Culford connections spring 2013 by Culford School

Connections www.culford.co.uk

Spring 2013

Beauty and the Beast - Trés Belle!

Highlights of the Scholars’ Programme

Forbidden Broadway, the revue that parodies musical theatre on New York’s Great White Way, once devised a song mocking a revival of Beauty and the Beast. They called it Beauty’s Been Decreased, suggesting how much the production had been scaled down. Such a criticism could not be levelled at Culford’s interpretation, which was big, bold, bright and beautiful.

The moral of this French fairy tale turned Broadway hit is that we sometimes need to look beneath the surface to discover beauty. The audiences that packed out Centenary Hall for each of the three performances did not need to do much delving, however, for beauty was everywhere in this stunningly acted, sung and staged production. It was a treat for the eyes and ears.

For all the dazzling West End costumes, impressive sets and well-judged technical elements, however, it was the cast’s performances that made this such a superb evening. All the principals rose to the occasion admirably, such is the professionalism instilled by Director of Drama Maria Kane, who can be justifiably proud of the way in which the company commanded the stage. They showed a fine appreciation of comic timing and had clearly worked hard with Musical Director James Recknell to deliver the songs confidently in character.

Robert Leveritt, BBC sound engineer who accompanied HRH Prince Harry to the Arctic, pictured here with Head Girl Emma Devlin

Ex-England Rugby Captain Alastair Hignell with Jonty Rawcliffe, U6, and Senior Housemaster Gavin Reynolds

A gallery of images from the production may be viewed at: www.culford.co.uk/seniorschool/galleries

Felicity Aston, the first woman to ski the Antarctic alone, with Head Boy Dominic Absolon and Deputy Head Girl Moroti Babayemi

Culford Connections is a termly newsletter for Culford School bringing together news from the Senior, Prep and Pre-Prep Schools

ACADEMIC PRIZES AWARDED THIS TERM Benefecits A benefecit is a positive reward for academic success either in a single piece of work, or in several pieces of work, which are very good relative to pupil ability. Benefecits are given out to pupils in F4, L5 and U5 and are enhanced by the award of certificates and book tokens. Gold, Silver and Bronze certificates are awarded to pupils during the end of term Headmaster’s Assembly and also House Assemblies. GOLD Ellis Jones

SILVER Mollie Young

Tino Charambamwe Tatiana Ruleva

Eve Holder

Martin Sharples

Hannah Vickers

Gloria Anyaegbu

Kristin Chirica

Sophie Clark

Jessica Suckling

Paige Woolnough

James Atkinson

Martynas Blazys

Scarlett Neill

Anna Sutton

Samantha Barley

Molly Braithwaite

Georgina Northeast Roffey

Geography Investigations During March, our AS Geography pupils travelled to Kirby Grindalythe for a residential weekend field trip as part of their ‘Investigations’ unit, with stops en route at High Lodge, Elveden and Brandon to look at rural re-branding.

A walk along the River Derwent on Sunday morning focussed on the impact of the 2000 flooding and the management now in place as a result. Once the absence of phone signal had been overcome, the pupils thoroughly enjoyed their trip!

Saturday was spent in sunny Scarborough discovering urban re-branding, before relaxing on the harbour wall with fish and chips and an ice cream! Evening lessons, taken by our hosts at Cranedale, covered the accompanying syllabus content.

House Concerts

Scarborough

Fitzgerald

This term’s House concerts showcased a wide variety of talents, just a few of which are pictured here. Edwards

BRONZE

Sabrina Cao Noah Godfrey

Sarah Ndau Natalie Ratcliffe Eleanor Weller-Poley

CERTIFICATE OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE Kate Balding

Culford Connections

Cornwallis

Jocelyn

Skiing in Claviere At the end of last term, 49 Senior School pupils and four staff travelled to Claviere, Italy, for a week’s skiing. A huge amount of early season snow had prepared the slopes nicely for both beginners and the more experienced skiers, with the more adventurous amongst them attempting a number of jumps and tricks under the supervision of advanced instructors. Whatever their ability, a fantastic time was had by all and every single one of the senior pupils embraced the chance to learn from the expert tuition on offer, skiing for five to six hours per day. Evening entertainment included ice skating, where a number of pupils

displayed some hitherto unseen artistic skills, and a skidoo ride to a mountain restaurant where hot chocolate and crêpes were served. All pupils showed real team spirit, ensuring that everyone had a great time and enjoyed each and every experience on offer.

Spring 2013

C2013 Centenary Hall was rocking on Sunday 27 January as excited crowds of pupils gathered in a packed Centenary Hall to watch the annual Culford Rock Concert ‘C2013’. The concert, which was produced entirely by pupils, lasted almost two hours, and featured acts performing genres as diverse as dubstep, death metal and indie, covering bands ranging from Fleetwood Mac to Five Star. The show was enhanced by

Maths News professional lighting and pupils, parents and staff alike commented on the high standard of musical performance. As well as a fantastic night out, C2013 raised £365 for Nordoff Robbins, a charity which delivers music services and therapy that transforms the lives of vulnerable people of all ages across the country, by giving them the ability and confidence to express themselves through music.

On 7 February, members of the top maths sets in Fourth Form, Lower Fifth and Upper Fifth sat the Intermediate Maths Challenge. Seventeen Culford students won bronze certificates, putting them in the top 50% of entrants; twelve won silver, putting them in the top 30%, and six won gold putting them in the top 10%. The gold award winners were: Noah Godfrey, Maria Alfaro and Holly Whittome; with special congratulations to Alan Yang, Yi Zhang and Will Horsnell, who achieved exceptional scores and qualified for the follow-on Olympiad competition on 21 March. On 12 March a boys and a girls team took part in the Bury St Edmunds heat of the further maths network Year 10 team maths competition. Both teams did fantastically well, with the boys team finishing second and the girls team fourth. They were up against nine other teams from local schools. The second placed boys team, consisting of George Callaghan, Joe Gilkes, Max McCrea and Jack Veitch (shown below) have qualified for the final, to be held in Cambridge University’s Centre for Mathematical Sciences in April.

Toby Reed, U5, (above on drums) has been selected to play for the prestigious National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain. He auditioned last year and received his call up in March this year.

CCF Inspection This year’s inspection was taken by Major General Nick Caplin CB, Senior Directing Staff (Army) at the Royal College of Defence Studies. Senior Cadet SSgt Hawtin did an excellent job on parade, and the flypast by an Apache helicopter was a real treat to witness over Culford’s North Front.

The inspection was followed by a drill competition and after lunch there were various competitions on the South Front, with Arnhem Contingent, ably led by Cadet Cpl Katie Hargreaves, the overall winners. The day concluded with a formal Mess Dinner in Old Hall enjoyed by over 70 parents and pupils.

Cadet Cpl Katie Hargreaves with Senior Cadet SSgt Tom Hawtin and SSgt Andy Wharmby, Apache pilot

Culford Connections

Sports News

Lucy Tries Out for England Hockey Squad Sports scholar Lucy Holder (L5) has been selected as one of only 20 girls from around the country to attend a two-day U15 training camp for selection for the U16 England Hockey Squad. The camp is to be held at Lilleshall National Sports and Conferencing Centre during May. Lucy has played through five elimination heats in order to secure the sought after place, initially seeing off players at county and regional levels, and, more recently, during a High Performance Assessment Camp held across three days in Kent.

Netball Update On Saturday 2 February the U14 Netball team travelled to Hassenbrook School, Stanford- leHope, to play in the Regional Finals. The girls did very well and although they played some excellent netball, winning three out of their six matches, they unfortunately did not get through the qualifying stages. Two of the team, Issey O’Brien Miller and Abbie Farrow, are still in Upper Third, and have been training with and playing for the U14 team throughout the season. It can be daunting competing with older players but the two girls should be congratulated for their composure on court. The U19s also played in this tournament, and despite winning their first match against a very strong St Albans team, they couldn’t sustain their success in the freezing conditions. However, the girls should be incredibly proud of their achievements as they are a very new, inexperienced team and to reach the Regional Finals was an excellent achievement.

U14 Netball Team

Cross Country News A number of Culford Pupils represented Suffolk Schools in a Regional Cross country event held in Lincolnshire in early February with pleasing results. Nella Walters (U3) ran a superb race, finishing in a very impressive 2nd place, which secured her a place at the English Schools National Cross country Championships in Derby in March. Other participants and finishing positions in their respective races included: Charlie Wakefield (L2) 9th; Jess Walters (L3) 32nd; Olivia Allum (L3) 9th; Fiona Devoy (U6) 21st (also participating in the Nationals); and Saviours Ndau (L6) 38th. Katie Veitch, Nella Walters and Jevony Hall

National Tennis Finals After victories over Comberton Village College, Cambridge, and New Hall School, Chelmsford, Culford’s mixed team of Yannick Brunath (L6), Ewan Evans (U5), Flora Hill (L6) and Alana Martin (L6) has qualified for the AEGON Team Tennis Schools Senior Students National Finals in Bolton on 16 and 17 March. This is the fourth consecutive year Culford has qualified for the National Finals, having won the Girls National title in 2010 and the Mixed National title in 2011.

Culford Connections

New Equestrian Partnership Starting from September 2013, Culford is pleased to announce a new partnership with Culford Equestrian Centre to provide a first class programme of riding lessons, equine care training and qualifications for pupils aged from 5 to 18. With both an indoor and outdoor school, ménage, circuit courses for cross country and a canter track as well as miles of beautiful bridleway through the heart of the Suffolk countryside, Culford Equestrian Centre (CEC) provides an excellent programme of riding and equine care. Pupils will also be able to livery their own horses, or have a horse or pony on a full or shared loan. The partnership will allow pupils the chance to choose from four levels of activity: from individual weekly lessons to build skill and confidence in the saddle, to competition level for talented young

riders, providing intensive lessons and the chance to compete in regional competitions. For more information, please contact the Admissions Office on 01284 385308.

Prep School

Smike A very special performance of the musical Smike was given by the Prep School on Friday 8 March. The show portrays an inspirational drama teacher using the story of Nicholas Nickleby to galvanise a school community. When they start to believe in themselves and recognise the value of every opportunity open to them, the children and staff discover compassion, happiness and a shared educational purpose. The production was a wonderful testament to Director Hilary McPherson’s expertise and enthusiasm, drawing the very best from a large and committed cast. The leads were all strong, but William Rudkin and Katie Farrant as Mr and Mrs Squeers deserve particular praise. Emily Hope charted Smike’s journey from hopelessness to the warm light of a brand new day with captivating subtlety, Sol Franklin conveyed Nicholas’ growing confidence intelligently and Matthew Knight commanded the stage for a rendition of Dotheboys Rock that had the audience clapping and hand-jiving along. The whole courageous cast showed superb focus and attention to detail throughout, revelling in the chance to act, sing, dance and celebrate the transforming power of drama.

Four Boys Chosen for County Cricket Following a series of trials, four pupils from Prep School have been selected to play County Cricket for Suffolk at their respective age groups: Alexander Packer (U3) for U13s; Marcus Packer (L2) for U10s; Freddie Nash

Singing Together In January over 400 children from local schools joined Culford pupils to sing together under the leadership of acclaimed choral conductor and former BBC broadcaster Douglas Coombes MBE for a special ‘Singing Together’ day.

(U2) for U11s; and Max Whittaker (U3) for U13s. The boys have already started a winter training programme in preparation for the forthcoming County Cricket season which starts in April.

A gallery of images from the production may be viewed at: www.culford.co.uk/prepschool/galleries

PRIZES AWARDED THIS TERM Headmaster’s Cadogan Benefecits Amelia Brayshaw (L2) Yiannoula Fernandes-Cardy (L2) Thomas Freeman (L3) Thomas Smith (U3) Yaa Zuta (U2)

Headmaster’s Pastoral Benefecits Annabel Heywood (U3) Rose Thomas (L3)

Headmaster’s Academic Benefecits

Children aged from seven to thirteen years came to Culford for the day from St James, Beyton and Blackborne Middle Schools, Fairstead House, and Rattlesden, Kennett and Sebert Wood primary schools.

English: Noah Cutting (L3), Nicholas Holt (U1), Max Milner (L1), Rufus Thompson (L1)

Led by the enthusiastic Mr Coombes and Carole Lindsay-Douglas of the Schools Music Association, the children were encouraged to exercise their vocal cords by making weird and wonderful noises before learning a few songs. A task was then set to compose their own song which they sang together as a chorus to round off the day.

R.S.: Benjamin Lally (L3), Zain Robson (U2)

Science: Ella Vickery (U3) History: Fraser Devoy (U3)

Latin: Yaa Zuta (U2) ICT: Noah Cooper (U2), Lola Goodall (U2), Imogen Guntrip (L2), Amy McCullough (L2), Chloe-Jeane Parsley (U2), Georgia Preston (L2) All Round Subjects: Noé Powis (L1)

Culford Connections

Prep School

Festival of Literature Quiz

IAPS Hockey

Two teams from Prep School participated in Bishops Stortford College’s Festival of Literature Childrens’ quiz in February. The teams, made up of U3 and L3 pupils, displayed a good breadth of knowledge and understanding and came away with well-earned second and seventh place finishes. U13 Hockey Team IAPS Plate winners

At the U13 IAPS tournament in March, Culford boys beat Taverham and South Lee to finish third in their group, putting them into the Plate competition. After a tough match against Chigwell, which Culford won on penalty strokes, Culford played their best hockey against Spratton Hall, scoring four excellent goals; this meant they were through to the final against St Faith’s. Both teams played some excellent hockey despite their tiring legs, with Culford proving victorious after an incredible save by Tom Smith in the penalty stroke finale.

Concert Delights The themes of dancing and childhood were celebrated in a most enjoyable Second Form concert where pupils of all standards and levels of experience performed their latest pieces. The team who came second: Mary Godfrey, Finlay Morrison, Ben Lally, Grace Gregory, Anna Hutchinson

Among the many well-rehearsed performances were compositions by Alex Williams and Cain Greene, the sublime Evening Prayer sung by

Isabel Whyte, Edward Baines’ assured rendition of Pachelbel’s Canon and a first solo singing appearance by Imogen Guntrip. The concert was opened by the String Quartet with a suite of nursery rhyme variations and later, Catherine Howells gave a fabulously mature interpretation of a Romberg cello concerto.

Pre-Prep School

Drumming Workshop Fieldgate was filled with noise (even more so than usual) when pupils were treated to a drumming workshop by music teacher Mr Williamson and Peter Welch, an experienced drummer from the Senior School. The children were enthralled by the drums and how different rhythms could be achieved.

Music Making Pre-Prep children performed brilliantly in a recent musical show for parents and friends. They showed off their talents in singing, country dancing, African drumming, ocarina, recorder, piano, cello and violin playing.

Everyone had a go at clapping a rhythm and some children tried their hand at playing the drums for themselves.

Castles Day PP2 enjoyed an engaging, active and inspiring ‘Castles Day’ dressed as peasants. During the morning, they learned medieval skills including twisting friendship braids, weaving and pie making. This was followed by a banquet in the afternoon when the children were served food in the style of the time by a group of servants. The children got the chance to look at artefacts and hear engaging stories, and all really loved the day, saying ‘I wish it was Castle Day every day!

Culford Connections

The Nursery children sang an action song about animal movements, Reception sang about the Dinosaur Parade, PP1 sang a Japanese song in rounds about a frog and PP2 sang and acted a Kenyan song.

Pre-Prep School

Fun in the Snow This termâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s snowy weather has brought with it a multitude of opportunities for building snow men, chairs, cakes and much more! The children have also enjoyed snowy walks in Culford Park; their very own winter wonderland.

Pre-Prep New Sports Strip

Aladdin Pre-Prep were captivated by a magical puppetry performance of Aladdin, kindly given by parents, Mr and Mrs Tattersall. The children were shown how the theatre worked, as well as how and when the puppets were made.

Sport at Pre-Prep was more exciting than ever this term as pupils showed off their smart new strip, the money for which was kindly donated by a parent.

This inspired the children in Reception to make their very own gigantic dinosaur puppet who now lives on the ceiling in the classroom. Watch out for Steggy the Stegosaurus!

Pupils have the opportunity to participate in sport every day of the school week, ranging from Dance and Swimming to Cricket and Tag Rugby.

Pancake Races A very cold and grey Shrove Tuesday was livened up no end by pancake races. Children from Pre-Prep and Nursery raced about with a great deal of enthusiasm in spite of the cold weather, supported by a good number of family and friends.

Dinosaur Park

Tag Rugby Winners

PP2 Rugby Club welcomed Barnardiston Hall Pre-Prep School for a rugby match, which was well attended by friends and family. Culford won the match 10 - 6 with some super tries from Guy Salisbury, Finley Baker, Niall Dowling, Tudor Weyers and Oliver Ford.

Reception children had lots of fun on a trip to the Dinosaur Park in March, where they encountered many species of dinosaurs.

Culford Connections

Spring 2013

Our Nursery children have had great fun this term exploring a wide variety of topics including music, animals, Shrove Tuesday and St David’s Day. Culford Park’s extensive grounds have played host to many activities including photos in the snow and a number hunt.

“Pupils and parents alike rate the school highly“ The Good Schools Guide

An independent boarding and day school for boys and girls aged 3 to 18 years

Open Morning

Senior (ages 13-18) Prep (ages 7-13) Pre-Prep & Nursery (ages 3-7)

Monday 6 May 10.30am

A wide range of scholarships are offered. Bursaries are also available to augment the value of any award.

01284 385308

admissions@culford.co.uk

www.culford.co.uk

Please contact us for details or to register for the above event. Individual visits also welcome.

Culford School, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP28 6TX

Reg. Charity No. 310486

Think property, think Savills. Savills are proud to support Culford School, we wish you a successful Summer term. Savills Ipswich 01473 234 800

Photo credits: Warren Page, Wendy Turner Editorial contact: marketing@culford.co.uk

Culford School, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP28 6TX Tel: 01284 728615 www.culford.co.uk Connections 8 Culford