The Pocklingtonian 2015/16

brand elements: logos

School Coat of Arms Pocklington School is a modern 21st century institution where our long history and rich sense of tradition remains a hugely valuable asset.

Pocklington Prep School

Pocklington School (and Sixth Form)

This school identity is used to identify and market the Prep School. It takes a wheatsheaf from the Coat of Arms as its symbol to reflect the connection with our past and is used across all external and internal communications.

This school identity is used to identify and market the Senior School and Sixth Form. It takes a wheatsheaf from the Coat of Arms as its symbol to reflect the connection with our past and is used across all external and internal communications.

THE POCKLINGTONIAN Our Coat of Arms has been redrawn to better meet the modern methods of communication, but used with care on our materials, it is an attractive and highly effective visual device for linking past and present.

Pocklington School Foundation

Note: We also have a single colour outline version (right) that can be used in place of the full colour Coat of Arms (See page 5 for more details).

The Foundation logo represents the administrative side of the School and therefore has limited use but can provide an endorsement to dual or single school communications.

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2015/16

LEAVERS’ DESTINATIONS SURNAME NAME

UNIVERSITY

Adamson Becky Addyman Harry Banks Olivia Barnes Daisy Baxter Aaron Bean Amanda Beedham Will Bell Poppy Bowland Anna Brown Daniel Brunton Lily Bulmer William Bunce Samuel Burns William Butlin Anna Cardy Philippa Chapman Cole Collins Samuel Crowther Amy Cullen Alice Dyrdal Joseph Dyson Benjamin El Jassar Olivia Elcock Benjamin Esa Marni Falkingham James Fenny Georgie Fong Lydia Foster Susannah Foster Thomas Frisby-Pape Hannah Gao Sherlock Glew Megan Glew James Green Holly Hamilton Sophie Harvey Nathaniel Headley Martha Hetherton Freddie Heywood George Horsley Charlotte Huddlestone Emma Hunter-Didrichsen Charlotte Hutchinson David Ilchyshyn Vasyl Jiang Rita Jibson George Judge-Clayden Florence Kama Adelle Khazigaleeva Liia Lancaster Sarah Langworthy Isobel Leach Natasha Lu X Joy Lu Nancy McAllister Sam McFarlane Jemma Micklem Cooper Peter Mills James Mountain Grace Ng Esther Norgate William Oughtred Thomas Oughtred William Peeke-Vout Oliver Pidgeon Jessica Redhead Amy Rhodes Rowan Risso-Gill Sofia Roberts Beth Robinson Amy Russell AnaĂŻs Sargeant Harry Sevtsov Martin Skingley Frazer Stephens Catherine Summerton Katrina Sun Hin Fung Ryan Tomkinson Jessica Tsui Maggie Tunnicliffe Daniel Varley Alexander Wagstaff Katie Walker Edward Walker Ross Wang Catherine Wang Zhikai Watkins Alice Watson Diane Watson Elizabeth Webb Richard Weeks Edward Wightman Edward Wightman James Wilde Matthew Wilson Lewis Wilson Bradley Wraith William Wright Emily Xie Shirley Yan Jenson

Northumbria University Business Management University of Hull Chinese, Politics and International Relations with Mandarin Royal Holloway, University of London Film, Television and Digital Production Newcastle University Agri-Business Management Employment - Gap Year, applying for 2017 entry - University of Lincoln Computer Science Newcastle University Politics and Sociology Employment - Manchester Metropolitan University Art Foundation Sheffield Hallam University Physical Ed Keele University Business Management Gap Year, applying for 2017 entry - Employment - Gap Year, applying for 2017 entry - University of St Andrews English University of Lincoln Business and Management (with Professional Practice) Forth Valley College, Falkirk HNC Chemical Engineeering Employment - The University of York Mathematics Gap Year - Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Business Management University of Sheffield Medicine University of Lincoln Marketing and Management Gap Year - Harper Adams University Agriculture Manchester Metropolitan University Art Foundation Newcastle University Urban Planning Harper Adams University Animal Science Leeds Beckett University Business and Management University of Derby Primary Ed The University of Birmingham Mechanical Engineering Nottingham Trent University Product Design Swansea University Physical Geography Leeds Beckett University Journalism Newcastle University Psychology Manchester Metropolitan University Electrical Engineering Employment - University of Edinburgh Mathematics Oxford University Engineering University of Sheffield Medicine CELTA - Employment - University of Manchester Psychology Loughborough University Business Economics and Finance University of Exeter Management and Economics University of Lincoln International Business Management University College London (University of London) Classics Gap Year, applying for 2017 entry - To be confirmed - Study abroad - University of Bristol Economics Manchester Metropolitan University Art Foundation Newcastle University Marketing and Management De Montfort University Graphic Design University of Essex Accounting Gap Year, applying for 2017 entry - University College London (University of London) Scandinavian Studies Oxford University Music University of Manchester Law University of Sheffield Economics Coventry University Analytical Chemistry and Forensic Science To be confirmed - Aberystwyth University Electrical Engineering Gap Year, applying for 2017 entry - University of Bath Mathematical Sciences University of Bath Chemistry Newcastle University English Literature University of Hull Marketing University of Leeds Graphic and Communication Design University of Edinburgh French and Scandinavian Studies University of Liverpool Physiotherapy University of Leeds Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Thought Newcastle University Agriculture University of Kent Business Management Plymouth University Geology with Ocean Science University of St Andrews Physics University of Cambridge Veterinary Science Northumbria University International Art Foundation University of Manchester Law University of Huddersfield Early Years Education Newcastle University Marketing and Management Leeds Beckett University Sport and Exercise Science Leeds College of Art Art Foundation Manchester Metropolitan University Business Management University College London (University of London) Architecture Durham University Accounting and Finance University of St Andrews Theology Nottingham Trent University Fashion Management University of Liverpool Veterinary Science University of Reading Psychology Harper Adams University Agriculture Newcastle University Marketing and Management Newcastle University Medicine Nottingham Trent University Architecture Newcastle University Geography Loughborough University Sport Marketing University of Liverpool Astrophysics Harper Adams University Agriculture Newcastle University French Combined Honours Study abroad - University of Manchester Mathematics

COURSE

YEAR OF ENTRY 2016 2016 2016 2017 2017 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2017 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2017 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2017 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2017 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2017 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016

TH E P O CKLI NGTONI AN SCHOOL

MICHAELMAS

Editorial 2 Headmaster 3 Heads of School 4 Appointments 5 Staff News 5 Staff Profiles 12 Speech Day 14 School Picnic 15 Charity 16

Sport 28 America 44 House Drama 46 Art 48

BOARDING

LENT Sport 50 Music 58 Musical Theatre 64 Drama 66

Orchard 18 Dolman 19 Faircote 20 Fenwick-Smith 21

OVERSEAS & TRIPS

ACTIVITIES & ACADEMICS

German Exchange 70 Paris 72 Battlefields 73 Krakow 74 Field Trips 75

Drop Everything and Read 22 Symposium 22 Austen Society 23 Poetry by Heart 23 Extended Project Qualification 23 Inspiring Creative Minds 24 Lectern Society 25 Science 25 Psychology Society 26 BBC Micro:bit 26 C4DI 27 Platform 27 Sainsburys 27

SUMMER Sport 76 Duke of Edinburgh 90 CCF 92 RAF 93 Adventurous Training 94 House Camp 95 Leavers 96

The roles of the different brand elements: logos Editor: Louise A Lamb (lambl@pocklingtonschool.com). Editorial Committee: Elliot Burr, Emily Boddy and Harry Isenstein. Design: 40twenty (www.40twenty.co.uk). Production: Lavenham Press (www.lavenhampress.com).

As ever, we would like to thank our contributors, with a special mention to the many photographers around the school whose work is showcased in this issue. We are always eager to hear readers’ views as we strive to improve this, Pocklington School (and Sixth Form) Pocklington Prep School our annual celebration of school life. Please email editor and let us know what you think!

This school identity is usedthe to identify This school identity is used to identify School Coat of Arms Pocklington School is a modern 21st century institution where our long history and rich sense of tradition remains a hugely valuable asset.

Our Coat of Arms has been redrawn to better meet the modern methods of communication, but used with care on our materials, it is an attractive and

and market the Prep School. It takes a wheatsheaf from the Coat of Arms as its symbol to reflect the connection with our past and is used across all external and internal communications.

and market the Senior School and Sixth Form. It takes a wheatsheaf from the Coat of Arms as its symbol to reflect the connection with our past and is used across all external and internal communications.

THE POCKLINGTONIAN

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COMMENT

“I know that this edition is one to be proud of.

I know that because, not only has it been worked on by a proud team, not only is it full of quality contributions from throughout the school, but it’s a retrospective on a truly great year”.

EDITORIAL It’s a mystery, the School Magazine.

It just appears on your desk or in an envelope, and you accept it without thought. Then, if you’re me, you skim through it, searching for your own face and name. I’m not sure what that says about me, but it’s what I’ve done every October for the past six years.

I won’t do that this year. I don’t need to. I’m all over the thing, as are my teammates, Emily Boddy and Harry Isenstein (she of enthusiasm and organisation, he of oratory skill and eye for photography), and I know just where to find our work.

I know that this edition is one to be proud of. I know that because, not only has it been worked on by a proud team, not only is it full of quality contributions from throughout the school, but it’s a retrospective on a truly great year.

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THE POCKLINGTONIAN

Terrific trips, House competitions that bore fun and creativity, gallant sporting performances; 2015/2016 had it all, and you’ll find all of that encapsulated and celebrated here in this stunning display of honest and colourful journalism.

Elliot Burr

Being offered the chance to work on the Magazine was a dream. I hope to go to university and work for a publishing firm, so to help edit a magazine whilst at school helps my opportunities for the future. In the editorial team there are only three of us, Harry, Elliot and I: and I must say I couldn’t have hoped for a different pair. They are both so lovely and have many different views and interests. Many conversations end in laughter and smiles. Working with them is so simple and easy, it often feels like our Thursday afternoons were simple catch-ups with some editorial work thrown in!

I’m looking down the barrel of a L98A2 rifle. However, it wasn’t the trigger I was pulling, but the shutter of a Canon camera, taking pictures of CCF exercises in the summer heat.

From then on I never turned up to Thursday afternoons with any expectations, as no one week was similar to the next, and that’s how I liked it. One week Emily, Elliot and I could be editing a ‘school water drought epidemic’ report, but the next I’d be lying ‘prone’, capturing the emotions at Sports Day. The Magazine is perfect at capturing the year-round hustle of school and not missing any detail, like the brilliant people who do often go unmentioned.

It is a very positive experience, and it means understanding how Pock really works, and how best to report it. It was great working alongside Miss Lamb, Emily and Elliot, and the skills I have learned will be incredibly useful in future.

The only real challenge for me was judging the best cakes across the way in Cookery, and choosing the three best cooks, while telling the second years ‘they were all winners’ to me…

Harry Isenstein

To me this Magazine shows the allround nature of Pocklington: it outlines the opportunities our school has to offer and how each individual can flourish here. It doesn’t matter what your interests are, you can develop these here or find brand new ones.

The reports from pupils and staff uncover friendships, humour, history and the everyday fun that is our fabric. The Magazine helps show how the school is more than just about academic grades, but a place where people truly grow.

I would like to add my thanks to Elliot, Emily and Harry for their enthusiasm and commitment. The Magazine simply couldn’t happen the way it does without such a great L6 team.

Emily Boddy

LAL

We are also indebted to many people – staff, pupils and parents – for supplying reports and photos over the last year.

Finally, special thanks to Mrs Salmon, whose baking has the happy knack of coming at just the right time on a Thursday afternoon!

COMMENT

HEADMASTER I always look forward to receiving my copy of The Pocklingtonian; it brings back many pleasant memories of our achievements during the school year and reminds me what a talented, interesting and vibrant group of young people attend our school.

I am extremely proud of all our pupils’ successes. As a glance through the following pages shows, they come on both a large and a small scale, achieved as part of a team or as a personal triumph. I hope the sense of camaraderie in our school also shines through.

It’s always useful to receive feedback from parents and pupils, and this summer two particularly inspiring letters arrived on my desk. One, from a parent, praised Pocklington for helping her children grow into “happy, confident, well-rounded people” who were “all ready and eager to meet the new challenges ahead”.

She said: “You have enabled all our children to have the sort of education we hoped for them, one which made the most of their various talents and gives them the opportunity to develop their

personalities in an environment which, by encouraging respect for others, promoted self-respect as well.

“There is something very special about your school. It has high standards without being pretentious and fosters the individual through a strong community spirit which is built on an ethos of mutual trust and esteem. It is encouraging to think of all your leavers carrying these much-needed values into the wider world.”

I was particularly delighted because her praise captured the ethos of our school, which is focused on supporting young people as they grow, enabling them to fulfil their potential as individuals and inspiring a lifelong curiosity and independence of thought.

One of our leavers, Poppy Bell, also wrote to thank her teachers for helping her on her journey “What makes Pock Pock is the outstanding level of support from the teachers…The fact that teachers can see what you’re capable of

before you can is an unteachable skill that’s often taken for granted.”

I would like to take the opportunity to thank our talented and dedicated teaching and support staff, who enable Pocklington to inspire some truly remarkable young men and women.

Our guest speaker at Prizegiving this year was one such OP, the Rt Revd Graham Usher, Bishop of Dudley.

He has gone on to make his mark as a

“Ultimately, it is not what we say, but how we made people feel that is remembered years later” dedicated community leader, who works with some of the most marginalised in society.

Bishop Graham said he has drawn on virtues our school instilled in him while fulfilling his calling. He offered pupils five phrases to use if they were to lead: “Thank you; well done; sorry; please; and what do you think?”

“Ultimately, it is not what we say, but how we made people feel that is remembered years later,” he added. “The real legacy of our lives is seen when we are truly ourselves, become the people we are meant to be, follow our call.”

To every Pocklingtonian, use this gift of education to make a positive difference.

THE POCKLINGTONIAN

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HEADS OF SCHOOL

HEAD BOY I was immensely proud to be asked to be Head Boy: what better way to end an amazing 7 years at Pocklington? While having assemblies nicknamed ‘Buncy’s Blunders’ by a certain member of staff within the first week didn’t seem a great start for the forthcoming year, things could only get better...

I love a challenge and the public speaking role was just that. I was given perhaps the longest reading in the history of church services and then of course there is always ‘The Speech’ looming at the end of the year! I would rather have completed a thousand of Mr Houltham’s famous fitness drills.

Leading the school was not just a two man job. We had a great team made up of prefects and deputy heads of school that worked so hard behind the scene.

Thank you for giving up frees, breaks and lunches to make it all run so smoothly.

Pocklington has offered me a huge amount that I am so thankful for, such as playing in the swing band, captaining the 1st XV and touring with the school on a number of occasions. There are many memories which I will never forget, from playing drums in a small German village to playing rugby on a Swaziland hill side.

If you’re lower down the school and reading this, I would encourage you to really throw yourself at the opportunities available here at Pock. If you are anything like our year’s rugby team, you might be a late bloomer. But if you don’t try you won’t know and you definitely won’t have half the fun that I have had.

Sam Bunce

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THE POCKLINGTONIAN

HEAD GIRL

Lower Sixth, Sam and I were soon down to business, organising the Prefect Rota!

When I first joined Pocklington in 2009, it was a fairly daunting prospect. I was leaving a small village primary school of around 100 pupils and coming here, where there were 80 pupils in my year alone!

This year has been very busy, with university applications, interviews, organising rotas and actually doing some studying for A-levels! However, I have enjoyed it all immensely – even the lunch duties in the pouring rain! At times it has been very difficult to fit everything in and this has improved my time-management skills immensely. For example, Sam and I did one term’s rota over the phone whilst I was travelling down the M1 in the car to London (I wasn’t driving, I must add).

I soon settled in though, thanks to the friendliness and warmth of the school.

I have really valued the support over the years from my various form tutors and all of my teachers. Because the staff have given so much time and effort, beyond what was expected, they have helped me work to a higher standard.

In particular, Mrs Wilson’s support and encouragement as my Lower School Housemistress helped me to join as many new clubs and sports teams as possible, which made me to get to know people in my year and other years around me. Her motto of ‘Squeeze the day’ will stay with me long after I have left.

I have tried many things during my time here, from clay pigeon shooting to playing lacrosse, and from playing saxophone in the Swing Band to flying ‘Loop-the-Loops’ with the RAF Section of CCF! Although I have not been good at everything, I have had a go at as much as possible and challenged my ‘comfort zone’, especially on the Silver D of E Expedition! For those of you who aren’t particularly sporty, be reassured that all is not lost – I only ever made the ‘B’ team for Hockey and Netball. I still found that being part of the ‘B’ team gave me a strong feeling of camaraderie, particularly when travelling away and sharing orange slices at half-time.

Receiving the post of Head Girl at the end of Lower Sixth was such an honour and to be honest, I still cannot believe it most of the time. However, with only a week’s turnaround from ending exams in

A lot of things have been learned ‘on the job’, because there is no set instruction manual on how to do this role. I have also learned a lot from Sam; mainly learning to relax more once things have been organised and to let events take their course – in some cases no amount of worrying will change the eventual outcome!

My best moment this year has to be going on the Prefects’ Trip to Alton Towers, because it was a lovely way to relieve exam stress with great company. I also greatly enjoyed winning Giant Musical Chairs during charity week (no First Years were harmed in the process as far as I am aware!) The icing on the cake was seeing Wilberforce win House Music for the 5th time in a row.

Sam and I have had excellent deputies and a superb team of prefects; we could not have done the numerous tours and events without all of them giving up their frees, breaks and lunchtimes. We have also had great guidance and support from Mr Bond, so we thank him greatly too.

Finally thank you to Sam: he has definitely taken his fair share of work this year. All that is left to say is good luck to next year’s Head Girl and Head Boy, Emily Boddy and Rob Smith. It’ll be a blast!

Florence Judge-Clayden

APPOINTMENTS & STAFF NEWS

APPOINTMENTS Head Boy: Head Girl: Deputy Head Boy: Deputy Head Girl:

Samuel Bunce Florence Judge-Clayden George Jibson Katie Wagstaff

SCHOOL PREFECTS Olivia Banks William Burns Thomas Foster George Heywood George Jibson Sarah Lancaster Natasha Leach Jemma McFarlane Oliver Peeke-Vout

Beth Roberts Amy Robinson Katrina Summerton Daniel Tunnicliffe Katie Wagstaff Ross Walker Catherine Wang Alice Watkins Emily Wright

HOUSE PREFECTS DOLMAN: Philippa Cardy (Joint Head), James Falkingham (Joint Head), Amanda Bean, Joseph Drydal, Isobel Langworthy, Sam McAllister, Peter Micklem-Cooper, Peter Moorhouse, Matthew Wilde GRUGGEN: Edward Walker (Joint Head), Diane Watson (Joint Head), Megan Glew, David Hutchinson, Jessica Pidgeon, Sofia Risso-Gill HUTTON: Daisy Barnes (Joint Head), Bradley Wilson (Joint Head), Poppy Bell, Georgie Fenny, Martha Headley, Adelle Kama, William Wraith WILBERFORCE: Amy Crowther (Joint Head), Edward Wightman (Joint Head), Charlotte Hunter-Didrichsen, Rita Jiang, James Wightman

BOARDING HOUSE PREFECTS FENWICK-SMITH: Aaron Baxter (Head), Nathaniel Harvey, Ryan Sun, Alexander Varley FAIRCOTE: Jemma McFarlane (Joint Head), Catherine Wang (Joint Head), Liia Khazigaleeva, Nancy Lu, Zhaoxuan Lu, Maggie Tsui

STAFF NEWS Many congratulations to the following staff who have celebrated new arrivals this academic year: • Nikki and Alastair Scott-Somers, whose second daughter, Poppy, was born in March (middle) • Dave and Emma Hutchings, whose second daughter, Chloe, was born in April (right) • Elaine Rutherford, whose daughter Matilda was born in May (bottom left) • Paul and Katy Oatridge, whose second daughter, Evie, was also born in May (top left) • Catherine and Martin Davies, whose son Thomas was born in August

Congratulations to Lydia Walker (née Gray), who married Dave over the Easter holidays.

If we have missed out any events, moments or significant others, please accept this as an unreserved apology (and a promise to get it right next time!).

Staff continue to enjoy weekly cakes, freshly baked by one of our number. As the new academic year swings into view, we are also looking forward to a refurbished staffroom. But will it last longer than the old one?!

For more information about the staff, please turn to the very back page...

LAL

THE POCKLINGTONIAN

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STAFF NEWS

STAFF LEAVERS NICK TOMASZEWSKI Nick Tomaszewski came to Pocklington in 1989 after a brief tenure at St Peter’s in York. Appointed as a teacher of Economics and Politics, he became the Head of Department 18 months later, a post he has held since then. A forward thinker, he noted the difficulty that Economics caused for those with weaker mathematical skills and got permission to run a pilot of ‘Industrial Studies’ – a forerunner of today’s Business Studies.

Initially five pupils, Business Studies is now often the most selected subject by students in the Lower Sixth.

From his arrival he has been a stalwart of the CCF, rising to the rank of Major, taking responsibility for the training programme and, alongside Mr Evans,

Mr Kilsby and others, establishing in school the format of the cadet force we have today. Many students have been with him at Welbeck, the Colts Canter and Skill at Arms Meetings, not to mention numerous summer camps and adventurous training trips.

He was Housemaster for Wilberforce House for 21 years, initially in a nonpastoral capacity when the school had Heads of Year, but for 10 years as a full Sixth Form Housemaster, guiding students through their UCAS applications and onto university.

For 17 years through Young Enterprise he encouraged Sixth Form students to set up their own businesses, which have won many awards, and on two occasions they reached the Regional Finals. Economists under his control have also taken part in the Bank of England Target 2.0 competition with some success.

In years gone by when we had a varied curriculum he taught Earth Mysteries, taking (willing) students to see the Devil’s Arrows at Boroughbridge and the Rudston Monolith and enlightening them in Neolithic ways such as stone circles, burial chambers and ley lines – even inspiring one student to read Archaeology at university.

A high level distance runner in his younger days, he switched more recently to biathlon and triathlon, not for him cricket and rugby. He has also been a champion of so-called ‘minor sports’ in school – Basketball and Badminton.

Blue is definitely his favourite colour – Chelsea and the politics of Margaret Thatcher his passions, alongside his family of course.

He leaves us into retirement and moves away to Oxfordshire to be nearer his partner and to play more golf.

PJD

JAN MIDWINTER Boarding is a vital part of our community; some dare to give it a try, for others it’s definitely not their cup of tea, and then some turn up, smooth out all the creases, cracks and other scary bits, making it a happy, hardworking, positive and thriving environment. Jan Midwinter is definitely the latter.

“Blue is definitely his favourite colour – Chelsea and the politics of Margaret Thatcher his passions”....

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Jan started at Pocklington in 2006, making her one of the longest serving boarding housemistresses in the Foundation’s history. Having grown and developed Orchard and built upon Faircote for the past three years, she has seen boarding move from the ‘good old days’ to the present flourishing boarding environment.

She began her career in the Women’s Royal Air Force (WRAF) as an Administration Officer, rising to Commissioned Officer and then being made the first female Intelligence

STAFF NEWS

Officer in Phantom Squadron. Jan left the WRAF to pursue family life; however, being married to an RAF pilot saw her continued involvement in Forces life. She has lived all over the world: Germany, Singapore, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, as well as various postings around the UK. She became involved in youth work as a teenager, having been a Queen’s Guide, and then as her children grew up she became a Brown Owl and later a District Commissioner for the Girl Guides. After working for the NHS, Jan returned to working with children at Marlborough College in 2003 as a Dame in Little Field House.

Rather like Dorothy crashing into Munchkinland in the Land of Oz, Jan landed at Pocklington as Assistant Housemistress in Orchard House.

Although there were no ruby slippers or wicked witches involved, the munchkins of Orchard proved to be a great delight, so much so that when Helène Knights retired as the Housemistress of Orchard, Jan was successful in her application to succeed her. Her mission statement has always been ‘Every child matters’, with the girls’ well-being and education at the forefront of her work. She has laughed with them, guided them, praised them when they’re getting it right, conversely

“We have laughed, cried, jumped for joy and celebrated every achievement of the girls”.... explaining when they’re getting it wrong, and many a time literally fallen over with them!

Jan has also helped the development of many staff working in the boarding house: Assistant Housemistresses, nonresident tutors, French assistants, the odd Spanish assistant, and a very long list of ‘Gappies’. She has given many staff their first opportunity in boarding, and for others she has given them the chance to build on previous experience to extend their vocations in pastoral care.

One former Housemaster aptly said, ‘A day is a long time in boarding’, so you can only imagine exactly how long 10 years in boarding feels. It is definitely not a sleepover or babysitting, though it has definitely been blood (one Assistant Housemistress got her fingers jammed in the kitchen window and wasn’t found till after lights out), sweat (it’s either 45˚C or -5˚C in the Faircote Office), and tears (Jan often chose a Saturday night film for the girls to have a good cry over). Oh, and plenty of projectile vomiting!

We have laughed, cried, jumped for joy and celebrated every achievement of the girls. There have been wonderful outings with Orchard, St John’s, Dolman and Fenwick-Smith, Christmas dinners, Boarders’ BBQs, Boarders’ Remembrance services, daft parties, board games, movie nights, plays, dances, a plethora of pranks, reading to the Lyndies, poetry, sorry notes, hashtags, snow fights, picnics and some very strange and wonderful conversations. Although there have been sad times, the abundance of good times has always been greater.

Jan is truly cherished in the community and we wish her good health, happiness and longevity as she retires. Although we are sure she will enjoy playing Les Miserables ‘One Day More’ as per her tradition on that final Thursday night of term, we know that we will miss her more than she will miss us and we very much look forward to hearing tales of her next big adventure.

Eliza Burg

THE POCKLINGTONIAN

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STAFF NEWS

STAFF ARRIVALS future, I intend to complete my Masters and hope to travel the world, learning more languages along the way.

Ciao for now.

REBECCA BRENNAN Where is Room 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc...?

What is the TST? Exeat??

Why are pupils walking around in Combat uniform on an afternoon?!

Who are you?

JESS ROMÁN BLENCOE Born in Spain to a Spanish father and English mother, I am bilingual. I grew up on the outskirts of Palma de Mallorca but moved to the UK some time ago.

I am passionate and enthusiastic about languages and growing up surrounded by teachers, such as my Mother and Nana, both of whom have inspired me, I was torn between a career in translation or in education.

In September 2010, after my A levels, I took a gap year in Madrid, where I worked as an English assistant. It was those 10 months that made up my mind!

I knew I had to teach! Upon my return to the UK in 2011, I began my degree at The University of Hull in Hispanic studies and translation, and I also did a little Italian on the side.

Last year I moved to Liverpool to study my PGCE in Modern Foreign Languages at Liverpool John Moore’s University. I was delighted when I was offered the position here at Pocklington.

It has been a whirlwind first year but the staff and students alike have made me feel really welcome. In my spare time (what little I have), I like to catch up with my friends and family. In the

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These were common questions in my first few weeks but thanks to the help of my form, pupils and staff I managed to find my way round after starting at Pocklington as Head of Geography in January. It was quite daunting at first, after coming from Hull Collegiate where I had taught for numerous years, knowing routines and other things that you take for granted. Often it was the 1st Years who put me right, especially when I decided to issue prep over an Exeat weekend!

One of the first events I went to was House Music and I was amazed at the amount of hard work that the pupils themselves had put into the event.

Enthusiasm, I have come to realise, is a key element of being a Pocklington pupil: always willing to give things a go.

I saw this in evidence on the Geography Lower Sixth Field trip to Snowdonia where the pupils had to survive a week without access to Wi-Fi, partaking in fieldwork in rather less than warm weather! It is not called Snowdonia without reason...

Out of school, I enjoy walking and mountain biking especially in the Lake District whatever the weather…and it is usually raining. I am attempting to complete all the Wainwrights of which there are 214 and at the time of writing,

I still have 83 to go. Apparently the youngest person to complete them was under 5 years of age, so I don’t think I will be beating any records, but it will be a sense of achievement. My husband and I also enjoy mountain biking in Dalby (although I leave the Black runs to him now and prefer to do the Café run instead!)

I would like to thank my department for all their support and guidance and I am looking forward to seeing what next year brings.

JAN GOODAIR Nearly one year into the ‘new’ job and I am very glad that last summer I came back ‘home’ to Yorkshire. On a personal level it is wonderful to be living close to my family again: two daughters,

STAFF NEWS

one son and two grandsons all within 45 minutes of my home in York. I have a lot to be thankful for.

Our life paths often take unexpected twists and turns. I have to say that when I was a teenager growing up in a council flat, in a densely populated and very multi-racial part of South London, I never imagined that I would find myself working in a pretty, rural setting in the East Riding of Yorkshire – and loving it!

The path from South London to here has included time spent in Surrey and Wiltshire, a first degree in Religious Studies at King’s College, London and then much later, whilst I was training for ordination, an opportunity to undertake my PhD at the University of Leeds. (I have a particular interest in the theology and ethics of our relationship with non-human animals.)

Before I acquired the clerical collar I ran RS departments in both the state and independent sectors.

Whilst I was training for ordination, I kept asking myself why I was doing it.

I loved teaching and working with young people and really didn’t want to leave that behind to go to work in a parish and lead a church community.

Very shortly after I was ordained the plot became clear: I got a phone call asking me if I would be interested in working as chaplain at Harrogate Ladies’ College. Suddenly it all made sense! I could be a priest AND continue to teach and work with young people.

I have never looked back. Nine fulfilling years at HLC were followed by five more in the very stimulating environment of the multi-faith Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School, just north of London.

And now the adventure at Pocklington has begun. I have some very dedicated new colleagues to work with and it has been a real pleasure to start to get to know you all, staff and students, this year. I am so impressed by the enormous variety of activities you involve yourselves in and by your good humour, resilience and care for each other.

Thank you for your patience as I attempt (and so often fail) to learn all your names. Thank you too for trying to remember to call me ‘Rev’ or ‘Rev Jan’.

I am here to share your journeys, with all their unexpected twists and turns, and you will always find a welcome in the Chapel.

PAUL OATRIDGE

incredible opportunity and one which I have thoroughly enjoyed.

I’ve taken on the role of Wilberforce Middle School Housemaster this last year. It has been a pleasure to be a Housemaster and get to know students more. I have enjoyed seeing them develop as individuals who are able to make a positive difference as they serve other people’s needs and not only their own. Seeing them represent our house in a variety of school events, whether it is House Drama, Music, Swimming, Bake off, Sports Day and many more has been very rewarding. A highlight of the first year was House Music: seeing so many students come together to pull off a truly magical performance gave me goose bumps!

Outside school I love watching football and rugby, especially when Liverpool win, which sadly isn’t very often these days!

It has been a joy and a privilege to come back to Pocklington, having completed part of my teacher training here a number of years ago. I’ve taught in a number of different settings; an outstanding academy and an inner city Catholic school in Hull, but also in south western rural Uganda.

I was born in Warrington and studied Mathematics at Durham University, before working for a Christian Charity and a church for several years. My parents were both teachers (my dad was a Maths teacher) and ever since I had an excellent teacher at Sixth Form College who really inspired me, I have wanted to teach and work with young people.

I’m married to Katy and we have two wonderful young girls, Isabella and Evie, who was born in the summer of 2016.

I love teaching Maths and seeing students finally grasp a concept or idea, and that special moment when it clicks and they say “ahh” or perhaps even “ouuuh!” The chance to shape and inform young students’ lives each day is both an immense challenge, but also an

NIKKI ROBERTSON I joined Pocklington in September after working in various schools and colleges in the North West and I am thoroughly enjoying my time here.

I gained my undergraduate degree in Fashion and Textile Design at Liverpool John Moores University which I loved every minute of. I specialised in printed

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STAFF NEWS

STAFF ARRIVALS textiles, which allowed me to venture into graphics and illustration (computerbased) and of course lots of drawing and painting. I ended up staying in Liverpool for ten years, including the three years of my degree; I loved immersing myself in the vibrant culture of the city and found it incredibly hard to leave. I still miss it from time to time!

After completing my PGCE, I worked as a supply teacher at a Sixth Form college in Warrington. Here, I taught A Level Textiles, Graphics and Photography and supported students on the Art Foundation course. I then worked as an Art teacher at a very tough inner city school, which I’ll say less about!

Being from Yorkshire myself, I took the decision to start looking for work a bit closer to home and was delighted to take on the Art and Photography role here at Pock.

It is quite hard to believe that I am already at the end of my first year at the school. For lots of very good reasons, it has flown by. I have really enjoyed teaching A Level Photography, especially creating and editing film which is relatively new and exciting for me. I love working in a creative environment and it has been fantastic to spend each day surrounded by such talented people!

My involvement in the Art House Music video was unforgettable; I am not sure what the future holds for my acting career but I am sure there will be more attempts! I’m lucky that I am able to pursue my hobbies alongside my job; much to the surprise of some of the students, I genuinely love making art. When I have free time, I draw, paint, experiment with different types of printmaking and play with different materials. I’m looking forward to the summer to spend time practising what I preach!

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different to my last school, with a real sense of community and I am impressed by the amount of activities the students get involved in. One of my highlights has been preparing students for the Maths Team Challenge competitions. I had the opportunity to take the junior team to the regional team final in Hull, and I was delighted that the senior team qualified for the national final in London. Overall I have had a great year and I am already looking forward to the next one, with all the challenges and competitions it will bring!

HOLLY SHAND I have lived in Lincolnshire most of my life, but did spend a fantastic three years in Yorkshire, at the University of Sheffield, where I completed my Maths degree. After university, I undertook my teacher training at Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln and spent three years teaching at a state school in Lincolnshire. After commuting across the Humber for four years, my husband persuaded me that we should live in Yorkshire again. I was fortunate to get a job at Pocklington, we moved to Beverley and haven’t looked back!

In the last year I have become a keen runner. It has been great to get outdoors and explore my new surroundings in Yorkshire. I have certainly caught the running bug and this culminated in completing the Great Manchester Marathon in April: it was an amazing experience and although I won’t be breaking any world records, I was very proud of myself for running the whole way and crossing the finish line. I also enjoy watching football: I have adopted Hull City as my local team and I am hoping to get a season ticket!

I have thoroughly enjoyed my first year here. Pocklington is completely

ROB TRIBE My path to Pocklington has been interesting and varied and I have never been one for the orthodox approach. I have, compared with many here, had a relatively short teaching career so far, as I never intended to be a teacher when I left school.

My working life began in the Royal Navy when I joined Britannia Royal Naval College after holding a commission in the Royal Naval Reserves whilst being funded by the Navy at University. I indulged my interest for geography at every available opportunity and was

STAFF NEWS

fortunate in visiting some remote and wonderful places. A new career was required, however, when my inner ear decided to remain incompatible with life as a seaman officer in a frigate and so I had to retrain, this time in law.

Again there was no particular risk of me becoming a teacher. I worked as a solicitor and partner in a Leeds-based firm, specialising in civil litigation, personal injury and matrimonial law.

I assumed responsibility for student placements and work experience and it was this that was my undoing. I found this aspect of my role so rewarding that, after exhortations to become a teacher from several students, I took the plunge and retrained again.

I had left Bootham School after A levels and returned 16 years later to teach with colleagues who had taught me. I taught, became Head of Geography and shortly afterwards moved into senior management, looking after staff welfare and development, pastoral care and child protection. It was there that I stayed until I saw a vacancy at Pocklington and I stepped out of my comfort zone; I had come from a school where all staff are called by their first names by all students, there was very little by way of recognisable uniform and there was certainly no rugby or CCF. What struck me about Pocklington, however, was that even though much

of what happens is so radically different from what I had become used to, there is a deep-seated respect for and recognition of the individual. A real sense of inclusive friendship pervades, transcending outward conformity and allowing the individual and unorthodox to thrive alongside the more orthodox.

This was tremendously reassuring for me.

My work has brought me into contact with some lovely young people and working here has allowed me to explore further the reasons why I became a teacher in the first place. I am confident that my journey through education will continue to be an unconventional one and I have no idea where it will lead but I am glad I am sharing it at the moment with the Pocklington community, where I have found levels of friendship, support and respect for individual gifts which many other schools would find hard to match.

By the way, for those who are interested, I am married with two sons and my hobbies include scuba diving, cycling, motorcycles (when allowed to by the family), Japanese gardens, choral singing, playing the trumpet and assisting in a variety of roles with the worship at York Minster.

ALEX WAIN Having spent ten years in London, it’s been great moving up to Yorkshire away from the hustle and bustle of city living. It suits me better up here as I love the outdoors, giving me access to fantastic mountain biking.

I have also lived in Osaka, Japan which was an amazing experience being immersed in a completely different (and, at times, crazy) culture. I think it influenced me a lot, especially as a designer. Teaching is something I fell into after working as a furniture designer and certainly offers challenge and variety working with young people, with no one day ever being the same.

I can’t believe how quickly this year has gone and how welcome Pocklington has made me feel. I think it’s definitely down to the friendliness of the pupils and the fact it’s more of a community here rather than just a school. I previously worked in a boys’ school, so working in a mixed environment this year has been a big change for me.

The new DT and Art building at Pocklington will be an amazing development and I am looking forward to teaching classes in there when it opens.

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STAFF NEWS

STAFF PROFILES P: That’s quite sad!

W: Especially when they’re your daughters’, who had to contribute when we were running low! They donated their 101 Dalmatians. It was most challenging to find raw material and then make the coat.

P: What do you like about your job?

W: Everything really! I love working with students, as once you’re around pupils it’s generally quite uplifting. It sounds very cheesy but it’s true! My friends are convinced I’m young at heart because of the students. It was daunting at first because I came from a primary school environment where everything was clear-cut and Pock was very free in terms of what could happen. Now I love it!

P: What is your favourite production out of school?

CHERYL WHITE WARDROBE MANAGER The Pocklingtonian: How long have you been in this job?

Mrs White: I started in January 2007, so this is my eight year.

P: Which production has been your favourite?

W: Everything is a favourite at the time. It is probably Oliver!

That was the biggest cast I’ve dealt with, the most costumes I’ve made from scratch and lots of recycling of fabrics. It was satisfying on many levels.

P: Do you control the props as well?

W: I tend to do more handheld objects which would coordinate with the costume, like masks and hats. I also find props for Mr Ryan: if I see something that’s suitable, I grab it!

P: So what’s been the most challenging costume you’ve made?

W: Probably the puppy dog coat. That was quite challenging to make.

P: What was it for?

W: It was for the production of The Government Inspector: the remit from Mr Heaven was the character found it very hard to make positive connections with human beings. He was frightened that when his dogs grew up they’d turn on him. So he’d kill his puppies, so they couldn’t grow up and then they were skinned and made into a coat. He was actually the judge in the village so he was quite a dodgy character. We obviously couldn’t use real puppies, so I skinned toys.

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W: War Horse was unbelievable. How can you re-create a horse? You forget the puppeteers are there.

STAFF NEWS

P: What are you working on at the moment?

W: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Mrs Cunningham is directing and we don’t want stereotypical fairies, no wings, no wands.

We want them to be organic and earthy but with a futuristic edge. They are going to have elaborate head dresses and dramatic makeup. It will be delicate yet edgy.

P: Food for thought… If you were to be some form of food what would you be?

P: The Arena… What would you rather face in mortal combat, one hundred duck-sized horses or one horsesized duck? *laughter* W: I would prefer to fight neither. But I’m thinking a horsesized duck, with a massive beak and huge wings. Although I lack stamina, I would give it a go!

Interview and images by Harry Isenstein, Emily Boddy and Elliot Burr

W: Oh, gosh! I think I’d have to be a meringue. Very sweet and light and fluffy!

STEVEN RYAN TST TECHNICAL MANAGER The Pocklingtonian: What got you interested in the TST job?

Mr Ryan: I was working for television companies and I was always away from home. I spent ten or eleven months to a year away and I had two young boys and I didn’t need money or a challenge, I’d seen it all. I’d seen a job advertised and it seemed interesting and challenging in a completely different way because it was a school. I saw it was a fantastic facility and I was lucky enough to be appointed.

P: How long have you had this job?

R: I’ve been working for the Foundation for eight and a half years.

P: How long has your whole career been going?

R: I first started being a casual crew member, emptying trucks where I would take flight cases off trucks, for rock and roll bands, at the age of 17. I worked with one of Iron Maiden’s earliest tours.

P: What is your favourite piece of equipment in the TST? R: Ooooh, probably the lighting deck, due to the general interest it stimulates in people when you show them. Visually it’s very exciting.

P: What has been your favourite production at school?

R: The Government Inspector. Because it looked like it was snowing inside.

P: What do you like most about your job?

R: Strangely enough, the students! When people come and see me with a problem, it’s quite rewarding to solve it for them.

P: What do you find hardest about creating a production?

R: The school’s very busy and so is this building. Problems arise with getting everything built.

P: Do you ever get any outside help?

R: No, it’s always just me. But I work with a technical team in the background each production; without them it wouldn’t happen.

P: Do you loan stuff to other schools?

R: Yes, we offer the building and equipment out of term time.

P: What has the hardest set/production to build?

R: The hardest one to build was for Great Expectations. It was 16 feet high and 64 foot wide and was physically difficult to create. It looked great when it was done.

P: Apart from Iron Maiden, who else have you worked with?

R: Status Quo, Arctic Monkeys, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Van Morrison and Jules Holland. I also did the National Wedding fair and toured with World Snooker for 2 years. I’ve been to Tapai and… Bournemouth!

Interview by Harry Isenstein, Emily Boddy and Elliot Burr

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Speech Day The theme of what makes a great person ran through Speech Day this year, with both Headmaster Mark Ronan and guest speaker the Rt Revd Graham Usher, Bishop of Dudley (OP), offering opinions and advice.

Taking inspiration from David Bowie’s song, Heroes, Mr Ronan said heroism took many different forms and could spring from apparently unremarkable people. Any one of us could be heroes, he said, because the traits demonstrated by those who achieve outstanding things are shared by us all.

“If the idea of a hero is being selfless, generous, respectful and persevering, in other words a state of mind, then it is a choice,” he said. “Everyone here can make a difference. ‘We can be heroes just for one day’.”

Bishop Graham, who attended Pocklington between 1981 and 1989, said great leaders frequently use five words and phrases: thank you, well done, sorry, please, and what do you think? He added: “Ultimately, it’s not what we say that people remember, but how we made people feel.”

Both speakers also mentioned the School’s most famous alumnus, William Wilberforce, whose compassion, gentleness and tireless campaigning for a cause he believed in made him a truly great person.

After speeches and prizes, parents, pupils and staff headed for the Pimm’s tent and enjoyed a feast of delicious nibbles and drinks, carefully prepared

by Mr D’Arcy and his team. Thank you to them for once again producing such a splendid spread.

As ever, it was a fitting end to the academic year. The summer holidays beckoned!

EF/LAL

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School picnic...

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CHARITY

C H A R IT Y W E E K With the annual staff gunging and butler auctions, the week was once again a great success. Lower and Middle School fair had some great ideas for fundraising; each individual form had something different and everyone helped to create a happy and fulfilling week. Well done to everyone involved and of course to people who spent their pennies!

A special mention must go to Mrs Alexander who was in charge of the committee this year. Without her support and dedication, little would have been done; her technological abilities helped to keep all informed and meetings were always filled with smiles.

U6 committee members (Oli Peeke-Vout, Sam McAllister, Adelle Kama, Katie Wagstaff, James Falkingham, Alice Watkins, Daisy Barnes, Marni Esa, Tash Leach, Amy Crowther, Hannah Frisby-Pape, George Heywood, George Jibson, Olivia El Jassar, Sophie Hamilton and Isobel Langworthy) did a great job organising the events. The musical chairs hiccup went unnoticed!

The charities this year were: • Local – Yorkshire Air Ambulance • National – Winston’s Wish – Supporting Grieving Families • International – Project Mala – nominated by Governor Dorothy Knott • Environmental – Cool Earth A big thank you must go to all those who participated and helped to make the week so enjoyable. The grand total for the week was over £2,825 and once money for the school walk had been counted, we were delighted to find that we had raised £7,226.

Good luck to the current L6 in making next year just as successful and enjoyable!

Emily Boddy

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TOTAL RAISED

£7,226

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BOARDING ORCHARD We have had a fabulous year and have been so fortunate to meet so many new girls who have come for a year or a term.

They always part with a heavy heart but know that they have made friends for life in various countries.

I would like to thank all our girls for being so supportive and particular thanks to our House Captain, Emma Falkingham, and Vice House Captain, Anna Wedge, for all their support and involvement in Orchard life and the wider boarding community.

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We have enjoyed far too many days/ evenings, and these few go some way to explaining the photos. We: • had a racing time • enjoyed a photo-shoot • had bouncing fun • enjoyed a pamper day • kayaked at Allerthorpe waterpark • enjoyed deliciously ‘healthy’ snacks • relaxed in the sun • heralded our spoon game champs!

LS

BOARDING

DOLMAN Another busy and exciting year in Dolman House this past year. We welcomed a number of new boys during the course of the school year and all have brought their own piece of uniqueness with them!

The House has been very full. Twelve Prep School boarders have kept us all on our toes and we have had 27 boys with us pretty much all of the time.

Life as boarding staff in Dolman means being constantly on the move – boys get everywhere and ours are seemingly always full of energy…

nights. This June we were rained off at Botton, but made the most of the wonderful space closer to home, camping on Big Field. We enjoyed shelter building, wood chopping, open fire cooking, volleyball, rounders and wood whittling.

We have watched some great movies at the cinema, been trampolining, shopping, enjoyed the amazing footgolf now so popular, ice skating and many other great days of fun.

We operate a very tightly monitored revision period with additional preps and this year they were really responsive to this – some very pleasing academic achievements have been the direct result of that.

So, we say goodbye to our loyal and lovely 3rd year boys and wish them well in their new ‘home’ up at FenwickSmith.

WJW

The boys have also worked hard.

Our weekday evening activity programme has had this in mind – boys have enjoyed some quieter activities of cooking, sewing and craft alongside the higher octane activities of swimming, 5-a-side footie, tag, quick cricket and scooting. We have loved the long, light summer evenings after school when the boys have been able to run on the grass and enjoy the fresh air with their friends.

We have shared some excellent Sunday activities, such as our regular camping

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BOARDING

FAIRCOTE Many modern day families can be a complicated mix of new partnerships; they are often described as being ‘blended’ units but they are still true families, succeeding most when their entire focus is on love and compromise.

This is our life in boarding, and students and staff in all of our boarding houses work hard to reboot family life every September. Faircote had a large intake of full-time boarders this year and by the end, we knew we had all made a difference in so many ways. Mrs Smith, Ms Burg (the boomerang that did come back) and Mrs Draser and her team were all essential to this success because they consistently enveloped the girls with genuine care and dedication.

We had staff changes too. Miss Williams passed through and was fab with crafts, chocolate games and wheelbarrow races. Miss de Nadai quickly charmed with a gentle and perceptive approach and we are thrilled that she is staying on.

Mrs Williams was our Welsh Wonder in time of need and Miss Clarke bounced in to become Mrs Lord’s wing woman!

Miss Cheadle, Mrs Chenery, Mrs Lord and Mrs Ward all continued to

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impart masses of energy, kindness and academic support to our community.

This talented team facilitated activities including fitness training, Zumba, relaxation classes, knitting for Syria, chocolate fondue, trips out and homemade meals and treats in, as well as celebrating all of our multi-cultural festivals. Vitally, the tutors listened lots and gave oodles of great advice. Mrs Ward leaves us in July; Mondays will simply not be the same without her warm heart and insight into what makes people tick.

Close families also have coded moments of hilarity that thankfully nobody else would understand. We have wept with laughter over chats and board games in the office, Innuendo Friday is never to be shared beyond our circle of trust and finding the funny side of some truly challenging moments has definitely built resilience in the girls. They have supported each other through exam stress and celebrated every single achievement of their peers with genuine pride. The girls have dressed up for Christmas Dinner and dressed down for Boarders’ Sports Day, and for a unique Unnamed Laundry fashion show!

The girls have also achieved across

the board. Through participating in prefecture, House Music and Drama, Duke of Edinburgh and CCF challenges, school choirs, theatre productions and orchestra, horse riding, squash and a multitude of other events, they have lived up to the challenge to ‘aspire’. Our house mantra is very simple, ‘it ain’t what you do it’s the way that you do it, and that’s what gets results’ (our warmest thanks to Bananarama).

Throughout my ten years in boarding at Pocklington I have been inspired by every single student that has been in my care. They have all been kind and brave, and most have come to be comfortable with being unique. All of this comes about with the support of their wonderful parents and guardians, but also my friends in boarding who have either been resident or non-resident tutors with me, given medical support, or taught the girls.

As I pass the baton to Miss Thackray, I can only say a huge ‘thank you for everything’ to my boarding family and wish you all the very brightest of futures.

JEM

BOARDING

FENWICK-SMITH Last year was a very positive one. We tend to fill up as we go and 64 different boys actually stayed during the year, with over 40 regulars. New to the house were Tony Tan, Henry Foster, Jeffery Tse, Ernest Kwong, Henry Bayston, Josh Longthorp, Felix Chan and Nick Chan. New to the school were Vladimir Kostrikin, Christian Holmes, Lancelot Fraisse, Kenny Tam, Thomas Luo and Arthur Li. We have had trips to Flamingo Land, Championship Football (Leeds United v Ipswich Town, Fulham and Wolves, Hull City v Swansea City, Ipswich Town, Derby County, Cardiff City in the league and v Arsenal in the FA Cup), a Malawi Fundraiser dinner with pupils from another local school, an international Rugby League fixture (England v New Zealand), a rugby union fixture (Yorkshire Carnegie v London Welsh), shopping trips to Meadowhall, a hilarious time at a tribute band night in York with music from Abba and the Bee Gees (with great dancing and singing from Mr Loten), The Snooker Betway UK Championship, and a fantastic youth production of Les Misérables at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre in York starring Sam Hird and Hallam Dytham.

We also saw the tribute bands Absolute Bowie and The Smyths.

In the summer we enjoyed BBQ

“A truly amazing house – everything from the staffing to the facilities. A true home from home!”

Henry Foster evenings in the lovely garden area at the back of the house, one for just the boys and one when they invited the rest of the boarders with the senior boys donning their aprons and being fantastic hosts all evening. Guest speaker Sheila Granger ran two sessions for some of the seniors on techniques for managing exam stress. One of our current parents kindly offered to run a CV workshop, helping our boarders to get ready for the world of work. Jacob Brown and Rob Smith organised a colour run in charity week, and the list goes on….

I’d like to thank the U6 boys for their loyal support over the course of the year. Aaron Baxter was Head of House, supported by Jenson Yan, Ryan Sun, Alex Varley, Nathaniel Harvey, Martin Sevtsov, Vasyl Ilchyshyn, Zhikai Wang, Sherlock Gao and Edward Walker.

We wish them all well as they go off to university and the world of work.

The house would not be the same without the involvement of a loyal team of duty staff and a dedicated domestic team who make sure everything is running like clockwork. Special mention should go to Gary and Jan Kilsby who retired from boarding at the end of the year.

They have been in Fenwick-Smith since

it opened in April 2007 and I would like to thank them for all they have done over the years. The academic support on offer has been key and I am indebted to Mr Butcher for help with Biology and UCAS, Mr Wheeler and Mr Houltham for PE, Mr Watton for Business Studies and Economics, Mr Loten for Maths and Mr Bond for Geography.

I am proud of the boys and it is a pleasure and a privilege to be their Housemaster.

PMLD “Fenwick-Smith is like my second home. Mr Dare is on duty 24/7: you can call him in any time and he will do his best to help you! After a long, tiring day, coming back to the house makes me energetic as everyone here is kind and positive. This house has been a privilege to live in as it gives us a feel of home!” Nick Chan “You get many staff to help you, the facilities are amazing, such as table tennis and snooker.

And snacks are good!” Peter Wu “A genuine home from home and a great group of boys I’m proud to say I’m part of.” Rob Smith

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ACTIVITIES & ACADEMICS DROP EVERYTHING AND READ We stopped working at 2pm, and for 20 minutes of blissful silence everyone read a book. Teachers, Support Staff and some of the Prep School classes joined in.

There had been some puzzled looks – mainly from pupils – who were decidedly uncomfortable about being made to

bring in their own or borrow a book from the Library, but the overwhelming response after the event was very positive.

Comments from staff included: “I think it was excellent yesterday and really sent out a message to the students that it’s important to read and also very relaxing…”

“Thoroughly enjoyable and we all could EASILY have carried on for another 20 mins… they were utterly engrossed in their books…”

School Librarians Angie Edwards and Natalia Ward, who organised the event, said: “People read books, Kindles, ebooks on iPads –it didn’t matter so long as the words were on the page, allowing us all to stop and lose ourselves in another world, exercising our reading muscles – what joy!”

AJE/NW

THE SYMPOSIUM: IBY KNILL THE WOMAN WITHOUT A NUMBER

The highlight of this year’s Symposium programme was when Iby Knill visited the school in March. Iby spoke to a packed TST about her life in Czechoslovakia where she had lived before the war and about what happened to her and others during the rise of Nazism.

As a Jew she had to wear a yellow star on her clothes, was not allowed to sit down on public transport and spent many, many hours queuing for food. In 1942 she was hidden from the Germans and then fled to Hungary, where she joined the resistance movement. Finally she was caught, arrested and tortured.

In June 1944 she was one of thousands transported in cattle wagons to

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Auschwitz, where there were so many prisoners being registered with tattooed numbers that the ink ran out, and Iby was not tattooed – hence she calls herself the woman without a number.

Later she was sent with several hundred other women to the concentration camp at Bergen Belsen. This time luck was on her side, for the German convoy came under heavy fire from advancing American soldiers, and the prisoners were rescued. This was Easter Sunday, 1945.

After the war Iby married a British Army Officer and came to live in England in 1947. Since 1963 she has lived in Leeds. Iby now tours schools and colleges talking about her life and delivering her message of hope. Iby is a powerful and entertaining lady, with a remarkable sense of humour and an overwhelmingly positive view of life.

She says that she delivers her talks not because she enjoys them, but because she feels she has to speak out about her

life: she says she has to teach the next generation, so that the horrors of the past are not repeated.

Over 330 people in the TST were held spellbound for 90 minutes. We were privileged to have heard Iby speak and those who were there will remember it all of their lives.

MJA

ACTIVITIES & ACADEMICS

AUSTEN SOCIETY This year, a new venture pioneered

by Thomas Robertson (L6) and Mrs Hallam has introduced L6 and U6 pupils to the rich and surprisingly dark world of Jane Austen.

Wine and good food are integral to the discussion, which ranges from the novels to her juvenilia, from virtue to vice, from convention to taboo. And we rarely stop there.

Have you ever considered the case for

the predatory W in Austen’s work?

Why does she insist on so many different types of transport – barouche box, carriage, horseback?

How political are the novels, really?

Thomas’s personal interest in ‘Jane’ is bold and inspiring. Thanks to his leadership of the society, we have enjoyed three meetings – in Judsons and JJ’s – and are looking forward to many more.

Regular attendees will be welcomed back with open arms; new starters are warmly encouraged to join the fray!

POETRY BY HEART This year, Pocklington held an official school round of Poetry by Heart, inviting parents and offering pupils the chance to be judged by representatives of the English and Drama Departments.

We had excellent and moving entries from Max Lee (our youngest participant), Jasmine Thompson (who tackled Keats’s Nightingale), Beth Noble (brilliantly reciting Envy) and

EXTENDED PROJECT QUALIFICATION The EPQ is firmly embedded in U6 school life now, chiefly thanks to the work of three Co-ordinators over the years (Miss Powell, Mrs Hallam and Mr Braidwood-Smith) and their teams of Supervisors.

This qualification involves the completion of a major piece of evaluative research in an area of personal interest. It is undertaken in the student’s own time, and is highly regarded by universities as an important transition qualification in preparation for university study.

Our thanks to Thomas, Mrs Hallam and Mrs Edwards for being our speakers in this first year.

LAL

Poppy Bell (our eventual winner).

The regional round was held in York and Poppy was placed a nominal second, just missing out on the national rounds as a result. She recited Sonnets from the Portugese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Ivor Gurney’s To his Love.

This was a promising start to the competition – we hope that many more pupils will enter next year!

LAL

The EPQ is a demanding qualification and to gain an A* is outstanding. This year, Katrina Summerton and Will Norgate achieved A* grades, while Anais Russell, Amanda Bean, Poppy Bell, George Jibson, Beth Roberts and Catherine Stephens all achieved A grades.

As ever, the range of projects was diverse, from scarification practices in other cultures to the use of dogs in forensics.

The presentations highlighted the depth of pupils’ research, their enthusiasm for their topics and their confidence in communicating it to their audiences.

Congratulations and thanks to all pupils who completed their EPQs this year – we’ve learnt a great deal from you!

LAL

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ACTIVITIES & ACADEMICS

will prove invaluable for generations to come.

INSPIRING CREATIVE MINDS ART & DESIGN TECHNOLOGY CENTRE CAMPAIGN In 2015 we launched a major campaign to raise funds for a new Art and Design Technology Centre in support of the next phase of the School’s strategic development plan. Thanks to the tremendous generosity of all those who have supported the Campaign so far, boosted by a significant contribution from Old Pocklingtonian Brian Fenwick-Smith, we were delighted to be able to announce that just over a year later the Campaign total had reached £1,650,000.

The challenge is to reach our Campaign target of £2,000,000.

Whilst construction of the new building began on 1 August, the Campaign continues and a second Campaign Progress Report will be issued in the Michaelmas Term to update everyone on how close we are to reaching our target and the progress of the building.

Above, L to R: Dan Brown (U6), Steve Ellis (Head of Design), Sofia Risso-Gill (U6), Dan Cimmermann (Head of Art) and Georgie Fenny (U6) with the new graphics to be used to promote the Art and Design Technology Centre Campaign.

Designed to inspire the pursuit of traditional arts and crafts, plus provide cutting edge facilities for digital imaging, editing, animation and computer-aided design and manufacturing technology, the new Centre will greatly enhance pupils’ creative experience. Although an ambitious project, it is one we believe

According to a survey for the World Economic Forum report The Future of Jobs, creativity will be in the top three qualities sought by employers from the world’s largest economies by 2020.

Employers said creative people would be particularly in demand to figure out ways to apply new technology and create new products and services.

By creating the right environment to develop creative skills, Pocklington can inspire its pupils to lead the way into this exciting future.

The school’s fundraising campaign has also involved a team of U6 Art and Photography students, who designed a set of striking graphics to use on promotional material for the Campaign.

Sofia Risso-Gill, Dan Brown and Georgie Fenny used a mix of art, design and photography techniques to create the designs, to bring to life the Campaign’s theme of ‘inspiring creative minds’.

Sofia said: “We are really happy to be playing a part in helping promote the Campaign for a much-needed new Art and Design Technology Centre and we look forward to coming back to visit in the future.” Sofia is planning to study Graphic Communications in September, and both Dan and Georgie plan to take Art Foundation courses.

The new Centre will continue the Art and Design Technology Departments’ long tradition of innovation and inspiration, fostering cross-fertilisation between the different disciplines, while maintaining a watchful eye for new ideas and technology. It also incorporates the space to display students’ creations, to provoke debate and inspire others.

To find out more about the Campaign, contact Susan Kay on 01759 322626, kays@pocklingtonschool.com or visit www.pocklingtonschool.com/ campaign.

SK

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ACTIVITIES & ACADEMICS

LECTERN SOCIETY Lectern Society gathered at Ellison House in Michaelmas and Summer terms this year. At both events, students delivered five minute speeches at the lectern with no visual aide, working to the specified time frame. Mr and Mrs Ronan hosted some forty or so pupils, parents and staff, all enjoying the buffet and drinks reception organised by Mr D’Arcy.

The standard of oration was higher than the last Society meetings, with returning champions Olivia Gallen and Harry Isenstein up against stiff competition from Flo Judge-Clayden, George Jibson, Beth Noble and Tom Baarda, to mention just a few.

All speakers delivered excellent, eclectic and articulate performances on the topics of ‘Time’ and ‘What on Earth...?’, speaking with style and confidence. At the first meeting, subject matter ranged from Austen’s works though Physics and Biology to entrepreneurs’ exploits in the contemporary modern world. At the second, linguistics, the poetry of E.E. Cummings and our fascination with tea were all expertly and sensitively explored. The audience were held spellbound at many points in the deliveries and engaged with questions on the topical areas introduced.

SCIENCE All second year students took part in a Science Project this year. There was an excellent variety of practicals and research projects carried out which were presented in different ways including power points, videos, posters and information booklets. A winner from each class presented their projects to Miss Powell and Mr Hughes. The overall winner was Will Coats.

The titles of Will’s project was ‘Do plants grow faster with LED lights than sunlight?’. He set up an investigation to grow lettuce plants and he measured their height over a period of two weeks.

He presented extremely well, showing an excellent understanding of the science involved and the power point was clear and informative.

In June, Kobby Fofie, Edward Hasdell, Henry Kay and Harry Scutt represented

Harry Isenstein was judged winner of the first meeting; Tom Baarda was victorious in the second. It is worth noting that in both, Beth Noble achieved a top three placement – no mean feat for one of our youngest competitors.

Thank you to all who competed in and judged this year’s meets.

AKVH

the school in the St Peter’s School Physics Olympics. The day involved completing a range of practical tasks in 20 minutes. This included building a solar powered boat, finding the mass of a toy using Hooke’s Law and completing a Fermi Quiz. The students did extremely well, finishing 15th out of 35 schools.

At the very end of the summer term, five L6 pupils took part in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s competition, which is endorsed and organised by Cambridge University. Alfie Brash, Thomas Luo, James Laudage and Oscar Cavill all obtained Gold awards, being placed in the top 8% of entries. Angela Curtis won a Copper award in the same competition. These were excellent results for a very talented group of A level Chemists!

JRM

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class were never something I enjoyed at all. But I comforted myself by thinking that overall, there weren’t that many students who took Psychology and it would be impossible to avoid a clash with another club or society. I could deal with a small crowd. With that, Isobel, the other Psychology Prefect, and I started planning the first-ever Psychology Society meeting on the topic of Narcolepsy. Posters went up around the Sixth Form Centre advertising a new society and bribing people with sweets. We even asked for a mention in assembly.

At this point I was still thinking that we wouldn’t have many attendees.

PSYCHOLOGY SOCIETY When I first applied to be a Psychology Prefect, I did it purely because I really enjoyed the subject. I didn’t really know what ‘duties’ I would have, if any. Going in with such expectations, you can imagine my surprise when Dr McNamee suggested to us that we should set up and run a fortnightly Psychology Society.

Admittedly, at first I wasn’t keen on the idea, mainly because I am not a fan of public speaking – presentations in front of the

BBC MICRO:BIT@ POCK This year, our 71 first year students received their free micro:bit from the BBC. So what is it all about? Firstly it is a computer – yes, they received a free computer! In fact it is a pocketsized codeable computer with motion detection, a built-in compass and Bluetooth technology sitting in the palm of their hand, waiting to be programmed.

In the 1980s, the BBC Micro introduced many children to computing for the first time and the BBC micro:bit, part of the BBC’s 2015 Make it Digital initiative, will build on the legacy of that project for the digital age. At Pocklington, we are not going to miss out on the progressive nature of Computer Education.

In all first year Computing lessons,

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It turns out I was rather mistaken. We ran out of seats in that first week, and it wasn’t just Psychology students who had decided to attend, it also appealed to Biology students too. I remember Isobel and I feeling extremely nervous and apprehensive that first week. However, afterwards, we felt a sense of pride at what we had organised and realised that actually it wasn’t so bad.

As the weeks progressed, we became more and more comfortable with talking in front of a group and having discussions on topics such as serial killers, terrorism and identity disorders. As someone who loves Psychology, I really enjoyed talking about topics outside the specification with others who were just as interested as I was.

Charlotte Hunter-Didrichsen

the students have been learning with a block coding environment to code 25 LEDs to light up and produce animations, mini games, sorting hat apps, and much more. If you can think it, you can code it!

All four classes have been immersed in using the hardware, along with an add-on battery pack to take computing out of the classroom and on the move.

We made a dice game with the device and enjoyed a snakes and ladders game on the changing room steps! The micro:bits belong to the students, not the department, so they will go home and I hope they will be the source of much fun and learning. I intend to run a ‘bitClub in the Michaelmas term to explore many other programming languages that will be invaluable for our computer scientists of the future.

The main aim is to inspire young people to get creative in STEM subjects – this is

an integral part of what we do at school.

There is so much to discover and we will need to squeeze the day to acquire the most out of our micro:bits!

MSW

ACTIVITIES & ACADEMICS

C4DI In February, the L6 ICT group attended a trip to C4DI, which is a company that provides services to start-ups and has formed links with companies such as Ebuyer, Amazon Web Services and Kingston Communications to assist with this aim.

C4DI’s aim is to have a business which works together in a positive working atmosphere. We were greeted by Jon Moss, the co-founder of C4DI, who gave us a tour around the new facilities which they had moved into before Christmas.

The best business we got to look around was called Label Worx. It has been running for over 6 years and in C4DI they have one of the biggest rooms with their own studio within it. It was really interesting to listen to something that Matt Abbott was currently working on.

We also met Alex Youden, a 20 year old entrepreneur who works with 3D printers and predicts that in a few years everyone will own a 3D printer! Chris Fenton, another budding entrepreneur, has set up a business called Octovision Media specialising in making drones and has managed to fly them and get amazing footage of the Hull Estuary.

A great morning out for all the L6!

Ella Marshall

PLATFORM EXPOS – EDUCATION DAY

exciting computational, creative arts to be hosted in Hull next year.

A jam-packed day of digital excitement and computing technology was on offer at Platform: 2016 and Pocklington were in attendance with 15 outstanding representative students wanting to learn more about programming and the tech industry from huge household names such as Microsoft, right down to local businesses and indie developments.

Platform Expos has been the brainchild of Lindsay West (OP) and his links with the school are invaluable for stimulating young, creative minds. We thought the highlight of the event was a fascinating talk on the wonderful world of Virtual Reality where we got to grips with the growing industry trends and the exciting time of VR and Augmented Reality that are making headway due to recent hardware developments.

Our students attended workshops on Python coding, GameMaker and TouchDevelop which stimulated the mind. In addition, talks from game narrative writers, game industry publishers and digital gurus were high on the agenda.

A bonus speaker was Dave Watson, Head of Digital, UK City of Culture 2017, who was keen to see us all involved in the

SAINSBURY’S In March, the 5th year ICT groups participated in an enlightening visit to our local Pocklington Sainsbury’s to get a behind the scenes tour and first-hand experience of how technology is utilised in a supermarket.

It was a really interesting tour which

Our students were a credit to the school by their enthusiasm and involvement in hands-on demos and I know they are the future when it comes to taking Computing further at Pocklington.

MSW

involved a variety of activities, from being shut inside a VERY cold freezer to checking out the stock control system. We even had a number of the students working on the tills at the end of the day!

Thank you to the staff at Sainsbury’s for making the trip possible.

HTA

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MICHAELMAS SPORT

REPRESENTATIVE RUGBY Lewis Wilson

England U18, Yorkshire Carnegie Academy

Will Burns

U18 Independent Lambs

Sam Bunce

U18 Yorkshire

Elliot Adamson

Northampton Saint Academy

Jonty Atkinson

U17 Yorkshire

Jimmy Quinney

U17 Yorkshire

Ben Carlile

Yorkshire Carnegie Academy, Yorkshire U16

Oliver Rayner

Yorkshire Carnegie Academy, Yorkshire U16

Lawrence Mason

Yorkshire Carnegie JDS, U15 Yorkshire

Josh Longthorp

Yorkshire Carnegie JDS, U15 Yorkshire

Alex Todd

U15 Yorkshire

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MICHAELMAS SPORT

RUGBY 1st XV P12 / W6 / D0 / L6

A mixed season for a talented team on paper, but one which the side will look back at and say ‘what if’ in years to come. Such was the talent in this side that no fewer than four played for the county (captain Sam Bunce, Jonty Atkinson, Jimmy Quinney and Oliver Rayner), one played for Northampton Saints academy (Elliot Adamson), two boys represented at a national (Will Burns – U18 Independent Lambs) and international level (Lewis Wilson England U18), and one was desperately

1st VII A positive season with some impressive results from a young and talented squad. The mixture of youth, pace and physicality has seen the boys evolve into a powerful and efficient team, who have laid waste to a number of sides. It was so unfortunate that the weather intervened and inhibited the team from further progress and rhythm running up to the pinnacle events of the season.

We were finalists in the Ampleforth Cup tournament, having beaten Ashville, St Peter’s and Sedbergh comprehensively in the pool. A one-sided semi versus

close to England U16 selection (Ben Carlile).

The boys played some great rugby at times but struggled to manage and control games in tight encounters.

This was a huge learning curve for both young and old in the side and has meant a number of serious lessons have been learnt: namely, field position matters, as do patience, composure and building scoreboard pressure! There have been some lows: two soft losses when dominating against Mount St Mary’s and a 2nd half capitulation versus St Peter’s. The highs: strong wins over Ashville, Giggleswick, Silcoates,

Woodhouse Grove was a pleasure to watch, but alas the final versus a clever Barnard Castle side was a step too far.

A fair pool at the Rosslyn Park Vase tournament saw the boys beat Ashville, Coleg Sir Gar, Wisbech and secure a come-from-behind victory over King’s Canterbury to advance to the second day of the competition (only our third 1st VII to do it, the third in three years).

An early loss to a good Bishop Wordsworth’s side in the qualifier placed the team into the Bowl competition and raised hopes of some finals action.

However, a poor first game versus Worksop (having led substantially) and a follow up loss to Millfield saw the

Hymers (twice) and the retention of the Webber-Dallaglio trophy versus Ampleforth will linger long in the memory.

Players of note include Sam Bunce, Will Burns and Lewis Wilson for their huge work rate and immense commitment to the team, whilst the likes of Will Wraith and Ben Elcock have shown real improvement over the season. Next year promises big things, with a number of players returning – I only hope they will have learnt their lessons and kick on to fulfil their potential.

SAH

boys eliminated. Despite the heroics and fireworks in the last game versus Pembrokeshire College, it was not enough to salvage a chance at the national finals.

Some huge lessons were learnt by these boys, but the brand of sevens they played was both attractive and enjoyable to watch. On their day, they could mix it with anybody, but they must strive for consistency and self-belief if they are to take it to the next level.

SAH

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MICHAELMAS SPORT

RUGBY due to lay-offs of three and four weeks respectively, occasioned by exeats, halfterm and opponents cancelling matches.

In a sport such as rugby, it is not usually individuals who matter so much as the manner in which they are able to combine their talents and it is fair to say that the manner in which the team played was simply outstanding. All of those who pulled on the shirt were excellent throughout in both attack and defence, the forwards dominated in set piece scrum, lineout and loose play whilst the backs defended ferociously and scored a host of sparkling tries.

2nd XV P7 / W5 / D0 / L2

The disappointment was that both games which were lost (to St Peter’s by a single try and to Bradford by two conversions) could almost certainly have been won as well. However, on both occasions we were missing almost half of the team who had been called up to cover for injuries in the 1st XV and were also rather “undercooked”,

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Although I do not like to single out individuals, the work of three players in particular could be taken as being indicative of that of the entire squad.

The most improved players were Ricky Blair, who stepped up to make the left wing position his own, and Adam Harrison, who organised and ran games brilliantly from fly-half. The player of the season was also the captain – Oli Peeke-Vout, who cleaned up in the line-out match after match, made good decisions, led by example in both attack and defence and was constantly

encouraging to his players.

The results, shown below, speak for themselves: v Ashville

won 67 - 0

v Giggleswick

won 48 - 0

v Woodhouse Grove cancelled v St Peter’s

lost 7 - 10

v Mount St Mary’s

cancelled

v Bradford

lost 17 - 21

v Hymers

won 63 - 5

v Yarm

won 44 - 5

v Ampleforth

won 21 - 5

Squad: O Peeke-Vout (capt), W Baines, A Baxter, O Beckett, R Blair, J Bogg, J Brown, W Bulmer, O Cavill, S Collins, E Farnsworth, B Fawcett, T Foster, J Garvey, A Harrison, G Heywood, H Isenstein, J Laudage, T Loten, S McAllister, J Medforth, L Medley, B Smales, C Stubbs, R Sun, E Walker, T Weeks and M Wilde.

RPB

MICHAELMAS SPORT

RUGBY U16 XV P7 / W3 / D1 / L3

A wise ex-Pocklington rugby coach (Mr Parsons) once said a 50% record means an ideal season. Well, the U16s achieved that this year, in a curtailed season in which three potentially winnable matches were called off by our opponents.

Over 25 players have had some game time, as injuries, illness, and call-ups to our own 1st XV took their toll. The commitment of the boys in training, and their willingness to learn from their coaches and each other, have been a pleasure to see. Physically, as often seems to be the case, we were rarely on level terms, but in terms of heart and character, we were often streets ahead.

We started with two away fixtures at Giggleswick and St Peter’s. Both matches were lost, but there were signs of promise, such as a first-ever try for Falky at Gigg, and some sterling line-out work in York. All involved learned from the matches, and these lessons were put into practice at home to Hill House. 24 players – virtually the full squad – got some game-time, and we scored seven good tries.

Next was Bradford Grammar away, which was going to be tricky, as at U15

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level, they racked up over 60 points, and we were without our two best players… but the boys fronted up, and although defeated, we scored two good tries, and gave them a bit of a fright!

A good win at home against Mount St Mary’s set us up for a tough final stretch – two away matches against old rivals, Hymers and Ampleforth.

I may be biased, but the performance against Hymers was the best school performance I have seen in my 17 years at Pock. It started off with an emotional minute’s silence, as organised by both sets of players for the victims of the Paris attacks, especially in honour of Lancelot Fraisse, our French import, who had enriched our rugby sessions all season.

We didn’t give a sniff of a chance to a talented Hymers team, and the final score of 32-0 was by no means flattering.

All players involved were immense, and though it was great to have our ‘stars’ back, everyone involved played to their best. Two tries from Tom Binns set us up, but we never relented and would not take a backward step.

MAGNIFICENT! To top things off, we headed to Ampleforth on a horrible day, and after the usual trek down to our mudbath

of a pitch, we produced the gutsiest performance of the season. The whole team put their bodies on the line, in a tremendous, weather-ravaged, ruckand-maul-dominated struggle for superiority. No quarter was given, and after 60 minutes of hard graft, it finished in a no-scoring draw! What a match!

The whole squad should be proud of their superb efforts – they have been a pleasure to coach and have been determined to improve.

Squad: T Binns, T Bulmer, R Callau, W Burton, B Carlile, F Croston, M Crowther, E Dare, J Falkingham, C Foster, L Fraisse, R Haigh, J Harrison, B Hughes, C Holmes, F Jibson, A Laing, K Leung, A Mao, C Medforth, J Nutt, W Parker, B Pettifer, O Phillips, O Rayner, R Stephenson, B Waldron, K Wilde, E Wraith, J Wraith and B Yeoh.

Player of the Season: Kieran Wilde Most Improved Player: Will Parker Coach’s Award for Best Approach to the Game: Bohan Waldron DAG

MICHAELMAS SPORT

U16 VII The Sevens season has been somewhat curtailed by the weather, but the whole squad deserve the highest praise for their commitment, enthusiasm and improvement.

We started with a practice match at Ampleforth, where 14 players got some game-time, and although scores weren’t kept, we certainly scored more tries than them!

Next up was our home tournament.

After Coach Galloway’s unfortunate accident, Coach Dare was in charge.

Despite starting at a gallop, an unlucky loss in the group stage v St Peter’s (by two points) meant we played in the plate competition, despite two wins at a canter in our other group games. In the semi-final against Yarm we cleared

some difficult hurdles and made it to the home straight of the final against RGS Newcastle. This turned out to be far from a one-horse race, as they were tough opposition, but some stunning tries meant we sent them out to pasture on the back of a 31-15 victory. This meant we won some thoroughly deserved SILVERWARE! Next up was Rosslyn Park, the biggest Sevens rugby tournament in the world, where we faced a tough group, including Eton College, last year’s runners-up.

After a long journey and a night in a Travelodge, we stocked up on breakfast before heading to Asda for supplies.

First up was Eton, and after a slow start we really showed them what East Yorkshire had to offer with a stirring fightback, which really worried our incredibly resourced opponents, just being edged out by one try. Then we

U15 XV

U15 VII

The U15s have gone from strength to strength this season. Led ably by Rob Boddy, they have produced a mature brand of rugby, being creative and direct in equal measure. Central to this has been the dominance up front by the forwards who have received the plaudits of many opposition coaches. The backs have also been mercurial at points, producing some outstanding team and individual scores.

The U15s were set the target of bringing home some silverware this Sevens season. After six weeks of preparation we headed into two tournaments and this is how they unfolded.

The highlights of the year include double victories against Hymers and not conceding in either game, beating Peter’s 24-19 at home and making the North A quarter final of the Nat West Cup. Unfortunately that ended in a disappointing defeat to Peter’s but the team responded well with a sublime second half performance to down Yarm 29-7. The squad have grown together this year and if they continue to develop a positive culture around them then they have a bright rugby future.

thoroughly hammered our remaining group opponents, scoring 20 tries in 4 matches. (As U13s they scored one try all day at Rosslyn Park – what progress they have made!)

It was a great performance to end up group runners-up, just missing out on the next round. All twelve members of the squad contributed, with six different try-scorers. With a better draw, we might have made it to the quarter-finals.

A great end to a hard-working season of improvement.

The boys have been excellent on the training pitch and have developed greatly as Sevens players. A special mention to those unlucky players who missed out on the trip to London – without their efforts, the team would not have improved as much as they did.

DAG

AMPLEFORTH SEVENS Pool matches RGS 36 - 5 Pock Pock 17 - 7 Austin Friars Pock 17 - 26 Durham Plate Quarter-final Pock 41 - 0 Ashville Plate Semi-final Pock 22 - 0 QEGS Plate Final Pock 5 - 12 Worksop After a real set-back in the first game, when Pocklington played far below their best and were mauled by a rampant

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RGS Newcastle, the team grew in confidence and belief and enjoyed a positive experience by reaching the plate final. Despite giving everything, the final was a game too far as Pock were down to only nine fit players in the squad and came up against a fresh (having played one game fewer) and solid Worksop.

There was much to build on but many positives to take into the next tournament.

BARNARD CASTLE SEVENS

Pocklington were drawn in the group of death with Woodhouse Grove and Durham. Pock gave Woodhouse stiff opposition in the first half but fell away later on. Against Durham, for

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the second week running, Pock gave them a scare whilst fielding more of a development VII. After these losses, we dropped into the Plate competition and focused on going one step further than the previous week – silverware.

Giving Mr Wheeler and Mr Hughes heart scares, in both the semi and the final, Pock let comfortable leads slip so that both matches ended with nailbiting conclusions. Losing by a point against Hymers in the semi-final, Pock scored in the final second to win.

In the final, Pock conceded in the last second, giving Yarm a conversion to win from in front of the posts... which was missed! The drama rolled on as Pock then won the match, and the plate, with a try in sudden death overtime! The neutrals

must have had a cracking time watching.

Group Pock 0 - 35 Woodhouse Pock 29 - 40 Durham Plate Semi-final Hymers 22 - 28 Pocklington Plate Final Pock 22 - 17 Yarm The squad was a great pleasure to coach, as it has been throughout the year, and it would be unfair to pinpoint individuals. You have all played your part and we challenge you to go for a cup next year.

GJH/JW

MICHAELMAS SPORT

RUGBY U14A XV There are some talented players in this group, many of whom will go on to star in the Senior sides. Talent is not an issue, but sadly too many were intent on displaying their own individual skills, too often to the detriment of the team as a whole.

than the 60-0 demolition of Yarm, a team they had succumbed to the precious season. When they play in this manner they are unstoppable, and glimpses of this were evident in every game, but never sustained.

Wins were scarce, but when they came they were spectacular, none more so

Some players took on the team ethic, and their performances shone through, none more so than Cameron Adams, who also played up for the U15s in the Nat West cup games. Sam Dyson proved a fearsome defender, Will Dare an astute

U13A XV

who we narrowly lost to but deserved to have beaten.

After a slow start to the season, losing to Hill House, we started progressing but quite slowly. The team stayed the same apart from two changes later in the season.

Everything finally came together in our last game against St Martin’s Ampleforth when we won in impeccable style to top off the XV’s season in an amazing fashion.

After a heavy defeat to a strong Hymers team we came up against St Olave’s

Our Sevens season started fairly well, losing in the finals of our own

U13B XV The aim of the year was simply to develop our skills, work well as a team and enjoy the game.

We started the season nervously and results did not go in our favour. In most games we had possession of the ball and we were in the opposition’s half! When the opposition attacked, Ian Massey superbly tackled while Maxim Guest

and Ben Ryan drove over the break down to turn the ball over. We started to play well as a team.

The season continued with great play and improving skill from all the players. Brad Riley and Oliver Kettle worked well in the backs, taking the ball on towards the defenders, then passing it down the line to Jasper Law. Jasper then broke through the line and made numerous runs towards the try line.

reader of the game, and John Wright a tireless ball carrier. These stalwarts along with captain Henry Hughes, the rapidly improving Mikey Smith, and the reliable Alex Holdstock, formed the backbone of the side. Others will come through as they develop physically, but this season must be looked upon as one of transition, with the prospect of better things to come, hopefully starting with the U15 campaign.

GB

tournament, then again at Terrington, losing in the shield finals. The season ended at Rosslyn Park Sevens when we went out second in the group stages.

We had a great season and that’s all thanks to Mr Spruyt. Hopefully we can build on our progress and continue to get even better.

Kobby Fofie

Henry Kay came late into the season but made excellent effort and progress.

It has been an all-round contribution to the team this year with special mentions to all other team members. Scorewise it has been mixed; however, the team have shown great determination and came out with a win in the end! Well done lads!

Player of the Season: Sam Cooper Most Improved Player: Brad Riley Sam Cooper

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MICHAELMAS SPORT

RUGBY U12A XV An incredibly successful season for this talented group of young players.

This success was most definitely built on the foundation of a superbly wellorganised prep school team who came up together. They have been ably assisted by some strong new additions, particularly Cheney, who has had a great impact on the centres, and Raper, a hard-running and uncompromising forward.

There is no denying, however, that the bulk of our early success came from deliberate, strong, driving play from an assertive and organised forward pack.

Concentrating on long placement and winning the space over the ball was the key here, and Hirst, Raper and Woodhead were particularly important in securing our own ball and creating targets beyond the gain line. It is probably fair to say, though, that the most impressive forward has been Stocks, not least in this support play but especially in his ability to turn ball over. This was particularly vital in our success against

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a very well-organised Hymers backline.

Tries out wide were never really easy to come by, although the backline improved greatly especially through the inside channel. Here the work of the half-backs proved vital as they distributed and ran well with equal measure. Captain Prescott was a miniman-mountain, taking forwards on no matter their size – bravery incarnate.

The notable move of Lee to full back created a real threat in the outside channel, and his one-on-one, try-saving defensive tackles won us games.

Lastly, it would be fair to mention the overall team spirit and will to win of every player, especially those not mentioned here, who contributed greatly to the team effort.

Despite coming up against some incredibly strong opposition, they were the only unbeaten team in School this year – boys or girls. This is an accomplishment which I’m sure they will never forget.

Here Tom, the vice-captain, showcases some choice moments from the season.

The first game of the season was away at Giggleswick. It was a very long way to go for our first match, but ended with a brilliant win of 45-0. It was clear that our opposition found it hard to cope with our quick runners like Green and Lee. At half time we were doing so well we put Woodhead and Stocks on the wing (it was quite a sight).

Our next match was against Bradford Grammar at home. This was a warm up for the two big matches coming up in the next couple of weeks. After the first couple of minutes it was 5-5. Then our fierce forwards started making a charge with Stocks, Hirst, Strong, Woodhead and Burley ripping them apart at the breakdown. Backs had too many dropped balls, but then Green took leadership at fly-half and scored two tries and encouraged the backs to play better.

Hymers were our next opponents. This was a big match because of the schools’ rivalry, but we were brilliant and almost unstoppable. We won 475. Hymers were tough in the first 15 minutes.

Stocks, Woodhead and Hirst added up the carries and started to change the game. Prescott, Spruyt and Cheney did well, stopping a tricky back line with good tackles. Special mention for Lee kicking 6/7 of his goals, also Langworthy for scoring his first try with nice moves.

MICHAELMAS SPORT

Perhaps one of the most memorable days was winning our own Sevens tournament, ably described here by Dan: Our first Sevens tournament was our own tournament which we last won in 2003. Stocks had just come back from a cross-country match to complete “the fierce four” which also included Raper, Woodhead and Spruyt. Prescott, Lee

U12B XV P8 / W6 / D1 / L1 Points for: 269

Points against: 52

Captains: A Whelan, H Wilkinson, W Grewer (vc) Best Player award: H Jackson Most Improved Player award: T Yeomans

and Green were literally untouchable with their kit still clean. The new boy on the scene Symes did well coming into the team. The likes of Symes, Langworthy, Winter and Griggs made a massive difference to the team. We got through the pool stages easily to make the finals. Then we played against RGS Newcastle who were going for their third win in a row. We swept them away nearly beating them by 50 points to win the tornament. In the end we scored

an amazing 200 points in five games, only conceding two tries.

A memorable season for a highly competitive squad bristling with enthusiasm and potential.

break allowed our opposition back into the game.

Undefeated at B team level, we produced a set of very convincing wins against Woodhouse Grove, Birkdale, Mount St Marys, St Olave’s, Hymers and Yarm. Our only stumbles came against Hill House’s A team in our opening game of the campaign…at the same time conceding 21 of our total 52 points against. We also lost to Bradford Grammar, where a rusty second half performance following the half-term

In a side full of talent these boys are truly ones to watch for the future; just remember we never lose, we just run out of time.

AET

As the season progressed and injuries in the A team slowly mounted, special praise should be reserved for the forwards who collectively had to raise their game and work much harder to get to the breakdown and secure more ball for the backs, who, unleashed and in full flight with ball in hand, have been a joy to watch.

TH

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MICHAELMAS SPORT

GIRLS’ HOCKEY 1st XI 2015 was a successful, busy season for a younger newly-formed 1st XI squad, with some interesting results!

Led by Jessica Pidgeon and Megan Glew, the team immediately mixed well together and team spirit was evident from the start. Some solid early performances saw us progress through the U18 National Competition to the

2nd XI P9 / W7 / D1 / L1

The breadth and depth of talent present in the squad was clear throughout the season. This made competition for places extremely tough as there was so much enthusiasm and passion displayed by all.

In all but one of the victories, against Ampleforth, we won by at least two goals; victims included Barnard Castle (4-0), Hymers (6-0), Yarm (2-0), Ashville College (6-1), Queen Margaret’s (3-0) and Hull Collegiate (5-1).

Our toughest fixtures were against

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North semi-final; eventually we lost in the final to a strong St Peter’s team in terrible weather conditions.

Highlights of the season include beating RGS from two goals down, where four weeks of shooting practice came alive and we were just pure class. Another big moment was enduring 60 minutes against Sedbergh and 47 shots to get a lucky break and beat them 1-0.

a trek to Giggleswick, a tough match after a busy week of hockey against Ampleforth and December drizzle at Hull Collegiate. All were well deserved and the team bounced back.

The girls have worked hard both individually and as a group and I would like to thank all the U6 for their support and commitment throughout the season.

Some really hard-fought draws included

CEM

Giggleswick and St Peter’s where we lost 2-1 and drew 3-3 respectively. The St Peter’s match was our final fixture, but as on every other occasion, we were determined and enthusiastic throughout and were able to pull back a 0-2 halftime score to even at 3-3 at full time; an amazing way to round off a fabulous season.

to the full game. We won four matches and drew one, which led to victory overall.

Towards the end of the Michaelmas term, to add to our wins and consolidate our position within Humberside, the 2nd VII squad travelled to Hull Collegiate to play in the Humberside VIIs Team Tournament. We played five matches and displayed great teamwork and versatility in being able to adapt to VIIs play as opposed

In summary, a very successful season.

Well done to all the girls who have been part of the squad this season; giving special mention to Georgia Brown for her infectious passion for the game, Bryony Underwood for her amazing goal scoring ability, which led us to victory on many occasions, and Lucy Duggleby for her support and commitment within the team throughout the season.

Amy Robinson and Alice Cracknell

MICHAELMAS SPORT

3rd XI Our first match was against Barnard Castle and we won 2-0. It was a challenging afternoon playing hockey on a rather slippery grass pitch.

Nevertheless, the girls played their strongest and were victorious.

Then we played Hymers, winning 2-1.

It was a very evenly contested game.

A number of players had to play out of position and adapted well, notably Ella Marshall, who was excellent as our sweeper.

We then played at home against Yarm; despite having no goalie, we still won!

A week later we played Ashville with a very mixed team, so it was challenging to adapt to how everyone played, but we managed to be unbeatable again.

After the October holidays we had a game straight away against Ampleforth; luckily we were at home and won again.

Then we had the Humberside VII’s tournament. The 2nd XI came first and we were placed fifth.

We beat St Peter’s 2-1, too – truly a fantastic season for us!

Overall Ella Marshall has played

brilliantly, having to move positions when we needed a goalie. Luckily she wasn’t alone, having Maddy Ford and Jasmine Bunn there to defend the opposition before getting to the goal. The wings also worked very well, making sure that the game stayed wide,

U15A/B XI U15B XI = P6 / W4 / D0 / L2

A very fine season for this squad of girls.

With just the one narrow defeat to RGS Newcastle, we can look back on a season of high achievement. There is still much work to cover but with a strong work ethic and determination the group can look forward with confidence.

The U15B girls should be congratulated on their excellent play throughout the season.

thanks to Isabel Kaye and Cerys Rees, new to Pocklington this year.

Well done everyone!

Isabel Kaye

Thanks to hard work and team spirit, the B team achieved highly and enjoyed deserved success.

In particular, both squads have impressed with their dedication to the game. Their desire to improve their fitness, strategy and core skills has been especially pleasing. With such a strong approach, they will thrive next year.

The future of senior hockey looks bright.

Well done to all who played!

DB

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MICHAELMAS SPORT

MICHAELMAS SPORT

GIRLS’ HOCKEY U14A XI We have had a challenging hockey season, facing many tough opponents, but overall we improved throughout the year.

together, making excellent tackles which created many successful opportunities for our confident attacking players, Evie Hirst, Emma Watson, Emilia Couttie and Evie Frost to push forward and score goals.

Star performances from our goal keeper Harriet Streicher saved us from more difficult situations. Strong central play from Ruby Stainforth, Tilly Rennison and Poppy Shepherd held the team

Some of our toughest matches against Hymers and RGS Newcastle brought out the best in our defence: Amie Mason, Anna Wedge, Grace Atkinson, Jess Stocks and Ellie Harrison. They all

U14B XI We have had a great season of hockey; however, we didn’t have as many matches as we would have liked due to bad weather.

Hannah East has done exceptionally well as our goal-keeper, saving many goals. Notable performances this year have come from Molly Parker, Emma Davison and Freya Stewart up front and Hannah Douglas and Ellie-Mae Rooke in defence.

We have had many B team arrivals including Xylia Milsom and Lucy Major.

Daisy Young, Katie Williams, Rhianna Bunn, Frances Beedham and Ini

U13A/B XI

for her constant energy and skill in every game.

U13A XI = P12 / W9 / D1 / L2 U13B XI = P10 / W9 / D0 / L1

All nine girls within the A team have played exceptionally. They have worked as a team and have produced some lovely play.

A special mention must go to the team’s selflessness in front of goal. They are happy to pass the ball to a team member to ensure the goal than try to claim the goal themselves.

An improvement has been seen from all of them, especially Lily Walster and Emma Sweeting. A little bit yet to work on but they’re close to being the best team in the school!!

played superbly well and worked hard to get the ball up to our attacking D. Overall we have really enjoyed this hockey season, and would like to give our thanks to Miss Cheadle for great management and coaching of our team.

Thanks for a great season girls, well played!

Emilia Couttie

Risso-Gill have been great B team players and have made the big step into playing some matches for the As. We are very happy with the B team performance, winning most of our matches. We hope to improve even more next year.

Emma Davison and Molly Parker

The B team has been filled with many very good players. To look at them you would think they were the A team themselves!

They have shown a big improvement as the term has progressed, showing some great team work. They have achieved some great results to show this.

In particular, it has been pleasing to see their fitness levels and core skills progress so positively. Both aspects will help them next year and mean that the future is bright for Pock hockey!

Girl of the season goes to Millie Addinall.

Girl of the season goes to Izzy Prescott

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MICHAELMAS SPORT

GIRLS’ HOCKEY U12A XI This has been a very rewarding season for the U12 girls, both in terms of their development as individual players but, even more impressively, as a team.

As the season progressed so did their confidence.

Between the posts, goalkeeper Hannah Hornshaw has been quick to react and courageous. And she likes a chat. In defence, team captain Amy Jordan and Evie Taggart always made it tough for the opposition and they have become dynamic distributors

U12B XI P8 / W7 / D0 / L1

Almost a perfect season! I have had the pleasure of working with a wonderful group of girls who have made so much progress with their hockey and grinded out some superb results.

It was exciting to see Charlotte Groombridge and Eleanor Broadbent

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of the ball from their own half.

Georgia Byas’s work rate in midfield has been exemplary – the engine of the team. Emma Mackay is becoming an outstanding right winger; pace, skill and, when she is not creating chances for others, she has shown herself to be capable of finishing chances off with composure – no wonder she has been selected to play for Yorkshire! Well done Emma.

and Charlotte Groombridge have put opponents under pressure and have accrued some excellent goals between them over the course of the term.

All in all, the girls should be commended for their total commitment in practices and in matches – all of which bodes very well for the future. It has been great fun and winning a tough final game against Hull Collegiate 3-1 was a fitting way to end a great season.

Emily Waldron and Eleanor Broadbent have been very effective on the left and Eleanor has proven her ability to play in a variety of roles. Up front, Lucy Brown

Well done girls.

push on up to the A team once they had made their mark with us. Ava Laverack captained a successful team that produced many victories against some quality teams.

the season and a few goals from Teal Woodhall and Jessica McDowell ensured we marched on.

Powerful defensive work from Ailani Frost and Ruby Remblance gave the team strength at the back and Alice Howie with Emily Waldron were effective midfield grafters. Sophia Jackson in goal developed well over

MJD

Our best performance was the second half against QM – they could not hold us back. Well done on a successful season; you have been a joy to coach.

MSW

MICHAELMAS SPORT

I’ve been in the school NSEA since it started in October 2014 and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. My highlights include going to the Bury Farm Championships in April 2015 as it was our first big championships as a team.

Compared to many schools we only have a small number of riders and with that in mind, we always do great as a team. (Poppy Shepherd)

EQUESTRIANISM NSEA CHAMPIONSHIPS OCTOBER 2015

On the first weekend of half-term the Equestrian Team competed in the NSEA Championships at Addington in Buckinghamshire. On arrival the scale of the competition soon became evident as masses of horseboxes and trailers filled acres of land as did the temporary stabling.

We knew at this point that the competition would be strong; however, the team were undaunted and did amazingly well over the course of the weekend.

In the 70/75cm show jumping class, Hattie Thompson, Holly Thompson, Tinky Crossley and Miki Crossley secured three clear rounds between them, finishing in 10th place out of 35 teams. A good result for the first outing!

On the Sunday we were the first school to jump in the 80/85cm class at 7am – a rather rude awakening for both I adore the Christmas show jumping, every year. It is such good fun: everyone is full of Christmas spirit, and we come home with lots of rosettes every time! When we are not riding we are supporting each other, hoping for the other Pocklington teams to win! (Amie Mason)

horse and rider! Going first is extremely difficult; we were unsure whether to aim for clear rounds or to cut corners and take risks with the likelihood of having fences down. Hattie, Holly, Mimi Jackson and Poppy Shepherd aimed for clears and set the benchmark high for the rest of the field – with three clear rounds and good times we were proving quite difficult to beat. It wasn’t until quite late in the day that we finally dropped out of contention for the ribbons, finishing 11th out of 43 schools.

I enjoy being in the Equestrian Team because it’s fun and you get to mix with different year groups. (Hattie Thompson) As well as show jumping, we also had a dressage team competing. The team all executed their tests well: Thomas Robertson and Poppy Shepherd competed in the Novice Class and Tilly Rumgay and Mimi Jackson in the Preliminary Class. Mimi’s test was extremely graceful and accurate, scoring 73.47%, achieving 2nd place out of 58 riders. This really was a fantastic achievement.

The Equestrian Team is still evolving and therefore to be competing at National Level so soon is quite an accomplishment.

The team have acquired several new or young horses

since the start and so as time progresses we hope that the partnerships between horse and rider will develop and that we will go from strength to strength!

A big thank you must go to all the parents involved, without whose continued support we would not exist.

CLB I really enjoy the equestrian team – I feel that it has improved my riding as the equestrian events are of a very high standard. The highlight of the year has to be getting to the County and National Championships! (Holly Thompson)

AMERICA TRIP TO

NYC + PHILADELPHIA + BOSTON + WASHINGTON D.C.

The ‘Big Trip’ was built around ‘Tea Parties and Superpowers’, charting the rise of America from its revolutionary beginnings to the global power it is today. We began by following the ‘Freedom Trail’ - a tour taking in the stories and sites relating to the War of Independence. We moved on to the city that never sleeps but always assaults your senses: New York. Visits included the Empire State building, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, USS Intrepid, Times Square and ‘Matilda’ on Broadway!

It was a pleasure to travel to the more relaxing destination of Philadelphia. In ‘Philly’ we studied the story of independence and the decisions that the Founding Fathers took in order to achieve and then implement it.

We spent our final days in the department’s second home: Washington D.C. Time was spent exploring the Smithsonian Museums, taking in the history behind many memorials and sites, gazing at the White House and the Washington Monument, soaking in the sheer power of the place.

On the final night we went to a basketball game, where the history teachers appeared on the stadium big screen carrying out some of the worst ‘Dad-dancing’ you have ever seen...

GJH The first day was spent at the famous Quincy Market, a favourite among the boys. The tastes of the world were all available in one place, so we got pizza...

The second day was spent seeing fifteen sights of historical Boston, like Benjamin Franklin Statue, Boston Massacre site, and of course, Paul Revere’s house. The students’ favourite father-of-sixteen led to many discussions about his influence on the town and how well they had preserved the heritage of his house. The evening contained a basketball match which saw Mr Hughes show some potential talent for a career in the game.

Washington D.C. started with a walk around seeing the memorial sights of Lincoln, Vietnam, WW2, Korea, MLK, FDR and Jefferson. The chance for a quick stop in some of the world-renowned Smithsonian museums was taken up quickly, each group spreading out to see museums like the Museum of National History, or the National Air and Space Museum. In the evening it was off to see the White House. It was strange to 44

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see something everyone had seen on TV so many times before, now just three armed security teams away…

The next morning the Pentagon was our destination and off we went to the most secure building we had ever entered.

Multiple security checks took place before we met our guide (who walked backwards for the whole presentation).

The inside looks like half a shopping centre and half a military area, but that’s mainly because our security passes didn’t give us the clearance to see whatever was hidden behind closed doors! After a trip to see a real piece of the original Constitution, we ventured further to the National Gallery of Art and the Holocaust Museum.

After a quick pit stop, it was back out to see the local college team, known as the Washington Georgetown at the Verizon Centre. A few Yorkshire chants later the team lost, but it was a great opportunity to see some sport we wouldn’t normally see back home.

The last part of Washington happened the next day with a tour of Congress, seeing the site that has made some of America’s biggest decisions in their history.

Harry Isenstein When I think now about the top of the Empire State Building, three things stand out.

First: for the duration of the trip, the weather was often surprisingly warm. On some days, it was more than just warm – stifling would be a better word. Picture fifty teenagers dressing for the Alps and finding themselves in the Sahara...

Wool hats were stuffed in pockets, jackets tied about waists, water-bottles purchased by the litre. Not so atop this tower.

Secondly, the quietness of it all. Not the environment, no, the wind roared and howled and bothered us with a vengeance.

It was the people. Picture fifty teenagers, crammed into a bus, or a restaurant, or walking the broad sidewalks of American cities, and now imagine how we passed the time. If there’s one thing we can do, it is chat. But not here. Staring out across the night-time skyline of New York, the great stalagmites of steel and Technicolor, the toy cars rolling across the grids that spread out below like a map, the distant horizon, so far away that it looked less like city and more like a black cloth with a

TRIP TO AMERICA

thousand pinpricks of light shining through, one could only stand and stare slack-jawed.

Finally, and this is the most personal: the contradiction. Standing on that ridiculous, impossible building and staring out instilled in me a sense of both how absolutely, insignificantly tiny I was, am, and shall be, as with all of us‌ Yet, in the same instant, I was thrown into awe of such magnificent power. It was surreal, and inspiring.

Perhaps the others who stood on that tower with me will read this and laugh at these absurd, grandiose feelings. But whether it reflects reality or not, this was my America: huge and weird and hot and cold and scary and inspiring, with kind people and great friends and pretty buildings and delicious food.

Got some great selfies, too.

Elliot Burr

MICHAELMAS DRAMA

House Drama This, the second House Drama competition this calendar year, was a bit downsized this time: just three weeks to prepare the pieces, from auditions to performances, and one night to perform rather than the usual two.

These changes meant that the pressure was on for the Sixth Form teams and their assembled casts to deliver one complete and satisfying twenty-minute show each, with very little room for mistakes. Suffice to say that they rose to the occasion admirably, and every House succeeded in giving a great performance.

The theme was ‘Screen to Stage’, turning famous films into shortened stage productions. First on was Wilberforce’s The Wizard of Oz. I was backstage throughout the whole thing, organising (and frequently shushing)

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Munchkins. During those twenty minutes I think I heard more quiet sighs of relief than in the rest of my life every time something that had been uncertain in rehearsals worked out as we’d hoped it would, thanks largely to the direction of Amy Crowther, Tom Baarda, and Charlotte Hunter.

Tom Baarda, Daniel Johns, Thomas Robertson, Jasmine Thompson, Lucy Maycock and Ruby Stainforth all turned in excellent performances as The Scarecrow, The Cowardly Lion, The Tin Man, The Wicked Witch of the West, Glinda the Good Witch, and Dorothy respectively, accompanied by atmospheric live harp music played

by Cerys Rees. Sadly (pardon my slight bias) there were no victories to be had for Wilberforce here, but it’s not the winning that counts, it’s the taking part.

Winning is nice too, though...

Next on stage was Dolman with their interpretation of Robin Hood, based on the 1973 Disney classic. Dolman provided an old story with a modern aesthetic, while keeping the comedy of the original film, and climaxing in a well-choreographed fight with many actors on stage. Credit especially must go to Will Coats and Elliot Groves for their skilled and often hilarious performances as Prince John and Robin Hood himself. Again, no accolades for Dolman but the applause of the audience – however, it was a quality and entertaining performance for which they deserve recognition.

I’ll save the winners for last, so now, Hutton, with a faithful adaptation of Tim Burton’s gothic Edward Scissorhands.

The piece starred Georgia Brown as Kim Boggs, Bekki Mann as Peg

MICHAELMAS DRAMA

Boggs, and Hallam Dytham as Edward Scissorhands in what was certainly the best costume of the night, all dark coat, spiked hair and cardboard-steel fingers. All three provided impressive performances – I recall tears in the audience as Edward was forced to say farewell to Kim. My personal highlight was the scene in which Edward is shown carving out an ice sculpture with his sharpened appendages, accomplished with the clever use of a screen and a projector to display silhouetted figures and a swelling soundtrack borrowed straight from the film itself, just to hammer in the emotion.

Before Hutton, though, came Gruggen.

I won’t gush too much because the

trophies speak for themselves – I’ll simply say that their performance of Bugsy Malone was well-directed by George Jibson and Sofia Risso-Gill, showed a good use of space by the ensemble, featured great American accents from the whole cast, was well-acted by all involved, was a very entertaining watch, and in the end proved a worthy opponent (“Though Wilberforce should still definitely have won,” protests my inner Wilber-lover).

Special mention to Samuel Hird as Fat Sam and James Harrison as the titular Bugsy, who showed great onstage chemistry and were awarded the joint Prize for Best Actor by our judge for the night, actor, and occasional assistant teacher in the Drama Department,

Jules Finnigan, who also announced Gruggen’s overall victory.

As ever, every House owes a thank you to the theatre’s costume designer Mrs White and the theatre’s mastermind, Mr Ryan, not to mention his team of technical assistants. Without them, none of this would be possible. As ever, the costumes and the lighting were exceptional, providing the icing on the cake of House Drama 2015.

Well done, Gruggen! (We’ll get you next time...)

Elliot Burr

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ART

2

1

5

3

4

6 7

8

9

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1. Sophie Hamilton (U6) 2. Angela Watson (L6) 3. Angela Watson (L6)

4. Dan Brown (U6) 5. Isobel Langworthy (U6) 6. Dan Brown (U6)

7. Katie Wagstaff (U6) 8. Billie Cheney (L6) 9. Angela Watson (L6)

ART

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

10. Billie Cheney (L6) 11. Georgie Fenny (U6) 12. Georgie Fenny (U6)

17

13. Katie Wagstaff (U6) 14. Billie Cheney (L6) 15. Sophie Hamilton (U6)

16. Isobel Langworthy (U6) 17. Sophie Hamilton (U6)

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BOYS’ HOCKEY 1st XI P11 / W4 / D0 / L7

Although the squad have shown tremendous attitude throughout the term, we struggled to find the back of the net in our first two games, which unfortunately turned out to be the story of our season. We suffered a 1-0 loss to an Ashville side who we completely outplayed: we wasted chance after chance and our opponents were clinical enough to score with one of their few attacks of the game.

We were still able to produce some

2nd XI P9 / W4 / D0 / L5

Our statistics do not do full justice to the season. This side has been one of the best for a number of years, playing a strong standard of hockey in an attractive style. The numbers hide the fact that four of the five games we lost were by a single goal.

U15 XI P10 / W6/ D0 / L4

We used 21 players throughout the campaign and many of these will step up to senior hockey next year.

In the Yorkshire Schools tournament, we drew against Silcoates and Ashville but were defeated by Hall Cross and QEGs.

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excellent performances which had the correct results to go with them. An early season 4-0 victory over Hymers was my personal highlight of the term.

We also looked likely finish the season strongly, winning three out of our final four games against St Peter’s 5-2, Scarborough 5-0 and the OPs 5-3.

Unfortunately, our final game against the Staff was undoubtedly our worst team performance of the term. We looked tired mentally and physically, which was reflected in the 5-1 scoreline.

I would like to give mention to Ed Wightman, who I think has been fantastic during the whole season. His consistent One of boys’ assets was their competitive spirit, their ‘never say die’ attitude.

This was underlined in the win against Ampleforth, coming from a goal down on two occasions to win in the final minutes.

Special mention to the engine of the team and hockey stalwart, Will Bulmer, who rounded off his school hockey career with a goal against St Peter’s.

performances throughout the term have been immense and he has been a warrior in defence. But the whole squad has been excellent under the management of Ben Byas, who deserves a special word of thanks for all the energy he has put into our team throughout the season.

It has been a thoroughly exciting term for myself and the boys, and I would like to wish Mr Horne and next year’s captain Will Blackburn all the best for next season.

Joe Dyrdal

We should also give thanks to Mr Donaldson, who stepped in and umpired fixtures for the majority of the season while I recovered from a freak table-tennis injury…

Well done to all the boys – it has been a pleasure working with you.

MJD

The highlight of the season was against Yarm, where we may have lost 1-0 but were up against a very strong team. We managed to restrict them to just one goal and had numerous chances on their defensive line.

We were also clinical up front, scoring over five goals in many games, driven forward by Sam Noble and Henry Palmer. This attack was supported by Hamish Broadbent and Will McMullen, working well in midfield.

Throughout the season, we have benefitted from a very strong defence, ably led by Dan Isenstein. Charlie Laudage and Ankit Thapa were also instrumental in our excellent defensive record.

Overall, this was a successful season.

Well done boys!

Hamish Broadbent

LENT SPORT

U14 XI P10 / W2 / D1 / L7

A short, punchy season got off to a slow start as we contested with heavy rain and House Music rehearsals for quality time together on the astro. Coming off the back of a largely successful campaign at U13 level, we of course had to step up and convert our game to 11-a-side and full pitch. This is no mean feat, on account of the tactical differences, pace and increased physical demands of the game.

U13 XI P14 / W2 / D3 / L9

A progressive crusade from a group of boys with a great appetite for the game.

Wins were few and far between over the first half of the campaign, as the side struggled to keep the ball out of their own net on account of weak possession play and tracking in defence. As our season developed, the losing margins began to improve along with the

Perhaps resting on our laurels somewhat, and having lost a couple of key A team players to Sevens, our first few encounters were largely experimental and provided clear evidence of the work and mentality that would be required to become a more consistent and competitive outfit.

In a way it was back to the drawing board, but with greater application during training sessions and a solid sparring partner in the form of the 15As, it was simply a matter of when our first win would come. It did, in the form of a convincing 4-2 win against

confidence, organisation and belief we had in our defence and our own game going forward.

The turning point in the season came during our home tournament, as we learnt the importance of work-rate and controlled aggression as we scrapped for every ball during a superb game, ending 1-1 against a particularly well-drilled team from St Olave’s. In effect this was the springboard and positive result we needed to boost our season and reaffirm

Hymers, and again the following weekend against Yarm.

Foiled by the half term break, we lost our winning momentum and confidence, but things picked up in time for the end of the season as the boys rescued a well earned 1-1 draw against St Peter’s.

At face value, this might be taken as disappointing, but in fact, after losing 3-1 to the same team at the very start of the season, it was testament to the spirit and character of this group of players.

TH

our efforts during practices and training.

The highlight of the season came during the U13 Yorkshire schoolboys’ tournament at Leeds as the A team and B team combined to play 11-a-side vs Hymers College, eventually grinding out a contentious 1-0 win, which more than made up for the 6-2 defeat we suffered to the same opposition earlier during the term.

TH

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BOYS’ HOCKEY U12 XI P11 / W4 / D1 / L6

Overall, we had a good season for a team who had never really played before. We had some good results and never gave up even when we were down on the scoreboard. We held our own against some strong opposition.

We were always able to score because

we had a very good mindset. This was backed up by a very good defence, including some great defensive work which helped us to win matches.

Victories against St Olave’s, Hymers and Ampleforth were real highlights.

Yeomans and Duncan were strong in defence; Hirst, Caley and Rawson provided energy in all areas of the pitch. Outstanding performance in goal from Dyson and tireless work from

Grewer and Cooper meant that the boys competed strongly with all teams we met.

Sometimes we let leads slip which showed some lack of experience. But when we let a lead slip we would always try to get it back, showing a very good team spirit.

Devlin Hunt

NETBALL 1st VII It has been a great season for the girls. We’ve continuously shown good rapport with one another, being pushed to our limits by both coaches, especially

by Miss Duncan who put us through our paces in our weekly fitness regime.

With the varied results this season, we could always rely on Sophie McCracken and Angela Watson to create goals, aided with some excellent skill from outside the D. A special mention to Angela Curtis who developed this aspect really well!

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Mid-court excelled in driving the ball towards the nets, and even though it might have been frantic at times, we maintained structure as we put our set play into action. We could always rely on Sofia Risso-Gill, who received the Players’ Player award, to create space on the court, taking on board Miss Duncan’s advice. This worked well alongside Libby Rhodes, Bekki Mann and Adelle Kama, our captain, who led the team well in every game, enforcing positivity even if the score wasn’t in our favour.

channelled her power and skill, creating an unbreakable defence with the help of Bryony Underwood and Charlotte Hunter who especially brought passion for the sport.

Diane Watson, one of the most influential members of the team,

Adelle Kama

The highlight of the season was winning an intense match in the notorious Ashville College fixture, with a welldeserved 28-29. All the girls played exceptionally well. On behalf of the whole team, we would like to thank both Mrs Walker and Miss Duncan for an unforgettable season.

LENT SPORT

2nd VII What a season it has been for the 2nd VII! Throughout this term we have had mixed scores, playing Ashville, St Peter’s and Hymers with energy and commitment. The girls put up a fight no matter what the result. Our team talks were inspirational and motivational which was key when tackling tough opposition. The constant high morale increased the girls’ intensity on court which heightened game pace and most certainly our fitness levels!

the teamwork across the court was extremely effective. From defence to attack, the positivity never died.

We have a very successful team with the U6 players making a huge impact.

They will be missed greatly! All in all,

We gained new 5th years who soon slotted into the team and played well – thanks to Emma Langworthy and Iona Kaye. There was great team work between centre court players Georgia Brown, Marianna Hankin and Emily Boddy. Our shooters, Lucy Eggleston and Annabel Stewart, worked excellently together throughout and scored some amazing goals. The defensive team, made up of Nicole Marshall and Thea Davies, worked hard and never gave up without a fight.

Ella Marshall and Hannah Brice were always there when needed to slot in

3rd VII

and got into space we could secure well-deserved wins.

We have gone from strength to strength this season. Our determination was apparent in all the matches we played, even when facing tough opponents such as St Peter’s and Hymers.

We had some decisive wins against good teams, including Yarm and Hull Collegiate, which only confirmed that when we worked together as a team

and played very well no matter what position they were placed in.

A special mention should go to our team motivators/cheerleaders, Georgia Brown and Emily Boddy, who kept everyone’s spirits up when the score was not going our way. Many thanks to Miss Duncan for providing our netball sessions with great intensity: it shows that hard work does pay off! Thanks also to Mrs Walker who has been a great coach and made the season very enjoyable.

Thea Davies and Georgia Brown

There was some excellent shooting from Alice Cracknell and Annabel Stewart throughout the whole season, along with great centre ball control from Jessie Bell and solid defence from Jasmine Bunn and Maddie Ford.

Well done everyone!

Hannah Brice

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LENT SPORT

NETBALL U15 VII The U15 A and B teams have had a very strong season of netball and they have often displayed some impressive play.

In particular, the girls’ fitness improved dramatically due to determined strength and conditioning training. This improvement allowed us to maintain our performance throughout the whole game.

Both teams were very cohesive and each worked efficiently on the court.

The attacking players of the teams secured many goals for the squad, increasing our

chances of a win. Meanwhile the defence created great resistance for the opposing team to challenge.

In most of the matches the score did not reflect the play which was disappointing for the girls. Despite not winning the majority of matches this term, the team shows very promising potential for next season.

Big thanks to Miss Duncan for helping the squad progress so much and being a great coach.

Emma Farnsworth

U14A VII

U14B VII

U14C VII

This has been a challenging season against tough, experienced teams.

Thanks to the resilience and hard work of the girls we have had some close, well-played matches and although the score didn’t always match the run of the game, the team enjoyed every match.

This has been an excellent season from the team; we have played some tough opposition and progressed well. With fabulous shooting from Grace Atkinson, Ini Risso-Gill and Frances Beedham along with fantastic defending from Rhianna Bunn, we have won most of our matches, with only a few losses.

The C team have had a few fixtures this term, playing with determination and excellent team spirit. So many girls deserve a mention; however, player of the season goes to Freya Stewart and most improved player goes to Maria Perez Sanchez.

A convincing win against Hull Collegiate boosted our confidence, and the game of the season was against Ashville, where we performed really well and played our best.

Most improved player goes to Ruby Stainforth who played excellently in the match against Hull Collegiate, and player of the season goes to Evie Hirst, who has consistently defended well.

Also thanks to Evie Frost who joined the team at the end of the term and played really well.

Thank you Miss Cheadle, we have all really enjoyed ourselves this season!

Emilia Couttie

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Player of the season goes to Ini RissoGill for her amazing shooting and skill. Most improved player has to go to Anna Wedge as her defending and overall play is outstanding. Well done girls – great season!

I would like to give my thanks to all of the girls for their dedication and team spirit throughout the season; it has been a privilege to work with you all. Particular thanks to Emilia Couttie for leading the squad from the front all term. Very well done and thank you.

Hannah East

SJC

LENT SPORT

U13A/B VII The A team began strongly, with all the girls enthusiastic and ready to play.

Against Hymers we lost but in the next match, away at Bootham, we bounced straight back.

The next couple of games were secured with wins and growing confidence in all positions. The attitude has been brilliant throughout the season – well done to everyone!

Against Bootham, a big first win set the B team’s season going in the right

direction. While subsequent results did not always go our way, the girls’ attitude and effort have been excellent throughout.

In particular, the shooters have improved so much already that they are raring to go for next year! Everyone has been a pleasure to work with, taking advice and learning fast.

Well done to all who played. The future is definitely bright for Pocklington netball and I wish you all well for next year’s play.

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LENT SPORT

NETBALL U12A VII

U12B VII

This has been a short, sharp learning curve for our newly-formed U12 squad.

Different players captained the side each week, showing versatility, appetite and grit.

P7 / W5 / D0 / L2

After a tricky first match against Hymers, the girls learnt to toughen up and started to gel after only a few more practices.

Highlights included an excellent afternoon versus Hull Collegiate and a victory away to Silcoates. We also came 3rd in our own tournament, demonstrating some excellent passing play. We very nearly won against St Olave’s on their home courts – just letting the game go in the third quarter.

This term has motivated everyone to work and train harder. Onwards and upwards next season!

CEM

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A superb first season for many girls, for whom this was their opening taste of the sport.

Some lovely victories came from great attacking play and positive shooting from Charlie Groombridge and Teal Woodall. I must mention the work of Emma Rumgay and Emily Waldron in mid-court, as well as the defensive efforts of Louisa Smith and Alice Howie.

Thanks to a solid winning streak, spirits remained high and this competitive edge allowed the girls to drive on and enjoy their netball. There is plenty of potential here for coming years.

Well done everyone!

MSW

LENT SPORT

CROSS COUNTRY For the fourth consecutive year the Pocklington U13 Girls were victorious at the Annual Terrington Cross Country event.

The team of Emma Sweeting, Tabitha Medforth, Isabelle Prescott, Grace Beckett, Victoria Mowforth, Emily Waldron, Alice Howie and Lucy Wedge saw off stiff competition and heavy conditions to become outright winners.

Isabella Prescott, Tabitha Medforth and Victoria Mowforth were 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively, with Emma Sweeting coming a creditable 5th. This was a great team effort to support the previous three years.

The boys’ team ran a strong race although it was not enough to win. An excellent run from Harry Lee saw him come 3rd behind two Ryedale boys; there were also strong performances from Harry Jones, Harry Scutt and Henry Kay. On 7 February, 15 runners represented East Riding in the Humberside Schools’ Championships. The conditions were terrible, with continual rain and heavy conditions under foot making racing extremely difficult.

Overall, there were some excellent performances, with three of our runners

gaining selection for the English Schools’ Championships: Georgia Rothwell, who won her race in convincing style; Oliver Cockerill, who ran a hard race through the mud to finish 3rd and Evie Hirst, who came 6th after a final spurt in the last leg of the race. Miki Crossley was 10th, securing a reserve position in the team.

A big well done also to Emily Waldron, Lucy Brown, Isabelle Prescott, Katie Williams, Taggy Medforth, Emma Sweeting, Neola Thorpe, Tinky Crossley, Sophie Sweeting, Tom Stocks and Harvey Wilkinson for braving the conditions and giving it their all!

In the East Riding Championships, Georgia Rothwell and Oliver Cockerill won their individual races and were crowned East Riding Champions.

The 2nd and 3rd year girls’ team also won their event and the Intermediate girls’ team came second. Other good performances came from Evie Hirst (4th), Isabelle Prescott (5th), Taggy Medforth (9th), Harry Lee (7th) and Tom Stocks (8th) in their respective races.

Well done to all runners this year!

CLB

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LENT MUSIC

HOUSE MUSIC The quality of music produced on the first night was arguably the best we have seen in years, with all houses producing some wonderful performances, and the second evening reached even greater heights. Participation this year has reached record levels, with over 55% of the school involved, and the leadership shown was a credit to the senior pupils.

Wilberforce began with a spine-tingling performance of Circle of Life – a capella, with just a cheeky monkey playing djembe as accompaniment! The vocal textures were outstanding and set the standard for the evening. Hutton presented two arrangements, the most impressive being the ‘mash up’ of Stand

by Me/Beautiful Girls held together by a strong bass line. Gruggen also sang two songs, Adiemus and the confidently sung White Winter Hymnal where voices

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blended in beautiful harmony. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the evening was Dolman’s juxtaposition of the up-beat Man in the Mirror with Radiohead’s Creep.

The arrangement created of the latter was stunningly powerful, exploiting solo voices, countermelodies and harmonies emerging from nowhere. Impressive for all the houses was the skill shown by the conductors; something which paid dividends in creating a tight sense of ensemble – well done!

On instrumentals, Dolman went for a guitar-influenced Radioactive, played precisely with real attention to detail.

Gruggen performed an arrangement of Skyfall with trumpeter Ben Burton being singled out by the adjudicators for the quality of his playing. Hutton had a ragtime band playing The Entertainer including ukulele and mime act, whilst

Wilberforce exploited their talents with a swing classic and the traditional song Hava Nagila, featuring four violins.

Never before has the Director of Music been so pleased with the choice of material for finale, as songs were chosen in keys which were suited to young voices. Hutton chose to use a backing track for the first time and their singing and choreography was tight and exciting. Wilberforce sang Spice up your Life, with five Spice Girl lookalikes among the 85 performers!

Dolman revived the ABBA classic Waterloo, again with an excellent band and choreography, whilst Gruggen performed Walking on Sunshine; full of energy and with tremendous singing.

The award for the best individual item over the two nights was given to Dolman for their choral performance of Creep, but after careful and lengthy deliberation, the overall trophy was awarded to Wilberforce; a popular decision.

MK

WILBERFORCE Our House Music started with a choral piece from ‘The Lion King’ called The Circle of Life. Our choral piece was run skilfully by Amy Crowther who also sang the lead voice in this piece. This piece also featured another soloist, Marianna Hankin, whose strong voice helped to carry the melody above the rest of the choir.

The next piece in our performance was It don’t mean a thing, if it ain’t got that swing which was performed by Jazz ensemble led by Alice Watkins. This piece featured a number of instrumental soloists who helped bring their own styles to the piece.

The third piece in our performance was Hava Nagila which was performed by our top violinists, all of whom played exceptionally well.

Soloists’ Concert

The Soloists’ Concert is always an enjoyable event as it allows pupils of varying experience a chance to perform to an appreciative audience, and this year’s event was no exception.

The first half featured many of our younger performers, though their confidence belied their lack of experience. Particular strengths were three First Year singers: Alexis Jagger, Ava Laverack and Olivia CartwrightTaylor, who all performed ‘off copy’ and with tremendous musicality. Isaac Bousfield was outstanding on trombone, playing the first movement of the David Concerto, whilst the audience were treated to a very unusual, but technically brilliant A minute of news by Archie Kneeshaw on snare drum; never have I heard a snare drum sound so musical!

The performances were brought to a thrilling conclusion by the technically accomplished cornet playing of Seb Williman in the show-piece Pandora.

In the second half, more experienced soloists took to the floor in a variety of styles. Harry Kneeshaw began with the brilliant Hejne Kati, and there was a beautiful rendition of Malcolm Arnold’s Scherzetto by Beth Noble. A first for these concerts was Cerys Rees’s harp performance of Watching the Wheat; beautifully played and a treat for the

Our Finale this year was Spice Up Your Life, run by the U6. This piece was great fun in rehearsals and we managed to include a large amount of students from all years to take part. Everyone who participated had great fun, so thank you to all of the U6 who put in the time to let us all have this great experience!

Dan Johns

audience to see her mastery of the harp. The concert was brought to an end by four members of the U6 performing for a final time at school; how fortunate we have been to have the support of such talented students over the past seven years.

MK

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WINTER CONCERT

A superb gathering of the school’s best musical talent lit up the November darkness this year. We were fortunate to hear from a range of performers and enjoy a spectrum of styles, from brass to voice and strings.

Thank you to all who participated in this traditional musical curtain-raiser, which set the bar high for 2016!

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LENT MUSIC

JUNIOR CHOIR This year junior choir has been great fun. We have learnt many great songs and participated in the Summer and Winter Concerts.

At the Summer Concert we sang Consider Yourself and I’d Do Anything from ‘Oliver Twist’. We also had six solos which went to Anna Robinson, Katie Phelps, Teal Woodall, Lucy Wedge, Manon Cesbron Darnaud and Alexis Jagger.

Singing Tears in Heaven was the one piece which we enjoyed the most.

The rest of the choir consisted of Victoria Mowforth, Ella Donohue-Day, Thomas Connolly, Grace Gallen, Fiona Tilsed, Zaira Gurung, Tilly Rumgay and Coco Yang.

CHAMBER CHOIR It’s been another busy year for the Chamber Choir with a wave of new members and new pieces.

Our first appearance was at the Winter Concert when we performed three new songs – Vois sur ton Chemin from Les Choristes, Tomorrow shall be my Dancing Day and my personal favourite, Elgar’s Ave Verum Corpus. The first two songs were full of energy which gave a nice contrast to the peaceful, serene Elgar.

In the Lent term there was no Spring Concert because of the Musical Theatre

We have thoroughly enjoyed choir this year and we would like to thank Mrs Kneeshaw.

Ella Donohue-Day and Victoria Mowforth

Society’s ‘Little Shop of Horrors’; instead we prepared for Commem – where we performed Thus by Man came Death from Handel’s Messiah.

This was a wonderfully powerful piece – perfect for the setting and for the tone of the service.

We also felt very privileged to be asked to make a recording for OP Chris Iyer’s film score. This was a challenge as it required us to co-ordinate our breathing to create a seamless effect of a continuous sound.

Recently we have been preparing for the Summer Concert which was held

on Independence Day, inspired by an American theme.

We performed Wayfaring Stranger, Shenandoah, and Deep River, an arrangement of a spiritual piece by Tippet.

I was lucky enough to be one of the soloists in the quartet in Deep River, along with Alice Cracknell, Marianna Hankin and Tom Baarda. This piece created a powerful but chilling mood – with its empowering music juxtaposed with the terrible topic of slavery.

Sam Hird

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LENT MUSIC

CONCERT BAND Concert Band has continued to perform to high standards over the year and it has been pleasing to see a good number of new faces swelling the ranks. We have played some difficult pieces from the band library: pieces that have been sitting in the folders for years, tried out every so often, but never rehearsed up to concert standard… until now!

BRASS ENSEMBLE This year has seen the Brass Ensemble experimenting with some harder pieces during rehearsal time. We were able to perform to a high standard in the Winter Concert with some ‘proper’ brass music from the 17th century, Matthew Locke’s Musicke for His Majesty’s Sackbuts

SWING BAND We started our performance schedule in November with an appearance at the Winter Concert, playing several of our favourite swing classics, including Big

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The Winter Concert saw us rise to the challenges of Malcolm Arnold’s The Padstow Lifeboat, conducted by Tom Baarda. It’s fairly innocuous to start with: a rum-ty-tum-ty bouncy tune interrupted by instruments playing blasts of the Padstow lighthouse’s foghorn! The middle section, however, is a representation of a sea storm and is much harder: lots of fast chromatic scales, glissandos and more foghorn. Seb Williman also led us through Brubaker’s

Christmas Magic, providing an appropriate medley of tunes to hum along to with December fast approaching.

and Cornetts. This suite was repopularised by the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble and we did our best to emulate them, focusing on the lively syncopation of the dance rhythms with added ornaments and decoration on the repeats.

in the 5th and 6th forms. So, for our concert piece, we decided to go for quality rather than difficulty by playing Colin Cowles’s Swingin’ U.S.A. Style, a collection of American tunes in a lively and catchy arrangement, most suitable for a concert on the 4th of July!

During the Summer Term it proved more difficult to get together regularly with the majority of our players now

Noise from Winnetka and Bandstand Boogie.

Our next event was in April, when we took our music out into the community, appearing at the Londesborough Concert Hall. Despite the tight squeeze up on the tiny stage both the band and

After his appearance as Harry Potter, conducting with his wand in last year’s Summer Concert, Tom Baarda directed selections from ‘Phantom of the Opera’ – the Lloyd Webber one – for this year.

A masked and caped figure appeared from the wings to conduct us in our final offering of the year…

TEWT

the audience had a great evening – we provided the music, a great opportunity to play through our full repertoire, and in return we were treated to a Hog Roast!

In July, we brought an end to the year

LENT MUSIC

with two performances in one week. We opened Party@Pock with a set which included the first performance of two new pieces featuring vocalists, including guest soloist Sam Hird singing Michael BublÊ’s Feeling Good and our very own Marianna Hankin swapping her Tenor Sax for the microphone in Big Spender.

Finally we entertained the audience at Speech Day with a range of music, a great way to round off the year.

As always, we are losing many players at the end of this year, and they will all be missed greatly. However, we are looking forward to welcoming new players to keep the band going into 2017, and especially for the tour to the continent next summer.

Tom Baarda

PARTY @ POCK In June, we all enjoyed an evening of entertainment from all sections of the school: OPs, staff and current pupils.

Gazebos were dressed in the style of a favourite artist to celebrate the start of the construction of the new Art and Design Technology Centre.

Profit raised Cancer Trust Special Care Group, and projects.

benefitted Teenage in Yorkshire, York Baby Unit Support Pocklington School

The excellent photos are courtesy of official photographer John Rayner and also some fine extra shots from Mr Burton, Mrs Hird and Mr Clayden.

Thanks to all who sang, played and participated on the night and special thanks to everyone who helped to organise the event!

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LENT MUSICAL THEATRE

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Now in its third year, and with L6 formers Tom Baarda and Sam Hird at the helm, the group is growing in confidence and ability. To see their first production, Little Shop of Horrors, one might have thought it an established company, with expert leadership from experienced teaching staff.

Crowther was convincing in the role, hugging herself for reassurance early in the piece, the unique phrasing of her breathy vocals, carrying the audience away on her beautiful daydream of blissful, bland suburbia in Somewhere That’s Green, before letting go vocally when she finds love.

Tom Baarda literally threw himself into the role of unfortunate botanist Seymour Krelborn. From his first entrance, accompanied by a dramatic fall, he approached the role without an ounce of vanity, shuffling around with hands in pockets, shoulders bowed and an air of apology stamped on his bespectacled face. He nailed the goofy comedy of You Never Know, dancing a conga line with the three girls, and in the show’s emotional crescendo, the glorious duet Suddenly, Seymour, his timid declaration of love for co-worker Audrey is a perfect complement to Audrey’s joyful realisation that someone decent might actually care for her. That number quite literally stopped the show.

Much of the drama is held together by three high school dropouts who serve as a girl-group Greek chorus, their very names – Chiffon, Crystal, Ronette – a homage to the sounds of the ‘60s. The urchins were played by Emma Burke, Chlöe Griggs and Charlotte Robinson, three talented singers completely at home in the three-part harmonies of black pop styles, from Motown to doo-wop.

Audrey is a creature of such piercing vulnerability and rock-bottom selfesteem that she breaks your heart. Amy

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In the crucial supporting role of Audrey’s sadistic dentist boyfriend Orin Scrivello, D.D.S., Will Baines gave a terrific cameo, discarding a leather biker’s jacket to reveal his orthodontist lab coat underneath. Will’s over-the-top performance was totally convincing; his and Tom Baarda’s dentist chair duet Now (It’s Just the Gas) was hysterical.

Hallam Dytham was more restrained but equally amusing as Mushnik, the

acerbic opportunist willing to exploit Seymour’s newfound fame, until his moral qualms get in the way.

Of course, the production would not exist without the flesh-eating plant, brought to life physically by the skilled puppetry of Dan Pearce, and given a voice by the incredible Sam Hird.

Sam’s voice was ideal, ranging from soft and seductive to raw and powerful, and never more so than in Git it.

Given the constraints of a staging in the Music School, Tom and Sam’s direction was highly effective. If this is the quality of what students can produce, we look forward to further musical productions!

LENT MUSICAL THEATRE

Cast: Amy Crowther, Tom Baarda, Hallam Dytham, Charlotte Robinson, Chlรถe Griggs, Emma Burke, Will Baines, Sam Hird, Dan Pearse, Dan Johns, Freya Stewart, Sam Hird, Sarah Jackson, Ava Laverack, Charlotte Groombridge, Eleanor Broadbent, Rhianna Bunn, Thomas Connolly, Imogen Croston, Lily Dowdy, Lucas Duncan, Kobby Fofie, Emma Hamilton, Alexis Jagger, Alex Laing, Max Lee, Lucy Maycock, Beth Noble, Katie Phelps, Ruby Remblance, Anna Robinson and Emma Sweeting Directors: Tom Baarda and Sam Hird Music: Alan Menken Book and Lyrics: Howard Ashman, based on the Roger Corman film, written by Charles Griffith Set Designer: Clare Swann Costume Designer: Cheryl White Lighting Designer: Jasmine Thompson Music Direction: Martin Kettlewell Stage Manager: Thomas Robertson MK

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DRAMA

A M I D S U M M E R N I G H T’S D R E A M Senior pupils took their audiences on a very special Midsummer adventure with a modern production of Shakespeare’s well-loved comedy in November.

To mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, the RSC invited every school in the UK to join the RSC Dream Team 2016 and celebrate the nation’s favourite Shakespeare play.

We were delighted to be part of this nationwide celebration.

The cast and crew, directed by Mrs Cunningham and Mr Heaven, created a magical evening of entertainment as audiences were transported from a modern city environment to the enchanting world of the fairies. The court figures (Peter Micklem-Cooper,

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Phillipa Cardy and Elliot Burr), were impressive as the controlling authoritarian figures in the first half and they contrasted with the fairy world led admirably by Daniel Pearse (Oberon) and Holly Green (Titania) who delivered Shakespeare’s poetry with great skill.

The fairy ensemble sang original songs composed by Paul Judge and their woodland costumes, designed by Cheryl White, were breathtaking.

The lovers (George Jibson, Marni Esa, Tom Baarda and Beth Roberts) carried their scenes with aplomb and the fight scene, one of the highlights in the show, literally had audiences on the edge of their seats as the actors chased and

hurled each other across the stage.

Equally impressive were the hilarious mechanicals (Billie Cheney, Hannah Brice, Josh Armitage, Alex Laing, Joe Cheney and Lawrence Mason) who had audiences roaring with laughter in their final presentation of ‘Pyramus and Thisbe’.

The simple but effective circular set with giant moon (designed by Steven Ryan) gave the performers a magical backdrop and versatile playing space. A fine setting for an excellent adaptation.

EJC

DRAMA

A LEVEL DRAMA A Level Drama performances were once again of the very highest quality. It is a tribute to the calibre of actor at the school that year after year they manage to produce work that is original, exciting and breaks barriers. If you want to see intense, powerful theatre and be reminded of why nothing can match the experience of watching a live performance, come along to the exam productions next Lent. You will be amazed.

HITCHCOCK’S LEADING LADIES (A2) This original piece took the story of Alfred Hitchcock’s relationship with his wife, his secretary and ‘my favourite blonde’ – actress Tippi Hedren – at the time he filmed The Birds. Marni Esa, Holly Green and Sofia Risso-Gill multi-roled in a brilliant, acerbic and moving play written by themselves and directed by Ollie Banks. And this was the response:

‘Clever, witty, full of silliness and good humour and just a hint of something menacing on the edge.’

ALICE’S ADVENTURES UNDERGROUND (AS) In a sparkling adaptation of the Alice book, Billie Cheney and Josh Armitage made the most of the comic, unpredictable nature of the roles to balance Jasmine Thompson’s intelligent and inquisitive Alice. The audience was impressed: ‘Hilarious, engaging and performed with such high energy you couldn’t look away.’

‘A top piece of performance with a real understanding of how to deliver theatre of this type.’

‘Real quality.’

AWH

‘I have been watching Brecht for thirty years and over that time have seen only three pieces which really moved and affected me. One was by the Royal Shakespeare Company, one was by the National Theatre and the third was here, tonight, at Pocklington.’

‘A disciplined, controlled, sharp production which spoke volumes for the quality of rehearsal and dedication of these extraordinary young people.’

‘I don’t know how you do it here. How the quality of performance is so amazingly high so often. It is a real treat coming here.’

‘Beyond A level. Some of the best actors you will see anywhere.’

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DRAMA

A PLAY FOR MAY The Drama Department’s playwriting competition once again produced a wealth of excellent work. With plays ranging from ghostly encounters through police interventions and domestic violence to gentle, bucolic monologues, the effort and quality evident submissions was testament to the engagement pupils feel with theatre.

Our thanks go to all candidates. Two plays stood out, one in each category.

First, we awarded a prize to Ellie-Mae Rooke and Xylia Milsom for their delicate, sympathetic play Three Wishes, Two Sisters, One Divorce. Two sisters, Em and Belle, whose parents are getting divorced, go to live with their aunt for the summer.

Things are looking bad for the girls but little do they know that magic waits around the corner…

The other winning pair was Abigail Foster and Sophia Jackson for their moving and theatrical Old Memories. A group of old people are sitting in a circle. They are looking at a photo album and reflect on the memories these evoke, acting them out as they recall them. A play which looks at how the world has changed.

These thoughtful, mature plays will receive public readings in September.

AWH

The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe Sheer visual delight in this glorious retelling of CS Lewis’ classic tale of four children who enter the magical world of Narnia…

In Steven Ryan’s astonishing set composed of giant sized books and a floor covered in extracts from the novel, pupils from 1st to 3rd form performed with cheerfulness, energy and discipline.

There were terrific performances from the four leads: Ruby Stainforth, Freya Stewart, Henry Kay (convincingly treacherous and repentant) and, as Peter, veteran actor James Harrison.

They kept the pace and the emotions moving smoothly and purposefully.

Their interaction with the Professor, Lucas Duncan, was made all the more enjoyable by Lucas’ excellent depiction of an old man with hidden secrets and forgetfulness.

The ensemble was a fast-moving group who multi-roled easily and rapidly, switching from being sightseers, through good Narnians, evil Narnians, evacuees and servants. Their confident use of space was a pleasure to see. Katie Phelps and Coco Yang were persuasive

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as sledge-pulling beasts and Katie reappeared as a brilliantly immobile statue. Evie Hirst, Ollie Spink, Tom Brown, Elliot Groves, Ellie-Mae Rooke, Xylia Milsom, Lucy Major, Joe Cheney, Abigail Foster, Grace Gallen, Fifi Tilsted and Arthur Whelan all threw everything they had into the roles.

On the good side there were the Beavers, the spirited Ben Maycock and the charismatic Hannah East, both bursting with energy and always positive and humble in their depiction of character.

And, of course, the sympathetic faun whose sadness and kindness Harry Caputo delivered so well.

Fred Bickley-Parton’s Father Christmas earned the biggest laugh while the stately presence of Jess Stocks and Anna Robinson as Lion and Leopard ensured that our hero, the great Lion Aslan himself, had plenty of gravitas.

And without doubt, Max Lee delivered plenty of that: he came across as a real leader and a creature of profound sincerity.

Congratulations to the whole production team for such a marvellous return. A play at this time of the year has been sadly missed and Emma Cunningham’s vision chimed with the child in us all, bringing a marvellous climax to Drama for the year. Hats off, too, to Cheryl White and team for her costumes and to the lighting and sound so smoothly integrated into the action under the hands of Dan Lord, Ben Ryan and Matthew Bargate. Credit also to Ini Risso-Gill for standing in at a moment’s notice and especially to Emma Watson whose control of the backstage area was simply outstanding.

His opposite number was the powerful figure of the Witch, given appropriately merciless style by the terrific Evie Frost.

Support from Harry Jones and Rhianna Bunn and the howling, dangerous Hebe Quinney as Maugrim the chief wolf made them a formidable group. Much credit also to Ben Wilkinson for his portrayal of the evil sidekick Grumpskin.

He is an actor to watch.

A great show.

AWH

DRAMA

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EXCHANGE WITH

GERMANY POCKLINGTON + ALFELD + BERLIN

“

ROUND 1: POCKLINGTON I was very lucky with my host family.

My exchange student and I became good friends during this time and I hope we’ll stay in touch. They were the best host family I can ever imagine.

I think the school lessons were very great and interesting! I would like to have this principle at our school. Because all is so well ordered. But I won’t have school so long and not on Saturday.

The trip to Whitby was very exciting.

We ate fish & chips at first, and that

“

German Exchange 16 started in September 2015 and concluded in February 2016 when the Pocklington students visited Alfeld.

Here are a few impressions from both sets of students. was very delicious. We had to climb 199 steps to the Whitby Abbey, because it’s on a hill. When you arrive, you have a wonderful view of Whitby and you can see the coast which is also very beautiful.

We went by a little bus to Hull. First we visited the Deep. I saw a few sharks and very crazy fish.

We only stayed for lunch one day and it was much more delicious than our food at school. They had potatoes, eggs and sauces. You are allowed to only eat one portion of lunch, but you can take as much pudding as you want. The best one is definitely the strawberry muffin.

ROUND 2: ALFELD We saw an Ice hockey match which was between Harz and Hannover. The atmosphere was electrifying.

I´ve noticed at train stations that all clocks are in 24-hour and there are a lot of delicatessens!

I definitely feel as though I have improved my German as I was speaking it practically all the time with my partner and his family. I would certainly recommend the exchange to future students who are studying German –

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On Sunday we drove to a horse racing with Poppy and Sina. The horse of her sister Daisy won and it was very exciting.

At 4pm we drove at home and we baked cupcakes. We had lots of fun together and I’m happy to stay in Pocklington with my exchange student Harriet.

The mother called Sarah was a really good cook. She also knows that Hanna and me really like “Fish’ n’ Chips’ Crisps”, so she bought them for us and we can take them to Germany.

The father called David cooked every morning. He is really funny and he made always jokes.

don’t be afraid or nervous to speak the language.

My favourite part of the exchange trip was going to Berlin. I really enjoyed experiencing the culture and especially enjoyed the cake!

We went on some very enjoyable trips, such as going to the Harz mountains and to Berlin, where we got to know the other people in both the English and German groups.

For me the best parts happened on the weekend because that was when we had

”

most time to spend with our partner and do things they would normally do. We had an interesting time attempting to understand an hour-long lecture about the Reichstag, entirely in German!

Berlin was very beautiful and we had the opportunity to go inside the Bundestag.

I have realised how much sparkling water can be drunk in one week!

I found going into their school interesting due to that it was different to our school. Most days, Sarah gets to school at 7 and finishes at 3.

”

GERMANY EXCHANGE

“

ROUND 3: IN GERMAN! Alles in allem war Berlin super!

Es war sehr lustig und ich mag die Kunststoffbären! MeineLieblingsreise in Deutschland war die Fahrt nach Berlin!

Meiner Austauschfamilie war so süß!

Mein Austauschpartner, Jonas, hat zwei Geschwister; eine ältere Schwester Sonja und ein jüngerer Bruder Joel. Es gibt auch seine Mutter, seinen Vater und die schöne Welpen – Leo! Ich bin in einem kleinen Dorf nicht

weit von Alfeld geblieben, und es war ziemlich hübsch – es hatte eine Kneipe und einen kleinen Laden.

Mein Zimmer war sehr schön und warm abends – an den meisten Abenden bin ich zum Bett ziemlich früh gegangen, weil ich sehr früh aufstehen musste.

Das ist, weil es nur ein Badezimmer im Haus ist; jeder muss ihrerseits darin am Morgen haben.

Am Abend haben wir oft auf der Playstation Vier gespielt, oft Call Of Duty: Black Ops III oder Star Wars

Battlefront. Jonas und Joel sind bei diesen Spielen sehr gut; Ich bin nicht so gut; und so hat Jonas mich ein paar Mal geschlagen! (Aber nicht jede Zeit!)

Im Großen und Ganzen war die Familie für mich so wunderbar, sie waren so nett, und hat mich oft so viel zu essen gegeben, dass ich nicht wusste, was ich damit tun sollte!

Danke schön!

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PARIS TRIP

PARIS The Paris trip began with a little uncertainty about fuel shortages in France. Fortunately, our coach company, York Pullman, was very professional and we enjoyed a problemfree journey to and from the château.

We were also very fortunate to stay in a brand-new accommodation block, where we were very well looked after by the PGL staff. Being able to sample “escargots” on Thursday evening was a big favourite, especially with the boys.

Although the weather was not always at its best it did not dampen our enjoyment of all that France and Paris has to offer.

Our day in Paris began with a trip to the top of the Tour Montparnasse, which offers superb views of the city.

Our traditional photograph under the Eiffel Tower also offered the opportunity to grab a fresh crêpe. Délicieux! This was followed by a boat trip on the Seine, before we headed up to Sacré-Coeur and Montmartre where the group was able to get our best collection yet of caricatures.

Wednesday saw us at the beautiful Château Vaux le Vicomte. PGL were able to offer us an exciting afternoon of outdoor activities, including the

climbing wall, the trapeze jump, archery and team building tasks, as we were unable to go to the market in Melun. The pupils also made use of the outdoor, heated swimming pool to relax either in or out of the pool. This was followed by a camp-fire in the woods behind the château.

Low visitor numbers at Parc Astérix on Thursday allowed the pupils to take full advantage of the superb range of rides and activities on offer. The final evening disco concluded a very enjoyable and packed few days. We were fully entertained by Miss Clarke’s collection of High School Musical DVDs on the coach!

Many thanks go to Mr Galloway, Miss Clarke and Miss Roman-Blencoe who accompanied the trip this year.

CB

BATTLEFIELDS TRIP

BATTLEFIELDS This year we headed out on the battlefield touring road once again, this time with a centenary focus on the Battle of the Somme plus visits to Arras, Loos and Ypres.

We were delighted too that an extremely keen and interested cohort of third year students had signed up for the trip in large numbers. Seven of the pupils had researched their family history and uncovered relatives who had fought and died in the war. Thus we were able to pay our respects by visiting their grave or memorial.

Memorial, the power of the Sheffield Memorial Park and many more besides.

It was also deeply moving to watch as Mr Braidwood-Smith, Jess Stocks and Lucy Major laid the wreath at the Menin Gate as part of the Last Post Ceremony.

Another wonderful, entertaining, evocative and emotional trip.

GJH

Highlights included visiting the underground tunnels in Arras, the awe-inspiring Thiepval

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POLAND TRIP In February 2016, staff and Sixth Form students from the Religious Studies department, myself among them, set out in the small hours of the morning for the city of Krakow, Poland. We would spend three days there, learning about Polish-Jewish culture and history, particularly the Holocaust, and taking some time to explore the Old Town.

We visited two synagogues in Krakow, Remuh Synagogue and the Old Synagogue (now a museum) and a Jewish restaurant, where we ate traditional food accompanied by the frantic strings and rapid vocals of a live

of art as a museum. The experience targets the emotions, inducing reactions of empathy, grief and, at times, quiet horror. The sheer speed at which life changed – from the idyllic August of 1939 to the terrors of September’s Nazi invasion to the rapid ostracism and ghettoisation of the Jewish people – is shocking, and dramatically emphasised.

Worse still is the cruel delight with which it was done: it must have taken a macabre attention to detail to ensure that, for instance, the walls of the Krakow ghetto were shaped like tombstones. The Schindler Museum shows you it, but it also puts you among it – makes you feel it.

KRAKOW POLAND

klezmar band. Each of these locations provided an opportunity to experience a different facet of Jewish culture: Remuh allowed us to see an active Orthodox Jewish synagogue at work, fully functioning and with all tradition intact (boys were required to wear kippahs to enter), the Old Synagogue provided a chance to read and learn about Jewish history, and the restaurant allowed us to experience traditional Jewish cuisine.

Visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau the next day was an altogether different experience. It is a deeply unsettling place to visit. It is too famous to feel totally real. Birkenau’s stark, brick arch and Auschwitz’ iron gates with “ARBEIT MACHT FREI” stamped onto them are themselves so stamped into our collective consciousness that when you arrive those paths and buildings feel like a film set. It can’t be real – how could it be?

Our visit to the fascinating Oskar Schindler Museum provided an indepth look at the events that the Jews of Krakow experienced in the lead up to the Holocaust. Taking the form of a series of vignettes and art installations, all constructed inside Schindler’s now famous factory, it is as much a work

But it is real, and the museum simply demonstrates this. There is no theatricality to the way the facts are presented, just cold, naked truth. A glass wall here to separate you from the piles upon piles of human hair. There, a mountain of confiscated spectacles.

Step over here and you’ll find a glass

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case of confiscated children’s clothes. It is laid out for you neatly. It doesn’t try to force a specific emotion from you, it simply says, “Look. Here’s what people did, here are the numbers, here are the faces of the victims. Don’t let this happen again.”

Take off the tour headphones and you’ll find crushing silence. There is no better reaction. If we could feel it, if we could even begin to understand the magnitude of what was done, we’d be driven mad.

So we look, and we read, and we take it in – but not really.

The Schindler Museum and the Auschwitz tour remind us of terrible, terrible things. Being in those places, seeing what was presented, was horrifying, upsetting, numbing – but, looking back, I think that if I had to use one word to encompass my experience of Krakow, it would be ‘hope’. Yes, the things that were done were indescribably terrible.

They will never be forgotten. But more than seventy years later, I can walk down the streets of Krakow, I can smile at the people, I can go into the shops, I can visit the synagogues of a community which has gone through awful times and come out the other end alive and growing. There is a beauty in that, I think: the Holocaust was the worst thing to ever occur in the particularly troubled history of the Jewish people. It was not the end of it.

A month after we returned from Poland, Pocklington was visited by Iby Knill, one of the millions of women whose youths were marred by the horrors of the Holocaust. She spoke for an hour, relating to us her story: her childhood in Czechoslovakia, the 1939 Nazi invasion, her internment in Auschwitz, and how she survived. Her message was simple – we must remember. The cruelty of Adolf Hitler’s regime and the attitudes that allowed it to exist must not be allowed to resurface. Be mindful of prejudice and defend against discrimination. I won’t forget it, or my time in Poland, for as long as I live.

Elliot Burr

FIELD TRIPS instructors about the formation of the different types of sand dunes. It was very interesting to measure how the abiotic and biotic factors changed across the sand dunes. With the help of the centre staff we analysed our individual data gathered to complete our PAGS.

BIOLOGY FIELD TRIP In June, twenty-eight Biology A level students went to Blencathra, Keswick in the Lake District to complete some required practicals (PAGS) for our course and other useful sampling skills.

After these we had the evenings to relax. On Sunday we went out in the morning and completed a sample of the distribution of invertebrates in a riffle and pool environment successfully without anyone falling in, although there were some wet feet!

When we arrived we began our first PAG by sampling the distribution of organisms in un-grazed and grazed areas at the site, using quadrats. On the second day we travelled to the Cumbrian Coast at Drigg to investigate succession across a series of sand dunes and we were taught by the centre

We finished the trip with a nice forest walk on Monday morning, in the temperamental weather, before travelling back to school. The centre staff were very helpful and the weekend was very enjoyable for all.

HADRIAN’S WALL: A WHOLE LOT OF ROCK

However, this was soon solved with the discovery of a vast array of board games, and consequently our evening was filled with a particularly animated game of Articulate and the boys’ slightly clueless game of Cluedo. Later in the evening we listened to a presentation all about the sites we were to visit the following day – the Roman forts at Housesteads and Vindolanda.

Our great trek began at the end of the usual school day, so it was an immense relief when we could finally escape last lesson and board the minibus which was to take us all the way up to Hadrian’s Wall. After an incredibly bumpy journey (and Tiger falling out of his seat at least twice) we arrived at a small but cosy youth hostel in the absolute middle of nowhere, where (to everyone’s dismay) there was no phone signal and very slow WiFi.

Angela Watson and Angela Curtis

Following a much appreciated lie-in, we proceeded once again to take the minibus the short drive to Housesteads fort, which (typical Britain) was a bit cold and cloudy.

After our brief trip round the museum right next to the fort, we were presented with some GPS tracking devices so that we could locate seven geocaches situated in various places throughout the site.

After completing this task and viewing a magnificent hypocaust, we made our way back to the minibus via the children’s slide, of course.

Our next stop was Vindolanda, a preHadrian’s Wall Roman fort and village, where we listened to a talk from one of the permanent on-site archaeologists there who showed us a golden brooch found

two days earlier, which was superbly well preserved given how long ago it was made. The museum at Vindolanda is extraordinary for the wealth of material it contains from nearly 2000 years ago, including a unique collection of letters excavated from deep in the ground.

We learned loads of interesting things about Romans and Britons and it was fascinating to be able to see their forts and experience their way of life. We found it amazing how well the forts had been preserved.

After our lunch at Vindolanda, we made our way back home after a great trip, stopping only to rescue two lapwing chicks on Alston moor which had determinedly but foolishly settled down to rest in the middle of the road.

Finally, we would like to thank Mr Adams for organising the trip, and Miss Clarke for putting up with us all!

“Classics trips are the best!”

Beth Noble and Grace Birch

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CRICKET 1st XI For the first time as a 1st XI, in April we packed our bags and headed off for a five day trip to Malta as a pre-season tour. The side this season was a young one, after losing over half of the U6 team last season. The tour itself was a great method of bonding, by having different team activities, meals and games, as well as three fixtures. The tour overall was a success, with many positives taken albeit the results were slightly disappointing.

Plans for future tours are in progress.

This led us nicely into the start of season, with tough fixtures against Huddersfield and Ampleforth resulting in losses, despite the levels of performance from the team showing good signs for the matches ahead, with individual performances such as Jonty Atkinson narrowly missing out on his maiden century, scoring 97 against Ampleforth.

Although our performances were improving, we were still awaiting our first win. This was until the visit of Silcoates in a T20 fixture. After restricting the

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visitors to just 103 from their 20 overs, a good opening partnership from Charlie Foster and myself set us up nicely for Atkinson and Will Burns to take us home for a 6 wicket victory.

This result help set the tone for the rest of our season, in which the opening bowling attack of Medley and Loten tore teams apart week by week in their first spells. This helped set up the likes of Jonty Atkinson and Charlie Foster, along with Will Burns in the middle order, to knock off opposition totals with relative ease.

Performances of the season came against both of our biggest rivals. Firstly against Hymers, in which Tom Loten took four wickets for five runs from his eight overs, well supported by the rest of the attack, bowling the away side out for just 73, giving us a six wicket victory.

This bowling performance by the whole attack gave us a confidence that stayed for the rest of the season.

The other performance, which is the personal favourite of mine, was the victory away at St Peter’s. After years

of close losses at their hands, we were due a win. Winning the toss, I elected to bat, in which Charlie Foster (44) set the ball rolling at the top of the order, with the rest of the team chipping in with contributions to help us reach a respectable total of 176. The whole team was focussed, with the standard of the bowling and fielding matching the high intensity of every player in a Pocklington shirt. The opening spell of Loten and Medley caused havoc once again, with Medley picking up four wickets for 26. Jimmy Wraith, Will Burns and Jonty Atkinson chipped in with wickets at crucial times, with Loten picking up the final wicket to give us a hard-earned and overdue victory by 35 runs.

I would like to thank the players for their tremendous efforts over the season, as well as Mr Byas for his hard work and commitment behind the scenes. Good luck to next year’s captain Jonty Atkinson and the lads for the 2017 season.

Tom Foster

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Cricket Festival This year, it was our turn to host Stewarts Melville (Edinburgh), Strathallan (Perth), Hymers and ourselves, which meant another three days of tough cricket.

After picking up our billets from Stewarts Melville on Sunday night and getting to know them, we didn’t have long until we were facing them the next morning. Without bowler of the season Loten, who was away at a Yorkshire U19 trial, the lads bowled and fielded well first innings after losing the toss. A burst of early wickets helped us get off to a good start. After bowling out Melville to 161 in just under 50 overs, Jimmy Wraith picked up figures of 4 for 32.

In reply, after losing a couple of early wickets, Charlie Foster (37) was joined

2nd XI P7 / W3 / D0 / L4

This has been a season of what ifs. The first three matches, against Huddersfield, Ampleforth and Scarborough, were

at the crease by Jonty Atkinson, who hit a match winning 85 not out to bring home a two wicket victory in a thrilling game.

The next day, we faced Strathallan, high in confidence. Again losing the toss, this time getting put into bat, Pocklington showed little sign of struggle against the Strathallan bowling attack, with contributions from Jonty Atkinson once again (46), Jimmy Wraith (57 not out) and Tom Loten batting excellently to reach 94 not out to help us finish on 213 for 3.

In reply, our bowling attack was too strong for the batting line up of Strathallan, with Jimmy Wraith, Loten, Medley and myself all chipping in with wickets, in the end bowling the Scottish side out for 146, giving us a 67 run win.

This meant that going into the final day,

all very narrow losses. With a bit more resilience and a few more partnerships, the season could easily be 6 out of 7 wins. However, the most recent victory against the auld enemy of St Peter’s really set the second half of the season up nicely.

a win against bitter rivals Hymers would see us win the shield for the third time in four years.

After winning the toss, I elected to bat on a good wicket. A good early partnership between myself (30) and Charlie Foster (49) set us off well, with the likes of Burns, Jimmy Wraith and Atkinson once again getting us to a good total of 197 for 7 from our 50 overs.

Once again in the festival, our bowling attack was too strong for our opposing batsmen, with Will Burns claiming four wickets, helping us restrict Hymers to just 153 for 9 in their 50 overs.

Congratulations to the whole team who all played significant roles in helping us to regain the shield.

Tom Foster

Notable highlights of the season were Will Blackburn’s watchful 40 vs Huddersfield, Ted Wraith’s four wickets and 38 runs vs Ampleforth, Oli Beckett’s four wickets with his mystery spin in our first win against Hymers, and Henry Bayston’s cultured and

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CRICKET destructive 42 against St Peter’s. He was once again at the forefront against GSAL, scoring 62 in a mammoth 138 run opening partnership with Toby Stephenson (56). A thoroughly deserved 79 run victory ensued; just reward for a highly professional performance.

been a rock throughout; solid behind the stumps, and master-craftsman of many a recovery following a shaky start from our batters. His vision and determination have shown others the way forward, and his support has been hugely valued.

commitments, the team has chopped and changed a lot. As a result, a number of Young Turks have had to step in, and many have done so with great aplomb and set themselves up well for next season. The future is bright; let’s hope the skies remain so too.

This season’s MVP, Tom Binns, has

With

EGL

U15 XI This has been the most frustrating term that I can ever remember; with 22 enthusiastic and talented players to call upon, the U15 squad was the strongest at this age group for many years.

However, the season was sabotaged by poor weather and opposition ‘cry-offs’, to such an extent that we only managed to play three matches.

U14 XI This year has been frustrating for the boys. We have put all our efforts into every match but due to missing players and some indifferent batting we haven’t been able to win a match this year. We have also been unlucky; we have bowled well throughout the year and batted poorly and the once or twice we have batted well we have bowled badly and

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exam

leave

and

other

A disappointing loss to Ampleforth, where our batsmen could not cope with a wet and two-paced wicket, was followed by a comfortable home victory over Hymers. However, we then went six weeks without a game before a team that had been severely weakened by calls from the 1st and 2nd XIs lost a tight fixture away to St Peter’s.

Despite the frustrations, this has been an enjoyable term; the boys have practised with great good humour and

lost games we should have otherwise won.

Losing to Woldgate on the last ball after we had a batsman hit 60 was a very unlucky match for us and notably for Mr Mitchell, who has seen us struggle very much through the year but who had coached us very well, improving us not only in our batting, bowling and fielding abilities but in our morale and manners on the pitch.

spirit and have been excellent company throughout. They were well-captained

by Rob Boddy, with individual, standout performances being provided by, amongst others: Henry Bayston, Oliver Robinson, Dan Isenstein, Oliver Mann and Jonty Goddard.

There is no doubt that these boys will provide the nucleus of a very strong senior squad next year and I wish them well.

RPB

season was the team bowling so well and bowling Ashville in about 20 overs, with Archie Raper stepping up to bowl but with the team behind him taking 3-22.

It was great to watch Archie then taking a great slip catch off Louis Sangwin.

Then Alex Holdstock, formally butter fingers, took a surprising catch, diving to his right and getting his fingertips to what would have been a great grab. It was just a fantastic bowling performance from the team. We also got a few runs that match.

Some highlights have been Alex Holdstock bowling out Ampleforth’s captain and Yorkshire batsman with an absolute peach of a delivery that took the off stump five foot out of the ground.

Also we had a match against Hill House in which our top order collapsed and we had the new lads to our team for this year, Mathieu and Maxence, getting the two highest scores (which for two boys who had only come for a term and played cricket for about a month is great to see).

Even though with one match to go we haven’t won yet it has been a great year. As a team we would like to thank Mr Mitchell and Mr Adams for coaching us and would like to give Mr Mitchell our best wishes for his future in sport and teaching. We also thank Mathieu and Maxence who will be leaving us for bigger and better things to come.

For me as captain, the highlight of the

Will Watts

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U13 XI P6 / W2 / D0 / L4

It has been a real pleasure to work with the U13 squad this term. Not a perfect season by any means, but we’ve witnessed some decisive and pleasing victories, along with a succession of frustratingly narrow defeats which might lead us to believe that on the right days we’ve got what it takes to compete with the best.

This is a young team most comfortable with the ball in hand, sometimes quiet in the field and short on original banter, but for the most part they let their actions and sharp fielding do the talking. Time and again this season they have shown a devastating capacity to ‘send ‘im back’ through clean bowling and nicely timed catches, yet on the odd occasion letting key wickets slip.

A conundrum indicative of a team that plays best or more coolly in a relaxed or less pressured environment.

Consistency in this area and seasonal

flow will be key as the unit and players develop.

With the bat, they have demonstrated an improving ability to make runs, showing ruthless aggression against the bad balls and a willingness to frustrate their opponents by making a slow succession of quick singles in order to peg the opposition back. Though the less said about ‘Carry On’ style run-outs against Ashville the better!

In any great team you always remember the most exciting bowler (enter Tom Kirby), the dogged batsmen (Noah Callau and Harry Jones), the unsung hero with the ball (Henry Kay), the slogger (Ed Hasdell), the impassable fielder (Kobby Fofie) and the night watchman (Brad Riley… still not out).

But special tribute must be paid to Ben Parsonage this season not only for his calmness and maturity with the bat but particularly for the reassuring presence and economy he has asserted behind the stumps. If you’re a bowler in need of a ‘loosener’, Ben’s the

man to improve your stats.

Meanwhile, the season’s Champagne Moments are awarded to the ‘runmachine’ Noah Callau for his tremendous 50 (not out) against Hill House, and to Ollie Kettle for his running/stumbling ‘how did he keep it off the floor’ diving catch against Hymers College.

In a more flowing season, with key chances taken (one, two or three fewer run outs against Ashville, and the application of a simple long barrier on the boundary against Aysgarth), one might whisper that we could have threaded together a more reflective set of results.

Yet the energy and optimism persist and in my mind this remains a talented bunch of players harbouring much promise and future potential.

TH

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CRICKET U12 XI P7 / W4 / D0 / L3

A one-way early win against a weak Cundall Manor side did not prepare the boys for opposition to come.

Struggling with consistency of line and length, we were soundly beaten against St Olave’s and battled hard to a close loss against a good Birkdale side. This reality check helped the boys to re-focus their efforts and stirred them to a comprehensive nine wicket win over Hymers and more consistent performances began to come.

Dominant wins over Hill House and Yarm were followed by a close ‘snatching defeat from the jaws of victory’ result against Aysgarth. Despite this, the boys continued to work hard

and got their just reward in the HMC 6-a-side tournament at Hymers, sweeping all before them and bringing the trophy home to Pocklington.

Performers of note have to include the all-round potential of Harry Jackson, Jack Woodhead and Henry Green, the hitting strength of Billy Spruyt and metronomic bowling consistency of Dan Prescott.

Overall, a pleasing season with plenty of improvement, endeavour and dedication – all the ingredients of a successful team in the future.

SAH

GIRLS’ TENNIS ISTA Championships After the success of last year’s trip, the girls’ tennis team of 5th years Cordie Cavill, Bryony Underwood and Alice Mowforth and 4th year Jessie Morgan travelled down to Eton College to compete for the U19 Loveband Trophy in the Independent School’s Tennis Association (ISTA) Championships.

Both pairs were given tough groups to negotiate with Jessie and Alice facing the 4th seeded pair, Reed’s 1, in their opening match. Alice and Jessie competed well against a very strong pairing and managed to snatch a game from the eventual semi-finalists. Their next match was against local rivals Hymers and after some great tennis from both girls Pock managed to pull away in the final games, winning 6-4.

The girls then played two very strong

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pairs, losing 6-0 to Benenden 1 and 6-1 to Sevenoaks, although the scores did not reflect the closeness of the matches.

Alice and Jessie finished fourth in their group overall which meant they qualified for the Plate group stages. The first match in the Plate saw the girls face another local pair, St Peter’s 1. The match was nail-bitingly close but despite Alice’s powerful forehands and Jessie’s finishing at the net, the girls eventually lost 6-4. They went on to play St Mary’s Calne 2 and again were disappointed by the result after they narrowly lost despite playing well. St Mary’s Calne then went on to beat St Peter’s 6-4 which meant they progressed to the knockout stages of the Plate. Although Alice and Jessie did not progress further they should be proud of their performance; competing against girls who were 2 or 3 years older than them.

Cordie and Bryony also faced a tough group, having drawn the number 1

seeds. They opened their campaign with a fairly straightforward 6-1 win against Benenden 2. They then faced a tougher match against Yarm 1 but still won with a convincing score of 6-3. Their next match saw a battle with Kingswood for second place in the group with

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the number 1 seeds looking the likely winners. It was a tightly fought match with Pock eventually losing out 6-3.

Their final match in the group, against the eventual winners, Queenswood, was tough but the girls held their own for most of the match and managed to pinch two games. This meant they finished third overall in their group and they too went into the Plate group stage.

Cordie and Bryony were drawn against Nottingham 1 and Downe House 2, both of whom they beat comfortably (60, 6-2). They went on to play in the Plate quarter finals against Epsom 1, again winning with an impressive score of 6-4 6-2. The semi-finals against Cokethorpe saw one of the best comebacks of the tournament, with Cordie and Bryony playing some superb tennis in the second set after being “bagelled” in the first. After saving three match points at 6-5, the girls took the set to a tiebreak and clinched it with a score of 7-5.

This meant the match was going to a Championship tiebreak and by this point a crowd had gathered! The girls started nervously, going behind 7-4.

Some fine reactions at the net brought the score back level to 8-8. They then clinched the next point after a brilliant volley from Bryony at the net

Senior Girls’ Tennis 1ST IV/VI = P7 / W2 / D1 / L4 2ND VI = P4 / W0 / D0 / L4

We began with a friendly against Queen Margaret’s, described as ‘not a day for tennis; cold, wet and windy with a hail storm thrown in’. Alice Mowforth and Cordie Cavill started well, winning two of their three sets. Despite losing 2-7, in the York league against QM’s, the girls did not let the previous result affect their game. Cordie and Alice as always did not let the team down, winning their singles and their doubles rubbers.

and this saw their first match point.

Unfortunately after a long, nail-biting rally they were unable to seal the win.

However, an ace from Cordie brought a second match point and this time round they made no mistake. We were through to the Finals of the Loveband Plate; an award won in the past by schools such as Queenswood, King’s Canterbury and Repton.

With great excitement and some degree of disbelief, the team and staff returned to the Premier Inn in Slough. Cordie and Bryony prepared well for the Final by eating pizza and getting a good night’s sleep. In the morning they awoke ready to take on the girls from Benenden (where Princess Anne was educated). Unfortunately, Pock weren’t able to produce the same comeback in the final as they had in the semis; they started slowly and went 6-2 behind and were unable to recover and eventually lost 6-2 6-1. Despite the loss, it was a fantastic achievement for the girls who were the first Pocklington pair to reach a final in this tournament for 20 years.

Thanks to Mrs Cosby and Mrs Mortimer for taking us all. We hope to return again!

Cordie Cavill

This meant a tie of three rubbers each. Tash Leach and Cordie won the championship tiebreak 10-7, resulting in victory overall for Pock 7-6. A great start to the season!

The next round was against St Peter’s.

Cordie and Sofia Risso-Gill won their singles rubbers quite convincingly, 6-0 and 6-3 respectively; however, the doubles rubbers were much closer, a 5-7 loss for Cordie and Alice and a 6-7 loss for Tash and Sofia which meant the final score was 4-2.

In the National Championships, we faced local rivals Hymers. The singles matches ended with a 2-2 score which meant the result relied on the doubles;

Tash and Sofia won theirs 6-3, 6-4 to a pair they have lost to every year, until now, on a tiebreak! Cordie and Alice won their doubles 3-6, 7-5 on a tiebreak ending 10-6. This meant that Pock went through to the next round where we received a bye from Canon Slade CE High School, Bolton.

The Regional Final of the Senior Girls’ National Championships was played at home against Holmfirth. For the final match of the season, Cordie, Alice, Emily Boddy and Bryony Underwood (making her debut for the 1st IV, returning after a knee operation) played a fantastic standard of tennis against some powerful opposition. Holmfirth were extremely strong and consequently

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GIRLS’ TENNIS progressed to the National Finals at Queenswood.

Later, we took part in Bradford Grammar School’s invitation tournament. The team consisted of Cordie, Alice, Tash, Sofia, Emily and Megan Glew. Of the twelve rubbers played Pock won 4, drew 1 and lost 7.

Many of the games resulted in a sudden deuce scenario and there was only one game difference in the final rubbers scores, thus indicating just how close the competition really was.

The 2nd VI made a great contribution in the first match of the season against QM’s. They also travelled to Hymers where the first pair lost 6-0, 6-2 and the second pair lost 6-1, 6-2. Against St Peter’s, first pair Bryony and Lily

U15 VI We have had a great season of tennis!

Plenty of individual and team victories have demonstrated just how much the girls have improved.

Being part of the Aegon league, the girls have had to play singles and doubles, in both of which they performed very well. In particular, the second pair of Sophie Sweeting and Jessie Morgan played amazingly, nearly winning all of their doubles matches as a cohesive pair. The whole squad performed very impressively against Ryedale, overall beating them 4-2; just one example of our Aegon success.

It is not just in matches but also in training that the team has shown determination to improve. These efforts, along with top notch coaching from Mrs Mortimer, allowed the girls to transfer their skills effectively onto the courts. Some of the highlights for the team were at St Peter’s tournament,

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Brunton had some very close games and played some great winning shots to win 3-0. The other two couples played with great enthusiasm, but the final point in each game kept eluding them, resulting in a score of 0-3.

Against Worksop, the 1st VI drew 3-3 and the 2nd VI lost 0-6 with debuts for Tiffany Cheung, Janice Tsang and Rita Jiang who all played with great enthusiasm, ably guided by Amy Robinson. Well done to all the girls.

The senior girls’ squad are to be commended for their commitment and their positivity throughout the matches.

I wish them all the best for the 2017 season!

Natasha Leach

for example, for the first pair, beating Sedbergh and Ashville.

The U15 girls have clearly shown their flair in tennis. On some occasions the score did not reflect the play; however, we are pleased with our victories and are now looking forward to what next season may bring!

Emma Farnsworth

SUMMER SPORT

U14 VI We have drawn from a wide pool this season and have been fortunate in the excellent commitment of many girls.

At A team level, the following have regularly combined awesome power (and brute force) with character and delicate poise at the net, and in the air. They have floated like butterflies, stung like bees (and even hit some of their opponents!): Bella Byass (c), Hebe Quinney, Tilly Rennison, Emilia Couttie, Grace Atkinson, Ellie Harrison, Izzy Hobson and Maria Perez Sanchez (our Spanish international).

Highlights include the excellent result at Ampleforth and the dismantling of several stronger opponents, especially in doubles. We have the feisty teamwork of Byass and Quinney and the emerging

U13 VI The U13s are an exceptionally skilled year group in tennis. They apply their

Trojan horse which is Rennison and Couttie – surely a future pairing to watch. It has also been brilliant to see Izzy, Grace, Ellie and Maria step up so strongly: they will be integral to the side next year.

Here, Bella outlines her view of the season: The girls have had a successful season, with a particularly strong showing against Ampleforth.

The St Peter’s Festival and the Hepworth Cup also offered us an excellent experience in tournament play on a range of different surfaces. We were fortunate in both to encounter teams who challenged us and helped us to improve our games.

Sadly, our final match against The Mount was called off in extraordinary circumstances, as a billowing smoke cloud carried over the school from the nearby industrial estate!

We have enjoyed every match and while we had to draw from a wide group of players at times, we all pulled together and began to play some great tennis towards the end of the season.

Additionally, we have had a dream set of stalwarts who have saved the team more than once: Helaina Holland, Lucy Major, Layla Warburton, Ellie Mae Rooke, Xylia Milsom, Poppy Young, Tiffany Fung, Joey Yong, Evie Hirst, Emma Watson and Jess Stocks.

If I have missed anyone out, I am really sorry!

There have been so many examples of great representation and commitment this term. I am hugely grateful to everyone who played – you have been a real credit to the school. Well done and all the best for next season!

LAL

strength and co-ordination in all fixtures and are only let down by their unforced errors when on high pressure points.

For the duration of the season the first pair has been Emma Scutt and Taggy Medforth. Emma has led the team with grace and played some beautiful tennis.

Taggy has maintained a high standard throughout and has won all of her singles matches in the Aegon Championship.

The second pair has been Emma Sweeting and Imogen Croston, who have bonded well over the season. Both players had notable performances at the Bradford Invitational Tournament

in which their teamwork and ability to read the game placed them well above their equals.

Other pairs within the year included

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GIRLS’ TENNIS Grace Beckett and Izzy Prescott who are true contenders for the top spots within the team. They have worked consistently hard over the season and shown real enthusiasm.

Other participants have been Lily Walster, Tilly Rumgay, Annabel Atkinson and Victoria Mowforth, all of whom have worked consistently hard and developed into able tennis players.

U12 VI The U12 tennis girls have had a good season and have learnt so much.

The girls started the season unsure of positioning, scoring and rules of the game. Throughout the season they all worked hard in both practices and fixtures to learn the etiquette, scoring and rules of tennis.

All the girls have competed in fixtures and some even in tournaments. It has

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One match of particular note was against St Olave’s – a whole year group match in which the girls impressed me the most. It was a true display of tennis etiquette, discipline and perseverance.

It has been a wonderful season and they will go from strength to strength over the coming years.

SLD

been great to see their enthusiasm towards the game and how willing they have all been to learn. They had a tough start against Ampleforth St Martin’s, losing nearly all of their games, but this was in complete contrast to the fixture at Ashville, which closed the Saturday season. There we saw the girls play some great tennis and win some games on tie breaks.

where every single girl played tennis, the sun was shining and there were lots of smiles and laughs. Well done to all!

A particular highlight to the season was having the whole of the year, even those who were injured (!), at St Olave’s,

RS

Squad: Alexis Jagger, Lucy Brown, Ava Laverack, Emma McKay, Jess McDowell, Evie Taggart, Eleanor Broadbent, Amy Jordan, Izzy Scanlon, Emily Waldron, Manon Cesbron and Lucy Wedge.

SUMMER SPORT

BOYS’ TENNIS Senior Report 1ST TEAM = P5 / W2 / D1 / L2 2ND TEAM = P3 / W1 / D0 / L2

At senior level, in terms of our performance in national competitions, this year has been the most successful in the last twenty-five!

In the Senior Students AEGON winter competition, both the mixed doubles team (Oscar and Cordie Cavill, Tom Loten and Bryony Underwood/Tash Leach) and the boys’ team (Oscar, Jonty Atkinson, Tom and Oli PeekeVout) made it through to the last 16, and would have had a great chance of reaching the national finals had they avoided defending champions Strathallan (Perth). Hopefully, due to the distance between the schools, this won’t happen again in the regional knockout rounds!

In the Glanvill Cup summer competition, the boys’ team reached the Yorkshire/ Lancashire final before again falling one match from the national finals, as an

extremely highly rated team (based at the Graves Tennis Centre) from Notre Dame, Sheffield, proved just too strong for us.

In the U18 York League, we finished runners-up behind a very strong team from Poppleton Tennis Club (but really well played to Oscar for winning the top singles rubber in that match).

Sadly in routine school fixtures this term, when we were rarely at full strength due to Jonty and Tom playing 1st XI cricket.

Well played to all boys this year.

TML

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BOYS’ TENNIS Junior Report U14 TEAM = P3 / W1 / D0 / L2

The U15 AEGON team of Henry Palmer, Henry Bayston, Harry Kneeshaw and Jeffrey Tse defeated Bootham 4-2 but lost to group winners St Peter’s. In routine school fixtures, the U15s’ only defeat was against the same opponents, but victories were recorded against Silcoates, Barnard Castle and Woodhouse Grove. Henry Palmer and new boy Alejandro Herraez-Cortes were promoted to the 1st VI against Silcoates (winning two sets out of three), so the team did well to still record a fairly comfortable victory.

Ted Jibson and Archie Kneeshaw, but also featuring 1st years Tom Dyson and Henry Lunt, defeated Bootham on a tie-break shoot-out, after the match had finished level at three sets all. They went down to St Peter’s, against whom (albeit below full strength) we had triumphed 8-1 in an earlier school fixture.

The U13 AEGON team of Henry Kay, Harry Scutt, Tom Dyson and Henry Lunt defeated Bootham 5-1, but went down in a high-quality match to group winners St Olave’s. The only two routine school U13/U12 matches to survive the weather resulted in a comfortable victory at home to Woodhouse Grove and a narrow defeat at Barnard Castle.

The U14 York League team, usually comprising Max Genouville, Will Dare,

TML

Georgia Robson, Flo Bean and Naomi Allison, amongst others, become our standard-bearers for the senior side from September.

Thanks to Mrs Hallam, as ever, for successfully guiding and developing the sport here.

LACROSSE It is wonderful to see this sport take off so successfully at Pocklington. We are particularly fortunate to have had several strong exponents of the game in our ranks this year.

In the U6, we say goodbye to Anais Russell, Flo Judge-Clayden and Lizzie Watson, all of whom have been excellent value on the pitch and in their coaching of younger girls. We are also indebted to the enthusiasm and tenacity of Beth Noble, and wish her well as she continues her lacrosse journey next year.

The 4th form continue to provide promise and entertainment on many levels. We can safely say that they represent the future of the game here – and what a future! Consistent progress from Flo Colbeck, Grace Birch, Amy Johns and many others has been one of the highlights of the year.

Finally, it is heartening to see the 1st and 2nd years enjoying brief forays after school and on House Camp. Once the bug bites, it really takes!

Our match versus Queen Mary’s in January ended in a very close loss – leading us to believe that our first victory is certainly in sight! Well done to all who contested the game.

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LAL

SUMMER SPORT

ROUNDERS Seniors The seniors only had three planned matches this season. The first match against St Peter’s was just lost by two rounders. The match was an exciting game with some excellent batting from Nicole Marshall and Billie Cheney. Unfortunately, due to weather conditions, their second match against Ampleforth was cancelled. However, Pocklington came back fighting in their third match to win against St Peter’s and cancel out the opening loss.

The girls’ team spirit and enthusiasm

U15 We have been unbeaten this season, thanks to outstanding batting from Lily Dowdy and Verity Sowersby, and the team has generally been successful in stopping the other sides from scoring halves and full rounders.

Our

bowler,

Ellie

Summers,

and

U14 The girls have had a fantastic season, despite some players missing a few games due to tennis fixtures. All girls have played very well, stepping up their game massively from last year.

The quick fielding between first post to backpost, from Daisy Young and Katie

U13 The A team have had an unbeaten season, with the highlight being winning the Terrington tournament, in some difficult, wet conditions.

Brilliant bowling from the captain Izzy Prescott has seen minimal no balls and the impressive curve she has has caused many

for the game has been really impressive.

Nicole Marshall, Annabel Stewart, Angela Watson should be mentioned for their brilliant batting skills; Libby Rhodes, Izzy Jackson, Annabel Stewart, Georgia Brown and Jessie Bell for their excellent bowler and backstop combination and Ella Marshall, Maddy Ford, Tiggy Elwes for their exceptional skills as deeps. They demonstrated excellent fielding skills all season, developing into a fine unit of sweepers.

Outstanding girls of the season were Nicole Marshall, Billie Cheney and Libby Rhodes. backstop Emma Hanley provided the launch for successful fielding, from first base Tatti Addyman or Isobel Nicholson to second post. Our deep fielders Lily Dowdy, Anna Brown, Hattie Green, Mary Hallam, Phoebe Witty and Bea Nicholson dashed to throw and get opposition girls out.

Thanks also to the tennis girls who stepped in (Emma Farnsworth and William, definitely helped us to win our games as well as the rest of our team, who each had a big role to play. There were some great catches by Emilia Couttie, Evie Hirst and Bella Byass, getting many people out on many occasions.

Our only losses were against tough teams but these were by a very small amount and the team were always good sports.

As well as this, we had some great batting

A great season of rounders for a fantastic group of girls!

JK

Emma Stewart) when we did not have enough players. With their tennis hits, the ball went flying further!

We couldn’t have done it without Mrs Kilsby and Miss Duncan. A fantastic season!

Annie Wilcock

from everyone, always trying their best and winning us many games.

The team would like to say a big thank you to Miss Clarke for her enthusiasm and encouragement with her first official rounders team. A great season girls. Well done. Good luck next year!

Harriet Streicher

girls to miss the ball. This has then led to the phenomenal backstop and 1st post pairing of Taggy Medforth and Imogen Croston: what an unstoppable force!

have not had many games themselves, however, many players have stepped up to the A team and have also played in U12 and U13 mixed teams.

The rest of the team are all deserving of a mention. An amazing team who have done me proud!

A group of team players who have shown a big improvement. Well done girls!

Players who have played in the B team have been brilliant this term. They

LW

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SUMMER SPORT

ROUNDERS U12 This season all the girls worked hard and improved massively. It has been an amazing season for all of us.

Ruby Remblance (c) played bowler, Emma Mackay backstop, Charlotte Groombridge at 1st post, Hannah Hornshaw as 2nd post, Alexis Jagger at 3rd and Ailani Frost at 4th

post. All the girls were great at throwing and catching and were always switched on.

The first match we played was against Hymers. This was a great start to the season, as we had a terrific win 139.5. Emma Mackay threw brilliantly to Hannah Hornshaw who was always ready to catch it, giving us the advantage of being quick to get the players on the opposing side out. The B team also did very

well, winning most of their matches!

Thank you very much to Miss RomanBlencoe, Mrs Walker and Miss Shepherd.

And a big thank you to all the girls for working hard, turning up to practices and being willing to be a part of the team.

Ruby Remblance and Hannah Hornshaw

ATHLETICS

Overall, a really good season in which athletes have produced some excellent performances in a range of competitions, such as the England Schools Track & Field cup, NHMC and the Yorkshire and East Midlands championships.

LOWER SCHOOL ATHLETES Millie Addinall: 200m Brin Waldron: Shot Putt and 300m Zaira Gurung: Discus Billy Spruyt: Discus Bob Clarke: High Jump and 100m Harry Lee: 800m

Sports Day Families arrived on the school field with picnics in hand, ready to sit down and enjoy the afternoon’s sporting event which was organised by Mr Spruyt and his team of helpers. Mr Tomaszewski was in charge of the starting gun on the track and fired it for the last time, as he retires at the end of this term, after 27 years’ service.

The cold but sunny afternoon benefited the 2017 Namibia expedition team, who did a brisk trade in hot drinks and cakes, which were warmly appreciated by the

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MIDDLE SCHOOL ATHLETES India Esa: 200m and Long Jump Lawrence Mason: 200m and Javelin Ed James: 100m and Javelin Cameron Adams: Discus Hebe Quinney: Discus Bella Byass: Shot Putt Evie Hirst: 300m

cheering spectators. The team raised over £400 which will go towards development projects at the Namibian school where they will be working next year.

Pupils competed for their houses in track and field events and showed great sportsmanship and camaraderie as they cheered one another on to the finishing line.

There were some spectacular performances in what was a very competitive day.

Finally, when all the points from track and field events were collated, the winners were announced. This year, the competition was so close that all the individual cups were

MOST NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT Georgia Rothwell has qualified to compete in the English Schools competition again this year and will run in the Intermediate Girls’ 1500m event.

awarded to joint winners. For the first time in the history of the school, the Lower School Athletics Trophy was a tie between Dolman and Wilberforce. Hutton were winners of the Middle School Trophy.

However, Dolman House were deemed overall winner of the Champions Cup and were very proud to receive their trophy.

Altogether there were 16 new records (some of them overtaking long established records), nine on the track and seven on the field.

SS

WRAY CUP Best performer - Lower School Girl Millie Addinall Emily Waldron BRADLEY TROPHY Best performer - Lower School Boy Billy Spruyt Harry Lee TODD CHALLENGE TROPHY Best performer - Middle School Boy Lawrence Mason Edward James WOOD TROPHY Best performer - Middle School Girl India Esa Evie Hirst LOWER SCHOOL ATHLETICS TROPHY Lower School House Winners Dolman and Wilberforce HOUSE ATHLETICS TROPHY (first presented in 1919) Middle School House Winners Hutton CHAMPIONS CUP Overall House Winner Dolman

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DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD

On 29 August, we set out to Scotland to complete our final expedition. For four members of the group, including myself, this would be the last step in a long process which started over two years ago, when Mr Hall convinced us that Duke of Edinburgh would be a good idea. It is a good idea, and his sentiment was right, but when you’re sitting in a wet tent getting bitten to death by midges, it doesn’t quite seem as fun.

This year’s groups were hit by more than midges, however, as injury and illness plagued both the groups. The girls in particular, who started with seven members, ended up with just three. With Billie Cheney roped in to boost the numbers, and the D of E rules stating a minimum of four is required, Ben and Needler were forced to leave the lads’ group and join the girls.

As part of the award all group members had to complete two practices – one which took place in the Peak District and one in the Southern area of Dumfries and Galloway, in western Scotland. I think it’s safe to say that they didn’t start exactly as hoped – on the first night in the Peaks, the girls were dropped off at their campsite by minibus at 9:30pm, having got lost on the way; whilst 15 minutes into the lads’ one, Ben fell off a stepping stone and fell neck deep into a flowing river, struggling to keep his head above the water (still one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen!). However, these only served to motivate the groups and with the help of the BOLD Adventures staff, they completed the rest of the practice without too much drama.

The practice in Scotland was probably one of the saddest experiences of my life – the midges were horrendous, the weather was poor and to top it all off I found out halfway through we’d lost to Iceland in the last 16 of the Euros.

(Still hate Roy Hodgson for that.) As a boys’ group, it was here that our mood hit the lowest point, as blisters – which Chicken (Jack) moaned about all the time – and the sheer difficulty of it – which Chicken also moaned about all the time – finally began to hit home. It was a hard four days and after much swearing at Mr Hall, D of E and Scotland in general, we

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And so we started, setting out for what would hopefully be the last four-day expedition of our lives. Luckily for us, the weather held out and having completed two practices we were much better prepared – both groups having good campsites (including an abandoned castle), bringing the right amount of food and generally making it a lot easier for ourselves. The terrain was often difficult, with the girls offroading through dense forest, and the boys off-roading up a steep hill, but with good navigation skills and a more positive attitude both groups hit the finish without any problems, and were passed comfortably by our slightly odd external assessor, Max. Overall I think the D of E has been a beneficial experience for everyone involved. It has given me many things to write about on UCAS, which is

always good, but more importantly skills that can be transferred into later life. I’d like to thank Mr Hall for running it, and would recommend to anyone lower down the school to give it a go!

Groups: Adam Harrison, Ben Fawcett, Jack Medforth, Tom Needler, Jacob Brown, Dom Ward, Rob Smith, Billie Cheney, Angela Watson and Faye Chappelow.

Adam Harrison

DUKE OF EDINBURGH

GOLD

finally finished and progressed to the qualifying. (I think the girls’ morale was probably a bit higher than ours!)

DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD

SILVER A group of 13 of us embarked on the Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award at the end of our 4th year (Summer 2015).

There are four elements to the award: volunteering, learning a skill, physical activity and finally the expedition. After completing all of the sections above and going through training, we finally set off for our qualifying expedition in Scotland on 26 June 2016. It is fair to say that some of us were in desperate need of training as various skills that we would have to use on our expedition were lacking. However, the help that BOLD Adventures provided us with on our training ensured that we were prepared for the demands of the qualifying expedition.

When we arrived in the Galloway Hills, we were met with a familiar Scottish welcome – bad weather! To add to the challenge, we were also followed around the forest by huge swarms of midges, which for those who had forgotten to bring insect repellent proved to be a considerable problem.

Although the conditions were tough, the area in which we were walking hosted magnificent views and provided us with plenty of opportunities to achieve our group aim (re-enacting famous movie scenes). Both groups also managed to keep morale high with a masterclass in singing, frequently featuring a school favourite, Jerusalem. Furthermore, the gourmet-style cooking never failed to lift our spirits, with dishes ranging from pesto pasta to chicken korma and the possibility of brownies and custard for dessert!

After completing the expedition, the exhaustion started to set in, but we were welcomed onto the school minibus with a range of our favourite foods and Mr Bond’s excellent banter, which was especially appreciated! Although tiring, we all benefited hugely from the experience and the challenges it presented. The Duke of Edinburgh has given us many important life skills

such as teamwork and leadership and it would not have been possible without the support of Mr Hall and all of the teachers involved. As well as Mr Hall a massive thanks must go to Mr Davies, Miss Cheadle, Miss Lamb, Mr Braidwood-Smith, Mr Bond, Mr Bennett, Mrs Chenery, Sarah Lancaster, Olivia Gallen and two OPs, Emma Hutchinson and Clare Schofield, who all assisted with the process.

Silver Boys: Edward Dare, Kieran Wilde, Seb El Jassar, Billy Hughes, Thomas Bulmer, Max Crowther and William Falkingham.

Silver Girls: Katherine Fuller, Caitlin Kearney, Charlotte Robinson, Alex Moss, Beth Noble and Amy Xu. Edward Dare

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CCF

COMBINED CADET FORCE The highlights of another excellent year were as follows.

MICHAELMAS TERM • September 2015 – Sarah Lancaster appointed Contingent Cadet CSM, Ed Wightman second in command, with Frazer Skingley and Sophie Hamilton Heads of the RAF Section • October 2015 – The Army Section took part in the 15 (NE) Bde SAAM and came away with Silver medals in the Pairs Shoot and the Section Shoot,

with Oli Peeke-Vout winning the Gold Medal for Best Individual Shot • October 2015 – A Senior NCO team took part in the prestigious Black Rat Military Skills Competition, gaining second place and more medals, only losing by 3 points in 600

• March 2016 – A team of 4th form recruits took part in the Welbeck Leadership STEM competition and accounted for themselves with impressive commitment, coming third in this national competition

LENT TERM

SUMMER TERM

• February 2016 – Three RAF cadets, Jasmine Bunn, Charlotte Austin and Maxine Zong, attended the RAF East Area Leadership Training course Level 1 and 2 at RAF Wittering. Maxine received the ‘Most Improved Cadet’ award

• July 2016 – 30 Army cadets attended Annual Camp at Wathgill Army Training Centre, Catterick

• March 2016 – 22 cadets and 5 staff attended Keswick Convention Centre in

MRE

Army Summer Camp

afternoon we went rock climbing as well as playing volley ball and trying archery.

Wednesday’s range package consisted clay pigeon shooting, the DCCT (Dismounted Close Combat Trainer) and the Cadet GP Rifle at 100m and 200m. Tom Bulmer had a great shoot at the clay pigeon stand and we all enjoyed trying an ambush simulation.

On the first day we were thrown in the deep end. We carried out the six section battle drills and the senior cadets gave demonstrations on pair and individual fire and manoeuvres. Senior cadets gave lessons on how to move into a harbour area and we all enjoyed eating a ration pack dinner before ‘camming up’.

Throughout the night we sent out patrols, including a recce patrol lead by Sgt Jacob Brown, to find a secret code. The code was cracked back in the patrol harbour by WO2 Robert Smith and C/Sgt Angela Curtis. Using this information, Sgt Sam Ryan led a recce patrol to survey an area where a planned attack would take place the next morning. Rolling sentries ensured the harbour was safe.

On Tuesday we did various adventurous training activities. In the morning we were on (and sometimes in!) the water, kayaking and then raft building. In the

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Keswick for a week of outdoor activities

• July 2016 – Six RAF cadets attended Annual camp at RAF High Wycombe

On Thursday, Freddie Johnson led a puzzling tyre task and Millie Barnes led a task retrieving a bergen from a pool of lava with ropes. We also had a talk on WW1 as part of Op Reflect. In the afternoon we did some orienteering, seeing James Harrison and Fergus Croston set a record time.

We all thoroughly enjoyed Wathgill, developing our skills and having loads of fun, and can’t wait to return to camp next year.

Rob Smith

RAF

RAF We may be smaller in number than the Army Section but we have enthusiastic cadets who have developed their leadership skills and enjoyed the activities on offer, especially the flying, shooting the no 8 rifle on our indoor tube range, the DCCT range and the outdoor ranges at Strensall.

Special mention to new recruit, Cadet Livia Dytham, who seems incredibly at home behind the controls of the Grob Tutor aircraft. Corporal Will Blackburn continues his love affair with gliding, competing in national competitions

RAF Summer Camp Amy Xu, Charlotte Austin, Louisa Cullen, Jasmine Bunn and Olly Cockerill were accompanied by Flight Lieutenant Dare, Flying Officer Long and Pilot Officer Clarke to RAF High Wycombe in early July.

On a visit to the Fire Section, we learnt how and when to use different extinguishers and then how to evacuate a burning building. We paired up and entered the building, using heat detector goggles.

Wing Commander Evans joined us on Monday, when we visited Bomber Harris’ room. We then visited the Battle of Britain Bunker to see the underground operations room used during the Battle of Britain and D-Day. Tuesday was spent completing leadership tasks with the RAG Regiment, followed

and gaining podium finishes. He is a real talent with excellent technical knowledge matched with outstanding practical ability.

Sophie Hamilton led the section, ably assisted by Frazer Skingley and L6 cadets Jasmine Bunn, Will Blackburn, Dan Johns, Tom Robertson and Benji Smales. Being small, we just missed out on qualification for the annual competition at RAF College Cranwell.

In the Eastern Area Leadership Training (Levels 1 and 2) course at RAF Wittering, Charlotte Austin, Maxine Zong and Jasmine Bunn all acquitted themselves very well. My thanks must go to Amy Owen and her family: they

by First Aid on the battlefield, including demonstrations and a trip to the DCCT (Dismounted Close Combat Trainer) for a shooting competition. Olly Cockerill won Best Shot.

It was time to fly on Wednesday at RAF Benson. All cadets performed a few aerobatics over Oxford. We visited the Trenchard Museum on Thursday morning at RAF Halton, where we were also lucky to see training in preparation for a passing out parade the following week.

kindly hosted Maxine over the half-term holiday to enable Maxine to attend.

Teamwork in action!

When you see the smiles on the cadets’ faces after their first flight you know you are adding value. The RAF section has a bright future. Long may it continue!

PMLD “Great panoramic views, a great tutor and a very fun day overall! ” Olly Cockerill “I can’t wait to fly again.” Charlotte Austin

Clarke’s Tornado flight won the interflight competition. Our cadets did Pocklington proud and the staff would like to say thank you to all of them.

LEC ‘Great meeting all the Pock School cadets – all great people and good friends!’ Caitlin Baillie ‘It’s the best part of RAF when you get to meet different people and work together.’ Amy Xu

Friday was the climax of the inter-flight competition, with each drill sequence judged by the Station Warrant Officer.

As a treat, we spent Friday afternoon in London for sight-seeing and free time after a hectic week.

Louisa Cullen won Best Overall Cadet and a promotion, and the Best Female Cadet Award was won by Amy Xu. After a tough week, Pilot Officer

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CCF

CCF ADVENTUROUS TRAINING: KESWICK We started by spending a few hours with the Keswick Canoe and Bushcraft team at their camp up in Whinlatter Forest.

The cadets learnt how to set up shelters, taking into account the terrain and surroundings, the weather conditions and the equipment to hand. They used flints to make fires and cook tea. It was a very informative hands-on session and they learnt some useful practical skills, as well as having a great time!

The Keswick Convention Centre was to be our base for the week. After a hearty meal we went down to the local indoor climbing wall at the King Kong Climbing Centre in central Keswick.

They had a lesson on how to climb and belay safely and also were able to try out the indoor caving system.

Next day, we split into three groups to tackle Scafell Pike from Seathwaite.

Over the years, the walk and the view from the top have inspired writers such as Wordsworth, Coleridge, Baines and Wainwright; on a clear day, you can see Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and the Isle of Man! It was an exhilarating walk with plenty of snow en route Keswick cinema was the venue for a heroic action-thriller, ‘The Finest Hours’, the remarkable true story of the greatest small boat rescue in Coast Guard history. Thankfully we had been a lot drier up on the hills!

On subsequent days we went to Derwent Marina for a spot of raft building and kayaking. Cadets worked in teams to build their own raft using a selection of ropes, drums and poles. They then had to get their raft afloat and navigate

a short course on the lake before rushing to dismantle their rafts and tidy away all the kit. This was followed by the exhilaration of ghyll scrambling in Stoneycroft Ghyll. Whatever the weather, the ghyll is usually pretty cold and is not for the faint hearted, but most cadets proved more than up to the challenge.

We also spent an afternoon rock climbing and abseiling at Shepherd’s Crag, near Derwent Water. The cadets were able to put into practice everything they had learnt on the indoor climbing wall at the King Kong Centre.

Mountain biking in Whinlatter Forest was a big hit and the more intrepid riders were pleased to get some additional skills sessions so they could work on jumps and tricks. It has to be said that the weather conditions were not great but the pupils stuck at it and never gave up.

On Good Friday it was already time to leave the Convention Centre behind.

Rather than come straight back we took a detour via Aira Force and had a lovely walk following the path up past the beautiful waterfall and then on to Gowbarrow Hill (481 metres, 1578 ft).

Thanks to all who took part, not forgetting the staff. Mr Evans has to be thanked for many years of organising these trips. This year he was handing the baton to Miss Cheadle who did a wonderful job of arranging and coordinating the programme. Mr Bond has a wealth of local knowledge, not to mention his outdoor skills and geography knowledge and this trip has been an annual pilgrimage for him for many a year. Mr Kilsby as ever manned the kit van and sorted the transport. I always feel privileged to be part of such a trip: adventure training trips of this kind are invaluable to young people. In our increasingly busy, computer-led lives, it is always a pleasure to get back to nature!

PMD

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THE POCKLINGTONIAN

HOUSE CAMP

As in previous years, 1st year pupils enjoyed an active end to the term with five packed days on the beautiful Northumberland coast. Beach games, a boat trip to the Farne Islands, the Alnwick Castle visit and some competitive ‘footgolf’ kept pupils (and staff!) entertained in generally fine weather.

Our hotel at Bamburgh once again proved an excellent base for our trip.

The staff there are superb and made us feel entirely at home.

At Alnwick, we enjoyed decoding secret messages, a tour of the state rooms, a guided tour of the Hogwarts connection and some competitive team races. Our

HOUSE CAMP: NORTHUMBERLAND guide was particularly knowledgeable and held the group in the palm of his hand for the duration of his talk. I would also like to add here that Team Lamb and Team Kettlewell certainly won the overall challenge – entirely without bias!

The footgolf – a new activity for 2016 – worked really well and allowed everyone some fresh air on the way back from Bamburgh. I can’t say that I was any good, but several pupils have a future in the game…could it be an Olympic sport, in time?!

Thanks to all who participated and to Mr Hughes for organising the trip.

LAL

THE POCKLINGTONIAN

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LEAVERS

good lucnke! everyo 96

THE POCKLINGTONIAN

off

STAFF ON DUTY

Mistresses of the Universe (and Pock, on the side)

Starship Controller

I am the Firestarter!

What’s that coming over the hill...

Mad, bad and dangerous to field

Design central

Dolman Chief

Spot the ball competition #2016

The Dream Team!

Staff Meeting

Smiling Assassin

Exterminate! Exterminate!

Come on now. We really don’t have time for this...

Rare Work of Art spotted on Big Field

Just brewed

The roles of the different brand elements: logos

Pocklington School

School Coat of Arms

West Green

Pocklington

Pocklington School is a modern 21st century institution where our long history and rich sense of tradition remains a hugely valuable asset.

Telephone +44 1759 321200

Pocklington Prep School

Pocklington School (and Sixth Form)

This school identity is used to identify and market the Prep School. It takes a wheatsheaf from the Coat of Arms as its symbol to reflect the connection with our past and is used across all external and internal communications.

This school identity is used to identify and market the Senior School and Sixth Form. It takes a wheatsheaf from the Coat of Arms as its symbol to reflect the connection with our past and is used across all external and internal communications.

York

YO42 2NJ

www.pocklingtonschool.com

Our Coat of Arms has been redrawn to better meet the modern methods of communication, but used with care on our materials, it is an attractive and highly effective visual device for linking past and present.

Pocklington School Foundation Note: We also have a single colour outline version (right) that can be used in place of the full colour Coat of Arms (See page 5 for more details).

The Foundation logo represents the administrative side of the School and therefore has limited use but can provide an endorsement to dual or single school communications.

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