The Packwoodian 2008-2009

Packwoodian outer 4pp 071009:Layout 1

9/10/09

11:53

Page 1

The

Packwoodian 2008-2009

Packwoodian outer 4pp 071009:Layout 1

9/10/09

11:53

Page 2

The

Packwoodian 2008-2009 Head Boy Head Girl

Brooke Lovegrove-Fielden Josie Mason

Monitors Katie Angus Patrick Anson Oliver Brown Alistair Don Ella Edwards George Fowler Andrew Jackson

Rada Kathuria Brooke Lovegrove-Fielden William Lye William Mackereth Josie Mason Bella Shanagher Sophie Tennant Henry Young

Captain of Soccer Captain of Netball Captain of Hockey Captain of Lacrosse Captain of Rugby Captain of Cricket Captain of Rounders Captain of Boys’ Tennis Captain of Girls’ Tennis Captain of Shooting Captain of Fencing Captain of Swimming Heads of Choir

William Waterworth Josie Hall Jessica Bibby Sophie Tennant William Mackereth Andrew Jackson Ella Edwards George Fergusson Imogene Hill William Dodson-Wells Brooke Lovegrove-Fielden Poppy Beckett George Fowler Ella Edwards Katie Angus

Leader of the Orchestra

Packwood Haugh School Ruyton XI Towns, Shrewsbury SY4 1HX Telephone 01939 260217 Fax 01939 262077 enquiries@packwood-haugh.co.uk www.packwood-haugh.co.uk

CONTENTS

Review of the Year The Headmaster Salvete Valete Subject Prizes

3 7 7 8

Star Prizes Industry Awards Packwood Acorns Sixes Competition

9 9 10 11

Boys’ Boarding Girls’ Boarding

12 13

14 15 15 16 16

ICT Physical Education Geography Maths Science

17 17 18 18 18

Modern Foreign Languages Religious Studies Music

19 19 20

22 23 23 23

Planet Packwood Lectures Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations Packwood Ball

24 24 25 26

Game Shooting after Dark 26 Christmas Sing-song – The X-mas Factor 26 Cycle Awarness Training 27 Weekend Events and Activities 27

28 28 28 29 30 30 30 31 31

Girls’ Leavers Trip to Pembrokeshire Hack Green Nuclear Bunker Hill Walking Trip to Lady Lever Gallery London Manchester Jewish Museum Park Hall Science Lecture Junior Boarders’ Trip to the Seaside

32 33 33 33 33 34 34 34 34

Ski Trip – Saas Fee, Switzerland Mulberry Alpacas Talagerwyn – Literary Excursion The Stiperstones Twickenham – England v Italy Uppingham Skills Day Chirk Castle

35 36 36 36 37 37 37

38 38 38 39 39 39 40 40 40 41 41 41 42 42

Current Affairs Debating Explorers and Collectors Film Club First Aid Fishing and Fly Tying Gardening Judo Karaoke Knitting Club Lower School Orchestra Maths Games and Puzzles Mixed Hockey Model Club

42 43 44 44 44 44 45 46 47 47 47 47 48 48

Mountain Bikes Paper Craft Pets Pop Lacrosse Pottery Club Recorder Group Science and Astronomy Stage Lighting Club Stamp Club Table-tennis Club Trampolining Ultimate Frisbee

48 48 49 49 49 50 50 50 51 51 51 51

52 57 63 66 69

Cricket Rounders Athletics Riding Swimming

72 77 81 82 83

Tennis Fencing Golf Cross Country Rifle Shooting

84 85 86 86 86

Packwood Olympian Engagements Marriages

89 89 89

Deaths News of Old Packwoodians

89 90

Subjects Art Classics English History Craft, Design & Technology

Events HMS Pinafore Team Building & Leadership Challenge Packwood Quiz Night Cook your own lunch

Trips Alton Towers Bangor on Dee Point to Point Birdwatching Boys’ Leavers Trip - North Wales Brewery Trip Chester - Classics Trip Derby Mosque and Hindu Temple Form 4 trip to the Birmingham Rep French Trip to Normandy

Clubs & Activities Animation Archery Badminton Ballet Ballroom Dancing Basketball Bridge Club Canoe Club Chess Club Clay Pigeon Shooting Cookery Cookie Club Creative Club Croquet

Sports Football Rugby Hockey Netball Lacrosse

Old Packwoodians Dinner for 2004 Leavers Old Packwoodian Day Old Packwoodian Cricket Match

87 87 88

REVIEW OF THE YEAR

The Headmaster

Extracts from the Headmaster’s Speech on Speech Day “Mr Chairman, Dr Wallersteiner, Parents, Friends of the school, members of staff and children…

At the dining room table the other day, the subject of pet hates – little things that irritate came up. Olivia Wade-Smith said that she did not like it when someone licked their fingers to turn a page; Gus Langford is not a great fan of mosquitoes, especially when they buzz right next to his ear; Johnny Woodhead has an aversion, he says, to white cricket balls and, surprise, surprise revision; Charlotte Greenway is not impressed by people who cannot cross their arms properly, and William Schofield, in a moment of jest I’m sure, said that the little thing that irritated him was his younger brother, Jonty. I later asked an eight year old what his pet hates were, and he said that he liked all pets especially guinea pigs.

Perhaps my own main pet hate, as anyone who has seen the state of my desk will testify, is paperwork, particularly pointless paperwork. And by pointless, I mean paperwork that has to be produced solely to satisfy external bodies, and which makes absolutely no material difference to the lives of the children at Packwood whatsoever;

which brings me neatly on to the Ofsted Boarding Inspection which took place during the Spring Term. I am hugely grateful to the members of staff who ensured that all our paperwork was as it should be, Sue Gough in particular, for without it, no matter how brilliant a school we might actually be, the inspectors (who, incidentally, were excellent) would not have been allowed to judge us as anything other than inadequate.

Happily, the views formed by the inspectors were very positive indeed. After 3 days of interviews and informal discussions with over 80 pupils (boarding and day), with staff (teaching and non-teaching), and with parents, and after analysis of the responses to the children’s questionnaire, the report concluded that the promotion of children’s health was “outstanding” (which means ‘of exceptionally high quality’), that the school’s provision to ensure that children “achieve well and enjoy what they do” is “outstanding”, and that the school’s approach towards helping the children make a positive contribution is also “outstanding”. There were, of course, occasionally concerns expressed by the children to the inspectors: when asked if there was anything else that was needed up the dorms, for example, one nine-year-old

boy said that he thought we should provide hair-driers. We are naturally looking into that and also into the possibility that he has his hair cut. Overall, however, the children were very positive, and there were some enormously encouraging comments from the inspectors: “The pupils are confident, happy and have lots of fun” “a warm and friendly atmosphere” “Boarders consider that the school is good at caring, encouraging and communicating” “Excellent pastoral care and partnership with parents” “There is a wide range of outstanding indoor and outdoor recreational facilities” “Pupils’ views and opinions are valued, which results in an outstanding sense of community and a strong school identity” “The environment promotes the individual and diverse identities of the pupils and their uniqueness is celebrated in a way that promotes awareness and understanding” “Packwood Haugh School has substantial strengths and a sustained record of delivering good performance” Page 3

REVIEW OF THE YEAR

Heartening stuff, and it all reflects, quite rightly, upon the professionalism and dedication of all the teachers, particularly our boarding house parents and matrons.

And the children, too, who conducted themselves admirably throughout the inspection, were praised for their politeness, helpfulness, and openness.

Perhaps it is not surprising, then, in light of so many encouraging comments, that boarding numbers this term have been at their highest since 2003, with the overall school numbers, day and boarding, at their highest for over 20 years. As usual, the numbers will fall back again in September, and the recession will surely have its impact.

Happily, with plenty of future registrations, the school remains in a reassuringly healthy state. Not that we can ever rest upon our laurels, of course: when showing some prospective parents around a few weeks ago, one of whom was an Old Packwoodian, we bumped into a 7 year old boy whose father I knew also to be an Old Packwoodian. We struck up a conversation and the boy proudly announced that “my father went to Packwood, and so did my grandfather, and now me.” “Gosh, 3 generations,” I said feeling confident that this was exactly the sort of thing that the prospective parent would want to hear. “And so,” I said to the boy, “will you be sending your children to Packwood?”

The boy paused: “Erm….no,” he said, and off he dashed to play football with his friends.

How we laughed.

Another quote from the Ofsted inspection was: “Positive behaviour is actively rewarded and inappropriate behaviour is addressed in a very fair and measured way”.

Again, this is good to read, and a reflection, of course, upon our system of Reds and Yellows for poor behaviour and Greens for good behaviour in accordance with ‘The Packwood Way’. And at this point I would like to highlight the achievements of two Under 11 Football Under 9 Football Under 10 Rugby Under 12 Lacrosse Under 13 Lacrosse Under 11 Rugby Under 12 Netball Under 12 Lacrosse Under 13 Rugby Under 13 Rugby Under 13 Rugby Fencing Under 11 Rounders Under 11 Cricket Under 11 Cricket Under 13 Cricket Under 12 Cricket Fencing Under 13 Cricket

Page 4

boys, George Burrell, who has accumulated 45 Greens, and Leo Sartain who has a remarkable total of 59 Greens. Tremendous efforts from both. As to the Reds and Yellows, well once again the children’s self-report forms make interesting reading. Sometimes the system clearly works: “I got a Red this term. I did not like it”. Sometimes it can seem a little unfair: “I got a red for running into a wall,” and sometimes it doesn’t quite work as it is supposed to: “I’ve had a couple of yellows, but it’s ok because they have been given to my twin brother.”

And one of the principles of the Packwood Way: “Do your best to be your best”, has certainly been evident on the sports fields this year. Once again, the Packwood teams have enjoyed extraordinary success, not least in tournaments, with a tremendous 21 sporting tournaments won, girls and boys, from Under 9 to Under 13, in football, netball, lacrosse, rugby, fencing, rounders and cricket.

Shrewsbury Tournament Prestfelde Tournament Birchfield Tournament Midlands Tournament Midlands Tournament Terra Nova Tournament Packwood Tournament Packwood Tournament Terrington Tournament Packwood Tournament Ellesmere Tournament Winterfold Tournament Moor Park Tournament Moor Park Tournament Wrekin Tournament Wrekin Tournament Repton Tournament Bromsgrove Tournament Shrewsbury Tournament

Winners Winners Winners Winners Winners Winners Winners Winners Winners Winners Winners Winners Winners Winners Winners Winners Winners Winners Winners

But winning, of course, isn’t everything: we want to enjoy competitive matches and to give as many children as possible the chance to represent the school. To that end, next year we have changed our winter sports structure specifically so that we are able to play bigger schools – it will mean more travelling, but it will also mean tougher matches, and more matches, for children of all abilities.

And we want to continue to play in an appropriately sporting manner as well: during a 5th XI cricket match recently one of our bowlers, Ned Hall, was very surprised when an opposition umpire gave their batsman out LBW despite the fact that the ball had clearly pitched way outside the leg stump. Ned turned to the umpire, and politely suggested that the batsman should not have been given out. The umpire thanked Ned, reversed his decision, and the batsman returned to the crease. Well done, Ned Hall, and well done, too, to Timmy Robinson-Boulton, who was awarded a hit by the referee at a key stage of a very close fencing match, but who then declined the point, informing the referee that in fact the sensor at the end of his weapon had made contact with the ground and not his opponent. Admirable stuff.

Fencing, of course, continues to grow at Packwood and, thanks to the irrepressible enthusiasm of Mr Nick Weston, it is now one of the school’s strongest sports. Two tournaments were won, several children are rated nationally, Henry Don and Holly Shaw are West Midlands champions, 75 children eagerly put their names down for the summer term’s “duel in the sun” tournament, and this year we enjoyed the inaugural Packwood fencing tournament attended by 22 schools and fencing clubs – an unqualified success and what a wonderful way to utilise the space afforded by our new sports hall.

REVIEW OF THE YEAR

Another highlight of the school year must surely be the ‘Packwood Day of Languages’ – way back in September. On this splendid day, Packwood children were introduced to the joys and eccentricities of Japanese, Russian, German, Chinese, Welsh, Italian, Spanish and Swahili. Indeed, Packwood children are becoming increasingly multi-lingual. In Packwood Acorns, the 4 year olds learn Italian, the 5 year olds Spanish, and the 6 year olds start French, still our main modern language. Back in the Autumn, the top year enjoyed a hugely successful trip to Normandy, staying in a very fine chateau, speaking a good deal of French, as well as visiting various historical sites, and competing, so I’m told, to purchase the naffest item in a French market. The winner, incidentally, was Theo Price, whose mastery of oral French enabled him to purchase one of those table tennis bats with a rubber ball attached to it by elastic. And then, just a few months later, Theo was putting the same skills to equally good effect in the French oral scholarship examination. I don’t know whether the French for ‘naffest’ and ‘table tennis bat with a rubber ball attached to it by elastic’ came in handy, but Theo ended up with one of the top scholarships to Shrewsbury – richly deserved.

But Packwood prides itself, of course, on being a school suited to children of all academic abilities. Some, like Theo, will become scholars, whilst others will need a good deal of help and additional support before they can tackle exams with confidence. Our learning support department has a growing reputation for excellence and the success of those children with special needs, throughout all streams, is in no small way due to the dedication of the thoroughly professional learning support team. But such success takes time – there are no overnight solutions, and so perhaps it should not have come as a surprise to one of our teachers when several children arrived late for a Maths class and politely announced: “We are very sorry to be late, Sir, but we were at our Listening Skills lesson and didn’t hear the bell…”

Listening skills, of course, are a key ingredient in the continuing achievements of our music department. Once again, we have a record number of pupils learning a musical instrument – 85% of the main school – and over the last three weeks we have enjoyed two, no… three, tremendous concerts. First, the inspirational Bassistry Arts gave us two days of percussion workshops, culminating in a simply extraordinary whole-school performance. The uninhibited gyrations of Ali Davies and the head-banging stage presence of Freddie Thompson will not easily be forgotten. Then last week a packed theatre was treated to what has been described by many as ‘the best summer concert yet’.

“What other prep school can do that?” said one of our long-standing peripatetic teachers,

shortly after the 40-piece concert band had completed its extraordinary repertoire, from Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overture to the theme music from The Simpsons and, quite rightly, then received a standing ovation. But the musical highlight of the year must surely be the third concert, which took place on the night of the BBQ and Disco – the latest Packwood rock group, so confident in its ability, that it does not even have a name!

Louis Lees-Jones on the guitar, William Lye on the other guitar, and John Leadbeater on the drums – The Band with No Name.

Packwood Acorns Open Assembly nine years ago, and a Form of the youngest Acorns were standing in front of the assembled parents.

I looked, from left to right, along the line of children’s faces. Some of the 4 year olds were grinning, some were hopping excitedly from foot to foot, some were twiddling their hair, and some were waving at their parents.

But there was one little boy, a certain William Dodson-Wells, who was so very, very nervous that the only way that he could cope with this public appearance was to turn his back and face the wall behind him, which he Just some of the musical highlights of the year, proceeded to do throughout the presentation. but of course there were many others, not least Nearly three years later, he had to face another major challenge, a New Children’s from our music scholars, George Fowler and Day away from the cosy comforts of William Dodson-Wells. As with his cello and piano playing, George’s singing and acting was Packwood Acorns, up at the main school, outstanding as the pompous Sir Joseph Porter where it was so busy and so noisy and all the in our senior musical, HMS Pinafore. (And my children were giants and all the teachers were even gianter. Well this anxious 7 year old, apologies, incidentally, for any distress that was caused to the Packwood mother who was quite understandably, found this to be a little too much for him, and a moment arrived informed by her slightly confused son that he when he had had quite enough. William was had secured a part in the senior Packwood standing in the yard at the time and he simply production of HMS Menopause.) froze. The Acorns teachers tried to coax him along, the other children tried to coax him along, the matrons tried to coax him along.

None succeeded. Then along came Mr Ford.

‘Leave this to me,’ he said, and bent gently down towards William. I’m not sure what Martin was going to say to William, but unfortunately the opportunity never arose to say anything, because William took one look at this strange man, and promptly punched him, hard, on the nose. Now some may say that punching Mr Ford on the nose is reason enough to be given an award, but William will shortly be one of the recipients of the Allan Cup for Character for his remarkable personal journey from a timid 4 year old, to the wonderful musician, stage performer, and all round good egg that we’re so proud of today.

Anyway, great performances, too, in HMS Pinafore from Bella Shanagher, Emelia Lavender, Charlie Adams and Freddie Earlam. Equally successful was the junior production of Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations, with standout performances from Ella Downey and…well, frankly, from the entire cast.

But back to the music scholars - William Dodson-Wells plays the saxophone quite beautifully. On several occasions this term, he has stood on the stage, sometimes on his own and sometimes as part of ensembles, and has played with the confidence of a professional. And I’m very pleased to announce that William is one of the recipients this year, of the Allan Cup for Character. You see, as those of us who have known William since his arrival at Packwood Acorns nine years ago will recall, performing in public has never been one of William’s favourite things. I remember attending a

But, as I have indicated, this year the Allan Cup for Character is to be shared, between William Dodson-Wells and another leaver, Edward Bridge, fondly known as ‘Oggy’. As many of you are aware, Edward was born with hemiplaegia, which means that he is on heavy medication, that learning doesn’t come easily to him and that the left side of his body effectively has a will of its own. When he was 6 years old, his parents were told by a neurologist that he may already have plateaued. But whoever it was who uttered these words failed to take into account the remarkable determination of Edward ‘Oggy’ Bridge and the marvellous support that he has received from his family. Edward has, in every respect, played a full part in Packwood life. He is a boarder, a trumpeter and valued member of the brass ensemble, a resolute football defender, a tenacious rugby prop forward, a very fine cricketer – captain of the undefeated 4th XI and a member of the county cricket team for the disabled, and he has just passed into Ellesmere College with Page 5

REVIEW OF THE YEAR

4 Cs, 2 Bs and an A at Common Entrance.

When one considers the challenges that Edward has had to overcome, these achievements are humbling indeed. And throughout it all, Edward has remained a popular and helpful member of the Packwood community, always far more concerned for the well-being of others than for his own personal circumstances. Both William Dodson-Wells and Edward Bridge, Dodders and Oggy, will be invited to come up and collect the Allan Cup for Character shortly, and I’m sure that you will all agree that they are very worthy recipients indeed.

Of course, the success and achievements of these Packwood children rarely come without serious commitment and, often, personal sacrifice. The hours of music practice, for example, whilst others are playing with their diabolos, or the hours of revision whilst the sun shines and the tennis courts beckon, or the hours of travel to away matches, or the long evenings rehearsing and learning lines for school productions. These are important lessons for life – sometimes you have to defer the more immediate pleasures in order to rise successfully to a subsequent challenge.

But we bid farewell and offer thanks this Perhaps it’s no coincidence that both Edward term, not only to the leaving pupils, but also and William’s time at Packwood started in to several leaving members of staff: matrons Packwood Acorns. It was Packwood Acorns’ Jaia and Chloe, classroom assistant Joy turn to be reviewed by the senior Davis, and cricket coach Jeremy Wood from management this term, and so I had the Australia – all of pleasure of spending an have made entire morning chatting ...what a wonderfully calm, whom invaluable with the children and positive and purposeful contributions during staff, and what a their one, two or three wonderfully calm, atmosphere there is. terms at Packwood. positive and purposeful But one person leaves who has completed a atmosphere there is. The Acorns children few more terms – 63 to be precise, or 21 years have enjoyed many special days this year, from the History day when all were dressed in – school cook Mrs Pearl Bourne. In these 21 medieval garb – I believe that Edred Clutton is years, I calculate that Pearl will have cooked still refusing to give up his precious cardboard 10,584 meals and filled approximately 2,118,689 plates of food, for both staff and shield, to the splendid Open Assemblies, to pupils, with her special brand of home the marvellous Red Nose Day when all cooking on a grand scale.

Acorns dressed in pyjamas for charity. And If an army marches on its stomach, then it’s on this day, such is the confidence instilled in clear indeed that Pearl’s contribution to the Acorns children, that one boy was heard to say: “The whole school is wearing pyjamas, except for the main school!”

And now, for old Acornians, Dodders and Oggy, it is time to move on to their senior schools. And all of the 2009 leavers can certainly hold their heads high, proud of everything that they have achieved for themselves and for Packwood. Once again, there was a 100% success rate at Common Entrance, and 16 scholarships and awards (academic, music, all-rounder, sports) was an impressive haul.

As a group, they have many strengths, but an occasion such as this should not pass without reference to the outstanding quality and record of the boys’ 1st teams this year: an unbeaten football season (the first for many years), winners of 3 rugby sevens tournaments and widely acknowledged to have been one of the best prep school sevens teams in the country, an unbeaten boys’ tennis team, and an unbeaten cricket season in conventional matches and finalists in the national JET cricket tournament. What pleasure they have given to so many of us.

And I have no doubt that many of the leavers will go on to great things at their senior schools: Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Ellesmere, Eton, Fettes, Harrow, Llanfyllin, Moreton Hall, Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Rugby, Sedbergh, Shrewsbury, Uppingham and Winchester.

Page 6

Packwood’s success over the years has been hugely significant.Pearl,on behalf of countless Packwood stomachs over the years, particularly the stomach of Mr Bourne, I thank you and wish you a very peaceful retirement.

As it happens, one of the specific areas that was particularly praised by the boarding inspectors was the school food, not least because the new system of choice at lunchtimes, whilst still maintaining appropriate staff supervision at the end of tables to check on table manners etc, has proved hugely popular. Of course, there will still be the occasional grumblers, but instead of the blanket “I don’t like school food,” these days any negative comments in the children’s

self-report forms are noticeably less emphatic, for example: “I don’t really like the school lunches, but I do like curry and spaghetti and lasagne and meat balls and sausage casserole and roast lamb and sausages and chops and beans… and all puddings.”

But time is marching on: I would have loved to have been able to tell you of the success of the Art Department in local events, with Evie Clutton securing first prize in the Millicent Kaye competition; of the 8 Gold certificates in the UK junior Maths challenge; of Charlotte Greenway’s third win in succession in the Packwood Pentathlon; of the Elocution Prize, expertly judged by Lord Gowrie and won by Emelia Lavender; of the splendid school debate with the slightly controversial motion: “This house believes a woman’s place is in the home,” with contributions from the likes of Margaret Thatcher and Mary Poppins; of the new Packwood website that should be up and running early in the new academic year; of the ever-growing Packwood plantation of vegetables and chickens; and of the countless winners of prizes that have already been presented this week for gardening, tennis, times tables, swimming, handwriting, croquet, shooting, cricket, golf, music, creative writing and many others… I would like to have spoken about all these, but my time is nearly up.

And so finally, my thanks to the children and the teaching and non-teaching staff for all that they have done over the course of another successful Packwood year, and many thanks, as ever, to you all - the Packwood parents – for your support and the continuing confidence that you show in the school.

Some of you are kind enough to write letters of gratitude, some of you have been good enough to contribute to a leavers’ gift (a zip wire, I gather – very exciting), and others are generous with their individual gifts to members of staff. And even when, at the end of last term, one girl ran eagerly up to her Form teacher and said “I’m sorry, Sir, my mother’s drunk your gift, but I’ll get you another one”, the teacher knew that his efforts had been appreciated. Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you all.” NTW

REVIEW OF THE YEAR

Salvete Autumn 2008 Nicole Ashall

Edred Clutton

Ralph Furse

Felix Jebb

Pablo Monteverde

Yutaro Sato

Patrick Ashall

Fergus David

Ana Garcia

Georgia Kannreuther

Euan Montgomery

David Schofield

Jack Ashworth

Alexander Davies

Romy Grigg

Olivia Katab

Isabel Morris

Harry Schofield

Ianthe Bathurst

Hugo Davies

Angus Hill-Trevor

Annie Livermore

Freddie Oakley

Thomas Simpson

Sam Bayliss

Rafael de Vargas

Oliver Holcroft

James Livermore

Keishi Oyama

Poppy Stephens

Edward Beard

Edward Don

William Holcroft

George Lloyd

Johnnie Peel

Daishi Suzuki

Harriet Bibby

Freddie Earlarm

India Holt

Louis Martin

Amelia Powell

William Tate

Eliza Blackham

Sophie Edwards

Thea Holt-Smith

Cameron McDonald

Lucy Rees

Harry Waterworth

Talullah Blackham

Rory Fergusson

Tom Hughes

Thomas Mellor

Sacha Robertson

Marcus Woodhead

Jonty Bright

Freddie Fielding

Daniel Humes

Henry Monks

Jake Samuel

Nicholas Yeoward

Rory Carter-Motley

William Fowler

Saskia Humphreys

Carlos Monteverde

Ines Sanguino

Spring 2009 Jessica Hunt

Clement Rye

Summer 2009 Tom Hancocks

Clarissa Haynes

Ruby Lavender

Valete Common Entrance

Scholarships Theo Price

Academic Scholarship

Shrewsbury

Rada Kathuria, Bella Shanagher

Cheltenham Ladies’

Toby Harvey-Scholes

Academic Scholarship

Shrewsbury

Hugo Bland, Edward Bridge, Ben Hughes

Ellesmere

Charlie Bibby

Academic Scholarship

Shrewsbury

Brooke Lovegrove-Fielden

Eton

William Dodson-Wells Music Scholarship

Shrewsbury

William Mackereth

Llanfyllin

George Fowler

Music Scholarship

Shrewsbury

Poppy Beckett

Moreton Hall

Katie Angus

Music Exhibition

Fettes

Z Midwinter

Newcastle-under-Lyme

John Leadbeater

Music Exhibition

Ellesmere

George Beard, Jess Bibby, Rufus Holt,

Toby Harvey-Scholes

All-Rounder Scholarship

Shrewsbury

James Thorn, Alex Walker

Rugby Sedbergh

Josie Hall

All-Rounder Scholarship

Moreton Hall

Hector Watson

Josie Mason

All-Rounder Scholarship

Moreton Hall

Charlie Clarke, Alistair Don, James Eardley,

John Leadbeater

All-Rounder Exhibition

Ellesmere

George Fergusson, Ross Lloyd, James London,

Andrew Jackson

Sports Scholarship

Shrewsbury

Alex Lye, William Lye, Charlie Marques

Ella Edwards

Sports Scholarship

Moreton Hall

William Minshall, Oliver Platt,

William Waterworth

Sports Foundation

Shrewsbury

Harry Tomkinson, Charlie White,

Oliver Brown

House Foundation

Shrewsbury

Richard Williams-Bulkeley

Shrewsbury

Huw Wheeler

House Foundation

Shrewsbury

Patrick Chambers

Winchester

Non-CE leavers

Passsed on Scholarship Papers Patrick Anson

Harrow

Alexandra Angus

Jamie McKenna

Flora Moreau

Louis Lees-Jones

Uppingham

Benji Bellamy

Harrison Millington

Keishi Oyama

Sophie Tennant

Rugby

Harry Champion

Wil Millington

Mary Plowden

Sam Champion

Louie Millington

Charles Rees

Rafael de Vargas

Henry Monks

Lucy Rees

William Fowler

Carlos Monteverde

Ines Sanguino

Ana Garcia

Pablo Monteverde

Millie Shaw

Olivia Katab

Page 7

REVIEW OF THE YEAR

Prizes Subject Prizes

Junior School

Middle School

Subject Prizes

Senior School

Mathematics

Thomas Tulloch

William Dorrell

Mathematics

Toby Harvey-Scholes

English

Jemima Price

Cecy Price

Wonnacott English

Theo Price

French

Ben Ricks

Cecy Price

Ollier French

Bella Shanagher

Science

Cassie Bedford

Freddie Perkins

Science

Charlie Bibby

William Allott

Harcourt Clark Classics

Sophie Tennant

Jamie Nugent

Headley Latin

Alex Lye

Biology

-

History

Guy Morris

Geography

Andrew Tudor

Islay Stacey

History

Patrick Chambers

Religious Studies

Jacob Rand

Will Bruce

Geography

Brooke Lovegrove-Fielden

Music

Chan Kathuria

Daisy Raichura

Religious Studies

Brooke Lovegrove-Fielden

Art

Ella Downey

Emelia Lavender

Biology

James London

ICT

Olivia Hughes

Edward Carroll

ICT

James Thorn

Latin

Guy Morris

Emelia Lavender

Music

William Dodson-Wells, George Fowler

PE

Archie Waterworth

CDT

-

-

Daler-Rowney Cup for Art Josie Mason

William Allott

Form 6G prize

Nick Yeoward

-

Form 6L prize

Lottie Clarke

-

Ormsby-Gore Drama

George Fowler

Smith Drama

Charlie Adams, Freddie Earlam

Dunning Prize (Rugby Candidates)

Sophie Tennant

Special Common Entrance Prizes

Oliver Platt, James Thorn

Old Boys’ Memorial English Prize

Josie Mason

Justin Davies Memorial Prize

Brooke Lovegrove-Fielden, Josie Mason

Page 8

REVIEW OF THE YEAR Star Prizes Autumn Term

Summer Term

Antonia Brine Patrick Chambers Evie Clutton Emily Ford Alfie Grocott Brooke Lovegrove-Fielden Alex Lye Sophie Mason Toby Mason Cecy Price Theo Price Bella Shanagher Alex Walker

Freya Beasley Eliza Beckett Poppy Beckett Freddie Beharrell Charlie Bibby Hugo Bland Molly Bruce Jamie Channon Gabriel Connolly Fergus David William Dodson-Wells Henry Don William Dorrell James Eardley Charlie England Linden Grigg Toby Harvey-Scholes Sebastian Heywood Emelia Lavender

Spring Term Charlie Adams Rufus Holt Francesca Hughes William Lye Tansie Massey Poppy Raichura Edward Stanton

Ross Lloyd James London Ellie Mason Frank Morris Jemima Price Daisy Raichura Jacob Rand Sacha Robertson Ines Sanguino Edward Stubbs Freddie Thomson James Thorn Thomas Tulloch Scott Walker Archie Waterworth Charlie White Oliver Williams-Bulkeley Nick Yeoward Henry Young

Industry Awards 6L 6G 5B 5K 4G 4L 4C 3L 3E 3W 3C 2E 2F 2N 2C 1L 1K 1W 1C

Autumn Term

Spring/Summer Term

Lottie Clarke Freya Beasley Molly Bruce Jamie Channon Sacha Robertson Ella Downey Thomas Tulloch Charlie England, Edward Stubbs Charlotte Edwards Francesca Hughes Alfie Grocott Yutaro Sato, Ned Hall Emily Ford, Toby Thomson Daisy Raichura Emelia Lavender Hector Watson Henry Young, Ines Sanguino Ana Garcia Theo Price

Chloe Edwards Ellie Mason Molly Bruce Jamie Channon, Linden Grigg Fergus David, Harriet Bibby, Sacha Robertson Jacob Rand, Ollie Clarke Thomas Tulloch Oliver Williams-Bulkeley Poppy Raichura Francesca Hughes, Antonia Wordie Alfie Grocott Harrison Steeple Jake Samuel, Tansie Massey Tatty Hunt Emelia Lavender James Eardley Ines Sanguino Brooke Lovegrove-Fielden Patrick Chambers

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REVIEW OF THE YEAR

Sixes Competitions Autumn Term

Cross-Country

Mannings/Sodens

Soccer Juniors (Burnham Cup)

McFerran/Wilsons

Quellyn-Roberts Cup

McFerran/Wilsons

Soccer Senior

Mannings/Sodens

Sixes Shield

Mannings/Sodens

Soccer Overall (Cooper Cup)

Mannings/Sodens

Summer Term

Hockey (Barling Cup)

McFerran/Wilsons

Music

Mannings/Sodens

Fencing (Bibby Bowl)

Harcourt/Clarkes

Quellyn-Roberts Cup

McFerran/Wilsons

Sixes Shield

McFerran/Wilsons

Cricket (Cowan Cup)

McFerran/Wilsons

Rounders (Skempton Cup)

Mannings/Sodens

Athletics (Miriam Heard Cup)

Harcourt/Clarkes

Girls’ Cricket (Wilkinson Cup)

Harcourt/Clarkes

Tennis (Davies-Kettle Cup)

Harcourt/Clarkes

Spring Term

Swimming (Prosser Cup)

Mannings/Sodens

Rugby (Hannay Cup)

Mannings/Sodens

Mannings/Sodens

Sports

Netball (Boyes Cup)

Mannings/Sodens

Quellyn-Roberts Cup

Harcourt/Clarkes

Lacrosse (Morrey Shield)

Mannings/Sodens

Sixes Shield

Harcourt/Clarkes

Packwood Acorns

The day before our big end of year Open Assembly in July I asked the children in Packwood Acorns what they remembered of the year that had just passed, and was really pleased to find that so many of them recalled the events that I had enjoyed too. I may have mentioned before that we are great dressersup in the Acorns, so I was quite relieved that wearing fancy dress loomed just as large in the children’s appreciation of the year gone by as in the staff’s. It would be mortifying if the children were heard to grumble about the amount of dressing up involved in being an Acorn while the adults were all seen to be enjoying themselves just a little too much.

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This year we came to school transformed for various reasons (charity, educational purposes or just fun) into characters from books; medieval knights and ladies or their squires and peasants, and we didn’t even bother to get dressed at all and came to school in our pyjamas on Red Nose Day (and stood on the stage singing about it before collecting a very respectable amount for Comic Relief).

Sports Day figured largely in their memory of the good times. It was held rather earlier than usual this year, with exciting new events like the traffic light race, Boccia and long jump,

and the children excelled themselves in their running, throwing and jumping. The afternoon culminated in the big relay which was so close as almost to be undecided, but what pleased me most about the whole afternoon was the children’s sportsmanlike approach, the way they congratulated those who won and tried their best to be their best, but were not put out by not winning themselves. This is the Acorns Way in action and showed how the children have taken it to heart.

Our outings were fondly recalled, from our first of the year to Attingham Home Farm

REVIEW OF THE YEAR where we sampled the ice cream made from the milk of the Jersey cows we’d just been admiring, to our last, a visit to the Secret Hills Centre where we created exhibits for an Outdoors Art Gallery as well as dressing up (that again!) as Iron Age settlers. One five year old having expressed interest in transforming herself into an Iron Ager returned the costume to me after looking carefully at it for a while. “Don’t you want to dress up?” I asked (not understanding how anyone could pass up such an opportunity).

“No thank you,” came the polite reply, “I don’t think the trousers look very comfortable.” She was right, they were made from a particularly itchy-looking and rather hairy hand-woven cloth. An important lesson learned about the past-clothes were a lot less user-friendly then.

In between these times we went and listened to strange tales at Mythstories and told some of our own about the inspiring artefacts on display. In Science Week we visited the Wood Lane Quarry and Landfill site to find out what happens to the rubbish we throw away.

I feel that I may owe some parents an apology, as they have not have been allowed to throw away anything since… The children were given their own hi-visibility jackets, making them look, as they crossed the yard on their return to school, like a miniature miners strike.

It’s interesting that those highlights of the Acorns year that cause most angst one way and another in their teachers (the Nativity Play springs to mind for some reason) are not the ones that remain in the children’s minds.

The wonderful Bassistry Arts Workshop, on the other hand, which required no organisation from the Acorns staff – it was all down to Mrs Westlake – really stood out for a lot of them, as it will for any of the parents who were lucky enough to see the finished performance. This may be due, in spite of

their youth, to the Acorns’ highly developed global education, writing letters to the sense of the dramatic, both as performers and Prime Minister asking him to help to send spectators; the performance of HMS Pinafore every child in the world to school. Young as (although they found the plot a little tricky to they are they have an awareness of the follow) and Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations importance of education and are beginning (starring many former Acorns and siblings of to develop a sense of justice. the current children) Finally, it was good to were recalled with great ...they congratulated know that Book Week, enthusiasm. The Titch Science Week, our those who won and tried theatre performance of and History Days 1, 2, 3 Splosh! which their best to be their best, Maths (especially this last, involved custard pies, but were not put out by with a real knight in water pistols and green armour visiting us) all not winning themselves. goo as well loomed large in the as community singing This is the Acorns Way memory of the children. went down rather in action...

These occasions take well too. time, energy and effort to set up and are That part of the year when the children were designed to highlight particular areas of learning to become the competent and learning. They mark confident readers, writers, mathematicians, the year as it passes, and each time they thinkers and doers that they are today was come round the children find themselves unsung and largely unrecollected, but we celebrating their learning with enjoyment know the children value it. This year they and understanding – which is why we took part in The Big Read, a campaign for do it! EC

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REVIEW OF THE YEAR

Boys’ Boarding

It came as a real surprise when Jane and I were asked to take on the boys’ boarding for a year; after fifteen years in Park House one might have thought we would have known better. We should of course also have known that ‘a year’ in the Packwood space/time continuum is not the same as a year for the rest of planet earth and with no sign of the parole board meeting anytime soon it looks like we will be inmates for a while yet.

The fact that it has turned out to be a rather pleasant surprise (for us at least!) is a real bonus. Like all good prep schools there is a healthy touch of the mad-house about the place and one hundred and seventeen boys living in close proximity is bound to produce its tensions. Amazingly, most of the time things run pretty smoothly and this is testament to work done by our outstanding team of matrons, wonderfully led by Ali Banks who give so much of themselves to the job.

Parents can rest assured that their sons will never want for top class medical care, clean laundry or the repair of a teddy bear’s ear.

I’ve been asked many times how running a girls’ house compares to running a boys’.

The answer can be demonstrated thus; when a new rug, lovingly selected by Mrs J for the way it blends with the dormitory colour scheme is placed on the floor, lads can only see its potential as a sumo wrestling ring.

And talking of such things, not only have many new rugs and other soft furnishings been bought, we have created a much larger and more comfortable Common Room for the seniors. We have also completed the task of Page 12

installing as many bunk beds as possible.

Not, I hasten to add; so the Bursar can “cram ‘em in” slave-ship style; the maximum number of boys that we can accommodate will remain the same. The point is that the increased floor space which bunks create means that there is far more scope for other improvements to the surroundings.

Jane and I have yet more plans at the fermentation stage but publicly announcing them now is not the best way to woo those whose hands are firmly attached to the purse strings…watch this space. NRJ

REVIEW OF THE YEAR

Girls’ Boarding It was all change at Park House in September with new house parents and a new matron.

So it was with some inevitable trepidation and angst that some approached this new boarding environment, but enough about the house parents!

The girls have really impressed Matron Gill, Mr and Mrs Livermore as well as Matrons Chloe and Zoe. (It is not set in stone that the under-matrons’ names must rhyme, but we prefer it that way.) The junior girls have been great value in the house with their ‘shows’, songs and general sense of camaraderie and fun. They are all well suited to boarding and mums and dads of girls on Pink Landing are to be congratulated and thanked for taking the sometimes hard step in ‘letting them go’.

I know our own daughter has benefitted

enormously from the advantages of living in such a vibrant, fun and fulfilling environment.

The girls on Blue Landing have been a wonderful group to look after. Loads of characters, who have had to be chivvied for a million reasons but we have thought very highly of all of them. Being in the middle of the boarding house, we have inevitably seen a lot of them and their kindness and helpfulness. Above all, their sense of fun and humour has endeared them greatly to us.

We look forward to them blossoming next year and impressing a wider audience in their top year. I think their new Common Room and coming downstairs to us have helped us to see them at their terrific best. Good luck, future top year girls!

As for the top year, the 1st XI as I liked to call them, responsible, keen to please, self-sufficient and mature are adjectives that spring to mind. The tone of the house, it could be argued, is set by those at the top end and I feel the 1s girls deserve much credit for helping make our job a pleasant one.

Good luck to these eleven as they take the exciting step on to senior school.

The girls at Park House will, I’m sure, continue to be good friends to each other, help each other through wobbles and enjoy together the fun times as part of a very special team of young people in the same precious boat. AL

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SUBJECTS

Art What makes Art different to the other creative subjects, like English or Music? The answer, it would seem, was given by Vincent van Gogh when he said “I only truly feel alive when I am painting”. His commitment to art was total, and like many of the young artists at Packwood, he became absolutely immersed in it. For half an hour or so, the only world that they are aware of is the one of colours, shapes, lines and the feel of the brush on the paper. An example which springs to mind is the wonderful parrot that Tia Barlow did earlier this term using watercolours, oil pastels, and a wet into wet ink technique. By using her creativity on the theme of the jungle she created a piece of work that communicated much more than the subject matter; the colours and the brush strokes conveyed feeling, which is after all what art is really about.

There were many highlights this term, from the excellent puppets that the juniors made, to the high quality of the portraits. Sarita Lavender did a fantastic Glass Workshop where the children had to construct a wall piece from a selection of hundreds of pieces of glass and other materials which are able to be fired in the kiln. They learned how to cut glass safely, and when it returned from firing the results were remarkable. Another highlight this term was the giant tool sculptures that the 4s did having studied the work of Jim Dine. The enthusiasm that the children showed was great to observe, and the display in the art room has certainly caused a reaction - most of it positive!

Josie Mason gained an all-rounder scholarship to Moreton Hall, part of it for her talent in Art, and we had some excellent results from the Millicent Kaye Art competition and the Shropshire and West Mid Show Art competition. In the former Evie Clutton gained first prize, and Tia Barlow and Ella Downey were highly commended. The £200 prize money that Evie won for the school (£50 for herself) will go towards a new digital camera for the art room. In the Shropshire and West Mid Show competition Rafael de Vargas gained second prize and Antonia Brine, Jessie Clarke, Cassie Bedford and Charlotte Dixon were commended. All the entries were exhibited and the accompanying letter was highly complimentary: “May we offer our congratulations on the superb quality of the entries for the art competition.”

To finish on another famous artist’s quote, Pablo Picasso once said “The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place; from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider’s web.” Perhaps this explains some of the puzzled expressions that adults have when they look at art? Children are

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more adaptable to change, and will only gain in knowledge and experience when they consider it is not the what of art that is important, but the how, and that anything can be considered a good subject – even a box of old tools! It is the feeling that is important. PRD

SUBJECTS

Classics In the Rome of the 1st century AD, the evidence is that the Colosseum had an awning. It is very unlikely, given the size of that amphitheatre and the materials available to the Romans, that their awning was ever meant to keep out anything other than the sun: there is still much debate about details of construction and the method used by the Romans to place and remove the vela (‘sails’, suggesting they used sailcloth). However, it is most likely the awning was used when possible to protect the spectators of the various entertainments inside the arena from the blistering Italian sun.

When Andy Murray faced Robert Kendrick on Wimbledon’s Centre Court this year, the new retractable roof – extremely expensive and intended to keep spectators, players and court dry – was used for the first time, to shade VIPs in the Royal Box from the searing heat of the English sun. The interesting thing about this isn’t so much the fact that the Romans got there first – again – as the light it sheds on what conditions must have been like for the gladiators and others who appeared in the amphitheatres of the Roman world. It is easy watching televised tennis to overlook the heat experienced by those actually present at the matches; similarly, it is hard to appreciate fully, especially when watching Charlton Heston in Ben Hur or Russell Crowe in Gladiator, the effect the heat of the sun must have had upon competitors and spectators alike. On June 23rd, we read in the Telegraph that ‘As temperatures reached 92F (33.4C) inside the top show court, spectators seated in the 15,000 capacity stadium started to feel distinctly uncomfortable’ and that ‘Nearly 90 people had to be treated by St John's Ambulance after succumbing to the heat.’

How many of the 50,000 unnamed and unrecorded individuals attending the ancient games must have suffered similarly? We will never know.

But enough of that! At Packwood, the department continues to thrive.

Geraldine Lee joined us this year, teaching the beginners in the 4s, while Oliver Lee took on 4Class and surrendered 1Class to me.

Progress throughout the department has been very encouraging and our scholars were particularly successful, in that for most their Latin grade was their best of all. The Moreton girls – Josie Mason and Josie Hall – both achieved success in the spring term, as did Louis LeesJones in his bid for a place at Uppingham and John Leadbeater at Ellesmere. John then attempted the Shrewsbury scholarship in the summer and achieved a fine result in his Latin, along with Theo Price Toby Harvey-Scholes and Charlie Bibby, who all three won scholarship awards. Theo did particularly well and he, John and Charlie also attempted the Greek paper and did not disgrace themselves. Sophie Tennant and Patrick Chambers both achieved A grades in their Latin to Rugby and Winchester (entrance) respectively, with Sophie also taking the Greek paper – very challenging indeed. Sophie was awarded the Harcourt-Clarke Classics prize for her endeavours, while the Latin prize went to Alex Lye, who in the top CE set gained an A at Level 3 after a relatively late promotion from Level 2. Other CE candidates had their personal successes – from the lower set, James Thorn, Henry Young and Ben Hughes with As, and Rufus Holt with his B for Rugby.

From the top set, George Fowler, Rada Kathuria, Will Mackereth, Ollie Platt, Bella Shanagher, Will Waterworth and Charlie White all achieved As, and Alex Walker did extremely well with his AA – and those whose results could have been better all passed into their school of choice, so overall the results were pleasing.

So what will next year bring? More sunshine at Wimbledon, we hope, perhaps even an Andy Murray win. Certainly that would be something even the Romans hadn’t anticipated! WGI

English Welcome to Laura Goulding, especially as she is a Newly Qualified Teacher, who has been teaching English to 4L, 6L and 6G. And congratulations to her for coping with a cast of sixty in a full production of Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations, and for remaining calm and composed throughout.

Two years ago, in the English Department article Ken Webster and I grumbled about the English CE papers, and I am afraid that this year we made it official by complaining to the ISEB. Our confidence was boosted by a circulated email from Harrow School complaining about almost the exact points we had raised. Please do not worry, parents: we know what we are doing and, anyway, all other Prep Schools are in the same fix. The papers are lacking in interest and are too hard.

I wish we could set the papers ourselves.

Theatre trips: the top year went to Michael Frayn’s Noises Off at Theatr Clwyd, which was very funny. We took the whole top year to the magnificent new Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury to see Lord of the Flies - a pity that they had adults pretending to be children though. And we had two excellent trips to Shrewsbury School to see the school production of Pravda and the junior school production of Room Service. Tremendous productions as usual and packed with exPackwood boys in starring roles – Chris

Jamieson and Charlie Withers to name but two. We also had TWO play-in-a-day productions at Packwood, which are always enjoyed immensely.

Competitions: The Creative Writing Competition was won by the following:

Minister for the Arts under Maggie Thatcher, and Lady Gowrie. The new Elocution Cup, presented last year by the Mostyn-Owen family, was won by Emelia Lavender for her rendering of Born Yesterday by Philip Larkin (Lord Gowrie revealed later that he had actually known the baby mentioned in the poem, Philip Larkin’s goddaughter, Sally Amis).

Form 1: Josie Mason, Rada Kathuria, Katie Angus and William Minshall.

The Elocution Competition Finalists:

Form 2: Cecy Price, Tatty Hunt, Emily Ford, and Sebastian Heywood.

Senior: Emelia Lavender (winner), George Platt (2nd), Tatty Hunt, George Fowler.

Form 3: Alfie Grocott, Saskia Humphreys, Patrick Haszard, Maddie Hall and Charlie England.

Form 4: Ruby Lavender, Jacob Rand, Fergus David and Sacha Robertson.

Form 5: Tom Hughes, Jamie Channon and Molly Bruce.

Form 6: Frank Morris, Marcus Woodhead, Ellie Mason and Talullah Blackham.

The Elocution Competition was of a very high standard again, although it is hard to find a time suitable for the top year to learn a poem and get through to the final without it getting in the way of one exam or another. But we did it, and in May we were very fortunate to welcome, as adjudicator, Lord Gowrie, once

Middle: Milla Harvey-Scholes and Harry Jenkinson (1st=), Ce-Ce Whittingham, Ella Downey, Jonty Hall.

Junior: Pip Vickers (winner), Ellie Mason(2nd), Romy Grigg, Tom Hughes, Antonia Barlow-Evans, Jessie Hunt.

Targets for next year: to do all that I can to help make the English Department a happy, successful, thriving department, where the children love the subject and are literate, eloquent and enthusiastic. After twenty-three years of teaching English here I still love the subject (but you ought to see the PAPER I have accumulated! My successor will have a bonfire). PAE Page 15

SUBJECTS

History This year, the first Dobson-less one for a good, wee while, has gone well from this new boy’s point of view. Although the top year’s Common Entrance work has been formulaic, narrow in content and very much targeted at the exam, we have had some fun along the way. The top year put in a lot of work, I enjoyed The only important resource teaching them hugely and in History lessons is the teacher’s specialist knowledge, they deserved to do well in June. The scholars got which allows stories to be fun, excellent results – all As enthusiastic and not like a and Bs, so from a formal school lesson at all... exam standpoint, all was fine.

The real History, the dynamic, unforgettable story telling, has been done in the year groups leading up to the top one. My favourite book, Our Island Story, has been a model for me in terms of what sort of content I want Packwood children to learn and how they should be

taught it. The only important resource in History lessons is the teacher’s specialist knowledge, which allows his/her stories to be fun, enthusiastic and not like a school lesson at all if possible but rather a bed time story, where it is all right to go off on tangents as a result of class discussion. In Mr Weston and Miss Wilkinson, the historians at this school are really lucky to have such specialists, who combine enthusiasm for the subject matter, knowledge and experience to such good effect. We feel very lucky to be teaching such a concrete, real subject, one to which all abilities can relate.

Two boys, William Dorrell and Toby Harvey-Scholes, came within one mark of qualifying for Round Two of the excellent Townsend Warner Prize. If a child does well in this national History exam, which has been running since Packwood Haugh and Liverpool Football Club were founded in 1892, it means he/she is learning successfully both in and out of school about the sort of History that should be covered

by British schools. AL

Craft, Design & Technology

We have now completed our first full academic year in our wonderful new abode.

It is difficult to see how well a room ‘works’ until you use it and happily only minor tweaks have seemed necessary.

The topics have not changed much tumbling acrobats and clocks; rubber band racers and wind machines; shelters and wind powered vehicles; mechanical toys and fairground rides; soldered circuits powering lights, jitterbugs, cars, boats and hovercraft – but the quality of the outcomes certainly has.

The Vacuum Former has opened up endless possibilities in moulding plastic shapes and s finding applications in many of the briefs.

The CNC Router engraves and cuts most resistant materials with a hitherto unachievable degree of accuracy and neatness. The vinyl and card cutter has Page 16

perhaps been the easiest to become familiar with. It has transformed the decoration and labelling of work right down to the Forms 6 and came into its own with the bands for the Christmas Hats. There is no doubt that as we, staff and children alike, have become more familiar with our new capabilities our horizons are expanding.

As long as this subject remains nonexaminable, the department will always aim to provide an enjoyable learning experience with the emphasis firmly placed on ‘learning through doing and making’ within a relaxed workshop environment. There is much truth in the saying “I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I do and I understand”, so the hands on approach will continue to come first. The adjacent computer suite is being used with increasing frequency, both to

research ideas and to write up projects and the digital camera is being more widely used to record work. The ‘Craft’ will always remain an essential, equal and integral partner along with the ‘Design’ and the ‘Technology’. Success may not be guaranteed but it can be seen to be attainable, and that is all the encouragement that most children need. This is a subject that positively encourages problem solving skills, lateral thinking, innovation and evaluation. This year’s CDT prize has been awarded to William Allott. It is the first time that the prize has gone to someone not in their final year but already he has demonstrated a level of interest, understanding and ability that deserves to be recognised. AJR

SUBJECTS

ICT The IT rooms have remained as popular as ever this year. Break times will see the children emailing, making PowerPoint slide shows, doing animations, and going on the safe surf websites, to mention just a few things.

In lessons, the 1s filmed and edited their own version of popular adverts. These included a furniture company famous for its sales, and a phone directory service who have returned an old runner to fame. The 2s made podcasts, which were fantastic. The acting and humour in many of the finished recordings were brilliant. The 3s made newspaper front covers, which looked great when printed out. The 4s made PowerPoint zoos, including noises never heard before or since in a zoo. The 5s gave us ideas on how to improve long break, including having a fun fair, and free helicopter

rides, and the 6s made control technology models of cars, planes and tractors. You mustn’t of course forget the Acorns, who used Logo to make pictures and navigate around

mazes, wrote stories about Peter Pan and helped Lulu on her games page in many ways.

So what will next year hold? We shall have to wait and see. SAR

Physical Education The PE department has now used the sports hall for a whole academic year and we have been very glad of the indoor facility, especially during the spring term. Throughout the year the pupils are exposed to a variety of sports during their PE lessons and we are committed to delivering enjoyable and engaging lessons that focus on increasing understanding, skill acquisition, maximum participation and enjoyment.

In the autumn term, all of the pupils took part in gymnastics, from British Gymnastics Awards to sports acrobatics (individual balances, in pairs and groups) and a variety of vaulting techniques. Over the term, some 130 certificates and badges were awarded.

Activities involving the supporting of weight on various body parts while attempting stillness, mirroring and matching, counterbalance and counter-tension were explored during lessons as were suitable and aesthetic movements to link balances together, in order to perform a sequence of movements with balance as its theme.

In the spring term the older pupils (1s and 2s) participated in either badminton or team building exercises. The 3s and 4s took part in health-related fitness, basketball and other such ball games. We refined ball handling and

familiarisation skills and also instilled the importance of working together as a team to achieve success. The 5s and 6s experienced multi-skills and ball familiarisation.

standard. This year saw most of the pupils achieve bronzes with some excellent silvers and a select few achieving an outstanding gold standard.

The summer term is athletics for all. The pupils run, jump and throw as fast as they can, as high or as far as they can. We try to achieve progression across all age groups in generic running, jumping and throwing activities that build upon the core strength of our sport in forming the basis of all other sporting athleticism. The hope is to succeed in enthusing pupils of all ages and abilities to find, and participate in, events that they enjoy and which allow them to achieve success, at whatever level. The times and distances recorded are then compared to the English Schools’ Athletics Association Awards scheme and pupils are awarded a bronze, silver or gold

The Acorns have experienced a variety of sports and games this year with a new scheme of work being implemented. In the autumn term the pupils experienced socialisation games, such as parachute games and hockey and health-related fitness. The spring term saw the Acorns participate in pop lacrosse, target games and multi-skills. In the summer term, they have been exposed to net and wall games, including mini tennis, striking and fielding games (Kwik cricket, rounders and French cricket) and athletics, with preparation for sports day. Swimming and gymnastics are also part of the Acorns scheme and if they are not splashing and diving they are rolling and jumping on the springboard and trampette.

PE continues to be enjoyed and we hope that the pupils can continue to perform to the best of their ability and develop their individual skills. JH/LW

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SUBJECTS

Geography Geography, as an academic subject, has a long, illustrious and often neglected history. One of its many strengths is that it is constantly evolving. The most recent shift is towards the environmentally responsible approach to the world. Due to the importance of this issue and the almost universally accepted attitude that the young need to be made aware of it, it has been reflected in the syllabus and the exams that Packwood children sit. Sustainability has become the latest buzz word and is littered throughout official documents. All of this is of course a good thing and the resultant discussions and interest that it generates put the more prosaic topics of the exports of Botswana or the agricultural land of East Anglia firmly in their place.

As a result of the enthusiasm that the children were showing and the knowledge that they were gaining, a brand new fieldwork trip was thought up, conceived and hastily arranged.

A trip to Chester Zoo might smell of - sorry

poor choice of words - may seem like, a junior boarders’ jolly day out but it was a trip full of rigour and thought. Although snake skins were felt and various other dead animals were stroked, poked and fondled, it was the importance of biodiversity that came through.

Global warming is perversely not part of the syllabus – it has to be left for senior schools – but the next most telling issue may well be habitat destruction due to human population explosion and the myriad potential problems this will cause. The top year wrestled with many concepts and formed their own opinions about extinctions, zoos, evolution and the role of man. The biggest dilemma they had was how to shrink all of this thought into only 1000 words. The fieldwork enquiry - so often the bane of children’s (and parents’) lives became almost an enjoyable procedure and certainly not a chore. The projects were also well received by senior schools who are bored with river studies/traffic studies and the same old

subject matter trotted out year in year out.

This is perhaps the overall aim of the Geography department at Packwood - to make children actually think about something, something that is outside their world and then propose solutions or at least understand and appreciate that there will be two sides to the inevitable argument.

Another recent change is the need to learn case studies of floods, earthquakes, industry and environmental issues. The choice of Alcoa, Korup and of course Hurricane Katrina and the Boxing Day disaster were made not for ease of regurgitation - which would be dire for all concerned, but because of the other stories they tell. Tilly Smith, the Onge tribe, the paradox of Alcoa being green, the simplicity and obviousness of Korup all sparked off many hours of thought and discussion.

Unfortunately it looks like this will be shelved after only two years – further emphasising the ever-evolving state of the subject. DR

Maths This year the mathematics staff remained unchanged, and we are now fortunate to have a settled department. I am sure the children will benefit greatly from this situation.

There are no major changes in terms of syllabus for the coming years, although it is interesting to note that a foundation level paper at Common Entrance 13+ level will be introduced in 2010. I would envisage Packwood pupils would sit this as an exception rather than the rule, although it will be a useful possibility for those who struggle to cope with the full 13+ syllabus. The papers are set at a lower level and exclude questions on the more difficult parts of the syllabus.

Maths grades at both Common Entrance and scholarship level were more than satisfactory. We were lucky to have a whole batch of talented mathematicians in our top year. The results in the various maths challenges have been outstanding, with more candidates achieving awards than last year. Theo Price did particularly well in qualifying for the Junior Maths Olympiad. IRW

UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge Silver: Toby Harvey-Scholes (+ best in school) Bronze: Josie Hall, Louis Lees-Jones and Patrick Chambers UKMT Junior Maths Challenge Gold:

Theo Price (+ best in school), Toby Harvey-Scholes, John Leadbeater, Ben Hughes, William Dorrell, Charlie Adams, Ollie Pumphrey and Emelia Lavender Silver: Huw Wheeler, Louis Lees-Jones, Patrick Anson, Ines Sanguino, James Thorn, Oliver Brown, Peregrine Beckett, Elliot Robinson-Boulton, Angus Campbell, Edward Graves, Cecy Price and Oliver Platt Bronze: Brooke Lovegrove-Fielden, Sophie Tennant, Charlie White, Patrick Chambers, Josie Hall, Henry Don and Immy Hill Theo Price qualified for the Junior Olympiad.

Science The Packwood science labs have again been busy this year. The Bunsen burners have roared away in chemistry as a multitude of chemicals has been roasted mercilessly. Materials have been tested to breaking point and sparks of terrifying ferocity have flown from the Van de Graaff generator in physics; and in the new biology lab, animals and plants have been minutely scrutinised and interrogated.

As well as all this practical work, the children in the top year have worked hard preparing for scholarship and Common Entrance exams with some excellent results. Charlie Bibby and Theo Price both achieved A+ grades (the only two awarded) in the Shrewsbury scholarship and James London, Oliver Platt, William Mackereth, Z Midwinter and Richard Williams-Bulkeley all managed to get As in all three Common Entrance Science papers; a significant achievement on papers which were as challenging as any in recent years. FRH

New Biology Laboratory September 2008 saw the completion of the new biology lab. Quite a few days during the previous August had been spent moving the biology equipment (and as much other stuff as could escape the scrutiny of the Head of Science) from the old labs to the new site which had formerly been the Maintenance Department’s workshop. It is now unrecognisable with its purpose built benches and fancy new toys. To have in a prep school a dedicated biology lab may not be a necessity but it is a real bonus. So many biology investigations are carried out over a period of days or even weeks it makes a massive difference not to have to move stuff about in order to accommodate other areas of study.

The room is very light, spacious and a really good environment for delivering this important subject. The topics we study have not changed, but the efficiency of their delivery has been hugely improved.

In addition, the old biology lab has been reconfigured to accommodate the Junior Science. Three specialist labs in one prep school is not at all the norm but the benefits are enormous. NRJ

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SUBJECTS

Modern Foreign Languages This year has been very exciting for the Department for many reasons.

We have started teaching two more languages: Spanish and Italian in Acorns and the 3s and 4 Class have enjoyed doing some Spanish once a week too. It has worked very well and has created some more enthusiasm for language learning within the classes. We also welcomed a new member to the team, Mrs Nogues, who has brought her Spanish expertise.

The pupils have worked very hard at all levels and we obtained some solid results in the Scholarship and the Common Entrance exams. Well done to all.

We have continued to develop the relationship between ICT and languages not only by using the excellent Linguascope site, but also our very own blog, Le Blog de Packwood and the growing website, www.monfrancais.co.uk which have helped the pupils considerably throughout the year.

The Day of Languages was also a highlight in the autumn term.

Thanks to the talent of some members of staff and the help of some parents, nine languages were taught on the day: French, Italian, Spanish, German, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Welsh and Swahili!

The children especially enjoyed the special lunch prepared by the catering staff. Even the afternoon games had an international colour as a football World Cup was organized. Guess what, England won!

I wish to express my gratitude to all of the people who helped and made this day very special indeed.

Next year there is plenty more to come in the Department with some new ideas which will continue to create a buzz in Language learning.

JN

1 Class after their Scholarship exams have created some adverts on the famous Mikado biscuits. They have displayed great imagination and enjoyed themselves enormously during the process. Their work has been published on line to be viewed by all.

All the 2s competed in a National French Competition in May. They have done extremely well. A particular mention to the pupils who obtained an A*: Emelia Lavender who achieved the top score, followed

by Cecy Price and Tansie Massey. Poor Gus Langford and Charlie Adams missed the grade by 1 mark but did very well too. Félicitations.

Religious Studies It was the end of a busy year at Packwood and one of the children in my form took one look at their frazzled teacher and asked, “ Mrs. Edwards, do you like teaching RS?” That made me think…

Prep school teachers have to teach all sorts of things to all sorts of children. I am very lucky because RS is my degree subject and I love teaching it, even last thing on Friday afternoon. Teaching Religious Studies allows our department to share our enthusiasm for the subject and use some creativity to make learning exciting and relevant for young people - opening their minds to new concepts and cultures. In the RS Department we can do this in many different ways, according to our own interests. We often taste things. We dress up. We act things out. We listen to different types of music. We sometimes sing! Religious Studies is definitely not all book based, or indeed classroom based.

It is important for our subject that we take the children on trips throughout the academic year. Form 4 visited the Open Centre in Derby and we saw a working Hindu Temple. We actually heard Hindu prayers being said and felt the holy water being sprinkled! We then contrasted this with the Mosque, where we had to make sure our heads were covered whilst we were inside. We experienced dressing up for a Hindu wedding, with a little Indian dancing too! Form 3 visited the Jewish Museum in Manchester and we tasted challah bread and enacted the Sabbath prayers. Back in the

classroom we all had a Passover celebration, involving tasting the symbolic foods. Of course in amongst all this we also have Common Entrance exam technique to explain and develop, not to mention the interesting styles of various scholarship papers! Looking back on the year, no wonder I was looking a little frazzled that Friday afternoon!

Religious Studies is a very important way to prepare our children for living in the real world. It is not just a subject to be taught in order to get through an exam. It really is part of our social and moral education.

The former Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion, has argued that every child should be taught the Bible at school if they are to fully understand British culture and literature. Although an atheist himself, Motion called for an overhaul of the school curriculum to reverse the ‘depressing’ trend threatening to leave children unable to grasp Milton, Shakespeare or even T S Eliot. He insisted that parents who do not believe in God should have nothing to fear from their children learning about the Bible. He stated: "If people say this is about ramming religion down people's throats, they aren't thinking about it hard enough. It is more about the power of these words to connect with deep, recurring human truths... it is an essential piece of cultural luggage."

The Tony Blair Faith Foundation has launched a global programme of education aimed at fostering understanding between religions.

Arguing that ‘religious literacy’ is a vital skill in a multicultural society, the project is designed to promote dialogue between young people from different faiths and backgrounds. We have a great responsibility to our children to get this right.

The Religious Studies Department has had some very pleasing academic results this year, many congratulations to all our CE and Scholarship candidates. What is even more important for their life in the real world is that their ‘religious literacy’ has had the opportunity to be developed. This is difficult to quantify but I certainly hope it has been stimulated in some way during our trips, our assemblies or our lessons this year. RE Page 19

SUBJECTS

Music

Music continues to be an important part of life at Packwood. With all pupils studying class music, hundreds of instrumental lessons a week to timetable (thank you Miss McEntee!) and a large number of ensembles rehearsing on a weekly basis including Brass, String, Guitar, Woodwind, Saxophone, Percussion, Clarinet, Xylophone, Thai Angkloons as well as Bands, Orchestras and Choirs, there is never a quiet moment! The department aims to involve all pupils as performers on stage or in class.

The Autumn Term was overseen by Mr David Leeke whilst I enjoyed my final few months of maternity leave! Regular Lunchtime Concerts including a Brass Concert organised by Mr Malpass and Open Day Presentations took place in the theatre involving junior and senior pupils. The entire school came together for our annual Sixes House Music Competition. The theme this year was Abba, featuring the set song Thank you for the Music. Congratulations to Mannings Sodens who took the trophy with their own choice song Money, Money, Money.

Performances from our Senior Choir in regular church services included a Remembrance Sunday service and an uplifting carol service at St Oswald’s Church in Oswestry which ended the term on a high.

The Spring Term started positively and many musicians received music awards to secondary schools. William Dodson-Wells and George Fowler were awarded music scholarships to Shrewsbury School and John Leadbeater and Katie Angus were awarded music exhibitions to Ellesmere College and Fettes respectively. We welcomed Jane Hadwick who joined the music department to teach some class music. The Concert Band performed brilliantly during Open Day and played popular pieces including The Simpsons and Mambo 5. William Mackereth found himself in charge of the percussion section playing duck calls, sirens and ratchets – he just happened to be passing the theatre at the time I discovered one of our percussionists was absent.

I think he has finally recovered from the experience! Pupils worked very hard in rehearsals in preparation for the end of term senior musical, HMS Pinafore. This was a resounding success and included outstanding performances from George Fowler as Sir Joseph Porter, Bella Shanager as Buttercup, Charlie Adams as Captain Corcoran, Freddie Earlam as Ralph Rackstraw and Emelia Lavender as Josephine.

The Summer Term is always very busy and this year was no exception.

Bassistry Arts visited Packwood again and after a week of school exams this was just the treat everyone needed. Pupils enjoyed a two day Page 20

workshop and learnt many songs and dances using traditional rhythms and sounds from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.

They were linked together to produce a brilliant show which led us into our final exeat of the academic year. The children performed with such confidence and I am always staggered by the way they remember the words and dance moves with such ease. The Senior Choir enjoyed their end of term trip to Drayton Manor - my treat to them for their hard work and dedication over the year.

The Summer Concert is certainly one of the highlights of the year as it brings together all the hours of rehearsing and practising into one fantastic array of ensembles. 1W opened the concert with God Save the Queen on Thai angkloons and 1K performed an African piece called Mbira Jam on the xylophones – teamwork at its best. The Guitar Ensemble also played beautifully by candlelight. The theatre is always bursting at the seams and the atmosphere was electric when the Concert Band raised the roof with popular numbers such as Disco Lives, 1812 Overture, featuring William Fowler on the cymbals, Soul Bossa Nova and our favourite encore Sing, Sing, Sing.

Two days later the Leavers’ Day Service followed and was as emotional as ever with choristers singing their hearts out in their last choir performance at Packwood. Our songs, Take These Wings and Adiemus always bring parents to tears (for the right reasons!); beautiful flute playing by Laura Cooke accompanied both pieces.

The last surge of energy produced another 65 pupils sitting Associated Board and Trinity/Guildhall Exams with great success. Over the year 135 pupils have sat music exams and we have had some particularly fine results. A fantastic start for Sophia Price who gained 139 in her Grade 1 flute exam! William Dodson-Wells and George Fowler both sat Grade 6 examinations and were jointly awarded the Form 1 Music prize.

Daisy Raichuara and Chan Kathuria were also awarded music prizes.

Well done to everyone who worked so hard throughout the term.

Another year of successful music making would not be possible without our dedicated team of peripatetic staff who work tremendously hard throughout the year preparing pupils for concerts and exams.

Many thanks to Mrs Ruth Hayward who will be leaving us to embark on a new business venture. We all wish her the best of luck. JCW

SUBJECTS MUSIC EXAMS AUTUMN TERM William Fowler Evie Clutton Katie Angus Tansie Massey Henry Don George Fergusson Tira Brown Elliott Robinson-Boulton Ben Hughes George Burrell Rada Kathuria Henry Don Thomas Tulloch Freddie Perkins Freddie Beharrell Guy Morris Andrew Tudor Ella Downey Anna Dodd Archie Connolly Jessica Clark William Barlow Saskia Humphreys Amelia Tennant Antonia Barlow-Evans Sebastian Heywood Jamie Channon Chan Kathuria Charlotte Edwards

Grade 5 Grade 4 Grade 4 Grade 3 Grade 3 Grade 3 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Prep Test Prep Test Prep Test Prep Test Prep Test Prep Test

Singing Cello Flute Singing Oboe Trumpet Flute Saxophone Saxophone Trumpet Piano Guitar Tenor Horn Cornet Trumpet Violin Violin Violin Piano Singing Tenor Horn Double Bass Violin Piano Piano Piano Piano Piano Piano

Merit Merit Pass Pass Merit Pass Pass Pass Pass Merit Merit Pass Pass Pass Pass Merit Pass Distinction Pass Pass Merit Pass Pass

Singing Singing Singing Singing Drums Theory Theory Theory Bassoon Violin Violin Singing Trumpet Theory Singing Flute Flute Piano Guitar Singing Piano Saxophone Piano Clarinet Flute Clarinet Piano Piano Clarinet Clarinet Cornet Flute

Pass Pass Pass Merit Pass Merit Pass Merit Pass Pass Pass Pass Merit Merit Merit Distinction Pass Distinction Merit Merit Merit Distinction Merit Merit Pass Distinction Distinction Distinction Pass Distinction Distinction Distinction

MUSIC EXAMS SPRING TERM Josie Mason Ella Edwards Josie Hall Bella Shanagher John Leadbeater Emelia Lavender Theo Price George Fowler Toby Harvey-Scholes Emelia Lavender Milla Harvey-Scholes Tilly Cooper Anna Dodd William Fowler Fergus Connolly Islay Stacey Bella Shanagher Edward Carroll William Dorrell Stamos Fearnall Antonia Wordie Joseph Davies William Dodson-Wells Francesca Hughes Kinvara Gladstone Mollie Jamieson Dorothy Holt Lucy Simpson Bentley Moss Bertie Jenkinson Florence Wade-Smith Sophia Price

Grade 5 Grade 5 Grade 5 Grade 5 Grade 5 Grade 5 Grade 5 Grade 5 Grade 4 Grade 4 Grade 4 Grade 4 Grade 4 Grade 4 Grade 3 Grade 3 Grade 3 Grade 3 Grade 3 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1

Linden Grigg Tia Barlow Archie Connolly Toby Thompson Oliver Clarke Jude Bedford Mollie Jamieson Flora Moreau Rosie Clarke

Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Prep Test Prep Test Prep Test Prep Test Prep Test

Piano Piano Drums Drums Piano Piano Piano Piano Violin

Distinction Merit Pass Distinction

Singing Saxophone Theory Theory Theory Flute Singing Singing Cello Saxophone Clarinet Clarinet Saxophone Saxophone Trumpet Trumpet Oboe Singing Singing Drums Drums Piano Violin Violin Violin Singing Singing Saxophone Tenor Horn Piano Piano Clarinet Trumpet Cornet Drums Double Bass Piano Clarinet Piano Piano Piano Piano Piano Flute Singing Cello Drums Drums Violin Piano Piano Cornet

Distinction Merit Pass Pass Pass Merit Merit Pass Distinction Merit Merit Merit Pass Merit Merit Pass Merit Pass Merit Pass Distinction Merit Pass Pass Pass Merit Merit Pass Merit Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Distinction Pass Merit Pass Merit Merit Merit Merit Merit Merit Merit Merit Pass Merit

MUSIC EXAMS SUMMER TERM George Fowler William Dodson-Wells William Fowler Laura Cooke Milla Harvey-Scholes Katie Angus Katie Angus Emelia Lavender Evie Clutton Cecily Price Jemima Price Antonia Wordie Patrick Chambers Daisy Raichura George Burrell James Eardley Milla Harvey-Scholes Ana Garcia Antonia Brine Chan Kathuria William Fowler Evie Clutton Beatrice Mostyn-Owen Alex Angus Cassie Bedford Beth Cooper Alex Angus Ianthe Bathurst Jessica Clarke Anna Dodd Laura Cooke Poppy Raichura Hugo Bland Freddie Perkins Paul Sharpe William Barlow Evie Clutton Timmy Robinson-Boulton Tansie Massey Islay Stacey Tilly Cooper Sophie Mason Olivia Wade-Smith Tara Beasley Molly Bruce William Dorrell Edward Beard Fergus David Loris Pattinson Stamos Fearnall Oliver Williams-Bulkeley Sam Bayliss

Grade 6 Grade 6 Grade 5 Grade 5 Grade 5 Grade 5 Grade 5 Grade 5 Grade 5 Grade 5 Grade 4 Grade 3 Grade 3 Grade 3 Grade 3 Grade 3 Grade 3 Grade 3 Grade 3 Grade 3 Grade 3 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Grade 1 Prep Test Prep Test Prep Test Prep Test

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EVENTS

HMS Pinafore Packwood children are amazingly talented: not only do they sing, dance and act, they also, it seems, do a wonderful line in synchronised cleaning and polishing!

From the first moment when the curtain opened to reveal a team of merry sailors polishing Her Majesty’s good ship Pinafore, we were transported into the wonderful world of Gilbert and Sullivan.

It started off with a tremendous rousing chorus of “We Sail the Ocean Blue” which left no-one in any doubt that they were attentive to their duty and were fully prepared for the arrival of the magnificent Sir Joseph Porter and his wonderful assembly of sisters and cousins and aunts. Charlie Adams soon established himself as a masterful Captain Corcoran, singing beautifully, and never using bad language – well hardly ever! He was joined by Bella Shanagher who played the part of “poor little Buttercup” with sensitivity and compassion. George Fowler was fantastic and gave a commanding performance as Sir Joseph Porter KCB – surely the part was made for him. None of Gilbert’s wit was lost on an audience who heard every word. Emelia Lavender is an incredibly talented actress and put on an astounding performance as Josephine. Equally impressive were the singing and acting talents displayed by Freddie Earlam as Ralph Rackstraw.

The works of Gilbert and Sullivan adapt brilliantly as school plays with their catchy tunes, expandable casts and exotic settings.

However, finding children who can sing well enough to ensure the audience hear all the lyrics is a huge task for any school and all of the lead actors did admirably. Two characters who had smaller parts yet gave excellent performances were Cousin Hebe (the redoubtable Ella Edwards) and the lugubrious Dick Dead-Eye (Patrick Anson) – I’m sure he will produce more great stage performances in the future.

The crew of HMS Pinafore and the array of sisters, cousins and aunts all made a wonderful spectacle. The inimitable Jane Jones assisted by Joan Rutherford must be congratulated for their ability to produce the huge number of costumes. Paul Dougan and Anthony Rigby produced a very impressive good ship Pinafore, and Jem Bayliss and James Thorn ensured expert lighting and sound.

Many people were involved in the production, too many to mention individually, but, without doubt huge credit is due to Howard Bourne, the director and Jo Westlake, musical director, for yet another Packwood triumph. FB

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EVENTS

Team Building and Leadership Challenge For the last few years we have run a ‘Leadership and Teamwork Training Day’ for children in their penultimate year. This has always proved to be a successful event which the children found worthwhile and fun.

However, this summer we made a very significant change by engaging the services of The Bushcraft Company to run the day. The company is owned and managed by Alex McBarnett who was trained by Ray Mears for many years before setting out on his own. I had every confidence that the children were in for a treat because we know Alex very well from the past. An ex-Moor Park Boy (we’ll let him off that) he has run extremely enjoyable survival training courses in the spinney for the last three years. Neither I nor the children were disappointed - by the time they had finished shelter building, fire lighting (primitive style) and campfire cooking they were tired but genuinely enthused.

The turnout was huge and only a few pupils with other unbreakable commitments did not attend. The feedback that I got from the children was positive and from the trainers, extremely complimentary about the behaviour and attitudes of the pupils. The

children always get it into their heads that these events are solely aimed at picking monitors and Heads of School; they are wrong of course but having said that, each pupil was marked on their performance and it did make for an interesting read at the end of the day. NRJ

Packwood Quiz Night This year's annual quiz was a great success and huge fun. The dining room was packed full of competitors, with barely a seat to spare. The questions ranged from music to cartoons and there were some very clever questions, suiting all ages. Rather embarrassingly our team got full marks on the cartoon round, without a team member below the age of twelve!

The kitchen staff created a great meal for everyone. Our team rather craftily managed to bribe seconds out of them!

During the course of the evening the lead was constantly changing with never more than four or five points in it, but eventually we came out on top (of course!) Our team consisted of the Adams family, the Dons and the Becketts. Our special guest of the night was Patrick Anson who, it may be noted, is in 1Class - we pick our team members very carefully!

Overall the night was a great success, made even more so by the organisation and work of Mr Bourne and Mr Wood. Thank you to everyone involved. Charlie Adams

Cook your own lunch If there is one thing I have learnt about children over the years it’s that they love to be involved with something that’s a bit out of the ordinary and if it involves food then you are on to a winner! In the spring term I put the usual notice up for a cookery activity on a Sunday, but this time it involved not having school lunch but cooking for themselves.

At this stage they didn’t know what they would be cooking, it might have been snails or giblet pie, but still my blank piece of paper became covered with ink splats and signatures. Needless to say there is a limit to the number we can have for such events so four girls and four boys were chosen from the list. We set about making meatballs with a tomato sauce (good old Nigella!) and homemade pasta, syrup sponge and cream. Each child had an input into each part of the meal, the pasta machine was very popular and the results were quite frankly amazing. As an afterthought and about two minutes before serving I gave the girls some salad ingredients and led by Jessie Hunt and Thea Holt-Smith they presented a beautifully tossed salad on the table within minutes; all done with feminine practicality and military precision.

Needless to say everything was eaten and enjoyed, and I have to say it was an activity that will certainly be repeated. JJ Page 23

EVENTS

Planet Packwood

I know, we are all worried to death about global warming, acid rain, sustainability, food miles and the plight of the Patagonian Throat Warbling Mangrove, but the question is, what are we actually doing about it? The answer is in all honesty, not that much. True, you have probably bought Johnny a bicycle so that he burns less petrol and more importantly exports his noise pollution to the other end of the village, but then you remember the mad axe man of Malpas and so he stays at home and stares like a shop window mannequin at the telly or computer.

way to the school kitchen. Still more has been converted into chutneys and other produce by my resident Mrs Beeton; these along with other surplus have been sold to our local farm shop and the proceeds put towards our smart new greenhouse. I would like at this point to thank those tireless men of the soil, James Thorn, James Eardley and James London who have perhaps put more than any other children into the project. Educationally it is sound stuff; you would be amazed how many children can’t recognise a radish, and as a prototype for bigger things we are learning a great deal.

Let’s face it, ours and previous generations have blown it, we are stuck in our ways and content to ravage the globe because we can’t think of an alternative. That’s where Planet Packwood comes in. It’s too late for us but perhaps we can persuade our children to adopt more responsible attitudes. This is a project which will grow over the next few years but its early expression comes in the form of happenings such as the kitchen garden. A significant amount of food grown on our little allotment outside Orchard House has found its

Many other members of staff are having an input, the bursar is really into crushing cardboard and cans (he should get out more) for recycling and the gardener has a dandy compost heap. Mrs Edwards has led the charge with many thought provoking assemblies and Mrs Westlake, late of Bangkok, tells me she has turned her central heating down to a chilly 38 degrees Celsius!

More is to follow but for now I am delighted with the start we have made. NRJ

Lectures In November we welcomed John Dunn, an explorer, who presented a fascinating talk entitled ‘Journeys on the Wild Side’ describing a hike undertaken by him and a friend across Devon Island in Canada. His journey was a barren one, with polar bears and the odd field hut the only interruption to a bleak, but breathtakingly beautiful white scenery. The descriptions of snow, ice, paralysingly cold water, menacing bears’ footprints, kayaks (to cross water and store provisions) and skis all proved enthralling for a young audience. Mr Dunn brought it all to life not only by an engaging and very clear Page 24

style of delivery, but by a stunning show of slides and video-clips delivered onto a large screen. During the entire 50 minute presentation it was clear that the children were totally captivated, and the questions at the end could have gone on and on.

In March we were treated to a lecture on ‘Trans-global Yacht Racing’ by Marcus Johnson, housemaster designate of Oldhams Hall at Shrewsbury. Mr Johnson had taken a year out from the teaching profession to take part in an eight-vessel yacht race round the world. He explained about the layout of a

yacht, inside, outside and underneath, before displaying his route on a map and enthralling the audience with a varied array of slides of his voyage. Included in this were some amazing shots taken in all possible ranges of weather – his vessel was even struck by lightning. We saw examples of the wildlife he encountered and of the many places he visited, including a view of New York’s twin towers only a few days before disaster struck.

There were many anecdotes of the voyage, and his passionate involvement in the whole experience came across strongly. OJL

EVENTS

Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations When choosing a play for the Junior School production I was introduced to Alan Ayckbourn's Ernie's Incredible Illucinations and felt it was perfectly suited to this age group. The play is full of action and fun characters, requires a great deal of energy from the actors, is short in length and enabled me to include a large cast, which gave all the children who auditioned an opportunity to shine on stage. It is about a young boy called Ernie who has the special gift of being able to imagine various unlikely scenarios into existence, causing havoc for all those around him, including his longsuffering parents – perhaps a theme the children might be able relate to!

Thomas Tulloch took on the role of Ernie with great confidence and professionalism, bringing a lot of his own ideas to the character – he had almost learned all his lines within the first week of rehearsals! Jessica Hunt performed with maturity and conviction as Ernie’s Mum (you wouldn’t mess with her character!) and Archie Waterworth brought his fabulous sense of humour to the character of Ernie’s Dad, not least when trying to carry the enormous, unwieldy television across the stage. Andrew Tudor created a wonderfully quirky Doctor,

with his comic pacing up and down in his surgery (reminiscent of John Cleese); and Ella Downey as Ernie’s Auntie May displayed a keen sense of comic timing and brought a natural sense of characterisation and performance to the stage - we shall not forget her impressive dance moves outside the boxing ring!

There were some brilliant cameo performances from Alice Shone as the authoritative French Officer, and Freddie Houlker as the ‘Mysterious Man in the Library’ (alias Inspector Clouseau), who never failed to make the audience laugh.

Amelia Tennant as the PG Wodehouse Aunt Agatha-esque ‘Lady in the Library’, Guy Morris as the ‘mountain-climbing’ Library Attendant and Florence Wade-Smith as the ‘Tramp turned Secret Agent’ all captured the spirit of their characters brilliantly. The four barkers in the Fairground Scene, along with the never failing enthusiasm of Form 6, and those in the Boxing Scene all worked hard to create an energetic and exciting atmosphere on stage. Those with non-speaking parts were not simply on stage but were instrumental in building and maintaining the atmosphere of each scene through their reactions, which they did convincingly.

Paul Dougan, Anthony Rigby and Elena Nogues created a modern, dreamlike set which successfully echoed the theme of ‘imagination’ in the play and Jane Jones did a fantastic job creating numerous costumes and procuring props for all the cast – no mean feat! Jem Bayliss, Edward Carroll and William Allott created masterfully atmospheric lighting and sound effects while the backstage crew, with Peter Erskine at the helm, coped magnificently with the many scene changes! Many people were involved in the production, too many to mention individually, without whom it could not have happened.

Jaia Barratt and I thoroughly enjoyed directing and producing this play with such a motivated and enthusiastic cast, who gave of their very best. Since these children have a number of years left at the school, the future of drama at Packwood is bright! LG

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EVENTS

Packwood Ball

The Ball was a really good experience and lots of fun. As it was Christmas time, the dining room was decorated and it really added to the atmosphere. Everyone looked so fantastic. The girls wore beautiful dresses and the boys looked really smart in bow ties and waistcoats. After the boys had escorted

the girls into the dining room, the dancing started and we were able to show off everything we had been practising. Halfway through we enjoyed a buffet supper with a variety of snacks and fizzy drinks and Miss Willis presented lots of prizes for the best dancers.

We are sure everyone would agree that Miss Willis was an amazing teacher and we are extremely grateful for all the effort she put in to make the ball such fun for everyone.

Josie Mason, Josie Hall and Ana Garcia

Game Shooting After Dark I’m always on the lookout for all-weather activities and this one is a belter. I was contacted early last year by a chap called Ed Cutting. He had just left Stowe and was trying to scrape some cash together before university. His big idea is to visit schools with a computer simulated hunting game. All he needs is a darkened room, and a three pin socket. Via a computer he projects a variety of game shooting scenarios which can be attempted using life size laser rifles and pistols. It’s brilliant! It’s safe and hugely entertaining, equally popular with girls and boys of all ages (once they have parted the staff from the guns) and ethically sound for the tree huggers. Incidentally, he does dinner parties and other functions too, so if you are interested, let me know and I’ll pass on the details. NRJ

Christmas sing-song - aka The X-mas Factor Mr Westlake dressed as an ever-inflating Santa, Mr Livermore an oversized elf, Mr Weston a festive turkey and Mr Bourne a French maid. Just like any other Saturday night in Ruyton-XI-Towns I hear you cry. Well, it wasn’t. It was the inaugural Christmas Sixes sing-along, which was not for points or prizes but just for fun. Mr Erskine’s directorial credentials were further boosted by a vivacious 1 Class performance. Although I was backstage helping Mr Weston into his turkey outfit, I could sense the electricity in the room.

When it came to the sing-song, I thought all four Sixes sang brilliantly. The highlight for me was the whole school’s unison of the Twelve Days of Christmas, which lasted nearly as long. Well done to the technical twins, Allott and Carroll, for the expert lighting and fiddly screen work. AL

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EVENTS

Cycle Awareness Training On May 10th and 17th , three boys, George Burrell, Rory Davies and Harry Schofield, undertook Shropshire County Council’s ‘Bikeability’ course, leading to certificates at 2 levels. William Bayliss was only available to attend on the 17th but, to his credit, achieved both levels on the one day.

William and George write: “On Sunday, May 10th, we started off with a bike check and then some simple exercises on the bombsite. We learnt how to look, signal, look, life saver look, to turn and to stop safely and about starting on a road.

“On Sunday, May 17th, the weather was not on our side in the morning, so we watched a DVD about cycling. However, the weather did get better and we went out on the road, where we practised right and left turns at a T junction.

“We all really enjoyed it and passed and got our Level 1 and 2 certificates and goodie bags.

We would like to thank Mr Inge for organising it.”

It should be added that the three instructors who came for the two days were hugely impressed by the boys, not only for their

achievement, but also – and to my mind more importantly – for their pleasant, polite and sensible behaviour throughout.

Next year, I hope to offer a one-day course for some younger children to do their Level 1 alone, which will allow for greater numbers to take part. Also there will be the opportunity for those who have their Level 2 to take Level 3, which will require some route planning and an individual evening session.

WGI

Weekend Events and Activities Autumn Term

Clay-pigeon shooting

Simulated game shooting after dusk

New Boarders Treat

Pottery activity

Parent and pupil Golf/Tennis

Equestrian One-day Event

Trip to Blue Planet Aquarium

Cookery

Moor Park Clay-pigeon shooting competition

Trip to National League Hockey

Cycle Awareness Training

Fishing trip

Indoor soccer tournament

Pottery activity

Pottery activity

Cinema trip

Art activity

Cinema trips

Birdwatching

Junior play rehearsal

Ten-pin bowling trip

“Cook your own lunch”

Judo tournament

Trip to Park Hall Countryside Experience

Trip to Uppingham Skills Day

Clay-pigeon competition at Moor Park

Hillwalking trip

Trip to Point-to-Point at Bangor-on-Dee

Hillwalking trip

Trip to Blue Planet Aquarium

Art activities

Trip to the seaside

Indoor soccer tournament

Trip to Anfield

Leadership Training Day (2nd Forms)

Art activities Outdoor pursuits Cookery

Summer Term Garden Plotters’ Sunday Packwood Gymkhana

Spring Term

Cinema trip

Simulated game shooting after dusk

Trip to the Stiperstones

Cookery

Trip to Park Hall Countryside Experience

Fishing trip Visit to Mulberry alpacas Trip to the Blue Planet Aquarium Leavers’ parents matches – Cricket, Rounders, Tennis, Shooting

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Alton Towers On arrival tickets were quickly distributed Tuesday 30th June was one of those hot and excited groups of Packwood children and humid days we experienced towards headed off to face their the end of the term, and Nemesis, some although not a problem for the Strangely my visit slipped into Oblivion time actually spent at Alton Towers it did make for two to the Orangery and and the Katanga Rapids and the Log rather sticky coach journeys, Gardens failed to Flume proved popular particularly the return trip. cooling off points. turn up any of The air conditioning seemed Air was taken in by unable to cope with the Packwood’s finest many of the party! climatic conditions combined The Runaway Mine with the heat generated by Train, Ripsaw, the Ghost Train and the Hex forty three excited top year leavers! The were all checked out by the children in their uncomfortable travelling aside, the day was unrelenting quest to have fun. Strangely my trouble free and greatly enjoyed by all.

visit to the Orangery and Gardens failed to turn up any of Packwood’s finest. Six and a half hours passed quickly and it was to the children’s credit that they all managed to get back to the coach more or less on time and stoically endured the hot trip home.

Alton Towers’ reputation as the finest theme park in the country remains intact.

All the leavers had a marvellous time and thoroughly appreciated one of their final outings before joining the ranks of the Old Packwoodians. IRW

Bangor on Dee Point to Point For several years now we have kindly been given passes by the Anson family for one of the Point to Points staged at Bangor Race Course. This year it was for the event organised by the Flint and Denbigh Hunt, of which Archie Fetherstonhaugh’s mother is a Master. There is never a problem filling a minibus and the day is always well attended

by many others from Packwood as well, along with their parents.

Usually there is particular interest when a parent’s horse is having an outing (two this year) and when there are Packwoodians amongst the jockeys. The weather was unfortunately arctic, though the sun shone through briefly enough to tempt one out,

only to get soaked again by the freezing rain.

Hardy racegoers are used to this sort of weather but this year several of our party sought almost permanent haven in the minibus, including Kacie, our gap student from Australia who couldn’t see any resemblance between this and horse racing ‘back home’. AJR

Birdwatching On a Sunday in the Spring term Mr Herzog took a group to watch birds at Venus pool near Shrewsbury. We kept a list of the different birds seen and had recorded quite a few on the journey. We first went to a large hide overlooking the pool and watched a snipe right in front of the hide. Then we

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scanned the pool with our binoculars and spotted lots of ducks and geese which we identified with books and charts. We used a dead goose to help each other locate the birds (e.g. “Coot, just to the left of the dead goose.”) Another hide had feeders in front of it and we saw some woodland birds like

sparrows, finches, tits and woodpeckers.

In all we saw over forty different species of birds and a McKenna, two Waterhouses, a Davies and a Dorrell. I hope there will be more birdwatching trips next year.

William Dorrell

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Boys’Leavers Trip – North Wales

In a quiet corner of Wales the weekly forecast read “Sunny, with guaranteed soaking”.

Yes it was the time of year again when Merionethshire locals take to their caravans and flee en masse. In fear, not of Idris the dragon from the ‘Ivor the Engine’ stories, but of the oncoming green and white minibuses that can mean only one thing: The Packwood boys’ leavers trip…

With the loss of only two wing mirrors en route, the minibuses traversed the hills safely arriving beside Llyn Trawsfynydd, a large reservoir. Team building activities were the order of the day, culminating in attempts to turn a pile of rope, logs and barrels into boycarrying rafts. Mr Weston, it must be said, played a blinder and brought deck chairs for the staff to sit and observe from. The boys didn’t disappoint. With all of the scholars, outdoorsmen and sports stars working together, we actually witnessed the construction of the worst and second worst rafts we have ever seen. As expected the rafts broke up the instant they hit the water, and so the ‘race for the flag’, turned into a ‘swim for the flag’. The quote of the day belonged to the instructor, who shouted out “Er boys…could you fetch the barrels back”, as they slowly bobbed away into the distance. Dried and back at the hostel, we refuelled, and went orienteering. The boys in pairs explored the surrounding woods in search of cones. After a very hot and midge filled hour all the boys returned in time for hot chocolate and bed.

viaduct, gorge walking and paintballing.

The gorge walking as always is immensely popular, and a big thank you must again be said to Richie Wyatt from Adrenaline Antics for putting on this activity. This will be the last time we use this company, as from next year they will be known as the Snowdonia Adventure Centre. On Thursday it was our annual trip up Cader Idris. All the boys managed to reach the summit, and the views from the top of the inside of a cloud were excellent. On the way down a quick phone call to the national white-water centre, put us all in a good mood. They confirmed that there would be a ‘release’ for us on Friday. This was the first time in three years that we had been able to raft, and everyone was looking forward to it. The Tryweryn did not disappoint. All the boys really enjoyed the rafting, and many saw it as the highlight of the trip.

fail to deliver anything but fantastic food and accommodation. Talking of saying thank you, I must not forget my team, Peter Erskine, Paul Phillips, Nick Weston and David Wood for all they did to make this a great week. Oh, and of course John from school for driving around Shrewsbury to find two wing mirrors to repair the minibuses. I won’t tell you who the two drivers were who broke the wing mirrors, I will let you guess. By the way, it wasn’t me. SAR

Finally a big thank you must be said once more to Kings Youth hostel. Guy and his team never

The next two days were filled with rock climbing at Barmouth, abseiling at a nearby Page 29

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Bolton Lads’ and Girls’ Club Perhaps an unusual trip but the connection is Mr Lees-Jones, father of Louis, who very kindly invited 1 Class and their form teacher out for the day.

The first stop was the J W Lees brewery in Manchester, owned by the Lees-Jones family, where they have been making beer since 1828.

We had a friendly reception by the family and a fascinating tour of the brewery, with goody bags for all at the end. Then off to the Bolton Lads’ and Girls’ Club, which Mr Lees-Jones had helped to set up. 1 Class were treated to a session on the climbing wall, which they all enjoyed

immensely, but more impressive was the club itself which catered for hundreds of girls and boys in the local area, and was an inspiration.

Then to end the day we were treated to wonderful fish and chips in one of the brewery’s many associated pubs. Many thanks to Mr Lees-Jones, his mother, family and colleagues for giving us such a great day. And the barrel of beer I was able to take back to the staffroom made me the most popular member of staff for…well… the most popular member of staff until it was finished. PAE

Chester - Classics Trip city chanting ‘sin, dec, sin, dec’ (sinister, dexter – left, right – in case you are unsure) but the replica armour was too small and, while Toby Harvey-Scholes had been dressed up earlier in the day in a scaled down metal set, for most the experience of wearing light plastic would not have been very realistic.

Disappointment all round? Not at ...the Romans’ approach all! Our friendly Roman soldier to toilet paper was more was all too happy to have one hygienic than modern then another wear his helmet or methods with anticarry his shield – and the children were usually very happy to pass bacterial soap! them on!

It’s not all work in the Classics department at Packwood – or at least it doesn’t feel like it when you are outside in the fresh air of Chester’s Roman garden being shown how to use a sponge in a communal Roman toilet!

1Class had found the morning of May 14th a little dry, I suspect, looking for detailed evidence of the Roman occupation of Britannia on tombstones and stone altars in the Grosvenor Museum, but the afternoon was a completely different story. There were some who would have liked to dress up as Roman soldiers and march around the

No doubt each will have his or her own favourite memories of the day.

For me there are a couple: Josie Mason, apparently demonstrating the feistiness that put the Romans off British women; and Patrick Chambers, reeling backwards as the shared sponge was thrust in his face! He needn’t have worried: apparently the Romans’ approach to toilet paper was more hygienic than modern methods with antibacterial soap!

I think we all learned a lot from the trip and it will certainly be one to repeat in future years. I am very grateful to the kitchens, our driver Anson Austin and our gap student Kacie for their parts in making the day a success WGI

Derby Mosque and Hindu Temple On Tuesday, 12th May all Form 4 went to Derby where we visited a Hindu temple and an Islamic mosque.

The Hindu temple was a very welcoming, wonderfully bright place with wide open doors and lots of red and gold decorations. There were golden bells to waken the gods and richly clothed statues of the deities on a raised marble platform. There was a bright white canopy over the stage and a red carpet leading up to it to make visitors to the temple feel important, like a celebrity. We were allowed to take a close look at all the deities – the statues had such amazing detail that they looked nearly real. At the end of our time at the temple we were given sweets.

We had to put our right hand over our left hand to receive them.

After leaving the temple we walked to the Muslim mosque. On the outside the mosque looked like a foreign palace. At first it seemed very big, maybe even a little too big. Before we went in we were told to put up our hoods so that our heads were covered. When we got inside I thought is was quite a lot darker than the Hindu temple and not as decorative but the mosque was cooler and calmer. I was quite surprised that they needed 600 prayer mats.

Finally we finished off with a Hindu wedding ceremony. Fergus David and Harriet Bibby got married and most of us dressed up. We all had a red dot or line painted on our foreheads and then we did some dancing.

It was a fun day and we all really enjoyed it. Jacob Rand Page 30

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The Lion,TheWitch and TheWardrobe On 4th December all of Form 4 went to Birmingham to watch ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’. When the lights went down, everything was silent and dark.

At the beginning four children called Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy were coming to the country on a train because the town was being bombed. They went to live in a big house with a professor and when they were exploring, Lucy went into a wardrobe and it

went on and on. She found that she was in another land called Narnia and she met a fawn called Mr Tumnus.

amazing. Then the children fought against the witch and they became princes and princesses.

Lucy went back through the wardrobe to fetch the others and they found out about a lion called Aslan. When Aslan came on his costume was really good, he actually looked like a lion. Aslan was put on a stone table and the white witch tried to kill him. After that the stone table cracked and it looked pretty

The stage could move and revolve to change the set, and some parts of it must have been on wheels. It was a great show, even though some parts were a bit scary. We also liked the interval because we got ice-creams.

Ella Downey and Jack Ashworth (4L)

French trip to Normandy

The 51 pupils and the five members of staff set off early to Portsmouth where they were to take the ferry to Caen. The crossing went pretty fast thanks to some activities organised on board. The boys and girls demonstrated their singing and dancing talents. Z Midwinter displayed some fine moves, which astonished everybody. After a few games on the PSP, the group finally arrived in France. Once at the Château des Forges, they were welcomed by Martin, the activity organiser, with a bowl of chocolate and some lovely ‘madeleines’.

After a well-deserved rest, the group got up in a bright mood. They were served a typical French breakfast with ‘tartines, beurre et confiture’. The programme for the day included a visit to the town of Bayeux and its famous Tapestry which is a 50 cm by 70 m long embroidered cloth illustrating the events leading up to the 1066 Norman invasion of England and the invasion itself. The pupils were very impressed indeed. In the afternoon, the group made its way to Arromanches, only 10 km away, to watch a film called ‘The Price of Freedom’ in the 360° cinema overlooking Gold Beach (one of the DDay beaches). After the show, the group made its way to the very interesting D-Day museum and went for a walk along the beach.

Tuesday was probably the day the pupils enjoyed most as they did some shopping in a typical market in a small town called Villedieu les Poêles. Not only did they have to speak French to communicate with the different salespeople but they also had a competition to buy the tackiest present they could find. This was very difficult to judge but in the end, Theo Price’s group came up with a pink plastic racket attached to an inflatable balloon!

Instead of picking a prize carefully selected by Mr Erskine, the boys decided that they’d rather have a big punnet of French fries. We were in France after all, so why not?

Furthermore, I was most impressed with Alex Lye’s choice of souvenir purchased at the market. He chose neither a few postcards, nor a flimsy pair of sunglasses but bought himself a pound of local cheese: what a gourmet.

A visit to le Mont St Michel, entirely in French, was organised in the afternoon. The view from the top was absolutely stunning as was the interior of the Abbey. The most memorable moment of the day was probably the way back down to the coach as the boys and girls treated themselves to a great number of sweet delicacies: ice creams, Nutella pancakes as well as waffles and soft drinks galore. This was not exactly healthy but very comforting indeed.

Wednesday brought the group to Caen, the capital of Normandy. We visited the very impressive Caen Memorial museum and the American cemetery in Coleville sur Mer, just above Omaha beach. The cemetery site, at the north end of its ½ mile access road, covers 172½ acres and contains the graves of 9,387 military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations.

Thursday, the final day, was based on activities at Le Château de la Baudonnière, a few miles away from our accommodation.

The boys and girls took turns in baking bread and orienteering. Our last evening meal was most impressive and included a surprise: snails were served to all! They are a bit like Marmite, you either love them or hate them (I can proudly say that I am not a big fan) but they were a big hit with most.

This little trip to Normandy was superb in many ways. Not only did it allow the pupils to speak and listen to the French language but also to experience a culture they are not familiar with, bringing language learning to life. We cannot wait for the next one. JN

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Girls Leavers’ Trip to Pembrokeshire It has always been a great privilege to take the girl leavers on their trip to Pwll Deri; it gives me an opportunity to see them in a relaxed out-of-school environment, and they never fail to impress me with their camaraderie and good humour. This year’s group was no exception. From the moment we set off, I could sense that it was going to be an enjoyable week, for them and for us. Busy and tiring certainly, but lots of fun too.

As usual, we stopped at Dolaucothi Goldmine on the way to Pembrokeshire. We had an underground tour (rather scary for one of the group!) and tried our hand at panning for gold. Then it was on to Fishguard and the narrow lanes that lead to the Youth Hostel at Pwll Deri. Its setting on the clifftop is magnificent, and the sun was shining as we arrived, making the views truly spectacular.

There had been a major refurbishment since our last visit, so that all rooms now have en

suite facilities and the downstairs has been completely modernised and remodelled.

That evening we all went on walks along the coastal path and later made our way onto a promontory, from where there are magnificent views of the hostel and the coastline. The next morning we were soon off to St David’s (did I ever mention that it is Britain’s smallest city?) and then down to St Justinian’s lifeboat station to meet up with our boat for a trip around Ramsey Island. We saw lots of different seabirds and lots of seals too, and went into several caves (rather scary, for someone different this time); and then after a very fast ride out to the North Bishops, we were lucky enough to see several puffins.

On the way back, the skipper threw the boat about and the screaming from the girls was deafening!

We had a barbecue that evening on the hostel terrace in bright sunshine, little realising that the next morning we would wake up to high winds and torrential rain. After a quick

rearrangement of our timetable, we headed off to Haverfordwest for some indoor gokarting, and after some exciting races, it was Ella Edwards who triumphed. We were due to go horse-riding at 4 pm and thankfully the rain stopped at about three o’clock. It was a great ride and as always the highlight was cantering (or trotting) on the huge beach at Druidston Haven. On the way home we stopped for delicious fish and chips at Letterston - highly recommended!

The following day was rather dull and overcast but we still went to the beach at Newgale for a few hours. There was a good standard of sand-sculpture, with Ines Sanguino emerging as the winner, and most of the girls ventured into the chilly water for a swim (more screaming!). An early return to Pwll Deri meant extra rehearsal time for the talent show, and we were entertained by some fine performances including the winning song from Bella Shanagher and Ella Edwards.

So, all in all, it was a great trip. Many thanks to Mrs Jones for helping to make it such a success and for providing us all with such delicious meals and picnics! HB

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Hack Green Nuclear Bunker As the school bus pulled up to the bunker we noticed the old police checkpoint at the front.

After being allowed in the woman at the counter gave us the spy mouse trail map as we went into the rooms. They were amazing

- full of interesting objects and technical equipment and even fire suits worn to put out explosions. Then we went into a room where the first ever computers were kept; they would have had a black screen and dark

green writing. My favourite room was the medical room. I would like to say thank you to Miss Wilkinson and Mrs Parry for a great afternoon. George Burrell

This year the hill walking club only managed one outing. This was another new route up Moel Siabod, a mountain close to Capel Curig. The route began at Plas Y Brenin, the national mountaineering centre, and progressed through a lovely forest, to the slopes of the mountain itself. The weather was kind to us for most of the trip, and our steady walk up the gentle gradient eventually took us to the summit. The wind and cloud had picked up, and so several layers were

quickly put on to keep us warm whilst we ate our lunch. The cloud did break for a short time and we had some lovely views across the valley to Snowdon. An uneventful meander back down the mountain brought us back to the minibus, and a welcome drink and doughnut. This is a lovely mountain with a couple of good routes up it. Hopefully we will go back there soon and try one of the others. SAR

Hill Walking

Lady Lever Gallery On Monday January 12th James Thorn , Henry Don, Olivia Annan, Emelia Lavender, Peregrine Beckett, Gus Langford, Freddie Thomson, Bella Shanagher and Josie Mason visited the Lady Lever Art Gallery and Museum at Port Sunlight not far from Liverpool. They were accompanied by Matron Caron (who came along to help and as a photographer) and myself (guide, minibus driver).

We arrived at Port Sunlight at about 10.30 am and were immediately impressed by the unusual Gallery and its surroundings. The neoclassical style gallery was built by Lord Leverhulme in the 19th century as a dedication to his wife, hence the name. The Lord was a wealthy industrialist and philanthropist who made his fortune manufacturing Sunlight Soap. He named the village that he had generously built for his workers after it. The children were intrigued by the various styles of architecture and wide, tree lined avenues.

I explained that this eclectic style was quite common in Victorian times, and Leverhulme only wanted the best for his workers; good housing, a good school, a library and of course an art gallery.

Inside the Gallery were many paintings and

sculptures by lots of well known 19th century and early 20th century artists. There were also examples of valuable furniture, porcelain, tapestries and even some Roman and ancient Egyptian objects. The most popular movement of that era, the Pre Raphaelites, was well represented by some amazingly detailed and colourful paintings by Sir J E Millais, William Holman-Hunt, Rossetti and Burne-Jones. Out of these, the Millais painting entitled ‘Spring (apple blossoms)’ proved to be one of the most popular with the children and numerous sketches were made to be taken back to Packwood. As one of the curators explained, the painting of some girls sitting having a picnic in an orchard in the spring is a symbol of the intransigence of youth and beauty.

Having done a lot more sketching and investigating of the art, we visited the shop for some postcards. Then we set off back to Packwood full of inspiration and admiration for the vision of the artists and of the patron who helped them to succeed in that part of our history and culture. PRD

London Question: If you live in Shropshire, how much can you pack into a day in London? Answer: Join the 1 Class annual expedition in May and find out. We managed to visit the Greek and Egyptian sections of the British Museum, the Tudor section of The National Portrait Gallery, the Impressionists and others in The National Gallery, the Churchill War Rooms under Whitehall. And they all bought souvenirs, had two ice-creams and a drink each, sat on the cast iron lions in Trafalgar Square, ate gigantic burgers, and went to a free lunchtime concert in the newly restored St Martin-in-the-Fields.

There was still time to buy more sweets in Euston Station. And one of the keys to the success of this day is that there is not a clipboard in sight; the death of school trips, those. PAE Page 33

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Ski Trip – Saas Fee, Switzerland particularly impressive fall, or indeed for those who managed anything that was decidedly daft, there was the consolation of a ‘Fool on the Hill’ nomination each evening.

For some hair-raising crashes, James ‘Kamikaze’ Thorn was nominated several times, as was George Fowler, who developed the unfortunate habit of using anyone’s skis and poles other than his own...

But despite these hiccoughs, the children nevertheless made terrific progress on skis, and all negotiated the end-of-the-week slalom race with some style. Group winners were Henry Young, Roly Hancock, Tara Beasley, William Dodson-Wells, Alex Walker and Brooke Lovegrove-Fielden. Brooke was the fastest overall, pipping Charlie Clarke by just 0.06 seconds!

I have been involved with prep school ski trips for 25 years now, to resorts such as Courchevel 1850, Courmayeur, Arosa and La Plagne, and I can say without hesitation that, for school trips, Saas Fee is the best destination of any of these by some margin.

It combines excellent snow conditions (1800m-3500m), skiing to the door, a safe (traffic-free) resort, well-manicured pistes, ski runs for all standards, and a ski school that provides the children with good instruction and great fun (see the presentation photos at www.eskimos.ch/en/image/tid/110).

And this year’s trip was surely one of the best – blue skies, fresh snow, and a terrific group of pupils and parents. The presence of parents on Packwood ski trips raises an eyebrow or

two at some prep schools, but I have always found the Packwood parents to be great assets to the trip and tremendous company. Indeed, whilst unaccompanied children are certainly welcome, the flavour is very much of a family holiday. One mother, Karen LovegroveFielden, always ready to help out, deserves special mention having been on more Packwood ski trips than I have!

I was also blessed with an energetic and wholly reliable staff team (Paul Phillips, Matron Jess and Matron Zoe) who did most of the work and enabled me to sit back and enjoy myself – thank you!

As ever, the children threw themselves headlong (words chosen carefully) into the skiing. For those who managed a

Après-ski entertainment included swimming in the hotel pool, tobogganing, treasure hunt, countless party games, and the infamous feeblitz bob sleigh (see the movie at http://www.feeblitz.ch/livefahrt/). Murray Robinson-Boulton took particular pleasure in petrifying his feeblitz passengers (including the headmaster...) by refusing to brake on even the sharpest corners!

The week ended with the traditional and very improvised fancy-dress, the traditional and very light-hearted prize-giving, the traditional and very raucous rendition of ‘The Twelve Days of Ski School’, and the traditional and very sleepy ‘crack of dawn’ departure on the final morning. It was a truly great week and my thanks again to all the Packwood pupils, parents, and staff who helped make it so.

NTW

Manchester Jewish Museum I was expecting to see quite an old fashioned building so I was surprised to see that the synagogue was modern and Spanishlooking. The synagogue was also much bigger than I was anticipating. It was in a very Jewish part of Manchester. We were fortunate to be able to go to the synagogue on the Jewish Festival of Purim. We saw many people dressed up in brightly coloured costumes. The Jewish festival of Purim is all about the story of Esther. The synagogue

was beautifully decorated with Spanish patterns and shapes everywhere.

interesting facts about Jewish people at the time of World War II.

The inside of the synagogue was ornately decorated, particularly the Holy Ark. This is the special cupboard where the synagogue’s Torah Scrolls are stored. I touched a kippah, a hat which Jewish boys would wear.

My favourite place in the synagogue was definitely the Holy Ark because it was very pretty and colourful. I also enjoyed the Ladies’ Gallery because there were many

I was lucky enough to taste the challah bread which was quite sweet and extremely tasty. The most valuable thing I learned is that Jews need to follow 613 rules. If I was fortunate enough to go again I would take a non-Jewish person because then they would be able to learn all about the Jewish religion here in England. Evie Clutton

at the bigger animals such as shire horses and Shetland ponies, pigs and sheep.

playground. A big, blue tractor came past and we all decided to go for a ride in its trailer.

The last thing we did was to have a go at the Junior Driver School... We all passed and got certificates. It was a great day!

Rosie Shone and Lucy Simpson

Park Hall Miss Wilkinson and Mr Webster took eleven children to Park Hall Countryside Experience for the afternoon. First we walked through the Victorian Exhibition. After that we went to see all the pet animals like rabbits and guinea pigs. We then moved on to looking Page 34

There were also many activities on during the course of the day. These included feeding the lambs, grooming ponies and cuddling pets.

We all played on the big adventure

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Junior Boarders’ Trip to the Seaside Eighteen excited junior boarders, together with a slightly less excited Mr Bourne and Matron Sarah, set off for Aberdovey on one of the warmest Sundays in living memory!

It couldn’t have been a better day. The sun shone from dawn till dusk and everyone had a wonderful time. The highlight of the trip this year was the breaking of a long-standing record by Simon Waterhouse, who managed to do twenty-two roly-polys down the biggest

sand dune before collapsing in a dizzy heap at the bottom!

There weren’t as many crabs or jellyfish this year, but everyone had fun on the beach and most ventured into the sea, some to swim, some to wade and some (like Mr Bourne) to just paddle.

There was the usual heavy consumption of drinks and ice-creams and we all arrived back at school just in time for bed. HB

Science Lecture In an age when science lectures are comparatively rare, 3 Class grabbed the chance to go and learn about energy in Newtown towards the end of the Spring term.

The lecture, promoted by the Royal Society of Chemistry, included a number of demonstrations showing how energy can be changed from one form to another, with plenty of audience participation.

So Milla Harvey- Scholes and Dot Holt showed us that light can be made by mixing two chemicals and Harry Jenkinson and Robert Waterhouse made a battery from two metals. Joe Davies generated

electricity from magnetism and then nearly blinded some of the audience using the energy he had produced. Towards the end of the lecture Charlotte Dixon, Rory Davies and Evie Clutton set fire to different metal salts and produced a most impressive display of coloured lights.

In addition to teaching us quite a lot about energy this lecture reinforced how enjoyable practical science can be. FRH

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Mulberry Alpacas It was a beautiful hot Sunday afternoon and I had filled the paddling pool – not for the group of children visiting Mulberry Alpacas, but for the herd of alpacas we have in Knockin Heath! The animals love to paddle when it gets too hot (needless to say so did the children!)

We began the tour by getting the children to sit down in the field and the curious alpacas slowly came over to find out what we were.

The children ranged from form 6 to form 3 and they had an amazing impact on the animals. Immediately the female alpacas felt at ease with the visitors and there was no sign of distress. So much so that all of the children were able to stroke the soft warm neck and fleece of Bethany, our year old white female.

This is very unusual because alpacas are

timid and feel very vulnerable if touched on their long necks.

Sam Bayliss had a very calming impact on our three week old cria (baby), Crispus. Sam has been the only person to have hand fed him, so far.

We then moved on to see the male alpacas.

They had been penned so that we could put halters on them and the children were able to lead them around the field. This went amazingly smoothly too. I think the animals did not feel threatened and the children were very calm. We were very impressed with our group of Tom Hughes, Sam Bayliss, Thea Holt- Smith, Charlotte Dixon, Amber Gibbins and Olivia Katab. True alpaca handlers of the future I hope! RE

Talagerwyn - Literary Excursion Well, one day it is going to pour with rain when we are high in the Welsh hills at Talagerwyn, but not this year. An enthusiastic bunch of readers this time and they all got on well together which was a good sign for the year ahead. A slight propensity for play fights which would hint at a maturity gap between the boys and girls (well, isn’t there always!). But a super thirtysix hours again with lots of reading done, lots of bacon eaten, another walk in the magical place at the top of the hill, and a good memory to start off their final year at Packwood. No tests, no detention, no watches or clocks; just reading, talking with friends, and Charlie Bibby’s voice. PAE

The Stiperstones If anyone has been walking on The Our curiosity aroused we set off in search Stiperstones they will know that it is a very of adventure - ten ‘ghost detectives’! The unusual and interesting place. Firstly, it weather was excellent and so a good pace was simply looks different. As we drove to the set. Then the first mystery of the afternoon starting point of our walk one Sunday a William Dorrell, stalwart of many walking comment was made from the back of the trips, inexplicably fell to the ground whilst minibus that it seemed walking on flat like we were “in a ground. Could it be Stories abound of witches different country” and Edric, or perhaps and ghosts and when walking his wife Lady that is certainly the feeling you get as you approach Godda – who along the ridge it is not the car park. Secondly, it knows? However, difficult to see why is steeped in history, myth after and legend. Apart from the third such incident the detectives decided the intrepid travellers from Packwood there that William would be better off if he put a have been many other visitors, perhaps the double-knot in his laces! Within an hour, a most famous of whom being The Devil second mystery as Freddie Houlker himself and then ‘Wild Edric’. Stories abound announced that his packed lunch had all of witches and ghosts and when walking gone! Forensics discovered an excess of along the ridge it is not difficult to see why. crumbs on his T-shirt!

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One genuine conundrum was the discovery of a route marker that had fallen over and so a democratic vote meant that we turned uphill. It was the right decision and the views at the top were spectacular. We stopped for lunch (those of us with any left) close to The Devil’s Chair and soaked up the glories of South Shropshire.

A pleasant downhill stroll to the bus and we set off for Packwood. However, the mysteries had not ended. Why were the road signs saying that Shrewsbury was getting further away? Could there be another spooky tale to tell of how a bus-load of children had been lost forever in Shropshire or was it simply that our navigator, Simon Waterhouse, had fallen fast asleep?! MAF

TRIPS

Twickenham – England v Italy The 1st XV weekend rugby tour in the Spring Term was eagerly anticipated: a match on Friday against Cothill, a match on Sunday against Elstree and a trip to Twickenham in between to see England play Italy. And then it snowed, and it snowed, and the Elstree and Cothill matches were both cancelled. For a team with a short Spring Term fixture list, this was a major disappointment.

Happily, Twickenham remained playable and so that part of the tour, at least, could still go ahead. We set off early on the Saturday morning two minibuses, two Sat Navs, two members of staff, 17 boys, one pair of crutches for the injured Charlie Marques – and despite momentary confusion as the Sat Navs argued with each other, reached Twickenham in good time for a picnic lunch in the car park.

For some of the children, this was their first visit to a major stadium, and their excitement as we entered the vast arena was palpable. If only the match had lived up to their expectations! A quick early try in our corner was a promising start, but thereafter there was a good deal of kicking and England ground out an unconvincing victory. But there were always the Twickenham hot dogs to keep the spirits up, and afterwards the boys enjoyed spending their pocket money on the inevitable mini-rugby balls and replica shirts.

We spent Saturday night at a nearby Premier Inn and enjoyed a very hospitable pub meal that evening. This year’s 1st XV were not only very fine rugby players, but also excellent company; it was a splendid 24 hours, and my thanks to Ian Wood for his help throughout. NTW

Uppingham Skills Day Where else could you go on a Sunday in March and have the opportunity to try your hand at basha building, cycling, ceramics, photography, theatre or a whole range of other intriguing activities?

As usual, Mr Bourne (accompanied by Miss Goulding on this occasion) took a minibus-load of form three boarders to spend a day at Uppingham School in Rutland.

Some spent their day in the Sports Centre, some cycled around Rutland Water, some headed off to the woods to make shelters and cook their own lunch; and others tried their hand at photography, product design, science, golf and acting. Then they all met up in the Buttery (aka the tuck-shop) to purchase supplies for the return journey.

Once again, a good time was had by all! HB

Chirk Castle When we got there a nice lady showed us into the castle. We dressed up, girls were maids, and boys were guards. We made lovely smelling posies and then went to the dungeons. We learnt how to load and fire the castle cannon. The castle toilet was next door it was just a big hole! Next we went to the servants’ hall and made some bread. We had a break for our own lunch. I had chocolate spread sandwiches with an apple and some custard cream biscuits.

After lunch we visited the Long Gallery and looked at all the paintings on the wall. We played with some of the toys that people would have had in the olden days. Then we learnt to dance. The boys had to put their arms out and the girls had to put their hands on top (a bit embarrassing!).

Soon we found that it was time to go home, so we went back to being school girls and boys and went back to school. It had been great fun! Ellie Mason

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Animation This was a new club for me, and one which I thoroughly enjoyed. The idea for the club came after searching on the Internet and finding free resources. I thought I would try them out in a club and see if they would be suitable for class lessons. We started by trying Pivot Stick Animator, which was a great success. It works like an old fashioned

animation where you move your figure, take a snap of it, and move it again, and so on.

When played back you get movement. This was by far the most popular program we tried, and has become extensively used in free time, not only by my group, but by lots of other children as well. We then went on to have a look at more complex programs. These were

Scratch and Alice. They were definitely far more difficult to master and would probably be fine for a structured IT lesson, but for animation club where we only had a couple of weeks on each program, they weren’t a great success. For the coming year I have been asked by a few children to do a club where we will make our own computer games. I will let you know how it goes next year. SAR

Archery

This year the groups were introduced to two different types of shooting – the North American Indian (drawing to the side of the eye) and the traditional English, also Mediterranean, (drawing to under the chin) which is harder to master.

After learning to shoot at a target using both the above styles we moved on to shooting the Wand (50mm post, 1m high at 20m) designed to promote accuracy. Having complained loudly that this was an impossible task, everyone hit it at least once! Joseph Davies hit it three times with three arrows and Paul Sharpe six times altogether. Theo Penney got a hit on his first night. The best wand scores can be seen in the chart below:

Wednesday

The final target competition again produced some fine scores (opposite).

And the Most Improved Archer was Theo Penney. Mr John Rose-Terry

William Minshall 45 + 1 gold Loris Pattinson 36 + 1 gold Edward Carroll 33 Patrick Haszard 27

Thursday

Group 1

Joseph Davies

3 hits, 2 touches

Group 2

Patrick Haszard

2 hits

Group 3

Paul Sharpe William Dorrell

Group 4

We spent one night shooting Robinson's Leg (distance 60m) much to the delight of the pupils. This was one of the original 16th century Finsbury Marks in North London. Robinson was an old sea captain whose wooden leg got stuck in mud and a member of the Mark shot it. This time Henry Don got nearest Leo Sartain 82 + 5 gold with two arrows. The pupils also got William Dorrell 78 + 3 gold the chance to try a real antique Joseph Davies 55 longbow which they loved.

James London

Group 1

6 hits, 9 touches 4 hits, 4 touches

Ali Davies Roly Hancock Scott Walker

1 hit, 1 touch 1 hit, 1 touch 1 hit, 1 touch

Group 2

Leo Sartain

2 hits

2 hits, 3 touches

Group 3

Edward Carroll

2 hits, 3 touches

Badminton In the first term we had a mixture of children, some of whom were very competent badminton players and some who had never held a racquet before. The pupils were taught the basic rules and techniques and then were able to organise their own doubles games or practise their strokes with me. At the end of the term the group had made very good progress and the beginners were able to keep a rally going.

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In the second term the pupils were generally older and more experienced so after a few weeks we were able to organise a tournament which proved very popular. Unfortunately we ran out of time and were not able to complete it. At the close of play, however, Freddie Fielding, Guy Morris, Florence Wade-Smith and Ollie Clarke had accumulated the most points. An entertaining and constructive time was had by all. EAC

C L U B S & AC T I V I T I E S

Ballet Ballet classes have now been taking place since the beginning of September 2008 and children from The Acorns have been progressing wonderfully well. Anna Cowan, Kezzie Hutchings, Isabel Morris, Zephia Barlow-Evans, and Olivia Moir all enjoyed learning basic ballet technique, following Royal Academy of Dancing syllabi. In the spring Eliza Blackham and Poppy Stephens joined us and have both made great strides forward.

The year began with a senior class including Olivia Annan, Nicole Ashall, Ianthe Bathurst, Laura Cooke, Ana Garcia, Kinvara Gladstone, Tansie Massey, Ines Sanguino and Lucy Simpson. The girls were hugely enthusiastic and made good progress, particularly in their

improvisation and interpretation of Coppelia.

Ana and Ines, who both have a beautiful line, have promised to continue to take classes on their return to Spain!

Coppelia and Sleeping Beauty, and have read about various dancers, choreographers, and composers.

Sadly, it was not possible to continue with this class in the spring and it was replaced with a group of younger girls including Beth Cooper, India Holt, Jessie Hunt, Annie Livermore and Alice Shone, all of whom have shown immense enthusiasm and whose technique has developed beyond recognition in this short space of time!

Towards the end of each class the children dance a section from the relevant ballet using the ballet music, or they choreograph their own piece using ballet music of their choice.

All the girls have developed their ability to perform and present to an audience wonderfully well, taking turns to wear the tutus which, unsurprisingly, seem to add that touch of magic!

At the beginning of each class we learn a little about the history of dance and everything to do with it. We have accordingly learned the stories of the ballets Swan Lake, Giselle,

Ianthe Bathurst and Nicole Ashall have been coming to my private classes at Adcote School this term and have both made excellent progress. Mrs Annie Moody

Ballroom Dancing

Ballroom dancing lessons were held in the Autumn Term by Miss Willis and Mrs Davies with some extra help from Mrs Brown and Gill Welsby. Every Thursday evening the majority of the 1s and 2s took the chance to learn lots of different types of dances, some ballroom style and some Latin American.

Basketball If it wasn’t for the established sports at Packwood, I believe that basketball could really take off at the school for boys and girls. We have facilities now that are the envy of most prep schools and the basketball club has certainly benefitted from the superb new sports hall facility. Most of the players came from Forms 6, 5, 4 and 3 so the club had a range of abilities from beginners to children who had played for some time.

We continued to develop general ball skills, passing, dribbling, shooting, pivoting and the lay up. At the end of each session the

We learned the steps to lots of dances including the Tango, the Waltz, the Quickstep, the Cha-cha and the Jive which was a particular favourite. We also learned two line dances and some barn dances including the Saint Bernard’s Waltz. Our skills and hours of practice were then put to the test at the end of term with the Packwood Ball.

Josie Mason, Josie Hall and Ana Garcia

children put their basketball skills to use in various small-sided games. We played many different games such as bench ball, keeping possession, half court and full court matches and the standard of play improved significantly. We also looked at tactical aspects of team play such as setting up a zone defence to try and limit shooting opportunities. The Open Day at Packwood certainly showcased the dribbling and lay up skills of Keishi Oyama, Charlie Cooke, Daishi Suzuki and Barnaby Preece who impressed in both practice and game situations. PJP

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Bridge Club The Bridge Club formed in the Autumn Term, with George Burrell, Archie Fetherstonhaugh, Jake Samuel and Leo Sartain – an ideal number! We met on Thursday evenings and had great fun, learning the basics of pairs play and bidding, throwing in the odd game of Whist or Sevens as the mood took us at the end of the session.

In the spring, Joseph Davies and William Dorrell replaced Jake and Leo and we were joined by Mr Mike Amos, the local representative of the EBU. Mike was a huge help, bringing with him prepared hands and teaching us all a great deal about bidding –

points for game, the meaning of the opening ‘1 No Trump’ bid, how to respond to opening bids when holding so many points, and so on. As a relative beginner myself, I found his contribution invaluable and I know the children very much enjoyed their meetings in the Library.

We look forward now to the autumn when we can begin again, this time, however, with Mr Amos onside from the start. Those who take part will be sure to learn a great deal about a game which is both challenging and enjoyable, providing great opportunities for building new friendships later on in life. WGI

Canoe Club This year canoe club saw an international presence, with two Spanish boys staying with the club throughout the term. Both were very confident, and showed a very good level of skill. In the end one of the boys, Carlos, managed to learn to Eskimo roll. I have had one other boy who learnt to do this; however, he only ever managed it once, whereas Carlos could do it every time. The other boys in the group all attempted rolling too, with varying degrees of success! They all had a good time in the process. We also had a go at self rescue, using the Trescue technique, as well as using a rope to rescue someone who had fallen out of their boat. SAR

Chess Club Senior Club It has been good to see new talent blossoming in the senior chess club this year. William Bayliss, Robert Waterhouse, Freddie Perkins, George Burrell, Oliver Williams-Bulkeley and Fergus Connolly soon mastered the art of placing the queen on her own colour, of not losing in four moves, of discovered (and occasionally undiscovered) checks, of king’s pawn openings, of queen’s pawn openings, of ‘let’s-see-ifthis-works’ openings, of cunning castling...and (most challenging for many) of finishing off an opponent in less than two hundred moves.

Junior Club Archie Waterworth, Clement Rye, Ali Davies, Sam Bayliss and Edward Stubbs deserve a mention for their keenness. DR

Meanwhile, Yutaro Sato, William Minshall, William Dorrell and James London – all more experienced players – continued to fight hard for the top spot in the annual chess league. Although William Minshall notched up an unexpected victory over James London (one of the highlights, he says, of his Packwood career!), once again it was James and William Dorrell who proved the toughest of opponents.

One of their matches was something of a marathon as neither wanted to offer a draw, but eventually it was William who come out on top and thus topped the chess league once again. But James was a very worthy second, and my thanks to him, as he moves on to his senior school, for his loyalty and commitment to the Packwood chess club for the past three years. NTW

Clay Pigeon Shooting Clay Pigeon shooting remains a popular activity at Packwood.

It takes place on occasional Sundays and whenever time permits elsewhere in the week. The highlight of our season was the annual tournament at Moor Park. We entered a team of five boys: Patrick Anson, Rafael de Vargas, Charlie Bibby, Charlie Clarke and William Page 40

Dodson-Wells and they did us proud. They beat Abberley Hall into third place and only just missed out on the top spot to our hosts.

Through no fault of anyone there simply was not time to cram in the Sixes Competition at the end of the summer term. It will be held instead in the coming September. NRJ

C L U B S & AC T I V I T I E S

Cookery

Once again the food technology room has received heavy use. It is a facility mainly used by me but I am always delighted when other members of staff take children in for lessons.

Nigella Cumpston and Delia Brown are regular visitors so with cookery being as popular as it is, it’s great to see so many children wearing aprons.

Besides the usual procession of sponge cakes, toffee and other old favourites, we have become more adventurous and tried our hand at jams, chutneys and marmalades.

The bulk of these were then sold on at the first ever Packwood Christmas Fair. I was both pleased and proud to be able to hand over a cheque to the Bursar for £150. We are even more excited about next year’s fair when the vegetable garden will also be able to chip in with some valuable ingredients for further bottled preserves.

Next year we will begin to use our new cheese making equipment. Sadly James Thorn, perhaps my most enthusiastic trainee cook will not be around to advise! However there are plenty of apprentices waiting in the wings, numbered amongst these is George Burrell whose chocolate muffins with hand made chocolate rose leaves would warm the heart of Jane Asher. JJ

Cookie Club Cookie Club took place on a Friday evening with pupils from Form 1.

Everyone in the group, including myself, was a chocolate lover so most of the recipes we used had some chocolate in them. Indeed, sometimes even when the list of ingredients didn’t include chocolate we added some for good measure! We made such things as chocolate brownies, chocolate crispies, Swiss rolls, and pancakes in the lead

up to Shrove Tuesday - lemon and sugar were provided but, unsurprisingly, Nutella was the favourite accompaniment. The pupils went away with a bag of freshly baked treats after each session, only to be swooped upon by their friends who had been hovering nearby and were keen for some extra food. EAC

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Creative Club As the artist Pablo Picasso once said, “I don’t seek, I find.” The creative club had a lot of fun finding art in unexpected places and using unusual methods. We began with doodle art when, as Paul Klee once did, we took a line for a ‘walk’. The children then looked for and (mostly) found an image in their meanderings; a cockerel, a sunflower, two buildings, a dragon’s nest. After this they used graphite to shade it in a variety of ways so that some of the found images were more amazing because they were so unexpected.

On the theme of mark making and colour we used old sponges, edges of cardboard, crumpled -up rags, and many other scrap materials to dip in inks and invent a whole vocabulary of marks - dashes, dots, squiggles etc. Again the children had to find an image in their creations, and Olivia Katab developed her picture into a super dinosaur, Beth Cooper a dream landscape with bubbles, and there were many others.

Obviously imagination is essential for this kind of activity, but simply experimenting with the tools and the materials can act as a key to unlock some of the children’s inner vision. Sometimes this can be held back by self-consciousness or a preconceived idea of what art should be.

using pens, ‘quills’ were made from splints and card and cocktail sticks.Once the children are too old to attend the junior activities I hope that the spirit of creativity will stay with them whether they are writing, making art or a hundred other things that would all benefit from an adventurous attitude. PRD

As the year went by the preciousness went out of the window and imaginative, wellcrafted, fun art began to be created everywhere. 3D art was made using all sorts of scrap and recycled materials and some of these were developed into puppets. Calligraphy was the subject of one session but, instead of

Croquet Croquet continues to grow in popularity at Packwood, and this year a record number of children and staff entered the annual competition.

Forty pairs began the contest, but by the last Friday of term only four remained. In the first semi-final, William Waterworth and Elliot Robinson-Boulton faced Charlie Marques and his brother Thomas.

William set off at great pace, going through three hoops on his first turn; but the Marques brothers kept together and were the eventual winners. Then came Charlie Clarke and Charlie Beckett against Oliver Brown and Rufus Holt. Both pairs were tactically aware and a close match ensued, but in the end it was the pairing of Brown and Holt which went through to the final.

The final itself was a classic. A growing crowd of spectators marvelled at some wonderful shots and some clever tactics. Eventually, all four players were on the last hoop, and it was Marques and Marques who finally won the day. Fine winners of a well-contested competition. HB

Current Affairs Very few educators could claim that an interest in current affairs, even if it is fairly minimal, is crucial in the all-round education of a child. On this premise the current affairs club continued for another year, or at least term, thereby doubling its time in existence. Due to it taking place on a particularly busy night for Packwood children only three children could regularly attend. However, they were an impressive collection of avid thinkers and news coverage ranged from the obvious - credit crunch, banks collapsing and all round doom and gloom; the predictable - the latest sporting news and entertainment gossip; to the thoroughly bizarre - far too many to mention. It is a sign of how popular this club is with its members’ peers that when a collection of weekly news on paper is not published immediately many children protest. Maybe next year there will be more than three …. But well done to William Dorrell, William Bayliss and the soon to be sorely missed Alex Walker. DR

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Debating

We followed the usual pattern this year of one balloon debate (an examination of the art of role-play, almost of acting) and one ‘motion’ debate (where the more traditional powers of argument are put to the test).

The five balloonists in the first debate were: • Piglet

Emelia Lavender

• Stephen Hawking

William Dorrell

• Amy Winehouse

Rada Kathuria

• Dumbledore

Edward Carroll

• Nanny McPhee

Charlotte Greenway

Summing up, William Dorrell was probably the more cogent of the two finalists, reminding us that Amy Winehouse had not just made one mistake, but that she kept on and on making them. Rada Kathuria had pulled too far ahead, however, with her excellent first speech which had won over the sympathy of so many, and she proved the victor in the final ballot by 70 votes to 50.

In the Spring Term we debated the motion ‘A woman’s place is in the home’. With boys outnumbering girls at Packwood we may have expected a comfortable victory for the ‘ayes’, but perhaps we have moved on from those sexist views? Has modern society espoused a ‘fairer’ brand of equality? At any rate this was a rousing and hugely enjoyable debate.

All five graced their speeches with a theme which they considered vital for human survival. Piglet presented herself as a true friend, and as an exponent of the ‘small but essential’; Hawking explained how he had made the best of his disability and provided William Dorrell was outstanding in his plea vital scientific knowledge; Winehouse for women to be proud of their home-making agreed that she had strayed, but clamoured talents, to rejoice in their age-old role as the that, like all of us, she nurturers of future deserved a second generations, to use their It was clear from the speeches chance; Dumbledore, organisational skills to from the floor that Winehouse’s the wise one, pointed run the home and the out that no leader was ‘second chance’ theme had struck family. Being a typical, truly great unless he a chord in many and she had disorganised male, he was wise; McPhee clearly established herself as a had even mislaid his instilled the discipline favourite. speech three times so vital for us in life. during the run-up to the debate whereas girls, who had beautifully It was clear from the speeches from the floor organised pencil cases, were ideally placed to that Winehouse’s ‘second chance’ theme marshal the family. Olivia Wade-Smith had struck a chord in many and she had supported him, suggesting that the mother clearly established herself as a favourite. In was the gentler influence who could relate the final she was matched against Hawking, more closely to her children and William who had also spoken well in favour of an underdog dealt a cruel blow by fate, and who Allott told the story of Mary Poppins - the role of this nanny was to make the mother realise had earned second place in the first ballot. the vital importance of her home input.

Emelia Lavender was also very persuasive, particularly in her plea for equality and fairness. How could it possibly be fair to deny women the right to strive for the same professional status as men? After all they are no less able, one assumes. By working, a woman could double the income of a family without making children feel any less loved or cared for. William Barlow pointed to the huge success of Margaret Thatcher (‘Was she a typical woman?’ someone later, cynically, asked) and Florence Nightingale in their very different roles, while Laura Cooke told a story about Lisa, brilliant at school, but condemned to a life of ceaseless drudgery both as housewife and then as a spoiling mother.

The debate was restricted to those from the 2s and below. Some of the early speeches from the floor were a little giggle-ridden, but the session warmed up nicely, with some authoritative efforts from Korn Pithayanukul, Barney Preece, Ed Stanton, Olivia Annan, Ed Carroll, Stamos Fearnall and Oli Tennant.

Comment of the night went to one wag who blamed his nanny for taking so little care of him that he fell out of bed, bumping his head.

“That’s why I ended up in the lower stream at Packwood!”

Summing up is a difficult skill for children of this age. Both leading speakers made bold efforts, with Emelia (being a girl!) perhaps the better organised of the two, redressing the balance after lagging slightly behind her opponent in the opening salvos. When it came to the vote, the result was a narrow defeat for the motion, by 47 votes to 43. OJL

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Explorers and Collectors Our intrepid gang once again took to the grounds of Packwood this summer, searching out a range of unusual and/or interesting things.

One Thursday afternoon, a squirrel’s skull (or maybe it was a rabbit’s) took pride of place – perhaps it still does on Ned Warburton-Lee’s bedroom windowsill. On another day it was the mayfly that thought Oliver Williams-Bulkeley was a reed and would have the chance to enjoy probably gone with him the space and discover wherever he wished. I was particularly impressed by more about their the knowledge of the natural world those two boys environment especially demonstrated, but one should not forget the others, who simply took the chance to enjoy the space and discover more about their environment, something it is all too easy to take for granted. WGI

Film Club Some of the old favourites again, but a larger and even more enthusiastic audience this year. So we started with 'The Hand that Rocks the Cradle' which makes some of them scream, but they are all happy and

cheering by the end. And the other films were 'Legends of the Fall', 'Innocent Voices', 'The Kite Runner', 'The Blues Brothers', 'Little Voice' and 'I’m Not Scared'. If you know those films you will know, I hope,

that they will have presented the children with a variety of experiences, and characters, and ideas. All very good for them, thoughtprovoking and good fun. PAE

First Aid Watch out matrons! There are First Aiders aplenty in Packwood. Break your leg? A splint is no problem. Break a nose? Well, ask the First Aiders!

This has been yet another great year for all who have attended the weekly club that sees our pupils swathed in St John’s Ambulance bandages discussing a multitude of health issues. This year again all our courageous volunteers passed their Junior Certificates, Parts 1 and 2.

The annual Regional First Aid competitions were held during our half-term holiday and so we were not able to compete – luckily for the other competitors!

First Aiders: William Bayliss, George Burrell, Joseph Davies, Stamos Fearnall, Archie Fetherstonhaugh, Thomas Marques, Leo Sartain, Harrison Steeple, Edward Stubbs and Oliver Williams-Bulkeley. JL

Fishing and Fly Tying This year’s fly tying club contained the usual mix of beginners and those with some experience. After a couple of sessions everyone was able to tie a basic fly and we were able to become a bit more adventurous.

One of the things I have noticed about fly tying is that people very quickly develop their own style and favourite type of fly. Jake Samuel for example produced a series of Page 44

small and very neatly tied flies whereas James Thorn’s efforts were altogether more flamboyant and Patrick Anson developed a new type of fly which came undone almost as soon as it was finished. (Actually this isn’t new at all - I have tied quite a few of them myself in the past). Once again children had a number of opportunities to fish this year with two visits to Chirk and the school pond being

stocked as usual. On both the Chirk trips fish proved difficult to catch but plenty were seen in the clear water and some were risen and hooked, even if getting them onto the bank turned out to be stretching our skills a bit too far. James Thorn again spent a huge amount of time at the pond and he and a few others managed to extract a number of unlucky rainbows from its weedy depths. FRH

C L U B S & AC T I V I T I E S

Gardening

This year the gardens have been as popular as ever and even more colourful with a profusion of summer flowers on display.

During the Spring, Geoff our school gardener kindly revamped the gardens and provided us with seventeen ‘raised beds’ which has made the garden space much easier to organise, with a better look and has solved the perennial problem of ‘border infringement’!

There has also been a new water butt provided just opposite the gate which has been a boon to the gardeners and a very ecofriendly solution to the problem encountered each year with keeping ‘the tank’ filled.

As usual the gardens have been the site of much productive activity and in keeping with the current trend for ‘growing your own’ lots of herbs, salad, radishes and even some strawberries and other vegetables were in evidence, but not at the expense of colourful flowers. Most of the keen gardeners managed to design their gardens to combine flowers and vegetables to good effect. With ponds in abundance, we have even had a sighting of some tadpoles and frogs taking up residence!

GML

The winners of the Garden Competition 2009 were: First prize - Garden 5 Emily Ford, Dani Hatton, Georgina Thurston, Nichole Ashall, Ianthe Bathurst Second Prize - Garden 17 Lottie Hill-Trevor, Talullah Blackham, Imogen Downey, Chloe Edwards, Romy Grigg, Lottie Clarke, Ellie Mason, Freya Beasley Third Prize – Garden 11 Alice Shone, Florence Wade-Smith, Amelia Tennant, Millie Shaw, David Schofield, Jude Bedford Fourth prize shared between Gardens 7 and 9 Garden 7: Simon and Robert Waterhouse, Freddie Beharrell, William and Sam Bayliss, Rory Fergusson Garden 9: Olivia Wade-Smith, Laura Cooke, Olivia Annan

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Judo Having coached at Packwood for many years now, I can see why the pre-prep is called the Acorns, because many of this year’s school leavers/senior pupils came to me as Acorns many years ago, and they have grown into very strong judokas. As the saying goes, “Mighty oaks from little acorns grow”.

Acorns The group is one of the smallest this year but all are very keen to learn what judo is all about. Most have older brothers or sisters in the juniors or seniors and I can see the competitive edge growing already.

Murray Robinson-Boulton, Zara Vickers, Edward Don, Evie Connolly, Zephia Barlow-Evans, Jonty Bright and Honor Grocott are the next generation of Packwood stars.

Junior School As the previous years have shown, it’s the pupils that have moved from Acorns who settle in well, and who show good spirit when faced with a slightly older partner. This is where I always introduce the BJA rules and start to coach the techniques each player needs so they can be graded. From April 2008 BJA introduced a new scheme where all the junior grades became non-competitive, which is great as I have always used this type of award for school pupils. So now, if anyone takes up membership with a club, their grade should be recognised.

Most of the group enjoy the randori element which is a form of contest; some enjoy the ne-waza groundwork wrestling and holds.

Players who have undoubtedly improved their skills are Ellie Mason, Freya Beasley, Andrew Tudor, Antonia Barlow-Evans, Eddie Thomson, Ned Warburton-Lee and Marcus Woodhead.

Middle School This is where Judo really takes off. All the pupils in this group are very enthusiastic and want to learn new techniques each session. This was again very evident in the annual tournament as most of the players attended and fought well, showing their skills. This year we had two Japanese boys training with the school; one of them, Keishi Oyama, was already a judoka and a desire among some of the boys to be as good as Keishi brought out their skills and improvements in their throwing and holding techniques. The players in the same group as Keishi were tested and gave a good account of themselves. Most improved players in this section are Theo Penney, Louis Martin, Alfie Grocott, Edward Stanton and Edward Stubbs.

Seniors Most of these pupils have been with me for many years. It shows how hard they have worked over the years to reach their respective grades, but their attitude and temperaments go hand in hand with the skills they all attained. This year two boys, Brooke Lovegrove-Fielden and Henry Young, have reached the top belt, 16 mon brown belt. This is the standard set for the rest to follow. Other improved players are William Dodson-Wells, James Eardley, George Platt and Korn Pithayanukul. Roger Houston BJA 6th Dan

The Packwood Judo Tournament Once again the pupils of Packwood made me proud to be their coach. The tournament is for the main school and the new sports hall, with the mats arranged in the centre, provided an excellent setting. There were many spectators and the atmosphere was fantastic with the players getting support from their families and friends alike. The camaraderie between the players showed the true spirit in which the sport of judo should be carried out; credit must go to each and every one of them. Officials from the Bushido Judokwai were very impressed with the day.

This year the ‘Spirit of Judo’ award was won

by George Platt, and the ‘Best Throw’ award

by Alfie Grocott.

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Gold Marcus Woodhead Lottie Clarke Ellie Mason Andrew Tudor Ce-Ce Whittingham Eddie Thomson Daniel Humes Keishi Oyama Guy Morris Stamos Fearnall Tia Barlow Alfie Grocott James Eardley Alistair Don Korn Pithayanuhul Henry Young

Silver Frank Morris Freya Beasley Pip Vickers Edward Myddelton Antonia Barlow-Evans Nick Yeoward Ollie Clarke Edward Stubbs Louis Martin Edward Stanton Alexandra Angus Ben Ricks George Platt William Dodson-Wells Hugo Rowland Brooke Lovegrove-Fielden

Bronze Gabriel Connolly Owen Carroll Mollie Jameson, Imogen Downey Chan Kathuria Cassie Bedford Jude Bedford, Ned Warburton-Lee Roly Hancock, Ned Moreau Fergus Connolly Theo Penney, William Fowler Daishi Suzuki, Thomas Simpson Milla Harvey-Scholes Charlie England, Archie Connolly James London, Elliot Robinson-Boulton Henry Don, Ollie Platt Angus Campbell John Leadbeater

C L U B S & AC T I V I T I E S

Karaoke

Knitting Club

This Friday club has been another great hit with its members this year. Once again, it was an all-girl business. The songs chosen have been mainly pop orientated from Leona to some high profile musicals.

The knitting club, run by Mrs Edwards, can teach you how to knit your personal things from clothes and bags to pompoms and scarves.

Knitting is also important for the future and it is always good to learn a new skill. We have made bookmarks and pompoms which you can give to your cat, because they love to play with them. We also made friendship bracelets. When we first started we weren’t very sure how it would turn out but as the term went on we discovered knitting was fun and we could do it! Knitting club has been a great experience. As we keep going on it is a useful skill to have because you can then make your own things and they are excellent presents to give. It might sound ‘grannyish’ to knit but it is so not - you should give it a try! We hope that you will give it a go and have as much fun as we did!

Tansie Massey, Emily Ford, Nicole Ashall

There have been a great number of superb performances, and others not so great, but there was always an excellent atmosphere throughout the first two terms. A special mention to Tilly Cooper, who sang the cover version of ‘Stop’ by Jamelia very well. She might appear in future years in one of those talents show on television. JN

Lower School Orchestra

Thirty-five children meet once a week to prepare a repertoire for up and coming concerts and this year has been no exception. Once Miss McEntee and I have raced around tuning violins, replacing clarinet reeds and finding music we finally settle down to some playing! We try to include pieces with variations in style including Ole to the Bull,

Samba Groove, Chiapancias and Fairground Ride. This ensemble is an excellent introduction to the work of band playing, socially and musically and their performance in the Summer Concert was, as always, a highlight. Well done. JCW

Maths Games and Puzzles A small but very keen group of children met on Thursday evenings in the maths room to play maths and/or logic based games or to tackle mathematical challenges and investigations. Some were computer based whilst others were of a more traditional nature. The main purpose of the club was for the children to have an enjoyable evening whilst at the same time gaining an insight into mathematical concepts and logical thought.

As is usually the case, now that age has taken its toll, I found that talented young minds assimilated new ideas, and often applied them far more quickly than a rather elderly teacher - my only success was first place in the Chinese chequers competition! It is fascinating to see the ever increasing amount of mathematical content on the internet, much of the material with very little to recommend it! We did, however, spend

several sessions looking at interesting and challenging web pages; some of the better ones have now been added to the school intranet mathematics section.

The evenings were always entertaining and, when games were involved, very competitive.

This year’s group was a real pleasure to be with, and I am sure all the members will develop into first class mathematicians! IRW

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C L U B S & AC T I V I T I E S

Mixed Hockey

Mountain Bikes

Mixed hockey was a very popular evening club and was always well attended by a nucleus of 12 children but more often than not the numbers would swell dramatically. Most sessions consisted of two competing teams chosen on a variety of criteria – Girls v Boys, 1s v 2s, Limeys v The Rest of the World etc and the number of times that the games went ‘down to the wire’ was incredible.

The devotion of the group, even on the coldest of winter nights, was impressive. Equally impressive was the standard of hockey on display, especially from the ‘non-hockey’ playing boys. Astroturf is a fantastic surface to play hockey on and even a novice can pick up the basics very quickly. It is also a game that enables children from many different age groups to play against each other.

Perhaps the best thing about our Monday night sessions was the spirit in which the game was played - serious enough to compete but social enough to have a fun time. Well done to all. MAF

One of the activities Seniors look forward to in their final year is that of mountain biking. The Packwood grounds can’t boast too many mountains but there are many woods and fields with challenging routes to explore. It does not appeal to everyone of course but there are always a good number of fresh air types who thoroughly enjoy the challenges and numerous spills. NRJ

Model Club

William Bayliss, George Burrell and Leo Sartain were the founders of this club. We discussed what they would like to achieve and it was decided that we would make a battle scene with a tank or two and some

desert scenery. I brought in some oasis and the boys set about covering it with sand, rocks, a sign and trees. A river was made after several attempts at getting the correct texture and colour and a bridge constructed from

lollipop sticks. Meanwhile the Airfix tank was assembled and added to the scene. The final result looked impressive.

We had a good time and shared many anecdotes. EAC

Paper Craft Paper craft was a junior activity, run on Fridays in the autumn term.

Due to the number of early finishes on a Friday afternoon because of exeats and half-term we met relatively infrequently and as a result the children’s output was fairly minimal! We did, however, produce some wonderful papier mâché bowls. Making these involved ripping up large amounts of newspaper into small pieces and getting very Page 48

messy with the wallpaper paste we used. Once enough layers of paper were glued on and the bowls were dry the children painted them producing some beautiful designs. After the bowls were finally finished we turned our attention to Christmas decorations and made long and colourful paper chains. EAC

C L U B S & AC T I V I T I E S

Pets

Pets continue to be a popular addition to boarding at Packwood. We confine the species list to small rodents and rabbits (please, no e-mails telling me that rabbits are rodents - they’re not, they’re Lagomorphs) and for those children who own pets, they provide an important outlet for their energies and curiosity. You only have to see the

extraordinary animal mazes created by Amber Gibbins & Co to get the picture.

However, I must reiterate that acquiring a pet is not something to go into lightly. They are a commitment and unlike the latest craze, diabolos, they cannot just be put into a cupboard and forgotten when the novelty wears off. We do not allow exotics such as

lizards and snakes mainly because snakes feed off mice, so it’s not difficult to imagine the consequences of keeping them side by side. We also take a very Victorian attitude towards free love amongst the pets, it can be extremely hard to find homes for small rodents, unless of course you know someone who owns a snake! NRJ

Pop Lacrosse

Pottery Club

If you join our game, be warned, it’s quick! If you’ve never played it, you’ll soon learn. If you’re rather hesitant, you’ll get confident. If you’re slow on your feet, you’ll get faster. If you’re not very confident, you’ll get determined. If you’ve never heard of “goal-side”, you’ll certainly hear me scream it all the time!

The Pottery club seems to have had a theme this year of animals, or at least things to do with animals. There have been a few exceptions such as the desk tidy that the children made, but as I write the list of what we have made the popular choice has fauna firmly as a title: birds made in the slab pot method, hedgehogs and dog bowls by the thumb pot method, swans and dogs by hand modelling …. and the list goes on. It has been a good idea to begin with the familiar, easier subjects, but as the children gradually picked up the skills needed to make ceramic pieces of art the quality of their work improved a lot.

We have played some very well matched games on the Astroturf, where the soft ball rolls quickly over the smooth surface. Our defence players have learnt to harness their attacks and mark them closely, which is a great discipline and develops communication. Our attacks have learnt to pass quickly and ahead of their team mates. They know that the faster the ball is moved around, the faster they can score.

My group of boys in the autumn term were If you’ve never heard very impressive, Nick of “goal-side”, you’ll Yeoward, Felix Jebb certainly hear me scream and Wil Millington in particular. Out of the it all the time! girls’ groups in the spring and summer, Amelia Brine, Holly Shaw and Maddie Hall produced some fine U11 play. Strong U9 players were Jessie Hunt, Alice Shone, Amelia Tennant, Millie Shaw, Antonia Barlow-Evans and Laura Whittingham. And in the U8s, Ellie Mason showed lots of potential.

Come and get challenged! However athletic you are, you’ll get fitter.

However good you are, you’ll get better. SD

All of the children seemed to enjoy the club and it was very popular.

Some showed a natural talent particularly Amber Gibbins and Talullah Blackham. Many super models were made and glazed, but these two girls seemed to go beyond the archetype demonstrated to create some beautifully crafted, highly original work. It is quite amazing when you think how young they still are.

Earlier in the year some of the children asked why the colours for the glazes did not always come out as expected. The answer, as I found out on a course, was that the iron in the terracotta clay was reacting with the paint-on glazes that we use, and so for this reason we have changed to using oxidizing St. Thomas clay which has no iron in it.

It is good that the children can have an input on what they want to do, so next year the theme could be ‘insects’ or ‘ornaments’, or perhaps ‘pots from other eras and cultures’. We will have to wait and see.

Hopefully with some plaster of Paris moulds and some new equipment, pottery at Packwood should continue to thrive. PRD Page 49

C L U B S & AC T I V I T I E S

Recorder Group Playing the recorder is always a popular activity - sometimes I do wonder if it is simply the appeal of blowing hard and making as much noise as possible at the end of a busy week! However, this year we had lots of enthusiastic children, both beginners and the more advanced.

Olivia, Emily, Jonty and Ed soon mastered covering the holes and played lots of challenging tunes, notably ‘Frère Jacques’ as a round.

Once the younger group, including Lottie, Felix, Will and Romy understood that blowing gently really does produce a pleasanter sound, they could play very well and gave an excellent performance of ‘Joe Joe stumped his toe’. And of course they all know that every recorder session has to finish with our favourite game of ‘Quartet’.

ECM

Science and Astronomy On Friday evenings in the autumn term, enthusiastic scientists gather in the lab after prep. The first thing to do is to have a look at the sky. If it is clear, we get the telescopes sorted out and head outside to look for stars and planets. If it is cloudy, which it seems to be more often than not, we stay inside and conduct scientific experiments and investigations which rarely appear on an exam syllabus.

This year we only ventured outside on a couple of nights but we were rewarded early in October with an excellent view of Jupiter and its moons. Later in the term we were able to look at our own moon in detail. Back in the lab we enjoyed a number of activities which included crystal growing, making fireworks, and a steam engine race.

The final activity of the term involved making a Christmas tree with flashing lights. FRH

Stage Lighting Club

This year’s Stage Lighting Club comprised William Allott, Edward Carroll, Louis LeesJones, and James Thorn who proved to be a dedicated and enthusiastic group of boys.

During our club sessions we learnt how to manually control and program the lighting board. We worked on the direction, focus, colouring and patching of the lights into the lighting board, how to cut the beam and control it, the level of light needed to illuminate the stage without dazzling and Page 50

how to check for coverage. We also learnt how to patch the variety of equipment used by the school into the sound board to generate sound effects and record sound, how to set up wired and wireless microphones and the patching of the theatre Tannoy system for back stage to control booth communication. For the school plays, HMS Pinafore and Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations, we used the sound board and computer to generate special effects, and

installed wired and wireless microphones.

We positioned the lights between rehearsals and programmed the lighting board to automate the scene changes. The lunchtime and summer concerts involved positioning of lights so that everybody on stage could be clearly seen while also ensuring that they would be able to read their sheet music without being dazzled. JB

C L U B S & AC T I V I T I E S

Stamp Club On Monday afternoons the stamp club continued to meet. A different group of children attended the club each term, with the idea of introducing as many pupils as possible to the basics of philately.

Deutschland and many other strange looking words were being assimilated in to our vocabulary! Hopefully the pupils’ knowledge of geography improved with our discussions on stamps of the world.

Our first task was to learn to recognise stamps from a wide range of countries.

The meanings of Osterreich, Helvetia,

We also learned how to remove stamps from envelopes and the various methods of displaying collections in albums. Most of

the children identified areas or types of stamps they were interested in, and have started a basic collection.

As always donations of stamps are gratefully received as the school’s supply invariably declines over the year! IRW

Table-Tennis Club Once again the table-tennis room has proved a popular feature in the Sports Hall, and with all three tables now equipped with new nets and a steady supply of balls and bats, the standard of general play has risen steadily. It is good to see younger forms taking advantage of the facilities as well, and particularly pleasing to see more girls honing their skills.

The Table-Tennis club meets on a Monday night, and competition has proved to be as fierce as ever. This term we have instigated a ‘challenge’ system whereby any member may play another up to eleven points, and if

victorious, climb higher in the ladder. Overall, it seems to have been a success, and has led to an all-round improvement in standards.

Overall winner for the Spring term was Oliver Pumphrey, who became increasingly difficult to beat, showing well-polished attacking skills coupled with a very steady defence. William Schofield, Ben Hughes and Hector Watson were hot on his heels, however, but were slightly inconsistent at times.

Well done to all the club members for making this a very enjoyable hour on cold winter evenings. KJW

Trampolining

This year has seen the trampoline out most Fridays with both day and boarding pupils having the chance to bounce!

Trampolining is fun to do but also comes with strict safety rules and regulations. Most of the pupils do not realise how bouncy a competition trampoline can be and how easy it is to lose control.

Trampolining has been open from the 5s to the 2s this year, with 31 children gaining proficiency awards. The awards are based on mastering individual skills and then having the ability to link the

skills together to perform a short routine. As the awards progress upwards, the skills become more complex and the routines longer.

The awards start at level 1 and progress through to 15. At Packwood we have had one gaining level 3, nine with level 4, eighteen with level 5, two with level 6 and one with level 7. Well done to everyone.

Some of the pupils have show great potential and next year I would like to enter a team in the U13 Shropshire Schools trampolining competition. I look forward to the coming year and the opportunity to teach new skills and develop old ones. JH

Ultimate Frisbee What, you may well ask, is Ultimate Frisbee?! Well, that’s a very good question and I have to admit that I was also unsure when it was suggested that I do this as an activity, so I ‘googled’ it and studied the rules. I shall not bore you with the intricate details but, suffice to say, there are two teams who throw a Frisbee about and score by catching a pass in a scoring zone. Simple enough I thought until I received my list of participants, a group of very keen Form 3 boys who like the more ‘physical’ nature of activities! The rules were explained and we started off. Things were going well until there was a slight nudge not picked up by the referee. The nudging progressed to pushing,

then tackling but, interestingly, it made for a better game.

Consequently, new, ‘local’ rules were introduced (no spitting, gouging or illegal blows etc.) and I have seldom seen a group of boys work so hard in such a short space of time.

When young Webb-Ellis picked up the football and ran with it at Rugby School, look what happened. Who is to say what they will be playing in the National Stadium in years to come. We could be competing for the Tennant Trophy! MAF

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S P O R T: F O O T B A L L

Football 1st XI Played 10 Won 8 Drawn 2 Lost 0 For 43 Against 10 v Wrekin College v Kingsland Grange v Shrewsbury v Foremarke v Birchfield v Terra Nova v Yarlet v Birchfield v Prestfelde v Wrekin College

(H) (H) (H) (H) (A) (A) (A) (H) (H) (A)

Won Won Won Drawn Won Drawn Won Won Won Won

3-0 4-0 6-1 0-0 6-2 4-4 2-1 5-0 4-1 9-1

Shrewsbury 6-a-side tournament v Arnold House v Terra Nova v Priory

Lost Won Won

1-2 3-2 4-1

Quarter Final v Horris Hill

Won

5-1

Semi Final v Elstree

Drawn 2 - 2 (lost 4 - 3 on penalties)

IAPS North and Midlands Region 6-a-side tournament v Birchfield v Foremarke v Millfield Prep v St Olave’s

Won Won Lost Won

5-1 2-0 1-2 4-0

Semi Final v Kingsland Grange

Lost

0-1

This was a vintage season for the 1st XI which turned out to be the most successful in terms of performances and results at the school for a long time. This was certainly the best prep school team that I have been involved with. The team had it all. Lots of pace, skill, power and tremendous teamwork all proving too much for many of our opponents. The nine goals we scored against a decent Wrekin side was a fitting end to the 2008 season.

The team was built around William Mackereth, Oliver Brown and Andrew Jackson (when fit!) working hard to win the

ball for William Waterworth and Toby Harvey-Scholes who were the creative sparks in midfield. Add to this some excellent wide players and, in Jamie Humes a striker who felt he could score every time he received the ball. At times the boys played brilliantly, particularly when we passed the ball around quickly and used the width of the field. My favourite goal of the season was a superb Humes volley against Birchfield where we passed the ball around to create the width for Oliver Platt to cross perfectly for Jamie to smash the ball into the net. Against the stronger, more physical opposition we struggled a little against the bigger players particularly with Andrew Jackson missing for most of the season. The Foremarke game was a little frustrating when our usual excellent passing and movement did not provide us with the cutting edge against their well organised defence.

As coach, I feel everyone in the squad gave total commitment to the season and worked very hard on the practice grids. It was also very encouraging that around half the team were selected to represent the district team at

Repton this year. Jamie Humes was our top scorer with 13 goals. Also Toby HarveyScholes, George Beard and William Waterworth made significant goal scoring contributions from midfield positions to give us the impressive tally of 43 goals in 10 matches.

A talented team must have a great leader.

William Waterworth took the Captain’s position very seriously and led the team by example. He was our best player on the pitch and his skill and vision contributed so much in our attacking play. I valued his opinion on team formations and will miss discussing tactics with him during the build up to matches.

For next season the central midfield and centre half pairing will be very hard to replace. However, Packwood does have lots of depth these days with many boys (who played in our successful 2nd team) available next year to join our current striker so the future of the sport is very promising indeed.

Added to this is a change to the coaching set up with Mr Livermore taking over the 1st team next season.

I feel that Packwood is becoming one of the most feared opponents on the circuit and certainly 2008 was the most successful season for many years at the school. Well done boys! We played an excellent brand of attacking football and it was great way to finish my four years in charge of the 1st XI. I look forward to following their progress over the next few years.

Squad: William Waterworth* (Capt), Harry Tomkinson (GK), Charlie Bibby (GK), Oliver Brown*, William Mackereth*, Oliver Platt*, Toby Harvey-Scholes*, George Beard*, Charlie Marques*, Charlie White*, Jamie Humes, George Platt, Freddie Earlam, Andrew Jackson* PJP

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S P O R T: F O O T B A L L

2nd XI The ball skills of Monty Curran (tricky), Toby Thomson (graceful), v Prestfelde (A) Won 2-0 Johnny Woodhead v Kingsland Grange (A) Won 7-1 (fast), Will Schofield v Shrewsbury (H) Lost 2-3 (great mover) and v Foremarke (A) Lost 2-3 Jake Samuel (powerful) v Moffats (H) Won 11 - 0 were complemented v Wrekin (H) Won 6-0 by the rugged It just gets better and better. The results suggest determination of that we had a good season, and we did. We lost Charlie Bibby (our just the two matches, against Shrewsbury (great goalkeeper/captain), Rufus Holt, Ross Lloyd, fun, very friendly, lots of old Packwoodians Patrick Phillips, George Fergusson, Hugo Bland playing) when anything can happen, and and Huw Wheeler. In the last three matches of against Foremarke away, where a victory is a the season Rafael Vargas and Ben Hughes miracle and the miracle almost occurred. arrived from the 1st XI to give vital strength and The players in this magnificent team could skill and experience to the team. All of them grace many prep school 1st XI teams, and read the games well, passed instinctively, several of them will next season. I have never pressed home advantages ruthlessly and, most had a 2nd XI so focussed, so unified and so important of all, thoroughly enjoyed playing skilful. A reasonably confident victory against football. And this is why I have always liked Prestfelde opened the season, although we taking the 2nd XI – because they love playing really should have won by a larger margin. the game and they play to an increasingly high Against Kingsland Grange we started to show standard. just how good we were.

Played 6 Won 4 Drawn 0 Lost 2 For 30 Against 7

The final match against Wrekin, which we won 6-0, was a wonderful display of teamwork and individual skills, with some breathtaking passing sequences. Six of the regular players and two others have another year at Packwood.

Brilliant.

Squad: Charlie Bibby (Capt), Rufus Holt, Hugo Bland, Patrick Phillips, Will Schofield, Monty Curran, Toby Thomson, Jake Samuel, Huw Wheeler, Johnny Woodhead, Ross Lloyd, George Fergusson, Rafael Vargas, Ben Hughes, Peregrine Beckett, Paul Sharpe. PAE

3rd XI The 3rd X1 certainly did not lack enthusiasm; in fact they had it in abundance! Practice sessions were lively and all the matches were entertaining - no 0-0 draws with this team!

Played 4 Won 2 Drawn 1 Lost 1 For 14 Against 5 v Foremarke v Birchfield v Birchfield v Prestfelde

(H) (H) (A) (A)

Lost Won Drawn Won

2-3 5-0 2-2 5-0

After a first match of the season reverse against a very strong Foremarke side in which we pulled back from 3-0 down at half-time, scored twice in the second period and hit the bar, the boys bounced back with an excellent display against Birchfield at home. Alex Walker notched up four of the five goals scored in splendid fashion. In the return fixture, however, we were far too generous in allowing our opponents to score with virtually their only two attempts of the match. A draw was a disappointing result from this rather low-key performance, but having had another scheduled game against Wrekin cancelled, we then travelled to our local rivals Prestfelde for the last match of this short season. Despite the best efforts of the home goalkeeper, who managed to keep the score in single figures, we played extremely well in attack and looked particularly dangerous down both flanks, though the

defence looked decidedly vulnerable on occasions.

I would like to thank all the boys in the squad for their efforts and for making the season an entertaining and enjoyable one.

Squad: Peregrine Beckett, Hugo Bland, Charlie Adams, Patrick Anson, Patrick Chambers, Gus Langford, Brooke Lovegrove-Fielden, Z Midwinter, Theo Price, Alex Walker, Hector Watson, Oliver Pomphrey, Carlos Monteverde, Freddie Thomson, Yutaro Seki. KJW

4th XI The fact that results Played 3 Won 2 Drawn 0 Lost 1 were less important For 10 Against 5 than enjoyment in this v Wrekin (H) Won 4-0 season of the 4th XI v Foremarke (A) Lost 1-4 can be emphasised by v Prestfelde (H) Won 5 -1 the list of players who represented the team.

21 players in only three matches and one of them was 7-a-side! The biggest factor that made it such a disappointing season was that in the few fixtures we had, none of the matches was close, or even close to being close. However that did not stop the boys from enjoying and improving their football.

The sheer number of boys who could have played more for the school just goes to show the depth of energy, enthusiasm and effort that Packwood currently has. The fact that the closest matches that were played were in games time against the 3rd XI further proves this point.

To single out individual players is of course difficult and unfair, so to those that are leaving I hope you continue to enjoy your football, to those that are staying – there is even more competition for places next year!

Squad: Will Bruce, William Dodson-Wells, Alistair Don, Ned Hall, Louis Lees-Jones, Henry Young, Alex Lye, Elliot Robinson-Boulton, Yutaro Sato, Freddie Thomson, Richard Williams-Bulkeley, Henry Monks, John Leadbeater, James Eardley, Charlie Clarke, William Fowler, Ollie Pumphrey, William Barlow, William Dorrell, Hamish Neill, Sebastian Heywood. DR Page 53

S P O R T: F O O T B A L L

Under 11A Played 7 Won 3 Drawn 0 Lost 4 v Kingsland Grange v Foremarke Hall v Birchfield v Yarlet v Old Hall v Birchfield v Prestfelde

(H) (H) (A) (A) (A) (H) (A)

Lost Won Lost Won Won Lost Lost

2-3 7-0 0-3 2-1 3-1 2-3 1-2

Shrewsbury 6-a-side tournament Winners

The undoubted highlight of the term was winning the Shrewsbury tournament, which included schools from all over the country – the undisputed toughest national football competition in which a young prep school boy will ever compete. What made it all the more remarkable was the fact that we lost our captain Toby Mason to a bad leg injury before the first match kicked off. With a new defensive catannachio line-up, we punched above our weight all day and relied on bravery, guts, organisation, great goalkeeping from Harry Jenkinson and ice cool, very unEnglish penalty taking. Schofield and Dolphin looked physically ill by the end, Millington played on with a bleeding head wound (that’s a wound that was bleeding rather than an inappropriate adjective used for emphasis), Connolly positioned himself and tackled like a young Bobby Moore, Edward Stubbs proved to be a nuisance all day with his ‘duracellic’ fitness and Barney Preece got sharper as the day wore on. The magnificent seven kept

riding on all day! I have been involved in prep school football since 1990 and I was as proud of these young warriors back in September as I have ever been of any of my teams.

The rest of the term was mixed in terms of results, mainly because we played against and lost to a very good Birchfield twice. I have to take my hat off to a fantastically spirited Kingsland Grange who thoroughly deserved their late two goals in our opening loss of the season. I would rather that than beat a weak

team 10-0. Well done the boys, thanks to the matrons for turning out the white and green machine each week and thank you to the parents, with whom I had a good laugh throughout the term. Great, great fun!

Team: Fergus Connolly, Toby Mason (Joint capts), Harry Jenkinson, Anto Woodhead, Charlie England, Matt White, Harrison Millington, Edward Dolphin, Barnaby Preece, Harry Schofield, Charlie Cooke, Edward Stubbs. AL

Under 11B Played 6 Won 4 Drawn 0 Lost 2 For 24 Against 10 v Kingsland Grange v Birchfield v Moffats A v Birchfield v Old Hall v Prestfelde

(H) (H) (A) (A) (A) (H)

Won Won Lost Lost Won Won

3-1 2-0 1-3 0-2 14 - 1 4-3

Just about right, I think. This team was full of enthusiastic and thoroughly whole-hearted triers, but it was a little short of skill.

Birchfield were good, and we managed to bludgeon one victory, only to fall comfortably short in the return fixture.

Moffats saw one or two hideous blunders – the result was nothing but fair. The season was completed by a duck-shoot against a weak Old Hall team, a power-packed first half against Kingsland Grange and a thriller against Prestfelde, where our ‘heart’ overcame their ‘foot’. The season was thus richly varied.

What a likeable team this was! In goal we had the butter-fingered but supremely brave Stamos Fearnall, while in the heart of the defence was the roaming, itinerant Thomas Marques and the statuesque but powerful Archie Fetherstonhaugh. As the full-backs we had the twin titans, Oliver Williams-

Page 54

Bulkeley and Ed Stanton, both error-prone but full of zeal and spirit. In midfield we had the vociferous and increasingly skilful Keishi Oyama, allied to the full-throttled if slightly cumbersome Alfie Grocott and Jamie Moir.

In attack Oliver Tennant, the terrier, and Henry Oak, the slick one, enveloped our splendid captain, Ed Graves, who rose majestically above his ‘Grandad’ nickname to score eight goals against Old Hall. Is this a school record? Leo Sartain was a cheerful substitute, somnambulant but purposeful.

This then was a team full of soul, refreshingly tinged with human frailty.

Team: Edward Graves (Capt), Stamos Fearnall, Archie Fetherstonhaugh, Alfie Grocott, Thomas Marques, Jamie Moir, Henry Oak, Keishi Oyama, Leo Sartain, Ed Stanton, Oliver Tennant, Oliver Williams-Bulkeley. OJL

S P O R T: F O O T B A L L

Under 10

It’s been an exciting season for the Under 10s. I have been very impressed with the ability of the whole group especially with the newcomers Edward Beard, Freddie Fielding and Cameron McDonald who had a tremendous season.

Under 10A: Played 4 Won 2 Drawn 1 Lost 1 For 23 Against 10 v Terra Nova v Foremarke v Prestfelde v Birchfield

(H) (A) (A) (H)

Drawn Lost Won Won

5-5 1-3 3-1 14 - 1

Foremarke Tournament: Plate Winners

Under 10B Played 3 Won 2 Drawn 0 Lost 1 For 15 Against 4 v Birchfield v Foremarke v Prestfelde

(A) (A) (A)

Won Lost Won

The highlight of the season has to be the Foremarke Tournament for several reasons. Firstly, Packwood won the shield last year and before setting off this time I made sure that I had everything for the players: kit, food, first aid. I just omitted a slight detail, returning the shield to Foremarke. There was no pressure on the players or on me then, we simply had to win it again!

And they did it. There were some wonderful performances on the pitch and great goals scored.

Well done to the team which saved me from tremendous embarrassment.

I have also been delighted by the determination of the Under 10 B team who have made great progress. The last game played at Prestfelde was of a fantastic standard. The most improved players of the season are Chan Kathuria and Bertie Jenkinson. Congratulations.

11 - 0 1-2 3-2

A team (above left): Archie Connolly (Capt), Thomas Tulloch, Timmy Robinson-Boulton, Eddie Thomson, Edward Beard, Freddie Fielding, Cameron McDonald, Jonty Schofield.

B team (above right): Chan Kathuria (Capt), Andrew Tudor, Rory Davies, Ollie Clarke, Freddie Beharrell, Jonty Hall, Bertie Jenkinson. JN

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S P O R T: F O O T B A L L

Under 9 Under 9A Played 8 Won 6 Drawn 1 Lost 1 For 40 Against 13 v Terra Nova v Abberley Hall v Birchfield v Kingsland Grange v Abberley Hall v Birchfield v Prestfelde v Kingsland Grange

(A) (H) (A) (A) (A) (H) (H) (A)

Won Won Lost Won Won Drawn Won Won

6-2 9-1 3-5 7-0 5-2 3-3 1-0 6-0

Prestfelde Tournament: Winners

Under 9B Played 8 Won 5 Drawn 0 Lost 3 For 31 Against 9 v Terra Nova v Abberley Hall v Birchfield v Kingsland Grange v Abberley Hall v Birchfield v Prestfelde v Kingsland Grange

(A) (H) (A) (A) (A) (H) (H) (A)

Lost Won Lost Won Won Lost Won Won

0-1 0-7 0-3 6-0 3-1 1-2 5-2 9-0

Under 9C Played 2 Won 2 Drawn 0 Lost 0 For 16 Against 1 v Abberley Hall v Abberley Hall

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(H) (A)

Won Won

9-0 7-1

What a tremendous season! All three sides played with effort, enthusiasm and no little skill; and the result was the most successful and enjoyable Under Nine season for many years.

The C team had just two matches but won both in style; the B team came up against some strong opposition but recorded some fine victories; and the A team played direct attacking football, but also showed strength in defence when required.

With Archie Waterworth and Jack Humphreys returning from last year, we were hoping that they would be joined by some talented new boys in the A team and we were not disappointed. David Schofield was a key player in the middle of the field, supporting the attack and then racing back to bolster the defence. Sam Bayliss proved to be a reliable defender – not much got past him! And then there were two Under 8s, Daniel Humes and Nick Yeoward, who both played really well this year and will provide the nucleus of next year’s team. Archie used his skills to score lots of goals and Jack usually played in goal, making some outstanding saves at times, not least in the final of the Prestfelde Tournament.

The Prestfelde Tournament proved to be the pinnacle of achievement this season. We topped our group, winning three and drawing with King’s Chester, and then met Birchfield in

the semi-final. In a close game we just edged it 2–1, and then we had to face King’s again in the final. It was a fantastic game which we won 1-0, thanks to a great goal from David Schofield and some breathtaking saves by Jack Humphreys. So, after winning the plate for the last two years, it was now our turn to lift the main trophy.

Special thanks this season to Mr Ford who has joined the game to learn a little about Under 9 football! He shows promise and after another season as assistant he may be ready to take on the demanding role of coach! Thanks also to the groundsmen for preparing the pitches and the linen room for looking after the kit.

But most of all thank you to all the boys for a terrific season.

A Team (below left): Archie Waterworth (Capt), Jack Humphreys, Sam Bayliss, Daniel Humes, David Schofield, Nick Yeoward.

B Team (below right) (from): Linden Grigg (Capt), Gabriel Connolly, Scott Walker, Robert Ford, Felix Jebb, William Holcroft, Charlie Jackson, Frank Morris.

C Team (from): Jamie Channon (Capt), Jude Bedford, Tom Hughes, Wil Millington, Zak Nicholas, Johnnie Peel, Owen Carroll, Alexander Davies. HB

S P O R T: R U G B Y

Rugby 1st XV Played 8 Won 7 Lost 1 For 336 Against 58 v Moor Park v Bromsgrove v Ellesmere v Winterfold v Abberley v Terra Nova v Prestfelde v St Mary’s Hall

(H) (H) (H) (A) (H) (H) (A) (A)

Won Won Won Won Won Won Won Lost

53 - 0 22 - 19 36 - 7 49 - 0 40 - 5 57 - 5 67 - 5 12 - 19

we were stronger in all departments. Captain William Mackereth was immense, both in attack and defence, and dynamic flanker Charlie Marques was simply everywhere. It was a fine end to the Autumn Term matches.

weeks….and we lost. St Mary’s Hall were certainly a good team, but we missed such chances as we had and sadly were a shadow of our true selves on the day.What a disappointing end to such a good season.

On the face of things, the Spring Term started well. Terra Nova arrived unbeaten and met Brooke Lovegrove-Fielden in unstoppable form, whilst Prestfelde could not cope with our all-round teamwork and the elusive

running of Toby Harvey-Scholes. But we would have preferred tougher encounters…

But this report should not finish on a downbeat. This was a terrific team, which oozed talent in the backs, and whose forwards were a match for any that they met. Theo Price, Huw Wheeler and Andrew Jackson were the unsung heroes in the pack, and youngsters Jamie Humes, Henry Don, Patrick Phillips, Johnny Woodhead and Peregrine Beckett grew in stature and confidence game by game. The 1st XV was a tremendously exciting team to coach and to watch, very well captained by William Mackereth, and splendidly supported by knowledgeable and positive parents. A terrific season by any standard.

And then key injuries hit us, the two tour matches were cancelled due to bad weather, and the 1st XV had to watch with some frustration as other local 1st XVs were defeated by the Packwood 2nd XV. And so we approached our final match of the season with an unbeaten record, but with no competitive match rugby under our belts for nigh on ten

Team: Henry Young*, Henry Don, Theo Price, Andrew Jackson, Patrick Phillips, Huw Wheeler, Johnny Woodhead, Charlie Marques*, Brooke Lovegrove-Fielden*, Jamie Humes, Oliver Brown*, William Mackereth*,William Waterworth*, Harry Tomkinson*, Toby Harvey-Scholes, Peregrine Beckett. NTW

Without doubt, this team contained some of the most talented rugby players that we have seen at Packwood for many years. They deserved an unbeaten season and, had events not conspired cruelly against them, would surely have achieved one.

Performances in the Autumn Term fixtures lived up to expectations. Moor Park were swiftly dispatched but we knew that Bromsgrove would provide much stiffer opposition. And so they did, but though the scoreline was tight, we actually never looked like losing. Particularly impressive was the way that we controlled the last five minutes when Bromsgrove thought they had a sniff of victory.

Ellesmere were no mugs, but by now we were getting into our stride. With Henry Young leading the charge, the forwards knocked the opposition backwards, and the ball flew down the line for winger Harry Tomkinson to score, several times. Winterfold followed and Oliver Brown and William Waterworth unleashed their full repertoire of dazzling skills.

Abberley are always a good test, but this year

2nd XV Given the strength of Played 8 Won 7 Lost 1 the 1st game rugby For 273 Against 82 squad, it was no v Ellesmere (H) Won 21 - 7 surprise that that the v Bromsgrove (H) Lost 7 - 22 2nd XV ended up v Winterfold (H) Won 54 - 0 having such a good (A) Won 24 - 19 season; indeed it could v Abberley v Kingsland Grange 1st XV (H) Won 34 - 5 be argued that in other v Prestfelde (H) Won 69 - 0 years many of these v Birchfield 1st XV (A) Won 38 - 17 boys may well have v St Mary’s Hall (A) Won 26 - 12 played for the 1st team.

They were, however, an excellent group in their own right and deserved all the success which they achieved over the two terms.

After a rather shaky and unconvincing start against Ellesmere, the team was faced with a sterner proposition in their second match against Bromsgrove, who were already well into an unbeaten season.

Midfield defence was poor and the opposition made capital in that area, and gave a slicker all-round display than us on the day, so ran out deserved winners.

A comfortable victory over Winterfold taught us very little and benefited neither side but did allow our speedy backs to show what they could do with ball in hand, whilst the Abberley fixture promised to be a good contest. Having come from behind twice, we snatched victory with the

last play of the game against a big, strong and well-organised side: particularly impressive as injury and illness had robbed us of both recognised scrum-halves, which meant a fundamental re-organisation in key positions.

St Mary’s Hall is never an easy fixture, so a good performance was needed in the last XV-a-side game of the season. After withstanding early sustained pressure which led to a 12-7 deficit at half time, we put in possibly our best display of the season after the break, and prompted by some excellent line kicking, dominated the second period to win 26 - 12.

All the boys have improved over the course of the season, and there have been some excellent performances, but it has been much more a case of the team rather than outstanding individuals. It would be wrong of me, however, not to mention the captain, George Beard, and Charlie White as vice-captain and to thank them for all their efforts. George has led by example, has grown in stature as a fly-half, and produced some fine goal kicking as well as using his prodigious boot to good effect when needed in open play.

Well done to all the boys who represented the team this season.

Team: George Beard (Capt), Charlie Adams, Patrick Anson, William Dodson-Wells, James Thorn, Hector Watson, Hugo Bland, Gus Langford, Monty Curran, Charlie White, Ben Hughes, Jake Samuel, William Schofield, Alistair Don, Ross Lloyd, Freddie Earlam, Alex Walker, Z Midwinter, George Platt, Ollie Platt, William Barlow. KJW Page 57

S P O R T: R U G B Y

3rd XV Yet another Packwood Played 5 Won 3 Drawn 1 Lost 1 rugby season was For 114 Against 57 upon us and within v Ellesmere (H) Won 51 - 0 three coaching days of v Bromsgrove (H) Won 22 - 10 the official opening of v Abberley (A) Drawn 7-7 the season we were to v Corbet U12A (H) Lost 10 - 28 face our first v St Mary’s Hall (A) Won 24 - 12 opposition. It was already evident that the 3rd XV were going to be quite a formidable unit - perhaps lacking a little in size up front but in the backs there were boys who in ‘normal’ years would easily be gracing the 2nd’s pitch, such was the depth of talent in the age group. The perennial headache of picking the best side was made worse by the plethora of talent in the back line. As long as the backs could get the ball then it was generally felt that few teams on the circuit would cope - against Ellesmere the backs did, and they couldn’t!

A sterner test to follow was a new block fixture versus Bromsgrove and it literally was a game of two halves. A well honed opposition led to some early panic but eventually Packwood rose to the challenge. The forwards led by Alistair Don (soon destined for the 2nds) provided good ball and half-backs George Fowler and George Platt served up a feast of running rugby and we emerged victorious. The team was beginning to settle with the front row union of John Leadbeater, Alex Lye and Edward Bridge earning their places on merit. Flankers Freddie Thomson and Rufus Holt resembled a pair of Jack Russell terriers with the opposite halves as their prey and so confidence was high as the game versus Abberley approached. A re-arrangement led to the loss of several of the aforementioned players and the opposition was playing its last game of the season but we battled bravely against a very good pack and both coaches settled for a deserved and very entertaining draw.

After a long Christmas holiday and an excess of turkey and selection boxes we were straight back into action against The Corbet School. We had only three sessions to prepare and two of those were on frozen pitches! As ever, the Corbet boys were big, physical and fit and the first ten minutes of the game brought the term ‘rabbits in headlights’ to mind. We were, quite simply, bereft of ideas when it came to stopping ‘Big Billy’ their No 8. Once Billy had been rested we started to play and although we lost to a better side we did put up a spirited fight. One thing the match did do to great effect was to sort out those who didn’t mind stepping up a level and throwing their bodies on the line. Rufus Holt and Freddie Thomson tackled until they could barely stand, likewise Will

Bruce who was improving dramatically as the season progressed. Yes, the game was lost but it was the one that taught us the most.

With a couple of weeks before the next game we had a chance to work on a few things, particularly with the pack, and our final game took us to St Mary’s Hall. When we travel such a distance we tend to be a little slow out of the blocks and this occasion was no exception. It was a bitterly cold afternoon with a strong wind, certainly not a day for trying to run the ball, and although our backs did endeavour to do so at times we had lost Will Bruce due to injury and were also without our regular scrum-half George Fowler and so with some experimental positions, coupled with some very cold hands, we gave away too much possession. We were down at half time and the instructions were for the pack to keep the ball ‘up their jerseys’ and grind down the opposition. This we did and John Leadbeater, Alex Lye and William Minshall were outstanding, producing four tries between them in a rewarding and well-fought victory. In discussion with Mr Bourne on the way home we recognised the invaluable input of the many unsung heroes in this team - the likes of Elliot Robinson-Boulton, Hector Watson, Hamish Neill and Ollie Platt - always playing with enthusiasm, tackling with great tenacity and more than playing their part in the devouring of the sausages and chips afterwards!

Very well done to all in making the season such an enjoyable one!

Squad: George Fowler (Capt), Oliver Platt (Vice Capt), Charlie Bibby, Alistair Don, Rufus Holt, John Leadbeater, Alex Lye, George Platt, Hector Watson, Edward Bridge, Hamish Neill, William Minshall, Freddie Thomson, Toby Thomson, Elliot Robinson- Boulton, Will Bruce, Patrick Chambers, George Fergusson, Yutaro Sato. MAF

4th XV Once again, it was a season of mixed fortunes for the 4th XV (or the 4th XII as it often became), with three big wins, one heavy defeat and just one really close and competitive game.

Pithayanakul and Charlie Bibby; some good linking play from the halfbacks, Ned Hall and Ollie Pumphrey; and some great three-quarter play from Rafael de Vargas, Will Bruce and Yutaro Sato.

Played 5 Won 3 Drawn 0 Lost 2 For 162 Against 74 v Ellesmere v Bromsgrove v Winterfold 3rd v Corbet U12 v St Mary’s Hall

(H) (H) (A) (H) (A)

Won Lost Won Lost Won

42 - 0 0 - 43 50 - 0 0 - 14 70 - 17

We opened up with an impressive display against Ellesmere, and yet just a few days later we were brought back down to earth by a big and powerful Bromsgrove side. Then came a fine performance at Winterfold, where the game had to be shortened after we ran in fifty quick points without reply. The final two fixtures came in the spring term, so there was more of an opportunity for training and preparation. The match against Corbet was something of a classic, with two fairly evenly matched sides gradually wearing each other down. In the end, Corbet triumphed with a try in each half; but that was great preparation for the long trip to St Mary’s Hall for our final match. In a masterful performance, we ran in some magnificent tries to end the season on the highest of high-notes!

So many boys played their part, but worthy of special mention were some mighty forward performances from Alex and William Lye, Korn Page 58

Squad: Charlie Bibby (Capt), Alex Lye, William Lye, Hugo Rowland, Korn Pithayanakul, Charlie Beckett, James London, William Minshall, Angus Campbell, James Eardley, Louis Lees-Jones, Richard WilliamsBulkeley, Archie David, Hamish Neill, Ned Hall, Ollie Pumphrey, Patrick Chambers, Paul Sharpe, Yutaro Sato, Carlos Monteverde, Rafael de Vargas, Charlie Clarke, Sebastian Heywood, Will Bruce, Elliot Robinson-Boulton. HB

S P O R T: R U G B Y

Under 11A XII Played 7 Won 5 Lost 2 For 252 Against 54 v Moor Park v Bromsgrove v Winterfold v Abberley v Terra Nova v Prestfelde v St Mary’s Hall

(H) (A) (A) (H) (A) (A) (H)

Won Lost Won Lost Won Won Won

40 - 7 7 - 14 25 - 0 14 - 21 50 - 0 61 - 7 55 - 5

The season itself can be summarised quite succinctly in a short paragraph. Packwood produced another fine team that were simply too good for most of the teams they played.

Unfortunately in an ultimately disappointing season they did not play many matches and the two games that were close, they lost. In both games they were ahead and could have won but they were competing against schools that had been playing as a team in several matches since September. In the end this was the difference, no matter how hard the boys tried there is little substitute for cohesiveness and know-how that is only learnt through experience.

Rather than focussing on specific matches, the players should be commended for their efforts throughout the season. There have been few that have been so hard working, so keen to improve and so eager to win. The pack, indeed the team, was captained by Fergus Connolly - a monumental leader who produced one towering performance after another in all but stature. The statistics that now get flashed onto the TV screen are impossible to recreate but in the number of tackles made and rucks hit and turnovers gained, Fergus would have been close to or top of them all. A fine leader destined for greater things. The pack around him always responded to his lead and never let him down.

Although personnel changed occasionally the desire did not and everyone should be proud of their efforts, particularly the year young props Rory Davies and Archie Connolly.

were as deceptive as they were devastating.

The tackling was, as ever, awesome and to single out many would be wrong although I know of a couple of wingers who would single out Ollie Williams-Bulkeley!

A very enjoyable season but a few lessons need to be learnt – keep practising, as you are always likely to come across a bigger, better more skilful team and if you don’t – you should want to.

Team: Fergus Connolly (Capt), Harry Jenkinson, Toby Mason, Charlie England, Harrison Millington, Leo Sartain, Stamos Fearnall, Edward Stanton, Edward Dolphin, Oliver Willaims-Bulkeley, Anto Woodhead, Ollie Tennant, Harry Schofield, Archie Connolly, Freddie Beharrell, Rory Davies. DR

In the backs the darting runs of Millington, Mason, England, Woodhead and Tennant were always a joy to behold and the longer forays of Jenkinson and Williams-Bulkeley

Under 11B XII Played 8 Won 6 Lost 2 For 290 Against 81 v Bromsgrove U10A v Winterfold v Kingsland Grange A v Prestfelde v Birchfield A v St Mary’s Hall v Ellesmere A v Yarlet A

(A) (H) (H) (H) (A) (H) (H) (H)

Lost Won Won Won Won Won Lost Won

28 - 31 50 - 0 28 - 12 55 - 5 19 - 14 54 - 5 7 - 14 49 - 0

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way.’

Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens It was our best season (we defeated three A sides), it was our worst season (we lost to two). The ‘thundering threes’ stole ball, blitzed opposition possession and dominated every line out and scrum. The ‘flashy fours’ whizzed through defences and danced their way to the try line. Beard-y and Scho-y added points with their boots with pinpoint accuracy.

Two moments in particular will stay in memories long after the last sock has been retrieved from the washing machine and the last plate from match tea has dried in the rack.

The first was in the very first minute of our first match. We had pitched up to

Bromsgrove, a long bus journey, to face an unbeaten and well fancied A-side at the end of their rugby season. We kept them waiting, and waiting, and waiting and finally emerged from the changing rooms, walking slowly, in silence onto their cauldron-like pitch.

Our captain won the toss and elected to kick off. The ball flew, Fielding ran so fast he almost caught it, seconds later the steamrollers arrived, the ball emerged from the back of the ruck and a few seconds later Cameron had carried it over the whitewash to the disbelief of the Bromsgrove faithful. Thirty-nine minutes later we went into half-time 21-0 ahead.

The second was a moment of individual guts and determination. Another away fixture, another A-side, this time Birchfield, the bulldozers had done their job, Archie ‘threenames’ had sat on a few people and I’m sure Fearnall and Marques had eaten a couple. We were ahead and just needed to close out the game. The clock was ticking, surely it must be time, and surely we were deserved winners?

But no, Birchfield were deep in our territory and were awarded a scrum. With the game in the balance the bulldozers made one last surge, the ball rolled out of the back of the scrum, the scrum half popped it back to the full-back and Captain Oliver ‘Trenchard’

Tennant. There he stood a metre behind his own goal line. He had to make an instant decision, kick/run/ground-the-ball. He chose to …. Ah, at this stage I should declare my philosophy of Colts Rugby: 1) The forwards’ job is to win the ball and get it back when the backs have lost it, 2) The backs’ job is to score tries and try not to lose the ball, 3) It is everybody’s job to tackle, 4) Nobody kicks the ball, ever, ever…… He ran. He ran from behind his own goal line, zigging and zagging in full ‘Tento’ style carrying the ball safely into the opponent’s half. The whistle blew, the game was won, the Captain was nine foot tall and Mr Weston had lost his voice for a week.

Team: Oliver Tennant (Capt), Harry Schofield, Leo Sartain, Archie Fetherstonhaugh, Jamie Moir, Robert Waterhouse, Alfie Grocott, Stamos Fearnall, Thomas Marques, Anto Woodhead, Barney Preece, Edward Stubbs, Jonty Schofield, Edward Beard, Cameron McDonald, Freddie Fielding. NW Page 59

S P O R T: R U G B Y

Under 11 C XII Played 6 Won 6 For 222 Against 47 v Moor Park B v Bromsgrove B v Winterfold v Abberley v Birchfield v St Mary’s Hall

(A) (A) (H) (A) (H) (H)

Won Won Won Won Won Won

62 - 0 19 - 5 38 - 0 29 - 22 20 - 15 54 - 5

In some ways this was one of the best seasons I can remember. Not because we won all our matches, but because of the manner in which we won, and the teams we were able to beat.

As you can see from the results, the season started with a very good win over Moor Park B team. Considering we had only been training for a couple of sessions the result was fantastic - to quote an old master, it was champagne rugby. The forwards won us great ball, and the backs whizzed it down the line for some

terrific tries. Next up was Bromsgrove Under 11 B team. They were huge and a year older than most of our team. In the first few minutes I thought we were going to get a real mauling, however the boys dug deep, their tackling was immense, and so brave, and the forwards got on top because of better technical skills. The victory was so pleasing, and the boys knew they had performed to a very high standard.

After an easy win over Winterfold came Abberley. When I first started at Packwood, this was the match of the season. Usually we lost, but it set us up for the rest of the season.

For the last couple of years, this fixture has been hugely one-sided in our favour and so it was good to have such a competitive match.

As with the Bromsgrove game, they were much bigger, and again looked as though they would steamroller us, but not this team. The pride and passion in the boys kept us in the

game, and a couple of fantastic individual tries meant we scraped a win.

For our next game against Birchfield we put out an under 10 team against their Under 10 A side. This was another great match with both teams looking as though they would come out on top. A draw would probably have been a fair result for both teams, but I won’t complain too much about a close win. The final match of the season saw us spread our wings, and record an easy victory over St Mary’s Hall.

A great season - well done boys, you did yourselves proud.

Squad: Joseph Davies (Capt), Charlie Cooke, Thomas Tulloch, Jacob Rand, Edward Graves, Bentley Moss, Bertie Jenkinson, Louis Martin, Scott Hatton, Eddie Thomson, Tom Baxter, Jonty Hall, Henry Oak, Andrew Tudor, Edward Myddelton, Timmy Robinson-Boulton. SAR

Under 11 D XII Played 1 Won 1 v Bromsgrove

(A)

Won

12 - 10

The Under 11D team played only one match, but it resulted in a nail-biting victory reminiscent of the film Match Point: would Eddie Thomson's conversion drop kick teeter over the bar or not? In the event it hit the cross bar gently, took an upward diversion, landed back on the bar before sliding gently on the correct, ‘Packwood’ side. The match was a pulsating and unusually fluid encounter, with this heart-stopping kick giving us a 12-10 victory. Although this was a team effort, there

were some incisive breaks by some of the backs, Eddie Thomson in particular; Freddie Houlker at full back pulled off more than one try-saving tackle; Patrick Haszard captained his team with commitment and his normal trademark smile.

There may have been only one match, but Mr Rigby and I were constantly impressed by the keenness and talent showed by so many in the practice sessions.

Team: Patrick Haszard (Capt), Freddie Houlker, Edward Myddelton, Patrick Ashall, Jonty Hall, Keishi Oyama, Eddie Thomson, Chan Kathuria, Louis Martin, Guy Morris, Thomas Tulloch, Daishi Suzuki. OJL

Under 9A Played 7 Won 7 For 190 Against 20 v Terra Nova v Prestfelde v Birchfield v St Mary’s Hall v Abberley

(H) (A) (H) (H) (H)

Won Won Won Won Won

35 - 0 20 - 0 40 - 0 40 - 5 20 - 5

Won Won

10 - 0 25 - 10

Birchfield Tournament v Prestfelde v Birchfield

The Under 9 A team had another unbeaten season. However, even more pleasing than the results achieved, was to see the way they played their rugby. We were very lucky to have a group of talented ball players who were able to pass and handle the ball with a skill that belied their years. Many sides at this level rely on strong direct runners, with passing coming as a final resort! The Packwood team moved the ball wide with a speed that put our runners into space, the results of this can be seen in the large number of points the boys amassed this season. Very well done to all those involved.

The forwards produced a good supply of ball,

Page 60

and the rucking skills of the pack dramatically improved as the season progressed. Scoring points is all very well, but not conceding them is equally important! Early practice games were ending with high scores, but as the tackling became technically better and more aggressive, tries became a rarity. It is a testimony to the team’s defence that only four tries were conceded in the entire season.

David Schofield and Daniel Humes were our half-back combination whilst Archie Waterworth and Nick Yeoward made a well balanced pair of centres. Jack Humphreys and Wil Millington were our speedy and hard tackling wings. The forward duties were shared between Robert Ford, Jude Bedford, Scott Walker and Sam Bayliss – some of the latter’s tackling had to be seen to be believed!

Sadly the season did not really test the players.

After three early season wins against local opponents we awaited the arrival of St Mary’s Hall with interest, however we once again proved too strong and won by eight tries to one. The Abberley game saw three of our better players unavailable through illness but

our stand-ins did us proud and we again ran out comfortable winners. The triangular tournament saw us play again against Prestfelde and Birchfield. The small pitches did not help our style – even so two victories provided an excellent finale to the season.

There is no doubt the future of Packwood rugby is bright, and I look forward with great interest to following the progress of this year’s under 9 squad.

Team: David Schofield (Capt), Daniel Humes, Archie Waterworth, Nick Yeoward, Jack Humpreys, Wil Millington, Robert Ford, Jude Bedford, Scott Walker and Sam Bayliss. IRW

S P O R T: R U G B Y

Under 9B This season proved Played 3 Won 2 Drawn 1 that once again For 80 Against 35 Packwood has plenty v Terra Nova (H) Drawn 15 -15 of strength in depth in v St Mary’s Hall (H) Won 35 - 15 the Under 9 age v Abberley (H) Won 30 - 5 groups. What makes the Under 9 B results so impressive is that we played our matches with half the team drawn from the Form 6 classes. The basis for our success was that our forwards won decent ball from rucks and mauls for the scrum-half to use effectively.

Ned Warburton-Lee was excellent at running straight and hard at the opposition, supported very well by Felix Jebb and Marcus Woodhead driving over the ball. Gabe Connolly proved to be a very effective scrum-half with his decisions on when to pass and when to run with the ball improving during the course of the season. Linden Grigg played in a few positions in the backs and was probably most effective as an inside

centre. He proved to be our top try scorer and scored some memorable tries in all the matches. Linden scored the try of the season when Jamie Channon provided a perfectly timed switch pass which sent the opposition completely the wrong way and allowed Linden to run the length of the field to score in the corner.

The area of the game which improved most significantly during the season was our defence. In our early games we were a little prone to concede tries by a missed tackle or because the boys were not pushing up quickly enough when the opposition had the ball. By the end of the season it was great to see crunching tackles going in from all members of the squad. I wish all the boys well going up into the Under 10 and 11 teams. Well done!

Team: Charlie Jackson(Capt), Linden Grigg, Jamie Channon, Zak Nicholas, Frank Morris, William Holcroft, Ned Warburton-Lee, Marcus Woodhead, Felix Jebb, Johnnie Peel, Gabe Connolly and Ali Davies. PJP

1st VII For the second year in succession Packwood had an exceptionally talented VIIs squad. The players won three tournaments, were runners up in another and lost in the semi-final, to the eventual winners, at Moulsford. Our only disappointing performance was in the Nationals – more on that later!

At St Mary’s Hall we were drawn in a strong pool. The side played extremely well, although a narrow loss to Caldicott had left us needing to win our last group game to progress to the semi-final. An outstanding performance, resulting in a win by 20 points saw us move through as group winners. The semi-final was a hard fought battle with Sedbergh but Packwood came from behind and scored a try late in the secondhalf to seal a victory. Sadly we never got into our stride in the final, and defeat by the Oratory left us with the runners–up medals – not a bad start to the season.

The following Sunday we travelled to Oxfordshire for the Moulsford Tournament. It was a beautiful sunny day, the venue was spectacular and the tournament superbly organised. All that was needed was some good sevens! Once again, after losing in the group to our hosts, we had to win our final group match to reach the knockout stages. In one of our best performances of the season we beat the pre-tournament favourites, The Downs, by four scores to one. In the semi-final we lost relatively easily to Farleigh House, who went on to win the cup.

The next tournament of the season was the following Wednesday in North Yorkshire. After a relaxing night at the Premier Inn, Leeds East, we arrived in good spirits for the 24 school competition at Terrington Hall. It was another first rate occasion, and it was clear from the outset that the boys were in very good form. In the group stages we played consistently well, a fact reflected in the tally of 145 points for and 5 against in winning our section. The semi-final was also a comfortable victory, Red House had no answer to our skill and pace and we ran out winners by 45-7. The final, against a large Pocklington side started disastrously – 14-0 down in the first two minutes! After that the tide turned and we played some first class sevens to win by 24 -14 to capture our first trophy of the season.

We were in confident mood for our own tournament on the Saturday.

We sailed through our group and then had a relatively easy victory in the quarter-final. The semi-final, however, was a bruising encounter against Sedbergh. After building up a good lead we ended up hanging on and were grateful to hear the final whistle! The final, against Adams Grammar, was a repeat of the previous tournament. We went two scores down but then played some brilliant rugby to retain the Packwood Trophy.

The next tournament was at Ellesmere. We were drawn in a tough group and didn’t really perform to our potential. We lost narrowly to

Sedbergh in our group, and hence went through to the quarter-final against Ellesmere – the winners of their group. Again we were not at our best and only just scraped through with two tries in the final minutes.

We nearly gave away a big lead in the semi-final, but clung on to earn a place in the final. Here we met St Mary’s Hall. It was an open game in which the lead changed hands several times but our greater pace told in the end and we eventually won by two scores.

Thus we headed off to Rosslyn Park in good heart, in the knowledge that all our team were fit and we had the confidence of winning tournaments. It came as a great disappointment to all that after winning our first two group games, we lost to St John’s, Cambridge – after leading 10-0 at half-time. Excuses could be made, but in truth we just did not play to our potential. It was ironic that the eventual winners were the side we had beaten by 24-7 at Moulsford! Nevertheless we had a good couple of days, and could reflect that it had been an excellent season.

Squad: William Mackereth (Capt), Toby Harvey-Scholes, Brooke Lovegrove-Fielden, Andrew Jackson, George Beard, Ollie Brown, William Waterworth, Charlie Marques, Harry Tomkinson, Johnny Woodhead. IRW

Tournaments St Mary’s Hall Moulsford Terrington Hall Packwood Ellesmere Rosslyn Park

Runners-up Semi-finalists Winners Winners Winners 2nd in group

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S P O R T: R U G B Y

2nd VII Despite some very unpromising weather on our arrival, the St Mary’s Hall tournament was eventually played in good conditions. After losing two group games - though only by the odd score in the last one against St Olave’s, having led at half-time - we progressed to the Plate competition in which we began to show just what we could do. In a thrilling game against Oratory in the semi-final, we moved the ball well and ran purposefully, managing to book our place in the final against a very confident Sedbergh side by three scores to one. Despite conceding an early score in the final, we played our best sevens of the afternoon and defended superbly to secure a three tries to one victory.

In the Packwood tournament as a B team, we looked to have a very tough afternoon ahead of us in the group, and so it proved. Despite an excellent performance against Sedbergh in the first game of the afternoon in which we were in front until two late tries sealed victory for the opposition, our next two group games produced resounding defeats – one against the eventual finalists – and our afternoon was

over. Hopefully, the youngsters in the side will have gained some vital experience for next year’s sevens campaign.

Tournaments St Mary’s Hall

Squad: Jamie Humes, Peregrine Beckett, Jake Samuel, Packwood Freddie Earlam, Huw Wheeler, Ross Lloyd, Henry Don, Monty Curran, Will Schofield, Charlie White, George Beard. KJW

Plate winners 4th in group

Under 11 VII Tournaments Terra Nova Packwood Moulsford Oratory

Winners Runners-up Plate Runners-up Semi-finalists

Another rousing year of sevens with plenty of success and plenty of food for thought. The Terra Nova tournament was won at a canter not always a good thing. The Packwood tournament saw some outstanding play where the team found themselves in the group of death. Winchester House conceded 36 points in a brilliant display of attacking sevens. In the quarter-final Kirkham Grammar hardly got the ball, and then came one of the highlights of the season when the team defeated the always fancied Moulsford 28-14. In the final, the team worked two wonderful tries, but unfortunately a better St Olaves team scored more.

Moulsford was a tournament that taught the boys lots; although ultimately frustrating and not the luckiest of days, the way the boys played earned them an invitation to the Oratory tournament. We returned the hosts generosity by scoring four tries in the 1st half against them thereby knocking them out of their own tournament - after they had won the

Moulsford one! This sums up the season. On their day, the boys were very, very good - but often could not quite fight back. Momentum is huge, belief and experience of close matches is quite another thing and one that needs to be worked on. The usual suspects of Connolly, Jenkinson, Mason and Millington were often awesome but, as invariably happens with Sevens, others start to shine in the space with the opportunity to think more. Anto Woodhead and Edward Dolphin improved every game and were vital to the team’s success.

Squad: Fergus Connolly, Harry Jenkinson, Toby Mason, Harrison Millington, Anto Woodhead, Edward Dolphin, Oliver Tennant, Edward Stanton, Charlie England. DR

Under 10 IX The Under 10s enjoyed their much Tournaments deserved success. To win the Birchfield Birchfield Winners tournament has become the norm, Shrewsbury Winners however the team have never before won at Shrewsbury. The fact that they did this year, and coped well with the confines of the pitch and the Page 62

limited laws, bodes very well for the future. This group of boys will provide the nucleus for another very successful team as they progress up the school, particularly Rory Davies, Freddie Beharrell, Archie Connolly, Jonty Schofield and many, many more. The depth is as impressive as the peaks. DR

S P O R T: H O C K E Y

Hockey 1st XI Played 6 Won 3 Drawn 0 Lost 3 For 15 Against 26 v Moreton Hall v Bromsgrove School v Denstone College v Foremarke Hall v Ellesmere College v Moreton Hall

(A) (A) (H) (H) (H) (H)

Moreton Hall Tournament

Won Lost Lost Lost Won Won

2-1 0 - 11 4-5 2-6 5-2 2-1

Third

Bromsgrove School Tournament Quarter-finals Packwood Haugh Tournament Runner-up Terra Nova Tournament

Third

Looking at the statistics it is clear that we didn’t play many fixtures this season - the unfortunate winter weather meant many were cancelled. Couple this with only two remaining senior players and the arrival of the young guns up from the Under 11 game...this season was going to be a challenge for all concerned. From the outset we billed this as a ‘development’ year. We had a few rough diamonds in the form of Immy Hill, Charlotte Greenway and Tira Brown. With a little polishing these three formed the crux of our team and they later made their mark on the county stage. Jess Bibby, captain, rallied her troops well. Indeed if this season was judged upon enthusiasm alone they’d have gained top marks. What was to follow was a major learning curve for all.

Our first match saw us take on Moreton Hall in a coaching game.

We won 2-1 but it was clear we had to work on our positioning or a better team would simply tear us apart.

Indeed, this became reality against a very well drilled Bromsgrove side. We lost 0-11 and it could have been far worse had it not been for the heroics of Laura Cooke in goal. Denstone College were to follow. We’d taken a beating from them in previous years so this was going to be a good test. We looked more at ease in our positional play and responsibility and we actually started to put together some good through balls. Tira Brown learnt the art of taking players on and Millie Powell worked her diagonals well. We lost at 4-5, but this was a much more respectable performance.

Foremarke Hall came next, always our nemesis; the final scoreline didn’t reflect the play and I was pleased with the back line of Bibby, Price and Wade-Smith. The Ellesmere game saw us claim our second win. Finally we looked a well drilled team and one which suddenly had belief in itself. Next we entered the Bromsgrove Tournament and we made it through the group stages only to meet Bromsgrove at the quarter-final stage.

We had a score to settle and this was to be a test of how far we had improved. We lost 1-2, but we gave them a real scare and we left with much more respect for us than in our previous meeting. Our last match saw us take on Moreton Hall. A close encounter at the start of the season meant we still had much to do. We dominated from the outset and ran home comfortable winners.

This was a rollercoaster season, but there is undoubtedly some real talent in the team.

The best thing is that almost the entire squad remain for another season. I wish them the very best of luck.

Team: Jess Bibby *(Capt), Laura Cooke, Cecy Price, Olivia Wade-Smith, Charlotte Greenway*, Josie Mason, Sophie Tennant, Millie Powell, Daisy Raichura, Immy Hill *, Ella Edwards, Bella Shanagher, Tira Brown. KLP

2nd XI overall, they managed to score more goals than they conceded.

Played 7 Won 3 Drawn 0 Lost 4 For 22 Against 18 v Denstone v Foremarke v Bromsgrove v Moreton Hall v Ellesmere v Moor Park (U13 B) v Moor Park (2nds)

(H) (A) (A) (H) (H) (H) (H)

Won Lost Lost Won Won Lost Lost

8-0 0-6 0-3 5-0 5-0 1-3 3-6

Several girls had the chance to represent the 2nds this year as the 7-a-side line up was not always the same. The most regular players It was an unusual season for the 2nds in included Bella Hockey this year. They either lost or won to nil Shanagher, growing in scored, except for their matches against Moor confidence as captain Park. It was a steep learning curve for the girls and in goal, ably as most of them were still in the penultimate supported in defence year and played against girls who were usually and midfield by Tilly older than themselves. Nevertheless they Cooper, Daisy Raichura, Cecy Price and Olivia Wade-Smith. Also playing tirelessly on the acquitted themselves well and never gave up wings were Josie Mason and Sophie Tennant, topped off by Tatty Hunt keenly contributing as battling for the ball even when losing. They centre forward. This season was seen in some respects as one of consolidation to prepare played a variety of strength of sides and many of the girls to play in the first team next year, although it was a positive season in its own achieved comfortable wins against Denstone, right as well.

Moreton Hall and Ellesmere. However, Foremarke, Bromsgrove and Moor Park posed Team: Bella Shanagher (Capt), Tilly Cooper, Daisy Raichura, Cecy Price, Olivia Wade-Smith, Josie Mason,Sophie Tennant, Tatty Hunt, Josie Hall, Emelia Lavender, Poppy Beckett, more formidable opposition. I still think they Daniella Hatton. GW learned from the experience and in the end, Page 63

S P O R T: H O C K E Y

3rd and 4th Teams 3rd Team Played 2 Won 0 Drawn 0 Lost 2 For 0 Against 11 v Foremarke v Bromsgrove

(A) (H)

Lost Lost

5-0 0-6

4th Team Played 1 Won 0 Drawn 0 Lost 1 For 0 Against 9 v Bromsgrove

(H)

Lost

0-9

The opposition the 3rds and 4ths played against during the hockey season was very strong indeed. However, it gave the chance for every girl in the 1s and 2s to play in a match. Despite the score lines the teams got a lot out of participating in the matches and hopefully enjoyed the experience and learned something from it.

3rd team: Rosie Shone, Tansie Massey, Daniella Hatton, Lucy Simpson, Emelia Lavender, Harrison Steeple, Ines Sanguino, Olivia Annan, Josie Hall, Poppy Beckett.

4th team: Islay Stacey, Nicole Ashall, Katie Angus, Ana Garcia, Ianthe Bathurst, Emily Ford, Kinvara Gladstone. GW

Under 11 It is fair to say that I Under 11A had high hopes for Played 5 Won 2 Drawn 0 Lost 3 success this season.

For 12 Against 14 Every so often you v Bromsgrove (A) Lost 1-3 get a year group that v Moreton Hall (H) Won 6 -0 promises much for v Ellesmere (H) Won 2 - 0 the future and I was v Moor Park (H) Lost 2-3 all too aware of the v Lyndon Prep (A) Lost 1-8 abundance of talent Foremarke Tournament 3rd that as individuals, these players Bromsgrove Tournament 3rd in group possessed. Sadly, Under 11B this season proved to Played 2 Won 0 Drawn 1 Lost 1 be one where the For 2 Against 3 promise shown in training never really v Foremarke (A) Drawn 1 - 1 materialised in v Bromsgrove (A) Lost 1-2 match situations.

When you look at the statistics above you see that it was a season of mixed fortunes. The results show that apart from the win against Moreton Hall and the painful defeat at the hands of Lyndon Prep, there were some very close encounters.

At the beginning of the season it was a steep learning curve for us and unfortunately this was when we played one of our strongest opponents, Bromsgrove. However, even when we were up against it we still tried to play our best. The game against Moor Park was more closely matched and the result could have gone either way. After this we hit a winning streak and appeared more confident as individuals and as a team. We also started scoring goals, playing more fluently in midfield and saving goals in defence. This facilitated wins against Moreton Hall and Ellesmere. The final fixture against Lyndon Prep was an unfortunate end to the season. Perhaps overconfident from the previous successful matches or simply outplayed by a far superior team, we put in a disappointing performance which resulted in a painful 8-1 defeat and an unhappy end to the season.

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The team was not without skill or determination and the statistics don’t offer a true reflection on how talented some of this year’s players are. Whilst the results were not as good as in previous years, it should not detract from what was still an enjoyable season. Despite the disappointments, confusion and frustration, this year’s U11s were an enthusiastic group who practised hard and tried their best in the matches they were selected for. The girls did try to consolidate their skills and towards the end of the season were becoming more comfortable together as a squad. I have enjoyed coaching the U11s a great deal and I hope they continue to develop their potential next year.

Team: Evie Clutton, Antonia Brine, Jessica Clarke, Francesca Hughes, Holly Shaw, Charlotte Edwards, Antonia Wordie, Mary Plowden, Ceri Lloyd, Dorothy Holt, Anna Dodd, Camilla Harvey-Scholes, Poppy Raichura, Mollie Jamieson, Thea Holt-Smith, Maddie Hall, Saskia Humphreys, Alex Angus, Charlotte Dixon, Sophie Mason. LW

S P O R T: H O C K E Y

Under 10 The members of the Under 10A Under 10A hockey Played 5 Won 2 Drawn 0 Lost 3 team have worked For 5 Against 9 extremely hard this v Foremarke (A) Lost 0-6 season and their play v Terra Nova (H) Won 4-0 has improved v Ellesmere College (H) Won 1-0 enormously v Moor Park (H) Lost 0-2 throughout the hockey v Lyndon Prep (A) Lost 0-1 term. They started the season early in the term with a difficult match against Foremarke. However, this did not stop the girls’ drive to want to go back out on the hockey pitch and do better next time. This is indeed what they did in their matches against Terra Nova and Ellesmere College. The girls had practised ball skills over and over again during games lessons and had played many practice matches. Their hard work paid off and they enjoyed two satisfying wins. Towards the end of the season the girls had really stepped up their game play. They were moving the ball around the hockey pitch well and were working together as a team.

The last two matches proved to be very tough games but this does not mean they did not play well. I believe the match again Lyndon Prep was the toughest match of the season with the girls playing some of the best hockey they had played all term. It was close throughout the match and both teams desperately wanted to win. Throughout the game the ball was hit towards the goal at speed time after time which was difficult to watch for anxious spectators, not to mention myself who was trying to umpire as well! However, Lyndon Prep’s defence had the goal covered at all times and unfortunately the ball never managed to hit the back of the goal. The girls have played extremely well throughout the season and should be proud of themselves.

Well done girls! CH Unfortunately the Under 10B under 10B team only Played 1 Won 0 Drawn 1 Lost 0 got to play one match For 0 Against 0 this season but this v Terra Nova (H) Drawn 0-0 did not stop the girls’ determination to play their hardest for this one and only match. During this important match the girls were passing the ball around the pitch well and moving with the ball very quickly past their opposition. It was a close game with both teams determined to win. Olivia Katab’s consistently good defending proved to be too much for Terra Nova whose attackers could not get the ball past her to the goal. However, despite our girls hitting the ball time after time to goal they did not manage to score either. This was an exciting game to watch and the girls should be proud of themselves. It has been a pleasure to coach the Under 10 teams this year. Well done girls on a much improved term!

Squad: Ce-Ce Whittingham, Olivia Hughes, Jemima Price, Beatrice Mostyn-Owen, Cassie Bedford, Ella Downey, Florence Wade-Smith, Tia Barlow, Tara Beasley, Olivia Katab, Sacha Robertson, Emily Cooper, Harriet Bibby CH

Under 9 The Under 9s began this season as a motley bunch - some of whom had never even grasped a hockey stick before. From the outset every single player showed a determination to master the skills. I saw improvement at every training session and their enthusiasm never waned even on the coldest of days.

In competition they were keen and determined, never giving up and developing more as a team with every game. Antonia Barlow-Evans was steady and strong in goal and Laura Whittingham played an excellent sweeper. Sophia Price and Ellie Hutchings were solid in midfield, passing the ball to our rotational forward pack of Alice Shone, Amelia Tennant, Millie Shaw and Beth Cooper.

Squad: Rosie Clarke, Beth Cooper, Ellie Hutchings, Flora Moreau, Sophia Price, Alice Shone, Amelia Tennant, Antonia Barlow-Evans, Eliza Beckett, Molly Bruce, Amber Gibbins, India Holt, Annie Livermore, Millie Shaw, Pip Vickers, Laura Whittingham, Lottie Hill-Trevor, Ellie Mason. KK Played 2 Won 0 Drawn 0 Lost 2 For 2 Against 8 v Lyndon Prep v Abberley Hall

(A) (A)

Lost Lost

0-5 2-3

By the end of the season the girls’ stickwork had developed considerably. I was proud to coach this excitable bunch of players and I wish them the best of luck next season.

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S P O R T: N E T B A L L

Netball 1st VII What a fantastic Played 8 Won 7 Drawn 0 Lost 1 season! What a For 137 Against 74 terrific team! Rarely v Foremarke (H) Won 16 - 13 have I enjoyed a v Shrewsbury High School (A) Won 14 - 8 netball season as v Bromsgrove (H) Lost 20 - 28 much as I have this v Moor Park (A) Won 28 - 7 one. This excellent v Prestfelde (A) Won 28 - 0 team, full of energy v Shrewsbury Netball Club (H) Won 12 - 7 and enthusiasm, v Wrekin (A) Won 10 - 7 thoroughly deserved v Terra Nova (A) Won 9 - 4 their (almost!)

Sedbergh Tournament 4th unbeaten record.

For the first time in a Shropshire U13 County Tournament 2nd number of seasons I had the magic combination of dedicated, skilled players who all shared the most wonderful team spirit. When you look at the results it is evident that this was an outstanding team who enjoyed a very positive and successful season. When all present and correct and fully fit, we outplayed every opposition, with the one and only defeat coming at the hands of Bromsgrove who were able to exploit the key absences in our defence.

The biggest events of the season are always the two tournaments we enter, The Sedbergh Invitational Netball Festival and the U13 Shropshire County Netball Tournament. The small tour we enjoy to Sedbergh in October provides a pre-season challenge and gives me the opportunity to define the coming season’s first team selection. Sadly, this year was to prove a disappointment and expectations were most certainly not met. So, back to the drawing board for me and by the time we took to the courts for the County Tournament, we had got it right! As their coach I couldn’t have been more proud to congratulate them on coming runners up in such a prestigious event.

The rest of the season saw us enjoy many well deserved victories, but the highlight of the season, without question, was the incredible win over Shrewsbury High School. The one victory that has always eluded us and this time we did it! The celebrations were euphoric! Coming in

close behind however, were the victories over fierce competitors Foremarke and the County Champions, Wrekin College.

Josie Hall has been a fine 1st team captain. She has guided her team with maturity and has supported them through an incredible season.

Congratulations must be also be extended to four young ladies who were selected this June to attend the Shropshire County Satellite Academy next season. Josie Hall, Tira Brown, Immy Hill and Charlotte Greenway have all been recognised as talented athletes by a panel of highly experienced Shropshire and regional netball coaches.

It is with great sadness that I bid farewell to this year’s 1st VII. This is the end of a long and happy journey with many of them and I sincerely thank them for all they have given over the years. This season has been rewarding and exhilarating for both the team and myself. We have shared some disappointments but even better some thrilling successes and the best part is that they were all experienced with huge grins on our faces! I will always remember the laughter, girls and I wish you all the very best for your futures. My final, parting words to this season’s 1st VII, “Awesome girls, amazing season, wicked fun!”

Team: Josie Hall* (Capt), Poppy Beckett*, Josie Mason*, Charlotte Greenway, Tira Brown, Ella Edwards*, Immy Hill, Rada Kathuria*, Sophie Tennant*. LW

2nd VII Played 7 Won 3 Drawn 0 Lost 4 For 55 Against 68 v Foremarke v Shrewsbury High School v Bromsgrove v Moor Park v Prestfelde v Wrekin v Terra Nova 1sts

(H) (A) (H) (A) (A) (A) (A)

Won Lost Lost Won Won Lost Lost

8-5 9 - 11 2 - 17 8-5 25 - 3 2 - 19 1-8

Packwood U12 Tournament Winners

The 2nds had a very mixed netball season with some pleasing results and some disappointing losses. They started the season well with a good victory over Foremarke, then lost narrowly to Shrewsbury High. Unfortunately the girls didn’t play their best at Bromsgrove, but then had pleasing wins over Moor Park and Prestfelde. After that they played a very strong Wrekin side, followed by a match against Terra Nova 1st team, both of which ended in defeat. However, the highlight of the Page 66

U12 season was the success in the Packwood tournament achieved by winning every match they played. Well done girls!

The 2nds squad was mainly made up of a nucleus of nine players who tried hard to improve their game during the term. Bella Shanagher, Laura Cooke and Cecy Price worked with commitment in defence. Daisy Raichura, Tatty Hunt and Jessica Bibby played enthusiastically to try and control the ball in the centre court area and to feed it to the eager shooters of Tilly Cooper, Daniella Hatton and Lucy Simpson. Also, most of the girls had the chance to be captain at some point during the

term. All in all it was a productive season during which the girls learnt a lot.

Team: Laura Cooke, Bella Shanagher, Cecy Price, Daisy Raichura, Jessica Bibby, Tatty Hunt, Tilly Cooper, Daniella Hatton, Lucy Simpson, Tansie Massey, Ines Sanguino GW

S P O R T: N E T B A L L

3rd VII Played 5 Won 3 Drawn 0 Lost 2 For 55 Against 33 v Foremarke v Shrewsbury High School v Bromsgrove v Wrekin v Terra Nova

(H) (A) (H) (A) (A)

Won Lost Lost Won Won

9-2 2 - 12 5 - 13 16 - 2 21 - 4

When you look at the statistics above, it is evident that this was a team with potential who enjoyed a very positive and successful season. I am particularly impressed with the number of goals they scored, a reflection of how the strict code of practice expected of the shooters is paying off and what a fantastic impact the partnership between Olivia WadeSmith and Rosie Shone had on the team’s performances.

The ‘mighty thirds’ may only have played a small number of games but those they did saw them play some fantastic netball and there were some exceptional performances. Many of the girls have natural talent and some possess the ability to play in more than one

position. Ines Sanguino, despite having never played netball before was incredible. Drawing on her basketball skills she dominated the court whether playing in attack or defence and truly deserved the recognition she was awarded at the end of the spring term.

As a squad they improved a great deal as the season progressed and coped well with the changes in personnel and positions, approaching each game with a determined smile. They trained very hard and had a good team spirit even when things were going against them.

Whatever the result the girls have enjoyed their netball and they have been a pleasure to coach. This has been a great season for the 3rd

VII team and I hope they are as proud as I am of all their achievements.

Team: Olivia Wade-Smith, Rosie Shone, Emelia Lavender, Islay Stacey, Millie Powell, Ines Sanguino, Ana Garcia, Tansie Massey.

LW

4th VII The 4ths didn’t have many matches but the opposition they played against was good.

However, the girls made pleasing progress during the term and they began to gel as a team.

It was good to see them enjoying their matches and representing the school.

Played 2 Won 0 Drawn 0 Lost 2 For 7 Against 30 v Bromsgrove v Wrekin

(H) (A)

Lost Lost

4 - 20 3 - 10

Team: Olivia Annan (Capt), Nicole Ashall, Katie Angus, Ianthe Bathurst, Emily Ford, Kinvara Gladstone, Georgina Thurston GW

Under 11A The U11A players have had a particularly successful season with only one defeat out of five fixtures, and an excellent St Anselm’s tournament where they finished runners-up on goal difference.

Played 5 Won 4 Drawn 0 Lost 1 For 56 Against 42 v Foremarke v Prestfelde v Old Hall v Terra Nova v Shrewsbury High School

(H) (H) (A) (A) (A)

Won Won Lost Won Won

13 - 8 12 - 7 8 - 14 11- 3 12 - 10

Prestfelde Tournament Quarter-finals St Anselm’s Tournament Runners-up

At the beginning of term we had a really good win over Foremarke who proved tough opposition from the start but with top quality shooting and play from all the girls we won by five goals. This gave the team a real confidence boost and was a great start to the season. Next up was Prestfelde who brought along a strong side, but with some slick shooting moves from our wonderful shooting duo of Antonia Wordie and Charlotte Edwards we took the game away. Francesca Hughes worked hard against their very strong goal attack with plenty of pressure in defence backed up by the ever reliable Ceri Lloyd. Despite our best efforts we couldn’t keep up our winning streak, with a loss away at Old Hall. Their shooting was just on better form than ours. It was goal for goal at one point but even despite some feisty centre-court battling their shots were on target and ours were not. However, we picked ourselves up and travelled to Terra Nova securing an impressive victory. This was a good opportunity to try out some different combinations in preparation for the tournaments coming up.

First was the Prestfelde tournament where we played very well, but

with six-minute matches anything can happen and we lost out to Castle House in the quarter-finals, 3-2. However throughout the day the girls played some fine netball and we took a confident team on to the St Anselm’s tournament. This was a great day out with plenty of supportive parents cheering us on. Packwood went out strong and started as they meant to go on, with some performances that made other schools fearful. We played eight matches and drew only one, to the eventual winners St Anselm’s themselves.

Anna Dodd’s hard work in games lessons earned her a place on the squad in defence that day and she played well and didn’t disappoint.

Our shooting, defending and neat linkage up the court was really shown off and after some exceptional netball from all the girls we eventually lost first place to St Anselm’s on goal difference, but took our second place medals with sportsmanship and pride. Well done girls, you worked extremely hard and made great progress, it has been a pleasure to coach such an enthusiastic bunch!

Good luck next year.

Team: Antonia Wordie, Charlotte Edwards, Maddy Hall, Holly Shaw, Milla Harvey-Scholes, Francesca Hughes, Ceri Lloyd, Jessica Clarke, Anna Dodd SM Page 67

S P O R T: N E T B A L L

Under 11B The U11Bs are a strong Played 4 Won 4 Drawn 0 Lost 0 force to be reckoned For 50 Against 25 with! I was so pleased v Ellesmere (A) Won 11 - 5 to have such an v Prestfelde (A) Won 7 - 4 enthusiastic and able v Shrewsbury High School (A) Won 13 - 10 squad this year, they (A) Won 19 - 6 worked hard and fought v Old Hall for the positions they wanted and played some brilliant matches against tough opposition.

shooting, with the help of Dot Holt and Anna Dodd everyone played and supported each other 100% which earned us a good, hard fought win. And finally we ended with a triumphant victory over Old Hall. Mentions must go to Mollie Jamieson who received player of the match for her interceptions and hard work and also the shooting from Thea Holt-Smith and Antonia Brine - some excellent moves in the shooting circle secured plenty of goals from each of them. The whole team worked the ball beautifully up court and it was fantastic to watch. Well done for all your hard work girls and good luck for next year

Starting off with two wins against Ellesmere and Prestfelde showed what a talented squad we had from the start. Our next match was against Shrewsbury High who proved much tougher opposition. Captained by Saskia Humphreys, whose long arms really halted Shrewsbury High’s

Team: Antonia Brine, Poppy Raichura, Thea Holt-Smith, Mollie Jamieson, Alex Angus, Sophie Mason, Dot Holt, Anna Dodd, Charlotte Dixon, Evie Clutton, Saskia Humphreys SM

Under 10A Played 7 Won 3 Drawn 1 Lost 3 For 50 Against 34 v Foremarke v Prestfelde v Old Hall v Moor Park v S’bury High School v Moreton Hall v Lyndon Prep

(H) (H) (A) (H) (A) (H) (A)

Lost Lost Lost Won Drawn Won Won

1-6 7-8 3-5 7-1 10 - 10 19 - 2 3-2

I feel very privileged to have been able to coach the Under 10A and B netball teams this year.

Both teams’ netball improved enormously throughout the term due to their hard work and determination to get better. However, the results from the Under 10A matches do not reflect the

girls’ fantastic play during the term. They played their first match very early on in the season and Foremarke were formidable opposition. After this defeat the girls worked hard in practices going over and over ball skills and learning many tactics which would help them in a match situation. The second match was against Prestfelde which proved to be one of the toughest games of the season. Watching the girls play it was clear that they had improved their game and were out to win. Every single girl on the court played superbly and despite losing, the score was close (8-7) and the girls were still in the mood for winning. As the term went on their netball got better and better. Halfway through the term the girls played Shrewsbury High School in a nail-biting game which ended in a

draw. A special mention has to go to Cassie Bedford who at the last minute stepped in to play a position she had not played before, Goal Defence, and played amazingly well. Cassie consistently blocked passes and passed the ball on perfectly up the court. The girls finished the season on a high playing another tough match, this time against Lyndon Prep and this time winning.

Throughout the season the girls worked hard and enthusiastically and should be very proud of themselves. The shooters, Florence Wade-Smith and Beatrice Mostyn-Owen in particular, worked together all term in games lessons practising their shooting over and over again just so they could get it right for matches. An excellent effort – well done to all of you! CH

Under 10B The Under 10B team Played 2 Won 1 Drawn 0 Lost 1 played extremely well For 8 Against 7 this season in games v Prestfelde (H) Won 4-1 lessons practising ball v Old Hall (A) Lost 4-6 skills over and over again. Despite only having two matches the girls were determined to play their best netball during both games. The girls started the season on a high winning against Pretfelde with players of the match going to Cassie Bedford who scored many goals and Olivia Katab for defending extremely well. Later on in the season the team went to Old Hall. They had a very tough, close game but

all the girls played extremely well - they consistently defended the ball well and then swiftly passed it up the court to the shooters. Unfortunately, the girls did not win this match but a special mention should go to the player of the match, Emily Cooper who scored many goals and defended well and was catching and throwing the ball brilliantly throughout the match. Well done girls on a much improved netball season.

Squad: Ce-Ce Whittingham, Olivia Hughes, Jemima Price, Beatrice Mostyn-Owen, Cassie Bedford, Ella Downey, Florence Wade-Smith, Tia Barlow, Tara Beasley, Olivia Katab, Sacha Robertson, Emily Cooper, Harriet Bibby. CH

Under 9 Under 9A Played 4 Won 2 Drawn 0 Lost 2 For 17 Against 11 v Prestfelde v Old Hall v Lyndon Prep v Moreton Hall

(A) (A) (A) (H)

Lost Lost Won Won

0-7 1-4 6-0 10 - 0

Under 9B Played 1 Won 0 Drawn 0 Lost 1 For 1 Against 2 v Prestfelde

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(A)

Lost

1-2

The girls worked extremely hard on all aspects of their netball skills. I was very impressed with the improvement in their game as the term progressed. The U9A girls were a little apprehensive when they played their first match against Prestfelde but they quickly relaxed and moved well around the court. Their passing and throwing were generally accurate.

Our shooters, Amelia Tennant and Sophia Price, grew in confidence during the season and their shooting average steadily increased. Antonia Barlow-Evans was very dependable as Goal Keeper and the opposing teams’ shooters often struggled to find an opportunity to shoot. Ellie Hutchings, Jessie Hunt and Alice Shone used the court well, moving quickly into spaces to take

passes and marking well. Molly Bruce and Eliza Beckett were our reserves and I was very pleased with the contribution they made to the matches they played in.

The B team fixture was a High 5 match. There were only five players and they swapped positions at regular intervals. The girls enjoyed the experience and were unlucky to lose a closely contested game.

U9A Team: Antonia Barlow-Evans, Eliza Beckett, Molly Bruce, Jessie Hunt, Ellie Hutchings, Sophia Price, Alice Shone, Amelia Tennant, Flora Moreau U9B Team: Molly Bruce, Beth Cooper, Laura Whittingham, Eliza Beckett, Annie Livermore EAC

S P O R T: L A C R O S S E

Lacrosse Under 13 Played 10 Won 6 Drawn 3 Lost 1 For 59 Against 24 v Withington Girls’ v Malvern St James v Queen’s v Queen’s

(A) (A) (A) (A)

Won Drawn Lost Drawn

9-3 4-4 4-8 5-5

Midlands Tournament Winners v Godstowe v St Helen & St Katharine v Alice Ottley v Bedford High School v Wycombe Abbey B’s v Prestfelde (A)

Won Drawn Won Won Won Won

4-1 1-1 12 - 0 6-1 3-0 11 - 1

aOur Bs played the first game of the season against Prestfelde. Play was a little shaky at first, but eventually the ball was scooped up and controlled in our sticks rather than being flicked up and caught! Neat passing and strong drives on goal, especially by Josie Hall were good to see (although the accuracy of her shots was a little variable!) and we ended up with an overwhelming victory.

Despite very wet conditions away at Withington, the senior squad played well to restrict the play of our strong opponents by double-teaming, showing good stick work and spacing. Lots of valuable experience was gained and the defence realized that they had to be stronger and more meaningful at times.

Occasionally the crucial and last pass in attack before goal was missed or dropped, and shots could have been more powerful.

Our play was more established in the second half and a 3-1 lead was increased to 9-3. It was a good beginning, and further lessons were learned in a close match against Malvern St James U14 team. Our defence did a superb job, but dropped catches, poor positioning and spacing around the goal by our attacks at crucial moments meant we missed opportunities.

Our screaming supporters were ecstatic as we were the first to score.

We were outplayed at Queen’s by a fast and skilful team. By contrast our game was too slow and easy to read. We could not hold back their attacks, who darted past us and shot neatly and accurately. After half-time our play improved and the game was a good contest but failing light made it difficult for Rada, our goalkeeper, to see the ball and Queen’s scored two more quick goals.

The matches at Moreton after Christmas were cancelled because of the frost and so we were short of a game before the Midlands Tournament at Wycombe Abbey.

Nevertheless we were geared up for a big challenge and we started confidently by surprisingly beating Godstowe 4-1. Our next match was even tougher - we had underestimated the St Helen & St Katharine team’s strength. They scored first and it took nearly the whole game for us to equalise. Our midfield play was strong, especially that of Josie Mason, Olivia Wade-Smith and Charlotte Greenway and eventually we drew 1-1. The Royal Grammar School Alice Ottley did not prove to be challenging and we had an easy 12-1 win. This match had however given our attacks lots of confidence for when we met Bedford High in the semi-final and we beat them 6-1. Tira Brown scored some fabulous goals and Rada, at the other end, saved many. We had to do it all over again against Wycombe Abbey in the final. Our screaming supporters were ecstatic as we were the first to score. Then Wycombe equalised, but it was disallowed. After halftime, miracles happened and we scored twice more. No way could they catch us now - the trophy was ours! This was a great achievement for so many reasons. Our match preparations were much reduced due to cancellations, five out of twelve players were U12s (and mostly little ones at that!) and we had no reserves to sub-in. We played against strong schools with big numbers but the key to our success was that we were focused - we attacked as a team and defended as a team, with no-one being a weak link.

Congratulations once again girls.

There was just one more job left to do - play our second game against Queen’s! We were to meet a very good side that did its best to stop us playing with fluency and speed. The game was tough, with lots of tackling and fast running. We were 5-3 up, five minutes before the end, and only needed to hold them (easier said than done!). They caught up the two goal difference and although we didn’t finish with a flourish, we did achieve our aim by not allowing them to beat us, and we had them more worried than any other team that they had played.

All our matches only take place with the hard work and support from many, many people.

May I thank our matrons and laundry ladies for organising our kit. The kitchen staff for preparing our picnics, late suppers and early breakfasts, our groundsmen who produce such first class pitches, all our parents who travel the length and breadth of the country to support, watch us play and share our success. Lastly thank you to all our girls, who train and practise hard with the true Packwood ambition, to win!

Team: Sophie Tennant (Capt), Katie Angus, Poppy Beckett, Jess Bibby, Tira Brown, Ella Edwards, Charlotte Greenway, Jo Hall, Immy Hill, Rada Kathuria, Josie Mason, Daisy Raichura, Bella Shanagher, Olivia Wade-Smith. SD

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S P O R T: L A C R O S S E

Under 12A Played 15 Won 15 Drawn 0 Lost 0 For 94 Against 10 v Malvern St James U13 v Moreton Hall v Queen’s Chester

(A) (H) (A)

Won 8 - 2 Won 1 - 0 Won 14 - 2

Midlands Tournament Winners v Wycombe Abbey v St Helen & St Katharine v Godstowe v Bedford High v Malvern St James v Moreton Hall

Won Won Won Won Won Won

3-1 2-1 4-0 5-1 7-0 4-2

Won Won Won Won Won Won

7-0 5-0 6-1 8-0 7-0 3-0

Packwood Tournament Winners v Prestfelde v Moreton Hall v Queen’s Chester v Birkenhead High v Royal Grammar School Alice Ottley v Packwood B

We challenged Malvern St James’ U13’s when they came to play at Moreton Hall. They were bigger and stronger than us, but no match for our speed and determination. We fought back from being two goals down to go on confidently and score all of the following eight goals. Superb attacking play was seen from Islay Stacey, Charlotte Edwards, Lucy Simpson and Cecy Price, while Tilly Cooper and Laura Cooke were steady in defence. All girls passed the ball around very commendably and there was some lovely play around our goal area towards the end of the match.

A genuinely inexperienced Moreton side were unable to pressurise our girls. We decided to move our stronger players away from the centre to allow more midfield possession for Moreton. They gained confidence to later give our B squad a good game.

The Midlands Tournament was held at Wycombe Abbey and they organised a first class event. Moreton gave us a much more

competitive game this time with one particularly strong player. Our good defence helped our attacks to settle their nerves and create scoring opportunities to win 4-2.

Wycombe Abbey were fast with strong stick work. We were 1-0 down at half time, but we got stronger to win 3-1. St Helen & St Katharine were our toughest opponents, but confidence was high. Vital goals from Cecy Price and Charlotte Edwards gave us a narrow but vital 21 win. The girls played some great lacrosse in the next three matches, beating Godstowe, Bedford High and Malvern St James. They used the space well, supported each other and linked some great passes. They worked as hard in the sixth game as they had in the first, always putting the opposition under pressure, and were worthy Midlands Tournament winners.

Well done girls.

At our Packwood Tournament our A squad were strengthened by four girls who had played with the U13 squad namely Olivia Wade-Smith, Charlotte Greenway, Tira Brown

and Islay Stacey. Their expertise and good stick work along with Daisy Raichura and the rest of the squad secured a very fine tournament win. We beat all the visiting teams convincingly, but only won 3-0 against our Packwood Bs! Our last school match of the season was against Queen’s which we won 14-2. The game was played at a good speed and was a fine show with Anotonia Wordie showing lots of promise. We have an excellent squad in the making for next year. Congratulations on a fantastic unbeaten season. Well done girls!

Squad: Olivia Annan, Antonia Brine, Tira Brown, Laura Cooke, Tilly Cooper, Charlotte Edwards, Kinvara Gladstone, Charlotte Greenway, Dani Hatton, Immy Hill, Francesca Hughes, Tatty Hunt, Tansie Massey, Millie Powell, Cecy Price, Daisy Raichura, Lucy Simpson, Holly Shaw, Rosie Shone, Islay Stacey, Olivia Wade-Smith, Antonia Wordie. SD

Under 12B Played 8 Won 6 Drawn 0 Lost 2 For 21 Against 13 v Prestfelde v Moreton Hall

(H) (H)

Won Won

7-2 4-2

Packwood Tournament Bronze medal winners v Moreton Hall v Prestfelde v Packwood A v Queen’s v Birkenhead High v Royal Grammar School Alice Ottley

Lost Won Lost Won Won Won

0-3 2-0 0-3 3-2 3-0 2-1

Our B team had a good game against Prestfelde. It was a tough contest with lots of tackles and hard running. We learnt a lot about double teaming and holding our goal-

Page 70

side positions in defence. We deserved our 7 - 2 win. A few weeks later we had a very enjoyable game against Moreton Hall. We had a little more drive in attack and security in defence which helped us win 4 - 2.

Some strong U11s gave much support to the squad at the Packwood Tournament. The nervousness in the first game, when we treated the ball like a hot potato and missed catches, soon passed. After losing 0 - 3 to Moreton, we had a good win against Prestfelde 2 - 0. The girls put in a very respectable performance (only trailing 0 - 1 at half time) to narrowly lose 0 - 3 to their schoolmates in the Packwood A team. Some tough battling and inspired play against Queen’s helped them win 3 - 2, and then beat

Birkenhead High, 3 - 0. Strong defence and confident scoring experiences under our belt helped us to another win, 2 - 1 against The Royal Grammar School Alice Ottley, even though some of the opposition were twice our size! The Bs had a great afternoon and fully deserved their bronze medal – a fantastic achievement! Well done girls!

Squad: Olivia Annan, Nicole Ashall, Ianthe Bathurst, Anna Dodd, Charlotte Edwards, Emily Ford, Kinvara Gladstone, Dani Hatton, Francesca Hughes, Emelia Lavender, Millie Powell, Lucy Simpson, Holly Shaw, Rosie Shone. SD

S P O R T: L A C R O S S E

Under 11 Under 11 A Played 2 Won 2 Drawn 0 Lost 0 For 18 Against 2 v Moreton Hall v Prestfelde

(H) (H)

Won Won

9-0 9-2

Under 11 B Played 2 Won 1 Drawn 1 Lost 0 For 6 Against 4 v Moreton Hall v Prestfelde

(H) (H)

Won 2 - 0 Drawn 4 - 4

In October Moreton Hall’s team were prepared to play both our A team and then our Bs to gain experience. As many of their girls were new to the game in September, we decided to play the no-tackling rule. Our As were raring to go, and in usual Packwood

style, showed no mercy! They relished the chance to score lots of goals and enjoyed running up and down the pitch. Our Bs had a closer game, but moved well for the ball. They did however find it frustrating not being able to tackle!

Ce-Ce Whittingham we would not have held them to a nail-biting draw. The teams scored alternately throughout the game and play went from end to end, thrilling our spectators.

It was a tough contest in which our girls performed exceptionally well.

In November our As had a very good game of skill and speed against Prestfelde. We scored lots of goals but they made us work hard for each of them. Charlotte Edwards and Antonia Brine played superbly. At last there was lots of tackling and we all learnt how good stick work and cradling has to be to avoid losing possession!

Squad: Alex Angus, Tia Barlow, Cassie Bedford, Antonia Brine, Jess Clarke, Evie Clutton, Charlotte Dixon, Anna Dodd, Ella Downey, Charlotte Edwards, Camilla Harvey-Scoles, Maddie Hall, Dot Holt, Thea Holt-Smith, Francesca Hughes, Olivia Hughes, Saskia Humphreys, Mollie Jamieson, Ceri Lloyd, Sophie Mason, Jemima Price, Poppy Raichura, Holly Shaw, Flo Wade-Smith, Ce-Ce Whittingham, Antonia Wordie. SD

In March our Bs faced Prestfelde’s As, who were strong and fast in comparison. Had it not been for Saskia Humphreys, Dot Holt and

Under 10 Played 3 Won 2 Drawn 0 Lost 1 For 19 Against 12 v Prestfelde v Prestfelde v Prestfelde

(A) (H) (H)

Lost Won Won

5-6 7-5 7-1

No more pop lacrosse! It was time for field lacrosse sticks and lots of new rules to learn.

Our first match was very closely contested against Prestfelde. Goal scoring was rather difficult for us as play around the goal was a little muddled. This is always tricky until stick work skills improve and the ball is moved around more quickly. Shortly after this game

Prestfelde came to us. Our girls were determined to play a better game, and so they did. Flo Wade-Smith and Ce-Ce Whittingham fought for every ball at speed, Jemima Price scored some great goals and we managed to win this time. However, it was clear that work was still needed to improve our play around the goal in both attacking (spacing out) and defending (marking tightly).

Some months later the teams met again. After the close match in October we were expecting another tough game and we had been working hard in preparation. Much to our surprise we monopolised the game with our superior stick work and disciplined play.

Once we had scored a good few goals, our

play became more unselfish and we passed the ball around, with all players having some possession. Cassie Bedford had a superb game in defence and Tia Barlow, Jemima Price, Flo Wade-Smith and Bea MostynOwen in attack.

Our win was convincing. Hard work definitely pays off!

Team: Tia Barlow, Tara Beasley, Cassie Bedford, Harriet Bibby, Emily Cooper, Ella Downey, Olivia Hughes, Olivia Katab, Bea Mostyn-Owen, Sacha Robertson, Jemima Price, Flo Wade-Smith, Ce-Ce Whittingham. SD

Under 9 Played 3 Won 3 Drawn 0 Lost 0 For 49 Against 15 A’s v Prestfelde B’s v Prestfelde v Prestfelde

(A) (A) (H)

Won Won Won

17 - 7 15 - 5 17 - 3

This is where it all begins! Our As and Bs played a 5-a-side game against Prestfelde.

Our A team girls were hungry for the ball in attack and defence, although early on they were 3 goals down and stunned by the speed of Prestfelde’s play. It looked as though the opposition was going to trample right over them. Not for long though, if Alice Shone, Amelia Tennant, Sophia Price, Antonia Barlow-Evans, and Ellie Hutchings had anything to do with it! The score was even at half time, and confidence continued to grow.

They only allowed Prestfelde to score one more goal, but nearly tripled their score in the meantime.

Our Bs were fearless from the start! They were eager to be the first onto the ball and established a good lead. Laura Whittingham and Flora Moreau defended superbly, Rosie

Clarke made her play look easy, while Millie Shaw and Beth Cooper were first class, decisive goal shooters.

A brave little team!

In March, the U9s played a rematch with Prestfelde as an 11-aside game. Our girls’ competitive play continued and they enjoyed being able to run on a big pitch.

Sometimes there was a temptation to stand still and think that they were free to receive the ball, but making cuts before a catch is a big objective for next year’s play. Otherwise the strength of their play was convincing and this little team certainly showed lots of exciting potential.

Well done girls!

Team: Antonia Barlow-Evans, Molly Bruce, Beth Cooper, Rosie Clarke, Amber Gibbins, Jessie Hunt, Ellie Hutchings, Flora Moreau, Sophia Price, Millie Shaw, Alice Shone, Amelia Tennant, Laura Whittingham. SD

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S P O R T: C R I C K E T

Cricket 1st XI After last year this squad of players had a tough task in trying to emulate the incredible tournament success and good record of the 2008 team.

However, the 2009 team matched the tournament successes and finished with even more wins in regular fixtures with the addition of a fantastic run in the National JET Competition. The boys certainly got the opportunity to play all forms of the game from small sided limited overs matches to timed cricket. Sadly, the time matches seemed to be the least favoured format by most of the Packwood team. So credit must go to all the players for winning most of our games the hard way - to win the toss and bat first, score quickly, declare and then bowl the opposition out. To play 13 completed regular fixtures and to win 10 is very impressive indeed. I believe that children learn much more about the game in a time match and our bowlers certainly worked out all sorts of ways to bowl out the opposition, even if we did have to wait until the last over in some games.

As with last season, the strength of the 1st XI team’s play was that all the players made telling contributions in the 19 matches and tournaments played. The captain, Andrew Jackson, was by far our best player claiming the most wickets (29 wickets at a cost of 6.3 runs) and most runs (639 runs at an average of 37.6), but the successes we achieved were based on a team effort. We regularly used seven or eight bowlers in matches and five of our bowlers claimed over 10 wickets during the season. Lots of other batters made excellent contributions during the season with Charlie White, Charlie Bibby and Patrick Phillips all scoring 50s. Andrew scored six 50s during the season at a very quick scoring rate at the top of the order. His batting always got Packwood off to a great start meaning we had runs on the board early to give us enough time to bowl the opposition out. This was backed up by the rest of the team during the season. Even when it looked like we may struggle to post a decent total someone like George Beard would come in and smash a very quick 30 or 40 and entertain the crowd.

Winning three tournaments again was a terrific effort. The preparation for the different tournaments and the depth of our squad proved the major factor in our successes. There were many highlights during the tournaments but the moment I enjoyed most was watching the fantastic team display in the final of the Shrewsbury 20/20. The batting, bowling and fielding in that game were exceptional and gave us a comfortable win (in the end!) against a very strong St John’s on the Wrekin 6-a-side Tournament Winners Hill team who reached the v St Richards Won by 64 runs final of the JET competition v Prestfelde Lost by 5 runs in June. v Kingsland Grange Won by 4 wickets It has been a pleasure to coach such a talented group of games players this term and exciting to think that five regular members of this side will be back to do it all again next season.

Semi-final v Wrekin College

Won by 13 runs

Final v Birchfield

Won by 18 runs

Squad: Andrew Jackson* (Capt), Charlie Bibby*, Charlie White*, William Waterworth*, Oliver Brown, Jamie Humes (Wkt), Freddie Earlam, Charlie Marques, Johnny Woodhead, Patrick Phillips*, George Beard*, Monty Curran, William Mackereth, Charlie Adams. PJP

v Cundall Manor v Yarlet v Birchfield

Won by 51 runs Won by 27 runs Won by 49 runs

Final v Malsis

Won by 3 runs

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Repton U12 8-a-side Tournament Winners

Shrewsbury 20/20

Winners

v Winterfold

Won by 16 runs

Semi-final v Abberley

Won by 35 runs

Final v St John’s on the Hill Won by 54 runs

Played 19 Won 13 Drawn 3 Lost 3 Abandoned 1 v Kingsland Grange(H) Packwood v St Mary’s Hall (H) Packwood v Ellesmere (H) Packwood v N E Wales (H) Packwood v Bramcote (H) Packwood v Malsis (A) Packwood v Ellesmere U14 (H) Packwood v Shropshire U13 Packwood v N E Wales H) Packwood v Wrekin (H) Packwood v Birchfield (H) Packwood v Abberley (A) Packwood v Yarlet (A) Packwood

60 all out 166 for 7 dec 81 all out 83 for 4 30 all out 146 for 9 122 for 8 124 for 2 124 all out 207 for 7 dec 107 for 8 152 for 8 dec 48 all out 172 all out 102 for 8 132 for 8 133 for 6

(Beard 4 for 5) (White 80) (Beard 4 for 5)

Won by 106 runs Won by 6 wickets

Won by 144 runs (Bibby 57) (Earlam 3 for13) Won by 8 wickets (White 42) (Jackson 5 for 14) Won by 83 runs (Jackson 82) Drawn (Beard 45) (Beard 3 for 8) Won by 10 wickets 52 for 0 (White 3 for 15) Drawn Won by 4 wickets (Jackson 69) Match abandoned

102 for 2 83 all out 158 for 6 dec 105 for 4 153 for 6 dec 52 all out 150 for 3 dec

(Jackson 3 for 21) Won by 75 runs (Jackson 59) Drawn (Earlam 40) (Jackson 3 for 9) Won by 98 runs (Phillips 50 not out)

Jet Competition v Prestfelde Packwood v Birchfield Packwood v Birkdale Packwood

(A) 100 for 5 145 for 9 (H) 94 for 7 99 for 1 (A) 113 for 6 130 all out

Quarter-final v St. Olaves Packwood

(H) 90 all out 147 for 9

Won by 81 runs (Waterworth 34) Won by 9 wickets (Jackson 61 not out) (Curran 3 for 13) Won by 17 runs (Jackson 54) (White 3 for 12) (Jackson 86)

Won by 57 runs

Finals day at St Edwards School, Oxford v Edge Grove Packwood v Cheam Packwood

(A) 132 for 1 126 for 9 (A) 179 for 4 108 all out

Lost by 9 wickets Lost by 71 runs

S P O R T: C R I C K E T

2nd XI Played 6 Won 5 Drawn 0 Lost 1 v St Mary’s Hall(A) Packwood v Ellesmere (H) Packwood v Prestfelde (H) Packwood v Moor Park (H) Packwood v Abberley (H) Packwood v Abberley (A) Packwood

52 all out Won by 112 runs 164 for 5 30 all out Won by 158 runs 188 for 5 35 all out Won by 75 runs 110 for 8 83 all out Won by 14 runs 97 all out 82 all out Won by 71 runs 153 for 7 138 all out Lost by 84 runs 54 all out

The 2nd XI team was well balanced and was astutely led by Huw Wheeler. If the truth was known the batting was the real strength of the team. To perform well in this form of cricket by batting first is not easy and puts huge onus on scoring quickly. Before half term (leavers trips and exams took the edge off the later weeks of the season) this team were scoring at a rate of more than one a ball, which is bordering on phenomenal, and this allows the bowlers more time to bowl the opposition out.

So the season’s emphasis was to bat first, score quickly, declare and then unleash our spin quartet. On the batting front Wheeler was nothing short of superb early season, Brown was too good, Mackereth devastating virtually always, Adams similarly consistent but in a contrasting (and therefore crucial) style and then assorted cameos from many always understanding the team’s

predicament or desire an impressive attribute for every single player to possess in a game of cricket, particularly a 2nd XI. On the bowling front, few teams could cope with the flight and guile of the 1st team in waiting.

Adams with figures of 14-4-34-6 against Abberley gave a masterclass in off spin.

The prodigious turn of Walker, the leg spin of Freddie Thomson and the loop and delightful and wonderfully old fashioned approach of Ollie Pumphrey were all excellent.

One of the many beauties of a cricket season is often the unexpected promotion and eventual flourishing of hidden gems. Harry Tomkinson and to a lesser degree Peregrine Beckett both came into this category and both fitted in well to the team with their striking of the ball, their fielding and their bowling. The only downside of the season was paradoxically the tournament success of the 1st XI. Seven consecutive tournament wins is a truly wonderful achievement but it changed the emphasis of games lessons which contributed to the disappointment of the return fixture against Abberley where we were the victim of our own tactics and for the first time in the

season were forced to chase. Although Abberley played well, ours was a poor performance. All of the other matches were won and won properly and cricket was always played with a smile and genuine enjoyment, two facets of the game that often get overlooked. Well done to all. I hope the 1s continue to enjoy the game for many years to come and I hope the 2s, who made up the majority of the team will ensure that Packwood’s cricket will continue to progress.

Squad: Huw Wheeler (Capt), Oliver Brown, William Mackereth, Alex Walker, Theo Price, Harry Tomkinson, Charlie Adams, Ollie Pumphrey, Freddie Thomson, Jake Samuel, Paul Sharpe, Peregrine Beckett, Monty Curran, Charlie Marques. DR

3rd XI Played 5 Won 4 Drawn 1 Lost 0 vKingsland Grange(H) 17 all outWon by 8 wickets Packwood 18 for 2 vSt Mary’s Hall (A) 23 all outWon by 80 runs Packwood 103 all out vEllesmere (H) 54 all outWon by 120 runs Packwood 174 for 1 vPrestfelde (A) 8 all out Won by 183 runs Packwood 191 for 2 vAbberley (H) 106 for 6 Drawn Packwood 141 for 8 dec

With three matches in the first eight days of term, the third eleven had no opportunity for the rigorous physical and psychological preparation that usually takes place at the start of the season. Little surprise then that a confident Kingsland Grange second eleven elected to bat first. Perhaps it was more surprising that they were rapidly dismissed for a mere 17 runs and the match was won soon after tea by eight wickets. Three days later we set off north to St Mary’s Hall where we were able to bat first and, in what proved to be the only match in which we were bowled out, accumulated a useful score of 103 largely thanks to a classy 37 from Peregrine Beckett.

The bowling of Oliver Platt and Rufus Holt proved too much for St Mary’s and the team returned to civilisation once again victorious.

Two more easy victories followed leaving the team well ready for the potentially more challenging fixtures of the season. Alas at this stage of the summer the weather took a turn for the worse and our next three matches were washed out. This left only Abberley to play. Again we won the toss and elected to bat but the Leavers trip and heavy partying by some of the team meant that we were not at our best and a strong bowling attack reduced us to about 50 for 4.

Fortunately Hugo Bland and Rufus Holt were in good form and helped us to a respectable 142 for 8 when we declared. Abberley batted well but our bowling was accurate and they found it difficult to score runs. With neither side bowled out, a draw was a fair result and so the team ended the season unbeaten.

This was an excellent third eleven, capably led

by Brooke Lovegrove-Fielden. Strength in batting came from Oliver Platt and Patrick Anson who were regular openers and

generally got the team off to a confident start.

Hector Watson, Toby Harvey-Scholes, George Platt, Brooke Lovegrove-Fielden and George Fergusson all made runs in one or more games.

The main strike bowlers were Oliver Platt, Toby Thomson and Hector Watson and they were well supported by the spin of Rufus Holt and Ned Hall.

Team: Brooke Lovegrove-Fielden (Capt), Ned Hall, Oliver Platt, Rufus Holt, George Fergusson, Hector Watson, Toby Thomson, George Platt, Ben Hughes, Patrick Anson, Toby Harvey-Scholes, Hugo Bland. FRH Page 73

S P O R T: C R I C K E T

4th and 5th XI This was another highly successful season for the 4th XI, with an unbeaten record and some excellent individual and team performances. Particularly memorable were Harry Tomkinson’s big sixes at St Mary’s Hall (he was promptly promoted to the 2nd XI!); Charlie Beckett’s steady and reliable bowling in both matches against Abberley; John Leadbeater’s big-hitting on three occasions (on the fourth, he was run out without facing a ball!); and Toby Thomson’s all-round performance against Birchfield.

Everyone in the team made a valuable contribution, and I was pleased that there was one match for the 5th XI, even though it was foreshortened by rain.

4th XI squad: Edward Bridge (Capt), John Leadbeater, William Dodson-Wells, Ross Lloyd, Toby Thomson, William Schofield, Ben Hughes, Richard Williams-Bulkeley, Elliot Robinson-Boulton, Charlie Beckett, Z Midwinter, Alistair Don, Henry Don, Ned Hall, Harry Tomkinson, William Barlow, Will Bruce, Henry Young.

4th XI Played 4 Won 4 Drawn 0 Lost 0 v St Mary’s Hall (A) Packwood v Abberley (H) Packwood v Birchfield 2nd XI (H) Packwood v Abberley (A) Packwood

52 all out (Hall 3 for 9) Won by 113 runs 165 for 9 dec (Tomkinson 44 not out) 95 all out (Beckett 5 for 16) Won by 7 wickets 96 for 3 (Leadbeater 58) 79 all out (Thomson 3 for 5) Won by 7 wickets 83 for 3 (Leadbeater 32) 67 all out (Beckett C 6 for 8) Won by 38 runs 105 all out (Leadbeater 37)

5th XI v Wrekin C Packwood

97 for 6 44 for 3

(Dorrell 2 for 10) (Lye W 14 not out) Match abandoned

5th XI: Henry Young (Capt), Z Midwinter, William Barlow, Patrick Chambers, James Eardley, Alex Lye, William Lye, Gus Langford, Yutaro Sato, Charlie Clarke, William Dorrell. HB

Under 11A Played 17 Won 13 Drawn 4 Lost 0 v Kingsland Grange(A) Packwood v St Mary’s Hall (H) Packwood v Prestfelde (A) Packwood v Malsis (A) Packwood v Shropshire (H) Packwood v Old Hall (H) Packwood v Birchfield (H) Packwood v Abberley (H) Packwood v Yarlet (A) Packwood

25 all out

(Cooke 4 for 7) 118 all out

Won by 93 runs

108 for 7 168 for 8 dec 33 all out 149 for 5 dec 46 all out 47 for 1 140 for 5 dec 60 for 9 rain 75 for 0 88 all out 151 for 4 dec 125 for 6 dec 82 for 7 49 all out 164 for 8 dec

Drawn (White 30) (Cooke 4 for 11) Won by 116 runs (Mason 36, Connolly 31) Won by 122 runs Drawn Drawn (Mason 41 not out) (Beard 4 for 6) Won by 63 runs (Beard 53 not out) Drawn (Schofield 7 for 16)Won by 115 runs (Connolly 63)

This team voyaged through the season unbeaten, sometimes with a following wind, but occasionally - more laudably - in the teeth of quite a gale. Convincing wins against good teams like Kingsland Grange, Malsis and Birchfield were magnificently achieved, and there were good wins in the two tournaments, particularly so at Wrekin, where we played some exhilarating cricket. I prefer to dwell on two of the draws, however, in both of which considerable Moor Park Tournament (8-a-side) Winners character and bravery were shown. Against a v. Kingsland Grange 33 - 32 Won powerful county side, v. RGS Worcester 53 - 38 Won with wickets sliding v. Moor Park 60 - 41 Won away regularly, we were Wrekin Tournament (6-a-side) Winners saved by a long v. Old Hall 50 - 29 Won defensive vigil by Ed v. Prestfelde 58 - 50 Won Beard and a gem of an v. West House 48 - 23 Won interlude from Anto v. Terra Nova 56 - 40 Won Woodhead: bat swinging, Anto Final Won deposited their snorting v. Kingsland Grange 29 - 25 fast bowler twice over mid-on, before coolly and improbably playing out the final over against their spinner. Against Abberley we were soon in trouble against a very fast bowler, who ripped the heart out of the batting. This time it was Charlie Cooke and Freddie Fielding, who took root after the departure of top scorer Toby Mason and saw us to safety.

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The strength of this team lay in its bowling attack. We opened with Charlie Cooke and Ed Beard. Charlie bowled faster and a much fuller length this year, with commendable accuracy, and he was unlucky not to take even more wickets. Ed, still under 10, was less accurate, but he was nippy and varied his pace well, also proving capable of gaining movement in the air and off the pitch. In support, Fergus Connolly, who ambled in off a few paces, was quicker than he looked, and he proved difficult to get away, while Jonty Hall, though not yet consistent, slanted the ball in nicely. Jonty is also still under 10, and he will have gained invaluable experience for next year. The spinners were Matt White (leg) and Harry Schofield (off).

Though accuracy was sometimes a problem, both had their good days: Matt bowled with a pleasing loop, while Harry (who was unstoppable against Yarlet) could turn the ball sharply. Both are improving bowlers.

The batting was a little more brittle, particularly against quality opposition.

Fergus Connolly and Ed Beard, both of whom scored good 50s, Matt White, Anto Woodhead, Harrison Millington and Freddie Fielding all had their days, but the most consistent was opener and captain Toby Mason.

He batted well whatever the quality of the opposition, showing a capable defence and a good range of attacking shots, particularly off the back foot.

As captain Toby was the best we have had for several years. Responsible and encouraging to his teammates, he also showed an increasing sense of tactical awareness in the field, unusual at this early age. He set a cheerful, effervescent and committed example to his team.

If this wasn’t perhaps the strongest Under 11 team in recent years, it was nevertheless a team of real fighters with bags of character. All the more enjoyable to coach!

Squad: Toby Mason (Capt), Fergus Connolly, Harry Jenkinson, Matt White, Harrison Millington, Anto Woodhead, Charlie Cooke, Harry Schofield, Ed Beard, Jonty Hall, Freddie Fielding, Freddie Beharrell.

OJL

S P O R T: C R I C K E T

Under 11B Played 7 Won 5 Drawn 1 Lost 1 v Kingsland Grange VIII(A) 38 for 8 Packwood 87 for 2 v St Mary’s Hall (H) 108 for 5 Packwood 154 for3 dec v Prestfelde (H) 62 all out

Packwood v Moffats

Packwood v Abberley Packwood v Birchfield Packwood v Abberley Packwood

(Stubbs 2 for 8)

Won by 49 runs

(Beharrell 2 for 11) Drawn (Oak 25 not out) (Schofield 5 for 13, Won by 33 runs Kathuria 2 for 4, Tudor 2 for 6) 95 all out (Schofield 26) (H) 53 all out (Graves 2 for 0, Won by 59 runs Kathuria 3 for 6, Fearnall 2 for 3) 112 for 5 dec (Schofield 23 not out, Connolly 25 not out) (H) 51 all out (Tudor 3 for 4, Won by 9 wickets Kathuria 3 for 5) 53 for 1 (H) 62 all out (Graves 4 for 5, Won by 75 runs Connolly 2 for 7) 137 for 5 dec (Oak 51 not out) (A) 143 for 4 (Kathuria 2 for 12) Lost by 6 wickets 142 for 4 dec (Thomson 45)

The Under 11 age group at Packwood is blessed with a wealth of talent and this has been particularly evident this year when it has come to choosing cricket teams. Very many boys have very many different qualities but they all have two things in common – a willingness to learn and a refreshing enthusiasm for the game.

The Under 11 Bs had a very simple game plan - to bowl straight! If that can be done then only two things can happen. Firstly if the batsman misses the ball then he will be bowled out and secondly, if he hits it then there is a chance of him being caught out. Sounds simple but it works!

This was very much the case in the first game against Kingsland Grange which was an unusual 8-a-side limited over affair. Henry Oak and Harry Jenkinson opened the batting and it was obvious that these two were going to get a lot of runs this season. The stoic Jenkinson at one end complemented the more flamboyant Oak at the other.

We amassed a respectable 87 off our allotted overs and then bowled incredibly well to limit the opposition to only 20 runs off the bat.

He was hitting a rich vein of form which didn’t go unnoticed by the eagle-eye of Mr Lee and his impressive innings in the next game against Moffats was all that was needed for him to be promoted to the A team.

Archie Connolly was also settling in as an impressive player, being retired on 25 not out and playing some stylish strokes. It was a very wet day and runs were difficult to come by and so 112 would be a difficult target for the opposition to match if we could continue to keep to our game plan of simply bowling straight. This we did and after a good start with the opposition on 37 for 0, Messrs Graves, Kathuria and Fearnall stepped up and dispatched the next 7 batsmen for only 7 runs!

There was rain in the air for our next game against Abberley and having been nearly caught out by the weather in the previous match we won the toss and put the opposition in to bat. Two of our younger players did the damage this time, Andrew Tudor and Chan Kathuria taking six wickets between them at a cost of only nine runs! A special mention should be made at this point for Eddie Thomson, the wicket keeper, as he played a major role in enabling the bowlers to achieve such impressive figures. At this age group there are several errant deliveries and Eddie is a fantastic ‘stopper’ of the ball, particularly down the leg side and throughout the season he must have saved the team a huge number of runs. With only 51 on the board to chase Oak and Connolly batted sensibly, with one eye on the darkening skies, to wrap the game up.

Against Birchfield we batted first and reached 137 for 5 with Henry Oak scoring 51 not out. Birchfield quickly decided that they were going to make it as difficult for us as possible to win the game and to claim a victory we would have to bowl them all out. Although the difference in totals was large, it was a very good, tense game of cricket. With time running out it looked as if Birchfield had done enough to hang on but then up stepped Edward Graves. Seven wickets down with 16 minutes to play - Edward bowled out their number 6 with only the second ball of his spell. Stamos Fearnall then followed with a quick-fire maiden over. Still 12 minutes on the clock. A nervous number 9 at the crease, Graves chomping at the bit, fielders surrounding the bat - Bowled!

Number 10 steps into the fray. Three balls later – bowled! Nine wickets down, eight minutes on the clock – could we do it? Andrew Tudor rattled through another over leaving just five minutes to play. The last man went aerial, the ball was hit and in slow motion all eyes followed it through the air. Some say that Chan Kathuria leapt like a salmon in spring, others thought he was more like a falling tree but he got both hands to the ball and it stuck! Game over - Graves 4 for 5 in 2.2 overs - it was everything cricket should be!

And so to the last game of the season, the return fixture with Abberley.

Playing a 25 over game we batted first and after a terrible start, Eddie Thomson and Chan Kathuria steadied the ship and, assisted by a cameo performance from Leo Sartain, managed to reach a respectable score. Playing on a very small pitch, our pre-game target was 160.

Would the shortfall prove costly? Yes! Abberley’s opening batsman kept the score ticking over nicely and with his 70 not out they managed to win with three overs to spare.

Our next outing was against St Mary’s Hall with whom we normally have a tight game and it ended in a fitting draw. We batted very well to reach 154 at tea with Chan Kathuria joining the aforementioned duo as ‘one to watch’ with the bat. We struggled a little when bowling but it was still early season and the opposition batted through to earn a draw.

Prestfelde next and the batsman to shine this time was Harry Schofield with a rapid 26, all in boundaries. Not the greatest of totals but it was destined to be Harry’s day and he then took 5 for 13 in less then 5 overs.

It was an excellent season and one which was tremendously supported by the parents. Perhaps the most satisfying thing about it was the spirit in which all of the games were played. The boys’ attitude towards the game, each other and the opposition has been fantastic. It would be remiss of me not to mention Henry Oak’s contribution in making this so, because as captain he not only led by example throughout the season, but also made my life very much easier. Thank you Henry and well done boys!

Squad: Henry Oak (Capt) Archie Connolly, Harry Jenkinson, Harry Schofield, Edward Stubbs, Stamos Fearnall, Eddie Thomson, Leo Sartain, Edward Graves, Chan Kathuria, Andrew Tudor, Jamie Moir, Barney Preece, Freddie Beharrell. MAF

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S P O R T: C R I C K E T

Under 11C The weather has played its part in reducing the original five fixtures this term to three, which was disappointing for all those boys involved in the game. There has been a huge amount of enthusiasm and not inconsiderable talent within the group and this made team selection far from straightforward, with almost every practice session delivering a fresh conundrum. There are some potentially good young cricketers here, and the future looks promising.

Of the three matches completed, only the first against Prestfelde provided any real opposition and was probably the most enjoyable fixture of the term. In each game we have batted first and scored lots of runs; indeed the last fixture saw us score 203 for the loss of only three wickets before tea! We have been blessed, also, with a wide range of accomplished bowlers, so have always looked capable of getting sides out, and our fielding has been increasingly sharp.

This has been a most enjoyable season with a willing, receptive and pleasant group of boys, and I thank them for their efforts. A special word of thanks, too, must go to Rory Davies who has captained effectively and with intelligence, whilst managing still to improve upon every aspect of his own game.

Squad: Rory Davies (Capt), Edward Dolphin, Jonty Schofield, Edward Myddelton, Barney Preece, Timmy Robinson-Boulton, Patrick Haszard, Cameron Macdonald, Ed Stanton, Louis Martin, Thomas Tulloch, Ollie Clarke, Oliver Williams-Bulkeley, Archie Fetherstonhaugh, Edward Stubbs, Oliver Tennant, Leo Sartain, Stamos Fearnall, Tom Baxter, Charlie England. KJW

Played 3 Won 3 Drawn 0 Lost 0 v Prestfelde Packwood v Abberley v Old Hall Packwood v Birchfield Packwood v Abberley Packwood

(A)

110 all out 124 for 6 dec

(A) (A)

Won by 14 runs Cancelled Abandoned due to rain

75 for 2 80 all out 171 for 6 dec 64 all out 203 for 3 dec

(H) (H)

Won by 91 runs Won by 139 runs

Under 9 What a super cricket team! It was largely irrelevant to me that we won all of our matches because it is much more important that a team improves individually and working as a group between April and July. We certainly did with the fielding, running between the wickets and generally being mature and “up for it” during games lessons and matches. This was what was required of a very talented bunch of young men by an admittedly rather demanding master in charge.

I have never underestimated the ability of an under 9 cricketer and in my opinion, with boys this talented and keen on the game, we, as a school, should be pushing for fixtures with a proper ball and the proper format. That said, pairs does give everyone a chance, something for which I know both parents and boys are thankful.

I thought this group of boys looked more grown up than their oppositions in the field and had a more purposeful air with the bat.

This Under 9 team meant business and turned up on match days to show off their progress with an intensity too rarely expected from boys so young. Good players, which all of these boys are, should be expected to improve week by week in lots of areas - be it running between the wickets, pitching it up with the ball, backing up as the non-striking batsman, backing up in the field to stop the overthrows and starting to select the right shot for the ball delivered.

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The Packwood Under 9s were much more intense in their play than the teams they came up against which, for me, was the main reason we won all of our games comfortably. It helped having three or four outstanding individual match winners of course. I was really proud of this great little team and taking them for Games and matches has been a real highlight of my first year at Packwood.

Played 6 Won 6 Drawn 0 Lost 0 v v v v v v

St Mary’s Hall (H) Abberley (H) Prestfelde (H) Birchfield (A) Abberley (A) Kingsland Grange Packwood

(pairs) Won by 56 runs (pairs) Won by 99 runs (pairs) Won by 54 runs (pairs) Won by 32 runs (pairs) Won by 29 runs 105 for 6 Won by 10 wickets 106 for 0

Team: Charlie Jackson (Capt), Archie Waterworth, Daniel Humes, David Schofield, Robert Ford, Gabe Connolly, William Holcroft, Jamie Channon, Frank Morris, Owen Carroll, Jack Humphreys, Nick Yeoward, Marcus Woodhead, Jude Bedford, Linden Grigg. AL

S P O R T: R O U N D E R S

Rounders 1st XI

Played 5 Won 3 Drawn 0 Lost 2 For 601⁄2 Against 551⁄2 +Innings v Moor Park v Bromsgrove v Abberley

(H) (A) (H)

Won Lost Won

111⁄2 - 81⁄2 61⁄2 - 15 231⁄2 - 131⁄2

(H) (A)

Won Lost

11- 81⁄2 8 - 10 + innings

JET Competition v Wolverhampton Grammar v Foremarke

Once again I embraced the challenge of covering 1st team coaching responsibilities while Mrs Parry was away on maternity leave. With the support of Captain Ella Edwards and the phenomenal vocal encouragement of Rada Kathuria, we embarked upon an adventure of mixed results and an endless supply of energy and laughter! Due to the infuriating British weather and unforeseen ‘bugs’, a few fixtures were lost this season. Sadly we also failed to progress past the 2nd round of the JET competition which left only a handful of matches to challenge us, but despite the disappointment the girls were determined to ensure the season would be a success.

As in previous years our strength was our tight and incredibly accurate fielding. Our weakness continued to be the batting, but the players were full of character and spirit and what we sometimes lacked in batting standards we more than compensated for with personality and perseverance! As a squad we started the term without massive expectations, and our final success was down not only to the all-round talents of a vibrant and highly motivated squad, but also the commendable fighting qualities of many of the team

members who shone on different occasions, often when we most needed it! Sophie Tennant and Josie Mason were just two of these stars. Olivia Wade-Smith took my breath away on so many occasions with her outstanding fielding at 3rd post. To see her throwing herself through the air to take a catch with such commitment really was quite amazing and without a doubt she made all the difference out there in the field. Immy Hill also provided many breathtaking moments with her phenomenal batting. That a young girl can hit with such power and precision really does leave you in awe at times!

Other notable performances that deserve recognition are Tira’s clever, tactical and pretty awesome batting, keeping the opposition guessing each time she stepped into the batting box as to where she would launch the ball that time - brilliant! A special and personal thank you from me however goes to Rada. A truly inspirational person who has been just fantastic this year offering relentless support and encouragement to her team and myself - and her endless quips and eccentric humour had our sides bursting at the seams!

We celebrated the end of a fantastic and thoroughly enjoyable season with an action packed Mothers v Daughters match which ended in a nail biting 19.5 – 19 win for the daughters.

This team of girls have been a delight - their energy and sense of fun ensured our games sessions were always filled with smiles and sunshine, despite the unpredictable British weather! I wish them every happiness and success for the future. Thank you for an exhilarating year girls!

Team: Ella Edwards (Capt), Josie Mason, Sophie Tennant, Immy Hill, Olivia Wade-Smith, Tira Brown, Rada Kathuria, Charlotte Greenway, Tilly Cooper, Josie Hall, Jess Bibby. LW Page 77

S P O R T: R O U N D E R S

2nd XI Played 5 Won 2 Drawn 1 Lost 2 For 80 Against 77 v Ellesmere College v Moor Park v Bromsgrove v Moor Park v Moffats

(A) (H) (A) (A) (H)

Drawn Lost Won Lost Won

121⁄2 - 121⁄2 12 - 161⁄2 181⁄2 - 111⁄2 141⁄2 - 26 221⁄2 - 101⁄2

The 2nds were due to have ten matches this term, but unfortunately we lost half of them to the weather, which was disappointing for us.

Despite this we managed to play five matches with mixed success.

We started off the season with a nail-bitingly close match against Ellesmere ending with a draw. Both our defeats were against a strong Moor Park side at home and away as they provided good opposition. Sandwiched between these defeats was a very pleasing victory over Bromsgrove and we finished the season off in style with a sound win against Moffats.

It has been most encouraging to see the progress the girls have made throughout the season in both their batting and fielding on an individual and team basis.

The team has been mainly picked from a settled squad of players. These have included Daniella Hatton performing with great accuracy as bowler, Rosie Shone as back-stop

linking up incredibly well with Tatty Hunt at first post, Tansie Massey, Cecy Price and Poppy Beckett at 2nd, 3rd and 4th posts respectively.

Regularly fielding and catching reliably, the deeps of Laura Cooke, Millie Powell and Lucy Simpson stopping and retrieving the ball consistently well and then finally our specialist batters Daisy Raichura and Bella Shanagher.

Some of the girls had the opportunity to captain the side at some point as the captaincy

was rotated. All should be proud of their improvement and achievements this term.

Well done girls.

Squad: Daniella Hatton, Rosie Shone, Tatty Hunt, Tansie Massey, Cecy Price, Poppy Beckett, Laura Cooke, Millie Powell, Lucy Simpson, Daisy Raichura, Bella Shanagher, Maddie Hall, Holly Shaw, Charlotte Edwards. GW

3rd XI Even though the wet Played 3 Won 1 Drawn 0 Lost 2 weather took its toll on For 501⁄2 Against 431⁄2 our fixtures, the games v Ellesmere College (A) Lost 19 - 211⁄2 that we managed to v Bromsgrove (A) Lost 4 - 5 play had their fair v Foremarke (A) Cancelled share of thrills and v Abberley (H) Won 271⁄2 - 17 excitement. We v Prestfelde (A) Abandoned played a very wellv Moreton Hall (A) Cancelled matched game against Ellesmere College within the first week of term. Although a little uncertain of our fielding drills some very good rounders were scored and we eventually lost very narrowly by 211⁄2 to 19. For our next match we travelled to Bromsgrove but were delayed by an accident on the M6. Consequently there was only time to play one innings. We had barely got into our stride before the game was over and we lost 5-4.

Rain stopped any play at Foremarke, but the sun came out for us at Packwood against Abberley. This was an exhilarating performance by our girls which deserves to be reported in detail! We had practised on the top pitch before the team arrived, so we were well warmed up and had got our “eye-in”, both batting and fielding. We batted first and scored six whole rounders from some fantastic hits, (particularly by Kinvara Gladstone), and lots and lots of halves totalling a grand score of 16. As Abberley batted we kept the fielding tight, just collapsing a little towards the end under pressure, but only allowing them to score 9 1/2. During our second innings a little tension appeared, but we soon settled to hit five more good rounders and many halves, totalling 11 1/2.

Again Abberley’s scoring was restricted by our good teamwork in the field and they added only 7 1/2 to their tally. Good catches were taken

by Islay Stacey (who had also batted superbly), Ana Garcia and Ines Sanguino. It was a fantastic win with great performances all round.

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Thunder and lightning meant we had to abandon our match at Prestfelde, and heavy rain also meant we couldn’t play at Moreton Hall. We were particularly sorry not to play the last match of the season as we had been practising hard. Kinvara, Ianthe Bathurst, Georgie Thurston, Katie Angus, Emelia Lavender, Emily Ford, Ana and Ines had been batting really well in practice. Olivia Annan’s throws from backstop to Emelia at first post were bound to get people out. Ines was on form with her bowling, and Islay and Ana were playing brilliantly at 3rd and 2nd posts respectively. Even Nickie Ashall was catching the throw at 4th post, from 2nd! Our steady deep fielders, Emily, Georgie and Katie were just getting on with their job.

Despite not being able to improve all our skills, it was so rewarding to realize the huge progress that every girl had made throughout the term. This is solely due to the girls’ great focus and attitude. You have been a great pleasure to coach - very well done girls.

Team: Katie Angus, Ana Garcia and Ines Sanguino (Joint capts), Olivia Annan, Nicole Ashall, Ianthe Bathurst, Emily Ford, Kinvara Gladstone, Emelia Lavender, Islay Stacey, Georgie Thurston. SD

S P O R T: R O U N D E R S

Under 11A Played 3 Won 2 Drawn 0 Lost 1 For 51 Against 371⁄2 v Moor Park v Lyndon Prep v Abberley Foremarke Prestfelde Moreton Hall

(H) Won 191⁄2 - 91⁄2 (H) Won 17 - 101⁄2 (H) Lost 141⁄2 - 171⁄2 Cancelled Cancelled Cancelled

Moor Park Tournament Winners Rugby Tournament Runners-up

This was an enjoyable and largely successful season for a keen and maturing team. With their natural abilities and all their hard work on developing their skills and awareness we have had some terrific matches. Things started well with a convincing win over Moor Park where there was some outstanding batting from Anna Dodd and Charlotte Edwards and tight and accurate fielding by the whole team.

Despite a slip-up against Abberley at the end of the season and no chance to redeem ourselves due to cancelled matches (courtesy of the great British weather) the girls have all worked extremely hard, not only on their fielding but their batting also. There have been many improvements and various individual successes, one of which was Maddie Hall receiving ‘Player of the

Tournament’ at Rugby School where we finished runners-up having been pipped at the post by ½ a rounder in the final match!

Another triumph to mention was the Moor Park tournament where we were the winners, so the girls have collected a couple of medals to remember their season by. Well done girls!

Finally, a special mention to Thea Holt Smith, Jess Clark, Dot Holt and Milla Harvey-Scholes for their hard work in the Bs this season - it did not go unnoticed and they have all represented the Under 11A team this term.

Team: Charlotte Edwards, Anna Dodd, Holly Shaw, Antonia Brine, Maddie Hall, Antonia Wordie, Francesca Hughes, Evie Clutton, Ceri Lloyd. SM

Under 11B Played 4 Won 2 Drawn 0 Lost 2 For 37 Against 371⁄2 v Ellesmere College v Abberley v Prestfelde v Moffats

(A) (H) (H) (H)

Won Lost Lost Won

10 - 91⁄2 9 - 91⁄2 5 - 71⁄2 13 - 11

The Under 11B team played very well throughout the term and all matches were very close. The opening fixture against Ellesmere College was very early in the Summer Term. The girls started playing well but they were also playing safe, not running to second post to gain half a rounder for fear of being stumped out. However, during the second half the girls stepped up their game and were not only making it to second post, after a good hit they were running all the way to gain whole rounders! They were throwing the ball to each other accurately and were catching well. Their hitting in the second half was much better too. This did not mean it was an easy win and the girls had to keep on playing well throughout this very close game.

The good play continued despite losing narrowly against Abberley and Prestfelde with lots of rounders being scored by many of the girls. The team finished on a high note winning their match against Moffats. During this game the girls’ hard work in practices

throughout the term was clear. Spectators could see that the girls had a better understanding of the game at the later stage in the term and were now playing better as a team. Very well done to every girl on a successful rounders season!

Squad: Sophie Mason, Dot Holt, Saskia Humphreys, Jessica Clarke, Camilla Harvey-Scholes, Poppy Raichura, Alex Angus, Mollie Jamieson, Charlotte Dixon, Thea Holt-Smith, Evie Clutton. CH

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S P O R T: R O U N D E R S

Under 10A Well, what a fantastic Played 3 Won 3 Drawn 0 Lost 0 season for this For 64 Against 291⁄2 extremely promising v Old Hall (H) Won 241⁄2 - 111⁄2 bunch of rounders v S’bury High School (H) Won 16 - 5 players. Their v Lyndon Prep (H) Won 231⁄2 - 13 enthusiasm and determination were deservedly rewarded with a good set of results - which would, I expect, be even more gratifying had there not been two cancelled fixtures due to the pesky weather.

The A team started the term with the addition of several new players, the most promising of whom was Ruby Lavender, whose intelligence, excellent ball skills and quick reactions added to an already competent side. It was also great to ‘discover’ another bowler in the form of Olivia Hughes, whose steady and consistent style perfectly complemented Tara Beasley’s faster (but sometimes unpredictable!) technique. Flo WadeSmith, at back-stop, again proved to be the talent behind them all, and we thankfully found a girl who was brave enough to be on the receiving end of her throws, the courageous Tia Barlow. The two of them perfected their back-stop-to-first-post routine, resulting in many opponents being stumped out before they’d even thought about running, and drawing the admiration of older girls. The midfield was once again held up extremely well by Ce-Ce Whittingham and Ella Downey, (although the latter does prefer to try and play every single position on the field at once; I have considered tethering her to a post, but health and safety probably forbids it…)

As is evident from the above results, we performed consistently well in matches. The Old Hall match was straightforward, with neat and tidy fielding and good (if a little risky) batting. After a lecture from me on not taking risks, and the exhibition of my new grey hairs that they had caused, the subsequent game against Shrewsbury High was a more considered, but nevertheless easy success; congratulations to Flo who received commendation from the SHS teacher and to Bea Mostyn-Owen for upping her game considerably. The girls’ fielding was so proficient in this match that we spent the following weeks working purely on batting, which paid

off in the final fixture against Lyndon Prep with some surprisingly massive hits from almost everyone; Flo, Tia, Ella, Ce-Ce, Cassie to name but a few.

The winning margin would have been even wider had it not have been for the opposing team’s 6-footer who could actually hit to the next pitch and beyond. Even Ella, playing deep field and sprinting out to the far-reaching boundary in preparation, had to watch the ball flying over her head. Too many Lyndon rounders were racking up and so the challenge was laid; “Catch this giant girl out, girls, or die trying.” Luckily Flo delivered with a catch behind in the first innings, and in the second we employed some sneaky (but legal!) tactics of leaving the giant’s teammates in on purpose and thus reducing her chances. A very well-deserved final result, which evidently felt a lot closer than it was – judging by the emergence of more grey hairs during the game… Grr! Well done and thank you girls, you should be as proud of yourselves as I am of you.

Team: Flo Wade-Smith (Capt), Tia Barlow, Tara Beasley, Olivia Hughes, Ce-Ce Whittingham, Ella Downey, Olivia Katab, Ruby Lavender, Bea Mostyn-Owen, Cassie Bedford, Jemima Price. AM

Under 10B This group of girls have worked hard to formulate an extremely strong B team and they are definitely snapping at the heels of their A team counterparts.

Played 3 Won 2 Drawn 1 Lost 0 For 32 Against 23 v Bromsgrove v SHS v Prestfelde

(A) Drawn (H) Won (H) Won

6-6 121⁄2 - 11 131⁄2 - 6

Their match season started with huge promise with a draw away at Bromsgrove, a good result considering the team were still finding their feet in a game that some girls had never even played before. Some match experience was provided by last year’s young ‘trainees’, Alice Shone, Sophia Price and Amelia Tennant, and the lack of experience amongst the rest of the team was made up for in sheer hard work.

With a renewed effort in training sessions, the subsequent two match results perfectly demonstrate the rapid progress they then made. Harriet Bibby put her long legs to good use in deep field, whilst Emily Cooper demonstrated the admirable ‘Cooper Throw’ in her position as back-stop.

Sacha Robertson was only just learning the game but still put in a great and consistent performance in all matches.

Should there be an award for emerging talent, it would certainly go to Amelia Tennant, who was one of a number of girls that were pulled up from the under 9 group and who proved to be one of the team’s most valuable assets in both fielding and batting. And, if I’m going to talk about awards, then Alice Shone would get Vocal of the Year for her confident and proficient direction of her teammates. While we’re at it …Jessie Hunt for Most Talkative... Ellie Hutchings for Most Questions…Sophia Price for Miss Chatterbox… are you sensing a continuous theme here?)!

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A successful and well-rounded season, that ended on a high for a group of thoroughly determined and hugely enthusiastic girls; thank you for your efforts and good luck!

Team: Jessie Hunt, Sophia Price, Emily Cooper, Alice Shone, Harriet Bibby, Sacha Robertson, Ellie Hutchings, Amelia Tennant. AM

S P O R T: R O U N D E R S / AT H L E T I C S

Under 9A Played 2 Won 1 Drawn 0 Lost 1 For 461⁄2 Against 44 v Prestfelde v Lyndon Prep

(H) (H)

Lost Won

37 - 38 9½-6

This has been a good term for the squad. They have played with enthusiasm and I have been very pleased with the improvement in all aspects of their game. The Under 9 A team now all have a very secure understanding of the rules and look very proficient when they play their matches.

The match against Prestfelde was called, ‘Three ball rounders’. Each batter hits three balls and then runs round as many posts as possible before all three balls are fielded and are returned to the bowler’s box. The maximum number of posts anyone ran to in our match was six, so that girl achieved a score of six! The girls had played this version of rounders once before and so did well on the day. Unfortunately the heavens opened whilst we were fielding and the girls found it progressively more difficult. We only played one innings before rain stopped play - another lovely summer’s day!

In our match against Lyndon Prep our girls fielded extremely well; backing each other up and thinking about where the ball should be thrown. They looked impressive and scored some good rounders.

Team: Rosie Clarke, Millie Shaw, Eliza Beckett, Antonia Barlow-Evans, Mollie Bruce, Annie Livermore, Laura Whittingham, Beth Cooper, Ellie Mason, Freya Beasley, Flora Moreau. EAC

Under 9B The team started the Played 1 Won 1 For 7 Against 51⁄2 season with little v Lyndon Prep (H) Won 7 - 5½ experience of rounders and consequently the rules seemed rather confusing to many of them. The girls though, have worked hard on all aspects of their game and I was particularly impressed with their recent attempts to throw a ball overarm. They enjoyed their match and scored some impressive rounders. Imogen Downey did well to take a catch and hit the ball so well that she scored and Chloe Edwards played a very good back-stop.

Team: Freya Beasley, Chloe Edwards, Philippa Vickers, Clary Haynes, Lottie Clarke, Amber Gibbins, Imogen Downey, Lottie Hill-Trevor, India Holt, Romy Grigg, Talullah Blackham. EAC

Athletics The Sixes Athletics competitions at Senior and U11 levels again proved to be very popular with almost everyone taking part in either a track or field event. Mannings/Sodens won the senior event and Harcourt/Clarkes the U11 event. The overall winners were Harcourt/Clarkes who won the Miriam Heard Cup for 2009.

The highlight of the Senior Athletics was the girls and boys 800m races.

Both events were highly competitive and produced excellent winning times. In the boys’ race Johnny Woodhead ran superbly to hold off the improving Jake Samuel. Charlotte Greenway also produced an impressive performance, beating Olivia Wade-Smith by 10 metres in the girls’ 800.

In the younger age groups Daishi Suzuki dominated the Boys’ Ball Throw event and excellent performances were seen in the track events

by Charlotte Edwards and Freddie Fielding. PJP Page 81

S P O R T: R I D I N G

Riding

The 7th Annual One Day Event The Packwood ODE has become a regular fixture for the first Sunday of the Autumn Term, following after the Berwyn and Dee Pony Club’s inter-branch team beginners’ event over the same course. Unfortunately these events are weather dependent and ours had to be postponed by three weeks which resulted in a smaller entry than in past years.

However this made it possible for all three

classes to do each of the three disciplines in the normal order. The Cross Country Course was ridden in both directions with competitors only setting off as another returned. Both the ground and the weather were ideal and a very pleasant day was had by all. Our thanks go to Anna Mackew, who was again our most able and fair Dressage judge; to Matron Banks, who thankfully had a

trouble free day; to the Berwyn and Dee for the use of their show jumps; and to Ray who has managed over recent years to transform the ‘Spinney’ into a superb riding surface. The 2’9” Open class was won by Georgina Greenway. Thomas Tulloch took the 2’3” Novice class and Simon Waterhouse was victorious in the 18” Beginners class.

The 13th Packwood Gymkhana The Gymkhana returned to its usual slot, the weekend after half-term, and attracted twentythree ponies and riders, the largest entry seen for a number of years. There was again a large number of younger participants which bodes well for the future of riding here! A happy and relaxed day was had by all as they entered the show jumping and handy pony classes in the morning and the Horse and Hound, the games and the Chase me Charlie in the afternoon. All Page 82

the entrants in between times were able to pop over most of the Cross Country course. The ponies, mums and dads had a long and busy day and did the riders proud! Once again announcing the winner of the Green Hollow Trophy had to wait until the following morning’s assembly when the trophy was presented to Tia Barlow, with Thomas Tulloch coming a close second.

Days like this cannot happen without considerable help. Our particular thanks go to Anna Mackew who so ably ran the show jumping classes; to our gap student Kacie Fulton in the Handy Pony Arena; and to Matron Banks for being in attendance. It was an enormously enjoyable day and we were delighted to be able to send £115 off to the ‘Riding for the Disabled’.

S P O R T: R I D I N G / S W I M M I N G

Inter Schools Showjumping For the sixth year now we have entered the excellent May Bank Holiday Inter Schools show jumping competition which takes place at Southview, in Wettenhall. There was an enormous entry this year so the excellent outdoor all weather arena only ran the 2’9” class (90 riders!). It was large and the jumps and the course were definitely not for the fainthearted. Our team of Archie Fetherstonhaugh, Patrick Phillips and Charlotte Greenway all did well, particularly Patrick who had a Double Clear.

Ashworth and Monty Curran taking the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 6th places respectively. In the School’s Challenge round, Tia was again the individual winner and the team were comfortably the fastest. Unfortunately, with a final score of four faults, we had to settle for second place. The 2’6” class was less successful, though Charlotte Greenway was individually 6th in the Warm Up Class. Jack Ashworth was our only Double Clear and the ‘B’ team ended with 8 faults, beating our ‘A’ team who finished on 12.

We entered two teams in both the 2’6” and 2’3” classes which were both ridden on their indoor arena. Having won both classes last year, we were anxious to do well and put out strong teams. The Packwood riders made a very promising start in the opening 2’3” Warm Up Class with Tia Barlow, Thomas Tulloch, Jack

In the Summer Term 2008 we entered an inaugural qualifying round of the National Schools Equestrian Association ‘Jumping with Style’ competition held at Howells School, Denbigh. As well as having to go Clear over a long combined show jumping and working hunter jump style course, both the

rider and the rider/horse combination were marked on their style. We won ‘in style’ with Tia Barlow individually placed second, Charlie Adams placed sixth and Imogene Hill seventh. Our team, which also included Charlotte Greenway, qualified for the National Finals which were held at Keysoe College in Bedfordshire in November. We duly went.

Driving down through fog and rain, jumping in fog and rain and finally driving home through more fog and rain! We fell foul of a rule forbidding more than one change of horse/rider combination so were only able to take three. Charlotte Greenway, Immy Hill and Tia Barlow made the journey and jumped well but were out of the ribbons. It was an interesting excursion and competition but one that we chose not to enter this year. AJR

Swimming

Bell Cup for swimming standards

Manning Sodens

Prosser Cup for Sixes swimming

Manning Sodens

“Don't wait for your ship to come in - swim out to it.”

Author Unknown Swimming is very important to the children at Packwood. For many it is an important life skill, for some a competitive sport, for others a prerequisite to water sports and to most an enjoyable free time activity.

Our very youngest children, the Acorns and the 5s and 6s in Main school, are taught to swim by a team of qualified instructors. As the children progress through the school with increased confidence and improved technique, they are encouraged to perfect their strokes and learn some race tactics. Children also learn lifesaving skills to various levels. During free time several teachers put on ‘free swims’ or organise ever popular water polo matches. The children are assessed on a regular basis and are encouraged to improve and enjoy their swimming. We have been lucky this year to have a dedicated team of swimming instructors and our thanks go to Jo Hutchings, Sam Hughes, Leanne Willis, Kate Brown, Nick Weston, Bill Inge and our new addition, Kelly Evans, who has established a Senior Swimming Club for the best swimmers.

During the summer term, every child puts aside the woggle races and games of Battleships for the serious matter of achieving their swimming standards. Each standard achieved earns points for the

child’s six and the four fastest from each age group are selected for the Grand Final (results below). Congratulations to Fran Hughes who managed the clean sweep of wins for her age group for a second year in succession (and won the breaststroke race for a fourth year!) and to Ellie Hutchings and Laura Cooke who not only won their breaststroke races, but also achieved all time Packwood records. Most of the children in the school are recruited by their Six for the Grand Relay which this year, as always, was an exciting (and loud) affair. Manning Sodens were the worthy winners and with swimming ‘dynasties’ such as the Hughes family, the Cooke family, the Hutchings family, the Brown family, the Vickers family, the Wade-Smith family and the Fowler family they are going to be a tough team to beat for years to come. NW Long Freestyle

Breaststroke

Sprint Freestyle

Under 8

Ellie Mason

Marcus Woodhead

Ellie Mason

Under 9

Pip Vickers

Ellie Hutchings †

Pip Vickers

Under 10 Ella Downey

Olivia Hughes

Ella Downey

Under 11

Fran Hughes

Fran Hughes

Under 12 Korn Pithayanukul

Laura Cooke †

Lucy Simpson

Under 13 Ollie Brown

Ines Sanguino

Ollie Brown

Fran Hughes

† = Packwood Record

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S P O R T: T E N N I S

Tennis Boys

As usual, not as many fixtures as we would have hoped. Three very legitimate reasons for this: 1) The Jet cricket coincided with one match which had to be cancelled. 2) The magnificent Repton tournament was rained off. 3) A number of schools simply do not play tennis fixtures, which is a pity for them. Mind you, we would probably have beaten them if they had played (the arrogance is staggering!) because we happened to have easily the best team, in depth, that we have ever had.

Our top eight Under 13 boys were almost interchangeable.

Throughout the season there was intense competition for places in all teams (Under 13, Under 12 and Under 11), and this was reflected by the standard of play which was skilful, determined and unrelenting. In the Abberley match we overwhelmed a less well-prepared team. Against Birchfield only our Under 11s struggled, against very strong opposition.

Against Moor Park we only lost one set. The Shrewsbury match was the

usual, hugely enjoyable afternoon’s tennis, with some Old Packwoodians thrown in.

Under 13 team: George Fergusson (Capt), Charlie Bibby, Charlie White, George Beard, Harry Tomkinson, Rufus Holt, Charlie Marques, William Mackereth, Andrew Jackson, Ollie Brown, Toby Harvey-Scholes.

Under 12 & Under 11 team: Freddie Earlam (Capt), Jamie Humes, Toby Thomson, Monty Curran, Played 4 Won 4 Drawn 0 Lost 0 Oliver Pumphrey, Sets for 46 Sets against 9 Sets drawn 1 Edward Graves, v Abberley (H) Won 19 - 3 Matt White, v Moor Park (H) Won 9 - 1 Edward Beard, v Birchfield (H) Won 11- 3 Fergus Connolly, v Shrewsbury (A) Won 7 - 2 (one set drawn) Keishi Oyama.

Girls A strange season this, not only due to adverse weather conditions, but also to the fact that the Under 12s were considerably stronger than the Under 13s. Hence Immy Hill being made Captain with a year to go. So there were mixed results this year, but hope for greater things to come next summer. In the first match at Ellesmere we came up against two very advanced players and lost 3 sets to 1, but Immy Hill and our new revelation, Millie Powell, played very well. Against Moor Park we had mixed results, but, with one match not quite finished, the result was a draw. The Under 11s played gallantly against the High School but need more experience.

Under 13 & Under 12 team: Immy Hill (Captain), Ines Sanguino, Poppy Beckett, Bella Shanagher, Millie Powell, Charlotte Greenway, Tira Brown, Cecy Price, Lucy Simpson.

Under 11 team: Milla Harvey-Scholes, Thea Holt-Smith, Charlotte Edwards, Jess Clarke, Holly Shaw, Maddie Hall. PAE Page 84

Played 3 Won 0 Drawn 1 Lost 2

S P O R T: F E N C I N G

Fencing Bibby Bowl Sixes trophy

Harcourt Clarkes

Duel-in-the-Sun Individual trophy

Henry Don

Wrexham/Packwood Shield

Epee Winners, Lost Foil and Sabre

Packwood Epée Cup

3rd

Winterfold Challenge

Winners

Bromsgrove Shield / Sword

Winners / Winners

British Open

Henry Don 6th

LPJS Ashton Open

Archie Connolly (Silver) Freddie Houlker, Timmy Robinson-Boulton (Bronze)

LPJS Durham Open

Freddie Houlker (Bronze)

LPJS Warwick Open

Timmy Robinson-Boulton (Bronze)

“Na na na na, I wanna start a fight.” Most children would get into trouble for saying things like that, but not so the Packwood Fencing Team. Taking Pink!’s pop lyrics literally we’ve been starting fights all over the country…

Over 70 pupils participated in fencing this year, and of those, 36 represented the school in competitions. We fence all three weapons (epee, foil and sabre) at Packwood and compete at both team and individual events.

The Pink! lyrics were not the only pink connection as some of our ‘ladies’ now have pink fencing masks. Other colours we have brought to the fencing world include our team colours: green. Big, loud, green socks, with the occasional green mask and jacket. We even have our own ‘green-socked fencing man’ logo designed

by Gus Langford who like Olivia WadeSmith and Kinvara Gladstone wears the most bizarre array of coloured socks.

Nineteen of our fencers brought other, metallic, colours back to the school, winning between them a truly amazing tally of 36 Bronze, 20 Silver and our favourite colour, 15 Gold medals this year.

From the ‘Crash and Bash’ and ‘Dancing feet’ to the ‘Bore your opponent to death’ and the ‘left handed menaces’ we have all types of fencers, but space will allow me only a few special mentions.

Amongst the juniors, last year’s ‘budding d’Artagnans’ Archie Connolly, Ce-Ce Whittingham and Freddie Houlker certainly delivered. Archie represented the West Midlands and won gold at Packwood and Wrexham, Ce-Ce represented the West Midlands and came 18th at U12 Nationals, Freddie racked up eight medals and is currently lying second in the LPJS National U11 ranking. Other juniors joining them this year were Timmy Robinson-Boulton who won two U10 gold medals and was a semi-finalist at Epee’s biggest open, the Warwick LPJS, Jessie Hunt who won two U10 gold medals, Pip Vickers and Ella Downey who won a gold each, Annie Livermore who despite being only eight won a medal in every one of the six competitions she entered this year, and finally Gabe Connolly who at seven was our youngest ever medal winner taking bronzes at the Packwood and Winterfold competitions.

Seniors Henry Don, William Schofield, Holly Shaw, Fran Hughes and Charlotte Dixon all represented the West Midlands region at the Nationals. The outstanding achiever of the clan was Henry Don. Henry won both the West Midlands Sabre and the West Midlands Epee. He came 18th in the Sabre Nationals and a fantastic 6th in the Epee, our best ever result. He also made it to the final in every single school competition we entered, regardless of weapon, an outstanding achievement. He is awarded his Packwood Colours for services to fencing and takes over from Brooke Lovegrove-Fielden as next year’s captain.

Finally a huge thank you to everyone else involved with Packwood fencing, from parents buying kit, to the kitchen staff and matrons, who get up at silly hours to feed us breakfast: after all “an army” (especially ours) “marches on its stomach” (Napoleon, fencer). NW

‘Captain’ Brooke, Henry Young, Alistair Don, Oliver Platt, James London, Charlie Clarke, William Mackereth and Bella Shanagher are all moving on to senior schools and I thank them for their years of loyal support, their help coaching beginners, humour in traffic jams and early breakfasts, and many memorable moments on and off the piste. I hope they continue with the sport as James Kennaway (16th at the Public Schools’ Championships for Millfield) and Chris Williams (representing Wales and Shrewsbury School) have. Keishi Oyama joined us for a year from Japan and entertained us with his ‘dancing feet’ and accuracy winning three medals along the way.

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S P O R T: G O L F / C R O S S C O U N T R Y / R I F L E S H O O T I N G

Golf The parent-pupil golf was held early in the summer term, and although there weren’t as many entries as usual, the standard of entry was high. Despite the weather forecast for rain, we were lucky and it stayed dry. Mr Walker and Alex were very much the favourites, and they won the event comfortably.

We also had some disappointing news this year. The Stonyhurst golf competition has been postponed indefinitely. Sadly I believe it is the credit crunch that is to blame. I do hope that this will be reversed as it is such a good competition and all the people who have entered in previous years have had a fantastic time.

At the end of term we had the school golf competition. This year we had lots of competitors for both the junior and senior events. It was amazing how many children tried to enter at the last minute, when they realised that the competition was timetabled during lesson time! The competition was held on a lovely sunny morning and the boys who had signed up in time, all played really well, even those of a lower standard. In the end we had clear winners in both events.

Congratulations to Jake Samuel and Harry Schofield. SAR Draper Trophy (Parent/Pupil) Woosnam Cup (Senior Boys) Junior Boys

Alex Walker Jake Samuel Harry Schofield

Cross Country This year we followed the usual format, with twice weekly sessions for senior and U11 boys.

We had lots of running games, relays, wide games, etc. But as usual the highlight of the season was the Sixes Cross-Country event. This year the competition definitely had a better feel to it, with most participants determined to do their best, even if they were not gifted runners.

“Give it a go” was what everyone seemed to be doing. The results were as follows: Senior Boys

Junior Boys

Girls

Johnny Woodhead (6:30)

Freddie Fielding (6:16)

Charlotte Greenway (7:55)

Jake Samuel (6:41)

Harry Jenkinson (7:02)

Tira Brown (7:57)

Henry Young (6:44)

Edward Dolphin (7:07)

Thea Holt-Smith (8:02)

Peregrine Beckett (6:50)

Jonty Schofield (7:13)

Tatty Hunt (8:01)

Jamie Humes (6:54)

Toby Mason (7:19)

Olivia Wade-Smith (8:04)

George Fergusson (7:08)

Simon Waterhouse (7:20)

Cecy Price (8:06)

The team results were as follows: Senior Boys: 1st Mannings/Sodens Junior Boys: 1st Bradshaw/Boyces Girls:

1st Harcourt/Clarkes

Overall:

1st Mannings/Sodens 2nd Bradshaw/Boyces

But, hang on a second. Look at those times.

They must be wrong. Well, they aren’t.

Johnny Woodhead would have broken the school record if the incredible Freddie Fielding had not already done so in the Junior race.

In…cred…ible. Incroyable. Etc. PAE

Rifle Shooting This was our fourth year of competing on ‘5’ bull targets, with two shots being fired at each mark and scores out of 100. It is probably now only Old Packwoodians that still remember the old ‘clockface’ targets. High scores are definitely harder to achieve and the level of differentiation is far greater. However, this is the format that our shooters will encounter on the .22 ranges at their senior schools. It has taken some years for the Prep Schools Rifle Association to fully embrace the change but with ‘slings’ being allowed from this September the change will be complete.

Over one hundred children visited the range to shoot, generally either during lesson eight activities or in the two Clubs evenings. Many came to gain a qualifying score in the Packwood Pentathlon. However, only around forty-five children managed to shoot regularly throughout the year. This number is still down Page 86

from a few years ago which made it hard to make up two good VIIIs to compete in the St David’s Shield competition which is held every term.

However a team will be competing again from this September. Shooting is a discipline that needs regular practice. Debatably, even once a week is probably not enough to be seriously competitive, but there are again some very promising up and coming young shots in the pipeline.

During this year there were twelve Second Class and six First Class certificates awarded.

William Lye, Ed Stanton and Rafael de Vargas became Marksmen and William Dodson-

Wells gained his Master Marksman Shield.

This year’s star shot was unquestionably William Dodson-Wells, our departing Captain of Shooting and he deservedly wins the Croydon Cup. AJR

O L D PA C K W O O D I A N S

Old Packwoodian News Dinner for 2004 Leavers

The annual reunion of Old Packwoodians five years after they left Packwood has become a tradition and former pupils look forward to celebrating the end of ‘A’ levels and seeing many of their old school friends and teachers, sometimes for the first time since they left Packwood. The evening provides a wonderful opportunity to reminisce about the old times at prep school and to catch up on each other’s more recent news. It is always a fun evening enjoyed by OPs, current and former staff alike and this year was no exception.

Those who attended this year were Camilla Austerberry, Adam Cartwright, Iona Dixey, George Edwards, Jodi Foster, Jonty Goucher, Hamish Findlay, Rupert Hancock, Michael Harrap, Katie Hewett, Chris Jamieson, Richard Jenkins, John Jones, Miho Kanekawa, Matthew Arrowsmith, Camilla Lea, Andrew Mackereth, Anna Matthews, Arabella Munro, Oliver Oak, Edward Parry-Smith, Bertie Radcliffe, Edward Stanford-Davis, George Wade-Smith and Sarah Wood.

Old Packwoodian Day 2009 The 2009 Old Packwoodian Day was one of the finest days we have ever had for the event. In glorious sunshine many Old Packwoodians joined current members of staff and pupils in church for the annual Leavers Service. It was a very moving service at which Michael Barrett, Headmaster of Adams Grammar School, inspired the leavers and parents alike.

Mr and Mrs Boyes and Mrs Gallimore were at school for the whole day and Old Packwoodians appeared throughout the day, many arriving early for the 2004 reunion dinner. While they wandered around the school taking in the many changes – the sports hall, the new classrooms, the new offices and most importantly the new food, the staff contemplated the many changes in the Old Packwoodians – trying to match sophisticated young adults with the thirteen year olds they last saw several years earlier.

Certainly everyone was stumped by David Stott!

An entertaining afternoon of cricket and rounders was laid on courtesy of the leavers

and their parents, and after a traditional Packwood match tea the Old Packwoodians retired to ready themselves for the evening’s entertainment. FB

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O L D PA C K W O O D I A N S

Old Packwoodian 70s v 80s Cricket Match

The team of 70s leavers made a great start during their innings with This year’s cricket match was a contest between leavers of the 70s, captained by James Clarke and leavers of the 80s, led by Robin Morris. some hefty blows from Richard Bowen. Then some of the more seasoned campaigners (over 45s in general!) played measured The match was played on a beautiful sunny day which lifted the innings, with an eye always on the run rate, and retired at the 25 run spirits of cricketers and spectators alike and contributed to a happy mark. The most refined innings probably and relaxed mood amongst all those present. came from Jonathan Green who never It is always a special occasion providing an It is always a special occasion looked troubled. Despite the efforts of opportunity to catch up with former school friends some of whom hadn’t seen each providing an opportunity to catch Chris Morris (80s) who bowled sharply, fielded like a cat and was clearly the fittest other for ages (for many, not since age 13) up with former school friends man on show, the 70s team eventually and to reminisce about the old days. some of whom hadn’t seen each reached their target with three or four overs Robin won the toss and decided to bat first other for ages (for many, not since to spare. with the aim of setting a big total for the 70s age 13) and to reminisce about It was a very well contested match, team to chase. They set about their task the old days. played in a great spirit and with plenty of well with a few of their batsmen (notably enthusiasm from all the players, many of Guy Davies, a complete newcomer to whom hadn’t picked up a cricket bat for a very long time and some, cricket) reaching the retiring total of 25 not out. However, Edward apparently, never before! And, just maybe, if the younger team had Pease-Watkin astutely pointed out that they didn’t run hard enough run a little bit faster, victory could have been theirs! between the wickets and after their allotted 30 overs they had James Clarke amassed a total of 183 runs. Their run rate was restricted not only by their somnambulistic pace between the wickets but also by some impressive bowling from Andrew Carter who at nearly 50 bowled like a man 30 years younger, and Rupert Harvey who hardly conceded a run.

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O L D PA C K W O O D I A N S

Packwood Olympian Early in the autumn term former Packwood pupil, Tom James visited the school to talk about his success at the Beijing Olympics.

Tom was part of the coxless fours rowing team who won Gold at the summer games last August. During a special assembly he spoke to the children at length about his career in rowing. He first took up the sport at King’s School, Chester after a knee injury forced him to give up running. He continued rowing throughout his time at Cambridge University where he studied for his degree in engineering. Tom was a member of the Cambridge University Boat Club and took part in the varsity boat race four times. He was elected President of the Boat Club in 2007 and the highlight of his presidency came when Cambridge defeated Oxford in that year’s race.

Tom was a member of the British rowing eight at the 2004 Athens Olympics and also competed with notable success, winning numerous medals, in world championship competitions before the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. At the Games he and the other members of the GB four dominated their heats and semi-finals but in the final Australia led for most of the way. Only a dramatic push by the British boat in the closing stages made the difference - they won the nail-biting final to become gold medallists, beating the Australians by 1.28 seconds in the most exciting moment of his career so far. The children were very amused to hear that Tom prizes his Olympic gold medal so highly that he keeps it in his sock drawer!

Engagements Joshua Mowll (1982) to Sonya Readman

During the course of his morning at Packwood Tom came round to each of the classrooms to answer more questions from the children and to show them his medal.

All of the pupils, and indeed the members of staff, were thrilled to meet him and to get a closer look at the medal. A lucky few even tried it on.

Tom’s outstanding achievements in rowing were further recognised when he was awarded an MBE in the 2009 New Year’s Honours list. CEH

Marriages Henry Chance (1982) to Sara Hedburg Karina Champion (1995) to Chris King

Deaths Judge Adrian Cooper (1961) Mrs Felicity Barnett who taught French in the 70s.

Joyce McFerran MBE, widow of George McFerran, Headmaster of Packwood from 1928 -1956, who died at the age of 97 and who had had considerable success in the world of horseracing.

Joyce McFerran 1913-2009, Joyce McFerran (née Wilson) came to Packwood in 1954 to be Headmaster’s Secretary.

Prior to this she had held a most important position as Personal Secretary to Lord Reith, Director of the BBC during some of the most critical war years. Lord Reith, as we heard at her Thanksgiving Service at Tetbury church on 5th May, had also played a vitally important part in the planning of the D-Day invasion of Europe, and for her part in this task Joyce McFerran was awarded an MBE.

She was also presented by the Rt. Hon. Winston Churchill, Prime Minister, with one of only three plaques made up of coloured window glass fragments from the bombed House of Commons, which was her proudest possession.

It was soon after her arrival at Packwood Haugh that she became engaged to the Headmaster, George McFerran, who had then been at Packwood for some 33 years.

As a result of his marriage he decided to retire at the end of the summer term of 1955 and they left for a beautiful house where they followed the great interest of their lives, rearing and keeping a number of racehorses and attending the local meetings at Bangor, Ludlow and Cheltenham.

She and George McFerran were above all, supportive of Packwood Haugh to the highest degree and were responsible for arranging the sale of the farm and 156 acres next door at a very reasonable price to the school; land which now accommodates the sports hall, changing rooms, squash courts and all of the Wykey playing fields. They were a wonderfully happy couple to whom the school owes a very great debt.

After George’s death Joyce continued to live at her house in Tebury leading an interesting and active life and retaining her racehorses right up until her own death earlier this year.

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O L D PA C K W O O D I A N S

News of Old Packwoodians 1974

1988

2004

Mark Rylands, has recently been appointed as the new Bishop of Shrewsbury.

Myles Allsop still works in the City and has moved to Kingston-upon-Thames with Anna his wife and their two children aged 3 and 10 months.

Matthew Arrowsmith has been working for the last year and is planning six months in the Alps for a ski season.

1982 Richard Barker now works for Aspinall Casinos in Swansea as a General Manager but this means he spends a lot of his time travelling.

Henry Chance married Sara Hedberg from Sweden in June 2008. They live near Ludlow in Shropshire.

1985

1991 Emily Erskine had a wonderful two weeks in Borneo. Climbing Mount Kinabalu was the highlight of the trip.

Bill Gallimore has completed an IT Technical course.

Robin Bennett has nearly completed the massive task of converting the farm buildings into offices. He now has the problem of letting them.

Emma Hawksley has finished her nursing course and may now consider a move to Conwy if their house can be sold. She would like to pursue her career as a Community Nurse or Health Visitor.

1986

1993

Roos Allsop has gained further promotion in the Navy. He is still living in Devon with his wife and their two children aged 5 and 3.

Harriet Erskine now works for the Goldsmiths Company as their Charities Manager.

Julie Bowdler is a prolific letter writer and always has plenty of news of her past Packwood friends.

Charlotte Hawksley and her husband are both working as Doctors.

Nigel Crewe-Read has recently returned from Afghanistan where he was serving at the Headquarters. He will be going out again in June as a Company Commander.

Andrew Erskine graduated from Oxford and is now doing a Law Conversion Course in London. During last year he joined Charles Reston (1999) who was walking the Camino de Compostela in Spain and enjoyed walking some of the route with him.

Julian Gallimore is very happy working as a psychiatric nurse.

1987 Mark Cassel has had a difficult time coping with his father’s estate after his sad death two years ago.

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1999

2003 Harry Skelton has had a lot of success recently as a jockey. He had a high-profile televised win at Ascot followed by one at Wetherby on Boxing Day and was featured in an article in the Racing Times.

Milla Austerberry has just left Cheltenham Ladies’ College and hopes to go on to Durham in October to study French and Russian.

Camilla Barlow did incredibly well in her ‘A’ levels and is spending a gap year doing a cookery course and working at a school in Africa.

Adam Cartwright has completed ‘A’ levels in Maths, Economics, Physics and Chemistry and is going on to study Economics at the University of Exeter. At school he has been involved in theatrical productions which have gone up to the Edinburgh Fringe, played electric guitar in a band and is a former member of the top rowing squad.

Iona Dixey has completed ‘A’ levels in French, Latin, Economics and Spanish.

She plans to spend six months of her gap year in South America and may go on to study Spanish and Portuguese at university.

George Edwards is about to start a gap year sailing abroad.

Louenna Edwards has been Captain of Athletics at Millfield.

Hamish Findlay has just finished at Shrewsbury. He plans to enjoy a ski season and then travel to South America during his gap year before going to Oxford Brookes University to study Real Estate Management.

O L D PA C K W O O D I A N S Jonty Goucher has finished at Shrewsbury and is going to the Royal College of Agriculture at Cirencester to study Estate Management. At school he enjoyed playing 1st team hockey and rugby for the 3rds.

Rupert Hancock plans to study Business Management at either Newcastle or Oxford Brookes University after completing ‘A’ levels in Photography, Geography and Business Studies. At school he has played 1st XI football, 1st XV rugby and also enjoyed rowing, cricket and athletics.

Beetle Holloway is taking a gap year and hoping to go to Edinburgh next year.

Chris Jamieson has been Deputy Head of School at Shrewsbury and during his time there has been greatly involved with many theatrical productions as actor, writer and director. He has an offer to read European Social and Political Studies with Russian and Spanish at university.

Bertie Radcliffe has been offered a place to read Classics at Christchurch College, Oxford. He has enjoyed leading the Shrewsbury School Model United Nations team and has been a major contributor to Mike Harrap has been rowing for Cheltenham the satirical magazine, The Salopians.

College first eight and completed a charity Hideo Shima was at Shrewsbury School for a row from Oxford to London in 24 hours. He year, and moved to Vancouver, Canada. He has done charity work at a Romanian was in a rock band in Vancouver and orphanage and similar work in Kenya. He has performed some concerts in several schools enjoyed taking part in school shows as a and universities. He successfully finished singer and stand-up comedian and is hoping High School last year and is now going back to go on to Durham or Cardiff University to to Japan to attend Asia Pacific University in study Biology.

Beppu.

Katie Hewett has just finished at Moreton Hall and started a gap year.

John Jones has finished at Repton and is going to San Diego University on a golf scholarship. He is a scratch golfer.

Miho Kanekawa is returning to Japan after her five years at Moreton Hall to study at Waseda University in the School of Liberal Studies.

Camilla Lea has had a ‘fantastic time’ at Moreton Hall and is about to set off on a gap year during which she plans to travel in Australia and Europe before returning to take up a place at Oxford Brookes University on the Childhood Studies course.

Ben Lee is going to Cambridge University to read Land Economy at Trinity Hall.

Andrew Mackereth has finished at Llanfyllin High School and is going to Edinburgh University to study Chemistry. He is enjoying great success in rugby as part of the Worcester Academy and will play for Chester first team next year.

Anna Matthews is hoping for top grades in her Biology, Art and Psychology ‘A’ levels to enable her to earn a place at Cardiff University to study Optometry.

Bella Munro has completed ‘A’ levels in English, History and Latin and will take a gap year in Europe and Africa before university.

Ollie Oak enjoyed studying Chemistry, Maths and French at Shrewsbury and is going on to Edinburgh University to read Chemistry.

Edward Stanford-Davis is hoping to study Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London or Edinburgh University after completing a gap year as a New Zealand sheep farmer.

George Wade-Smith has taken ‘A’ levels in Photography, History of Art and Business Studies before starting a gap year. He was captain of the football 1st XI and a member of the 1st XV rugby team.

2005 Henry Bridge has been made Head Boy of Malvern College.

Freddie Herzog was presented with a ‘Young Citizen Award’ by the High Sheriff of Shropshire for good citizenship. He has also been made Head Boy of Ellesmere College.

David Kell was selected to represent Shrewsbury School in the regional heat of the Senior Team Mathematics challenge and has qualified for the national final to be held in London in February.

Evie Paterson is the reigning U18 Junior Eventing Champion. She also represented Britain in the FEI Junior European Eventing Championships where she was placed 16th.

She achieved 11 A* grades in her GCSEs and is now studying five subjects for AS, including Mandarin.

Daniel Rees did extremely well in his GCSEs at Monmouth School and is now taking Latin, French, History and Economics for AS Levels.

2006 Jenny Draper has been selected to play lacrosse for England Centex in their game at Queen Anne’s Caversham against the New Zealand U19 World Cup Side on June 14th 2009.

2007 Sophie Martin was selected to represent Britain in the 2009 European Pony Eventing Championships in Belgium.

Jonathan Rees has gained Grade 5 in piano and Grade 3 in percussion and has settled very well at Monmouth. He was very pleased to be joined by Jonathon Glover. He has joined the senior symphonic winds and played in their 2008 tour to Barcelona.

Don’t lose touch!

The new Packwood Haugh website features a secure area specifically for Old Packwoodians to find out about forthcoming social and sports events, and to share news and photos with their fellow ex-pupils.

Please contact us with your email details at opnews@packwood-haugh.co.uk so that we can issue you with a password and login.

Page 91

Governors & Staff Governors Dr J Dixey MD FRCP Chairman Mrs F J Humphreys A S Davies BSc Est Man FRICS Mrs L Lewis LLB J W R Goulding MA

W A Johnston M N Mitchell MA Mrs C Mostyn-Owen MA D R Stacey R G Tovey Cert Ed (Oxon)

Teaching Staff Nigel Westlake LLB, PGCE – Headmaster Oliver Lee MA, PGCE – Deputy Head, Classics, Head of Day Children Howard Bourne MA, PGCE – Senior Master, Maths, New Children Kate Brown BEd – English, Library Elizabeth Crawley BA, PGCE – Head of Packwood Acorns Elspeth Cumpston BSc, PGCE – Maths Elizabeth Dobson MA – Assistant to Director of Music Paul Dougan MA – Head of Art Sue Draper BEd – Lacrosse, Athletics Roz Edwards BEd – Head of RS Peter Erskine Cert Ed – Head of English Martin Ford BEd – Maths, Geography Laura Goulding BA – Form 6 Teacher, Art Jane Hadwick BA, PGCE – Music Chantal Hartshorn – Girls' Games, Teaching Assistant Richard Herzog BEd – Head of Science Sam Hughes MA, BEd – Girls' Games, Science Bill Inge MA, PGCE – Head of Classics Jane Jones – Cookery, New Uniform, Boys' House parent Nick Jones BEd, Cert Ed – Senior Master, Biology, Boys' Housemaster Jo Lambkin BA, MCIL – French Geraldine Lee Cert Ed – French David Leeke MA, ARCM, LTCL, SRSA – Music Andrew Livermore BA – Head of History, Girls' Housemaster Lizzie Livermore BA (Ed) – Form 6 Teacher, Girls' House parent Emma Middlemiss BEd – Acorns Elena Nogues BA, PGCE – French, Spanish, CDT, Teaching Assistant Jerome Nogues BA – Head of French Kate Parry BEd – Head of PE Paul Phillips BSc, PGCE – Head of Boys' Games, Science Duncan Reavill BSc, PGCE – Head of Geography Anthony Rigby – Head of CDT Stephen Rigby BA, PGCE – Head of IT Nicola Tomlins BEd – Acorns Ken Webster Cert Ed – English Jo Westlake BA, CPGS – Director of Music Nick Weston MA, PGCE – Maths, History Gail Wilkinson BA, PGCE – History, Geography Leanne Willis – PE, Games, Teaching Assistant Ian Wood BEd – Director of Studies, Head of Maths, Senior Master

Matrons Ali Banks RGN – Head Matron Gillian Stobie – Girls' Head Matron Caron Lane – Deputy Head Matron Sarah Jones Jaia Barrett Chloe Ryan Frances Wood Lianne Wright Page 92

Mrs M T Price J J Knight A M Wright BA J M Ollier

Learning Support Staff Sue Gough BA, PGCE, Dip SpLD – Head of LS, English Tina Simms BA, PGCE, RSA Cert SpLD Jean Herzog BA, PGCE, Dip SpLD Jane Cooke BA, RSA Cert SpLD Etsuko Koshika BA, JFL Jo Kapella BSc, PGCE, Dip SpLD Catherine Hammond BA Joy Davis BA, PGCE

Visiting Staff Edward Roberts-Malpass – Trumpet, Trombone Ruth Hayward – Flute, Recorder Olga Lewis – Piano Anthony Dowlen – Piano Harry Percy – Percussion Roy Johnson – Saxophone, Clarinet Jan Lumley – Flute, Clarinet John Arran – Guitar Dawn Jaffray – Singing Rosalinde Glossop – Piano David Joyce – Violin Sarah Roberts-Malpass – Horn, Piano Katherine Joyce – Percussion, Piano Bethan Roberts – Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon Jane Magee – Cello, Double Bass Steve Welti – Tennis Rod Jones – Football/Cricket John Rose-Terry – Archery Scott Carpenter – Golf Martine Jones – Drama Roger Houston – Judo Jo Hutchings – Swimming, Trampoline Kelly Evans – Swimming Anna Mackew – Girls' Games Annie Moody – Ballet Sarah Morris - Girls' Games Kacie Fulton – Gap Student Ryan Smiles – Gap Student

Administrative Staff Brian Welti – Bursar Linda Champion – Assistant Bursar Natalie Richards – School Accountant Caroline Dougan – Headmaster’s Secretary Fiona Bridge – Assistant Secretary and OP Society Secretary Helen Cooper – Assistant Secretary Jeremy Bayliss – IT Technician Charlotte Erskine – Librarian, Second-Hand Uniform

9/10/09 11:53

Left to Right from top row down Back row: Z Midwinter, William Waterworth, Ross Lloyd, Oliver Platt, Carlos Monteverde, Alex Lye, Hugo Bland, Rufus Holt, Toby Harvey-Scholes Row 2: Charlie Bibby, Charlie Clarke, William Lye, James Thorn, Ella Edwards, Jess Bibby, Hector Watson, Patrick Anson, William Dodson-Wells, James London Row 3: Charlie Marques, James Eardley, George Fergusson, William Mackereth, Josie Mason, Josie Hall, Sophie Tennant, Richard Williams-Bulkeley, George Beard, Alex Walker, Huw Wheeler Row 4: Ben Hughes, Theo Price, Alistair Don, John Leadbeater, Andrew Jackson, Edward Bridge, Louis Lees-Jones, George Fowler, Patrick Chambers, Charlie White, Oliver Brown Front: Ines Sanguino, Brooke Lovegrove-Fielden, Rada Kathuria, William Minshall, Poppy Beckett, Headmaster, Bella Shanagher, Henry Young, Katie Angus, Harry Tomkinson, Ana Garcia

The 2009 Leavers

Packwoodian outer 4pp 071009:Layout 1 Page 3

Packwoodian outer 4pp 071009:Layout 1

9/10/09

11:53

Packwood Haugh School Ruyton XI Towns, Shrewsbury Shropshire SY4 1HX Telephone 01939 260217 Fax 01939 262077 www.packwood-haugh.co.uk

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