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THE BRISTOL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER Winter 2015 Issue 31

EXCELLENT

ISI Inspection report

GO OUTSIDE

Outdoor Education at BGS

AROUND THE WORLD BGS Trips

SPORTS NEWS • LITERARY EVENTS • BGS REMEMBERS • BGSTIVAL

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From the Headmaster This has been an exceptionally busy and exciting term at BGS, where I have again had the privilege of witnessing our students’ participation in a vast range of events and activities. In the last few weeks alone, I have enjoyed the Senior School production of Alice in Wonderland, the Infant Nativity, Senior and Junior School performances at the Shakespeare Schools Festival and BGStival, our whole school dance production.

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his creative endeavour has been matched by the same enthusiastic involvement in sporting life. It has been a wonderful term of sport, with impressive contributions made by students of all abilities.

It has been a pleasure to see the passion and pride displayed by everyone representing the School, with C and D teams regularly turning out alongside the As and Bs. I extend my thanks to you all for your support, not only of your own children but of the BGS community as a whole, which allows us to provide such a rich variety of opportunity.

With so much to choose from, it is hard to pick highlights, but everyone involved in House Singing at the Colston Hall would agree that it was the most fantastic

ISI INSPECTION

– the results are in!

and enjoyable event, both in terms of the musical performances and in the spirit of camaraderie on display. Different in tone, but no less magical, was the Infant Nativity, put on by the youngest members of our school community.

As a school, we are always looking to improve and develop. We like to think there are many things we do well at BGS, but we know there is always scope for improvement. In this light, this term’s inspection was both heartening and encouraging. It is important for us to have this external evaluation and validation of the quality of our provision here at BGS and we are delighted with the inspectors’ verdict. It also reminded me how fortunate we are to be able to work with such inspiring young people.

Their willingness to get involved, their

We were delighted to receive an ‘Excellent’ report from the Independent Schools Inspectorate following their inspection visit in September. The School was praised across all eight inspection areas, including pupils’ achievement and learning; curricular and extra-curricular provision; the contribution of teaching; pupils’ personal development; and the quality of leadership and management, with each judged to be ‘Excellent’.

The report states that BGS 'fulfils its aim to achieve excellence in all it does within and beyond the classroom for pupils from EYFS to the Sixth Form.' and that the School provides 'opportunity for every individual to flourish in a happy and nurturing environment.' The inspectors also noted that 'Pupils develop into confident, compassionate and ambitious young adults by the time they leave the school.'

enthusiasm, and the spirit of friendship in which they support their peers, never fail to impress me.

May I take this opportunity to wish you and your families a very happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Roderick MacKinnon

Reflecting on the report, Headmaster Rod MacKinnon commented:

I am delighted that our ISI inspection has found excellence across all aspects of school life at BGS. The report is welldeserved recognition of all that our staff and community do for the children here.

“Our inspection report is not an end point, but it is a highly significant and encouraging marker on our journey.

We are already looking forward to our new Performing Arts Centre, currently being built. This will further enhance the many opportunities the School offers for pupils to flourish both in and beyond the classroom which are central to enabling all children to reach their full potential.”

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News

TOP MARKS

WELCOME

2015 was another fantastic year of A Level and GCSE results at Bristol Grammar School. At A Level, 43 Sixth-formers achieved three As or better and 51 were awarded one or more A* grades. Fourteen students from the BGS Sixth Form secured places at Oxford or Cambridge, while nine students received places to study medicine. Overall, the Class of 2015 moved on to 45 different universities this autumn, with courses ranging from History of Art to Zoology.

TO BGS

House parties, a Beetle Drive and an overnight camp all helped our new Year 7s settle in this term at BGS. They’ve really enjoyed getting to know their classmates, BGS Housemates and Form Prefects and it’s been a pleasure to see them all throwing themselves into BGS life.

GCSE results were equally impressive.

Forty-seven students scored ten or more A*–As while a quarter of the cohort gained eight or more A* grades. Fourteen students achieved the added distinction of gaining 10 or more GCSEs at A*. There were excellent results across all subject areas, from STEM to Classics.

Congratulations to all our Upper Sixth and Year 11 students whose hard work was rewarded with these exceptional results.

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News To mark European Day of Languages, the whole School had a themed non-uniform day on Thursday 24 September. There were some fantastic costumes on display, especially from the Modern Languages department, and a very entertaining assembly on the theme 'English is not enough'.

HELLO, HOLA, SAWUBONA‌

FEASTING with the Friends

The Friends of BGS have hosted four Pot Luck Suppers this term to welcome new parents to the School and provide a gathering point for those already settled in. A record number came to the Year 7 Supper, luckily timed to be bang in the middle of The Great British Bake Off, so there were plenty of show-stopping Moroccan lamb tagines, frangipane tarts and pavlovas to share.

Please save the date for a Quiz and Curry Night on Friday 26 February 2016.

Tickets will go on sale in the New Year through the weekly email for teams of six players.

Another great

GREENPOWER SEASON Electric car racing is just one of a multitude of clubs on offer at BGS. Teams design, build and prepare vehicles to race for ninety minutes with a set power supply and unmodified electric motors. BGS has now built four cars in the six years we have been involved in the Greenpower race challenge, and has another car in progress.

This season, the top seventy cars out of the 210 entries qualified to compete in an International final over two days.

Excitingly, all three current BGS cars made it through to the final. Unfortunately, the previously reliable Megazord suffered electrical problems, but both of the other cars performed well. The best performance was from Terazord which, despite picking up a punctured tyre, finished fifth, recording 42.6 miles compared to the winning team’s 43.3 miles. All the team members have played a brilliant part in the development and preparation of the vehicles and are to be congratulated on such a great season's racing. Thanks also go to former BGS technician Richard Gunston and teacher Phillip Thomas for their work supporting the teams who are already looking forward to battling for the podium places next year.

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BGS STEM –

from Submarines and Sunken Treasure to a Supersonic Car

TOPPING OUT

The construction of our new Performing Arts Centre (PAC) reached a landmark point this term, which was celebrated with a 'topping-out' ceremony. The ceremony is a longstanding tradition in the construction industry and marks reaching the highest point of a new building – in this case the top of the centre’s structural steel frame.

BGS Headmaster Rod MacKinnon was joined by Paul Barber of Rydon, the Bristol-based company undertaking construction, along with students and staff from the school to fix the final bolt to the steel frame.

Mr MacKinnon said: “This really is something to celebrate as we move closer to the moment when students, teachers and the wider community will be able

An Enquiring Eye An Enquiring Eye was an opportunity for visitors to the Guild Gallery at the Bristol Guild to see the huge diversity of creativity and work made by last year’s A Level Fine Art students at Bristol Grammar School. As well as staff, students and their families, more than 600 visitors enjoyed the exhibition which was on display from 5–26 September.

to take full advantage of all the fantastic elements this new centre has to offer.

“There is such enthusiasm and passion for the arts at BGS and, while the learning, teaching and performances at the school are already excellent, I believe the inspirational surroundings of the new facility will help develop even more creativity and production value.”

This term the STEM Cafés started with rather a watery theme. In September Commander Mark Grenfell-Shaw (Royal Navy) gave a fascinating talk about submarines. We discovered what submariners eat and how fresh water is provided. We also learnt how fish can help detect other, near silent, submarines.

As fish swim faster when they are scared, possibly caused by another submarine, listening to the noises fish make can allow detection of other submarines.

In October Dr Maria Pavlidou brought the Antikythera Exhibition to BGS. The Antikythera mechanism was found on a shipwreck, sunk around 100 BC, in 1901. Evidence from X-ray CT scans has allowed scientists and computer modellers to unravel the mystery of this ancient artefact. An astronomical model more advanced than any astronomical clock appearing until after the fourteenth century in Western Europe, the model is a fantastic feat of engineering and maths, able to predict solar and lunar eclipses with breathtaking accuracy.

November saw students enjoy a STEM Café on the Bloodhound Project, Britain’s attempt to break the World Land Speed Record by designing a car which can travel at 1,000mph. To continue the experience there was a visit to the car itself later in November.

BGS celebrated twenty students gaining British Science Association CREST awards at Bronze and Gold level and twenty Year 8 students enjoyed a day at Teentech, a hands-on science day supported by thirty companies from the South West. Their aim is to inspire students and help them see the opportunities offered by STEM careers.

Dr Rosser

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News

The Great Outdoors OUTDOOR EDUCATION AT BGS Education is about far more than what is learnt in the classroom and at BGS, from Reception right through to the Sixth Form, students are encouraged to take their learning outside.

The Outdoor Education programme is designed to support the School’s aim of developing the whole child, and offers opportunities to develop teamwork, leadership and interpersonal skills, as well as allowing children to gain selfconfidence from testing their limits and achieving outside their comfort zone.

From Forest School in BGS Infants and Juniors and adventurous outdoor activity residential trips in Years 3–6 to overseas expeditions and Gold Duke of Edinburgh awards in the Sixth Form, the programme builds the skills of those taking part and the number of options on offer as they progress through the School.

In the Senior School, the LFA (Learning, Friendships and Adventure) activity uses the low ropes course and other resources at Failand to explore and develop team roles, with emphasis on applying these skills in day-to-day life. There is also an overnight Year 7 camp, where students get to know their new classmates, as well as trying their hand at orienteering, lighting fires and tackling an assault course.

Canoeing, rock climbing and first aid are all offered in Year 8, while in Year 9 around two-thirds of the year group opt to go on the overseas expedition which involves evening and weekend training sessions in preparation.

The Year 10 camp teaches campcraft, navigation, independent travel and cookery skills, and can be used as practice for the Duke of Edinburgh award, which this year ninety per cent of students are taking part in. Large numbers continue to the Gold DofE award, and expeditions take place not just on foot but also by bicycle, kayak and canoe. There is also an outdoor education option on the Games rota in Years 10 and 11, which has included kayaking, climbing, cycling, orienteering and low ropes.

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Summing up the programme, Director of Outdoor Education, Kelly Hillyer, said:

Outdoor education is incredibly valuable at all ages.

As well as learning practical life-skills, the students are enjoying the benefits of being outdoors, connecting to the natural world, which can have real benefits for mental well-being as well as physical fitness. Most importantly, it offers collaborative and non-competitive ways for students to challenge themselves and find out what they are capable of, a wonderful way for them to gain in confidence and self-belief.�

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Infants & Juniors Mr Huckle writes …

Reflection and evaluation are essential for any school to achieve the continuous improvement in provision that young people deserve and respond to so well. As I reflect on this term, it is with a great deal of satisfaction and considerable pride.

There have been highlights for the children in every age-group. Our youngest, the Reception age-group, settled swiftly into the routines of school life and have loved being involved in their first major school events such as the Infant Nativity, which always brings a tear to the eye.

Year 1 have loved their castles topic, including visits to Caerphilly and Berkeley Castles, and turning their classrooms into medieval banqueting halls. Year 2 have had similar fun with their Bristol and Roald Dahl topics. As the senior infants, they set a brilliant example at the wonderful Infant Discos.

New children were welcomed into Year 3, with their Year 6 buddies being caring and supportive, and the traditional Family Picnic at Failand giving them a very happy and active start to life at BGS. Frenetic activity was the hallmark of their first experience of the Junior Christmas Bazaar.

Year 4 and Year 5 both benefited from their PGL Activity holidays. This time away from home, in each other’s company, plays a key part in developing friendships, providing adventurous activities and

A pizza the action!

Year 3 had a brilliant time when they visited Pizza Express in Clifton Village to try their hand at pizza making as part of their Science studies in October. There was some expert dough stretching on display, and some very enthusiastic pizza sampling – all in the name of science of course.

promoting independence. The Year 6 children, looking towards Senior School, have enjoyed their final participation in our very special Junior Carol Service as well as their last chance to perform in the Shakespeare Schools Festival or in a Teatime Concert.

The range of activities referred to above were all, of course, carefully planned well in advance. The other main school event this term, of which we get little notice and therefore little time to plan, was our ISI Inspection. Nevertheless, this was another very positive and rewarding experience for us all.

Amongst the numerous highlights in the ISI Inspection Report were the comments that the school 'achieves its ambition to reach excellence in everything it does' and that the pupils who 'are well mannered and have tremendous pride in their school' develop into confident young people who enthusiastically engage with the wide range of opportunities within and beyond the classroom as 'is evident in their active contribution to the life of the school'. In addition, they are fantastic ambassadors

for the school and always impress our visitors with their positivity, courtesy and ability to meet a challenge.

The Chief Inspector said before he left that "It is through the children that you see the true character of a school."

I hope that the various reports in this publication provide a flavour of the range and variety of opportunities and the ways in which the children’s contribution and participation gives us our character and makes this such a happy and vibrant school community to be part of.

Peter Huckle Headmaster, BGS Infants & Juniors

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A feast fit for a king A very warm welcome It was a pleasure to welcome new families to BGS Infants and Juniors to the Family Picnic at Failand in September.

The sun shone down (most definitely not a given this summer) and everyone had a wonderful time, getting to know their new schoolmates and their families.

“The best day ever” – and that was just Miss Penny’s view on Year 1’s Castles topic day! Visits to both Caerphilly and Berkeley Castle, one in ruins, the other still home to a real-life family, plus a fantastic drama workshop all helped turn Year 1 into true castle experts this term.

On their topic day, knights, princesses, lords and ladies all arrived for a day at school, where they were kept busy baking bread and apple pies for their own delicious medieval banquet.

Miss Penny said: “It has been an absorbing and fascinating topic which the children and the teaching staff have all thoroughly enjoyed.”

Bristol’s Best Year 2 paid a visit to two of Bristol’s best known landmarks this term, the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the ss Great Britain.

Torrential rain did its best to wash away their enthusiasm on the Bridge trip, but the children still had a wonderful time, learning about its history and the life of its designer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The weather was kinder for their visit to Brunel’s famous ship and the children loved exploring its decks and its history.

We love School!

It has been a delight this term to see the youngest members of the BGS family settling in and making new friends as they start out in Reception.

They have spent time getting to know each other in the All About Me topic, enjoyed dressing up for the European Day of Languages, explored the forest at Failand and joined their first Great Hall assembly at the Infant and Junior School Harvest Festival.

Reception class teacher Miss Lucy Corrigan said: “The children have made an amazing start and their learning is coming on in leaps and bounds. They are a joy to teach.”

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Infants & Juniors

Teatime Concerts Down at the river Two lovely Teatime Concerts took place this term, the first featuring musicians from Years 3 and 4, the second from Years 5 and 6. At both, widespread participation was very much evident, with the children keen to share their music making with friends and family. Thank you to all those who came and made such a supportive audience.

This term Year 5 ventured into the Mells River, to undertake some geographical fieldwork. The children investigated the shape of the river channel by taking measurements of width, depth and speed, using various pieces of equipment – even dog biscuits! They also had a go at identifying and sketching creatures that they found lurking in the water.

It was wonderful to see the children working so well as a team, and with such positivity and enthusiasm, despite many having soggy feet! Super geography, Year 5!

If you don’t ask… Twinning toilets, changing lives

2S learnt about persuasive writing this term and, putting their newly acquired skills to good use, wrote to Mr Huckle to ask if they could have some class goldfish. Their letters were so effective that Miss Smyth’s class are now the proud owners of Sparkles and Jimmy.

Years 1 and 2 were delighted to welcome representatives of Toilet Twinning to their assembly on Wednesday 23 September, to hand over a cheque for £1,958.18. This was one-third of the total raised

by BGS Infants and Juniors last year in aid of their three chosen charities, Toilet Twinning, Hollyhedge Animal Sanctuary, and Somerset Air Ambulance.

The children heard about how their donation had enabled a toilet block to be built at a school in Uganda. Before, hardly any of the children in the village went to school, but now it has toilets, 65 children regularly attend. Year 1 and 2 were pleased to learn that not only had their fundraising helped transform the health prospects of a village, but also their educational prospects too.

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Infants & Juniors

OUT AND ABOUT

Years 4, 5 and 6 have all enjoyed adventures away from BGS this term, with trips to Marchants Hill, Liddington and Mendip Outdoor Pursuits respectively.

For many in Year 4 this was their first experience of a residential trip, but they were too busy having adventures to be homesick.

All the children had a great time, tackling the various challenges and activities on offer with enthusiasm, and it was wonderful to see the friendship and teamwork in evidence as they cheered each other on.

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Sixth Form

DIAMOND LIGHT

Feeling festive Christmas came early for the Sixth Form this year, with the now traditional Christmas meal in the Great Hall at the end of November. Good friends, good fun and good food were all on offer as the festive season got off to a great start.

On Friday 6 November, A Level Physics students from Bristol Grammar School paid a visit to the Diamond Light Source at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratories in Oxfordshire. The centre is home to one of Europe’s largest synchrotrons and is used by a multitude of researchers, both in industry and in academia, to examine structures from the cellular level down to the atomic scale using the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the centre’s immense storage ring.

It is effectively an enormous microscope, which is used for anything from developing new composite materials to examining the structure of cancer cells and therefore plays a vital role in pushing forward the frontiers of knowledge and understanding.

Students were greeted by the warm and friendly staff and were immediately treated to a surprise talk from Professor Phil Manning from Manchester University who, as a leading palaeontologist, uses the centre to image the microscopic structure of dinosaur bones, in particular those which have been damaged by cancerous tumours, to further our understanding of such diseases.

Following that, the facility’s staff delivered an interactive presentation on the ongoing work at the Diamond Light Source before students went on tours of the facility with a range of scientists and engineers. It was striking how vast the facility, in particular the storage ring, was and that it was not only a hub for frontline research but a monument to human endeavour.

The trip was truly inspirational and feedback from students was extremely positive, thanks to the passionate, professional and experienced staff, who have our thanks. If you’re a BGS student who is considering Physics at A Level, keep an eye out for this excursion again in the future. For more information visit www.diamond.ac.uk.

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BASE CHALLENGE NEW SIXTH FORM SCHOLARSHIPS We are delighted to announce new scholarships for entry into our Sixth Form in September 2016. These scholarships are in addition to The Pople awards for each of Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics, as well as The Dehn award for Modern Languages.

All awards are available to students in Year 11 at BGS and to those applying to join the Lower Sixth.

There are two Sport Scholarships available, one for a boy and one for a girl.

We are looking for talented individuals, capable of performing at regional level or above, in one or more of the School’s main sports.

There is also one Creative and Performing Arts Scholarship to cover the following disciplines: Art, Music, Drama and Dance.

The award holders will be expected to make a significant contribution to the School’s sports teams, clubs, productions, concerts or exhibitions as appropriate.

Deadline for applications is 18 January; please contact the Recruitment Office for further information.

What an achievement! With over 1,286 school teams and 10,000 students taking part, Bristol Grammar School was awarded the runner-up’s prize in the prestigious ICAEW (Chartered Accountants) BASE Challenge at the end of the Summer term. The team consisted of Polly (Upper Sixth) and Alex Lia James Henry and Jack (all Lower Sixth).

The BASE (Business and Accounting Skills Education) Challenge has been one of the most memorable activities in the Sixth Form and it has been consistently enjoyable, from the Regional Finals made up of around forty teams, to the National Final made up of the forty-nine regional winners. Getting to the national finals will always be a significant achievement for the team, however to come second out of 1,286 teams is mind-blowing!

The competition as a whole has enabled us to improve our written and verbal communication, and has also helped us to apply Business, Accounting and Economic knowledge to a real life scenario. The teamwork we demonstrated was brilliant throughout, and it is clear that teamwork is an invaluable life skill we can take forward. We would all strongly recommend taking part in the BASE Challenge when presented with the opportunity to do so, as each and every one of us could tell you a different area in which we have excelled, and how it will help us individually in the future.

Alex and Lia

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Literary Events

SIMON BARNES

Ten Million Aliens

SHANE HEGARTY On Thursday 1 October Irish author Shane Hegarty visited BGS to talk to Years 5 and 6 about his two books Darkmouth and Darkmouth Worlds Explode. The talks were very entertaining, so much so that his audience was convinced that if Shane was not an author, he would be a comedian (in fact, he is a journalist).

The Darkmouth books combine horror and humour as they follow the adventures of hapless hero Finn and his attempts to protect the village of Darkmouth from Legends, vicious beasts of myth and fable. An unfortunately situated ‘gateway’ between the Legends’ world and that of Darkmouth means regular escapes occur, but Finn lacks the Legend hunting talents of his father Hugo. Pictures, and some impressive acting skills from Shane brought the monsters to life, and the talks left the audience very keen for Shane to complete the next book in the Darkmouth series.

“I never intended to write this book,” declared Simon Barnes. It began with a suggestion by his publisher to write a book about insects. But the idea kept growing: why limit himself to just one arbitrary part of the animal kingdom?

He began to see that animal life is “not about barriers but continuity, not about separation but links.”

The challenge was to interest people in creatures that they didn’t know existed or that they were repelled by. For instance, he launched into an extraordinary account of a slug’s sex life: “a slimy and sensual ballet performed on a trapeze of mucus.”

We also heard about his encounter in Africa (while unarmed) with a large, angry lion: instinctively standing still, rather than running away, he survived. Reflecting later, he mused, “We humans first walked the savanna a million years ago and part of us still knows it: enough for me to come up with a wholly appropriate response without reference to conscious thought.”

Without being unduly confrontational, Barnes raised questions that challenge the world-view of creationists: parasitic flat worms that have evolved with beautiful, bewildering complexity – but they inflict chronic, ghastly suffering on their human hosts. Some of what has evolved is horrific while being extraordinary.

The evening ended with a Q&A session and book-signing. We all went off into the night with eyes opened to the ‘ten million aliens’ with whom we share the planet.

Jennifer Benn

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LINDSEY DAVIS BOOK LAUNCH On 16 September 2015 former BGS parent Gilly Macmillan made a welcome return to the School, this time as a highly-regarded début novelist. The JCR quickly filled up with readers awed by Gilly’s Burnt Paper Sky, and eager to hear all about its background.

Ms Macmillan started with a reading from Burnt Paper Sky, then, with her editor Emma Beswetherick, spoke briefly about the journey from being “a bored housewife” privately exchanging drafts with a writing partner, through getting an agent, to becoming the next big thing in the world of psychological thrillers. With evidently close rapport, Emma and Gilly broached the emotional and controversial subjects addressed in the story: single mothers and how the media portray them, guilt and blame when a child goes missing, and the weight of adverse public opinion.

The main event of the evening was the Q&A, when Gilly responded quietly, fluently and honestly to a welter of well-prepared and thoughtful audience enquiries. She spoke of drawing on her own fears for much of the book, and using a common terror – the loss of a child – to fuel the emotional scenes, making her novel all the more gripping and heart-wrenching. “Any parent fears it,” she said, to nods in the audience, “and I tried to show this directly through my protagonist’s eyes.”

Particularly interesting was her decision to use real-life Bristol surroundings.

Rachel’s son goes missing in Leigh Woods and the familiarity of that place for many of the audience made the book even more affecting. Gilly also spoke of her determination to make all procedural details authentic, thanking the “team of detectives” who helped her develop the other first-person narrator, who investigates the child’s disappearance. “I originally had all the emergency services in the South West descending into the woods … they were quick to tell me this would never be the case.” The realism of the detective’s sections makes the book even more interesting.

Drawing many a laugh from the audience, Gilly ended the event to rapturous applause. Everyone in the room, like the book’s many avid supporters in other cities and countries, is now awaiting her next novel, to be published next year. We all know it will be every bit as fabulous as Burnt Paper Sky. Olivia

Life of the common people in first century Rome is Lindsey Davis’s forte.

Bringing these characters to the fore within the backdrop of a detective narrative in Imperial Rome is what makes her books so distinctive. Her female characters are especially important: memorable, forthright and key to each plot.

In the course of her talk, Lindsey focused specifically on the three Flavia Albia novels and gave us a whiff of what is to come in the fourth.

Questions from an enrapt audience revealed the extent of their knowledge of Lindsey’s books and a genuine interest in what she had to say. “What differences,” one student asked, “did you find when writing about life under Domitian rather than Vespasian?” Every question fired was answered, as you might expect, with aplomb!

Andy Keen and Lucy Shepherd

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Literary Events An interview with

PHILIP REEVE & JOE ABERCROMBIE STEVE COLE FROM DR WHO TO JAMES BOND: DIFFERENT KINDS OF TIME TRAVEL

Steve Cole bounced onto the stage and, in an energetic performance, entertained the audience of over 300 made up of visiting Year 6 classes from four local primary schools, the whole of our Year 7, and the BGS Year 6 Book Committee. He was at BGS to talk about Shoot to Kill, the latest book in the Young James Bond series.

Steve’s previous books, Astrosaurs, Cows in Action, the Z Rex books, and even a Doctor Who novel, had used either history or the future as a prompt. In fact, as he pointed out, Doctor Who provided an infinite number of possibilities as he can travel anywhere, at any time, in the universe.

Steve moved on to talk about how early man would have spied on their neighbours’ mammoth-hunting techniques to develop their own skills.

Thus, the first secret agents and spies were created. In essence, secret agents have always been the same, only the technology has changed. He showed us binoculars that doubled as a flask, lipstick with its own memory for DNA (be careful who you kiss!), a camera that doubled as a flask, and a camcorder that was… just a camcorder.

After sharing a little of the history of James Bond and his creator Ian Fleming, Steve moved on to the young James Bond, who is not yet a secret agent but certainly has an eye for adventure. The story is set in Los Angeles where Bond and his friend, Boudicca Pryce, are on a visit and from

thereon become involved in a world of Hollywood and gangsters. The title Shoot to Kill refers to both firing a gun and shooting a movie; the book cover contains the main elements of the story, including an exploding airship. The next exciting book in the series, Heads You Die, is to be published in May. After lots of questions from the audience Steve remained to have photos taken with our visitors and sign piles of books for them as well as our BGS pupils. What a marvellous way to start the day!

Steve Marsh

On Saturday 3 October fans came to the Bath Festival of Children’s Literature to hear Philip Reeve and Joe Abercrombie talk about their new novels, Railhead and Half a War. As event sponsors, we were lucky enough to have ten minutes beforehand to interview them about their writing. Joe said the most important part of writing, (besides getting dressed in the morning!), is to be honest with yourself. Don’t strain to write a metaphor just because you think it sounds nice on the page. When working on characters, speak their dialogue, treat them like real people. Each character will behave in a different way when you’re writing them.

Philip Reeve’s books are often set in weird and wonderful worlds; “I build the world around the story” he said. In contrast, Joe also told us that research is important, but in the end, the great liberty you have as an author is that you can blend history together. “You can throw a character out of a nineteenth century London window in the same world which has sixteenth century Italian fashion.

Warping the world is your responsibility as a fantasy author.”

Philip and Joe agreed that you have to start the book and see if “the writing magic” is there. “A boring plot will be a good story if the characters are good. If the characters are boring however, then the novel will always be dull.” We enjoyed hearing about how they developed their characters – in that they often developed themselves.

When talking to the audience both Joe and Philip were funny, drawing laughs from everyone and reducing the chair to giggles. We thank Philip and Joe for their wonderful interview.

Isabella

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Performing Arts INFANT

BGSTIVAL WHOLE SCHOOL DANCE PRODUCTION This year’s Infant Nativity was Baboushka, based on the traditional Russian tale of an elderly woman and her journey to meet the newborn baby Jesus.

It was, as always, a magical performance, with all the children doing exceptionally well. The singing, dancing and storytelling were all beautiful and brought a tear to the eye of many in the audience. A big thank you to parents for your support with learning songs and providing costumes, and well done to the children and teachers for putting on such a fantastic show.

On Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 2 December around a hundred students from Year 3 to Upper Sixth took to the stage to perform BGStival. The dance production was based on different festivals from around the world. From Glastonbury and the Rio Carnival to Woodstock and the Chinese New Year, BGStival created and fused together sixteen original pieces to form this whole School celebration of dance.

Congratulations to everyone who took part; it was a wonderful production which showcased the impressive depth of dance talent at BGS.

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Performing Arts

SCHOOL CONCERT AT ST GEORGE’S On 25 November the Music Department presented its end-ofterm concert at St George’s Bristol. The Senior Orchestra, Wind Orchestra, Cantata, Mantata, String Orchestra, Top Trumps, The Khameleonz and the BGS Samba band performed a variety of music, including songs from films and some with a Christmas theme. For several of these groups, this was a farewell performance in their current configuration and the enthusiasm and prowess of the performers certainly provided a fitting send-off.

ALICE

Wonderland IN

The construction of the Performing Arts Centre means the School is temporarily without a theatre, but this was no barrier to this year’s Senior School production.

Written by Old Bristolian Beatrice Vincent, Alice in Wonderland saw audiences take a tour of Wonderland, a mysterious place where time can be stopped, people can go missing and nothing is ever as it seems.

Congratulations to the cast and crew, whose skill and imagination made this such an effective and enjoyable production.

The promenade performance used five different locations around the School, and featured five Alices who led the audience on their journey as she (and they) attempted to find out just who Alice really is.

HOUSE SINGING The first half of term was brought to a fantastic conclusion by the Senior School House Singing competition. A day of rehearsals was followed by an evening of performances at the Colston Hall, featuring all six Houses, plus the Girls', Boys' and Friday choirs.

Congratulations to the winners, Diamond's House, and to all who contributed to the amazing evening of entertainment.

Our thanks also to this year's adjudicator, Iain Carnegie, who faced the tricky task of picking a winner.

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THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

e r a e sp e k a Sh S C H O O L S · F E S T I VA L

Thirty Junior School children from Years 4–6 and sixteen from Years 8–10 took part in two spellbinding productions at the Tobacco Factory Theatre as part of the Shakespeare Schools Festival. The Juniors performed A Midsummer Night’s Dream, while the Senior production was The Merchant of Venice.

Congratulations to all the children who took part in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Miss Plaisted who led the production.

The performance was funny, quick paced and exciting, featuring bursts of dancing, dramatic deaths, heated arguments and declarations of love. It was impressive to see our Junior School children performing Shakespeare with such passion and confidence.

When choosing this year’s play for the Shakespeare Schools Festival, I initially wondered if the ideas contained in the darkly comic The Merchant of Venice were too complex to work on in such a short space of time. I need not have worried as the entire cast were more than up to the challenge and gave extremely mature performances: Portia was wonderfully assured; Shylock aptly bitter; Antonio suitably arrogant; Bassanio, Lorenzo and Gratiano all eager to woo their loves; and Jessica melancholic and serene.

Our biggest challenge was the need to bring the city of Venice to the stage without the luxury of a set. The cast worked hard, using physical theatre techniques, to use themselves and plenty of bright coloured cloth to set our scene.

The students became the gnarled old tree in the gardens of Belmont, the Rialto Bridge in central Venice (with its own canal running below), and the magnificent court of the Duke with the blind justice presiding over it all. As I watched them bring Venice to life in their performance at the Tobacco Factory, I could not have been more proud.

Claire Moulds, Director

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Exploration Over half-term thirteen students in Years 10–12, accompanied by Ms Ray and Mr Keen, set off on a four-day tour of Greece including visits to Athens, Tolo, Delphi and Epidavros.

TURTLES IN TURKEY

adventure ATHENIAN

After a dramatic start, involving a lost and found passport, all fifteen made it onto the plane. First stop the next day was the archaeological site in Delphi, the site of the Oracle and a once major location for the worship of Apollo. We then travelled to the Corinth Canal, stopping at a small skiing village called Arachova and a Greek restaurant for lunch on the way. Being slightly ahead of schedule, we had time for an evening stroll around Nafplio – the former capital of Greece – before dinner in our beachside hotel in Tolo.

The third day started with breakfast in the hotel with a beautiful view over the water. We then visited the site of Epidavros including the theatre, known for its incredible acoustics. Next was the palace in Mycenae, where we saw a statue of two lionesses thought to be the oldest surviving monument in Europe. After lunch we moved on to visit the site of Nemea including its incredible stadium, before our

final return to Athens. Having settled into our hotel we walked to the Acropolis Museum and then on to a restaurant in the centre of Athens for dinner.

Our last day was spent on a walking tour of the sites in Athens and was one of my favourite parts of the trip. Our main stop was the Acropolis, where we saw the famous Parthenon, Erechtheion and the Temple of Athena Nike as well as incredible views over Athens. We stopped for lunch at a Beneth – a bakery which served a variety of sandwiches and baked goods but most importantly, pizza. After lunch, we went to the National Archaeological Museum before navigating the Athenian metro system to return to our hotel in time to pick up our suitcases and head to the airport.

Overall, it was a great trip enjoyed by all the students and we were lucky enough to have good weather throughout, which was dearly missed as soon as our plane landed back at Heathrow.

Niamh

At the start of the Summer holidays, a group of Sixth Form biologists travelled to Cirali in Turkey to take part in fieldwork and join local conservationists working to protect loggerhead turtles.

The turtles lay their eggs on the beach at night-time, but can be scared away by noise and lights, or the nests can be disturbed by tourists. BGS students helped check the beach, marking the location of any nests as well as doing night-time patrols. Those on patrol on the group’s final night were lucky enough to be within touching distance of a turtle as she laid her eggs. As it hit midnight, they lay in the sand with her, silent, and she gave birth to over sixty eggs. A truly magical experience for the lucky few.

The group also spent time snorkelling, in order to carry out surveys of the local fish population, swam with turtles, toasted marshmallows on the flames at Chimera and even managed to squeeze in some souvenir shopping before their return home. While Turkey was beautiful, the experience of seeing the turtles firsthand is what made the trip so memorable for those who took part.

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TRAVELLING TO ANOTHER WORLD Two trips to

St Petersburg Exchange

As I was studying both Russian language and history, I leapt at the opportunity to join the annual BGS exchange to St Petersburg, the country’s cultural capital. It’s so far north that for a few weeks in June, when we visited, the sun never fully sets, which is why this period is known as ‘The White Nights’.

I’d never been to Russia before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. As a Russian bomber flies, St Petersburg isn’t actually very far away; but culturally it’s another planet.

As well as the rather plain food, you have to get used to their very direct way of talking, which can seem rude to us but to them is just honesty.

I was warmly welcomed by my Russian hosts, and given the best room in their small suburban flat. Like many Russians, they often went to bed late, but at least there was always plenty of time to lie in!

This year there were four BGS students and two teachers, and we met up almost every day. Some of the best parts of the exchange were the daily trips to local attractions. The Hermitage, or Winter Palace, is a huge and impressive building in the centre of the city. It once belonged to the Tsars and now houses a museum full of beautiful paintings, sculpture and furniture. I was told that if I spent a minute looking at every exhibit I would be there for eleven years. But my favourite place was a large park called Pavlosk, which provided a quiet refuge away from the bustle of the city.

One thing you can’t fail to notice as a visitor is the extraordinary ubiquity of Putin’s face. You see it on mugs, T-shirts, key rings, magnets, posters, and all kinds of kitsch. It was a fascinating reminder of the leadership cults of the Soviet era.

As well as being a culturally interesting experience, this is also a trip that’s guaranteed to improve your Russian. Удачи!

Matthew

Russian and History trip to Moscow We arrived to a very cold and dark Moscow, owing to a four-hour time difference.

At the Cosmos Hotel it was an early night for all of us as there was so much to do the next day. Our tour began by meeting our Russian guide who was very nice and informative.

The itinerary was packed with art gallery and museum visits and the first day ended with a journey on the metro which was surprisingly clean, with no graffiti in sight, just large ornate chandeliers everywhere. We surfaced to see the spectacular illumination of Red Square at night.

The highlight was definitely the school visit when we met other teenage students who were so welcoming and inquisitive. We asked them in Russian about their life and opinions and what they thought about us and our country. A visit to a local backstreet market was great fun, especially when haggling over the price of a hat at speed!

The atmosphere was busy and

bustling with the usual Russian souvenirs you might expect.

One of the most impressive visits was to a cathedral in the Kremlin, where in the past the Tsars were crowned beneath a dramatic mosaic of God in front of the high altar, a place to which only the most exalted in the land were allowed access.

In our free time we enjoyed bowling in Galaktica and going to an ice hockey match, a sport the Muscovites clearly celebrate.

Our final day was spent at the Cosmonaut Museum where we saw the spacesuit which had been presented by Michael Collins and which he had worn when he orbited the moon on the Apollo 11 mission. Russia does feel like a completely different world but your eyes are really opened when you see the amazing sights and meet the people. Ben

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Exploration

History LIVING

The whole of Year 9 enjoyed a History trip to the Black Country Living Museum in September. It was a lovely sunny day as they explored one of Britain's first industrial landscapes and the lives of those who lived there, sampling school life, shopping, and even the fun of the fair.

HISTORY AND ART IN FLORENCE We arrived at our hostel on Friday afternoon and having had little opportunity for sleep since our departure at 1.00am, it’s fair to say that we welcomed the following free time with open arms. Having organised our rooms and taken a nap, we stepped out onto the streets of Florence.

Our first visit was to a convent, which was not far from the hotel.

Its fresco, which was the purpose of our visit, stretched across a wall of around fifteen square metres. Over the course of the trip we were amazed by the attention to detail in pieces like this one, as well as their well-preserved appearance (some of them being as old as BGS).

On the Saturday we visited the Accademia Gallery, which houses the magnificent Michelangelo sculpture David.

Following this we went to the Uffizi Gallery, my personal highlight of the trip, with works

by Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raffaello on display.

Following the Uffizi, we walked to the outskirts of Florence’s centre to the Santa Croce, the largest Franciscan church in the world. Apart from the Florence Cathedral, it had (for me) the most stunning appearance of all the churches we visited: all white, pristine, and perfectly symmetrical.

A highlight the following day was the Brancacci Chapel.

Sometimes called the ‘Sistine Chapel of the early Renaissance’, this secluded building houses one of the finest frescos ever. We spent as long as we could there before having to move on. The Boboli Gardens, on the estate of the ruling Medici family, was our next visit. It offered a change from the so far gallery-and-churchbased tour, and was particularly wonderful to walk through at that time of year.

The next day, before our departure for England, we managed to fit in a few more sights. The Orsanmichele was next on our list, striking for its beautiful architecture. Following this, we shopped in the San Lorenzo Market, and then some of us found a fantastic restaurant to eat in; it was adorned with posters slating Juventus (the football team) and had all sorts of weird ornaments. This marked a great end to an action-packed trip.

Rob

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Exploration

It was a great tour, and the boys would like to thank their host families for making them so welcome as well as Mr Goodman, Mr Scott and Mr Lacey for taking them on such a rewarding trip.

U15 RUGBY TOUR TO BELFAST On 22 October, twenty-five students and three members of staff travelled to Belfast for the U15 Rugby Tour. They played six matches over three days, recording two victories and four defeats, but played with impressive team spirit and determination in all games.

In between the rugby, there was a packed itinerary with visits to Stormont, Northern Ireland’s parliament buildings; the Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland's most fascinating natural landscape; and the lovely seaside town of Portrush. They even found time for a touch rugby tournament on Portrush beach.

Friday night was spent at the Kingspan Stadium, armed with silly hats (as it was ‘Funny Hat Friday’ in aid of charity), watching an exciting game of rugby between Ulster and Cardiff Blues. The tour group also explored Belfast’s history, visiting the Falls Road area to see the many murals relating to the Troubles which adorn the walls there, and paid a visit to the impressive and moving Titanic Experience.

TOUR RESULTS: U15A vs. Campbell College, lost 7–43 U15B vs. Campbell College, won 50–5 U15 vs. Royal School Dungannon, lost 12–7 U15 vs. Royal Belfast Academy, lost 10–5 U15 vs. Rodillian Academy, lost 17–7 U15 vs. Belfast Royal Academy, won 24–0 Most improved Forward: Adam Most improved Back: Dylan t Coaches’ player of the tour: Dan Players’ player of the tour: Freddie Best tourist: Hugh

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Sport

LIONESSES AT BGS

GIRLS’ FOOTBALL

GOING SWIMMINGLY

Bristol Grammar School's female footballers had a fantastic experience on 19 November when Jess Clarke and Ellen White, two of the England women's football team, known as the Lionesses, popped into School. They led a training session for the BGS girls in the Sports Hall, before a Q&A session when they shared their expertise and experiences of elite sport.

Many thanks to Jess and Ellen for coming into BGS to visit us; it was a day our girls will never forget.

Congratulations to the Senior Girls who participated in the ISFA South-West Girls’ six-a-side Football Tournament in September, reaching the semi-final where they were narrowly beaten by eventual winners (and national champions) King’s College Taunton 2–1.

Well done to all the squad: Annabel Darcy Aoife Ellie Anisha Bee Erin and Eloise

The swimming team performed admirably in this term’s gala held at Monmouth School. Large numbers of boys and girls competed for the junior and intermediate teams. Impressive performances came from Esme Alysia and Kelvin although these were not quite enough to prevent the team losing the meet in the final deciding relay. The team are now looking forward to more galas in the New Year, in particular the Bristol Schools’ meet.

NETBALL NOTES Although the Spring term is the main term for netball, three of the age-groups (U14, U16 and U19) have been involved in the Bristol rounds of county tournaments.

All the players performed well but only the U19 group reached the county stage where they finished ahead of the ‘Bristol pack’ but behind the specialist schools that dominate the Bath scene.

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HOCKEY HIGHLIGHTS REACHING NEW HEIGHTS For many students reaching the end of their Year 11 studies, GCSE Results Day is the most important day of their summer.

However, with two international athletics tournaments to compete in, it was just one of several important days for BGS student and Sports Scholar Ada’ora Chigbo.

Ada’ora was selected to represent Great Britain in the high jump at the World Youth Games in Columbia in July where she was placed a creditable sixth. She then went on to achieve a superb second place for England at the Commonwealth Youth Games held in Samoa in September, jumping 1m 77.

Congratulations Ada’ora, we look forward to following your progress in the future.

Photos courtesy of England Athletics

The girls’ hockey teams have fared well this term. In the Junior School the U11A team reached two semi-finals in the space of five days, finishing third at the County tournament and fourth out of ten at the King Edward’s School Festival.

In the Senior School a young and inexperienced First XI has made huge strides forward and although they have won just three of their games, beating Colston’s School, King’s College Taunton and Cheltenham Ladies’ College, the players are delighted with the progress they have made.

The Senior Third and Fourth teams, U15A and B teams, and the U14A team have lost just one match each, while the U14Bs remain unbeaten. The U14 team are also County Champions, beating Colston’s School in the final on penalty strokes to secure a place in the Regional Final at Clifton College on 26 November.

At the Regional Final the girls beat Hereford Cathedral School and Bryanston to progress to the quarter-finals where they were defeated 1–0 by King’s College Taunton, meaning they finished as one of the top eight teams in the region. Well played girls!

ROWING Jamie Potter (Year 10) took part in the 2015 British Junior Rowing Championships with the City of Bristol Rowing Club. In a close race, Jamie’s J14x coxed quad pulled into first place in the last 200 metres to win gold.

The team was also shortlisted as finalists in the 2015 Bristol Post Junior Sports Team of the Year award, and they were delighted to be declared winners at the ceremony on 22 October.

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Sport

CONGRATULATIONS

RUGBY ROUND-UP It has been a great start to the rugby season with notable performances across all age-groups. In the Junior School every boy has represented the School at some point this term. Particularly impressive have been the U8 and U9 teams, many of which are unbeaten to date. The U10A and U10B teams have secured wins against Taunton School, Colston’s School, King Edward’s School, Millfield School and QEH, who were all strong opposition. The season has been more challenging for the U11 teams, but they have displayed great commitment and a fantastic attitude which has resulted in victory against Warminster School in the King Edward’s Festival for the U11A team and against The Downs School, Millfield School and QEH for the U11Bs. In the Senior School the First XV have won games against Sydney Grammar School, RGS Worcester, King’s College Taunton, QEH and King’s School Worcester. With three games remaining at the time of writing, the team are confident of adding to this tally of victories. Below the First XV, the stand out age-group remains the U14s who have yet to lose, although the U12 age-group are almost as successful: the A, B, C and D teams have lost only three of the 23 matches they have played. As impressive as the results achieved is the enthusiasm shown for the game by the Year 7s; the fixture against QEH saw over seventy boys turn out at Failand on a wet Saturday morning!

Lizzie who has been selected for the RYA South West Zone Topper Sailing Squad, one of only twelve sailors selected in the U14 age-group in the South West of England for this squad.

EQUESTRIAN EVENTS BGS equestrians had a great day at Stonar School’s Inter-Schools’ One-Day event.

Daisy Bisgrove competed individually on a new pony in the 70cm class while in the 80cm section Tara came first out of forty competitors.

The 90cm team of Anya Alexandra and Tara scored well after the dressage. The show jumping, however, proved testing and Anya was the only one to jump clear. The final phase was the cross country and all three team members went clear with Alex going inside the time, which led to her being placed ninth individually. The team was unlucky on this occasion to be just outside the ribbons but they are looking forward to 2016.

Alysia who is currently ranked second in the British swimming rankings for her age-group and has qualified for the National Finals to be held at Sheffield in December.

Ben who represented GB in the World Junior Motocross Championships in Madrid in July, where his team came third.

Ben also came third in the British Youth National Championship Series.

Tom and George who have been selected for the Gloucestershire Cricket Board ‘Stroud and South Gloucestershire District U11 Squad’.

Tobey who has been invited to attend a National Training Camp by the Lawn Tennis Association. He is one of just sixteen U12 boys in the UK to be invited.

Evie who has been invited to join the Avon LTA U9 County Tennis Squad for 2015–16 Alice has been selected to train with Avon’s U13 Netball Development Academy.

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OBs I walked into the OBs’ office in the summer holiday and was greeted by archivist Anne Bradley asking me if I was thinking of going to Poland. “We would like you to visit the graves of two OBs who died during WW1 as prisoners of war. One is outside Berlin and the other is in Poznan,” Anne said.

Two Old Bristolians remembered

Cambridge Dinner Thank you to all who attended the Cambridge Dinner on 14 November.

It was lovely to see OBs young and old coming together, linked by their relationship with BGS. For those in our OB community who are slightly farther from home, we are planning a New York dinner next April. For information please email pjakobek@bgs.bristol.sch.uk

BGS REMEMBERS… World War Two As it happened I was thinking of a trip at some point to visit Auschwitz, as I had recently found out that my grandmother had been taken there in 1944 after the Warsaw Uprising. I went home and booked my flight to Berlin and started to look forward to my adventure.

Two weeks later I arrived in Berlin and drove to Berlin South Western Cemetery near Potsdam. The cemetery was vast and not quite what I expected. I found a map but my command of German is nonexistent and I had no idea where I needed to go. Fortunately the caretaker was able to help me. “It’s not far”, he said; thirty minutes later I reached my destination.

Green grass, ordered headstones and a large cross denoted that this was the British Cemetery.

Lieutenant J A Holdsworth MC, Lancashire Fusiliers, died in a prisoner of war camp on 17 June 1918, just a few months before the war ended. A pupil at BGS from 1905–1914, Arthur Holdsworth had gone to St John’s College, Oxford before joining the Army. He won the MC near Ypres but was wounded and taken prisoner and was in hospital near Berlin when he died.

I laid a cross by his headstone and spent a few moments reflecting on

Arthur’s short life, took some photos then wandered back to the car.

The other grave that I wanted to visit was in Poland. Henry Brown was a Private in the Coldstream Guards. He was also a prisoner of war and was being held in Poznan which was then part of Germany (Poland as we know it today did not exist until 1919). When I found his grave I noticed that it was almost exactly one hundred years since he had died. I don’t know if anyone has visited his grave in that time but I hope that his family have been able to pay their respects.

On my return I was contacted by some relations of Arthur Holdsworth.

They had stumbled upon my Tweet on @OldBristolians and asked me to help them, as they were planning to visit their great uncle’s grave in October. I was delighted that we were able to help.

Anne Bradley, the School’s archivist, and her team have been working on the history of BGS during WW1 and of all the OBs who served. If you want to find out more, follow this link: http://alumni. bristolgrammarschool.co.uk/bgs-throughthe-great-war.

Peter Jakobek

To commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the end of World War II we were delighted to welcome back over forty Old Bristolians who had lived through the war.

The day started with Remembrance Service swiftly followed by a fantastic hour where our World War II Alumni shared their experiences of wartime living with some of the younger members of our School community. Ration books appeared, alongside pictures from the period and many vivid memories of walking up Park Street amongst the bombed out buildings.

It was a wonderful experience for our current pupils and we are very grateful to the Old Bristolians who took the time to return to School and share their memories.

To finish off the day we were delighted to be able to take them back ‘down memory lane’ and share School lunch with them in the Great Hall.

View 28 Winter '15 Issue 31 Bristol Grammar School University Road Bristol BS8 1SR Senior School 0117 973 6006 Junior School 0117 973 6109 www.bristolgrammarschool.co.uk

PERFORMING ARTS AT BGS

– a selection of upcoming events for you to enjoy

TUESDAY 19 JANUARY GCSE Drama Performance, Owen Room 5pm

THURSDAY 21 JANUARY Battle of the Bands, JCR 7pm School bands of all ages come together to perform for each other in a friendly atmosphere

MONDAY 25 JANUARY House Drama Festival at the Wickham Theatre 7pm

THURSDAY 28 JANUARY Lunchtime Live, J16 2.10pm Featuring performances from soloists and small groups.

WEDNESDAY 3 FEBRUARY Drama A Level Exam performances, Owen Room 6.30pm

MONDAY 22 FEBRUARY National Theatre Connections Festival Home Performance, Owen Room 6.30pm A chance to see It Snows, the BGS entry to the NT Connections Festival before the festival performance at the Bristol Old Vic.

TUESDAY 23 FEBRUARY GCSE and A Level Concert, J16 7pm Performances from the GCSE and A Level candidates.

MONDAY 7 MARCH School Concert, Great Hall 7pm Performances from groups large and small.

THURSDAY 10 MARCH Reflections GCSE and A Level Dance Platform, Failand 7.00pm An evening of performance by our GCSE and A Level Dance students.

Tuesday 26 January | 6.00 for 6.30pm THE GREAT HALL BRISTOL GRAMMAR SCHOOL BS8 1SR Book sales by Durdham Down Bookshop

TICKETS £7.00 including live music and light refreshments ONLINE BOOKING www.bristolgrammarschool.co.uk/events.aspx

TUESDAY 15 MARCH Lunchtime Live, J16 2.10pm An opportunity for soloists and small groups to perform.

THURSDAY 17 MARCH MADD Evening, Great Hall, 6.00pm–7.45pm BGS Juniors present an evening of Music, Art, Drama and Dance in the Great Hall.

TUESDAY 22 MARCH GCSE Coursework Concert, J16 6pm The best of the GCSE coursework.

Full details for all of these events, including ticket information will be published in the weekly email to parents.

Design: adartdesign.co.uk Printed on 100% recycled stock using vegetable inks

Bristol Grammar School 2015-2016 partnership with Dick Lovett Bristol.

The partnership will allow you to take advantage of a collection of exclusive promotions and discover more about the latest BMW and MINI models at events at our Failand sports ground.

To find out more call 0117 905 0285 for BMW or 0117 905 0286 for MINI. Alternatively please visit www.dicklovett.co.uk/affiliates/bgs or email bgsaffinity@dicklovett.co.uk

Bristol Grammar School is a Registered Charity No. 1104425