Newsletter - Trinity 2023

SHERBORNE N E W S

Trinity 2023

ISSUE 43

A note from the Head of School

With a shirt sleeve order in effect, boys across the years are spending their days out in the sun; barbecuing the evening away and playing volleyball. The last term of School has always been regarded as the most joyous, with good weather, the formation of the self-proclaimed ‘Sherborne First VII Ultimate Frisbee team’, events such as Sports Day and of course the promise of the sweet freedom of the summer holidays For those with exams this is a very difficult situation to be in. There is nothing more beckoning than an Ecco Gelato ice cream or a quick sunbathe in the hot sun when you know you should be revising Sitting in the Library, I found myself pondering the balance between making the most of my short time left at Sherborne and buckling down and focussing on my exams As I leave the School and move on to the next step in my life, my advice for all boys facing exams next year and years after is as follows:

1. Do something odd I found myself playing Fives every week this year for the sole reason of why not? There are little enough places in the country that even have a Fives court, and you might as well give it a go here or forever give up the opportunity.

2. Take part in everything. I have been in the House play, House Water Polo team, House Volleyball team and many, many more. While of course significant time must be dedicated to working, don’t miss out on a phenomenal opportunity to make lifelong memories just for a little bit more time on TikTok.

3. Enjoy yourself. I had bi-weekly exams, for four straight School weeks and managed to end up playing Volleyball or Football in the garden almost every night each week You don’t need to be working every second of every day, as long as you do as much as you think you should (and a little bit more), you can use the rest of your day to enjoy yourself.

Freddy Molesworth-St Aubyn (U6b)

Academic Enrichment

The Patterson Prize for Recitation

The Patterson Prize for Recitation is named after Robert Patterson, a former Head of English It makes tough demands of competitors, who memorise a poem and then recite it, in a face-off not only with each other, but also with their nerves There is a junior competition, for the Third and Fourth Forms, and a senior one The quality of this year ’ s recitations were better than ever Our judge, another former Head of English – Mrs de Pelet – said that nine people could have won this year, and the supportive audience of boys and staff found several of the performances profoundly moving The close, excellent runners up in the junior competition were Ian Liu (3d) and Benjamin Brady (4d); the winner was Forest Purvis (4b) The senior cup was awarded to Harry Trudgeon (U6f) His performance of Harry Baker’s Paper People was breath-taking, even though the poem didn’t give him much of a chance to take actual breaths

Physics

In the Physics Department it has been heads down and focusing on those all too important exams this term The Upper Sixth have been pulling out all the stops to prepare for their first set of real exams, having missed out on a chance to sit their GCSEs in person. This has added extra pressure, but they have stepped up to the challenge. They should at least have the confidence that they all passed the required practical element of the course and impressed the AQA inspector when she visited at the start of term

The Lower Sixth have now completed their first year of studies and will be taking on the mantel of being the preeminent physicists in the School and should be able to support the younger boys in their respective Boarding Houses They need to use the summer to plan out their next steps and should be looking to read around the subject, seek out competitions/work experience/MOOCS, so that they can bolster their personal statements It

is not enough to simply get the top

grades

Well done to the Fifth Form, there are many who can breathe a sigh of relief as they are done with Physics, but I hope they take something away with them As Richard Feynman may have said, “discovering the pleasure of finding things out” is possibly the most important thing that we can leave them with

Richard Brown Head of Physics

Tom Payne, English Teacher

Biology

Holway wood, a picturesque woodland located just outside Sherborne, once again played host to an enjoyable and educational adventure for the lower Sixth Form pupils The boys, armed with curiosity, a thirst for scientific exploration and a clipboard, embarked on a biology field trip that promised both practical learning and a memorable experience.

Under the supervision of their enthusiastic biology teacher, Mr Ridgway, the students delved into two fascinating experiments designed to enhance their understanding of statistical analysis and ecological relationships

The first task involved a timed search for banded and unbanded Capia Nemoralis snails, within the woodland area The boys scoured the forest floor, carefully identifying and recording the number of each snail variety they encountered This exercise aimed to provide them with the necessary data for a subsequent statistical test using the Chisquared test By comparing the frequencies of banded and unbanded snails, they would determine if there was a significant difference between the two varieties within the woodland population

Following the snail search, the students turned their attention to the lush green nettles

surrounding them Along a constructed transect, they measured the length of nettle leaves in two distinct areas: a brightly lit portion and a shaded section Despite a few stinging encounters, the boys embraced the challenges presented by the nettles and were undeterred Armed with rulers, they meticulously recorded their observations

This exercise aimed to explore the relationship between light availability and leaf length, using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient By analysing the collected data, the pupils would assess if there was a correlation between the two variables This hands-on experiment allowed them to experience the scientific method first-hand, from data collection to analysis

During their exploration of the woodland, the pupils stumbled upon Red Campion, a captivating wildflower. Mr Ridgway used this opportunity to teach them about

its intriguing reproductive system Red Campion is dioecious, meaning that male and female flowers grow on separate plants This unique characteristic sparked lively discussions among the pupils, who marvelled at nature’s intricate mechanisms for reproduction Through their statistical tests and observations, the Lower Sixth Form pupils had not only deepened their understanding of ecological concepts, but also has a great deal of fun in the glorious weather that adorned that particular day!

The Holway Wood biology field trip exemplifies the true spirit of outdoor experiential learning, offering an invaluable opportunity for our pupils to connect with nature, engage in scientific inquiry, and continue to foster a passion for the subject We also hope it helps them commit this information to memory, since it will be tested in their A2 examination next academic year!

Jon-Paul Manning Head of Biology

A MEMoRABlE BIoloGy FIElD TRIP To HolwAy wooD: ExPloRInG nATURE’S wonDERS

Chemistry

Well, it’s that stage of the term again: the Upper Sixth have just started their examinations, while the Fifth Form are just about to finish! From the latter there is a palpable sense of an ending and a feeling of relief, from the latter some nervy appearances in the laboratories as they iron out final queries in advance of the first paper

Normally, at this time of the year, the Third and Fourth Forms would be similarly engaged, but with their exam season coming early, due to the lack of Sports Hall facilities (due to the redevelopment), they find themselves engaging with new material as we push forwards with the IGCSE Only the Lower Sixth Form are following their usual internal examination route, with these exams just recently signed off and ready for reporting back to parents

Our Lower Sixth Form chemists have just one more timed piece of work to contend with this year: The Cambridge Chemistry Challenge; The Chemistry Olympiad’s slightly less spiteful younger sibling! A quick glance at the paper shows it to be at least as testing as in previous years, with some areas that will make the synapses fizz and crackle as the boys feel their way towards their answers All remaining Upper School chemists will attempt the paper and, as with The Chemistry Olympiad, one ambitious member of the Fourth Form No doubt the results will merit a further mention in a publication early next year

William Buckley Head of Chemistry

History

The stand-out highlights of the Trinity Term in the History Department have been the Chalke Valley History Festival trips and the Third Form renaissance exhibition

After celebrating a busy and, hopefully, successful exam season with the Fifth and Upper Sixth Form with ice creams, doughnuts and fizzy drinks, the Department’s focus turned in the final weeks to rewarding the rest of our students for their hard work and providing some extension and enrichment to their historical education Over two warm days in June, we took (almost) the entire Third Form, and the Fourth and Lower Sixth Form historians for a day of lectures, exhibitions, displays and interactive activities at Chalke Valley History Festival

As ever, this event did not disappoint and the boys all had a marvellous time (more ice cream was definitely involved)! From lectures on the Crusades and the World War One Peace Treaties to learning about East Berlin in the Cold War and handling weapons from the 1944 Normandy landings or painting an Iron Age roundhouse, this was a fantastic opportunity for the boys to delve deeper into some exciting areas of the past. They returned cheerful but tired – the sign of a good trip!

For the Third form, this was not the only chance for them to follow their own interests as each of them selected their own investigation on the Renaissance and have spent half a term researching, writing, designing and creating their exhibition, held in the Macnaghten Library The breadth and quality of the projects is excellent, with highlights including YouTube documentaries, original musical compositions and handmade artefacts alongside some impressively written essays showing real flair and analysis Well done, boys – whether this was their final foray into academic history or a precursor to their iGCSE studies next year, we are proud of you all!

Charlotte Allen Head of History

library

Trinity Term in the library started with the Third Form completing their Classics projects, checking their sources and compiling their bibliographies.

As the Third Form moved out, the Fifth and Upper Sixth Formers moved in to begin their exam revision ahead of the public examinations Over the past two months, there have been many long hours spent revising key topics, group collaboration, and plenty of moral support

To celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III, the Library and Archives collaborated to create a joint pop-up display Our talented archivist, Rachel Hassall, created a special exhibition about the role played by Old Shirburnians and Old Preppers in the many Coronations of yesteryear The display also featured books representing the interests of the new King

After the hard work of exams came the enormous fun of Super Sunday! The Library ran two extremely popular paper engineering workshops in which the children made their own snapping head mythical creature Much hilarity ensued and the children had great fun decorating their monsters and chatting about books

June drew to a close with the Third Form’s annual History project on the Renaissance Displayed throughout the Library, the exhibition features a varied selection of topics, artefacts, and audiovisual experiences and provides a fabulous finale to the year!

Sue Gransby Library Manager

Maths

with the onset of external exams for the Upper Sixth and Fifth Form, this term has been a busy one both in the Mathematics Department and for the wider School The addition of end of year internal exams for boys in the Third, Fourth and lower Sixth Form has led to a significant focus on revision and exam technique since the Easter break, but we have still managed to find a few opportunities for Maths beyond the curriculum

A number of Third Form Mathematicians enjoyed a virtual Maths show titled Around the World in 60 minutes presented by Zoe Griffiths from Think Maths During the event the boys considered how Maths links to flight paths, with a particular focus on the impact of the curvature of the Earth when it comes to finding the shortest distance between two places Boys also had the opportunity to explore the topic of Fractals examining coastlines of islands and land masses themselves

Meanwhile, boys from the Lower Sixth Further Maths sets have continued to work on more challenging mathematical problems Supplementing their study of the curriculum with step level questions will undoubtably help them prepare for the admissions tests many will be taking in the latter half of this year

Paul Spencer Head of Mathematics

Classics

ARTIFICIAl InTEllIGEnCE In THE ClASSICAl woRlD

the shores, hurling boulders and repelling invaders A mysterious, divine lifeblood the Greeks called ichor ran through a single vein in his brazen body and this the sorceress Medea, arriving with the Argonauts, drained by removing a plug from his heel and killed him

Theology

When I was training to be a teacher, I briefly thought about writing a memoir of my first steps in the profession I was going to call it something like 195 First Nights because it felt like every day I was having to write and perform in a new play Not just a traditional play either, a piece of immersive theatre, like those performed by Punch

Thousands of years before The Terminator, Tesla and ChatGPT, before we looked suspiciously over a boy’s work questioning whether it was his or something generated by AI, there was a rich tradition of mythology and philosophical thought that touched on artificial life and self-operating machines, something that we have been discussing this term in our classes.

In classical mythology, stories often featured references to artificial beings endowed with the ability to move and act independently The most famous of these was Talos, the giant bronze automaton from Greek mythology created by Hephaestus, the Greek god of metalworking and craftsmanship, to protect the island of Crete Talos was said to move on his own and perform tasks without human intervention, patrolling

Hesiod describes another example of a mythical artificial being, the story of Pandora, but not the innocent girl many of us think we have heard of, who unwittingly opens a box and releases evil on the world, but an artificial, evil fem-bot built by Hephaestus and the other gods, and sent to Earth by Zeus to punish mortals for discovering fire.

Artificial intelligence, as we understand it today, did not obviously exist in the classical world, as the technological capabilities that underpin it were absent, but the stories from the ancient world perhaps reflect not only an advanced ancient desire to create self-operating machinery capable of thinking for themselves, but also an awareness of the potential dangers in embracing the ‘gifts’ of AI before understanding how to control them

Stephen Heath Head of Classics

Drunk where audience members are able to interact with the cast One of my former colleagues went one stage further and used to write a script for his classes, which he then memorised (but which of course became useless as soon as the class started and the audience went off script)

I’ve been thinking about this recently as we ’ ve been adopting some more theatrical techniques in the Theology Department My personal favourite has been the courtroom drama lesson This is where you take a philosopher, such as Thomas Aquinas or Immanuel Kant and put them on trial Students play the roles of prosecutors and defence barristers, as well as the judge and jury Others play witnesses for the prosecution or the defence and it’s been great seeing how much fun the boys have with it Some of it is very funny (hearing Immanuel Kant trying desperately to remember what he’d written about how to formulate the Categorical Imperative) and at other times it’s very insightful, particularly when the judge is summing up It’s a format in which everyone is involved and engaged throughout the lesson

And the best thing is that it’s a play that the audience write and perform themselves

James Crawford Head of Theology

Top frieze of a red-figure calyx-krater depicting the creation of Pandora

Computer Science

The Upper Sixth submitted their A level projects for moderation and there was a great array of different projects submitted after a long 12 months almost in production we had projects on Symbolic Differentiation, a database of statistics for the national Basketball Association, a social media app for discussing homework, a maze-solving and a towerdefence game and a 3D-Terrain mapping program. All of these were gargantuan pieces of work but two stood out – Kohki Hatori (U6e) and ogi Soldatovic (U6a) on an edge-detection algorithm using Fourier Series and Bezier Curves and a phonebased Mapping program, respectively They are to be hard-bound and a copy will be kept in the School library

Congratulations to them.

Sixth For m

The Upper Sixth boys have worked and revised hard throughout this term, with a steely focus on attaining success in A level exams and the completion of the BTEC courses before they head off on exciting new adventures Many of our boys will be taking gap years and spending that time working, travelling and preparing applications for university Others will go on to study at university in the UK There is an exciting diverse range of destinations in the mix Some boys are heading to Russell Group universities such as Oxford, Durham, Newcastle, Cardiff, Bristol; others are pursuing highly sought-after places at Edinburgh and Bath (The T imes and Sunday T imes University of the Year 2023) Many of our boys have thought long and hard about the landscape of where they wish to live and study and have chosen coastal locations such as Falmouth and Swansea so that, when not studying, they can surf and sail in the sunset Five of our boys are successfully applied to study at prestigious overseas destinations, and so from September we will have Old Shirburnians based at Stanford, Boston, Berklee and Toronto

The Lower Sixth boys have begun their preparations for their own post 18 destinations The trial exams after half-term have given boys and parents a good indication of where things stand academically, with regards to the gap between current grades and the grades required in order to access preferred destinations In addition, following pupil and parent talks from the University of Bath, the boys have registered for UCAS and have begun writing their own personal statements To enhance these applications, many pupils have booked places on academic summer schools or arranged work experience at placements aligned to their chosen pathway To gain inspiration, many boys have visited a range of universities and attended a number of open days so that they are able to make clear, well thought-through decisions about their future lives

Dr David Wild Head of Computer

Science

This year we have re-started the Ed Moorhouse Travel Fund Ed (f 90) was an Old Shirburnian who won the Morehead Cain Scholarship to study at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Ed sadly passed away too young, yet a fund was raised in his honour to support current Shirburnians interested in studying in the USA Robert Chitty (L6d) is this year ’ s winner and will be using the award to help support a week attending a fantastic Los Angeles Soccer Camp, attended by representatives from 50 US colleges Boys wishing to study overseas have also been supported by a SAT Guidance webinar and also a webinar on studying at various global university destinations

Whilst the sun has shone hard on Sherborne, there have been many moments for relaxation and socialising in our beautiful grounds and House gardens The boys have enjoyed many social interactions with their counterparts at Sherborne Girls and the frequent, timeless sound of bat or racquet on ball has made this a very ‘outdoorsy’, hot and happy Trinity Term

Alex Boyd-Williams Deputy Head (Sixth Form)

Co-curricular New s

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Combined Cadet Force

The CCF has been incredibly busy this term with the highlights being the Field Trips to HMS Raleigh where the Royal Navy section went sailing and power boating, and Scraesden Fort where the Army and Royal Marines section experienced blank firing, moving through tunnels, and abseiling

Our CCF continues to grow and we have record numbers requesting to stay on beyond Fourth Form partly due to the outstanding leadership and commitment of our senior cadets W ill Waters (U6b) has set the benchmark for service to the CCF and has been a fabulous role model We have 35 cadets attending summer camp with Wycliffe College The camp involves adventure training in Portsmouth, a blank firing exercise, and live firing on a range

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has seen another successful summer term with expeditions going off for all three award levels.

Over two weekends in May we had the 80 Bronze participants complete their Practice and Training weekend, before completing their Qualifying walk in Dorset They enjoyed glorious weather, a tough walk and a fun night out at a local campsite

expedition was successful for all participants and we continue to enjoy partnering with Sherborne Girls for our Gold Expeditions

Rob Le Poidevin

CCF Contingent Commander & Housemaster of The Digby

During the penultimate week of term we had two groups of Fourth Formers undertake their combined Practice and Qualifying Expedition on Bodmin Moor and Exmoor which proved to be successful, with all boys completing their Silver Expedition The highlight of a year of preparation for the Gold Walkers, was their Joint-School Expedition, which, this year, took place in Snowdonia in North Wales Six groups of boys and Sherborne Girls navigated their way across the breath-taking Welsh countryside, wild camping next to beautiful Llyns and enjoying the fantastic summer weather while taking in sweeping vistas and mountain scenery The

In the first week of the Summer Holiday, we will be off on the Gold Canoeing Expedition with the Sixth Form participants from both Sherborne and Sherborne Girls We will spend a week paddling along The Great Glen Way from Fort W illiam to Inverness in Scotland Keep up to date with our trips on our new Instagram page @SherborneDofE

Well done to Carl Furthmann (U6e), Henry Kingsbury (U6f), Dorian Gottardello Bodnar (U6f), Sam Guo (U6b), James Livingston Booth (U6g) and Marcus Hinde (U6f) for completing their Gold Award this term We also had 17 boys complete their Bronze award and nine boys complete their Silver award this term

Thank you to everyone who supports the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and our trips and well done to all our boys on expeditions

Mark Stuart DofE and Outdoor Education Assistant

Ten Tors

Ten Tors continues to be a joint activity between Sherborne Girlsthis year, we entered two mixed teams - one in the lower Sixth and one in the Fourth Form. Rocco Taylor (l6b) and Angus Brewster (l6b), from Abbey House, joined four Sherborne Girls in the lower Sixth to complete the 45-mile challenge, covering 30 miles on the first day

Ivo Finney (4d) captained the joint team in the Fourth Form, joined by William Bennett (4e) from Wallace House There were two all-boys teams in the Fourth Form.

Jem Lye (4g) captained one team, including:

• Leo Mauleverer (4d)

• Harrison Fox (4g)

• Arthur Risso-Gill (4g)

• Ollie Morgan (4c)

• Jack Hunter-Inglis (4a)

William (4d) led the other boys’ team:

• Harry Stanley (4a)

• Caio Waters (4b)

• Theo Knott (4m)

• William Ferrier (4c)

• Henry Bishop (4d)

Congratulations to all pupils for completing the challenge within thirty-six hours

Chris O’Donnell Head of Business Economics, Ten Tors

Music

The Trinity Term in Music is always one which begins with an enormous quantity of music-making, and which then continues with the Friday Lunchtime Concer t series in Cheap Street Church but which is other wise fairly quiet, and which then involves extensive rehearsing during the last week of term the Upper Sixth and Fif th Form musicians return from their various post-exam courses and mini-holidays for a series of four concer ts and one major competition.

James Henderson Executive Director of Music

The start of the musical term, until the first Exeat, is very much dominated by the Sherborne Abbey Festival Now in its 24th year, the Festival saw international artists such as John Lenehan, Steven Isserlis, Ruth Rogers, Julian Bliss, and The Sixteen performing in Sherborne Abbey, and crucially affords the opportunity for schools in the town to perform to knowledgeable audiences a wonderful experience for any musician at any stage and ability As with several previous years, our contributions to the Festival involved the Swing Band, giving a concert in the unusual venue of our very own School Chapel, the Chamber Choir and Close Harmony group in a Saturday morning Abbey recital and, to cap it all, a Chamber Music Concert in the Abbey during what would ordinarily be our Cheap Street Church Recital slot.

The Chamber Music Recital must surely have been one of our strongest ever W ith recent success in the Mid Somerset Festival, we were able to showcase performances of Poulenc’s ‘Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano’ (Hector Kennerley Sch.Mus (L6g), oboe; Thomas Arbon Valderrama Sch Mus (L6e), bassoon; and Byron Yang Sch Mus (L6d), piano) in what was undoubtedly one of the strongest pupil performances of this music ever heard in Sherborne The first movement of Beethoven’s ‘Trio for Clarinet ‘Cello and Piano, Opus 11’ (Angus W illiams ATCL Sch Mus (U6c), clarinet; Gareth Kwong Exh Mus (L6e), ‘cello; and W illiam Miao Sch Mus (U6f), piano) was an outstanding performance, celebrating particularly fine playing from two leavers with a cellist who still has another year with us A remarkable performance of

Chopin’s ‘Ballade No 1 in G minor, Opus 23’ by Third Former Ian Liu Sch Mus (3d), was complemented by a colourful and quasi-orchestral interpretation of Howells’ ‘Psalm Prelude, No 1, Set 1’ by Angus W illiams on the Abbey’s mighty organ. The Brass Quintet (Archie Beardsell Sch Mus (L6f), flugelhorn; Charlie Burtt Sch Mus (L6c), trumpet; Henry Cannon Sch Mus (L6c), trumpet; Bamber Mauleverer Exh Mus (L6b); and Karl Ng (L6b), trombone) have been on outstanding form this term, under the direction of Head of Academic Music, Robert Costin, and completed this concert with strong performances of Percy Grainger’s ‘Danny Boy (Londonderry Air)’ and Gordon Langford’s ‘Polonaise’

As ever, the Swing Band’s festival concert was a resounding success, as was Jazz for a Summer’s Evening during the Commem week (albeit, yet again, indoors, on one of the few days when rain fell) A near full-house audience enjoyed lively renditions of Dizzy Gillespie’s ‘Salt Peanuts’, Duke Ellington favourites, and Nico Beeny ATCL Sch Mus (U6c) singing ‘Ain’t that a kick in the head’ and the everpopular ‘Just a Gigolo’ that seems these days to involve audience participation In the Commem jazz evening, the audience also enjoyed the debut performances of the Junior Jazz Band (W illiam Ashworth Sch Mus (5b), bass guitar; James Hambly Sch Mus (3a), trumpet; W illiam Lewis Sch Mus (4d), clarinet; Bamber Mauleverer, trombone; Archie Osborne (4f), saxophone; Benji Rimington Sch Mus (3c), clarinet; Samuel Rippon Sch Mus (4e), clarinet; Charlie Scammell Sch.Mus (3f), trumpet; and James Whiteley Sch Mus (4b); drum kit)

The Chamber Choir’s performance of T ippett’s ‘Five Spirituals’ in the Abbey, along with a stunning performance of Lotti’s ‘Mass for Three Voices’ thrilled the audience: there are some particularly fine tenors in the Chamber Choir at the moment, in some ways compensating for the loss of our treble top line just before Christmas The Close Harmony ensemble’s performances of Adams’ ‘Nearer my God to thee’ and Newman’s ‘You’ve got a friend in me ’ showed great attention to detail and style

Battle of the Organs on Tuesday 27 June, at the other end of the term, featured organists Angus

W illiams, Freddie Senior Sch Mus (5g), Archie Spenlove-Brown Sch Mus (4f), and Zeeshan Mahmud Sch Mus (3f) in performances divided between the two organs in the Chapel with no obvious winners and yet

strong performances of music by J S Bach, Stanford, and André The Chamber Choir’s special arrangements for male voice choir of Parry’s ‘I was glad’ and ‘Hear my words’ are mighty works which are particularly effective on

the quire organ, whilst Angus W illiams’ accompanying of Brahms ‘Geistliches Lied’ and his conducting of Bruckner’s ‘Locus Iste’ were fine examples of meticulously prepared performances

The Leavers’ Concert on Thursday 29 June was one of the strongest musical evenings that we have had at Sherborne for a long time W illiam Miao gave a stunning performance of Chopin’s ‘Scherzo No 2’; Max Lewis ATCL Exh Mus (U6a) opened the concert with a polished performance of the second movement of James Rae’s ‘Tyne Sonata’; Freddie Folkes Sch Mus (U6a) played Rachmaninoff ’ s ‘Prelude in B minor’ with poise and focus; Angus W illiams appeared on both the clarinet and the piano in music by Mozart and J S Bach/Kempff; Michael Long (U6m) impressed with his interpretation of Chopin’s ‘Nocturne in F major’; Khalid Miah (U6f) sang Quilter’s ‘Go lovely rose ’ with great vocal

colour and musical sensitivity; Sam W ithers (U6f) performed Debussy’s ‘Beau Soir’ on the violin with great poise and delicacy; Nico Beeny played Gilbert Vinter’s exciting ‘Hunter’s Moon’ with his usual flair and aplomb, and also rounded the concert off with a performance of ‘Fly me to the moon ’ borrowed from his many performances of it with the Swing Band; Kit Hobbs Sch Mus (U6c) sang Hahn’s ‘A Chloris’ and James Arthur’s ‘Say you won’t let go ’ in Unplugged style; W ill Frost (U6b), one of the strongest basses in the Choir and who sang every service for five years, gave moving performances of Fauré’s ‘Après un rêve’ and ‘Automne’; Hendrik Ashbrooke Exh Mus (U6g) gave what must be one of the more refined and mellifluous performances of Ireland’s ‘Sea Fever’ that we have heard in pupil recitals and accompanied sensitively on the piano by Angus W illiams; and a vocal ensemble had been put together to sing Palestrina’s ‘Sicut cervus ’ in a chamber performance

The annual Gala Concert was a tour-de-force of musical performances by some of the larger ensembles in the School In one hour and ten minutes of music, the W ind Band, Chamber Choir, Brass Band, Close Harmony ensemble, Symphonic Strings, and Concert Orchestra gave high-quality performances of music by Holst, Earth W ind & Fire arranged Murtha, T ippett, Gabrieli and Barry Grey, Leonard Cohen, Greig, and Kabalevsky

The annual Patrick Shelley Music Competition for Advanced Instrumentalists on Sunday 25 June was adjudicated by Old Shirburnian Dominic Wheeler (h 88), conductor and Head of Opera Studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama The overall winner of the Patrick Shelley Cup was Angus W illiams, and the winners of the individual classes were W illiam Miao (Piano), Archie Beardsell (L6f) (Brass), Max Lewis (Woodwind), Angus W illiams (Singing), and Gareth Kwong (Strings).

& Design Technology

On a crisp cool summer ’ s morning, 37 GC SE Design & Technology pupils travelled to London to experience Clerkenwell Design Week (CDW). This established event showcases cutting- edge design, innovation, and craftsmanship, making it an ideal platform for our pupils to research, explore and gain inspiration ahead of the start of their GC SE assessed design work

One great benefit of our pupils visiting the CDW is that it places the onus upon them to engage with the many industry professionals including designers, architects, and manufacturers. Outside Farringdon Tube station our final briefing encouraged them to be bold and to talk to the professionals and find out about their work and their careers The

event provides a high-density and diverse range of design installations, exhibitions, and workshops A key benefit to this trip is that the whole event has a fantastic vibe The boys are surrounded by people all interested in design. The exhibits and workshops at CDW offer interactive and hands-on experiences as designers hand their products to the boys for them to experience and discuss This hands-on approach allows them to understand the practical application of design principles and develop problem-solving skills, gaining so much more than hours spent trawling through the web

Sustainability has a key focus of modern design, and CDW showcases numerous sustainable design practices By seeing environmentally conscious products, students gain a deeper understanding of the importance

of sustainability in their design projects, rather than viewing this as an ‘add on ’ feature Clerkenwell is known for its rich history and its vibrant design community Exhibits pop up in historic subterranean debtors’ prisons, converted textile warehouses, chapels and marquees

The observations from the boys; Post-covid workspaces have changed and there are now Teams meetings, breakout rooms and acres of cork to improve the acoustics of online conversations Strong colour palettes are back in and Designers are fun people to be around, to work with and to be around Our pupils take these messages on as they now progress onto designing their product solutions

Peter Chillingworth Head of Design & Technology

Ar t

Fourth For m Cor nwall Art Trip

once again, Trinity Term saw Fourth Form GCSE Art pupils treated to an exciting two-day Art trip to Cornwall. Sixteen boys and three members of staff scrambled onto a coach and headed west to St. Ives.

We made our way to the Tate and spent the afternoon viewing their fabulous art collection including exhibitions from both the Casablanca School of Art and Sol LeW itt Following this there was a short meander through the town to visit the Barbara Hepworth Museum (her former studio and home) to gain an insight into the life and works of one of Britain’s most important twentiethcentury artists The boys then had some free time to explore the lanes of St Ives, play on the beach, braving a dip in the sea and constantly dodging the intrusion of the seagulls as they did their best to mug everyone of their ice-cream or fish and chips

Our accommodation for the night was the YHA Land’s End, a charming hostel tucked away in the Cornish countryside with fine views towards the sea W ith all the walking involved throughout the day, combined with lungs full of sea air, all slept well

With the boys’ minds -blown from everything they had seen and done over this busy two - day visit, they clambered back on the coach, promptly fell asleep and were delivered safely back to School.

The following morning with bellies full of cooked breakfast we were back on the coach heading towards Newlyn and Penzance to allow pupils the opportunity to visit several galleries and exhibitions to see the en Plein air work of the Newlyn School artists Following this the boys used their extraordinary mapping skills (thank you DofE) to locate Cornwall’s only Subway (other sandwich manufacturers were available) for a spot of lunch Recharged by this sustenance pupils uses the early part of the afternoon dodging deluges to photograph the flora and fauna found in the Morrab Subtropical Gardens to help inspire (and bolster) their GCSE coursework ‘Natural Forms’ portfolios

Another hugely successful and enjoyable Art Trip Thank you to everyone involved

Paris Art Trip

Trinity Term heralded the return of international art trips for Sherborne School with a half-term tour of the vibrant art scene of Paris. lower Sixth Art and History of Art pupils were treated to the rich history, remarkable architecture, and array of masterpieces that have captivated the imaginations of artists for centuries From the off the art trip promised an immersive experience, exploring renowned museums, picturesque galleries, and charming streets of the capital.

On day one, pupils were captivated as they step into the hallowed halls of the Louvre, home to the world-famous Mona Lisa and countless other iconic artworks From classical sculptures to Renaissance masterpieces, an extensive collection which left pupils awestruck

Next, we visited the Musée d’Orsay, famously housed in a stunning former railway station, showcasing an exquisite collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art The impressive collection allowed pupils to marvel at the brushstrokes of Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, and other visionaries who revolutionized the art world

To finish the day, and our legs, we climbed the Eiffel Tower to take in the view of the setting sun across the remarkable Parisian landscape

The following day, a relaxed river cruise allowed us to experience more Paris landmarks, and save our aching legs, as we sailed down the Seine River, flanked by architectural icons such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, and Musée d’Orsay.

En route to the Gare du Norde to catch the Eurostar home we managed to squeeze in a flying visit to MoMA which allowed boys to take in its impressive collection of artworks from influential artists like Van Gogh, Picasso, and Kahlo, as well as an opportunity to experience thought-provoking sculptures, photographs, and multimedia installations, a comprehensive overview of modern and contemporary art movements

Cramming in as much as we could, this two day tour de force squeezed every ounce of what Paris had to offer our Lower Sixth artists Whilst we returned exhausted and ready for a half term break, my hope that this tour marks the new beginning of international tours for Sherborne’s artists

Matt Bone Director of Art

Drama

ARoUnD THE woRlD In 80 DAyS REVIEw

By KyRyl MyKyTyUK (3f)

On a sunny and hot afternoon of Wednesday 14 June, I had the pleasure of joining several Junior School Drama pupils and scholars on an enjoyable trip to The Lighthouse Theatre in Poole. Our purpose was to witness the delightful production of Around the World in 80 Days, a play inspired by Jules Verne's thrilling tale of fun, friendship, and adventure. Directed by Juliet Forster, the play immediately established a pleasurable, positive, and happy vibe that resonated throughout the entire performance.

One aspect that particularly impressed me was the remarkable achievement of the five-person cast Unlike other productions, such as Ocean at the End of the Lane, which we had the privilege of watching at the Royal Theatre in Bath during the Lent Term, where a large cast worked together backstage to execute intricate movements, the five actors in Around the World in 80 Days single-handedly managed all the devised movements while seamlessly transitioning between multiple roles Their ability to synchronise these movements while maintaining the fluidity of the play was truly commendable

I found two moments in the play to be both fascinating and creatively executed One involved the actors ingeniously using a ladder and various props to create the illusion of a moving train Another highlight was when Aouda, skilfully puffing the sides

of her grey dress, tied a rope to her leg, and passed it through a ladder with Phileas Fogg and Nellie Bly perched on top, creating the illusion of them riding an elephant Alongside these impressive visual elements, the actors expertly employed specialised accents for each character, with W ilson Benedito’s portrayal of Passepartout standing out as particularly hilarious

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Around the World in 80 Days Despite being directed at a younger audience, which resulted in the presence of many younger children, the play captivated and entertained me To top off the evening on a high note, our drama teacher, Mrs Clayton, pleasantly surprised us by making a pit stop at McDonald’s, treating us to a delightful dinner It was truly a wonderful way to conclude a memorable Wednesday!

Spor t -

Is the latest headline from a study by Spor t England, backed up by numerous academic studies. Apar t from improving sleep and moods, helping young people to manage anxiety and reducing the risk of depression, it also has significant cognitive benefits to how we think and work . Which is why we are so pleased when, even at the peak of the external ex aminations, our boys continue to enjoy the oppor tunities for spor t and exercise.

Managing time is a skill to learn but clearly it is impor t ant that some time is generated to be away from the books or computer screen. Whether on Carey’s, in the Spor ts Centre, at the Golf Club, on the water at Sutton Bingham or at any other of the various venues there have been boys enjoying the social, physical and ment al benefits of activity. With enjoyment and choice at the focus of our provision, we continue to strive to provide a rich and varied programme and with the new facilities opening in September we are confident that we are heading in the right direction.

Guy, Director of Spor t

David

“Phy sical activity can have a profound and positive impact on ment al wellbeing”

Cricket

The 2023 season saw a total of 100 matches played over 10 weeks by thirteen different Sherborne sides, of which almost two-thirds were won. Amongst the main highlights were an unbeaten season for Mr Crawford’s mighty Mini Colts B xI, as well as runs to the County Cup Final for both the Junior and Mini Colts A teams Although the former lost their Final to Canford, the latter Final is yet to be contested, and will take place in early September.

A young 1st xI side performed well to win six of its matches as well as playing out a really exciting draw in the final match against MCC, and there were centuries for Cameron Golding (U6f) against St. Peter’s Adelaide, and for Barney Talbot-williams (l6a) against MCC - a game in which Cameron also achieved a five-wicket haul to put his name twice on the Honours Board in consecutive days!

Meanwhile, our inaugural Ruth Strauss Foundation Cricket week was a great success, raising somewhere in the region of £3,000, as well as seeing Sherborne play host to Cheltenham, Haileybury, Stowe, and Cerne Valley CC, alongside the aforementioned St Peter’s and MCC The 2024 season cannot come soon enough!

Polo

Sherborne Polo ended on a high this term by winning the Senior Schools’ SUPA (Schools and Universities Polo Association) tournament on Sunday 18 June The team of Mustafa Cheshti (U6g), Ben Spencer (L6g), Cassius Hammick (L6m) and Jake Bamford (4b) played exceptionally well at Kirtlington to defeat Radley and Marlborough and draw nil all against Cheltenham to take the top spot This strengthened their reputation as a force to be reckoned with as they had also won the Arena tournament in March

At the end of May the team travelled to Berkshire to take on Eton and were playing a closely fought game where the score was 3-2 to Eton at the end of the third Chukka Unfortunately, in the final Chukka two players had problems with their ponies and this allowed Eton to widen the gap to win 6-2

We must never forget in polo that the ponies are 80% of the game A busy schedule of fixtures for this term was thwarted due to a lack of ponies available, but this did allow more time to focus on weekly training and the up-and-coming novice players have also improved markedly this year

Athletics

Beyond successful “regular” School athletics events, Sherborne’s athletes have done brilliantly in this year’s national competitions. The Inter-boys team (Third and Fourth Formers) qualified for the regional B final of the English Schools’ Track and Field Cup (a team competition) which they subsequently won, with a super team performance at the Exeter track. Top performers on the day were willoughby Peel (3m) and Theo Knott (4m)

Nearly twenty boys competed at the Dorset Championships, and from there four boys were selected to represent Dorset at the South West Championships a week later. Here Toby Bemand (L6a) and Gabe Muir (3a) came second in the 400m and high jump respectively, while Henry Kingsbury (U6f) came third in the shot put The highlight of the day and the season so far was Theo who won the U17 high jump with a school record 1 91m and has been selected to compete at the prestigious English Schools’ Championships in July

SPoRTS DAy

Sports Day took place on Carey’s at the end of term, despite some less than ideal weather conditions for much of the afternoon, our boys did incredibly well Although we were unable to run the full programme of competitions (due to the rain) it was great to see the boys represent their Houses so well on the track throughout the event

Sailing

The sailing programme, which is carried out in conjunction with Sherborne Girls posted some very positive records, certainly in respect of recent history. There were 35 pupils involved and all but five of them represented the School in matches at some point during the term At one event the programme was represented by four teams across the Under 18 and Under 16 divisions The notable peak in performance was the second place achieved at the Western Regional Championships in the Under 18 division The School being represented by Freddy Molesworth-St Aubyn (U6b), Oliver Thompson (L6f) and Sam Nokes (L6g) and their respective crews Underpinning this activity were additions to the coaching staff, notably Head of Geography, Mr Foyle who used to run the sailing at Wellington College, and five very welcome additions to the fleet of boats used for training at Sutton Bingham.

Futsal

Sherborne School hosted an electrifying U15 Futsal Tournament this term, utilising its new sports hall Teams from Bryanston, Milton Abbey and Canford School, also showcased their talent, making the event a resounding success For Sherborne, the icing on the cake, was that our team was victorious at this inaugural event

The tournament truly showcased the fast-paced action and technical finesse of futsal The newly constructed sports hall provided an excellent venue, with its modern facilities and spacious layout, creating the perfect atmosphere for the teams to shine Sherborne School's U15 team displayed exceptional teamwork, skill, and determination, impressing with their fluid style of play

The standard across all teams was very high which led to highly competitive matches and excellent competition Furthermore, it was wonderful to note that all teams illustrated superb sportsmanship and fair play throughout the afternoon

We hope to repeat this again but, given its success, also offer events for other year groups in the future.

water Polo

A match against the local Yeovil Spartans team was the perfect opportunity for some of our junior players to play in their first full match, and benefit from the mentoring of senior and more experienced players Sherborne enjoyed a 7-2 win, but more importantly, a hugely enjoyable match for both sides, and hopefully the beginning of more frequent water polo opportunities with our local club

Boys of all ages have enjoyed playing water polo this term, with junior and senior sessions weekly as well as the Junior House Tournament Special mention must go to the School Captain, Thomas Lamb (U6e), who has done so much to encourage junior players, including coaching and refereeing, as well as developing his own skills as a water polo player in School and for the local team

Tennis

It has been a busy term for tennis and it has been great to see the sun shining, showing off this summer sport to its best we have had over 160 boys playing and enjoying their tennis each week The teams have had mixed results across the term but some excellent playing development has been evident and it is encouraging to see the sport continue to grow.

The Road to W imbledon competition culminated in a final on the grass courts with Felix Hugh-Jones (3g) emerging victorious after not dropping a

Swimming

game throughout the whole tournament; an impressive feat! Felix now progresses to the County Final and we eagerly await the result We have hosted a number of schools including Millfield, Canford and Marlborough College and the boys have conducted themselves with great sportsmanlike courtesy

We have seen some excellent tennis being played in the Sherborne Championships, Alex W illiamson-Jones (L6d) won a tightly contested seniors final and Pierre Maurer (4f) won the juniors

Road Cycling

Boys have enjoyed the good weather in the Trinity Term with routes going round Hell Cor ner, Batcombe Hill and the neverending Knight Hill! We have a leisurely group which typically cycled routes 15-17k and a group more determined to challenge in terms of pace and distance with various routes approaching 40k

W ill W ilson (5a) has impressed with his fitness and determination - it is quite usual to see him disappear up a hill! W ill currently races at Odd Down in Bath and is hoping to start racing in Bournemouth and Southampton over the summer period

This term the swim team has competed in two galas pairing with Sherborne Girls. The boys continue to improve upon their personal bests in competition, and the Fourth Form have made significant contributions to the U16 squad allowing some Fifth Form boys to swim up and support the senior squad It is great to have a squad which supports its members so well that they can enter competitors for all races Both galas were very competitive and in the final one of the year, the U16 boys worked hard to come first, ahead of Bryanston and Canford A great way to finish the year

Yan Taborov (L6f) has raced mountain bikes for Ukraine and has transferred many of his skills to Road Cycling taking every kilometre Dorset has to offer in his stride W ith Road Cycling becoming a more popular option at Sherborne, I hope the upcoming Turing Ride on Sunday 1 October 2023 will be well attended and raise valuable funds for the chosen charities Alan Turing (h 31) joined Sherborne School in 1926 He travelled from his parents’ home in France to Southampton, only to find that the General Strike had put a stop to all train services He left his trunk at Southampton Station with instructions for it to be forwarded to Sherborne and got on his bike Turing cycled the 65 miles to Sherborne over a two day period, stopping overnight at the Crown Hotel in Blandford Forum On 24 June 2012, (Turing’s 100th birthday), 54 boys and 15 staff cycled from Southampton to Sherborne in honour of Alan Turing The ride now takes place in Dorset with a 60 mile Ultra and a 30 mile Enigma route.

Cour tsFest

2023

Following the successful debut of the event last year, CourtsFest 2023 was a huge hit once again. More than 300 Sixth Formers from Sherborne School and Sherborne Girls attended the event, enjoying live music, street food, drinks and entertainment in the Courts.

Abi Guiton, School Events Lead

Commem

Commemoration Day took place at the end of term, it was lovely to see so many parents and grandparents joining the celebrations. we were blessed with fine weather and fortunate to have us such an eminent and entertaining Guest of Honour as old Shirburnian Professor Justin Cobb (a 75)

well done to all the boys whose hard work, talent and commitment were recognised during prize giving. Particular congratulations go to Richard xu (U6b), who received this year’s Bow Award which is presented annually to the pupil considered to have shown the most care, concern and kindness to others. The day came to an end with a stunning ball hosted at Sherborne Girls.

Charity & Community Outreach

This term has seen the boys doing a great deal for charity. The boys wanted to do a Sleepout in aid of the Turkey/Syria earthquake, and raised an incredible £9,000. There have been some excellent individual efforts made by the staff at the London Marathon, and various half marathons for all sorts of different charities.

At the end of this term the boys were keen to support a charity helping the war in Ukraine, so our music concerts are in aid of a charity supporting the rebuilding of a school in the Chernihiv region.

The Youth Community Hub has continued to go from strength to strength this term, with our boys meeting with students from all the other schools across Sherborne (Sherborne Girls, The Gryphon, Sherborne Abbey Primary, Sherborne Primary, and Sherborne Prep School) to discuss

youth matters across the town One of the ideas that has come from the pupils is to have a clothing swap shop, making it easier to get clothes reused, and helping out those in need. Ensuring less ends up in landfill is also an important environmental factor The next exciting opportunity is starting up a Student Council across the town, and in conjunction with the Town Council

Ruth Chapman Community Engagement Lead/ Co-curricular Co-ordinator

Clubs & Activities

we offer boys the chance to participate in all sorts of clubs and activities, including Debating, Computer Science, History of Art Club, Cooking Club name a few. Below are just a few highlights from this term.

Bell Ringing

For over a year a small group of enthusiastic pupils from Sherborne and Sherborne Girls have been learning to bell-ring It looks easy, but it’s actually quite hard, particularly as the Abbey bells are fairly hefty (the tenor weighs 2 3 tonnes, making the bells the heaviest ring of eight in the world!) Nevertheless, the pupils have worked hard to learn bell control and are now able to ring in rounds (all 8 bells ringing in order without getting out of time) By itself this is quite an achievement as it can take months to master this skill; however, we were particularly pleased to be able to field an allschoolboy / girl band to celebrate the Coronation earlier in the year Although this campanology society is relatively new, the School has a long tradition of supporting ringing –John Hesse (g 24) arranged for the recasting of the tenor bell in 1933 and it was paraded through the streets of Sherborne by a team of pupils Nevertheless, the Coronation School band was the first time in over a century the Abbey bells have been rung by a group of pupils - quite a feat! In

fact, a local news crew got wind of our plans and filmed us as part of their programme on Dorset’s coronation celebrations The footage should appear on Channel 4 later this summer, so keep a careful lookout! Aside from the physical and mental challenges of ringing, it’s fun, engaging, and offers a fantastic opportunity to meet local people and to support our community The Abbey Band have really enjoyed our company too and have told me many times how wonderful it is to welcome such polite and eager students into the Abbey tower

Tim Filtness Deputy Head Academic

Board Games

Board Games Club continues to run on a Monday afternoon with five regular players and a few occasional extras It is a relaxed and friendly club where all are welcome We have enjoyed a range of games this term including Anomia, Carcassonne and Blood on the Clocktower

Claire Greenrod English Teacher

Creative writing and The Holiday Prize for writing

Fridays at 5 00pm is when boys gather to write They write short stories, poetry, song lyrics, film scripts and even novels They are a committed group who after a long day of lessons settle down to produce something new, something of their own When AI is making a play for the territory of writing, it is more important than ever that human beings invest in what only human beings can do – be creative, not generative. Each year, the Holiday prize is awarded to the pupil who has contributed the most to creative writing and this year, the winner is Robbie Foster (U6a) His prize is to have his work printed as a collection and it is an excellent one, full of nuance and finely crafted

Rebecca de Pelet English Teacher

Academic Music Club

Academic Music Club has mainly focused on Oxbridge preparation this term – Max Lewis (U6a) is applying to Cambridge next year Earlier in the year our focus was mainly on advanced theory

Robert Costin Head of Academic Music

Barbell Club

We will continue to run Barbell Club on a Thursday and are looking to expand to other evenings too

Barnaby Allen Head of PE

wEllBEInG

This term we welcomed back the organisation Beyond Equality to complete the second of three workshops with the Third Form focusing on Positive Relationships They were also invited to talk to the Fourth Form who discussed a range of views on masculinity, mental health and relationships

Crossfire

Crossfire (The School’s Christian Union) has met most Thursdays at 5 45pm We have enjoyed meeting together regularly to share a meal and listen to a visiting speaker, or to look at a passage from the Bible This term we have been looking at different prayers in the Bible

Nick Scorer Chemistry Teacher & Housemaster of Harper House

Junior water Polo Club

Junior Water Polo Club is on a Friday after School We usually have around 10 players who enjoy developing skills and strategies and playing a friendly match The Junior House Water Polo tournament took place on Tuesday afternoons this term After a tense final with School House, The Green retained the trophy for the third year running

Claire Greenrod English Teacher

A joint event took place between Sherborne and Sherborne Girls where the RAP Project were invited to speak about university life and a joint workshop focused on consent and building healthy relationships were run by both staff at Sherborne and Sherborne Girls

lastly, we hosted a talk on Diversity, Inclusion and lGBTQ+ led by Ian McClary, Deputy Head Co-Curricular at Sherborne Girls with our Third Form pupils, inviting them to think about these key topics during Pride Month

we look forward to inviting back speakers on the topics of Gambling and Risk, Teenage Brain development and digital balance next term. Also, plans have been made to host joint pupil led workshops with pupils from Sherborne and Sherborne Girls on topics such as harassment and online reputation in the Michaelmas Term.

Nikki Bowerman Head of Pupil Wellbeing

Ment al Health

This term we say goodbye to Freddy Moleswor th-St Aubyn (U6b) as Ment al Health and Wellbeing Prefect. Huge thanks go to Freddy for his consistent positivity, his determination to raise the profile of the pupil listening ser vice and his commitment to the Ment al Health Pupil Voice Group. This year Freddy has delivered assemblies at multiple oppor tunities to promote ment al health, he was instrument al in planning and implementing our whole School approach to Ment al Health Week which raised just under £700 for Papyrus charity. We wish Freddy the best of luck in his future, and look for ward to welcoming his successor Ed Brooke (L6b) into the role of Ment al Health and Wellbeing Prefect 23/24.

Marie Hutchings Nurse Manager

SHERBORNE SCHOOL

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SHERBORNE

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Thank you to all contributors

Image credits: Josie Sturgess-Mills and others