The Priorian 2020

ST BENEDICT’S SCHOOL

THE PRIORIAN

BENEDICT’S SCHOOL a

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ACA D E M IC YE A R 2019 – 2 02 0

aling •

London •

W5 2ES

• V 020 8862 2010

M headmaster@stbenedicts.org.uk

F St Benedicts School, Ealing •

L stbenedicts

Issue no. 148

Contents

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 1 ART .................................................................................................................... 2 THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS .............................................................. 6 HISTORY ........................................................................................................ 8 MATHEMATICS ........................................................................................ 10 U6 LEAVERS .............................................................................................. 11 ENGLISH ...................................................................................................... 12 MODERN LANGUAGES ...................................................................... 14 UNIVERSITY DESTINATIONS 2019 ............................................. 15 SPORTS CAPTAINS ............................................................................... 16 CCF .................................................................................................................. 18 DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD ................................................. 19 HPQ/EPQ .................................................................................................... 20 CLASSICS ..................................................................................................... 22 MOOCs/TRIPS OVERSEAS 2019–20 ............................................ 24 PSYCHOLOGY ........................................................................................... 25 DRAMA .......................................................................................................... 26 POLITICS ..................................................................................................... 28 ECO CLUB .................................................................................................. 30 MUSIC ............................................................................................................ 31 SCIENCE ....................................................................................................... 32 GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................ 36 CAREERS ...................................................................................................... 38 THE JUNIOR SCHOOL ........................................................................ 40

NURSERY ............................................................................................. 40

PP1 .......................................................................................................... 42

PP2 .......................................................................................................... 43

PP3 .......................................................................................................... 44

ENGLISH AMBASSADORS INTERVIEW ............................ 45

LOWER PREP .................................................................................... 46

UPPER PREP ...................................................................................... 48

ART ......................................................................................................... 50

MUSIC ................................................................................................... 51

FORM 1 ................................................................................................ 52

FORM 2 ................................................................................................ 54

TRIPS ..................................................................................................... 56

HOBBIES .............................................................................................. 56

SCHOOL CHALLENGE QUEST .............................................. 59

STAFF LISTS .............................................................................................. 60

Year Group Key Nursery PP1 PP2 PP3 Lower Prep Upper Prep Form 1 Form 2 Form 3 Lower 4th Upper 4th Lower 5th Upper 5th Lower 6th Upper 6th

Nursery Reception Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 Year 12 Year 13

Welcome to the 2019/2020 edition of The Priorian. I hope you will agree that it is an interesting and impressive collection of work produced by St Benedict’s pupils, and a vibrant record of the year’s many endeavours, achievements, activities and highlights.

The second half of the academic year has, of course, been uniquely challenging, to say the least. Normal school life, suspended since mid-March, has been replaced by a virtual St Benedict’s. Much of what you see and read in these pages comes from the Michaelmas and early part of the Lent terms, which illustrates, I think, that we are a school of tremendous energy and ambition.

The wide-ranging essays, research projects and reports show how our pupils rise to the challenge when they are encouraged to think for themselves, work independently and follow their intellectual curiosity.

Impressive artwork, creative writing and many achievements in music and drama clearly show that imagination and creativity thrive at St Benedict’s. And the qualities of leadership, resilience and teamwork that we encourage shine through in the CCF and Duke of Edinburgh’s award reports.

The Priorian is also a record of the many enriching opportunities and unforgettable experiences our pupils enjoy, whether it is attending a conference, visiting an art gallery, or touring Vietnam or Greece.

In addition to the excellent work from the first part of the year, we have also included a selection of images from our online provision to give you a flavour of how successful (though far from ideal) this has been: I am very glad to say that pupils and staff alike have risen to this challenging new way of teaching and learning in a remarkable way, showing great generosity, creativity, application and ingenuity. Through these qualities, a host of other activities have been made possible too – from online concerts and a dance show, to a virtual sponsored run in aid of the Trussell Trust.

This Priorian, then, is an illustration of the strength of the St Benedict’s community, which can achieve great things even in the face of a global pandemic.

Andrew Johnson Headmaster

Front cover: Ayotenu Dosumu (U5)

THE PRIORIAN

Welcome

INTRODUCTION

1

ART

Above: Gabriela Makarewicz (L5)

ST BENEDICT’S

Right: Aoife McColgan (L5); Giovanni Vecchi (L4)

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Opposite: Top row (L to R) – Matthew Cook (U5); Amy Slaughter (U5) Middle row – Tallulah Pilgrim (U5); Lucy Brooks (U4); Oliver Meyers (U4); Jacob Tomlinson (U4) Bottom row– Eleanor Kottler (U4); Angus Macallister (U4); Zack Gormely (U4); Lola Petrovic (U4)

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4

ST BENEDICT’S

Above: Bethan Yates (U6) Opposite: Olin Davies (U5)

THE PRIORIAN

Right: Ayotenu Dosumu (U5); Grace Aimable-Lina (U5)

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THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

ST BENEDICT’S

St Benedict’s closed its doors on March 19th but remained very much open to pupils, parents and OPs as it assumed a new virtual way of being. The timetable continued through lockdown, with online lessons for all year groups, weekly assemblies and prayers, and cocurricular activities; there were virtual concerts, a dance show, drama monologues, careers podcasts from OPs, debates and presentations. With the cancellation of all public exams, the Upper 5th started their A level courses in Trinity term, and the Upper 6th engaged with a programme of seminars pointing towards undergraduate study.

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Looking beyond itself, St Benedict’s produced PPE, dispatching over 3,500 face shields to hospitals and care homes, while pupils and staff raised almost £3000 for the UK food bank charity, Trussell Trust, by collectively running 2,500 miles.

On June 1st, St Benedict’s welcomed back children in PP1, PP2, Form 2 and nursery, with Lower 5th and Lower 6th pupils returning in groups later in the term. A minimis incipe...

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THE PRIORIAN

HISTORY

History Trip to

ST BENEDICT’S

VIETNAM 8

Ranaik Purewal (U6): We embarked on a two-hour journey to Vung Tau where we visited the site of the Battle of Long Tan (18th August 1966). There was also a chance to visit an Australian army base, and a memorial for the soldiers lost in the battle. We commemorated all the lives lost with a minute’s silence. On the way back to Ho Chi Minh City, we visited a handicraft shop where we met the victims of the war who now commit their lives to producing goods made out of eggshells. For dinner, we ate at a restaurant called ‘KOTO’ where all the staff had come from disadvantaged backgrounds, with many of them having been homeless as children.

Chris Moran (U6): My favourite moment of the trip was visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels. Seeing

the size of the tunnels that the Vietnamese people were forced to live in during the Vietnam war, rather than just reading about it in a text book, gave us a real insight into the living conditions. We learnt some of the tactics the Vietnamese used to hide their tunnels such as making them so small that, even if discovered, the US soldiers could not enter. Hoang, our tour guide, explained to us that many Vietnamese people would be born and then live inside the tunnels for the duration of the French Indochina War and the Civil War, 30 years, which I found staggering. The highlight of the day was being able to enter the tunnels and crawl through them for 100 meters. Only when you enter the tunnels do you start to understand how bleak the Vietnam War was for the Vietnamese people.

Finlay Healey (U6): We visited the city’s premier museum, The War Remnants Museum; it was studded with countless war memorabilia, planes and tanks and armoured vehicleswith one grounded American plane being a national treasure of Vietnam, all set against John Lennon’s Imagine on a continuous loop and an earnest call for peace.

We began on the highest floor of the museum and independently descended through each room, each wall painted with the tragedy of Vietnam’s history of bloody conflict.

One room, the room of historical truth, showed the prevalence of propaganda in Vietnam: though our views on history are so shaped by similar yet less coercive national narratives, there were some very

room above. Here, the 1968 Tet Offensive was launched. If Cronkite and the press could see that the psychological defeat inflicted on the US came with a side order of noodles….

Elikem Nornoo (U5): Our first activity of the day was a race around Ho Chi Minh City. We were given 10 clues to find landmarks, and needed to complete various challenges. We needed to work together and use orienteering skills to find locations on a map after we had figured out the clues. We also needed to use all the skills we had cultivated over the course of the week, such as talking to the local people, bartering and navigating the city. In the end my team won, and we got a trophy for our effort.

All in all, this was a fascinating trip, and, I would go as far as to say, a lifechanging experience. It provided all of us with a much greater understanding of our studies of the Vietnam War, and particularly of the Vietnamese experience, which is often neglected in our western orientated textbooks.

The lack of anger and vengeance in a country which has been through so much was humbling, and their determination to build their country for a bright new future was inspiring. The 11-hour flight and the shock of the jet lag were definitely worth it.

THE PRIORIAN

interesting interpretations of truth to say the least. From here, we headed to Diem’s presidential palace, now the Reunification Palace. The Palace seemed more mid-century hotel than museum. Upon entering the subterranean maze of perfectly preserved former military bunkers and strategy rooms, one could really imagine what it was like before the North took Saigon. The evening was finished off with two excursions, both enjoyable and historical: we first went to the Rex Hotel bar where US journalists would receive military briefings, then an unassuming noodle bar tucked away in a bustling district. Yet this belied its huge role in history, where once covert Vietcong diners could ask for the off-menu ox tail, a code word that would escort them in to a secret

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MATHEMATICS

Infinity Before we begin, we have to explain the rules of theoretical mathematics. These rules are called axioms, the concepts that we assume to be true but cannot completely prove. This is the same for the concept of infinity. There is no way to prove that infinity exists since nothing in the natural world can be measured to infinity. This topic is very difficult and, in some areas, does not make complete sense but just try and imagine these concepts theoretically rather than factually.

ST BENEDICT’S

SO, if I were to you ask you what is the biggest number you could think of: a trillion, google, a Google to the power of a Google. The thing about that is no matter how big a number you think of, you can always go higher. So effectively there is no biggest or last number.

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Except Infinity?

First things first, when a number is referring to how many things there are, it is called a cardinal number.

For example, 4 bananas. This set has a cardinality of 4 and 10 apples has a cardinality of 10. We use natural numbers which are 0, 1, 2, 3 and so on as cardinals whenever we talk about how many things there are. But how many natural numbers are there?

It can’t be another natural number

because you can always just add 1.

Instead we call this amount Aleph null, otherwise known as infinity. Aleph is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet and Aleph null is the first and smallest infinity. But there are other infinities with literally more things in them than Aleph null.

Aleph null describes the cardinality of the set of every single natural number there is including fractions which get infinitely smaller. This is what most of us would view as infinity. For those of you who are still doubting and saying you will always be able to add one, just try and accept that this impossible idea works because it will only get harder from here.

We are here to count past infinity so what happens when we do this? Aleph null + 1? No there are still actually only Aleph null lines because effectively this line is still a member of the infinite series of natural numbers. We can even add another Aleph null sized set of lines and the total will still be Aleph null. But wait, let’s just go back to having one line after an Aleph null set. What if, instead of matching the naturals 1 to 1 with the lines we insist on numbering each line based on the order it was drawn in so we have to start here. Now what number does this line get? You see this line doesn’t actually contribute to the total size of the set. But in order to label it in order that it appears we need a different set of labels that extend past the natural numbers. These are called ordinal numbers.

The first of these is omega. Ordinal numbers do not add to the total value but express the theoretical position of the number. So, if you got Omegeth place in a race, an infinite number of people finished the race, and then you did. After Omega comes Omega

+ 1 then Omega + 2 then Omega + 3 and so on. And eventually we will go through all of these and reach omega + omega or omega times 2. Now we have created another ceiling, we have made another infinite set.

To get around this we are going to use the Axiom of replacement. It states that you can replace every member of a set with something else and the total value of the set will still be the same. Now this sounds simple but it is incredibly useful later on.

Imagine you have every ordinal up to omega and replace it with omega plus that number almost like algebra it will effectively still be the same and you will eventually reach omega + omega.

Using replacement, we can make leaps of any size we want as long as we only use numbers we already have.

So, we can replace every ordinal with omega times it in front. And eventually reach omega times omega, omega squared. The axiom of replacement allows us to construct new ordinals

without end. Eventually we get to omega to the omega to the omega to the omega and we run out of standard mathematical notation. So, we call that Epsilon nought. But now think about all of these ordinals: they are still ordered, that’s the point of being an ordinal, and there is something that comes after all of these. We call this Omega 1. Now because by definition Omega 1 comes after all of the ordinals then it must physically contain

more things than anything before it since if it were not, then it would be somewhere in here. Using the axiom of replacement, we can keep going up and up from omega 1 to omega 2 to omega 3, on and on to omega omega omega omega. Our notation only allows us to put countably many omegas, but replacement doesn’t care if we have a way to write those

numbers. So, we can keep making bigger and bigger leaps making a widely accelerating loop of exponential growth. We can keep going reaching bigger and bigger infinities. So constant replacement can keep our climb going forever. But. Let’s go back to when we introduced omega as an idea and how we would just have to accept that it came after every cardinal number. Why not accept that there exists some next number, so big that no amount of replacement or exponentiation could ever reach it. This is called an inaccessible cardinal because it literally cannot be reached from below.

Hopefully by now we have given everyone a bit more knowledge on the realm of the infinite and, yes, we could keep going further than the inaccessible but it becomes a lot more complicated and some theories use rules that will now reject things that we now accept as mathematical facts.

Thierry Roy and Niall Wynne (U5)

Maisa Abed Akira Adeniran-Lowe Aurelia AzzarelliBonnardel Louis Balogh Imogen Rose Barrett Mogilany Carla Boulter Charlie Boyle Benjamin Brooks Oliver Burbanks Cleo Byrne Tom Carolan Lucas Chancellor Thomas Cronin Gwyneth Darwent Ben Davies Tess Delargy Kieran Dodder Bettina Dow Olivia Dryden

Jack Edis Valentina ElnerKupcha Jack Fitzmaurice Luke Fitzmaurice Marcus Flanagan Brooke Fouladgar George Fowler Anthony Freire Lia Fuller Alice Gedye Katie Gibson William Gorniok Wairimu Guede Eleanor Harper Sinead Hatoum Finlay Healy Isaiah Henry Evan Hobson Rachel Hughes Jonah Hunt

Ravneet Kalsi Elias Kassouf James Kelly Simeon Kempner Alec Kerr Matthew Khadouri Jelena Kostic Nicholas Kwong Alberto Llinares Perales Irene Llinares-Perales Oscar Llinares-Perales Harry Lubkowski Evie Lyons Millicent MacLeod Ella Marron Maximilien Mazoudier Charlotte McCann Catherine McColgan Joseph McDonald Emilia McFadzean

Jak Mensah Daniela Michael Christopher Moran Abraham Naddour Emily NicholsonStanwix Dilan Peshawaria Radford Pilgrim Ranaik Purewal Isabella Pye Jacob Rahman Freddie Ransom Louis Rees Matthew Rock Louis Rodericks Elliot Rowsome Zoe Rutherford Andrew Sa’id Antonia Sewell Oliver Sharpe Marcorius Shehata

Sophie Slaughter Harald Stiff Alexandra Stoopin Simon Sweeney Tom Swift Mohammad Takkoush Oscar Teeman Henry Thacker James Thomson Kristian Thomson Kate Tracey Ted Traeger Tomas Uribe Scott Walker Matthew Wallace Lydia Warren Alexander Will Katherine Wong Alexander Wood Bethan Yates

THE PRIORIAN

U6 LEAVERS

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ENGLISH Winner of the Arts Richmond Young Writers’ Festival Car Crash Deafening crash and all is silent momentarily as His head lolls lifelessly to one side.

A face contorted with fervid grief is screaming, screaming his name, But his eyes dart around, his mouth opens Wide to scream, all his words are blood.

The taste is sharp on his tongue, but his brain is Dull, stuffed with cotton.

Then the pain pierces through, intense and Nauseating, and the knots of his brain, my brain unravel…

I call out to the silent air, to pall me in darkness, In thick, numbing fog – to constrict me in its coils ‘til I can’t think, can’t breathe. But life weighs heavily on My lungs, shackles me like its prisoner.

They brace me, strap me – inject the miracle boy to Halt the truck that ploughs through my dreams, to Dull my nerves that shriek at every sound.

Until the memory is melted, softened and Flows like honey to fill up the crater in The car – to sweeten the taste of blood.

ST BENEDICT’S

But the sound of forty tonnes of tanker, still Roars in my ears and dances in the corners of my mind.

And every time I lie down on my bed, I feel the tarmac Of the motorway scraping against my back.

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James Hunter (U5)

Winners of the Creative Writing Competition 3142 An orange sun over a violet horizon. Twilight, lasting forever on a lost, deserted world. I’m at war, the last from the crash, and my health dwindles like the leaves in autumn. However, it doesn’t come back like leaves do. I turn black with hatred and death. There is no rescue mission. Everyone is now a child of darkness. This is where I stand. Alone.

I wake up to having no identity. I’m scared, I don’t know where or who I am. Glyphs in high gothic overshadow the walls. I step gingerly out onto the cold metal floor.

The phoned bleeped violently in my pocket. I had one solitary message: “3142” it said in bold, uniform writing.

‘3142’ I thought, raising the pace of my stride. I marched into a grand building, its facade layered with ornate stonework.

The door, a rich mahogany with pristine gold handlebars, boastfully loomed over customers and passers-by. A faint hint of flowers entered my radar.

The inside was luxurious with broad windows letting beams of scorching sunlight into the silent room. Chairs stood solemnly in the centre of the room with grey, plump pillows on their laps. Eerie currency boards encircled the glass desks at which petite receptionists were at work.

‘3142’ I remembered and headed through a spacious hallway next to a bookcase. Rods of light reached through the crisp passage. The shining floor created an endless void of whiteness.

3142

Some light seeps in from a hole in the ceiling and I can see where I am. I’m on a suspended walkway with failed cryonic pods everywhere. But one. The one I came out of. It spoke, “All systems online. Memory loss invoked due to power loss exactly 56 years ago. Pod 3142 shutting down.” I must have been lucky when the power went out, all the other pods must have stopped working. I walked off into the darkness looking for a way out of this bulky structure.

3142

I walked around the barren wasteland looking for food, or any sign of life. After walking for two days I came upon a stream and the water felt nourishing in my throat and I even found some vegetation to ease away my hunger. I made a home for myself in the never-ending twilight, and I hunted small animals. At first it was hard, but soon I felt like I could survive.

Eventually I started making knives from pieces of jagged metal from when I would scavenge the large, dead structure I came from. One day they came.

They were strange. Appearing every night, white lights forever tormenting my lost soul. Taking me to a strange place of grey dullness. They have saturated my mind too much.

A page dipped entirely in ink is as blank as a white page.

The sleepers I call them, with their white lights staring into my soul. I begin to find memories of a past life. I smile when I’m sad and cry when I’m happy. Reality seems to blink in and out of existence. “To a chamber of silence, I will take you. There you will stay forever...” said a large figure, who then took me to a place of no more pain. A place of silence. Now I stay there forevermore, in silence.

The door at the other end whirred open, displaying a couple of guards. They asked for ID. But soon were knocked out for good. Their overweight bodies were tangled up, spread out on the floor.

‘3142’ I thought as silenced gobbled me up once more.

Next, I found myself travelling through shimmering clear tubes. The glass exterior had been designed to prevent penetration. Like being fed through a machine, I strolled casually through the endless maze which had been placed so intruders would lose their senses.

Weaving in and out, I had found the exit. The more I completed the test the more I grew in confidence, the more I was sure to reach my goal.

‘3142’ I recalled, striding into the final room. ‘3142, 3142, 3142, 3142 ... ‘ my head started to swivel on its axis. Being a professional at my job, I had never experienced such an out of control feeling.

Like a raging storm, I stood there, my mind devouring my soul. ‘3142’ I had to remember it. It was so close...

The room shifted. It churned up into a mess of colours: dashes of red, streaks of white, strikes of yellow. Fearsome eyes watched me from the lurking shadows, awaiting my fall.

“3142, 3142...“ I gasped.

Nicolae Doicin (F3)

I had entered a four-digit number. It opened. As I fell.

Felix Kloetgen (L4)

THE PRIORIAN

And suddenly I was back, tumbling towards the glossy floor.

Fumbling, I stood up and stared at the miniscule key pad, latched onto the dull walls. It invigorated me.

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MODERN LANGUAGES GERMAN EXCHANGE

Ealing to Meschede

Meschede to Ealing

We left King’s Cross St Pancras at about 11:00am, then four trains later we arrived in Meschede at 8:15pm, and I met my exchange partner for the first time.

Eight German students and two teachers from Meschede arrived safely at Ealing Broadway. After greeting their English host partners, the newly united groups were whisked away home for relaxation, dinner and bed.

On Sunday, after Mass at the Abbey church, the partners went their separate ways: some went on the London Eye, or to the Tower of London; others had a tour around the major city landmarks. Some just stayed at home and rested up for the busy week ahead.

Monday morning dawned bright and early for all of the St Benedict’s students (the Germans had an extra hour in bed because their school starts at 7:30). The German students went to London, where they saw landmarks and visited some of London’s museums.

Tuesday was a normal day at school for all of the students.

However, while we were at games, the Germans travelled to Westfield shopping centre. Afterwards, we went home briefly with our partners, before meeting up again for Nandos and bowling. Although it was a very enjoyable evening, it was slightly ruined by the German students dominating us in the bowling!

On Wednesday an excellent tour of Westminster Abbey and a great performance of the musical Wicked capped off a lovely start to the week. Thursday was a normal morning at school and gave our exchange partners a proper taste of what life was like in an English school. A tense football match followed, with two goals from Sam Manufor putting our team in the lead. Killian’s goal got the Germans back in the game but it was too little too late.

I speak for all of my fellow exchange participants in saying that the week was an extremely enjoyable experience, and we are all grateful for the students coming to stay with us amidst the turbulent times caused by the coronavirus. I am really looking forward to going to Germany to stay with my partner and hope that all of the German exchange students enjoyed their time in England.

ST BENEDICT’S

Ned Watts (U4)

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On Sunday we did our own activities with our families and spent the day with them. Then on Monday my alarm was set for 5:30am for a 7:30am start at school. However this wasn’t as bad as it seemed, because on most days, school finished at 12.45pm. This meant that we could do activities after school, such as swimming.

Then on Tuesday there was a football match between the exchange students and the home team. It was a close game, but the home team came back from 2-1 down to win the game 3-2.

On Wednesday we went out with our exchange partners and went go-karting. It was a lot of fun and the German kids were very good at it.

On Thursday we met Vicar Jakob and learnt a lot about the history of Meschede. Then we climbed over 300 stairs to view the Panorama Lake.

School is very different in Germany; they don’t have to wear a uniform and it’s less strict. The school food was nice and there was a wide selection to choose from. However, because school ended at 12:45pm, some days students wouldn’t eat at school.

I enjoyed the exchange because it was a great experience fitting in to German life in the home and at school. On the last day it was sad to leave as we’d all had a really great week.

I’m excited to have Luca back in England in March.

Robert Jeffries (L5)

UNIVERSITY DESTINATIONS 2019 Nottingham Trent Building Surveying Nottingham Trent Psychology with Criminology Nottingham Trent Fashion Communication and Promotion Oxford Mathematics Oxford Classical Archaeology and Ancient History Oxford Brookes Business and Finance Portsmouth Science with Foundation Year Portsmouth Biomedical Science Reading Geography and Economics (Regional Science) Roehampton Psychology and Counselling Royal Holloway Business and Management Royal Holloway Law with International Relations Royal Holloway Computer Science Salford Music: Creative Music Technology St George’s Univ. of London Medicine St George’s Univ. of London Clinical Pharmacology Sussex Philosophy Sussex Geography Sussex Economics and Management Studies Swansea Physics UCL Chemistry UCL Geology University of East Anglia English Literature and Drama USA – Univ. Of Transylvania Economics Warwick Liberal Arts Warwick Mathematics Warwick English Literature Worcester Biomedical Science (with Foundation Year) York Computer Science York Social and Political Sciences York Philosophy

81%

of pupils achieved their first choice

81% of Upper 6th students gained places at their first choice of university, and the percentage of offers from prestigious Russell Group universities increased, including 4 Oxbridge offers. 3 students accepted offers from overseas universities: 2 from Canada and 1 from USA.

THE PRIORIAN

Destination Course Aston Business and Management Bangor Marine Biology Birmingham Geography Birmingham International Business with Language (4 years) Bristol History Bristol Mechanical Engineering Bristol Marketing Bristol Music and Spanish Bristol Economics and Econometrics Bristol Economics Bristol Univ. of West England Business and Events Management Bristol Univ. of West England Business and Management Bristol Univ. of West England Business Management and Economics Bristol Univ. of West England Business and Management Brunel Engineering with an Integrated Foundation Year Canada – Univ. of Guelph American Studies Canada – Univ. of Ontario Business Management Camberwell Art Foundation Cambridge Chemical Engineering (via Natural Sciences) Cambridge Natural Sciences Cardiff Mechanical Engineering Cardiff Biomedical Science (Including Preliminary Year) Durham Geography Edinburgh Veterinary Medicine Edinburgh Architecture Exeter History Exeter Marine Biology Exeter History Exeter History and International Relations Exeter Engineering Exeter Economics and Finance Exeter Biological Sciences with Professional Placement Exeter History Exeter History Exeter Geography with European Study Exeter Biological Sciences Exeter Business Exeter Law with Business Imperial Computing Kent Politics and International Relations Leeds Languages, Cultures and English Leeds Geography Leeds Business Management Leeds Languages, Cultures and Business Leeds Languages, Cultures and Business Leeds Business Management Leeds Economics and Geography Leeds Sport and Exercise Sciences Leeds Environment and Business Leicester European Studies Liverpool Business Economics Liverpool Geography (Science) Liverpool Criminology Liverpool Bioveterinary Science Liverpool Geography (Science) Loughborough Art Foundation Manchester Philosophy and Politics Manchester Finance Manchester Psychology Manchester Biosciences with a Foundation Year Manchester Pharmacy Manchester Metropolitan International Business Management (with Placement) Newcastle Combined Honours Newcastle Film Practices Nottingham Sociology Nottingham Politics and International Relations Nottingham Biochemistry and Genetics Nottingham Physics (4 years) Nottingham English Nottingham Theology and Religious Studies Nottingham Politics and Economics Nottingham Politics and American Studies Nottingham Criminology and Social Policy Nottingham College Business Management (Information Systems) Nottingham Trent Business Management and Entrepreneurship

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SPORTS CAPTAINS Captain of Rugby, George Fowler

Having played rugby throughout my school life, I entered my final year with a sense of determination, gratification and focus which I hadn’t experienced before.

On top of this came the responsibility of leading the team as captain. Initially, I expected to have a lot less free time on top of my A levels and to feel the pressure of being captain, but this wasn’t the case at all. I felt immensely proud to be the one to lead the team out onto the pitch, to motivate everyone more than they already were, to coordinate on a deeper level with the first team coaches.

The season would not have been what it was without such a committed, sharp and brilliant group of players.

ST BENEDICT’S

While the drive and perseverance of the team this year has been exceptional, we have had a few challenges to overcome, such as relative inexperience in some of the younger players, and a number of injuries. The latter meant that we were unable to put out our strongest team against some of the harder opposition.

However, we worked together with tenacity and determination to overcome these challenges as a team.

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Through hard work and intensely focused training sessions, there were many outstanding achievements throughout the season. We successfully beat Shiplake College (a highly anticipated game) for the second year in a row with a convincing 22-8 win under flood lights. We hosted an Argentinian touring side (Belgrano RFC), in which we represented the school very well and demonstrated the ethos of St Benedict’s

rugby. In January, we won 43-17 against Northampton School, a team who narrowly won over the first team last year. In rugby sevens, we have a very strong squad and will (at the time of writing) push ourselves in these last four weeks to finish the season on a high.

However, I believe the 1st XV’s greatest achievement this year has been the development for the boys who will be continuing their first team journey next year, of which I have very high hopes. The U6 and senior players have successfully been positive role models for the younger players and have contributed to the development of the team and its future. None of this would have been possible without the amazing help of our tremendous coaches: Mr Stringer, Mr Coles and Mr Higgins. They work endlessly to develop each and every one of us as players on a personal level and have done so much for the team this year. I am confident that they will maintain their immense effort and support in the years to come.

While I am deeply saddened that my St. Benedict’s rugby career has come to a momentous end, I am excited to continue playing the sport at university and can’t wait to see the school’s sport grow even more in the years to come.

I am extremely grateful for all the support I, and sport as a whole, have received and wish St Benedict’s sport all the best in the future. I am confident the school will go on to acquire many unprecedented and significant achievements.

Captain of Hockey, Alice Gedye

St Benedict’s has always offered many opportunities to participate in Sports, from taking part in a range of team sports, to excelling in individual sports such as Athletics or Fencing.

However, I have always been a keen Hockey player and this year the 1st XI have been able to make it a notable and successful sport at St Benedict’s.

We began our Hockey pre-season in Maidenhead, which gave the team an opportunity to get to know each other through many different activities such as laser tag and mini golf as well as having meals together. The Hockey first team this year has players from many different year groups, from L5 to U6, all playing a crucial part in the team. This made team building particularly important. Our ‘tour’ to Maidenhead showed us that not only did we need to get physically fitter but that team cohesion was vital to our success. The trip also showed the beginnings of a strong team on the field with great potential.

This year Hockey at St Benedict’s has taken a giant step forward and the attitude shown by the players in response is a reflection of this.

For the first time, the Hockey 1st XI were given their own kit which makes playing for the first team a real honour. We are also fortunate enough to be able to track our progress with the help of GPS trackers during games as well as having each game filmed for video analysis.

We have been training extremely hard, attending early morning gym sessions and after-school training, as well as having matches every week, sometimes twice a week. Our results and performance in matches show this is paying off. We have not only been winning matches but have been winning against difficult opposition which has boosted team morale immensely.

This year, Hockey has been extended to two terms for the first time, which has been very beneficial. Not only is it an opportunity to grow as a group but also gives us a chance to

Our first team players were also able to play in the St. George’s 6s Tournament, against high-level teams around the country. Only one game was lost in the tournament, so we narrowly missed out on qualifying.

However, the performance and determination shown proved that this year’s first team were going to be extremely successful.

Although being injured near the end of the season I have thoroughly enjoyed supporting and coaching the team, being able to watch and understand how we play from a different perspective. It has been a pleasure to Captain the team, on and off the pitch, and I am certain that St Benedict’s Hockey 1st XI 2019/20 will be the team that leaves a legacy for girls’ Hockey for years to come. Thank you to all the girls that have played, and to Mr. Nijhar, Mr. O’Hara and Mr. Stringer for all their hard work and efforts to make the first team the best it can be.

Captain of Fencing, Joe McDonald

This has been a great year for fencing at St Benedict’s. Our first fixture against Ardingly set the tone for the year, with the U18As, U18Bs and U13A teams all winning convincingly. The Epee team narrowly lost a closely fought match and the next time they faced Ardingly they won 44-43. As well as the older teams, our younger squads also performed well in their fixtures too, The U15A, U13A and U11A Foil teams had 35

fixtures between them and finished the season with 24 wins and only 11 losses, The U18A team had a very impressive season with a win percentage of 90%: we competed in the London Region team open where we won by one point (45-44) in the final. The Epee A team also finished fourth overall in the mixed Epee category. To round off such an impressive season we sent seven teams to the British School Team Championships in March. Everyone enjoyed the tough competition environment and many teams performed admirably in what is the toughest school team competition in the UK. The U15 boys’ Sabre lost in the quarter-finals to finish 5th overall; the U13 boys’ Foil A and B teams finished fourth and fifth. The U11 boys’ A came back with a bronze medal and the B team placed 6th.

The U18As had a tough fight in the final against Millfield and lost 45-39, earning themselves a silver medal.

Our best result of that weekend came from the U11 girls’ Foil team who won every match and brought home a gold medal. All teams fenced their hearts out and I’m extremely proud of the attitude and results from all teams this year.

As the fencing captain I worked very closely with Mr Sadiq and the other fencing coaches in picking teams and tactics. Training on Tuesdays, games Iays is always a fun environment where we can all train hard and also enjoy the social aspect of the sport. I started fencing nine years ago in the Junior School and I always looked up to the U18s and captains: being chosen as the fencing captain was a big deal to me and I’m extremely grateful to be picked for the role. It has taught me how to manage my time more effectively and strengthened my leadership skills. I will certainly continue with my fencing at university and draw on the skills I have gained leading the team. I aim to keep in touch with the school and coaches that I’ve known for countless years.

I owe a huge thanks to Mr Sadiq for coaching and looking after us and being my mentor for the past few years. Thank you to Mr Sloman, Mr Lowen, Mr Conyard and Mr Hamika for putting up with us in training and coaching us at fixtures

and competitions. I have had an amazing year as captain and wish the teams next year the best of luck. I am certainly looking forward to taking part in the Old Priorians vs Pupils match next year!

Captain of Netball, Isabella Pye

I’m sure all the netball girls will agree that the 2019/20 season has been a challenging but exciting one. With the 1st team getting new netball coaches and players, it really was an opportunity to change our style of netball, create new partnerships and learn new drills. The start of the season was particularly challenging with a series of matches against top netballing schools including Godolphin and Latymer and Latymer Upper School. Although we didn’t come away with a win, our game was constantly improving and as a new team with new coaches, the season looked promising. Significant victories against St Augustine’s (200), Mill Hill (41-10) and Kew House School (28-17), along with other wins, reflected our hard work on and off the court and our progression as a team. With several players suffering from injuries, it was encouraging to have such strong performances even when players had to play out of their normal positions. I’ve always believed that talent can only take a team so far. Hard work, teamwork and positivity has made up the foundation of this year’s 1st team and I know they will continue to excel next season. It has been a pleasure to be captain this year.

THE PRIORIAN

rematch teams we’ve played before – particularly fulfilling as we can see our hard work paying off and evident improvement.

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CCF

THE CCF are incredibly challenging, but all achieved at least Commended (a very high grade). This shows the skills and standard of our cadets and their commitment to improvement. I couldn’t be more proud of them all.

This year was our CCF’s 90th anniversary, and we held a formal dinner in celebration for the first time in decades. This gave us the opportunity to meet Old Priorians, returning to honour the opportunities the CCF provided them, and Major Foote (RE) gave an inspiring speech about the qualities and virtues the CCF teaches every cadet. The Corps of Drums also captivated the guests with their exceptional debut performance. As a new addition to the CCF, their amazing quality is highly admirable.

ST BENEDICT’S

Squadron Sergeant Major (SSM) McFadzean reviews the year...

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Since I first joined St Benedict’s Combined Cadet Force (CCF) in 2015, I have watched it improve and grow every week. This year, as I approach the end of my time as a member of the CCF, I’ve become increasingly nostalgic.

It has played such a huge role in my life – helping me to reach my greatest potential by pushing beyond my boundaries, even taking me to Lithuania and supporting me through each challenge – and I have begun to realise how much I will miss it.

had ever done before. This exercise (Ex Recruit’s Dawn) gave them the motivation and practical experience to apply to their learning and development for the rest of the year. Many recruits described it as something along the lines of “slightly scary but so exciting” and that is how I remember my first camp too. The skills they learned on this camp were best shown in their astounding resilience during Ex Bayonet Strike in February, where they exhibited great field skills despite Storm Dennis!

This year has been a truly wonderful one: as a squadron, we have reached new heights. Our 47 new recruits were lucky to have the opportunity to go out into the field earlier in the year than we

The NCO’s (non-commissioned officers/senior cadets) embarked on the joint Junior NCO and Senior NCO cadres, to expand on their teaching and leadership skills. These cadres

The highlight of this year for me was Ex Winter’s Bite. As platoon commander, I not only had to organise two of my own troops – I was also organising enemy movements! Because all participants on this camp were experienced cadets, we had free rein to make the exercise as complex as possible. Ambushes were executed, casualties were evacuated under fire, traitors joined the enemy and were captured and interrogated for information. We slept in shipping containers, looked at the stars and danced to Vulfpeck at 4am in the ops room. By the end, we were all exhausted and in desperate need of a shower, but everyone had a silent grin.

People always ask if I like the CCF, and then never understand when I say “yes”.

The CCF has been a huge part of my life for nearly five years. It has allowed me to grow as a person, discover my skill-set and use it. But, more than that, it has shown me a community of people, all entirely different from each other, brought together in the cold and mud and rain to form a seamless team.

I am privileged to have known them and taught them over the years. I am so proud of them all, and I feel honoured to have been the Head of CCF for such a fabulous cohort.

To all my cadets, thank you.

DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD than the bleak, cold mornings, and the brewing disgust for another day of John West French Style Tuna Pasta, these days were filled with immense fun, joy and laughter. The chance to get away from London life for a bit, to spend time with old friends, and in some cases, get to know new ones, is something I am tremendously glad to have had. Spending countless hours conversing, and plodding through fields and river valleys, with our only worry being taking the wrong footpath, is something which I often envy to this day. One especially memorable experience was settling down after a particularly tough day, and staring in wonder (or confusion) at a packed caravan site that, for some reason, was thoroughly decorated with Christmas lights, in May. Navigating

our way through nature, being greeted by the odd friendly Welsh dog, was fun in itself, especially when we got it right. Never have I felt more relief than at the moment when we recognised the footpath we had been hopelessly looking for on the map.

Much of the success of my DofE experience can be attributed to the dedicated DofE staff, particularly Ms Lee, who didn’t give up on us, despite our often tremendous inability to get the administrative part of the process done. Whether or not we make it to Buckingham Palace, I can definitely hold with me the pride of completing this testing journey, and the treasured friendships I made along the way.

Evan Hobson (U6)

THE PRIORIAN

DofE has been an enormous part of what made my school days so enjoyable. Aside from the opportunities to learn a new skill, help out in the community and take part in physical activity, the expeditions were what made completing all three levels of the DofE award a highlight of my time at St Benedict’s.

The Gold expeditions in the Brecon Beacons were particularly memorable.

Of course, spending 4 days in the Welsh wilderness comes with its trials and misfortunes, such as one team member losing their iPod on a desolate heath with sunset swiftly approaching, or the odd unforeseen tumble from an old farm gate.

However, it is through these trying experiences which we were able to gel as a group, and a team. But other

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THE HIGHER & EXTENDED PROJECT QUALIFICATIONS (HPQ/EPQ) LIBRARY RESEARCH For my HPQ project I chose to research ‘How do Agrochemicals and Politics Affect the Survival of Bees’– analysing the effect of pesticides on bees and why governments have been slow to ban these dangerous chemicals.

I started my research by searching in the school library. I found multiple books detailing general information on bee decline. I realised, however, that I needed more in-depth information for my research, so started researching online using academic search engines such as Google Scholar.

I referred to some online articles from The Day and The New Scientist about this topic and also made use of a JSTOR article entitled ‘Pesticide-dosed bees can lose royals and way home.’ I was impressed with the vast array of online eResources available via the school library on Firefly.

Even after perusing all of these articles and pieces of information I realised I needed further academic research findings to produce a sufficiently substantive report.

The full extent of the political influence of the agrochemical companies was well researched and documented within

Michael Shacker’s book A Spring Without Bees. He lays out an irrefutable case for a direct link between Neonicotinoids and bee colony collapse disorder. He shows how agrochemical companies have waged a propaganda war through the funding of biased scientific studies, media manipulation and the use of university research donations.

I would never trust a report that was not verified by other academic institutions, so would not be fooled by fake news provided by political influencers or corporate entities.

I knew to beware of agrochemical corporation propaganda and consequently reviewed Bayer/Monsanto’s ‘bee-loving’ reports with objectivity, tacking account of independent analyses.

I included 17 sources in my final HPQ essay, the majority of which are all from wellrecognised, high-quality, peerassessed academic studies and research such as Science, Nature and European Food and Safety Administration publications.

James Marlow (L4)

The topic that I researched for my HPQ is: ‘To what extent is Heathrow expansion going to effect the people negatively, within a 2 mile radius?’ During the research process, I used the school library and specific online sources. When researching, I came across many internet sources/secondary resources; this meant that I had to condense the information down to the key points I needed. However, there were fewer primary resources, although there were a few statistics, therefore I had to look in more detail to find the information necessary. When starting to collect sources, I used the school library and found two relevant books: ’How bad are bananas? The carbon footprint of everything’ and ‘50 things you should know about the environment’.

ST BENEDICT’S

When using online sources I had to check the reliability of the website. I did this by double checking certain information on different websites, to see if the information correlated to each other. To reduce the amount of unreliable sources, I also narrowed down my search engines to: Ecosia, JSTOR, Google Scholar and Microsoft Academic. To give my project the variety of sources needed, I also used The Day (to find relevant articles) and Newsbank to find newspapers.

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In my entire HPQ essay I used approximately 30 sources to back up all of my points.

Then I transferred these in to Harvard referencing in put them into my bibliography.

I used these particular sources in my essay, because they were the most relevant and the most reliable.

Martha Hickman (U4)

Extracts from U6 EPQ students’ reflective statements “I learnt the now surprisingly obvious fact, that if an academic has penned one essay on a certain topic it is very likely that they will have written several on similar matters; this skill of getting as many sources as possible from one academic who works in a specialised field has already proven valuable in my current A level History coursework on the Vietnam War.” Rachel Hughes “I am able to confidently navigate a variety of research sites such as JSTOR, which I was unable to do before, as well as use Boolean search terms.”

Scott Walker “Personally, I feel the most useful tool has been JSTOR. With our school access to the website, I have been able to access documents from as early as the 17th century. Specific tools for example Boolean search terms and Text Analyser have really enhanced my research skills.” Ella Marron “Visiting the London Library to collect sources for my historical and linguistic question was an incredible experience.

It was a great joy to actually feel these historical sources physically – superb, intellectual documents giving me a well-put together academic knowledge of the topic.” Evan Hobson

Krish Sridharan (L4)

“Trying to find a book about the subtopic of my obscure subject area was nigh on impossible whereas JSTOR has a myriad of journal articles that answer your specific question.” Tom Cronin “The lecture from Dr Thompson (Southampton University) was massively helpful, especially the recommended use of mind mapping and immersive reading as ways to expand my thinking and knowledge of my question. Her advice to write a plan of action was very helpful.” Finlay Healy

THE PRIORIAN

HPQ Research In my HPQ topic, I determined which type of car is better for the environment, petrol or electric. This involved carrying out research on various factors, including emissions released during the manufacturing of the cars, roadside emissions and the refuelling/charging of cars. I focused specifically on Tesla electric cars, investigating the production of Tesla Model S battery, which materials are used and how the minerals and plastics are extracted from the earth. I compared this with a standard petrol engine and its components, to see which had the bigger carbon foot print. I conducted research for my project during my EPQ lessons at school and from home, using mainly online sources found through two search engines – Google Chrome and Safari. I had to be careful with the information I found online, as the internet can sometimes be unreliable and factually incorrect, because anyone can write false information. Some of the online articles I used to support my argument were from well-known publishers, including The Guardian newspaper, and Wired magazine. I also obtained facts from Tesla company’s own website. In total, I used 14 sources for my research project. Overall, I enjoyed researching and finding valuable and useful information on the topic I chose.

“The high point of my EPQ journey was certainly my visit to the London Library.

It was fascinating to go through the halls of books and actually find not only many books related to my subject but also many other interesting books on subjects that I’d never even considered before.” Jack Edis

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CLASSICS

GREECE Classics Trip to

ST BENEDICT’S

Day 1 – Journey to Athens, Thorikos and Cape Sounion Zach Khan (U4) After an early start (4.45am!), we finally arrived at Athens airport. I was lucky that I hadn’t worn my jacket – it was an unbearable 29 degrees! Our first stop was Thorikos. This was a Greek town with many natural resources, and even had a theatre. Many slaves lived and worked in Thorikos, mining lead and silver. After Thorikos we went to Laurion, only a few minutes away. Here we were able to get lunch from the many shops and bakeries. After lunch we went to Cape Sounion. It was AMAZING! We visited the Temple of Poseidon – it was truly fascinating. We were told that most temples were built for specific reasons, e.g. the Temple of Poseidon was built on the coast because he is the god of the sea; or Athena’s temple, built in Athens because she is the patron goddess. It was a great, but long, first day!

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Day 2 – Walking tour of Athens Evie Lyons and Kate Tracey (U6) It was a jam-packed day! After an early start, we headed towards the Acropolis. Sitting on the south face

of the Acropolis is the Sanctuary and Theatre of Dionysus. The Roman changes to the theatre were apparent in the stone stage and seating, but the original Greek design was clear to see.

We made our way up the Acropolis and past the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, to be greeted by the impressive Propyleia.

What stuck us most about the Acropolis was the view – you could see the whole of Athens! Laws have been passed to restrict buildings to a certain height so that the Acropolis can been seen by the whole city. We were also lucky enough to see a flag raising ceremony to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Nazis’ departure from Athens. After this we visited the Pnyx, the meeting place for the assembly in ancient Athens, and toured the ancient Agora, the centre of ancient Athenian life and democracy.

Our next stop was Syntagma Square to watch the changing of the guards, before wandering back to the New Acropolis museum. Here we were able to see the magnificent frieze from the Pantheon, as well as the pediment sculptures and metopes. After walking for 17km, we had a well-deserved rest in the evening!

Day 3 – Marathon, Thebes, and Hosias Loukas Amy Vaughan (L6) First we went to the Marathon museum.

There were lots of interesting artefacts there that were recovered from the area where the battle of Marathon occurred. There was a skeleton of a 2–5 year-old child who had been placed in a coffin that was like a vase. I found

Day 4 – Delphi Gabriel Chamber (L5) You can really see why the ancients called Delphi the centre of the world.

Visiting the site where the oracle sat really helped us to visualize what it would be like thousands of years ago, and the temples themselves were beautiful. When we went to the museum we were surprised to learn that the statues and temples were originally beautiful colours – very different from the polished white we are used to. Wherever we were, the views across the valley constantly amazed us, and the Castalian Spring, used to purify visitors before they entered the religious site, completed the mystic feel of Delphi. It was a shame to leave, but on the way to Olympia we stopped to taste olive oil in all sorts of flavours.

Overall, Delphi was the most amazing place I have ever been.

Day 5 – Olympia and Bassae Angelica Lawson and Aaron Yuan (U5) We went to Olympia, a neutral area in Greece used for the competition between Greek city-states. A temple was built here dedicated to Zeus since he was the God of Justice: all the players had to swear an oath to Zeus promising not to cheat, before competing. There was also a smaller temple for Hera and temples for other Gods.

Phideas was the man who made the statue of Zeus for the Temple, it was made of ivory and gold: Zeus was depicted seated, but still was as tall as the roof, implying his majesty if he stood up. Phideas had a workshop next to the Temple; it had the same dimensions as the Temple in order for Phideas to experiment with size and height of the statue easily. When the statue was built, the Temple’s roof was temporarily removed to move the statue in.

The pediments on Zeus’ Temple depicted two separate stories: one is about Lapiths vs Centaurs (also known as the Centauromachy) and the other about a chariot race where the suitor cheated to win against the father of the girl, murdering him in the process.

The racetrack in Olympia was one stade long (185m), with its beginning and end marked by large stone pillars. There is also a seat for the judge to sit roughly in the middle part of the track. Of course, we all had races down the track!

Later in the day, we travelled to Bassae, where we saw the Temple of Apollo the Healer. It is a very remote temple, 1,131m above sea level, on the slopes of the Kotylion Mountain. With an unusual style, 6 by 15 pillars unlike the conventional 6 by 13 pillars, it was an interesting place to visit. We also saw cute kittens – 10/10 best part of the trip!

Day 6 – Epidauros, Mycenae (including the tomb of Aegisthus), the Corinthian Canal, Flight home Tom Cronin (U6) It was an early start on the last day as we had so much to get through. Firstly we headed to the magnificent theatre of Epidauros where we were personally welcomed and escorted by a pack of friendly dogs! When we reached the theatre, Amy gave a speech from Sophocles’ Antigone to demonstrate the impressive and renowned acoustics.

Then we went to the ruined citadel of Mycenae. We stopped at the Tholos tomb of Aegisthus which was exactly how you’d imagine a tomb of a long dead monarch to be – grand entrance, domed roof, and pillaged by grave thieves! We then went to the hill where the citadel itself was situated and the view, for lack of a better term, was almost mythic in beauty. We explored the citadel and basked in the beauty of the landscape and then we swiftly departed for the airport, crossing the ravine-like Corinthian canal on the way there. When we reached the airport, we were all completely exhausted, and one 3.5-hour flight later we were home.

THE PRIORIAN

this particularly interesting and I gave a short presentation about it. After everyone had finished in the museum, we went into a hanger which had some burial mounds preserved. The skeletons that were buried there were visible from above. After that, we went out to the burial mounds, by kind permission from the British School at Athens. There were 11 skeletons in 10 graves as there were two brothers who were buried together.

Also, there was a skeleton with the head of a spear in his back, which was really cool. They were the skeletons of the Platean soldiers who helped the Athenians in the Battle of Marathon.

There was a skeleton who appeared to be around 12–13 years old, and we were told that he would have been used as a runner. The leader of the soldiers was much bigger and taller than his soldiers.

We then went to the actual site of the battle, and looked around the site.

Here, we saw a burial mound filled with the ashes of the Athenian soldiers who were cremated after they were killed at the battle of Marathon. After that, we drove to Thebes where we looked at a new museum. Once we had finished, we went to Hosias Lukas, a Greek Orthodox monastery in the mountains where the skeleton of the blessed St. Luke (not the evangelist) is preserved in the church.

It was a really beautiful and peaceful place, and they sell really nice honey, which many of us bought. After Hosias Lukas, we drove to Delphi, where we stayed for the evening.

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MOOCs St Benedict’s Sixth Form students are now taking Massive Open Online Courses alongside their A levels, which are offered by global universities covering a vast range of subjects.

Here are some of the courses our students have chosen this year: Animal Behaviour and Welfare (The University of Edinburgh) Understanding ADHD (Kings College, London) Dangerous Questions: Why Academic Freedom Matters (University of Oslo) Astrophysics: The Violent Universe (Australian National University) Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects (McMaster University, Canada) Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economics (Harvard University) Fashion as Design (MoMA, New York) Viruses and how to beat them: Cells, Immunity, Vaccines (Tel Aviv University) Basic Chinese (Arizona State University) Malaria: Defeating Malaria from Genes to the Globe (Harvard University)

“Pick something out of your comfort zone.

It becomes a lot more interesting to learn about and makes you more versatile.”

TRIPS OVERSEAS 2019–20

ICELAND October 2019: Geography Trip (F3–U6) Iceland

Oct 2019: Annual German Exchange (L5/U5) Meschede, Germany

BEL June 2019: French Trip (F1) Normandy, France

F

RANCE

ST BENEDICT’S

Feb 2020: French Trip (GCSE & A level French students) Paris, France

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July 2019: History Trip (L5) Berlin, Germany

GERMANY July 2019: History Trip (U4) Belgium

AUST Feb 2020: Annual Ski Trip (F1–L5) Salzburger Sportwelt, Austria

I TA LY July 2019: Music Trip (Musicians from F3–U6) Naples/Amalfi Coast, Italy

Oct 2019: Classics Trip (U4–U5) Greece

GREECE

VIETNAM October 2019: History Trip (Sixth Form) Vietnam

PSYCHOLOGY Is psychology really a science?

Ciara Trollip (L6)

Whether psychology is a science or not is a big discussion. There is a specific checklist that is used to determine whether a study is scientific, which I will use as the basis of my discussion. In this article I am going to discuss both sides of the statement to decide if psychology is scientific or not by using examples for core studies we are learning about and evaluating the limitations and benefits of these features.

Psychology can be considered a science due to the use of quantitative data in studies such as Loftus and Palmer. In Loftus and Palmer’s study, the estimation of how fast a car was travelling (mph) when it crashed in the video was recorded, to see how the use of different verbs change or influence the way we perceive and remember events.

The use of quantitative data in this study shows that psychology is a science because it means the data is subjective and therefore cannot be open to interpretation or bias. Using quantitative data also means that the results can be compared directly and analysed. As well as this, it allows the study to be repeated to get similar results which would be significantly more difficult with qualitative data.

However, there are limitations because the data lacks rich detail of the thought process and reasoning into why the participants estimated those particular speeds.

Psychology is also seen as a science through the replicability of studies.

Moray’s study is an example of a study that is replicable, due to the fact the procedure was standardised which makes it easy to replicate and ensures that the same variables are affecting the results. In Moray’s study, all the participants had the same headphones in which they heard the

same male voice who was speaking at the same speed. This enables the procedure to be replicated allowing the same results to be obtained, further increasing the validity of the study. However, a weakness of this method is the fact that the high control over variables (to ensure the procedure is standardised) causes a lack of ecological validity as it does not reflect real life situations, therefore it is not useful and will not have practical applications to everyday life.

On the contrary, some may argue psychology is not a science due to the lack of falsifiability. Freud’s case study on little Hans is an example of a study that is not falsifiable. This is because Freud uses this case study to prove his theory of the Oedipus complex and the psychosexual stages. He does this by analysing little Hans’ dreams about giraffes and phobia of horses which is down to interpretation and is therefore very subjective. His theories are not falsifiable and he claims they occur in the subconscious, meaning there is no tangible evidence for or against his theories. There is also a sense of bias from the study as it used deduction: Freud knew what he was looking for in order to prove his theory.

Another way that psychology may not be seen as a science is due to the

lack of manipulation of variables. In Maguire’s study, a quasi-experiment was used. This is because he could not practically or ethically determine whether or not someone was a taxi driver (the independent variable) to investigate the navigational sector of the brain (hippocampus). The lack of control over the variable meant that the correlation – ‘the longer the participant had been a taxi driver, the more grey matter was found in their right posterior hippocampus’ – had to be established as a casual relationship as cause and effect had not been manipulated. Despite this being a limitation of the inability to manipulate variables it also allowed for research to be investigated into brain plasticity in order to further our understanding.

Overall, I can conclude that despite there being some limitations to psychology being a science, such as the lack of control over variables, the majority of studies take place in highly controlled settings with standardised procedures that produce a mixture of both quantitative and qualitative data.

These factors all allow psychological studies to be replicable, to have high internal validity and ensure the findings are objective. So, despite some studies which contradict some features of science such as the wellknown theories of Sigmund Freud (that cannot be proven right or wrong), the majority of psychological studies have scientific credibility. I can conclude, therefore, that psychology is a science.

THE PRIORIAN

Many people associate scientific subjects with conical flasks, bunsen burners, electric circuits and chemicals. So how does psychology fit into the same criteria?

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DRAMA Lady Macbeth When I found out that I had been selected to play Lady Macbeth, I fell to the ground and screamed a bit. All the hours practising my audition piece and studying Dame Judy Dench’s portrayal of the character had finally paid off. The only part left was to actually start performing with the whole cast.

We were given six speeches to choose from for the audition. I chose Lady Macbeth’s speech because I didn’t think they’d let me be Macbeth, and my friend Toby was auditioning for that part anyway. It was a strong speech, I think, with lots of big words that I had to google the meaning of.

To me, the speech seemed like it needed to be spoken with passion, which I think I did successfully through emphasising key words and effective facial expressions, even if I appeared to be a bit too over-the-top, something that my friends were quick to laugh at!

I made it a priority to learn all my lines and to attend as many rehearsals as possible.

It felt like a big commitment, spanning the whole term. My friends and family were bored to death of hearing me recite my speeches, but it was only through saying Shakespeare’s words again and again that I really got into Lady Macbeth’s shoes.

Shakespearian is a tricky language to get used to, so it did take a while to decipher the emotion behind the unknown words and the intriguing metaphors.

Sometimes rehearsals did get a bit repetitive and sometimes I even felt like quitting. But the final performances made it all worth it.

To be onstage as Lady Macbeth in one of my favourite Shakespeare plays was incredible.

Not only will the experience help me with my Drama GCSE, but I believe that it has helped boost my confidence and I made many new friends along the way.

ST BENEDICT’S

Eleanor Bowden (L5)

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I am looking forward to tackling the role of Hamlet in the future.

Toby Daniels-Shayvard (L5)

THE PRIORIAN

Playing Macbeth was a huge challenge. It was not only my first leading role in a serious play, but also my first attempt at performing Shakespeare. The language itself was very difficult but amazing, poetic and powerful.

Shakespeare’s text dictates a lot to you if you just follow the rhythm. I always approach any role I play from a position of truthfulness.

If I ‘see it’ an audience will too, so it was very important to fully understand the text in order to convey Macbeth’s emotional journey and the plot accurately. Dark themes of guilt and murder were obviously difficult for me to identify with, so I focused my performance more on emotions and responses to interactions with the other characters rather than direct experience!

MACBETH

Macbeth

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POLITICS Hustings Labour: Is it a credible position to seek to negotiate the best deal possible, then opt out of advocating such a deal through neutrality?

Green Party: We have talked about spending increases under any party, but your plans amount to £1t over the next decade and will be mostly borrowed.

Surely this isn’t just a magic money tree, it’s a magic money forest?

Emily Rawlings and Finlay Healy (U6) chaired a hustings at St Benedict’s one week before the General Election in 2019.

They put the following questions to the candidates: Lib Dems: Arguably your position, in opting to revoke article 50, runs against your own party’s commitment to democracy. Is it not in your name?

ST BENEDICT’S

Conservatives: In the last manifesto, your party derided a magic money tree. Yet the government has already

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planned to increase day-to-day spending on public services by £11.7 billion next year. The manifesto adds £2.9 billion. Is there a magic money tree or not, especially when this spending is matched by no rises in VAT, income tax, or National Insurance?

Brexit Party: With the rhetoric of a Parliament versus people, are you just fanning the flames of populism, and creating an environment where no constructive consensus on Brexit can be formed?

Lively debate followed, and the audience quizzed the candidates on their parties’ approaches to various issues, such as knife crime, the environment, independent schools and bringing the country together after the divisions of the last 3 years.

The rise of national populism in Italian and French politics since the recession of 2008 National Populism has thrived from the perceived crises that have succeeded the 2008 Great Recession. The Recession in both Italy and France has served to expose the latent failings of the status quo, more than merely contracting GDP. With people poorer, fewer jobs, and rising debt (especially in Italy), intangible societal changes have been grounded and made real for the globalisation ‘losers’ (Kriesi & Pappas, 2015), and the ‘silent majority’ (Nixon, 1969). This vulnerable constituency (the honourable ‘people’ populists wish to glorify and win over) has become susceptible to the sway of the lofty rhetoric of Salvini, Grillo, and Le Pen, who have abstracted the very real economic downturn as a catastrophic crisis of culture and identity; a product of an entirely broken system. Visible outlets proliferated in the years after 2008: the refugee crisis; the acute rise of terrorism; relentless austerity.

These compounded into a sentiment of being betrayed; that sovereignty had been separated from the people by an elitist clique who were conspiring with supranational

bodies to subjugate the national will- or so their argument goes. This represents a marked change in political discourse as phrases such as ‘Italy first’ and the ‘people’ are being incorporated into the electioneering of all parties; a political system has indeed been subsumed by national populist rhetoric. It is therefore certain that the Overton Window [the range of policies politically acceptable to the mainstream population at a given time] has shifted towards nationalism and populism, as politicians of all colours battle with an indefatigable volonté générale. National populists have homed in on unconnected symbols and peoples and religions as foci for discontent to conflate with issues of politics and economics- using the truth to campaign on dishonesty. By canvassing on such linkages and rhetoric, national populists have been able to succeed on a coalition of the disaffected who have been offered no viable political alternatives in France and Italy, and no other ‘substantiated’ reasons as to why their life is worse than it was a decade ago.

THE PRIORIAN

Finlay Healy (U6)

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ECO CLUB St Benedict’s is at the heart of Ealing, Queen of the Suburbs, where green space has always been valued by the community, and this mindset has helped us to propel our school into a future of sustainability and care for our local and global ecosystems.

St Benedict’s has always promoted care for the environment, but last year students, teachers and the leadership team came together after acknowledging that major initiatives need to be put in place, and everyone needs to work together in order to have any hope of solving the climate crisis. Thus, a new environmental group made up of both students and teachers was formed, and regular meetings were set up with the headmaster, teachers and students in order to come up with ways in which we can actively contribute solutions from our school.

ST BENEDICT’S

It was made clear across the board that plastic waste is a big issue, with over 1 million marine animals dying every year due to poisoning or suffocation from plastic waste. Therefore, the school made some major changes, encouraging the use of reusable water bottles, with water fountains suited to filling bottles, with the hope of getting rid of all single use plastic bottles by Easter. Sixth formers are also encouraged to bring their own reusable coffee cups, with a new punch card system put in place in the cafe. We are encouraging everyone to live a sustainable, environmentally friendly lifestyle, with routines worked into the school life, such as Walk To School Wednesdays and Vegan Tuesdays, which give both students and teachers the opportunity to try out a vegan food. Pupils have also given

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well-researched presentations to the Headmaster, Bursar and senior team, proposing solar panels, becoming a paperfree school and planting more trees.

Combatting the harsh impacts of pollution, especially in an urban hub like London, through trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, is one of the biggest issues we’ve highlighted which depends on the actions of every individual. These have provided students with real experiences on how to live their lives in the most environmentally friendly way possible. Getting the message out is also really important, which is why we’ve used our strong relationship with our MP, Rupa Huq, to get our goals all the way to the top.

So many students and teachers are very passionate about getting involved and adding to this movement, and in terms of the school’s contribution, we have only just begun. Beginning to shift to 100% renewable energy sources over the next 12 months, adding motion sensor lights to every room, purchasing electric mini buses and completely eliminating all single-use plastic are just some of the ambitious goals which we are excited about working towards.

The school has created an atmosphere of care and compassion towards our planet, and it is exciting to be a part of addressing, and hopefully solving, the climate crisis.

Valentina Elner-Kupcha and Evan Hobson (U6)

MUSIC What was music to the Ancient Greeks?

An analysis of Ancient Greek Music both technically and philosophically during the Classical and Hellenistic periods of Ancient Greece Jack Edis (U6) Abstract and conclusion from his EPQ (awarded an A*)

Rationale One of my main reasons for choosing my topic was that I was always fascinated by the idea of the origins of music and how it has influenced the Classical tradition (i.e. Medieval to Contemporary). As I began to start my initial research another reason for continuing my project arose: ‘Why is there so little scholarship about the music of Ancient Greece?’ Ancient

Greek philosophy, theatre, mathematics, and literature are all staples of their respective modern day fields and yet no Greek music is found anywhere in general discourse though the impact on the musical tradition is just as great as the writings of Plato and Aristotle.

As a trained musician, I did have some idea about the development of music in Ancient Greece (e.g. the Greek modes and Pythagorean tuning that are still in use today) but I always wanted to know more about this. However in modern music education, these are essentially confined to the footnotes.

As I began to delve deeper, I began to realise the true breadth and importance of music in Ancient Greek society.

Finding out that music was considered the most respected discipline in Ancient Greek society according to prestigious people such as Plato and Aristotle made me come to realise that the Greeks were essentially the first society to form music into an academic subject with extensive academic scholarship from Athens’s most prominent thinkers – such as the aforementioned Pythagoras. Music as a proper profession and field of study began in Ancient Greece (for instance they coined the term ‘music’).

I also wish to tell the story of the average Greek person’s interaction with music and how it was perceived by those not familiar with the writings of Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates. In an intensely patriarchal society (many not only considered women to be second class citizens but also not even human) music was one of the most equal parts of Ancient Greek society and so I wish

to explore this phenomenon and why this occurred.

I think the most important thing about my project is to convey the idea of fluidity between the music of Ancient Greece and the Western Classical Tradition that are so often considered to be wholly different fields. I also wish to inspire further research in to the subject so that eventually music can be added to the list of the academic fields of Ancient Greece that are in the collective contemporary consciousness.

Conclusion Overall, music was undoubtedly one of the most important aspects of Ancient Greek life. Every single part of Greek life was steeped in music whether absorbing the throng of a chorus in the amphitheatres of Ancient Athens or marching to the songs of war.

Prominent Ancient Greeks thought that to be able to appreciate music was more important than to be able to count. Music was inescapable and thoroughly involved in what it meant to be an Ancient Greek.

It was perhaps one of the only academic disciplines that can be found everywhere throughout the various city states of Ancient Greece. It was upheld as a miraculous gift of the Gods yet it was played often by even the lowest echelons of the strict Athenian hierarchy.

Ultimately however, the principal reason why the Greeks loved music so much is the same as it has been across all civilisations throughout history up until the present: enjoyment. It also provided the foundation of early Western music, though this is not always recognised.

THE PRIORIAN

When we think of what the Ancient Greeks have given us, many would agree that the arts was their greatest contribution. Where would philosophy, drama, or literature be without the likes of Plato, Aristotle, Homer, Euripides, and Sophocles? Virtually every art that is studied today in the West has its foundations in Ancient Greek culture and for many, studying the works of Ancient Greece is at the core of the education curriculum. Why should music be different? For everyone who studies the standard music curriculum, music ostensibly begins with the medieval period. Yet we know this not to be true with even the most superficial of researches into Ancient Greek culture. Why is the understanding and appreciation we have of Ancient Greek musical culture so lacking? My written report will attempt to demonstrate the enormous impact the Greeks had on not only the theoretical side of music, but also how music is perceived and its place within wider society. The conclusion will be that the Greeks had a far deeper and more profound connection with music than at any other point throughout history. While perhaps not fully understanding the mathematical elements of what makes music tick, their fascination with music as well as their respect for those who made it meant that music was the central pillar of Ancient Greek society.

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SCIENCE: BIOLOGY

Organ Donation

By Cleo Byrne, Kate Tracey, Emilia McFadzean and Irene Llinares-Perales (U6)

Introduction Organs and tissues that can be transplanted include: • Liver • Kidney • Pancreas • Heart

Why did we have an opt-in system?

Advantages of this system (or disadvantages of opt-out) 1. No involuntary organ donors - Within an Opt-In system, inaction would not result in someone becoming an organ donor if they didn’t want to (false positive).

• Lung • Intestine • Cornea • Middle ear • Skin

ST BENEDICT’S

- People don’t risk getting the idea that body “belongs” to the state as soon as you die – individual autonomy

• Bone marrow

- Doesn’t give the family the pressure to make a decision if discussing the donation in an opt-out, risking longterm feelings of guilt if they decide against transplants.

• Heart valves

- Likely to hold fewer religious issues

• Bone

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2. Maintains a wider level of trust in the NHS with a lower risk of public outcry:

• Connective tissue • Vascularized composite allografts (transplant of several structures that may include skin, bone, muscles, blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue

3. At the same time, organ transplants can still be improved - In ways like raising awareness of organ donation (e.g through social media) and increasing the training of the doctors and nurses who discuss the options with people.

4. Less open to abuse - There is less chance that death could be hastened to receive an organ for someone else.

- Fewer ethical issues (where do we draw a line?)

Why are we changing to opt-out?

• 700 lives a year.

The greatest advantage is the chance to save lives that otherwise may have been unnecessarily lost.

• Awareness is key.

People need to start having difficult conversations with their families, and this law has sparked that conversation for many.

Alternatives to the opt-out system Bioengineered organs: Since 2000 researchers have worked to bioengineer organs specific to the recipient by decellularising and recellularising the extracellular matrix of an organ. This makes the organ specialised and hence the recipient’s immune system is less likely to reject the organ.

3D-printed organs: This research is ongoing and as of yet a small scale yet fully vascularised human heart has been 3D-printed. This also allows the organ to be specialised to the recipient.

What if their family disagrees? Conflict due to religion might also cause criticisms of the opt out system – it can be interpreted as the state taking ownership of your body.

Transplants from living donors After the body dies, the organs shut down extremely quickly and so it is very important for the transplant to happen as soon as possible. For this reason, living donors are often used. In kidneys, this is justified due to the fact that only one kidney is needed for survival but we have two. The issue becomes more complicated, however, when you consider donors who are brain dead but still have their heart beating: is it moral to harvest organs that will kill them, such as their heart or lungs?

Paediatric transplants Being under the age of 18, is it ethical for children to ask for their organs to be donated or for their families to make a decision for them when they don’t have the mental maturity to make this decision? Is it ethical to ask a grieving family to donate their child’s organs?

(Many questions followed this fascinating talk, and everyone left the Helikon Centre better informed about this vital issue.)

Personalised medicine With recent developments in the field of genetics, is it more important to allocate time and resources to develop a way to grow organs using stem cells from a person’s own body or to focus on harvesting organs from living individuals?

Opting out Is opting out the best way to determine consent? What if someone isn’t aware of the implications of their decisions?

THE PRIORIAN

Ethical issues Prioritising recipients With the huge gap between organs available for donation and people who need organ donation, deciding who it is that receives the few organs available is a pressing issue; is it ethical to perform an organ transplant on someone who won’t take care of their new organ, such as smokers or people who drink copious amounts of alcohol despite receiving a new liver? When you have lungs donated do you give them to someone with cystic fibrosis or emphysema? Is it more important to secure an organ to someone whose body has already rejected three organs compared to a first time recipient?

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SCIENCE FAIR 2020

ST BENEDICT’S

Lower 4th pupils presented 45 science projects to almost 150 visiting junior school children in British Science Week.

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THE PRIORIAN

GEOGRAPHY Opportunities in the Western Desert The Western Desert is located in the west of the United States and includes the Mojave, Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts. It has challenges but also many opportunities, these include a range of farming, mining, energy and tourism.

the Great Depression of the 1930s and it was completed ahead of schedule.

Fossil fuels also bring opportunities to the Western Desert. Today there are 25 active oil production sites, all of which are owned by the Navajo people; more than 100 employees work to produce oil worth of US$50 million!

U S A Great Basin Desert Mojave Desert Sonoran Desert Chihuahan Desert

One opportunity is farming. The hot sun and extreme temperatures are favourable for agricultural purposes, provided water can be found for irrigation. There are two important sources of irrigation: aquifers and canals, an example of which is the famous Central Arizona Project, below, been taking place for centuries in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. The lack of water has discouraged many miners until underground water was found in aquifers. Plans for uranium mining were also halted for due to wildlife campaigns.

ST BENEDICT’S

which transfers water from dams along the Colorado River. The aquifers are bodies of permeable rock which can contain or transmit groundwater. They hold large stores of water beneath some desert regions. Canals are also used for mass-industrialised agriculture. Farmers are allocated 80% of the Colorado water, despite only using 10% of it.

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Mineral extraction is another great opportunity for the people of the Western Desert and benefits the rest of the world to some extent. The states of the desert are rich in minerals and metals such as lead, zinc, copper, uranium and coal. Copper mining has

The third opportunity that is used to develop the Western Desert is energy usage. Strong insulation in desert regions provides a great opportunity for solar power. The entire Western desert region is predicted to benefit from construction of new solar power plants. The Sonoran Solar Project in Arizona is a new solar power plant project that will ultimately produce energy for 10,000 homes. Hydroelectric power (HEP) plants also supply Western Desert communities with some of their electricity, powered in part by the water leaving Lake Mead at the Hoover Dam. At its peak construction, this dam employed over 5,000 people during

The final and most rapidly advancing opportunity is the wide variety of tourism found in the Western Desert.

As the society of the United States has grown to have more wealth, leisure and time, tourism has increased in its value; becoming the Western Desert’s important source of income. There are many attractions to be explored in the desert such as national parks. They offer visitors a chance to experience the wilderness. One main national park is California’s Joshua Tree National Park and another is Death Valley, pictured above, the hottest pace in the Americas. As well as the parks, there are two major lakes visitors can see that have been crafted as a part of water management projects: Lake Mead and Lake Powell. Combined, they attract over two million visitors per year. Finally, the biggest attraction that the Western Desert can offer if the world-famous Las Vegas. Built around the entertainment such as rides, shows, games, gambling and amazing monuments; the city attracts 37M visitors per year.

Aamile Depal (L6)

Cleveleys is a town on the Fylde Coast of Lancashire, England, about four miles north of Blackpool and two miles south of Fleetwood.

Fleetwood

Cleveleys

M55

Blackpool

Preston

© Rob Noble

St. Annes

The image above shows a number of key costal defences utilised by the town of Cleveleys. One way in which the town is attempting to “hold the line” (preventing further erosion in a specific area usually due to socioeconomic factors) would be through the implementation of concrete revetments as a primary flood defence. Revetments are sloping wooden, concrete or rock structures placed at the foot of a cliff or the top of a beach. They are an effective coastal defence as they break up the waves’ energy and therefore reduce the erosional potential. They are relatively inexpensive to build which makes the strategy at Cleveleys more fiscally sustainable, costing up to

M6

Lytham

£4,500 per metre; however, it could be suggested that this is not an entirely effective strategy as they may require maintenance. In addition, some members of the demographic could consider them to be “unsightly” although I would suggest that this is a relatively small price to pay in exchange for an effective defence against erosion and flooding.

The town is also using rock armour to protect itself from erosion. This strategy involves large rocks being placed at the foot of a cliff, or at the top of a beach.

It forms a permeable barrier to the sea, breaking up the waves but allowing some water to pass through, thus creating an effective defence against

Conor Dolan (L6)

THE PRIORIAN

Coastal protection at Cleveleys

flooding and erosion. Furthermore, rock armour is relatively cheap and easy to construct and maintain; it is less obstructive and consequently many believe that it blends better with the surrounding environment.

Indeed, rock armour is often used for recreational endeavours such as fishing or sunbathing. As evident in the image, some of the rock armour has been arranged to form rock armour groynes alongside the use of wooden groynes. Groynes are structures built at right angles to the coast. They trap sediment being moved along the coast by longshore drift thus building up the beach, creating a steeper gradient to dissipate erosional wave energy. They are often highly effective defences as they work with natural processes to build up the beach, which increases tourist potential and protects the land behind it. Moreover, they are also not too expensive. I would also suggest that while wooden groynes are arguably relatively unattractive, rock armour groynes are perhaps aesthetically better suited to the surrounding environment.

As the image here illustrates, there are numerous reasons why Cleveleys needs protection through the implementation of a “hold the line” coastal defensive strategy. Firstly the town has a significant number of properties (both residential and industrial) and local businesses – 8,700 properties and 219 industrial units to be precise – therefore I would suggest that such buildings add considerable economic value to the area which in turn warrants protection.

This is especially important given the fact that some of these buildings are connected to the tourism industry which generates a considerable income in the area. Additionally, many of these buildings are homes to the residents of the town and thus they carry with them a significant social value which in turn greatly contributes to the need for protection. Secondly the land in the background of the image appears to be relatively flat thus suggesting a considerably low geological resistance indicative of softer rocks which in turn suggests that the town is especially prone to flooding and possibly erosion which consequently warrants coastal protection.

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CAREERS Royal College of Surgeons conference: A Cutting Edge Career Delia Capatina (L6), aspiring medic, reports...

CAREERS FAIR 2020 At the Careers Fair there was a very wide range of jobs to look at, which helped me consider future career options. This was an amazing experience because the careers were presented by people who were actually working in those jobs. I liked the sound of some of the STEAM jobs, and I will use this experience when deciding what I would like to pursue in my later life.

Martha Hickman (U4)

The day started with the ‘Life of a surgeon’ talk, which gave much insight in what a surgical career is like, how to cope with unsuccessful events and how to balance a demanding career with family life.

Following that, I had the opportunity to try a simulation of a laparoscopy. The operating room experience is considered insufficient for training and medical students are spending more time using immersive experience applications to hone their skills and expertise.

Later I began to learn how to tie surgical knots, much more dramatic than looping the laces on my trainers. After learning the fundamentals I started using a ‘knottying practice board’. The board consisted of shoelaces and a simulated surgical incision made of plastic and rubber bands. It is not as easy as I had first thought, but as the session was coming to a close I got the feeling that I was mastering the technique.

After the lunch break, a junior doctor shared her experience of medical school.

I found this talk very useful, as it focused on the positive and negative aspects of a medical professional. Interestingly it gave me a real insight into the breadth of differing fields, travel possibilities, plus the sacrifices to be made missing Christmas, birthdays and other family occasions.

ST BENEDICT’S

The last activity of the day was performing a basic suture. It was tricky, as to produce a safe and neat stitch is not an easy task and doctors need to be able to do it in high-pressure situations, but I enjoyed it. You need to push the needle through the skin in a scooping motion and pull it out the other side using the forceps.

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Overall, I found the event very fun and useful. It gave much information about life as a healthcare professional and the process of becoming one. I loved performing the different procedures as it gave us the opportunity to practice, which is very important in medical school. It made me feel less intimidated by medical school and inspired me to look forward to the whole process of becoming a doctor. After this trip, medicine is definitely one of my first career options.

The Careers Fair was a great eye-opener for my future path. As a student wanting to take Art and Design but not knowing exactly which specific sector to go into, professionals from a multitude of backgrounds, including Graphic Design, Interior Design and Architecture and many more, helped me get a greater feel.

I also spoke to many individuals about work experience, building a good portfolio/CV and advice in future courses like degrees or apprenticeships.

Oscar Hancock (L6) I wanted to establish whether careers such as Marketing and Advertising would welcome someone with a Classics degree, and was delighted with the positive response. However, they suggested that instead of doing an additional Masters for Marketing, I do an online course during the summer, which was very useful. Also, before this evening, I had never really considered utilising my A levels in a career, but after speaking to Universal Music, I realised that I could combine my love for music and my interest in marketing, to work in the music sector.

Valentina Elner-Kupcha (U6)

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THE PRIORIAN

THE JUNIOR SCHOOL: NURSERY

Nursery nativity

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THE PRIORIAN

Top row: Under the Sea topic Above: Nature trail walk in the park Right: Book Week parade

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PP1

Olivia’s 2D shape crab Science Week

ST BENEDICT’S

Toxic Tim, showing the children how hot air makes balloons rise.

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Professor Renaud demonstrated the power of air and water, as the force from the air pump sent the water rocket flying

PP2 Science We tested different materials to find out which was absorbent and which was waterproof, to see which material would be best for Paddington’s umbrella.

Egg Box Dragon When Egg Box Dragon woke up he wanted to go to the enormous moon so he went downstairs and put his magnificent space stuff on.

After that, Egg Box Dragon got in his silver spaceship and went to the glimmering moon. When he got to the colossal moon, he wanted to have a picnic because he was hungry. So he got out some scrumptious food from the spaceship. He loved eating food on the moon and smiled to himself.

After he had his picnic, he went back home to his comfy, warm bed.

Millie Scambler

Firstly, he tiptoed through the spooky, gloomy garden. Next, he could hear owls hooting from the tall trees. After that, he could smell the lovely flowers.

Slowly, he creeped into the silent, calm house and he could smell tasty food.

Theodora Liakou

THE PRIORIAN

Egg Box Dragon woke up and moved his stubby arms. Secondly, the sparkling shiny moon shone on his head. Step by step he hurried out of the bed.

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PP3

Turrets & Tiaras topic – visit to Windsor Castle

What is a Knight?

Being a Knight is very important because you work for the King.

A Knight defends the castle.

A Knight kills enemies if they try to take over the castle.

When you are seven years old, you become a Page.

ST BENEDICT’S

What qualities does the job require?

You need to be brave because you will have to defend the King and yourself.

You need to be creative because you might need to make your own shield.

You need to be always ready and prepared for a competition or a battle.

You need to be good at following instructions.

You need to be kind and gentle to your team and to ladies.

Your parents will need to be rich to pay for training.

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What skills will you learn?

You will have to pass and follow the Code of Chivalry.

You will need to be good at using weapons while wearing a full suit of armour.

You will learn to block with your shield and fight with your sword.

You will learn to be dedicated and hard-working for the King.

Rian O’Sullivan

ENGLISH AMBASSDORS INTERVIEW: MR SIMMONS How old were you when you became interested in aeroplanes?

I was probably 4 years of age or so. I certainly have a very vivid memory of being given a fully completed Airfix Kit model of a BOAC Boeing 747 by a friend of the family and enjoying hours of fun playing with it, imagining that I was an airline pilot flying across the globe.

What inspired you to have such a passion for planes?

I have to thank my parents and then also an aunt and an uncle for sowing the seeds of my passion in all things aviationrelated. As a very young boy, they would take me to London Heathrow to watch the aircraft from the viewing areas at the Queen’s Building. The visits would often take place at night, and I was captivated by the lights, the distinctive smell of aviation exhaust and the sounds. In my early teens, I would travel to Heathrow and Gatwick with similarly minded friends, spending hours watching the aircraft movements and noting down registration numbers so that I could recall which aircraft I had seen before.

What made you realise you loved aeroplanes?

It was a family holiday to the Caribbean in the summer of 1976 that ensured that my passion for aviation would be lifelong. En route to Dominica and Barbados, I flew aboard a British Airways Boeing 707 to Antigua and then islandhopped via Guadeloupe to Dominica aboard the smaller LIAT (Leeward Islands Air Transport) aircraft. It was a fabulous experience, and to this day I invariably have a smile on my face during take off and landing because I so enjoy the sensation of flight. One of my favourite moments is when you break through the top of the clouds, whilst ascending or descending, and have a true sense of how quickly the aircraft is travelling.

Douglas DC6; Lockheed Tristar L1-1011; McDonnell Douglas MD-80; and Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle.

The Airbus A350 and the A380 are on my bucket list!

Which aircraft is your favourite?

The Boeing 747, because it looks so graceful, especially in a banking turn, and I love the sound of its engines as it climbs out following take off.

Do you have a lot of technical and mechanical knowledge about planes?

I have a very basic knowledge, which is helpful when completing pre-flight checks.

Did you ever want to become a pilot?

When I was at school, for some reason I did not think that I had the right qualities – I studied mainly Arts subjects rather than the Sciences at A-Level – and thought that this would prevent me from becoming a professional pilot. Little did I know that there were numerous pathways to qualifying to be a pilot! Aged 28, I decided to pursue my PPL and qualified for my licence as a private pilot.

Have you ever flown a plane as a captain?

I have been lucky enough to have opportunities to take members of my family and friends on flights, and more often than not I have been the pilot in command.

How often do you fly?

I make approximately three return flights per year, mostly to visit family in New York. This usually involves flying with American Airlines, British Airways or Virgin Atlantic.

I last flew at my flying club last summer, so another flight is long overdue!

What have been your longest flights?

Flights out to Grand Cayman; Houston; Seattle; San Francisco; and Vancouver respectively.

How many different types of aircraft have you flown on?

Airbus A318; A320; A321; and A340; Boeing variants – 707; 727; 737; 747; 757; 767; 777; and 787; Cessna variants – 152; and 172; De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter;

Interview conducted by the English Ambassadors: Ayush Gupta, Mika Stojsavljevic, Ines Tournaire, Konstantinos Zarkadakis (F2)

THE PRIORIAN

What is your favourite airport?

London Heathrow, although I do have a soft spot for JFK in New York.

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LOWER PREP The mysterious figure stared into the eye of the storm; acting like the emerald light ahead was the most precious thing on earth. His stomach muscles tightened as the tempestuous storm battled the dilapidated airship.

Without hesitation, he quickly turned on autopilot so he wouldn’t have to fight against the turbulent storm.

Heat beating wildly, he turned the airship up to full speed. Everyone would have feared the raging storm; he did not. You could hear the hail battering through the roof of the pungent, demolished airship. The ominous light ahead, which glowed eerily, was looming closer still.

Rocco Russo

The man’s tattered, ripped scarf trailed along behind him as he paced along the deck. Clutching the steering wheel, blood and sweat dripped down his face, making it nearly impossible to see. Finally, the dilapidated aircraft pass through a blinding light… and finally made it through the eye of the storm. At last!

Rebecca Ramsden

ST BENEDICT’S

Ships and Shipwrecks topic models

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As part of the Ships and Shipwrecks topic, students wrote postcards as first and third class passengers on board the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic...

Titanic What a loss of life!

On the 15th April 1912, at approximately 2.20 am, the “unsinkable” luxurious Titanic descended into the frozen, inky blackness of the depths of the North Atlantic ocean.

It is believed to have hit an iceberg. The captain was Captain. J. Smith. There were several warnings given to the Titanic but alas they didn’t listen.

On the 10th April, the luxurious “invincible” Titanic set sail to Queenstown and then on to New York however it unfortunately sank before completing her journey. There were 870 crew and around 1,317 passengers on board.

A survivor Rosa reported “At first I had no idea of what was happening. When it hit the unmissable iceberg, it appeared to be going at full speed!” The Titanic took two hours and forty minutes to fully submerge in the icy waters. Another survivor called Lottie Trop argued, “It isn’t fair, why didn’t they let my husband onto a lifeboat?”

The poor, heroic musicians played music to calm the petrified people but unfortunately, they too went down with the ship. The four funnels were so big that two trains could fit in them. To hit the bottom of the ocean took nearly 15 minutes. Some argue there are many fingers to point at for who or what was to blame for this travesty.

Some say it was the fact that they didn’t fill the lifeboats to the full capacity (64) and there wasn’t enough lifeboats to begin with.

Mrs Glup said, “I think that the person to blame was Captain Lord for turning off the radio in their ship and for thinking the Titanic was having a party with their distress signals.

Who do you believe is to blame?

Reported by Elsa Munoz Alvarez

THE PRIORIAN

The sky watched as the evil ocean swallowed the demolished Titanic so the sea could have a different ship to add to its collection.

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UPPER PREP Why was the Roman Army so Successful?

Thomas Niesiolowski The Roman army was absolutely massive. They were one of the most successful armies of all time.

What training did they have?

The Roman had a very sophisticated training routine. They would walk 20 miles every day and have hand-to-hand combat with wooden swords.

There was a rule that if you fell asleep during your shift you would be executed. The Roman Army would attend weapons training every morning.

Some Roman citizens used to call a Gladiator a ‘well trained fighting machine’.

How did they fight?

Each fighting legion had around 4,000 to 6,000 soldiers. In battle, the Romans would shoot loads and loads of arrows and stones from bows and catapults. The man in charge of a Century was called a Centurion. Usually groups of 80 men would go out to the battle fields and fight. There were half a million soldiers in the Roman Army.

So the Romans invaded the Celts successfully because of their armour, intelligence and strategies.

Persuasive Advert for a Roman Villa

ST BENEDICT’S

Suri Virdi

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Are you wondering why no one will come to your boring house? Are you worried there are not enough rooms? Well...YOU need the Ultimate Roman Villa! It has everything you have ever wanted. It’s the coolest house around and is guaranteed to make your friends want to come! This villa has all your wishes inside.

It has a hypocaust (underfloor heating), your own baths, bedrooms and more. This luxurious villa has Roman-tic balconies and a study. The enchanting, exciting experience of a villa is perfect for kids as there are 10 slaves and all of them are super friendly!

When your friends walk into the courtyard they will be amazed. There are delectable treats waiting for you inside...! Now, we all know that no house is a proper house without a comfy bedroom all to yourself. With the Ultimate Roman Villa, you’ll never have to worry about being bedroom-less ever again. It comes with magnificently, marvellous mosaics on the floor.

Remember – it’s the coolest house around so hurry.

Get it before it’s gone!

Roman soldier Anna Kluemper

Testing water quality, with visiting pupils from St Bernard’s Prep School, Slough

Relentless, rapid rain pummelled down on me and threatened me to a watery grave. Waves were howling over the horizon. Zap! Lightning struck the ship’s mast. It was like the thunder was mad at me. Walls of waves were howling to each other like they were locked in combat.

Ahead and below me it was dark. I was trapped by the black world of deep, dangerous sea.

I tasted sea salt coming up and through my nose, mouth and into my ear. Bile raced up my mouth fiercely. My heart beat vigorously as the storm darkened the air with billowing clouds of foam. Everything was terrible and tempestuous. It was as though this was the end of my life.

Science – melting chocolate Ships & Shipwrecks topic – visit to Tate Britain

Tsunami

Terror at Sea

A tsunami came, Out of nowhere.

Splash! Went The water.

Suddenly there was Relentless, rapid rain.

Gigantic humungous Waves threatened The boat to A watery grave.

The chilly, harsh Wind lashed Against the Boat.

Splish! Waves towered over the boat.

Bang! Lightning struck the boat’s hull.

Rumble! The monstrous, creeping thunder roared loudly.

Whoosh! The wind scarped against the mast.

Crash! The water smashed through the rocks.

The nightmare us rising.

The dream is fading.

All is eerie.

Gloomy.

Creepy.

Owen Hand

Eric Thang

Rain poured at me incessantly like sharp, cold bullets. I felt unsteady; the cold sweat at the bottom of my neck trickled down my back. Seagulls flew above the sailing boat as I think they thought it was a safe place to be in a rampaging storm.

Waves rose higher and higher; thundered nearer and nearer; broke into a roar of boiling foam and raced to the shore like galloping foam horses.

Splash! I could touch the salty sea water wanting to put me to death. It was dark. Completely impenetrable darkness. Dread swept through me like a tidal wave as if they wanted to eat me because they were hungry.

The tumbling breakers crashed onto the rocks and left an icy mist as they were dragged back to sea. A mass of churning foam arched high in the air and lashed at the windows. The spray from the waved looked like it was bleeding in the setting sun.

Mihiro Hosotani

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THE JUNIOR SCHOOL: ART

PP2 – Cityscape, mixed collage

F1 – self portraits

Left: PP2 – work after Paul Klee UP – Roman mosiac

ST BENEDICT’S

Right: F2 – figure sculpture

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MUSIC

Top: Carol Service Left: KS1 concert Right: Spring concert – Music from the 70s

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FORM 1 The First Spark Wispy air wafted gently with the serene breeze of the balmy summer day. Two sweet Columbidae perched warbling on a decrepit tree. Two impish boys raced about energetically, breaking the tranquil milieu. “Come along, we are going to roast jumbo marshmallows, hurry up!” Their camping buddies clambered over them.

“COMING! the ecstatic boys replied excitedly.

As the night dawned, bitter gales overcame the fields and surrounded the camp site.

Children grew ravenous and moaned. The ‘responsible’ grown-ups had omitted the firewood and denied all blame. Where had it gone? The omitter was an old-aged dad from Germany who had no brain whatsoever!

Finally the doltish parents set their kids free on a hunt for wood and bribed them with the ambrosial scent of the marshmallows. The desperate kids set off with a list of what was needed: 1. Dry wood (Big and small sticks) 2. Dry leaves or dry tree bark 3. Sharp and smooth stones preferably dry as well “Hurry up you lousy kids or there will be no treats!”

The greedy, famished youths sprinted towards the trees of the vast nearby evergreen forest, foraging for any dry objects they could set alight. After their successful hunt they returned to the heavenly scented base camp with arms full of flammable objects. Together the rowdy bunch of kids frantically set up a teepee style, unlit, raring-to-go fire.

Impatient, lean bodies tensed as the group leader (Miss Katy Lennon) slid the callous rocks together with great fortitude and perseverance like a climber hanging on to a cliff strongly. To the determined campers’ chagrin no fiery sparks leaped from the surface of the cold rocks. Dismayed, the campers’ dedication drained from their bodies and frustration came into play.

Judith moaned, “Why can’t we go to the nearest store, it is SO EASY!” Eleny replied, “We can’t flunk now, let’s have a few more tries.”

The starved group found more and more stones and tried harder and harder until the youngest girl – Eli – found friction between her little pebbles and started screaming rejoicingly as a luminous spark drifted down on to the torrid leaves...

Jubilant yells tore the tense vibes and stuffed them in the bin, not to be seen for a long while. Euphoric jiggles and elated dances made the birds swoop away.

ST BENEDICT’S

“TIME FOR ROASTED MARCHMALLOWS!” yelled all the kids in the whole of Camp Teres.

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Finally the camper’s perseverance paid off and the thrilled kids got to taste the delightful, creamy, luscious, delectable, appetising marshmallows. They dug their choppers cordially into the heavenly, delicious treat...

That night energetic children wriggled around, sang and shouted all night while the contented parents devoured greedily the remaining nibbles and chatted all night long.

Jay Whiteley

Character Description: Miss Trunchbull Miss Trunchbull is a petrifying, horrible bully. She is as warm hearted as a stone. She makes school children and teachers quiver and shake in their boots. If she catches you misbehaving, you are bound to burst into a flood of tears after her deadly punishment.

Never would you consider her at all pretty! She is hideous! Her hair is pinned back into a tight bun and her face is usually between the colours of a cherry tomato and a plum! A wicked grin was plastered across her face and just above that she had a furry little moustache. Her eyebrows are like squirrel tails and her face was shiny with sweat. She torments every living thing in sight and one laugh…. you’re dead.

Olivia Scott Miss Trunchbull is a vile unshapen alien, her hair greased back into an untidy, dirty bun. Her face is as red as a pomegranate. With every step she takes a child would whimper in fear; yelled at for a pathetic reason.

Her face had high eyebrows that were arched like cathedral doors. Her fat neck disappeared into her collar and tie – she dressed as a WW2 army sergeant. Her teeth were stained brown from the copious amounts of coffee she consumed. Miss Trunchbull’s outbursts were so sudden her mood would change in the click of a finger. The teachers would plead with her to be nice, but a dark smile and a shake of her head in refusal was her only reply!

Henry Gould

Travel and Treason – The Tudors topic. Above: visit to Hampton Court; Below: visit to the Golden Hinde

Science: Using Oreo biscuits to illustrate the different phases of the moon

THE PRIORIAN

History: Tudor Banquet

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FORM 2 The Haunted House (excerpt)

The Cello The cello idles in tranquillity on his shoulder.

Any cries, any shouts, its sonorous song will smoulder.

The f-holes bow gracefully to each other, Desperately longing to be with one another.

Such delicate strings sing such a tantalising tune.

Their song so aloof and cold, like a dark night sky with no gleaming stars, no moon.

The bow’s desperate cries drift through the air, Through any placid silence the sound will tear.

The strings quiver under the bow’s forceful sweep.

They cry out with melancholy sorrows so vacant, so deep.

With voices so dejected and full of sorrow, The cello remains empty and hollow.

ST BENEDICT’S

Susannah O’Sullivan

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I pushed the door open. The creak of the rotting wood hurt my ears.

My heart was pounding against my ribcage, making me feel like I was being stabbed. I could hear the sigh of my breathing. Silence penetrated the stillness of the old house. It looked as if floorboards had been pried up with fingers and then put back. The rug was so old its threads were coming out. The ancient sofa had been sat on so many times, that it was completely worn out.

There was a feeling of tenseness in the air and it made me shudder with fright. The floorboards groaned under the weight of my body. A faint burning smell hung in the air, making my nostrils flare. My brain was telling me to go home but I was so attracted to the house. I murmured to myself, “So this was the Parkinsons’ house. No wonder they moved out.”

Paola Baudin

The Menacing Mountain (excerpt) I looked up, gazing at the summit of the mountain that was soaring above me. A ghostly curtain of darkness was drawn across the sky and surrounded me. Hostile peaks jumped out of the snow and greeted me with a frown; shark-finned ridges rose between the mountain slopes.

Nothing could be heard but screeches from a crow – the sound was like a cold omen that sent chills down my spine.

Step by step, I moved further up the mountain and set my crampons on over my boots; whilst fighting against the disastrous weather. Smells of moss and pureness flared up my nose, almost making me sneeze – “ACHOOO!” James Dodder

DNA model

Natural selection

Hilary’s Heights topic

THE PRIORIAN

Metaphor poem on Sir Francis Drake Konstantinos Zarkadakis

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JUNIOR SCHOOL TRIPS

Outward bound in the Lake District Children in Form 2 went on an exciting trip to the Lake District in May. Based at the Outward Bound Trust Ullswater Centre, they enjoyed five days of canoeing, gorge-walking, climbing and camping.

Zach Firstly, I want to talk about the Gorge Walking (the best activity). At first it was a bit nerve-wracking as everyone didn’t know what to expect. But when you get there it is AMAZING! The instructors are really supportive and it is really safe. Once you have done it you feel fabulous. Afterwards, you get to jump in the lake. Everyone enjoyed it.

Secondly, the expedition. Now this was quite a challenge yet definitely worth it. It was challenging but once we reached the top of the mountain we felt amazing, extraordinary and fantastic.

The view was incredible.

ST BENEDICT’S

Overall, I had an amazing experience in the Lake District.

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Thomas The instructors were so kind and caring, we didn’t need to worry about a thing. They made sure we were safe and enjoying our time in the Lakes.

They challenged us and made sure we came back with no regrets. The nature in the Lake District is exquisite. The whole lake (Ullswater) is surrounded by breathtaking views and pristine air. I felt like I could do anything because the

Lettie Climbing the mountain – what an amazing 48 hours. Looking up at the twinkling stars, telling jokes and stories and working together to put up a shelter to sleep under. And in the morning, when the sun rises, you hear the rush of the stream and the birds calling to each other. You spring out of your sleeping bag ready to embark on a trek up to a formidable peak that is towering over you. It’s a great feeling to stand at the top of a mountain!

A taste of France for Form 1 Sasha: La Tapisserie de Bayeux The Bayeux Tapestry is truly educational and wonderful because we learnt every astonishing fact about the Battle of Hastings. I think it was probably the most amazing thing I have ever seen.

Manos: Le Cimetière Américain The American Cemetery is the biggest in France and holds more than 9,000 American soldiers. Among them are four women who are believed to be nurses helping the sick and wounded in World War II. Jerry: La Plage We went to Omaha beach where some of the D-Day landings happened. We also had a picnic lunch, jumped in the waves and made sandcastles.

THE PRIORIAN

whole landscape motivated me. The expedition was amazing – the glorious nature enveloped me in an overnight sleep in the mountains.

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ST BENEDICT’S

HOBBIES

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SCHOOL CHALLENGE QUEST

The Future of Food. Steak it or leaf it?

The social effects of World War 2

Freyja Caesar (F2)

Henry Gould (F1)

Is it fair when footballers are paid such large salaries?

How can we encourage children and adults to eat a healthy diet?

Cyrus Drandakis (LP)

Adrian Cieniewski (F1)

Gaming: Are electronic games a force for good or bad?

Should we stop flying? Aviation: the benefits and drawbacks

Christopher Le Bouëdec (F1)

Harry Talboy (F1)

THE PRIORIAN

Master of Ceremonies: Konstantinos Zarkadakis (F2) ICT: James Bedwin (F2)

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STAFF LISTS HEADMASTER

Mrs M Comins Learning Support Assistant,

Economics and Business Studies Ms G Comyn Head of Sociology,

Housemistress of Roberts SENIOR EXECUTIVE TEAM Mr A Conyard Fencing Coach Mr L Ramsden Deputy Head Ms T Correia Modern Languages, Lower 5th Ms F Allen Deputy Head (Academic)

Division Head Mrs C Bedwin Bursar & Clerk to Governors Mrs C Crean Learning Support Assistant Dom Alexander Bevan, OSB Senior Chaplain (Mathematics) Mr R Simmons Junior School Headmaster Ms S Cronshey Geography Mrs T Scott Junior School Deputy Head Dr R Curtis Head of Computer Science

Mrs V Dale Learning Support Assistant LEADERSHIP TEAM AND Miss A Davis Modern Languages, SENIOR STAFF

Head of German Mr J Foley Assistant Head: Pupil Welfare Mr B de Berg Sports Graduate Mr A Heald Director of Sixth Form Mr M Donegan Theology and Religious Mr A Rees Academic Manager

Education, Middle Manager Mr S Scicinski Director of Academic Challenge Pastoral Mr D Thomas Senior Master Miss L Eades History Mr C Wilks Director of Teaching & Learning Mr C Eastwood Director of Music Mrs M Dryden Head of Human Resources Mr J Edgar Theology and Religious Mr R Ferrett Estates Director

Education, Lay Chaplain Mrs T George Development Director Mr S El Akioui French Language Assistant Ms L Pepper Registrar Dr T Ennis Modern Languages, Miss C Shah Marketing Director

Senior French Teacher Mr C Smith Director of ICT Mr J Fenlon CCF

Miss C Ferrario Geography Mr M Foley Classics, Lower 5th Division Head SUPPORT STAFF Miss R Francis Fencing Coach Mrs R Wynne Headmaster’s PA

Mr M Gardiner Sports Coach Miss L Busher Bursar’s PA Mrs R Gbadamosi History Mrs T Boyle Data and SIMS Manager Dr J Greenhough English, Head of EPQ, Centre Miss A Dodd School Office Manager

Coordinator for EPQ Level 3 Ms M McCarthy Senior School Receptionist Mr K Grodzicki ADT Technician Mrs A-L Armstrong Senior School Receptionist Mr M Hamika Fencing Coach Ms M Robb Senior School Receptionist Mr R Hanbury Strength and Conditioning Coach Mrs S Trowbridge Deputy Heads’ Projects Assistant Mrs E Hansell English Mr R Baker Old Priorian Association Dr H Harper English Mr N Cave Catering Manager Mrs A Hayes Biology Mrs A de Berg Sixth Form Administrator Mr J Henri Sports Coach Mrs A McKenna PE and Games Administrator Mr J White Head Groundsman Mr Z Higgins Director of Sport, Economics, Mrs K Mythen Music Administrator

Business Studies Mrs M McPartlin Music Administrator Dr A Hill Chemistry Mr. R Ramraj Facilities Manager Ms K Holmes Mathematics Mrs A Barreto Officer & Minibus Service Miss T Horner Sports Coach Mrs N Rowlands-Cranham Health and Safety Coordinator Mrs S Hopgood Head of Careers Mrs C Bernardi Mehrabi Parent Ledger Accounts Mrs G Hullis Classics Mrs A Dayeh Finance Controller Mr S Hullis Classics, Director of Initial Teacher Mrs D Johnson PR and Marketing Officer

Training, Contingent Mrs A Stringer Human Resources Officer

Commander CCF Miss E Wallace Librarian, EPQ Level 3 Miss S Hutchinson Music

Lead Supervisor Mrs P Jarvis Mathematics Ms A L Crespo Assistant Librarian Mrs N Jolly Head of Academic Music Mrs J Henshaw Assistant Librarian Mr M Joyce Head of Government and Politics Mrs A Rodericks Assistant Librarian Mr J Joyce Sports Coach Mrs J Wallace Examinations Officer Mr S Jukes Head of JS Boys’ Games and PE Mrs A Yue School Nurse Ms J Kelly Biology Technician Mr J Kelly School Marshall Ms L Kelly Sports Coach Ms M Lee DofE’s Award Administrator, Miss L Kennett Head of English

Educational Visits Coordinator Miss R Kestenbaum Head of Dance

Mrs S Larkam Sports Coach (Athletics/Swimming) Mrs A Lewer English ACADEMIC AND PASTORAL STAFF Mrs E Lewis EAL Teacher Ms J Adams Modern Languages Ms N Lindau Head of Psychology Mr S Atkinson Sports Coach Miss K Linton Art, Design and Technology Miss J Bacon English Ms A Loaiza-Palacio School Counsellor Miss P Bartholomew Chemistry Mr P Lowen Fencing Coach Mr A Billinge Mathematics, CCF Mr J MacInnes Modern Languages, Ms J Bleau Chemistry

PGCE Student Mr B Boon Sports Coach Miss A Maynard Head of Netball Mr C Bowles Physics, Director of Science, Mr P McAleenan English, Drama

Head of Physics Mrs I McCahearty Spanish Language Assistant Mrs L Brooks Head of Modern Languages Mr P McCarthy Economics and Business Studies, Ms N Burns Art, Design and Technology,

Third Form Division Head

Second in Department Mr D McKeown Theology and Religious Miss N Buttigieg Computing

Education, Lower 4th Division Head Mr M Cattaway Head of Tennis Dr S McLaughlin Theology and Religious Mr W Clarke Learning Support Assistant, EPQ Education

Level 2 Lead Supervisor Mr P McWillams Theology and Religious Mr S Codrington Biology, Director of Gifted and

Education, Second in

Talented, Head of Academic PE Department Mr J Coles Director of Rugby

ST BENEDICT’S

Mr A Johnson

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Mr M Mendes Art, Design and Technology,

3D Product Design Mr J Murray Sports Coach Mr R Mushiso Sports Coach, Housemaster of Gervase Mr K Newell Head of Cricket, Housemaster of Pickering Mrs N Nicholls Head of History Mr J Nijhar Head of Hockey Mrs K Norris Careers Officer Mrs S Obhrai Modern Languages, Learning

Support Assistant Mrs D O’Connor Head of Chemistry Mr B O’Hara Sports Coach, Duke of

Edinburgh’s Award Miss L Pask English, Second in Department,

Head of MOOCs Mrs I Payne Modern Languages,

Head of Spanish Mr R Pereira Head of Art, Design & Technology Mr P Podgorski ADT Technician Dr E Ragga Chemistry Ms F Rasekh Mathematics Ms K Ravenscroft Head of Drama Dr D Robb Head of Mathematics Miss L Rouse Geography, Head of PHSE Mr H Sadiq Head of Fencing, CCF SSI Mr K Sarrafan-Chaharsoughi Physics, Firefly Coordinator Mrs K Sheddick Mathematics Mr I Simpson Head of Economics & Business Mr J Sloman Fencing Coach Miss K Smith Geography Mrs S Smith SENCO Ms S-J Sorohan Acting Deputy Director of Sixth

Form, Head of Classics Mr B Spivey Physics Technician Dom Thomas Stapleford, OSB Chaplain Mr M Stringer Head of Strength and

Conditioning and Athletic Development Mrs I Szymanska Chemistry Technician Mr M Thain History, Second in Department,

Housemaster of Barlow Miss C Thompson Mathematics Ms S Toraub Acting Head of Biology Mr D Traynor Academic PE, Biology, Sports Coach Mr S Victory Economics and Business Studies Mrs C Wall Biology, Upper 4th Division Head Mr E Walls Head of Theology and Religious Education Mr P Walton Head of Geography Ms A Watson Sports Coach Miss K Watson Geography Mr M Watts English, Literacy Coordinator Mr A Wijnberg History, Head of e-Learning,

Centre Coordinator for

EPQ Levels 1 and 2 Mr O Williamson Mathematics, Key Stage 5

Mathematics Coordinator Mrs A Yates Head of Junior School Sport Mrs W Yuen Yip Mathematics Ms M Zakowska Science Technician

VISITING MUSIC STAFF Mr M Chaundy Miss C Cooper Ms G Di Laccio Ms O Duque Mr J Ellwood Mr M Fletcher Miss K French Mr B Gale Miss C George Ms E Jackson Mr P Jaekel Mr J Janik Mr R Leach Mr R MacManus Mrs F Meakins Mr P Michael Mr S O’Regan

Singing Piano Singing Oboe and piano Brass Drumkit and percussion ’Cello Drumkit and percussion Woodwind Violin and viola Piano Piano Piano and organ Violin, viola and double bass Harp Bass guitar and piano Flute

Mr J Preiss Guitar SCHOOL OFFICIALS Mrs A Rayner Singing Head Boy: Evan Hobson Mr C Regert Guitar Head Girl: Valentina Elner-Kupcha Mrs J Sapsard Clarinet Deputy Head Boy: Finlay Healy Mr A Scheuerer Guitar Deputy Head Girl: Isabella Pye Mr E Stewart Guitar Senior Decans: Imogen Barrett Irene Llinares-Perales Mr L Taliotis Singing

Mogilany Emilia McFadzean Mr M Waldren Singing

Charlotte McCann Jak Mensah Mrs N Yeghiazarian Piano

Tess Delargy Radford Pilgrim

Olivia Dryden Sophie Slaughter GOVERNORS

Jack Edis Ted Traeger Mr J Berger Chair of Governors

George Fowler Scott Walker Mr M Ainslie

William Gorniok Alexander Will Mrs M Boyle

Jonah Hunt Mrs M Doyle President of School Council: Jonah Hunt Dr P Hopley Mr P Keyte House Captains: Dom Ambrose McCambridge, OSB Barlow: Zoe Rutherford and Mr P Murphy-O’Connor

Oliver Sharpe Mr S Patterson Gervase: Tess Delargy and Mrs E Pilgrim

Tom Swift Mr B Taylor Pickering: Joseph McDonald and Abbot Dominic Taylor, OSB

Isabella Pye Ms S Vale Roberts: Wairimu Guede and

Jack Edis Mr J Walsh

Decans:

JUNIOR SCHOOL HEADMASTER

SCHOOL OFFICIALS

SENIOR EXECUTIVE TEAM

Mrs T Scott Junior School Deputy Head Mrs C Bedwin Bursar Mr L Ramsden SS Deputy Headmaster Ms F Allen SS Deputy Head (Academic) Dom Alexander Bevan, OSB SS Senior Chaplain

LEADERSHIP TEAM AND SENIOR STAFF Miss L T Powell

Mrs M Edwards

Ms F Rutherford Dom Alexander Bevan, OSB

Assistant Head, Designated Safeguarding Lead & Head of Key Stage 2 Head of Early Years Found. Stage & Designated Safeguarding Lead Head of Key Stage 1 Chaplain

SUPPORT STAFF Miss L Hodge Mrs E Taylor Mrs E Murru Ms J Kelly Mrs M Lawry Mrs K Aston

Mrs B Everett

Headmaster’s PA Receptionist Office Administrator Afternoon Receptionist School Welfare Officer SBJS Assessment & SIMS Administrator Junior School Registrar

FORM TUTORS Form 2 Miss K Halpin Mr J Laffey Mrs C Lewis Form 1 Mr W Fogarty Miss L Powell Mrs R Nwaka Upper Prep Mrs E Kottler Ms M Valdres Lower Prep Mrs L David Miss E Keenan

2M 2P 2S 1M 1P 1S UPM UPP LPM LPP

Pre-Prep 3 Ms F Rutherford Mrs J Loveless

PP3G PP3Y

Pre-Prep 2 Miss M Indra Mr L Wright

PP2G PP2Y

Pre-Prep 1 Miss E Flint Mrs D Petrovic

PP1G PP1Y

Nursery Department Mrs M Edwards Head of Early Years Foundation Stage Mrs D Sewell Nursery Manager

Ms C Belizario de Meyer Ms A Bhatti Mrs A Brown Mrs K Burns Mrs E Campbell Mr J Coles Mrs C Connolly Mrs F Cox Mrs L David Miss A Derliunaite Mr D Field Mrs T Fletcher Miss K Halpin Mrs V Halpin Mrs C Hernaman Mr Z Higgins Mr J Joyce Mr S Jukes Mrs M Keogh Mrs C Keenan Miss E Keenan Ms R Kestenbaum Mrs E Kottler Mrs B Krok-Paszkowska Mrs S Larkam Mrs J Loveless Mrs M McNelis Mrs J Mallinson Mr C Markou Mrs C Matkov Miss A Maynard Mrs S Munro Mrs J Murphy

Mr R Mushiso Mrs S Nee Mr K Newell Mr J Nijhar Mrs R Nwaka Mrs T Rebello

Miss M Reid Mr H Sadiq Mrs C Scott Ms L Sharp Mrs P Sheehan Mrs S Stevenson Mrs C Stimpfig Mrs C Sweetman Miss Z Todd Mrs S Whiteman Mrs D Yallop

Mrs A Yates

Ms J Zaradna

After School Club Assistant Learning Support Teacher EYFS Practitioner Learning Support Assistant ADT Assistant Head of Rugby Teaching Assistant Teaching Assistant Head of PSHE EYFS Practitioner Head of Junior School Music Teaching Assistant Head of Mathematics Teaching Assistant After School Club Assistant Director of Sport Sports Coach Head of Boys’ Games/PE Teaching Assistant Learning Support Assistant Head of English Head of Dance Key Stage 2 Deputy Teaching Assistant Swimming Coach Head of History Head of Learning Support After School Club Assistant Head of Art Learning Support Teacher Head of Netball Learning Support Teacher Learning Support Teacher & After School Club Assistant Sports Coach EYFS Practitioner Head of Cricket Head of Hockey Head of Religious Education After School Club Assistant/ Lunchtime Assistant EYFS Practitioner Head of Fencing Learning Support Teacher SBJS School Counsellor Teaching Assistant Head of ICT Head of French Head of SBJS Library Dance Teacher Head of Science EYFS Practitioner & After School Club Co-ordinator Head of Girls’ Games and Deputy Director of Sport EYFS Assistant

SCHOOL CAPTAINS Captain of Boys’ Athletics: Captain of Girls’ Athletics: Captain of Cricket: Captain of Fencing: Captain of Girls’ Hockey: Captain of Boys’ Hockey: Captain of Netball: Captain of Rugby: Leader of the School Orchestra: President of the SVP: Head of Pupil Leader Programme: Master of Ceremonies:

Ella Marron Christopher Moran Ranaik Purewal Zoe Rutherford Oliver Sharpe Oscar Teeman Henry Thacker James Thomson Kate Tracey Tomas Uribe

Jak Mensah Emily Nicholson-Stanwix Radford Pilgrim Joseph McDonald Alice Gedye Thomas Curtis Isabella Pye George Fowler Barnaby Watts Jack Edis Lydia Warren Irene Llinares-Perales

Head Pupils: Deputy Head Pupils:

Nicholas Lewis and Nancy Timms William Edwards and Krisha Popat

Prefects:

James Dodder, Finlay Burns, Aniela Hanc, Susannah O’Sullivan and Lily Yue

Art Ambassadors:

Louis Daniels-Shayvard and Milan Hagiri

English Ambassadors:

Ayush Gupta, Mika Stojsavljevic, Ines Tournaire and Konstantinos Zarkadakis

House Captains: Bede: Carla Zoumidou and Manos Drandakis Fisher:Owen Keenlyside and Isabelle Tournaire Gregory: Imogen Reade and Aubyn Georghiades More:Sophia Roy and Nathan Bridge

Geography Ambassadors: Louis Daniels-Shayvard,

Jamie Warrillow and Lily Yue History Ambassadors:

Victor Crespo-Perez, Maxim DaviesWright and Oliver Hennessey-Garcia

ICT Ambassadors:

James Bedwin, Louis Kaluzinski and Ifan Standring

Library Ambassador:

Charlotte Bedwin

Mathematics Ambassadors: Thiago Benezeth and Dyran Birdi Music Ambassadors:

Aaron Chavda, Jerry Chen and Jake Toynton

PSHE Ambassadors:

Sasha Hyslop-Peters, Finley Marron and Lara Tombs

Pre-Prep Ambassadors:

Paola Baudin, Freyja Caesar, Klaudia Cifliku, Benjamin Day, Amelie Domoradzki, Aniela Hanc, Alysia Khera and Danyaal Kanchwala

Science Ambassadors:

Max Kowalski and Finley Marron

Mass Leader/ RE Ambassador:

Luca Harvey

School Council Chairs:

Adam Alkhatib, Joseph Burns and Helina Soloman

Mini Vinnie President:

Charley Kopoi

Housemistresses/masters: Bede: Mrs S Stevenson Fisher: Mrs R Nwaka Gregory: Mr J Laffey More: Mr L Wright

THE PRIORIAN

ACADEMIC AND PASTORAL STAFF

Mr R Simmons

Gwyneth Darwent Ben Davies Jack Fitzmaurice Luke Fitzmaurice Marcus Flanagan Wairimu Guede Rachel Hughes Alec Kerr Matthew Khadouri Harry Lubkowski Joseph McDonald

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