THE LUDGROVIAN
‘Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might’ Ecclesiastes IX v.10
Contents
• Summer Term Highlights
• IVs’ Al Fresco Plays
• Joint Respect Project
• Sports Day is a Winner!
• Cricket Success
• Leavers Say Goodbye to Ludgrove
• OL News
Welcome from the Headmaster
Once again our boys have done themselves, their parents and us proud this year. We aim to nurture the character, confidence and creativity of every boy underpinned by kindness as well as ambition and I hope these pages give you the sense of purpose, fun and achievement that courses through Ludgrove life.
As mentioned, we are ambitious for our boys and are delighted by the stellar set of results our Top Year were awarded by
their future schools which are: two to Ampleforth, one to Cheltenham, twenty to Eton, three to Harrow, two each to Marlborough and Sherborne, seven to Radley, one to Sevenoaks as well as Tonbridge, and six to Winchester. Amongst them, we celebrated Academic Scholarships and Exhibitions, Music Scholarships and Exhibitions, Sport Scholarships and Exhibitions as well as a Drama Scholarship – they are a talented bunch and huge congratulations to one and all.
Likewise, well done to the VIs, IVs, IIIs, and IIs who are following in the Top Year’s footsteps. We are lucky being a relatively small school that we are able to get to know our boys as individuals, the ‘spotlight’ shines on every chap, and everything we do strives to ensure everyone is happy, keen to learn and has a sense of responsibility to themselves as well as to those around them - “Educating
the mind without educating the heart is no education at all” – Aristotle.
In a challenging and changing world, if you can look after yourself, look after your friends and think for yourself, then you are in good shape. We now have a new Government and who knows how the educational landscape might change, however what I do know is that through careful planning and advice, we are able to look forward with confidence and for that I thank the Governors of the School.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who makes Ludgrove such a special place to live and work. We have a tremendous team of wonderful people dedicated to making us the best we can be... ‘Whatsoever thy had findeth to do, do it with thy might’ Ecclesiastes IX,v.10, hung above Arthur Dunn’s (Ludgrove’s first Headmaster) desk and it still rings true today.
I hope you enjoy this edition of The Ludgrovian and I wish one and all a happy summer.
Simon Barber, Headmaster
A selection of Summer Term highlights
Although the sun didn’t shine as much as we would have liked it to this Summer term, Ludgrove and its boys still managed to pack the weeks full of educational trips, sport and fun activities. Rain certainly didn’t stop (much) play and, as you can see from the array of photos here, the boys loved every minute of the term!
VIs at Ufton Court
The Desert Springs cricket tour in Spain
Cothill Jug Golf Tournament
National Brothers’ Day
New boys tea with Mr and Mrs Barber at their home
IIs visit to the National Archives Parents and Sons Golf
Ski Trip to Les Arcs in France during the Easter holidays
IVs at Grays Farm PYO
New bees for Mrs Barber
Captains of School: Alex, Nico and Caspar
John represented Ludgrove at an NSEA event
Sunday Fundays at Ludgrove
Renowned artist Jocelyn Galsworthy
The Swim Squad did incredibly well in a raft of Swimming Galas
Ludgrove hosted two forums: ELSA practitioners (left) and School Nurses
Well done to the Steels who won against the Combes in the Mothers and Sons Tennis final
End of term Prize Giving
Stellar CE results for the Top Year
The IVs’ camping trip
The IIs’ Geography field trip
The IVs serve up an al fresco Shakespearean feast in the Quad
What an impressive bunch of thespians we have in the IVs! The boys wowed the audience of their families and the rest of the School with an al fresco performance of two classic Shakespearean plays, Twelfth Night and Much Ado About Nothing. The actors threw themselves into the comedic story lines and were incredibly convincing characters, especially the ladies. Well done boys and congratulations to the team for a stunning backdrop and costumes!
Div 1 is front and centre for a comedy classic
Captain Mainwaring and his motley crew of Home Guard volunteers brought the first half of the Summer term to an end with a laugh-out-loud episode of a classic Dad’s Army sketch.
Having completed all their scholarship exams, the Div 1 boys had tremendous fun throwing themselves into their characters and perfecting their comedic timing. The result was an absolute triumph, so well done all and take a bow.
Downe House partnership builds joint peer respect
Hot off the press!
Ludgrove has been short-listed for a prestigious Independent School of the Year Award in the Independent Boarding School category. This news comes on the heels of ‘Highly Commended’ recognition for Brilliant Boarding in Muddy’s Best School Awards.
Ludgrove’s Year 8 boys joined forces with their peers from Downe House to work on a joint Respect Project looking at teenagers’ well-being, mental health, personal relationships, social media and how to be a good role model.
The two groups worked fantastically well together to challenge some of the negative messages teenagers receive on-line.
Chloe Combi, who led the day’s session, said:
“We are extremely proud of the way the students have worked together so
constructively and engaged with some of the really challenging questions they were asked.
“The students have shown incredible maturity and thoughtfulness that will also help them on their journey into senior and upper schools in the coming years.”
Around the World in 48 hours
Around the world in just 48 hours… that was all the time it took for the Year 7s from Ludgrove and Downe House to rehearse and then perform the classic ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ in Ludgrove’s Theatre. The actors had a challenging two days to learn all their lines, songs and stage direction but the end
result was a triumph of hard work and team effort. The cast really pulled together and made some new friends along the way.
We look forward to welcoming the girls back soon as part of our joint academic and pastoral relationship with Downe House.
Ludgrove at its best... Sports Day is a winner!
Exhibition showcases the boys’ talents
Sports Day guests enjoyed visiting the Exploration Centre to marvel at the boys’ creativity.
As always, Mr Barber waved his magic wand to clear the clouds over Ludgrove to let the sun shine on the highlight of the Summer term - Sports Day!
Sportsmanship and fair play are second nature when you live with your friends at school and Sports Day is the best example of how that is at the heart of
Ludgrove life. It was evident that our boys have the best of friendships, across all Sets and Year Groups, all sporting abilities and length of time at School.
Successes were celebrated and losses commiserated... and when all the points from all the events were counted, Jellicoe was the victorious Set.
Firm favourites of Sports Day
Top left: the Cricketers’ Sprint
Left: Sets’ Tug of War
Top: Victor Ludorum winners Rutger (Bs, Middle Years), Christopher (As, Seniors) and Freddie (Cs, Lower Years)
What a way to kick off the run up to Sports Day! Not only did Rutger (right) win the final of the B Group High Jump but he did so in style by breaking the School record with a 1m 48cm jump (much to the delight of his fellow competitors). Read below how Rutger went on to even greater things in the National Prep School Championships on the last day of term.
National Prep Schools Championships
At the end of term, 11 of our outstanding athletes were putting in a hard day’s work competing in the National Prep Schools Athletics Championships in Birmingham.
There were some amazing performances and as a result, the team came away with five medals! Rutger won gold in the U12s High Jump and the 75m Hurdles; Christopher won bronze in the U14s Shot Putt; George B won bronze in the U14s Discus; and Saul won bronze in the U14s Long Jump.
The whole team pushed themselves to compete at the highest levels and in doing so Arlo broke the School record for the U12s 1,500m for the second time this season!
All the boys did themselves and their School proud. Well done to (top row from left) Charlie W, Patrick, George, Rutger and Arlo. (Bottom row from left) Arthur, Augustus, Christopher, Saul, Zachary and Charlie T.
From left: Rutger (Bs), Christopher (As) and Freddie (Cs)
Ludgrove goes #RedForRuth
Ludgrove welcomed a special guest, former professional cricketer, Ben Ladd Gibbon, to talk to the boys about the Ruth Strauss Foundation that helps young families facing the death of a parent.
Every year the cricket community goes #redforruth to raise vital funds and so Ludgrove chose the 1st XIs’ last Home match to show the School’s support with red stumps and bucket hats replacing Ludgrove’s normal blue colours.
U10As’ successful season
A huge well done to Mr Plescia and his team from the IVs for two outstanding performances during the cricket season.
Firstly the U10As enjoyed a wonderful day at the Stowe Cricket Festival (pictured right), coming a very decent third when all play was done.
A few weeks later, the boys celebrated being unbeaten at the U10s Harrow Cricket Tournament. As well as playing great cricket, the boys spent time with Mark Ramprakash, former England cricketer and current Cricket Pro at Harrow, who later presented Freddy with the Player of the Team award.
The next day, the School went the extra mile and took on the ‘Bucket Hat Challenge’. Many boys and staff tried to flip a bucket hat from their foot onto their head (including Radley’s Mr Gunson and Mr Barber pictured here) with only a few successes. Well done all for highlighting this amazing charity.
Annual Parents’ Drinks at The Bluebird
It was so lovely to see our parents at Ludgrove’s annual drinks party at the Bluebird, Chelsea. We love getting together as a School community (with parents’ friendships as evidently strong as that of the boys) and it was a fantastic way to finish off the first half of the Summer term. The only problem is… there’s never enough time to chat to everyone!
A taste of adventure in France
The IIs’ annual trip to France was packed full of fun and opportunities for the boys to expand their repertoire, from practising their spoken French to trying new experiences and activities.
The boys were able to practise their spoken French with a topic they love… food! Speaking to local people about their preferred menus and practising placing orders were all exercises that saw the IIs grow in confidence when talking. As a special treat they were even able to make their own croissants.
Their gastronomic adventure also included opportunities to taste favourite foods (chocolate) and bravely try something new - and the verdict was that garlic snails topped the list of things they enjoyed the most!
Although the boys worked hard at improving their langauge skills, there was still plenty of time to enjoy some down time on a local beach, visit an aquarium and test their mettle on a High Ropes course.
So boys, how did you find the trip? “Un voyage fantastique!”
School Council’s Q&A puts the Governors in the hot seat
Two great sets of minds came together to discuss Ludgrove and its future developments… with some very interesting results. The boys’ School Council was given a slot during the Governors’ Strategy day to ask them about their roles and decision making process.
Well done to the boys for crafting such searching
Music maestros!
Wow, what a roller coaster ride of musical genres we were taken on at the Summer Concert. From brass band to classical solos, Chapel Choir to rock band and everything in between! What was apparent in every performance was how lucky we are to have such a wealth of talent at Ludgrove and how the boys are encouraged to ‘have a go’ and bravely take to the stage. Bravo to all our maestros
questions and making some equally good suggestions (we’re not sure that the later wake up time during the week or having Saturdays off lessons is going to make the next agenda though!).
It was rewarding to see that when all boys board and live together full time that they take such an interest in their School.
The Summer term proved a highlight for the Top Year who, once exams were finished, embarked on their Leavers’ programme full of activities, workshops, lectures and trips – and memories. The boys kicked off the programme with the One-Day Film School - writing, producing and editing their own short film shot around the school grounds.
Trips off site included a visit
High aspirations Leavers have the time of their Ludgrove lives!
Look how our boys flourish and grow at Ludgrove… from Taisei who is the smallest in the VIs to Philip in the Top Year who is the tallest boy in the School. The youngest love looking up to the older boys and they have been a particularly good batch this year! They have certainly set the benchmark high and given the little guys high aspirations, so let’s see how they ‘grow’ over the next four years!
to the Chase Factory (pic 2) in Basingstoke followed by a T20 match at the Utilita Bowl. The boys also enjoyed paint balling as well as a game of laser tag on the school grounds.
However, the highlight was the Leavers’ trip to Wales where the boys had a memorable five days kayaking, coasteering (pic 3), climbing and surfing (pic 4), as well as evenings spent playing on the beach.
In addition to lots of fun, the boys were offered lots of helpful advice with a series of expert talks: Dr John Bates, parent, spoke about the future of AI; three Sixth Formers spoke about daily life at senior schools; Polly Ingestre spoke about future careers; Patrick Foster (pic 1) spoke about his experience of gambling addiction; and not
forgetting our very own Olympian, Mr Buckner, who spoke about his appearance in the 1992 Games at Barcelona.
a Hog Roast, clay-pigeon shoot and two Boys v Parents cricket matches. In wishing them well for the future, Mr Barber told the boys they will always be Ludgrovians and they have done us and themselves proud. 1 2 3 4
The programme was finished off by a wonderful Leavers’ Day with
Scholarship news
Well done Rupert on his Annah Shaw Scholarship for Classics at Eton. Rupert excels in both Latin and Greek and his talent and dedication has been recognised with this prestigious award which is only given to one boy per academic year. Rupert is in good company as he joins OL Ed H who received the award last year.
Rupert’s award brings Ludgrove’s total to a record-breaking 11 awards for the year.
Well done to:
Bear C-J to Marlborough
Bear R to Winchester
Frank to Eton
George B to Eton
George M-S to Ampleforth
Nico to Radley
Rupert to Eton
Steven to Harrow
Tarka to Marlborough
Thaniel to Winchester
Theo to Winchester
Goodbye and good luck to familiar faces
In addition to bidding farewell to our Top Year at the end of the academic year, Ludgrove also said goodbye to members of staff moving on to pastures new.
Freddie Auld, Deputy Head
Pia Kanaan, Head of Art
Robert Romanes, Classics
Lizzie Seymour, Head of VIs
Annie Toon, Learning Support
You will all be sorely missed in the Common Room.
Goodbye and good luck to you all on the adventures that are ahead!
The boys vote in Ludgrove’s first Hen’eral Election Save
Forget the General Election, the real democratic action at Ludgrove in July was the boys voting in the Hen’eral Election. Mr Green delivered each chicken’s manifesto and then the boys voted on which breed will be the founding members of the Ludgrove coop. And the result was... a landslide for the ISA Brown (pictured right) who will be at School ready to welcome the boys back in September.
An important date for your diary - please make a note of Saturday 12th October for Ludgrove’s annual Grandparents’ Day. Invitations for this ever popular event will follow at the beginning of next term. We look forward to welcoming our VIP guests to Ludgrove in October!
Mr Parker rises to the challenge
Ludgrove’s intrepid teacher, explorer and outdoor skills taker is facing a mammoth challenge to test his endurance skills and raise money at the same time. Mr Parker is in the thick of training to break the fastest time of 10 hours and 58 minutes to run the 93km Wokingham boundary, called the Wokingham Way, in August.
All this hard work is in aid of Ludgrove’s incredibly worthwhile transformational bursary programme, funded through the Ludgrove
Foundation. He said: “I’ve seen for myself the benefit these bursaries have and want to play my part in fundraising for this worthy cause.”
Mr Parker’s training is going well with a recent run of 35.85km coming in at 3 hours and 35 minutes. If you would like to support his ultra marathon challenge and the Ludgrove Foundation’s transformational bursaries, please go to https://www.justgiving.com/ crowdfunding/TheWokingham WayChallenge
In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Week Ludgrove delivered a series of mindful moments for staff - time for reflection, nature walks at Fruit Break, baking, gardening and pottery. Staff were encouraged to focus on their own good mental health to ensure they are in the best possible shape to nurture and support our boys. Important lessons to pass on to the next generation…
The Barbers catch up with ‘their boys’
Mr and Mrs Barber had a wonderful evening at Harrow catching up with no less than 14 Old Ludgrovians!
With so much to talk about and oodles of news to impart, time ran out all too quickly. Suffice to say, our OLs are all in fine fettle and the Barbers left happy that ‘their’ boys are thriving in their senior school. “Once a Ludgrovian, always a Ludgrovian”.
OLs save the date!
An important date for your diary - please make a note of Wednesday 13th November for the annual Old Ludgrovian Drinks at The Turf Club. Invitations to follow soon.
Contact us:
Charlie
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
‘does the double’
Having played in the U18s rugby team that won the Continental Tyres National Schools Cup in March, he went on to be a part of the 1st XI cricket team that won in the classic Harrow v Eton match at Lords in May.
Ludgrove is incredibly proud of these fantastic performances from our alumnus.
Staff v Fathers Cricket Staff v Fathers Cricket
The evening before Sports Day there was a totally different battle of skills taking place on the top pitches - the annual Staff v Fathers cricket match, watched by the boys. Just like their sons, the dads threw
themselves into a competitive match and their efforts were rewarded with a win. The evening was rounded off with a BBQ and much excitement for the following day’s sporting spectacle!
We love keeping in touch with Old Ludgrovians through the pages of this newsletter to keep them abreast of developments at their prep school and notice of events throughout the year. This is only possible, however, if address and email details are up-to-date. If you have moved in recent years or have changed email address, please email development@ludgroveschool.co.uk.
OL Charlie from the Leavers’ Class of 2019 has achieved an outstanding sporting double at Harrow.