The Editors, Annika H and Nick H
16th March Open Morning
11th May Sports Day
17th May CCB Giving Day
19th May Mountain Challenge
8th June Open Morning
Welcome to the 2nd edition of the new Breconian, our termly newsletter written and prepared by pupils and staff.
Their aim is to keep all in the CCB community engaged with all aspects of their busy Enjoy!
The Lent Term provides some challenging conditions for our Adventurers at Christ College Brecon. Not easily discouraged, we have seen Years 10 and 11 commence a busy programme of Saturday adventure activities which included paddling, hillwalking, mountain biking and climbing. (Continued on page 1)
On the climbing front, we witnessed some outstanding displays of prowess in the House climbing competition, which saw Donaldson’s House and School House emerge as winners. Special mentions to our class individual winners, Efanna and Nick in the Seniors and Bea and Ferdie in the Juniors. They showcase some real talent, getting better every year.
Our Wednesday Adventure continues as our MTB team has switched from hard manual labour and trail building at the school downhill track, to getting some time in the saddle. This is a real growth area in our outdoor provision at CCB, enthusiastically and diligently driven forward by our very own Mr. Francis.
Finally, this year’s D of E participants are all signed up and beginning the completion of several award areas. Expedition training sessions are being completed during CCF time, in preparation for the eagerly anticipated expedition in May for our Bronze group whilst our Gold team is preparing for their practice expedition in April - we wish them all good luck.
The Lent Term has seen the CCF training programme excel swiftly with an emphasis on weapon handling and field skills such as basha construction. At the end of January, a group of senior cadets took part in a new activity - Exercise Gold Dragon - where they visited Manor Adventure at Llanwrtyd Wells and took part in a series of tasks designed to develop their leadership skills. Following our arrival at Manor Adventure, the cadets, accompanied by Sqn Ldr Cooper, Maj Kerr and Lt Goodrich, were split into two teams to undertake several introductory exercises, such as high ropes and the crate stack challenge.
The second day began with a heartycooked breakfast, followed by a short lecture from Maj Kerr on leadership, before the teams began their tasks for the day. These were spread out around the
town of Llanwrtyd and were more cerebral than the physical challenges the cadets had faced on their first night. On completion, the cadets returned to the Manor Adventure site to complete their final series of tasks. The exercise was undoubtedly a success and was thoroughly enjoyed by all those who took part. The importance of teamwork was evident and it will be good to see the senior cadets putting their newly honed leadership skills into practice as they begin to take over some of the instruction of the junior cadets from the CFAVs.
Afterwards came this year’s inter-house drill competition. The excellent standard of both turnout and drill displayed by all the houses was proof to the hard work put in by the cadets in the weeks leading up to the event. This year’s competition was the
closest we have seen for many years. A special mention must go to the squad leaders, many of whom were doing the job for the first time. The judge for this year, Capt. Andy Griffiths (Welsh Guards), was very impressed by both the standard of drill shown and the care taken by the cadets over their appearance. The winner was School House who retained the trophy from last year, whilst the award for the best squad leader was awarded to Cdt Cpl Holley of de Winton House.
Preparations are well underway for Exercise Black Dragon later this term, which will see some of our senior cadets, alongside pupils from the Haberdashers’ schools in Monmouth, take part in a joint training exercise designed to develop the cadets’ advanced fieldcraft skills.
For an unusually short Lent term, academic endeavour has been active and prosperous; it is heartening to report on the successes of Christ College once again.
The results of Oxford and Cambridge’s rigorous application processes were received this January, with five of our outstanding Upper Sixth awaiting their big news. Following his strong admission test and interview performances, Jack Organ was delighted to have secured his conditional offer to read English Language & Literature at the prestigious and beautiful Exeter College of Oxford University.
Head of English, Dr Evans, comments, “Jack is an extraordinary pupil: talented, disciplined and intellectually curious, he fully embraced his study of literature, approaching everything we put in front of him with serious engagement and authentic delight. He took any opportunity to broaden his horizons, including an extensive programme of wider reading and participating in literary competition at a national level (Jack came runner-up in the EMC Magazine’s close reading competition and was praised by Professor Elleke Boehmer (Wolfson College, Oxford) for showing ‘greater critical composure than other entries’). He approached the admissions process, which included three separate interviews with a panel of professors, with remarkable composure and confidence, and we are absolutely delighted that he has been awarded a place to study at Oxford.”
With exam season looming on the horizon, external paper preparation has become imperative for our Year 11 and Upper Sixth. An enhanced mock examination programme has tested the strengths and weaknesses of both year groups, hoping to set them up for the real success that awaits this summer, when it matters most. The immediate first couple of weeks saw Year 11 undergo their set of mock examinations first, with pupils conducting themselves impeccably. The typical Welsh weather in the depths of January will have caused further stress and tension no doubt, but students rose above the challenge to perform as best as possible. Careful and considered responses to teacher feedback will be this year group’s priority ahead of GCSE examinations commencing in May.
The newly revamped Library held Upper sixth mocks just after half term – proving the beneficial flexibility of the space and making a statement regarding its integrity to the wider life of the school. The calm, considered and purposeful approach of the pupils should be applauded; well done to all.
The eclectic range of trips and activities beyond the classroom, enriching the academic experience of our pupils, has continued to flourish. Swansea University’s annual ‘Top of the bench’ competition, held in collaboration with the Royal Society of Chemistry, saw our talented students battle-it-out against other pupils from across the region. Guided by the unwavering wisdom of Mr Laycock, presumably with a dash of his signature sarcasm, our teams performed adeptly in practical exercise before taking part in the year-group specific quiz competitions. A couple of stellar performances include Eric Xue, who was able to win the Year 9 quiz, alongside Freddie Melzer, finishing third in the Year 11 category.
The computer scientists of Christ College have made the whole school proud by taking on the notoriously challenging and distinguished Bebra Computational Thinking Skills Competition. A whole school assembly saw Gold awards distributed to our pupils who finished within the top 10% of the United Kingdom, an admirable feat considering this year’s 200,000 applicants. Andy Chow, Tyrell Cullum, Logan Fec, Shan Guo, Oscar Murphy and Charlie Thomas all deserve the greatest praise for achieving such success. Evan Ashdown has become a local legend after performing not only best in the school, but effectively best in the UK, ranking 135th, well within the top 1%. Seven pupils witnessed the next round of the competition at the end of January, with immediate awards handed out following the once again challenging tests. Well done to all involved for their willingness to go beyond the confines of their various courses and to challenge themselves in external, national competition.
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A positive relationship between Christ College and Shanghai Shangde Experimental School (SSES) has fruitfully developed during a first visit by a group of their students. As an international student, preparing for university life in UK bears many unknows and challenges, so SSES has expanded its internation curriculum by organising said immersion visits to UK schools such as CCB, aiming to provide a taste of the UK experience to its students. Fourteen SSES pupils were paired with respective Lower Sixth students, proudly acting as guides and ‘buddies’ for the week. The Chinese pupils engaged positively in a range of
different subjects and formed genuine bonds with peers and staff alike during their week-long visit. Mrs King and Mrs Hope accommodated the SSES students during their much-appreciated UCAS seminar, providing an insight into the process of applying to university here in
House debating, organized by Dr Evans, has forced itself into an annual highlight of the inter-house competition calendar. Rising above all, Sofia, Elsie and Efanna marked house debating as the territory of Donaldsons for the year of 2024. The superb final against Orchard saw all six speakers, including Jack, Harrison and Lewis, provide a breadth of rhetorical flourishes, a wealth of evidence and persuasive conclusions to advance their arguments. Special congratulations go to Elsie and Jack for being awarded joint speakers of the day.
Away from House competition, three teams of pupils drawn from our Senior Debating Society were involved in the Oxford University School’s Debating Competition. Commonly referred to as the pinnacle of school’s debating, 60 other teams in the round were all aiming for a taste of glory. Jack Organ and Tomos Feasy reigned success, placing within the
the UK. The group also attended a further range of co-curricular activities throughout the week. We’re looking forward to developing our partnership with SSES further next year and beyond and can reflect on a highly successful first visit to Christ College.
top seven schools in the round and gaining invitation to the final at the world-renown Oxford Union building in March. Let’s hope that the next edition of the Breconian will report victory! Good luck to you both.
The hockey season has been led by Mrs Hardman and Mr Ziegler. Mrs Hardman has been coaching the 1st team girls’ squad with Mr Ziegler overseeing the rest of the school’s sessions and fixtures. We have nothing but praise for girls hockey here in Christ College, with the U14 and U16 teams qualifying for regional finals and the U18 team advancing to the National Semi Finals. The U18 team has been consistently beating the old enemy Llandovery too, creating high spirits around the school. Our hockey heroes Tilly Corbett and Ben Mclean have both been selected for the final NAGS squad, proving their exceptional talent and dedication to the sport.
The netball court is an exciting place to be this year in Christ College. With both our U16 and U18 teams gearing up for the regional qualifier in Welshpool, excitement is building around the prospect of what is to come. All players are prepared to showcase their skills and fight for victory.
There is also a building buzz surrounding the upcoming tours, where an impressive 59 Alway students (including the Always boys hockey players) have registered to travel to Seaford College. Christ College also look forward to hosting the U12 and U13 Seaford girls for a mini-tour and triangular fixture against Lucton School. Let’s do this!
Once again, due to the shortness of this term, sport has been seemingly non-stop; there’s always another fixture on the weekend, always another tournament in a week’s time. The Lent term was kickstarted by House Cross Country, another pivotal event within the house competition calendar. The “all commers” race provided a more casual approach to those uninitiated to competitive running whilst also accommodating for the middledistance runners who did not fancy the longest route but could still embrace a competitive atmosphere. Named after David Richard Grant, the school’s now relentless theatre technician, the DRG is a race not for the faint hearted. Somewhere between 5 and 6 miles, the race truly encompasses the cross country style, with an uphill surge that seemingly never ends and 45-degree slopes which the runners tumble down whilst avoiding twisting an ankle. Joe Lloyd and Frankie Thompson, alongside Will Thomas and Efanna Hawking should all be immensely proud of winning the “all Commers” race and the “DRG” respectively. Who will take the crown next year?
There is plenty of news regarding boys’ rugby in CCB this term. The revered Millfield School came to us, taking part in development fixtures where our senior team won a 19-12 fixture, with our U15 and U16 squads narrowly losing despite their commendable performances. We also proudly sit atop the Welsh Schools and Colleges Development league within our table, a testament to the patience and determination of our players.
The Seaford Southern 10’s tournament however was not a time of success and praise, but rather reflection. Winning spirit turned into complacency, and the team were thrashed out of the plate semi-final, never showing a glimpse of urgency or desire. The long journey home created a time to evaluate what went wrong.
Thankfully, the squad had the biggest game of their lives just a week later,
Mr Bradley has turned Christ College basketball from nothing to everything, and he should be commended for such efforts. The senior team enjoyed a fantastic tour to Northampton, where they played and watched semi-professional basketball. The team have also engaged in a series of challenging games against formidable opponents such as the Ebbw Vale Warriors, Cardiff Sixth Form College, and Crickhowell High.
providing a channel to input the built-up emotion from the 10’s embarrassment. Llandovery Day, the pinnacle of rugby union at Christ College Brecon. And what a performance from every player on the field. Punishing attack and bruising defence resulted in a 17-16 win, a day never to be forgotten by those involved. Of recent, the CCB 7’s tournament on Sunday 11 February was a resounding success, featuring a stacked team list and thrilling 7s action throughout the day.
The Collegiate 7s tournament was another opportunity to rise to the occasion and the team earned commendation for their competitive spirit. Other notable achievements include Will Thomas selected for the Cardiff Rugby U16 squad, with Alfred Bateman-Lloyd, Nicholas Aled House and Ollie Rose representing Cardiff Rugby at the U18 level too.
Cricket is now run by Mr Steve Bradley. Firstly a special mention goes to Eve Jackson, who has been on fire representing the Senior Welsh Women’s squad in South Africa. Anyone who plays on the international stage deserves the largest of applauses. The U15s girls’ cricket team have already played in the National Indoor Regional competition where they demonstrated resilience and determination. We look forward to the U15’s tour to Jersey and a full fixture card in the summer.
As we delve into the heart of the Lent Term our Drama Department is filled with excitement and the spotlight was fixed on the Annual House Speech and Drama Competition, which took place on Thursday 8 February. This year's festival was an unforgettable experience featuring two exciting competitions. Junior houses Usk, Wye, and Taff went head-to-head, showcasing their talents in a battle for the title of Best Group Piece. For the senior houses, the stakes were higher as they competed across various categories including Monologue, Duologue, Poem, and Group Piece. Each house strived to be the overall house champion, earning valuable points toward the Annual House Competition. This year’s winners for the House Speech and Drama Festival were School House and Taff, showcasing outstanding performances.
We were also honoured to welcome the talented actress Devon Elise Johnson, who lent her expertise as the adjudicator for this year's festival. Her insights and feedback undoubtedly added a touch of professionalism to the event, providing valuable guidance to our aspiring performers.
In anticipation of the exciting collaborations ahead, we are thrilled to announce our upcoming Creative Arts Showcase 2024. This collaboration between the Drama and Music departments next term will celebrate the collective success of Drama and Music at CCB. Stay tuned for an evening that promises to be a delightful fusion of artistic expressions. We look forward to celebrating the talent and creativity within our Drama Department, witnessing the culmination of hard work, passion, and the sheer love for the dramatic arts.
Lunchtime rehearsal sessions have been happily busy, with guitar, wind, string and percussion groups continuing to rehearse throughout the week. The Alway band and Chapel Choir, which has now firmly established its serving members, have been using the post 4pm slots in order to rehearse for upcoming performances as well as the revered school services, occurring three times a week. Recently singing for the Chapel’s confirmation service, the choir are now proudly preparing for the Funeral of Old Breconian William Bush, which will be taking place at Brecon Cathedral on Saturday 17 February. Every member of the choir aims to sing with the passion and gusto of which the event deserves. A further note regarding the topic of singing: the Alway Choir have steadily lead Prep School services on Friday mornings, even performing some outstanding anthems on a couple of occasions. The school’s newest dose of music performance has continued to thrive. Despite only a small handful of performers each week, the size of the crowd has grown fruitfully, with staff and pupils enjoying moments of calm reflection throughout their busy schedules.
15 GCSE and A level musicians were extremely fortunate when given the opportunity to visit the world famous Rockfield recording studios on 1 February, just outside of Monmouth. Legendary bands Queen, The Stone Roses, Coldplay and Rush have made forever immortalized albums at the location. (Continued on page 11)
If gracing the presence of such monumental figures was not enough, the pupils were provided with the chance to appreciate and individually mix original recorded tracks from Queen’s “Killer Queen” and “Bohemian Rhapsody”, two massively acclaimed songs with the latter possibly the greatest pop song ever written. Alongside discovering fascinating stories of the antics of the superstar musicians, graciously told by the owner’s daughter Lisa and Tim the engineer and O.B., pupils spent the final part of the day recording their own compositions, experiencing the lives of performing musicians and sound engineers. The entire trip imprinted a lasting mark on the students, without a doubt to be repeated in the future.
The second half of the Lent term will be jam-packed with several more events ready to display our wonderful musicians. Singers from St Nicholas House will perform in the St David’s day Concert at the quant theatre in town, the Prep School Eisteddfod will contain several musical numbers, and the senior musicians of the school will grace the stage of the Neuadd during the Musician of the Year competition on Friday 23 February. The competition will be honoured to be adjudicated by Head of Keyboard at the RWCMD, Simon Phillippo. This year’s CCB gig once again promises to be an event to cherish, with studentled bands playing genres of music not often heard in schools these days. Last but not least, the various school ensembles and Chamber Choir will be performing at the Creative Arts Showcase on Thursday 14 March.
The accomplished Upper Sixth pianist Eleri Davies has been deservedly invited to a “piano day” at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff. She will take part in a Steinway & Sons sponsored masterclass trailblazed by the world renown Martin Roscoe, gifted with the chance to trial the infamously expensive instruments. Her day will be topped off with a tour of the College’s magnificent facilities as well as a short recital from esteemed senior musicians of the college itself.
As we started the Lent term, we welcomed this year’s gap students from AustraliaMiss Tremea Wood and Miss Jade Below. Miss Wood and Miss Below will be at the heart of Prep School life and we hope they enjoy their time here at Christ College.
In the classroom, our very youngest pupils in Years 1 and 2 have been studying dinosaurs this term. Always an extremely popular topic, the pupils learnt all about paleontologist, Mary Anning and capped off their inquiry with a trip to Cardiff Museum. Years 3 & 4’s focus this term has been on ‘Rivers and Mountains’, and what better place to develop their knowledge than on our own doorstep in Bannau Brycheiniog. As part of their studies, the pupils enjoyed a field trip along the River Usk, tracking its course and identifying its features. Meanwhile, pupils in Years 5 & 6 enjoyed learning about volcanoes, earthquakes and the water cycle. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed creating their own model volcanoes and staging mini eruptions in cross-curricular Science work.
On Monday 22 January, three Year 6 girls, Erin, Lexi and Elsie, organised a cake and book sale to raise money for St Nicks to adopt several endangered animals. The girls demonstrated their passion, drive and devotion in helping aid environmental issues.
On the sporting front, there have been competitive Under 11 and Under 9 football and netball fixtures against several independent schools including Moor Park, Rougemont, Hereford Cathedral, Howell’s and Cathedral School.
On 1 March, the Prep School Junior Choir were once again invited to sing alongside the Band of the Prince of Wales in a special St David’s Day concert. We were honoured to have been asked to be part of the proceedings, with the pupils doing themselves and the College proud.
Our annual Eisteddfod took place on Monday 4 March and was perhaps one of the highlights of the year so far. It provided the perfect opportunity for the pupils to get up and perform poetry, sing songs and perform instrumental pieces. The pupils came dressed in Welsh attire and the Neuadd was turned red with Welsh rugby shirts, Welsh dragons and Welsh costumes. We also celebrated World Book Day on Thursday 7 March, where pupils dressed up as their favourite book characters and spent the day taking part in reading-themed activities.
The third annual Christ College Brecon Mountain Challenge has opened registration for 2024. The event will be taking place on Sunday 19 May, starting and finishing in the heart of the school. Providing event control and communications will be The Brecon Mountain Rescue Team, also manning the checkpoints on route. Similar to the previous renditions, three routes will provide varying challenges for those taking part. Notably, the 10 mile race is low-level and geared towards family participants, with the preceding 23 mile route being extended to 26 miles, providing an intense test for the walkers and fell runners insane enough to take part.
The challenge is open to all Christ College Brecon staff, parents and pupils, with rules regarding student participation on the school’s website. As the event is open to the public, we encourage family and friend participation. Parents are welcome to take part with their children should they wish to do so.
You can enter via https://www.fabian4.co.uk/default.aspx?EventID=3646
Further details from Martyn Thomas or Chris Kerr (martyn.thomas@christcollegebrecon.com / chris.kerr@christcollegebrecon.com)
Assistance on the day would be greatly valued too. If you would be willing to run a lowlevel checkpoint, which is accessible by car, please let us know. Much appreciated.
On Giving Day 2023 parents, staff and Old Breconians donated a magnificent £10,000 to the Chapel and Heritage Fund, a fund that actively helps to preserve the school’s heritage. Their support is already making a difference to some of our precious artefacts. As well as restoration of the portrait of Col. J J Jones in the Dining Hall and refurbishment of the Phillips gates, the Bishop Lucy Flagon displayed in the Library foyer has recently been cleaned.
The silver gilt flagon, which would have held communion wine, was a gift from Bishop Lucy, who was Bishop of St Davids from the Restoration in 1660 to 1677. On display since the early 2000s, the flagon had suffered environmental surface tarnishing. Thanks to the support from the Chapel and Heritage Fund, the flagon has been cleaned. Additional museum-quality mitigation strategies in place will slow the tarnishing process and help to maintain its resplendent shine.
More recently, the chapel organ has had some attention. Installed by W G Vowles in 1873, the organ reached a century and a half at the end of last year. To celebrate the hundred and fiftieth birthday of this important member of the Christ College Community, the Chapel and Heritage Fund and the Estates Team have given it some well-earned treats.
One of the projects identified for Giving Day 2023 was an adjustable organ bench, much needed to suit organists of all shapes and sizes. Thanks to the support of a group of donors who gave specifically for the project to be achieved, the new bench is already making a difference to young learners as well as offering ergonomic comfort to more experienced organists. But that’s not all. Over the summer, the Estates Team achieved the installation of specialist humidity control that will prolong the life of the organ as the organ nears its second century.
We couldn't be more grateful for the willing support of all those who have donated to this important fund.
Giving day 2024, our second ever, is taking place on Friday 17 May. Raising £40,000 last year was monumental and we have ambitions to raise the bar and beat the figure this year.
We hope that all pupils, staff, parents and Old Breconians will embrace the opportunity to raise money for schoolrelated funds. The GD2024 website will be launched soon.
Please contact Martyn Thomas to sponsor a challenge martyn.thomas@christcollegebrecon.com
Annabelle S - Head of Donaldon’s House
Darci M - Head of deWinton House
Lewis H - Spirit Day Co-ordinator
Nick H - Editor of School Newsletter
Ollie R - Head of Hubs
Rhys P - Head of Alway
Tali E - Head of Orchard House
Tomos F - Head of School House
Mark G - Head of School
Megan R - Head of Hubs
Michelle K - Sacristan
Efanna H - Head of School
Emelia T - Head of St Nicholas House Harry H - Spirit Day Co-ordinator
Annika H - Editor of School Newsletter
Archana K - Head of Alway
Daniel C - Diversity & Inclusion