Decanian 2021/22

Decanian A Year in the Life of Dean Close School

Decanian 2021/22

September 2021 - August 2022

The Disguised Decanian takes centre stage Traditional school Houses return The 1886 Centre is officially opened Foundation musicians perform Zimbe! at Tewkesbury Abbey DEAN CLOSE SCHOOL Shelburne Road Cheltenham GL51 6HE Telephone: 01242 258000 Email: office@deanclose.org.uk www.deanclose.org.uk

2021/22

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Contents Head’s Introduction Development News Houses Societies Charity Chaplaincy Drama Music Art Academic Subjects Flecker Challenge International Pupils The Cookery School CCF Speech Day Sport ODs & Archives Staff Leavers Common Room List

Editor Proof reader Design

: Amy Loveys : Sylvia Klemz : Adam Hathaway

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head’sintroduction

Head’s Introduction When pupils look back at their school year, sometimes their first thoughts turn to the activities they have been involved with outside the classroom. To a great competition shared with team mates on a sports field or a breathtaking performance on a stage. For many it will be time spent in house, a shared joke or an inspiring intervention from a senior pupil that they will remember for time to come. When you glance through the pages of this magazine or scan our social media feeds, it is easy to conclude that we spend the majority of our time and effort playing sport or in house. The reality is far from that.

A typical week in school consists of approximately 52 hours, 5% of time is spent playing sport and 10% in house, during the working day.

We are not a highly selective school and we will always have a range of grades, but we are an academic school. In Learning Support, pupils are equipped with the skills that will help them access the curriculum. In the English Language Training department, those for whom English is their second language add a vital skill to their armoury. Essay competitions, debates and visiting speakers add to the challenge our ambitious pupils enjoy in the classroom. Through superbly planned class teaching, clinics, preps and one to one sessions, our teachers constantly adapt to the groups and individuals in front of them. There aren’t many TikTok videos groups wrestling with a difficult text, concept or equation, but it happens every day.

he vast majority of our time is spent in classrooms, study rooms and laboratories. In an average week we spend more than 70% of our time in lessons with an additional 10 hours of prep. Telling our curriculum story is more challenging than our co-curriculum. You don’t always find an Instagram moment during period 3 on a Tuesday and whilst there are dramatic light bulb moments, that is not the dominant mode in a typical GCSE or A Level course. Success normally comes through steady progress and consistent effort.

Almost all of this work is unseen.

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How do we know we are an academic school? Not because every pupil gets straight As or because there were no disappointments this year. Neither of those things is true. But the overall percentages, global value added and individual achievements show that learning is happening consistently and to a very high standard. There were also some eye catching individual performances with one Sixth Form student securing 6 A*s at A Level (across the UK there were just 5 students who achieved 5 A*s) and two Fifth Formers gaining 13 9s at GCSE and IGCSE (across the UK, 13 pupils finished with 12 9s at GCSE).

It is, therefore, wonderful to be able to celebrate the fruits of that work this year, embodied in the superb public exam results achieved by this year’s Fifth and Upper Sixth Formers. They are testament to the incredible hard work of teachers and pupils through a highly disrupted period in our school’s history. Online, in isolation and in the classroom, the work continued. At times, all were tested and needed to dig deep to find a way to keep going. More than one observer has commented on how in line this year’s exam results at Dean Close were with the previous two years of Centre Assessed Grades. This speaks volumes for the integrity and commitment to education of our departments and programme leaders.

Not all of our time is given to the curriculum because our co-curricular activities and pastoral care contribute significantly to the achievements of our pupils in the exam hall. They are key to that endeavour.

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Bravo to all the teachers who have worked late into the night planning, marking and researching. Congratulations to all of the pupils, in whatever year, who have made quiet, steady, unseen progress in their studies this year. As a school, we celebrate not only the seen but also the unseen. Often it is the unseen that lasts.

Bradley Salisbury, Headmaster

development

Development News The Development Office is responsible for driving fundraising to enable the Dean Close Foundation to deliver an extra layer of benefit for all those who study and work at the School.

We are pleased to report that this academic year has been a resounding success.

With the support of the Close Community, our enduring Futures Campaign has been gathering real momentum. Not only are we steps closer to transforming our campus through the Academic Quad redevelopment, but we have also raised vital funds to expand our transformational bursary provision, the Foundation Awards.

Academic Quad Redevelopment In December, we reached an important milestone in the Academic Quad redevelopment plan, with the official opening of the 1886 Centre. We were delighted to invite parents and Old Decanians who generously supported us to attend this momentous occasion. Guests were invited to a lecture by mathematician, Ben Sparks, taken on a tour of the new facility and were invited to witness the ribbon cutting by Alex Chalk, MP. We are excited to be looking ahead towards embarking on the next phase in the redevelopment, which will see the relocation and new facility for Humanities.

Foundation Awards The Foundation Awards programme has been going from strength to strength. Parents, Old Decanians and friends have now generously created 8 transformational (70-100%) Foundation Awards as part of the Future Campaign.

In May, we received the largest donation to date towards the Foundation Awards, an incredibly generous gift of £125,000. This will be used to create another life-changing opportunity for a bright local young person who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend Dean Close School.

The parents of the Class of 2022 continued the tradition of creating a ‘Class of’ Foundation Award by donating back their leavers' deposit.

With the help of several ‘Champions’,

the leavers’ parents raised over £25,000 for this Award.

August saw the launch of our first ever Telephone Campaign. We gathered a group of 12 recent leavers and young Old Decanians to contact those in our community to connect, re-connect and fundraise for the Foundation Awards.

Our team of callers spoke to over 480 parents and Old Decanians and raised over £50,000.

The Foundation Awards would not be possible without the support of our community, and we are thrilled that one of our recent recipients, Will Kennedy, has been accepted to study Veterinary Medicine at Magdalen College, Cambridge – an opportunity he attributes to the education he received at Dean Close School.

If you would like more information on supporting the Foundation Awards or would like to pledge your support for one of the upcoming projects, please visit www.deanclosefoundation.org.uk/support-us/futures-campaign or contact Alex Hume (Head of Development and Alumni Relations) on: aahume@deanclose.org.uk

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houses

Brook Court After two years of covid lockdowns, isolations and ‘Tree houses’, it was great to have a full set of Brook Courters together again and ready to throw themselves whole heartedly into an action-packed year.

As always, House Shout kicked off the year and with Ollie Hodgson and Nacho in charge, we somehow managed to put something together that actually sounded alright on the night. The highlight was undoubtedly Mattia back flipping across the stage whilst Billie blasted out his guitar solo for our rendition of Elton’s ‘I’m Still Standing’. We may not have won on the night but we had certainly won the hearts of the crowd. However, it did not take us long to get in the winning ways with the Removes celebrating a win in House CCF competition.

The boys of Brook Court may grow tired of me talking about pupil leadership and pupil voice

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but this year saw Pupil Voice hit levels that I have never seen before. So much so that Saturday nights are now run and organized by the boys themselves, whether it is pizza cooking, giant inflatable screen Mario Kart, House Squid Games or everyone’s favourite, Charlie’s Taskmaster nights. The House Committee meet and write their own minutes, the Green Council meets and writes its own minutes, the Current Affairs Group has gone from strength to strength this year and is again 100% pupil led.

The boys have also thrown themselves into all areas of school life. Sam running the Dean Bean for charity fundraisers, Peter making candy floss for Charity or even Peter running the brilliant Disguised Decanian competition. This was a huge charity event for Blue Skye Thinking and The Brain Tumour Charity and it was run by Peter alongside Maddie and this was also won by Brook Court’s very own Nacho and Sam as Elsa

and Anna from Frozen. Although notable mentions must go to Charlie Harris for his singing Santa and also Mr Pitt for his surprising third place as the Pink Panther.

Charlie and Hyman were part of the Manifesto for Change Event at Cheltenham Literature Festival in October and this was at a similar time in the year to the whole house helping to create and install a massive origami art display in the Art Gallery at school alongside the Sustainability Group.

This has been one of those years where if I went through every notable achievement in house, we could fill the Decanian ourselves.

Charlie Harris put together a team of writers and a pupil made house magazine was created and whilst the boys were preparing this, they still had time for karaoke nights in house and Bollywood dancing in the sports hall.

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One member of the house that made several appearances this year was the new Green Man mascot. Whether this was at House rugby or even running down the middle of chapel, the mischievous green mascot was a nice addition to Brook Court this year. Another new addition to the house was the Christmas Nativity. This was written and directed by Charlie and the Upper Sixth were the stars of the show. The humour and respect to the source material was just about right and I must highlight Jacques and Dan for their memorable performances as Mary and the Baby Jesus.

The House pool competition saw James go up against the impressive Ciaran and James came up just short in the final and even more impressive was the fact that Ciaran donated half of his winning to the school Uganda charity. The House FIFA competition was not quite such a close run thing with Victor wining the final quite convincingly against Charlie.

Then we had the House Quiz Competition and this saw Brook Court with the second big win of the year. The team of Charlie, Jacques, Ben Mawer and Dan Ngaboyimanzi won every round of the quiz and after a nervous start, came through to win the final in style.

won best Speaker in the House Public Speaking Competition as well as winning awards for his Flecker Challenge and we even won Sport’s Day with amazing performances across the House.

Nathan winning the triple jump, Gabriel winning the javelin, Maxwell winning the 200metres and the junior and intermediate boys both winning their relays were just some of the highlights from the afternoon.

I must take the time to thank Jacques and Hyman for their brilliant job in leading the house this year. A house is only as successful as its leadership and they have been great in creating a culture and expectation around the house that the younger pupils then replicate and build upon that has led to the fantastic year that we have had.

Unsurprisingly after a year like this, there is a real feel of positivity throughout the house and highlights keep on pouring in. When we came third in the baking competition for the Jubilee, we are no longer surprised that we are doing well in events and even when we don’t do so well, we are still positive and supportive. As a Housemaster, this is a great house to be part of and I am already looking forward to the great things that we can do next year.

Our big charity event this year was the Tri Hard Run, Swim and 24 Hour cycle. This was to raise money in memory of our old cleaner Alison who sadly passed away earlier this year. We have since used the money to plant a Chestnut Tree outside Brook Court in honour of Alison.

Men’s Mental Health has been a focus in house all year. Nacho has run house assemblies on mental health, we have had mindfulness sessions with the 4th form and we also did a Mental Health awareness week activity where the boys wrote positive postcards to each other.

For me, it was one of the highlights of the year that a house of loud and sometimes boisterous boys can still take the time to notice the positives in each other.

Whilst concentrating on these crucial parts of house life, we kept on winning events. Charlie and Calum won the boys’ section of the Great Vegan Bake Off at Sports Day, Sam Crawford

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houses

t has been a real joy to have the Dale boys back under one roof at last post Covid!

House Shout seems like a very long time ago now but, as always, it was the perfect way to start building back the camaraderie and integrating the new Fourth Form intake.

‘From Now On’, from the Greatest Showman, was sung with great energy, enthusiasm and although not recognised by the judges, plenty of skill and panache. Isaac Hanfrey (Fourth Form) had only been at the school a few weeks and found himself playing the piano on the main stage in this big event, which he did with impressive composure, even when his music blew off the stand! The part song was on another level: Zach Brooks and the boys put together a superb version of ‘Beautiful Girl’ which really moved the crowd and got the goose bumps going.

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There has been plenty of intellectual flex throughout the Michaelmas Term with James Carder-Geddes winning Best Speech at the Junior Public Speaking and Noah Wheaton earning second place for the Vote of Thanks. Noah and James were in action again as they ran out winners alongside Jacob Smith and Sam Crawford in the Junior Quiz Competition.

Henry Swan and Seb are still involved at the Regional Development Centre – pushing for national selection - and playing high-level club hockey too. Charlie McKinnes has played some incredibly good golf - going toe to toe with adult pros in several championships and is expecting to become a scratch golfer this summer. Whilst these boys are receiving the plaudits for their impressive achievements, there have been so many excellent contributions throughout the school teams this year from the Dale boys. In every year group there are team players who commit so much each week to supporting and encouraging their team mates. The house matches were also a great example of this with the 4th form battling to the very end with only 4 fit players on the rugby pitch in that competition! Sports Day was another example of this dedication to the house with every race/event being filled – so many boys stepped up to represent the house, often filling in for events they really didn’t want to do!

committed, reliable, and caring Head of House with a brilliant sense of humour that has kept us laughing throughout. He has been well supported by Ben Peters, Nick Schubach, Benji Dodds and Alex Oliver. Between them, these boys have personified the mantras that we hold dear in Dale House. They haven’t made excuses, they have worked hard and they have swept the sheds. Throughout their time they have been honest and humble, looked out for the other lads in the house and had a superb sense of humour.

The tutor team of Mrs Lait, Mr Fitzgerald, Mrs Massey, Mr Stott, Mr Allington and Mr Mears have worked very hard to support the boys but have also enjoyed their time in the house, such is the friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

Mrs Harris – Deputy Housemistress – has done so much for the house: utterly reliable and fun, but also demanding high standards from the boys. They have responded very well indeed!

Whilst it is important to recognise the hard work and impressive achievement of the boys mentioned by name in this report, it does seem a little inappropriate: every single boy in Dale has contributed something positive to the House and helps make the place what it is. Every single one of them has achieved something to be proud of and is highly valued. It is so good to see the 4th form growing in confidence, their personalities developing and their engagement increasing. The ‘Man of the Week’ trophy has been won by a wide range of individuals for stepping up to read in Chapel, tidying up the kitchenette, supporting their mates, showing positivity and resilience in the face of adversity, working hard, organising events and so on and so on. This trophy is a great way for us to celebrate some of the unseen, unglamorous, yet equally as impressive and important accomplishments. Well done, lads!

Dale

Music has been well represented in the house this year with Isaac and Marceau Coppard on the piano and the latter also on saxophone (grade 8), Dejan Radanovich on the violin (grade 8), Seb Friessner-Day on the trumpet and guitar (grade 8), Bertie McVittie and Harry Butcher on the French Horn, and James Carder-Geddes and Tom Bowen also playing to a high standard. These boys have put in a lot of practice and have entertained us in many lunchtime and evening concerts this year. Isaac, Tom, Bertie, and Harry have all sung in the choir and chamber choir, treating us all - alongside their peers in other houses - to some stunning anthems in Chapel and many concerts.

Sport has been well represented throughout the year groups with a number of boys involved at Gloucester Academy including Billy Benson, Albie Cappuccini, Ben Peters, Harvey Bullen, Zach Brooks, and Reuben Woodham.

Ben Peters has had some awesome matches for the Gloucester under 18s on the wing. Nick Schubach captained the 1st Cricket team with aplomb and played some top-quality hockey too. In fact, Hockey continues to be popular in house with a high number of boys making up the U16 Cup side that won the National Finals.

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Acting has been in rude health with Toby Greaves, Zach, James Carder-Geddes, Jope Obikoya, Dejan (playing fiddle), Fergus Cronin and Cam Stevens playing great roles in Beasts and Beauties, Blythe Spirit and Madness of George the 3rd (the latter unfortunately being cancelled). However, the real acting talent was unleashed in the award-winning Dale Sixth Form pantomime: ‘Price Charming’. Reuben Woodham (Cinderella) and Ben Peters (Evil Stepmother) produced particularly memorable performances with passion and stagecraft never seen before on the Bacon stage.

Tutor outings to go-karting, ice-skating, Mr Mulligan’s Golf, laser tag and many other destinations, as well as Friday afternoon smoothies blitzed up by the Sixth Form have entertained the boys and kept morale high!

It has to be said that the Upper Sixth have been an absolute joy this year. They have really set a fantastic tone for the rest of the year groups to follow. Toby Greaves has been a highly

Of course, there have been challenges and difficult times for some of the boys – it would be wrong to claim that the boys and house are perfect! Sadly, life as Tutor and Housemaster does not always involve positive conversations.

But I have to say, the good times have far outweighed the bad this year - I will look back on it with great fondness and affection. The atmosphere in house has been as welcoming, inclusive and as fun as I can remember. Well done and thank you boys!

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It has been a real joy to have the Dale boys back under one roof at last post Covid!

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Fawley

houses

he Fawley Family returned in September 2021 for its first full academic year together since 2018-2019. All previous years either interrupted by lockdowns or with year groups dispersed around the various “Tree Houses”. It was good to be back.

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The year saw a return to the rigours and routines of a “normal” year at Dean Close School. It didn’t take long for the Fawley girls to find their feet again. Michealmas Term saw the return of some favourite House events such as House Shout, the House CCF competition, House Hockey and House Quiz. As ever, the enthusiasm from Fawley was palpable. Much to their surprise, the Fawley Junior House Quiz team, ably lead by Gabriella Rogers and Emily Dempsey in the 5th form, won a spot on the stage of the Bacon Theatre for the “university challenge style” final, pipped to the winning spot by some impressively quick buzzing and answers on the day from the Dale House Team. Success in the more cerebral contests was also celebrated this term when Fawley led the way with their entries to the Junior Critical Essay Competition, providing both the winner and runner up.

Well done to Erin Jeffrey, Lydia Matthews and Sessy Mulvaney for their entries. The creative talents of the Fawley girls were also on show in the Art Gallery, where you could enjoy their culinary delights with Leiths’ canapés. Well done to all the Fawley U6th on securing such impressive results in their Leiths examinations this year with Daphne Bennett securing top spot.

However, competing and winning is not all that Fawley is about. Offering support and leading is a key skill of a Fawley girl. Maddie Faux, Head of House, lead the way when she masterminded the inaugural “Disguised Decanian” in November 2021. With her partner in crime, Peter from Brook Court, they delivered a hugely successful fundraising and entertainment event, based loosely on the format of the Masked Singer. Well done to our Disguised Fawley entrants: Chloe and Connie.

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The year saw a return to the rigours and routines of a ‘normal’ year at Dean Close School

The Lent Term was one full of focus and study from our 5th and U6th girls. However, we did manage to intersperse it with some fun evenings such as our decorations for the Lunar New Year, House yoga, jewellery making, and a variety of dinners such as the Remove Murder Mystery evening. There was a great deal of music making this term too with Chloe Murphy’s Fridays @6, various lunchtime recitals, and Chloe’s, Cherissa’s and Phoebe’s contributions to Roc Soc. Phoebe certainly earned her title of Fawley #Girlboss with her drumming. Further examples of leadership were evident this term with Sessy organising the CCF (Navy) trip to Taunton and Phoebe’s organisation of the now annual celebration of “International Women’s Day” in March. The entire U6th team took an assembly each week this term to share their wisdom and lessons learned. There was much for us all to learn from them: how the Fawley walk makes us stronger, how having a passion for something is important, how to shop sustainably, how to not let stupid arguments ruin our day or friendships and much, much more.

The term ended with the Junior Play “Beauties and Beasts” and every scene had a Fawley girl.

We are looking forward to the dramatic talents of our 4th and Remove continuing in the years ahead.

With warmer weather, the Trinity Term allows us to get outdoors and celebrate the beauty of the Fawley Garden a little more. Glow in the Dark Rounders, firepits and s’mores being particular favourites. The talented Fawley Remove were on stage once again with the Remove Recital, various GCSE Devised Drama pieces and we all had the pleasure of watching Martha and Izzy in the marvellous scholars’ production of “Blithe Spirit”. The Fawley community spirit was active

this term in their contributions to Earth Day, where Hanni Wong led the way organising the House Vegan and Vegetarian Bake Off competition. Similarly, a large number of entries in the Jubilee Cake Off competition were from Fawley with Mirella Rymer placed runner-up.

The highlight of the year was the Fawley facepainting contribution to the Uganda Charity Fair on Speech Day. The stall was busy throughout, with customers and those who just wanted to enjoy the joyful vibe the girls established.

We end this year saying farewell to our wonderful U6th, ably lead by Head of House, Maddie Faux, and supported by Deputies: Phoebe Channing and Charlotte Read. The Fawley motto could not be more apt for this group of young women: Maddie, Phoebe, Charlotte, Jemima, Jess, Jess, Georgie, Fia and Daphne. They are all ready to “fly with their own wings” and we wish them every joy and success in the future: #GirlBosses. I would also like to take this opportunity to recognise the hard work and motivation of our 5th form who, along with the U6th, sat the first public examinations in two years. Their calm and levelheaded approach set an excellent example for those yet to come. A particular mention to Venisha Nembang, Fawley 5th form, who did her GCSEs whilst receiving treatment for cancer.

We are delighted that she will return to join us in the Sixth Form in September. We also say a fond farewell to our Matron, D’ Neville, and our resident GTA, Alice Livesey, both of whom leave a lasting legacy on our lives.

this will not be the last we see of her. D' joined Fawley House at short notice in the winter of 2020, just before the first Covid Lockdown. She then helped set up the newly formed Lime House which housed the U6th and new 4th form in September 2021. Her experience as a matron was invaluable through this time of constant flux and change. D' has a vast array of experience of matroning and Dean Close, having been senior matron in the Prep School in a previous incarnation, and a matron at CLC. While everything else around was changing, D' was an unwavering and unflappable presence.

During her recent stint of time with us (2020-2022) she also offered her skills to the Health Centre and in supporting on site provision for international students at half terms and exeats during the Covid lockdowns of 2021-22. D' will be sorely missed by all who have had the privilege to work with her and spend time with her. We wish her well in her future adventures and thank her for her service, care and time freely and willingly given. God speed, D'!

It is with a great deal of sadness that we say goodbye to Matron D' : Matron in Fawley 20202022. However, given various previous reincarnations at Dean Close, we are hopeful

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houses

Field

The year got off to a flying start with the House Singing Competition. All the boys did their best in the Unison Song with a memorable rendition of Bill Withers’ ‘Lovely Day’ followed with a brilliant Seb and Oscar Special Medley for the Part Song. It was a superb team effort and the boys were so thrilled to win both the Boys’ Part Song Cup and the Overall Winners’ Shield. We didn’t manage to do as well in the House Rugby but I was impressed with the way James Chapman organized the 6th Form Team – we did better than expected!

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The Lent Term was action packed as usual. Again, our musicians were superb winning the House Music Competition. Later in the term, we also had three boys gaining Grade 8s with distinction: Michael Lei (Organ), Alastair Klemz (Singing), Isaac Stott (Singing) plus a Diploma with distinction for Oscar Jack (Piano). We are truly grateful to the music department for all they do to draw out the best from all those who have music lessons and bring much joy to others when they perform in public. Fun was had as well on the hockey pitch with the Field 4th and Removes winning their respective House Competitions. On the academic front, Jamie Richardson, Thomas Elwes and Silas Jack did well in the Junior Public Speaking as did Casper Heuff ably supported by Charlie Davis and Theo Purkis in the Senior Public Speaking.

Although the Trinity Term has righty been dominated by the public exams, I was delighted how everyone got involved in the Athletics Carnival. Alastair Klemz charged through like a steam-train to secure us 2nd place in the Senior 4x100m Relay. It was a very exciting finish to the day. Our Juniors have done well on the acting front too with impressive LAMDA results for Isaac Stott, George Collingwood and Alexander Ristic.

There is a palpable sense of relief and joy at being able to ‘do school again as normal’. Many thanks to our House Tutors for their good humour, loyal service and care of the boys and to Mr Paul Keating our ever-cheerful cleaner.

Thanks to Guy Green and the rest of our U6 as they move on to an exciting new chapter in their lives and congratulations to James Chapman (Head of House) and Toby Macleod (Deputy Head of House) as they take on the challenge of leading the House in September.

Winners of both the Boys’ Part Song Cup and the Overall Winners’ shield

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Gate It is now tradition that the Gate House entry opens with a quotation from John Hughes’ Breakfast Club:

“But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain...and an athlete... and a basket case...a princess...and a criminal. Does that answer your question?” t might be laziness, and it is certainly trite, but that does not mean that it is any less true. An education (and adolescence) is about discovering what you are, what you want, and what you might yet be.

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Although their Sixth Form has not been marred to the same extent as the year above them, they are probably the cohort to have suffered the second worst educational experience from the pandemic.

Most of them arrived having not had the chance to take public exams, and many came to a new school only to then have to serve a period of quarantine. They then were surprised to find their first two terms were not as Gate, but as Rowan, as the School’s Houses moved to a horizontal structure to allow for the ‘bubbling’ of year groups. This was an important experience for many of them, and allowed them to forge friendships across the year group. In the third lockdown of January 2021, a number of them even got the opportunity to complete Boarding House Bingo by adding a stint in Tower to their tally.

It was great to finally, and officially, welcome ten of them into Gate in Trinity 2021, as the sun came out, and some freedoms were restored, it became clear quite quickly that this was a year with a great deal of both character and talent, and I suspected that Matron, Mr Suckle, and I would be kept quite busy. Over a year on, and as their time at Dean Close, and in Gate House, comes to a close, it is fair to say we were proved right – and mostly for the right reasons. Throughout the past two years, they have repeatedly demonstrated resilience, loyalty, and friendship. However, much more important has been the kindness they have shown for one another; hopefully they will continue this far beyond the walls of Dean Close and grow into the fine young men we know they are all capable of being.

Josh and I date back to his formative years in Brook Court and, although a little surprised, I was overjoyed that he decided to move to Gate for his final year. From leading the musicianship in House Shout, his Cambridge offer, to National 12 - DECANIAN 2021/22

Running Finals, or simply his sardonic wit at roll call, he has given everything in all that he does, and it feels like he has always been here. Luke D (or D) was only meant to be here for a term, yet six terms later he is part of the fabric of all that is Dean Close, leading by example in almost every field (and often literally). An offer for Medicine, 1st XI Hockey and Cricket, and (along with Josh) creating the first DCS Cross Country Team, he has left a lasting impression and a record of which he can be duly proud. I hope that life beyond DC will teach him that there are fluids other than milk and water; I suspect Vimto will blow his mind. Raised on the mean streets of Hampstead, Jack E (or Jevans or Evans) is gifted with both a ball at his feet and the gab. Definitely more pride in the House than house-proud, he is an intensely loyal and giving friend, who has contributed at every turn, captaining Gate to a third successive House Football crown. Having taught a somewhat despondent Charlie in Y10 and Y11, I was surprised he made the move to board. However, I can say it has been a genuine pleasure to get to know him and I thoroughly rate the young man he has become. He is to be found at the heart of all House activity, and although captaining the House Rugby team to victory will probably be heralded as his Sixth Form triumph, for me it is the way he has looked out for his peers and knows when they are struggling. He and Jack have become almost inseparable, and I have no idea how they will manage in different cities!

Officially House Captain, Extracurricular, George has gone well beyond this remit. He has looked out for his friends, whilst being a perfect conduit between the staff and the boys. He will be remembered by many for his sporting prowess, but for me it has been his ability to galvanise a House and be the glue that holds together a number of naturally different friendship groups. I met Ethan on a taster night, long before Covid, and nearly two years before he became a permanent member of Gate House. He has impressed, not just with his gym-ing, but his profound sense of justice for others and fighting the corner of those

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who may not speak out for themselves. Ben (aka Ringo), when not walking people home, can be found at HUB, playing the guitar, or watching American sitcoms. He is always looking out for his friends, and I have no doubt he will be there for them for many years into the future. Ed was another late transfer, although having been at DCS for quite some time. A whizz on the Astro, innately sociable and very ready to laugh at himself, he has also added to the House a healthy dose of humour and balance.

an integral part of every House event and activity, from leading our Chapel commitments, to vying for the golden boot. A talented scientist, but new adventures await as he moves towards a future in architecture. I will remember his decency and kindness for a long time to come.

Haj had a tough act to follow from the previous two Heads of House, but he has led with warmth, charisma, and care. He has been approachable and cajoling in equal measure, and has always kept the wellbeing of his peers and the House at the forefront of his mind and actions.

young men with all the rights and responsibilities that entails. They have done so in admirable fashion; although on the way there have been tears, frustrations, arguments, and upset, the thing I will remember most is the laughter and camaraderie. Every one of them is no longer that boy that joined two years ago, they have grown together, together. The bonds formed in adversity will last them a lifetime and I hope they will remain friends with each other, and the school, long after they have parted physical company.

Jack is the man who could sell ice to the Inuits, quick witted and fleet footed, he has contributed to school life on the sporting, quizzing, and even musical front. Nobody will forget a young man conducting Billy Bragg’s ‘New England’ with crutches. I have only recently discovered that Zack is the ‘Emperor of Gate’ and I am not quite sure what rights and responsibilities this entails.

However, it is fair to say that of the whole year group, he has been the most organised and efficient and there are many events and duties we simply would have not got through without him. Quiet, considered, and universally respected, he is an individually with integrity who will undoubtedly go far. Luke T has continued with a family Sixth Form tradition, but has very much made his own mark. He has been

This has been two years marked with joy, laughter, sadness, growth, friendship, and successes (big, small, personal, and public). An unusually respectable and competent House Shout in September helped galvanise the House and welcome the new Lower Sixth, to whom this year have been great mentors. Securing the titles of House Rugby, Football, Hockey, and Athletics (including Luke D breaking the School 1500m record) has shown that trust and teamwork can overcome significant odds, and is testament to their faith in, and support for, each other.

So, each of them is, in his own way, a brain, an athlete, a basket case, and (to varying degrees) a princess. They are a great year group, and a few lines in a glossy hardback is poor testament to what they have been through and contributed over the last two years. I hope they will remain friends, with each other, the House, and Dean Close for a very long time to come.

So, as I bid a very fond farewell, I implore you gentlemen, for one last time, please… ‘turn off FIFA, and go do something useful!’.

Since the first lockdown, these pupils have had to navigate an everchanging educational landscape, whilst simultaneously developing into

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houses

Hatherley hat a year it has been in Hatherley! Thrilled to be back together again after the pandemic, we threw ourselves heart and soul into House Shout, with rehearsals led by Leah, and ably assisted by Hannah, with Emily on piano.

As is becoming traditional (!) we got pipped to the overall shield by Field House, but 2nd place in Unison and 1st place in Harmony felt pretty great, for our first House Competition of the school year, and we swiftly converted this into a win in the House Music overall. And the victories kept coming! In a monumental and historic turn of events, we won all three events in the House Netball, and both Junior and Senior Hockey. We also, for the first time in the House’s History, brought home the Athletics trophy, with Elinor and Suzie each crowned Victrix Ludorum for their respective age groups. Elinor even broke two long standing school sprint records: wow!

And the individual successes did not stop there.

Sophie W was selected for Nations Cup Dressage, in her pathway towards riding for GB, and Caitlin played for England U16 Hockey.

Becca took a silver in the National Combo Cup, for Synchronised Swimming, and Libby picked up a host of awards at the Cheltenham Festival of Performing Arts. We had fantastic performances from Louise, Alice, Poppy, Gaia, Zina and Molly in the House Public Speaking, and some earnest work by Captain Helena and her squad in the House Quiz, where although they did not win, much fun was had, and maybe even a little learning took place too!

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Our highlights this year, as is becoming traditional for Hath, have included our Sisters 14 - DECANIAN 2021/22

Breakfasts, our House Christmas Party (this year’s theme: Secret Santa Socks), and our House Soiree, which was bigger and better than ever. The girls catered for the event themselves, with Lola H’s gluten free cake a particular highlight. Dakota, Lola, Poppy, Louise and Tash all created beautiful paintings of inspiring feminist quotations, which we unveiled at this event, and which are set to adorn the walls of the House next year. It was also great to see art work from the likes of Amelie, Arya, Emily, Martha and others on display in House. We were then treated to a series of performances, including Drama from Annie and Daisy, Music from Connie, Mimi, Flora, Hannah, Arya and others, and some hilarious dancing from Suzie and Leah, as well as a very moving slide show, featuring our UVIth’s favourite memories of five years in Hath. It was a wonderful evening of togetherness and we are so grateful to all who could attend.

This year has also been memorable as both Mrs Condie and Mrs Donaldson have become first time Mums, and we wish them congratulations on the births of their glorious boys! But we also had to say goodbye to the wonderful Mrs Evans, a long time Hath tutor, which caused a good few tears to be shed.

As the year comes to a close, we look forward to welcoming next year’s new Fourth Form, and to more fun, success, laughter and general silliness in House (especially with the arrival of our new Boom Box Speaker! Money well spent!) Here’s to more Happy Hath Memories – Mrs M x

houses

Mead t has been a wonderfully full and busy year in Mead House, with our 58 girls taking part in a huge number of school activities and also contributing to house life. We love to celebrate our achievements (#meadlingsachieving) and also great participation levels (house colours awarded for taking part in three house events) but we are also aware that, for some of our girls, just making it into school most days is a triumph.

They cannot be happy and healthy all of the time and feeling that they have to be is a danger in a busy school. It is my hope, as housemistress of these lovely girls, that all of them – achievers, participants and strugglers feel our support as we live alongside them. We celebrate with them, commiserate with them, share both their frustrations and their joys.

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House Public Speaking – plus events won at sports day by a number of Meadites. We are a house of individuals and I love the fact that, alongside our choir members and team players, we have artists, gymnasts, riders, rowers, cricketers, actors, dancers, cooks, readers, climbers and much else besides.

Some of my highlights include the return of the House Singing Competition (‘Since You’ve Been Gone’ and ‘Look What I Found’), the House Zumba event for the Red Cross Ukraine appeal with Mrs Amy Green (a special ‘well done’ to all who changed into appropriate attire including our one male Mead tutor, Mr Needs), a House film night and brunch, and watching Meadites in

matches, plays, public speaking, quizzes, sports day, concerts and a multitude of other events.

We were led this year by our lovely U6 girls and we will really miss them all: Megan, Liv, Lucy, Mimi, Val, Georgia, Mirabelle, Flo, Louisa, Alice, Lily, Sienna, and Grace. Also leaving are Isla and Erin and we wish all of these Meadites all the very best as they move on to the next chapter of their lives.

My thanks as ever go to the amazing tutor team of Mrs McShane, Mr Needs, Mrs Rushton, Miss Stewart, Miss O’Neill, Ms Ash and Mrs McKechnie – and to our tireless and very forgiving cleaner, Christina.

We have become very good at coming second in House competitions and, although it is at times frustrating, it is also something we are quite proud of. We have triumphed in some individual events and in parts of competitions: Lily in the Jubilee Victoria sponge competition; Izzy, Fenella and Katie in the Vegan Bake Off on Earth Day (we are clearly very good at cake!); Immy and Niamh in the House Solo Singing; Evie winning the best chairman award in the

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houses

Shelburne

fter the restrictions and uncertainty caused by the pandemic, it was a huge relief to return to relative normality in September. Members of Shelburne House have thoroughly enjoyed a year of getting back to business as usual.

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We had a wonderful start to the year as Shelburne sisters made the most of the sunny September weekend on the first Saturday back to enjoy a whole House BBQ including games, footie, singing, dance and general merriment!

Shelburne House have thoroughly enjoyed a year of getting back to business as usual.

Shelburne’s Head of House team this year: Tilly Rogers, Bella Stephens and Jiyoon Li (Deputy) have all been incredible in setting the tone for the new school year, modelling love, contribution and courage in their words and deeds. Tilly Webster, our Welfare Rep, has done a superb job in providing sustained emotional support for our younger girls in House. She received the Foundation Award for Love on Speech Day, which was richly deserved.

We have been enjoying our brand new House kitchen all year, making the most of the social aspect of communal meals in friendship and ‘family’ groups, and relishing Matron Pam’s delicious tray bakes. I love coming back from a day of English teaching and meetings to see a group of Shelburne girls sitting around the kitchen table, chatting, laughing and snacking. Hattie, our Upper Sixth Food Rep, has done an excellent job all year of encouraging regular and respectful use of our communal kitchen, which has become very much the heart of the House.

Fourth Form girls enjoyed a ‘Junior Bake Off’ Competition in House, which was won by Ellie and Neha. In November, we had a visit from Chinese teacher, Mai, who cooked some delicious Chinese food for our lucky ‘family’ groups, led by Joy and Linda. In the same month, the kitchen was where the girls gathered to eat steaming plates of curry, following a fun Bollywood dance class and hosted Fawley girls to whip up some healthy smoothies in a ‘Feel Good Feb’ joint House social. We also enjoyed an evening of sushi making. Our Headmaster dropped by to be given a masterclass in the art of sushi rolling by Neha. Rosella stepped up to help

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houses

Mr Salisbury remove the top off a jar of ginger he was struggling to open! In April, Tilly Webster, Naiara, Carmen and Amelia all took part in the Vegan Bake Off competition as part of our whole school Earth Day event.

We have enjoyed a good deal of success in various high profile competitions throughout the year. Our winning streak commenced with a wonderful win in the House Singing Competition. We won the cup for best girls’ unison with a fantastic rendition of ‘New Shoes’. In December, Daisy came very close to winning The Disguised Decanian, coming second, although we all agreed that she should have won it! In February, we heard that Hattie and Daisy won prestigious poetry writing competitions and Daisy also won the House Singing Competition for Junior Song from the Shows in the same month! Further impressive wins include an historic victory in the Girls Senior House Football Competition in February, and a brilliant win for Liv, Iris and Ayo in the Junior House Public Speaking competition in April. We are also fairly convinced that we won the longest House Bunting competition to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in May. The bunting took pride of place in front of chapel above the altar.

Another highlight of this academic year was ‘Galentine’s Day’, in which Shelburne girls rebranded Valentine’s Day and sent one another a rose with a kind message of appreciation for the special and unique individual. It was a great opportunity to celebrate one another and the love and support they give. On International Women’s Day in March, we created a ‘My Super Power’ wall, and took time to think about our individual strengths and how we contribute to Shelburne as individuals using these particular strengths.

Apple Yu created an informative and attractive booklet that explored the history of International Women’s Day and she distributed them to pupils with free chocolate too! In celebrating individual strengths in House, it was lovely to be able to take small groups of girls out to the Green Coffee Machine in exchange for hard-earned green chits in an initiative called ‘Green chits 4 GCM’ Another way we celebrate individual’s courage and contributions to the House is through our WONDERWALL and it has become a tradition to have a bi-weekly pizza and chat every Wednesday with those girls who have earned a place on the WONDERWALL for endeavour, contribution, love and courage. A new initiative called TGIFF, which stands for Thank Goodness It’s Friendship Friday, really took off over the year, in which buddies got together at 7pm every Friday to share how their weeks went and some delicious snacks too!

Finally, the end of this academic year has seen the resumption of public examinations and I would like to pay tribute to the excellent conduct of our Fifth Form and Upper Sixth who showed great courage, commitment and mutual support for one another in the face of a supremely challenging time. Well done, girls! Big Up Shelbz!

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houses

Tower

After a school year that was so disjointed and disrupted, it was great to be able to return to some relative normality this year. The dreaded virus did rear its head at points, but thankfully, we were able to enjoy many of the normal things that make Tower, Tower.

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houses

Tower

As ever, the boys have approached the many activities and socials with great enthusiasm and an appropriate sense of humour…well, most boys! This was exemplified more than ever in the collective approach towards House Shout, which yielded the first silverware since 2011. The performance of ‘Can’t take my eyes off you’, which was so wonderful orchestrated by Freddie, was good enough to win the best choir prize. In fact, many of the audience suggested we might have been ‘robbed’ of the overall prize due to the depth and quality of all our performances on the night.

We are not bitter at all, of course.

Other highlights this year include: a famous victory for the indomitable Remove boys in the annual House Rugby Competition, the inaugural Christmas awards, which took the term ‘fancy dress’ to new levels, the addition of the new house kitchen and the new pizza oven, which have given us hope that there will be life beyond the Archard’s from a culinary perspective, the return of House Football and the Six Nations fantasy league (won by the guru of all things rugby, yours truly), and many fantastic musical, sporting and academic achievements from all the boys.

As the new Housemaster, it has been a real privilege to see the range of interests the boys have, and the way they continue to meet challenges head on. The collective sense of endeavour is a hallmark of the group, and it is demonstrated across the spectrum; whether it be a musical or LAMDA exam or in a house quiz, there is always a desire to succeed that drives standards.

A special mention must go out to our incoming Head of House, Ben Fitzjohn, who organised a school wide initiative to commemorate World Earth Day. An idea that was born during an EPQ project led to a most informative and engaging day for all those involved.

There is no doubt that Tower House, our wider community and our global society faced massive challenges the last couple of years. More than ever, it has been great to see the boys restabilising themselves and there has been a newfound love for the Tower community. In a year with many notable group and individual contributions, it is nearly impossible to

do all students who contributed to the House justice in a few paragraphs. This said, it would be remiss of me not mention our standing UVI group. As a year group, they have endured an awful lot of uncertainty, but they should hold their heads high as they have emerged as impressive young men with bright futures – thank you for your example, men. I wish you every success in the future and I hope that the lessons learned here will go with you, wherever you end up.

Lastly, I would like to thank all the House Tutors, without your guidance and kindness we wouldn’t be able to achieve what we do year in, year out. Most importantly, I would like to pay homage to our Matron, Sheila, who is retiring this year after 18 years of magnificent service.

Thank you, Matron for your tireless service and the way you have made Tower feel like a home. You will be sorely missed.

Looking forward, Tower is in good shape, and I look forward to working with next year’s prefects as we continue to build on the legacy that has gone before us.

It is hard to imagine Tower without Sheila. A constant, reassuring presence for all the boys and staff, she really has been the heartbeat of the House. In an age when longevity in a role is becoming increasingly rare, the fact she has been here for an incredible 18 years is testament to her stoic approach and her dedication to serving others. It is difficult to find the words to summarise all that she does, but it is easy to say how much we will miss her kindness, the way she always has time for people and the fact that she always wants to make the life of others better. Her selflessness has been exemplary and we will miss her warmth around the house. Thank you, Sheila, you will be sorely missed but please know that you will always be warmly received in Tower. The time has come to put your feet up - or rather, it may be time to get the handicap down!

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Turner

houses

Colourful, fun, enthusiastic, eventful, successful, creative, caring, supportive, cosmopolitan. These are just a few words which spring to mind when thinking of this year’s Turner Girls.

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houses

Turner may be small (although I prefer the term ’bijoux’) but our experiences have been full; full of laughter, chat, new taste experiences (potato bread and Irish coffees on St Patrick’s Day), new challenges, such as running 2 km every morning in aid of the Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal and passion.

Passion has been shown in so many areas, such as the way in which the House came together for competitive House events. We began the year with the House Shout, something which as a small House can seem very exposed but Turner remained undeterred, with every girl committed and singing their hearts out. This set the tone for future events such as House Hockey, Football, Netball and Athletics, all of which were approached with great gusto. The passion continued with touching personal talks about A level art work in House assemblies and moving speeches in the House Public Speaking competition, which Turner went on to win. The year ended with a wonderful Prize Giving and Speech Day and two inspiring contributions from Amaal and Anastasiia who talked passionately about their home countries, Lebanon and Ukraine. During their speeches Anastasiia came out with some very wise words with which I would like to conclude this article: She spoke about how she overcame the initial upset about not getting into Cambridge and how on reflection she now sees this episode of her life ‘not as rejection but redirection’ - so many other opportunities have now become available to her. Wise and powerful words which we all should remember.

Farewell to Corinne Corinne first became involved with Dean Close 11 years ago as a host family, looking after some interesting and tricky individuals from Fawley. She was so good at this that she soon became a permanent fixture, taking on the role of Fawley Matron. Her wise words, caring, compassionate nature and sense of fun meant that she was always going to be a hit with the girls and an invaluable member of the Boarding House Team, firstly under Viv Burroughs and then Julia Abbott.

Turner was then fortunate to nab Corinne when it became an independent 6th Form House and we have never looked back since. The girls have been wonderfully looked after by their ’2nd Mother’; dresses have been altered, birthday cakes baked, cooking lessons given and tears mopped up. Corinne will be a hard act to follow and will be sorely missed by the Turner Girls and Boarding Team but we wish her well as she retires to Southampton to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren who will keep her equally busy.

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societies

The Senior Bowden Society Returns The Senior Bowden Society is the School's academic society for high achieving Sixth Formers. Formed in memory of Martin Bowden (OD), who was considered “a polymath and an inspiration”, the aim of the Society is to stretch and broaden interests outside of the curriculum (with the additional benefit of being useful in preparation for top universities).

The Society meets weekly in the Lent Term of Lower Sixth, and enjoys additional lectures, talks, dinners and an annual critical essay competition.

Lower Sixth pupil Adams, who joined Dean Close Sixth Form this year from Hong Kong, shares his experience of this week’s Bowden Society meeting, the first of this academic year.

Infinity – The Fun Never Ends!

The Senior Bowden Society, made up of Lower Sixth students and supporting teachers, meets weekly on Wednesdays to discuss various profound topics. This week’s lecture was hosted by Mr George on the topic of “Infinity – and beyond?”

Everyone was excited and enthusiastic to learn more from the books we were given the opportunity to discuss; the Infinity Hotel Paradox and Zeno’s Tortoise Paradox both gave us a great in-depth concept of infinity, leading us to independently investigate more of the amazing mathematics. We were also able to discuss infinity; is it a concept, is it a value or is it just a theory… Well, it’s an important study for mathematicians as it can have infinite explanation.

Beyond the topic of infinity, we were told to study the Mandelbrot Set, try discovering things that we have never heard of, and the session concluded with an activity on recreating the Sierpiński triangle.

Learning might be boring to some, but we can always find an interesting way! Great thanks to Mr George who prepared this fascinating first lecture.

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Speakers Emmanuel Jal Emmanuel Jal is an inspirational figure in the modern world. Having come from a past where he was trained as a child soldier in South Sudan, he was one of the few children who were lucky enough to be given the opportunity of a new life, through the incredible work of the British aid worker Emma McCune. He now is a peace activist and entrepreneur with a business and charity whilst also working in the entertainment industry as a musician and actor.

As a School, we were lucky enough to have him share his life story and morals with us during a talk in the Centenary Hall at the Preparatory School. This eye-opening talk briefly touched on his life experiences with death, fear and starvation as he fled from the terrible conflicts of Sudan. These stories were shared through his incredible use of poetry, music and inclusive questions. These inclusive moments meant that, we the audience, felt more involved and connected to Emmanuel’s stories and beliefs.

Laura Mears

As a collective we felt that his morals and messages were inspiring to us because of their relative connections to everyday life. We especially enjoyed hearing about his battle with voices in his head when faced with challenging situations we couldn’t dream of being placed in. From these grounding stories we therefore felt an overwhelming thankfulness for our comfortable lifestyles in a country with such a different history compared to Emmanuel’s home land of Sudan.

Zac Maddern and Daniel Wyche (BC Remove).

On Wednesday 27th April 2022, Mrs Laura Mears (Salmon Swimming Team & Leadership Development) came in to speak with the 6th Form about the “5 Gears” time management tool. The idea of the session was for students to reflect on the ways in which they are both present and productive in managing their time.

Laura spoke about ways in which we combine our work with our social activities and with our time to refresh and recharge; and how to make sure that we have a healthy balance between the three. She also spoke about ways in which to engage in each gear in order to maximise our potential in all aspects of our lives.

The students left pondering which of their own gears need the most attention, and with Laura’s strategies on how to be both present and productive, everyone could take away something to help them be more positive with their time.

It was a worthwhile session, with lots of food for thought!

speakers

International Women's Day 2022

Breaking the Bias Lower Sixth pupil Phoebe organised events for our International Women's Day 2022 at DCS. She reflects on the Day below.

On Tuesday 8 March, we celebrated International Women’s Day and the achievements of women around the world and how women have had an impact on the cultural, political, environmental, social and economic spheres globally.

‘Break the bias’ was the theme, therefore our aims were to encourage challenging gender stereotypes, calling out gendered assumptions and recognising and taking action against the ongoing inequalities that women are facing today.

To commemorate this day, we organised events that the whole School could be involved in.

These included creating a google form, where each House could nominate their most inspirational woman and then all 12 nominees were voted for by all pupils individually. Our winner this year was Kira Rudik, Ukrainian politician, who has remained in Kyiv during the current crisis.

In the afternoon, we were delighted to introduce Cally Rhodes, as our guest speaker.

Cally is a singer and songwriter. Her music has been streamed over 20 million times on Spotify and has appeared in Spotify’s viral top 50 charts all over the world. Cally is committed to empowering and uplifting young people

across the UK, so that they can grow in confidence and learn more about having a positive mental attitude, and making healthy life choices.

Throughout the day, we also had little reminders placed at different times to commemorate International Women’s Day. As purple is an IWD colour symbolising justice and dignity, it was was a prominent feature of the day; the Catering team kindly made purple puddings as part of the menu, so at lunch we had purple crumble and at afternoon Buns we had blueberry muffins with purple icing! We also encouraged everyone to wear purple, which was a great success (special thanks to the Upper Sixth for getting involved during their A levels).

As an extension to IWD, on Thursday 10 March we held a Candy Floss Sale for the Malala Fund at Breaktime. We managed to raise £115 in around 20 minutes - we were so pleased! The Malala Fund focuses on accelerating progress: challenging systems, policies and practices so all girls around the world can access 12 years of free, safe, quality education.

Lower Sixth pupil Chloe said, "The event that stood out to me was the google forms vote. I was able to find out about so many inspirational women and all of their achievements and how they have had an impact on our society."

Fellow Sixth Former Charlie added, "The celebrations helped to educate, spark conversation and raise money for a great cause.

Overall it was majorly successful and deeply interesting."

I believe that this year’s celebrations were really successful. As a feminist, I am consciously challenging bias that women face on a day-today basis. I believe that educating young girls and boys about gender stereotyping, and taking action against inequality are so important so that each day we can come closer to a more equal world. At Dean Close, throughout the five years I have been here, each year I have found myself growing in confidence, when speaking about women’s rights. I have developed my passion for activism. I have gained so much knowledge on why we celebrate International Women’s Day and why it is so important. It is important to me as the day is about achieving equality, and to do this we must elevate the achievements of women, not to undermine our male counterparts but to create genderequality. To achieve this we have to build a platform for women and amplify their voices.

This is what International Women’s Day is for, and this day is for women everywhere.

War in Art Visiting speaker, Nick Nelson, gave an excellent talk on 'War in Art' on Monday 9 May. Discussing works by David, Goya, Delacroix and Picasso, our A Level History of Art pupils relished the recap of these compelling works and dig down into the historical and political contexts of the paintings.

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sustainability

DEAN CLOSE SUSTAINABILITY 2021-22 Dean Close launched its new sustainability Group in September and under the leadership of Ben Mawer and Mirabelle Troughton it has gone from strength to strength.

The initial aim of the group was to raise awareness of sustainability issues in the school, the local area and the wider world.

The group wasted no time in beginning new initiatives and making sure that sustainability is being discussed around school and that COP26 did not go by unnoticed at Dean Close School.

Eco-Schools Award The Sustainability Group also began their path towards gaining Dean Close School an ecoschools award. This award starts with the creation of a sustainability group, has expanded with green councils in each House and also a new House Sustainability Competition. In stage 3 of the award the pupils made an eco action plan for the school to follow, carried out a sustainability audit, changed elements of the school curriculum like plastic pollution and air pollution topics in Geography and invited members of the school catering and estates teams in to talk about the sustainability aspects of their parts of the school. The year ended with Dean Close having been awarded the school Green Flag Eco Award with distinction. This is both something of which to be proud but also a marker on our way towards an even more sustainable future at the school.

The Future This pupil-made infographic is both a testament to what we have achieve so far but also to what the plans are over the coming months. The school is installing bee hives alongside the wild gardens, chickens will be housed on site to provide eggs for boarding houses, the kitchens already dispose of food waste via anaerobic digestion and we are looking to get the 1,500 trees up closer to the 2,000 mark as we continue the tree planting scheme.

Flock The Sustainability Group and the Art Department combined forces to create the Flock Art exhibition. Every pupil at Dean Close and the staff were given a piece of paper and instructions for how to create an origami pigeon.

All they had to do was to write their own climate pledge onto the paper before they folded it.

Every pigeon was then attached and displayed in the BonBernard Gallery at Dean Close School.

Earth Day The biggest event of the year was Ben Fitzjohn’s Earth Day. Thanks to Ben’s EPQ project, the Sustainability Group helped to put together an amazing day featuring pupil led assemblies, guest speakers on sustainability in sport from Dan Reading and Eco Awareness and Art or ‘Artivism’ from Tomelia Gregory. A climate fair was held with water rockets, cycle electric power

generation, bug tasting and climate mindfulness.

There was then a colour run around the grounds to raise money from the WWF before a climate based chapel to end the day. The pupils also ran this alongside the Prep School and held an assembly in the Prep School on the day as well with thanks to Charlie Harris and Niamh Salisbury for the brilliant assembly and also Niahm’s work on the day creating sustainable bunting and a sustainability flag made from clothes from charity shops in Cheltenham.

What is next?

The group will start all over again in September with the same aim of raising awareness in our ever changing world. The pupils have been busy reading ‘This Changes Everything’ and I am sure that they will come back full of ideas and initiatives. If this is something that interests you, please just come along on a Tuesday afternoon and start making a difference to the future of Dean Close School.

Tree Planting and Wild Gardens As part of Team Trees, the school had already raised enough money to plant 1000 trees and this has been expanded this year as we have begun tree planting on site. 30 trees have already been planted, along with a full audit of trees on site, new flower and plant beds, a gardening club and the wilding of the Headmaster’s garden.

The next phase will involve bat boxes, hedgehog boxes and a biodiversity survey of the Dean Close and Dean Close Prep School Site.

Changemakers Along with the Cheltenham Education Partnership, we took part in the Changemakers initiative. A climate event was hosted by GCHQ alongside COP26 to help the pupil representatives gain an understanding of how Cheltenham is aiming to become increasingly sustainable.

This initiative also ultimately resulted in a pupil climate conference in the summer with events, stalls and outside speakers to inform the pupils on a diverse areas from transport, through food production and eco clothing. The Dean Close Changemakers also attended lectures at the Cheltenham Literature Festival on the heating planet and also on how to live a Green Life. The Current Affairs Group alongside the Sustainability Group also went over to a boarding house at Cheltenham Ladies’ College to debate the merits of the COP26 and the future of the current climate crisis.

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charity

Alexander

Mcqueen Trip On 4 March, ten of our GCSE and A Level Artists travelled to London for Alexander McQueen’s extraordinary ‘Roses’ exhibition, thanks to our membership of the Cheltenham Educational Partnership.

Pursuing their interests in fashion and textiles, our pupils relished this unique insight into the fashion world and the creative mind of such talented artists and designers. Upper Sixth Amaal reports back on the trip.

“The trip to the Alexander McQueen ‘Roses’ exhibition was an incredible experience. The trip was made available through the Cheltenham Education Partnership and a link with the United National Ambassadors Programme. The opportunity was a unique insight into both the fashion world and also the creative mind of such talented artists and designers.

We were welcomed into the Alexander McQueen store and taken upstairs to the exhibition. We were given insightful background information about McQueen and the detail in the exhibition was fantastic – we were told how the dresses were inspired, draped, and made, and I was particularly impressed by the types of fabric they used for some of the pieces, including a dress made of hessian and a showstopper of a piece made entirely of frozen flowers that left a trail behind the model as she walked around the show room. The initial concepts were shown to us, the draping on mannequins rather than sketches, the fact that McQueen does not throw anything away. Errors and mistakes are just seen as learning ideas and past mistakes are stored in case they can form the basis of inspiration for future designers.

We really got to see the character of Alexander McQueen in these dresses; that being an abstract, artistic and slightly ‘wacky’ style, but with a softer, more feminine touch for this particular selection to fit the ‘Roses’ theme.”

Amaal, Upper Sixth 25 - DECANIAN 2021/22

charity

Partnerships Annual Report 2021-2022

The Partnerships Element of the school is split into three sections, we have the link with Nyakatakura Memorial Secondary School in Ibanda, Uganda, the link with School Number 5 in Chengdu, China and the crucial part that we play in the Cheltenham Education Partnership. Due to the continued barriers of Covid, the link with Chengdu will only really kick off again in September 2022 but the work with both Uganda and the other 10 Cheltenham Schools has had a hugely busy year.

The Uganda Group have mainly been fundraising and this kicked off on International Coffee Day on October 1st when £1000 was raised over the weekend from a huge bake sale and coffee sales from the newly re-opened Dean Bean. The pupils ran each of the events and from the kindness of parents and pupils in their baking skills, it was clear that Dean Close was ready for charity events again.

In November, pupils from the Uganda Group ran two assemblies in the Prep School to inform the younger pupils about our links with Nyakatakura and also to thank the Prep School for offering to raise money for the Uganda link in their annual charity fair.

Assemblies were also held in the Senior School at the same time with Mr Pitt being splatted by a whipped cream pie at one point to raise the

awareness of pupils going out of their comfort zone and taking part in something different at school.

At the end of November the Prep School charity fair had a stall from the Uganda group and altogether over £2000 was raised with half of this going to the Uganda Link Charity work.

Due to the success of candy floss and donut sales at the Prep School Fair, Floss Fridays then returned to Dean Close Day village with candy floss and donuts on sale each Friday break time, with all the money going to the Uganda charity.

As the year headed towards its end, the Uganda Group then hosted the Speech Day Charity Fair and raffle. After the main speeches, the far side of Big Field hosted events like a coconut shy, face painting, hook a duck, beat the goalie and even Turner’s frappacino making. The event was a great success and raised close to £2000 which will be crucial as we head out to Uganda next year and begin to work within the community once again after a five year break due to Covid and Ebola outbreaks.

The trip will be heading out next summer and next year’s Uganda group will be working at both charity fundraising and also building skills that will maximise our helpfulness when we get out to Nyakatakura Memorial School next year.

The Uganda Group have mainly been fundraising and this kicked off on International Coffee Day on October 1st when £1000 was raised over the weekend 26 - DECANIAN 2021/22

charity

Cheltenham Education Partnership The Partnership had a quiet time during the Covid pandemic but really kicked off again this year.

The Manifesto for change event was held at the Cheltenham Literature Festival. This was the culmination of two years’ work looking at the potential future of British education. Three Dean Close pupils, Katie Smart, Charlie Harris and Luke Tomlinson presented on stage with help from Hyman Tang and Charissa Samoutou in the build up to the main event. Alongside St Edward’s School and All Saint’s Academy, the event really led to some interesting talking points and was followed by a visit to the Education Commission event on the main Festival Stage. The final manifesto was then created and sent off to the people at the education commission.

On the Sunday of the Literature Festival the Cheltenham Education Partnership then gave us the chance to interview Evanna Lynch for a CEP podcast called Spill The Tea. Evanna is most famous for playing Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films and she talked openly about her work in the films and her subsequent battles with an eating disorder. She then stayed behind to sign copies of her book about her life and the difficulties of eating disorders in teenagers.

The English department has been attending the CEP Literary Society that is held regularly at Cheltenham College. The topics ranges from Shakespeare to the Mr. Men Books and we are looking to host some of these events next year.

The Changemakers event was the biggest CEP event of year and this took part at Gloucestershire University in July. It involved 16 pupils from each of the CEP schools heading to the Park Campus for a day of talks, interactive lectures and a presentation from each school about their sustainability work that year. It worked alongside the Sustainability Group at Dean Close to present everything that we have done this year to advance sustainability at Dean Close School.

Charlie Harris and Niamh Salisbury were the Dean Close representatives at the podcast and they did a great job that can be heard on the CEP website.

Anthony Tam and Martin Tang attended the star gazing and astronomy evening at Balcarras School for the CEP. They used the school telescopes and this will be followed up next year with a visit to the CLC observatory dome. All Saint’s Academy also offered another podcast opportunity in the Lent term with the LGBTQ+ Society going to the school to take part in a podcast about LGBTQ in Cheltenham and this can also be heard on the CEP website with Charlie Davis and Apple Yu doing a great job on the show.

This theme was carried through to a CEP event at Cheltenham Ladies’ College in April. This event was given the title ‘Inequality’ and each school had the chance to take three speakers on the stage to talk about their experiences with inequality. Nacho Eleyae, Phoebe Channing and Peter Philip Cotter spoke at the event about the idea of being both privileged but also disadvantaged by race, gender and sexuality. They received such an overwhelming response that they have since repeated their speech at a youth equality event held by Dame Janet Trotter and also at the governors event at Dean Close School. As a teacher of over 18 years’ experience, I have never seen such a positive and tearful response to three pupils talking about something very intimate to them. It was something that will stay in my memory for many years to come.

A group of 10 students went to an exclusive event in London at the Alexander McQueen Flagship Store. Pupils from Cheltenham Ladies’ College initiated the trip and gave us the opportunity of spending a Friday evening looking at the work of Alexander McQueen when he was alive through to the name and branding of the name now. We were able to take a private tour of some of the pieces exhibited alongside his designs and this gave an incredible chance for those keen on fashion design to enjoy a rare look behind the scenes of this top fashion house.

The CEP pupil voice events have also been growing this year. Nacho Eleyae has been the school representative at these events and the plan is to host a pupil music festival at some point next year. The plans look exciting and are sure to add yet another extra element to the CEP next year.

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charity

The Disguised Decanian The Disguised Decanian masked singing contest has been the creation and focus of Upper Sixth friends Peter-Philip and Maddie, who have worked tirelessly this term to organise and stage this fundraiser event, raising over £500 for The Brain Tumour Charity and Blue Skye Thinking.

The competition took place on Saturday 4 December, hosted in the Bacon Theatre and streamed online for a thrilled voting audience. Peter-Philip and Maddie reflect on the inspiration and outcomes of the event.

What is the Disguised Decanian? How does it work?

The Disguised Decanian is in short, a Dean Close Version of ‘The Masked Singer’ (from ITV) where we have members of the Dean Close community take part in a singing competition in ridiculous outfits (masked and costumed). There are 12 acts, which is whittled down to one ultimate winner (THE Disguised Decanian) through a series of singing battles against each other. The audience vote for who they want to see in the next round, and those voted out are unmasked to reveal their identity.

Where did the idea come from?

The idea stemmed from a remark during the 2021 Lockdown period, when PeterPhilip was staying with Maddie and her family (otherwise he would have been

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trapped overseas). They say, “Every Saturday, we sat down and watched The Masked Singer (as it was a laugh in a time when we were locked inside) and we said to each other how fun it would be if the School put something like this on.

So… we did!”

What did you want to achieve, and why?

“We wanted to bring the community together after a period of almost two years of no productions and we thought a charity fundraiser would be the best way to install it. With the devasting loss of two members of our community here at Dean Close over the last year to brain tumours, this turned our outlook to making such an event one with poignancy. So, we set out to raise money for two amazing brain tumour charities, Blue Skye Thinking and The Brain Tumour Charity.

BST have a close link with Dean Close; they focus on funding research into childhood brain tumours, which is the leading cause of death among young children. The Brain

Tumour Charity helped one of our community members who sadly passed.

This charity focuses on funding research and treatment of brain tumours in all ages, which we thought was a perfect match with BST.

chariry

Peter-Philip and Maddie, who have worked tirelessly this term to organise and stage this fundraiser event, raising over £500 for The Brain Tumour Charity and Blue Skye Thinking

So, on the night – who participated in the Disguised Decanian?

We had performers from all years of the School (Fourth to Sixth Form), teachers as well as someone from Estates. The audience voted and of course supported and cheered for those on stage. Each act performed three songs (Finalists sang their best from the three). Acts included Batgirl, Lionheart, Scream, Ghosted, the Elephant in the Room, Lala and Pink Panther with songs ranging from New York, New York to Stars, Black Velvet to Abba’s Waterloo.

How did it all go?! Who won’?

It turned out to be a hit with everyone! From our perspective, it ran as smoothly as it could have; there were a couple hiccups but only we knew what they were. The Winner (decided by a ClapO-Meter in the end, as the two Finalists vote was split exactly 50/50) was Elsa and Jackline Frost (Lower Sixths Sam W and Nacho).

How did the evening go?

I don’t think we could have predicted how big a hit with everyone this was going to be. We were nervous about how well everything would run, but this didn’t stop us planning it and putting it on. We raised over £500 in total (but with it being doubled by The Brain Tumour Charity, thanks to their doubling all funds donated until 7 December scheme, that’s almost £1000). And I think for both of us, this was definitely a highlight of our time here at Dean Close.

What did you personally learn from your experience organising this event?

Just how hard the Bacon Theatre Team must work to put shows on! But also, how if you have a vision, even if it was a flippant comment on the sofa one the evening, if you work hard and put effort into it, it can become reality.

Any message for future years?

PLAN FAR IN ADVANCE!! We did spend 10 months planning it to be fair to us, but I think now people have seen it once, they understand the concept so you might have to hold auditions for those wanting to take part. Just have fun with it.

Yes, there was a serious message behind it but don’t let that completely take away from the fun aspect, you can weave both into it and find the balance that works.

To conclude?

It was hard work but turned out to be such a joyful evening which raised money and awareness for such worthy causes. Seeing the amount we raised made us realise that we did actually pull off something quite spectacular for two people juggling A levels at the same time!

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chaplaincy

Chaplaincy he aim of Chaplaincy coming alongside pupils and staff this year was modest: to recover the rhythms and wellbeing of prepandemic school life. Although the spectre of masks and distancing are now something of a memory, the pandemic has left a long tail of mental health difficulties and sheer fatigue. As such, besides all of the valuable set piece presentations and services we run, I have tried to focus on relationships with as many as possible in this growing community.

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It is this side of Chaplaincy life which is nigh on impossible to describe. A shared hot chocolate here, a significant conversation out of the blue walking to lunch there, a tissue offered here, and a prayer shared there. The currency of this work is unimpressive in listening and sometimes advice. It has been - and remains - a distinct privilege to walk alongside those limping with a divorce in the family, an illness, anxiety, guilt, resentment or grief. We human beings allow ourselves to be seen most clearly when we allow the mess to be seen. In this sense I have loved both seeing and being seen this past year.

That said, those gathered set piece moments have been plentiful and varied this year. We’ve heard wisdom from above as the bible has been opened by a huge number of internal and visiting speakers, often bringing challenge and always perspective. We’ve considered theology from the frankly highbrow (self-sufficiency of the God-head) to the rather more accessible (Funny road-signs and the gospel) and challenged ourselves to grow in God’s soil of humility and purpose. More recently our series

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‘Winning where it matters’ invited us to consider the nature of forgiveness and location of joy, in a term filled with the rather more fleeting exams and sporting fixtures. Latterly our ‘Lessons in Leadership’ series has allowed us to eavesdrop on leaders serving refugees in the Middle East and running Foodbanks on our doorstep, as we considered how to use power and set a vision for others to follow.

Our theatre services provide a chance for a change of rhythm and tone, and this year worked in concert with one another with the first exploring our relationship to our own bodies, and the second the whole minefield of pornography. What is a soul and how might it relate to my mind and body? Might my bodily

chaplaincy

The HUB There is a kind of community which requires a negative definition in order to consolidate solidarity. ‘We’ are not ‘them’; ‘self’ undergoing reinforcement through the focus on ‘other’. The paradox of this is clearly that the quality of its own community spirit will be fueled by limiting membership of that community (for how else will there be an ‘other’?). I have been a member of many such insecure communities over the years, many of which – I am ashamed to say – have been Christian in self-identification.

By far and away the most precious thing about the HUB is that it really doesn’t seem to operate in this way. care benefit my soul, and vice versa? What end is my sexuality to be used for? What would it look like to view our sexual desires as a gift to be stewarded rather than a right to be exercised? These are questions which don’t normally rise to the top on TikTok, and which I love amplifying by our Chaplaincy ‘algorithm’! Sometimes immediately before a service I will look up from the sound checks and notes, to see hundreds of these young people taking their seats. I never cease to be struck by the inestimable privilege of being heard (if not listened to!) by these change-makers of the future.

Looking back over the Chaplaincy Twitter account, I am struck perhaps more than anything else by the milestone moments of the year. I regard it as a huge privilege that Chaplaincy are looked to, to mark beginnings and endings, moments of community celebration and remembering.

Receiving the harvest Foodbank offering from Houses, remembering the fallen at another Armistice drumhead, lighting the advent candle, ushering in the end of term with a raucous O come all ye faithful, giving thanks for those who’ve died, honouring the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and applauding our leavers – all of it is a privilege and not one which I take for granted in the least.

This year I have seen a radical inclusivity extended from Decanians to other Decanians every Wednesday afternoon as we’ve met to chill, eat snacks (always), and many times to give and receive in worship and hear an interactive bible talk. I’ve loved seeing all the normal teenage demographic barriers tumble as seniors befriend juniors, sporty pupils come alongside the more bookish ones, and those from different Houses put their competitive loyalties to one side. More times than I can count I’ve heard pupils – whatever their creed or background – say that the thing they enjoy at the HUB is the freedom to be who they are and (in a non-covid sense!) take off the mask they have to wear so much of the rest of the time.

What is the secret recipe? Well, many time honoured aspects which are as old as time itself… a generous helping of ridiculous games which allow children to be children (and staff to be children too), sugary snacks, pupil ownership through the HUB committee, residential time away from school, and yes at the heart of it all the message of Christ who invites all whoever we may be and whatever we may have done/ not done. It is this message of unconditional and unequivocal love which drives this culture.

Every year we wonder how we will go on next year with the crop of leavers, and this year is no different. As we bid God’s speed to our U6th legends, we trust the Lord to provide more to join in their stead.

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drama

It was a bit of a fairytale to be back in the theatre

“Beasts and Beauties”

t was a bit of a fairytale to be back in the theatre for “Beasts and Beauties”, the Junior Drama production this year; a treasury of fairytales rendered by students in Fourth, Remove and Fifth Forms. Fairytales are the seedbed of literature; far from the Disneyfied version of them they are often dark tales where innocence is tested by evil, murder sits alongside comedy and the Gothic meets pantomime, in a way that has inspired writers to produce Brontë’s Mr Rochester, Carter’s Bloody Chamber and Eliot’s Ash Wednesday, and inspired composers and artists as diverse as Purcell and Paula Rego.

I

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Connie Britton’s singing in this role was spellbinding; indeed, the music throughout heightened the uncanny tone of the stories

The laugh out loud funny first – the Emperor’s New Clothes was rude and amusing, with Billy Harris conned out of his kingly robes by gleeful weavers Maia Dimmer and Alexa Ellison. Modesty was protected of course, but Billy’s clowning delighted of the audience as it had with his earlier performance as the fairy in The Three Wishes against Antonia Billington’s and James Carder-Geddes’ sombre Woodcutters. Ed Smart’s appearance as the wolf in Toby and the Wolf and the reappearance of Billy Harris alongside Cameron Stephens and Jope Obikoya, in The Girl and the North Wind delivered lots of laughs. Comic stars in the making.

us that female behaviour, expectations and archetypes are often at the centre of these stories. For me, the most haunting was the lesser known tale of The Juniper Tree; the wicked stepmother murdering an uncanny child puppet, reborn as a bird.

Connie Britton’s singing in this role was spellbinding; indeed, the music throughout heightened the uncanny tone of the stories, the score beautifully arranged, and original Juniper Tree music written,

by Chloe Murphy.

Fairytales are more than funny stories, though and the reversal of the collocation, Beasts and Beauties was significant. Female characters were powerful and haunting, clever and resourceful. Issy Walton played a compelling Belle to Ben Stafford’s Beast, kindly stepping in to read the role for a covid-hit Will West.

Martha Sharp as Bluebeard’s determined bride and Flo McKinnes as the clever and resourceful Kari reminded

An evening of victims, villains, comic characters, a puppet and a magical goat that pooped gold– all in all, a fun, challenging and successful evening.

Emma Gillett

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drama

Blithe

Spirit

Trinity Term saw Lloyd Allington and Amy Backshall announce that they would be directing Noel Coward’s much loved comedy ‘Blithe Spirit’. And which actors would be tackling this tricky work, depicting a lost world of crushed velvet smoking jackets and bias cut gowns, of pre dinner martinis and post dinner cigars? Not the UVIth, as one might have expected, but the Remove Drama Scholars.

Recent Recitals by DCS Drama have given us a glimpse of what this crowd can achieve, but I think it is fair to say that many suspected the Remove might have bitten off more than they could chew, here. This is not any easy play. Yes, there is some slapstick, and the fabulous Madame Arcarti, bedecked in whatever absurd outfit the wardrobe mistress selects to draw the most laughs, but there is also subtlety, and that trickiest of humours, wit. Could six Removes really pull it off?

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17-18 June, Bacon Theatre

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We need not have worried. From the start, the cast set a dazzling energy that quickly persuaded the audience that we were in safe hands. Isabel Walton and Edward Smart, were utterly superb as the central couple, the Condomines, and captured the 1930s style perfectly; they mixed cocktails and lounged in their finery, swam in their privilege, with the primary worry on their minds the breakneck speed of their hapless maid, Edith, as she set about satisfying their every whim. A word here for Florence McKinnes: it is a well known adage that there are no small parts, only small actors, and she is living proof. Treading the tightrope line in the opening moments between drawing the laughs and stealing the show entirely, Florence gave us Edith’s physical awkwardness, her awe of her employers, her desperation to please, so utterly convincingly, that when she was eventually dismissed by an imperious Ruth, we felt a little regretful that the belly laughs might have exited with her. They did not. The entry of James CarderGeddes and Martha Sharp brought more humour, in their deft balance between Dr. Bradman’s skepticism, and Mrs. Bradman’s girlish glee; merrily, the quartet anticipated the arrival of Madame Arcati. Dressed in what can only be described as Glastonbury-MeetsGlyndebourne-Glamour, Alexa Ellison was utterly

And which actors would be tackling this tricky work, depicting a lost world of crushed velvet smoking jackets and bias cut gowns hilarious as the local mystic/lunatic, summoned to inspire Charles Condomine’s latest book. Ellison has a physical confidence that gave her mannerisms such conviction that the characterisation here was absolute; her gesticulations with the cucumber sandwiches were a work of genius.

I was particularly struck by how she managed to couple Madame Arcati’s mystic sensitivities, with an almost masculine physicality, stomping around the stage in her boots and clutching her stomach as she laughed. When she went into a ‘trance’ and collapsed onto the floor, mid séance, the fall was so convincing that a number of the more pastoral hearted audience members felt genuine concern.

Of course, as those who know the play well will remember, the séance summons Charles’ dead wife, Elvira, who proceeds to haunt him, and torment his wife, with her childish impetuosity and jealousy, which initially flatters the shallow Charles, but eventually, drives him towards distraction. This was surely the part Antonia Billington was born to play: slinking around the set in her shimmering gown, she was both petulant and seductive, willful and mischievous. Billington matched voice to movement to create an ethereal quality such that it seemed she was indeed of another world to that of Charles and Ruth. It was here too that Isabel Walton’s comic powers came most to the forefront.

Seeking to keep up appearances, ever in control, the perfect hostess, and yet increasingly

maddened by Elvira’s presence, Walton managed with a restless eyebrow, a wring of the hands, a turn on the heel, to build the comic tension to new heights, by creating a visual foil to Billington’s languor and arch self-satisfaction. Repressing her rage up until the point where she, too, entered in her spirit form (the biggest laugh of the night), Walton gave a performance that was far beyond her years. She was matched, of course, only by her on-stage husband, Edward Smart. Plagued by wives both past and present, mortal and spiritual, Smart rove seamlessly between appearing roguishly boyish, flirtatious, impressed with himself, and plagued, careworn, near frantic as the victim of the whims of Ruth, Elvira, and even Madame Arcati. He and Ellison were electric on stage together, both with a conviction in their physicality that, once again, made it hard for the audience to quite believe we were watching fifteen year olds perform.

Visually, the play was a joy. Sheila Charania’s costumes were sumptuous, (with Madame Arcati’s head gear a particular highlight). Amaal Fawzi and Adams Yeung created a set and technical design that placed us quite entirely into a 1930s world – and yet a world not quite as we, nor the characters, knew it to be (the falling lamp at the end was a stroke of genius, causing several audience members to scream). Huge thanks must go to Mr. Allington and Mrs. Backshall for bringing us this cultural treat, ‘as fresh and exciting as it was when Coward first wrote it in 1941, for an audience as much in need of entertainment and joy as perhaps we might be today’.

And what next from these amazing Remove actors? I, for one, can’t wait to find out.

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drama

INFORMAL 4TH AND REMOVE DRAMA RECITAL TUESDAY 17 MAY BACON THEATRE 6.45pm What a good and positive evening this was: to showcase the many scenes and speeches which some of our pupils in Fourth Form and Remove had prepared over the term for their LAMDA and RADA exams. These wonderfully varied monologues and duologues rarely get an outing other than in front of an examiner, so it was an exciting idea to stage them live at the Bacon for invited parents, Common Room and friends – and an eager audience turned out in force. An audience fortified with pink fizz and yummy canapés who then genuinely and warmly appreciated seeing our pupils perform with confidence and enjoyment. What struck us was the range: some hard-hitting writing from The Long Road (Shelagh Stephenson) to Oscar Wilde, Miller, and even a smashing scene with a delightfully incompetent TV chef straight out of The Great British Bake Off. A credit to our hard-working speech and drama teachers who care so much for their pupils. Fun, enjoyable, challenging.

And lovely canapés.

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These wonderfully varied monologues and duologues rarely get an outing other than in front of an examiner

drama

Magic Show that goes wrong Live theatre is definitely up and running again: a packed Everyman Theatre last night included 45 DCS pupils and 4 staff, all wrapped up in The Magic Show that Goes Wrong. Not High Art, but a slick, fast, funny and even classy show with some pizazz and class and lots of laughs. The most popular turn seemed to be The Mind Mangler – the kids loved him – a parody of mindreading magic-turns (“Was this your card?!! – “No.”) and his cack-handed attempts at spotting people’s jobs/lives/dead relatives. A lovely confection-muddle ensued over the spirit of Brian’s dead grandpa and Gwyneth Paltrow.

(You had to be there…) Manic, and at time Pythonesque, chaos was the order of the day.

Dead pigeons not being produced from top hats. A chain-sawed-in-half-lady was a highlight – spilt-midriff-blood-and-gore eliciting lots of

ew-ew-ews and guffaws. Beaucoup de audience participation and jollity – and certainly very good for the kids’ and our mental health, as they say.

Just what we needed to send us off into half term, feeling that the world might somehow start returning to normality… Or, perhaps, even more complete insanity…

Lloyd Allington

LAMDA We were delighted with some first-rate LAMDA drama exam results at the start of this new year. This was a small cohort (the much larger cohort went in earlier in the Michaelmas Term – some 50 candidates) of 16 candidates, and we are thrilled to report 100% pass rate – but more than that, 12 Distinctions and 4 Merits. The cohort included pupils across all years from 4th Form to Upper Sixth, all being examined at various levels from grade 5 to 8 (Gold). Director of Drama, Lloyd Allington said “It is so heartening to see examiners resuming face-to-face sessions with candidates, and also to see these achievements in the face of so much disruption. It is also a testament to the hard work of the teachers in the department who give so much forensic effort to their pupils and insist on high standards and exacting levels.”

May 2022 –

LSA - You will be as delighted as I am with these quite extraordinary LAMDA results: 28 examinees of whom 25 achieved Distinctions, 3 of them Merits No “ordinary” passes. As it were.

In April, we had 25 candidates for LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts) exams, and we are thrilled and delighted to report that there were 23 pupils who achieved Distinctions and 3 achieved Merits. Director of Drama Lloyd Allington reported that: “This is the result of dedicated hard work from both the candidates themselves, but also from the superb team who are the pupils’ speech and drama teachers. It is also a measure of how much these pupils love what they are doing in these lessons and how much they value what they learn and how to put this into practice. This LAMDA news comes on the back of excellent RADA results at the end of last term too – 100% pass rate. It is good to see drama riding high in these exams after two dull years of Covid. Congratulations to all the pupils on their hard work and achievements.”

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drama

Stratford Day 2022 I wish parents and colleagues could have been flies-on-the-wall on our DCS Drama Department Stratford Day last Wednesday (11 May) to see the exuberance, excitement and boldness of our pupils.

oming out of Shakespeare's Birthplace, where we had stood and inhaled the same air in the same room in which little William took his first breaths, we all arrived, blessed by unexpected sunshine, into the adjacent gorgeous restored Tudor garden. And so our pupils took it upon themselves to entertain a few local tourists in this beautiful setting by performing, as if by magic, scenes from Shakespeare. Visitors were entranced and beguiled by our pupils. And, frankly, so were the staff. We had scenes from Comedy of Errors, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Hamlet.

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The day was exciting from start to finish. As if impromptu Bard-busking in public were not enough, we also had a backstage tour of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (cue: intense actors warming up on stage and all the paraphernalia of backstage to which one Upper Sixth pupil remarked "I now know I want to work in theatre!"... and she wasn't joking) and then a two-hour workshop with "Roo", one of the most engaging and talented actor-practitioners from the RSC that we have ever had.

Roo took us through bonding games, warm-ups and all sorts; the focus on the text of Henry VI part 2 (not William's best - let's be honest) and the way she then gradually teased out the confidence of our pupils was something quite extraordinary. I have never seen pupils respond more fully or more successfully.

Flies-on-wall parents would have

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been weeping with pride. Staff had occasional throat-lumps - fain to deny.

As if all that were not enough (and we were pretty shattered by 6pm), we then attended a performance of the much-lauded Henry VI: Rebellion at the RST main house: power,

corruption, weak kings, harridan queens (the girls and some of the boys - had loved playing the redoubtable, feisty Margaret of Anjou in the workshop), battles, intrigue, skullduggery, machinations galore. Some stunning imaginative projections on a wall of chain mail enhanced our enjoyment. We especially liked abseiling pirates.

Scary.

We have been running this Stratford Day for decades now - and it has always been a highlight.

But this particular visit was something else: Education in Motion at its very best. There was not one young person who had not learned a lot and progressed considerably in their understanding of Shakespeare and themselves and what they can do. If you are one prone to say that Shakespeare is boring, you've simply not been with us to Stratford.

L S Allington, Director of Drama

music

Music

Overview

The Green Shoots of Music Making

This has been the year that collective music making returned following the pandemic; tentatively at first, then in a rush of energy and creativity as the gradual easing of social distancing restrictions allowed us to reconvene the larger choirs, orchestras and ensembles.

There have been bumps in the road, notably the Covid spike of October 2021 when rising cases briefly forced a return to online learning and, sadly, forced us to cancel the Half Term Concert.

As the year has progressed though, the green shoots of music making have been in evidence, with the corridors of the Music Department once again filling with the sound of students running up and down scales, performing vocal warm-ups and gathering together for impromptu singalongs as well as formal choir and ensemble rehearsals.

Encapsulating the year of a busy Music Department in writing is like trying to bottle lightning. The year’s highlights, such as the uplifting Summer Concert, the return of RocSoc after a two-year Covid-enforced hiatus, or the massed choral and band performance of ‘Zimbe’ at Tewkesbury Abbey, were certainly spectacular celebrations of the power of collective musical performance (several of these are reviewed in more detail over the next few pages). However, it’s often in the smaller, less high-profile events that the real story of musical progress can be seen: the regular lunchtime concerts where a developing student in the 4th Form will boldly stand up to perform next to a confident 6th Form musician; the spontaneous gathering of students in practice rooms after school to share a piece, or to work out a song for the sheer enjoyment of it. Or, perhaps, in the open-minded enthusiasm of those students attending Puccini’s ‘La Boheme’ at the English National Opera in Feburary, our first music trip since the start of the pandemic and, for several of our students, the first time they had seen a professional orchestra and singers live.

The musical year in numbers tells another side to the story, both individual - 42 students sat individual music examinations this academic year, with 29 passing with either Distinction or Merit; three students successfully passed post Grade-8 Music Diplomas – or collective: the

department mounted over 50 musical concerts, workshops and events, ranging from the Film Music outreach workshop in January, led by The Carducci Quartet and OD composer Oscar Osicki, attended by 70 students from schools around the county, to the Fauré Requiem sing through in November with Choral Society joined

by Chapel Choir. Other highlights included the annual House Singing and Instrumental competitions (hotly-contested as ever) and numerous smaller concerts, trips and workshops.

My own personal highlight was watching our Upper 6th musicians shine in their performing swansong at June’s Summer Concert, followed

by Jazz on the Terrace. This concert is always a highlight of the musical year, and this was no exception, as Jiyoon Li (piano) performed Grieg’s tempestuous, yet lyrical Piano Concerto with great fire and precision, Jason Perry (cello) took on Elgar’s elegiac Cello Concerto and Oscar Jack (clarinet) reached the end of his epic survey of the Mozart Clarinet concerto, having performed separate movements at the Spring Concert, the Summer Concert and, finally the Leavers’ Valedictory Concert. These musicians, and the others in their year group have set a fine example for the younger musicians will follow them, surely proving folk musician Pete Seeger’s aphorism that ‘the easiest way to avoid wrong notes is to never open your mouth and sing.

What a mistake that would be’.

Dom Franks, Director of Music

Fridays @ 6 Recital Series The popular ‘Fridays at 6’ series gave the following scholars, all of Grade 8 standard and above, the opportunity to plan and prepare what proved to be some very fine recitals. Earlier in the year, these featured a limited, socially distanced audience; however, as Covid restrictions eased, were relieved to be able to increase audience sizes and, in February 2022.

The Carducci Quartet marshalled our top scholars for a ‘well-received’ Chamber at 6 Recital, showcasing some of our finest instrumentalists performing in a variety of combinations. This is an event we hope to stage again in the future. Congratulations to all performers!

October - Rogers Li (clarinet)

February - Chamber @ 6; various performers and chamber ensembles

March - Chloe Murphy (violin and mezzo soprano) May - House Music Prizewinners @ 6; various performers including Song Recital Cup winner, Seb Till (baritone), and Sherratt Cup winner Michael Lei (piano and violin)

Musical Honours and Achievements Grade 8 Distinctions Singing: Nacho Eleyae, Olivia Nelson, Alastair KIemz, Isaac Stott, Sebastian Till Violin: Silas Jack Viola: Chloe Murphy Organ: Michael Lei

Diplomas ARSM: Chloe Murphy (mezzo soprano) ATCL: Rogers Li (clarinet), Oscar Jack (clarinet, distinction), Ivan Yeung (cello, merit)

Competition Successes In February this year, two of our chamber music groups reached the semi-finals of the National Pro Corda Chamber Music festival, travelling to Millfield to perform to a panel of professional musicians. This prestigious festival is contested by small ensembles from the top music schools across the country. Congratulations to the following students for this impressive achievement: The Jack Trio – Oscar Jack (clarinet), Jason Perry (cello) and Jiyoon Li (piano); performing Brahms’ Piano Trio in C Minor Junior Chamber Trio – Dejan Radanovic (violin), Ivan Yeung (cello) and Michael Lei (piano); performing Mendelssohn’s highly virtuosic Piano Trio in D Minor

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Dean Close Foundation Cross Schools’ Concert Wednesday 4 May 2022 There was a palpable buzz of anticipation among tonight’s audience, as pupils from across the Dean Close Foundation’s schools joined together to celebrate the power of music-making. Last year’s event had been released as an online compilation of video performances – a necessary casualty of the pandemic – and tonight’s concert would be the first live event to feature students ranging from the Pre-Prep ‘Singing Squirrels’ to the most advanced Upper Sixth students performing at Diploma level.

Throughout the evening, pupils treated us to an eclectic musical smorgasbord ranging stylistically from contemporary jazz and musical theatre to Baroque concertos and Romantic piano etudes. What was immediately clear, regardless of the style of music, or age of the performer, was the obvious joy each student took in presenting their performance and how well prepared they were.

Jonathan Barron (DCPS, Y8), accompanied by the DCPS Senior Strings, launched into Baston’s Recorder Concerto no. 2 in C with the maturity of someone twice his age, dispatching tricky Baroque ornaments with ease and giving a confident lead to the ensemble. This was followed by Chloe Murphy’s (DCS, Upper Sixth) polished rendition of the French operatic aria ‘Va! Laisse couler mes larmes’. Other highlights included Year 2 violinist Liam Chen’s beaming smile and assured rhythmic playing in ‘Vamoose’, Hugo Brooks-Hughes’

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refined interpretation of Fauré’s ‘Automne’, and Jiyoon Lee’s tempestuous performance of Rachmaninov’s challenging ‘Prelude in C# minor’.

We were especially pleased that Sion Richards from Dean Close St John's and Lara Karein from Dean Close Airthrie could join us for this Foundation event. Sion from Year 4 performed his jazz piece with great swagger and style, whilst Lara in Year 6 wowed with her vocal performance of Colours of the Wind, capturing the emotions of the piece.

While there were strong performers across the age ranges, special mention should go to Marceau Coppard and Isaac Hanfrey (DCS, Fourth Form) for their engaging jazz improvisations on ‘Blue Monk’, Annie Schmidt-Martin’s (Year 5) full-toned cello in ‘Dance Rustique’ and Dean Close Sinfonia Strings who, despite being depleted in numbers due to members taking their GCSE exams, dispatched Leroy Anderson’s ‘Plink, Plank, Plunk’ with relish, playing their violins like guitars and plucking, slapping and scraping their way to thunderous applause.

The concert ended on a high with The Carducci Quartet giving an assured and passionate performance of the final movement of Dvořák’s ‘American’ String Quartet. Thanks are due to Tim McVittie and Anita Godley for hosting the concert in the Centenary Hall as well as to all the accompanists, The Carducci Quartet and to the visiting music teachers for their superb support of the students.

Advent Concert There’s nothing like the DCS Music Department’s Advent Concert to set you firmly in the festive spirit, and this year was no exception. With plenty of glitter and red, green and gold to be seen in the party attire of the guests, we took our seats for a smorgasbord of festive tunes. From the evocation of dramatic flurries of snow by Nicky King’s flute ensemble playing Grieg’s ‘Hall of the Mountain King’, to the cheering tones of the Sinfonia’s rendition of ‘Let It Snow’, to the upbeat jollity of Hannah Opstad’s Brass Group’s ‘Hallelujah Drive’, this was a festive feast that was clearly relished by the eager listeners who packed out the Bacon Theatre.

It is tough to pick some highlights, when each number was so different, and so enjoyable, and indeed I shall have to resist a shout out to my own Hatherley House choir, who performed their rendition of a capella Adele ‘mash up’ of ‘Someone Like you/Rumour Has It’ (see? I barely mentioned them!) But I am going to pick two pieces that have resonated in my memory for very different reasons.

The first, was the simply breathtaking performance of the Clarinet Quartet. Oscar, Rogers, Georgie and Leah played ‘Czardas’, by Monti, in tribute to their late teacher, Wes Duggan. Not only was their deft, musical, intelligent playing technically impressive, but their interactions with each other, as they spurred one another on to move so emotively through the piece, despite their evident sense of the profundity of the moment, was a privilege to watch. I know I was not alone in having to dry my eyes at the end of this beautiful and memorable musical act of memorial.

In brilliant contrast to this, was Ciara Allen’s Jazz Band, who moved the evening towards its conclusion in joyous style, with their rendition of Bjork’s ‘Oh So Quiet’. Niamh Allen, soloist, stole the breath from the audience with her charismatic, energetic, pitch perfect performance of what must surely be one of pop’s trickiest songs. She was utterly dazzling, and rightly greeted with tumultuous applause.

As ever, the evening was a festive feast of musical delights. Huge credit goes to Dom Franks, Ciara Allen, Sylvia Klemz and all the team, for giving us yet another chance to marvel at the talent, creativity, and sheer sense of fun that bubbles over, like a glass of Christmas fizz, in their sparkling Department.

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This year’s Instrumental House Music Competition revealed the sheer depth and range of talent among our pupils. Undaunted by the restrictions of the pandemic, our musicians have continued to practise, collaborate and to enjoy the sheer pleasure of performing, even if that meant taking lessons and sharing performances online.

House Music

ion t i t e p m Co

Suite’. Oscar, Michael Lei and Chloe Murphy, all performed on more than one instrument – quite some feat given that the performances were all of Conservatoire-level repertoire.

The Audience Prize and the Colin Sherratt Cup both went to Michael Lei (Fifth Form) for his display of virtuosic technique and musical taste on both violin and piano. Michael’s performance of Chopin’s B minor Sonata, given from memory, will linger long in the mind. Overall House Shield winners based on points accrued over the day and from the Solo Singing Competition earlier in the term, were Hatherley (girls) and Field (boys) – Field was the overall winning House.

Congratulations to all entrants and prize winners for their dedication and drive at the end of such a busy term!

Dominic Franks This year’s event was back to its full live glory, with over 50 performances given by pupils across all year groups.

Adjudicator Meurig Bowen (former Director of the Cheltenham Music Festival) praised the quality of our pupils’ performances, especially given the recent disruption to their learning, and chose Ubani Adelagun (Fifth Form, piano), Seb Friessner-Day (Remove, trumpet) and Dejan Radanovic (Fourth Form, violin) as winners in the Senior Category, with Alastair Klemz taking home the Popular Music Prize for his rendition of ‘Jealous’ by Labrinth.

The evening event saw ten post-Grade 8 performers compete to lift the coveted Colin Sherratt Cup. The standard was exceptionally high across the board, and Meurig Bowen singled out Jiyoon Li’s (Lower Sixth, piano) stunning performance of Rachmaninov’s Prelude in C# minor for praise, as well as Oscar Jack’s (Lower Sixth, clarinet) mature and poised take on Debussy’s ‘Premiere Rhapsodie’. Marceau Coppard (Fourth Form, saxophone) wowed with his largely improvised take on Charlie Parker’s jazz classic ‘Yardbird

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Live music is back...

House Shout ive music is back, and in a very big way at Dean Close! It was an absolute pleasure to adjudicate the 2021 House Shout this year, and what an incredible, and uplifting evening it was too. Singing has a wonderful ability to bring people together, raise spirits, and give joy to both performers and audience, and that message was especially clear after the last 18 months that we’ve all experienced.

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All performances demonstrated great energy, musical preparation, and most importantly, fun.

The winners of the Girls Unison Song prize Shelburne set the bar high with their polished

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performance of New Shoes by Paulo Nutini in the first half, followed shortly after by Tower House who serenaded us with Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You by the Frankie Valli, with choreography, heartfelt choruses, acrobatics and all, and took home the prize for Boys Unison Song.

The second half introduced the part song prizes, and there were some extremely classy performances here. Most impressively, all of the arrangements, and even compositions in the case of Tower House, were written and produced by the students. The Girls Part Song Prize went to Hatherley House for a faultless, and

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professionally executed medley of two Adele songs, with the arrangement immediately starting in well tuned, and rhythmically tight threepart harmony. The Boys Part Song Prize won by Field House took the medley idea to the extreme, and pulled off a high risk, but highly entertaining mashup of Gangsta’s Paradise through to Mozart’s Requiem.

The Conducting Prize, which for the evening should have been renamed to the “Strength in the face of Adversity prize”, went to Jack who confidently led the boys of Gate House with crutches in hand, keeping tempo, and giving great cues to his singers. Best accompaniment prize went to the funky electric bass, tambourine and piano combination of Jed, Jack and Ivan from Tower House.

The most impressive part of House Shout for me is the fact that each and every element of the song preparation is led by the pupils - the

conducting, performing, accompanying, arranging; Dean Close has a huge number of talented musicians, and that creates an exciting legacy for the future. Congratulations to Field who won the overall prize, and thank you to Dom Franks, the Dean Close music department,

and Andrew Hall who produced the event, and made it a mighty success. Long may Dean Close “House Shout” sing on!

Charlie Morris Director of Music, singer and opera producer

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A full Tewkesbury Abbey was treated to a wonderful concert presented by Dean Close Foundation on Saturday evening.

The majority of the evening was dedicated to a performance of Alexander L’Estrange’s Zimbe! – a cantata which fuses African song and jazz.

Dominic Franks, Director of Music at DCS, said “the aims of the performance are to promote community cohesion and collaboration across the Dean Close Foundation, through the power of collective singing, after a difficult two years”. Community we saw plenty of, as DCS Chapel Choir were joined by the Dean Close Choral Society and an invited Chamber Choir. Parents, students, teachers, friends of Dean Close, Governors, two school Headteachers and the Warden were littered throughout the choir. There was also a 70 strong children’s choir, made from the Dean Close Prep Senior Choir, the choir from Dean Close St John’s and the Tewkesbury Abbey Schola Cantorum.

Accompanied by a wonderful 5 piece jazz ensemble, led by Dominic Franks on the saxophone and conducted

by Simon Bell, Director of Choral Music, the African melodies from across the continent fused into our hearts as we sang about love, marriage, death, religion and freedom.

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The children’s chorus, decked out in Zimbe! t-shirts danced and clapped their way through with huge exuberance and lively tuneful singing, whilst the changes in emotion and rapture were superbly handled by the massed choirs.

It was a wonderful feeling to take part and be part of something big and truly memorable, whilst audience members described the performance as “uplifting” and “simply sensational”.

Other performances were given by the Dean Close School Orchestra, performing Bizet’s Farandole and Fauré’s Pavane. The Sinfonia gave an

accomplished performance of Brahms’ Hungarian Dance, before being joined

by Upper Sixth Music Scholar Oscar Jack, to perform the beautiful second movement of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, to rapturous applause. DCS Close Harmony also performed an arrangement of Everywhere echoing around the Abbey.

This was a true evening of community cohesion with families and friends from across the Foundation coming together in performance and in the audience and we look forward to other opportunities to bring the Foundation together.

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Summer Concert 2022 Jiyoon has a rich range of expression, as the movement requires

s we took our places in the Bacon Theatre the orchestra was quietly awaiting audience, soloist, conductor and preparing itself for what was to come: an impressive sight. Some adults could be seen - at the back of the string sections, or (for instance) stage left with a bassoon or upstage right with a horn - but this is very largely an orchestra of Dean Close School pupils and it contributed stirringly to an ambitious programme.

The first movement of Elgar's 'cello concerto began the concert and I enjoyed the reflective gravity of Jason Perry's playing of the opening and the care with which the violas gently assumed responsibility at the start of the moderato. The full orchestral statements were warmly assertive; woodwind interrogations and the cello's wistful responses were beautifully done. At the end an admirably skilful timpanist

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pointed the soloist's dying fall: it was altogether a moving performance. Jason chose not to interpose a music stand between himself and his audience - a brave choice and a very good one, it seemed to me, for this deeply personal piece: he played it very well.

Oscar Jack had performed the slow movement of Mozart's clarinet concerto earlier in the year; he and Jiyoon Lee skilfully threw off the last movement at the Valedictory Concert on Speech Day. In our concert he played the opening Allegro, accompanied by a string group led by Matt Denton in a most attractively confident presentation of this lively movement. Oscar appeared wholly at ease with the piece and with his audience - there was (remarkably) no sense of technical challenge, he made lovely sounds throughout the range of the instrument (there were some thrilling bottom notes as well as wonderfully tripping figures at the top of his

range). It was properly Mozartian - Oscar is a real performer. I was, as it happens, sitting on the right of Oscar's teacher. I should like to make it clear that although the wild whoops and squeals at the end were coming from my left I certainly endorsed them in my elderly, buttoned-up, British way.

Between these two performances Dean Close Voices sang an Elton John song, Electricity. I admired the precision of the singing and the performers' responsiveness to each other and to the conductor, Mr Sawyer. They sang without music, and not having to hold a copy brings a freedom of movement and of expression in singers. We loved it.

How nice for the Chamber Choir to have this opportunity to meet three such effective unaccompanied repertoire pieces as Finzi's 'My spirit sang all day', Vaughan-Williams's 'The Turtle

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Dove' and the last of Benjamin Britten's Five Flower Songs, 'The Ballad of Green Broom'.

Intonation was assured throughout. There was a lovely expansiveness and strong dynamic contrast in the Finzi. Sebastian Till's light baritone suited the Vaughan-Williams admirably and he had the breath-control to carry it through. The Britten is full of rhythmic Heffalump traps into which, impressively, no one stumbled, even at the brisk pace at which Mr Bell took it - he made no concessions, which is how they appeared to like it.

closer together so they could share the music and play to each other rather than to us; they gave, anyway, a confident account of an agreeable piece. Apparently Farrenc, as professor of piano at the Paris Conservatoire, insisted on being paid at the same rate as her male colleagues. Good for her.

you work this hard at a concerto I guess you are likely to have it pretty much in your head, but it takes confidence to perform it without the music in front of you. We felt that with Jiyoon we were in safe hands. As with the Elgar, I reflected on the privilege for all these players of meeting such a concerto in performance, of working their way

From there Chloe Murphy beat out a rhythm on the bongo drums to dance us into Piazzolla's Libertango, infectiously played by the Sinfonia, led by Michael Lei, directed by Matt Denton and typifying the range of different kinds of music that were on offer at this concert and are enjoyed throughout the Dean Close year. It was fun.

Louise Farrenc's very considerable reputation as virtuoso pianist, influential teacher and successful composer survived her for some years at the end of the 19th century, but only relatively recently has her music been rediscovered, republished and performed, so it was good to hear the opening movement of her E flat major Trio so skilfully played by Oscar, Jason and Jiyoon.

Predictably, perhaps, the piano has most to do, sharing most of the melodic interest with the clarinet, the cello having fewer opportunities to sing out. For this reason, perhaps, the clarinet was standing centre stage with the 'cello rather an outlier stage left, as though it were accompanying a clarinet sonata. I wanted to sit the clarinet down and get the three performers

Close Harmony, directed by Mr Sawyer, now presented Jim Clements' inventive arrangement of Kate Rusby's 'Underneath the Stars', with beautiful singing, precise intonation and carefully-matched vocal lines. Some shared glances suggested that the performers were enjoying themselves, and so did we. It was good to hear such accomplished choral singing interleaving the instrumental items in the concert.

And so to the finale, in which Jiyoon Lee and the orchestra, conducted as before by Mr Franks, played the first movement of Grieg's piano concerto. This was exceptional - a virtuoso piece played by something of a virtuoso who seemed to relish the extreme difficulty and intricacy of her part and had the true pianist's capacity to relish the sound she was making (the bottom F which opens the cadenza, for example, was glorious). Her fingerwork was amazing and yet the lyricism with which she responded to the cellos at the start of the piu animato perfectly complemented their own beautiful playing - Jiyoon has a rich range of expression, as the movement requires. She was notably well-supported, from the neat wind and string conversation after the initial flourish through all the various exchanges of idea to the final joyous revisiting of the opening cascade. If

into it and laying it down, like port, for sampling over the rest of their lives. It made a triumphant conclusion to a splendid concert - warm congratulations to all the performers and to all their inspirational teachers, especially to Mr Franks, who master-minded the whole. It was a busy evening, with the Jazz concert following this one, and I admired the stage management as well as the music - there were no longueurs, just a succession of lovely performances. Thank you.

C S S Drew

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RocSoc

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10 groups, 11 songs, 32 channel mixing desk, revolving lights, atmospheric haze - it must be RocSoc. It was with great delight that we were able to put on one of our popular music highlights after an absense of 18 months. Sunday 13th Feb saw the return of RocSoc to the Bacon Stage and it definitely didn't disappoint.

The eclectic range of music was an added bonus with numbers

by Supertramp, Dire Straits, Chris Isaak and the Bangles to name but a few. The students, ranging from 4th Form through to Upper 6th put on a thoroughly professional and entertaining evening with every song doing justice to its original version. There were powerful vocals from Grace Billington, Niamh Allen, Hannah Porter, Chloe Murphy, Mimi Gleeson, Verity Moulding, George Orr-Ewing and Ben Stafford (who also played a mean guitar and harmonica) as well as some mesmerising Synth licks from Freddie Philip-Sorensen. Mention must also go to Jed Nelson who was performing in over half of the numbers.

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10 groups, 11 songs, 32 channel mixing desk, revolving lights, atmospheric haze

Jed Nelson

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Jessica Faux

GCSE

Amelie Lindsay

Gallery

Kasper Philip Sorensen

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Tina He

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Emily Cox

Fenella Troughton

Arya Moodley

Isla Reynold

Sophie Blythe

Andrew Cottingham

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Sixth Form

Gallery AnastasiiaTokareva

Anna Payne 52 - DECANIAN 2021/22

Valentina Alfonsi

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Donna Law

Reece Hayler

Jemima Holland

Lily Griffiths

Gordon Man Joy Cheng 53 - DECANIAN 2021/22

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ART Highlights The highlights in the Art School this year include, a three-day residency in October with the internationally renowned sculptor Anna Gillespie, who stated; “Well… what a fantastic three days! On a personal level teaching a three-day workshop in the Dean Close art department has been huge fun and I was welcomed into the school by both staff and pupils alike. The sixth formers activity seemed to lap up the knowledge that I was offering them. But what was particularly impressive was the way they showed real persistence and resilience through difficult moments (and even whole sessions!) in the tasks I set them.

Sculpture is difficult, and an entirely new set of skills and materials were being introduced, and each student at times had to push through feelings of disappointment, frustration and ‘it’s not working’ - sometimes starting again if necessary but impressively always being willing to take on board help I was offering. I trust that in the end they feel rewarded for their steely and wonderfully humorous approach. It was certainly a very rewarding experience for myself. Thank you, Dean Close Art Department!”.

In November 2021 we welcomed Bella Bradford, our new technician to the team who transformed the department through her intuitive support of pupils and teachers alike and her ‘can do’ attitude. In January 2022, Bella exhibited 54 - DECANIAN 2021/22

her quirky sculptures in her exhibition, ‘Shmicks and Shmones’ and has now been awarded a place to study an MA at the Slade School of Fine Art. We will miss her, but are hoping that she returns again soon to exhibit in the gallery - but this time as an acclaimed artist!

We want to say a huge thank you and congratulations to the following: Caroline Evans: for her dedicated service to the school over the last 19 years, and we wish her well with her new venture; Forever Bouquet.

Clare Pitt: for the wealth of experience and expertise she has bought to the department over the last few months.

Thank you for jumping in and being such an important part of the team.

Finally, we are delighted to celebrate the success of 5 pupils who have been awarded places onto creative degree courses, including: Louisa Neal - BSc Architecture at UCL, Gordon Ma - MSci Architecture at UCL, Joy Cheng who is holding offers to study Architecture at Cardiff and Oxford Brookes University and has also applied to the Architectural Association School of Architecture, Donna Law - BA Fine Art at Goldsmiths University and Emily Forge - BA Illustration at Falmouth University. We wish you all the best with your studies and do hope that you come back and visit us again soon.

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We want to say a huge thank you to Caroline Evans for her dedicated service to the school over the last 19 years!

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Emily Forge has gained a place on a course at Falmouth University to study a BA (Hons) in Illustration and Louisa Neal gained a place to study a BA in Architecture at UCL. We asked each pupil to tell us more about the experiences which influenced their decisions to specialise in their chosen field of Art and Design.

EMILY FORGE Why did you choose this area of study?

While in Fine Art there is a focus on deliberation, analysis and contextual knowledge, Illustration is designed to be memorable, iconic and instantly understandable. To properly understand a piece

by David or Raphael you need to do some research, whereas even a young child could interpret that, for example, Winnie the Pooh is lovable, if a little slow, just by looking at a single illustration of him. That is not to say that illustration is childish or somehow less refined than Fine Art, more that it appeals to a more primal self, our artistic ID, and is therefore a very valuable artform which I am deeply interested in. Falmouth’s course has a great reputation, so hopefully there I will meet many brilliant minds that I can seek inspiration from, and improve technically, gaining an understanding of the art and publishing industries in the process.

How have your experiences at School prepared you for an ‘art’ focused degree?

All of my subjects, even those which do not necessarily pertain to the art world, have taught me lots of valuable lessons - Classical Civilisation gave me a love for the Ancient world, Latin taught me time management and lateral thinking, and History of Art showed me how to make

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informed decisions compositionally and subjectwise in my own art, as well as the historical context behind famous art movements and pieces.

How have you tailored your Upper Sixth portfolio to gain access onto your chosen course?

As well as looking for inspiration for my project in Fine Art, I also found illustrators and illustrative styles to explore, such as Aubrey Beardsley and Greek vase art – personalising your project to fit your style and artistic passions is always good. I also sought out opportunities to create illustration outside the classroom, such as designing posters for the school drama department and working as art director on the CAG MAG. This, I think, is actually the biggest piece of advice I would give to anyone who wants to build an impressive portfolio – universities will like to see your art A Level work, but your extracurricular projects show that you have passion in the field enough to pursue it in your free time.

Has a particular artist or designer influenced your work?

I have amassed a very eclectic collection of inspirations over the years, but from a very

young age I have been interested in comics and graphic novels – there were all the kid classics, the Beano, Tintin, Asterix and Obelix, the Phoenix, Dan Dare, and Marvel comics from the 50s and 60s, as well as more ‘grown-up’ graphic novels too. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, Epileptic by David Beauchard, and the Love and Rockets series by Los Bros Hernandez are all amazing, and I highly recommend them to anyone interested in gripping stories and beautiful illustrations. I also have an intense love for the art of the Vienna Secession, Ancient Greek art, Byzantine mosaics, the Pre-Raphaelites and early 20th century graphic design and Typography.

What has been your particular highlight of the year?

I’ve had so many! Some of my favourites include giving a speech on women in horror films at the Public Speaking Contest, singing ‘New Shoes’ with the rest of Shelburne in House Shout, and getting to go on open days to so many different and interesting universities before finally settling on Falmouth. I remember thinking that I had properly bungled the Falmouth interview, as I froze up on one of the questions, so when I found out that they had given me an unconditional offer it was, I think, the happiest I had been all year!

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LOUISA NEAL Why did you choose this area of study?

How did you compile your architecture portfolio?

I have always enjoyed maths-based subjects from a young age, but more recently I have found myself particularly interested in Art and Design. I think architecture is the perfect career for someone like myself who enjoys working between these two disciplines. I also think architecture is becoming an increasingly important career due to the worsening state of the environment and how sustainable building design can help us begin to counter this problem.

After doing lots of research into how to create a strong architecture portfolio, I discovered that it wasn’t important to display work of an architectural nature, instead what is important was showing your ability to develop an idea and how this concludes in an art piece, as well as your creative skills. This meant the majority of my portfolio was made of works included in my art A level as well as some of the development pages.

Which architect do you admire?

How have your experiences at school prepared you for your degree?

I think creating a portfolio of work, beginning with an idea responding to a title roughly mimics the process of responding to a brief and creating a final building design, so this process should have prepared me for my degree in architecture.

An architect I greatly admire is Ma Yansong. I admire how he takes inspiration from nature, such as the Chaoyang Park Plaza in Beijing, where he was inspired by Shang Shui paintings of mountains and natural landscapes. He refuses to make architecture which blends with the surrounding rectangular blocks, instead his buildings fit in with nearby landscapes. Another of his buildings which I admire is The Harbin

Opera House, the curvature of the building replicates that of the surrounding wetlands, making it nestle into its landscape.

How have you coped with being in the First team for hockey and tennis alongside studying for your A levels?

Time management has been crucial for me this year in order to be able to spread my time between training, being in the art block, and keeping up with the content of my A levels, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and being able to be a part of different areas of the school.

What has been your particular highlight of the year?

My highlight this year has been coming 2nd in the hockey national finals at Lee Velley. The school brought a coach of supporters, and overall it was a surreal experience despite losing 0-2 in a close game against Repton.

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MFL Spanish Translators News We were thrilled that Gaia, Martha and Olivia (L6th) have been awarded first prize in the Queen’s College (Oxford University) Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators (Southwest Region, Sixth Form, Spanish category). A team of undergraduates and professional translators judged the competition, which consisted of over 3,200 submissions from more than 260 schools.

Pupils were tasked with translating a previously unseen piece of text, and to be awarded first prize is such a fantastic achievement!

Email to Rocio: Thank you for submitting entries to the Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators. We were delighted to receive over 3,200 submissions from more than 260 schools. Teachers have told us that over 14,000 pupils took part in the competition task alone in 2022.

A team of undergraduates and professional translators have judged entries to the competition. The judges were very impressed by the standard of entries, they read some excellent translations. I am delighted to be writing to inform you that Gaia, Martha and Olivia from your school has been selected as an area winner: Winner: South West, Spanish, Level 4: Dean Close Spanish Level 4_1 Congratulations! This is a fantastic achievement given the number and standard of entries received this year.

It is a competition that consists of translating a challenging text from the target language into English. It can be poetry or any other kind of literature. Normally, it contains cultural elements that make the translation even more complex.

Students have not only to understand the passage in the target language quite in depth, but use their creativity and imagination in order to convey feelings and cultural associations into their own language.

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A Level Linguists share their Love of Languages Eight of our Lower Sixth linguists visited local Holy Apostles' C of E Primary School to host language classes in French and Spanish with the children there, in special lunch time Assemblies.

Our A Level French pupils, Archie and Lydia started things off by doing a lively 10 minute Assembly with Key Stage 1 on parts of the body, using the French version of 'heads, shoulders, knees and toes'. Then Noodles and Estella led a very interactive 10 minutes on animals.

For Spanish, Hannah, Gaia, Liv and Martha did a 20 minute presentation to Key Stage 2 on Spanish food and Latin American countries. Again, the children were very involved and our pupils pitched the language level well.

Headteacher of Holy Apostles', Mr Staley, wrote to say, "Please pass on my thanks to your students who did themselves and their school proud... The presentations were well thought out and the presenters were enthusiastic; our pupils responded to them and were able to learn and build their enthusiasm for languages.

Feedback from our pupils was that they really enjoyed the sessions, the KS1 pupils were sharing their new vocab when they went back into their lessons and were heard telling their parents about the French they had learnt."

Our pupils really enjoyed the experience.

Archie commented, "I really enjoyed the visit because it was something that I had never done before and it made me step out of my comfort zone."

Anuli added, "This experience was valuable because it gave me insight into the life of a primary school teacher and helped me think about career options."

classics

Roman Britain Talk by Ben Kane It was with great excitement that we welcomed Ben Kane to Dean Close earlier this term to deliver a talk on Roman Britain. Ben has had an interesting journey into the world of Classics… Having always been an ardent reader (and after completing a veterinary degree and beginning his career as a vet), Ben then embarked upon a solo adventure along the Ancient Silk Road, before setting out on a worldwide trip lasting nearly three years! It was at this point that Ben, with his passion for ancient history, started to consider the possibility of writing historical fiction and this hobby has led to a fantastic career, from which we now have a series of brilliant historical novels about ancient Rome, such as ‘The Forgotten Legion’ trilogy and the ‘Eagles of Rome’ series. Having walked the length of Hadrian’s Wall for charity while wearing full military gear (twice!), he has tried to get a sense of how life would have been for a Roman soldier on a campaign in Britain. He gave a thought-provoking talk on the living conditions, high expectations and military equipment of a Roman legionary, and he even brought along his own kit to show and for the pupils to try on! All in all, it was an extremely educational and entertaining talk about the worlds of the Romans and the Britons colliding, which the Remove Classicists really enjoyed.

Classics & History of Art ‘For the Love of Latin’ As part of the Junior Public Speaking Competition earlier this year, James CarderGeddes decided, completely of his own volition, to write and deliver a speech defending the language of Latin. The Classics Department were extremely impressed by his persuasive arguments and thought it incredibly fitting that he chose to dedicate his talk to Mr Allen!

‘Latin is boring, dead and irrelevant.’ As one of the nine Latinists in my year, I frequently hear said accusations. In my passion for the language, I would like to turn against these platitudes and talk about how much we use and need Latin.

Firstly, let’s start with the claim of ‘boring’. Is this what ‘boring’ really means, or is it that, when faced with an intellectual challenge, some prefer to say it is ‘boring’, rather than - more honestly too difficult? So, ‘boring’ means challenging and stimulating. The harder something is, the more challenging, and, in Latin, the moment of breaking through the language is very much like cracking a code. In this way, it exercises and trains the brain. It also builds on problem-solving, logic, patience (I’m telling you - you need a lot of that!), determination, precision, clarity of thought and, although it may not be as easy as picking up your phone and playing a game, it is good for the mind.

To counteract the second accusation of Latin being ‘dead’… Well, yes and no; but mostly no!

(Else it wouldn’t be worth talking about it.) It lives on in our language: at best, 60% of English is derived from Latin. A knowledge of Latin,

therefore, broadens the vocabulary, providing access to thousands of words, such as: ‘agenda’, ‘arena’, ‘exit’, ‘versus’, ‘villa’, and even the word ‘language’ itself comes from the Latin ‘lingua’.

Many phrases also come directly from Latin, such as ‘post mortem’, ‘bona fide’, ‘inter alia’, ‘nota bene’,’ exempli gratia’, ‘id est’, ‘per annum’, ‘post scriptum’, ‘post/ante meridium’, ‘et cetera’.

On top of this vulgar Latin (which, I must add, is far removed from the Classical language), spoken remnants of Latin even exist now in central Sardinia or the odd Swiss Canton, and it is the official language of the Vatican City.

Admittedly, you may not find any of this particularly useful, so this brings me on to the claims for the language being ‘irrelevant’. It is a supremely relevant language. An understanding of the grammar gives you a key to unlocking all the Romantic languages, such as French, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian and Italian. If Latin were a supermarket product, the label would be ‘buy one, get 45 free!’. Not only does Latin aid the study of many other languages, but it is also relevant to a plethora of academic subjects. The Classical civilisations surrounding Latin, which, needless to say, built up the court and aristocracy right up to the Tudor times, feed into the subject of History. In Religious Studies, the Roman deities and accompanying myths have kept strong 2,500 years later. It is also used in Archaeology, Geography, Geology, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Botany, Astronomy, Art, Law, English Literature and Language, Music, Maths… You got my gist; it deserves a lot more attention that it already receives.

If you are still not convinced by the language of Latin, many famous people also saw the benefits of it. For example, Frank Lampard, a player for Chelsea for many years (on that note, did you know that Chelsea’s motto ‘unless God is with us, all will be in vain’ translates from the Latin ‘nisi dominus frustra’?) has an A* in GCSE Latin.

Winston Churchill, Benjamin Franklin, C.S. Lewis, Oscar Wilde, Thomas Jefferson and Friedrich Nietzsche were all proficient in Latin.

I hope this smattering of Latin has helped you understand and realise that Latin, far from being boring, dead and irrelevant, is the lifeblood of the spoken English language, but also gives you a key to unlock the basis of the languages spoken by more than 2.5 billion people today.

For Mr Allen. For the love of Latin.

History of Art Talk on War in Art Earlier this term, we were lucky enough to have Nick Nelson, Head of History of Art at Cheltenham College, give an informative and gripping talk on 'War in Art' to our 6th Form students. He discussed works by David, Goya, Delacroix and Picasso and it was a chance for those pupils to recap these compelling works and dig down into the historical and political backgrounds of the paintings. It was fascinating to hear not only about the contexts of the paintings, but of the artists themselves and their motives for creating these works. It was very useful for the pupils in the run-up to their internal and external examinations, and they all thoroughly enjoyed it too!

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cyber

NCSC CyberFirst Schools Award for Dean Close Dean Close School is celebrating achieving the National Cyber Security Centre's BRONZE CyberFirst Schools Recognition Award.

Cheltenham Festival GCSE computer scientists had a great time exploring the Cheltenham Science festival, letting their inner gamer come out to play in GameLab, with an evening of experimental gaming, virtual reality, esports, immersive science and retro game consoles presented by the University of Salford.

Being a CyberFirst School gives Dean Close NCSC Industry recognition, as well as providing the school with local and national opportunities to engage with industry and local universities; helping establish a community from across the education network; having access to the NCSC's resource portal; participating in the expanding, varied CyberFirst opportunities and receiving assistance from NCSC's CyberFirst Ambassadors.

Amongst the criteria for Dean Close to fulfil to achieve this Award were: providing a Statement of Support demonstrating the school's continued commitment to computing & cyber security; having a strategy for consolidating and developing cyber security education; having a well-defined core team comprising specialist staff and supporting teachers' professional learning in computing; offering computing or equivalent and additional enrichment activities at all key stages at the school (at least one hour weekly in KS3 computing/cross curricular lessons), and detailing external engagement activities with industry, academia, local schools/colleges and how these add value to the school's computing/computation and cyber security education programme.

In a letter to Dean Close, the Project Manager from National Cyber Security Centre wrote, "I would like to thank you for the time and effort you put into the application and for being a school/college that is showing true leadership in cyber security education and outreach. It is a pleasure to be able to award you this recognition Award; it speaks highly of how well your school/college are perceived, a positive contribution that deserves recognition."

Mr Bradley Salisbury, Headmaster commented, "We are proud that Dean Close School's home town, Cheltenham, is a cyber hub with NCSC leading the country and investing in future skills and training of young people in schools across the sectors. We are delighted to be recognised for leading in cyber security education and outreach. Computer Science is fast becoming a core subject for us as a school; positioned at the heart of our curriculum and central to each pupil's academic learning and personal development. Achieving the Bronze CyberFirst Schools Recognition Award illustrates how far we have come, and the initiative sets out clear aims and objectives for us to excel. There is so much more that we want to do and achieve within this field to inform and educate at the highest possible level."

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DCS CompSci CyberEPQ There is a huge demand for cyber security professionals and the CyberEPQ was designed to bridge the gap in Cyber Security qualifications between GCSE Computer Studies and a degree in Cyber Security. The CyberEPQ allows pupils to embark on cyber security related project, guided by industry expert mentors. In addition to the CyberEPQ qualification, pupil also complete the cyber pathway in the CISCO networking academy and attend industry events hosted by Cyber Cheltenham (Cynam). On completion of the course, pupils also received Accredited Affiliate Membership of the Chartered Institute of Information Security (AfCIIS) as well access to the Qufaro CyberEPQ Alumni network.

cyber

Drone Club In drone racing club pupils used Computer Aided Design software to create their own micro quadcopter frame, which was then 3D printed and assembled. Pupils train to fly the drone using a simulator before taking to the skies. Once they are competent pilots, they can use special googles which place them onboard the drone for a truly immersive experience, as they race against each other through obstacles and complete a series of challenges.

CyberCenturion Ada Lovelace This year Computer Science pupils have taken part in the annual National CyberCenturion competition. The competition requires pupils to work as a team on a range of computer systems, including both Windows and Linux based systems, to fix cyber security issues. The team completed three, sixhour rounds, each testing their skills and knowledge of a different aspect of Cyber; from identifying and removing malicious software, enforcing secure password policies, carrying out system security audits, ensuring a system is properly up-to-date and enabling and enforcing firewall rules.

In September, girls from Dean Close Preparatory School joined other girls in the Senior School to participate in Computer Science activity in celebration of Ada Lovelace. Pupils worked in teams to complete various challenges themed around a mission to Mars.

Participants got to assemble electronic components and program an Arduino microcontroller to complete their missions. This was followed by a virtual tour of the computing facilities at the Rutherford Appleton laboratory and a careers talk.

DCS Esports

The British esports student championships is a competitive video gaming competition for schools and colleges across the UK. This year, our first Dean Close esports team competed in the Rocket League spring division, starting their season with a match against a team from Whitgift School.

Participation in esports develops leadership, teamworking, communication and social skills, fine motor skills as well as promoting positive mental health and wellbeing. Esports is also recognised as a skill by The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. Esports career pathways include, competitor, journalism, cyber security, web development and marketing.

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english

English Department English is a subject for all seasons; it gives comfort in isolation and joy in connection. This year, we were able to connect more and it was lovely to see the Literary Society thriving under the care and supervision of Mrs. Milne. As well as a rich diet of challenging literature, connections were developed and strengthened through the Cheltenham Education Partnership.

Mrs. Whyte has done some super work in fostering writers here at Dean Close and a number of Dean Close students have received writing accolades over the course of this year. We are particularly proud to see Amaal Fawzi embarking on a creative writing course at Queen Mary’s next year and we look forward to seeing her continue with her exceptional creative writing.

Theatre trips have also returned although a recent planned trip to see King Lear at the Globe went …. somewhat awry. It is a testament to the cheerful resilience of our students and Mrs. Ledie’s ability to spin pure gold out of straw that they came back with a funny story but also a collection of rather stunning ekphrastic poetry, inspired by their trip to the Tate Modern.

Emma Gillett

Lit Soc This year, members of the LVI keen to read beyond the syllabus have joined weekly meetings to 'meet' some new writers. Beginning with Beowulf, we moved on to works including 'The Canterbury Tales' and 'Paradise Lost', explored different sonnet forms and structures, and how the form has changed since Petrarch, and examined genres such as Jacobean Tragedy, Metaphysical Poetry and Romanticism. One particularly memorable session was held outside, and focused on poetry about flowers (Wordsworth, Housman) and the question: how is a poem like a flower? We also had the chance to attend a fascinating discussion group on Dystopian Languages, hosted by Cheltenham College, as part of the Cheltenham Educational Partnership; we very much hope to host our own event soon, sharing some favourite excerpts from literature, and exploring what makes literature beloved and memorable.

Kate Milne

Creative Writing at Dean Close In November five of our students entered the Young Writers’ Poetry Competition called Empowerment; all five of which were chosen for publication. Congratulations to Elinor Farrier and Daisy McCormick from the Fourth Form and Hattie Gammon, Rose Watts and Amaal Fawzi from the UVIth. In February, 50 of our students entered the Young Writers’ Mini Saga Competition called Twisted Tales. Students needed to write from the perspective of a villain and tell their story in just 100 words or fewer.

Most of the students had their stories chosen for publication in an anthology, a copy of which is in the school library. Students who entered were from Fourth Form, Remove, Fifth Form and U6.

Students are currently working hard on entries for the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition, with the theme of service including Amaal Fawzi’s beautiful poem from the perspective of a carer in a care home during covid.

Karen Whyte 62 - DECANIAN 2021/22

No one thinks about the souls Wandering around the halls Of nursing homes.

Two hands, shrivelled with age: One clasping my alien-blue scrubs, The other pressed against the poisoned glass Of a bedroom window, Tainted with mist from breath whispering, ‘This is a safe space between us –’ A smile, crumbling to dust, When every ten seconds I must ask Somebody’s grandma To say ‘I love you’ through a face mask – My pupils, those tiny swirly spirals On a loading computer screen As a I stare and stare Through a little black fan Of lines Stamped on little irises, Waving hello and goodbye to pixels Calling themselves people.

No one hears about the souls Stumbling through the halls Of nursing homes.

I get home and peel off layers of plastic That feel more solid than skin.

I wake up, go to work, do it all again.

My friends say I’m brave.

“So brave for going in there every day And living by yourself.

Never seeing anyone, Always there to help.”

I’m not brave.

I’m just a person trying to keep other people sane.

One old lady asks me my name As I come in with her usual breakfast on a sanitised plastic tray.

I’ve known her for a year But I tell her anyway.

She smiles at me. Says she wishes she could see my face.

I steel myself till I’m safe within my one-bedroom-fully-furnished cage.

Till it’s too late at night to keep it all at bay.

No one cares about the souls Floating around the halls Of nursing homes.

Some of them don’t even have a contact to type into the phone.

They sit in their favourite armchair or bench In a silence that makes me hesitate before I break it With a suggestion of playing cards or tea.

My limbs have become polished, whitewashed cave walls.

You could drop a stone down my throat And feel the echo reverberate in my bones.

But I’m still here.

With the wilted hands and the constant fear.

No one knows about the souls Drowning in the halls Of nursing homes.

Amaal Fawzi

english

Trip to see King Lear, The Globe Theatre, June 2022 The Lower Sixth English Trip to see a performance of King Lear at the Globe was a trip of tragedies in a way that none of was expecting. We boarded the minibus and rolled along the M40 belting some great Disney tunes; however, as we approached London, Mrs. Ledlie received a fateful message that would change the course of the trip completely. King Lear had Covid.

We regathered ourselves though and happily made our way to the Tate Modern to write some poetry.

After the Tate Modern we returned to the minibus.

This is where the tragedy intensified: we trundled through central London to Chelsea where we came to a sudden stop. We had broken down.

After some thinking the eminently practical and streetwise, Mrs. Ledlie booked us onto a train from Paddington. Mr. Hooper selflessly sacrificed his sleep to stay with the minibus (he wasn’t picked up until 10:00am the next morning!)

The ‘Train Squad’ thoroughly enjoyed the adventure of it all and didn’t really want it to end. Despite not seeing a play and the minibus breaking down, I made friendships, explored London, had bundles of fun and made memories that will last a lifetime.

Poetry Competition Back in November five of our students entered the Young Writers’ Poetry Competition called Empowerment. All five have had their poems chosen for publication in an anthology, which is fantastic. They each received a certificate and book mark. The letter sent to us said, “Having all your students’ work chosen is something to be proud of, it doesn’t happen every day! I was impressed with their writing and it’s clear they’ve been inspired with Empowered-such a privilege to read and every piece will make a fantastic addition to Empowered-Shout It Out Loud!”

The students who are having their work published are Elinor Farrier, who wrote Pain; Daisy McCormick who wrote Waiting…; both of these girls are from the Fourth Form.

Hattie Gammon wrote How I Grew Up; Rose Watts wrote Good Morning; and Amaal Fawzi Wrote Empowerment. These girls are all in the U6. Well done to them all.

Overall winners have yet to be announced.

Charlie Harris

Warning Sign I bet you used to know her Encapsulated in flashy, blaring colour One that hypnotised like a bleach blonde Californian girl Tinged with cherry and sun kissed lemon hues that reflected on pupils Her electric energy cackled and blazed Deep down into the roots of naivety That irresistible sapphire glow Should have been permanently manufactured, but it Slowly faded into the stale air The lights slowing dimming Half paradise and Half rotten She looks barely lit for even a stingy motel God What a sad sight it’s laughable How she stands so tall and yet so timid The shining product of the past Appears completely alone in disrepair Flickering in hope to renew Desperate to be liked again I guess No one really likes a bleak, sorry looking palm tree It becomes an eyesore Verity Moulding

Cheltenham Literature Festival Lunch

On the 14th of October, six students from the Sixth Form were invited to lunch at the Cheltenham Literature Festival’s Writers’ Room, where they met with the Head of Programming, Nicola Tuxworth. It was a special and memorable day - not just because of the good food, but because of all the valuable insight Nicola had to offer which left everyone with a new perspective on what it means to organise a festival and the responsibilities that come with that. She spoke about the different people who had visited the Writers’ Room, for example David Attenborough and Hillary Clinton, and the way in which the programmers decide what authors to bring in, when to schedule their talks and how to advertise them. She also touched upon what it was like planning the festival in Covid times, and the pressures of returning to mass close proximity gatherings in a sensitive but close-to-normal way. The impression given was a very impressive one.

Literature is a booming market with so many different people involved, from advertisers to ushers to people like Nicola. The students left with a lot more than they came with, and it was an all-round delightful experience.

Amaal Fawzi UVI

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fleckerchallenge

Flecker Challenge

The Flecker Challenge was launched during the pandemic to provide pupils with avenues to test and reward their thinking beyond the curriculum and pursue their interests in new imaginative ways. Made up of a diverse series of suggested projects pitched by subject departments, as well a popular freechoice option, and an encouragement to utilise a variety of media forms, its first year saw an incredible range of excellent submissions, and this year was no different. From Erin’s fascinating local ecological study of the Eastern Grey Squirrel, Isaac’s tackling of implementing No. 10’s policy of enhancing the NHS, and James’ deep dive into the anniversary of the Rosetta Stone’s landmark deciphering, to Sabina’s beautifully illustrated celebration of the father of algebra, Al-Kwarizmi, and Noah’s sophisticated and challenging examination of the problem of evil, each work showcased considerable craft and flare as their authors pursued a superb diversity of interests.

As with last year, adjudicating between such a wealth of creative thinking was no easy task, but I settled on the submissions, listed below, that went the furthest at emphasising the Headmaster’s identified key qualities (‘The 5Cs’) that are so important to academic study, but also essential skills for life.

Hearty congratulations are welldeserved to all who took part, and we cannot wait to see what future instalments of the Flecker Challenge will bring.

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HEADMASTER’S AWARDS:

Collaboration Rosie Brown and Georgia Pinkham Inspired by Earth Day and wanting to help the planet, a manifestly collaborative goal, the design and presentation of ‘The Eco Crumb’, an eco-friendly bungalow, was full of thoughtful planning and sustainability solutions that, in their architects’ words, “weave in small changes to make a big impact.”

Compassion Alexa Ellison A thought-provoking and life-affirming poem, deftly controlled in its resonant phrasing, about living life to the full, asking the question: ‘Are you breathing? Or are you living?’

fleckerchallenge

Creativity Mirella Rymer A punchy and imaginative short film entitled ‘Online Nightmare’ operating as a mini-horror story that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Wonderfully paced, it was, as Mr. Allington notes, “beautifully thought out and executed” and included an excellent reflective commentary.

Critical Thinking Emily Martin A thoroughly considered examination of the respective strengths and limitations of various renewable energy sources. Well researched and referenced, Mr. McKechnie especially praised the critical recognition of all energy options and the requirement to have a mix.

Communication Lydia Coniam An adeptly persuasive piece of writing arguing that, if we were to rename one of our science labs, it should be named after Dr Percy Julian: a highly respected, but too little known, African American chemist, whose pioneering contributions resoundingly echo today; a renaming that would rightly affirm that science is built by, and is for, all.

Contribution Adams Yeung The multiple submissions of one pupil on topics as diverse as they were well-crafted made it strikingly apparent that there should be a 6th ‘C’ this year recognising the breadth of such achievements.

Including a study on Machine Learning, on ‘How valuable is the Earth?’, on how ‘Maths is (indeed) Everywhere’ (even in Donald Trump’s hair), and a short film adaptation, all offerings presented a freshness of ideas and were uniformly admired for their style, inventiveness, and pragmatic insights.

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fleckerchallenge

Geography Runner-up Junior Competition: Lydia Matthews A gloriously detailed and informative exploration of the brain and how it affects the senses, social awareness, expression, emotion, language, personality, pain, regulation and other aspects of our experience.

Winner Junior Competition: Sam Crawford An authoritative essay on the Standard Model of Particle Physics accompanied by a brilliantly researched and skilfully presented 45-minute video to explain the topic, worthy of any ambitious undergraduate and exceptionally so in the case of a Remove pupil.

Remove Geography Field Trip On Friday 29 April, our Remove Geography pupils went to the Forest of Dean for our GCSE fieldwork.

Runner up Senior Competition: Adams Yeung An outstanding example of intelligent and effective use of space and solutions to the problems of staging an adaptation of Shakespeare in Love, so much so that plans are already in the works to bring this to life in the school’s upcoming production in December.

We had a quick safety debrief before wading into the rivers. We started lower down the river looking at three sites, measuring their width and depth so we could compare with other sites along the river before seeing its velocity by timing how long it took a cork to travel 2m downstream. At one point, the teachers got confused about what subject they were teaching and we were made to draw a field sketch of the river which was a challenge for the non-artists amongst us!

Lunch was by a lake and

Winner Senior Competition: Niamh Salisbury Recording 24 hours at Whitesands Bay, these three acrylic paintings and source materials, fantastically captured the sense of depth and space looking down from a cliff overlooking the coast, expertly reflecting the shifting atmosphere and the movement of the ocean through careful observation, fine colour mixing and a range of expressive application techniques.

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accompanied by geese, before we marched off to find the river’s source. Here we concluded that there was no velocity and a depth of maximum 2cm (the lack of rain making our results interesting!).

After collecting data from the remaining 2 sites and encountering a couple of tadpoles, we headed home satisfied and tired.

Overall, the trip was a massive success, managing to be enjoyable as well as informative.

We learnt how a river changes throughout its course and we now feel more confident for when this comes up in our GCSEs next year.

Corinna Clarkson and Olivia Thomas

geography

Global Action Guest at Geography Society Mark Giffard-Lindsay, CEO of Global Action, came to talk to Sixth Form Geographers about the Nepal earthquake. With first-hand experience of delivering aid in response to natural hazards, Mark’s talk was full of synoptic links for the A level Geography course.

perspective of someone who was working with people on the ground in the areas that had been impacted the most and we learned about the ways in which people benefitted from the aid given by NGOs such as Global Action."

Mark was able to outline the challenges of delivering aid in Nepal and how religion and gender values impact international development. The group were able to see how the culture and place identity shaped the aid effort, putting their A level studies into real life situations.

Fellow Sixth Former Lily said, “Mr Gifford-Lindsay’s talk was really valuable because we were able to gain extra knowledge and understanding about the lifestyle in Nepal, especially with their religion and how that shapes the way of life in Nepal. The talk was beneficial as we can use this extra knowledge to bring higher quality discussions into essays and further our understanding which will be useful to us in and out of the classroom.”

Upper Sixth pupil Phoebe remarked, "The talk was so helpful and eye-opening. We were given an insight to what it was like in Nepal after the earthquake from the

L6 trip to Slapton The L6th Slapton Gang headed down in the gloomy rain to Slapton Sands, Devon. The aim of our mission was to get our geography caps on and get some quality data ranging from beach profiles, pebble measurements and sea defence assessments so that we could smash our NEAs. The Devonshire coastline blessed us with radiant sunshine, and we were warmly welcomed by Greg, our tutor, and his incredible beard.

He took us down to Beesands and Torcross where we went on to study some of the coastal development that had taken place at these locations and provide us with the local knowledge of the area to help our data collection and projects.

On Saturday we awoke bright and early ready for the BIG data collection day. Due to Greg’s expertise we were all very well organised and headed off to the coastline to undertake our collection. We split off into groups all with a different focus. We carried out a data collection systematically and accurately to help give the best representation of this coastline. This took all day and after a long day our tired legs were able to walk far enough to the ice cream shop. We then returned to the classroom to put the data into tables and graphs, this enabled us to digest our data as best as possible to understand how we could go about answering out NEA titles effectively. As we worked so hard we got to spend the warm sunny evening at the beach watching the sun go down. We then woke up on Sunday morning to collect any extra data that we needed or complete our statistical analysis of the data, and after one last stop for ice cream and chips, we made our way back to Cheltenham. We would like to thank Mrs. Rath and Mr. Price for putting on and running such an enjoyable trip.

Amelia Gleeson (Hatherley) and Oliver Dodman (Field)

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history

History 4th Form Visit by Frontline Living History

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In January, 4th Form pupils enjoyed a full morning’s activities in the Bacon Theatre with David Alton and Richard Townsend from Frontline Living History. During the morning pupils learnt about many different aspects of the First World War on the Western Front, including recruitment, conditions in the trenches, disease and illnesses, new technology and the contribution of soldiers of the British Empire to the war effort. This was a fully interactive experience with many pupils getting the opportunity to wear authentic kit from the War. All pupils were able to handle artefacts such as trench boots, shell casings, British and German helmets and clothing. This was a fantastic way to bring the experiences of the First World War to life and was thoroughly enjoyed by the pupils involved.

history

London trip On 29th June, 28 pupils from 4th/5th and 6th Form travelled to London for a two-day History and Politics Study trip. The tour began early on Wednesday 29th June as the coach left at 5am to enable us to get to Parliament for our first visit starting at 9am.

We were met by Alex Chalk and his Parliamentary assistant and were given a personal tour around the main sites, including Westminster Hall, Central Lobby, the two chambers (House of Commons and House of Lords), the terrace overlooking the Thames and the Committee Rooms.

Following the tour, Alex spent time with our group outlining his role as an MP in Westminster as Solicitor General and his constituency responsibilities in Cheltenham.

He then answered some carefully considered questions posed by our pupils which covered a range of topics about modern British Politics and current affairs.

Our visit to Parliament was followed by a brief trip to the British Museum and lunch in Covent Garden. In the afternoon, we went to the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand, where pupils took part in a mock trial, based on a real cyber-bullying harassment trial. Well done to Jamie Treatman-Clark who played the part of the Judge and to barristers Henry Jordan, James Carder-Geddes, Charlie Harris and Roman Carey who crossexamined the eight witnesses played by Caelen Campbell, Paddy Clarkson, Toby Pendle, Lorna Willmott, Amelie Lindsay, Ben Mawer, Ella Woodward and Erin Jeffrey. The rest of the group played the role of jurors

Exploring the world of nuclear deterrents and international security

and after careful deliberation they delivered a guilty verdict, which we then discovered was the actual verdict given in the case. We finished the first day with some time in Trafalgar Square, a walk down the Mall to Buckingham Palace, through Green Park to the Hard Rock Café on Old Park Lane for our evening meal, before arriving at our Premier Inn hotel near Tower Bridge.

After a full hotel breakfast on the morning of Thursday 30th June, we headed to the Tower of London for our first visit of the day.

Highlights included seeing the Crown Jewels, the White Tower, the Bloody Tower and the Chapel Royal. This was followed by lunch at Borough Market before moving on to the Imperial War Museum. Pupils were able to visit the many different exhibitions within the museum including the Holocaust galleries, the First World War galleries, turning points 1934-45, the Second World War galleries and peace and security 1945-2015.

We finished our two-day study tour with a cruise on the River Thames where we enjoyed seeing the main sights of London from a different perspective, including the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, the Shard, Tate Modern, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge.

This was a super way to finish the academic year and we were so glad to have successfully completed our trip to London after its earlier cancellation due to Storm Eunice in February!

On Tuesday 8 February, the History and Politics Department hosted Professor Wyn Bowen, Head of Security Studies at King's College London, to discuss the world of nuclear deterrents and international security from the Cold War to the present day.

With over 30 pupils and staff attending, Professor Bowen discussed the factors behind the 'uniqueness' of nuclear weapons, reasons for acquisition and the role they played in the Cold War, with specific reference to the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 and the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction. With the developing situation between Russia and the Ukraine, Professor Bowen also offered an insight into the potential escalation of this crisis and negotiation attempts on each side.

Professor Bowen joined staff and pupils for a meal afterwards, during which he discussed his role as a UN Weapons Inspector in Iraq in the late 1990s. This was a fascinating event and we are very grateful to Professor Bowen for sharing his time with us.

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science

Science t has been a welcome relief to actually be in school for a whole year without the disruptions of lockdowns that has plagued recent years and it is a good feeling wandering around the Science Department hearing the excitement emanating from the various labs.

I

Cambridge Chemistry Challenge, which is the equivalent of the Chemistry Olympiad; at the time of writing the results were not yet available though Zina Moss, Owen Ko and Hanni Wong have performed well in the initial marking.

It has, again, been a busy year for the Science Department with a range of activities being undertaken by the pupils. On an academic level the Biology Department took part in the UK Remove Biology Challenge where Dean Close pupils excelled gaining 13 Silver, 11 Bronze and 2 Gold Awards and the sixth form entered the very challenging Biology Olympiad, where Luke Tomlinson, Nicholas Schubach, Anastasiia Tokareva and Georgie Powell were awarded creditable Bronze Awards.

Other activities have included a Rat Dissection for the Upper Sixth (pictures attached), where Dr. Bradley led the group through a complete dissection of all the main systems of a rat. The Physics Department took part in a Formula 1 in Schools challenge (pictures attached). The aim of the competition has been to design and race the fastest compressed gas propelled car. This was planned using Computer Aided Design (CAD) and produced using either a 3D printer or via CNC machining on a polyurethane block, giving the pupils invaluable experience in a wide range of skills.

The Physics Department entered the Sixth Form into the British Physics Olympiad, where the pupils gained 15 Bronze, 6 Silver and Rohan Woodcock a Gold Award. The Chemistry Department entered the Sixth Form into the

Our outreach has finally been able to start up again, post lockdown, with Mr. Chapman from the Chemistry Department doing a ‘Chemistry Fun’ day at St Gregory’s Primary School in Cheltenham, where the pupils watched some

demos by Mr. Chapman and made rainbows in a test tube. Also starting up again was the Monday evening Medical and Biochemistry Club run by Mr. Needs of the Chemistry Department in conjunction with Mr. Lucas from Chosen Hill Secondary School in Churchdown, Gloucester. This has taken place for about 5 years now and is a great way for the schools to share expertise in the field of Biochemistry and help with University Applications. It is hoped to continue and expand our outreach involvement during the next academic year.

In terms of the department, we are delighted to welcome Tetyana Nikityuk to the Biology Department as Biology Technician plus the safe arrival of babies Joshua Benjamin Condie and Stanley Cuthbert Peter Franklin. We would also like to mention our gratitude to Miss Bethany Morgan and Mr James Hall for stepping in and doing a fantastic job teaching within the Department. We are all looking forward to the coming academic year with excitement.

It is a good feeling wandering around the Science Department hearing the excitement emanating from the various labs.

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science

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epq

Pupils complete a production log as they move through each stage of the project

EPQ 2021-22 This year, over 40 pupils embarked on an EPQ project as part of the Sixth Form enrichment programme. The EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) gives pupils the opportunity to research a topic area of their choice and complete either a 5000 word report or create an artefact. As well as this, pupils complete a production log as they move through each stage of the project and deliver a final presentation in which they showcase their product and take questions from an audience. The EPQ allows pupils to develop independent research skills, project planning skills and a range of communication skills. It is also worth up to 28 UCAS points, so is a great addition to any future university applications.

Pupils chose a wide range of topics for research-based reports this year.

Highlights included: Liv Walmsley: An investigation into the ethical issues surrounding the pharmaceutical industry Madeleine Maysey: Why do people bully?

Zina Moss: How do the diets of different cultures affect physical health?

Paddy Clarkson: Are cattle falsely vilified for being bad for the environment?

Harry Lindsay: What makes a successful alpine skier?

This was also a great year for artefacts as we saw pupils undertaking many exciting projects. Highlights included: Ben Fitzjohn: DCS Earth Day 2022 (Whole School event) Julia Wadsworth: The Five Stages of Grief (art based artefact) Niamh Salisbury: A sustainable Shepherd’s Hut Tiny House.

Ben Mawer: A documentary on British forests and their ecosystems.

Well done to all pupils who successfully completed their EPQ project this year!

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internationalpupils

Lunar New Year – Year of the Tiger Lunar New Year is one of the most important festivals in Asia, especially for the Chinese. It is a festival that signals the beginning of spring and the beginning of a new year on the Lunar calendar. People go back home to be together with families; eat, drink, cook, visit extended families to exchange good wishes and red envelopes.

On the 1 February, Dean Close celebrated the Lunar new year and shared the culture behind it.

As international pupils, we know how important different festivals are to pupils whose hometown is not in the UK. Even though they may be miles away from home, we want to make sure they feel the sense of belonging in Dean Close, and that we acknowledge the importance of their culture.

To celebrate this festival, we decided to share this important culture not only amongst ourselves but with the whole school. We organised various events that everyone can participate in. This includes House assembly sharing, where representatives of International Committee share facts and views on Lunar New Year, with the hope to let fellow pupils celebrate with us and themed menus of traditional Chinese food were available at lunch time to help explain our daily meals. We also held a Fai Chun workshop to let students experience writing Chinese characters and the action of bringing health and luck into their family.

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A party was held that evening for our international students to gather around and enjoy traditional new year food, with chicken chow mien, hoisin duck wrap, dumplings and so much more, accompanied by Asian music played by our talented students as a background music in the Dining Hall. We then moved to the Pavilion to enjoy some mouth-watering desserts made by the Catering team, and while everyone was having a great time, a surprise firework display marked the end of the party.

We would like to thank the Dean Close Catering team, International Committee and everyone was involved in planning to make such a magnificent evening.

Adams Sheung Yu Yeung Lower Sixth 73 - DECANIAN 2021/22

internationalpupils

International Pupils Barbecues and firepits, treasure hunts and family dinners, academic briefings, sports and CCF taster sessions set the tone and pace for the new international pupils who arrived with us at Dean Close in September. Our priority is to help pupils settle into their new ‘home’, feel confident around campus, have courage to come forward, speak up, ask questions, share ideas and - most importantly - make firm friendships right from the start. The Dean Close community welcomes over 20 nationalities, a melting pot of experiences and perspectives which enhance our living and learning. We celebrate our cultural diversity, which enriches Dean Close life and we embrace every opportunity to learn from our international pupils.

Across the year groups, pupils are encouraged and confident to speak out and get involved and this year has been no exception! The

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international pupil committee and community have been exceptionally hardworking, enthusiastic and proactive; keen to get back on track after the restrictions of the pandemic. In the first month, the new committee, led by Sixth Form International Pupil leaders Jiyoon (South Korea), Hanni (Hong Kong), Adams (Hong Kong), Grace (Kenya), Cindy (China) and Tony (China) brought together a wonderful welcome event to mark the Mid-Autumn festival. Recently too, Cherissa (Republic of Congo) led a Gifted and Talented session and Adams (Hong Kong) covered Academic Society meetings for the School blog. Amaal (Lebanon) won the Senior House Speaking Competition with ‘Why Covid was not the biggest crisis of 2020’ and, she, along with Anastasiia (Ukraine), shared their experiences of the challenges currently facing their home countries: a highlight of the Speech Day events.

Recognition, representation and leadership are high on our agenda for our international pupils, in Boarding Houses and throughout the School.

Each House has an International Pupil Rep; a senior pupil who acts as a mentor, encourages participation in House activities and leads such events as cooking home favourites, celebrating national traditions (St Niklaus, Maslenitsa) and sharing experiences at House Assemblies. A new peer support initiative, introduced this year

by Sixth Formers Hanni and Adams (Hong Kong) and Grace (Kenya), is our ‘International Chat Room’, a drop-in session for anyone feeling homesick or needing advice. The Committee hosted our annual Lunar New Year celebration in February; a whole-School highlight of 2022 with themed House Assemblies and lunch, Chinese calligraphy classes and a banquet dinner with photo booth, fireworks and Hong bao envelopes.

internationalpupils

Mooncakes

Throughout the Covid crisis, we have been immensely proud of our international pupils - it has not been easy for many who have not been able to travel home for extended periods and it was wonderful to see almost all able to travel home to spend time with family this summer.

Over the past two years, Dean Close delivered a ‘home-from-home’ experience. Pupils unable to travel home for the holidays could stay on campus and enjoy mountain-biking, climbing, canoeing, fun hockey and basketball as well as rustling up tasty delights in our Cookery School.

For those who had to quarantine, a ‘Quarantine Pre-sessional’ was organised with online English lessons, video projects and leisure activities in the Quarantine House. Parents were kept informed and reassured through translated emails and Zoom calls. Through the energy and resilience of pupils and staff, our international community continues to flourish!

On Tuesday 21st September the Dean Close International Community celebrated the annual Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival. During this celebration, family and friends traditionally come together to eat and pray, gathering under the moon - a symbol of harmony and unity - at its brightest and roundest. Mooncakes, a rich pastry typically filled with sweetbean, egg yolk or meat are traditionally eaten, and lanterns are symbolic beacons lighting the path to prosperity and good fortune. On Tuesday evening we gathered under the willow tree in the DCS grounds, sampled some delicious Chinese dishes, and enjoyed spending time together once again. Thank you to our International Committee for helping to organise the event.

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thecookeryschool

The Cookery School It has been another busy and exciting year this year in the Cookery School. We have come back in full swing hosting events, exams, bake off and clubs, keeping all year groups busy and well fed!

The year started with the Prep School year 7s joining us for the day, all 76 of them came into the cookery school throughout the day to bake a batch of delicious autumn muffins for a team building exercise.

This was closely followed by the Leiths

canape evenings, which were a huge success.

This included two evenings of the U6 Leiths students preparing 9 different canapes which demonstrated their newly gained skills, a mixture of flavours and textures as well as beautiful presentation techniques.

Early this year saw two days of hugely successful practical exams for the GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition students, who worked hard in their three hour practical exams to show off their fantastic cooking skills in a variety of dishes chosen by themselves with the brief of ‘Celebration menus’.

Throughout the year we have continued with the ever popular cookery club where the Fourth Form students have been able to expand their kitchen skills and confidence to produce baked products, fakeaways and look into food styling. We are also excited to be part of the activity program again this year and look forward to our ‘Garden Focaccia’ competition!

We were delighted to help out with Earth Day, hosting students from each House join us in the cookery school to bake for the ‘Vegan Bake Off’. The range of cakes, biscuits

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and sweet delights that were produced were out of this world! It was fantastic to have almost every student in the school visit the cookery school that afternoon and join in with the excitement of their bakes!

As the academic year comes to an end, we are sad to see the students leave, but could not be more proud of what they have achieved. With 15 distinctions, a merit and a pass for this year’s Upper Sixth, we have again been placed as one of the highest achieving cookery schools in the country. We are excited for the GCSE results and looking forward to another year of great success!

leiths

Lessons Learnt at Leiths Congratulations to this year’s students of our Leiths Course for completing their final practical examination on 4 February 2022, as well as their CTH (Confederation of Hospitality and Tourism) practicals the week before. Using the many skills learned over the last 18 months, the masterpieces produced included vichyssoise, rosemary focaccia and French apple tarts; luxury fish pie with vichy carrots, orange shortbread served with orange segments and an orange caramel and trout en papillote with hollandaise and tarragon green beans served with a golden fruit pavlova.

Enthusiastic, focused and determined, their professionalism and skills shone through and the dishes produced showed depth of flavour and restaurant-worthy skills.

Three of our Upper Sixth Leiths pupils share their story.

Ollie “I have really enjoyed the Leiths Course. I started out not knowing anything about food and real cooking; I could manage a pasta dish with tomato sauce and that was about it! Leiths has made me appreciate and enjoy food more than I could imagine.

It has been such a great experience cooking and working as a team in the Cookery School under Head Chef Mrs Barrett, who went that extra mile for us during lockdown. She went into School each week to video herself

demonstrating the skills we needed for that week’s challenge. My parents loved it as they had a two-course restaurant style dinner cooked and elegantly plated every Saturday evening.

It has also been great to make new friends, supporting one another along the way and one of the highlights was working under time pressures to provide a range of canapes for the Art Exhibition. Looking to the future, I hope to do a winter ski chalet season followed by a summer on large yachts in the Mediterranean where I can put my newly acquired culinary skills to the test! I can’t recommend this course enough, especially if like me, beans on toast is on the edge of your comfort zone!”

Maddie “Leiths for the last five terms has been challenging but one of the most rewarding courses I have done during my time at Dean Close. Leiths challenges not only your cooking skills but also your artistic eye for presentation and attention to detail. The most valuable thing I have learnt from this course is time management which is transferable to almost all aspects of life as well as the appreciation of good food!

The course has not only allowed me to feel more confident in cooking an evening meal for my family but also in choosing flavours which complement each other in dishes which can be

served for dinner parties with ease. I am planning to go on a ski season post A levels and the invaluable skills I have learnt from Leiths, and Mrs Barrett, will allow for that confidence and upper-hand in the kitchen.”

Daphne “I have always had a keen interest in all things food from a young age, trying to replicate what I’d seen on TV cooking channels.

I knew since Year 5 in the Prep School that Leiths was something I wanted to do and so made a pact with my friend Hannah that when we were old enough we would join together (which we did)!

I am really hopeful to uncover the new experiences I will have with food, I am hoping to work as a chalet girl whereby I can utilise the practical skills I have learnt from Leiths in a social context as well as gain experience in the hospitality/culinary/travel realm.

None of this would be possible if it weren’t for Mrs Barrett who has always been so passionate about her culinary teachings and in essence transposed her love for cooking and food onto us… thank you!”

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ccf

CCF Field Day 2022 ield Day at DCS is aimed at enhancing experience and broadening perspectives; giving pupils dedicated time to bond in groups, learn a bit more about themselves and others and have fun in different ways. The day is spent as year groups and smaller groups, sharing activities and experiences. So for some, Field Day is a day for the CCF to conduct Field training: Range days, Field craft and Section tactics, visiting Military units. For others, this is Community Action, team building and adventure - giving to other people or our community, aiming to make a difference in the lives of others, with pupils representing themselves and the School in the wider community.

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shop volunteers, baking for local care homes to visiting the Royal Navy Air Station Yeovilton, Boulders Climbing Centre (Remove), and Mojo Active (Fourth Form), everyone was purposefully involved in a rewarding, meaningful activity.

Field Day on Tuesday 8 March saw all DCS pupils engaged in a different activity, getting involved at some point during the day. From Sixth Formers’ community action of litter-picking, bike trail building, hosting sport and drama for local primary schools, helping out as charity

The whole Fourth Form visited Mojo Active in Bristol, undertaking outdoor team building activities. In groups, they competed in a zorb football tournament, football golf and an assault course (which involved balancing, climbing and agility challenges, with the added risk of cold water plunges on two obstacles!). Going on to tackle a low ropes course (where some unexpected leaders emerged), as teams struggled with 'the floor is lava' and 'stepping stones' challenges. Finally, everyone competed in some archery tag games (with much needed helmets). Picnics in the sun, impromptu games of basketball and table tennis, and some good chats punctuated the day, and everyone came back refreshed by the fresh air and change of pace.

Remove CCF Army, Navy and Outdoor Adventure (Climbing and Team Building) Our Navy Cadets had a great day at Royal Navy Air Station Yeovilton. Exploring the Air Control Tower, inside and out, they learnt about the use of radar and communication. They had a tour of the Grob Tutor planes in Squadron 747, which all training pilots learn on when they first start to fly. Their setting for lunch in 'Navy Wings' placed them by a Lynx (there were also Seafire, Sea Fury, Sea Vixen, Harrier and Phantom, amongst others that are all in working order and go out for air shows). In Squadron 846, our Cadets got a full tour of a Merlin Mk4 helicopter and were able to sit in the cockpit as well as in the back and get up by the propellers.

Our Remove pupils in the CCF Army Section started off the day with all passing the Army Swim Test.

Following this success, the Cadet Training Team had brought their Laser Tag equipment and teams of 6 pit themselves against each other in fire and manoeuvre exercises. The afternoon saw them travel to the Warehouse Climbing venue in Gloucester where the groups bouldered, climbed, caved and challenged themselves on a digital climbing wall as well. A thoroughly varied and enjoyable day.

Sixth Formers undertook various Community Action projects both around the School campus and within the local community. The activities included helping in the Library, Art and Drama departments, building a firepit, bike trail and enclosure for beehives, path clearing and volunteering in the local community at the Pied Piper charity shop, and with children from local primary schools, litter picking and baking for care homes. 30 pupils from local primary schools were hosted here at DCS by our staff and Sixth Formers for Drama and Sport activities and some of our pupils went to help in class for the morning in 3 local primary schools. Supporting Ambleside and Morris Court care homes, seven Lower Sixth Leiths pupils worked hard to create an sumptuous feast of 12 different tea time treats.

All in all, Field Day was a fabulous community action effort in which so much was given and gained by all involved.

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ccf

Year 10

Adventure week 2022 The Challenge

Inter House Competition

Four full days of activities to build teamwork, leadership, friendship and have fun!

A round robin of seven different stands saw a range of physical and mental challenges from a Field Gun, RC Tank races, Bouldering Wall, the infamous Towers of Hanoi task, Orienteering, Problem solving and command tasks; my personal favourite was the 6 Man Ski challenge and watching the groups develop effective communication skills to negotiate the course.

The delivery:

Monday Footsteps of Discovery Did someone say fire lighting, improvised stretchers, improvised distress beacons, and knot tying and safe knife work to make feather sticks and tent pegs? Yes! Year Ten had a go at all of that, and it was clear that everyone really enjoyed the stands immensely. To see individuals rise up, and learn new skills was great; the team competition at the end saw real passion and teamwork.

Tuesday Aztek Activities Upton Warren A quick hop up the M5 saw the group take part in a wide variety of activities. Crate climbing, shooting archery, tunnel navigation, high ropes courses as well as the afternoon on and off the inflatable Aqua Park.

In all, 23 different activity sessions in four days.

They deserve to feel a little weary after all of that!

Well done to Mead House and to Brook Court House who just, and only just, sneaked the win.

My personal thanks go to all the venues, staff and instructors involved in this epic week of adventure and activities. The pupils of Year 10 are richer for the experiences they have had with you.

Mission Accomplished!

Major DD Evans

Wednesday Bear Grylls Adventure Year 10 headed to Birmingham to pit themselves against climbing routes modelled on actual mountain pitches such as part of El Capitaine and K2, Escape Rooms that stretched the mind, 65 foot tall High ropes course that stretched the nerves as well as an assault course modelled on the course at the Royal Marines Training Centre Course at Lympstone. All had a good crack at the activities they were assigned to, and I was impressed with the energy that everyone threw at the tasks. There was even time to sit and watch the giant diving tank filled with sharks and rays.

Thursday Activities A day for a seven activity round robin House Competition where mental and physical tasks such as six person skis, the giant towers of Hanoi, remote controlled tanks, and Bouldering saw the teams really pull together in the closing stages of term.

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adventuresports

Adventure

SPORTS

The year has been one filled with climbing, mountain biking and kayaking for our adventurers.

Our amazing climbing wall has seen chilled climbing sessions, hard finger shredding efforts and adrenaline pumping jumps and falls throughout the year. Warm autumn evenings bathed in sunlight on the climbing wall gave way to down jackets and cold hands through the winter before the returning sun brought back the sensation of warm hands on sun warmed stone. The after school climbing club remained popular and well attended even on the coldest winter days and our climbers have shown commitment and resilience in the cold times to match the fun relaxation on the warmer evenings. The climbing club also got out for an autumn and a spring climb on natural rock on Cleeve Hill, both occasions in perfect weather with a spectacular sunset and huge views over the Severn Vale to the Malverns and Black Mountains.

The school bike park was the scene for many hours of digging, shaping and hardening of trails by our mountain bikers. Two new lines were added along with a small gap jump and a small table top to practise getting wheels off the ground. By the end of the summer term the trails were running smoothly with a good mix of technical challenge, fast berms and jumps. The mulch landing below the jumps was tested a good few times and proved a soft landing for the inevitable occasional crash.

Members of the mountain bike club competed in their first downhill race at 417 bike park – an awesome day out for all involved. The club also visited Bugs Boarding near Gloucester to hit the trails, jumps and airbag on their hillside. The airbag is a great place to practise getting big air and trying tricks with a fairly soft landing if it goes wrong.

The Dean Close kayakers spent the autumn and winter developing their skills, learning to roll and playing kayak polo in the school pool. There was an autumn river trip on the Wye where our club paddlers learnt about kayaking on moving water and paddled a few easy rapids. The autumn also saw a white water playboat session at the National White Water Centre Nottingham.

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The fleet of school paddleboards were put to good use on the River Avon in the autumn term and throughout the summer term along with some open water swimming at Eckington. Perfect activities on those superheated June days.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award In September, over 70 students in the Fourth Form signed up to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. Many of the students worked hard over the year to complete the skill, physical and volunteering sections of the Bronze award. Students learned new sports, learned musical instruments, learned photography and cooking, took on new challenges and made new friends. Our students volunteered their time to help around school, around their neighbourhoods and locally in Cheltenham. Over 60 students also completed their expedition at the end of the summer term. The Dean Close Adventure Department also arrange a variant of the Bronze award expedition for the rest of the year group who had not signed up for D of E. A two day challenging walk through the Cotswolds was an unforgettable experience for all involved.

commemoration

Service for the Commemoration of Benefactors Futures Day 2022 Tuesday 3 May witnessed a joyful gathering of pupils of all ages from across the Dean Close Foundation, as the five schools in the group joined together for the annual Service for the Commemoration of Benefactors at Tewkesbury Abbey.

The service was led by the Chaplain, the Reverend John Ash, after a welcome from the Vicar of Tewkesbury Abbey, the Reverend Dr Paul Williams. The atmosphere was one of celebration, with the congregation ranging in age from Year 2 at Dean Close Squirrels to Old Decanians whose schooldays were many decades behind them. Dean Close’s welldeserved reputation for outstanding choral music was exemplified by the combined voices of Dean Close School Chapel Choir, the DCPS Jubilate Choir and the choristers of Tewkesbury Abbey Schola Cantorum of Dean Close Preparatory School, a particular highlight being the anthem by Samuel Wesley ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’ directed by Simon Bell.

The Chaplain interviewed pupils at different stages of their school lives, who shared with a packed Abbey what they were learning at school, from subtraction to the Fosbury Flop and from the joys of boarding to the mastery of Maths.

Our preacher was the Reverend Richard Coombs, Dean Close Trustee and Rector of Cheltenham, who reminded us, via the words of the Parable of the Talents, that each of us has gifts which we are called on to use to the very best of our ability, and that when we make the most of these gifts we receive a ‘Well done’ from Jesus himself. The message was poignantly underlined by a beautiful rendition of the Dean Close Squirrels School song ‘Special’.

The service was an opportunity to express gratitude to God for the foundation of Dean Close in 1886, and for the many generous benefactors whose gifts have enabled so many thousands of pupils to gain an excellent education since that time and above all, it was a chance, in the words of the Warden, Mrs Emma Taylor "for us to enjoy being us" as we met to celebrate all that each part of the Foundation contributes to the whole.

On 24 January, the Lower Sixth kick-started exploring their next big step with their first Futures Day. The programme featured a series of talks and workshops introducing the range of pathways on offer and how to start preparing for them.

Miss O'Neill spoke on UK university application and the UCAS process and timeline; Mr Milne focused on the specifics of Oxbridge; and Mrs Vest presented on the opportunities of studying abroad. Pupils delved deeper into their interests on our Unifrog platform and then spent the afternoon hearing from a carousel of visiting speakers.

Mary Elliston from University of Birmingham gave a taste of what to expect from university life and how to best use Year 12 to lead into it; Donna Dean from WorkPays introduced the ever-growing range of degree apprenticeships available and the powerful incentives they offered; and Emma Goodman reprised her popular CV workshop, providing jampacked advice on how to approach recruiters, stand out, and make the cut.

The day wrapped with a panel of our fantastic graduate Teaching Assistants and Assistant Chaplains, who shared their own experiences of choosing and exploring just a few years earlier, suggesting what to do and, perhaps, what not to do.

Altogether, there was some great feedback from pupils and the day motivated a wealth of new activity. With live events, work experience and open days returning, there are a host of exciting opportunities out there for pupils to seize, and we encourage all to make the most of them - the future awaits!

Zach Suckle

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speechday

SPEECH DAY ites of passage and milestones are a key aspect in the lives of young people. Major celebrations and social gatherings have been hard to do over the last two years and it was wonderful to gather as pupils, staff, parents and friends to mark the end of the school year.

The events started on Friday evening with a fantastic concert in the Bacon Theatre and then Jazz in the Village outside the Day Houses.The audience was treated to ensembles and soloists from across the school with a wonderful combination of serious music of the highest standard, across all

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genres, to light moments of fun. This same feel carried through to Saturday morning and the Leavers’ Service in the Chapel followed by the Speeches and Prize Giving in the marquee on Big Field.

These formal occasions were centred on the pupils and are particularly poignant for those at the end of their school journey.

Throughout the morning, we all had the chance to hear the stories of pupils, of their successes, their challenges and to see the tangible way in which Decanians support one another. There was a great deal of laughter, some emotional moments and food for thought. The closing of the formal events made way for House Receptions next to a lively cricket match, family picnics and some traditional favourites – the Quad Run, Art Exhibition and Valedictory Concert.

As the site emptied and the Upper Sixth Leavers gathered for their Summer Ball, we were left with a sense of what a privilege it is to be part of this community and just how much we draw on each other. It was an absolute joy to be back together again.

Bradley Salisbury, Headmaster

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speechday

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sport

SPORT

hen we returned in September 2021 for the start of the new school year, a huge amount of planning had taken place between ourselves, governing bodies and other schools to ensure that what we were delivering was appropriate in the context of our return to sport from the pandemic. Whilst things generally started in a positive tone with home-based pre-seasons for the hockey and rugby programmes, COVID-19 was still very much present and daily testing was very much part of our schedule.

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The term did start with a great deal of optimism, and we sensed the turning of a page and a new chapter was to begin. It was, however, not meant to be for too long as we, just like most schools struggled for any sort of continuity as pupils and staff were in and out with illness. We often had full blocks of fixtures cancelled at the blink of an eye, and in some cases no fixtures were played for weeks on end. It really was a challenging time trying to ensure a positive provision for all.

We also found ourselves back on-line for a week prior to the Michaelmas half term and pupils and staff fell back seamlessly

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into the remote world of physical activity led expertly by the staff in the sports department. We had mass fitness with Mr. Jenkins and Mrs. Holder as well as clinic-based sessions with all our sports Directors via the Teams platform. The remainder of the Michaelmas term provided many of the same challenges, and it wasn’t really until the Lent term that a more normal routine started to present itself to schools and sport.

Better rhythms were established, we were able to host and be hosted without concern, and it was a real joy to welcome parents back to school more formally at fixtures and to host them indoors.

I have been constantly amazed both throughout the pandemic and now, as we look to have put it behind us, just how fantastically well our pupils and staff have adapted to the ever-changing landscape, and for that I offer my gratitude and appreciation to all. There were, however, many amazing triumphs still being achieved, we are exceptionally proud of the pupils at Dean Close and how they have navigated the year. It has not been easy by any means, and we are delighted to be able to recognise some fantastic achievements within our pupil body.

sport

A snapshot and indeed some highlights of the year 2021/22 Even with a challenging Michaelmas term we have had: • 15 different sports played against other schools • 0ver 100 separate teams • Playing nearly 700 fixtures • 60 % win/draw outcome across all sports

Netball

Cricket

The Netball U16 squad were crowned County Champions and qualified for regionals in January.

Girls teams really gaining momentum this year.

1st VII had a fine season, winning all but the final fixture

1st XII Boys - Unbeaten Regular Season Harvey Heaven - scored an impressive 105no vs Kings School Worcester Alex Oliver – scored 122no vs Sir Thomas Rich’s

Martha Steel - Severn Stars U19s

Kameel Sahabdeen - Wales U18, Glamorgan County Cricket

Ella Taylor - Severn Stars U17s

Mariam Sahabdeen representing Wales U15s

Serena Ihle-Matthews - Severn Stars Nova Academy

Alex Oliver representing Gloucester CCC U18s

Nuala Benson - Severn Stars Nova Academy

Nicholas Schubach - Gloucestershire U18

Elinor Farrier representing Gloucester CCC U15s

Athletics & Cross Country Gaia Bowerman, Joshua Collenette and Luke Davis ran in the ESAA Cross Country Championship National Finals as part of the Southwest squad In Cross country, the Senior Boys competed in the National Finals in December after coming 2nd in the regional qualifier Year 9 athletics team came 3rd in the district athletics championships

Emily Cox - Team Bath

Elinor Farrier Regional and National Finals (100 & 200m)

Hockey

Alastair Klemz - Regional Finalist (100m)

Luke Davis - Regional and National Finals (3000m) James Cunningham - County Qualifier (Shot Putt)

1st XI Girls Hockey National T1 Finalists - 2nd in the Country

Equestrian

U16 Boys Hockey - Champions of the National Tier 2 Competition

NSEA Plate Championships National 1m SJ Champions

U16 Girls Hockey National T1 Quarter Finalists U18 Boys were crowned County Indoor Champions.

The Girls U18 and U16 Indoor hockey sides achieved 5th and 3rd place at the National Finals

Tennis

Anna Payne - England

1st IV boys into the regional finals

Connie Davies - Wales Caitlin Thompson - England

1st VI & U14 A team reported an unbeaten season

Sebastian Friessner-Day – England

Theo Perkis - Grade 2 British tour

1st IV girls into the LTA National Finals for first time

Reserve NSEA National Dressage Finals at both Hickstead and Keysoe NSEA Eventer Challenge National Finals - 3rd overall (1m) Double 1m team qualification for the Elite NSEA Finals & three 1.10m individual qualifiers Sophie Wallace - Team GB Bronze in the Le Mans Junior Nations Cup (dressage), shortlisted for European GB squad National Final Champion - Dressage (Novice class)

Rugby

Mimi Payton - Faultless ride at the NSEA Eventer Challenge National Finals

1st VII Boys and U14 Boys rugby qualified for day 2 of Rosslyn Park 7s

Isabella Stephens - Qualified Badminton Horse Trials, grass roots 1.00m

Ioan Jones - England (Gloucester U18) George Merritt - England (Gloucester U18)

Modern Pentathlete

Ben Peters (Gloucester U18) Jack Thorne (Gloucester U18) Toby Pendle (Gloucester U18) Reuban Woodham (Gloucester U18) Nacho Eleyae (Gloucester U18) Harvey Bullen (Gloucester U18)

Swimming Senior swimmers competed at the Bath & Otter Relays at the London Aquatics Centre at the Olympic Park, setting many PBs

Ollie Hodgson took second place at the Yorkshire U19 Championships including overall SJ ride of the championships. Ollie also achieved 6th place in the final of the British National Schools Biathlon Championships.

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Rugby he Michaelmas term was one full of challenges and frustrations due to the ongoing reality of the pandemic at the time. The 1st XV senior squad were not able to go away on our normal preseason tour in Europe due to restrictions and on our return to school it was easy to see why.

Covid was certainly still an issue, even though we had hoped that it was well behind us. We fundamentally wanted the boys to play, but it was never going to be that straight forward.

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With a gradual return to play required, our normal start to fixtures was not so obvious, with games being cancelled, often whole blocks at a time, with both pupils and staff often out of school. We never really did get into a rhythm which was certainly difficult to manage. All teams in all year groups were equally affected by often multiple weeks without fixtures.

That being said, the Dean Close boys in the programme were a genuine credit to the school, doing their very best to represent the school at every opportunity, regardless of who ended up being in the match day squad, as that was never a guarantee.

The 1st XV were exemplary throughout, even

under immense pressure, and were superbly led

by George Merritt, who has subsequently gone on to Cardiff Met university playing in their 1st XV alongside fellow leaver Ben Peters. George personified what it meant to represent Dean Close and wore his heart on his sleeve throughout the campaign. George, alongside Ioan Jones, was selected to be part of the U18 England Rugby programme, in which Ioan earnt his first cap. The most notable wins for the 1st XV came against King’s Taunton and King’s Gloucester in which the boys were able to demonstrate the potential within the group. The group was able to reflect positively on the term at the rugby club dinner and as a school we are grateful for the service of the Upper Sixth leavers who have represented the club so well over their time at Dean Close.

The rest of the club witnessed a similar story with fixtures being cancelled and pupils being in and out of school. Some notable results, however, must be shared with the U14A & B teams providing superb displays against RGS Worcester, the U15 B team winning 50-5 against Malvern College, and the U15 A winning a hugely tight game 5-3 against RGS Worcester amongst many other strong results.

The U16 had a really tough start to the term with nearly all oppositions pulling fixtures due to Covid, and as such only played one game prior to the half term. They, however, recorded impressive wins against RGS Worcester, Malvern College and Bloxham, and put in some really impressive displays in loss against RGS High Wycombe and Stowe School. The U16 B most notable result was their 24-12 win against Malvern College.

Congratulations and thanks to all players and staff who kept spirits high amongst all of the challenges; whilst it was far from straightforward we certainly gained from the few experiences we received in Michealmas 2021.

The 7s season during the Lent term was far more enjoyable and certainly more like normal, with teams at U14, U16 and U18 level representing themselves in various tournaments culminating at the National Schools 7s at Rosslyn Park.

Amongst all the positives of representation and achievements, special mention must go to the U14 and U18 squads who both managed to get to Day Two of the national competition - a school record to get two teams through, of which we are immensely proud.

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Dean Close continues to have a strong tradition of representation within the Gloucester Rugby Pathway, and congratulations must go to those boys who continue to challenge themselves at the highest level.

Special mention to those boys who, in the 2021-22 campaign, represented Gloucester and England at U18 level.

Gloucester U18 Academy George Merritt (c) Ben Peters Ioan Jones Toby Pendle Reuban Woodham Harvey Bullen Jack Thorn Nacho Eleyae

England U18 George Merritt Ioan Jones

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Losing virtually a whole season with Covid in 2021 meant that we had only one player who had ever played 1st team hockey in our squad

Boys’Hockey t the start of the Season when the Boys U18s squad came together in September we knew it was going to be a season of progression for all sides. Losing virtually a whole season with Covid in 2021 meant that we had only one player who had ever played 1st Team Hockey in our squad. Equally in other Junior sides players we had a whole year group who had never played 11 a side Hockey.

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By the end of the season we were able to give so many players the experience they needed in game play, tournament and cup matches too.

The 1st team captained by Ed Stevens who was in the victorious National 2020 winning side had two matches to play in the National Tier 1 Outdoor League before Christmas. Both of these were played in December: the first was against Canford School at home which we won 3.1 with Nick Schubach and Billy Benson playing well as forwards. The next match was against Taunton School away, which we knew would probably be the hardest match in the group.

Dean Close dominated the early exchanges and missed several good chances. Taunton went ahead twice only for Dean Close to equalise on both occasions at 2.2. With Victor Benner playing well in defence and Charlie McKinnes and Ed Stevens starting to dominate the midfield it looked like Dean Close might get a win but a rebound from a short corner put Taunton ahead.

Despite a late flurry of attacks, Taunton ran out 3.2 winners.

The main school season started with Pre season training at school followed by a good match against Kingswood, which ended in a draw. A dominant 0.0 draw against Millfield in the League followed by a loss on the Saturday to a 88 - DECANIAN 2021/22

good Bristol Grammar School side. The next league match was crucial in our qualification ambitions from the League and the whole squad performed well in a good win against Warminster School. The topsy turvey season continued with a loss to Magdalen College on the Saturday and a good win against Clifton in the League on the following Thursday. So many of the squad were gaining excellent match experience and with Freddie Philip-Sorensen, Nick Schubach and Ed Stevens leading by example, other players were starting to show their true potential. Hugo Hawker and Jack Thomas were playing very well at the back as was Paddy Clarkson and Charlie Mckinnes in Midfield. Billy Benson switched from attack to midfield but showed his skills in both positions.

After a win against Bloxham a final crucial league match against Peter Symonds in which a win would put us through and a draw should on goal difference. Peter Symonds went 2.0 up and Dean Close came back to 2.2 and searched for the winner but after many attacks just couldn’t score. This meant with Warminster School pulling out of the competition, Dean Close on a ruling were knocked out of the competition.

A final match at Home on the Final Saturday of term against Millfield with a very good win ended the season on a high note.

I would like to say a massive thank you to Freddie Philip-Sorensen, Nick Schubach and Ed Stevens who have played in numerous National Finals from U13 to U18 and had such an influence on Hockey at Dean Close.

The 2nd team had a tough season result wise but the season started with plenty of movement of players between teams. Having a year off with Covid saw players come through to higher

teams as the season progressed. The 2nd team had some really good matches with Toby Greaves leading the side well and with Guy Green making some excellent saves in goal.

Sam Webber developed into a solid defender and Harry Thrower promoted from the 3rd team played well in mdfield. Ellis Clark dominated the back line and close matches against Millfield and Magdalen College and a good win against Bloxham saw the squad improve throughout the season.

The 3rd team, like many of the sides, had a slow start with a completely new side. They lost narrowly to Magdalen and Bristol Grammar before showing improvement in results. A good draw against Taunton and good wins against Bloxham and Bromsgrove ended the season well. Frankie Wallace, Andy Cottingham and Toby Macleod in goal played well all season.

The 4th team trained enthusiastically and had three close fixtures in which they managed a draw and a close loss to a Taunton School. Luke Billings, Ben Stafford as Captain and James Cunningham played well with all the boys enjoying their hockey and improving skills and gameplay as the season progressed.

The U16 squad had a strong school season of results and worked hard in training. Seb Friessner- Day played well in goal with Felix Aspray martialling the defence. Kasper PhilipSorensen captained the side from Centre Midfield and his passion, drive and skill spread throughout the side. Oli Heron moved to forward and caused all defences problems with his pace. They had good wins against Magdalen, Bloxham and King’s Gloucester 1st team. Many of the team played in the U16s Cup squad too, winning the National Tier 2 title.

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The U15A side were a strong squad and played some exciting hockey, which led to some very good matches. It was the first year of 11 a side for many of them after Covid but they gradually knitted into a good unit. Ed Smart and Ed Waltham at the back was excellent. Will Waltham and Barney Mason in midfield and Henry Swan and Artur Daenert as forwards scored some excellent goals. Harvey Heaven was the most improved player and made the U16s cup squad along with many of the U15s.

The U15Bs worked hard throughout the season and competed well in all their matches. They improved their skills and match play and this showed in the results they gained at the end of the season. Good wins against Bloxham and Millfield in two of the last three matches showed this. Rumhann Campbell, Zac Maddern and Daniel Wyche played well all season. Tim Golubyatnikov in goal improved into a strong A team goalkeeper.

The U15Cs enjoyed their hockey in training and had a hard match against Magdalen College.

The U14A, having missed a crucial year at U13, were always going to take time to knit together and as the season progressed we saw this. Even though their results didn’t always show this they worked hard and in the West Finals had some close matches. A good win against Bloxham showed improvement. Hugh Green in goal marshalled the defence with Issac Stott and Gabriel Mattle working hard at the back. Roman Gilbert and Ollie Russell improved in midfield with Lucas Preece and Jac Couchman causing a threat as forwards. The whole squad worked hard to improve their skills and match play during the season.

The U14Bs side were in a similar position at the start of the season to the A team but showed from the start of the season that they were prepared to work hard at their skills and improved as a group quickly. Good early wins against Bristol Grammar School and Bloxham gave them confidence. Several close losses followed by a good win against Taunton School and showed the improvement from the whole group. Maxwell Jnr Omajuwa Oteri in goal played well all season with Marcus Burton, Noah Wheaton and Oliver Archard driving the squad forward in many of the matches.

The U14Cs enjoyed their hockey from the start of the season. They were very keen to play matches as a group. They worked hard on improving throughout the season. Several close loses and a good win against Bloxham with Issac Hanfrey playing well in goal and Sky Chung, Martin Tang and Thomas Dempsey all having a good season.

I would like to thank all the Coaches and Umpires who made the season run so smoothly after a season off. The boys as a whole school improved and to get so much experience for all players will put the Hockey in a good place going forward.

BOYS’ U16s CUP RUN REPORT 2022 Dean Close Boys U16s Cup Squad, after losing to Abingdon School in the Tier 1 Cup, then started their campaign in the Tier 2 Cup. The whole squad understood how much work they needed, put in and gradually the squad knitted together. Good wins against Cheltenham College and Bradfield College put them into the Quarter Final away against Clayesmore School. Dean Close dominated the match but it was clear that Clayesmore had a very good flicker from corners. After going 2-0 up with goals from Will Waltham and Henry Swan, Clayesmore pulled a goal back from a short corner. Seb Friessner- Day in goal nullified any further threat with some excellent saves and Dean Close won the match 4-1. The Semi Final was to be played against RGS Guildford away. A good start from the Dean Close side saw them take the lead from Will Waltham. Guildford hit back though but Seb Friessner-Day in goal and Ed Smart and Ed Waltham were outstanding in defence. Kapser Philip-Sorenson worked hard in midfield and Barney Mason and Oli Heron played well down the right. Henry Swan scored twice to secure a 3-0 win and a place in the National Final.

Dean Close Boys travelled to London to play in the Tier 2 National Cup Final v Bromsgrove. After a good warm up session the evening before, the boys had to be up early for a 10am match.

The match started tentatively for both sides but Dean Close were soon attacking and had all the pressure. Goalkeeper Seb Friessner-Day called onto make some excellent saves as he has during the whole campaign, but Bromsgrove defended well. Dean Close broke the deadlock with a good move and a superb deflection goal from Henry Swan.

Just before half time Harvey Heaven scored a good goal to put Dean Close 2-0 up. In the second half, Dean Close dominated the play and played some great Hockey and Henry Swan scored two more excellent goals to complete his hat trick. Captain Kasper Philip Sorensen scored a short corner and Artur Daenert and Will Waltham with excellent goals made the Final score 7-0.

A superb performance from the squad with Ed Waltham, Felix Aspray, Jacob Smith and Ed Smart dominating the back. Barney Mason Kasper Philip-Sorenson and Will Waltham bossed the midfield. Forwards Oli Heron, Henry Swan, Harvey Heaven and Artur Daenert were a major threat as they have been all season. The whole squad with Dan Stott, Ben Abunassar, Cassian Pichler-Roca, Lucas Williams and Simon Fance all played in the cup run.

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Girls’Hockey hen I wrote the Boys 2019/20 report in lockdown I used the word ‘Wow’ about the season. I can simply only s ay ‘Wow” Girls this time as

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what a season!

The season had everything exhilarating Hockey, frustration and so so much drama!!

The season started at Dean Close in early September with Pre Season at school and a one day trip to Cranleigh School for excellent match practice for the whole squad.

Suzy Carter was made Captain and was inspirational in all that she did throughout the season.

The 1st team started their school season with a match away to Bradfield and came away with a win. Millfield, in a friendly, were next and after an even match with Millfield leading until the last minute, Cara Roth scored a superb drag flick with time finished from a penalty corner.

The National Tier 1 League season started with a

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frustrating draw against King’s Taunton with both sides having chances but with defences really dominating with Louisa Plumhoff in goal and Helena Montgomery playing well.

Covid restrictions and outbreaks at different schools meant the 1st team stuttered to half term with a good win against Bristol Grammar with Hannah Porter dominating up front with Alice Howitt.

There were no more matches before half term because of Covid but with the Scotland tour going ahead over half term there was a perfect opportunity to reset and prepare for a busy second half of term.

The first match after half term was a Tier 1 League match vs Marlborough. After a successful Scotland trip the squad exploded into action with a scintillating display of passing, dribbling

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and goal scoring - a convincing win to start the second half of term. Canford was one of the most frustrating matches of the season. Canford dominated the first half with Louisa Plumhoff in goal making two unbelievable saves and Olivia Thomas, Leah Barton and Louisa Neal defending well. The DCS side dominated the second half with chance after chance but just simply could not finish off these opportunities.

This left the next match as a must win match away to a strong Clifton side. In freezing conditions the first part of the match was cagey but DCS started to dominate with Suzy Carter and Louisa Neal dominating the Midfield. Dean Close created the best chances but it was still 0.0 at half time. Straight after half time a good move led to Alice Howitt running through to score a good goal and DCS held on to beat a previously unbeaten Clifton side.

Indoor next and County Cup, which DCS won with Cara Roth outstanding scoring at will from penalty corners. We saw Louisa Plumhoff and Suzie Carter playing some exceptional Indoor to lead the side to be County Winners.

West Finals next at Cheltenham Ladies’ College and with Cara Roth missing out with Covid, Greta Burckhart replaced her and played exceptionally all day. Dean Close won the group, drawing with Millfield to qualify for the semi final against Blundells. Louisa Neal, Greta Burckhardt, Suzy Carter and Leah Barton controlled the matches with Hannah Porter, Alice Howitt and Anna Payne and Helena Montgomery scoring the vital goals.

The semi final against Blundells was a tight match with Dean Close taking the lead only for Blundells to equalise. Suzy Carter and Louisa Plumhoff in goal were outstanding and Hannah Porter’s skills were causing Blundells problems.

Dean Close went 2-1 ahead only for Blundells to equalise in the last few minutes. Instead of penalty flicks we had penalty shuffles for the first time. Anna Payne and Hannah Porter scored for Dean Close and Louisa Plumhoff saved one of Blundells’. Last one each with Blundells needing to score, Louisa Plumhoff pulled off a remarkable save to put Dean Close into the Final.

The Final against King’s Bruton was an excellent Indoor match with both sides trying different systems to break down the opposition. Dean Close went 1.0 ahead and Suzy Carter made it 2.0 with an excellent short corner. Louisa Neal and Greta Burckhardt were excellent at the back.

King’s Bruton though pulled a goal back but Dean Close held on to win the title and qualify for the National Finals.

It was only the 2nd time Dean Close had won the title and was a superb display by the whole squad led by an excellent captain in Suzy Carter.

The Outdoor league campaign continued after Christmas with two final league matches against Millfield and Malvern. The Millfield match as ever was a tight match but after Millfield took the lead with a penalty stroke, Dean Close equalised with a superb drag flick. The match ended 1-1. With other results going their way Dean Close qualified for the Quarter Finals after a good win against Malvern.

In the National Quarter Final, Dean Close had to travel to Surbiton High School and play at Surbiton Hockey Club.

Dean Close started strongly with Suzie Carter and Louisa Neal dominating the midfield and Anna Payne putting pressure and dribbling at the Surbiton defence. After a superb pass from Louisa Neal, Alice Howitt scored to put Dean Close ahead. Surbiton began to come back into the match towards the end of the first half and scored from a deflection at a corner. Surbiton started the second half strongly but Dean Close kept them at bay with good defending from Helena Montgomery and Leah Barton and with Louisa Plumhoff in Goal. Just as Dean Close were getting back into the match Surbiton went ahead 2.1. This sparked Dean Close into overdrive with Hannah Porter, Fluff Howitt, Caitlin Thompson and Anna Payne putting pressure on the Surbiton defence. After some amazing skills from Caitlin Thompson, Dean Close were awarded a penalty corner which Caitlin Thompson scored from a rebound to make it 2-2. Despite Dean Close having more chances the match ended 2-2 and went to penalty strokes.

In the penalty strokes after a save from Louisa Plumhoff and another miss from Surbiton, it was left to ice cool Louisa Neal to score to put Dean Close through to the National Semi Final.

Dean Close were drawn against Cranleigh School in the Semi final. After a trip to Reading Hockey club and a postponed match, Dean Close travelled to Lee Valley Hockey stadium in London for the Semi Final.

The Semi Final was played at a ferocious pace with Dean Close getting the better of the early stages with Anna Payne’s closing down and skill and Alice Howitt and Hannah Porter also causing problems for Cranleigh’s defence. From a Dean Close short corner Anna Payne scored a superb individual goal with a superb reverse stick flick into the goal to put Dean Close 1.0 up. Cranleigh came back though and equalised and then went 2-1 up, only for Captain Suzie Carter to dribble through and smash the ball into the goal to equalise. The final exchanges of the match were played at a ferocious pace with Cara Roth, Suzie Carter and Louisa Neal dominating exchanges.

After a good move involving several players Fluff Howitt reverse sticked the ball superbly into the goal to make it 3-2 to Dean Close and into the National Final. What a result and only the second time in Dean Close History they have made the U18s National Final.

In a repeat the 2013 National Final Dean Close played a very strong Repton side. Dean Close were not intimidated though and threw everything at Repton. Anna Payne showed her individual skill by creating opportunities, with the midfield trio of Suzie Carter, Louisa Neal and Caitlin Thompson tackling well. The midfield battle was ferocious. Cara Roth, Helena Montgomery and Leah Barton tackled everything at the back. Dean Close defended several corners and then got one of their own but after a good shot Repton broke though to the other end to score to make it 1.0.

The rest of the match was a battle with Repton dominating the exchanges and scoring to make it 2.0 in the dying minutes.

A superb effort from the Dean Close squad 2nd in the country after an amazing campaign.

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The 2nd team had an excellent season too only losing one match all season. Captained excellently by Georgie Powell they had excellent wins against Millfield School., Bristol Grammar and Clifton amongst others. With Olivia Walmsley in goal and Captain Georgie Powell, Connie Davies and Katie Smart at the back the defence was strong. Ffion Hillman and Greta Burckhardt played well in midfield and Grace Billington and Ella Curtis scored the goals upfront.

An overall really positive season after the Covid break which meant this was the first ever season of 11-a-side hockey for many of the girls.

The 3rd team had a tough season result wise but played some excellent Hockey. The side changed weekly but all the girls enjoyed their hockey and worked hard in training and matches. Good draws against Clifton College and Taunton School in their last two matches showed the improvement made. Indy McNulty in goal had an excellent season. Other notable performances came from Katie Lillywhite, Olivia Mason and Lydia Coniam. Charlotte Read captained the side well, which showed in the results towards the end of the season.

The 4th team also had a season where the results towards the end of the season showed how much they have improved. Grace Curtis did well in goal, with the whole team improving their skills in attack and defence. Xandria Campbell did well in defence and Onome Ovie-Otebele and Flora Ousey were strong in midfield. Gabby Rogers worked hard as a forward. A win against Clifton and a draw against Taunton ended the season well.

The U15A had a mixed season result wise but lost several players to the 1st team and had to move players into new positions from previous years.

They played a good brand of Hockey with Sophie Bowcher in goal and Florence McKinnes at the back the defence was strong. Nuala Benson and Corinna Clarkson developed into excellent midfield players with Sophie Wallace and Lily Taylor playing well as forwards. It was a development season for the squad.

U16s cup run.

The U15Bs had a season with many close matches and with two good wins against Clifton College and Taunton School to finish the season.

This showed how the team and developed during the season, with Erin Jefferey in goal and Chantelle Davies and Lucy Webber strong at the back. Martha Sharp captained the side from midfield with Rachel Silvester along side her playing well too. Rosie Brown and Dakota Jones played well as forwards with the whole squad improving their skills and game awareness throughout the season.

The U14As had a season of highs and lows but developed into a strong outfit by the end of the

season. There results were strong throughout the season with good wins against Bristol Grammar and Taunton School. They had several draws, which shows the resilience of the squad and how they developed their game play knowledge.

Alice Montgomery, Rosie Thomas and Mariam Sahabdeen played well at the back. Elinor Farrier, Issy Phillips and Jasmine Butterfield were strong in midfield with Poppy Kwinter and Caitlin Allen working hard as forwards.

An overall really positive season after the Covid break, this was the first ever season of 11 a side hockey for many of the girls.

The U14Bs had a an enjoyable season improving their skills and game play as the season progressed. They fought hard in the school matches. Lily Parkes captained the side well with Mili Ratu very strong in midfield and Esme Ledley calm at the back. Ellis Woolley and Sienna Perry worked hard as forwards.

The U14Cs enjoyed their season especially the matches. They all worked hard in training and improved their game awareness and skills as the season progressed. Naiara Garcia Munoz captained the side with Daisy Salisbury, Meghan Williams, Phia Walmsley playing well in several of the matches.

The first season after Covid saw all the girls in all the squads improve and it was good to see how many players moved up sides from their own hard work in training. I would like to thank all the coaches for all their time, expertise and dedication throughout the term. The first Hockey term back was always going to be challenging but ended up being successful, exciting and progressive for everyone.

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U16s OUTDOOR CUP CAMPAIGN The U16s Outdoor Squad came together after short preparation time with a 1st Round match against Malvern St James away which they comfortably won. The squad really started to knit together in the next two rounds against Cheltenham Ladies’ College and Malvern College. Serena Ihle-Matthews in goal and Connie Davies and Great Burckhardt in defence controlled the matches. Ffion Hillman in the midfield played well, supported by an ever improving Nuala Benson and Corrina Clarkson.

Ella Taylor was sharp in front of goal.

The last 16 match was against Clifton College away but the Dean Close side were up for the challenge. Connie Davies and Greta Burckhardt were excellent in defence. Macey Williams driving up the right from right defence and Ffion Hillman having an explosive first half put Dean Close on the front foot. Dean Close scored two goals but also missed a few chances in this period and Clifton came back to draw 2-2 by half time. After the furious first half the match settled down in the second half and Dean Close controlled the match with Corinna Clarkson excellent in midfield with Lily Taylor and Sophie Wallace working hard up front. Dean Close took the lead and held on to win with Serena Ihle-Matthews called on to make one last excellent save to put the squad into the Quarter Finals an excellent achievement from a fast developing squad.

A home draw in the Quarter Finals against the The Perse School with a traditional Dean Close crowd to cheer them on was an amazing experience for the girls.

On the day The Perse were just too strong but the Dean Close squad worked tirelessly throughout the match and showed the spirit, desire they all had. What a journey for the girls and so good to see so many of the girls experiencing such a level of hockey.

U16s Indoor Campaign to the National Semi Final.

The U16s Campaign started at Cheltenham College in the County Cup and as ever with this age group it took some time for the squad to find their feet. Eventually they started to link together to qualify for the West Finals at Cheltenham Ladies’ College.

With only one qualifier for the National Finals it was going to be a very tough West Finals. Dean Close started with a match against a strong Millfield side in the group but literally exploded into action, Lara Hill and Connie Davies at the back showing vision and strong tackling. With Caitlin Thompson, Fluff Howitt and Connie Britton causing Millfield continual problems. Dean Close ran out 6-2 winners. Other good group wins saw them play in the Semi Final but with Lara Hill so

strong at the back and with Caitlin Thompson and Fluff Howitt scoring good goals, Dean Close qualified for a re match with Millfield in the Final.

A much tighter match saw Dean Close win 1.0 with Lara Hill and Sophie Bowcher in goal outstanding and become West Champions.

The National Finals were played at Repton School and after travelling up the night before Dean Close first match in the group was Repton School. In a very tight match Repton managed to win 2.1 with Lara Hill showing her amazing Indoor ability against a good Repton Side and Caitlin Thompson causing continual problems. Two good group wins against Scarborough and King Edward VI schools saw Dean Close through to the National Semi Final against a strong Framlingham College side.

Dean Close matched Framlingham in the early exchanges, only conceding one goal in the first half and having several chances to score.

Framlingham went 2-0 up and Dean Close had to chase the match and scored only for Framlingham to score a 3rd goal to make the final score 3-1.

What an amazing achievement for the girls to come in the top four in the country. Lara Hill, showed in every match, that she is one of the strongest Indoor players in the Country at her age group and led the side superbly.

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Girls’Netball he 1st VII, captained by Katie Smart, started their term looking forward to a full term of fixtures.

With restrictions of Covid behind us and the arrival of Martha Steel it was time to see what this exciting team could achieve. Our first fixture against Cheltenham College started well.

However, with some players unavailable we welcomed Nuala Benson to the team. The girls gave a great first account of themselves winning 29-15. As we moved into the next weeks of term we continued to build and develop in training. The girls were the most focused Mrs. Holder had seen and huge improvements were made, especially at the attacking end #openthedoor! Our winning streak continued with strong performances against Colston, Bloxham and Clifton College. After half term the team continued to work hard during training and were riding high on their, so far, unbeaten season. There was a new energy surrounding the team and the girls were all building towards the local derby with Wycliffe College. Two more wins were secured against King’s and St Edward’s Oxford before we travelled away to play Wycliffe. Due to a busy week at school we were missing our starting GK Emily C. But with such versatility in the team we were able to adjust and still put out our best performance of the term netting 45 goals. Still unbeaten we edged towards the final game of the term against Dauntsey. This would also be the final netball match for our U6 girls, Katie S, Leah B, Alice H and Grace B. Having represented Dean Close Netball throughout Prep and Senior School it really was the end of an era. The team started well, initially taking the lead. However, Dauntsey was a strong and experienced side and fought back eventually winning the game. The undefeated season wasn’t to be but each and every girl that played in this team should be proud of where they have taken DCS netball. The team scored an impressive 271 goals across the term only conceding 178.

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The girls were the most focused Mrs. Holder had seen and huge improvements were made, especially at the attacking end The seconds had a really competitive season.

Out of their 9 matches they won 4, lost 4 and drew one in a thrilling end to end 28 all match against Wycliffe College. Player of the season was Zina Moss, who led from the front and was a hot shot in the circle, aided well by Katie Lillywhite. The thirds had a solid term winning four of their eight matches. Stand out performances came from Ellie Jupp, Clova Logan and Ella Tolchard who all gained MVP awards for matches against Colston, Bloxham and Malvern respectively. The Mighty Fourth team welcomed Mrs. Rath into the Netball club.

They had a good season with some loses and a draw but mostly wins. They were resilient and had several close matches most notably against Bloxham and Clifton where they had to focus until the last minute to keep the score in their favour. The defensive duo of Lydia and Kate were a powerhouse in intercepting the ball. Lily in her final year of playing Netball at Dean Close shared the centre duties with Nell, their high energy and control in moving the ball through the midcourt meant we had lots of chances to shoot.

I will remember them for their passion to win but also their love of skittles and Haribo!” Mrs. Rath (Third VII Coach)

‘The group of girls were a pleasure to work with,

It was fantastic to see so many girls representing the Fifth Team. Captained for their matches by Flora Ousey, Tilly Webster, Grace Curtis and Lola Hill, the girls played with great enthusiasm and integrity even in the face of defeat. The team started the season with an excellent win against

Bloxham but were met with fierce competition for our remaining matches against Clifton, St Edward's and Rugby. Grace Curtis and Leila Wharton were consistently excellent shooters, enabled by the fantastic Ayo Sotande-Peters in defence. The Sixth Team were committed all term and show fantastic improvements each week. They showed enthusiasm and a willingness to learn even in the cold!

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The U14A team, had a season full of determination and resilience. Unfortunately, matches were hit by illness/injury, but the squad pulled together and had impressive wins vs Colston's, Bloxham, Wycliffe and Dauntseys.

There was excellent defending from Ellie Penhallow and Jaz Butterfield with the work horses of Elinor Farrier and Issy Phillips in mid court. Up against some tall opposition the shooters of Mili Ratu and Alice Montgomery were often struggling to see the post to shoot at, but they both persevered. Mrs. Lait, the team’s coach, was very impressed with their work ethic in training and competitive attitude.

The team did fantastically well with back to back wins and a strong team cohesion throughout The U14B team were under the charge of Miss Dolloway. The team had a tough start against College but bounced back to have two great games against Colston and Bloxsome.

Captained by Charlotte Minter, the team worked hard week in week out and always gave 100%.

Consistent performances from Caitlin Allen and Rosie Thomas saw the team rewarded with impressive score lines notably against Wycliffe.

They celebrated their wins as a team but also took defeat graciously. Our U14C team had the super keen Mr. Webb as their coach. Having shared his mixed netball experience with Mrs. Holder it only seemed right he gained a spot within the netball club. The team did fantastically well with back to back wins and a strong team cohesion throughout. Captained by Lily Parkes, the girls kept their form all term and worked so hard for each other. Well done Mr. Webb – please ask for a whistle from Father Christmas this year though! The U14D team made huge improvements over the term. They were keen to learn and used techniques and tactics they had developed in training. The team work shown by this group of girls was impressive and no member of the team was left behind. The 14D’s could be heard cheering each other on and pepping each other up.

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The season started strongly for the 15As under the expertise of Mrs. Withers, with a convincing win against Cheltenham College. There were some excellent performances from Nuala Benson in attack and Bri Brown in defence. Their second game against Colston's was more challenging, but Corinna Clarkson really stepped up to the plate in Nuala's absence (Mrs. Holder kept stealing her for the 1st VII). For the next three games, the team chopped and changed (with Caitlin away at England 16s and Sophie representing GB in riding) and were unable to continue the winning form against Bloxham, Clifton and Malvern who had some excellent individual players. In the following three games v King's, Teddies and Wycliffe, the girls really showed their class and strength and how well they had developed as a team over the term.

Well done to Nuala who also represented the 1st team regularly throughout the term and to Louisa who was most improved player.

The U15Bs were a team that anyone would have been happy to have as their A team - the quality of play, commitment, attitude and skill made this group of girls a dream to coach. They had some easy and some tough matches. But in the end, they lost only two matches, having the benefit of a wise and skilful captain in Florence, a formidable attack in Molly, Sophie and Antonia: an indefatigable centre court with Lily; versatility in Izzy and Lydia; and Zara and Dakota who played their hearts out in defence.

“It has been an absolute joy to coach such a talented and receptive group of girls.

Congratulations on a fabulous season”.

Mrs. Warden U15B Coach The U15C team were coached by Miss Gordon.

The team had great performances against Malvern College and Bloxsome. The team worked hard in every match with some great defensive play from Chantelle Davies and shooting from Caitlin Bourne. The U15D team had five fixtures over the term. They notched up a solid 34 goal count and narrowly missed out by one goal against St Edward’s Oxford. The team were supportive and versatile with some girls playing several positions and some representing Dean Close for the very first time.

later date against Ribston Hall which the U16s won 18-4. Next up the U19s took to court. They competed well narrowly missing out in the semifinal. The U14s had a great day at their tournament. The played well captained by Elinor Farrier and narrowly missed out on a semi-final spot.

In January 2022 the U16 travelled to Bournemouth for Regional School Finals. Slightly depleted due to injury the team still put on a great performance in each of their six-group stage matches. A confidence boosting win against South Wilts Grammar School gave us a solid start. Our other score lines were close and the girls fought hard but sadly we didn’t progress out of the group stage.

This year we have five girls representing in the Superleague franchise academies. At U19 level with Severn Stars Martha Steele played several matches in the National Performance League. Ella Taylor gained a place, also with Severn Stars, in the U17 squad competing in the NPL. Nuala Benson impressed to gain a place in the Stars U15 squad and will be competing in the School Games over the summer.

Serena Ihle-Matthews has also been representing Severn Stars in their Nova Academy and Emily Cox enters her second year in Team Bath’s Athlete Development Centre.

‘This really has been one of the most successful netball terms during my time at Dean Close. Not just in terms of winning matches but also in how the girls have shown such enthusiasm, commitment and that good old Dean Close grit. I am excited to see how much further we can grow the programme and continue to develop a successful and inclusive netball club’ Mrs. Holder – Director of Netball

Dean Close represented well at all three age groups at the Gloucestershire Schools’ County Tournaments, all hoping for a place at Regional Finals. First up were the U16s captained by Serena I-M. The team dominated the group stage and semi- final.

However, rain stopped play for the final. This was played at a

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Cricket Pre-season Winter Nets (Wednesday Evening and Friday Lunchtime Nets) Nets took place throughout the year in the Sports Hall and on the CPA. The players showed their year-round commitment to the sport by attending nets during their lunchtime and late into the evening. Bowling and batting sessions were supplemented by more specific skills work such as power hitting and running between the wickets. The one-to-one coaching sessions continued as well. Alongside the Director of Cricket, Michael Powell, in delivering these were the Gecko Cricket coaches led by former Zimbabwe international, Ryan Higgins.

1st XI After a couple of disruptive seasons due to Covid,the 1st XI looked forward to a packed fixture card of cricket for the summer. Out of the fifteen planned fixtures, thanks to the kind weather, we were able to play twelve and have the schools most successful season in many years, winning ten of them.

After a narrow loss to Cheltenham College in 2021 it was pleasing to win this year's return fixture in another close game.

Fine performances during the term from Alex Oliver, Charlie McKinnes and Toby Greaves have resulted in them being awarded their school caps. For the second year running the side was ably captained by Nick Schubach.

Alongside Nick we say goodbye to our U6 cricketers: A.Oliver, T.Greaves, B.Dodds, G.Merritt, L.Davis, J.Logan who have all

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shown outstanding effort and commitment to Dean Close Cricket when representing our school.

A relatively new tradition that has been introduced to the 1st XI. For the last fixture of the term the outgoing captain (Nick Schubach) hands over responsibilities to next year’s captain, and he chose the very capable Kameel Sahabdeen to lead the team in 2023.

Gloucester CCC, Glamorgan CCC and Wales Reps The following pupils represented Gloucester CCC, Glamorgan CCC, Wales at age level during the summer.

Alex Oliver | Kameel Sahabdeen | Mariam Sahabdeen | Elinor Farrier

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After a couple of disruptive seasons due to Covid the 1st XI looked forward to a packed fixture card of cricket for the summer

2nd XI The Second XI have played excellent, exciting cricket led by Freddie Philip-Sorensen, culminating in an unbeaten season. The success of the team has largely been down to the amount of good fun the boys have had. Ever enthusiastic, the boys found a balance between playing good, competitive cricket and expressing themselves. The most enjoyable thing has been the team effort with everybody contributing whether it be bat, ball or in the field.

The season started with a dominant win against local rivals, Cheltenham College. This performance and result really paved the way for a successful season as the boys hit their straps, producing a convincing all-round performance.

Props to Jack Logan and George Merritt who starred with the ball and bat respectively.

The first win of the season was soon followed by a series of convincing wins against The King’s School and RGS, both from Worcester, and then by a resounding 10 wicket victory of Wycliffe.

These preceding matches served as a pre-cursor for the game against King’s School Gloucester, however. The 100 run victory against King’s was

our finest display of the season, providing a masterclass for the onlooking crowd. Batting first, the top order set about making the lives of the bowlers difficult, with Masters Philip-Sonrensen and Logan making mincemeat of the opposition attack in an excellent, family fuelled 100 run partnership - Freddie was unfortunate to just run out of balls as he carried his bat for an excellent knock of 94 not out.

Unfortunately, we lost a few fixtures from the card due to the exam season, but it was good that we were able to play a reasonably full season from a weather perspective, with only the last game of the season being interrupted by rain. Thankfully, what proved to be our last game was a close-run thriller against Bristol Grammar School. This fixture showed that even though the team was intent on having fun, they also had the resolve to grind out a victory, when necessary.

Overall, it was a most enjoyable season which will provide many memories for all involved.

Thanks to all the cricketers for their contributions and the general spirit with which they approached the season.

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U14A The Under 14A team experienced a mixed season under the guidance of Mr. Hall and Mr. Milne, with the first half of the season being undoubtedly better than the second half. The overall record of 4 wins from 9 games, with 5 losses, was probably not an unfair reflection of the season in terms of performance, but the extent of one or two of the defeats was certainly not representative of the talents of this particular group of cricketers.

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t was another very successful season for this excellent team with an impressive playing record of 8 wins and 1 loss in their 9 matches.

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The side was very well led by Barney Mason, whose field setting and player management was most impressive. The spirit within the team was superb: not only were the boys encouraging and supportive of one another but they brought real energy and enthusiasm. The latter often manifested itself in some excellent ‘cricket bants’ (#classic), more often than not led by Ed ‘more wheels than a Lamborghini’ Smart, whose questionable cricketing understanding rarely deterred him.

A great feature of this season was the fact that every single player in the team made a significant contribution with bat or ball. Dan Woodward-Court bowled with great consistency all year and had that wonderful knack of taking key wickets, including a big one in his first over against Pate’s. Simon ‘can I bat 3?’ Fance bowled with great pace and control from the other end and was in the wickets all season. His passion and commitment to the team and ‘the crick’ in general is first class. Charlie Beddis also bowled with hostility and impressively claimed two separate three wicket hauls.

Will Waltham also bowled fast and - when the radar is adjusted slightly - will become a genuinely strong all-rounder. His batting was scintillating at times: his 56* against Pate’s included a huge 6 which has left its mark among the roofing tiles of a Fawley pitch facing house. Cai’s off spin was the perfect foil to the quick bowlers and he claimed wickets and fine figures throughout. As well as great bants, Ed Smart bowled some excellent spells, including

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one that yielded 3 wickets against Pate’s. All the while, Henry Swan kept things tidy and took some great catches behind the stumps. Some of the wickets were poor at times this season which did not make Henry’s life as a keeper very easy. But he never complained and always gave his best for the team. Ed Waltham’s maiden fifty against King’s Gloucester was one of the real highlights of the season. His stand with Harry ‘spin’s my kryptonite’ Wrighthouse (who made some valuable runs including this rapid 35) was a game changer. Barney didn’t just captain well but made some important runs himself including several knocks in the 30s. Ben Lord has got better and better as the season has progressed.

He has managed to curb his impulsiveness and has scored consistently well – and with great style – in recent matches. Finally, one of the other great highlights of the season was produced by Harvey Heaven, whose incredible 105* against King’s Worcester will live long in the memory.

Overall, it has been an absolute pleasure coaching these boys over the past two years now. Not only are they a talented bunch, but they are a real TEAM and whilst they play hard to win, they also play with a smile on their faces. It has been a lot of fun!

Well done, lads.

This year's U15B cricket team were the most enthusiastic I have seen. Always playing with a smile on their faces and full of the "cric" spirit. Unfortunately, results did not go our way but always fought to the end of the each match. Highlights from the season include an excellent game by Ciaran Partch against BGS and the first ever "cricfest", well done to Joel's Maysey for leading his team to victory and lifting the trophy.

We started in April against Hereford Cathedral School. Batting first, captain Jac Couchman led the way with 77* as we made a strong 155-2 from our 20 overs. In reply, Hereford made a good fist of the chase, staying ahead of the rate until the 12th over, at which point we tightened things up, with three of the final six overs being maidens courtesy of George Collingwood and Jac Couchman, resulting in a win by 37 runs. Against RGS Worcester on May 7th, we batted first and only put up 104 in our 25 overs, which our opponents comfortably reached in the 14th over of their innings for only one wicket down. More positive was our trip to Wycliffe on May 12th, where Hadley Worgan took 4 wickets for 6 runs as we kept them to 38 runs, a total that we reached comfortably in the 7th over for the loss of three wickets. King’s Gloucester were our visitors on May 14th and one of their openers fell only six short of a century as they posted 174-6 off 25 overs.

Despite a feisty 60 from Finn Dann Ward in reply, we fell 66 short, with no other batter reaching double figures. Pate’s, on May 19th, were the next to grace Chapel Close, with Finn Dann Ward again leading the batters with 47 as we totalled 137-7 from 20 overs. In reply, we restricted them to 99-8, with our opponents never looking like getting close. A journey to Kingswood in Bath came next on May 21st. Our opponents won the toss and batted first, but regular wickets, including three to Elinor Farrier, kept them from building any big partnerships and restricted them to 117-7 from 25 overs. In reply, with loud Italian dance music emanating from a small festival just over the road, we knocked off the runs with more than 2 overs to spare, with Jac Couchman top-scoring with 36. Our final game before half term was a trip to King’s Worcester on May 26th, and they scored 184-2 off their 20 overs, with one opener scoring an impressive ton. With our teenage brains possibly frazzled by the battering our bowlers took in the King’s innings, it was perhaps unsurprising to see us slump to a disappointing 133 run loss as the shadows lengthened in Worcester.

The second half of term promised much, but an early cancelled fixture and two defeats put paid to the optimism with which we had entered June. We bowled well against Bristol Grammar School, keeping things tight until the final five of their thirty overs. Zach McCouaig had a brief cameo role with the ball, taking two wickets. Sustaining over six runs per over for 30 overs was always going to be a challenge, but it was disappointing to see the team bowled out for 29, with one BGS bowler taking a phenomenal 8 wickets for 9 runs from her 6 overs, using a metronomic Glenn McGrath-esque line and

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length. Our final game (indeed, the last one these players will have on Chapel Close) saw the visit of Bloxham. The showers came and went all afternoon, and in between soakings we managed to play 20 overs per side. Bloxham racked up an imposing 166-7, with Mariam Sahabdeen and George Collingwood each taking two wickets. A failure to catch cost us dearly in this game, although the ball was slippery in the drizzle that barely relented. After early losses in our reply (we were 13-4 in the middle of the 4th over) a rallying of sorts took place courtesy of Mariam Sahabdeen and Jac Couchman, with a cavalier cameo from Freddie Cronin towards the end.

Alas, it was to be in vain as we fell 38 runs short; the heavens opened 20 minutes too late to rescue us!

Girls'Cricket

Credit must go to Hugh Green, who was our wicket keeper and from whom we saw immense growth with the gloves as the season progressed. The highest praise must be reserved for the skipper, Jac Couchman, who led the team with patience and maturity, allowing others to shine while scoring runs and taking wickets. He has an excellent cricketing brain and it was great to watch him manipulating fields and changing up the bowling attack.

U14B Against the College, there were early signs of batting promise from Lucas & Ollie and tidy bowling from both Noahs. First win v RGS Worcester. Roman’s left hand spin brought wickets and a wicket for Sky. Noah W, Leighton & Roman got us home. Just went down by 5 runs at Rendcomb.

Two wickets for Noah C in his first over. More runs for Lucas & Roman v Kingswood. Gabriel won our man of the match for his batting and bowling v King’s Worcester. Olly took the plaudits v BGS, 3 wickets and 34 runs. Leighton impressed, keeping his cool. Fantastic final over saw us get over the line, when Oscar ran a bye, to give us a 1 wicket win with 4 balls to spare! Josh, 61 not out & 11 fours, and Noah W, 26 not out, helped us chase down 154 v Bloxham.

Girls' cricket, in its second year, has built on the success of the inaugural year of 2021.

We have had enough girls participating to put out two teams this season and the majority of girls have been able to represent the school in matches. The girls have shown commitment and enthusiasm in training sessions and have improved greatly over the term.

As for fixtures, we played a 4 match test series v Wycliffe, drawing 2-2!

It is also fantastic to see record numbers of girls representing the boys' teams in hard ball cricket. As girls' cricket moves forward, hopefully we will be able to put out both soft ball and hard ball teams.

Players of the Season - Nell Currie and Rosie Brown. Most improved - Evie Cooper.

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SportsDay n Thursday 5 May 2022 at the Prince of Wales Stadium in Cheltenham, we hosted our first Sports’ Day since 2018. The three year wait was due to bad weather in 2019 and, following that, the pandemic. This meant our current Upper Sixth were the only pupils with prior experience of a Senior School Sports’ Day, so this was a particularly special occasion for the whole School community.

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It was a gloriously sunny day. Sadly, our Fifth Form were absent due to sitting their GCSE English exam; they were sorely missed. Competing pupils arrived at the stadium on House buses, with each House bring their own ‘noise’ and colour to proceedings, a fantastic carnival atmosphere was quickly established. As I reflect back on all of the Sports’ Days that I have been part of, I would highlight this as one of my clear favourites.

Pupils competed with commitment, determination and enthusiasm, as well as a desire to do their House proud. They also supported each others’ endeavours fully, with the stands full of encouragement and praise. It certainly was evident that it was a whole School event that pupils really appreciated being part of, following its absence over the last 4 years.

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Achievements All pupils really worked hard for their Houses and there certainly are some individuals whose achievements on the day should be mentioned.

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Luke Davis (Upper Sixth, Gate) broke the Senior Boys’ 1500m record by R. Hildick-Smith (2005) with a time of 4:10:08

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Jac Couchman (Fourth Form, Tower) beat the Junior Boys’ time set by T. Pallister (2016) with 4:59:56

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Elinor Farrier (Fourth Form, Hatherley) broke both the Junior Girls’ 100m (2006 A. Glover) and 200m (1993 V. Youde) records with times of 12:38s and 24:65s respectively.

Junior Victrix Ludorum - Elinor Farrier (100m and 200m winner) Senior Victrix Ludorum - Suzi Carter (Upper Sixth) (Shot Putt and Javelin winner) Junior Victor Ludorum - Tom Dempsey (Fourth Form) (300m, 800m and Javelin winner) Intermediate Victor Ludorum - Ed Waltham (Remove) (200m and long Jump winner, 3rd in 100m and Triple Jump) Senior Victor Ludorum - Luke Davis (Upper Sixth) (800m and 1500m winner)

Overall Girls’ results Congratulations to Hatherley Junior winners - Hatherley Senior winners – Hatherley

Overall Boys’ results Congratulations to Brook Court Junior winners - Brook Court Intermediate winners - Brook Court Senior Winners - Gate

A special thank you to all staff who helped support the event on the day. Congratulations to Hatherley House and Brook Court House who ran out as eventual overall winners for the girls and boys respectively.

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Although some Covid restrictions were still in place, looking at the beginning of the equestrian season there was quiet optimism that that the Dean Close Foundation riders would be able to compete in their first ‘normal’ season for a couple of years. 2021/22 Season had much to look forward to and the Foundation riders didn’t disappoint. An ever-growing squad, in both size and strength of disciplines, contested the Dean Close Programme and the equestrian squad was able to demonstrate continued growth, development of skill and excellence across the whole of the 2021/22 season.

Equestrian

Dean Close Eventer Challenge

NSEA National Championships Having achieved both Showing Jumping and Dressage National Qualification for the NSEA National 2021 Championships the team riders headed to Keysoe International Equestrian Centre for the National Finals. With over 120 schools qualified to attend from across the UK for the National finals it was the biggest National finals ever hosted, 4 days of highly competitive competition.

The Dressage at Dean Close has gone from strength to strength. The team event saw the

arrival of National team captain Mimi Payton, Alice Barrow and Sophie Wallace to join Ella-Grace DCPS. 32 school teams rode against each other for the National placings. Sophie Wallace on her impressive Lusitano stallion rode an outstanding test to achieve a score of 82.4% the highest dressage score achieved on the day by any rider, Ella -Grace added a further 71.9%, Mimi Payton and Alice Barrow added solid test scores to see Dean Close Foundation take team 2nd place and become NSEA Reserve National Dressage Champions. This was an outstanding achievement for all these riders.

Our Show Jumping Team took on both the 90cms and 1m National finals. The 1m team of Capt. Mimi Payton, Gabriel Mattle, Estella Willis and Alice Barrow jumped good rounds but with a few poles rolling and some of the younger horses finding their first nationals a little overwhelming, the team finished a very credible 11th out of the 28 teams riding. The 90cms saw Corinna Clarkson yr10 arrive to jump. The 90cms team did an outstanding job rolling just 1 pole in the 3 rounds seeing them finish 14th out of 42 teams. Two great results with new combinations and young horses.

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Dean Close Equestrian Programme once again sponsored the NSEA Eventer Challenge National Qualifiers at Rectory Farm. The day was a huge success with over 30 schools in attendance and classes full all day. The Dean Close riders in the 90cms Team, Mimi Payton, Bella Stevens, Alice Barrow and Corinna Clarkson rode great rounds to take team 2nd and qualify for the National Finals at Hickstead. Mimi Payton took individual 5th and Corinna Clarkson Individual 7th. The 1m team saw Emily Roberts return as an NSEA ambassador competing with Mimi, Alice and Bella. Dean Close rode through a technical course to win the 1m and take their qualification to the finals at Hickstead also.

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NSEA NATIONAL PLATE Dean Close Foundation Team Crowned NSEA Plate Champions

Royal Windsor

The Dean Close Foundation SJ team shone at Keysoe International at the NSEA Plate championships at Keysoe International. Mimi Payton, Bella Stevens, Gabriel Mattle and Marielle Del-Valle DCPS took on a very full up 1m track, riding excellent rounds to secure the overall win and take the title of 2021 Plate 1m SJ National Champions.

Gabriel also contested the 1.10 pony championship final, riding a very skilled round he showed excellent riding to take 2nd and become individual reserve plate champion. Mimi Payton took on the 1.10 Hickstead Elite Qualifier. Mimi showed her experience at this height, jumping a great clear to take 2nd place and her qualification to jump at the All-England Show Jumping Ground, Hickstead in 2022 for the Elite finals in August 2022.

The Dean Close team of Capt, Mimi, Oliver yr12, Estella yr12 and Corrina yr10, headed to Royal Windsor Horse Show. for the first time in 3 years the show was back in all its glory and in the Jubilee year its scale and size were something to behold. All the riders did themselves proud, two beautiful clear rounds from Ollie and Corinna set the team in a good position, Estella’s young horse was a little overwhelmed with the crowds and rolled a pole, Capt. Mimi horse missed the striding and took a rather spectacular fall at the 2nd last fence, both horse and rider got up and were unharmed. The team finished a very credible 12th out of the 20 teams qualified to attend the event. Such a privilege to compete there once again.

NSEA Eventer Challenge and County Cup National Finals becoming County Cup National Champion. We then moved to the Eventer 90cms Challenge team of Capt. Mimi, Alice, Emily and Corinna, it was a tough track with lots of questions and the team did very well to complete and post a score when many established teams were unable to.

Capt. Mimi jumped a faultless round to take 24th place in a field of over 200 riders. The 1m track was proving very tough and no teams completing in the morning. Alice went in as the pathfinder and jumped a skilled round to be clear and give the team the confidence boost needed. Emily and Mimi jumped excellent rounds to give the team a completion score of 4, seeing the riders take overall team 3rd place and Mimi individual 13th from over 120 riders.

This year the NSEA amalgamated the Eventer Challenge National finals and the County Cup National finals into three days of tough competition back at the All-England Ground, Hickstead. Sophie on her Stallion Nadal, rode in her Individual Novice dressage county cup final.

Sophie rode a beautiful test to score an impressive 76.82% taking the overall win and

The County Cup Show Jumping saw the 90cms Team narrowly miss the top 8 jump off coming team 9th in the country. The 1m team of Estella, Alice, Mimi and Emily saw an excellent first round to take them into the top 8 jump off phase. Just a couple of unlucky poles but the team rode beautifully to take team 5th in the 1m County Cup finals.

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RIDING LESSONS

DEAN CLOSE SHOWJUMPING EVENT 2022 brought the sunshine to the Dean Close Interschools sponsored SJ Event at Rectory Farm.

Over the course of the day 62 schools came and jumped and with 432 rounds of show jumping across two rings it was something to behold. The event really demonstrated the length and breadth of what the Programme has to offer our Show jumping students with classes starting at 40cms Grass Roots to National and Elite 1.10 qualification.

The Foundation riders did themselves proud not only with their results but also with the way they acquitted themselves across the day, senior riders helping with the younger ones and helping across the event to make it the success it was. It was a display of Dean Close students at their best.

1m - Team 2nd - Mimi Payton, Freddie Ogden-Metherell, Bella Stephens and Oliver Dodman – Qualified for the National Championships in October 2022.

Indiv 5th - Bella Stephens – Qualified for NSEA Plate Championships October 2022

1m Team 4th - Corinna Clarkson, Estella Willis and Freddie OM - Qualified for NSEA Plate Championships October 2022

1.10 horse. Ollie Dodman - 1st National Championships Qualified and Elite Hickstead finals July 2022.

Estella Willis - 1st National Championships Qualified and Elite Hickstead finals July 2022.

1.10 Pony. Gabriel Mattle 3rd - Qualified National Championships in October 2022.

A huge thank you to all the Team parents and riders who made the day what it was.

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The Equestrian Programme also provides those who wish to learn to ride or to improve their riding the opportunity to do so each week at Tumpy Green Equestrian.

These lessons, each Tuesday afternoon, prove to be a popular activity and are thoroughly enjoyed by all those taking part.

For those students wishing to learn to ride or unable to bring their own horses to school this is a wonderful opportunity to have.

Tumpy Green offers development lessons for Beginners and advanced training and schoolmaster lessons for established riders looking to develop their knowledge and skill.

There are 45 students now accessing the Equestrian Programme Foundation, with more interested in the equestrian scholarships in both the Senior and Prep Schools the team is continuing to grow. Whilst we lose some of our loved and established seniors in 2022, we are gaining new and exciting riders in the junior years, with new talented and young riders coming through, there is a lot to look forward to in 2022/23. As always, the season wouldn’t happen without the hard work and dedication of the parents who willingly bring riders and horses to the competitions, so I thank you and look forward to next season and all it brings.

Mrs. Fleur Cradock – Director of Equestrianism

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Tennis We entered the 2022 tennis season knowing it was going to be our first full fixture card for almost 3 years, with classic fixtures, county tournaments and LTA competitions all booked in.

The term got going with an LTA regional match against Cheltenham Ladies’ College, captain Alice Howitt, Suzie Carter, Serena Ihle Matthews and Ella Taylor made easy work of their fixture, winning comfortably and progressing through to the next round.

First up in the Classic tennis fixtures was Dauntsey’s School in Devizes, a new tennis fixture for 2022 and one that allowed all sixteen girls teams to compete. The girls relished the opportunity to face a new opponent and challenge themselves early in the term. It was a very close and competitive fixture across all year groups and teams. The seniors battled hard, they won the 1st and 2nd team matches and the 3rd and 4th teams only narrowly missed out.

Following the weekend, we were straight back into training and focusing all our efforts, on court positioning and confidence at the net. The girls were on top form during training and clearly wanted to improve and develop their tennis skills. This set the bar high for future training sessions and expectations from the coaching team. I am so pleased to be able to say that the girls continued that work ethos all term and didn’t drop their commitment or dedication to the tennis programme. It was only the very final week of term before we had a few requests for a game of around the world or bobsleigh!

The fixtures now started to come thick and fast with a mid-week match at Cheltenham College, Gloucestershire school girls on Saturday morning followed by Kingswood Bath in the afternoon. The teams had certainly ignited their passion for tennis with all the girls wanting to play and represent Dean Close. It turned out to be a great weekend for DC tennis with strong results in all the teams’ classics fixtures and finalists in the U18 and winners of the U16 Gloucestershire schools’ girls’ tournament.

The following weekend was no exception as we had the 110th Midlands Schools’ Girls’ Tennis Tournament in Warwick and a block fixture against Malvern College. Hannah Porter, Louisa Neal, Alice Howitt and Suzie Carter all gave 100% in all of their tournament rounds with the standard of tennis the highest I have seen it in recent years. After four hours of tennis both pairs had made it through to the finals of their draw, where they faced a very strong opposition from Bromsgrove and Kings High. The girls gave it everything: they battled hard and contested every point. In the end, their opposition proved too much on this occasion with both pairs finishing runners up. I am hugely proud of the team as they showed resilience, courage and never stopped fighting. Well done.

With our 1st team all competing across the county in different events we challenged the seconds all to play up and represent the 1st team against Malvern College. The girls knew it would be tough but were definitely up for the task ahead. Well done to Grace Billington, Katie Smart, Mimi Gleeson, Anna Payne, Lydia Coniam and Zina Moss who convincingly beat Malvern College to continue the 1st team unbeaten season. Fantastic efforts from all who played.

With the tennis term in full flow and upcoming fixtures against Prior Park, St Edward’s and

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Wycliffe all the pupils involved continued to put maximum effort into training sessions. It was so nice to see so many pupils contesting for places in the teams. One of my favourite moments is seeing our senior 3rd team win their final match against St Edward’s Oxford, a tough opponent.

The matches were so close and the final few points were on a knife edge. The girls showed great character and team work as they held their nerve and won the fixture 5-4.

The 1st team progressed through the National LTA Aberdare tournament all term and found themselves in the regional final against a top tennis school. We were ready and as prepared as we could be to host Millfield for a chance to go to the LTA national finals in Nottingham.

The team headed out for their singles matches and once the first ball was hit, we were locked into a gruelling contest between some outstanding young tennis players. Alice Howitt was first off and successful with a win against

their number one player. Ella Taylor was next with a stunning and convincing win over their number four player. Suzie Carter left nothing out and gave everything as she traded blow after blow against their number two. After over two hours on court, she lost but I really couldn’t have been prouder of how she conducted herself. Serena was still out on court as the others sat and supported her from behind the courts. It was a close final set with both players showing off a variety different skills. Serena manged to take the second set 7-5 and the win left us with only one of the two doubles needed for the match win.

They teams headed back out after a short rest break and made a quick start in the opening sets. Both pairs continued to play some superb tennis and managed to secure the win for Dean Close, winning both doubles matches. The first time in Dean Close history the girls have made the Aberdare National Finals. What an achievement by our pupils.

14A Special mention to our 4th fixture against Malvern College (always a toughly contested match) where the 14 A team only dropped one match. The girls played remarkably well despite the hot weather. This was also the first time we tried out new pairings with Jas and Poppy playing together, Izzy with Caitlin and Alice with Charlotte. All six were hitting well and it was clear to see they were using techniques/tactics that had been spoken about in training. As a coach, for me, the best part of my job is seeing people take advice on board and implement it into their own game and these girls were certainly brilliant at doing this. They were all receptive and willing to listen/learn and were an absolute joy to teach – it makes my life so much easier and much more fun!

I have spent a lot of time with these girls this term because of the format of the tennis programme, with early morning Tuesday training, timetabled Tuesday and Thursday games as well as Saturday fixtures and not once would I have rather been put in charge of another team. Each girl brings her own skill or talent; whether it’s Poppy’s amazing reaction time at the net or Izzy’s super forehand, when put together they are unstoppable and this season proved that!

14 B

U15 The Under 15 girls continue to be a group who seem to really enjoy their tennis and have a great team bond. The U15As won 5 and lost 3 of their block fixtures, although all three defeats were tight affairs where regular A team players weren’t available. The highlight of the season was a hard fought 5-4 victory over Cheltenham Ladies’ College, with both Jessica Li and Louisa Sharp stepping up from the Bs. The U15Bs had a similar record, again winning 5 of their 8 matches. Particular highlights were two 9-0 victories over Prior Park and Kingswood. It has been a pleasure to see their tennis develop over the last two years and they should now be looking forward to representing the senior teams next season.

The U15 girls had a great LTA cup run, winning their group and setting up a Semi Final against St Edward’s Cheltenham. The girl’s performed brilliantly and against tough opposition and came through to make the Gloucestershire county finals. On the last day of term we hosted Denmark Road High School for Girls: it was the toughest match of the season with some very strong county players on court. The girls battled hard with some very tight games and points being played. It was 6-2 after the singles matches meaning we needed both doubles matches to secure the win. I was very proud of the team as they gave it everything to win the finals. We managed to secure one of the doubles, losing the finals 8-4 overall. Although we didn’t win, the team had a fantastic final fixture of the term and showed why they had made it through to the end of the competition.

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All members of this 14 B team have brought something new to the team this year and each has something unique to offer. From Sophie’s brilliant consistency from the back of the court to Jess’s excellent drive and motivation to get every ball back. This team worked incredibly well as a team, communication was key, and it was lovely to see all the girls talking to each other, to other courts and to the other teams.

One thing we introduced in training was the ability to pick each other up after each point.

Whether you had won or lost the point, we asked that the girls tapped rackets and provided some words of encouragement.

By the final fixture, it was brilliant to see all girls exercising these skills brilliantly. Super proud of the improvements made by this team.

sport

U14 C and D The U14C and D teams have had a mixed season; nonetheless each session they have trained with focus and determination, demonstrating their interest and enjoyment in this sport. There were a few injuries that meant the teams had to learn to adapt each week, but the coaches were impressed with their resilience and support of each other.

Our first fixture of the season was versus Dauntsey’s, which was a great starting point and ended up with a close result 4-5 loss. Special mention to Lily Parkes and Edie Dimmer who won all their matches in this fixture.

We then had other fixtures vs Cheltenham College, Kingswood and St Edward’s Oxford in sunny conditions, but often missed out on the match winning points to secure the game. It was encouraging to see Naiara Garcia Munoz and and Sofia Willis using the new tactics learned to attack the net and work together.

Both teams were captained by Lily Parkes who was a great role model and showed excellent organisation both on and off the court.

Boys Tennis “Tennis has continued to flourish throughout the year at Dean Close School, with players able to be on the court at least twice a week.

In the cold winter months, players enjoy the indoor facilities at David Lloyds, Gloucester and during the summer tennis can be found throughout the school grounds.

Many members of our school community take advantage of this and the general standard of play has improved immeasurably. The coaches have seen a marked improvement in all the players, especially Fia Oden, Alice Barrow, Eleanor Hemshall, Hyman Tang and Ben Mawer.

Throughout all the sessions the players have given it their all and have had an unfailingly positive attitude.

The boys’ fixture list this term has produced some difficult results against some top schools.

However, the improvement of all players has been immense and this was particularly reflected in a fixture against Clifton where we put out three teams instead of the usual two. All 18 boys competed to a high level.

This year has seen the 1st Team go all the way to the LTA regional cup final against Clifton A team.

Unfortunately, we suffered a narrow, disappointing loss. Special mention must go to Theo Purkis, Ed Bennett, Oliver Russell, Silas Jack and Luke Tomlinson for their hard work throughout the competition.

The coaching team wish all of the players who are leaving Dean Close this year success in their chosen paths and hope they will continue to play tennis.”

Swimming This year the School swimming programme has been well received by pupils. We had some great achievements in both the training and competition pool. A special mention goes to our senior games cohort for always meeting their distance targets set out in our senior games sessions. Maddie Faux, Bella Stephens and Rose Watts manged to hit these targets during every session. Luke Tomlinson’s willingness to try and improve his technical ability across all four strokes has been noted in the training pool.

It has been great to return to swimming competitions after the pandemic. There have been galas both locally and nationally that swimmers have been competing in, and the inaugural Cheltenham Triangular swimming series against Cheltenham Ladies’ College and Cheltenham College. In March, our senior swimming team competed in the Bath and Otter National School Finals at the London Aquatics Centre. Eloise Dransfield, Aoife Shanahan, Gaia Bowerman, Madeleine Maysey and Georgie Powell swam for the girls and Ben Yardley, Isaac Dransfield, Archie Shanahan and Ollie Hodgson swam for the boys.

May saw the return of the Cheltenham and District Schools’ Swimming Championships. This year the event was held at the Sandford Parks Lido. Luckily it stayed dry and rain held off during the event. This year the Dean Close Senior boys won the Senior Boys’ category, winning every senior event: Charlie Harris 50m Butterfly, Archie Shanahan 50m Breaststroke, Ollie Hodgson 50m Backstroke and 50m Freestyle.

Individual places went to the following swimmers:

Eloise Dransfield 2nd in Year 9 Girls’ 50m Backstroke, Ben Yardley 3rd in Year 10 & 11 Boys’ 50m Backstroke Gaia Bowerman 3rd in Sixth Form Girls’ 50m Breaststroke

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olddecaniansociety

Old DecanianSociety

OLD DECANIANS IN NEW YORK

9 LESSONS AND CAROLS

In December, Dean Close School’s Deputy Head, Andrew Hall hosted a drinks reception for Old Decanians (ODs) in Manhattan. A group of around twenty Old Decanians came together to be brought up to speed with life at Dean Close, it was also an excellent chance for ODs to meet other ODs living in the same city!

Our annual Service of Nine Lessons and Carols was once again packed out with ODs, parents, former parents, former staff and friends of the School. A lovely festive evening with everyone enjoying a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie afterwards on the crisp winter’s evening.

FRANCIS BACON EXHIBITION AND LONDON GATHERING

CLASS OF 2010 REUNION On Saturday 7 May we welcomed back the Class of 2010 for the first reunion since before the pandemic. Around thirty ODs joined us for lunch in Dean Close House, a tour of the school and finished with cricket and refreshments on Big Field. It was a joyous occasion that enabled ODs to reminisce about their time at school and an opportunity to see how the school had changed over the years.

In April, the Old Decanian Society hosted a drinks reception in Charing Cross following a remarkable visit the Royal Academy of Arts to explore the Francis Bacon: Man and Beast exhibition. Francis Bacon was a pupil at Dean Close, leaving in 1926. It was a great opportunity to meet and socialise with ODs living and working in London.

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OD CRICKET AT SPEECH DAY The OD cricketers were out in force against the School on Speech Day...unfortunately losing by 82 runs on the day.

olddecaniansociety

REMEMBERING MAJOR BEN CHAPMAN DSO In July, Dean Close School honoured former Director of Physical Education (1960 to 1975), Major Ben Chapman DSO, with a plaque dedicated in his honour. The plaque was unveiled by former parent General Sir John McColl with speeches from Christopher Turner (Headmaster 1968-1979) (pictured here) and a number of Old Decanians.

Remembered by many former pupils as the man who taught them to swim, Major Ben Chapman left an indelible mark on the Dean Close community during his 17 years of service. His Speech Day gymnastic displays were legendary and for those who knew him he was a valued colleague, friend and teacher. Previously, he had enjoyed a successful military career having enlisted in 1936 with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, later transferring to the Royal Army Physical Training Corps during World War II. He went on to serve with the Royal Norfolk Regiment in Korea where he earned his DSO.

...a patrol unwittingly entered a minefield, the markings of which had been destroyed by shell and mortar fire. One of the patrols set off a mine which killed five men outright and wounded three others...Major Chapman immediately volunteered to take out a rescue party. On arrival at the scene...he went forward alone...located the casualties in the minefield...established a path clear of mines...called forward singly his stretcher parties and then he personally carried out the dead and wounded one by one to the waiting stretcher party. Throughout the operation the courage, leadership and coolness displayed by Major Chapman was of the highest order. For his consistent example of untiring energy and devotion to duty, for his great personal bravery, for his outstanding qualities as a leader, which, at all times, have been a source of inspiration to those whom he commands, Major Chapman richly deserves recognition.

History of the Royal Norfolk Regiment vol IV 1951-1969

CLAY PIGEON SHOOTING In May, we held the annual Close Community Clay Pigeon Shooting morning at Ian Coley Sporting. Despite having to cancel the event at the last minute in February (due to the weather), it was great to see many familiar faces and a few new ones, and thankfully most were able to make the new date. Great fun as usual and a chance to bring everyone in the Dean Close Community together!

We have booked for next year (Friday 19 May 2023), so if you would like to register your interest for 2023 just contact the Old Decanian Society Office.

DEAN CLOSE SIXES Dean Close Sixes is a girls’ invitational schools’ alumni hockey tournament.

Alumni teams from all over the country compete at Dean Close School for the Carnill Cup named in honour of Denys Carnill a long-time member of staff (19511984) at Dean Close who played hockey at three Olympic Games ’52, ’56 and ’60, captaining the side to a silver medal.

This year’s winners were the Old Malvernians (Malvern College) who beat the Old Cheltonians (Cheltenham College) in the final. The Old Decanians came in third beating Malvern St James Alumni in the 3rd / 4th play-off. www.deanclosefoundation.org.uk/deanclose-sixes

OLD DECANIAN BALL 2022 Such a fun evening at the OD Masquerade Ball in July. ODs from all around the world came back to reminisce and enjoy each others’ company for a night of food, dancing and celebration. Music from the Chip Shop Boys was particularly memorable as well as the major selfie mirror. A good night all round, we are already looking forward to the next one!

All the photos can be found at:www.deanclosefoundation.org.uk/odball

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archives

A Year in

Archives Michaelmas marked a happy return to being able to see people in person and with it the annual Heritage Open Day tours resumed. This saw 48 members of the public visit school and enjoy an historic tour followed by tea and cake. We also welcomed Mr. and Mrs. O’Flynn, who came to see Lieutenant Henry Greene’s name on the WW1 memorial. Henry was one of three brothers who attended Dean Close; George was the eldest and John the youngest. An interesting morning was spent revisiting the places that Henry and his brothers would have known and it really brought home how immediate WW1 remains. Henry was half-brother to Mrs. O’Flynn’s mother. Indeed, she still remembered John, who fought with the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, visiting her mother during the 1950s and bringing with him bottles of bubble mixture to amuse his niece.

Henry was killed in action in the Battle of Chanuk Bair, or Sari Bair, on 21st August 1915. Every British Officer in his battalion bar one, the medical officer, was killed or wounded. He was just 24 years old.

Queen’s Jubilee Of course we can’t forget the wonderful celebrations that took place to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. So, here is a picture from the archive which goes back to 1951, the year before Princess Elizabeth’s coronation, when she visited Cheltenham.

Edward Ellam (left) with Heller Nicholls, the Director of Music, on Big Field.

HRH Princess Elizabeth accompanied by A.S.R. Parker, Commanding Officer of the CCF and Head master Anthony Gilkes inspects the Guard of Honour. Cheltenham Newspaper Company Ltd

The celebrations marked a long life of dedicated service and it made me think of all those who have contributed to Dean Close. No one can claim 70 years’ service, but nevertheless there is someone who stands out as the longest serving member of staff and that is Edward Ellam. When we think of the Foundation values, Ellam epitomised ‘contribution’ having arrived in September 1891 as a classics master, later second master, Housemaster of Brook and Life Governor, he retired from teaching in 1937 but continued to help supervise the school grounds until his death in the School Sanatorium in 1941; virtually 50 years’ service.

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That’s quite an achievement and yet, if this was not enough, it is probably true to say that without Ellam, Dean Close would not exist today.

When war broke out in 1939 the school was already struggling with low pupil numbers. To exacerbate the situation, the School buildings

were requisitioned by the Government and the senior boys sent to Monkton Combe in Bath while the junior boys went to Glyngarth on Christchurch Road. After two terms the boys returned, the School buildings having never been used, but, by then, the situation was desperate. An extraordinary meeting of the Governors was called to effectively close the School. Ellam is thought to have given a heartfelt plea along with a pledge of at the very least £1000, approximately £40,000 today, to keep the school open for another term, the teaching staff having already agreed to work for two thirds of their salary, the remainder being a ‘debt of honour’ to be repaid when things improved.

Ellam passed away the following year having seen his beloved Dean Close experience two World Wars and the threat of closure. I think he would have smiled to know that 80 years on the School is not only still here, but flourishing.

Ellam’s Oak as the tree was known by early Old Decanians.

staffleavers

Leavers Staff

Caroline Evans

aroline Evans made her debut at Dean Close in 2003. On her arrival, she moved like a whirlwind through the department, ripping up the brown carpets from the studio floors, and removed the green hessian from the gallery walls. She then went on to rearrange the Upper Sixth workspace. The dividing walls were removed to make the area less confining, transforming it into a brighter, more welcoming environment. There was a notable shift in the Art School’s atmosphere, as well as the physical landscape. Pupils began to value their workstations, and there was a tangible buzz and increased sense of industry, all as a result of her presence.

C

Caroline also reinvigorated the use of BonBernard Gallery. We estimate that she has organised around 90 shows in the last 19 years, including prints

by Picasso, and David Hockney on loan from the Hayward Gallery. There have been numerous exhibitions of the Pupils' work as well as work by local artists, resulting in stronger community ties. During the build up to the Commemoration shows, which have become one of the highlights of the school year, the department would wrestle with the broad range of pieces to put in the show, and it was at this point that Caroline's inventive use of space would always come in handy, making the impossible, possible.

Over the last 19 years, her infectious enthusiasm has motivated hundreds of students to develop their creativity and technical skills, and many have gone on to have successful careers in the creative industries.

ODs have returned to Dean Close to proudly display their art work. One of the highlights was George Thomas who left in 2011 and returned to exhibit his still life paintings and deliver a masterclass to the Lower Sixth. Caroline then encouraged the school to commission George to create a portrait of the former Headmaster, Jonathan Lancashire, which now hangs in the Dining Hall, and showcases the skills of a homegrown talent. Another student, Min Jun Kim, was awarded a place to study at the prestigious Slade School of Art and the Royal Academy and is now a practising artist in South Korea and London.

Much closer to home, in 2016, the art department collaborated with the Paragon Gallery in Cheltenham to showcase Sixth Form pupils' work in a professional context, resulting in multiple sales and the promotion of their skills to a larger audience. Caroline and I met up with the group of young ladies who were part of this event in December 2021, who fondly remember this occasion as being one of the best projects of their final school year.

Caroline has taken part in and organized school trips to New York, Barcelona, Rome, Venice and Florence. She also pioneered the overnight gallery tour to London for Sixth Form students and exposed many to the joys of roughing it in youth hostels.

A notable event was the celebration of the Art School's 20th anniversary.

Painters, illustrators, graphic designers, architects, jewellers, set designers, and art historians were all in attendance. The work on show was a reminder of the impact which Caroline has made to their lives and the lasting friendships which she has forged.

There have been several high points during Caroline’s school career, one of which was participating in a trip to support our link school in Uganda, with her husband Neil in 2008. As the art teacher left intermittently, she was left to teach a class of 99 pupils in a half-constructed building with minimal materials. She was so struck by the student's energy and exuberance, despite having so little, that she went on to sponsor three youngsters through the 'Reaching Orphans for Care' scheme.

Caroline never likes to sit still and in 2019 she embarked upon a part time MA in Art Education, which she completed in 2021 with a distinction. During this time, she rekindled her love for painting, which she shared with the school community through her show titled 'Serendipity'. Feeling inspired, Caroline has now set up her own business, Forever Bouquet Fine Art, where she is creating oil paintings to preserve and capture forever the beauty of wedding bouquets.

As a Common Room we will miss her greatly and would like to wish her all the best with her exciting new venture which lies ahead.

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staffleavers

Brian Poxon Brian joined Dean Close in 2015, making the move from “down under” in Australia. He moved to be Housemaster of Tower House, bringing his wife Deborah and two children to Dean Close. During his time at Dean Close, Brian established himself as a mild mannered and big-hearted Housemaster, for whom the boys would do anything. He softened the edges of the all-boys environment, quickly gaining the respect of the boys, parents, and colleagues. During his 6 years as Housemaster, Brian also taught his much-loved RS and was a popular teacher and tutor. He even did a short stint as Head of Department to help cover whilst the position waited to be filled. Brian’s wife, Deborah, was a much-valued member of the Dean Close Community too, most recently playing a key role in the new Health Centre Team. Together Brian and Deborah were integral members of the school community, ready to step into a variety of roles when the school needed and called upon them.

Brian was a great colleague to work alongside, a keen listener to and representative of staff interests (both as CR president and TPS rep).

Whilst he declares himself an introvert, Brian was a magnificent social secretary - organising online Kahoots during the Covid lockdowns and bringing an injection of life into the weekly staff drinks with his philosophy filled emails and friendly banter. It is Brian’s concern for others and selfless care that drove him to overcome any “shyness” he might have. Brian valued human contact and conversation as the beating heart of any community.

In a tribute spoken of Brian on his leaving, reference was made to the writings of the 18th century, Scottish philosopher, economist and historian David Hume. David Hume wrote his memoir the year he died, something of a self-obituary and the words are so apt in describing Brian and testament to the character of the man he is.

“Brian - you are a man of mild dispositions, of command of temper, of an open, social, and cheerful humour, capable of attachment, but little susceptible of enmity. Your company is not unacceptable to the young and careless, as well as to the studious and literary. In a word, though most men anywise eminent have found reason to complain of slander – you have never been touched, or ever attacked, by her baleful tooth; and though you wantonly expose yourself to the rage of both civil and religious factions, they seem to be disarmed of your character and conduct.”

Whilst Hume was a lifelong sceptic and atheist, Brian is someone whose behaviour and heart truly reflect the Christian message. His love has enabled us all, students and staff, to flourish. He has shown courage in his role as a Housemaster and CR President, and his many contributions across the school will be sorely missed. And whilst Gate may have lost a tutor and the plants in the Common Room are looking much less alive in Brian’s absence, it is his character, his kindness and his very being that we all miss.

We wish Brian and his family the very best of wishes as they start the next chapter of their lives; first in Australia and then at Wells Cathedral School. We are glad he isn’t too far away!

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Katy Barrett Katy joined the Cookery School five years ago as a technician, she made such an impression and along with her wealth of experience, she soon took on the role of teaching Leiths. During her time at Dean Close she has made a huge impact on the department and the increasing number of pupils who wish to study Leiths. Her friendly manner and endless knowledge of cookery have been well received by the Sixth Form students and she has inspired many to continue into the food industry.

Katy has given the pupils some fantastic experiences, assisting them in their preparations for the canape parties, organising wine tasting evenings, and introducing them to food and recipes that they may have otherwise never had the opportunity to prepare or taste! In addition to this, she has been invaluable within the department, her meticulous organisational skills have kept us on track, and she always knows the right time to put the kettle on!

It is of no surprise that Katy leaves us to work for Leiths, taking on a role that will suit every one of her strengths, and there are many! We would like to take this opportunity to say a huge THANK YOU for all of your help in the cookery school, and we wish her all the very best in her new venture!

Brian Lloyd WO2 Brian Lloyd QDG joined Dean Close School CCF in the summer of 2008. His previous experiences working with the Cadet Training Team soon had him fully immersed in the role as School Staff Instructor. His first tasking was to assist in Summer Camp and from there he went on to support the CCF fully from the day-to-day admin to ceremonial duties such as Annual reviews, Centenary celebrations, Dinner Nights, and Remembrance Parades.

Brian introduced Air Rifle shooting and Archery to the training programme, supported and delivered Ten Tors training as well as running the several annual .22 shooting competitions and supporting events such as Sports Day and Commem.

Brian was quick to make a positive impact and those who worked with him - pupils and staff alike - warmed to him quickly. As he leaves us to work full-time at Bredon School, we wish him every success.

Dominic Evans

commonroom

Common Room List 2021-22 Warden ELC Taylor, MA (Oxon)

New College, Oxford

2017

University of Bristol

2009

Headmaster BJ Salisbury, MEd, PGCE Senior Management Team Mrs R Chaplin, BSc

University College London

Director of Admissions

2002

Mrs JA Davis, MA, PGCE

Girton College, Cambridge

Deputy Head, Foundation Lead for Safeguarding

2007

AS Hall, BA (HMS), MEd

Rhodes University, SA

Deputy Head

2016

JA Hole, BA, MA, PGCE

University of Warwick

Deputy Head Academic

2017

Operations Bursar

2017

A Pitchers The Common Room LS Allington, BA

University College, Durham

Director of Drama

1987

PS Montgomery, MA, PGCE

Pembroke College, Cambridge

Housemaster (Field), History

1991

Mrs FMB Harris, MA, PGCE

Merton College, Oxford

Mathematics

1991

Mrs C Allen, BMus, ALCM, LGSM, PGCE

Royal Holloway, Univ. of London

Housemistress (Turner), Music

1992

Miss AE Ash, BDes, PGCE

University of Liverpool

Art

1993

JM Allen, MA, PGCE

Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge

Head of Classics/Head of History of Art

1995

Miss IM Carames-Castelo, BA, PGCE

Santiago de Compostela

Spanish

1996

AJ George, MA, PGCE

Downing College, Cambridge

Director of Fourth Form Studies, Mathematics

1998

J Slade, MA

Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford

Economics & Business

2001

Miss RJ Donaldson, BSc, PGCE

Loughborough University

Director of Studies & Head of Academic PE

2002

Director of Hockey

2004 2003

G Tredgett AR Needs, BSc, PGCE

Hatfield College, Durham

Head of Science

DD Evans, BSc

Loughborough University

Head of Design Technology, Officer Commanding CCF 2004

Mrs KE Milne, BA

St Mary's College, Durham

Housemistress (Hatherley), English

2005

BP Price, BSc, PGCE

University of Bristol

Housemaster (Dale), Geography

2005

Mrs RS Rushton, BA, PGCE

Middlesex University

Art

2005 2006

CJ Hooper, BA, PGCE

University of Bath

Modern Foreign Languages

J Mears, BA, PGCE

Nottingham Trent University

Business Studies

2006

AGA Milne, MA, PGCE

University College, Oxford

History, Politics

2006

Dr M Bradley, MBioChem, DPhil, PGCE

University College, Oxford

Biology, Chemistry, Core Science

2008

Miss TL Williams, BSc, PGCE, GTP

Coventry University

Head of Psychology

2008 2008

Mrs S Lait, BSc, PGCE

University of the West of England

PE

JRB Stott, BSc, DipTh, PGCE

Durham University

Mathematics

2009

Mrs CHS Montgomery, BA, PGCE,

University of Birmingham

Housemistress (Mead), Modern Languages

2009

Mrs JE George, BSc, PGCE

Keele University & Cambridge

Mathematics

2010

GN Baber-Williams, BSc, PGCE

UWIC

Director of Sport

2010

DK Chapman, BSc, PGCE

University of Bristol

Head of Chemistry

2011

Mrs E Gillett, BA, PGCE

Lancaster University

Head of English

2011

ZS Suckle, BA, MA, PGCE

University of Bristol

Head of Library and Futures

2011

Mr SA Bell, MMus, BMus, FRCO

Royal College of Music

Director of Choral Music

2012

Mrs KM Ledlie, MA, PGCE

Merton College, Oxford

Housemistress (Shelburne) English

2013

Netball Coach

2013 2013

Mrs K Holder Miss DM Withers, BSc, PGCE

Brunel University, London

PE, Head of PSHE

Miss FE Stewart, MA, PGCE

University of Nottingham

Classics

2014

AA Stanley, BSc

University of the West of England

Director of Rugby

2014

MW Wilkes, BA, PGCE

Hertford College, Oxford

Director of Sixth Form, Biology, HsM (Gate)

2014

Mrs MJ Davis, PGCE

University of Gloucestershire

Design Technology, IT

2015 115 - DECANIAN 2021/22

commonroom

Common Room List 2021-22 DF Fitzgerald, BSc PGCE

University of Exeter

Head of Computer Science

2015

Miss KA Gordon, BSc, PGCE

University of St Andrews

Mathematics

2015 2015

JM Hardaker, BA

Manchester Metropolitan

Head of Business Studies & Economics

Mrs HD McKechnie, BSc, PGCE

University of Nottingham

Mathematics

2015

MJ McKechnie, MEng

University of Durham

Head of Physics

2015

JM Sheldon BA, MSc, PGCE

Lincoln College, Oxford Uni

Head of History & Politics

2015

Mrs MW Watts, PGCertSPLD, PAPAA

University of Huddersfield

Learning Support

2015

MJ Yemm

Bristol City College

Tennis

2015

Rev JC Ash, BA

University of Oxford

Chaplain

2016

Mrs F Cradock, BSc, MA, MSc

University of Wales

Director of Equestrianism

2016

Mrs ML Franklin, BSc

University of Wales

Chemistry, Exams Officer

2016

Mrs RM Harbit, BA

University of Cambridge

Biology

2016

B Jenkins, MSc, BSc

Hartpury University

Coach

2016

Director of Cricket

2016

University of Brighton

Head of Learning Support

2018

Head of Cookery School

2018

Mrs SE Massey, BA, PGDip

University of Wales

English Literature

2018

A McShane, BA, PGCE

University of Exeter

History, EPQ

2018

JM Pitt, BA, PGCE

University of Durham

Geography, Housemaster (Brook Court)

2018

NJ Roome, BSc, MSc, PhD, MCCT, QTS

University of Surrey

Physics

2018

Mrs H Zeitz, BA, PGCE

University of Liverpool

Assistant Librarian, ELT

2018

M Powell Mrs SA Hodgson, BEd, MBA, NPQH Mrs G Larkin-Lawton

WP Ascham, BSc, MBA, QTS

University of Southampton

Physics and Chemistry

2019

AD Martin

University of Wolverhamton

Head of Biology

2019

Mrs KC Barrett, BSc

Rhodes University, South Africa

Leiths Cookery

2019

Mrs K Cleworth, BSc

University of Exeter

Numeracy Support

2019

Mrs R Condie, BSc, MEd, MSc, PGCE

University of Birmingham

Biology

2019

RO Sayers, BSc, PGCE

University of Leeds

Head of Maths

2019

MJ Beecham, BSc, PGCE

University of Southampton

Head of Adventure

2020

GR Fletcher, BSc, PGCE

University of Swansea

Physics

2020

Mrs DC DeVuyst, BSc, MPH, RN

University of Alberta

Health Centre Manager

2020

DA Franks, BA, LGSM, MMus, PGCE

University College London

Director of Music

2020

Miss RM Jackson, BA

University of Warwick

Classics

2020

Mrs KJ Whyte, BA, PGCE

Universty of Huddersfield

English

2020

Miss FM Jefferies, BSc, MSc, PGCE

University Of Bristol

Psychology

2021

Ms. KVBuckingham BA, PGCE

University of Warwick

Religious Studies

2021

Mrs R Romero Palomino, Licenciatura, PGCE

Universidad de Sevilla

Head of Modern Languages

2021

Miss C O’Neill, BA, PGCE, MSc

St. Cuthbert’s Society, Durham

Head of Religious Studies

2021

Miss A Livesey, BSc

Cardiff Metropolitan University,

Graduate Teaching Assistant

2021

Miss C Dolloway, BSc

Hartpury University

Graduate Teaching Asssistant

2021 2021

Ms A V Grand, MA, PGCE

University of Clermont-Ferrand

Teacher of French

S Rath, BSc, PGCE

University of Nottingham

Geography

Y Banda BSc, PGCE

University of Ulster

Business/Housemaster (Tower)

2021

Miss E S Dickens, BA

Guildford School of Acting

Chaplain's Assistant & Resident Tutor

2021

Miss F Jefferies BSc, MSc, PGCE

University of Bristol

Psychology

2021

Mr J Tomlinson

Assistant Chaplain

2021

Mr J Hall

Graduate Teaching Assistant

2021

116 - DECANIAN 2021/22

3

10 35 22 29

Contents Head’s Introduction Development News Houses Societies Charity Chaplaincy Drama Music Art Academic Subjects Flecker Challenge International Pupils The Cookery School CCF Speech Day Sport ODs & Archives Staff Leavers Common Room List

Editor Proof reader Design

: Amy Loveys : Sylvia Klemz : Adam Hathaway

2 3 4 22 25 30 32 39 50 58 64 73 76 78 82 84 110 113 115

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Decanian A Year in the Life of Dean Close School

Decanian 2021/22

September 2021 - August 2022

The Disguised Decanian takes centre stage Traditional school Houses return The 1886 Centre is officially opened Foundation musicians perform Zimbe! at Tewkesbury Abbey DEAN CLOSE SCHOOL Shelburne Road Cheltenham GL51 6HE Telephone: 01242 258000 Email: office@deanclose.org.uk www.deanclose.org.uk

2021/22