SENIOR SCHOOL DEPARTMENTAL REVIEWS

ART & Design

This year’s Art & Design report is a little different - a farewell from Mr Barlow who is retiring this year.

“A lump of wet clay can be easily deformed. It can be thinned and extended into a clay wall; it can be pulled out into an unsupported form until the extension collapses under its own weight. If wet clay is piled on wet clay, the clay at the bottom of the pile will begin to flow. Wet clay can be pushed around with the fingers, or scored and scraped with a pointed or curved tool or stamped. If the clay is left in the open air, it will slowly harden. If the amount of clay is large enough it will develop cracks which extend throughout the body of the clay. This can be seen when mud dries in summer heat. Most strange of all is that if this soft, enticingly malleable substance is subjected to large amounts of energy in the form of heat, it is metamorphosed into hard and brittle substances ranging from porous earthenware to impermeable porcelain. I feel a child’s education is like the shaping and firing of clay, in the hope of forming the desirable traits of a caring person.

Part of my own art education started in the Parish of Shebbear in the early 1980s, when I was training as a production potter under the tutorship of Clive Bowen. I had many enjoyable days throwing pots with him and later with William Marshall, both having strong connections with that most famous of potters, Bernard Leach who placed ceramics on the world stage, equal to that of painting and sculpture.

After teaching at Harrow for the first sixteen years and then St Georges in Vancouver, I moved on to become a PGCE lecturer training teachers. I exhibited in London, including the RA, and had the privilege of working with the British Museum on a Eurasian sarcophagus from the Roman Empire 250 to 150 BC. However, my main love was spending many happy evenings working on stage sets with such actors as Peter O`Toole. Who would have thought I would come full circle and spend my last years of my teaching career back in sunny Shebbear.

Over this time my educational philosophies and practices have remained basically the same (Chalk and Talk). With a focus on setting high standards, I believe in encouraging children to become independent thinkers in order to achieve excellent exam results. With three terms to go before I retire, I thought of a gentle roll-down, watching cricket and absorbing the sounds of children playing and listening to those classical old hymns from Chapel as they floated on the morning air. What can I say, the carpet was whipped away from under my feet!

Lockdown fear set in, having never done any online shopping or joined any social network. Whilst my younger colleagues were talking fluently about Google Meet, Google Classroom, webinars, Space time / Face time and tech speak like wuu2, btw and gm, I had not got a clue what was going on. I was lost after thirty plus years of teaching and no longer in control. My pupils became the masters and I the pupil.

Having grown up with threepenny bits (3d) a brass 12 sided coin, sixpences, shillings and crowns, at age ten I had to quickly learn that 5p was equal to 12 old pennies or one shilling/a florin, that 240 copper pennies was equal to £1 and that 30 cm was now a foot. At sixty, looking back at the switch to decimalisation, I felt I could embrace this online teaching and learn a new skill or two. My pupils were very helpful in aiding me through this technology. I felt positive once more and slightly proud of my newly acquired skills proving it’s never too late to learn. It got me thinking how technology has impacted on teaching and learning and how the internet has made it possible to accomplish things that were not even dreamed about before its birth.

In the end however, for all the online teaching both pupils and I very much welcomed the return to the smell of paint and the face to face interaction of the art rooms where one could feel the creativity in the air and talent could blossom. As you can see from the photographs (also included later on in the magazine) the pupils have managed to produce some outstanding work during these difficult times.

Personally my happiest times at Shebbear have been working on stage sets and seeing our pupils treading the boards with enthusiasm. As a teacher I am very proud knowing every pupil I have taught has passed their art exam with the majority achieving a grade B or above.

My thanks and best wishes go to all those pupils I have taught over the years and I hope that in some small way art has enriched their lives.

Mr Barlow Head of Art

ART: PREP 1 - FORM 2

It has been a wonderfully creative year in lower school Art, both online, and then thankfully, back at school. I would like to express my gratitude to parents for being the most fantastic stand-in art assistants to their prolific and enthusiastic offspring with their fabulous artwork over lockdown. You made it all possible!

Since getting back to school, it has been a whirlwind of creativity in every conceivable medium and technique in the Prep School, with the children throwing themselves into every project with confidence and joy. At a young age, the focus is on feeding the natural creativity of children, inspiring their interest in the subject and opening their eyes to the endless possibilities of Art. Creativity, collaboration, thinking imaginatively, problem solving, dexterity and empowerment through achieving an ‘I can’ mentality are hugely important attributes for life and natural byproducts of our varied (and messy) explorations of Art in all its diversity. In allowing the children the time and opportunity to express their ideas and personalities in their own way, we encourage individuality and celebrate the differences between us, while along the way, honing their skills in numerous techniques.

Across the Prep School year groups we have used paint, collage, mosaic, ink and wash drawings, both oil and chalk pastels, watercolour, print-making, clay, mixed media, sculpture, charcoal, bottle top and miscellaneous object creations, illustration and graphic design. Themes have included birds, forests, cubism, folk art, Mexican art, totem poles, weather, seascapes, the NHS, Cezanne, Fauvism, Surrealism, portraiture, Picasso, cave art, landscapes and the Loch Ness monster!

Years 1 and 2 have painted, glued and decorated everything that didn’t run away and Years 3 and 4 have explored the theme of birds in all of the above mediums to demonstrate the almost infinite ways a subject matter can be tackled. Year 5 have thoroughly experimented with painting techniques and composition, working up to huge collaborative works of art on natural themes. Year 6 have explored portraiture, both visually and through personality, character and individual thoughts and feelings. They have been encouraged to express the introspections which, in this year of unforeseen events and approaching transition, have inevitably become part of their world view. The children are a delight to work with, bringing endless energy, enthusiasm, creativity and cheerfulness to my classroom.

Form 1 have been working on still life through various projects, learning about colour, painting techniques and observational drawing and with particular reference to the work of Van Gogh. Form 2 have been working on landscapes, with paint, oil pastel and pen and ink as well as developing their observational drawing skills.

It has been a challenging year for all of us, but we have bounced back with characteristic resilience, optimism and happiness and everyone has been a great pleasure to teach. I think we have all realised how much we appreciate being at school!

Mrs. Appleton-Wahl Art Teacher, Prep School and Forms 1 & 2

Computer Science

Computer Science is at the heart of the fourth industrial revolution which is a fundamental change to the way that we live, work and relate to one another. This has arguably been accelerated by the challenges that the pandemic has brought to all of us. The pupils were resilient and their computer literacy skills were put to the test not only in Computer Science but across the board while learning from home.

During the Michaelmas term Forms 1 - 3 explored e-safety topics including ‘You and your Data’, ‘Online Reputation’, ‘Social Engineering’ and ‘Malicious Software’. These topics have allowed all pupils to use devices that are connected to the internet safely and effectively, whilst empowering them to speak to parents or teachers about anything they’re concerned about. In the second half of the term the focus was on developing their programming skills. Form 1 focused on web-based languages, HTML and JavaScript, producing their own emojis; Form 2 designed and developed their own websites and Form 3 produced a noughts and crosses game in Python. The Lent term started in lockdown where the pupils spent their days in front of the computer engaged in remote learning. During this time it was a great chance for them to use technology as a creative outlet and documenting tool. Each week they were tasked with a number of challenges, for example, photography mosaics, exploring shot types, documenting their workspace and film making.

The GCSE pupils explored a range of topics from Algorithms, Programming Techniques, Computational Logic and Data Representation. In addition to this, they worked on completing their Non-Examined Assessment (NEA) choosing from 3 set tasks which gives them a chance to showcase the practical skills that they have developed over the course of the GCSE. The A-Level pupils have also explored a range of topics from ‘Thinking Abstractly’ to ‘Legal, Social, Ethical and Moral Issues’, as well as completing a Non-Exam Assessment (NEA), where they analyse a problem, design a solution and then develop their solution. This encourages analytical thinking and problem-solving skills. It lays the foundation to study Computer Science, Engineering, Physics or other related fields at further and higher education levels.

Mr Banyard Head of Digital Learning

Drama

The nature of lockdown and Covid has meant that theatre visits have been impossible this academic year. Likewise, lessons in the Memorial Hall with pupils wearing masks has reminded me of the importance of the whole face when it comes to vocal and facial expression. However, we were able to continue with some excellent remote drama sessions. For example, Form 2 pupils wrote some excellent scripts about smuggling and we were treated to some highly creative video clips that others had made of their detective stories.

More recently, it has been a joy to be back to something approaching ‘normal’ drama. As with every walk of life, we have had to adapt and this has resulted in some exciting new approaches. For example, I have been directing a group of sixth-form pupils in a production of the Oscar Wilde play The Importance of Being Earnest. It was decided from the outset that they would like to perform this as an open-air production but the English weather did not play ball in July and this performance will now take place in early September.

The Drama activity group have been working on a murdermystery play, ‘Murder at Kirby Manor’. It has all the hallmarks of a classic ‘whodunnit’: a stately mansion, a Christmas Eve party, a host of implausible suspects and a murder taking place during a power-cut. This has been a great challenge and I have enjoyed coming up with plot-twists with the cast. We were able to perform this to a socially distanced audience at the end of this term and it was a great success - we have some very talented actors in this group!

It seems a long time ago now but just before Christmas when we emerged from the first lockdown, I was able to arrange two performances for audiences in the Prep School. These were distanced and strict guidelines were put in place to ensure the safety of everyone present. However, it was lovely to showcase a Form 1 and 2 version of A Christmas Carol, featuring Albert Odlin as Scrooge. We also devised a play with my Form 4 group which we entitled Fire and Ice. This was a thought-provoking play about the passage of time and the power of a single object

and its ability to unite people and emotions – in this case, the discovery of a long-lost necklace. I was very proud of both plays; not only the quality and commitment of the actors but for reminding me of the power and importance of performance theatre.

I must also make mention of the GCSE and A-Level Drama pupils who have done extremely well to produce some excellent plays in the most difficult of circumstances. This year’s devised themes have included plays about arranged marriage, on-line bullying and living with the effects of Covid. Never let it be said that drama is not up-to-date or topical! I also spent a fabulous afternoon (in the driving rain) with A-Level pupils George and Kynan who chose to perform their naturalistic devised play in an abandoned quarry. Their costume, props and even weapons were authentic to their Celtic drama about two brothers facing the challenge of leadership. The play’ Hope under Stormy Skies’ could not have been more aptly named and it did, indeed, give me hope to work with their skill and dedication – I only wish we could have shared the experience with a wider live audience. I am looking forward to a more normal 2022. What does normal mean? Fully-integrated lessons, whole-school plays with no ‘bubble’ restrictions, performances in the Chapel, audiences coming to see the shows…fingers crossed! After all, if this year has proved one thing to me it is that…the show must go on!

Mr Pomroy Head of Drama

English

We all know that the past two years have been incredibly challenging in a number of ways, but we are pleased to report that despite recent global events pupils at Shebbear have continued to challenge themselves academically (and in an extra-curricular capacity) within the English department.

Exam results last year were robust and impressive. This year’s Form 5 and Upper Sixth have worked extremely hard to demonstrate their abilities and aptitudes. We know that learning from home was an additional challenge, but it also fostered amongst staff and pupils alike a keener sense of what successful independent learning can do for skills and results.

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. New sets of class texts include The Wall by William Sutcliffe, a novel that explores themes such as divided loyalty, identity and justice.

We are very pleased and proud to say that our Upper Sixth A-Level Literature pupils are all continuing their studies of English at university! We wish Poppy, Bridget, Bess, Cameron and Bradley all the very best as they make this exciting move.

The English department would like to extend its sincerest thanks to our PTA group, the Friends of Shebbear College for their funding of the Bookbuzz programme in KS3. This scheme sees every child involved receive a book (free to them) from a wonderfully diverse list of choices. The most popular choices included

City of Ghosts and A Darkness of Dragons – pictured here. We highly recommend picking a copy up, if you can.

In terms of activities, Mrs Shamsolahi’s Film Club has proved a resounding success, with the Trinity Term seeing a focus on modern science fiction films. Members of the club have enjoyed seeing their expectations of the genre subverted in several surprising ways, in films such as Source Code and Edge of Tomorrow. We still have time for more surprises before the end of term!

Youth Speaks continues to flourish under the exemplary tutelage of Mrs Davey, although circumstances have prevented live competition in this academic year. Topics under discussion have included women’s rights, the status of the royal family, treatment of mental health issues, Harry Potter and many more. Pupils learn how to make their debating skills more robust, of course, but also how to respond sensitively to issues that perhaps do not affect them personally. A kinder world is a better world, after all.

Carnegie Shadowing remains a popular extracurricular activity. The 2020 shortlist saw the inclusion of The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta, Nowhere on Earth by Nick Lake, Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black by Marcus Sedgwick and Julian Sedgwick, and Lark by Anthony McGowan, which was the eventual winner. Lark is a lovely, lyrical, short novel, which is essentially a modern answer to Kes, a book many of you will know well. Rest assured that Lark does have a happier ending! The shortlist for 2021 is more diverse than ever, featuring verse novels, short stories, American texts, stories inspired by Russian, Greek and Irish folklore and catering for readers from 8 to 18. The 2021 Shadowing group is very excited about getting to know more about the novels as the term continues. Mrs Shamsolahi is particularly looking forward to reading The Girl Who Became a Tree by Joseph Coelho, a verse novel that explores the myth of Daphne and Apollo.

Breaking news! The whole department is very excited to welcome Mme Fanet back as our new School Librarian; we cannot wait to see how the library will be reinvigorated as a learning space accessible to all.

Finally, we wish Mrs Vassilaki a very fond farewell as she leaves Shebbear for exciting new adventures. Mrs Vassilaki is an outstanding teacher whose impact on pupils has been tremendous.

Mrs Shamsolahi Head of English

Geography

Our Geographers have had a busy time this academic year and, whilst Covid restrictions have meant there has not been an opportunity for fieldwork to take place, there has been plenty of learning taking place both in school and online during lockdown. We have had to explore the world through virtual means, but, thankfully there are some excellent resources for doing this and it was a rare lesson that didn’t use a virtual map or satellite image at the very least.

Form 1 started the Michaelmas term honing their map skills and knowledge of the United Kingdom. As always with map skills, some have great experience already often from Scouts or other outdoor experiences and the challenge is to bring everyone up to the same level of skill - often using those who have a good level of skill to support those who are finding it more of a challenge. After several weeks six figure grid references, cardinal points of the compass, measuring distance and understanding map symbols were all cracked (although several may need a refresher in outdoor education next year!). During lockdown Form 1 learnt about the weather which is a great topic to teach remotely as everyone has some weather taking place in their garden and the opportunity was taken for pupils to move their digital devices outside whenever possible.

Form 2 lapped up the ecosystems topic in the Michalemas term and 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 on YouTube (at times it did feel like a film club!). It is actually a fantastic topic to teach remotely as there are so many online resources and all pupils developed their understanding of the hazards created by volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis. 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. 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; a silver lining in an otherwise prolonged cloud at times. 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.

The Upper Sixth geographers were still able to complete their independent investigations ranging from management of the River Torridge to the impact of the pandemic on Bude; all were interesting and a great deal of effort was clearly invested. From a geography point of view 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 Jenkins and Mr Newitt Geography Department

History

2020-21 has seen many developments which historians in future years will examine with interest. History is not just in the classroom, but also in the world around us. In 1989, a historian published a seminal work with the provocative title ‘The End of History’. In these days of Covid, lockdown, bubbles and ‘anti-vaxxer’ I fear that the future historian will be spoilt for material. So this raises the question do we study the past to ensure we do not repeat its errors? I doubt if we are capable of doing so.

In the younger classes, we had Dr Fox bringing his inimitable style and energy to history lessons. Forms 1 and 2 had a whistle-stop tour of British and World history from reenactments of the battle of Hastings, the gory horrors of the Middle Ages through to the English Civil War and the banning of Christmas. Dr Fox then took the form 3 historians through the up and downs of making of the United Kingdom, the Industrial Revolution (with its social horrors) to the C20th, the World Wars and the Cold War. There were; motte and bailey castles, arrows in the eye, rats, fleas and the Black Death, beating up the Welsh and the Scots by the Hammer known as Edward 1st, Henry (and his many wives) having a spot of trouble with the church, the wonders of the Renaissance. Then Form 3 had; Waterloo, Peterloo, Turnip Townshend, a spot of bother in the Balkans, the horrors of the Western Front, a fools peace at Versailles, the dark days of the 1930s and the darker years of 1939-45, followed by the tension of the Cold War. Who says history is boring?

At GCSE level, Mr Rogers 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. If you want to know more I recommend looking up the details of the C19th surgeon Robert Liston, but not while you are eating!

At A-Level, the Lower 6th learned about the vagaries of late medieval politics and the Tudors, with plenty of attention given to Thomas Cromwell in these days of Mantel mania. The Upper 6th kindly allowed Mr Rogers to wax on at length about the genius of Queen Elizabeth 1st and her ability to both confront and compromise (valuable skills in the modern political environment). The horrors of Stalinist Russia through to the end of the Second World War provided a fascinating contrast for the Upper 6th. They completed some fascinating personal studies (coursework) including the nature of the Anglo-Saxon conquest/ migration in the ‘Dark Ages’, and social and technological revolutions in medieval warfare.

All of the above often involved squinting into laptop screens and poor internet connections! Well done to all GCSE and A-Level historians.

Mr Rogers Head of History

MathEMATICS

December 2020 marked the departure of the then Head of Maths Mr Steve Trask. Mrs Cardoo stepped up to fill the Head of Department position and was finally able to teach in Rounsfell 1, the best classroom in the department!

The Maths department has very much missed the UKMT team challenges this year and nobody more than Niall, our very talented mathematician in the Lower Sixth. He therefore took it upon himself to organise a maths society with branches in various parts of the school. This began as an online activity during the 3rd lockdown for pupils in Forms 3-5, where pupils are presented with particularly tricky problems to solve and encouraged to use all their problem solving skills and mathematical ability to come up with a solution where discussion ensues. Following on from this success, a branch was set up in the Prep School allowing pupils to encounter tough problems and value the process of pen and paper calculations.

The individual UKMT competitions still took place although the Intermediate challenge was sat online which is particularly difficult. Well done to Sebastian in Form 3 who went forward to represent Shebbear College in the Grey Kangaroo and no, I have no idea who thinks up these names! Other results are listed overleaf.

We were delighted to welcome Mr Giles into the maths department in January, although his focus is now sports and outdoor education, Mr Giles is from mathematical roots and we value his expertise in the department.

Mrs Cardoo Head of Maths

SENIORS

Silver - Kynan, Findlay, Jude, Niall Bronze - George, Simon

INTERMEDIATES

Silver - Roy, Adam, Freya, George, Sebastian Bronze - Charlotte, James, Jolyon, Evie, Ben, Sara, Bethany, Jonathan, Emilia, Fin

JUNIORS

Gold - Joseph Silver - Jack

Bronze - Rowan, Terri, Zebedee, Mitch, Jack, Benjamin

Music

The year started with the wonderful news that two of our U6 musicians had successfully gained places to continue their music studies.

Alicia Luddington (A-Level Music Grade A; Piano dip ABRSM, member of Orchestra and Senior Choir), gained a place at the prestigious Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

Utor Wong (A-Level Music grade B; Viola Dip ATCL; Violin Grade 8; Leader of the Orchestra and Senior String Ensemble and member of Senior Choir) gained a place to study music at the internationally renowned Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London.

We wish them well as they follow in the footsteps of many Shebbearian musicians and look forward to hearing of their continued success.

The fifth form pupils achieved excellent results in their GCSE Music exams and have set the bar high for this year’s cohort.

Having spent a challenging Trinity term in lockdown, we were all delighted to return to face to face teaching. With the addition of the yellow and black tape demarcating the areas that we could work within, teachers and pupils alike adapted quickly to the strict Covid rules and despite these challenges, music has continued to thrive.

During the Michaelmas term we saw our first of many streamed performances. Many of these are still available to view on the Shebbear You Tube Channel. Pupils have embraced the opportunity to perform at Head’s Chapel and this has continued throughout the year.

The annual Carol Service had to follow Covid regulations including social distancing and pupil bubbles. So we were delighted to be able to use the Chapel to record our carols. Thank you to our guest organist Mrs Joan Richards for her uplifting renditions of our favourite carols. The department would also like to thank Mr Banyard for all his assistance in creating the finished videos.

Instrumental Exams have taken on a different hue. Pupils can now enter Digital Instrumental Exams. There has been a steady stream of successes throughout the year.

There have been many individual pupil successes this year but particular mention must be made of Mitzi in Form 5, Singer (Grade 8 distinction) and Composer, who released her debut single Trivial in March - a fantastic achievement!

Similarly, Lola, also Form 5, first study Clarinet (Grade 8 Distinction); Violin (Grade 8 Distinction) and Piano has had an exceptional year of success. Firstly by winning the Two Moors Festival, a highly regarded and well established regional competition for outstanding instrumentalists from the South West. As a member of the Junior Royal Academy, Lola also won the Intermediate Woodwind Prize. These accolades demonstrate Lola’s exceptional talent both regionally and nationally.

Mr Parker Head of Music

MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

Despite the challenges of the last 18 months, we had a busy couple of years in the Languages Department. Pre-Covid, regular events continued like ‘Chocolate y churros’, the Spanish Spelling Bee, Student of the Month, and a visit from the theatre production Company ‘Onatti’ who performed a play in Spanish to all MFL pupils. At this time, Brexit dominated much of our thoughts. Discussions were had in the classrooms and we spoke about the changes it would bring to all of our lives.

Of course, the pandemic disrupted much 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 period. The main thing that has been missing this year has been our wonderful visits and trips, and, as a result, this report is a little shorter than it would normally be, with no trips to write about and no pictures to show!

We are delighted to have had two A-Level pupils who went on to use their Spanish; Amy who chose to study Spanish and French at Cardiff University and Revell who went on to study International Relations.

Mrs Aliberti and Mrs Garnett Modern Foreign Languages

Welcome back to Mme Fanet

Our former Head of Modern Foreign Languages, Christine Fanet, departed Shebbear at the end of the 2019-20 academic year to embrace new challenges in France. We are all delighted that she is returning to our school in September as our Librarian and Sixth Form Spanish teacher but Mrs Aliberti and Mrs Garnett have written a few words on her role as Head of MFL.

Christine joined Shebbear as Head of MFL in 2012 and her complete dedication and passion for MFL brought the department into a leading position in the school, where pupils understand the value of learning languages and are enthusiastic and keen. Under Christine’s tenure, the amount of pupils taking both French and Spanish A-Level grew and it became a thriving, motivated department. She was tireless in her support for linguists of all kinds and encouraged many native speakers to take GCSE and A-Level examinations in their own tongues, supporting them with resources, time and expertise. As well as French and Spanish, pupils have taken exams in Italian, Chinese- both Cantonese and Mandarin - and German.

Christine is a passionate believer in early years’ language learning and built up the provision in the Prep School so there was a seamless transition from Year 6 into Form 1.

Christine introduced many events and traditions to the MFL department, like chocolate and churros, the annual visit of a Spanish and French theatre company, taking part in a national MFL Spelling Bee, Student of the Month, amongst others. She also organised a wonderful trip to Malaga, Spain.

We look forward to welcoming her back!

Outdoor Education

There has been a significant shift in recent years to doing as much learning outside as possible, and, despite making things very difficult in other areas of the curriculum, the pandemic has placed even more importance on children being outdoors as much as possible. Outdoor Education at Shebbear College has expanded significantly as a result, with more activities and more sessions available to a broad range of age groups.

Our goal in the Outdoor Education department is to promote purposeful activities that encourage challenge, resilience and character development, as well as physical development. Our skills-based curriculum was launched as a result of this to ensure that our pupils progress through a structured programme, enabling them to learn essential skills that will aid them in DoE, TenTors, wilderness walks and general wellbeing. With activities now taking place every evening, regular outings to local areas of interest and overnight trips, Outdoor Education has never been more popular among our pupils, nor more important in providing outstanding learning opportunities for our pupils as well as maintaining a healthy body and mind.

Although Ten Tors was cancelled this year, we did manage to take a small group of pupils out on Dartmoor to brush up on their navigational skills. Due to pandemic restrictions for most of the year, pupils found it tough to complete some of the DoE requirements, however, the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award still had a huge take up and at the end of term we were able to take an expedition to complete their awards. I must also mention our ‘Quaran-Ten Tors’ which took place during the first lockdown and saw pupils complete the Ten Tors course close to home!

Through a tumultuous year in education, Outdoor Education has thrived and pupils have engaged with superb dedication and diligence. With big plans in place for the future, the rural and iconic location of Shebbear College will provide a superb springboard for our pupils in the next academic year.

Mr Giles Head of Sport and Outdoor Education

PHYSICAL EDUCATION & SPORT

It has not been an easy year for school sport, but it has remained a huge part of life here at Shebbear, and our pupils have thrown themselves into the very different ways of working with true Shebbearian spirit and resilience. We were excited to return to some competitive sport in the Trinity term, with Cricket, Tennis and Athletics making a comeback for a (slightly abbreviated) season, meaning that at least some competitive sport could be played this year!

In PE and Games, pupils throughout the senior school have been incredibly patient with the challenges of working in bubbles, being resilient to government restrictions and enjoying PE in any form they can, even online. During the lockdown, they embraced a technical and tactical approach when analysing videos of elite sport then followed this with skills and physical adaptations drills.

Our academic PE pupils have performed incredibly well in the challenging environment, with some of the best BTEC results we have ever had before lockdown started in January. This has enabled many of them to build a strong base for good academic results in GCSE and BTEC.

We restructured our sports offering in the Trinity term, with over 12 sports per term running as activities and three key sports being played in lessons, increasing the opportunities for mixed sport in each term. This increased structure will enable more pupils to play at an appropriate level while still enjoying the freedom to try new sports. Each term we now run pre-season activities in preparation for the next term’s main sport, ensuring that our pupils are getting a head start for their competitive sports. Trampolining, Gymnastics and Archery have been welcome additions to the provision and we aim to grow our provision so that pupils can enjoy, sample and excel at many sports with Surf Lifesaving and Orienteering also on the agenda. We have also made some significant changes to the admin side of the PE department. Our Samurai school shop launched, providing top level kit for our pupils; Schoolsports.com (SOCS) is now being used to improve the communication between parents, coaches and pupils; and we are in the process of launching an Elite Sports Development Programme, designed to support and challenge our aspirational athletes and sports scholars. The initiative will provide additional support in the form of personalised Strength & Conditioning and Nutrition programmes, mentoring with current professional athletes and skills development sessions as well as developing character attributes including resilience, confidence and enjoyment.

I must mention our leavers, who, due to the pandemic, have missed out on their last opportunity to wear the school colours and play competitive sport during the Michaelmas and Lent terms, but despite this disappointment, they have been fully involved in sport across the school, coaching younger pupils and helping out with sporting events throughout the year. Thank you!

We have recently been shortlisted for an award in the Sporting Achievement category of the prestigious Independent Schools of the Year awards, run in association with ‘Independent School Parent’ magazine. Although not that much sport has taken place in schools this year, we have been commended for our inclusive approach to sport, our characterbased learning & sporting values, our PE, Outdoor Education and Co-Curricular programme (including during lockdown) and our new and upcoming initiatives, including our focus on providing more mixed sports, our progression with Outdoor Education and our Elite Athlete Development Programme. A great way to end the year!

Mr Giles Head of Sport and Outdoor Education

Science

In yet another topsy turvy year, we have been thoroughly impressed by the resolve and dedication of all our pupils across the year groups. The way that they have been able to adapt to the huge changes in the way they learn is truly a testament to their purpose and determination.

As a department we said farewell to Miss Cursons, our Science Technician, at the end of last year, and we all thank her for her time spent organising and procuring resources for the department. We have, however, been very lucky to be able to recruit Mrs Newton, who is a very experienced technician and didn’t falter in the slightest when she joined us in October and we bombarded her with endless practical requests. The lockdown situations really have made us all appreciate just how much we need good quality practical experiences in the teaching of science. To just sit and learn from a book (or online) doesn’t quite develop the skills and attributes of successful scientists and engineers. It is that trial and error aspect of investigative practical work that builds resilience, determination and creativity, as well as cooperation when working in pairs/ groups. Fingers crossed for no more lockdowns and further disruptions to learning.

After our return from the New Year lockdown there was a real push by the science teachers in their attempts to catch up on this lost practical experience. But I think it is Miss Body who was the most ambitious in her plan to do a practical every single session from mid-February to Easter and beyond.

It has been a very eventful few years and we are all hoping for September to bring us an opportunity to start again and hopefully next year will see a full academic year of in school learning and the return of external examinations.

I would like to end by thanking all of the science department staff for their professionalism and dedication throughout the year. We all learnt new skills and adapted our teaching in a phenomenally short period of time.

Mr Clewley Head of Science

Biology

The challenges of the past year have not stopped the learning opportunities available to our biologists. The pandemic has given us a “silver lining” opportunity with the chance to explore pathogens, including viruses, and disease spread, prevention and treatment, including vaccines. The real life experience of much of this has really ingrained the concepts into our pupils minds and the logic and method behind some of the madness has been well understood! Good progress was made with online learning. Our biologists developed a huge array of skills, both research and communication based, which will be essential if any are to tread the science track during further education. Time back in the classroom was used to catch up on practical elements of the course including heart and locust dissections, and exploration into enzyme activity and plant hormones. A challenging year indeed, but a successful one nonetheless. Well done to all of you.

Chemistry

In the Chemistry department we were enthusiastically using Google Drive and online learning before it became fashionable. As a result our early-adopter pupils should be proud of how well they responded to the demands of this academic year. Those who have put themselves in charge of their education, as ever, have got the most out of the experience.

Any lesson in which nothing is set ablaze or electrolysed is a dreadful waste of an excellent opportunity, so I have admired the application and enthusiasm of my online pupils. Although we tried our best to blow things up using only simple household chemicals, the Lab provides more extensive opportunities for educational combustion.

As soon as we got back to the Lab we threw ourselves with graceful aplomb into practical study, and pupils thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to interact with the substances that we only covered theoretically in the Lent term.

In the Sixth Form, we have continued to explore the boundaries of our potential by entering the Chemistry Olympiad and exploring specialist topics in more depth with research papers and student-led lessons. Upper Sixth pupils have enjoyed the opportunity to deliver lessons to the Lower Sixth, who dealt with the experience with customary restraint and good manners.

Taking the opportunity to set another competition for Shebbear Chemists, the first student to get in touch with the answer to this question wins a Dairy Milk Chocolate Bar which burns completely in excess oxygen to release 80200J of energy.

Physics

Although this write up is primarily based on the 20202021 academic year, I cannot pass up on the opportunity to congratulate and celebrate the outstanding achievements of last year’s Upper Sixth Physicists. To be thrown into the unknown of the first lockdown in the midst of their final preparations for the A-Level examinations, these pupils really did excel. When rumours of lockdowns and disruptions became more and more prevalent I asked the Upper Sixth pupils to prepare for an emergency assessment in the following and final

few days of full school. The pupils did not question nor hesitate but merely rose to the challenge and performed exceptionally well. It was this and the previous assessments which we were then able to use to formulate their final grades. I can not emphasise enough just how deserved these grades were. I was immensely pleased when we heard that the submitted grades had not been modified in any way.

The same is true of last year’s Form 5 who also had to contend with sudden changes and assessments to verify grades. All of these pupils dealt with this huge unknown with great aplomb.

As for this academic year we started fresh in September all glad to be back in school and able to work in the labs again. It was a strange beginning for the Lower Sixth having been away from school for so long and not having had the rite of passage, which is sitting the GCSE examinations. But they all settled in well and we were soon able to resume practical science work. My personal highlight has to be the comment from Simon’s parents, who when discussing Simon’s progress in parents evening stated that they thought it was very surreal to have received a photo of Simon dressed in a suit brandishing an air rifle, I think their exact words were that ‘Simon looked like he was in training for James Bond or something!’ I did reassure them that this was all planned and in fact we were using the conservation of linear momentum to determine the velocity of the rifle pellet. Apparently the science experience in England is somewhat different to that in Germany, or maybe it is just Shebbear! Unfortunately as the year progressed we were once again thrown into the realm of online learning and virtual lessons as lockdown 3 began. Mercifully, this time around we were all much more prepared and all of the pupils who engaged in the online lessons were able to maintain their progress. We were even able to make the most of numerous online simulations for virtual practicals and investigations, many of which actually worked better than the real thing, although not quite the same learning experience.

During the lockdown pupils in Forms 5 and 6 were afforded the opportunity of entering the British Physics Olympiads. The Sixth Form did exceptionally well with the Senior challenge; All of the A-Level physics pupils gained certificates, however Niall achieved a Gold award and Archie gained Silver, this put them in the top 15% and 30% respectively of all those taking the part across the country. Truly excellent results. Form 5 also performed well with the Intermediate challenge, with Adam Pennington, Luke, Felix, Mitzi and Roy all gaining Silver awards. A special mention must also go to Crystal who, not being a natural physicist, still opted to have a go at this very difficult paper and was able to gain a commendation for her efforts. Well done to all of those who entered and had a go.

On our return to school we tried to balance the need for catching up with missed hands-on practical work and completing the courses and assessments to again produce centre assessed grades. It hasn’t been an easy route but our pupils really do excel in these situations.

Mr Clewley, Mr Drake and Mr Deakes Science Department