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SHERBORNE NEWS Lent 2019 ISSUE 30
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“Trust me, you have no idea how quickly your
time here will go; I can’t believe that here I am in my last year at Sherborne!” So said a Sixth
Former on my first day at Sherborne. My
thought then was, “What?! That’s just not true; I’ve got five years here”. How naive I was.
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“One of my old Housemaster’s favourite phrases, when encouraging us to sign up to as many things as possible, was ‘make sure you’re not a cultural desert’. These words ring very true with me, as getting ‘stuck in’ is just so important.”
Now that I am in my last term, I completely understand why he said this and why everyone, from Sixth Formers to staff, encourages you to make the most of your time here and take advantage of all the opportunities that come your way. Five years simply isn’t quite as long as you think.
encountered. Of course, being at School, an emphasis must be placed on academics. Before Sherborne, Maths was not a subject I particularly enjoyed, in large part because I wasn’t very good at it. Just as I underestimated the speed at which time passes on my first day, I could never have imagined that I would now be taking Maths for A level.
Everyone is busy – obviously some more than others – and in a way it is up to each boy to make the most of it. However, it’s hard to find a Sixth Former who hasn’t got a lot on his plate.
Of course, getting involved within and beyond the classroom is only possible through effective time management and getting into good routines. It is all too easy to squander time watching YouTube or scrolling through Facebook but there’s nothing like having lots to do, and lots that you want to do, to force you to organise your time more productively.
One aspect of Sherborne I particularly appreciate is that it encourages boys to do a multitude of activities, from Crossfire to Cross Country. I came to Sherborne with a broad mind and ill-defined strengths and passions. I soon learned, however, that the School didn’t pigeon hole me: you can be 1st XV Rugby Captain, play in the Swing Band, become Head of House and get great academic results, just as I recall that time-conscious Sixth Former who spoke to me on my first day doing. Being involved and being busy are key to enjoying your time here, however clichéd and teacher-like this may sound. One of my old Housemaster’s favourite phrases, when encouraging us to sign up to as many things as possible, was ‘make sure you’re not a cultural desert’. These words ring very true with me, as getting “stuck in” is just so important. It allows you to get to know your whole year group, rather than just your House and class mates, and provides new experiences that enable you to hone talents. The activity that has enabled me to develop the most is CCF, chiefly because the discipline, organisation and requirement to work under pressure is unlike anything I had previously
Looking back on my time at Sherborne, I have realised that time can pass without you even noticing, as you are constantly putting your head down and getting on with what needs to be done. So, when you do look up and see that you are entering your last term, you really appreciate the time you have got left. Recently we had an Old Shirburnian looking round the House with his son, and a boy in my year asked if he had enjoyed his time at Sherborne. He responded by saying; “Yes, I very much enjoyed it, but it all went so quickly that you can only remember all the good bits.” Which made me think that what you learn through difficult experiences is never forgotten, unlike the experiences themselves. Whilst I am still unsure about exactly what my future holds after Sherborne, I know that whatever I do, and wherever I do it, I shall definitely make the most of my time and be mindful that the challenges I experience will serve me well in the future. Hector Hamilton (U6c) - Head of School
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Academic Enrichment News
AWARD WINNING CHEMISTS
It has been a busy term for our Chemistry Department with Symposiums, Olympiads and trips. The recent Chemistry Symposium was held at Sherborne Girls and we were also joined by Millfield, Clayesmore, King’s Bruton, and Leweston. Presentations were delivered by William Banks (U6b) and Jack Wells (U6e) on the Chemistry of rocket fuels, while Henry Le Cornu (L6f) and Aaron Kim (L6b) concentrated on the history, future and chemical composition of drinking straws. The Lower Sixth Form trip to Bristol to extract caffeine from teabags was a success and introduced the boys to a number of techniques that they wouldn’t normally experience at A level. We had great success in the Chemistry Olympiad, gaining the following results: • Abdulla Ahmadi (L6e) – Gold • Jasper Pring (L6g) – Silver • Petar Brinic (L6f) – Silver • Polo Xin (U6f) – Silver • Aaron Kim (L6b) – Bronze • Ben Fuller (L6f) – Bronze • Nathanael Fagerson (L6c) – Bronze • Henry Le Cornu (L6f) – Bronze • Harry Harvey (L6b) – Bronze These scores are particularly impressive as it’s really an Upper Sixth Form competition and the majority of the boys who sat it are in the Lower Sixth. In essence our boys were competing with entrants where the majority were one year older and similarly advanced in the A level course. A Bronze award is a significant achievement; Silver and Gold awards even more so. William Buckley - Head of Chemistry
IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCES IN THE LINGUISTICS OLYMPIAD Shirburnians are used to excelling in languages studied in the classroom, but successes over the last few years in the UK Linguistics Olympiad show that they can take their linguistic skills even further by applying them to decoding any unfamiliar language, ancient or modern. This year’s Olympiad saw pupils working out verb patterns in the northern Malaysian language of Jahai, translating the Australian aboriginal language of Pitjantjjara and decoding a 2nd century BCE inscription in Oscan from southern Italy. Unique to these challenges is that pupils cannot use factual recall; instead, the skill is to look for patterns, identify sequences and, above all, to think, question and experiment. Shirburnians are good at this. 83 pupils chose to enter the Olympiad, 56 achieved awards. Most impressively, 20 Third and Fourth Formers were awarded Gold, which places them in the top 5% of all entrants nationwide. The 25 Silver awards and 11 Bronze are also noteworthy. Kai Miles (5d), Hugh Ridgway (5a) and Nick Morris (5a) are celebrating their third consecutive Gold. The top performing Third Form team, comprised of Barney Crawford (3b), Jake Wing (3b), Cameron Golding (3f), Ollie Culver (3c), Robbie Foster (3a) and Tommy Guy (3e) look set to give them a run for their money over the next few years. Malhaar Shah (U6a), four times Gold award winner, and the first Shirburnian to be accepted to Oxford University to read Linguistics, regards the Olympiad as the starting point for his interest in this field of academics. Judy Thurman Head of Modern Foreign Languages
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OUTSTANDING MATHEMATICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
We are proud of our Mathematicians who have performed incredibly well in both the Intermediate Mathematics Challenge and the National Final of the Senior Team Mathematics Challenge.
INSPIRING CAREERS CONVENTION
FIFTH FORM READING ATHLETICS
The Lower Sixth Careers Convention enabled the Lower Sixth to meet with 40 delegates, representing 34 career areas, from Accountancy to Politics, over a Friday night and Saturday morning in March. OS and current parents gave their time voluntarily to talk to the boys about what they do and the skills and academic achievements the boys would need to aspire to if they were to pursue each career path. The event started with a presentation on “Post-digital Careers for the Centennials”, where the delegates explored what the world of work might look like in the post-digital era, recognising that many of the jobs that they might do in the future do not yet exist.
This term introduced a new event to the library in the form of The Reading Athletics. Teams were made up of two Fifth Form boys from each House. Each round lasted five minutes and tested them on their skills of anagrams, word ladders, word construction, word searches and logic puzzles. After the final round there was only four points between 1st and 2nd place. Congratulations go to Sam Hartley (5f) and Yuriy Belykh (5f) of Abbeylands for just pipping The Digby team to win. James Curtis - Library Assistant
The Careers Fair enabled the boys to chat informally with many of the delegates in the Sports Hall. On Saturday, the boys chose to attend three 40 small seminar groups with the delegates who were covering the career areas they were particularly interested in finding out more about.
The Juniors (Third, Fourth and Fifth Form boys) collected a total of 60 awards (12 Gold, 19 Silver and 29 Bronze Certificates) between them this February in the Intermediate Mathematics Challenge. Many congratulations to Jordan Zhuo (3e), Khalid Miah (3f), Edward Pinnock (3a), Jack Wang (4e), Archie Burton (4a), Andre Cheung (4e), Angus Bushby (4m), Kai Miles (5d), William Loughlin (5d), Nicholas Morris (5a), Freddie Banks (5b) and Harry Johnson (5e) whom all won the ultimate Gold certificates. Our Seniors won the Regional Final and participated in the National Final of the Senior Team Mathematics Challenge in London. We were represented by Abdulla Ahmadi (L6e), Aaron Kim (L6b), Michal Dvorak (U6g) and Calin Profir (U6g) and could not be more thrilled when they came away winning the third prize in the National Mathematics Poster Competition. Siew-Chiang Lim - Head of Mathematics
Manley Hopkinson, a current parent, closed the event with an inspirational presentation, taken from his experience as a sailor, explorer, coach and mentor, and he encouraged the boys to set their attitude as well as their ambition and not to wait for life, but to “reach out and grab it”. Many delegates commented on the excellent attitude, manners, interest and confidence of the boys and these are just some of the many positive comments from the boys themselves:
“Great event, which helped me much more than I thought it would” “Now I have much more of an idea of what I want to do and, most importantly, what I want to study at university” “Really enjoyed the whole process” “Really insightful and this has got me thinking in the right way” Our grateful thanks to OS and parents who took part. Kim Dunning Manager of HE and Careers
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Epiphany Carol Service So soon after the December Carol Service, the Choir
was on startingly good form at the Feast of the Epiphany, on the first Sunday of term.
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Co-curricular News TEN TORS TRAINING There has been intense competition this year for places in the two Sherborne Ten Tors teams, and as a result we may be entering a third team. The boys have not been put off despite taking them out in some horrible conditions on the last training weekend. It was a great chance to practise navigation lessons learnt over the past few months in ‘pea soup’ visibility, as well as test the waterproof technology of a variety of jackets and trousers! The ability of the boys to pitch their tents was also well tested in the high winds. Despite the tough conditions the staff returned hugely impressed by the boys determination and resilience. On the final weekend of term the boys were stretched with a longer walk on Saturday, before their first wild camp, without the luxuries of a shower and sink. They had to make do with a stream instead – Dartmoor’s finest drinking water! The ability to then get up and going on the second day is also excellent preparation for the event, when there won’t be anyone telling them to wake up! At the start of Trinity Term final preparations will be made as we head to Dartmoor on a Friday night and the boys undertake their longest training walk yet, a good 12 hours on the Saturday followed by a half day on Sunday. This should set them up well for the rigours of the event, eagerly anticipated in May. Nick Scorer Teacher of Chemistry, Housemaster Elect of Harper House and CCF Army
CCF HIGHLIGHTS The highlight of the term for CCF is the Field Trip. The Royal Navy section undertook the obstacle course and fired on the range simulator at HMS Collingwood. Our Fifth Form honed their night navigation skills on Dartmoor and followed it with a day on the ranges. Our Army and Royal Marines sections were superbly hosted by 6 RIFLES on Woodbury Common and Wyvern Barracks in Exeter. The boys got to conduct a stalk and fire a rocket launcher on the weapon simulator. We were also treated to a wonderful speech by Cdr Andrew Canale, the outgoing Commanding Officer of HMS Sutherland (our affiliated ship) for our Annual CCF Dinner Night. There is much to look forward to next term with trips to the Commando Training Centre and HMS Bristol on the horizon. Rob Le Poidevin Housemaster of The Digby and CCF Contingent Commander
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BOYS TAKE UP BOXERCISE TO TACKLE EXAM STRESS Boxercise seems to be a very popular solution to revision anxiety and frustration. 17 boys from the Fifth Form and Upper Sixth signed up to do the seven week course run by the Sherborne gym team. The programme includes a series of boxing drills and core conditioning that challenge even the fittest individual. Using boxing gloves and pads, the boys punch their frustrations away for 45 minutes every Wednesday evening. Harry McGinty (5a) gives his account of Boxercise:
INTER-HOUSE LITERARY QUIZ Of the many Macnaghten Library events that take place throughout the year, none is more hotly contested than that of the annual Inter-House Literary Quiz and this year was no different! Over the course of several months all Houses took part in knock out rounds until just two were left standing. The two teams in question: Harper House and School House, met in the Semi Finals the previous year with Harper House being triumphant. The finals took place on 6 March in the Old School Room with the trophies being handed out by Dr Filtness. Throughout the evening Harper were in the lead and, try as they might, School House could not close the gap. However, things changed after the last round with School
House just edging the win by a mere two points. There were more than 100 questions in total including rounds about Sherlock Holmes, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and of course Shakespeare. For the handout round the teams were required to fill in 28 missing gaps of the poem Jabberwocky. Congratulations to both teams: School House: Killian King (3a), Matthew Findlay (4a), Nick Morris (5a), Hal Little (L6a) and their team captain Malhaar Shah (U6a). Harper House: Ben Smith-Bingham (3d), Will Jonas (4d), Henry Haywood-Smith (5d), Jack Bodenham (L6d) and their team captain Barney Trumper (U6d). James Curtis - Library Assistant
“What’s not to love about boxercise? It offers the unique opportunity for stress relief by quite simply, punching the hell out of a bag. In the exam season, stress increases, directly causing a deterioration in mood for everyone involved. Boxercise allows you to come out of the room feeling refreshed and fulfilled, and generally feeling much better about life. I must therefore thank Mrs Drake for her incredible efforts to introduce boxercise as an activity.” Emma Drake - Art Teacher
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Trips
Our boys had a very busy half term, jetting off to various destinations and gaining some incredible experiences along the way, from the Middle East to two very different trips to Spain.
QATAR EXCHANGE
SOUTHERN SPAIN
TENNIS TOUR
We were joined by pupils from Sherborne Qatar and a member of teaching staff for a full week. The boys immersed themselves in routines, lessons and activities here in Dorset. They were residents in Abbey House and spent three full days in lessons shadowing our boys. They visited Bath and enjoyed tea at the Pump Rooms; walked up Gold Hill in Shaftesbury; entered into a debating competition at Sherborne International School and had a full tour of Sherborne and the local attractions. The boys were delightful and were fully engaged throughout their visit, making some great friends.
Fourth Form pupils enjoyed a fantastic trip to sunny Córdoba in southern Spain. They got a chance to really consolidate their Spanish language skills by staying in host family accommodation and immersing themselves in the sights and sounds of Andalucía.
The La Manga resort delivered on the promise of fine February half term weather, superb red clay courts and a beautiful scenic backdrop. Many of the 27 strong group commented on us being there as feeling surreal, with daily coaching delivered by the outstanding 5 Star Tennis Holidays. During the tour the boys observed quiet supported study, as well as having the chance to have some fun – crazy golf was particularly enjoyed by the juniors. The boys had the opportunity to play in Davis Cup style singles and doubles events, with points often accumulated. One of the repeated favourite afternoon fun games was ‘Sky-High’ which was an excellent way of instinctively nurturing attacking and defensive skills.
At the same time, boys flew out to meet the Deputy Head of Sherborne Qatar and her family. The boys had a busy schedule and were fortunate enough to experience a number sights, including the Qatar Total Tennis Open that was taking place in Doha. During their visit, they also kayaked, went into the desert where they rode camels and dune bashed in 4x4s. On the Sunday they had a tour of Sherborne Qatar and spent the day being shown around Doha, its museums and points of interest by Mr Spicer the Headmaster. The boys had an opportunity to shadow pupils in lessons and joined in with Sherborne Qatar’s sports day at the Aspire Dome, where they competed in track and field events as well as a dodgeball competition.
They enjoyed conversation classes at International House Córdoba while taking in the historic architecture. There was also time for the usual ‘churros con chocolate’ as well as a tapas evening. A highlight was a visit to the medieval mosque, located in the heart of the ancient city, followed by a tour of the Jewish quarter. The pupils were given an insight into the medieval city of three cultures. The boys returned with more confidence in their spoken Spanish as well as a taste for tapas and churros!
After tennis there was the opportunity to have a swim or a sauna at the very calming Wellness Spa. Alternatively, it was a time to relax in the spacious Las Lomas apartments, nestled on the side of the hill. On the final day, the whole group gathered on the famous La Manga centre court, where the forthcoming Spanish Federation Cup World Group play-off match will be held in April. The 5 Star coaching team presented Nick Morris (5a) with their player of the tour award. Luca Bryant (4m) was awarded most improved junior and Sam Vincent (5g) most improved senior player. Alex Rivers (L6m) was voted the players player. The boys now have every opportunity to bring their improved skills to the season.
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Music
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The Sheldonian Theatre, at the heart of both the university and the city of Oxford, was the venue for the Symphony Orchestra’s concert in an exciting programme including Walton’s Spitfire Prelude and Fugue, Albeniz’s Evocation, Beethoven’s Egmont Overture and the first movement of Rachmaninoff’s stunning Third Symphony. A truly collaborative and auditioned ensemble, with much competition for places, the orchestra is joint with Sherborne Girls and also has players from Leweston and The Gryphon, making it a tour de force of symphonic playing akin, in very many respects, to a county youth orchestra. The Albeniz and the Rachmaninoff, in particular, showed the orchestra’s ability to tackle demanding repertoire with style and considerable beauty.
Musical highlights Trinity Term 2019
Friday 3 May - 1.30pm Chamber Music and Solos (the Abbey) Friday 3 May - 5.15pm Swing Band Fly me to the Moon (BSR) Saturday 4 May - 10.30am Chamber Choir and Close Harmony Concert (the Abbey) Commem Thursday 27 June - 7.30pm The Leavers’ Concert (Tindall Recital Hall) Friday 28 June - 7.30pm Gala Concert, featuring many of the School’s ensembles (BSR)
The Halliday Cup Music Competition for pianists, singers and organists, was this year adjudicated by Professor Stephen Darlington from Christ Church, Oxford. A feast of high quality music-making lasted the entire day with a Grand Finale at 5.30pm including performances from the Close Harmony group, singing Short People and Words and featuring two of the ex-cathedral treble voices which won a singing prize. The overall winner was Hector Fiennes (U6a), who took part in all three disciplines: Cassian Blackburn-Enever (L6e) won the Senior Piano, Bentley Creswell (U6a) and Freddie Graham (U6c) won the Upper School Singing; Max Pugsley (5d) and Alex Hobbs (5c) won the Lower School Singing; Angus Williams (3c) and Hendrik Ashbrooke (3g) won the treble section of the Lower School Singing; and William Miao (3f), Ranco Liu (4e), Theo Jarratt (4b) and Jack Pyman (4e) various sections of the Lower School Piano classes.
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Chamber music has been rehearsed at all hours, and not least in that particularly popular slot after Hall at 8.50pm, as a result of which the Piano Trio, Brass Quintet and Wind Quintet ensembles entered the National Pro Corda Chamber Music Competition with the Brass Quintet (Benedict Mercer (L6b), Monty Westall (L6c), Tom Dubois (L6a), William Banks (U6b) and Jordan Mwangola (L6e) getting to the semifinal. Jazz featured in the annual Dinner and Jazz, with superb food by Adrian Williams and his team, when both Swing Band and Jazz Band appeared to
be playing at an all-time high, while just before Half Term Freddie Graham (U6c) formed a jazz ensemble (with Sam TalbotWilliams (L6a) and Tom O’Sullivan (5d) on bass and drums) to give a much acclaimed charity concert, called a ‘Charlie Parker Tribute Evening’ in the Dining Hall. These three musicians were joined by several others in a Joint Schools’ Unplugged, in the Tindall Recital Hall on Valentine’s Day, and then in the Spring Ball just after Half Term, as part of the term’s RocSoc events.
Many instrumental music exams, both with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and diplomas with the Trinity Board, took place, and results are pending. Meanwhile Freddie Graham achieved his Level 6 LTCL performance diploma and Tom McCaig (U6b) his Level 4 ATCL performance diploma.
The Epiphany Carol Service in the Abbey set the tone for a term of outstanding choral singing, which included a performance of Verdi’s enormous Requiem, again joint with Sherborne Girls, in Wells Cathedral. A Choral Evensong for the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – of broadcast quality – in the School Chapel, with the Chamber Choir, saw choral music at its finest in Howells, Stanford, Briggs and our very own Elliott Park, while two organ recitals, one in each half of the term, showcased the fine pupil organists – Josh Cook (L6f), Hector Fiennes, George Jefferson (L6e) and Isaac Bingley (5e) – and our two musically very different organs.
James Henderson - Director of Music
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Drama
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The Junior House Play ‘Tonight’, was a huge triumph, captivating audiences over two evenings at the end of term. The play’s Director and a member of the cast share their experiences with us... Felix Connolly (L6e), Director This year I was one of three Lower Sixth pupils who directed the Junior Play with Miss Thomas. The experience of directing was seen through my development of scenes and focusing on the movement. This helped tell the story to the audience and showcase the range of style of theatre we put into action in the play. A large responsibility within the short time we had was managing rehearsals three times a week, with a busy Shirburnian timetable I had a full plate of things to be done. Another responsibility I had was lengthening the storyline and scenes for further progression of the play. However, there were many challenges I faced, including improving the performance within the ambitious time span of three months. This led to me finding theatrical styles within myself which constantly improved the performance and my knowledge of drama which in the long term helped my A level drama. Overall, this opportunity has broadened my horizons and caused several ideas and thoughts which I will be incorporating in my House play next year. Will Jonas (4d), Cast Member This year we put on arguably one of the most ambitious Junior Plays ever at Sherborne. We, as a relatively small cast, needed to work incredibly hard alongside our directors. I really enjoyed being part of the group; over the weeks of rehearsals we all learned valuable skills and developed under the direction of Miss Thomas. As cast members, we were given creative license to write our own monologues and choreograph our own sequences in an immersive style. Immersive means that the audience come around and watch each scene in different rooms, each of them has a different perspective of the plot. We spent a long time transforming The Powell Theatre into a full set with different dystopian scenes; under the experienced supervision of the Sixth Form. As the play approached, we had to increase commitment levels because if we wanted the play to be as good as we knew it could be, we had to put many hours into the studio. At Sherborne we obviously have other commitments and it was a juggling act to try and all be in one place at the same time, so we all had to be organised. We were all proactive and worked hard in rehearsal, but I especially enjoyed it because it was somewhere to just relax, and do something we all enjoyed. We are all so thankful to Miss Thomas and the Sixth Form for this opportunity, because it is something you wouldn’t really be able to do anywhere else.
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Art
The Lent Term is hectic in the Art Department with coursework deadlines and the start of the exam preparation period for both GCSE and A level courses. Stuffed parrots, sheep brains and miniature chairs are just a few of the extraordinary items that have been requested by our creative cohort this term, as they continue to develop ideas in response to the externally set assignments. Henry Kauntze (L6f)
The photographers have used all the facilities at their disposal to create both digital and traditional black and white film photography in response to their exam themes. Ambitious paintings are being produced by our Sixth Form pupils and we look forward to welcoming back the painter Georgina Clapham next term, who will be leading a figure painting workshop for A level pupils. The TEDx collaborative recycling project, Oceans of Plastic, saw the construction of enormous sea creatures by some of our Third Form pupils from throw away plastics gathered from the boarding houses. Mrs Vickie Fraser has taken the recycling project into the two Primary Schools in Sherborne and will be creating giant jelly fish from recycled plastic carrier bags with Year Five at Abbey Primary before Easter. This follows on from the work she has been doing with Sherborne Primary, supporting the School’s Eco status in developing areas of their sensory garden with a whole School mosaic project.
Lucas King (5e)
Emma Drake - Art Teacher
Richard Crane (U6b)
Jack James (U6d)
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Westcott House is set to reopen in September 2021, 101 years after it first opened its doors to boys from Sherborne School.
The House was built in the 1860s by Old Shirburnian, John Young Melmoth, who named it Grosvenor Lodge. In 1919, it was purchased by Geoffrey O’Hanlon, a master at Sherborne School, and renamed in honour of Headmaster F.B. Westcott. Westcott House opened as a school boarding house on 17 September 1920 with just ten boarders, taking on the House colours of black and white from a former school boarding house in nearby Westbury and the House letter ‘h’.
For the next 79 years Westcott was one of Sherborne’s core Boarding Houses. Traditionally, strong in the arts, former Westcott boys have included Duncan Carse (the voice of Dick Barton, Special Agent and a highly respected polar explorer), Charles Collingwood (best known for playing Brian Aldridge in The Archers), David Cornwell (the author who, under his pen name John le Carré, has published over 18 titles many of which have been adapted for film and TV, including Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy, The Little Drummer Girl, and The Night Manager), Richard Eyre (the acclaimed director and producer who has won five Olivier awards and a BAFTA, and in 2017 was made a Companion of Honour for his services to drama), and Michael Hopkins (for many years in architectural partnership with Norman Foster, his works have included the Mound Stand at Lord's Cricket Ground, Glyndebourne Opera house, Portcullis House in Westminster and the London 2012 VeloPark. He also designed the Pilkington Laboratories for Sherborne School).
But perhaps the most famous boy to come out of Westcott is the mathematician and computer scientist, Alan Turing. As a 13-year-old, Alan cycled 65 miles from Southampton to Sherborne for the start of term, arriving at Westcott and announcing to Geoffrey O’Hanlon, ‘I am Turing’. His Housemaster would later complain about Alan ‘boiling heaven knows what witches’ brew by the aid of two guttering candles on a naked wooden window sill’ at Westcott. When Alan left Sherborne in 1931, his Housemaster wrote thanking him for all he had done as a Prefect at Westcott, adding, ‘I will guarantee that Turing will be a household word until the present generation has disappeared.’ On 30 June 2016, Alan’s nephew and another Westcott boy, Sir Dermot Turing, unveiled a blue plaque at the house commemorating his uncle’s time there. The reopening of the house in September 2021 is another landmark in the history of the House and of the School. We know that it will again produce boys of the same calibre of those who have gone before. Rachel Hassall - School Archivist
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Westcott House
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Sport
Part of our vision for sport at Sherborne School is to provide opportunities for the boys to develop a passion for activity which will hopefully last a lifetime. Whether it is football, golf, skiing or sailing our hope is that they have positive experiences that will shape their lifestyle choices at university and beyond. So, whilst they are with us here at School, we want them to avail themselves of the opportunities we provide. David Guy - Head of Sport
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CROSS COUNTRY The cross country team at Sherborne has continued to be a small yet incredibly dedicated bunch of athletes. With the influx of some talented Third Formers, the future of cross country looks bright. Harry Pleydell-Bouverie (3a) and Robbie Foster (3a) quickly established themselves, proving that they are ones to watch for the coming season and finishing in 2nd and 3rd place in the Intermediates of the opening race of the season at Clayesmore. Following this, the team enjoyed a dry course at the Downside Trophy and Robbie Foster took full advantage to come in second in the Intermediates race. The boys efforts paid off and the Intermediate team managed to tie for 1st place and the trophy.
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After being postponed due to extreme weather conditions, the team returned a week later to Studland Beach for the annual Studland Stampede event involving a four mile sprint up the length of the beach to the Sandbanks chain ferry and back again. Jack Bodenham (L6d) won the Senior competition, running a gutsy race along the water’s edge, while Ottokar Denham (3m) won the Junior Boys race, closely followed in second place by Aneurin Denham (3e) and Charlie Rendell (3b) in 6th. Harry Case (U6g) managed to hold off a late sprint challenge to take 9th in the Seniors. Our home fixture, The Sherborne Trophy, continues to be a popular race with 15 schools and 144 runners competing this year. Once again, the Third Form ran superbly, winning the Intermediates ahead of Clayesmore and Canford in 2nd and 3rd. In the Seniors, George Case (L6m) paced his race very well, securing himself 3rd place against a very tough field. Ottokar, Aneurin, Robbie and Harry were all selected to compete at the Dorset County trials at Kings Park in Bournemouth. The team came away with a win overall in the junior race, proving that they are the fastest junior cross country team in Dorset. Harry secured 4th position, Robbie came 6th, Ottokar came 15th and Aneurin came 16th. Subsequently, Harry and Robbie were both selected to represent Dorset in the English Schools Cross Country Championships in Leeds. Both boys put in a fantastic performance with Robbie finishing in 161st position and Harry finishing in 31st position out of a field of 343 runners. Finally, in the Inter-House cross country there were a number of surprising performances. Felix Harvey (L6f), a keen footballer, secured himself The Harding Trophy, coming first in the Senior Race. In the intermediates, Harry Pleydell-Bouverie once again defied odds and won the intermediates race, a highly impressive achievement for a Third Former. Overall, the winning House was The Digby, one point ahead of Lyon House.
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RUGBY
FOOTBALL
This term saw the start of the 7s season and the boys were working hard on and off the pitch to build towards the Rossyln Park National 7s at the end of term. Unfortunately, after the Millfield 7s festival, there were no other 7s tournaments to report on for the 1st VII, as four tournaments were cancelled due to the terrible weather we had this term. The U14 and U15 teams travelled to the Bryanston 7s and came away with silverware, both picking up the Plate after finishing second in their groups.
This has been another great term of football for Sherborne School. There have been over 100 fixtures played against Schools such as Millfield, Wellington, Marlborough, Clifton, QEH Bristol and Monmouth. Obviously it was a shame to miss our fixture against Malvern this year due to the weather, but I am sure it will be keenly contested next year. It has been impressive to see many of our teams playing more competitive opposition, for instance our U16As have routinely matched up against 2nd or 3rd team U18 opposition, or our U15As against U16 opposition. It is clear that football continues to gain momentum within the School and I wish all the teams well, both in Michaelmas term, when they play in the football WISL, and next Lent too. Many congratulations must go to the Mini Colt B team, ably led by Mr Clayton in his final year, who were undefeated all season.
With little preparation the U14, U16 and U18 travelled to Rosslyn Park National 7s in the last week of term. The U16 kicked off the week and were looking good in their group after beating St Pauls 19-10 and Shiplake 40-0 to set up a group decider versus Merchant Taylors. They narrowly lost that match 14-17 to just miss out on winning their group and qualifying for the last 32. The U14 faced KES Bath, winning 26-14 and QE Barnet, winning 33-26, in their first two group games, setting up another group decider against Wimbledon College. They lost that match 21-24, narrowly missing out on qualification to day two also. The U18 were one of two teams on the Sherborne School fixture list brave enough to enter the Cup Competition of the Nationals. Such is the fierce nature of the Cup that no game is ever an easy one. Sherborne got progressively better throughout the day after playing Dulwich College, the eventual finalists, first up losing 0-36. They then had a tight game with Denstone College, losing 24-14, before beating Bedford School, 41-12 and Coleg Gwent Crosskeys 27-5 in the final match to finish 3rd in their group of five. Alongside 7s preparation, the 1st XV also had the National Schools Plate semi-final versus Christ’s Hospital to prepare for. Although rusty after nearly three months of no 15 a-side rugby, the 1st XV won convincingly 24-5 to set them up for a trip to Sixways Stadium and a final match versus Bloxham School. Sherborne played their part in a fantastic final, scoring three incredible trys, but lost the match to a very good Bloxham team, 28-21. This was a fantastic experience for all the players, staff and supporters involved and one they will all cherish in future years.
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HOCKEY
SAILING
SQUASH
This hockey term has been marked by success at both the performance and the participation ends of our sport. The 1st XI progressed to the last 16 of the Independent School Cup before being defeated by Millfield, whilst the Colts team made it to the 4th round of the National Cup before losing an incredibly high quality game 3-2 to King’s College, Taunton.
The Lent Term is when sailing at most schools takes a rest but not at Sherborne. There were 25 boys and four Sherborne girls, sailing throughout the term in either cold and calm or very challenging and blustery conditions.
This term’s squash team was more remarkable for their fighting spirit than their score lines. All participants spent some time in the warm glow of a match well played and, when beaten, they did so with grace and a selfdeprecating humour. Dylan Sun (L6e), Joseph Eaton Parker (L6b), Isaac Bingley (5e), Edward Ursell (3c) and, latterly, Harry Murray (4c) made up the most regular participants and the group of boys who came close to winning against Millfield, just going down 2-3. Occasional appearances came from Archie Boobbyer (3g), Louis Lindsay (5d), David Kim (5b), Freddie Bulmer (5m) and George Pardoe (L6m). It was a young team so, with the experience of some battle hardening matches under their belts, they should perform more competitively next year.
Meanwhile our Mini Colts enjoyed their first taste of 11-a-side knockout action, and the Junior Colts triumphed in two touch away matches before being knocked out by Taunton in the ISC. With the exception of that one game, the JCA team recorded an undefeated season and were ably assisted by a JCB team that nearly ran the table in their block fixtures. The Senior hockey teams were particularly impressive in their block fixtures, recording only two losses in the entire season, and with the 4th XI recording an unbeaten season with some fine displays of attacking hockey. Pilgrims was a tight knit day of excellent sporting camaraderie, with the School winning the first two games by a single goal each, before the Pilgrims took revenge in winning the latter two. There is such hockey talent coming through the Junior School at the moment that the future certainly looks bright, and the players can look forward to challenging in the Indoor arena in the Michaelmas term.
The first team lost to Millfield but the Colts Team spearheaded by William Seabrook (4e) and Harry Wood (4f) then got retribution by beating the same Millfield first team. In a double header, consecutive Saturday fixture Sherborne 1st and Colts Team retained the Clifton/Sherborne Sailing Shield, which was sailed for first in 1961 with Tima Malikov (U6f) the captain of sailing playing a crucial role in both fixtures. More recently the parents of the pupils stepped up to the plate for a parents versus pupils match. The pupils retained the trophy and individually Ben Fuller (L6f) and Elsa Williams (SG) won the event overall with Nico Christensen (4f) in a close second. Finally, on the last Sunday of term in spectacular conditions, the School was narrowly beaten by the Old Shirburnians at a match held in keel boats on Queen Mary Reservoir in West London.
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SKIING
BASKETBALL
CLAY SHOOTING
A squad of 14 boys travelled to Wengen, Switzerland, in January for the 2019 DHO British Schoolboys Ski Racing Championships. Underneath the North Face of the Eiger, the Sherborne skiers enjoyed two days of training before the races began with Giant Slalom on the famous World Cup Lauberhorn race piste. For several boys it was their first competitive races and there were one or two crashes and disqualifications. However, many boys and both teams were in contention for medals after day one as the slalom races began. Again, for some, the technical slalom course was a challenge with several junior skiers missing gates and eventually their team was eliminated. As individuals, George Case (L6m) came 5th in the U18 registered category, and Jackson Wallace (3e) finished 2nd in the U14 GS competition. The senior team of Will Perkins (U6a), Tommy Boylan (L6c), Toby Jones (L6b) and Charlie Cushing (L6c) managed to emerge with 4 clean runs in the final leg to claim the unregistered gold medal, and as individuals Frey Hopkinson (5f) finished silver whilst Will Perkins won gold. By some way, this was our best performance as a School at this extremely prestigious event.
Basketball continues to be a popular sport for Sherborne boys. We have had a decent season playing against some pretty strong sides. With Matthew Lim (U6e) and Eric Chiang (U6a), our two main players out of action due to injury, it has been a tougher season than we would have liked, however our boys put on a good fight each time in true Shirburnian spirit. Andy Zheng (L6e) captained most of the matches and has been our main scorer in all of the fixtures played. All in all, our boys did well to win three out of eight of our matches so far this term.
On the 7 March, the 1st and 2nd V's hosted a home match against Millfield 1st and 2nd V's. The blustery weather made for some very challenging clays but in the team events, the Sherborne 1st V scored 186/250 to beat the Millfield 1st V who scored 179/250 and the Sherborne 2nd V scored 146/250 to beat the Millfield 2nd V who scored 133/250. Both Sherborne teams shot consistently well and in the individual events Nico Christensen (4f) was the overall high gun in the competition with a score of 42/50, Cameron Cooper (L6d) came 2nd with 41/50 and Tom Wood (L6f) came 4th with 39/50. In the Sherborne 2nd V, Jamie Rawlings (L6m) came 2nd with a score of 35/50 just beaten by a Millfield competitor with 37/50.
The increased interest in the sport amongst the boys this year also saw the inauguration of our first ever Inter-House Basketball Championship. It was a keenly competed tournament and Wallace House, deservedly, was crowned our first Champion.
Spirits were very high on the drive back as it sunk in that we had won both team trophies and the high gun trophy. With Cameron Cooper coming 5th out of 140 competitors in the Harrow School Competition last week, the Sherborne Clay Squad has had a fine end to the Lent Term.
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FIVES
POLO
WATER POLO
Just before term started Sherborne hosted the West of England Schools’ Competition. Harry Harvey (L6b) reached the plate final and Benedict Mercer (L6b) the Quarter-Finals of the main competition, and together they reached the Quarter-Finals of the doubles the following day. In our first match against Sedbergh in at least a decade, the seniors narrowly lost, but the juniors won comfortably, getting the season off to a good start.
The Lent Term has seen a boost in interest for polo with three keen Third Formers: Otis Morgan (3m), Mustafa Cheshti (3b) and Jackson Wallace (3e) joining. All of them have picked up the sport very quickly and have continued to increase their skills in the arena throughout the term. With the basics now set they can go into the Trinity Term and further progress their polo out on grass.
The School water polo squad have enjoyed matches against Winchester, King's Taunton and Yeovil Spartans. However, the real highlight of the water polo season has been the House Tournament.
Since then the seniors have done well to win three of their last five matches, with Will Barker (U6m) and Harry Le Maistre (U6g) joining Benedict and Harry. One of the loses was a very enjoyable match against a 10-strong Pilgrims side, with some of the best players of the last thirty years on court. It was an excellent three and a half hours of Fives for current boys, OS and staff alike. We have not won as many matches lower down the School, but it has been excellent to involve some new players to the game in these fixtures, especially in the Third and Fourth Form. They are a keen group of players and we can now look to develop their skills for the years ahead.
The 1st Arena Polo team comprised of Sam Yorke (L6m), Ralph Loveys Jervoise (L6m) and Tom Dubois (L6a) (Captain), opened the Lent Term with a match against Millfield at Vaux Park. However, after a brilliantly well fought match, Sherborne narrowly lost 12-13. In the second half of the term Sam Yorke, Henry Haywood Smith (5d), Tom Dubois and Yanis Hammick (U6m) took part in the Druids Lodge Schools Championship where Sherborne came fifth after a brilliant effort from Henry in his first competitive match.
With a round robin, followed by knockout finals, every House plays at least seven matches and pupils therefore developed their skills and strategies throughout the season. In the semi-finals, School House beat last year’s champions The Digby 4-2, with Petch Pibuldham (U6a) scoring three of School’s goals. Having only just made it into the semi-final, Abbey House went on to defeat favourites Abbeylands 3-2 in an incredibly tense match, turning the game around in the last quarter. The final between Abbey House and School House was nailbitingly close, with Abbey coming back from being 3-1 down to win the match 4-3. Will Banks (U6b) scored the winning goal with only two seconds left on the clock. The referees nominated Angus Tett (U6a) as Man of the Match for his calmness and controlled play under pressure.
To view more of a our sporting photography taken this term, please visit: Facebook: facebook.com/SherborneBoysSchool Instagram: #sherborneschool Flickr: flickr.com/sherborneschool
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LOOKING AHEAD TERM DATES TRAVELLING DAY Tuesday 23 April (return by 7.30pm) FIRST EXEAT Saturday 4 May (after commitments) – Monday 6 May (Bank Holiday) (return by 9.00pm) HALF TERM Friday 24 May (1.35pm) – Sunday 2 June (return by 9.00pm) END OF TERM Saturday 29 June (Commemoration)
SHERBORNE SCHOOL ABBEY ROAD SHERBORNE DORSET DT9 3LF T: 01935 812249 E: enquiries@sherborne.org www.sherborne.org
facebook.com/SherborneBoysSchool twitter.com/SherborneSchool #sherborneschool youtube.com/user/TheSherborneSchool flickr.com/sherborneschool Thank you to all contributors. Image credits: Josie Sturgess-Mills, David Ridgway, Paul Brewer, Elliott Park, Hasan Hamadto (U6e), Gemma Brunton and others Registered Charity No. 1081228