Welcome to The Shebbearian Magazine! We hope you enjoy this overview of the 2021-22 academic year here at Shebbear College and all the exciting things that have happened over the last twelve months. Any feedback or enquiries about this publication should be sent to Joanna Conway, Head of Marketing & Admissions: marketing@shebbearcollege.co.uk. You can keep up with all the latest news from the school via our social media channels: @shebbearcollege
admissions@shebbearcollege.co.uk
CONTENTS FROM THE HEAD
Page 6
CHAPLAIN’S REPORT
Page 8
CHARITY & FUNDRAISING
Page 10
THE PREP SCHOOL
Page 12
PREP SCHOOL ARTWORK
Page 24
PREP SCHOOL SPORT
Page 32
PIRATES VS MERMAIDS
Page 36
HAWC
Page 40
BOARDING
Page 46
SCHOOL HOUSES
Page 48
THE ARTS
Page 56
GREASE
Page 70
HUMANITIES
Page 74
LANGUAGES & COMMUNICATION
Page 84
SPORT & OUTDOOR EDUCATION
Page 90
STEM
Page 110
ADDITIONAL LEARNING NEEDS
Page 120
HORIZONS
Page 122
CO-CURRICULAR
Page 124
THE SIXTH FORM
Page 130
OLD SHEBBEARIANS’ ASSOCIATION
Page 138
STAFF LIST
Page 151
From the Head… The 2021-2022 academic year at Shebbear College has been an exciting one! Although the pandemic continued to affect our day-to-day life to an extent, with periods of remote or blended learning making an appearance, life certainly seems a lot more normal now than it did twelve months ago when I wrote last year’s introduction to the Shebbearian magazine! This academic year has been absolutely packed full of achievements, experiences, adventure and fun and I feel proud to be leaving the school in such a fantastic place. During my time as Head at Shebbear College we have faced many challenges together as a school community - not least the dreaded Covid, and let’s not forget about Storm Eunice - but I will truly miss this wonderful school and its incredibly warm and welcoming community. The pupils have made me smile and laugh every single day and the staff are a brilliant team to work alongside. I will certainly be keeping in touch and I am excited to see how the school continues to develop under the leadership of Mr Jenkins. We started the academic year with a bang when, at the end of September I received the phone call that we had all been expecting, from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), informing us that they were coming to inspect Shebbear College for both Regulatory Compliance and Educational Quality. We were well prepared for this, but that’s not to say it wasn’t an incredibly demanding four days. In true Shebbear spirit, our community really came together to show our fantastic school off with pride and we were
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all absolutely thrilled that we achieved the highest possible grading of ‘EXCELLENT’ in both key outcomes for Educational Quality: the pupils’ academic and other achievements and the pupils’ personal development. In addition, we met every single standard set in the Regulatory Compliance part of the inspection. This is a huge achievement and I know that Shebbear will continue to go from strength-to-strength in the future. It has certainly been a year for awards and this has been down to our terrific staff leading the way: we were finalists in the Independent Schools of the Year Award for Sporting Achievement when we made it to the final six schools in the country from over 700 nominations; we achieved the National Online Safety (NOS) Remote Education Accreditation and the Certified School Status; we were labelled as ‘sector leading’ when we passed with flying colours a rigorous 2 day safeguarding inspection from MIST; and most recently we achieved the Wellbeing Award for Schools for our excellent mental health and emotional wellbeing provision for both pupils and staff. We have celebrated many pupil achievements over the year, including a number of academic successes. Pupils across the school undertook the UK Mathematics Trust Senior, Intermediate and Junior Maths Challenges with some excellent results. Some of our Form 4 pupils also took part in the AMSP Maths Feast, competing against teams from schools from across Devon and Cornwall and finishing in 4th place. Meanwhile, our A-Level Scientists achieved highly in the British Physics Olympiad Challenge and the UK Chemistry Olympiad this year
2021-22 has been an exciting year for Sport and we have enjoyed many opportunities and celebrated many successes. From the 1st XV Rugby boys competing in the Jonny Wilkinson Cup at Rendcomb College; to an Upper Sixth pupil being selected for the Lambs U18 National Rugby Squad; our U14 team winning the North Devon Cup and our U14 Sevens team competing in the Rosslyn Park National School Sevens and winning the ISA Rugby 7s National Final. Our Hockey, Football, Netball and Cricket teams have also been going from strength to strength after almost two years of little or no competitive matches and our teams have celebrated a number of wins across the age groups. We have also seen some remarkable individual performances in athletics with several pupils competing at the Devon Schools Athletics Championships this term. We became a member of the Independent Schools Association (ISA) this year which has brought with it many opportunities for our pupils, particularly in the sporting arena, enabling them to compete in national competitions against other ISA schools across the UK. In November some of our swimmers had the amazing chance to compete at the Olympic Pool at the London Aquatics Centre, representing Shebbear College as part of the South West Team at the ISA National Swimming Finals and this term, a team of athletes travelled up to Manchester to compete at the ISA National Athletics Championships with some fantastic results - including one gold and two bronze medals. Ten Tors and Duke of Edinburgh have also made a welcome return and what a joy it was to be able to compete in the Ten Tors Challenge again this year. After four months of preparation and training, our 35 mile and 45 mile teams completed their routes in fantastic time and were greeted by an audience of very proud parents and staff. We were also delighted to host the Gliddon and Squire Cross Country League in February. The Performing and Creative Arts have taken off again this year, although this has not been without its challenges with several periods of ‘no singing’, concerts switching from in-person to online at the last minute and several other Covid-related setbacks. However, our pupils have embraced these issues with flexibility and positivity and our Remembrance Service, Winter Performing Arts Showcase and Christmas Carol Concert were all successfully filmed and broadcast remotely in the Michaelmas Term - not forgetting the fabulous version of Elton John and Ed Sheeran’s ‘Merry Christmas’! In the new year, some degree of normality returned and we were able to host the long-awaited Gig Night, informal music concerts and a wonderful Easter Performing Arts Showcase, where we enjoyed some truly amazing performances. The biggest event in the Performing Arts calendar, however, was our sensational production of ‘Grease’ in March, creating a real buzz around school! Congratulations to the superb cast, the dedicated crew and staff who made it all happen. We also enjoyed ‘Scrooge’ at Christmas, performed by the Forms 3 and 4 Drama Group, and ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ at the end of this term, a truly memorable open air production by our Sixth Form actors.
In Art, the standard of work produced by our pupils has been phenomenal, especially in our GCSE and A-Level art exhibition. In May we had a wide range of pupils’ artwork exhibited at the Annual Schools Exhibition at the Burton Art Gallery in Bideford,and were delighted to find out that five of our pupils had won awards for their entries, judged by The Arts Society. I am delighted that our social calendar has resumed this year, with events including the Forms 1 and 2 disco, socials, pizza and quiz nights, the formal Sixth Form Rounsefell Dinner and our newly launched House Dinners - all thoroughly enjoyed by everyone! Charity events including our Comic Relief fundraiser and our Spring Fete were also hugely successful as we were finally able to come together as a school again - something we have missed greatly over the last two years. We have welcomed new pupils from across the world into our boarding community this year, as well as being able to reopen our Summer School over the past few weeks which has been a fantastic programme. In order for the extensive refurbishment of Ruddle Boarding House to take place, we moved to a co-educational boarding house in the Lent Term - complete with a newly redecorated Pollard Common Room which went down extremely well! After Storm Eunice caused some significant damage to the Tower building of Pollard, the seniors relocated to Dartmoor field into new, but temporary, en-suite accommodation which they fondly christened ‘The Village’! The refurbishment of our two boarding houses forms part of our Strategic Development Plan (2020 to 2025), which incorporates a site development plan to continue to improve and upgrade our facilities. As part of this, we are also working on a second major development project over the summer, the replacement of the flood lit All-Weather Astro-Turf pitch, as well as launching a new digital development strategy to improve the digital infrastructure across the whole school. At the end of my last academic term at Shebbear College, I can reflect back with pride and happiness. It has been an extraordinary tenure as Head, but as this magazine demonstrates, we have achieved and celebrated so much and we have been reminded, on a daily basis of how resilient we can be - the last three years have reaffirmed that collaboration, creativity, community, people and teamwork are what brings us through the toughest of challenges. Thank you to all the people that have made my time at Shebbear College so enjoyable and I wish you all the very best wishes for the future - continue to ‘do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can… ‘
Caroline Kirby Head
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Mrs Kirby and I meet regularly to discuss plans, and our first meeting at the start of the term felt really positive - a fresh start after a previous year of lockdowns and disappointment at not being able to carry on as normal! We were deluged with cakes of all sorts for the Macmillan Coffee Morning, in particular an impressive triple layer Chocolate cake which Form 1 pupil Loveday, at the tender age of 12 years, had made especially. Watch out Mary Berry, you have competition!
Chaplain’s REPORT A beautiful Indian summer greeted us at the start of the Michaelmas Term. The whole school was buzzing with excitement and it was fantastic being back together again! We had many new pupils and some new teachers joining us and a great deal of new friendships and relationships have been forged.
The Prep School Harvest Festival took place in Lake Chapel - in person! - at the start of October, with many parents attending. We also held a service for Senior School pupils and staff earlier that day. The Chapel was beautifully decorated with help from Shebbear Methodists and contributions were donated to the Bideford food bank. Later that month I attended the annual dedication service for MIST Chaplains in London, a fantastic opportunity to meet other Chaplains and share our stories of the last year and how the pandemic had affected our ministries in schools. Everything was going so well and I began planning Remembrance and Christmas services, feeling excited at the prospect of a candlelit Carol Service. However, this was not to be as after half term we had a significant increase in Covid cases within our
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based on prayer and reconciliation with continuing prayers for peace over the last few months have been a central part of our Chapel assemblies. Finally, I cannot end this report without reference to the ministry of a previous Chaplain, Tim Aldridge. Tim was a much loved and valued member of the Shebberian community from 2013 –2017 when he moved to Taunton and became school Chaplain for Queen’s College.
community, and were yet again forced to cancel ‘in person’ services and move back to Remote Chapel once more. Ironically, this coincided with the arrival of some much needed ‘Singing The Faith’ hymn books - no need to unpack them from the boxes! Thankfully Chapel began again at the start of the Lent Term. I was able to unpack the new hymn books and singing as a school community resumed once more (although the first attempt was rather muted it seemed we had all forgotten how to do it!) This term brought its own challenges, including the devastating effects of Storm Eunice in February. We had a significant amount of damage to our site, including to the roof of the Tower building in Pollard Boarding House.
Tim was an inspiration to those who knew him and his faith was apparent for all to see in the face of a debilitating illness. I knew I had big shoes to fill after the ministry of Tim, and I would like to end this report with a huge thankyou to him for all his amazing teaching and people skills, stories still being told 5 years after he left. The last two years of School Chaplaincy has not been quite as I anticipated, with the ongoing challenge of Covid meaning that last minute changes and carrying on in the face of adversity has become the norm. However, the support I have received from staff, pupils and parents has been wonderful, and very gratefully received. I do believe we are on the right track towards recovery after the turbulence of the last two years, and there is so much more to look forward to when we all come back together in September 2022. Revd. Donna Leigh Chaplain
Now we are at the end of the Trinity Term, singing is back to normal, we have heard some amazing preaching from teachers and have been totally dazzled at the Performing Arts skills demonstrated by our pupils! We have been lucky enough to have a range of visitors and guest speakers at our Chapel services during the year, including The Gideons, who provided each pupil with a copy of the Gideons Bible and one of our Governors, Reverend Simon Leigh. The shocking news of war in Europe was not to be ignored, and a service
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There have been numerous charity events that our pupils, parents and staff have supported so generously throughout the school year, including Macmillan Cancer Research, North Devon Foodbank, Red Nose Day, Children in Need, Devon Hospice and Edukid. The first fundraiser of the year was the Macmillan Coffee Morning. It’s been quite a while since we ran one of these so it was a more low key event this year due to Covid restrictions still being in place. Despite not being able to welcome the wider Shebbear College community to join us, it was nice to see so many donations of cakes for the pupils to enjoy and we raised £307.17. The Chaplain led a collection for a local food bank as part of the Harvest Festival this year. We were very impressed with the amount of food and other items donated, which totalled 30 bags full! These were taken to the Bideford food bank. Our school Librarian, Mrs Fanet, ran the Readathon event in October. She was very impressed with the enthusiasm of those that got involved and there were some big amounts raised by individuals - all for reading books! The total money raised for this worthwhile charity was £511.80.
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A Bags 2 School collection is always popular with parents; it gives the chance to have a clear out of old, unwanted clothes whilst raising money for charity and this year was no exception. Thanks to you all for having a Spring clean and helping raise £84 for the local charity Jay’s Aim. As we hadn’t been able to hold our big fundraiser for Children in Need earlier in the year, we decided to go all out for our Comic Relief fundraiser instead. Each house was asked to come up with ideas for stalls so that we could run a mini fete in and around the quad. Luckily, we were blessed with lovely weather so the event was held outside. There were some fabulous stalls, showing real creativity and all the pupils got involved. We even had the return of the very popular staff stocks which helped raise over £200 on its own. This was a lovely event, enjoyed by all, and raised a fantastic £683.89. Infact, it was such a success that it encouraged us to hold another fete, just on a bigger scale.
We also took part in Movember again this year, a charity which we have supported historically and an excellent way to raise money and awareness of men’s mental and physical health. Connor and Alex in Upper 6, along with Mr Chandler and Mr Quance grew a moustache for the month so a huge well done to them and we also set up a Movember photo booth for pupils and staff to pose for a ‘Mo’ photo, raising a total of £233.90. Covid, once again, put paid to our Children in Need Mufti day in November but thanks to the generosity of parents and staff we still managed to raise an amazing amount - £632.40. As always, on the last day of the Michaelmas term, pupils are invited to wear their Christmas jumpers to raise money for Save the Children. We saw a huge variety of different styles and raised £75.40. The children in our G2L (Global to Local) group put in a tremendous amount of work each year to help support the education of two children, Lucky Peace and Isaac, at Loch Koma Primary School in Gulu, Uganda. There have been many events which have helped raise valuable funds for Edukid, which is a wonderful achievement. This year, Tyler, Ben and Harry met with Senior School pupils as part of the whole school G2L group and coordinated the cookies and hot chocolate sale in February, raising £196.80. The Prep School has also continued to help Edukid by writing some of the primary school resources on the United Nations Sustainable Development goals, which are linked to the real life stories of Lucky Peace and Isaac. We joined the rest of the country in March when we held a fundraiser for those affected by the war in Ukraine. We suggested a mufti theme of blue and yellow in order to show our support and through some very generous donations from staff, pupils and parents we raised an incredible £771.40!
Our Head of School, Bella Richards, took part in a skydive in April to raise money for Devon Mind. In order to show our support for her courage and fundraising efforts, we decided it was time to run our Spring Fete once again raising money for this fantastic local charity. This whole school event saw pupils running traditional fete stalls and enabled us to welcome our wider school community on site to join us. It was lovely to see so many family members and there was a real buzz. It was also fantastic to have the dog show back in action. This is a firm favourite and is always very popular. My thanks go to Mrs Reed & Mrs Sibcy for taking the unenviable position as chief organisers and judges - they both did a tremendous job. Thanks also to The Friends for running the refreshment stall. This event raised a fantastic £749.50 for Devon Mind. In the Trinity term, as part of the Prep children’s PSHE lessons, two additional charities were chosen: Children’s Cancer research UK and North Devon Animal Ambulance, after Prep 5 and 6 worked on ideas to support a variety of charities and then pitched these to the Prep School. I must also mention Flora in Prep 5 who cut her long hair into a very trendy short style and donated it to The Little Princess Trust. Thank you to everyone for contributing so much to such a valuable element of our school community. Mrs Lovett
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PREP SCHOOL OVERVIEW
This past year has seen school life move back to normal as much as has been possible. Numbers in the Prep School have continued to rise and very encouragingly, September 2022 will see the Prep as large as it has been for many years.
Twelve months ago, I reported on the success of our Prep 1 and 2 class moving to the main Prep School building from Pyke. This year, our Reception class (now our youngest children in the school) joined them, as they also made the move up from Pyke. With our Reception children now a greater part of the school community, as well as joining the House system, it has had a very positive impact on school life and the strong sense of community, and relationships between year-groups and classes have been strengthened even further. With our increased pupil numbers, we have moved from having three Houses to streamlining with the Senior School and also having Pollard House. This has added an even greater element of healthy competition across the whole school. Following the departure of the wonderful Mrs Willis-Butcher, Mrs Emmerson joined us as a teaching assistant and she has been absolutely tremendous, working mainly with Prep 1 and 2, but also with other year-groups. Mr Fouche has also been a superb addition, helping across the Prep School with such an infectious positivity. Mr Middleton and Mrs Shaw shared the academic year leading Prep 5 and my sincere thanks to them both for being superb colleagues and great additions to Shebbear. We wish Mrs Shaw the very best of luck as she now moves to a teaching job in Somerset. We also said farewell to Mrs Thompson, after six wonderful years leading our Early Years setting, including the transition of the Reception move to the Prep building. We wish Mrs Thompson every happiness and success with her move. Throughout the year, the commitment and endeavour shown by all of the children in the Prep, from the youngest in Reception, under the wonderful
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guidance of Mrs Thompson and Mrs Henderson, to our Prep 6 children, has been very impressive. There is a quiet determination to do well in all areas of school life, as well as a ‘family feel’ and a strong sense of community and peer support. This ambition and energy is a direct reflection of the commitment and enthusiasm of the Prep and Senior School staff, who consistently go ‘above and beyond’ in providing as many opportunities as possible for the children.
The Shebbear values and ethos (our Six Cs) have been shown in action throughout this year in so many different ways, including our assembly programme, greatly assisted by our Chaplain Revd Donna Leigh, sports fixtures and House competitions which have all restarted with vigour. Congratulations to Thorne and Ruddle for winning the House Cup in the Michaelmas and Lent terms respectively and again to Ruddle who pipped Pollard to the post in the Trinity Term. The Trinity term has seen more events being able to take place as normal, including our cycle race, our sensational musical production, inter-House swimming gala, Sports Day and Celebration Evening, as well as enrichment days of climbing and performing arts. Mrs Appleton-Wahl has continued to get the very best out of our Prep artists, and the work they produced has been quite exceptional. Woodwork, with Mr Quance, has been a really important addition over the last few years, with Prep 5 and 6 pupils having weekly lessons. They have made a selection of wooden toys and Christmas decorations with one of their main projects being a Christmas nativity stable. Drama continues to be loved by the children, and Mrs Jones outdid herself with the wonderful production ‘Pirates vs Mermaids’. The same can be said for Music, as Mrs Sadler-Smith and Mrs Parker have grown the Prep choir, as well as seeing more than 25 performers take part at the Prep School Informal Music Concert in the Lent term.
World Book Day proved to be ever-popular, with our children and staff dressing up as their favourite book characters. From Harry Potter to Elsa, and from Dennis the Menace to Wally, we just about had them all. It was a very clear indication of our children’s engagement and enthusiasm. An important part of Prep School life is our School Council. Mr Willetts has overseen the Council again this year and such was the enthusiasm and energy of the class reps, that more has been achieved this year than any other year. Meetings have taken place with Mr Gould, our Catering Manager, and the National AntiBullying Week advice leaflet was written for their peers - we also wore odd socks to school!
We now look forward to 2022-23, which will see some exciting changes to the staffing of our Prep classes. It will also move further away from some of the limitations of the pandemic. However, as I also said last year, regardless of the circumstances they find themselves in, this group of children and staff have shown that they are full of hard work, enthusiasm, good humour, encouragement and commitment, resulting in a wide array of fine achievements across all aspects of school life. A huge thank you, well done to everyone and the very best of luck for the year ahead. Matthew Foale Head of Prep
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RECEPTION
What a fantastic year we have had in Reception! The move from Pyke to the Prep School building has had so many positives for the children and staff. We have attended assemblies, become more involved in house events including the cross country and cycle race and benefited hugely from the learning ambassadors.
We have been adapting to the fantastic new EYFS guidelines throughout the year, which focus on child-led teaching and learning. Topics have included wonderful me, space, tall buildings, minibeasts, London and the Queen - this included us celebrating the Jubilee in style with a wonderful Royal party for the Queen! One of the most popular topics was space. We brought this topic to life through being creative in our learning. The children started with a group cookery session, thinking about what an astronaut would eat for breakfast. This started numerous conversations as they let their imaginations run wild!. We were able to create a space shuttle in the classroom with a board of compasses and an electric yes/no button panel. The children entered in pairs and questions were heard from within as they tested each other on the knowledge they had covered as a group. Examples included ‘What is the closest planet to the sun?’, ‘What was the name of the first dog in space?’ and ‘What meal would you like to eat as an astronaut?’ The children became familiar with the Jewish Folk tale ‘The Noisy House’ and learned to tell it using some of Pie Corbett’s methods. They were then able to adapt it to someone living on the moon and write their own version which they performed as a play. We also had a visit from an alien that moved around campus throughout the day and was spotted at various points by the children, followed by an alien hunt which ended with the children enjoying cakes and hot chocolate with their new friend! Aside from all the facts and knowledge learned in class, we consider imagination and creativity to be one of the most important contributors to learning. This has been supported by the fantastic art sessions with Mrs Appleton-Wahl twice weekly. The initial eight children grew to nine in the Trinity term. Every child has shown notable development in their learning throughout the year and they all now confidently ask questions about their learning. Confidence curiosity, creativity, courage, courtesy and compassion really have developed, progressed and are now shining through in this group and we feel very proud and honoured to have been part of their early years education. Mrs Thompson & Mrs Henderson Reception Class
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PREP 1&2
Prep 1 & 2 have had a very productive year. We all hoped that this year would be disrupted less by Covid-19 and that the children would be able to enjoy a more normal year at school. Unfortunately, blended learning resumed for some of us at various times throughout the year as the virus continued to circulate. Adapting to this type of learning is difficult, but the children amazed me again with their positivity and flexibility.
The Michaelmas Term brought Mary Anning, fossils, dinosaurs and of course, Christmas. We planned to invite an audience to watch our performance, but once again Covid scuppered our plans. Nevertheless, the show went on and we had a lot of fun performing and recording our Christmas story for all to enjoy and share at home. We sadly said goodbye to Mrs Willis-Butcher as she left to begin her new venture and we welcomed Mrs Emmerson into our class. During the Lent term our focus turned to Victorian life. The children had so much fun making Victorian style toys and it was a joy to watch how their imagination blossomed with each toy they made. The highlight for many was our Victorian school room experience. The strict teacher proved too much for some as they scurried to the safe zone, but others were unperturbed by the cane and Dunce’s hat and remained, entering into the spirit of the lesson with enthusiasm. I think all of the children were relieved when it was over and the normal Mrs Jones returned! During the Trinity Term we utilised our beautiful school grounds and made the most of the weather by taking our learning outside as often as we could. Number work was a favourite and it was amazing to see how easy the concepts of multiplication and division became once we were using stones and sticks. The end of term soon came around, giving us an opportunity to look back and remember all of the exciting experiences and learning we had enjoyed and to acknowledge the enormous progress each and every one of the children had made. Mrs Jones Class Teacher
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PREP 3&4
It seems a long time ago when we first started back in the Michaelmas term. The children got into the swing of things straight away and there was a positive buzz in every lesson. Particular highlights include some brilliant acting in English lessons and a special mention to Oliver who got so into his acting that he accidently kicked a chair down the Prep School corridor much to the alarm of Mrs Jones and Mrs Emmerson!
We are very lucky that we have a variety of Senior School teachers who teach different lessons to Prep 3 and 4 and I am always astounded with the work they produce. A great example is the wonderful artwork they have created, inspired by Mrs Appleton-Wahl. The pupils are clearly proud of their work and are always keen to show off their creations to anyone they come across! Congratulations to all the pupils who had artwork selected for the Annual Schools Exhibition at the Burton Art Gallery in Bideford in May and a special well done to Marah and Arthur who won prizes for their work. One of my favourite events of the school year is the informal music concert, which was created to give children the opportunity to perform in front of an audience for the first time, in a friendly environment. It was amazing to see our Prep 3 and 4 musicians perform with such confidence and skill. It shows they not only have nerves of steel but also are hugely talented musicians. A big part of life at Shebbear involves sport and we have played a variety of different sports against schools in the area. All of the children have played mixed Netball, Rugby, Football and Cricket at Under 9 level. It has been great to see them learn new skills and use them across a range of different match situations. All of the children in Prep 3 and 4 have represented the school brilliantly by playing competitively during the match, as well as showing true Shebbearian courtesy after the game. We have welcomed several new pupils into Prep 3 and 4 throughout the year and they have all settled in brilliantly, fully immersing themselves into school life. It also highlights how kind and caring our current pupils are, as they always make new children feel so welcome. It has been an absolute pleasure to teach the children throughout this last year. It is my last year in Prep 3 and 4 so I would like to wish all of the children in Prep 3 all the best for next year, when Mrs Jones will be the class teacher. To everyone in Prep 4, I am really looking forward to teaching you again next year as your Prep 5 teacher! Mr Willetts Class Teacher
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PREP 5
It has been such fun getting to know Prep 5 over the past year or so. They are a super bunch of motivated and enthusiastic children who look out for each other and are very supportive which is so lovely to see. They have embraced the challenges thrown at them and been so welcoming to all the new pupils who have joined us this year.
In Maths our new Doodle Maths program has led to much excitement as the children earn stars through their individualised learning program, buy items for their avatars and challenge each other to be top of the leaderboard! It has been super to hear the children enter the classroom each morning and say “Can I Doodle Mrs Shaw?’in their efforts to be the top class of the week to earn treats and awards!! Keep up the good work Prep 5! In History our Medieval Britain topic kicked off with the invasion of William the Conqueror, represented through the Bayeux tapestry, and then moved on to look at castles. We had great fun thinking about the best way to attack and defend a castle and the weapons available. The children came up with some great plans and I can tell you no mercy was shown! Our other history topic that led to some interesting discussions was that of the amazing sacrifice of the villagers of Eyam who cut themselves off from the rest of Derbyshire to avoid spreading the plague. The children found it particularly poignant in the light of our recent pandemic. This culminated in a super performance in assembly of a short play to tell the story to the rest of the Prep School. It was then a quick hop, step and a jump to the Tudors, Henry VIII and his six wives, Tudor exploration and Tudor houses where the children had the chance to get creative and build their own! Phew! In Geography we have been looking at the concept of trade and especially the idea of Fair trade. It has been super to see the passion the children have felt in relation to the issues and I hope they will take this forward. One of our favourite Religious Education topics this year was Christianity and the Easter Story which culminated in us making some gorgeous Easter gardens to take home with us to share with our families. This is really just a taste of all that we have been busy learning about this year in Prep 5 and I could go on! Suffice to say the children have been such fun to be with. Their enthusiasm is infectious and their thirst for learning so visible. I know they will continue in this vein next year as they move to Prep 6. Mrs Shaw Class Teacher
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PREP 6
From the very start of the Michaelmas term in September, this group of children has been excellent to work with. Within the group there is a broad range of interests, personalities and characters, and this has made the year a real pleasure There are not many groups with as much creativity as shown by these children. Whether only being in the Prep School for the final term of the year or having been in the Prep all the way through, the children bonded and supported each other really well. It has been superb to see Tom and Ella join us for the final term and they both contributed greatly to the last few months of the year.
In the classroom, whether in person or still, on occasions, via Google Meets, I have been impressed by the children’s creativity, application and levels of achievement. This has been echoed by teaching staff across various subjects. Many congratulations to Esther, Emily and Alfie, who were awarded with academic, art and sport scholarships to the Senior School respectively. One of the aspects of the year that I have been most impressed with has been the independence and increased confidence shown. Many children have stepped forward to volunteer or support our younger children and during the year, Aimee, Woody, Dixie and Esther were awarded their full school colours for exceptional contribution to school life. I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching our topics, often combining English and History themes. The children show a real interest and have independently created some outstanding work as a result, going well above and beyond what is expected. Titanic and World War 1 trench warfare work come to mind in particular. The Public Speaking competition, adjudicated by Mrs Shamsolahi, Head of English in the Senior School, saw many tremendous performances, not least by some who stepped out of their comfort zone and possibly surprised themselves a little. Dixie was the overall winner, with George, Reem, Louis and Aimee as our runners-up. Esther was also the worthy winner of this year’s Cawdrey Cup, for the best overall speller in the Prep School, with Dixie coming second in the class. Other fiercely-fought competitions included the Chess and Connect4 tournaments. Woody made the final in both competitions, which is a tremendous achievement. Well done to Aimee who was our Connect4 Queen! Prep 6 is an important year for the children to have additional responsibilities, and this group has led from the front in terms of the example they have set, often taking the initiative in different ways. Our Prefects, Esther, Aimee, Scarlett and Harriet have been fine role models and ambassadors for the Prep School. The House Captains, Woody (Way), Emily (Thorne), George (Pollard) and Lila-Mai (Ruddle), have led their Houses superbly, including delivering considered and thoughtful assemblies throughout the year. I have also been very pleased with the work of our learning ambassadors, Liam, Reem, Louis, Amilia and Alfie, who have helped our younger children in the Prep School with different aspects of their learning. These contributions cannot be underestimated, as they are at the core of our family feel and strong sense of community. A final word must go to Dixie and Ashton, our Heads of School this year. Both have been excellent and reflect very clearly Shebbear’s values and ethos. There is a lot of talent in this group and I wish them every success as they move on to the Senior School. I look forward to following their achievements with interest. Matthew Foale Class Teacher
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Prep School Artwork Teaching all of Prep School from Reception to Prep 6 has been an amazing adventure this year. I often tell the children that I learn as much from them about art as they do from me, as curiosity and creativity are the natural state of childhood. Creativity is not just for the classroom, it is a way of life, a way of looking at the world with a sense of wonder, even found in ordinary things. ‘Making the ordinary extraordinary’ is one of our class mottos as well as ‘creating an adventure for the eye’ and ‘inspiration is everywhere’. Making unique art follows the realisation that the way we express ourselves and the art we create are as wonderfully individual and varied as we are. In a world of mass produced, generic “sameness“, creativity is supremely valuable both as an expression of human individuality and as a development of thinking in a creative way, no matter what challenges Life presents us with. Therefore the classroom becomes about life in all its forms both now and in the future as well as about Art. In Art children learn through creative experimentation and having fun, whether it is about planets and growing vegetables in Reception, appreciating and protecting our oceans in Years 1 and 2, the school values and those of different cultures in Years
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3 and 4, the science of colour and the wonders of the natural world in Year 5, or the expression of movement and the strength of character exhibited by Olympic athletes in Year 6. We have a board up in the art room with photographs of Olympic and Paralympic sports men and women with the qualities that can be seen in them and that can guide and inspire us. “Be confident, find your passion, persevere, be kind, be courageous, do your best, be strong, be focused, aim high, be determined, be yourself, support others, be happy, be ready, celebrate life”. I like to use recycled materials as often as possible, educating through example. Using reclaimed materials prompts discussions on repurposing waste which instils thoughtful possibilities of a circular economy that aims to reuse rather than discard. Encouraging thoughtfulness towards people we love came naturally as we made beautiful Christmas presents for family members, also taking the opportunity to experimentally print our own wrapping paper. Fantastic cards have been made for Christmas, Birthdays, Valentines, Mothers and Fathers Day, and as caring farewells for those leaving our Shebbear community. Individuality is encouraged through imaginative drawing, the use of many different techniques and materials and unrestricted use of colour pattern and texture. As artists we can decide how to express our vision and experience of the inner and outer world and choose the colours, patterns and compositions that reflect our interests and personality. It is very exciting to see that given one subject matter, a dozen children will tackle it in a dozen different ways if given the freedom to find their own unique creativity. I often ask the question “how many ways of painting any given subject matter are there?” Eventually we get to the answer “as
many ways as there are artists in the world, and as many different ways each artist explores that theme”. If asked “what colour should I do this?” I answer “I don’t know, you are the artist, it’s up to you!” Of course there are times when I instruct them in the skills needed for accurate observational drawing but mostly their skills improve through the continued enjoyment of making art. Collaborative projects promote good team working skills, mutual respect for different ideas and opportunities for finding democratic solutions to universal interpersonal issues if they arise. All good skills for life along with thinking creatively or “outside the box“ which elevates you from the crowd. I work as much as possible in an organic and spontaneous way with the children, taking advantage of a beautiful day to work outside, responding to current events like painting sunflowers for Ukraine, or taking their lead with a project to go in a different direction when they come up with a good idea.
exhibited and I am very proud of all of them who have produced such great work this year. Finally my thanks to Mrs Willis Butcher at the beginning of the year and Mrs Emerson latterly who have provided tireless support and cheerful enthusiasm in the lower year classes. Mrs Thompson and Mrs Henderson have gamely entered into the creative mess of large quantities of paint and glue combined with enthusiastic four and five-yearolds, and kept Reception in all its glory running smoothly in the art room. There is never a dull day and I can honestly say that I love my job and seeing the developing creativity and artistic skills of all our brilliant young artists.
I have also run activities for senior school pupils in Forms 1 and 2 this year and have had the pleasure of guiding a hard-working and highly motivated group through projects in landscape and Seascape and portraiture both (human and pet) with a variety of mediums and techniques. After two years of not having an actual Schools Exhibition in the Burton Art Gallery due to Covid, this year Shebbear exhibited a fantastic selection of work from the last two years. Five of our students won prizes awarded by the North Devon Arts Society and Shebbear College won a prize for “outstanding artwork“ as a whole - artwork by pupils in each year group was
Mrs Appleton-Wahl Art Teacher
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Reception Artwork Reception have had an incredibly prolific year, using acrylic paints, printing, watercolour, collage, sculpture, sand painting and many other techniques. They have explored subjects covering co-curricular planets (made into mobiles), a Kandinsky inspired mural (which looked fantastic in the Burton Gallery Schools exhibition), Elmer the Elephant sculptures from milk bottles, the Hungry Caterpillar, growing vegetables, sea creatures, birds in nests, trees in bloom and stripy creatures amongst many other projects! Reception have practised their drawing, cutting and sticking skills and experimented with utmost enthusiasm. There is never a dull moment and these amazingly diverse and compelling personalities with their various talents keep us all on our toes and smiling!
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Prep 1 & 2 Artwork Prep 1 and 2 have worked very hard this year and produced so much fabulous work. Subjects tackled were as diverse as mixed media beach scenes (incorporating collage, sponge painting, drawing, fabric additions and foot printing!), chalk and oil pastel drawings and ink fishes. We have created decoupage Christmas presents, tissue collage and painted sunflowers for Ukraine, self portraits in pencil, pastels, felt pen and watercolour, Paul Klee inspired townscapes, Rousseau inspired zebras in the jungle, warm and cold hand designs and jubilee cakes! All has been accomplished with energy, enthusiasm and unbridled happy creativity.
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Prep 3 & 4 Artwork Prep 3 and 4 have explored all sorts of subject matters, materials and techniques this year in art. They made collage covered milk bottle fishes swimming in a massive shoal across our art room window and created the biggest mobile in the world (we think! ), turning salvaged generic boring Halloween spiders and bats into fantastic bright unique cheerful monsters painted in full Technicolor glory. They made a huge wonderful card for the arrival of Mr Willetts’ baby and were so good at the cutout collage words that they went on to make permanent posters of our school values plus a few extras! After Confidence, Compassion, Courage, Creativity, Courtesy and Curiosity they added Caring, Colour, Creatures and Chocolate and then Kindness despite its K. After creating wonderful painted bowls for Christmas presents and Modigliani inspired self portraits in chalk pastels, they made amazing palette knife acrylic painted sunflowers for Ukraine. The next project was owl designs drawn in black and painted in luminous inks followed by Native American animal paintings inspired by the native artist Norval Morrisseau. Lastly, before half term, we looked at Monet’s water lilies paintings and then they experimented with various layering techniques to create their own beautiful water scenes. Water is not just blue it turns out, but a myriad of different hues and reflected colours. Prep 3 and 4 are a very creative, hard working and enthusiastic group of young artists and it is a great pleasure to work with them.
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Prep 5 Artwork This year in Art, Prep 5 have completed several in-depth projects covering sculpture, painted designs from nature and observational drawing. After looking at Picasso masks and examples from many different cultures, their first project was making large creative masks from the contents of the recycle box. They used a variety of techniques and materials to create and attach interesting shapes, using designs that emphasised features, and varied textures, which were eventually painted in colourful and whimsical ways. After making gorgeous painted bottle candlesticks for Christmas presents and printing the wrapping paper, we looked at the work of Gordon Hopkins to inspire our next project. Looking at composition, colour and design from natural forms, Prep 5 worked hard on two vibrant pieces of work, in felt pen and then paint. The first exploring colour and pattern, the second using various painting techniques to achieve texture and broken colour. We took advantage of glorious weather to draw outside and our current project is observational drawings and glorious multicoloured ink drawings of insects. There is a lot of talent in this year group and it has been a great year.
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Prep 6 Artwork Prep 6 started the year in art looking at the Olympics, exploring the qualities that create Olympians and drawing their favourite athletes performing their sports in as realistic a way as possible. After looking at Matisse collages, the pupils were then tasked with producing a cutout silhouette that used the distinctive shapes of their chosen sports man or woman in action and incorporating it into a Matisse inspired collage. A huge collaborative collage was next with all the pupils completing the background and each producing a BMX rider doing a trick with collage shapes describing the movement and energy. With an interlude for making wall hanging weavings for Christmas, we returned to our theme in January and turned our hands to sculpture. Making wire figures in sporting action poses, they padded them out with tinfoil modelling and then covered them in plaster and anchored them in clay bases before painting their figures in whatever way they wished. They did a superb job of describing their chosen sport through the posture of the sculpture figures. Following this we went back to drawing, this time a selection of cats and dogs, exploring the tones and textures of fur and capturing their expressions. Their draughtsmanship skills have come a long way and they worked hard to produce detailed and impressive drawings.
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It has been wonderful to see our full school fixture list start back up again after being hit so hard during Covid restrictions. Sport and physical activity play an enormous part in Prep School life, with an emphasis on inclusion, participation, support and enjoyment, together with competitive levels of performance. Skill development, progress and opportunity are all central to the pupils’ sports provision. Timetabled lessons include a wide range of sports: rugby, netball, football, hockey, tennis, cricket, athletics, volleyball, badminton, basketball, handball, gymnastics, health-related fitness, swimming and general ball skills. In addition, opportunities have included cross country events, rowing, a cycle race and swimming lessons and galas. Outdoor Education has also been a very popular addition this year and we look forward to seeing this grow and develop even further next year. It has been good to restart our interschool sports fixtures, with a full set of matches being played in each term. Following national and regional trends, our girls’ football and cricket really continued to grow. It has been excellent to see the children and staff really embrace normal school life and the return to fixtures has been most welcome, being greeted with enormous enthusiasm. There have been numerous inter-House competitions throughout the year,
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including all of the major sports, as well as several sports-based challenges and competitions. The House cross-country again showed wonderful support and sportsmanship. Congratulations to Kit, Heidi, Arthur, Marah, Alfie and LilaMai who all won their respective races. A special mention must go to Arlo in Reception, who finished 5th in the U7 race.
Swimming has continued to play an important part in our sports curriculum, with all age-groups having a block of lessons during the year. Our inter-House gala is always an enjoyable event, showcasing the children’s talents, with this year’s being no exception. In addition, the gala against West Buckland and Caen also provided an opportunity for our swimmers to excel. A special mention must go to Alfie in Prep 6, as he was part of the team representing the South West taking part at the ISA National Finals at the London 2012 Olympics Aquatics Centre, achieving a bronze medal in the 200m relay. A talented sportsman, Alfie was awarded a sports scholarship to the Senior School for next year. Other individuals to note include Ashton in Prep 6 who again took part in the races of the Gliddon and Squire Cross-Country League and Louis who has become the boys’ individual champion at the North Devon Gymnastics Competition in March. Annabelle L and Amilia were both instrumental in the success of the under 11 girls’ football team, both in terms of skill level and determination. Amilia was a goal scoring machine, and they are both exciting prospects for the future. These are all outstanding achievements. Our Cycle Race and Sports Day towards the end of the academic year, again proved to be very successful events, showcasing the children’s enthusiasm, talent, teamwork and support for their peers. Congratulations to Pollard House who won the Sports Day Cup. Sport also plays a large role in our Prep School activities programme, for all ages. From golf to cricket and from tennis to netball, the children have really excelled in these activities. Our pupils have also achieved some excellent results in the equestrian world and a special mention to Harry and Annabelle G who have shown talent in this area. My thanks to the children and staff for their remarkable enthusiasm, commitment and resilience, in what has been an incredibly busy and productive year. Matthew Foale THE SHEBBEARIAN 2022
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After some rather concerning heavy showers first thing in the morning, we were blessed with warm sunshine for this year’s Prep Sports Day. This was our first Sports Day with four Houses in the Prep School, with Pollard House now well and truly embedded. Competition was fierce and there were many wonderful performances from the children. In addition, their enthusiasm, sportsmanship and commitment to encouraging their peers was outstanding. A good indication of their enthusiasm was the number of children who stepped forward to take part in the distance races, including the 1000m for Prep 5 and 6. Thanks go to the staff for their hard work, to parents for their wonderful support (and competitive racing in the egg and spoon race!), and of course, to the children who made the day such a success. And finally, well done to Pollard for winning the House competition!
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Arrr! Me hearties.
the children in School Production this year! All p Pre the k bac e com wel to ful It was wonder fantastic singing, great t and what a success it was, with Prep 3 through to Prep 6 took par tells the story at Me Hearty High School, the play ed Bas ng. acti nt elle exc and dance moves pirates. There is only one t to graduate and become proper of trainee pirates who can’t wai mermaids, but wer to their problem lies with the ans The m! swi can m the of e problem… non the pirates - will they ids and the mermaids do not like the pirates do not like the merma ever find a way to get along? abelle) and Scar ding Gangrene (Harry), Ace (Ann and his band of brave pirates inclu by her band of ed help and lia) (Emi boss Captain Scarypants, played by Ben, mermaid crew of feisty mermaids, led by the gly scary! and , incin team conv ious were hilar a lia) (Tyler), were and Scampi and Chips (Ami tis (Lara), Neptune (Dixie-Belle) merry mermaids including Atlan t (Hattie) - who crocodile (Marah) and a crazy parro ld be complete without a snappy wou School and nture Prep adve our e in pirat no have se, we Of cour t talented children plete with a fabulous dance! Wha performed an impressive solo com ol year. what a great way to end the scho
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Prep SCHOOL class photos
RECEPTION
Prep 1 & 2
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The Health and Wellbeing Centre has been open since January 2021, and 18 months on it is at the heart of the school’s pastoral care. Compared to lockdown online drop-in sessions, HAWC now offers daily care and support for pupils and it is a hive of activity. The ‘This Month in HAWC’ information board has given our pupils help and support across a range of key areas. Miss Hawkins, Miss Woods and Miss Taylor offer physical health and wellbeing support to all pupils.
Our Allies group, led by Miss Jenkinson and Dr Fox, is a club for the LGBTQ+ Shebbearians and the people who support them, known as Allies. The aim of the lunchtime group is to provide a safe space for discussions and sharing and for those wanting to learn and support our LGBTQ+ community. The pupil voice has been represented in other groups too. The EDI group (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) have come together once a term to bring forward suggestions on ways to make the school more inclusive for all with some positive changes coming out of these sessions. With a focus on wellbeing and positive mental health we have been working towards the Wellbeing Award for Schools. This has been an exciting project that has brought new ideas to elevate the pastoral care and support for the Shebbear Community and we are delighted that we achieved this award in June, one of the few schools in the area to have this accreditation. The PSHE lessons this year, led by Miss Jenkinson, have covered a broad variety of subjects from study skills and managing exam stress to friendships and respecting peer groups. PSHE groups have also had external speakers from charity groups Jay’s Aim and OddBalls. We have promoted Mental Health First Aid training and now have 11 members of staff trained to have further awareness in this area. This year we have also introduced Mental Health Champions as part of an initiative to encourage sixth formers to be a support for younger pupils too. The Champions are available for all pupils to chat to and offer support. Next year’s Champions will be issuing a newsletter each month with helpful advice and tips for our pupil body. Mrs Lovett Designated Safeguarding Lead
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networks I’ve seen and old pupils remaining in touch with their teachers for years and years. Those connections are priceless. What are some of your favourite memories?
A chat with
Mrs Lovett Mrs Lovett is one of our longest standing members of staff and in September will become our Senior Deputy Head. We spoke to her about her time at Shebbear so far... How many years have you worked at Shebbear College and what roles have you covered in that time? I have been at Shebbear College for 21 years. I started as a part time EAL teacher which soon became Head of EAL. I have had a number of other roles throughout my time here. I have taught English & Media across Key Stage 3, 4 & 5. I have been G2L & Charity Coordinator, running trips to Uganda. I became Head of Lower School (Forms 1-4) in 2013 and then became Assistant Head in 2018. You obviously enjoy working here! What do you think is special about the school? I think that Shebbear is a special place to work. The family, community feel and atmosphere makes it a place where pupils can be themselves. The size of the school means that everyone knows everyone - staff and pupils. The events where we come together as a school are really special - sports day, concerts, fetes, charity events. The connections the staff make with the pupils is unique, with the Old Shebbearian network being one of the strongest
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This is a tough one to answer! I have so many wonderful memories. Some of my fondest memories are from the staff & sixth form variety shows over the years. Coming together with pupils and colleagues in sketches and dances, seeing people come out of their shell in this environment has been so rewarding. Also the staff Murder Mystery plays have been hilarious - for all the wrong reasons! We aren’t all so good at learning lines so seeing different staff finding places to hide their scripts around the stage is brilliant. Then there are the trips that I have been so lucky to go on - taking me around the world. Seeing pupils thrive in a different culture and environment is so fulfilling. One of my highlights has to be the trips to Uganda and seeing the impact that a trip like this had on the young people we took, and their future career paths. Those experiences will stay with me for life. The trip to Barbados and getting to swim with turtles was a personal favourite. What has made you particularly proud during your career at Shebbear College? I think the times I have felt the most pride has been when I have seen certain pupils overcome huge barriers and achieve success whether that’s been academically or through music or sport. Seeing pupils who have really struggled overcome their fears or anxieties
My favourite book is ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee. I first read this book when I was 14 and it made such an impact in so many ways. It opened my eyes to injustice and inequality and gave me an insight to ‘another world’ outside of my small existence. The themes of this book and my subsequent passions around this area of injustice has helped shape who I am today. It’s a novel I have read many times since and have also enjoyed teaching. It’s an insight into different human connections and relationships and, despite covering some serious themes and issues, it has great instances of humour and warmth - none more so than the connections that Scout makes. You have been involved in the Pastoral Care and Wellbeing side of the school for a number of years. What steered you in that direction and what do you enjoy about it? When I first came to work at Shebbear, I was intent on pursuing a more academic focused career but throughout my time here that career path has changed. I think I am naturally inclined to this area; I’ve always been an open person who people find it easy to talk to. Working alongside colleagues over the years has helped me grow into the role and supporting pupils and colleagues is important to me. I think I have made some positive changes over the years; I’ve certainly encouraged all our pupils to talk openly about their feelings and not be afraid to ask for help. Of course, the pastoral care at Shebbear College is a massive team effort and everyone involved has contributed to making this area so successful. The creation of HAWC has been such a positive change and addition to our pastoral care. This couldn’t have happened without all the pastoral staff team’s impact.
is always wonderful to see. I think I am most proud of our Health and Wellbeing Centre - HAWC. This, of course, is not something I can take sole credit for but seeing the concept reach reality and now seeing how much of a positive impact HAWC and the team are having on our pupils is fantastic. And what are some of the naughtiest things you have had to deal with? I am not going to reveal that!! I don’t want to give anyone any ideas. However, I was reminded recently at the Ruddle House dinner of some of the 6th Form leavers pranks we have had over the years and some of these were very naughty! You’ll have to ask the Ruddle pupils who came to the dinner for that information. We have, however, had some very funny leavers pranks that have shown ingenuity and creativity - those are the best ones! You have taught English throughout your career at Shebbear, what is your favourite book?
In September you are moving on to become our Senior Deputy Head - how are you feeling about this and what are your plans for the role? A mixture of feelings really; I’m excited for the new challenges and also nervous - Mr Jenkins is a tough act to follow! As for plans, well I think that it will be important to build on the past few year’s successes. I’d like to create more pupil groups - as pupil voice is so important in the decision making in school - and continue to move with the times. And finally, as someone with such a busy role, what do you do to relax in your free time? Relax? What’s that? No, I’m just joking. My job is very busy so it’s really important that I get down time. My free time is spent with my children, usually driving them to meet their friends! I love meeting up with friends, going out for meals or going for walks.The beach is my haven; so I spend a lot of time there. I also enjoy reading and watching films.
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A New Library September saw the opening of Beckly Library, in a beautiful, spacious and bright room at the front of the school. In relocating the library, we wanted to create a haven for relaxation and mindfulness, whilst providing a comprehensive range of fiction and non-fiction books to support the children’s learning and literacy skills. One of our main objectives has been to open the library to our younger pupils, and to enable them to visit in their own free time, and with their teachers. Lunchtime is now a busy time at the library with pupils from Prep 3 upwards coming to read and borrow books. We have therefore hugely increased our collection of books for this age group. Senior school pupils now have their own login details to access the library from their own devices, consult our catalogue, reserve books, write reviews, and find information from our online research tools. Every class was invited to an induction session in the early weeks of the school year.
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Author Visits
COMPETITIONS
Working with the Appledore Literary Festival, we welcomed children’s author Tamsin Cooke in October. Prep 6 and Form 1 had a fantastic day hearing from Tamsin about the inspiration behind her writing of The Scarlett Files, and participating in a creative writing workshop.
In preparation for World Book Day, our pupils were invited by Devon Library Service to participate in a T-shirt design competition, featuring their favourite book character. Pupils from Reception to Form 4 busied themselves before February half-term to produce their designs. The best designs were sent away to represent Shebbear College in the Devon competition. In addition, the library ran an inter-House competition, which saw four winners: Oscar (Reception), Lydia (Form 2), Henry B (Form 3) and Eleanor (Form 4), placing Ruddle House in the lead.
It was then the turn of local environmentalist and author Martin Dorey to treat our Form 2 pupils to a presentation of his work and books in February. Through an inspiring session, our pupils learnt how much they can do to fight plastic and climate change. We were also very grateful to be able to welcome Old Shebberian and poet Peter Danby at the start of Trinity Term. Form 4 attended a session in which Peter shared some of his memories of the college and gave us a wonderful insight into his extraordinarily varied professional and personal experiences, before reading from his recently published collection of poems, On Life.
Library assistants
FundRaising The Readathon has always been a very popular charity effort with Form 1 pupils. This year, we invited Prep 5 and 6 to participate and make use of our new library. Despite the disruption caused by the pandemic throughout the Michaelmas Term, our pupils kept going to meet their reading targets and raise money. 101 books were read across all 3 year groups in October and November, raising £511.80 for children’s hospitals’ book supplies. George in Form 1 read the most books whilst Tyler in Prep 5 raised the most money.
The final task to ensure the smooth running of the library was to appoint four library assistants. The library assistants are appointed for two terms at a time, and second the librarian at lunchtime twice a week. Mrs Fanet Librarian
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Boarding There is never a dull moment in boarding, and that could not be truer of this academic year. The Michaelmas term was a huge success with the revamping of Pollard common room, planned by the boarders and executed by our fantastic Maintenance Team. This gave a real sense of pride and ownership to our boarders who have a modern and useful space to spend their downtime. We also said goodbye to Mr Sanders who has committed ten years to boarding culminating in his final few years as Ruddle Housemaster. We are glad to know he would still be a constant around campus in his new role at the school but the whole boarding community, staff and pupils included, would like to take the opportunity to thank him and his family for the time and effort committed to boarding at Shebbear through the years. The Pollard common room revamp was completed just in time to - in the first time in Shebbear College’s long history - begin the operation of a co-educational boarding house with the girls moving from Ruddle to Pollard for the Lent term. There were plenty of nerves as to how this was going to work, and this was just from the boarding staff! However, it soon became obvious that co-educational boarding has
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a huge array of positives. Healthy relationships bloomed, social groups expanded rapidly, life lessons were learnt as both our male and female, senior and junior boarders watched each other interact and respond to everyday challenges. In true Shebbear style, everyone came together to support one another in this new venture. It is quite incredible how resilient our boarders are, and this was clearly evident when Storm Eunice blew through and lifted the roof off of Tower Dorms in Pollard House. The girls seemed to take the move to their luxury holiday accommodation in their stride. Shippen & Hayloft (or New Ruddle as it was fondly christened) was a real success; the boys were only a little jealous of the new accomodation this situation afforded them. After their little venture offsite, it was fantastic to welcome the girls back on site for the final term. The pod accommodation was a great hit with our senior pupils. Ruddle Road, the “Mini-Village” or “Senior Street”, depending on who you asked, had a feel of independent university halls. A perfect preparation for all those thinking of moving on to further education in the next few years. I’m sure “the Villagers” will have fond memories of this time. Regardless, we are all looking forward to being back in our proper boarding accommodation in the new year and are excited for the next chapter of adventures as Mr Clewley takes over the boarding mantle in the newly renovated Ruddle House. Mr Deakes Boarding Housemaster
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This edition of the Shebbearian marks the end of Pollard’s second year as a co-educational house. Two years ago I set the goal to forge a true identity for our house and the Pollardians within it. I am pleased to say this has now most certainly emerged and it’s great to hear pupils and staff alike talking about what we stand for as a collective. Prior to our first Pollard House Dinner held in March, I asked the house members to write down what they thought we stood for and I thought I would share some of these thoughts with you all now.
Pollardians believe we are proud, and this is clear when house mates support their peers in our house competitions. We believe we are honest, a house that holds our hands up when we don’t quite meet the standard and we reflect on the ways to improve. We get stuck in, you only need to view our sports day sign up sheet completed in record time to know this is truly the case. We are a family, within the Shebbear community, who rally around each other, support each other through good and bad, and come together to celebrate our successes.
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It was also interesting to read about the not-so-goods. One suggested we are grumpy - yes, at times, we can all be! But with the support of those around you we can all brighten each other’s day. We are opinionated - EXCELLENT! Channelled in the right way and through the right forums we will make our community a better place to be, a job our school council members have performed impeccably. And, apparently, we are suck ups - well, if it gets you where you need to be…
We have had many highlights this year. The House Dinner was a fantastic event and I was impressed with how well tuned out everyone was. We look forward to running more events like this in the future. We were well represented by our tutor groups at the Spring Fete, back by popular demand, and we enjoyed having our Pollard parents back on campus to enjoy the day with us all. Sports Day was held in May this year and there were great celebrations when Pollard were announced as the winning house! We have our fingers crossed for the House Cup this year as well! As always, a huge thank you must go to our tutor team; Mr Pomroy, Mr Sanders, Mrs Parker and Mr Quance who have been on the sidelines supporting our pupils with all their pastoral, academic and co-curricular needs. They are an awesome team who I am pleased will continue to support their tutees next year. Pollard House has been a huge part of my life for the past 7 years. I initially joined the then boys boarding house as a houseparent under the leadership of Mr Sanders in 2015, then as deputy
Housemaster under Mr Law before taking over the reigns as Housemaster of Pollard in 2019 as it moved into a new era as a co-education day house and boys boarding house. I am immensely proud of the development the Pollard pupils show and the way they handle the challenges school presents them. I am hugely grateful to the tutors and boarding house staff who have worked tirelessly alongside me in building the identity and sense of belonging that all Pollardians and boarders experience here. The pastoral care the team offers is truly top notch and because of this I leave confident that Pollard will continue to thrive in its next era. It is now time for me to hand over the ranks as my own family expands and new adventures await. I will always be watching from the sidelines cheering on the House. COME ON POLLARD!!! Mr Deakes Pollard Housemaster
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It was with great pleasure that I was able to take over the leadership of Ruddle House from Mr Sanders in January. Mr Sanders had done a fantastic job with both the boarding and day element of the House and set Ruddle up in a very strong position in the most important aspect of the House system, that of the Inter-House Cup. Ruddle were in first place with a very healthy total of 710 points, giving us an excellent lead over the other Houses. This may well be something that will come back to haunt me, as Niall said in his House address, ‘going into 2022 with such a strong lead should guarantee success, so anything other than 1st place in July would have to be down to Mr Clewley!’ I have been very proud of all of the achievements and contributions from all pupils within Ruddle. We truly are a united House working together and forging strong relationships.
We had outstanding efforts and showings from every team in the inter house University Challenge competitions, Science week competitions, cooking events and most of all Sports Day, where we started strong and were in 1st place briefly before losing ground to the other Houses, most definitely not through a lack of effort or endeavour from our P50
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House members. Some notable efforts were made by Benjamin G, who, having only joined the school a week earlier, threw himself into numerous events. Other notable efforts came from James F, Zaynah and Charlotte M and again it was Niall leading through example as he literally dropped everything to run to the start line of the senior 100m event, getting there just in time to fill the space
that had appeared through injury. Although my role this year has been to focus on the day aspect of the House, we cannot forget that Ruddle is at its core a boarding house and the girls have shown tremendous resilience this past two terms. Mr Deakes expands on this more in his boarding report, but I have been amazed by the positivity and adaptability of the boarding community as they really have taken all of this in their stride. Fingers crossed for no more storm damage and a much smoother year in boarding from September. I think that there needs to be a huge thank you to Mr Deakes and all of the boarding staff for all of their efforts, managing these seemingly endless changes and challenges. This year saw the first of the annual House dinners (although Ruddle dinner has existed in the past, this was only as a boarding event and this House dinner was a whole community affair). Restaurant 1841 was transformed by Mrs Conway and Mrs Fenwick, ably assisted by Will and Yasmin in Lower Sixth, who laid out all of the decorations and made the venue look truly amazing. We then enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by Adam and his amazing team. Niall gave an exceptional speech before introducing our guest speaker Mr Jack Horwell. Jack’s talk about his experiences at Shebbear College and how the relationships forged here prepared him for future life, as well as how being the Head of a Primary school means he has to take all manner of roles, was genuinely interesting and inspiring. Although not part of the planned evening, one of the highlights has to be the determination of the 5th and 6th Form pupils to re-enact a scene from the Disney film, Up, by tying as many helium balloons as possible to Mrs Lovett’s mini speaker, in an aim to get lift off, they did manage it in the end! The pupils in Ruddle have been representing the House in all areas of the school, academic, drama, sport, music and art. You name it and there is Ruddle representation. I am very proud of them all and the effort they put into their ventures. I am also very pleased to have such an amazing, dedicated team of tutors. Thank you to Miss Kaur, Mr Drake, Mrs Shamsolahi and Mrs Aliberti for all of their time and hard work that goes on behind the scenes. All of the tutors really do have the best interests of their tutees at heart and constantly push for them to get the most they possibly can out of their time at Shebbear College. Last of all I would like to thank Niall for his hard work as Head of House and welcome Mitzi to the role for next year. THE SHEBBEARIAN 2022
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It was great to start the year as WAY HOUSE CHAMPIONS! The hotly contested house cup was awarded to Way House at the last Chapel of the Trinity term 2021. Our new Head of House, Ben, collected the cup on behalf of Way House, but I would like to thank the outgoing Head of House Bridget for her strong leadership which led to the victory. The victory was a testament to the strong family ethos that has grown in Way House over the last year and a great team of pupils who joined in everything they could to ensure we gained as many house points as possible.
This year started with Mr Clewley and Mr Giles continuing as the Way House Sixth Form and Form 5 tutors respectively. We were delighted to welcome Dr Fox (Form 3 & 4) and Miss Richardson (Form 1 & 2) to the tutor team, with Mrs Garnett continuing in Way as well. At Christmas, Mr Clewley took over as Ruddle House Master and we welcomed Mr Wilson into Way House to ably take over as the Sixth Form tutor, ensuring that they had no excuse to be late for registration!
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I wish to thank the Way House prefects this year, they have been led by Head of House Ben (who was more than happy to transfer in from Thorne House to lead the pupil body!) and all of them (Deputy Head of House Nathan, Jolyon, Yasmin and Charlotte) have been helpful and utterly dependable at all times and are fantastic role models to our younger pupils. They are currently looking at how we can improve the common room even further, after the arrival of our new house furniture in house colours in September.
Covid has continued to affect how we operate as a house this year. At times we were not allowed to meet as a group, meaning house assemblies were virtual and registrations were all taken in tutor rooms. There were also times when parts of our house were working remotely due to high levels of Covid, but we remain a strong unit and we collectively wish our Upper Sixth and Form 5 pupils the greatest of luck with their examination results and wish those who are moving on to pastures new every success. Aside from a few Covid blips, it has been great to see a return to competitive sport and the performing arts. I have often felt like a proud mother watching the Way House pupils perform this year in sporting fixtures, musical concerts and of course the wonderful production of Grease. In February I was delighted to host the first Way House dinner at Shebbear College. The pupils were treated to delicious food, entertainment in the form of magic and glass walking and also a speech by Old Shebberian Niall Marks. Niall, whilst not in Way House, was a former tutee of mine who I was very proud to welcome back to Shebbear. He told the pupils how the increasing amount of technology he was introduced to at Shebbear has influenced the way he runs his successful business today. Niall also reminisced about his great days at the college, being with your friends all day long and even mentioned a few little tricks he played on staff but we won’t say any more about that here!
‘VIT VIA VI’ – THE WAY IS FORGED BY STRENGTH – (WAY HOUSE MOTTO). Mrs Cardoo Way Housemistress
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The 2021-22 academic year has seen somewhat of a return to ‘normal’ life at Shebbear College. With the House system in its second year since being introduced, this normality has allowed Thorne House to grow and thrive, despite some intermittent disruption due to Covid-19 lingering! The sense of identity within Thorne has been stronger than ever, and the competitive nature within our pupils has led to some outstanding contributions from individuals and teams in pursuit of success. The camaraderie between members of Form 1, right up to our Upper Sixth has been a delight to see and the strong sense of belonging to Thorne House as a collective has stood us all in good stead throughout the academic year.
This year has seen a number of newcomers to the House, both within the pupil body and in the tutor team. Forms 1 and 2 have been led by the ever energetic Mrs Sadler-Smith, who has created a really positive environment for the junior members of the House to flourish. Our Form 3 and 4 pupils have had their own tutor groups this year due to the larger size
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of the group, with Mr Grey joining us and overseeing the development of a talented group of Form 3 pupils, and Miss Barber, supported by the returning Mrs Burges, taking charge of our Form 4 Thorneites. Mr Chandler has been ably assisted by Mrs Davey in supporting our Form 5 members in a year which has seen a return to the normal stresses and strains of public examinations.
Meanwhile, Mr Banyard has taken the reigns in terms of tutoring our 6th Form contingent, and his expertise has been invaluable in supporting our oldest pupils through the rigours of 6th Form life. My utmost thanks go to all members of the tutor team, who have continued to ensure that the best possible pastoral and academic support is always available to each member of Thorne House. A new Sanctuary team has of course been assembled this year to give pupil voice and representation. Lauren has been an excellent Head of House and has worked tirelessly to support events and rally the troops throughout the year. Lauren’s calm and measured approach has been invaluable in leading Thorne pupils this year, and my thanks go to her. Lauren has been assisted in her duties by Senior Prefect Tom, who has brought his usual good humour and energy to the House this year. A number of Lower 6th Form pupils have also stepped up to fill roles of responsibility, which has been great to see. Mitzi, Will, Carlota and Jack have proven to be a strong prefect team, and the experience will be of great benefit to them next year. Many thanks to you all. This year has contained so many highs from a House perspective, but one undoubted highlight would have to be the inaugural Thorne House dinner. We took on the baton and responsibility of being the first House to host this event, and a fantastic evening including a Michelin star worthy three course meal and entertainment in the form of a magician ensued. The event was thoroughly enjoyed by all who came and we very much look forward to hosting next year’s dinner already! In summary, in what has been an extremely busy academic year, the energy and commitment of all members of Thorne House
throughout its duration has been remarkable. It has been a pleasure to oversee the development and involvement of our own community within Thorne House in wider school life and I wish all members a restful summer and the very best of luck to all of you who have been involved in exams this Trinity Term. Mr Law Thorne Housemaster THE SHEBBEARIAN 2022
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Department/Faculty reviews
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This academic year has been an exciting one for the Senior School Art Department, as well as one of many firsts. As I sit and write this now, I think about teaching my very first lesson at Shebbear. The Summer of 2021 had already been massively eventful, what with me relocating from Rugby School in the midlands to ‘going all in’ and taking the job at Shebbear, as well as putting an offer in for a house a couple of days later! I had a few weeks to soak up North Devon’s beauty and settle into my new home, before starting my new role.
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THE ARTS
Although I was immediately aware of how welcoming and inherently kind the Shebbear community was, there was still a slight sense of trepidation as I set up base in the new Art Department. And how very ‘new’ it was; a blank canvas in fact. The Maintenance team had worked tirelessly over the summer to transform the space, to becoming the beautifully light, airy and open plan studio that it now is. I felt very privileged to be able to teach in such a wonderful space, conducive to learning and creativity, at the heart of the school. It was fantastic to see it modernised and yet full of character as the bones of the original building endured through vaulted beams and a little Victorian fireplace, serving as reminders of the school’s age and history. After getting settled and arranging my art history books and resources, all that was left was to actually start using the space for what it was meant for, teaching.
After that initial feeling of butterflies, which seems inescapable at the start of all new major life choices, it only took seeing all of my classes within the first week, once, to feel as if it was the right choice. I am continually impressed by students’ willingness and determination to try out new things, especially when they are challenging. For instance, Form 1 have explored various different techniques and processes, such as making wire insects; a medium that isn’t the easiest to handle. The Art Department now boasts a host of butterflies, beetles and dragonflies, in Form 1’s very own installation. It is also fantastic to see pupils’ curiosity to understand the context behind different artists and movements. Form 2 engaged in a really interesting discussion about the Mexican festival ‘The Day of the Dead’ producing beautiful sugar skull prints as well as having an insightful understanding about what they truly symbolise. Form 3 have also produced some really characterful masks, all out of upcycled materials, engaging with ideas about sustainability and thinking creatively on many different levels.
It has also been fantastic teaching Form 4 to Upper Sixth pupils, as they really start to develop their individual identities as artists. It was wonderful to have some of the Form 4 pupils’ work exhibited at the Burton Gallery, as well as Matthew actually winning the senior school prize for his intricate and imaginative lino prints. It is wonderful to see the students’ brilliant work being celebrated and championed within the local community. During the last week of term, our Form 5 and Upper Sixth artists had their work showcased in an end of year exhibition, again, celebrating all that they have done and achieved over the past two years. Seeing the variety, skill, thought and ingenuity in each of their outcomes was a reminder of the power of expression through art and I hope it will inspire younger pupils’ in our community to keep making, sewing, sticking, colouring and creating. Miss Kaur Art Department
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Department/Faculty reviews
THE ARTS
Music 2021-2022 has been a whirlwind of getting live music back-on-track after the effects of the pandemic, and we have loved every moment! Co-curricular music has been booming and we are delighted to have set up a new Girls’ Choir, Boys’ Choir and Prep School Choir, as well as reinvigorating our Orchestra after so many lockdowns and months of social distancing.
Music-making in the Prep School has gone from strength to strength, and we were delighted to be able to put on two Prep School Informal Concerts this academic year, to give pupils the opportunity to perform in front of a friendly audience in readiness for upcoming exams and larger concerts that they may be involved with in the future. Both concerts were jam-packed with fantastic performances. In our most recent concert, pupils as young as Evie and Ava in Prep 1 performed as beginners on the violin, as well as some more advanced players like Cherrie and Tyler, both in Prep 5. A huge well done to all of our budding performers! Following a ‘virtual’ Christmas in the Music Department, which included our Performing Arts Christmas Showcase, our Carol Service and a fantastic cover of Ed Sheeran and Elton John’s ‘Merry Christmas’ by Ben, Henry and Mitzi, we were finally able to hold our first ‘in person’ event in February, when our drummers, guitarists and singers outshone themselves at Gig Night. Some extremely polished performances wowed the crowd, with pupils from Form 1 through to Upper 6 all performing to an extremely high standard. More on Gig Night on page 66. Pupils in our choirs and orchestra have rehearsed each week in the Recital Hall in our beautiful Music School and are now beginning to develop a variety of pieces in our repertoire for concerts. In our most recent concert, our Performing Arts Easter Showcase, each group performed to an extremely high standard. We were most impressed with how the pupils conducted themselves on stage at this concert, which featured soloists as well as some special Drama performances. Bearing in mind that concerts had been cancelled, rescheduled or live-streamed for the past two years, these pupils presented themselves with so much confidence and courage.
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A huge well done to everybody who was involved. This academic year has seen some changes with instrumental and vocal exams for pupils taking 1:1 peripatetic lessons. Live exams have resumed, however recorded examinations are now widely accepted by the exam boards, which are sent off to be judged. Many pupils have passed exams with exceptional marks, however we would like to highlight Toby who has recently gained a distinction for his Grade 8 Drum Kit exam and Sebastian who has recently gained a merit for his Grade 5 Clarinet exam, both of which were taken remotely. A huge congratulations, gentlemen!
Individual Music Examination Results We are delighted that our pupils have continued to achieve highly in their Trinity and Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) examinations this year and congratulations to everyone that has taken exams this year.. Mrs Sadler-Smith Head of Digital, Creative and Performing Arts
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17th February 2022 saw the return of Gig Night - what a fantastic evening! Our talented pupils gave some absolutely outstanding vocal, drum, guitar, saxophone and piano performances of songs by Radiohead, Blur, Bruno Mars, Imagine Dragons, Ashe, Adele and Bastille among many others - Niamh hitting the high notes at the end of ‘Moral of the Story’ was definitely a highlight, as was Mitzi who gave an amazing debut performance of her new song, Pretty Boy. Henry performed a brilliant version of Creep by Radiohead while Toby’s drum and sax solos were sensational, not to mention all our other musicians who really put their all into their performances - you could see they really enjoyed being up on the stage having the opportunity to perform in their own style - and Will who was an excellent compere.
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Mr Shephard-Blandy, one of our parents and the Director of Illuminate Design, a specialist lighting, sound, staging and AV products, very kindly offered to provide all of the sound and lighting for the event. It looked and sounded fantastic and gave the event a really professional feel. We cannot thank him enough for this as it was all done voluntarily and really did transform the evening atmosphere - aside from the Assembly Hall looking brilliant, he also worked with some of our older pupils, teaching them about the kit and how to programme everything so that they could be in charge of it on the night.
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Department/Faculty reviews
THE ARTS
Drama & Performing Arts In many ways the most exciting aspect of drama at Shebbear this year has been the return to normality. Not wearing face masks, being able to direct pupils on stage (rather than from more than two metres away) and, of course, inviting live audiences back into school are things which perhaps I took for granted in the past but will not do so from now on.
The first opportunity to invite an audience into the Memorial Hall was through the Form 1 to 4 drama activity group, who provided a Prep School audience with a version of the Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol in the last week of the Michaelmas term. We always enjoy putting on plays for the younger pupils at Shebbear and I hope that watching the older pupils will help to inspire our budding thespians of the future. It was fantastic to see some of our actors performing in the virtual Performing Arts Showcase at Christmas, and even better to see them in front of a live audience at the Easter Showcase, when we enjoyed monologues from Toby and Heidi, Mime from Rowan and a hilarious taster of the famous ‘Handbag’ scene from ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ by Jack and Niall. This year has seen our first BTEC Performing Arts cohort in the Lower Sixth. This term, they have been working on the challenging Eugene Ionescu avant-garde play, Rhinoceros. This is an extraordinary play in which a political metaphor is drawn as a French community are gradually, one at a time, turned into rhinoceroses by a sweeping regime. The pupils have adapted superbly to this style of theatre and to a play which resonates so strongly with the world in which we live.
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I mentioned the Oscar Wilde play, ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ earlier, which a group of Sixth Formers have been working on since last year! This has been postponed twice because of Covid already, but I was delighted that the group was keen to perform the play, as originally intended, in the open-air. Finally - this took place on Monday 4th July and was a really entertaining and high quality evening. Of course, I cannot end this review without mentioning our fantastic school production of Grease in March. This was truly a sensational success leaving the school buzzing with excitement! You can read more about it on the next page.
LAMDA RESULTS
Grade 4 Rowan - Form 3 (Distinction)
Christmas 2021 Acting Grade 1 Emilia - Prep 4 (Distinction)
Speaking - Verse & Prose Stage 3 Charlie D - Prep 4 (Distinction)
Grade 7 Sienna - Form 5 (Distinction)
Entry Emilia - Prep 4 (Merit)
Speaking in Public Grade 7 Kania - U6 (Distinction)
Grade 3 Evelyn - Form 1 (Merit) Alexander - Form 1 (Merit)
Grade 8 Niall - U6 (Distinction) Holly - U6 (Distinction)
Speaking in Public Grade 8 Kania - U6 (Distinction) Benjamin - U6 (Distinction)
Speaking - Verse & Prose Grade 6 Alice - Form 4 (Distinction) Grade 8 Ben - U6 (Distinction)
Mr Pomroy Head of Drama
Easter 2022 Miming Entry Charlie D - Prep 4 (Distinction) Emilia - Prep 4 (Distinction)
Reading for Performance Grade 8 Niall - U6 (Distinction) Acting Grade 3 Dylan - Form 1 (Distinction) Heidi - Form 2 (Distinction) George K - Form 1 (Merit) George D - Form 1 (Merit) Archie - Form 1 (Merit)
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After two years of Covid restrictions, our actors, singers and dancers were able to return to the stage in March to perform together in the our school musical, Grease! Around 40 pupils aged 11 to 18 performed in the high-energy production with two sold out evening performances and a matinee, leaving audiences feeling uplifted after singing along to the classic tunes that took us back to the 1950s! In addition to the cast of performers, a crew of senior school pupils were also involved in the lighting, sound, stage-management, make-up and costumes. Due to Covid restrictions, the production had quite a lot of interruption to rehearsals back in the autumn, including 6 weeks of being unable to sing together as a cast. Then, the week before the show, we had more Covid-related set-backs! The courage and resilience that the pupils have shown has been incredible and demonstrates true Shebbearian spirit – the show must go on!
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Anyone that went to watch the show will have seen the enjoyment on the faces of all the cast members and feel the enthusiasm and energy that they radiated - as a member of the audience you couldn’t help but smile the whole way through! Mrs Sadler-Smith, who directed the show along with Mr Pomroy and Mrs Parker, said “I have been involved in shows for many years now, and I don’t believe I have ever been as proud of a team of Performing Arts pupils as I am of our Shebbear Grease team. Their talent, energy and enthusiasm is just phenomenal!”
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Thoughts from the cast! Ch
arlotte
We spoke to some of the principal characters in Grease about personal highlights, setbacks, memories and how it felt to play a leading character in such a popular musical. Here’s what Charlotte (Sandy), Nathan (Danny), Maximus (Kenickie), Niamh (Frenchy), Jasmine (Marty) and Hamish (Doodie) had to say about their experience.
What made you audition for your part in Grease? Ma
ximus
Charlotte - I love musical theatre and have been involved in school productions throughout my time at Shebbear. When I heard that this year we were doing Grease, I was so excited and keen to get involved! I have performed in the past but not in a role like Sandy, where all the three elements of singing, performing and acting come together so it was an amazing experience. Maximus - I auditioned for Grease to try something new - I’ve always wanted to try acting. Although I lacked experience I really enjoyed learning how to act and sing and everyone’s engagement with the performance was great.
Niamh
Niamh - I’ve always signed up for the school play. It’s really fun and I’m a massive musical theatre geek. I am studying Performing Arts and I have singing lessons at school so Grease sounded amazing to me! Hamish - I’m a Drama Scholar and enjoy acting - I’ve performed in multiple school productions in the past, and my love for Drama made me want to take part in Grease
Nathan
Hamish
What was your favourite scene or song in Grease? Charlotte - I’ve tried to think of which was my favourite song, but I have to say I can’t single out one in particular! I loved them all but the songs that included everyone were the most fun and I felt myself smiling the whole time. Nathan - My favourite scenes were probably ‘Greased Lightning’ and the High School Dance scene as both had great songs and were really fun to sing and dance to. ‘Mooning’ performed by Toby as Roger was also just golden and hilarious! Niamh - I loved the dance scene where we did the hand jive. We all had a laugh trying to learn the moves (I am not a dancer). It also was one of the scenes where everyone was on stage which meant each night we could dance with different people. Another of my favourites was the mooning scene between Toby and I. It always made me laugh so hard in real life!
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Jasmine - I enjoyed all of it but my favourite scene had to be the ‘We Go Together’ scene because it was a way to let loose and dance with our friends, and the lyrics were pretty funky. Hamish - My favourite scene from Grease would have to be Act 1 Scene 4, ‘Those Magic Changes’, because of the song. I wasn’t confident with having a singing role going into Grease, but practising this song helped me find my confidence for singing which I haven’t had for years.
Tell us a bit about the character you played and how you portrayed them. Nathan - I played Danny Zuko - he tries to be this cool guy in front of the other T-Birds and Sandy but actually he really gets quite jealous and isn’t sporty at all! It was really enjoyable to play this part using body language, facial expressions and tone/pitch of voice throughout the production. Niamh - I played Frenchy, the pink haired beautician. She has a really bubbly personality and is really nice (if a little annoying at times). She was so fun to play because I was able to try out an american accent and wear quite an eccentric costume. I also was able to sing Beauty School Dropout as Frenchy which was a great opportunity. Jasmine - I played Marty, one of the Pink Ladies. She’s a fun character who’s a bit boy crazy, something I’ve never been! It was cool to portray a character pretty different to myself.
There were a few setbacks to the rehearsals (particularly singing) due to Covid - how did you feel about this and how did you get through it as a cast? Nathan - It wasn’t easy! There was a lot of stress especially close to the actual performances, but I truly think we all believed in each other and overcame the hurdles by supporting each other. By the time we performed in front of the Prep School at our full dress rehearsal, we knew that we would be as good as gold!
Jasmine - Honestly? I didn’t think we’d be able to put on a show until the last couple of weeks. Due to Covid everything was put on hold which made the last few days a bit stressful, but so much fun. The whole cast knew one another by name and it was a really friendly atmosphere, so pulling together and getting through it was not only manageable, but enjoyable too.
Do you plan to continue with your acting/ singing/performing in the future? Nathan - I would love to carry on with acting and improving my singing at university! Although it would probably be more as a hobby than anything too serious. Maximus - I’m planning to take A-Level Drama, as I found acting was fun and I want to do more in this area, alongside my other subjects. Niamh - I love musical theatre so it would be a dream to carry on doing performing arts. I will definitely continue singing and acting.
What would you like to do as a school production next year? Charlotte - I’d like to do another musical next year, as I love how it brings everyone together. They have such a feel-good factor to them for both the cast and audience! Nathan - I would have loved to have been in the next production! Unfortunately, I won’t be able to as I am at university next year but I hope I can come back to watch. I guarantee if you are unsure about taking part in a production, just go for it - you will get so much support and you will really enjoy it! Grease was a major highlight of my year! The friends and bonds I made are fantastic and even post production the T- Birds and Pink Ladies still sing the songs together! Niamh - There are so many options but I would love to do ‘Into the Woods’ because of the large number of cast and the fun singing roles.
Maximus - I haven’t done much acting before, so I found it hard to learn lines, but I managed to learn them just in time, ready for the performances!
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Department/Faculty reviews
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Humanities
Business & Economics I joined the school this year as Head of Humanities, as well as being the lead teacher for Economics and Business. We have tried to create an environment and work schemes where the two subjects draw upon each other and pupils share their skill sets. As a team, we are working at installing five key principles in Business and Economics, which underpin our vision of creating a successful culture that applies to both staff and pupils alike.
Enthusiastic: Willing to learn from mistakes and maintain a positive outlook.
This year we have moved to an embedded teaching philosophy of linking theory to practical examples, even involving parents in lessons from their business worlds. This was clearly demonstrated with our recent trip to Sandy Park, the home of the Exeter Chiefs, where Chief Executive and Chairman, Tony Rowe, gave up a day to our GCSE and A-Level Business and Economics students. He gave a fantastic insight into how real businesses work and clearly demonstrated the variety of career paths that are open to students. Perhaps the most beneficial element of the trip was a look at the impressive new hotel complex in partnership with Merriott Hotels. Tony gave an insightful presentation of the funding challenges and his willingness to take entrepreneurial risk. He has even offered for some pupils to be involved in marketing strategies for the business or further develop their own business ideas. We aim to develop this valued relationship further over the next few years in the sporting and academic avenues.
Independent: Take responsibility for themselves and their learning.
Business Studies GCSE is a consistently popular option choice since being introduced and next year will see the requirement for two
We aim to inspire all students to be: Confident: Have self-belief. Communicative: Communicate clearly in any situation. Considerate: Respect others views and values. Determined: Work hard to achieve the highest possible standards in all aspects of life.
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classes. Pupils have taken part in trips to local businesses such as Tor View Wines, where they can see the development path of start-ups and the external forces that have affected the business world. This will help them further develop their own business plans, created throughout the two year course. Reflecting on these changing business dynamics, several of our Upper Sixth students have been successfully supported into business apprenticeship schemes. Sam is the standout with a position obtained with KPMG, one of the top four global accountancy firms. Hopefully, another school trip in the making! Finally, through the introduction of Share Investor Club and participation in the BASE and Student Investor competitions, pupils from right across the school can gain an insight into the mechanics of the business world. Mr Grey Head of Humanities
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Department/Faculty reviews
Humanities
Geography Our Geographers have had a busy time this academic year and the interactive opportunities we developed during Covid restrictions have meant there is a more immersive experience in this subject combined with the ability to get out and undertake fieldwork. The ability to utilise Google street map or satellite images has meant many a lesson can be applied to the local area or looking at coastal erosion on the South Devon coast.
In the early years the pupils have been developing map reading and topography skills in conjunction with the Outdoor Ed programme with Form 2 lapping up the ecosystems topic in the Michalemas term: all of them can now recite very happily the range of adaptations that a camel has developed in order to survive in the harsh desert environment! Lockdown allowed the teaching of tectonic hazards to be brought to life through the power of National Geographic videos and we have built on this with a possible field trip to Pompeii in years to come. More recently Form 2 have been studying Global Issues and have shifted their focus from physical to human geography by learning about the impact that human beings have on the planet and what we can do to live in a more sustainable way. This was brought into focus in classwork through the COP26 summit where pupils saw theory being put into practice through global agreements. The Form 3 pupils have been thoroughly engaged in the Rivers element of the syllabus and after being taught the theory were taken to Dipper Mill by Mr Grey to see this in action: Oxbow lakes, erosion and even how Mr Quance now has a beach on his land, albeit slightly muddy! In the Trinity Term the pupils enjoyed a canoe trip on the Bude canal and river, looking at how humans have utilised river systems to their advantage. In Form 4, the first year of the GCSE course has been tackled with enthusiasm. This has comprised the physical geography topics and culminated in a field trip at the end of term to look at local coastal and river landforms as well as gaining an understanding of how the fluvial and coastal processes are managed.
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The Form 5 geographers have had a disrupted year in the lead up to their GCSEs and they have coped with this extremely maturely. The second year of the GCSE course focuses on human geography topics and again relating the subject matter to current world events and implications helped bring the subject to life; in fact the examiner wanted the students to discuss the effects of Covid! It was encouraging to see the proportion of pupils intending to continue their geographical studies at A-Level and I am sure they will continue to thrive under the mentorship of Miss Taylor. There has been a vibrant and engaged Sixth Form cohort of geographers - they are not short of an opinion and have brought many a class to life! The A-Level course content is varied with topics ranging from the traditional carbon and water cycles to the more contemporary understanding of sovereignty and what makes a place. The students have been supported to complete their data collection for their independent investigations over the summer, ranging from an impact assessment of the new rail service in Okehampton to the impact of the pandemic on Bude; all promise to be interesting and a great deal of effort has been invested. The A-Level Geographers have been able to relate their studies into the
global situation from the impact of global trade, pandemic response and geopolitics – and despite its challenges, it has been a dynamic year. Mr Grey & Mr Jenkins Geography Department
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Department/Faculty reviews
Humanities
History 2021-22 will doubtless provide historians of the future with a great deal of material – war in Ukraine and its associated geo-politics, the ongoing Covid situation, ‘Partygate,’ and continued controversy over the place of statues and monuments in our understanding of the past. As Victorian statesman Joseph Chamberlain said, ‘I think that you will all agree that we are living in most interesting times. I never remember myself a time in which our history was so full, in which day by day brought us new objects of interest.’ Relating the past to our present is an essential skill, not just for historians, but for all of us.
At Key Stage 3 (Forms 1-3) Mr Wilson has been busy integrating the study of history into the wider world of Humanities. Form 1 have been on a journey from the foundation myths of Rome, to Republican Roman politics. When they acted the agrarian reforms proposed by the Gracchi, from the points of view from the plebeians and the patricians the argument in the assembly was well constructed and passionately delivered. Next we delved into the Vikings, their way of life, and their gods, which intertwined with RS where they looked at Viking and Christian interchanges. Form 2 saw the trial of a new Humanities course which combined Geography with RS and History. They started in Europe where they investigated the volcanic eruption of Vesuvius, this gave a gateway into Roman life, culture, and religion. Whilst allowing them to carry out an historical investigation. They then travelled to Africa where they studied mediaeval African kingdoms, giving the opportunity to compare mediaeval British life with that of another continent. Form 3 have taken a journey through the modern world. From empire, slavery, and the East India Company, to the causes and problems with WW1. They finished the year by looking at the treaty of Versailles, which will set up our GCSE historians excellently for looking at Weimar Germany. At GCSE level, Mr Wilson and Mr Law introduced pupils to the gory delights of the history of medicine as their breadth study, a wonderful journey through five centuries looking at the impact and interaction of technology, religion, government, war and other factors. A particular favourite has been the story of surgeon Robert Liston, who once performed an operation with a 300% fatality rate, and the 1919 Influenza pandemic which resonates so loudly with our own time.
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At A-Level the Upper 6th have had the joy of my tutelage for their final year and are now busy preparing for their examinations on the vagaries of Tudor politics and the development of society, and the turmoil and violence of the Russian revolution and the rule of Josef Stalin. For the non-examined component of their A-Level they produced a range of fascinating and independently-researched coursework essays on such diverse topics as technological developments in naval warfare, the ‘Ghazi thesis’ and the expansion of the Ottoman Empire in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and the role of the Sea-Peoples in the ‘Bronze age
collapse’ in ancient Egypt. The Lower 6th have taken a journey through the revolutionary seventeenth century in Britain, looking at the road to civil war and the Glorious Revolution of 1688 which led to the establishment of many of the political liberties we take for granted today, before moving on to two modules covering the Russian revolution and rebellion and disorder in Tudor England. Dr Fox History Department
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Department/Faculty reviews
Humanities
Religious Studies Religious studies: not just religion. In an increasingly secular world, but one still deeply divided by faith and religion, it is important for young people to learn about and understand not just the many different faiths and beliefs followed by our fellow humans, but also a range of philosophical and ethical issues which they might face every day. Whether studying Christianity, Islam, or the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, the religious and philosophical teaching at Shebbear is underpinned by John Wesley’s words: “Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.” In Forms 1 and 2 Mr Wilson has led the way introducing a number of World religions: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, as well as exploring concepts that cross religions such as prayer, pilgrimage, and holy places. In Form 3 Mr Wilson and Dr Fox have introduced pupils to some more philosophical issues, asking pupils to consider all the different factors that have combined to make them the people they are, before moving on to The Big Question: is there a God? Things like suffering can often
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make people doubt the existence of God, but for some people suffering leads to a deeper and stronger faith, and pupils have been challenged on why this might be. Through the course of the year Form 3 have also enjoyed ethical modules on crime and punishment, and are currently looking at the treatment of religion by the media, balancing weighty and uncomfortable issues like Islamophobia in the right-wing press with lighter topics such as the portrayal of religion in a range of popular movies. At GCSE Shebbear College is currently moving away from a compulsory ‘short-course’ GCSE Religious Studies exam to an optional full iGCSE, which the current Form 4 will be the first to sit next year, and which is proving to be a popular choice. GCSE units include in-depth studies of Christianity and Islam, coupled with ethical modules on Families and Relationships, and Peace and Conflict. Recently some members of Form 4 have created some short films on the theme of homophobia and living in a heteronormative world. This year has also seen the welcome return of A-Level Philosophy, in which Dr Fox has led students through the ideas of Plato and Aristotle which still help shape society today, as well as more recent philosophers such as Descartes, Russell, and Kant. Pupils have been challenged to consider the backgrounds of their own beliefs, both in terms of religion and ethics, which has sparked some very lively discussions and debates on issues as varied as euthanasia, whistleblowing in business, and challenging ethical debates. Dr Fox Religious Studies Department
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Communication THE SHEBBEARIAN 2022
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Languages & COMMUNICATION
In what has been a much more ‘normal’ year in the English Department, our pupils have continued to show enthusiasm and creativity in their English lessons. We were faced with the ongoing challenge of remote and blended learning throughout the year, but, in true Shebbearian spirit, have found effective ways of making this work in the best way possible and have seen some excellent work produced throughout the year. The opening of our new Beckly Library, run by Mrs Fanet, has been widely appreciated across the Prep and Senior Schools. It has been so encouraging to see the pupils visit at break and lunchtimes, where they can relax, take some time out to read and borrow books and, for senior school pupils, login to access the library from their own devices. Book club has also been an extremely popular choice of activity throughout the year.
Elsewhere in the department, KS3 classes are following a curriculum designed to promote independent learning and prepare them effectively for their GCSE studies, while still allowing them to have fun and enjoy exploring the subject. It has been fantastic to be able to welcome visitors back into school again and in October, our Prep 6 and Form 1 pupils enjoyed a day with children’s author Tamsin Cooke, who spoke to them about the inspiration behind her books before running a creative writing workshop. We saw some excellent acting skills including an impressive zombie impersonation by Mr Foale! In the Lent term, Form 2 attended an inspiring session with local environmentalist and author Martin Dorey, when they learnt how much they can do to fight plastic and climate change, tying in nicely with their work on the Surfers Against Sewage Plastic Free Schools Programme in their PHSE lessons. Finally, we welcomed Old Shebberian and poet Peter Danby at the start of Trinity Term who spoke to Form 4 about his recently published collection of poems, On Life, and his memories of school!
It was fantastic to celebrate with our Form 5 and Upper Sixth pupils last summer as they received some impressive A-Level and GCSE English results. We are delighted that last year’s A-Level English students, Poppy, Bridget, Bess, Cameron and Bradley all continued with their English studies at university. Our current Upper Sixth A-Level English group had a fantastic opportunity to attend Appledore Book Festival in September, where they enjoyed a talk by Gill Hornby about her latest book, Miss Austen and received signed copies.
The Bookbuzz scheme, kindly funded by our PTA group, the Friends of Shebbear College, is always a hit with our Form 1 pupils, with each child receiving a book from a wonderfully diverse list of choices. Form 1, joined by Prep 5 and 6 this year, also took part in the Readathon, reading as many books as they can to raise money for children’s hospitals’ book supplies. 101 books were read in October and November and £511.80 was raised for this excellent cause. In conjunction with the Library, five of our pupils have also been involved in the judging panel for the Carnegie Award for Best Children’s book. They took part in a shadowing group and between them, have read all the books on the shortlist. They submitted their votes for best book after May Half Term and we look forward to finding out which one has won! The English Department
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Department/Faculty reviews
Languages & COMMUNICATION
Modern Forgeign Languages Despite the challenges of the last two years, we have had a busy time in the Languages Department. The popularity of studying a foreign language remains strong and we currently have five A-Level pupils in the Lower Sixth, two studying Spanish, and three French. French continues to be in demand for our Short Term Boarders, especially German pupils, and we have also tried to accommodate pupils into language lessons to fit their ability, irrrespective of their actual year group. This has led to some interesting classes and it is good to be able to have this flexibility.
Of course, the pandemic again disrupted some of the year, but because of this, we all learnt so many new skills, adapting to online lessons and remote learning which was actually very interesting. Pupil engagement was superb and our classes continued pretty much as normal during the lockdown periods. The main thing that has been missing this year has been our wonderful visits and trips, but we hope that these will resume next year. This year two native speakers took their GCSE examinations a year early. Dante took Spanish and Felix took German. We also had Kania who took her Chinese A-Level and Ringo and Sara who took their GCSE. Charlotte also took her AS French as she will be leaving us to go back to Germany at the end of the year. We wish them all the best of luck with these exams. We look forward to being able to have a more normal year next year in terms of trips, and other exciting activities. Mrs Aliberti Modern Foreign Languages
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Department/Faculty reviews
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Department/Faculty reviews
Sport & Outdoor Education
PHYSICAL EDUCATION I am sure this is not the first or last time you will see Covid mentioned in this edition of the Shebbearian, so without wishing to sound like a stuck record: PE is delighted to be back to some form of normality. Online learning and Google meets cannot replace the fun and challenge that is always evident in a PE class; creating the opportunities to stretch both those that embrace PE and those that are less confident.
With Covid seemingly firmly behind us the PE programme has returned to something approaching normality. Our GCSE PE students have worked extremely hard to prepare for exams and Practical Performance moderation which this year has been videoed for online moderation. The group has performed over a wide range of sports and presented some superb performances, namely some of our footballers and Hockey players have excelled. Henry had a superb game against Clifton College while being filmed for moderation, earning and scoring a penalty in front of the camera and Aaron scored two goals while being filmed against Kingsley. Sophie-May was selected for Devon Hockey this year, and has used her County experience to support her coursework to great effect. Despite Covid impacting the majority of exams, our BTEC sports students have still been completing exams, coursework and video evidence; with one exam being taken the day before a National Lockdown! The Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth group have worked exceptionally hard, despite the difficulties of participating in sport over the last two years. The Upper Sixth have completed their video moderation in which they have to officiate and participate in sports of their choice, including Rugby, Badminton, Cricket and Football (and many more). The Lower Sixth BTEC students introduced a new initiative this year and to boost their experience of coaching and understanding sport have been helping coach sport to the younger year groups on games afternoons. We hope to progress this in the future with BTEC Sport students attaining accredited coaching qualifications to support their knowledge of the sports industry and the skills
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associated. Our BTEC Sport programme is very much set up to give a snapshot of the sporting industry in which many pupils may wish to engage with in the future. In core PE, in addition to our main termly sports of Rugby, Hockey, Football, Netball, Cricket and Tennis, this year we have focused on six additional sports, designed to give a flavour of GCSE PE potential sports choices: Badminton, Athletics, Handball, Basketball, Gymnastics and Volleyball. It has been encouraging to see pupils back participating in sport and developing their physical literacy skills that they have not been able to practice during the various lockdowns. PE, Sport and Outdoor Education provide a superb opportunity to develop moral and performance, character skills that are not so obviously achievable in regular academic environments (Table 1). Challenging pupils to push themselves outside of their comfort zone has been a refreshing reminder of why PE can be so important to their physical and mental wellbeing.
Moral Skills
Performance Skills
Unselfish
Hardworking
Honest
Competitive
Respectful
Positive
Appreciative
Focused
Humble
Accountable
Patient
Courageous
Loyal
Resilient
Trustworthy
Confident
Trustwilling
Enthusiastic
Encouraging
Disciplined
Socially Aware
Motivated
Empathetic
Creative Curious
Table 1-Character skills (Ledbetter. B, 2015)
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A huge thank you to all the parents and staff that have made it possible for pupils to compete across multiple sports, having the chance to develop their character outside of the classroom. A special thank you to Mrs Sibcy and Mrs Tabor who initiated the schools membership in the National Schools Equestrian Association (NSEA), yet again providing further opportunities for pupils to compete and shine in areas of interest that are not necessarily in the classroom.
Athletics
Ad Gloriam Per Spinas (to glory through thorns) has never been more accurate than in sport at Shebbear over the last 2 years. Our athlete’s resolve, determination and willingness to take on the bigger schools has been proved and tested on the start of our rocky road to success over the last year. The opportunity to challenge oneself, experience adversity and improve everyday is one of the things that enables Shebbear to produce such exceptional people, not shy of taking on challenges. It has been a pleasure and relief to see Sport resume to something resembling normality after an erratic two years affected by Covid. Our small body of athletes have, on the whole, embraced the opportunity to take part in as much sport as possible. Our focus in sport has unashamedly not focused on results, but instead on long term athlete development and character development, process, performance and fun. This approach has seen students progress dramatically improve over the course of the year; with resilience, perseverance and teamwork driving individuals and teams across the school to develop with astounding progress evidenced. Our focus on character-based development in sport has been appreciated, with over 90% of students taking part in competitive sport representing Shebbear over the year. Our first phase of sports has rolled out with impressive performances across our major sports of Rugby, Hockey, Football, Netball, Tennis, Athletics and Cricket. Our second phase of sports development has seen us compete in Swimming, Equestrian and Badminton this year with Basketball, Cross Country, Touch Rugby and hopefully many others to follow next year.
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The athletics programme restarted after Covid with a literal bang! A group of over 30 students competed in the North Devon Athletics League, North Devon Schools Championship, Devon County Championship, ISA Regional Championship, Mount Kelly Trophy and a West Buckland friendly event. The outstanding commitment from the pupils with many pupils taking part in more than 7 competitions whilst also participating in other sports has shown the pupils’ passion for sport and willingness to apply themselves in as much sport as possible. Despite limited training our athletes performed exceptionally well, all improving significantly over the course of the season. Those that took part in the athletics games session often learning new skills and having the chance to display them in several competitions. Henry H in Form 3 seemed dominant in the jumps winning the ISA South West High jump, Triple jump and Long jump, then going on to be County Champion in High jump and Triple jump. Henry then went on to compete in the ISA Nationals in which he won the triple
jump and came third in the Long jump. Achilles in Lower 6th also had success winning the North Devon 100m, 200m and 400m; and came second in the County 100 and 200m. Both Henry and Achilles went on to compete at the South West Regional Championships where Achilles came 2nd in the Senior Boys 100m and 4th in the 200m and Henry came 2nd in the High Jump. Connor and Alfie performed well at the North Devon Athletics Championships and went on to represent North Devon in the County Championships, a significant achievement. As our athletics programme goes, so does our success in multiple events with students having opportunities throughout the Lent and Trinity terms to learn, develop and polish their skills, speed and fitness. I am sure the future is bright for many of our athletes.
Shebbear’s U15 age group showed promise for the future throughout the season. Many members of the playing squad were playing up a year, yet still they were able to hold their own and produce some really positive performances - with some U14 age players even stepping in to support the First XI at times during the season. The all-round ability of both Alfie and Henry H means that the future of Shebbear cricket looks promising, particularly when added to the natural talent of Mitch, Geordie and Billy, amongst others. This was a tough season for our junior cricketers in the U13 age group. The disruption of the past couple of years has meant that some crucial stages of development have been affected. The experiences of this season will hopefully stand the group in good stead and serve as a platform upon which to build in the coming seasons. With plenty of talent within the group, notably in the form of Will, Ben and Ed, learning the game will be important for the squad to see improved performance and results in the future.
Football
Cricket
2021-22 saw a return to a semblance of normality for cricket here at Shebbear College. The First XI was captained by Bajan scholar Achillies, who demonstrated excellent leadership and temperament throughout the season. In addition to this the leadership group contained numerous seasoned Shebbearians, including Jacob and Ben who played important roles in nurturing a young and somewhat inexperienced group. Although results did not fall the way of Shebbear, performance levels and commitment in the middle were without question. Notable star performers at First XI level included the ever reliable Jolyon, whose bowling was a constant threat to the opposition, and newly developed all-rounder Toby, who made valuable contributions with both bat and ball.
2021-22 was a really positive year at Shebbear for the footballers. At First XI level, it was clear that a strong squad was emerging from the early part of the season. There was a really good mix of experience and youth throughout the group, led by captain Alex, who was ably supported by fellow U6 Formers Jacob A, Connor and Jacob L. Add to this the Caribbean flair of Achillies and the talent of 5th Form players such as Henry, Ferdie, Cam and Peter, and the season held the potential of real promise. Things started in positive fashion, an extra time victory in a Society of Heads Cup clash with Clifton High
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School saw Shebbear progress to the second round for the first time in memory. Add to this victories against Plymouth College, Stover School, Truro School and Kingsley School, as well as a narrow 2-1 defeat to Exeter School after conceding two late goals and this was a very successful season. The junior age groups experienced mixed seasons this year. Our U15s possessed some real talent in the forms of James, Taylor and Jacob, but found results hard to come by. Our all-conquering U14 side fared well in their fixtures, with many games then becoming U15A and B games to combine the talents of both squads. The likes of Alfie, Keith and Billy showed no fear in stepping up A-Level and produced some outstanding performances and results, notably against Plymouth College. The development squads of the U13s and U12s showed some real potential and achieved some good results in friendly fixtures against the likes of Kingsley and Stover Schools. Some talented footballers in the group hopefully bode well for the future of football at Shebbear College.
Hockey
Hockey has moved in a new direction this year with achievements and progress made by all the pupils. The 1st XI, who competed on a very tough circuit, held their own this season and put in some excellent performances across the season. A proud moment personally being when the girls played away at Exeter School and scored just before half time to take us into the break at 1-1. It was amazing to see the pupils enjoying their time so much on the hockey pitch, wearing the school colours
with pride and making memories they will cherish forever. It is great to have pupils representing on the England Hockey Player Pathway; huge congratulations to Sophie-May who has had a fabulous season with the Devon U17 Girls Academy Squad, and to George who has also played county hockey for the Cornwall U17’s Academy Squad. Thanks go to Bella who has been the Girls’ Hockey Captain this year. She has been absolutely fantastic and we wish her all the best as she now departs Shebbear and heads to University, make sure you keep playing! The U15’s should be extremely proud of their season. The positive energy and enthusiasm from this group week in week out was admirable, this will certainly place the 22/23 1st XI in a good place as a number of these students transition from U15 to Senior Girls Hockey. A special mention goes to both Harriet and Eleanor who made a number of appearances for the schools 1st XI despite only being in Form 4. As players this has had a significant impact on their development and I am sure that those 2 will be an integral part of the 1st XI next season. The U12/13’s have had a fabulous year and are the most improved age group over the course of the hockey season. The future is certainly looking bright for Hockey at Shebbear College.
“I have felt really proud to have been able to be hockey captain this year and I feel that as a team we have progressed in so many areas but in particular we had become a strong defence which allowed the attacking players to become bolder in their approach to the game. Despite facing the challenge of COVID-19, which affected our ability to practice together, by the end of the season we had become a confident and coherent team. Whilst we might not have won the most games, we were a team that developed in skills and laid foundations that will be built on for future hockey at Shebbear College. I look forward to following this progress in years to come and hope to take my enjoyment of Hockey to University.” Bella Richards – Girls Hockey Captain 2021/22
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ISA Sport
championship took place next to the Etihad stadium (Home of Manchester City FC) with a huge amount of success. Henry won the U14 boys Triple jump and came third in the long jump and Jack came third in the 300m. Harry just missed out on a medal coming fourth in the boys cricketball throw and Alfie C, Aflie S, Nicola and Sophia ran or threw superbly against very tough competition.
ISA National finalists: Swimming: Jack, Alfie, Archie, Ellie, Evelyne. Rugbys 7s: Zeb, Jack, Henry, Harrison, Henry, Mitch, Keith, Alfie, Jack, Billy, Jack, Geordie.
This year, our first year in the Independent Schools Association (ISA; for smaller independent schools), has seen us compete in ISA Swimming, Rugby and Athletics; with a huge amount of success. Even before the school had officially joined the ISA we had already taken part in our first South West Swimming qualifying event, with pupils performing admirably. Five pupils successfully qualified for the ISA National Swimming championships in London. Archie was part of the strong South West Medley relay team that won Bronze, a superb achievement.
Athletics: Keith, Jack, Henry, Alfie, Nicola, Harry, Alfie, Sophia, Sophie-May.
Netball
In rugby our U14s 7s team qualified for the National finals held in London; we took a strong team thinking we had a good chance of doing well, but as a small school in Devon, we were unsure just how well we would do. The focus the team of 12 students brought to the tournament yielded some superb results with the team performing better and better in each game. The tournament finished with the team unbeaten, winning 6 games, scoring over 200 points and winning the final 42-5; and National ISA champions. Some incredible teamwork was evidenced throughout the tournament with every team member contributing to the superb performances. Stand out performances from Henry, Alfie, Keith and Mitch helped the team to success. The ISA sporting year finished with Athletics, with 9 athletes being selected to represent the South West at the National Finals in Manchester (only 7 could attend). The awe-inspiring
The first full netball season since 2019 and it was certainly worth the wait! The 1st VII came on leaps and bounds as a team, developing in skill, speed, accuracy, confidence and team cohesion throughout the
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term. The difference made over the 11 weeks was outstanding and the team can definitely take this through to next year to continue to play an excellent standard of netball, if not better! They started the term with a few tough fixtures, but this didn’t once discourage them from playing and training again the next week. A superb amount of commitment was shown by every member of the team and this was later highlighted in some close encounters in fixtures later in the season.
Rugby
Rugby returned with a busy pre season and block fixtures over the season against Plymouth, Truro School, Exeter, Queens Taunton, Wellington, Stover and Kingsley with COVID affecting our regular fixtures against Mount Kelly and West Buckland. In some year groups we had nearly every boy in the year taking part; creating a superb approach with all students willing each of their peers on and encouraging them to progress, an incredible Shebbearian trait.
A particular highlight this term was the progress made by the U13 team. In what started out as a rocky season having played very little netball since prep school due to Covid, they went on to win 3 of their 6 games and only narrowly missed out on a place in the final of the U13 North Devon tournament, finishing 4th overall. The team massively developed their confidence throughout the Lent term, not only in their own ability and skills, but also in each other which allowed them to progress as both players and a team. The U12 teams made excellent progress in their first term of senior netball, developing a range of key skills ready to apply to competitive situations. For some girls this was the first time they had ever played netball, yet they showed great courage and determination in wanting to learn and develop. Much like the U13s, the two U12 teams showed superb teamwork and there was not a moment where they allowed anything to stop them from smiling! It’s exciting to think about what this group might achieve over the next few years! All round it was a great term of netball with each and every player making progress and getting involved in netball in some way. Bring on next year!”
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The U12s used the season to learn a lot about the game and to be introduced to contact, players such as Alex and Archie gave their all every week, and the whole team can be commended for their outstanding attitude. The U13s had a number of excellent performances as a team, they grew in confidence massively after a win against Bideford RFC early in the season. A particular highlight was against Truro where they were up at half time but could not quite hold on. It would be difficult to highlight anyone, but a special mention to Will P who made huge progress through the season and in his final game v Queens contributed to a great game where they lost 4 tries to 3, in an end to end game in which they ran out of time rather than lost!
Our U14s rugby team proved devastating in their games, wining the North Devon County Cup and going on to the semi-finals of the Devon County Cup. Playing Exeter, who had earlier in the season beaten them comfortably, the team took it to the last play of the game but were met by a resilient Exeter try-line defence and could not cross despite being camped on the line for three minutes. The group have learned that through hard work they can achieve progress and success, this is something that will serve them well going forward.
performances from Jacob, Michael, Harrison and Connor, Ferdie, Ale and Ben ensured that the team were always threatening and keeping much bigger schools honest, and often a bit scared! There was significant individual success with Connor in Upper 6th being selected for the England Lambs, a National representative side consisting of the best players in the country - more on this overleaf.
The U15s season was a little disjointed due to Covid and injury meaning a number of games were cancelled. Covid still played its part in the season and it is a credit to the school and the players for their resilience and commitment. The matches are put on for the players, and on behalf of all of them I would like to thank the parents for your continued support. I look forward to the 2022 season and all that it brings. The 1st XV had a tough season with some outstanding and resilient performances. Some of the stand out memories, were not in the results of the team, but in their commitment and toughness. Despite eventually losing to Wellington School the team showed its grit in its resolute defence; often hitting the huge Wellington boys back, repeatedly, managing the nullify the size of the school and stature advantage Wellington have. Although eventually losing out, the Wellington team went home with a revised opinion of Shebbear, less swagger and a few more limps. Consistent outstanding
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You were selected to play for the England Lambs this year - an amazing achievement. Talk us through how it happened. Mr Giles put me forward for the first trial sessions for the South West, held at Monkton Combe school in Bath. This consisted of a day of training followed by three matches in which we competed for selection through to the second stage a few weeks later. Around 40 players made it through, and the second round was made up of more team based training exercises with a game at the end of the day. Following the two day selection process, I had made it through to the South West Team and the next step was to compete against the teams from the two other areas (North and South East) at Oundle School, for a chance to make it through to the Lambs. We played two 40 minute games each (against the other areas) and a couple of days later I received an email saying I had been selected for the Lambs team! We also received the schedule for the season with different players being selected for the various games. I was selected for all 6 games this season. Have you always been into rugby?
AN EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME FOR CONNOR In January, Upper Sixth Former Connor was chosen to play for the England Lambs U18 National Rugby Squad. Having taken part in a challenging selection process, Connor was selected from over 400 of the best players from independent schools across the country. We spoke to him about this incredible opportunity.
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My father has always been big into his rugby, having played with premiership clubs and for the RAF. He always tried to encourage me to play but it wasn’t until I started boarding school at age 10 that I started. For the first few years I hated the sport! I was the bigger kid who struggled with running around and didn’t have much understanding of the game. By Year 9 I finally started to enjoy it. I had made lots of friends through playing, become fitter, educated myself and I began getting good at it. Like anyone when they start something new, I wasn’t amazing nor even good. I was scared of the contact, I couldn’t catch, I couldn’t run far, I didn’t know the rules. With lots of help from friends and teachers I picked it up. Having the advantage of being a bigger kid, other children struggled to tackle me which made teachers put more time and patience into training me. I was selected for the Yorkshire Carnegie Academy to play a year up and this was the point when I realised that I was getting good at rugby. Following that early success, I began trying harder and really developed a passion for the sport. When I joined Shebbear in Form 4, I was able to take this even further. Are you into other sports as well? If so, what? I’m big into my basketball, athletics and now weight training (bodybuilding). I grew up watching and playing basketball games so that was the first sport that I fell in love with. Athletics was always linked with my rugby in order to develop fitness and speed. Bodybuilding is a relatively new sport which I began in the last year - it helps to improve my strength for rugby and I like seeing the difference both physically and also on the rugby pitch when playing.
Which subjects are you studying and how have you juggled your study with your sport?
that into my next chapter. With joining the army there is so much opportunity in which I can play and further my skills.
I’ve been studying BTEC Media, BTEC Sport and A-Level Business. Being sporty I have the mindset that if you get the work done in the classroom you can get the work done on the field. Sport may be a big passion of mine but I need the academics to support this. Teachers may wish I put equally amount of work into my courses as I do sports, and I probably do work harder in sports but I still ensure that work is done and will allocate time in my day in order to fit both in.
How have you found your time at Shebbear?
What are your plans for next year?
My proudest moment would be playing for the 1st XV at Shebbear College when in Form 5 with my brother (who was in Upper Sixth at the time) and being able to compete against him for most tries. I lost, sadly.
Once I finish my A-Levels I will be off to join the army in which I will become a Vehicle Mechanic over a 60 week training phase. Whilst doing this I’ll still be playing rugby and hopefully I will be selected for the army Colts Team or the REME (The Corps of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) team. Do you plan to continue with your rugby? Yes, rugby has been a huge part of my life and I wish to further
I have truly enjoyed my time at Shebbear, making new friends, memories and learning new skills. I’ve had my share of mischief and fun whilst at Shebbear and look forward to moving on to the workplace. What is your proudest moment?
What will you miss the most about Shebbear College when you leave? The sports. I made it such a huge part of my experience and put so much time and love into helping other years improve. It is a real passion of mine.
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The sun shone for our Senior Sports Day on Friday 13th May, when athletes from Form 1 through to Upper Sixth took part in track and field events, competing in their houses and as individuals. Pupils volunteered to take part in events including Javelin, Shotput, Discus, Long Jump, High Jump and various track races - with almost every pupil taking part in something. This event was held earlier in the year than usual, so that our Form 5 and Upper 6 pupils could take part ahead of their GCSE and A-Level exams and it was fantastic to see both our top sportsmen and women, as well as those that don’t find athletics so easy, taking part with determination and enthusiasm - really well done to everyone. A special mention goes to Achilles in Lower 6 who ran the 100m in an incredibly speedy 11.06 seconds - very nearly beating his PB of 11.05! Congratulations to Pollard House who won the cup! Thorne were in second place, Ruddle in third and Way in fourth. Victor Ludorum - Forms 1 & 2: James Victrix Ludorum - Forms 1 & 2: Sophia Victor Ludorum - Forms 3 & 4: Keith Victrix Ludorum - Forms 3 & 4: Zaynah Victor Ludorum - Forms 5 & 6: Achilles Victrix Ludorum - Forms 5 & 6: Sophie-May
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1ST XI VS MARYLEBONE CRICKET CLUB
On Monday 27th June, Shebbear First XI, containing a number of our talented U14s, took on the prestigious MCC. Despite some untoward weather in the build up to the game, and a torrential downpour at 9am, the game managed to go ahead. On a damp and difficult wicket the MCC elected to bat first, with Achillies and Henry opening the bowling. The pitch made scoring runs difficult early on, but both opening bowlers put the ball in excellent areas consistently, and Henry was rewarded with 2 wickets after two smart catches from Billy and Achilles. The MCC settled after these early setbacks and set about building a sizable total in the conditions, but 4 quick wickets before lunch, two for Achilles, one for Mitch and one for Ben, after a stunning catch in the deep from Mitch, reduced the visitors to 160-6 at the break. One more wicket for Ben followed after lunch and brought with it a declaration with the MCC posting a total of 198-7 off of 35 overs.
runs, with Achilles settling into his stride at the other end. A flurry of wickets checked the Shebbearian progress, as the MCC wrestled back control of the game. Mitch provided useful resistance and support for Achilles, who by now was moving towards a fantastic hundred. However, the MCC fought back once again with three quick wickets and looked to wrap the game up as we moved into the final 5 overs. Achilles continued to battle and manipulate the strike to maintain control of the game, whilst moving towards his personal milestone, although overs, and batting partners, were running out.
This left Shebbear requiring 199 to win, with 2 hours worth of batting, plus 20 overs to reach their target in the timed game format. A steady start ensued from opening pair Achilles and Ben, until the latter fell for 14 after looking well set. As the pitch dried out it became harder to score, but useful contributions from Toby and Alfie allowed Shebbear to gradually accumulate
The game was a fantastic advert for cricket at the College, and highlighted some of the undoubted talent we have here. Huge congratulations to all of the team, in particular Achilles, and the recipient of the MCC’s spirit of cricket award, Mitch, although it must be said that this was a true team effort and a fantastic day for all involved.
We reached the final over of the game in a position to secure a more than creditable draw, with Achilles on 98. With the field back, Achilles took on the bowling and smashed a superb 6 over long on to bring up his hundred, before seeing off the final 3 balls to secure a memorable draw for Shebbear.
Mr Law
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Outdoor Education Outdoor Education has continued to develop its skill-based curriculum for Forms 1 - 3, focusing on skills that are required for Ten Tors, DofE, Camping, Wilderness walks and bushcraft. We have covered topics from carving whistles, lighting fires with fire steels and building camps to orienteering and map reading.
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During this year, we have begun to link our curriculum with other subjects in the school, creating a truly integrated learning experience. The links with Science, History, Geography , Design and Technology will continue to grow over the next year with staff from every department contributing to the scheme of work for 2022-2023.
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Duke of Edinburgh A record number of Shebbear pupils embarked on their Duke of Edinburgh award programmes this year with a large majority of Form 3 signing up for the bronze award and 16 pupils continuing on to silver level. The “DofE” is a fantastic way for pupils to gain recognition of the multitude of extracurricular activities they are involved in; from community science projects to young scout leaders, table tennis to rock climbing, baking to coding; our pupils are busy bees indeed. The highlight of the DofE programme is the two or three day expedition which this year took place on the North Cornwall coast at bronze level and on Exmoor for our silvers. Although a testing experience for many, they will all have formed memories that will last a lifetime and gained skills which will open up some of the most beautiful parts of our diverse island and further afield.
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This year, Ten Tors was back with a vengeance after a two year Covid-enforced hiatus. Two Shebbear College teams lined up at 7am on the start line of the challenge this year with routes of 35 or 45 miles to cover across Dartmoors rugged terrain. Before they even made it to this point, the teams had endured 4 months of preparation and training under the guidance of Mr Deakes, Mr Giles, Miss Barber and Mr Skeer. In this time learning crucial navigation skills, campcraft, first aid, emergency procedures and gaining the fitness required to lug 20kg of kit over the distance. Training took our teams to many different parts of the Dartmoor National Park and is a great opportunity to gain an appreciation for the natural resource the park is. A huge amount of praise must go to every member of the team and the reserves who showed a great degree of courage to embark on the preparations. Our final two teams of six were awarded favourable walking conditions over the weekend of the event and completed the routes in fantastic time in front of a welcoming party of immensely proud parents and leaders. The 35 mile team was made up of Fin, Lily, Felix, Tom, Henry and Alfie who crossed the finish line at 13.34. The 45 mile team of Roy, Niamh, James, Felix, Sophie and George crossed the finish line at 15.29. It never fails to amaze me how much our pupils “grow’’ during this event and it really is a highlight of the extra-curricular year. Well done everyone and I look forward to seeing you back for the bigger distances next year! Mr Deakes
most “Ten Tors 2022 was honestly the I’ve ever ce rien expe g rdin rewa challenging yet ically, it phys hard ly real g bein as well As had. to keep g agin Man is a real mental challenge. stop and to you told y bod going every time your bing clim are you n whe even , ient keeping resil we did it! I but cult diffi so was Tor, pest the stee see all the can’t explain the feeling when you and the you, for ing wait thousands of people though I Even . road of ch stret last walk down the I t, poin couldn’t was absolutely exhausted by that I’m so grateful ! zing control the smile, it felt ama part in such an take to nity for having the opportu to go for the wait t can’ I and e leng incredible chal 45 miles next year!” Lily, 35 Mile Team
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Department/Faculty reviews
STEM THE SHEBBEARIAN 2022
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Computing Amid all of the challenges of remote learning and the worries about the pandemic itself, there have been many messages that have helped our pupils see the importance of studying Computer Science as an academic discipline. Everyone has needed to sharpen their digital toolkit by upskilling to ensure all pupils were able to access lessons regardless of their location. There has also been a large presence of computer science themes in the media which relate to curriculum topics that we have been studying across all year groups in the senior school. For example, with so many people suddenly working and studying from home, some gadgets have become more of a necessity than a luxury but a shortage of chips from the relatively few different manufacturers have had stock issues for months on end. Cybersecurity has made the headlines repeatedly as large companies have been targeted and even crippled by cyber attacks. One of the most exciting developments for me is the increasing understanding of the way that data and computing are used to enhance our daily lives. In the past, computer science was
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dismissed by pupils who did not see the subject as relevant to their futures. One silver lining that has come out of the last two years for me, is that pupils are more aware than ever of the breadth of careers where computer science could be a useful skill to have. In computer science things never stay still for too long and this year has been no exception, we have delivered current e-safety across all year groups. In Form 1, 2 and 3 we have covered programming; computer systems; social, ethical and legal issues; media projects. These have allowed the pupils to develop their computing skills as well as their analytical thinking and problem solving skills. GCSE and A-Level students took part in the national ‘Bebras Challenge’ for the first time with 4 students receiving a Distinction. The Form 4 computer science class of Sebastian Crookes, John Taylor and Felix van den Berg went on to the ‘Perse Coding Challenge’; they made it to the final round with over 500 teams from around the world. Shebbear finished in the top 25%, gaining them a Distinction: An absolutely outstanding achievement for a team from Form 4. Mr Banyard Head of Digital Learning
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Department/Faculty reviews
STEM
Maths We finally had the first post Covid-19 maths competition this year! Mrs Cardoo took Sebastian, Bethany, Matthew and Alice off to Newquay to compete in the Year 10 AMSP Maths Feast competition. The team came a credible 4th place and enjoyed a day out combined with all sorts of different maths problems thrown at them!
Sadly there were still no UKMT team challenges to enter this year, but we have our fingers crossed that these will resume next year and the training we have been doing in activity time led by Upper Sixth Former Niall should pay dividends. Our new Lower Sixth Mathematicians have ably taken over the running of the gifted and talented Prep Maths Club from Niall and we thank him for starting this and wish him well for his mathematical studies at university. A particular well done to Niall in Upper Sixth and Bella in Form One who both qualified for the next rounds in the individual UKMT. Bella went on to gain a merit in the Junior Kangaroo which is no easy task! Alfie in Prep 6 gained a silver certificate in the Junior UKMT, a really great result. The lucky Form 1 and 2s and a few Prep 6 also competed in the UKMT 25th Anniversary Challenge. There were no awards as such, but we were particularly proud of Esther in Prep 6 who scored one of the highest marks - the future of maths is bright! We are very proud of our pupils in the Maths Department who achieve these certificates, but equally proud of all those pupils who work extremely hard at their maths whilst finding the work that they do extremely difficult. The current exam specifications are the hardest exams I have seen in my 26 years of teaching and I commend all our pupils who prepare themselves for the public exams with commitment and enthusiasm. Mrs Cardoo Head of Maths
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“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted” Albert Einstein
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Seniors NIALL
KAMILLA JACK CHRISTOPHER CHARLOTTE
Intermediates GEORGE
MICHAELA
MATTHEW
BEN
SEBASTIAN
SOPHIE
BETHANY
CAMERON DARCEY ALICE JONAH JONATHAN TAYLOR SILAS JOSEPH
Juniors BELLA
BEN
BODIE
HEIDI
SAMUEL
GEORGE
BETHANY
ALFIE
EVELYNE ZACKARY SCARLETT THOMAS CHLOE
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STEM
Science This year began with a step closer to normality, and as a department we embraced this and the opportunity to reinstate our co-curricular provision and our trips. This started by Form 2 undertaking a field work day on Dartmoor at Fingle Bridge. This was an excellent opportunity for pupils to put into practice some of the sampling skills that they had learnt in the classroom. We were blessed with some good weather and the pupils had a great day out. At the other end of the age range, Mr Deakes was able to take his Upper Sixth biologists to Braunton Burrows for some transect and abiotic factors sampling, this enabled them to gather plenty of data for the dreaded statistical analyses!
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Academically there has been a huge drive by all of the dedicated staff and determined pupils to make the most of being back in class and a real push to get as best prepared as possible for the first set of external examinations in 2 years. It is difficult to fully measure the impact of the lockdowns, although we have been delivering online learning throughout this period, nothing really matches the in-classroom experience, especially with practical science. For the A-Level pupils there has been a real push to try and recoup some of the lost practical experiences. This is vital for both the paper 3s and CPAC accreditation.
future generations. Our A-Level biologists have discovered that life itself is mostly chemistry in action; intricate, marvellous, endlessly fascinating and downright miraculous. It is a true wonder how this ever came to be. The biology journey never fails to raise even more questions, some of which are yet to be answered; we’ll leave that to the next chapter in our biologists’ educational life. In Chemistry, pupils across the school have thrown themselves back into practical study in the labs and Mr Drake, as always, has taken every opportunity to introduce visual experiments and, for want of a better way of putting it, blowing things up! Congratulations to our A-Level Chemists who entered the UK Chemistry Olympiad run by the Royal Society of Chemistry this year, with special congratulations to Roy and Carlota, who gained a certificate in the Lower Sixth (this is usually a competition for Upper Sixth pupils), to Harrison and Kamilla for their bronze awards and to Noah for his outstanding silver award.
In Biology, Form 1 have begun their journey into biology exploring how to define “life” and learning about basic cell structure, whilst Form 2 have explored how energy enters food webs and is released for use by organisms in their subcellular structures by investigating the mirror reactions of photosynthesis and aerobic respiration. In Form 3, pupils have wrapped up their KS3 journey and embarked on the beginning of their GCSE curriculums. They have expanded on their prior learning by exploring how cells divide to allow organisms to grow and reproduce and have entered the world of some of the most important biological molecules; the enzymes. At GCSE, Form 4 pupils have delved even further into the complexities of life looking at the genetic information that instructs our protein factories, the ribosomes, on what to make and gives rise to fantastic variation we observe in the natural world. Meanwhile, Form 5 have capped off the GCSE curriculum learning about how plants and animals control their numerous organ systems and how these organisms interact with each other and the environments they live in, existing in a delicate balance that we, as humankind, hold responsibility to conserve for
Similarly, our Lower Sixth Physicists took part in the British Physics Olympiad (BPhO) Senior Physics Challenge, a national competition aimed at encouraging the study of Physics and recognising excellence in young scientists, and did exceptionally well with two commended awards, four bronze awards, one silver award and one gold award. As one of the liaison schools of the Physics Review magazine, this group also had the opportunity to preview articles and give general feedback on the publication - a fantastic opportunity. During Science Week we were able to challenge our KS3 classes outside of the classroom, by building the best (most economical and buoyant) boat, making the slipperiest and stretchiest slime and
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STEM together the resources to allow pupils to develop individual skills: chromatography, fibre analysis, finger prints, blood sampling, impression lifting and DNA extraction. All before she set up a mock crime scene with 3 potential criminals. The forensics crew had to gather evidence and analyse it to identify the true criminal, was it ‘No knees Clewley’, ‘Rock-solid alibi Newton’ or ‘Quance the enforcer’?
identifying who was the most suited athlete for different sports. These sorts of activities encourage our pupils to apply their science knowledge, teamwork and problem solving. Our extra-curricular programme stepped up a notch this year with the introduction of CREST awards, all pupils in Form 1 had the opportunity to devise and run their own investigations. These ranged from ‘which biscuit is the best to dunk’, ‘which tea bags make the best cup of tea’ (a bit of a theme here, possibly led by me and my obsession with dunking biscuits in a decent cup of tea) to other investigations such as the best formula for bath bombs, the optimum angle for solar panels and most fire resistant materials. As well as this Mr Quance brought the CREST awards to Prep 5 and 6, again a huge array of investigations were undertaken and all the time the pupils thoroughly enjoyed themselves and developed their practical science skills, even when testing ketchup viscosity! This year we also launched our Forensic Science Club, an initiative put forward by Mrs Newton, who spent many hours putting
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With the lifting of Covid restrictions we have once again been able to invite visiting speakers into the Science Department. Richard Peirce joined us to deliver a talk on the plight of Pangolins and general wildlife conversation. This was very insightful and opened up some good discussions. In the second half of the Trinity term, we were also able to welcome representatives from the Army who ran three STEM in Action workshops with a military twist for Forms 1 - 3. These sessions were aimed at developing leadership, critical thinking, perseverance and teamwork. The pupils deciphered various clues and puzzles to uncover an attempted hacker as well as building and programming a robot to navigate unsafe terrain. As always, all of the above opportunities are only possible because of the drive and determination of all of the members of the Science Department. So thank you to all of them for their efforts above and beyond over the past twelve months. Mr Clewley Head of Science
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Academic Development and Additional Learning Needs The Additional Learning Needs (ALN) department was established in January 2022 and incorporates pupils who have a special educational need or disability (SEND), the high achieving pupils (HA) and those who are studying English as an additional language (EAL). The department works across the entire school from the Reception class up to those studying towards A-Levels and BTEC qualifications in the Sixth Form. By incorporating these areas in a truly inclusive manner it means we can support and promote the variety of ways pupils learn, embracing their individual skill sets and talents while enhancing their educational journey through a bespoke pathway and individual teaching. It is increasingly being recognised in educational research that inclusive schools who provide diversity among learners improve education for all. So the benefit is not just for the targeted pupil, but also to foster a culture of support and awareness within the school community. This culture promotes a positive response to pupil diversity encouraging individuals to seek opportunities rather than problems, something we encourage and embrace at Shebbear and the department is full of outstanding contributions from our pupils. By using a multi-sensory way of teaching, our lessons provide a fun filled educational experience. The use of exciting and informative resources help support each pupil’s learning; allowing them to achieve their full potential. Every ALN lesson will involve both an interaction between pupils and an individual pupil task, whether this is through debates, team games, reading, spelling and maths computer programs or logical thinking puzzles.
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Looking forward to next academic year, we will be integrating the Functional Skills programme for pupils in Form 3 and Form 4, enhancing the curriculum with extended offers that develop core academic skills through a range of additional activities, working with departments to grow their SEN resources and officially launch our ‘Reading for Enjoyment’ programme to develop literacy skills. We are lucky to have an array of outstanding teachers and teaching assistants in the department, with a number of classroom teachers also being specialists in SEN teaching. Working across the Prep and Senior School is Mrs Clarke, a trained dyslexic specialist teacher who teaches in a multisensory way for pupils in the Prep School through the ASLAN programme (Academic Support for Literacy and Numeracy) and she supports pupils in the crossover into the first few years of the Senior School. Mrs Chappell is our Senior School in-class teaching assistant and does a fantastic job supporting the teaching and learning that goes on in the classroom. Staff working in the ALN department feel privileged, everyday we get to see success and those magical ‘penny drop’ moments.
Summer School In June we welcomed ten pupils from across Europe to enjoy a month in a traditional English boarding school. The pupils received 10 hours a week of focused spoken and written English lessons, as well as an exciting programme of activities to support their learning and mainstream lessons in school. Educational trips included the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, Lanhydrock House and Gardens, Bodmin Jail, RHS Rosemoor and the Eden Project and these trips were backed up with project work and presentations in class. Pupils also enjoyed various weekend activities surfing and to the Royal Cornwall Show. My thanks to the staff that supported the programme, in particular the boarding team and Mrs Lovett and Mr Kirby as our in house EAL experts.
‘ ’
I absolutely love ASLAN. Lessons have the benefit of using the school’s facilities to teach core academic skills, so we may be in the sports hall reinforcing maths, or walking around the school site applying principles learnt in science. I would like to thank Miss Body for her commitment to the Academic Support Department and the pupils who benefitted from spending time there. Miss Body moved on to a new role at the end of 2021 but her passion for the pupils and ensuring she helps them be ‘the best they can be’ has set the department up well.
Prep 6 pupil
Mr Sanders Head of Additional Learning Needs
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Whilst our Horizons department has not been able to continue as it usually would during the last year, we have still been able to work with all of our pupils to prepare them well for their lives beyond school. Our careers programme starts at Form 1 and goes right through to the Upper Sixth, guiding our pupils through important decisions for their future. We also work with Futuresmart, who provide independent professional advice through an expert careers service. All pupils in Form 5 and Lower Sixth have had the opportunity to have a one to one guidance meeting with the Futuresmart team and I know these are invaluable. We also provided interview practice for our aspiring medics, vets and indeed anyone else who requested it. Pupils have access to unifrog which we have used mainly with the Sixth Form so far but plan to use more extensively throughout the school next year. It is a wonderful resource and particularly helpful for university applications. In the Lent term, we held a series of team building workshops for our Senior School pupils with Futuresmart. These included ‘The Apprentice meets Dragon’s Den’, where Form 5 pupils had to create innovative business ideas (a drone delivery service and sleep pods for exhausted NHS staff were just some of the ideas) and pitch them to other teams for investment; decision making strategies; discovering the skills needed for different careers and personality types. For our Sixth Formers, we have a programme dedicated to university applications, which includes advice on writing personal statements, choosing courses and universities, roadshow visits from international universities and talks from outside specialist speakers. We have talks on diverse topics such as finance, resilience and study skills (although these have been limited this year) and each pupil has individual guidance with their application, particularly their personal statement, from their tutor and from myself. There is also advice on apprenticeships, job opportunities and gap years for those who do not want to apply to university.
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In 2021 our Sixth Form leavers’ destinations were wideranging and aspirational. We now have students from last year studying subjects as diverse as Physics with Nuclear Astrophysics, English, Acoustical Engineering, Medicine, Ancient History, Psychology, Marketing and Comparative Literature to name but a few. Students are at universities all over the UK from Southampton to Aberdeen, from Queen’s, Belfast to Bristol, from Cardiff to Exeter. Some of our pupils chose not to continue their studies but have pursued other careers. They were a fantastic year group and we are very proud of them and wish them every success in the future. We hope some of them will return one day to advise current pupils about possible careers. I am particularly proud that all of our pupils who went on to Higher Education gained a place at the university of their choice. Mrs Aliberti Head of Horizons
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Finally, this year the activities programme was able to operate to its full potential! Larger groups could be reintroduced and a degree of normality returned within our co-curricular offering. We have expanded our range of activities, enabling pupils to try out new skills and improve existing ones. This year we have organised our activities into four areas of interest: Action, Arts, Adventure and Academic and the programme has played a big part in enhancing the overall pupil learning experience at Shebbear. P124
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Action
With sports fixtures making a presence on our calendars again, many pupils were seen out on the sports fields. From rugby and netball to badminton and volleyball, many team sports were heard and enjoyed around the campus. The Trinity term has seen some of our individual sports being appreciated, including Athletics and Tennis, as well as cricket, rounders and volleyball and we have been able to make the most of the sunshine!
Adventure
The adventure activities are aimed at encouraging pupils to have a go at something that they might not have tried before. Archery, trampolining and dance were hot favourites for many, whilst others enhanced their outdoor education skills with bushcraft, navigation, Duke of Edinburgh and Ten Tors training. Mr Clewley also ran a series of Saturday watersports sessions at Roadford Lake including SUP, windsurfing, sailing and kayaking which were extremely popular amongst pupils of all ages and abilities.
Arts Miss Kaur and Mrs Appleton-Wahl have run some fantastic new art activities including print making and a community art project. ‘In person’ cookery made a welcome return and woodwork has become so popular that an advanced woodwork activity began! Pupils have enjoyed the process of starting with a simple piece of wood and seeing their project develop into some very good pieces of work. In music, Mrs Sadler-Smith re-launched our School Choirs and we now have a thriving Girls’ Choir, Boys’ Choir and Prep School Choir. Meanwhile, the fantastic school production of Grease was rehearsed tirelessly in activity time, and the hard work paid off - this was a great success! Individual music and drama lessons have continued with some fantastic LAMDA, Trinity and ABRSM achievements.
Academic
The academic activities brought about individual subject booster sessions in English and Science for exam years. A new favourite of this year was the Forensic Science Club. The forensic scientists solved a ‘murder in the science block’ by collecting fingerprints, ink samples, footprints and fibres. Meanwhile, a fantastic new British Sign Language course begun in the Trinity Term - such a great opportunity for our pupils. Next year we have even more exciting opportunities planned and I am looking forward to expanding our co-curricular programme further - with the help of the pupils, whose suggestions are always taken on board! Miss Taylor Activities Coordinator THE SHEBBEARIAN 2022
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We were delighted to hold our Celebration Evenings again this year. These events were a great success and a chance for our school community to come together to celebrate our pupils’ achievements. We enjoyed some fantastic musical numbers from pupils across the school, and welcomed Oliver Sinden, the President of the Old Shebbearians Association, to the Senior School events, whilst the Prep School were joined by guest speaker Pete Twyman. We also paid a tribute to Mike Saltmarsh, who has just retired as our Chair of Governors after 28 years, and welcomed Nick Buckland OBE as our new Chair. Congratulations to all our Prize Winners and well done to all of our musicians.
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Form 5 Ball
Form 5 celebrated the end of their GCSE exams in style with a formal ball held at The Pier House in Westward Ho! A fantastic chance to relax and unwind with their friends after all that hard work. We think you’ll agree, they all looked very well turned out!
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This year has almost felt ‘normal’? With only temporary periods of online learning, we have been able to progress in a more traditional fashion and our academic opportunities, social events and sports fixtures have been brought back to the fore - a much welcomed return for both staff and pupils.
As ever, our Sixth Formers have led the school in true Shebbearian style, putting themselves forward as excellent role models for the younger pupils and taking every challenge and opportunity in their stride. Our Upper Sixth pupils have shifted through the gears seamlessly throughout the year, ending with a challenging exam season which they have all handled exceptionally well - especially given that this has been their first proper experience of public examinations. Academically we have seen some fantastic achievements this year including success in both Chemistry and Physics Olympiads and the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge. I must make special mention of Niall in Upper Sixth who, having taken part in the Maths Challenge, qualified for the Senior Kangaroo, where he narrowly missed out on a merit. Niall has also been running an activity for gifted and talented mathematicians in Forms 1-3, ably assisted by James. As one of the liaison schools of the Physics Review
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magazine, our A-Level Physicists had the opportunity to preview articles and give general feedback on the publication - a fantastic opportunity for them all. We have also enjoyed several trips during the year, including a memorable visit to Sandy Park for the Economics and Business pupils as well as the UCAS fair in Exeter which was extremely valuable for the Lower Sixth. Our Upper Sixth pupils have been deciding on their futures with many receiving offers to study a range of subjects at top universities including Liverpool, Bristol, UCL, Nottingham and many more. Others have chosen a different path - a fantastic example of this being Sam, who has secured a place on KPMG’s prestigious apprenticeship programme - what a great achievement. Music and Theatre have been brought back to life this year after the restrictions of Covid, with many of our Sixth Formers getting back on stage at our Performing Arts Christmas and Easter
Showcases, as well as some absolutely fantastic performances at our Gig Night in February - including songwriter Mitzi who performed her latest track and Niamh who sung a stunning version of a song by Ashe. The main event of the year, however, was our school production of Grease in March which saw many of our Sixth Formers securing lead roles - including Nathan and Charlotte who made an unforgettable Danny and Sandy! On the sports field we had some great results in football, beating Clifton High School in the Society of Heads Cup, and rugby, includintg the 1st XV tour to Rencomb, when they played fiercely against demanding competition. The Sevens team got a few run-arounds and I think they realised how demanding the sport is, whilst Connor in Upper Sixth was selected to play for the England Lambs - a fantastic achievement. Cricket has been welcomed this term, particularly by our new Bajan cricket all star Achilles - who has had a successful season both at school and playing for Hatherleigh Cricket Club - as well as athletics: this year we held Sports Day before the exams started, meaning that our Upper Sixth could be a part of the event for the first time in quite a few years, with it being traditionally held nearer the end of term in June or July. Congratulations to the four Sixth Formers that completed the Ten Tors 45 Mile Challenge in May
- Roy, Felix, James and Niamh - who were joined by Sophie and George in Form 5 to form the team and did exceedingly well, finishing in excellent time. Socially, we have been able to run our normal events again, starting with a Ceilidh in the Michaelmas Term - great fun and a real bonding experience for everyone. We also enjoyed a fantastic quiz night with the Sanctuary providing some funny yet topical questions, impressively showing an engagement with current affairs and some cultural capital to boot! A Christmas meal at Woodford Bridge was a fantastic way to celebrate the end of term. In the Lent term we attended the new House Dinners which were a really good chance for the older and younger pupils to mix within their Houses - there were some brilliant speeches from our Heads of House. In March we saw the long awaited return of our formal Rounsefell Dinner when we frequented the lovely Tawstock House (more on this later) and we rounded the year off with the Upper Sixth Leavers’ Dinner - a fantastic send off after exams. We say goodbye to our outgoing Sanctuary Team: Bella, Harrison, Michael, Niall, Lauren and Ben who have been an absolute credit to Shebbear College, and we welcome a new team for 2022-23. Roy and Jack are our Heads of School, assisted by our Heads of House, Niamh (Pollard), Mitzi (Ruddle), Will (Thorne) and Charlotte (Way). Congratulations to them all and I know that they will bring a huge amount to these roles. Mr Wilson Sixth Form Coordinator
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Bella & Harrison Heads of School 2021-22
pupils up and down the school and to make the Sanctuary team something to aspire to be a part of. Part of doing this is being open and approachable to everyone and taking the time to listen and talk to pupils. What were the highlights of the year? Were you expecting to be voted in as Heads of School? Bella - I didn’t expect to be voted in as Head of School because I was up against my classmates who were just as capable. I found out in an economics lesson and I felt a mixture of excitement and pride. Harrison - I was quite surprised as there was tough competition and plenty of capable candidates. I felt very proud when I found out but also ready and eager to work with the rest of the Sanctuary team to implement our ideas. What are your main responsibilities in this role? Bella - There is a huge range, including student representation, tours and speeches on behalf of the school, coordinating the Sanctuary Team, overseeing School Council and attending official functions. A role I wanted to make a priority when I became Head of School was the wellbeing of pupils and I have tried to be accessible to everyone as a Mental Health Ambassador. Harrison - Our roles are quite diverse with lots to do from attending and speaking at school events to leading meetings for Sanctuary and School Council. For me one of the most important responsibilities is acting as strong role models for
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Bella - There have been so many highlights, but the ones that have stood out to me have been attending the OSA dinner in London, captaining the 1st Hockey team and attending the Roundsfell dinner. The dinner was a lovely chance to dress up in black tie - especially as we missed our Form 5 Prom because of Covid! Harrison - There are many moments that stand out to me but some of my favourites were both the Rounsfell and OSA dinners and the Rugby Sevens tournament at Rendcomb. It was a really nice way to end the season and a final chance to play rugby with my classmates. And the worst parts? Bella - Personally the worst part of this year has been the uncertainty - times of Covid, learning away from school and going into my A-Level exams having never sat public exams. Harrison - This year has been challenging for a number of reasons, but the most difficult part for me was the build up towards A-Level exams and all of the stress that comes with that but I’m sure that all of the hard work will have paid off! What subjects have you been studying in the Sixth Form and how have you juggled school work with your Sanctuary duties?
Bella - I have been studying A-Level Geography, English Literature and Economics, and completed an EPQ in Lower Sixth. School work has been busy, but the Head of School is such an important role so I have made sure I have been organised enough to keep on top of both. Good organisation skills are a really important part of being in the Sanctuary team!
Harrison - I have really enjoyed the independence that we are given in Sixth Form. It has been a great opportunity to learn new skills but also to enjoy time with friends and classmates. Sixth form has also been a time for looking towards the future and I feel that it has really prepared me to move forward into the wider world.
Harrison - I have studied A-Level English Literature, Biology and Chemistry. A-Levels are demanding so time management is a key skill I’ve had to use and develop over the course of the year to be able to balance everything. This skill has been really useful to me and I’m sure I’ll need it a lot more in the future.
What is your best memory from Shebbear College?
What are your plans for the future?
Harrison - My favourite memory of my time at Shebbear was beating West Buckland by a point in a very hard fought rugby match! It was a great end to my first season as part of the 1st XV.
Bella - I have been offered a place to study Global Humanitarian Studies at University College London and my insurance offer is from The University of Leeds to study International Development. With either of these degrees there is the opportunity to either convert to Human Rights Law or take up a career in Humanitarian Aid. Harrison - Over the next year I will be travelling as much as possible to a variety of different places. I’m hoping to couple my travelling with plenty of volunteering work and memorable experiences. After this I will be applying to university to do a healthcare orientated degree with the aim to have a career in the NHS in the future.
Bella - My best memories have been the Barbados Sports Tour in Form 2 and crossing the line twice in the 35 mile Ten Tors!
What advice would you give the next Sanctuary team? Bella - My advice would be to share the duties equally between the team and be approachable to the other pupils because you never know when someone might need you. Harrison - My advice would be to work together and to make the most of the opportunity to represent the school and put your ideas into practice as the time flies by very quickly!
What have you enjoyed most about your time in the Sixth Form? Bella - I have enjoyed being able to make new friends and studying independently. Sixth Form has given me the opportunity to study subjects I am interested in, whilst exploring the possibilities for the future.
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set of A-Level ned an outstanding Our Class of 2021 gai rate of 100% and s pas a h wit r me t sum and BTEC results las university. 63% of ice cho ir ces at the all pupils securing pla ning A* - B. gai 83% ir A-Levels with achieved A* - A in the elled. Pupils went exc o als ns atio lific qua Those studying BTEC versities. on to a range of uni
2021
UNIVERSITY DESTINATIONS University of Surrey
Physics with Nuclear Astrophysics
Aberystwyth University
University of Nottingham
Mechanical Engineering
Queen Mary University of London
University of Southampton
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Queen’s University, Belfast
Bristol University of West of England University of Bristol University of Southampton
English and Film Studies Medicine
University of Exeter
Ancient History
English
University of Exeter
English and Film and TV Studies
Aeronautics and Astronautics/ Spacecraft Engineering Business Management
University of Southampton
Acoustical Engineering
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Comparative Literature
Business Management and Leadership
University of Aberdeen
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Anglia Ruskin University
Marketing
Oxford Brookes University Cardiff University Loughborough University University of Winchester
Psychology Computer Science English and Sport Science Film Production
A BRIGHT FUTURE AHEAD - FOR -
NIALL
Outgoing Head of Ruddle House, Niall in Upper 6th, won four prizes at our recent Celebration Evening including the Kenneth Isaac Staff Prize for Academic Work, the David Hodges Memorial Prize for investigative work in Mathematics and an Upper Sixth Academic Prize. As one of our top achieving students here at Shebbear College, Niall has contributed greatly to the school, particularly in the areas of STEM - gaining top scores in the UKMT Maths Challenges and the British Physics Olympiads as well as setting up a popular Maths Society for younger pupils - and Drama, with some memorable performances, top LAMDA marks and successful Youth Speaks competitions. Niall joined Shebbear in Form 3 and has just taken his A-Levels in Maths, Further Maths, Physics and History. We spoke to him about his time at Shebbear College. What are you passionate about? I’m very passionate about maths, and in particular getting other students to develop a love for maths like I have. I also enjoy drama and public speaking, and have taken part in numerous plays as well as Youth Speaks competitions and LAMDA exams. What’s one word to describe you? I’d probably have to say driven as I’m always determined to improve in my subjects. What inspires you and why? My main inspiration is the opportunity to improve and the thought of how it will feel to be successful in my
A-Levels and in the future. I also find the story of the mathematician Ramanujan very inspiring, as he was able to achieve a lot in maths despite having no formal education. You were recently awarded several prizes at the Celebration Evening and have consistently been one of the school’s highest achievers over the years - what would you say has been your biggest achievement at Shebbear College? I’d probably say my biggest achievement was my GCSE results, where I got 12 9s and an 8. Another big achievement was earning three Grade 8s in different LAMDA exams. I’m also happy to have got gold awards in maths and physics challenges as well as winning the David Hodges Memorial Prize for Mathematics three times, which I hope reflects my contribution to maths at the school. What do you enjoy most about school? One of the main things I enjoy about school is the opportunity to learn more, particularly in the Sixth Form when I have the chance to delve deeper into subjects that I’m already interested in. As I mentioned, I want to pass on a love for maths so I’ve really enjoyed setting up a couple of different maths activities. I also really like the community feel of Sixth Form and being able to use the Sixth Form Centre. How did you feel about being voted at Head of House for Ruddle and what responsibilities has this brought with it? I was very proud to have been appointed Head of Ruddle. The main responsibilities include coordinating common room duties among the house prefects, organising events within the house and speaking at school events as a member of the Sanctuary. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know younger members of Ruddle and I hope I’ve provided a positive role model for them.
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In March our Upper and Lower Sixth Formers had the opportunity to dress up in black tie for the formal Rounsefell Dinner, this year held at Tawstock Court near Barnstaple. It was the perfect setting for such a prestigious event, with beautiful panoramic views and an impressive interior. Sixth Form pupils and tutors enjoyed a three course meal followed by entertainment from Rushwood & Co. The night was very much enjoyed by everyone, and, as well as being a lot of fun, was also a useful experience in dining etiquette for our soon to be fully fledged adults!
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OLD SHEBBEARIANS’ ASSOCIATION President’s Report 2021-22
As the world comes back to normal, the Old Shebbearians Association hopes not just to return to pre-pandemic activity, but to move forward into the hybrid future. The OSA can connect Old Shebbearians in the physical and digital realms.
We have all had a very unusual couple of years, and the OSA is no different. Without being able to gather in person, we had to move online. The 2021 Annual Reunion Dinner was the first in history to be purely held on the internet. A virtual dinner was created and premiered on YouTube. This was a huge success with Old Shebbearians outside of the UK for whom attending the dinner in London is not straightforward. This year we were able to hold a Reunion Dinner in person, which in another first was live-streamed for the benefit of those who could not be there. The lockdown experience has taught us all that the Internet can be a power for good when it comes to staying in touch with those who are physically distant, and the OSA aims to expand its digital activity to ensure that the Associations remains relevant to its members wherever they may be, and however they might wish to interact with us. At the dinner I was handed my badge of office by outgoing president, Dick Corbett-Winder, to whom I must pay tribute for his outstanding contribution to the OSA, serving for two years to tide us over the enforced interruption to normal proceedings. We can perhaps describe him as the FDR of the OSA - though we are not intending to change the constitution as a result of his legacy. Many thanks to Dick for his significant contribution to the Association.
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I have always been interested in technology and computing, and my time at Shebbear helped to nurture that interest. Many happy hours were spent in the Computer Room in Beckly Wing, which at that time was under the stewardship of Shebbear legend Bud Thornley. I am led to believe the Computer Room is still in this same location; however with some minor differences since my time. While so much of Shebbear College has changed since I left the school, with shiny new buildings and incredible facilities replacing some of the slightly worse-for-wear structures in use in the 1990s, it is pleasing to learn that some things do not change. Of course, the equipment inside that computer room is utterly different. Indeed, computers and technology are now a de facto part of every school subject, rather than something that is experienced only in one particular location. During my time as a student, mental arithmetic tests were dropped from the Mathematics curriculum. After being told for years that “you won’t always have a calculator in your pocket”, I now carry a mobile phone with more power than all of the PCs in Bud Thornley’s computer room combined. The generation of students completing their education at Shebbear today is used to technology being always at hand, and integrated deeply into everyday life.
The OSA recognizes that, to stay relevant, and serve its newest members now leaving the College, it must embrace and engage with this technology. I hope that, during my year as President, we can continue the great work of the recent years and develop a greater digital presence for the organisation. Social media has a huge influence and significance in modern life, for better or worse. The OSA can use it to keep its members informed of events and news easily, as well as assist Shebbear alumni to maintain, renew or create connections between them, for career development purposes, social reasons, or even just good old-fashioned nostalgic reminiscing of the “good old days” when it was uphill both ways to lessons and “heating” was something that existed only in legend and fairytale. I’m sure many such stories were traded at the recent reunion at the College of the class of 1974, who were given a guided tour by stalwart OSA-College liaison Amy Bernstone.
was a lovely evening at Tawstock Court, and it was great to have the opportunity to meet the current Sixth Form students (and future OSA members), as well as to give them a brief introduction to the organisation and its purpose. Also I was deeply impressed with the commitment and professionalism of the College staff, who clearly deeply care about their students and made sure everything went smoothly. I returned to the school for the Celebration Evenings recently and look forward to future engagements in my capacity as President.
My term as President has only begun recently, but I have already had the pleasure of attending the Rounsefell dinner in March. This
Oliver Sinden
The OSA is always looking for volunteers to help in any capacity. I would encourage any members who feel they can contribute to the organisation to get in touch. These are exciting times for the Association as it adapts to the post-Covid world. I have faith that it can continue to thrive in 2022 and beyond.
OSA President
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REUNION DINNER 2022
osa
A wonderful time was had by all at the Old Shebbearians’ Association 114th Annual Reunion Dinner, held at the RAF Club in Mayfair, with alumni from a wide range of ages in attendance. After a two year break, due to Covid, it was clear to see how happy people were to be able to get dressed up in their formal attire and catch up with both friends and previous teachers - a fantastic atmosphere!
Head Girl and Boy, Bella and Harrison gave excellent speeches about their Shebbear College experiences, and, having missed out on an ‘in person’ dinner last year, Samuel and Poppy, Head Boy and Girl from 2020-21, also gave a speech - it was fantastic to see them, now as Old Shebbearians!
The OSA is lucky enough to be able to hold the Reunion Dinners at the prestigious RAF Club each year, giving everyone a real sense of a special occasion and providing outstanding food and service. The oldest Shebbearian in attendance joined the school in 1955 but the cohort this year was weighted towards the ‘younger Old Shebbearians’ with many pupils attending who have left in the last 5 - 10 years. Our current
Mrs Kirby gave an update on the school and how we have navigated the challenges of the last two years and OSA President, Dick Corbett-Winder reflected on being the only president to have been in office for two years before handing over the president’s chain to Oliver Sinden.
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ATTENDEES Hugh Milner 1955-1961
Michael Hayley 2010-2014
Philip Daniel 1958-1966
Hana Fletcher 2010-2015
Michael Tucker 1959-1967
Sam Westlake 2010-2015
Chris Blencowe 1961-1968
Matthew Hill 2010-2017
James Hancock 1962-1967
Patrick Marks 2010-2017
Lester Bird 1975-1980
Ellie Bird 2010-2017
Simon Norman 1981-1988
Harry Dymond 2010-2017
Jon Sanders 1981-1985
Niamh Martin 2010-2017
Jonathan Mabson 1981-1988
William Cox 2010-2017
Edd Jones 1995- 2002
Lois Barker 2010-2017
Oliver Sinden 1995-2002
Julius Gemmel 2011-2014
Kieron Bryan 1995-2002
Joe Gobara 2011-2015
Benjamin Welby 1995-2002
Salah Gobara 2011-2015
Dale Snowdon 1995-2002
Joe Furber 2012-2014
Stefan Duda 1998-2005
Saskia Weale 2012-2014
Robert Wade 1998-2005
Ru Mills 2012-2017
Luke Whattler 1998-2007
Rhiou Thomas 2013-2017
Sarah Gardener 2003-2005
Eloise Maxa 2013-2017
Marie Manthorpe 2003-2005
Samuel Odlin 2014-2021
Ben Parker 2004-2016
Poppy Daniel 2015-2021
Richard Dymond 2006-2013
Bess Scambler 2016-2021
Harry Scambler 2007-2017
Bella Richards Head Girl
Seb Hockridge 2008-2013
Harrison Mitchell Head Boy
Tom Scantlebury 2008-2013
Guests
Sarah Penny 2008-2014
Caroline Kirby
George Daniel 2008-2015
Robert Kirby
Will Murch-Seage 2008-2015
Lisa Parker
Phil Mahoney 2008-2016
Amy Bernstone
Lucy Taylor 2008-2017
Dick Corbett Winder
Harley Foster 2008-2017
Andy Bryan
Chris Hugo 2009-2014
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Barbados Cricketers – The story so far Having been the person who instigated the plan to bring young cricketers from Barbados to Shebbear College, I feel that it is time to thank both the College and the OSA for their support over the past 13 years. Having been involved in a good number of tours during my twenty years at Shebbear – from football trips to Europe, rugby (courtesy of Bob Barnes) to Canada and cricket to Kent - in 2009, the first cricket tour to Barbados was to be my swansong. Following that tour, I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to invite a young man called Kyle Franklin to come to Shebbear for the summer of 2010 – he had been recommended by Trevor Alleyne who coached one of the clubs that we had played against on the island. The arrangement proved to be a huge success – Kyle took 5-14 in his first match against a fairly strong club side – Hatherleigh – a local club which itself would have a large part to play over the ensuing years, in helping to give the boys as much cricket as possible during their stay. Having been given the opportunity to continue working at Shebbear – first by Bob Barnes and then by Simon Weale – and more importantly to run a Barbados tour every two years until 2019, it was crucial that the OSA would continue to support the project and cover the travel costs of those who were recommended to spend time at Shebbear. With very few exceptions, the contribution made by those who have come to Shebbear has been outstanding and apologies if I select just four to mention – largely because of their success, both during their time at College and since they have returned home. Fourteen year old Sian Brathwaite helped the College U15s to win the Devon Cup at Exmouth – scoring a wonderful century in the final, as well as performing at the highest level for the 1st XI. It was good to hear that
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quite recently, when England were in the West Indies for a T20 series, he scored 23 not out for Barbados in a warm up game against England. Rivaldo Clarke came to England as a 12 year old, only because I had seen him playing at the Wanderers ground for his club and I managed to speak with his father who was keen for him to get as much experience as possible in order to help develop his cricketing skills. He proved to be a great asset – playing for teams at three age group levels as well as the 1st XI. It was great to see that he made it into the U19s West Indies team for the World Cup held earlier this year – an outstanding wicket keeper and batsman. Then, more recently, came Romario Brathwaite, who approached me after one of the tour matches asking for a chance to come to Shebbear. Unfortunately, I had to disappoint him because we had already offered a place to someone else, but Romario was not to be deterred and kept in touch and came the following year – again a huge success, culminating in his performance against a strong M.C.C. side taking 6-21 and helping the 1st XI to their first win against this prestigious side. It didn’t end there either, as Romario has just completed a two year scholarship at Scarborough College and I am sure will go on to play cricket at a high level. As I have said, these were just four of the boys who have enjoyed the experience of a summer of cricket in England and have certainly helped to ensure that Shebbear can still compete against some of the bigger schools on their fixture list. I just hope that it can continue and would like to again thank both the OSA and College for their support. I should also mention the present Bajan cricketer who was due to come to Shebbear in 2020 but the pandemic made that impossible and when, at the start of 2021, it didn’t happen either, Achilles was offered the chance to come to Shebbear for a full year from September 2021 – an opportunity he has grasped with both hands, earning high praise from all staff for his full immersion into Shebbear College - in his academic studies, sporting commitment and life in the boarding house. Andy Bryan OSA
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From Shebbear to Shimla Reflections by Simon Weale, former Head of Shebbear College.
We moved to India in January 2020. It had meant to be a fairly simple transition. I finished at Sheb on 31st August 2019 and it was originally intended that I would start my new post as Director of Bishop Cotton School, Shimla on 1st November. A bit of packing and lots of golf was the plan, however, there are always a few bumps in the road and the intricacies of obtaining a visa meant that we didn’t move before the New Year.
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Rebecca and I landed in Delhi with eight suitcases (the rest of our possessions were put in storage) and Delilah aged eight. Delilah was blissfully happy at Shebbear Prep so a major challenge was to get her settled. The other immediate issue was the cold – not always associated with India, but Shimla is at 6500ft above seA-Level (over two thousand feet higher than Ben Nevis) and when we got here we were welcomed by a blanket of snow. Most Indian buildings don’t have central heating and the Victorian house we moved into was one of them. Shimla was the summer capital of the British Empire in India. Once winter passed it became clear why – for most of the summer, Delhi cooks in the high thirties, by contrast the weather here is mostly like a glorious Devon spring day with ski holiday blue skies. The only break in this is ‘the Monsoon’ – ours is a little disappointing. Cloudy and damp and only the odd torrential downpour. August is not the time to visit North India unless you are a storm watcher. Shimla is in the foothills of the Himalayas. The British left their mark and the Mall and Ridge in the centre of town has many British designed houses, government buildings and even a church that would not be out of place in any market town in England. Michael Portillo came up on the so-called ‘toy train’ as part of his tv series and Michael Palin acted in the theatre in his. The Brits themselves though are nearly all gone. Shimla is now the capital of Himachal Pradesh – the Himachalis are regarded as some of the calmest and most welcoming Indians. Himachal is known for spectacular mountain tourism and fruit. The introduction of apples here by an American called Stokes was a game changer and ensured many families now enjoy a good income. Most people speak fluent English and the school we have now moved to – a boys’ boarding school - is prized for offering a traditional holistic English-speaking education. We have Houses, Prefects, and we still have inter-house boxing.
In ‘the Hills’, the school year starts in February with the equivalent of GCSEs and A-Levels. The rest of children arriving back for 1st March. So in 2020 we only had two weeks of full school until the world was turned upside down and we had to send everyone home for the lockdown. Indian schools remained shut for the rest of the year and we had to operate online. A challenge for a school with limited technology – the teachers were amazing in keeping things going mostly from mobile phones
and if they get a job chance they cling on to it. With a population of 1.4 billion there is lots of competition and I think this is why Indians are so adaptable and successful wherever they go in the world. Traffic is heavy, driving is frightening (assume nothing) and pollution and litter is omni-present. The other unusual sight, perhaps not to North Devonians, are cows that can pop up anywhere. Many rural families keep a cow, but old cows are regarded as sacred animals and left to wander the streets rather than meet their maker. Eating beef is illegal in the Hindu north of India.
Our campus was a saviour for those locked down inside. Built on four levels on the side of a mountain the highest point is crowned by a magnificent deodar forest. The senior school comprises several heritage buildings including an Edwardian chapel that is as British as any you could imagine. Wildlife is abundant. We have about forty resident monkeys - rhesus macaques who are occasionally challenged by marauding langurs. Mongooses are fairly common as are the nocturnal and surprisingly large flying squirrels. Birds and stunning butterflies visit the gardens in large numbers. The king of the skies is the Himalayan Griffon vulture that cruise over the town. Leopards have been filmed at night on the school cctv – they prey on the numerous stray dogs. Outside the school gates, India has battled the pandemic. In 2021, we were open for most of the year with the exception of the second wave from May-July when India was particularly hard hit. However, the vaccination rollout has been extraordinary and life is much more normal now. The desire to be proactive and entrepreneurial is in the DNA. Life is hard for most people here – they work all hours
As all true Englishmen abroad, I get the Times and Telegraph – online. Cricket is on the tv all the time and yone can stream all serious rugby games. There is a micro-brewery in the town and we have a mountain top golf course -Naldehra. What more could you want? Interestingly most UK friends mention their concerns about the situation over here – it is certainly true that the healthcare system is not a patch on the NHS, but the Indian government has evaded the criticisms of the UK government and the authorities are not to be messed with here. Most people are happy about the leadership they have been given. So it has been quite an adventure so far. Sadly, after 18 months of online classes at her school, we felt it was better for Delilah to go back to school in the UK near her grandmother in East Anglia which means that all three of our Old Shebbearian children are living on another continent. However, we get back regularly and at the time of writing we are hopeful of bringing our boys on cricket tour to the UK in June. It has been truly energizing to live in another country and to begin to learn some of the customs. Our Indian friends are amongst the most hospitable and welcoming people we have met. The boys at school enjoy a school day that starts with PT at 0600hrs and ends after prep at 2100hrs. We were hoping to meet many of our friends and relatives who had planned to travel out here – that has not been possible so far, but if you are headed this way just let us know. Simon Weale
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From the
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Archive
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Lucy Taylor a Shebbearian through and through!
We spoke to Old Shebbearian and current member of Shebbear College staff, Lucy, about her memories of school and what she’s up to now. When were you a pupil at Shebbear College? I was a pupil at Shebbear between 2008 and 2017. I started in the Prep School when Mr Barnes was Headmaster. My time at Shebbear was always fun, eventful and overall an invaluable experience that I hope future Shebbearians will have too. I was fortunate to be Head Girl in the Sixth Form which also gave me the opportunity to be involved with lots of different parts of the school. The friendships I made whilst at Shebbear have been the best. I am still friends with so many that I went to school with, and we regularly meet up when we can.
What is your best memory? There are too many! My time in Sixth Form was a highlight. My year was the first group to use the New Sixth Form Centre, which I remember being very exciting. The Rounsefell Dinners in Sixth Form were great fun and always entertaining. The Sixth Form Variety Show and the Fairtrade Fashion Show were jam-packed with fun memories and always brought a sense of community when we were all having fun and inviting people to the school to share the fun. I also have great memories from all the sports fixtures we used to go to, especially when we would beat Kelly College! We went on a fun-packed sports tour to the Caribbean in 2013 which was a lot of fun. Playing netball in the sun with a whole school in St Lucia coming to watch us is an experience that I have not had since. The best thing about having a great friendship group is that we often remind each other of the fun things that we used to get up to whilst at school.
What did you go on to do after Sixth Form? After Sixth Form I went to Cardiff University to study Environmental Geography. Cardiff is an amazing city for university, sport and your social life. The three year course was a lot of fun and let me go abroad to complete field study work in France and Switzerland. Whilst completing my degree I travelled parts of Central America which fuelled my interest in the environment and global geography. P148
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What made you come back to work here? Covid! I had plans to go to Australia in July 2020, however when I was finishing my degree from my bedroom I quickly realised this wasn’t going to be an option. I applied for a residential role at Shebbear which I started in September 2020. I have always had an interest in working with children and in education however I didn’t expect it to be back at Shebbear!
Tell us about your current role. I am currently a boarding matron, where I look after the boarders in the evenings and the weekends, but also support the Health and Wellbeing Centre at Shebbear. Supporting the pastoral care of pupils at the College is a high priority of mine and my aim is to encourage them all to have the best experience possible.
Has the school changed much? Yes! When I started here in 2008 there was no Assembly Hall or Language classroom block, no astro, no new Sixth Form Centre or new Music building. There was an old climbing wall that was practically falling down that has also been taken down. Physically the school has changed but the ethos of Shebbearian character is still here. There is still a buzz around the campus in the summer when everyone is out on the fields playing football, volleyball or cricket. Pupils still try the same sneaky tricks to excuse themselves for being late but similarly many still represent the school proudly when singing Jerusalem or the school song in Chapel. Some things don’t change.
What do you do to relax in your spare time? I am very much an outdoors person, so I am often playing netball, going on walks or on a run. I still catch up with my school friends often, so when I do have some time off I prioritise seeing them either in London and Cardiff, or around Devon and Cornwall. During the school holidays I am often trying to get abroad as much as possible, there is always another holiday around the corner!
What are your plans for the future? From working at Shebbear I have now decided to begin a career in teaching. I wanted to use my Geography degree again and from September I will be teaching Geography at Shebbear College. I have always had an interest in working in the police too so this is still an option in the future.
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A Surprise Reunion Mr Quance had a surprise reunion with Old Shebbearian Neil Osment earlier this year, who he attended Shebbear with in the 1970s. He says: “We had not met since we both left after ALevels. It was purely by accident, I was leaving school on the Inset day and met him taking photos of the entrance with his partner. As I spoke to him we realised who each other were and were both very surprised to meet. I took the opportunity to show him around the school to see some of the changes but also remember some of the old parts such as the dormitory areas now in Pollard common room where he had slept. It was great to meet up and bring back old memories.”
CLASS OF 1974 REUNION On Saturday 24th April the Shebbear College Class of 1974 returned to school after 47 years! OSA liaison secretary, Amy Bernstone delivered a tour of the campus which certainly brought back some memories - how special that so many alumni were able to attend. The group also met up with some of their friends from Edgehill College (now Kingsley School), which was then an all girls’ school in Bideford that evening - a real trip down memory lane!
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Senior Leadership Team Matt Shaw
Bursar
Charlie Jenkins
Senior Deputy Head
Fran Lovett
Deputy Head Pastoral, DSL
Matthew Foale
Head of Prep School
Joanna Conway
Head of Marketing and Admissions
Chaplain Revd. Donna Leigh
House Staff
OUR STAFF 2021 - 22
Governors Mike Saltmarsh
Chairman (Retired July 22)
Paul Sanders
Vice Chairman
Nick Buckland
Education (Incoming Chair)
Alan Bowes
Finance, Personnel
Lester Bird
Health & Safety
Hugh Munro
Nominations
Revd. Simon Leigh
Safeguarding
Chris Deakes
Pollard Housemaster (Boarding)
Stuart Clewley
Ruddle Housemaster
Nick Law
Thorne Housemaster
Claire Cardoo
Way Housemistress
Charlotte Woods
Senior Matron
Lucy Taylor
Assistant Matron
Angela Hawkins
Day Matron
Luke Wilson
Resident Tutor and Sixth Form Coordinator
Rebecca Barber
Graduate Assistant
Nathan Fouche
Graduate Assistant
Prep School Staff Matthew Foale
Head of Prep/ Prep 6 Teacher
Ruth Shaw
Prep 5 Teacher
Sam Willetts
Prep 3 & 4 Teacher
Di Jones
Prep 1 & 2 Teacher
Hetty Thompson
Reception Teacher
Katie Tibble
Reception Teacher
Karen Clarke
Prep School Academic Support
Laura Emmerson
Prep School Teaching Assistant
Kelly Henderson
Prep School Teaching Assistant
Senior School Teaching Staff Rebecca Sadler-Smith
Head of Creative, Digital & Performing Arts (Music)
Liz Priest
Harjit Kaur
Art
Melissa Richards
Dixie Appleton-Wahl
Art
Andrew Orchard
Kevin Parker
Music (Maternity cover)
Julian Pomroy
Drama
Stuart Clewley
Head of Science (Physics)
Chris Deakes
Biology, Chemistry
Head Caroline Kirby
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George Drake
Chemistry, Biology
Cecilia Hall
Housekeeping
Charlotte Richardson
Biology
Lisa James
Housekeeping
Craig Banyard
Head of Digital Learning
Karen Lewis
Housekeeping
Claire Cardoo
Head of Maths
Trish Parkinson
Housekeeping
Andrew Quance
Maths, Woodwork
Christine Phillips
Housekeeping
Lisa Parker
Head of Assessment, Maths, Music
Felicity Shamsolahi
Head of English
Catering Staff
Laura Davey
English, Media
Judith Aliberti
Head of MFL, Head of Horizons
Liz Garnett
MFL, Examinations Officer
Robert Kirby
MFL, EAL, Head of International Admissions
Christine Fanet
Spanish, Librarian
Robin Giles
Head of Sport and Outdoor Education, Maths
Kate Burges
PE, Geography
Nicholas Chandler
PE (Maternity cover), Humanities
Nick Law
PE, History
Ed Grey
Head of Humanities
Dr Ed Fox
History, RS
Luke Wilson
Adam Gould
Catering Manager
Mandy Ager
Catering Assistant
Jane Elliott
Catering Assistant
Paula Evans
Catering Assistant
Pauline Hancock
Catering Assistant
Karen Hutchings
Catering Assistant
Pippa Mobsby
Catering Assistant
Ellen Perrin
Catering Assistant
Celia Priest
Catering Assistant
Michelle Taylor
Catering Assistant
Cara Evans
Catering Assistant
Maintenance and Grounds Staff Mark Skinner
Head of Maintenance
Mike Douglas
Groundsman
History, RS
Steve Booker
Maintenance (Plumber)
Jamie Sanders
Head of Additional Learning Needs, PE
Matt Hopkins
Maintenance
Sara Chappell
Academic Support
Minibus Drivers
Non Teaching Staff
Tony Smith
Minibus Driver
Laura Clewley
Compliance Manager
Ruth White
Minibus Driver
Finance Manager
Richard White
Minibus Driver Minibus Driver
Gemma Cawsey
Finance Assistant
Jeanette Whiting
Venetia Hooton
Finance Assistant
Peripatetic Staff
Alison Reed
Finance Assistant
Adrian Edwards
Brass
Nuala Derwin
Finance Assistant
Emma Jose
Flute
Andrea Stairs
PA to Head and Operations Manager
Alexander Duncan
Guitar
Amy Bernstone
Receptionist
Val Skull
Guitar
Emily Fenwick
Registrar
Vanessa McCarty
LAMDA
Robert Kirby
Head of International Admissions
Owen Marriott
Percussion
Dr Kylan Stray
School Doctor
Ruth Cornish
Piano
Louise Newton
Science Technician
Stephen Smith
Saxophone
Gemma Dufty
Housekeeping Staff Rebecca Constable
Head of Housekeeping
Ruth Burton
Housekeeping
Jeanette Curno
Housekeeping
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Rebecka Slater-Lyons
Singing
Carina Smith
Strings
info@shebbearcollege.co.uk
