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ELITE ATHLETES AT ST SWITHUN’S SCHOOL TO REPRESENT HAMPSHIRE
Two athletes from St Swithun’s, Winchester, have qualified to represent Hampshire at the English Schools Track and Field Championships. 16-year-old Isabelle Law and 13-year-old Abi McBriar will compete in the javelin and discus respectively.
Isabelle and Abi both performed extremely well to win their events at the recent Hampshire Schools Track and Field Championships and earned the chance to represent the Hampshire county team. The girls compete frequently for St Swithun’s and Abi has recently thrown at the International Javelin Festival in Finland as a representative of England Athletics. They are hoping an impressive performance at the English Schools competition will enable them to represent England in the future.
Zoe Enticknap, St Swithun’s Head of Athletics, said: “To have two pupils attending the English Schools Championship is one of the best achievements we have had in athletics. We are so proud of their hard work and to have them represent the team.”
Grand Day at the Duke of York’s Royal Military School (DOYRMS) saw over 500 students in full ceremonial uniform parade after an inspection by guest of honour HRH The Princess Royal. DOYRMS is immensely proud of its continued relationship with the Royal Family, particularly on this platinum Jubilee year, in which we celebrate 70 years of HM the Queen’s service to the nation.
The school’s impressive military band and corps of drums led Trooping the Colour which followed the inspection. Founded in 1803, the school is the only one in England and Wales to enjoy the Royal privilege of holding colours, first granted and presented in 1825 by King George IV. Many of the pupils aged 11 to 18 have family in the Armed Forces and, as a personal touch, wear the cap badge of their parent’s or family member’s Service, Corps or Regiment over their hearts.
The school’s 150-acre countryside site was also the background for a superb display of vintage military transport which included a Hawker Hurricane, Sherman BARV, M10 Achilles and Staghound T17E armoured car. Accompanying the inspection by HRH was a spectacular flyover by TA805 Spitfire.
Alex Foreman, the school’s Principal, said: “While the last year has been challenging, the resilience of our staff and students has shone through. Grand Day is an opportunity to celebrate the extraordinary achievement of our Dukies, as well as the unique military heritage which drives our ambition to provide an all-round education with an academic focus. The entire event is led by students who epitomise our core values of courage, integrity, respect, commitment, loyalty and self-discipline. It was a very proud day to be a member of the Dukie family.”
NEW GIGGLESWICK SCHOOL HEADTEACHER TO BUILD FROM ‘A POSITION OF STRENGTH’
“I was driving up the M6 and my smile was growing bigger and bigger.” Sam Hart believes he has made the best decision of his career and has vowed to increase the reputation of the leading northern independent school.
Mr Hart has worked in education for 14 years and joined from Winchester College in Hampshire where he held roles as a teacher of physics, Housemaster, Director of Sport and Contingent Commander of the Combined Cadet Force (CCF).
He has wasted no time in getting to know the strengths of the school, staff and students, and said: “It’s clear I have a superb team around me and I already have no doubts that this is an excellent place of learning. I am certainly starting from a position of strength. The senior leadership is incredibly capable and supportive, there are strong relationships between the pupils and staff which is reflected in the positive atmosphere, and the academic and extra-curricular opportunities are excellent. But I don’t think it’s enough to just keep that going. I want to build on those strengths and I am confident I can take the school forward even further. I want everyone to know where Giggleswick is, the wonderful school we’ve created here and our reputation for excellence.”
Through his experiences at Winchester, Mr Hart believes the pastoral care offered to children is one of the most important factors in running a school, particularly for boarders, and this was something that attracted him to Giggleswick.
“As a housemaster, I was responsible for the pastoral care of 63 boys, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Keeping them safe, happy and feeling they belonged and were part of something was key. It was like a family, and I learned a lot about the importance of the all-round care of a child.” Mr Hart enjoyed a successful career in the Army Air Corp and was awarded the NATO Meritorious Service Medal for outstanding leadership on an Operation in Afghanistan. However, he wants his work in education to take precedence.
“I do come from a military background. When my father left the Royal Air Force, he went to work at Tonbridge School and it inspired me to look at education seriously. I quickly realised it was a very worthwhile career. Many of my skills complemented it, and with a good degree behind me, it felt like a very good fit.
“I feel what I’ve done and what I’m doing now in education is important and what I want to be known for. I’ve a full range of pastoral, academic and co-curricular experience, and that sense of helping a child to become a grounded, all-round person, building their confidence and developing their individual abilities is incredibly rewarding.
“It fits really well with Giggleswick’s ethos of participation, ambition and respect. We recognise that every child is different, and we want to give them the opportunity to develop their strengths, find out about themselves and strive for excellence. Academic achievement is an absolute priority, but equally important is our curriculum for life and preparing them for when they go out into the world, be it to university or the workplace.”
STONYHURST ST MARY’S HALL ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF A NEW HEADMASTER
The Governors of Stonyhurst are delighted to announce the appointment of a new Headmaster for Stonyhurst St Mary’s Hall. Fr Christopher Cann is currently Headmaster of Ratcliffe College Preparatory School in Leicestershire and was previously Headmaster of Leicester Preparatory School and Denstone College Preparatory School. He has a Master of Arts degree in French from the University of St Andrews and in Theology from the University of Oxford. He is married to Honor, who is a GP, and has six children and two grandchildren.
Fr Christopher is a former Anglican priest who was received into the Catholic church in 2011 and is now a priest of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. Fr Christopher joins on September 1, 2022, providing a seamless transition following the stepping down of Ian Murphy at the end of the academic year after eight extremely successful years as Headmaster.
He said: “I feel very honoured to be appointed as the next Headmaster of Stonyhurst St Mary’s Hall. I very much look forward to getting to know all the SMH children, parents and staff and to working closely, under the guidance of the Governing Body, with John Browne, Head of Stonyhurst, to build on the tremendous success the school has enjoyed in recent years.”
John Browne, Head of Stonyhurst, said: “I am delighted to welcome Fr Christopher Cann and his wife Honor to St Mary’s Hall and the Stonyhurst family. He brings a wealth of knowledge and a deep experience of education and spirituality to Stonyhurst, as well as a background in all areas of school leadership, including eight years as Headmaster of Ratcliffe College Preparatory School immediately before joining us.”
Mr Browne added: “I should like to thank Ian Murphy for his contribution to Stonyhurst. He has played a hugely significant role in leading the St Mary’s Hall community since 2014, and particularly in meeting the challenges of the pandemic in recent times. Ian has fostered a culture that ensures that St Mary’s Hall is a joyful place for young people to flourish.”
MAYFIELD GIRLS TAKE ON MCC
Cricketers of Mayfield Girls’ School were recently delighted to welcome the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) for just the second time in their history. The students, ranging in age from 11 to 18, played two T20 fixtures against a women’s representative MCC side, containing two ex-international cricketers.
On both occasions the MCC won the toss and elected to bat first. On a warm and sunny day they were able to make the most of the conditions, setting a tough target for Mayfield’s young cricketers to chase down. Despite some great batting performances from Lizzie (39 not out), Zara (35) and Flo (26), Mayfield fell just short in their run chase in both games.
Emily Starr, Mayfield’s Head of Cricket, said: “It is a real honour to play the MCC and play our part in championing women’s cricket. The sport is now a firm favourite at Mayfield even though we introduced it as a major sport only five years ago. In that time we have established a comprehensive programme and now have several girls in their respective age group county squads. For the last two years we have been recognised by The Cricketer magazine as one of the country’s top 20 all-girls’ schools for cricket. A big thank you to the MCC for giving our girls this opportunity.”
Post-GCSE courses for Dauntsey’s pupils
Pupils from Dauntsey’s, who have now completed their GCSEs, are being kept busy with a range of non-curriculum courses thanks to the school’s extensive post-GCSE activity programme.
The range of courses this year includes: Lifeguarding, Emergency First Aid and Rescue, Cookery, Sewing, a Jurassic Adventure, the Dauntsey’s Leadership Academy and the Jolie Brise Life Skills course.
These courses run during the week after the last GCSE examination and are open to all Fifth Formers. Each option is designed to provide pupils with specific life skills; some of these are practical, like CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) or cooking, others will affect many areas of their lives, such as teamwork and leadership. Above all, they are designed to be fun.
Mark Lascelles, Head Master, Dauntsey’s, said:
“The pupils have worked incredibly hard in the run up to, and during, the GCSEs. Understandably they don’t want to go straight back into the classroom having completed their exams.
Students from Dauntsey’s enjoying post-GCSE activities
WELLS CATHEDRAL SCHOOL APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
Mr Alex Laing has started his role as the new Director of Music at Wells Cathedral School. Alex was previously Artistic Director (Music) at King’s High School, Warwick and Warwick Preparatory School. He is also well known as a conductor and coach for national level ensembles including the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain and the Benedetti Foundation. Alex was previously Head of Strings at Uppingham School, and has been a violin teacher, coach and conductor at the Junior Department of the Royal College of Music. He studied Music at Cambridge University (where he held a prestigious instrumental award as well as being a choral scholar) and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
Alex Laing says: “I am delighted and privileged to be joining this wonderful and unique school where music is at the centre of life. The buzz at Wells Cathedral School is palpable and I look forward to supporting, sharing and celebrating music with everyone there from the youngest pupil to the most senior instrumentalist and the world class Cathedral choristers. It is a dream job.” Wells Cathedral School Head Master Alastair Tighe says: “It was heartening for us as a school to see this wonderful opportunity attract such a high calibre field. Alex shone at every level, not just because of his extensive experience and reputation, but also because of the creative, fresh and dynamic outlook he presented. Alex’s vision for our worldclass specialist music provision alongside our chorister and ‘music for all’ opportunities was engaging and compelling, and he demonstrated a real passion for, and understanding of, all that we are uniquely placed to offer here at Wells. I very much look forward to working with him as he builds on the work of his predecessors, most recently Mark Stringer, and alongside our team of outstanding music experts in all fields. This is an exciting appointment for the whole school.”
