The Stortfordian 2014-2015 by Bishop's Stortford College

The Stortfordian 2014–2015 • No. 342

Editorial

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Editorial T

his has been another successful year for Bishop’s Stortford College and the pages that follow are full of a wide variety of successes and achievements across many fields. This year has seen outstanding results at GCSE and A Level for which pupils deserve full plaudits for their hard work and endeavours. As a school, we have maintained our reputation on the sports field with the U14 Boys’ Hockey team reaching the National finals and many pupils gaining representative honours in various different sporting disciplines. The pages to follow illustrate the range of trips, productions, creativity, activities and societies on hand; it is no wonder that pupils of The College go on to scale the highest peaks.

Contents Academic Success................................................ 2 Features Inspired Horizons............................................. 3 Festival of Literature....................................... 5 Reading Competition..................................... 6 Ferguson Lectures ........................................... 7 Art.............................................................................. 8 Design & Technology........................................12 Drama.....................................................................14 Music.......................................................................18

Having re-established the identity of The Stortfordian in recent years, I am greatly indebted to many people who have helped with the production of the magazine. There has been a fresh influx of pupils and staff who have given freely of their time to write articles and, without them this edition would not be what it is. I would like to extend my thanks to the brilliant team of proof readers and marketing who have given unprecedented support throughout the publication process.

Activities including DofE Awards.................23

Soli Deo Gloria

Boys’ Hockey...................................................54

Lucie Michell

Trips.........................................................................27 Reaching Out.......................................................37 Sport Pearl and Yeo Cups.........................................41 Girls’ Hockey...................................................42 Rugby.................................................................46 Netball..............................................................50 Cricket...............................................................58 Swimming........................................................62 Rounders...........................................................64 Tennis.................................................................66 Houses....................................................................68 Being Together................................................. 104 Speech Day

Front and Back Cover: Ian Taylor Inside Cover: Nicola Swales Heartfelt thanks as always to the many, many pupils, staff and parents who have contributed words and images for this edition of The Stortfordian. Photographs came from numerous sources but, in particular, we would like to thank Ian Taylor, former Head of Science, John Kirton, all of the HSMs for their contributions and Debbie Arnold, Sarah Gowans and Rachel Kittow for their invaluable support throughout.

Prizes............................................................... 105 Heads of School Speeches....................... 106 Changing Faces................................................ 108 Sixth Form Life................................................. 111 Leavers’ Destinations................................. 112 3

Academic Success

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Feature

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

2015 Academic Results

Inspired Horizons – the second year

A Level Results 2015

ow in its second year, Inspired Horizons, has become a well-established name in the school, nurturing anything and everything that leads our pupils towards cultural and/or intellectual enrichment, whether in or out of school. Those who enjoy the chase have thrown themselves into the challenges put before them via their Inspired Horizons record sheets, and even some of the more reluctant have dipped their toes into new waters, gaining experience in public speaking at whatever level, taking the initiative, and trying out something new.

·· 24% of exams were graded A* compared

with the national average of ISC Schools of 18% and the national average of 8.2%. ISC—Independent Schools Council

·· 18 pupils out of a total of 101 gained at least 2 A* and 1A grade.

·· The pass rate was 100%, with 58% of all A levels awarded A*-A.

·· 100% of applicants will attend university to study the degrees of their choice with 90% proceeding to their first or second choice.

The Big Questions at Bishop’s Stortford The National College Academic Challenge The year got off to a cracking start with

·· 97 leavers have headed to 44 different

universities to study 58 different courses.

·· 59 leavers secured places at a top 25

university*, including 10 to Oxbridge. *As ranked by the 2015 Times Good University Guide

A Level Results 100

83 80 58

60 40

34 24

20 20 A*%

A* - A %

A* - B %

A* - C %

GCSE Results 2015 ·· 34% of pupils received the

College’s prestigious Ten Club Tie for gaining at least 10 or more A* or A grades each.

··

70% of exams were graded A*-A.

·· 99% of pupils gained at least

5 A*-Cs, including English and Maths.

GCSE Results 100 80

60 40

20 20 A* %

A-A* %

significant feather in one’s cap when the challenge has been accomplished. Pupildelivered assemblies are now a common feature in the school week; indeed, so much so that it is sometimes difficult to find a slot as opportunities get booked up weeks in advance! It is always rewarding to hear pupils reflect on how liberating it is to take that big step forward and speak publicly, and it is good to know that we are encouraging our pupils to enter the world beyond school with that all-important confidence. As one pupil commented recently: ‘You don’t want your very first business to be the very first time you speak in public.’ No, indeed!

A*- C %

a stimulating and very lively question and answer session attended by pupils of all ages, together with interested staff and parents. A cross between the BBC’s ‘Question Time’ and ‘The Big Questions’ it was an opportunity to put a panel of local personalities on the spot with leading questions on local, national and international issues. There were plenty of opinions, not a little hot air and even a certain sense of frustration as time ran out and many questions had to be abandoned un-asked. Another such event is planned for the Autumn term and will be another perfect opportunity to confront more local, national and international issues.

Developing selfconfidence through public speaking How do you become a high-profile and successful debater? The trick is to start young and the College already has a fine tradition of both Junior and Senior InterHouse Debating. In a bid to encourage more of our pupils to overcome their inhibitions about speaking in public the Inspired Horizons programme encourages all pupils to come out of their comfort zone and have a go. A good place to start is by delivering a presentation to peers during a tutorial, or asking a question at an inter-House debate, and then perhaps to build up to a short announcement or presentation to the rest of the school during a whole-school assembly. Whilst it is always a daunting experience to speak before the assembled school for the first time, it is becoming an increasingly popular challenge, and a

For the first time ever, some of our College pupils entered the prestigious annual National Academic Challenge. Teams of two to five pupils were invited to enter this demanding, internet-based, workingagainst-the-clock challenge, and whilst it was disappointing that more didn’t pick up the gauntlet, I was thrilled that two teams of girls felt equal to the demands it asked of them. And equal to the demands they certainly were! The Lower Sixth team, the ‘Stortford Solvers’ achieved the 9th position in the country, and the Fourth Form team, the ‘Awesome Foursome’ made it into 4th place. True to form, they were not happy with this position, and have already resolved to enter the competition again next year, with the intention of achieving first place, and thus winning the substantial financial prize to share between them. You can read more about the Challenge in team member, Heather Collier’s, own words below. Both teams hope they will be joined by more entrants from the College next year. It remains to be seen who has the drive, the initiative, the determination and the necessary ability to work as a team in order to do so! Hazel Bailey

On Saturday 14th of March Bishops Stortford Fourth Formers Anna Butcher (team Leader), Heather Collier, Wendy Cowen and Shreeya Khetani as well as Sixth Formers Victoria Farrant, Elizabeth Farrant, Lucie Sudworth and Claire Moran competed in the National Academic Challenge 2015. It started with an email from Frau Bailey (German Teacher at the College) who advised them throughout the competition. The 2 groups of girls, after being registered, had to learn the rules inside and out. They

learnt that the competition was split into 3 parts. The 110 challenges, The 4 Tasks and The Final Challenge. The 110 challenges were electronically based on a computer, which meant the girls had to manually enter the answer on the topics such as History, Environment, Music, Trivia, News, Languages, Art, Technology, Sports, Logical Reasoning, and an undisclosed topic. The whole point of the competiton was to get the most points overall. The 110 challenges were composed so that there were 10 questions in 11 topics. Each question had a specific amount points depending on the difficulty of the question and could not be “done later” as they were in a specific order, which meant you had to complete the task or move on by forfeiting. Completing the task meant that your earned the points. While forfeiting the task meant you did not receive anything from that question which affected your score overall. The 110 challenges were also important in order to complete the final challenge, which would decide the winner. This was because one needed to complete 4 challenges in each of the 11 categories in order to receive a hint. Which would help you in the final challenge. Overall we were given 37 hours only to complete the 110 challenges so they were under immense time pressure. Then there were the 4 tasks. These were made so that in the event of a tie at the very end the winner would be decided via “who did more tasks” etc. (Such tasks included “Build a 3D model of the London Eye”). These were revealed on the same day as the 110 challenges yet they were given 110 hours, which meant time management was key. Finally on 19th of March the teams that qualified for the final

Horizons is about encouraging InspiredALL pupils to dive deeper and go wider, to be inspired and inspire others. There are no boundaries Inspired Horizons embraces anything and everything Ask your own questions, set your own targets, plan and evaluate your project

A spark

to a flame. One idea can grow and lead to another

Explore our cultural and intellectual world

Share your discoveries

Push yourself. Try something new Explore a favourite subject through a lecture, on stage, in music or on canvas Unlock your potential, broaden your interests and experiences, in and out of school

It’s the essence of Stortfordian spirit. An approach that lasts a lifetime, a guiding principle for those who journey through Bishop’s Stortford College.

Feature

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Heather Collier (4th Form, TH)

and Senior School pupils pitted their wits against each other on every imaginable European language-related cultural topic. Later in the term, and in association with the Festival of Languages, Houses were invited to submit their filmed entry for the inter-House Folk Tale competition, whereby someone in the House presented a traditional folk tale from a country with which they are associated. Part of the criteria was to teach some vocabulary in the original language of that folk-tale. Young House and School House made it to the final which they performed on two occasions during a Senior School and then a Prep School assembly. Anton Bashkirov and Vladlen Mykhaylychenko performed the Russian tale of the Golden Cockerel, and then Simrhan Khetani charmed us with the Indian tale of Rama and Sita while Aastha Singh, in her beautiful traditional dress, beguiled us with her Indian dancing. The Festival of Languages was an opportunity for everyone in the school to broaden their cultural horizons and we hope this will be a recurring event in the future.

Life Drawing for all

Productive holidays

Whilst Life Drawing is usually a regular feature on the curriculum for Sixth Form artists, the Art Department decided to open it up to all Sixth Formers, thus offering a rare opportunity for those who enjoy art but are not pursuing it at A-Level to have a go at this challenging skill. The places filled up quickly and the evening was a huge success with interesting tactics to ensure that everyone gained the most out of the evening, including what I can only describe as ‘Musical Easels’. This is another event we hope will be repeated next year, allowing everyone eligible the opportunity to explore a skill in further depth. Pupils will have to be quick off the mark in future to secure a place, though!

‘If you want something doing, ask a busy person’ goes the saying, and how true that is when you observe the huge amount of things our pupils get up to. Some manage to pack a phenomenal amount into their very busy lives and still find time to relax and socialise, and it seems that the more they do, the more they achieve and the more they get out of life. The long holidays are a perfect opportunity to embark on new ventures or to explore pastures new, and it is especially important to get into the habit early. For the most part, Lower school pupils have few academic calls on their time in many of the school holidays, so this is a good time to plan to visit an exhibition, read a novel or delve deeper into a hobby, for example, and the long summer holidays provide the perfect window for all our pupils to enrich themselves. The Inspired Horizons record sheets (or ‘SPER’ [Sixth Form Personal Enrichment Record’] as they are known in the Upper School) are a good place to start the planning in the lead-up to the holidays, and an excellent place to record events and achievements once the holidays are over. We are hopeful that the Inspired Horizons programme will continue to inspire and encourage all our pupils to make the very most of the many opportunities open to them, to unlock their potential and kindle new fires in others. By so doing, we hope they will develop into well-rounded, confident, self-motivated young men and women full of initiative and ever-thirsty for further intellectual and cultural enrichment.

challenge were revealed. This was done by finding the average of all the scores from each group, and whoever was above the average, qualified for the final challenge. When it came to the final challenge on the 21st of March, the teams were given an enigma machine and told to solve it by first setting the machine correctly before entering the code. They were meant to be able to do this via the hints from the 110 challenges. However thankfully for parents and teachers who gave up their spare time on a Saturday to help the Fourth Formers solve this challenge. They were able to finish with the word “QUINTESSENTIAL”. Finally after entering the answer they were told to describe how they got the answer in order to stop any cheating. After the whole competition they were relieved to find out their rankings: the Fourth Formers placed 4th while the Sixth Formers placed 9th. They encourage anyone to compete in this competition next time as although it was a mixed emotion experience they came out of it with fond memories.

Festival of Languages With the Festival of Literature now a very well-established annual event on the school’s calendar, the Modern Foreign Languages departments of both the Prep School and the Senior School joined forces to stage the first BSC Festival of Languages to coincide with the European Day of Languages in September. There were various events designed to raise awareness of the wide diversity of languages spoken not only in Europe but the rest of the world. The highlight of the week was the European Language and Culture Quiz Night where a packed hall of teams of Prep School

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Feature

Intelligence Squared Attendance at the London based Intelligence Squared events and debates is becoming an increasingly aspirational goal for many of our pupils. With a rich palette of topics and high-profile names, debates are held on Foreign Policy, History and Social Policy, Politics and Economics, Science and Technology, Art and Culture, and the Environment. There is something there for each and every one of our Sixth Formers. This year the debates have provided intellectual stimulation for many of our Sixth Formers on topics such as ‘Rembrandt vs Vermeer’ or ‘Napoleon – the Great?’ Some pupils have been present at debates chaired by Jeremy Paxman or Stephen Fry and others have witnessed the debating styles of high profile names like David Starkey, Will Self and Steven Pinker. All have returned fired with enthusiasm, impressed by the level of debating they witnessed, and eager for more. What better way to gather information, pick up tips for debating and ideas for answering essay questions? Tickets for these events sell fast, so those with initiative will want to keep a close eye on the Intelligence Squared website for up-coming events and book early.

Lectures on the doorstep As last year, and by way of a supplement to our well-established Ferguson Lecture series, Prep School and Senior School pupils, their parents and interested staff have had the opportunity to attend further lectures right on our doorstep in the Ferguson Lecture Theatre. Will Atkinson spoke about his experiences and touched our environmental consciences during his presentation about his recent expedition to the Antarctic, and we were very lucky to persuade our very own Mr Honey to unravel the fact and fiction surrounding Vincent van Gogh in a fascinating and insightful lecture. More lectures are planned for the academic year 2015 – 2016 when we hope to offer subjects related to geography, history, classics, music and art. Attendance at the occasional lecture is a perfect diet for all our pupils, as what better way is there to taste the flavour of a university-style lecture in the comfort of your own school?

Feature

Reading Competition

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Feature

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Ferguson Lectures

‘Who made God?’

he College welcomed Professor Edgar Andrews to kickstart the Ferguson Lecture series as he addressed the big question, ‘Who made God?’ As Emeritus Professor of Materials at the University of London and an international expert on the science of large molecules he knows a thing or two about science and spoke at length on the matter, proposing that a Theistic belief is more consistent with the evidence of the cosmos than an atheistic one. The main part of the lecture focused on the key question, ‘Who made God?’ in which he explored the idiocy of the question. Quoting from the opening page of Hawking’s, A Brief History of Time in which the notion of Infinite Regression is dismissed, both the atheist and the theist are confronted with the notion that there had to be something or nothing in the beginning. The second part of the lecture looked at the plausibility of the universe being able to create itself. Critiquing Hawking’s, The Grand Design, in which it is stated that, ‘there is no need to invoke God to light the blue touch paper because with a law like Gravity the universe can and will create itself’, Professor Andrews wondered where such a law could exist as the law could only exist within the parameters of the universe itself or the mind of its architect. Finally, Professor Andrews sought to address the question as to whether God was made by man; a construct of the mind created to help humans cope with the questions we as yet do not know the answer. With time running out he only had the opportunity to leave us wondering from where our conscience and our desire to do maths came from!

Whilst all those who attended may have come to different conclusions about the arguments and evidence Professor Andrews presented, I hope we all agree with his call to seek the truth and think again. He explained how Einstein had been unwilling to go against the perceived scientific truth of the day when he published his ‘Theory of General Relativity’ in 1915, by inserting into one of his equations the cosmological constant - the widely held view of the day was that the universe had always existed and was static. Yet it was only when Hubble offered further proofs of the expanding universe in 1929 did Einstein address the “greatest mistake” of his life and take it out. We may not be able to prove the truth to others, but we can at least prove it to ourselves. Ian Morris

Art

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Art

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Art T

his year has been another successful time in the life of the Art Department at Bishop’s Stortford College. As a department, we had the best exam results across the College at A Level and our GCSE performances achieved an equally high set of results mirroring the success of previous years. Chris Sutherland, our Artist in Residence, built and fired a Raku kiln and the pupils were able to produce some outstanding ceramic pieces of art. He also organised the Bishop’s Stortford College stand at the Art and Clay Show at Hatfield where the general public had an opportunity to see our pupils’ work; the reaction was so positive and we also sold some items (added bonus!). Last Easter, we visited New York and had an excellent trip seeing all the major galleries (MOMA, The Met and the Guggenheim) and many sites that the city has to offer. However, the easiest way to see the success of the department here at the College is to pop in and experience the outstanding work that the pupils create on a daily basis and that is currently hanging in our gallery spaces - I know that you will be impressed and we hope to see you soon.

Christopher Lock (U6, RPH)

Alison Tam (U6, YH)

Christian Davies (U5, CH)

Phoebe Neal (U6, AH)

Max King (L6, SuH)

Andy Wong (L6, SH)

Ombeline Le Mire-Cahn (U6, TH)

Alistair Griffiths (L6, RPH)

Chloe Wood (U6, YH)

Art

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Art

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Johnny Crump (U5, SuH)

Jessica Brown (L6, AH)

Thomas Olley (L6, SuH)

Charley Wadhams (L6, BH)

Charlotte Longdon (L6, AH)

Lizzie Wood (L6, TH)

Poppy Brooks (U5, YH)

Lizzie Wood (L6, TH)

Claudia Lax-Tanner (U5, AH)

Design & Technology

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Design & Technology

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Douglas Reid and his A2 robotic arm project

his has been another busy year for staff and pupils. Mr de Bruyn transferred from the Senior School to the Prep School to take over the reins of D&T there and become a form tutor, while Mrs Hewson began her maternity leave and was replaced by Mrs Gunes. Miss Pryce also joined the College to replace the outgoing Mr Osborne. Pupils have continued to work hard on their major projects and we have seen continued innovation and improvement in the scope and ambition of projects as well as the quality of fit and finish. The department continues to look beyond the confines of the College for inspiration and collaboration with a highly successful trip to the Jaguar Land Rover factory in Solihull for the Sixth Form and Jonathan Minihane’s award of the prestigious Arkwright Scholarship are just two examples. Project work is the backbone of any D&T course and we have been pleased to see huge improvements in the quality of the AS work, in particular, with 77% of our Lower Sixth pupils achieving an A grade in that unit. 2015/16 will see further developments in the subject as we await the draft specifications for the new 2017 qualifications. Our focus on improving the extra-curricular provision for D&T enhancement activities continues and will see engineering and textiles being introduced in the near future.

Charlotte Bruce (U6, AH)

John Trant

Charlotte Spall (A2) at work on the construction of her project. Bryan Cheung (U5, RPH)

Eleanor McGowan (L6, AH)

Jonathan Minihane (U5, RPH)

Charlotte Spall

(U6, BH)

Ben Butcher (U5, SuH) Alison Tam (U6, BH)

Drama

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Drama

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Drama

Kabaret

Music

Music “To stop the flow of music would be like the stopping of time itself, incredible and inconceivable.” Aaron Copland This has been an exceptional year with some truly memorable moments and I am particularly happy to say that I have nothing short of complete admiration for our wonderful Seniors for their excellent lead on all aspects of our music-making; I will miss their infectious enthusiasm as well as the quality of their singing. The choir has been particularly strong this year and I am pleased to see talented singers in the younger age groups also. Every year, our House Music competition is a significant undertaking for each of the Houses and a huge responsibility for the Directors of Music who steer the Houses through the rehearsals. The calibre of this year’s performances trumped previous years, although the camaraderie was much the same - electric! The results were as follows: Winner of the instrumental – Collett House Winner of the part song – Young House Winner of the unison – Alliott House Overall winner of competition – Young House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Music

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Our Saint Cecilia’s Day Concert once again provided a highlight in our Autumn Term and was the first concert organised and run by our excellent two new singing teachers, Frances Israel and Toby Hunt. There was a lovely variety to the programme and it was great to see some of our singers showcase their talent. The programme included music from operas through to musicals, and there were also solos and duets, all sung with great confidence. The orchestra has been a very strong group for a long time, but it is rare to have such a breadth of players in this key ensemble. In particular, the cello section has seldom been stronger. We have had some significant challenges this year, none more so than the final event of the Festival of Literature, in which the orchestra played a programme of opera and ballet music while the excellent James Mayhew illustrated. The repertoire included works by Mozart and Verdi, finishing with the well-known “Anvil Chorus” from La Traviata. This was a very well-attended event and the audience enjoyed bidding for James Mayhew’s paintings in the auction, which took place at the end of the evening. I was delighted with the work that the choirs put in preparing for Handel’s ‘Messiah’, which was our Choral Concert at the end of the Spring Term. During the Spring Term, we had a series of lunchtime recitals which were held at St Michael’s Church, Bishop’s Stortford. These were really successful events and I am grateful to the Stortford community and particularly to the clergy and congregation at St Michael’s Church for giving such tremendous support to the pupils who performed. Each concert represented a significant undertaking for the performers. In most cases, a single performer took on the whole programme. Among the highlights was a concert shared between three organists: Owen Crawford (U6, HH), Chris Wilkin (L5, CH)

and Benjamin Carnell (U3, MJH). They gave a really impressive recital and I was pleased that, on the strength of this, they were offered the opportunity to give a lunchtime recital on the magnificent organ in St Edmundsbury Cathedral. Hearty congratulations to them. Amongst other musical excitements was a pupil-led concert of music from ‘Les Miserables’ in the Summer Term. This is a favourite of a number of our senior singers and particularly of Katharine Hood (U6, AH), who was the driving force behind the production. It was an incredibly moving performance which captivated the audience wonderfully. I was delighted to see so many pupils taking part in the annual Instrumental Competition which allowed pupils to perform at the end of the school year. The winners of the advanced competitions were: Strings: Chris Wilkin (L5, CH) (cello) Brass: Stephen Smithers (U6, CH) (euphonium) Woodwind: Scott Hextall (L5, HH) (clarinet) Piano: Stephen Smithers (U6, CH) Overall winner: Stephen Smithers (U6, CH)

Anthony Hill, the stalwart piano teacher, reached a remarkable milestone as this year marked 50 years of service at the College for him. His teaching quality is of the very highest calibre and has benefited hundreds of pupils on their musical journey. He is also a humble and supportive colleague and friend. We are extremely grateful for all he continues to do to provide an exceptionally high standard of teaching within our Music Department. To see photos of the concerts, please visit: http://www.bishopsstortfordcollege. org/180/galleries/cat/34/music There are also videos of events, including the lunchtime recitals and Handel’s ‘Messiah’, on our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/BSCollegeMusic Well done to all of our musicians on producing a memorable year’s music-making. Andrew Bruce

Music

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Composers’ Concert - Thursday 7th May 2015

Messiah

ow should we stage that leviathan of the English big-choir tradition, ‘Messiah’, in these days of authentic small-scale performance? For the College’s annual choral concert, Andrew Bruce took the intriguing course of pitting a chamber orchestra of just twenty players against a combined choir of pupils, parents, staff and friends of the College, totalling almost a hundred and twenty. The strategy paid off; the very accomplished instrumentalists were able to respond to his brisk tempi in the orchestral interludes and provide a nimble accompaniment to the many solo arias and recitatives whilst, at the same time, their strong bright string tone was more than capable of cutting through the massed voices of the choruses.

The Composers’ Concert offered the College community a chance to hear musical works created by the A Level Music students. The composers had been commissioned to write a piece following rather stringent rules. Despite the restrictions, they responded with imagination and resourcefulness to produce original and inspired compositions that still recreated a recognisable genre.

Particularly effective was the sparing use of the two trumpets, which were cleverly kept hidden in the wings until their dramatic first entrance and whose presence offered added drama to the pieces in which they took part including, needless to say, “The Trumpet shall Sound”! All four professional soloists gave good accounts of themselves, making the most of Handel’s wonderful wordpainting in lines, such as “I will shake the heavens and the earth”, “The people that walked in darkness” and “(They) laugh him to scorn”. Particular mention should be made of Camilla Harris’ brilliant and impeccably-tuned soprano voice, and the expressivity which tenor

Tom Robson brought to the description of Christ’s sufferings.

This year’s programme was particularly inspired and featured a stimulating diversity of styles. A taste for the Big-Band greats such as Duke Ellington motivated Vincenzo Gibilaro to write ‘Casual Clothes’, which was performed by Daniel Hood (L6, CH) on

Nonetheless, the evening was of course all about the College Choir. Choruses only make up a quarter of the music in ‘Messiah’, but they make a disproportionate impression, for example in favourites such as “And the Glory of the Lord” as well as the great “Hallelujah” chorus. These were delivered with all the energy one would expect, but the choir was equally effective in bringing out the solemnity and pathos of some of the later numbers such as “Behold the Lamb of God”. For a group only brought together for this occasion, they showed exemplary discipline in terms of dynamics, intonation and ensemble throughout the performances.

Elizabeth Wilkin (U6, BH) on cello. This is a delightful movement in Classical style and features such as staccato bowing and subtle syncopation conveyed the joyful charm of the music. Incidentally, Leo, an Old Stortfordian, has just graduated from the Yehudi Menuhin School and is the winner of the international competition ‘Young Virtuosos 2015’; we were thrilled that he was able to take part in a number of performances at the College this term. The final item was ‘Petite Parrot’ for chamber ensemble by Stephen Smithers. The string quartet, Leo, Lauren, Stephen and Lizzie took to the floor once again, joined by Sarah Ballard (U6, AH) on flute, Jay Wong on the oboe and

David Arkell on piano to play this exuberant work that is based on the Baroque painting ‘Still Life with a Pygmy Parrot’ by Georg Flegel. Stephen’s music is a cleverly updated version of the Baroque style. His piece included a number of different sections that were energetic, witty and introspective before his composition achieved a happy resolution in the finale. All credit is due to the A Level composers, who crafted all the music for the concert, organised the other performers and arranged the rehearsals. In fact, they saw their ideas all the way through from inception to final performance. Thanks must go to all involved in this worthwhile event.

To stage ‘Messiah’ in the approach to Easter (rather than Christmas) helps us to understand much more clearly its underlying theme of mankind’s redemption through Christ’s Passion, and this emotionally sensitive and thoughtful interpretation of the work left the audience uplifted by its spiritual meaning, just as much as by its glorious music. Richard Allaway

Music

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Helen Sheehan

saxophone, Jonathan Minihane (L6, RPH) on bass, Keir Ansell (L5, SH) on drums and Helen Sheehan on piano. This is a truly enjoyable piece, with many idiomatic jazz features and the performers communicated the animated swing-style with great success. Christina Rossetti’s beautiful poetry was the inspiration for Sarah Ballard’s captivating song ‘The Skylark’. Sensitively interpreted by Alys Harvey (L6, YH) on vocals and David Arkell on piano, Sarah’s music is firmly rooted in the 20th century English tradition known as the ‘English Musical Renaissance’ and displays excellent techniques in vocal writing, word-painting, as well as some dazzling chord progressions! The following came together to perform ‘Rondo in G for String Quartet’ by Ceo Cheng: Leonid Plashinov-Johnson and Lauren Tuch (U5, BH) on violin, Stephen Smithers (U6, CH) on viola and

Music

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Activities

2015 Picnic Concert Review

n 25th July, the sun shone down on Middle Green as audience and performers alike partook in the annual Preconcert Picnic. After food and drink had been consumed, we all adjourned to the Memorial Hall to enjoy performances from a range of Prep and Senior School ensembles. Chris Gould’s enthusiastic conducting clearly rubbed off on the Prep School Strings, with their spirited performance of “Nobody’s Jig”. This was followed by the Prep School Orchestra putting on a really characterful rendition of Vivaldi’s “Concerto for cello in G major”, will excellent solo work by Benjamin Carnell. Matthew Green was the Senior School Big Band’s featured soloist in a wonderful arrangement of Bart Howard’s “Fly Me to the Moon”. This piece is so often heard in its Frank ‘Sinatraesque’, thumping Big Band sound guise, so it was a great to hear a slower and calmer approach to the piece in this very interesting arrangement. Matt’s sensitive playing was backed up with some excellent ensemble work from the band, who benefitted from Emma Fowler’s great direction. Chris Gould was then back to centre stage, as the Senior School Strings presented two delightful arrangements: Elton John’s “Sorry is the hardest word” and “Shake a tail feather” from the Blues Brothers. The sound was lush and rich from this wonderful ensemble. This set an excellent example for the younger Prep School string players, as they were able to hear the sort of sound they can aspire to be making in just a few years’ time. Mr Bruce then got the audience fired up with the Prep School Band’s tribute to the Godfather of Soul and founding father of

Activities

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Brains Trust Competition

T Funk, James Brown, in “I Got You”. The band performed with a confident and distinctive sound, with some excellent work coming from the rhythm section. Mr Bruce then turned his attention to the Senior School Chamber Choir, with “Locus Iste” by Bruckner, followed by “Crucifixus” by Lotti. This was ‘hairs standing on the back of your neck’ time, with some really beautiful serene moments that had the audience catching their breaths. The Upper Third and Lower Third Choir presented “When I grow up Matilda”. This was sung with great flair and clear enjoyment by the universally smiling faces in the choir. It had such style that you could imagine composer Tim Minchin singing along! All of the choirs then came together for David Archuleta’s “Glorious”, a fitting way to end this section of the concert. Ms Sheehan gathered her ‘Minions’ (think about it…) for the Senior Concert Band’s rendition of Pharell Williams’ “Happy”. Driving percussion and strong rhythm meant that most of the audience were tapping

their feet by the end of this particular crowd‑pleaser! The concert finished very fittingly with the fourth and final movement from what is formally known as “Symphony No 3 in C Minor” by Saints-Seans, but is more commonly referred to as the “Saints‑Saens Organ Symphony”. Owen Crawford managed to make every head in the audience turn as he gave the Memorial Hall organ ‘full throttle’ for the first chord. The Orchestra then rose admirably to the occasion, coping brilliantly with the challenging and technical nature of this very difficult work. It was also great to see some Prep School pupils getting a chance to play with the Orchestra and show that they are more than ready for the Fourth Form! The whole evening was another great success for Mr Bruce and his team and a most memorable way for our leavers to leave their musical mark on their time at the College. Congratulations to everyone who took part.

he preliminary round of this year’s InterHouse Brains Trust competition was a thrilling encounter between Benson and Collett which continued into the final round, Collett eventually edging out Benson by 61 points to 58. Following this, the first quarterfinal became rather a one-sided affair and Hayward ran out winners over Young by 90 points to 46. The second quarter-final pitted Alliott against School and an impressive “Mastermind” round by Sofia Kedadi enabled Alliott to prevail by 82 points to 52. Tee were drawn against Sutton in the third quarterfinal and Sutton were extremely impressive in the “Buzzer” round (outscoring Tee by 42 points to 10), eventually winning by 86 points to 32. The last quarter-final between Robert Pearce and Collett was a close affair up until the half way point, but Collett were impressive in both the “Mastermind” and “Treble Chance” rounds to score 65 points to Robert Pearce’s 37. In the first semi-final, Hayward played Alliott and Hayward quickly opened up a lead in the first two rounds; this proved decisive as Alliott were always playing catch up. A convincing performance saw Hayward home by 84 points to 59. The second semi-final was between Sutton and Collett and another impressive “Buzzer” round from Collett proved the difference as Collett recorded a 66 to 40 point victory.

The final of this year’s Inter-House Brains Trust competition was expected to be a close affair and certainly didn’t disappoint. The “Individual Questions” in the first round saw Hayward establish a lead after a round on Myths and Legends (CH:8 – HH:11). Collett outscored Hayward at Dance to reduce the lead to a single point (CH:14 – HH:15) but Hayward excelled at the Current Affairs round to leave the score reading Collett House: 20, and Hayward House: 27, as we entered the “Buzzer” round. Collett were very quick off the mark on the starter questions, earning the right to the first four set of follow ups but Hayward rallied, with Sean Black performing particularly well. Eventually, both sides scored an impressive 36 points in the round so Hayward’s lead remained at 7 points as we entered the “Mastermind” round (CH:56 – HH:63). The Mastermind round saw Daniel Hood answer twelve questions correctly (24 points) whilst Tom Burrows scored 18 points by answering nine questions correctly. This set up a nail-biting final round as Collett had cut Hayward’s lead back to a single point (CH:80 – HH:81). A strong start to the round saw Hayward score a maximum 8 points to Collett’s 0 in the first set of questions but these proved to be the only points Hayward scored in this round as an incorrect answer of “parsnips” instead of “turnips” cancelled out two precious, previously earned points. Collett then scored a maximum 8 points themselves by correctly answering three questions in a

row to leave the scores at CH:88 – HH:89. On the final set of questions per team, Hayward failed to score meaning Collett needed only one correct answer to retain the trophy. The decisive question asked for the name of William Wordsworth’s sister whom he lived with. Collett offered the answer “Elizabeth” instead of “Dorothy” and so Hayward held on to win the competition by a single point. The final was a fitting ending to an excellent competition and Mr. Tomkys would like to congratulate all those who have taken part this year. Thanks, as ever, must also go to Mrs. Garrett for providing the Current Affairs questions each week. M.A.Tomkys

Kevin Webb – Development Director

Teams: Alliott: Tara Finlay (captain); Danielle Moon; Sofia Kedadi; Ellie McSweeney. Benson: Niamh Lynch (captain); Victoria Foot; Maya Nurbhai; Ellie Bennett. Collett: Daniel Hood (captain); James Moir; James Gregory; Ryan Slowe; Adam Bassingthwaighte. Hayward: Tom Burrows (captain); Hardev Matharoo; Sean Black; Matthew Burrows. Robert Pearce: Alexander Turley-Pound (captain); Tom Gvero; Alex Sokhanvari; Joe Minichiello. School: Shemi Adeboye (captain); George Durrant; Louis Radley; Will Laws. Sutton: Alastair Ward-Booth (captain); James Whitby; Aaron Threhan; Simon Miles. Tee: Claire Moran (captain); Victoria Farrant; Pippa Farmer; Alex Dorman. Young: Melissa Craig (captain); Alys Harvey; Rachel Cunningham; Matilda Krinks. 24

Activities

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Activities

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Bronze Awards (Lower Fifth)

Jasmin Franklin

Joe Minichiello

Will Tetlow

Sam Gallagher

Lucy Minichiello

Megan Thomas

Isabelle Abraham

Annabel Gregory

Bradley Moon

Cameron Tooke

Seun Akinnirayne

Frankie Heath Clarke

Alexandra Morris

Aaron Trehan

Keir Ansell

Scott Hextall

Ananya Mozumdar

Alex Waters

Lucy Bird

Tom Hilton

Nick Murkett

Katrina Wood

Gold Awards

Megan Brown

Ellie Hitch

Charlotte Neal

Nic Zeolla

Ella Jane Coxwell (left July 2014)

Federico Casareto

Will Hodge

Elliot Needham

James Lamyman (left July 2014)

Amelia Catton

Henry Hunt

Yolande Notley

Jonny Roberts

Katie Champion

Charlie Jefcoate

Ciaran Picker

Charlie Latchford

Zaza Cooper

Katie Kerr

Anna Pilcher

Niamh Lynch

Natasha Cooper

Simrhan Khetani

Ellie Pugh

Daniel Mahoney

Oscar Cooper

Will Laws

Louis Radley

Matthew Crossfield

Hugo Lennie

Lois Richards

Silver Awards (Lower Sixth)

Isabella Darlington

Alex Longthorpe

Will Selway

Lydia Alexander

Jonny Eddom

Jessica Maisey

Ben Sudworth

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award have been awarded to the following pupils:

(left July 2014)

Katie Brown

(left July 2014)

Cameron Fearon

Ollie Maszlin

Alex Sugden

Maddy Cane

(left July 2014)

James Fox

Simon Miles

Zac Sutcliffe

Lizzie Edge Sebastian Raine Christian Rhodes Heidi Swift Theodora Welch

Silver Awards (Upper Fifth)

Lucy Mackaness (left July 2015)

Ben Brierley

Arthur Marsh

Emily Brierley

Amelia Maszlin

Will Civil

Zac Matthews

Christian Davies

Phoebe Maylen

Georgie Elliott

Ellie McSweeney

Pippa Farmer

Maya Nurbhai

Liz Francis

Philippa Otter

Laura Green

Charlotte Power

James Gregory

Shona Reid

Matt Hollis

James Revell

Sam Hopkinson

Ryan Slowe

Frederica Johnston

Alex Sokhanvari

Matthew Kemp

Ben Stevenson

Ryan Land

Amber Sewell

Claudia Lax Tanner

Katherine Watson

Tom Le Grove

Will Watson

Lili Lewin

Rebecca Withers

Caitlin Mahoney

Activities

Bishop’s Stortford Rotary Club Inter-School Quiz 2015

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Rocket Science

Trips

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Trips be honest, I am not at all surprised about. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were filled with particularly English foods bringing a smile from every single German pupil on the trip.”

he annual Bishop’s Stortford Rotary Club Inter-School Quiz took place on Monday 23rd February in the College’s Ferguson Lecture Theatre. Eight teams took part this year: two from the College; two from Leventhorpe; two from St Mary’s; and two from Bishop’s Stortford High School, so the quarter finals, semi-finals and final all took place on the same evening. Former Bishop’s Stortford College staff member Mr David Hopper returned once again to take on the role of quizmaster for the evening. Absences and illness meant the College had to make several last minute changes to their teams and the final line-ups were as follows: B.S.C. 1 (a.k.a. The Kollege Kwizzers) comprised Tom Burrows (capt. U6 HH); Hardev Matharoo (L6 HH); Rachel Cunningham (U5 YH); and Matthew Burrows (L5 HH) and B.S.C. 2 (a.k.a. Kollege Ko-Stars) comprised Katharine Hood (capt. U6 AH); Clare Moran (L6 TH); Daniel Hood (L6 CH); and Simrhan Khetani (L5 YH). B.S.C. 1 warmed up with a fairly comfortable win over St Mary’s 1, scoring 360 points to 100 and B.S.H.S. 1 also progressed with a convincing 290 to 50 point win over Leventhorpe 1. These outcomes were repeated when the B.S.H.S. 2 beat Leventhorpe 2 by 300 to 160 and B.S.C. 2 beat St Mary’s 2 by 240 to 110. These results meant that both College teams were pitted against both High School teams in the semi-finals with B.S.C. 1 playing B.S.H.S. 1 first. After five minutes, the College were trailing by 70 points to 110 but this deficit was turned around to a 25 point lead after ten minutes to make the score 155 - 130. A dominant final five minutes saw the College extend their lead over the High School to win by quite a comfortable margin of 235 to 170. B.S.C. 2 had a tougher contest and the lead changed hands several times. Once again, though, it was the final five minutes that proved vital and the College held on to win by 265 points to 235 points. The two College teams therefore met in the final for the first time in several years and, not unexpectedly, B.S.C. 1 out-scored B.S.C. 2, the final score being 290 points to 110. Congratulations to B.S.C. 1 who retain the trophy for the third year, as well as to all those who took part, and a special thanks to the replacements who stepped up at the last minute. M.A.Tomkys

Annual Abbeville Adventure

n October, the A2 pupils completed an exchange visit with pupils from Lycée Boucher de Perthes which is one of the largest senior schools in France. Pupils from our partner school had already spent a fantastic week at Bishop’s Stortford College in March and therefore the friendships were well-established long before this return leg of the journey took place. Immersion in the French language was the order of the day and pupils were fortunate enough to attend bespoke lectures that tackled several of the key issues that we study during the French A2 course. Lectures ranged from racism and illegal immigrants, to the French cinema, Impressionism and the introduction of wind power as an alternative to nuclear power in the Baie de Somme. The academic rigour of the week was also well-balanced with two fantastic day trips to Amiens and Paris. In both Amiens and Paris, we were blessed with beautiful weather and benefited from a tour of Les Jardins des Hortillonages in unique boats known as “bargues à cornet”. The Hortillonages form a patchwork of 300 hectares of market and floral gardens which are surrounded by the Avre and the Somme. Paris lived up to its reputation and pupils enjoyed a rare opportunity to visit the police museum. They were fascinated by the ideas that underpin the penal system in France, including the past use of the guillotine. Without doubt, the week was actionpacked and exposed the pupils to a taste of Parisian lifestyle and immersion with the language. The work covered in the French lectures will benefit them hugely as they

prepare for their oral exams. In a world where the need to be able to converse in more than one language is essential, our pupils certainly embraced this wonderful opportunity. C. Davies

BSC welcome the German Exchange

arch saw the return visit of 25 pupils from the Heinrich-Heine Gymnasium in Heikendorf as part of the German Exchange programme. Below is a summary from some of our Upper Fifth pupils about the wide range of activities undertaken by our German exchange partners whilst here with us at Bishop’s Stortford College. Rachel Cunningham (YH, U5): “Although it was a completely new experience having our exchange partners staying with us for the week, we all soon adjusted to them being here and some of us felt at a bit of a loss once they had gone home. It was great to hear their opinions on the places and things we know so well and it was interesting to see what they thought of our school days. At times, the idea of being responsible for another person was quite daunting, but we soon realised it was nothing to worry about and enjoyed having them here and teaching them about life in Bishop’s Stortford! Overall, it was really lovely to spend a week with the friends we had made when we went to Heikendorf in the summer!”

Charlotte Power (BH, U5): “On the Thursday and Tuesday, the German pupils got to experience school with us! Of course, their first comment was how huge the campus was - the obvious difference between our school and their school in Germany. Unfortunately, our exchange partners did not get to experience our lessons, as there wasn’t enough space in classes, meaning they didn’t get to fully experience our daily routine. Instead, they had a packed day full of activities to keep them interested - from a talk about the history of Bishop’s Stortford College to a singing and recording session learning the song ‘Can you feel the love tonight?’ from The Lion King, as well as putting their pre-learned skills of cricket into practice - which seemed to be one of the favourite activities amongst the group. At the end of the day, the immediate conversation was how shocked the German pupils were at the length of our day, and having already visited their school in Germany last summer, we can definitely agree with them on this one - but we can’t all go home mid-afternoon!” Matthew Kemp (HH, U5): “Whilst the German pupils were in England, they visited many places. For example, with their German teachers, they travelled to Cambridge and London in order to see the sights such as King’s College, Buckingham Palace and the London Eye. Whilst with their exchange partners over the exeat weekend, our German partners were treated to such sights as the Shard, Big Ben and some were even lucky enough to travel on a boat along the river Thames. Overall, all of the German exchange partners enjoyed a wonderful insight into English attractions and landmarks whilst staying with their English partners.”

Ewan Slade (HH, U5): “During the week, our partners tried a wide range of typically British foods including fish and chips, roast dinner and Yorkshire pudding as well as scones, which prompted a witty remark from Mr Woodhouse. To my knowledge, all of the food that they tried was enjoyed except mushy peas which, to 29

Trips

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

German Conference at Cambridge

Frankfurt Market The Stollen, the Lebkuchen and the Turkey Hat.

The First Undergraduate Conference in German Studies at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge

riday the 5th December saw the Lower Fifth German pupils not only putting out their shoes ready for Sankt Nikolaus, but also wrapping up warm to ﬁnd a piece of the Frankfurt Christmas spirit in the centre of Birmingham. The Classroom on Wheels started promptly at eight o’clock as we embarked on our journey with a handful of work sheets to complete. Our ﬁrst task was to come up with an original Christmassy group name in German to help kick start the Christmas festivity.

n Saturday the 21st February, Frau Gregory, Marion Peters and I attended an Undergraduate Conference in German Studies entitled “Germany in 2015” in the stunning Gonville and Caius College of Cambridge University. With a packed schedule from 09:30 all the way through to 18:00, a day of intellectual nourishment lay before us. With panels on the German language itself, gender, society and memory, and all papers being presented by current undergraduates from around the UK, it was a fascinating day. There was an incredible opportunity to hear a discussion between Michael Binyon, a journalist at The Times, Professor Christopher Clark (Cambridge) and Professor Anne Fuchs (Warwick) on Germany in Europe in 2015, and an eye-opening one too. With so many discussions on current affairs, I feel that this was an incredibly important opportunity to take and, with the prospect of more conferences in the years to come, pupils studying German at the College have a stimulating and horizon-broadening future ahead of them. Benedict Corti Tyler (L6,RPH)

German Study Day 2015

n Friday 27th February, Bishop’s Stortford College hosted a German Study Day, to which other schools from all over the county were invited. The day was set out in the style of a university lecture, as we had to listen to and write down lots of new information which was useful for both our everyday German language skills and also helped us with our exam technique. The lectures throughout the day covered both AS and A2 topics, such as the Facebook privacy laws, Pegida and also the pressure of buying particular branded clothing. Our visiting speaker was Liz Black, who is a PGCE tutor at York University and a freelance author and consultant. She has taught languages for over 30 years to pupils of all ages and, during the past 10 years, Liz has worked as a cross-

As we arrived to the jingling of the Christmas songs in the market, we immediately ran to get a hot chocolate before beginning our ﬁrst task of ﬁnding out which of the stall holders spoke German. Even though it was slightly daunting to hold a conversation, whilst being videoed with someone we had never met in German, the sense of achievement and watching the videos back at school was incredible. There were so many highlights to the day but to mention only a few would be the Bratwurst, Lebkuchen and Pfannkuchen Lecker!

phase Advanced Skills Teacher, delivering training and working as a CILT Regional Trainer and Regional Subject Adviser. Throughout the day, we had breaks where we could eat and drink and talk with pupils from the other schools to get to know them and also put our German to good use. Lunch was also served for us in the FLT and it was traditional German Bratwurst with a selection of other meats, whereas for dessert we had a delicious Apfelstrudel! The day was really fun and engaging and it was a good way to learn new vocabulary and brilliant phrases to improve our overall German!. Ben Raymond (L6, HH)

Lower Sixth Independent Exchange 2015

uring the half term break, a group of AS German pupils travelled to Heikendorf in the north of Germany to take part in the independent exchange. The chance to participate in an exchange such as this, without teachers that is, allowed us to gain a huge amount of experience. The task of organising everything from the lay-by at school and back home again (with the exception of buying flights) truly allowed us to become self-reliant and is an unparalleled opportunity at the College. We were encouraged to think for ourselves and through doing so we have not only developed our own characters, but also realised just how hard it is to organise a school trip! We visited local towns such as Kiel and Schleswig where the rich culture was easily accessible to us in a plethora of forms. Furthermore, spending time with our exchange partners in school has improved our German hugely and gave us a real insight into German life for someone of our age. With our partners coming to us in June, we can hardly wait for our exams to come and be done with!. Benedict Corti Tyler (L6,RPH)

Trips

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Once upon a time … in Bremen

ull of anticipation and excitement, a seven-strong group of new Lower Sixth Germanists set off on their induction day trip to Bremen, the beautiful medieval home of the famous ‘Bremen Town Musicians’ as described by the Grimm brothers. A short hop across to mainland Europe, followed by a very short tram ride, and we were there – right in the heart of the Altstadt. We were taken on a tour of the town by an informative guide who showed us the many historical and architectural treasures of the town and filled us with so many interesting snippets of background and facts. After a delicious traditional lunch in the beautiful vaults of the Ratskeller restaurant the two teams set off on their quest for answers to the many quiz questions we had set them, and ensured they had plenty of photographic evidence to gain the important extra winning points. They also used their initiative and their very best German on return visits to the tourist information office to tease out the last few answers. Once the finished quiz sheets had been handed in, we boarded the plane for the quick hop back to Stansted. Our whistle-stop trip to Bremen had been the perfect opportunity to soak up some German culture, practise the language and make new class bonds. Bremen war ja nur der Beginn! Das Beste kommt doch noch!

During the day we had plenty of opportunities to buy presents and treats to bring home. Popular items included the Räuchermännchen, Stollen, Süßigkeiten and Weihnachtsbecher. Many of the pupils also bought two rather special gifts for Frau Bailey: a unicorn balloon named Jeffrey and a rather fetching hat in the shape of a Christmas turkey. A perfect balance of enjoyment and productivity was had by all and helped to raise cultural awareness of Germany. K. Gregory

R.S. Trip to see ‘Love Beyond’.

n Thursday 2nd October some of the Lower and Upper Fifth GCSE pupils were accompanied by Mrs Brown, Mr Morris and Mr Woodhouse to Wembley Arena to see ‘Love Beyond’; a musical theatre production. The performance was an ambitious presentation of the overarching theme of the Bible, starting with Creation and focusing on the life and death of Jesus. The second act followed the story of the Early Church and culminated in a futuristic glimpse of heaven. A highlight for some of the girls was an appearance of a real live baby on stage playing the role of Jesus; he appeared to gasps and ‘ahhhs’ from the audience! The songs were a good mix of catchy, up-beat anthems and some moving, powerful ballads. There were some fantastic performances from Paul Ayres as Jesus and Marie Cooper as Mary Magdalene as well as an interesting interpretation of Pentecost and the role of the Holy Spirit played by Clyde Melville-Bain. Many of the pupils commented on the scary portrayal of Satan by Peri Olufunwa. The evening was an enjoyable one and pupils have since been heard singing the songs and a few have been downloaded! S. Brown 31

Trips

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Media Studies Trip to L.A. & San Francisco October 2014

Friday 24th October – Warner Brothers Studio Tour, the Dolby Theatre & the University of Southern California On arrival at the Warner Brothers Studio we watched a short clip of many successful films and programmes that had been made by the Warner Brothers. This brought back many happy memories and also gave an insight into the exciting things that we would get to see on our tour. The man of a thousand voices Mel Blanc gave an insight into several of his characters that he voiced.

Tuesday 21st October London to L.A.

ighteen excited pupils and three members of staff met at the top of a damp School House drive at 5.15am on Tuesday 21st October 2014 to go on the College’s second overseas Media Studies trip to Los Angeles and San Francisco. We met up with Mr. Fulton at Heathrow Terminal 5 and, looking resplendent in our Tour Hoodies, we checked in. The size of the new B.A. Airbus was daunting to some but eleven hours later we touched down in a balmy LAX Airport. We were greeted by our tour guide, Corrine Van Beukering, a Dutch lady with a penchant for Starbucks, who escorted us on the short transfer to our hotel at Hermosa Beach. Checked in to our hotel, several of the rooms boasting sea views, we explored the local area to find somewhere to eat. Some made it to the pier to see the sun set over the Pacific Ocean. The staff found a lovely, typically American diner to eat at. An early curfew of 9.00pm still meant that for most it had been a 25 hour day and many were asleep long before the set time.

Wednesday 22nd October – L.A. City centre; L.A. Times newspaper, Rodeo Drive & Grauman’s Chinese Theatre Everyone was raring to go after a good night’s sleep. We joined Corrine and driver Tony and headed off for downtown LA. After exploring the Performing Arts areas including the Disney Concert Hall we toured the home of the Los Angeles Times newspaper, learning the history of the paper, its Pulitzer Prize successes as well as the effects of the recent economic crisis

which, combined with the advances in new and digital media, has led to a reduction in staff by nearly 60% over the last five years. Learning about the Style guide used to ensure all reports in the newspaper were “politically correct” and seeing the archive collection of print articles was fascinating but one of the highlights was David Ballard managing to appear on a test news report from inside their in-house studio. A very brief stop at Rodeo Drive to see the Beverley Wilshire hotel (of Pretty Woman fame) as well as the exclusive stores with their exclusive prices broke up the journey to downtown Hollywood.

preserved for decades. The auditorium itself was enormous with paintings on the walls of trees and buildings to give it an outdoor feeling. We were shown a film of how the inside of the theatre was recently completely refurbished as an IMAX theatre. In front of the theatre on the sidewalk were many cement blocks with signatures, handprints and footprints of stars who had been invited to become a member of the theatre. Celebrities included Marilyn Monroe, the Harry Potter trio and Jonny Depp. Following a spot of lunch we returned to our base at Hermosa Beach and had some free time before the first tour team meal that evening.

Our next stop was Grauman’s Chinese theatre where we were taken on a tour and admired the incredible artwork that has been

Thursday 23rd October – Disney California World of Adventure Day three was a trip to Disney’s California World of Adventure theme park, a chance for the pupils (and staff!) to let their hair down and relax or scare themselves on roller coasters like California Screamin’ or experience the thrills of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Another gloriously sunny day meant that getting soaked in the Grizzly Falls River Run was a must to cool off. The whole day was rounded off by watching the World of Colour show at 8.15pm, a show where the world’s largest film screen is created by jets of water which have the animated film projected onto. One blot on the otherwise perfect day was Mr. Fulton who caused Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree ride to be stopped when squeezing into the same tractor as Mrs. Dickinson and Mrs. King. Everybody was tired after a long but very enjoyable day, so it was straight to bed on our return to the hotel.

Trips

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

We saw places where many historic films had been made, where Friends was filmed, and we also set foot onto a ‘hot set’, where all filming is constant and open for guided tours to take place. Tour guide Bob also re-enacted several scenes from films such as The Mask and Spiderman as well as from the hit TV series The Big Bang Theory. However one of the filming secrets revealed was the iconic scene in Harry Potter when Dobby had passed away and Harry is grasping him in his arms. As Dobby is computer generated, the actor needed to have an object of a similar size for the filming to seem realistic. When we found out that a tennis racket had been used as a replacement for one of a film’s most treasured characters in this heart-felt scene, we discovered that we would never view the film in the same way again.

After visiting a room where all of the cars used in Batman films over the years were stored (all in working order) we next visited the Warner Brothers museum where the ground floor was dedicated to the last 75 years of Batman and the upstairs was dedicated to Harry Potter. Several of the group could not resist the temptation of being sorted into their Hogwarts House by donning the sorting hat. We drove to the Dolby Theatre (formerly the Kodak Theatre), on Hollywood Boulevard and had a little more time to look at the Hollywood Walk of Fame with all of the stars embedded in the sidewalk. We had a guided tour of the theatre and the history of the prestigious Oscar ceremonies. One of the employees of the Academy commented once that the golden statuette resembled her uncle Oscar and so the name was born. We also learnt the origin of the term “silver screen” as it was the glow emitted when the silver nitrate film was projected onto the enormous screen comprised of tiny glass

beads. The personal experiences of our tour guide during film premieres and specifically the Oscars made our time at the theatre even more exciting. We were given a taste of how a Hollywood star would feel on this momentous occasion. Being able to travel in the winners’ elevator, and travel down the hallway where all the press would be waiting for the actors, as they shed all emotion after winning the most prestigious award of the industry, was a real highlight.

Of course we can’t forget to mention the Hollywood sign that originally said Hollywoodland before hippies took over in the 1960s and comically changed the sign to Hollyweed, and it became Holywood during the Pope’s visit too! Finally, we went to the University of Southern California. This gave us an insight into the differences between American and British universities. The laidback lifestyle of the students and the amazing location set in the heart of downtown Los Angeles gave us inspiration to study in a place such as this. Former BSC pupil, Katie Rowley, managed to find time in her very busy schedule (being part of Charli XCX’s entourage) to share with us her experiences of what it is like being on a whirlwind tour of America with an up and coming pop star. A quick coach trip back to Hermosa Beach left time to see another glorious sunset, have a meal and return to the hotel.

Saturday 25th October – Universal Studios Saturday, at Universal Studios, started with the grand studio lot tour, which involves a tram journey around many of the “classic” and current film and television sets; including the world famous Wisteria Lane of Desperate Housewives fame. The King Kong set was one of the most memorable and exhilarating parts of the tour, as we became immersed in the world’s largest 3D 360 degree screen. We were thrown and splashed around witnessing Kong fighting the T-Rex and falling through gigantic crevasses. On, through the sets of Psycho, Jaws, The War of the Worlds and many more. Seeing the archive film footage on a TV screen whilst driving past the actual sets really brought the filming process to life. The theme park section of the park had a variety of rides connected to well-known films such as: The Mummy, Jurassic Park, Despicable Me and Transformers and TV

shows like The Simpsons. With the knowledge that Sunday was going to involve a very long coach transfer to San Francisco the whole tour party had an early evening meal and an early night.

Sunday 26th October - Transfer from L.A. To San Francisco Saying a sad farewell to L.A. and our base at Hermosa Beach we knew it was going to be a long journey up the coast to San Francisco but after only a couple of hours we had a very pleasant rest break at Santa Barbara, a beautiful city on the Pacific Coast. At a second break, just North of Hearst Castle, we saw hundreds of elephant seals basking on the beach. At about 3:00pm we stopped off at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We were just in time to see the feeding of the sea otters and had a relaxing hour to explore the variety of sea creatures on display. To break up the rest of the journey the teachers had organised a quiz based on information learnt over the previous few days of the tour. After what seemed like a very long day, we arrived at the hotel in Oakland about 8:30pm. With yet another early start in store the following day everybody was soon fast asleep.

Monday 27th October – Alcatraz, Lombard Street, the Golden Gate Bridge & the Walt Disney Family Museum Yet another clear blue sky welcomed us and the ferry ride across to Alcatraz afforded us an excellent view of the Golden Gate Bridge in all its glory. Alcatraz prison was filled with cells and information about the lives of different prisoners such as Al Capone/’Scarface’. In addition we also visited the recreation area where the prisoners were able to have some time away from working for an 8 hour day. The audio tour of the former prison was entertaining and informative; time spent in the solitary confinement cells (or just the ordinary cells) brought home the harsh reality of what life here must have been like for the prisoners.

Trips

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Trips

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Dive Report

t 9.30am we arrived at Stansted Airport brimming with excitement as the long awaited trip was finally here and we were off! After quite a lengthy flight we touched down in Egypt and made our way to hotel by bus, all of us ready to explore the huge hotel and possibly even take a dip in the pool whilst enjoying the beautiful surroundings.

Next we visited the strangest road in the world, Lombard Street, which zigzags down a steep hill overlooking San Francisco, offering a great view. The steepness of the hills in San Francisco have become immortalised in films where car chases have taken place, none more memorable than Steve McQueen’s in the film Bullet. Next, we went over the Golden Gate Bridge and took several group photos.

Samuel Agate - Stuntman Award Nicola Calvert and Amelia Gray – Minions Award

After a BART ride (the San Francisco underground system) back to Oakland and then a hotel shuttle to the hotel everyone was a little sad realising that tomorrow was our final day of the trip.

George Miles – Superstar Award George Ryles – Gone Native Fashion Award William Saunders – Consumption of Energy Award

At the Walt Disney Museum we used many of the interactive features available and it proved a fascinating insight into the life, times and creativity of the man and particularly into the meticulous planning, story boarding and development of his early animations right up to his final works which employed cutting edge technology of its time. The whole pre-production, production and post-production processes were on show. A new film gave us an insight to the earliest of Disney animations and these short Disney films were really entertaining.

Hayley Smart – Hollywood Princess Award

As it was our last night in San Francisco we had a tour meal booked at a sports bar at Pier 39, where Joel outdid everyone by eating the most enormous meal ever. After we ate we had our very own Oscars. Here is a list of the awards made:

Saskia Potts – I Love Hollywood Award

Charley Wadhams – Director Award David Ballard – Magic Maker Award Charlotte Bruce – just missed out on the photography award but achieved the Synchronised Swimming Award Zoe Griffith and David Overton – Screen Lovers Award Chris Lock –Social Media Award Olivia Longthorpe – the All Star Award Joel Newsome – Wizardry Award Zoe Purdy – TV Comedy Award Alison Tam – Advertising and Marketing Award

Tuesday 28th October – San Francisco shopping – transfer to airport – San Francisco to London The one and only lie-in of the tour allowed people the luxury of having breakfast around 9.00am before checking out of the hotel by 10.00am. Most chose to get the BART to Union Square and embark on a shopping spree whilst others explored San Francisco some more by foot, tram or cable car. Mr. Tomkys decided to get the Oakland Bay ferry and was offered excellent views of the city. The meeting point for everybody was Pier 39 at 4.15pm where Corrine picked us up for our airport transfer. Minor delays to the flight (which left at 9.25pm as opposed to 9.00pm) were made up for during the flight and we arrived on time at Heathrow to be greeted by a smiling Miss Chaplin and Mr. Kirton and the dreadful, wet British weather. An uneventful drive back to the College saw us arrive on schedule at 5.00pm. Everyone was exhausted, jet-lagged but had all experienced a wonderful trip. Mr Tomkys would like to personally thank all of the pupils for making it such an enjoyable trip. Everywhere we went people who encountered them went out of their way to praise them for their politeness, their good natured approach to every activity, their punctuality and their friendliness. Well done to all involved.

Waking up in the morning of the first day of diving we all had butterflies in our stomachs, some nervous for their first open sea dive and others eager to get back in the sea! The first dive site was in an area called ‘The Gardens’. It was a lovely relaxed dive to get everyone started with lots of interesting sea life and plenty of trigger fish at the site. After a very exciting day of diving and the first birthday of the trip, the group were tired and after a buffet for dinner we went to bed, looking forward to the following days diving. After a well-deserved breakfast we piled into two minibuses to make our way to Naama Bay Jetty, where we would board our dive boat for our second day of diving in Sharm El Sheikh. Our first dive location was ‘Temple’ where some completed their open water diving course. On the second dive of the day at Ras Sadiki, the qualified divers were lucky enough to see 1.7m White Tip Reef Shark. After lunch on the boat, it was time for our third dive of the day at Ras Um Sid where the Open water divers were joined by others to start the Advanced open water diver course. The next day we ventured up to the ‘Straits of Tiran’ and dived Gordon and then Jackson Reefs. Not the same luck as last year as no sharks this time but George Ryles (L6, HH) completed his PADI rescue course by finding and recovering Mr Kirton (not all welcomed this news!). The final dive of the day was unforgettable for the divers who were thrilled to see a Manta cruising past them. That evening we went out to celebrate another birthday at the Hard Rock Cafe.

On ‘The Thistlegorm day’ we left the hotel at 5am, few minded the early start as they knew this would not be dive to miss! Even though the boat journey was 4 hours long, the time passed quickly after a long briefing we were ready. We did two dives, one of the outside and one inside; the dives were incredible and very different to all of the others we had done so far. As we explored the wreckage, we saw wartime cargo still stacked inside the ship and enjoyed trying to identify artefacts now covered in coral and distorted by the explosion that sunk the Thistlegorm.

The final day of diving came and we returned to Shark Yolanda, which again lived up to expectation. As soon as we jumped in we were surrounded by vibrant colours of fish and coral all shapes and sizes. We made our way along the reef admiring everything and anything, from Scorpion Fish to the Blue Spotted Stingray. It was simply amazing. A highlight of the day was seeing a turtle at close quarters, as well as a large Napoleon Wrasse. To finish the trip we visited the wreck of the Dunraven and then braved swimming through caves access Jackfish Alley. A wonderful time was had by all and we look forward to the next diving adventure!

The fourth day of the trip brought a trip to Shark and Yolanda Reefs, hailed as one of the best dive spots in the world. The corals were spectacular as were the huge shoals of Batfish and Snapper. The toilets from the cargo of the Yolanda were a talking point as they were now covered with corals with the odd Moray Eel in residence - who knew a toilet could be so beautiful? On the way back to the jetty we visited Ras Sadiki were the resident White Tip Shark put in an appearance for the whole group.

M.A.Tomkys

Trips

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

1st XI Cricket tour to Cape Town – Easter 2015 Staff – Matt Drury, David Hughes Players – Thomas Baucher (L6, SH), Max Burrows (L6, SH), Harry Bailey (L6, RPH), Henry George (L6, HH), Thomas Gvero (L6, RPH), Thomas Harnack (L6, CH), Thomas Langley-Jones (L6, SH), Alexander Laws (L6, SH), Ross McGowan (L6, HH), Alexander Pilcher (L6, HH), Austin Sewell (L6, RPH), Henry Harnack (U5, CH), Kyle Henchie (U5, SuH), Michael Precious (U5, HH), Thomas Radley (U5, SuH), Bradley Moon (L5, SuH), Elliot Needham (L5, SuH), Alexander Portas (L5, RPH)

one; by the time the last T20 match was won against the All-Rounder Cricket Academy at Cape Town CC, the squad had transformed into a competitive and much-improved group of cricketers. In addition to playing at CTCC, the boys had the opportunity to play at some other top quality club grounds. Tough fixtures at Pinelands CC against the Western Cape Sports School and a Southern Suburbs Invitational XI were wake-up calls; the boys responded superbly at the Vineyard Oval – the most picturesque of all the grounds we played at - where we played against the Newlands Cricket School and won both T20 matches.

The boys were given an instant taste of the Western Cape with visits to the West Coast Ostrich Farm and the Buffelsfontein Nature Reserve on our first full day after an initial training session at Milnerton CC. Our journey to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve and Cape Point gave the boys the chance to see the dramatic effects of the summer wildfires that ravaged much of the Table Mountain National Park, as well as the fantastic views from the most southwestern point of Africa. One of the excursion highlights had to be our morning on Robben Island, followed by an afternoon trek to the top of Table Mountain via Platteklip Gorge.

Trips

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

After taking the ferry across Table Bay to Robben Island, we had a bus tour of some of the main sites including the infamous lime quarry where many prisoners endured forced labour. Some of the boys managed to have a word with Christo Brand, one of Nelson Mandela’s personal prison guards who now helps to run the Nelson Mandela Foundation museum next to ‘Jetty 1’ along with the island’s shops. Our tour guide around the main High Security wing of the prison was Sipho, who was imprisoned as an ANC activist from 1984-89; his stories of how prisoners coped with life on Robben Island were very enlightening and the tour party were moved when shown the cell where Nelson Mandela was kept for much of his time during the apartheid. The hike up the mountain was hard work but memorable, with the fastest group

managing to reach the top of Table Mountain in just 45 minutes. The ‘black South-Easter’ that had brought cloud and rain to Cape Town the day before meant the cancellation of our final fixture against Hermanus due to flooding but an impromptu training session at Milnerton CC allowed us to visit the V&A Waterfront and take a tour around the Springbok Experience museum; most of the rugby players in the tour group gained an insight into the ‘religion’ status of the sport in South Africa! On the last day of the tour, we visited the magnificent Newlands cricket ground and had a guided visit to the Sports Science Institute of South Africa. The whole trip would not have been possible without the hard work and organisation of Duke’s Sports Travel; our Tour Manager,

Elliott Fullerton, went above and beyond the expectations of Mr Hughes and myself with his enthusiasm, dedication, good humour and genuine interest in getting to know and help the boys whenever he could. His delicate handling of our rather idiosyncratic driver, Ferdie, was truly inspirational! As Mr Hughes’s 1st XI report would suggest, the value of a pre-season tour can be measured in so many ways. Cricket aside, I hope that the boys took away lots of memories that will stay with them for a long time to come from their visit to one of the most beautiful yet complex places in the world. Matt Drury

With the experience of a successful College tour to Cape Town in 2012 under our belts, Mr Hughes and I were keen to organise another cricket trip at the earliest opportunity. We were therefore delighted to have a group of eighteen keen cricketers preparing in the Sports Hall during the winter, ready to fly out on the last day of the Spring Term to spend ten days in the South African sun. As with our previous trip, our opponents were well-prepared and motivated to play their best against us. In order to maximise pitch time for each of the eighteen tourists, it was clear that Mr Hughes’ idea to change three of our all-day games into six T20 matches was a great success; it also gave the boys a chance to play in coloured kit and enjoy the chance to play in a variety of positions. From the seven matches played, the College won three, lost three and tied 36

Trips

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Reaching Out

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

The Chaplain’s Chronicle 2014-15 tragic events at Charlie Hebdo, to matters of the heart such as cultivating an attitude of gratitude to explaining the origins and significance of religious figures and festivals.

As part of the College Chaplaincy Centre, REST was opened in September. This haven of peace has enabled pupils, staff and parents to just be still or participate in prayer in the midst of the hurly-burly of school life. It’s also a venue for parental prayer breakfasts and pupil bible studies and discussions. Worry boxes, lava lamps and bubble tubes all helped to bring a sense of peace, especially to those who came during the exam season!

Lord Williams, gave a very thoughtful Ferguson Lecture on the place of Christianity in a multi-faith Britain. The warmth of his deep rich tones was matched by his message that the Church has to have an open door policy to all who venture inside its hallowed walls. Then in January, author and Emeritus Professor of Materials, Edgar Andrews gave a Ferguson Lecture entitled, ‘Who Made God?’ Speaking from a lifetime spent in science and without the need for notes or a PowerPoint, Professor Andrews made a strong case that science points towards and not away from the existence of God.

Sunday Evening Services have become an opportunity for the boarding community to come together and engage in a time of quiet reflection. In keeping with the rhythms of the Church and school year, biblical stories and characters have been used as a springboard to allow us to dive into their meaning for us today.

Complementing our weekly gatherings the whole school celebrated and commemorated Harvest, Remembrance, Christmas and Easter. Supported by Andrew Bruce’s superb choral arrangements and David Arkell’s magnificent organ playing, these memorable events moved hearts and minds and left us with a sense of awe that for a short while, gave us a glimpse of that which lies beyond Bishop’s Stortford College.

Across the year a number of local and national figures came to speak to the school. In September, Simon Pinchbeck had an assembly and RE classes spellbound as he humbly told of his journey from Metropolitan police officer to a gangland criminal obsessed with money to finally becoming a Christian. In November, the former Archbishop of Canterbury,

Ian Morris College Chaplain

The installation of audio-visual equipment in the Memorial Hall has had a wonderful impact on the spiritual life of the school. Photographs, film clips and PowerPoint presentations enabled a greater variety of subjects and styles to be explored in assemblies and services as well as improving our communal singing! Offering a Christian perspective on the world, the Chaplain’s weekly assemblies addressed a breadth of issues, from current affairs, such as the cost of Free Speech after the 38

Reaching Out

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Reaching Out

January

September

Reaching Out

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

he year began with Alliott Sixth Form girls taking th e initiative to serve at the WC M, which was followed up by fur ther visits from Sixth Formers and staff from Tee, Benson & Sutton Ho uses later in the year. The stron g link that the College has with th e Mission was again reinforced by Tony Miller coming to address the Senior and Prep Schools at Ha rvest time, after which he collected a trailer full of tinned and dried pro duce. A number of Lowe r Fifth to Upper Sixth pupils also vo lunteered to assist in the Pre-P rep, Shell and

Prep Schools as well as undertaking voluntary work in Charity Shops and the local Animal Sanctuary.

raising arted the year ollett House st a personal , ity ar GOSH Ch over £2600 for spent some d of House who choice of a Hea the money d child. They raise time there as a nona , im sw sponsored by cake sales, a ey raiser, a on m t es gg bi d, the uniform day an ends of the r parents and fri fo g in en ev iz qu House.

All three schools that make up Bishop’s Stortford College took part in the inaugural College Charity Day, which raised funds for Acorn in House at Addenbrookes Hospital ides prov that Cambridge; a facility home from home accommodation ren for the families of very sick child the at ted trea who are being ies hospital. Across campus assembl k highlighted the magnificent wor and se Hou n Acor at e that is don a non-uniform day and the sale of chocolate cakes at break time raised over £3000 (which was doubled to over £6000).

February

tars in their Eyes: th is much loved annu al concert took pla before February ha ce during the week lf term to raise mo ney for TSSS – a ch families with girls arity that supports suffering with Turne rs Syndrome & Niem a rare genetic disord ann-Pick Disease, er which gives rise to a variety of chall Through ticket pro enging symptoms. ceeds and DVD sa les, each charity rec eived a cheque for RPH also had a ch £790. aritable month in Fe bru ary and raised nearl support of Clic Sarg y £1600 in ent (same as Tee Ho use), which is a ch help young people arity that aims to with cancer. It is th e UK’s leading canc and provides clinic er charity for child al, practical, financia ren l and emotional su cope with the canc pport to help them er they have. They raised the money washes, guessing th through cake sales e number of jelly be , car ans in the jar and FIFA Tournament. a hugely successfu l

March

ion nt Organisat ational Patie rn e te us In ca e is th r fo pport th raised money decided to su in ey n Th . ow es lliott House Br ci an en by Meg munodefici to the House ed for Primary Im tation given The girls ralli en n. es io pr it nd nt co lle is ce th ex h it an om r w fr te s nt af suffer e Eggs se whose mum e held, Crèm th er bo w r s fo le Lower Fifth, sa es iz excellent pr illiantly: cake h br it e w us ld nt ca he e ou to th e was od am d a super raffl ch raised a go a message, an pils, all of whi parents were pu ; d ay D an ts r’s ul , ad rs ts for Mothe en es girls and boys pr d parents’ ca ld he so e girls was e girls also th Th d . nt an ey ou g on in am m en of hef ev 213. This Pampered C raised was £1 nated invited to a e final total Th £100 was do k. al ee on w ti e di th ad g rin an d du e an twic £1000, unded up to 313. was match-f se raised £2 ou H t ot lli A , er th ge so, alto

November

k se Charity Wee off the first Hou ed le ck ki sa se on e ou H er w ee kes r Clic Sargent. Ca e raising funds fo a cream tea! Te y bu to le ab e er w f e af er st w d d an an aplenty red swim pleted a sponso House girls com supporters. The us ro ne ge me very ken at techno chic egged on by so th also listened to . rls ey gi h on xt m Si r ise Uppe hool to ra ter Saturday sc of rs so on sp h for six hours af roug money raised th The amount of 0. 00 £2 er ov Tee House was

December

ayward House Chari ty Week raised £1200 for Gr ove Cottage, which provides so cial and education al activities for local people with learning difficulties . Some of their activities during th e week included: Selling Lower Sixth elves to perform duties, in exchange for a donation to Grove Cottage. Selling chocolate Sa ntas.

· · Voting for a hymn to be sung in Final Assembly.

· Undertaking a sponsored swim. · Holding a raffle, with all sorts of excellent prizes.

· Paying to wear a purple item of clothing.

The College also he ld its annual Senior Citizens’ Pa rty for 80+ guests on the last Tuesday of term. Christmas pudding s were sold in aid of Safe UK and do nations from the carol services (£10 50) went to the Thirst Youth Café in town.

April

ollowing on from an initiative by four Lower Sixth bo ys, the school paid for the privileg e of being able to wear ‘Mufti’ and en joyed tucking into cakes in order to rai se funds for the charity Target Ovari an Cancer. At the end of the day, fou r mixed teams ma de up of Upper Fifth to Upper Sixth pu pils and staff compete d in the Super Spor ty Sports Challenge. Netball, 5-a-side football and volleyb all each provided the stage for the tea ms to show off their sporting prowe ss (and highlighted which staff need to visit the gym more frequently!). Match es were played in great spirit and th e good humour wa s infectious. All who participated and spectated thoroug hly enjoyed the

ed thrills and spills and the judges agre ld shou tors peti com wing that the follo be awarded the following prizes: ey Most sporting team: The Turk Twizzlers Staff superstar: Martin ‘the Warrior’ Wilson Tom ‘iron fist’ Best individual competitor: Baucher Team Snake Overall Victors: is Yet we hope that the true winner day’s the of all as cer, Can Target Ovarian k than huge A 00. £15 d raise ities activ ly of rous gene gave you to everyone who y reall it’s ey, mon and nts tale their time, appreciated.

Reaching Out

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Stars in Their Eyes 2015 One of the highlights of the Spring term term is Stars in their Eyes, which provides entertainment from a number of highly talented pupils delivering some stunning performances. In total, 22 acts auditioned for the limited number of spaces in the show and with some difficulty this was whittled down to 17 acts, with pupils from the Lower Fifth to the Upper Sixth performing. Plenty of those auditioning were newcomers, in fact 11 out of the 17 were new acts and they in turn produced some exceptional performances. As it turned out, 6 of the 9 top three places on the three nights went to these ‘new’ acts. This year, we decided to do away with the judges and instead leave the stage to the extraordinarily talented David Ballard (CH U6), who as compere would not only keep the show ticking along, but also provide some comedy and constructive criticism too; not an easy feat all alone on a large stage. All credit to him for his superb leadership and natural presence on stage; no-one will forget the first night when he came on stage to assist. In terms of highlights, for me personally it is usually difficult to differentiate between the amazing buzz we all get from hearing the different acts preparing for the ‘big night’, and the simple privilege of watching people conquer their nerves and fears in a very public, exposed arena (open microphone!) and going on to perform like hardened professionals. The camaraderie this creates is always very special and I would say the hallmark of the Stars casts over the years has been their passionate, unselfish support for each other. This year there was a ‘magic’ moment which exemplifies many of these points. One of the cast had found the going tough on the first night and, with nerves getting the better of them, did not perform as they would have wished. On the second evening the rest of the cast, only too aware of the degree of bravery needed to face any audience, watched on the monitors below the stage in ‘pin drop’ silence as the artist performed. After an almost perfect performance by the artist on the second night, the rest of the cast were quite unable to contain their admiration and let forth a spontaneous roar of congratulation from the depths of the stage, easily audible to the whole audience, which then continued as the artist appeared below stage. G Brooks

Pearl and Yeo Cups

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Pearl and Yeo Cups T

he annual Inter-House Cross Country Competition was once again held with the Doggart as the central venue to give spectators prime viewing of the pupils as they battle their way around the gruelling course. A huge thank you must go to all the staff who helped create a superb atmosphere despite the dwindling light. Congratulations to all the runners who wowed the crowds with some very competitive and gutsy performances.

The medals and trophies were presented to: Senior Boys Yeo Cup: 1st Austin Sewell: Robert Pearce 2nd James Revell: Robert Pearce 3rd Cameron Brickel: Hayward Team result: 1st Robert Pearce 2nd School 3rd Hayward 4th Sutton 5th Collett Junior Yeo Boys Cup: 1st James Fox: School 2nd Edward Patton: Sutton 3rd Aaron Scilly: School Team result: 1st Robert Pearce 2nd School 3rd Sutton 4th Collett 5th Hayward Senior Girls Pearl Cup: 1st Elizabeth Farrant: Tee 2nd Elizabeth Edge: Alliott 3rd Ellysia Lewin: Benson Team result: 1st Tee 2nd Alliott 3rd Benson 4th Young Junior Girls Pearl Cup: 1st Kathryn Champion: Alliott 2nd Molly Francis: Alliott 3rd Eve Leng: Tee

Sports Day Once again the Inter House Athletics competition was an action packed morning. The athletes performed well in both the track and field events and the effort and determination they showed was impressive. A huge thank you to everyone who competed, supported and to those who helped make to ensure the smooth running.

The medal winners were: 100m 200m 400m 800m Long Jump High Jump Shot Javelin

Charlotte Dadey Amelia Harvey Elizabeth Ward-Booth Eleanor Mitchell Amelia Harvey Charlotte Dadey Jasmine Franklin Katherine Webb

Jake Morris Jake Morris Aaron Scilly Hugo Lennie Will Hodge Jamie Brooks Benjamin Sudworth Lucas Tindale

Team result 1st Alliott 2nd Young 3rd Tee 4th Benson

Relay Race

Tee House ‘A’

School House ‘A’

Victrix Ludorum

Charlotte Dadey & Amelia Harvey

Jamie Brooks

L. Watson

Overall

Tee House

School House 43

Girls’ Hockey

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Girls’ Hockey

Girls 1st XI Hockey Report

General Girls’ Hockey Report 2014

he girls’ hockey term was a tough one; only the 2nd, 3rd and 4th XI had winning records and there were some disappointing losses across the board. I really feel that girls’ hockey has made tremendous progress over the last few years and to continue this upward trend the girls need to train at a greater intensity, stimulating the pressures experienced during matches. All too often training sessions are played out at half pace and with little intensity and this is something the girls must improve upon if they are to obtain sustained success on the pitch. As aforementioned, the 2nd XI enjoyed a successful term winning a total of ten out of their thirteen matches; they have produced some excellent performances with their only loss coming against Kimbolton. Their most notable performances were against Culford (10-0), Haileybury (7-1) and Sevenoaks (30). The girls played with real determination and hard work in all their matches and deserve credit for their effort they put in throughout the season. Kristie Overton (U6, BH) was solid as their goalkeeper all term and only conceded six goals across the course of the season. The most improved player was Nicole Buckingham (AH) who has developed into a dependable right back and the player of the season was Ellysia Lewin (U6, BH). Katie Harding (L6, TH) was the leading goal scorer with twelve and Lucy Mackaness (U5, TH) was in second place with eight.

Results: Played 15 (inter-school) The 3rd XI also enjoyed a highly successful term, winning eight out of ten matches, drawing against Bedford Modern and losing just once against a well-drilled Gresham’s side. Scoring a total of thirty-one goals and only conceding five is testament to the team’s strong defensive unit and high-quality execution of the attack. Early season performances against Sevenoaks (5-0), Haileybury (4-1), Felsted (4-0) and Kimbolton (3-0) helped to boost their confidence. Lily Lewin (U5, BH) was the top goalscorer with seven but to show the allround attacking depth of the team, Amber Sewell (U5, BH), Elizabeth Edge (U5, AH), Jessica Paxman (L6, TH) and Holly Collier (U5, TH) all scored four apiece. Hayley Smart (YH) and Rebecca Barriball (L6, AH) were a very successful partnership at the heart of the defence whilst Rosie Smithers (U5, TH) coped with admirable calm in goal. Jessica Paxman (L6, TH) had another superb season in the midfield but the main factor over all the matches was the teamwork and effort everyone put into their performances. The 4th XI won six out of their eight matches with notable wins against local rivals Felsted and Framlingham. Player of the year was Sophie Beaumont (U5, TH) who was solid in defence and most improved was Kimberley Oakley (U6, TH). Lili Herbert (U5, YH) was top goalscorer and should be pushing for a 3rd XI place next season. The U16 team were successful winners of the Hertfordshire County Cup earning their place at the East Finals but, unfortunately they weren’t quite able to produce the hockey which we had seen in the build-up and narrowly missed out on a place in the National Finals. The U15A team had a rocky start with narrow losses to Gresham’s and Framlingham; despite gutsy performances from the girls, the opposition had the upper hand and were much more clinical in attack. However, once the season had gotten under way the players found their feet, and had convincing wins over local rivals Felsted (7-2) and Coopers (3-1). The player of the season went to Jemima Sharman (L5, BH); her tactical awareness and ability to distribute the ball set her above the rest and the opposition regularly commended her performance. Without a second thought the most improved player went to Anna Pilcher (L5, AH) for her relentless energy, unfailing commitment and tenacity on the pitch.

Girls’ Hockey

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

The U15B team had a mixed season of hockey, winning five and losing eight. The side bounced back from early season defeats to Sevenoaks, gaining momentum through the season culminating in a fantastic 4-0 win over Haileybury. Yolande Notley (L5, TH) played tirelessly during the season and deserved the role of captain, having travelled more miles than most across the hockey pitch. Charlotte Dadey’s (L5, TH) speed & Laura Talbot Rice’s (L5, BH) short corners should also be noted as crucial assets to some of the girls’ best games. Katie Kerr (L5, YH) also played fantastically well in defence; not only was she consistent in her tackling but she was not afraid to travel with the ball with the knowledge that her defence were there to cover her. Most improved player went to Charlotte Neal (L5, AH) for her commendable performance in all aspects of attack and jointly to Mila Falco-Smith (L5, BH) for her overall development in both her skills and her confidence in now using her reverse stick down the left wing. It was a tough season for the U14A squad, who faced a challenging fixture circuit coupled with playing 11-aside hockey for the first time. They struggled at times to maintain possession, giving the ball away too easily but have been unlucky at times not to score more goals. Their most memorable performance was a 4-0 win against Culford, where they played some great hockey and demonstrated what composure on the ball can produce. Sophia Williams (4th Form, BH) really impressed; her ball pace, game awareness and tackling have all developed immeasurably over the season and she was deservedly awarded the most improved player of the year. Chloe Jones (4th Form, YH) was the top goal scorer, scoring a hat trick against Culford. She received the player of the match for over half the matches played and was awarded player of the year. The U14B had a challenging season with seven draws, four losses and one much savoured win. The season started on a depressing note as the girls lost 7-0 to Framlingham, similarly struggling to get to grips with the tactical intricacies of the 11-a-side game. However, the girls showed great grit and determination, bouncing back to draw 1-1 against a tough Framlingham side in the pouring rain. Their continued efforts were rewarded with a special win against local rivals Haileybury! All the girls improved dramatically throughout the season, but the player who stood out

Won 3 Drawn 2 Lost 10 Goals: For 28 Against 4 Full Colours: Katharine Hood (U6, AH),

1st XI

Alice Scott-Flanagan (U6, AH),

Coach: Nick Prowse Captain: Katharine Hood Squad: Back Row (L-R) Philippa Otter, Holly Radbourne, Victoria Farrant, Elizabeth Farrant, Anna Calder, Sarah Hutchings, Lucie Sudworth Front Row (L-R) Alice Scott-Flanagan, Niamh Doherty, Amelia Harvey, Katharine Hood, Madeline Heath, Elizabeth Francis, Lydia Alexander

Elizabeth Farrant (L6, TH) Half Colours: Niamh Doherty (L6, TH), Victoria Farrant (L6, TH), Madeline Heath (L6, TH), Lydia Alexander (L6, TH), Sarah Hutchings (L6, AH), Lucie Sudworth (L6, YH) Player of the Year: Elizabeth Farrant Players’ Player: Elizabeth Farrant Most Improved: Lucie Sudworth Top Goalscorer: Sarah Hutchings was Amelia Bhatt (4th Form, YH), with her speedy running on the wings creating many opportunities for the side. Individually, many girls were selected to attend England Hockey training camps, with players involved in the Junior Development Centre (JDC), Junior Academy Centre (JAC) and Junior Regional Performance Centre (JRPC). Elizabeth Farrant (L6, TH) was again selected into the U17 Saxon Tigers training squad - a fantastic achievement. On behalf of the girls, I would like to thank all the coaches and umpires who have made it possible for them to train and play matches, Gary Law and all the catering staff for providing superb after-match refreshments and to the parents for their continued support throughout the season.

A difficult season for the 1st XI where we found victories hard to come by despite being the better team on the day. Losses to Gresham’s, Ipswich, Queenswood, Kimbolton and The Perse could have been reversed had we put our numerous chances away on goal. That said, this is a young team with only our captain, Katharine Hood, leaving at the end of the year. The infancy of this team bodes well for next season whereby they will have had a year’s experience together and have developed a certain degree of resilience to battle against some athletic opposition. There is so much talent on this team that I believe next year could be very successful; we just need to get into the mindset of winning matches rather than losing as both can become a habit. The performance of the season came in our last match against Coopers (who had come 3rd at the East finals earlier in the season) where we beat them 2-1, demonstrating our potential for next season.

Undoubtedly the player of the season went to Elizabeth Farrant who was dominant in all our matches. Opposition coaches would regularly comment on her strong tackling and crisp distribution. She was deservedly selected for HiPAC again and for specialist training within England Hockey. She was also voted by her teammates as players’ player of the year which is testament to how her fellow peers viewed her performances in the season. Lucie Sudworth was awarded the most improved player. Having played for the 2nd XI last season, Lucie made the step up the 1st XI and made excellent strides. Her commitment in training and her unassuming nature allowed her to flourish on the right wing and her forward play developed significantly. Katharine Hood led the team superbly well and was a real example to her fellow players in terms of commitment and putting your body on the line. The team will miss her defending but hope that she continues to enjoy the game at University. Nick Prowse

Regular Fixtures OS Won 3-1 Sevenoaks Lost 1-5 New Hall Won 4-1 Culford Lost 0-4 Gresham’s Lost 1-3

County Finals: Haileybury

Lost 1-2

Dame Alice Owens Draw 0-0 SF Queenswood Lost 0-1 Framlingham Lost 2-10 Felsted Won 4-3 Kimbolton Drew 2-2

Ipswich Lost 3-4

Sevenoaks Drew 2-2

Queenswood Lost 2-3

Haileybury Lost 1-3 The Perse

Lost 1-3

The Leys Lost 0-3 Coopers Won 2-1

Girls’ Hockey

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Girls’ Hockey

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

2nd XI

3rd XI

U14B

Squad: Back Row (L-R) Lucy Buckingham, Inka Pearson, Jessica Paxman, Caitlin Mahoney, Lucy Mackaness, Anna Calder, Nicole Buckingham Front Row (L-R) Kristie Overton, Lydia Alexander, Imogen Poulter, Niamh Lynch, Olivia Longthorpe, Katie Harding, Claudia Lax-Tanner

Squad: Back Row (L-R) Charlotte Bruce, Elizabeth Wood, Holly Collier, Elizabeth Edge, Charlotte Smith, Rebecca Barriball, Madeleine Barclay, Lili Daw Front Row (L-R) Rosemary Smithers, Marion Peters, Victoria Foot, Zoe Griffith, Hayley Smart, Lily Lewin, Amber Sewell

Squad: Back Row (L-R) Heather Collier, Ella Stephens, Katherine Fisher, Amelia Bhatt, Georgia Gvero, Jenna Smith Front Row (L-R) Emily Kerr, Isabel Farmer, Grace de Bohun, Ellie Spittlehouse, Kaitlin Lyall, Emma Povey

4th XI

U15A

Squad: Back Row (L-R) Charlotte Bruce, Natasha Tesseyman, Sophie Beaumont, Lili Herbert, Kimberley Oakley Front Row (L-R) Lauren Tuch, Victoria Foot, Claire Moran, Philippa Farmer, Eleanor McSweeney

Squad: Back Row (L-R) Loredana Gibilaro, Isabella Darlington, Caitlin Hawkins, Eve Leng, Anna Pilcher, Kathryn Champion Front Row (L-R) Henrietta Cane, Jemima Sharman, Jasmine Franklin, Amelia Harvey, Megan Brown, Elizabeth Ward-Booth, Alexandria Cooper

U15B

U14A

Squad: Back Row (L-R) Shaan Devsi, Ellen Pugh, Isabelle Abraham, Bryony Lear, Mila Falco-Smith, Jemima Plume, Yolande Notley, Laura Talbot Rice, Katie Kerr, Charlotte Dadey, Ellie Hitch Front Row (L-R) Abigail Etches, Natasha Cooper, Margot Harvey, Charlotte Neal, Ailsa Munro, Mollie Fraser-Andrews, Katrina Wood

Squad: Back Row (L-R) Ezme Shekerzade, Emma Baker, Nena Nurbhai, Amy Craft, Eleanor Mitchell, Nadja Vitorovic, Jemima Fraser-Andrews Front Row (L-R) Victoria Edge, Grace Reed, Sophia Williams, Katherine Webb, Chloe Jones, Madeline Halford, Amber Magson

Rugby

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Rugby

The season started with a four day residential camp at Exeter University, which took place at the end of the summer holidays. Thirty-nine Senior School boys were put through their paces in preparation for the challenging season that lay before them. They were lucky enough to be coached by Exeter Chiefs captain and former Wallaby captain Dean Mumm, as well as winger Matt Jess; as masters in their field, the boys were able to soak up the key messages that they offered them. Players were tutored through all aspects of the game including one-to-one skillspecific position sessions, core skills, unit skills and general patterns of play. Alongside the practice sessions, the hectic training schedule included the use of the university’s impressive state-of-the-art facilities, offering the boys a chance to participate in swimming recovery sessions, a spinning class and numerous weights sessions in order to familiarise themselves with sport-specific strength and conditioning philosophies. Their superb week culminated in two trial games against Wellington School, which Dean Munn and Matt Jess prepared them for well. The Under 16s lost 5-15 to the strong Wellington Colts team, but the Under 18s won against Wellington School by an impressive 35-10.

1st XV Coach: James S Reyburn Captain: William Radbourne (SuH) Squad: Back row (L-R): Mr J. Reyburn, Harry Bailey, Harry Axford, James Tetlow, Thomas Gvero, Jack Greenhall, Thomas Langley-Jones, Jack Bennett, Joel Newsome, Daniel Hood, Cameron Snell, Frederic Hatton. Front row (L-R): Alexander Pedersen, Thomas Krinks, Oliver Heath, Henry Felgate, William Radbourne (Capt), Alexander Jefcoate, Nicholas Train, William Civil, Alexander Pilcher

2014 Overview

1st XV Report

his season proved to be challenging but was hugely rewarding for all of the teams in the Senior School. The 1st XV, captained by William Radbourne (U6, SuH), came up against some strong, physical sides and was narrowly beaten on a number of occasions. However, the squad improved immensely over the course of the season and they were able to secure some notable victories. They saved their best performance until last, culminating in a 15 – 5 triumph against Mill Hill; a fitting end to the season. William Civil (U5, CH), Frederic Hatton (L6, SH) and George Durrant (L6, SH) performed consistently well over the course of the season and their contribution paid dividends to the final scoreline.

The U16A unfortunately lost some very close encounters. Michael Precious (U5, HH), Samuel Hopkinson (U5, SuH) and Charlie Juniper (U5, CH) were standout players, making an instrumental difference on the pitch. The U16B team increased in confidence under the watchful eye of Mr Swart-Wilson, notching up some firstrate victories. The excellent performance against local rivals, Felsted, was a particular highlight.

Mr Bashford’s 2nd XV and 3rd XV teams made colossal improvements over the term and all players should feel proud of the transition in their own game. With notable victories against The Perse and Framlingham, it was especially pleasing to see the 3rd XV take to the field with such enthusiasm under the inspirational captaincy of Austin Sewell (L6, RPH).

The U14s were the most successful of our teams. Jake Morris (4th Form, CH), Gus Purvis (4th Form, SuH) and Max Bashford (4th Form, SH) were the respective Colts captains and, with much flair and authority, all rose to the challenge dutifully. Collectively, the teams lost a combined total of six games out of thirty, which is overall an impressive statistic.

The U14s and U15s had an excellent season, winning the majority of their games. Both U15 sides played some excellent attacking rugby and particular highlights were the wins against Norwich and Bedford Modern.

Played 13 Won 5 Points for 255

Cancelled 1 Lost 7 Points against 143

Gresham’s School

Royal Hospital School A Norwich School

L 5-27 L 17-27

L 5-10

The Cottesloe School A (NW Cup)

W 79-0

Haileybury

L 8-11

House 7s RPH won both the Junior and Senior competition Felsted H Cancelled St George’s Harpenden H

W 30-0

Bedford Modern School A (NW Cup)

L 0-30

The Perse

L 0-5

The Leys School

W 27-7

Framlingham College

L 15-21

Wisbech Grammar A School

W 64-0

Mill Hill

W 15-5

Rugby

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Stand out College players were Number 8 Harry Goodman (L6, RPH), flanker William Radbourne (U6, SuH), scrum half Edward James (U5, SH) and full back Henry Felgate (L6, SuH), who scored a superb solo try. The training camp was a huge success and was enjoyed immensely by all, both on and off the pitch. The regular season kicked off against Gresham’s in glorious sunshine. Unfortunately, after a bright start with some excellent free flowing rugby, some poor individual tackling allowed a physical Gresham’s side to build up a three-try lead midway through the second half. However, a young College 1st XV team demonstrated real character in the final quarter to finish strongly, with scrum half Frederic Hatton and number 8 Harry Goodman (L6, RPH) being two of the standout players. This frustrating loss was sadly the running theme of the season. The youthful College squad, primarily made up of Lower Sixth and two Upper Fifth boys, consistently came up against bigger and more physical sides, which at their level makes a huge difference. Nevertheless, the boys’ excellent work ethic and organisation in both attack and defence meant that they often played a better game and were frequently in winning positions. A lack of composure at crucial times in games along with no recognised goal kicker meant that some narrow losses ensued. RHS, Norwich and Haileybury were all exasperating losses for those reasons. A comfortable win against Cottelsoe School provided the only win

Rugby Awards 1st XV Player of the Year

Jack Bennett (SH)

1st XV Most Improved Player of the Year

Joel Newsome (SuH)

1st XV Young Player of the Year

William Civil (CH) and Daniel Hood (CH)

1st XV Player’s Player

William Radbourne (SuH)

1st XV Try of the Season

William Civil (CH)

before half term, as the Felsted game was postponed due to injuries on both sides. Bedford Modern proved to be another tough fixture. Bedford were undefeated up until this point in the season and unfortunately we weren’t quite strong enough to knock them off their glory train. The poor conditions coupled with the abrasive and direct running of a big Bedford forward pack eventually took its toll on the College defence and allowed the score line to somewhat flatter the hosts. The following game against The Perse was the most frustrating loss of the season. Despite outplaying the opposition and dominating for large parts of the game, the College failed to overcome a 5-0 deficit due to a lack of focus and discipline. The Perse defeat was the seventh loss of the season and seemed to galvanise the squad to finish the season strongly, leading to three wins out of four. The Leys were a good opponent and we were comprehensively beaten as a result of their forward pack gaining supremacy in the set piece and their use of the maul to great effect. Henry Felgate stepped into the fly half role as a late replacement and was exceptional. He orchestrated the backline effectively and scored a fantastic individual try to cap a highly impressive team performance. Framlingham used their players to good effect despite a late comeback from a spirited home side, and then Wisbech were demolished at Allianz Park under lights. The boys played some exceptional running rugby against the grammar school whilst scoring nine unanswered tries playing on the superb Saracens artificial pitch. The final game of the season saw the boys take on Mill Hill, traditionally known as a fiercely challenging fixture. Again, the College pack provided an excellent platform for Man of the Match Frederic Hatton to execute a flawless kicking game which kept the opposition back. Deservedly, the College left as winners by ten points, which was a fitting way to finish off the season. William Radbourne must be commended for leading the team particularly well over the course of a difficult season. Despite fracturing his wrist in the first game of the season, he continued to remain focused until he was able to play again before half term. A strong and selfless player, he will be sorely

missed next season. Fellow Upper Sixth players Nicholas Train (SuH) and Alexander Jefcoate (SuH) also struggled at times with injuries but were consistent throughout the season. It was also extremely pleasing to see several players from the 2nd XV step into the 1st XV and have a genuine impact. Joel Newsome (SuH), in particular, improved immensely throughout the season, scrummaging extremely well and becoming one of the most effective ball carriers in the side. The Lower Sixth contingent of the squad also improved a lot and learnt some valuable lessons from some narrow losses, which will hold them in good stead next season. New boys Frederic Hatton (SH) and Jack Bennett (L6, SH) settled into the squad very well and put in some excellent performances, as did Daniel Hood (L6, CH) and William Civil. William Civil was the College’s most powerful attacking threat and made the transition from wing to outside centre seamlessly, which is a testament to his rugby ability. There are not many 16 year olds capable of taking a step up to the 1st XV, let alone having such a positive impact. In summary, it was a challenging but highly rewarding season. Some narrow losses over the course of the season spurred the squad into a cohesive unit that finished the season strongly with some excellent wins. Particular highlights were an excellent pre-season trip, a fiercely contested House Rugby festival (being coached by former All Black Craig Newby) and demolishing Wisbech at Allianz Park. I must finish by thanking all the rugby staff for their hard work and dedication throughout the season. Without their enthusiasm and commitment we wouldn’t be able to run such a fantastic rugby programme at the College. Paul Bashford, in particular, was fantastic with the 2nd XV and 3rd XV teams. My gratitude also goes to Groundsman Nigel Witherden for producing some excellent pitches and to his wife Nicola along with Shereen Bruce for amazing after match teas. Finally, I’d like to sincerely thank the Upper Sixth leavers for their efforts on and off the rugby pitch during their time at the College. I look forward to seeing you all at the OS game next year. James Reyburn

Rugby

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Rugby

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

2nd XV

3rd XV

U14A

U14B

Squad: Back row (L-R): Tommy Chang, Leam Howe, Ben Raymond, William Baines, Alexander Laws, Luke Sears, Max Burrows, Christian Rhodes. Front row (L-R): Samuel Baker, Edward Clements, Benedict Corti Tyler, Shemi Adeboye, Douglas Reid, Henry George, Maxim Barker, Taylor Weeks, Adam Johnson

Squad: Back row (L-R): Matthew Braz, Charles Norris, Harvey Parkinson, Ross McGowan, Joshua Brockley, William Dawkins, Alistair Griffiths, Ceo Cheng, James Whitby, Conrad Noble. Front row (L-R): George Miles, Tolu Osinibi, Waylen Xu, Jonathan Minihane, Austin Sewell, Gurjeevan Basra, Vincenzo Gibilaro, Sebastian Raine

Squad: Back row (L-R): Mr Herbert, Alexander Brockley, Edward Beaves, Jamie Brooks, Grégoire Imber, Matthew Jones, Alessandro Ainsworth, Thomas Grove-Smith, Archie Alexander, Jack Calder, James Basavaraj. Front row (L-R): Jospeh Hawkins, Harry Eedes, Patrick Thomas, Jake Morris, Edward Patton, Jack Sisterson, Matthew Barratt

Squad: Back row (L-R): Martin Wilson, Benjamin Scilly, Lucas Tindale, James Catton, James Woollerson, Philip Sarles, Samuel Farrington, Hugh Fisher, Max Bashford, Patrick Collins, Jacob Self, Ethan Newsome, Max Reid, Keaton Weeks. Front row (L-R): Thomas Beenham, Frazer Muir, Ross Butler, Zachary Francis, Gus Purvis, Matthew Honeyman, Jack Le Grove, Benjamin Smollett, Jordan Badman

U16A

U16B

Squad: Back row (L-R): James Revell, Lucas Newsome, Joshua Ramsey, Michael Precious, Harvey Keene, Charlie Juniper, Thomas Radley, Timothy Smith, Jack Lucas. Front row (L-R): Jamie Ewan, Henry Tran, Pierce Tindale, Samuel Hopkinson, George Pearman, Henry Harnack, Oliver Brown, Martin Brett

Squad: Back Row (L-R): Mr A. Swart-Wilson, William Watson, Henry Tinney, Ryan Slowe, Chris Davies, Barnaby Dulley, Alexander Sokhanvari, Matthew Hollis, Tom Le Grove, Jacob Noy. Front Row (L-R): James Daniels, Kristen Clements, Zac Matthews, Ben Mitchell, Jonny Mussard, Ben Stevenson, Ryan Land, Morgan Sewell

U14C Squad: Back Row (L-R): Josiah Oladoyin, Henry Hotson, Samuel Moss, Hugo Abramson, James Padfield, Freddy Harris, George Harding Front Row (L-R): Harry Champion, Benjamin Wade, James Gadd, Giles Elliott, Lewis Craig, Daniel Hepburn, Benedict Pegrum

Senior Rugby Colours Full – Oliver Heath (RPH), William Radbourne (SuH), Alex Jefcoate (SuH), Nicholas Train (SuH), Joel Newsome (SuH), Douglas Reid (SH) Half – Harry Axford (RPH), Shemi Adeboye (SH), Jack Greenall (SuH), Fraser Howard (SH)

U15A

U15B

Squad: Back row (L-R): Seun Akinniranye, James Fox, William Tetlow, Benjamin Sudworth, Joshua Warner, Alfie Leahy, Elliot Needham, Alexander Portas, Jonathan Eddom. Front row (L-R): Henry Hunt, Keir Ansell, William Hodge, Tom Winfield, Benjamin Le Sage, Cameron Fearon, Kolade Ladipo

Squad: Back row (L-R): Nicolas Zeolla, Joe Minichiello, Laurie Johnston, Hugo Sau, Adam Kasperczak, Ezra Connor, Alexander Sugden, Henry Trevllion, Bradley Moon, Aaran Trehan, Louis Radley, Charles Jefcoate. Front row (L-R): Dougal Pottinger, Alexander Longthorpe, Adam Bassingthwaighte, Zak Sutcliffe, Jamie Paul (capt), Nicholas Murkett, Alexander Waters, Hugo Lennie, Simon Miles

Netball

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Netball A

s ever, I would like to start by thanking all of the coaches and umpires who helped ensure the smooth running of the season and allowed the girls to train, develop and compete. I extend my gratitude to Gary Law and his catering staff for the post-match refreshments, and lastly to the supporters who gave up their time to support the girls at both home and away fixtures. The standard of netball has continued to grow across the school and the girls have trained well, developing their skill sets as individuals and as cohesive teams. The 2016 season will be an opportunity for netball at the College to take another positive step forward and for the teams to push even harder for future success. The U18B team had a successful season, achieving impressive wins over our usually strong oppositions: Ipswich (23-15), The Leys (27-16) and The Perse (29-20). A particular highlight for the girls was their win over RHS (28-27), an extremely close match throughout yet the team demonstrated great composure and skill to finish victorious. Kimberley Oakley (U6, TH) had an exceptional season; she defended bravely in the circle and added an effective reach to her remit. The pairing of her efficient change of direction and her precision feeding into her shooters

also saw Niamh Doherty (L6, TH) regularly named as player of the match. Netball is a game which ultimately comes down to the ability to score points against the opposition and Zoe Griffith (U6, YH) did a sterling job as GA, helping to keep the score line in our favour on numerous occasions. The U18C team were a strong and efficient team who enjoyed great successes throughout the season. Lauren Warner (l6, YH) and Rebecca Barriball (L6, AH) both made appearances in the B team giving testament to their skill and work rate. Despite working at opposite ends of the court, the pair played pivotal roles in their team’s success. These include: The Perse (24-12), where Lucy Mackaness (U5, TH) was superb in the shooting circle, and Felsted (24-14), where Harriet Roberts (L6, AH) helped her team maintain control through a very physical match. The U18D team had a moderate season however particular credit should be given to them for their performance in fixtures against strong opposition teams Felsted (35-23) and Sevenoaks (28‑10). Samantha MacMilan (U6,YH) and Georgia Solomon (U6, YH) shot well throughout the season and Shona Reid (U5, YH) and Natasha Tesseyman (U5,YH) stood strong defensively in the goal circle.

A successful season was also enjoyed by the U15A team. Dominating the majority of their matches and finishing as District Winners was a testament to their commitment in both training and matches and their desire to always achieve more. At the District Tournament, Charlotte Dadey (L5, YH) was on impressive form; her natural athleticism and ability to read the game saw her gain the utmost respect from the opponents she faced. Dominating in the defensive circle, she helped the team achieve superb results at the District Tournament: 57 goals for and only 24 against. Excellent team performances were displayed during matches against Bancroft’s (12-10), Felsted (22-12) and SWCHS (13-12). Elizabeth Ward-Booth (L5, AH) played an instrumental role in the through court play and her attacking performances were highly commended. The U15B team started the term off well with an impressive win over The Leys (20-8), a solid team performance with many of the girls playing in more than one position. Over the past few years Katie Kerr (L5, AH), who originally started as an attacker, has found herself in the defensive end of the court, and what a defender she has become! Her tight one-on-one defending and tireless work rate sees her regularly named as player of the

Netball

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

match. Due to player absences, the team unfortunately had a tough afternoon at the District Tournament only winning one of their five matches. Hard lessons were learnt but the girls bounced back to beat RHS (39-4) and Bedford Modern (39-2). Ailsa Munro (L5, TH) was on fine shooting form this season; developing her timing and movement in the goal circle allowed her to reap the rewards of improved shooting positions. The U14A team were blessed with a clutch of decent athletes who competed well all season. Strong performances against The Perse (31-24), The Leys (34-21) and RHS (66‑32) are just a few of the season’s highlights. The team thoroughly deserved this final win, especially as the scores were tied at the end of the first quarter (12-12). Katherine Webb (4th Form, AH) was a name regularly mentioned in the match reports due to her tireless work rate in both attack and defensive play. The team had an unfortunate loss against a particularly strong Bancroft’s side, but it is important to note that Bancroft’s are this year’s County Champions and have remained unbeaten in all of their domestic fixtures. A slow start by the College saw the opposition take a lead which we were unable to claw back, despite fighting valiantly for our given possession. Lily Fakile (4th Form, AH) is one to watch in the future. Her confident, accurate and technical performances were on show throughout the season, including at the District Tournament.

U18A Coach: Louisa Watson Captain: Lucie Sudworth Squad: Back Row (L-R): Elizabeth Francis, Henrietta Jones-Chapham, Lili Herbert, Lulu Simpson Front Row (L-R): Sophie Beaumont, Imogen Poulter, Lucie Sudworth, Jess Paxman (4th Form, AH) and Kaitlin Lyall (4th Form, AH) deserve a mention for their fantastic defensive pressure. Overall, the U15C team had a tough season against threatening opposition. At times, they played some controlled netball and demonstrated excellent timing through the court, though it was the

inconsistency of this that was their downfall. A heavy loss against The Leys (44-14) did not dampen their enthusiasm for the rest of the term, however, and Natasha Cooper (L5, AH) was named player of the match, well supported by Jemima Plume (L5, BH) through the court.

The success of the A team was matched by the U14B team, another enthusiastic and eager-to-learn squad that was led by Miss Cripps. Nadja Vitorovic (4th Form, AH) and Nena Nurbhai (4th Form, BH) were often mentioned as key players, however, throughout the term, this team really learnt to perform cohesively which is no mean feat in such a short amount of time. There were two stand out wins, Bancroft’s (14-11) and The Perse (12-10), in which the girls played their hearts out with admirable determination. Another District Tournament trophy was brought back to the College as the U14B’s won the ‘B Team Round Robin Tournament’. Whole court attack and defence helped see the team score 33 goals and concede only 12 – a superb team effort. The large numbers of girls in the U15C and U14C squads allowed Miss Poulter to regularly rotate players, giving all of the girls the opportunity to play in competitive fixtures. At times, the rotation of players can result in a negative impact on a squad’s cohesion and results, but this was certainly not the case with the U14C team who experienced some excellent results. Victorious over The Perse (25-4), Victoria Edge (4th Form, BH) showed superb composure in the goal circle and was supported well by Ellie Spittlehouse (4th Form, AH), who attacked through the court extremely well. The score line against New Hall (7-12) did not reflect how close the match was. Grace Reed

Netball

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Netball

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

U18B

U18C

U14A

U15 District Winners

Squad: Back Row (L-R): Anna Calder, Elizabeth Farrant, Kimberley Oakley, Dani Moon, Zoe Griffith Front Row (L-R): Victoria Farrant, Ellysia Lewin, Niamh Doherty, Madeline Heath

Squad: Back Row (L-R): Lucy Mackeness, Harriet Roberts, Lily Lewin, Rebecca Withers, Rebecca Barriball Front Row (L-R): Rachael Eddom, Lauren Warner, Niamh Lynch, Georgie Palmer

Squad: Back Row (L-R): Lucy Greenall, Amy Craft, Ellie Mitchell, Katherine Webb, Chloe Jones Front Row (L-R): Sophia Williams, Lily Fakile, Georgia Gvero, Heather Collier

Squad: (L-R) Charlotte Dadey, Ellie Hitch, Holly Radbourne, Amelia Harvey, Loredana Gibilaro, Kathryn Champion, Elizabeth Ward-Booth, Alexandria Cooper, Jemima Sharman

U18D

U15A

U14B

Squad: Back Row (L-R): Lili Daws, Olivia Longthorpe, Phillippa Otter, Georgia Solomon Front Row (L-R): Hayley Smart, Samantha MacMilan, Emma Gregory, Claudia Lax-Tanner

Squad: Back Row (L-R): Caitlin Hawkins, Holly Radbourne, Amelia Harvey, Elizabeth Ward-Booth Front Row (L-R): Charlotte Dadey, Jemima Sharman, Katie Champion, Loredana Gibilaro

Squad: Back Row (L-R): Jemima Fraser-Andrews, Nena Nurbhai, Grace De Bohun, Nadja Vitorivic, Amber Magson Front Row (L-R): Ella Stephens, Emily Kerr, Amelia Bhatt, Ezme Shekerzade

U14C

U15B

U15C

Squad: Back Row (L-R): Laura Talbot Rice, Katie Kerr, Megan Thomas, Anna Pilcher Front Row (L-R): Ellie Hitch, Lucy Minichiello, Ailsa Munro, Yolande Notley

Squad: Back Row (L-R): Jemima Plume, Francesca Heath-Clarke, Lauren Beaver, Isabella Darlington Front Row (L-R): Emma Baker, Isabel Farmer, Natasha Cooper, Lois Richards

Squad: Back Row (L-R): Emma Povey, Katy Fisher, Victoria Edge, Grace Reed, Lucy Betser, Sunny Cooke, Caitlin Lynch Front Row (L-R): Ellie Spittlehouse, Matilda Dawson, Madeline Halford, Charlotte Hopkinson, Ruby Barford

Boys’ Hockey

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

·· A huge positive is that we can still field

Boys’ Hockey

four U18 teams although a lack of numbers at U16 means that we had to remove the U16B this year. Then a weak player base and poor on-pitch behaviour meant that we had to take a very tough and unprecedented decision to cancel the remainder of the U16 fixtures for the last three weeks. I think this was the most disappointing thing I have ever had to do in running hockey at the College for a long period of time.

2015 season The results of the boys’ teams in their regular fixtures for the 2015 season are given along with the EHB Cup Results:

Regular Season Fixtures RESULTS

GOALS

PERCENTAGES

Team

Played

Cancelled

Won

Drawn

Lost

For

Against

Win

W+D

1st XI

2nd XI

3rd XI

4th XI

16A XI

15A XI

15B XI

14A XI

14B XI

100

Totals

155

184

Team

U16

Event

County

East Prelims U14 East Finals

National Finals

Matches

0-2

V Aldenham

1-0

V Haberdashers

0-0

V Hitchin BS

0-1

V Hitchin BS

4–0

V Haberdashers

2–1

V Aldenham

2–0

V Watford GS

2-0

V Bedford

3-1

V Norwich

1-1

V Framlingham

6-1

V Priory

15 - 1

V Felsted

4-0

V Greshams

4-1

V Whitgift

2-1

V Altringham GS

3-1

V Repton

0-1

V Reeds

1-3

season for College hockey with 41% wins in regular fixtures (the only comparative measure) which was distorted slightly by the 1st XI unbeaten season. In 2015 the % of wins was similar (39%) with a more even spread of results. However, I still want us to return to the 45-50% wins for the teams, which was the norm for many years.

range of year groups and after a tough start they made significant progress to win 5 and draw another match, under the encouragement and excellent example of their captain Harry Axford (U6, RPH).

·· The 2nd XI had a decent season, winning

50% of their games. The 3rds had a tough year, with an inexperienced side, as did the 4ths in their extended season, due to the demise of the U16 age group.

·· The 15A team won 50% of their games

and competed well even when they lost narrowly. They showed some good development during the season. The 15B had quite a good year and showed real commitment and a desire to improve. regular fixtures they did not win that many games, being affected by injury and promotion. However, when all players came together in the cup, they did much better and won through to the National Finals with some ease. At these, they performed very well to eventually come

Outcome

V Watford GS

·· 2014 had been a cautiously encouraging

Results

·· The 1st XI contained players from a full

·· The 14A had a bit of a mixed season. In

EHB Cup

Did not proceed further

Won County Cup

1st XI Hockey Report 2015

Won East Finals

Lost ¾ play off. 4th in England

·· There are several linked reasons for a dip

in results recently. Several U18 hockey players have left which has affected not only the U18 player base but there has also been a knock on effect in the U16s and U15s as more players have had to be promoted from these younger age groups to fill the places in the 1st XI to make it competitive. However, I have to be honest and say that another reason is that, throughout the College, the security of

basic passing and defending skills is below what it should be.

·· 2015 had a very poor start indeed with

frost and snow causing 19 games to be cancelled in the first three weeks. This massively disrupted the development of the players and momentum of the season. It is much to the credit of all the players that they got back into stride rapidly when better conditions arrived.

4th in the country which was hugely to their credit.

·· For the last two years I have set some

objectives for College hockey in order for it to progress further. It is useful to see how I feel these objectives are being attained –– Better prioritisation and more regular attendance by players for training. A slow but steady improvement as players prioritise hockey in their day a little better. –– Increased intensity in training – generated by the players not necessarily the coaches. Still too variable – especially the part where the players should generate intensity and ‘police’ those that do not come up to the necessary intensity and concentration standard in their sessions. –– Better attendance at sessions outside the main season. This is starting to improve with the ‘hockey academy sessions’ for juniors in the Winter Term. –– More participation outside school.This is definitely improving with more playing club hockey whenever they can. –– Watching more hockey outside school. I am not convinced our boys watch enough decent hockey outside school. With Lee Valley so near and several international matches held there, as well as fairly local EHL teams, this should allow for plenty of opportunities to watch decent role models and learn from what they do.

·· I look forward to next year to see how

the young 1st XI develops and how the promising players in the U14 and U15 come to terms with the change in style and technical requirements of the higher age groups. I am cautiously optimistic about the future of College Hockey with the caveat that there are still some areas of individual development that need to be addressed, as discussed above.

·· Jamie Brooks (4th Form, CH) is also to be

congratulated for getting to U15 HiPAC for 2014-2015 and I hope that he is able to challenge for greater honours next year.

·· Several players have made it through to

JRPC for 2015-16 following on from the successes of boys at this level last year.

·· In conclusion, can I offer some thanks on behalf of the College Hockey Club to:

–– All the coaches for their massive enthusiasm, expertise and hard work. –– Nigel Witherden and his staff for their work on the grounds. –– Nigel Witherden and David Earl for umpiring the 1st XI games. –– Gary Law and his staff for their excellent catering. –– Tim Hanks and the ladies of School House for their help with the washing of the team shirts.

·· Let us all look forward to 2016 and hope

for a successful season in all respects with some decent weather!

Charlie Bannister

Results (Regular Fixtures) Played 9 Cancelled 3 Won 5 Drawn 1 Lost 3 Goals: For 27 Against 31

t was always going to be very hard to emulate the unbeaten season of 2014, especially with several crucial players leaving our team. There was also an additional challenge this year: to integrate a team consisting of boys from five different year groups, which could potentially have been a tough task. The team should be very pleased with what they achieved in terms of development, performance and results but also in the way they trained and played as a team. Much credit for this must go to Harry Axford (U6, RPH), the captain, who took on a challenging task and led the team extremely well, getting the best out of the individuals and the team as a whole by sympathetically demanding high standards and setting an excellent example himself.

v Framlingham (h) Cancelled

After the first game, when Ipswich taught the young players a lesson in 1st XI hockey, and a defeat to Felsted which was disappointing, Axford put on a supreme individual performance against his old school (Bedford) to score four brilliant goals as well as dominate the pitch. As importantly, he made the team

Preston Cup (6th form player who has developed most): Henry George

I Won East Prelims

Boys’ Hockey

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

v Hitchin

(h)

Cancelled

v Ipswich

(a)

Lost 1 - 9 (Axford)

v Haberdashers (a)

Cancelled

v Felsted

(h)

Lost 2 - 5 (Axford, Brooks)

v Bedford

(h)

Won 5 - 2 (Axford 4, Heath)

v Leys

(h)

Won 4 - 2 (Axford 3, James)

v Kimbolton

(a)

Won 5 - 3 (Axford 3, Jefcoate 2)

v Greshams

(a)

Won 3 - 1 (Heath 2, Axford)

v Perse

(a)

Lost 2 - 5 (Axford, Jefcoate)

v Watford

(a)

Won 3 - 2 (Jefcoate, Heath, Axford)

v Norwich

(h)

Drew 2 - 2 (Axford, Felgate)

Scorers: Axford 16, Heath 4, Jefcoate 4, Brooks, Felgate, James

Awards: Cotton Cup (player who has helped the captain most during the season): Taylor Weeks John Perry Stick (young player of most promise): Oliver Brown Taylor Shield (1st Xl captain): Harry Axford

Boys’ Hockey

believe in itself and it cannot be overstated how important this performance and win was in giving confidence to the team and a belief that they could do well if they played the patterns required and remained disciplined. Wins of various quality followed against Leys and Kimbolton, with Axford adding two more hat-tricks, before a poor performance at Greshams which fortunately still resulted in a win. The Perse were a good side with a solid PCA routine and deservedly won the game. The game against Watford started brilliantly (the College team at their best) before they became sloppy in distribution and defence and threw away a two goal cushion. Luckily, an ‘overtime’ PC was converted for the win. The game against Norwich was very even and although the College were disappointed to concede in the last three minutes, a draw was probably a fair result. The key to the success of the team was undoubtedly the development of the personal and team defending from a low level at the start of term to a relative strength later on. Opponents struggled at times against a variety of presses and the circle defence was brave and technically sound. On the ball, distribution was sometimes a little delayed but improved and ball carrying could have been effective in elimination. In particular, the back four learnt the necessary skills and patterns to outlet effectively and started to regularly break press lines to launch effective attack. PCD was brave and PCA was quite effective with Axford’s flicking and Alexander Jefcoate’s (U6, SuH) deflections being viable threats. Joshua Ramsay (U5, HH) worked hard in training and, with increasing confidence and a few technical developments, will be a good GK in the future. Taylor Weeks (U6, SH), as the only remaining experienced defender, led the defensive unit well and tackled bravely. His distribution improved and he also has the ability to go forward. Henry George (L6, HH) improved massively during the season. He added a secure block tackle and an effective disguised slap to his reading of the game and

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

1st XI Coach: Charlie Bannister Back Row (L-R): Jamie Brooksø, Alexander Laws*, Adam Cawthray Stern*, Keir Ansellø, Oliver Brown*, Mattheo Alessandriø. Front Row (L-R): Henry George*, Alex Jefcoate*, Harry Axford**, OliverHeath**, Josh Ramsay*. Also Played: Taylor Weeks**, Henry Felgate* (**reawarded full colours, *full colours, øhalf colours) was a good CD partner to Weeks. Keir Ansell (L5, SH) was exceptional in the tackle as a Lower Fifth defender. He was extremely brave as well as being a good technician and, with developing distribution, he will be a very good player for years to come. Alexander Laws (L6, SH) had some good sides to his game as LH although needs to work on his marking and long distribution. Oliver Brown (U5, HH) learnt the role of CH and proved a very effective defender and ever improving distributor. He shows immense promise as an Upper Fifth player. Adam Cawthray Stern (U5, SuH) had to learn the defensive side of the game at IR and he improved this to add to his effective carrying and distribution. Harry Axford was outstanding offensively at IL and scored numerous spectacular goals, often following a long carry, and involving his preferred reverse stick shot. He played long minutes and worked hard defensively even when tired. In the forward line, Oliver Heath (U6, RPH) had good elimination skills and pace although drifted left too often. Alexander Jefcoate had pace and was determined defensively, scoring some useful goals. Jamie Brooks was a Fourth Form forward who has immense promise. He did not find it as easy in this older age-group to score as frequently as with the juniors but

he trained very hard and learnt a lot about many aspects of the game. He will be a considerable threat as a goal scorer for many years due to his elimination and shooting skills. Matteo Alessandri (L6, SH) came into the squad (maybe slightly reluctantly at first) and I really hope that he has developed the self-confidence which is merited by his skills and ability to read the game in the midfield. Henry Felgate was the other member of the squad as a forward. He worked incredibly hard in defence and attack and just needs to tidy up his defensive skills and work a little on his distribution to be effective next season.

So, the season ended with a very respectable record for this side of mixed ages. Much of the experience gained this year will be invaluable for the players still at the College next year. We shall miss the Upper Sixth players who have given a great deal to the College’s 1st XI hockey (for several years in some cases) but I am confident that the young players coming through will integrate with those remaining and I hope that next season will be as rewarding in terms of improvement, performance and many of the results, as well as being as enjoyable as 2015.

4th XI

U15A

Coach: Owen Herbert Squad: Back Row (L-R): Benjamin Stevenson, Jack Bennett, Gurjeevan Basra, Ryan Slowe, Douglas Reid, Timothy Smith, Charles Latchford, Hugo Kesterton Front Row (L-R): Joel Newsome, Daniel Mahoney, Daniel Power, Alastair Ward-Booth, Gem Shekerzade

Squad: Back Row (L-R) Henry Hunt, Jamie Paul, Tom Winfield, Aaron Scilly, Ben Sudworth, Elliot Needham, Martin Culjkovic, Charles Jefcoate Front Row (L-R) Nicholas Murkett, Cameron Fearon, William Hodge, Alexander Portas, Adam Bassingthwaighte

U15B

U14B Squad: 2nd Back Row (L-R) Archie Alexander,

Squad: Back Row (L-R) Alexander Longthorpe, Louis Radley, Zak Sutcliffe, James Fox, William Tetlow, Joshua Warner, Oluwaseun Akiniranye, Kolade Ladipo Front Row (L-R) Joe Minichiello, Hugo Lennie, Jonathon Eddom, Joshua Miles, Benjamin Le Sage, Alexander Waters, Oscar Cooper

Alessandro Ainsworth, Samuel Farrington, Patrick Collins, Jacob Self Back Row (L-R) Patrick Thomas, Benedict Pegrum, Freddy Harris, George Hardy, Matthew Barrett, Max Reid, Lucas Tindale, Alex Brockley, Zachary Francis, Samuel Solway, Henry Hotson, Harry Champion Front Row (L-R) Benjamin Smollett, Ethan Newsome, Thomas Beenham, James Basavaraj, James Brooks, Jack Le Grove, Harry Eedes

Charlie Bannister

2nd XI

3rd XI

Back Row (L-R): Ross Mcgowan, Austin Sewell, William Civil, Alistair Griffiths, Matteo Alessandri, Max King, James Daniels Front Row (L-R): Thomas Harnack, Nicholas Train, Jack Greenall, William Radbourne, Edward James

Back Row (L-R): Leam Howe, Douglas Reid, Tom Baucher, Thomas Allcock, Matthew Bird Front Row (L-R): Toby Smollett, Fraser Howard, Shemi Adeboye, James Tetlow, Maxim Barker

Boys’ Hockey

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

U14A National Final Boys’ Team Coach: Graham Brooks Back Row (L-R): Jack Calder, Joseph Hawkins, Keaton Weeks, Gus Purvis, Jack Sisterton, Grégoire Imber, James Woollerson. Front Row (L-R): Matthew Jones, Thomas Grove-Smith, Jamie Brooks, Edward Patton, Jake Morris, Benjamin Scilly, Ross Butler, Peter Hall 59

Cricket

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Cricket 1st XI Cricket report 2015 Played 12 Won 8, Lost 4. After the hugely successful tour of South Africa, the 1st XI began their season with a comfortable win against local club side, Stansted Hall & Elsenham. Our bowlers set the game up with a disciplined performance, with all eight bowlers on the day producing economical spells: Max Burrows (L6, SH) conceded only 7 runs from his 6 overs, while Sean Black (U5, HH) picked up 3 wickets for 15 runs. The batters made light work of the target with Taylor Weeks (U6, SH) picking up where he left off last year with 50 runs from only 35 balls. Then, Thomas Baucher (L6, SH) and William Radbourne (U6, SuH) played positively to both score 35 runs, at more than a run a ball, to secure the win. Our next match took us to the ever strong Brentwood, always a very tough fixture for us, and despite our best efforts we came a comfortable second to their impressive side. We were asked to bat first on a wicket that was a little wet after some overnight rain and worked incredibly hard with the bat to achieve a competitive target. This was due to an excellent innings from Alexander Portas (L5, RPH) of 60 not out and some lusty blows late in the innings from Thomas Langley-Jones (L6, SH), who scored a very useful 25. Our bowlers were quickly put under pressure by the attacking style of the Brentwood batsmen and, despite Sean Black taking 2 wickets, we could not stem the flow of runs, alas resulting in our first loss of the school season. The boys were keen to bounce back from our defeat during the next game against the MCC, which is always a special day for all concerned, and the match was played in great spirit. The MCC batted first and found things tough early on with Austin Sewell (L6, RPH) clean bowling their opener’s second ball of the match, while Max Burrows put in an equally disciplined spell at the other end. As the MCC tried to increase the scoring rate, we managed to keep the runs under control with Alexander Pilcher (L6, HH) and William Radbourne (U6, SuH) taking a wicket apiece. The MCC were then relying on an ex-professional cricketer to get them to a target they would be happy with; he played a few glorious shots, then hit an off drive from Harry Bailey’s (L6, RPH) hard and flat delivery to the left of Taylor Weeks who took off, diving full length to pluck the ball out of thin air, much to the delight of his team mates, his surprise and the batsman’s disappointment! It was a big moment in the 60

game which meant the MCC were forced to declare a little later but, most importantly, with a few less runs than they would have ideally liked. This was due to an excellent all round bowling and fielding display. Chasing a score of 185 to win was never going to be easy and we did not get off to the best start; we lost captain Taylor Weeks early, then Kyle Henchie (U5, SuH) also departed after a well-made 24. Soon after, we found ourselves 57 for 3 after 19 overs with an uphill struggle ahead of us. It was at this stage that Harry Bailey was joined by Adam Bassingthwaighte (L5, CH) and the pair began to claw the game back with some very mature and sensible batting. As a result, the confidence in the dressing room grew, as did the players themselves. They increased the tempo of the innings just at the right time with some exquisite shots and slowly but surely we started to control the game. Adam was dismissed for a wonderful 41, an innings of impressive technical ability and great maturity. The pair shared a partnership of 102, which put us in a commanding position. There were still 26 runs to score to secure the victory and we did this due to a truly superb 105 not out from Harry Bailey, a special achievement for him in this prestigious match. He played beautifully throughout his innings and was fully deserving of the ‘Spirit of Cricket’ cap he was awarded by the MCC captain for his man of the match performance. A brilliant win and the second time we have beaten the MCC in three years, a feat rarely accomplished by a school side. Our next fixture took us to the Perse and, as was the theme for the season, we fielded first. Max Burrows and Sean Black both produced tight economical spells once more, while Austin Sewell and Harry Bailey reaped

the rewards with 2 wickets each. Despite some big hitting from The Perse captain late in the innings, we restricted them to 132 in their 30 overs, a target we would chase down if we played well. We got off to a great start with the bat with Kyle Henchie and Taylor Weeks putting on 80 for the first wicket in only 13 overs; at this stage, the game was in our hands. Sadly, we decided to make things interesting: Taylor was out for 22 then Kyle followed shortly after for a very well-played 57 from 49 balls. We then dug ourselves a dangerous hole and ended up needing 6 runs to win off the final over. Thankfully, William Radbourne smashed a towering 6 off the first ball of the over to win the game and settle what had become a very nervous dressing room. We then travelled over to Chigwell and put in an impressive performance to dominate the game. We bowled with excellent control; Austin Sewell and Max Burrows both picked up a wicket in their first over and all the bowlers kept things tight throughout the innings. The wickets tumbled towards the end of our fielding stint with William Radbourne and Harry Bailey securing 2 wickets apiece, while the ever-smiling Thomas Radley (U5, SuH) produced a wonderful spell of bowling, finishing with figures of 6 overs 3 maidens 3 wickets for only 11 runs. This meant that we had restricted Chigwell to 104 for 9 in 30 overs. The run chase, as it should have been, was an efficient one with Kyle Henchie the only man dismissed for 26 from just 16 balls. Taylor Weeks and Harry Bailey ensured we had a comfortable 9 wicket win, with Taylor finishing 46 not out and Harry 30 not out. In our next match, we had a very different proposition; we hosted an always impressive Ipswich side. We started well, restricting them to 36 for 2 off 10 overs, however, the

Cricket

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

boys would soon see that cricket can be a cruel game at times. We dropped the Ipswich opening batsman on 17 and he made us pay, finishing with an excellent 112 which put them in a commanding position with 223 from their 40 overs. Austin Sewell, Sean Black and Taylor Weeks each picked up 2 wickets in the innings, while Max Burrows was our most economical bowler on the day. It was always going to be a tough target to chase down and, despite 20s from Henchie, Bailey and Langley-Jones, we were always struggling to keep up with the rate. It was only due to a wonderful innings from Adam Bassingthwaighte, including a superb shot over mid-on for four, that we gained some respectability in our total of 173. Adam finished with a well-crafted 37 not out. We next welcomed the arrival of Kimbolton, another strong cricketing school, therefore we needed to be on top of our game to produce a strong performance. Unsurprisingly, we found ourselves fielding first and our bowlers did themselves proud yet again; Sean Black took 2 wickets and Harry Bailey picked up 3. It was also a boost for the team to have Thomas Baucher back to near full fitness bowling again after his pre-season injury. Kimbolton scored a competitive 168 for 8 from their 35 overs. We knew we would have to play well to achieve our target and, due to a sublime innings of 91 not out from Taylor Weeks and a destructive 36 not out from Thomas Langley-Jones, we reached our target with ease with over 6 overs to spare;

an impressive win by 7 wickets and a great performance. Our next challenge took us on the short trip to Jobber’s Wood to face a much improved TBSHS side. Batting first, TBSHS’s top three batsmen played with positive intent to put our bowlers under pressure early in the innings. We came back strong with Thomas Baucher and Alexander Pilcher (HH), the pick of the bowlers on the day, however a target of 173 to win off 30 overs was a stiff one. Our run chase unfortunately never really got going, despite the best efforts of Thomas Langley-Jones who scored 25 and Max Burrows (29), we finished 37 runs short; a well-deserved win for TBSHS. We quickly turned our attentions to the visit of Coopers’ Coborn a few days later. Bowling first, yet again, we restricted the opposition to 103 for 8 in 25 overs. An impressive bowling display in which Max Burrows claimed 2 wickets and Thomas Baucher only conceded 5 runs in 3 overs while picking up a wicket. Our run chase was a clinical one, reaching our target in only 12.3 overs. Taylor Weeks scored a quick-fire 45 from 24 balls and Thomas Baucher completed a dominant match with 32 not out from only 15 balls. In the next match, the 1st XI took on a Staff Invitational XI, an eagerly awaited fixture for which the boys had never been so focused! The 1st XI batted first and played well to score 158 in their 20 overs, Harry Bailey top scored with 55 then Thomas Langley-Jones and William Radbourne produced some

big shots towards the end of the innings. It was, however, with the ball that the 1st XI excelled; they executed their plans and bowled superbly as a unit to restrict the staff to a total of 129, despite an excellent 58 from Mr Drury. Thomas Baucher took 3 wickets, including a great yorker to dismiss Mr Hughes late in the innings but the Man of the Match performance came from Alexander Pilcher, bowling wonderfully with good control and discipline, finishing with 2 wickets for only 9 runs. The last Saturday of term took us to Colchester RGS, always a very strong cricket school which meant a tough game ahead for us. Colchester RGS batted first, scoring 215 for 8 from their 40 overs. Whilst it was a good score, they never got away from us due to all the bowlers sticking to their line and length, which resulted in us taking wickets at regular intervals. All the bowlers picked up wickets with Max Burrows unlucky not to take more. Our run chase began in bizarre fashion; the boys seemed to think they were involved in a highlights package. We scored at a very fast rate but kept losing wickets and this meant after 12 overs, we had 94 runs for the loss of 4 wickets. It was at this stage that Adam Bassingthwaighte joined Taylor Weeks at the crease. Taylor was playing the innings of the season but needed someone to stay with him and Adam was the man for the job. He played very sensibly and made sure he stayed there while Taylor continued to score runs freely. The pair

1st XI Coach: David Hughes Back Row (L-R): Sean Black, Austin Sewell, Thomas Radley, Tom Baucher, Max Burrows, Harry Bailey, Kyle Henchie Front Row (L-R): Alex Portas, Alexander Pilcher, Taylor Weeks, William Radbourne, Adam Bassingthwaighte 61

Cricket

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Cricket

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

U15A Cricket

U15B Cricket

U14A Cricket

U14B Cricket

Back Row (L-R): Bradley Moon, Benjamin Sudworth, Benjamin Le Sage, Aaron Scilly, Tom Winfield Front Row (L-R): William Laws, Nicholas Murkett, Elliot Needham, Alfie Leahy, Henry Hunt, Keir Ansell, Joe Minichiello

Back Row (L-R): Simon Miles, Alexander Longthorpe, William Tetlow, James Fox, Aaron Trehan, William Selway Front Row (L-R): Joshua Warner, Zak Sutcliffe, Hugo Lennie, Alexander Waters, Kolade Lapido, Scott Hextall

Coach: Matt Drury Back Row (L-R): Giles Elliott, Gus Purvis, Benjamin Scilly, Jake Morris, Matthew Honeyman, Ross Butler, Jack Sisterton Front Row (L-R): Katherine Webb, Jamie Brooks, Thomas Grove‑Smith, Joseph Hawkins, Keaton Weeks, James Woollerson, James Brooks

Back Row (L-R): Thomas Beenham, Max Reid, Archie Alexander, Grégoire Imber, Charles Install, Patrick Collins Front Row (L-R): Harry Eedes, Max Bashford, Jack Le Grove, Zachary Francis, Jordan Badman, Matthew Barrett, James Padfield

began to swing the game in our favour and, when Taylor was dismissed for a majestic 87, the game was under control. It was then left to Adam to see the innings home with the maturity and ability that he has shown all season; he finished 38 not out. A great win and the first time we have beaten Colchester RGS in many years. The next day was our last match of the term with a 20 over game against the OS, and a splendid occasion it was too. The OS batted first and scored a very competitive 170-5; Alexander Pilcher and William Radbourne both took 2 wickets with Thomas Radley taking the other. Whilst our run chase ended 9 runs short, it was all about a truly magnificent innings from the captain Taylor Weeks in his last game for the school. He played superbly and it was a fitting end to an excellent school career - he finished with 103 and walked off to a huge, fully-deserved round of applause. It was a wonderful day and a lovely way to finish a great term of cricket. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Taylor Weeks on another wonderful season. He has scored 472 runs at an average of 67.42, a splendid achievement. I would also like to thank all the boys who have played for the 1st XI this season for their hard work, enthusiasm, commitment and dedication. They have been a pleasure to coach and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with them. I wish Taylor Weeks and William Radbourne the best of luck in the future. I would also like to thank Taylor for the excellent job he has done as captain this year; he is an astute cricketer and has shown impressive tactical knowledge when leading the side. I wish him every success in the future. Well done Taylor, and thank you again to all the boys. David Hughes 62

Senior School cricket Season summary 2015 In an ‘Ashes’ summer, College cricket shared the fortunes of the England team: frequently outstanding, occasionally struggling, but ultimately very successful! The senior teams enjoyed a tremendous season and the junior sides performed well too; with some old fixtures rekindled and new ones established, another busy cricket season gave some respite from revision and exams for many Senior School pupils. Unlike the Ashes, the most notable individual performances have been dominated by batsmen this season. In addition to Harry Bailey’s hundred against the MCC, Alexander Portas (L5, RPH), Jake Morris (4th Form, HH) and Taylor Weeks (U6, SH) have all reached centuries this season, with Taylor finally scoring his first 1st XI hundred in the very last game of the season against the OS. Captaining the side this year, Taylor has held a 1st XI place since the Lower Fifth and will leave a tremendous void in the team – fitting, therefore, that he won Player of the Year for the second year in succession, in addition to receiving the Doggart bat for the third time. After the success of the inaugural event in 2014 it was such a shame that the junior Inter-House competition was rained off although, put into context, this was the only full day lost to the weather throughout the whole season. Everyone can rest assured that, in the meantime, the cup remains in safe hands… in the Hayward House trophy cabinet!

Yet again, Nigel Witherden and his team produced superb playing and practice facilities. Bowlers are rewarded for getting the ball in the right place, batsmen get full value for their shots and fielders can slide and dive safe in the knowledge that the outfield contains no hidden terrors! The view from the Doggart Pavilion on an afternoon in the summer term is, to use the word in its proper sense, extraordinary. Nicola Witherden and Shareen Bruce, with the support of Gary Law and his staff in the Dining Hall, provide teas that are the envy of all on our circuit! As ever, thanks must go to the coaching staff for their expertise, good humour, time and commitment to College cricket. Without their efforts, in a term besieged by external pressures, cricket at the College would not be able to function: U14’s – Owen Herbert U15’s – Paul Bashford and Simon Lipscombe 2nd XI – Shaun Murtagh-Howard and Dominic Saunders 1st XI – David Hughes

many years, in a hugely impressive season. Once again, the 1st XI completed a season using only thirteen players; this at a time when most other schools struggled for availability with the pressures of exams. There has been real competition between players to get into the 1st XI and with only two Upper Sixth ‘Leavers’, 2016 should see a mature and experienced team taking to the field.

2nd XI The 2nd XI had a very successful season winning four of their six matches, and with strong competition for places. It is worth mentioning, yet again, that whilst many of our opponents struggle for players (and staff!) to fulfil their 2nd XI fixtures, with the pressure of GCSE and A Level exams, our 2nd XI has always produced a competitive side full of humour, commitment and good sportsmanship. Key performances throughout the year came from Henry Harnack (U5, CH) and Henry George (L6,

HH) with the bat and Ross McGowan (L6, HH) with the ball. On the occasions when he was not required to play in the 1st XI, Alexander Pilcher (U5, HH) led from the front as captain.

Under 15 A & B The Under 15As achieved three wins from their five completed games, with excellent batting contributions from Elliot Needham (L5, SuH), Tom Winfield (L5, RPH), Bradley Moon (L5, SuH) and Alfie Leahy (L5, HH). Keir Ansell (L5, SuH) bowled consistently well, and many of this team will be competing for places in the 1st and 2nd XIs next year. The U15Bs got off to a great start and won the first two games by a huge margin, with great batting performances from Simon Miles (L5, SuH) and William Tetlow (L5, SuH). There was a bright array of shots, catches and bowling but this was mainly outdone by low fronts of wickets, porous fielding and drops! A special mention must go to

Alexander Waters (L5, SuH) and Hugo Lennie (L5, RPH) as joint captains. The champagne moment of the season was a great catch from Zak Sutcliffe (L5, SH) in the last game of the season. A mention also has to go to James Fox (L5, SH) for his consistently tight bowling and great fielding.

Under 14 A & B The Under 14s have had a good start to their Senior School cricketing careers. The A team won five of their nine matches, including outstanding wins against The Leys and Colchester RGS. Joseph Hawkins (4th Form, RPH) led the team with the bat and as wicket-keeper, with Jake Morris (4th Form, HH) providing the end of season fireworks with the bat, including a 43-ball century against Colchester. The B team, well-led by Giles Elliott (4th Form, SuH), has improved over the course of the season, with several B team players performing well including the best batsman, Jack Le Grove (4th Form, SH).

Matt Drury

1st XI The season effectively started at the end of final assembly at Easter for eighteen players, who went on the pre-season tour to Cape Town, South Africa. This was a very successful springboard for the season with three wins, three losses and a tie from the seven completed matches, in addition to some fantastic memories. The standout result of the season must be the 1st XI’s win against MCC, guided by 105 not out from Harry Bailey (L6, RPH). The team won eight of their twelve fixtures, including the first victories over the Perse and CRGS for

Senior School Cricket Awards 2015 The Doggart Bat: This award is traditionally given to the best batsman in the 1st XI. This year, the bat was once again awarded to Taylor Weeks for a total of 472 runs scored at a tremendous average of 67.42. Robert Cave Bowling Cup: Awarded to the best bowler in the 1st XI, it was won by Harry Bailey (U5, RPH). Although Sean Black (U5, HH) and Austin Sewell (U5, RPH) took more wickets over the course of the season, Harry’s economy and strike-rate in taking ten wickets put him at the top of the 1st XI bowling averages. Geoffrey Owen Sharpe Fielding Cup: Awarded to Alexander Portas (L5, RPH) for his outstanding catching and ground-fielding in the 1st XI, playing his first full season in the 1st XI as a Lower Fifth Former. Henry Wacey Cup: Given to the young player with most promise in the College, this year the cup was awarded jointly to two Fourth Form cricketers. Joseph Hawkins (4th Form, RPH), as captain, led his team well as an opening batsman and wicket-keeper. Jake Morris (4th Form, HH) is a fine all-rounder: an athletic fielder, a reliable seam bowler and a very destructive batsman. Both have bright futures in College cricket. 63

Swimming

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Swimming

The Intermediate girls’ (Lower and Upper Fifth) team consisted of: Emily Brierley, Lucy Buckingham, Nicole Buckingham, Anna Calder, Georgette Elliott, Frederica Johnston, Eleanor McSweeney, Bethany Olley, Philippa Otter, Georgina Palmer, Charlotte Power, Shona Reid, Rosemary Smithers, Rebecca Withers, Katherine Watson, Francesca Heath-Clarke, Mollie Fraser-Andrews, Eve Leng. This team had several close galas and a couple of wins during the year. The Intermediate boys’ (Lower and Upper Fifth) team consisted of: Martin Brett, Ollie Brown, Barnaby Dulley, Harry Hindmarch, Nicholas Horne, Michael Precious, Ewan Slade, Henry Tran, William Watson, Frederick Bley, Matthew Burrows, Bosco Cheung, Jeffrey Cheung, Oscar Cooper, Samuel Gallagher, Tom Hilton, Ciaran Picker, William Selway, Cameron Tooke. This team had a successful year with some notable wins.

Squad Back row (left to right) Oliver Lewis, Samuel Gallagher, Bosco Cheung, Christian Davies, Nicholas Horne, Frederick Bley, Benedict Russell, Weilun Xu, James Catton, Thomas Ogden, Cameron Tooke, Henry Tran.

2014/15 Swimming Report

here were more than seventy members in the swimming squad during the course of the three terms, with many excellent swimmers and several joining for the first time, having never swum competitively before. There were four galas during the Autumn Term, yet the Spring Term and the first half of the Summer Term are our busiest times for galas with one nearly every week. The biggest gala of the year is the district gala which involves thirteen schools from the area. The College did well at this year’s event, with the girls coming 3rd and the boys coming 4th. This year’s Inter-House Swimming Gala saw both the girls’ and boys’ events combined into one gala. The atmosphere at the House competition is always electric and benefits from a great deal of support and camaraderie - it is quite possibly the loudest gala of the year! In the girls’ competition, 64

3rd Row (left to right) Peter Hall, George Lee, Matthew Burrows, Jeffrey Cheung, Anna Calder, Nicola Calvert, Emma Higgins, Charlotte Power, Katherine Watson, Samuel Solway, Andrius Vaitkus, Luke Sears, William Watson, Harry Hindmarch, Oliver Brown, Cieran Picker, Tom Hilton, Roseanna Cawthray Stern, Georgia Crump, Katharine Hood the trophies were awarded as follows: Young House won the Cooper Cup and Alliott House won the Revell and Dent Cups. In the boys’ competition, School House won the Cooper Cup, Hayward House won the Revell Cup and Sutton won the Dent Cup.

The Swimming Squad The squad Captains were Chloe Wood and Thomas Burrows. The Junior girls’ (Fourth Form) team consisted of: Sunny Cooke, Molly Francis, Olivia Grice, Olivia Rix, Eleanor Mitchell, Jenna Smith.

2nd Row (left to right): Max King, William Saunders, Lydia Alexander, Anton Bashkirov, Eve Leng, Daniel Hood, Remi Harvey, Thomas Burrows, Chloe Wood, Cameron Brickel, Eleanor Mitchell, Matthew Bird, Molly Francis, Martin Brett, Mary Devine, Matthew Honeyman, Bethany Olley Front Row (left to right): Nicole Buckingham, Henrietta Jones‑Chapman, Rosemary Smithers, Sunny Cooke, Olivia Grice, Olivia Rix, Francesca Heath‑Clarke, Rebecca Withers, Eleanor McSweeney, Georgette Elliot, Philippa Otter, Frederica Johnston, Shona Reid, Emily Brierley, Lucy Buckingham This was a small but excellent team who were unbeaten during the year. Both Molly and Eleanor qualified for the British Swimming Championships in April and the British Summer Nationals at the end of July. The Junior boys’ (Fourth Form) team consisted of: James Catton, Peter Hall, George Lee, Oliver Lewis, Benedict Russell, Samuel Solway, Luke Eddershaw. This team has some good swimmers in it as well as other members who put in a great deal of effort during training and made much improvement during the course of the year.

Swimming

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

The Senior girls’ (Lower and Upper Sixth) team consisted of: Chloe Wood, Victoria Snowden, Remi Harvey, Georgia Crump, Katharine Hood, Tabitha Morford, Roseanna Cawthray Stern, Nicola Calvert, Mary Devine, Emma Higgins, Lydia Alexander, Eleanor McGowan. The senior girls have been a good team, having had several wins during the course of the year and giving much support to the rest of the squad.

80 Club The 80 club is swum every morning at 7am. Those wishing to take part come along to the pool and swim 8 lengths. There is an award for completing 80 days and a silver spoon prize for 120 days. The following pupils from the senior school completed 80 days: Cameron Brickel, Daniel Hood, Max King, Anton Bashkirov, Samuel Gallagher, Andrius Vaitkus, Bryn Richards, Charlotte Bruce, Hugh Fisher, Imogen Poulter, Kathryn Champion Two members of staff completed 80 days: Gareth Huish and David Hughes. The following also went on to complete 120 days: Katharine Hood, Frederick Bley, Roy Lin, Tom Hilton

The Bath and Otter Championship The Bath and Otter championship is another major event in the swimming calendar and this year’s event was again held at the London Aquatics Centre. In the Bath cup, the boys’ freestyle team (Cameron Brickel (L6, HH), Matthew Bird (L6, SuH), Daniel Hood (L6, CH) and Matthew Honeyman (L6, CH) all swam well with Cameron swimming his 100m in less than a minute. The team made the final of the small schools’

The Senior school 80 club house competition finished as follows: Position

House

Total Days

1st

Hayward

418

2nd

School

417

3rd

Sutton

377

4th

Alliott

307

5th

Staff

180

6th

Tee

165

7th

Young

120

8th

Robert Pearce

116

9th

Benson

108

10th

Collett

103

competition, finishing 9th. The girls’ freestyle team consisted of Chloe Wood (U6, YH), Bethany Olley (U5, TH), Eve Leng (4th Form, TH) and Molly Francis (4th Form, AH). The Otter Medley boys’ team consisted of Martin Brett (U5, HH) on backstroke, Matthew Honeyman on breaststroke, Matthew Bird on butterfly and Cameron Brickel on freestyle. The Bath Medley girls’ team consisted of Chloe Wood on backstroke, Eve Leng on breaststroke, Molly Francis on butterfly and Bethany Olley on freestyle.

The Senior boys’ (Lower and Upper Sixth) team consisted of: Thomas Burrows, Cameron Brickel, Matthew Bird, William Daniels, Daniel Hood, Max King, William Saunders, Thomas Ogden, Anson Liu, Weilun Xu. The senior boys gave much support to the rest of the squad and had a good year themselves.

Awards: Charles Mellows award for the Most Improved swimmer: Harry Hindmarch (U5, HH) Esme Worth Swimming Prize: Daniel Hood (L6, CH) The Best Boy: Thomas Burrows (U6, HH) The Best Girl: Katharine Hood (U6, AH) Captain’s Cup: Remi Harvey (U6, YH)

Bath and Otter Squad Back row (left to right): Matthew Bird, Matthew Honeyman, Daniel Hood, Cameron Brickel and Martin Brett Front row (left to right): Chloe Wood, Eve Leng, Molly Francis and Bethany Olley 65

Rounders

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Rounders

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Rounders Senior School Rounders Report 2015 Unfortunately, this was not the best season for the girls with sixteen wins and sixteen losses. The U18 girls had only been in school for two weeks yet we managed to fit five fixtures into this short period of time. With the A team consisting of mostly Upper Sixth pupils and a few from the Upper Fifth, we will be relying on the Lower Sixth and Upper Fifth girls continuing to play next year. A special mention must go to Imogen Poulter (U5, BH), Lucy Mackaness (U5, TH) and Olivia Longthorpe (U6, BH) from the A team for their batting and fielding skills and also to Melissa Craig (U6, YH) and Zoe Purdy (U6, YH) from the B team for their constant encouragement and hard work throughout their final year at the school. The U14 teams played thirteen matches, winning seven. In the A team, Chloe Jones (4th Form, YH) had an excellent season as bowler with ‘no balls’ being a rarity in matches. Amy Craft (4th Form, BH) and Emily Kerr (4th Form, YH) were the top fielders in the A team with their excellent stopping skills and powerful and accurate throws. Emma Povey (4th Form, AH) and Jemima Fraser-Andrews (4th Form, TH) were the top batters, demonstrating very good tactical

understanding and skill in hitting the ball in different directions. The U14A team redeemed themselves by playing some excellent rounders in the District Tournament, only losing one match in their section to The Herts and Essex High School and scoring more rounders than any other school in their section. They met Saffron Walden County High School in the semi-finals, but were beaten by their excellent batting. The U14B team was the most successful team in the Senior School this year, only losing one match to Sevenoaks who are always formidable opponents. They also played in the District Tournament in a different section, winning all their matches and becoming District Champions. Grace De Bohun (4th Form, BH) played well all season as backstop, forming an unbeatable trio with Ezme Shekerzade (4th Form, BH) as first post and Madeline Halford (4th Form, TH) as bowler. Nena Nurbhai (4th Form, BH) and Shreeya Khetani (4th Form, YH) both displayed excellent fielding and batting skills. The U15 teams had a mixed season, winning four and losing five matches. In the A team, Alexandria Cooper (L5, BH) and Jemima Sharman (L5, BH) had an extremely strong and effective partnership between backstop and first post and Lucy Minichiello (L5, BH) was voted players’ player for being the most consistent player all season. Particular

mention must go to Yolande Notley (L5, TH), Francesca Heath-Clarke (L5, TH) and Eve Leng (L5, TH) from the B team for their consistency throughout the term. The U15s played some excellent rounders in the District Tournament. They demonstrated strong batting skills throughout the early rounds and complimented this with excellent fielding and positive communication in every match. This was especially important as the team consisted of members of both the A and B teams and had never played together before. They only lost one match against Saffron Walden County High School by half a rounder in their section, putting them against The Herts and Essex High School in the semifinals. The match was very competitive but the girls lost out to the superior batting of the opposition 4 rounders to 2.

U15A

U15B

Coach: Wendy Chambers Squad: Back Row (L-R): Holly Radbourne, Caitlin Hawkins, Charlotte Dadey, Katie Kerr, Lucy Minichiello, Anna Pilcher Front Row (L-R): Loredana Gibilaro, Ailsa Munro, Megan Brown, Alexandria Cooper, Jemima Sharman

Coach: Lauren Cripps Squad: Back Row (L-R): Natasha Cooper, Yolande Notley, Megan Thomas, Eve Leng, Margot Harvey Front Row (L-R): Francesca Heath-Clarke, Charlotte Neal, Madeleine Locke, Mila Falco-Smith, Isabelle Abraham

U14A

U14B

Senior and junior House matches took place at different times during the season. In the senior competition, first place went to Tee House, second place to Young House, third place to Benson House and fourth place to Alliott House. In the junior competition, first place went to Young House, second place to Alliott House, third place to Tee House and fourth place to Benson House. My sincere thanks must go to Wendy Chambers, Lauren Cripps, Hannah Edwards, Rebecca Lowe and Melanie Boulton for all their hard work and encouragement throughout the term.

Coach: Hannah Edwards Squad: Back Row (L-R): Emma Povey, Chloe Jones, Amy Croft, Ella Stephens, Amber Magson Front Row (L-R): Lily Fakile, Jemima Fraser-Andrews, Heather Collier, Sophia Williams, Emily Kerr

Coach: Hannah Edwards Squad: Back Row (L-R): Kaitlin Lyall, Nadja Vitorovic, Nena Murbhai, Georgia Gvero, Grace De Bohn Front Row (L-R): Shreeya Khetani, Ezme Shekerzade, Madeline Halford, Lucy Greenhall, Victoria Edge

U14C U18A Squad: Back Row (L-R): Olivia Longthorpe, Lucie Sudworth, Sarah Roberts, Rebecca Barriball, Madeleine Barclay, Sarah Hutchings, Harriet Roberts, Lily Lewin, Kimberley Oakley Front Row (L-R): Imogen Poulter, Georgia Solomon, Zoe Purdy, Melissa Craig, Ellysia Lewin 66

Coach: Rebecca Lowe Squad: Back Row (L-R): Katherine Fisher, Oluwademilade Sobowale, Matilda Dawson, Emma Baker Front Row (L-R): Ruby Barford, Isabelle Farmer, Grace Reed, Charlotte Hopkinson, Ellie Spittlehouse 67

Tennis

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Tennis

An excellent start to the round robin event with all 4 players having well-fought matches. The girls won their doubles and 3 out of 4 won their singles, with the loss being extremely close (5-7).

End of Season Tennis Report 2015

U19 Aegon Girls’ National Schools Tennis Competition

Tennis’ inaugural year as a major sport for both boys and girls proved a great success, building on the foundations it has developed in recent years. This transition has allowed pupils to benefit from training on four afternoons a week, alongside competitive fixtures under the discerning eye of excellent coaches, of which two have LTA qualifications ECA Level 2/3 and Level 4 Senior Club Coach.

Berkhamsted won 6 rubbers to 0.

The link with Bishop Stortford Lawn Tennis Club (BSLTC) enabled pupils to train in their off-season and paid dividends to their skill acquisition and fitness levels come the Summer Term. In addition to the school fixtures, the College entered a girls’ and boys’ team in to the U15 Tennis School Competition and the U19 knock out National Schools Competitions. Pupils arguably benefitted most from an internal singles ladder, challenging players of equal standing and to help back up the coaching assessment. The overall fixtures and competition results summary for the season are as follows:

24th March v Berkhamsted School Result: Team: Elizabeth Farrant (L6, TH), Victoria Farrant (L6, TH), Inka Pearson (L6, TH), Lucy Minichiello (L5, BH) The girls had their work cut out but put up an excellent fight with aces, good rallies and some close games but the opposition proved a little too experienced claiming the necessary points to win. They should however all feel proud of themselves as this is the first time the College has entered this high level knock-out tennis event. Notable performances included Lucy nearly taking the 2nd set but ending 4-6 and a countless number of aces from the Farrant twins.

U19 Aegon Boys’ National Schools Tennis Competition 25th March v Highgate School Result: Highgate won 4 rubbers to 2. Team: Matthew Hollis (U5, CH), James Murphy (Prep School), Alexander Longthorpe (L5, SH), Jack Le Grove (U5, SH).

The boys’ played a tactical game and showed a good degree of flair around the court with some impressive rallies, of varying degrees of power and spins. However, the more experienced Highgate team had the competitive edge and the College were defeated 4 rubbers to 2. In the doubles, Alexander and Jack played together as 2nd pair having a good and entertaining doubles match against their opponents but the eventual score 1-6 3-6 was a fair representation of the game. James and Matthew made a formidable pair, although losing the first set 1-6 they came back to win the 2nd set 6-1 and then the championship tie-break in the 3rd, 10-7. An outstanding result!

U15 Girls’ Schools Team Tennis Competition Thursday 23rd April v Queenswood 3rds Division 2: Result: College beat Queenswood C team: 10-2 Team: Jasmine Franklin, Lucy Minichiello, Jemima Fraser-Andrews and Simrhan Khetani

Thursday 30th April v St Edmunds Division 2: St Edmunds beat the College in a tiebreak shoot-out (10-8) after being level on matches 3-3 Team: Jasmine Franklin, Lucy Minichiello, Laura Talbot Rice and Simrhan Khetani. Despite winning the 1st and 2nd singles and doubles they were unlucky not to beat St Edmunds who narrowly had the upper hand. The decider boiled down to a shootout tie-break which ended with just 2 points in it. The tie-break required a combination of someone from the 1st pair and the 2nd pair, therefore Jasmine played with Laura as they had experience of playing together in the previous year. Wednesday 24th June v Ashlyns U15 Girls Schools Team Tennis County Semi-Finals Match After a long tactical conversation about how best to pair up for the doubles, Jasmine played with Simrhan as the 1st pair and Lucy with Laura at 2nd pair. The opposition had also had a team talk and interestingly did a similar thing! Our 2nd pair performed well under the pressure and secured the win, however, our 1st pair battled hard but were unfortunate to narrowly miss the win. Very well done to them all – finishing in the top 4 schools in the County for Division 2!

The U15 Boys’ Schools Team Tennis Competition Tennis Match Report for the U15 Boys Team: Monday 27th April v St Edmunds Tournament Match: Division 1 U15 Boys Schools Team Tennis Competition Result: St Edmunds beat the College 6-0 Team: Alexander Longthorpe, Jack Le Grove, Hugh Fisher and Federico Casareto The boys had an extremely tough fixture with the ratings of the opposition being higher than the U19 opposition in the National Schools Competition. Alexander playing at No1 had to play a 3.1 rating (top 10 player in the Country for his agegroup and 9 ratings higher than himself), Jack played a 4.2 (11 ratings higher) and Hugh and Federico played 8.1 and 8.2 respectively (5 ratings higher). A brave performance though and plenty of experience was gained! Tuesday 12th May v Richard Hale Division 1 Result: Richard Hale beat BSC 6-0 Team: Harry Champion, Laurie Johnson, Fraser Muir and Daniel Hepburn. 68

Tennis

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Well done to all 4 players who put up an excellent fight. Fraser at number 1 and Laurie at number 2 had to play against boys with 8.1 ratings and both of them picked up games as well as having numerous close rallies and points. Meanwhile Daniel managed to take 2 games against his opponent and Harry had an incredibly close match that could have gone either way, with him just losing 6-4 in the end. Overall, an excellent effort from the boys who were up against a team who had previously qualified for the U15 National Schools last 16. Player of the match goes to Harry Champion. Monday 18th May v Sir John Lawes Division 1 Result: Sir John Lawes beat the College 10-6 in the tie-breaker shoot-out! Team: Alessandro Ainsworth, Hugh Fisher, Freddy Harris and Harry Champion The above team played an extremely good match against Sir John Lawes, narrowly losing in a shoot-out after being level on matches (3-3). Freddy and Hugh won both their singles and doubles matches playing at 3 and 4, whilst Alessandro and Harry drew the short straws playing 2 boys with ratings. They had some nice rallies and some close games but weren’t able to convert them unfortunately, with a similar situation in the doubles. It was incredibly close with the College team having their chances but unfortunately just losing 10-6! Tuesday 2nd June v Monks Walk: Division 1 Result: Monks Walk beat the College 6-0 Team: Harry Champion, Fraser Muir, Federico Casareto and Alessandro Ainsworth. An excellent effort from all 4 players in the last U15 boys’ team tennis competition match for the season. Alessandro playing at 2 and Federico playing at 4 only just lost their singles matches 6-4, the result could have gone either way! Fraser playing at 1 had to take on an opponent with a much higher rating than himself but never-theless managed to play some good points and had the odd close game. Harry in a similar position to Fraser playing at number 3 was also unlucky not to pick up any games. Overall, it was a ‘good spirited’ match and with a year’s experience under their belts, the College U15 boys team is looking forward to 2016!

Tennis General Report Players: Elizabeth Farrant, Victoria Farrant, Inka Pearson, Jasmine Franklin, Lucy Minichiello, Katie Tesseyman, Philippa Farmer, Eleanor McGowan, Grace Gardiner, Eden Duggan, Simhran Khetani, Shreeya Khetani, Emma Whitehead, Laura Talbot Rice, Matthew Hollis, Kristian Clements,

George Pearman, Jonathan Fisher, Conrad Noble, Jake Gransbury, Nicholas Zeolla, Timothy Smith, Edward Clements, Matthew Green, Maximilian Collett, Alexander Longthorpe, Edward James, Fraser Muir, Daniel Hepburn, Laurie Johnston, Federico Casereto. The tennis team played against some tough opposition but allowed the pupils to experience playing on all manner of surfaces, including grass, astro and hard courts. This has been invaluable in developing their skills since each surface requires a different technical and tactical aspect. We were blessed with excellent weather throughout the Summer Term (almost too hot according to some), and games played against Felsted, Mill Hill, Sevenoaks and Bishop’s Stortford High School. Considering our lack of experience in mixed doubles the players partnered and communicated well and some excellent points were played. This showed great flexibility in their game and shows promise for subsequent years. Well done to all of the participants who have represented the College and their Houses during the season, despite being up against some tough opponents at times, they have maintained excellent composure and acted as positive ambassadors for the College. I would especially like to thank the other staff who have supported me with the coaching, away matches and the Inter-House tennis competitions. Having completed my first year of running the programme, I am looking forward to next season and the further development and refinement of the tennis programme as well as seeing how the players have evolved.

House Tennis: Senior Girls’ Winners: Tee House Senior Boys’ Winners: Collett House Junior Girls’ Winners: Benson House Junior Boys’ Winners: Sutton House

Awards: Half colours: Matthew Green, Katie Tesseyman Most Improved Boys Player: Federico Casareto Most Improved Girls Player: Simrhan Khetani The Best Performance of the Season for the Boys: Alessandro Ainsworth The Best Performance of the Season for the Girls: Elizabeth and Victoria Farrant Claire Pryce

Alliott House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Alliott House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Alliott House Housemistress: Mrs Sarah Wilson Deputy Ms Kate Gregory Housemistress: House Tutors: Mrs Judith Bichara Mrs Beth Wheeler Heads of House:

Katharine Hood and Dani Moon

Prefects: Katharine Hood Dani Moon Sofia Weiss Monitors: Sarah Ballard Emma Bates Charlotte Bruce Mili Kerr Sophie Morris House Colours: Emily Brierley Megan Brown Nicole Buckingham Katie Champion Georgie Elliott Mili Kerr Charlotte Smith Heidi Swift Elizabeth Ward-Booth House Contribution Cup: Autumn Term: Sarah Ballard Spring Term:

Avni Patel

Summer Term: Emma Povey Girl of the Year Cup:

Ella Stephens

Arthur Evans Tie:

Dani Moon

Autumn Term 2014

014-15 was another action-packed year and one in which the girls of Alliott House seemed to triumph more and more, be it personally, academically, sportingly or socially. Our new Fourth Formers quickly settled into our routines and proved to be a talented group of girls who clearly enjoy the House and the benefits of Senior School life. Under the skilful eye of Katharine Hood and Dani Moon, our Heads of House, the girls worked and played together in a lovely way and the sense of togetherness this year was quite palpable. It wasn’t long before House events kicked off with Senior Debating for which we were well represented in the form of Frederica Johnston and Amelia Weiss in the preliminary round against Robert Pearce House. Next up were some formidable opponents from Collett House and, unfortunately, illness struck our team. Thankfully, Alice Scott-Flanagan masterfully 70

stepped up to the mark and once again victory was ours and we progressed to the semi-finals. Here we met Sutton House and, although success was not to be ours, the girls could be proud of having held the Alliott House banner high. Brains Trust soon followed and our team comprised of Tara Finlay, Dani Moon, Sofia Kedadi and Ellie McSweeney. We faced School House in the first round, which we won, mainly due to an excellent mastermind round from our resident general knowledge genius, Sofia. We then faced the eventual winners, Hayward House, in the semi-finals and, despite putting up a good fight, our range of knowledge couldn’t quite match that of the boys and we conceded to them. In the meantime, our sports teams were being carefully put together by Charlotte Bruce, our Sports Monitor. Practice runs were organised for the Pearl Cup and personal training was well underway by some of our more committed girls. With the added pressure of having to retain the Pearl Cup, the girls knew that they had to live up to our high expectations and they didn’t disappoint, with some excellent personal bests and placings for Katie Champion, 1st in junior Pearl Cup, with Molly Francis 2nd and Lizzie Edge 2nd in the senior cup. With such fabulous runs, we won the junior competition and came a close second in

the senior event; an amazing result and well worth the efforts. Sporting success was also to be ours in the House hockey competition, something which we hadn’t seen for a long time. The seniors finished second and missed out on the top spot by one goal. However, everyone played brilliantly and showed excellent team spirit. The addition of our sporty Fourth Formers to the junior team meant that victory was to be ours in the junior competition and we proudly took home the cup – roll on next year! Of course, the first half of term was dominated by House Music and our campaign this year was in the highly talented and responsible hands of Sarah Ballard. From the very first rehearsal, she had the whole House listening, working and singing and the teamwork was simply superb. Rehearsals were fun, purposeful and productive and it was clear that Sarah’s musical expertise was second-to-none. This year, our choice of pieces were: Part Song – Some Nights/We Are Young, Instrumental – El Tango de Roxanne, Unison – Ain’t No Mountain High Enough. The night arrived, nerves tingled, voices were tuned and we were treated to a real extravaganza of musical talent. We were all thrilled to be awarded the first place in the Unison section and everyone’s efforts were rightly rewarded, especially those of Sarah.

Spring Term 2015 This term kicked off with the House reading competition, with very little time for preparation. However, our girls were organised and prepared in every spare moment they had under the watchful eye of Ms Gregory. In the Fourth Form category, Avni Patel represented us, reading ‘The Adventures of Isabel’ by Ogden Nash. Despite being very nervous, Avni performed brilliantly and rightly won first place in her category. The intermediate team of Lower Fifth and Upper Fifth comprised of Megan Brown, Katie Champion, Charlotte Neal, Lucy Buckingham and Claudia Lax-Tanner. They performed the ‘Naming of Cats’ by TS Elliott. Next up was the junior debating competition and with two beginners in the team, Ella Stephens and Elizabeth Ward-Booth; we soon found that two new stars had been

born. They spoke confidently, eloquently and with authority, beating School House in the first round and Robert Pearce House in the semi-final. To make it into the final in your first ever debating competition is a high accolade indeed and, although the girls weren’t successful in winning, they certainly did themselves and Alliott House proud. On the sports front, this term saw two House competitions: netball and swimming. Once again, teams were carefully created to involve participation and expertise. The seniors were up against some very strong opposition with many of their opponents being first team players. Victory was not

to be ours but the girls played bravely and with great spirit. The juniors once again fared better, winning all of their matches and therefore being crowned winners of the competition. Similar success was to be found in the swimming pool a few weeks later when we had the Inter-House swimming gala and optimism was high after the previous year’s success. Under Charlee Longden’s experienced guidance, we put out strong teams and, with the amazing swimming of Molly Francis and Charlee Longden, amongst others, we finished 1st in the senior cup and 2nd in the junior cup. Then came the long-awaited Dent Cup, always a fun yet tense relay in which many 71

Alliott House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Alliott House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

‘non swimmers’ donned their costumes for the House. It was a nail-biting race but we won and were crowned victorious. The other big theme of the term was charity. Due to the sheer number of causes that the girls wanted to support, we had to hold a vote to decide which one to raise money for during our House charity week. With a clear majority, the girls voted to support IPOPI, International Patient Organisation for Primary Immunodeficiencies, a charity chosen by Megan Brown in the Lower Fifth, whose mum benefits from their support and help. Once the charity was decided, the Sixth Form girls threw themselves into the process of planning, coming up with a whole host of ideas to raise as much money as possible. We held cake sales, a raffle, car washes, Mother’s Day gift sales and a Crème Egg message service. It was an exhausting but exhilarating week which saw everyone in the House get involved, be it baking cakes, selling gifts or simply promoting our cause. As a result of the excellent efforts of all the girls, we raised over £1000, which was further boosted by donations from two fathers’ companies, which took the total to over £2200.

Summer Term 2015 The Summer Term is always a slightly quieter term due to the absence of a large proportion of girls on exam leave. Nevertheless, the life of the House continues and it wasn’t long before House competitions featured on the calendar. House rounders for the senior girls was our first competition and an event which was enjoyed by all, especially those in the Upper Sixth for whom it was their last ever Alliott House competition. This was followed by the Inter-House Sports Day, which saw the Fourth Form and Lower Fifth girls compete 72

Speech Day Prizes 2014 Fourth Form Academic Endeavour Award Avni Patel Emma Povey Nadja Vitorovic Katherine Webb Lower Fifth Form Academic Endeavour Award Katie Champion Niamh Finlay Jessica Maisey Anna Pilcher Elizabeth Ward-Booth Upper Fifth Form Academic Endeavour Award Emily Brierley Georgie Elliott Claudia Lax-Tanner in a range of track and field events; for some it was the first time they had ever picked up a javelin or attempted the high jump! It was a fun event and some girls surprised themselves when they discovered new talents that they didn’t even know they had! After half term, we took part in the junior House rounders competition which was a very tight tournament where we finished in a proud 2nd place. The Fourth Form girls entertained us just before the end of term with their plays, Agatha Rex and Annie, which saw many Alliott girls tread the boards and dazzle us with their talents. Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions were aplenty (as were blisters) but survival was the name of the game and is just what all the girls

did, be it in Derbyshire, Hertfordshire or Yorkshire. Our end of year was a moving one once again as we had to say a very fond farewell to several members of our flock. Lucy and Nicole Buckingham have moved onto pastures new at Woodbridge and we may see them again on the hockey pitches in opposition! Phoebe Martin leaves us to pursue a career in the military with a place at Welbeck College, where we all know she will thrive. And of course, our wonderful Upper Sixth girls, who have given selflessly to the House for the past five years and whom we will miss enormously as they are such a talented bunch in every aspect of College life. Sarah Wilson

Lower Sixth Form Academic Endeavour Award Sarah Hutchings Harriet Roberts Upper Sixth Biology Prize Katharine Hood Upper Sixth Chemistry Prize Sofia Weiss Upper Sixth Geography Prize Emma Bates Upper Sixth Music Prize Sarah Ballard Upper Sixth Theatre Studies Prize Sophie Morris

John Blenkin Pottery Prize Dani Moon Roger Heath Award Charlotte Bruce Roger Heath Public Speaking (senior) Frederica Johnston

Commendations Ruby Barford Lily Fakile Avni Patel Sophie Pickup Emma Povey Grace Reed Ella Stephens Nadja Vitorovic Katherine Webb Megan Brown Katie Champion Natasha Cooper Shaan Devsi Niamh Finlay Anna Pilcher Elizabeth Ward-Booth Ruman Basra Emily Brierley Lucy Buckingham Nicole Buckingham Georgie Elliott Frederica Johnston Claudia Lax-Tanner Ellie McSweeney Rebecca Withers Maddy Barclay Rebecca Barriball Simran Basra Sarah Hutchings

Charlee Longden Harriet Roberts Sarah Roberts Alice Scott-Flanagan Charlotte Smith Heidi Swift Amelia Weiss Sarah Ballard Emma Bates Charlotte Bruce Tara Finlay Katharine Hood Mili Kerr Kessia Landsman Dani Moon Sophie Morris Phoebe Neal Sofia Weiss

4th, L5th, U5th form Merit Milestones 20+ Merits Emily Brierley Katie Champion Natasha Cooper Shaan Devsi Niamh Finlay Jessica Maisey Anna Pilcher Elizabeth Ward-Booth

40+ Merits Jenna Smith Nadja Vitorovic

50+ Merits Ruby Barford Ella Stephens

60+ Merits Avni Patel

6th form Merit Milestones 10+ Awards for Excellence Maddy Barclay Lizzie Edge Katherine Hood Sarah Hutchings Kessia Landsman Sophie Morris Harriet Roberts Charlotte Smith Heidi Swift Amelia Weiss

20+ Awards for Excellence Sarah Ballard Emma Bates Sofia Weiss

30+ Merits Frederica Johnston Charlotte Neal Sophie Pickup Emma Povey Grace Reed

Benson House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Benson House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Benson House Housemistress:

Miss Emma Chaplin

Academic Tutors: Mrs Clare Bond Miss Charlotte Munck Heads of House: Emily Lynch Niamh Lynch Prefect:

Georgia Crump

House Monitors: Helena Cope Zuzanna Edwards Catherine Ellis Beth Gregory Ellysia Lewin Olivia Longthorpe Saskia Petrie Victoria Snowden Charlotte Spall Alison Tam Elizabeth Wilkin Girl of the Year:

Inka Pearson

Arthur Evans: Niamh Lynch Award: Emily Lynch Ellysia Lewin Kristie Overton Christina Radukic

Busy bees of Benson House and the departure of our ‘Queen Bee’….

and yes, their ‘waggle’ dance which he reenacted for Mrs Mullender! It is an assembly that very few of us will forget, particularly in Benson. We would like to think that our members exhibit some of the very best traits of these wonderful creatures, as will hopefully be evident in this article.

Strong focus and productivity was amply rewarded in Benson House on results day of 2014. With characteristic humility, Sashi Mariathason achieved five A* grades and secured a place at Cambridge to study Medicine. Phoebe Poulter scored an outstanding collection of straight A*s and Emma Baker, Laura Honey, Molly Morris and Portland Samek-Richardson all admirably gained top grades in their results. Iona Davis, Amy Harding and Hattie Sharman all attained excellent A grades whilst Annie Cave, Annabel Bruce, Lottie Hood and Carys Page all secured B grades, which allowed them onto a vast array of interesting courses, from Politics to Patissiers! The busy bees of Benson House were equally successful when GCSE results were released. No less than five Bensonites won Ten Club

hroughout the academic year 2014-15, Benson House was quite literally a ‘hive’ of activity. However, puns aside, this article owes its title to Mr Woodhouse’s assembly on the topic of bees at the College and the departure of our ‘Queen Bee’, Mrs Mullender. The College now has a well-established colony of bees that reside at number 96 Hadham Road, and which produce delightful honey when they so choose! Most of the time, they prefer to make their presence felt in a less helpful manner, as was proved on Sports Day when the swarm attacked spectators as they moved their hide to pastures new! This gave Mr Woodhouse the perfect occasion, during Mrs Mullender’s last school assembly, to educate us about the life of bees; their tenacious and efficient habits, their community spirit, their productivity

Ties! Therefore congratulations were very much owed to Grace Gardiner, Christina Radukic, Maddy Cane, Tory Foot and Kristie Overton, the final three of which completed the feat with straight A* grades; a phenomenal achievement. Such outstanding results were not the only reason why the hive of Benson House started the Autumn Term of 2015 in such high spirits. Over the summer, the House was painted, carpeted and given new blinds. We returned therefore to a building that was ‘spick and span’ and very nearly lilac due to a mistake at the warehouse with the choice of paint colour! Into our community, we welcomed thirteen delightful, and thankfully very well-organised, new Fourth Formers, five multi-talented Lower Sixth pupils, a new Lower Fifth Tutor, Mrs Bond, and three aquatic friends, Cornelius, Pendleton and Sushi – fish rescued from Sutton House! Before long, we were thrown into the realms of House Music, under the skilful guidance of Lizzie Wilkin. Blessed with a calm and patient nature, she arranged the Instrumental section, oversaw the Part Song and conducted the whole House in our rendition of “Let it Go” from the new Disney film, Frozen. Despite the fact that School House was moved by our efforts, in the Part Song and Instrumental section we were not placed, however, the Unison wowed the judge and was justly rewarded with second place! Special thanks go to Ellie Bennett, Georgia Crump, Lucy Minichiello, Laura Talbot Rice, Lauren Tuch and Charlotte Power who took part in all three sections! Alongside House Music, Bensonites were active in academic pursuits. Led by Joint Head of House Niamh Lynch, Tory Foot, Maya Nurbhai and Ellie Bennett, they created a formidable Brains Trust team who fought admirably only to be knocked out by a very effective Collett House team, the eventual runners-up. In the Youth Speaks Competition, Georgia Crump and Maya Nurbhai led the way in the senior section whilst Nena Nurbhai and her team won the junior section

which resulted in them competing in the regional final in March. Inter-House Debating was equally impressive; within weeks of joining the school, Inka Pearson joined Maya Nurbhai to make a talented Debating team expertly guided by Georgia Crump. With determination, effort and a huge amount of detailed research on the topic of immigration, they made their way to the final against Sutton and were successful. The Debating Gavel has come home to Benson!

world around them and proactive. Helped by inclement weather conditions, we raised £360 for Breakthrough for Breast Cancer, purely because the first time the Pearl Cup was rained off and therefore we baked twice! As Christmas approached, Bensonites again were called upon to give generously, this time for the Christmas Shoebox campaign. Creating no less than 57 shoeboxes, we surpassed even our own target! Helena’s organisation of both events was faultless.

On the sports field, Benson also battled hard. The junior hockey team was ably led by Jemima Sharman and ZaZa Cooper and gained a well-earned third place. The senior competition met with equal success. Captained by Olivia Longthorpe they also fought with determination to secure third place. In the Pearl Cup, we performed with panache! Ellysia Lewin came third in the senior competition and the team once again came third in the overall results chart.

Last, but by no means least, Bensonites were present, in ever growing numbers, on the stage. Lily Lewin, Imogen Poulter, Amelia Maszlin and Victoria Lynch gave fabulous performances in their Upper Fifth devised pieces and, admirably, Amelia also took on a role in the College musical “Kabaret” alongside Christina Radukic. As always, Bensonites were equally active behind the stage; Niamh Lynch, Olivia Longthorpe, Grace Gardiner and Charlotte Power were all involved in either the Band or Tech Crew and gave vital support to the final production. Bensonites also thrived in the Music Department; the St Celia’s Concert had no less than seven of our members

However, our thoughts were not purely restricted to competitive matters. Helena Cope, our Charity Co-ordinator, made sure that Bensonites were well aware of the

Benson House

performing a variety of pieces from “Les Berceaux” by Faure to “The Rose” composed by A McBroom. Congratulations are therefore very much owed to Lucy Minichiello, Laura Talbot Rice, Emily Lynch, Christina Radukic, Charlotte Power, Maya Nurbhai and Lauren Tuch for their fabulous performances. As fans of all things festive, the Upper Sixth led the House in our Christmas activities. Emily and Niamh Lynch, alongside their Deputies, Saskia Potts and Ellysia Lewin, organised our annual Sixth Form Christmas meal, a wonderful decorative competition that their year group won with their unique photographic version of the nativity scene. They also led the way on the ice as we skated our way around the outdoor ice rink with seasonal attire! Benson House remained a busy hive of activity once the festive decorations were tucked away during the onset of the Spring Term, despite the rather damp and dismal weather in January and February. The first highlight was the Junior Debating competition, in which we hoped to secure our second Gavel of the year. Two willing Fourth Formers, Ellie Bennett and Ellie Bichara, stepped forward to form our team and proved to be very effective. They stood proud and spoke persuasively against the experienced Lower Fifth Young House team. Despite considerable praise from the judges, the pupils were narrowly defeated and the Young House team went on not only to beat us, but every other House, and became overall winners of the competition. The House Reading competition was kinder to us! Christina Radukic came first in the Sixth Form section, beating talented opposition with her challenging poem by Sierra Demulder. Nena Nurbhai was equally impressive in the Fourth Form section and made her way through to the final, whilst our Fifth Form entry, presented by Amelia Maszlin, Imogen Poulter, Lauren Tuch, Victoria Lynch and Jemima Sharman, had us all in hysterics with their hilarious version of ‘Tinderella’.

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Such success on the stage was equalled by Bensonites’ support of the charity event ‘Stars in their Eyes’. Charlotte Power’s band, Paramore, came third on one of the nights whilst Emily Lynch, Georgia Crump and Christina Radukic also gave fabulous performances. Naturally, Bensonites were also vital behind the stage; Olivia Longthorpe, Niamh Lynch and Grace Gardiner all answered the call to serve in the Tech Crew and in the case of Grace, even endured injury to support the cause! Success also followed us in the French Fourth Form Reading competition, with no less than four Bensonites in the final! We were incredibly proud of Charlotte Hopkinson, Ezme Shekerzade, Sophia Williams and Nena Nurbhai for their participation. Nena won and Sophia came second, which was a wonderful achievement. For the musicians amongst us, the Spring Term was equally busy. The Fourth Form concert saw Nena Nurbhai and Catherine Jackson performing on the violin and cello respectively, whilst Katie Day represented us with great panache in the Pianists’ Concert. In the Leo Price Theatre, the Lower Fifth gave up hours of their time to produce a physical drama with Rough Fiction called “Ageing Youth”, and for those of us old enough to consider ourselves one of this category, this was somewhat of a wakeup call! In the meantime, the Upper Fifth performed challenging duologues for their GCSE exams that had many of us near to tears! Sport proved to be a little more of a challenge for us this term. Busy Bensonites attacked the netball pitches in March with vigour and, once again, rather a lot of giggling! Our senior squad, which was ably guided by Ellysia Lewin, came third, as did our junior team who were led with skill by ZaZa Cooper and Jemima Sharman. As for the Swimming Gala, despite being blessed with a wonderfully experienced Head of Swimming, Tory Snowden, we were just unable to beat some of the professional swimmers in Young and Alliott House on the day. Therefore we were placed third for the third time that term! The Easter holiday gave us all time to refresh and catch up. Our Upper Sixth enjoyed the cultured sophistication of New York with the Art Department

whilst other members of the Sixth Form actively supported charity ventures, with Grace Gardiner and Ellie McGowan bravely completing the Moonwalk. The Upper Fifth unfortunately had the far harder task of fearlessly enduring bad weather to complete their Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award practices! With external exams quickly upon us, the Summer Term flew past. Fortunately, our sporting activities were far more successful once the sun and the bees had emerged! Our tennis team proved to be incredibly effective and, having won all our matches apart from one, Ellie McGowan and Inka Pearson bravely faced the Farrant twins from Tee House in the final to receive a welldeserved second place. The junior team was even more successful and won every single match, leaving them undisputed victors. Well done to Amy Craft, Jasmine Franklin, Lucy Minichiello and Laura Talbot Rice. Inspired by such success, Bensonites then went on to represent the House proudly on Sports Day, despite the attack from the swarm of bees! Under Jasmine Franklin’s command, our relay team was placed second and overall we came third. Unfortunately, victory did not follow us onto the rounders pitch! Despite Olivia Longthorpe’s desperate desire to leave Benson in a winning position, we were placed fourth. We can but thank Olivia for her years of dedication to the sport as well as Lucy Minichiello for her skilful guidance of the Junior team and the entire Upper Sixth, who decided that, since this was their last House event, they would participate ‘en masse’ regardless of their aptitude for the sport. It will be a long time before I forget the look of shock on Saskia Potts’ face as the ball came hurtling towards her! Whilst our Upper Sixth put in their all on Top Field, the Fourth Form were equally excited by the prospect of their first Senior School Production. No less than seven Bensonites starred in “Annie: The Musical” and “Agatha Rex”, giving up hours of their time to rehearsals. Amy Craft, Nena Nurbhai, Charlotte Hopkinson and Anna Hardy gave superb performances in the chorus line of “Agatha Rex” whilst Vicky Edge and Ellie Bichara were captivating in the lead roles. Ellie Bennett and Sophie-Anne adopted the roles of orphans in “Annie: The Musical” and thereby mastered the demands of singing and dancing at the same time with commendable ease. Buoyed on by their performance, the whole House then journeyed to London with Collett to enjoy a summer night’s showing of the “Lion King”. A wonderful evening was had by all, particularly the Upper Sixth of both Houses who had become close, or as Toby Smollett phrased it: ‘a unit’. To say they led Benson House with kindness and a unique sense of humour would be only to scrape the surface of their contribution. They were determined to unite the hive and, to that end, they established the main Common Room

Benson House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

as their base so that they were accessible to all of Benson, despite my annoyance at their mess! Outdoor musical chairs, constructing human pyramids with the Fourth Form and filling Olivia’s car with balloons to celebrate her driving skills are but a few reasons why their presence will be dearly missed in the years to come. None of the above would have been possible if it were not for Emily and Niamh’s expert leadership of their year group and the House: they led very much from the front and never asked others to do what they were not prepared to do themselves. Unfortunately, our Upper Sixth were not the only people who we said goodbye to at the end of the Summer Term for we also waved a sad farewell to Amber Sewell, who left our Upper Fifth, and Mrs Mullender, the first Housemistress of Benson House, who retired from her position as Assistant Head (Pastoral). Benson House was created by her and everything, from our House maxim ‘dare to be different’ through to our House colour and commitment to excellence, emanates from her. Mrs Mullender’s consistent support, wisdom and stylish presence over the past seven years since her promotion has been invaluable to our House (or should I say hive?). Therefore, Mr Woodhouse could not have picked a more appropriate nor fitting theme for his final assembly for Mrs Mullender, for she was and will remain our ‘Queen Bee’. To say we will miss her is an understatement indeed, however, Benson will continue to wear red proudly and stand firmly upon the principles by which she founded our wonderful House. Let us hope that, in the years ahead, we do her proud and continue to be busy bees who strive to do their best in what we all consider to be the best hive in the College! Emma Chaplin

Speech Day Awards Fourth Form Year Prize: Eleanor Bennett, Nena Nurbhai Lower Sixth Classics subject prize: Christina Radukic Lower Sixth Theatre Studies prize: Christina Radukic Lower Sixth Economics prize: Kristie Overton Lower Sixth Politics prize: Inka Pearson Lower Sixth Mathematics prize: Inka Pearson Lower Sixth Media Studies prize: Grace Gardiner Upper Sixth English prize: Georgia Crump Upper Sixth French prize: Georgia Crump

Upper Sixth Art Prize: Beth Gregory Fourth Form Academic Endeavour Award: Hannah Kiely, Ezme Shekerzade, Sophia Williams Lower Fifth Academic Endeavour Award: Jemima Plume Upper Fifth Academic Endeavour Award Emily Honey, Maya Nurbhai Lower Sixth Academic Endeavour Award: Ema Slapikaite Upper Sixth Academic Endeavour Award: Ellysia Lewin, Emily Lynch Schnadhorst History Prize: Georgia Crump Pettitt Contribution Cup: Maya Nurbhai

Within Benson House Senior Contribution Cups: Inka Pearson and Helena Cope (Autumn) Emily Lynch and Niamh Lynch (Spring) Kristie Overton (Summer) Junior Contribution Cups: Ellie Bennett and Laura Talbot Rice (Autumn) Nena Nurbhai (Spring) Amy Craft and Zaza Cooper (Summer) House Colours : Christina Radukic Lily Lewin Charlotte Power Elizabeth Wilkin Helena Cope Saskia Potts Imogen Poulter Inka Pearson Jemima Sharman Lucy Minichiello Laura Talbot Rice Amelia Maszlin 77

Collett House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Collett House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Collett House Housemistress:

Gill Lynch

Academic tutors:

Stephen Bacon (Lower Fifth) Graham Brooks (Upper Fifth)

Hon. tutor:

Dr Gill Allcock

Heads of House:

Tom Allcock and David Ballard

Deputy Head of House:

Tom Dawkins

College Prefect:

David Ballard Tom Dawkins Matthew Green Stephen Smithers

Head of School :

Stephen Smithers

Monitor:

David Ballard (Lower Sixth)

refects (4), Head of School (1), Heads of House (2): not a bad representation from Collett House’s Upper Sixth whom, as I said in my Speech Day presentation, are a very talented bunch of young men. They have led the House very well this year and, while we did not win many competitions, we built the foundations for glory in future years by coming second in several of the competitions we took part in. We welcomed thirteen new Fourth Formers and three new

Lower Sixth formers into Collett House in September, which brought the numbers of ‘Colletians’ to sixty-four.

s soon as term started in September, we were thrown into House Music rehearsals under the leadership of the music maestro that is Stephen Smithers. For the Unison, we sang Mr Blue Sky, for the Part Song, a Beach Boys Medley and, for the Instrumental, the theme tune from Monsters Inc. Weeks of practising paid off with the instrumental coming first. Cup number 1. Our debating pair of Stephen Smithers and Tom Dawkins fought hard in their debate and were unlucky to lose.

unning and rugby were also high profile for Collett House in the Autumn Term. The Yeo Cup had to be postponed due to rain but, when it finally took place, the boys ran their hearts out and came third in the seniors and fourth in the juniors with a stunning effort from the Head Boy. During the rugby festival, the House’s senior team played far better than we all thought they could and, despite injuries, won several of their games. However, they did not quite make it to the final. Congratulations all the same to Dan Hood, Will Dawkins, Alex Pedersen, Jeevan Basra, Chris Davies, Will Watson, Will Civil, Charlie Juniper, Conrad Noble and Matt Hollis. The juniors fared better, winning all of their round robin matches

and only running out of steam in the final against Robert Pearce House. The Collett House team was heavy with Fourth Formers, so fingers crossed for junior successes next year. The team was made up of Jamie Brooks, Jake Morris, Patrick Thomas, Jacob Self, Matt Jones, Adam Bassingthwaighte, Jordan Badman, Jonny Eddom, Will Hodge (capt), Alex Sugden and Nic Zeolla. The 11th November saw, once again, Will Watson play the last post at the Remembrance Service and Stephen and Katie, as Heads of School, read out the names of the fallen from the two World Wars.

eeping the tradition of recent years alive, the Brains Trust team, under the captaincy of James Moir, defeated all in their wake and ended up in the final against Hayward House. As is usual in the encounters between these two Houses, the competition was tight and it was all down to the last question (AGAIN) and Hayward House won. Second again! The team consisted of James Moir, Dan Hood, James Gregory and Adam Bassingthwaighte, with Ryan Slowe as substitute. The School Play was performed towards the end of term; this year, it was Kabaret with the lead role of MC being expertly played by David Ballard (who didn’t lose his voice this time). It was an excellent team performance and a real Colletian affair with boys from the House providing the background music (led by Stephen and

accompanied by Matt Green, Tom Allcock, James Moir). Before we broke up for the holidays, Benson House and Collett House got together to go ice skating at Van Hage Garden Centre. A good time was had by all and, although there were a few fallers, some of them were not of their own accord (thank you Ryan).

pring Term was quite short but a lot was packed into it. Our debating team for the juniors saw two Fourth Formers, Luke Eddershaw and Matthew Jones, take to the floor. They were trained by Ryan Slowe and James Gregory. All four boys did very well and it was unfortunate that that they lost to the Lower Fifth Robert Pearce House pairing. Matt Green, Tom Allcock, Piers Berry and honorary Colletian Dan Power won Stars in their Eyes on one of the three nights, with the host being David Ballard. Nic Zeolla also took to the stage, as did James Moir, and Max Collett and Dan Farr were once again working their socks off behind the scenes ensuring all went well with the performances. House Reading took place a week earlier this year and our entrants did well. Max Jacoby represented the House in the Fourth Form and read from a children’s book in a very engaging manner. Ryan Slowe, James Gregory, Ben Stevenson, Ollie Maszlin and Nick Horne were the Upper Fifth/ Lower Fifth entrants and they made the final with the Luke Wright poem, ‘Bloody hell it’s

Barbara’. David Ballard was the Sixth Form representative and came in second with his rendition of ‘Can we autocorrect Humanity’. House hockey was in the final week of term and, once again, our teams surpassed expectations with the seniors getting to the final but losing out to Sutton House. Our Head of House, Tom Allcock, literally gave his blood for the House when he was smacked in the head by a ball; he is still bearing the scars but, being the trooper that he is, he was on stage with his band later on that evening.

n March, House swimming took place. Dan Hood was the man in charge and selected a strong team for the seniors. Thanks must go to Tom Harnack, Max Collett, Tom Ogden, Dan Hood and the star of the show Luke Sears for finishing third overall. Our junior team comprising Luke Eddershaw, Jake Morris, Will Hodge and Cameron Tooke finished in fifth place overall. There was fierce competition among the seniors to represent the House in the Dent Cup and it was a close swum thing with Collett coming third.

espite being on study leave, Matt Hollis and James Daniels came into College to play in the House tennis competition, which was the next event on the calendar. It was a lovely sunny day and both James and Matt, in particular, played a high level of tennis to win the competition, defeating every pair that they met. Cup number 2.

The junior teams were Jamie Brooks and Jake Morris, as well as Will Hodge and Adam Bassingthwaighte. Will and Basso got to the finals but were beaten by the better pairing from Sutton House. Sports Day too took place in June and this turned out to be an event buzzing with excitement (literally when the College bees decided to swarm during the 400m and a large proportion of the spectators had to hit the deck to avoid being stung). Jamie Brooks was the victor ludorum, despite nursing a leg injury, while Jake Morris and Will Hodge won their respective races. The less sporty members of the Fourth Form and Lower Fifth competed in the obstacle course. When the results were announced, we discovered we had yet again come SECOND. Several of the Lower Fifth took part in their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions in May and June, with six of the Upper Sixth completing their Gold expedition in Yorkshire in June. Eight Lower Sixth went to Derbyshire to attempt their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Gold practice expedition.

very good thing has to come to an end and so it was with a heavy heart that we said good bye to the leavers of 2015. And if you don’t know who Parkside are, just wait and see…. Gill Lynch

Collett House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

House Colours:

Jack Whitehead James Moir James Gregory Ryan Slowe Ben Stevenson Conrad Noble Christian Davies William Watson

Russell Adam Bassingthwaighte Contribution Cup: and Will Hodge Arthur Evans Ties Tom Allcock David Ballard Tom Dawkins Matthew Green Music colours:

Matthew Green

Drama Colours: Daniel Farr Max Collett Alex Pedersen

Speech Day Prizes Special Prizes: Drama David Ballard Roger Heath Piano Award Stephen Smithers Choir Matt Green Roger Heath Award Jack Whitehead

Collett House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Music colours Drama Colours Henry Wacey Cup Techni colour prize

Band Dan Hood Craig Orchestra Prize Chris Wilkin Scripture Prize Zac Matthews

Exam success

Academic Prize winners: James Gregory Luke Eddershaw Endeavour Awards: Upper Fifth Josh Page Lower Fifth Cameron Tooke Fourth Form Max Jacoby

Merit totals 50+ Luke Eddershaw 30+ Cameron Tooke 20+ Max Jacoby Ben Smollett Jordan Badman Chris Wilkin Ben Pegrum Patrick Thomas

Congratulations to the Upper Sixth who gained the following results: Tom Allcock David Ballard Piers Berry Tom Dawkins Matt Green James Moir Stephen Smithers Toby Smollett Jack Whitehead

2 x A*. A, B 2 x A*, A A, B, D 2 x A, B 3 xA 3 xA 2 x A, C 2 x A, B A, B, D

And to the following Lower Sixth (61) (36) (28) (29) (24) (22) (21) (20)

End of Term Awards Savills Art Prize Arthur Evans Tie

Dan Hood Tom Allcock Piers Berry Jake Morris Dan Farr

Christian Davies Tom Dawkins

Jeevan Basra Dan Hood Jake Gransbury

4 xA 4 xA 3 x A, B

And to the Upper Fifth who all receive a 10 Club Tie Christian Davies, James Gregory Nick Horne Edward Oakley Josh Page Ryan Slowe Will Watson

3 x A*, 7 x A 10 x A* 3 x A*, 7 x A 5 x A*, 5 x A 6 x A*, 4 x A 8 x A*, 2 x A 7 x A*, 3 x A 81

Hayward House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Hayward House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Hayward House Housemaster:

struggled to be competitive in swimming, and this was further demonstrated by a win for our Dent Cup squad made up of Owen Crawford, Peter Hall, Ewan Slade, Samuel Solway, Lucas Newsome, Ben Raymond, Christian Sullivan, Henry Tran and Michael Precious, with joint Head of House Tom Burrows leading the team home! S is also for…Stamina, with Cameron Brickel, Alex Pilcher and Ben Raymond running superbly as darkness fell in the Yeo Cup.

Mr M Drury

Assistant Miss D Savva Housemistress: Academic tutors:

Mrs P Mullender (Lower Fifth) Mr J Kirton (Upper Fifth)

is for...Winners: swimming, merits, Brains Trust, 80 Club; all bases covered, yet again!

Heads of House: Tom Burrows James Williams

College Prefect: Owen Crawford House Colours: Alex Pilcher Ben Raymond Henry George Cameron Brickel Miss D Savva Headmaster’s Final Assembly awards:

Fourth Form Academic Endeavour Awards: Matthew Barrett, Peter Hall Lower Fifth Academic Endeavour Award: Ciaran Picker Upper Fifth Academic Endeavour Award: Ben Brierley Lower Sixth College Academic Award: Hardev Matharoo Upper Sixth College Academic Award: Owen Crawford Arthur Evans Tie: Henry George

Speech Day awards: Lower Fifth Form Prize:

Scott Hextall

E W Edmunds Tom Dwyer Prize for Biology: Henry George Lower Sixth Business Studies Prize: Findlay Award for Geography Fieldwork:

James Williams

is for…Brains Trust: although the earlier rounds were relatively straightforward victories, the final was anything but! With the scores virtually level going into the last treble-chance round, we had our noses fractionally ahead as Collett House began their last question; Collett took a long time to deliberate over their answer to ‘What was the name of William Wordsworth’s sister?’,

but fortunately for Hayward they were unable to give the right one. Therefore, Tom Burrows, Hardev Matharoo, Sean Black and Matt Burrows were victorious and brought home the first piece of silverware to the Hayward trophy cabinet for the year!.

is for…Unexpected: that was certainly the way that the senior Inter-House hockey victory over a much-vaunted RPH team was greeted! The same might be said of the lead that our junior team took against a powerful Collett side, courtesy of Matthew Barrett’s superb goal and, although they couldn’t hold on to that lead, the team came a fantastic second overall. Continuing with Hockey, Henry George was awarded the Preston Cup as the Sixth Form player who showed the most development during the season, and Ollie Brown received the John Perry Stick as the young player of most promise in the College; Ollie and Henry were joined by Josh Ramsay in receiving their Full Hockey Colours this year.

is for…Rugby: in the Inter-House tournament this year, Hayward was represented by Greg Imber, Hugh Fisher, Matthew Barrett, Archie Alexander, Fraser Muir, James Catton, Alex Brockley, Alfie Leahy, Adam Kasperczak, Ezra Connor and Seun Akinniranye in the junior event. Leam Howe, Alex Pilcher, Ben Raymond, Charlie Norris, Will Baines, Henry George, Josh Brockley, Ali Griffiths, Michael Precious, Henry Tran, Lucas Newsome and Ollie Brown (under the expert ‘management’ of Ross McGowan) played their hearts out in the senior event. R is also for…Rotary Club Quiz,

with both Burrows boys (Matt and Tom) joining Hardev Matharoo in the College ‘A’ team that won the local general knowledge competition during the Spring Term.

Dan Hepburn, Grégoire Imber, Fraser Muir, Ethan Newsome, Ben Russell and Samuel Solway into the Fourth Form. We also welcomed new Lower Sixth Formers Will Baines, Tom Dwyer and Charlie Norris to Hayward, along with our new Assistant Housemistress Miss Savva. Miss Savva played a leading role in all the House events throughout the year, and was ‘rewarded’ with her own chant on the evening of House Music! With her talent for baking and setting quizzes as well her role as in-House Physics

guru, Miss Savva is now an integral member of the House team.

is for…Swimmers: our senior team of Martin Brett, Ollie Brown, Harry Hindmarch, Josh Ramsay and the seemingly invincible Cameron Brickel swept all before them as they dominated House swimming team. Our junior team did the House proud as well with Ciaran Picker, James Catton, Tom Hilton, Ben Russell and Matt Burrows coming 2nd equal in the junior competition. Long gone are the days when Hayward

is for...“I want to break free”: the sight of our Upper Sixth performing their ‘walk-up’ to the stage in curly black wigs, miming to the Queen classic with a variety of mops, brooms and hoovers set the tone nicely for our Unison song, more of which in a moment...

is for...Leavers: at the end of the Summer Term, we said goodbye to Upper Sixth Formers Tom Burrows, Owen Crawford, Leam Howe, Hugo Kesterton, Charlie Latchford and James Williams, each of whom contributed to the life of the House over the course of the year; Tom and James leading by example as joint Heads of House this year. It was also time to say farewell to Lucas Newsome (Upper Fifth), who had represented Hayward in just about every sport possible during his

is for…Reading: our intermediate group didn’t manage to reach the House Reading final, despite an excellent performance of Luke Wright’s “Stay-at-Home Dandy” by Scott Hextall, Ciaran Picker, Matt Burrows, Ben Brierley, Lucas Newsome and Ewan Slade. Henry George, reading an extract from Jeremy Clarkson’s article on “Middle-Lane Hogging” and Ben Russell, performing “The Devil welcomes you to Hell”, both made it through to the final and did the House proud; Ben, in particular, came so close to winning the overall Fourth Form competition and did a magnificent job of repeating his performance in assembly. Greg Imber came joint first in the French Reading competition in the Summer Term – a tremendous achievement.

is for…Organ playing: once again, Owen Crawford’s expert accompaniment to the Hymns sung in the Memorial Hall was a pleasure to listen to; his excellence was rewarded with the offer of an Organ scholarship as part of his offer to read Medicine at Cambridge. O is also for… Overseas trips, with hockey and cricket taking Haywardians to Holland and South Africa, respectively.

is for…Welcome: in September, we welcomed Archie Alexander, Matthew Barrett, Alex Brockley, Jack Calder, James Catton, Hugh Fisher, Peter Hall, 83

Hayward House

time here in addition to taking part in House Reading and playing the drums in this year’s Instrumental.

is also for...Leaders: with an eye to the future, the year ended with Alex Pilcher and Ross McGowan appointed as joint Heads of House for 2015-16 and Henry George as one of our Heads of School.

is also for...“It must be love”: this year’s Unison song was one of the best performances in recent competitions. With Owen Crawford conducting with a feather duster and Scott Hextall accompanying on piano, the House sang better than in any rehearsal; our helium heart-shaped balloons, carefully smuggled onto the stage in the walk-up, were a great addition to the finale of the song. I is also for Instrumental, with a great performance of ‘Ghostbusters’ accompanied by Fourth Form ‘ghosts’ Fraser Muir and James Catton doing all they could to bribe the adjudicator with sweets!

is for...Alarm clocks: it is something special for a Day House to win the 80 Club Cup, so retaining it this year (albeit by a single day!) was amazing. With at least 50 days, Owen Crawford (75), Cameron Brickel (84) and Hugh Fisher (98) were among the leading early birds in the House. A is also for All-rounders, with Matt Burrows and Ciaran Picker receiving the House Contribution award at Easter for their debating, House Reading, merits totals and achievements in House swimming. A also stands for Athletics, with Seun Akinniranye’s performance in the 100m final being one of several highlights. A must also be for ‘Awesome Acapella’, with a terrific Part Song group led by Owen Crawford.

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Hayward House

is for...Merits: there were plenty in the twenties, including Alfie Leahy (20), Josh Brockley and Ewan Slade (21), with Archie Alexander, Matt Burrows and Dan Hepburn at 22; Hugh Fisher, Fraser Muir and Ethan Newsome all reaching 23; Ciaran Picker and Tom Hilton both received 24 and Scott Hextall managed a very impressive 34. Top of the class was Fourth Former Ben Russell with a magnificent 54. M is also for Money, with £1200 raised for Grove Cottage during our Charity Week courtesy of an outstanding sequence of cake sales, a raffle and a worryingly popular Lower Sixth ‘Slave’ sale…it was fitting that Charlie Latchford and Owen Crawford, who both volunteered at the Bishop’s Stortford’s Mencap centre, presented the cheque to Grove Cottage’s Fundraiser Natalie Trapmore on behalf of the House.

is for…Silver: a spoon in the case of Tom Hilton, who managed to complete an outstanding 120 days in the 80 Club, and one of the heaviest College trophies in the form of the solid silver Chas Mellows award (for the most improved swimmer in the Senior School) presented to Harry Hindmarch. Without doubt, Tom’s commitment provided the backbone of the Hayward effort in retaining the 80 Club Cup and won him the House Contribution award at the end of the Summer Term.

ll in all, another successful year at Number 7 Maze Green Road. No report could be complete, however, without recognition of Mrs Pauline Mullender’s monumental contribution to Hayward House. From mentoring her tutees, advising our reading and debating teams, sourcing

(and pinning on!) button-holes for that House Music ‘X-Faktor’, galvanising raffle and cake sales, cheering on Brains Trust success and helping to explain the intricacies of the cricket scoring system to the uninitiated, Mrs Mullender has played a central role in the life of the House over recent years. It was lovely to give her a suitable send-off in the Hayward garden with a German ‘House Breakfast’ organised by Miss Savva, and to present her with some ‘Purple Tiger’ roses as a token of our affection and gratitude for all that she has done, prior to her retirement at the end of the Summer Term. It goes without saying that we all wish her, along with all our Leavers, nothing but the best for the future. Matt Drury

Robert Pearce House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Robert Pearce House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Robert Pearce House Heads of House: Tom Krinks and Oliver Heath House Colours: Tom Krinks Oliver Heath Ceo Cheng RPH Pearceistance Harry Eedes Cup:

s I sit back to reflect upon another busy year in the life of RPH, I am amazed at all that has been achieved by the pupils and the continued endeavours shown in all aspects of College and House life. We hit the ground running this academic year and almost immediately rehearsals were underway for House Music. Vincenzo Gibilaro and Ceo Cheng were our young men in charge; they did a fantastic job organising the rehearsals and getting each section up to standard, ready for the big night. Our Unison song choice was “Bad Day” by Daniel Powter but, despite countless hours rehearsing, the performance on the night wasn’t quite up to par and we sped through the song a little bit too quickly. Needless to say though, the boys gave 110% and enjoyed themselves in the limelight, which is the most important thing! For the Part Song, we performed a brilliant

version of “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers and, although many of the audience felt we were worthy of winning, we came second. For the Instrumental, we used our Italian influences in our rendition of “Godfather Melody”, which included some outstanding playing on the mandolin by Vincenzo. Special thanks must go to all those who put in hours of rehearsals on the nights running up to the big event itself: Jay Wong, Vincenzo Gibilaro, Max Reid, Freddie Harris, Oliver Lewis, Austin Sewell, John Minihane, Alex Portas and Ceo Cheng. Special mention must go to Brian Chung who played brilliantly on electric guitar and has since gone on to pastures new to pursue his musical career. Vincenzo delicately said: “though we may have lost, may we ride again and meet the Giants once more”, which is a rather fitting mantra. RPH won the Yeo Cup; Austin Sewell and James Revell being placed first and second respectively. In the senior event, all our runners were placed within the top 20 of the competition. In the junior event, an outstanding team effort resulted in a brilliant win with Hugo Lennie, amongst others, being a star on the day. So, overall, we won both the junior and senior events deservedly, although these achievements

weren’t reliant on natural talent alone, instead the preparation weeks prior to the running of the actual race was reflected with the plethora of podium finishes. Special thanks must go to Austin Sewell for organising all the practices and for getting a team fighting fit and ready to perform. House rugby took place later in the Autumn Term and, this year, we went a stage further than being the losing finalists and won the overall competition! On paper, we were not the strongest teams however we pulled together, worked hard and played as a team and it wasn’t too long until we were in the final against our old rivals, Collett House. In the final itself, we managed to play some really good Sevens rugby and stifled a talented Collett team, much to the dismay of Mr Brooks (coach). In the senior event, we again won the competition and once more, on paper, we were not the strongest, but great performances by a number of players allowed us to win in the final against a strong Sutton House team. It just goes to show that if you work hard, train hard and believe in yourself, anything is possible. House Debating is another competition that takes place in the busy Autumn Term

and, this year, Alex Sokhanvari and Alex Turley-Pound performed well in the first round against Alliott House. With a motion discussing the pros and cons of arming the police force, Alex S put forward a strong argument which was supported by Alex T-P, but unfortunately we did not convince the judges enough. I would like to thank both of these young men for the time that they put into the preparation as they impressed all whom saw them perform. Alex Sokhanvari was also a key member of the Brains Trust Team this year together with Tom ‘Gav’ Gvero, Alex Turley-Pound, Dougal Pottinger and Joe Minichiello, all of whom were up against a strong Collett House team. Topics such as Film, Sport and General Knowledge gave both teams a chance to display their excellent knowledge however, as the competition drew to a close, we were pipped at the post by the Collett team who demonstrated a vast array of knowledge of some very random and ridiculous facts! We established strong foundations upon which I hope we can build on in the competition next year.

that anyone could want. I can do nothing but highly recommend it as one of the most memorable shows I’ve ever seen. Also, in the last few days of term, we had our annual Sixth Form dinner at a local curry house which seemed a great way to celebrate our achievements before we all moved on to a new year with new challenges. In the New Year, the House hockey competition was upon us in next to no time and it was great to see the seniors perform well albeit with a slightly weaker team than previous years. It is testament to the dedicated approach of the boys of RPH that

saw the likes of Fin Clark and Tolu Osinibi came out of ‘retirement’ to represent us for the last time. Unfortunately, our tenure ended prematurely and we didn’t get through the qualifying rounds. In the junior event, however, we performed brilliantly and made it through to the final. It was an incredibly close-run competition with a number of teams on level points but, after a long pause, it was announced that RPH were the winners by a small margin from Collett. It was a great all-round team performance and the RPH player of the tournament was Tom Grove-Smith.

It was good to see a number of boys involved in the UK Space Design Competition and they must be congratulated on their achievements. Alex Turley-Pound, John Minihane and Ben Corti Tyler impressed many during the competition itself. To end the year, we had a memorable theatre trip to see “War Horse” which was one of the most incredible theatrical experiences 86

Robert Pearce House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Robert Pearce House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Sargent had helped him through this awful experience so we felt fully justified in our choice of charity this year. The FIFA ‘15 competition was also a huge success; pupils were able to bid for their team and, once preliminary rounds had taken place, the final was held in the Memorial Hall. Huge screens showcased the event and saw Tom Gvero win in a close match against a member of the Fourth Form. However, the emphasis wasn’t about winning or losing – although it made great viewing – but about raising money and, with other events, namely ‘guess the amount of jellybeans in the jar’ and cake sales for those with a sweet tooth, we raised in excess of £2000.

The House Reading Competition takes place early in February and, this year, we made it through to the second round in the Lower and Upper Fifth group as well as the junior event. In the junior event, Sam Farrington performed very well indeed (as did the Lower and Upper Fifth) but we couldn’t repeat the successes of last year which was a shame. But as we move on, I’m sure that we will use the experience gained in future competitions. In the Junior Debating, we lost in the second round. The judges were torn but the final

decision wasn’t in our favour, which was a little disheartening as a convincing stance was debated eloquently. All was not lost as the boys triumphed over Collett House. Henry Hunt and Joe Minichiello performed brilliantly on both occasions and clearly have a strong debating future ahead of them. The House Charity Week is now a biannual event and this year we decided to collect money for Clic Sargent because sadly a former member of the House had not long been diagnosed with testicular cancer. Clic

Another event that took place this year was the excellent House Athletics Competition, with notable performances from Hugo Lennie and Lucas Tindale. Not to detract from the main event, Dougal Pottinger, Harry Eedes and Hugo Sau completed the obstacle course with the fastest time – well done chaps! In House Cooking late in the Summer Term, the boys of RPH cooked up a real treat led by the excellent Ben Le Sage. Ben is a keen cook and used his culinary skills to create a number of memorable dishes that were enjoyed by everyone during the course of the evening of the competition. Although we didn’t win, we had a great evening tasting some fantastic food cooked not only by us, but the other Houses as well.

It is great to see old members of the House pop back to see us and this year was no different. Rory Firman, Joe Reardon and, from Hong Kong, Vin Ng popped in to see us one afternoon as did the likes of Richard Valentine and Tom Clarke. As ever, it is always a real joy to see and chat to these young men about their experiences since they left the College and RPH. Tom now lives and works in Korea as a teacher and has recently got engaged, Richard works in the city and, on his visit to us, brought his girlfriend to see RPH for the first time. The others mentioned have just finished university and are in the process of finding a job.

new they had become engaging young gentlemen ready for University and the challenges ahead. I would like to wish them and everyone else a successful academic year to follow and conclude by thanking all of the RPH team, the tutors, my wife, the

year reps, the team players, the debaters, the musicians, the sportsmen, and everyone else that contributes so much to the life of Robert Pearce House. Richard Honey

Academic achievement goes hand-in-hand with House achievements and, this year, academic commendations were awarded to: Henry Hunt, Dougal Pottinger, Benedict Corti Tyler, Cameron Snell, Jenzan Fung, Alex Sokhanvari, Harry Bailey, James Higgins and Andruis Vaitkus. And so, as the year ended, we all looked back at another outstanding twelve months in the life of the House that has seen not only great competitions but has seen the young men of RPH take all the opportunities that come their way and cherish the moments that will become part of their school years - those excellent and memorable years that they will reflect upon in their old age. We always end the year with the Sixth Form dinner, which allows them to reminisce over the last five years and enjoy one last ‘hurrah’ together. The evening this year was a memorable one because, though the Upper Sixth had their ups and downs (as is always the way), as they left us to go to pastures 88

School House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

School House

School House Housemaster/ Mr P Griffin Housemistress: Mrs A Griffin House Tutors: Mr D Arkell Mr T Fulton Mrs T Hood Mr M Wilson Mr N Prowse Mr J Prowse Heads of House: Doug Reid Jim Thomson Prefect: Doug Reid Taylor Weeks House Colours: Anton Bashkirov

Housemaster’s Comment

very year, the members of School House manage to pack more effort and more attainment into the long Autumn Term. Despite the fact that many of the gentlemen of School House are hard-working members of the College, I sometimes wonder whether a few of them would benefit from more involvement in extra-curricular activities. There is so much to be gained from seeking out new interests, and who knows, some might find that they enjoy it so much, they decide to follow it as a career. Through activities such as Drama, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme and the Young Enterprise Group, members of the House have developed a wide range of skills including those in leadership, teamwork and public speaking. All of these will be invaluable throughout their time at the College and in higher education. I would encourage all members of the House to take advantage of these experiences and opportunities whilst they can. As Joint Heads of House, Doug and Jim were a great inspiration to all. I hope we will have more young men like them in the House for years to come. Thank you, guys. I would also like to thank all of the House staff: Lillian, Diane, Tina and Yvonne for all of the effort they put into keeping School House in some semblance of order and helping the boys maintain a tidy and hygienic existence. Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to Lillian over the summer, who is retiring after working at the College for 27 years. I can’t even start to estimate the number of socks washed, name labels sewn in, and shirts ironed by Lillian in her time in School House, but it has always been done with the upmost care and attention. 90

Mr Fulton and Mrs Hood have done a great job managing the academic concerns of the Upper and Lower Fifth Form and Mr Wilson, Mr N Prowse and Mr J Prowse have been great visiting tutors. I have always greatly appreciated the fact that I can completely rely on them to care for the House during their duty evenings.

appreciate his help… and his help with Music and German prep!!! My last thanks must go to my wife, Amy, for helping me to manage the House during our first decade as Housemaster and Mistress. P.M.Griffin Housemaster, School House

This year, we have been lucky enough to still have Mr Arkell as our Resident Tutor. It is great to have such a dependable and capable member of staff and all of the boys certainly 91

School House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

School House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Joint Heads of House report The Autumn Term is always a hectic one, with some adjusting to a new school and the new workload, but we were pleased that School House made fantastic progress both inside and outside of the House. Within the House, we feel that there has been a fantastic spirit which has contributed to a friendly atmosphere, one where Fourth Form to Upper Sixth spend time together in the common room. Competition-wise, this year has been jampacked with the likes of House Music, House Rugby, Yeo Cup and Folk Story Telling, just to name a few. In all of them, School House put massive effort in whilst maintaining the steady level of banter we’ve grown accustomed to and have put in what we like to think is the correct amount of effort; enough to give it a good shot without rehearsing/practicing every break and lunch time! We would like to thank all who have got involved even when they were a bit out of their comfort zone, and also all of those who came to support members of the House in these competitions as it really does make things a lot more enjoyable. When prospective parents and pupils are shown around the House, they comment on the vibrant and fun, yet purposeful, atmosphere that exudes from the House. An atmosphere that we believe each and every member makes a contribution to. While this has undoubtedly been the busiest year of our lives (so far), it has also been the most rewarding. Being Heads of House has

enabled us to gain a close relationship with the guys in the House, and seeing the impact of taking part in all of the competitions we entered this year, particularly after our Unison in House Music, was very satisfying. While we may not have won many competitions this year, we know from the feedback from the guys in the House and also from feedback from rather jealous members of other Houses, that we made sure, regardless of what we thought our chances were, that we tried and had fun doing it. House Swimming, Sports Day, Rugby and again House music were all examples of this, where people such as staff and members of other Houses all commented on how much they loved School House’s attitude towards these events, so long may it continue with next year’s House leaders. With so much to ‘look forward to’, like exams and UCAS deadlines, all of the Upper Sixth would agree this year has gone by in a flash. The most important bit of advice we can convey to the rest of the House is to make sure you take every opportunity in these last few years of your time at the College. While we, as a year group, have had our ups and downs, we have all greatly benefited from the outcome of everything we’ve done and wouldn’t be the positive, well-rounded people that we are without making the odd mistake along the way. Thank you to Mr and Mrs Griffin, Mr Arkell and all of the other House staff for making this an unforgettable time at Bishop’s Stortford College, particularly in School House. Doug and Jim, Joint Heads of House

Commendations and Speech Day Prizes Headmaster’s Commendations: Sixth Form: Doug Reid Jim Thomson Taylor Weeks Matteo Alessandri Anton Bashkirov Thomas Baucher Jack Bennett Max Burrows James Catton George Durrant Roy Lin James Tetlow Andy Wong Fifth Form: Kier Ansell Fred Bley Dave Chan Bosco Cheung Jeffrey Cheung James Fox William Laws Louis Radley Fourth Form:

Jack Le Grove

Speech Day Prizes: Chemistry: Rongyu Lin Sir Charles Alexander Prize for Design Technology: Douglas Reid Economics: Taylor Weeks Lower Fifth Academic Endeavour : Keir Ansell, George Bley, Jeffrey Cheung, James Fox Lower Sixth College Academic Award: Max Burrows, Andy Wong Sportsman of the Year: Taylor Weeks Paul Knowles Recognition Award: Douglas Reid Harvard Prize: (for top academic Performance in a variety of subjects) Anton Bashkirov

Sutton House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Sutton House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Sutton House Housemaster:

Mr Tom Atkinson

Academic tutors:

Dr Stuart McPeake Miss Lucie Michell

Heads of House:

William Radbourne Daniel Mahoney

Prefect:

Daniel Mahoney

Autumn Term

utton House welcomed fifteen Fourth Formers in September: Hugo Abramson, Alex Ainsworth, James Basavaraj, Edward Beaves, Harry Champion, Patrick Collins, Giles Elliott, Zachary Francis, Henry Hotson, George Lee, Sam Moss, Edward Patton, Gus Purvis, Phillip Sarles and Zachary Whiting. With confidence and good humour, they offered much to the House over the year. The House also welcomed Matthew Braz, Sam Marshall, Harvey Parkinson and James Whitby into the Lower Sixth, who all settled quickly into the routines of the House and College.

Cawthray Stern and Bryn Richards. As ever, the Unison song seemed to take the most preparation and Louis did a sterling job of conducting, motivating and choreographing the House as they sang ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ by Queen. Though a popular choice in the House, it was always going to be a challenge to perform on the night. How do you get sixty-eight teenage boys to sound like the unique Freddie Mercury?! Regardless of the result, however, the boys did themselves proud once again; special mention must go to the following pupils who were in all three elements of the competition: Louis Dolding, Dan Power, Will Radbourne, Dan Mahoney, Matthew Braz, Henry Felgate, Will Daniels and Adam Cawthray Stern.

Sutton House’s sporting year got off to a quick start in the Yeo Cup, notably by Ed Patton. Ed came second in the Junior Yeo whilst Matt Bird was the first senior runner to cross the line in fifth place. Never an easy event, Alex Jefcoate (Head of House Sport) did a great job in organising the training schedule and motivating the sixteen runners. I was particularly pleased to see that a quarter of the team was made up of new ‘Suttonites’ keen to contribute so early on in the year.

Easter Term

Sutton House’s two Oxbridge candidates, Daniel Mahoney and Alastair Ward-Booth, formed the senior debating pair yet again. They demonstrated their academic skills and their ability to stand in front of a crowd and debate at a high level. After beating Tee House and Alliott House, they found themselves in the final against a strong Benson House team opposing the motion ‘This House believes that Britain has long been known as an open and welcoming nation and it should remain so’. Though they put forward compelling arguments, the boys were unfortunate to lose narrowly. The boys continued Sutton House’s tradition of

excelling in the House debating competition and it should be noted that Dan took part in this competition for five years in a row, such was his capacity as a debater. It is no wonder he went to Oxford! The junior team, made up of Bradley Moon and Alex Ainsworth, could not retain the junior trophy for a third year in a row after unfortunately losing to Tee House whilst proposing the motion ‘Democracy is an overrated form of government’. Though unfortunate, it was great experience for both Brad and Alex.

Pearce House lead with Will scoring a terrific try after the break. Sadly, it was not Sutton House’s day, finishing as runners up (again). Not all was lost, however, as Matthew Braz was named as player of the tournament after only six weeks of playing rugby! The juniors played against some taller opponents yet never gave up. There were too many notable performances to name them all, and the boys will have learnt much for next year, but Aaron Trehan’s wonderful try has to be mentioned as one particular highlight.

Sutton House brimmed with confidence and excitement prior to the House rugby tournament, particularly the seniors, as we had many College 1st team players including 1st XV captain Will Radbourne. After some exciting early matches in the round robin, the boys found themselves in the final (again), against Robert Pearce House (again!). Alex Jefcoate and Will Radbourne played with skill, passion and a fierce determination and, though Alex and Jack Greenall were both injured, they played on and the whole team fought back against a quick Robert

Sutton House was full of excitement for the House Music competition, particularly for the Instrumental round, with it being our most recent strength. Preparations began early in the Autumn Term with Louis Dolding, Dan Power and Ben Dulley in charge. The Instrumental piece, ‘Jungle Boogie’ by Kool and the Gang, was stunning and deserved its second place on the night. It was great to see numerous members of the Upper Sixth and some new boys joining the Part-Song group to sing Olly Murs’ ‘Dance with Me Tonight’. Notable performances came from Adam

Sutton House’s Easter Term offered more for the boys to get involved with. The House reading competition seems to arrive earlier every term yet this did not stop the boys from trying to repeat on the previous years’ successes. Sam Moss was eager to take part and read in the Fourth Form round, whilst Henry Felgate read in the Sixth Form round. Once again, the Fifth Form team excelled. Sam Hopkinson, Adam Cawthray Stern, Banaby Dulley, Bryn Richards and Bradley Moon read the comical poem ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ by Dr Seuss. Though not a piece of classic literature, this was irrelevant and they easily made it through the first round and into the final. They rehearsed on a daily basis and impressed the judge and numerous members of staff on the night. What was just as impressive was their ability to re-arrange their performance after Sam suffered a broken nose on the day of the final during a Hockey match (or was it a tactical ploy to remove him from the competition?!). Regardless of this incident, they came in second place (again) and were able to perform in the whole school assembly (with Sam) the following week. They were superb. Sutton House is lucky enough to have some strong members of the College swimming team amongst its ranks, so it was no surprise that a lot of the boys were looking forward to this event in the school calendar. The juniors, with impressive swims from Sam Gallagher, Oscar Cooper, George Lee and Alex Ainsworth, came second overall, losing by only one point to School House. What optimism they show for the future. The senior team, dominated by Lower Sixth swimmers, Matt Bird and Will Saunders in particular, were valiant in their efforts against strong swimmers in other Houses. Sutton House’s Prefect Assembly was ably led by Dan Mahoney and coincided with Valentine’s Day. Being the House of many hopeless romantics, it was decided that the Sutton House boys would speak about Valentine’s Day customs from around the world. A selection of boys educated the 95

Sutton House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Summer Term Sutton House’s anticipation for the House cricket tournament was short-lived as poor weather cancelled the afternoon, yet junior members from Sutton House still managed to enjoy themselves in the annual Sports Day event. Sam Gallagher, Henry Hotson, Charlie Jefcoate and Patrick Collins all came second in their heats in the 200m, 400m and 800m respectively. Nick Murkett jumped very well in the high jump, coming second overall. The ‘B’ relay team of Elliot Needham, Martin Culjkovic, Oscar Cooper and Aaron Trehan stunned other Houses with their speed and won by a considerable margin. Though a swarm of bees tried to ruin the afternoon, the Sutton House boys performed well on the track and in the field. Some of the efforts on the obstacle course were more hilarious than impressive! Sutton House seems to have found its strength in tennis again. Alex Longthorpe, Harry Champion, Alex Ainsworth, and Zac Whiting represented the College in numerous matches across the Summer Term. Ed Patton was always known to be a strong player too though he was unfortunately unable to play for much of the term. This meant, however, that the House was spoilt for choice when putting together two junior pairs for the inter-House competition. Alex and Ed formed one pair, with Harry and Alex forming the other. Both pairs played very well with Alex and Ed winning box 1 and Harry and Alex coming third in box 2. This meant Sutton House won the junior tennis competition on a glorious afternoon. Eager to return to some sport once their exams were over, Kyle Henchie and Jonny Mussard formed the senior pair and played with a sportsman-like attitude.

College whilst offering chocolates and flowers at the end, though I’m not sure how many they received in return! Sutton House’s hockey teams did the House proud once again. The juniors, captained by Elliot Needham, had some strong players in the form of Giles Elliot, Ed Patton, Charlie Jefcoate and Nick Murkett, who were eager to show their talents within a team. So were other Houses though and, with talented junior hockey players in all five boys’ Houses, it was always going to be tricky to succeed. The boys played very well against some very tough opponents. Mr Brooks was heard saying that Sutton House played some of 96

the best hockey he had seen on the day and were able to showcase their skills brilliantly. The senior team looked strong on paper and were equally strong on the AstroTurf. Captained by Alex Jefcoate, the strong team (thirteen in the squad) beat Hayward House 2-0 in their first round match which put them into the final against Collett House. After a long match and some unusual play from the opposition, Sutton House won with a score of 4-1. Though they played very well together, Gem Shekerzade was remarkable in goal. Overall, a great afternoon and fingers crossed for another one next year.

Sutton House always becomes a little quieter in the Summer Term as the public exams take over. I was very pleased to see the older year groups work hard in preparation for these exams and was even more pleased to see some superb results in August. Congratulations to them all. Notable successes were from Dan Mahoney (A*, A*, A; and going to Oxford to read History), Alastair Ward-Booth (A*, A*, A; and going to Cambridge to read Law), Gem Shekerzade (A*, A*, A) and Louis Dolding (A, A, A). Following their GCSEs, the following pupils received a 10 Club Tie for a complete set of A*s and As: Adam Cawthray Stern, Sam Hopkinson, Nick Cowles, Johnnie Crump and Jonny Mussard. Sutton House’s departing Upper Sixth were a memorable year group. They might have been a bit messy and loud but they were wonderful friends and full of fun. Other year groups have a lot to learn from their loyalty and support, regardless of friendship groups. I would especially like to thank the Heads of House, Will and Dan, for all that they

Sutton House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

did over the year. They were a wonderful partnership and always worked together to support myself and the House in general. I know that they were equally supportive to Dr McPeake and Miss Michell, who looked after the House when I was on paternity leave. Like the rest of the House, I will miss them and I wish the entire year group every success in the future. We also said goodbye to Adam Cawthray Stern, Arona Jones and Henry Tinney from the Upper Fifth, as they are due to begin new chapters in their education. I hope they will all keep in touch. Sutton House could not operate without its tutors, so I must thank Dr McPeake and Miss Michell for their efforts. The boys have appreciated their hard work over the past one or two years. Dr McPeake becomes a Sixth Form tutor next year therefore we welcome Mrs Hinge to the Sutton House team, not only as a tutor but as the Deputy Housemaster. I’m thrilled to have her on the team and to know that Dr McPeake will remain ‘attached’ to Sutton House and will support the House when he can. Sutton House is a strange place in the holidays: it’s quiet and cold. It’s a far more welcoming place during term time and I would like to thank all the boys for their contributions to Sutton House life over the past year. Whilst there have been, and always will be, the good days and the bad days, the good days tend to stand out. It pleases me to see the boys walk up the Sutton House staircase with such enthusiasm and this is the attitude that we look for all year round. Overall, it was a fantastic year and I hope to have many more like it in the future. Tom Atkinson

House Contribution Cup winners Elliot Needham Matthew Braz

Sutton Promise Award Martin Culjkovic

House Colours Louis Dolding Daniel Power Alastair Ward-Booth William Daniels Henry Felgate Matthew Braz

Arthur Evans Tie Daniel Mahoney

Speech Day awards U6th subject prizes: Business Studies Gem Shekerzade Media Studies Gem Shekerzade Politics Alastair Ward-Booth

Service to the community Alastair Ward-Booth L6th subject prizes: Design and Technology Max King Academic Endeavour Awards: Ben Dulley Daniel Mahoney Matthew Braz Ben Butcher Jonny Mussard Thomas Radley Headmasters Commendations: Martin Culjkovic Charlie Jefcoate Bradley Moon Elliot Needham Ben Butcher Adam Cawthray Stern Nick Cowles Johnnie Crump Sam Hopkinson Jonny Mussard Thomas Radley Tom Thacker

Matthew Braz William Daniels George Miles Harvey Parkinson Louis Dolding Ben Dulley Jack Greenall Daniel Mahoney David Overton Will Radbourne Gem Shekerzade Alastair Ward-Booth

Merits: 20+ Hugo Abramson Ben Butcher Nick Cowles Sam Hopkinson George Lee Sam Moss Jonny Mussard Elliot Needham Philip Sarles Zachary Whiting 30+ Alex Ainsworth 97

Tee House

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Tee House Housemistress:

Mrs Janet Oldfield

Assistant Housemistress:

Mrs Suzi Brown

Heads of House: Victoria Orbart Ellen Stacey Prefect:

Ellen Stacey

Tee House 2014-15

EErrific: The girls in Tee House have all had a terrific year. They have excelled in competitions, on the sports field, in the theatre, and with their music. We could not be more proud of their achievements and positive contributions to life in Tee House. Every girl has contributed to the House spirit and without any one of them, the House would be a much lesser place.

ffort: The effort all the girls put into their academic studies and the House events is astonishing. They never give in and they achieved fantastic examination results and personal ‘bests’. The outgoing Upper Sixth all achieved the A level grades to go to the University of their choice, and the

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Tee House

appeal and we all helped with donations to the Harvest Festival, Senior Citizen’s Christmas Party and the Food Bank appeal. The Lower Sixth continued the tradition of visiting Whitechapel Mission and served over 250 breakfasts. GCSE exams resulted in over 90 A’s and A*s. The girls were also out and about in Essex, Hertfordshire, and Derbyshire on Bronze, Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions - congratulations to you all!

ntertainment: Our Heads of House, Vicky Orbart and Ellen Stacey, kept us amused with their witty and enjoyable end of term assemblies. They organised a very successful summer party with BBQ, silly games, and a photo-booth which was the perfect ending to a very busy and, at times, stressful year. Our social secretary was Hannah Griffiths, she did a fabulous job organising wonderful House events: Ice skating, pizza evenings, cinema trips, and the highlight, a London Theatre trip to see ‘Mamma Mia’. Tee House girls’ enjoyment of theatre is not limited to spectating. Ellen performed as Birdy in this year’s Stars in their Eyes competition, Katie Harding and Maddie Heath formed part of the Dance Troupe in Kabaret, not to mention wonderful acting performances from Tabbie Morford and Hettie Jones Chapman.

appy: Mrs Brown and I were very very happy when we received our Christmas present from the girls - a Champagne

Afternoon Tea at Fortnum and Mason. We had a lovely time over our cream tea and a very enjoyable (if expensive) look around the shop. We were also thrilled when Victoria Farrant was part of the National winning team in the International Space and Settlement Design Competition. Topping that, she was selected to join the National team and represent the UK at the competition in Florida. With Victoria in the USA, the Spanish trip last summer, the French trip to Paris, and both the French and German exchanges Tee House went international this year. Closer to home, a junior and senior Tee House team came in the top three of the National Academic Challenge competitions.

utgoing: Tee House Girls don’t just make an impact in school - charity week comes once every two years and this year we broke all records with everyone’s generosity. We swam, ate cakes, and listened to some terrible ‘music’ for 6 hours straight which was more than worth it when £2144.26 was collected for CLIC Sargent, a charity geared towards helping young children with Cancer. Jess Paxman and Niamh Doherty gave a school assembly on the Christmas Shoebox

nison: As with every academic year, House Music didn’t disappoint in 2014. The girls came 2nd in the overall category, and 3rd place in both the Part Song and Unison sections. We are grateful to Harriet Long for her indelible work ethic and who encouraged everyone to perform to the best of their ability. Tee Tee Tee Tee!!!

inging: Tee House boasts a plethora of outstanding musicians who were to be heard in every college concert this academic year. During the Autumn Term the Senior School Pupils’ Concert, the Celia’s Concert, and the Carol Concert all had representatives from the House performing. The Spring and Summer Terms didn’t disappoint with the St Michael’s Church recitals, the Pianists and Picnic Concerts and the Fourth Form Concerts which all showcased Tee House talents. If you needed any more proof of our musical gifts the Hertfordshire Young Musician of the Year competition will provide - Rosie Smithers achieved 2nd place in the Vocals section and Ailsa Munro was 2nd in the Senior Woodwind. Congratulations to them both!

xcitement: Lizzie Farrant was the first girl across the line in this year’s Senior Girls’ Pearl Cup and in true House spirit the senior members won the Cup. House hockey, netball, rounders, and tennis games were all played competitively and although there were no podium finishes, we are proud of

Tee House

their sporting prowess and team efforts. Tee House were at the top of their game on Sports Day; we took home the Athletics Shield and had two stars of the show: Charlotte Dady and Amelia Harvey who won the Vitrix Ludorum Prize for best all-round performance. A special mention to Kimberley Oakley for her impeccable organisation of the sporting events – thank you! The competition was not limited to the Sports’ Field; The Brains Trust competition was close this year, and the Debating teams benefitted from a team of researchers who helped the orators prepare their speeches. The House Reading competition was thoroughly enjoyable and the Fifth Form team of Lucy

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Mackaness, Philippa Otter, Lauren Beaver, Eve Leng and Hettie Jones Chapman won their section with a reading of Roald Dahl’s ‘Cinderella’. Thanks must go to Georgina Catchpole who did a sterling job as Master in charge of Competitions. Tee House is a community of caring, enthusiastic, delightful and generous girls. My thanks go to Mrs Suzi Brown, Tee House Assistant Housemistress, as well as Ms Claire Pryce and Mrs Hazel Bailey. Frau Bailey (as she is affectionately known) is leaving us for exciting challenges in Herefordshire – she will be sorely missed by all. Auf Wiedersehen (in honour of Frau Bailey!) and good luck to the Upper Fifth who leave us for further

studies elsewhere. Anna, Lucy, Sophie and Hettie, and to our wonderful Upper Sixth Formers, Annabel, Ombeline, Tabbie, Emma, Harriet, Georgina, Kim, Helena, Aliénor, Emma L, Hannah, Vicky, and Ellen; you will all be missed but not forgotten! Janet Oldfield

Speech Day Prizes 2014 U6th Psychology: Helena Bladen U6th Latin: Aliénor Le Mire Cahn U6th Classics: Harriet Long

L6th Academic Endeavour Prizes: Niamh Doherty Elizabeth Farrant Katie Harding L5th Academic Endeavour Prizes: Harriet Goulding Holly Radbourne

L6th History: Holly Collier

4th Academic Endeavour Prizes: Katherine Fisher Olivia Rix

L6th Physics: Victoria Farrant

Year Prizes

L6th Further Maths: Victoria Farrant L6th Sportswoman of the Year: Elizabeth Farrant Lower school Music Prize: Rosie Smithers U6th Academic Endeavour Prizes: Georgina Catchpole Ellen Stacey

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U5th: Anna Calder L5th: Ailsa Munro

Final Assembly Awards

Tee House Awards Marshall & Marriott award: Elizabeth & Victoria Farrant Oldfield Cup: Summer: Amelia Harvey Spring: Ailsa Munro Autumn : Heather Collier

2015-2016 Positions of Responsibility Heads of House: Katie Harding Jessica Paxman

Arthur Evans Ties: Elizabeth Farrant Victoria Farrant

Prefects: Elizabeth Farrant Victoria Farrant Jessica Paxman

Pettitt Cup: Heather Collier

Head of School: Niamh Doherty 101

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Young House

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Young House Housemistress: Mrs Alison Sloman Resident Tutor: Ms Vicky Ellaway-Bell Academic Tutors: Mrs Caroline Hinge, Mrs Rebecca-Amy Muir Visiting House Ms Hannah Edwards, Staff: Miss Helen Sheehan, Mrs Zoe Kirton Head of School Katie Tesseyman & College Prefect: Head of House: Remi Harvey Deputy Heads Roseanna Cawthray Stern, of House Melissa Craig & College Prefects: House Monitors: Roseanna Cawthray Stern, Melissa Craig, Halima Edozie‑Akinlade, Zoe Griffith, Remi Harvey, Zoe Purdy, Georgia Solomon, Katie Tesseyman, Janice Wong, Chloe Wood

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ello! In September, we welcomed thirteen slightly anxious new Fourth Form girls in the Young House fold: Emma Baker, Amelia Bhatt, Wendy Cowen, Mattie Dawson, Olivia Grice, Georgia Gvero, Chloe Jones, Emily Kerr, Shreeya Khetani, Amber Magson, Hannah Marsden, Ellie Mitchell and Emma Whitehead whilst in the Lower Fifth, Patricia Kelly joined us for a two-term stay, and in the Lower Sixth, Ruyi Meng, Marion Peters and Charlotte Pickwick quickly settled down to the rigours of A-level study and making new friends. The annual Brilliant Bonding Party was an excellent way in which to get to know the new girls: this was brilliantly organised by Remi Harvey and Chloe Wood and all the girls were thrilled with the addition of the Young House Wall of Hands in the upstairs corridor, displaying the burgundy or gold hands of every member of the House including all the House staff too. The youngest Young House girl joined the ranks in November, when Isabelle Elizabeth Sloman made her entrance into the world and was immediately adopted by the girls; when Isabelle made her Young House debut, she was voted the cutest baby ever, much to her ‘Glamma’s’ delight!

from Rent, and then the baton-wielding Mel Craig conducted the House in the Unison rendition of Taylor Swift’s Love Story complete with Regency style, fan furling dancers Aastha Singh and Loredana Gibilaro. The whoops of joy coming from Young House as we celebrated after the event were heard far up Maze Green Road that night…

Brains Trust: alas! We didn’t progress further than the first round where a competent Hayward House team glided smoothly into the next round.

The musical talent show did not stop there as Young House girls performed in a wide-ranging variety of musical guises for the St Cecilia’s Day Concert, the Carol Concert, the Pianists’ Concert, the Ensembles Concert and the Chamber Music Concert, showcasing the talents of such talented performers as: Alys Harvey, Katie Tesseyman, Roseanna, Emma Gregory, Lucie Sudworth, Lauren Warner, Amelia Catton, Kelly Lee, Cherry Tam, Janice Wong and Charlie Wong.

Debating: in the senior competition, we met Hayward House again in the first round where Mel Craig and Alys Harvey successfully opposed the motion ‘This House believes that further Scottish devolution does not need to be accompanied by a change to the status of Scottish MPs’. The semi-final was a really close call where we again had the difficult task of opposing the motion that ‘The presence of UK troops in Afghanistan was of little consequence in the war on terror’; in a split decision, the judges awarded the tie to Benson House. In the junior competition, we beat Hayward House in the preliminary round, progressing through to the first round where Simrhan Khetani and Margot Harvey avenged their senior counterparts by beating Benson House and moving into the final against Alliott House. In a great display of argument and counter-argument, Simrhan and Margot won the Junior Debating Competition and were awarded the Debating Gavel.

Sport: as always, the Young House girls threw themselves into every sport on offer, and it was rare to find a College team without a Young House representative in it. As far as the Inter-House Competitions were concerned, we had mixed fortunes across the board and so outright victories (when they arrived) were enjoyed even more! In the Senior Hockey Competition, we came joint third but won overall with the best House spirit displayed by our numerous supporters throughout the afternoon, whilst our much-fancied Junior team, perhaps overcome by the occasion, came a gallant fourth in their competition. Second places for the junior and senior runners in the Pearl Cup Cross Country races were also greeted with great delight, doughnuts and smiles. During the Spring Term, we were delighted that Lucie Sudworth was appointed College Netball captain, a year early, and the House was again well-represented through all the teams. In the House competitions, the seniors came second with the juniors maintaining their grip on fourth place. However, water, and more importantly the water in a swimming pool, was to become a feature of the year as Ellie Mitchell swam her way into the top five swimmers in her age group nationally and then singlehandedly turned disaster into victory in the Junior Inter-House Swimming Gala when she came from last place in the final leg of the freestyle relay to first place – and in the space of 20m! The junior team won their competition and the seniors came a welldeserved second, and there was a second place in the Dent Cup as well. The Summer Term saw the senior House team stroll up to the rounders pitches looking ‘cool’ in their shades and settling for second place (again!) whilst the juniors were noisy but worthy victors in their competition; however, we are still waiting for the rounders trophy to be located so that it can fight for space

in the House trophy cabinet. Sports Day saw the Young House spirit streaking down the finishing straight in the form of Ellie Mitchell winning the 800m, Bolade Ladipo winning her 200m heat, Emily Kerr racing to second place in the 200m, closely followed by second places for Loredana Gibilaro and Katie Kerr in the shot-put and high jump respectively. The 400m relay team was something else altogether and we had a blast being cheered on by our many spectators wearing their burgundy and gold with pride.

Music: what a fabulous year it was for the musical talents of the Young House girls! Most importantly, we won the House Music Competition with a stunning overall presentation in all three elements of the competition, overseen by the indomitable Roseanna Cawthray Stern. A fabulous third place in the Instrumental section with a Michael Jackson medley arranged by Halima Edozie-Akinlade started the ball rolling; we retained the Part Song trophy for the third year in succession with a mesmeric arrangement by Roseanna of Seasons of Love

Academic life: Shreeya Khetani and Wendy Cowen were part of a Fourth Form team that entered the National Academic Challenge Competition which was an online competition to test pupils’ skills of research, logic and teamwork. Working fantastically hard as a team, they completed all the various tasks thrown at them and we were delighted when the team came fourth nationally! Wendy went on to team up with Hannah Marsden when the girls came third in another national competition, the Oxford German Olympiad and, as if that were not enough, Wendy became the highest Academic Merit Award achiever in the Senior School with a grand total of 60+ which helped Young House to snatch the Merit Salver at Final Assembly in July. At the beginning of the academic year, 10 Club Awards had been awarded to Lucie Sudworth and Samm Macmillan for achieving 10 or more A/A* grades in their GCSE exams; Commendations for Effort seemed to flow thick and fast throughout the year and were awarded to Emma Baker, Wendy, Georgia Gvero, Chloe Jones, Emily Kerr, Shreeya, Hannah, Amelia Catton, Annabel Gregory, Katie Kerr, Kelly Lee, Rebecca Scott, Aastha Singh, Rachel Cunningham, Liz Francis, Caitlin Mahoney, Shona Reid, Cherry Tam, Tash Tesseyman, Charlie Wong, Mary Devine, Emma Higgins, Emma Gregory, Samm, Marion Peters, Charlotte Pickwick, Hayley Smart, Lucie, Ruyi Meng, Roseanna Cawthray Stern, Mel Craig, Halima Edozie-Akinlade, Zoe Griffith, Remi Harvey, Yuan Li, Georgia Solomon, Katie Tesseyman, Jia Wang, Janice Wong and Chloe Wood. We were so proud to hear in August that, not only had Roseanna and Mel gained the grades to study at Oxford and Cambridge respectively, but that the departing Upper Sixth had covered themselves in academic glory with some fantastic A-level grades which included Janice’s four A*s– and I must also mention the efforts of Halima who, in applying to study Liberal Studies (Recorded Music) at the 103

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renowned Tisch School of the Arts, New York University, so impressed the admissions tutors with her application that they awarded her a full scholarship to see her through her course.

Drama: at times, House life seemed to be one long drama, but for those who were genuinely concerned with strutting their stuff on the stage, the opportunities were endless. The Lower Fifth presented ‘Ageing Youth’, in partnership with Rough Fiction Theatre Company, which demonstrated their growing knowledge of physical theatre whilst using personal family anecdotes to link the idea of looking forward, looking back and living in the moment. Those involved included Tilly Krinks, Margot Harvey, Loredana Gibilaro, Simrhan Khetani, Bolade Ladipo and Caitlin Hawkins. The Upper Fifth presented duologues for their GCSE devised pieces; those Young House girls performing were Caitlin Mahoney, Beth Murphy, Lulu Simpson, Poppy Brooks and Rachel Cunningham, whilst Samm Macmillan and Halima Edozie-Akinlade were part of the A-level devised pieces. The school play was eagerly awaited in late November when Mr Norman produced a stunning all-singing, all-dancing cast for ‘Kabaret’ which included Roseanna Cawthray Stern as Sally Bowles, Poppy as Fraulein Schneider, Chloe Wood as Frenchie and Alys Harvey in the band of the KitKat Club, also starring Halima as one of the nightclub singers; Lauren Warner and Marion Peters were assistants in the costume department. The Summer Term saw the Fourth Form leap into dramatic action with productions of ‘Agatha Rex’ and ‘Annie’; those youngest Young House girls treading the boards in these lively shows were Chloe Jones, Shreeya Khetani, Emma Baker, Georgia Gvero, Emma Whitehead and Amelia Bhatt.

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Social life: the House enjoyed the usual planned and impromptu Girls’ Nights In, fabulously well-organised by Remi Harvey and Chloe Wood when copious amounts of food were consumed, usually accompanied by the latest RomCom. The highlight of the calendar year was the PinkPyjamaPizzaParty at the end of the Autumn Term which was enjoyed by girls and House staff alike – and Father Christmas remembered to turn up as well. Throughout the year, Young House girls enjoyed the Snow Ball, the Spring Fling, various themed Saturday evening entertainments, the Chinese New Year party and of course the House theatre trip at the end of the Summer Term to see ‘Wicked’ accompanied by House staff and departing Young House members’ mums. The final social event of the academic year was the Upper Sixth Leavers’ Ball on the River Thames, a thoroughly enjoyable but emotional event.

Miscellaneous stuff: Aastha Singh and Simrhan Khetani won the Folk Story Competition and performed their winning story and accompanying dance across the school. Lucie Sudworth got to the final of the Sixth Form House Reading Competition. Mattie Dawson and Emily Kerr qualified for the Inter-Schools National Riding Championship. The Lower Sixth were as impressive as expected in the Leadership Course. Abby Walker, Samm Macmillan and Lucie helped with the Pre-Prep Messy Play morning. The House supported Simrhan and Shreeya Khetani’s mother, Sabina Khetani, when she shaved her hair off to raise money for the victims of the Nepal earthquake. Superbly marshalled by Lauren Warner, Young House boarders won the Boarders’ Cooking Competition (for the third year in a row!) with the following girls showing their chopping, peeling and baking skills: Janice Wong, Roseanna Cawthray Stern, Chloe Wood, Marion Peters, Bolade Ladipo, Kelly Lee, Yuan Li, Jia Wang, Ruyi Meng, Hayley Smart, Georgia Solomon, Charlie Wong, Cherry Tam and Halima Edozie-Akinlade. In April, Miss Holliday became Mrs Muir in a beautiful vineyard wedding at her home in New Zealand, and Miss Ellaway-Bell became engaged, so it was wedding bells all round! Goodbyes: it’s always sad to say goodbye to departing girls, and it’s even sadder to bid farewell to members of the House staff who have helped so much with the running of the House and who have given so much support to the girls and to myself. So we bade a fond farewell to Mrs Hinge, who moved across the road to become Deputy Housemistress of Sutton House, and to Miss Sheehan who decided that ten years of being a Visiting Tutor on Tuesday evenings was probably enough…Thank you both so much for your support and friendship over the years! Mrs Pauline Mullender retired as

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Deputy Head (Pastoral) at the end of the year, and although she is probably better known as the founding Housemistress of Benson House and latterly as a Tutor in Hayward House, she was a Visiting Tutor in Young House in the days before Benson came into fruition. The heartfelt hugs of thanks that the departing Young House Upper Sixth gave her as they crossed the stage on Speech Day showed how much her support for the girls in the Senior School was appreciated. After two years of fun, pyjama nights and honing her cooking skills, Miss Ellaway-Bell moved from the Resident Tutor’s flat to return as a Visiting Tutor in the new academic year. And, finally, we also said goodbye to the Upper Sixth – a group brilliantly summed up by the outgoing, charismatic Head of House, Remi Harvey as being a strong, united but also possibly the most eclectic, edgy, talented, weird and hungry group of girls that she would ever meet: Roseanna Cawthray Stern, Mel Craig, Halima Edozie-Akinlade, Zoe Griffith, Remi, Yuan Li, Zoe Purdy, Georgia Solomon, Katie Kerr, Jia Wang, Chloe Wood and Janice Wong; their contributions to House and College life were immense and greatly appreciated by all the girls, the House staff and by me. I know that they will make their collective marks on life beyond the College and Young House, because the girl in front is a Young House girl! Alison Sloman

Young House Awards 2014–15

Speech Day prizes:

Upper Sixth Subject prizes:

Young House Girl of the Year: Katie Kerr

Fourth Form prize: Wendy Cowen

History: Katie Tesseyman

Young House Colours: Halima Edozie-Akinlade Janice Wong Zoe Purdy Samm Macmillan Liz Francis Caitlin Mahoney Emma Higgins Hayley Smart Mary Devine Marion Peters

Lower Fifth prize: Katie Kerr

Further Mathematics: Janice Wong

Fourth Form Academic Endeavour: Hannah Marsden, Ellie Mitchell

Physical Education: Zoe Griffith

Lower Fifth Academic Endeavour: Aastha Singh

Attenborough Activity Award: Halima Edozie-Akinlade

Upper Fifth Academic Endeavour: Rachel Cunningham, Caitlin Mahoney, Shona Reid, Charlie Wong

Ferguson Prize: Melissa Craig

Young House Contribution Cup: Autumn Term 2014 – Katie Tesseyman Spring Term 2015 – Margot Harvey and Simrhan Khetani Summer Term 2015 – Caitlin Hawkins

Lower Sixth Academic Endeavour: Lucie Sudworth, Emma Higgins

Young House Music Award (the Millard trophy): Roseanna Cawthray Stern

Lower Sixth Subject prizes: Psychology: Samm Macmillan

Arthur Evans Awards: Melissa Craig Halima Edozie-Akinlade Lucie Sudworth

Art: Mary Devine

Upper Sixth Academic Endeavour: Roseanna Cawthray Stern, Jia Wang, Chloe Wood, Halima Edozie-Akinlade

Roger Heath Public Speaking award (Junior): Simrhan Khetani Roger Heath Special Award for those who have made the most of their time at the College: Zoe Purdy Headmaster’s Prize: Katie Tesseyman

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Speech Day Prizes 2015 FORM PRIZES Fourth Form Eleanor Bennett Wendy Cowen Luke Eddershaw Nena Nurbhai Grace Reed Lower Fifth Scott Hextall Henry Hunt Katie Kerr Joe Minichiello Ailsa Munro Upper Fifth Ruman Basra Anna Calder James Gregory Frederica Johnston Eleanor McSweeney

LOWER SIXTH SUBJECT PRIZES English Jessica Paxman French Benedict Corti Tyler German Benedict Corti Tyler Classical Christina Radukic Civilisation Theatre Studies Christina Radukic History Holly Collier Geography Holly Collier Religious Jake Gransbury Studies Economics Kristie Overton Politics Inka Pearson Mathematics Inka Pearson Psychology Samantha MacMillan Media Studies Grace Gardiner Music Hei Kiu Cheng Art Letitia Devine Further Victoria Farrant Mathematics Physics Victoria Farrant Ashpole Prize Physical Thomas Harnack Education Biology Thomas Dwyer E W Edmunds Prize Chemistry Rongyu Lin Design & Max King Technology Leslie Price Prize Business Studies Henry George

UPPER SIXTH SUBJECT PRIZES English Georgia Crump French Georgia Crump History Katie Tesseyman Classical Harriet Long Civilisation Geography Emma Bates Design & Douglas Reid Technology Sir Charles Alexander Prize Art Beth Gregory Politics Alastair Ward-Booth German Matthew Green Physics Weilun Xu Ashpole Prize Chemistry Sofia Weiss Biology Katharine Hood E W Edmunds Prize Further Janice Wong Mathematics Mathematics Aaron Basha 106

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Psychology Helena Bladen Theatre Studies Sophie Morris Economics Taylor Weeks Business Studies Gem Shekerzade Media Studies Gem Shekerzade Religious Studies Annabel Matthews Physical Zoe Griffith Education Music Sarah Ballard Latin Aliénor Le Mire-Cahn

SPECIAL AWARDS Fourth Form Matthew Barrett Academic Katherine Fisher Endeavour Peter Hall (Presented at Maximilian Jacoby Final Assembly) Hannah Kiely Oliver Lewis Hannah Marsden Eleanor Mitchell Avni Patel Emma Povey Olivia Rix Ezme Shekerzade Nadja Vitorovic Katherine Webb Sophia Williams Lower Fifth Keir Ansell Academic George Bley Endeavour Kathryn Champion (Presented at Jeffrey Cheung Final Assembly) Niamh Finlay James Fox Harriet Goulding Jessica Maisey Ciaran Picker Jemima Plume Holly Radbourne Aastha Singh Cameron Tooke Elizabeth Ward-Booth Upper Fifth Emily Brierley Academic Ben Brierley Endeavour Benedict Butcher (Presented at Rachel Cunningham Final Assembly) Eden Duggan Georgette Elliott Emily Honey Claudia Lax-Tanner Caitlin Mahoney Jonny Mussard Maya Nurbhai Joshua Page Thomas Radley Shona Reid Charlie Wong Lower Sixth Gurjeevan Basra College Matthew Braz Academic Award Max Burrows (for endeavour Niamh Doherty and excellence) Hardev Matharoo Harriet Roberts Ema Slapikaite Lucie Sudworth Andy Wong Katie Harding Emma Higgins Sarah Hutchings Elizabeth Farrant

Upper Sixth Roseanna Cawthray Stern College Owen Crawford Academic Award Thomas Dawkins (for endeavour Benjamin Dulley and excellence) Daniel Mahoney Tolu Osinibi Ellen Stacey Jia Wang Chloe Wood Georgina Catchpole Ellysia Lewin Emily Lynch Cameron Snell Halima Edozie-Akinlade Sportsman of Taylor Weeks the Year Sportswoman of Elizabeth Farrant the Year Choir Prize Matthew Green Junior Music Rosemary Smithers Prize Senior Music Stephen Smithers Award (Old Stortfordian) Roger Heath Award Stephen Smithers Piano Prize Schnadhorst Georgia Crump History Prize Drama Prize David Ballard Findlay Award James Williams (for Geography Fieldwork) Special Service Alastair Ward-Booth Award (donated by an anonymous Old Stortfordian) Pettitt Maya Nurbhai Contribution Cup (Junior) Attenborough Halima Edozie-Akinlade Activity Prize Webb Lingos Alexander Turley-Pound Science Award John Blenkin Danielle Moon Prize for Pottery Alan Ewart-James Zachary Matthews Scripture Prize Craig Orchestra Christopher Wilkin Prize Band Prize Daniel Hood Paul Knowles Douglas Reid Recognition Award Ferguson Prize Melissa Craig Harvard Prize Anton Bashkirov (for top academic performance in a variety of subjects)

Roger Heath Awards: Public Speaking (Senior) Public Speaking (Junior)

Frederica Johnston Simrhan Khetani

Special Award for pupils who have made the most of their time at the College Charlotte Bruce Jack Whitehead Zoe Purdy

Headmaster’s Prize

Stephen Smithers Ekaterina Tesseyman 107

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Heads of School Speeches music – I still remember very vividly Mrs. Perkins enhancing my appreciation of music in “music and movement” lessons, where my coordination seemed dubious at best. My career in theatre also started here, starring as a sheep in the pre-prep nativity and a school boy later in Upper Shell’s production of “Smike” despite some suspect accuracy in saying my lines. Shell also got the ball rolling for me on the sports field, introducing me to rugby, as I, as well as the rest of my peers at the time tried in one concerted effort to tackle Mr Herd in Lower Shell – it took a great deal of us but we eventually got him down. The Philosopher B.F. Skinner best sums up what I hope my year group will agree with me as being an accurate impression of the Prep School saying that “education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten”. I must confess that I don’t remember most of what I was being examined on in the Prep School, but the experiences prominent in my mind are those beyond the curriculum such as the French trips, the Leadership week and my personal favourite, the Cornwall trip where we were all exposed to activities we had not done before whilst having a laugh at the same time. I shall never forget the Manor House, new friendships made on Leadership week and Mr Bailey’s prestigious black eye competition in the Prep School and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff that have taught my fellow peers and I at whatever stage of our schooling career, ensuring without fail that teaching goes beyond the classroom and for giving us as students an education we can look back on fondly.

Speech day 2015 Stephen Smithers

eadmaster, College Governors, Ladies, Gentlemen and Fellow pupils. In September 2001 I walked through the doors of Pre-Prep for the first time in my grey shorts and blue Bishop’s Stortford College jumper completely oblivious to the fact that I would be embarking on the rollercoaster journey that would take me right through to adulthood. It feels truly surreal that I am standing before you today when it really does not feel long ago that I was learning times tables, playing Mr Wolf in 108

the playground and even standing outside the staff room on the odd occasion for “misbehaviour”. It is difficult to articulate an education at Bishop’s Stortford College into words, as it seems that the more I think about it the more I realise that the influence this school has had on the group of young men and women to my right, and myself, leaving as Upper Sixth is profound. The College has been our home from home for up to fourteen years and I personally don’t know what I would be like and who I would be without it. For the College is the place that I started my learning and passion for

It is not surprising that many of the pupils that joined the College in Lower Third are still here today, as since joining Senior School yet more doors were opened for us, where we experienced the new House system and enjoyed the vast new opportunities that come with it. I was welcomed into Collett House in 2010 and walking out on that stage for House music for the first time really was second to none in its exhilaration and grandeur. The whole room was exuberant and I remember feeling almost overwhelmed by the expansive electricity created by the audience and each house’s sporting pride for itself and encouragement for others. However it is this sporting nature throughout all competitions as well as House Music and the mixing with older years that really creates the tight-knit community that is the College community.

Speech Editorial Day

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As the Headmaster has mentioned, this school very much focuses on breadth of education and this is most evident in its attitude to the wider community. We have quite simply marvellous opportunities at this school whether it be through Whitechapel, lunch time recitals in St Michael’s Church or the Malawi expedition. If I could impart any pearls of wisdom onto the younger pupils here today, it would be to pass on what I remember being told by my Head of House in the Lower Fifth, Andy Round, to take up on the opportunities that are unique to the Senior School. You really do get out what you put in in respect to reaping the rewards and eye-opening capabilities that so many pupils at this school get from helping the wider community and it is this breadth of education, outside the textbook, classroom and even indeed the country that builds up the extracurricular portfolio that characterises a student at Bishop’s Stortford College. Despite the changes throughout the school that my year group have experienced, the one theme that has remained constant throughout for me is the music at the College. This school gives pupils vast quantities of regular performance opportunities right from the beginning, as I just about remember performing 6 hands at the piano in a concert with my brother and sister, being aged 4, 6 and 10 at the time. Over my years here I have been able to hear such breath-taking musical talent and it really was through this community that I was able to watch and learn from the older pupils to become the musician I am today. I know that I shall never forget my personal appreciation for the support that the school gives in assembly performances, and I can only thank everyone I have ever had the pleasure of sharing this journey with, for the memories and experiences that have shaped us as leavers into the young men and women we are today. I must now conclude by thanking once again all parents and staff that have made this outstanding education possible. As Einstein said, “life is like riding a bicycle. To keep balance you have to keep moving” and it is this philosophy that sums up how however sad or relieved we as Upper Sixth are to be leaving this school, there is a greater consistency of a first rate education that Bishop’s Stortford College provides to so many people. It has been a real privilege to have been this year’s joint Head of School and I wish everyone luck and hope you have a fantastic summer.

Speech day 2015 Katie Tesseyman

ust like many of you, I am a huge Harry Potter fan, so when I sat down to write this speech, I did so to all the most emotional parts of the HP soundtrack and realised, that just like the books, there are too many great memories from my time here to do justice to in a short summary. This is a place where there is something for everyone. Whether it has been through playing in the many music concerts, participating in sports fixtures, creating art, performing on stage (or helping out behind the scenes), making new friends, discovering your passion for an academic subject or finding a totally new interest, I hope that this year’s leavers can look back on their memories of their time here fondly. Some of my happiest memories have been generated at the many music concerts, rehearsals and of course the Choir tour to Lake Como which was brilliant, despite spending 20 hours on a coach and finding no George Clooney. I have always felt most at home in the music department. It was the first place I knew in the College, having had music lessons here before I was officially a pupil so it has always had a special place in my heart. And though I don’t plan to pursue music as a career, I have always been made to feel totally welcome. That is one of the defining features of life here – giving your all and participating with enthusiasm is what matters and there is a place for everyone to feel at home, to learn about ourselves and our aspirations. Malcolm X said that “Without education, you’re not going anywhere in this world.” But what do we mean by an education? We are fortunate enough to be at a school where an education means more than a set of exam results. An education is learning how to think for yourself. It’s about developing your moral compass and cultivating an open mind, about figuring out who you are and what it is you want to stand up for and then finding the courage to stand up for it.

continue changing the world for the better by supporting diversity and inclusion. Here, individuality is nurtured and I need only to look around this hall or think of the huge variety of leaver’s destinations to know that this is true and I am proud to be part of such a diverse, accepting community. Best of luck to Niamh and Henry, to whom we will be handing over the baton for next year. Enjoy your time as heads of school, it’s certainly a challenge but one which is incredibly rewarding. And to my fellow Upper Sixth, with about 5 minutes left as official pupils, I’d like to take this final chance to say thank you. I am extremely fortunate to have been part of a group of people so vibrant, so open about their passions and so ready to stand up for what they believe in. No matter what path in life you have chosen to take, never stop loving and learning and being a little obsessed with the things that interest you. An education comes not only from teachers and textbooks. I’ve learnt so much from growing up together with you and we really have grown – grown in confidence and compassion and into our own skins. I’ve learnt that enthusiasm need never be hidden, I’ve learnt that in Young House at least, the best cure for anything is a good cup of tea and that it is possible to recover from magnificent public embarrassment when you’ve got your friends by your side. Good luck with all of your future endeavours and may the odds be ever in your favour. We probably haven’t had as many adventures as Harry did at Hogwarts, unless there’s something people aren’t telling me about the girl’s bathrooms, but unlike Harry at the end of his school days, for us leaving school is just the beginning of more adventures to come.

Learning is a partnership between teachers and pupils. So I want to say a huge thank you to our teachers for inspiring us, challenging us and giving us so much support both inside and outside the class room. Time at this school has given us confidence to stand up for what we believe in, to say something about injustice, to make our voices heard when we want to change something for the better. We don’t live in a perfect world, but there has been a lot of encouraging change taking place recently. In the past few weeks we have seen the banning of Female Genital Mutilation in Nigeria, marriage equality legislation in Ireland and America and prominent individuals including the Pope advocating action against climate change. Our generation has the capacity to 109

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Goodbyes Tim Borton

Hazel Bailey

College. In 1991 he took over Sutton House nurturing and developing about 90 pupils. As a founding member of the Media department in 1997, Tim accompanied the first Media Trip to Hollywood in October 2012. However, it is in his role as the very first Head of Sixth Form that he really left such a mark. He was given the freedom to write his own job description enabling him to shape the Sixth Form into the high achieving, focused and yet community aware and charitable entity it is today. At one point he held the positions of Head of English, Housemaster of Sutton and Head of Sixth Form simultaneously, a remarkable achievement which reflected his versatility as well as his calm and unflappable nature.

Truly a “man for all seasons” Tim Borton joined the College in 1989 from Monkton Coombe in the role of Head of English, a role he held three times during his tenure at the

Tim was also involved in a host of extracurricular activities including producing and directing several school plays including

Pauline Mullender

second girls’ House). Benson House later opened in September 2000 and Pauline was the founding Housemistress, a position she held for ten years. Pauline and the new Benson House quickly made their mark on the College community and the House swiftly became a happy, confident and successful zone. Girls who had Pauline as their Housemistress were fortunate indeed; they quickly learnt that she expected them to be well-dressed, wellorganised and well-disciplined. Her attention to detail was immaculate and the girls grew to respect her early on in their Senior School careers. She was a great encourager and motivator and she revelled in the success of the ‘Bensonites’ year after year. Those who had difficulties could be sure of a sympathetic ear, and parents were quickly won over to the notion that their daughter was definitely in the right House.

Pauline joined the staff of Bishop’s Stortford College as a part time German teacher in 1996, however this was not her first contact with the College community as her two sons, Jonathan and Dominic, had been boarders in Grimwade whilst Pauline and her husband Keith were working overseas in the Middle East. Jonathan heard about a vacancy in the German department and suggested to his mum that she apply. The rest is history! Within a few months, Steve Benson had appointed her to a full-time position and she took over as Head of the German. Pauline joined Young House as a House Tutor at a time when the number of girls in the Senior School was beginning to rapidly increase as full co-education was introduced. Young House quickly split into two sections, ‘Young Mrs Sloman’ and ‘Young Mrs Mullender’, occupying a dual site in Young House and in what was the former Hayward House building (which was soon to become the 110

German teaching was Pauline’s passion. Her enthusiasm for all things Germanic was well-known throughout the College and the department thrived under her leadership. She pioneered the German Exchange with Heikendorf and frequently promoted German cookery at society meetings. It was a fitting conclusion to her teaching career that, at the end of last term, the German Ambassador presented her with a Lifetime Award for the teaching of German.

Peter Schaffer’s The Royal Hunt of the Sun, Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia and Peter Terson’s, Zigger Zagger. A keen Rugby coach, he accompanied several rugby tours as well as becoming known for his own move, the Indian file! Tim was a highly regarded and well respected member of the College staff, loved by current and former pupils alike as “Mr Cool”. He was always keen to embrace change and saw each new development introduced by the government as an opportunity. He will be missed greatly by colleagues and pupils: his professional, sensitive and altruistic nature was admired by all. We wish him all the very best on his retirement, confident in the knowledge that he will keep himself busy, and all those around him, in his usual energetic and enthusiastic manner. LGD

of Safeguarding at the College, a role that became ever more complex as Government regulations continually changed. On retiring from Benson House, Pauline was appointed to the post of Deputy Head (Pastoral) and dealt with all matters of girls discipline and many of the more complex pastoral issues that always arise in all schools. Pauline could always be relied upon for an encouraging word or sensible advice borne from her wide experience. Staff were therefore particularly delighted when it was announced that, on her retirement, she was to join the Governing Council.

Changing Editorial Faces

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

When, in the year 2000, Hazel Bailey joined the German department at the College, she came to a school with which she was already familiar, courtesy of her husband Simon, then in situ as an established teacher in the Prep School. This connection was to subsequently facilitate mutually beneficial future cooperative links, when together they supported pupil groups, travelling with Peter O’Conner on geography holiday expeditions to China, Iceland, India and Russia; exciting and successful ventures all. Hazel’s flair for logistics will have proved a great asset for those intrepid journeys, but on a rather more mundane level, her impeccable organisation skills were also to ensure, that for many years, the administration associated with Wednesday and Friday activity routines was failsafe, as any unwise pupil who on occasion felt tempted to try to slip through the

net, swiftly discovered. A similar level of commitment was brought by Hazel to the ‘Inspired Horizons’ initiative. Her dedicated enthusiasm for this project saw it take wings and soar, with many pupils motivated, in consequence, to broaden their horizons and to test themselves by exploring new challenges. It is, however, for her input as a language teacher that Hazel will best be remembered. Her personal passion which led her to add Russian and Spanish to her portfolio, was always evident. She taught with great verve, and created a mini Deutschland within L10 thanks to an ever changing display of realia, posters and season specific decoration. Additionally, members of her class groups who nevertheless remained less engaged than she desired, found their progress boosted by invitations to attend her regular early morning Sprachclub sessions. Keen at every opportunity to promote a sense of cultural awareness, when she took on the role of Head of German, she maintained the custom of varied X-Faktor Abende for Sixth Formers and continued to foster the established partnership between the College and the Heinrich‑Heine‑Schule in Heikendorf. Exchange visits to North Germany saw her at her stalwart best, whether that meant coping with the vagaries of adverse weather conditions, the aftermath of unscheduled developments, or tackling a mound of steaming curly kale as routinely heaped on her plate at the annual staff Grünkohl celebration. Meanwhile return visitors from Heikendorf were assured of

her warm welcome in Stortford, where everything was in place for a week of well planned familiarisation with all things English. In addition to the above extracurricular projects, Hazel introduced for Fourth Formers, visits to the Frankfurt Christmas Market in Birmingham, and for those proceeding to A Level, what began as Mittwoch in München and later, in order to adapt to budget airline constraints, became for 2014 and 2015, a Bremer Bummel. These offered the chance to reward pupils for their efforts, as well as providing opportunities to stimulate further interest in matters Germanic. During a partnership honed over forty five terms, a bond was created which, as colleagues, Hazel and I privately referred to as ‘Das verdammt gute Team’. It was, therefore, especially appropriate that on our very last day as teachers together, we spent the afternoon at a reception and award ceremony hosted by the German Ambassador to the UK, at which we were surprised, but utterly delighted, to be awarded a shared prize for lifetime achievement. Looking ahead, for me, a lack of routine daily contact will naturally seem strange. For others it will be for ballet trips or for her role as a Tutor in Young, Benson and most recently Tee House, which will have been significant. Reliable, efficient and supportive, Hazel has indeed given much to the College. Her loss will be felt. Happily, on the retirement of her husband, as Hazel now moves to Ludlow, it is possible to predict with confidence that whatever the future may hold, she will embrace it wholeheartedly. PM

The school owes a great debt of gratitude to Pauline as a teacher, an advisor, a trusted colleague, but most of all, as a wonderful and loyal friend; I trust she will enjoy her Saturday mornings (Saturday school was a particular ‘bugbear’ of hers, along with the second verse of ‘Heroes’). Her car, with its registration number of PM51 ACE, will also be missed. We were never quite sure of the relevance of the 51 but the ACE said it all! CJW

However, her most important legacy is surely the role she played in ensuring that the introduction of co-education in the Senior School was successful. Pauline was effectively the guiding light for the growing community of girls, as first Alliott and then Tee House joined the ranks of the girls’ Houses. Housemistresses and Housemasters continually sought her wisdom, as did successive Heads and Deputy Heads. She was in charge 111

CorporateFaces Changing

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Changing Faces

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Sixth Form Life

U6 Leavers

Hellos

Christine Junghans

William Bigley

Alexandra Helsby

Elizabeth Bridle

Role: Language Assistant

Role: PGCE, Sports Coach

Role: Learning Support Coordinator

Jane Lynette Daly

Colleen Marshman

Joanne Taylor

Rebecca Speight

Role: Assistant Head (Pastoral)

Role: Part-time German Teacher

Role: Teacher of English

We sadly say farewell to the following members of staff who left the College last term

Pat Wonfor

Madeleine Bailey

Benjamin Baker

Role: Head of Spanish

Role: Gardener

Role: p/t teacher of physics

Becky Brown Role: Teacher of Chemistry

Jamie Halls Role: Gardener

Lilian Copping Role: Seamstress – 26 years

Claire Schalch Role: Teacher of MFL

Oxbridge Offers

Goodbyes

Prefects 2015

Tina Schulze

Owen Herbert

Lauren Cripps

Debbie Arnold

Role: Language Assistant

Role: PGCE, Sports Coach

Role: Marketing Assistant

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Sixth Form Life

The Stortfordian 2014 –15

Leavers’ Destinations Oluwashemilogo Adeboye

Portsmouth, International Relations

Oliver Heath Further training/ employment

Thomas Allcock

Nottingham, Physics

Katharine Hood

Harry Axford Further training/ employment David Ballard

Exeter, Drama

Sarah Ballard Royal Holloway, Psychology

Birmingham, Medicine

Fraser Howard Anglia Ruskin, Civil Engineering

Stephen Smithers

Nottingham, History

Exeter, Mathematics

Tobias Smollett

Manchester, Mathematics with a Modern Language

Cameron Snell

Nottingham, Modern Languages with Business

Victoria Snowden

York, Business and Management

Loughborough, Geography

Hugo Kesterton

Bournemouth, Archaeology

Piers Berry

Coventry, Automotive Engineering

Thomas Krinks

Nottingham, Geography

Kessia Landsman

Birmingham, English

Charles Latchford

Gap Year

Thomas Burrows Leeds, Classical Civilisation Georgina Catchpole Aston, Microbiology and Immunology Roseanna Cawthray Stern

Oxford, History

Fionnbharr Clarke

Keele, Social Work

Helena Cope Gap Year Melissa Craig Cambridge, Human, Social and Political Sciences Owen Crawford

Cambridge, Medicine

Georgia Solomon

Aliénor Le Mire-Cahn SOAS, International Relations

Durham, Psychology (Applied)

Charlotte Spall

Ombeline Le Mire-Cahn Westminster, Illustration and Visual Communication

Loughborough, Industrial Design and Technology

Ellen Stacey

Nottingham, International Media and Communications

Ka Yi Tam

Loughborough, Industrial Design and Technology

Ellysia Lewin

Southampton, Zoology

Emma Lewis

Nottingham, Psychology

Yuan Li Royal Holloway, Management with Accounting Nottingham, Pharmacy

Jamie Thomson

Christopher Lock

Arts University Bournemouth, Modelmaking

E ast Anglia, Accounting and Finance

Nicholas Train

East Anglia, Geography and International Development

Max Trevillion

ork, Business and Y Management

Harrison Vincent-Hayden

Buckinghamshire, Business Management

Jia Wang

LSE, Accounting and Finance

Alastair Ward-Booth

Cambridge, Law

Taylor Weeks

Warwick, Economics

Sofia Weiss

Gap Year

Jack Whitehead

Nottingham Trent, Business Management (2 Year in Industry)

Elizabeth Wilkin

East Anglia, History

James Williams

Nottingham, Civil Engineering

Ting Chi Wong

LSE, Actuarial Science

Chloe Wood

Leeds, Fine Art

Weilun Xu

Imperial, Chemical Engineering

Harriet Long Royal Veterinary College, Veterinary Medicine Olivia Longthorpe Coventry, Automotive Engineering

Thomas Dawkins Nottingham, History and Politics

Emily Lynch

Edinburgh, Fine Art

Louis Dolding Nottingham, Geography with Business

Niamh Lynch

Glasgow, History/Politics

Daniel Mahoney

Oxford, History

Henry Dormon Manchester Metropolitan, Computer Science

Annabel Matthews Warwick, Politics and International Studies

Benjamin Dulley UCL, Viking and Old Norse Studies

James Moir

Zuzanna Edwards Birmingham, English and History Catherine Ellis East Anglia, History of Art with Gallery and Museum Studies Tara Finlay St George’s, Biomedical Science Chin Chun Fung Birmingham, Mechanical Engineering Matthew Green Newcastle, Modern Languages and Linguistics Jack Greenall

Nottingham Trent, Real Estate

Beth Gregory East Anglia, History of Art with Gallery and Museum Studies Zoe Griffith St Mary’s, Twickenham, Physical and Sport Education Hannah Griffiths Nottingham, International Media and Communication Studies Remi Harvey Newcastle, History and Archaeology

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Ekaterina Tesseyman Gap Year

Wai Chun Liu

Georgia Crump Oxford, English and French

Halima Tisch School of the Arts, Edozie-Akinlade New York University, Liberal Studies (Recorded Music)

Birmingham City, Accounting and Finance

Nottingham, Geography

Emma Bates

Charlotte Bruce Loughborough, Art Foundation

Mellisa Sibanda

Adam Johnson

Nottingham, Biology

Oxford, Experimental Psychology

Bournemouth, Media Production

Alexander Jefcoate Emilia Kerr

Helena Bladen

Gem Shekerzade

Nottingham, Physics

Nottingham, Mathematics

Kingston, Fine Art

ristol, Electrical and B Electronic Engineering

Leam Howe

Aaron Basha

Julia Bicknell

Douglas Reid

Exeter, History

Danielle Moon Cambridge, Human, Social and Political Sciences Tabitha Morford SOAS, Social Anthropology Sophie Morris

Oxford, History

Emma Muscroft Exeter, Applied Psychology (Clinical) Vladlen Mykhaylychenko

De Montfort, Forensic Computing

Phoebe Neal Nottingham Trent, Fine Art Joel Newsome Brunel, International Business

Old Stortfordians Emma Baker

Manchester, Sociology

Rachael Chapman

Cambridge, Psychological and Behavioural Science

Amy Clements

Birmingham, Politics with a Minor

Tolulope Osinibi Nottingham, Chemical Engineering

Benjamin Crossfeld

Nottingham, American Studies and History

David Overton Reading, Business and Management

James Duncan

St Andrews, History

Saskia Potts Royal Holloway, Human Geography

Phoebe Poulter

Bath, Psychology

Josh Roberts

Manchester, Economics

Harriet Sharman

Loughborough, English and Sports Science

Nicholas Tunnicliffe

Coventry, Economics

Kimberley Oakley

Nottingham, Archaeology and Geography

Victoria Orbart Birmingham, Geography Urban and Regional Planning

Daniel Power

Nottingham, Microbiology

Edward Moulsdale Manchester, Physics

Zoe Purdy Brighton, Retail Marketing William Radbourne

Harper Adams, Rural Enterprise and Land Management

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