The Regsiter Trinity 2016 by RGSGUILD

THE

ISSUE 21 TRINITY 2016

The termly newsletter of the Royal Grammar School, Guildford

ACADEMIC

THE GODFATHER OF ALL TRIPS

ROBOT WARS

The memorable combination of climate, culture, cuisine and countryside ensured the Classics Department’s first trip to Sicily proved to be a great success. A tour of the stunning island, which was bathed in beautiful Mediterranean sunshine for the week, began with a visit to the Royal Palace and cathedral in Palermo and the monastery at Monreale. En route to Agrigento in the south west of the island the boys visited the Greek cities of Segesta and Selinunte with their magnificent temples and theatre. At Agrigento the breath-taking Valley of the Temples took centre stage, the highlight of which was the amazingly well preserved Temple of Concord. The seaside town of Giardini Naxos on the east coast of Sicily provided the base for the final few days of the trip. The Roman Villa del Casale showcased the best preserved Roman mosaics in the world; of particular note were the mosaics of the surprisingly modern-looking, bikini-clad female athletes. A packed itinerary included the archaeological park at Syracuse, the theatre at Taormina and finally a cable car, four-wheeled drive vehicle and a trek on Mount Etna saw the boys braving the freezing winds above the snow line.

An RGS team took part in the national Student Robotics competition run by Southampton University. Forty teams nationally and from as far afield as Germany competed in the UK’s biggest robotics competition which was held at Newbury Racecourse. After months of design, construction and programming, an autonomous

robot finally emerged ready to do battle using a camera to find boxes, flip them and return them to the home zone. In the finals the RGS competed in a series of league matches. Topping the table after the opening rounds, the RGS robot conquered all in the knock-out phase as the RGS team prevailed to claim the

prestigious trophy. Laurence Holland, Head of Electronics, commented: “This year’s challenge was especially difficult mechanically; the boys worked tirelessly designing, building and then refining the design to produce an extraordinarily technical robot which despite stiff competition emerged a worthy winner.”

AIRGROUND ATTRACTION To prepare for a year of ups and downs, taking some unexpected hits and frequently being out of control, the new Senior Prefect team visited Air Hop UK. As well as some more traditional school-based training, the new team is traditionally subjected to a physical teambuilding challenge which has ranged in recent years from the infra-red technology of Battlefield Live to vertigo-inducing high ropes. This year saw the students visiting the bespoke trampoline park with angled trampoline walls which can be bounced off as the four areas are tackled: the foam pit, Dodgeball area, main court and basketball slam dunk court. With somersaults – intentional and otherwise – frequently occurring and after being subjected to a range of challenges, the team emerged bruised, battered but relatively unscathed and ready to face the even more daunting test of monitoring the lunch queue at the RGS.

5 SCHOOL REPORT Art: Joseph Gibson won first place – and a trip to America – in the Schools category of the prestigious worldwide Glass Prize competition with a fused glass Captain America’s shield. Biology: In the Biology Olympiad, RGS boys have been awarded five gold, nine silver and five bronze medals. Mark Thornton has been selected for the UK International Biology Olympiad Team to compete in Vietnam as one the top four biologists in the country. In addition, Rufus Frew’s CREST Gold project on Identification of Genes reached the final of the National Science and Engineering Competition and his work was showcased to more than 70,000 people at the Big Bang Fair in the Birmingham NEC. His research was awarded the second overall prize.

Chemistry: An RGS team competed in the national final of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Top of the Bench competition. Out of 32 finalist schools from all regions of the UK, the RGS finished sixth; the standout performance was by Adam Wills who received the Jacqui Clee Award for Student Achievement. English: Nicholas Hall’s essay for the Connell Guides Prize on Brenda Last from Evelyn Waugh’s A Handful of Dust won first runner-up prize. The prizes were awarded by novelist Robert Harris.

Music: The inaugural RGS Organ Scholarship has been awarded to Nicholas Edwards. Nicholas signed the Scholars’ Register in the Chained Library to mark this occasion with the Headmaster as witness. Politics: George Clark had an article on the EU Referendum published by The Day, a daily news service for use in schools and colleges. The Day has around 1,300 subscribing schools and it is a real achievement for an article to be selected for publication.

Mathematics: In the national Junior Mathematics Challenge, from approximately 200,000 entries, Second Form boys received an impressive 44 gold, 36 silver and 27 bronze certificates. Top scorer was Ben Watkins and he now qualifies for the Junior Olympiad, along with Ellis Baker, Charles Bird and Angus Norbury.

DRAMA

MUSIC

DNA PRODUCTION Right from the emotive opening music and the first words “Dead? ...Like dead dead.”, DNA sucked the audience into the desolate and warped worlds of a group of teenagers who, when faced with the prospect of prison, decide to cover up the death of their friend. Visually, the production was engaging; pools of light highlighted the tensions felt and the chaos of the dirt-strewn set reflected the uncertainty on stage. The actors conveyed the diversity of personalities – fluctuating from bravado to insecurity – with empathy and no little

attitude, none more so than Richard and Mark, powerfully played by George Tench and Daniel Sampson respectively. As guilt and madness increasingly poisoned the group dynamic so self-interest, peer pressure and corruption were explored. Joseph Ruddy was creepily entertaining and intense as the mostly mute and eccentric Phil who obsessively stuffed his face with junk food. Advay Saxena portrayed the honesty and morality of Lee: a character all the more demanding as dialogues became monologues in the absence of response from

Phil. As the play drew to a close, Dominic Baker gave an arresting performance as the victim Adam: weak, confused and staggering. The play proved to be a convincing, thoughtprovoking and unnervingly realistic portrayal of the power of teenage group mentality, all the more sinister for the undercurrent of black humour and the earthy grittiness of the dialogue. A talented group of actors richly deserved the sustained applause on successive nights.

CHORUS OF APPROVAL

THE

A sell-out audience was treated to a thrilling performance of Verdi’s Requiem as the 420-strong choir and orchestra, comprising students, parents and staff, took to the stage of G Live. Any performance of the spectacular nineteenth-century masterpiece is a significant undertaking, but the magnificent rendition by the joint forces of the RGS and Guildford High School was emotive, powerful and inspiring by turn as the astonishing maturity and technical mastery of the playing were evident. Conducted by Directors of Music, Peter White and Grayson

Jones, the choir and orchestra were supported by the four soloists: Soprano Claire Rutter, Mezzo-Soprano Susanna Spicer, Tenor Matthew Sandy and Bass Stephen Gadd. Susanna, who has performed the work in many of the world’s greatest concert halls, commented: “I was buoyed by the general output from behind me, which was phenomenal. The choir was great, of course, but the orchestra was extraordinary for an almost exclusively pupil set-up. We were all extremely impressed; they did much better than a lot of professional bands, and that’s saying a lot.”

CONTENTS

Academic 4 School Report

Drama 6

Music 8

Events 11

Sport 12 Sports Shorts

Art 14

Charity 15 And Finally

PAGE TITLE

EVENTS

SPORT

SPARKLING OCCASION

SWEET SUCCESS This cricket term experienced the season of all seasons with three contrasting months: freezing April; reasonably warm May and rain-drenched June. With a highly competitive fixture list, boys had the chance to challenge themselves against the best schoolboy cricketers in London and the south east. Particular highlights included the 1st XI captain, Alexander Sweet, rounding off – after four years in the 1st XI – a sparkling RGS cricket career with a succession of impressive innings with both bat and ball including a century against Hampton School and then 104 against KCS Wimbledon as well as taking 5-27 in the same match. In addition, Alastair Curran scored his maiden century of 124* for 1st XI against Trinity School. With the ball, notable, match-winning performances by Jake Sloggett who took 6 – 23 for the Under 14A team against Hurst School, Barnaby Dunnett with 5 – 4 for the Under 13Bs against Eltham School and Eric Robert’s 5 – 33 for the Under 15Bs against Reed’s School. Chris Sandbach, Head of Cricket, commented: “It has been extremely satisfying to observe the exuberance and energy of the teams as they have worked upon, and put into practice, the more technical and tactical areas of the game. I would like to thank all the boys and staff for playing this wonderful sport in the right spirit all term.”\

As traditional and quintessentially English as Ascot, Henley and Wimbledon and with a strict dress code to match, the who’s who of RGS donned black tie for the event of the summer. Even the traditional vagaries of the weather failed to dampen spirits, as other than a few short, sharp showers guests were bathed in sunshine. With the new and old buildings of the School having received their annual radical and impressive make-over, the RGS was once again ready to host the Leavers’ Ball and to thank formally the boys and the parents, many of whom were coming to the end of a seven-year, or longer, association with the School. After the formal Leavers’ Ceremony in Holy Trinity Church, the boys were joined by their guests for a drinks reception which signalled the start to the Ball. With the Great Hall transformed into a casino, the Auditorium a dance floor and the Headmaster’s Lawn a sophisticated drinks reception, guests enjoyed an evening where reminiscing gave way to live music and dancing. The climax of the evening, for only the second time in the School’s history, was a glittering firework display – accompanied by Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture – which lit up the night sky of Guildford and provided the perfect culmination to a stunning evening.

SWEET SUCCESS

JUMPING FOR JOY The day after flash floods, thunder and lightning had brought Surrey to a grinding halt, an explosion of colour and bespoke sunglasses greeted the athletes on a perfect summer’s day as Guildford Spectrum once again provided the setting for Sports Day. The pinnacle of all house competitions, the boys participated and cheered as energetically and enthusiastically as ever. High-level athletics were accompanied by an equally impressive range of ice-creams which provided the perfect fuel for high-level performance. Fuelled by such a sugar rush, there were some notable individual achievements, especially in jumping events, including school records for First Former Max Windle with 8.05m in the shot, Third Former Matthew Harris with 10.84m in the triple jump on his first everattempt at the discipline and Fourth Former Henry Doyle with 35.90m in the javelin. Despite the impassioned and effervescent efforts of the Housemasters, only one House could emerge victorious and, after a tense finale, Beckingham House continued their recent good form by winning back-to-back Sports Days after finally ending Powell’s eleven year dominance of the competition last year. The shield was presented to the victorious House Captain of Beckingham, Alexander Peer, by the Mayor of Guildford.

12 SPORTS SHORTS Badminton: Christopher Chong won gold in the England Essex Open Under 14 Boys Singles. He also participated in the inaugural National Junior League competition where he helped his team win gold in both the Under 16 and Under 14 sections. Chess: James Golding and his brother Alexander, who will be joining the RGS in September, have been invited by the English Chess Federation to represent England in the European Youth Chess Championships 2016 in Prague. Fencing: Leo Kamstra won a bronze medal in the Tournoi International d’épée, held

Weightlifting: Christopher Murray has qualified for the European Youth Championships in Poland and the World Youth Championships in Malaysia in the 69kg weightlifting category.

CHARITY

Over half-term, Messrs Gough, Rothwell and Shakeri visited our partner schools in Nepal. Two days were spent in Janabikas government school in Chandidanda and in Bhu Pu school in Besisahar itself. The RGS staff were overwhelmed by the warmth of the welcome received and were physically overwhelmed by the volume of flowers offered by students and staff in the traditional Nepali welcome: flowers which had been collected individually by the students themselves during the dry season when flowers are scarce. As well as observations and various visits, the highlight of the whole trip was the Saturday, where, on their only day off of the week, 63 teachers from 10 different schools in Besisahar climbed up to Janabikas to have a day’s training from the three RGS staff. The training session – including the use of lessons filmed at the RGS which delivered technology-free teaching that was easily transferable to Nepali schools – covered the basics of planning, teaching, assessment and behaviour management and was translated into Nepali by teachers from our partner schools. The feedback was universally positive and provided inspiration for further initiatives in the future.

From encountering a set of dismembered skulls on the Headmaster’s Lawn to artwork of quite extraordinary technical mastery, guests were continually challenged and enthralled by the high quality of work on display. The Private View of the Art Exhibition once again gave the opportunity to showcase work of extraordinary quality to an appreciative audience of boys, staff, governors, parents and guests. The exhibition displayed some of the finest pieces of the GCSE, AS and A Level students, many of whom were on hand to provide context and insight into their work. To pick out any highlights from so many exceptional pieces would be invidious, however, particularly noteworthy was Installation by Nicholas Hall. Inspired by the work of Andrew Thomas Huang, Nicholas explored the relationship between anatomy, environment and landscape and the subversive union of passivity and aggression and their interplay. In addition, the astonishing self-portraits by Ben and James Barnwell, and also by Hans Hu, would not have looked out of place in a professional gallery. A beautiful summer’s evening provided an idyllic backdrop to an event where canapés and drinks were the perfect accompaniment to a stroll through the Art School.

Rugby: Charlie Hubbard played for London Irish Academy against Worcester, and in tournaments at Bristol and Harrow. In light of these performances, he has been selected for the London Irish Under 16 Academy pre-

Swimming: Max Windle competed in the South-East Regional Championships winning an astonishing three gold, four silver and one bronze medal. He is now training hard in preparation for the Nationals in Sheffield.

MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER

Mountain Biking: Charles Griffith won another southern region enduro mountain bike competition and is now leading the series.

season training squad.

ART

YOU’VE BEEN FRAMED

AND FINALLY ... RGS Guildford @RGSGuildford Jun 22

RGS Guildford @RGSGuildford May 25

RGS Guildford @RGSGuildford Jun 17

#RGSGuildford

#RGSDoE

#RGSCharity

Really looking forward to welcoming all the new boys and their parents to the RGS this afternoon.

The Headmaster & Mr Yetman at Buckingham Palace with Sian Williams celebrating the 60th Anniversary @DofE.

Just another day as a teacher: the anticipation followed by the reality #spongeateacher

CHEER-RIO At a time when the RGS is actively embracing and nurturing such intrinsically valuable habits as tenacity, creativity, precision, imitation, independence and reacting positively to failure, the annual Great RGS Bake Off provided the ultimate test of all of these and more! With the Rio-inspired theme, cakes reflected colourfully the geography, culture and flavours of Brazil as well as the forthcoming Olympics. For the first time the competition was opened up to students as well as staff. The standard across the board was extraordinary as the Classics Department double-double-barrelled double act of Sarah Besly-Quick and Natacha Goul-Wheeker took first place with a Copacabana Caipirinha cake: a white rum, mint and lime-infused Genoese sponge. Other highlights included a highly decorated blueberry swimming pool and an impressive flip flop cake. In the student competition, first prize was awarded to Alejandro Scholfield Perez who impressed judges with taste, presentation and wow factor of his football-inspired cake. As the post event clean-up operation continued across kitchens throughout Surrey, the event proved a great success both for the nominated charities and the boys who spent a day devoted to dedicated cake consumption.

RGS Guildford @RGSGuildford Jun 13

RGS Guildford @RGSGuildford May 28

#RGSEcology

#RGSOGs

Total transformation from RGS students to RGS surfing duties.

An impressive stag beetle fails to take heed of the signs.

Jack Clifford wins his first start in 6 caps at No. 8 for England against Wales tomorrow at Twickenham.

RGS Guildford @RGSGuildford May 25

RGS Guildford @RGSGuildford Jun 17

RGS Guildford @RGSGuildford May 23

#RGSECA

#RGSCharity

#RGSFieldDay

RGS boys hone the important art of pulling a few strings to get them to where they want to be.

Rarely have charity and fashion walked so comfortably together: significant sums raised in the process.

A perfect day for wellies: a South African gumboot dance workshop at the Guildhall @inspireworksuk.

8 www.rgs-guildford.co.uk

RGS Guildford @RGSGuildford Jun 13

#RGSECA

@RGSGuildford

RGS Guildford

Registered Charity No. 312028

THE HEADMASTER WRITES ... Throughout history, mankind has craved a visual record of events, from the very earliest prehistoric cave drawings, all the way through to modern twentyfirst century passing fashions where every notable monument or occasion is dazzled by the flashlight of laptops, smartphones and selfie-sticks. This could not be more true of the current climate where rather than enjoying an event for its own sake, the focus has shifted to capturing an individual’s personal involvement and then sharing this with others online. The obsession with the egocentric nature of photography and social media has coincided, in turn, with the endless quest for hollow celebrity status and popularity, and this cannot be a good thing.

And yet for schools, this focus on the individual and individuals is at the heart of pictorial records. Although monuments and events are of intrinsic interest, we want to experience the human element: the emotional and reactional impact it has upon our boys. As I look through the images of RGS students in this publication, I am struck by the natural enthusiasm and engagement of the boys. They do not smile because they are told to, rather their default position is one where they absorb and appreciate the varied opportunities which are open to them at the RGS.

nurture an inward-looking, narcissistic culture and yet the self-portraits on display currently in the exhibition in the Art School perhaps best indicate where attention on the individual is merited when raw talent, hard work and dedication produce something which is truly worthy of accolade.

This edition of The Register provides many such snapshots where isolated freeze-frames provide just an insight into a far more diverse experience which is shared collaboratively. We should never

ACADEMIC

THE GODFATHER OF ALL TRIPS The memorable combination of climate, culture, cuisine and countryside ensured the Classics Department’s first trip to Sicily proved to be a great success. A tour of the stunning island, which was bathed in beautiful Mediterranean sunshine for the week, began with a visit to the Royal Palace and cathedral in Palermo and the monastery at Monreale. En route to Agrigento in the south west of the island the boys visited the Greek cities of Segesta and Selinunte with their magnificent temples and theatre. At Agrigento the breath-taking Valley of the Temples took centre stage, the highlight of which was the amazingly well preserved Temple of Concord. The seaside town of Giardini Naxos on the east coast of Sicily provided the base for the final few days of the trip. The Roman Villa del Casale showcased the best preserved Roman mosaics in the world; of particular note were the mosaics of the surprisingly modern-looking, bikini-clad female athletes. A packed itinerary included the archaeological park at Syracuse, the theatre at Taormina and finally a cable car, four-wheeled drive vehicle and a trek on Mount Etna saw the boys braving the freezing winds above the snow line.

ACADEMIC

ROBOT WARS An RGS team took part in the national Student Robotics competition run by Southampton University. Forty teams nationally and from as far afield as Germany competed in the UK’s biggest robotics competition which was held at Newbury Racecourse. After months of design, construction and programming, an autonomous

SCHOOL REPORT Art: Joseph Gibson won first place – and a trip to America – in the Schools category of the prestigious worldwide Glass Prize competition with a fused glass Captain America’s shield. Biology: In the Biology Olympiad, RGS boys have been awarded five gold, nine silver and five bronze medals. Mark Thornton has been selected for the UK International Biology Olympiad Team to compete in Vietnam as one the top four biologists in the country. In addition, Rufus Frew’s CREST Gold project on Identification of Genes reached the final of the National Science and Engineering Competition and his work was showcased to more than 70,000 people at the Big Bang Fair in the Birmingham NEC. His research was awarded the second overall prize.

DRAMA

PRINCE CHARMING Comedic and emotive by turn, Le Petit Prince captured effortlessly the childlike fantasy and the deeper moral and spiritual nuance of this renowned play through a talented cast of actors of all age groups. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s masterpiece, first published in 1943 and one of the most-translated books in the world, depicts a world in which a pilot stranded in the desert meets a young prince fallen to Earth from a tiny asteroid. From the confident opening scene by the aviator, Nicholas Hall, the audience was whisked around the planets as The Little Prince, Oliver Jansen, reflected upon a succession of eccentric and idiosyncratic characters encountered on other planets from a conceited man to a lamplighter. The story was knitted together by the narrator, Matthew Sargent, effusive with expression and gesture. Highly effective costumes, lighting and sound further evoked an atmosphere of other-worldly fantasy, none more so than during the excellent staging of the moody echoing cave and garden flower scenes. As the play drew to a close, the arrival of the fox, Benjamin Banks, highlighted many of the central themes of human relationships – loneliness, friendship, love, and loss – as the fox commented: “One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eyes.”

SILENCE IS GOLDEN The GCSE Drama cohort performed Shut Up by Andrew Payne, a play about a boy, Dexter, who decides to stop talking; ironically, his silence becomes more eloquent than any of the babble that surrounds him. Dexter is harried and pressured by many people – parents, teachers, classmates, shrinks and doctors – who are talking at him all the time but what they are saying is evasive, selfserving and often downright lies. The background to all this babble is television: the incessant, subliminal soundtrack in millions of homes, squatting there in the corner, seducing, bullying and cajoling night and day. Nancy McClean, Head of Drama, commented: “The boys did a fantastic job in revealing the humour and comedy in the writing as well as exposing the darker truths and issues raised in the play. The boys’ delivery of the sharp script and timing revealed a sensitivity and maturity which did them all great credit.”

MUSIC

CHORUS OF APPROVAL A sell-out audience was treated to a thrilling performance of Verdi’s Requiem as the 420-strong choir and orchestra, comprising students, parents and staff, took to the stage of G Live. Any performance of the spectacular nineteenth-century masterpiece is a significant undertaking, but the magnificent rendition by the joint forces of the RGS and Guildford High School was emotive, powerful and inspiring by turn as the astonishing maturity and technical mastery of the playing were evident. Conducted by Directors of Music, Peter White and Grayson

MUSIC

EXTRA-CURRICULAR

A TRUE CLASSIC For an all-boys school to perform a seventeenth century opera with a cast including shepherdesses and Little Cupids is, perhaps, not an obvious choice. Beyond simple casting issues, lie the fraught waters of stylistic accuracy, complex recitative passages and extremely demanding vocal lines, but completely undaunted by such challenges Sam Orchard directed an astonishingly impressive performance of John Blow’s Venus and Adonis. There were stand-out performances from James Hancock, whose warm tone and real sense of line produced an utterly convincing Adonis, and Matthew Sargent as Cupid with his amazingly secure and flexible counter-tenor voice. Other soloists, stepping forward from an extremely impressive chorus, and performing with great style and confidence included Matthew Hawkins, Ridley Hymas and Yousuf Mirza. The RGS was also fortunate to welcome soprano Bethan Thomas back to the RGS as Venus; as always her sublimely controlled and often very moving performance was one of the highlights of the evening. Supported by a phenomenally talented orchestra, led by Callum Holmes, which seemed utterly at ease with the demands of the baroque style, the evening also included performances of Blow’s Ground in G minor and his exquisite setting of Dryden’s Chloe found Amintas lying all in tears.

PARADE GLOSS The biennial inspection, which took place on Field Day 4, provided a chance to showcase the diversity of experience on offer as the RGS welcomed Air Vice-Marshal Andrew Turner CBE to inspect the RGS Combined Cadet Force. Cadets from all three sections were involved in activities including a night navigation exercise, leadership and teamwork tasks, flight simulators, shooting, laser tag rifle, field craft, a battlefield simulation exercise, an assault course and water-based activities at Papercourt Lake. It was testament to the boys and staff that their dedication and conduct were particularly noted during what proved to be a very successful inspection. Contingent Commander, Lt Cdr (CCF) Steve Yetman RNR noted: “The CCF remains a vibrant part of the School’s extra-curricular provision and still epitomises so many of the core values of the RGS: service, personal development and opportunity. The diversity of opportunity for the boys is remarkable and for this I am grateful to the staff for their expertise, energy and devotion.”

EVENTS

SPARKLING OCCASION

SPORT

SPORTS SHORTS Badminton: Christopher Chong won gold in the England Essex Open Under 14 Boys Singles. He also participated in the inaugural National Junior League competition where he helped his team win gold in both the Under 16 and Under 14 sections. Chess: James Golding and his brother Alexander, who will be joining the RGS in September, have been invited by the English Chess Federation to represent England in the European Youth Chess Championships 2016 in Prague. Fencing: Leo Kamstra won a bronze medal in the Tournoi International d’épée, held

in Luxembourg. Leo is the first RGS boy to win a medal in an international fencing competition. In the Under 20 GB qualification tournament, Peter Robinson finished eighth: the first time Peter has reached the quarterfinals at this level. Mountain Biking: Charles Griffith won another southern region enduro mountain bike competition and is now leading the series. Rugby: Charlie Hubbard played for London Irish Academy against Worcester, and in tournaments at Bristol and Harrow. In light of these performances, he has been selected for the London Irish Under 16 Academy pre-

season training squad. Swimming: Max Windle competed in the South-East Regional Championships winning an astonishing three gold, four silver and one bronze medal. He is now training hard in preparation for the Nationals in Sheffield. Weightlifting: Christopher Murray has qualified for the European Youth Championships in Poland and the World Youth Championships in Malaysia in the 69kg weightlifting category.

ART

YOU’VE BEEN FRAMED From encountering a set of dismembered skulls on the Headmaster’s Lawn to artwork of quite extraordinary technical mastery, guests were continually challenged and enthralled by the high quality of work on display. The Private View of the Art Exhibition once again gave the opportunity to showcase work of extraordinary quality to an appreciative audience of boys, staff, governors, parents and guests. The exhibition displayed some of the finest pieces of the GCSE, AS and A Level students, many of whom were on hand to provide context and insight into their work. To pick out any highlights from so many exceptional pieces would be invidious, however, particularly noteworthy was Installation by Nicholas Hall. Inspired by the work of Andrew Thomas Huang, Nicholas explored the relationship between anatomy, environment and landscape and the subversive union of passivity and aggression and their interplay. In addition, the astonishing self-portraits by Ben and James Barnwell, and also by Hans Hu, would not have looked out of place in a professional gallery. A beautiful summer’s evening provided an idyllic backdrop to an event where canapés and drinks were the perfect accompaniment to a stroll through the Art School. 14

CHARITY

MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER Over half-term, Messrs Gough, Rothwell and Shakeri visited our partner schools in Nepal. Two days were spent in Janabikas government school in Chandidanda and in Bhu Pu school in Besisahar itself. The RGS staff were overwhelmed by the warmth of the welcome received and were physically overwhelmed by the volume of flowers offered by students and staff in the traditional Nepali welcome: flowers which had been collected individually by the students themselves during the dry season when flowers are scarce. As well as observations and various visits, the highlight of the whole trip was the Saturday, where, on their only day off of the week, 63 teachers from 10 different schools in Besisahar climbed up to Janabikas to have a day’s training from the three RGS staff. The training session – including the use of lessons filmed at the RGS which delivered technology-free teaching that was easily transferable to Nepali schools – covered the basics of planning, teaching, assessment and behaviour management and was translated into Nepali by teachers from our partner schools. The feedback was universally positive and provided inspiration for further initiatives in the future.

AND FINALLY ... RGS Guildford @RGSGuildford Jun 22

RGS Guildford @RGSGuildford May 25

RGS Guildford @RGSGuildford Jun 17

#RGSGuildford

#RGSDoE

#RGSCharity

Really looking forward to welcoming all the new boys and their parents to the RGS this afternoon.

The Headmaster & Mr Yetman at Buckingham Palace with Sian Williams celebrating the 60th Anniversary @DofE.

Just another day as a teacher: the anticipation followed by the reality #spongeateacher

RGS Guildford @RGSGuildford Jun 13

RGS Guildford @RGSGuildford May 28

#RGSECA

#RGSEcology

#RGSOGs

Total transformation from RGS students to RGS surfing duties.

An impressive stag beetle fails to take heed of the signs.

Jack Clifford wins his first start in 6 caps at No. 8 for England against Wales tomorrow at Twickenham.

RGS Guildford @RGSGuildford May 25

RGS Guildford @RGSGuildford Jun 17

RGS Guildford @RGSGuildford May 23

#RGSECA

#RGSCharity

#RGSFieldDay

RGS boys hone the important art of pulling a few strings to get them to where they want to be.

Rarely have charity and fashion walked so comfortably together: significant sums raised in the process.

A perfect day for wellies: a South African gumboot dance workshop at the Guildhall @inspireworksuk.

8 www.rgs-guildford.co.uk @RGSGuildford

RGS Guildford

Registered Charity No. 312028