School news

OC sports stars inspire current Churcherians

During the Autumn Term, it was not possible to have any sports matches against other schools due to COVID restrictions. To enable the pupils to experience competitive sport, the PE Department established the Churcher’s Champions Festival.

The festival was the highlight of the internal sporting programme, with more than 400 Churcher’s pupils taking part in competitive rugby and hockey matches in their year group bubbles with winners’ categories including individual outstanding performers, and team player and Will Cairns (10) former England U18 hockey player and 2014 Varsity Man of the Match.

The team representing Joe Atkinson were thrilled when a tweet from the Sport Department announcing their victory was picked up and replied to by Joe. We can safely say he has a few more young fans as a result!

awards for matches and overall year group achievement.

The students competed for teams inspired by Old Churcherian sporting alumni: Calum Chambers (13), current Arsenal FC player, Fiona Pocock (07), former England rugby union international, Joe Atkinson (10), current Bedford Blues rugby union player, Georgina Tuffin (12), the youngest successful swimmer to cross the Channel in 2011, Margaretha Pedder (98), former Olympian and British record holder for both 100m and 200m butterfly, George Cairns (12), former England U16 & U18 hockey Louisa Taylor, Director of Sport, said at the time: “The Churcher’s Champions Festival is a great opportunity for pupils to experience a competitive sporting atmosphere and show off their abilities after a busy term of intra-

school sport. It’s been wonderful to see how many of our pupils have been enjoying competitive team sport each week, with amazing participation numbers and huge smiles highlighting the positive impact sport has on their wellbeing. Go Team Churcher’s!”

Vaccination programme - Sixth Form volunteers

Sixth Form students and aspiring medics, Ben Botham and Ellie Houghton, successfully participated in the Winchester Rural North & East Primary Care Network’s COVID-19 Vaccination Programme. This valuable volunteering opportunity was seized upon by the students who both have ambitions to become doctors and wished to gain vital hands-on work experience for their chosen medical career paths. Ben and Ellie had to undertake various modules and pass a number of exams, including anaphylaxis training. By the end of January, they had completed three full days volunteering for the vaccination programme and found the work to be both hugely rewarding and exhausting, perhaps affording them a glimpse into the real world of medicine. Undeterred, they are determined to continue volunteering in the vaccination programme. Ben, who is studying Chemistry, Biology and Psychology at A Level, commented: ‘It has been an incredible opportunity to be involved in the Covid-19 vaccination programme and I’m really glad to be of help. I think I will always look back on this experience as one I can be proud of in the fight against the virus.” Ellie, who is studying Chemistry, Biology and Physics at A Level, added: “It feels really good to have such a positive impact on people’s lives and to help them see their loved ones again.”

Remembrance Day

(with social distancing and year group bubbles…)

On 11 November 2020 the College commemorated Remembrance and Armistice Day with a special service, followed by a procession through the war memorial whilst the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) of Army, Navy and RAF cadets stood in COVID-safe formation beside the memorial. Due to restrictions in place at the time and to keep the integrity of year group bubbles, First Years attended the service in person, whilst it was live streamed to the rest of the pupils and teachers in individual classrooms.

The Headmaster and the Very Reverend Will Hughes, School Chaplain and Vicar of Petersfield, led the service with readings and prayers accompanied by the Last Post and Reveille played by three Lower Sixth music students. After the service, the banner party and wreath bearers led the procession to the School’s war memorial, built to honour the Old Churcherians who fought in the First and Second World Wars. Poppy wreaths were laid and saluted, with the First Year pupils and CCF following behind to walk the, now traditional, route through the memorial to remember those lost. The procession was accompanied by the Lower Sixth Brass group all seated at a safe

distance from each other and the Lower Sixth Cadets lining the route.

Andy Rowley, CCF Contingent Commander, said after the service: “It was testament to the importance of this day for all members of the CCF that they worked hard to create a COVID-safe parade which still enabled them to pay their respects to those OCs who made the ultimate sacrifice.” “It was testament to the importance of this day for all members of the CCF that they worked hard to create a COVIDsafe parade which still enabled them to pay their respects to those OCs who made the ultimate sacrifice.”

Arabian Nights

The 2021 Lower school production was a triumph of determination through remote rehearsals online, socially distanced acting, and terrible weather for one of the outdoor performances! Featuring bright jewel colours, harem trousers and multiple scarves to set the Middle East scene, nearly 70 pupils (and a puppet) took us on a journey to Arabia offering a chance to escape and feel transported to a different time and place through the seven magical short stories performed.

Art during lockdown

During the initial lockdown the First, Second and Third Year artists were busy creating art at home. They were asked to create their own surreal photographs without the aid of photo manipulation software but relying solely on using the art of concealment, rotation, viewpoint and proximity which leaves the viewers baffled, intrigued and amused by the fantastical camera trickery. The project was such a success that a lasting record of their ‘lockdown’ creativity has been captured in an outside mural at the end of the Library wall close to the Pavilion.

“It was wonderful to see the Petersfield community coming together to help others at their time of need.”

Catering for the community

A true team effort as the College Caterers joined forces with local charities to provide meals for the vulnerable during the pandemic… During the first lockdown and continuing throughout the summer and then onto the last lockdown, the College Caterers, Sodexo (sponsors of the Churcher’s Golf Day) provided up to 1,200 meals to local residents in need, in partnership with several local charities: Age Concern, Home-Start Butser and The King’s Arms. The catering staff volunteered their time and the College provided the facilities and much of the food (that was not going to be used for school lunches due to the school closure). Robert Ingram, former Churcher’s parent and Home-Start Butser volunteer said: “It was wonderful to see the Petersfield community coming together to help others at their time of need. It truly was a team effort and the catering team at Churcher’s College played a big part in providing hot meals for hundreds every week”.

Accompanied with the meals to the Petersfield Age Concern Lunch Club was a newsletter produced by a Sixth Form student who was volunteering for her Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The newsletter, called ‘The Lunch Box’, kept members in touch and enabled them to share stories with one another.