The Hymerian Magazine 2022-23

No one can be in any doubt that further progress in AI will have a profound impact upon many areas of life in the years ahead, and that education, training and the world of work will all be impacted by its development. The potential benefits will be huge and yet there will be pitfalls to avoid and cautionary notes to be heeded. It will be incumbent upon governments across the world, in conjunction with the corporate giants, to design and implement the necessary frameworks and safeguards for our safe and responsible use of the technology. Schools will, of course, have a significant role to play in educating our young people in this regard. Nevertheless, to resist the influence of AI on our lives is likely to be as futile as the attempts of King Canute to hold back the tide, and very many Hymers pupils will embark upon careers in which their success will depend on the skilful and judicious use of artificial intelligence. The recent implementation of a one-to-one digital device strategy in the Senior School, and the opportunities for blended learning that this affords, is just one element of our pupils’ preparation for the world of work that they will enter.

This year’s edition of The Hymerian bears witness to the continuing balance between development and continuity that have long been a hallmark of the School. Our acquisition of our associate school Hessle Mount and the opening of Hymers Hessle Mount resulted in a Hymers education being offered to pupils from the age of

Welcome from our Headmaster

three for the first time since our foundation 130 years previously. This was a reflection of both strong parental demand for an all-through, 3-18 Hymers education for their children and the ambition of the Senior Leadership Team and Governing Board to ensure that the School remains at the forefront of independent education of the highest quality in the years ahead.

A rounded, high quality education remains at the core of what we do at Hymers. Strong and positive relationships among the pupil body, and between students, staff, parents and Old Hymerians are the bedrock of our success. Parents quite rightly expect us to support their children to fulfil their academic potential and prepare them for life beyond Hymers. Excellent teaching and learning and academic success are fundamental to this. Also key are the co-curricular opportunities that abound across the School and our caring, well-resourced pastoral system. The happy, fulfilled pupils that are in evidence in the pages of this publication are the result of this powerful combination.

This academic year our students have been especially busy and successful in their endeavours outside the classroom. Hymers Junior School pupils achieved the remarkable feat of qualifying for national finals in six different competitions in activities as diverse as football, dance, rugby, singing and swimming. In the Senior School our music, drama and sport seem to get stronger every year – both in terms of breadth and depth - and our students excelled in 2022-23

During the academic year 2022-23 the world became aware of paradigm-changing developments in open artificial intelligence (AI), most notably through the large language model ChatGPT.

both as individuals and in their groups and teams.

I am grateful to the Hymers staff who support the pupils in their cocurricular activities and provide a wide range of trips to destinations near and far that leave the children with memories that will last for many years.

We are aware that not all children have the opportunities afforded to pupils at Hymers and so our commitment to our charitable purpose remains as strong as ever. As holders of the Goldsmiths’ Company National Award for Community Engagement, the School was visited by trustees from London who were thoroughly impressed by the work that our students and staff do with a range of not-for-profit organisations in the city of Hull and the surrounding area. Throughout the academic year, Hymers students continued to support reading for children at Thoresby and Pearson primary schools, contributed more than 1,500 hours volunteering at local charities across the city, donated food parcels at Christmas and raised considerable sums of money for local charities. In addition to these activities, in the summer term we hosted 168 pupils from 22 different primary schools for Maths and English extension events. The enthusiasm with which Hymers students take part in such community activities helps to explain why they emerge as such rounded and grounded young people.

Mr Stanley Headmaster

The recent implementation of a one-to-one digital device strategy in the Senior School, and the opportunities for blended learning that this affords, is just one element of our pupils’ preparation for the world of work that they will enter.

Autumn Term 2022-2023

After extensive building and renovation works throughout the summer holiday, the staff worked tirelessly to create warm welcoming classrooms and environments prior to the return to school for the Hessle Mount families and for new pupils joining from a number of different settings.

From the first day, the school was full of energy and excitement and throughout the first term we started to underpin the values and importance of our CARE Code: Children follow the values of Care, Acceptance, Respect and Effort every day in order to enhance

their personal development and to help them to develop the soft skills required throughout their Hymers education and beyond. These skills are enhanced in many different ways in school; through the relationships with their teachers and each other, collaborative work, themed experiences and the co-curricular opportunities available to name a few. Each half term children are awarded CARE Code certificates for displaying these important values in school.

Throughout the first year we kept improving key links between Hymers Hessle Mount and Hymers College, benefiting pupils on both sites and aiding the transition from one site to another. The Year 1 children make weekly trips to Hymers College for swimming lessons and Year 2 children then stay for playtime with the Junior School pupils, followed by a Music lesson. This allows them to get to know the older pupils, the staff and the site, supporting their transition to the next step of their Hymers education. Our Reception pupils were excited to be visited by Year 12 Design and Technology students

who came to observe how the children learn and play. After their observations and discussions the Sixth Form pupils went away to design and create educational toys based on their research. Year 6 Leadership Club also visited Hymers Hessle Mount for Children in Need to support our charity fundraising. The Year 6 pupils designed games, challenges and activities for the younger children and there was even a visit from Pudsey Bear. This was a valuable experience for the Year 6 pupils who planned and delivered their sessions. The Hymers Hessle Mount students learned lots about Children in Need,

looked up to the older role models and had lots of fun!

One part of our school that brings the year groups together across Hymers Hessle Mount is our house system. All pupils, including children in Pre-School, join one of our four houses (Brandesburton, Gore, Holderness or Trinity) as they enter the school. They will stay in the same House throughout their Hymers education. The children collect house point tokens during the week and add them to the small display tubes in their classrooms. House points can be awarded for a variety of reasons including: super academic work, effort, perseverance, kindness, displaying good manners, being helpful and following the CARE Code. At the end of the week each class’ tokens are poured into the large display tubes at the end of Merit Assembly. The large display tubes are located in the school entrance hall and the pupils can keep an eye on how their house is doing in the friendly competition. There is of course a termly winner with the winning house enjoying hot chocolate and biscuits during a playtime.

Hymers Offers All-through Education for the First Time

In September 2022, Hymers Hessle Mount opened its doors for pupils in Pre-School through to Year 2. This is the first time in the 129 year history of Hymers College that an all-through education has been offered from aged 3 to Year 13.

Children’s Mental Health Week, in February, was another opportunity for the pupils to work in their Houses. The staff put on a carousel of activities including: making clay tree spirits in our woodland area, a calm and mindful yoga session, an art and craft workshop and a sensory experience. The vertical House groupings allowed everyone to take part in activities with children in different year groups and encouraged support, collaboration and friendships with pupils that they may not normally spend a lot of time with in school. It was a nice opportunity for children in the same family to work together regardless

of year group. During the afternoon, we were very proud of how the older pupils supported the younger year groups and displayed lots of kindness.

Each term one of our year groups puts on a production for their parents, grandparents and families. Reception were up first with Away in a Manger, a version of the Nativity Story, Year 1 took us under the sea with Stella the Star Fish and the Year 2 pupils performed The Selfish Ladybird on the school field. The children in Pre-School joyed their audience with singing and dancing followed by a graduation ceremony for the older pupils that were moving up in to the Reception year group in September. Plays and performances hold significant importance at school and go beyond the confines of traditional classroom learning. They inspire creativity, nurture confidence and foster collaboration amongst pupils. It also brings the year group together and allows the children to collectively achieve a goal and form good friendships along the way. In the Summer Term each year group headed off on a school trip to enhance their learning.

Pre-School visited Acorn Hollow for a forest school day where they went on a minibeast hunt, toasted marshmallows around a campfire and enjoyed hot chocolate.

Reception travelled to Hall Park Farm to learn about the animals, that lived there, explore the play areas and they especially enjoyed taking some goats for a walk.

Year 1 travelled to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park where they learned interesting facts about different animals, visited the dinosaur experience as well as taking part in an education session where they were able to hold lots of different animals.

Finally, Year 2 explored Potteric Carr Nature Reserve enjoying pond dipping, some bird watching and sweeping the grasses for bugs to support their science work. We believe that there are lots of benefits to school trips and that travelling off site can help improve self-esteem, self-confidence and self-belief. Trips also give children the chance to bring subjects to life, broaden their horizons and allow new friendships to develop.

Finally, I would like to say thank you to the Hymers Hessle Mount staff, parents, friends and families for your continued support throughout my first year at Hymers Hessle Mount. A strong partnership between school and parents can have a hugely beneficial impact on a child’s attainment and personal development. I look forward to seeing our youngest pupils flourish when they move up to the Junior School and beyond after their strong grounding at Hymers Hessle Mount.

Mr A Copeland Head of Hymers Hessle Mount

Heads of School and Senior Prefects 2022-23

The following students were announced as our Heads of School and Senior Prefects for the academic year 2022/23 by the Headmaster, Mr Stanley.

Heads of School: Suprithi Owen Annabel

Senior Prefects: Fatima, Theo, Josh, Laura, Mohammed, Artin, Lexi, Jeremy, Sana an Anchitha.

Heads of House: Jess, Harry, Maddie, Finn, Charlotte, Charlie, Sophie and Ali.

Incorporating both naturalistic and physical theatre, we learnt the importance of teamwork and communication, which proved successful when performing.

As well as this being a multi-role show, to accommodate the cast there were gender switches in roles such as Pumblechook and Jaggers, which were now head-strong women to fit an eighteenth-century patriarchal society.

We all had to do extra research for mannerisms and what life was like in Britain, which we found was really fun and also intriguing, as it helped us understand our characters in a clearer light. Every production comes with its challenges, for example ours came with many COVID-19 absences, a tight window for time, as well as having only one dress rehearsal.

Despite the obstacles we persevered through the challenges to create something we were all very proud of.

The lighting, music and acting all worked in perfect harmony and everyone performed to their full potential to create a memorable, modern play. As Year 13s, it was an unforgettable and fulfilling way to finish off our time with the Drama department.

Thanks to Miss McLeod and Miss Rosser, the backstage and tech crew, as well as all 24 excellent actors who took their time to participate in this wonderful production.

Year 13

Senior School Production: Great Expectations

This year we had the opportunity to perform Neil Bartlett’s adaptation of Great Expectations. Originally performed by eight actors, we were able to perform it with a cast of 24 talented students, rehearsing over two months.

Janani G Amazing A and Grace H,

HYMERS COLLEGE presents

Immediately after flying through the sunrise and landing at Catania Airport, we began our journey through the eastern half of the island by freely exploring the cat-friendly bay of Giardini Naxos - Ancient Greece’s first Sicilian colony, established by Chalcidean and Naxiot sailors in 734BCE - before stopping at our youth hostel in Mascali, whose balconies allowed for spectacular views of Mongibello and the neighbouring Nebrodi mountain range.

Following a delightful insight into Sicilian cuisine, we could spend the rest of the evening enjoying the calm and temperate Mediterranean climate whilst our families back home had to suffer through continuous thunderstorms.

The second day featured us conquering Sicily’s nigh 3400m tall volcano, but not before stopping off just outside the en-route village of Zafferana Etnea to explore a statue of Polyphemus, as well as a local honey and cooking

Geography and Classics Head to Sicily

October 2022 saw a group of wonderful Geography and Classics students head off for the island of Sicily, plentifully rich in historical and geological points of interest.

oil manufacturer. During our tour around the premises, we learnt how trees growing fruits or nuts would traditionally be planted on top of beehives so that the honey produced there would be infused with a specific flavour, allowing them to sell such items as pistachio honey. Further along our ascent, each hairpin bend of the road gave us a better view of the Ionian Sea, and indeed a closer look at the imminent basalt face of Etna. After hopping off a cable car, we walked amongst the clouds discovering the various volcanic formations present on its higher peaks, barren of most vegetation, and fumbled through fumaroles and ferrous craters.

Our third day involved us heading in the opposite direction in terms of elevation: to Alcantara Gorge, whose river had carved splendid pentagonal and hexagonal prismatic shapes into the igneous rock, and also transformed into a series of small waterfalls, providing a nice shelter from the hot weather. Afterwards, we travelled further

north towards the uber-chic town of Taormina, which is home to a Greek theatre that, despite being constructed in the third century BCE, still sees some theatrical use today.

The fourth day was easily the most tiresome, waking up at 5am to catch a hydrofoil to Vulcano, an island north of Sicily. Upon disembarking, we immediately knew we would be in for a treat - the entire island was blanketed in sulphur, something we didn’t need our eyes to figure out. We began our hike up Vulcanello, thoroughly fatigued by the dry heat and winding pathways past private properties and through growths of spiny succulents. As we emerged on the high ridge of the islet’s caldera, we gained a clear view of the surrounding Aeolian islands, as well as the wretched sulphur mounds guarding the harbour.

The exhausting ascent was only 123 metres high; our original route would have taken up the island’s main volcano, over four times the

size and with just as little shade. We were very grateful, though it didn’t show on our faces.

The fifth and final day in Sicily took us back into the world of Classics, heading down to Syracuse via Aci Castello. Syracuse served as the capital of the Roman province of Sicilia, and there were plenty of ancient sites to prove its importance. We visited the Archaeological Park, featuring a mix of Roman and Greek constructions, including an amphitheatre, a limestone quarry (repurposed as a prison), and the Ear of Dionysos, a dark grotto in which the quietest sounds are amplified. After a free roam around Syracuse’s centre and the island of Ortygia, we bid farewell to Sicily and drove back to Catania Airport for our return flight.

Our experience was unforgettable - such feelings intensified by the misty rain and wind that met us on our return.

James G, Year 12

Fascinating Assemblies

Assemblies continue to be a key school routine, with the whole Senior School coming together in the Main Hall each week. Our assembly programme covers a wide variety of topics, with presentations from the staff, students, Old Hymerians and other regular or one-off visitors.

Over the past year, musical performances from students have become a regular feature and we have had excellent performances covering a very wide range of musical styles, including solos, duets and small ensembles.

Mr Bartlett has been a constant, playing the organ and often finding a piece of exit music to fit the theme of the assembly.

Mr Tame’s assembly on playing the guitar and songwriting was a particular highlight and students were treated to some performances of our resident Spotify star’s best-known songs. He

also gave us all some insight into his songwriting process and hinted at a new album coming soon!

We had our first annual Founders’ and Benefactor’s service, to celebrate the generosity of John Hymers and his brother Robert in founding the school, plus many generous Benefactors who have donated to the school over the years. We welcomed Revd. Ian Walker, who is the current vicar at Brandesburton, which is the parish

Hymers saw a record number of male and female students engage with lunchtime Football Clubs in the Senior School – 150 students.

Since the large increase in students partaking in these clubs, we have managed to secure our own football pitch and kits to play in, which is a positive development for the school.

The coaching staff have been delighted with the attitude, character and commitment in the

clubs throughout the last academic terms, with a positive culture developing amongst the current clubs. Building on the previous year of the programme, we have also continued to strengthen our pathways and seen more students benefit from trial opportunities at local football clubs (Hull City, Grimsby Town and Lincoln City), as well as an increase in students selected for Hull School Boys and Girls.

Last year Hymers College had

where John Hymers was vicar. Ian gave a fascinating account of John Hymers’ life and our school’s foundation.

Another important event in the school calendar is the Remembrance service. Following several years of online services, this year we were able to hold the Remembrance service in the Main Hall again, with a good number of Old Hymerian visitors in attendance. We had a reading from

the Old Hymerians Association president, Helen Saunders. The address was given by the Revd. Ian Walker and the Senior Chamber Choir sang the beautiful The Rose and While the Tanks Roll By. Year 12 student Isla Gooch played The Last Post and The Rouse as the whole school fell silent for the act of remembrance.

A poignant moment was when the Heads of School read the names of the fallen from the school’s war memorial and as each name was read a student stood up to represent that individual. Wreaths were laid at the memorial, with a live camera feed to the Main Hall so that all could see this important part of the service. At the end of the service, the whole school left the hall in silence, walking past the war memorial to pay their respects. We will remember them.

Dr M Pickles Senior Leader (Teaching & Learning), Teacher of Physics

Senior School Football Flourishes

Introduction of Football Club into the Senior School continued to flourish in 2022-2023.

regular Senior Games fixtures against state and independent schools on Wednesday afternoons, in which many students enjoyed representing Hymers for their first time. We also entered teams into The National ESFA Cup (Year 8 and 9). The Year 9s managed to reach the last 16 of the national competition but were hampered with injuries and unfortunately knocked out 1-0 away to Whitby.

The Year 8s were the story of the year, as they managed the reach

the semi-final of the competition and the standard of football played was very impressive. They unfortunately lost 2-1 away at Shrewsbury in a very tight game. Looking ahead to 2023/2024, we will kick off immediately by having teams entered into the National Cup for Year 7, 8, 9 and 10, and furthermore will be having our very first Hymers College Senior School girls football team.

Mr K Walmsley

NCS Manager & Teacher of Sport

Music in the Autumn Term

House Music

9-10 November

This year saw the first Senior School House Music competition to be held at Hymers. Students were encouraged to put themselves forward to represent their houses in Intermediate (Years 7-9) and Senior (Years 10-13) classes for percussion, woodwind and brass, strings, piano and singing. In total 70 students performed in House Music this year, and the standard of playing was very impressive.

This year’s adjudicator was Mr Robert Mitchell, who placed the students in each class and gave thoughtful and helpful feedback to all performers throughout the day. At the end of all of the classes Gore were the overall winners, but would they be able to hold on to their lead after the House Band competition?

House Band

10 November

In addition to the House Music competition for more traditional performances was the House Band competition. Students again volunteered to perform for their house in the competition, which saw each band perform in the Theatre at lunchtime.

The House Bands were supported by an enthusiastic audience of students and staff cheering on their houses as each performed in turn to a judging panel of Mr Stanley, Miss Walker and Mrs Fong. The performances were of a very high quality and involved students from all year groups in the Senior School. The winning House Band was Brandesburton, who demonstrated a high level of musical accuracy and performance from students of many different year groups in their rendition of ‘Snap out of it’ by the Arctic Monkeys.

The overall winners of the House Music Cup for 2022 were Gore, who just held onto their lead from the earlier classes. All the students performed well and supported each other throughout the two days and I look forward to next year.

Senior Wind Band Workshop with Sam Hairsine

21 November

The Senior Wind Band were thrilled to welcome Captain Sam Hairsine, an Old Hymerian and currently the Director of Music in the Royal

Marine Bands Service, at the end of November for a workshop. He worked through a piece of music the band had been preparing for a concert and was very impressed with both individual and ensemble abilities within the band.

Sharing stories from throughout his career, Captain Hairsine related to explanations of musical techniques and gave encouragement and ideas on how to improve the overall excitement of the performance. He inspired the band and improved the sound, which left students appreciative of the time he gave to them and many continued to talk about the experience for weeks after.

It was a special occasion for Mr Bartlett, who once played for the Queen with Captain Hairsine when she visited Hull, to see and witness the achievements his old friend had made. It also demonstrated to the students what can be done with hard work and dedication.

Gabrielli Consort Singers

4 December

The Senior Chamber Choir had a busy first term with performances for Speech Day, Founders Day and the school Remembrance Service, performing music from Vaughan Williams to Ola Gjeilo.

The choir was also invited to take part in the Gabrieli Roar project In Dulci Jubilo – Praetorius and Schutz at Hull Minster. The concert was a wonderful opportunity for them to perform alongside the Gabrieli Singers and Gabrieli Consort, directed by Paul McCreesh as part of the Stage Choir. The event also brought choirs from local primary schools together to sing the choruses. The concert was to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Michael Praetorius and exposed the Senior Chamber choir to a real variety of musical styles. The final performance in the evening was an excellent concert to perform in, but also to hear the solo performances from the Gabrieli Singers throughout the concert.

Christmas Concert

7 December

The Christmas Concert took place on Wednesday 7 December and featured students from both the Intermediate and Senior year groups. This is the only concert over the academic year when the Intermediates and Seniors come

together and there was a palpable camaraderie from both year groups, listening and supporting each other. The Intermediate students kicked off the first half of the concert performing a wide variety of pieces from Handel and Tchaikovsky to the Teletubbie March with confidence and musicality!

In the second half, the Senior students delighted the audience with performances of Christmas on Broadway from the Senior Wind Band, the Capriol Suite by the Senior Cello Ensemble and Fantasia on Greensleeves by Vaughan Williams by the Senior String Orchestra. The Senior Orchestra brought the evening to a close with performances of Evening Prayer from Hansel and Gretel and A Holst Christmas. To finish the evening, students from both the Intermediate and Senior ensembles combined to perform O Come All Ye Faithful, joined by the audience.

Band Night and Mulled Wine

9 December

The annual Christmas Band Night returned with a mixture of solo and group performances in a very festive Main Hall.

First up was Harriet J on guitar and vocal performing Home She was followed by Eva K, who performed three songs including Hallelujah and last up was Daisy F who played four songs, including Jolene. The first of the three bands to perform were the Year 8 band ‘Blackout’, who were making their debut. They performed three songs, finishing with Last Christmas by Wham.

After a short interval of mince pies and mulled wine, the Year 9 band Work in Progres’ took to the stage to perform five songs including Don’t Look Back in Anger by Oasis and Rollin’ in the Deep by Adele; their set culminated in an enthusiastic version of Slade’s Merry Christmas Everyone Lastly, came the Year 10 band Deepwater, who demonstrated their considerable musical skills and developing stage presence to perform seven classic songs such as The Chain by Fleetwood Mac, Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen and a highly impressive version of Sweet Child o’ Mine by Guns N’ Roses. They rounded off the evening with Wizzard’s I Wish it Could be Christmas Everyday in front of an intimate, appreciative and complimentary audience.

Charity Carols 14 December

The Charity Carols Concert was the final event for the Music department before the Christmas break and raised well-needed funds for Emmaus. The evening took the form of nine lessons and carols, featuring readings from staff and students and choirs from the Junior and Senior School.

The concert began with an introit from the Senior Chamber Choir with solos from Grace H and Millie J, both of Year 13. As is traditional, the first carol of the evening was Once in Royal David’s City with solos from Abigail S and Kinga K, both of Year 9. The congregational carols were performed by all of the choirs and were accompanied expertly by the Senior Wind Band and Mr Bartlett on the Organ.

There were many superb performances throughout the evening which featured a wide variety of music from When Children Rule the World from the Year 6 choir, and Lully, Lulla, Lullay from the Senior Chamber Choir, to Gaudete from the Year 7 Boys Quartet, and There is no Rose from the Intermediate Girls Choir. The Senior Singing Ensemble performed a beautiful rendition of a Christmas Lullaby by Rutter just before the interval which rather added to the pressure for the Staff choir to perform two pieces in the second half, which they did brilliantly to the delight of the students. The concert finished with congregational carols of O Come all Ye Faithful and Hark the Herald Angels Sing leaving the audience feeling fittingly festive.

Mrs C Fong Director of Music

Mr L Bartlett

Peripatetic Teacher of Music

Mr J Shepherd

Peripatetic Teacher of Music

In September, the Year 5s went on their first residential trip. They travelled to Lincolnshire for a three-night stay at PGL. It was lovely to see such a large number of children from the year group going on the trip which, for many, was their first experience of outdoor activities and staying away from home.

Over the weekend the children took part in many different activities including canoeing, a sensory trail, zip wire, trapeze and the ever popular king swing! It was fantastic to see the pupils challenging themselves and trying new things. The children had a fantastic weekend and were a pleasure to take away.

Mrs S Julian Deputy Head of Junior School

Year 5’s Adventure to PGL

The Year 3 and 4 Christmas school play was a resounding success, showcasing the immense effort and dedication of the children. Their hard work in learning lines was evident in a flawless performance that delighted the audience.

The play drew an impressive turnout, with parents and teachers alike in attendance. The children’s beautiful singing added a festive touch to the evening, leaving everyone in high spirits. The event not only demonstrated the talent and commitment of the students but also fostered a sense of community and joy as the school celebrated the holiday season together.

Mr R Newton Year 3/4 Team Leader

Our Year 3 and 4 Superstars

Discovering Diwali

The Autumn Term was full of opportunities for pupils at Hymers Hessle Mount to learn about different festivals and celebrations, starting with the Hindu festival Diwali.

The children learnt about how and why it was celebrated. They listened to stories such as Rama and Sita and made their own Rangoli patterns and Mehndi designs.

Reception Star in Away in a Manger

Our Reception pupils gave three brilliant performances of Away in a Manger. This part of the curriculum is fantastic for pupils’ confidence and self-esteem. It was lovely to see how the pupils’ confidence had built over their first term in full-time school.

The costumes, set, songs and

actions were brilliant and every child in the year group had a speaking part. Many thanks to all the parents, grandparents and supporters of the school who created a fabulous atmosphere for the children, as well as to the Reception team for all of their hard work in putting the performance together.

In March, the whole of Year 5 took part in the production of Mystery at Magpie Manor

Set in the 1920s, the plot involved discovering who had stolen the “Pica Pica pitcher with the solid silver picture”, led by Inspector Spectre who turned out not to be quite who he seemed! Some fantastic singing and amazing acting made this a superb production, which the children thoroughly enjoyed performing to appreciative audiences.

Mrs T Redhead

Year 5/6 Team Leader

Year 5 Perform Mystery at Magpie Manor

On Tuesday 28 February, the Year 6 Choir competed in the Barnardo’s National Choral Competition Finals held at the Birmingham Symphony Hall as

one of fourteen of the best junior choirs in the country.

They sang their two songs, Cantate and Why We Sing, with bags of

Year 3, 4 and 5 Choirs

enthusiasm and, although not placed on this occasion, had a fantastic experience as well as learning a lot. The event also raised lots of money for Barnardo’s.

Success at the Cottingham

The Year 3, 4 and 5 Choirs competed successfully at Cottingham Music Festival in February, achieving great scores.

The Year 3 Choir won their classes with a super mark of 87 and the Year 5 Choir also gained 87 marks in one of their classes. They won

Musical Festival

three trophies, with the Year 4 Choir gaining second place certificates.

In March, the Year 4 and 5 Choirs competed at Hull Music Festival, with both singing brilliantly against another two local choirs. The Year 5 Choir were thrilled to win School Choirs Class with an amazing

90 marks! The Year 4 Choir were awarded a well-deserved second place. However, the tables turned in the School Choir Hymn Singing Class when the Year 4 Choir were the victors.

The Year 5 Choir also performed at the Music For Youth Regional

Year 6 Choir make National Finals

Well done to everyone!

Mrs T Redhead

Year 5/6 Team Leader

Festival held at the Albemarle Music Centre and gained some fantastic feedback.

A huge well done to all the children for their dedication and enthusiasm!

Mrs T Redhead

Year 5/6 Team Leader

Budding Scientists in the Junior School

The Junior School students have been busy in science.

Budding scientists in Year 6 enjoyed their course in dissection and Virtual Reality learning has landed in the Junior School to further enhance children’s learning.

From swimming with the sharks to holding a heart, our pupils will be immersed into the next level of learning, which will broaden their understanding of the world. The teachers can’t wait either!

In assembly we read Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book, which the children enjoyed as each page links to a different character and story.

The children from all year groups then chose which teacher’s story they would like to listen to and went to different places around the school to hear these stories. Celebrating World Book Day is of course great fun and promotes a love of reading. The pupils at Hymers Hessle Mount read regularly in school and it is a very important part of our curriculum. Reading improves language skills, develops imagination and creativity, can improve concentration and helps aid cognitive development. These are key skills that pupils will require as they move through the school and beyond.

Hymers Hessle Mount children enjoyed celebrating World Book Day and it was wonderful to welcome all of the children into school dressed as a character from a story.

World Book Day Celebrations

The Year 6 Leadership Club organised a fantastic World Book Day at our Junior School.

The day began with a parade of some wonderful outfits inspired by book characters. Some of the children from the Leadership Club read extracts from their favourite books and there were some amazing plays that the children had devised based on different books.

As well as a book treasure hunt, the children enjoyed the teacher challenge, which resulted in some members of staff being put into a Matilda-style chokey! The day ended with children pairing up with their buddies to design a bookmark and read to each other. Well done to the Year 6 Leadership Club for organising the day.

Music in the Spring Term

Senior Chamber Concert

8 February

The Spring Term performances began with a wonderful Senior Chamber Concert. The Chamber Concerts give students in Years 10-13 the opportunity to play solo items and music written for small ensembles that otherwise are rarely heard outside of music examiners or Music department staff. The programme this year was diverse with performances of established repertoire such as Fantasia in C minor by Bach from David Li (Year 11) on the piano and Concerto in G, movement I by Stamitz performed by Suprithi R (Year 13) on the flute. There were also more modern classics such as Married Life from ‘Up’ by Michael Giacchino performed by Isla G on the cornet, Chicago by Fisher performed by the Senior Brass Quintet and Starry Dome by George N performed by Kate N on the piano.

The concert was a huge success, and our students performed well throughout.

Later Live 2 March

This year saw the first Later Live, an acoustic gig featuring students in Year 9-13 performing popular music.

To perform in Later Live the students have to rehearse themselves without staff involvement to perform either a cover of a song or one of their own songs. They must accompany themselves, or collaborate with another student. There are no backing tracks or staff accompaniments allowed. This encourages the students to be creative, to push themselves and to collaborate with other like-minded students.

The gig was compèred by Millie C and Kate N, both of Year 12, and performances throughout the night were truly wonderful, creating an electric atmosphere in Gore. The gig was well attended and the audience was highly appreciative of the performances from Gracie I and Amy H, Fatima A, Daisy F, Oscar V, Abi S and Cameron F, Emilia J, Poppy C, Millie C and Kate N.

Senior Concert 23 March

The Senior Concert is the final concert that many of our Year 13 leavers give at school. This year the concert featured all of the large senior ensembles in the first half as usual, but then a collaboration between the Senior Orchestra, Senior Chamber Choir and Hymers College Chorus in the second half. The evening was a wonderful success, with superb performances from all of the ensembles.

The concert began with the Senior String Orchestra, directed by Mr Quick, performing music by Sibelius and Purcell, their performance was expressive and demonstrated such musical maturity and this set the tone for the evening. The Senior Cello Ensemble, directed by Miss Herriott, and then Senior Percussion Ensemble, directed by Mr Hayton, followed with the energy and precision that has become their trademark. To finish the first half with a bang the Senior Wind Band, directed by Mr Bartlett, brilliantly performed two film music selections.

In the second half we performed the Vivaldi Gloria, a piece composed in Venice in 1715 and featuring orchestra, choir and organ. This was the first performance from the Hymers College Chorus, a choir made up of Old Hymerians, parents and teachers from past and present, who rehearsed at evening practices throughout the term. We were also lucky enough to have such brilliant soloists as Mrs Lewis, Miss Penny and Miss Maalawy, who are all part of the Music teaching staff, to perform the solo arias and duets, giving our students the opportunity to hear professional adult singing voices at work.

To see so many members of the Hymers community come together to perform such an exciting work was truly wonderful. The orchestra, soloists, combined choir and organ all performed the piece superbly and the performance will live long in the memory as one for all of us to be very proud of.

Mrs C Fong Director of Music

On the third anniversary of national lockdown the Time Capsule Club handed over its three-year long project to commemorate life during COVID-19 to our Development Office.

During the Summer Term of 2020, History Teacher Miss Robinson proposed a club to her Year 7 historians to record the momentous nature of the COVID lockdown. Initially thinking that the club would last a term, it continued, resulting in a time capsule and booklet.

The students held weekly meetings, where they have worked

on producing a time capsule containing items, documents, and photos that related to significant memories for them of this unique time period. Toilet roll was, of course, included after shortages made the headlines in the initial weeks of the pandemic, along with hand sanitiser, a face mask and COVID test kit.

They also worked together to create a booklet of their memories of the lockdown, which included school events, such as a No Zoom Day and the return of school assemblies after two years, and national events, such as the death

of The Duke of Edinburgh and the roll-out of the vaccines.

The students also interviewed several Old Hymerians as part of the project, to find out what school life was like for them and also how they were finding the lockdown. They have since attended some of the Old Hymerian lunches at the school and met some of the former students who corresponded with them.

Both the Time Capsule and the booklet were presented to the Development Office to add to their archives.

Miss Robinson Teacher of History

Time Capsule Club ‘Buries’ Capsule

The Royal Society of Chemistry’s Olympiad Competition is an extremely testing written examination.

In January, five Year 13 students answered questions on:

l Rocket fuels, including the chemistry of the preparations to colonise Mars

l Electronegativity, bonding and structure, including the pioneering work of Linus Pauling, as well as van Arkel-Ketelaar triangles

l The acid-base and complexometric properties of amino acids

l Vaping, including the chemistry of Vaping Associated Lung Injury (VALI)

l Cheese, including the chemistry of controlling the bubble size in Emmental

Mohammed H was awarded a Silver Certificate, and Matthew A, Zain A, Kushal K and Joel W achieved Gold certificates. Four Golds in a single year equals the

best-ever performance by Hymers. Kushal K was placed 10th nationally, from nearly 12,000 entries including roughly 60,000 studying A Level Chemistry, and qualified for a gruelling and stimulating selection camp at the University of Nottingham. The training camp included lectures and laboratory work, plus a four-hour written examination and four-hour practical examination. He narrowly missed out on selection for the UK team, who went on to compete in the international final in Zurich.

The Royal Society of Chemistry’s Olympiad Competition

The Chemistry department is thrilled at, and very proud of, these magnificent achievements. They represent appropriate recognition at a national level of outstanding Chemistry students. In 40 years of teaching, no student I have worked with has matched, let alone exceeded, the speed, accuracy, flair and intuitive feel for correct chemistry of either Kushal or Matthew.

Mr G Prescott Head of Chemistry

The Time Capsule Club - Emily, Florence, Lydia, Maud, Lucy, Keira and Oscar.

Junior School Rugby Success

Our U11 7s squad have had a very busy season this term, entering multiple tournaments including Durham, Terrington, HMC 7s at St Peter’s, our own Hymers 7s tournament and Ashville 7s on a Saturday in March. This culminated in entering the top tier of the Rosslyn Park National 7s at the end of term. The boys were fantastic all year, proving themselves to be one of the

strongest sides in the North. At Rosslyn, the boys were challenged by some of the best rugby sides in the country, only losing out to a very strong St Paul’s school at the end, in awful conditions. A huge well done to all the boys who represented school so well and in such great spirit.

Mr M Hodsdon

Head of Junior School Sport

U11 Rugby 7s at Rosslyn Park

For the first time in history, Hymers entered an U11 side into the Rosslyn Park National Rugby 7s tournament, which is the biggest schools’ rugby tournament in the world, attracting most of the big rugby schools nationally.

We entered our U11s into the top tier of this tournament on the back of being a dominant force in the North all year. This proved to be the right decision, as we went undefeated right up until the final game against St Paul’s, who have one of the most established rugby backgrounds in England. The boys

fought hard, but with a couple of players down, we were not quite able to get over the line in the last game.

Nonetheless, we can be incredibly proud to be the second place side at a national tournament and it bodes extremely well for this set of players as they move into Senior School. Congratulations to each and every one of the boys who have participated this season and thank you for the fantastic support we have had from the sideline.

Mr M Hodsdon

Head of Junior

School Sport

U11 Rugby Win Ashville 7s

In March, our U11 Rugby 7s team backed up their Hymers 7s and HMC 7s tournament successes by winning the Ashville 7s competition. They played some phenomenal rugby this season and the trophy comes after top performances against Hymers 7s finalists Ashville,

Aysgarth and a number of big club sides from Yorkshire. This makes six tournament wins this year. It was great to see the boys play so well and in the spirit of the game.

Mr M Hodsdon Head of Junior School Sport

The U14 boys travelled down to Rosslyn Park for the 7s tournament off the back of a very successful XV a-side season during which they had already taken some big scalps.

Experiencing the tournament for the first time, confidence was high amongst the squad, as were nerves. Acquitting themselves brilliantly on the first night at the hotel, the boys were up and raring to go the following morning, and with a confident performance put Welsh team Cardinal Newman School to the sword, winning 27-5.

Cramming in coaching in between games, Mr Walmsley worked furiously to bring playmaker Max W and defence specialist Charlie B up to speed. Up next was a revenge game against Bradford Grammar, who had narrowly and controversially pipped us in the XV a-side fixture. A slow start saw Bradford take the lead early and things did not look good until Captain Fantastic, Keiji A,

U14 Rugby Squad Compete in Rosslyn Park 7s Tournament

A brilliant show of teamwork and commitment from our Under 14 players.

showed exactly what he was capable of by dancing and slicing through the Bradford defence. Suddenly the team was lifted and Will W began hitting rucks like a raging bull, with Max A probing around the spaces. The game was on a knife edge but the boys pulled it around and stole a 21-19 win.

Revenge was sweet.

After saving an England international by employing Mr Clare’s body position coaching to push her car clear of the mud, the boys limbered up for their last match. Neither RGS Newcastle nor Hymers had lost a game, and this would decide the winners of the group. There are moments in sport when everything just comes together, when tactics are perfect and the desire to win is supreme. This was such a game. With fantastic parental support roaring them on from the touchlines, they played hard in a great and fair spirit. The game was a classic.

Crash ball up front was led by

Jeremiah S punching holes and allowing outstanding lines from George D in the backs, coupled with amazing game management from Hugo G and speed from relative rugby newcomer Oliver W, saw Hymers run riot. Charlie B was again hunting the smash, with Max W distributing like a pro and Patrick Y playing a sublime game from the sweeper position, scoring twice and tackling anything that came near. The boys won comfortably 33-19. This was an amazing performance that saw Hymers top the group and progress to the Cup Competition, putting them in the top 48 of 240 teams in the competition. Unfortunately, the physical cost took its toll and Patrick and Keiji were side-lined for the following day.

The squad stepped up and Ewan B, left his mark on several opponents with his direct running on the second day, but the highs of the previous day could not be recaptured.

Narrowly losing to Kirkham Grammar 17-19 in a game they really

should have won, the boys’ journey was finally ended 19-0 by a welldrilled and accomplished George Watson’s School. Nevertheless, the commitment, desire, behaviour and composure of the Hymers U14 boys showed exactly what this team are capable of as they go through the school. Roll on the U16 tournament!

Mr S Clare

U16 Netball Success

Our 2023 U16 netball season was very successful. From qualifying for regionals to playing and beating first teams, we all came together dominating as many possible matches as we could. We started the season by qualifying for the regional tournament, beating St Mary’s and Wolfreton. Moving us on to the

next round, which was a fantastic day at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. The best teams in Yorkshire were there and we won a few games but unfortunately got knocked out.

We had numerous fixtures both home and away, plus played first team tournaments, beating some of the best schools in the

area; GSAL, Bradford Grammar and Queen Ethelburga’s to name a few. By working together as a team, communicating and motivating each other, we gained the determination to pull through the games when they got hard, resulting in many wins. We trained weekly, showing commitment and giving us opportunities to

constantly keep on improving as individuals and also as a team.

Leading us to finish with a strong squad, ready and excited for the season ahead as Hymers first team.

Jess T Year 11

During this time, a large number of boys in the year group played representative rugby for the school. It was clear that they were a skilful set of players, demonstrating good technique in several areas, particularly ball-handling and contact skills, developed by many hours of practice. Indeed I noticed that these boys were passing a ball around often at break times, not just casually but with purpose.

Following the Half Term break, two more convincing wins, 50-0 against Pocklington and 60-5 against GSAL (a school with three times as many boys as Hymers in this year group) preceded the first real challenge. The team went to Woodhouse Grove School for their annual 13-a-side tournament. Hymers progressed from the group without conceding a try, beating a strong Rodillians team on the way. This set up a final against QEGS. The parents that were watching had been keeping an eye on our opponents and thought that they would be too strong for us. However, good preparation proved to be decisive.

We had been working on the kick off chase in training the week before and decided that, given the choice, we would kick off and chase the ball as we had practised. The kick went where we had planned and the QEGS player that caught the ball was immediately met by a strong tackle and was driven backwards. A few phases later, Hymers’ defence forced the mistake and gained possession. For the remainder of the match, QEGS were unable to make it out of their half. Psychologically,

A Strong Rugby Season for our U13s

QEGS were beaten as soon as that first tackle was made. They had expected to use their power and pace to punch holes in our defence and when that didn’t happen, they had no other ideas.

The preparation and planning were key to this victory, as they are in many areas of life. The better prepared you are for a particular situation, the more likely you are to be successful.

Strangely, one of my proudest moments of the season was the only loss that the team has suffered this year. A sickness bug had taken its toll on the team and twelve of the regular players were unavailable for a trip away to Woodhouse Grove. Despite this, we still put out a team, allowing several players to play for the A team for the first time. Woodhouse Grove is one of the strongest rugby schools in the North and they were not in the mood to take it easy on the all-conquering Hymers team that was starting to build a formidable reputation. Despite the odds stacked against them, the Hymers team showed resilience, determination and good teamwork to withstand the strong running of the opposition before eventually conceding the first try.

A few more tries from the opposition followed before more determination and a never say die attitude began to turn the tide and Hymers scored two tries of their own, eventually going down 45-10. This showed the importance of a good squad of players. The regular players who were able to play helped their less experienced teammates during the game and encouraged them

The season started in September with a good win over a strong Prince Henry’s team from Harrogate. This was followed by three more very convincing victories against Mount St Mary’s, Hill House and Ashville, in which the team scored 39 tries and conceded only two.

during training to get better. I was able to see these players against strong opposition and some were subsequently selected based on their performance in this game. Keep working hard, you never know when you might get your opportunity. The regular season was wrapped up with wins against St Peter’s and Prince Henry’s in a triangular fixture.

The tournament season began with the Pocklington 10s and it was now clear that Hymers U13 Rugby had gained a strong reputation. Other teams wanted to avoid us in the draws and would look over to us and point and whisper when we arrived at a tournament. I have seen this from the other side, when teams I have taken to play QEGS or St Peter’s would look at them and be defeated before the game even kicked off. However, we didn’t have a reputation for dirty play or a lack of respect. Other coaches and referees would praise us for our good, strong, fair play and respect and when we did fall foul of the laws, the players would not react badly to this, they would communicate well and aim to get better. This good reputation has certainly helped the team.

The Pocklington 10s saw victories over Barny, Bradford, Durham, Pocklington, Prince Henry’s and RGS lead to them lifting the trophy.

The team went through the entire 7s season unbeaten, winning all games but one, which they drew.

The highlight of this season was the St Peter’s tournament, which would prove to be the toughest test of their ability so far. During this tournament, they faced five of the strongest rugby schools in the

north, namely St Peters, GSAL, RGS, QEGS and Sedbergh. It looked like a tough task to maintain the unbeaten record.

The skills developed throughout this year, the reputation that the team built, their determination and resilience all contributed towards victories against these schools and led to another tournament win. However, it is the teamwork that really stood out.

I can see by observing the boys around school that there are a large number of different friendship groups represented and that the boys don’t get on all of the time off the pitch. When they are part of the team, however, they are together and focused on helping the team first and foremost. They back each other to succeed and support each other positively when mistakes are made. They stand up for each other. This is a great example for us as a school community. At Hymers, we are all part of the same team and should help and support each other so that we can strive to be a successful school. Helping us to develop skills, resilience and a positive reputation for success that will prepare us all well for our future.

Mr R Simpson Senior Leader (Teaching & Learning), Teacher of Maths

Birdwatch with SMJ Falconry

To mark the Great British Birdwatch at Hymers Hessle Mount, we had an exciting and informative visit from SMJ Falconry.

It was a wonderful experience for our children to meet the falconry’s beautiful birds and to learn about their habitats, appearance and characteristics: Tyke the burrowing owl spends most of his time on the ground, JD the barn owl enjoyed flying several rounds over our heads in the hall, Oslo the Harris hawk showed us how well he could fly through the smallest of spaces and Geoff the peregrine falcon was happy to be held by anyone brave enough to give it a try!

The visit was a great success and it turned out a whole morning was nowhere near long enough to spend with these striking animals.

Gong Hei Fat Choy!

Pupils at Hymers Hessle Mount had a great time learning all about Chinese New Year. It was wonderful to see the children from Year 2 speak loud and proud in their assembly to the rest of the school, using puppets to retell the story explaining the order of the animal calendar. They had great fun working as a team to parade the dragon in time to the drums.

Year 1 Present Stella the Starfish

Year 1 put on a spectacular performance of Stella the Starfish during the Spring Term. We were blown away by all of the pupils who all had a speaking part in the performance, delivering their lines confidently and clearly throughout the three shows. They did an excellent job of getting into character and showed enjoyment and good humour as they entertained their audiences. The productions are an important

part of the pupils’ education at Hymers Hessle Mount and each year group is given the opportunity to perform during the academic year. Music and drama allow our pupils to build their confidence and self-esteem and this can also allow the children to develop and flourish in many other areas of the curriculum. We were particularly impressed with the bravery of our solo singers and how well they were supported by the rest of the year group.

Inaugural House Pancake Race

February marked Hymers Hessle Mount’s inaugural House Pancake Race. It was a wonderful afternoon, with the children and staff taking part in a whole school relay race, navigating numerous obstacles.

The course included a pancake toss, which was a fun way for the

pupils to learn about the traditions of Pancake Day.

It was lovely to see our older pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 supporting the younger children, as well as the pupils and staff strengthening their relationships.

Feast of Song

26 April

The Summer Term began with the ever-popular Feast of Song. A highlight of the musical calendar for over 20 years, the concert featured singers from Years 10-13 celebrating the art of song with repertoire from Haydn to Sondheim and was led this year by Mrs Lewis. There were many excellent performances throughout the evening, with the Year 13 leavers delighting us with their contributions. Some particular highlights included Maybe this Time from Cabaret by Luna G, Morning Person from Shrek the Musical by Grace H, On the Steps of the Palace from Into the Woods by Millie J and a particularly rousing performance of This is the Moment from Jekyll and Hyde by Owen R. The evening ended with a very fitting medley of So Long, Farewell from the Sound of Music performed by the Year 13 leavers.

Hymers Choral Celebration

3 May

This was the second year of the Hymers Choral Celebration Concert at Hull Minster and it was another very successful evening for our singers. The concert featured performances from the Year 3 Choir, Year 4 Choir, Year 5 Choir, Year 6 Choir, Intermediate Girls Choir, Year 7 Boys Quartet, and the Senior Chamber Choir, with additional performances from Owen R, Millie J and Grace H, all of Year 13. This event is particularly enjoyable as it is one of the only opportunities for the Junior and Senior schools to perform together, with over 200 Hymers students singing This is Me, the finale from the Greatest Showman, at the end.

The Senior school students thoroughly enjoy watching and performing with the Junior School students. Hopefully, the Seniors

can inspire the Juniors to continue a love of singing as they move up the school.

Singing in the beautiful surroundings and acoustic of Hull Minster is always a wonderful treat and the students performed brilliantly to a sell-out audience.

Intermediate Chamber Concert

17 May

The Intermediate Chamber Concert was the final concert of the half term and featured many performances from our students in Years 7-9. The concerts offer the opportunity for students to perform solo and small ensemble pieces, that otherwise are only performed to examiners or instrumental and singing teachers. Learning how to perform is an important skill, feeling nervous and then overcoming those nerves is an important lesson for all performers to learn and build confidence from.

The concert began with a wonderful guitar duet from Ryan G and Declan H playing Estudio by Tarrega and Romance, a traditional tune. The concert featured many wonderful performances from our Intermediate students playing flute, violin, double bass, cello, oboe, clarinet, piano, trombone and singing. The final performance of the evening came from Ann C and Amy H, both of Year 9, playing an exuberant piano duet of The Can Can from Orpheus in the Underworld by Offenbach.

Summer Concert 22 June

The final concert of the year was the Summer Concert on 22 June. This concert is much less formal and features students from Year 7-10 and Year 12 in a range of ensembles from traditional to rock bands led by Mr Shepherd.

Music in the Summer Term

The concert featured the debut performance of some new ensembles, firstly the Jazz Band led by Mrs Maclachlan, our new clarinet and saxophone specialist. The band performed two pieces - Inside Out by Sweeney and the funk classic Chameleon by Hancock, arr. Sweeney. They produced a great sound and brought real energy to the concert; we look forward to having another performance from them next year. The second debut was from the Senior Latin Ensemble led by Mr Lusvardi, our double bass specialist. They had prepared three Latin jazz standards - Blue Bossa by Dorhan, Besame Mucho by Velázquez and Something Stupid by Park, including singing from Emilia J and Seth C.

The traditional ensembles also performed in the concert and there were some excellent performances from the Intermediate Percussion, Intermediate Wind Band, Intermediate Strings and Intermediate Orchestra.

The rock bands performed very well throughout the evening including the Year 8, Year 9 and Year 10 band, the last of which have had a highly successful year competing in the Music For Youth competition and being invited to perform at the national finals in Birmingham at the CBSO Centre. To finish the concert all of the

students came together to perform the finale Walking on Sunshine by Rew.

The Summer Concert was a truly wonderful end to an excellent year of music-making, and we look forward to more of the same next academic year. Thank you to all of the students and staff involved in our numerous performances this year.

Mrs C Fong Director of Music

Year 3 started Spring Term exploring shape and colour. They cut shapes directly into paper, collaged with their cut elements, choosing colour, shape and composition to make their own creative response to key artworks from the Ferens collection. In the Summer Term, they developed characters through drawing and making. After drawing in the style of Quentin Blake, they made clay sculptures inspired by his characters.

Year 4 began the year by exploring still life. They drew from observation thinking about how they could use line, colour, shape, texture, form and composition to make their artwork interesting. The results were wonderful! The Summer Term saw the children taking creative risks. They were challenged to draw and construct nests using a variety of found materials.

Junior School Get Creative

What a fantastic year we have had in the Junior School art room!

Year 5 studied drawings by other artists and collected marks in their sketchbooks to use later. They used their mark-making skills to create monotypes, combining the process with painting and collage in response to a poem. During the Summer Term, the children explored aspirational domestic architecture, producing large drawings using various drawing techniques. They then made fantastic architectural models using the ‘design though making’ technique.

Year 6 used observational skills to draw portraits, from life, using a variety of materials. They then created a layered self-portrait exploring aspects of their identity, thinking about line, shape, colour, texture and meaning. The pupils were incredibly proud of their work. In the Summer Term, they responded to the work of Barbara Hepworth by carving an organic form. They photographed their sculptures thinking about lighting, focus and composition.

We were delighted that a large number of pupils had their work selected for the Young Artists exhibition at Ferens Art Gallery in July, and even more so when three of their pieces were awarded prizes. Congratulations to Yashvi, Joseph and Seraphina who were prize winners (see page 31).

Mrs H Rowland Junior School Art Teacher

Year 7 started the year by creating some fantastic moving figure sculptures! The students learned to draw the human form in proportion before moving on to capturing dynamic poses. We then translated our understanding of movement and proportion into 3D sculptures.

Year 7 followed up their sculptures with some wonderful self-portrait printmaking. Well done!

Year 8 made a super start to the year by designing their own superheroes! We chose their powers, designed their costumes and then used digital special effects to make them zoom through the air, glow and shoot lasers from their eyes! We fine-tuned our perspective skills by designing comic-book backgrounds, before combining them digitally with our characters.

Year 9 investigated African masks past and present, creating some outstanding research pages before developing their own ideas. The students modelled their creations on their own heads before adding imaginative details like horns, spikes and exciting expressions. We decorated them with African inspired patterns and carefully applied acrylic gradients.

Our Artistic Senior School

We continued the year by exploring the nature-inspired architecture of Gaudi, before creating our own observational drawings of natural forms, monoprinting them and combining them to form imaginative architectural designs.

Year 10 began the year by creating stunning urban landscapes inspired by Van Gogh, Carel Weight and Edward Hopper. They produced

Rawan E 10A

Isla G 12F

Georgina B 10B

Abia Q 11E

Troy L 7B

Krithi R 11C

Connor D 11A

Rebecca L 11A

Sam P 10C

Lucy H 13A

their own urban photography and tackled a wide range of media, including getting to grips with acrylic paint. The students then embarked upon their first coursework project under the theme of Identity with customary gusto!

Year 11 produced an exceptional range of work for both their coursework projects and the newly reinstated ten-hour practical exam,

which they completed with aplomb and in some cases entire seconds to spare!

Some highlights included a fabulous response to layers by Connor D and exquisite paintings inspired by nature reclaiming human spaces by Abia Q. All the students showed a willingness to experiment and to take risks, which is one of this subject’s least appreciated transferable skills.

Year 12 responded to the distorted photography of Bill Brandt with some superb monochrome images exploring viewpoint and tonal contrast.

The ensuing drawing was outstanding. We then embarked upon coursework projects on a range of topics.

Year 13 rose to the challenge of completing the external exam project, which returned after a COVID-induced hiatus. An exceptional range of painting and mixed media was produced during the fifteen-hour exam period, covering a diverse range of themes from travel to architecture and even shoes!

Mr D Whittaker Head of Art

Amelia C 8C

Lucy T 11C

Abigail G 9A Charlotte A-H 9C

Daisy S 12F

Eliza W 13S

Delina R 8C Daisy F 10C

Kate N 12R

Chloe S 8C

Freyja H 13S

Connor D 11A

Senior School Compete in UKMT Mathematics Challenge

We had another successful year entering the UKMT Mathematics challenges.

In the Senior Challenge, several students earned certificates, with Christopher C obtaining the top mark in the school. The Intermediate Challenge resulted in several students progressing to the follow-on round, with Siddarth T achieving the top mark in the school.

The highlight of the year was the performance of one of our

Year 7 students. Dashenka K earned a merit in the follow-on round, performing in the top 1% of all students who entered the Junior Challenge. This is even more remarkable when we consider we normally only enter Year 8 students. Dashenka was also playing some high-level cricket on the day and was granted special permission to do the challenge in his hotel room. Well done, Dashenka!

Mr E Tame Head of Maths

Based on the book by Lewis Carroll, the children entertained everyone with their singing and acting. Thanks go to Mrs Redhead for musical direction and to Miss McLeod for the drama. This was the last project for Miss McLeod as she leaves for pastures new. We wish her every happiness and success in her new role.

Year 6 Perform Alice the Musical

The children in Year 6 performed Alice the Musical in the Judi Dench Theatre at the end of June.

Mrs T Redhead

Year 12 Chemists Take On School’s Analyst Competition

The Schools’ Analyst Competition enables students competing in Year 12 to demonstrate and expand on their existing chemistry knowledge, skills and aptitude for analytical science through practical analytical experiments based on relevant societal or industrial problems. Each competition aims to provide some tasks which are relatively familiar to the students such as titrations and others which are likely to be unfamiliar, including chromatographic separations or atomic and molecular spectroscopy.

Six teams took part in the Hymers heat in June. There was a ‘Bake Off’ scenario that set our pupils off as analytical chemists, employed to investigate some unpleasant goings on at the Grand Baking Competition.

The students used a variety of classical wet chemistry qualitative analysis techniques to identify nine unknown white solids, used titration to determine the percentage of bicarbonate of soda in a baking powder, and performed chromatography to determine which pen wrote a poison pen letter.

Congratulations to our winners: 1st place: Takunda B, Mukund T. 2nd place: Adam H, Muhammad H. 3rd place: Callum C, Anna H, George J.

Mr G Prescott

Head of Chemistry

Young Artists Open Exhibition

We are delighted that a number of children have had their work selected for the Ferens Art Gallery Young Artist Exhibition. Congratulations to Yashvi, Joseph and Seraphina who were prize winners. Out of 420 entries in the age 7-11 category, they were three of the six winners. A fantastic achievement!

Year 10 Historians Visit Berlin

May half term saw Year 10 historians undertake an intense and fun study tour to Berlin. Visiting a range of sites from the obvious tourist ones like the Brandenburg Gate to those associated with the Holocaust, the Third Reich and the Cold War. Trip highlights included visiting the Reichstag, going up the TV Tower at sunset, the East Side Gallery, the Wannsee Conference house, the

underground bunker tour, the DDR Museum and plenty of free-time in gorgeous sunny weather!

It was a lovely few days and as a teacher, I loved seeing our students enjoying a variety of experiences, including flying for some of the first times, so lovely that we hope to do it again next year and for years to come!

Miss H Robinson Teacher of History

Year 2 Perform The Selfish Ladybird

Year 2 pupils at Hymers Hessle Mount have dedicated a lot of time preparing for their production of The Selfish Ladybird - they have learned lines and songs, made scenery, practised their acting and learnt choreography.

We were amazed by their performances, which showed such

confidence. They clearly enjoyed every moment of the production!

The Year 2 children have done a fabulous job of embracing new challenges this year, including swimming lessons and regular visitors to the Hymers campus, acting as positive role models for the younger pupils in the school.

It is safe to say that the school football calendar is bursting at the seams and this season was no different.

Where to begin? Let’s start with the girls. Once upon a time, the girls had a limited football programme but due to the recent success of The Lionesses and the rising profile of girls’ football, they now have access to a plethora of tournaments. The word count dictates that I can’t expand on them all but the National ISFA journey deserves extended highlights.

Faced with a fiercely contested qualifying tournament at Wolverhampton Grammar School, the U11 girls travelled down a day early to get a good night’s sleep, ready for the action! Up first was Herefordshire, who proved little opposition for the pace, power and skill of our girls. A comfortable victory was followed up by another three points against Stamford. A win against Oswestry made it three on the trot and the silky skills and outright dominance continued with a final group game victory against RGS The Grange to send Hymers top of their table!

Up next was Repton College in the semi-finals. The girls knew that if they could win here then it would put them in the finals and guarantee them a trip to St Georges Park! After a nervy start, the team were soon settled when an early penalty was coolly despatched by Sophia T. The second half proved to be a backs against the wall

occasion, where our defence stood firm in an attempt to repel Repton’s pacey front line. With minutes to go, Repton had a scrambled shot that looked destined to find the back of the net, only for our very own Mary Earps (Camilla A) to dive to her left and claw the ball back from the line and send our girls through to the National Finals!

The National Finals proved to be an occasion to remember for all involved. The girls arrived bright and early to marvel at the spectacular facilities on offer at England’s training ground and to play a round of footgolf. Despite Mr Doyle pulling a hamstring and Mrs Julian losing her ball in many out of bounds areas, the children had lots of fun and were ready for the big day to commence. First up for Hymers were Leeds Grammar School, one of the favourites for the title. Although the girls battled bravely, they eventually succumbed to a 1-0 loss. Next up was Thomas’ Fulham and again, despite a very even contest, the girls were on the wrong side of a narrow loss. A draw against Dane Bradbury was followed by a hard fought win against Scarisbrick Hall, coached by former Premier League defender, Alan Stubbs. The final game resulted in another draw and the girls knew they had not made the semi-finals and their dream of becoming National champions had ended.

With bags packed there was one final bit of excitement for all concerned. With the England

Fantastic Junior School Football

Grass cut. Lines marked. Goals up. Let’s play!

Ladies Football Team being onsite, training for their World Cup Campaign, the girls and their families went in search of some of the stars and it did not take long to find them. Dreams were realised and smiles were made when they came face-to-face with their heroes! Pictures were taken and autographs were signed, in what was an amazing end to an amazing trip. With many of the team only being in Year 5, the future looks bright for next year!

The boys’ football consists of local and national competitions. The highlights of the Year 4 season are the Hull 5-a-side and futsal tournaments. In both events, our boys managed to navigate the qualifiers and reach finals night. Skill, passion and teamwork were shown throughout each game and the reward was two finals against Gillshill Primary School. Although the results didn’t go our way, the matches were close enough to suggest there is great promise and hope for the future of this set of boys!

Since arriving at Hymers College, the Year 5 boys have shown incredible skill and athleticism. In their own right, they have a team worthy of being National Champions and the local tournaments were taken by storm! The Hull 5-aside league gave the boys a chance to dazzle and in the end they met Gillshill Primary School in the final. Keen to exact revenge for the disappointment of our Year 4 boys, this outstanding

crop of footballers blew away their opposition and took the crown, winning 4-0.

It used to be that Year 6 was the final chance of silverware for boys wanting to play football at Hymers College. This is no longer the case with football continuing into the Senior School, but the boys in this year group still want to taste victory just as much. Made up of a mixture of Year 6 and 5 boys, the A and B teams competed in many tournaments. Trips away, late nights and lots of hard work resulted in friendlies against Hull City, finals in the 5-a-side championships, futsal, Humberside B-Team Cup and a Hull FA Cup final.

I can’t put into words just how good both these teams were and it was highlighted in the A-team FA Cup final victory against the biggest school in Hull, Eastfield. On a hot summer’s night, the other school never really stood a chance. A special shout out to Ted H who was outstanding in goal, Frank F who ran the midfield and Tom A, a rugby player converted to play the beautiful game. A big victory was enjoyed by all and if you want to see extended highlights, hit the QR code below!

They think it’s all over. It is now.

Mr R O’Hara Junior School Teacher

There was great excitement in the Junior School as we welcomed Indian Runner Duck eggs and watched them hatch.

There were five ducklings in total, named by the children as Cookie Doyle, Bonnie Bloomfield, Popcorn Hercules McLoughlin, Butter O’Hara and Toffee ‘Waddles’ Newton. Despite one having some initial mobility issues, all were healthy.

In the lab, every class got the opportunity to discuss life cycles, inheritance and much more.

Dance Success for Year 5 and 6

After travelling to Halifax to compete in the regional round of the Great Big Dance Off, the Year 5 and 6 Dance Group performed exceptionally, finishing in an amazing second place. This meant that they qualified for the National Finals held in Oxford on 8 June.

Their theme in this performance was ‘Magic’ and their performance truly was! They were placed 13th out of 31 schools, which is a huge achievement.

Well done to all the dancers and to Mrs Marsden for all of her hard work training the children.

Arrival of the Ducklings

Many thanks to Mr McLoughlin for organising this and to the Leake family who have since adopted them on their farm. Our inquisitive scientists asked so many questions and did their own research too!

There were five ducklings in total, named by the children as Cookie Doyle, Bonnie Bloomfield, Popcorn Hercules McLoughlin, Butter O’Hara and Toffee ‘Waddles’ Newton.

At the end of each Summer Term, the Junior School come together to celebrate the successes of the previous year and the achievements of the Year 6 cohort.

This year was no exception with many awards being presented for success across the curriculum

including in sport, music, drama and art.

Junior School Speech Day

The following children received special recognition:

The Whiting Cup for Boys’ Games Frank F & Ted H

Every child in Year 6 was presented with a personalised Graduation Certificate by Mr Stanley. A number of students were also recognised for their personal attributes, including kindness, maturity and outstanding effort.

The following children were presented with an engraved medal of Commendation:

Afonso F for his positivity and kindness

Camilla A for her excellent attitude and kindness

Amelia W for sporting excellence

Zac C for excellent progress

Atul K for his kindness

Ruby U for her academic excellence

Georgia Y for her excellent, mature attitude

Rueben H for outstanding effort in everything he does

The Bryan Bass Sports Cup for Girls Francesca H

The Junior School Art Prize

The Design and Technology Prize

The Drama Prize

The Creative Writing Prize for English

Pippa F

James M

Harry H

Emily M

The English Prize Maddison T

The Geography Prize

Charlotte B & Myles E

The History Prize Amelia T

The ICT Prize

The Maths Problem Solving Prize

The Pure Maths Prize

Reya G & Daniel L

Harriet P

Dylan W & Roshan V

The Music Prize Amelia J

The Modern Languages Prize Sophia T

The Physical Education Prize

The Religious Education Prize

The Science Prize

The Friends of Hymers College Music Shield

Amelie D

George H

Tiguida M & Maxwell L

Harriet P & Maddison T

Hymers College Prize for Outstanding Musical Performance

Dylan W

Chamber Concerts

This half term saw two Chamber Concerts - one for children in Years 3 and 4 and the other for children in Years 5 and 6. This was an opportunity for those who learn to play a musical instrument or have vocal lessons to perform for their parents.

Taking place in the Junior School

Cleethorpes Music

Festival Junior School Summer Concert House Music

Friday 31 March saw the second annual Junior School House Music Competition.

Instrumentalists and singers from all year groups took part and were adjudicated by Mrs Fong. There were some super performances and the day ended with every child participating in the whole House Singing event. It was great to see such enthusiastic and creative renditions of Mamma Mia and Revolting Children

hall, the concerts displayed a wealth of talent, from those children just beginning their musical journeys to those who have been learning for some while. There were some fantastic and memorable performances. A huge well done to all those who took part and also thank you to all of our brilliant music staff.

Well done to the choirs from Years 3 to 5 who sang so well at Cleethorpes Music Festival, winning an array of trophies. The adjudicator, Marilynne Davies, was extremely complimentary and awarded some high scores. The children thoroughly enjoyed their morning.

An array of talent was on show at the Junior School Concert. There were some brilliant performances from the orchestra, string group, wind band, percussion group and all four choirs.

A huge thank you to Mrs Pearson, Mr Lusvardi, Mr Hayton, Mr Quick and Mrs Redhead.

Year 6 Qualify for Llangollen International Eisteddfod

The Year 6 Choir qualified to participate at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod held in Wales on 5 July. They sang in the Junior Children’s Choir Category against eight other high-calibre choirs.

Their performance of The Rose was described by adjudicators as ‘a

performance with tenderness and sensitivity’ and their interpretation of Enjoy the Storm was praised for having ‘great spirit and enthusiasm.’

Although not placed, the choir had a wonderful time and were filmed by the TV Channel S4C for the Llangollen highlights programme, which can be seen on BBC iPlayer.

This year’s winners were Brandesburton. Well done to everyone!

It has been another super year for Hymers Junior School boys.

We have, for the first time, welcomed Year 3 into the school which has been fantastic for us as it has gotten them fully immersed into the sporting life of the school. They have begun to learn the rules and develop tactical awareness of sports a year earlier, which should hopefully be helpful as they progress into Year 4. Year 2 have begun their sporting careers at Hymers bubbling with enthusiasm and the progress they have made across all sports has been great. They have had their first Hymers fixtures this year and the frequency of these will increase year on year.

In Year 4, we have some strong sporting talent, with a good core of players who turn up every week for sports club. It would be good to see a few more boys joining in as they move into Year 5!

Year 5 has had a phenomenal year. It is a large year group and it has been great to see so many boys getting stuck into sport and representing the school fantastically. Rugby club is always fantastically well attended and there are a huge number of boys

pushing for places in higher teams, which is driving the standard of play ever higher. Both the rugby and football seasons have been tremendously successful and they are looking forward to finishing Hymers Junior School next year hopefully with lots of success stories to tell.

Year 6 has also been a real strength. The quality of rugby on show this year has been incredible, with multiple tournament wins and a phenomenal run at Rosslyn Park National 7s. Their attitude to learning and practice has been first class and they are a real pleasure to coach.

To go with their rugby success, they have done exceptionally in football and performed very well at the HMC Cricket in the Summer, where we reached the quarter-finals. I know I am looking forward to working with them again in Year 7.

Finally, a massive thank you to all the parents who have come and supported the boys this year in fixtures come rain or shine, and also to all the staff for their time, enthusiasm and commitment to sport is clearly rubbing off on the boys.

Mr M Hodsdon Head of Junior School Sport

Junior School Sport

Sporting Talent Amongst Our Junior School Boys

Strong Growth for Junior School Girls’ Sport

It has been a delight to introduce Year 3 pupils to Hymers College and particularly to the start of the sporting journey. The introduction of sports at such a young age not only fosters physical development but also instils valuable life skills such as teamwork, discipline and resilience. These youngsters of only seven years of age, carrying kit bags larger than themselves into school on their first week, was both endearing and symbolic of the start of their sporting endeavours.

What a year they have had!

The Year 3 pupils have thrown themselves into games, learning how to play netball and hockey. Even having their first fixture against another school. They have been delightful, enthusiastic and at times funny with their antics.

Not only did we have a new cohort of Year 3s, the Year 4 pupils were also starting their sporting careers. They have also been fantastic, learning to change quickly and develop their understanding of the sports on offer. It was amazing how quickly they seemed to progress, looking back at their first fixture some of the girls looked like they had been playing hockey all their lives.

The positive influence of the older girls on the younger years is a

beautiful aspect of our school’s sports culture. The achievements of the Year 5 girls, including playing up a year for tournaments, show promise for future tours and competitions. It’s clear that the supportive environment and the competitive spirit have contributed to their growth and development. Year 6 has seen the culmination of the girls’ sporting journey at the junior level. Witnessing their progress from struggling with basic skills in Year 4 to excelling in football, netball, hockey and athletics is truly remarkable. The A team have flourished in a competitive but supportive environment. They have been a real pleasure to teach over the past three years, not only because of their enthusiasm and good natures but also because of their leadership and for being such good role models.

As these Year 6 girls move on to the Senior School, they will undoubtedly be missed, not just for their skills but for the positive impact they’ve had on their peers and the overall sports culture. I wish them continued success in their future endeavours and hope they carry the lessons learned and the spirit of sportsmanship with them as they progress on their sporting journey.

Mrs J Fillingham Head of Girls Games

CatZero

The nautical journey from Grimsby docks to the beautiful port town of Stavanger was one unforgettable experience, with three trialling days of cooperation and fortitude, with the young crew picking up new skills on the fly, such as cooking, navigation and engineering. We were rocked to sleep each night by the motions of the sea, and consequently rocked back into action by the other watch.

The journey began with a minibus ride to Grimsby, as our crew and new best friends jumped aboard the bus, positively buzzing with excitement. This was our last slice of school for the year, and it was spent wisely, deciding on an anthem for the voyage: Sir Elton John’s I’m Still Standing. As we arrived we waited with bated breath for our next order, and at long last we were able to board our new home - the 72ft yacht. We unpacked and had a short time to allow the gravity of our mission to sink in: the open ocean, the cramped corridors of the ship and, possibly worst of all, no social

media. Kit was handed out here, each member being given black base layers and red waterproofs that would prove vital for survival in the rough waters and frigid nights ahead. When all was done, we sat together for our first meal and were formally introduced to the crew - and each other. There was Danny, our skipper - the man in charge, the co-skipper, Rachael, and two watch leaders: Steve-O and Debs. Watches were divided up and (rather hastily) named Alpha and Beta with the former led by Danny and Debs, consisting of Emma, Alice, Leo, Eshaan, Oscar and Declan. Beta watch was led by

Rachael and Steve-O and made up of Will, Andrew, Alex, Rudy, Pablo and (the other) Oscar.

Our parents came to see us off before we departed, with some last-minute sleeping bag drop-offs (one of which was “dropped off” into the water below), and we hugged them goodbye before racing off to beat the dropping sea levels. Our parents faded into the horizon until they were little more than featureless specks in our vision, and we raised the main sail to officially say hello to the new oceanic life.

After much debate (with interludes from Alice’s recorder playing), it was decided that Beta watch would take the first shift, and so while Alpha watch stayed up until the beginning of the first watch, us Beta people familiarised themselves with the bunks we’d be calling “bed”surprisingly comfortable, but very awkward to climb into with no light at 45°. And a tight squeeze. With an engine in your ears. Sleep was not an abundant resource on the trip.

Then: it was time for Beta watch to begin. We gathered our clothes

and rose to the surface. The watch started off all the while preparing ourselves for the night ahead: 10pm to 2am the following morning. The real test was not seasickness, for the ocean that night was rather calm, but an even more dastardly foe - tiredness. We all yearned for sleep but it never came, being instead given the view of the setting sun and stars in the sky. A truly serene view, met by equally serene seas of the most gorgeous navy hues. It was here, under a sea of stars and atop a sea of our own that we began learning the most basic of skills: teamwork. Working together to stay awake and to keep on the right track was paramount to the journey, taking turns working below deck in navigation and engineering built up the team’s trust in one another. This started that night, too. We watched as the last familiar landmarks, such as Spurn Point, faded into the frozen night’s skyline, and settled into our roles of a budding new crew.

Rachael’s fabulous hot chocolate making prowess was a godsend on nights like this. Our diet of gingernut

biscuits and various fruits beside these drinks of pure bliss were sure to stave off the cold and soothe the tired, aching soul. The night grew darker and colder, until we were allowed to head back to the bunks and get some shut-eye, waking the Alpha watch for their shift.

After only a few hours of sleep, they groggily hauled themselves over to the wet locker to equip themselves for the next shift, commonly known as one of the two hell shifts - two to six in the morning. The very first Alpha watch of the journey had begun. It was four hours in the cold, trying to keep their heavy-lidded eyes open whilst managing the sails and steering the boat. Like with the Beta watch, it was a struggle to stay awake. Jokes and stories were told, but in the end, it wasn’t enough to keep the watch from falling half asleep. Then chaos struck. Many crew members succumbed to their seasickness, throwing up the previous meal of spaghetti bolognese and temporarily putting them out of commission. However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. Lots of gossip was shared, which helped to pass the time a bit. The main highlight of this watch was spotting the oil rigs in the distance, their lights making it seem like there was a dystopian cyberpunk city in the distance. After a long three-and-ahalf hours, the sun started to rise, and the members of the watch (who could eat) feasted on Rice Krispies with sugar, and began to wake up the members of the Beta watch, preparing them for their six hour watch. Finally, they retired back to the comfort of their own beds to sleep, only to be woken a few hours later by beams of sunlight finding their way through the windows of the cabin.

The rest of the journey to Norway was generally smooth sailing, with calm seas and no close calls with other ships. The watches rotated seamlessly throughout the brilliantly blue-tinted days and the following bitter nights, everyone diligently tending to their duties whether it be 12pm or 12am. At one point the ocean was such a colour we took to naming it the “Gatorade Ocean”, for its rich cyan hue resembled the hip energy drink. The Beta watch folks saw the delightful view of dolphins gracefully diving around the boat, a welcome (however temporary) addition to the merry crew we had. Their fins cut effortlessly through the water as we all watched in awe of their sheer beauty. Alas, it was not to last, but they’d be back soon enough to grace our Beta crew with their presence.

It was early morning when land was first spotted, after our three day excursion on the sea, but the work was far from over. The water looked almost crystalline underneath us, smoother than even the most radiant diamond,

all the while reflecting the delicate pinks, purples, and oranges of the Northern sunrise. As we sailed in we waved goodbye to the sun over the horizon, only to greet it once more mere minutes later as it rose to welcome us to this unfamiliar land. We were most diligent here, as it was vital nothing went wrong at the final hurdle. We passed by modern rows of houses and beautiful scenery whilst rejoicing at the return of our long-lost best friend, phone signal. The final stretch was upon us and it took us to the town of Stavanger. The final task before our long-awaited respite was to take down the main sail, which required us to awaken the other watch one last time.

Our base of operations for the day was the small island Natvigs Minde, translating to “nightly memory”, where we moored up and caught up on some Zs. That morning took a more relaxed tone than the mornings prior, with fewer tasks at hand, we were finally free to unwind. The crew gathered round the table to discuss their highlights and enjoy breakfast, and then we were let loose into Stavanger. The day was taken at our own pace, beginning with something missed by us all - a warm shower. They say you don’t appreciate things until you are deprived of them, and truly, a shower is one of those things. That shower was a fleeting moment of bliss cut painfully short by the banging on the door of other poor souls yearning for the same.

Stavanger was a beautiful town: cobbled streets oozing with charm and character, and a lively high street similar to that of Beverley. There was so much to do, and regrettably, we did not have time to see it all. However, after a time, we split into smaller groups in order to experience what we wanted most in the short time we had. We paid a visit to the National Petroleum Museum in our free time in Stavanger. After much complaining from others, saying there was ‘no way [they’d] go to a petrol museum’ because it’s ‘too boring’, we decided to check it out ourselves to prove them wrong. And prove them wrong, we did. The Oljemuseet, or Petroleum Museum in English, was a showcase of the history and future of Norwegian energy. Almost every display in the museum was interactive, including a miniature scale hydrogen-fuelled rocket (lots of fun explosions), ‘build-your-own wind turbines’, and a real escape chamber from an oil rig. It truly was an eye-opening experience, a grim look into the reality of oil. Both a celebration of history and a lesson that those that don’t learn from it are doomed to repeat it. We would like to thank Debs for giving in and coming with us to the museum, as it would not have been possible without her.

That evening we enjoyed a barbecue on our own little island and enjoyed some games of manhunt and football. It was here we bid farewell to the ball, after being kicked too far into the surrounding waters. Multiple times. It’s a wonder we had any footballs left by the end of the night.

The second day of Norway was spent on the move, befallen with suboptimal weather conditions yet eager to arrive at our second major landmark: Preikestolen. Also known as Pulpit Rock, this rock formation can have amazing views from its peak 600m over the Lysefjord. Seeing it from below in our tiny yacht can only be described as looking up to the throne of a giant. The sheerness of the surroundings was striking, somewhat unreal. The grey skies that graced us blended perfectly with the surrounding cliffs blurring the line between the real and what lay beyond. Looking back at it now still feels like a distant dream. Despite being splashed with rain and spray, we continued onwards, the cliffs almost vertical and surrounding us as far as the eye could see. It was then that the game of betrayal began - Cluedo. Each crew member was given a place, murder weapon and person to unalive. Notable mentions are: unaliving Declan with his own digestives, unaliving Pablo in the toilets with a bin bag, and Oscar V mistaking a pen for a pencil, murdering Eshaan with the

wrong object (it didn’t count).

Walking up Preikestolen was a trek and a half, with our saving grace being that the sun was not boiling us all the way up. Instead, grey skies hung all around us, only motivating us further to reach the top in the hopes that things would clear up. The rain had stopped for us, at least, allowing us to climb dry. Each step was an urge to carry on, to see what’s at the top for ourselves, despite the dread building massively that the clouds would not agree with our plans.

The peak inched ever closer as we trudged our way forward until…

We had made it! The clouds had yet to part though. Our beautiful view… ruined. Hardened from the climb up, we toughed out the unfavourable conditions and after about an hour, the skies opened up and the view was stunning. Hard to put into words to do justice to it, really.

The descent was slow and relaxing and it was nice to be in the warm familiarity of the boat once more. It had clouded up a bit by the time the next day rolled over and the water was chilling. Frigid, even. Perfect conditions for a swim in the fjord! The cold was fairly refreshing and it was appreciated greatly as a new experience (though the climb back into the boat was not so much). An exciting start to lecture day!

We learned about flares, safety,

and meteorology, which were all necessary for our competent crew qualification. We also learned the secrets to plotting and navigating our own course, which wasn’t made any easier by the thick fog we endured. This of course made our achievement all the more satisfying when we arrived at an anchorage to settle for the night.

That night was possibly one of the most memorable nights, as each member of the crew had to take it in turns, in pairs, to watch the computer readings to make sure the boat didn’t drift off. The hour and a half each was taken up by the crew writing a joint story, leaving only the last sentence for the next shift to continue on from. The story took many twists and turns, starting off as a parody of Breaking Bad to its ending as a horror story. The story was then read a couple days after, much to the amusement of the crew (and the disapproval of Robertron – AKA Mr Simpson).

Our last morning in Norway was a slow one, with the vibe of a lazy Sunday (it was not a Sunday). We toured an old chapel, and made our way to the town of Stavanger once more, where we were told that due to bad weather, we would have to turn around 20 minutes before we arrived! We waved goodbye to Norway for good and set our sights on our next target: the wonderful, stunning town of Hull, England. And unfortunately,

The

rest of the journey to Norway was generally smooth sailing, with calm seas and no close calls with other ships. The watches rotated seamlessly throughout the brilliantly bluetinted days and the following bitter nights, everyone diligently tending to their duties whether it be 12pm or 12am

the weather was not on our side for this trip back. The boat was at 45° for a large part of the passage, and most who were not sick on the way there succumbed to the boat’s motion returning. It even struck the indomitable Robertron. We were all in the same boat, and every watch was no longer a struggle to stay awake as the lack of sleep caught up to us, but a struggle to stay upright in the boat’s violent motion. For one long six hour shift, along the Dogger Bank wind farm, all was calm. The water was still, and the Beta watch was graced with the sight of seals lined along the wind turbines’ foundations.

And of course, as we packed it in to settle down for the night, the heavens opened once more just for the Alpha watch (who did not see any whales, seals or dolphins, only a stowaway seagull named Gary who caught a lift for several hours).

Sailing down the Humber estuary, we felt satisfied (and absolutely exhausted. You have no idea how difficult it is to fall asleep when the boat is rocking so much that you’re about to fall off your bunk). It was nice to be somewhere familiar once more. One sight that stood out was The Deep: it was so surreal seeing something so familiar from an angle it would never normally be seen. Another highlight from the return was the hot showers, something sorely missed from Stavanger just days prior - we were deprived of such luxuries.

The last day was spent tidying the boat, cleaning the bilges, concocting the marvellous video to sum up the trip, and eating some very healthy food, such as McDonald’s and Domino’s Pizza. In

our final evening we played some games, then settled round the table once more to watch our video, in what would probably be our last moments together as a crew. We settled into our bunks one last time, and then… it was over.

We would like to say thank you to the CatZero organisation for allowing us to go on this trip, specifically Danny, Rachael, Debs (we’re still astounded how you

managed to unalive someone with an apple) and Steve-O. Without you, this trip of a lifetime would not have been possible. Also, thank you to the school for offering such an experience, and special thanks to Robertron 6000 for putting up with us all ten days you were with us. Your sacrifice was not in vain.

Oscar W and Declan H, Year 9

We learned about flares, safety, and meteorology, which were all necessary for our competent crew qualification. We also learned the secrets to plotting and navigating our own course, which wasn’t made any easier by the thick fog we endured. This of course makes our achievement all the more satisfying, when we arrived at an anchorage to settle for the night.

House Swimming Gala

Great racing, team support, fun and records smashed. What more do you want from a House swimming gala?

Congratulations to Trinity who won both the Year 4-6 competition and also our first ever Hymers Hessle Mount Year 2 and Hymers Year 3 competition.

Junior School Swimming

ESSA National Primary School Swimming Finals

There were some exceptional performances from both the girls’ and boys’ swimming teams at the ESSA National Primary School Finals held at Ponds Forge in June.

The boys finished eighth in the country in their Freestyle A final. Well done to all the competitors who took part!

Our U9 to U11 Athletics Team put in an astounding performance in the HMC Athletics competition at York University Stadium. The day began with every one of our teams progressing to the finals of the relays, before the girls began their track events and boys began their field events.

Our children did fantastically! In the individual sections, we had six champions, nine silver medals and three bronze. This led to some outstanding overall results, with our U10 Boys winning gold, second place for our U9 Boys, third for our U11 Boys and U9 Girls and fourth place for our U10 and U11 Girls.

When boys’ and girls’ scores are added together, this places Hymers first overall in a very strong HMC North East field of schools. This is an incredible achievement of which we are all very proud. Well done!

Mr M Hodsdon

Head of Junior School Sport and Mrs J Fillingham Head of Girls Games

We are proud of all our sporting stars!

Cranedale Fieldwork for Year 12 Biologists

Students worked enthusiastically, utilising advanced fieldwork equipment to carry out ecological investigations; their fieldwork was directly linked to the A Level Biology curriculum, and students were able to embrace their wider learning around experimental planning, mathematical skills and conservation strategies.

In a two-day study, students were able to conclude that the presence of crayfish in freshwater ecosystems promotes biodiversity, keeping consumers

such as freshwater shrimp in check and allowing other species to thrive. Students also conducted investigations into the health of local wildlife, handling organisms ethically to assess the impact of humans on the natural environment.

Although students spent much of their time immersed in their investigations, they also enjoyed some hard-earned downtime, taking full advantage of the recreational facilities at the Cranedale Centre. The staff at

the Centre worked tirelessly to ensure that we were well catered for, with everyone being well-fed and enjoying more than their fair share of hot chocolate. There were also intense games of table tennis, foosball and uno; the students made no secret of the fact that they got the better of their teachers on the day!

Overall, the trip was highly useful, fun and productive. The teachers are very much looking forward to returning next year!

Mr J Hartley Head of Biology

Students also conducted investigations into the health of local wildlife, handling organisms ethically to assess the impact of humans on the natural environment.

At Hymers, we offer a wide range of sporting activities throughout the year, with a particular focus on a termly basis.

Our rugby teams have had a successful year. Our 1st team won 80% of their games, which on the tough northern circuit, is quite an achievement. They also won all four matches on the first day at Rosslyn Park, sadly missing out on the quarter-finals by one score.

The standout team are the U13s who have not yet lost when representing Hymers over the last two years. They have won each sevens tournament that they have entered and are a real force to be reckoned with. The U14 team won all but two games and also reached the second day at Rosslyn Park. We were excited by the news that our U11 team won the HMC. They have a growing reputation in the county and we look forward to seeing what they achieve next.

The school has strong links with Hull Ionians who have an outstanding junior section, which allows our players to learn the values of club rugby alongside school.

Our girls’ hockey continues to flourish with many keen players throughout the school. We have good links with Kingston Hockey Club and many of our best players play both at school and for the club, as well as further afield, enabling them to fulfil their full potential. Our senior teams always gave their best and won over half of their games, but we play on a very competitive circuit where taking chances is essential. We have good strength in the middle years (U14 – U16) and as these players come through, we will have a very strong 1XI. One great strength of our hockey is the high level of participation, with every girl representing the school in Years 7 and 8. We encourage all girls to attend practice sessions, leading to vast numbers on the astro on U12 –U14 practice nights.

Our netball in recent years has gone from strength to strength. At the senior end, we now have

girls who train for netball all year through in Games lessons. A large number also play at high performance, local clubs, regularly playing in the regional and national leagues, which gives them further exposure to the sport. Our U14 and U16 teams both reached the regional finals at the EIS and acquitted themselves well against the best teams in the North East of England. We have some strong year groups coming up through the school and it is not the exception when we have a clean sweep of

victories on a Saturday for our teams. Once again, every girl in Years 7 and 8 will represent the school in competitive fixtures and the vast number of girls involved means we can field A – F teams. The boys’ hockey programme continues to evolve. The real strength of this programme is in the identity created by our boys’ hockey teams, with a large number seeing hockey as their first sport. We encourage the boys to join local clubs and large numbers have, giving them greater exposure to the game. We usually field seven teams on a Saturday, from U12 through to 1st XI.

A Wonderful Year of Sport

It is a privilege to hold the position of Director of Sport at a school like Hymers and when I reflect on what is achieved in sport each year I am truly proud of our sporting programme.

Our Year 9 team are particularly strong, with a number of boys gaining representative honours for the county and we look forward to the progress that this group make as they reach the top of the school. We have some very good younger teams coming through in boys’ cricket and our U13s and U14s are particularly strong. We have struggled a little at the senior end, but the boys who do play always give their best. Each Saturday, we put teams out from U12 through to 1st team and it is good to see some

boys representing the school in cricket, who do not do so in other sports. At the end of the season, our senior team played a lot of cricket, with the 40 club and the MCC visiting Hymers. This year we hosted the cricket festival with Strathallan, George Watsons and Pocklington all enjoying the chance to play at Hymers. We have invested heavily in hybrid wickets, which we hope will pay dividends in the future.

Girls’ cricket is still in its infancy, but there is no doubt that some of our girls soon develop a love for the sport. We play a number of fixtures and the girls practice

Girls’ cricket is still in its infancy, but there is no

doubt that some of our girls soon develop a love for the sport.

hard to develop their skills. We have appointed Joff Sowter, a local professional coach, to help drive this forward.

The boys’ and girls’ tennis teams played a lot of matches this summer. We have teams from the U12s through to the 1st team. The senior teams were successful in their matches and have been good advocates for the sport throughout their time in the school. Many of our year groups have over 12 players who can play to a decent standard and we enjoyed matches against Pocklington with large numbers from each school. On a Wednesday evening, we often had 80+ players in attendance. The girls U15 and U13 teams both won their respective East Yorkshire leagues and will represent the county next term as the competition goes national. At the end of term, we took 24 students to Eton to play in the Independent Schools’ Tennis Championships, including a visit to Thorpe Park and Wimbledon in the tour.

In athletics, we had a successful season with all four of our teams reaching the regional finals of the Schools Cup. There are lots of students who attend the Athletics Club on a Tuesday evening and it is evident that a vast amount of improvement is achieved over the season. We also attended several cross-country events with some excellent all-round performances. We offer a good variety of sports at Hymers and enter national events in badminton, golf, squash and equestrian. There are also sports clubs offering co-curricular opportunities such as basketball and water polo.

I would like to thank our Year 13 for their contributions to Hymers sport over the years. Many of them have remained committed for the full ten years in the school and we hope that they continue to play sport as they continue onto the next stage of their journey.

Perhaps the biggest highlight of our sporting calendar was this summer’s tour to South Africa. We

took 61 Hymerians, playing hockey, netball and rugby, on the trip of a lifetime. The tour was full of cultural, social and sporting experiences and our tourists came back buzzing from the experience.

The pride that Hymerians have in representing our school is immense and the lessons learnt in commitment, resilience and sportsmanship are lifelong.

High merit, high reward.

Mr S Walmsley Director of Sport

There are lots of students who attend the Athletics Club and it is evident that a vast amount of improvement is achieved over the season.

This year, the theme was ‘Best of Britain Through the Decades’ and the children researched a different aspect of a decade, including culture, inventions, discoveries, architecture, famous people and events. They then went about thinking how to present this information in a creative and informative way. The culmination of this was on the Friday, when parents were invited to view their presentations. Fortunately, the weather was in our favour and it was great to be able to use our fantastic school field. A huge well done to all the children!

Theme WeekBest of Britain Through the Decades

Each summer, we have a Theme Week in the Junior School in which the children work collaboratively off-timetable in mixed age groups studying a particular theme.

Theme Week is always a winner in the Junior School.

Preparation for our Silver Award Duke of Edinburgh expedition began months earlier, with us attending supervised weekly lunchtime sessions from October. These covered the highway code, map-reading and first aid, in addition to discussing case studies on difficult scenarios.

We also completed six months of voluntary work, from working in local charity shops to assisting in care homes, plus six months of learning a new skill, such as participating in the British Physics Olympiad, taking up a new sport or a musical instrument. This was both rewarding and essential in preparing us for our trip in July.

On Monday morning, we boarded the coach bound for the Peak District and headed to Hardhurst Farm - our base camp at Hope for the first couple of days. Right on cue, the heavens opened as we departed the bus and rushed frantically to cover our rucksacks and put up our tents. It was a cold, muddy affair which evoked many looks of scepticism amongst us students. Thankfully, after half an hour or so, tents pitched, the rain stopped and we enjoyed our pack-ups outside.

During the first couple of days, our ‘practice’ days, we followed route maps to nearby villages such as Hathersage and Castleton (home to Britain’s rarest mineral - the Blue John), during which we were assessed on our adeptness of route choice, self-sufficiency,

culinary skills, decision-making and our overall attitude towards the expedition. A few of us treated ourselves to a pub lunch with chips as, technically, the expedition hadn’t begun. Our diet from Wednesday onwards would be comparable with that of a squirrel’s, consisting mainly of dried fruits, nuts, cereal bars and (marginally more human) pot noodles and ready meals.

As we settled down for the evening at 11pm, tents zipped up, sleeping bags pulled tight, we were startled by what we thought were wild animals. Fortunately - or notor us, it was just Mr Young and Mr Berry. As torches were shone in the direction of our tent, it was soon exposed that it had been haphazardly put up! After our tent had been subject to various forms of insult and humiliation, we recharged in readiness for the week ahead.

After all of the preparation, Wednesday finally arrived, and we were faced with putting the theory into practice. Having thoroughly planned and discussed our routes, we embarked on our hike to Greenacres (the girl’s campsite) and Fieldhead (the boy’s campsite). No amount of preparation could have braced us for the weight of our rucksacks. We followed a hiking trail parallel with Lady Bower reservoir, an idyllic Y-shaped reservoir in the Upper Derwent Valley. However, our group may have taken a wrong turn and we went slightly off-piste through an enshrouding, seemingly

An Exhilarating Duke of Edinburgh Experience

unending forest, in which we had to parkour our way down Bear Grylls style. Some unnerving half hour later, we sought sunlight and were back en route.

To ensure our safety throughout the trip, we sent hourly updates to Mr Young of our exact coordinates in case of emergency and also so water could be supplied to us. Miss Batch and Mr Berry greeted us after a steep trek to Hope Cross and we proceeded to Greenacres. After eight hours of walking, we finally kicked off our walking boots, flung off our rucksacks and, quite literally, collapsed on the grass. Unfortunately, this window of leisure time was only temporary, as we had to quickly pitch our tents in anticipation of rainy weather.

Arguably the most arduous day, Thursday entailed two immensely steep climbs, during which, as I felt blisters materialise, I regretted not breaking in my walking boots enough! The most notable ascent was that of Lose Hill, which presented us with the challenge of hiking through overgrown vegetation teeming with insects and crumbling limestone beneath our feet, making it challenging, particularly on the way back down. The thing that propelled us forward in difficult situations, especially nearing the end of the week, was each other. The camaraderie and teamwork between us kept our spirits and motivation high. On arrival at the top, the views were

unparalleled and it was certainly worth the effort.

Our final dinner was a group one, with five of us huddled over the stove, sharing pasta with tomato sauce and tuna. It was a perfect non-perishable meal, the ingredients for which we had carried separately between us to lighten the load. Keen to lighten my rucksack further, I used up some of the last of my rations - a Wayfayrer brownie. Despite the clear instructions, I still managed to burn it!

After five strenuous days, Friday had finally arrived and the thought of going home impelled us to set off early with rucksacks on backs, containing tents, poles, pegs, clothes and crockery.

We commenced our ascent back up Lose Hill. This time continuing along the ridge towards Hope. On the other side after descending, we were delighted to discover an ice cream parlour serving an array of flavours, which gave us the boost to keep going.

After three hours or so, we made it back to Hardhurst Farm, our initial campsite. Once we’d handed in our borrowed equipment, we boarded the coach, exhausted, at 2.30pm. It was a very quiet journey home… Francesca W

Year 11

The wall was built as a barrier to protect this vast empire from the ‘barbarians’ in the North of England (and Scotland). We were curious to learn more about this wondrous site, and so on 20 April we began our journey.

Housesteads Roman Fort lies midway along Hadrian’s Wall.

Housesteads is the most complete example of a Roman fort in Britain and one of the best-known from the entire Roman Empire. It was built within a decade of 122AD and excavations have revealed major buildings, defences and the civilian settlement outside its walls. We paid a visit to appreciate the natural beauty of the landscape and to take in just how vast the wall is, before exploring the museum to visualise the fashion of the Roman period by trying out the fancy dress provided there.

On that very same day, we went

Year 10 Walk the Wall

In late April our Year 10 Latin class travelled north to visit Hadrian’s Wall, the North-West frontier of the Roman Empire.

to the Roman Army Museum and immersed ourselves in the life of a Roman soldier. The museum included a 3D film showing us the eagle eye view of the wall and a holographic classroom, where we learnt some everyday Latin phrases. Based at the site of Magna Roman Fort, the museum was situated next to one of the most complete and intact sections of Hadrian’s Wall.

The next day, we journeyed to Vindolanda - a Roman auxiliary fort just south of Hadrian’s Wall. We watched the archaeologists at work before making our way to the museum to learn more about its history; and finally, a stop at the cafe. We also admired the stunning landscape and views before learning about its history. Although it was first built by the Roman army before Hadrian’s Wall, Vindolanda became an important construction

and garrison base for the Wall, a fort in its own right. During this time Vindolanda was demolished and completely rebuilt around nine times.

After this, our trip drew to a close, and we made our way back to Hymers, fulfilled and content with our newfound knowledge and lifelong memories.

Florence S and Maud G Year 10

Year 6’s Windermere Adventure

In May, children in Year 6 went on their residential trip to Windermere.

Staying right next to the lake, they had a wonderful time enjoying a range of activities including raft building, kayaking, archery, nightline, a fell walk, bush skills, zip line and a challenge course.

They finished off with a campfire, where each group presented a song or rap about the week. The children improved their team building skills and were a credit to themselves, the school and their parents.

Many thanks to the staffMr Bloomfield, Mr McLaughlin, Mrs Redhead, Mrs Julian, Mrs Fillingham and Mr Hodsdonfor taking them.

This Championship is a major National Championships with hundreds of young fencers competing over the three days. All those taking part have qualified through regional qualifying events. Hymers College was represented by two fencers. In the Under 14 Boys Epee Ashton R-V finished 62nd and Parivash J in the Under 16 Girls Foil finished 51st.

Mr A Blight Fencing Coach

Hymers’ Fencers Take Part in the British Youth Fencing Championships

Over the May Bank Holiday weekend, the British Youth Fencing Championships took place at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.

Certificate in Financial Studies

During 2022-23, 20 Sixth Form students took the Certificate in Financial Studies, successfully gaining a qualification equivalent to an AS Level.

Mr J Mutter

Head of

Business Studies & Economics

Here are two testimonies from the students who took the course:

Not wanting to turn up at university totally oblivious to the workings of adult life, I decided to do the personal finance course. This taught me a lot about personal finance both in the long and short term. I learnt a lot about the various types of bank accounts and the benefits that they give you as well

as how to save in different ways. It also helped me with my Economics A Level as it gave me an understanding of the personal impact of the financial system and gave me an extra qualification for when I applied to university.

Rhea T Year 12

Unsure about what I wanted to do at university, I chose to do the personal finance course which was very different to the science A Levels I took, allowing me to expand my knowledge away from my subjects.

As well as helping me decide

what to do at university, it helped me to develop an understanding of financial decisions I will have to begin making shortly. It also gave me an idea of the methods of saving and the types of bank accounts available to me.

Evie S Year 12

Senior students from Year 7-9 performed Fairytale Courtroom to family and friends as well as children from Pearson Primary School.

Senior School perform Fairytale Courtroom

Sport’s South African Tour

In July, 61 players and nine staff headed off on their South African adventure!

They were welcomed to the Lesedi Cultural Village by the tribes, complete with African drumming, dancing and a banquet. Some players even confronted the Zulu warrior with a spear (with his permission), before heading off to Johannesburg.

After a long journey, the players finally got down to what we had come for - rugby, netball and hockey! The boys went to train at the Wanderers Rugby Club and the girls went to the astro at Red Hill School. It was good to blow away the cobwebs of two days of travel and our players were in good spirits. The boys were given the unexpected bonus of the opportunity to visit the iconic Wanderers Cricket Stadium which was adjacent to the rugby ground. It was a unique experience playing in South Africa. Match day three even saw us start the day flying on zip lines before parting ways, with the rugby players headed to Villersdorp School. This became a highlight for many. As we approached the school, the coach was chased by an excited group of children. We were the first English school to visit the school and they wanted to make the day special. Watching the opposition warm up was a cultural experience in itself as it resembled a dance rather than a rugby warm up.

The U16 game was very competitive, but we came away with a 26 - 5 win. A major feature of this game was that the crowd cheered for every point for each team. At the end of the game, our boys went to clap the crowd and received a wonderful ovation. Another thoroughly memorable moment. The seniors received a tunnel of honour from the other players as they took to the field. The score was 19 - 19 with five minutes to go but two late tries put a gloss on the score. We were then invited back to the school where player of the match presentations took place. Villersdorp presented us with a lovely cup in honour of

our achievements. There then followed an all-male disco with music and dancing to the popular tunes of the day.

Meanwhile, the hockey and netball players travelled to play Strand High School. The netballers won 22 - 13, the boys’ hockey won 3 - 2 and the girls’ hockey drew 2 - 2. Strand were unbelievably good hosts and they took our players to the Spur Restaurant for an after-dinner meal. It is incredible how sport can create friendship and the immediate bonds between the players post-match was evident for all to see.

As well as plenty of sport, the players had the opportunity to be tourists too, with visits to Ellis Park, one of the major test venues for the Springboks, the Apartheid Museum, Gold Reef City Amusement Park, Muizenburg Beach and the Surf Emporium, Nelson Mandella Boulevard and much more.

We thought we had reached paradise when we arrived at Kwa Maritane Lodge Game reserve, where we set off on safari in search of Africa’s big give. We saw elephants, rhinoceros, hippos, giraffes, impala and many other species of African animals. We then heard there had been a sighting of a leopard and the trucks sped to the location. Zac M took a fabulous video of this beautiful animal.

Dr Smith and his squad then raced off and the next animals spotted were a couple of lions. All of the trucks congregated at the lake and we were able to swap stories of our sightings and look out at the beautiful sunset across the water. We were sad to leave Kwa Maritane, as a number of us would have been happy to call it home. The morning game drive had proved to be a cold one, but it was great to be held up by some rhinos on the road as a family of three lolloped along.

Another highlight was our visit to the Winnie Mabasso Foundation, which is an orphanage sponsored by donations, as we were made to feel

so welcome. We were introduced to the DJ, who taught all of the boys and girls a dance routine that our students fully embraced, to the point of competing against each other. Bradley P was voted top dancer of the tour party and he joined our hosts in a final rendition. While this was going on, others in the group played with the younger children whilst others took to the sports yard. We even donated some of our rugby balls so that the children can learn the game. The Winnie Mabasso choir sang to us and we were served a delicious meal. We were all sad to leave, feeling chastened by the experiences that will live with us forever.

We had a similar experience at Robben Island, where we were met by former prisoners who showed them around the site, including Nelson Mandella’s cell. One can only imagine the solitary nature of his existence. Quite how he managed to forgive those who had imprisoned him is a life lesson for all of us.

Day ten saw our final matches on tour. The boys’ hockey travelled to Reddam House where they completed their fixtures with a fantastic 5 - 2 win, with four goals coming from player of the match Finn S. The boys hockey team had therefore won two out of three matches on tour.

The girls played Edgemead at hockey and put in a dominant performance to win 2 - 1. The netball team also played Edgemead and won 25 - 16. The netball playing record was therefore three wins and one draw, whilst the girls’ hockey won two and lost one on tour.

The rugby players took on Connect Academy - the first real mismatch of the tour with two 50 point wins. It is always a good feeling to score lots of points. The senior boys therefore had a record of three wins and a draw and the U16s won all four games. A fitting end to Mr Exley’s coaching career at Hymers after 38 years.

The day we arrived in South Africa was one of the best days of my life and things just got better from there.

We rounded off the trip with a visit to the GOLD restaurant, which is famous for a its 15-course food menu and live entertainment. We had our second drumming lesson of the day and lots of fun in between courses. There were people dressed in cultural costumes and singers and dancers who performed at the tables. What an incredible experience. We used this opportunity to make some awards for the tour and to celebrate our successes.

The flight home is never quite the same as the flight on the way out and we were glad to land back in Manchester. We picked up our bags and were pleasantly surprised to see Mr Stanley in the welcome area. It is always good to be met by a familiar face. We said goodbye to some of the party who were headed off for a second trip and then boarded the coach for Hymers. On arrival back at school, it was great to meet up with our families ready to start our summer holidays.

The tour was a resounding success in so many ways:

➔ We enjoyed the sport and the hospitality of our hosts.

➔ We enjoyed the cultural and aesthetic experiences.

➔ We enjoy the adventurous experiences and thrills

➔ We enjoyed the camaraderie of spending two weeks with our friends in a foreign country.

BRANDESBURTON

The Reverend John Hymers, Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge and Rector of Brandesburton, a village ten miles north of Hull, left money in his will for a school to be built “for the training of intelligence in whatever social rank of life it may be found among the vast and varied population of the town and port of Hull”.

Winners of:

> Lower School Quiz

> Boys’ Hockey

> House Football

> Senior School Debating

> House Cup 2023

TRINITY

Hull Minster is an Anglican minster in the centre of Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The church was called Holy Trinity Church until 13 May 2017 when it became Hull Minster. The three crowns in the Hymers badge, which derives from the Coat of Arms of the City of Hull, represent the Holy Trinity.

Winners of:

> House Music

> Senior School Quiz

> Senior Mixed Hockey

> House Points, Autumn 2022

HOLDERNESS

Holderness is a geographical area in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Hull is situated in the southwest of the Holderness area. An area of rich agricultural land, Holderness was marshland until it was drained in the middle ages. The city of Kingston upon Hull lies in the south west corner of Holderness and Brandesburton to the North.

Winners of:

> House Swimming

> House Netball

GORE

The school first opened in 1893, the first headmaster was Charles Gore who was soon admitted into the HMC.

As of today, joined to the LRC is the Gore room, named after the first headmaster. It was the old gym and we now use it as a space for assemblies or games sessions.

Winners of:

> House Chess

> Year 7 House Cup

> Sports Day Cup 2023

> House Points, Spring 2023

House music winners - Gore

netball competition Mixed netball competition

Mixed hockey competition

Brandesburton awarded as House Cup winners

House chess

House Band - Trinity

House Band - Holderness

House music winnersGore

House Band - Brandesburton

House Band - Gore

GCSE Success

With the highest possible GCSE grade of a 9 being the most commonly awarded grade for Hymers students this year, and grade 7 being the average grade, it was smiles all round this morning as pupils arrived at school to receive their results.

Among an outstanding set of results, more than half of students achieved at least seven GCSEs graded 9-7, an equivalent to an A*-A under the old grading system. Indeed, some subjects produced particularly strong results including English (both Language and Literature), French, Latin and the Humanities. In the separate sciences more than 30% of all grades awarded were at the top level of grade 9. Thirteen top-performing students achieved all grades 9 or 8, while three students got no less than 10 grade 9s.

Headmaster, Mr Stanley commented:

“This is a fantastic set of results for our GCSE pupils at Hymers; I am very proud of them all. With 64% of grades being 9-7, higher than that achieved in 2019 - the last set of pre-pandemic results - the results today are exceptional.

“It is a great pleasure to be able to watch these students mature into fine young adults. I know that many of them have impressed local employers in recent months on work experience placements.

“As well as excelling academically, our students have thrown

themselves into the co-curricular offering at Hymers, stretching from sports teams to theatre performances. Indeed, many of these students spent the summer enjoying our sports tour to South Africa.

“I look forward to welcoming our students back to our Sixth Form and to welcoming the many new students who will be joining us from elsewhere.”

With these results under their belts, Hymers students are now looking forward to their next steps.

Many are taking up university courses in subject areas such as engineering, medicine and humanities in top-flight Russell Group universities. Meanwhile, others secured fantastic opportunities beyond the traditional university route including taking up apprenticeships.

Headmaster, Mr Stanley commented:

“We are so proud of the efforts of all our Year 13 students. It is

A Level Achievements

Beaming smiles could be seen across the Hymers College campus this morning as students celebrated an excellent set of A Level results. These results are a remarkable achievement and a true testament to the hard work and dedication of students and staff alike, for a year group who missed out on GCSEs due to COVID.

wonderful to see so many pupils being rewarded for their hard work – these results are well-deserved for the pupils and for my staff team.

“These results are, of course, just a glimpse at a small part of all that our Year 13 pupils have achieved while here at Hymers. From captains of first team sports teams to soaring musical success, these pupils have achieved so much during their time here.

“I wish all our students the very best as they journey out beyond Hymers and embark on a new adventure. I am so proud of them all and look forward to seeing what this year group go on to achieve.”

Students have secured degree apprenticeships with Microsoft, L’Oréal & Standard Chartered Bank

Popular subjects our students have gone to study:

During 2021-23 31 students have left Hymers to study Medicine at university...

Destinations 2021-23

Destination of Leavers 2023

Amazing Ajoku Gap Year

Fatima Akoud University of Manchester Medicine

Matthew Alex Imperial College London Computing

Alhytham Alshatti Brunel University London Aerospace Engineering

Zain Asif

Imperial College London Electrical & Electronic Engineering

Adnan Benmarzouk University of Hull Business Economics

Justin Bond University College London Classics

Theo Bozas Gap Year

Joshua Butler-Parr University of Leeds Medicine

James Carr

Loughborough University Finance & Management

Sam Chan Durham University Accounting

Alex Chivers HETA

Engineering apprenticeship

Sadhia Choudhury Hull University Biomedical Science

Vincent Chu

Nottingham Trent University Computer Science (Games Technology with Foundation Year)

Ivy Chuk Northumbria University Law/Mlaw

Madeleine Clark Stirling University Psychology

Oliver Coates

Northumbria University Economics & Finance

Charlie Cook University of Nottingham Politics & International Relations

Laura Cooper University of Sheffield Geography

Sarah Dales Gap Year

Arjan Dhadda

Heriot-Watt Economics & Finance

Alexander Edwards Leeds Trinity University Law with Foundation Year in Legal Issues

Sammy England

Northumbria University Mechanical & Civil Engineering

Leo Finney

University of Greenwich Forensic Science

Janani Ganesh University of Leicester Psychology

Annabelle Godber

Liverpool John Moores University Accounting & Finance

Elise Good University of Leeds Geography

Eliza Good L’Oreal, London Apprenticeship

Mohammed Hamid University of Cambridge Medicine

Artin Hamzehpour Microsoft, London Apprenticeship

Lucy Hawley Northumbria University Graphic Design

Charlotte Heald University of Warwick German & History

Grace Hobson Goldsmiths, University of London Drama: Musical Theatre

Freyja Holmes Northumbria University Architecture

Millie Jarvis Edge Hill University English

Befreen Jones University of Reading Archaeology

Kushal Kasivel Gap Year

Sanjana Kumar University of Liverpool Medicine

Lexi Laughton University of Leeds Medicine

Alfie Lord Gap Year

Alistair Lovel

Northumbria University Mechanical & Civil Engineering

Ruby Lowthorpe University of Leeds Law

Matt Ma

Kingston University Accounting & Finance

Sophie Maliakal Kings College London Biochemistry

Charlotte Mawer Gap Year

Sahej Mehat London Metropolitan University Architecture

Harry Mercer

Loughborough University Mechanical Engineering (with placement year)

Arfa Muazzam

Loughborough University Finance & Management (with placement year)

Betty Mumdzjana Sheffield Hallam University Sociology

Tawana Munjeri University of Derby Foundation Pathways Programme

Sewmini Narasinghe University of Warwick Law

Felicity Neal Brighton & Sussex Medical School Medicine

Jeremy Oboh Northumbria University Economics & Finance

Bradley Parker Northumbria University Economics & Finance

John Pearson University of Glasgow History (Medieval/Modern or Medieval/Modern/Scottish)

Thomas Popplewell

Hull City Council Apprenticeship - data analyst

Tom Powdrell University of Hull Mechanical Engineering

Aida Rahmany Nejad University of Hull Law

Suprithi Ram

Imperial College London Biological Sciences

Armaan Riaz

Northumbria University Applied Sciences (Foundation Year)

Connie Riches Wren Kitchens Apprenticeship

Rifath Rizvi Gap Year

Owen Robinson Newcastle University Chemical Engineering

Luis Rusher Working at McClarron Insurance

Dylan Saharia University of Birmingham Chemical Engineering (Industrial Experience)

Khalid Salam

Newcastle University Mechanical Engineering

Sana Salim University of Sheffield Medicine

Benjamin Scott Northumbria University Applied Sciences (Foundation Year)

Elizabeth Scott Gap Year

Anchitha Senthilkumar Newcastle University Medicine & Surgery

Lucy Sergeant University of Liverpool Geography (Science)

Dhriti Sharma University of Liverpool Computer Science (with a year in industry)

Scarlett Sheekey Bangor University Philosophy, Ethics & Religion

Jonty Smyth University of Bristol Economics & Finance

Finn Starky Standard Chartered Bank Fianancial Markets Apprenticeship

Ruby Stead University of Liverpool Sociology & English

Bella Taylor Gap Year

Delilah Turner

Manchester Metropolitan University Criminology & Sociology

Uneza Usman

Kings College London Medicine

Florence Wakefield Gap Year

Amelie Walker

Liverpool John Moores University Business Management

Jack Walker Northumbria University

Economics & Finance

Zoe Warwick University of Liverpool History

Ben Watson 360 Chartered Accountants Apprenticeship

Ellis Webb Gap Year

Freya Welfare Kings College London Religion, Philosophy & Ethics

Henry Welpton University of Sheffield General Engineering

Rebecca Westhead

Edge Hill University

Sociology with Foundation Year

Jessica Wilkinson University of Hull Law

Joel Wimalarasa University of Manchester Biochemistry

Lucie Woolliscroft

Sheffield Hallam University Professional Policing

Eliza Worsnop Gap Year

Charities of the Year

In the Summer Term, we advertise to the wider Hull community to invite applications to become one of our two charities that we support during the year. Seven charities are shortlisted by our Senior Management Team (SMT) and Senior Prefects. From these, two are selected by the Student Council.

The chosen charities are introduced to the school during an assembly and various fundraising events are held throughout the year to support them.

The two charities that we supported this year were Cash For Kids and WISHH. Cash for Kids works with Viking FM to improve the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in our communities who are affected by poverty, illness, neglect or have additional needs. WISHH, which stands for Working Independently Supporting Hull Hospitals, are involved with raising money locally to help make our hospitals a better place.

Macmillan Bake Sale

In September, our Senior Prefects organised a bake sale for Macmillan Cancer Research. The annual bake sale has been running for around eight years, with half the proceeds going to Macmillan and the other half going to our Charities of the Year.

Mission Christmas Toy Appeal

The Mission Christmas Toy Appeal is run by Viking FM’s Cash For Kids charity. This year, the Hymers community donated over 400 toys, which were distributed to underprivileged children in Hull and East Yorkshire. We’re looking forward to continuing this tradition in future years.

Christmas Food Collection

Each year, Sixth Form students distribute food donated by the wider school community and deliver it to families and charities around Hull who are in desperate need.

Hymers in the Community

This year we collected and distributed over 120 parcels of food, with most of our Sixth Form students involved in distributing food to over 60 families. Food parcels were also delivered to organisations including Age UK, St Giles, St Ambrose, St Benedicts, St Bedes - All Hull Churches Housing complexes, Endyke Community Care, and Donnington Court in Derby Street.

We also send a number of parcels to a local food bank.

Primary mentoring at local primary schools

Students from Year 12 at Hymers College visit Thoresby and Pearson Primary each week to help their younger students with reading. The project is aimed at improving the reading ability of the primary school children, as well as growing perspective, compassion and leadership in our students through volunteering and working with younger children in a professional context. The project has been running for around ten years. Year 12 students sign up for the programme at the start of the autumn term and continue their volunteering for 20 weeks.

Emmaus Hull

Over the last ten years, Hymers has developed a very special relationship with Emmaus, supporting the charity through an annual Christmas Carol Concert in aid of the charity.

Hymers Community Days

Are part of our Community Service Day, which launched in 2018 as part of our 125th anniversary, Sixth Form students spend a day serving in the community on various projects. We have worked with a variety of organisations every year,

as well as other one-off projects. The Hymers Community Day has now become an annual activity towards the end of the Summer Term. This year we had 95 of our students volunteering with eight different organisations around the city.

Rotary Disability Games

The Rotary Disability Games is held at Hymers College during the Summer Term each year. Organised by the Rotary Club in the Humber area, the event provides an opportunity for individuals with a disability from the age of nine to participate and compete against other people. The event attracts around 200 competitors and there are a range of events from archery to wheelchair racing.

Every year up to 50 Year 11-13 students volunteer to act as guides and to assist with the running of the competition. This is a special event that Hymers College is proud to support.

Mr D Thompson Director of Co-Curricular

Staff Leavers

Chris Bloomfield

Old Hymerian, Chris, was a talented rugby player before injury put paid to his career. He joined us from St Andrew’s Primary in September 2021. He now leaves us to start a family with Miss Watson as he takes up the position of Head of Boys’ Games at Dame Allan’s Junior School in Newcastle.

Mr J Stanley

Corinne Cook

An alumna of Hymers College, Corinne returned to the school and devoted a decade to inspiring students through Music.

As an enthusiastic and engaging music teacher, her passion for the subject has been infectious, leaving an enduring impact on both academic music and co-curricular ensembles. Corinne’s expertise and

Neil Exley

Neil ‘Billy’ Exley joined Hymers College in September 1986. Having served the school for 37 years he has achieved a legendary status with staff, students and parents alike. Billy was here so long that he successfully taught many students whose parents were also taught by him!

Billy was an extremely effective and talented Business and Economics teacher. Billy’s excellent knowledge in both subjects enabled him to adapt to the many different versions of the courses in GCSE and

Guy Gibson

A pupil himself at RGS Newcastle, Guy joined Hymers from Torquay Boys’ Grammar School in 2017.

A rugby player in his youth, he has been a motivating coach of 2nd XV, regularly drawing out of his players

knowledge of Musical Theatre was clear in her role as the Musical Director for memorable school productions such as Sweeney Todd, The Addams Family, and Les Misérables, skills that she also applied to large scale orchestral and choral works such as a performance of The Armed Man which was performed at Hull City Hall.

Beyond the classroom, she curated enriching experiences through trips, ensuring that students had the opportunity to witness professional music and theatre. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for her invaluable contributions and wish her continued success in all her future endeavours.

Mrs C Fong

A Level over the years. His excellent examination results bear testament to the high quality teaching he provided. He can also be proud of his record of getting his Young Enterprise teams to various finals.

On the pastoral side, Billy was a Head of Year for some years and was also a superb and popular Form Tutor with the younger year groups more recently.

For many though, Billy will be most fondly remembered for his rugby and cricket coaching teams, dedicating a countless number of hours

to training and attending fixtures throughout his career.

Billy’s teams were often very successful, notably at the Rosslyn Park 7s with the U13s in 1988 and winning the U12s Yorkshire Cricket Cup in 2022. Billy could be found as a regular member of many sports and ski tours, with staff and students alike remembering fondly the Australia rugby tour of 1996 and the recent tour of South Africa. The great entertainer will be missed.

Mr J Mutter

some inspired performances. He has led MedSoc and been a popular teacher of Biology and Sixth Form Tutor. He now leaves us with his young family to return to his roots in the North East as he takes up a position

as teacher of Biology at Ponteland High School. We wish him and his family well in the next phase of their lives.

Mr J Stanley

Staff Leavers

Helen Harrison

Helen started at Hymers in 1992 in the Senior School, leaving in 1998 to spend time with her three children. Helen rejoined the Junior section of the school in 2007, soon becoming the Art Co-ordinator, teaching Art to all Junior-aged classes and some Senior classes; Helen also taught subjects such as History and Girls Games, in which she provided excellent support to the extensive

Laura Needle

Laura made the difficult decision to leave her post as Careers Advisor & Work Experience Co-ordinator in December 2022 after working at Hymers for the best part of twenty years. The experience and careers knowledge she brought

Natalie McLeod

Natalie joined us from Bedford Modern School as Head of Drama in 2015. She has made a tremendous impact with brilliant and memorable productions such as Annie, Oliver, the Addams Family, Great Expectations

fixture and sports tour programme.

In Art, Helen inspired the children to work creatively outside their comfort zones, including in lockdown times when she helped children to produce wonderful artwork remotely. The Art Room became a place where children could explore and develop their artistic talents, not least during regular lunchtime meetings of the

Secret Art Club. Helen also developed close curriculum links with Design and Technology working in tandem with her colleague and friend Zoe Gillett.

Helen left Hymers in December 2022.

Mr P Doyle

to the school was of great value to many students during that time. Laura worked closely with Paul Meadway, Head of Higher Education & Careers for most of Laura’s tenure, and together they were instrumental in winning the

coveted Quality in Careers Standard from the Careers Development Institute. Laura stepped down from her role at Hymers to spend more time with her family; we wish her well.

Mr M McTeare

and the outstanding Les Misérables She has led trips to shows near and far and served as a Sixth Form Tutor. Natalie leaves us to take up her post of Head of Drama at Lincoln Minster School and we have no doubt that

Andrew Penny MBE

Andrew retired from teaching at the school in December 2022 after serving Hymers College for 45 years and knowing or working with six out of the eight Headmasters of the school.

To quantify the joy, understanding and wisdom that Andrew has imparted to the many hundreds of students he has taught, conducted or even umpired on the cricket field would be impossible, but it is clear that

his students, both past and present, were truly thankful and inspired by all that he did for them. Rarely have I seen a member of staff so universally respected. Andrew started his teaching at Hymers with three hours a week in 1977, this then grew to three days a week, and then full-time, with the aim of bringing the professional musical world back to school.

she will be a great hit in that role.

Mr J Stanley

Along with Tim O’Byrne, Andrew has been fundamental in building and shaping the Music Department over the decades into what we enjoy today.

We wish him a thoroughly enjoyable retirement, playing and listening to music that he actually wants to hear!

Mrs C Fong

Staff Leavers

Felicity Rix

Felicity first taught at Hymers between 2008 and 2009 in a temporary role in the Senior School Geography department and then joined the Junior School team in September 2011.

Felicity made a fantastic contribution to the Junior School Leadership Team for six years as Team Leader

Sue Rosser

I count as one of my finer moments the time when I managed to persuade Sue to return to Hymers on a part-time basis. Many of you may not be aware that Sue had already worked here as Acting Head of Drama for a maternity post.

Ellie Thompson

After attending Loughborough University, Ellie joined Hymers in September 2020. She quickly established herself as a successful teacher of Games, academic PE and Lower School Science, as

Sarah Tenniswood

Sarah joined Hymers College as Learning Resource Centre Manager in March 2017, a year after the LRC was opened.

During Sarah’s time at Hymers, the use of the LRC grew rapidly, to become a central part of the school used by large numbers of students on a daily basis. It is highly valued as a study space during the day and as a social space before and after school.

for two cohorts of children. She was an extremely hardworking colleague, both pastorally and academically, and also contributed much to the wider life of the school. She directed highly successful productions, such as ‘Alice in Wonderland’, and committed her time to residentials such as the

Normandy battlefields and Windermere trips, including leading the latter.

Felicity was a passionate geography co-ordinator and introduced a number of inspiring topics to the Junior School curriculum.

Mr P Doyle

Sue will be known to many of you as an inspirational drama teacher, putting on a number of successful shows across Junior & Senior Schools such as Daisy Pulls It Off and Hedda Gabler She has also successfully steered GCSE and A Level

classes through their courses to gain strong grades.

She leaves us to work as a Speech & Drama tutor at Pocklington School, thereby shortening her daily commute from York.

Mr J Stanley

well as a popular Middle School Form Tutor. She has done sterling work as Head of Girls’ Hockey and in reviving Senior School athletics.

We wish her well as she returns to her home county

of Cumbria to take up the position of Head of Girls’ Games at Sedbergh Prep School.

Mr J Stanley

Sarah is a passionate believer in the importance of reading and she made promoting the benefits of reading a priority. She arranged many successful author visits and book fairs, for both the Junior and Senior Schools. She encouraged younger students to become library ambassadors, who regularly met to share ideas about books they had read and also helped out around the library.

Sarah also assisted Sixth Form students undertaking EPQ projects, particularly in helping them understand how to conduct the research phase.

Sarah left Hymers in May 2023, to take up a position at Lincoln Central Library.

Dr M Pickles

Staff Joiners

Staff Pool Competition

As the Summer Term began in 2023, along with the busy exam season and regular day-to-day life at Hymers College, a number of staff embarked on a new addition to the schedule. Mr Hambleton, as Chair of the SCR, introduced to much excitement an inaugural staff pool tournament. With the Senior Common Room suitably furnished with a pre-loved pool table, staff duly signed up and the draw was made. Matches were played as and when they could be arranged, with many tense and closely fought battles. Some staff may wish for their performances to not be recorded in The Hymerian for posterity, but special mention must go to the following for their heroic

efforts in making it to the final stages of the tournament: Mr Robinson, Mr Whittaker, Mr Mutter, Mr Tapley, Mrs Powell, Mr Smith, Mr Hartley and our two finalists Mr Stipetic and Mr Taylor.

The final was a tense affair, with a number of staff watching on and cheering both finalists with gusto. After a thrilling twenty minutes, Mr Taylor was crowned the Staff Pool Tournament Champion and was presented with his trophy by Mr Stanley on the last day of term. The annual tournament returns in 2024, with the title up for grabs and many staff already signed up to compete. Congratulations, Mr Taylor, and good luck to all competitors for this year’s tournament!

Mrs M Makey

Richard Berry Teacher of Geography

Greg Bone Teacher of PE and Games

Sarah Clark Junior School Teacher

Hannah Roberts Teacher of English

Rochelle Mills Teacher of Psychology

Helen Rowland Junior School Art Teacher

Chloe Hammond Junior School Teacher

Winner of the staff pool competition Mr Taylor being congratulated by runner-up Mr Stipetic

It is with a great sense of pride that the HCA reflects on another successful year of dynamic events, a high level of fundraising and significant investment into projects that make a difference to our students.

For those of you who haven’t come across the HCA before, we are a group of parents and Hymers staff members working together to raise funds for school initiatives that benefit our students – this is the equivalent of a PTA, Hymers style!

We aim to fund projects across a diverse range of activities to ensure as many children as possible can benefit. Our major investment this year was for sports equipment –£6,000 worth of indoor athletics equipment to enable year-round training. Additionally, we purchased new cameras for the photography club, a Veo Camera with a tripod to record and live-stream sports matches, musical instruments, library books, a wildlife garden and a history timeline displayed within the Junior School.

You can get involved with the HCA’s work and make a difference in various ways, such as sponsorship of events and special projects, volunteering at our events and activities, or working behind the scenes to support our team – no matter how much or little time you have to offer.

Key highlights from the past year include the Summer Garden Party, which provides the largest boost to our fundraising efforts each year, followed by the Michaelmas Fair in the lead-up to Christmas. Both events were very well attended and supported by the whole school community.

Our work this year has incorporated Hymers Hessle Mount, following the acquisition by Hymers College, including the addition of a Teddy’s Teepee at our Garden Party, plus a teddy bear’s picnic aimed at involving our younger children. Additionally, we have organised a range of activities there such as the Christmas Candy Cane event. We also now roll our events out across both sites wherever possible.

Other highlights from the year include the creation of a Year 6 Leavers Book. As well as photos, this also captured the children’s aspirations for their future careers.

The book created a lasting memory for all those saying a fond farewell to Hymers Junior School and they were extremely well received.

We have carried out the usual second-hand uniform sales and bun sales throughout the year, notably the Coronation Bun Sale raised £862 – demonstrating that all of your baking efforts and cake donations are so worthwhile and appreciated by the HCA, thank you! Our popular Valentine’s Disco also returned this year, with a Coronation theme for the Junior School.

The addition of strawberries and cream to our usual Sports Day refreshments for the Junior School and Hymers Hessle Mount events was very popular. We also served mulled wine at the music department’s Band Night and

The Hymers College Association (HCA)

supported many other Christmas productions, which all proved to be very enjoyable events.

The future is bright for the HCA, as we continue to attract new committee members with innovative new ideas and offer our thanks to those time-served members who continue to make a difference, as well as those who have moved on. If you would like to join our committee or volunteer your time at one of our forthcoming events, we would love to hear from you. You can reach the HCA at hca@hymers.org

All that is left to say is thank you for supporting us this year. Best wishes to all as we look forward to another exciting year ahead.

The HCA Committee

Our work this year has incorporated Hymers Hessle Mount including the addition of a Teddy’s Teepee at our Garden Party, plus a teddy bear’s picnic aimed at involving our younger children.

In the last year, the HCA has:

3 Raised an impressive £24,605

3 3 Approved grants to school worth £15,298

Hosted and participated in a wide range of school events and activities

Members of the HCA at Hymers College Garden Party in July

The Development Team

The role of the Old Hymerian network is to build a supportive lifelong community for our alumni. As we approach four years since the introduction of a Development Office at Hymers, hopefully, you have seen and enjoyed a few changes and an increase in news from the team at Hymers.

Perhaps you are enjoying our monthly e-newsletter, or attending our annual events program for the community (this includes Old Hymerians, past parents, and former members of staff) finding old school friends, and networking through the Old Hymerian community website.

We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of support from our alumni community and the huge positive impact you have had on many of our students’ lives. We have been extremely fortunate to have many of you support our students with the gift of your time for work experience, delivering assemblies, careers, and mentoring opportunities, 1-1 subject support, talk to our sixth form subject-led societies, writing to our younger students and so much more!

The hours of support such as this reaffirm the power of the OH network in fostering mentorship, guidance and inspiration for the next generation. It’s a testament to the enduring spirit of collaboration and support that defines our alumni community. It has been inspiring to learn about the school’s rich history and legacy spanning over 130 years. When I hear stories from generations of Old Hymerians and former staff members about the positive impact Hymers has had on their lives, it becomes evident that for many, Hymers is more than just a school.

When the Development Office was founded the purpose was to engage with the wider Old Hymerian community and build the John Hymers Bursary Fund for our bursary provision. One of our biggest strategic priorities at

Hymers is ensuring that children with ambition and potential have access to a first-class education at Hymers. Bringing bright and able students from all backgrounds is important to us all. It enriches the whole community and reinforces the aspirational and inclusive ethos of the school. The positive impact of bursaries impacts not just on the life of the student and their family but on the whole Hymers community. Having a diverse and inclusive student body ensures a social, cultural, and intellectual energy that brings different perspectives and benefits us all. Whether through our exceptional education, or the unique experience of life at Hymers, we believe Hymers College changes lives. Perhaps we changed yours? We rely on the support of generous individuals to continue our work and to ensure that what makes Hymers a special place to study is preserved

Thank you to every one of you who supports us with your generous donations and allows us to continue to champion social mobility at Hymers College, all of your contributions whatever size will allow us to raise more funds for the next generation of Hymerian.

I feel extremely fortunate to be in a role that has such a wonderful social, engaging and professional network for all members. With so many highlights to choose from it’s hard. However, It has to be Jack Dixon returning to school on his 100th birthday year and sharing his Hymers memories with our Junior School students during our Founder’s Day celebration. Thank you, Jack. You certainly made them smile!

At the time of going to print we are in full swing of organising our 35 years of co-ed celebrations in summer 2024. I do hope that many of you will use it as an opportunity to have a reunion and see many of your former teachers and classfriends in a relaxed setting over lunch in the grounds.

Best wishes

Emily Pennack

Development Manager 01482 347492 OH 1989 - 1995

Get in Touch …

The Development Office The Lodge Hymers College Hymers Avenue Hull

HU3 1LW

Development Manager

Emily Pennack OH 1989-1995

epennack@hymers.org 01482 347492

Development Data Officer

Jenny Richardson

jrichardson@hymers.org 01482 347491

Alumni Engagement Officer Vikki Bastiman OH 1989-1996

vbastiman@hymers.org 01482 347491

Old Hymerian Jack Dixon meeting

Mr Stanley and Junior school students at Founder’s Day lunch

The Development Team (l-r Jenny Richardson, Emily Pennack and Vikki Bastiman)

We are thankful to Reverend John Hymers who had the vision that led to the creation of the school back in 1893.

None of the education for which the school has become known would have happened without the foresight of our founder, John Hymers, and the original governors of the school, who set out with the express intention of developing a school that provided an excellent education for boys. We owe them a debt of gratitude – without them, Hymers would not be here today–and this is why we wish to honour them on Founder’s Day each year.

Founder’s Day and Benefactors’ was celebrated by the whole school community in the early 1900s with a full thanksgiving service for students and teachers and as a Development Office, this is now an annual event.

In October 2022, 129 years after our gates were opened, we reinstated some of our traditions within the school community. We invited the Reverend Ian Walker,

Founder’s and Benefactors’ Day

Hymers College was established in October 1893 as a result of the legacy of John Hymers “for the training and intelligence in whatever social rank of life it may be found”. Founder’s Day is an opportunity to give thanks for the foundation of the School and to commemorate all those who have subsequently contributed, in their various ways, to its development and to its success. It is a day when we remember the school’s Founder and value his legacy.

who resides at Brandesburton Rectory to address the full school in a service held in the morning. Hymers cake was served in the house colours for all staff and students during the morning break. This was followed by lunch for former parents, staff, alumni and current parents. Our youngest guests were our senior prefects who had read at the service in the morning, they then enjoyed listening to Hymers’ experiences from our alumni in the room.

Richard Barton OH 1936-1942 enjoyed sharing his memories as a student at Hymers in the war.

Mr Stanley spoke to our guests about the importance of not only our founder John Hymers, but also his brother Robert Hymers, hence should it therefore be Founders’ and Benefactors’ Day which was a question for the room.

Our Year 10 Time Capsule History group shared their experiences of life at Hymers during Covid and lockdown. They have documented their findings and these will

be presented to the Hymers archive for our next generation of historians. Our school choir led by Director of Music, Mrs Fong sang to approximately 50 guests. They were not to be outshone by the guests in the room who sang along to ‘The School Song’ with Mr Bartlett on the piano, which brought an enjoyable afternoon to an end.

Emily Bentley: How Hymers Bursary Scheme impacted my life

I always looks back at my time at Hymers very fondly and am very grateful for the opportunity to have studied there between the ages of 12 and 18.

My parents are both university educated but I grew up on a council estate in Hull owing to my father’s profession. In addition to the natural sense of “not fitting in” that is customary in adolescence, my upbringing created an additional feeling of being out of place and I had difficulty making friends during primary school. Hymers was an excellent school

which enabled me to challenge my weaknesses, find friends and expand my horizons.

When I was transitioning to secondary school my catchment school was one of the worst in the country and so I was quite excited at the prospect of an opportunity to get a bursary to attend Hymers. With that in mind I worked hard, sat the exam and was accepted. I was a little nervous that I might be seen as ‘the bursary kid’ but I quickly found my feet and in fact being on a bursary was never really mentioned.

My secondary education really springboarded my future and I went on to study Mathematics at the University of Cambridge. Since then, education and social mobility has remained an important part of my working life. I am delighted that Hymers continues to offer a bursary scheme and I would really encourage others to make the most of the opportunities that Hymers affords them.

The Year 10 History group show their time capsule

This year’s annual Old Hymerians Dinner was held at the school on 10 September 2022 and was a celebration of the Music Department.

It was lovely to see so many of our alumni during the evening, thank you to those that had travelled across the country to attend. We were also privileged to have former staff in attendance, with Mrs Chorlton (1987-2006), Mr King (19742006), Mr Fitzpatrick (1980-2016), Mr Nicholls (1982-2015), Mrs Dyson (1984-1995), Mrs Hood (2001-08) and of course our guest speaker, Mr Penny (1977-current).

Old Hymerians Hull Dinner

At the start of the evening, guests enjoyed drinks on the terrace whilst listening to music performed by music teachers Mr Quick and Mr Bartlett.

In light of the recent events prior to the evening, Headmaster Mr Stanley paused to reflect on the life of Her Late Majesty The Queen, along with a moments silence, the National Anthem, and a toast to King Charles.

President Helen Saunders (OH 1990-2000) welcomed guests to the evening, which was hosted by Master of Ceremonies, Sky News Correspondent, Rebecca Johnson (OH 1995-2001).

Mr Penny, current music teacher who retired at the end of the year was the guest speaker. His amusing spoof assembly reflected on his 45 years of music at Hymers College. Rebecca then chatted to alumni Joseph Nariculam (OH 1983-93) and Will Hairsine (OH 1992-97) ‘In the hot seat’ about their memories of Hymers College and their lives since leaving the

school. The evening was rounded off by music teacher, Mr Shepherd’s band, CubaDrive, providing lively entertainment in the old gym as alumni danced the evening away. Thank you to Tuber Group for agreeing to be our main sponsor and to James Legal Solicitors, Leafe Consultancy and Smailes Goldie Group for their support in helping to provide a hugely successful evening. Thank you to everyone who helped with the evening and came to support the evening. We look forward to seeing more new and familiar faces at our future events.

Mr Penny’s amusing spoof assembly reflected on his 45 years of music at Hymers College.

Colour Run

The first Colour Run was held in July where our students enjoyed raising valuable funds for The John Hymers Bursary Fund.

The event was organised by the students who form part of our ‘Anti-Bullying Ambassador group’. Their role is to help educate their peers on bullying behaviour, lead on anti-bullying campaigns, promote a culture which celebrates and tolerates difference and help keep their peers safe both online and offline. Thank you to our students and families for supporting such a vital initiative and having lots of fun!

The Friendship Trophy

The third outing of the Friendship Trophy, Old Hymerians vs Old Pocklingtonians was played at Ganton Golf Club on Wednesday 9 August, with ten players a side.

An early OHA lead was taken in the clubhouse, which quickly became two apiece. The last match, still out on the course, would be the decider.

A very hard-fought battle ended in a draw with a valiant fightback from Martin Cocker and Gary Evison, who were down three holes at one point, secured the half on the 18th to half the match overall for the second year in a row.

Thank you to all the OHs that turned out - see you all next year.

Hull Golf Club welcomed 24 Old Hymerians on 28 June 2023 for the annual summer fixture when five trophies were up for grabs.

Thunderstorms threatened, but fortunately never really materialised and only the last couple of groups got caught in it late in their round.

Mark Bentley (OH 1971-79) made his first appearance at the event in five years and won the Scratch Trophy, which he first won in 1981. His impressive gross 68 ended George Clark’s (OH 2011-21) two year winning streak. The Newcastle University golf captain had to settle for a runners up spot with his 76, beating David Page (OH 1979-86) on countback.

Another returnee after a long absence was Phil Craig (OH 1981-90) who took the Chambers Cup (Div One) with 37 points.

An incredible hole out from a greenside bunker at the short 16th for birdie was the highlight of his round. He beat Lewis Parkinson (OH 2010-17) by two points and playing partner and old schoolmate Jonathan Clark (OH 1980-90) by three.

Division Two honours for the Palmer Trophy went to Julian Wild (OH 1962-70) who took time off from his love of horseracing to gallop to a best of the day 38 points.

The Bastow Trophy for under 30s was won by Joel Chapman (OH 2008-18) for the third year running

with a solid 36 points, beating Alex Limb (OH 2007-17) by four.

At the other end of the age spectrum, OH past President Edward Clark (OH 1950-58) made a spectacular 4 down the last to win the Veterans Trophy donated by his father Kenneth (OH 1923-26) in the 1980s. David Hider (OH 1956-66) fell two short of Edward’s 32 points. The Kirk Ella course has rarely been in better condition and the fish and chips were a perfect way to round off a great evening. Look out on the OH website and social media for details of future golf events.

Pictured l-r: Joel Chapman, Mark Bentley, Phil Craig, Edward Clark, Julian Wild

Old Hymerian Pen Pals

Our Year 6 pupils have been delighted to receive their pen pal letters from Old Hymerians! An initiative started during the pandemic lockdown has now become an annual favourite for our Development Office.

Students loved their replies from Old Hymerians aged 20 to 90, with replies from as far afield as USA and Australia. They enjoyed seeing school photos and report cards from the 1940s, hearing about sports successes, as well as the loyalty and invested interest our older alumni still have towards their Houses!

We received letters from our Old Hymerians who were moved to Pocklington School during the war and shared their memories from this time. One of the key underlying trends were that many Old Hymerians’ best friends are lifelong friends they made at Hymers - godparents, groomsmen, bridesmaids and even business

partners 20 years after leaving Hymers.

There were a few tales of swimming and skating in the school lake and other tales from a different decade, alongside memories of their school trips and words of wisdom for moving into Senior School at Hymers. Some of the children received interesting stamps, stickers and photos of pets!

Many of the children are keen to write back again and ask more questions.

Thank you to our loyal Old Hymerian community for supporting one of our favourite school projects this year.

Old Hymerians Return to Hymers

Dr John Kittmer (OH 1978-85) returned after more than 35 years to talk to our Classics students.

John returned to the school for the first time in some 35 years, to talk to Classics students - those learning Latin, Greek, ancient history or classical civilisationabout the role played by Classics, particularly Greek, in his education and professional career in the civil and diplomatic services. In turn, he heard from students who had Greek heritage and wanted to learn the classical and modern languages, and from others who wanted to pursue the classical languages alongside other

interests, such as economics, mediaeval history and linguistics. John congratulated Mrs Dickinson and Dr Main for bringing Greek back to Hymers. He closed his talk with a reading in classical Greek of a speech from Euripides’ Bacchae and with strong encouragement to the students to keep studying Classics.

John attended Christ’s College at the University of Cambridge, where he obtained a BA in Classics (1988), Magdalen College at the University of Oxford, where he did post-graduate research in Classics, and finally King’s College London from which he received an MA in Modern Greek Studies (2007) and a PhD in Modern Greek Literature (2019). He went on to serve as Her Majesty’s Ambassador (HMA) to Greece from January 2013 until December 2016.

Samir Pathak, OH 1989-99 is now a Consultant Pancreatic Surgeon at St James’s Hospital in Leeds and returned to talk to our Medical Society

Samir came to talk to our Year 12 aspiring medic students and shared his journey from Hymers College to his career as a Surgeon.  He studied at Hymers College from 1989 until 1999.  However, having not achieved the grades for medical school, Samir spent a year after Sixth Form resitting various modules before achieving a place at Liverpool. Since then, he has excelled in the medical profession and is a leading figure in surgery nationally.

Samir chatted with the students about his career and answered many questions about ethics, medical research and work-life balance from our students. He shared how his time at Hymers helped him follow the medical pathway he wanted to take, having known he wanted to be a surgeon since his school days here.

Samir has also co-founded Cricket Beyond Boundaries, which provides underprivileged young children the opportunity to spend time in the UK to develop as cricketers and, more importantly, to widen their aspirations for life. He himself was also an outstanding cricketer, representing English Universities and he is now an MCC playing member. Additionally, he sits on the MCC cricket committee with some of the greats of English cricket and is a trustee of the MCC Foundation.

City drinks in London, Newcastle, Cambridge, Manchester & Leeds

Building Lasting Relationships at Hymers

The events we run within the Development Office are there to provide the Old Hymerian community with opportunities to maintain these connections as well as make new ones. We are committed to providing an inspiring and meaningful programme through events, networks and volunteering opportunities, to ensure that our community thrives.

With access to an immense network we aim to provide a broad range of opportunities, either back at the school or further afield. Thank you to those who have attended one of our events either at school or at one of our City Drinks locations.

Old Hymerians London Dinner

The annual London Dinner was once again held at the RAF Club in Piccadilly, London, on Saturday 26 November 2022. Master of Ceremonies, Andrew Edwards (OH 1975-85) hosted the evening, which saw alumni from the 1960s to more recent leavers in 2017 attend.

The evening started with a welcome address from the Old Hymerian Southern President, Bansari Patel (OH 1999-2001), and a toast from Headmaster Justin Stanley.

After a lovely meal, Helen-Mary Saunders (OH 1990-2000), gave a speech on her appointment as Old Hymerian President in September 2022 and what she has done since then. This was followed by OH Andrew Edwards putting Mark Freestone (OH 1989-96), now a Clinical Psychologist ‘In the hot seat’ to answer questions on his time at Hymers College and his

career since leaving. He reminisced about his favourite teachers, including Physics and Duke of Edinburgh teacher, Mr Dave Thompson who helped Mark’s team learn valuable life lessons giving them space to discover long hills and terrain on their own! Mark also detailed his career since leaving school, which has resulted in him writing a book Making a Psychopath. The book details his work on some of the most dangerous minds in the country and left the audience with a scenario to see who amongst us might be a psychopath.

Preserving Our School Heritage

Eric Gordon Mallalieu Library

Our school has a rich heritage and this library is comprised of treasures relating to the history of our school.

With the help of a legacy given to the Old Hymerians Association, we have digitalised our back catalogue of school publications and photographs, as well as created this wonderful archive museum. The Eric Gordon Mallalieu Library is located in the Lodge (old Porter’s house) and provides a respectful space to come view and appreciate artifacts from our past.

We value our archives and are extremely grateful for anything we have been

Have you seen our digital archive?

Did you know you can search for your name with any article previously written within past editions of The Hymerian publications?

Donations

Programmes including opening of the Dame Judi Dench Theatre

We were thrilled to receive a donation of several programmes relating to Speech Day and a signed copy relating to the opening of the Dame Judi Dench Theatre in 1995.

sent that we can include in them, however, we are always on the lookout for more. We collect any material concerning the history of the school: programmes, brochures, photographs, school reports, uniforms, badges etc.

We would be grateful for donations of any Hymer’s memorabilia from across the years to enhance our collection. If you have any photographs or items from your time at school, we’d love to see them and share them with the school community. You don’t have to part with any treasured items, you can just take a photograph and send it by email to oldhymerians@hymers. org with any relevant dates and descriptions. Or, if you’re happy to pop anything in the post, we’ll gladly receive it.

It’s really easy to do. Please visit our website and click Digital Archive Once logged in, you have the option to browse by categories, look up specific Hymerian magazines or have a look through the timeline search for any information held during your years at school. Our most popular feature is the ‘Advanced Search’. Here you can type in your surname and the text recognition software will find your surname throughout any written document held within our entire archives. The image below shows how easily this can be done.

The Development Office gratefully received a clarinet from one of our alumni recently.

”It was new in 1994 and had one meticulous owner. I would like to think that a child might benefit whose parents would struggle to buy an instrument themselves. There are a few spare reeds with it.”

The clarinet is a Boosey

Who was Eric Gordon Mallalieu?

Eric Gordon Mallalieu was born on 28 August 1919. He started at Hymers College at the age of 9 years old on 18 September 1928 and completed his studies on 26 July 1938. He is the 3,053 pupil recorded in our school ledgers.

Eric was the son of Harold Mallalieu, an electrical engineer, and he grew up on Desmond Avenue, off Beverley High Road in Hull. Before Hymers, he attended Sidmouth Street Primary School.

During his years at Hymers College, Eric excelled at sport, becoming the captain of cricket (1937-38) and captain of football (1938). He also took part in competitions for squash, athletics, swimming and life-saving, and was part of the Scientific Society as the Lantern Operator. In his final years at the school, he became a school prefect and Head of Lambert House. He attended the University of Manchester between 1938 and 1941, graduating with a BSc. Electrical Engineering (upper second). At university, he was a resident of Hulme Hall, which was a men’s hall in the Victoria Park area of Manchester.

Eric married Hilda on 19 July 1946. She was also an alumna of University of Manchester, graduating BSc General Science in 1941 and obtained a Postgrad Cert/ Diploma of Education in 1942. She went on to become a teacher in secondary and further education.

Eric kindly thought of Hymers in his will and left a sum of money that has been used for an archive museum to help showcase some of the school’s deep history.

To quote Judy Croome, “today’s news is tomorrow’s history”. Our vision is to keep building our archive, and to continue adding publications and photos so when our current students return to us as Old Hymerians in 50 years time,

whether for the first time or as one of our regular guests. We can remind them of their time at school, so they can show their children, or grandchildren, what school life was like for them ‘in the olden days’ during the 2020s.

and Hawkes Buff et 2540 (serial no 466028) and in very good condition. Also donated with it were some carol concert programmes with their distinctive dark red covers.

Thank you to our donor who generously provided this gift.

Fondly Remembered

John Ashurst

Former Headmaster 1973-1983 died 13 October 2022

We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of former Headmaster John Ashurst (1971-1983) who died aged 99. Many of our alumni speak fondly of their memories of Mr Ashurst and the time they were here under his leadership. Mr Ashurst steered Hymers through what was a challenging time for independent schools. In the 1970s the direct grant system was phased out and the school had to choose between joining the maintained sector or becoming fully independent, a decision that the Head and governors took in 1975. Subsequently, he oversaw the implementation of the assisted places scheme that came in 1980 whereby 25 local pupils joined the school each year on governmentfunded support.

1971 was also a moment of significance for Hymers, an allboys school. The arrival of the first girl at Hymers College, who came to prepare for the seventh term Oxbridge examinations. This signalled the start of change, paving the way for future generations of girls to attend Hymers.

Below are some words from alumni who have heard of his passing:

Amazing guy and pulled me aside on my last day at Hymers in 1974 and demanded to know why I was late on my last day. “I just took my driving test sir”, “Did you pass?”, “Yes Sir”, “Good boy, that’s the way we do things here, now get along!”

Sorry to hear this news. He made a significant, but understated, contribution to the school.

A great man. Period. Rest in Peace, Jake.

A sad loss, and a great man. I have an eye condition that risks a detached retina if I get a blow to the head - as such my parents met with him before I started at Hymers to ask that I be excused from Games (for obvious reasons). According to mum, he was initially sceptical, until she convinced him she wasn’t just a doting mother who didn’t want her son playing rough games, then he was fully supportive of (as he put it) making sure I got through Hymers with my vision intact. I also remember going into school between A Levels and Oxbridge to collect my AO Electronics result (thanks, Roger Wooldridge) and being actually *teased* by him for not being certain that I’d got the A grade I actually did. Mum and Dad used to occasionally run into him while shopping in Beverley, and he still remembered them long after I’d left school and asked after me. I don’t think I fully realised his contribution to the school over ten short years until I read the First Hundred Years book.

I managed to hit his car with a cricket ball from the nets. He came out demanding to know who’d done it! When I owned up he simply bellowed, “great hit, make sure you do that on the cricket pitch!”

A great Headmaster with a classically intimidating - but fairstyle. I have forgotten the names and faces of most of the teachers during the 42 years since I left the school, but he was someone who made an indelible mark on my memory and having experienced his presence, you could never forget him. Glad he had a long and seemingly happy retirement.

Sad news. Jake reorganised class sizes in the early seventies and I had one of the high scores in UIIIC Latin exam (21% !). This meant I was

elevated to the clever boys class of 3 Greek. Jake’s own son, John, was in the same class. As I was somewhat rubbish at everything Jake tutored a few of us on Friday nights, after the normal school day had finished. As a spotty disinterested teenager, he saw I was more capable - his belief in me drove me on to unimaginable achievements. Thank you “Sir” and rest in peace.

A man who was both feared and respected. He always seemed fair, not without a sense of humour, a leader who clearly set high standards for staff and pupils.

What a life. Wow, he retired whilst I was still at school! And that is a long time ago! I have some very fond and humorous memories of Mr Ashurst. He had great integrity. I wasn’t always on the right side of him, but I never felt that I was dealt with unfairly. Best wishes to his family.

I celebrate the passing of a great gentleman and fantastic Headmaster. He had consummate respect from our generation. Sad that he did not make the 100 not out but surely one of Hymers’ finest.

This is very sad news about Jake - a formidable and considerable presence for the first eight of my ten years at Hymers and in my life and memory ever since.

He gave me great encouragement and support throughout my time at the school and particularly when applying to Cambridge. I don’t remember seeing him again after leaving Hymers, but he always remembered and asked after me when my sister served him at Lloyds Bank in Beverley, where she used to work, or when she or my Mum bumped into him around the town. It’s a sad loss, but he lived a good life to a great age.

David Dodgson

OH 1958-1967

died 12 December 2022

Our condolences to the family of David Dodgson, who passed away on 12 December 2022. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends, especially his wife Cherry and daughters Kate, Sophie and Holly (OH 2001-2003).

Peter Gant

OH 1938-1943 died 27 December 2022

Peter Gant died aged 95 after a long and happy life. A ready smile and good fortune seemed to accompany Dad across his entire life.

An early such break was to be one of four boys in his year group to secure a scholarship to Hymers, where he attended from 1938

Gregory Garrett

to 1943. While his lack of a Prep School education left him initially slightly out of the swim, he soon got the hang of things and made many friends, three of whom became lifelong family friends.

Dad was part of the cohort evacuated to Pocklington during the Hull blitz, where he was billeted with a young couple. He talked of fun and pillow fights with the other

OH 1944-1954 died 21 July 2023

Greg Garrett, OH 1944-54 passed away on 21 July 2023 in Ilkley aged 87. He lived a good, long life and fondly remembered his time at Hymers College where he played rugby and cricket, which he continued to play as an Old Hymerian. He took up a career with Lloyd’s Bank and in his later years kept in close touch with other OHs at the Lunch gatherings in Leeds and Hull, including Martin Cocker, who remembers him:

Norman Elliott

OH 1942-1949

We were saddened to hear of the passing of Norman Victor Elliott aged 90 who attended the school from 1942 until 1949.

After leaving Hymers College, he worked for the National Farmers’ Union, where he became General Secretary of the Howden branch and he did a lot for sport in South Cave where he lived.

Peter Foster

OH 1943-1948

died 9 June 2023

It is with regret that we announce the death of Peter Malcolm Foster, who passed away peacefully, aged 91.

Our thoughts are with his wife, Pauline, who kindly notified us of the sad news. After 64 years of marriage, we hope there are many happy memories to treasure.

“To me, Greg was a well-respected, well-built all-round sportsman for school and Old Hymerians teams. An opening fast bowler at cricket, he was also a bustling rugby wing forward. We were both members of the renowned OH 1959 Yorkshire R.U.F.C. Yorkshire Challenge Cup winning team, the only Hull winners in the 20th Century. He was a fine example of the benefits offered by a good education at a school such as Hymers College.”

Hymers boy he shared a room with, and he stayed in contact with the host family for many years.

Dad left school at 16 and joined Midland Bank. But once 17 he volunteered, along with three Hymers friends, to join the forces and so World War II. He signed up with the Kings Royal Rifles, a regiment that was very much in the front line during the Normandy campaign. But he was too young by just a few months to see active service. Instead, he ended his army career in Italy, a member of the combined UK/American forces patrolling the newly-drawn border between Italy and Yugoslavia. He loved this time and talked of spending his free days swimming in the sea off beautiful but deserted beaches. These experiences gave him a lifelong love of travel.

Once back on civvy street Dad returned to the Midland Bank (where he ultimately became what used to be known as a Bank Manager, running the Wakefield branch) and had the great good fortune to meet and woo the girl who was to become our

mother. They, Margaret and Peter, celebrated 70 years of marriage in June 2022.

While Dad enjoyed his early roles in the bank, particularly his time teaching new recruits at the training school in Harrogate, he didn’t thrive on the broader responsibilities of management and was delighted to secure early retirement at a youthful 56. He’d always imagined that this would be a bed of roses but was in reality soon bored. So he went back to work full-time for the charity Age Concern until he was 70, and then in various part-time or voluntary roles until he was 80!

Dad spent his final years fit, active and as happy as ever, overlooking the River Skell in Ripon. He ultimately saw a decline into dementia but lived at home with Mum until the end. He is much missed by Mum, my sister Jane and I, three grandchildren and multiple great grandchildren. But we all have nothing except happy and fond memories of a lovely, smiling, lucky man.

Paul Gant

David Dodgson

Eric Goldrein

OH 1930-1939 died 5 December 2022

We have been informed of the passing of Eric Goldrein by his family. Eric lived a remarkable life and he was always grateful for the encouragement Hymers College gave him in his early years.

While at school, he excelled in his academic subjects and had many sporting achievements, as well as being Head of Brandesburton House. He often participated in the Debating Society; a skill that served him well during World War II and in his future career in law.

Eric Geoffrey Goldrein (EGG) was born in London on 29 May 1921 and grew up in Hull where the family egg business was based.

Eric studied at Hymers College from 1930 until the summer of 1939. We were saddened to hear of his passing at the remarkable age of 101 years on 5 December 2022, at home after a short illness. He packed many adventures into his long life, recording highlights in his beautifully illustrated scrapbooks.

From Hymers, it included his exam certificates, a few photos, speech day programme, and excerpts from The Hymerian, mostly with news of the Officer Training Corps (OTC) and the debating society.

It seems that Samuel Pepys (diarist of the 17th century) himself was a Lance Corporal, and a regular at Hymers Officers Training Corps (OTC) camp. Even 85 years later, it’s clear that this was a very smart group of sixth formers indeed.

As a 16 or 17 year old, Eric was clearly well on his way to developing his skills as an artist, designing scenery in school productions, such as Androcles and the Lion along with programme covers.

Eric was the first of his family to attend university after the school suggested that he apply for a scholarship to Cambridge, which he won, to read English.

The scrapbook records the essentials – nothing at all regarding work, College, or anything much other than the University OTC and the Union Society, Cambridge’s debating society.

“Cambridge Letters” to the Hymerian seem to have been regular, with Hymers alumni keeping the school up to date with their new lives at university.

Eric’s schooling stood him in excellent stead, and his ability as a persuasive speaker in the Debating Society seems to have shaped his future – perhaps even saving his

life in the army – and informed his career choice in the law.

When war broke out, Eric volunteered and joined the Royal Artillery after two idyllic years in Cambridge. He landed on Gold Beach on D-Day plus four and took part in the Normandy campaign. While scouting a rural area with his batman, covered in swastikas on his map, not everything went as planned. He was shot in the arm. He was captured. In his words, “he thought he was a gonner”. But those powers of persuasion came to the fore. Listening to his captors’ German (which he pretended not to understand), he communicated to them in French (which he spoke fluently). Sensing an opportunity that his captors were feeling the war was turning against them, Eric persuaded the German colonel to surrender himself and his 60-men strong Battalion into his hands then marched them back to British lines, his injured arm supported by a tie.

Don’t believe this tall tale? Search “Eric Goldrein, 100” to find Eric on the front cover of The Gunner’s 1944 September edition, “The Tables Turned”

After recovering from his battle wounds, Eric was offered a desk

job but refused in his determination to get back to the lads and to avoid anyone thinking that Jews were cowards. Back on the front line, this time he served in Italy. After battling the length of Italy and treating troops to opera in Milan, Eric ended up in Austria, in charge of an area he described as the size of Yorkshire. When the war finally ended, he couldn’t believe his great luck to be alive after his experiences and looking back to the long list of the fallen on Hymers’ First World War memorial. But he had no idea what to do.

“Come back here, of course!” said his Cambridge tutor. This he did, changing to law as he didn’t see his

future as an English teacher. In October 1949, he became a solicitor and later a partner in the Liverpool firm of Silverman & Livermore, headed by Sir Sydney Silverman who, as an MP, was the driving force behind the abolition of the death penalty and Sir Harry Livermore, later Lord Mayor of Liverpool. One of the mundane tasks that seemed to pass unremarked from his time at Silverman & Livermore was his apparent preparation of the contract between Brian Epstein and the Beatles. Even decades later, it never occurred to him that this was in any way noteworthy.

Over the years, Eric found that he increasingly enjoyed the cut and thrust of advocacy although, at that time, his rights of audience were restricted to the Magistrates Courts, the County Courts and the District Registry. He decided to move to the Bar and in November 1960 was called to the Bar by the Middle Temple. In his new chambers was Inge Bernstein with whom he had been stepping out for some six years. In 1967, they were married and for over 50 years were a truly devoted couple. In 1970 he started training his only pupil, Brian Leveson (now Sir Brian Leveson), whose 2012 inquiry into the British press made him a household name. Eric dealt with every type of legal work – crime, personal injury, contract and family law: he was a true polymath.

Eric had a marvellous way with words. For example, after being pressed by Lord Denning, then Master of the Rolls to accept that a well-established principle of law was no longer fit for purpose, Eric said with great aplomb: “My Lord, I can only address your Lordship upon what the law was this morning. What your Lordship chooses to make the law this afternoon is a matter for your Lordship”. Lord Denning could only respond: “We will have to see about that” – but didn’t reject the principle.

Eric’s sense of fun, exemplified early on in his writing about Samuel Pepys (L/Cpl), stayed with him. He

loved to buy gadgets, often coming home to his family of two children, Timothy and Anna, with a new necessity, such as a strawberry huller or a device to produce cubic boiled eggs. He could turn out humour at all times. He was very friendly with Monty Dovenor QC. When Monty invited him to his fourth wedding, Eric asked casually: “Tell me Monty, what do I usually give you as a wedding present?” He could tease, as he did with the family housekeeper who heard the cheery cry to Inge as he left for court in the morning: “I will see you in the divorce court”. Eric lived life to the full: rushing to the Racquets Club to play squash, drinking only the finest wines and smoking only the finest cigars in his home study, with the bullet that had lodged in his arm, now framed on his desk.

In 1976, the family moved to Hale village where Eric became Lord Mayor of Hale, the President of its British Legion and a Freeman of Hale and England. On his 97th birthday, he was awarded the Légion d’Honneur by the French Honorary Consul for his participation in the D-Day landings with speeches of congratulation from the High Sheriff and Lord Lieutenant along with personal letters from The Queen and the Prime Minister. On his 100th birthday, the village closed its main road for a military parade to pass the house, with Eric taking the salute. He would then comment with wry humour, “You want to try getting old. The first 100 years are the hardest”.

Eric was born into an era that has long since passed and lived through a most tumultuous century with wit, humour, and wisdom. He leaves behind two children and two grandchildren.

He never forgot his old school and often talked about it with affection, singing the Hymerian anthem when he was over 100 with great gusto. He would be delighted to know that he is still remembered over a century from his birth; perhaps the best qualified of “Old Hymerians”. Tim and Anna Goldrein

Eric - aged 100

Geoffrey Grayson

OH 1941-1947 died 28 November 2022

We are sad to announce the passing of Geoffrey Grayson, aged 92

Alan Hilton

Geoffrey died at home on 28 November 2022. Husband of Mavis and Father of Ralph. Grandfather of Jamie, Emma and Rosie.

OH 1944-1953 died 9 April 2023

Alan James Hilton, died aged 87 on 9 April 2023. He was a pupil at Hymers College from 1944 until 1953, when his mother and siblings returned to Hull, after being evacuated to Burnley. Here they re-joined his father, James Hilton, a maths master at Hymers (1934-1956) who had been evacuated to Pocklington with Hymers earlier in the war. After obtaining a degree in aeronautical engineering, Alan was considered medically unfit for military service, ironically, as he had an unusually healthy and active life for another sixty years. He worked on the further development of the Comet aeroplane at the de Havillands in Hatfield, then after marriage in

Ellis Hopper

1960, he moved to British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) in Weybridge.

Seeing much of his work on Blue Streak coming to nothing, he changed tack and started in the fledging IT industry, which he continued through its many transitions till retirement at 67.

A keen sportsman during schooldays, this interest continued all his life, playing rugby, soccer, tennis, squash, cricket, golf and bowls.

From a musical family, his father being a talented piano player, Alan had extensive classical music knowledge, and on retirement started composing, ending with a considerable body of work, including short pieces for piano, organ, strings, wind and brass, many being professionally performed.

He is remembered with love by his wife, two sons and their wives, six grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren.

OH 1947-1953 died 27 July 2023

We heard of the sad passing of Ellis Hopper, OH 194753, beloved husband of Sheila and father to Adam, Rebecca and Rachel, as well as grandfather to nine grandchildren.

Anthony Moore

His family informed us that he had a lovely send-off in Australia, where he lived, and that they still have the Hymers College photo on his study wall.

OH 1942-1947 died 5 November 2022

We have heard from the brother of Anthony Moore, OH 1942-47, who has sadly informed us that Anthony passed away on 5 November 2022, aged 91.

Don Hassall

OH 1943-1950 died 2022

My father, Don Hassall, who has died aged 89, was an educationist and lay preacher who worked in Bradford for much of his career. A socialist and a pacifist, he met his wife, Zoe Wiley, a fever nurse, while working as a hospital orderly instead of undertaking military national service.

Don was born in Manchester, to May (née Ridd), a clerical worker, and Arthur Hassall, who worked for the electricity board. The family moved to Hull, East Yorkshire when Don was five and he joined Hymers College. After graduating from Leeds University with a degree in English, French and History, Don became a teacher of Religious Education.

He and Zoe married in 1957, and in the same year, he joined the staff of Hemsworth Grammar School in Wakefield. He moved in 1962 to Havelock School in Grimsby, then in 1964 to Margaret MacMillan College, a further and higher education college in Bradford (now known as Bradford College), where he rose to become Head of Teacher Education and remained for the rest of his career.

Josephine Whitaker

OH Hessle Mount Teaching Assistant died March 2023

Josephine Whitaker, Teaching Assistant at Hessle Mount, passed away peacefully in March (2023).

She retired from her role as a teaching assistant (and unofficial piano accompanist!) in 1998. Her son, Mike, informed us that she always spoke fondly of her time at the school.

Between 1973 and 1974, Don took a sabbatical from his role to gain an MA in Religious Studies and Education at Lancaster University. Back at Bradford College, he played a major role in developing the approved Religious Education syllabus for Bradford Education Authority, was responsible for building up undergraduate and postgraduate primary teacher training, and developed a number of in-service professional development courses including the Master of Education Degree in conjunction with the University of Bradford.

In the early 1990s, he and colleagues arranged for Bradford students to undertake teaching practice in Pakistan. After formally retiring in 1993, he worked with the Urban Learning Foundation in London and assessed religious education in primary schools across North Yorkshire.

Don sought to bring people together. A member of the congregation at Eldwick Methodist Church, near Bingley, where he was a Sunday School co-ordinator, steward, and treasurer, described him as someone who “lived what he believed and always treated others with respect – even lively teenagers”.

As a teacher of religious education, he always looked for core principles and values in different faiths that united rather than divided people.

In 2001, during the Bradford riots, he wrote to the Bradford Telegraph and Argus on behalf of local schools and religious leaders to “affirm our support for and belief in Bradford as a multifaith and multicultural city”.

During this period, he helped develop the Interfaith Education Centre in Bradford, using his scholarly knowledge of world religions and skillful communication to find connections and understandings between faith groups and communities.

In retirement, Don loved spending time with his grandchildren, skimming stones in the sea, making up exciting stories, and planning grand expeditions to Cornwall. In later years, when he developed dementia, roles changed and Zoe supported him.

Zoe survives him, as do his daughters, my sister, Sue, and I, his grandchildren, Lucy, Matthew, and Annabel, and his great-grandson, Malachi.”

Julia Hassall

Ralph Spenser Hooper

OH 1934-1941 died 12 December 2022

Ralph was recognised mostly for his work on the Hawker Siddeley Harrier P.1127, the vertical-takeoff-and-landing aeroplane which evolved into the revolutionary Harrier jump jet. He went on to become one of the UK’s most important postwar aircraft designers, as the first Chief Designer of the revolutionary Harrier ‘jump jet’, the first operational aircraft with vertical/short takeoff and landing capabilities. He later led the team that designed the Hawk jet trainer, still flown by the RAF Red Arrows team.

The following article has been supplied to us by the Brooklands Museum: Ralph was born in Essex on 30 January 1926 and spent his early years there before his family moved to Hull in 1933. He attended Hymers College, where he became interested in model aeroplanes and used his pocket money to buy balsa wood to create his own. During the war, he was evacuated to Pocklington and then became an engineering apprentice at the Blackburn aircraft company at Brough in January 1942. He gained a Diploma in Aeronautics from University College Hull before joining the new College of Aeronautics at Cranfield in 1946 to study aircraft design under ex-Hawker project engineer Robert Lickley. While there he took up gliding, which became a lifelong interest, and went solo on their Tiger Moth in 4 hs 20 mins. He graduated with a Diploma from the College of Aeronautics in Aircraft Design in 1948 and joined Hawker Aircraft Ltd at Kingston upon Thames, starting in the Experimental Drawing Office as a designer draughtsman. He worked on the structural design of the Hawker Hunter fighter and its supersonic successor, the P.1083, until 1952, when he transferred to the Project Office. It was here that the preliminary design of future aircraft was carried out and was therefore the key to success or failure for the Company.

In June 1957 Ralph began the work that led to the pioneering vertical and short take-off and landing (V/STOL) Hawker P.1127 fighter and was entirely responsible for originating the unique layout and engineering features of this remarkable vectored thrust

design based on the Bristol BE 53 turbofan engine with, initially, twin rotatable nozzles for the fan air. He worked closely with its designer, Bristol engine’s project engineer, Gordon Lewis, proposing twin rotatable exhaust nozzles and contra-rotation of the low and high-pressure compressor-turbine shafts. In 1961 Ralph was appointed P.1127 Project Engineer, by Sir Sydney Camm, the Chief Engineer and Managing Director of Hawker. In this role he was responsible for technical control of the project and led the initially company-funded design and development effort which resulted in the prototype successfully demonstrating controlled vertical take-off, hovering flight, and vertical landing in October 1959. In all, six P.1127s were built and flown, convincingly proving the correctness of Hooper’s concept.

From the P.1127, Ralph, as Chief Designer (Projects) from 1963, developed the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel FGAMk1 (Fighter, Ground Attack) V/STOL fighter which equipped an international evaluation squadron made up of pilots, ground crew, and admin, personnel from the Royal Air Force, the United States Air Force, Navy and Army, and the Luftwaffe. The Kestrel was the first jet V/ STOL aircraft in the world to be certificated for service use.

In 1961 Ralph had initiated Hawker’s work on supersonic V/STOL, and his P.1154 project won the NATO international design competition, NBMR 3, against contenders from major manufacturers in the USA and Europe as well as the other UK companies. The competition collapsed but the P.1154 was adopted by the UK Government for the Royal Air Force. However, with the first aircraft well under construction, the Wilson administration cancelled Hawker Siddeley’s contract, together with TSR.2, for reasons of economy. However, a contract was awarded to develop the Kestrel as a less expensive alternative and Ralph directed this design effort resulting in the famous Harrier which was to serve with the RAF and was to be exported to the USA for the United States Marine Corps. This was a real coup as it was against US national policy to buy major weapon systems from abroad, but the Harrier’s unique qualities prevailed and the Marines were permitted to procure 110 aircraft. Spain also bought the Harrier for her Navy. Ralph’s design continued to be developed under John Fozard, and the Sea Harrier was a crucial Royal Navy asset in the Falklands campaign. The Sea Harrier was

also exported to lndia where it was in service until 2020.

In 1968 Ralph was promoted to Executive Director and Chief Engineer and as such was responsible for the Hawk jet trainer for which Hawker Siddeley received a contract for 176 RAF aircraft. Through Ralph’s foresight, the Hawk, famous as the Red Arrows’ mount, was designed from the outset to be capable of development for military roles. It was a major export success with over 1000 sales to 20 countries so far. Amongst these are 221 serving with the US Navy as their principal jet trainer, the T-45 Goshawk. This variant was developed and manufactured in partnership with McDonnell-Douglas (now Boeing) in the USA.

On the formation of British Aerospace in 1977, Ralph was appointed Technical Director of the Kingston-Brough Division. At this time an advanced version of his Harrier was the subject of joint development in partnership with McDonnell Douglas. This Harrier II entered service with the RAF, the US Marine Corps, and the Italian and Spanish Navys. Production of the 430 aircraft was a joint effort with a 50% workshare between the two companies. In search of economies the Cameron government withdrew the Sea Harrier FA2s and the RAF and RN Harrier IIs selling the aircraft to the USN as spares for the USMC who intend to operate their fleet for many more years.

When British Aerospace was reorganised in 1984 Ralph became Technical Director of the Weybridge Division and he retired in 1985. Afterwards, he contributed to the Joint Strike Fighter ASTOVL project developed in the USA by Lockheed Martin as the F-35, with significant assistance from BAE Systems, the new name for British Aerospace. 1838 examples of Hooper’s aircraft have been built to date. Making these aircraft employed thousands of people in Hawker Siddeley and British Aerospace factories, principally at Kingston and Dunsfold, Surrey; Brough, Yorkshire and Hamble, Hampshire. Each aircraft was fitted with wifi engines built by Roll-Royce at Bristol and Derby, and with systems, equipment, and avionics from suppliers nationwide - more

thousands of people employed. These activities generated huge cash flows which were vitally important to local and national economies. 1279 of Ralph’s aircraft were exported and each contract included spares support and modifications for several years, and training for the operators - a massive contribution to the balance of trade and a direct return to the exchequer in the form of a levy on each aircraft. Ralph’s aircraft have served in the front line of the RAF for 34 years, with the Royal Navy for 24 years, and have trained several generations of Service pilots, starting in 1976 - a major element in the nation’s security. Ralph’s aircraft have been in the forefront of international collaboration enhancing the AngloAmerican special relationship; industrially through joint projects, militarily through service with the US Navy and Marines and socially through the exchange of personnel. Ralph’s aircraft have been, and remain a national asset. Ralph joined the Royal Aeronautical Society in 1944 and was made a Fellow in 1970. He was awarded the British Silver Medal for Aeronautics in 1975 and the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Gold Medal in 1986. In 1983 he shared, with colleague John Fozard, the Royal Society’s Mullard Award, for “work which significantly advances Britain’s international prestige and economic prosperity”, and in 1979 was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. Ralph was a stalwart supporter of the Lasham Gliding Society where he was part of a syndicate that restored and flew a vintage Slingsby Kite 2b glider. He was a founder member of the Hawker Association serving on the committee from the start. He supported the Brooklands Museum not least by donating his papers to the Technical Archive. In his younger days, he was a keen skier, walker, and mountaineer, even climbing high in the Everest massif. Ralph Hooper was highly respected and admired by those who worked with and for him at Hawker Aircraft, Hawker Siddeley Aviation, and British Aerospace, particularly at Kingston Dunsfold, Brough, and Hamble. Those who knew him personally will have fond memories of him as a friend and colleague. Rest in peace, Ralph.

OH 1941-1947 died 23 April 2023

Clive first attended Hymers in 1941 at the age of 11 when he became a member of form LIIIA and left in 1947 to become an articled clerk with A.J. Downs and Co. Chartered Accountants.

After qualifying and completing his deferred National Service, he moved to London and joined a firm of Chartered Accountants there until 1956.

In 1956, he joined Brown Brothers as a Management Accountant at their Head Office, moving to Swindon when the accounts office was re-located there some years later. Brown Brothers was a company founded in 1889 dealing in cycles, cycle spares, and tools. This was the year that Dunlop rediscovered the pneumatic tyre and business was brisk. With the commercial production of motor cars, the business expanded rapidly as they became suppliers to the motor trade. In 1981, Brown Brothers was acquired, along with several other manufacturing companies in the UK in the same line of business, by Dana Corporation which at that time was one of the 160 largest industrial corporations in the USA. After working as Financial Director for several different divisions of the company, mostly in the Midlands, Clive was appointed and ended his working life as Financial Director for all the Dana Europe companies.

In retirement, Clive moved to a small hamlet near Broadway in the Cotswolds and enjoyed a quiet life. He was always very proud of his Yorkshire roots and keenly followed the fortunes of Yorkshire cricket and more so Hull City football club.

Clive had lost all contact with Hull and Hymers until 1993 when he was invited to a reunion of form LIIIA 1941 organised by Peter Raine who had managed to locate virtually all form members and was to coincide with the school’s centenary celebration weekend. This was such a success that these reunions continued biannually until COVID-19 and old age put a stop to them. They were held in different locations across the country with visits to the school in 2001 and 2011 to mark 60 and 70 years of the form coming together in 1941. At the first night dinners, the school song was always sung with great gustomuch to the amazement of waiting staff and others who were dining at the time!

Clive enjoyed attending OH Southern Branch functions, meeting Headmasters who were so different from the Mr Cavill of his day, and hearing of all the successes and changes at the school. The renewal of those friendships formed at Hymers so many years ago, the reunions and lunches with those who lived within traveling distance in between, gave Clive a great deal of pleasure.

John Graham Pike

OH 1940-1947 died 24 December 2022

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of John Graham Pike, OH 1940-47, who died aged 92 on 24 December 2022. We had the pleasure of hearing from his wife, Lenore, who has kindly provided a few words and shared some of John’s memories of his time at school.

He spoke fondly of the school and we both attended the 50th anniversary of his class, which I enjoyed. I recall stories of having to call a lady teacher ‘Sir’ during the war, an Art teacher with purple hair (why not!?) and also a Maths teacher who would bat the boys on their heads as he walked around the class, not permissible these days but perhaps a less brutal way could be found?!

David Oxley

OH 1949-1956 died January 2023

The Old Hymerians Association pays tribute to David Oxley CBE, who has died at the age of 85.

David was the former Chief Executive, President, and Secretary of the Rugby Football League and, in 2019, was the overall winner of our ‘Hymers Top Alumni’.

Born on 23 May 1932, he went on to become the General Secretary of the Howden Branch of the National Farmers’ Union and received an MBE.

David was highly respected within the Old Hymerian community and his loss will be felt by many.

“Dad was a proud Old Hymerian and spoke fondly of his time at Hymers. Although illness prevented him from attending in person he was especially honoured to be named “Most Inspiring” Old Hymerian in 2019.

“He was a proud son of Hull, and his acceptance letter for a place at Hymers was among a collection of family photos and documents we have come across following his passing. Clearly a letter worth keeping for over 70 years.”

Simon Oxley

He mentioned that during the war, he would cycle through the damage caused by the bombs during the night and of saying many a prayer that the ‘all clear’ would not sound till after ‘bell time’?

John was 92 years old, born 7 August 1930, and qualified as an architect at the art college in Hull, with his last job being the new stand at Wembley in 1990-91. He played the piano from a child and went on to get his grade 8, he played in various groups and orchestras. John also took up the clarinet in his 40s, although would drive to the Moors to practice, that way he could only frighten the sheep! He achieved his grade 5 in 1975.

To recap to his RAF years, he entered as a Pilot Officer and told the story that he could take off and loop the loop but couldn’t land them. He was sent off for

an eye test and returned half an hour later with glasses but with no improvement. At this point, it was pointed out that they had plenty of officers but not that many aircraft so hence his move to a ground job!

Music and gardening were his two hobbies which he loved! Thank you on his behalf and I so wish I had been so lucky to have such an education.”

Mrs Lenore Pike

Michael Read

OH 1939-1944 died 9 May 2023

We were saddened to hear of the passing of Michael Read in May 2023.

Mike was 95 years old and a much loved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and uncle.

Stanley Walker Read

OH 1942-1948 died 26 December 2022

After attending Hymers with his two brothers Mike (obituary above) and Peter, Stanley worked as a machinist all his life in Hull. He emigrated to Whyalla, South Australia in the 1960s with his wife and three daughters where he worked for the steelworks in Australia until his retirement.

Brian Saunt

Loving husband of Madge (dec). Loved father of Pam, Rick, Tricia, Peter, Debbie and Edi. Cherished Grandad of Nicola, Jacob, Whitlam, Digby, Jon, Bridgette, Grace, Emily, Rose, Sarah (dec), Gareth, Carrianne, Keeley, Xavier, Millah, Geoff, Suz, Darby, Alfie, Amy, Matt, Oakley, Hurley, Griffin, Freddie, Zac, Amy, Ernie, Fin, Maggie, Esther, Chris, Sami, Arya, Stevie, Daniel, Robbie, and Shannon.

A life well lived.

A man well-loved.

OH 1942-1948 died 26 February 2023

It is with our deepest sorrow that we inform you of the death of Brian Stanley Saunt. Brian died peacefully in Pocklington on 26 February 2023, aged 91. Beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.

Brian was an active pupil and well-recognised, particularly for his rugby achievements. He was also well known within the Old Hymerians community and will be greatly missed by many Old Hymerians.

Vernon Edwin Spinner

OH 1955-63 died June 2023

We heard about the passing of Vernon Spinner, who attended Hymers College from 1955 until 1962.

Born in May 1944, Vernon was 79 years old when he died. He was a much-loved husband, Dad, Grandad, brother and uncle and will be greatly missed by all his family and friends.

Michael Peter Walker

OH 1950-1960 died 2022

We have been informed of the passing of film critic and Old Hymerian Michael Peter Walker. Michael was a student at Hymers College from 1950 to 1960.

Michael Walker was the author of books on Alfred Hitchcock, ghost melodramas and film endings.

Obituary written by Alexander Jacoby in the Guardian:

My friend Michael Walker, who has died aged 80, was a film critic who wrote with intelligence and analytical rigour for magazines such as Movie and CineAction, and in a number of remarkable books.

He was born in Hull, East Yorkshire, to Annie (née Rippon) and Peter Walker, both teachers, and attended Hymers College in the city. He developed his love of cinema while studying physics at University College, Oxford.

The influence of the critic Robin Wood (the author of a pioneering study on Alfred Hitchcock) shaped his outlook on film. It was with Wood that he co-wrote his first book, on the French New Wave film-maker Claude Chabrol, published in 1970. Meanwhile he began to write for Movie, a British magazine dedicated to close analysis of films and affirming the creative role of the director.

For Movie, for the Canadian magazine CineAction, and as a contributor to The Movie Book of Film Noir (1992) and The Movie Book of the Western (1996), Mike produced numerous illuminating essays, some on film genre (melodrama was a particular enthusiasm), others championing neglected directors such as Delmer Daves and Robert Siodmak. While he drew on psychoanalytic theory, he was interested above all in the detail of the films, and his writing, though erudite and complex, avoided jargon.

In the 1970s, Mike became one of the first teachers of film studies at A Level. His dedication to his students at Hounslow Borough College (now West Thames College), coupled with the unavailability of research leave in further education, meant that he wrote no more books before retirement. Afterwards, he made up for lost time. His 2005 study Hitchcock’s Motifs took an original approach within the crowded field of Hitchcock scholarship.

Later, his lifetime’s film viewing informed two books of impressive scope – Modern Ghost Melodramas: “What Lies Beneath” (2017) and Endings in the Cinema: Thresholds, Water and the Beach (2020). These books ranged across world cinema – his ghosts haunted American, Spanish, Japanese and South Korean film; he explored endings stretching from Fellini and the French New Wave to such famous Hollywood movies as Jaws and The Shawshank Redemption. These late projects were accomplished in the face of a serious pulmonary illness. When he died from complications of COVID-19, two major projects remained unfinished: one on female agents in modern cinema, the other on the “persecuted wives” cycle of films in 1940s and 50s Hollywood.

He was a stimulating conversationalist, generous mentor and devoted friend.

Mike is survived by three sisters and a brother.

Alexander Jacoby

Please find below more Old Hymerians who have sadly passed.

John Arthur Robinson, OH 1944-49, died 23 April 2020, aged 87 years old.

Mark Mansel Rehfisch, OH 1970-1979, died 8 October 2019, aged 58 years old.

Oliver Wallis, OH 1940-1944, died in 2022

Support the John Hymers Bursary Fund

Hymers College changes the lives of young people in Hull and East Riding by providing a high-quality education for boys and girls aged 3-18.

We offer a wide range of educational and co-curricular opportunities to young people from Hull and East Riding and social mobility stays at the core of our school. As per our founder’s request, our vision is to transform Hymers College through investment in bursaries. Your support is changing young people’s lives already.

To secure this vision for our future, we depend upon our tradition of philanthropy, and the generosity of our parents and former pupils.

£25k Legacy Donations received in of donors were

62%

New Donors

10 Old Hymerians

advised us of their intentions to leave to Hymers in their will

33 New Donations

120

Old Hymerians

gave the gift of their time to speak to our students

In 2022 we had to say ‘NO’ to

30

academically talented children who qualified for a bursary place at Hymers

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Figures from the period September 2022 - Summer 2023

Make your legacy the gift of education

As well as being fee-paying, Hymers College has always needed gifts, legacies and donations from the wider Hymers community to keep up the first-class standard of education, enhanced facilities and more specifically to fund bursary places.

Please contact Emily Pennack Development

Manager

for all fundraising enquiries... epennack@hymers.org 01482 347492

Many of the wider Hymers community may not realise that, whilst the school is very successful and one of the top in the North of England, to maintain and enhance the standard of facilities and fund the bursary programme, a budget of over £1.3 million per annum is needed. Although we support approximately 100 students

at any time, much still remains to be done as we cannot afford to provide enough bursaries to meet legitimate demand. Since the foundation of Hymers, benefactors have been very willing to contribute, sometimes with large donations, legacies or regular giving. Many of the buildings on site would not exist without their generous

support. Hymers College is a very special place, is loved and respected by many of its former students, parents and teachers alike. Many Old Hymerians are incredibly grateful for the start that the school gave them. We would be most grateful if you could consider helping our mission, no matter how small the contribution.