COLFEIAN 2012 The Chronicles of Colfe’s School and of the Old Colfeians
Editor: Mr S P Varley
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Colfeian 2012
Contents
Contents SENIOR SCHOOL
3
PREP SCHOOL
126
Colfe’s School Board of Governors
3
Headmaster’s Welcome & Staff News
126
Senior School Staff 2012
4
Preparatory School Staff
127
Staff Comings and Goings
6
Charities Report
128
School Entry
7
Academic Topics
130
View from the Bridge
10
Performances 135
Colfe’s Sermon
11
Sport
138
Gambia Report
12
Charities Report
16
PRE-PREP AND NURSERY
145
Academic Report
20
Pre-Prep and Nursery Staff
145
Sixth Form Report
22
A Year in the Life
146
Valete 24 Careers Report
26
Hamp Library Report
28
Maths 31 English 35 Science 42 History
47
Geography 51 Economics 53 Modern Foreign Languages
54
Classics 58 Religious Studies & Philosophy
62
Psychology 63 Drama
64
Music
75
Art
78
Design Technology
84
Sport
86
CCF 113 Outdoor Education
120
House System
124
SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT 151 PAFA 156 OLD COLFEIANS 157
Colfe’s School Board of Governors
Colfe’s School Board of Governors Visitor: HRH Prince Michael of Kent
Board of Governors Ex Officio The Master of the Leathersellers’ Company Miles Emley Appointed by the Foundation Trustee Ian A Russell MBE (Chairman) Serena Cheng MA LLB Gregory Jones QC Sir John Garnar Newton, Bt Simon W Polito MA LLB Nigel R Pullman JP Andrew B Strong BSc Anthony C L Thornton QC Sean Williams MA (Oxon), MPA (Harvard) Appointed by the University of Oxford Dr Angela Brueggemann DPhil Appointed by the University of Cambridge Dr Sara Owen DPhil The Vicar of Lewisham The Reverend Scott Anderson Co-optative Directors (Appointed by Colfe’s) Peter J Winter MA John Guyatt MA (Oxon)
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Senior School Staff 2012
Senior School Staff 2012 SMT Headmaster Mr R Russell MA (Cantab) Deputy Head (Academic) Ms C Butler MA (Oxon) Deputy Head (Pastoral) Mrs A Cobbin BA (Hons), Dip Ed, NPQH Deputy Head (Administrative) Mr J King BSc (Hons), MA Director of Sixth Form Mr S Drury BA (Hons), MA Head of Prep School Mr J Gallagher BA (Hons), MBA Bursar Mrs J Lerbech MA (Cantab), MSci, CA Senior Staff Co-ordinator of Academic Planning Mr A Pearson BSc (Hons) Director of Admissions Mrs J German BA (Hons) Executive Assistant to Headmaster Mrs A Salmon CSBM Art Miss S Beetlestone BA (Hons), MA Graphics Co-Ordinator Mrs J Burton BA (Hons) Mr S Zivanovic BA (Hons) Biology Mr C Morriss BSc (Hons) Mr N Crowe BEd, MA Dr B Davies MA(Cantab), PhD Dr J Lea PhD, BSc (Hons) Mrs E Lyons BEd (Hons) Dr E Nicholls BSc (Hons), PhD Chemistry Mr J Worley BSc (Hons), DIS Mr R Hazard BSc (Hons) Miss L Mellor BSc (Hons) Ms L Murphy BEd (Hons) Classics Mr A Corstorphine MA (Cantab), MPhil Ms C Butler MA (Oxon) Miss N Harris MA (Cantab) Mr R Russell MA (Cantab) Design & Technology Miss C Humphries BA (Hons) Mr D S Smith BEd, MA Miss C Quinton BA (Hons) Drama Mrs J Vander Gucht BA (Hons) Mrs R Medhurst MA (Cantab) Mr G Stewart BA (Hons)
Heads of Year Director of Sixth Form (Year 12) Mr S Drury BA (Hons), MA Assistant Head of Sixth Form (Academic) Dr R Thompson PhD, MMus, LGSM Assistant Head of Sixth Form Miss E Taylor BA (Hons) Head of Year 11 Mr C Morriss BSc (Hons) Head of Year 10 Mrs J Vander Gucht BA (Hons) Head of Year 9 Mrs A Chapman BA (Hons) Head of Year 8 Miss L Lechmere BA (Hons) Head of Year 7 Mrs R Medhurst MA (Cantab) Senior House Tutor Mrs E Cordell BSc (Hons)
Economics & Business Studies Mr R Otley BA (Hons) Mr S Drury BA (Hons), MA Mr J King BSc (Hons), MA Miss S Price BA (Hons), MSc English Dr R Thompson PhD, MMus, LGSM Miss N Cadwallander MA (Cantab) Mrs A Cobbin BA (Hons), Dip Ed, NPQH Miss H Dawson MA (Oxon) Mr C Dunsmore MA (Oxon), G.Dip Law Mrs E Karavidas BA (Hons), MA Mr J Smith BA (Hons) General Studies Mr C Foxall BA (Hons) Geography Mr O Snell BSc (Hons), MSc Miss J Lawton BSc (Hons) Mrs F McAuliffe BSc (Hons) Mr A Newell BSc (Hons) Miss E Taylor BA (Hons) History Mr A Foster MA (Cantab) Miss L Lechmere BA(Hons) Mr J Patterson BA (Hons) Mr S Varley BA (Hons), MA ICT Mr C Smith BSc
Learning Support Mrs P Turrent OCR Dip (SpLD) Mathematics Mrs O Hamidzadeh BSc (Hons) Miss H Ball (mat leave) BSc (Hons) Dr C Craciun BSc (Hons), MA, PhD Mrs E Cordell BSc (Hons) Mr E landamore MM Mr A Pearson BSc (Hons) Mr B Portwin MEng Mrs C Stokes BEd, BSc (Hons) Mrs J Toms (mat leave) BSc (Hons) Dr U Vijapura PhD Media Studies Mr C Foxall BA (Hons) Miss H Dawson MA (Oxon) Mrs J Li-Sue BA (Hons) Film & Photographic Arts, Dip. NFTS Modern Foreign Languages Head of MFL Mrs E Biggs BSc (Hons), MA French Ms S Kuehl BA (Hons) German Mr M Koutsakis MA Spanish Mr A Seddon BA (Hons), MIL Mrs A Chapman BA (Hons) Miss F Deutsch SE Dr H Laurenson BA (Hons), MA, Ph.D Mrs J German BA (Hons)
Senior School Staff 2012
Music Miss K Collinson MA (Cantab) Mrs M Metherell BA (Hons) Mr A Harper (Head of Strings) Bmus (Hons), LTCL Outdoor Education Major C Cherry BSc (Hons) Director of Sport Mrs N Rayes BEd (Hons), EMBA Physical Education Mr N Miller BSc (Hons) Miss R Hargrave BEd (Hons) Mr A Bateson BA (Hons) Mr A Brooker (Old Colfeian Liaison Officer) DLC Major C Cherry BSc (Hons) Mrs E Cordell BSc (Hons) Miss S Holder Mrs J Pearson BSc (Hons) Physics Mrs B Durkin BSc (Hons) Mr P Cummins BSc (Hons) Mr J Fishwick BSc (Hons) Mr M Hillmer BSME MS Politics Mr S Drury BA (Hons), MA Mr R Otley BA (Hons) Psychology Mr N Crowe BEd, MA Dr J Lea PhD, BSc (Hons) Religious Studies & Philosophy Mr J Chuter MA Miss E Henderson BA (Hons) Mrs M Metherell BA (Hons) Science Mr P Cummins (Head of Science) BSc (Hons) Active Citizenship Mrs E Cordell BSc (Hons) Specialist Areas NQT & GTP mentor Mrs S O’Leary BSc (Hons) Counsellor Mrs K Kashif BEd (Hons), MA, BACP, UKCP Exams Officer Mr A Newell BSc (Hons) Librarian & Careers Mrs J Cardnell BA, Dip Lib, MCLIP, Cert CEG Library Assistant Mrs S Marshall School Nurse Mrs E Strafford RN
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Bursarial Staff Bursar Mrs J Lerbech MA (Cantab), MSci, CA Facilities Manager Mr D Hudson BSc, FRICS, IRRV, MBIFM Assistant Bursar Miss C Chapman BA (Hons), ACCA Bursary Mrs C Mehegan Development Office Mrs F Ozmus BA (Hons) Bursary Mrs A Ross MA
Network Technician Mr I Bassett
Secretarial Support Executive Assistant to the Headmaster Mrs A Salmon CSBM Registration Secretary Mrs S Walker BA (Hons) Bursar’s Secretary Mrs M Parker Office Manager/Sims Mrs L Parry Administration Officer Mrs S Downie Administration Officer Ms P Keogh BSc (Hons) Technicians Art Technicians Mr B Ingram Miss D Addison Chemistry Technician Mrs C Lister D & T Technician Mr D Morrissey Jun Science Technician Mrs J Kalaravy BSc (Hons) Media/Marketing Technician Mrs T Whitham BA (Hons) Physics Technician Mrs J Greenshields BSc (Hons) CBiol MSB Reprographics Mr J Carter Senior Technician Biology Mrs J De Bolla HNC Drama Technician Miss A Kerstein
Premises Staff Premises Manager Mr P Taylor Deputy Premises Manager Mr J Trice Maintenance Manager Mr E Morris Maintenance Mr H Frost Schoolkeeper Mr A Hammett Schoolkeeper Mr J Hammett Maintenance Mr K Sweeney Schoolkeeper Mr I Whitlock
ICT Director of ICT Mr C Smith BSc Data Manager Mrs L Bainbridge Network Manager Mr A Ewles BSc (Hons)
School Shop Mr. G Clinton (Master ic Cricket) I.B Mrs M Jones Swimming Mrs J Pearson Combined Cadet Force Major C Cherry BSc (Hons) WO2 T Coyle Catering Mr G Renfrew
Grounds Staff Head Groundsman Mr. B Atkins Groundsman Mr S Bullen Groundsman Mr B King Groundsman Mr P Reed Leisure Centre Mrs D Eaton
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Staff Comings and Goings
Staff Comings and Goings Chris Stringfellow left Colfe’s after 25 years of distinguished service. He performed many roles in the Preparatory School most notably as Head of Music and also Information Technology. He will be greatly missed by his colleagues and by pupils fortunate enough to have been taught by him. Chris will continue as Organist at St Mary’s Church, Lewisham. Another retirement from Colfe’s was that of Mrs Lyn Murphy who taught Chemistry and coached Girls’ Games for 13 years. We shall miss her expert tutoring of middle school pupils and her dedicated leadership of the Staff Common Room in her role as Chair. Dr Barney Davies moved on to be Head of Biology at Brighton College after three years teaching at Colfe’s. We are also grateful to him for his enthusiastic football coaching and for helping to organise the expedition to Honduras last summer. Laura Mellor moved on from her Chemistry teaching position at Colfe’s to take charge of Key Stage 4 Science at a school in Birmingham. Laura helped with Games and was very active in the Outdoor Education Department
in her three years at Colfe’s. We shall also miss her lunchtime “sock” club!
coaching, particularly of hockey and football.
Emma Taylor left her position in the Geography Department after five years and, most recently, as Assistant Director of Sixth Form to take a full time Master’s degree at the LSE. Emma coached a number of sports teams and helped out on Outdoor Pursuits and Duke of Edinburgh Award training and expeditions. Indeed, she qualified as a D of E assessor in her time at Colfe’s. Miss Helen Ball decided not to return from maternity leave as Head of Mathematics following the birth of her daughter. Both teachers will be greatly missed for their excellent teaching and warm personalities. We also said a temporary farewell to Assistant Director of Music Mel Metherell who has started her maternity leave. We thank Andrew Harper for all his hard work as Head of Strings in the Music Department for the past 12 years and wish him well for the future. Benji Portman left teaching to take up a position in the City of London. We thank him for his excellent teaching and top sports
At the beginning of this academic year, we welcome Oliver Peatman to the Classics Department, DeLarry Sawyer and Matt Stamp to the Chemistry and Biology Departments, Abigail Wilshire to the Geography Department and Joanna Chase who arrives at Colfe’s from Wilson’s School to take up the reins as Head of Mathematics. They will all be excellent contributors to our sport and other extra-curricular activities programme. We also welcome back Flo McAuliffe to the Geography Department after maternity leave, Lizzie Harris to the Modern Languages Department, Paul Gobey to cover the maternity leave in the Music Department and Sara Kavanagh to Biology. In addition, Gary Sycamore joins the permanent staff to teach Music Technology at A level in the Sixth Form after many years of teaching the drums to Colfeians. Mr J King (Deputy Head, Administration)
Mr E Landamore, Mr G Stewart, Miss J Lawton, Miss E Henderson, Miss F Deutch and Mr B Portwin
School Entry
Colfeian 2012
School Entry We would like to welcome all of the pupils joining Colfe’s this year, from those joining the Pre-Prep through to our Sixth Form. By the time you read this, the Year 7s will have spent their first few weeks at the senior school and enjoyed their Outdoor Pursuits trip to the Lake District. This activity, organised by Major Cherry, is the highlight of the autumn term and a great opportunity to establish new friendships. Open events this term begin with a Whole School
Open Morning on Saturday 29th September from 9am—12pm followed by the Sixth Form Open Evening on Thursday 11th October, 5.30pm—8.30pm. These provide an opportunity for all parents, existing and prospective, to view the school and its facilities. Old Colfeians and the wider community are also welcome to attend and you can register your attendance in advance on our Admissions page on the school website.
We look forward once again to another productive and enjoyable year.
Jane German Director of Admissions Sarah Walker Registration Secretary
Entrants Throughout 2011/2012 Surname Bayo-Olaiya Blythe Blythe De Vincentiis Hoggard Nichols Osgood Richardson Richardson Stephenson Syed-Mohammed
Forename Year Adeoye Year 3 Frank Year 5 Ruby Year 2 Marco Year 4 Esme Year 9 Aimee Year 10 Xanthe Reception Ella Year 3 Louis Year 4 Francesca Year 4 Amara Year 4
School Farringtons School Harrison Elementary, New York Harrison Elementary, New York Riverhouse Montessori Farringtons School Newstead Wood Lee Manor School Heath House Prep School St Winifred’s Catholic Junior School Scott’s Park Primary School Brindishe Green Primary School
Entrants September 2012 Nursery
Reception
Karina Ashton Imogen Bateman Connie Biggs Isabella Bromley Rebecca Collett Grace Dunsmore James Frappell Nathanael Gibb Amelia Huggett Nathan Jarvis Nicolas Jarvis George Kirby Joseph Louth Alexandra Mueller Olivia Murphy Owen Newton Thomas Reczek Emlyn Tonge Arthur Welch Douglas White Amelie Willis
Shrey Arora Lucy Chamberlain Alexander Edwards Myles Gray Amy Hannon Noemie Klanga Sarvesh Kumar Syrus Mayne Luca McDonagh Sara Montes-Cooper Emily Parry Samir Patel Syun Patel Ethan Platt Isla Robertson Bowie Tsang Freya Worley Ailun Zhou
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Colfeian 2012
School Entry
Leo
Sutton
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
The British International
Robert
Wallace
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
School of New York
Thomas Wooderson
Antonin Eude
Pointer School
Year 1 Alfie
Boulton-Fay
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Year 4 Year 2
Fiona
Froggett
Heath House Prep Sherborne, Qatar
Aurelia
Branson
Blackheath High Junior
Lucy
Gardiner
Polly
Chamberlain
John Ball
Patrick
Korsgaard Jensen River House Montessori
Maxim
Mueller
Riverston School
Ria
Patel
River House Montessori
Myra
Sah
Blackheath High Junior Bowne
Fairley House
Year 5 Ben
Year 3 Ida Greta Aarum
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Federico Ferrara
St Winifreds Catholic
Saif
Ahmad
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Junior School
Joseph
Bateman
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Killian
Gerard
John Ball
Charlotte Brinsmead
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
William
Sabri
Edmund Waller Primary
Rosie
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Carey
Matthew Chapman
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Year 6
Matthew Chisholm
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Harry
Gardiner
Sherborne, Qatar
Sahil
Chitre
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Lily
Rayner
Repton School, Dubai
Rupert
Cleverly
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Mia
Connell
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Year 7
Benjamin Curtis
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Riley
Adams
St James CE
Matteo
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Maia
Albarosa
Colfe’s Prep
Amelina Eude
Pointer
James
Back-Wilkins
Colfe’s Prep
Jake
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Raoul
Banerjea
Colfe’s Prep
Charlotte Froggett
Heath House Prep
Samuel
Barnett
Colfe’s Prep
Noah
Gerard
John Ball
Ethan
Benson
Eliot Bank
Edward
Honeyman
Chislehurst (St Nicholas)
Owen
Brown
James Wolfe
CE Primary
Jessica
Cannell
All Saints CE
Jack
Kelly
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Nikolas
Charalambous
Merton Court Prep
Ameika
Koko
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Meg Charnley
Crofton
Edith
Lee
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Rohan
Chaturvedi
Colfe’s Prep
Isabella Louth
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Jack
Cheeseman
Colfe’s Prep
Matthew Maifredi
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Hari Chhabra
Halstow
Tilly
Manuel
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Oliver
Breaside Prep
Olivia
McAuliffe
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Charlotte Cooper
Merton Court Prep
Damir
McElfresh
Colfe’s Prep
George Cummings
St Olaves Prep
Gabriel
Murphy Thomas
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Alfie
Cunningham
Our Lady of The Rosary RC
Evan
Olding
Baring Primary School
Kush
Datta
Colfe’s Prep
Alexios
Philalithis
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Edmund Dhanowa
St Olaves Prep
Ruby
Rayner
Repton School, Dubai
Amber
Dirrane
Colfe’s Prep
Jacques Sabri
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Saul
Dodds
Myatt Garden
Joezinho Savage
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Patrick
Dunbar
Colfe’s Prep
Jasmine Shaw
Babington House
Ololade Fakoya
St Mary Magdalen CE
Cooper
St John Brown
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Gabriel
Foley
Colfe’s Prep
Ajan
Surenthran
Colfe’s Pre-Prep & Nursery
Sienna
Fox White
All Saints CE
De Vincentiis Evans
Coates
School Entry
Max
Gaskin
Colfeian 2012
Holy Trinity CE
Alfie
Tafur
Blackheath Prep
Thomas Graham
St Stephens CE
Honor
Tennant
St Pauls Cathedral
Jack Griffiths
Brindishe
Charlotte Tilley
Colfe’s Prep
Tabitha
Colfe’s Prep
Peter Tsirushkin
Halstow
Georga Halloumas
Brooklands
Matthew Walker
Blackheath Prep
Bea
Hembrough
Joydenswood Junior
Nicholas Watts
Colfe’s Prep
Leo
Holder
Blackheath Prep
Thomas Williams
Blackheath Prep
Matthew Hudson
Colfe’s Prep
Joshua
Winters
All Saints CE
Harvie
Johnson
Horn Park
James
Wisher
Blackheath Prep
Don
Kasindi
Colfe’s Prep
Connor Withers
St Paulinus CE
Sophie
Kingham
Brindishe Green
Johnny
Colfe’s Prep
Simone
Korsgaard Jensen River House Montessori
George Woolhouse
British School Tokyo
Leon
Lambert
Colfe’s Prep
Jed
Wylie
Merton Court Prep
Harry
Ledger
Colfe’s Prep
Alfie
Young
St Stephens CE
Jack
Lyons
Colfe’s Prep
Oliver
May
Eltham CE
Year 8
Emily
Melville-Sims
Gordonbrock Road
Max
Benford
Escola internacional do
Isobel
Merriman
All Saints CE
Brooke
Micklewhite
Merton Court Prep
Gurr
Woodhouse
Algarve
Eddy Miles
Dalmain
Year 9
Eloise
Millar
Colfe’s Prep
Matthew Corpe
St Michael’s Prep
Evie
Montague
Colfe’s Prep
Victor
Galton
North Bridge House Senior
Alexander Ocana
Heath House Prep
Angus
Gao
Moreton Hall Prep
Luke
Colfe’s Prep
Brendan Parker
Okosieme
Royal Russell Senior
Oladayo Olabinjo
St Winifreds Catholic
Junior School
Year 10
Morgan Omorojor
St James the Great
George Benford
Escola internacional do
Zachariah Oputu
St Winifreds Catholic
Algarve
TJ
Orugbo
Warren Road
Samuel
London Nautical School
Esme
Papa
Colfe’s Prep
Jamieson
Jugal Patel
Tidemill
Lower Sixth
Rohan
Clare House
Catherine Brindley
Bromley High School
Imogen Porter
Pointer
GPDST
Daisy
Robinson-Jones
Crook Log
David
Ekwere
St Dunstans College
Louis
Robson
Colfe’s Prep
Jessica
Farrow
Bromley High School
Henry
Rockall
Colfe’s Prep
GPDST
Sophie
Russo
Colfe’s Prep
Bemi
Gbadebo
Conisborough College
Luca
Santarossa
Colfe’s Prep
Joseph
Mafe
Conisborough College
Kartik Sawhney
Gatehouse
Sufyan
Mukhtar
Eltham College
Daniel
Sayer
Colfe’s Prep
Sara
Stevanovska
Sedgehill School
Tom
Simpson
Colfe’s Prep
George Taylor
Kemnal Technology
Emanuele Spaczil
St Winifreds Catholic
College
Nathaniel St Louis-Mason
St Dunstans College
Alexander Winter
Bradfield College
Tara Stafford
Halstow
Keelan
Colfe’s Prep
Patel
Swords
Nicholas Sydorowitz
Alfred Salter
Charlie
St Olaves Prep
Symons
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Colfeian 2012
View From The Bridge
View from the Bridge We have been privileged to witness a tremendous range of outstanding achievement in the course of another highly successful year in the life of the school. As will be apparent in the pages which follow, our pupils of all ages have excelled in all aspects of school activity.
in a strong position to excel in the Sixth form and beyond. GCSE maths and science results were particularly strong, serving to emphasise our academic strength in the core of the academic curriculum. Girls outperformed boys in terms of top grades at both GCSE and A level.
August brought good news. The A*/A percentage was well up on last year and more than 50% of our departing U6th pupils gained places at elite Russell Group universities. It was an equal pleasure to hear that two of our top artists had won places at prestigious colleges (Glasgow and The Slade) and that one of our musicians had been accepted by The Guildhall. For the second year running, we had four successful Oxbridge candidates, all for highdemand courses: Law, English, Natural Sciences and Architecture. Most importantly, three quarters of our pupils gained a place at their first-choice university this year. GCSE results were also outstanding with a high proportion of our pupils gaining all A*/A grades, an achievement which will put them
We had an abundance of individual success stories in school sport this year with Tom Chapman playing regularly for the England U18 rugby team in the scrum half position, notably in the Six Nations competition specific to his age group. Matt Gallagher is also establishing himself on the rugby scene, playing regularly for London Saracens in his age group. Millie Bach was competing at the international level in the triathlon until she fractured her leg in Portugal this summer and Matthew Stiddard consolidated his position as the Surrey wicket-keeper in his age group. The Drama department’s production of Sophocles’ Antigone was the first Greek Tragedy that we have
staged in recent years and it was a resounding success, as was the house drama competition in the following term, the latter involving at least 200 senior school pupils. Colfe’s pupils travelled to Germany, Spain, France, Greece, Italy and Honduras and our star debaters qualified for the national final of the prestigious English Speaking union debating competition. Once again, we sent a working party of pupils to the Kotu School in the Gambia during the autumn half term. The mutual benefit of this important partnership grows deeper each year. Closer to home, we were delighted to see our partner school in Lewisham, Conisborough College, maintain its upward academic trajectory and to welcome two new Conisborough Scholars into the Colfe’s Sixth Form. Boys and girls of all ages continue to set their sights high in every sense, as will doubtless be evident in the pages which follow. Mr R Russell (Headmaster)
Colfe’s Sermon
Colfeian 2012
Colfe’s Sermon Although I retired from full time teaching at Colfe’s in 2010, it has been a great pleasure to remain directly connected with the school through some part-time teaching and by continuing to act as Honorary Chaplain when the occasion arises. Such an occasion was the Colfe Sermon this year. With St Mary’s, Lewisham, once again experiencing an interregnum, I was invited to conduct the service in June. We followed the format that has been established over the years for this Founder’s Day Service with its balance of word, music and prayer. The two lessons were read by the Master of the Leathersellers’ Company and the Headmaster respectively; and it was a particular pleasure for me to share the service with Revd Christopher Strong, the Honorary Chaplain of the Company, who again led the intercessions in his characteristically thoughtful style. As ever the music did not disappoint. It is not just that the hymns are well sung on this occasion; it is also the impressive quality, and often beauty, of the anthems that our school choirs produce for this service. Like everyone in the church, I was especially moved by the performance of ‘The Grail Prayer’ by the choir and instrumentalists from the Prep School. As our
preacher pointed out, they held our attention so well that we were on the verge of applauding them at the end. Perhaps we should have done so, as has sometimes happened in previous years. It was characteristic of Peter Hullah, our preacher this year, to make the pupils the focus of his opening remarks. Peter has had a long and distinguished career in both the Anglican Church and in education and he was ideally suited to preach this sermon. His congratulations to the Prep School musicians were impromptu but his prepared text indicated his sympathy for the pupils who were required by Abraham Colfe to give up a Sunday morning to listen to someone like himself. Nevertheless, Peter had a serious challenge: to think about the big questions implied in the two mottos associated with the school and the Leathersellers’ Company. Ad astra per aspera—how can the idea of reaching the stars without overcoming difficulties resonate with us in the twenty-first century? Soli Deo honor et gratias—how can we give honour to God in a way that satisfies our intellectual and emotional development? Peter suggested three pointers to help us make the right connections. First,
Peter Hullah flanked by Year 7 “gargoyles”
we should think globally. We should look out as far as we can see but be prepared to grapple with the challenges we find, especially in taking responsibility for looking after our planet. Secondly, we should act locally. This means finding the best in ourselves and in others and living in a way that pays respect to all. The energy that makes this possible comes from the sort of generosity shown by the Leathersellers in turning ideals into reality. Thirdly, we should seek for the strength that is found in broken places. This idea not only describes the world view of Christianity but is an accurate account of any number of personal experiences where strength has emerged from the most unlikely situations. Two Latin mottos were transformed into an impressive restatement of fundamental humanitarian and Christian beliefs. This was a clearly structured sermon that did not duck difficult issues but handled them in a relevant and often vivid way. It was testament to Abraham Colfe’s wisdom in expecting his pupils of any generation to give up a Sunday morning just once a year to think about the big questions of life. Revd Tony Collier (Honorary School Chaplain)
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Colfeian 2012
Gambia Report
Gambia Report
THE GAMBIA TEAM
This year’s Gambia team included: Jacob Bullard, Fraser Burnand, James Harjette, Charlie Mee, Alfie Montague, Simon Everett, Alex Hart, Jack Pulley-Dumonde, Joseph Ives, James King, Jennifer Dearsley, Sophia Debney, Zora Harris, Morgan Macgregor, Isabel Marshall, Jessica Maxwell, Rochelle Mckay-Pryce, Katie Pearlgood, Georgina Renny, Millie Rowlands, Harriett Verges, Mr A. Bateson, Miss E. Bunn, Mrs A. Cobbin, Dr B. Davies, Mr A. Foster, Mrs O. Hamidzadeh, Miss L. Lechmere, Mr J. Patterson, Miss E. Taylor, Dr & Mrs Thompson.
Gambia Report
At the start of our partnership with Kotu Senior Secondary School the Principal and Governors set out a long-term plan for the developments they hoped to see over a period of years. Some of these involved an ongoing programme of minor improvements, unspectacular in themselves but progressively enhancing the efficiency and attractiveness of the school, such as classroom refurbishment; other relatively small-scale, selfcontained projects, like new toilets, the Domestic Science block and the sports surface, were considered urgent by all concerned, so that the only point of discussion was the order in which they were to be completed. The third category was that of really major buildings requiring more than a single year’s fundraising on our part and, therefore, commitment at the outset to a project for which we did not necessarily have the cash in the bank. From our point of view, buildings of this kind are highly problematical. An important aspect of our fundraising is the fact that pupils are raising money to pay for work they are actually going to be involved with themselves, but the final stages of any project have to be left to skilled local craftsmen and the Colfe al-Hassan Library (for example) required several thousand pounds for welding, plastering, tiling and wiring which we could only admire from a distance; the bigger the project, the higher the proportion of work we cannot help with directly. Secondly, major structures inevitably take time to finish, and anything left substantially incomplete at the start of the rainy season is highly vulnerable; not far from Kotu are the ghostly remains of a large hotel abandoned because the money ran out, and by local standards the amount spent on it to no purpose must have been an absolute fortune. Major projects therefore have to be planned in two stages, with guaranteed completion of the first in a relatively short time: the initial objective, requiring to be met during the six months when there will not be any rain, is to finish the
Colfeian 2012
shell of the building so that it is weatherproof, secure and capable of being used for a useful purpose even though it does not look very good, while the second, the completion of fitting out and decorating, can be phased over a period of time without any consequences beyond inconvenience. All this is essentially a preamble to explaining what we did on our visit to The Gambia in the Autumn half term of 2011. The project currently in hand is the construction of an assembly hall large enough to accommodate all of Kotu’s pupils, a number now approaching 1000, and to provide space both for public performances and lectures and for conducting examinations. A much bigger building than the library, the new hall naturally does not have the central wall which in the library both separates the boys’ and girls’ sides and holds up the roof, and the hall roof is therefore supported on full-width trusses of truly spectacular dimensions. At the time of our visit, however, this excitement lay some way in the future, our main practical role involving mixing and barrowing concrete for the sub-floor and ferrying seemingly endless quantities of bricks to different areas. By the time we left the builders had raised the walls far enough to give an impression of the full ambition of the project, and while we did not on this occasion have the satisfaction of seeing something substantially finished before we came home, there was an equal satisfaction in having contributed to the making of what must be the largest structure built by traditional methods for miles around. Several of the pictures in this article show its development over the past few months from the outline of its foundations to a reasonably complete and usable school hall. Because of this project’s scale it was the first since the library in 2004 to have an official ceremony for the laying of the foundation stone, which was performed by a senior official from the Education Ministry. Anyone unfamiliar with The Gambia might have been surprised that the ‘senior official’ was not only a woman but
also quite young, underlining the fact that The Gambia is both a country with a predominantly youthful population and one which seems to be successfully adapting traditional culture for the modern world. While the roles of men and women in local society were, and in many ways still are, clearly demarcated, women traditionally possessed both status and authority, a point underlined by our guide at the Tanji Village Museum; in the Women’s Hut, he told us, the headman’s wives would decide what was going to happen inside the village compound ‘and he would just have to accept it’, despite his unquestioned authority outside its boundaries. A similar message was conveyed by a fascinating entertainment devised for us by the school students in which they presented the idiosyncrasies of each of the five or so tribes that make up the Gambian population. Perhaps the finest achievement of the modern Gambia is its success in creating a sense of national unity within entirely arbitrary colonial borders without in any way suppressing the strong identity of the tribes that make up its population, and as five pairs of male and female students in the appropriate tribal dress presented themselves, spoke a few words in their tribal language and then described in English their traditional way of life and favourite foods they were met with supportive cheers from their own tribal group and friendly derision from everyone else, each tableau ending (to more friendly derision) with the woman in each couple firmly telling the man what he had to do. As far as the tribal distinctions are concerned, it is an inescapable fact that differences which in The Gambia are a source of humour and a valued aspect of the nation’s diversity elsewhere in Africa cause persecution and bloodshed, and the nation’s success in this respect should command our admiration. Sadly, for those of us for whom this was not our first visit to Kotu, this year’s trip was to an extent overshadowed by the recent death of Jali Malang Kuyoteh, the kora player and entertainer who has
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Laying the foundation stone
done so much over past years to make us welcome and introduce us to the real life of The Gambia. Like many other Gambians, Jali divided his life between work in the tourist industry, playing at hotels and restaurants during the tourist season, and helping on his family’s farm in the country for the rest of the year, and he therefore died in a remote village without access to the modern medical attention he would have been able to get on the coast. While personally this news came as a terrible shock to us, objectively it is hardly surprising that after several years’ contact with The Gambia someone close to us has died in such circumstances; similar tragedies must occur almost daily in families we do not know, a fact which underlines the reason for our involvement in the country and strengthens our determination to do what we can to help its development. Jali’s untimely death has a particular impact on our advance party, who took on the responsibility of formally visiting his family to pay their respects on the school’s behalf, and I would like to place on record my appreciation of the way Jacob Bullard and Alex Hart carried out this difficult duty. In some ways, in fact, the situation was impressively reassuring: both Jali’s and his wife Saine’s families had stepped in to ensure that his
Gambia Report
One of our working groups
widow and four children were looked after, but the harsher reality is that in due course Saine has to return to her home in the countryside with her infant daughter while the three older children are expected to live with their paternal grandparents. As the news of Jali’s death had already reached us, a number of people had asked if there was any way they could help and we were able, through a trusted local contact, to arrange for the children’s school fees to be paid, to buy Saine a mobile phone to keep in touch with the older children and to give her a small amount of money to set her up in her trade of cloth-dyeing, which should enable her to achieve a degree of independence. As always, there was more to our week in The Gambia than work and again our friendship with ordinary people gave us the privilege of visiting them in their homes. This year we were welcomed in the compound of some relatives of Modou Demba, a former pupil of Kotu School who for some time now has done a great deal to make our visits interesting and worthwhile. For many of us, these excursions into completely unscenic parts of the Gambia, where we are not regarded as tourists because no-one imagines tourists would ever go there, are the
high point of our time in the country, and the experience of seeing how people cope with the basic tasks of life with minimal resources is always fascinating and humbling. We were joined at the compound by Lamin Silla, a drummer who had performed with Jali for many years, who apart from getting everyone drumming began to make a very splendid large drum he finished later in the week and presented to Colfe’s in memory of Jali. Our regular visits to the Kartong reptile farm, Kotu Fire Station, the Tanji Village Museum, Bijolo Park, the crocodile pool at Bakau and Sanyang Beach were as fascinating and rewarding as ever; we are always on the lookout for new activities, but so many people want to return to places they went to the previous year that we could not easily fit in anything else. The advance party, however, enjoyed a morning at Makasutu ‘cultural forest’ —considerably more rewarding because they were out of bed early enough to get there before all the wildlife had hidden in the shade —and a trip to Banjul to visit the National Museum and ‘Arch 22’, the triumphal arch commemorating the revolution of 22 July 1994 which overthrew the previous nominally democratic but deeply corrupt regime. The main attraction of Arch 22 is the viewing platform at the top,
Gambia Report
Pupils at Kotu Senior Secondary School
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The roof under construction
which gives a panoramic view of the flat and low-lying surrounding area including, as the curator pointed out with some amusement, the unhealthy malarial promontory called ‘Half Die’ where for some inexplicable reason most of the Europeans in The Gambia used to have their houses.
a narrow victory. Taking into account home advantage, temperature, knowing where the trees were and, on the first occasion, the opposition choosing the time of the match, really we won both matches despite the score lines, not that anyone can remember what they were.
Sporting events were also important, although slightly restricted by the fact that the concrete sports surface was being used as a storage area for materials for the new building. For the first time ever the boys’ football game was played in a proper stadium, though on an artificial training surface rather than the adjoining grass competition pitch; in keeping with the run of the contest over the last few years, however, Kotu still beat us, but with rather more style than they have previously managed in the sand. The same stadium was booked for the girls’ game but was only available at 3 p.m. during the hottest period of the day, and given some medical problems caused by heat we opted instead to play in the evening on a patch of rough ground at the school. The result was football but not as we know it, with trees, roots and potholes adding to the general excitement and unpredictability and the home side ruthlessly exploiting familiarity with the terrain to achieve
When we visited Modou’s sister’s compound, I reflected that most of the people gathered around Lamin the drummer had, 24 hours previously, been in familiar surroundings at Gatwick; by the time we returned to the hotel they all seemed to feel they had been in the Gambia for weeks instead of just over a day. With so many new experiences, so much hard work and generally such a high sense of achievement, time is somehow distorted so that our week at Kotu both passes more quickly and seems longer in retrospect than a week at home, and despite the heat, biting insects and some unpleasant episodes of heat exhaustion our time in The Gambia was, once again, enjoyable and worthwhile. As always, there is a long list of people deserving thanks, in first equal place, perhaps, the team of pupils whose resilience, cheerfulness, common sense and co-operation really made my task very easy indeed (yes, parents, it is your children to whom I
am referring!), the staff who equally cheerfully took responsibility for them and the pupils’ parents who were not only willing to allow their children to take part in an expedition with a not inconsiderable potential for going wrong but often paid most of the costs of it, although I also know many pupils made major efforts in fundraising. PAFA generously support the Gambia project with an annual £1000 and, beyond the school, we are again grateful to our commercial supporters: ARCO (a national protective equipment supplier based in Hull) for the donation of helmets and work gloves and Kingspeed of Swanscombe for sterile medical packs. In their different ways all these items are absolutely indispensible, and if we were not given them we would have to buy them at considerable expense. We do seem to have established a partnership which not only works in terms of development, with material outcomes that genuinely reflect the financial investment our pupils and their supporters have made, but also in terms of social contact and wider education; on my own behalf, as well as on behalf of our friends at Kotu, I would like to thank the whole Colfe’s community for its ongoing support. Dr R Thompson
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Charities Report
Charities Report This year, through a variety of activities, Colfe’s students, staff and parents have raised at least £13,869.88. This is an incredible amount of money, and it all went to some amazing charities, including the Demelza Hospice in Eltham, Cancer Research UK, Children in Need and the National Autistic Society. Throughout the year, the different Houses raised over £1000 collectively during their Charity Weeks. Although Bramley House raised the most amount of money, special mention should go to the range of fundraising events Norton arranged during their Charity Week. Over the year, many exciting events were organised to raise money,
too numerous to showcase. For example, a group of sixth formers, who travelled to Honduras in July to do some conservation work, organised many fundraising activities for their charity, Operation Wallacea. Along with a successful Krispy Kreme bake sale, Year 12 student Fraser Stewart raised over £500 by organising a popular and much enjoyed Year 7 disco. This was a wonderful night of dancing, games and karaoke though the teachers got booed off the stage for their rendition of “Reach for the Stars” by S Club 7! Many of the Colfe’s students were able to display their musical talents through the Grade1athon organised by Miss Collinson. Students and teachers
had the chance to learn a new instrument and sit the Grade 1 exam in just a few weeks. Instruments ranging from the viola and flute to the trumpet and even the harp were all successfully learnt and everyone passed their exams. A total of £1820 was raised for St Christopher’s Hospice, a fabulous result! Despite all the cakes and Krispy Kreme doughnuts eaten all in the name of charity throughout the year, the students and teachers managed to burn off the calories through more active fundraising events, including the Colfe’s Dance Show, the Sport’s Relief Mile and the Race for Life 5k run.
I’m a Celebrity Teacher House captains Koral Ibrahim and Karolina Szpejnowska, with the help of House Tutors Miss Mellor and Mr Crowe, organised a Bush Tucker Trial for some unlucky teachers. After the school nurse had vetted the different dishes, the stomachs and nerves of Mr Corstorphine, Mr Pearson, Mr Stewart and Mrs Medhurst were put to the test. I think the clear winner was Mr Stewart, who decided to down the pig’s blood in one big gulp!
Charities Report
Balloon Race Prendergast House Captains, Rebecca Dowse and Gareth Kennedy Brown also thought of novel ways to raise money for the Demelza Hospice, and with the help of House tutors Miss Quinton and Mr Bateson, they organised a patchwork quilt to be made, with each square donated by the students, and also a Balloon Race. Helium balloons were released into the air, each one with a code unique to a student, with the hope that people would find the balloons and phone the school. The wind was obviously blowing in a southerly direction as many balloons were found in Ramsgate, Canterbury and Dover, and we reckon some probably ended up in the Channel Sea! The winning balloon was traced back to Phyllis Bowyer of 8D and she won a massive Cadburys chocolate hamper!
Soak a Celebrity Footballer Anton Ferdinand also helped out in Norton House Charity Week, kindly allowing students to throw wet sponges at him in their “Soak a Celebrity” challenge! The students paid money for the chance of soaking him, and I think the PE department will be pleased with the accuracy of the students’ throws; Anton ended up absolutely soaked!
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Charities Report
Dance Show Students were able to show off their dancing ability in the Colfe’s “Live to Dance” Show which raised £475 for The National Autistic Society and showcased some amazing dancing ability. Miss Lechmere and Mrs Cordell, joint organisers of the event, said “It was a fantastic evening. It is always such a pleasure
Sports Relief On the 23rd March students and teachers came into school in their own retro sport’s gear, and some of the more enthusiastic members ran a mile around the school ground for Sport’s Relief. Even the ground’s staff took part, though a couple were struggling by the end! The event raised a grand total of £1489.44 and special mention should go to Mrs Rayes and the PE department for helping to organise the run.
to see the outstanding dance talent we have here at Colfe’s. Each of the students taking part showed a remarkable level of commitment and was a real delight to work with. The choreography was also excellent and the quality of dance performance universally high.” Jade Morgan and Harriett Verges’
contemporary duet to Greenday’s ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ was utterly breath-taking, and Jardel Bundu-Kamara’s and George Banya’s ‘street off’ had the audience on their feet. It was such an excellent occasion which uncovered some of Colfe’s hidden talent, and I cannot wait for next year’s show.
Charities Report
Colfeian 2012
Race For Life On the 1st July over 40 female students, staff and parents assembled at Blackheath to run the 5k “Race for Life”. Many students and teachers, conscious of the impact cancer can have on society, raised £1870 on the ‘JustGiving’ page and over £200 from cheques
and other students’ fundraising pages. Despite all the rain this year, it managed to stay dry for the race and was such a brilliant day out. All the participants met beforehand to take some photos and warm up together, and then some of the more competitive students, such as Kassia
Soards and Katia Clarke, chose to go in the more serious “Runners” group whereas the majority of the teachers and students joined the “Joggers” group for a more sensible jog round!
Auction of Promises One of the most fruitful events of the year was the Auction of Promises on the 23rd March. Staff, parents, students and local companies donated a variety of items, including a signed Manchester United shirt and England rugby ball, beauty and restaurant vouchers, theatre and Ascot tickets, a trip on a boat and even a week’s stay in a luxurious apartment in the Alps. The students had chosen three charities that the money raised would go to; MIND, the Lion Ward in King’s College Hospital and the school’s Gambia Project; three very deserving charities.
Throughout the night, there was some entertainment provided by the students; a few of the dance acts from the Dance Show, including the 6th formers’ rendition of “Fame” and a serenade by our talented pianist Oliver Bowring. I would like to say a special thanks to Graham Renfrow, who along with his catering team, laid on an extremely impressive and delicious spread and also to Mr Cummins who proved a highly entertaining auctioneer. After some competitive bidding among the audience, the night raised a total of £2271, so £757 to each of the
charities. Thank you to all the staff, parents and students who attended and those who put their hands in their pockets and generously bid, making it a wonderful night of promises to remember! This year, Colfe’s school has raised an unprecedented amount of money, and I would like to thank all the students and staff who ran their own charity events, and to all those who participated in the main school’s fundraising activities. Miss N Harris
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Academic Report
Academic Report
Despite a summer that contained daily demands from unnamed government officials for tougher marking, higher grade boundaries and an end to grade inflation Colfe’s students celebrated some excellent exam results. August 16th came with the usual sense of anticipation and excitement although that has been dulled slightly for many students since the UCAS system went online and they are able to see the status of their university application. Opening the envelope still has an old fashioned charm though, and the same rituals are observed as in the pre internet days; some hide in a corner and
open with shaking hands, others tear it open in full view of their friends and teachers and whoop with delight (or otherwise). Many of them were over joyed and within the year group 41% of the grades achieved were A* or A. These are record results for the school, a tremendous achievement by the students and a fantastic reward for two years of hard work. For some students it was the end of 15 years at Colfe’s and a handful of A* and A grades was a great way to finish. Some merit particular mention: Charlie Whittaker got three A* and two A grades, including A* in Mathematics and Further
Mathematics, Ann Oduwaiye got two A* and two A grades while Pascal Crowe and Grace Stuart achieved two A* and one A grade each. Charlie and Ann will now go on to take up their places at Cambridge to read Natural Sciences and Architecture respectively. Pascal is going up to Oxford to read English and Paul Shehadeh will read Law, also at Oxford. These four achieved their ambition of attending Oxford and Cambridge but many others were equally as successful in achieving their goals; the excellent results throughout the cohort meant that over 70% of the students will be attending their first choice university.
Academic Report
The A level results come and go in a flash and then the Upper Sixth depart, only to return fleetingly for Prizegiving before the university term starts. Before we have had time to catch our breath the GCSE students are going through the same nervous ordeal. Once again the envelopes were opened to, largely, cries of delight. This year 11 achieved better results than their immediate predecessors and overall 52% of their grades were A* or A grade. Beth Robbins achieved a full set of 10 A* grades while Jennifer Dearsley, Sophia Debney, James Harjette, Jessica Maxwell and Matthias Nicholls all got
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nine A* grades and one A grade. Some departments also deserve a mention: the three Sciences achieved between 83% and 96% A* and A grades, Religious Studies pupils got 77% A* and A grades, Art got 63% A*/A and History got 60% A*/A. These results are a tribute to the hard work and enthusiasm of the pupils and teachers involved. Some Year 11 pupils also sat an extra exam—the Additional Maths Free Standing Maths Qualification. Equivalent to the old AO level it bridges the gap between GCSE and A level and provides a challenge beyond the GCSE Maths syllabus. 13 of the 18 pupils achieved A
grades (there is no A*) and they and the Maths department should be very proud of their achievement. One other group of students sat external exams in 2012 and many of our year 13 students are well on their way to good A level grades and all benefits they bring (see the university success above) having had a successful year 12. I am convinced the structure of the A level exams means the pressure is far greater in year 12 and they should be able to enjoy their learning more in year 13. Mr A Pearson (Director of Studies)
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Sixth Form Report
Sixth Form Report
Leavers’ Ball It was a fantastically successful and enjoyable year in the Sixth Form, with students and staff working well together to ensure that everyone reached their potential. The talent of all our sixth formers was visibly
Senior Prefects
showcased and warmly received throughout the year, with hard work, well attended concerts, art displays and drama performances. A special mention must go to this year’s school captains, senior prefects and
prefects who worked tremendously hard in representing the school. Together with the mentors they set an excellent example to students further down the school and I can’t thank them enough.
We achieved record ‘A’ level results which meant that the great majority of Year 13 students secured places at their first choice universities with over 50% now at the most prestigious universities in the country – the Russell Group including all four Oxbridge candidates. Of course this Russell Group statistic does not do justice to the wonderful range of courses and excellence among our students. This year our Sixth Formers have gained places at top colleges to study Music, Drama and Art. Rob Ware and Dela Glevey have both secured places at leading art colleges; Rob will go to study Fine Art at the Glasgow School of Art in 2013 and Dela has taken up her place at the University of Brighton to study Design and
Sixth Form Report
Craft. Olivia Elsden has begun her first year at the outstanding Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Talented musician Florence Yilma, has accepted a scholarship at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama to study Jazz. Robert Ginty has embarked on a degree course at Central St Martins Drama Centre. This was the first year that two students from Conisborough College completed ‘A’ level courses at Colfe’s on full bursaries sponsored by the Leathersellers’ Company. With
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Latoya Gordon gaining 3 B grades and Karolina Szpejnowska a B and 2 A grades I think both girls will view the process as a success - although I’m not sure what to do with the Jamaican rum which Latoya kindly bought me when she left. Outside the confines of the ‘A’ level curriculum, I was pleased that a group of our students chose to undertake the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), with the first nine to complete the 5,000 word
essay achieving 6 A* and 3 A grades. Topics this year ranged from ‘The redevelopment of London’s Docklands’, ‘Why the 18th Amendment was doomed from the start’ to ‘A close reading of Rafael Alberti’s Paraiso Perdido.’ To help more students undertake this qualification, which I think helps prepare them for university, all of the current Year 12 will spend time producing EPQs this year.
Fun and games on Leavers’ Day
In the end the kindness, fun and maturity of the Leavers of 2012 was shown in the manner of their leaving. The Prefects’ Dinner at Royal Blackheath Golf Club, the Leavers’ last day and the Leavers’ Ball were all tremendously enjoyable events with humour and sadness on all sides at the end of their time at
Colfe’s. I’m going to miss them all from the wonderful silliness of those who tried to set Hector Palmer’s shoe in jelly (but didn’t get the consistency right so it collapsed) to the perfection of our school captains Charlie Whittaker and Priyanka Chaturvedi. I’ll also miss Ms Taylor, my wonderful Assistant Head of Sixth
Form for the last two years, who only appeared flustered once and that was by the prospect of having to organise a cake sale in the prep school. I wish them all well in the future and hope they will come back and visit us as time goes by. Mr S Drury (Director of Sixth Form)
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Valete
Valete Statistical Analysis of Year 13 Leavers Degree Courses: 79 (including deferred entry) (Joint degrees are counted under both subjects) Accountancy, Business, Finance, Economics & Advertising 15 Archaeology & Anthropology 2 Architecture 2 Art Foundation, Fine Art & Design 3 Biological Sciences & Animal Behaviour 3 Classics & Classical Studies 3 Drama and Music 4 History 5 Engineering & Surveying 6 English & Journalism 4 Geography 4 Law, Politics and Social Science 9 Mathematics and Physics 2 Modern Foreign Languages 4 Natural Sciences 1 Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy and Physiotherapy 3 Philosophy 2 Psychology 6 Sports 2 Employment 2
Applications to UCAS after a Gap Year
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Universities (44 different) Aberystwyth University University of Bath University of Birmingham Bournemouth University University of Brighton University of Bristol University of Cambridge University of Cardiff Central St Martin’s Drama Centre University of Chester University of Durham Edge Hill University University of Essex Glasgow School of Art University of Gloucestershire Guildhall School of Music Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh University of Hertfordshire University of Hull Keele University University of Kent University of Leeds
1 1 4 2 4 5 2 3 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3
Destination of Year 13 Leavers 2012 Name Destination Shivani Anandarajah Gap Year, UCAS 2013 Anastasia Aniwa University of Brighton Helena Bolt University of Essex* Joe Bonnici Gap Year, UCAS 2013 Josephine Bourne University of Bristol* Jacob Bullard University of Hertfordshire Samuel Burton Ravensbourne College of Design Beth Campbell University of Sussex* 2013 Thomas Chapman University of Bath* Katerina Charalambous University of Bristol* Priyanka Chaturvedi University of Warwick* Rachel Chung London School of Economics & Political Science* Jamie Clarke Swansea University* Jack Coomes University of Chester 2013 Jamie Cox University of St Andrews* Pascal Crowe University College, University of Oxford* Charlie Davis University of Leeds* Dominic Deane Newcastle University* Rebecca Dowse University of Durham* Max Dunmore Oxford Brookes University Lauren Ellis University of Birmingham* 2013 Olivia Elsden Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Simon Everett University of Manchester* Andy Fisher Employment Anthony French Nottingham Trent University Robert Ginty Central St Martins Drama Centre, London* Dela Glevey University of Brighton* Latoya Gordon University of Westminster James Graham Nottingham Trent University* Will Grist Loughborough University* Eleanor Hall Cardiff University* 2013 Daniel Hammond University of Birmingham* 2013 Edmund Harper University of Plymouth Phillipa Hassall University of Leeds* Gregory Heritage University of Kent
University of Liverpool 3 London School of Economics and Social History 1 Loughborough University 1 University of Manchester 4 Manchester Metropolitan University 1 University of Nottingham 3 Nottingham Trent University 2 University of Oxford 2 Oxford Brookes University 1 University of Plymouth 1 University of Portsmouth 1 Ravensbourne College of Design & Communication 1 Royal Holloway, University of London 1 Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Cardiff 1 University of St Andrews 3 University of Sussex 3 Swansea University 1 University College, London 2 University of Warwick 1 University of Westminster 1 University of York 1
* Denotes first choice university Course Politics and Social Policy European Studies with French Psychology Aerospace Engineering Art & Design Foundation Degree and Communication American Studies and English Sports Performance German and Spanish Economics Social Anthropology Business Management Animal Behaviour and Biology Classics English Language and Literature Politics Classical Studies Combined Honours in Social Science Economics, Politics and International Relations Psychology Acting Physics Sound Engineer Quantity Surveying Foundation Degree in Acting Design and Craft Law Building Surveying Banking,Finance & Management Architecture Business Management Mechanical Engineering Psychology Philosophy and Politics
Valete
Name Destination Alex Hill University of St Andrews* Sam Hoare Edge Hill University Michael Hunter University of York* Koral Ibrahim Bournemouth University* Joseph Ives University of St Andrews* James Jewers University of Liverpool Euan Johnson Gap Year, UCAS 2013 Thomas Keeler University of Gloucestershire 2013 Gareth Kennedy Brown Aberystwyth University Imogen King University of Manchester* James King University of Essex Hari Kulendran University College London Alexandra Landes University of Birmingham* Edward Ian Le Gassick University of Bristol* 2013 Cozette Leese Employment Jennifer Leverton Brookland University of Liverpool* 2013 Scott London-Hill University of Liverpool* Ross Marshall University of Portsmouth* 2013 Josh Mawji Heriot-Watt University Myles McMillan Manchester Metropolitan University* William McVitty University of Bristol* Ann Oduwaiye Clare College, University of Cambridge* Hector Palmer University of Manchester Akash Patel University of Brighton* Jaimin Patel University of Nottingham 2013 Selina Patel University of Birmingham* Amelia Povey Westminster Kingsway College* Fergus Powrie Keele University* Rory Powrie University of Hull* Jack Pulley-Dumonde University of Sussex* Dominic Rees Newcastle University* Isobel Robson Newcastle University* Matthew Robson University of Sussex* Phoebe Roth University of Manchester* Clare Sawyer University of Nottingham* Samantha Selvey-Clinton Cardiff University* Alicia Sharif Royal Holloway, University of London 2012 Paul-Raphael Shehadeh Christ Church College, University of Oxford* Alex Shelkoplyas University of Nottingham* 2013 Amelia Sherren University of Leeds* Patrick Shutt University of Durham* Lucy Stickland Cardiff University* 2013 Grace Stuart University of Bristol* Karolina Szpejnowska University College London* George Treadwell UCAS 2013 Matthew Ware Bournemouth University 2013 Robert Ware Glasgow School of Art* 2013 Joshua White University of Brighton Maximillian White Gap Year, UCAS 2013 Charlie Whittaker Jesus College, University of Cambridge* Florence Yilma Guildhall School of Music & Drama
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Course Geography Sports Coach Education Psychology Advertising Modern History & Philosophy Psychology Psychology Equine Science Spanish & Portuguese History Maths International Relations with Political Science History Harrods Bank, Trainee Occupational Therapy Mechanical Engineering Economics, Finance and Banking Economics and Finance Business Management Archaeology and Anthropology Architecture Economics Pharmacy Architectural, Environment Engineering Biological Sciences (Genetics) Professional Chef Diploma International Relations with Politics Drama & English History Agri-Business Management Economics Economics French & Spanish Geography Journalism, Media & Cultural Studies Geography Law Industrial Economics with Insurance Geography Classics Physiotherapy Politics Modern Languages Finance & Business Fine Art - Painting/Printmaking Cultures, Histories & Literatures Natural Sciences Jazz
Destinations of 2011 Leavers After Gap Years Name University Ben Almond University of Leeds* Amelia Birrell University of Leeds* Josef Chatterley Aston University* Carmen Lau Brunel University* Luke McCusker University of Leeds* Christopher O’Malley University of Nottingham* Vera Shehadeh University of St Andrews* Bradley Storey University of St Andrews* Joseph Wilkins University of Sussex*
Subject Civil & Structural Engineering Theatre and Performance Product Design & Management Product Design Engineering Civil & Structural Engineering Archaeology & Geography Medicine Medicine Biomedical Science
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Careers Report
Careers Report The main focus of this academic year has been the biennial Careers and Higher Education Convention which was held in March (see separate report) and takes many hours of work in preparation. Around that the normal work continued with the Morrisby psychometric profile and interview for Year 11 followed by a Careers morning and work experience organised by Mrs Burton in July. The Year 12 Careers inductions in the autumn and lecture by Brigitte Burrows held in January are both intended to make Year 12 begin to start thinking about their intentions for post A level as are the interviews they are given in the Spring term. Year 10 receive a Skills needed for work activity in the spring term too, to give them a nudge that the future is not too far away. Year 12 receive a full on preparation for UCAS after their AS exams and
due to the late half term for the Queen’s jubilee in 2012 we had the luxury of a week to provide activities and introductory sessions on writing a CV and Personal Statement, filling in the UCAS form and more. Sessions when recent leavers came back to talk about their university experiences and on interview techniques were held in the following weeks too. Throughout the year various people came in to give Careers and HE based talks in assembly including Ernst and Young (including last year leaver TJ Genas) who definitely sold their school leaver training scheme, Old Colfeian Bryden Commons who talked about going to university in Brisbane and Karen Sullivan-Vance from Western Oregon University was informative about a smaller college in the USA and how financially it compares with the UK now our fees have gone up.
UCAS applications have been successful in the year 2011 to 2012 and destinations of leavers can be seen in Valete. There were 80 applications to university (plus a further 9 from last year’s leavers and one as a clearing application). From the nearly 400 applications the offer rate was 82% which is extremely pleasing. As university fees go up our focus is broadening to give information about school leaver employment schemes and to make our students aware of the need to raise their employability skills. However, at present the majority of the Year 13s still see university as the natural progression after A levels. Changes to the UCAS system, including removal of the cap on places for ABB holders, will make the next academic year an interesting one.
Careers and Higher Education Convention The convention was held on Thursday 15th March and once again took over the Main Hall, Library, Recital Hall, Beardwood Hall and Foyer. This year we even spilled into the playground where a very exciting McLaren MP4-12C car was parked by Old Colfeian Liam Walker who works as a Project
Engineer for McLaren. Many small (and not so small) boys (and girls, Mrs Cordell) clustered round and had photos taken in front of and even inside this highly desirable (apparently) sports car. This typifies the generosity of people who gave up their time to come to Colfe’s and spend an exhausting evening talking
to pupils and inspiring them to think hard about the many opportunities available to them. The Main Hall was transformed into a highly professional looking event with stands set out “dressed” by Graham Renfrew and his team.
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Many advisers bring their own display boards which add to the colour of the event. We were delighted to welcome visitors from abroad this year and the five Dutch Universities brightened up their stand with miniature clogs and bright leaflets. Pupils were also able to talk to people about universities in Australia, New Zealand and the USA. Nearer to home the universities of Glasgow, Queen’s Belfast, East Anglia, Kent, Surrey, Queen Mary, London, Oxford and Cambridge were represented along with Rave as Ravensbourne Digital Design and Media College like to be known. The library became the centre for the Medical careers and the Recital Hall for Design and Media, represented by TV producers, Journalists and more. Gap Year organisations proved popular and the armed forces had a steady stream of interested people. In total over 60 different career areas were represented from finance to acting and engineering to design. Twenty of the advisers were Old Colfeians and we were most pleased to see them as well as the parents, teachers, teachers’ spouses and other staff and relations who were roped in – no one is safe in the months running up to the Careers Convention! For the first time we had 5 advisers giving presentations in the Beardwood Hall. These worked very well and several pupils and parents sat through two or even three consecutive talks. Mrs J Cardnell (Head of Careers)
Work Experience for Year 11 Work Experience is now in its eighth year and is proving ever more popular with pupils and parents alike. It is essential to show that as a student your skills do not stop in the classroom, so showing commitment towards work experience is a very valid addition to any UCAS application. This year has seen a large number of pupils go out on increasingly varied and exciting work experience
placements. These have included City Index Ltd., Temple Bar Asset Management, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and John Ginty & Associates, to name but a few. I am so grateful to those parents and Old Colfeians that offer our students some excellent opportunities to experience the world of work and to Greenwich Education Business Partnership for supplying our Health and Safety checks. I will be running the scheme again next
summer and our dates have already been confirmed as Monday 1st July– Friday 5th July 2013 (inclusive). If as a parent or an Old Colfeian you feel you could offer one of our students a placement next year I would be absolutely delighted to hear from you. Mrs J Burton (Work Experience Co-ordinator; jburton@colfes.com)
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Hamp Library Report
Former Headmaster of Colfe’s, Vivian Anthony (left); current Headmaster, Richard Russell (right)
Hamp Library Report Visit by Dr Vivian Anthony On 9th May, the school library was filled with Old Colfeians and former staff, eager to hear the address of Vivian Anthony whose update to the school history, ‘Good Wit and Capacity’ had just been published. The book carries on from the end of the last school history edited by Herbert Beardwood and continues to the 350th anniversary. Dr Anthony gave a fascinating account of his time at the school and made a presentation of a signed copy of the book to Headmaster, Richard Russell. Many of those present at the launch were at school during this period, as staff or pupils (or both) and many were keen to buy signed copies. Sales were brisk and the noise level grew as people chatted to friends while looking at the displays of old school photographs.
Hamp Library Notes It has been another busy year and we have continued to be a popular place for pupils of all ages to visit. The library is used for a variety of purposes. For example, Mr Dunsmore held a Chess club on Wednesday lunchtimes. We continue to add exciting new fiction to our stocks which is explored by pupils independently and in English department library lessons. The absolute hit of this year was the Hunger Games, a Trilogy of dystopian novels. The film of the
first book was released in March, which always provides a boost to the interest in a book. An initiative to inspire interest in reading fiction came at the beginning of the year with the visit by new American author, Trent Reedy, which was accompanied by the handing out of a free book to all Year 7 students from the Booked Up scheme. A longer term initiative is the Carnegie Shadowing group. This is a small but popular reading group which meets monthly. The year ended with
an influx of Year 12 students as many of them start discovering that books are a necessary component of a good Extended Project Qualification. As always, I would like to thank Mrs Marshall for her support and tireless covering of books and stock taking. A special mention must also go to Katerina Charalambous who helped in the library since she was in Year 7 and left Colfe’s in July to read Modern Languages at university.
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Carnegie Shadowing The Carnegie Medal was first awarded by the then Library Association (now CILIP) in 1936 to Arthur Ransome for Pigeon Post. The medal has been awarded annually since then (except for three years when no book was considered worthy of the prize) and numbers many famous authors including Mary Norton, Cynthia Harnett, Rosemary Sutcliff, Alan Garner, Jan Mark, Anne Fine, Philip Pullman and Terry Pratchett. In the early 1990s a group of librarians saw the opportunity of using the titles shortlisted for the medal to be used to encourage and raise enthusiasm for reading – and the Carnegie Shadowing scheme was born. I introduced the scheme to Colfe’s in 2002 and we have run it every year since. The shortlist was announced on Tuesday 27th March and an exciting list of 8 titles it was too.
We have suffered a bit in the last couple of years from titles which were aimed at the 14+ age range, but nearly all the 8 were deemed suitable for 11 years upwards, which tends to reflect the main interest in the scheme (ie Years 7 and 8). The timing meant that books could be borrowed over the Easter holidays giving the Shadowers a head start. Meetings were held twice a week after Easter and the books were discussed, argued over and picked at. As we read them we began to see a theme of death emerge which was at times depressing, but always ended on a hopeful note. The winning book was A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. I was delighted to find out that for the second year we agreed with the judges who had awarded the Carnegie Medal to Patrick Ness and also (for the first time ever) awarded the Greenaway
Medal for book illustration to Jim Kay whose moody black and white drawings added greatly to the emotion of the story. The shortlisted books were: David Almond, My name is Mina; Lissa Evans, Small change for Stuart; Sonya Hartnett, The Midnight Zoo; Ali Lewis, Everybody Jam; Andy Mulligan, Trash; Patrick Ness, A Monster Calls; Annabel Pitcher, My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece; Ruta Sepetys, Between Shades of Grey. I would like to thank all the pupils who took part and the support received from English teachers, Mr Smith, Mrs Karavidas and Ms Cadwallender.
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Hamp Library Report
Colfe’s School Archive As interest in Family History grows, so the number of enquiries received about Old Colfeians increases. We get enquiries from sons, daughters or more remote relatives. Enquiries come from Australia and Switzerland as well as nearer to home. As the archive is not indexed in any way, we rely on manual searches of the Roll books, the other various documents and photos we possess and the library of Colfeians and Colfensia. The former was originally the magazine of the Old Boys Club and the latter the school magazine, but the two were amalgamated in 1952, and have been published in a number of different liveries over the years. It can be a laborious job searching through archives hoping to find the name of the person you are looking for and it is always a gratifying moment when you do. Sadly, there has been no uniformity over the years over entries of leavers destinations or indeed arrival at the school and unless you were sporty or a prefect, there is unlikely to be a mention. The Roll Books are more satisfying, giving the boy’s name, father’s (usually) name and occupation, address and a previous school, Sometimes the year of leaving and what the leaver went on to do is recorded. We have gratefully received various mementoes from relatives of old boys (we have not yet gone far enough into co-ed to be receiving gifts from feminine Old Colfeians), namely a blazer and other items from the son of Kenneth Marchant and two cups donated by Shirley Anderson on behalf of her and her brother Keith (OC) in memory of their father Alfred who was at Colfe’s in the 1920s. Earlier this year we received a communication from an Old Colfeian who attended Colfes’s from 1936 to 1942, Mr L Goldsmith. As well as sending us some of his old science exercise books, Mr Goldsmith wrote the following information about how the school was organised during his time here: The school at the time was organised (under Headmaster Guy Morris) into forms: 2, 3C, 3B, 3A (entry
The old school blazer forms for ages probably 9 to 11). 3A contained the scholarship boys who were reckoned to be bright and therefore proceeded up the school in a fast stream. Thus they went straight from 3A after a year to an Upper Fourth Form (Upper Four Remove) whereas the other third forms had to go to Lower 4A or B before proceeding to Upper 4 A or B and so on. From there the Upper 4th Remove went to Lower 5C then to Upper 5C where boys took the General Schools Examination (as did Mr Goldsmith in 1940 aged about 15). Other boys from Upper 5A and B also took the GSE but at 16 years. Two years in the sixth form followed (if GSE results merited it) to sit the Higher Schools Examination. There were three sixth forms: Arts, Science and Modern and boys would be 17 or 18 years old. The masters who taught Mr Goldsmith included: Clements (French), Crowther (Latin), Johnson and Southern (English), Balls and Bennett (History), Meredith
(Geography), Morley (Chemistry and Deputy Head), Humphries, Laing and Chanter (Chemistry) and Mathematics by Birnberg, Wells and Reece. There were a number of other masters eg Thomas and Hooper (PE), Bailey and Hay (German), Prater (Art) and Stockbridge (Woodwork). Most of the above had nicknames of course – “Bunny” Bennett, “Ding” Morley, and “Billy” Wells. It would be interesting to know if pupils of today remember their teachers so clearly in the future and also what nicknames are given to them! Finally, we have just been given a Colours Blazer belonging to Derek Teasdale who left Colfe’s in 1936. A picture of Derek appears in the book 150 years of Colfe’s Cricket. Derek qualified as a Doctor and Surgeon and served during WWII on several ships. We are very grateful for his donation. Mrs J Cardnell
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Maths
Callum Melly, Krishan Patel-Watts, Maximillian O’Keeffe and Denis Zhelezko in the Team Maths Challenge This has been another truly successful year for extra-curricular Maths at Colfe’s. Dr Vijapura’s group of talented mathematicians worked their way through to the last eight schools in the Hans Woyda competition. Many students gained certificates in each of the three Maths Challenge age groups and several individuals went on to compete at higher levels. Our enrichment program included a
Year 5 master class, a Year 10 Maths Trail around school and a day where an outside speaker promoted problem solving skills through group activities. Our sixth form and Year 11s also attended a day of lectures on real world Maths at the Institute of Education. Dr Vijapura, Mrs Cordell, Dr Craciun and I have all worked hard to ensure Maths is not simply classroom based and we have seen real enthusiasm from the
students, many of whom have found a greater insight into the enjoyment of Maths. This has all only been possible because our students have willingly engaged with the subject matter and it is excellent to see the most able students excelling in other areas of the subject as well as being able to include whole year groups in some activities.
Prendergast beat Bramley 8 points to 6 points. The winning team comprised Hari Kulendran, Rebecca Dowse, James Harjette and Callum Melly. Norton beat Beardwood in the play off for third position. The final rankings in the competition were: 1st Place, Prendergast; 2nd Place, Bramley; 3rd Place, Norton;
4th Place, Beardwood. In October, Colfe’s beat Haberdashers Aske’s Hatcham College in a competition. The Colfeian team consisted of Priyanka Chaturvedi (Year 13) Manish Patel (Year 12), Sophie Britton (Year 11) and Callum Melly (Year 9). They won by 43 points to 27. In the first section, Colfe’s took a
Autumn Term In September, Bramley beat Beardwood (17-14) in the first round of Colfe’s Inter House Maths Competition. Prendergast beat Norton in a tie breaker in the second round on 16th September resulting in Bramley and Prendergast meeting in the final on 22nd September. In front of a Year 9 audience,
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commanding lead. In the geometry round both teams performed well and scored equal points. Colfe’s increased its score in the mental round. The team round was exciting and Colfe’s narrowly lost this section. The calculator round ended in a tie and although the Algebra round went well for both teams, Colfe’s won overall. In November, the Mathematics department organised two trips to the Institute of Education, University of London, the Sixth Form on 17th November and the Year 11 on 6th December. The trip involved interactive sessions entitled The Number Matrix, Something about Nothing, The Maths of Games, Lateral thinking in Maths and The Maths of luck and Serial murder. They were taken by a range of experts in their respective fields including Matt Parker, Dr Matt Pritchard, Rob Eastaway, Paul Sloane and Professor David Speigelhalter. The lectures were on The Maths of Google, Coughs and Sneezes Spread Diseases: The Mathematics of Prediction and Control, Making the Right Decision: Mathematics
Maths
on the Playing Field, in Court and in Hospitals, Chimps to Champs: Curiosities of Counting and Adventures in the Fourth Dimension and were given by David Singleton, Professor Matt Keeling, Professor D. F. Percy, Alex Bellos, and Matt Parker. Such renowned experts made the day exciting, challenging and memorable. Two competitions took place in December. Firstly, in the final match of the Hans Woyda Maths Competition group stages, a group of mathematicians from Colfe’s welcomed a team from local rivals Eltham College. This competition tests students from each of Years 9, 11, 12 and 13 during mind boggling rounds of intense mental and calculator based maths wizardry. We knew Eltham to be some of the strongest opposition we were to face in the group stages, and, having lost to St Dunstans narrowly the previous week, a win was necessary for us to progress beyond the group stages and into the knockout round, where the
hope for glory lay. Needless to say, it was a close and tough match. Colfe’s managed to take an early lead following the starter round and maintained this through to the team round, which involved finding the prime factors of numbers exceeding 10 digits. Eltham regained some ground following the calculator and mental mathematics round but in the end, the lead Colfe’s had built up in the early parts of the match was too much and Colfe’s emerged victorious, winning 43-21. Secondly, came the Senior Maths Challenge, held by the United Kingdom Mathematical Trust. The competition is designed to challenge the most able students in Years 12 and 13. Colfe’s achieved 3 Silver and 9 Bronze certificates this year with Charlie Whittaker receiving Best in School certificate. The results in full were: Silver, Charlie Whittaker, Simon Everett and Alastair Porter; Bronze, Ann Oduwaiye, Jacob Bullard, Rebecca Dowse, Hector Palmer, Robert Clarke, Daniel Costadinov, Harry Fairbairn, Sophie Britton and Oliver Skeates.
Charlie Whittaker, Manish Patel, Sophie Britton and Callum Melly competing in the Hans Woyda Competition
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Spring Term Two events were held in January. Firstly, Colfe’s top mathematicians in Year 8 and 9 participated in the Team Maths Challenge, sponsored by Greenwich University. The event involved twelve teams consisting of two students competing in three rounds. The first round involved collaboration on a mathematical crossword. This was followed by a relay race. The contest finished with a group round with each team having to solve ten problems. This hotly contested competition was adjudicated by Dr Vijapura, Dr Craciun and Mr Landamore of the Maths department. The
winning team was Team A (95 points), Callum Melly and Krishan Patel-Watts (Year 9), Maximillian O’Keeffe and Denis Zhelezko (Year 8); 2nd Team E (69 points), Joanna Halloumas and Althea Alberani (Year 9), Ben Andrew and Alice Zhelezko (Year 8); 3rd Team B (67 points), Oliver Stavrinidis and Ciara Greaves (Year 9), Pippa Britton and Alexander Rees (Year 8). Secondly, on 18th January, our top mathematicians (Charlie Whittaker, Manish Patel, Sophie Britton and Callum Melly) travelled to Sutton Grammar School to compete in the knock-out phase of the Hans Woyda
Southern plate cup. The match was very closely contested and went to the final question. Unfortunately our captain Charlie Whittaker was beaten by the clock on this critical question and we were defeated. The score ended with Sutton Grammar 51 points and Colfe’s with 49 points. The Immediate Maths Challenge was the first event to be in February. On 22nd February, Colfe’s travelled to St Olave’s to compete in a Team Maths Challenge against 28 other schools. Callum Melly, Oliver Stavrinidis, Pippa Britton and Maximillian O’ Keeffe had to negotiate four rounds. The first round involved 10 problem solving questions; the second round, completing a mathematical crossword where one pair of students worked on the across clues and the other pair worked on the down clues with a member of staff communicating between pairs; the third round, four questions with the answers being used from the answer of the first question onwards; and the fourth and final round, a relay race where students worked in pairs answering up to 15 questions each. We came 7th out of 29 teams, an improvement on last year’s 14th place. After the Intermediate Maths Challenge in February, 7 students went onto the next phase of the Maths Challenge called the European Kangaroo on 15th March. Two students were entered for the Grey Kangaroo and five students for the Pink Kangaroo. All students performed well; Callum Melly did exceptionally well achieving a Merit in the Grey Kangaroo, placing him in the top 25% of competitors. It was tight at the top, Callum scoring 106 compared to the top score of 118. Oliver Skeates scored 68 in the Pink Kangaroo, above the mean score of 63.
Summer Term Bhavini Vijapura receiving her Certificate of Merit from Head of Maths, Mrs Hamidzadeh
On 26th April pupils from the top three sets in Year 8 and the best mathematicians in Year 7, a total
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of 116 children, sat the Junior Mathematics Challenge. This is a competition held annually by the United Kingdom Mathematical Trust. The competition is to challenge the most able students in Years 7 and 8 in a fun way. We achieved 2 Gold, 14 Silver and 30 Bronze certificates. A breakdown of each year gave us: Year 7, 4 Silver and 13 Bronze; Year 8, 2 Gold, 10 Silver and 17 Bronze. A special mention goes to Pippa Britton who achieved a gold certificate and was awarded the ‘Best in School’ certificate. In May, Colfe’s was very pleased to welcome Angela Gould from Building Motivation and Attainment in Mathematics. Angela set various mind boggling mathematical challenges for Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 which they thoroughly enjoyed. A great example was a Maths game called ‘Phoebe’s number’ where pupils had to use given parameters to work out a mystery number. As the game progressed, the parameters got more difficult until
Problem Solving at the Year 10 Maths Trail
Maths
eventually, some groups needed to be given numbers way beyond their usual age group capabilities. The highlight of the term was the Year 10 Maths Trail. This year we changed the Year 10 Maths Trail to make it more relevant to modelling real-life Mathematical situations. Pupils from the top set were asked to take part and a number of students from lower sets chose to get involved as well. The activities included; calculating the height of a building, navigation using bearings, problem solving activities using water and paper, creating exact angles without measuring, building a tower to hold an egg up using only spaghetti and marshmallows and calculating speeds by measuring a runner’s distance and time. The pupils who took part enjoyed the afternoon and became fully immersed in each activity. They were not told where each activity was but had to find each location through a series of
codes of various types and they did this very successfully. They worked well in teams and often chose their strongest code breakers to work on those problems first so they could complete the activity and code within the time allowed. Each team was assessed on the solutions they gave to the activities and the winning team, who also made the tallest and most innovative tower, as well as successfully noting how they worked out each of the problems, was Team B: Chantal du Rocher, Shivani Lallchand, Guy Difford, Calem Curreen and Rory Lilley. They received a certificate each and a box of chocolates to share. The Maths Trail could not have gone ahead without the help of the sixthform volunteers; David Catherall, George Charalambous, Rob Clarke, Daniel Costadinov, Harry Fairbairn, Alex Fleming, Jack German, Ryan Gray, Henry Richardson, Bethany Riddington and Dom Smithies. Mrs O Hamidzadeh
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English Throughout 2011-12, the English Department has been busy implementing the new AQA specifications for English Language and English Literature at GCSE, AS and A level. All awarding bodies have been required to revise their A level English examinations to emphasise critical skills rather than factual knowledge, and AQA seem to have made a remarkably good job not only of rewriting the AS and A2 courses but also of adapting the GCSE specifications to make a better preparation for them. Put simply, the aim is to make students think as well as remember and constantly to relate the impact of texts to precise detail, doing so without the book in the A2 paper. In this last respect the new arrangement will be familiar to anyone aged over fifty; in other ways, however, it is highly radical, such as in the AS level emphasis on narratology, the study of the techniques of storytelling, rather than content. At any level, the days when a superficial knowledge of the texts supported by a few relevant quotations could get you through appear to be over, so that the learning and teaching of the subject have simultaneously become both more interesting and more challenging. The fundamentals of the subject of course remain the same, and elsewhere in this issue of the
Colfeian you will find accounts of journalistic activities and theatre visits as well as some memorable creative writing. Our recent visit to the Globe Theatre underlined not only how fortunate we are to live close to the London theatres but also how much of English literary history was acted out in our neighbourhood, with part of the plot of Lear possibly being inspired by the Annesley family of Lee, a blue plaque commemorating James Elroy Flecker in Lewisham and the diarist John Evelyn’s residence at Sayes Court in Deptford, which was comprehensively trashed by his unwelcome (and, by Evelyn at any rate, uninvited) guest Peter the Great of Russia. Above all, our area is steeped in associations with Marlowe, whose portrait presides over my teaching room and whose great Tragical History of Doctor Faustus is to be one of the A2 set works this year. Nothing about Marlowe can be taken at face value; it seems barely credible that the
author of Faustus was allegedly suspected of atheism, and while he might indeed have met his end in a brawl about a tavern bill in Deptford, as Shakespeare in Love suggests, the suspicion remains that perhaps he simply knew too much for the peace of mind of those in power. Marlowe’s story in a sense exemplifies the variety and power of language, ranging from sublime poetic reflections on the human condition to ‘information’ both critical to the government of the nation and potentially subversive of its established order. This is the beautiful, dangerous and fortunately metaphorical weapon our pupils are expected to learn to wield. Dr R Thompson
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English
BBC News School Report
Colfeian journalists with Mrs Rue
Greenwich Councillor John Fahy answers questions about the Olympics An enthusiastic team of Year 8 journalists interviewed members of the school community and wrote lively and informative reports for this year’s acclaimed BBC School Report. For the fourth year in succession, the English and Media departments collaborated on what has become a much anticipated extra-curricular pursuit for the school’s journalistic talent. Current affairs topics explored were many and varied. Naturally, London hosting the Olympic Games was a popular topic of choice. This task fell to Year 8. For example, Naomi Riddington, Anthony Motto and Michael O’Regan interviewed
An interview with U18 England Rugby star Tom Chapman
Greenwich Councillor John Fahy about equestrian events in historic Greenwich Park. Lucy Still, Jake Osler, Rose Turpin, Hayri Unat, Bella Perry and Georgie Heys interviewed Colfe’s teaching staff about their participation in the Opening Ceremony. Year 10 Olympic hopeful Matthew Buck answered questions from Charles Lee and George Martin about life in the veledrome, particularly about his accomplishment in becoming one of fastest competitive cyclists in South East England. In other news, Max Saunders, Wynter Innes and William Sumsion interviewed Tom
Chapman of Year 12 about his England rugby career. BBC Journalist Ruth Peacock, whose son attends Colfe’s, came into school on the day to offer our budding journalists some useful advice. She gave talks on her own experiences as a journalist, as well as giving tips on how to write good headlines and journalistic stories and how to conduct an interview, either on the phone or face to face. Mrs Rue of the English department organised the day with technical assistance from Director of ICT Mr C Smith, Ian Bassett and Adam Cluer.
English
Poetry Report Poetry at the school is not only an individual pursuit, but a part of the English curriculum. Pupils are often asked to produce and experiment with poetry in their English lessons as a way of learning about poetic form. The writing of poetry is not merely for this purpose, however, because at the same time as learning about form, pupils achieve a greater understanding of the literary texts being studied by engaging with the text and creating something of their own from it. Writing poetry is also encouraged outside of lessons along with all other kinds of creative writing, and members of the English Department enjoy reading and helping to develop poetry produced by the students. Miss N Cadwallander
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Key Stage 3 Year 7 pupils have just been learning about haikus, cinquains and sonnets, and were asked to produce a piece of writing using one of these forms in relation to their recent study of Greek myths. Thinking about the association of poetry (and especially sonnets) with love, their task was to stick to the form specified while writing a love poem. This would be a love poem with a twist, however, as they had been studying the myth of Narcissus, the shepherd boy who fell in love‌with himself! Below is an example of such poetry by Lottie Davies of 7D.
Are you just the pretty rose of my heart, Or are you the song of beauty and love? You are modern, everything else is late, I love thee with the spread wings of a dove, Your radiant fragrance is that of mine, For I love Narcissus with all joy. I look down at you and see you shine, You capture my eye, oh beautiful boy, Your hair waves like the grass of midsummer, You are my idea of happiness, I love you; I’ll stay with you forever, Your rippling eyes bring me selflessness. I hope to join you in matrimony, My dear cargo of sugar and honey.
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English
Key Stage 4 Although in preparation for exams the focus is on analysing rather than producing poetry, the production of individual writing is always encouraged, and we hope, inspired by, the study of poetry in class. As Oscar Wilde wrote, ‘to the critic, the work of art is simply a suggestion for a new work of his own’. Eloise Richardson, a recent graduate of Year 11, began writing poetry during her GCSE course, when, following an individual poetry session with a member of the department, she was challenged to write a sonnet of her own. Eloise’s considerable talent has developed from there. She makes use of various sources and influences, both literary and personal, to inspire and inform her poetry. The examples overleaf, influenced by Shakespeare and Heaney, are testament not only to her insightful understanding of the original works, but also to her ability to shape those impressions into new work. Her poetic voice, at least in the opinion of her English teachers, is possessed of a maturity, perceptiveness and depth beyond her years. The following is an example of her work.
Painting over Nature It’s open, with the wind climbing through Tripping over and tumbling Head over heels, hitting everything but the Daylight Reaching through, trailing spindly fingers Dipped in sunlight Across this cold canvas. And that car – Man’s answer to the raincloud – Muscling and blundering Its way to the front – And the hopeful reverie is trodden on, Smashed, Falling back from everything and Nothing, into Pandora’s Box, with a noiseless sigh. And now on me shines A fluorescent light, That casts a net of shadows to trap What is right.
Key Stage 5 Michael Hunter, a Year 13 student, produced the following piece of poetry. Writing has always been a passion for him. Michael describes creative writing mostly as a form of ‘escapism’. He said, ‘I like imagining new worlds and then describing them.’ Michael also recognises the influence that his own reading has had on his work, citing the fact that he has always read a lot as part of the inspiration for writing.
The warm grin of an absent opponent; Reaching for the king, The surface of the piece like childhood and adulthood, And the many missed years in-between, The sight of hands less worn in not so distant memory What comes now but checkmate? A worn smile and the welcome grip of calm impending, Old blood flowing across the board, Past pieces forever frozen in their image of checkmate, Death in still life, like a note pinned to the board, By a keen and merciful blade.
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Once more unto Shakespeare’s Globe, dear friends, once more During the Summer Term the English Department arranged two trips for Years 9 and 10 to see performances of Henry V at the magical Shakespeare’s Globe on the bank of the Thames. We were delighted that some parents were able to come along too. All of our GCSE pupils currently study this play, focusing on the power of words and how they transform a diverse mass of men into a “band of brothers”, a truly indomitable fighting force, at the Battle of Agincourt. Henry V has been held both to justify war and to oppose it, and so provides an excellent opportunity for exploring the dividing line between jingoism and patriotism. Like many of Shakespeare’s plays, Henry V
is capable of interpretation on different levels, a point well illustrated by the notorious speech in which Henry informs the Governor of Harfleur of the awful consequences to come if he does not surrender. There must have been those in Shakespeare’s audiences for whom hurting the French required neither justification nor excuse, but a more thoughtful response is that Henry is perhaps for the first time realising the consequences of his decision to invade France; as well as the victories he hoped to win there will be ‘collateral damage’ and a burden of guilt he will carry for the rest of his life. Following this interpretation, the actor Jamie Parker seemed almost to plead with the
Governor to let him off the hook, just one of many details in his construction of a likeable Henry whose leadership qualities were entirely believable. The intimacy of the Globe makes this kind of interpretation easier than it might be elsewhere; at the theatre, we were “penny stinkers”, standing in the pit with a wonderful view of the action and a sense of direct involvement with the characters. The £5 cost of each of our tickets, like the Elizabethan penny, was still remarkably good value for a West End performance with many renowned Shakespearean actors.
pupils who have given their time up to debating this year—their enthusiasm and competitive spirit have been genuinely inspiring.
team from George Green School was a no-show my attention was taken up in forming a “swing team” (teams that make up numbers but without being allowed to qualify) with audience-membercum-no-notice-participant Julia Cummings. Personally I thoroughly enjoyed my reminder of the excitement of fiercely contested argument, although being twice the age of my average opponent made it a little less daunting than it might have been! Meanwhile I was highly impressed with Julia’s ability to think quickly and construct intelligent arguments on the fly, without preparation or experience. After a short interlude for refreshment and frenetic planning, the teams embarked on a short preparation motion on introducing 50% quotas of women in boardrooms. Again I was unable to observe much, being caught up
Mrs E Karavidas
Debating This year has been the busiest yet for the school’s bourgeoning debating society. A still greater emphasis on inter-school competition has seen the weekly Friday debates in the Beardwood confined largely to Michaelmas term; they have, however, remained hugely entertaining. The school’s competitive teams have distinguished themselves through their increasingly slick and competitive performances, reflected in their reaching the later rounds in three out of the five contests we have entered so far. Looking forward, Colfe’s will be entering a World Schools format competition for the first time ever this year and, from this September will be introducing a junior debating society for the lower years to introduce them to debating at the earliest possible opportunity. I would like to thank all of those
Cambridge Schools’ Competition
Colfe’s entered three teams into this major nationwide competition and also hosted one of the first round heats. The evening, in which twelve teams competed in total, was a success: the various participating schools were duly appreciative of a lavish Colfean buffet before settling down to debate the pre-prepared motion: “This house would allow all states to develop nuclear weapons.” As a break from last year’s tradition, Colfe’s had managed to put in some reasonable squad planning towards this motion and our speakers indeed seemed confident afterwards. Unfortunately, as one
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in a debate myself, but by the end of the evening all three teams felt that qualification was a possibility. Unfortunately two Colfe’s teams were in the same room and with only one team allowed through from each room somebody would be let down. In the event Paul Shehadeh and Rebecca Dowse were put through to the next round, although Paul himself remarked on how fearsome his much younger Colfean opponents (Marcus Brockman and Shannon Burke) had been- he was surprised to have beaten them. Our final team- Charlie Whittaker and Jamie Cox- finished a frustrating second out of four in their room. I accompanied Paul and Rebecca to their second round fixture a few weeks later: perhaps they were disturbed by the longer than expected and hence rather rapid walk to City of London School, but both speakers were a little nervous on the night. Paul, who argued in his typically charming and humorous style, tended to freeze up at key moments, whilst Rebecca, forceful and determined in delivery, was targeted intensively with some aggressive points of information from the opposition teams- a tough lesson in trying not to get distracted. My thanks however to them both- they certainly went down fighting.
English
two. The speakers also found the motions somewhat frustrating: “This house would raise inheritance tax to 100%,” seemed slewed heavily in favour of A Level economists, whilst “This house would force children’s TV programs to challenge gender stereotypes,” seemed hopelessly obscure. English Speaking Union—Public Speaking Competition
Again this clashed with other school commitments for me, so I must thank Mr. Hillmer for escorting the team up to ESU headquarters- an imposing venue. Although I have heard one judge unkindly remark that “The difference between debating and public speaking is
that debating is cool,” it must be said that public speaking contests are still technical and demanding: as much a test of etiquette and networking skills as anything else. For our team of three, Henry Chapman gave a powerful speech on the evils of smoking—I had listened to this in rehearsal. Shannon Burke and Sam Chatterley meanwhile worked with a speaker from another school who gave (an apparently rather rambling) speech on censorship in the media. As chairwoman Shannon did her best to keep the speaker and wider discussion on topic, whilst Sam Chatterley, as questioner, made a decent job of giving some shape to the argument through a logical line of questioning. Thanks to all three
Oxford Schools Competition
This tournament (first round heat held in Whitgift School) fell on the same day as year 11 parents’ evening. Being unable to attend myself, I was rescued by Mr Otley who generously sacrificed the opportunity to offer his insights as a year 11 form tutor, a generosity made particularly evident by the late finish for the debating- the minibus returned some time after 10pm! Although the Colfe’s pairs were certainly competitive, particularly Charlie Whittaker and Marcus Brockman, who won their first debate outright, none of them progressed to the next round in what has always been a very tough competition- typically only about one in seven teams break to round
Talented debaters, Charlie Whittaker and Marcus Brockman
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for their efforts on the night and for reporting back after! English Speaking Union—Mace Competition
This is the UK’s biggest long preparation competition and again Colfe’s played host for a first round contest. With two teams from four going through, the competition took a mildly ridiculous turn when Crossways Academy pulled out at short notice: this did however allow Dom Smithies and Miles Ashdown to step into the breach as swingers; the boys obligingly cobbled together some surprisingly plausible arguments at short notice and actually offered their Thomas Tallis opponents some serious opposition. Meanwhile, the main Colfe’s team, Marcus Brockman and Julia Cummings, took on Blackheath High by opposing the motion, “This house would make organ donation compulsory, without exception.” Marcus delivered a clear, detailed and coolly reasoned speech, whilst Julia, having had much longer to prepare for this debate, also formulated highly persuasive and closely reasoned arguments. In the event both Colfe’s and Blackheath went through, but it was clear that Colfe’s had had the better of the argument. The second round was far more competitive. Proposing the motion “This house would allow the torture of terror suspects,” Colfe’s were up against the host school Dulwich College. Due to exam commitments Julia had been replaced by Charlie Whittaker who immediately formed a closely co-operative team with Marcus. With only two teams from six qualifying, one of the Dulwich speakers being part of the England team and another school fielding pupils who had had England trials the odds seemed stacked against Colfe’s. However, this didn’t seem to bother Charlie and Marcus. In his speech Marcus was aggressively challenged within seconds of the bell by his Dulwich opponenttwo years older and soon to become a national champion in the Cambridge Schools—only for
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Marcus himself to respond with an instant and effective riposte. The ensuing debate was intense, thoroughly analytical in nature and with regular, sharp engagement between the teams. In the event both Colfe’s and Dulwich were put through ahead of the rest, with the judge noting how many of the key points had effectively been fought to a stalemate. The third round saw Colfe’s facing the hosts, this time Sevenoaks School, and beating them convincingly: we opposed the motion “This house believes the NHS should not fund any assisted fertility treatments.” The level of Colfean preparation was impressive with both boys performing various cost-benefit analyses and referencing a wide range of medical and ethical issues. The main problem for Colfe’s was that their opponents had not fought harder- both Charlie and Marcus were left with unused material that never became relevant. The winners for the round were Dulwich who pipped the reigning national champions St. Paul’s: it certainly seemed that having strong opposition raised the quality of their debate. However, the Colfe’s pair did incredibly well to finish third from six behind some exceptionally strong opposition. I am confident Colfe’s teams can go even further in years to come. International Competition for Young Debaters
Colfe’s fielded two teams in this competition, both from year 10. The regional round held at SOAS in London took up an entire Saturday, although the lengthy period waiting around at the start was alleviated by Joe Andrew giving an impressively polished impromptu magic show, using his ever-present deck of cards… The actual debating was hard-fought, with some challenging motions for younger speakers. Particularly tricky was “This house would invade Syria,” although other debates on the Euro and the relative benefits of religion were not far behind. In the end one of our teams (Joe Andrew and Sam Chatterley) came
24th from roughly 50 whilst the second team, Marcus Brockman and Tom Whittaker, qualified for finals day by placing 7th. Finals day was held in the prestigious Oxford Union buildings in central Oxford. After an unpleasantly early start, Marcus and Tom were in for a gruelling day of four consecutive short-prep debates. The highlight was probably a debate on making parents responsible for bullying done by their children, held in the main debating chamber itself, with Colfe’s directly paired against Eton. The debate was lively and closely fought, although after the antisocial activities of the Bullingdon Club got dragged into discussion I found myself in the rather odd position of smoothing over a potential post-debate argument with the irritated Etonians. As Joe Andrew remarked a few days later, “That would have been the most middle-class fight ever, sir!” Sadly, Colfe’s didn’t qualify for the Grand Final, although both speakers were able to learn a lot from an intensive day’s competition. The Friday Debates
There were many of these early in the year, less technical and intense than schools’ debating, but often raucous and thoroughly enjoyable. Thanks as ever to the many speakers, teachers and pupils alike. The highlight was probably provided by Mr Pearson who made the most spectacular misjudgement I have ever seen in a debate when trying to argue for completely open internet access in schools. Having hooked his iPhone up to the projector and invited the audience to Tweet their contributions live during the debate, (with permission of course!) he thought to demonstrate the power of the internet. He probably didn’t anticipate the various e-heckling that this produced or indeed Tom Chapman’s various chat-up lines appearing on screen behind him. The proposed motion, inevitably, went down in flames, but at least we were all entertained. Mr C Dunsmore
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Science
Charlie Whittaker, Alice Stevens and Tom Keeler analysing their own DNA
Science DNA Day The aim of the day was to see how DNA technologies are used in everyday life and to help the pupils gain a deeper understanding of the techniques used. Professor John Schollar came in from Reading University to run a series of practical investigations with our A Level Biologists. Our DNA detectives were able to take home a gel containing their own DNA profile - a memorable and unusual keep sake! We conducted two investigations. Firstly, an investigation into mitochondrial
cheek cell DNA using PCR. Here, pupils isolated mitochondrial DNA from their own cheek cells and amplified a small region of it. They therefore became familiar with DNA extraction, PCR and gel electrophoresis. The techniques are used, amongst other things, to identify inherited diseases and also in forensic investigations. Secondly, an investigation entitled DNA Detectives - The Infection. This was a simulation, based on a real outbreak of a deadly Hantavirus, carried by rats, in the south western
deserts of the USA. Pupils treated the extracted viral DNA using the restriction enzyme BamHI and separated the DNA fragments using gel electrophoresis. From the result, they identified which animals are carriers and which patients need urgent treatment for the deadly virus. Dr J Lea
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Year 8 Recycling Paper Report The Environmental, Economic and Social Impact of Paper Making
Elena Horton and Ben Debney instructed by Dr Lea
Making Paper Year 7 and 8 pupils made recycled paper from waste paper as part of a joint enterprise with Sri Sri Academy, Kolkata, India. The aim of the partnership is to encourage cross-cultural understanding. This paper making activity is the second joint activity in what we hope will be a lasting partnership. Next, we hope to get the children from both schools talking to each other ‘faceto-face’ over SKYPE. A few of the pupils did some research to explore the ideas of paper waste and recycling in both the UK and India. Attached is an extract from such a report. Dr J Lea
The name ‘paper’ comes from the Latin papyrus which was made from a grass-like plant, sliced into layers and beaten into sheets. Paper is created by pressing damp cellulose fibres together and then drying them. Vast areas of trees are especially grown to be harvested to make paper. Paper has a number of impacts environmentally, socially and economically. First, on the environmental perspective, many trees have to be felled in order to produce paper. Trees are very important to the environment and cutting them down can lead to environmental problems. This is because trees give off oxygen, store lots of carbon and they provide a habitat for many animals and plants. In addition, paper production uses a lot of energy, creates pollution and utilises a great deal of water. Cutting down forests to make paper has a social impact on the communities where the forests are. Their forests are important to them for hunting, fishing and searching for plants and herbs. They also use the wood from the trees for housing, furniture, firewood and selling other crops. If their forests are removed, they are unable to do all these things. Paper is costly to produce (using energy, water and labour) and can be expensive to store. Nowadays there are many different electronic solutions to reduce the amount of paper used. Ben Debney (Year 8)
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Science
Honduras Expedition Dr Lea, Dr Davies, Mr Seddon and Miss Lawton, took a large group of pupils on an expedition to the cloud forest and coral reef in Honduras. The expedition was facilitated by Operation Wallacea (named after Alfred Russel Wallace – the cooriginator, with Charles Darwin, of the idea of evolution by natural selection). The trip would prove to be both extremely challenging and rewarding for both pupils and staff. Our visit to Cusuco West National Park started with a two hour trek to base camp at Santo Thomas. With the temperature hovering around 32º C, we arrived somewhat dishevelled but excited about the week ahead. The expeditionary team was divided into two. Each group in turn trekked for 8 hours to the satellite camp, El Danto (El Dampo!), at an elevation of 1600m, in the humid cloud forest proper. Mules carried our rucksacks for two thirds of the distance, but the last stretch was too steep and the track too narrow for the mules to pass forcing us to bear the weight of our own equipment for the remaining ascent. With the help of experts, students sampled along transects / set up mist nets / pitfall traps etc. for amphibians, reptiles, insects and birds. At night time, students joined teams either looking for amphibians and reptiles, or catching bats in mist nets or light trapping insects. Students were gripped with curiosity for the taxa, from stick insects and tarantulas to tree frogs and marsupials, enviously exchanging stories about what they had seen. Some pupils also visited a local coffee farm. One of the main threats to Cusuco’s future is the clearing of large areas for cattle grazing and coffee plantations; yet these are
often the only sources of income for some of the poorest people in the world. Although good conservation involves working with local people to try and establish sustainable ways to harvest resources or to provide alternative incomes, our pupils saw a coffee plantation run on traditional lines. This half of the expedition offered students a unique education about Honduran wildlife, conservation, poverty and culture. Moreover, they learnt to cope with the heat and the physical hardships of expeditionary life (on a diet of rice and beans!). The second week presented its own challenges but diving in the coral reef was altogether less taxing than hiking through the forest, baggage and all. To reach our planned dive site in Utila, we negotiated a numbing three hour coach ride and turbulent 35 knot ferry crossing. At Utila, the pupils either successfully completed their PADI ‘open water’ diving qualification or participated in a ‘reef ecology course’ (diving or snorkelling). The easy pace of Caribbean life and beauty of the corals, sponges and fish made the challenge of learning to dive one that was relished by the staff and students alike. Highlights included: swimming with Eagle Rays, getting
up close and personal with Sea Horses and Moray eels and being nibbled by cleaner wrasse at a fish ‘cleaning station’. Yet during this incredibly uplifting experience, the expedition party received tragic news that one of students on the expedition had lost his father unexpectedly. Gareth Kennedy Brown displayed enormous courage on the remainder of the expedition. This was the student who was always the first to run ahead to give messages, the first to help those who were struggling with their bags and the first to volunteer to help the scientists collect evening data after a long day trekking; utterly selfless. He is a credit to his late father and a role model for the school community. Dr J Lea
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Year 12 Biology Field Trip to Nettlecombe Court in Somerset The first morning was spent studying grassland ecology; learning to identify ground flora species and consider sampling for measuring yarrow size along two transects that differed in elevation and soil moisture. After lunch, students studied mathematical and graphical techniques for evaluating the effects of abiotic factors on plant size and the limitations of ecological techniques; both of relevance to practical examinations taken the following day focusing on the qualitative abundance of lichens and the quantitative analysis of buttercup size. The third day was dedicated to a study of populations on the rocky shore at Porlock Weir. Students enjoyed catching crabs and learning how to identify molluscs (top shells, edible winkles etc.). They investigated species composition in different microhabitats and used random sampling, timed searches and Vernier callipers to determine the effects of habitat on shell size and cohort structure. In the evening, we calculated the Standard Deviation and conducted a T-Test. Further study led to us examining the effects of intra/interspecific competition and predation and limiting factors on population size. Before retiring, we set some Longworth traps in the grounds around the classroom to catch small mammals for subsequent observation. This was undertaken the following morning after which the animals (bank voles, wood mice and common shrews) were released.
Later that day, we planned to travel to local woodland to learn how to trap insects and to do a capture-markrecapture study on woodlice, but for now we were off to Embercome, Exmoor to do some fresh water ecology. Would the good weather hold out? No! It bucketed down. I was expecting lots of moaning and appeals to go into the warm and dry. Instead, I found the pupils to be enthusiastic, focused and efficient on the task in hand. They collected data rapidly (probably because it was so wet) but accurately and they maintained an intellectual curiosity about what they were doing. It was really a pleasure to watch them work. In the evening, we calculated Spearman’s rank Correlation on numbers of individuals of certain species and abiotic factors measured in pools and riffles. We also calculated a Chi Squared test on species abundance at two sites. We evaluated the techniques used and went to bed. Dr Lea
Science Breakfast Club
Mr Cummins hosting the Breakfast Club
The Year 12 Science Breakfast Club has become an established part of science at Colfe’s. Each session is taken by a different member of the Science department, who leads a discussion on an area of science of particular interest to them, beyond the restraints of the A level syllabus. The topics covered are very diverse as can be seen from a sample of last year’s offerings: Mr Fishwick, ‘Refrigeration has completely changed how humans live, from where we live and what we eat, to how we communicate and travel’; Mr Cummins, ‘An introduction to quantum theory’; Mrs Durkin, ‘Why we need to allow for Einstein’s Theory of Relativity when setting up GPS systems’; Mr Hilmer, ‘The paradox of choice’; Mr Worley, ‘Materials used in the production of bikes, specifically at wheels and how they work’; and Mrs Durkin, ‘The life and work of Alan Turing’ (including discussion of how he invented the computer and cracked the Enigma code). Mrs B Durkin
History
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History The rebirth of the Colfe’s Historical Society has been a great step forward and we have been pleased to welcome a number of excellent speakers. Perhaps the highlight was the revelation that James Lynch of 10C had been assisting the historian William Battersby with his research concerning the illfated Franklin expedition of 1845,
and the pair had come close to finding the DNA evidence needed to correct what they believed to be the misidentification of the remains of one of the crew. For James to be working at a post-graduate level at the age of fifteen bodes very well for his future. Many of the lower years used the termly book report to give riveting talks to their peers
on subject matters entirely of their choosing. Topics ranged from the life of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk to the history of skateboarding and it is delightful to see young people follow their interests and demonstrate their love of learning. Mr A Foster (Head of History)
Historical Society Our first Historical Society event of the year was a memorable talk by historian Evie Wyld on the Vietnam War. Evie spoke about her uncle Tim who fought in the war.
Tim in Vietnam (3rd from the right – with the moustache!) ‘It wasn’t until my late teens—when I was about the age he was when he went to fight in Vietnam—that I really started thinking about the photographs and how someone I loved had done those things, and had thought to take a photograph of them. I knew very little about the Vietnam war—only that, like all wars, it was a bad thing. Until the day six years ago, when I spoke to my uncle about it, I don’t think I had
ever really connected him with the album. I was in the middle of writing my first novel and knew I wanted to touch on the Australian experience in the Vietnam war, and so I brought my tape recorder and we sat for a day drinking beer in the rock pools that face the headland at the beach shack where he and my mother spent time as children…Listening back to the tapes I recorded that day, I notice how my uncle stops
every now and then to comment on something around us—a sea eagle, a shoal of salmon or a shift in the direction of the wind. Often these observations meander into stories about times gone by, when there was still abalone on the rocks and before the national park started to bulldoze the shacks when the person whose name was on the lease died. These stories come when he talks about the really bad things, the
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things that he can’t say without a smile because they don’t sound real when you’re sitting down by the sea with the mix of beer and salt on your tongue. At one point, as he’s telling me about the death of his close friend Grub, he spots a deer over the ridge of the hill and points her out to me. “They don’t come around anymore, since the cull,” he says. His stories of Vietnam are about being conscripted and about the friends he made in training, the terrible night alone when he fell asleep and on waking thought he could feel someone’s breath on his face. How the platoon all cried when someone shot the sniffer dog, even with men falling all around them; and about the forward scout, his close friend, who was shot through the neck when he leaned against a tree to eat tinned lima beans. The first boy he killed in close combat and the pictures in the kid’s wallet.
Poland Trip
History
Here, he changes tack to tell me about the time he and four friends were swimming “just out beyond that point, after the breakers”, when a large fin appeared right next to them. He tells me, laughing, that he and another bloke had read that to avoid a shark attack you should float, play dead. The other three all swam in as quickly as possible, leaving just the two of them for the shark to choose between, and the shark’s circles were getting tighter. They swam in, puzzled that the shark hadn’t behaved as it should. Now we know that sharks especially like to eat dead things. He tells me how coming back home from the war, he was picked up at the airport by his parents and they went to the nearest pub to celebrate his safe return. They were not served, because he was in uniform. My grandfather was turned away with his family and they all drove home without the celebratory drink. He talks about
going to find a friend who had gone missing with his discharge payout, coming across him by the side of the road, half-dead with drink, having spent all of his money in a week on whiskey and on the horses. There is a long pause on the tape. “No bugger looked after us.” … I realize now that it must be impossible for him. This is one of the brutalities of war, this lost piece of yourself that you can’t show other people. No matter how hard you try to grasp it, there will not be the words. I wonder if this is why the photographs needed to be kept, and perhaps why you would stay close by your family your whole life, why you would revisit the places that you went to as a child, to remember who you were before you had to take those photographs.’ Evie Wyld; After the Fire, a still small voice.
History
‘The horrible scream of the children come from the street, their cry for help to the disgusting guffaw of the amused Germans; they are throwing children out of the windows onto lorries, sometimes they miss’ (Stella Muller, aged 8, records the deportation of Jews from Krakow) ‘Flowers die but stones last forever’ (engraving remembered by Kirsty Sutherland, Year 10 student) Krakow is a city whose beautiful historic buildings remained miraculously unscathed by the horrors of the Second World War, yet it is a place to which millions of people travel each year in order to bear witness to the Holocaust at the nearby Auschwitz-Birkenau camp. Forty Colfeians from Year 9, 10 and 12 experienced four days of culture and sunshine in this beguiling and fascinating city. The picture-perfect streets were busy with tourists, yet as a result of Krakow being snubbed as a host city mercifully few were inebriated or vocally expressing their support for a country competing in Euro 2012. The England team were happily billeted in their five star hotel near Krakow’s largest medieval square in Europe, but had been so taken by their surroundings that they were to be seen (and quickly found for photos) by the more sharp eyed students on the trip. Through the sweltering heat the group embarked on a five hour guided walking tour which took in the Jewish quarter, the streets used for Schindler’s List, St Mary’s Church and the Remuh synagogue. The museum at the site of Schindler’s factory featured some astonishing evidence of what the citizens of Krakow suffered during the Nazi occupation. A carefully
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hand written note by an eight year old Roman Polanski described how he ‘suddenly realised that we were to be walled in. I got so scared that I eventually burst into tears’. The extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau is on such a scale that it demands a full day to try to get to grips with the majority of its physical features; the cerebral impact that this place has is not one which is confined to such a short space of time. The Polish army barracks which the Nazi converted into Auschwitz I was full of shocking features. We were able to walk through a gas chamber and see the mountains of hair and personal belongings which were discovered at Auschwitz II by the Russians who liberated it in 1945. Here there was a prison within a prison: inmates who infringed rules would be confined to a 6ft by 2 ft walled chamber. To leave again through the infamous Arbeit Macht Frei gate only a couple of hours later felt like we had cheated death and miraculously escaped. Auchwitz-Birkenau II was a much bigger camp that was constructed by the Nazis once the ‘final solution’ decided at the Wannsee conference in January 1942 demanded killing on a more industrial scale. We walked around the impossibly small living quarters into which hundreds of starving and diseased inmates were packed and imagined what it would have been like to have been in the lavatory blocks during the 30 degree summer heat. Before we walked down the tracks and back onto the coach, Miss Taylor read a short Jewish prayer to the group who were clearly appreciative of a moment together to reflect on
where they had been and what they had seen. On the outskirts of Krakow lies a very different sort of experience for the eyes and mind. The cavernous Wieliczka Salt mines is a UNESCO world heritage site which offer an opportunity to gape open mouthed at the sculptures and cathedral made entirely of salt and for the braver visitors to lick the tunnel walls to test the nature of the rock which surround you. The highly skilled and dangerous daily routine of the miners who undertook this lucrative work was explained by our guide who navigated us through the cavernous dwellings hundreds of meters underground. It did best not to think too much at various points: my alarm at descending a 300 step staircase made entirely of wood was soon matched by our ascent in a tiny and rickety lift which shot up at terrifying speed. This was a unique experience and one which the students enjoyed tremendously. Overall the trip gave the students a chance to learn about a country whose citizens experienced huge suffering at the hands of their Nazi and then Soviet occupiers in the twentieth century. Through meeting our local guides they were also able to get a brilliant insight into how Polish people see their history, their current situation and their hopes for the future. The students did the school proud in the way that they behaved at the various educational, sacred and shocking places that we visited. Miss Lechmere did an excellent job in making sure that the students gained a huge amount from this smoothly organised trip. Mr J Patterson
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History
Archaeology On the 25th of March, I was invited to have a tour of St Helen’s Place where there is ongoing excavation work, situated in the City of London. At the location lies the Leather sellers Hall and therefore Mr Foster put me in touch with some of the archaeologists working there. I am very keen to study Archaeology and Anthropology at university so I am taking every opportunity to make sure I am choosing the right course in terms of the reality of working. There is to be a large reconstruction of the ground in order to accommodate new building development, and under City law an archaeological survey by Museum of London Archives (MOLA) must be undertaken. The site is significant in terms of having Roman, Medieval and Post-Medieval points of interest and while I was there I was able to see not just physical features of previous structures in the ground,
but some of the artifacts found such as pottery and flint. My favourite part of the tour was definitely seeing how the remains of the Benedictine Nunnery can be excavated and identified, fragments of the medieval cloister and foundations that relate to the monastic buildings that would have surrounded it, have all been uncovered at the site. I have also been lucky enough to have work experience at the London Archaeological Archive and Resource Centre or LAARC in Hackney (where MOLA are also based) in March. I helped repackage any material that had been removed from the archives for research, and also drew some of the material to be filed elsewhere. I learnt how it is not just coins that are used to date any sites in London, but clay pipes are used, as their development of design changed very regularly throughout tobacco smoking history,
Alice Stevens (Year 12), second from right, at the St Helen’s Place dig
thus the size and the shape can give an indication of the date of the site. I really enjoyed working at the archives as it was a side of archaeology that is just as important as the physical aspects and is crucial for research. In addition, I did a day of practical work in Kent helping out on a site that may potentially be excavated as there is a suspected Roman Villa there! I was able to observe some geophysical surveying and took part in a test pit. There had been a dig a year before I went that showed promising signs of Roman activity, and the day after I was volunteering a medieval brooch had been discovered. I am really grateful to Mr Foster and all the archaeologists who have taken time to allow me to take relevant work experience. Alice Stevens (Year 12)
Geography
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Geography 2011–12 was another successful year for Geography at Colfe’s. We saw the highest numbers for a decade opt for the subject at AS level, following on from record numbers at GCSE in the last two years. Happily, this trend is set to continue at GCSE in the following academic year with around 60 pupils choosing GCSE Geography and 28 opting for AS. One of the stated aims of the department is to encourage pupils to apply for Geography at University. As the summer term ended we had 5 prospective Geographers from the A2 cohort holding offers from Russell Group Universities
such as Nottingham and St. Andrews. It is always pleasing to see students choosing to study Geography at university and hope that they enjoy their studies as much as we did. All the staff in the department would like to say a big thank you to the 2012 leavers for making our job such fun over the last two years. They really have been a pleasure to teach and it is rewarding to see such well-rounded individuals heading off to begin a new phase in their lives. Highlighted in this report is our most memorable trip to Barcelona. Mr O Snell (Head of Geography)
Barcelona It was with great relief that we fled rainy England and boarded the plane for sunny and vibrant Barcelona. Although this did not turn out to be quite the case for the former: the weather was a bit patchy in parts, the latter certainly met and exceeded expectations. It proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable stay in the Catalonian capital. We were staying no more than a stone’s throw away from La Rambla, one of the city’s main thoroughfares, and so we were very well placed to visit some of Barcelona’s main attractions, La Rambla itself being one of them. Over the course of the trip, we visited Parc Guell, an incredible garden complex designed by the architect Antoni Gaudi, situated on the hill of El Camel, and providing breath-taking views over the whole of Barcelona. Originally built for his patron and sponsor Count Eusebi Güell, the park itself is a superb example of Gaudi’s signature style, known as Catalan Modernism and is generally considered to be the gem in Barcelona’s cultural and artistic Parc Guell
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Geography
crown. Although the ice creams there were a bit too expensive for my taste, our visit to Park Guell would have to be the highlight of the trip for me; it was absolutely stunning. As well as this, we got to have a look at the Sagrada Familia, known worldwide as the last and incomplete work of Gaudi. It was intended to be his magnum opus, but unfortunately, he was run over by a tram before work on it could be completed! Irrespective, work on it has continued, with completion dates estimated between 2020 and 2040. Incomplete, it is still a magnificent place, and although busy, the chance to see what is perhaps Barcelona’s most memorable and impressive attraction made navigating the crowds of tourists more than worth it. We were also lucky enough to
visit the Nou Camp, home of FC Barcelona, by far one of the best football teams in the world. As well as looking round the stadium, which is one of the biggest in Europe, we visited the museum of the club’s history, which was, as well as fascinating, successful in its attempt to convert me from a position of apathy with regards to football, to a supporter of Barcelona! The history of the club and its links to Catalan independence during the time of Franco provided an interesting perspective on the nature of sport. To top it all off, we even managed to make it out into the Catalonian countryside, where we visited the remains of a series of volcanoes that formed out of plate collisions over the last 2 million years (some as recently as 11,000 years ago) in the Garrotxa National Park. We
walked along the valley of the River Fluvia and explored the basalt cliffs left by these eruptions and subsequent exposure by erosion. These were very impressive and the Catalonian countryside was tranquil and picturesque. Amongst all these activities we partook of the best tapas I can safely say I have ever had, washed down with copious amounts of ice cream and waffles, as well as the odd frozen yoghurt. Visits to the Boqueria food market to get our lunch were also an eye opener. All in all, it was an awesome trip and an incredible experience, and I think all who went on it would like to say a massive thank you to Mr Snell for organizing it and to Miss Taylor, Miss Lawton and Mr Foxall for helping to make the trip such a success! Charlie Whittaker (School Captain)
Enjoying lunch at Boqueria Food Market
Walking in the Garrotxa National Park
Crossing the River Fluvia
Economics
Colfeian 2012
Economics The year began with record numbers of students choosing to take Economics or Business Studies (35 taking Economics alone in the Lower Sixth). Many of the Upper Sixth demonstrated their love for the subject by choosing Economics or Business courses at university. Several students also chose to complete an EPQ in Economics, covering a range of issues from the impact of containerisation on the East End of London, to the reaction of golf clubs to the recession, to the battle for global economic dominance between China and India. The 2012 Lower Sixth Economists are the first in the school to follow the AQA syllabus,
which unlike the previous OCR syllabus contains a multiple choice paper; this led to a great deal of competition amongst the students to be ‘top of the league’ in a series of practice papers. At the time of writing Fraser Stewart, Henry Richardson and Manish Patel were battling it out for top spot! In an attempt to develop cross-curricular skills the Upper Sixth engaged in a lesson of potato printing Average and Marginal Cost diagrams; surely they couldn’t get the diagrams wrong after carefully carving them into an oversize King Edward! Outside the classroom the IFS Student Investor Challenge again proved popular with a Colfe’s team, captained
by Hector Palmer, reaching the regional finals. Managing to earn a good rate of return on (a fictional) £100000 was no mean feat, especially given the current financial climate. The challenge for 2012–13 students will be to match this success and to perform equally well as the school returns to the Bank of England target 2.0. For more details or to get an insight into the day to day operation of the department please check out @COLFESeconomics on twitter. Mr R Otley (Head of Economics)
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Modern Foreign Languages
Modern Foreign Languages The European Day of Languages in September involved an assembly that addressed the issue of how important language learning is in today’s global society and made pupils aware of the variety of languages spoken by Colfeians. Stress was placed upon the fact that learning another language opens up new opportunities and gives you perspectives that you might never have encountered otherwise. Personal, professional, social, and economic considerations all point to the advantages of learning foreign languages. Indeed, 5 pupils from Years 8–10 recently sat the GCSE Russian early and 2 pupils in Years 8 & 10 sat the Turkish GCSE exam. For those pupils who were fast tracked in Year 10 for early entry GCSE, this year offered them the chance to sit the DELF (Diplôme d’Etudes de la Langue française) accredited by the French Institute and administered by the International Centre for French Studies (CIEP). In MFL we have striven to introduce initiatives that unite the school in a quest to value the learning of a modern foreign language. Such whole school projects have included 2 competitions involving the vocabulary learning programme, vocabexpress. Pupils from all years (7 to 13) were invited to take part in a week of ferocious online vocabulary learning, in the resolve to win a place on the national leader board. Colfe’s secured a place on the Genius Cup Leader Board and special commendation given to Marcus Brockman who achieved a resounding 23,455 points! In addition, I thank Marios Koutsakis for organizing the Olympiad, a national and inter-house based language competition. Pupils were
Senior and Prep pupils enjoying the Café français challenged to decipher unknown language exploring the fields of mathematical, theoretical, and descriptive linguistics. Patrick Shutt was the highest scored individual and Prendergast the winning house. I would also like to thank Franziska Deutsch who has initiated a new Penpal scheme for Year 8 pupils. These pupils were given the opportunity to take part in regular letter exchanges with pupils from the Collège Georges Pompidou in Courbevoie, France and the Freies Gymnasium Penig in Penig, Germany. The Penpal scheme was a great success, as our students enjoyed the contact with authentic German and French youngsters and furthermore, they were able to demonstrate their ability to apply the knowledge learned in their French and German lessons in a real life context. We very much value our ties with the Preparatory School. Sixth Form
French, German and Spanish students took time to visit Reception H and Reception F in December to give presentations about Christmas on the continent and cultural differences between Christmas traditions in England and France, Germany and Spain. Reception pupils enjoyed continental sweets and biscuits, a sing-song and the opportunity to make festive greeting cards and posters in the target language. In addition, Year 5 was welcomed to the Senior School to play the role of customer at our Café français. Year 11, 12 and 13 students adopted the role of waiter and waitress and offered a first class service in serving pupils croissants, jus d’orange, pains au chocolat and biscuits français. Judging took place of the best hand-designed French menus and pupils engaged in a jolly sing song to finish off a thoroughly enjoyable morning.
Modern Foreign Languages
Colfeian 2012
Christmas Market at Lille One memorable event in the year was our annual Year 7 trip to the Christmas Market in Lille, which had been transformed into a winter wonderland. The fourth largest metropolitan area to Paris, Lyon and Marseille, Lille has been described as the place to dream and to do your Christmas shopping! The 83 wooden chalets of the Christmas market offered a perfect opportunity for the young Colfeians to indulge themselves in conversational French with the stall holders and to purchase Christmas gifts, including
decorations, arts and crafts, as well as festive food. In fact there was hardly a child who did not delight in the tasting of a chocolate covered crépe or gaufre. In addition to the market, the 3900 shops in the city also had much to offer; ensuring every taste and budget was catered for. Others showed an impressive command of the language in engaging with waiters and waitresses in cafés, although too few dared try the French delicacies of les escargots, les moules and les cuisses de grenouille.
Year 7 students shopping in Lille
Paris Another high point of the MFL year was the French and Art department trip to Paris in Easter, which was a wonderful opportunity to see if “being a Parisian (really does mean) barging to the front of any queue and being able to infuriate people by just shrugging” (Stephen Clarke, writer). After a moment of wonderment praising the beauty of St Pancras station, it was time to board the Eurostar and depart on our 2 ½ hour journey to the Gare du Nord. Seven French students and five Art students, accompanied by Miss Beetlestone and myself arrived at the most comfortable Alliance Hotel set in the less salubrious area of the 18th arrondissement. No sooner had the students kicked off their shoes to enjoy the revelry of being ‘away from home with friends’, than the calls came for them to hit the streets of Paris. This was, after all, a city break and what better way to see a city in its true light than by foot. We walked all the way from the Musée d’Orsay, across town, appreciating the beauty of the boulevards lining the Jardin des Tuileries, the ridiculously priced cashmere gents’ sweaters in the windows of the shops lining the Champs Elysées, the ornate Opera house, the Palais Garnier, and the so very well-known windmill
Enjoying the sights and sounds (and sunshine!) of Paris in Spring
of the Moulin Rouge. With blisters burning and moans increasing, the teachers became relentless in their cries of “we’re nearly there”, “not much further now”, “it’s just around the corner” until finally with Sashia piggy backed half way up the hill, we finally reached the destination for our Friday evening meal, Montmartre. As perfect as any French literary depiction, the sun had begun to set and the artists were in full swing, the whole square decorated by red and white chequered tablecloths. Students were given their first opportunity to engage with the locals and use their French to good use. Now full of French delicacies and feet rested, it
was time for a moment of reflection in the Sacré Coeur. Any visit to Paris would be incomplete without a visit to this 19th century Roman Catholic Church. The visit is even more overwhelming at night as the candles burn in memory of loved ones and the Church resonates to the sound of nuns effortlessly singing. More shocking, however, is the juxtaposition of the serenity of the church and the intoxication of the young Parisians ‘hanging out’ on the steps leading from the Sacré Coeur. Leaving the smell of alcohol and urine behind us it was finally time to hit the sack and regain our energy in order to face the itinerary of the next day.
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Saturday happened to be less sunny but spirits remained high and the group divided into two. The first group of A level artists made their way to the Musée Rodin to draw and be inspired by Rodin’s extensive collection of sculpture and drawings as well as the beautiful gardens. Meanwhile the French linguists headed downtown to Montparnasse. After a mini lecture setting the scene of France during the Occupation and discussing the language associated with the Resistance and the Collaboration, the group headed into the Musée Jean Moulin, where they duly learned about the Liberation of France and the bravery of those
Modern Foreign Languages
who were central figures among the resistance movement. This overview will be of great benefit to those studying French at A2 level next year as the Occupation is a key topic studied in preparation for the study of the cultural topic, the film Au Revoir Les Enfants. The group rejoined for lunch before departing for an afternoon of free time. Here students either enjoyed the shopping delights of Boulevard Hausmann and the mammoth department store, Galeries Lafayette or relished in the opportunity to squeeze in another gallery, this time the Musée de l’Orangerie being the gallery of choice and students clearly showed they had been impressed by the work of the impressionists and postimpressionists, Monet’s Water Lilies not disappointing either. Dinner on Saturday evening comprised a 3 course meal in the traditional French restaurant, Le Chartier and here reviews were mixed from, ‘It’s fantastic—bustling and busy with loads of French people—just brilliant’ to ‘I can’t believe how rude our waiter is’. Indeed, Le Chartier is an experience in itself but one that is definitely worth the 20 euros it costs. Blue skies returned on the
Sunday but clear skies meant a drop in temperatures and it was indeed in the freezing cold that we waited 1½ hours before finally managing to gain access to the Musee d’Orsay. With museums being free on a Sunday and a special temporary exhibition of Degas’ nudes, it felt like the whole of France had the same itinerary as us! However, the wait was worthwhile and students, both art and French, enjoyed the range of art on display, including a collection of fabulous Art Deco furniture. The afternoon scheduled included a visit to the Eiffel Tower or alternatively a visit to the Egouts de Paris, the Parisian sewers and the Musee d’art moderne. The sewers offered a somewhat original, less tourist impression of Paris and although not overwhelming, the stench was enough for us to question whether ‘Paris (really does) have the cleanest gutters in the world because the dogs respect them’ (Alain Schifres, journalist). Once reassembled, the group embarked on another mammoth walk across town, past Notre Dame, the Centre Pompidou and back homewards to the hotel to collect our luggage before boarding the evening train back to London.
a grade between A* and B which is one of the best results in the history of our department! The ladder is high for our current Year 11s who worked hard to accomplish their targets. Our Year 10s are a small, but very keen group who showed real enthusiasm for the language and took part in a variety of engaging activities such as mapping German holiday destinations and designing ads for them or completing a cinema course on the film “Run Lola Run”. As a reward for their good work we had a farewell German breakfast. There was also good news from our A level students who achieved a grade between A* and C. The Year 13 students worked hard and diligently towards their exams and initiated a European Film Club for MFL students in the Sixth Form. We went on a theatre trip to
watch “The Visit” by F. Dürrenmatt, a play that we studied as part of the A2 course.
Rhineland We were proud to finish another successful year in promoting the German language and engaging our pupils with aspects of German culture and giving them the opportunity to use the language in different contexts. Our Year 8 and Year 9 pupils started exchanging letters with a school in Germany. Ms Deutsch, who organised the pen pal scheme, was delighted to see the pupils being enthusiastic about writing letters in German and the scheme is going to continue next year. The highlight of the year was the biannual trip to the Rhineland where 66 pupils had the opportunity to explore this part of Germany. You can read an analytical report of this trip below. Mrs Biggs indulged her Year 8 pupils with a German food tasting session. Our GCSE results were fantastic! All pupils received
A much enjoyed extra academic event was our trip to the Rhineland. The educational programme combined German language lessons with cultural expeditions. Every morning, on the strength of a hearty German breakfast, our pupils attended the Inlingua Languages School in Bonn. Lessons were interactive and adventurous such as developing a better understanding of German language and history by speaking to residents and traders at the local market. On Monday we explored the pedestrianized and very attractive Bonn town centre and visited the impressive Bonner Münster, the cathedral of the town. We travelled on the Rhine to the
Modern Foreign Languages
picturesque town of Königswinter admiring the palaces and castles of the wooded Siebengebirge Mountains. Arriving at Königswinter we ascended Drachenfels hill (Dragon’s Rock) on foot. High above the Rhine and under the mediaeval ruins of Drachenfels castle, we listened to Miss Deutsch recall the legend of Siegfried the Dragon Slayer. Imbued with the dragon’s blood, we visited the gigantic theme park of Phantasialand on Tuesday. Here, pupils took the
Colfeian 2012
opportunity to relax and unwind ahead of our trip to Cologne Cathedral on Wednesday, one of the largest churches in the world and a UNESCO world heritage site. The cathedral was awe inspiring. We laboured up the 533 steps of the south belfry and enjoyed the splendid views of Cologne from its gothic towers. We found time to visit the Lindt Chocolate Museum and Factory, a task duly relished by all. We celebrated our last evening in Germany with a delicious farewell barbecue. A barbeque was an excellent end to the Rhineland experience, of course,
Colfeians on expedition in the Rhineland
but was not perhaps as sizzingly hot, spicy and indeed hip-shakingly steamy as Mr Seddon’s end of year Salsa class held in the school’s Recital Hall. On recalling his exotic spin on the dance floor, Mr Seddon said: During a sixth form trip to Madrid last year my then Lower Sixth Spanish set were particularly disappointed that they were not allowed into a salsa club as they were too young. Therefore, for their last lesson at the end of the Upper Sixth, I decided to bring in a salsa teacher and treat them to a lesson, thinking that this would be a more attractive proposition than going through yet another past paper. The girls (this set being entirely female) seemed really to enjoy themselves. The teacher, Señora Pantoja, took them through the basic steps upon which all moves in salsa are based and then added some openings and finally turns. The girls learnt an impressive amount in such a short time and would certainly not look out of place on any dance floor where these Cuban rhythms are played. Who knows, maybe we’ll see one of them in a few years’ time on Strictly!
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Classics
Classics
Antigone Interdisciplinary fusions of talent, expertise and enthusiasm help to enrich the learning experience of our Colfeians throughout the academic year – the joint Classics and Drama production of Antigone showcased the dramatic talent of our students whilst also demonstrating their literary sensitivity to a highly ambiguous and emotionally demanding text. The formidable production team of Mr. Stewart, Mr. Corstorphine and Miss. Kerstein worked well to ensure the ancient text was transmitted in an authentic and accessible manner to all audience members. Their major focus in the early stages – even before the difficult and arduous responsibility of casting – was reflecting on how best to effectively represent the Chorus in a school production. This role was split up into minor roles, given to one person and finally reallocated to three personas. It was Mr Corstorphine’s belief that getting the Chorus right would create a rigid background to the main narrative. Mr Stewart’s direction was unparalleled and helped to bring out the emotional intensity and pace of the plot; Miss. Kerstein’s ingenious concept of levels literally gave a different
dimension to the piece. Casting was challenging given the talent of those auditioned but the final casting that emerged was formidable. The comic interludes provided by Ben Guindi and Alex Rees as the guards helped to break out the emotionally demanding scenes with Creon (Rob Ginty), Antigone (Florence Yilma) and Ismene (Jade Oswald). The Chorus (Rory Powrie, Matthias Nicholls, Jed Jeffreys) were well balanced, worked as a unit and perfectly enhanced their individual character traits. We are unable to forget the equally important interjections of the Messengers (Beth Warren and Megan Marchant), the scenesetting soldiers (Henry Chapman and Doug Jack) as well as the domineering guards (Jamie Cox and Dominic Deane). Furthermore, who of us would question the mistyeyed and terrifying Teiresias (Olivia Elsden) and her guide (Henry Mathias)?! The forceful but fearful exchange between father and son (Creon and Haemon)
was heart-felt, passionate, and wellmoderated; the monody of Antigone (Florence Yilma) was show-stopping as she addressed the audience in a plaintive plea. The versatility of Rob Ginty’s dramatic skills enabled the character of Creon to truly become accessible, and some may say, pitiable. The dramatic downfall of Creon in the last scene from an arrogant tyrant to a despairing father and husband was perfectly executed. Moral ambiguity enriches many Greek tragedies and this was fully expressed in this tragedy; who was right: Antigone or Creon? With whom did you sympathise? Would you have done things differently? From September 2012 A2 classical civilisation students will be attempting to answer these questions; the Colfeian production of Antigone has undoubtedly opened students’ eyes to literature 2,500 years old but accessible and relevant to 2012. Mr A Corstorphine (Head of Classics)
Classics
Colfeian 2012
Latin Reading Competition
Although not necessarily reflecting the intricacies of Sidney Allen’s Vox Latina, the Latin Reading Competition gives students a chance to directly interact with the Latin language and fully realise the sonorific and expressive nature of a
normally ‘textbased’ language. Across Year 8 students arduously prepared to perform a section from Cambridge Latin Course Chapter 12 reenacting the final moments of a doomed Pompeii. Although a great deal of credit was attributed to those acting out these scenes with physical gestures and props, I was impressed at how easily students fully understood what they were communicating, placing the tone and emphasis on the appropriate
Rome During Easter, a group of Year 7 and 8 students visited the historic and beautiful city of Rome. The four day trip, organised by the Classics Department, included a visit to the Colosseum and the Vatican. It was a wonderful opportunity for the children to see first-hand some of the most significant and exciting aspects of classical history. On the first day, Miss Harris, the chief navigator, led the students past various churches and temples, resting occasionally for ice-cream
and slices of pizza, until we reached the Pantheon and made a wish in the Trevi Fountain. On Wednesday, Miss Harris was ready with her map again to lead the students to the Ara Pacis and Mausoleo Augusto, where Mr Corstorphine, the chief tour-guide, was able to impart impressive knowledge on the students. After loitering around the Spanish Steps and having photos with women dressed as various goddesses in the Piazza Del Popolo, the students were able
words. After two rounds of fierce competition we found our three supreme school representatives: Sophia Rosen-Fouladi, Alice Zhelezko and Lucy Williams. The trio were uniformly brilliant and shone even greater under Miss Harris’ tutelage. In March our students were entered into the regional competition and Colfe’s firmly stood its ground with our linguistic rigour but firm and insurmountable enthusiasm. Although close we did not win this year, but I am sure with the same levels of enthusiasm and superb pronunciation—intertwined with some luck—we will have a good chance in the next competition. Mr A Corstorphine to put themselves in the shoes of a Roman gladiator in the Colosseum and marvel at the remnants in the Roman Forum. Groups of students then scattered in different directions to find a remaining temple which they could report on, and their superbly accurate presentations rivalled the local tour guides! In the evening, the students, helped by Mrs Medhurst, provided brilliant entertainment with their hilarious sketches, Sophia Rosen-Fouladi and Harry Butters impersonating the teachers incredibly accurately! The next day, students journeyed to Tivoli and walked around the gardens of Villa d’Este where they were able to take some pretty spectacular pictures given that the villa had over 100 fountains! They also saw the remains of Hadrian’s villa, and were very glad that the multi-seater loo was now out of service! On the final day in Rome, the students went to the Vatican and St Peter’s Basilica. It was Good Friday and the teachers were rather worried that it would be unbelievably busy, but the Pope was down at the Forum so it was not too hectic, and no child was left behind in the Sistine Chapel! Miss N Harris
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Classics
Sicily Thirty-five Colfeians embarked on a classical exploration of Sicily during October Half Term. Accompanied by Miss. Collinson, Mrs. Cordell, Miss. Harris and Mr. Corstorphine, students investigated a multitude of stunning UNESCO World Heritage Sites and towns steeped in Sicilian culture. This strategically important island in the Mediterranean is a mixing-pot of divergent cultures, each one leaving a seemingly indelible footprint. Participants saw the stunning Valley of the Temples at Agrigento, the luxuriously adorned Villa Romana del Casale, the heights of a volatile Mount Etna, the imposing architecture and landscape of Syracuse and the touristic idyll of Taormina. The trip to Sicily provided all students with a great deal of peripheral knowledge for their academic endeavours, whilst being a lot of fun along the way. Students would struggle to find a finer set of mosaics than those at the Villa Romana del Casale – scenes vary from women exercising to a catalogue of local animals to hunt. The temples at Agrigento are stunning on their tutelary ridge over the local countryside, although over-
brimming with potential photograph opportunities students discovered the cultural significance of these temples through the helpful guide provided. Mount Etna was a highlight to many as students travelled across the peak of this volatile summit; indeed, a slight eruption took place a few days prior! Many students commented on the layer of ash that accumulated on the streets of those villages in the shadow of this imposing volcano. We also saw the beauty of this region through the Alacantara Gorges, a stunning geographical phenomenon but the river was too strong for us to brave! Syracuse and Taormina, beautiful coastal towns provided another contrast; stunning architecture, heaps of history and a good selection of the finest ice-cream shops. In particular, the theatre at Taormina gave a commanding
vista over a Sicilian bay and the labyrinthine streets had many shops to investigate. Overall all students experienced a vast array of Sicily in a comparatively few amount of days. Mr A Corstorphine
Classics
Colfeian 2012
Study of Classical Sculpture
Mr Corstorphine and Ms Beetlestone led a group of keen classicists and art historians to the Cast Gallery in Cambridge in an interdisciplinary assault on classical sculpture. Using the vast array of transferable skills accrued students worked together to chart the progression and effectiveness of individual pieces and to give mini presentations to their colleagues. This photo depicts Mr Corstorphine speaking about a piece of Hellenistic sculpture and encouraging students to fully interact with quite a witty piece involving an over-exuberant satyr. We were very lucky to dine in the Great Hall of King’s College, Cambridge and to speak to some current students about their undergraduate experiences. This was a very engaging trip and highlighted the rewards for interdisciplinary endeavours. Mr Corstorphine
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Religious Studies & Philosophy
Religious Studies & Philosophy Spotlight on Year 9 Religious Studies Curriculum – Humanism “A humanist is someone who doesn’t believe in a God, religion or superstition. They respect human values and believe in reason. They worship the beauty and wonders of the Earth, and nature. Humanism is a full philosophy. They believe that people should work together to improve the quality of life for all and make it more equitable. They believe we only live once, and so we should live this life to the full.” -Hannah Orde. “Humanists are a non-religious organisation/group/ philosophy. They do not need a God in their life, but want to live their lives in a good way. Their moral principles are based on logical arguments and they seek to respect others and share human values. Their beliefs are that people should work together to improve their quality of life, much like most religions, but without a guiding figure or the commitment of going to Church say. Rather than believing in an afterlife, they live only in the present and focus on this life rather than the next.” -Caroline Hedley. “I agree with Russell because I think that when our bodies die our mind and soul die with it. I believe that after death there is nothing...but nobody knows for sure and it is a nice feeling to feel that there is a chance that your loved one will go to heaven” -Ollie Stavrinidis. “I think that Russell’s view on life is very peaceful as it takes away the fear of death. Reading his quotes, I can picture it in my head and I just feel calm and fearless of death.” -Chantelle Akpan.
The Human Spirit – Awe and Wonder. “I think to be at one with life is to suddenly feel awake and not alone, to have the whole universe watching over you giving you the gift of happiness and love.” -Emily Ireland. “I once had an experience in Norfolk, when I was on the beach alone, with the wind blowing in my hair. I just looked out to the sea and sat in the sand. The waves crashing loudly were somehow so very peaceful and it made me just think, think that’s all. It was beautiful in a sense as there was nobody on the beach but me, just me and the sea. The sun glowed in the distance, shining on me, almost like it as smiling straight at me. Maybe this was God or just nature, but all I knew was that I was happy to be alive.” -Lulu Price. “Nature is so beautiful and accessible; it is a shame that most people are not aware of it. Even the smallest things can evoke awe and wonder, sometimes all it takes is for us to embrace a child’s outlook to experience this beauty.” -Caroline Hedley.
Praise for Science and the Natural World. “Watching some of Attenborough’s videos, I feel like there is a whole world out there with nothing to do with humanity, and that there is so much to see in nature, whether beautiful or violent. It also makes me think that animals and wildlife are not that different to humans, that they are all intelligent beings, which are intuitive.” -Cheran Suriyaprakasam.
Readers wanting to explore this subject further may like to investigate the British Humanist Association http://www.humanism.org.uk We are grateful to the pupils for sharing their thoughts, feelings and wisdom. Mr Chuter and Miss Henderson – the Religious Studies and Philosophy Department.
Psychology
Colfeian 2012
Psychology
A visiting expert instructs Lower Sixth class in child development! Psychology is popular at Colfe’s and viewed by students and universities as a rigorous Science subject. The Lower Sixth pupils designed and implemented some very ambitious research studies this academic year, the highlight of which was an examination of the extent to which a person’s initial attachment with parents forms the template for their relationships later in life. A guest expert, Allegra Crowe, attended and participated in an evening of attachment studies on her first birthday. Thank you for the many pupils who made this a great success, including those who do not study Psychology. Allegra enjoyed herself so much that she has promised to repeat the process with next year’s AS classes. Fortunately, Jed was able to control his jealousy at Olivia’s role of mother figure to the infant. The Lower Sixth attended their annual Psychology Conference
at Senate House in central London. Here they met a lot of students from other schools undergoing similar pressures. Jack Roose was able to show off the results of his exercise compulsion while Wilf, young wildlife artist of the year, gained some valuable sketching practice. Ellie was able to observe many relationships and Rhianna had the opportunity to tell us all her insights into her own romance. The Upper Sixth Psychology classes formed a cohesive study group, culminating in the dinner in Blackheath, an opportunity for all to examine rationally their performance in the exams. This group also enjoyed their annual meeting with pupils from other schools and enjoyed the examples of aggression (Beth versus Phillipa) and relationships (Lauren and Lee) which we were able to study exhaustively. These A2 students showed real commitment to their study asking
for and attending a record number of extra after school lessons. The enthusiastic response to Dr Lea’s legendary Research Methods classes will stay with us for a long time. The Psychology Department is beginning to amass a fine collection of specialist apparatus and we look forward to the opportunity to establish a dedicated research laboratory at Colfe’s. We hope to evict the stuffed rat from the Skinner Box soon and begin training and conditioning new generations of students for years to come. This has been an excellent year for our department and we look forward to seeing our graduates take their places in the Psychology departments of some of Britain’s major universities. Mr N Crowe & Dr J Lea
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Drama
Drama Notes from the Director’s Chair 2012 was an extremely busy and successful year for the Drama Department. Our examination groups displayed great talent and we were delighted that Olivia Elsden received a place at the prestigious Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Robert Ginty, a place at the Drama Centre, London. We were able to offer three main
School productions, a variety of examination performances and an abundance of theatre trips, workshops and visits including our traditional camping trip with Year 12 to Stratford upon Avon. The introduction of LAMDA for our students has been highly successful and we enjoyed visiting speakers and past pupils doing work
experience within the Department. My sincere thanks go to Mrs Medhurst, Mr Stewart, Victoria Morris and Amanda Kerstein and all those other members of Staff who have supported our work this year. Mrs J Vander Gucht
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Antigone After opting to use a contemporary version of the script by Owen McCafferty and beginning the audition process, I was overwhelmed and relieved to meet the exceptional standard of acting depicted by a wide variety of young Colfeians. Next to this, I was mesmerised by the depth of detailed knowledge portrayed by the play’s classical advisor, Andrew Corstorphine, Head of Classics, as well as the relentless energy and technical prowess depicted by Stage Manager, Amanda Kerstein. I quickly realised that I was indeed rather fortunate to have been presented with an opportunity to work with such a diverse and talented set of professionals. Casting was a long and difficult process, as the ability of the pupils caused me to question some of the preconceptions upon leading characters traits and nuances. In hindsight, it was one
of the hardest casting calls I have ever had to make and I found it difficult to disappoint some people as I genuinely believe all of those who auditioned were talented and captivating to watch. However, after a few tough decisions, it was time to get going. With only 6 weeks to stage and rehearse, there really was no time to waste! In short, Antigone is a story of consequence which seeks to question the audience’s sense of morality. Should we stand by our family values of loyalty and trust or simply bow to the judicial injustice of the state? More importantly than this is who do we judge, Antigone for her denial to abandon her brother or Creon for his ignorance in the face of his people’s plight? If this wasn’t hard enough we also had to create a sense that the story we were telling was set within the Athenian chamber of royalty back in early
Greece! Praise should be given to all cast members for the time they had to spend listening to me churn on about ‘the characters inner turmoil,’ with special mention to Ben Guindi and Matthias Nicholls for the ability to smile no matter what the situation or time of day. Within a script as dense as Antigone, I was always anxious that a deeper understanding would elude some of the cast, but once again, I was proven wrong. Jade Oswald, Megan Marchant and Alex Rees showed a maturity of understanding that was well beyond their years, with every member of the cast showing professionalism and commitment throughout; this was clearly evident when all lines were learnt after only a week of rehearsing. Mr G Stewart
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Drama
Finn’s Game A-Level Unit 3 The talented cast of five A-Level students (Rory Powrie, Cozette Leese, Koral Ibrahim, Robert Ginty and Alexandra Landes) drew on inspiration from a wide range of influences to develop their script and characters, not least of all the diverse array of theatre productions that they have been able to see during their GCSE and A-Level studies at Colfe’s. They used research from current affairs, such as the London riots in 2011 and classic texts such as Golding’s Lord of the Flies and interspersed abstract movement scenes in amongst their naturalistic dialogue, using physical theatre techniques inspired by their workshop with the innovative theatre company Frantic Assembly. This was a very exciting piece of theatre played ‘in the round’ with the audience
sat on the stage surrounding the cast, creating an intimate, intense performance. The piece included movement, music and film and had moments of poignant comedy alongside those of despair and tragedy. The Q&A session that the cast had with the audience at the end of the performance allowed them to receive positive feedback from the audience and we were very impressed by how articulately and confidently they were able to talk about their work. Finn’s Game was a huge achievement and all members of the group received high marks for this Unit of their A-Level. Mrs R Medhurst
Pan Am 103 A-Level Unit 3 Dominic Deane, Olivia Elsden, Tom Keeler, Gareth Kennedy Brown, Milly Povey and Florence Yilma created a moving and questioning piece of theatre which explored the effect this tragedy had on individuals and families, and questioned whether Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi was guilty of the crime or merely a scapegoat for the incident. The group was very much inspired by the work of Frantic Assembly, where they created intense ensemble movements to link their stories together, and a performance of The Wild Bride at the Lyric Hammersmith which inspired their composite, versatile set. Earthquakes in London inspired their use of Media, which included a sitting room set up in the foyer with the original breaking news of the Lockerbie disaster on a TV, and a warm cup of tea on the side - all clues to the residents leaving
the house in panic. The audience was then led into the darkened Beardwood filled with smoke and dead bodies strewn across the seats. The piece then developed into a collection of stories, including an American not dealing with the loss of her son and a father not coping with the loss of his wife. The final haunting image was of the cast looking skyward to the noise of a plane crash. Pan Am 103 allowed the audience to go away and think about the truth of this tragedy, indeed, one of the main aims of the group had been to educate and inform the audience. This group of students was particularly impressive to watch in rehearsal: they were inventive, creative and diligent and their dedication led to an impressive set of marks. Mrs J Vander Gucht
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Colfeian 2012
Two Year 10 GCSE Although it was originally written to be performed by only two actors, we were fortunate enough to have 14 actors to fill each of the fourteen parts, giving each actor the chance to explore their part in a much greater depth and manner; and within a play as dark and deep as this, my young performers certainly had their work cut out for them. With this in mind, we also decided to set our pub in London, as vocal auditions were a clear indicator that accents were not going to be our strong point. However, as they soon realised, their accents were the least of their worries, because as part of their course, they were also responsible for the staging,
programmes, refreshments and the ticket sales to name but a few. But my my, didn’t they do well? Much credit should be given to Sam Chatterley, Sarah Cronk and Octavia Willoughby for providing a solid platform from which we could all build, in terms of their staging prowess and organisational mastery. Sarah Bickford and Aslan Ertan provided us with many a laugh, as poor old Liam Piddock and Adejoke Adewale showed great maturity in being able to dig deep into the penetrating and emotionally draining text that faced them within every lesson. Annie Walsh and Katie Miller provided us with powerful monologues, depicting
Hanna and Hannah Year 10 GCSE Drama group performed a fantastic adaptation of John Retallick’s Hanna and Hannah. The play, set in the seaside town of Margate, explores the conflict that arose between local Margate teenagers and the Kosovan asylum seekers who arrived in their hundreds to the town in the year 1999 to 2000. As the play unfolds, 16-year-old Hanna from Kosovo, and 16-year-old Hannah from Margate begin to form a friendship that, remarkably, transcends their cultural differences and ultimately changes their lives forever. This was an exciting piece of ensemble theatre which particularly demanded the students to exercise the skills
they have developed in Physical Theatre and Multi-role. Special mentions go to Shannon Burke and Kirsty Sutherland who played the challenging roles of Hanna and Hannah respectively - in both cases exceptionally well. The most powerful scenes, however, were those in which the whole cast worked together on stage to create emotive crowd scenes and representative abstract movement sequences. They should all be very proud of what they achieved which was a good ‘warm up’ for their examined GCSE performance towards the end of Year 11. Mrs R Medhurst
a maturity beyond their years, as Joe Guindi crafted a charming and deft performance which displayed a wide range of acting nuance. Holly Millar and Gaurav Bajwa gave a noteworthy performance which was made even more impressive given the journey they had undergone in order to reach the final product. And finally, Thilakshan Selvarajah was moving as a young boy with a touching vulnerability, whilst Polly Humphries displayed a visceral and penetrating darkness that left many wondering what she had done with their class mate and friend! Mr G Stewart
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Sugar Cozette Leese in the lead role of Sugar Kane was simply perfect, as she cooed, wiggled and sang her way into Josephine/Jo’s arms. Robert Ginty (Jo/Josephine) and Rory Powrie (Jerry/Daphne) were both masterful in their roles; they displayed great comic timing and stage presence and most importantly, looked great in dresses! The scene where they undressed for bed was hilarious; Robert prepared well for the wearing of tights by shaving his legs before every performance! The three main characters were ably supported by a large and talented cast. Gareth Kennedy Brown as the eccentric billionaire, Osgood, sang a show stopping number ‘November Song’ supported by an all singing, all dancing cast of Staff: Major Cherry, Mr Gallagher, Mr Seddon,
Mr Corstorphine, Mr Foxall, Mr Crowe, Mr Cummins, Mrs Medhurst, Mrs Cordell, Miss Lawton, Miss Hargrave, Linda Parry, Mrs Vander Gucht and Miss Humphries. Mr Foster conveniently broke his toe during early rehearsals and was devastated that he had to drop out. Miss Lechmere worked her magic in teaching the song and dance routine to this motley crew and the audience very much appreciated the chaos and carnage on stage. James Parker as Spatz, Alex Landes as Sweet Sue and Ben Guindi as Bienstock were all terrific in their supporting roles. ‘Sugar’ for me was special for the way in which it brought so many staff, students and support staff together. For the Drama Department, it was great to be working alongside Miss Collinson and the Music Department. The
quality of the music was of the highest standard and the students should be extremely proud of what they created; Mr Chuter was in his element on trombone with the wonderful jazz style numbers. Ken Sweeney and Mr D S Smith provided a great set, Mrs Vander Gucht sat up all night stitching costumes, Cecily Watts, Martha Halloumas and Rhianna Skeates kept everything moving onstage, countless students contributed with backstage roles, all under the control of Amanda. Miss Lawton and Saskia Leese choreographed some excellent routines, Ian Bassett was responsible for great photos and a video and Tiggy, as always, created some outstanding art work. Mrs J Vander Gucht and Mrs Medhurst
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Colfeian 2012
The Importance of Being Ernest By Oscar Wilde A/S Level Unit 2 ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ was written in 1895 and is often referred to as the most popular of Wilde’s plays. It is the perfect comedy of manners and a classic farce. Unlike other theatre of the time, the play does not tackle serious political issues yet continually mocks Victorian values and customs, in particular that of marriage. The play has a cast of nine characters but our version was reduced to four actors. As a result of this, we had to lose some wonderfully vivid characters, such as Lady Bracknell. Our adaptation focused on the two pairs of Lovers: Jack and Gwendolen
and Algernon and Cecily. During the rehearsal process, the performers were asked to research the period of the play in order to be able to put their characters into context. The actors also explored physicality and movement in detail. Deportment classes were undertaken in order to understand how the ladies and gentleman of this period would carry themselves. To aid with this, the girls were advised to wear practice skirts in rehearsals and the boys blazers, in order to help them feel and dress as their characters would have. Equal amounts of time were also spent on Wilde’s fluent and beautifully
crafted language. Good diction and pronunciation proved mandatory in achieving audibility and coherence. The four performers all worked extremely well together on stage. Nathan captured well the ‘dapper’ character of Algernon who seems to know no bounds. Alex brought a gentleness and innocence to the scheming Jack. Tara excelled as the snobby Gwendolen and Kassia gave Cecily a quirkiness and believable naivety. Victoria Morris.
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Not About Nightingales A/S Level Unit 2 Having had a say within the choice of the piece, the cast were highly committed from the offset, never lacking enthusiasm or dedication to the cause. Keen not to turn the piece into a misogynistic illusion, the students worked hard to focus upon the social injustice found within the heartfelt expression of the playwright. Charlie Banks, Sam Pinnock and James Parker deserve notable credit for the ability shown in being able to deliver vast monologues within intentional objectives and inter-personal reflection. Having had to taper this originally 3.5 hour play to meet with the guidelines of the exam syllabus, Morgan Diss and Malcolm Hill were exceptional in their varied character creations and multi-rolling abilities. Ben Guindi and Jed Jeffreys also displayed high levels of practitioner awareness, using Stanislavski’s ‘Magic If’ to create naturalistic and moving character portrayals. Mr G Stewart
D.N.A. A/S Level Unit 2 Douglas Jack (Mark) and Rhianna Skeates (Jan) took the roles of teenagers who kept the audience informed of activities; they coped admirably with the difficult delivery of the text as they almost became one character in voice. It was ironic that John Tate, played by Adam Millar, the aggressive newcomer to the School, also played the role of Adam, the abused boy. Adam did extremely well as he created two very diverse characters. Olivia Simpson taking the role of Leah never knew when to shut up! She had the challenge of long,
rambling monologues but her hard work ensured that she gave a polished and somewhat charming performance. Phil, played by Farnam Pourreza-Jorshari, was the voice of reason and Farnam thoroughly deserved to receive the top mark in this unit with his confident and thoughtful performance. Zac Gowdie played the tearful and confused Brian, who was finally coerced into committing the dreadful deed, in a subtle and believable manner. Mrs J Vander Gucht
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Colfeian 2012
Speech and Drama
Technical Matters
Speech and Drama classes began in September, open to all pupils in the Senior School. The lessons were immediately very popular, offering students the opportunity to work towards the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) Examinations. Our first session of exams took place in December, which was a tremendous success as all the pupils gained either Merits or Distinctions in Acting, Verse and Prose or Public Speaking exams. Kiera Vinall deserves a particular mention as she achieved the highest Distinction, gaining 87 marks out of 100 for her Grade 4 in Verse and Prose; a wonderful achievement for a Year 7. In January, all participants of the exam then had the chance to display their pieces in a fun evening of Speech and Drama. The audience greatly appreciated the variety and high standard of performance from the students. Speech and Drama lessons can be taken individually or in pairs (as can the exams) and give the children the chance to explore poetry, prose, literature and plays. Diction, articulation and techniques in reading aloud or delivery of speeches and acting monologues/duologues are all explored in great detail. The classes help to improve confidence, reading and communication skills and speaking for performance. Our second set of exams were taken at the end of June and two examiners were needed due to the popularity of the sessions. Beth Warren, Farnam Pourreza-Jorshari and Zac Gowdie took their Bronze Medals (Grade 6) in Acting and all achieved very high Distinctions. Lower down the school special mention must go to Jade Oswald (Grade 5), Grace Calder (Grade 4) and Ethan Oswald (Grade 3) who also received distinctions of 85 or above in acting.
This year has seen a wide variety of performances in the Beardwood all supported by a dedicated team of students. The larger sets of Antigone and Sugar gave Tamsin Hare and Lucy Still an opportunity to assist Mr Simon Smith with set design. These larger sets could not have been built without assistance from the Maintenance Department and especially Ken Sweeney. A lot of set painting was required and Mr Smith was ably assisted by a team of students including Ella German, Tom Mackie, Hannah Orde, Sophia Rosen Fouladi, Rosie Taylor and Cecily Watts. The technical team covered many different productions during the year with endless energy and enthusiasm. Rebecca Hall and Alex Wilson were regularly found footing ladders and learning design skills that were shown in their House Drama performances, as well as operating lighting and sound for performances of Arabian Nights. Will Reeve helped with the Pre-Prep end of year production as well as operating lighting for Antigone and manning the follow spot for Sugar. Malcolm Hill assisted with the rigging of lights for Antigone and designed the lighting for Sugar—an impressive design for a complex musical. Cecily Watts deputy stage managed both main school productions this year as well as regularly assisting with set painting and rigging. Once her exams were over she even came in to operate sound for the Year 6 performance. Technical lessons were very successful this year with particular congratulations to the Year 7s who showed very creative use of lighting, sound and effects with their extracts of Macbeth.
Victoria Morris
Amanda Kerstein
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GCSEYear 11
Slim Chance In Slim Chance Beth Warren, Cecily Watts, Jessica Maxwell and Jennifer Dearsley adapted the Mark Wheeler’s play Hard to Swallow. They gave an incredibly moving and sensitive performance, highlighting the ways in which this terrible disease impacted the lives of those closest to Catherine. They decided to close in the performance space by having the audience sat on the stage, making it smaller and more intimate, also symbolising Catherine’s feeling of being trapped by her illness.
Alarms & Excursions For Alarms and Excursions Mitchell Wright, Grace King, Dara Akioye and Ope Oduwole presented gadgets that wouldn’t function and people who didn’t communicate with each other leading to misunderstandings and a plethora of comic situations. Set around a dining table, the cast of four had to deal with every noise imaginable, from the cooker buzzer sounding to the unexpected burglar alarm. The cast coped extremely well with the fast pace of the text, the accurate timing of the constant noise and the ever increasing fractious relationships between themselves. Not only did the group give a great performance
but they should be commended on the manner in which they used the rehearsal period.
Teechers The performance Teechers (Brandon Rose, Milo McCormack and Alexander Verissimo) had the audience rolling in the aisles. The technique of multi-role was an essential aspect of these three boys’ performance as they played around fifteen characters between them! They had to rely on some impressively quick switches between voices and costumes but their comic timing was excellent and they gave a skilled and most enjoyable performance.
The Exam The Exam (Meghan Hawkins, Annabel Jenney, George Turpin, Christopher Harris and Millie Rowlands) featured three very different Year 11 students waiting to enter an exam hall. As they wait outside the room, they discuss their approach to exams and life in general and are haunted by the advice of their parents who appear on stage (in their imagination) and prove to be as contrasting as their offspring! Meanwhile two teachers are running around trying to get the exam hall open but everything is going wrong… this was a very
entertaining piece of Drama, aided by the farcical multi-rolling of the parents and teachers (all played by Meghan and George) and the very relatable content of the play. Even some parents in the audience admitted that they recognised themselves in the characters!
Shakers Re-stirred Shakers Re-stirred (Rochelle McKayPryce, Sophie Ward- Corderoy, Ruby Harvey and Morgan Macgregor) tells of the lives of four cocktail waitresses at the Shakers bar – Carol, Adele, Nicky and Mel. The cast of four acted out the multiple people that enter the bar – drunken louts, middle class yuppies and mundane supermarket checkout girls. The skill in this piece was to paint characters of realism, people that we all know but not necessarily like!! The girls were successful in presenting a fast paced piece of drama, supported by contemporary music and polished ensemble work.
I Caught Crabs at Walberswick I Caught Crabs at Walberswick (Harry Andrew, Harry Chapman, Jasper Cook, Maryam Balogun and Luke McCarthy) is a lively account of teenagers growing up and struggling in the summer months
Drama
with their GCSEs. Best mates Fitz and Wheeler, played by Harry C and Luke, are fishing for crabs on a bridge in Walberswick when they are ambushed by Dani, Maryam, the fittest girl on the beach. So begins a crazy 24 hours that will change the lives of the three sixteen-year-olds forever. All three are looking for some action. After hooking up with Dani and taking a wreckless road trip up the Suffolk coast, tragedy happens through drink driving. Luke and Harry C. fell naturally into the jock like roles of the boys and Maryam was suitably aloof and precious as Dani. The piece was supported by solid performances from Jasper and Harry as narrators and various other roles. The group coped well with the comic/tragic element of this play.
Colfeian 2012
A Cut in the Rates In A Cut in the Rates (Claire Riemenschnieder, Tobi Ajobo and Emmanuel Odunayo) Tobi showed up at a suburban townhouse and encountered what appeared to be an empty home - until he met the freaky occupants! Ratchet, an illusionist, played by Emmanuel hides a dark secret and relives the sawing of the woman-in-half trick with his wife, Claire. The audience were not sure who will live and who would die. The students dealt with this gripping and mysterious piece skilfully, relaying a blend of suspense and comedy right to the end, which saw Tobi scurrying from the house in fear of his life!
That Face
Armed Robbery for Dummies
That Face (Saskia Leese, Lizzie Walsh and Oliver Deane) featured the dysfunctional Reed family – mother, daughter and son - as they try to avoid facing up to the cycle of addiction and neglect that is tearing their family apart. Henry and Mia can no longer protect themselves from their mother’s unpredictable drugfuelled behaviour, but she is desperate for them not to turn her in. This intensely dramatic piece of drama was handled with maturity beyond the years of these three actors and had the audience utterly gripped.
Abdul Rehman, Harry Furze and Tom Tvrtkovic sourced Armed Robbery for Dummies themselves and what a find it was!! Frank needs a change and thinks armed robbery is the way to go. He consults with his recently paroled friend, but the first attempt goes wrong and he ends up with a dead neighbour on his hands. So he needs to get some quick lessons in body disposal and of course, one disaster after another happens. The group worked extremely well together in the preparation process, always striving to improve
and challenge their individual performances. They held auditions for the part of the corpse and they chose the very talented Mitchell Wright who gave an outstanding performance in the role!! None of the boys had ever performed in public before, and they really excelled in handling the comedy of the piece. Congratulations.
Hazel and Gretel In Hazel and Gretel Tia-Marie Taylor, Hope Chamberlayne and Jade Deol devised an abstract portrayal of the story that switched harrowingly between fairy tale and a modern day story of abuse and neglect. They used music and movement sequences as well as interesting lighting and stage effects to enhance their performance, which was seamless and very engaging. As well as the stunning acting, a mention must be given to the most memorable piece of set to be created by this year’s GCSE cohort – the sweet-covered door of the witch’s house. The group spent almost as much time making their door (from hundreds and hundreds of real sweets) as rehearsing their piece! Mrs J Vander Gucht and Mrs R Medhurst
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Arabian Nights Year 7 & 8s The Beardwood Theatre was draped with seventeen different colours of shiny fabric and a cast of sixty Year 7 and 8s graced the stage with their ‘tales of adventure and magic and wonder, with heroes and villains and thieves who would plunder’. What a colourful and exciting show this was! We had market traders and farmers; slaves and guards; dancing girls and donkeys; doctors, tailors, beggars and of course, the forty thieves. The story went something like this: It was long ago in a land far, far away and King Shahryar (played superbly by Harry Butters) has married the woman of his dreams. The entire nation is delighted and rejoices. However, the new Queen deceives her husband and has an affair with a lowly servant. The King’s heart is broken and he hardens into a brutal tyrant who makes a law decreeing
that he will marry a different wife every day and then have her executed in the morning. The nation is plunged into darkness and despair and day after day another young bride is lost. After a thousand wives have been executed, our beautiful heroine Sheherazade (played by the talented Megan Marchant) offers herself to be next wife of the king. Her family beg her not to do it but she is determined to put a stop to the king’s brutality and has a plan to save the nation with her storytelling. On the night of the wedding she begins to tell the king a fantastic story and because he cannot resist but to hear the end, he keeps her alive for one more day. At the end of this story she begins another one and then another and through her tales of treasure, genies, magic and romance, she finally wins over
his heart. As Sheherazade, with the help of her younger sister Dinazade (played by the lovely Lottie Davies) and our glamorous Principal Chorus girls, tells her stories, they appear on the stage before the King - which is where our cast of sixty came in useful! From all accounts, the audience of friends and parents loved this show for its energy, colour, comedy and pizzazz. The singing and dancing was superb and all that hard work in rehearsals really paid off when every cast member worked so well together to give a confident, professional performance. We look forward to seeing many of these young performers on the stage again in future Colfe’s shows. Mrs Medhurst and Mrs VanderGucht
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Music The Music Department enjoyed another busy and eventful year, organising events as diverse as they were entertaining. For example, the first big event in the musical calendar was our traditional Winter Concert in December. It opened with Vivaldi’s Gloria, a major choral work in ten movements. The specially augmented choir was accompanied by an orchestra and the hall was filled with a very rich sound. Solo parts were ably sung by Jade Oswald, Rhianna Skeates and Rosie Taylor. In the second half, the orchestra played an arrangement of the Meistersingers Overture by Wagner, which was followed by pieces by Brahms. There was a Beatles Medley by the Barbershop Group and a pulsating performance of Pennsylvania 6-5000 by the brass ensemble. Florence Yilma finished the evening with her own interpretation of World on a String. A concert with a different style was the Jazz Night. This had the feel of a cabaret club with the audience sitting at tables arranged around the Hall. The Swing Band performed a selection of well known pieces and there were items from the Dixieland Band and the Barbershop Group. Oliver Bowring and Jacob Bullard gave solo performances on trumpet and piano respectively and there were songs from Florence Yilma and Cecily Watts.
Spring Concert The Spring Concert was in itself an event filled with variety and musical richness. Imagine the grandeur of a Latin requiem, with a full orchestra and a large choir combining to build up an amazing musical intensity. Then add to that the sound of electric guitars and saxophones and
that is the essence of Roquiem, by Paul Barker, to mark the retirement of Chris Stringfellow as Head of Music in the Prep School. It had always been his ambition to mark his 25 years at Colfe’s with something special and he achieved it with style. This emotional performance was
followed by the Senior Strings under Andrew Harper playing some numbers from the Carmen Suite by Bizet and more pieces by the Barbershop Group. The Chamber Singers sang Fields of Gold by Sting and Fly me to the Moon by Bart Howard.
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Platform Concerts In addition to the big concerts there were several platform concerts that gave musicians the chance to perform in a more informal setting. On one occasion the Senior Strings played Allegro by Fiocco and on another, the School Choir sang the very moving Cantique de Jean Racine by FaurĂŠ. The Chamber Singers sang a range of songs and the Swing Band got feet tapping with their jazz favourites. These small scale concerts, however, are principally an opportunity for soloists to perform in front of a supportive audience. Ruby Collins gave a passionate performance on the bassoon and Tobi Ogunjimi played the piano with great feeling. Harry Butters and Jade Oswald have both sung solos and at one concert they sang the duet For Good by Stephen Schwartz. Harvey Montague and George Brookes performed on guitar and Alexandra King played a piece by Vivaldi on the violin. James Maby has ambitions to be an opera singer and he demonstrated his vocal ability with his performance of Ombra Mai Fu from Xerses by Handel.
Ruby Collins
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Colfe’s Sermon Then there was the Colfe’s Sermon at Lewisham Parish Church when the choir not only lead the singing of the hymns, but sang Cantique de Jean Racine by Fauré and a musical setting of a blessing by Rutter.
The choir singing at the annual Colfe’s Sermon
House Music The House Music competition provided the context for some of the most exciting music of the year with the best musicians from every year group doing their best for their House. In year 7 Charlotte Carbin and Ben Baker gave spirited performances and Natasha Dixon gave a showstopping performance of Faure’s Morceau de Concours on the flute. Alice Zhelezko and Max O’Keeffe played pieces on the piano. Tobi Ogunjimi, Harvey Montague, Izzy Staden and Maria Lukova also gave winning performances and scored dozens of points for their respective Houses. Will Reeve on drums, George Brookes on guitar and Henry Chapman, singing The Silver Swan, demonstrated a high level of talent. Indeed, it was Henry, representing Beardwood House, who was awarded the winner’s trophy. A new activity this year was a Grade-one-athon which introduced a competitive element to the learning of a musical instrument. The idea was for pupils and teachers to volunteer to take up a new instrument at the beginning of a term and to be entered for the Grade One ABRSM exam in that instrument at the end of the term. There were more than 30 entrants and with everyone being sponsored by friends and family, they were able to donate a good sum of money to charity – in this case, St Christopher’s Hospice. Everyone passed and several passed with very high marks! Miss K Collinson
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Design Technology
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Sport - Rugby
Sport
Rugby One of the factors of monitoring success and improvement is noting the level of individual representative honours and this is increasing for Colfe’s year on year. 1st XV Captain Tom Chapman achieved the highest honour at schoolboy level when he was capped by England U18. Tom’s success has been outstanding and Colfe’s is proud of his achievement. Tom played versus Scotland at Fylde RFC before helping England to win the U18 European Championship held in Madrid which culminated in victory over 2011 winners Ireland. At the time of writing Tom is currently in negotiations with several Premiership Clubs for his services. Will Grist and Charlie Banks continued to represent Kent U18’s and Elliot Roofe is still receiving excellent feedback from Saracens Academy U16 squad. Joining Elliot at Saracens at U15 level this season has been Matthew Gallagher. Matt has enjoyed an outstanding season for the school,
Kent and at Saracens Academy. Playing mostly at Full Back, Matt’s performances have earned him several Man of the Match awards in the County games and he looks to have given himself a very good foundation with which to move into the London Divisional selection process and possibly beyond for U16 level. At junior level the school’s representation is also strong. Brendan McMillan and Alex Tate (Kent U14) and Marcus Bunger (Kent U13) are just beginning their rugby careers and we wish them well. In terms of team success this year it was the U13A team whose end of season record was the most successful. They are progressing well and if they can improve their handling skill set then they will progress further. Our U12s had a super season. They played an excellent brand of rugby mixing forward power with subtlety and guile in the backs. They beat Judd School and Campion handsomely and were
runners up in the prestigious London Oratory School 7s in March. We look forward to monitoring their progress over the next few seasons. Indeed it was in the 7 a-side version of the game that the school attained success. In addition to the U12s, both the U14s and the U15s reached Finals and the Senior VII won the Trophy Competition at the Kent tournament. I must mention my continued pleasure at the success of many of our B teams. It is often they who feel the full force of our oppositions’ player capacity. But they are making good progress. Both the U14 & U13 B teams notched up three wins and but for the bounce of a ball here and there could have had a couple more. The players in the B teams are just as vital to the success and progress of rugby at Colfe’s and I am delighted with the number of boys who turn out every Saturday to play. Mr N Miller (Master I/C Rugby)
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1st XV Team
1st XV The side opened up with a good victory at home to St Olave’s, 21-16. Defensively the side held up well and their commitment to the cause was clear to see as they held off a late Olave’s surge. Evidence emerged of areas of weakness to improve, in particular the set piece, but victory was secured and you can’t replace the winning habit to encourage numbers at training. A hard run of fixtures followed and as much as the side got better so did the opposition. Ravens Wood and Judd in particular, taught us a lesson in the old adage of doing the simple things well. Both sides were very well drilled and their level of basic handling and decision making far exceeded our own. It was clear that as much as these sides play two terms of rugby through their school years, much of the gap between us was based on the time the players had spent together in preseason. You could not fault Colfe’s enthusiasm but too many mistakes
were made when our skills were put under pressure and we didn’t have enough energy to convert any of our possession going past three phases. Several players had begun the season in good form and despite the indifferent start were making a mark on the side. Everyone was pleased to see Dominic Rees return from injury. Elliot Roofe acquitted himself well in the loose and showing a good understanding of the dark arts of the front row and Rob Ware was full of energy in the back row and made countless tackles. Against Skinners we played very well for 35 minutes and frustrated a side that was far more physical in every facet of the game. Fraser Stewart was a destructive force at the breakdown and Andrew Carmichael was out on his own with the workload he was getting through. Unfortunately the players could not sustain the intensity of the first half and we conceded heavily in the second period. As a coach you
always hope that your players learn from being involved in that kind of environment, study the opposition, analyse the performance and seek an instant turnaround in fortune. Unfortunately the opposite occurred. We were scratchy in our Daily Mail Cup victory over Aske’s and in the next round we imploded in the second half against Chislehurst & Sidcup when leading by 20 points. There was a lack of clarity in our decision making and several players were conspicuous through their absence when the team came under concerted pressure. It was an unfortunate trait that the side was unable to eradicate fully and it affected them on more than one occasion in the second half of term. However the potential to play a high standard of rugby remained evident and we opened up the second set of matches with a win over Tiffin in the DMC. Some of our rugby was superb and we scored three very good tries. Captain Tom Chapman was
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a threat from both set plays and the breakdown, controlling the pack and enticing the back line onto the front foot. Henry Harvey was proving to be a fine addition to the front row and Alex Graham added stand off to his list of versatility. The side had a ten day build up to the ‘big one’ against Eltham College and this enabled some valuable work to be done to fine tune our skills. Training was excellent with a real intensity to the drills and the feeling was positive in the camp despite the tag of underdog. Conditions on the day were perfect and there was a big crowd present. Colfe’s started well and we looked to have established a slight ascendancy in the opening stages. Chapman pushed over a long range penalty attempt and we enjoyed the lion’s share of possession. We scored a well- constructed try through Alex Graham, James Parker was hitting rucks like a man possessed and Max Collett made a super tackle on one of Eltham’s dangerous runners and all was going well. We were then hit by fifteen minutes of powerful rugby by Eltham which knocked us off our stride. They combined forwards and backs to devastating effect and
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scored three quick tries to leave the boys shell shocked. We recovered well and knocked a penalty over just before half time to calm us down and we regrouped. The second half was played in an eerie silence as Colfe’s took control of the match. We spent the opening 20 minutes camped in the Eltham 22 but could not take our opportunities. We finally scored when Chapman darted down the blind side to feed Collett and we were set for a big finale. Alas we couldn’t get back into the match and conceded two late scores to succumb to defeat. Still reeling slightly from the defeat we lost our next match to Dartford in the Daily Mail Vase. It was a lacklustre performance rather than one of a team fired up to make amends for the previous loss which was disappointing. At no stage was there any sign of what was to follow on the Saturday versus Campion. We were outstanding. It was one of the best performances by a 1st XV under my guidance. The quality of the opposition was high but Colfe’s simply blew them away playing the level of rugby many observers knew they were capable of. The forwards hit every ruck with real power generating the quick ball the backs had been craving. Charlie
Banks ran the game from 10 with real incision and the off-loading for the continuity of play from the team was first class. Will Grist playing at openside was the best player on the pitch and the catalyst for much of our play as he generated turnover ball or penalties for Chapman to tap and go through his work at the break down. The confidence in our performance came from the defensive effort in the first ten minutes where Euan Johnson and Max Dunmore were superb. We finished with one win and one defeat from our final two games against Trinity and Wimbledon respectively and ended with a win loss ratio of 7-8. Those involved in the 7 a-side format of the game took part in three tournaments this year and found the experience useful and rewarding. We won the Trophy at the Kent 7s and acquitted ourselves well at both the Surrey schools competition and the Rosslyn Park National Sevens. Schools such as Whitgift, Brighton College and Sherborne took note of our performances and were complimentary.
team run and was a great boon to the side. Josh White showed his ability when he featured for us and Jordan Paddock played with tenacity and aggression despite nagging injuries. The pack found its teeth as the season went on. Ross Marshall established himself as leader, looking for work and working for his side from the first minute until the eightieth. Dom Deane and Will McVitty added vigour in the back row, whilst Charlie Davis brought a sense of humour to the second. Anthony ‘Antoine’ French threw with general aplomb and Harry Fisher gave many an opponent something to think about with tackles reminiscent of ‘The Bradford Joiner’ (he cut them off at the knees), Keith Mumby. Scott London-Hill’s early season form won him selection in Mr Miller’s side and Dom Rees and Alex Moen put in sturdy stints at prop. Henry ‘Hotspice’ Harvey put his Front Row Union membership at risk with
an all-too-glamorous last minute winning try and James Maby was unlucky to see injury prematurely end his season. Jasper Stevenson made a good contribution when present and Alex Verissimo and Will Smith stepped up from the 16s to good effect.
Mr N Miller
2nd XV Captain Charlie Whittaker rallied his troops with well-chosen words but more importantly his whole-hearted efforts from the very first game. Player of the year Sam Pinnock combined a fine boot with crunching tackles and each were vital to the side’s progress. The backs made the most of their opportunities when they came and tackled ferociously when required. Jamie Cox was a great last line of defence and a game-changing break from the back against Trinity was only the most eye-catching of many telling contributions. Jaimin Patel was particularly dangerous with ball in hand, breaking tackles with power and eluding them with pace. Sean Walsh was the keystone in an ever-changing three-quarter line and Max Dunmore thoroughly merited his call up to the Firsts. Nick Duxbury showed both grit and class on return from injury sustained in an accidental collision with Jasper Stevenson in a
Mr A Foster (2nd XV)
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U15A Team
U15 When fit and focused our talented U15A team played good rugby; characterised by direct and powerful running from forwards George Brookes and Henry Chapman and clinical finishing by Matthew Gallagher and Will Bevan in the backs. In our victory against Judd School, Sam Stone got the team on the front foot throughout the game while Ruairi Dennehy proved penetrating in attack and resolute in defence. Eltham College was to be our only other significant victory of the season due to our mental fragility. That said, individually many of the boys made great progress this season. Oliver Vij continued to defy physics with some breath taking defence. Daniel Hepden and Jonny Regnier developed their half back partnership,
establishing more game control. Jonny also introduced a much more mature kicking game as the season progressed. In the forwards it was pleasing to see more athleticism from Tom Knight and Harry Campbell, wreaking havoc in the loose and at scrum time. Tom Walsh and Freddie Beasley impressed with their work rate and Sam Debney proved deadly with his side step, always beating the first defender. Special mention must go to the performances of the captain Matthew Gallagher, who was at times unplayable with ball in hand and in defence was the catalyst for many of our scoring opportunities. The U15B team achieved great team spirit, impressive in a hard season overshadowed at times by injury. They started the season brightly participating in a squad game against Gravesend then defeating St Olave’s and Ravenswood on successive weekends. Marcus Brockman looked like he was going to be star player this year but unluckily fractured his hip early in the term while bearing
down on the try line. This kept him out until the end of the season and he was joined by Jacob Roth with a broken arm when he was playing well at inside centre. Liam Piddock and Tom Whittaker ran the team from half back and shared the captaincy admirably. The forwards were very mobile and Fikayo Okuwa was a devastating runner. Sam Heys showed excellent ball skills and Eric Thompson began and ended the season with tries. James Lynch, Kit Price, Joe Andrew and Jake Stock tirelessly took the ball into contact and made countless tackles. In the three quarters Alex Louis-Perez proved a good ball carrier and Rory Lilley and Dylan Griffith-Payne on the wings ran many kilometres and defended well. The star of the backline was Sam Debney who seemed to be impossible to tackle and so gratefully received all kicks at full back and set off on mazy runs often ending in tries. Mr A Bateson (U15A) & Mr Pearson (U15B)
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Sport - Rugby
U14A Team
U14 The U14A team experienced a difficult transition from U13 rugby and initially struggled to bond as a team, creating a somewhat checked season. That said, our wins included a fifty point victory over local rivals, Eltham College and a battling performance led by the unconquerable Jake Birrell in the Beth’s Kent 7s that took us to a last gasp final. Though our team work was not always as strong as was needed, we had some good players in it, perhaps the most striking of whom was Brendan McMillan; a player who overwhelmed Skinners at one point with five tries in thirty five minutes. Brendan’s contribution to the team was outstanding. His power, speed and dynamism at the break down often meant he was the stand out player on either side. Skipper Will Rowlands’ fearless tackling and agile side-stepping proved effective support for Brendan throughout the season. Undeniable commitment and aggression from the likes of Murray Stewart, James Bailey and
Tom Rameaux were also everpresent. Alex ‘Sonny Bill’ Tate proved a revelation at inside centre against Eltham; a game that also witnessed an unbeatable Elias Balogun and resurgent Joe Kennard. We had our moments in the season and I thank the boys for all of their efforts where and when applied. After a lack lustre start to the season the U14B team underwent a sea change after half term and won almost all of their remaining matches, including impressive wins over Langley Park and Eltham College. Richard Akpan and Sam Sonubi proved a powerful unit at scrum time rarely yielding to opposition. Harry Johnson was a forceful player, often taking three or four players to bring him down. Jacob Jeffery and Krishan PatelWatts battled for the starter’s hooker jersey, both playing well when in the number 2. Second Rowers of standing, Captain George Crick and Karel Uwanogho, were awesome in
the line-out. A back row unit of Dan Swain, Will Verges and converted winger George Fisher worked tirelessly at the breakdown. The half back partnership of Ollie Stavrinidis and Milo Hadden was creative and reliable; Milo’s lack of need of a cone for conversions drew gasps from supporters every time. Michael Slade and Elliot Dennis formed a match winning centre partnership with Michael providing space for Elliot’s pace to rip teams apart, scoring 15 tries over the season. The wingers, Ali Harjette and Tobi Ogunjimi, perfectly complemented each other. Ali’s tackling kept us in matches while Tobi had electric feet. Tobi ended the season second only to Elliot for tries and in only his second ever game of rugby ran 80 metres against Skinners for a try much to the team’s enjoyment. Finally Dan Breed at fullback put his body on the line and was always full of ideas. Mr E Livett (U14A) & Mr C O’Malley (U14B)
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U13 Against St Olaves, the U13A team (P11, W8, D0, L3) were solid in defence and reliable in possession, captain Ben Debney leading the team to a 35-14 win, due mainly to tries by Marcus Bunger, Charli Howard and Joe Gardiner. We lost to Ravenswood due to injury, but were back to almost full strength against Judd and led at half-time, tries scored by Marcus and Jardel Bundu-Kamara, converted by Joe Elliott. Judd came back strongly and despite constant pressure on their line we lost narrowly. We enjoyed a fine win against Skinners, 19-7; Jardel’s pace and strength secured a hat-trick of tries, two reliably converted by Joe. We started slowly against Langley Park but strong running by Jardel and Marcus made inroads into their defence and eventually Sam Wilson Ford finished off a move to score. The game opened up; Theo Maloney scored on the blindside from a penalty move, Jardel dominated with four tries from pick-ups at the back of the scrum, Joe kicked four conversions, the consequence being a convincing 38-7 win. Victory against Eltham College was our finest game of the season. A tight defensive start was shattered when Marcus made a thunderous break on the left wing, scoring triumphantly under the posts, inspiring further penetrating runs by the forwards, allowing Jardel to make a break down the right wing, ending in a try, converted by a stalwart Joe. Towards the end of the half Marcus spotted a gap between their centres and scored under the posts, leading to a half time score of 21-0. An opening surge by Eltham at the beginning of the second half was repelled by a resolute back-row of Rory, Eben Taylor and Jardel. The persistent running of Josh Martin and Rory Muldowney et al gave Jardel the space to attack again and again. He was unstoppable. Eltham were soundly beaten, 52-0. A stormy game at Campion was overcome, 47-22, Marcus and Jardel’s try scoring being decisive. Wimbledon College tested our team spirit, but we prevailed, 25-14; 12-14 down at half-time and Wimbledon camped on our line for ten minutes
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at one point - lesser sides would have folded. With team spirit soaring, Trinity could not have foreseen the storm that approached them. They struggled furiously and bravely but we clinched it, 14-5. How could they compete with Marcus’ explosive 50 metre charges down the left wing or Joe’s deadly accurate conversions? Max Saunders proved to be a determined, versatile and reliable captain of the U13B team. His leadership was supported by the technical prowess of Matt Scobie and Riley Flood who ran the back line with gusto and grace from the scrum half and fly half positions. Joey Jarrett and Sam Harrington formed a formidable centre partnership of ferocious tackling and game winning line breaks. Elliott Statham showed great courage by returning after only a month on the sidelines from a broken collarbone to secure the full back position. Our competitive and talented wingers were Denis Zhelezko, Frank Kelly, Felix Holland, Tom Bevan, Jake Osler and Taylor Arnold-Lee. Denis showed many an opposition that he was not to be taken lightly, aggressively tackling many players who were twice his size. Jake Osler and Taylor Arnold-Lee showed versatility and selflessness in playing where needed. Felix Holland, Frank Kelly and Tom Bevan attended every training session without fail. Noone could have worked harder for our victories than our forwards, Leo Glevey, Jack Farnhill-Bain and Joshua Fielding, making hard hits, clearing out rucks and making impressive runs. They were closely supported by the giants of the team, Wesley Quadros, Mark Gibbens and Anthony Motto, who marshalled the second row with vim and vigour. In the back row, Jeremiah St Fort, Oscar Leverton and Harry Butters worked tirelessly to tackle everything that moved and ran until they could run no more. Although they took many knocks in the process, they picked themselves up and played on. When the A team came calling and injuries struck late in the season, the try scoring Malachi Less and the ever willing Jarred Takla-Edwards stepped in to keep the ship afloat. Frank Elson made an impressive return after a broken
Sport - Rugby
arm disrupted his season, making an instant try scoring impact in our last game. The highlight of the season was a convincing win against local rivals Eltham College. Mr A J Brooker (U13A) & Mr G Stewart (U13B)
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U12s at the London Oratory School Sevens
U12 U12As proved a fierce team. This was evident in our 34-14 win against Judd and even our 7-17 defeat to John Fisher, the latter remembered for the force and impact of our front row, George Banya, Harry Brookes and Mustafa Salih. Kenneth Bajulaiye was our man of the match against Eltham College, a hard fought game we lost 10-17. We were more than capable of defeating Chislehurst and Sidcup, winning 52-0. Evan McDonald played the match of the season scoring four tries and converting six, incredible talent for an 11 year old. Billy Jones, new to the fullback position, became the new ‘Billy Wiz’ scoring two tries, one off a training ground move from the half way line! Joe Watkins scored twice from number 8, leading by example with his relentless rucking and crunching tackles. Against London Oratory defeat could not deny the valiant driving force of Jacob Doig or the overpowering commitment of Jeorge Chadd. Ethan CollinsOberman and Calum Hollington worked themselves to a standstill.
The Most Committed award went to the gritty Harry Brookes. So many deserved the award; Louis Sayer, Morgan Smith, David Edwards, Max Hedley, George Banya and Chris Harris all played superb rugby. Evan McDonald won the Player of The Year award; his awareness, attitude and playing ability were exemplary. The U12B’s initial back line was outstanding, highlighting the talents of a number of players who were promoted to the A team. The front row of Matthew Arawwawala, Henry Addy-Topping and Jonathan Ogawa were solid and despite their lack of match experience, won a number of balls against the head in the first few matches. Throughout the season a number of individuals stood out for their dedication and willingness to learn. Billy Jones, Edward Breed and Tom Walker all displayed great passion in matches and always gave their all. Mustafa Salih, Lewis Stoneham and Jack Parton developed well during the season, particularly at
the breakdown. Luke Moerman was another outstanding member of the team and with a little more discipline could compete for A teams. Although the statistics for the season are not too impressive, the attitude and passion that players showed in some matches was immense. The highlight of the season for me was our match against local rivals Eltham College. The game was played with remarkable commitment from both teams and a number of compliments were made post match about the tenacity and determination that Colfe’s showed. Unfortunately, for us, the game was lost in the 11th hour. We look forward to next year. In terms of improvement for the future, the tenacity in competition is there but more focus in training is needed. This could help to sharpen the quality of our set piece play. Mr J Ting (U12A) & Mr J Fishwick (U12B)
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Cricket The phrase ‘rain stopped play’ scored the most runs this season. However, Matt Stiddard, Harry Furze, Euan Johnson, Alex Graham and Sam Packard managed some outstanding performances in the 1st XI’s eight wins from eleven matches. Chris Hill, Jonny Regnier, Tom Walsh and Calem Curreen proved they were future 1st XI material in their matches for this season’s U15 team.
Sport - Cricket
Colfe’s 1st XI and the Leathersellers team
One important XI match which the rain failed to spoil was the annual fixture against the Leathersellers Company. It was a real cricketers’ match, glorious sunshine accompanied by a splendid lunch in good company. The boys were victorious over the Company for the third year running and the latter were characteristically gracious in defeat. The U14s played well this
season, beating a strong St Bede’s side, as well as Bankcrofts and Sevenoaks School to boot. However, the most noteworthy junior team this season was the U13As, crushing all comers. Unfortunately, the U12 fixture list was a washout; the B team denied even a single game. Mr G Clinton
South Africa Cricket Tour In stark contrast to the dreadful English summer we experienced in June, sunshine in abundance was enjoyed earlier in the year during our tour to South Africa. Our first match was against Langa High School, founded by missionaries in 1937 and sharing similar origins to Kotu Senior Secondary School in the Gambia. Langa’s good humoured captain made us feel very welcome. We won the toss and batted first. The heat provided us with a good excuse for scoring a modest 140 runs. However, our top bowler, James Winnard, was on top form and proved too powerful for the hosts. James’ subsequent injury was a blow to our chances of an easy tour. Each school was a privilege to play at; their fields, the views and the weather were glorious. Rondebosch Boys’ High School, founded in 1897, is one of the most
successful state secondary schools in South Africa. They had the most impressive grounds and their cricket matched their grounds as they beat us by 80 runs and bowled us out. Alex Graham was the stand out performer in the field, while Frankie Fraser scored a sound 60. Our best cricket was played against Bishops, one of the most prominent independent boys’ schools in South Africa, founded in 1849 by Robert Gray, the first Anglican bishop of South Africa. We restricted them to 150 off 35 overs with Will Smith bowling excellently. Euan Johnson hit a match winning half century to secure us victory with a few balls to spare. Wynberg Boys’ High School, founded in 1841, is the second oldest school in South Africa and one of the most competitive in cricket. It presented
us with our biggest challenge of the tour. We fielded badly and let them set an unreachable target. Despite Frankie scoring a lot of runs and Alex Graham putting in a brief but effective cameo performance, a win was never likely; we didn’t help ourselves with two run outs in 4 balls. The match against Somerset College, a co-educational independent school founded in 1997, reunited the team. We set a reasonable target with Matt and Alex scoring solid fifties. We won the match after an excellent spell by Max Collett who bowled economically and took 5 wickets. With the sun setting and the team winning it was perhaps our most enjoyable half an hour of cricket on the tour. Max Dunmore (1st XI captain)
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Colfeian 2012
Langa High School
Rondebosch Boys’ High School
Bishops Diocesan College
Wynberg Boys’ High School
Somerset College
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Sport - Football
1st XI Team
Football 1st XI With a new coach and at times seven Year 11 players, 2012 was a year of transition for the 1st XI. With Year 13 providing only two regulars it was definitely a triumph of youth over experience. After 30 minutes of my first game in charge of the school’s top team, things looked rosy. 3-0 up against King’s Canterbury, the 1st XI was playing open attacking football with goal threats throughout the team. Three goals in quick succession, including a 50 yard effort from right-back Max Collett, appeared to put Colfe’s in a winning position. However, a sloppy goal late in the first half allowed the home team back in the game. The second half saw Colfe’s create many chances but somehow we contrived to draw the game 3-3. The team then went on a disappointing run with defeats
against Sutton Grammar (despite Harry Chapman’s 25 yard free-kick giving Colfe’s an early lead), Alleyn’s (as a warm-up for their national cup semi-final) and Brentwood (with their sprinkling of academy players). Defeats against strong teams are nothing to be ashamed of; after a tame performance in the first of those games, the boys’ attitude was first class. The Alleyn’s game saw an outstanding second half performance from the Colfe’s team whilst at Brentwood the home team’s goal led a charmed life. It was during those games that the scoring rivalry between the pacey, dynamic Jordan Walker and the skilful, creative James Jewers emerged. With those two in the team, as well as the ever dangerous Alex Graham, we knew we always had the potential to score against
any opposition. The next game was against Ravens Wood in the Bromley Schools’ Cup. A close game saw a much weakened team (missing 6 of our 1st XI regulars due to the cricket tour) leading 3-2 with just 15 minutes to go. Despite their best efforts, the away team equalised and scored late on to take the tie. In the absence of many first team players, including goalkeeper Harry Graham, first team debuts were handed to several players. Alex Arif, a Year 10 player, came on as substitute and Seb Williams was promoted from the 3rd XI to take Harry’s place. Despite pre-match nerves, Seb had an outstanding game and his first half performance kept Colfe’s in the game. Perhaps the best performance of the season came in the next game away at City of London; a thoroughly impressive performance
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Colfeian 2012
By this stage of the season several key players had picked up niggling injuries that hampered their involvement. The policy of using lots of Year 11 players, with the aim of giving them three years of 1st XI football, backfired as Sam Howard (last year’s U15 player of the season), Abdul Rehman (last year’s outstanding defender) and Brandon
Masher (with his left foot to die for) all missed games through injury. The biggest miss was perhaps that of Hereward Gibson-Robinson. For a Year 11 to successfully compete in the heart of midfield with players two years older is very difficult. Hereward tackled this task (and everything that moved) with aplomb. His absence in one or two key games was immediately apparent. The most dramatic match of the season was next, a Trinity Cup game against RGS Guildford. Despite a poor performance, goals from Jewers and Cian Barry saw the game end 2-2 after extra time, meaning a penalty shoot-out to decide the tie. Several players showed the nerve to volunteer to take penalties and a final effort from Max Collett saw Colfe’s through to the next round.
Back to winning ways, Walker, Jewers and Harry Chapman scored in the next game, a 3-1 victory over Royal Russell. The season then looked in danger of ending in traumatic fashion with three successive heavy defeats against St Bede’s (where due to injuries we ended the game with nine men!), an excellent Wilson’s School and in the semi-final of the Trinity Cup against local rivals Dulwich College. Thankfully the last half of football the team played was as impressive as the first. Playing football as it should be played goals from Collett, Wright and Alex Graham secured victory against UCS. The possession statistics for the day would probably have given Colfe’s 75% plus, with UCS chasing shadows for much of it.
The season was very much a mixed bag; more victories than defeats, more goals conceded than scored would suggest failure. On the other hand the attitude displayed and the blossoming of many Year 11 and 12 players is very encouraging. The Golden Boot, for top goal scorer, went to James Jewers; despite the rest of the boys claiming he had the worst shot in the team he weighed in with prolific goal scoring. He also created many chances for others to score in an excellent season. Players’ Player of the Year went to the ever
enthusiastic Max Collett. Happy to play wherever asked, he made the right-back position his own and also chipped in with a couple of goals. His tireless running and his constant positive encouragement were both commendable. The Manager’s Player went to the always dangerous Jordan Walker, who overwhelmed many an opposition defence. Always capable of creating something out of nothing, Jordan contributed much more than goals this season. The final award (for commitment) went to another Year 11, the aforementioned
Hereward. He has what footballers describe as a ‘good engine’ and he is prepared to do the less glamorous parts of a midfielder’s job. Finally I would like to thank this year’s 1st XI Captain, Sam Hoare. Despite him constantly telling me I should play him upfront, he did an excellent job at either centre-back or right-back. His leadership qualities were first rate and through his commitment he very much led by example.
saw the team play football of a very high quality. Unsurprisingly Walker, Jewers and Alex Graham got on the score sheet and a 6-0 victory was completed by Mitchell Wright and Nick Duxbury netting for the first time at this level. The next game was a hard-fought game against KCS Wimbledon where the controversial denial of a late equaliser saw Colfe’s lose 1-0.
Mr R Otley
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Other Senior Teams It was a largely frustrating season for the 2nd XI but with many highlights along the way. We had a habit of conceding last-gasp goals, turning victories into draws and draws into defeats. We also ‘played up’ against 1st XIs a couple of times and in these games, as in all the others, the boys’ effort and commitment were impressive. After starting the season with an attacking 4-4-2 formation, we were too often found wanting at the back. A swift change to 4-5-1 saw us a lot more competitive for the rest of the season with matches usually being drawn or won/lost by the odd goal. Creditable draws, that could easily have been victories, came against Brentwood, King’s Canterbury and St Bede’s. Our one win came in a hard-fought match against Sevenoaks with captain and top goal scorer Euan Johnson grabbing a well-earned brace with another all-action performance. Close losses, that could have been so different given a bit of luck, came against City of London, U.C.S. and Reigate Grammar 1st XI. In defence, James Parker and Scott London-Hill formed an excellent partnership in the centre and, promoted from the 3rd XI towards the end of the season, Sam Pinnock turned in some good performances at right back with Will Smith doing the same on the left. In midfield Josh Mawji, James King, Max Dunmore and Jordan Paddock battled hard each game and played some good football at times. On the left wing, Brandon Masher lit up the pitch with his superb passing and crossing, as well as his shooting and free kicks which netted him several goals and made him the side’s second highest goal scorer. Lastly up front “Captain Duracell” himself, Euan Johnson (ably supported by Nick Duxbury), was an inspiration and his performances led to his second Player of the Season award in as many campaigns. The commitment award went to Josh Mawji. The 3rd XI team was quick to settle. Everyone understood what
job they had to do and what was required of them. In goal we had two players feature throughout the season; Seb Williams and Dami were faultless all season. Some of the reaction saves they pulled off were magnificent to say the least. Both can be very pleased with their seasons. The defence was much improved from last season and with Brandon Rose and Chris Bullen at the back we had a solid partnership. They complimented each other well. Brandon is very good in the air and a strong tackler and Chris is a very good all-round player with a good passing range. Our right backs were Olly Kerr and Sam Pinnock who were very consistent with their performances and were positive when going forward. The left back position was cemented all season by Rob Clarke who was brilliant. He kept his game simple and was someone you could rely on to perform well. The midfield included Jack Byford and Fraser Stewart in the middle for most of the season. Both played well and showed brilliant work ethic. Toby, Nathan Stuart and Alex Vinnicombe played on the wings and were always a threat going forward and created plenty of chances for themselves and the forwards. Nathan in particular really showed his ability and ended up playing the second half of the season in the 2nd XI. Hugo started the season in midfield but found his most natural position as a forward. He worked very hard and managed to get his first goal when he met a cross from Toby to volley into the roof of the net. Yohannes Lowe was key for the team going forward. He has good pace and finishes very well and that made him our top goal scorer. It was a tough season for the 4th XI team, chasing that ever elusive win. At times we came very close, holding a lead on a couple of occasions. The closest we came was against Sevenoaks. We were leading 1-0 for the majority of the match only for them to equalise in the last few moments, oh how I cursed Mr Dickson’s timekeeping! We went into
the first game of the season against Kings Canterbury confident that we would get a decent result, but it was not to be. Despite this heavy defeat (and several others) nobody gave up and week after week we began to grow in strength and number. The performance of the season came against St Dunstan’s where we were narrowly beaten 3-2 by their 3rd XI. That game also featured the goal of the season from Zack Sebbana with a long range chip of Ramires like standard. Just as we were really starting to gain form we were set back by the cold weather, thus cancelling some of our mid-season matches. When we returned, we tried a new tactic of five at the back which was by far the best decision we could have made. We battled hard against KCS Wimbledon and our structure was more secure. We looked dangerous on the counter attack and should have picked up at least a consolation goal. We continued through the season and it was a shame that our last game of the season was not as great as we would have liked. Well done to all the lads that played this season, particularly those who showed a constant commitment to the team: Chris Harris, our top goal scorer; Harry Fairbairn, for his crunching tackles; Harry Fisher, for filling in as goalkeeper and really pulling off some great performances and finally to Milo McCormack, for winning player of the season. Mr C Morriss (2nd XI), Mr I Sells (3rd XI) & Adam Millar (4th XI Captain)
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U15
U15A Team The U15A team’s participation in the Investec ISFA U15 National Cup meant our season started in September 2011. We achieved great success narrowly missing the semi-finals; defeating Ardingly, Latymer Upper and Whitgift (last year’s winners) and reaching the quarter finals against Trinity School, losing two goals to one. We had a balanced team, ably led by Captain Rory Lilley. Alex Arif was a key player in midfield while the strength and pace of Matt Gallagher in attack was always a danger. Alongside Rory at right back Tom Potter and Ruairi Dennehy proved a stalwart central defensive partnership, with Conran Russell contributing enthusiastically at left back. Behind this defensive line was goalkeeper Jake Stock who made many important saves. James Davies, Calem Curreen, Sam Debney and Chris Wood contributed consistently well from midfield while Tom Walsh and Freddie Beasley added fire power in attack. Conran Russell left the school at Christmas but a capable replacement at full back was discovered in Teddy Hembrough. Unfortunately other
losses to the squad were not so easy to replace. Calem Curreen who had impressed in the cup run withdrew from the team and didn’t play in the Spring Term. Alex Arif, who had been our key player, was selected for the Gillingham football academy, greatly reducing his availability for school games. Matt Gallagher was selected for the Saracens rugby academy and this also considerably reduced his availability. Freddie Beasley, an effective target man, who could play in defence if required, suffered niggling injuries, as did Ruairi Dennehy, which ruled them out of some key games. Will Bevan, Jacob Roth, Jonny Regnier and Fikayo Okuwa all came into the team at various stages and displayed an excellent attitude. The U15B team proved a great bunch of lads who learnt an awful lot during the season. They realised that together they were better off than alone and that closing your eyes before heading the ball is never a good idea. Over the course of the year they grew in character and learnt to put egos to one side. In midfield Jonny Regnier and
Liam Piddock were instrumental in almost everything we achieved, ably supported by Henry Leverton and Dylan Griffith-Payne. The defence got stronger as we went along with George Brookes and Oliver ViJ developing into fine organisers. Either side of them, Matt Buck, Arvind ‘Edgar Davids’ Bassi and Gaurav Bajwa helped repel the opposition attacks. Up front, Fikayo Okuwa often ploughed a lone field, but towards the end of the season support came in the form of Alex ‘the smirk’ Louis-Perez and Sam Heys. Throughout the season the team was captained fantastically by Henry Chapman, although Henry is not the Messi of our generation, he certainly has the Dennis Wise mentality when it comes to winning. And last but not least I would like to thank Daniel Miller; as without his tremendous sacrifice we would not have had a goalkeeper, a position that he is yet to realise suits him in every aspect. Mr R Dickson (U15A) & Mr B Portwin (U15B)
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Sport - Football
U14 The U14 A team showed a lot of promise in their first season of competitive football fixtures. In every match they created chances and scored some excellent goals. The side was organised and propelled by the inspirational tenacity and passing ability of Captain Ollie Sargent. Alex Harris displayed excellent ability on the ball and linked up with Michael Slade who often provided dangerous crosses in the opponents’ penalty area from the left flank. The pace and finishing ability of Tobi Ogunjimi and Elliot Dennis meant that we looked dangerous whenever we managed to get them on the ball and they both scored some goals of remarkable quality. Tommy Thurston and George Crick also showed some neat touches and understanding of how to break a defence down through simple passing. Unfortunately as a team we often rushed our play and in our eagerness to attack at the first opportunity we would lose possession too quickly. This put a strain on our defence which Will Rowlands battled manfully in central midfield to protect by winning the ball back and restricting the chances created by our opponents. However despite his best efforts we relied on the acrobatic ability and bravery of James Bailey in goal to hold on to the advantage that our attacking play had given us. Jake Birrell progressed into a more rounded centre half in the course of the season and Alex Tate made some
heroic aerial challenges, but our defence was exposed more than they would have liked as other members of the team forgot their responsibility to win the ball back and mark their opposite number in set pieces. Chris Clarke and Elliot Stewart put in some battling performances at full back, and learnt a lot about correct defensive positioning through the course of the season. The U14B team suffered disappointment despite good fitness and team spirit (in the face of defeat against far more experienced opposition, such as King’s Wimbledon and University College School, for example). A comfortable victory in the last game of the season against St Dunstan’s was just reward for our excellent attitude. Harry Johnson was a sound shot stopper with an excellent throw. Harry gave way to Michael Renny in goal for the latter games of the season, a safe pair of hands who made numerous vital saves. In defence, Karel Uwanogho was resolute in tackles and distributed hard-won ball with skill and intelligence. Murray Stewart’s surging runs from defence late in games and his calmness on the ball were impressive. Murray’s height made him an ideal target man for corners and he was equally at home playing up front. Chris Clarke was a welcome addition to the central defence in the latter half of the season, alongside Jake Birrell
whose long legs made several vital tackles. Tomas Bullen showed great versatility, a tenacious tackler in defence equally at home pushing forward. Seb Ellison was willing and steadfast in defence, as was Brendan McMillan. In midfield, Daniel Breed on the left and Olly Stavrinidis on the right worked tirelessly in every match both in and out of possession. Their awards of Most Committed and Player of the Year, respectively, were well deserved. Milo Hadden was industrious in the centre of midfield, using his high levels of personal fitness to good effect to win back the lost ball on numerous occasions. Jacob Jeffery led by example as captain. He ably rallied the lads and has a great first touch and vision, not to mention talent with free kicks. Sam Sonubi proved a skilful and versatile ‘supersub’ on a number of occasions. Up front, Archie Clark coolly converted the majority of scoring opportunities he was presented with, showing great composure in front of goal. Given better linking play between the defensive and offensive thirds of the field and Archie would undoubtedly have scored more goals. Marcus Sivyer provided devastating bursts of pace up front and the equally pacey and enthusiastic Elias Balogun caused problems for defences whenever he played. Mr J Patterson (U14A) & Dr B Davies (U14B)
Sport - Netball
Colfeian 2012
U19 Team
Netball There was much to celebrate in the season; four trophies were lifted, including one regional and one county; our win percentage was pleasing and individual students excelled at County level. The dedication and commitment to training of both players and coaches was excellent. The team of the season was the U14A team. As the 2011 Independent Schools Champions, expectations were high—they did not fail to amaze. They stand officially ranked 6th in the country following their performance in the National Schools Finals. They were the winners of the London and South East Regional National Schools Tournament and have held the Kent Schools and Bromley Schools’ trophies for three consecutive years. They narrowly missed out on a place in the semifinals of the Independent Schools National Finals at U15 level and lost only five matches this season, including tournament games. They displayed something very special this season. Other impressive teams include the U16A team who won the Bromley Schools Tournament and reached the semi-finals of the Kent Schools Tournament, the
U19s who were runners up in the Bromley Schools Tournament and lost just three matches all season, the U13As who reached the last 16 of the Independent Schools National Cup and came 5th in the Kent Schools Tournament and the U12As who despite injury and illness reached the quarter finals of the Kent Schools, and were runners up in the Bromley Schools, tournaments. Our Individuals with Kent representative honours included Rochelle McKay-Pryce (U16) who was recently voted second in the Junior County League Player of Season competition; Chantelle Akpan (U14) who won the County League Player of the Season competition and Amy Grant, Emily Ireland, Jade Lindo, Olivia Porter and Emma Williams (U14). I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the commitment, effort and improvement made by Anna Beasley of Year 9 and Jemma Stephenson and Pippa Britton of Year 8. Finally, I would like to offer a big thank you to all the pupils, parents, team managers and support staff who contributed to what was a memorably successful season.
The U19 team enjoyed a good season led by captains Imogen King and Dela Glevey. Losing just three matches all season the girls produced some great wins over Bromley High, Reigate Grammar and Eltham College, were runners up in the Bromley Schools tournament and reached the last sixteen of the National Independent Schools Cup. Isobel Robson and Dela must be commended for working tirelessly in defence, employing superior logistics to compensate for height disadvantage. Players’ Player, Dela proved a stubborn first line of defence, ably supported by Issy always ready to mark the shot or prevent the pass. The WD position was resolutely and passionately represented by Clare Sawyer and Phoebe Roth, supported by the enthusiastic and perceptive Ellie Bollom. Phoebe made huge improvements in her footwork and passing and at times played in her preferred WA position feeding the shooting circle. Clare has an amazing netball brain, able to read the game and anticipate the movements of the opposite number and ball with great effect.
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Sport - Netball
of the Kent Schools Tournament. Captain Rochelle McKay-Pryce oversaw the development of a disciplined, collaborative, reflective and tactically capable team. Individual talent shone. Rochelle McKay-Pryce, Megan Collett and Jade Deol dominated the shooting circle with predictable accuracy, supported by wing attackers Georgina Renny and Sophia Debney in pacey, unshakeable formation from the centre pass. Articulate Centre, Isabel Marshall mastered positional set piece play, a testimony to the virtue of relentless training. An improving Wing Defence of Maryam Balogun and Saskia Leese rendered faithful support to the defensive wall of Megan Deverson. Jenny Dearsley proved a reliable Goal Keeper, showing mastery of core defensive skills. Such strength and versatility earned the team a successful season against a strong field. Versatility was the keystone of our match against St. Olave’s, communication against Langley Park and precision passing against Alleyn’s. Such skills earned us many goals and favourable comments. Lauren Ellis feeding the shooting circle In the centre was talented and dedicated captain Imogen King, light and quick on her feet and safe and effective with the ball. As well as organising and motivating the team, she made considerable individual progress, deservedly receiving the senior school netball prize. Feeding our shooting circle as WA was the reliable, hardworking and reflective Lauren Ellis, our most committed and improved player. She feeds the ball masterfully and has great timing enabling her to lose players easily. Towards the end of the season we were delighted to welcome back to the WA bib, Isabel Johnny. She has great vision on court and knows exactly where to place the ball. Our goal scorers, who netted 222 goals between them, were Alice Foster and Millie Sherren. Alice showed moments of brilliance and appeared to enjoy the pressure of the position, particularly against Surbiton High and Portsmouth Grammar in the
National Cup competition. Alice shot from anywhere in the circle and if she did ever miss a shot Millie was always ready for the rebound and to pop the ball through the net. Millie has a natural ability to defend and this coupled with her height makes for a very effective shooter. I was impressed by the team’s progress, determination and commitment this season. There is no doubt that many will continue to play netball at university or at club level and I wish them all the best for the future. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Megan Deverson, Rochelle Mckay-Pryce and Isabel Marshall for playing up at times this season. They were an asset to the team and fully deserved their place. The U16 team had a very successful season, winning most of our matches and the Bromley Schools Tournament, reaching the semi-finals
This year, the U15 team made fantastic progress in netball. Captained by the organised and enthusiastic personality of Octavia Willoughby, they worked hard to improve every week. Unfortunately, an early injury for Kirsty Sutherland meant that changes needed to be made! As the season progressed, Lauren Elliott joined the squad and worked excellently with Chantal du Rocher to create the strong circle defence pairing that we needed. The last two weeks of the season saw the culmination of all of their hard work on cutting towards the ball and using their set plays, leading to well-deserved victories against Farringtons and Langley Park and a narrow loss against Newstead Wood. Katy Ellis and Adejoke Adewale must be congratulated for some perfect shooting in those final matches, as well as Polly Humphries’ faultless ability to send passes into the shooting circle. It was a pleasure see Lucy Ellis-Keeler, Katie Britten and Sarah Bickford remain motivated and committed throughout the season.
Sport - Netball
Colfeian 2012
U14A Team
Our U14A team enjoyed another outstanding season. They not only won the Bromley Schools tournament, but competed fiercely in the prestigious Kent Schools tournament, where the team progressed to the regional round with calm and confidence. After outmanoeuvring our opponents with fast and intelligent netball, we won the tournament leaving with gold medals, a trophy and a place in the National Schools finals. We experienced a tough day of netball in this tournament but finished 3rd in our group which gave us a national ranking of joint 6th in the country, a fantastic achievement. In between such tournaments the U14 team competed in the U15 age group of the ISNC. Despite playing a year above their own age they reached the semi-finals. In addition to competitive netball the team helped to deliver hockey master classes to Colfe’s Prep School. Throughout the season, the U14B team demonstrated commitment to training and a good team spirit. They enjoyed two fantastic victories over Bancroft’s and St Dunstan’s. Fiona Hartono, Annabel Hong and Katie Stemp were responsible for scoring over 30 goals over the season. Mia Weisberg, Izzy Staden, Hannah
Stafford and Megan Tibby worked hard and were effective in defence. Ellen Dunbar had a great season as one of the most versatile members of the team. Daisy Jones had a big impact on the success of the team keeping the ball safe and bringing it down court to feed into our shooters. The team would not have been complete without the considerable skills of Luisa Epps, Caroline Hedley, Megan Tibby and Olivia CarruthersJones. The hardworking U13A team achieved some great results. Bella Perry reliably held the fort at goal shooter, supported by Victoria Newman who proved strong in attack as well as defence. Initially, a determined Hope Harrison played an important part in defence. Beth Fleming and Lara Hedegaard were the most improved players. Despite having an unfortunate injury Megan Marchant (a real motivator) proved an invaluable member of the team, working tirelessly in defence with Daniella Faloye. The versatile Emma Williams played almost every position on court with skill, representing Kent County this season, a great honour and achievement. In Kent Schools Tournament, the team powered to the second round
and reached the quarter finals earning us a commendable final ranking of 5th in Kent. The closely collaborative, flexible and versatile U13B team enjoyed a hardworking and successful season. An aspiring Centre, Bessie Stevens, earned the confidence and skill she developed this season. Natashja Wilson proved herself an effective attacker. A highly focused and driven Rose Turpin was solid in goal and wing defence. Potential leader, Nina Calvert combined skilful play on the wing and inspired peers with regular feedback and positive criticism. Celebrated musician, Ruby Collins, offered grit and zeal to her convincing performances at Centre and Wing. Sophia Rosen-Fouladi preferred the position of goal keeper, using her height advantage to quash even the most determined attacks. Power was never in short supply as Nikita Jarvis played a determinedly aggressive game reminding our opponents that we were a force to be reckoned with. The intelligent Sara Yussouf worked tirelessly as our level headed goal attack or goal shooter. Rosie Taylor played wherever she was needed and became a multi-skilled support player. Such dedication was shared by Hope Harrison who played for both A and B teams.
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Sport - Netball
beating Newstead Woods, Priory and Langley Park in addition to coming runners up in the Bromley Schools Tournament. It was also evident in the Kent Schools Tournament. Eloise and Lydia’s skilful passing to Daphne and Kate and a determined defence of Lucy, Rachel, Momo and Elizabeth enabled the girls to reach the quarter finals. The player of the tournament was Charlotte Carbin. Recognition is also due to Prep school pupils Amber Dirrane, Eloise Millar, Karita Moorcroft, Molly Aston and Charlotte Ellis-Keeler from who all played a match for the team.
U12A Team Our talented U12A team (played 12, won 6, lost 6) achieved much in a challenging season: Runners up in both the Bromley Schools Tournament and Bromley League and 5th in the Kent Schools Tournament. The partnership of Daphne Pratt and Kate Drury in the shooting circle as GA and GS proved successful, securing victory against Alleyn’s and Chislehurst and Sidcup. However, illness and injury disrupted our mid-season. Though our defence of Elizabeth Dearsley and Rachel Fielder-West grew stronger both physically and tactically, we struggled to score without Kate. Shooting practise and feeding the circle became the focus of our training; we
had to depend on our versatility. We lost heavily to Bancrofts and JAGS. Charlotte Carbin and Lucy Sargent made significant progress in defence and attack playing both WD and WA; Charlotte established herself in the position of C. Eloise Hembrough worked hard to improve her footwork and Momo Shoroye was promoted from the B team to give us depth in defence, affording Elizabeth and Rachel the opportunity to shoot. February saw three fixtures cancelled by opponents, affording us time to develop skills and tactics, introducing Lydia Fearn from the B team, giving us options in attack and reintroducing Kate. Our plan worked and in March we returned to winning form,
Although essentially a hardworking and receptive team, the U12B team (played 7, won 2, lost 5) did not have the stamina to do themselves full justice, hence some unnecessary losses. We were not without talent. A natural and unshakeable defender, Claire Elliott was our firewall. The talented and reflective Momo Shoroye worked hard to earn promotion to the A team. Molly Jones displayed an incredible reach and worked hard on improving her catch rate; a most promising defender. Megan Oostra was a competitive force determined to win every ball. Stalwart, Lydia Fearn inspired the team with her professional manner and versatility proving too tempting a choice for A team selectors. Eppie Gauster played WA and made a real contribution to the team with her shooting accuracy. A natural GA and captain, the decisive and energetic Naryana Parris initiated fantastic attacking moves and fired at net with deadly accuracy. Indeed, all of our girls contributed enthusiasm and effort to the team: Kiera Vinall, Charlotte Gaskin, Fajr Mukhtar, Alex King, Penny Battersby, Molly Aston, Eloise Millar, Amber Dirrane, Roisin, Karita Moorcroft, Emily and Charlotte Ellis-Keeler. The team would not have functioned efficiently and effectively without them. Mrs N Rayes (Netball Report, U19 & U12A), Mrs O Hamidzadeh (U16), Mrs E Cordell (U15), Miss S Holder (U14 & U13A), Mrs J Burton (U13B) & Mrs J Brinsmead (U12B).
Sport - Hockey
Hockey The 1st XI team struggled to establish identity and train with consistency and collective vigour. Alice Foster and Ellie Bollom strove to fill these gaps, with some success, much to their credit. It was this new and unsettled team that competed in the challenging Kent Schools Tournament in Canterbury. Logistical impediment was compounded by the disrupting influence of unusually inclement weather. We really struggled to make progress in subsequent matches against strong sides from Bromley High, JAGS and St Dunstan’s. Despite
Colfeian 2012
1st XI Team
this ordeal, it was an improved team that held a determined St Dunstan’s side to a draw, Alice Foster scoring a particularly hard fought goal. As encouraging, and pleasing to observe, was the endless enthusiasm and commitment of Phoebe Roth, who persevered with grit to develop more acute positional awareness, making her a more rounded and effective player. Further, recognition is due, as always, for the good old fashioned virtues of reliability and dedication, shown most inspirationally in this instance by Issy Johnny. She
applied this commendable attitude to many roles, without complaint, inspiring the team to make real improvements throughout the season. Indeed, our team developed into an effective playing unit. Clare Sawyer proved solid in defence, teaming up with Katia Clarke, Catherine Cheesman, Martha Halloumas and Megan Deverson. Adejoke Adewale thrived as GK earning her the Players’ Player of the Season. Recognition is also due to the consistently strong attackers, Issy Marshall, Alice Foster and Bea Waller.
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Sport - Hockey
demonstrating the skill and intelligence to play in a variety of positions. Although Anna Beasley only started playing in goal from January, her determination and dedication quickly established her as an outstanding goalie and helped the U14 team keep a clean sheet against St Dunstan’s. The girls were a pleasure to coach.
U14 House Hockey The U15 team was an absolute pleasure to coach this year. They attended every training session with enthusiasm, despite the weather and were always keen to impress. Every single player in the team did their part and some players discovered talents that I don’t think they knew they had! At the back, Mollie Richards and Lizzie Treadwell put in some tackles that would have brought down most evergreens, ably supported by the enthusiastic Lucy Ellis-Keeler and Eleonore Ocana. In the midfield, Kat Kawaters, Hakiera McLarty and Josie Cournil-Daly were a match for any opponent and their understanding of the game grew dramatically as the season progressed. Up front, Shannon Burke and Sarah Bickford bravely and tirelessly worked for the good of the team, bagging a few goals to boot. Team spirit grew throughout the season and the idea of “sum being greater than the parts” was slowly instilled. To that end, Adejoke Adewale, Octavia Willoughby, Polly Humphries and Chantal du Rocher led from the front in every way. They never missed training and gave everything they had in our games,
making their coach extremely proud. I hope they take their skills further in the club format and possibly the county standard. We had an enjoyable, even record and I hope that many of this team will represent the school 1st XI next year. The U14 team experienced mixed fortunes during the season. Although they only had a few fixtures, with some being called off due to bad weather, they ended on a high, with a 1-0 win over St Dunstan’s. Annabel Hong and Katie Stemp were assertive up front, consistently challenging the goal keeper and the opponent’s defence. Jade Lindo, Emily Ireland, Chantelle Akpan and Hannah Skevington worked persistently and tirelessly in the midfield, assisting the defence in times of trouble and then setting up goals for the forwards. Olivia Porter was solid whatever position she was called on to play; in goal, defence or midfield. Amy Grant, with the help of Ellen Dunbar and Anna Foley, formed a solid back line, blocking the opponents from scoring goals. Luisa Epps, Megan Tibby and Daisy Jones improved significantly,
The U13 team’s commitment to training could not be faulted; they deserved every one of the many goals they scored at 7 a side and 11 a side. We secured a notable early season victory against Chislehurst and Sidcup with the A team accumulating a win of 8 goals. Emma Williams as GK kept any threat of goals at bay. The B team were not to be overshadowed by their A team counterparts, with a victory of 9—1; four goals scored by Hope Harrison and Bella Perry and one goal scored by Georgia Crick. A memorable 4-0 victory in the spring term came against St Dunstan’s, two goals scored by Bella Perry (one in open play and one from a penalty corner) and two scored by Jemma Stephenson. The goals came from supporting play on the wings, particularly by Anna Patel, Bessie Stevens and Georgia Crick. Of particular note in this game was the drive and determination of Jemma Stephenson, which at one point produced an important goal scoring strike from the edge of the circle; just an example of the contributions that earned her Player of the Match. Another key feature of this game was, typically, Victoria Newman’s relentless tackling in midfield. Such individual contributions, however, would not have won games without the excellent efforts of the team.
Sport - Hockey
Colfeian 2012
Player of the Tournament, Megan Marchant (right), outmanoeuvring the opposition
Colfe’s U13 Invitational Hockey Tournament The Colfe’s U13 Invitational Hockey Tournament, which originated as part of the opening ceremony for the school’s all weather pitch, has continued to establish itself as a regular event on the sporting calendar with 11 schools in attendance from Bromley, Bexley, Lewisham and Dulwich. The Colfe’s U13A team of Year 7 and 8 girls came second, playing some of their best hockey of the season. In the group stages, we beat Bullerswood (2-1), Chislehurst and Sidcup (2-0) and drew 0-0 against St Dunstan’s and Langley Park. As winners of
their group, the team faced Bromley High who had won the other group stage. Colfe’s were under pressure for most of the game and lost 2-0. Despite some great defending, the team were unable to create any attacking chances. Megan Marchant led the team and displayed superb skill, scored 3 goals and was named Colfe’s Player of the Tournament. Megan was supported by Anna Patel and Victoria Newman making a deadly trio in attack. Jemma Stephenson led the defensive unit and supported by Bessie Stevens, Lydia
Fearn, Nikita Jarvis, Emma Williams (GK) and Eloise Hembrough. Colfe’s B team played particularly well against Hayes and Newstead Wood securing their best results of the tournament. However, we lost to Bromley High and Alleyn’s who went on to compete in the finals and narrowly lost to Beaverwood. Well done to all of the girls who took part and who expressed their enjoyment of the tournament, to Susie Rowe and Miss Harris for acting as managers and Miss Crow for helping to run the results table.
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Sport - Hockey & Rounders
U12A Hockey Team
The hardworking and dedicated U12 teams made great progress over the season. Our teamwork secured some brilliant wins, including a 6-1 win over Blackheath High. Daphne Pratt was the A team’s highest scorer. Grace Calder, Charlotte Carbin and Roisin Spencer scored prolifically, assisted in attack by Eppie Gauster. Eloise Hembrough and Elizabeth
Dearsley performed tirelessly in midfield. Rachel Fielder-West, Lucy Sargent and Lydia Fearn effectively formed a wall at the back, the most notable individual in this respect being the fearless goalie, Frankie Fiore. Momo Shoroye, Kiera Vinall and Naryana Parris were vital players in support or as goal scorers. The exceptionally versatile Claire
Elliott, Megan Oostra, Charlotte Gaskin, Molly Jones and Lottie Davies were exceptionally committed to the club after school. Last but not least, Fajr Mukhtar was simply an awesome B team goalie.
a 16 – 12 win achieved with great catches from Megan Tibby, brilliant deep fielding by Annabel Hong and impressive throwing by Amy Grant. The U13 team competed in the St Dunstan’s Tournament this season, losing 9 - 3½ to JAGS and winning 13 – 4 against Blackheath High; rounders and half rounders scored by Emma Williams, Bessie Stevens, Bella Perry, Megan Marchant and Victoria Newman. Superb fielding was displayed by Sophia RosenFouladi, Anna Patel, Nikita Jarvis and Beth Fleming. Fielding errors led to a 5-4 defeat against St Thomas. We were successful in the playoffs against Chislehurst & Sidcup due principally to bowler Victoria
Newman, backstop Bella Perry and 1st post Megan Marchant. Our 19-4 win against Bishop Justus was a fitting end to the season. The U12 team enjoyed a successful season winning 3 of their 4 matches. Daphne Pratt, Momo Shoroye and Eloise Hembrough were commended for their batting ability often clearing the fielders, whilst, Lydia Fearn, Lucy Sargent, Charlotte Carbin and Rachel Fielder-West were the safe hands of the team. Penny Battersby and Kate Drury impressed with their donkey drops and Naryana Parris and Elizabeth Dearsley worked well together at deep and post.
Miss R Hargrave (Hockey Report, 1st XI & U13), Mr B Portwin (U15) & Miss N Harris (U14 & U12)
Rounders The U14 team was narrowly defeated 15½ - 19 at Bromley High. Notable performers include Olivia Porter, awarded Player of the Match for demonstrating superior fielding skills and scoring numerous half-rounders; and Jade Lindo, for excellent batting, showing an ability to sneak half a metre either side of the opposition’s deep fielder at 3rd deep and secure half and full rounders as a result. A mixed B/C team played two matches against Blackheath High, winning one and losing one. Key players included Hannah Stafford, Katie Stemp, Lily Dirrane, Tamsin Hare and Megan Tibby. Our best performance of the season came against Alleyn’s,
Miss R Hargrave
Athletics
Colfeian 2012
Athletics This year saw Colfe’s competing in more meetings than they have for many years. This higher profile within the school has consequently delivered some very commendable performances. The season started with the Greenwich Borough trials held at Sutcliffe Park. We had students competing at all age groups and across all events. Elias Balogun, Tobi Ogunjimi, Jessica Lwin, Megan Marchant and Emily Ireland all gained selection to represent Greenwich at the London Championships. At the London Schools Athletics Association combined events championships athletes competed in five events. In the junior age groups Elias Balogun, William Rowlands, Tobi Ogunjimi, Emily Ireland, Chantelle Akpan and Amy Grant finished in the middle of the field. At the inter age group levels Will Bevan and Freddie Beasley narrowly missed out on podium places. Chantal du Rocher had a fantastic day winning the inter girls competition to be crowned the London Schools Athletics Association combined events champion. We finished the season with further success. Both our Year 9 boys and Year 10 girls were crowned Greenwich School Athletics Champions. In middle distance events Megan Marchant, Ellen Dunbar, Olivia Porter and Millie Bach secured podium finishes. In sprint distances, Elias Balogun and Tobi Ogunjimi won the Year 9 boys 100m and 200m, respectively. The boys were also part of the hugely impressive Year 9 boys’ 4x100m
Sports Day - Matthew Gallagher relay team. In terms of Colfe’s Sports Day, athletes performed exceptionally. The girls’ champions were: Millie Bach (Year 10), Ellen Dunbar (Year 9), Megan Marchant (Year 8) and Daphne Pratt (Year 7). The boys’ champions were: Matthew Gallagher (Year 10), Elias Balogun and Tobi Ogunjimi – jointly (Year
9), Marc Russo (Year 8) and Chris Harris (Year 7). Records were broken in the javelin: Amy Grant (Year 9) and Marcus Bunger (Year 8). Norton prevailed as the most successful House. Mr A Bateson (Head of Athletics)
Sports Day Champions Girls
Boys
Year 10
Millie Bach
Matthew Gallagher
Year 9
Ellen Dunbar
Elias Balogun & Tobi Ogunjimi
Year 8
Megan Marchant
Marc Russo
Year 7
Daphne Pratt
Chris Harris
House
1st, Norton; 2nd, Prendergast; 3rd, Beardwood; 4th, Bramley.
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Biathle & Swimming
Senior Biathle Millie Bach (Year 10) has represented Great Britain at the World Biathle Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. The girls run 500m, swim 100m and then run a further 500m as a continuous event. Millie secured 7th place out of 25 girls competing for the under 15s but it was a close race. Only 14 seconds between Millie and the Gold medal. Being 7th best in the world at Biathle may be just the beginning for Millie who has now been taken onto the ‘English Talent Pool’ to train in Pentathlon. So at weekends Millie trains at 100m swimming, 1,500m Running, Fencing, Shooting and Showjumping. In March, three Colfeians swam in the new Olympic pool for the Six Olympic Host Borough Championships. Kate Drury (Year 7), Ellen Dunbar (Year 9) and Millie Bach (Year 10) represented the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Ellen Dunbar swam in the U15 100m freestyle and U15 100m Breaststroke events winning both convincingly and walked away with not only two gold medals but two new long course PBs. Millie Bach and Kate Drury also swam superbly, Kate finished 4th in her U13 50m Breaststroke race, narrowly missing out on a
Mille Bach bronze medal, whilst Millie won 2 gold medals in both the freestyle relay and the medley relay. After a very tight gala, the girls helped
Greenwich finish in second place. During the event, the competitors got the chance to meet the World and European medallist Liam Tancock.
St Dunstan’s Swimming Gala We were victorious in an exciting gala at St Dunstan’s College. The gala, included individual events and freestyle and medley relays for all year groups. All swimmers swam incredibly well especially those who swam up a year group in both individual events and relays. Jess in year 5 swam in the year 7 events and won her butterfly individual race by half a length. It was a draw in the boys’ events overall and a win for the girls’ events which put Colfe’s first. 126 points to St Dunstan’s 114. In May, Colfeians performed very strongly in the County Aquathlon Relay competition at Bromley High School. The junior team consisted of Ben Debney, Evan McDonald, Jemma Stephenson and
Victoria Newman. The senior team consisted of Edgars Haruns, Jonny Regnier, Ellen Dunbar and Olivia Porter. Competitors swam 200m and ran 1500m. Finishing second overall, we were the fastest mixed team, qualifying for the national competition in June. Twenty four schools took part in the National Aquathlon Competition. Competitors swam 200m and ran 1.5km at the event. Our U15 team (Ellen Dunbar, Millie Bach, Edgars Haruns and Jonny Regnier) finished second and our U13 team (Evan McDonald, Ben Debney, Megan Marchant and Victoria Newman) finished 6th place. There were medals, regional qualifying times and personal best
times for Colfe’s swimmers at the Kent County ASA Championships. Nick Duxbury (Year 12), Millie Bach and Ellen Dunbar (Year 9) all performed superbly in the events held at Crystal Palace and Medway Park. Nick scored an impressive 26.63 seconds in the 50m Freestyle – a regional qualifying time. Millie achieved two personal bests and came 4th in the 50m Free, breaking 30 seconds, and 5th in the 50m Fly. Ellen Dunbar won bronze in both the 50m Breaststroke and 100m Individual Medley and silver in the 100m Breaststroke in a time of 1.19.20. Ellen achieved a number of personal bests and regional qualifying times from her many events. The swimmers
Biathlon & Swimming
were representing their individual clubs: Nick and Millie represented Greenwich Borough Mariners, Edgars swims for Southwark Aquatics and Ellen for Greenwich SC. At the Surrey County ASA Championships held at Guildford Spectrum and the Crystal Palace, Edgars Haruns (Year 10) swam a phenomenally quick 29.10secs in the 50m Fly to give him a 4th place. He also achieved regional qualifying times from his other events including a 58.37 for the 100m Freestyle. After great success at the Greenwich Borough Championships, Ellen Dunbar (Year 9) followed this with 3 longer course qualifying swimming times. She won a gold medal in the 200m backstroke, silver in the 100m freestyle and bronze in the 200m freestyle. This is particularly impressive as she exceeded the fast times for her age group and so was not allowed to compete in her strongest events. Edgars also had
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a good Gala, winning a bronze in the 100m breaststroke. Edgars also broke the 1 minute barrier in the 100m freestyle event for his first time, completing the race in 59.51 seconds, a Regional Qualifying time.
Towards the end of the season in the White Oak Open Gala held at Millie Bach’s home club, Millie won an excellent silver in the Ladies’ Open 200m freestyle.
St Dunstan’s Swimming Gala
JAGS Biathlon
JAGS Biathlon Twelve Colfe’s girls went to JAGS to compete in the annual Biathlon event. The year 7 team consisted of Lydia Fearn, Molly Jones,
Daphne Pratt and Kate Drury. The year 8 team consisted of Megan Marchant, Bella Perry, Victoria Newman and Lara Hedegaard
and the Year 9 team consisted of Ellen Dunbar, Emily Ireland, Olivia Carruthers-Jones and Anna Beasley. First the competitors had to complete their run. The Colfe’s girls all ran well, particularly Ellen Dunbar and Megan Marchant who won their heats. Emily Ireland also had a great run finishing second behind Ellen in her heat. The heats were run in age groups and it was fantastic to see the older and younger girls supporting their peers with great enthusiasm. Then, the Year 7s completed in a 50m swim and the Year 8 and 9s in a 100m swim. Bella Perry and Victoria Newman both swam excellently finishing 1st and 2nd position in their heats. Ellen Dunbar emerged as winner of the Year 9 age group with Emily Ireland finishing 10th position out of 31 competitors. Megan Marchant achieved 7th position in the Year 8 category out of 40 girls. Overall Ellen, Emily, Olivia and Anna as the Year 9 team achieved third position. Miss S Holder
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Taekwondo
Taekwondo The Inter House Taekwondo competition was split into three areas of patterns, sparring and jumping high kick. In the patterns students had to perform a series of basic fundamental movements against an imaginary opponent either in attack or defence. The final was won by Bhavini Vijapura of Bramley, Henry Harris of Prendergast coming third. In the free sparring students had to score as many points as possible by executing correct techniques on a real opponent within a certain distance in the right part of the body.
The winner was Henry Harris against Katharina Kawaters (Prendergast), Kenneth Bajulaiye coming 3rd for Norton. Katharina Kawaters won the jumping high kick. The overall results were: 1st Place, Prendergast; 2nd Place, Bramley; 3rd Place, Norton; 4th Place, Beardwood. The following awards were made at the end of the year: Bradley Storey, 2nd Degree Blackbelt and Instructor qualification; George Charalambous, 1st Degree Blackbelt and Instructor qualification; Bhavini Vijapura and Vinesh Ravindran, Red Belt 2nd Kup; Henry Patrick Harris,
Green Belt Blue Tag 5th Kup; Lucy Williams and Alice Zhelezko, Green Belt 6th Kup; Blake O’Sullivan, Ethan Collins-Oberman, Dennis Frazer, William Dittrich, Dominic Tonks and George Banya, Yellow Belt Green Tag 7th Kup; Kenneth Bajulaiye, Louis Sayer and Matthew Arawwawala, Yellow Belt 6th Kup; Adrian Diez-Cuadrado, White Belt Yellow Tag 9th Kup. Dr U Vijapura (5th Degree International Taekwondo Instructor)
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Combined Cadet Force Squadron Exercise Roebuck Rock: Colfe’S CCF Squadron February 2012 Deployment to Gibraltar CCF Squadron Fire-fighters at the Defence Fire Service Station
Major Cherry and I organised the Squadron’s visit to Gibraltar with the assistance of Captain Martinez of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment whom we had met on the annual shoot at St Martin’s Plain. The initial impetus for the deployment derived from my experiences of Gibraltar with the Territorial Army. We flew out of England on an icy morning
in December and arrived at Devil’s Tower Camp after the customary break-neck landing at Gibraltar’s short airstrip. During the following morning general arrangements for the cadets’ programme of study were made at Buffadero Training Centre on the southern tip of the Rock. Our preparations led to Upper Rock where we inspected the camping
facilities at Spur Battery. The focus of the afternoon was an exploration of the World War Two tunnels, the site of an important part of the cadets’ combat training. During the second day we visited the Defence Fire and Rescue station, where the Station Officer outlined the cadets’ training there which would involve full rig and the notorious smoke room.
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Cadets deployed in the World War Two tunnels The planning, recce, diplomatic clearances, stores requests and authorities carried out and in place, the Squadron mustered at the Old Colfeians car park at a painful 0430 hours on a freezing February Saturday morning, The Sgt Major checked the nominal role with the Adjutant and confirmed to me we were ready to go! Our army coach loaded, we set off for Gatwick for our flight to Gibraltar as guests of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment (RG). WO2 Coyle’s idea was now up and running! We arrived in Gib to wonderful weather (70 degrees) and our transport was waiting to whisk us off to Devil’s Tower Camp where the cadets settled into their accommodation – the staff on the other hand were off to MT (mechanical transport) to get checked out on the vehicles we were being loaned which were the new Pinzgauers. WO2 Coyle was also busy collecting stores. The programme started the next day on Sunday with transport down to Buffadero Training Centre where WO2 James Garcia of the Gib Regiment had allocated us facilities and instructors. Cadets drew their personal weapons and spent the day learning FIBUA (fighting in built up areas) tactic clearing houses systematically clearing enemy from buildings
room by room. These drills are fast moving and exciting. After this we deployed to the rock – inside the Rock of Gibraltar there are over thirty miles of tunnels many used during sieges and during WWII. Here Cadets learned tunnel clearance drills under the close supervision of Sgt Tinkler (RG) an instructor at Buffadero. He was with us for the next two days too and proved to be an excellent, knowledgeable and enthusiastic mentor. This day prepared Cadets for a two day exercise starting early on Monday morning! This would run through the night finishing on Tuesday afternoon. This training day proved interesting for all particularly in the tunnels which were fascinating. It was also complex and challenging both physically and mentally and tested everybody’s team work and communication skills. On completion everyone had learned a lot and Cadets and directing staff moved back to their relevant messes for dinner and to prep kit for the 48 hour exercise. After again drawing personal weapons and ammunition Cadets deployed from Bufferdero at the southern end of Gibraltar up on to the rock moving tactically through residential areas to one of the access points to the tunnel network—their mission was to
flush out insurgents who were invading Gibraltar! Cadets located the enemy forces during several contacts utilising their new skills, the sound of blank ammunition resonating around the tunnels. Battle won, they made their way up out of the Rock and up onto the outside slopes where they patrolled ever higher. This was a hard slog and took about three hours before we made it to our overnight location at Spur Battery—an old abandoned artillery position below the summit of the Rock! This afforded marvellous views into Spain and across the Med into Morocco! Here our force harboured up and went into a defensive regime and each cadet prepared an evening meal from their ration packs. As soon as night fell selected cadets ventured down the Rock into Buffadero Training Village – looking for more enemy forces during their close target recce patrols. It was the early hours before the patrols returned and reported that the village was indeed harbouring a force of about twenty insurgents! A plan was made for a dawn attack and at 0600 hours after a briefing the unit moved down the Rock to Buffadero where a dawn attack on the village was successful in clearing the village of enemy positions! This was fast moving and exciting. This concluded the combat phase of the exercise and everyone went into a routine of cleaning weapons for return to the armoury and returning kit, however, Cpl Chris Mendoza, a PTI from the RG Regt, arrived to put the Cadets through their paces on the assault course. At the same time paratroops were dropping into the sea from a Hercules transport!
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Cadet fire-fighters battle against the flames and smoke of a simulated aircraft engine fire
Our last two days prior to a Friday departure were going to be different —on Wednesday Cadets took the cable car ride to the top of the Rock and visited some of the natural unspoilt caves deep in the Rock a bit of adventure training! The Squadron’s Fire-fighters went across to the Defence Fire Service Station on the airfield where they were issued kit and briefed on breathing apparatus for their training exercise the next day. This would involve putting out fires on the training rig, which is a large simulated aircraft with controlled gas fires—cadets had to deal with an engine fire! They also went into the smoke
simulator—a building filled with smoke which has to be searched in pairs wearing breathing apparatus to recover dummy casualties! We are grateful to Sub Officer Richard Duarte and his team for a fantastic training opportunity. While the firefighters were busy on the airfield our Catering Section reported to the Junior Ranks Mess Kitchen where they worked alongside military chefs learning new skills and even prepared the salads and coleslaw for our farewell to Gibraltar BBQ on the Thursday evening, Everyone else enjoyed some climbing and visits around Gibraltar which is steeped in history whilst enjoying the
exceptional weather! On the flight back most slept—a sure sign of how busy the Squadron had been during this deployment. Our grateful thanks go to all in Gib for their efforts, hospitality and expertise but especially the Royal Gibraltar Regiment and their Commanding Officer Lt Col Risso MC. It was an exceptional period of training and the Cadets gave a good account of themselves. Thank you to all the CCF staff for a great job in delivering an overseas exercise which is never a straightforward or easy job! Major C Cherry
Method of Instruction Cadre The Method of Instruction (MOI) Cadre is designed to teach cadets the theory behind instructing others and impart the principles of good instruction. It is a combination of theory and practical exercises culminating in a lecturette delivered to a group of peers. The two day course is delivered in a teaching environment by a variety of military instructors. Topics covered include the psychology of learning, lesson planning and classroom management. This is an important course in a cadet’s career, as instructing other cadets is an intrinsic part of the cadet structure. As cadets progress in the unit and
aim to become NCOs, they are tasked with delivering instructional courses on a variety of topics including first aid, weapon systems, navigation, fieldcraft and battlecraft to name a few. The volunteer officers on the unit are supported by a regular serving soldier from 6 Cadet Training Team based at Woolwich Barracks. Sgt Granger also conducted a more formal MOI cadre focussing specifically on the L98A2 – the cadet weapon system. At the end of the cadre, NCOs are trained to teach on the weapon system and instruct the same. They then instruct our new intake in how to handle, remedy stoppages, strip,
clean and re-assemble all parts of the weapon system in preparation for their weapon handling test conducted by qualified adult staff. The course counts towards their BTEC diploma in Public Services (Armed Forces) and the volunteering section of their Duke of Edinburgh Award if instructing junior cadets. Cadets completing the course included Balogun, Boylan, Burnand, Clark, Difford, Ellison, Foster, Gowdie, Hall, Harjette, KabuyeSamuels, Karavidas, Patel-Watts, Price, Renny, Wright, Verges and Vijapura. Captain Joyce
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Cadet Supervision Team (CST) Training Camp Every year the CCF Squadron recruits from Year 8 and therefore needs to draw high calibre instructors from its ranks in the form of experienced cadets. Cadets wishing to be selected try out for a place as an instructor on a dedicated training camp, the CST Cadre. There is always fierce competition for places and we look to select the best. We need cadet instructors that can instruct, have good skills and empathise with recruits to help them through the challenge of recruit training. The course is designed with the 4 day recruit training cadre in mind so involves a briefing on all events, recce of the areas used and instructor roles and responsibilities
so that everyone knows what they are going to be doing and when and how they are going to be doing it. There are many role plays which put potential instructors in as realistic a situation as possible resembling incidents and scenarios from previous courses. By the end of the Cadre a new team of instructors were ready to receive recruit trainees. All had worked hard to achieve the standard and all were keen to uphold the standards of Colfe’s CCF squadron. Major Cherry The CST Training cadre takes place over a weekend (Friday night to Sunday) and potential instructors
are put through their paces and equipped with additional skills to help prepare them for training recruits. At camp we started with a full kit check to make sure we had the right kit so we didn’t look bad in front of the new recruits. We then started doing some of the fitness tests the new recruits would have to do so we set a high standard of fitness for them. We then stated role plays, dealing with issues such as inter-personal confrontation, bullying and personal injury. Even if your role play didn’t go too well you could learn from it. I applied for the cadre because the unit is one of the best CCF units in the country. L/Cpl Seb Ellison
Okehampton In October the unit deployed to Dartmoor for its half term training camp. For many of the Cadets this was the first time they had deployed on exercise after passing out as a recruit. The unit was accommodated at Okehampton camp for the duration. The October camp is a training camp where new skills are learnt by cadets of all ages. For this exercise we also had the added task of transition to a new weapons system. The new Cadet rifle had been rolled out across the country and this was our first chance to use it as a unit. The rifle is far more user friendly and this made the deployment more enjoyable. Whilst on the exercise new skills such as pairs fire and manoeuvre were used. This involved cadets assaulting a position in a two person team. Cadets also practiced a retreat under fire as well as dealing with battlefield casualties. At the end of the exercise all of these skills were put into place with an exercise in which the cadets were not aware they would be dealing
Retreat First Aid Scenario with casualties. The unit had recently purchased some prosthetic wounds which were placed on a cadet within the section. They came complete with fake blood and some very good acting! All those taking part in the scenario dealt with the casualties in a professional manner and all the ‘injured’ personnel were removed from the battlefield. The cadets also participated in an obstacle course which tested their physical ability,
collaborative skills and overall confidence. A new feature of the program was survival training. This included shelter construction, making fires and survival cooking. It was an informative and rewarding experience and prepared the unit for its deployment to Gibraltar in February. Lt Matt Leat
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Skill At Arms Training One of the activities the cadets look forward to the most is live firing on military ranges. This is where they get to use the rifle that they have trained on for real. The Squadron undertook two Skill At Arms training weekends during the year, both conducted at Hythe Ranges. The cadets fire live
ammunition, using the regular army rifle over ranges between 100 and 300 metres. They have to complete an annual skill shoot over 100 metres, to qualify for their shooting badges and we also conduct an electronic target range shoot where the aim is to knock down as many
targets as possible. The best at this for the year was Sergeant Tom Kwok, who was awarded the Tyler Cup. All cadets passed their classification shoot and enjoyed shooting in the unusually dry conditions. Major C Cherry
Operation Varsity Remembrance Parade – Earls Colne
In the early morning of the 24th March 1945 a force of 440 gliders of the Glider Pilot Regiment towed by tug aircraft of the Royal Air Force took off from airfields across southern England. Their contribution towards the invasion of Germany was to capture and hold the town of Hamminklen along with three vital bridges over the River Issel. Their loads included 3380 troops of the 6th Air Landing Brigade, 271 Jeeps,
8 Locust tanks, 2 Bulldozers and more than 50 Anti-tank guns and ammunition. Due to concentrated anti-aircraft fire defences and the drift of the smoke screen to cover the land offensive six miles away, many of the gliders failed to reach their allocated landing zones. Of the 402 gliders that reached the battle zone, 37 were destroyed by fire and only 88 remained undamaged. 102 glider pilots were killed and 102
The CCF Annual Parade The CCF Parade was another triumph for Major Cherry, his officers and cadets. Colonel Matthewson O.B.E. (Late S.G.) inspected the cadets. There was a large crowd of spectators to see the march past and the various CCF kit laid out. An impressive piece of silverware was purchased for the CCF by subscription, kindly organised by Mr Dean. Best New Recruit was awarded to Sebastian Ellison of Year
8. The Headmaster’s Shield was awarded to George Charalambous of Year 11, as the best NCO contributor to the CCF. Freddie Levy of Year 10 was awarded the Tyler Cup for marksmanship. Five Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards were also made as well as a number of Silver and Bronze Awards. Major C Cherry
wounded, most in the first 55 minutes of the battle! Many of the tug aircraft of 38 and 46 Group RAF were also shot down or damaged with the loss of 43 aircrew and 153 wounded. ‘VARSITY’ was the largest airborne operation in history and has been described as the most successful. Every year on the 24th of March a Remembrance Service is held at Earls Colne Airfield—one of the airfields used in Varsity. A Cenotaph there commemorates the event and the ceremony includes a flag lowering and beating retreat and a fly past this year by two Apache helicopters of 4 Regiment Army Air Corps. 4 Regiment is always tasked with organising the parade and as an affiliated unit Colfe’s CCF Squadron is always on parade too. The last two years we have carried the standard for the Armoured Recce Squadron Association too as their youngest member is now 91. It is a moving ceremony and it is good for Colfe’s Cadets to hear of the events of Varsity first hand from the few remaining veterans who were actually there fighting in the battle! Major C Cherry
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Helicopter Landings Chinook
Merlin
Puma
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Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award In August, the unit travelled to the Brecon Beacons National Park in South Wales to embark on both Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s expeditions. The unit had prepared two Gold and Silver groups each. All four groups had spent the past few months meticulously planning their routes in order to challenge their skills of navigation and the team dynamics of the group as they prepared to face the unforgiving Welsh rain. The basic requirement for a Silver expedition is to complete 30 miles of mixed terrain over 3 consecutive days. A Gold expedition steps up the challenge asking the participants to complete an expedition of 50 miles in wild country over
4 consecutive days. Our Gold expedition group consisted of 4 participants, 2 Qualifiers; William McVitty and myself, as well as 2 practice participants; George Charalambous and Alex Fleming. We started the expedition with high spirits and warm sunshine, a rare attribute to the Welsh weather. The aim of the expedition itself was “To complete an arduous expedition whilst assessing the Countryside Right of Way Act (CROW) and its impact on the local environment”. As well as completing the 50 mile hike over wild country, we spent time interviewing local farmers asking their thoughts on the right of way act. The group had to be fully self-sufficient, carrying everything necessary for a successful 4 day
CCF Gold DofE Brecon Qualifying gold team and assessor
expedition. This along with the ‘sunny’ Welsh weather proved a challenge for even the best of the group; relying on the group’s team dynamics, leadership skills and packets of haribo to maintain high morale amongst the group! By the end of day 4, the group was in high spirits but tired and very happy to have arrived at our pickup point and the mini busses taking us to the warm showers and beds waiting for us at Sennybridge Training Camp. We had successfully completed our expedition and eagerly looked forward to our Gold presentation ceremony at St James’ Palace. CWO Kennedy Brown
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Outdoor Education
Outdoor Education Our Outdoor Education programme continues to go from strength to strength. Year 7 and 8 pupils enjoyed the challenges of an Outdoor Pursuits expedition to Glaramara in the Lake District and Plas Gwynant in Snowdonia, respectively. The Outdoor education department continues to be its own Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Operating Authority, having
successfully renewed its licence. Pupils again relished many activities including lots of opportunities to complete the expeditions both with the department and the CCF Squadron. Sixth Form A level PE students were also able to complete a week’s mountain walking training in the Peak District in September. Many things are changing for next year as the department continues to
develop and improve its provision —we are saying farewell to Plas Gwynant as our year 8 partner but will continue to operate a redesigned course in Snowdonia from a new location from March 2013. Year 9 pupils will benefit from the introduction of an outdoor education week as part of their curriculum from 2013 which will focus on teamwork and bushcraft.
Silver & Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, outside of the CCF, is now in its ninth year at Colfe’s. The Award aims to provide an enjoyable, challenging and rewarding programme of personal development for young people. This is achieved by pupils completing four sections of the Award. These are Skills, Volunteering, Physical and the Expedition. The Skills section encourages pupils to develop themselves, for example by gaining a first aid qualification. Volunteering seeks to encourage pupils to help out their local community and Physical is aimed at getting the pupils to be active on a regular basis. These sections must be undertaken for a minimum of three months for the Bronze Award and 6 months for the Silver so a great deal of personal commitment is required to achieve an Award. The aim of the Expedition is to encourage teamwork, selfreliance, decision-making, planning and leadership skills, and to develop an enjoyment and appreciation of the countryside. In both Bronze and Silver awards, pupils are expected to undertake a rigorous training programme to prepare for an unaccompanied venture including camp-craft skills, navigation, safe use of stoves, and awareness of risk.
Bronze candidates undertook a day walking in the North Downs with an instructor to hone their navigational abilities, as well as an overnight camp on the school field in order to give them the opportunity to practice pitching tents and cooking on gas stoves. The tinned stew was received more enthusiastically by some than others, most notably the local foxes! Silver candidates undertook a 20 mile practice venture with one night under canvas. This year’s Expeditions took place in the second half of the summer term. We are now well established in the Lenham area on the North Downs, with a wide range of campsites in use. There were 6 groups totalling 33 pupils on Expedition and this requires a large staff presence and good logistical preparation. For this reason I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff who assisted on both the practice venture and the Qualifying Expedition. It is a pleasure to report that all candidates were extremely well behaved on campsites and were excellent ambassadors for the school. I would like to congratulate all Bronze Award pupils for this achievement and on passing their Expedition section. Mr O Snell
Bronze Candidates Joe Andrew, Arvind Bassi, Will Bevan, Matt Buck, Shannon Burke, Harry Campbell, Josie Cournil-Daly, Sarah Cronk, Sam Debney, Ruairi Dennehy, Chantal du Rocher, Lauren Elliott, Katy Ellis, Lucy Ellis-Keeler, James Farrant, Tommy Grantley, Dylan Griffith-Payne, Chris Hill, Rory Lilley, Alfie Manser, Daniel Miller, Nimah Murshed, Eleonore Ocana, Fikayo Okuwa, Oscar Osborne, Jacob Roth, Jake Stock, Sam Stone, Kirsty Sutherland, Will Tribe, Oliver Vij and Tom Walsh.
Silver Candidates Sophie Britton, Rachel Sully, Beth Robbins, Jade Morgan, Sophia Debney, Jennifer Dearsley, Isabel Marshall, Caspar Willingale, Fraser Burnand, Ashley Stevenson, Jasper Cook, Oliver Deane, Tom Tvrtkovic, Alastair Porter, and James Harjette.
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Physical Education Mountain Walking Major Chris Cherry (Mountain Leader), Mr Bateson and Miss Hargrave led a AS-A2 PE cohort on their chosen practical assessment, mountain walking, in the Peak District National Park. Initial Base Camp was afforded by the popular Hathersage Youth Hostel on the edge of the White Peak Way near Stanage Edge. The expedition started with the customary in-house briefings and lectures. The practical
pursuits started with 60mph winds on the gritstone scarp of Curbar Gap along White Edge. Compass training proved invaluable during our first long, haunting trek across the ancient village site of Big Moor. The perilous bogs were avoided but the gnarly long grass claimed Mr Bateson who tumbled off track with a dramatic commandostyle role. Typically, more clement weather arrived on the final day.
The refreshing dip in the river and waterfall at Monsal Dale in the Wye valley was worth waiting for. Ultimately, perseverance and camaraderie led us to our final destination, the turreted Victorian folly of YHA Eyam, where the White Peak meets the Dark Peak. Miss R Hargrave
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Outdoor Pursuits At Glaramara in the Lake District and Plas Gwynant in Snowdonia our Year 7and 8 pupils were involved in caving, mining, mountain walking, climbing, abseiling, kayaking and gorge scrambling – all designed to safely develop skills, confidence and teamwork.
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House System
Prendergast House Captains, Farnam Pourreza-Jorshari and Martha Halloumas, with the House Shield, flanked by House Tutors, Miss Quinton and Mr Bateson.
House System House Tutors, House Captains, pupils and the teaching staff have collaborated enthusiastically to further develop the school’s House System this year. The year started with the House Maths competition, following a new format with the final being played in a Year 9 assembly. It was great to see such strong audience participation and empathy as the pupils on the stage had difficult questions to answer in such a short amount of time. Pupils thoroughly enjoyed the new House Experiments competition in which participants investigated the apparent killing of Mr Hazard. House Drama was a highly entertaining and popular event. The theme revolved predominantly around children’s fairy tales and Norton’s heartfelt performance of ‘Beauty is a Beast’ came first. It was fantastic to have so many pupils involved, in many different ways.
Throughout the year, all pupils have the opportunity of representing their House in a variety of sports, from netball to rugby, to name but
House Hockey
a few. These earn their Houses valuable points for the totals that are presented at the end of each term.
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The year ended on a very positive note for the House System. All pupils in Years 7-10 were involved in an enormous House Olympics Day. All staff, across different departments collaborated to create cross-curricular experiences associated with the Olympics. Pupils learnt about different cultures through orienteering courses set up with foreign language questions, creating music routines together, using Maths and Science to design Olympic stadiums and then using their Art and DT skills to build them. There were some fantastic designs! Pupils also had the opportunity to learn what it must be like to be a paralympian. They were involved in wheelchair events, blind assault courses and three-legged football matches. It was very positive that pupils were able to gain an understanding of the difficulties that the paralympians face, in a practical way. As well as the events totting up points for their Houses, pupils’ planner points were also included this year. Some Houses had an enormous number of House points which shows their hard work in and out of the classroom environment. This year certainly marked a very special occasion. Prendergast House, Prender’last’ as they have so often been nicknamed, won the overall House competition for the first time in many years! Their newly appointed House Captains, Farnam Pourreza-Jorshari and Martha Halloumas collected the shield with pride. Mrs E Cordell Colfeian Paralympic Football
Year 9 pupils displaying their curious looking Olympic Stadium (‘under construction’)
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Preparatory Headmaster’s Welcome
Preparatory Headmaster’s Welcome & Staff News
Dear Colfeian After joining Colfe’s Senior School in 1994, I systemically worked my way westwards from the Biology department to the Sports Hall until finally reaching the Prep School. After 5 years in the Prep, I feel I am well positioned to briefly comment on the quality and content of this year’s ‘Colfeian’. I am delighted, again, to write the forward to this action packed souvenir of a year in the life of our school. Every area of the school is covered from the academic to the sports, to the arts, to our charity work and our extra-curricular programme. My sincere thanks go to everyone who has made a positive contribution to the school. Special thanks are reserved for Mr Steve Varley and Mrs Victoria Welch and their team of editors, collators and typists for making this 2012 edition so memorable. There have been a number of changes to the prep staffroom this year. Mrs Pearson joined the Prep School in September in her new role as form teacher for 5A and teacher in charge of PE and Games. She is a welcome addition to our Year 5 team. Mrs Pearson’s maternity leave started in the spring term and Miss Cabotage was able to return to the Prep School as 5A’s form teacher for the spring and summer terms. Once again, she brought her dedication, hard work and good humour to the children in her care. Miss O’Neil will be joining us in September for the remainder of Mrs Pearson’s maternity leave. Mr Ford began the autumn term as form teacher to 6A and, on 21st October, became a father for the first time. His son Daniel visited Colfe’s several times during the year and was introduced to parents and pupils and the rules of cricket at the Year 6 Fathers and Sons’ cricket match at the end of the summer term. It was wonderful to have Mrs Wates back on the staff of the Prep School as form teacher for 4B for the last half of the summer term and we were very grateful for all that she did in her short time with us. Miss Blair will be joining us in the autumn term to take charge of 4B and will also take over as IT Coordinator. Finally, Mr Stringfellow will be retiring after 25 years service to Colfe’s. Mr Stringfellow’s key achievements were introducing both the String and Brass schemes to the Prep School and contributing to the development of the Prep School Orchestra, String Group, Flute and Recorder groups and the choir, all of which are popular and successful. Mr John Gallagher
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Preparatory School Staff Headmaster
School Secretary
Mr J Gallagher, BA, MBA
Mrs E Benjamins BEd
Name
Form
Other Responsibilities
Mrs K Eggins, BSc PGCE
3A
General Subjects, Stationery Co-ordinator, Science Co-ordinator
Ms D. Santos BEd
3B
General Subjects, MFL Co-ordinator, School Council
Mrs V Welch, BA (Hons) Cert Ed
3C
Geography Co-ordinator, Editor of the Young Colfeian, Newsletter
Mrs H Lowth BSc(Hons) PGCE
3C
General Subjects
Mrs E Higgs, BA PGCE
4A
Art Co-ordinator
Mr P Donoghue, BEd
4B
General Subjects, Outdoor Activities Co-ordinator
Mrs S Watts, BEd, LTCL, Dip.Perf.Studies (Opera)
4C
General Subjects, History Co-ordinator
Mrs J Pearson, BSc PCGE
5A
Head of Sport
Miss A Manning, BA PGCE 5B
Mathematics Co-ordinator, Common Room Committee Representative, Gifted and Talented Pupils Co-ordinator, Teacher in Charge of Prefects
Miss D Lempriẻre, BA PGCE 5C
Deputy Head, Health and Safety Committee Representative, Staff Induction, PAFA Representative for Staff, NQT Mentor
Mr J Ford BA (Hons)
General Studies, Clubs Co-ordinator
6A
Mr M Heil, BEd 6B
Director of Studies, Assessment Co-ordinator, Staff Induction, Staff Professional Development Co-ordinator, NQT Mentor, Acting Science Co-ordinator
Miss C Tullis, BA (Hons) PGCE MA 6C
English Co-ordinator, Library
Mr C Stringfellow, Cert Ed
ICT Co-ordinator , School website, Arts Committee Representative, Music Co-ordinator
Mr A Brooker, DLC
Boys’ P.E. and Games Co-ordinator
Mrs J Dunmore, BA PGCE
General subjects, Charities Co-ordinator
Mrs L Douglas, BA PGCE, Dip SpLD
Learning Support Co-ordinator
Mrs E Otley, Cert Ed, Dip SpLD
Learning Support
Mrs B Clements
Late School
Mrs I Courriere
Late School
Mr D Hamilton
Assistant
Richard Playford
Parking & Playground Supervisor
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Charities Report
Doing the Haka for Sports Relief Dress Up ‑ but which is the real John Gallagher?
Charities Report In November, we revelled in spottiness for Children in Need. Some of us were creatively spotty enough to contend in the Spot the Talent contest during a marvellously entertaining school assembly led by the superlatively spotty 6B. The BBC Children in Need is one of the regular events on our charity calendar and is very popular because everyone gets to dress in casual clothes. Importantly, we raised over £200! In December, hundreds of parents, teachers and children turned out for our Christmas Fayre. Throughout the school, stalls sold everything from cakes and face painting to lucky dips and tombola. Each class in the Prep upheld their tradition of running their own games and the pre-prep even had a visit from Father Christmas. The afternoon
culminated in a fun raffle, prizes including mountain bikes, hampers and a bespoke Carlton Vase by Frank Salmon. This year the proceeds from the Christmas Fayre were divided between Barnardos and the King’s College Paediatric Neuro-rehabilitation Fund. Every year, we like the children at Colfe’s Prep, Pre-Prep and Nursery to reflect on the lives of less privileged children. This year we decided to help Barnardos give a gift at Christmas, and to support, in particular, children in the southeast of England. A representative from Barnardos, Janet Meredith, came in to talk to all the children in assembly about the wonderful work the charity does across the country but specifically in the South-East. The charity asked that each of us donate a new copy of their favourite book
to the charity. We collected over 350 books and also raised £117 for the charity at the Travelling Book Fair. In the New Year, Molly and Jenna of Year 4 delivered an informative and well-presented assembly about the prep school’s greatly anticipated charity cake sale, the purpose of which was to raise badly needed funds for the Freddie Farmer Foundation formed in 2011 to establish a specialist physiotherapy centre in South-East London for children and young people with cerebral palsy and serious mobility problems. During the subsequent cake sale, parents and pupils jostled to buy the freshly baked and creative produce on offer; a staggering range of confection relished by all. A total of £362 was raised from the sale of cakes and a further £166.78
Charities Report
from the sale of wrist bands and from donations, making a grand total of £528.78. In the spring we held a balloon race to raise money for Demelza Hospice in Kent. The charity is dedicated to improving the lives of children who are terminally ill. On Thursday 22nd March, just before morning break, we let off 119 balloons! Each child was given a code number and this was attached to a helium-filled balloon along with the contact details for Colfe’s School. The release of so many balloons looked amazing. They travelled in a northerly direction, the majority of which seemed to reach Milton Keynes – including one that was found in a cattle shed (not the one housing the concrete cows, of course). The balloon that travelled furthest was Barnaby Marchant’s and his was found in Rugby. Barnaby won an Easter egg and we all rejoiced in raising £119 for a very worthy cause. One of our most successful charitable events we held last year
Colfeian 2012
was Sport Relief. What a fantastic time we had on Friday 23rd March dressing up as great sporting personalities (such as our very own famous All Blacks rugby player, headmaster, John Gallagher), dancing the Conga around the field and eating our way through an amazing array of scrumptious cakes, raising a grand total of £610.75. Ella Richardson’s father raised a further £420 cycling from Blackheath to his offices near The Old Bailey dressed as (not a bird or a plane but) Superman! Our Sports Relief day kicked off with a great assembly put together by Mr Heil and 6B who told us all about the brilliant work Sport Relief does both in the UK and overseas. After working up an appetite dancing the Conga round the field, we all enjoyed a great treat of choosing and buying some of the spectacular baking that had been brought in. As a grand finale, the amazing entries to our family and teacher baking competition were tasted by two expert judges, our Catering Manager, Mr Renfrew and
Young Emmett Crawford in too deep for Friends of the Rif
talented baker and Colfe’s parent, Mrs Belinda Ledger. Mrs Debbie Crawford, mother of Emmett in Year 5 and Oliver in Year 8, was the overall winner with her fabulous purple trainer cake. The day ended with a chance to enjoy the entries with a cup of tea or coffee Debbie Crawford and hers sons travelled out to Morocco at Easter to help build the foundations for a house in the hills of Al Hocemia. They were working with a charity called Friends of the Rif which was set up to support families living in the Rif area of Morocco. The trip also involved building relationships with the family they were working with; visiting them in their current home and doing crafts with their children. Mrs Crawford and Emmett came into assembly on Wednesday 9th May to tell all the children about their recent trip and the work of the charity. Year 5 brought in cakes that were sold to the children at break the following day which raised £570.00.
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Academic Topics
Academic Topics Year 3 British Museum In January we went to the British Museum in London to learn a bit more about Ancient Egypt. We travelled there by coach and it was a long journey to get there. When I arrived at the museum I felt very excited. We dropped our lunch off and got into our groups. A few people went to a workshop; I went to the galleries to see some Ancient Egyptian artefacts and the Rosetta Stone. It was bigger than I expected and then we moved on to see some more objects. One of my favourite things was a statue with a lion’s head, half the body was a horse and half was an eagle. It also had lion’s feet. I liked this because it was unusual and very interesting and strange. Then we went to floor three to complete our worksheets and see some of the mummies, shabtis and
a man who was preserved in the sand. His name was Ginger because he still had red hair left. He was all curled up in the sand and you could see some of his possessions. For example, lots of cooking pots and his necklace. After lunch we went to a workshop, which was very exciting, as we got to hold very ancient pots, stones and jewellery, some of which were 4000 years old. The oldest artefact was the most damaged and it had cracks in it. Later in the afternoon, we went to the gift shop and I bought a few things: a
Egyptian Day Two actors from Freshwater Theatre visited our school and told us all about the Ancient Egyptians. Daphne Witherspoon was the explorer who had the curse that whenever this certain type of music played she danced like an Egyptian! We had to do three tasks. The first task was to find out how long ago the Egyptians lived. We found out that they lived from 3000BC to 500BC, so it was 2500 years and we passed the test! The second task was to find out about the landscape of Egypt. We found out that the Nile flooded every July and settled back in September and that the cities were built very close to the Nile. The third task was the hardest of all because we had to summon the spirit of the dead and find out about different characters in Egypt. We linked the different artefacts to the different characters and so the curse was lifted from Daphne but now all of us dance like Egyptians! Shreyas 3C
feather pen and an Egyptian token that had hieroglyphics on it. The sign meant wise. My favourite part of the day was looking at Ginger in a glass box because he looked like a very well preserved body and I could imagine him in his life living in Egypt. Maya 3C
Academic Topics
Colfeian 2012
Year 4 Roman Day When it was Roman Day, I was so excited! I had my costume on with gladiator sandals. There was a lady called Agrippina and a man called Marcos, who were both dressed as Romans and had brought many exciting Roman objects. I was the empress and William was the emperor. Jenna and Jenny had to have their make up done and had to sit on the chairs with me and William. They told us about what they used to wear and the funniest part was when they got people to try on the underwear. We had break and then they got us to do a play of when they got married and
had a big feast. They would eat as much as they could, be sick and eat even more, DISGUSTING!!! After this Marcos put on real roman armour and told us about being in the army. We got our shields and we had to hold them above our heads and make a shelter called a tortoise. Marcus then shouted commands and we had to do them. After that we played knuckle bones and the aim of the game was to get all the bones on the back of your hand
and we also played with the spinning top they had. The silliest thing was when Evie, Elena, Michael and Barnaby had to use the sponge on a stick. The rudest thing was the underwear. The best thing was when we got sweets! Libby 4A
Year 5 Tudor Studies Year 5 had a trip to The Museum of Kent Life. We all dressed up in Tudor costumes and were very excited. When we arrived we put our lunch packs in a safe place and set off to our first activity. We saw and held loads of Tudor weapons like pikes, long bows, swords and heavy armoury. I was surprised to learn that pikes could be up to 18 feet long. After that we had a short Tudor quiz. Then a man dressed in Tudor clothes told us all about Tudor clothing. Rich Tudor men wore peacock feathers in their hats and buttons on their clothes. Women wanted their bottoms to look big so they tied a cushion underneath the back of their dresses. I was lucky to get the chance to dress up as Henry VIII; the clothes felt very heavy and uncomfortable. After a quick lunch and play we went to a tent where we were told all about the job of a Tudor Surgeon. They chopped off people’s infected arms, pulled out rotten teeth and drilled holes in heads to cure headaches. But they mostly killed their patients! Later on in the day we
enjoyed learning about Tudor food and were surprised to learn that white bread was better for you than brown bread due to lots of dirt and poo in the wholemeal. Tudors liked pheasant pie and even held on to the feet of the birds as they ate the pie. Finally, we learned about Tudor crime and punishment. It was interesting to learn that begging was a crime and punished by being put in the stocks, where people threw rotten food at you. Tudor life was hard and miserable for poor people and rich people were pampered, spoilt and powerful. I enjoyed my trip very much and hope to visit the museum again. Conor 5A Year 5 also visited Hampton Court Palace to further their understanding of Tudor history. Everyone had a fantastic time exploring the impressive buildings, initially commissioned by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and later extended by Henry VIII in the early sixteenth century. Pupils also enjoyed participating in two brilliant workshops depicting court life and the factory type nature of food production in the kitchens. By
the end of the day, most pupils had reached the conclusion that maybe life as a servant was preferable to being a courtier, given the high probability of displeasing the king and losing your head!
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Academic Topics
Year 5 Maths Masterclass
The Senior Recital Hall was the venue for an exciting inter-schools mathematics master class. Twentyeight pupils from local junior schools participated in the Year 5 Mathematics Master Class. Each school sent along their very best mathematicians to enjoy a morning of mathematical games and problem solving. Participating schools were: All Saints CE Primary School, Blackheath Prep School, Breaside Preparatory School, Colfe’s Preparatory School, Eltham CE
Gold Certificate
School, John Ball Primary School, Merton Court, St James CE Primary School, St Olaves Preparatory School and St Winifred’s Catholic Junior School. The master class was organised by Dr. Craciun and Mr Landamore, who are mathematics teachers in the senior school at Colfe’s and it was supported by current Year 12 A level Mathematics classes. The twenty-eight pupils were divided into 7 teams and each team was allocated a sixth form supervisor. The teams were given
Silver Certificate
a variety of mathematical games and problems to solve and were awarded points based on their teams’ performance. The teams also completed a relay round in which each team was split into two and one half of the team was reliant on the successful performance of the other half of their team. All participants received a certificate of participation. The top three teams were as follows:
Bronze Certificate
Feben Alamaira
St James
Louis Hedegaard
Colfe’s
William Brilliant
Aditya Singh
Breaside
Esperanza Hickling
John Ball
Etienne McElfresh Colfe’s
George Smith
All Saints
Huw Olding
Colfe’s
Olivia Petrie
Merton Court
Jeremy Xiong
Colfe’s
Edward Woollett
St Olaves
Joel Wornell
Colfe’s
Dr C Craciun
Blackheath Prep
Academic Topics
Colfeian 2012
Year 6 Royal Artillery Museum’s Firepower Workshop A team of ‘Firepower’ presenters from the Royal Artillery Museum visited the Prep School to talk about life for soldiers and civilians in wartime. Pupils participated in three workshops. One group leader was dressed as a World War Two Colonel. He talked about the weapons and other equipment soldiers carried with them during war. It included the famous British Enfield Rifle, versatile torch (with different coloured lights for different situations), water bottle, two helmets and a knife (that doubled as a bayonet). The second group was led by a soldier who would be currently serving in places like Afghanistan. He revealed the diet of the modern soldier; food in an airtight packet, anything from a full English breakfast to apple pie. This group also practised putting on a gas mask under timed conditions. The third group leader was dressed as a Second World War air raid warden and in this group pupils examined life as a civilian, investigating subjects such as how to secure a blackout and how to extinguish fires caused by incendiary bombs.
Imperial War Museum Year 6 visited the Imperial War Museum as part of their History topic on Britain after 1930. In groups, pupils explored the following exhibitions: World War Two, Large Exhibits, Family in Wartime and the Blitz Experience. Walking through the galleries, their experiences were enhanced by the sound of witnesses’ recollections and wartime speeches such as Chamberlain’s famous speech announcing the outbreak
of war in 1939. There were also interactive screens pupils could manipulate to find out more facts. One of the highlights of the day was meeting an Air Warden who talked about life during the Blitz, a precursor to the Blitz Experience which certainly recreated the mood of the period. The Family in Wartime Exhibition was a fascinating insight into the lives of the Allpress family who lived in South London
during the war. Through first-hand accounts, family photos and an intricate model of their house in Priory Grove, pupils were able to explore life for civilians on the Home Front. This included a study of subjects such as blackouts, Anderson shelters, rationing, the role of women in war and entertainment. Miss Tullis
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Academic Topics
Eloise Millar incurs the wrath of Miss Wagenbush
Victorian Studies As part of their Victorian studies Year 6 became real Victorian school children for a day. Pupils wrote a diary of their experiences. For example: Josephine’s Victorian Day diary extract (19 October 1899) went as follows. ‘Today was eventful. It was my first day at Colfe’s Board School! My teacher’s name is Miss Wagenbush and she is incredibly strict. She does not allow boys to sit next to girls. I even have to address her as ‘Ma’am’. At the start of the day the class listened in trepidation to all of the rules. We are not permitted to talk or even laugh. We have to keep our arms crossed on our desks at all times. We even have to stand up when we address her! I felt petrified when Miss W shouted out the harsh punishments that would happen to children who misbehaved. One of these punishments, the finger stocks, entails two wooden blocks tied together, with holes in which you put your fingers while your hands are behind your back. This instrument of torture stays on your hands for the remainder of the lesson. Our first subject was writing. I found this
rather arduous because I am lefthanded and everyone had to write with their right hand. Then it was arithmetic. I found it so fun because I adore Maths. It was hysterical when Miss Wagenbush counted 33 on the abacus during addition and subtraction and yet she said it was 23. Maybe she should have been the one wearing the dunce’s hat! After Maths Miss W handed a potato to everyone. We had to inspect it then tell her what we discovered by handling the potato. I found this very thrilling. After we listened to Miss Wagenbush reading some words of wisdom from a book, we were dismissed and permitted to go to lunch. I think I might have a tremendous time at this school but I don’t know about Miss Wagenbush.’ Also as part of their Victorian studies, the Year 6 went to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. I was very lucky as my mum came on her first prep school visit too! We started the day by travelling to London on a big double decker bus, much like a normal every day bus. I sat on
the top deck going; it was really noisy as all my friends were really excited. We got to the V & A and started off with a workshop. An actor greeted us called George (actually his real name was Alistair); he was pretending to be an employee of the museum. His job was a cleaner. George came from a working class background, but he was very proud of what he did. George was very stern, I was a little bit scared of him and he talked in a funny way, which was old English. He took us on a tour of the British Gallery. He explained the background of a famous man called Henry Cole and Prince Albert who were part of the Royal Society. He led us to a model of Crystal Palace that held the Great Exhibition in 1851. This showed off Britain’s modern technology and designs. The Exhibition was organised by Henry Cole and Prince Albert. Did you know that the Crystal Palace was built in only 3 months! The Great Exhibition changed British people’s lives; lots of visitors came from all over the world to visit. They bought all different looks and ways with them, which the British people accepted and embraced. After this George took us to do the second part of our workshop. We were split into several groups, where we had to sell our products of new mechanical devices to Henry Cole. He would then decide if they were good enough to be exhibited at the Great Exhibition or not! My group had to explain to him the reason why a new device called a vacuum cleaner was worthy of being displayed. We told him what it did, how much it cost, why it was so good and what it would add to British people’s lives. We were lucky, as he said YES! We then had our lunch. Our last task was to complete our two worksheets, which took us back to the Victorian period and the British Galleries. We looked at all the designs and items. We had to find a table setting from the Victorian period and write what we saw down and draw them. Some were very grand and opulent; it was hard to imagine them in a house. There were implements for everything! Charlie 6B
Performances
Colfeian 2012
Performances
Spring Concert Every musician in the school came together for this year’s spectacular Spring Concert with an impressive display of solos, group singers, strings and ultimately the striking finale: Roquiem. Parents, friends and teachers filled the Hall to listen to the concert which started with the rocking sounds of the Swing Band, and 15 Year old Henry Chapman who joined them to sing “Come Fly with me” Florence Yilma wowed the audience with her renditions of The Girl from Ipanema and Stangers in the Night where she was accompanied on the guitar by Old Colfeian Adam Leaver who left in 2007. In the Hall of the Mountain King was then played by the remarkable Brass Ensemble led by Y11 student, Oliver Bowring. The Choir sang Take 5 Styles with much stomping of feet and waving of hands. The harmonies of the Chamber Singers filled the Hall with Fields of Gold and Fly me to the Moon, and the first half of the concert ended with Senior Strings playing three movements from the Carmen Suite. After refreshments, the audience were treated to trumpet player Andrew Fisher, performing
Konzert-Etude exceptionally accompanied by Mr Gobey on the piano and to the Barbershop Group’s delightful version of George Jones and Blowing in the wind. But the highlight of the evening was the coming together of the whole school to sing the Roquiem accompanied by the orchestra.
Summer Concert The Prep School’s musical talent was beautifully displayed during Summer Concert. Ella in Year 3, who opened the concert, set a high standard with a delightful performance on the violin of Gavotte by Bach. Maia followed with a confident performance of Air by John Blow on the Cello and then 4B displayed what they had been learning in the string scheme this term. The String Chamber group and the whole Prep School Orchestra displayed a varied and entertaining repertoire from Mozart’s Minuet to Old Joe Clark and Susanna and Liza met Polly at the Races. Ben proved that he is a gifted and skilful piano player with his performance of Gigue a l’Angloise by Telemann and Ryan
followed with Ductia and Pavane on the Guitar. The warm and bright sound of the French Horn filled the Hall with Nick performing the theme from Titanic. The Choir rounded off the night with a celebration of the history of the blues, interspersed with narration from Etienne and Francesca.
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Treasure Island Parents, teachers and friends gathered to watch the Year 5 Easter production of Treasure Island. It was an all singing and dancing stage adaptation of one of the best children’s books ever written. The play began with the song Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum, accompanied by musicians Ione, Tristan and Jasper. The plot saw young Jim Hawkins (played by Mack) leave his mother (played by Flo) to board the Hispaniola in search of Flint’s gold. Raj-Antoine, and Jessica, as the narrators, kept the plot flowing as the performers proclaimed, gestured, sang and danced with professional gusto. Notable dance routines included the Benbow Jig (as in Admiral Benbow), the traditional Horn Pipe and the Cheese on Toast song. Tochi who played Long John Silver, sustained an impressive accent throughout the play. The 10 year old also designed the production’s signature poster. James, who played George Merry, had the presence and voice to bring the fight scenes alive. When the characters moved onto the island, the comic figure of Ben Gunn appeared. Huw sported a magnificent mop of wild grey hair and declared ‘Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest’ as he dug for the treasure. This was a lyrical and at times light-hearted production. The audience laughed when the skeleton appeared near the end (played by Thomas in a mask) and there was rapturous applause for Mack’s outstanding Irish Dancing which was showcased in the finale.
Roald Dahl’s Little Red Riding Hood The Year 3 and 4 Christmas production this year was Roald Dahl’s Little Red Riding Hood from his Revolting Rhymes. The dark and sinister opening began with a polished dance sequence by the Bunnies and the Bats to Bjork’s ‘It’s all so quiet’. The cast included bunnies, bats, dogs and pigs, each with their own song and dance routine. The funky friends of Little Red Riding Hood danced to “Crazy Right Now” by Beyonce. The children obviously enjoyed this energetic production, especially a very funny and slightly chaotic dogs’ dance to “Who let the dogs out?” Another humorous performance came from The Pig Patrol - The Secret League of Pigs (SLOP). Red Riding Hood gave a confident and charming performance. Gemma (Year 4) did splendidly as the young girl lead and Ryan (Year 4) put in a slick and scary performance as the Big Bad Wolf. One of the highlights of the night was the Grannies’ dance to “I like to Move it” by Will. I. Am. The ‘Grannies’ managed a complicated dance while remaining in character.
Performances
Performances
Colfeian 2012
Go For Gold The Year 6 production, ‘Go For Gold’ was warmly received by a packed audience. This musical play was about a young athlete who was reluctant to compete in the Olympic Games, but was persuaded by her trainer that it was a privilege to take part. Roisin, in Year 6, who played a mother, Mrs Swift, recalled her experiences of being in the production: ‘At first, to put it quite honestly, I was rather apprehensive. I am, to put it bluntly, not the acting sort. However, as
the play progressed, I was excited. To stand up in front of 100 people and recite your lines is no mean feat – especially in a Yorkshire accent! Anyhow, as Monday quickly trickled away and the night drew near, my nerves definitely kicked in. However, the worst part of being in a production is make-up, in this case hair over my face and wearing foundation. As the curtains were about to open I could hear the audience buzzing. We all knew that two of the main figures in the
Music News One of our most outstanding musicians, Saxophonist Sam Barnett (Year 6) passed an audition for the Mayor of London’s ‘Big Busk’, a competition set up to find talented young musicians to play in Olympic Venues around London. Sam was chosen to play music such as Glen Miller, Gershwin, Handel and old film favourites like Star Wars and the Pink Panther at venues like the Olympic Stadium Grounds, Hyde Park and City Hall.
It was an amazing achievement to be chosen out of 500 competitors, especially as he was the youngest competitor. Sam has become a busy and successful musician. He attended a four-day musical event at the Southbank in July with around 20 other jazz musicians, the majority of whom were between 15 and 25 years old. Sam was also invited to play with the world-renowned Simon Bolivar’s Venezuelan Orchestra.
school were in the audience and that was no help, however nice they are. The curtains opened and we rushed on to sing our opening song. As we sang we began to loosen up realising how pleasant the audience was. The main features of the production for me was Harry’s singing wrestler (“I’m Milo and I know it”) and Tabitha Gurr’s brilliant singing, accompanied by fantastic dancing created by Judie Gordon.’
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Sport - Rugby
Sport
Rugby The Under 11s started with a narrow defeat away to DCPS followed by a fine win over Dulwich College. In the St Christopher’s Tournament at Beckenham Rugby Club, Colfe’s played two group matches against Bickley Park and Trinity, Croydon. Against Bickley we won convincingly, six tries to nil. We had a tough game against Trinity, but Bickley beat Trinity so we progressed as group winners. The team played Eltham College in the final, a game dominated by two equally strong defences. The boys played well, but we were pipped at the post. Against Eltham at home in a 12-a-side match, Colfe’s lost by two tries to one, but Lekan’s try was outstanding. Bickley Park suffered the brunt of our frustration losing 40-0. Our final game was against St Christophers and we won by eight tries to four. The U10s played
Dulwich College first. The A team lost but the B team secured a good win. At the DCPS tournament Colfe’s started with a convincing win against St Benedicts. Despite excellent tries by TJ and Jordan, we narrowly lost to Eltham. The team was soundly beaten by Colet Court three tries to nil and after further disappointment we finished sixth. Hard matches followed against DCPS and Eltham. We played a lot better against DCPS and competed well despite losing 1-5. The B team played well, but eventually lost 2-4. The final match for the U10’s was against Bickley Park. The A team scored ten tries, the B’s an incredible 20 tries. The U9s were far too strong for St Christophers and we eventually won by 8 tries to two. In a decisive victory against Eltham, Sam Tilley was nominated man of the match for scoring three tries with his elusive
running. We enjoyed a 5-2 win over Bickley Park before losing our last match 1-4 at St Christopher’s. The U8s looked extremely promising with a fine display of attacking rugby against Dulwich. Our A team won both of their matches whilst the B team won one and lost one. We then played in a tournament with Bickley Park and Eltham College scoring many excellent tries.
Sport - Cricket
Colfeian 2012
Cricket All in all, a most successful term with some fine performances. Mr Clinton, Mr Brooker and other coaches had worked hard with boys from Years 4, 5 & 6 over the winter and this work paid dividends. The U11 team had fine wins over Blackheath Prep, St Christophers, Gad’s Hill in the cup and the Fathers’ team. Our only defeat was to New Beacon in the semifinal of the Summers Cup. Harry Ledger captained the side very well; Raoul Banerjea had several good scores and Mikel Davies, behind the stumps, saved a lot of runs and took several good catches. Harry Ledger, Matthew Hudson and Raoul Banerjea all represented the U12A team. The U10 team were undefeated, beating Eltham College, St Dunstan’s, Blackheath Prep and Bickley Park. Will Thirkell-Jones captained well and there were many
great individual performances from Arvind Thirumaran, Joel Wornell, Murray Basham and Josh Lindo as well as a good all-round team effort. Will Thirkell-Jones also represented the U11 team in the cup. The U9s beat St Christophers, St Dunstan’s and Blackheath, losing narrowly only to Bickley. Outstanding players were Fiontan Logan, Arunabh Bagchi, Finnley McQueen and Morgan McKay-Simpson, but the whole
team showed promise. Fiontan, the U9s captain, represented the U11s in the cup and also the U12A side this year. Due to the bad weather, the U8s played their first and only match against Blackheath. Despite lots of enthusiasm and some decent performances from Leo Morriss and Denny Ashison and a great catch from Karl Brown, we lost the A & B matches.
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Sport - Football
Football A short Spring Term saw a busy football schedule in the Prep School. 58 games were played involving over 130 pupils. We won 25, drew 10 and lost 23, scoring 130 goals and conceding 126. A highlight of the season must be the 4-2 victory over Crofton in the District Knock-Out Cup 2nd round. Crofton had beaten us last year in the Final. They also performed well at the St Christopher’s Tournament losing a close semi-final. The team qualified for the District Finals of the ESFA National 7s and acquitted themselves well on the day only losing one game. They enjoyed a very successful JAPS Tournament, missing out on the knockout stages by one goal. Year 5 enjoyed a very successful season winning 9 of their 16 matches with a goal difference of plus 32. The strength of the year group became very evident in the B
team victories over other schools’ A teams 5-0 and 1-0 and the C teams victories over other schools’ B teams 10-0 and 12-0. The best performance came against a very strong Gatehouse side where we narrowly lost 2-3. Year 4 started well with a 3-1 victory over Blackheath and finished well with a 3-1 victory over St Dunstan’s. However they didn’t perform against Farringtons
and Bickley Park and suffered five defeats. The D team was the only team to hold their own with a 1-1 draw. Year 3’s A team scored some of the more spectacular goals this season and had four very exciting and closely fought matches, coming out on top against Eltham and Bickley, drawing with Blackheath and losing to St Christopher’s.
Sport - Netball
Colfeian 2012
Netball In their first tournament at Farringtons, the U8 team made up of Hawa, Katie, Daisy, Maya, Denise, Megan and Annys played some superb netball. They played in 5 matches, winning 4 and drawing 1. Katie and Daisy did not let the full sized goal posts put them off and popped the goals away liked seasoned professionals. The girls won their pool which included several U9 teams. Against Merton Court, our Bs won 1-0 and 2-0 thanks to the sharp shooting of Priscilla (1) and Darcy-Jo (2) and our As won 4-0 (Daisy, 1; Katie 3) establishing themselves as a superb team. The highlight of the U9 season was the Blackheath Prep Tournament. Both teams came away with some fantastic results. Thanks to excellent shooting by Rebekah and first class defending my Molly, the A team finished 4th
overall. Hard work by Jenny and Jenna in the defending circle helped to give the B team a clean sheet throughout the tournament securing 3rd out of 9 teams. Our U10 team showed us that they were a force to be reckoned with as they comfortably won the Merton Court Tournament (for the third consecutive year) and came 2nd out of 15 in the St Dunstan’s tournament, losing by only 1 goal in the final. Throughout the year the girls worked hard on refining their skills and gaining valuable experience during match play. Some of our talented U10 and U11 players were also invited to attend senior school
netball training to further improve their skills. Our IAPS squad made up of talented U11and U10 players finished 13th out of 68 schools in the tournament at Brighton, missing out on a place in the national finals by just one position.
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Sport - Cross Country
Cross Country
Results
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
1st Megan Basham
Lynx
Molly Hepden
Lynx
Jessica Crawford Lynx
Maia Albarosa
Pegasus
Lynx
Sam Tilley
Lynx
Joel Wornell
Lynx
Tom Simpson
Aquila
2nd Katie Fielder-West Orion Francesca Stephenson Orion
Ella Newins
Aquila
Roisin Spencer
Orion
Orion
Etienne McElfresh Pegasus
Mikel Davies
Lynx
3rd Victoria Graham Aquila Rebekah Deveney
Aquila
Liberty Jack
Molly Aston
Lynx
Pegasus Connor McDonald Pegasus
Ben Phan
Pegasus
Benjy Jarman
Leo Morriss
Malachy Ayres
Aquila Fiontan Logan
Orion Max Brinsmead
Place House Points 1st
Lynx
125
2nd
Orion
117
3rd
Pegasus
102
4th
Aquila
96
Orion
Sport - Sports Day
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Sports Day
Yet again the Prep school held a very exciting and successful sports day in June. During the morning children competed in a number of field events including discus, high jump, shot put and javelin. A number of lucky children also got to take part in the novelty events such as the welly wang competition and the bulls eye throwing competition. The competitors for each event drew on the knowledge from their PE lessons to try their best. The support from the crowd was fantastic and regular impressed “oooo� sounds were heard during many of the events. The support and cheering spurred athletes on to accomplish some great throws
and jumps. After a picnic on the fields for lunch we continued the afternoon with all the track events from the 75m sprint to the sack race and the 600m race to the egg and spoon. Every race was highly contested and competitors were cheered on by their house team mates from start to finish. We also had a number of highly competitive parents’ races with Mrs Crawford claiming her title for the 4th year in a row. All in all the day was a huge success and great fun was had by pupils, staff and parents. Miss S Holder
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Sport - Swimming
Swimming Colfe’s prep swimming team had a rewarding year, the highlights of which included the: IAPS National Finals, London Schools’ League Gala and the Merton Court Gala as well as our own galas such as the Individual Gala and the House swimming Gala. We swam some excellent races in the London Schools’ League Gala at Dulwich College. Of notable success were performances by Katie Fielder-West and Jessica Crawford who utterly dominated the butterfly. Excellent results were also secured in the freestyle; Connor McDonald, Tom Simpson and Eloise Millar were placed second, as were Denny Ashison, Megan Basham, Katie Fielder-West and Sarah Ellis-Keeler in the relay. We came 2nd out of 8 schools in the Merton Court Gala. Charlotte won the 50m backstroke and our team came second in the girls’ freestyle and relay races.
Among our talented swimmers Jess (Year 5) qualified to go through to the IAPS National Finals. The Prep school Individual Gala was yet again thrillingly close with crowds of parents cheering and shouting encouragement. The swimmers competed to win their individual races and then challenge for the champion’s prize, achieving the fastest overall time. Denny dominated the Year 3 boys’ heats, winning every stroke and the individual champion’s prize at the end. In the girls’ races, Katie dominated and won the individual champions award. In Year 4, Panos took the champion’s prize for the boys and Libby for the girls after dominating all her races. The Year 5 boys’ races proved to be tightly contested. In the end, Joshua was the deserving boy’s champion and
Jessica the girls’ champion. Finally Year 6, Tom and Charlotte ‘swam away’ with the Champions’ prizes at the end. The House swimming gala was a great success with an electric atmosphere. It was rewarding to see all pupils taking part and cheering each other on during the events. The final results for Years 5 and 6 were: Lynx, 1st with 295 points; Orion 2nd with 284 points, Aquila 3rd with 264 points and Pegasus 4th with 218 points. The results for Years 3 and 4 were: Lynx in 1st with 257 points, Pegasus in 2nd with 241points, Orion in 3rd with 231 points and Aquila in 4th with 197 points. The overall scores were: 1st Lynx 552, 2nd Orion 515,3rd Aquila 461, 4th Pegasus 459. It meant that Lynx were the winners of the 2012 House Prep School Swimming Gala. Miss S Holder
Pre-Prep and Nursery
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Pre-Prep and Nursery Staff Mrs Sarah Redman BEd
Deputy Head and Maths Co-ordinator
Health, Safety and Security Committee
Safeguarding Designated Person
PAFA Representative
School Secretary
Mrs Maxine Russo
Name Other Responsibilities Year Group Mrs Susan Gurr BEd (Hons) Literacy/Assessment/Library Co-ordinator Year 2 Miss Nicola Williams BA (Hons) PGCE Science Co-ordinator Year1 Mrs Sarah Williams BSc (Hons) PGCE Design Technology Co-ordinator Year 1 Mrs Linda Swain BEd (Hons) Reception Mrs Mil Moody BEd NNEB Geography Co-ordinator All year groups -PPA Mrs Eileen Frost BA History Co-ordinator Reception Mrs Ruth Hall BA (Hons) PGCE Music Co-ordinator ICT Co-ordinator Mrs Eve Otley Teachers Certificate, Dip SPLD Learning Support Mrs Alison Bradley NNEB Teaching Assistant Year 2 Mrs Katie Chapman NNEB Teaching Assistant Year 2 Ms Gabriella Scala NVQ3 Teaching Assistant Reception-Key Worker Miss Claire Harknett B.Tech National (Early Years) Teaching Assistant Reception-Key worker Mrs Louise Harris NNEB NVQ2 Nursery- Key worker Ms L De Montfort (Early Years Child Care Education) After-school Care and Clubs Co-Ordinator Teaching Assistant Year 1 Ms Debra Wheater BEd (Hons) PE/ Co-ordinator and Art Co-ordinator Book Club Co-ordinator Year 2 Mrs Colleen Russell NNEB Cert Eyp Nursery Manager RE and PHSE Co-ordinator EYFS Co-ordinator Ms Samantha Grover NNEB Special Dietary Requirements/ Swimming Teacher Teaching Assistant Year 1 Mrs Sarah Smith NNEB Pediatric First-Aider & Medical Provision and Monitoring of Equipment Nursery Key Worker MIDDAY MEAL SUPERVISORS Ms Paula Feist Mrs Katie Johnson
Assistant playground supervisor Assistant playground supervisor
AFTER-SCHOOL SUPERVISORS Mrs Diane Barnard NVQ3 B. Tech (Early Years) Mrs Valerie Sandy Mrs Anne Abraham NNEB
After school care leader After school care leader After school care leader
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Pre-Prep and Nursery
A Year in the Life of the Pre-Prep and Nursery The Autumn Autumn Term Term The The Nursery children began their term well, settling in quickly and adjusting to new routines and faces. At the end of their second week they had a ‘Teddy Bears Picnic’ and helped prepare the sandwiches and cakes, played games and even went on a bear hunt! A perfect end to the week and lots of fun was had by all. Year 1 had a fantastic day at Lullingstone Roman Villa. The children had been immersed in Roman culture for a few weeks prior to the visit as part of their ‘History of London’ topic and were able to bring their own learning to the hands-on experiences provided by the Villa and its staff. The weather was very good and so they stopped at Eynsford for lunch and a play on the way back to school. At the end of September we gathered together to share our harvest assembly with parents and friends. As always we were inundated with donations of non-perishable food that was collected and distributed by the Salvation Army to the homeless. Year 2 visited Bodiam Castle. This trip was very inspirational for their humanities topic on Castles. The children took part in activities including a tour given by a castle guide, a climb up to the battlements and a visit to the armoury. The latter activity proved to be hugely popular as the children were given free rein to try on all the armour.
In November we had our first ever ‘Maths Week’. Each class planned activities that focused on developing the children’s mathematical thinking and problem solving. The Nursery children developed their mathematical thinking through stories and rhymes. One of the featured books was ‘The Foot Book’ by Dr Seuss. The children learned about size, left and right feet and matching pairs. The children enjoyed making muddy footprints. How many pairs of wellies could they match in one minute? Saskia Ayres found 13 matching pairs in 58 seconds, fantastic! The Reception Classes read a variety of picture books as the starting point for their Maths Week focus. Jim and the Beanstalk (by Raymond Briggs) lead to lots of measuring, including the circumference of their heads, as did Mr Archimedes’ Bath by Pamela Allen. Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins encouraged us to use our positional language and creativity. Year 1 made pizzas! We weighed the ingredients, timed the cooking, cut the pizzas into quarters and halves and made cardboard pizzas to show different fractions. We also used money in our café where we added and subtracted and gave change and finally we played board games
Pre-Prep and Nursery
involving dice and counting forward and backwards. We had a lot of fun during the week. 2SW decided to make a Sweet and Milkshake bar during Maths Week. We had lots of fun making salt dough sweets, cookies and chocolate bars then we waited for them to bake in the cooker. When they were hard we painted them and created some very realistic sweets! We placed our goodies into various jars and bowls to display them and used glitter for our ‘milkshake powder’. We then made menus for our milkshake bar and a price list for our sweets! 2NW had a very busy Maths Week and below is Isabella’s ‘Swords and Ladders’ game as well as Matthew Chapman’s ‘Castle Island’ co-ordinates work to show some examples of the work that we produced. Once again the Nursery children travelled in the school minibuses to St Luke’s Church in London, to take part in a performance by the London Symphony Orchestra. They participated in singing and dancing, accompanied by a double bass, piano, flute, trombone, violin and a guitar. A very enjoyable musical performance! And Year 1 attended a KS1 LSO concert which was based on the fantastic storybook Millie’s Marvellous Hat by Satoshi Kitamura which tells of a young girl called Millie who visits a hat shop on the way home from school and learns how to use her imagination. To enhance the story the children heard a vivid selection of music including
Colfeian 2012
some of Walton’s Facade Suite, Grieg’s Prelude from Holberg Suite, Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture and The Hen from Respighi’s The Birds. Our children looked wonderful in their home-made marvellous hats, and Rachel Leach of the LSO made many encouraging comments about the Colfe’s children’s hats! There were a lot of preparations to be made for the Christmas festivities. Both Reception classes were incredibly lucky to have a visit from Mrs Biggs and three of her Modern Foreign Language students. They told us what Christmas is like in France, Spain and Germany and we learnt about some of the different traditions. We also got to play Pass the Parcel and listen to Spanish music. Year 2 had a really busy time making Christmas themed items to sell at the Christmas Fair. Every stall made at least £5.00 with the salt dough decorations being an astounding success, generating £11.40. Many of our Year Twos were keen to sell with some saying they preferred selling to buying and had to be dragged from their positions to go off and enjoy the delights of the fair. We are very grateful that each year a small army of parents and carers descend on us to organise most of the activities and events for the afternoon. There is so much to see and do, that the children find it difficult to know where to start! This year the stalls ranged from face painting, Secret Santa, Christmas Crafts, Lucky Dip, Tombola, Raffles and of course Santa came to visit too. There were
delicious refreshments as well and so good fun was had by all. The fair was a huge success and raised over £2900 for worthwhile causes. Mrs Ormell and all her guitarists gave an informal performance to Year 1 and 2 in the Prep Hall. It was lovely to see so many playing – 12 children played the guitar – and the mini concert finished with all the Year 2 children playing Jingle Bells on the recorder accompanied by the whole guitar group. Many thanks to Mrs Ormell for her hard work with the guitar groups and also to parents for encouraging their children to practice! The Pre-Prep Choir took part in the School Carol Service in St Mary’s Church, Lewisham. They sang Alleluia from the recent Christmas production and it was wonderful to be part of the whole School concert. This year’s Christmas performance was called children of the world. The Nursery looked amazing as the children from Spain in their flamenco dresses and Spanish Cordoba’s hats. They sang Campanas Sobre Campana in Spanish and played the instruments beautifully to accompany their song. Year 1 were the children from Poland and Sweden and their dancing and instrumental performance was excellent. The Reception classes were the children from New Zealand and China and they all performed with energy, confidence and concentration. Year 2 lead the show with a brilliant cast of angels and it was fascinating to find out about all the different traditions from around the world at Christmas. Well done to all the children!
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Pre-Prep and Nursery
The Spring Term The Reception and Nursery children were very excited when two Police horses from Lewisham Police station came to visit. It was a fantastic opportunity for the children to ask lots of questions and learn about them and what they do to help in the community. Year 2 children went to the Barbican to see the LSO play Prokofiev’s well known score Peter and the Wolf and Nursery returned to St Luke’s for an LSO story telling concert of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. As spring finally dawned we held a fund raising event for the Marie Curie charity. We all wore something yellow and either painted, drew or made daffodils on the day. The children enjoyed sticking their pound coin (a plastic replica!) onto our ‘daffodilometer’ and we raised a fantastic £209; a fun day for a really worthy cause. Continuing on the spring theme the Nursery children visited Thompson’s Garden Centre. They enjoyed learning about the different plants, shrubs, flowers and seeds. We purchased some lovely spring bedding plants and the children planted them in the outdoor flower beds to brighten up the Nursery playground. Year 1 visited the Dulwich Picture Gallery and studied still life paintings. The children then tied in what they had recently learnt with the Marie Curie daffodil day and drew still life pictures of daffodils. In February both Reception classes went to Sainsbury’s Lee Green. The children were taken to a special room and made their own pizzas, selecting from a variety of toppings. The pizzas were then professionally wrapped and put
inside a box with the cooking instructions. The children then got to take them home and eat them for tea. This was a really popular trip and we are very grateful to Sainsbury’s for providing this excellent facility. On Tuesday 26th March the annual Year 2 match: Colfe’s versus Farrington’s took place. Colfe’s played a skilful game which gave them a decisive victory of 11-0! Farrington’s put up a good fight but Colfe’s skill and prowess just proved to be too much. There was superb footwork, excellent team play and plenty of attempted goals. The sun shone, the teachers and parents cheered and Colfe’s did us proud. Well done to our Year 2 footballers. We won 11-0! As the term drew to a close Ivo, Nicholas, Finn and William in Year 1 played the Moon Man in the Pre-Prep and Nursery Easter show Moon Man alongside an excellent cast of soldiers, police, fire-fighters, government officials and an ice cream lady! The Nursery appeared as musicians and frightened creatures of the forest, who fled when the Moon Man came crashing to the ground on a shooting star. Reception played the part of flowers, birds and butterflies and wove in and out of each other beautifully to the Aviary from Carnival of the Animals by SaintSaens. The Moon Man danced blissfully for hours with wonderfully choreographed dances by 1G and 1W, and all the children sang I’m Sitting in a Cell and I’m the Moonman with feeling and gusto!
Pre-Prep and Nursery
Colfeian 2012
The Summer Term This was an extremely short but incredibly busy term. It began with the Nursery children going on their annual visit to Mudchute City Farm. They enjoyed meeting and learning about the animals that live on the farm and the pigs were a firm favourite. Considering the recent ‘drought’ warnings the children loved playing in the muddy puddles on that day … thankfully they were all wearing wellies!! It was a fabulous day and as always the children’s behaviour was exemplary. Year 1 visited the Horniman’s Museum and participated in an interactive puppet storytelling workshop. We even managed to fit in a Book Week. In May after many weeks of rain the Pre-Prep and Nursery Sports Day took place in blazing sunshine! The event was designed
as a mini Olympics with each class, in each year, divided into groups of ‘Continents’; Africa, America , Europe and Oceania and the children then competed in Olympic style events including Equestrian, Hurdles and Javelin. In the end the Americas were the triumphant winning Continent! The Pre- Prep and Nursery and Prep School joined together for a very special Diamond Jubilee celebration. Mrs Gurr explains how the Year 1 approached this memorable occasion. “We embarked on our Jubilee celebrations in Year 1 with a close look at the Royal Family and were aided in this by Richard Brassey’s excellent volume, “The Queen”. The children then emulated his witty style of text and illustrations
through a variety of means including comic strips and role play activities. We took a more serious look at some of the artists inspired by Her Majesty to produce photographic and painted representations of her. Again, we tried to imitate their style. A sense of chronology was introduced when we completed large-scale family trees of the Royal Family as well as shorter ones for homework. The weeks leading up to our ‘street party’ saw a gradually growing sense of excitement as the children rehearsed such numbers as “Congratulations” and “We’ll Meet Again”. Finally, on the beautifully sunny final day of the half term we joined together in splendid harmony to sing, dance and enjoy a hearty picnic – a fitting end to a most wonderful topic!”
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At the end of the summer term the children in the Pre-Prep and Nursery were transported to Ancient Greece for their Summer Production: “The Olympians”. The musical was centred on the very first Olympics in Ancient Greece, but had a ‘play within a play’ which brought it upto-date with children performing and learning about the history of the Olympics. During the play Aesop’s tales interwove into the story as the children enacted the
Pre-Prep and Nursery
famous Fable: The Hare and the Tortoise. Each Pre-Prep year group took a different role within the story. Nursery performed as the woodland creatures, Year 1 continued the woodland theme, mainly as ‘nature narrators’, Reception played the Olympic Athletes while the Greek Gods watched the action. Year 2 focused on some Olympic historical facts and led the show with polished performances from all. The show included traditional Greek music
and dancing and the children had to concentrate hard to combine intricate dance steps, speaking lines, acting and remembering to smile! We have had a fantastic year and I would like to thank all those who helped to make it such a positive experience for our children. Sarah Redman
School Development
Colfeian 2012
Russell Joyce, Development and Events Officer, Old Colfeian (1989 – 1996)
School Development Report After a career in event management, public relations and business development, Captain Russell Joyce, himself an Old Colfeian, returned to the school full time. His remit is to oversee the activities of the development office, assist in organising school events and participate in Combined Cadet Force (CCF) and Outdoor Education activities. Russell attended Colfe’s between 1989 and 1996 and has maintained his links with the school since then as a volunteer Army Air Corps Captain on the CCF Unit. He recently achieved
his Mountain Leader qualification and helps to train staff and pupils in navigation and expedition skills, enabling youngsters to achieve their Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards. On appointment, Russell said “It’s great to be back at the school full time. With a database of 13,000 Old Colfeians to look after, I’ve certainly got my work cut out, but I hope to develop much more interaction with Old Colfeians through the use of the website www.colfesalumni.org. uk, social media and events where Old Colfeians can meet face to face for professional networking or to
simply enjoy social engagements. My vision is one where Old Colfeians never lose touch with the school and that the special bond we all share, fostered here, that no one can take away from us, continues to thrive in our professional careers and personal lives forever.” Russell is currently looking for Old Colfeians to speak at public engagements – either industry experts or simply interesting characters! If you have a story to tell, please contact Russell on development@colfes.com or on 020 8463 8119.
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School Development
Abraham Colfe Society Lunch The Abraham Colfe Society was established to recognise those members of the Colfe’s community who have decided to remember Colfe’s in their Will. Each year, members are invited back to the school to join the Headmaster for lunch. The Headmaster updates members on current progress and future developments at the school. This year, attendees were also invited to peruse the GCSE and A-level students’ art and graphics exhibition before lunch. The Headmaster outlined how the school is performing academically (we still consistently outperform all the grammar schools in the local area) and explained our plans for the future. These include expanding the
prep, pre-prep and nursery schools, building a new sixth form centre and teaching block and increasing the number of bursaries on offer, especially to bright sixth-form students from poorer backgrounds from our partner school Conisborough College. The lunch took place in the Headmaster’s study on Thursday 14 June and was attended by the Headmaster, Richard Russell; the Chairman of Colfe’s Charitable Trust, Nigel Pullman; Guy Carter, Dick Chambers, Stan Cornford, Peter Hope, Graham Lawlor and his partner Zarles, Ray Phillips, Raymond Rose and his wife Jeanette, Ronald Smedley, Derek Wyles and the Development Officer, Russell Joyce.
The school’s very foundation was based on the Will of Abraham Colfe. He decreed that ‘foundation scholars to be taught freely were to be thirtyone in number, selected from the various parishes in the ‘Hundred of Blackheath’, and were to be the sons of poor persons, “so the children be of good wit and capacity, and apt to learn”. The charge for teaching sons of “ordinary people” and yeomen was not to be more than 8s. a quarter, and 10s. a quarter for children of gentlemen.’ If you would like to know more about remembering Colfe’s in your Will, please contact the development office on 020 8463 8119.
Poole Reunion The annual reunion for Old Colfeians living in and around the South of England took place on Wednesday 25 April at Parkstone Yacht Club in Poole. Old Colfeians were reunited over a drinks reception before luncheon with fantastic views over Parkstone Bay and Poole Harbour. The Headmaster updated the attendees on current activities, performance and future developments at the School. Guests were treated to school memorabilia from their time here, including several whole school photographs, with some guests recognising themselves from 80 years ago! The reunion was attended by The Headmaster, Richard Russell, Alan Carrington and his wife Hilary, Guy Carter, Ronald Harryman, Peter Hope, John Pritchard, Martin Shute, Norman Waterhouse and his wife Celia (who had travelled all the way from Windsor!), David Williams and the school’s Development Officer, Russell Joyce. Norman Waterhouse and Peter Hope peruse their old school photograph
School Development
Colfeian 2012
Colfe’s Charitable Golf Day The Golf Day took place at the prestigious Royal Blackheath Golf Club on Founder’s Day this year – Friday 22nd June. The day started off with breakfast for the guests and a round of 9 holes (Texas Scramble) in the morning before luncheon in the clubhouse. The team Texas Scramble was hotly contested as usual with Steve Gray’s four-ball marginally shading an outstanding performance by the Gardner brothers’ four-ball. The afternoon entailed a course closure and a ‘shotgun’ start for teams before prizes were awarded in the clubhouse. Team Lucas won the team Stableford competition with 92 points fighting off Harry Fairburn’s team who scored 90 points. Unfortunately Danny Gardner’s luck ran out later in the day when he recorded the lowest Stableford score in the history of the competition when he scored a mighty 11 points! Past recipients of this most coveted (now legendary) Captain America head cover, gave a massive sigh of
relief when they realised that they hadn’t won it for a second time! Not to mention any names, but Roy Winnard managed to romp home with 14 points, safely clear of being the first golfer to have back-to-back victories (or losses). Robin Ireland, our Captain America 2010, could not defend his crown (head cover) in 2011 because of a late diagnosed appendicitis. He did display some signs of talent in 2012 though after recording 21 points. It was refreshing to see a leader board where the top score was 37, so no bandits this year! Best Golfer with 37 Stableford points was Steve Hawk. He won on a count back with Ben French taking the runners up spot. David White and Harry Fairburn were tied 3rd on 36 Points. Longest Drive winner was Matt Hurren – needless to say, it was huge! Nearest the Pin was Jason Kirby. Over dinner, guests were regaled by former All-Black John Gallagher and an auction was held to raise nearly £2,000 for 2013 sports tours
to Barbados and South Africa. Prizes auctioned included Wembley tickets to see England v Ukraine, Clydebank 40 Cricket Final tickets at Lord’s, a cruise and dinner on the Thames, dinner at the Lord Northbrook public house (highly recommended since its refurbishment – Ed.) and professional teeth whitening. Our sincerest thanks go to Steve Gray, Gary Mallen, John Vigus, Chris Livett and John Ginty for donating prizes. The evening eventually came to an end after some excellent singing and conversation (punctuated by some Polynesian dancing) in the 19th hole. Footnote – I was rather disappointed to observe a four ball leaving the course early just because it had started to rain. They were punished later during the prize giving by being made to stand in the corner with their noses against the wall and roundly jeered by their fellow golfers! John Gallagher and Russell Joyce
Telephone Campaign This summer, Colfe’s ran its first telephone campaign in over six years. We aimed to re-connect with Old Colfeians that we had lost touch with, update current contact details and raise funds for future developments at the school. A group of 14 recent leavers telephoned other Old Colfeians to hear about
their experiences at Colfe’s and to find out what life might entail after leaving the school. We managed to update over 600 email addresses, telephone numbers and postal addresses and nearly £30,000 pounds has been raised which will help fund bursaries, the new sixth form centre and smaller projects
The 2012 Telephone Campaign Callers
at the school. Past Colfeians were informed of upcoming events and many offers of work experience and careers advice were received. If you received a telephone call, we hope you enjoyed speaking with recent Old Colfeians of today – I know they enjoyed speaking with you!
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School Development
Want to Further Your Career? Did you know that Colfeians mostly go on to work in Finance, Creative or Sales industries? Colfe’s Linkedin group (search Colfe’s Alumni) enables Old Colfeians across all professions to connect with each other. There are over 100 members of the free to join group and it is here that we will be sharing news and developing Old Colfeian professional networking. Ensure that ‘Colfe’s School’ is in your education profile and you can use the new alumni feature on Linkedin too! PS don’t get this group mixed up with the unsanctioned ‘Old Colfeians’ group on there – ensure you search for Colfe’s Alumni!
Facebook Page Have you ‘liked’ our Colfe’s Alumni Facebook page? Share your photos, news and updates with us as well as contacting other OCs on the site. Joel Fayers recently used the site to organise a reunion for Old Colfeians that started at Colfe’s 25 years ago and the photos from the recent 6th Form Leavers’ Ball are on there too.
Remember the Colfe’s Directory? Well, it’s online now. And it’s free! To add your entry to the directory, visit www.colfesalumni.org.uk/ register and complete your details.
The secure, password protected site is only open to Old Colfeians or friends of Colfe’s and features news, events and a searchable database.
From here you can update your details directly, choose what you share with other OCs and search for old friends.
School Development
Colfeian 2012
Upcoming Events DATE
ADMISSION
EVENT
FREE to attend, but please register at www.colfes.com/admissions
Colfe’s Senior School Open Mornings - visit the school and hear from the Headmaster on educating your children at Colfe’s.
Tue 09 Oct 18.00 - 19.00
FREE Contact Head of Music Miss Katie Collinson on kcollinson@colfes.com
Colfe’s Music Platform Concert
Thu 18 Oct 08.45 – 09.45
FREE Contact Mr Craig Foxhall on cfoxhall@colfes.com
Sixth Form Assembly – Climbing Angel Falls, the largest overhanging free climb in the world!
Thu 18 Oct 19.00 – 20.00
Contact Head of Music Miss Katie Collinson on kcollinson@colfes.com
Colfe’s Jazz Night A night of entertaining Jazz music.
Tue 06 Nov 09.30 - 11.00
Free to attend, but please register at colfes.com/Admissions
Colfe’s Prep, Pre-prep and Nursery Open Morning - visit the school and hear from the Headmaster on educating your children at Colfe’s.
Sat 10 Nov 09.00 - 12.00
£1 entry includes free refreshments. Contact: Dawn Bennett, PAFA via the school
PAFA Christmas Market. An excellent way to purchase great gifts in advance of the festive season whilst supporting PAFA.
Sun 11 Nov 11.00 - 12.00
FREE Old Colfeians’ memorial outside the Clubhouse
Colfe’s Remembrance Service Led by Major Chris Cherry and the CCF Squadron
Sat 17 Nov K.O. 12.00
FREE Old Colfeians’ sports ground
Colfe’s 1st XV vs Eltham College THE BIGGEST fixture in our sporting calendar – come and support the team!
Wed 21 Nov 18.00 - 19.30
FREE Contact Head of Music Miss Katie Collinson on kcollinson@colfes.com for info
Colfe’s Music Platform Concert Taking place in the Recital Hall, a chance to see today’s Colfeians display their musical talents.
End Nov 2012 18.00 – late
FREE Contact the development office on 020 8463 8119 or development@colfes.com
Colfe’s professional networking evening. Open to Old Colfeians of all ages. Make new contacts, swap cards and do business with a fellow OC whilst enjoying a drink on us.
Fri 07 Dec 19.00
Held at the Preparatory School. Contact PAFA for more details
Colfe’s Christmas Fireworks The remarkably impressive fireworks show staged by the Parents and Friends Association.
Fee: TBC (but less than £10). Contact the Director of Drama Jackie Vandergucht on jvandergucht@colfes.com
The Sound of Music Colfe’s version of the Julie Andrews Musical Classic.
Free to attend. Contact Mr Craig Foxhall on cfoxhall@colfes.com
Sixth Form Assembly - The Rev. Tony Collier The Rev’s legendary assemblies need no introduction and are remembered with fondness. We’re glad to welcome him back from retirement and for you to attend.
Sat 29 Sep 09.00 - 12.00 Sat 10 Nov 09.00 - 12.00
Tue 11 Dec 19.00 - 21.30 Wed 12 Dec 19.00 - 21.30 Thu 13 Dec 19.00 - 21.30
Thu 13 Dec 08.45 - 09.45
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PAFA
PAFA’s Grand Summer Ball
Colfe’s PAFA Needs You! Another year for Colfe’s Parents and Friends Association has culminated in our Grand Summer Ball, the annual highlight of the Colfe’s social calendar. Themed this year as the Moonlight Ball, the venue sparkled with moons, stars and the glittering assembled parents, friends and staff of Colfe’s School dressed in their finery. Bidding on the fantastic auction items was fierce and a grand total of just under £5,000 was raised from this and the raffle.
2012 for you to purchase all those stocking fillers, cards and decorative items ready for Christmas.
Other events that PAFA organised during the school year 2011-12 were several nearly new uniform sales, charity cake sales, Prep School disco, Christmas Fayre for Prep and Pre-Prep, our annual fireworks evening, the quiz night and, new this year, a Christmas market run alongside the November Open Day. The latter event was a huge success and will be repeated in November
PAFA is run by a small, dedicated group of people and right now, we’re actively looking for more volunteers to join in. There are opportunities to get involved in different ways, through events, meetings or other aspects of what we do. For example, if you are interested in running one or more events, we would like to hear from you, or even if you just want to turn up on the
We have three main areas of activity at PAFA: to raise funds for additional items that enhance the school experience for pupils; to provide a forum for discussion on school issues; and to help build the school community, providing opportunities for both parents and pupils to participate in fun social events.
day and help. Alternatively, perhaps you would like to get involved in the PAFA meetings where we discuss school issues in dedicated forums. Recent forums have included sports provision, modern languages and a meeting with the architects of the new Sixth Form Centre. Or you might want to help with the PAFA 300 Club, our annual closed membership lottery. You may even have some ideas of your own to share with us on new and exciting things that PAFA could do! We really would like to hear from you if you’d like to join the team. You can contact us at PAFA@colfes.com or come along to one of our regular meetings which you’ll find in the online calendar on the Colfe’s website and in the white calendar booklet handed out each term. Liz Fidler (PAFA Chair)
Old Colfeians
Colfeian 2012
Old Colfeians As can be seen from the notice below, it is intended to launch a revamped former pupils’ organisation having the name of the Old Colfeian Society. It is important to stress that a crucial difference from the former Old Colfeian Association is that the society will not be responsible for running the sporting sections at Horn Park. The society will work very closely with the School Development Office, but will maintain independence via a committee to be elected annually, which brings us neatly to the matter of volunteers. The objectives of the society will be discussed at the inaugural meeting but these can only be implemented if we have a vibrant and enthusiastic committee. The Former Pupils’ Organisation of Colfe’s is 127 years old and the sports sections started 112 years ago. Few would disagree that this is a remarkable achievement for a largely voluntary organisation. However, we really do need a significant number of members from the Colfe’s community to help run this unique organisation. If you are able to volunteer, please contact either Russell Joyce in the Development Office at the school or Brian Monk at bgdmonk@hotmail.com; 020 8852 5046.
society, will be delighted if at least some of the volunteers were born after 1975!! The sporting sections are debating a management structure and a method of continuing to run Horn Park with the School and to this end the School have taken over the management of the ground (but not the Clubhouse) at Horn Park from August 1st under initially a 1 year “user agreement”. It is hoped that, moving forward, a much closer relationship between the sports sections and School Staff can be achieved and, in making this statement, I imply no criticism of either party. Good communication and regular liaison can, I am sure, achieve a mutually beneficial way forward for all concerned. I hope this year’s edition of the “Colfeian” will prove of interest despite the absence of several team reports from last season’s activities!!! I would like to thank all those who have contributed and also to Alan Ward, Russell Joyce and to my wife, Liz, for their very considerable support. Brian Monk Hon Editor bgdmonk@hotmail.com
The Headmaster, who fully supports the creation of the
Notice of Meeting The Inaugural General Meeting of the
OLD COLFEIAN SOCIETY will be held on Wednesday November 28th 2012 in the Clubhouse at Horn Park at 8.00 p.m. An agenda will be published on the notice board at Horn Park and on the website colfesalumini.org.uk All Old Colfeians are invited to attend this important event.
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President’s Report Two and half years have passed since the acquisition of Horn Park by Colfe’s School from the Crown Commission in January 2012. Over this period designs for a new two storey clubhouse, incorporating 2 badminton courts, 10 separate changing rooms, a viewing balcony and facilities for meetings and social functions both large and small have been drawn up. These plans were all very grand but with our current membership and financial position were not viable especially as the current school fund raising effort is earmarked for a new sixth form centre with no money of any consequents being available from that source. For the immediate future, a much less grand solution would appear to be the only possibility. The larger the facility that is built the greater the need for increased membership and outside usage. A much scaled down improvement is envisaged with emphasis on providing new changing rooms with showering and toilet facilities, an updated kitchen plus making the present clubhouse serviceable and weatherproof. In order to pay for these improvements, greater use of facilities with increased membership resulting in increased bar revenue; at present our greatest source of income, plus subletting during the day which could generate a surplus to enable further improvements and maintenance to be funded. The provision of facilities for both playing and changing for female sports are also of great importance and implementation of these cannot come soon enough. Sadly, during the past year, no reunion dinner was held and at present there are no definite plans
for future dinners. Following the dinner held in 2012, to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the formation of the Old Colfeians Association, at the RAF Club in Piccadilly when over 100 Old Colfeians attended, the event in 2011 held at the School – attracted support of only just over 40 which was most disappointing. The format for this event needs to be considered carefully. The questions to be answered are the venue, the frequency and the make up of those able to attend. I believe that all past pupils including the most recent leavers should be invited to attend and a return year group organisers would provide continuity of attendance and increased numbers. Judging by the attendance in 2010 perhaps an upmarket dinner in London in formal attire may be the answer. During the last year I was unable to attend two school events to which I was invited, due to other commitments, these being the Senior School Prizegiving in September and the Colfe’s Sermon in June 2012 but on both of these occasions the Old Colfeians were represented by several other members. As President, I was again privileged to be at the Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony on Remembrance Sunday and lay the wreath on behalf of the Old Boys along with Richard Russell, Headmaster, and other School representatives. As usual, Major Chris Cherry directed proceedings, the Colfe’s Combined Cadet Force provided the colour party and, as ever, the extremely high standard was maintained. The final school event which I had privilege to attend was the Court
Visitation to the School by the Board of Governors at the end of June. This was as usual a most rewarding day with an opportunity to chat to successful pupils about school life and their future expectations, to visit the Nursery School and then to listen to a talk on the change to be adopted by the School in Pastoral Welfare. The visit concluded with an enjoyable lunch in the School pavilion. I was also invited to attend the launch of the latest addition to the History of Colfe’s School 19722002 “Good Wit and Capacity” written and presented by Vivian Anthony. My attendance at all school events was accompanied by the usual warmth of welcome and hospitality. I should like to record my thanks along with those of the committee and other members to Ron Seymour and Julie McIntosh for their day to day running of the club. Special thanks must go to Phil Clarke our groundsman for the past 31 years who, under the new arrangements stipulated by the school, will no longer be required. He has always worked tireless to keep the ground in an immaculate condition and will leave behind a legacy which will be difficult to follow. We wish him well in his semi retirement. Finally, I would urge all current users of our facilities to stay with us and to those leaving this summer and those who have left school in previous years to come along and boost our numbers both as sporting members. Together we can go forward to greater achievements and better facilities. John Nunn (President OCA & CSC)
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Gallery
Claire Rafferty (front row, 2nd from the left) with her England teammates at the 2012 London Olympics
Gary Smith was born in October 1958 and attended Colfe’s from 1969 until 1976. He started bowling in 1974 and won his first tournament, the Hastings Open Pairs in 1976. Enormous success followed, at the Old Colfeian Bowls Club, Kent and then for England at international level. Starting in 1982, Gary won 36 outdoor caps and 45 indoor caps. He was also selected for the Commonwealth Games teams in 1990 and in 1994. It was in the latter that he and his partner won a bronze medal in the pairs. Relocating to Scotland in his role as Chief Executive of World Bowls, Gary still continues to play regularly. During his time at Colfe’s Robert Key represented Kent at all age levels from 11 onwards and also England youth sides including the side that won the U19 cricket world cup in 1998. He joined Kent CCC in the same year and was selected for the England A team in 1999. His test debut followed in 2002 against India. “Keysy” toured Australia for the 2002-2003 Ashes series and made his ODI debut in 2003 against Zimbabwe. In 2004 he played in the series against the West Indies and at Lords scored a magnificent double hundred (221) in the first test. This innings was followed by 93 in the third test and earned him recognition as one of the 5 Wisden Cricketers of the Year. Other matches followed and in 2009 he played in an ICC World twenty/20 match but has since remained on the fringes of international cricket, apart from the captaincy of the England Lions on a number of occasions. Rob took over as captain of Kent CCC in 2006, a position which he still holds. Claire Rafferty attended Colfe’s from 2000 until 2007 and became a Millwall Lioness at the age of 14 in 2003. She moved to Chelsea Ladies in 2007 and, despite suffering injury to her cruciate ligament, has become an established member of the team. She has been selected for England at U15, U17, U19, U20 and U23 level and
actually joined the U19 squad at the age of 15. Claire won her first cap in March 2010 against Austria and was named in the squad for the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She made her world cup debut in the quarter final against France. Further honours followed when she was selected for the squad to represent GB at the London Olympics. Susie Rowe attended Colfe’s from 2003 until 2005 and was an outstanding sportswoman being the first female to play in the School 1st XI at cricket. She subsequently became a member (and still is) of the extremely successful Kent Ladies team. A right-handed batsman and bowler, Susie toured Sri Lanka with the England women’s team in 2010 and made her twenty/20 international debut in Colombo in November 2010. A one day international debut came against Australia in January 2011 at Perth, a match that England won. To date, she has played 16 twenty/20 internationals and 1 ODI. Susie is also a talented hockey player who has represented England at U21 level. Father Colin taught at Colfe’s for many years and perhaps, unsurprisingly, she is a PE teacher. John Herring always known as “kipper” attended Colfe’s from 1946-1953 and broke the school record for the mile. He subsequently joined Blackheath Harriers and continued to enjoy much success on the track. In 1964 he enjoyed considerable success at 5000 metres, including breaking Chris Chattaway’s UK allcomers record whilst representing GB against Poland. These consistent performances led to “kipper” being selected to represent GB in the 1964 Olympics held in Tokyo, a wonderful achievement. Continuing his involvement in sport, he was Assistant Director at Crystal Palace for 15 years and also took responsibility for the start of the London Marathon and then became a Director of the London Marathon management team.
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Membership Report At this time there is much talk of legacy; increasing participation in sport and of inspiring youngsters. I think that we have been doing our bit over many years to provide such opportunities but despite the rhetoric from politicians it is becoming more and more difficult to make ends meet. The Club has many junior members and Mini rugby is very popular, however it is adult membership that is our life blood. At first sight with a membership of 3438 we seem to have a healthy number of members the majority of whom are Life Members but closer analysis shows that we do not have address details for 640 and a further 529 have ‘lapsed’ in that they no longer wish to receive communications from us.
This total of 2269 current and contactable members still appears to be a healthy figure but it is not the significant one. It costs in the region of £170,000 each year to run the Clubhouse and ground and membership subscriptions alone are a long way from covering this. The main income comes from members who regularly use the Club either to play or watch sport. Money spent over the bar is a significant part of our income and those actually playing sport make additional subscriptions. Unfortunately this number is only approximately 320 adults and thus is only around 10% of the total membership. It is this number that needs to be increased if we are to match income to expenditure so we need you! Come
on down to play or watch, have a drink (or two), meet up with friends, hire the facilities for a party (reduced rates for members), or get out the squash racket - there were 300 members playing squash at one time, now only around 50 so plenty of court time is available. So come on, be inspired and help your Club at the same time. It doesn’t matter which you do but do something because it really is a case of use it or lose it. Alan Ward (Hon. Membership Secretary) Email: aw.ward@talktalk.net 8 Horn Park Lane Lee Green SE12 8UU
Finance Report Income Expenditure Bar Takings 92506 Bar Stock Purchases 38099 Section Assessments 32251 Bar Wages 28777 Subscriptions 8166 Other Bar Costs 3374 Sub-letting 14191 Depreciation 74 Squash Court Fees 3232 Ground Contractor 24000 300 Club 2500 Ground Materials 15979 Donations 8675 House Upkeep 9114 Hirings 4671 House Repairs 702 Interest Received Gross 724 Light & Heat 13479 Misc. 71 Rent to OCC Ltd 2000 Accounting & Book Keeping 5968 Telephone 643 Rates 2660 Refuse 2452 Water Rates 6928 Licences 1565 Misc. 4354 Total 166987 Total 160168 Surplus For Year 6819 D.G.Fennell; Hon.Treasurer
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Colfeians Lodge no. 7412 In April 2008 the lodge held its last meeting at Corvinos in Middlesex Street which had been its regular meeting place for the last 18 years. The move from the City of London to the Old Colfeians at Horn Park was deemed by some to be full of risk. At the last meeting at Corvinos we had an attendance of only 15 and to have continued with holding our meetings in the City would have led to the lodge becoming no longer viable. The increase in membership and attendance reported in last year’s magazine has been maintained with 1 initiate and 4 joining members. At the Installation Meeting held on Friday 21st October 2011, Kevin Bresnahan was installed as Worshipful Master by his predecessor David O’Brien. Basil Desmangles and Nigel Marchant were invested as Senior and Junior Warden respectively and the new Worshipful Master then appointed and invested the remainder of his officers. The regular meetings are held on the 3rd Fridays in the months of October (Installation), January, February and April commencing at 4.45 pm. Membership is open to all especially the Colfeian Community. The Lodge of Instruction meets in the lounge bar of the Colfeian Clubhouse on a Tuesday evening at 7.30 pm from September until April. Congratulations to Kate Reynolds, this year’s recipient of the Lodge Prize. Miss Reynolds has now left the school and is studying biomedical sciences at Brighton University and we wish her well for her studies and future endeavours.
During the last 12 months 3 social events have been held. The first of these being the Ladies Weekend held at the Ramada Hotel in Pembury near Tunbridge Wells in Kent. Over 70 people, members, their ladies and guests enjoyed a Gala Dinner on the Saturday Evening at which over £1000 was raised for the Baby Unit and Kings College Hospital. As at the event 12 months before David O’Brien was President for the evening accompanied by his lady Isobel. A lodge open evening with a champagne reception and a four course dinner was held on the first Friday in December attended by 50 people. A raffle held during the evening raised the sum of £230 for the Alms Fund of the Lodge for widows and dependents of deceased members and £275 for “Catch 22” a charity close to the heart of the Master, to assist young people with behavioural problems. The third event was held on the first weekend in August when a Bar B Q was organised by 20 of the most recent initiates. This was for members and their guests including children. A most enjoyable afternoon and evening was supported by over 60 people and £669 was raised for charity. We hope to organise similar social events during the next 12 months, the first of these being a repeat of last year’s open evening to be held this year on Friday 30th November 2012. John Nunn (Secretary) john@nunny.co.uk Tel: 0208 850 1853/07989 449469
Kate Reynolds (front row 3rd from the left) with her fellow Prefects in 2011
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Remembrance Parade The annual Remembrance Parade was held at the Old Colfeians on Sunday 13th November. This is an opportunity for the cadets to pay their respects to the fallen from both world wars and from more recent conflicts. The turnout from visitors, club members and ex cadets of the unit was unprecedented with over 200 people attending. We were proud to welcome back two ex-cadets who are both serving regular officers with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, Captain Antony Bryant and 2nd Lieutenant Harry Garston. Their visit gives the cadets an excellent opportunity to discuss service life and their recent experiences. The CCF Squadron paraded the main body of cadets in front of the Cenotaph and provided an honour guard to protect and salute the laying of wreaths, commanded by Major Cherry. The whole school community is involved in this with wreaths laid by both the Prep and Senior school captains, a cadet from the CCF Squadron, The Headmaster and the Chairman of the Old Colfeians. The address and service was conducted by the Reverend Tony Collier. Nearly 300 guests bow their heads in respect as Staff Sergeant Jack and other members of the honour guard present arms whilst Corporal Turpin sounds the Last Post on the bugle at the Old Colfeians’ Remembrance Service 2011. Major C Cherry The Old Colfeian War Memorial
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Old Colfeians News Births
Honours
Hetal and Rakesh Patel (class of 96) are very happy to announce the birth of their beautiful baby girl. Born 9th March at 10.59, weight 7lb 10oz. Mum, baby (and Dad) are doing well. Thomas Hewstone was born 7 weeks early on 12th December 2011, son of Paul Hewstone (class of 1994). Who knows where Thomas will end up? It has been said many times that the friendships made at Colfe’s last forever, and that has certainly been true for Paul. It’s an amazing thought that if Thomas goes to Colfe’s, the school would have been in our family for nearly a century! (And yes it has been known for my Dad, Grandad and I to sing the school song after a boozy family lunch).
The 25th June was an important day in the history of Colfe’s when Nigel Pullman, a governor of the School and Chairman of the Colfe’s Benevolent Trust was elected to serve as one of the two Sheriffs of the City of London. The election took place at the Guildhall when liverymen of the City assembled to vote for candidates for the several offices to be appointed. It was, therefore, appropriate that Colfeians, who are in livery, should make an effort to attend in order to render their support. The photograph, taken outside Guildhall before the election, records the event. The office of Sheriff (Shire Reeve) is of greater antiquity than any other in the City going back to Saxon times. Sheriffs are required to attend every session of the Central Criminal Court being responsible for the security of the judges. The Sheriffs also attend the Lord Mayor in the exercise of his official duties which are manifold. Nigel’s duties commence on the election date of the new Lord Mayor on Michaelmas Day and from that time he will be very busy indeed.
Samuel George Walden Born: 14th Feb 2012 (Happy Valentines!) at 7:48pm weighed: 7lbs 6oz. Luke (class of ‘96) and Ceri Walden very proud parents, and look forward to him donning the Old Colfeians jersey in the future!
R H Chambers
Old Colfeians Melvyn Newell, Keith Lawrey and Richard Chambers with Nigel Pullman (2nd from right)
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Old Sport Colfeians - Rugby
Obituaries Colin Frank Parker (1932-2012) Colin was born in Eltham in 1932 and was an only child. He joined the Emergency School at Colfe’s in 1943 and remained there at its various locations until 1950. On leaving he joined Brown Shipley Private Bank where he worked for 42 years interrupted only by his National Service as a Radio Operator with the RAF. After marrying Barbara in 1963 and setting up home in Bromley, the family was completed by three daughters, Julie, Anne and Lynne. When his place of work was relocated to Haywards Heath the family moved to Sussex where he kept active with his love of gardening and his allotment. Retiring in 1992 he and Barbara enjoyed long walks, often with their grandchildren until his arthritis left him less mobile. He also undertook voluntary work at the local hospital until he was restricted
by his breathing problems. Despite this the family, now including six grandchildren, continued their tradition of family holidays in the West Country. Although well looked after at home the last ten years were hard on both him and Barbara given his health problems, despite which he maintained his sense of fun and good humour. He enjoyed sport from an early age, particularly football and cricket and was a lifelong Charlton Athletic fan. On leaving school he joined the Old Boys where he played both sports. Possessed of a very powerful left foot he soon made the left wing position in the Old Boys 1st XI his own where his crossing and shooting were very effective. Although not tall he was always very difficult to move off the ball, which stood him in good stead when in later years he moved to full back. He was skipper for one season. He moved down through
the lower sides and was still playing regularly for the Veterans XI when he moved to Sussex. Having been a member of the School 1st XI at cricket, he quickly found a place in the Old Boys Saturday 1st XI where on occasion he opened the batter with Bob Shand. Rumour has it that he bowled occasional off spinners! He also played for the bank at both games. In all the years I knew him he was always cheerful, helpful and good company. Jim Farmer
Bob Locock “We’ve got a new player, joining next week. He is Peter Lemon’s brother-in-law and his name is Bob Locock”. This conversation took place in the early 1960’s and little did we realise the significance of this firstly to the Rugby Club and subsequently to the Club as a whole. Bob quickly settled in and developed into a very sound and well respected prop forward. He only scored one try – from all of 5 yards – but by 7 pm this had developed into a “sprint” from the 25 and wrong footing the full back and by 8.30 pm he had run from “almost” half way beating numerous defenders on route. Along with Ron Seymour, he ran the very successful and popular dinner dances that
became a feature of the social life of O.C.’s. Bob joined the bar committee that also comprised Ron, Ken Tarrant and “Moby” Wale and they were a very effective team. He became Chairman and displayed a light touch and an instinct for how a members’ club bar needed to operate without compromising the necessary control. He also played cricket for the Club and was a popular Devon Tourist. It has often been remarked that Bob was the best President we never had (being a non-Colfeian) and few would disagree. We offer our deepest condolences to his wife (Betty) who is in poor health and to his daughters, Kim and Jane. A most generous man, who exuded a terrific presence
whenever he was in the bar, we should end the tribute with Bob’s own words: “Love your company, can’t stand your hours...”
Kevin Lynes (1959–2012) Kevin was a Cabinet member for Kent County in charge of regeneration and economic development. He died suddenly on 30 March after collapsing at
the gym. The father of two was widely respected throughout Kent as a tireless worker, supporting businesses throughout Kent whose economy is in better shape because
of him. A book of condolence is at Tunbridge Wells Library, Mount Pleasant Road.
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Alan Wrighton What shall I say about my brother Alan? Shall I talk about the intelligent, witty raconteur, the professional IT Project Manager or the man who ran 4 marathons; the fearsome tackling left back or the kind, dependable, honest, knowledgeable, tolerant, fellow that we all wanted in our quiz team. He was a brilliant singer, a gifted actor with that even rarer gift of comic timing (as anyone who heard his wedding speech last year will testify to: about realising it was inevitable that he was going to be sick whilst on one knee in the process of proposing to Angie!). He was, in fact, the all-round entertainer. Oh, and a proud Millwall supporter. He’s also the man who got so plastered on his 21st birthday that he did the conga along the top of a brick wall until he ran out of brick wall and fell off and broke his ankle. He’s also the bloke who managed to break his thumb in the pre-match warm up before being due to play in goal in a football match in Paris but who then managed to press gang some poor Portuguese bloke waiting for a bus outside the stadium to play in goal for us in his stead. There’s so much I could say about Al...and just a few minutes in which to say it. He was a gifted musician, he wrote a few songs too. We had hoped to find a recording to play here but we failed, I’m sorry to say. The day
we all dreaded arrived a couple of weeks ago. It was, I’m afraid, pretty much inevitable that that evil disease would be the winner in that unequal battle. But Alan never gave in and lasted more than 3 years against a prediction of no more than two. He never, never, ever gave in. I know that Alan would have wanted for people here today, people who knew him through being friends, or family, or colleagues, as I said people who knew him, to be pleased that they knew him, proud that they knew him too. Not sad. Many of you will know that Alan and I were in a band together for many years. The last time we sang together would have been at his and Angela’s wedding in February last year. We used to harmonize with each other, or rather, he used to harmonize with me. I could never work out what was going on and how he knew which other notes to sing, even if he left me doing the easy bit of just sticking to the basic melody. To be honest, it always sounded great... unless I forgot which was the melody and which was the harmony and accidentally (‘cause I wouldn’t know how to do it on purpose!) sang his harmony line. We always sang together, from when we were tiny. I have arranged (I hope) to play a song in a moment which always made me think of Alan whenever I
heard it: the first line is “Talking with my brother when the lights went out, down the hallway 40 years ago.” It’s by a couple of brothers who sang together always. It’s lovely. We had a good understanding of each other’s humour: we both ran the Copenhagen Marathon in 2005 and Alan organised the hotel which had the bizarre layout of there being a half flight of stairs (about a dozen steps) from the front desk up to the lift; the lift then stopped half way between the first and second floors and half way beneath the second and third, and so on, so that no matter where you got out, you had to go up or down at least half a flight to get to your room. “I don’t suppose you get many Daleks stay here?” I asked him. Alan looked at me, nodded sagely and said “That’s why I chose it!” When he asked me to be his Best Man last year, he then said “You’re not going to tell that Washing Machine story again, are you?” I said “Of course I am!” Funniest one I know. “Fair Play!” said Al. I’m sure it’ll get told again later. Alan had no false airs & graces, no hypocrisy; he was a man for whom the famous story about The Emperor’s Clothes could easily have been written. Yet, he was a man with a true love of language and a wealth of knowledge. David Wrighton
John Cast (1931–2012) John was born in December 1931 and died in April 2012. He was 80 years old. He was born in Kennington. He joined Colfe’s in 1943 at Tunbridge Wells after an outstanding 11 plus performance despite evacuation in 1939 and attendance at a variety of schools. He rejoined Colfe’s at Hither Green but this complicated schools history didn’t upset either his academic or sporting progress. In his last year at school in 1950 he played 1st XV rugby and for Kent; he was in the 1st XI at cricket; at the sports day in an hour he won the 440 yards, the shot putt and the discus; and found time
to earn an Exhibition Scholarship to Queen’s College, Cambridge where he read Natural Sciences. At Cambridge he had a trial for the Rugby XV, continued with sport and work and prized the oar that he won for rowing! After Cambridge he joined de Havillands at Hatfield where he spent all his working life – mainly, of course, in what became known as British Aerospace. Whilst living in Hertfordshire he nevertheless played rugby for the Old Colfeians and was 1st XV captain for most of the late fifties and early sixties. He was an outstanding player and an outstanding captain, admired by
those who played for him as well as those who played against him. He married Olive in 1960 and was the father of Vanessa, Andrew and James. In his working life, he was variously researcher, project manager on a number of important defence developments – always at the sharp end of technology – and later on Director of an international engineering company in Southern German, at that time the centre of precision engineering excellence. He retired in 1991. Above all he was one of the nicest and most generous people known to many Old Colfeians and a multitude of others.
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Eric Charles Bedwell (1929–2012) Sox was born in South London on 21st October 1929 and died in Weybridge, Surrey, on 22nd January 2012 at the age of 82 years. He passed the exam to attend Colfe’s Grammar School and started in September 1942 being immediately evacuated to Skinners School at Tunbridge Wells and then later to Frome and Somerset. The school moved back to London in 1945 and he attended the school at Beacon Road, Hither Green until leaving during the summer of 1949 finishing in “transitus”. Upon leaving school he did National Service spending 2 years in the REME mostly being based at Honiton in Devon. After National Service he joined the Scientific Civil Service working for various ministries starting in London and being transferred to Lancashire working
for some years at the Ordnance Factory in Blackburn before returning to London working for the Ministry of Defence. He studied part time gaining qualifications in both electrical and mechanical engineering. I first met Sox at the Rugby Club during the 1957/58 season. His mode of transport was a powerful BSA motorcycle and sidecar not moving onto 4 wheels until 1959. He introduced himself by sharing with you his flagon of scrumpy cider. During the early part of the 1958/59 season he suggested a continental trip for Summer 1959 and in the August of that year I accompanied by fellow Old Colfeians, Trevor Baker and Alan Blackbourn plus 2 friends of Sox, had my first visit to France, the Costa Brava and a weekend in Paris on our way home.
He was fiercely proud of being an Old Colfeian and made an annual pilgrimage to attend the Rugby Past Players’ Lunch. He also attended reunion lunches at Tunbridge Wells for wartime evacuees. On the rugby field he was a strong and hard back row forward with a fierce tackle but his rugby career was much shortened due to back injuries. Sox was always one for the ladies and in his early seventies he proudly boasted of being a toy boy. His partner stayed with him for the rest of his life and proving of great help following a stroke at the age of 80, which confined him to a wheelchair. We are saddened by his passing for he was a loyal if somewhat eccentric friend and his like will not be seen again. John Nunn
Frank Jarman (1925–2009); Class of 1943 Frank was born in Catford, SE London to Fred and Ivy in 1925. He had an older sister, Muriel. He was educated at Colfe’s School and, when war broke out, he was evacuated to Tunbridge Wells. From school he went to Wadham College, Oxford where he graduated with a degree in Physics. At this stage he was called up for his National Service
and went into the RAF. He served in postings at home and in Singapore. After he was demobbed he took a job as an insurance clerk. He worked in Reading for “The Ocean” which was where he met his wife, Doris. Frank’s job moved to Oxford, which was where Frank and Doris set up home when they married in 1952. In 1997 Frank started to develop
signs of Parkinson’s Disease. This led to a low but progressive deterioration in his mobility and health, leading ultimately to his admission to hospital in June 2009 and sadly his death of pneumonia in October. He is survived by his wife Doris, 3 children, 4 grandchildren and 2 greatgrandchildren (the youngest born just two weeks after his death).
John Harry Burkett (1929–2012) John joined Colfe’s immediately following its evacuation to Tunbridge Wells in September 1939, but was extremely unlucky with the billets in which he was placed, and with his health. Eventually, before the school moved to Frome, John returned to the emergency school in Lewisham. Following Colfe’s John joined RAE at Farnborough where he remained after gaining his HNC until he was commissioned into the Royal Air Force on a 3 year engagements in the Engineering Branch. In 1952, while serving in the RAF, he married Molly, a Goldsmith’s College girl, who he had met while
at RAE. After leaving the RAF he returned to RAE and worked on the Blue Streak project but his interest turned increasingly to the rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife, and also to falconry. From the late 1950s John became a regular contributor to television programmes, including those featuring Johnny Morris. When the Torry Canyon ran aground off Cornwall in 1967 many of the oiled birds were cared for by John and Molly. They continued caring for birds, including at one time, ravens from the Tower. He maintained a connection with aviation through the Cranwell Aeronautical Society, the
RAF Association and the BBMF. A memorial service to John took place on 28th June 2012 at the All Saints Church at Hough-on-the-Hill and the church was packed. Following the service, at the special request of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the Lancaster made three low level passes over the churchyard in recognition of John’s assistance to the flight over the years and to John and Molly’s contribution to Service events in the area. John is survived by Molly, son StJohn, daughter Sophie and grandchildren Seth and Kizzie. A friend of nearly 80 years will be greatly missed.
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Barry Watson (1935–2012); Colfe’s, 1946-1951 Barry was known for his athletic achievements as a sprinter, holding the U16 220 yard record for 20 years, equalled but not beaten during this time. Rugby was his other sport during his school years. Following National Service he trained as an accountant, later becoming self-employed. Amongst his clients were Pans People and Deep Purple which brought him and wife Valerie in close contact with show business. Barry enjoyed a series of sports cars, MGs and
TRs. Later he turned to yachting with increasingly larger Moody vessels, moored on the Hamble with trips to France etc. The Old Colfeian Club saw him play rugby until his 40th year through the various sides. He and Valerie supported the dinner dances where they could be seen expertly jiving. He is sadly missed by Valerie, children Linda, Sally and Richard together with 8 grandchildren, family and friends. Googie
Joyce Eileen Caswall (1932–2011) It is with much sadness that we have to report that Joyce Caswall passed away on the 8th of October 2011, having suffered a third stroke. She was in her 80th year. Joyce was born in Greenwich on 24th January 1932 and was the elder of 2 girls with “Pip” being 5 years her junior. She grew up in Lee Green, South London, attending Riverstone Primary and Eltham Hill secondary schools. In her latter teenage years, Joyce joined the Tennis section of the Old Colfeians, a move that was to be the beginning of a lifelong affiliation with the Club. It was here that she met and married John “James” Caswall. John played both cricket and football and Joyce was a great supporter. She was often called upon to score at cricket matches and was an ever present on many football and cricket tours. In later life
when John’s playing days were over, Joyce remained an active social member of the Club. Living on the ground meant that the Caswall adobe, was a mere extension of the clubhouse and many an afterhours party was to be heard at the Upwood Road end of the ground, as well as the legendary Boxing Day “Open House”. In addition Joyce also found time to serve on the House and Ground Committee for a number of years. The Old Colfeain Club was an integral part of her life and both John and Joyce were lucky enough to forge numerous friendships that would last a lifetime. She will be sadly missed by all those who knew her. Joyce is survived by her sister Rosemary, children Andrew and Julie and grandchildren Alex, Emily, Nicholas, Henry and James. The family would like to extend
many thanks to all those numerous Colfeains who took time out to pay their final respects.
Roy William Handcock (1922–2012); Colfe’s School, 1933–39 Roy was an enthusiastic Boy Scout and later, a Scout Leader. He gained a 2:1 Hon. London University degree in Electrical Engineering in 1941 and enlisted in the Royal Navy as a SubLieutenant in 1942 where he served for 32 years, rising to Captain in Engineering Specialisation. He was awarded an OBE in 1961,
superseded by a CBE in 1974. Upon leaving the Navy, he worked in the oil industry for 5 years, retiring in 1979 to Somerset where he spent the rest of his life happily keeping bees, gardening, making furniture and being involved in village life. He had a happy life, achieved a great deal and looked back on his schooldays with pleasure although
he was never a particularly good scholar! Roy and his wife read the school magazine with amazement at the facilities and outings the school now has. He is survived by his wife Barbara, whom he married in 1948, two children, five grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
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Lloyd Eist We take this opportunity to advise that our son Lloyd Eist, at the age of 38, passed away on the 3rd August 2012, after 10 months suffering from the ravages of multiple cancers. He fought bravely with dignity and courage; ever optimistic he would overcome the scourge. To all who were in contact with him during this period he was inspirational in his cheerfulness and bravery. As a student at Colfe’s we are ever grateful for the education he received at the school. It put him in good standing for the rigours of
life and commerce. He was Sales Director for C. A. Baldwin & Co and accomplished outstanding results during the several years he held the office. He was married in July 2010 but had no children to carry forward his qualities. His social life was devoted to helping others. He was an accomplished Scuba Diver who knew no fear and amused himself with skydiving, abseiling, cycling and other hazardous pursuits, often to raise funds for charities. He was an outstanding Freemason achieving much in the ten years from
his initiation to London Grand Rank, which was awarded this year. I hope this might assist in further reinforcing the reputation of the school which encouraged and stimulated the qualities exhibited by our son and admired by all who came in contact with him. We are proud to have been the parents of such an outstanding human being and have the satisfaction we made the wise choice of sending him to Colfe’s. Valerie & Charles Eist
Rev. Derek John Elliott (1926–2011) Although he was 85 he was in surprisingly good health and it was a shock for all the family. He always spoke warmly of his days at Colfe’s and particularly the years of evacuation. He was a great supporter of the education Colfe’s offers. He was always interested in all things related to Colfe’s and his wife enjoyed reading the magazine.
They visited the school on one occasion but, having lived overseas most of his working life, could not find the opportunity to do so more frequently. He left in 1939 when he went to the Thames Nautical Training College, HMS Worcester for sea training and subsequently joined the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company. After
obtaining his Master’s Certificate he followed a career in piloting, harbour administration and other aspects for shipping in South Arabia, East Africa and finally returned to sea for the last ten years as Master in a Hong Kong based shipping company. Thereafter he enjoyed a long and active retirement.
Bernard L Norman (1932-2010) Bernard joined Colfe’s in London during the war in 1940’s. After leaving he joined his father at the General Steam Navigation Company in Deptford doing a Marine Engineering Apprenticeship. Whilst serving on a cargo ship he gained his 1st Class Steam Certificate and ultimately progressed to being a
Chief Engineer with P&O). Whilst on leave he met a young blonde Australian – Lillian. They married at All Hallowes in 1965. Their children Leona and David were to follow. Bernard was a great DIY man transforming their homes at Bickley and Petts Wood. Retiring from Texaco in 1992, he was able to give more
time to their stamp shop in Bromley – now run by son David -. Also more time with their two grandsons – Laurence and Cameron. A service of thanksgiving was held at Beckenham Crematorium on 3 September 2010, attended by over a hundred people. Malcolm Stuart
Joanna (Jo) Braithwaite (1976–2011); Class of 1995 Jo was born on 18 November 1976 in Gillingham, Kent, and moved to South East London in 1979. She went to a local primary school and her secondary school years were spent at James Allen’s Girls School and Colfe’s in Lee where she became school Vice-Captain. She had a couple of gap years at a church in Andover, Hampshire and, subsequently, went to Birmingham University to read theology. After another year at Andover she arrived in Oxford. She grew to love the city and its people. She lived in 7 or 8
flats with many lovely friends over the last 8 to 10 years. Her entry in the family address book changed most often! She had a number of jobs in the city but eventually settled down to work as part of the “Holiday Lettings” team. She found working with the 2 founder directors stimulating and allowed her interpersonal skills to flourish. She joined a local Capoeira group. She made many friends there, helped set up a charity and visited Brazil twice in its support. It was during this time that she started
worshipping at St Aldates Church, Oxford. She was quickly welcomed into their community and started to pour her life and soul into a number of aspects of church life. In 2008 she joined the staff team at St Aldates Church and it is fair to say she found a job where she could use her gifts/talents to the full in serving the Kingdom of God about which she was so passionate. Joanna was always loyal, fun loving and creative. Joanna was, sadly, tragically killed in a cycle accident.
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Michael Craft (1935–2011); Class of 1953 Michael went to Guy’s Hospital to train as a dental surgeon. At Guy’s he led the Debating Society, and also chaired the London Region CND, later standing for Parliament as an independent. After some
years in dental practice he took an MSc in community development, directed a Health Education Council project in preventive dentistry, lectured in community health at University College, London, was an
advisor overseas and managed a “Sure Start” unit in Haringey. He died in London on 18 May 2011 after a valiant struggle with cancer, aged 75.
John Christopher Beman (1952–2011); Class of 1970 John was a great school buddy of Ralph Bailey for those 7 years battling away to achieve ‘O’ and ‘A’ Levels and annoying his parents by riding my motorbike (a trusty BSA Bantam) round the back garden of the house they lived in at the time! On leaving Colfe’s in 1970 with 8 ‘O’ Levels and 1 ‘A’ Level, John went to work at Debenhams in Oxford Street and studied to become a Cost and Management Accountant which he achieved. He married first in 1976, moving to a flat in Sundridge Park. That marriage did not last long and he relocated to Essex and a job with Rothmans Tobacco. While
there, he was offered the opportunity to go to one of their overseas factories to sort out the accounting side and opted for Jamaica, where he moved in 1978. John left Rothmans in 1979 and then went into management consultancy with KPMG in 1983, subsequently forming his own independent management consulting practice in 1999 which he maintained until his death. He well and truly settled into life in Jamaica, marrying a local girl, Donna, and going on to have three children, two girls and one boy and, in the last few years, his eldest daughter presented him with
a grandchild. John had some health issues since his move to Jamaica, having to go to Miami in 1999 for treatment for leukaemia. Whilst that was successful, sadly cancer returned and what seemed at first like an innocuous back pain was diagnosed last autumn as bone cancer. Sadly, this time John was not to win the battle and he died at a tragically young age on 20 December 2011. His funeral took place on 23 December, events which must have cast a long shadow over Christmas for his wife and family.
Colin Taylor (Sqn Ldr (RAF) Re’td; Colfe’s 1939-47) Roy Edey (1925–2012) Attended Colfe’s School 1933-39 David “Biffo” Redding Rex Martin has written to advise that David “Biffo” Redding who was born in 1945 and attended Colfe’s from the mid 1950’s sadly passed away on July 17th 2010.
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Colfeian Sports Club Chairman’s Report There is not a lot one can add since our 2011 report. There are a number of meetings taking place to reach amicable arrangements between the School and the Old Boys and, whilst some issues have been agreed, there are still a number to be finalised. One important issue is our ability to raise funds for a clubhouse rebuild when the economic climate is in poor shape. This of course could delay our proposed timing of the rebuild but we continue to remain optimistic to commence work within three years. Meanwhile, both the School and the CSC – through the Brand committee – are considering various possible redevelopment
schemes proposed by our architect. Both the club and the sporting sections continue to carry on as normal meeting both their financial and sporting commitments and we are hoping that we shall get more pupils from the school joining us to help shape our future. As far as the ground is concerned, the School’s groundsman will take over the maintenance of the Old Boys’ ground at the end of August 2012. Our current groundsman – Phil Clarke, has been with us for many years and over the years has been praised for the excellent condition to which he has managed to keep our ground. We have received many compliments from a number
of visiting teams. So we wish Phil a happy retirement and thank him for all he did for us. In the next few months we hope to set up a new structure between ourselves and the School. Meanwhile, I would like to thank all members of the CSC Executive Committee for their efforts and time they devote to the club. In particular, those individuals who take on very active roles such as our Treasurer and his wife, the HouseGround Manager, our Secretary of the CSC and our Membership Secretary, without whom we could not manage the Club. Peter Reynolds
Colfeian Sports Club Executive Committee Clubhouse and Ground: Horn Park, Eltham Road, London SE12 8UE Telephone: 020 8852 1181 www.colfeiansportsclub.co.uk
President: John Nunn 020 8850 1853 27 Wesmount Road, Eltham, London, SE9 Chairman: Peter Reynolds 01689 831725 Mullion, 179 St Paul’s Wood, Orpington, BR5 2SR Admin Secretary: Nick James 020 8850 7453 10 Chiltern Court, Greenacres, North Park, London SE9 5BE Hon. Treasurer: David Fennell The Cottage, 4 Annesley Road, Blackheath, London, SE3 0JX
020 8856 6346
Hon. Membership Secretary: Alan Ward 020 8318 2758 8 Horn Park Lane, Lee, London SE12 8UU aw.ward@talktalk.net Hon. House & Ground Manager: Ron Seymour 8 Northmoor, Inglemere Road, London SE23 2BA
020 8291 5330 mobile: 07944 232 979
Hon. Editor: Brian Monk 39 Strathaven Road, Lee, London SE12 8BZ
020 8852 5046 bgdmonk@hotmail.com
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Old Colfeians FC A Message from the President It seems that the Royal Mail knew that it was time for me to retire long before it finally became apparent to myself. For several months I have been receiving brochures for retirement homes, easy-access baths and “cruises specialising in the over-50s”, but it was only when I started to think about pre-season training that I made the subconscious leap from automatically throwing them into the recycling bin to actually glancing at them - before throwing them into the recycling bin. There was no single Damascene conversion in my journey from ‘player’ to ‘past player’, but a series of steps - like having to start stretching on a Friday for a Sunday match, and (yet another) aborted come-back due to (yet another) injury to my knee/ ankle/back/shoulder/neck (*delete as applicable, although all 5 could be equally valid at times). I have no intention of going on an over-50s cruise just yet, but, like Andy Cole and many others before me, I would like to formally announce that I am no longer available for International duty - Roy Hodgson will just have to carry on picking Ashley Cole ahead of me (I’m used to the snub by now). The irony of my retirement coinciding with the Olympics is not wasted on me, but I guess that I am just not the generation that they were trying to inspire. Besides, having been to several of the Olympic and Paralympic events I now fully appreciate the severe
limits of my own abilities, so it’s probably a good time for me to stop embarrassing myself in public and save my lack of skill for the safety and seclusion of my back garden and “coaching” my daughter’s under 10s side. So, with retirement in mind, it is a good time to reflect on my 7 years as President. My first thought is that, due to work commitments taking me overseas for much of the time, I am disappointed that I have been unable to commit as much time to the OCFC as I would have liked. Not that this would necessarily have made that much difference to the success of the club, but I have always felt that the role of President should be much more visible and ‘hands-on’ than I was able to achieve. I hope that my successor, Richard Knight, will be able to improve upon this, frankly, poor attendance record. My second thought is that at least we’re still here. The OCFC has always been bigger than any individual and it is the officers’ prime duty to ensure that the club continues for future generations – we have been in existence for over 100 years and although it is unlikely that we will ever return to the halcyon days of the early 80s, the club started with just one team so at least we are now three times bigger than that! However, as documented in previous messages, we have serious issues to resolve, mostly off the pitch, and the number of actual ‘Old Colfeians’ now playing regularly could easily be counted on the fingers of just one
hand, thus creating new challenges – not just to the OCFC, but also to the CSC. During my tenure as President I have particularly been able to rely upon the assiduous work of Dave Fiddeman (who has the Sisyphean task of Secretary) and Rob Farmer (as the captain of multiple teams). Both have devoted far more time than I to the OCFC and deserve full recognition from the members. Whilst nobody is irreplaceable, some are harder to replace than others, so when Fiddy and Rob decide that they have had enough they will leave very big holes to be filled. Finally, I saw a fantastic quote recently from the equally fantastic Oscar Pistorious which said “a loser isn’t someone who starts a race and finishes last - it’s someone who doesn’t try to start a race at all”. To me, this seems to be a perfectly good metaphor for life, and not just sport. Similarly, Tennyson wrote “‘Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all”, and Mark Twain is [incorrectly] attributed with the aphorism “twenty years from now you will be more disappointed with the things you didn’t do than the ones you did do.” If you have ever wondered if you could play “proper” football (as opposed to 5-a-side on a Monday night at the leisure centre) then why not find out?
teams – Bean United and the majority of the cup-winning side of 2002. Fittingly, the two genuine OC teams beat us on both occasions. The main innovation this year was that we played more games in rural Kent, including one at West
Farleigh, well beyond Maidstone – practically a tour match, and all the more enjoyable for it! We also played our first evening fixture, followed by beers and pizza, against Farnborough Old Boys Guild.
Phil Lewis (President Old Colfeians FC)
Veterans XI Report Old Colfeians Vets had another enjoyable season in 2011/12. We played 25 games, won nine, drew six and lost 10 – with seven games cancelled because of the weather. Two of our games were against “proper” Old Colfeians
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Racquet Sports Badminton Club For this year’s Winter Leagues we entered six teams, four in the North West Kent Orpington League and two teams in the Ravensbourne League. The Men’s Ravensbourne team was captained by Bjorn Perera and won exactly half their games with a final placement of 4th out of 6th. The Mixed Ravensbourne team was captained by Brian Brass and whilst they finished 4th out of 6th, they won slightly less than half of their games, winning 4 out of 10. The Ladies’ Orpington team was captained by Pat Sharp won 2 games out of 8 and finished 4th out of 5. The Composite Orpington
team was captained by Rod Mears finished 4th out of 6 winning 3 games out of 10 on the way. The Mixed Orpington team was captained by Robbie Brand. Last year this team gained promotion to division 2. The team was beset by injuries (Kim Stanton) not even starting the season. There were many more injuries towards the end of the season, forcing the team to go out with two pairs (rather than three) several times. This unfortunately meant that they finished last winning just one game, which means unfortunately they will be relegated back to division 3. The Men’s
Orpington team captained by Carl Doherty, suffered similar problems again having to go out with two pairs on more than one occasion. To their credit they still won half their games, with a final place of 4th out of 6. Especially bearing in mind the experiences of the Men’s and Mixed teams, we are always looking for new members (male or female) to play League badminton across a wide range of formats.
probably due to members wishing only to play against their preferred partners. Maybe time will change it and we shall see a more competitive spirit in the future. The good news is that squash is contributing well to the CSC finances and, hopefully, this will continue. The two courts remain in good condition and as there are
fewer squash courts in the local area we hope that we can remain in good shape for the future. It’s a good game and keeps one fit – even our older members.
Any people wishing to play badminton at OCV should contact Phyllis Duignan on 02082650810
Squash The section is maintaining a reasonable level of members and we have seen a slight increase in younger members. The club’s recent advertisement in local papers may encourage some new members – time will tell. There appears to be a lack of interest in running our own domestic leagues but that is
Peter Reynolds
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Cricket Club Past Players’ Lunch This annual event was held on June 30th in the Clubhouse at Horn Park. In his welcoming words, Brian Monk made reference to the presence of David Roper who lives in Canada and was attending for the first time in 10 years. His visit coincided with the 60th anniversary of the school v MCC match held at the Oval to celebrate the Tercentenary of Colfe’s. David played for the school in this match as did Mike “Googie” Withers who was also present at the lunch.
Old Colfeians 2012 Season A review of the 2012 season has to begin with a tribute to our retiring groundsman Phil Clarke who in his final year preparing pitches at Horn Park had to contend with the wettest summer I can recall in my 46 years association with the cricket club. Phil has had his critics within the cricket club over the seasons but on arrival at the Club for match day we have always found pitches cut and marked for the weekend’s fixtures. It is bizarre to recall that the major talking point in March had been how we would deal with the hose-pipe ban imposed by the water supplier. Drought – what drought! On several occasions during the season the squares have resembled lakes and the outfield swamps. It is therefore quite astounding that we did actually play some cricket. All our five Saturday league teams had new Captains and their enthusiasm was infectious. Winter nets had been well attended and Irfan Begg arranged and ran Sunday bowling machine sessions for batsmen to hone their skills. The most successful team from a results viewpoint were the 3rd XI well led
by Mathieu Pendergast who finished the campaign as Champions of Division (Metropolitan)1b Kent Regional League and will therefore be promoted to the next level for 2013. They achieved a return of 11 wins and 3 losses with 2 abandoned matches. Mathieu had a core of half a dozen players who featured in nine or more games. The difficulties encountered by batsmen, in generally bowler friendly conditions, were reflected in a return of only six fifties recorded: Jim McLean 2, and one each for Richard ‘Digger’ Thomas, Robbie Fraser, Craig Martin and Raphael Pendergast with the highest individual innings of 94 in one of his four appearances. Wicket Keeper Craig Martin had the highest aggregate 256 and the best average 51.2 due to regular portions of red ink. Richard Thomas managed 232 runs at 25.8 and Jim McLean 191 at 19.1. Two of the younger players Charlie Neve and Nithan Pathmanathen deserve mention as they had their moments and scored some important runs. Bowling honours go to the spinners Connall Aslew 30 wkts at 11.2 runs per wicket and the skipper 21 wickets
at 21.2. They were well supported by seamers Sachin Bhardwag 19 wickets at 9.7 and the consistent Perry Reeves 13 wickets at 7.0 each. Perry in particular was always hard to score off. 2012 was always going to be a difficult season for our Kent League teams following an exodus of senior players to a couple of our local rivals. The first XI was a very young team and suffered from inevitable inconsistency. In the circumstances a final league position of 7th out of ten was a creditable performance. The season began well at Old Wilsonians with a solid batting performance in which several players contributed whilst Peter Tarrant grafted a solid 53. This unfortunately was a rare batting success and run scoring thereafter proved to be rather patchy. This is reflected in only three other individual scores being recorded above 50. These included an exceptional hundred by Josh Kelleher (108* v Harvel) and two fifties by Alex Lorimer one of which 67 was in the same Harvel game. Not surprisingly this proved to
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be one of the three wins attained by the team. Three draws and eight losses with four abandoned completed the record. Alex Lorimer, reinvented 2012 style as an off spinner, also had a major hand in the victory over Holmesdale with the best bowling return of the season 7-29 and 4 catches (3 off his own bowling). The bowling relied heavily on Matthew (20 wkts at 27 runs each) and Alex Lorimer (19 wkts at 24) and Jack Warren (20 wkts at 22.6). The bowling badly missed the experienced Paul Gaston who due to two separate injuries only appeared six times during the season. Successful teams are often those that have consistent team selection and firstly Irfan and latterly Alex Lorimer who took over the captaincy in the second half of the season were both hampered by irregular availability. Thirty six separate individuals represented the first XI in the 14 games played, the youngest being Nathan Baxter at thirteen who is an extremely talented young cricketer. Retin Patel’s 2nd XI fared slightly better and at one juncture looked to have an outside shot at promotion but faded in the final three matches to finish in mid table 5th in Div III. There was some symmetry in a record of 5 wins, 5 draws and 5 losses with three abandoned. Thirty three different players represented the team but six players played at least nine games so Retin did have a core of regular team members and some good cricket was played. The strength of the team was the bowling and the weakness a lack of consistency in the batting until Irfan Begg played seven games in the second half of the season scoring three 50s and 284 runs at an average of 56.8. Dhrupad Patel 30 wkts at 14.3 runs a piece was well supported by Jake Wilkins 23 wkts at 13.5 each and Jaymin Patel 13 wkts at 13.6 each. The skipper also captured 11 victims with his all sorts but at slightly higher cost.
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The above performances by Jake and Jaymin need to be viewed in the context that both are only able to bowl a maximum of seven overs in a spell due to the ECB fast bowling directive and on a number of occasions would have undoubtedly secured even better figures if they had been allowed to bowl more overs. The highlight was the dismissal of Addington for 24 all out. Retin Patel scored 228 runs at an average of 16.3 with one fifty, Ahsan Yousaf who also kept wicket competently, 202 runs at 28.9 including a scintillating 125 in an exciting high scoring match v HSBC. Nathan Baxter (aged 13) made the next highest individual score of 91 in the return fixture v Addington, this was a sensational innings and contained some high class strokes. A number of these were made against their overseas left arm quick opening bowler. Nathan also took a few wickets with his leg spin. The 4th and 5th XI captains Kevin Hunt and Paddy Pamment deserve great credit for managing to field teams throughout the season. The 4th XI suffered most from the weather losing seven games to the elements and in their remaining eleven fixtures won three times and lost eight. Allrounder Taifik Hussen scored 142 runs at an average of 20.3 including one of the team’s four fifties and took 15 wkts. Harry Butler scored 133 runs at an average of 14.8. Will Hodgson scored 180 runs attaining an average of 18.6 and hit a fifty. Evergreen Jac Williams scored fifty and scored 99 runs in total. Kevin Hunt took 15 wkts at a cost of 18.4 runs a piece; Adhiraj Ghosh took 12 wkts including two 5 wkt hauls. Stuart Swann bowled most overs and his off spin also secured 12 wkts at a cost of 20.6. Results for the 5th XI are perhaps less important as success is measured more in giving youngsters their first experience of adult cricket. This year a number of home games were played just up
the road at Old Roan and this has proven to be very popular. The team won three games and lost ten and had five abandoned. The president Mark Renshaw was top run scorer with 183 and scored one of the two individual fifties. Louis Jagger scored the other fifty and made the second highest aggregate 158 runs. Newcomer Haseeb Mohammed made 110 runs and young allrounder Jack Williams’ 86 runs in addition to his 16 wkts. Veteran Andy Pye was the most successful bowler with 19 wickets and continues to be one of the most economic bowlers in the club. The skipper Patrick Pamment also took ten wickets himself. Sunday cricket was also devastated by the weather and the Aero Development team lost half of their fixtures to the weather and sadly on a day when the weather was fine the opposition Lordswood failed to put out a team. The Sunday A XI captained by the enthusiastic James O’Dowd had an enjoyable season and played some decent cricket. Josh Kelleher enjoyed his four games and plundered a hundred and two fifties. Alex Lorimer appeared on one occasion and made an unbeaten century. The skipper, Nathan Baxter and Manjeet Bahra also made fifties. The team won seven, lost four and had five games lost to the weather. James somehow managed to give everyone a game and most games were played in the right spirit. It is with some sadness that we have just heard that Leigh Warren has died after a long illness. Leigh has been a good friend and regular supporter of the cricket club for much of the last ten years and will be sadly missed. Our thoughts are with Jack and his family. Chris Tarrant (Chairman)
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Rugby Football Club President’s Report Following on from my report of a year ago, I was hoping that I would be able to write about an improvement in playing standards the season 2011/2012. Unfortunately, this is not the case for although across the club 9 more games were fulfilled we still only managed to turn teams out for 70 matches. The results for the 1st XV were slightly poorer than the previous season securing only 10 victories from the 26 league games played with a final tally, including bonus points, of only 53 ending up in 10th place just 2 places and 4 points above the relegation zone. This is the lowest position that the club has finished during the 6 seasons played at level 6. The 2nd XV played 5 more games than the previous season but from the 21 games played only 5 victories were achieved with 14 defeats and 2 drawn matches. The 3rd XV played 2 games more than a year ago with 7 winning games and 10 defeats. This performance may not sound too good but it is really a successful story with the team having a most enjoyable season under the captaincy of Mike Cos
who worked tirelessly to get out a XV on as many occasions as possible and although the team lost more games than were won the 3rd XV were the only side in the club to have a positive points difference. The 1st XV for a second season played in London 1 North and were matched against 5 clubs different from the previous season with 4 of these being first time opponents. These were Braintree, Diss, Hammersmith & Fulham and Rockford plus North Walsham who we had previously played in the National Leagues. We have thoroughly enjoyed our two seasons crossing the Thames and are sorry that we shall no longer be able to enjoy their warmth of welcome, generous hospitality and their friendship. For this season we return to London 1 South and will for the first time in league rugby play East Grinstead, Gosport & Fareham, Hove and Trojans and these along with other renewed long distance fixtures will necessitate coach travel on at least 9 Saturdays. Life in London 1 South will not be easy. To compete with such clubs even at level 6 we need to be extremely fit,
well coordinated and disciplined and available on a regular basis. We have never paid players and trust we never shall. If in the future level 6 proves to be above our capabilities then we must quickly adjust to whatever level we find ourselves but above all continue to enjoy our rugby. During the past season the rugby club has become incorporated, as recommended by the RFU, and directors have been appointed. Thanks must go to Brian Edwards for all his hard work in bringing this about. I should like to express my thanks to everyone who puts in so much time to assist with the smooth running of the rugby club and thus ensure that the players enjoy their Saturdays. We also thank all of the sponsors for their financial support and hope that they will be rewarded with improved performances from our teams. Congratulations to the Junior and Mini sections for all of the successes they have achieved with their teams. Let us go forward as a club and enjoy the season ahead whether playing, officiating, fund raising or just supporting.
Match Secretary’s Report
Played Won Lost Drawn For Against
1st XV 2nd XV 3rd XV Vets XV Total
30 10 19 21 5 14 17 7 10 2 1 1 70 23 44
Overall, we played 9 more games than last season which is positive and scratched only 5 games (whilst not a good record, it is an improvement on recent seasons) although 1 of these was mid-morning on Saturday and another, in the Kent Plate, sees us excluded from next season’s Kent Cup competition. We did also win less than last season and
1 563 858 2 380 731 0 475 398 0 42 69 3 1460 2056
conceded in excess of 2000 points. The 1st XV had a pretty good start to the league season, however, as the season progressed the desire seemed to wane and we ended up in 10th place, just 4 points above relegation, which was still a possibility right up to the final whistle of the season. In the Kent Cup we lost a thriller to Sheppey 6-5 at theirs and then were unable to raise
a side against Dover in the plate despite both requesting to enter and having plenty of notice of the date. Accordingly, we are excluded from next season’s competition which, whilst somewhat embarrassing, at least saves me the call to say we are scratching. Next season we return from our sojourn in the North to London 1 South which will see us in a few local battles as well as
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some long trips to the south coast. The league comprises: Basingstoke, Beckenham, Chichester, Cobham, Dover, East Grinstead, Gosport and Fareham, Havant, Haywards Heath, Hove, Sidcup, Trojans, Wimbledon. The 2nd XV had a poor season with wins proving hard to come by. However they stuck at it and fulfilled all but 2 of their fixtures. They had a good core of players but lacked a few old heads with some experience and we need more of the plethora of people who occasionally run out for the 1s to make themselves available for the 2s. The 2s drop down from Invicta 1 to Invicta 2 and are playing a number of sides that in the past we would certainly have considered far too weak for our 2nd team. However, this ought to allow for some consolidation, a return to
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winning ways which should build confidence. We should definitely be aiming to win the league and get promoted back to Invicta 1 which is the minimum we should consider acceptable to play at. Next season the 2nd XV drop down to Invicta 2 and will play the following sides: Aylesford 2, Blackheath 4, Bromley 2, Charlton Park 2, Maidstone 2, Medway 2, Old Dunstonians 2, Sidcup 3, Thanet, Tonbridge Juddians 3, Wanderers 2. Despite more losses than 2 wins, the 3rd XV had a successful season both on and off the field and have built a large group of players to call from but, as is consistent across the club, need players to make themselves available weekly if they are to really push on and build on this season. Next season the 3rd XV remain in Invicta 3 West and will play the following sides: Beccehamian
2nds, Beckenham 3rds, Charlton Park 3rds, Dartfordians 2nds, Greenwich 1st, O Alleynians 3rds, Park House 2nds, Southwark L 2nds, Vigo 2nds, West Park 4ths. The Vets XV played in the Evergreen Cup, winning convincingly against Sevenoaks but coming up short against eventual winners Maidstone. At the end of the season they were runners up in the Jeffcoat 10 a side tournament which is a little disappointing as they have been all conquering the previous 3 seasons. Finally thanks must go to the London, Kent and National referees, touch judges and assessors and those who put in a great deal of effort to organise and run the leagues in which the 2nd and 3rd XVs play.
be well supported by current and former senior squad players. This is the future of the club and we are very excited about their prospects. The U15s were unable to defend their Kent Champion status in the 15 a side game, however, they did manage to finish the season as the Kent 7s Champions. They also enjoyed an unbeaten tour to Belgium. The U14s successfully defended their Kent Plate scoring
55 points to 5 before the game was stopped under the “50 point rule”. Brendan McMillan scored a hat trick in his return game following injury. The U13s enjoyed a successful 1st year as juniors; they increased their squad with 10 new players and reached the Kent Plate semi-final and the Kent 7s Plate Final. They also enjoyed a tour to Arras, France.
John Nunn (President OCRFC)
Juniors The junior section of the Old Colfeians RFC had another strong year with all age groups competing well at County level. The U16s made it through to the plate semifinal, despite having just 15 players on the day. They also finished in a credible 2nd position in the “Super 8s League” in a “winner takes all” final game. This team has now been entered into the Kent U17s league for the 2012/13 season and will
The U14s retained their Kent Plate
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Minis The minis rugby section (U6-U12s) continues to thrive, including a new record intake of some 55 players in U7s, with participants from an increasingly wide range of schools. We also saw a significant increase in numbers across all age groups. This is in part due to a very active outreach programme including a project to bring tag rugby coaching into local schools funded by Sport England. As in previous years, the
club hosted the annual Kent RFU Schools tag festival qualifiers for Lewisham and Greenwich. Equally our reputation as a friendly and fun club is spreading with many word of mouth recommendations. The section gained the RFU Seal of Approval during last season, a lengthy and demanding process and a reflection of the hard work in all aspects of coaching, training, child safeguarding and generally
excellent club management skills of our volunteers. Once again our end of season tour to Chichester, though suffering from less than excellent weather, was another rugby and social triumph, an excellent bonding opportunity for players and parents. Reports from some of our age groups are as follows, starting with U12s who move on to the exciting pastures of Junior’s rugby this year.
just the one game to finish second in a high quality 8 team round robin tournament. Individual honours went to David Edwards for most improved player and Harry Brookes for player of the year and we were also honoured that Maclaren Crawford was nominated for and received a Jack Petchey award. Throughout our time in the Colfeians mini section we have seen in excess of 60 boys play for the age group winning over 20 trophies along the way with notable highlights being the winning of the South Coast rugby festival and finishing as
runners up in Kent County Plate and Bowl competitions. We were also honoured to win the Kent County fair play trophy back in 2009. In conclusion we thank all those who have facilitated our path through the Old Colfeians mini rugby section and we now look forward to playing as Juniors where, I am sure, the boys will maintain and continue to build upon their usual high standards.
many teams and only losing to very dominant sides. It also gave a chance for our new players to experience tournament. The undoubted highlight of our season was the annual tour to Chichester for the International Rugby Festival. To demonstrate how far that we have come this season, the previous year we had left a little subdued after winning only one game over the whole weekend. This year we clicked, our confidence grew and we easily won our first few games, including a comprehensive defeat of local neighbours Westcombe Park, once dominant rivals. At the end of day one we were clearly the strongest
side and the team to beat. We went into day two determined to win. We won our first games and reached the final. Legend has it that every single player held up the final assault on our line (think it was only two players but everyone claimed it). We had won! Every player helped in the growth of our squad and the rugby that we played. You wouldn’t be able to tell ‘old’ players from ‘new’ which shows how well everyone has gelled. Really can’t wait to see everyone again next season.
U12s: The Spartans Where availability permitted we participated in fixtures and tournaments both at A and B team level giving all players within the squad a competitive rugby experience. Our B team proved most successful finishing as Cup runners up in both the Colfeians and Beccehamians B festivals and for the A team their most noteworthy success came when finishing as Bowl champions at a very competitive Beccehamians A festival. In keeping with tradition in the mini section we toured again to Chichester where the boys won four, drew two, and lost
Steve Edwards (Head Coach)
U11s: The Cavaliers Where availability permitted we were able to proudly field two teams in a variety of competitions and add strong forward play to our impressive back skills. The way everyone integrated and picked up the game was really impressive and the standard of rugby played was exceptional. Every year we have progressed but this year was a big jump in confidence and our results proved it. After our normal early season blues, we focused on post-Christmas and asked that our players ‘peaked’ at our own festival and the Kent festival. No one disappointed and we were very competitive in both, surprising
Neil Baker (Head Coach)
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U10s: The Cheetahs As we ended a great season, as festival champions, an achievement well deserved and borne out of hard graft, devotion, determination, pride and ultimately teamwork and fair play (along with a good slice of flare and skill of course) over the season by all our players. At the Old Colfeians’ own festival on a gloriously sunny Horn Park we had the opportunity to field 2 teams for the first time. This allowed everyone to experience valuable playing time that proved
U6 & U7s Our young boys and girls enjoyed an encouraging beginning to their rugby careers and we completed the season with well over 55 players. Our progress at festivals always put us in contention for silverware when it was available (as most festivals at this age group rarely offer finals and prizes) often only losing one or two games in a tournament. Our highlights include being plate runners up at the Beccahamians festival and Cup runners up on Tour. Our coaching team of seven have ensured that not only our youngest section are learning the basics of rugby but also and perhaps more importantly having bags and bags of fun. Ian Gayle (Head Coach)
invaluable during the remainder of the season. The Cheetahs made it to the Kent Finals in Tonbridge where we beat Medway in the Semi Final. Our lads responded well with some ferocious tackling, stout defending of our try line and a turn of pace from our lads to threaten and stretch their mean and disciplined defence. In the final against Sidcup we had a match befitting any Final - both sides showing their grit and determination to win. First half ended 1-1 and what
U10s: The Cheetahs - Festival Champions
a second half - no tries conceded on either side. A hard fought game finished 1-1 so the game moved to the ‘golden try’ decider. Sidcup started extra time, they pushed forward and finally breached our brave defensive line to clinch the crucial try that decided the future home of the Kent Shield. Again, there was no loss in defeat just masses of lessons learned and valuable experience gained by our lads.
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BAR HIRE
We have 3 function rooms, each with their own bar and they are available for hire for anniversaries, weddings, wakes and parties etc. In house catering can be arranged, if desired. For further information, please contact: Julie Mackintosh Email: juliemack68@btinternet.com; Mobile no. 07896 504112
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Notice of Meeting(s)
An Extraordinary General Meeting (if required) and the Annual General Meeting
COLFEIAN SPORTS CLUB will be held at the Clubhouse on Friday 25 January 2013 at 8.00 p.m.
The meeting, agenda and minutes of the previous meeting will be displayed at the Clubhouse 2-3 weeks prior to the meeting or may be obtained by post from the Admin. Secretary Nick James
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