issue sixteen MICHAELMAS TERM 2014
SherborneNews SPORT
TRIPS
DRAMA
MUSIC
Comment BY TIM FILTNESS DEPUTY HEAD ACADEMIC
‘Curriculum 2015’ promises a great deal for Sherborne. We plan to combine it with a fresh look at our timetable, making for exciting, liberating and inspiring times...
It is now fourteen years since the wholescale introduction of New Labour’s ‘Curriculum 2000’: a policy that oversaw the removal of terminallyexamined A-Levels in UK schools, and unfurled their replacement - the two-tier AS/A2 system we are all familiar with. In fact, modularised A-levels were available a few years before the turn of the millennium (for example a modularised Chemistry A-Level course was available in 1996 – I studied it). Taking this into consideration, it is the case that students across the UK have been learning compartmentally in the Sixth Form for nearly two decades. As the argument goes, they have performed increasingly well doing so: over the last twenty years the proportion of students achieving an A* or A grade at A2 has risen from about 15% (when I sat my Chemistry modules) to 26% in this year’s examinations. QED, it seems, - a clear win for modules. Or maybe not: anyone who has read Ben Goldacre’s most recent book – Bad Pharma – will appreciate, a) the relevance Disraeli’s opinion of statistics brings to this conclusion, and b) that appropriate consideration of construct validity doesn’t always receive the attention it deserves. How can we expect students to understand ideas holistically and see the connections between things if we compartmentalise their learning and assessment into bite-size chunks?
www.sherborne.org
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Returning to the present day, we are again in the midst of an educational seachange. ‘Curriculum 2015’ (as I’m dubbing it, ignoring the fact that it spills out over three years) is the raft of reforms that have already seen the demise of January modules (much to the cheers of Examinations Officers across the land) and will shortly witness the uncoupling of AS levels from A2. Speculating, despite Cambridge University’s recent pleas to the contrary, it now seems likely that AS levels will disappear (possibly entirely) from the map in the near future, effectively returning us full circle to the pre-2000 A-level landscape. This is great news for Sherborne! From September our A-level curriculum will now span two years without the interruption of examinations half-way through, or the disruption of weeks of examination leave; we have the capacity truly to teach concepts hierarchically and also to incorporate a thorough programme of revision and tuition in examination technique at the end of the Upper Sixth. Additionally, without the constraints of a compartmentalised syllabus, we have the freedom to differentiate more towards the needs of our boys, including the scope to range further ‘off-piste’ with students who may be applying for Oxbridge, or other highly selective universities. I could carry on! In sum, ‘Curriculum 2015’ promises a great deal for Sherborne. We plan to combine it with a fresh look at our timetable, making for exciting, liberating and inspiring times for the next cohort of boys enrolling in September as Sixth Formers at Sherborne.
Sixth Form Linguists This has been a busy term for Sherborne’s Sixth Form linguists. The first event was with Marlborough School, in which pupils from both schools were paired together. They then had to research a topic, construct an argument and work out answers to the opposing argument. After an hour of preparation they then had to deliver their speeches, with confidence, in French! The Sherborne participants were George Alsop (U6d), Rory Cattermull (U6m), Olly Douglas (U6d), Jacob Hughes-Hallett (L6a), Charlie Paines (U6m) and Edward Pyman (L6e), all of whom, after the nerves had settled, debated with considerable linguistic skill. In the second event Eddy Horn (U6d), Jacob Hughes-Hallet (L6a), Gian-Marco Hammond (L6b), Will Beney (U6b) and Jack Crinks (U6b), competed against 751 schools across Europe, with 3,000 other competitors, who had to translate texts
from a foreign language into their mother tongue. Aided only by a paper dictionary, the students had produced fluent texts on the subject of European identity. Congratulations to all boys for being chosen to represent the School.
BY RICHARD OATES / JUDY THURMAN HEAD OF FRENCH / HEAD OF MODERN LANGUAGES
Philosophy Conference Forty-eight budding philosophers headed to Taunton racecourse this half term for a Philosophy Conference. The lectures were excellent and were followed by short debates in which Sherborne took an active part. The day was finished off with a lecture on the Cosmological Argument that included an introduction to string theory and parallel universes. At the start of the day we were
informed that we would be receiving about a week’s worth of learning in one day. As the boys staggered back, exhausted, onto the bus it was clear to see that this was not an idle boast. Much of the information that the boys received was relevant to the A-Level courses they are studying and has been used since in their classes.
BY JAMES CRAWFORD THEOLOGY TEACHER
Parent Lecture Programme
BY TIM FILTNESS DEPUTY HEAD ACADEMIC
STOP PRESS Sherborne Art Department has been awarded the Good Schools Guide Award for excellence in Art, outranking all other independent schools
‘Talking to Teenagers about Pornography’. In a thought provoking and informative session, Lisa Handy, a sex and relationships educator with many years’ experience working for both the NHS and the charity National Children’s Bureau, took us through why boys watch pornography, the dangers associated with this and the best ways to tackle that ‘difficult conversation’. The session was packed full of useful information and practical advice, meaning that those who attended left feeling reassured and more confident talking about this issue.
BY SEANA CUMMINGS - HEAD OF PSHE
Schedule of Future Lectures (12pm in JCR): 31st January – Sexting – Stuart Hann (Police)
21st March – Emotional Coaching – Dr Janet Rose 2nd May – Drugs – Shelley Connelly (Police)
To reserve your place please email Cathie Graham at cgraham@sherborne.org
Third Form History Trip
The Third Form visited the Royal Naval Dockyards at Portsmouth to look at developments in shipbuilding as part of their History course. The centrepiece was a tour around HMS Victory, although a couple of groups looked back in history at the Mary Rose, and others visited the Warrior to see the impact of the Industrial Revolution on shipbuilding.
BY GILES REYNOLDS - HEAD OF HISTORY
We entered two teams into the Fleet Air Arm Museum Engineering Competition for GCSE level students. Their task was to design and build a prototype ejector seat using many aspects of Physics and Design to solve the problem. They were asked to include a propulsion unit, safety system and indicator circuit. After a fantastic tour of the museum focusing on ejector seat development across the history of aviation, the boys started their design process. They were scored on team-work, design, construction, cost, and its functionality. Sherborne School were delighted to be placed 1st and 3rd out of 16 participating schools.
BY JAMES KIMBER MIC OF PHYSICS AND ELECTRONICS
Art and History Trip to Berlin During half term the History and Art departments joined together for an extremely busy trip to Berlin. In just two days they visited the Holocaust Memorial, Bauhaus Archive, Hamburger Bahnhof, the remaining section of the Berlin Wall, the beautifully designed Church of Reconcilliation, Underground Cold War Bunkers, the Alte National Gallery, Neue National Gallery and the Germaldergalerie.
SIxTH FORM TRIP TO THE UNIvERSITy OF LONDON Boys who choose Design & Technology as one of their subjects often have an interest in applying their creativity and will cite interests in Architecture, Engineering or Product Design. In order to help them visualise these professions we took the Sixth Form students to the University of London to hear a variety of designers talking about the work that they do and the opportunities and challenges this presents. Two of the designers they listened to explained how their excellent idea led them on a journey to egg box factories, in order to produce a prototype to obtain the backing to develop what will be a global product. Being so new to the profession, they spoke well about issues such as the protection of design ideas and the vacuum generated by innovative product solutions. With a number of the students intending to apply for creative degree courses these talks were informative, inspirational and illustrated the excitement of working in these creative professions.
BY PETER CHILLINGWORTH HEAD OF DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
Advent Carol Service On Sunday evening the School celebrated the beginning of Advent with the Advent Carol Service in Sherborne Abbey. It began with a candlelit procession through the Abbey and was followed by seven readings and Advent hymns together with antiphons and anthems sung by the choir. The Abbey was packed with pupils, parents and staff, and the rousing singing heralded the start of the Christmas season.
BY REVEREND NICHOLAS MERCER ASSISTANT CHAPLAIN
Royal Marines visit
Drama Trips There have been two Drama trips during this half term: the first was to the Merlin Theatre to see the Uk Touring Theatre performing a highly-interesting, if not always perfectlyexecuted, production of ‘A Doll’s House’ by Henrik Ibsen. The second was to the Southwark Playhouse, where we saw the recently-resurrected ‘Grand Guignol’ by Carl Grose. This was an hilarious two hours of schlock horror which, while it did not offer a great deal in terms of high intellectual meaning, was an object lesson in how to perform comedy. Robert Portal’s impeccable sense of timing and wide vocabulary of stock gestures had us rolling in the aisles. Both productions were very different and will definitely have provided the boys with a great theatrical experience which will no doubt feed into their performance work next term.
BY IAN READE HEAD OF DRAMA
Sixth Form Classics Theatre Trip A number of Sixth Form Classicists travelled to Exeter to see a production of ‘Sophocles’ ‘Antigone’ at the Northcott Theatre. Roy Williams’ contemporary version of the play was set in a modernised Thebes and offered a uniquely contemporary portrayal of this Greek Tragedy. The play stuck close to its tragic roots, exploring the themes of loyalty and defiance, the laws of man and those of the gods, but against an eerie background, with innovative use of lighting, stage scenery and sound effects. Although most were familiar with the plot, subtle changes, particularly in language and the use of humour, and an immersion into gang culture, resulted in a fast, engaging play that we all enjoyed.
BY BEN ORD-SMITH (U6g)
The CCF Royal Marines detachment received a visit from the Royal Marines. A chef from the Royal Marines gave a ‘Master Chef’ style lesson on the importance of healthy eating and had the boys cooking and chopping chicken and vegetables. The Royal Marines also put the boys through their paces in the gym, with lots of energetic routines that gave them an insight into the levels of fitness and determination required to succeed in the RM. This left the boys nicely energised before the Abbey Service.
BY ROB LE POIDEVIN CONTINGENT COMMANDER CCF
TURING BIkE RIDE - In honour of Alan Turing’s 62-mile cycle ride from Southampton to Sherborne in 1926, boys, parents, siblings and staff will have the opportunity to retrace some of his route on 17th May 2015 in a fun bike ride, covering a circular route of about 65 miles, starting and finishing at Sherborne. More details on cost and how to enter will be in the next newsletter but for now….get on your bike and start training!
BY MICHAEL MCGINTY - HOUSEMASTER
Senior Inter -house debate The final of the Senior Inter-house debating competition took place this term - Abbeylands versus The Green. Both teams needed to draw upon skills not often used: thinking on their feet, writing and delivering witty and persuasive rhetoric and having the ability to argue against something they may strongly believe in. It was a great way for students to face the fear of standing up in front of their peers and deliver a coherent and persuasive speech. Both teams did extremely well, but in the end Abbeylands just beat The Green to win the cup.
BY HARRY CLOUGH (U6f)
Remembrance Parade
The Fifth and Sixth Form CCF boys marched through Sherborne to the Abbey as part of the town’s Remembrance Service parade. Ed Scott (U6c) laid the School wreath at the War Memorial. We were proud to have our Cadet Regimental Sergeant Major Ruari Ross (U6b) as the Standard Bearer leading the parade. In the Abbey Service the boys were able to hear a sermon from our Assistant Chaplain, Reverend Nicholas Mercer. The boys’ conduct was superb and it was clear that they were struck by the importance and poignancy of the occasion, particularly in this year of Commemoration with the School’s rich military heritage and the sacrifices Old Shirburnians have made in conflicts since the Great War.
BY ROB LE POIDEVIN CONTINGENT COMMANDER CCF
To see more photos of the Remembrance Parade & Service please link to the Galleries page on the website http://www.sherborne.org/news-calendar/event-galleries/
Remembrance Service The whole School took part in the Act of Remembrance on 11th November. The service in the The Courts, with a two minutes silence, was followed by the boys planting a Field of Remembrance in front of the Abbey. The boys were a credit to the School in their demeanour and behaviour. The messages they wrote were
truly moving and will be read and appreciated by the local community. Members of the public commented on what a powerful image it was to see the boys, silently and with dignity, planting their Field of Remembrance.
BY SUE SALMON ASSISTANT HEAD PASTORAL
Cranmer Prayer Book Competition Winners
Three boys represented Sherborne School reading extracts from the 1662 Cranmer Prayer Book, against a team from Bryanston School. The competition was held in Bryanston church. James Allan (L6m) won the Senior competition and Barney Trumper (3d) won the Junior competition. Charles McMaster (L6m), our third representative, also read extremely well. James and Barney will be representing the Salisbury diocese at the final of the National Competition which will be held in the Bishop's Palace in Worcester in February.
BY BARBARA DARNLEY DRAMA TEACHER
Drama J O I N T S C H O O L S ’ P L Ay DUCHESS OF MALFI ‘The Duchess of Malfi’ offers many great performance opportunities and these were grasped wholeheartedly by the highly-talented and hard-working group of actors that made up the cast. Grace Longman (SG), the eponymous heroine, offered a beautifully-controlled and heart-rending performance as the doomed sister of the insane and manipulative brothers who watch her every move. The Cardinal and the Duke Ferdinand, played expertly by James Allan (L6m) and Jacob Lane (L6d), helped us to understand the power and cruelty of the misogynistic world which traps the Duchess. Edward Smith (L6c) as Bosola, the hard-as-nails working class villain who will do anything for money and always offers his employers the truth instead of sycophancy, eventually does the right thing on seeing both the Duchess and his lover die at the hands of the twisted brothers, and starts out on a much-belated path of revenge to bring the play to a suitably bloody close. These roles and the many others in what is a very busy play were all brought together by a beautiful set designed by John Hills, Mrs Cramp’s striking Gaultierinspired costume and Mr Donnelly’s superb technical expertise. This is a heck of a show, and one that I hope will be celebrated and remembered for the hard work and talent that the cast and crew put into it.
BY IAN READE - HEAD OF DRAMA
Music Barely a moment has been silent during the second half of term. The first of the year's Unplugged recitals was particularly interesting as it revealed a new musical 'voice' insofar as the well trodden path of Bluegrass and Mumford and Sons music has been replaced by the Ed Sheeran sound as in 'I See Fire'. Up-and-coming stars include Alex Stagg (L6f), Oscar Faulkner (L6m) and Charlie Smith (4g).
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In the same week, the singers' recital in Cheap Street Church had a record audience attendance, and many performances went on to feature in a singing masterclass led by Nigel Perrin (of the original king's Singers) in which the Chamber Choir also had the opportunity to work on repertoire by Tallis and some light-hearted arrangements by Paul Drayton. Choral Evensong in Bath Abbey followed naturally from the masterclass, where repertoire by Byrd allowed every member of the Chamber Choir a solo, and the very next night the Joint Schools' Orchestral and Choral Concert found the Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra and Sinfonia to be on very fine form in performances of Rachmaninov's Second Symphony and Rimsky-korsakov's ‘Capriccio Espagnol’. ‘RocSoc Live!’ showed the School's rock music to be in rude health, and even more so for the arrival this term of the new Teacher of Music Technology and Rock/Pop – Mike Lehnert – and in particular the DJ performances of James Richards (U6a) and Albert O'Rourke (L6m) were worth a special mention for their fashionable quality. In among the weekly lunchtime recitals in Cheap Street Church, showcasing some extraordinarily impressive talent, a Prep Schools’ Orchestral Day encouraged some 80 youngsters, from Prep schools as far afield as Fulham, to participate in orchestral performances of music from ‘Frozen’ and ‘Beethoven's Ninth Symphony’, under the tutelage of the music staff. The Wu Quartet gave a masterclass for those playing stringed instruments and in particular those in the Chamber Orchestra. At the same time the Choir, with its membership of 103, has been performing stunningly in the Abbey twice a week and in particular during the very moving candlelit Advent Carol Service. The honour of the term goes to the Wind Band, numbering some 74 players, who, in taking part in the National Concert Band Federation Festival in Southampton, won the South-West section, and is now going on to take part in the finals in Manchester in April 2015.
BY JAMIE HENDERSON - DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
Sport
round up
BY DAVID GUY DIRECTOR OF SPORT
AS THE END OF THE MICHAELMAS TERM APPROACHES, THE REGULAR RUGBy SEASON DRAWS TO AN END AND MANy BOyS WILL HANG UP THEIR BOOTS UNTIL SEPTEMBER. ALMOST TO A MAN THEy CAN REFLECT UPON A FANTASTIC SEASON WITH SOME ExCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCES FROM INDIvIDUALS AND TEAMS IN THE 200+ FIxTURES THAT WE HAvE PLAyED THIS TERM. On the first weekend in November, the 1st xv were the winners of the inaugural A M Davis Cup with a 28 – 12 victory over St Paul’s, and have followed this up with wins against Canford, Clifton, Exeter and Bryanston to remain undefeated on The Upper throughout 2014. Matt key (U6m) has led the squad superbly; their work ethic and commitment have been an example to all and they will look forward to more rugby next term as they play in the last 16 of the NatWest u18 Cup.
The Colts age group have maintained their development and all levels have enjoyed considerable success, with the Colts C team winning all of their nine fixtures this half term. The Junior Colts have been equally impressive throughout the term. The Mini-Colts, despite their results, have tried to play rugby in the right way and following the challenges they have faced this season, they will become a stronger team as they grow.
To see more sports photos go the Sherborne Photographic Society’s Website, via http://www.sherborne.org/news-calendar/event-galleries/
LOOKING FORWARD... • • • •
• • • • • • • •
Sunday 11th January, 19:00-20:00 – Pre Carol Service Drinks Reception (OSR)** Sunday 11th January, 20:15 – Epiphany Carol Service (Abbey)** Friday 16th January , 13:30-14:00 – Lunchtime Concert, Chamber Music Thursday 22nd January, 19:30-21:30 – Tindall Recital Series – Oscar Peterson Tribute on two Grand Pianos * Friday 23rd January, 13:30-14:00 – Lunchtime Concert, Brass Recital Thursday 29th and Friday 30th January, 20:00-22:00 – School House Play Friday 30th January, 13:30-14:00 – Lunchtime Concert, Piano Recital Friday 30th January, 19:30-21:00 – Digby House Concert Saturday 31st January , 12:00 – Parent lecture, Sexting ** Friday 6th February, 13:30-14:00 – Lunchtime Concert, Singers’ Recital Wed 11th and Thursday 12th February, 20:00-22:00 – Abbey House Play Friday 13th February, 13:30-14:00 – Lunchtime Concert, Woodwind Recital
TERM DATES: Travelling Day – Wed 7th January 2015 • Term starts - Thurs 8th January Exeat – Friday 23rd January to Sunday 25th January Half term – Friday 13th February. For timings for individual year groups please see http://www.sherborne.org/news-calendar/term-dates/ * tickets@sherborne.org T: 01935 812249 **To reserve a place please email Cathie Graham at cgraham@sherborne.org SHERBORNE SCHOOL ABBEy ROAD SHERBORNE DORSET DT9 3AP T: 01935 812249 E: enquiries@sherborne.org www.sherborne.org Photographs: Joss Barratt, Billy Cripps (3c), Alexander Davidson (5f), Alex Dunham, Sophie Harris, James Henderson, James kimber, Rob Le Poidevin, Louise Litchfield, Julia Martin (parent), Sherborne Photographic Society, Judy Thurman, Hamish Woodland (L6f) and Others.
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