Stamfordian 2017 by Stamford Endowed Schools

S T A M F O R D

E N D O W E D

S C H O O L S

A YEAR OF STUDIES, SPORT, DRAMA, TEACHERS, STUDENTS, HOUSES AND COMMUNITY

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WELCOME TO THE

ello and welcome to The Stamfordian 2017, an edition crammed with events, achievements and an insight into life at Stamford High School and Stamford School. Written by both students and teachers, but read by all, we hope the contents will provide an interesting and entertaining overview of the Schools during the academic year 2016/17. Here you will learn of the trips to far reaching corners of the world, events within our community, friendly house rivalries, not so friendly sporting rivalries, and the creative and academic achievements and passions of the members of our Schools. The Stamfordian is a representation of the the senior Schools as a whole, but, more importantly, a representation

of students and their individual careers across the Schools. This year, ‘Rising Stars’ shine throughout the edition, representatives of their broad range of interests, providing a face and personality to the events of this year. In this edition, a new ‘Staffordian’ section has been introduced – written by students, about the teachers, it gives a view into the personal lives of staff old and new, past and present, of the Senior Schools. This edition is all about providing a face and name to aspects of the School, and would not be complete without an introduction to our editorial team. Working alongside staff and pupils alike, we have been dedicated to the design, content and publication of this edition to make it the best it can be. Both Stamford School and Stamford High School have come together, as a team, to unite the Schools and to produce this magazine for our community. We hope it will be read by pupils, staff, parents, alumni and future members of the Schools, but, most of all, we hope for it to be enjoyed and cherished as a reminder of the wins and losses, achievements, celebrations, and highlights of the school year. ALICE WIBBERLEY EDITORIAL TEAM Alice Wibberley, Amelia Findlay, Beth Gunther, Charlie Germany, Daisy Jowers, Holly Smyth, Jay Clipston, Lara Monahan, Nana Aboagye, Robbie Curtis, Sam Talbot, Toby Ashcroft

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WELCOME

F RO M T H E P R I N C I PA L

e describe the Stamford Endowed Schools as ‘independent schools for independent minds’. This is greatly in evidence in this second publication of The Stamfordian which reflects the close ties between our two senior Schools, as well as highlighting the individuality of each. Recording notable events, celebrating success stories and daily life, as well as capturing the attitude and philosophy of the Schools, all reliably reported on by students themselves, forms an invaluable document for future generations. In one publication we see the uniqueness of each School and the independence of mind of our pupils, whilst being reassured by the joint values and approaches that all three of our Schools share. In particular, it is good to see our students reporting on life outside the classroom and the diverse and extensive activities that they participate in. ‘Becoming Stamford’ (it has its own Twitter hashtag) remains a key theme for us. It does not mean amalgamation, but alignment, which is extremely important to the symbiosis of the Schools. At the same time, it supports each School’s uniqueness and strengthens the power of our diamond structure. Our three Schools work together to provide the best of all worlds in how we educate our pupils. This magazine (as well as The Young Stamfordian) is a brilliant example of one of the many alignments we

have seen recently and I am delighted to be able to share this edition with you. We have much to be proud of in our Schools and The Stamfordian is testament to the hard work by all involved in our academic and extensive co-curricular educational community – the dedicated staff, visionary head teachers, hardworking and gregarious students and engaged parents. Adorned on this publication, as you will find all over the Schools, is the “Spede Bird”. It is adapted from the family crest of William Browne, founding benefactor and father of Robert Browne, the fourth Headmaster of Stamford School. This heraldic symbol of the Schools is a stork about to take flight from a woolsack. The stork taking flight, in my mind, is a metaphor for our students as we prepare them to take on the world. This is also indicative of this edition’s theme, ‘Rising Stars’. Christ me spede!

Mr W PHELAN STA MFORDIAN 2 01 7

Mr N GALLOP STA M F O R D SCHOOL HEAD

his magazine is a brilliant testament to the hard work and imagination of pupils and staff at Stamford School and Stamford High School. It also represents a wonderfully accurate reflection of the Schools as thriving, learning communities – ones that seek to discover and nurture the talents of all their pupils, whatever they may be, every single day. At Stamford School, the sheer breadth of opportunities for enrichment contained within these pages really is quite something: foreign language exchanges, including those to Russia, Germany, France and Spain; success with reading passports; entry rates to National Poetry Day; impressive participation in the Target 2.0 Bank of England Challenge; the Engineering Education Scheme; the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge; Mathsfest; STEM projects; and the thriving Junior Debating Club on Monday lunchtimes. 2016/17 was also a year of expanding horizons at Stamford School. There remains a great spirit of adventure at the School, with hundreds of boys currently involved in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme and a CCF that is one of the best supported and run that I have ever seen. Pupils visited many dozens of sites and locations over the course of the year from Cambridge to Croatia, Bosworth to Barcelona, Poland, Washington, New York and many more. The magazine also captures a community characterised by its collective warmth and care. The pupils understand that the School is not just in but of its community, and they relish the opportunities to support others. From the quiet, unassuming and very valuable support that subject prefects and sixth formers give to our younger years, to the litter pick undertaken by all Year Sevens and sixth formers. From the many thousands of pounds that have been raised for Cancer Research, TeamGeorge, the Matt Hampson 6

Foundation, Lincs to India, the Evergreen Care Trust, Leprosy Mission (to name but a handful of worthy causes) to the many hours of support that have been freely given to help some of the most vulnerable in our society. Sport too features prominently, and 2016/17 was the biggest year ever in the major games with 23 rugby teams a week, 21 hockey teams, 15 cricket teams and eight tennis teams. Across Year Seven and Year Eight, more than 90% of boys have represented the School in some sporting form this year. Of course, the strength and enjoyment of sport extends well beyond the major team sports. In drama and the creative arts, we saw some outstanding productions: the wonderfully dark and chilling performance of Arthur Miller’s classic The Crucible; the exuberance of The Italian Straw Hat, the intensity of Tom’s Midnight Garden and the breadth of talent in MAD Week, culminating in the stunning production of Dido and Aeneas. Choral concerts see more than 270 singers on stage from all three Schools; Vox is surely one of the biggest boys’ school choirs in the country. Well done to all, and happy reading!

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WELCOME

Mrs V BUCKMAN STA M F O R D H I G H SCHOOL HEAD

rowsing through the pages of this year’s Stamfordian brings back so many great memories of an outstanding year at both Stamford High School and Stamford School. During the year, I met an Old Girl who had left Stamford High School some 70 years ago; her memories of lessons, teachers, activities and friendships were very clear and her enthusiasm and love of the School was still very much in evidence all these years on. It struck me that her experiences were not so dissimilar to those of any SHS girl today. Times may change – and in the last year, the High School has seen much refurbishment in the dining hall and corridors and the introduction of the “ideal classrooms”, - but the essence of school life remains the same. Like every year, 2016/17 was a busy one; the girls enjoyed 15,000 lessons, had a choice of 100 extra-curricular activities and endured over 1,000 public examination papers. They have enjoyed CCF events and a splendid result at the National Air Squadron Trophy, where our team came fifth nationally. There have also been numerous overseas opportunities including trips to Greece and Sri Lanka.

In music there have been 57 ‘performance opportunities’, from the spectacular concerts with all of Year Seven singing on stage together to the intimate lunchtime concerts featuring one or two players, and also a music tour. The Crucible, The Italian Straw Hat and Tom’s Midnight Garden played to packed houses and showcased the talent of girls both young and old. We have had music and LAMDA examinations and many girls have won school colours for sport, music and drama. Debating has been high on the agenda with tremendous performances and some excellent motions to debate. Additionally, those thinking debating in itself is an art they’ve never mastered marvel at our talented young ladies debating - in French no less – that “Sue and Mel were absolutely right not to move with Bake Off to Channel 4”. We have had foreign language exchanges to Spain, Russia and Germany which have been enjoyed by all the participants. Thursday Week B has had a more academic theme with afternoons devoted to STEM, visits and focused subject days. Our sports teams have enjoyed considerable success as the First XI hockey team reached the regional finals for the first time ever. Five different age groups have competed at County Championship level and our Under 14, 16 and 18 teams are District Netball Champions. Our gymnasts are National Floor and Vault finalists and the U19 team are silver medalists. Our sailors have been second in all regional performances…. And the list could go on. Before Speech Day, I asked the staff to share some of their favourite moments about the year; in amongst the hard work and commitment to lessons, activities, squads and the like, those favourite moments pick out the kindness and gentleness of the girls. The moments when they have encouraged others, worked as a team to make something happen or have shown their irrepressible enthusiasm for life and School that gives an energy to “these walls of grey” on a daily basis. Thank you!

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CONTENTS

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S TA F F O R D I A N

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ACAD 10

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DEMIC STA MFORDIAN 2 01 7

SES DEBATING

Talk, talk DEBATING HAS FLOURISHED THIS YEAR, THANKS TO SOME NEW INITIATIVES

ES Debating has gone from strength to strength this year, on the springboard of several new initiatives. Although separate weekly debating clubs flourish lower down the Schools and house competitions at all three key stages are still single-sex, debating is increasingly becoming an SES activity. Organised by the debating captains Rory Russell and Julna Karavdra, SES twilight debates have continued to be a monthly feature of sixth form debating, attracting a mix of experienced and novice debaters, with a range of topical and controversial motions, including “This House would embrace Donald Trump’s presidency” and “This House would scrap exams”. Yaznia Pourmozafari, Kim Garande and Monty Barker-Pilsworth have all cut their teeth in this debating arena. Regular evening visits to the Cambridge Union, the oldest debating chamber in the world, have been popular with sixth form students and a group of Year Ten boys who enjoy soaking up the atmosphere in the chamber, sitting on the leather sofas in the bar and being afforded the opportunity to listen to entertaining student debaters and guest speakers like the journalist Peter Hitchens. In national competitions, teams from Stamford School (Daniel White and Sam Talbot) and Stamford High School (Yaznia Pourmozafari and Holly Jones) took part in the English-Speaking Union Schools’ Debating Mace and reached the second round. As part of the English-Speaking Union’s sixtieth birthday celebrations, Stamford School was awarded a commendation for establishing a strong debating culture within the School. An SES team (Daisy Jowers, Yaznia Pourmozafari, Holly Smyth, Rory Russell, Zishi Zhang and Daniel White) reached the East region final of the Institute of Ideas’ ‘Debating Matters’ competition, hosted by the University of Bedfordshire. The autumn term saw the inaugural Oswald Elliott Cup Debate between SES and Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge (this House believes the Olympics aren’t worth ‘it’) and a presentation about the logistics of running the Olympics in London 2012 by SES Director of Operations Richard Smith. The debate, won by the SES team Tom Proffitt and Julna Karavdra, was a great success and attended by staff, pupils, parents and friends of the Schools. It was a pleasure

“ I T ’S B ET T E R T O D E B AT E A QU E ST I O N W I T H O U T S ET T L I N G I T T H A N T O S ET T L E A QU E ST I O N W I T H O U T D E B AT I N G I T.” Joseph Joubert – French moralist and essayist 12

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ARGUING WITH TEACHERS! THE FIRST EVER SES V STUDENTS DEBATES TOOK PLACE THIS YEAR In the summer term we held the first ever SES staff versus students debate. This debate is a long-standing tradition at Stamford School, but this year we welcomed a mixed audience and mixed staff and student

teams, with the staff in charge of debating, Mrs Leetch and Miss Davies, taking on the combined experience of debating captains Rory Russell and Julna Karavdra. The motion was one of increasing relevance to

the sixth form – “This House would not go to university” – and although the audience were not put off by financial arguments, many of them went away pondering the growing benefits of apprenticeships.

to welcome Sam Waudby, Old Stamfordian, alumnus of Fitzwilliam College and now a successful lawyer, back to the School to judge the debate and explain why he thought debating was such an important skill. A highlight of the spring term was another new initiative, an inter-schools competition for Years Ten and Eleven, with teams from four schools (Stamford, Oundle, Uppingham and Oakham) competing for the new Oswald Elliott Shield. The first SES team (Isabel Buck and Oscar Dixon-Spain) secured us a place in the final, where Oundle was awarded a well-deserved win against Stamford’s Fergus Cato and Barnaby Shand. Year Ten students from SHS and SS were in the audience and thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon. The spring term also saw a new event in the form of two sixth form Question Times, one at SS and one at SHS, both chaired by Rory Russell and featuring a mix of staff and students, topics ranged from Brexit to the NHS. Next year will see an SES Question Time for the whole sixth form. Finally, MAD Week provided some opportunities for younger debaters in the form of a morning workshop for boys and girls run by English-Speaking Union mentor and university debater Laura Smith, who kept the group active with debating games, an alley debate and an impromptu debate on the abolition of private schools. The following afternoon, Year Seven debaters Jamie Broom, Caleb Jelf, Zoe Richardson and Molly McManus argued fiercely over the motion “This House would not use social media” to an enthusiastic mixed audience from Year Seven and Eight. We look forward to another successful year of debating in 2017/18, led by Daisy Jowers and Daniel White, this year’s captains. MRS K LEETCH

ACADEMIC

SHS HISTORY

Argue Experienced When I started debating three years ago, my ability to speak publicly was nonexistent and I possessed little confidence. These skills have increased exponentially. Debating has allowed me to talk in front of many people, confidently, but has also improved my ability to think on my feet, and to construct structured and logical arguments. Debating is something I enjoy taking part in, and has improved me as a person tremendously.” TOM WATSON Year 10

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Murder holes most horrid HISTORIANS UNLOCK THE PAST AT WARWICK CASTLE

ear Seven history students from Stamford High School went on their annual trip to Warwick Castle earlier this month. The castle did not disappoint and the students were awed by the impressive structure and enjoyed identifying the features they had learned about in lessons. Particular favourites were the murder holes and the machicolations, where they were repulsed to learn that boiling faeces, as well as boiling water and rocks, were thrown down upon an attacking enemy. The firing of the trebuchet and Birds of Prey demonstrations were informative and enjoyed despite the rain. Stamford High School history teacher, Mrs Rackham, said: “We all had a superb day and it was fittingly summed up in an e-mail I received the next day from a Year Seven pupil with the following PS: ‘Warwick Castle was awesome!’”

Rock Star

Testing Tubes

Rocks and their versatility have always interested me. They are building blocks of the earth, they are involved in the extraction of oil, the world’s most valued commodity, and their movements are drivers of some of the world’s deadliest natural disasters. The sheer depth of rocks has made me see that rocks do make the world go round, in more ways than one!”

In Lower School I was not very good at chemistry because I did not listen or put in the effort. At the start of Year 11 I realised I needed to do lots of work to get a decent grade so I started attending Chemistry Clinic every week, which really helped. After a few weeks of doing this, I realised that I actually enjoy chemistry and wanted to take it for A level. Now I am even considering doing a chemistry degree!”

CAITLIN MARRINER Year 12

BERTIE DOWSETT Year 11

SES GEOGRAPHY

Geographically speaking A LEVEL GEOGRAPHERS ATTEND MONTHLY LECTURES

he Geographical Association was founded in 1893 when five geographers got together to share ideas on how to promote the subject in schools. Today, hundreds of members from all age groups meet at monthly lectures with the common interest in the world around us. Geographical Association lectures allow students from the Stamford Endowed Schools to continue their geography learning outside of the A level classroom. Our school is a member of the Lincoln branch. The lectures cover a wide range of topics, many of which link directly to our OCR course. This allows us to add extra facts and statistics into our notes and exam questions. It also broadens our knowledge of the subject beyond what the specification requires. They are held at Bishop Grosseteste University College in Lincoln, which enables us to also experience a university style lecture delivered by professionals in geography. The lectures are available to all A level students (Year 12 and Year 13). 14

Some of the GA lectures have linked to our A level topics, including Natural Hazards, Changing Spaces, Making Places and the Earth’s Life Support Systems. Dr Martin Degg gave a lecture on ‘earthquake hazard and the risk along the deadliest tectonic belt on Earth’, which showed that it isn’t necessarily the earthquakes with the highest magnitude that lead to the deadliest events. Factors such as population dynamics can also have an effect on the casualty numbers. An example of this is that if there are more women than men in the population, the number of deaths could be higher because it is thought that women are less able to get themselves to safety and are more likely to be in the home at the time of the earthquake. Many people think that earthquakes on the Pacific Ring of Fire are the most dangerous because they have high magnitudes, but this lecture showed that there are other things that can cause more damage from an earthquake, even if the magnitude isn’t particularly high. There was also a lecture based on the city of Hull, which is the main case study that we learn for the Changing Spaces, Making Places topic. It was the European City of Culture in 2017 and many efforts have been made to rebrand the city over the past few years to improve the public’s opinion of it and make it a more enjoyable place to live. Many links can be made between what has been done to rebrand Hull and what our specification requires for the case study, so the GA lecture gave us added information to use to add more detail to the case study. Another lecture covered how Canary Wharf has been regenerated from a dockland area into one of the biggest business districts in London, so also linked to rebranding. NELL JOHNSON & CLAUDIA CAMPBELL

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ACADEMIC

SHS GEOGRAPHY

Snakes in a school RAINFOREST ANIMALS VISIT SHS GEOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT

n 3 February, Year Eight girls were visited by the company ZooLab, who brought a variety of different rainforest animals with them. Barry, from ZooLab, brought snakes, spiders, millipedes and many more fascinating creatures to show us. We got to hold and stroke some of the animals; however, for some we just had to observe as they were dangerous to touch, like the scorpion and the tarantula. When ZooLab visited us, we enjoyed experiencing outdoor animals, brought indoors. One of the first animals we got to see was an African snail. We learnt that snails don’t have genders. We were also allowed to hold it. It was massive! We then saw a hissing cockroach. It hissed when it thought a predator was coming so it could sound like a snake. We then saw a breed of tarantula and its exoskeleton. Everyone thought the skeleton was another spider itself because it looked so much like the spider. Alongside the tarantula, we got to see a giant scorpion. No one could hold or touch these two (except Barry) because they weren’t used to it

yet, unlike the other animals. Everyone was shocked when we saw a millipede emerge from Barry’s bag. He put it onto the floor so we could see how it walked. I personally think all its legs made a few Mexican waves! Then, we saw a gecko. Someone asked Barry why its tail was so fat and he explained that they store all their fat there. We learnt that if a predator tried to attack the gecko, it would turn around so its tail was in clear view. The predator could bite off his tail, and the gecko could quickly escape. However, he would have to grow his tail back again! Barry then brought a snake out of his bag which was very exciting. We could feel the snake’s skin and I remember it feeling slimy and smooth. Barry then put it onto the floor to slither around. It looked really interesting how the snake could curl its body into different angles. Finally, we got to see and feel the only mammal in the session - a rat. For a while, Barry was spraying water into its mouth but then we were allowed to stroke it. Its fur felt so soft! They were all the animals we saw. ZooLab offers fascinating animal handling experiences in a whole

range of places: from pre-school to primary and secondary years; and from businesses to organisations of all shapes and sizes. They are the UK’s number one animal handling experience company and have over 20 years of experience with this. I think I speak for everyone when I say that it was very professional and informative, and we all thoroughly enjoyed our experience with ZooLab. Some of us even overcame our fears, touching the animals and even holding them! My personal favourite was Gary, the African fat-tailed Gecko. We all owe a big thank you to the Mr Smith in the geography department for organising all of this and to ZooLab for making it happen. LEA SWANICK, LILY PATTERSON, KASIA MIDDLETON AND FRANKIE SILCOCK

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It All Adds Up Ever since I started studying maths in the Junior School, I have grown to enjoy it more and more. It helps me with all my other subjects and encourages me to think logically and outside the box. Similarly, it’s always challenging and I know that it will help me for my future life outside of Stamford.” CHARLIE KIDD Year 11

SS MATHS

Kiddology STRENGTH TO STRENGTH FOR STAR MATHS PROTÉGÉ

he past year has seen Charlie Kidd (Y11) achieve a host of mathematical successes, which include achieving a merit in the IMOK Olympiad, winning the McKenzie Maths Prize and being invited to a UKMT Summer School. Following an outstanding performance in the Intermediate Mathematics Challenge in February, Charlie was invited to take part in the Intermediate Mathematical Olympiad – an invitation which is offered to around 500 of the highest scorers in each school year across the country. Charlie was awarded a merit for his performance in this challenge. In March, Charlie received an invitation to a UK Mathematics Trust Summer Camp: an event to which only those who are in the top 1.5% in the Intermediate Mathematical Challenge are invited. Charlie spent

five days of coaching and tackling demanding problems with some of the nation’s top talent. Then, again in March, Charlie was awarded the Stamford Endowed Schools’ McKenzie Mathematics Prize – an annual award worth £500, donated by Bruce McKenzie, former Head of Mathematics and Second Master at Stamford School. This is awarded to a Year 11 student who is set to take mathematics at A level at the Endowed Schools and who intends to study a mathematics-related degree. Charlie’s performance in the examination to select the winner was first rate. His teacher, Mr Chadwick, comments: ‘It has been a great pleasure to teach Charlie for two years and to watch him develop into such a fine prospect. He is a modest and unassuming pupil who is always ready to help his peers with their maths. These accolades are well deserved.”

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1 532 SOCIETY

Scholastic endeavours A BUSY YEAR FOR LOWER SCHOOL SCHOLARS

cholars in Years Seven, Eight and Nine at Stamford School enjoyed another busy year of “stretch and challenge” activities. Lunchtime sessions included discussions on current affairs, balloon debates, introductions to national competitions, a summer Scholars’ picnic and very popular TED-style talks from sixth form Scholars. Topics ranged from Shakespeare to how moral dilemmas are solved. Scholars in Year Seven took part in an extended project, with James Day winning first prize for his thoughtful project on “People who have changed the world”. James presented his project to Year Seven and Eight Scholars, where his composure in response to some tricky questions from the audience was nothing short of remarkable. New this year was an SES Year Seven Scholars’ trip to Cambridge, where both girls and boys enjoyed an introduction to some of the Cambridge colleges led by Mr Gloucester, followed by a fascinating tour of some of the galleries in the Fitzwilliam Museum. Congratulations to Charles Anslow and Finn Blackmore, both in Year Seven, who were awarded an academic scholarship at the end of the year in recognition of their academic excellence - proof that scholarship is an achievable aspiration for all Stamford School pupils. MRS K LEETCH

ACADEMIC

THE ST MARTIN’S SOCIETY

Scholars at SHS FROM GREEK MYTHOLOGY TO DISNEY PIXAR, THE ST MARTIN’S SOCIETY (SMS) CONTINUES TO EXPLORE THE WORLD “Inspiring learning through independent thinking and intellectual curiosity: a spirit of academic rigour, enthusiasm and commitment”

he SMS has continued to meet regularly at SHS with separate year group sessions across Years Seven-13. SMS includes pupil-led sessions and offers the opportunity for academic enrichment, challenge, inspiration and intellectual curiosity to really come alive, a part of scholarly life but an opportunity for all. In Year Seven and Eight we have explored such varied and interesting topics to enrich our learning. It is always lovely to have Year Six join us in the autumn term too. Everything from riddles, puzzles, and impossible questions to discussion of global goals, surrealism, international leadership, the ethics of space travel, visual perception, the chemistry behind fireworks. Also, some amazing TED talks, on subjects including the combination of mathematics and art in creating lighting in Disney-Pixar, how one young boy self-taught himself to power his whole village in Africa by building a windmill using a library book, and the excellent mind-set advice to strive for progress not perfection. Mrs Buckman’s Extended Project Challenge for Year Seven allowed SMS spirit to come to life when pupils researched a whole range of titles to create their projects and selected finalists presented them to a judging panel and audience. Topics such as “Where does inspiration come from?” and “If I ruled the world” led to some excellent research and final presentations. Well done to all entries and to Rachel Harte (winner), Brooke Fleming, and Isabel Sharpe (runners up). In Years Nine-11, St Martin’s Society continues for Scholars and is open to anyone in KS4 interested in the world around them. The girls have begun the year exploring a

range of diverse and thought-provoking topics. Kasia Middleton introduced us to a topic which she is passionate about: the fascinating world of Greek mythology, giving us an engaging insight into the complex characters and stories which are still so important to our culture today. Lily Patterson had us all tied up in knots with a selection of riddles and puzzles which we eventually managed to solve (with a few clues). One week our Russian Scholars taught each other to speak a few words of the language, and a couple of weeks later the group were so intrigued by a TED talk entitled ‘Be Brave, Not Perfect’ that they collectively synthesised the essence of the talk into an article for the SES Blog for the benefit of everyone. In the sixth form, Scholars have been busy widening their academic experiences and helping others develop within the school community. Scholars have pursued opportunities with work experience, essay competitions, taster days and courses and workshops. Studying for MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) and researching interests through the EPQ have led to deeper academic understanding and the honing of critical skills. Many Scholars have helped to run clubs for younger students and promoted academic rigour amongst their peers through critical friendship groups. Twenty-two of the Scholars across the sixth form are currently making applications to Oxford or Cambridge and we wish them well. The St Martin’s Society remains a focus for scholarly life in the sixth form; presentations are given on a topic of interest and students will use their critical analysis skills to question, challenge and debate ideas. Topics have included ‘Teenagers and the truth about sleep’, ‘Western vs Eastern education’ and ‘The impact of natural disasters on women’. A spirit of academic rigour, enthusiasm and commitment is fostered through these sessions.

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G one G irl s ( and boys) Been there, done that, and got the leavers’ T-shirt: what happens next?

Emily White Accountancy apprenticeship

What have you opted to do this academic year?

“I chose to do an apprenticeship instead of going to university, because I knew what I wanted to do as a career and getting an apprenticeship was the quickest way I could start my career and gain my professional qualifications.” Other than friendships, what do you miss most about being at SHS?

“I miss the fajitas at lunch times.”

Kayleigh Waterman Gap year, tavelling around Australia. Applied to drama school What have you opted to do this academic year?

“This year I am doing a gap year with the hope of going to drama school afterwards.” Other than friendships, what do you miss most about being at SHS?

“I really miss the School productions as they were a huge part of my school life at Stamford High School. As well as this, I miss being house captain for Eliot house.” What is the one thing you don’t miss about being at school?

“Well, I definitely don’t miss doing homework and exams.” What is the biggest difference between life on a gap year and being at school?

“The biggest difference about life on my gap year and life in school is that I don’t have a daily or weekly routine and so my life is very spontaneous.” 18

Looking back at your time at SHS, what are you most grateful for?

“I am most grateful for all the extra hours my teachers put in for me during revision classes, clubs and extra help. The biggest shout out to the Drama Department who put in so much effort to coach and direct me and the casts I was a part of.” If you could give one piece of advice to students still at SHS, what would it be and why?

“One piece of advice I would give is to ensure you have the correct balance of school work, a social life, work experience and relaxation, because you will have a much happier, stress-free life.” What has surprised you the most since leaving SHS?

“The most surprising thing is probably how expensive food is when I’m the one paying for it.” STA MFORDIAN 2 01 7

What is the one thing you don’t miss about being at school?

“I really don’t miss having to go to assemblies.” What is the biggest difference between life in an apprenticeship and being at school?

“At the moment I’m in full-time work and making that change from school has been a bit challenging.” Looking back at your time at SHS, what are you most grateful for?

“I’m most grateful for the experiences I’ve had and for my friends.” If you could give one piece of advice to students still at SES, what would it be and why?

“Don’t stress out too much about exams.” What has surprised you the most since leaving SHS?

“It’s been more of a challenge than I’d expected to keep in touch with school friends due to work commitments.”

ACADEMIC

Zishi Zhang

Emma Dodworth

Rory Russell

Social Sciences at Sciences Po, France

English Literature at University of York

English Literature at Cambridge University Newnham College

What have you opted to do this academic year?

Other than friendships, what do you miss most about being at SHS?

What is the biggest difference between life at university and being at school?

“I have chosen to study a BA in Social Sciences at Sciences Po, France.” Other than friendships, what do you miss most about being at SS?

“Mr Jones’ ethics lessons, managing the lunch queue with Eliot, my final debate – the “Clash of the Giants” against the Cantabrigian Rory… The pastoral system, the senior prefect team, Mr Brown, whom you can always come to for help… and of course, the banter. Oh yeah, and Mr Chadwick.” What is the one thing you don’t miss about being at school?

Walking back and forth between SS and SHS in the rain.” What is the biggest difference between life at university and being at school?

“At university, you have more freedom but that also means you need to manage life differently.” Looking back at your time at SES, what are you most grateful for?

“Mr Jones’ lessons and tutorials which helped me with my Oxbridge application process. Mr Brown’s help and support, which were readily available at all times, along with Mrs Manning and Mrs Steven’s. All the people who became my friends: future artist Immy, Gemma ‘the vegan’ (watch out, she might become the leader of the Green Party one day), Charlie (miss our time chatting to Mrs Measures), George and many others. Also Mrs Leetch and the debating team.”

“Studying English Literature at the University of York. I came to the decision to study English through the fantastic teaching of Mr Lennie and the rest of the English Department.” “I miss seeing everyone every day.” What is the one thing you don’t miss about being at school?

“The early mornings.”

What is the biggest difference between being at university and being at school?

“The increased responsibility and independence you need at university.” Looking back at your time at SES, what are you most grateful for?

“I am most grateful for the people I have met at Stamford (lol cheesy).” If you could give one piece of advice to students still at SES, what would it be and why?

“Start revising early, as sixth form goes by way too fast and the exams come around very quickly!” What has surprised you the most since leaving Stamford High School?

“That I can actually survive well on my own.”

“I chose to study English at Cambridge University. Reading and discussing literature is a curiously enjoyable thing to do, and that’s basically the entirety of the course.”

“The biggest difference both in and out of the academic side of things is the level of independence required. In English at least, you set your own essay questions, and are often expected to choose your own reading material for that particular week.” Looking back at your time at SS, what are you most grateful for?

“Teachers who believed in me, staff who supported me and friends who made me laugh. I don’t think you could ask for much more than that.” If you could give one piece of advice to students still at SES, what would it be and why?

“Get involved. I wouldn’t be where I am now if I didn’t.” What has surprised you the most since leaving SS?

“When you leave, which will come sooner than you think by the way, your perspective will change. You’re able to put things, which you believed to be hugely important, into context.”

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CRE A 20

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ART

Images and imagination

selection of exciting and stimulating final pieces were produced by pupils at GCSE and A level during the last academic year. The media used varies from traditional watercolours, through acrylic paint to the up-to-date laser cutter. The subject matters are also diverse, from seascapes to political statements, showing that theÂ pupils have a really good awareness of their environment and contemporary events, and translate these into their creative artwork. We have many pupils who go on to successfully study art-based university courses such as fashion design, corsetry, product design, architecture and interior design, as well as fine art, graphics and illustration.

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Creative Urge As a Year Nine art scholar, I like art because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great fun spending lots of time making new pieces to add to your portfolio and all the teachers are really kind and helpful. Art is a fantastic subject and I would recommend it to anyone with a creative mind.â&#x20AC;? TOM COX Year 8

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DRAMA

Dido and Aeneas: opera in a week CREATIVE STUDENTS STAGE PRODUCTION IN FIVE DAYS

uring the last week of the summer term, the music, art and drama departments joined forces to stage a production of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. With only five days of rehearsals, this was an exhilarating experience and demonstrated how hard work, focus and dedication can create a marvellous performance regardless of the time spent in the rehearsal room. Love, death, witches, gods, storms, tragedy, singing cupids – this opera contains everything needed to keep an audience entertained! Dido and Aeneas is often viewed as one of the greatest English operas of all time and it has since been regarded as one of Purcell’s most famous works. Dido and Aeneas was first performed in 1689 and is based on Vergil’s epic poem ‘The Aeneid’. The opera follows the story of Dido, the widowed Queen of Carthage, who falls in love with Aeneas, a Trojan prince. However, evil forces work their black magic to ensure her destruction. The witches and the sorcerer trick Aeneas into abandoning Dido, who kills herself after his departure and dies singing the famous aria ‘When I am laid in earth’. Our singing rehearsal on the Monday morning was the first time that we had sung together as an ensemble, so it was exciting to hear what we would sound like as a group. To hear such strength from the chorus numbers, even on the first rehearsal, left everyone feeling hopeful that the challenge of performing an opera in a week would be possible. While the chorus were practising their notes, from somewhere else in the Music School came the melodious sound of the Chamber Orchestra who accompanied the opera. In the hall, the Art Department were busy drawing and painting the phenomenally ornate set, which was used to represent three scenes in the opera – the palace, the woods and the sorcerer’s lair. As one of the performers, it was fascinating to see how the set developed over the week until it stood magnificently for the Friday performance. As the week progressed, the company moved from the rehearsal room to the set where we began to stage the performance. The blocking of the opera started to give us an idea of how the production would eventually come to life on the Friday performance. With Miss Davies, we explored how to portray characters and emotions through singing so that the deeply moving tale of Dido and Aeneas would be able to create an emotional impact on the audience. Because of the difficult nature of the piece, with recitatives and large ensemble movements, we spent a large proportion of time rehearsing with the Chamber Orchestra so that both the orchestra and the company felt confident with the timings. 24

The final Friday was filled with technical and dress rehearsals as well as some last-minute musical rehearsals. The company performed in blacks with props used to symbolise different scenes and characters. We performed on a stage with open wings which taught the company to be disciplined on and off stage. The performance on the Friday evening at the Oswald Elliott Hall was a triumph and many were astounded that this production was performed with only a week of rehearsals. However, the production could never have been such a success without the help from all the staff involved. A big thank you to the music, art and drama departments and particularly to Mr Turner who was the musical director of the production. This process was invigorating and demonstrated how focus and hard work always pays off in the end. The collaboration across the departments also made the production what it was and we could never have completed the challenge without all the departments working together. Long may the ‘MADness’ of MAD Week continue! LUCY LITTLE - ‘DIDO’

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C R E AT I V E

DIDO AND AENEAS CREW BLOG GCSE season had come to an end, end-of-year exams were all finished and the summer holidays were beckoning. This called for one of the last things on the School calendar, MAD Week, and this one was to be more insane than all the previous ones. The plan was to create an opera within a week. Not only did this mean that the screeches and screams of the singers must be transformed into the dulcet tones of an opera, but all the set and props had to be built, painted and ready on the stage for the performance within five days. Like the singers, we had a script to follow in the form of the incredible drawings and paintings of the set made by retired art teacher Mrs Walklin. The task for the mini army, from a few Year Nines to me in Year 11, was to translate these detailed drawings of orchards, caves and palaces from A3 pieces of paper to 12 x 4 ft canvasses in the hall. I never thought the idea of MAD Week was to make you insane, but after being trapped in a hall of singers trying to hit the right notes and the time pressure of completely painting 12 sides of this huge canvas to go on stage in very little time it really felt like it. First, we had to copy the line drawings of the set, which was left to the Year Nines to do once the images had been split into a grid. After a few hiccups, this job was finally finished on about Wednesday; however, drawing did continue right to the end as canvasses were being painted. Then, the challenge of mixing the

right colours to match the drawings showed the next issue of our task. Some colours took a very long time to mix, while others just weren’t right. All this was being done alongside the challenge of making sure everyone was painting in the right places with the right colours within the lines on the massive flats. A few of the army were lost along the way, and on many occasions, it seemed the set wouldn’t be completed. At one stage a part of the set was upside-down. However, it did seem that working along to “music”, if you can call singers practising “music”, does make you productive as we had completed painting all the set by Thursday with only one minor issue in mirroring the flats. On Friday the quick assembly of the flats started, and this is when you learn whom you can trust with power tools; fortunately, without injury, everything was erected and it brought great pride to see the finished article standing tall on the stage. Our final duty was to complete the set changes, which entailed spinning the flats to a new setting during the performance. Of course, this was another interesting task to undertake, but we managed to do most of them in time without any of the flats, or the crew, falling off the stage. After a week of stress and lots of paint it was finally over. It was a truly MAD project, but one which I am incredibly proud of, as I’m sure the rest of the crew are too.

DRAMA

The Italian Straw Hat MIDDLE SCHOOL THESPIANS TAKE ON THE CLASSIC FARCE

JONTY MASON

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Oh-boe! Seven years playing the oboe has led to countless concerts with school, Peterborough Youth and Lincolnshire Youth Symphony Orchestras. The accomplishment of a final performance after months of hard work fills me with pride. A great example of this was Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Holst’s ‘The Planets’, a piece that I hold dear for equally good and bad reasons! I hope to join the RAF Central Band in the future.”

Sing And You’re Winning I really love singing because the voice is a very versatile instrument that can be used in basically any genre, and, importantly for students, is free! I have been singing for many years, and am planning to take my grade eight in the summer term. I’m considering training to become a professional bass singer in the future.”

CHARITY STOW Year 12

ROBBIE CURTIS Year 12

CHAPEL CHOIR

A year to remember ONE OF THE MOST AMBITIOUS YEARS IN THE CHOIR’S HISTORY WAS A TRIUMPH

016/17 was as busy a year as any for the Chapel Choir. From blasting Vivaldi’s Gloria in the splendour of Barcelona Cathedral to the magic and (non-literal) warmth of the first ever Christmas Eve Midnight Mass held in our beloved chapel, sure to become an annual highlight, all was relished by new and old faces alike: it is fair to say that it was never going to be a year to forget. As usual at the beginning of the year, we were overwhelmed with new faces eager to join us in all four sections. Having young faces joining the alto and soprano sections is a regular occurrence, but this year we were greeted with several newcomers in the tenors and bass sections – a much rarer gift in the past few years. Just as everyone had settled in for another year, we were faced with Vivaldi’s monstrosity, otherwise known as his Gloria, among a whole host of other delights more familiar to us, 26

which we were to sing in Barcelona. Our preparations for the tour included a day rehearsing in Leicester and a concert at Barn Hill Church, Stamford. As the autumn term drew to a close, preparations for the Advent services began – anthems included Rutter’s ‘There is a Flower’, ‘This is the Truth Sent from Above’ by Vaughan Williams and J S Bach’s ‘Wachtet Auf ’. You may think that the idea of spending your Christmas Eve and early Christmas morning in Chapel a torture undeserved by even the most wicked in society. It is a sensational prospect, however, to keen Choristers perhaps a little too indulged in the choral festive spirit, and the congregation was packed full of hospitable parents and others that shared our passion. Our Midnight Mass is sure to become a fan-favourite, and be added to our annual Choir staples which include the Advent and Carol Concerts, Confirmation, Prefects’ and Leavers’ Day services and Choir bowling trip. As another eventful year draws to a close, we say thanks and goodbye to the stalwarts of Chapel Choir who are leaving school at the end of the year. We wish them all the best in the future. We say goodbye and thank you for all of their contributions to: Imogen Alexander, Elspeth Goodman, Robin Kleinsorge, Mr Nally, Colette Monahan, Hal Parkes, Angus Pointer, Rory Russell, Sarah Turner and Charles Worrall. ROBBIE CURTIS

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SES MUSIC

Practice makes perfect PERSERVERANCE PAYS OFF IN MUSICAL PROFICIENCY

udience members at concerts and performances can often be overheard exclaiming how talented or gifted a performer is, having watched them demonstrate their craft. There is an element of truth in this, but it does not really do justice to the performer who has spent thousands of hours perfecting their musicianship and developing their skills. Musicality, or musicianship, is something that can be learned, improved and enhanced; it is not a just talent or innate gift, rather it is an umbrella term for a collection of skills. A person could be considered reasonably musical if they became quite good at just a few of them. The following list includes just some of the skills that are important in musicality, playing by ear, singing in tune, jamming or improvising, having good rhythm, clapping in time, writing music, writing notation, talking music, understanding music theory, knowing your instrument inside and out and being able to tune your instrument by ear, sight-reading music by reading notation or playing from a lead sheet, performing live and playing multiple instruments. Looking at the list, it becomes clear that being proficient in these skills doesn’t come down to talent or being gifted - some of these skills most of us take for granted. Having spent several years running drumming workshops with adults as a corporate team-building activity, I have seen hundreds of people who would not consider themselves to be particularly musical hold a rhythm and stay in time with an ensemble (performing live) without too much of a struggle. This is because, during the workshop, they received some instruction on when to

play (practising good rhythm), what to play (playing by ear) and how to create a good sound (knowing your instrument). In doing this, we developed a language (talking music) in which we were able to understand where the music was going and how it would fit together (music theory). A lot of these people began the day thinking that they had no musicality whatsoever and finished the day performing live to an audience of peers and colleagues and actually doing it quite well. And how about playing by ear? This can be one of the most spellbinding skills in a musician’s toolbox. Watching someone effortlessly join in with a tune they have just heard for the first time without any practice or preparation - that’s the perfect example of innate musicality, right? Wrong! Being unfamiliar with how learnable this skill actually is can be a major factor in people thinking musicality is something fundamentally innate. As with all other areas of musicality, if we don’t understand that this is simply a skill with set of rules and tricks you can learn and master with time and effort, it can seem like a mysterious talent or gift. Instead of being “without any practice or preparation” it is actually the result of many hours of ear training, interval practice and music theory lessons. Then many more hours of joining in with a tune and getting it wrong, possibly very wrong. We can all do these things; it just takes a little (or a lot of) time and hard work to develop proficiency. While some people find some of these skills easier than others, the ability to develop our musicality is something that is innate in all of us. MR P WHITEHEAD

MAD WEEK

Creative showcase A WEEK OF MUSIC, ART AND DRAMA

o the madness began across the music, art and drama departments in this the third biennial MAD Week at SES. For the Drama Department it was a tremendous week packed with variety aplenty. Music experienced a drum masterclass from former Elbow drummer Richard Jupp and various concerts that took place throughout the week. The Art Department showcased their talents with an exhibition of work and supported various performances by putting their painting skills to use to create the sets. The week cumlinated in a performance of Dido and Aeneas, which was supported by all groups.

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DRAMA

A Miller tale HOW WE PUT ON THE CRUCIBLE

ow can you think you saw them, unless you saw them?” Starting with an appropriate Crucible line, it is my intention to give an insight into the process that went into our production of Arthur Miller’s play. Typically for a school play, or indeed an article, I shall start at the beginning. This is the stage known as “the readthrough”, which is where the freshly-assembled cast wait eagerly to delve into the script, scheming away how to perform their character’s voice and physicality, experimenting and engaging with the text. Since The Crucible is set in the 1690s, the American accent was non-existent. Knowing this, the motley crew began to place dreaded regional accents with varying de-

grees of success: after initially sounding like a demented pirate, I adopted a more fitting Irish brogue, all while harmonious Northern voices read text beautifully around me. It is no surprise that the resultant production was of such high quality, because, from the infancy of the rehearsal process, staff, crew and cast were utterly passionate and committed to making the best show possible. This was reflected in the later preparations for the show. Eminent dramaturge Douglas Tawn drove for five hours to pick up a singular prop featured in one scene, the tech crew worked around the clock to familiarise themselves with the controls of the new lighting board at the Corn Exchange and Rory Russell shouted his voice into oblivion as we constantly re-ran the brilliant trial scene. As it is a play about sacrifice to the devil, the company sacrificed their minds, bodies and souls to create an outstanding performance, even when things went wrong. With the large audience present, making mistakes is an underlying fear for any actor, especially on the final show. Luckily, due to the dedication of the cast, we endured and adapted to highly challenging circumstances. I refer to a favourite anecdote of mine regarding the penultimate show that I tell with utmost glee every time. After being dragged away after my outburst as Giles Corey towards Thomas Putnam (Connor Lowe), Chris Curran, Ben Chisholm and I fell over one another, resulting in my head cracking against the wooden pew on stage. As I soldiered on through to the end of the scene, the concern and kindness of the cast during the interview was overwhelming to the extent that I am using this Stamfordian article to thank them. Overall the show and the rehearsals leading up to it were the most enjoyable I have been in so far and I cannot wait for the upcoming Hairspray. But I suppose I shall have to, since Giles Corey was known for having to “weight”. JENSON MORSE

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C R E AT I V E

A summary of Douglas Tawn’s review of The Crucible: The Corn Exchange Theatre played host to a truly stunning production: Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, performed by a cast of SES sixth-formers. The quality and scale of this show’s achievement is difficult to distil from the already impressive precedents set by previous years’ productions: The Taming of the Shrew, Grease, etc. This is due, for the most part, to the text itself and to the dramatic focus consequently required for its performance. The Crucible does not lend itself to spectacle: song (excepting psalms), dance and gaudy costumes are precluded by the moral and aesthetic restrictions of the play’s 17th century, puritanical locus. The play must, therefore, live or die according to the quality of acting and characterisation; the assiduity of direction and blocking in long, potentially static scenes; and the maintenance, throughout, of dramatic tension. I am, of course, delighted to report that the SES production of The Crucible both delivered on, and exceeded, all three of these requirements. The performance was, across the entire cast, impeccable. The Crucible is an incredibly demanding text for any actor, in any role: the composition of the play is such that most of its scenes require the prolonged presence of many actors onstage, saying little or nothing while the action unfolds around them. The dramatic intensity of Miller’s text can only be fully realised by a focussed and accomplished ensemble, able to act and react in response to the barrage of horrors that the play lays out, sustaining the impression of an entire community descending into an imbroglio of hysteria and persecution. Final plaudits must go to the creative and technical team behind the show. Charlotte Walklin (designer) and Keir Spalding (technical director) created the perfect set: the skeletal, ‘puritanical’ frames of agricultural buildings establish a locus of oppressive asceticism, within which multiple locations are suggested, while nevertheless sustaining the impression of confinement within a community governed by moral and religious absolutism. Upon such a stage and with a large cast, the

All The School’s A Stage The simplest reason to do anything is because it is fun. Drama here is my favourite subject because of the support, warmth and wit of the staff and how they enable me to consider a future career as an actor. I have recently been accepted for a summer course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds!” JENSON MORSE Year 12

production achieves an atmosphere of claustrophobia and enforced proximity, as if (funnily enough) heating in a literal crucible. The limited size of the performance space, which could so easily result in awkward, static action, is utilised excellently by Anneke Davies’ and James Rushton’s careful and finely tuned direction and blocking. Indeed, with school productions such as these, there is a tendency for directors to disown a great deal of their hard work and defer much (in this case, rightful) praise to their students. It is nevertheless doubtless that a production of the scale and quality of The Crucible would not be possible without countless hours of work, dedication and creative ingenuity on the part of its directorial team. The clearest indicators of the quality of the show’s direction are, perhaps, the a-textual ensemble sequences, which frame the action of the play.

The recurring motif of the sung psalm (composed and arranged by Giles Turner) provides an inspired means of invoking the play’s historical and religious locus, while also generating a genuinely moving sequence of vignettes portraying the devastation of a whole community. It is by such moments that The Crucible achieves the distinction of a great production, without the need to append the word ‘school’ to the phrase, by way of qualification. I would finally add that the allstudent technical and stage crews are, as ever, to be commended for their hard work and invaluable contribution to the production, which can all too often be overlooked and that, in all, the SES production of The Crucible marks an incredible achievement for the Drama Department and the School as a whole. We look forward to other such offerings in the near future.

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Drama Queen

Act Up I’ve really enjoyed drama throughout my years at Stamford. I have had the opportunity to play a large number of interesting and challenging roles, such as Edna in this year’s production of “Hairspray”. I achieved my grade 6 Bronze medal in Speech and Drama last year. I hope to one day pursue a career in acting, and school has definitely helped with this aspiration.”

Drama has been a passion of mine ever since being cast as Mary in my Year One nativity (as clichéd as that sounds!) I’ve joined drama clubs outside of school, auditioned for every school play and have done summer workshops. In the summer term of 2017, I directed a play with my friend Beth adapted from Enid Blyton’s classic Second Term at Malory Towers, and I hope to carry on with drama in the future.”

DAN WATT Year 11

LARA TOMLINSON Year 11

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C R E AT I V E

DRAMA

Tom’s Midnight Garden LOWER SCHOOL PUT ON AN ADAPTATION OF PHILIPPA PEARCE’S 1950S’ NOVEL

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COMM 32

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M UNIT Y STA MFORDIAN 2 01 7

I Z Z Y ’S S O N G ‘ W H I T E T I G E R’ H A S H A D OV E R 60 MILLION P L AYS O N SPOTIFY!

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COMMUNITY

Busy Bizu

Old Stamfordian Izzy Bizu came back to school to talk about her time here and how it inspired her. By Amelia Findlay

zzy Bizu has come remarkably far in her music career in a short time; not only was she shortlisted for the Brit Critics’ Choice Award in 2016, but she has also supported renowned artists such as Sam Smith, Rudimental, and Foxes. She also was the singer for the BBC Euro 2016 soundtrack - an incredible achievement - and a long way from her beginnings singing in musicals at school. In September 2016, Stamford Endowed Schools was lucky enough to host an intimate concert with a former student, Izzy Bizu. The concert was arranged by Rutland Radio, who offered limited numbers of tickets to fans as a prize for a competition which they held. Up Close With Izzy was a huge success, with an amazed audience captivated by the rising star. The concert lasted 45 minutes, and signified the end of a busy day for Izzy. She had spent the morning in Radio 1’s Live Lounge performing an original track, as well as a cover of ‘Don’t Mind’ by Kent Jones. Nevertheless, she did not fail to pull off a spectacular performance which was truly breathtaking and featured some of her most popular tracks, including her famed single ‘White Tiger’ and others such as ‘Skinny and Gorgeous’ from her studio album, which had been released just weeks before the event. Following her performance, Izzy took some questions from the audience before taking the time to chat to eagerly awaiting fans and take photos with them. She also showed her support to the school #teamgeorge charity by sporting a grey beanie with the #teamgeorge logo. During her time at Stamford, Izzy was a boarder at St Michael’s boarding house, where she displayed early signs of talent in informal concerts held by

the house. She reportedly showed particular talent in her rendition of ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight?’ from the popular musical The Lion King, and frequently sang Disney songs with the piano accompaniment of her former house parent, Mr Mitchell. In fact, at her Rutland Radio concert years later she recalled these moments and joked that he was the first to encourage her to pursue her musical talent. Mr and Mrs Mitchell were very happy to see the “lovely and bubbly” girl they’d known when she was very young, and felt extremely proud to see how far she has come. Izzy’s success is remarkable; she is a true inspiration to everyone at Stamford and encourages people to put themselves out there with their talents. She even says: “I’m not in my comfort zone” in her song ‘White Tiger’, which should motivate everyone to leave their comfort zones and try something different. Who knows - you could end up where Izzy is right now.

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SES PROM

On the red carpet ALL OF THE STOPS HAD BEEN PULLED OUT FOR THE YEAR 11 PROM

rom caravans to buses, and classic cars to Ferraris, the evening certainly kicked off in style. With the red carpet awaiting the arrival of some very chic Y11s, each group was given the opportunity to capture their movie-star entrance by the buzzing paparazzi (A.K.A some very proud mummies and daddies!). Never have I seen a happier bunch as we danced the night away under a dazzling chandelier and filled ourselves with candy floss and cupcakes. However, there is no doubt where our hearts truly lay that evening, with excessively large groups of people cramming into the photo booth, squealing whilst scrambling around with wigs and 36

giant sunglasses, desperately trying to capture the craziest selfies. From the balloons to the boldly illuminated PROM sign, it was clear from the start that all the stops had been pulled out by the dedicated Prom Committee who had quite clearly put their blood, sweat and tears into making it a night to remember! We were certainly very grateful for their hard work in making the evening a truly magical one.Â ELSIE CHOWDHURY

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COMMUNITY

All the Duke’s Horses…

Peak Adventures

This summer, I embarked on my Gold Duke of Edinburgh expedition on horseback in Cumbria. Every day we would care for the horses as well as ourselves, and covered a lot more ground with a few gallops across open countryside. It was a very rewarding experience and has developed my social skills, organisation, and map reading.”

The Duke of Edinburgh Award has been a truly fantastic experience. During my time on the scheme I have climbed the Three Peaks, volunteered at a local country park and met some amazing people. However, the best part is the expeditions. Though both mentally and physically draining, they give you the chance to develop important life skills and make some good memories along the way.”

EMMA BARBER Year 12

ROHAN ANAND Year 12

SES CHARITY

A season of goodwill CHRISTMAS TEA PARTIES AND OTHER FUNDRAISING EVENTS RAISE MONEY FOR THE EVERGREEN CARE TRUST

t Stamford High School, the Christmas tea party was a fantastic event, raising over £1,550 to help local vulnerable adults. Individual forms took to interesting and creative ways to raise money, including a notable contribution from Year Ten in the form of ‘Sponge the Teacher’! Students’ delighted in raising

money by throwing wet sponges at their favourite teachers. The staff were great sports! Many students helped on 10 December, chatting to our guests, singing beautiful Christmas carols and ensuring they had a day to remember. Support was also continued at Stamford School, with almost an extra £800 donated. The tea party included solos from Gracie Rose, beautiful piano playing from George Chaplain, and games of pass the parcel. Sunny Wong redesigned the Evergreen Leaves newsletter, giving it a new masthead; the trust was “very impressed” by his design. Rory Russell, Angus Pointer, Charles Worrall, Robin Kleinsorge and Charlie Armitage also visited SKDC homes (and St George’s) to sing carols to the residents. At Waitrose, the sixth form promoted the trust and sold raffle tickets. STA MFORDIAN 2 01 7

First Sports Leaders visit to Whitefriars Jackson van Uden and Rameez Rehman visited Whitefriars as Sports Leaders. Jackson is a natural leader and very good at explaining the rules and the scoring. Rameez was notably good with more frail residents.

SS CHARITY

Supporting local initiatives STAMFORD SCHOOL GETS BEHIND SOME GREAT CHARITABLE CAUSES TO HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE. BY MRS M CHEW

tamford Foodbank The School made two collections for the Stamford Foodbank. Thanks are due to all forms but particularly to Dr Jones’s form (especially to Angus Pointer) and to Mr Backhouse’s form for some magnificent contributions. Stamford Foodbank commented that Stamford School collects approximately 10% of the total donated to the Stamford Foodbank. The Rotary Clubs of Stamford In the past, the School has donated second hand books via the Rotary Club to schools in Kandy, Sri Lanka. This year, the sixth form headed over to an old aircraft hangar near Uffington to pack boxes with books. Forty-nine (very large) boxes were packed, 2.2 tons. Thanks go to Ethan Brewster, Robbie Curtis, Henry McClarnon, Kieran Bird and the Reverend Goodman. Local Care Homes Stamford School pupils visit Tixover Care Home regularly to read, chat and play games with residents. Evie Breakell was the first student to visit in order to help a resident write his memoir, doing so with sympathy and tact. 7BCM, led by Dominic Hill, held a raffle in order to buy an Easter egg for each resident. Students were taken well out of their comfort zone, for instance when Benjamin Lee found himself dancing to Elvis Presley songs in front of an audience of seniors; students may be reminded of the loss/illness of their own grandparents; a break of a few weeks can mean that they return to find a resident has vanished. Thanks go to James Pridgeon, Ali Hussain, Benjamin Lee, Sunny Wong, Kieran Bird, Aaron Bird, Luke Hughes, Callum Gordon, Charlie Morrison, William Grooby, Dominic Hill and Joe Goodson.

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Friends of Chernobyl’s Children Through an annual Readathon organised by Mrs Blissett and Mrs Pike, students make a considerable donation to help a child come to England for a month to receive medical and dental treatment. The Schools also held a clothing collection for FOCC. Students make personal contact with children from Belarus through the children’s visit to the School. Students and visitors take part in ball games and swimming and have lunch together. Following the 2017 visit, Cecilia Hammond, the local co-ordinator of FOCC, wrote: “Thank you for giving us such a wonderful day today… I really do compliment you on the wonderful care your boys gave to our children. They played with them and had the knack of stepping in and saving the day when our more vulnerable children struggled. They were impressive.” Thanks go to Maxim Makerov, Fred Bicknell, William Grooby, Dominic Hill, Richard Henry, Annette Chauvaux, Pam Kirby, Chris Finch and his team. The Matt Hampson Trust, #teamgeorge and the Seb Goold Trust Stamford School is dedicated to raising money for the Matt Hampson Foundation, #teamgeorge and the Seb Goold Trust. In 2016/2017, the senior drama production, the sponsored walk, the Santa Fun Run and a casual clothes day raised over £5,000 for these charities. Charity Rock raised £570 and the Acoustic Evening raised £450. Cancer Charities Teenage Cancer Trust was supported by the lower school play, while twenty-six members of the sixth form raised £2,229 for MOVEMBER under Mr Stamp’s leadership. Josh Philipps, Ali Hussain, Alex Duncan, Zishi Zhang and old girl, Kate Forman helped raise £1,350 for Anna’s Hope through a bucket collection. Significant individual achievements A Musicality concert at the Peterborough Arena organised by James Ellis for the Injured Jockeys Fund, the Matt Hampson Foundation, Anna’s Hope and #TeamGeorge, featured pop groups including Toploader. As part of his church, Arthur Franklin ran a pop-up cafe to raise money for the Leprosy Mission to build new homes in Nepal for earthquake victims. The other churches in Stamford also did fundraising initiatives and as a result a ‘Stamford Street’ has been built. Zishi Zhang was awarded the Diana Award for his contribution to the Lincs to India project, which supports two schools in Vellore. Zishi took part in the Brighton Marathon and led the SES Lincs to India week in which the Holi Festival of Colours was celebrated. Significant contributors to the Lincs of India work were Tom Little and Isaac Costa.

COMMUNITY

SHS CHARITY

Fundraising focus GIRLS SHOW THEIR SUPPORT AND GET BEHIND NATIONAL CHARITABLE CAMPAIGNS. BY MISS V MASKELL

t was another busy year for Charities at SHS with all the girls getting involved in a myriad of activities happening around the School. Below is just a summary of the main events but Mrs Brock and I would like to thank all the girls for their creativity, enthusiasm and support. Macmillan Cake Sale This was another highly successful year for the Macmillan cake sale with the boarders at Park House cooking up another baking storm! Chocolate cake, tiffin and lemon delights were all on sale to tempt people to come and enjoy coffee and cake with them to raise money for a very worthy charity, raising £203.93 in total. Well done to Mrs Vie and Mrs Lewin for co-ordinating the baking delights. Children In Need Another yearly event that didn’t disappoint. 18 November saw sixth formers and staff baking spotty themed cakes to raise money for Pudsey Bear. The afternoon was filled with excitement and delight with the sale of the ever-popular mystery boxes. Girls flocked to see if they had won one of the spotty white boxes that contained everything from books and stationery to the star prize of a giant chocolate artisan cake! As the excited screams were heard down the corridor, the girls raised £277 for the charity.

where staff and students attended our “SHS Beauty Salon” to have their nails primped and preened ready for half term. The girls donated to the school charities and left with brightly coloured nails. Readathon The library was a hive of activity in June last year with the Readathon organised by Kate Stewart. Girls in Years Seven and Eight set themselves reading targets and then were sponsored by friends and family to encourage them to read as many books as possible. They raised a fantastic £691 for the Readathon charity which helps children in hospital get access to brand new books and story teller visits. A fantastic achievement! Yearly Events 2016/2017 was another very successful year for the yearly events including the Year 11 prom which raised money for the Teenage Trust, The Leavers’ Ball and the Acoustic Evening which helped to support Team George, and the whole-school sponsored walk in the summer which supported the Matt Hampson Foundation. Thank you to everyone who attended and supported these events.

Christmas Jumper Day Staff and students alike embraced the trend to wear Christmas jumpers for the day and raised £112. Highlights were the flashing Rudolph and the Santa that had eaten too many mince pies and got stuck in the chimney! Multiple Sclerosis and Hearing Dogs The two main school charities for 2016/2017 were the local charity Hearing Dogs that helps to raise money to train puppies to become hearing dogs for the deaf and the national Multiple Sclerosis charity. Many events happened throughout the year to raise money for these very worthy charities, including cake sales, tombolas and the popular “Cuddle a puppy” raffle. The successful girls were treated to cuddles and photos with Pickle the puppy. We held a nail painting session before half term STA MFORDIAN 2 01 7

John O’Groats to Lands’ End: Two Bikes, two Blondes and a whole lot of banter! Two former SHS pupils, Jenna and Kayla Borley, took on the challenge of cycling from John O’Groats to Lands’ End to raise money for the Strong Bones children’s charitable trust. They pushed through the inevitable knee pain and sore shoulders and were motivated by friends and family along the way to raise over £1600 for the charity. Thank you to everyone who organised or took part in any of the charity events. We really appreciate your support and we hope you will help to make 2017/2018 an even more successful year for Charities at SHS.

Grand designs Stamford is famous for its Elizabethan architecture of Burghley House, but Georgian architecture is the most common style of Stamford, with both Schools sharing buildings of this style

he Georgian Period refers to 17141830, during which four King Georges (I-IV) reigned over Britain. This was a period characterised by empire, social change, literature, art, and political change, which was represented in the Georgian architectural style. Architecture of this era can be easily recognised by its Palladian style – temple-like, extravagant and European. Most Georgian townhouses feature Greek-style columns framing the façade and windows highly decorated by keystones along the top or framing the entire window. Doors of Georgian houses also feature keystones, the Gibbs Doorway style featuring more spread-out keystones around the entire doorway. Fanlights (semi-circular, decorative windows) above the door provided light to the hallway and added grandeur to the design of the door. Porched doors were also common, the Doric order prevailing with plainer styles than those used in older, Gothic architecture. Many Georgian houses featured a large, wide façade to make the building appear grander – when, in reality, they were very shallow, only two rooms deep in general. The large windows of the Georgian townhouse were a result of the window tax which continued over the period. This allowed for the most light with minimal taxation. The use of proportional spacing and sizing of windows and doors is another key feature of Georgian architecture. Simple mathematical ratios regulated size and spacing of windows, most buildings featuring a decreasing window size towards the top of the building to maintain the proportions of the exterior. Windows were also measured in ‘lights’ – the number of panes within the window dictating the size of each. This simple and symmetrical style of building was easy to replicate across the country. ‘Design was reduced to certain common denominators, by which any competent builder could obtain a compendium of the orders, parts, or details of the project’ – Alan Rogers (The Making of Stamford, 1965) This regularity was often repeated across a street – this is the reason that many Georgian houses look so similar.

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The Circus, Bath, is perhaps the most famous and most referenced example of this domination of Georgian style over an extended space. Classical styles, which in previous decades had only influenced large manor houses or buildings of importance, now became integral to the design of the modest townhouse. This basis of proportion and symmetry was derived from the classical architecture of Greece and Rome, as many architects of the period turned away from England’s old styles and sought out new designs through examination of classical buildings. The excavation of Pompeii, which began in 1748, inspired architects such as William Adams and William Chambers, both of whom spent time in Italy studying the buildings which they incorporated into design through understanding of the classical orders. This is the reason that many Georgian houses feature ‘pilasters’ – Greek or Roman style pillars on the front of the house. After the declaration of Stamford as Britain’s first Conservation Area in 1967, its wider architectural importance received national recognition. Batty Langley and William Halfpenny (alias Michael Hoare) were key architects of the Georgian period, and their readily available pattern books influenced builders in Stamford. The presence of Georgian architecture in the town is a result of men such as these.

COMMUNITY

KEY TERMS Fanlight: A window above a door, used to allow more light into the hallway. Keystones: Large blocks of stone surrounding a window. Pilasters: Pillars/ columns stuck onto the face of the building as a

design feature Quoins: Large blocks of stone integrated into the corner of a building. Pattern books: Architectural plans published and distributed to aid building designs Palladian: A

style of architecture from Europe, which influenced Georgian architecture. Doric: One of four/five ‘Orders’ – classical styles which influence architecture and vary in grandeur and detail. Window Tax: 1696 - 1851 – property tax

based on the number of windows of a house. Window surrounds: A stone frame around the window with varying detail. Fluted Keystones: A smaller keystone placed on top of another to create depth, with vertical engraving.

Over 600 historic buildings are listed in Stamford, some of them now a part of the Stamford Endowed Schools. At Stamford High School, the best examples of Georgian architecture are found at numbers 30 and 33, High Street St Martins. Number 33 now houses the entrance to the Sixth Form block and Common Room, but was once a two storey townhouse with cellars and an attic. The attic now houses small drama rooms, but psychology, politics and other offices were all once bedrooms of the 19th century house. The exterior of the house is quintessentially Georgian, featuring emphasized quoins on the corner, moulded window surrounds, ornamental keystones, and pilasters (decorative columns) bordering the façade. This fits with the ‘Stamford style’ described by Alan Rogers – pediments with large keystones, bold mouldings, slightly adorned doorways, ‘chinky’ quoins which emphasise the angles of the building. The scrolls and narrow pilasters surrounding the doorway were a later addition during the 19th century. The staircase with its rounded ends was also added in the 19th century and remains there today.

Number 30 houses the offices near to the sixth form block. This building too features a cellar, which was common during the era for storage or servant quarters. This building was built in 1821 by William Redifer. Originally, a fanlight over the door, typical of Georgian architecture, would have provided light to the hallway. Now, the door has been replaced by a double-height window for the creation of school offices. One of Stamford’s most famous Georgian houses is Stamford School’s own Brazenose House, on St Paul’s Street. The building features fluted keystones above the windows, a glazed fanlight over the door, and typical proportionality and symmetry of the Georgian period. The room which now houses Mrs Measures’ office was originally the kitchen of the house, the back stairs once leading to the cellars. Large alterations were made following the purchase of the house by R. S. Hurst Whitworth in 1822, including the completion of the two-storey bay window at the rear, visible from Beaufort today. The original minor doorway of the first bay is now the entrance to the Stamford School sixth form common room. The 18th century oak, heavily carved, scrolled staircase of Brazenose survives today as a central part of the Georgian house. Byard House, on St Paul’s Street, was 20 years too late to be classed as truly Georgian, but is an interesting building nonetheless. Built in 1851 atop the site of a building dating 1666, an application was made by one of the Browning family to build a new house, in the style of the previous building. The finished building has two bay windows with canted sides and gables, two shields – one with the build date of 1851 and the other with a coat of arms. The bay windows and pointed arch of the doorway are characteristic of late 17th century architecture. This is a sample of the wealth of Georgian architecture which Stamford and the Schools possess. Many of the town’s finest buildings can be seen on a typical school day. ALICE WIBBERLEY

“O N E O F STA M F O R D’S M OST FA M O U S G E O RG I A N HOUSES IS STA M F O R D S C H O O L’S OW N B R A Z E N OS E H O U S E , ST PAU L’S ST R E ET ”

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SES STAMFORD EXPLORERS

Back to basics TENTS, TRIPS AND NO MOBILE PHONES

ushcraft at SES has exploded over the last year. I have been running out of spaces, with every trip selling out faster than Glastonbury! It has been fantastic to see the success of the local overnight trips which then gave rise to the four-day Bushcraft Canoe trip to Norfolk in May half term. The intrepid groups of students set off down the river in search of new camping grounds. We had Miss Halliday with us, who got to show off by beating Mr Smith in an archery competition. Although there have been many trips in different locations, all have involved fires, knives, axes and sleeping under shelters. On the trips, students do not bring mobile phones and we spend a few days getting away from the pressures of the modern world and have some good old-fashioned fun. Free time playing in the woods and time spent around the campfire are some of the highlights. With so much enthusiasm, Bushcraft is sure to grow and I am looking forward to many more nights out in the woods. MR E SMITH 42

SS EAL

Rocket men ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE (EAL) STUDENTS VISIT WOOLSTHORPE MANOR

ear Nine and Year Ten EAL students from Stamford School visited the birthplace of Sir Isaac Newton, Woolsthorpe Manor. The trip included a guided tour of the National Trust property, and a chance to perform experiments in the Science Centre. Highlights of the day were seeing what life was like in seventeenth century England, visiting the orchard where Newton famously discovered the law of gravity and learning about Newtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Laws of Motion. The visit concluded with the students building and launching their own rockets.

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COMMUNITY

SES CHAPEL

Heart and soul THE CHAPEL FORMS A CENTRAL PART OF SCHOOL LIFE

was the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse…’ but in Chapel it was getting busy. It is always a bit risky to make big claims but this year we held the first Christmas Eve service of Holy Communion in the Chapel since, we think, medieval times. A best guess would be around 1535. It may be there is an Old Stamfordian or historian who knows better, but we think we might be right. In any case, it was the first for a very long time. In the candle-lit Chapel, a choir made up from current and former members of the Chapel Choir from Stamford High School and Stamford School, with some musical friends, came together with a congregation made of staff and choir family members. The Chapel was full and a service full of celebratory music brought in the festival of Christmas in special way. Chapel in school is often seen as something that has to be done, and to a certain extent this is true. This, though, was an opportunity for folk to come together at a special time and place in worship. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves of the hallowed history of the Chapel. Whilst it’s felt we were doing something new, we were also were also standing with those who

had worshipped in the Chapel in its various states over the past 800 years. Chapel life is important at Stamford Endowed Schools. Members of all our Schools participate in its life throughout the School year. The Junior School has a Sunday service each term. Boarders from all Schools share in its Sunday worship and midweek Chapel. Confirmation involves members of the two senior Schools. Choirs from all our Schools help lead our worship during the year. Chapel still extends beyond the doors of the Chapel. In February, we had a visit from the Springs Dance Company with a superb performance of Bread of Life in the OEH, which was a performance of contemporary dance to present and unravel what lies at the heart of the Eucharist, the taking of bread and wine. It was a moving and captivating performance. Throughout the year, members of the teaching staff speak to the students at our services and it has been fascinating to see how subjects as diverse as meteors, American football and scientific discovery relate to faith. Chapel, though, remains a central part of the life of the Schools. It offers a time of reflection, quiet, worship and ability to go back to the future.

JCU - STAMFORD SCHOOL’S CHRISTIAN UNION JCU continues to do ‘life, the universe and everything’ around packed lunches every Thursday lunch time in LMS. It is always fascinating to see what comes up in discussion. Linking life and faith is at the heart of what

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we do and boys are welcomed from any year group. This year we had the support of Sarah McCamphill from the Salvation Army, which added a lot to the mix. This being JCU, nothing

is or can be straightforward, so we always have a ‘smidge’ to take away with us - that is a Bible verse to everyone else! It’s fast, sometimes furious, and always an education. Rev Goodman

CCF

Attention to detail ANOTHER BUSY YEAR OF EVENTS FOR THE COMBINED CADET FORCES

am proud to report another successful year of the SES CCF with awards achieved, leadership courses attended and many parades and exercises completed. We passed our biennial inspection, carried out by Rear Admiral Mike Kimmons, OS. A wonderful concert with the Band of the Royal Engineers and Major General John Drewienkiewicz OS was the last of our Centenary celebrations. LT. CDR HOLLAND

Reach For The Sky The RAF section has given me opportunities that wouldn’t have been available to me otherwise. I’ve grown as a person while undertaking tasks that have challenged me and pushed the limits of what I thought I could achieve. I have undertaken challenging courses that I have learnt a huge amount from and now am taking part in the running of these courses. I enjoy helping the younger cadets to learn skills that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.” MARCUS BAKER Year 12

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COMMUNITY

Sharp Shooter Since joining the Army CCF my confidence and ability to work and communicate with people has grown dramatically. The best experience I have had is going on senior instructor courses, which have stretched and challenged me in ways I didn’t realise I could overcome. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being part of the shooting team for the last four years and now I’m part of the Lincolnshire shooting team.” AUTUMN BURROWS Year 12

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CCF

Into the blue THE RAF SECTION HAD A BUSY YEAR, AND TOOK TO THE SKIES OVER LINCOLNSHIRE

he RAF section has enjoyed another extremely successful year of training, including field days, summer camp, leadership courses, first flights for the Y10s and qualifying for the National Air Squadron Trophy (AST) competition, a particular highlight. Last November we took a team of 14 NCOs to RAFC Cranwell to compete in the regional round of the annual Air Squadron Trophy. We had great success, winning both the command task and shooting competitions, and coming second out of 32 schools qualified us for the national finals for the first time in over a decade! After giving up many more Saturday mornings for training, the team travelled down to RAF Halton for the national competition. The competition was certainly more formidable but all the

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hard work of the NCOs and Officers paid off and we were placed fifth out of 220 CCFs in the country. Over the summer a number of cadets and NCOs attended summer camp at RAF Cosford, which was greatly enjoyed by all. The week was spent with cadets from other schools learning about the base and the RAF as a whole. Some cadets were lucky enough to go flying and the evenings were spent having fun. Karting and inter-flight sport competitions were particular highlights. FS Baker was awarded Best Cadet and both Cpl Goldstein and L/Cpl Kilby were awarded Most Improved Cadets on the camp. Two cadets graduated from the prestigious Air Cadet Leadership Course in the summer, Cpl Mason and Cpl H. Smyth, both of whom did extremely well, achieving a merit and distinction respectively. This is a week-long course where cadets are put through many leadership tasks as well as drill and inspections. The Year Tens proved to be the best recruit year ever and there were record marks in the Proficiency Part 1 exam with all cadets passing first time. The highest scorers were rewarded with the first flying slots. L/Cpl C. Smyth recounts her first flight: “At the start of February, eight of us were lucky enough to experience our first ever flight in a Grob Tutor at RAF Cranwell. This is a two-seater light aircraft used for all initial pilot training. The flying aspect of the RAF section is by far the best part as it allows us all to experience what it is actually like to pilot an aircraft, and it truly is one of the most exhilarating feelings! Upon arrival at RAF Cranwell, we were greeted with a safety tutorial on the joys of parachuting out of the Tutor if an incident were to occur, and had to practise this ourselves in a replica of the cockpit whilst wearing a training parachute, all before being fitted with the real kit. It goes without saying, the actual flying was the best part of the whole experience; the pilot was very eager to allow me to fly the Tutor myself and, after hunting for a space in the clouds, to try some very thrilling aerobatics. I was able to learn how to turn with and without the rudder pedals, how to nose dive, and experience some loops, barrel roles and stall turns.” There were two field days last year: the seniors went to the RAF Museum at Hendon, London whilst the Y10s went to the much closer RAF Wittering. Both were good days out and as well as being great fun they were very educational, enabling the cadets to gain an understanding of the RAF’s history and current operations. The Y10s had an introduction to leadership skills to prepare them for the future as NCOs. Overall it was a very successful year for the RAF section and we hope that the success will continue this year under the leadership of FS Baker as we endeavour to again reach the finals of the AST. CWO TALBOT

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CCF

The force is with us A SUCCESSFUL YEAR FOR THE THRIVING CCF ARMY SECTION

et again, the Army section has had another successful year, with high numbers of cadets attending summer camps, field days, exercise weekends and leadership courses. More than 15 cadets from Years Ten to 12 went on the summer camp to Beckingham barracks. The cadets completed multiple exercises such as adventure training and shooting, with some cadets achieving their LSW (light support weapon) qualification. We won ‘Best CCF on camp’ and were winners of the best air rifle shot. The cadets thoroughly enjoyed the experience as it allowed them to put everything they had learnt into practice. A team of nine cadets from Year 11 upwards attended the annual competition Combat Cadet, held at Thetford forest ‘STANTA’ training ground, early in the year. The Combat Cadet team achieved success by obtaining silver medals for the second year in a row. This was an intense weekend which tested the cadets’ ability to improvise, adapt and overcome any challenges they faced, as well as learning new skills such as being able to successfully clear a building. Four cadets have completed SCIC (Senior Cadet Instructor Course) over the last year. This course takes place in October and February half terms and challenged the cadets’ learning and teaching abilities. They were long weeks, but all four cadets passed. This enabled them to teach the younger years successfully and pass on their knowledge. Year Ten Field Day was a great success with great weather for a fun filled afternoon. This was the Year Tens first chance to practise all the skills they had learnt over the

CCF

Naval gazing HMS BELFAST, NELSON, LIFEGUARDING AND LEADERSHIP FOR THE NAVY SECTION THIS YEAR

n the autumn term, the cadets from Years 11 to 13 went on a field day to London to visit HMS Belfast and the Maritime Museum. First, we visited HMS Belfast. The Year 11s had a guided tour around the ship, while the other two years freeroamed and made sure to see everything it had to offer. Once we had explored the amazing and interesting ship, we hopped back on the bus and made our way to the Maritime Museum. This is where we learnt more about Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson, who is the main person that created what the Royal Navy is today. After we had learnt about him, we explored the rest of the museum to look at features such as the history of ships and weapons and also had a go on a ship simulator, which was great fun. Over the last year, many cadets have attended and completed a variety of courses, from Senior Leadership courses

year; this included practising patrolling and firing blank rounds during section attacks. Currently, to date, the army section alone has over 155 cadets, making it the largest section. WO2 Burrows is the new head of Army and CSgt Emma Wilson is second in command. We have strong plans for all the current and new cadets to make it as successful as possible in the coming year. The Army section welcomed at the start of the new academic year 48 new Year Ten cadets. Even with the awful weather on the first day back, that was not enough to put the new recruits off and they have an exciting year ahead. WO2 BURROWS

at BRNC (Britannia Royal Navy College) and HMS Raleigh, Lifeguarding courses at HMS Caledonia in Scotland and the Junior Leadership Course at RAF Wittering. All of these courses have taught the cadets many different skills and roles, such as being able to take command of a squad and the ability to lead them with confidence or being able to save lives in a pool and perform first aid, all of which are very important life skills. During term-time in CCF we have normal lessons, in which we have the Years 12 and 13 teaching the lower years about topics related to the Navy such as ships, submarines, knots and the history of the Navy. We also conduct many PLTs which are great fun and get the cadets working together to have a laugh but also achieve an end goal. When we weren’t in the classroom or conducting PLTs we were out on Rutland Water doing water sports. The Years Ten and 11 worked towards their level one kayaking qualification, while the Years 12 and 13 worked towards their level four sailing qualification. We also had a day when all the years got into smaller teams and had a raft building competition but unfortunately no-one had a raft that actually stayed together the whole time. WO2 SMITH STA MFORDIAN 2 01 7

CLIMBING CLUB

Hitting the heights THE CLIMBING CLUB PUSHING THEMSELVES EVEN HIGHER AND HARDER THIS YEAR

he past year has been a momentous one in the history of the Climbing Club. The senior members of the club have started to pass the lead climbing milestone. This may not mean much to the uninitiated, but lead climbing means that you climb above your rope, clipping it in as you go, which means there is a lot further to fall. Because of the force created by a falling climber, the belayer can often get pulled off the floor! Arriving at this stage has taken those students four years of dedication and practice and it signals a new chapter in the development of the club. Well done to Katie, Charity, Sam, Jonty, Alex,

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Holly, Eleanor, Dan, Nick and Toby. All of the half termly trips to the Peak District have been a great success. We also had the first ever multi-pitch trip, which means climbing so high that you cannot do it in one length of rope, so you must make a belay on a small ledge half way up a cliff. The two oldest members of the club, Charity Stow and Katie Wood, were the first to experience this type of climbing. On top of all this we have had an influx of new members who are the lead climbers of the future. MR E SMITH

COMMUNITY

ST MARTIN’S

A brief history of 24 St Martin’s BOARDERS MOVE IN TO FULLY RENOVATED HISTORIC TOWNHOUSE

he principal settlement at Stamford seems always to have been on the north bank, where the limestone plateau overlooking the river is traversed by the Scotgate valley. South of the river, the rectangle enclosed by Park Lane, Pinfold Lane and Church Street with High Street St. Martin’s running axially through the centre, seems the most likely area for the southern burh built by Edward the Elder in 918. An excavation at the rear of 24 (and 24A) High Street St. Martin’s located a ditch running north to south which is the only possible vestige of the southern enclosure, which would encompass approximately 3.75 hectares. The distinction made in 1722 between ‘the upper end of the town’ and ‘the trading part’ to the north (Mercury, 12 April) appears to have been of long standing and, despite the decrease in shops at the north end, remains true today. During the 18th and 19th centuries the ‘upper end’ was occupied mainly by professional or more affluent people. There are fragments of old, medieval houses, and 24 St. Martin’s is one of them.

The house is over two storeys, with attics in a mansard roof, well-coursed rubble walls with flush dressings and quoins, and consists of an early 19th-century L-shaped plan of class 11a with a medieval (13th century) vaulted undercroft beneath the north-west angle of the building. The Penal Laws grew out of the English Reformation and specifically from those acts that established royal supremacy in the Church of England in the reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Under Henry VIII and Edward VI civil disabilities were imposed on those who remained in communion with Rome, thus denying the King’s spiritual headship. Elizabeth I made it impossible for Catholics to hold civil offices and imposed severe penalties upon Catholics who persisted in recognizing papal authority. Fines and prison sentences were prescribed for all who did not attend Anglican services, and the celebration of the Mass was forbidden under severe penalties. Mass had been celebrated secretly in some of Stamford’s numerous cellars, including that of no. 24, High Street Saint Martin’s. Bringing it ever closer to present day, 1878 saw the Stamford Mercury run an advert for a ‘good, plain cook’ for the house and by 1881, the house was inhabited by two servants – Emma Newton, cook, and Margaret Cox, a housemaid. The house was let in 1882 as a ‘family residence and garden’ by the Burghley Estate. By 1891, the house was home to John Eden Savile, his wife Isabella, daughter Maude, a servant and a parlour maid. The family were still living there in 1901 with a cook and a domestic sick nurse. In March 1906, John Savile was fined by the Stamford Borough Police 23 shillings and costs for keeping a dog without a licence. Stamford School previously had a ‘St.Martin’s’ boarding house situated at 52 High Street St Martin’s. It was opened in the summer of 1944 under the charge of Mr A V Moore and served as a junior house. Mr Moore ran the house until 1952 when it was moved into St Michael’s Rectory (the current Southfields House) under the charge of Mr D Cruickshank. Sixty-five years later, 24 High Street St. Martin’s becomes a sixth form boys boarding house for 12 with two members of staff – tutor Mr B Kirkpatrick and housemaster Mr B Morris – in residence. MR B MORRIS

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Boarding life

Browne House

ith 2017 being another very popular year for senior boarding, we welcomed six new boarders into the Browne House community, myself being one of them. Becoming a boarder, I was amazed by how the matrons, house tutors and students work together flawlessly under Mr Ware’s watchful eye to form a totally unique ecosystem in which everyone strives for success; whether this is in the classroom, on the rugby pitch or on the big stage. The tutors work tirelessly to ensure that we, as students and young men, are given guidance and support through the arduous uphill battles of GCSEs and A levels. We go on weekend trips as a treat from Mr Ware for the week’s hard work. This year, we went to a plethora of locations including Alton Towers, restaurants and even paintballing. The sense of spirit, drive and pride within the boarding house is like nothing I have seen; with every single boy being driven by success, there really is a wealth of knowledge and life lessons to be learnt first-hand. These things simply cannot be taught by teachers in a classroom. I believe that is why Browne House provides an unsurpassable education, not just in academics but in people and life skills.

Filling the rather large hole left in the heart of our boarding house by Dr Jones is Mr. Gloucester, our new resident tutor, a man of confidence and inspiration. His presence within Browne has been greatly appreciated and he has unquestionably assisted in the smooth running of Browne by being an extraordinary role model to all the students. After my first year here it is very sad for me to see two of our house tutors leave. Both Mr Cropper and Mr Simpkins were invaluable members of our community; their quick-witted humour and natural ability to entertain always had us eager to hear what they had to say. As a house we wish them both the best of luck in their future endeavours. Taking over from Mr Cropper is Mr Slack, one of our Junior School teachers. He is always quick to engage in conversation and is an exceptional example to all the boarders in Browne. Also joining this year is our dynamic duo from the Science Department, Miss Woodward and Mr Highfield, who have both become invaluable members of our boarding community. Furthermore, we would like to thank Alex King, our exceptional Head of House, who put unparalleled amounts of effort into the boarding house, whether this be through organising events or offering a friendly face to talk to in a time of need. Over the past year, Browne House has become a home to me and the residents have become my family, there is no better place to be. MR J ROGERS

“ T H E S E N S E O F S P I R I T, D R I V E AND PRIDE WITHIN THE B OA R D I N G H O U S E I S L I K E N O T H I N G I H AV E E V E R S E E N ” 50

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COMMUNITY

Byard House

s ever, it has been a very busy year for the boys of Byard House. Byard is essentially a split house with the younger years on ‘Byard’ side and the older ones living in ‘Old San’, named because it was the previous location of the School medical centre. Byard is named after the first Headmaster of Stamford School, Libeus Byard, and is built between two houses - 19 and 24 St Paul’s Street. Number 19 was the home of Valentine Stapleton, a local solicitor, and our table tennis room is housed in his office building, built in 1871. Living in the heart of the School means that boarders can be involved in almost every activity on offer, both after school and, for full boarders, at weekends. There is rarely an evening when all of the boys are in! This year, the boys in Byard have represented the school on the rugby and hockey pitches, on the tennis court, in table tennis, basketball and fencing, as well as cricket and athletics. They have also been involved in Sinfonietta, orchestras, drama performances and recitals. In the house, we have been on a number of weekend trips the annual boarders’ outing to Alton Towers is the highlight of the first half of the autumn term but we have also been on house cinema trips and excursions including: bowling, paint balling, shopping, cycling and go -karting. We also visited Hunstanton in the summer term to give the inter-

“ T H E H O U S E I S A B U SY A N D C O N STA N T LY C H A N G I N G P L AC E ” national boarders a sense of the British seaside! For full boarders, the weekends have taken on a more ‘homely’ feel with meals around the table with matron and often a film with popcorn or hot chocolate treats on offer! The combination of three night, weekly and full boarders makes the house a busy and constantly changing place. During the week, we use the fitness suite and the swimming pool as well as organising football tournaments twice a week which can be quite hotly contested! At the end of the summer term, we held a BBQ in the garden to say farewell to our outgoing Year Tens as well as wishing Mr Morris good luck in his new role as Housemaster of St Martin’s. We are lucky to have an excellent group of both resident and non-resident tutors: Mr Esson, Mr Ramsey (who runs football on Tuesday evenings) and, new this year, Mr Evans-Jones, Mr Thacker and Mr White. Matron Tamar has kept the boys well fed and extremely well looked after and is ably assisted by Matron Denise, who comes in twice a week. The boys of Byard are very lucky to have such a great group of staff - rumour has it that they can be quite good at homework as well! MR D COLLEY AND MRS A COLLEY

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Park House

Boarding life

ith 22 girls and the title of being the largest sixth form girls’ boarding house, there was never a dull moment in Park House. Not only did the girls appreciate the surprise appearances of our Housemistress Mrs Vié’s dog, Star, the girls also enjoyed the numerous trips that were taken during the year. As well as trips to the cinema, shopping trips to Cambridge, visiting the Birmingham Christmas Markets, and the occasional meal out, the girls also enjoyed the highly-acclaimed production of Wicked at the Apollo Victoria. Undoubtedly, the annual spa visit was a huge success. It featured saunas, facials, back massages, and swims in heated pools – all of which ensured the relaxation and pampering of the sixth form girls! Weekly movie nights and Friday night takeaways cemented the sense of community at Park House, a sense that is undoubtedly reciprocated in all the boarding houses! NANA ABOAGYE

St Martin’s House

t Martin’s is a comfortable Georgian town house that brings a sense of home to the boarding community. It has recently been converted to a boarding house with modern remodelling and top quality interior design. This house is very much made by the people in it. With a good variety of different people it can become a popular choice for boarders in the sixth form and coming up from Year 11. At full capacity the house holds 12 boys. It provides a quiet place to focus on studying whilst also being a fantastic halfway house between school and university by placing more freedom and responsibility on the boys living there. As it is close to the girls’ school site it is easy to attend after-school clubs, seek help from teachers and commute to lessons whilst also being far enough away as to feel like you are going home after a long day. In the evenings the house becomes a home with many boys choosing to relax in the living room or kitchen. MAX KYAN AND ZAK SPRIGGS

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“ T H E R E WA S NEVER A DULL MOMENT IN PA R K H O U S E ”

COMMUNITY

Wothorpe House

he girls enjoyed a very busy year at Wothorpe House – as always! Our small, yet perfectly formed boarding house is a cosy home from home where Enzo, my cat, gets a HUGE amount of fuss – often referred to as the seventh member of the boarding house! The year was filled with an abundance of trips, including plenty of cinema visits, and a day at the Birmingham Christmas markets. Mrs Vié and I donned our best Santa suits along with all our boarders to run 5km with around 700 other Santas! The whole of Park & Wothorpe travelled to see Wicked at the Apollo Victoria and enjoyed a yummy meal at Pizza Express. But possibly the best, most relaxing trip of the year was our annual visit to the spa! Plenty of pampering was had by all! MR A LEWIN

Welland House

“O U R S M A L L , Y ET P E R F E C T LY FORMED B OA R D I N G H O U S E I S A C OSY H O M E F RO M H O M E ”

ou might think that living away from home is really hard, but boarding life at Welland is so busy that there’s little time to think about missing life back home. The boarding house is a hive of activity from early morning, starting off the day with a great breakfast when you can chat with your friends. We have a break during the school day, then we’re back for activities after school or have time to go into town. After tea, we’re off to prep, which is a great opportunity to get all your work done, then there’s just time to relax with friends before lights out. One of the huge benefits is the communal atmosphere at Welland we live together like an abnormally large family and, just like any family, we laugh together and sometimes even fall out, but there is always someone to help you, always a shoulder to cry on or someone to share a joke with. The support system at Welland is great, with support not only from your fellow boarders and from home, but also from staff at the house and throughout the school. Living in the boarding house increases independence as there is no one to run around behind us, so we have to be responsible for a lot more than you would do if you were living at home. With that independence also comes a lot more freedom; you get to make a lot of choices and are trusted to be responsible with them. Overall, Welland is a fun, supportive atmosphere and a time in our lives that I can be sure none of the boarders will forget in a hurry. MEGAN GUNTHER

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Feeling Gravity’s Pull I enjoyed my trip to Woolsthorpe (Isaac Newton’s birthplace) very much. Although it was my second visit there, because this one was with school I learnt a lot more and found it much more interesting. Whilst there, we learnt about how Newton was the one who discovered how light was dispersed when it travelled through a glass prism and we also learnt a lot about his early life during the tour of the manor.” FREYA IBBOTT Year 8

NORTH WALES

A Wales of a time

YEAR 12 GEOGRAPHERS VISITED NORTH WALES n March, the Year 12 geographers visited The Drapers’ Field Centre in Betws-y-Coed, North Wales. The aim of this field trip was to carry out both physical and human geographical fieldwork, use a range of data handling methods and learn analysis and evaluation skills. The techniques we learnt can be used in our independent investigations, which are a new part of the A level geography specification. It was an added bonus to be able to complete the fieldwork while spending time in the rural landscape of Wales. A range of different aspects from the A level course was covered, including the water and carbon cycle, glaciers and social inequality, and we also learnt how to use GIS. We visited two towns, Llandudno, where we looked at spatial patterns of social inequality, and Llanrwst, which had a variety of different flood defences, and also walked along the post-glacial landscape in Cwm Idwal, where there were many erosional and depositional landforms, and we discussed the processes that formed them. It was a very informative and useful field trip which will be of great help in our A level work. We would like to thank the teachers for organising this trip for us. CLAUDIA CAMPBELL & SHS GEOGRAPHY PREFECT TEAM

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T R AV E L P OLAND

Poland’s past A THOUGHT PROVOKING PHILOSOPHY AND ETHICS TRIP FOR BETH GUNTHER

n March, a group of Year Ten and 11 students from both schools were lucky enough to fly to Poland on a philosophy and ethics trip to explore the beautiful medieval city of Krakow and experience Jewish culture, as well as visiting Auschwitz concentration camp and Wieliczka Salt Mine. Our guided tour around Krakow showed us beautiful architecture and historical buildings. We explored the Wieliczka Salt Mines and in the evening immersed ourselves into Jewish culture, eating at a Jewish restaurant and listening to a band play traditional folk music. We visited the Galicia Jewish Museum where we were lucky enough to hear from a Jewish woman who personal-

ly suffered prejudice and discrimination under Nazi rule as a child. Her story was very moving and made us all reflect on how people as individuals, as well as a collective, were greatly victimised during this horrific period of history. For many of us, the most emotional part of the trip was visiting Auschwitz itself. Walking under the gates of Auschwitz that read ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’ (work sets you free) and following the footsteps of so many was harrowing as it brought home the reality of what we had learned back at school. The sheer size of the site, particularly Auschwitz-Birkenau, was numbing and to think of the million people who died there made us all realised the immense scale of the tragedy. Visiting all these places gave us a deeper emotional understanding of the facts we’d learnt in the classroom. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip, learning about Polish culture and exploring the Old Town of Krakow, and had lots of fun with the trip’s Instagram account. It was a sombre and thought-provoking experience and one none of us will forget it.

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GERMANY

Bonnding trip THE EXCHANGE VISIT THIS YEAR TOOK IN HARIBO, GESTAPO, COLD WAR BUNKERS AND ROLLERCOASTERS

aving left Stamford at 12pm, we arrived in Bonn, Germany at around 8pm and then took the train to the school, where we were immediately welcomed by our exchange partners. It had been a long, tiring day, and we were looking forward to enjoying our first German meal. The first full day in Germany saw us participating in the lessons of our partners. I personally had English, PE and art - art being the highlight of the day as they just chatted, without doing much work. We then explored Bonn and of course saw the famous Haribo Supermarket. In the afternoon, we were welcomed to Germany with the Welcome Evening, during which we had a barbecue and played an informal game of football. The next day also began in school for the first lesson and then we made the trip to Cologne. We first looked at the former Gestapo prison, which was extremely interesting. The conditions these prisoners were kept in were truly awful and we saw the writing in various languages on the wall, which were messages to their family members in case they never got out. It was particularly horrific to learn that there had been a small child kept in the prison. We then looked around Cologne and made the large trek up to the top of the cathedral to enjoy a breathtaking view of the city. On Thursday, we went to Ahrweiler, where we saw Germany’s Cold War government bunker. It was very impressive, being able to hold 3,000 government officials, although it was later revealed to be actually ineffective against a direct hit by a nuclear bomb. We then had an ice cream in town and enjoyed a tour of a wine cellar, where we were allowed to try real German wine. Over the weekend, we each did various activities but met up in the afternoon on Saturday for a barbecue on the river Rhine and then on Sunday Sam, Carlos, Josephine, Yesim, Robbie, Luis, Janina and I went to Phantasialand. Although, some of us had not had much experience with roller coasters before, we all had a great time. On Monday, we were back to waking up early and went to Koblenz. Although we had to walk a long way, it was worth it to see the fortress. We then walked to the city and enjoyed

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some free time. On Tuesday, we decided to go to Düsseldorf and went to the top of the Rhine Tower, from which we once again had some great views. We spent the afternoon at the film museum, where we were particularly taken by the invisibility cloak. Our final destination in Düsseldorf was a small alley called Schneider Wibbel Gasse, named after a tailor whose philosophy in life was to work hard to always have enough money –and we all rubbed his hand to ensure we would be lucky too! Having returned to Bonn, we all went for a meal together. The final morning saw us once again in lessons before saying our emotional goodbyes. Thank you to all the teachers and exchange students, both German and English, that made this a great trip. ALEX BRAID

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Bonn Vacances During the first week of the Easter holidays, I went to Bonn as part of the German Exchange, which has been running for 58 years. My partner had already stayed with my family in September and we got on very well together, but I was still nervous about going, especially as I was the only girl in my year. Despite this, I had a great time and I quickly got to know the others. We met up in the evenings in Bonn with our Exchange partners and I really enjoyed the cultural visits. My listening skills improved and my accent is better. I have also gained in confidence and now want to study German for A level.” JOSEPHINE VIÉ Year 10

A WORK VISIT

GRACE WOODS USED THE EXCHANGE FOR VALUABLE WORK EXPERIENCE IN A PRIMARY SCHOOL “While my fellow students spent the week doing excursions to Bonn and its surrounding areas, I did a week’s work experience in a German primary school in a village just outside of Bonn, which

was where my partner lived. I was helping in a Year Four class, which was the highest year in the school. “The day began at 8.30am and ended at 12.30pm, with an after-school club. “The after-

school club was also a lot of fun to do as I got to talk to the kids more and even tried to help them with their homework. The embarrassing thing was that they were better at it than I was! “The kids were lovely; they

accepted me with open arms as their new friend and taught me a lot of random vocabulary, including words for bugs and types of triangle, and even gave me new foods to try! The last day was rather

emotional with the kids in my class giving me many Easterinspired drawings and a really cute card filled with all their signatures. “I was also able to go out a lot on the weekend and after school with

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my partner; we got ice cream together, had barbeques, went shopping and even to a climbing forest! “Overall, the trip was a great experience - even while working - and I would absolutely

recommend any aspiring teacher or German student to work in a primary school like I did. It improved my speaking a lot, but also my comprehension - but most of all it was just enjoyable!”

HUNSTANTON

Coastal adventures THERE WAS MYSTERY APLENTY ON THE YEAR SEVEN GEOGRAPHY FIELD TRIP

n Friday 9 June, Year Seven SHS students travelled to Hunstanton, which is sixteen miles north of the market town of Kings Lynn in west Norfolk. We were asked to become ‘geography detectives’ and solve four mysteries. Mystery one was ‘Why has Michael put rocks at the base of the cliff?’ The second mystery was ‘Why is Mrs Goggins at No. 53 Sea View not worried about coastal erosion?’ Thirdly, ‘Why is the sea brown and in which direction does it move?’ And finally, ‘Why has Mrs Buckman chosen to go to Hunstanton for her summer holiday this year?’ In the lesson before the trip we predicted why we thought Michael had put rocks at the base of the cliff, and then on the trip we saw how the erosional process of ‘solution’ causes coastal erosion. We did this by getting a small amount of tap water and a small amount of salty sea water, and measured the pH level of both waters and whichever one had the lowest pH was more acidic. We found out that the sea water was more acidic than normal water, which means sea water would dissolve cliffs more quickly. Then we found out which type of rock (from the famous Hunstanton cliffs) eroded quickest by putting it into a small amount of white vinegar. We found out that carrstone/ boulder clay dissolved quickest. This told us that Michael put rocks at the base of the cliff to try to stop coastal erosion as he wanted to protect the soft rock. For our second Mystery (‘Why is Mrs Goggins at No. 53 Sea View not worried about coastal erosion?’), we did the same as before by making a prediction and then

on the trip we looked at different sea defences/coastal management that have been built in Hunstanton. There was a sea wall and groynes. The sea wall was made from thick concrete and the groynes were made of either concrete or wood. After looking at the sea defences, we then started to measure the sand height on either side of the groynes (both south and north). We found out that the sand was piled up higher on one side which fits with our knowledge of why they are there – they stop longshore drift from happening. We also completed a bi-polar analysis at this stop to help us understand the environmental impact of the defences. We can clearly say that Mrs Goggins is not worried about coastal erosion because the sea defences are there to protect her. Our third Mystery was ‘Why is the sea brown and in

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T R AV E L

which direction does it move?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; For this, we did the same again and made a prediction in class before the trip. On the trip, we collected some seawater, poured it through some filter paper, and waited for the sand and mud to filter through. As the process was happening we were asked to describe the waves and how the sea looked that day. Then, for our second experiment, we threw oranges into the sea to see in which direction and how far they would travel. After a certain period of time you would get someone in your group to measure the distance it travelled. We found out that whichever way the orange went was the way the sea was going, which was also the direction of the wind; this is a process called longshore drift. Finally, our last Mystery was to investigate why Mrs Buckman chose to go to Hunstanton for her summer holiday this year. We found this out by going round the town and looked at the different services provided. We had to decide which ones were aimed at tourists and which were for locals. We tallied the following services: residential (houses and flats), offices and business, shops for tourists, shops for locals, recreation (amusement/bowling) and others. We thought that she had chosen to go there because of all of the incredible activities she can do. Overall, we all had an amazing day at Hunstanton and got a better view of why sea defences are important, how cliffs are protected, what longshore drift is and what life is like in Hunstanton. We think this was a great way to get a better understanding of the sea and how we can protect it. A big thank you must go to Mr Smith and the Geography Department, and Year Seven tutors, for organising the trip. ABI SOLE-POTTER AND TILLY HILDER

LEICESTER

Town and country YEAR NINE VISITED LEICESTER TO LOOK AT SETTLEMENT PATTERNS.

he Year Nine SHS geography students visited Leicester for a field trip to learn about and evaluate urban living. We visited three different places, each showing a slightly different style of living. We visited a small village far away from the city centre, called Thurnby. We found this village to be small and quaint, with limited services. Then, we went into the city centre, and evaluated the houses there. We found that it was far busier and there was much more noise, but the area was still well maintained. Finally, we visited Braunstone Park, an inner suburb which had many services, affordable housing and frequent bus services to the city centre. At each location, we carried out a bipolar analysis, pedestrian count and traffic survey, and evaluated the services and houses. We also evaluated some of the buildings on the rural-urban fringe and also evaluated if Leicester had some features of an environmentally friendly city. During this trip, we collected useful evidence and learnt a lot about urban living. We would like to thank Miss Allen for organising this trip for us, and Mr Smith, Mrs Moody and Mr Burke for accompanying us. We had a thoroughly enjoyable day. IMOGEN MCEWING

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FRANCE AND BELGIUM

Journey’s beginning THE SHS BATTLEFIELD TOUR GAVE YEAR NINE AN INSIGHT INTO THE HORROR AND SACRIFICE OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR

n July 2017, Year Nine historians took part in Stamford High School’s annual trip to the First World War Battlefields of Ypres and the Somme. It was fascinating to be visiting the sites of the Great War, and particularly during its centenary. Considering the anniversary of the Third Battle of Ypres was approaching, the visit to the region on the first day was especially poignant. We were joined by our two fantastic guides from Anglia Tours, Alain and Dickie; the latter of who is becoming quite a celebrity with his cameo role in the upcoming film of R C Sherriff ’s play Journey’s End set in the last year of the First World War. From our arrival in Belgium, our guides had us captivated. We explored the causes of the war and the symbols of Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries while in Lijssenthoek, Belgium’s largest Commonwealth Cemetery. We then made our way to the town of Poperinghe, whose small size belies its great importance during the First World War. The town was home to hundreds of thousands of British troops behind the lines during the four years of the war and was also the site of many court martial ex-

ecutions of soldiers ‘shot at dawn’. We made a very emotional visit to the site of these executions and reflected on the morality of such acts. Equally powerful was our visit to Langemark German Cemetery, striking for its stark contrast to Commonwealth Cemeteries. Especially notable was for students to walk a route taken by Adolf Hitler, who visited the site during the Nazi occupation of Belgium in the Second World War. The students had the opportunity to reflect again on more modern events at Vancouver Corner, the location of the first gas attack of the Great War. This led to a consideration of the continued use of chemical weapons in warfare, something which had hit the news only a week before with President Trump’s condemnation of the Syrian government for their suspected use of chemical weapons. Our second day, on which we visited the Somme region of France, was equally absorbing. The events of the Battle of the Somme were brought to life for us as we embarked on our battlefield walk, tracing the steps of countless brave men who had made the journey almost 101 years ago to the day. We visited Beaumont Hamel,

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with its still visible trench lines and a striking sculpture of a caribou, symbolising the men from Newfoundland (in modern day Canada) who gave their lives in the Great War. There were light hearted moments too. Several students had the privilege of delving into our guides’ historically-accurate dressing up box, modelling gas masks through the war and the standard issue British Army uniform, which we learnt was the perfect balance of comfort and practicality! I was honoured to join one student, Evie Armes, when she made her family’s first pilgrimage to a relative’s peaceful resting place in Gommecourt British Cemetery. Evie left there a heart-felt message for her greatgreat uncle on behalf of her family, a gesture which demonstrated the continued importance of Remembrance. This idea was shared with all students at our final site, Pozieres British Cemetery, where we heard a heart-breaking recital of a letter from a young woman to her fiancé who was recorded as Missing in Action. Never more have we appreciated the freedom we have to do one very special thing – come home. MS S DAVIES

T R AV E L SPAIN

Ice creams in February THE SPANISH EXCHANGE TRIP WAS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL WITH PLENTY OF SHARED CULTURAL EXPERIENCES

uring the February half term of 2017, 14 students flew out to La Coruña, Galicia for the Spanish Exchange. Students were paired with Spanish students from ‘Instituto Eusebio de Guarda’, famous for being the school which the painter Pablo Picasso attended. We enjoyed sunny weather throughout – rare for Galicia on the west coast. A trip to Pontevedra involved ice cream and a stop at the beach, and we were pleased to see that the ‘Cambados dog’ was still ready to greet us through the gate. Visiting the historic Santiago de Compostela was a highlight, spotting real life pilgrims and nuns within the renowned cathedral. Linguistically, we all saw the benefits the submersion had on our Spanish – the most useful word learnt being ‘cinturons’; the word repeated before every journey to ensure we had our seatbelts on. Spending the weekend with our exchange partners and their families offered the chance to learn more about local culture and places of interest. Many shared friendships were made between partners, meeting up for activities and visits as groups. The food court at ‘Marineda’ shopping centre proved popular, being one of the largest in the country, but students weren’t afraid to get involved with the local culture. Galicia is known for its seafood, many of us trying ‘pulpo’, meaning octopus, a local delicacy – with mixed reactions. Returning to the UK in March, our Spanish partners enjoyed trips to Cambridge, Burghley House and an express tour of London’s landmarks. For some of us, it was our second time on the Exchange, and we were happy to reunite with the same partners with whom we had become very good friends. All in all, it was a very successful trip, the only drawback being when we left. ALICE WIBBERLEY AND AMELIA FINDLAY

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SPAIN

Culture in Catalonia YEAR 12 ART STUDENTS TAKE IN THE ART AND ARCHITECTURE OF SPAIN’S CULTURAL CAPITAL

n the Christmas holidays, some sixth form art students went on a fantastic trip to Barcelona to visit attractions such as the Olympic Stadium and the Picasso Museum. Over the five days we stayed at Urban Hostel, where we filled the evenings with pool tournaments and chilling. We also went to a variety of restaurants for our evening meals, from the famous Hard Rock Cafe to a more traditional tapas meal accompanied by the flamenco. On the Tuesday, we visited the Salvador Dali Museum. Many of us found this the most exciting part as it was almost like the museum itself was an art piece: everything linked to-

gether and formed an amazing structure. For example, the roof of one of the rooms was a giant glass dome and, when this was reflected in the window, it looked as if there were two glass domes which resembled a fly’s eyes. We also learnt a great deal about Dali himself, from his love of theatre, to the love he had for his wife, which is reflected in his artwork. One painting that we all found incredibly clever, only became clear when we looked at through a camera lens. To begin with, the painting looks like many colourful blocks with the vague silhouette of his wife in the middle but, when looked at through the lens of the camera, the painting transforms into the

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head of Abraham Lincoln. On another day, we visited Parc Güell, which was full of Gaudí’s wonderfully unique architectural work. The detail he went into when designing each building was extensive and the results were astonishing. To decorate the roofs, he made mosaics which were created with bold and colourful tiles. He also made a walkway out of stone which was slanted to the left, creating another unusual appearance. As you walk into the park, you find yourself in a large space where you can look out over the whole park. On the last day, before heading to the airport, we spent the morning at the Sagrada Familia. This magnificent work of architecture was definitely a favourite amongst the students as the detail of the stonework was astonishing and the colours inside the building, created by the stained glass windows, made for some beautiful photos. It was definitely a good attraction to conclude the trip on. We all headed back to the airport in high spirits.

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SPAIN

Caterwauling in Catalonia, Barking in Barca ACTUALLY THE CHOIRS AND ORCHESTRA MADE MUCH FINER SOUNDS THAN THOSE ON THEIR SPANISH TOUR

uring half term, 53 members of Chapel Choir, Cantare and Chamber Orchestra caused musical mayhem for five days in and around the city of Barcelona. With four concerts to be completed, three renditions of Vivaldi’s Gloria, 18 pieces to be played and sung, various museum and cathedral visits as well as squeezing in some shopping and time at the beach – we all knew that it was going to be an exhausting but exhilarating trip. After an early start, we landed safely in Barcelona airport with all instruments and musicians still in one piece. We then found ourselves in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Barcelona in La Ramblas, filled with vibrant market stalls, quaint alleyways and various shops to explore and wander around. The next morning and another early start meant that our group was one of the first into Park Güell, which is filled with the works of the architect Antoni Gaudí. With stunning architecture, beautiful scenery and plenty of photo opportunities overlooking the skyline of Barcelona, the tour spirits were left high. The party then made its way to La Sagrada Família, one of the most iconic buildings associated with Barcelona. Despite being still under construction, this immense temple left us awe-struck as the sunshine streamed through the stained glass windows creating a rainbow of colour upon the altar. After our morning of tourist activities, we then prepared for our first concert in Barcelona Cathedral. There we were met with a large audience including locals as well as tourists who stopped to find some tranquillity before continuing with their busy lives. The second day of the tour was based on the outskirts of Barcelona. We first headed to the Dalí museum in Figueres

where we were met with the bizarre, yet wonderful, world of Salvador Dalí. There is no doubt that the entire tour party could have spent all day wondering around the museum absorbing all the delights. However, the second concert was beckoning and so we all headed to Girona for another night of music. Although the audience in Girona was smaller than at Barcelona Cathedral, all of the ensembles performed to an incredibly high standard, with the acoustics in the cathedral leaving everyone beaming with delight. On our penultimate day in Barcelona, we journeyed to Montserrat – a majestic gem hidden in the mountains. We journeyed up by cable car, which allowed us to take in the sensational views overlooking the mountainous landscape. With only a ten-minute allocated performance time, only Chapel Choir was able to perform in the monastery yet beforehand we performed a “flash mob” in the square in front of the monastery, which was extremely well received by a multitude of tourist groups. The concert was certainly one of the highlights for Chapel Choir due to the fact that we sang in front of a crowd of over 800 people who were all crammed into the most glorious, extravagant monastery. Following our performance was the world famous ‘Escolania’ - one of the oldest boys’ choir in Europe. Our final concert back in Barcelona was a memorable one due to the tremendous appreciation from the audience. Many of the church members had come specially to listen to our music and they applauded with a standing ovation at the end of the concert. In our main concerts, all three ensembles together performed Vivaldi’s Gloria which was an exhausting yet rewarding piece of work to perform. This work involved many soloists, both instrumental and vocal: Grace Durose, Olivia Longbone, Ellie Bingham, Lucy Little and also Charity Stowe (oboe) and Sam Bradshaw (cello). This trip could not have been the success it was without the hard work and dedication of both members of the ensemble and music staff, who all gave up significant time after school hours to practice. A very special thank you to Mr Turner who had the stress of organising such an immense trip, and for ensuring that Chapel Choir performed Vivaldi’s Gloria to the highest of standards. Thanks also go to Mrs Bond (conductor of Cantare), and Mr Leetch (conductor of Chamber Orchestra) who both worked tirelessly to ensure that their ensembles could fill the majestic surroundings with equally majestic music, and to all other staff who helped to make this trip possible.

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FRANCE

Tour de Paris LANDMARKS AND LANGUAGES, BARTERING AND BOATS, PARKS AND ‘PLUIE’ FOR YEAR EIGHTLINGUISTS IN PARIS

here is no better way to gain inspiration for language learning than to practise what you have learnt in the classroom environment in a country where the language is spoken. This was very much our intention with regard to the Year Eight and Nine trip to Paris in July 2017. Our other objectives were to gain an insight into French life and culture in the French capital and for all the students to enjoy spending time visiting another country and using their language skills. After a day of travelling by coach and ferry, we arrived at our destination in the Parisian suburbs. We were accommodated in a conference centre with the students in rooms of three or four with ensuite bathrooms. The accommodation was modern, clean and comfortable and we also ate well; all our meals were freshly cooked on the premises. The first evening was spent getting to know our friendly and buoyant animateur, Malek, and familiarising ourselves with the surroundings. Luckily, the weather was glorious on the first morning so we were able to walk to the local park where Malek organised games “en français.” All of his explanations were in French and he encouraged the students to communicate using French only. In the afternoon, our luck with the weather persisted and we enjoyed a trip up the Tour de Montparnasse with its amazing views of Paris, followed by a river cruise where the students were able to take in the most famous sights of Paris. Our final destination of the day was the Arc de Triomphe and of course the ChampsElysées, where the teachers were glad to enjoy “une petite 66

pause-café” and let the students shop. I have to admit that I was slightly apprehensive on hearing Malek’s plans for day two… but my fears were unwarranted. The students were divided into groups of four/five and given a budget of €5 each. They then had about an hour to buy their lunch from a local market, where there were baguettes, fromage, charcuterie, fruits and other “spécialités françaises” in abundance, as you would expect from a French market. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the students completed this task and the produce they bought. They were far more adventurous than I expected and used their French successfully. All the students enjoyed their purchases over a picnic lunch and the afternoon was spent visiting Notre Dame as well as the Sacré Coeur and Place du Tertre, where some of the students negotiated a fair price for their caricature sketched by one of the many artists there. The final day was spent at the Parc Astérix where students (and even a couple of teachers!) enjoyed the “montagnes russes” and other rides. Until the last hour at the Parc, when there was an absolute downpour, we had been extremely fortunate with lots of “soleil” and, by the time the rain came down, it did not matter, as most students and two teachers were soaked from the water rides. After a day travelling home, students were reunited with their families and I imagine all slept very well that night after four nights spent in a dorm with friends and a hectic, but extremely worthwhile and enjoyable trip. MRS C VIÉ

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T R AV E L

RUSSIA

Christmas in the capital STUDENTS SEE CONTRASTS IN CULTURE AND CLIMATE ON THE RUSSIAN EXCHANGE

D An Eiffel Of Paris In July 2017, Year Eight and Nine French students took a trip to Paris. It was magical to be able to see many of the sights we see in films and in adverts in reality, and even more so to be able to go with some of our closest friends. We had a group leader, who taught us lots of new vocabulary, and told us many of the secrets of Paris. We had a wonderful time, and made new friends and had new experiences along the way.” KASIA MIDDLETON Year 8

uring the Christmas holidays, Mrs Wray and Mr Chadwick took 13 students to Russia for more of a cultural rather than a linguistic experience. The cold came as a shock to all of us. An icy, cold wind surrounded us at the airport and it took us almost two hours to travel to Khimki, but it was certainly worth the wait. The Russians had put up their Christmas decorations and lights, so the streets looked magical. On the first day, we took a bus tour around Moscow to see the Sparrow Hills, where the Olympic Games had been held, and after lunch we had a tour of the Izmailovsky Kremlin. After that we had a master class in painting Russian dolls. There were some interesting designs! The weekend meant family days where some of us were taken to zoos, ballets and the circus. Others went to ice skating shows, shopped and visited museums. On the Sunday night, we took the overnight sleeper train to St Petersburg. We did some sightseeing of the city, taking in the major sights of the Cathedral of Spilt Blood and The Hermitage. Everyone was shattered! On the Tuesday we all went back to the Kremlin to find out about Russia’s history. We also saw the armoury. We took a tour around the Bolshoi Theatre, which I don’t think any of us will forget. On our last full day, we took a tour around Zvenigorod, saw the Samovar Museum (samovars are large tea urns) and the Tsars’ apartments. After lunch we had another master class where we tried to write Russian letters. That night, our Russian Exchange partners’ parents organised a pizza party and bowling, which was great fun! Before we flew home, we went to the Russian school where we were treated to a talent concert before we said our goodbyes and headed home. MRS C WRAY AND MR W CHADWICK

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SES SP ORTS TOURS

East of England… PUPILS FROM THE STAMFORD ENDOWED SCHOOLS TOUR SRI LANKA AND JAPAN TO PLAY HOCKEY, NETBALL AND RUGBY

and we came home with some good wins and valuable lessons learnt from tough battles. As always, the Stamford girls made the staff proud. Well done to all involved and I have no doubt we will be talking about the memories in years to come.”

SRI LANK A Head of Sport at Stamford High School, Maria Bewers, describes the Sri Lanka adventure: “Stamford High School girls always make the most of new experiences and opportunities and the Sri Lanka tour was no exception. The girls fully embraced the culture, excursions, local food and interaction with the locals, plus the testing temperatures, with great enthusiasm and interest. “We were so impressed with the local level of strength on the hockey field and the incredible 99% accuracy on the netball courts. The Stamford girls made amazing progress

JAPAN Never shirking a challenge, Stamford School’s senior rugby players once again packed their bags in the name of rugby and headed to “The Land of the Rising Sun”. Rugby is booming in Japan ahead of their hosting both the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Olympics. The boys shot round the country on the famous Bullet train, passing through Tokyo, Yokohama, Hiroshima, Yamanashi and Kyoto - sightseeing and taking on the top rugby playing schools in Japan. The 2nd side won two, lost two and drew one, whereas the 1st side won all four of their games. The boys made many new friends and enjoyed being interviewed on national TV. Director of Sport, David Laventure, paid tribute to his charges: “The boys were outstanding on and off the pitch and I’m sure they will look back on all their experiences with very fond memories. They were presented with many challenges, some cultural, some physical, and they responded brilliantly. It proved to be the adventure of a lifetime!”

tamford Endowed Schools’ sports tours provide tremendous opportunities for pupils to broaden their sporting experiences and achievements while learning about the history, culture and traditions of their destination. They are a great example of how the Schools deliver an all-round education, bringing sport, leadership, resilience, intellectual curiosity and increased understanding of the world together in one amazing adventure. Over the summer break, pupils from Stamford High School and Stamford School undertook two inspiring and challenging tours; girls from Stamford High School visited Sri Lanka to play netball and hockey while boys from Stamford School toured Japan playing rugby.

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Miss Docherty

SHS Philosophy and Ethics

Mr Gallop SS Head Have you always wanted to become a teacher/headteacher? “A teacher – yes, I love my subject and that’s what got me into the profession (and out of accountancy).” Has politics always been your favourite subject? “Yes, although I didn’t know it when I started university on a Combined Honours degree. I had to pick four humanities or social sciences to study in my first year – I ended up picking two history courses because the queues were shorter. I specialised in politics for the next two years.”

Have you always wanted to become a teacher? “I have wanted to be a teacher since I was five – that was when I discovere d that my teachers could afford horses, so I chose my career then and there! While my reasons have changed, that’s where it all started (still haven’t got my horse though…).” Has the subject that you currently teach always been your favourite subject at school? “I have always enjoyed philosophy but it was a close call between that and English - my teacher at school is the one who encouraged me to take it further.” What were your first impressions of SHS? ”My first impressions were that the staff were friendly, girls polite and welcoming and the building is like a TARDIS. I never knew it was so big inside!”

What did you study at A level? “I studied in Scotland and completed Scottish Highers (A level equivalent) in religious studies, sociology, English, biology and administration.” Favourite school meal? “Mexican fajitas – yum!” Stamps or stickers for marking? “Stickers all the way – I have glittery gold stars for special pieces of work!” Favourite Beyonce album? “’Lemonade’ – of course – although ‘I Am… Sasha Fierce’ is a close second. I mean, who doesn’t love ‘Single Ladies’?”

Holidays: Beach or City? “Washington DC.” Pineapple on pizza: ingenious or heretical? “Hideous.”

When horse riding, hacks or show jumping? “Show-jumping! All my best horse-riding memories have been from show jumping.”

Constitution: US or UK? “Definitely the UK’s – the recently deceased constitutional expert Anthony King likened the UK constitution to one of England’s great gothic cathedrals: ‘full of clutter, complex and rich in detail but with a basic outline that is clear and unambiguous.’” 70

What advice would you give aspiring teachers? “My advice would be to be yourself – students know that I talk with my hands, have memes on my displays and have a love of Beyonce. In my experience it helps build relationships between the teacher and student – you’re a person too!” Do you have any hobbies? “My hobbies are horse-riding and reading at the moment and I am hoping to start sewing in the new year… I’d love to make my own dresses!”

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Mr Kirkpatrick

Dr Patchett

SS Physical Education

SHS Head of Physics

Have you always wanted to become a teacher? “Not always - I was unsure at university but my degree took me into teaching and now I can’t get enough!”

Have you always wanted to become a teacher? “At school I wanted to become a scientist. It was something I achieved some years later, and in the course of my science career I became involved in teaching which I discovered I enjoyed.”

Has sport always been your favourite subject? “Always - never known anything different.” Tea or Coffee? “Coffee...by the litre!” Which actor would you want to play you in a film about your life? “Will Smith.” Which Olympic sport would you want to win a gold medal in? “Synchronised swimming or dressage.”

Mr Di Cataldo SS Physical Education

Have you always wanted to become a teacher? “Initially I wanted to coach, but working with children in sport was always on my radar.” Has PE always been your favourite subject? “Always - my strongest area.” Win the World Cup or the Champions League? “Depends if my teams are competing in them!”

Mrs Dickson SHS Maths Have you always wanted to become a teacher? “No. I worked in the electronics industry for 11 years, then became a mum so this is the third stage of my career. I started as an apprentice in electronic engineering, became a test engineer, an ATE programmer and then a process engineer. I retrained to be a teacher after having children.” Has the subject that you currently teach always been your favourite subject at school? “Originally sport was my favourite subject as I was in the hockey First XI, the athletics team and the rounders team. I also did cross country running and orienteering for North Norfolk.” What were your first impressions of SHS? “My first impressions were as a parent, with two girls at SHS and my son at SS. The most outstanding feature is the confidence of the pupils in dealing with adults, public speaking and performing.” What advice would you give aspiring teachers? “Find a school that ‘fits’ you! I have taught in two smaller schools and one large school. It is smaller schools for me all the way!” Do you have any hobbies? “I like to walk my dog each day and I enjoy Japanese puzzles. I am also involved with a local church and am a trustee for a local charity.”

Laventure or Headley? “No comment.”

Favourite place to holiday? “Italy.”

3 pointer or slam dunk? “3 points all-day, swoosh.”

What colour do you mark in? “Green or red.”

Has the subject that you currently teach always been your favourite subject at school? “My favourite subjects at school were history, chemistry and physics. I do wonder how much our teachers affect our preferences.” What were your first impressions of SHS? “A convivial atmosphere” What advice would you give aspiring teachers? “Immerse yourself in your subject.” Do you have any hobbies? “Reading history and fiction, walking in the countryside, visiting historical sites and cooking.” What subject would you teach if you couldn’t teach the one you currently do? “Maths, if they would have me!” Favourite planet? “Saturn - I recall seeing it through a telescope and seeing the rings with my own eyes.” City or beach? “Berlin. I lived there for a few years, and it was a tremendous experience.” Favourite period of history? “Modern history, there are plenty of documents that help us understand motivations and events. Conversely, trying to piece together the ancient world can be difficult, though the cultural artefacts they have left behind give fascinating clues.”

Hockey or Rounders? “Hockey.”

First concert? “David Bowie.” Cats or dogs? “Dogs.” STA MFORDIAN 2 01 7

Music Lessons

some er a career that has seen Mr Taylor is leaving aft hool under his tutelage. sc at ed rm rfo pe ic us m remarkable time. at he has learned in that He tells Staffordian wh

r Taylor has been a stalwart of the Music Department, an inspirational teacher and musician and a kind and warmhearted gentleman throughout his 28 years at the Stamford Endowed Schools. He came to Stamford after a career in the Army Bands. During his time here he has conducted Symphony Orchestra, Choral Society and Wind Band, given numerous piano lessons and tutored many chamber ensembles. He is a concert pianist and has given many concerts playing piano concertos with orchestras around the country. He also plays the violin and clarinet, and, in the words of Mr Turner, is “generally a very good egg.” He has decided to step down from his role at the end of 2016/17 to pursue his aspirations to do more composing.

Music School was extended and improved upon and is now part of the impressive Performing Arts Centre. “The Oswald Elliott Hall has seen an impressive transformation and numerous other buildings have been added or extended to create further versatility, including a large sports hall. But that’s just about buildings; the essence of the School was always found in the great rapport between teachers and students alike and I am grateful to have worked with such great colleagues and students. “Upon my arrival I was immediately put to work as Music Director for the staff production of Trial by Jury which proved a wonderful way to get to know the staff!”

How has the Music Department at school (or school in general) changed from when you first joined SES? “I first joined Stamford School in January 1989; so it would be fair to say I have seen many changes within the School. Most buildings today seem very much as I remembered at the start of my career, but some of their functions have changed over the years: Southfields was a boarding house and the staff room was located on the second floor of Brazenose with music technology (when it arrived) situated on the top floor. “Lower School, of course, was for the preparatory teaching, originally for Year Four, Five and Six. The

What is your fondest memory of SES? “My fondest memories of the School must include the Chapel which always gave me time for reflection in a beautiful setting with wonderfully thought-provoking sermons; these I shall cherish. “As a music specialist there was a significant amount of extra curriculum time required and it was here that I found some of the greatest rewards as a teacher. I especially enjoyed my role conducting the First Orchestra, AKA Symphony Orchestra. “My fondest memory is the year we undertook the Tchaikovsky 5th Symphony, which proved a real tour de force and the concert was quite remarkable with such wonderful musicianship shown from all students involved. A work I’d always wished to undertake within the School was the

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SE BRAVO TO ALL THO STUDENTS WHO HAV

E ACHIEVED

ARD SUCH A HIGH STAND

Mozart Requiem and this opportunity was afforded me several years ago with a choral society of about 120 and a mixture of student, staff and extra musicians to perform in the orchestra; it was a truly wonderful moment in my career.” How has the Music Department changed in your time here? “The Music Department and leadership has, of course, changed a great deal throughout the years and in my time I have worked with two directors of music, six headmasters and three principals. Obviously the dynamic of the department changed during this time as teaching advanced. I miss the sense of scale the Choral Society used to bring to the calendar, but the exceptionally high standard of all the numerous choirs, especially the wonderful Chapel Choir, has more than amply made up for this. In a time when art subjects are deemed less important nationally, Stamford School remains a wonderful ambassador for the continuing development of the arts; this is a great strength. “Bravo to all those students who in my time have attained such a high standard of musicianship throughout the years. I always enjoyed witnessing these achievements.” Who inspired you as a musician? “Many students who know me well will tell you that my favourite pianist is the late, great Vladimir Horowitz, whose technique I have studied in depth and applied to both mine and my students’ learning. Both of my children have thrived in this wonderful learning environment, something I’ve always been most grateful for.” What are your plans post-SES? “My plans for the future are quite simple, exploring my music-making both as performer and composer. As I write this article I have already completed my second symphony and I am well into a third. My next project must be to compose a piano concerto! I’m finding the time now to travel the world with my wonderful wife, Fiona; so I’m very happy! I wish bright futures for you all and I sincerely hope that you fulfil your potentials. Goodbye and thank you to all now as I move on to pastures new.”

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THE RECEP TIONIST AT STAMFORD HIGH

SCHOOL

HAS BEEN M Y DREAM

JOB

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A Warm Reception play is off to walk more and an m ile W rs M st ni io pt SHS rece ol. r about her time at scho he k as we h: us Cr y nd more Ca

hat are your future plans after leaving? “Long country and beach walks. Small breaks away in the week - not having to wait till the weekend! Lots of crafty things and lots and lots of Candy Crush!” What has been your favourite thing about working at Stamford High School? “Seeing you girls start in Year Seven, very apprehensive and seeing you mature into lovely young women. Helping the girls who are not part of the in-crowd, who need help to settle in. Being seen as a friendly and safe face to chat to.” What’s been the biggest change in the School that you’ve seen over the years? “Technology! The internet, emails etc - everything has to be instant.” Favourite house competition? “Got to be House Singing.” If you couldn’t have had this job, what would you have been doing? “Who knows where life could have taken me? The receptionist at SHS has been my dream job which is why I have been here for so long!!!

Quick fire Qs Week A or B? “B because we have cake in the staffroom on Week B Friday!” Dairy Milk or Galaxy? “Dairy Milk!” Favourite place to holiday? “The Lake District and Scotland.” Cats or dogs? “Dogs.” Mornings or afternoons? “I do like mornings better but I find it quite difficult to get out of bed!” Favourite school lunch? “Chicken pie and mash followed by rhubarb crumble and cream.”

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If you could be a student in a year group, which year group would you pick? “I think probably Year Eight. You have got Year Seven under your belt and know the way things work and can relax into school life.” If you could be in a lesson for a day, which lesson would you pick? “Definitely textiles.” Strangest thing a pupil has needed help with? “There are just too many to mention; however, rescuing a class full of girls locked in their form room because the lock had broken.” Strangest thing that’s happened at school? “When I have been very busy and got behind with my work I come in at the weekend to catch up. Once I was the only person in school and the automatic lights kept coming on and off. It was very spooky!” What’s the one thing you will miss the most about SHS? “The interaction with everyone, the crying and laughing and, of course, the School lunches!”

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ORT STA MFORDIAN 2 01 7

SS RUGBY

Rugby THE 2016/17 SEASON WAS ANOTHER ROARING SUCCESS

he 2016/17 rugby season would once again prove to be a roaring success and success that would take many different guises in regard to the number of boys donning the maroon and navy hoops, the success in representative rugby, the winning, the losing and the sheer fun of competing alongside one’s peers! The Under 12s, as the new boys on the block, should be very proud of their first season at the School. The Ds enjoyed a mixed season of results, whereas the C team, after struggling early on, enjoyed a nine game winning streak. The 12 Bs only lost three and their A team counterparts just

lost once in a close game at Warwick. More importantly, the boys all competed with great enthusiasm and endeavour that will serve them well next season and thereafter. The Under 14s as usual braved the frosts and snowflakes to put some great performances together. The Cs despite injury issues made great progress over the term, culminating in a superb display against The Perse and The Leys. Again an injury ridden season hampered B team progress early on, but the resilience shown would no doubt help them the following year as Mother Nature would also lend a helping hand in the growth department! The 14 A team were the

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“turnaround kings”, as they finished a winning season with four wins on the bounce against teams that had given them a good hiding in Year Eight. Again, all boding well for the future. The Middle School rugby sides saw the majority of the “nail biters” but never gave up in true Stamfordian fashion! The U15 C team lost their first match of the season and then proceeded to go the whole three months without another loss! The 15 Bs supplied many boys to the As and still managed to achieve a fabulous 12/3 win-loss record. The As had the “season of two halves” as they struggled before the break, but then went unbeaten throughout the second half of their campaign. The fields of glory for the Under 16 sides looked more like a scene from “Saving Private Ryan” as week after week small bumps became big bumps and it’s a testament to their endeavour and enthusiasm that they continued to compete across the three sides. The Cs and As certainly developed their resilience but it was the Bs who displayed the greatest “Stamfordian character” to finish with more wins than losses. No doubt, these tests will stand them in good stead for the sixth form. The sixth form can look back with

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enormous pride on a superb season of drama as “progress and development” were at the core of their success. The Fourth and Fifth XVs take centre stage as nobody, and I mean nobody, could outscore them. Both sides finished unbeaten with many players moving up through the sides, the Fourths arguably claiming the title of “strongest Fourth XV in the UK” on ‘Schools’ Rugby’. The Thirds characteristically fought with tooth and nail in some epic encounters, enjoying many victories even against other schools’ Second XVs. The First XV started slowly by recent standards in terms of finding the wins, but were hampered by an extensive injury list. As the players started to return to the XV, performances started to improve and the boys finished with six wins on the bounce, three times coming from behind against the likes of Uppingham, Berkhamsted and Haileybury. An injury free Sevens season saw the boys play some great rugby and compete with success. They beat Uppingham in the final of the Wisbech Sevens and then Loughborough GS in the final of the Leicester Sevens tournament. A couple more semi finals and then they headed off to Sedbergh

School for the National Tens. After a heart breaking loss to Kirkham in the final pool game they then went on a five-game winning streak, defeating Michaelhouse from Durban in the Plate Final, which, given the competition at such an event, was a tremendous achievement. A huge well done goes to Archie Offer, Ryan Jones and Will Leech for their selection for Leicester Tigers and NLD 16s. At Under 18 level Will Cardall, Corey Lewis, James Martin, Zack Godfrey and Mason Coulam were all selected for Leicester Tigers Academy and First XV captain James Peachey went on to skipper the Independent School Lambs on their tour of North America. So, all in all, a tremendous effort by all the players, with hundreds of epic encounters. A match against a Stamford side is rarely an easy day at the office, but, more importantly, it is rugby played in the right way and the School thanks the boys for their efforts. We thank the supporters for their positive contribution, but we would also extend the biggest thank you to the “Barmy Army” of coaching staff that give up all their time to improve the boys’ experience. Roll on next season. MR D LAVENTURE

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Up For The Challenge I have been into sport my entire life. However, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve found rugby is the sport best suited to me because, not only does it have a physical side that I love but it also provides a technical side that challenges me. The culture of the sport is unique and like no other. Ready ready up.â&#x20AC;? DAVE KOELMAN Year 12

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SS TABLE TENNIS

Table tennis NOT A CLASSIC SEASON, BUT THERE’S ALWAYS NEXT YEAR

t is easy to view statistics as incontrovertible, and to deem any time spent analysing them as wasted. But please indulge me as I consider the season past and try to place its statistics in context. The senior team began the campaign as Division One champions and Ketco Cup holders. With a ‘strong and stable’ squad, we aspired to compete capably once again; but, at season’s end, we had retained neither. Incontrovertible proof, surely, of a miserable season. So let us consider some facts and figures. The winner of the Division 1 averages this season was only beaten once in forty-one matches, and that was by Rutwik Zapake. In the Divisional Championships, Rutwik beat him once again at the semi-final stage – so no fluke. Mr Ware was unable to play in these championships, but brought his best backhand to the table as he, Rutwik and Ryan Chung secured the Ketco Plate trophy. Division One was always going to be tough, with MTTG back to full strength, and smarting from losing the title by a single point last season. Indeed, this was the only team the School lost to and we finished as runners-up, nine points clear of the team in third place. Consistency of performance was key, and Rutwik, Ryan, Mr Ware and Mr Henry all finished with individual averages above 70%. Examinations pilfered practice time from the boys and might have affected early performance once back at the tables. ‘Ifs, buts and maybes’ abound with all school teams, but the silverware earned at the AGM was testament and tribute to another successful season. Rutwik moves on, and he will be missed not just by the school, but by the league. His quiet and sporting manner impresses as much as his effortless movement and shot-making at the table. The captaincy transfers to Ryan, and I am sure that he will revel in this responsibility. Table tennis was one of the activities at the SES Sports Camp, and centres have risen and developed in Corby and Peterborough this last year. Regionally, the sport is flourishing; with junior tournaments being hosted by the School, I hope that more boys and girls will look to emulate the senior players and proudly show off trophies at season’s end. In this context, shiny trophies are more incontrovertible than dull and dismal statistics. MR R HENRY

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SHS HOCKEY

Ho ckey AN HISTORIC SEASON IN MANY WAYS

he 2016/2017 SHS hockey season was historic in a number of ways. Approximately 200 girls represented the School throughout the term, with even higher numbers attending training on a weekly basis. Of these, 124 attended pre-season training that was hosted at SHS and led by our own team of coaches, with additional support from Peterborough Hockey Club. Many teams experienced success throughout the season, with highlights including the U12, U14, U16 and U18 teams being crowned county champions, and the U13s being placed runners up behind a strong and well-drilled St Hugh’s team. Indoor hockey was also played for the first time at SHS, with the U18 team being placed 4th at the regional tournament, an extremely impressive benchmark for the future. The pinnacle of the First XI girls’ achievements was reaching the regional finals, a first for SHS. Charlie Crombie, captain, led the girls through a tense semi-final against Norwich School. Trailing 1-0 with just ten minutes to go, the girls put everything they had into the game. Deanna Alderman held the fort in goal, resulting in an outstanding 2-1 victory and confirmation of qualification for the regional finals. Despite this, there was no room for complacency; the First XI realised the requirement for practice and preparation. Hard work and grit in the face of difficult opposition reaped rewards for the girls, who held their own against the region’s finest in more closely fought games. It is clear to all that the girls have improved exponentially, presenting a stronger defence against The Perse School, narrowly losing 2-1 in com-

parison to a previous defeat of 6-1. In another broken record, the girls beat Bishop Stortford 3-1 for the first time in SHS history. The game epitomised the scope of development of the team since the beginning of the season, with the defence collectively quashing any attack knowing that support was always available from the midfield. With their training behind them, the girls showed no fear in the dreaded short corners, resilient when presented with unfavourable circumstances. Credit is due to Sophie Skelton, a pivotal player in the team, presenting a multifaceted problem to the opposition both in defence and attack. Playing alongside Sophie was Maeve MacDonald, who, with quick movements and magic, fooled the defence and consistently breached the opposition. The Second XI enjoyed an extremely busy, successful and rewarding

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hockey season under the leadership of captain Gemma Andreae. It took a little time for the team to gel, but they soon secured their first win in early October against Wisbech Grammar School. From then on, they remained unbeaten until the end of November (bar one match against the reputable Oundle School)! This streak included one busy week during which they won three consecutive matches, featuring a closely fought 3-2 against The Perse School, who have an impressive reputation: a real confidence booster for the team. With 11 matches to play, the Third XI senior hockey team worked hard on training, fitness and forming a formidable team spirit. Within their matches they gained draws against Bedford Girls’ School, The Leys School, Wellingborough School and Kimbolton School. They also had four close losses against Bedford Modern School, Oundle School, The Perse School and Bishop’s Stortford College. After these losses, they always came back with fighting spirit, allowing them to gain confidence and win their matches against Worksop College 7-0 and Nottingham High School for Girls 13-0, the greatest win of the season for SHS. April Gay led the U15 A team through a challenging and turbulent season, with a mixed bag of results; some outstanding wins, tense draws and some near, unfortunate loses. Highlights of the season included

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beating Bedford Modern School 7-1, Kimbolton School 6-1, and winning the U16 county round to qualify for the regional tournament. Throughout the season, the girls gained strength and gelled as a unit. The U15 B team continued their success, being crowned the most successful team for a second season in a row, with a win percentage of 73%. Captain Elsie Cunliffe reflected on the season as being more than a list of exceptionally good results, with their incredible team bond enabling them to play well together. The flexibility of play was also noticeable, especially by Sophie Golland, one of the goalkeepers, who also played outfield and ended up be-

coming a super goal scorer. The season was one of two halves for the U14 A team, under the leadership of Josie Rule, with it taking a little while for the girls to adjust to the 11-a-side game. A turning point was being crowned county champions. The girls’ confidence was consequently boosted and they went on to defeat Wellingborough School in their next school fixture. At the regional tournament, highlights included defeating Framlingham, the overall tournament winners, and a closely fought 2-1 loss to Bedford Modern School, a great improvement from their 5-0 loss at the start of the season. A final highlight of the season was beating Bishop’s Stortford College 2-0, whom they lost to 12-0 last year. For the U14 B team, and their captain Emily Ferguson, early season victories against Bedford Girls’ School, Bedford Modern School and Worksop College saw them off to a flying start. Losses in their next few matches gave them a chance to think more about individual and team targets. Applying their coaching focuses and targets in their

next games enabled them to win 5-3 against Bishop’s Stortford College, and 1-0 in a well fought and well earned victory against Kimbolton School. A mixed season resulted in fundamental lessons being learnt by the U13 A team and their captain Kitty Hawthorne. A highlight was being placed runners up at the county tournament and proceeding to the regional tournament. All season the girls applied outstanding work rates, resulting in impressive play against some tough and experienced opposition. The team showed great maturity by not being disheartened with a loss, learning from the match and being determined to improve as a team. The U13 B team had a successful season, only losing two out of their 14 matches. The whole team played fantastically together to pull off some outstanding wins over schools like Oundle, Wisbech Grammar and The King’s, Peterborough. After each loss, the team, captained by Kitty Henderson, came back fighting and determined to win the next match. The last match of

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the season against Kimbolton School was their first 11 a-side game, and a comfortable 2-0 win allowed the team to end the season on a high. U13 C captain, Sasha Evans, felt that the girls worked extremely well throughout the season, scoring exceptional goals and never failing to play with full determination. They were the second most successful team of the season, possibly achieved by their growth mindset and determination to continuously improve. The U13 D team also showed excellent resilience this season, led by Sophie Clarke. They won one, drew one, and lost one, with their determination and commitment supporting their development throughout. Outstanding commitment to training resulted in a significant improvement in their skills on a weekly basis. The team worked well together to help each other to thrive and do their best in everything

they tried to do. The U12 A team had an enjoyable, challenging and successful season to start their SHS hockey careers. A challenging start required them to work on their teamwork, but they pulled through to beat Wisbech Grammar School 4-0. A closely fought match against Kimbolton School, losing 4-5, demonstrated their hard work and Aggie Pennell (captain) described it as ‘a thrilling end to the season!’. The U12 B team had a tremendous season, with only three losses out of ten matches, ranking them the third most successful team in the School. After a loss to Oundle School in their first game, they went on to win their next seven games, with their biggest victory being a 6-0 win against The King’s School, Peterborough. Tough matches to finish the season against Bishop’s Stortford College and Kimbolton School saw two narrow loss-

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SPORT HOCKEY RESULTS 2017

es, but the girls fought until the end, showing excellent traits for the future of SHS hockey. The U12 C team also experienced a successful season with five wins, a draw and two losses. Their first match against Oundle School gave them a strong start and they continued to improve as the season progressed. Amelie Barrasso, captain, and Anya Brahmachari, vice-captain, believe that every player in the team showed improvement during the season. Abigail Sole-Potter, goalkeeper, made great progress and continued to gain confidence in her position in each game, whilst Amy Rule was the first player to score a hat trick during the season. Their final match against Kimbolton School was an amazing way to finish the season, winning 5-1. Finally, U12 Ds saw a number of girls play hockey for the first time this season. As a result, every single player has tried exceptionally hard and excellent progress and improvement was made a result. Captain Amber-Lily Frost led the team to four wins, two draws and two losses. Highlights included beating Oundle School 1-0, Oakham School 3-0, Kimbolton School 4-1, and drawing 0-0 in a hard fought game against The Perse School. It has been fantastic to see so many girls enjoying their hockey this season. In my first season as Head of Hockey it has been an honour to see history made in so many ways, from qualification to regional finals for the 1st XI to U12 and U13 representation, and success at county rounds. I would like to thank every single girl for their commitment to the programme this season, and wish all the Y13 girls who are leaving SHS all the best for their future hockey careers. MRS L MEADOWS

All Teams

Played: 174 Won: 75 (43%) Drew: 30 (17%) Lost: 69 (39%)

Senior teams (Y9-Y13)

Played: 99 Won: 38 (38%) Drew: 18 (18%) Lost: 43 (43%)

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Junior Teams (Y7&8)

Played: 75 Won: 37 (49%) Drew: 12 (16%) Lost: 26 (35%)

SS HOCKEY

Ho ckey A NEW STYLE OF PLAY SAW IMPROVED RESULTS

he 2016/2017 season saw a re-invigorated programme for boys’ hockey with a new change of strategy for junior and senior teams. This new style of play was well suited to the boys’ abilities and saw some tremendous results through the term. The programme put out a massive 22 hockey teams incorporating over 200 boys for the second year running - that is a massive achievement for all boys and staff. There have been plenty of highs with some fantastic block fixture displays showing Stamford School as the school to beat on the circuit. U15 A, U16 A and U 13 F all went unbeaten every Saturday with wins versus Oundle, Uppingham, Bedford, Stowe, Felsted and The Perse. The programme had great success with the following teams having an over 60% win rate: 1sts, 15 As, 15 Bs, 13 A and 13 B. The flagship side of the hockey programme was, at times, unplayable during the term. Big wins versus big schools such as Bedford and Trent College saw the boys only losing one fixture on a Saturday. They also progressing to the last 16 of the National Cup, a feat that has never been achieved to date. Strong performances from all the upper sixth, particularly Arthur Franklin, Sam Sly and Jacob Turp, combined with the grace and panache of the lower sixth (Nick Green, Toby Crane and Joe Rogers) and skills of Year 11 and Year Ten (Eddie Harper and Joey Evison) saw this team become a force to be reckoned with. The cup run was brought to an end by perennial National finalists, Repton School, who ran out 6-0 winners at home in front of a large partisan crowd. In the autumn term, the U14s competed in the LUPOSS league with some good results which led to a strong showing at the regional finals where they were placed third overall. The progress that this team made over the long autumn term was outstanding shown by results against Oundle and Uppingham. This is a team in transition from being a good side 86

to one that in two years will become an outstanding side. The team must stick together and realise that results will turn their way with hard-work and dedication to improvement. The U14 Bs in the autumn term endured a season where they were winless, but this would not paint a true picture of how the team played and how luck deserted them on occasion. The team lost heavily to Oundle and The Leys in the early autumn, but by the end of the season the side had made significant progress and earnt hardfought draws, so much so that an opposition coach was quoted saying, “Your teams seem to get better during the term.” A quote like this says it all about the value-added that is delivered to the hockey players at Stamford School but it says even more about the dedication that boys have to their training and the School badge. The U14 Cs fared slightly better than their compatriots in the B team, ending the season on a huge high by beating Oundle 5-0, a side that they had lost to at the start of the seaon by six goals to nil. Well done Rev Goodman, and well done boys! The boys’ U15 teams were never going to be kept in the dark due to their performances last year in the National Finals. The 15 A team, without some stellar players who were

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To The Next Level Since starting Stamford school a mere two years ago, I have found that my skills and mind-set in hockey have dramatically increased. Although this is due in part to my own personal work, I believe that without the facilities and help from staff that I have received I would not be the player I am today. Stamford has provided me with the best tools to take my game to the next level.” JOE ROGERS Year 12

playing for the First XI , were unbelievable all year with 6 – 0 wins over Oundle, Felsted and Uppingham as well as beating local rivals Oakham 5-2, showing the strength in depth in this year group. Outstanding performances in the team came from Ben Pearson, Connor Butterworth and Harry Tidswell. The 15 Bs led by Mr Goodman also completed the best season to date with only one loss right at the start of the year with resounding wins versus Oundle (9-0), Felsted (8-1) and The Leys (4-1). From front to back, the team displayed a true grit, determination and willingness to improve. Particular individuals worthy of their attitude and leadership include Freddie Merritt, Oliver Davies and

Tom Watson. There were some very good results that came from the seven-a-side teams put out by Stamford School in the U13 and U12 age brackets. The early shoots of spring proved particularly fruitful for Mr Kersey’s U13s dream team. The “king” secured wins against Bedford Prep, Witham Hall and Wisbech Grammar with the goals being shared around Archie Dickie-Meadows, Archie Davies, Jake Leeds and Rafa Parker-Humby. The team have progressed well and should look to the U14s 11 a side competition with eagerness in the autumn term of 2017. The U13 B team secured a fantastic win rate under the guidance of STA MFORDIAN 2 01 7

continental mixed hockey maestro Monsieur Braud, who over the years has successfully blended a tica-taca hockey style with an off field “Joie de vivre”, enabling the likes of Stanley Brake, Harvey Ratcliffe and Roddy Mountain to regularly find themselves on the scoresheet, whilst Will “the wall” Baker in goal kept six clean sheets! Fantastic scenes to witness on a Saturday morning. Year Seven is always an interesting one. There are many questions asked and initially, answers prove elusive until, like a ray of sunlight on an otherwise bleak afternoon, it all becomes clear and one can see! This was Mr Di Cataldo’s first season at the young heart of Stamford School hockey and, with the heartbeat always being there, it took a number of games before the Stamford cohort found their voice, the process that would lead them to goal and ultimately, the goal itself. Leicester City FC reigned supreme in the season 2016/17 but were in the bottom half of the table at the start, yet the similarities between Claudio Ranieri and Mr Di Cataldo are strikingly similar, both living the game through the mantra of “La semplicità è l’ultima sofisticazione.” Once the boys understood this succinct command, they were off! Lincoln Minster were dispatched 14-0, Spalding came and went 13-1, local rivals Oakham were slapped 13-2 on their home turf and Wisbech returned glum after a 9-1 drubbing. Stand out performances came from the effervescent Ben Goold, the dependable Matthew Linsell, the whippersnapper combo that is Charlie Fytche and Daniel Herman, with the prowess of Felix Clayton-Ferguson thrown in for good measure. The omens are dangerously good for this year group. The U12 Bs were more Liverpool of late than Leicester of old - leaky at the back but like a hungry horse going forward! Big wins versus Wisbech, Oakham and Spalding were followed by heavy defeats against Perse, Kimbolton and Gresham’s. There will be some very familiar faces leaving the programme and school this year, with many of the sixth form

going on to pastures new. We wish them all the best. Mr Jack Cropper will be also be relocating to the north-west of England – to Rossall School – so we wish him all the best and say thank you for his contribution to the hockey programme for the past two years. In short, our hockey sides played 189 games, won 100, drew 21 and lost 68 over 22 teams. The U12s, U13s, U14s and U16s were crowned Lincolnshire County Champions, with the U18s progressing into round four of the EH U18s Schools’ Cup. Next year will bring new challenges, new frontiers to push back and also…. a new hockey pitch at Stamford School! The strength and depth of hockey at the School is progressing rapidly and this is due to the dedication of all the boys involved, the coaches that give up their Saturdays and not forgetting the parents that support all the teams: without their cars, no coach or minibus would ever depart on time! Thank you one and all. MR J CROPPER AND MR B MORRIS

Card Sharp I enjoy hockey umpiring because of the opportunities and enjoyment I receive out of it. The life of any official is not easy as you are always subject to abuse for your mistakes, whereas players are told to simply keep their head up. I look forward to my national assessment in March and I have now achieved my goal of becoming the youngest level 2 in East Midlands.” TOM MAYHEW Year 12

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T H E H O C K EY P RO G R A M M E S AW 1 89 G A M E S P L AY E D, A N D 1 0 0 WO N

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SHS NETBALL

Ne tball NOTABLE PERFORMANCES FROM SEVERAL TEAMS

he 2016/17 netball season saw a slight decrease in win percentage on the previous season; however, there were notable performances from several teams. The First team, captained by Olivia Ellson, had a massive 545 goals scored in 12 matches and only 391 goals against, which gave them the highest goal difference (154) across all teams. The team won two-thirds of their games over the season and qualified for the National Schools’ Regional Tournament. The team came up against some tough opposition at the tournament and ended up winning one, drawing three and losing four games. The girls were unlucky not to convert the draws to wins and had two very narrow defeats against Carre’s and Nottingham High School, losing by one and two goals respectively. These results were reflected by the team losing by less than five goals against Carre’s Grammar and Repton. The results reflect the hard work the squad put in to training as well as promise for the 2017/18 season. The Second team, captained by Honor Burges-Lumsdon, had a positive start to the season with a win against The Peterborough School. None of the team had played together before, some hadn’t even picked up a netball since last season, but the team played really well together. This was a great way to start the season with a score board accurately reflecting the performance, with a winning result 20-9. Unfortunately, this was followed by some tough matches but, despite this, the girls demonstrated resilience throughout

and never gave up. The Third team, captained by Emma Dodworth, had a very similar season. There were, however, some excellent performances against Worksop, Kimbolton and Northampton High School. As we move down the school, both the U14 (captain Charlotte Bolton) and the U16 (captain Sasha Pollock) teams attended the county tournaments and had some brilliant results with the U14s only losing three games all day. There were exceptional performances across the season from the U14 B team who won 75% of their games, as well as the U12 C team who remained unbeaten all season. The U13 A and B teams performed well at the district tournament finishing in third and fourth place. MISS R LOVE

NETBALL RESULTS 2017

All Teams

Played: 190 Won: 83 Drew: 6 Lost: 101

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Senior teams (Y9-Y13) Played: 106 Won: 44 Drew: 1 Lost: 61

Junior Teams (Y7&8) Played: 84 Won: 39 Drew: 5 Lost: 40

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Keeping It Real I’ve always had a passion for sport and have played for as long as I can remember. Netball is by far the most exciting sport I’ve played. The pace and precision of the sport pushes you both mentally and physically and means you are constantly learning new skills. Sharing the highs and lows with your best mates makes playing the game even more enjoyable. It will be a game I play until I’m too old to lace up my trainers.” MADDIE MUNRO-HALL Year 12

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T H E F I R ST T E A M SCORED A MASSIVE 5 4 5 G OA L S I N 1 2 M AT C H E S

Attack Minded I enjoy netball because it is a fun and fast sport. I play the position WA. This position suits me because I like attacking and being involved in the game. Miss Leddy is my netball coach. She listens all the time and helps me improve. I love netball at SHS.â&#x20AC;? ALICE BROWNLOW Year 8

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SHS FOOTBALL

Football STAFF FIXTURE PROVIDED A THRILLING END TO A POSITIVE SEASON

challenging season for the girls involved a change of coach and routine. The girls had a tremendous attitude and worked very hard in training. Two well fought draws and an excellent win for the U13s was an encouraging return for the effort expended. Sadly, the greater physicality of the 6th form opposition that we faced in the U18s meant that our hybrid of yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; team was always going to struggle. The season finale match versus the SHS staff proved an entertaining thriller with the just result of 3-3 achieved. Hopefully this is a fixture that may be repeated year on year. The appointment of Miss Leddy and Mr Cheatley as football specialists for the 2017/18 season will, I am certain, bring great success to a willing and energetic team. MR A MURPHY

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SS CRICKET

C ricket A GREAT SUCCESS ACROSS THE BOARD THIS SEASON

he 2017 season brought great success for Stamford School cricket and included a win percentage of 66% across all teams, from the Under 12 C team to the First XI. Approximately two hundred cricketers represented the School in 17 different teams and a Fourth XI was fielded against Oundle School in unprecedented fashion; the gentlemen of the Fourth XI were delighted to return to Stamford victorious and we hope to have more Fourth XI fixtures in the future. Years Nine-13 play most of their cricket on Saturdays and, where possible, will play against the same school to create a block fixture. Stamford won all bar one of their block fixtures, including those against Oundle, Worksop, The Perse, Notts High and Wellingborough. The only block defeat came to Oakham who narrowly pipped us with five wins to our three.

The First XI enjoyed a successful season with a total of nine wins under the superb captaincy of Jacob Turp. They defeated Oundle twice, had victories against the MCC and Old Stamfordians, and finished the season by winning a T20 tournament at Reading Blue Coat School. Ben Woodward, Nick Green and Joey Evison all scored centuries, while captain Turp recorded two hundreds. Alex Chapman and Caius Headley took four wicket hauls against Oakham and the Old Stamfordians respectively; they were both unlucky not to post their names on the Honours Board for five wicket hauls. It was the final of the T20 in Reading which produced the most complete performance for this side. It was a team effort in all facets of the game and a fitting end to the season for a very cohesive group of boys. Another winning season for the Second XI was secured by a highly

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motivated squad under the selfless leadership of Angus Macbeth. The team was never lacking in morale and they recorded fine wins, including those over Repton, Nottingham and Worksop. The most satisfying performance and result came at Oundle where Ben Potter struck the seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best (90). Hugo Bell bowled with pace and accuracy and he regularly claimed figures of around 3-10. Oliver Pickwell took over Hugoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role in the late season and he too looks destined for promotion next year. The Third XI played their matches before half term and recorded two excellent wins against Notts High and Oakham. The two-wicket victory over Oakham provided some tension and was undoubtedly their highlight of the season. A number of players went on to play for the Second XI and, with a number of players coming into Year 11 next season, they should be a

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Evi So Good I am very proud to have equalled the great MJK Smith’s record as Stamford School’s youngest ever First XI cricketer (Year Eight), and in Year Nine I became the youngest ever to score a First XI century. I am a member of the Nottinghamshire CCC Academy and my dream is to play international cricket for England.” JOEY EVISON Year 10

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strong outfit again next season. The U15 As had a remarkable year and were crowned Midlands Champions after defeating Bedford in the final. They lost the National semi-final to Old Merchant Taylors’. Besides their significant cup success, their victory over Oundle was one of the season highlights. Ciaran Calnan hit 120 off 60 balls and they won the match by 114 runs. The U15 Bs secured a winning season, including a nine wicket defeat of Oundle and 124 run victory over Worksop. This season also saw the inclusion of an U15 C team and they did not let the School down with their victories over Gresham’s and Oundle. With a record of playing ten, winning eight and losing two, one could assume that it was a successful season for the U14s As. They suffered a couple of narrow early season defeats versus Repton School and a strong Nottingham High School by nine runs and two wickets respectively. From there on in, though, this team’s talent came to the fore with victories over Oundle and Perse, and they duly won the County Cup after seeing off King’s Grantham in the final. They progress to the National Cup next year for further challenges. The U14 Bs developed significantly, becoming a very balanced team with accurate bowlers and they showed some maturity with the bat. Their victories over Oakham and The Perse were very impressive. Meanwhile, the U14 Cs faced some stern opposition and gained some great experience, which may well bear fruit in 2018. Throughout the season, the boys in the U13 A squad played cricket with passion, enthusiasm and skill. Led by captain Ben Saunders, the team got off to a great start with a comfortable win at Spalding Grammar School.

Further victories came at Bancroft’s School and Witham Hall before the highlight of the term against Leicester Grammar School at the scenic setting of Burghley Park CC. Chasing a large total, victory came in the final over much to the delight of the players, coach and the hordes of supporting parents. The U13 Bs had a season of two halves and it was their first half of five successive wins which provided the best moments. Their nine wicket victory over King’s Grantham was hugely impressive. The U13 Cs matured siginificantly as cricketers and their wins over Nottingham High and Witham Prep bode well for next season. The U12 As had a fantastic season with eight wins returned from eleven fixtures. Particularly pleasing was the 27 players used in the team this season, showing the strength in depth from this year group. The team concluded their season taking the County Cup against King’s Grantham, which avenged an earlier loss in the season. Consequently, the team qualified for next year’s U13 National Cup. The U12 Bs were proud winners on six occasions and they achieved ten wicket victories against King’s Grantham and Leicester Grammar. Meanwhile, a green U12 C team gained some invaluable match experience and with a win against The Perse they are destined for more success at U13 level next season. Cricket is in a healthy position with an increasing number of players representing Stamford each year, and the number of teams is growing. The winter programme plays a big part in the boys’ development and they show such dedication to the game. We looking forward to more enjoyment and success in 2018. MR C ESSON

CRICKET RESULTS 2017

All Teams

Played 121 Won 73 (60%) Lost 45 (37%) Drawn 3 (3%)

Senior teams (Y9-Y13) Played 70 Won 46 (66%) Lost 21 (30%) Drawn 3 (4%)

Junior Teams (Y7&8) Played 51 Won 27 (53%) Lost 24 (47%) Drawn 0 (0%)

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THE U15 As HAD A REMARKABLE YEAR A N D W E R E C ROW N E D M I D L A N DS C H A M P I O N S

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SHS CRICKET

C ricket A WATERSHED SEASON

his was a watershed season for girls’ cricket at SHS, and also from an SES perspective. Girls were encouraged to come and train with the boys up at SS in the spring term and were then selected to play for the boys’ team in the summer term, gaining their place on merit and skill. This did weaken our girls’ side slightly, but importantly showed progression in the sport and they developed as players. Junior cricket has blossomed at SHS with over 20 regular players attending training at the beautiful Burghley Park cricket ground. The girls’ U15 team were unbeaten with notable wins over Leicester Grammar and Oundle. There continues to be strong links with SJS, with girls’ cricket being coached by SHS staff to provide continuity as they move up through the Schools. I look forward to another fantastic year with girls’ cricket and invite all new players to come along and try this fast growing sport. MR A MURPHY

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SHS TENNIS

Te n ni s A POSITIVE AND COMPETITIVE FIXTURE FILLED SEASON

HS like to get the girls ahead of the game and prepare for the approaching season and this year was no different for tennis. With pre-season and tennis week in place, the girls were sure to be in good shape and eager to face the challenges of the fixture list. Tennis week: what a great five days full of enthusiasm, fun, tennis, pizza and of course sun and rain in England. The girls certainly attacked the week like they attack on the courts, with gusto and grit, and showed great resilience to overcome some of the more challenging tasks over the week. With games, skills, inflatable fun in the Stamford Sports Centre, pizza take away and three-course lunches every day, it was finished off with the most competitive Easter egg hunt ever! The girls got plenty of court time to practise their skills and apply them to competitive situations whilst playing fun games too, along with the addition of pretty much all four seasons in one week too. Well done to all of the hard work from the girls who had the great experience to be coached by professional coach Ralph Clarke from Stamford Tennis Club every day. Pre-season tennis took place on the Kettering Road courts for all years with footwork, agility, tactical play and game play being top of the list to brush away those

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cobwebs. The girls, as always, worked very hard in the typical unpredictable weather and with both SHS and Stamford Tennis Club coaches there was plenty of learning accomplished. The U12s and U13s had some great fun learning new skills and increasing their knowledge of the game, whilst the middle school and senior girls developed their tactical awareness and advanced skills. It is always such a great pleasure to see those who are keen to give up a little bit of their holidays to focus on their school sport and personal development. It was fantastic to see great numbers out on the courts having fun and learning. We hope next year will bring us new adventures and camps too. As we prepared for the season ahead, the fixture list was once again looking strong and challenging for all year groups and with more fixtures in place it was sure to be a busy term, with fingers crossed for good weather throughout! Major achievement saw SHS girls proving to be a tough bunch to beat on the circuit as the First VI, through to the U12 As, all achieved 50% or more wins, including a 100% record for the U14 Bs and U14 Cs, closely followed by U15 As with 75% wins. There were tough games for the U14 Bs against Felsted and Oundle but it was great to see the SHS girls remaining strong and determined to come away with the wins. This year saw some first matches for U14 C girls. With plenty of fight from the opposition the SHS girls were absolutely delighted with their wins against Oundle and Uppingham. The U12 girls also had some

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testing matches, including a 5-4 win against Oakham. We were thrilled to see the increased numbers of girls representing the school and out training each week, aided byprofessional coach Carol from Stamford Tennis Club who helped lead the U12 programme with Mrs Raitt. What could be the best way to finish such a valuable season? We decided to show the parents what we are made of during a showcase evening of parents against pupils matches. Some age groups took this as an opportunity to enjoy and celebrate what a brilliant season it had been for them whilst others were determined to show their parents or daughters a thing or two on the courts with some very competitive matches. With the U14s storming their way through the season we were sure to see some talented parents on the courts and we were not too sure who was more competitive, the parents or the pupils! I think we will call that one a draw! What a great way to finish the season and we look forward to inviting the parents back again for round two next year! Well done to all of the girls for their personal achievements and to those who represented the school with pride. We look forward to building on this season and seeing further developments next year. MRS M BEWERS STA MFORDIAN 2 01 7

SS TENNIS

Te nni s INCREASED NUMBER OF PLAYERS AND TEAMS IN 2017

or the first time, we have been able to run sessions through most of the winter terms, albeit for a limited number of boys. These sessions have been very helpful in getting boys up to school team standard. I hope to be able to continue this during the next two terms. We began the season with our biennial trip to Portugal which saw 34 boys playing five days’ tennis with excellent coaching in lovely weather and cloudless skies with a temperature of 22°C. With the numbers of competent tennis players increasing and greater availability of staff, we have been able to put up to seven teams out on a Saturday, which is, again, up on last year, when, we put five teams out. Our First VI has been very young; first pair of Year Nine Leon Kewney and William Barker, second pair of Year Ten Archie Adams and Barnaby Shand and third pair of Tom Andrews and Tom Charsley-Evans, Year 11 and 12. This has had the effect of weakening our U14 and U15 teams but has enabled us to get more boys playing school tennis and we have consistently put out A and B teams at both U14 and U15. We have played the usual fixtures with the addition of Rugby School and a Sunday tournament at Rugby School and have been able to get our fixture with Oundle back. With such a young First VI and our number one being unavailable for three matches, we only managed a 50-50 season, with most of our losses only being 5-4. It is because of this that I have been very pleased with the way the boys have stuck at their games and competed with classic Stamford spirit. I hope to have much the same team, if not better, for the next three years. Our Second VI, who won four and lost two, and our Third VI, who won two and lost one, have all played with great determination and really enjoyed the matches, creating a fun atmosphere, as well producing some excellent tennis. Our U15 teams had mixed results, but since half the A team were playing in the First VI the boys performed really well in the face of strong opposition.

Our U14 teams which had boys from Years Seven, Eight and Nine, played very well, winning most of their matches, and highlighting a good group of Year Seven tennis players who, if they continue to commit to their tennis and improve as they have done, will be very strong as they go through the School. Our U15 and U13 teams have played in the Aegon national competition and lost in the county finals in September. I.S.T.A TOURNAMENT AT ETON Due to the age of our First VI, we decided not to take a senior team but put two pairs in the U15 section and one pair in the U13. U15s Archie Adams and Barnaby Shand lost all their games in their group, but played some excellent tennis against very strong pairs. They also played in the plate competition but didn’t go through, being one game short, having again played excellent tennis. William Barker and Leon Kewney, who are still a year young for the competition, came second in their group

Evans Above! Tennis is a sport I am really passionate about and is one that I have represented the School proudly for, for multiple years. Stamford has offered me lots of opportunities to improve my performance, varying from pre-season trips to Portugal to tennis events at Eton and Rugby School. I am grateful for opportunities such as these which allow me to progress further in the sport.” TOM CHARSLEY-EVANS Year 12

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SPORT SS SQUASH

S qu a sh HIGH QUALITY BUT MORE QUANTITY NEEDED

and went through in the main competition to a second group, which they won. They then met Millfield first pair in the first round of the knockout section. At one set all, they played a championship tie break (up to ten not seven) which we won 18-16. A really good scalp. Our next match was in the quarter finals against Kings College Wimbledon, which sadly, we lost. They were both a year older and dominated the match from start to finish. From here, the boys played in another competition for quarter final losers and played Reeds 1st pair and sadly lost a very close match. This was an excellent performance in its own right, but these boys are still U15 next year, so can play in the same competition. I have been very impressed with the boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; attitudes and performance throughout the season and hope they will continue to play in this positive manner. The U13 pair of James Thompson and Archie Davies were handed a very strong group and unfortunately lost all of the matches in their box. In the plate competition they fared much better winning three of their box matches but, did not get enough games to go through. They gained excellent experience and will hopefully come back stronger. My thanks to Mr Kirkpatrick, Mr Ware and Mr Hodgson for all their time and expertise throughout the season. MR D WILLIAMS

tamford First V started their 2016/17 squash campaign against Uppingham School with a commanding 4-1 win. However, we knew we would have to put in a lot of work to maintain this form having such a young side, with there being only one sixth former in the team, captain Alex Lane. The rest of the first team was made up of three Year 11s (Ethan Archer, Tom Andrews and Edward Gallacher) and a Year Nine (Will Barker). Through the 2016 part of the season, Stamford First V won three out of the five matches we played, with notable performances coming from Alex Lane, who had a 100% win record in the first half of the season, along with Will Barker, who showed a lot of maturity to play under pressure for the first team. The second half of the season saw a mixed bag of results, winning three and losing three in 2017. We hoped for better results during the 2017 part of the season with more experience; however, this was not to be the case, as some of our players traded the squash courts for the rugby fields, meaning we were not able to be as competitive as we might have hoped. Notable performances in the second half of the season came from Ethan Archer, who beat a strong Bedford number one 3-0 and put up a tough fight from 2-1 down against Uppingham to level the match at 2-2; however he eventually went on to lose 3-2. Another notable performance was from Tom Andrews, winning four out of the five matches he played in. The Second V produced some excellent performances, with Charlie Armitage consistently improving and playing some good squash. Leon Kewney, playing number one, played some very good squash considering he was unable to play other than in the matches. Keilin Harper, Alex Bevis and Sam Brunswick all played with determination and commitment throughout the season, gaining some valuable wins alone the way. Squash at the moment is strong in quality but very thin in terms of numbers. Hopefully next season we will find some more keen players. My thanks to Mr Williams for all his coaching and encouragement and to Mr Jones and Mr Ware for spending time on court with us all. ALEX LANE

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SES SAILING

Sailin g GREAT TEAMWORK AND A PLEASING RESULT

n the last day of July, twelve intrepid SES students and two staff, who probably should have known better, set off at 2:30am on an epic adventure eastwards across Europe into Latvia, and onwards into Lithuania, and that was only the outwards travel. Arriving mid afternoon in the port of Klaipeda, we joined the training ship ‘Prolific’, owned and operated by Ocean Youth Trust South. The next day saw training in handling the boat and the start of the 2017 Tall Ships Race between Klaipeda and Szczecin in Poland. Not all of the students had sailed before, so this was something of a steep learning curve. Nonetheless, we made an excellent race start and were soon forging our way southwards across the Baltic. Handling a ship this size takes co-ordinated teamwork, and, under the guidance of the watch leaders, the 102

Stamford crew worked hard to keep the boat in racing trim – not easy on a pitching, sloped deck… We raced on through day and night, through strong winds and rainstorms, and enjoyed watching the lightning storms in the dark. Working a watch system allowed us to keep racing the ship throughout, but at the cost of never getting more than a few hours’ sleep at a time. In between watch duties, there was plenty of time for other jobs – keeping the boat clean and tidy, cooking meals, or for simply socialising and Deep and Meaningful Conversations (DMCs). The work of the Stamford students was not limited to that of deck-hands, however; everyone participated fully in taking the helm, and some got involved in the navigation tasks. All were able to use their time aboard

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to further develop their skills and to complete their RYA Competent Crew qualifications. Life below decks was not without its challenges either. Living and sleeping on a ship that won’t keep still or flat means adopting some interesting ways of moving about, and preventing getting chucked out of your bunk. Preparing food on a table that is 30⁰ to the horizontal is a good game, even if the table does have a lip around the edge. Finally, we reached the finish line, and started to make our way into the port of Szczecin. Overnighting at the mouth of the river, we completed the passage through the inland sea to Sczcecin and tied up in our berth for the Tall Ships Festival. With fireworks extravaganzas, concerts, time to visit the other ships and a host of other activities, this was an experience in its own right. Once the results were computed and the various handicap systems applied, ‘Prolific’ had come 8th in her class, and 22nd overall. A most satisfactory set of results, of which the Stamford crew can be justifiably proud. DR A CROOKELL

SPORT SES GYMNASTICS

G ymnastics ANOTHER EXCELLENT YEAR IN THE GYM

he gymnasts have had another excellent year. The U13 girls came 1st in the national Independent Schools’ Two Piece qualifiers, going on to compete in the ISGA national event in March. Elysee Mordel took individual gold. The U13 team came fifth overall in the ISGA National Championships, gaining bronze, and a 3rd place bronze for their group sequence. The U13 team were also successful in their qualification for national five piece, and came ninth in the group sequence, finishing 13th nationally, which is an excellent achievement. In the Regional Floor and Vault Championships, the U14 and U19 teams both took silver in their categories, and the U19 mixed team (combining gymnasts from SS and SHS) became regional champions and qualified for the National Floor and Vault Championships, where they came second, gaining the team silver. Congratulations to Lottie Smith, who was awarded the Emma James Cup for the highest scoring female gymnast. Our SES senior teams dominated the Midlands Independent Schools’ Gymnastics Association Championships with our Open Advanced girls’ A team securing gold and our senior boys also gaining the Midland Championships title. Our senior girls’ B team also took overall gold in their category. Lottie Smith became Open Advanced Girls’ Midlands Champion and Bradley Cooper took gold in the senior boys’ category. Club and elite international success for Y11 pupil Lottie Smith must be recognised, as she was selected to represent England in the Leverkusen Cup, and is also competing as an elite senior in the British and English Championships. At the time of writing, the news is that Lottie has also competed for England in the Rushmoor Rosebowl, qualifying for three event finals amidst international competition. Good luck in the future Lottie – we will miss you!! A huge congratulations to all gymnasts for their hard work and performances and a big thank you to our coaches. MRS L HARTE

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INDOOR ROWING IS GROWING

S wim min g ALL-TIME HIGH NUMBERS IN TRAINING

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016/17 has been a successful indoor rowing season, with around 50 girls representing the School in local and national competitions and a good number of girls progressing into club rowing. At the National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships, a highly enthusiastic squad represented the School against many established rowing schools and rowing clubs. Many personal bests were set and the relay teams were particularly impressive. There were top ten finishes for Charlotte Bolton (Year Nine) Sophie Rickett (Year 13) and Jess Lambe (Year 12). Rowing for her club, Kitty Hawthorne narrowly missed out on a medal. The ‘rave row’ was an ‘in house’ competition with high energy, face

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paints and plenty of stamina. Trophies were won by Tilly Hilder (Junior Champion) and Sophie Rickett (Senior Champion). Six junior rowers took part in a ‘Learn to Row’ course at Hereward Rowing Club in the summer term. Despite some adverse weather conditions, they learned to master control of their single skulls and co-ordinate effectively in doubles and quads. Great resilience and determination was shown. We welcomed many new girls to training during the year and their level of skill, fitness and determination was impressive. I would like to thank all team members for their commitment to training and their positive approach to competition. A big thank you to Year 13 student, Sophie Rickett, who was a superb team captain. MRS V SAUNDERS STA MFORDIAN 2 01 7

he last year has seen some great swimming for Stamford. We have again been host to many local schools and have travelled the distance to compete around the country. With victories over local rivals such as Oundle, Kimbolton and Carre’s Grammar, the hunger to compete is growing with more fixtures added to the calendar than in previous years. Again, numbers training in the pool have reached an all time high with more swimmers than ever coming to train both before and after school. The success of previous years is driving the younger generations to come and train as part of the swim team at Stamford as well as seeking further training outside of school. Team captains Joe Delaney and Antalya Todd were great ambassadors for the year and will be greatly missed. The Bath and Otter Cup saw our open age group boys take on some of the strongest schools in the country. The team was made up of Michael Wenban (Year 13), Finn Corbett (Year 11), Dominic Smith (Year 12) and Matthew Rothwell (Year Ten) travel to the Olympic Pool in London, coming mid table amongst a huge field. Many of our swimmers have not just competed to a high standard at school, but also for their respective clubs, pushing themselves to County, Regional, National and British National level. Matthew Rothwell competed in his first British Nationals competition as part of two different relay teams, earning a top ten placing, along with national recognition in the Open Water, being placed 4th overall. This next year looks set to be another great year for the swimmers at Stamford. The early starts and later finishes are starting to prove worth while and are making a huge difference to the sport. MISS A WHITE

SPORT

SES SHOOTING

Shootin g TROPHIES AIMED FOR, AND PLENTY BAGGED

riday 14 July, 2pm and the CCF shooting team have just returned from a great week at the NRA, Bisley, for the annual Schools’ Imperial Week, culminating in the Thursday Ashburton Day. Twelve tired but happy students have just been collected by their parents, and doubtlessly are now heading home to a wellearned hot bath and an afternoon snooze. This year’s team consisted of boys and girls from Year 13 down to Year Ten, including four pupils whose only previous experience of the target rifle had been two mornings of training due to national delays in reissuing the weapons to schools’ CCF contingents. We arrived on Sunday afternoon, with a practice shoot on Monday and smaller competition days on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Imperial Week is a very steep learning curve for those new to shooting, but the new members of the team very quickly got into their stride, applying their marksmanship principles when firing and coaching, and also when register-keeping for other schools. The standard of shooting was consistent across the team, with some truly excellent shooting; all benefitted from the coaching experience of Mr Denham and Miss McCullough. The weather was kind to us on most days, with the only heavy rain occurring on Tuesday which, unfortunately, led to water in the bedding of the rifles producing some random scores on the Wednesday morning. The team should be very proud of their performance this week; there were some notable scores achieved by all. The big headlines included: a 16th place achieved by the Ashburton eight, beating last year’s 21st place with a score that was 24 points higher; Jay Naylor (team captain) achieving 65th out of 451 in the Schools’ Hundred; Alice Wibberley (a new member of the team) achieved an impressive fourth place in the Thursday Reserve shoot with a score of 42 with 2 V-Bulls and she was also placed 7th in the Reserve Extra shoot. Silver spoons were awarded to Jay Naylor and Kieran Bird. Stamford also brought back trophies: The Bermuda Cup, for the sixth consecutive year, and they retained the Bisley CCF Shield (North), having won this three times in the last five years. Many thanks to Miss McCullough, who was a mine of information and support when coaching pupils as well as developing the coaching strengths of the team and, of course, to Mr Denham, who was his usual chirpy self, apart from on Tuesday after he and Miss McCullough had sat on the firing point in the pouring rain all day while Mrs Johnson kept the scores spreadsheet in the warm and dry. The students were a delight to be with this week and worked really well as a team, with the more experienced firers supporting and encouraging those who were less so. MR S DENHAM

No Range Anxiety Joining the shooting team has probably been the highlight of my Stamford career. It has taught me valuable life skills: being supportive of your peers and how to successfully work in teams. My personal highlight has been competing in the Bisley competition in 2017 for the first time, making it onto two 300m and 500m leaderboards.” ROSE THOMPSON, Year 12

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unior Ancaster came out of the blocks tremendously with a clean sweep in the Year Seven tug o’ war led expertly by Johnny Reynolds and Billy Harris, and the finesse of Bradley Cooper, Anuraj Mitchell and Thomas Harwin twinkling the ivories on the chess board meant that Ancaster won by the comfortable decimal point margin in the chess competition. The Year Nines were busy on the astroturf too, with the B team going undefeated, with two wins and a draw. Goals were supplied by Oliver Proctor and Hamish Heading, but the real hero was James Farrow keeping three clean sheets! Despite not winning team competitions through nearly two terms, there were some notable individual performances - Joseph Spurdens and Edward Richardson won their house individual music competitions, while the team were unfortunate to finish last with Nancy Sinatra’s ‘These boots are made for walking’. Despite the team result, there were some notable contributions for the ensembles. Huge congratulations must go to George Coen, Nicholas Tonge and Felix Fraser. The spring term saw the final Junior Ancaster team victory of the year, with the Year Eights led by Archie Dickie-Meadows and Archie Davies winning the hockey competition. The Burghley Run resulted in top ten finishes for the following boys in Ancaster: Archie Davies, Archie Dickie-Meadows, Felix Fraser and Sam Thomas. A tremendous effort! There was another consistent performance by Ancaster in the ACT competition, with some top class baking and Photoshop entries. Nine points! Particularly sensational efforts came from: Matthew Linsell, Sam Barwise, Jed Naylor, Kasey Douglas, Tom Hill and Nicholas Tonge. The summer term sees Sports Day take place and like last year there were some great feats achieved by Sam Barwise in the javelin, Joseph Spurdens on the track, the all-rounder Dan Smith, Archie Davies jumping and Will Baker throwing like he has never thrown before! All these efforts and long-lasting memories combined to pitch Ancaster into fourth place overall for the year, with Radcliffe winning the junior house competition. Thank you to my house captain, Sam Thomas, who did a sterling job, and to my deputies too; but most of all I would like to extend my thanks to the whole of the house for their continued efforts and cooperation. We go again next year, bigger, better, stronger and faster! MR B MORRIS

ANCASTER CAME OUT OF THE BLOCKS TREMENDOUSLY

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e had to wait until Speech Day for our best performance of the year. Both the colts and the seniors won their athletic divisions in some style. This glorious afternoon culminated in our winning all six 4 x 100m relays. Particular mention goes to the colts; with the notable exceptions of Cristian Cocozza, Luke Mackenzie and Oliver Wilson, our squad consisted entirely of Year Tens. With the likes of Zak Spriggs, Dave Koelman, Tom Charlsley-Evans and Alfie Shaw, the seniors were always likely to triumph. Nevertheless, it was an impressive all-round performance. Other highlights spring to mind because they were such enjoyable occasions, rather than simply because of the victories Ancaster recorded in those events. Once again, our thespians delivered a polished and highly amusing skit containing endless pizza puns and some unlikely hoods. With a couple of days to go before the drama contest, nothing seemed to have been written or rehearsed. That the rabbit was so spectacularly plucked from the hat is largely due to an excellent script from Rory Russell. Within a great group effort, mention must go to Eliot Siggs, Will Smith, Robert Fraser and Josh Udom. Another Ancaster stronghold is in the rock music competition. Once again, we prevailed, with a classy yet energetic performance from Liam Hill, Lewis Golby and Jay Naylor. Ultimately, Exeter ran out as worthy winners and were never seriously challenged. Nevertheless, it was an interesting and enjoyable year as other houses vied for their moments of glory and the minor positions in the overall competition. Personally, I find it gratifying to observe the growing cohesion of year groups within the house. Finally, to give a mention to the Year 13s who have now departed the School. Particular thanks goes to the Head of House, Eliot Siggs, and his two deputies, Rory Russell and Tom Lachlan; outstanding young men. I also enjoyed working with Demi Atanasov, Isaac Costa, Joseph Gunther, Jay Naylor and Rui Queiros, amongst others. One would hope that, among all their future reminisces of Stamford School, a fair few would have been provided by their involvement in the house system. MR T JONES

HOUSES

B ra z e n o s e JU N I O R

SE N I O R

bly led by Cormac Calnan, with deputies Oliver Fraser, Oliver Hubbard and Harry Laventure, Junior Brazenose went from strength to strength. The autumn term began with a convincing win in the general knowledge competition. A tightly fought final resulted in victory for the determined team of Oliver Fraser, Harvey Morse and Caleb Jelf. An impressive Year Eight rugby team won their competition with impressive performances and outstanding collaboration from the team. Harry Laventure and Oliver Fraser brought home another victory for Brazenose in the Year Nine debating competition, while the chess team finished the three rounds of competition with a creditable second place. In contrast, unfortunately, the maths problem solving squad struggled to make things add up this year. The theme of contrasting results continued with further runners-up positions in the Year Nine hockey and the Year Nine football. The house music competition had soon arrived and it saw Brazenose perform a lively rendition of ‘Uptown Girl’. A vibrant performance from the Year Nine house ensemble consisting of Sam Hilder, Inaky Turner, Euan Morgan-Bramley, Oliver Fraser, Robert Couchman and George Wightman saw the boys attaining the top position for their performance of ‘Seven Nation Army’ by The White Stripes. The Year Seven to Nine ensemble consisting of Oliver Fraser, Inaky Turner, Ben Millar, Max Kettlewell, Kai Warner, Harvey Morse and Caleb Jelf performed a moving rendition of ‘Sailing’. By February, George Wightman gained his 50-credit award and the Burghley Run witnessed top ten performances from Elliot Klemstine, Toby Dalrymple, Robert Williams, Thomas Chesworth, Matthew Martin, Inigo Gillick, Cormac Calnan, Ewan Laughton and Elliot Green. The summer term showed a determined effort with the Year Sevens taking home their first trophy following some heroics by captain Rohan Kundaje and Toby Dalrymple. This was followed by our usual dominance in the ACT competition as we were first in all three year groups. This briefly put us in a tie for the lead. Alas, this was not to last as swimming, tennis and merits saw us in fourth. Towards the end of term there was resurgence with the Year Nine cricket, Year Seven athletics and Year Eight reading competitions. However it was not enough to reclaim our beloved trophy. MR D GLOUCESTER

BRAZENOSE HAS HAD A VERY STRONG YEAR

razenose has had a very strong year. The most astonishing moment was during the house music competition when, through the will of the gods, we won the unison! Planets must have been in perfect alignment, or something like that, but through some miracle we scored first with our rendition of ‘Wagon Wheel’. Chris Curran, our resident music maestro, said we should give ‘Wagon Wheel’ a go, and after the first rehearsal I was convinced it had potential. They sang with real verve especially after they realised the true meaning of some of the lyrics. Some say we won because of the judge’s predilection for the conductor’s ‘dance’ routine during the song, but I say it was because of the talented and committed group of sixth formers leading the way, with the whole house who were convinced they might actually have a chance of winning. In similar vein, our part song was equally strong and we came a respectable second with Chris Martin’s ‘Viva La Vida’ which was sung with passion and gusto by Robbie Curtis, Cian Tye, Monty Barker-Pilsworth, George Hawkins, Joe Delaney, Sam Bradshaw and Myles Bero. In memory of the late George Michael, our ensemble team performed ‘Careless Whisper’ and, although we came third, it was nevertheless a fitting tribute to the legendary pop star. Well done to Cian Tye, Sam Bradshaw, Gus Gillick, Sam Durrant and Myles Bero for entertaining us. Christmas was that time of year when we faced the challenge of house drama. ‘Deep and crisp and even’ was the theme this year. There were some excellent performances on stage and, although we didn’t win, we certainly gave a good account of ourselves. The likes of Chris Curran and Jenson Morse stole the limelight, but of note, according to the judges, was Gabriel Smithson whose performance was deemed outstanding, especially for someone who had not studied theatre at school. The rest of the talent were Jacob Turp, Oliver Johnson, James Peachey, Monty Toseland, Harry Cubley, Monty Barker-Pilsworth, Sam Bradshaw and Robbie Curtis. The colts and senior contributions to the Sports Day event made a fitting end to another busy year. So we bid farewell to the Head of House, Chris Curran, and his two deputies, Arthur Franklin and George Hawkins, who have done a fantastic job. And we welcome Tom Fowler as the Head of Brazenose for 2017/2018 along with his two deputies, Monty Barker-Pilsworth and Ollie Dore. MR R DEXTER

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resh off the win of the Tom Billington Cup last year, hopes were once again high for another strong year. The brains of the house stepped up in the house chess competition with Year Seven Elis Wren showing his considerable talents on the boards. He then, along with the keen quizzers amongst the house, helped win the general knowledge competition. After half term, an outstanding Year Seven rugby tournament saw Exeter v Ancaster in the final. It was clear there were two contrasting styles on show with the giants of Ancaster versus the more skilful, smaller players of Exeter. Angus Owen and Ben Goold played to their strengths, moving the ball and playing in the wide channels. This saw Exeter run out eventual winners. Good performances in the house hockey kept us in touch at the top of the leader board. The music practices were full steam ahead at this point and the time students like Alex Timson and Henry Brewster were putting into learning complicated music pieces was clear to see. With our coming second in every category, a special mention must go to Joe Joseph on piano, who has helped with the junior music for a few years now, and James Leetch for conducting. To cricket, and once again the Year Seven team found themselves in the final, but Brazenose snatched victory, seeing out the final over to win by a few runs. Following a great overall victory in the pool, led superbly by Oliver Jones, Tom Hattee and James Rothwell, Sports Day brought the major events of the summer to a close. JJ Harrison was a key runner for the Year Nine team, winning a number of events. The highlight of the day had to be Seb Goold racing in his hand cycle in the 1500m. On his last lap many members of Year Seven joined him, creating a stand out moment of the year. It really showed what is to be a Stamfordian, rising up to a challenge, meeting it head on and creating memories with your friends along the way. Overall in the junior section Exeter finished second; however, once again the senior section won their competition, meaning that, combined, Exeter House was the winner of the Tom Bllington Cup. I know Tom would be proud of the house and happy to once again see the cup stay for another year in his house. I would like to thank Alex Timson, Henry Brewster and Ahren Bailey for all their hard work over the year. They led the house superbly and all were awarded their 50 credit badge. MR J MITCHELL

THE BRAINS OF THE HOUSE STEPPED UP

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he year started positively for Exeter with victories in the Year Ten table tennis and basketball competitions during the autumn term. The new recruits to the senior section of the house were setting the standard for the rest of the house to follow. Not to be outdone by the youngsters, the sixth form rallied to record impressive victories in the senior chess and senior racquetball tournaments. So, on to the music competition. Exeter had rehearsed extremely well throughout the first half of term and, as the day of the competition dawned, the boys were feeling confident. ‘The Green Fields of France’, a haunting ballad, was chosen by James Radford-Flint. The boys sang with great precision and their housemaster was certainly proud of their performance. Despite the fact that the adjudicator stated in his results speech that this was a ‘winning choice’ he was clearly mad and a huge Bob Dylan fan to boot. Exeter came third. Again, it was the younger members of the house who led the way with superb victories in the Year Ten racquetball and hockey tournaments, the latter on goal difference. Caius Headley, Sully Saleem, Harry Tidswell and Will Rodriguez proved their worth with consistently excellent displays of sporting prowess. During the spring term, Exeter boys proved that they could also perform in the pool. The colts dominated throughout the gala with Matthew Rothwell, Lucas Bromley and Ben Briggs starring and breaking records galore. Victory in the senior hockey followed, which all meant that Exeter held a healthy lead going into the summer term. Sports Day is, of course, the premier event of the summer term, although I have to empathise with Mrs Blissett’s remark that “child-birth was easier than organising your Sports Day team”. On the day, the sun shone as did some of the members of Exeter House. Second place was a commendable outcome and one which secured overall victory in the house competition for the second year running. As another year draws to a close, I would like to publicly thank the leadership team of Connor, Eddie and Harry, who have all been fantastic. They have organised teams, been positive role-models for the younger boys and have been wholly reliable. I am sure that Peter, Harry and Ethan will be worthy successors and will continue to lead, manage, encourage and cajole in much the same vein. MR A PIKE

HOUSES

Radcliffe JU N I O R

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n the spring term, Radcliffe’s only victory in an academic sense was lifting the cup for the most merits. Term two and term three were a completely different proposition for Radcliffe and the other houses were essentially washed away by a relentless blue tide. Riding high on those waves were the ‘Heroes of Radcliffe’. Exemplary performances were seen in the Year Eight house football tournament by Sam Hughes, Josh Hull, Josh Cothill, Harvey Ratcliffe, Andrew Inskip, and Ed Sullivan. We were the big hitters in the blue riband events such as the Burghley Run, the music competition and Sports Day. The other houses were engulfed by the blue tide with awe inspiring performances in the Burghley Run by: Year Seven boys Sam Gordon-Kerr, Elliot Dee, Gabriel Rudman, Will Sanderson; Year Eight boys Callum Worthington, Josh Hull, Josh Cothill, Tom Cox, Connor Packer, Fergus Brown and Roddy Mountain; Year Nine boys Benji Davies, Will Barker, Miles Watson, Leon Kewney, Da’wud Safraz and Oscar Wordsworth. House music was also dominated by Radcliffe with victories in each of the music categories. Sean Doody played a monumental role in Radcliffe’s success in both the unison and the ensemble. With the swimming gala, Sports Day, the reading passport and merits still on the table, Radcliffe’s victory was not in the bag. There were too many successes to name individually in Sports Day but it is important to mention Rory Ward, who smashed a school record in the shot-put that was over 30 years old. I would also like to mention Josh Carder, who in a variety of events through the year was always willing to step in at the last minute. The Year Nine relay was one of the most exciting races I have seen in my life, with Will Barker running the race of his life and coming second by what must have been a human’s nose. Radcliffe achieved victory overall in Sports Day and then went on to get the most merits as well. When this was combined with steady performances in the reading passport we were able to lift the Junior House Cup with a little bit of breathing space. Finally, I would like to congratulate Will Lewis, Miles Watson and Oscar Wordsworth for taking the helm of Radcliffe for what I have been led to believe is Radcliffe’s first victory in the junior house competition for over 25 years. MR S JORDAN

A LARGE, TALENTED, SLIGHTLY DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY

eing a master or mistress of a school house is a bit like taking the role of parent in a rather large, multi-talented and slightly dysfunctional extended family. Within this rather complex and diverse family unit, there is often a great sense of camaraderie and loyalty among the many different siblings and this is often shown in the most surprising ways. Like a proud parent or doting mother, I look back fondly over the highs and lows of the last academic year: the phenomenal part song led by Charles Worrall and Hal Parkes that won so much praise from judge and audience alike; the verbal dexterity of our fabulous colts debaters, Oscar Dixon-Spain and Thomas Watson; the grit and determination of our Year 11 hockey players; the grace and power of the senior swimming team and the exuberance of our Year 11, 12 and 13 volleyballers who all leapt to victory in the summer sunshine. What kind of doting parent would I be, if I did not gloat a little over the star performances of Robert Stoddart and Ethan Archer, who both triumphed not only at the Burghley Run, but also during Senior Sports Day in 2016 and 2017, and Robert winning the Victor Ludorum prize two years in succession? What parent could not have felt a surging swell of pride too at the triumph of the Year 12 pub games team, displaying prowess in no fewer than four rigorous pursuits: pool, table football, table tennis and even poker! As well as these obvious moments of victory and sweetness, there have also been times of failure; our tragic performance in the colts’ swimming gala was, at times, offset by the high drama provided for the spectators by the likes of Dan Watt and Jordan Haworth. We were all on the edge of our seats, hearts in mouths, as we watched their valiant attempts to survive in the water until they reached the other side of the pool. Yet without their willingness to take part and have a go, there would have been no colts’ swimming team last year at all. So finally, I would like to thank the elder statesmen of the house, our fantastic captains for 2017: Robert Stoddart, Rhys John and Tom Proffitt. Quite frankly, without their help, enthusiasm and guidance, the whole Radcliffe family may well have come unstuck. All the Year 13 students in Radcliffe, the leavers of 2017, were a credit to the house and role models to us all. MRS L BLISSETT

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Ande rson

B eale

e might not have won the overall competition, but this has been a year of stellar performances. The girls were led by a quality team of prefects, with Emma Dodworth and Katy Measures, ably supported by the Year 12 prefect team of Beatrice Guttridge-Smith, Natasha Hinch, Rhona Kelly, Lucy Little and Sophie Skelton. We began with beautiful renditions of ‘Cold Coffee’ by Ed Sheeran (senior choir) and ‘Sparks’ by Amber Run (whole house) for the music competition, achieving third and second respectively. Our house is indebted to our own Aoife Judge (Year 13) for her courageous pianism during this time. Three of our girls then took a trip down to the metaphorical ‘tent’ for our Ready, Steady – Cook! competition and achieved first place! Congratulations to Millie Kilham (Year 13), Sophia Palmer (Year 11) and Isabella de Capell Brooke (Year Seven). Anderson House then went on to dominate in the inter-house football with first place. It is unfortunate that we did lose ground in some competitions that are typically strong suits for Anderson, but we did make new ground in previously unchartered waters. We came second in the Spellathon with thanks to Neve Murison (Year Seven), Francesca Silcock (Year Eight), Imogen McEwing (Year Nine), Luisa Queiros (Year Ten) and Hannah Clardy (Year 11). We took second in the Burghley Run, and there were fantastic individual performances all round with Emily Goodson, Matilda Adcock, Rose Powell, Katie Rickett, Emily and Elizabeth Ferguson and Lottie Farley all coming first-in-house for their particular age groups. Year Nine stood out as the most successful year group for the 2016/17 carousel, having won the most competitions. This was seen in the tennis, hockey (coming a close second) and the dance competition (first) especially. Our senior and junior debaters each came second in closely fought circumstances. Very well done to the senior team of Isabella Mitchell (Year 12) and Lucy Little (Year 12) and the junior team of Amelia Davison (Year Seven) and Imogen McEwing (Year Nine). I finish with a sad goodbye to a longstanding Andersonian staff member, Caroline Boyfield, who left us in January. Her commitment and passion will be missed. However, we do welcome Mrs Ditchburn (DT) and very much look forward to her skills being applied to our endeavours. MR L JONES 112

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eale was ably led from the front by house captains Collette Monahan and Olivia Tushingham. This year we also had five Year 12 prefects helping us manage the house; Julia Goddard, Rachel Denney, Caitlin Marriner, Izzie Bowering and Alex Fairbrass. The senior choir again claimed a stunning first place in the house music competition with both Colette and Olivia providing the necessary musical expertise. Excellent effort in the house football, hockey and swimming tournaments, as well as in netball, put us into a good position in the house competition. Winning the junior debating competition as well as the SES house quiz also helped us in the house standings. An excellent effort by all house members gave us an excellent second place on Sports Day, allowing Beale to come second overall in the house competition, one place up from where we usually find ourselves. MR G WEEKS

HOUSES

C avell

s usual, music was the first event on the house calendar, and, despite a sterling effort by our house prefects, Ellie Goodman and Tash Bertuzzi, ably assisted by our five Year 12 assistant prefects, we were awarded third place in both whole-house song (‘Man in the Mirror’) and Senior Choir (‘Hold Back the River’). Nevertheless, in the words of that well-known song ‘Pick Yourself Up’ made famous by Frank Sinatra, we picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off and started all over again! Sadly, and again despite great leadership from Ellie and Tash, third place was a position we often found ourselves in during 2016/2017. Cavellians, however, are nothing if not resilient, and we achieved some encouraging results in several sports competitions, most notably second place in house football, netball and rounders. In the second half of the year, we had some spectacular successes. We came first in senior debating thanks to the noble efforts of Amy Evans (Year Ten and debating for the first time) and Kim Garande (Year 12). Our cross-country runners came first in the inaugural SES Burghley Run. Another highlight was senior drama just before the end of the autumn term, when our senior actresses brought the house (houses?!) down with their hilarious performance in response to the title Ding Dong!. And who could forget house swimming – what a victory! From the pool-side warm-up led by Rosie Harvey to the marvellous moment when we realised that we had achieved first place, the Cavellian team never lost their enthusiasm and dedication to the house. However, despite these achievements, we had to settle for third place overall. We knew that the competition had been extremely fierce – in fact, at the end of May, I sent out this message to the prefects:”‘There are now only 16 points between first and fourth places overall, so with tennis, Sports Day and the Merit Cup, anyone could be the winner.” Many congratulations to Eliot House, who won Sports Day and the Merit Cup, which enabled them to win that coveted trophy, just as we had done the previous year. Well done and thank you, Ellie and Tash, for always believing in the house and for never giving up, even when the odds seemed stacked against us. Thanks are also due to the Year 12 assistant prefects, who were a great support throughout the year. And finally, thank you Cavellians, for being such fun and for your total devotion to the house. MRS V WILSON

E liot

liot had an exciting year during 2016/2017! Our house captains, Lucinda Pye and Kayleigh Waterman (below), set out with the aim to win as many competitions as they possibly could – such determination! In October, Eliot’s entries for the house singing competition - the senior choir’s beautiful rendition of ‘Adiemus‘ by Karl Jenkins followed by the whole house song, a powerful explosion of vocal exuberance of the Florence and the Machine song ‘You’ve got the Love’ - resulted in an overall win for the house. Then, in December, the senior drama team achieved a very close second place, pipped to the post by Cavell. The junior drama teams were not going to allow a defeat to tarnish their performances and rallied to win overall the Junior Drama Cup. Meanwhile, the house dancers were not to be outdone and splendid performances were seen from the up and coming Year Seven team as well as the consistent Year Eight dance troupe. With house sports generally not being Eliot’s strongest talent, during the year the house gained some valuable points for the team games and significantly gained a second position for swimming. With much determination and sheer will-power, Eliot put every effort into their entries for the annual Sports Day competition and were excited to achieve an overall win in this. It was, then, a great achievement when Eliot won the House Competition Cup for 2017. MRS Y DIAS

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HOUSES SES BURGLEY RUN

B u rgh le y Run A BIGGER, AND BETTER, BURGHLEY RUN

he Burghley Run is an annual event which involves all students able to compete from, as of last year, all three of the Endowed Schools, as well as many teachers. With SS, SHS and SJS all competing at the same time on the same day, the atmosphere had even more of a buzz than in previous years. The feeling of community and SES spirit filled Burghley Park, with the blue skies also contributing to the good vibes. Within the High School, even the words ‘Burghley Run’ tend to be followed by a great deal of dread and moaning; however, once the race is over the mood tends to change to one of relief and joy. The Burghley Run is always a great house event with students competing to score as best they can for their houses. The support that students receive from their peers is the highlight of the whole event and really embodies the purpose of house system. This year it was extra special to have peers from different schools

Burghley Park, which means dodging the local wildlife is often a challenge in itself! Personally, we think those who are more competitive enjoy this sort of event most; however, as it is both a house and an individual competition, all points are valuable. We hope that the event will continue to grow in popularity and lead to greater participation in other running events. MEG ELLISON AND ETHAN ARCHER encouraging one another. Usually, the run seems to be on a freezing cold day, which does mean that, for the most part, not many are ready to race, yet when everyone gets going they often have more fun than they would admit! It’s a long course, which gets progressively longer and tougher the older you get, and we run through the woods and open fields in

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independent schools for independent minds

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