The Ludgrovian newsletter - Summer 2023

THE LUDGROVIAN

‘Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might’ Ecclesiastes IX v.10

Contents

• Summer term highlights

• Dramatic successes

• Coronation celebrations

• Sports Day

• Celebrating the Ludgrove family

• Investing in the future

• Goodbye and good luck

• OLs keep in touch

A happy, thriving school not only treasures the pastoral side of life but also celebrates academic ambition and achievement.

Happy boys are more fun to teach and we are incredibly proud of the stellar set of grades our Top Year has been awarded by the senior schools they are heading onto which are: one to Bryanston; seventeen to Eton; five to Harrow; one each to Marlborough, Millfield and Oundle; seven to Radley; two each to Rugby and Sherborne; three to Stowe; one to Wellington and two to Winchester. They have certainly led by example and we are grateful for all they have contributed to Ludgrove life.

Gratitude also underpins a happy school and as J.F Kennedy once said: “we must find the time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives”. We are lucky to have incredible people at Ludgrove who work hard to create an

environment where children can live, learn and blossom. Thank you to one and all.

The following pages give a flavour of what we have been up to this Summer term - from impressive sporting, theatrical, artistic and musical achievements to investing in ‘Raising the Future’ of Ludgrove. At all times we encourage boys to be full of purpose, to try new things – ‘I never lose…. I either win or learn’ Nelson Mandela – and have fun with their friends.

I hope you enjoy this edition of the Ludgrovian, once again thank you to Sarah Humphreys for pulling it together and I wish one and all a wonderful summer.

Simon Barber, Headmaster

Mr Barber at Leavers’ Day

Sharing our Summer term highlights

The Summer term is often a favourite for boys and staff at Ludgrove with longer, sunny days enabling the School to pack even more into the Ludgrove day (especially in the cricket nets). Here is a small snapshot of the boys’ activities.

Mental Health Awareness

The Desert Springs cricket tour in Spain

Parents & Sons golf

Summer Concert

Our tallest/smallest boys

Ludgrove’s School photo

The Div 1 play - Porridge

The II’s Geography field trip IVs trip to Grays Farm

Cosy Cafe in the Chapel

U10A at the Charterhouse Cricket Festival Ludgrove’s athletes had a great season

The Top Year boys all passed their CE with flying colours

Extreme Reading boys Radley Golf Tournament

Prize Giving recipients

IIIs trip to the Reading Museum

Jellicoe wins the Sets Cup

Best Dorm outing

Putting Comp winners Mums & Sons Tennis

Ski Trip to Les Arcs in France

New Language Lab

Sunday Funday activities

Parents v Staff Tennis

Three epic tales performed by the IVs

The School and parents were treated to three epic theatrical tales of murder, mystery and mayhem when the IVs (Year 5) took to the al fresco stage in the Quad at Ludgrove School.

The audience was taken on an energetic romp through the tales of Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles, Beowulf and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The boys displayed great dramatic skills and comic timing and the rousing applause after the final bows showed the audience loved every minute if it!

The IIs’ Shakespeare in 2 days

What an achievement! The IIs (Year 7) put on a rock ‘n’ roll performance of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet just two days after the start of the Summer term. Everyone had a part to play and enjoyed every moment of the comedy and singing… almost as much as the audience.

IIs’ Play in 2 Days

Sherlock Holmes

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Beowulf

The 1st XI finished their last season at Ludgrove in style; the boys hung up their caps having won every one of their matches this term. The team batted its way to this outstanding achievement in the last match of the season, their final match together.

Coronation celebrations

A day the boys will always remember - the boys were sent off in ‘regal’ style for the Coronation exeat weekend.

During the lead up to 6th May, Ludgrove embraced the pageantry of the Coronation and produced some wonderful royal-themed creative art and poetry, displayed around the School.

Before they left for the weekend, the boys were treated to a royal-themed lunch of Coronation chicken, tri-coloured pudding and golden sprayed crown cookies. Food fit for a King!

Ludgrove wins four medals at the Nationals

Mr Buckner’s team of athletes - Arthur, Christopher, Fred, Henry and Rutger - did the School proud at the National Prep School Athletics Championships in Nuneaton, with four trips to the winners’ podium.

The boys all gave it 100% with three being rewarded with medals: Henry 2nd in javelin and discus, and Rutger 2nd and Arthur 3rd in high jump. Well done all of you!

Sports Day produced some outstanding performances. This included a double record breaking display when Arlo’s 1st and Oliver’s 2nd placings both broke the C 600m record.

Siblings make a dash for it

Sports Day serves up helping of School spirit

There was lots to celebrate when the School and its families gathered in their hundreds to cheer on the boys at Sports Day.

Despite the blistering heat, the boys still mustered all their strength and skill for the field events and then scorched around the track for the races! There was even a double record-breaking display when Arlo’s 1st and Oliver’s 2nd placings both broke the School’s C 600m record.

After the events were completed, prize giving culminated with the Victor Ludorum winners receiving their cups, cheered on by their

Summer Exhibition displays the boys’ creative talents

What a talented bunch the boys are at Ludgrove. Not only was their sporting prowess on display on Sports Day but their wonderfully creative side also shone at the Art, CDT and Ceramic Summer Show staged in the Exploration Centre.

From left: Arthur (Bs), Henry (As) and Patrick (Cs)

up a big spirit

teammates. Congratulations Henry, Arthur and Patrickwe’re incredibly proud of you and all the boys who showed the true spirit of the School throughout the day.

School traditions bring a special magic to the day

The boys all competed brilliantly at Sports Day but what makes the event truly special is its traditions! The Cricketers Race, Sibling races (and fruit baskets for the winners), whole School Sets Relay, Sets Tug of War, and afternoon tea on the Top Lawn while the Brass band plays… a generous helping of Ludgrove at its best.

results results results results results

100m

A - Crichton-Stuart

B - Lawson

C - Tregoning

200m

A - Crichton-Stuart

B - Lawson

C - Tregoning

400m

A - Crichton-Stuart

B - Pari

C - Acloque

800m

A - Marchand

B - Lawson

C - Fitzwilliams

Hurdles

A - Choo

B - Pari

C - Dorman

U12 100m Fergusson

U12 400m Douek

Discus A Gilbertson

U12 Discus

Douek

Discus B Lawson

Shot A Gilbertson

U12 Shot Choo

Shot B Hambro

4s Cricket Ball

Acloque

6s Cricket Ball

Lunn

Long Jump

A - Crichton-Stuart

B- Lawson

C - Acloque

High Jump

A - Rocksavage

B - Pari

C - Fitzwilliams

Sprints A

2 - Kimmins

Rem - Olushola

ShellOsei-Sarkodie

1c - Hedgecock

1b - Henderson

1a - Dokyu

1 - Guo

Derby - Gosiewski

CricketersBullough-Tait

Sprints B Dickinson

(Oaks) Zhang

Sprints C Yafele

4 x 100m A Drake

4 x 100m B Haig

4 x 100m C Haig

Tug of War

Jellicoe

Sets Relay Haig

Winners - Jellicoe

results... results... results... results... results

Farewell to a Ludgrove Legend

The Brass Band playing on the Top Lawn signalled more than just the end of Sports Day. The happy event was also a sad farewell to a School stalwart - Mr Smets said goodbye after 45 years of teaching brass at Ludgrove. Mr Barber Snr was there to do the honours and thank Mr Smets for nearly five decades of service.

“To Ludgrovians past and present”

Mr Barber toasted the Ludgrove family at the Summer term Parents’ Drinks party at the Bluebird in London.

In June, Ludgrove families gathered at the Bluebird in London for a Summer term get together.

Mr Barber said: “The evening was a thoroughly convivial occasion and it was

very special to see so many of the parental body.”

Having welcomed the guests, Mr Barber then thanked families for their much valued support and raised a glass: “To Ludgrovians past and present.”

With imagination and foresight, we can continue to provide boys with a truly enlightened education and the very best possible preparation for their next schools and for life. The ‘Raising the Future’ campaign underpins this mission.

Raising the future

While instilling confidence, creativity, kindness, and resilience remains fundamental to a Ludgrove education, our challenge is to complement and support these values in the face of accelerating change.

This is why Ludgrove has launched a major new campaign, ‘Raising the Future’, to support a range of exciting initiatives designed to equip our boys to succeed in, and contribute to, the challenging world in which they will live and work.

It comprises three pillarstransformational bursaries, School development and

sustainability - the first of which also underpins our mission to make Ludgrove more accessible to talented and inspiring boys who can only take up a place here with full fee support.

To this end, for the past five years Ludgrove has fully funded a number of places for boys for Years 7 and 8, identified for us by the Royal National Children’s

SpringBoard Foundation, and for whom the opportunities and care offered by the School are life-changing.

This work has now been expanded with the creation of The Ludgrove Foundation Awards: an enduring programme of transformational bursaries funded by donors.

For more information about how you can support the ‘Raising the Future’ campaign, please email development@ ludgroveschool.co.uk

Commitment to community outreach

Sharing opportunity is not just about our Foundation Awards programme. Ludgrove School also funds a Community Outreach Co-ordinator with a budget to provide enrichment and support opportunities for seven local schools.

Working with a group of schools like this means the School can unlock and organise opportunities that would not be available to one single school. Activities include:

Wescott Infant School and Westende Junior schools – funding music teaching including a singing teacher to support KS1 singing and the school choir.

St Crispin’s Reading Project – this project aims to enhance Year 7 reading and aid with Year 6 to Year 7 transition.

St Crispin’s Mental Health Project – this funds a mental health support worker to provide both 1-2-1 and group work with Year 7 students focused on making them feel safe and happy in and out of school.

St. Crispin’s Parenting Project - this project runs a number of courses for parents of children in Years 6-8 to provide them with the tools to better support their children’s learning and manage challenging behaviour.

The work of the Royal National SpringBoard Foundation

In the past 10 years, the Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation (RNCSF) has seeded important changes in the relationships among state boarding and independent schools and social care –offering new possibilities for social mobility.

The RNCSF works with community groups, local authorities and referring schools to recognise children for whom a boarding or independent day school might provide the environment they most need. It also helps to identify which school might best suit them and their family.

Time to say farewell to the Class of 2023

Before the end of term, the Top Year boys and their families gathered for a Leavers’ Day celebration of their time at the School.

The day kicked off with a morning of clay pigeon shooting which was followed by a delicious hog roast lunch. Mr Barber then took the opportunity to offer the boys some sound advice - the importance of a backbone for

determination, a wishbone for ambition and a funny bone to be able to find the humorous side of life. Wise words to set the boys on their next journey.

Leavers’ Day finished with the Parents v Boys cricket matches. It was lovely to see the players’ friendly competitive spirit heat up as dads and sons tried to bowl each other out - with much celebrating when it happened!

What a wonderful day and a fitting end to the Ludgrove journey for this stellar group of boys.

The Top Year has worked hard and played hard in its last term at Ludgrove. With scholarship and CE exams behind them, the boys got stuck into a packed Leavers’ programme of sporting events, speakers and activities.

The main event, however, was the five-day Leavers’ Trip to South Wales where they went abseiling, sea canoeing and coasteering. All excitement aside, the Leavers were able to spend the time making the most of their time left together.

All the Top Year boys gathered on the top pitch to unveil the 2023 Leavers’ present to the School - an electric scoreboard. Captains of School Arjan, Angus and Xandie ‘did the honours’ to much applause. And as a reminder of this special group of boys, the scoreboard has a plaque engraved with all their names. Thank you to all our wonderful families - you will be missed.

Goodbye and good luck

The Musson family makes a move to Suffolk

The end of the Summer term saw the School wave goodbye to the Musson family who are off to Orwell Park Prep School in Suffolk, where Mr Musson will be Headmaster.

Mr Musson joined Ludgrove as Deputy Head in 2020, and helped navigate the School through the challenging Covid affected terms. His leadership in the classroom and on the pitches has been inspirational for the boys.

Having been a stalwart supporter of the boys’ activities, Mrs Musson joined the Common Room in 2022 as Div Mistress for IVM. Bringing lots of energy to her classroom, Mrs Musson could often be seen cheering the boys on from the sidelines or taking them on a run around the grounds.

Good luck to the Mussons and Charlotte and Freddie - Orwell Park is lucky to have you!

Scholarship Update

Two more Top Year boys, Ivan and Edward, have been recognised for their outstanding academic achievements in Year 8 at Ludgrove.

The boys’ awards bring the total number for this academic year to nine, two of which have been secured by Ivan!

Congratulations to all the boys and their successes.

Having secured a Music Exhibition for Winchester earlier in the year, Ivan has now also been awarded an Academic Scholarship. Congratulations to this Top Year boy and we look forward to watching him flourish at his senior school.

We are proud to announce that Edward has been awarded Eton’s Annah Shaw Scholarship for Classics. He worked incredibly hard to achieve this award and everyone at Ludgrove is thrilled that his talent and dedication has been recognised.

Ludgrove is shortlisted for the

Mr Carter, Div Master Div II and Senior Master Pastoral, has been at Ludgrove for three years. In this time the boys have appreciated his guidance, especially the Cosy Cafe that he runs as a quiet corner in which to relax. Good luck in your retirement Sir.

after 11 years for an Italian adventure in Bologna.

Independent

School of The Year awards 2023

For the second year running, Ludgrove has been shortlisted for the prestigious Independent School of The Year awards, this time in the Small Independent School category. Good luck to all the schools who have been nominated this year.

Mr

leaves Ludgrove after two years to further his studies in education. Good luck and come back and see us soon Sir.

Mrs Hamilton-Bowker, Head of Learning Support, is leaving Ludgrove

Arrivederci Ma’am!

Jenkyn-Jones, Div Master VIJJ,

OL Diary Dates

The OL Sets Football will take place on Saturday 7th October 2023 at Burton Court, Royal Hospital Road, London. Kick off time to be confirmed and there will be a get together afterwards. Please contact OLs Max Fraser (makfraser@googlemail. com) or Ed Correy Reid (edcorreyreid@hotmail.com) for further details.

The OL Annual Drinks will take place on Thursday 16th November at The Turf Club, 5 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AQ, 6-8.30pm. Information will be sent out in September.

The Events page of the OL section of the website has details of events.

Contact us:

For enquiries regarding registrations for OL events, to update your contact details, or to send us news, please visit the OL section on the website or use the email below

Telephone: 0118 978 9881

Email: development@ ludgroveschool.co.uk

Website: www.ludgrove.net

Address: Ludgrove, Wokingham, Berks, RG40 3AB

Staff v Parents’ Cricket match

A wonderful weekend of sport was kicked off the evening before Sports Day with the annual Staff v Parents’ cricket match.

The boys enjoyed watching the action from the sidelines in the glorious evening sun, with mixed loyalties as to who they were supporting! Staff prevailed in the end... or maybe parents let them take the victory?

Barbers catch up with OLs

Mr and Mrs Barber enjoyed a lovely evening at Harrow School catching up with how 11 of Ludgrove’s recent old boys are getting on. The OLs were equally delighted to see the Barbers and find out all the news from their old prep school.

- @Ludgrove

What a lovely

see Gappers from 2019, Miss Karoly and Mr HardwickeOwen, who dropped in to see our current team and the boys who had been in the VIs during their time at Ludgrove, just finishing the IIs. How time flies...

Brothers in arms

Henry and Willoughby, OLs from the Class of 2022, met up at the Sherborne Cricket Festival. Even though these old schoolmates were facing each other on the cricket pitch, the Ludgrovian bond was still as strong as ever.