SHERBORNE NEWS Trinity 2019 ISSUE 31
Comment
Every so often, people ask me how long I’ve been at Sherborne. The answer is not that straightforward.
Although I joined the English department four years
ago, my association with the School began 24 years
ago, when my mother became the Housekeeper in
School House. Since then, Sherborne has been a part
of my family life, although as a child I certainly did not
think I would end up working here, let alone being
appointed as Head of English.
As Head of Department, my aim is to build upon the strong foundations set in place by my predecessor. The department already has a strong reputation for academic excellence which I aim to uphold, but now I want to bring this into the 21st century by further embedding modern technologies into our daily teaching practice. When I moved back to Dorset, I did not know what to expect. Although I had attended a boarding school myself, I had not worked in an all-boys school before and I found myself wondering whether it would be the best or worst decision of my career. I’m delighted to say that it was the former. Shirburnians are naturally inquisitive and it is this infectious enthusiasm which makes them a joy to teach. A lesson on An Inspector Calls, for example, will often lead to boys musing the extent to which our society can still be regarded as prejudicial. It is these real-world issues that, despite English being a mandatory subject for GCSE, makes it the most important in my eyes. F. Scott Fitzgerald once stated that the beauty of all Literature was “discovering that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.” The STEM subjects may teach the boys how the world works, but literature is often a reaction to the concerns of the society in which it was written. It speaks of truths that, much like Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale which has seen the iconic red robes of the handmaid become a symbol of protest in recent years, are often as relevant today as they were at the time of their publication. Those who study Hamlet at A level are a perfect example of this; every year I find myself watching teenage boys find their own concerns about life and mortality reflected in the words of a Danish prince written five hundred years ago. What better way to discover that you are not alone in your thinking than to see it expressed in arguably the most significant of Shakespeare’s plays? As Head of Department, my aim is to build upon the strong foundations set in place by my predecessor. The department already has a strong reputation for academic excellence which I aim to uphold, but now I want to bring this into the 21st century by further embedding modern technologies into our daily teaching practice. English is, after all, a subject with so many real-world applications and I would like to
encourage more boys to see it as an exciting A level option. Boys who study it beyond GCSE can use it to support university applications for a plethora of different subjects including History or Business. Yes, there is a significant reading load, but English is also about developing analytical and communication skills. It is about decoding texts and developing an argument, both of which are basic expectations for many degree courses. And, of course, it is great fun. Beyond the classroom, English offers a range of exciting co-curricular opportunities, from creative writing to the Cecil Day-Lewis Society, which focuses on literary analysis. With debating, run jointly by Mrs de Pelet and Dr Wild of the History Department, being relaunched in the Michaelmas Term, there are so many opportunities for boys to get involved with the department and I hope to expand our societies further. I look forward to seeing a new generation of Shirburnians follow in the footsteps of illustrious alumni such as John Le Carré, Anthony Lane, Ian Messiter and Tom Bradby. For me, an important part of my tenure will be to forge even closer links between the Department and the School Library. Reading is, ultimately, the lifeblood of any English department, but it has implications for every subject that the boys will take at Sherborne. Educational research has suggested that pupils must understand 90-95% of words on a page to ensure comprehension. In the context of the secondary school environment, with exams at the forefront of everyone’s mind, this can be a daunting statistic, but those who read are certainly equipped to overcome this barrier. Put simply, reading regularly has direct impact upon results whether they be in Chemistry, Geography or Design Technology. As Head of Department, I will be looking to develop the current work of the Department to encourage all boys to read more and read widely. Any boy who claims that they ‘are not a reader’ is missing one word from the sentence: they are not a reader yet. Harriet Cant, Head of English from 1st September
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Academic Enrichme
A LEVEL BUSINESS STUDIES TRIP
The Lower Sixth Business A level boys spent the day at World First’s offices in Millbank Tower overlooking the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London. World First is a multi-award winning ‘fintech’ company owned by Alibaba, the Chinese ecommerce platform and employs 640 people around the world. The day started off with an introduction to the company and the journey it has been on over the last 15 years. Following this, the boys spent half an hour doing some ‘career speed networking’ with staff members from various departments providing them with an opportunity to find out about different roles. Boys were given an introduction to foreign exchange, what moves exchange rates and how World First fits in to this ecosystem was provided by World First’s economist. They were then asked to calculate the impact of large swings in exchange rates on companies and learnt about how companies can manage their foreign exchange risk. After a brief lunch, the day become more interactive with the boys designing an App for a pizza ordering service where payments could be split between friends. They then had to present their idea and respond to questions about where they would prioritise their resources in terms of App development. In the marketing session, the boys learnt about the growth of video advertising and then had to come up with a storyboard for a video of their favourite brand and present it to the group. Land Rover and Porsche were two of the companies chosen and the Head of Marketing at World First commented on how creative and engaged the boys were during the task. Finally, the boys spent some time on the dealing floor learning about the importance of customer service and seeing markets move and transactions take place in real time. Many World First staff commented on how polite and engaging the boys were during the course of the day. Nick Robinson, Economics & Business Studies Teacher
FOURTH FORM BERLIN EXCHANGE The annual Fourth Formers German exchange is a highlight in the MFL department calendar. At Easter ten Fourth Form spent a week at Gymnasium Steglitz in Berlin and Sherborne School hosted the reciprocal visit from Gymnasium Steglitz pupils in June. The exchange offers pupils a chance to experience life as a teenager in a different country, climate and educational setting, where the contrast of city versus small town, boarding versus day school and multicultural cosmopolitanism versus traditional British values, makes the experiences even richer. Whilst in Berlin pupils attended school, visited historical sites and spent evenings and the weekend with their host families. The Gymnasium Steglitz pupils, who were hosted in boarding houses and their Fourth Form exchange partner, experienced the full raft of Sherborne curriculum and activities. All involved benefitted linguistically, culturally and socially. We look forward to many more collaborations in the coming years. Judy Thurman, Head of Modern Foreign Languages
INSPIRATIONAL LECTURE BY ZIAUDDIN YOUSAFZAI Ziauddin Yousafzai spoke to the Third and Fourth Form boys about his family’s life in Pakistan before and during the Taliban occupation. Though famous because of his daughter Malala, he specifically addressed the reaction of the other men in his family and also talked about the experience of his two sons. He talked movingly about the aftermath of the attempt on Malala’s life and of her rehabilitation in Birmingham, where the family now live. He spoke with great conviction and humility, consistently underplaying his extraordinary courage in fighting for the cause of girls’ education in Pakistan. Tim Dawson, Head of Scholarship
nt News
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LOWER SIXTH HIGHER EDUCATION FORUM
PATTERSON PRIZE FOR RECITATION
The Lower Sixth Higher Education Forum took place on Sunday, 12 May and was an opportunity for Lower Sixth boys, and their parents, to learn more about opportunities in the Higher Education and post-18 employment sectors. Mike Nicholson, Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach at the University of Bath, our keynote speaker, talked entertainingly about university life and explained each aspect of the UCAS application procedure, with an emphasis on how to make a personal statement “stand out”. After that, parents and boys attended the Higher Education Fair in the Sports Hall, where representatives from 34 different UK and overseas universities, Apprenticeship providers and Gap Year companies, including admissions’ staff, recent OS and members of the teaching and Careers department staff, took stands to answer questions and offer advice. Parents were also able to gain some valuable insight into the level of research their sons had already undertaken by accessing their Unifrog profiles for one day only. The Higher Education Forum is always a highlight of the Careers department’s calendar and this year was no exception. A huge amount of positive feedback was received from parents, boys and delegates so hopefully it serves as an excellent catalyst for the Lower Sixth in researching their post-Sherborne options.
The Patterson Prize for Recitation rewards boys who can deliver a poem they have memorised to a full room. It brings out the best in them, because their readiness to express a poet’s feelings in carefully crafted words is something that requires courage. Luckily, they have come to rely on a supportive audience, and this was especially true in the formal but intimate setting of the Old School Room, which was filled with boys and staff. This year, the event was judged by Paul Carling, a former teacher of English and Theology here, and his sister, Dr Alex Carling, an authority on speech and drama. They identified the challenges presented by each poem, and by recitation
in general – in particular, the need to live with the complex ideas a poem can express. They awarded the Patterson Cup to Archie Burton (4a), and from an impressive field identified Frederick Folkes (3a), Finn Grammaticas (4f), Kilian King (3a) and Edward Pinnock (3a) as runners up. Malhaar Shah (U6a) was unopposed in the Senior Competition, and it was a joy to hear him recite Satan’s first speech from Paradise Lost. He has won two Patterson Cups already, and deserves special praise for having done so much to maintain the high standards of the contest, as well as being an ambassador for it throughout his time in the School.
Tom Rimmer, Assistant Head Sixth Form, & Kim Dunning, Manager of Higher Education and Careers
MACNAGHTEN BOOK PRIZE Every year the library selects a short list of books that cover a particular theme and asks the students and staff to read them. This year the theme was on resilience and the shortlisted fiction titles were: Mud by Emily Thomas, In the Mouth of the Wolf by Michael Morpurgo, The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon and The Plague by Albert Camus. For non-fiction we had: The Choice by Dr Edith Eger, Educated by Tara Westover, Black
Box Thinking by Matthew Syed and finally Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. The winner was the classic 1947 novel The Plague by Albert Camus with 33% of the vote. The book demonstrates resilience in the face of fear, death, war and disease, with bravery of some of the inhabitants of the town shining through. James Curtis, Assistant Librarian
Tom Payne, English Teacher
Sherborne Abbey Festival 2019 ... provides an unrivaled opportunity for the School to showcase the best of its music to the local community in Dorset's award-winning
Music and Performance Festival.
Co-curricular News CCF HIGHLIGHTS TEN TORS TRAINING The boys had another excellent year tackling the challenges of Ten Tors. This term, we entered three teams instead of the usual two and the selection down to the teams was very tough. The squads had trained hard, completing nine days of training in total, eight of which were on Dartmoor, covering approximately 100 miles and enduring some pretty unpleasant conditions with a mixture of torrential rain and 60mph head winds. Throughout the training, and on the day, the boys showed tremendous team spirit as they hiked thirty-five miles across Dartmoor. As the skies cleared, we were proud to watch the boys cross the finish line and stand on the podium to receive their medals. Well done to all those who took part in the training, to those who made the final team selection, and to those who went on to complete the Ten Tors challenge. Nick Scorer Teacher of Chemistry, Housemaster Elect of Harper House, and CCF Army
The Trinity Term CCF Field Trip is often the highlight of the year. The Royal Navy section went sailing from HMS Excellent and gave rave reviews to the bespoke mountain biking course at the Queen Elizabeth Country Park. The Royal Marines and Army sections were put through their paces at the Commando Training Centre where they completed obstacles on the infamous ‘bottom field’, went blank firing, and finished with the dreaded ‘sheep dip’ of going through water-submerged tunnels. This was part of the endurance course where they had to crawl through dark winding tunnels, wade through bogs and run up hills. This trip was a real test of character for the boys, but is wonderful for developing resilience and taking the boys out of their comfort zone. Plenty of boys demonstrated character in abundance on both these trips. Doing these types of activities proves to the boys the extent to which they are able to extend their capabilities. Rob Le Poidevin Housemaster of The Digby and CCF Contingent Commander
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LEADERSHIP AND TEAMBUILDING COURSE Every year post-GCSEs our Fifth Form head to Brownsea Island for a Leadership and Teambuilding Course. They are placed in random groups and have to attempt a series of tasks designed to test their team work and problem solving abilities. Reflecting upon their actions and mindset forms a crucial part of the course.
THE CHALLENGES AND THRILLS OF CLIMBING Trinity Term sees boys take on the vertical limestone cliffs of Portland. Down on the coast the climbers put into practice their rope skills to support each other in testing their physical skills to scale the fine fissures and pockets in the rock. Technique is a real focus of development as the footholds are less obvious and smaller in the natural environment compared with
those at the climbing wall. Many find this transition a real challenge and begin to understand the need to having tighter fitting shoes and a smoother style of movement. This year we have visited cliffs at Blacknor, Battleship and the Cuttings. Henry Biddulph (4d) and Felix Chillingworth (L6m) have stood out this term as our top Junior and Senior climbers. James Kimber, Physics Teacher
Feedback from peers and staff can form a really powerful learning experience for the boys. This year we saw a number of boys at their best: thoughtful; considerate of others; motivated and willing to get stuck in. The boys support the National Trust’s conservation efforts and they put in a great shift to help with the continued regeneration of the island’s natural habitat. The boys showed themselves in a really positive light and for this year group it augurs well as they get ready to embark upon the challenges of Sixth Form.
DUKE OF EDINBURGH This year we have been delighted to present 70 Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards from all levels, including 43 Bronze awards – our best year to date. We have also been pleased to present 11 Gold badges – our best results two years running! Archie Buxton (a18), Oliver Minchin (g18), Seb Carty (U6a), Henry Jones (g18), Tom Chatwin (d18), Luke Watson (a18), Theo Banks (U6m), Archie
Fairclough Wood (U6m), Tom McCaig (U6b), Hugo Blythman-Rowe (U6c) and Ed Jones (L6d) will receive their Gold Certificates at a ceremony either at Buckingham Palace or St. James’ Palace in London. Many others are on course to complete their awards in the near future and we look forward to building on the success of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. James Hull DofE and Educational Visits
Rob Le Poidevin Housemaster of The Digby and CCF Contingent Commander
‘FUTURE HOPE’ CONSERVATION AWARD
We are thrilled to be participating in a new conservation and rewilding initiative for schools launched by the conservation charity, Operation Future Hope. With Sherborne Girls, this project will support the reintroduction, and protection, of flora and fauna within areas of the School estate. Several areas have been identified within the School as suitable locations for rewilding, including a proposed area for woodland regeneration along the border of the playing fields. Over 1km in length, this area has the potential to become an outstanding wildlife corridor, providing habitat for small mammals, woodland birds and butterflies.
Dr Dominic Luckett, Headmaster, comments: “Participation in the Conservation School Award Scheme presents a wonderful opportunity for our schools to work together to help address, on a local level, environmental issues about which we should all be concerned. The rewilding aspect of the project is important in itself, allowing us to restore and protect the biodiversity of our School grounds. Even more important than that, however, is the educative aspect of the programme, allowing our
pupils to learn more about the environmental challenges that the world faces and, we hope, to be inspired to do something about them not just today but in the future.” This is one of several environmental initiatives underway at Sherborne and we have several exciting plans afoot for the boys to get involved and cultivate a green mind-set across our community.
Commem
“And if the future presents great challenges it also offers our boys a world of exciting possibilities, providing they are prepared to embrace the opportunities that they have. The past year has not been without its challenges but we have come through them with great style. And whilst the coming years will test us all, I have every confidence that the energy, enthusiasm and talent of the boys, harnessed to the support and encouragement of our staff, will see even greater levels of success in the years ahead.
So thank you all. And most of all, thank you to all our parents and grandparents for making it possible for the boys to be here and for placing such trust in us by sending them to Sherborne. I very much appreciate your support and, of course, your great discernment.� Dr Dominic Luckett, Headmaster
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Congratulations go to all the boys whose hard work, talent and commitment have been recognised this year. Special mention, as always, should be made of the winner of this year’s Bow Award. The most prestigious accolade that the School can bestow, it acknowledges the boy who is considered to have shown the most kindness, consideration and support for others. Many boys were nominated by other pupils and staff and the eventual winner of the 2019 Bow Award was Nicholas van Kan (U6b).
Music The Abbey Festival in early May provided the opportunity for the last major performances before Commem — the musical nature of an eight week term being such that, with GCSEs and A levels beginning almost immediately and lasting until the end, an intensity of music-making took place at the beginning and then there was almost nothing until the end. Friday lunchtime Cheap Street Church recitals continued until Half Term, featuring a Soloists’ Recital, Pianists’ Recital, a Wind & Brass Recital and a Strings Recital — reviews of which are on the website at www.sherborne.org/music Sherborne Abbey Festival 2019 Britten’s three-trumpet Fanfare for St Edmundsbury opened the Chamber Music concert, which itself opened the festival, ringing resplendently around the Abbey, first separately and then “in the form of three separate trumpet fanfares, played attacca, which combine in conclusion” (Britten). William Banks (Sch.Mus U6b), Jonathan Post (Exh.Mus 5a) and Jordan Mwangola (Exh.Mus L6e) gave startlingly energetic performances and, using three different locations, once again brought concert magic to the Abbey. The first movement of Nielsen’s Wind Quintet, Op 43 gave our superb Wind Quintet (Music Scholars Cassian Blackburn-Enever (L6e, flute), Benedict Mercer ATCL (L6b, French horn), George Lewis (L6d, clarinet), George Jefferson (L6e, oboe) and Nathanael Fagerson (L6c, bassoon) an opportunity to play repertoire both technically
demanding and powerful in its energetic rhythms and beautiful instrumental colour. A younger scholars’ piano trio — Ciaran Smith (5b, piano), Jack Pyman (4e, violin) and Marcus Bradley (4e, ‘cello) — proved their mettle in Frank Bridge’s Valse Russe in performing music of outstanding quality, and great sensitivity, while Isaac Bingley (Sch.Mus 5e) provided mature piano accompaniment to exacting violinist Alex Hobbs (Sch.Mus, 5c) in a duo playing Schubert’s Sonatine in G minor. The Brass Quintet’s rendition of Three Pieces by the mid nineteenthcentury composer Maurer proved to be spell-binding — the composer, despite being a string player himself, understanding brass instruments intuitively — and then a lively and almost irreverent performance of that old favourite Over the rainbow concluded the chamber music section of the
concert. Hector Fiennes’ (U6a) lyrical tenor voice yet again charmed the audience with a moving and thoughtful performance of Poulenc’s “C” and a stunningly musical interpretation of the third movement of Creston’s Sonata by alto saxophonist Freddie Graham ATCL LTCL (U6c) concluded a first-rate concert. Elsewhere in the festival the Swing Band managed to fill the BSR with an ever-larger local audience, entertaining with their usual pizazz in Duke Ellington’s Cotton Tail and It don’t mean a thing, amongst many other numbers, and featuring the extraordinarily colourful improvising of alto saxophonists Tom McCaig ATCL (Exh.Mus U6b) and Freddie Graham. Saturday 4th May saw the Chamber Choir singing Music Sacred and Secular in the annual Saturday recital at 11.00am, featuring
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Patrick Shelley Music Competition, 23 June Adjudicator — Hilary Davan Wetton The Patrick Shelley Music Competition was a veritable feast of music-making lasting nine hours. Music of outstanding quality was performed by forty-eight entrants, many of whom performed on more than one instrument, with Hilary Davan Wetton (orchestral and choral conductor) praising all of them and then declaring the winners to be: music by Brahms, Tallis, Byrd and a brand new commission — the Sherborne Canticles — by David Briggs (Artist-in-Residence at St James’ Cathedral in Toronto, and previously Director of Music at Truro and Gloucester Cathedrals). In all cases, the powerful men’s voices sonority was well catered for in both ancient and modern repertoire, with the twenty-two members of the choir (consisting of many exchoristers of Sherborne Abbey, Salisbury and Winchester Cathedrals) singing beautiful pianissimo passages and yet also with a very full-voice and rich plagency. No choral concert seems to be complete, these days, without a few lighter items by the Sherborne Close Harmony and so Short People and Words (Newman and Edenroth respectively) had one of their final outings.
Strings:
Jack Pyman (violin), Kit Hobbs (3c) (‘cello’) and Gary Xu (U6b) (double bass)
Piano:
Ciaran Smith (5b), Tom McCaig and David Chen (3e)
Organ:
George Jefferson (L6e)
Percussion:
Ranco Liu (4e) (marimba) & Tom O’Sullivan (5d) (drum kit)
Brass:
Ben Fuller (L6f)
Woodwind:
Nathanael Fagerson (bassoon)
Singers:
Jordan Mwangola, Bently Creswell (U6a) and Jack Pyman
Commended singers: Angus Williams (3c) and Hendrik Asbrooke (3g) Overall winner:
Nathanael Fagerson (bassoon, ‘cello, piano, baritone singer)
Commem Leavers’ Concert, 27 June Seven very gifted Upper Sixth musicians elected to play in the Leavers’ Concert and, joined by the gap year Choral and Organ Scholars Jordan Berry LTCL (a18), Samuel Hill and Kentaro Machida, gave an evening’s entertainment of breath-taking musical quality. Freddie Graham ATCL LTCL opened and closed the concert — starting with the stunning first movement of Creston’s Sonata in E flat on the alto saxophone and finishing with a signature and final jazz improvisation on Summertime on the soprano sax. These jazz improvisations will be much missed! Hector Fiennes gave performances on the Tindall Recital Hall’s Viscount electronic organ — an instrument remarkably well suited to the ‘modernity’ of Sark’s Toccata Primi Toni — as well as on the piano (Black Coffee) and on his tenor voice (Vaughan Williams’ On Wenlock Edge). Alex Colville (Sch.Mus U6m) gave a suitably controlled yet exacting performance of the first movement of Beethoven’s Violin
Commem Gala Concert, 28 June An undoubted highlight of this two a quarter hour concert — the clue to its length is in the concert title yet, even so, this was very much not an occasion where all Sherborne ensembles were able to be included — was the Concert Orchestra. The Joint Schools’ Orchestras traditionally being disbanded after the Easter Concert (which was in Oxford), an entirely Sherborne School ensemble is formed and, in just eight rehearsals, performs at Commem. The 1812 Overture concluded the Gala Concert, with Rachmaninov, Fauré, the Wind Band, Jazz and Swing Bands, Clarinet Quartet and others along the way. This was an evening of triumphant music-making. Exhibiting the very best of Sherborne’s ensemble playing, and showcasing superb team work from over one hundred boys of many differing abilities and musicianship, though inevitably heavily populated by Grade 8 and diploma musicians, in music-making of enviable quality. Sonata in F major Op 24 and, by contrast, Gary Xu was flamboyant and captivating on the double bass in Eccles’ Sonata in G minor. That smoothest of baritones, Bently Creswell, sang final and moving performances of The Turtle Dove and Schubert’s Tränenregen (from Die Schöne Müllerin). Tom McCaig ATCL played the ubiquitous Three Piece Suite, by Richard Rodney Bennett, with enormous style, musicianship, flair and a great beauty of tone, later joining Will Banks in a Blues duet. Will Banks himself sang Tosti’s L’Ultima Canzone with great panache, while also entertaining with a well-judged performance of Ain’t misbehavin’ on the trumpet with extended improvisations. Highlights of the Choral and Organ Scholar performances included Kentaro Machida playing the first movement of Strauss’ Horn Concerto No 1 from memory.
Programme Wind Band Star Wars Medley
Williams - arr. de Mey
The Seventh Night in July
Sakai
Clarinet Quartet Andante Cantabile, No. 1 from String Quartet
Tchaikovsky - arr. Kenny
Wind Quintet Overture to The Barber of Seville
Rossini
Chamber Orchestra Concerto in B Minor for Four Violins, RV580 1st movt. Allegro
Vivaldi
Divertimento in D, K136 3rd movt. Presto
Mozart
Jazz Band Song for my father A closer shave
Silver Ingle
Brass Quintet Oh, What a Beautiful Morning from Oklahoma! Rodgers and Hammerstein - arr. Harvey Swing Band When You’re Smiling
Shay, Fisher and Goodwin
Save the Last Dance for Me
Pomus and Shuman
Close Harmony Java Jive
Drake and Oakland
Words Concert Orchestra Crown Imperial
Edenroth Walton
Pavane pour une infante défunte
Ravel - arr. Davey
Prelude in G minor Op. 23, No. 5
Rachmaninoff orch. Davey
1812 Overture
Tchaikovsky
James Henderson - Director of Music
Drama
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The Drama department is usually relatively quiet in terms of full productions in the final term because of the competing pressures of the boys’ other commitments. The Languages Play is an exception to this general rule, giving the boys an opportunity to excel linguistically and theatrically. Huge congratulations to them on their performance in both fields. The Lower Sixth boys excelled themselves in their devised piece for their curriculum performance which was an incredibly challenging piece on the subject of toxic masculinity. The boys combined elements of dance theatre gleaned from Pina Bausch and DV8 alongside elements of Frantic Assembly’s physical theatre technique. The script was sourced, verbatim-style from interviews and was performed in the round in the studio. This was another highly experimental and thought-provoking piece from the boys, devised in conjunction with our amazing GRA, Miss Thomas. Preparations are also afoot with the House plays for next term. The first out of the gates in Michaelmas is Wallace House with murder mystery, “Unman, Wittering and Zigo”. Felix Connolly (L6e), an A level Drama student is directing this performance. Digby has already cast both boys from the House and girls from Sherborne Girls in their House play that is the hilarious and touching “The Cripple Of Innishmaan” by Martin McDonagh. In addition, 50 boys also took LAMDA exams in Acting, Speaking in Public, Speaking Verse and Prose, and Mime
this term. We have not yet had all the results, but from the results received so far, 13 out of 15 boys gained Distinctions. The following gained a well deserved Distinction at grade 8: • • • • •
Humphrey Graham (U6m) - Acting Duo Freddie Graham (U6c) - Acting Duo Crispin Newman (5c) - Mime Henry Felbeck (U6f) - Speaking in Public Iranola Folorunsho (U6b) - Speaking in Public
At the very end of term, the Third Form boys were taken to see Small Island at the National Theatre which was a truly outstanding production. It is always right to hope that one will get to see a five star piece at the National, but it is certainly not an expectation. Happily, in this case, the production was an absolute cracker which gained a standing ovation from the audience and was certainly worthy of the five star reviews it had gained. This was a very moving performance about immigration and attitudes towards race in this country in post-war Britain, which was both challenging and insightful. Ian Reade, Head of Drama
Art
Crispin Newman (5c)
Finn Stewart (5e)
Charlie McCaig (5b)) The department continued its long and valued relationship with the local primary schools with another creative workshop day run by Mrs Vickie Fraser. Forty Year 4 primary school children from five of the local village primary schools attend the workshop. As part of their day the children visited Sherborne Abbey to look at the stained-glass windows. They created their own contemporary versions based on the work of Jacob Hashimoto and painted shields to take home with them.
During the summer break work will start on the refurbishment of C28 as a Sixth Form A level Art studio with individual workspaces for each A level Fine Artist. With a programme of visits, visiting Artist workshops, life drawing and the arrival of our new SCAD Foundation Fellow, next year offers a wealth of opportunities for the boys. Emma Drake Art Teacher
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Design & Technology
Clerkenwell Design Week 2019 With the Fourth Form about to start one of the most sustained and stretching design projects (yet), our London Design field trip provided an opportunity to raise their heads, explore the commercial world of design, and to explore some of the trends and methods practicing designers apply. With 2019 seeing the tenth Clerkenwell Design Week, we really wanted to see if our design pupils could take advantage of all there is to see and experience. In a briefing, on a warm summer’s morning outside the really busy Farringdon tube station, we outlined a few ‘ground rules’ to 29 excited Fourth Form pupils, armed with maps, guidance, notepads and packed lunches. With many of the venues being quite small, the boys stood to gain most if they worked in pairs, followed a vague route northwards, and spoke up and asked questions on what they saw or encouraged the designers to talk about their work. Our first stop was in a nightclub which was completely taken over by numerous innovative lighting designers where, in the darkness, we instantly lost all of the boys! We had arranged to regroup at the halfway point inside the subterranean brick 17th century Clerkenwell Gaol. We held our breath in the hope that the boys would rise to the challenge, be curious, and make the best of what this exciting event had to offer. Certainly, I learnt two things at this year’s event. The first is that often, if invited to step outside their comfort zones, the boys will step up to the task; and the second is the degree to which they have developed a rich curiosity about design and materials in their past year of being immersed in the subject. For most this was their first ‘trade show’ and the boys we met were left buzzing by the density of exciting ideas, the technology on show, and how what they had studied in theory was playing out in practice in established companies and small start-ups. With the boys having just launched into their coursework we now wait with excitement to see how their experiences on the day will influence the creative work they deliver.
Peter Chillingworth Head of Design and Technology
Sport THE SHOW MUST GO ON Although many schools seem to be finding it harder and harder to sustain a meaningful programme of sport in the summer term, at Sherborne, our boys are as busy as ever. Come rain or shine, indoors or out, team or individual, the sports show goes on. Despite some challenging weather in June, most fixtures have gone ahead and as always, I have been impressed by the commitment and determination of many of our young sportsmen, despite the ever present academic pressures.
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The latest academic research, (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2019/04/24/ children-should-not-stop-playing-sport-run-exams-has-no-impact/) suggests that even during the important external examination season, it is beneficial to the well-being and performance of our students to be active in competitive sport or recreational activity. Our boys seem to find that the chance to spend an hour on the tennis court, smash a few balls in a cricket net, relax in a yoga session or even cast a few flies in our newly formed fly fishing squad, all helps them rejuvenate their bodies and refocus their minds, taking them away temporarily from the pressures of daily life.
David Guy - Director of Sport
TENNIS The 2019 tennis season has flown by with more boys playing in the Trinity Term and more fixtures than ever before. The partnership with Sherborne Tennis Club, allowing us to use their excellent courts, has been a real blessing and allowed our team players to experience four different surfaces; hard courts, grass, astro and clay.
CRICKET 2019 has been an action-packed season for cricket at Sherborne with all 10 teams playing regular fixtures in the first half of term. The Under 14s managed to win the final of their County Cup with a stunning performance against Clayesmore meaning Sherborne School has been U14 county champions for three of the last four years whilst the Under 15s lost in the final of their equivalent Twenty20 competition. The U15 C team went through the season unbeaten and the U14 B team put together some very strong performances, whilst the 2nd, 3rd and 4th XIs have lost only a handful of games between them. There have been two hat-tricks taken this term, by Jack Pyman (4e) (U15C) and Barney Crawford (3b) (U14B) whilst Humphrey Graham (U6m) took five for 15 for the 5th XI and Harry Watson (4g) grabbed five wickets for just three runs for the U15A team. There have been plenty of runs amassed too with the individual highlight being Raef O’Brien’s (5c) magnificent 120 for the 1st XI against Taunton School.
The weather has been generally kind and there have been significant improvements in play, both in individual skills and also tactical doubles play. Highlights have been the overall victories against Clifton, Bryanston and Canford, plus the important lessons to learn from a heavy loss to Bradfield. The 3rd form 'Road to Wimbledon' title was won by Louis Rawles (3m) after a closely fought match against Charlie Westmacott (3c).
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FLY FISHING Sherborne’s new Fly Fishing Society has proved a popular co-curricular activity. Art and Photography teacher (and OS) Matt Bone (m91) formed the club which takes place in the beautiful surroundings of Sutton Bingham Reservoir. Six to eight boys take part and fish three times a week, where they also wash and gut the fish, resulting in plenty of trout to offer the Sherborne community. Fly fishing is not only a skill the boys can develop but it is also good for their wellbeing, providing an opportunity to the relax and unwind. The club is going from strength to strength and there are plans to grow the club further next year.
ATHLETICS The season started with much promise on the Yeovil track at the Lutra Shield and in the North Dorset Trials, where 20 boys qualified for the Dorset Championships later in the term. Success followed at Dauntsey’s new track and then Millfield and Marlborough.
WATER POLO Water polo remains a popular pursuit among Sherborne’s boys. They won their only match against Dauntsey’s School, enjoying a 10-1 victory. The boys were 5-0 up by half time and managed to consolidate their impressive performance in the second half, despite flagging energy levels. .
The Senior squad won the overall title at the inaugural Marlborough Nitro event, and the Third Form did the same at the North Dorset team event later in the season. At the Dorset Championships six boys were crowned County Champions and in doing so were among eight Shirburnians to be selected to represent Dorset at the South West Championships. Charlie McCaig (5b) was the outstanding performer at the County Championships, with a School record javelin throw of 57.08m and qualification to the English schools for the third year in a row. A week later Charlie came second at the South West Championships and was only bettered by Captain of Athletics, Oscar Jones (U6m), who won the high jump with a School record equalling jump of 1.98m, also qualifying him for the English Schools Championships. This is a fantastic achievement and a great way to end the season.
CLAY SHOOTING
SAILING
Clay Shooting continued as a Thursday afternoon sport, but with multi-year group teams, there were no matches due to GCSE and A level exams.
Over 30 pupils have sailed this term. The senior team competed in both the regional schools Western and Thames Valley Area Championships coming fifth in both. Special mention must go to Ben Fuller (L6f) for stepping up to captain the team due to exam absence.
Accordingly, the highlight of the term was the Seventh Annual Parents' and Sons' Competition where, on the last Sunday of term a group of 34 boys and parents met at the AA Shooting School. Members of the Sherborne School squad were keen to show off their skills, and parents, as in previous years, were in high competitive spirit. It was also good to see previous supporters of the day joined by enthusiastic newcomers for the event. With three trophies at stake (for highest scoring son, parent and pair), mild weather, and clays to powder, everyone was eager for the shooting to commence. In the competition for the boys’ trophy, the leader board was headed up by the clay squad with the high gun title taken for the third year running by Cameron Cooper (L6d), paced by Nico Christensen (4f), Nick Stewart-Smith (3b) and Percy Tylor (3g). Alex Dobson (3m), Jack Wells (U6e) and Hugo Hurrell (U6g) also proved to be proficient shots. Cameron Cooper was also the equal high gun of all participants with a score of 45 out of 50 sporting targets. The parents’ trophy was won by Michael Tylor followed in tough competition by Charlie Wolseley Brinton (father to William (4g)) and Anthony Buxton (father to Oscar (L6a)) with strong performances from Jonathan Wood (father to Aidan (3e)) and Peter Wells. Michael Tylor was also equal high gun in the entire competition. The highlight of the day was the parent and son competition which was won by the Tylor team, hotly pursued by the Wolseley Brinton and Wells teams. The Cooper, Buxton, Wood and Christensen teams also scored highly. The prize-giving ceremony and lunch at The Saxon Inn, Child Okeford, prompted much discussion about clays that had been hit (and missed!) and for everyone it was a tremendous day to end the year’s clay shooting.
The junior team who are showing much promise came eighth in the National Schools Junior Team Racing Championships with Andre Cheung (4e) and William Seabrook (4e) as helms. At the time of writing, six pupils are about to compete in the National Schools Fleet Racing Championships in which the School came second last year and Fifth Formers are embarking on an adventure on a yacht for three days with the adventure of crossing the Channel.
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POLO In the Trinity Term, with enough boys for more than two teams training every week, polo at Sherborne has not seen such breadth of talent since 2010. Therefore next year promises to be very exciting. On Sunday 23 June two polo teams played at Druids Lodge against Marlborough and for Otis Morgan (3m), Mustafa Cheshti (3b), Finn Jones (4m) and Charles Stagnetto (L6a) this was their first match. They all played extremely well but Otis Morgan has undeniable talent for a beginner. Tom Dubois (L6a) has been a calm and knowledgeable captain all year and an outstanding role model in every possible way for the up and coming players. He has also played in a number of tournaments and matches for the polo club. Ralph Loveys Jervoise and Sam Yorke (both L6m) have also been very committed players who have represented the School all year and helped bring on the new players.
SCUBA DIVING Another group of Sherborne’s intrepid divers have taken up the challenge of the PADI Open Water qualification and, this year, we are proud that Jack Timmis (3m), Ollie Haskins (4b), Thomas Lamb (3e), Luca Bryant (4m), Henry Haywood-Smith (5d) and Tommy Guy (3e) have successfully joined the ranks of Sherborne scuba divers. The course is demanding: boys had to demonstrate taxing underwater skills such as air-sharing exercises, clearing a flooded mask and using a compass underwater. However, they rose to these challenges brilliantly and were a credit to themselves and the School. Two other boys (Johnny Kirkwood (4b) and Isaac Simpson (4a)) also completed their PADI Search & Recovery speciality, which saw them locating and then rescuing submerged objects using lift bags (the kind army divers and treasure hunters use!). They also did a fantastic job and should be proud of themselves. This year we teamed up with Sherborne Girls and two of their pupils successfully completed their PADI Open Water course too. It was a richer experience for the girls’ participation and we look forward to more shared diving in the future. I am grateful to Mrs Allen from Sherborne Girls and to the team of instructors at Vobster Quay, who have worked tirelessly to make the course happen. Thank you to them.
To view more of a our sporting photography taken this term, please visit: Facebook: facebook.com/SherborneBoysSchool Instagram: #sherborneschool Flickr: flickr.com/sherborneschool
LOOKING AHEAD TERM DATES TRAVELLING DAY Sunday 1 September (travelling and induction day for new boys) Monday 2 September (for remainder - arrive by 7.30pm) FIRST EXEAT Friday 20 September (1.35pm) – Sunday 22 September (return by 9pm) HALF TERM Saturday 19 October (after commitments) – Sunday 3 November (return by 9pm) SECOND EXEAT Friday 22 November (1.35pm) – Sunday 24 November (return by 9pm) END OF TERM Saturday 14 December (after Carol Service)
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