Read the latest news on our website and look out for our twice-termly e-newsletter.
Rachel Fairweather rf2@oakham.rutland.sch.uk
Thank you to everyone who contributed articles and photographs, plus their time and expertise, to create this edition, including: Rosie Manning (pupil author and editor), Henry Deane (School Photographer), Emily Howett (Communications Manager), Alan Walters (Leavers’ Ball photos).
Art Director Sam Bowles
Designers
Ariana Marrin-Cleal Kate Kusztal Vicky Elwick
Printed by David Hall
Harvest Communications
Front cover: Form 6 German students at East Side Gallery in Berlin.
Photo by Phillipa Sykes.
Front cover Old Oakhamian Magazine: Jessica Ferrow (‘04) Co-Founder and Director of the climate impact agency, Twelve. Photography Jolanta Valeniece, Valeniece Studio.
Welcome to the 208th edition of The Oakhamian and 118th edition of the Old Oakhamian magazine. After last year’s magazines focused so heavily on how the Covid pandemic had affected the School, our feature ‘A Year in Pictures’ on pages 14–17 provides the perfect counterpoint to this, illustrating how the academic year 2021–2022 saw the triumphant return of aspects of School life that we previously took for granted: Chapel services, music concerts, inter-school fixtures, House socials and prize giving celebrations, to mention just a few.
Overseas trips, indeed any trips beyond Rutland, also returned with gusto and it seemed particularly apt for our cover story ‘Access All Areas’ to make reference to how delighted we were to show learning beyond our School gates in action. As well as language trips to the cities of Berlin and Madrid, pupils enjoyed a ski trip to Italy, a music tour to Spain and the entire Form 3 year group travelled to northern France to visit the World War I battlefields. Not to mention the many trips pupils participated in throughout the UK.
In the last edition of this magazine, Headmaster Henry Price talked about the four values that we wish to inspire and instil in our pupils. Throughout The Oakhamian and Old Oakhamian magazines there are shining examples of how members of our School communities are living those values each and every day. Care, courage, contribution and connection pervade all aspects of School life and as our feature on how we celebrated 50 years of co-education (pages 18–19) demonstrates, we have been embodying these values for half a century and longer.
Each section of the magazine illustrates all four values in action, but I wish to highlight one article in particular here. In our Community feature ‘Oakhamians against Climate Change’ on pages 68–69, our pupils have shown how they care for environmental issues, how they are demonstrating courage to stand up for
things they believe in and how they make a contribution in taking on the sustainability challenge or planting trees. They are also demonstrating their connection with the community and the wider world.
The theme of sustainability is mirrored in the cover story and main feature on pages 20–25 of the Old Oakhamian magazine as we look at the work that some of our former pupils are doing to combat climate change.
The connection between current and former pupils is always a central theme in the Old Oakhamian magazine and we were particularly proud to report on the large number of former pupils who have returned to Oakham School in the past year to give their time, offer advice and share their expertise with current pupils (pages 26–28). Indeed, it is particularly apt that the new alumni website should be called The Oakhamian Connection, offering our Old Oakhamians a place to keep in touch with one another, sign up for OO events, join clubs with fellow OOs, and offer careers advice.
I hope you enjoy reading these magazines and connecting with the activities and achievements of our current and former pupils.
Best wishes, Rachel
Oakham School, Chapel Close, Oakham LE15 6DT 01572 758500
www.oakham.rutland.sch.uk
Oakham School Registered Charity Number: 1131425
There are many challenges to being a Headmaster, but one of the most difficult decisions of the year is judging the annual Christmas Card Competition. I am presented with a wonderful range of designs from pupil artists across the School, and despite my efforts to share the responsibility as widely as possible, the ultimate choice falls to me. This year, I have settled on two designs: one featuring an impressive Father Christmas, with the Oakham School signage and a large train in the background; the other being a seasonal depiction of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, with a pencilled note on the back ‘in honour of The Queen’.
In any school year, there are memorable moments, but I suspect many Oakhamians will long remember the days around The Queen’s death. In our Chapel Services on Friday 9 September, I spoke of The Queen as a role model and a constant in people’s lives, who defined the contract between privilege and responsibility. It was fitting that we were able to use the Queen Elizabeth Theatre as the venue for our own Book of Condolence. On pages 32–33 of the Old Oakhamian magazine, we reflect further on our School’s unique connection with Queen Elizabeth II and former pupils and staff recall the times when she visited the School.
Just a few short months before this, I was delighted to enjoy my first Summer Term (in my third year as Headmaster) free from the restraints of Covid, including my first Speech Day and full schedule of end of term events. Speech Day itself led into The Queen’s Jubilee, where not only Her Majesty’s longevity, but her duty and service were celebrated; words and values intimately and inextricably linked with The Queen’s reign. That sense of service is something we take seriously at Oakham. It is reflected in the prizes we award at Speech Day and in the importance we place on Service Weekends and the value of contribution within, across and beyond the School. The ways in which Oakhamians and Old Oakhamians are working to help us lead more sustainable lives in our features on pages 68–69 of The Oakhamian and pages 20–25 of the Old Oakhamian provide a particularly pertinent interpretation of the duty and service our past and former pupils are demonstrating, as reducing climate change remains everyone’s priority.
After 70 years of stability in the monarchy, the current economic and political climate has a very different feel. The waters have been and remain extremely choppy, and we are all needing to pull hard on our oars, whatever ship we are in. Like so much else, education needs direction and stability, with good interaction between sectors to drive what is best for our pupils and the country. The challenges around us should, however, not deter or daunt us, but make us more determined to put education at the heart of the solutions required of us all.
At Oakham, we are clear in our ongoing focus on a rounded and grounded education. Our Connected Curriculum not only links our learning from the Lower School, into the Middle School,
onto the Upper School and beyond, but also intertwines and interweaves academic, pastoral and co-curricular learning. Above all, we are clear in our purpose to teach our pupils the knowledge, skills and values to thrive and confidently contribute at Oakham and beyond. I hope you will enjoy reading in this edition of The Oakhamian about the many aspects of our rounded and grounded education in full force with the return of live music, Chapel services, social events and a year’s worth of inter-school sporting fixtures. We are proud to have celebrated 50 years of co-education and 20 years of the IB Diploma this year, and we wish to maintain a tradition of innovation in what we do.
At a time when Government is looking again at skills, and breadth of education, I hope that all politicians will therefore continue to see what we and the independent sector have to contribute and see that our DNA is positive and there to be drawn upon. As questions around the financial benefits of Charitable Status are raised more loudly, and VAT on fees is suggested to benefit education more widely, there will be a need to question whether this will have the positive financial and educational impact that is understandably sought for all. My view is that Oakham and independent schools are at the heart of the educational eco-system, working with other schools, contributing to educational debate and development, and also at the heart of our local eco-system. I truly believe that we understand the contract between privilege and responsibility, taking pride in the achievements of current and former pupils in the knowledge that the majority are unsung, yet contribute quietly and meaningfully to their professions, businesses, communities and families, not just doing well, but doing good.
As I write, the classrooms are busy, and we are just days away from the School Production – Into the Woods. Girls and Boys teams are involved in important cup matches. This morning I watched a fantastic debating final, and I will be at my second concert of the week on Friday. It is good to feel the vibrant normality of School life and after the ups and downs of the Covid year, it is even more precious and enjoyable.
As ever, the success of the pupils comes not only from their own hard work and ability, but from the support and encouragement of staff and parents. This connection and sense of partnership, the triangle of trust, remains as important and invaluable as ever, and I would like to finish by thanking and congratulating everyone who is a part of Oakham School for their service in this remarkable place in which we live and learn together.
I hope you enjoy reading this edition of The Oakhamian and take pride and feel a strong sense of connection as we celebrate of some of the highlights we enjoyed last year.
Henry Price, Headmaster
Quasi Cursores
It is good to feel the vibrant normality of School life and after the ups and downs of the Covid year, it is even more precious and enjoyable.
As ever, we are thrilled to see reviews coming in from highly regarded publications such as Tatler and The Good Schools Guide which showcase the breadth of opportunity available at Oakham. These reviews are a fantastic way of reinforcing how special our School is, and we always love welcoming reviewers through the Oakham School gates.
Tatler Schools Guide 2023
Oakham is honoured to be included in the Tatler Schools Guide, with a fantastic review in the 2023 issue highlighting our innovative approaches, saying we are “always a trailblazer”. It also referenced Headmaster Henry Price and his unusual start to headship thanks to Coronavirus and lockdown learning. The review says he is hugely liked and “oozes a calm sense of purpose”
Known for its quirky and stylish approach, Muddy Stilettos also visited the School for its Best Schools Guide 2022 and captured the history and “impressive facilities” at Oakham. We loved what they said about our pastoral care: “Oakham is a fast-paced, joiner-in kind of school so pastoral care is paramount. To its credit, Oakham’s pastoral offering doesn’t appear to be Covid bolt-on and is central to the school’s ethos. Aside from AS tracking and the normal PHSE, work is done in houses to encourage ‘self-checking’ which includes working on routines like developing a healthy sleep routine.”
Capturing all aspects of School life, The Good Schools Guide review always provides an in-depth look at life at Oakham. This year, we were delighted to receive a fantastic review which shone a light on our connected curriculum and vast co-curricular offering. The Good Schools Guide team summarised their review by saying: “Taking a hint from the school motto, ‘Et quasi cursores vitai lampada tradunt,’ (‘And, like runners, they pass on the torch of life’), this is a place best suited to those who want to be involved and active all day long, on the sports field and off”
As well as the wonderful independent reviews the School has received, Oakham has also had a great year in the press. With stories covering a wide variety of the events and activities that happened over the past year, a number of publications have put Oakham School in the limelight.
Rutland Pride magazine reported on how our pupils ‘dug in’ to the Platinum Jubilee celebrations earlier in the year by planting trees across the campus for the Queen’s Green Canopy campaign. Pupils in the Upper, Middle and Lower School got involved in the project and we have since enjoyed seeing these flourish around the School. Read more about our tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on pages 32 -33 of the Old Oakhamian magazine.
As part of our commitment to teach our pupils to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment, charity initiatives are a key part of School life. Over the course of the year, pupils and staff at Oakham School led various fundraising projects for important causes which brought in £12,070.77 in donations and was highlighted in Stamford Living magazine These included supporting timely campaigns such as the Poppy Appeal and Macmillan Coffee Morning, whilst others have focused on supporting the local Oakham community.
As pupils and staff across the School were shocked and devastated by the news of the Ukraine crisis, the community came together to show their support.
The Rutland Times published a story about how the Chamber Choir performed and recorded a beautiful new composition by John Rutter, A Ukrainian Prayer, and a team of spirited Form 6 pupils raised money for the Red Cross’ Ukrainian refugees aid with a badge and doughnut sale.
This academic year saw us launch a new blog feature called The Boarding Bios which provides a behind-the-scenes look at a UK boarding school through interviews with pupils and anecdotes. School House magazine have been covering the interviews throughout the year and have promoted the work we are doing to highlight what it’s really like to board in the 21st century and what opportunities it can present for young people.
I joined Oakham in September 2022 as Housemistress of Buchanans and a member of the Geography Department. Prior to this I have spent many happy years supporting girls within the boarding school context, most recently as Director of Sixth Form and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead. I have seen first-hand the transformative power of boarding and have explored this further both as part of my Masters with the Institute of Education and as a Tutor on the BSA’s Pastoral Care and Pastoral Management course.
I believe that my role is to create a happy and purposeful environment whereby girls are supported and encouraged to make the most of the opportunities available to them and to fulfil their potential in all areas of School life. I also want them to have been equipped with the foundations for success upon leaving Oakham and to be committed to making a positive difference in society.
Beyond School life, I enjoy travelling, visiting the theatre, spending time outdoors and reading.
I joined Oakham as Head of Religion and Philosophy in January 2022 after teaching at The King’s (The Cathedral) School in Peterborough for five years. My interest in theology and philosophy stems from my own RP teacher many years ago whose engaging lessons inspired me to read theology at the University of Exeter. I love the debate that our subject sparks in students while they delve into the deepest questions of the cosmos and humanity, and I hope to continue exposing our students to different perspectives on the big questions in life. My personal interests lie in Christian apologetics and Philosophy of Religion, particularly with writers like C.S. Lewis, Rowan Williams, and Alistair McGrath. Outside of school, I enjoy raising my two young boys with my husband in Rutland, reading fiction, being part of All Saints’ Church, and the occasional camping trip. Read more about Katie in our Meet the Teacher interview on page 124.
I joined Oakham in August 2022 as Safeguarding Co-ordinator. Previously I have worked in a variety of organisations in the safeguarding and child protection arena including Adolescent Social Care, the NSPCC and a number of local authority education providers. I am passionate about safeguarding andfeel privileged to be joining the Oakham pastoral team. I look forward to ensuring that pupil happiness, welfare and safety continue to be a priority. I have a very keen interest in drama and regularly direct and perform in community theatre. I recently married Hannah and we have a son, Fin
Welcome to the following new members of staff, who have joined Oakham School this academic year.
I joined Oakham in September 2022 as Director of Hockey, having previously been Director of Hockey at Denstone College and before that Head of Hockey at Moreton Hall School in Oswestry. From a young age I developed a passion for playing hockey and after studying Sports Coaching Science and Physical Education at Worcester University, I knew that this was something I wanted to pursue further. One of the aspects that I love the most about hockey at Oakham School is the fact that there is equal participation and equal success amongst boys and girls.
I’m really excited about developing Oakham’s already successful hockey programme even further and pushing it to new levels. The biggest thing for me is to make hockey enjoyable for all pupils, so they want to play it long after they have left the School, whether that be for England or in a local team just for fun. Outside of School, I enjoy spending time outdoors running (this year I completed my first marathon) and walking my dogs.
I joined Oakham School in January 2022 after working for the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service and have recently completed my Level 6 Diploma in Applied Health and Safety.
I am passionate about Health and Safety, and making sure we protect our staff, students, visitors and members of the public from harm. As the profession moves forward (especially post Covid) I am excited that Health and Safety is being recognised as being about more than clipboards and ticking boxes.
Health and Safety touches every area of our organisation and it is about everyone working together to build a safety culture mindset where we consider how our actions, processes and procedures, or lack them, affect everyone around us.
I love what I do and meeting and getting to know my colleagues.
My job is very much a journey and about helping to move our organisation forward; one which will evolve and progress and I look forward to bringing everyone along that path together.
After qualifying as an HR Manager in the NHS, I moved to Peterborough Software to train customers to use a variety of enterprise solutions and help to design HR systems before taking responsibility for internal staff training and development for the Rebus Group, of which PS was then a part. I left to run my own training and coaching business for several years before I was invited to join Credo Consultancy as a Career Management Consultant and worked with individuals and organisations in a variety of industries including broadcasting and media, IT, financial services, the NHS, quarrying and aggregates.
Tiring of the travel, I qualified as a Careers Professional and joined New College Stamford as a Careers Advisor on their National Careers Service Project before being asked to take over as their internal FE/HE and Careers Co-ordinator. I worked there for seven years, completing a post graduate diploma in Career Guidance at Coventry University before taking up my current post at Oakham School in May 2022.
Daniel Allen – Graduate Sports Fellow
Catherine Allen – Music Department Administrator
Ines Benserghin – French Language Assistant
Eva Cafolla – Graduate Sports Fellow
Anabella Florenxia Casaux -
Spanish Language Assistant
Alex Cooper – Graduate Sports Fellow
Judes Denman – School Receptionist
Charlotte Favill – PA to the Deputy Heads
Pastoral and Co-Curriculum
Diana German – PA to the Deputy Head Academic
Rachel Hynds – PA to the Chief Operating Officer
Mary Tait – PA to Senior Deputy Head
Elena Munoz Giraldo – Spanish Language Assistant
Elizabeth Glynn – Graduate Sports Fellow
Zoe Jarvis – Marketing Co-ordinator
Kieran Walton – Graduate Sports Fellow
Lisa Lloyd – Secretary to the Director of Sport
Fabian Margarzinski – Accounts Assistant
Malgorzata Manzanera Martinez – Spanish Language Assistant
Stephanie Mayr – German Language Assistant
Dinabi Mimpu Mfwa – French Language Assistant
Beth Morris – Academic Administrator
Catherine Muir – Exams Administrator
Joe Nador – Sports Supervisor
Victoria Schofield – Concerts & Music Projects Administrator
Nicholas Tall – Graduate Organist
Mado Thiemonge – French Language Assistant
Lee Waghorn – Estates Technical Manager
Rosie Wakefield – Lower School Houseparent (Maternity Cover)
Tom West Strength & Conditioning Coach Anna Davis Teacher of Business Hanna Day Teacher of Art Emma Reddy Second in English Charlotte Rogers Teacher of Sports Science Elaine Lomer-Wood Teacher of Psychology Elizabeth Edwards Teacher of German Sophy Dunn Teacher of Chemistry Darianna Cristea Teacher of EAL Ewan Stockwell Second in Music Nicola Thompson Teacher of Maths Lydia Musk Teacher of Sports Science
Congratulations to the following members of staff, as they take on new roles this academic year:
Housemistress of Round House and Assistant Head Pastoral Carly Latham
Head of Lower School James Cure Director of Cricket Patrick Latham
Day Housemaster of School House
Michael Passey
Housemaster of School House Andrew Ross
Head of Computer Science Natasja Deacon
Oakham School life in all its glory returned in September 2021, with a full programme of inter-school sporting fixtures, live Chapel services, trips, and faceto-face teaching. Live music was also back in full force with the first Gala Concert taking place since 2019.
Pupils took to the stage once more for a full programme of theatre productions and dance showcases to rapturous applause.
House bubbles became a thing of the past, as pupils enjoyed interhouse social events once again.
Pupils, parents and staff enjoyed two busy and entertaining prize giving celebrations to round off another fabulous year: Speech Day for pupils in Forms 3–7 and Lower School Prize Giving for Forms L1–2.
To celebrate reaching the landmark of 50 years as a co-educational school, we held a year-long series of events, talks and activities that involved current and former pupils.
We kickstarted the celebrations by holding a commemorative Chapel Service and afternoon tea for former pupils who attended the School during the first decade of co-education. 60 Old Oakhamians returned to their former School in September 2021 to reminisce about this historic period of the School’s history, enjoying some wonderful cakes and conversations in the process.
During the Chapel Service, new Old Oakhamian Club Chairman Jonathan Stevens (’79) shared his thoughts and stories of when the School first introduced girls in his address. “Everyone adjusted very quickly. We were all very proud to be part of a forward-thinking School which always ensured everyone had a sense of belonging.”
Following the theme of co-education, Oakham School’s Drama Scholars took on the issue of inequality in education in their empowering production of Blue Stockings by Jessica Swale. Form 7 pupil Zsolti, who took on many roles in the play, said: “I’m really pleased that we got to portray this on the stage and demonstrate the difficulty women had in the nineteenth century.”
Oakham’s youngest pupils in Lower 1 enjoyed a special class focused on the history of the School. Biology Teacher and Old Oakhamian Sue Healey (’76), the School’s Archivist Aurore Guillomot-Bonnefond, and Charlotte Woodward, who works for the Old
Oakhamian Club, brought old photographs and memorabilia and shared stories of life at School during the 1970s. Lower 1 pupil Isabelle, said: “It was fun looking at the different uniforms and how the School buildings have changed. I prefer how the School uniforms are now, but I suppose that’s how it was in those days.”
In the Summer Term, pupils made sporting history in cricket and athletics. Oakham fielded its first mixed cricket teams and staged an inaugural, highly competitive mixed staff v Form 7 pupils cricket match. At both the Lower School and Middle and Upper School Sports Days pupils also made Oakham School history by running mixed relay races.
In another Oakham first, members of Oakham School’s community took to the airwaves in a series of specially recorded broadcasts to celebrate 50 years of being a co-educational school, and which covered interesting and thought-provoking topics representing life at the School.
The inaugural episode of the Oakham School Podcast, hosted by Headmaster Henry Price, explores what it means to be a truly co-educational school. Included in the episode are comments from Old Oakhamians who were at the School when co-education was introduced, as well as an interview with current pupils on how co-education benefits them in today’s society. The episode finishes with a quickfire quiz, putting the pupils’
knowledge of Oakham School to the test. Reflecting on the benefits of living and working in a co-educational school, Form 7 pupil Paul said: “When you work as a group, it’s best when you have loads of minds that can think differently together.” Fellow pupil Grace said: “The staff actively encourage pupils to pursue any interest, hobby, career, university choice, because there are no boundaries that constrain them because of their gender.”
The second episode looks at how co-education benefits the Creative and Performing Arts, with a conversation between Art, Design Technology, Drama and Music.
Old Oakhamians from the world of stage and screen and the medical community returned to their former school to film two episodes of the lecture series Oakham Talks and discuss issues relating to their field of work. In the first episode ‘A Peek Behind the Curtain’, former pupils Richard Hope (‘71) and Sarah Moss (‘04) talk to Old Oakhamian President David Gilman (’89) about their time at Oakham School and subsequent careers in the world of TV and theatre.
In the second episode, ‘Medicine and Me’, Old Oakhamians Dr Navin Leanage (‘07), Surgeon Lt Issy Guy (’14), and medical students Adrian Patenge (’15) and Jemima Ball (’18) share their experiences of working in the world of medicine in conversation with Biology Teacher Dr Andrew Nicoll.
Read more in our publication Celebrating 50 Years of Co-education. Visit www.oakham.rutland.sch.uk/about-us/ celebrating-50-years-of-co-education/
Scan this QR code to find out more.
Former pupils Richard Hope and Sarah Moss with David Gilman in the first Oakham Talks episode
The Scholars’ Production Blue Stockings
Mixed relay races at Sports Day
The commemorative Chapel Service for Old Oakhamians from the first decade of Co-education
Teacher of Biology and former pupil Sue Healey visiting Lower 1 pupils
The staff vs Form 7 pupils cricket match
The mixed U14C cricket team
As we celebrate another year of fantastic examination results, we also say goodbye to the class of 2022 and highlight some of the outstanding successes our recent leavers are enjoying as they move on to further education.
More than a third (35%) of pupils achieved 38 or more points (equivalent to 3A*s at A-level)
100% Pass rate
57% of all exams taken (at A-level, BTEC, Pre-U or in the IB Diploma) were awarded A* or A grades or equivalent. 89% were awarded A*/B grades.
More than a third (35%) of pupils achieved 38 or more points, equivalent to 3 A*s at A-level. One pupil achieved full marks (45 points out of a maximum 45), putting them in the top 1% worldwide.
After a successful application process, four pupils – Zsolti, Peter, Alan and Oli – have gained places to study at Oxbridge. At Oxford Zsolti is reading Computer Science and Maths at Somerville College, with a choral scholarship, and Peter is studying French and German at Lincoln College. At Cambridge Alan is studying Music at Jesus College and Oli is reading Biological Natural Sciences at Churchill College.
100% pass rate. Half of all our students’ A-level grades awarded were A* or A (50%), and 75% were awarded A*-B grades.
With several courses in high demand for academics across the country, we are thrilled to see so many of our pupils get into their first-choice universities to study Medicine and Clinical subjects. This is a fantastic achievement and reinforces all of their hard work and dedication during their time at School. Among the successes, we would like to wish our congratulations to Annie who will study Medicine at the University of Leeds, Tom, who is reading Medicine and Surgery at Newcastle University, and Lucy, who is studying Veterinary Science at the University of Liverpool.
In Sports Science, 100% of pupils achieved the equivalent of A*A, with 81% of pupils achieving the top marks of two Distinction* grades (equivalent to A*A*). 95% of pupils achieved the equivalent of A* or A grade in Business BTEC.
Taking centre stage in Drama is Chloe, who has been accepted into Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Chloe wowed audiences during her time at Oakham School with leading roles in productions such as Singin’ in the Rain, Midsummer Night’s Dream and Return to the Forbidden Planet. Also pursuing the performing arts is Andrea who will study Acting for Stage and Screen at Regent’s University London. Also in the spotlight is Old Oakhamian’s Caleb (’21), who has achieved extraordinary success by receiving a place on the BA Acting Course at RADA.
Oakham’s musicians have hit a high note after securing places at some major music institutions. Matthew and Alan, who have both performed many times at professional and informal concerts, will both be pursuing their musical passions in their futures. Alan has received a place at the University of Cambridge to study Music (see facing page) whilst Matthew is going to read Popular Music Performance at Leeds Arts University. Old Oakhamian Fabia McAlindon (’21) has also been accepted into the University of Durham to study Music.
21% grade 9 58% grade 9-7
21% of students were awarded grade 9 in their GCSEs, with 58% being awarded grade 9-7 (A*-A) and 97% awarded grade 9-4 (A*–C).
In another fantastic year for Oakham sportspeople, a number of places have been secured across highly regarded establishments across the UK, including courses in Sport and Exercise Sciences and Sport Management.
In continuing our national recognition for nurturing future rugby stars, Oliver has received a professional rugby contract to play with the Leicester Tigers and Ben will study at Iona College in New York in 2023 with a Rugby Scholarship.
A number of creative pupils have gone on to pursue the Arts at higher education including courses in Architecture, Fine Art, Textile Design, Fashion Marketing and Fashion Promotion. In Design Technology news, Alex is reading Electronic Engineering at Lancaster University and was recently awarded ‘Outstanding Pupil’ in the Design and Technology Association Excellence Awards. This accolade recognised his design and engineering solutions in projects such as mechanising a small sailboat, which was executed to make sailing accessible to all regardless of mobility.
In the 2021-22 academic year, Oakham School was delighted to successfully retain its Career Mark Award, the national Quality in Careers Standard mark of excellence, after taking part in a recent assessment by the Licensed Awarding Body. Oakham was first awarded the Gold Mark in 2015, which validates the School’s excellence in providing pupils with outstanding career information, advice and guidance. The assessment comprised a meeting with the Head of Careers and Progression and Deputy Head Co-curriculum, as well as group interviews with students. The assessor praised the breadth of careers in which Oakhamians are interested and the very positive way in which they could challenge stereotypes about professions as well as their awareness of the different routes available to them after the completion of their secondary education. We are thrilled to have retained our quality assurance Career Mark Award and it was gratifying to hear the pupils speak so positively about the support they receive.
The Careers Department organised and hosted several events for students and parents over the course of the academic year. These included talks on student finance from a university representative, as well as the larger Careers Fair and Higher Education Fair.
The Careers Fair in October 2021 involved the School partnering with local organisations and businesses, providing pupils with an opportunity to learn more about their career pathways for the future. Pupils in Forms 5 to 7 were given the opportunity to meet over 30 employers at this event and talk about their routes into a variety of sectors. The fair offered pupils the chance to explore a wide range of different options, including business and finance, engineering, legal, environmental science, retail, and the military.
Representatives from major organisations such as Dunelm, Barclays Bank and Leicestershire Police were on hand to inform pupils about their own career paths and give them advice on their next steps after leaving school. Form 5 pupil Wilfie had a motivating chat with Charlie Reading, award-winning speaker, Chartered Financial Planner, author and entrepreneur, who also attended the fair.
Hosting careers fairs such as this is an immensely important part of helping our pupils to think about their future pathways. We would like to say a big thank you to all of those who attended for their time and invaluable advice.
In April 2022, the School hosted a Higher Education Fair featuring representatives from over twenty higher education and apprenticeship providers from both the UK and overseas. Careers
Earlier in the year, Oakham School also became a testing centre for the SAT, an admissions test for universities in North America, thereby further opening up the application process to US universities.
Oakham pupils continued to benefit from work experience over the summer, helping them make a decision about their future careers and giving them the opportunity to develop workplace skills adding value to their CV. We continue to work widely with local employers in order to facilitate pupils’ access to a broad range of professions.
Oakham pupil, Yat Fei, gained valuable experience shadowing Dr Craig in the Acute Medicine Unit (west) at the Leicester Royal Infirmary. Yat Fei visited patients during the morning rounds and helped to record their medical histories and carry out simple procedures, like blood draws and PICC lines. He also had the opportunity to sit in on procedures and practise them. Several pupils enjoyed attending work experience placements in Parliament, making the most of the opportunities provided during such an exciting time in UK politics. Form 6 pupil Ben, who was shadowing Alicia Kearns, MP for Rutland and Melton, said, “My work experience in Parliament turned out to be during the most consequential week in British Politics in three years. I am delighted to have been ‘on the ground’ as all the events unfolded – it has given me an excellent insight into party politics and, more narrowly, the workings of government. The highlight must be being able to attend the Liaison Committee where the Prime Minister was being questioned by the heads of all of the Select Committees - the atmosphere in the room was electric.”
Pupils Monica and Zara carried out work experience with Photocentric Ltd, a 3D Manufacturer, and Williams Commerce –Cloudfy, a leading B2B eCommerce platform, respectively. Their placements gave them an insight into the world of work and helped them demonstrate their potential to prospective employers or universities. Susannah spent a few days at Hambleton Hall in Rutland, working in various departments including reception, housekeeping, and the restaurant. She also spent time in the Head Office learning about marketing, HR and interior design.
Susannah said, “The experience went beyond my expectation. It was interesting to see the breadth of the business. I would like to pursue a career in interior design, so my time here was very useful.”
We are thrilled to have retained our quality assurance
Career Mark Award and it was gratifying to hear the pupils speak so positively about the support they receive.Careers Fairs 2021-2022 Careers
The Careers Department has continued to work with students beginning their applications for their post-Oakham choices. Talks on the application processes were given to parents of Form 7 and Form 6 pupils and Form 6 took part in an After Oakham launch day where they signed up for a UCAS account and took part in a range of talks and workshops delivered by organisations such as InvestIn. We worked with the specialist organisation UES Education to support students developing applications for universities in North America and the Department continues to liaise with teaching staff, co-ordinating and overseeing clinical applications and those to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
An outreach event in March saw aspiring medical, veterinary and dental students from several local schools attend Oakham’s annual Clinical Courses Conference. Guest speakers included Dr Aruna Garcea who talked about life as a GP, Dr Rachel Williams who spoke about hospital medicine and Mr Chris Booth who gave a talk on veterinary medicine, including a fascinating description of some canine surgical procedures.
There was also an important session on admissions tests, including a quiz. Old Oakhamian (OO) Ben Dimbleby from Birmingham Medical School led a demonstration interview and there was a panel discussion with Year 13 applicants, undergraduate and post-graduate medical students. The conference concluded with an exercise on multi-tasking involving a large quantity of Lego! Dr Andrew Nicoll, the co-ordinator of clinical applications and organiser of the event said, “Applying to medical school can be tough and competitive, but the conference was a great opportunity to learn how to be prepared and to put together a strong medical school application. Thank you to our guest speakers for their time and advice.”
Year 12 pupils from Oakham and Harington School intending to apply for clinical courses at university also had their first experience of being interviewed in Oakham’s annual practice panels session. The pupils were questioned in four areas – motivations for their course; personal qualities; professional practice and lateral thinking. The interviewers comprised of teachers from various disciplines at both schools, visiting medics and local veterinary surgeons, who also chatted to the candidates informally during supper. Dr Andrew Nicoll, said, “We are very grateful to all the interviewers because the total time invested in the exercise amounted to over 60 hours of voluntary time. It was a particular pleasure for us to welcome back Drs Kyle English and Freya Menzies, both former members of ‘Doc Soc,’ as interviewers rather than as interviewees.”
The Lower School artists encountered a broad range of media and techniques over the course of the year.
The GCSE students developed diverse, personal work, playing with materials and ideas demonstrating talent and commitment.
This was an exceptionally talented year group who created ambitious work across the three disciplines of Painting, Sculpture and Textiles.
Critical and Contextual Studies is an A-level Art and Design course, which supports students to gain a deeper understanding of the world of art. It sets out to help students to feel a greater confidence in writing and talking about art and gives the space for them to look more closely at the areas of art in which they are personally keen to explore. The course allows students to learn skills of research, curation, analysis and experimentation. It provides a lovely balance between practical art skills, the research and planning needed to devise exhibitions, and the analytical skills to study the History of Art. One key aspect of the course is to build an understanding into analysing works of art and responding to their formal qualities and potential meanings, as well as considering their relationship to the context in which they sit. We look closely at the art museum and what it presents to its public. We reflect on why certain artworks are given prominence and encourage the students to consider who feels welcome in gallery spaces, who is missing, and ask them to reflect on what changes would make a difference. A focus of the course is to devise fictional exhibitions, where the students develop themes, decide on which artworks to show, and where and how to display them. They design the supporting promotional material, a public programme as well as the educational resources, considering the whole experience for the audience.
The departing Form 7 students have worked on one coursework unit, which has allowed them to take their research to greater depth. They have worked exceptionally hard in challenging circumstances and have managed to produce exceptional projects full of ideas and personality. They have each devised a fictional exhibition and between them have explored a diverse range of themes from performance art and activism, to dreamlike film and photography; from large-scale interactive artworks, to documentary photography seeking to bring about change. It has been such a privilege to work with the group, who have shown imagination, superb graphic design skills and plenty of initiative. Many of the students are going off to study an art-related course at university. Among other things, students plan to study Liberal Arts, Film, Interior Design, Drama and Graphic Design. Written by Elinor Brass
Pupils in Form 3 and 4 enjoyed discovering more about the Mexican tradition El Día de Los Muertos with a Spanish Breakfast of churros, palmeritasygalletasdealmendras for Form 3 and a Day of the Dead themed photo booth for Form 4.
Onatti Productions returned to Oakham with actors Javier and Cristina performing their hilarious performance of ElCampamento, a story about two teenagers on a camping trip in the middle of rural Spain. Audience participation got our Oakhamians involved, Asa Sheppard in particular who donated one of his shoes as a prop!
Showing Oakhamians that spontaneity is the spice of life, a ‘pop up’ feria came to Oakham School in May! The Ashburton was transformed into a Spanish Feria. Our 45 Upper School students of Spanish were invited to the ‘inauguración’delaFeria. This provided the perfect opportunity to connect students’ understanding of the A-level and IB themes of ‘Festivals and Culture’ and for them to have the opportunity to speak Spanish within a social setting whilst enjoying authentic tapas and ‘rebujito’ (a refreshing summer drink) –even dancing some Sevillanas, led by Piedad, our professional Flamenco dancer.
Form 2 pupils studying German learned about how Fasching/Karneval is celebrated in Germany. They discovered more about some of the traditions, such as the parades, elaborate costumes, and songs. They made their own Karneval Masken and enjoyed a few Krapfen (a type of doughnut).
One of the great culinary pleasures of France came to the Ashburton in the form of a range of cheeses. Unsurprisingly this event was extremely well attended given there were over 25 cheeses of varying styles from all six corners of L’Hexagone, to adapt an idiom, many of which are rarely seen outside France. Many thanks go to our French assistants: Camille, who sourced the cheeses in France and brought them back with her on the plane after the holidays and Marielle, who assisted her in giving interesting information about the differences in production, texture and flavour of the various cheeses and similar ones from each region.
Our Modern Languages teachers have shown great invention in the ways that they have brought the language and culture of France, Germany and Spain to life.
One of the things we got the pupils to do in response to the novel was to produce creative writing pieces of their own about the experiences refugees have. They produced some really thoughtful and mature poetry and prose that shows understanding and empathy and explores feelings of pain and suffering, but also more uplifting expressions of hope, friendship and love. Written by Jonathan Kay, Teacher of English
Out of the house; Out of the door.
In the van; Pay the man.
Through the town; And the market stand. Away from the place I wanted to stay; Into a place where wars are at bay.
On the boat; We’re am I going to float. Will there be hope. For I am a refugee.
They don’t need our help
So don’t tell me
We share the same sky But not the same land
For while you run freely On paved windy roads And stand in grassy fields
I wallow further and further Down the cursed path On which I exhaustingly tread
As weary as I am I will have hope
Through bleary eyed mornings And bone aching nights
Struggle by struggle Step by step
I plough onwards Against the violent grip Which is my heart
One day, maybe tomorrow I will stand and walk and Run on safe firm ground And I will be free
They are helpless poor beings that could be me Should God have not been kind We need to see their true selves Homeless layabouts Selfish individuals Greedy gremlins They are not Deserving to be here They are certainly Thieves and runabouts Knives up their sleeves Diseased carrying rats Don’t call them Helpless beings They are Ghastly And Gruesome Don’t be so foolish to think that they are Welcome to our homes.
Trapped.
Scared. Alone. Sometimes I try to remember what life was like before, I remember the boat, Clear as day, but as foggy as the night. It is all this blur, But it comes back in waves, Drowning me in my own emotions. The water encloses my mouth, I try to scream, No-one can hear me.
It feels like I am watching life go on without me.
For only a second, But it feels like forever.
(Read from bottom to top) byJean-PierreDuToit
There is no chance
For these refugees To come to our country
As they, steal our food, jobs and possessions And they don’t Give back
They will all be gone If we close our borders Our people will prosper Open borders, then We will have to Beg to live
So they have to Return to their homes
Return where they once were They can’t Help And
Put yourself in their shoes and flip the script,
A while ago
This boy
This boy you see He was not a refugee But just a boy, a child Who loved to play, read and run on the grass To walk with his friends, his family, and let time pass The nights were dark and so loud They had to flee So now
We call him a refugee He is a boy, a child He may be free He could be you He could be me.
I came from a place of darkness
Full of war and darkness
I follow the crowd
Hoping for one safe night
The sound of bullets
Fade with every step
The journey has no Finishing point no one knows where they are heading We are all on the same mission And no one knows it We all seek a safe place We will get there
We are all from a place of darkness But we will find the light
I come from a place of darkness
Pupils in Form 2 learned about the plight of refugees whilst studying the novel The Other Side of Truth by Beverley Naidoo in their English lessons. We present here some of the creative writing and illustrations that the pupils created.
There is always hope. But sometimes we feel hopeless All the troubles we’ve faced. All the bloodshed we’ve seen. No matter what happens, There’s always hope.
Leaving home for the better, Hoping their lives get better. But always trying their best. Because we are hope.
I come from a lovely country and city
But it is not safe enough. Nobody is safe. All my friends are there.
But we have to go. We have to keep going To find a safe place.
I love my country. I would still love to stay there But it is not possible.
I hear the guns shooting, While we trudge away.
I try to block my ears, But I don’t succeed.
Why do we have to flee? It is so unfair. I just want to go home, I hate it.
Stepping over dead bodies, Bloody and bruised. Sad and angry, Wanting to be safe.
Maybe one day, I’ll stand here again, If not I know, I’ll mentally be here again.
They lived among a war. Yet they searched for peace within. Still peace was never near.
Miles away was peace. Yet is it what they wanted? ‘Cause peace does not last.
With peace after long, Yet is it truly peaceful? For peace is not kind.
This does not feel like home anymore This is not my home anymore I am scared But I am leaving my home for the better.
There’s no place like home I left my family and now I’m alone Where am I? I hope this is just a lie.
I pulled on my weathered boots, I could hear gunshots in the distance, I stared into the bare landscape in front of me. As I waited hidden under the shade of a fig tree.
It was a long-suffering journey, The waves swallowed the boat like a whale, Our rib flapped around like a lifeless fish, As the sky darkened I shrank into my coat like a snail in a shell.
It’s just on the news
They said
It won’t happen to us They said We’ll never need to run They said We won’t have to leave things behind They said We won’t be involved in a war They said We’ll never be desperate They said We’ll never starve They said You won’t have to risk a dangerous journey They said You won’t just lose your family They said They were wrong. It happened to us, It happened to me. And now I’ve lost everything. My home, My rights, My family, My identity. What now? I don’t know. Nobody does.
Gaining their new home.
Evenings halting the journey to a new home
English Channel is so hard to cross. Settling in their new home.
Jobs proving hard to find.
Obstacles lay round every turn. Building there life back to together. Settling down scarred for life.
In hundreds of places around our world
There are people trying to live their lives but being disturbed By famine and war It seems there is no end,
There are people leaving their homes in search for the better People being driven out by someone else It seems there is no end,
There are people in our world who don’t have homes
Who have left their country in search for a life they deserve to live It seems there is no end,
There are people in our world who are living in poverty
They try to leave in search for clothes, warmth and shelter.
The confusion turned to fear, The peace turned to fights. There are no more happy days, Just cold and sleepless nights.
Let them in.
Let them be free. Imagine their thoughts, Imagine what they’ve seen.
You have no reason, To turn them, away And never forget, That could be you one day. Look out for the full anthology of poetrycoming soon!
The final design acts to aid an injured skier or mountaineer after a crash or accident by turning a pair of skis into a stretcher.”
Rope winch and user interface to make sailing a dinghy accessible
The overall product exceeded my expectations with the winch being able to pull to rope with >350N and the controller being able to drive 4 motors simultaneously and communicate wirelessly over many kilometres.”
Exercise aid to increase upper body strength and work the gluteal muscles
I designed and made an exercise aided product for eating disorder recoverees as well as people just looking to exercise in a low intensity workout, to prevent the development of osteoporosis.”
The final product contains shoe storage, a deck display section, shelving for smaller components, a deep drawer for extras and lastly a hanger section for clothing.”
Corner mounted storage and display cabinet for skateboarders
My product specialises in storage for smaller hatchback cars, which allows it to be used in all cars fitting into any boot small or large.”
For those who are not able to own a pet, feeding wild birds is a wonderful option to increase your exposure to wildlife and nature.”
My key design aim was to disguise a desk and turn it into a showcase piece of furniture that has presentable aesthetics to suit the environment of a formal sitting room, dining room or kitchen.”
Bike storage and maintenance station with drawers and shelving units and an area for tool storage
I wanted to combine storage and maintenance to aid cyclists in repairing their bike as well as being able to store cycling accessories on the stand.”
Oliver Crane Car storage unit for shotgun license holders
Disguisable desk to provide both a flexible working space and aesthetically pleasing piece of furniture
Ben Lee
Urban bird feeder for high rise buildings and flats
The smelly, scary Vikings arrived in School and taught us all about their weapons, medical supplies, cooking and home life. Surprisingly, they weren’t that vicious or here to raid us. After only a few bites of dinner, a fight broke out. Luckily no-one died! The experience was fabulous!
After watching a short film about avoiding risks in the physical world, we were led through a complex of rooms informing us about hazardous aspects we might find around any neighbourhood. For example, train tracks, building sites, house fires and canals. Following lunch we moved onto the hazards of the virtual world with various activities like a Guess Who game about online privacy and a coconut shy about cyberbullying. This livened up the truth about the internet and was definitely a trip to remember.
We learnt about the lives of the hardworking coal miners and the children and women behind them. At times we crawled around in small, dark, enclosed spaces to experience the tough conditions they endured. The machinery was humungous and must have been extremely loud. It was scary and seemed dangerous but it was great at the same time.
Our residential was a great end to the year with fun activities that made us face our fears and enjoy more time with our friends. We worked on our techniques of paddle boarding and even prodded people off their paddle boards into the river! Another fun activity was the high ropes, which challenged us to our limits whilst having to also trust our friends to not let go of the rope. Leaving the dangers behind made it a great experience and definitely worth trying. Other fun activities were trying to start a camp fire with flint sticks and river ‘walking’ or crawling under fallen logs in a stream. It was freezing and the water went down our necks and bodies and filled our wellies! Taking these memories home to share was great and it was a trip that we will never forget.
Lower 1 have had a busy year inside and outside the classroom. Here the pupils relive their year in their own words.
The Lower School Choir performing in Chapel
It is with enormous pride that I reflect back on the academic year 2021–22. Music’s place as the soundtrack to so much of our daily lives at Oakham had been sadly absent over the past 18 months, and I would like to pay tribute to our pupils and staff who have been tireless in their commitment to overcoming postpandemic challenges, and who have brought live music-making back into our community.
Written by Peter Davis (Director of Music)No event was more emblematic of this re-birth than our Gala Concert in March 2022. We returned to the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford to set right the disappointing memory of having to cancel our concert there in March 2020. We were rightly overjoyed to return on Sunday 6 March 2022 for our first Gala Concert in three years, and to celebrate the breadth and depth of our instrumental and vocal music-making. The Concert Band set the tone, marking the Vaughan Williams anniversary with his three movement Folk Song Suite and relishing the vibrant, contemporary challenges of Dan Price’s Andromeda. The Symphony Orchestra featured their leader, Lucy Collison, as the brilliant soloist in Kabalevsky’s captivating Violin Concerto, before thrilling the audience with their spirited and polished playing of Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture. Though the Form 3 Singers were unable to join us on this occasion, the Chapel Choir still opened the concert’s second half with the James Bond theme to ‘Skyfall’, which contrasted with Vaughan Williams’ exquisite unaccompanied Silence and Music sung by the Chamber Choir. Four movements from Brahms’ A German Requiem concluded the programme: this music of great consolation and beauty was sung with enormous maturity by the Chapel Choir, featuring Form 7 soprano Eliza Cohen Gregory and accompanied by a professional instrumental ensemble. This was the sort of moving musical experience that we had been craving for the past two years…
Though this musical milestone stood out, it is the regular inspiring performances given by our individual musicians at home in Oakham that are the authentic soundtrack of our School life. Our Music at Lunchtime series saw us back in our spiritual home – All Saints’ Church in Oakham – where our series of 32 recitals embraced performances by brass, guitar, piano, percussion, string and woodwind players, as well as singers. All these recitals are now filmed and viewable after the event online at https://bit.ly/oakhammusic. It is hard to imagine a more diverse sequence of performances, in which pupils (and a handful of staff) performed solos, chamber music, vocal music from German Lieder to Disney, a spectacular drum kit recital, piano duets and world premieres, as well as music from J S Bach to Fats Waller.
An innovation from two Upper School pupils – Jan Seelig and Alan Liu – saw them each curate eponymous one-hour recitals collaborating with their friends. Whilst Jan’s January recital in All Saints’ Church combined piano solos with accompanied ‘cello and flute works to help raise money for the Kenya project, Alan Liu’s late June recital notably featured orchestral piano transcriptions and world premieres, as well as collaborations with singers and a violinist. A similar sense of collaboration and community once again pervaded our first Leavers
Concert (27 May) in three years, in which leaving Form 7 musicians were rightly celebrated by their peers in a packed Chapel.
The vital importance of our Informal Concerts that are spread through the calendar was very evident as we sought to re-build pupils’ performance confidence, and we were delighted by the end of the year to have to hold additional recitals to accommodate the number of performers. Our aim is to give pupils a relaxed opportunity to try out their music in front of a small supportive audience, as well as reflect privately after the event by watching back their filmed performance.
Our annual music competitions also made a successful return to the calendar after a two-year break, with the Singing Competition (6 February) and Piano Duet Competition (3 March) bringing distinguished professional adjudicators Linda Ormiston, Nigel Short & Helen Krizos to Oakham. All three were hugely impressed with the standards achieved, which resulted in the following major prizes:
On a larger scale, it was a thrill to welcome audiences back into the School Chapel (as well as watching online after the event at https://bit.ly/oakhammusicconcerts) for our major evening concerts which offer performance experience for all our ensembles and choirs.
Our Autumn Concert (5 November) had a distinctly French accent as we marked the centenary of the death of Camille Saint-Saëns with the Symphony Orchestra playing the finale from his Organ Symphony and the Chamber Choir singing his exquisite Deux Chœurs. Other Gallic delights included Bizet’s L’Arlésienne: Suite No. 2 and Fauré’s Cantique de Jean Racine, rubbing shoulders with entertaining Concert Band repertoire by Erickson, Vaughan Williams and Eric Clapton.
The Wind Band, Chamber Orchestra and Big Band were featured in Ensembles in Concert (12 November) just a week later. After an opening march from the Wind Band (Philip Sparke’s Infinity and Beyond), the Chamber Orchestra’s excellent performances of classic works for strings by Grieg and Warlock were interwoven with ‘cello, piano, trombone and vocal solo highlights from recent lunchtime recitals. The Big Band was on characteristically entertaining form in their sequence of pieces to conclude this performance.
This was the sort of moving musical experience that we had been craving for the past two years…
We were pleased to resume performances focused exclusively on our Lower School musicians this academic year, and three termly concerts placed them firmly in the spotlight – Lower School Live in Concert (26 November), Lower School Showcase (11 February) and Lower School Live in Concert (9 June). Though this year’s Form 1 Singers had to give a virtual performance of their curricular work earlier in term, our November concert was notable for featuring four Samba band performances of music devised in Form 2 class music lessons. Across the three concerts, we celebrated a wide range of talented Lower School soloists, as well as music played by our dedicated brass, guitar, percussion and string ensembles. These included excerpts from major works by Holst and Tchaikovsky, folk arrangements and works specially written for younger performers, whilst Cantamus entertained by singing a number of popular songs. In February, the Lower School Choir showcased music previously commissioned by the School (Thomas Hewitt Jones’ Daydreams), as well as focusing in June on contemporary repertoire exclusively by female composers –Lin Marsh Drum Songs and Sarah Quartel’s Songbird. A Musical Carnival (25 March) was notable for a complete performance of Saint-Saëns’ The Carnival of the Animals. The scene was set first with two works played with accomplishment by the Wind Band, the premiere of an instrumental composition devised by the Form 3 Music Award Holders, and repeat performances by major prize-winners in the Singing and Piano Duet Competition from earlier in the term. An augmented Chamber Orchestra then took to the stage to collaborate with no fewer than six different solo pianists (Paul Florescu, Samantha Hughes, Alan Liu, Obi Osuji, Jan Seelig & Hattie Tyler), a solo cellist (Ansh Verma) and guest appearances by two Old Oakhamian Music Scholars. This highly entertaining performance was another brilliant musical highlight of the year that was entirely worthy of its standing ovation in Chapel. The Big Band was more than equal to the challenge of finishing the concert, presenting eight different numbers which variously
featured trombone soloist Archie Foster and four new vocal soloists (Andrea Celaya Cervantes, Tom Davison, Chloe Howard & Henrietta Morris).
The Summer Term always promises great musical diversity, and this year was no exception. Friday Night Classics (6 May) was book-ended by the Wind Band and Concert Band reprising their year’s repertoire, whilst adding a couple of new favourites, of which the concluding performance of the Sousa march The Liberty Bell was particularly popular. The Chamber Orchestra turned their hand to a Romantic movement from Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings, and we also had the chance to enjoy repeat performances of recent solos from other concerts for piano, trombone, trumpet and voice. Just before breaking up for half-term, the Chapel and Chamber Choirs presented an entertaining and varied Speech Day Concert (28 May). This opened with a new Diamond Jubilee anthem, included a nod to Vaughan Williams’ anniversary, and concluded with Parry’s epic extended anthem, Hear my words. In between these celebratory works, the choirs demonstrated their versatility in a Mozart Missa Brevis in F, a sequence of modern spiritual arrangements, and a trio of Spanish a cappella works in preparation for the music tour to Spain.
The final major concert in Chapel – the Orchestral & Choral Concert (24 June) – also had a Spanish flavour: de Falla’s Ritual Fire Dance, Moszkowski’s Three Spanish Dances and Rodrigo’s Cuatro madrigals amatorios (featuring excellent Form 7 soprano Eliza Cohen Gregory) gave the Symphony Orchestra plenty of opportunities to dazzle in these colourful Spanish scores. They also demonstrated stylish Classical playing in the complete Haydn Symphony No. 13, whilst the Chamber Choir provided contrast with jazz-inspired choral works, including many of John Rutter’s Birthday Madrigals and an a cappella version of the jazz classic, Birdland.
Our professional concert series resumed in September 2021, but in a new format, presenting one-hour concerts without an interval, and focusing on musicians associated with the School. Rather poignantly, our first concert in September was entitled Remembering Fraser, at which friends and colleagues remembered through their performances and anecdotes the much-loved musician, teacher and Old Oakhamian, Fraser Graham, who tragically died in July 2020. Visiting flute teacher, Lisa Nelsen, brought her trio Enigma 14 in October to perform works by Beethoven, Haydn, Lefebvre and Martinů for flute, ‘cello and piano. In March, three colleagues (oboist Rachel Broadbent, bassoonist Connie Tanner, and Director of Music, Peter Davis) made their debut performance as Reeds & Hammers, presenting trio repertoire by Dring, Peter Hope & Poulenc. The series concluded in May with Head of Piano, Anne Bolt and visiting violinist Annebeth Webb presenting a wonderful recital of contrasting sonatas by Handel, Mozart and Saint-Saëns.
Our musicians remain committed to getting “out and about”, with the Chamber Choir resuming their annual invitational visit to London’s Brandenburg Choral Festival in February, contrasting major works by Britten and Vaughan Williams with a set of French pieces. More locally, a handful of soloists took repertoire from our Music at Lunchtime series to the north of Rutland to perform at the Thistleton Music Festival (13 May).
Our musical collaborations within Oakham include our ongoing support for the Oakham Choral Society, whose concerts in December and March featured a number of vocal soloists drawn from the School, as well as notable instrumental
performances of Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 1 by Owen Amende and Vivaldi’s Cello Concerto in G minor by Ethan Taylor. The Music Department was delighted to collaborate with the Drama Department on two joint productions this year – Singin’ in the Rain (November/December ’21) and Oliver! Jr (June ’22) – see pages 51 and 53. We were also pleased that the Chapel Choir and Lower School Choir could resume their musical leadership in weekly Chapel services this academic year.
Apart from the music tour to Spain in July (see page 58), the final major performance of the year saw the long-awaited return of the celebrated Big Band Concert (30 June) held in a marquee on Doncaster Close. It was such a joy to see once again a great turn-out from the wider Oakham School community in support of the brilliant musicians and singers in the Big Band. Under the direction of Steve Foster, their entertaining performance put a spring in everyone’s step – and not just those who thronged the dance-floor towards the end of the evening – confirming without any doubt that 2021–22 was the year that the sound of music came back to Oakham. Long may it continue to be heard!
Brandenburg Choral Festival
The Form 3 Scholars and Invitees perform this farcical tale of corruption with character acting and slapstick comedy.
Imagine, if you will, a sleepy market town not unlike Oakham, except this one is in the back of beyond and is run by a clique of the dishonest.
The Mayor – supreme ruler of his fiefdom wonderfully enacted by Olivia Sutton – has the town officials so organised that money flows from the poor to the rich – and getting richer – without much of a hitch. News reaches these bastions of corruption that a Government Inspector has arrived and indeed has been in the vicinity for a couple of weeks. Cut to the not so humble clerk –Khlestakov, finely portrayed by Patrick Donnelly-Cullen, and his servant Osip – a progenitor of Baldrick, laughably rendered by Tilly Golland. This bankrupt charlatan and cardsharp, whose main income seems to derive from the Pawn Shop, wanders about the country in search of a fast Rouble and here he has struck gold. The inhabitants have confused him for an Official Inspector and the stage is set for a farce of mammoth proportions. The various officials, most amusingly depicted by Rowley Moore, Evie Holder,
vie to outdo their colleagues in the
which they will sink. Each has their idiosyncratic habits
and it is very much in the niceties of their portrayal that the humour
and
The scene is Cambridge University, the time is 1896, and whilst women were just about tolerated (so long as they behaved themselves) they were not eligible to graduate and so receive their degrees. Women in Newnham College quietly got on with their learning, but Blue Stockings is set in Girton College, where both the teaching and student populations were seen as more radical and, therefore more of a threat to the solid tradition of scholarship for men. We follow four brilliant women students who are determined in their various ways to gain an education and several staff who are equally determined to achieve parity of status for their charges by persuading the powers-that-be to grant them degrees.
Tess Moffat, engagingly played by Isolde Small, keen on astronomy, is side-tracked by an ill-fated (or starcrossed) affair of the heart which puts her student career in jeopardy. Her friend Celia Willbond, nicely portrayed by Chloe Howard, has her own problems too; uncertain health has made her progress precarious, but she nevertheless confronts Tess with her waning commitment and reminds her of her duty – as woman – to set a good example and give the authorities no pretext for objection. This advice falls regretfully but not tragically upon deaf ears. Flora Allison as Carolyne Addison, bright and ambitious, and Henrietta Morris’ Maeve Sullivan – brilliant but doomed to leave to support her family
– each produced fine performances. Zsolti Johnson produced several nice portrayals, headlined by the overbearing Dr Maudsley and the would-be romantic Ralph Mayhew.
When the crunch comes, and the opposing factions literally come to blows, the misogynistic and offensive Lloyd of Freddie Gwinnett and well-meaning, but pathetic liberal, Mr Banks of Adam Johnston were most notable.
Also featured were the stern and decisive Mrs Welsh of Henrietta Gillie, and the somewhat lost and hapless Will of Max Wilson. Eluisa Brown, Flossie Davies, and Sarah Ruddock were also each most effective in their various roles as teachers, professors, librarians and waitresses, etc. The set (and wardrobe) masterminded by Justine Harrison and built with Matthew “Dougie” Douglas (who also lit it) of rotatable masonic stained-glass arches, bookcases, shelves and a starry sky, although seemingly simple, was most effective, and each locale was nicely arrived at with precision by Stage Manager Tabatha Pegg and the cast. At the heart of the show lies the irrepressible creativity of Gilly Norell who not only conjured up these most remarkable performances but also contrived an utterly fabulous playlist of incidental music culled from across the pantheon of women’s liberation anthems coveted not only by most of the cast but also by a good proportion of the audience too. Written by Roland de Vil
Audiences are transported back to the glory years of motion pictures and the dawn of the ‘talkies’ with this wonderful, warm, light-hearted production of the classic musical.
Shining stars Don Lockwood (suavely portrayed by Zsolti Johnson) and Lina Lamont (hilariously crafted by Izzy Small) dazzle their audiences with emotional rollercoasters and exhilarating action in their most recent (silent) picture, The Royal Rascal, to astounding critical success. However, the studio head RF Simpson (Max Wilson in his element) sees a storm on the horizon. A new-fangled machine threatens to reshape motion picture forever by incorporating the unthinkable: talking. This is a breeze for Don, whose vocal skills are as charming and refined as his on-screen acting, however less so for Lina, as her high-pitched, screechy tones threaten to ruin both hers and the studio’s fortunes.
Enter Kathy Selden (coolly played by Henrietta Gillie, and fiercely presented by Henrietta Morris): an independent and determined aspiring actor, whose coldness towards Don’s charms intrigues him in a way that no admirer ever did. He and his right-hand man Cosmo (playfully portrayed by a bubbly Chloe Howard) devise a plan to catch her eye, and hopefully her heart. Eventually Kathy is so entertained and charmed by Don’s silly and romantic gestures, that she falls head over heels for him, as he has for her.
The time comes for the first draft of the new ‘talkie’ starring Don and Lina, and, predictably, it is a huge flop. Numerous technical issues and a poorly inspired script are hugely overshadowed by Lina’s intolerable voice, and
Don leaves the theatre shamed and hopeless. However, Cosmo has the bright idea of using Kathy to over-dub Lina’s voice. It’s a bold plan, but it might just work…
We end the first act with Don and Kathy realising their love for each other, as Don confesses to the audience that he is so happy that he could do anything, perhaps even Sing in the Rain!
The second act opens to a flurry of business as the entire production team scrambles to recreate the picture from scratch in time for release, as Don sneaks Kathy into the studio to record over Lina’s lines, under the watchful eye of the shorttempered director, Roscoe Dexter (nicely crafted by Adam Johnston). The plan is a resounding success… until Lina finds out from her pal Zelda (in the safe hands of Annie-May Cannings) and throws a spanner in the works, as she insists that Kathy speak her lines for her indefinitely. Don protests, but the studio’s hands are tied, and the showing goes ahead with Kathy’s contribution uncredited. However, Lina’s ego gets the better of her, as she decides to sing a song – live to the audience, demanding Kathy support her from backstage. Don immediately has a bright idea, and reveals Kathy as the true vocalist and exposing Lina for the fraud she is; allowing Kathy to finally get the credit she deserves.
A happy ending, as Don and Kathy embrace, and the curtain closes on a final rendition of ‘Singin’ in the Rain’. Written by Lexi O’Tiphson
For never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo… Here tells the story of the families of Montague (led by Finlay Mitchell and Izz Jones) and Capulet (headed by Rowley Moore and Eloise Snape), whose historic rivalry spans generations and is a burden to Verona and of personal annoyance to the Prince (Elizabeth Hensley). We meet Romeo (charmingly portrayed by Patrick Donnelly-Cullen) for the first time as he is confessing his love of the lady Rosalind to his friends Benvolio (Lily Reynolds) and Mercutio (Esther Morse). Tired of his romantic prattling, they convince him to gate-crash a masked party run by his rivals the Capulets to distract him. There, he meets a mysterious girl in a mask who piques his interest, and he later learns to be Juliet (gracefully played by Olivia Sutton), daughter of Lord Capulet himself. Infatuated, he commits himself to finding Juliet and professing his love, breaking into the Capulet estate at night and calling for her at her balcony, much to the disapproval of her Nurse (Tilly Golland). Despite this, the two conspire to get married, and, with the help of Romeo’s confessor, Friar Lawrence (Tarisai Mushonga) they do so secretly and away from the prying eyes of family. However, this is a Shakespeare tragedy, and, of course, trouble is a-brewing. Juliet’s cousin and rival to Romeo, Tybalt (skilfully mastered by Adam Johnston) is infuriated by Romeo’s appearance at the ball, and there is a scuffle in which poor
Mercutio is killed. Grieving, Romeo vows revenge, revenge that will ultimately lead to his doom. Romeo, fuelled by hate, fights Tybalt in an exhilarating and masterfully choreographed brawl, a fight in which Tybalt is ultimately slain. Romeo, then realising his error, flees the scene, but without being apprehended is immediately banished from Verona.
A distraught Juliet appeals to the Friar for a way to escape with Romeo, since her Father, not aware of her marriage to Romeo, wishes her to marry Paris, a man she is not remotely fond of. The Friar devises an ingenious plan: Juliet is to drink a sleeping potion so that her family will believe her dead, upon which she can escape the city and meet up with Romeo. The Friar will then write to Romeo to inform him of the plan.
Alas, fate decides otherwise. Romeo never receives the Friar’s letter, and, upon hearing of Juliet’s death from his faithful servant, Balthasar, goes to her tomb to mourn her. Here we reach the scene that we always knew must come, but always wished would never come to pass: Romeo’s worst nightmare seems to be confirmed. Juliet is gone and he feels so desperate that he chooses to join her in death rather than live on without her, a cruel twist of dramatic irony that, although familiar, it never ceases to wound us. Juliet, waking, finds her love dead by her side, and in a similar mind, takes her own life in truth this time, and joins Romeo beyond our mortal plane.
Written by Lexi O’TiphsonDance takes centre stage in the QET as pupils display their talent in the annual Dance Showcase.
The Dance Showcase was an incredible evening filled with a variety of performances from pupils who attend evening classes. It was brilliant to see up and coming new talent, with spectacular group dances to musical hits ‘Come Alive’ and ‘One’, along with an energetic modern dance to ‘Played A-Live’. The show ended with a bang when all 17 dancers came together for the grand finale to ‘You Make My Dreams Come True’. The routines were balanced by some solos, duets and trios, several of which were choreographed by the dancers involved. From contemporary to hip-hop, jazz to dancing on chairs, there truly was something for everyone and the audience left buzzing and wanting more – a truly superb night was had by all.
Two casts perform this musical, based off Charles Dickens’ classic book Oliver Twist and musical by Lionel Bart in the 1960s, to rave reviews.
Set in the early to mid-1800s, Oliver! Jr follows a young orphan boy (played by Cressie Whitehead and Feodora Freienstein) who lives in a horrific Midlands workhouse, owned by Mr Bumble (Leonie Russell and Henry Jordan) and Widow Corney (Kate O’Donoghue). Oliver’s rebellious nature finds himself in a gang of pick pocketers led by Mr Fagin (Tom Johnston), who immediately takes a liking to Oliver and introduces him to their lifestyle. Oliver journeys all around London, making mischief, meeting new companions and family, and learning a lot on the way. Other principal characters in this production were Nancy (Immy Williamson and Lucy Carr), Bill Sikes (Holly Prothero and Anna Sheridan), the Artful Dodger (Charlie Piper and Maddie Cartwright), Mr Brownlow (Alice Davey), Mr Sowerberry (Kitty-Mae Smith), Mrs Sowerberry (Léa O’Sullivan and Isabelle White) and Bet (Eloise Baines and Jessie Hayle).
Almost every scene in this musical was accompanied by a song and a dance, favourites included ‘Consider Yourself’ (sung by the Artful Dodger and his crew), ‘Food, Glorious Food’ (sung by the ensemble), ‘It’s a Fine Life’ (sung by Nancy and Bet), ‘Oliver!’ (sung by Mr Bumble
and Widow Corney) and ‘You’ve got to pick a pocket or two’ (sung by Fagin).
The set for this production was meticulously and cleverly designed over many weeks and made to look like the streets of London in which Oliver and his companions resided. A fond memory of mine and my fellow cast members was returning to the theatre to rehearse and noticing something new added to the set every week.
There were so many others involved in this brilliant production – dancers, singers, stage production managers, lighting and sound and set management. We would all like to give our personal thanks to the incredible director, David Norell, who led this production steadily forward, to Justine Harrison, for running this production behind the scenes and not losing faith in us, to Matthew Douglas, the theatre technician, for his work in lighting and sound, and finally to Tabatha Pegg, for all of her brilliant assistance, assurance and efforts that do not go unnoticed. It was an absolute honour to be a part of this incredible production. I know that we all have learnt so much and had the best time being surrounded by this fantastic crew. Written by Leonie Russell and Imogen Williamson (Form 2)
86 pupils from Forms 1-4 and accompanying staff on the slopes of Madonna di Campiglio in Italy
As Covid restrictions started to ease, it was with great delight that staff and pupils could once again embark on trips to experience learning beyond the classroom. Initially these visits were limited to local destinations, but as the year progressed pupils started to travel further afield, with the ski trip to Italy marking the first visit abroad since the start of the pandemic. Here we look back at some of the rich variety of trips that pupils have participated in to access all areas.
Form 6 Hispanists journeyed to Madrid to immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of this great city. As well as enjoying a walking tour of the city, pupils visited Museo Reina Sofia and Barrio de las Letras. The highlight of the trip was watching a magnificent flamenco performance at Cardomomo.
The first overseas trip since February 2020 that pupils and staff were able to go on was the fantastic Easter ski trip to Italy. 86 pupils and accompanying staff, across a broad range of ages and levels of ability, enjoyed perfect skiing conditions on the slopes of Madonna di Campiglio.
Form 2 pupils visited Bradgate Park in Leicester to build on their work in their Geography lessons. Pupils in older year groups also enjoyed Geography field trips to Yorkshire, Cambridge, Stratford-upon-Avon, and the popular seaside resorts of Skegness and Hunstanton throughout the year.
Form 5 pupils studying Computer Science visited The National Museum of Computing in Bletchley Park, where they looked at the German Enigma encryption machine and the Turing Bombe, amongst other historic computers, as well as enjoying some hands-on experience of retro games consoles, such as Sega, Atari and a Pinball machine.
Form 6 Psychology students visited Chester Zoo to attend two workshops on Animal Behaviour and Primate Behaviour As well as consolidating their knowledge of Classical and Operant Conditioning, students also had the opportunity to handle snakeskin and other rare items to support their understanding of phobias and how to treat them.
The Biology Department ran their annual field course for Upper School Biology and ESS students in two different locations in 2021–2022. The first trip saw pupils in Form 7 travel to Rhyd-y-creuau in North Wales and the second field course took place in the beautiful Box Hill area of Surrey.
The Classics Department ran several trips within the UK to extend pupils’ knowledge of Latin language and culture. Among these were a Form 3 Latinists trip to Bath and a Form 4 Classical Civilisation field trip to the British Museum in London.
The Design and Technology Department ran two separate trips to the Morgan Motor Company in Malvern for pupils in Form 3 and Form 4. On both occasions, pupils enjoyed a factory tour to observe each stage of the company’s car production.
Oakham students put their debating and lobbying skills to the test in two very successful international MUN debating conferences, held in October and March at Cheadle Hulme School and Kingswood School, Bath respectively. In the closing ceremony of the Kingswood School conference, Form 6 Ukrainian pupil Sargon gave a passionate speech which received huge accolades from the 400+ audience.
Form 6 German linguists travelled to Berlin to experience this vibrant capital city first hand. They enjoyed guided tours of the Tränenpalast and Reichstag, visits to the KINDL Museum, East Side Gallery and Stasimuseum, and famous landmarks that included Checkpoint Charlie and Unter den Linden/Friedrichstrasse.
As Thursday 7 July 2022 dawned, it seemed quite an age since Oakham School’s fabulous musicians had last travelled abroad together on a European tour, but despite the uncharacteristically long gap of three years since our 2019 trip to Latvia, it was time for an #oakhamontour group to set off once more.
This time, our destination was sunny Spain – or rather, sweltering Spain – basking in a heatwave of 40+ degrees Celsius. Our tour party of 44 pupils and staff was bound for the dry heart of the country, flying to Madrid (minus one suitcase…) and then staying near the ancient cathedral cities of Toledo and Salamanca. Our two hotels proved perfect for our tourists’ needs, offering generous breakfast buffets (especially if you were partial to sugared doughnuts), plenty of social spaces to develop tour camaraderie, and all-important outdoor pools!
Days 2 to 5 of the trip all featured late evening concerts, given in the fabulous churches and cathedrals of Toledo, Chinchon, Salamanca and Valladolid. Our tour programmes rightly reflected the internationalism of our trip, in part offering Spanish audiences the opportunity to hear some wonderful British choral music by the likes of Parry, Vaughan Williams (marking his 150th anniversary) and Warlock, and even a very new work by Thomas Hewitt Jones composed to mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Our tourists embraced Spanish culture too, especially preparing choral music by Javier Busto, Pablo Casals and Victoria, as well as a set of orchestral Spanish dances by Moszkowski. Music by great European composers Brahms, Bruckner, Grieg, Haydn, Mendelssohn and Mozart, and a much-loved set of modern arrangements of spirituals completed the bill.
After a morning swim for many, we travelled into the sleepy heart of Toledo at lunchtime on day 2, allowing the party a chance to sample the local cuisine for lunch, eat the first of many, many ice creams, and visit the spectacular and enormous cathedral. Our first concert in the city’s Jesuit Church was a great success, featuring the Chapel Choir and Chamber Choir rising admirably to the challenge of performing a fully choral programme for the only time on this trip.
Day 3 took us to sunny Chinchon, a small rural town with its own town centre bull ring, and a marvellous hilltop church boasting six second reverberation. The now familiar pattern of lunch, sight-seeing and rehearsal was rounded off with a very distinctive pre-concert evening meal in an old winery, complete with its own underground cellar. Our second concert was very well-received by the local and highly-appreciative audience, who demanded two encores. Our orchestral musicians featured for the first time on tour, with music by Grieg and Mendelssohn introducing the particularly popular Spanish dances. Vaughan Williams’ beautiful ‘Silence and Music’ sounded extraordinary in the cavernous acoustic, as did the massed choral voices in Parry’s epic ‘Hear my words’.
As a tour of two halves, Day 4 took us on the road to our second hotel near Salamanca, offering stunning scenery en route for those who weren’t napping! We were exceptionally privileged to have the opportunity to perform in Salamanca’s 14th century Old Cathedral, with its cool interior providing an appreciated escape from the burning afternoon heat outside. The Chamber Orchestra’s performance of the 16th century dances of Warlock’s ‘Capriol Suite’ seemed particularly apt in this venue, and the full orchestra treated our capacity audience to an exhilarating performance of Haydn’s complete Symphony No. 13. The choirs responded particularly movingly in their a cappella music in this venue, and their intense performances of Spanish music by Busto and Casals were clearly appreciated by locals in the audience. A celebratory ice cream for the whole tour party before returning to the hotel was well deserved!
Our final full day in Spain began with a morning swim and some sight-seeing in Salamanca, with some of us exploring the heights of both cathedrals, including the amazing rooftop views
from the tower. We then set off to travel to another spectacular cathedral in Valladolid, which offered Mr Jacques the opportunity to play one of the largest digital organs installed in Europe. The afternoon offered free time for shopping as well as some final rehearsal, preparing our musicians to give a fantastic final concert that evening which was vigorously applauded by our local audience, who demanded no fewer than three encores.
Musically, this final performance offered the opportunity to present highlights from our past three concerts, and allowed us to celebrate many of our Form 7 leavers who led their fellow instrumentalists or performed as soloists for the final time. Lucy Collison, leader of both orchestras, and baritone soloist, Zsolti Johnson, in Parry ‘Hear my words’ deserve a particular mention in this regard. Collaboratively, the pupils’ confidence in their wide-ranging repertoire allowed them to relax and perform with both musicality and maturity, culminating in three memorable a cappella choral encores that brought our musicmaking for this academic year memorably to a close. The characteristic Oakhamian mash-up of coach singing (embracing favourite hymns, pop songs and choral works) was distinctive for rather different reasons…!
Our last day gave us an opportunity to reflect on the commitment of pupils and staff to making the tour such a musical success, as well as bid farewell to all our Form 7 leavers and leaving staff. We retraced our steps via Madrid and Heathrow airports (minus a couple more bags…) before finally returning to Oakham in the early evening. Our tourists enjoyed an amazing cultural experience and should take enormous pride in the way they contributed to the post-pandemic revitalisation of live music-making on an international stage. Written by Peter Davis
The Summer Term saw the return of the Battlefields Trip, led by the History Department, in which the whole of Form 3 crosses the Channel to visit the historic sites of WW1. Travelling in two groups that overlap one another, Teacher of History Josh Arnold visited with Group 1.
The first stop was Dud Corner Cemetery, a memorial which honours 1,800 burials in the cemetery and a further 20,000 missing soldiers from the battlefield. In his talk to the group, Mr Roberts described the efforts of the architect to make the cemeteries “a piece of Britain on the Battlefields”. This cemetery was also notable for being the site that remembers both Jack Kipling (Rudyard Kipling’s son) and Fergus Bowes-Lyon, The Queen’s uncle.
The group then moved on to Notre-Dame-deLorette, the largest French military cemetery in the world. As well as the graves honouring those who fell in the war, both groups were able to visit a museum and ‘The Ring of Memory’. From the top of the hill, the group were able to look out across the battlefield, even seeing the memorial of Vimy Ridge on the horizon.
In the evening the pupils enjoyed a meal out in Lens, before reigniting the annual Battlefields bowling tradition!
On the second day, the tour began with a visit to the dramatic site of the Lochnagar Mine Crater. The site of the largest man-made explosion before the Atomic Bomb, Lochnagar marks a significant site along the Western Front around La Boisselle.
The group then travelled to the spectacular memorial of Thiepval. Serving as both a monument
of the Battle of the Somme, as well as a memorial to those who fell, Thiepval towers over the surrounding valley, demonstrating its strategic significance in the war itself. The site is also the location of a joint Anglo-French cemetery, sitting behind the monument structure. It is a reminder of the ‘eternal comradeship’ in which those who fought together will always be bound.
Following on from this, the group made its way to the Ancre British Cemetery. This cemetery holds significance in not only remembering the fallen in the Somme, but as also being the resting place of Old Oakhamian Jack Dewar. A Second Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Division, Jack Dewar was killed on 13 November 1916. Mr Denman led a service in honour of Dewar, and pupils laid a wreath to mark the School’s remembrance.
After lunch on the second day, Dr Sheppard and Mr Roberts led the pupils around the Newfoundland Memorial Park. The Park serves to commemorate the Newfoundland Regiment’s bravery, in which 85% of the Regiment’s men fell in battle. The battlefield lays preserved as it would have been from the battle with trenches still scarred into the landscape today. The park also features a stunning stature of a giant Carabou statue in homage of the giant animal native to the Newfoundland Regiment’s homeland.
The pupils concluded their Battlefields Tour with a visit to another Canadian memorial, Vimy Ridge. The memorial has two striking pylons that reach into the sky, with 20 sculptures carved into the stunning piece of architecture. It was amazing to return to these sites to give our students an insight into how WW1 was fought and also how those who fought on both sides have been commemorated and why we still pay our respects today.
Form 6 pupils ran an inaugural marketplace event during the Summer Term as part of the Freddie Groome Enterprise Challenge, a new activity that was launched in September 2021 for budding entrepreneurs.
The pupils created businesses, came up with ideas for a product to sell and then marketed it to the School ahead of the marketplace event. They then set up stalls on the School grounds in their teams and sold their chosen products to their audience. The stalls included jewellery, fidget spinner pens and sticky ceiling balls, all of which were very popular with their target market.
The Freddie Groome Enterprise Challenge pays homage to late Old Oakhamian Freddie (’13) and was set up in his memory after he tragically passed away in 2020. As a lover of all things business, Freddie’s family, along with his former classmates, wanted Freddie’s legacy to live on at the School and funded the project to give pupils the opportunity to thrive in the world of enterprise.
Over the past academic year, pupils developed their businessbuilding skills during their activity by learning how to prepare, develop and review their own business ideas.
Form 6 pupil Ruben, said: “My overall view of the day was that it was critical to my understanding of a business and how it runs. It increased my confidence of speaking to others and trying to sell something to someone.”
“By doing the Freddie Groome Business Enterprise activity, I feel it has made my ambition in life much clearer and has really shown me how hard work can bring success.”
“It was an experience I wouldn’t forget. It’s not often you get an opportunity like this.”
Throughout the scheme, pupils demonstrated a range of enterprising skills including teamwork, leadership and innovation.
Over the October 2021 Service Weekend, Voluntary Action (VA) pupils organised an activity day for visitors from local groups including Aiming High and The Rutland Disabled Youth Forum. Activities included cake decorating, sporting games, karaoke and a drumming session with Oakham School’s Director of Music Peter Davis. The visitors were also treated to a few magic tricks and decorated their own tote bags which they then took home with them.
Kelly Gibbons, who oversaw this Phab event, said “It was great to see our Form 6 and 7 pupils showing leadership to ensure they were organised to help the running of the day whilst also creating a warm and welcoming environment for our guests. Our pupils showed kindness whilst connecting with the guests from our local Rutland community at the same time. It was fantastic to see that they were able to embed the Phab ethos to reduce social isolation and build friendships along the way.”
Following the success of this day, the VA pupils were delighted to hold a postponed Easter Party in early May, where they welcomed disabled young people from their local community to the School to enjoy a range of Easter-themed crafts and activities.
The below feedback from our pupils shows just how much they enjoy these events:
It was a really mind-opening experience that gave me the opportunity to meet amazing and fun people. I loved it!
Can’t wait for next time.
Really enjoyed getting to know my guests.
Rewarding to build a connection with the guests and see them feel more comfortable as the time went on.
Form 5 VA pupils spent much of the year helping with the Oakham Canal Green Corridor Charity Project, which aims to regenerate a part of the old Oakham canal to the north of Oakham.
Initially the pupils looked for fundraising ideas, created publicity materials, and also designed a new logo and a new strapline, before helping out with the physical cleaning of the area.
Head of Voluntary Action, Chris West-Sadler, said: “Our pupils demonstrated enthusiasm, self-motivation and willingness to work on this important local conservation initiative and are proud at the positive impact this will have on our local community.”
To find out more about the charity, visit their website https://www.oakhamcanal.org
Oakham School has teamed up with national charity Phab to host a variety of regular activity sessions for local young people with disabilities on the School’s campus.
In October cadets travelled to Cumbria to complete adventure training and build on their military training. The March Service Weekend saw cadets practise activities such as fieldcraft and shooting at the Stanford Training Area in Norfolk.
Our cadets took part in two summer camps. At the RAF Summer Camp, cadets practised command tasks, low ropes and drill, among other activities. At the Army Camp, activities included shooting on a range, climbing, canoeing, and fieldcraft.
CCF cadets took part in a 4-day Gold DofE assessed expedition to Norway, covering around 100km through some spectacular Hardangervidda scenery. A magnificent achievement.
Senior cadet Alex had the privilege of becoming one of the Lord Lieutenant’s Cadets for the County of Rutland.
As The Queen’s personal representative in the County of Rutland, the Lord Lieutenant each year selects a very small number of cadets from the CCF and the community cadets (the Army Cadet Force and the Air Training Corps) to assist at formal civic events for the academic year. They also represent the wider cadet movement across the country.
Cadet Sergeant Major Alex applied and was accepted, and he had his investiture at Oakham Castle in front of an audience of local dignitaries, family and friends.
Cycling, canoeing, walking and sailing, our DofE pupils trained hard during the October and March Service Weekends, with their efforts paying off in the Summer Expeditions.
Gold Sailing
Gold Sailing
Silver Canoeing
Silver Walking
Gold Walking
Silver Cycling
The Bronze DofE cyclists left School on the last day of term tired, but in a positive mood at the prospect of completing their Qualifying Expedition. On day one the cyclists initially headed east towards the Lincolnshire border. After temporarily crossing over the border they returned to Rutland, completing a partial circuit of Rutland Water before heading to their campsite next to the River Chater. After successfully completing the 50km circuit, everyone enjoyed a hot meal and a good night’s sleep. The weather was not as kind on day two. The day started with strong winds and then progressed to rain, making the cycle much more challenging. After looping through Fineshade Wood the cyclists turned for home. Despite very hilly terrain and continued rain, everyone stayed positive and completed the 40km back to School to successfully complete their Qualifying Expedition. Written by Daniel Greenfield
The Silver Cyclists toured Northumberland as part of their Qualifying Expedition, starting at Alnwick and visiting a number of castles along the way, including Norham, Etal and Ford. The boys did brilliantly throughout and kept their spirits up despite the occasional shower or steep hill.
Form 5 enjoying a post exams barbecue with outdoor games
From
A 30-day sustainability challenge was undertaken by Upper School pupils who renounced an everyday habit or changed a behaviour that contributed towards global warming.
Some of the pledges included:
During the challenge, Upper School pupil James, who is also part of a UK-German youth group on climate change, commented: “This challenge is important to me because I believe that this year’s COP will mark the starting point of people taking this issue seriously, and actually bring about change that will help us keep below the 1.5-degree rise. I also hope that it will start to encourage more pupils and young people to try and act more sustainably, instead of saying they cannot do anything, for longer than 30 days.”
The pupils took on the challenge to be the change they wanted to see in the world, with some continuing their pledges to this day.
A ‘green’ Christmas took place across the campus over the festive period in a bid to reduce the School’s carbon footprint.
Using a service from ‘Love a Christmas Tree’, the School rented real trees which were then returned to the company following the festivities, where they were replanted. This means they’re ready to use again the following year and have reduced the waste of having to buy and dispose of different trees each year. In the Lower School, Hodges pupils made different sustainable products for their House whilst learning how to be more environmentally responsible. Pupils used computer-aided designs (CAD) and a laser cutter to produce Christmas decorations to hang on their tree at the School. These were made out of laser ply and acrylic off-cuts from a manufacturing company that would have disposed of this excess material.
Kelly Gibbons, Teacher of Design and Technology, said: “Our Lower School boarders thoroughly enjoyed their practical sustainability tasks and have learnt many new skills along the way to help enhance their learning and practical skills.”
“By using cut-off materials, pupils have learnt that whilst helping the environment in reducing waste they can create some lovely Christmas decorations which can be used for many years to come.”
In February, pupils and staff grabbed their spades and planted 900 saplings at the Young People’s Forest in Mead, Derbyshire. The project was part of the Woodland Trust’s #iwill campaign which promotes youth social action.
Oakham School volunteers have supported the Woodland Trust’s campaigns for a few years now, with pupils and staff making trips to plant trees to help create a better environment for years to come. Continuing the theme, for the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, pupils in the Lower, Middle and Upper School planted trees across the campus for the Queen’s Green Canopy.
As part of a Protect our Plant Environment Day, our Lower 1 pupils were given the chance to learn more about environmental topics through research and practical tasks. This included them interviewing members of staff about energy, waste and food, undertaking an audit on green spaces around campus and creating bug houses to hang outside their classrooms using materials collected during their eco-audit.
Whilst the academic year of 2021–2022 has been awash with new initiatives and sustainable projects, Oakhamians aren’t stopping there. As well as pupils continuing with some of the ideas and practices they have already implemented, a new activity has also been introduced in the Upper School to give sustainability another focus.
Environmental Impact and Sustainability Projects will see Form 6 pupils come up with creative ideas relating to the protection of the environment. These may take a variety of forms and will allow pupils to work together to bring some solutions and ideas into existence, in a way that will have a positive impact at Oakham.
By participating, students will become part of a global movement of likeminded individuals, who recognise the value in safeguarding our surroundings for future generations.
Our fantastic Day and Boarding Houses are the heart of the School community and many of them have taken on a central role in tackling climate change at Oakham, including trying out new eco-friendly products with pupils to encourage them to make a more permanent change.
Pupils tried out reusable teabags, shampoo and soap bars and bamboo toothbrushes, which they then reported back on and discussed their usability.
Pupils in Hambleton also hosted their own sustainable fashion show, which turned into a group challenge of who was the best dressed. All Houses also took part in Greenpeace’s ‘The Big Plastic Count’ in May, where pupils shared the responsibility of collecting and recycling everyday items such as plastic packaging, toiletry bottles and caps and lids.
As well as the fantastic projects pupils and teaching staff have been working on, our IT Department have also been playing their part in sustainability by supporting HP’s Brighter Futures trade-in programme. By recycling IT equipment responsibly, the School is helping to support their “Sprucing up Cumbria’s woodlands” project.
Read about how Old Oakhamians are helping to protect the environment and help us live more sustainably on pages 18–23 of the Old Oakhamian magazine.
Left and below left: Pupils planting trees across the campus for the Queen's Green Canopy
The 12th Annual Festival, held in memory of Old Oakhamian Tom Grant (‘05), took place at the School’s Wilson Fields in September 2021. Twelve Houses competed in the friendly House competition, all striving to win the Champions League replica trophy. The Senior Boys Tournament was a largely competitive one, with Chapmans finishing deserved winners. The Junior Boys winners were Barrow, holding off a spirited Haywoods to the end. The Junior Girls Tournament was taken home by Hambleton. A solid performance by Buchanans in the girls’ matches helped them edge past Stevens and they were crowned the overall winners and were the recipients of the Champions League Trophy.
In the Interhouse Debating Clipsham narrowly beat Barrow to become the winners of the Senior Interhouse Debating Competition with Clipsham opposing the motion “This House would raise the legal age to hold a social media account”. In the Junior Interhouse Debating Competition, it was too close to call and Hambleton and Clipsham were crowned joint winners.
Held every year with separate competitions for pupils in the four Lower School Houses and the six Middle/Upper School Boarding Houses, interhouse singing is a chance for each House community to join together in song. In the Lower School competition Lincoln was crowned Best Girls’ House, PH won the Best Boys’ House prize, with Lincoln winning the competition overall. In the Middle School Buchanans took home the prize with their rendition of ‘All of Me’ by John Legend.
The Interhouse Steeplechase was held over a number of dates; the Lower School cross country run saw Ancaster and Sargants crowned as overall combined girls and boys winners, whilst in the Middle and Upper School competitions Wharflands won the honour of overall cup winners.
Representing your House in the many different interhouse competitions that take place each year is one of the most important ways that pupils can support their House community. Here we look at some of the hotly contested events and trophies of 2021–22.
The weather was glorious for both the Middle & Upper School and Lower School Sports Days. A full set of track and field events were back on the cards and each one of them proved to be competitive and thrilling. The events included 100m sprints, 1500m races, as well as relays, javelin, hurdles, long jump, high jump and more. Mixed relay races also took place at both events, a fitting addition to the race schedule in Oakham’s 50th year of co-education.
The results speak for themselves. Results are a combined effort of every athlete, not just the best. Every team pulled together, every athlete doing their very best. Everyone gave their all, everyone earned points for their House. What I loved most was their support of each other, and how those who finished early stayed to cheer on their team. All athletes of all abilities, mixed, giving their all!
Written by Trefon Vandoros, Director of Athletics800m = 2.48s Zak S, L1 Boys
Shot 9m Henry B, L1 Boys Javelin 22.50m Harry L, L1 Boys
800m 4min 39 Harry D (E Rodell 4min 45s)
*100m = 12.3s Sofia B (E. Bell, 12.7s & Sammy K, 12.5s) also broke the record of E Matthew-Shaw 12.71s 200m = 25.9s Sofia B (E Matthew-Shaw 26.7s) Javelin 27.27m Izz J (F England 25.92m)
200m = 27.4s Evie S
*All three girls broke the Inter Girls 100m record. E Bell held the record for 70 seconds before both Sofia and Sammy beat it in the following heat.
After a long summer it was great to be back in School again to see friends and start a new year. In the Winter Term, there were many events, including Interhouse Hockey and many Christmas celebrations. The whole House worked together to decorate the House common rooms and trim the trees. Our daily Christmas calendar kindness awards were given to those who were nominated by their friends. In the Interhouse Hockey, we drew at full time, but sadly Lincoln just beat us in the penalty shoot-out. After enjoying our Christmas hog roast and being entertained by a magician, we had to face the sad reality that all of us knew that Mrs Petit would be leaving us at the end of term. Sadly, this also meant that Monty would be leaving too! On the last day of term, we all gathered in the common room to say our goodbyes and present her with her gifts. Overall, this was an eventful term for Ancy. Ancaster’s motto ‘Be brave, be kind, be you’ also helped keep the House on track and helped Mrs Gibbons settle into House life, which she has mastered with ease. She has kept Ancaster going strong, and we kicked off the Spring Term with Interhouse Netball which we narrowly lost to Lincoln, but had great success in the Interhouse Cross Country whilst enjoying putting face paint and blue socks on to support the House. Ancaster had numerous socials, with pizza and ice cream, lip sync battles and socials mixed with the other Houses to suit all, including a disco, film room and games rooms.
Much loved by everyone in Ancaster, Monty paid a visit to his old House and we all enjoyed having fun with him. It was a very busy term, but our House spirit kept up and we managed to push through numerous sports fixtures and concerts. We supported each other through House families, which help different year groups mingle and provide advice. Overall the Spring Term was packed full and made enjoyable by Mrs Gibbons being such a good HM, and for taking over from Mrs Petit with such gusto and kindness.
The Summer Term is always something to look forward to as we can begin to enjoy the warm sun whilst doing a range of sports, including cricket, tennis, and athletics. It is always a busy term, with house matches, Prize Giving preparations and the Lower School Production, Oliver! JR, in which a lot of Ancastrians were involved. It was a great success, with both casts giving brilliant performances! Lots of fun socials were had by all including a L1 and F1 BBQ and the F2 trip to Twin Lakes. Lots of Ancastrians won prizes, and we also won the Interhouse Tennis, making us all proud! House families took on new challenges by working on different activities; from decorating biscuits and writing letters to facing our fears and trying new things, which have all helped us embrace the School’s four values: Care, Courage, Contribution, and Connection; these have helped the House become an even better place making it another fantastic year for Ancaster!
Written by Eloise
(Form 2)
Baines
Ancaster’s motto ‘Be brave, be kind, be you’ also helped keep the House on track and helped Mrs Gibbons settle into House life, which she has mastered with ease.”
In the Winter Term, future Lincolnettes were welcomed into a warm and fun environment in House with not only new friends to make, but also Mrs Northcott’s fun energy with twinkle lights, balloons, bunting, and of course, our House mascot James Cordon. Our hard work during the year has always been paid off with treats from Mrs Northcott, including cupcakes, doughnuts, fruit, and many more. Speaking of cakes, in the Winter Term, we had our Macmillan Cake sale for which we raised well over £500! We demonstrated our team work again during the Interhouse Cross Country, supported by our Lincoln cape, our robot balloon mascots, and Mrs Northcott’s motivating ‘Chariots of Fire’ team talk. And of course we have our House dances, which involve everyone including our wonderful Tutors. We did a lot of these during the Winter Term as a way to mix the year groups and bring people together as a House. In this term, we also had our Form 2 social, where each House had a different activity, and Lincoln’s was a party, called Disco Fever. We had glow sticks, disco lights, Mr Jaekel doing his caterpillar move on the dance floor, and some wonderful hula hoop moves. Then it came to Halloween, where the House was decorated with scary spiders and their webs. A final surprise was our annual Secret Santa, Christmas hog roast and fun games in House. Even before the Spring Term started, people were taking part in the netball pre-season training, and Mrs Northcott was decorating Lincoln House in fun New Year balloons and a Rawr-some dinosaur balloon. We had a disco inferno-themed social for Form 1 and Lower 1, where people enjoyed limbo and pizza. Later on, the whole of Lincoln joined to enjoy a Grease-themed social. The outfits were amazing. For Valentine’s Day, everyone in Lincoln wrote notes to each other to tell them how amazing they are on bright red love hearts. World Book Day was a really fun day, which started with some of the Form 7 Decem, Jess and Lauren, visiting us and reading to us. They brought a box full of books and a lot of sweet treats. Soon after, we held a charity bake sale to raise money for Comic Relief for which the Lower School raised over £500. The House was very lucky to receive a Teams call from Baroness Massey from the Houses of Parliament, who also happened to be Mrs Northcott’s Auntie! She talked to us all about resilience, and people found the call very useful. We ended the term with a bang, when we won the Interhouse Netball for all three year groups. The final term of the year was very successful, rewarding, full of fun, and emotional, to say the least. To kick off the Summer Term, Mrs Northcott turned 50 and we all celebrated with balloons, cupcakes, plenty of cards and getting to see Mrs N modelling ball gowns in Rutland Living Magazine! Old Lincolnettes came back to Lincoln to surprise Mrs Northcott, and it was really great to meet some people who had once been in Lincoln. One of the many social events, our Lower School BBQ and Social, was a great success as we enjoyed our time outside playing games in the sunshine. The first of Lincoln’s many successes this term was the Interhouse Singing Competition; we finally took home the Best Girls House trophy and Best Overall House after five years of trying for singing ‘I’m still standing’ by Elton John. We had an amazing Prize Giving and Sports Day, where Lincoln girls triumphed with 3 Vitrix Ludorum, overall winners of the Junior & Senior trophy, overall girls winners and finally, overall mixed Lincoln and PH winners – what a brilliant day! The Form 2 Leavers trip to Twin Lakes was also brilliant! This year could not have been as wonderful without the help of all the Tutors, Mrs Northcott and all the staff. The atmosphere in House has always been relaxing and vibrant, with our organised raffles, Doughnut Days and House bingo, so a massive thank you to everyone! We all love Lincoln House! Written by Alice Davey, Holly Prothero and Imogen Williamson (Form 2)
We had glow sticks, disco lights, Mr Jaekel doing his caterpillar move on the dance floor, and some wonderful hula hoop moves.”
This year in PH has been full of activities and events, such as almost beating Sargants in Interhouse Rugby, with Form 2 prevailing with a considerable victory. Our steeplechase cross country warriors came close to victory, but we were once again thwarted by Sargants. At the end of the Winter Term we had the PH Christmas Party where we played many fun games and exchanged gifts.
In the Spring Term, as Covid levels dropped, we were able to get back to many more activities, one of which was the PHebruary Pheast, which was a blast. Other activities included: Interhouse Swimming, which we won, Interhouse Hockey, and loads of interhouse socials where we were finally able to get back to the norm. We also had the Egg Challenge, which involved constructing a working parachute to be dropped off the top of Jerwoods and the egg had to survive without it being smashed. In house time we played games, participated in quizzes and numerous other activities. We also had our Double Doughnuts, which is a tub that we fill with table tennis balls whenever boys in the House earn rewards. When the balls get to a certain level we get doughnuts for our snack. Our flag incorporates a number of symbols that represent our House and its values. Our House motto is “Temptare est Vincere” which translates into English as “to try is to win”. At breaktime we have biscuits of our choice and we can play chess, table football, pool, and table tennis. We also go outside onto the courts which we play basketball on.
The Summer Term was a blast, as there were so many socials and events going on for day pupils and boarders. One of the highlights of the term was going to the Lower School Production Oliver! JR, which was a great performance by Lower School pupils. We also were involved with bake sales for Leicester City of Sanctuary which helps asylum seekers and refugees. Also this term the Form 2s went to Twin Lakes as a leavers send off, which was brilliant. This term we also had our first back-to-normal Prize Giving, where everyone including grandparents could come. After Prize Giving we also had our Sports Day, which saw great competition between Sargants and Peterborough, but the combined House point prevailed with Lincolnborough winning overall!
Written byWilliam Hallam, Alex Morrison (Form 2)
The Summer Term was a blast, as there were so many socials and events going on for day pupils and boarders.”
The House socials were great fun and we got to interact with others from PH, Ancaster and Lincoln. The last social was the best – we got to go into other common rooms! Lincoln had a BIG dance party which was a favourite. Later, we all had Domino’s pizzas. It is nice to socialise with the other Houses. Pizza was on the menu again when Sargants boys all visited the Lord Nelson in Oakham.
This year, Sargants have focused on raising money for charities to help children, such as for Children in Need. We brought in many delicious homemade cakes to sell at bake sales and made over £250.
For the Harvest Festival, we had a competition against the other Houses to buy as much tinned food and non-perishable food as we could for £5. It had a positive impact on all of us and we learned that the little amounts combined can help a lot of people who are less fortunate than us to eat and enjoy a meal.
The House table tennis tournament was a great success with a knock-out set-up and randomly chosen pairings from a hat. There were many thrilling games and long continuous rallies. Adam Bell was eventually victorious and won an Easter Egg. Henry Jordan and Oliver Barczak were runners-up. After this excitement, we all strolled to the Lord Nelson pub for an evening of zen and pizza. We really enjoyed the pub and would recommend it! It was a favourite moment getting together and socialising.
Sargants have really excelled in sport this year. We have won a lot and came runners-up in the ones that we did not win! In hockey it took a lot of skill and teamwork to win every game against PH. We trained and worked hard for the win in rugby, but it was not that easy at all. We had to put a lot of effort into the tackles and passes to get tries to eventually win the game.
In Interhouse Cross Country everyone played their part to get as many points as possible to ‘run away’ with the win. We have been taught lots of tennis and cricket skills from the wonderful sports coaches and we pushed PH to their limits to beat them in both sports. Sports Day was really hot and there were lots of icecreams eaten! Everyone cheered each other on, and some people even ran in longer distances than they wanted to which was amazing! We didn’t win but we still tried our hardest, put on a show and showed PH what we are made of. It has been a wonderful year in Sargants!
Contributions written by all in House
The House socials were great fun and we got to interact with others from PH, Ancaster and Lincoln.”
As a House we have had amazing sporting success this year due to perseverance, dedication, and full commitment when representing the School or in interhouse competitions, such as the Tom Grant Football Festival. In this, boys of all levels of skill came together and gave their all. This attitude led to the Barrow intermediate team, composed of Form 3 and 4, coming 1st overall. Additionally, in Interhouse Water Polo our top swimmers demonstrated their excellence, with our team drawing 1st on wins but narrowly coming 2nd on goal difference. However, this wasn’t the only competition that took place in the pool this year; we also had Interhouse Swimming. In this both the Form 3 and the senior teams took home very convincing wins. One Form 3 member of Barrow who stood out at swimming was Jacob M, one of the best swimmers in the country for his age group and in the GB selection group and Commonwealth Games Trialist group too. Other individuals who have excelled this year in their sports are Harry D who set a new School Record at Sports Day for the 1500m, Maxie W who scored a huge 70 runs for the Oakham U15A cricket team, and Adam D who played in the School’s 1st XI hockey team. We mustn’t forget Max W who has been unbeaten in team squash for two years and is the Leicestershire U17 Champion. In addition, members of Barrow’s Form 3 played in the Oakham Rugby 7s A team who participated at Rosslyn Park and managed to come in 8th place in the country: Oliver P, Jacob M, Roman P, Ezrah S and William C. Another interhouse competition that can’t go without mention is the Interhouse Hockey Competition. The Barrow intermediate team came 2nd on goal difference and the seniors, somewhat unexpectedly, won their competition which gave Barrow the overall House Hockey title – much to Mr Denman’s disbelief! And finally for sport, in the biggest
interhouse competition of the year, Sports Day, Barrow intermediates came 1st and overall, we finished as the 2nd Boys’ House.
In other co-curricular activities, such as music and theatre, Barrow House boys have been shining. We have three very talented musicians who play in the School Big Band: Eddie M (Form 5) who plays the drums, George M (Form 3) who plays the saxophone, and Freddy A (Form 4) who plays the guitar. In the theatre Iyaas G, Patrick D–C, and Max W put on stunning performances throughout the year, and have starred in productions of Romeo and Juliet, and Singin’ in the Rain. Huge applause must go to Alex C, Patrick D-C, Iyaas G, Ethan T, Max W and Will M for their contribution to Chapel Choir and for Will M’s excellence in Chamber Choir. Barrow House’s academics have also been very promising with the highest performing students pushing their limits as well as all of the boys in Barrow working hard to try and achieve their personal academic goals. At Speech Day, Barrow students received nine academic prizes and in other academic achievements Barrow boys have received Golds, Silvers, and Bronzes in the UK Maths Challenge and several commendations and a Silver in the Biology Challenge. Further academic achievements include Ansh V achieving a Silver in the Chemistry Olympiad which was especially impressive as it was a competition aimed at Form 7. Finally thank you to this year’s Prefects: Head of House Ansh V, Deputy Heads of House: Ben N, Will M and Prefects: Rory K, Adam D, Aashish R.
Written by Adam Desira (Form 4) and Ansh Verma (Form 6)
This academic year in Buchs has been very successful and full of many highlights the Buchanans girls will look back on and treasure.
We started off the year in September with the annual Tom Grant Football Festival, which involved all Houses taking part in five-a-side matches. It was a huge team effort, with girls ranging from Forms 3 to 6 competing and we managed to win the absolutely enormous trophy and begin to stock up Mrs Latham’s trophy cabinet in her final year in Buchs.
After some delays due to Covid, a longawaited Christmas dinner was finally held in the large Barraclough with Haywoods in February! This dinner was very much the highlight of the Spring Term with the Barraclough staff providing us with lovely food and drink, whilst in great company of the Haywoods boys, residents, and staff from both Houses. The girls enjoyed the evening very much.
Also in February, Buchs girls had something else to look forward to –Oakham’s famous Interhouse Singing Competition! After a few weeks of practicing our chosen song – ‘All of Me’ by John Legend - in the Main Common Room, we felt more than ready to perform in front of the rest of the boarders and of course, the final judge, Mr Davis. Having discovered we were to perform our piece 4th, we all felt slightly more relaxed as we weren’t going first. However, a small amount of panic began to cross the girls’ faces when we realised that everyone’s song choice was a little less serious than our own. We were up against Stevens singing ‘Dancing Queen’ and Rushebrookes ‘Call me Maybe’, both of which were far more upbeat and cheerier. Nevertheless, despite the embarrassment of singing an emotional song, we went on to win the whole competition.
To end the year, we decided to have a Buchs dinner in BAFs. The Prefects helped to set up and decorate, and shortly after we all sat down as a House to enjoy chicken wraps and salad. After the dinner, we headed back to House to begin our skits. House skits have always been very traditional, not just in Buchs but amongst other Houses, and are normally performed just before Christmas, but instead we thought now was the perfect time to do them. Form 3, as is customary, performed a lovely, choreographed dance to ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ by Queen which certainly put many smiles on the faces of the older years and
residents. Up next was Form 4 who decided to re-enact the teachers in House, one by one, all playing a different role. They named it ‘Keeping up with Buchs’ which reduced everyone to hysterics; it’s safe to say their performance will not be forgotten. Form 6 rounded off the evening with a short film of their time in Buchs from Form 3 through to Form 6 (put together by Uzma) which made many laugh but also brought a few teary eyes too. Awards, ranging from silly to more meaningful, that the Sixth Form had made were then given out to the winners who received a special certificate! All in all, the evening was very special, particularly for Form 6 and Mrs Latham who are leaving Buchs. Finally, thank you to everyone who has made this year in Buchs so special. That includes Sue, our Matron who is extremely kind and is always there to help; Denise and her wonderful cleaning staff who work so hard to make the House look so presentable. Particularly during Covid, they have been amazing. Our Resident Tutors, Miss Woodward and Miss Linane, who dived into the deep end at the beginning of September and have been nothing but fabulous. They have been so friendly and generous, and always up to chat about anything. We have brilliant Tutors attached to Buchs, who are always on hand for advice and help. Thank you for all that you do for us. And of course, Mrs Latham, who after 11 years has left Buchs. Thank you for dedicating all your time, energy, and enthusiasm to the Buchs girls. Although she now moves to Round House, luckily, she is not too far from the girls who are easily able to visit her. Now we are delighted to welcome Miss Aherne as the new Housemistress of Buchs, who I know the girls are looking forward to getting to know and connect with.
Written by Sienna Cutt (Form 6)
Whilst looking back on the past year in order to write this report, I have had the chance to take stock of the many wonderful moments in the House and the boys and staff who have given their time, energy and passion to make the year a success. The House Tutor team of Mr Braans, Dr Headley, Mr Nutter, Mr Arnold, Mr Rice, Ms Stephenson, Mr Mayhew, Ms Berkin and Mrs Griffiths have been exceptional advocates for the boys and have supported them through thick and thin. I know the boys are grateful for their advice and guidance, as they are of the exceptional care they receive from our Matron, Sarah, and Katrina, our Head of Housekeeping, and her wider team.
The House has been led by a brilliant team of Prefects who have never lost sight that their role is to serve the House through their leadership and make Chapmans the best place it can be. My sincere thanks therefore go to Oliver Martin, Ivor Amende, Monty Lovell, Severin Weingarten, Seth Tamlyn, Daniel Longden, Yat Fei Lang (Deputy Head of House) and Daniel Kelly (Head of House). The House managed to celebrate an early success in September when the senior boys team lifted the champion’s trophy in the Tom Grant Football Festival in front of a packed House, steamrolling their way through most opponents, winning all games but one (a draw with a physically strong School House team) and with Richard Lecat bagging a creditable four goals throughout the afternoon.
Staying with sport, the Chapmans boys enjoyed a great afternoon in the pool during the Interhouse Swimming Gala and finished second behind a good Barrow squad. This was one of those lovely occasions when the supporters, myself included, looked on with delight and surprise (“Boys! You can all swim really well! Why didn’t you tell me?”). It is a little remiss to focus on individuals at this point, but we did have some particularly brilliant swims from Andrey Zemlyanskiy, Charles Hopkinson, Mate Nyikos, CharlesEloi Biscarel and Daniel Chung.
The Interhouse Debating Challenge saw both the intermediate and senior teams progress to the semi-finals, losing to Hambleton on both occasions. David Harrison deserves special mention here – he arrived as a spectator, ready to support the Form 4 and Form 5 team of Christian Hazell, Matthew Cox and Ernst Kung, only to find out we were a competitor light. After a quick briefing by team manager Seth Tamlyn, David found himself on stage arguing against the
scientific merits of animal testing. A really fine example of thinking on your feet and importantly, being willing to help the House when the call comes in.
Rowley Moore provided a hearty dose of culture for his fellow Form 4 boys when he was chosen to play the role of Lord Capulet in the Middle School Production of Romeo and Juliet. Accompanied by Mr Arnold and Mr Nutter, the boys arrived to support Rowley in force and enjoyed a great production as a result.
The Chapmans boys enjoyed multiple social events over the course of the year. Whether it was a low-key curry night for all, Safari Suppers with Rushebrookes for Forms 4 and 5 or drinks and music at the Odd House for Form 6, Saturday evenings tended to be busy. The House Christmas party proved hard to beat, with Daniel Kelly and Josh Gundle organising a karaoke party for the boys and staff to cap a great first term. Everybody was happy to join in and sing, and some boys (and staff) even rolled out some creditable dance moves. As we moved into the Summer Term, the better weather saw endless games of garden cricket and plenty of barbecues and social events –the Chapmans Summer Party in May saw good food, good company, garden games, skits and awards and was a huge hit with all in attendance. It was a great way to bring the House together to celebrate their achievements.
The last few weeks remained busy. The boys raised almost £900 for Macmillan Cancer Support through their sponsored assault course run – thanks go to the Form 6 boys for taking the lead and designing the course, producing promotional material, risk assessing the event, and generally keeping the wheels turning.
I finish by wishing our Form 6 boys the best of luck in School House next year. They will do well and we know they will come back to visit us when they can - they have been an excellent group to work with in my first year as Housemaster and have set a high bar for future cohorts. Daniel Kelly has been an outstanding Head of House and has proven himself to be mature and empathetic beyond his years. He has been an enormous help to me and should leave Chapmans feeling very proud of his work.
Written by Owen Hughes
At the start of the Winter Term we enjoyed welcoming the new Third Formers into Clipsham. The boys settled in well and adjusted to the busy Middle School life, especially enjoying making the most of the kitchen to make toast and play pool in the common room.
Like all Houses, Clipsham was very busy with all the events that have occurred throughout the year. We started off the first week of term with the Form 3 and Form 6 joint social. Despite some delays in getting the food, the Chinese and Indian was very tasty, and the year groups got to know each other well. This was followed by the Form 3 BBQ at Rutland Water. This was a very enjoyable afternoon where the new boys got to express themselves, and got to show off their various cooking skills, with some boys being rather more experienced than others. The boys also got to show their sporting abilities, and it was rather entertaining to see Mr Latham come out of his cricket retirement. But overall, a lovely day for the new lads to get to know each other well.
Form 6 enjoyed their annual dinner with Gunthorpe at the Admiral Hornblower including an eloquently delivered speech of thanks by Seb A.
In the Tom Grant Football Festival the seniors could not live up to their previous successes finishing 3rd overall, and the junior boys did not have the ideal start to their interhouse campaign by finishing 4th overall. However, some rather spectacular performances from Eddie R (F4) and Omar O (F3) did show that the future of football in Clipsham is in safe hands.
My personal favourite interhouse sporting event was the Steeplechase. The juniors showed great fight throughout the run, and special mentions go to Marcus S (F3) and Omar O (F3), with Marcus coming in 1st overall and Omar coming in at a close 4th. This year saw the return of Senior Interhouse Debating, with a new Upper School format, allowing two Sixth Formers to compete with Seventh Formers who used to be in the House. Our team of George N, James G, Ranulph W , and former Head of House, Wilby T, proposed the motion that “HGV Drivers should be paid more as a means of solving the food and fuel shortages” against Rushebrookes. After some excellent speeches, especially the conclusion by George, we managed to score 23 out of 28, beating the opposition by 4 points. Clipsham
went on to win both the senior and the junior debating trophies; congratulations to all those who were involved.
Congratulations to Archie F who has been admitted to the Youth Brass 2000 band, one of the most prestigious youth brass bands in the country. He recently attended their London Tour, playing the bass trombone. The band have an association with the Birmingham Conservatoire, and were invited to have sessions with the Tutors and the students; all culminating in a joint concert. Later in the year, Archie F was awarded a Music Scholarship and we look forward to seeing him in future concerts as he enters his final year at Oakham.
We enjoyed seeing Maxim E-S (F5) and Adam J (F4) perform in the Main School Production of Singin’ in the Rain. Congratulations to them for their involvement in this tricky production.
Congratulations also to Adam R, Archie F, Freddie G (F6), Luc R, Will F (F5), Nathan O, Adam J (F4), Joe M, Jonathan A & Will W (F3) who were selected for this year’s House Shadow Board. A sort of House Council, part of their role includes helping to promote inclusivity by raising awareness of particular events such as: Black History Month and International Women’s Day.
In cricket, Ollie C (F5) and Joe J (F6) were selected for the LCCC Tour to Sri Lanka during the February half-term. Many congratulations to these boys, and for their involvement representing Leicestershire CCC in the summer. Congratulations to Seb A (F6) for his involvement in the PHAB Day which involved working with teenagers & young adults with disabilities, taking part in activities such as music, arts and crafts and cake decorating.
Oliver C (F5) qualified for the Pony Club show jumping championships, after tremendous individual success in the qualifying rounds in what was a difficult competition.
Finally I thank the pupils for their efforts this year and congratulate them on their achievements, many of which I have not been able to mention here. Lastly, a huge thank you to Mr Latham, for his unwavering support, black and white advice and friendship this year.
Written by Steve Dachtler Clipsham went on to win both the senior and the junior debating trophies; congratulations to all those who were involved.”Being able to get back to ‘normal’ Oakham life this year has been the highlight for us. Throughout the year we have relished each and every opportunity to come together again and properly revitalise the House spirit. This was particularly evident in our outside Christmas event, which couldn’t be held indoors due to Covid, yet every single Gunthorpe girl was outside, in the icy middle of December, and putting on some of the best skits that I have seen. For me, this encapsulated what we all know and love about House and was a lovely opportunity to have some festive fun, granted in a slightly less glamorous way than originally planned. Something else that I am proud of is the focus on helping others this year, from the different charity fundraisers, such as our annual Pink Party and the bake sale, to a large collection for the food bank; I feel that the focus has been positive and something that we should be proud of as a House. Although we may not have had many overall wins in the House sporting competitions this year, without fail we have managed to put teams out there in good spirit, with basketball being our strongest sport and fantastic participation in Sports Day, with Tabby C winning the high jump for her category. Many Gunthorpe girls have also been taking part in the Girls cricket team which has been an inspiring innovation to watch and support. There has also been very good individual representation within specific sports, such as Phoebe (Netball), Evie D (Equestrian), Izzy B (Equestrian) and Molly T (Equestrian) who all represent at county level for their sports. There are also many team players with Ella representing the team for both hockey and tennis, Torah swimming for the 1st team, and Izzy G, Hannah and Etta representing the 1st team for lacrosse. Further to the sporting achievements this year there have been many musical and drama successes, with Liv S playing Juliet in the Middle School Production of Romeo and Juliet alongside Lily R, Tilly and Esther.
Earlier in the year, Etta starred in the Main School Production of Singin’ in the Rain and also performed in the Scholars’ Production of Blue Stockings alongside Flossie. In music, Faith, Evie B, Etta and Torah have all passed music exams with Distinction and/or Merit. There have also been an array of lunchtime and informal concerts which have been thoroughly enjoyed by all and gave some of the Gunthorpe girls an opportunity to showcase what they have been working towards.
A highlight for Sixth Formers was running the annual Form 3 sleepover, where we passed on the traditional ghost story and converted Gunthorpe into the House of Terror for the evening. Another yearly event that was able to make a return this year was the Pink Party for Women’s Aid Leicestershire which was a fantastic opportunity to be together as a House and raise money for such a fantastic cause, something I hope is highlighted as a key value of the House.
None of this, however, could have been done without the amazing help of the Tutors and staff keeping us going, from the cheery duo of Mrs Dunbavand and Mrs Gibbons at the start of the year, which was shortly changed to the delightful Mrs Madden, Matron with her endless upbeat attitude and fantastic supply of cakes and life chats which was greatly appreciated, and the Tutors for always being ready for a chat and to help us whenever we need it.
As the year drew to a close, there were many events and final opportunities to soak in the year. With post-exam socials for all year groups, Form 5 and 6 leaving dinners, the Speech Day picnics and final House family competitions whilst relaxing in the sun, the House enjoyed the beautiful summery months. Form 6 in particular reflected on memories in House as our time in Gunthorpe came to an end. On behalf of the House I would like to thank everyone who has made this year happen and wish next year’s Sixth Formers the best of luck with leading the House and that they enjoy the last year in Gunthorpe, as I think that it is safe to say that it absolutely flies by. Being able to lead the House has been an absolute pleasure and delight as we could bring back the Gunthorpe spirit as we know it, which I hope continues for many years to come.
Written by Zoë Chidlow (Form 6)
Starting with sport, in the Winter Term we had our Interhouse Hockey in which we managed to come 2nd in both the senior and intermediate competitions – great performances to start off our year. Moving on to the Spring Term, we had excellent participation in Interhouse Netball and won both the seniors and intermediates, which was amazing. Added to this, there were loads of girls in House competing in weekly team fixtures for hockey, netball, tennis, athletics, cricket and more! We also took part in Interhouse Basketball, which no one in House played as a sport, but despite this we won so many of our games and it was a shame that we didn’t have the chance to finish the competition, as I think we would have won! Next it was on to Interhouse Lacrosse, which was a hilarious event, with not a single one of us ever having touched a lacrosse stick before, but I think we picked it up really well and, despite us not winning a match, we did draw against Gunthorpe who had many actual lacrosse players on their team, so we were very proud of that! I also can’t talk about lacrosse without giving a quick mention to Abi who was such a great sport and was our goalie for the whole tournament. Finally we had Sports Day, where almost every person in House competed in at least one event, with many doing the maximum possible number of events. We won the intermediate girls competition and came second in the senior girls competition, winning the overall girls competition as well!
Hambleton has also taken part in Interhouse Debating this year in which we had a joint win with Clipsham due to the final being too close to call; well done to Annie-May, Jemima, Lena and Danté!
We had lots of musicians taking part in lunchtime and after school concerts this year, as well as lots taking part in music exams. Hambleton girls were also really involved in plays across the various years and it has been great that lots of the House have been able to go see and support.
Hambleton was very involved in charity fundraising this year, our biggest charity event being our annual Children In Need bake sale where we raised over £700 with a lot of cakes and bakes being sold in a very busy break time! We also did a new charity event this year, collecting almost 60 Easter Eggs for the Rutland Foodbank!
Next, moving on to the House as more of a whole, we were able to have more socials again this year, especially Form 3 who managed to have loads to help build their friendships in their first year of Hambleton. I also hear the Form 5 games night was a great event and I hear “Spoons” got very competitive! We were also able to mix years again and this was really good – from just two years mixing like the Form 3 and 4 trip to Ninja Warrior to the whole House Christmas Dinner where, despite the formal dinner being cancelled, we made the most of it with our outside Christmas baps, fire pits and fairy lit tents! We watched each year perform their skit, which made for a very entertaining evening; Form 5, you have a lot to live up to next year to beat the Form 6 production of “Teacher’s Love Island”!
In House this year we have been up to all sorts in our House families, a key favourite being the return of the Newspaper Dress Competition, which saw each group use only newspaper and staples to create outfits for one of the House family members, who then gave a fashion show! More recently in House families we also had the Form 6 organised “House hide and seek”, with some excellent hiding spots being chosen; Flo in Form 3 somehow managed to hide in the provisions trolley under the stairs, tricking many of the Prefects (who were seekers) who moved the trolley and didn’t even notice she was in there! In our foyer over this year we have had a range of activities which brought years together to complete different activities, our biggest achievement was our Positivity Puzzle, which we did surprisingly quickly with different people from all the years constantly working on it at breaks and lunch.
Now….time for a rest!
Written
by Zara Brown (Form 6) Photos by Annalise Tittensor (Form 6)
We kicked off the Winter Term Haywoods festivities with our annual ‘House Family Singalong’ (or ‘Shoutalong’), accompanied by The Gelderblooms and Fr Tim. Following from this, we had the annual Football Festival in memory of Tom Grant, who was not only an OO but also an OH (Old Haywoodian). It was a pleasant afternoon for the House. The year was also immense for the boys in the classroom, as the only three Form 6 Gold Awards in the Senior Maths Challenge were given to Haywoods boys. Congratulations are also due to Ernie J, Friedrich T, and Paulus B for being members of the U16 Boys Indoor Hockey Team that placed 2nd in the Regional Finals and to Jakob W, Will M, and OH Lennard Grosse for placing 2nd in the U18 event. The term drew to a close with the Interhouse Rugby Sevens Competition, in which the juniors played exceptionally well and the seniors had a good time. I was excited to witness the return of the Junior Interhouse Debating Competition in the Spring Term. Though the tournament drew quickly to a close, I offer congratulations to Matthew C, Lucas L, Dozie O, and Richard T on their victory in the 1st round; they debated in true Haywoodian fashion. Countless House family meals took place in the sanctuary of the House Library, though I can’t decide whether the boys were more excited to be with their House families or to be eating Domino’s pizza. We finally held our annual Haywoods & Buchanans Christmas dinner, though it was the end of February. It was a lovely night, mainly thanks to the hard work of the catering staff. When House Singing came round, it was a surprise to no-one that the boys put in a good effort to do the House proud. These efforts were not only spent in Chapel, but also in the classroom; well done to Lucas L, who received Gold in the Intermediate Physics Olympiad, and to Matthew C and Oliver M, who received Bronze. With thanks to Mr Ward, we were able to host a 4-hour football match to raise funds for Comic Relief. Thanks to all the boys for taking part, and to our numerous donors. Amidst the busyness of Haywoodian life, it was inspiring to see two Haywoodians make a difference for those affected by humanitarian crisis on the international stage. Sargon H and Nikolay K initiated a fundraiser to support the Ukranian appeal, in the form of a charity sale of doughnuts and badges with Ukrainian and Russian flags to symbolise the need for unity in times of difficulty. The term seemed to end with a plethora of interhouse
events – Interhouse Water Polo, Hockey and Swimming and we even managed to snatch an unexpected victory in the water polo. Then came the Summer Term – highly anticipated for many reasons, with Mr Gelderbloom’s ’06:15 Fitnesss Club’ definitely not being one of them. The (slightly) more prevalent sunshine saw the yearly comeback of our renowned garden cricket, which demonstrated time after time the camaraderie between the boys. On one occasion, we spent Sunday afternoon paintballing and I had never seen the House so united with one common goal, namely to shoot Mr Gelderbloom. The first half-term came to a wrap with two key events: Sports Day – congratulations to Abisola E for winning the Inter Boys Victor Ludorum – and Speech Day, which proved to be an atmospheric afternoon for the House. We launched our first ever Haywoods Speech Day Raffle – courtesy of Mr Ward and Will M – with prizes gifted from generous parents of the pupils, and managed to raise a generous £392 for charity.
“Hard work, be kind, help others, smile”: these words became a mantra to live by for Haywoodians. There was the ‘inaugural’ Kilburn Cup, which came to life in the absence of the Tom Grant Festival last year, but has now been running for two consecutive years. The senior side was captained by yours truly. Despite not being an avid footballer myself, it was clear to me that our undeniable chemistry was what led to a 4-2 victory against our Chapmans rivals. The bi-weekly House Football was always an opportunity for the boys to spend time with each other in the fresh air. At every interhouse sporting event, every Haywoodian present was given an opportunity to play, and demonstrate grace and dignity in both defeat and victory.
We gathered unfailingly on Wednesdays for Sandra’s cake and in our fortnightly congregational practice, Haywoods predictably sang our hearts out; though it wasn’t the most musical thing to hear, but was certainly loud enough to make the ground shake!
Finally massive thanks to the staff: the Cleaning Team, Mr Kenyon, Mr Ward, Sandra, our Tutors, and Mr & Mrs Gelderbloom. To my fellow Form 6 leavers, thanks for everything. “Once a Haywoodian, always a Haywoodian”.
Written by Obi Osuji – Head of House (Form 6)
Rushebrookes House has proven to be as united as it has always been this year; the girls have bonded during events such as House Family events, weekend trips, dinners, parties and much more. We have also come together within the Oakham community joining other Boarding and Day Houses to socialise and contribute to charity events.
As the Winter Term commenced back in September, Form 3 and Form 4 joined the House as ‘newbies’, settling in quickly and contributing tremendously to the House. Some of the highlights of the Winter Term were Christmas dinners; despite having to cancel our whole House dinner due to Covid, each year group enjoyed a year group supper with food of their choice in the Common Room.
Competitiveness and spirit are qualities Rushebrookes has at the heart of all interhouse events. Interhouse Hockey and Debating proved to be challenging for us, but as always this did not deter us, and this was proven as our debating team managed to fight their way to the semi-finals.
The Spring Term commenced with high spirits and with less Covid to worry about, the House really took the opportunity to come together with the Prefects organising some rather entertaining House events. This included a ‘trashion show’ where one member of each House family was dressed up in ‘trash’ in order to creatively design an outfit of choice with limited materials. Another example of House fun is seen every year when the Prefects set out to make the Easter Egg Hunt as difficult as possible, I don’t think it was hard enough this year! Forms 4 and 5 enjoyed a range of boarders socials including Safari Suppers and games evenings in amongst the traditional hot chocolate evenings throughout the term for all year groups.
To celebrate our achievements, we had a very enthusiastic and exiting Summer Term. House events such as ‘Rushebrookes Sports Day’ saw us compete in traditional races like the egg and spoon race and sack race, amongst more intriguing activities such as ‘balloon pop’. As a way to have fun this term our OSCA reps organised a White Party with games, snacks and a raffle! We managed to raise £87 for the British Heart Foundation. The final weekend of term was particularly memorable, with the whole House making pizza in the Rushebrookes garden. As Form 6 leave Rushebrookes to start the final part of their journey in Round House, I encourage all the Rushebrookes girls to take all opportunities on offer and to keep contributing to the House community to make House spirit stronger than ever.
Written by Rosie Sly (Form 6)It has been a busy year in Stevens and one we have enjoyed so much. This year we have prided ourselves on getting involved in anything and everything that has come our way. Whether it’s Interhouse Debating or Lacrosse, Stevens girls have shown a real sense of House spirit and pride in everything they do. The year began with an influx of new girls into every year group, as well as two wonderful new Resident Tutors – Miss Gabriel and Miss Gilbert. A new House community was formed in no time as the new girls and Tutors found their routines and got used to Katie’s singing and jewellery checks. As is traditional, the new Third Form and Sixth Form enjoyed getting to know each other at the beginning of term BBQ, kicking off what promised to be a year of fabulous socials and events here in Stevens. The Winter Term is always packed full, with Interhouse Hockey, Debating, Christmas Dinner and much more. Despite the madness, the Stevens girls didn’t need asking twice to get involved and many even discovered new talents. As the highly anticipated Christmas Dinner approached, Prefects began planning what promised to be the event of the season! Although it turned out to be slightly chillier than we expected, the beautiful dresses, decorations and heartwarming singing certainly made up for the icy temperatures - the perfect way to celebrate the end to a busy term.
As we returned to School in the New Year, mocks loomed for Form 5 and we were back, ready for another full-on term. Excellent performances from our Form 4 & 5 Debating team kicked off the term’s House events. Back from half-term, the Stevens girls were faced with the challenge of House Singing. In just a week, we managed to put together a fantastic rendition of ‘Dancing Queen’, continuing the tradition of Stevens’ ABBA obsession and taking part with great enthusiasm but sadly not bringing back a victory… maybe next year? House Netball was our next big competition and Stevens were more than equal to the task. We were overwhelmed by the amount of girls keen to take part and had to make lots of rotations. The enthusiasm and House spirit was so impressive, and it was a day to be very proud of. We ended the term with an intense Interhouse Swimming Competition, an event which defined the feeling of ‘having a go’ and allowed our House spirit to shine through. Socials, tutor outings and dinners are something we have been so happy to welcome back properly this year. Ranging from cooking in House to escape rooms followed by a curry, there has been no shortage of social events,
providing a well-deserved break and reward for all the hard work that goes on every day in Stevens.
Whilst of course the House successes should be celebrated, the individual achievements of the girls in Stevens are not to be overlooked. The girls are very modest and reluctant to shout about their amazing achievements, which is what makes them all the more impressive. The range of talent in this House is incredible. Whether it’s playing netball at a national level, playing a role in the school play or winning singing competitions, there is nothing the Stevens girls haven’t had a go at.
The Summer Term brought with it the dread of exams, but also the excitement of the tennis season, Sports Day and plenty of BBQs as the weather heated up. Being able to have a proper, normal Sports Day and Speech Day for the first time in three years made for a busy but extremely enjoyable end to the first half of term. We even brought home the mixed Middle School trophy, proving that participation and enthusiasm pay off. Another victory came our way as Forms 3 and 4 won their Interhouse Tennis Competition, demonstrating that the Stevens girls are nothing if not versatile.
This year has gone by in a blur, but has been such a busy, exciting, and enjoyable year for everyone. All the girls should be extremely proud of everything we have achieved, and the Stevens community that we continue to create.
Written by Poppy Price (Form 6)
In September, pupils slowly adjusted to the normal structure of learning in School once again. Wharflanders’ academic studies were dealt with very well by pupils’ continuous efforts and hard work inside and outside of the classroom, whether this was doing extra research of consolidation outside of the classroom or by having good levels of participation in lessons. The House has worked very well in the allocated prep sessions between 19:30 and 21:00, completing prep set within lessons for their next lesson. There has been a big push in House regarding the effective use of the allocated prep time alongside free periods in House, whether this be completing prep that is due or by partaking in an activity such as reading. Form 5 had a very strong finish to the end of the year, completing their GCSEs and enjoying socials afterwards. Form 6 also had to work especially hard this year adjusting to the high workload that comes with A-levels and the IB Diploma, doing extra work to consolidate learning and research around the subjects studied. All the pupils have really engaged with their subjects by going the extra mile to improve their learning for their selected subjects’ choices. Form 6 end of year exams came around very quickly for them, which resulted in some very good grades but still room for improvement, in skills such as new exam techniques which will come with time. Wharflands also had a successful year regarding non-academic events. One of the first of the year was Interhouse Rugby which we won. We put out two very strong teams for the junior and senior competitions and showed excellent teamwork. That term we also went on to win the Steeplechase, which is the annual, gruelling cross country run. To round off the Winter Term, Wharflands had a very cheery Christmas dinner, where everyone in the House shared a delicious meal and awards were given out. To kick off the Spring Term, the House put a brilliant effort into the Interhouse Singing Competition, belting out ‘I want it that way’ by the Backstreet Boys. Unfortunately, we fell short of winning on this occasion, but everyone had a lot of fun.
In the Summer Term Wharflands had an amazing Sports Day, with almost the whole House taking part and winning the boys intermediate competition. At the end of term, Form 6 had a leavers dinner to round off their remarkable time in House, as they leave Wharflands to join School House.
Written by Samuel Campion and George Hopkinson (Form 6)
In the Summer Term
Wharflands had an amazing Sports Day, with almost the whole House taking part and winning the boys intermediate competition.
The class of 2022 enjoyed two special events to round off their schooldays in style. At the end of the Spring Term, they donned their finery for a black tie dinner at Barnsdale Lodge Hotel. This proved an ideal warm-up to the fantastic Leavers’ Ball held at the end of the Summer Term, where pupils celebrated their transition from Oakhamians to Old Oakhamians with a four-course dinner, live band and fireworks.
It’s good to be back! The Chapel genuinely never went away – actually it has been a rock for our community over the last couple of years as, I believe, it always has been in the near one hundred years of its existence. But I hope you understand what I mean when I say ‘it is good to be back.’ To have the Chapel filled with students, filled with singing, filled with music, filled with confirmands, filled with prayers, filled with joy and filled with laughter. Written by Chaplain Fr Tim Tregunno
Who would have ever thought, three years ago, that this could ever be newsworthy? The OLD Pews were back in Chapel after being exiled for 18 months to allow the Chapel to be used as a suitably socially distanced space. After being outlawed by Covid, congregational hymns were also back – top of the bill was the OLD favourite ‘Shine, Jesus Shine’. Chapel service has a NEW extended slot of 35 minutes on Thursdays allowing us to Borrow our Sunday style of Eucharistic worship. Every door had to be left wide open to allow the air to flow and students were given dispensation to wear coats to stop them turning BLUE(!)
Every student in the Lower School was asked to buy £5 worth of goods for a family who use the Foodbank. The best receipt was won by Emma Breag and the House with the most receipts was Sargants. Along with our usual Root Vegetable Tower competition, we had the addition of a House Scarecrow Competition won by Ancaster. It was fantastic to have the parents back with us and Mrs Allison unexpectedly won an apple pie made by Fr Tim’s mum!
After a year online, then last year outside our Houses, this year we were once again able to meet in our War Memorial Chapel, All Saints’ and St Joseph’s on the 11th day, of the 11th month, at the 11th hour. Where the names of The Fallen OOs were read, a Wreath of Poppies was laid, silence was kept, the Last Post & Reveille were sounded and we promised ‘we will remember them’.
Chapel services were sadly, but quite rightly, put on hold to avoid a possible pre-Christmas Covid spike. Our Lessons & Carols Service went back online with the Lower School, Chapel and Chamber Choirs creating a virtual online musical feast of Christmas festivity. All excellently recorded and edited in a brief window of time. The Nativity scene made a comeback and toured the Houses with students cracking glowsticks to symbolise prayers for the awaited Christ Child. As one student put it ‘Another rave for the baby Jesus!’
The Rt. Rev. Donald Allister, Bishop of Peterborough graciously presided over the Anglican Confirmation on Saturday 21 January. This was our first confirmation in two years which meant we had a bumper crop of 49 candidates – the most we have had since the early 90s!
At the end of February the Lower School had a hybrid Shrove Tuesday – Ash Wednesday Service. The liturgy took us on a journey through the events of the First Passover, the Israelites’ Escape from Slavery in Egypt, the Temptation of Christ in the Wilderness and the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Seamlessly punctuated by a flipping pancake competition (won by Ancaster, by the margin of a single flip) and the imposition of Ashes, where those who wanted to received a cross of ash on their forehead.
One of the themes of Lent is service. Inspired by Christ, who at the Last Supper washed the feet of the disciples. Showing Himself to be the Servant King and if we are to follow Him, we also need to serve one other. Washing of feet evolved into the polishing of shoes. Every House was visited and a total of 252 pairs of shoes were polished. There has been a request for brown polish next year to cater for CCF boots!
The theme of this year’s Decem Service was Pixar. Hard to explain, actually hard to believe! Here are some hopefully semi-believable highlights. A model of the house from Up! equipped with balloons descended from the balcony on a less than reliable zipwire. A Toy Story singalong to prove, You’ve got a friend in me. A Monsters Inc reimagining, involving a Lego minefield and culminating in a scream-off between Boo, Sully & Mike! All of which was to help us to reflect on the themes of life’s journey, friendship, and joy.
Eight of our students were confirmed by The Rt Rev. Patrick McKinney, Bishop of Nottingham in St Joseph’s Church, along with candidates from Uppingham School and the Parish. St Joseph’s was standing room only and the bishop presided over a moving and joyful service.
The postponed Battlefields trip for Form 3 was able to run in June. The British cemeteries of the Somme were in full bloom allowing us to witness the Commonwealth War Grave Commission’s vision – that their Cemeteries should have the feel of an English country garden. A vision they have more than achieved, particularly in the cemetery in Ancre. This is where we gathered around the gravestone which marks the final resting place of Jack Dewar, OO. There we held a service of Remembrance for Jack and all who gave their lives in the service of their country, keeping silence and laying a wreath of poppies.
So much has happen over the last couple of years that it was genuinely fantastic to be back doing things that we all once took for granted. The Leavers’ Service is one such event or even rite of passage for our families. This year we were once again able to invite Form 7 parents to the Service to share in the celebration which we have been unable to do for the last couple of years. We were even able to sing hymns inside the Chapel, rather than trooping outside to sing ‘Jerusalem’ as we did on the Chapel Lawn in 2021!
The Decem
Thinking of others and giving as well as receiving are a fundamental part of Oakham School life, as part of our commitment to teach our pupils to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment. Here is a snapshot of different initiatives that pupils and staff got involved in over the course of 2021–2022.
Baking, buying and selling cakes are one of the most popular ways of raising money.
Individual Houses held a variety of bake sales over the course of the year for a variety of causes, including Macmillan Cancer and Children in Need. The Lower School Houses also held an ice lolly sale in the Summer Term.
As pupils and staff across the School were shocked and devastated by the news of the Ukraine conflict, the community came together to show their support. The Chamber Choir performed and recorded a beautiful new composition by John Rutter, A Ukrainian Prayer, and a team of spirited Form 6 pupils raised money for the Red Cross’ Ukrainian refugees aid with a badge and Krispy Kreme doughnut sale. On the fundraising team, three of the pupils are from either Ukraine or Russia and, as friends, joined together for the project as they wanted to show that they are united as communities.
Leading up to the doughnut sale, the pupils developed important skills in planning and operations and created striking posters to spread awareness of the fundraiser to their peers and staff members by putting them up around the School campus. The pin badge the pupils designed, created and sold features a handshake with each of the two hands covered in the Ukraine and Russian flags.
The whole School community donated nearly £1,000 worth of food items to the Rutland Foodbank, which Voluntary Action pupils delivered in December 2021.
Lower School children from Ancaster, Sargants, Peterborough and Lincoln Houses, were tasked with sourcing and choosing tinned goods and non-perishable items that would benefit people using the foodbank in their Harvest Receipt Challenge. They then shared their items and receipts during the 2021 Lower School Family Harvest Service.
Pupils shared kind words in celebration of Anti-Bullying Week in November 2021. They designed posters to display in the corridors across the campus, which promote kind words and encourage people to use these around each other.
The kind words were specially chosen by the pupils and represent emotional and intellectual compliments rather than focusing on things such as people’s physical appearances. By making small acts of kindness each day, our pupils can help themselves and one another to have a sense of belonging to the same community.
As part of their fundraising work for the Kenya Schools Project, pupils held a Charity Gala Dinner, and also a musical recital, raising £5,000 in the process. The money raised will be put towards resources for Form 6 pupils to take on their expedition to Kenya, where they will work in two primary schools, building and refurbishing classrooms, as well as teaching lessons and playing games with the children.
The Gala Dinner was organised by the pupils who are involved with the Project this year: from designing and producing invites, the menu, decorations, organising the auction prizes through to welcoming and serving guests on the night, the pupils ensured that the special event went without a hitch. The one-hour musical recital was organised by pupil Jan Seelig and featured performances by him and his talented friends.
Lower School pupils all took part in a nonuniform day and hosted a bake sale for Red Nose Day’s 2022 theme of ‘Funny is Power’. One pupil even designed and produced his own comic book which sold out within minutes. Middle and Upper School pupils also got involved in the fundraising by taking part in the non-uniform day and setting up a ‘Sponge the Teacher’ activity. For £1 pupils had two goes to hit their chosen teacher with a wet sponge, resulting in hilarity and cheering from the crowding audience.
Sports Stars: Director of Netball, Lauren Nicholls, with members of the 1st VII Netball team
After a good pre-season at Gresham’s School, with a convincing performance against St Joseph’s Ipswich at the Norwich School Festival, the season started in earnest against Rugby School. Despite Oakham having several opportunities to win the game, two converted tries from Will Houston and Oliver Crane were not enough as Rugby proved to be the better side on the day, winning 14-26.
The second fixture of the season saw the side travel up the A1 to St Peter’s York where the XV secured the first victory of the season. We then welcomed Sedbergh to Oakham in late September. With the scores tied at 7-7 with five minutes to go, the game could have gone either way. Unfortunately a penalty for a front row infringement meant Sedbergh kicked three points and Oakham conceded a second try in the final few minutes, chasing the game. This performance suddenly gave a young and inexperienced side some real self-belief.
The second round of the cup saw the visit of Northampton School for Boys. At U15 level the NSB Upper Sixth age group had reached the semi-final stages. An epic game that ebbed and flowed ended 25-20 to Oakham. Tom Gullan-Whur and Will McEuen made big impacts off the bench in a thrilling game of schoolboy rugby.
Half-term saw the School welcome Canford after their planned trip to Ireland had been cancelled. This presented an opportunity for several 2nd XV players to represent the School. Although we were unable to field a full 1st XV, 27 boys enjoyed an extra Saturday morning fixture and it was nice to play someone from a different circuit.
After the half-term break Oakham comfortably won at Oundle 22-0 before defeating Moulton College 48-12 in the next round of the Cup.
The display against Bedford was arguably the performance of the season. For the first 20 minutes the side retained the ball superbly and the driven maul was now effective against all comers. Tries were scored by Reynolds, Emmerson, Gullan-Whur, Cousins and two from the skipper Crane with Oakham winning 50-19.
The fourth round of the Cup saw Oakham visit Rugby School. Although Oakham appeared the better side, the game was very much in balance at half-time with the score at 13-12. A magnificent second half display saw Oakham leave the Close 36-26 victors with a Toby Cousins drop goal capping a fine display.
A superb display at home to Stamford saw the side win 48-0. This was a remarkable scoreline given the historical closeness of these derbies and the quality of the Stamford XV.
The Quarter-Final of the Cup saw a long journey to the North-East to play Barnard Castle. Alas the home side showed more consistency to win 28-5. At this stage any of the 8 schools could have potentially gone on to win the cup with Barney narrowly losing to Kirkham in the SemiFinal and Kirkham themselves blowing a last-minute opportunity against Trinity in the Final at Twickenham.
For the last XV-a-side game of the season, the team travelled to Uppingham and a strong second half performance saw Oakham eventually score 6 tries through Ben Taylor, Oliver Crane with a brace, Joe Atkinson, Julius Timmermanns and Toby Cousins.
A young XV can be really proud of their achievements. The wins against NSB, Bedford, Stamford and Rugby were very significant at the time with Sedbergh being pushed to the wire. Dan Ormerod, Oliver Crane, Ben Taylor and Felix Starkey played for the Leicester Tigers Academy with Toby Cousins representing Northampton in the Academy final. Ben earned selection for the England U17 development group and Toby played for England U18s becoming Oakham’s 17th England schoolboy cap since Lewis Moody.
Written by Andrew Rice (Directorof Rugby)
The season began slowly with an unfortunate draw against Rugby School but the 2nd XV team regathered themselves and won every single game that followed, completing an unbeaten season. Garner was a standout performer at 13 with his terrier leg drive that Mr Dixon-Dale loved. With Mr Dachtler at the helm of the backs, players shifted positions throughout the season to create a force to be reckoned with for opposing teams. Bowden and Bland provided the team with a solid 9/10 partnership to allow the forwards to maul their way through defences. The 2nd team’s true strength lay in the pace of the team; Johnson, Winfield, Augustine-Ohwo and Taylor all scored multiple tries using their speed on the wings. A special mention goes out to Johnson for his try against Stamford where he ran an 80m interception to score. The forwards provided a solid defensive line all season with the likes of Wood and McEuen winning many penalties at breakdowns. All players worked hard all season despite many games being cancelled, but this did not stop the boys from putting in big performances in every match.
The 3rd XVs enjoyed an excellent season, winning every game that they played. The season started off well against Rugby School at home with Alec Winfield scoring a very well-executed set piece move. Oakham also showed some excellent resilience to keep Rugby at bay and finish the game 7-0 victors. A trip to St Peter’s York followed and a more fluent performance saw Oakham win 36-7. Following that, Oakham hosted Bromsgrove. We battled hard and, once again, managed to score several excellent tries, the pick of the bunch coming from Harry Jones who immediately found himself promoted to the 2nd XV. After half-term Oakham beat Oundle, away, and it was in this game that scrum half Sam Campion came of age, scoring an excellent try. He also made several excellent tackles and marshalled the forwards very well. The following week we hosted Bedford and played our best first half of the season. We prepared well and our level of physicality and intensity proved too much. A tightly fought game at home against Stamford followed which we won 33-17, thanks, in part, to two fine tries from the fit again Max St John. The season finished with an away fixture against our oldest rivals, Uppingham. The game was the debut of Danny Rumble and Finn Simpson, both of whom securing very well-deserved call-ups to the side. The game was won convincingly 39-0, thanks to another outstanding team effort. It will be a season that will live long in the memory, especially for those of us who are leaving this season. I would like to thank Mr Edwards for coaching us, Mr Taylor for refereeing our home games and all of our parents who travelled to support us up and down the country. Written byJames Mansfield (captain)
The 4th XV rugby again showcased the abundant reservoir of sporting talent at Oakham School. The defining features of this season’s pool of players was a desire to play fast, skilful rugby in poetical style, and they achieved this on many occasions in both the backline and the forward pack. The sometimes underappreciated craft of the forwards was an area of the game that needed more nurturing. A number of now former backs were converted into forwards and built a formidable pack that played with aggression and speed and an ability to move the ball out of contact that many other teams could not match. The expertise of Mr Balmford aided the development of the players as they were introduced to the joys of scrummaging and the finer details of how to win contact in different areas of the game. I would like to thank Mr Balmford for inspiring these players and thank those players who put their team before themselves and excelled in a new challenge.
Although a disjointed season in terms of numbers of players, number of games, and varying conditions, it was a successful season with the competitive rugby played in the right spirit of the sport. I would like to wish all the Form 7 players an enjoyable rugby career after Oakham. I am sure the whole team would like to particularly thank Danny Rumble, Finn Simpson, and Alex Pound for their leadership during the season. To Form 6, I look forward to another exciting season. Written byJames Aiken (coach)
The 2nd team’s true strength lay in the pace of the team; Johnson, Winfield, AugustineOhwo and Taylor all scored multiple tries using their speed on the wings.
At the start of the U15A rugby season we had two days of pre-season training that gave us a taster of what was to come. Our first match was an away win against Rugby School, 22-7, which was a massive confidence boost for the whole team. As the season went on, the chemistry between the players started to build, and together with our coaches, Mr Gelderbloom and Mr Passey, the team started to build momentum. This gave us confidence when going into the NatWest Cup where our first match was against Wellingborough School, which ended with a resounding Oakham win. Sadly, our run came to an end against a strong Oundle side. With a good win against Gresham’s we faced our closest rivals, Uppingham, in our final fixture. This game was very close and came down to the wire, with the scores level at 7-7 all at half-time. After our best 15-minute spell of the season, we managed to pull clear only for Uppingham to draw close at the end. When the final whistle blew, we celebrated a narrow 19-14 victory. It made me very proud and honoured to be captain of this amazing team. Written
by Matthys Laubscher (captain)On the face of it, a season of two halves for the U14As: 3 losses before halfterm, followed by a turnaround in fortunes after half-term. Progress was more consistent than this suggests, however, with no single turning point. In terms of results, the excellent 30-25 win away at Bedford was the high point and will stay long in the memory, and recording comfortable victories against Oundle and Stamford was very pleasing. Across the season the team was well led, with Southwell, Smart, Johnson, Will Church and Tom Church all captaining the side with skill. All in all a highly enjoyable season with some good rugby, great fun, and encouraging progress. My thanks to the boys for their good company and commitment, and to all the rugby staff involved for their hard work: in particular to Mr Nutter with the A team, and to Mr Vandoros, Mr Hales and Fr Tim for leading the Bs, Cs and Ds. James Cure (coach)
The U15Bs enjoyed a successful season and can be pleased with the progress they made both individually and as a team. There were naturally some challenging times, caused mainly by injuries and illness, but every boy gave a solid account of themselves when presented with the opportunity to do so. The highlight of the season was probably the gritty win over Rugby School, where the boys were forced to defend their try line for the final 10 minutes of the game. It was also very pleasing to get a good win against our friends at Uppingham on the final day of the season. Written by Cameron Braans (coach)
After a loss in their first game against Stamford, the U15Cs developed and progressed each week. After a strong showing against Pitsford ending in 25-54, the last match of the season saw a return game against Stamford, who would test how much the team had developed in under two months. After a hardfought game with brutal weather conditions, the outcome was a 24-5 loss, yet the team left with their heads held high. It was outstanding to witness some of the commitment and progression of certain players such as John Hohn, Luke Frouman, Maximilian Stamenkovic, Askar Subaev and Aidan Ridley. This team has a lot more development left in them and I hope that they carry it forward for next year. Written by Felix Rouch (coach)
After struggling to gel as a team in the first half of the season, after half-term the U14Bs spent more time together in practice, unifying the team and their positions. What a difference that made. Our game against Gresham’s brought the wow factor back: the bond was unstoppable and their determination to work tighter together made an immense difference. Every player did their bit and more. Max (MIP) was the powerhouse, bowling the opposition over, but he had the support of all his team around him which made the difference. Omar (MVP) was the magician, dancing his way through the slightest of gaps to score time and time again. This built up the confidence of the team and their efforts against their local rivals, Stamford and Uppingham. Both these games replicated their Gresham’s efforts, tossing the ball around, tackling and rucking as a team. What an awesome finish to the season, summing up the most important factor on the pitch…. Team before Talent always!
Written by Tref Vandoros (coach)The U14C team had an enjoyable term playing against some strong opposition. The boys worked on their ‘brilliant basics’ and understanding of the game and brought a real energy and determination to each session. The boys were able to put in some strong performances; they scored the best try of the season away at Uppingham after going the length of the pitch - a true team try!
Written by Ed Hales (coach)Our game against Gresham’s brought the wow factor back: the bond was unstoppable and their determination to work tighter together made an immense difference.
The U13s had a good season this year; with many newcomers to the sport, it was great to see their passion and understanding grow for the sport. The boys worked hard on their ‘brilliant basics’ both in attack and defence. The group brought great energy to each session and were a great group to coach. It was great to see that every boy in the U13 group got to play a fixture and got their teeth stuck into rugby at Oakham! Written by Ed Hales (coach)
Safe tackle technique was a regular and important focus in training to increase confidence. The team played, amongst others, Witham three times becoming more competitive each time and scored 100 points against Stoneygate at the end of the season. Probably the best display of the season was against Caldicott when the boys took part in a triangular tournament at Bedford. The boys always played with real heart and as they move through School there are some players who will go on to become good AXV players as they develop more understanding of the game; not least as they start to adopt regular positions and roles within the team. Some boys got the opportunity to go to Rosslyn Park with the U13 squad which will again be an experience that will serve them well in the future. Written by Andrew Rice (Director of Rugby)
Fifty of Oakham’s rugby players at U13, U14, U16 and U18 level travelled down to London to compete in the prestigious Rosslyn Park National Schools Sevens tournament in the last week of March, the largest tournament of its kind in the world which has run since 1939.
The 1st VII competed with 192 teams for the Vase title and finished as Runners-Up, their greatest achievement to date in this competition, having previously reached the semi-final stages in 1973, and more recently 2017, 2018 and 2019.
The VII finished top of their group after three games on day 1 with a narrow victory in the second group game against Colston’s. The elimination game saw Oakham play their best Sevens of day 1 to defeat a King’s School Worcester VII who had beaten Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr, Downside and Sevenoaks in the group stages.
Oakham, strengthened by the return of Toby Cousins who had played for England U18s against Wales the previous weekend, continued their fine form with decisive wins against Cardinal Newman (36-7), who had convincingly won their group. The second pool game saw a good victory over Uppingham (29-0) in the day 2 pool group stages, where teams are drawn in a group of three with one side progressing to the Quarter-Finals. The VII then beat Queen Ethelburga’s (41-12), followed by an incredibly tight 12-7 Semi-Final victory against Trinity School, the national XV-a-side champions. This set Oakham up for a Final against Stowe School, who alas proved too strong for our team in the end, as injuries took their toll.
Winning the Rosslyn Park National Sevens title is arguably the hardest challenge and so to reach the Final very much ranks alongside Oakham’s notable achievements in the National XV-a-side cup.
The boys left London obviously disappointed but in future years they will come to realise just how good they were to reach a Rosslyn Park U18 schoolboy final. They were simply magnificent.
In the U14 competition Oakham also won their group to progress to the second day with 4 wins, including a remarkable victory over Blundell’s School (28-19) that saw the team stage an impressive comeback to win the game after trailing 19-0 at half-time. This same fighting spirit was in evidence in their day 2 pool stage match against King’s Worcester, but unfortunately the game didn’t go their way and they were narrowly defeated (12-5).
A new year, a new U11 side for Mr Vandoros. Rugby was new for some people, but the boys soon got stuck in. Our first match was against Copthill which for our first game we did quite well. Throughout the season we progressed as individuals and as a team. We got very muddy and did lots of tackling and passing. As the matches went by, more people began to show their true character on and off the field. Before every match Mr Vandoros gave us his team talk and prayer. Mr Rouch and Mr Johnson coached us as well. They led some of the warm-ups and helped with the matches, so they need a very big thank you. Mr Vandoros also needs an exceptionally big thank you for taking us for training and ultimately being the coach he is. Finally thank you to our team.
Written by Harry Latham (captain)
September arrived with much anticipation following a long period away from competitive action. Our girls hit the ground running in pre-season with an impressive victory over The Perse. They then travelled to National League side Loughborough University as pre-season rolled into the start of term with a fantastic buzz around the group. This season was going to make history for girl’s hockey at Oakham as we moved into fully playing two terms hockey across the Winter and Spring Terms in the Tier 1 National League Competition. It was a tough start to the league with a narrow 2-1 loss to Trent College and a humbling loss to a strong Repton side on the road. Saturday block fixtures returned and our girls produced some fine performances to beat local rivals Stamford 7-0 and Oundle 2-1 with some entertaining draws thrown in for good measure against Bromsgrove and Uppingham. The National league returned with a long away trip to Blackpool to play Kirkham Grammar School and our girls put in one of their most impressive performances of the season to beat the home side 3-1 in front of a huge crowd.
Our girls then picked up their indoor sticks to compete in the Regional Indoor Competition. Having prepared well with a training day against Nottingham Trent University, the girls made it through their qualifier with victory over Wellingborough and a tight draw with Rugby. The Regional Finals came with some tight contests; 2-1 victories over Trent and The King’s School and a 2-1 loss to Bromsgrove left a bizarre threeway tie to progress. The top three teams in the group were tied on points, goal difference, goals scored and goals against! A three-way penalty shoot-out followed and after double sudden death, our girls missed out on a place in the semi-finals.
Following the Christmas break, our girls made history by returning to school and playing hockey once again! The team picked up from where they left off in Blackpool with an outstanding 9-4 victory against Cheadle Hulme School to put them within touching distance of progressing to the National Quarter-Finals for the first time. A final National League game against fellow high-flyers Sedbergh with a straight shoot-out of winners qualify losers don’t! A packed crowd supported the girls in a nail-biting affair with the girls giving it their all but falling to a 1-0 defeat. This result left the girls in 4th Place of the Tier One National League, our highest ever finish.
It has been a fantastic season for our 1st XI Girls and shows how much hockey at Oakham is developing. With seven girls gaining International and National League caps this season, it is certainly something to be proud of from the group. The future is bright for these girls and it will be exciting to see what next season holds!
Written by James Bateman (Director of Hockey)
our girls put in one of their most impressive performances of the season to beat the home side 3-1 in front of a huge crowd.
The girls were brilliant, and it was always a pleasure to watch them play with smiles on their faces and the determination to support each other on and off the field.
We set out with the collective target of having fun, with the idea that those at the top end would be pushed forward to press for 1st XI selection. A large training group meant there was much competition for places, which kept the standards and enthusiasm high throughout the season.
The team were fortunate to have a positive force in goal, always making herself known and directing proceedings in front of her. Izzy D worked very hard with GK coach Jamie Cachia and fully deserved her selection to the 1st XI at Bromsgrove in the middle of the season. The defenders, Tabby C, Mia P and Uzma A were inter-changeable, and all gave everything to protect Izzy in goal as much as possible. Uzma’s awareness and constant effort were rewarded with a permanent move to the 1st XI playing squad in the middle of the season. Tabby and Mia were both able to react to different ways of defending against the likes of Uppingham who favoured route one, and the more intricate and higher levels of tactics against the likes of Repton.
Amongst the half backs, Sidonie S, Zara B, Rosanna GS-L, Katie N and Charlotte B, who was promoted from the 3rd XI after a string of impressive performances, we were blessed with tall, strong and game-aware girls. Sidonie and Zara impressed significantly, learning from each game as the season progressed and making crucial tackles time after time.
In the midfield, Izzy G, Katie N, Katie M and Immy K worked well in any combination and were reliable in their efforts in both attack and defence. Support of the forwards developed, and we worked hard on creating passing options back out from the circle, transferring the ball from one side to the other and working in from the opposite side. The key was for the girls to remain patient, keep the ball and wait for holes to appear in the defence which we were then able to exploit.
The forwards consisting of Sienna C, Fleur A, Rosie S and Holly L-E again rotated well. Holly preferred the right and with her pace was able to get around to the base line and supply the ball across the face of the goal. Rosie raised a few eyebrows with her silky skills, beating defenders and sending passes to both near and far posts. Fleur demonstrated a range of impressive stick skills to beat defender after defender before taking snap shots or making dangerous passes. Sienna’s work rate was incredible from the moment she entered the pitch, practically crawling off at the end. Her skills and speed on the ball were impressive and her ability to change direction was unparalleled.
Five wins and a draw from eight games was a wonderful return for the girls, with losses only against very strong Oundle and Repton sides. The girls worked hard on goal scoring and ended up averaging three goals per game. This was a lot of fun, and I would like to thank all the girls who trained in the squad for their efforts throughout the season. Alice W, Hannah S, Amelie B, Ella P, Flora A all represented the side at various points and were definitely a big part of the success of the side, so my thanks to them. Finally, a thank you to Mr Whyman for his support and help with the girls’ development over the season as well. You contributed hugely to their overall enjoyment this year, which is exactly what we set out to do.
I wish all the girls future success and enjoyment on a hockey pitch either at School as part of the 1st or 2nd XI or at university or at a club next year.
Written by Patrick Latham (coach)The team have really enjoyed the competitive element that matches have brought to their week and it has been great to see the enthusiasm they have shown. This has really kept them motivated in training with some close results coming through. They saw success against Uppingham as well as against Rugby School. The team had a string of draws against Rugby (the first match), Oundle and Uppingham (the second match) which were all matches full of end-to-end hockey. To the Form 7 girls I would like to thank them for their commitment to hockey over the years and I look forward to seeing how the Form 6 players progress next year. Well done.
Written by Peta Girdwood (coach) The third team girls were coached by Neil Johnson this season. They played well securing themselves 3 wins out of 6 and scoring a total of 19 goals.The girls were brilliant, and it was always a pleasure to watch them play with smiles on their faces and the determination to support each other on and off the field.
The U16As started off strong with a 4-3 win against The Perse School in our pre-season game – a very positive attitude for a very positive season. After an unfortunate draw of 1-1 against Rugby School, due to missed shooting opportunities late in the game, we trained hard to improve, especially working on Penalty Corners with our first cup game against Bedford Modern around the corner. This evidently paid off, reflected by our 7-0 win. We also had convincing wins against Stamford 7-1 and Bromsgrove 11-1, which certainly gave us confidence as a squad and helped us to develop together. We later won our anticipated Round 2 Cup game against Uppingham 4-2 and went on to beat both Oundle and The Leys convincingly. Sadly this was followed by two well-fought losses against Repton, and then a narrow 2-1 defeat in the Regional Finals of the Cup against The Perse. However, we kept our spirits up and secured another win against Stamford which was sadly followed by a 0-2 loss to Uppingham to close the season. Overall, this season everyone has massively progressed not only individually but also as a team, with a lot of help from Mr Denman and all our teammates.
Captain – Orls Franklyn Vice-Captain – Emily Burlison Written by Ashley Denman (coach)Having played a total of 8 fixtures and only drawing 1 to Oundle, the U16B hockey term have been crowned the Independent Schools Hockey League winners. Deservedly so, scoring a total of 28 goals and only conceding 7. The girls have gone from strength to strength with a nail-biting final game against Uppingham where Oakham managed to clinch a 3-2 win. Highlights include our draw against Oundle, beating Repton and the many fun training sessions had by all. I wish all the girls the very best for next season in the senior teams; they certainly have a wealth of experience coming through! Written by Heidi Cannie (coach)
The U15A team had a successful season and made good progress through the term. The results haven’t always reflected the performances, however, the girls managed to finish well with many impressive performances. The season was quite disjointed at times, but good victories were secured against Rugby and Stamford Schools. Our final game was a very entertaining match against Uppingham School. Many of the girls also represented the U16A team in the cup run. Written by Wes Durston (coach)
Overall, this term has been a good opportunity for the U15B team to progress with their hockey. They have represented Oakham in many fixtures, with an impressive start against Rugby School where they won 1-0. Despite a few defeats in a row against Repton (1-0), Oundle (3-0) and Stamford (2-0), the results certainly didn’t reflect the standard of each of these fixtures. Throughout the term, each member of the team has shown determination and a desire to win, in true Oakhamian spirit! The chance to play weekly competitive fixtures has been an excellent opportunity to display their hard work. Written by Isobel Beighton (coach)
The U15C team had an excellent term of hockey, going unbeaten and placing second in their league. The team had a superb attitude to training and translated their efforts onto the hockey pitch each Saturday and displayed a strong team effort to get the wins. We had a great start to the term with a 2-1 win against Rugby in our opening game and that was followed by a 4-0 win against Stamford. The highlight of our hockey term must be our match against Repton where the team came away with an outstanding 10-0 win. Each team member contributed to the win and it was an excellent game of hockey to witness. Written by Beth Gabriel (coach)
The U14A team have had a fantastic term, picking up wins against some strong schools including Stamford, Uppingham and Oundle. The highlight of the season was going to the Regional Tournament after winning the county round and finishing 2nd in the Midlands Zone. The team reached the SemiFinals of the tournament where they were knocked out by Repton in a thrilling game that finished 2-1. Congratulations must go to Player of the Season Sammy Kaczmar for scoring 14 goals this year; our most improved player of the year Florence Martin, and our captain Grace Hornsby for setting a fantastic example for the team on and off the pitch. Written by Kieron Walton (coach)
The U14Bs have progressed well throughout the term and have grown in confidence with every match they have played. One highlight of the season would be the 3-0 win against Stamford School. The team battled through the elements on a cold and snowy Saturday and put out a brilliant performance. They were able to demonstrate the skills they had learned in training and scored 3 quality goals and made it very difficult for Stamford to create any shooting opportunities. Captain Esther Morse has motivated the team on the pitch all season. Sophie Cartwright, Millie Dickens and Connie Bennett all graduated from the C team and have become integral members of the B team. Written by Lauren Nicholls (coach)
The U14C team have been extremely competitive this term keeping a high work ethic throughout some challenging training sessions and matches. They saw wins against Rugby School and Repton, the team were dynamic and responded well to team talks at half-time, working on stretching the pitch further by distributing the ball wide. Their fixture against Oundle saw a draw; it was 40 minutes of end-to-end play with Oakham just not able to find the back of the goal. Both fixtures against Stamford were extremely close with the team just losing out by 1 on both occasions. The team has had a great season and I am looking forward to seeing how the players progress. Written by Peta Girdwood (coach)
Player of the Season – Hannah Suchan Leading Goal Scorer – Emily Burlison
The U13A girls have shown great improvement throughout the term and I commend them on the effort they have given at every session, including the work rate required on Fitness Fridays! One of the highlights was the desire shown in their match away at Leicester Grammar. After a disjointed start, the girls found themselves 2-0 down at half-time, and to all their credit dug really deep to show a real want to turn the game around, eventually coming out 3-2 victors with huge smiles on their faces. The biggest highlight was the game against Bilton Grange where everything came together. Each member of the team contributed to a truly outstanding team performance against strong opposition. Arriving at Oundle for their penultimate game of the season could have been utterly miserable considering the pouring rain and low temperatures. The girls were told pitch side they would be playing a ¾ pitch 9-a-side game and the delight on their faces was something else. Both teams gave it everything in miserable weather showing great determination, with Oakham coming out on top. A special mention goes to Libby whose performances have seen her step up and play for the U14As on several occasions. Well done to all the girls who have represented the U13A squad, each has shown improvement throughout the term.
Written by Katie Long (coach)With limited match experience in the last few years, the U13B girls were clearly rusty going into the first game against Spratton Hall. A 6-6 draw showed great promise in terms of the girls creating opportunities, but on the other hand, work was needed in defence!! In goal, Penny B made incredible improvements throughout the season, regularly winning player of the side as voted for by the opposition. Penny kept the side in the game on a weekly basis and deservedly got her chance in the U13As at the end of the season. Wins against Trent and Oundle came before a hard-fought loss against a strong Stamford side. A 5-0 win against LGS showed great improvements across the team. Defensively the girls were very strong with Elena L and Jess O’D leading the way and Alice D, Immy B and Bronwyn R providing penetration in midfield with Sophia C always on hand to finish opportunities in the circle.
Two convincing victories over Oundle in as many weeks boosted the girls’ confidence. Annabelle H, Mimi P, Eva P, Elouise B, Holly P & Felicity R all showed significant improvements over the course of the term, and the whole team ended the season feeling ready to move into the U14 age group where they will experience eleven-a-side hockey.
Written by Patrick Latham (coach)The U13C team have been a pleasure to coach – individually they are hard working and focused on developing their skills, collectively they are competitive and have a desire to develop their strategies to overcome the opposition. Of the 7 fixtures that they played they secured wins against Spratton Hall, Trent College, Bilton Grange and Oundle, with 2 draws and only one loss against Witham Hall’s 2nd team. The team have had a super season and I am looking forward to seeing how they develop in the years to come.
Written by Peta Girdwood (coach)The U12A team have gone from strength to strength in their first year of playing together. After a tricky start to the term, the team enjoyed victories against tough opponents including Witham Hall, Oundle and Leicester Grammar. This is testament to the hard work they have put in during training and it has been clear to see the skills that they have learnt being displayed in fixtures. Each player has enjoyed the opportunity to captain the team this year, a challenge they have relished, and the girls have shown fantastic sportsmanship on the pitch; gracious in both victory and defeat. Written by Kieron Walton (coach)
The U12B girls performed well throughout the term and secured some good victories. They developed throughout the term working hard to improve their base level of fundamental hockey skills. Results this term have been quite varied; a good win was obtained away against Leicester Grammar School but unfortunately that was followed up by a defeat to Foremarke Hall. I was very proud of their final performance where they played nicely to earn a victory against Witham Hall. Written by Wes Durston (coach)
The U12C team had a tough start to the season but since then picked up 4 wins and scored 17 goals. Cici Astill and Sofia Watkinson-Calvo scored the majority of these goals and Lara Smith was outstanding at the other end of the pitch keeping the opposition at bay. A highlight would have to be the game against Copthill. Although the team lost, they showed brilliant determination and passion throughout. The team should be pleased with their progress!
Written by Lauren Nicholls (coach)Overall, the U11A team had a fantastic term on the hockey pitch. Despite being challenged in the first few fixtures against Spratton Hall (4-2), St Hughes (6-0), Repton (6-0), and Bilton Grange (13-0), the results really did not reflect the standard of these fixtures. They worked exceptionally hard at developing their skills and made great improvements both tactically and technically which was excellent to see. The final fixtures of the term showed great improvements, securing wins against Maidwell Hall (2-0) and Witham (5-3) which was an excellent display of hockey, showing determination and a desire to win. It has been a pleasure to work with such enthusiastic and hard-working students.
Written by Isobel Beighton (coach)
Overall, this term was an excellent opportunity for development for the U11B girl’s hockey team. They represented Oakham in a fixture against Copthill and worked hard to develop their skills. Every girl that took to the pitch this term displayed an excellent level of dedication and resilience in a competitive environment. They should be very proud of how their hockey has progressed over the term. Despite losing their fixture to Copthill (3-0), there was some excellent hockey on display, showing some vast improvements. Written by Isobel Beighton (coach)
Having missed a term last season with lockdowns, it was a season of unknowns for our boys. With many boys not having experienced playing in national competitions, it was a tough run in during the Winter Term. A closely fought game with Ipswich School led to a 4-2 defeat with our boys paying the price for not taking their chances. The next National League fixture took our boys on the long trip to Norwich School; with some naïve defending we went down 5-1 with a tough lesson for the group about the challenges of the elite schoolboy competition.
The indoor season began after October half-term and our boys played some good training games with our friends at Bedford School in preparation for tournament season. We travelled down to Whitgift for the Independent Schools Championships, testing ourselves against the best of the East, West and South Schools with lots of learning from the weekend. This experience set our boys up well for the Regional Qualifiers; a 1-1 draw with hosts King Edward’s and a 2-0 victory over Malvern College sent us through to the Regional Finals. We continued to make progress throughout the indoor season, getting better and better with this theme continuing at the Regional Finals. A 4-2 victory over Rugby started the tournament well, with a well-managed 3-2 victory over Ashby Grammar putting us through to the Semi-Finals. The boys navigated through 1-0 versus King Edward’s to play Repton in the Final. A tournament restructure meant that unlike previous years, only the winners progress to the National Finals. Our boys put in a stellar performance but went down 3-1 to Repton. As we returned to outdoor action following the Christmas break, our boys travelled to Oundle and got off to a flying start with a 4-2 victory. A tough loss to Uppingham on a day that the ball simply wouldn’t go in the goal knocked the boys’ confidence and they fell into a run of defeats. A string of National League losses to a strong Repton side, then a narrow 4-3 defeat to Trent and a 4-1 loss to Bromsgrove put an end to any progression to the knockouts. However, our boys showed real character to draw 2-2 against Gresham’s in their final National League game to bounce back from defeats. The half-term break worked wonders for the group as we came back reinvigorated and went on to win all our games! A tight 2-1 victory on the road to Stowe gave the boys confidence and they reversed the previous scoreline against Trent to take a 4-2 victory. Our final fixture of the season was to host Rugby School. After going 2-0 down early in the second half, it looked like the season would end on a negative note. However, Oakhamians are never beaten! With 16 minutes to go we scored, a well-worked corner then gave us an equaliser with 5 minutes to go. The boys then played with the confidence they had been lacking at the start of the season and with 5 seconds to go, they scored to take the win 3-2! A thrilling finale. It has been a rebuilding year for our 1st XI Boys. This group have an exciting future and will take those lessons into next season to push on to once again be at the top of schoolboy hockey.
Written by James Bateman (Director of Hockey)The half-term break worked wonders for the group as we came back reinvigorated and went on to win all our games.
After two years away from a normal hockey season, the boys arrived enthusiastic and ready to make up for lost time. It is always refreshing to discover a group of students who all share the same aim of working together to improve with genuine interest, a competitive nature and great enthusiasm. This year’s 2nd XI team epitomised that attitude, meaning training sessions were fun and work ethic was positive from day 1.
In the season opener against Oundle, the side performed admirably with a 2-0 win. From back to front the boys dug in to protect the lead with J Headley in goal making some fine saves – not just in this game, but notably throughout the season – and the back four consisting of F Wass, E Houston, F St John and W McEuen were impervious to the relentless Oundle pressure.
The team were blessed with versatile and willing players who were happy to move around positions, giving the boys plenty of options in terms of team make-up and filling in where required. A very strong midfield consisted of W Murray, T Gullan-Whur, F Cummins, S Campion, N Sykes & B Lee, all of whom could have comfortably filled in for 1st XI injuries if called upon. S Campion earned a full-time 1st XI place by the end of the season, and T Gullan-Whur, save for a season-ending an injury, would have joined him at the top level.
In attack, A Liddar, M Lovell, M Lewis and H Watts regularly got into good positions to receive passes into the circle but struggled to convert as often as we would have liked. That said, improvements were made over the season and goal scoring did pick up pace slightly.
A brilliant 2-0 win over Uppingham was a fantastic display of counterattacking and defensive hockey. Knowing how Uppingham would play was an advantage to us and we were able to formulate a plan ahead of the game to counteract the predictable ‘route one’ high-player hockey.
Much of the purpose of 2nd XI hockey has two aims: to provide a pool of players who are capable of stepping up to fill in for missing 1st XI players. Also, to create an environment of enjoyment and fun which we hope will mean the Form 6 boys return to hockey looking forward to Form 7, and for the current Form 7 to leave the School enthused to seek out hockey beyond Oakham, be that at a club or at university.
There are a number of players moving to Form 7 who will be pushing for 1st team places in 2023, and my hope is that they rise to that challenge next year. Thank you to all the boys who always trained hard and played with smiles on their faces, creating some fantastic memories along the way.
Written by Patrick Latham(coach)
The 3rd team boys’ focus this season was around enjoyment of the game. Practices revolved around game play and shooting drills. The boys thoroughly enjoyed the practices. The boys faced a strong pool of teams this season and only secured themselves 1 win over Stowe with a final score of 8-5. The rest of their matches were incredibly close, and they ended up drawing a further 3. Written by Lucy Kenyon (coach)
The U16A boys had an outstanding season. They won 9 out of 11 fixtures, their most memorable game was against Repton School where they achieved a close but satisfying 4-2 win. The boys played well during their National Plate Games. They won against Culford School in the Quarter-Finals, a gripping game that resulted in a 2-2 draw. The boys then went into penalty shuffles where they won 4-3, securing themselves a place in the Semi-Finals against Bromsgrove. The boys tried their best but were unfortunately beaten in a closely contended match. Overall, the team scored a total of 43 goals in a very intense but fantastic season. Written by Lucy Kenyon (coach)
The U16B team had a superb season, filled with some good hockey and lots of fun. The boys put in lots of hard work throughout the term and their hard work was rewarded by some brilliant results. One of the stand-out performances was against Repton where the boys were 2 goals down at half-time, only to come back and win 4-2. We used a total of 22 boys and all played a big part in the success of the team. Written by Ed Hales (coach)
The season started off well with a tense but well-earned victory against Oundle on the first weekend of the term for the U15As. Maxie Weir popped up with a deft finish in the dying moments to earn that win after Ernie Jackson had earlier scored a wonderful solo goal. However, the team could not kick on from this start to the term with illness and injury taking their toll. Fred Cox led the team well throughout the term and, alongside Harry Gilman, they forged a really important partnership in the midfield. Written by Wes Durston (coach)
The U15Bs had a strong start to the season, but unfortunately didn’t end on the same note. Our record for the season was played 5, won 2, drawn 1 and lost 2, scoring 7 goals. The boys developed their skills and game play with a large focus on brilliant basics and getting the ball out wide in attack. The boys did, however, hold out some great results and really improved in their hockey. The boys played well against a strong Repton side; although losing 4-0, the boys did not drop their heads at any point and really tested the Repton opposition with our goalkeeper Ben Fagan having a great performance. Written by Tim Kenyon (coach)
The U15Cs had an impressive season. They developed incredibly quickly throughout the term. After a tough loss in their opening fixture against historic rivals Uppingham, their next game resulted in an impressive 2-0 win after a brace from William Bell against a physical Stowe side. The last game of the season was against an incredibly strong Rugby School team away from home. Losing narrowly 2-1, the boys dug deep and fought until the very end of the second half, proving emphatically that they were a completely different team to the one who had lost to Uppingham in January. Well done to all involved this term. Written by Felix Rouch (coach)
The U14A boys had a superb season, showing outstanding improvement from the start to the end of term. With differing starting points on each player’s hockey journey, the boys really rallied round as a squad, supporting one another in the tight and gritty games. After a County Cup draw, the boys held their nerve to win the penalty shoot-out, progressing through to the Regional Finals as County Champions. At the Regionals the boys did exceptionally well, making it to the Semi-Final, where they were edged out 3-0 by Repton. What was remarkable was the turnaround in performance just 24 hours later as they played them again. An outstanding squad effort pushed Repton all the way to the wire, unfortunately Oakham lost out to a last-minute winner from Repton. The boys should be incredibly proud of the huge progress they have made throughout the season – it has been a pleasure to coach them and see them enjoying their hockey alongside their other sports.
Written by Katie Long (coach)It has been a challenging term of fixtures for the U14Bs with only 1 win in 6, yet some matches were closer and more competitive than the scoreline suggests. As the weeks progressed, the team developed more composure and calmness on the ball, whilst showing a greater awareness of each other and understanding of positional play, and there were many moments of great ‘pass and move’ play. Sadly, this didn’t always result in attempts at goal, but this will come in time. Our eagerness and desire to win the ball back now needs to have this same composure. Good luck for next term.
Written by Matthew Sutterby(coach)
The U14Cs had a phenomenal season. Up until their final game they were undefeated; their biggest win was against Repton U14Cs, beating them 8-0. The boys impressed me with their consistent effort to improve and score goals. The boys worked on their passing and hitting, as well as attacking wide and defending narrow. Their attitude towards hockey changed and I feel that they enjoyed the season. The team bonded over the term and even gave themselves the nickname ‘Mullet Gang’. I thoroughly enjoyed coaching them and cannot wait to see them improve over the years to come.
Written by Lucy Kenyon (coach)It was a testing season for the U14D team, captained by Fin Sandham. With difficult fixtures against schools such as Oundle and Bromsgrove, the team faced strong opposition on a weekly basis. Nevertheless, they always rose to the occasion with their attitude and approach to matchday. Narrowly losing to Uppingham and then by a larger margin to Bromsgrove, the D’s rallied for a brilliant performance against Stowe, where they were unlucky to not come away with a win. Ultimately, despite results not necessarily going their way, the boys should be proud of their progress and the attitude they held this season!
Written by Josh Arnold (coach)
The U13A boys had a steep learning curve this season as relative newcomers to the sport. Having had very little hockey exposure last year due to Covid, the boys had to work hard to develop their skills. The squad adapted to playing 7- and 11-a-side each week, both versions challenging the boys in different ways. The squad came close to progressing to the Regional Final, losing out on goal difference in the final game of the County tournament. As a squad they have learnt a lot they can take forward with their hockey as they enter the Middle School next year. Written by Katie Long (coach)
The return to hockey for the U13B boys after a few interrupted years showed in the first few sessions. Getting back into the sport with the basics took time, but we made progress and with a few games under their belts, the boys showed progress in both understanding and skill level. Finding ourselves up against some strong opposition in Repton Prep and Witham Hall was a steep learning curve and some resilience was called upon. However, impressive wins against Oundle and Rugby Prep towards the end of the season were just reward for the effort the boys had put in throughout the season. Notable performances from W Hurst in goal, who saved the team on many occasions, saw him promoted to play several U13A team matches. R Lam and A Chan both made incredible improvements over the course of the season and developed their skills dramatically. T Johnston controlled the defence admirably and J Waterfield impressed in midfield to earn an U13A team place. With a mix of 7- and 11-a-side matches towards the end of the term, the boys are set up nicely to take on hockey in the Middle School as an U14 XI next year. Written by Patrick Latham (coach)
by Trent College, our matches were all very competitive. This showed great character from the team to never give up in losing situations. This was very evident when coming back from 2 goals down against Loughborough GS in the County Tournament to claim a draw and a place in the Regional Finals. We finished the tournament with 2 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses but learned a lot about ourselves and the way we play. The team was well led by Harry Sutterby, with stand-out performances from Harry & Rufus Ingram as well as Adam Bell and Jax Roberts.We finished with a record of P14, W6, D4, L4 and the boys should be pleased with their efforts. Written by Wes Durston (coach)
The U12B side had a great season, scoring 28 goals across 8 games with a record of 4 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses. The boys developed their skills and game play with a large focus on brilliant basics and getting the ball out wide in attack. The highlight of the season was our win against Trent College where the boys game back from 4-2 down at half-time to win 6-5. Some top performers of the side were Wilfred Gamble, George Tyers, Frankie Ferguson and Taylor Foster. The boys had loads of fun and will have a strong future going forward. Written by Tim Kenyon (coach)
The U12A boys’ hockey team had a good season overall. There were many positives that came through and the team developed considerably throughout the term, specifically with their passing and teamwork. A big focus for the team was to be confident in everything they tried and to be positive, and this showed as the term developed. One of the many highlights from the season came in our first match, a tense win against Repton Prep with Rufus Ingram scoring a memorable hat-trick. Overall, we had 14 matches and apart from one match where we were outplayed
The U11s have had a very successful season. The boys worked hard throughout the term and bonded as a squad. Their competitive nature drove them to improve and work hard as a team. We had some brilliant results and played some great hockey scoring lots of goals. Some highlights include beating Repton Prep in the opening game and having a great game against Leicester Grammar where we narrowly won after playing some brilliant one and two touch hockey. Written by Ed Hales (coach)
Impressive wins against Oundle and Rugby Prep towards the end of the season were just reward for the effort the boys had put in throughout the season.”
The preparation for the 1st VII season started in the Winter Term with a win against the Old Oakhamians. We welcomed former 1st team players Sassy Norton (‘18), Hannah Moursi (‘18), Ella Turner (‘21) and Becca Malyon (‘21) for the match. It’s the second year we have had two-term netball, meaning the seniors can train throughout the Winter Term and have more fixtures to ensure they are ready for the first round of National Schools Finals. The team also worked hard in the gym to build their strength and fitness before the season started. The 1st VII played Nottingham Trent University in a friendly and KEHS Birmingham and Norwich School in the Independent Schools Netball Cup, scoring over 120 goals in those 3 matches.
The first highlight of the season was winning the County Tournament, with 6 wins and beating Uppingham School in the final. The squad: captain Sophie Sutton, Milly Bairstow, Zara Brown, Immy Koczulab, Annabelle Northcott, Kiki Mathew-Shaw, Emilia Robbins, Millie Barton, Daisy Healey, and Olivia Brown performed well throughout the tournament.
In the new year the Strength and Conditioning programme took another step up in intensity with the team training in the gym twice a week with individual add-ons too. The team were very grateful for Mr Cooke’s gym programmes (and patience!) throughout the year to ensure they were physically prepared to perform on court. The pre-season trip to Long Eaton was a successful one. The 1st VII had a trip to Trent Lock’s driving range for a team building morning and then a tournament against Denstone and Trent College. The team were unbeaten all afternoon and had a chance to reflect on their strategies and set-ups in between games. This was the ideal start to the season as we played lots of combinations and developed our court play.
The league started with a convincing win over Uppingham School with Savannah Grantham joining the squad. Week 3 in the season was the Regional Finals where the players improved again with some solid performances throughout the day. Olivia Cripps was elevated into the 1st VII after solid performances with the 2nd VII and at training. We qualified for National Finals after a nail-biting Semi-Final against Trent College.
The game against Bromsgrove was a fantastic contest for all four quarters resulting in a 33-33 draw. An outstanding result against a strong netballing school.
At the National Schools Finals the 1st VII came 11th overall and were competitive. With 4 wins under their belt and another 2 close losses, we built points and did well on the day.
The 1st VII were unbeaten in the league all season with further wins over Stamford, Stowe, Repton, Rugby, Sedbergh and Loughborough High School. The Repton game was a great game and showed the development from when we played them in the regional rounds. The Loughborough High match was the perfect end to the season. The team were unstoppable all game and won 62-11. In the final quarter we saw Millie B and Kiki move from defence to shooters and Liv and Sophie play in defence for their last ever quarter of School Netball. It was played in lovely spirits with both teams moving positions and having fun.
The team have been a pleasure to coach this term and I wish our leavers – Sophie, Liv, Daisy, Annabelle, Savannah, Millie and Emilia –all the best in the future.
Written by Lauren Nicholls (Directorof Netball)
The 1st VII were unbeaten in the league all season with further wins over Stamford, Stowe, Repton, Rugby, Sedbergh and Loughborough High School
The 3rd team had a great season all around, winning 3 out of 5 games. The first game was against Uppingham and I was really pleased with how well the team played with all players playing their part and trying their best and even coming away with a 32-20 win. Every single player played well that game and the team spirit and atmosphere were excellent, with everyone supporting one another even if they were on the bench. Written by Louisa Connolly (coach)
The U16A netball team had an excellent season. They have shown strength and depth in abundance with girls pushing themselves each week. They began competing in the County Tournament where they placed Runners-Up, narrowly losing to Loughborough High School in the final 11-12. This secured a place for the girls at the Regional Finals in January at Oundle School. A win against Uppingham School (72-19) shortly followed by a second victory against The Peterborough School, 53-17, prepared the girls well for the East Midlands Regional Finals Competition. The girls had been training well, developing strong connections through the court, and preparing for the tournament style of play. An impressive Regional Schools result gave the girls confidence ahead of the National Schools competition and the remaining league fixtures of the term. Training alongside the 1st VII allowed the U16A girls an excellent opportunity to challenge themselves and develop technical aspects of their game. Evie Smith (captain) and Izzi Chalmers (vicecaptain) performed well amongst the Senior 1st VII to secure their senior debuts against Bromsgrove. The following league fixtures presented some good competition and provided an opportunity to develop different combinations, especially in the defensive circle. Securing wins against Stamford (52-13), Stowe School (65-16) and Repton School (33-31) provided the opportunity to work on set plays and cement combinations in all areas of the court. National Schools presented the girls with an opportunity to play against some of the best schools in the country. The tournament style proved a challenge, however, the girls adapted well and showed resilience when being clinical with the ball throughout each game. They placed 7th in the country overall, securing the highest place in Oakham netball history. A term to be proud of. Written by Isobel Beighton (coach)
The 4th VII have had a great term of netball. Their approach to training over the weeks was enthusiastic and positive which enabled great development and progression. Unfortunately, due to a few cancellations of matches, they only had 1 fixture this term, but this did not affect their spirits and attitude in training! The team enjoyed training alongside their friends in a social yet competitive environment and I hope they continue to play and progress in the future. Written by Beth Gabriel (coach)
The U16A team placed 7th in the country overall, securing the highest place in Oakham netball history.
netball team
Despite having a few fixtures cancelled at the beginning of term, the U16B girls prepared well during training sessions and worked hard to develop their skills. They played well against Stamford, resulting in a 30-14 win in their first competitive fixture. Despite a tough loss against Oundle in their second game of the term, they ended strongly winning 38-28 against Rugby School. It has been excellent to see the girls take to the court this term and represent Oakham. I look forward to seeing them develop further as Senior Netballers.
Written by Isobel Beighton (coach)The U16Cs had a restrictive season for fixtures. However despite this their results have been great. They played particularly well against Stamford with a well-fought and determined win. All players during the match showed great versatility and determination. The players are enthusiastic, generally always smiling, however they still have a great deal in the tank. For the next season, they all need to believe in themselves more and train at a much greater level. This will give them the opportunity to achieve much higher, better things.
Written by Caroline Orton (coach)The U15As had a mixed season with close wins agains Oundle (26-24) and Stamford (24-22) and by a larger margin against Rugby School 29-17. They gained valuable experience in the Uppingham tournament, which will set them up well for next year.
Written by Michelle Northcott (coach)The U15B netball team were unstoppable, finishing the season unbeaten. With talent in abundance, evident in the 168 goals scored and only conceding 77, it is no surprise the team had a hugely successful term. One of the highlights was the annual Uppingham tournament where the team won their overall competition against the David Ross Academy. The U15Bs were a pleasure to coach and I look forward to seeing them develop into the senior teams; they are a force to be reckoned with!
Written by Heidi Cannie (coach)The U15Cs were amazing this season; they listened well and applied their individual skills with expertise. Their enthusiasm was wonderful, which really showed during their fixtures with great results. All members of the squad showed great adaptability. A particular highlight was the great result against Repton – a 21-6 win, with Maya and Georgie P both playing out of position as shooters.
Written by Caroline Orton (coach)The U15Ds enjoyed a fantastic unbeaten season. The girls quickly found their stride again with a convincing 23-2 victory over a strong Oundle side. This was followed up with a 38-2 victory over local rivals Uppingham. The girls continued their streak with further convincing wins over Stamford and Rugby School, winning 47-20 and 41-9 respectively. These scorelines reflected the defensive and attacking prowess of the team, particularly with Christina Nicolle and Maya Mbogo in defence.
Written by Felix Rouch (coach)The U15E team was a pleasure to coach, training hard and consistently improving their ball handling skills. The team played a standout game against Rugby in their last fixture of the season, winning 12-5 and displaying their distinct improvement throughout the season. The defensive skills demonstrated by the girls during this game were exceptionally noteworthy, ensuring the win! It was wonderful to see the team progress and develop as netballers, with the girls’ hard work in training paying off in their games.
Written by Bridget Mackley (coach)The U14A squad had a fantastic season of netball. They enjoyed an excellent start in September when they became County Tournament Winners. The girls sailed through the tournament undefeated, winning the round-robin competition with 9 wins. This secured their place in the East Midlands Regional Schools Tournament which followed in January. This was another day of netball where the girls put on an excellent display of their skills. With impressive wins against Bourne Grammar School (14-4), Nottingham Girls’ High School (10-6) and Wellingborough School (16-2), the team got through to the Semi-Finals. With a tough Semi-Final against Stamford, the U14s narrowly missed out on a place in the National Schools Finals and they finished the Regional Tournament in 3rd place – a great achievement to be one of the top three U14 school teams in the East Midlands! Over the course of the fixtures in the Spring Term the U14As continued in excellent form. The team’s hard work in training saw them progress and flourish over the weeks in matches, resulting in assertive wins over Uppingham (42-27), Stowe (58-8), Repton (39-21), Rugby (18-14) and Sedbergh (22-20)! Throughout this term everyone within this squad has turned up to training with a smile and excellent attitude. Each individual should be proud of their efforts. Written by Beth Gabriel (coach)
The U14Bs were a pleasure to coach this season, consistently training and playing with unwavering determination. The highlight of the season was a convincing 26-15 win against Repton. This game demonstrated fabulously all of the new skills the girls had learnt being put into practice. The girls should be so proud of their hard work this season, with each and every player on the team improving both their knowledge and skills of the game vastly. Keep up the great work! Written by Romilly Das (coach)
The U14C team worked really well throughout the season. In training they developed their passing accuracy and ball handling skills and how to build defensive pressure. The team was led by captain Phoebe H and she did a great job of motivating the team by her own fantastic performances and her encouraging words to the team at quarter times. The U14Cs won 3 out of their 6 games. The highlight was their strong performance against Bromsgrove School scoring 21 goals. Well done on a good season!
Written by Lauren Nicholls (Director of Netball)
The U14Ds had a remarkable season, playing 6 games with 3 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw. We endured a tough start to the season losing to Oundle but bounced back with some great results against Uppingham and Bromsgrove. We played our best game against Stowe where we won 33-1, with Audrey Beevers having an amazing game as Goal Shooter.
Written by Tim Kenyon (coach)
The U14Es won 4 out of their 6 games, beating schools such as Oundle, Uppingham, Bromsgrove and Rugby. The 2 games they lost were very narrow defeats by a couple of goals. The girls stayed competitive throughout training and matches all season. It has been a pleasure to witness the girls grow in confidence and really utilise what they have learned along the way.
Written by Sam Montgomery (coach)
The U13A team showed real progression over the term. It was a tough start to the season with 4 losses, but with each week we saw an improved performance. Sophia R made some incredible interceptions for the team and received several Player of the Match awards. In training they worked on their centre pass strategies and how to take on defenders to create more shooting opportunities. With the connections in attack starting to fire, the first win came against Denstone School. The team battled through tough conditions and showed great determination to keep possession and make it tough for the opposition to win the ball. Captain Libby was accurate at the post and shot the majority of the 26 goals. The momentum stayed with the team as they beat Trent College the following week. Sophia W finished the season strongly with two Player of the Match performances at Wing Attack. The final win was against Loughborough High School. This game was a pleasure to watch as the team showcased everything they had learned throughout the season. Well done, U13A team, for a season of good development and lots of enjoyment. Written by Lauren Nicholls (Director of Netball)
The U13B team had a mixed season with a strong finish. With hard work and dedication to training, the girls all stood up to the challenge and found their competitive fire. They finished the season with 2 strong wins, scoring nearly 8 times as many goals in their last game, compared to their first game. The girls proved they could turn things around and be a force to be reckoned with.
Written by Sam Montgomery (coach)
The U13Cs had a really successful season with three of the original players gaining promotion into the B squad: Elodie, Lottie and Lily Underwood. Meanwhile, Annabelle and Holly gained promotion to the Cs from the D squad. All girls played really well during the fixtures which resulted in some great results. Written by Caroline Orton (coach)
The U13D team had a season that has allowed them to grow individually as players. A lot of the girls had never played netball before and therefore improving and learning the basics such as passing, shooting, positional play and defensive play were the main components of practices. The girls quickly improved and many of the players moved up to the B and C squads throughout the season. The girls even took charge in their final practice, running the warm-up and their own drills. I have been very grateful to coach such an enthusiastic and ever-improving team. Written by Lucy Kenyon (coach)
Overall, the U12A girls had a fantastic term. They have gone from strength to strength, representing Oakham and winning 3 out of the 7 fixtures played. The term began with a tough fixture against Stamford where they lost 16-8. Despite an early loss, the girls continued to work hard in training to be rewarded with a 31-1 win against Spratton Hall, displaying excellent connection in attack. The remaining fixtures were competitive and the girls showed resilience and skill in all areas of the court. The final few fixtures allowed the girls to display a good standard of netball; a win against Denstone College (17-4) boosted the girls’ confidence. The final fixture of the term displayed what a great improvement the girls had made, resulting in a 19-5 win against Loughborough High School.
Writtenby Isobel Beighton (coach)
The U12Bs managed to win 4 of their matches with convincing wins against Spratton Hall (12-4), Stoneygate (17-5) and Denstone College (15-2). Meanwhile the U12Cs enjoyed some decisive wins in their fixtures against Spratton (17-0), Denstone College (17-1) and Loughborough High (10-0).
The most striking thing about the U12D girls was their enthusiasm in training and kindness towards each other. As training progressed and we played more games, the girls truly learned to operate as a team, which was lovely to see. Even though this season wasn’t heavy on the wins, the girls accepted every score with good grace and they would listen to all feedback to see how they could improve for next time. I was impressed at the initiative they took in training, teaching each other games and drills to play, keeping that sense of a team strong. They learned how to cooperate with each other in different positions and I am proud of all of them for trying something new.
Written by Julia Parker (coach)
The U11A squad had a fantastic term of netball. With a mixture of experience amongst the team, it wasn’t long before this group grasped the technical and tactical aspects of netball. The team’s willingness to learn and enthusiasm in training allowed them to make excellent progress over the weeks. The U11s displayed some great performances in their fixtures with compelling wins against Leicester Grammar and Stoneygate. Every player had a determined and competitive attitude which led to great displays of netball throughout the course of the term. Written by Beth Gabriel (coach)
This term has been a fantastic opportunity for the development of the skills of the U11B netball team. Despite not always securing a win, the competitive spirit and willingness to improve displayed by the team should be commended. The ball handling skills, range of movements and tactical thinking of all girls on the team improved consistently each week, displayed particularly in the last fixture of the term against Repton Prep. The girls enjoyed practising their shooting technique in training and should keep up their positive and competitive attitudes in the future! Written by Bridget Mackley (coach)
As I write this article from Wellington College, watching the Boys 1st XI play in the BOWS Festival, I am minded of my own experiences of school festival cricket at this time of year and the brilliant fun and eye-opening experiences of mixing in with the older boys as a younger player. The traditional season finale of three days of hard-fought cricket between Brighton, Oakham, Wellington and Sedbergh epitomises what the sport is all about. Time spent with your like-minded friends, building new bonds that last a lifetime, the feeling of freedom as the summer holidays stretch out ahead, and with the opportunity to meet and socialise with students and staff from other schools, sharing stories about the school season gone, wickets taken, runs scored and catches dropped! It’s what we love about the game, and the school season has been filled with it. Over the course of the term, we have been fortunate to welcome Sedbergh U13, Wellington U14, Rondebosch Boys High School on tour from South Africa as well as hosting cup fixtures, a Prep Schools Cricket Masterclass and welcoming visiting coaches to work with small groups of students on wicket keeping and batting. There have been cup wins, cup near misses and high competition in House tournaments and numerous students achieving Representative Honours.
In the Lower School, for the first time, we have had more girls than boys opting for cricket. Three girls’ teams have enjoyed a full fixture list and have laid the bedrock on which we will continue to grow the girls game. Two Lower School girls have enjoyed a full season playing in the Lower School 1st XI. Libby H and Sophia R have been fine role models and have shown others that they can genuinely aspire to play in the team in the future. The U13A girls enjoyed success in the County Cup, running out County Champions at the Loughborough Grammar School Finals Day towards the end of the term.
The U14 age group showed relentless effort and a desire to keep improving, with the U14A, B & C teams narrowly missing out on victory
by only a few runs on several occasions. The U15 age group saw two boys’ teams and a girls’ team. The U15A Girls, made up mainly of U14 players looks very strong for next year, achieved the position of Runners-Up in the County Cup. The boys’ teams look to be building nicely for next year, and will greatly strengthen the Senior XIs over the next three years. The Senior XIs continue to balance the academic pressures with an opportunity to put the books down and enjoy their cricket for a few hours. Inevitably, the season becomes disrupted by study leave, public examinations and then the early leaves when exams are over. The key is that those who played did so with a smile on their face and enjoyed the opportunities to challenge themselves in the school matches played and at games sessions. The 1st XI batters enjoyed a session with OO Tom Fell (‘12), taking the opportunity to soak up advice and new ideas from a current professional player and the wicket keepers enjoyed a session with Chris Larson (Oakham Town CC) on the mental side of the art of keeping wicket.
Back at Wellington, as Joe Johnson rips another one past the outside edge of a Wellington bat (they will go on to beat the hosts in a nail-biting one-wicket win), all that remains is for me to recognise the fantastic efforts of those who have made another season of Oakham cricket possible. Richard Dexter and his team work tirelessly to prepare and maintain some of the finest surfaces any student could ever hope to play on. The catering team deliver beautifully presented and created meals and teas, always being flexible to the inevitable last-minute changes that come their way. Finally, to the coaching staff who work with the players to ensure that we get the best from them, and that they experience enjoyable and rewarding cricket, leaving them wanting to come back again next season or, in the case of our leavers, looking to head out to find cricket at club, university or social level after Oakham. Thank you all!
Oakham School’s new Director of Cricket Patrick Latham looks back at a season of thriving boys and girls cricket.OO Tom Fell ('12) led a coaching session for the 1st XI batters OO Tom Fell ('12) led a coaching session for the 1st XI batters Cricket made sporting history at Oakham School with two co-educational teams
It has been a mixed season for the Boys 1st XI. Whilst the overall analysis of results for the team seems poor, several of the defeats were in very close matches and could have easily been different outcomes. Therefore, it’s fair to say we competed in most of the matches and were rarely outplayed; we just lacked the cutting edge when it came to getting the job done.
We started the season with an excellent run chase against Uppingham School on the first weekend of the season and followed that with a comfortable T20 victory versus Leicester Grammar School on the same weekend with Will Murray and Freddie Fairey starring with the bat in those matches. From there, however, we lost 2 close games in the National T20 competition against a strong Repton side and an incredibly strong Trent College team, even though we gave a good account of ourselves in both of those games. The defeat to Repton from the last ball was an incredibly difficult one to take and I feel the nature of that loss did have an effect on the confidence of the team from then on, as we didn’t then get any momentum into the season from that point. That’s not to say we didn’t have good performances after that day, but we just couldn’t put good results together in a sequence. We had the better of a draw against Stamford School on a day where the captain Freddie Fairey made the only century for Oakham in the season, however, we couldn’t take the last three wickets we would have needed for victory. We did manage to beat them in the return fixture that was played as a T20 match in order to ease exam pressures for the team.
We had a good win against the XL Club with Ben Conroy dominating with both bat and ball; indeed he was only an unsuccessful appeal away from getting his name on the honours board. Ben was one of our more consistent performers throughout the season. We were also well placed to chase about 250 vs the MCC only to fall narrowly short. Joe Johnson, earlier having taken 5 wickets, made 88 on what was a day to remember for himself – he was the team’s most prolific batter over the season. Our match versus Stowe was washed out, our only match not to be completed in the whole term. And we lost in a tense final over against Bedford when well placed. And the same can be said in the T10 tournament against the same opponents in the last week of term when needing only six runs to defend the title we had won in 2021. This was the narrative for the season. The most complete team we played against was the touring team of Rondebosch who were a very strong side, I just hope our boys were able to take on a few of the lessons they taught us that day.
We finished our season with the traditional BOWS Festival that was superbly hosted by Wellington College. With some absences through holidays and injuries, opportunities were presented to younger and less experienced players who equipped themselves very well. We beat the hosts by 1 wicket which was well cheered by the team as Felix Pinder guided the team over the line. However, we lost our last two fixtures to Sedburgh and Brighton College when we just appeared to run out of steam. Will Lewin performed very well in the festival with both bat and ball as he had done throughout the season. I wish all the team the best of luck for the future, I hope they continue to strive to better themselves but most importantly to enjoy the game. To the leavers Fairey, Lewin and Conroy, you will always be welcome back at the School as OOs!
Written by Wes Durston (coach)It’s been a pleasure to captain this side and watch as everyone progressed hugely to enjoy a rather successful season. After a tough loss against Uppingham in the opener, a tricky fixture against Bedford School loomed. Bedford set an above par score of 180 from their 30 overs. After a couple of early wickets, Bland and Wilson put on 100 together with both getting half centuries and steering their side to a historic victory with BJE calling it, “the greatest schoolboy cricket chase he’d ever seen”. The side faced off against Stamford in back-to-back matches either side of half term and although the first was a very one-sided affair, Oakham showed tremendous improvement and put up a great fight in the second match but couldn’t quite keep Stamford from scraping over the line. The final match of the season saw the side badly disrupted because of D of E and 1st XI call-ups, meaning five players had to make their 2nd XI debut as Adam Kapadia followed George Bland making a 1st XI debut in victory at Oundle. However back at Doncaster Close a good 60 from Spike Marlow and 20 from debutant Noah Bowden weren’t enough to get close to Oundle’s 217. Written by George Bland (captain)
The 4th XI had an enjoyable season both on the field during games played with great enthusiasm, as well as some hard work in the nets and in the middle during training. The season started against Uppingham who left an impressive score of 147 to chase in 20 overs. A superb batting performance from E. Dickens secured the team their first win of the year. Ben Taylor, Noah Bowden, and Hiro Yagi were then drafted in for the next home game vs Stamford. Ben Taylor had a brilliant innings with the bat whilst Noah and Hiro both took 2 wickets each to secure the win. The team’s second fixture vs Stamford was also a close game with both teams batting and bowling well. Tom Norwood, James Mansfield, and Noah Bowden did a great job bowling taking 7 wickets between them. There have been many great individual performances this year, however, the standout performance of the season was Max Lewis, who scored 60 runs off 33 balls and took a wicket against Stamford when playing his first game. Written by Jamie Ray (coach)
The U15As had a good season resulting in them finishing Runners-Up in the County Cup. The boys worked hard on their skills and developed their understanding of the sport. The side was led well by the leadership group of Freddie St John, Fred Cox and Harry Gilman. A few notable performances from Freddie and Maxie Weir are worthy of a mention. Maxie’s 70 against a very strong Stamford side was a pleasure to watch. The boys had some brilliant close-fought games early on in the season seeing a tie against Uppingham. The boys then played them again later in the season and beat them by 3 runs. Written by Ed Hales (coach)
Blessed with good weather throughout, the U15B cricketers, while achieving mixed results, always enjoyed their cricket. After losing in the last over to Uppingham in the season’s opener, we were soundly beaten by Bedford before a superb team performance at Stamford saw our first victory. The season ended with another good game, and close defeat, at Oundle. Written by David Russell (coach)
Honourable mentions go to:
• Most wickets and best bowling (4-13): Toby Hayle
• Highest aggregate runs: James Kutluoglu
• Top score (38): Noah Pepperdine
• Most improved Player: Thomas Tate
• Champagne moment: Nikhel Mandalia’s catch in the deep at Stamford that changed the momentum of the match.
This was a challenging season for the U14B team, who, despite losing a number of matches continued to improve and grow as a team. The keenness of the boys and their love of the game showed through as, little by little, progress was made resulting in several notable performances across the summer. With the ball, Archie J and Finn M showed good control, with Archie demonstrating the effects of bowling left arm from a different angle. Jean-Pierre dT, Ruudi B-E and Oliver W made significant progress in their bowling with both enjoying the wickets they took! Batting left room for improvement, which we started to see by the end of the season. Edward E, Arthur W & Will A-S progressing significantly. Henry Granger began to play nicely with the bat and made great progress as wicketkeeper. There were not many victories for these boys to celebrate, and a very painful 3 run loss at Trent College was a bitter pill to swallow after getting so close. However, with continued work and enjoyment, this team will enjoy successes as they move through the school. Written by Ethan Smyth (coach)
It has been fantastic to see the U14Cs develop through the season. A number of students were new to cricket and quickly challenged themselves to pick up bat or ball to learn a new and confusing sport! Those returning to the game were quick to welcome them in and help them to understand some of the finer points of the game. In a first for Oakham, a mixed team travelled to Bedford School, with Izzy N, Esther M, Molly S, and Isabella A bowling superbly to restrict Bedford to 160. In the game at Stamford, the team performed brilliantly to set a challenging total that remained just out of reach for the host team. It was fantastic to see the players getting the rewards for their hard work throughout the season in this game. Written by Patrick Latham (coach)
The Lower School 1st XI side had a season where they learned a lot and improved greatly. They worked well as a team and worked hard on their basics. They have been a great group to coach and have brought constant energy to each session. There were a couple of stand-out performances from Alfie Cripps who took a 5-wicket haul against Witham with the side bowling them out for 88. It has been great to see the introduction of girls into the Lower School 1st team: Libby Hoyles and Sophia Rice played well throughout the season with Libby bowling consistent lines and lengths and Sophia hitting the ball hard. The side was captained well by Charlie Milner who led the side with energy and charisma. He learned a lot and set good fields.Written by Ed Hales (coach) See page 110 for team photo.
The U13B team was a mix of pupils from the Lower School. For many it was their first experience of regular hardball cricket. All the boys made progress as the term went on and I hope were inspired by the manner in which the national side, under Stokes and McCullum, played in their first two Tests of the summer against New Zealand. Written by Andrew Rice (coach)
The U14A team had a challenging season, coming up against several strong sides. The highlight of the season was a well-deserved victory against Trent College, led by a half century from Magnus Robertson and followed up with an excellent bowling and fielding display. There was a good team spirit among the boys throughout the season, they trained hard and strived to make improvements in all facets of their game. Written by James Hutter (coach)
The U13C team were great fun to work with and it was most rewarding to see their improvement across the season. On first viewing, the boys were inevitably a little light on cricketing experience. Starting with a soft ball and the very basics of the game, improvements came quickly amongst a group of boys who were very keen and wanted to learn the game. Pairs cricket was the order of the day and initially soft ball, giving them all the opportunity to test themselves safely and grow confidence in their own ability as well as in their understanding of the game. It was a credit to all that by the end of the season, all were playing with a hard ball, enjoying the inter-school matches and experiencing success.
Written by Patrick Latham (coach)
This year saw a brilliant squad of girls, led by Caitlin Hopkinson, enjoy a Summer Term full of cricket. Much of the focus of this season involved progression of their foundational cricket skills, such as looking to reduce dot balls when batting; attacking the ball in the field; and learning to understand their own bowling action to improve consistency with the ball. Overall, the squad were superb, approaching every training session and game with enthusiasm and the want to be better cricketers. Their results reflected this progress throughout the season. The opening fixture was a tough first game against Oundle away; the squad bowled and fielded superbly but could not get over the line with the bat. As the season progressed, soon exams hit! Nonetheless, the girls were fantastic in keeping availability open for Saturdays and attending as many training sessions as they could. This ethos shone through as the season progressed, producing some very tight fixtures, most notably the penultimate game against Stamford at home. Having bowled well to reduce Stamford to 142, Matilda D’Arcy and Gabi Gelderbloom shared a 50-run partnership in Oakham’s run chase. However, they could not quite chase the total in 20 overs, falling 30 runs short with three wickets in hand. The squad’s progression throughout the season was amazing to see, and for those leaving the squad (and Oakham), I hope they continue to play wherever they may go! For the remaining squad who return next year, I look forward to seeing them back in winter nets and then out on the square again soon! Written by Josh Arnold (coach)
Our U15A cricketers continued to make history this term as only the second year U15 girls have represented Oakham. It was truly fitting that in the 50th year of co-education at Oakham our cricketers reached their first ever Cup Final in the Team Leicestershire competition. A magnificent achievement for the girls and one to be proud of. With many of the girls being U14s, the future is truly bright for this group of young women. They certainly are a team to look out for!
Written by James Bateman (coach)
We can consider the second full year of cricket in the Lower School for girls a successful one. This is due to participation numbers being very high and the fact that we introduced all the girls to hard ball cricket in practices and all the matches were also hard ball. The icing on the cake, however, was the fact that the U13A team won the County Cup, which was a huge success and one all the girls should feel very proud of.
Our school matches were mixed in terms of results but hugely positive in the strides the team made. Confidence was always going to be an important factor for the girls when using the hard ball and they didn’t disappoint as they made lots of progress in all areas of batting, fielding, and bowling. The team was made up almost exclusively of Form 2 girls, but the contributions from the younger girls will hold them in good stead for next year. I hope they all continue to enjoy the sport and continue to develop in the years to come.
Written by Wes Durston (coach)The U13B girls had a season with much growth and development. After three weeks, the girls made a transition from soft to hard ball as many were comfortable with a soft ball. Major improvements were seen in the girls’ bowling and fielding with a hard ball. The girls struggled with the bat and it was an area we tried working on. The girls’ general awareness in the field grew with each game; learning the concepts of walking in, backing up and field positioning. The girls all played in great spirit with the Most Improved Player being Cici Astill and Player of the Season being Charlotte Craig.
Written byTim Kenyon (coach)
The icing on the cake, however, was the fact that the U13A team won the County Cup, which was a huge success and one all the girls should feel very proud of.
IAPS,
Bertie P & Mimi P powered themselves off a long set of hurdles to win their heats and secure places in the finals. Bertie finished with 4th place and Mimi snapped up 2nd and a place at the Nationals.
Both Hattie J & William G fought hard for their way to 4th and 5th place in the 1500m and were cheered on immensely by the team every step of the way. However, the grit that showed on Alexi P to get round the 800m should be an inspiration to all. Her placing will not justify the drive she had on the track and her future in any event on the track or in the field looks strong.
Lottie L, a star performance to find the 5th place. Fighting for the finish is a commonplace for this young aspiring athlete and her smile lights up the track, but behind that smile is an engine working well beyond its capacity.
The two stand-out races for the Lower School Sprinters included both Cayden P (F2 Boys 200m) and Fleur L (F1 Girls 100m) surpassing their own expectations and winning their heats. Cayden finished with a 5th in the final and Fleur tied her time with a rival runner, and only an hour later did she find out her race was a win and a chance to run at the Nationals in Nuneaton.
In the hurdles Jacklin (Junior Boys), Hill (Junior Girls) and Wilson (Inter Boys) all secured places in the final. It was a long wait before they would be able to prove their might. Jacklin and Hill earned Gold and Wilson flew in to steal a Silver.
However, Osuji (Inter Boys Triple) was the first to bring in the Gold, with a champion jump in the Inter Boys Triple.
The sprinters followed swiftly for their heats. Lloyd (U13 Girls), Kaczmar (Junior Girls) and Bell (Inter Girls) all cruised their races winning their heats with both Kaczmar (New School Record 12.6s) and Bell earning Gold and Lloyd a Bronze.
The boys were equally impressive. Powell (Inter Boys) and Taylor (Senior Boys) both represented Oakham proving their speed on the track. Powell finished with the Gold and a time that continues to show dedication and perseverance to achieve a speed he knows he can reach in the not-too-distant future.
The 200m races included Carr (U13 Girls), Tyres (Junior Girls), Smith (Inter Girls), Urban (Junior Boys), Osuji (Inter Boys) and Bell (Senior Boys) who all showed grit to the finish making it through to the finals at the end of the day. Smith secured Gold in her race and Carr made an absolute smashing effort to hold her Silver position to the finish.
The MD Sprinters (300m and 400m) followed. Courtman and Healey (Junior Girls), Barrett (Inter Girls) and Skelton (Senior Girls) all showed just what hard work can achieve. Skelton’s time equalled the County Senior Girls 400m record, held
since 1985. Ricketts (Inter Boys) held the flag for the boys and proved too he has the capacity to fight to the finish regardless of pain and discomfort. It was an honour and a privilege to watch Skelton show precision and pace and earn her last Gold at the County Championships in style and it was equally great to watch those who have looked up to her follow in her footsteps. A great run from Barrett earned her too the Gold.
MD endurance athletes showed their metal. The highlight of the day must go to Southwell (Junior 800m), sprinting the last 200m like Robocop to steal the Gold in the last 10m of his 800m. Silver Medals went to Braddock (Inter Boys 800), Dadd (Inter Boys 1500m) and Cannings (Inter Girls 800m) all showing the guts and determination required to fight off the Charnwood athletes that often take the top positions in these races.
Oakham in the Field made their mark too. Starting with Osuji (Inter Boys TJ) earning Gold, Brockwell (Junior Boys LJ), Hobill (Junior Boys Shot), Jones (Junior Girls Javelin), Blackman (Inter Girls Shot), Erewa (Inter Boys Disc), Northcott (Senior Girls Shot) and Mee (Senior Boys Shot) then all followed suit with Golds. Impressively, Mee returned for the chance to continue the run of good fortune in the Discus, being a Senior, and confidently secured the Silver.
Lastly, Oakham always give their all to the County Relays, and more often than not they are out in the front showing the way. This year, we earned Gold in the Senior Girls, Inter Girls and the Junior Girls relays, but perhaps the highlight of the day was the Inters leading the way to the finish, just 10m ahead of the Senior Girls.
Written by Trefon Vandoros (Director of Athletics)
In the
several immense performances stood out:
In the County Championships, there were another set of awesome results:
The glorious weather, brilliant sunshine and a gentle cool breeze provided the perfect setting for the IAPS and County Championships in Bedford on the Friday and Saffron Lane, Leicester on the Saturday. The efforts of all Oakham Track and Field athletes surpassed expectations once more to keep our school flag in this sport flying high.
4 Inter School Meets, 9 School Records & 116 1st Places
Junior Girls – 24 1st Places & 1 School Record – S Kaczmar broke the Junior 100m record. I Jones was close to breaking the Junior Girls Javelin. She did break the Sports Day record, so watch this space. Other key athletes to keep an eye on include both Healeys, O Courtman, L Tyers & C Hill
Junior Boys – 14 1st Places – An exceptional development made by key athletes over the season. Key names to watch out for include: S Jackson, M Southwell, F Hobill, E Urban & W Brockway.
Inter Girls – 24 1st Places & 4 School Records – The 4 x 100 Relay team broke the record at the Achilles Relays in Oxford. Stand-out athletes include: S Barrett, A Smith, S Blackman, E Bell & R Mee who will all be Inter Girls next year again. M Augustine, V Jaeger & A Cannings were Senior Inters who made a massive impact in the team too.
Inter Boys – 15 1st Places. Stand-out athletes include F Powell, E Ricketts, A Ryan, H Dadd, J Braddock, O Marr, D Osuji, J Lockett, O Wilson, A Erewa & T Siwoku
Senior Girls – 26 1st Places & 3 School Records were broken. Stand-out athletes include: I Skelton, A Housty, K Matthew-Shaw, I Golland, A Northcott, G Gelderbloom & C Molinero.
Senior Boys – 13 well-earned 1st Places. Many of these boys have been huge role models throughout their time at Oakham and will be well missed. These boys include: P Braybrook, P Augustine, C Leung, D Mushonga, D Taylor, E Rodell, T Sentance, G Agafonov, A Mee, O Osuji, H Bell, O Ricketts & A Jonathan
National Achilles Relays – Oxford University
35 Runners - 13 Races, 3 Gold, 1 Silver, 3 Bronze, 4x 4th Places
County Championships
33 Runners - 21 Gold, 8 Silver, 3 Bronze (see report on pages 114–115)
G Agafonov Georgi has been a highly valued field event team member. It is not often you have a top Discus and Shot-Put thrower who can perform equally impressively in the High Jump. He is the proud holder of the Inter Boys Sports Day Shot Record of 13.72m.
P Augustine-Ohwo Paul has been at the heart of Oakham athletics from his first day to his last. He is a leader and an example to working hard and giving his all regardless of circumstance. His highlight was winning the Achilles 2022 Senior Boys 4x 400m.
H Bell As a senior sprinter, Harrison has made his mark and is truly exceptional to watch, especially on the 200m bend.
P Braybrook Peter is ‘Oakham Athletics’. A MD runner who has lasted his entire athletic career in the hands of Mr Denman. He holds the Inter 800m School & Sports Day record, but his highlight is winning back-to-back the Achilles 4x 400m Senior Boys relay in ’21 & ’22.
Ari Jonathan A field athlete with immense personality, charisma, and a whole lot of ‘UMPFF’. The shot and discus circle will miss him for certain. He holds the Sports Day Inter Boys Discus record of 40.2m.
C Leung Caleb joined in Form 6 and for two terms lit up the astro on a Tuesday and Thursday perfecting his sprint technique. Caleb is a Double Achilles Medal holder for the 4x 400m Relay Team winning in ’21 & ’22.
D Mushonga From nowhere Daniel found his boots, put an engine in them and then moved with a pace that was truly jaw dropping. I have not seen three runners more excited about their own teammate’s ability to push past ‘The Wall’ to secure a momentous gap in the Senior Boys 4x 400m Achilles Relay.
O Ricketts Oli is the icing on the cake, the last piece of the Braybrook / Rodell super team of MD runners. He defines versatility, a runner that can go through the full house of track events from 100m to 1500m and do exceptionally well in any one of them. Oli was an important cog for the winning Achilles Relay 4x400m team in 2021.
E Rodell Ewan has been an exceptional MD runner and paired remarkably well with Peter B. Together they have trained shoulder to shoulder, then tactfully broken the opposition down one by one in the 800m and 1500m. He is the proud holder of the Sports Day Inter & Senior Boys 1500m records but for certain he will cherish his Wharflands 4x 400m Inter boys Sports Day record with Peter B.
T Sentance Tom is truly home grown, from the days of IAPS in the Lower School to Senior Boys Hurdles at the County Champs. Both a Track & Field athlete, he has flown over hurdles and excelled in the jumping pit in both Long & Triple.
F Simpson Finn too, has his athletics roots grounded in the Lower School. He is a valued member of the Field Team throwing the Javelin and earning key points for his team.
Senior
Senior Girls - 100m I Skelton 12.52s
Senior Girls - 300m I Skelton 40.8s
Senior Girls - 400m I Skelton 54.25s
Inter Girls - 200m S Barrett 25.96s
Inter Girls - 400m S Barrett 60.2s
Inter Girls - LJ S Barrett 4.94m
Inter Girls - 4x 300m Relay 2min 59.8secs: A. Smith, S. Blackman, S. Barrett, Betsy Healey @ Achilles Relay (5/22) 1st Place
Junior Girls - 100m S Kaczmar 12.6s
A Dudin The 100m always precedes the 300m so Annie without fail would be first to set the track on fire to show off her speed & power, precision & grace. She was a key cog in the 4x100m and 4x 200m relays at Achilles last year, breaking 2 school records and unfortunately losing to Millfield by 0.2s.
S Grantham Dedicated and committed, Savannah would run the 800m, or the 1500m most weekend meets, and if her arm was jelly enough, both.
C Howard Chloe is small and mighty. Standing alongside her Discus teammate Annabelle, she has been a rock. Determined and persistent in practice, she will prove on the weekends just what she is made of.
A Northcott Annabelle has led the Girls’ Field Team this year. She is a determined and successful Shot & Discus thrower winning at most meets including the County Champs at Saffron Lane.
I Skelton Izzy Skelton is simply the best. Contagious smile, contagious attitude. She has such a highly competitive spirit, an outstanding work ethic and she is as fast, strong and graceful on the track – her 200m, 300m and 400m School Records will be tough to break, the majority set at English Schools Finals. This year Izzy has represented GB U20 at the 400m & the 4x400m. She has been an outstanding ambassador for Oakham Athletics and for Oakham School over the past five years. Written by Trefon Vandoros (Director of Athletics)
We say goodbye to some genuine legends. A few words on each to leave you with what we will miss.
The Oakham Senior squad contained an exciting mix of youth and stalwart experience. Ranging from Form 3 to Form 7, the focus of the season was on developing talent and the 9-person squad (R. Sly, H. Suchan, Z.Brown, G. Hornsby, B. Fox, E. Chandler, S. Cutts and co-captains A. Mahil and L. Bailey) certainly developed.
The most memorable victory was in the National Cup where the team produced an epic Championship tie break-deciding set win against a Leicester Grammar team featuring a superb player fresh from a 25k world doubles tour event. The tactical captaincy from Mahil and cool headedness of Brown earned the team a notable victory.
In training, the girls worked hard on the way in which they construct a doubles rally; neutralising opponents’ shots, building pressure and stepping in at the net to kill the point. All players made significant progress epitomised in home and away wins against Uppingham. Second pair Fox and Chandler demonstrated their exciting potential with 2 outstanding sets on the ‘show court’ away from home.
Repton proved to be a step too far in the National Cup as their team combined an ethos of making your opponent hit one more ball with powerful baseline attrition. This was the type of game that our players needed to be part of to see what the upper echelons of school tennis look like, presenting a target for development ahead of next season.
Most importantly, the commitment of this 1st team squad cannot be faulted. After half-term, the players committed to hitting in their free periods and the attitude during exams was exemplary. Mahil, Fox and Suchan defined commitment and were perfect role models in demonstrating the ability to find the balance as a student athlete. It has been a privilege to coach this squad and I hope that the players emulate the culture created this year. This young and exciting squad have good continuity for next season and manage to play their tennis with a fun and driven outlook. I hope that their talent is nurtured through the off season, and they continue to be positive on court. Thanks to the players, the parents, the coaches, and the friends of the players who have supported this team’s incredible growth this season. It’s been a pleasure.
Written by Gareth O’Brien (coach)The Senior 2nd team possessed a keen cohort of mainly Form 6 pupils who stepped up and represented Oakham with pride and great endeavour. Sly, Cutts and Thompson-Fillingham were stalwarts in the 2nds and recorded some impressive victories including a fantastic 4-0 away win at Trent College. The girls encountered some tough opposition in the form of Repton and Uppingham but their journey over the course of the season was one of great development and clear enjoyment. Oakham Senior tennis will be in experienced hands come next season.
The U15A squad had a winning and progressive season with their four teams winning 12 of their inter-school fixtures out of a possible 18. With five of their six match ties won, this was an outstanding season from the U15A girls. Against Kimbolton, Trent and Stamford the Oakham girls were clinical and decisive in the manner of their victories. However, Repton gave them more to think about and going into the last round of games against their own pairs the girls knew that only three wins would give them a victory. Emma and Bea had had a particularly tough afternoon up to that point, but somehow, they managed to turn their play around and beat this Repton pair that had already beaten both our other pairs! Izzie and Millie had a real battle but pulled through 6-4 and Charlotte B and Annabelle were standing for no nonsense and managed a fine 6-1 win. Having been the underdogs most of the afternoon, it was an exciting 5-4 winning finish to the afternoon!
Against Oundle, there was also tough opposition and extremely windy conditions, but Charlotte U and Emma had a fabulous afternoon playing both dynamic and thoughtful tennis; they chalked up 3 impressive victories not deterred at all by either the hard hitting or top spin! Against Uppingham the girls fought hard but went down 4-5 with Annabelle and Charlotte B so competitive in all their matches, but Millie and Izzie keeping the fixture alive until the dying moments with two solid victories.
All the A team girls trained well, improved their tactical awareness, and tried to use in competition some of the new tactics learnt in training. Seven players were the mainstay of the team, with Millie and Izzie chalking up the most victories, Annabelle and Charlotte B being an example to all regarding communication and a supportive partnership, Emma and Bea showing all how to enjoy the game and how fundamental that actually is, and Charlotte U playing some of the most outstanding tennis I have seen all term against Oundle. Vicky and Katie also had run outs for the A team and chalked up some solid results. Well done all – your approach and attitude towards trying the chopper grip, working to use the lob, getting more adventurous at the net and showing the absolute best as far as sportsmanship is concerned has been first class! A special well done to Charlotte B who came up from the U14s and seamlessly became an U15 for the term! Written by Lisa Richardson (coach)
The U15B team had a tough term with more fluctuations of players available and therefore less established partnerships. They ended the season with 3 wins and 3 losses. Katie had the most wins over the term with particularly strong and effective partnerships with Andrada and Christina. Against Stamford the girls came away with a 7-2 win that makes the fixture sound easy, but two of those wins were from Halle and Andrada who battled to the wire narrowly to win both games 6-5! The closest individual match of the season was against Kimbolton when Halle and Imy lost 5-6 (7-9 in the tie break)! However, overall, the girls won this fixture 5-4 with Vicky and Christina playing their best games of the season showing both greater consistency and real determination not to let chances slip away. Although the girls narrowly lost 4-5 to Repton, Felicity and Halle really shone that afternoon and were the only pair to notch up two wins with Halle consistent at the back and Felicity intercepting effectively at the net. Arabella played in some of the B matches and was effective and successful and undoubtedly missed at other times; Marianna and Lily also had a run-out for the B team. Imy progressed to the Bs from the Cs and was undoubtedly the most improved player in the B squad. Written by Lisa Richardson (coach)
The U15C team had 4 strong wins and 1 loss over the season. However, there was some movement between the two teams with Rosie, Georgina, Kat and Marlenna all supporting the C team at various times as well as playing and/ or training in the D squad. Marianna and Lily were the most successful partnership with the most victories over the term, but the strength in depth was evident from the team’s decisive wins against Repton, Trent and Uppingham (all 8-1). Tabby and Ella were excellent against Trent getting on with the job in hand and ending up with the strongest match card of the afternoon and Ella partnered by Ellie had another very good afternoon v Uppingham. Oundle gave the Cs more to think about but despite some incredibly close and hard-fought matches it was not to be. Although the U15Ds lost both their matches, Laura and Olivia are to be commended for their battling attitude against Oundle with three incredibly tight matches and a couple of very narrow 5-6 losses. Ruby, Bessie, Eleanor, Gracie and Maya also played for the Ds, with Maya the most improved player for that team, and with Gracie, they notched up two great wins v Oundle. Written by Lisa Richardson (coach)
Having returned to the tennis courts after the long Easter break, the U14 tennis teams started the season with two extremely close matches against Stamford. As fixtures went, competition was strong and establishing pairings and tactics was the main theme for the first half of term. Successful wins against Trent and Uppingham gave us confidence and we preferred playing on our own home turf with a clean sweep across all teams against Trent. During training sessions, the girls worked hard to understand the doubles game, whilst honing in on their individual skills, in particular net play and serving. Despite having had some challenging fixtures with strong opposition, the U14 teams are to be commended on their perseverance and progress made, firmly supporting their foundation for next season. Written by Heidi Cannie (coach)
The U13A girls’ team played their part in many great matches, with all girls having the opportunity to represent the School at some point in the season. The girls worked hard in training to develop a greater tactical approach to doubles, becoming more scholarly in their game play, whilst still developing technically. 1st pair, Griffith and Day, developed exceptionally and U12, Simpson, has a promising year ahead next year. Cure, Underwood and Turcan all showed their potential on court, most notably against Stamford and Ratcliffe away. Written by Gareth O’Brien (coach)
The U13B team had a wonderful season, winning 4 games and losing 1. First pair stalwarts, the O’ Donoghue twins, epitomised fun and enjoyment on court whilst also yielding great results. Second pair Wattie and Peberdy were the most improved pair in the whole year group; they were dubbed ‘Queens at the net’ from setting up many rallies to create volley winner opportunities. Kwok and Prothero showed great desire in the third pair and their commitment on court earned them some impressive results against strong pairs. Written by Gareth O’Brien (coach)
The report for the U13C and U13D squads comes as one to celebrate the endeavours of the collective, who recorded two unbeaten seasons for Oakham School. Such is the strength in depth of this group of girls, any of them could have staked their claim to play C team each week. The squad made great strides in their ability to hold long rallies, making them tough to break down. Their ability to identify pressure and become more assertive to win the point was evident and earned them some great wins. It was also great to see players such as Baines and N. Edenborough-Elliot make leaps in their service games. Written by Gareth O’Brien (coach)
The U12 Girls’ Squad enjoyed a year focused on player progression in three main categories: performance progression, game play development and technical development. These three criteria allowed girls to develop in scenarios above the average of their age range, in line with their age range, and in an environment specific to those new to tennis. This development saw five girls (Simpson, Cartwright, L. Steveney, Morgan, Smith) represent the U13s/U14s and ensured that 3 teams’ worth of pupils were playing weekly competitive tennis. There are promising signs for the U12s with U11, S. Steveney, representing the U12A team in the season. By the end of the term, the U12 girls were playing in U12/U13 mixed matches which showed their progression in tennis as well as their confidence, and ability, to step on court against older players. Written by Gareth O’Brien (coach)
Our senior boys’ tennis teams enjoyed some great training and competitive matches throughout the course of the term, with excellent weather ensuring good conditions and the installation of the new floodlights on the Haywoods courts allowing tennis late into the night. Danny Rumble captained the 1st team well with fellow Form 7 boys Stefan Lesnic and Charlie Richardson completing excellent School careers. Good wins against Bedford, Stamford and Loughborough GS were amongst many highlights as the boys navigated their way through public exams and a competitive fixture list which brought challenges every week. The boys played some excellent tennis throughout the term under the tutelage of coaches Ciera Mullins and Charlie Moscrop who successfully developed some excellent doubles playing skills. Much thanks go to team managers Mr Collinson and Mr Paddock who ensured that the boys were well prepped for every fixture and managed the rotations around examination commitments. Written by Iain Simpson (Director of Sport)
With growing numbers of boys playing tennis, we managed to put out four competitive teams each week across Forms 3 and 4. The boys took to the rhythm of training and matches well and the doubles format of schools’ tennis allowed for development of individual skills as well as doubles strategy, communication and teamwork. These age groups have some excellent players and the improvement across the board was remarkable over the course of the term. Oliver Cadby-Lynch, Jamie Auld, John Hohn, Oscar Lewis, Alfie Baker and Lloyd Blackman all deserve mention not only for their skills and thoughtful match-play, but also their determination and never-saydie attitude in all matches. The future is bright for this group of boys and we look forward to next season. Written by Iain Simpson (Director of Sport)
The U12 boys have a strong cohort of players and have seen many play the season as U13s. There is substantial strength and depth in this year group as those who have represented the A team have gone unbeaten in their season, recording wins against the likes of Repton Primary, Stamford and Worksop College. Cameron, Benton-Jones, Cure, Stafford, Tyers, Pamihov, Adderley and Maxted have all featured in the season and show substantial promise. A combination of resilience, forcing opponents to play one more shot, and increased care over each stroke has earned the pupils this strong set of results. Going forward, this group of players will develop stronger tactical awareness, become more imposing at the net and develop a greater variety of racket skills. Written by Gareth O’Brien (coach)
4-4 draw unfortunately after being the better team throughout, but we were punished for individual mistakes.
Further matches were an away win at Rugby (0-4) and a one-sided 0-0 draw at King’s Ely; after hitting the post, crossbar and having a penalty saved, the home side coach commented, “They are the best side we have played!” Our season culminated with an impressive 5-1 win against Stamford.
I would like to thank all involved for their commitment and dedication to training – it was a really good and enjoyable term.
To the Seventh Formers moving on to pastures new, I wish you all the best for the future. Hopefully you will continue playing football and to Form 6, I look forward to seeing you next year. Written by Steve Bent (coach)
It was a joy to welcome competitive football back to Wilson Fields after an almost two-year hiatus. The lack of continuity meant while all five boys’ squads completed their fixture lists, they did so with varying degrees of success. I am pleased to say that the consistent hard work and dedication of the boys and their coaches saw all teams enjoy their football and make significant progress over the course of the season. Every Middle and Upper School team flourished under the microscope of inter-school rivalry and tasted victory on at least one occasion.
The most successful team was our 1st XI who finished with a playing record of P9 W5 D1 L3 which led to a creditable fourth place finish in the Mercian League. Their season can be neatly divided into three parts.
Despite beginning the season with only two players with previous 1st team experience, Captain Will Lewin and Goalkeeper Dan Kelly, the boys began the season in great form with successive victories over the Old Oakhamians and local rivals Uppingham. They then raced into a 3-0 half-time lead over Loughborough Grammar, before an extreme shift in fortune led to a 4-3 defeat. This reverse undoubtedly dented the boys’ confidence but their collective spirit remained undimmed. Despite excellent performances in the next two games versus Bedford and Oundle, the footballing gods were not with us, and both ended in narrow defeats.
After half-term, in spite of continuing availability issues due to injuries and Covid protocols, the squad regrouped and, under the expert coaching guidance of Matt Wilsher, went on an unbeaten run for the rest of the season. The two-term football specialists Wellingborough and King’s Ely were both dispatched – the latter performance probably being the best of the season –as were Rugby School. The season ended with a diplomatic draw in a home friendly against footballing newcomers Stamford School. With every single game being highly competitive, the fluctuating fortunes left us to reflect on what might have been – we went very close to being unbeaten all season and this will be our aim next year.
We say farewell and thank you for your contributions to the following players: top scorer Braybrook, coach’s Player of the Tear McNulty, forwards Onuigbo and Howes, midfielders Stanchev and Augustine-Ohwo, and, after five years of 1st team football, and a total of 40 appearances, Will Lewin. Fortunately we still have the spine of a team on which to build, and with Kelly, Pinder, Medcraft, Amende, Bland, Wood and Ho all returning, and keen to build on their experience from this year, the 2023 season cannot come soon enough. Written by David Russell, (Director of Football)
Selection for the 2nds this year was rather different to previous seasons; a year out with Covid led into the unknown, player wise.
Our first league game was an away fixture at Uppingham, resulting in an impressive 4-0 win – a great start. Next up Loughborough and the Bs suffered a 4-0 loss although the scoreline didn’t reflect the game. Fortunes changed after a centre half unselfishly converted to GK, instilling a confidence throughout the team. Next to play were Bedford at home – a
The level of improvement that these Oakhamians have demonstrated has been quite humbling and I reflect on their season with unspeakable pride. Always first out to train, these pupils have demonstrated team organisation, cohesion and unity whilst individually developing enhanced tactical and positional awareness. The U15s had their finest moment with a comprehensive (and entertaining) 7-4 win away to Wellingborough; a win which was obtained through textbook implementation of training ground practices and sheer resolve to offset pressure from their worthy adversaries. These young footballers have been worked hard, they have had high levels of physical and mental stress exerted on them and all have come out the other side as better players. A special mention must go to skipper, Luke Frouman, who has reliably captained the squad and shown outstanding leadership to his peers. I hope this team have noticed their level of development, enjoyed their football, and now view the game in a more scholarly light. Here’s to the future of Oakham Association Football. Written by Gareth O’Brien (coach)
Girls football in 2021–2022 began with many fresh starts; being able to play properly as a team again, since Covid, and with many new faces joining the School. Understandably, it took us a few games to get going and the season really began with our excellent 5-0 victory at home to Bromsgrove. Bella was unstoppable in attack, as was Mollie who also demonstrated excellent understanding of the team dynamics. The next game was a narrow defeat to Oundle, with Bella scoring once again. We were kept in the game by our amazing young goalkeeper, Hannah, who displays bravery beyond her years. Next came Repton – worthy Midlands Champions. This was our hardest match of the season and, as usual, the visitors showed us the level we need to aspire to. Giulia was motivational throughout in defence, Georgina worked tirelessly at left back and lifted team spirit with her humour. Our final game of the season was at Rugby and we badly needed a victory to end the year on a high. We played some of our best football, with Adriana flying down the wing and Bella, Mollie and Anna all getting themselves on the score sheet. Throughout the season our Form 7 girls have been an inspiration to the squad: Novella and Habiba were our dynamic duo. Novella brought laughs into every training session and introduced the singing of ‘Material Girl’ whenever someone scored. Stephanie was a great captain and her commitment towards Oakham girls football over the years has been tremendous. We enjoyed the memories shared with Form 7 and miss them greatly and wish them the best in their future endeavours. Although they had lots of work to do during the times of our matches, they tried their best to join us in representing Oakham whenever they could.Davina showed excellent touch and positional understanding, Theresa, Yui and Katya worked tirelessly in the centre of the park and Anna, our very own twinkle toes, served as the perfect foil for the forward runs from the talented Bella. The whole team is looking forward to representing Oakham again next year. Written by Sara Austin-Varela (vice-captain)
Our annual inter-school shoulder-to-shoulder matches against Uppingham, Wellingborough, Oundle and Stamford went ahead with Oakham’s team of 8 winning for the 3rd year on the trot and also being undefeated. This was backed up by our team of 4 also winning. Next up was the British School Small-bore Rifle Association (BSSRA) competitions shot over 5 rounds. Our lower league shooters achieved some very credible results with our C, D and E teams all winning their respective divisions whilst Oakham F were Runners-Up. Our senior shooters were not too far off the pace in their respective divisions of the competition and the practice in the BSSRA was to prove invaluable in our next phase of competitive shooting.
The Tri County Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Target Shooting Association (NLRTSA) was next and we competed over 10 rounds of competition. During these events our shooters are pitched against competitors of all ages and in most cases of very high calibre shooting ability. Our three teams of 5 shooters did not disgrace themselves. Concurrently to NLRTSA is a Junior Championship where junior shooters from all three counties compete against each other. I’m pleased to report that for the 4th year running this was won by an Oakhamian shooter with Alex Millgate being this year’s top shot and Amy Gao being placed 3rd overall.
As the dust was quite literally settling on our small-bore season, we decided to enter two teams of 6 shooters into The Green Howards “Country Life” competition. As we had not competed in the competition for a good number of years, none of us, including the shooting staff, really knew how to prepare and train for it. So after reading and re-reading the rules we got to work on “drilling the teams”. Having had only two practice shoots under some very testing conditions with strict time restraints, our A team was placed 3rd and our B team 19th out of 42. Added to this Alfie Borrill was placed the 3rd highest scorer in the competition out of a field of 172.
Written by Mr Iain Reeves (Master in Charge of Shooting)
The Winter Term 2021 was quiet on the lacrosse pitch; Covid was still about which made fixtures difficult. However, a stalwart band of students trained hard all term which put them in a strong position when both beginners and more experienced players joined the squad in January. Highlights of the term were matches against Denstone and Uppingham with all players rising to the occasion. Due to a lack of match practice, the first match against Uppingham was a bit of a shock, but by the time we played them later in the season away at Denstone, the scoreline was much closer. Our Form 7 girls led by example; Annie D ran miles in midfield, supported ably by Andrea CC, Liv R and Mia B. The defensive unit of Kate Y, India C and Chiara S put pressure on our opposition throughout and they protected Vicky H in goal, who did a fantastic job in our matches. Thank you to all the Form 7 girls as they pass the torch on to the next generation of enthusiastic lacrosse players.
Written by Caroline Simpson (coach)
During the Summer Term we turned our attention to Full-bore shooting with twice-weekly training taking place on Elmington Range. During the term Oakham shooters competed in no less than eight County Open competitions and shot against some of the best shooters in the country.
Written by Mr Iain Reeves (Master in Charge of Shooting)
Oakham School was successfully represented at the Leicestershire County Championships this year with Max Wilson, Max Lewis, Emily Maclean and Zara Sharp all playing in the finals. Max Wilson and Emily Maclean also won County titles. Congratulations to all of them and to Spike Marlow who is now ranked and in Leicestershire County U19’s team. Oakham Boys’ 1st team was undefeated with captain Max Lewis leading Max Wilson, Spike Marlow, and Felix Morgan to win all their individual matches. The 1st Girls’ Squash team, led by Captain Emily Maclean, won all but one of their school matches with Zara Sharp, Holly Styles, and Lucy Collison all remaining unbeaten in their individual matches. Oakham Boys’ 2nd Team is full of new talent and have improved their matchplay and won their last two matches convincingly. Eddie Marshall, Adam Drew, Seth Tamlyn, Leo Breag and Eoin Mauris have all shown great promise for future squash. New squash players Flo Lissaman, Stephanie Foort, Philla Seelig and Annie-May Canning are all working hard to keep Oakham school girls’ squash winning. Thanks to all of Oakham’s team players for making my job as coach so enjoyable. Written by Simon Rolington (coach)
I’d like to thank Simon Rolington for giving me the opportunity of leading such a strong 1st team. Congratulations to both Boys’ and Girls’ teams for their unbeaten season. The greatest performer has to be Spike Marlow for his endurance, along with the Most Improved Player, Seth Tamlyn. Written by Max Lewis
The Girls’ team this term have been amazing and made being a captain very easy. So many of our players have been unbeaten this term with great hope for the next one. I’d like to thank Simon from all of us for giving us the training to remain unbeaten. Though we’ve only had a few matches, we have shown how strong we are. Written by Emily Maclean
Why did you want to teach and why Oakham?
It will sound cliched but at school I had two fantastic Religion and Philosophy (RP) teachers and was inspired by them to go into teaching. I am still in touch with them for advice, and my sister has also trained to be an RP teacher under their mentorship. I have lived in Rutland for seven years now and when the opportunity to be part of the Oakham School community arose, I knew I wanted to join – the School is innovative and forward-thinking, the RP Department here are excellent, and we have the most interesting and challenging RP curriculum I have taught.
What do you enjoy most about teaching at Oakham?
As ever, the students are the best part of teaching! I have loved getting to know my classes and the fantastic debates in RP and thoughtful conversations are always the highlight of my day.
Have you received the iconic cup of tea from Mr Hutter or Mr Allan yet?
I have indeed! Mr Hutter is particularly generous with the coffee! I am not sure you could be a member of the RP Department at Oakham and not drink copious amounts of coffee…
Do you have a plan for the future of the RP Department? Any changes?
There are such good foundations in the RP Department, and I hope to continue building engaging and inspiring lessons to keep the students here at Oakham debating and discussing.
Is marking our essays as bad and boring as it seems?
It is not all that bad! I really like seeing students make progress, so I am always looking out for that when marking, and sometimes I am blown away by the clever ideas students come up with!
How many students, on average, choose to study RP, and how would you encourage more students to choose this department?
At GCSE level for RP, we have 45–50 students each year. In the Upper School we have a wide variety of courses: A-level Philosophy, A-level RP, and IB Philosophy. It really varies each year how many students we have in a class, from 6–16 students. I would encourage all inquisitive students
to look at what we do in RP and the range of courses on offer; there will be lots of debate and discussion, we look deeply at the most fascinating questions, and there is a huge amount of expertise among the RP staff.
What is your favourite topic to teach, e.g. philosophy, Buddhism?
Every year I love teaching Philosophy of Religion in the RP A-level; it contains so many challenging questions: Does God exist? Are religious experiences illusions of the mind? Do I have a soul? These were the topics that first got me interested in the subject and I love debating them with students.
What do you think are the key characteristics of an Oakhamian teacher?
Caring, passionate about their subject, knowledgeable, collegiate, and hardworking.
If someone wrote a biography about you and your life at Oakham what do you think the title should be?
“Contemplations of a Highly-Caffeinated Teacher”.
Since January 2022 the Religion and Philosophy Department has seen a new Head of Department at the helm. I caught up with Mrs Brett to hear what she had to say about teaching and her plans for the Department.
In our new interview series, pupils meet with members of Oakham’s teaching staff to find out a bit more about the person behind the teacher.