Milton Abbey Newsletter - Reflections Michaelmas 2018

MICHAELMAS 2018

LEARN DIFFERENTLY

Personal reflections on my first term The Michaelmas Term has rocketed by. Gregory and I are so grateful for the warm welcome we have received from all at Milton Abbey School.

It has been such a joy to hear so many stories of students, past and present, whose experiences here are opening doors for a successful, fulfilling life. This is a transformational place.

Milton Abbey School has always understood that we all learn differently and has rejected the notion that, academically speaking, ‘one size fits all’.

We are proud of this approach and you will start to see us promoting it more visibly.

Snowy photo by Terry Yarrow. Used with permission

Our diverse course offer – BTECs, GCSEs, Functional Skills and A-Levels – means that we are able to craft endless combinations, each just right for the individual. This enables all to find a passion to pursue, an area in which to excel.

The sheer variety of activities is dizzying.

How many other headteachers can walk from a History A-Level lesson straight into a practical class in patisserie via a Music Tech workshop?

In the course of a week I have seen our pupils succeeding in a vast range of areas:

in the classroom, on the sports pitches, singing in a music showcase, reading in Chapel, leading activities for younger pupils, reviewing business plans in our competition for entrepreneurs, even in the field as beaters for our School Shoot.

Everybody gets stuck in: small schools can’t afford any bystanders! That very involvement leads to a sense of competence and breeds confidence. Take our fantastic sport programme for example, where one weekend recently saw 85% of the School out in team jerseys. It has been a great term for our Rugby and Hockey teams; while less traditional sports like Cycling, Golf, Polo and Sailing continue to go from strength to strength.

Highlights of my term have included working with the Heads of School and Heads of Houses, a fantastic group of young people; attending our solemn, sunlit Remembrance Service at which Lieutenant General Bashall CB CBE delivered an inspirational address; and welcoming Annoushka Ducas MBE, creator of Links of London and this year’s Entrepreneur in Residence, to mentor our inventive entrepreneurs.

Meeting the Milton Abbey Association Committee in London was also a real pleasure. How fortunate the School is to have so many champions in the working

world. Our Senior Play, ‘Find Me’, held us transfixed with its skilful and sensitive handling of mental health issues. I thoroughly enjoyed the ceremony at which our Recruits became Cadets, hearing from our sailors at the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Expedition presentation and enjoying the Shoot Lunch prepared by our Hospitality students. Our term ended with a truly special retelling of the Christmas story at our Carol Service with wonderful work from our singers and readers.

It has been gratifying to see our School appreciated in the wider world. This Autumn we have been featured in Country Life and The Field, which rightly noted: “the boys and girls of Milton Abbey School are not merely polite but exceptionally articulate and friendly”.

However, I shall leave the last word to Tatler, whose 2019 Schools Guide declares that: “Parents and pupils couldn’t be happier with this beautiful Dorset School”.

Judith Fremont-Barnes | Head |1|

Students pitch their ideas to jewellery entrepreneur In November, we welcomed Annoushka Ducas MBE to inspire students as part of our Entrepreneur in Residence scheme.

She co-founded the world-renowned jewellery brand Links of London and now runs a self-titled boutique jewellery company ‘Annoushka’, which has stores in London and Hong Kong, and a healthy online presence.

The finalists’ ideas range from a revolutionary handle to make crutches more comfortable and an electric bike conversion service that has already sold two bikes, to a desktop zen garden to improve workplace mental health and a power plug with a built-in retractable cord that removes the need for charging cables.

She is the sixth businessperson to work with the Entrepreneur in Residence scheme. She follows last year’s resident, the founder and CEO of Charles Tyrwhitt’s Shirts, Nick Wheeler, with previous participants being Carphone Warehouse founder David Ross and fashion icons Cath Kidston, Johnnie Boden and Anya Hindmarch.

Each finalist has already received £500 to pilot their idea. This year, the pitches were so strong and the ideas so diverse that the judging panel have been unable to choose the winner yet. Each finalist will instead receive a further mentoring session at Annoushka’s London offices to help identify the winning idea, which will be given a further £2,000 investment to develop into a start-up business.

More than just a guest lecture, the scheme sees prominent business leaders build a real connection with the school.

Annoushka is helping to judge our ‘Dragon’s Den’ style competition, which has given students the opportunity to develop their entrepreneurial ideas into a fully-fledged business plan.

Annoushka Ducas said: “I have benefitted so much from the privilege and freedom of running my own business. It’s fantastic that Milton Abbey School is working so hard to promote entrepreneurship. I have no doubt that their scheme will help to instil a real sense of confidence

and self-belief into many budding entrepreneurs.”

Judith Fremont-Barnes said: “This contest rewards students’ initiative, creativity and resilience. They will graduate into a competitive marketplace where employability skills like these will be highly prized. Our entrepreneurial students get the opportunity to learn about important business and economics theory in the classroom, but we also give them valuable practical experiences and opportunities to work with inspiring individuals such as Annoushka.”

Entrepreneurial spirit across the continents Milton Abbey students and staff are supporting an entrepreneurial effort a long way from home, in Zambia. It all started when Mr Anderson, our Head of Science, was spending time teaching in the country.

There he met Stephen, who was not only working hard as a security guard where Mr Anderson was living, but also studying for his professional qualification as an electrician and setting up his own business.

Stephen successfully completed his qualification with some support and mentoring from Mr Anderson. However, despite starting work as a professional electrician, he was earning less than $200 a month, which was making it very difficult to grow and manage his business.

As a comparison, similarly qualified electricians in more developed parts of the world would expect to earn a minimum of $2200 a month. |2|

When Milton Abbey students returned to school in September, they were inspired by his commitment and wanted to do something to help.

Rather than just donate money, the school wanted to offer things that would help Stephen succeed on his own. One student donated a ChromeBook laptop that was in a brilliant condition to help him with his finances and record-keeping, a teacher donated a phone to help him make appointments, and Hambro House gave up weekend treats so that they could buy him a professional multi-meter for his trade.

Mr Anderson has now visited Zambia to give Stephen these gifts and help ensure his business can help other entrepreneurial Zambians. With his business growing well, 10% of any income he makes over $500 will be invested back into a scheme to help other young people obtain their

professional qualifications and set up their own businesses.

This model will continue, with more and more Zambians being helped thanks to the initial generosity of Milton Abbey students and staff.

Radioactive design wins national prize

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11/10/2018 14:50 Page 2

Last year, Design & Technology student Brodie Haward entered his eyecatching radioactive bench into the National School Design Prize, sponsored by household names Harveys Furniture and Bensons for Beds.

In October, we were ecstatic to hear that he won first prize.

Brodie was inspired by other oil drum themed products he has seen, such as a bar stool and drinks fridge. He developed his design from scratch, experimenting and creating prototypes out of drums. He then developed the concept by modelling smaller versions from foam, before creating the full-size competition piece using skills including plasma cutting and welding.

His D&T teacher Simon Power said: “This was made to an extremely high standard, demonstrating a wide range of making and finishing skills. The bench looks simple in design terms, but has been incredibly well considered and works both aesthetically and as a functional chair.

Brodie worked incredibly hard on this project and fully deserves the recognition.”

At the competition exhibition, Brodie received positive comments and interest from industry experts. In addition to the formal prize of a £150 Amazon voucher, he has also been invited to visit an international furniture company’s design studio and workshop in Austria in Spring.

The Drama Department and Milton Abbey pupils present

FIND ME

BY OLWEN WYMARK Tuesday 13 November 2018 Wednesday 14 November 2018 7:15pm

New Barn Theatre | Milton Abbey School Free Admission Open to pupils, staff, parents and the public

Drama performance was full of emotion This term the Drama department performed Find Me by Olwen Wymack. This was a very moving piece portraying various episodes in a family’s life, where the main focus is their daughter Verity who suffers from serious mental health issues.

The production clearly shows the medical care that Verity was provided with was not appropriate for her age and situation.

Although this story was set in the 70s, the sadness is that it is still very relevant to today.

Regional finals for Yes Chef competitors Hospitality students Tallulah and Joe have progressed to the regional finals of the ‘Yes Chef’ schools’ cooking competition. The pressure was on during their qualifying round, with four extra observers watching their every move, on top of a photographer and their tutors.

Tallulah prepared sweet potato soup and a delicious steamed pudding with brandy cream. Joe served an excellent mushroom risotto and mixed fruit crumble with crème anglaise. Our written description can’t do the dishes justice, nor the work they put in preparing two dishes in two hours, while their every move was observed!

Seven Drama students performed the piece remaining on stage for the whole performance. Each student had to display a lot of emotion to create tense moments within the text. The piece was very stylised and minimal, relying completely on their acting to communicate its power.

Students are now working hard for the next, considerably more light-hearted, production of The Sound of Music. |3|

Sport Scholarship programme expanded With an on-site golf course and PGA Pro, two active road cycling teams, plus excellent indoor and outdoor facilities for more traditional team and individual sports, Milton Abbey has always provided one of the country’s broadest and best sports offers.

For the sports stars of the future, we now offer an expanded Sports Scholarship programme, with places for traditional sports, allrounders and local day pupils playing at county-level, plus specialist golf and road cycling scholarships.

Our small size means we give each pupil the time and support to enjoy sports. We can help them excel in an activity they already love or give them the confidence to find a sporting talent they didn’t even know they had!

Excellent sporting results and participation It has been a good start to the year for Milton Abbey sports teams. We have had 76 competitive fixtures this term and we have won or drawn exactly half of these; representing a fantastic effort from all involved. The various Rugby teams won 45% of their fixtures, however the standout single team of the term was the 1st XI Girls Hockey team that won 67% of their matches.

On top of our traditional sports teams punching well above our weight as a small school, we have also had some great successes in emerging and modern sports. We now have two active road cycling teams – the elite team achieving Gold standard times in sportives in Autumn and a development team that also rides competitively.

We have finished building an indoor cycling training facility for the winter months, which is sited next to a brand new indoor golfing simulator.

Above all, what was most pleasing to see this term was the commitment and resilience shown by all pupils. Almost every match this term has been really close, with many results that could have gone either way. Teams from all sports have worked together well to get the best possible result.

It has also been fantastic to see pupils volunteering for fixtures that they do not normally play in in order to help their friends and the school. This has led to 85% of all our students having an opportunity to represent the school in a competitive fixture.

Ben Lawes | Director of Sport

County hockey Congratulations are due to two of our star hockey players who are now representing their counties. Louise plays for Dorset U16s and James for Somerset U16s.

After excelling in their training and competitive matches at school, both have progressed through the rigorous England Player Pathway system. This means they have committed considerable time to county training, in addition to playing at school, and they have completed several trials to be selected at county level.

Well done - the whole school is proud of you both!

Lords trip Cricket Captain Seb and Head of Cricket Chris Hill were invited for a celebratory dinner at the famous Lord’s Long Room in November.

The Middlesex County Cricket Club’s ‘Forty Club’ tours the country each summer playing dozens of games. We are proud that our first team received their ‘team of the year’ award for the Southern District. This was based on their performance, technique and sportsmanship.

Lots of cricket fans will be very jealous that Seb and Mr Hill got to collect the trophy in person!

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Captain’s log: Off-shore sailing programme concludes This year has seen the completion of the first off-shore sailing programme that the school has held. It started in the Lent term last year when students attended a series of lessons on Thursday evenings to cover the basics of navigation and other aspects of seamanship.

Eyes to the sky, links to the past and skills for the future So far this season, the school has already held four successful shoots – two for alumni.

Countryside Management students work hard off-season rearing the birds and preparing enclosures. On shoot days, they’re out early in the morning getting things ready with their tutor and gamekeeper Mr Hurst, before undertaking a number of roles during the day.

We’re proud to have so many girls currently studying our land-based courses, with many of them taking part in beating and other activities during the shoot. Hospitality students also have a role to play, preparing and serving a hearty lunch for our guests each time.

The shoot is something very special to our school, reflecting our rural heritage and helping us stay connected to our past pupils, while also providing opportunities for our current students to gain practical experience for their courses.

the time we left Lymington the wind had swung round to the East and the tide had turned so pilotage skills were tested as we inched our way up the Forest shore in true racing fashion. The following day took us to Portsmouth to look at fortifications and the home of the

We all then took a practical Day Skipper course sailing out of Poole to the Solent.

All of the students passed, but the course was demanding as it required a lot of focus to complete the RYA syllabus. After the course, it was pleasing to see that they could all confidently handle the boat, demonstrating the transferability of sailing skills from dinghies to yachts.

The next phase was to put the newly acquired qualification to use. They decided they would like to do their Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold award on a sailing boat. We set off on Energy, a 33 foot cruiser/racer for the practice expedition during the second weekend of the Michaelmas term. After spending a day in Poole Bay practicing essential manoeuvres, such as man over board drills and changing sails, we moored back at the Parkstone Yacht Club The following day we sailed to Lymington in beautiful sunshine and a gentle following breeze. There we practiced docking drills and cross-tide sailing to Yarmouth. In Yarmouth we had a team meeting and considered the weather forecast, resulting in an early bed as a lot of wind was coming our way!

The following morning it was blowing 30 knots from the South West, a dead beat to windward. At this point, the only thing to do was to cook a nice breakfast and prepare the boat! By the time we set sail on the last of the West-going tide, the wind had abated a little, but the sail back to Poole was still wet and bumpy but exhilarating. At the end of the practice, everyone’s self-confidence was sky high and we knew we had a good boat that we could trust. For the actual expedition three weeks later we again went to the Solent. The sail East was an easy leg and we picked up a DofE assessor in Lymington. The plan was to spend the first night in Beaulieu, but by

Royal Navy, where we had lunch. That afternoon we sailed back to the Hamble for the night. The following morning the students decided to go directly back to Poole, as there was very little wind forecasted for the final day. The departure was delayed by an hour as the Solent was wrapped in fog but it cleared or so we thought…

As we passed Calshot, another bank of fog came in which caused a little concern as Southampton is a very busy port, but a fog routine was quickly established so that shallow, tanker-free water was found. Thankfully the fog did not last long and we had a gentle sail back to Poole, arriving in time for a supper of pasta. The following day we completed the expedition by investigating Studland and Swanage Bays.

The DofE assessor commented on the high standard of sailing skills he observed and the excellent crew relationships. I very much enjoyed looking after this team of youngsters; their development has been a privilege to be part of and the building of a crew has been fascinating to see. They all represented themselves, their families and the school in a very positive light. I am now looking forward to starting this year’s programme next term with an equally diverse and interesting bunch of youngsters.

Giles Vigar | Head of Sailing |5|

A busy term for the Milton Abbey Association

A busy term for the MAA was kicked off with a very welcome visit by the new Head, Judith FremontBarnes, to the first MAA Committee meeting of the academic year, held at the East India Club in London.

The Head gave a brief speech looking forward to working ‘co-operatively and transparently’ with the MAA, in order to achieve our common aims. Her words were warmly received.

Combined Cadet Force goes from strength to strength The decision to make the CCF a voluntary organisation has certainly paid off.

Also in London, the beginning of November saw a very wellattended 25th reunion dinner for the leavers of 1993 at a pub in Chelsea. Attendees flooded in from all over the world - including Singapore, Canada and Prague– as Old Miltonians proved yet again that distance is no barrier to the bonds of lifetime friendship. Great work by chief organiser Charles Slater!

Back ‘on the ranch’ we have enjoyed two very successful MAA Shoots this term, one featuring a group of leavers from 2007 – headed by Zac Barrett who founded the Milton Abbey Shoot as a pupil – and the other a group of more ‘senior’ leavers from the early eighties, some of whom were returning to School for the first time. Both groups enjoyed themselves hugely, whilst contributing to the cost of the self-sustaining Shoot, and helping our BTEC Countryside Management students to gain a range of skills! We also enjoyed, in Milton Abbas village itself, a wideranging and informative talk about the School’s first Headmaster, Rev. Francis Brown, and the early days of the school from 1954 ‘original pupil’ Martin Lockwood. Fascinating!

The term was capped by an impressive MAA turnout, from a range of generations, at a very moving Remembrance Service in the packed Abbey, and an equally strong showing at the Carol Service. It has been very good to see so many Old Miltonians this term, at such a wide range of different events.

Hugo Mieville | Milton Abbey Association Manager

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Cadets who now choose to join the CCF are developing into a dedicated well trained unit, who are marching through the training programme at a swift pace. This has allowed them to pass a Weapons Handling Test and complete recruit training in the first term; meaning they can take part in a broader range of activities and tasks from next term.

Highlights included the blessing of our new Standard, a significant role played at the Remembrance Day service to mark 100 years of the Armistice, and an end-of-term passing out parade for new recruits.

MASPA

Review This term has been a busy one for us, and I am thrilled so many of you have joined us this term for such a variety of events designed to meet up with old friends and make new. So often I hear parents tell me that MASPA is very unique and experiences like these are what keep our parent community strong.

We enjoyed the last of the glorious summer weather at the end of September for the Langham Wine Estate tasting only 15 minutes from the School.

We enjoyed a guided tour of their vineyard and just days before their harvest; the bulging grapes were testament to the effects of a long hot

summer. We tasted a selection of their sparkling wine varieties and learnt about the differences in taste and pairings which was followed by a delicious farm lunch.

The Third and Fourth Form lunch at the Polish Club was as good as ever, and a lovely event for new parents to get to know each other over a beautifully prepared lunch. By sheer coincidence we bumped into a group of former parents meeting up for lunch at the same time which made the day even more fun.

The MASPA Christmas Lunch at Gallery Mess Restaurant in London provided the perfect respite in between Christmas shopping and cultural activities in London. We had a fantastic attendance of new and current parents as well as a former parent for old times’ sake; all enjoying catching up before the end of term.

On a crisp, cold morning in eary December, ten parents met in a beautiul Dorset barn ready to create a Christmas Wreath. Under the expert tuition of Jules Hosford, we not only learnt about plants and the environment but

picked up some excellent tips. Jules welcomed us with freshly made coffee and cake and set about teaching us how to use some of the stunning foliage found in her grounds. A much enjoyed tot of sloe gin helped to keep the fingers warm during the morning. We were rewarded with a lovely homemade soup and quiche before leaving with happy memory of a morning well spent.

Please do join us and find out what events are planned by going onto the website. www.miltonabbey.co.uk/MASPA Claire Low | Head of Admissions

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LENT TERM 2019 EVENTS Online calendar launched to replace Term Diaries The printed ‘Term Diary’ that parents used to receive has been replaced with an interactive online calendar.

This has many benefits, including the ability to filter the events you are interested in and then sync them to any Calendar app you use on your computer or smartphone. We can also keep the calendar fully up-to-date, avoiding problems when an event changes or if something new is added during the term.

We will still be publishing a booklet each term to highlight the main events you may wish to attend.

For more information about how to access and use the new online calendar, visit our website at www.miltonabbey.co.uk/calendar.

LOWER SCHOOL OPEN DAY Saturday 2 March | 10:15am | School ART SCHOLARS’ ANNUAL EXHIBITION Wednesday 13 March | 6:30pm to 8:00pm | Tuck Shop THE SOUND OF MUSIC - SCHOOL PRODUCTION Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 March | 7:15pm | New Barn Theatre SPRING WEDDING SHOW Sunday 31 March | 11:00am-3:00pm EASTER SUNDAY LUNCH Sunday 14 April | Check website for time | Abbot’s Hall

MASPA EVENTS JO LOVES – CREATE YOUR SHOT CANDLE™ Learn about fragrance combination and create your very own bespoke shot candle in the Candle Studio. Wednesday, 13 February 2019 £90 per person – limited to 8 places. From 10:45-12:30pm at Jo Loves at 42 Elizabeth Street, London, SW1W 9NZ. LOCAL AND WILD – FOOD AND WINE EXPERIENCE AT NUTBOURNE RESTAURANT IN LONDON Join us at Old Boy Oliver Gladwin’s Restaurant for a carving lesson, wine tasting and sharing lunch. Wednesday, 13 March 2019 £65 per person – meet at 12:00pm at Nutbourne Restaurant, Ransomes Dock Business Centre, Parkgate Rd, London, SW11 4NP. MATTHEW DAY JACKSON AT HAUSER & WIRTH, SOMERSET Private curated tour of the exhibition and beautiful grounds, followed by a light lunch at the popular Roth Bar & Grill. Thursday, 28 March 2019 £45 per person – meet at Hauser & Wirth, Durslade Farm, Dropping Lane, Bruton, Somerset, BA10 0NL. MASPA COFFEE STOP – EXEAT AND HALF TERM BREAKS Please join staff and other parents in the Tuck Shop from 11am to 12:30pm on the days that School breaks up for Exeats and Half Term and enjoy freshly made coffee, tea and homemade cakes.

To book please contact maspa@miltonabbey.co.uk To read more please go to the MASPA page on the website: www.miltonabbey.co.uk/MASPA

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MILTON ABBEY, PLEASE CONTACT THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE: Milton Abbey School | Blandford Forum | Dorset | DT11 0BZ | 01258 881804 admissions@miltonabbey.co.uk | www.miltonabbey.co.uk