mr Whitlam, Head of Boarding, describes a year like no other… It is fair to say that our boarders had experienced a turbulent time since March 20th, 2020. They had suddenly been thrown into unknown territory. Many of our boarders did not have the opportunity to go home to see their loved ones. On top of this, they then had to adapt to a whole new learning experience. Thankfully, with a combination of boarding experience and fantastic support from teaching staff, students were able to demonstrate resilience in the face of adversity carrying them through to the summer holidays.
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Boarding
The New Year arrived, and it was a term where we were determined to try and create the best possible experience. The boarders enjoyed more varied activities and a half term holiday to remember with Brodwell’s House Captain leading a comprehensive activity programme for our international students, which was a great success. The second half of term started to feel more normalised and, as the weather improved with lighter evenings, it gave us the opportunity to take advantage of the wider school facilities. Students also had the freedom to go to the city and the local area again for shopping. The Easter holidays were soon upon us, where we were open again to offer our international students some relative peace and comfort with activities on offer. This saw spirits lifted and an increased sense of belonging through challenging times. Needless to say, the boarders were grateful to have the opportunity to stay with us as part of the Grove family. The summer had finally arrived, our boarders were looking forward to playing some tennis, football,
and cricket. Finally, things were beginning to feel as we had known them two years previously. It was pleasing to see our community enjoy true life at the Grove after such a difficult year. I don't think we have seen so many boarders using the tennis courts!! As the term progressed, boarders were immersed in all that Grove life offers and in boarding were enjoying the competitive element of our Red versus Green competition through silly Olympics and Kwik Cricket. The Green team won and looked forward to claiming the cup and a treat in house later that day. The summer holidays were looming, and it was time to pack up. Thankfully, all our boarders managed to go home for the summer, ready to recharge for another academic year. Our boarding community should be commended for their resilience through what was arguably the most challenging boarding year to date. If anything, it has only made our students stronger in preparing them for life's challenges.
Mr Whitlam
Boarding
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Out of the Classroom
Year 7 & 8 Activity Day At the end of the Summer Term, Years 7 and 8 had the opportunity to participate in an Activity Day, run on the school site. This consisted of a wide range of activities across the day. Students took part in a scavenger hunt, they toasted marshmallows, undertook orienteering, tried their hand at archery, axe throwing and fencing and built their confidence through a variety of team building activities.
Miss F Alimundo
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Out of the Classroom
Duke of Edinburgh
Towards the end of June a number of students took the opportunity to undertake their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze expedition. This was slightly different to most years and started from school, walking out towards Baildon, through Guiseley and on towards the Chevin. Due to ongoing pandemic, students were unable to use a local campsite, so improvised and pitched their tents on the lawn outside Brodwell House! Students cooked a hearty meal and enjoyed a treat of hot chocolate and marshmallows, courtesy of Mr Whitlam. The next morning they were packed up and walked out from Ilkley, round the Cow & Calf and along to Baildon moor. The students put in a tremendous effort, lifted each other’s spirits and worked incredibly well as a team. They can be incredibly proud of their achievements.
Miss F Alimundo
Out of the Classroom
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Performing Arts
Staff Mr Stephen Archdale retired from his post as Peripatetic Teacher of Speech and Drama in December 2020. Mr Archdale had been teaching at the school for 19 years and alongside his speech and drama lessons he had previously also directed school plays for many years. Mrs Kimberley Baker (Director of PQA and recent Grove drama productions) was appointed as the new teacher of Speech and Drama and began work (virtually) at once both at the Grove and at Brontë House and later in the academic year came to join us within the Davy block. Music The Break-time Concert Series moved online in March 2020 and once term restarted in September, each concert featured a socially-distanced piano duet (Messrs Crawford and Tedd in separate rooms) at the heart of each programme. The more obscure instruments were welcome features, including the Erhu from Koya Tsang, Bassoon from Tim Eichert and Marimba from Max Warland, all featured in virtual break-time concerts. The online concerts often contained tributes to various anniversaries taking place with staff and students enjoying the musical interlude. The featuring of Mr Lambert’s Last Post and Reveille for Sir Tom Moore on Yorkshire Television (from the Wednesday 3rd February concert) was perhaps the biggest audience the break-time concert has received thus far! In April the theatre opened for the newly named ‘B2C2’ (Bubble Break-time Coffee Concerts), initially starting with Year 9 and moving through Year 7 and Year 11. Each year group was allocated 20 tickets and four performers (with spacing) and whilst cleaning became almost as much a priority as the musical performance, some things remained constant: entertaining music, top quality coffee, baked goods and an informal setting. The excitement amongst musicians to have live music back, and simultaneously broadcast on Teams, was heartening to see.
Performing Arts Review
The Year 2020-21 was a strange one, the school produced more recorded and audio-visual performing arts content than ever before and yet the performing arts were under severe restrictions nationally and then locally, throughout the year. Page 38
Virtual Remembrance Day, Sunday 10th November Grove Singers and Old Grovians were at the heart of this virtual service with a remix of the Summer Term’s Xaipete and The Lord Bless You and Keep You featuring a few new faces. Much work was done by Miss Meredith-Walne to record and edit files whilst OGs Jonny Knight and Adam Longbottom mixed the video and audio files for the music ensembles. At last count the video had been viewed over 650 times on YouTube. Chloe Cater gave a poignant delivery of the last post and reveille duties before she, Ruby Hawker
Performing Arts
and Ella Manogue performed the same at 11:00 on the 11th at the flagpole, the quad and the yard for the whole school act of remembrance. Later in the afternoon of 10th November the brass group provided three tracks (Abide with me, O God our Help and the National Anthem) for the Rawdon Remembrance service with Chloe again providing the last post and reveille. It was especially pleasing to note the number of members in the brass group including staff, some of whom were present merely in audio not video and former member of staff James McCabe providing a trumpet descant for the last verse. The Virtual Christmas Carol Service was on Sunday 13th December with the Grove Singers, Brass Group and Junior Choir leading the service with the wider community submitting parts for a massed-choir version of O Come All Ye Faithful. The eventual totals for video contributions surpassed 200 with additional audio and still images making this a gargantuan effort to mix and edit but the 1,500 people who watched the service more than justified the efforts of our mix maestri Miss Meredith-Walne, Mr Knight and Dr Longbottom. The Christmas Service gained 1,500 views and the smaller scale Christmas Eve Service gained 125 views, the fact that Mr. Wright wasn’t playing cymbals for the Christmas Eve service may explain at least part of the disparity! In a break with tradition, several items were released in January, instead of a Christmas concert. Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson was released
to open the term and with 45 contributors it was quite a spectacle. Youth by Sean Mendes was released by the Junior Singers on January 21st with instrumental backing from two Year 7 pupils, and the future is bright for music in this year group. Hope by Jason Robert Brown was released by the Grove Singers as the news about schools reopening was made. At Easter, as well as a Chamber Concert, the Music Department worked on a joint ‘Songs of Praise’ style service for Palm Sunday with Ashville College. The order of service included each school performing one anthem alone with WGS singing Rejoice the Lord is King by Malcolm Archer and one together For the Beauty of the Earth by John Rutter, alongside two hymns and two songs. The result was viewed 900 times on the Grove’s Youtube and 1,700 times on Ashville’s. The final video projects included The Queen Classic Bohemian Rhapsody and Klaus Badelt’s Pirates of the Caribbean which managed to include nearly all the senior staff and who knew HM Lockwood would enjoy the orchestral bass drum quite so much? The standard way of working for projects during the year took many hours of editing and compiling after pupils and staff had recorded at home or latterly, once school was fully open, as soloists in the recording studio. OGs Dr. Longbottom and Jonny Knight continued to mix much of the audio and video for our virtual performances, with Miss Meredith-Walne taking the lion’s share for services, their work was invaluable and well-received with the top three virtual performances now garnering over 1,500 views each on YouTube.
Performing Arts
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House Music The Virtual House Music competition saw a wide-range of entrants, with DJ-ing and Bassoon the first ever such entries. The Junior Solo class was won by Benj Saia (Vinter) singing Yesterday whilst accompanying himself on the guitar. Matilda Holt (Findlay) singing the Bruno Mars track When I was Your Man was a close second and Annabel Smith (Stephenson) playing Hallelujah on the piano took third place. In the senior section Catriona Cochrane (Findlay) claimed a close-fought battle for top spot with Breathe from 'In the Heights' whilst Nicole Swinnerton (Southerns) with a complex sax solo took second and Tim Eichert (Stephenson) played the Shostakovich's ‘Waltz’ from Jazz Suite No. 2 on the bassoon to take third place. The music department extends its thanks to Mrs Nott and Mr Whitlam who were the lead judges this year. World Piano Day Pianists were asked to send in a short highlight of a piano piece for World Piano Day on 28th March, which the publicity department sent out, a first for the school as we have never previously produced a concert for this event. Drama Miss Evers and Miss Couper launched a version of The Masked Singer for form time entertainment - staff performed 60s of a song of their choice with clues about who they were before a grand reveal. It was a decidedly tricky affair to work out the teachers and for some of the teachers who clearly had not watched the original. The Year 7 Drama Club 'All the world's a stage' re-started under the leadership of Mrs Priestley with plans for a performance in the coming academic year.
Grove Camps This Summer saw a welcome collaboration between Grove Enterprise and The Pauline Quirke Academy as they worked together to host two Performing Arts camps. Sessions were run by a combination of WGS staff and professional tutors from the Academy, with students taking part in song, dance and drama classes throughout the week. Hopefully this initiative will become a permanent feature with staff working alongside Mrs Baker to provide a taste of the performing arts world to the wider community. Mrs Baker and The Pauline Quirke Academy also hosted a separate set of Summer Theatre Schools at The Grove this summer, meaning there was a wealth of performance camps on offer. Peripatetic Teaching The peripatetic team returned to the Davy block in April and it was heartening to, once more, hear the sound of music drifting through the corridorsalthough with GCSE assessments scheduled almost daily in the block, a move to an electric drumkit was necessary! External performance exams In an ever changing environment, the ABRSM music exams took place physically at the Grove, and then remotely, and once more physically, alongside filming for virtual Rock School, and Trinity Speech and Drama exams.
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Performing Arts
At the head of our virtual exams, Abbie Nott returned to sit her postponed ARSM diploma, passing with merit and Nicole Swinnerton (Upper Sixth) added a performance diploma on the saxophone. Annabel Gracey gained a distinction in her Grade Eight Rock School drums, Amy Hanson gained a merit in the same and Nicole Swinnerton gained a merit in her Grade Eight piano (her third grade eight after clarinet and saxophone successes previously). Catriona Cochrane and Michael Cavaliere passed their Grades Eight on Alto Saxophone. Lucy Lund gained a merit in her Grade Seven flute exam and another merit in her Grade Six piano exam whilst Claudia Darren and Leah Spence gained the highest marks with 92% and 91% in their Grade Five Music Theatre exams.
Joseph Richards (Year 9) has recently been filming for Gentleman Jack before the new film of The Railway Children Return in Howarth, Saltaire and on the Keighley-Worth Valley railway. Matilda Holt (Year 7) also reprised her role in Gentleman Jack, filming at the same time as Joe. Annabelle Hudson (Year 11) successfully self-taped a contribution for a Sports Direct advert. Annabelle was delighted to work with Eric Cantona, Jordan Henderson, Trent Alexander-Arnold & Bruno Fernandes. The 'Football Choreographer' had also worked with Messi and Ronaldo.
Freddy Smith (Year 11) has been filming for a BAFTA award winning drama with a main role in The Dumping Ground. He spent 10 weeks up in the North-East filming.
Beyond School Tilly Raj (representing Armley Dance Studios) was chosen by the IDTA to represent them in Junior Ballet at the International Scholarships held at the British Championships in August. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, this event was cancelled but the invitation has been extended to the British Championships 2021. This is a tremendous honour which Tilly is incredibly proud of. Tilly recently found out that she has once again been nominated to attend the IDTA’s next scholarship event after gaining high distinctions in Grade 5 Ballet and Grade 4 Theatrecraft. Tilly has also been successful in gaining her fourth year of training as a Royal Ballet Associate.
Finlay Sheard (Year 12) took the starring role in an advert for Network Rail about the dangers of playing by the rails. The short educational advert communicates how teenagers' actions have a wider impact than they think. Mr P Tedd - Director of Music and Performing Arts
Performing Arts
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Arts
Mimi Jones, Y10
Olivia Helliwell, Y11
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Performing Arts
Rebecca Meek, Y10
Ruby Hawker, Y11
Olivia Speed, Y11
Molly Richardson, Y10
Performing Arts
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Martha Fellows, Y10
Ewan Robinson, Y10
Elli Driver, Y13
Cathy Xiao, Y11
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Performing Arts
Eleanor Smith, Y9
Lizzie Deal, Y11
Performing Arts
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Molly Richardson, Y11
Callum Atkins, Y10
Amy Fidler, Y13
Amy Cavaliere, Y11
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Performing Arts
Alexander Bowdler, Y13
Performing Arts
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Alexander Bowdler, Y13
Molly Richardson, Y10
Amy Fidler, Y13
Amy Cavaliere, Y10
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Performing Arts
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Sports Reports
Sports Review We were delighted by the levels of engagement from our students throughout the entirety of the last academic year during very challenging times. We offered a wide variety of sports and activities for students to take part in during the year, which proved to be very successful. Games and Co-curricular sport offered a range of skill sessions and challenges for students to access in our major team and individual sports. The use of intra-school competitions allowed students to develop important teamwork and leadership skills, and more importantly feel part of a team to develop social skills. The House competition was a huge success and sport will continue to play a major role once again this year. The most memorable event was House cross-country where we had our largest ever number of students taking part. The main aim of our department is to offer an inclusive and dynamic sporting programme for all students, whatever their interests and abilities. We offer our students a high quality, stimulating Physical Education curriculum, which is supported by an inclusive Games and Co-curricular programme. Our aim is to inspire lifelong engagement in sport in our students and develop their understanding of the importance of exercise and physical activity in contemporary lifestyles, irrespective of ability. We worked hard to limit the number of adaptations that we have had to make to our programmes, however, in order to offer the most inclusive programme for our students, and stay within the government guidelines, we have had to make some changes. We continued to follow and adhere to Government guidance and advice on Health and Safety, as well as cleaning and hygiene, as we made the safe return to PE, Games and Co-curricular sport. Detailed planning and staff training took place to ensure that cleaning of all equipment, indoor and outdoor facilities, and changing rooms followed Government guidelines to ensure that they were safe to use by all students. Page 52
We grew our after-school provision as the year progressed, and by the Summer Term we were offering all students two after-school sport sessions to take part in a wider variety of sports and activities. Students were able to take part in all of the usual sports allocated each term. We did have to make adaptations to some sports, however, it was great to see high levels of attendance across all three terms, with 80% of the whole school regularly attending sessions. We also developed an inclusive and varied Saturday programme where all year groups were allocated a 60 minute slot. Students had the option to take part in a range of activities throughout the year and we were delighted to see so many students attend this provision. We also utilised intra-school fixtures on the weekends, and it was great to see so many students participating in a wide range of sports which included mixed football, mixed rugby and mixed netball. We also managed to have a small number of 1st XI cricket fixtures towards the end of the year and it was great to welcome some parents back on to the school site. A special thanks must go to all students, staff, and parents for their continued support during a very difficult year. The Grovian community came together during these challenging times and ensured that we continued to thrive - and embraced all the opportunities provided. We are thoroughly looking forward to returning to normal in 2021-22 with the reintroduction of inter-school fixtures. However, we will ensure that lessons learnt from COVID-19 remain as part of our programme ensuring that it is a more inclusive programme providing all students with opportunities to fulfil their potential. Mr D King - Director of Sport
Sports Reports
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The focus was on player development, and it was sometimes refreshing to coach without the pressures of playing weekly fixtures. With a different approach, it allowed us to focus on skill development and game understanding through the combination of conditioned games and decision-making exercises. The ever-changing landscape and coaching guidance challenged the staff but it also allowed us to develop new ideas and ways of doing things. The lack of contact also allowed for the less confident player to flourish and train alongside more advanced performers. As a result, we have noticed an improvement in the general skill level of all players.
Rugby Whilst it was disappointing not to be able to play fixtures against other schools, we made the most of the situation and continued to train during games lessons and co-curricular time. When in school, all the year groups trained twice per week after school and during their games lesson and we followed whatever RFU guidance was in place at the time. We also continued with the Saturday sports programme and the players gave up their time to attend training in large numbers on a Saturday morning. The attitude of the students was excellent, and they demonstrated their passion for the sport throughout the season.
We were particularly frustrated for the Upper Sixth boys who were unable to follow the usual rite of passage, but in adversity their attitude was excellent in training, and they bought in to the process. The senior boys joined a weekly online fitness session during remote learning and kept themselves in good shape throughout. There was always the hope that they may get to play one last fixture together, but it wasn’t to be, with the season sign-off being the annual 1st XV v 1st VII Netball match. The players were able to be presented with their shirts and good fun was had by all. The final nail in the coffin though was the cancellation of the rugby tour to South Africa which was due to take place in July. The boys in Years 11 to 13 were incredibly disappointed as this is something they had been looking forward to from the moment they started playing rugby at the school. Page 54
Sports Reports
We were delighted for the 9 players who finally got to play some rugby, representing Yorkshire Rugby Academy U18s in the Academy League in May. The hard work that the boys put in during the season certainly paid off as they recorded 3 wins from 4 matches. The players who represented the Academy were: - Freddy Clark, Ben Markey, Louis Guthrie, Willem Johnson, Ned Hawker, Matt Tanner, Will Metcalfe, Ben Turpin and Ben Carpenter. Harry Willard was also involved in the squad but was ruled out of the fixtures due to a hamstring injury. As well as this, we had two Year 10 boys, Fergus McCormack and Archie Hurford playing for Leeds Rhinos Rugby League U16s and several other boys attended the Yorkshire Rugby Academy Development Player Programme (DPP) sessions during the summer.
The overriding emotion during the season was frustration but we felt we made the most of a difficult situation. It is hoped that the continuation of the rugby programme during the pandemic has had a positive effect on the boys. Not only was it vital for the physical and emotional well-being of the students, but it will have also enhanced their relationships and skill level as players. This will have hopefully put our players ahead of others as rugby returns in its entirety. Finally, we would like to thank the boys for their unstinted commitment to the rugby programme in what was the most challenging of years.
Mr J Bedford – Head of Rugby Sports Reports
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Netball Although it was not the netball season we had hoped for, the usual preparations of pre-season took place. After a long summer off, students attended a number of tough fitness and court sessions to build for the ‘season’ ahead. During the remote learning period, students engaged in various online activities and sessions. Live games lessons were attended from front rooms, kitchens and gardens. Weekly challenges based on footwork, passing accuracy and shooting were set with a large number of scores/videos being submitted. A personal favourite was seeing all the squads’ ‘pass the ball’ entries.
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We were also lucky to host a live Q+A session with England Roses stars and Gold Medalists, Beth Cobden and Jodie Gibson. This gave our players the opportunity to ask any questions they had regarding their playing careers or general advice. It was fantastic to get an insight into the life of a Roses player and learn how they dealt with balancing their training commitments to netball whilst in full time education. Due to the Covid restrictions preventing us from participating in external school fixtures, we were delighted to have House netball in the programme. There was an impressive standard of
Sports Reports
netball on display, especially given the lack of competitive fixtures the girls had experienced throughout the year. As a new addition into the House events calendar, we also had all year groups compete in Mixed House Netball. It was brilliant to see so many boys get involved in the competition and transfer their rugby skills on to the netball courts. One tradition that was still able to take place this year was the 1st VII V 1st XV. A well contested and physical fixture from both sides but played with great spirit. Some footwork errors and confusion with the rules meant the girls came out on top and defended their title for another year. This year we have installed flood lights onto the top netball courts. Although we did not get the full benefit of the lights this year, these will allow us to play fixtures and continue to train throughout the winter evenings. We are extremely grateful to the grounds staff and a very kind Old Grovian for gifting us the floodlights. Despite the season feeling very disruptive due to Covid complications, we were still able to continue pushing the standards of netball at the Grove, with more students than ever attending both mid-week and Saturday training sessions. We are looking forward to getting back to competitive netball and giving students the opportunity to represent Grove netball in external fixtures. Although the majority of pathway netball was also put on pause for Covid, Leeds Rhinos were able to continue, albeit with restrictions. Congratulations must be given to the following players for their involvement in the performance pathway throughout the season. Leeds Rhinos Academies: U19 Harriet King U17 Emma Okpala U15 Summer Anderson, Grace Ross & Phoebe Turner Harriet King and Emma Okpala were also selected to trial for the England Roses U17 Academy, a fantastic achievement and experience for both players. Summer Anderson and Grace Ross were selected for the U15 National Schools Games that took part in Loughborough during the summer, which was, as expected, a tough tournament. The live streaming of the event allowed us to catch the girls in action! A special mention to all the Year 13 leavers who showed tremendous commitment to Grove netball, not only over the last year but over their time at Woodhouse Grove. We would like to wish you every success in the future and hope that you continue your netball journey! Miss G Thompson - Head of Netball Sports Reports
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Cricket Cricket has once again flourished at The Grove, despite challenging circumstances and an uncertain start to 2021. Due to lockdown the traditionally extensive winter programme was cancelled; however, upon returning to school in March 2021 cricket was back in full flow, alongside some favourable weather! The return of pupils to school, initially in unusual circumstances, meant some changes to the usual summer cricket programme. Training sessions were offered 3-4 times a week for all age groups, including a Saturday morning session as fixtures were on hold. Internal fixtures in year groups were played and the introduction of The Grove Cricket Podcast gave pupils the opportunity to hear from a wide range of guests. Fortunately, fixtures were able to resume for our senior teams in the final few weeks of term. The 1st XI performed brilliantly against the MCC and came very close to completing a deserved victory. Captain Josh Stephenson top scored with 91 but overs ran out and the match finished as a draw. A week later, an assured all round performance resulted in a comfortable win against the Yorkshire Cricket College. Abdullah Ijaz was the star of the show, scoring 58 not out and then following it up with 3-18 with the ball. The 2nd XI also completed two fixtures, which finished in defeats against the Forty Club and Huddersfield New College; it was wonderful to see some pupils representing a Woodhouse Grove senior team for the first time. Unfortunately, a very strong Year 13 group of cricketers were unable to play the full season of fixtures that their hard work and commitment throughout their Woodhouse Grove time deserved. However, it was wonderful to see them play some fixtures together and we wish them well in their future cricketing careers. Page 58
The Summer Term also saw the introduction of separate boys and girls house cricket competitions which ran over the course of three weeks in games afternoons. Over 500 pupils represented their house in soft ball, small sided games. All fixtures were played in an excellent spirit and it was fantastic to see lots of boys and girls playing cricket for the first time. A number of excellent performances at club and regional level have resulted in lots of our cricketers representing county sides at various age groups. Those cricketers have worked exceptionally hard and it is wonderful to see them performing to such a high level. Woodhouse Grove pupils who have represented county teams in 2021 are:
George Cameron (Year 6) - Yorkshire U11 Theo McLelland (Year 7) - Yorkshire U12 Adam Hussain (Year 7) - Lancashire U12 Max Chaplin (Year 8) - Yorkshire U13 Awais Khan (Year 8) - Yorkshire U13 Noah Thirkill (Year 8) - Yorkshire U13
Sports Reports
We look forward to reintroducing the winter programme followed by a full summer of fixtures in 2022. The number of cricketers across the school continues to increase which will be reflected by the number of teams fielded. 2022 will also bring the introduction of girls teams at all age groups, taking part in a variety of different formats/fixtures. Mr P Borrington - Head of Cricket Sports Reports
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mental health. The club started Thursday Turbo Sessions for staff and students with sessions being led by Miss Follos (spin class), Mr Exeter (reps sessions to music) and Mr Tedd (just old-fashioned reps) and a ‘mystery guest’ session led by Mark Buckingham, England Triathlon’s Commonwealth Games Coach. 3. They discovered that being outside, in nature, is good for the soul. There were squeals of laughter as they ran through mud, through sheets of heavy, icy rain, though puddles that were far deeper than anticipated. There were also glorious, sunny Saturday mornings when pupils played running games with each other in the sunshine amongst our beautiful grounds and surroundings.
Cross Country Running became a lifeline for many people during lockdown. Our school community is no exception. We were forced to isolate from our friends, loved ones and communities; gyms were closed and school sports matches and races were cancelled. Our pupils and staff had to face an academic year with so many changes – but the school kept on running, as did its athletes. Mr Exeter joined the school at the start of the academic year and threw himself into the cross-country and triathlon clubs, launching the Parktoberfest (ParkRun scheme) to all staff and pupils with some interesting run locations being logged on the website but, unlike previous years, we have very few races to report. We do, however, have something profound to recognise: our cross-country athletes learnt something of great importance from running throughout the pandemic: they learnt that participating in sport holds far more value beyond competition and winning medals. In a season with no fixtures, it really was the ‘taking part’ that counted. These are our pupils’ achievements in the sport from the last year:
4. They took inspiration from role models. We used the extra evenings at home during the pandemic to arrange online Q&As with some of the best athletes in Triathlon. Our athletes gathered on Microsoft Teams on a half termly basis to chat with Alistair Brownlee, Jonny Brownlee, Georgia Taylor Brown, Lucy Hall, Mark Buckingham and Beth Potter about their careers as elite athletes. A series of Triathlon Top Tips were recorded especially for WGS from 20 elite athletes and coaches. The tips were broadcast on Twitter (and Firefly) and included messages from six Olympians as well as World and European Medallists from both athletics and Triathlon. The tips covered nutrition, training, strength and conditioning sessions, swim and bike technique, bike maintenance, kit and mindset. 5. They also developed culinary skills. Despite the lack of races, the spirit of competition lived on…in the kitchen! Our online bake-offs resulted in a whole host of cakes, brownies, smoothies and confectionary delights, some of which were also attempted by our guest elite athletes. There were notable excellent results from Georgia Taylor-Brown (mug cake) and Beth Potter (banana loaf). You can’t run without fuel, after all…
1. They showed commitment. We had pupils turn up to training in every year group, from Years 7 to 10, to run on Saturday mornings. Even when the weather was terrible. Even when they were tired after a long term of prolonged uncertainty. As members of staff, it was incredibly encouraging to see hundreds of Grovians volunteering to go to school for an extra morning on a weekend because they wanted to be there. 2. They prioritised their health and fitness. Contemporary media outlets stereotype young people as being perpetually attached to their devices, watching television or playing video games. Our young athletes realised the value of exercise, and its holistic contribution to maintaining their physical and Page 60
Sports Reports
Of the few virtual races on offer: The World Cross-Country Challenge saw the WGS XC ‘Team Brownlee’ of Archie Peaker, Eilidh Molloy, Joey Hall and Maisey Bellwood claim second place overall for the 13-19 age group despite being U15s and U14s. There is some question over the official results for the senior (19+) relays but the Woodhouse Grove staff team of Messrs Tedd, Eaglestone, Exeter and Softley topped the leaderboard and the ladies’ team of Ms. Pearce, Hughes (L), Dixon and Roper came in 10th although no global medals were received by the new reigning world champions! In the Shrewsbury School Global Cross-country 5km Challenge the junior girls swept the board with Maisey Bellwood (Year 8) finishing first in the U15 age group, Eilidh Molloy second and Georgina Rayner third. In the boys’ race Billy Peaker finished second with an astounding 17:10, which for a 13 year old (Year 8) was exceptional, only beaten by a Year 10 pupil. Beyond School, Maisey Bellwood won the Yorkshire Fell trial and heads to the British Championships to lead the Yorkshire team with Eilidh Molloy as a competing reserve, having finished fifth in the trial. Ultimately, we are incredibly proud of our athletes for their diligence, their adaptability and for the endless energy and enthusiasm that they brought to training sessions. We hope that the last year in cross-country has helped them to realise that slipping on a pair of trainers and heading outdoors is something that will give them joy, health and a sense of self-belief, both now and when their school days are over. We look forward to the return of races in the 21-22 season, but we also look back, with gratitude, for the sense of community and ethos that sport, at The Grove, continues to foster.
Miss L Hughes and Mr P Tedd Sports Reports
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Tennis This season brought new challenges for tennis at The Grove. Unfortunately, due to restrictions we were unable to play any fixtures, but this did not take the competitive nature out of the school team tennis this year. Forty U12, U13 and U14s signed up to take part in the Road to Wimbledon competition which saw two students progress to the regional competitions, where they were able to represent the school. Students were able to access training after school and on Saturday mornings, which allowed them to prepare for the highlight of the tennis season, where we had 120 students represent their respective
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houses. This is the biggest house tennis competition we have had during my time at the school due to there being no inter school fixtures. Students really utilised the opportunities presented during challenging circumstances and managed to play some competitive matches in their year group bubbles. Moving forward, we are looking forward to the return of inter school fixtures to bring the next level of competition back into school tennis.
Miss K Webb
Sports Reports
Football achievements There were also some excellent achievements over the course of the season, with several boys and girls representing Bradford City as well as other clubs and representative teams. Raj Palit – BCFC U18 Lewis Coates – BCFC U18 Luke Harrop – BCFC U18 Jonny White – BCFC U18 James Edgley – BCFC U15 Rafe McCormack – Manchester United U12 Max Chaplin – Bradford School Boys Amy Fidler – Bradford City Women Reserve Team Gemma Fidler – Bradford City Women U18 There were also some excellent successes from some of our former students who achieved national recognition last year. Olivier Sukiennicki (19-21) Professional contract BCFC / Poland U19’s Finn Cousin-Dawson (18-20) Professional contract BCFC / Northern Ireland U21’s. Daniel Francis - (18-20) Professional contract Rot Weiss Ahlen (Germany) / Sierra Leone National Squad
Football The 2020-21 season was a tough year, as fixtures were not able to be played. However, this did not stop football at The Grove continuing to go from strength to strength. Football was included in the PE curriculum for both boys and girls, and mixed football sessions were a huge success during games afternoons. A highlight was the expanded format for House Football; with mixed competitions in years 7,8,9,10,11 and in the Sixth Form. It was amazing to see so many boys and girls represent their houses on a Saturday morning with some tight competitions throughout. The winning houses were as follows: Year 7 – Towlson Year 8 – Towlson Year 9 – Stephenson Year 10 – Towlson Year 11 – Stephenson Sixth Form – Findlay Football Challenges During the period of remote learning, Mr Barr and Mr Softley devised weekly challenges for the pupils to have a go at. The challenges ranged from passing, dribbling, shooting and ball-control and these were done in all weather conditions, even snow! There was some great uptake from the pupils, as well as some Old Grovians including Will Hatfield (Darlington FC captain) and Dan Francis (Sierra Leone).
At the end of the academic year, lots of students attended various trials and again, lots of our students were successful. Bradford Schools: Max Chaplin, Y8 and Ollie Stead, Y7 ISFA North of England: James Edgley (U16), Luke Harrop and Dan Kaye (U18) Bradford City U16: James Edgley, Y11 Manchester Utd: Rafe McCormack, Y7 (U13) Schools Football Week The last week of May we celebrated #SchoolsFootballWeek by hosting mixed inter-form competitions for Years 7,8,9 and 10 during lunchtimes. Over 250 pupils represented their forms, and some excellent football was played. We’re already excited for next year and hope to get even more boys and girls playing football. Whilst it wasn’t the football season that everyone had hoped for, there were a lot of success stories, and it was still an excellent year for Grove Football. There is an ever-growing excitement for the 2021-22 season, and I have no doubts that it will be the best season yet.
Mr Barr - Head of Football
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House Reports
never regret attending an event, even if you don’t win, you just have fun with your mates”. I couldn’t agree more.
Atkinson The 2020-21 academic year was a strange one in education indeed. A hint of normality here and there with a smattering of online learning and ‘bubble’ working meant that house events had to adapt accordingly. As a result of this, an eye watering 96 house events took place. Some events transitioned to online only, the majority took place in ‘bubbles’ and some events were individual. This was to take into consideration restrictions and ensure everyone was kept as safe as possible, whilst still being given the opportunity to represent Atkinson House and engage in healthy competition. Restrictions not only affected house events but also assemblies. At this point I would like to say thank you to all Atkinson House staff who played pre-recorded assemblies to their year group bubbles. I hope I made them as engaging as possible! The dedication and sheer adaptability of Atkinson students and staff displayed this year has been incredible. Overall, Atkinson House finished fourth in the standings. However, with a joint second place between Stephenson and Vinter House is it possible for Atkinson to technically claim a podium place?! No position would be possible without the willingness, dedication and enthusiasm of the students who consistently go above and beyond. One element of Atkinson House that I am so proud of is that, at every house event, we consistently have a large number of volunteers; students go out of their way to represent the house and give every event their best shot! A big thank you and well done to every student who took part in House events this year. House events provide an opportunity for students to step outside of their comfort zone, push themselves mentally or physically and try something new; particularly for students lower down the school. I always have and always will encourage as many students to take part in House events for this very reason. It is a crucial role in every student’s Grovian experience. As our Head of House, Lloyd Hudson, stated in his last house assembly, “You
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At this stage I would like to say a very special thank you to the Year 13 students. A cohort of students that have faced challenges like no other year group in history. Hannah, Daniel, Jude, Rizwan, Hashim, Saad, Mustafa, Louis, Jacob and Amy; sincerely thank you for everything you have done for Atkinson House in your time at Woodhouse Grove School. A special mention to the prefect team. In the past seven years Lloyd Hudson and Freddy Clarke have shown unwavering loyalty to Atkinson, consistently volunteered for a large variety of events and always participated with a healthy competitive flare. This year they have also shown fantastic leadership and inspired younger ‘Atkinsonians’ to follow in their footsteps. Since joining Woodhouse later in their academic careers, Emma Cerra and Pablo Benito-Martin have also had an incredibly positive impact on Atkinson House. I have been so very impressed by these students’ willingness to get involved and represent Atkinson. I sincerely hope that all Year 13 Atkinson students leave Woodhouse Grove School with fond memories and I truly wish them all the very best of luck in the future. You will always be welcomed back in a House assembly folks! From the old to the new! 2020-21 saw an incredibly impressive performance by Year 7 ‘Atkinsonians’. This cohort of students finished first in House: cross-country, Masterchef, netball, tennis, Maths Challenge and Enterprise! What an achievement! I am very much looking forward to watching this cohort of students progress and flourish as they make their way up the school. A special mention to Tom Kerfoot who baked the most incredible anti-gravity skittles cake (pictured) for our Masterchef entry. Tom was not only judged first in Atkinson House entries but first throughout the whole school entries. Well done, Tom! The cake is truly a masterpiece!
Miss L Holloway
House Reports
Despite the lack of house swimming and sports day (much to everyone’s dismay), students relished in the opportunity to play mixed football, netball and (new to the event calendar) touch rugby on a number of Saturdays throughout the year. Year 7 and 9 netballers reigned supreme, along with Year 9 rugby players. These events were enjoyed by all who participated, often despite the rain! A big thank you to my fellow House Mistress, Mrs Watmough (Southerns House) for providing House masters and mistresses with bacon sandwiches on the rainy Saturday mornings. It made the process of waking up early on a Saturday just that bit easier. On a positive note, we look forward to welcoming Mr Wenham to Atkinson in 2021/22. On a not so positive note, we say goodbye to Mr Hole who, after 31 years at the Grove and 16 years as Senior Housemaster, is enjoying his well-deserved retirement. Mr Hole has been an incredibly supportive colleague in my time as Atkinson House mistress and I cannot thank him enough for his time and advice. We will miss him enormously. As always, I am proud of every single student who participated in house events this academic year, in whatever capacity, and hope that our Atkinson spirit makes us go for gold next academic year.
Miss L Holloway
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There were many students involved throughout the year in all events, resulting in the following achieving a silver house badge: Adam Bashir, Natalie Flynn, Grace Huntington, Laiqa Hussain, Grace Roy, Phillip Trimby, Ned Waterhouse and Thomas Yeadon. Year 9 Three was the magic number it seemed for Year 9 this year. Third places were won in the rugby and mixed touch rugby, basketball and boys’ cricket; first places were gained in the badminton and the girls’ cricket competitions. Anna Parsons was the top scorer in the ‘Shelfie Competition’; Lexie Cadman and Harry Bates were the first girl and boy back in the cross country.
Findlay It has been an amazing year: strange and yet it has also been a fantastic year of commitment, involvement and endeavour to persevere with house events in new and different formats. As many of the house events took place in year bubbles, each one will be mentioned individually; for those events involving more than one year group, they will be covered separately. Year 7 It is always a pleasure to welcome the new Year 7 pupils into the House and to see them get involved right from the off. Their enthusiasm both in house assembly and participation has been a great joy to witness. They were winners in the mixed basketball, table tennis, and girls’ cricket competitions; second place in netball, and third place in badminton. The whole of the year group took part in the online junior quiz; not so many in the maths one though! Particular congratulations to Matilda Holt who came second in the junior music competition, and to Harry Edwards and Matilda Holt for being the first boy and girl to finish respectively in the cross country event. There were silver house badges awarded to: Aarian Amrat, Jack Eastell, Harry Edwards, Matilda Holt, Heiro James, Prabhekam Kaur, Naomi Musariri, William O’Toole, Ash Poplar, Isabelle Sowerby and Ilaria Walton. Several of these students have already amassed over 12 house points during the year; many congratulations! Year 8 Whilst the Year 8s did not feature in as many top spots as the younger Year 7s, third places were achieved in the table tennis and boys’ cricket competitions. Natalie Flynn was the first girl home in the cross country along with Sam Johnson for the boys; Jude Gordon achieved a creditable top 10 finish as well.
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This year, silver badges were awarded to Sophie Bates, Lexie Cadman, Evie Edgley and Daisy-May Hurford. Gold badges were awarded to Rudy Halliday and Anna Parsons. Year 10 This year group seemed to have really flourished during the year and have become a bit of a powerhouse within the House. First places were recorded in the netball, rugby, basketball, cross country, mixed touch rugby, mixed netball, and boys’ tennis. One of the highlight events for this year group was undoubtedly the cross country. Findlay dominated the first 10 positions: Archie Hurford was 1st, Robbie Higgins 3rd, Rory Henderson 4th, James Edgley 5th, Lola Henderson 9th. It was a very convincing overall win! Silver badges were awarded to Isabel Farrar, Jobe Knapton and Beryl Tao. Many golds were awarded: Summer Anderson, James Edgley, Rufus Halliday, Lola Henderson, Robbie Higgins and Nicola Trimby. Year 11 The best results for Year 11 were the 2nd places in basketball and cross country, along with a 3rd place in the boys’ tennis. Sam Farndon was 3rd in the cross country and Isla Swarbrigg was the first girl across the finishing line. Gold badges were awarded to Megan Barnes, Sam Farndon, Jasmine Wilde and William Wood. Sixth Form Another strong group within the House saw first places in the football, rugby, mixed touch rugby, mixed netball, girls’ tennis, cross country (Will Eastell winner with top 10 placings for George Heptinstall, George Worthington and James Swarbrigg, with great placings for Amaya Ritson
House Reports
and Beth Peet for the girls). Second places were achieved in the table tennis and mixed cricket. Many congratulations to Catriona Cochrane who won the senior music competition! Silver badges were awarded to: Eleanor Armitage, Orson Hall, and George Worthington. Gold badges were awarded to Olivia Eastell, Jessica McCormick and Ben Turpin. In the mixed year group events, where possible, Findlay took first place in the senior quiz and second in the juniors; a first place was achieved in both the seniors and inters Maths Challenge, the juniors in third spot; and two third places in both the juniors (Naomi Musariri, Matilda Holt & Isabelle Sowerby) and inters (Anna Parsons) Enterprise Competition. Bake-off, always a delicious event, saw Findlay come second with Alicia Ayub’s chocolate cake creation. A new event this year was the online ‘World Book Day’ competition where Findlay again ended third. Two members of Findlay House have reached the distinction of 50 House Points: Louis Anderson (Year 13) and Will Eastell (Year 12). Both have demonstrated huge commitment throughout their time to the House. The Michael Allewell Trophy was awarded to Rory Henderson (Year 10) for his commitment and contribution to the House, this year alone gaining 15 house points and earning his gold badge back in the spring of 2019. It has been an extraordinary year! House assemblies recorded on video; events online and in year bubbles. That has not dampened the spirit within the House: it is very strong! It was therefore an absolute delight to be able to announce to the House that Findlay had won the Overall House Trophy for 2021. We were unable to receive it at the final full school assembly of the year; at the beginning of the Autumn Term it was proudly displayed to the whole house at the first full house assembly since before March 2020! Finally, there are many thanks to be noted. Firstly, to all the pupils within the House: without each and every one, this last year would not have been as successful. Whilst the top places and finishers have been highlighted, the whole House needs to be congratulated as everyone has contributed to the overall result, no matter how big or small. My thanks to all the Findlay Tutors whose support and encouragement to each year group bubble ensuring that the assembly ran smoothly, teams were organised and the play button on the recorded video was pressed at the right time - is greatly appreciated!
This year, there have been prefects in all year groups to assist throughout the year: thank you to all of them. Thank you also the senior prefects of Naveena Amrat (Head of House), Olivia Eastell, Zain Memon and James Swarbrigg for all their work not only this year as prefects, but throughout their time within the House. And lastly, my warmest best wishes and good luck to all the Upper Sixth Leavers and also to those others who also depart the Grove at this time.
Mr A Crawford
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determination and positivity all the way up to the final whistle. Our standout football performances came from the juniors and the seniors, both teams securing second place in their rounds. With variable results across all other sporting events taking place throughout the school year, our standout performances were in Year 8 netball, securing second place behind Vinter - well done to Isabel Burnett, Abigail Hickman, Megan Jennings, Tara Khan, Isabella Lindley, Talitha McLeish, Belle Nimmo and Candela Vidal-Barker. Another second place for the Year 12/13 rugby team, behind Vinter once again! Well played, Haris Hussain, Oscar Robinson, Freddie Ziegler, Sam Kildunne, Jamie McDonnell, Damien Muchechetere, Josh Stephenson, and Alex Van Ek.
Southerns Every year, when I reflect on House life, the word ‘eventful’ springs to mind; no year is ever the same. However, what does remain the same each year, is the House spirit, win or lose, it is the thing that I have come to love and cherish the most about being part of a House. Throughout the most recent academic year, with the challenges we have faced, the aspect of school life that has lifted spirits, the thing that has been the saviour for me and I believe for many others, has been our involvement in the wide range of House events. These have included an impressive 95 competitions. From Bake-Off and MasterChef to mixed netball and photography, the variety has been amazing, and I have enjoyed every part of it. We started the year strong, with a whole House excellent performance in the senior, inters and junior quizzes. With over 40 Southerns pupils entering, we were placed second in the senior and inters quizzes and third in the junior quiz. Leading on to one of my most favourite competitions and a recent addition to the events calendar, House MasterChef. I am delighted to report that we had the most entries and scored highly as far as participation was concerned. However, our culinary skills clearly need refining as our dishes were not rated very highly by the judges, but hey, it is the taking part, right? And Eoin Thorpe’s croquembouche was a masterpiece! Sadly, our baking talents in the Bake-Off competition were no better than our cooking skills, although, I am sure this is something that we can only get better at! The atmosphere both on and off the pitch at the football competitions that took place over several Saturday mornings was electric, with varying results across the year groups. It was a pleasure to support and watch our mixed football teams work together and, although we managed to score a home goal in one of our matches, we continued to play with
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Mixed rugby and netball were another two welcome additions to the House events list this year. Clearly the girls had a positive impact as we secured first place in the Year 8 mixed touch rugby competition and second place in the Year 9 round. Well done to Isaac Appleby, Isabel Burnett, Will Gaffney, Alex Horne, Sion Lloyd-Parry, Belle Nimmo, Jamie Roberts and Ike Pullen for working well together as the Year 8 mixed touch rugby team and Jonathan Archer, Will Gray, Finley Hainsworth, Kirsty Muchechetere, Melissa Ng, Matthew Roberts, Joe Slater, Leah Spence, Scarlett Swinney, Jack Tattersall and Mabel Walker for forming a tight Year 9 team. Equally, the addition of the boys to the mixed netball competitions improved our performance as, in the Year 7 and 12/13 competitions, we secured two second places behind Towlson and Findlay. A great Year 7 team effort from Laura Clarke, Thalia Felipe-Scargill, Joseph Gaffney, Sumayah Hanif, Brooke Heppell, Matthew Horne, Sara Hussain, Thomas Jennings, Amba Lutha-Cragg, Theo Pollard, Oliver Stead and William Thornhill - as well as an impressive performance from Georgia Hague, Haris Hussain, Oscar Robinson, Freddie Ziegler, Elli Driver, Joe Kelt, Sam Kildunne, Josh Stephenson, Abi Seib, Holly Marsden, Jamie McDonnell, and Nicole Swinnerton, our superb 12/13 team. However, table tennis seemed to be our thing this year as we secured first place in the Year 9 and 10 tournaments. Well played Matthew Roberts, Leah Spence, Scarlett Swinney, Vinay Toor and Mabel Walker in Year 9 and Mica Bardouille-Lewis, Callum Hyland Dugbo, Alex Johnson and Samir Karroum in Year 10. We also secured second place behind Stephenson in Year 8 cross country, which was a great team effort across the entire year group. Bats of all kinds seem to be the friend of our Year 9s, as we were placed second behind Stephenson in the boys’ cricket competition - thank you and well done to all of the Year 9 boys taking part.
House Reports
One of our House mantras is ‘together we are stronger’ and this certainly was the case when we competed as a whole house team in the Round the Coast Challenge; our steps were counted and collectively we were victorious and secured first place. This was the boost that we needed midway through the year. Leading us to an event that was enjoyed and appreciated by so many; the Photography Competition. It was thanks to the artistic flair of Elli Driver, Holly Marsden, and Nicole Swinnerton that we were placed second in the senior category of this competition. Another new addition to the event calendar was the Christmas Decoration Competition. Amba Luthra-Cragg did us proud as she secured first place with her festive creation. Not only that, Amba also came second place in the Junior Enterprise Competition - she has been a standout member of the house this year and it will come as no surprise that she has been elected as the Junior House Prefect 2021/22 as a reflection of how hard she worked in her first year as a Southern pupil at the Grove. House Music was organised in an unusual way due to social distancing - more challenging for the performers. However, thanks to the musically gifted Nicole Swinnerton, Niamh Armstrong and Amba Luthra-Cragg, we secured second place in the senior event and fourth in the junior round. And so, that is the end of our 2020/21 journey and I will always remember this as a special one. We may have ended in sixth position, otherwise known as last place, but it has been eventful, emotional, eclectic, and electric all at the same time. I would like to extend my thanks and gratitude to our committed and steadfast leaders of the House, Nicole Swinnerton and Josh Stephenson. Although restricted by the COVID bubbles, they worked hard to keep the House energy high and led by example in so many events. They have both been true ambassadors of the House throughout their time at the Grove and they have set a fine example to others over the years. I wish them both all the absolute best for the future, forever with the Southerns spirit in their hearts. Finally, congratulations to Mr Crawford and Findlay House, they were the deserved winners this year. But they and the other houses better watch out; the only way is up for Southerns House, and we are coming to get you!
Miss L Watmough
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introduced multiple new mixed-gender events at the Games. They provided an exciting new competition format and were often unpredictable and thrilling to the end for both competitors and fans. However, at The Grove, we were ahead of the game and introduced these early in the year with mixed football. The mixed football competitions were held in year 7-11 as well as a sixth form competition with Stephenson winning at year 9 and year 11. These competitions were a huge asset to the house system and they helped to embody the equality of male and female sport. The following pupils showed dedication and commitment over the year, to represent the house in a variety of events, earning either silver or gold badges for their efforts. The number of badges awarded is testament to the positive community within the house.
Stephenson
Reflections on the year from Year 12
House appointments Head of House: Will Collinson Deputy Head of House: Will Cockerham Prefects: Molly Teasdale, Ethan McLelland, Adam Khan, Abdullah Ijaz, Sara Vuksanovic Y11 Prefects: Emma Okpala and Sam Binns Y10 Prefects: Sam Vernon and Winnie Offland Y9 Prefects: Maia Robb and Cameron Bojas Y8 Prefects: Ben Vernon and Connie Slater School Council Representatives: Will Collinson, Sam Binns, Annabel Smith. This year, despite the strange and uncertain times, there was still an incredible 95 house events, of which Stephenson won 16 of these; our most wins in my time as Head of House. I think what made the biggest difference this year was regularly having full teams and even having reserves in a lot of competitions. Our Head of House, Will Collinson was an excellent motivator and ambassador for Stephenson, and he played a key role in ensuring teams in the Sixth Form were organised, competitive and always gave their best. There were also some new events added this year, including MasterChef, Shelfie challenge and various mixed events including rugby! Our first places came in the following events: Football Y9, Football Y11, Rugby Y8, Basketball Y11, Table Tennis Y8, Table Tennis Y12+13, Badminton Y11, Badminton Y12+13, Cross-Country Y8, Tennis Y11 Boys, Mixed Tennis Y8, Mixed Tennis Y9, Cricket Boys Y8, Cricket Boys Y9, Cricket Y10 Boys, Cricket Mixed Y12+13. A highlight for me was definitely the introduction of mixed house events. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics last summer, the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
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The last year has been challenging and the house system has had to evolve to face those challenges, it has done so admirably by increasing the amount and variety of events offered including the school’s first mixed gender sports events. New events such as the MasterChef challenge or the Maths challenge have been well received allowing less sporty students a chance to get involved with Stephenson. The Stephenson sixth form did particularly well winning both sixth form rugby and football as well as mixed netball and our mixed year 8 rugby team also took a well-deserved victory. Our Year 9’s won both rugby and netball. The house overall also has the highest number of credits in the Autumn term. The house has overcome the challenges of the past year and has had greater involvement from all members with the house coming in second place and a shot at 1st place. Tom Vernon After a disrupted year I think the house events were more important than ever, bringing everyone together. I think this was done by the mixed house events. There were several mixed house events such as netball, cricket, football, and rugby. These were all done in games afternoons or a Saturday morning and which helped get everyone involved. I especially enjoyed house rugby because it was getting to do something I don’t normally do, and it was also playing with people I don’t normally see.
Miss L Holloway
House Reports
All these events were done in bubbles so the whole of sixth form could get involved. Stephenson did extremely well last year coming second overall and we are now aiming for top place. Lillian Hughes The following pupils showed dedication and commitment over the year, to represent the house in a variety of events, earning either silver or gold badges for their efforts. The number of badges awarded is testament to the positive community within the house. Well done to everyone who was awarded their badge. Year 7: Silver – Archie Wallace, Theo McLelland, Nihal Johal, Jesse Monovis, Evan Morton, Emily Robinson, Ammarrah Malik-Akram Year 8: Silver – Ben Vernon, Isabella Kaye, Lorna Kerr, Oluwatisefunmi Onigbogi, Oliver Goodison, Dara Treanor, James Alcock, Morgan Crew
Year 9: Silver – Cameron Bojas, Daniel Littlejohns, Annabel Smith, Charlotte Collinson, Ishen Parekh, Maia Robb, Musa Malik, Dhilan Patel, Tilly Raj, Eimer Treanor Year 10: Gold - Archie Robinson, Matilda Wilson, Harvey Cheng, Sam Vernon, Emily Greenwood Silver – Winifred Offland, Betty Meek, Finlay Robb, Grace Thirkhill, Sienna Craven, Frankie Green, Jessie Pearson, Kokolo Finn-Hirose Year 11: Gold – Sam Binns, Emma Okpala, Claudia Darren, Aleeza Mogul, Sarmad Anwar, Evie Burns Silver – Lewis Pang, Ed Dixon, Amy Cavaliere, Divit Gupta, Alex Mangin, Freddie Stubbs Sixth Form: Gold – Adam Khan, Will Collinson, Lillian Hughes, Ethan McLelland, Will Cockerham, Tom Vernon, Daniel Cheng Silver – Sam Barlow, Billy Peaker, Will Metcalfe, Bella Lawson, Daniel Kaye, Tim Eichert Mr N Barr
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Not only did we have outdoor sports, but we also had 11 students take part in house Masterchef, 16 in photography, 23 in the Maths Challenge and 39 in the House Quiz. The top quiz scores were Harry Jarvis and Amelia Cooper with 19 out of 20 and Chloe Petch with 17 out of 20. Congratulations should also go to Miranda and Rosalind Bayliss for their House Enterprise entry.
Towlson
It was an unusual start to the Autumn Term, each year group was in their own year group bubble which meant that the usual junior, inters and senior events could not take place and all the activities had to take place online or in the bubble. However, this did not deter the students of Towlson house and some of my fondest memories of being Head of House were made this term. Thanks to the Games Department, the students had lots of opportunity to take part in some new, mixed events. Whatever the weather we all turned out to take part in tag rugby, netball, football and we even had a record turnout for cross country. The highlights would be Year 7 winning the mixed netball, Megan Atkins, Nick Bagshaw, Gracie Boffin, Sam Johnson, Freya McDonald, Isaac Rashid, Harris Turnbull and Summer Tindall, being the winning team. Nick, Gracie, Sam, Isaac and Harris were then joined by Harry Jarvis, Joshua Kendrick and William Wright to win the rugby, with a further addition of Matty Roberts to the winning football team. Year 8 also came first in the mixed rugby and football. Both teams consisted of Maisey Bellwood, Phoebe Roe, Daniel Rutter, Ethan and Zach Taylor and Alyse Warburton with the addition of Thea Hayes and Sarah Rueger for the rugby and Joshua, Max and Thomas Denby, Henry Murphy and Joe Warrington for the football. Not to be outdone by the lower school, we also saw first places in the netball for Year 11 and football for Year 10. Well done, Ruby Hawker, Imogen Idle, Ella Manogue, Aaliya Mian, Molly Richardson, Kian Tennant, Amelia Worrall and Louis Worrall. It was a pleasure to support every single team and watch so many students take part in a sport that they would not normally do. The very fact that each sport was mixed meant that the students learnt new skills from each other and there was an added new dimension to each event. Congratulations should also go to Maisey Bellwood and Tom Steel for their performances in cross country and the winning Year 10 badminton team of Callum Atkins, Gemma-Rose Hellyer Whitworth, Cindy Li and Tom Steel.
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January started in lockdown, so many of the house events this term took place online. Lots of students took part in house music and Bake-Off, as well as Ricky Li, Harris Turnbull, Ethan Taylor, Zach Taylor, Cindy Li and Chloe Petch taking on the Coast-to-Coast Challenge. Alongside this, some of our Year 7 students managed to reach their first set of house colours, Joshua Kendrick and Harris Turnbull reaching 12 house points and getting their silver badges. Year 7 students getting their first set of house colours is always an achievement, but it was even more special because of the unusual circumstances. At the beginning of the Summer Term, every year group bubble was invited to take part in house cricket and tennis during their games lessons, picking up some decent results. We came first in the Year 8 boys' cricket tournament, courtesy of Ethan Taylor, Zain Botosh, Henry Murphy, Oliver Riley-Radcliffe, Daniel Rutter and Zach Taylor, and had 2nd places in Year 7 boys' cricket and tennis and girls' tennis, as well as Year 8 mixed tennis and Year 10 boys' and girls' cricket. Once again, whilst the lower school teams achieved some great results, every student that took part put in an amazing effort. Despite the year groups remaining in bubbles for assemblies throughout the school year, I was still able to keep one Towlson tradition alive, saying farewell to the Year 11 and Year 13 students by digging out their embarrassing school photos and sharing them with the house! The departing Year 13s will always be a special year group to me as they started at the Grove in the year I became Head of House. They were always reliable and would often be the year group I would turn to to support events. Whilst Willem, Ned and Brodie were the Heads of House, they led a fantastic group of students that I will greatly miss. I was also thrilled to award the James Hole trophy for commitment to Towlson House to Amelia Cooper in Year 9, who was given the award for her
Miss L Holloway
House Reports
continued support of the house, despite all the barriers the pandemic put in her way. She was awarded 13 house points this year alone, showing how well deserved the award was and whilst she could not receive it in person due to isolating, I was able to surprise her in the final house assembly of the year, via Microsoft Teams with a little help from her mum. Well done, Amelia! This year has certainly been unusual and, whilst we were unable to rival the eventual winners, Findlay House, what it has shown me more than ever is that sometimes it is not about the winning but the taking part. The new events have been some of my favourite house events and whilst it was great when we won, regardless of this, all the students that took part really enjoyed the events and we all got a real sense of being a team. My ethos in Towlson has always been that it is important that everybody who wants to have a go at something gets the opportunity, even if they have never done it before, and this year more than ever students took me up on that challenge.
Mrs C Spencer
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Y13, but throughout the 7 years within Vinter, they have grown, not just in height, but in confidence and skill, and developed a strong sense of community. I hope all Vintorians know they are always part of the Vinter community and are so greatly missed at the beginning of the new academic year.
Vinter Last academic year threw a curve ball not only at education, but at sporting, extra-curricular and house events alike. The house spirit of Vinter students and staff was never dampened, throughout all online and ‘bubble’ working, and I was blown away by the commitment and resolve on display. We participated in an astonishing 96 house events, and at each event we put forward a full team. The dedication and team spirit shown at all events was always in true Vinter style, something each and every student should feel proud of. These house events took restrictions into consideration and ensured everyone stayed as safe as possible. We saw a range of new events pop up, from House Bake Off to the English ‘Shelfie’ competition, as well as embracing a new mixed-gender approach to sports such as football. This new approach was warmly welcomed, as the Vinter girls thoroughly enjoyed the football games. Assemblies were also affected by the restrictions and Vinter quickly responded by having a variety of recorded, live and ‘bubble’ assemblies. I would like to say a massive thank you to all the students who participated in these assemblies, whether through recorded elements, activities or photographs. Vinter staff did an incredible job keeping the team spirit alive in the ‘bubbles’ and supporting students taking part in the whole range of events. A big thank you to all Vinter staff! Throughout our house assemblies I encourage an inclusive, memorable and thought-provoking experience for all students and staff. I focus on a range of relevant topics which gives students time to respond, engage and discuss. Throughout the year, Vinter students are given opportunities to lead assemblies and test different skills such as public speaking, leadership and group management. I believe giving students these opportunities in a friendly environment adds to the overall Grovian experience. Some Vinter students sadly leave us in
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The ‘How to be more lobster’ assembly saw students engage with the idea of personal growth and growth mindset. Throughout the lobster’s life, they outgrow their shells, and as the stress and pressure builds, the lobster retreats to the sea floor. Here, the lobster sheds the shell and becomes vulnerable whilst the new shell hardens. A week or so later, the lobster emerges stronger and larger than before. We are similar to the lobster - when we feel stress and become overwhelmed, the pressure can build. With Covid and all the restrictions, feeling overwhelmed can be a common feeling for a lot of people. We feel that we want to retreat to a safe place, to escape this sensation. I challenged students to stop and think - where is their safe place that they retreat to? Why? I think most who know me will be able to guess where you can find me when faced with problems or change…the stables! But this is where we must learn from the lobster, and use our safe refuge as a place to build a bigger “shell” of new meaning and new understanding. When we emerge we are stronger. Once expanded, our minds cannot go back to their previous dimensions - just like the lobster. Letting go of limiting beliefs is a little tricky to do, but I wonder if we could be thankful for our problems; they provide opportunities for growth. All of the power we need is within us, we just need to unleash it. So as in my assembly, I challenge everyone to release your inner lobster – shed the shell you’ve built around yourself and open your mind to new possibilities. Students also engaged with a Christmas card assembly which highlighted the benefits of random acts of kindness. Every year thousands of people are homeless, can’t afford a Christmas dinner and some children will receive no Christmas presents. Whilst these are the sad realities we currently live with, it is so important to remember the amazing work charities do, and how you too can get involved. Whilst last year we were restricted and unable to send our cards to the local charities, each student participated in creating a card for a loved one. Creating space to put love into a handmade card helped
House Reports
students take the time to appreciate an act of kindness. This year we hope to be able to extend our acts of kindness to the local community and produce cards for people who may receive none this year. Other examples of assembly reflections are when students spent time developing their understanding of pride whilst building team skills. Each year group worked together to spell PRIDE. We also spent time thinking about our involvement in nature and the idea of building wellbeing through our connection with the ground. We reflected and created a word cloud to bring all our ideas together. We focused on anti-bullying and developing an inclusive community. We reflected upon supporting others and realising we are all awesome.
Vinter leadership team 2020 – 2021
Heads of House Harriet Green Sam Myers
Deputy Heads of House Josh McCann Charlotte Hartley
Whilst reflecting upon the last academic year, my thoughts turn to our incredible leadership team. This was one of the toughest years for students to take on such a role. Harriet and Sam did so with determination, ambition and Vinter spirit. They managed to inspire, support and encourage all year groups and I was amazed by their hard work. Sam and all students engaged in house music, took to the challenge of a slightly different competition with flair and drive. Harriet put time into encouraging the sports teams to weave together in team spirit and put their best group foot forward at each event. Both Josh and Charlotte were on hand to support and encourage alongside. A huge thank you to this team, you not only did Vinter proud but you led through challenging times. This experience has helped build resilience and adds to your skill set which you can take forward to any path within life you choose to follow. Seniors had an exceptional year, winning; basketball, table tennis, cross-country, mixed rugby and cricket. Such large numbers of participants meant these became competitive games with strong leaders across Year 11, Year 12 and Year 13. Thank you to all students for such excellent team spirit and participation. Farai Kavuru making a notable 15 point increase of house points, becoming the most point-scoring senior student of the year! Year 12 hot on the heels, with strong leaders Finlay Sheard, Jake McFarlin and Charlie Plein all scoring impressing participation points. Whilst Year 11 Chloe Cater, Olivia Speed and Evie Hamer all stepped up to lead, participate and win many of the events.
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Inters had wins in rugby, mixed netball and cricket. With huge numbers participating, they all created a strong community feeling and sense of support. Abi Lewis, Lena Plein and Philip Wright worked hard throughout the year to achieve impressive house points and lead the way with the top scores. Juniors had a very successful year in both participating and winning events such as netball, rugby, basketball, badminton, tennis, music and cricket. Junior prefects Scarlett Williams, Pippa Green and Jenny Ingham did an outstanding job of encouraging, organising and leading inters throughout the year. The Year 7s’ participation was out of this world, accumulating 131 points between them. They made sure that the juniors were represented with pride, determination and team spirt at each event. Thank you to all students who participated and to those who supported. Whilst many sports have been named, and sporting activities are a large force within house events, I would like to turn attention to the academic events. These are not separated into junior, inters and senior but include everyone, and became the largest team events of the year. Vinter did extraordinarily well to win house Bake-Off, both judged and number of participants, World Book Day and all three end of term credit scores. Each student is awarded credits within lessons for good work, attention to detail, engagement, and attitude towards learning. At the end of each term, the credits are added together and form the termly credit competition. This is something every single student within Vinter can be proud of participating within, each day, each lesson and each piece of work adds towards these amazing achievements. I am very proud of every student and the attitude towards both their academic studies as well as sporting. At the end of last academic year, we said goodbye to the incredible Mr Hole, a pillar of our house system. After 16 years as Senior Housemaster within the overall 31 years at the Grove, I can say on behalf of all of Vinter how much he will be missed. His organisation, enthusiasm and caring personality was always valued at each house event. The house cannot thank him enough for all that he did. After another outstanding year, I hope students will take the credit they deserve for putting so much energy, enthusiasm and dedication into the house events. Vinter continues to be inclusive, supportive and community-oriented in all that we do. Thank you so much to all students who participated in any area of house this year, and I am looking forward to the new challenges of next year! GO VINTER!
Miss L Follos
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House Reports
The Grovian I am the very best2021 of me... I am every teacher who has inspired me. I am every lesson that has opened my eyes. I am every maths problem I have solved. I am every book that has captivated me. I am every science experiment that has surprised me. I am every sports tour that has motivated me. I am every drama class that has transformed me. I am more than just academic. I am everything I want to be. I am prepared. I am gracious and generous. I am resourceful and resilient. I am ambitious and committed. I am understood. I am my unlocked potential. I am an individual, yet I am part of something incredible.
I am Grovian.
The Grovian 2021
woodhousegrove.co.uk