The Priorian 2021 by St Benedict's School

ST BENEDICT’S SCHOOL

THE PRIORIAN

BENEDICT’S SCHOOL a

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ACA D E M IC YE A R 202 0 – 2 021

aling •

London •

W5 2ES

• V 020 8862 2010

M headmaster@stbenedicts.org.uk

F St Benedicts School, Ealing •

L stbenedicts

Issue no. 149

Contents

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 1 ART .................................................................................................................... 2 CCF ................................................................................................................. 14 PSYCHOLOGY .......................................................................................... 15 HELIKON CENTRE ................................................................................. 16 U6 LEAVERS .............................................................................................. 17 MUSIC ............................................................................................................ 18 GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................ 20 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION ................................................................... 22 SOCIOLOGY .............................................................................................. 23 THE LIBRARY ............................................................................................ 24 DRAMA .......................................................................................................... 26 DANCE SHOW .......................................................................................... 28 DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD ................................................ 30 PSHE ............................................................................................................... 32 UNIVERSITY DESTINATIONS 2020 .............................................. 33 MODERN LANGUAGES ...................................................................... 34 SPORTS CAPTAINS ............................................................................... 36 CAREERS ..................................................................................................... 38 HPQ ................................................................................................................ 39 EPQ ................................................................................................................. 40 MOOCs ......................................................................................................... 41 LOCKDOWN THOUGHTS .................................................................. 42 ECO CLUB .................................................................................................. 44 CLASSICS .................................................................................................... 45 ENGLISH ...................................................................................................... 46 POLITICS ..................................................................................................... 48 MATHEMATICS ........................................................................................ 50 HISTORY ...................................................................................................... 51 SCIENCE FAIR .......................................................................................... 52 THE JUNIOR SCHOOL ........................................................................ 54 NURSERY ............................................................................................. 54 PP1 .......................................................................................................... 56 PP2 .......................................................................................................... 57 PP3 .......................................................................................................... 58 LOWER PREP .................................................................................... 60 UPPER PREP ...................................................................................... 62 ART ......................................................................................................... 64 ENGLISH AMBASSADORS INTERVIEW ............................ 66 MUSIC ................................................................................................... 67 SCIENCE .............................................................................................. 68 FORM 1 ................................................................................................ 70 FORM 2 ................................................................................................ 72 LANGUAGES ..................................................................................... 74 SPORT ................................................................................................... 75 STAFF LISTS .............................................................................................. 76

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

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the 2020–2021 edition of The Priorian. I am sure you will agree that it is an interesting, wide-ranging and impressive collection of work produced by St Benedict’s pupils of all ages, and an engaging record of many of the year’s endeavours, achievements and activities. After an optimistic and purposeful Michaelmas Term, the middle of the academic year saw a return to lockdown and St Benedict’s virtual way of being. As before, everyone worked together to ensure that as much of normal school life as possible could continue online, with excellent teaching, co-curricular enrichment and pastoral provision through form time, tutor meetings, assemblies and prayers. Happily, the school has been able to remain open throughout Trinity Term, with the welcome return of sports fixtures against other schools and at least some of our usual events. Once again, the essays, research projects and reports in these pages show how successful our pupils have been in meeting the various challenges of the pandemic, working and thinking independently and pursuing what interests them. Imaginative artwork, creative writing and many achievements in music and drama clearly show that creativity thrives at St Benedict’s. And the qualities of leadership, resilience and teamwork that we encourage are much in evidence in the CCF and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award reports. Congratulations to everyone who has contributed to this fine publication.

Andrew Johnson Headmaster

Front cover: Oscar Hancock (U6)

THE PRIORIAN

Welcome

INTRODUCTION

ART

Above: Sebastian Dayeh (L4)

ST BENEDICT’S

Left: Eliza Ridout (L5)

Right: Aiya Shurih (U5)

Left: Chiara Padovan (L5) Right: Kit Wheldon (L5)

THE PRIORIAN

Below: Oscar Hancock (U6)

ST BENEDICT’S

Left: Matteo Howell (U5)

Right (top to bottom): Joshua Niblett (U5) Lea Kassouf (U5) Harry Tompkins (U6)

RCHITECTUR

Top: Zareef Kabir (U5)

Alongside: Isabelle Haran (U5)

This page: Sophie Tripp (U5)

Above: Aoife McColgan (U5) Below: Lucie Remington (L4)

THE PRIORIAN

Right (top to bottom): Shian Sood (U5) Jake Toynton (F3)

ST BENEDICT’S

Opposite: Shian Sood (U5)

Middle row (left to right): Gabriela Makarewicz (U5) Juana Rivero Fafian (U5) Alongside: Isabella Downer (U5)

THE PRIORIAN

Top: Ranveer Singh (L4)

Opposite: Bruno Robinson (L6)

Alongside: Edmund Harper (U4)

ST BENEDICT’S

Left (top to bottom): Yuzhao Chen (U5) Felix Kloetgan (U4)

Right (top to bottom): Edie Bright (U5) Grace Jones (U5)

THE PRIORIAN

Below: Ned Gatacre (U6)

Above: Emma Lang (L4)

ST BENEDICT’S

Left (top to bottom): Bella Swarbrick Ibarrola (L4) Maria Scott (L4)

Above (top to bottom): Sophie Harrison (U4) Rossella McNeill (U4) Oliver Thomas (U6)

THE PRIORIAN

Alongside: Harry Tompkins (U6)

THE CCF Squadron Sergeant Major (SSM) James Cuss reviews the year… Ever since I joined the CCF as an eager recruit in 2016 it has been the activity I’ve looked forward to each and every week, but now that I find my time at school coming to an end, I also find my time as a cadet ending in a sad but also hugely gratifying way. While I have been a member of the CCF I’ve watched it go from strength to strength, even if this past year has been rather difficult for everyone due to the pandemic, and now I’m moving on I trust and know that this success will continue.

ST BENEDICT’S

The year was never going to be normal, having to cope in the light of a global pandemic, but with our largest influx of new recruits ever, at a staggering 90 recruits, it was clear that it would take more than Covid 19 to bring the CCF to a standstill. On top of this, the commitment of these new cadets has been more than astounding, with them and the rest of the contingent coming together at the start of the year to fundraise for more kit to equip the recruits, resulting in a total of £5397.94 being raised! Fundraising was done through walks, runs, bike rides, and cadets helping around the house. This not only raised the required amount to purchase bergens (rucksacks) for all the new recruits, but to also fund our new paintballing equipment., to further the CCF experience for generations to come.

Another fundamental part of the CCF, although still in its infancy, is the Corps of Drums which began with myself and one other cadet attending the first session and has now developed into a strong part of the contingent, of which I am extremely proud. The Drums (as they are collectively called) have been the standout element at all CCF events since their formation, performing during the Recruits’ passing-in parades, and possibly most notably at the CCF’s 90th Anniversary Dinner. The Corps is in my opinion one of the best parts of the CCF. Drummers are at the forefront of field exercises as well as ceremonial events. I believe the quality of the

Drums is perfectly represented by the Drummers involved, who are the finest cadets I have seen during my time in the CCF, with this being credited to their own commitment and desire to excel. As well as the CCF giving amazing opportunities to students like me and my fellow cadets, I also feel that what the CCF does even better is cultivate exceptional young people. I believe this is the case for me at least as without the CCF I would not be the young man I am today. In part, this is due to the life lessons the CCF has taught me through our core values of Courage, Discipline,

Respect, Integrity, Loyalty, and Selfless Commitment. All of which have helped me in some way or another during my time at school and will certainly continue to do so after I leave this summer. Lastly, while it is my aim to join the Armed Forces after school (though the CCF in no way demands or expects this), I know that even if I wasn’t intending to join the military, I would love the CCF all the same. So now my year group’s time in the CCF is ending, I find myself looking back on the good old days with gratitude, tinged with slight trepidation as our exciting futures as adults begin.

PSYCHOLOGY An Academic Review of Szasz: The Myth of Mental Illness Hana Burbanks (U6)

In the 1950s, non-psychiatric physicians treated voluntary patients and were paid by their patients or their patients’ families. There used to be sharp distinctions between medical hospitals and mental hospitals, as well as voluntary and involuntary patients, and private and public psychiatry. However, these have all blurred into non-existence. Everyone defined as a mental health professional is now legally responsible for preventing their patient from being ‘dangerous to himself or others’; psychiatry today is thoroughly medicalised and, Szasz would argue, politicised. In his book The Myth of Mental Illness, Szasz insists that mental hospitals are like prisons rather than hospitals and psychiatrists function as judges/jailers rather than physicians/ healers. He also suggests that the traditional psychiatric perspective of interpreting mental illnesses and psychiatric responses to them as matters of medicine (treatment and science) should be discarded, instead being interpreted as matters of morals, law and rhetoric. According to Szasz, when there is a biological basis for ‘mental illness’, this is when a biological disease has been misdiagnosed. Szasz therefore argues that, if all the conditions now called mental illnesses proved to be brain diseases, there would be no need for the notion of mental illness and the term would become devoid of meaning. However, because the term

refers to the judgements of some persons about the (bad) behaviours of other persons, what actually happens is precisely the opposite – an everexpanding list of mental disorders. To Szasz, the old religious-humanistic perspective on the tragic nature of life has been replaced with a modern, dehumanised, pseudo- medical one. Szasz illustrates this point through a reference to Shakespeare’s Macbeth: ‘…the patient must minister to himself’ would not happen in modern society where we have medicalised mental illness. Individuals said to have mental disorders have reasons for their actions that must be understood. The practice of pathology and for disease as a scientific concept rests on the premise that the patient is free to seek, accept or reject diagnosis and treatment. Psychiatric practice, on the other hand, rests on the premise that the patient may be a danger to either himself or others and that the moral and professional duty of the psychiatrist is to protect the patient from himself and society from the patient. However, the diagnosis of a patient’s illness is in the hands of a licensed physician and therefore mental illness is in the eye of the beholder. Many critics misread his book. Szasz said it was not a book on but about psychiatry. He was not surprised that most sympathetic appraisals of his text have come from non-psychiatrists who have not felt threatened by his revisioning of psychiatry. Having an illness does not make an individual into a patient: psychiatry has become an arm of the coercive apparatus of the state. And this is why today all of medicine could potentially become transformed from personal care into political control. I, to an extent, agree with Szasz’s view that diagnoses are subjective. Szasz

makes the important point that mental illness could be diagnosed on the basis of what is seen as abnormal in society: would a psychiatrist still diagnose someone as mentally ill if their symptoms were normalised in society? While I disagree with Szasz, as I believe that psychiatric help is beneficial for an individual, I recognise that it may only be beneficial based on societies’ norms and values. His perspective makes me question whether drugs control rather than free an individual – however, I believe it is a matter of perspective, as one individual may view drugs as helping to ‘free’ them from their mental illness, while another may say they control the individual into behaving in ways acceptable to society. Szasz’s overly pessimistic view of mental illness as a legal concept fails to recognise the benefits of mental hospitals and psychiatric help. Szasz focuses too much on his belief that the problem itself lies in societal reactions to mental illness; in doing so, he fails to recognise positive interventions and support, such as helping individuals to understand their mental health, and to function differently. Lastly, I agree to an extent with Szasz’s view that psychiatry has become an arm of the coercive apparatus of the state, with the threat of medicine’s transformation from personal care to political control. I can understand why Szasz may have believed this, as it can help to explain the number of drugs which can be administered/ prescribed to individuals (even if they feel they do not need them). However, I also believe that medicine can play an important role in the wellbeing of an individual, and the personal care of a patient will always be the main concern when administrating medicine, rather than an underlying political agenda.

THE PRIORIAN

Many psychologists have reviewed Szasz’s controversial book about mental health since its publication in 1960. In this essay, I will set out my own views on some of Szasz’ conclusions.

HELIKON CENTRE Essay Competition: Michaelmas Term Winner

A MYTH FOR OUR TIME Georgia Toolan (F3) Could this guy actually stop snoring? I mean for twelve hours straight the low pig-like grunts echoed in my ears making me want to punch him and tell him to shut up! The flight attendant said we would be landing in twenty minutes. At least in twenty minutes I could check WhatsApp, Tik Tok, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook. I mean not checking my social media accounts every half hour was punishment enough, but sitting next to this bozo was just torture! I mean I HAVE to check if Greta Thunberg’s latest campaign against air travel has reached a million e-signatures yet! And while I’m at it: what is this bozo troglodyte doing travelling between continents, polluting the environment and endangering my mental health? I must report him to Megan so she can shame him on social media. CLICK. That’s the selfie I need to send her for the “Fly & Shame” website. The snapshot made the nitwit jerk up, hitting his head on the chair. I couldn’t help but smile as I thought, ‘you had that coming!!! ‘. As I finally stepped out into the cool Charlotte Airport I sighed with exhaustion. A few minutes later I was on WhatsApp checking what I’d missed when someone warm and small put their arms around me! Alarmed, I looked up and realized it was just my grandma. She smiled sweetly and told me how pleased she was to see me. I gave an untruthful disheveled smile and backed out of the warm embrace. As we drove for hours she asked me so many questions – too many questions! “Could this woman ever stop blabbering?” I thought as the light from my phone slowly killed my eyes. “Now put your phone away dear, we’re going up the mountain,” she said cheerily. I mumbled under my breath and reluctantly put my phone into my pocket.

ST BENEDICT’S

“Darling, you may begin to feel a little motion sick as we go up the mountain’s winding roads but just try and keep your eyes straight ahead,” Gran said.

“Ok,” I answered snobbishly, not caring at all what she was yapping on about this time. And guess what, twenty minutes later I was puking off the side of a mountain… I heard her shrill voice ask me if I was alright but I wasn’t at all listening. Just at that moment, yes, the moment where

I wasn’t listening, my phone- my precious, darling phoneslipped out of my pocket and down the mountain! “OMG, MY PHONE IS GONE FOREVER!!!! COULD THIS DAY GET ANY WORSE!!!!!” I screamed and burst into tears. And that is the last thing I remember of that night: myself having an existential tantrum on the edge of the mountain and my grandma trying to convince me that making myself a sacrifice would not make my phone come back… “To be without a phone, or not to be. That is the question!” That night was tragic – my bed was hard and lumpy, the food was inedible and, as you already know, my phone was assassinated by my stupidity. But that’s not even the worst of it. I figured out the next day that this Podunk town in North Carolina didn’t even sell phones – I mean come on! Its like the universe is punishing me but I have no clue why? And because there are only a few things that please me in the world – one of them being my phone – I fainted at this horror story! Wait until Megan hears about this! As I sat bored-to-death on the couch eating chips, I dreamed of a better world, one where my phone was in it and people went to jail for being annoying, failing to support the right causes or failing to think the same as me, #PROJECT UTOPIA (NO ONE HAS MORE ORIGINAL IDEAS THAN ME!) Just then, my frumpy grandma – who would go to jail in my world – came into my presence and rudely disrupted my idea-flow. “Later on, we’re going to the soup kitchen as volunteers but right now we’re going to Dr Draper’s Dentistry to help out the poor. Did you know that Dr Draper just came back from Africa? He was helping those who couldn’t afford proper dentist work – he’s a lovely man!” Gran grinned. Really, first my phone and now this. Wasn’t posting a “like” on social media enough? It didn’t look like I had much of a choice though, so I guess I was going to do stuff. Dr Draper had set up a temporary surgery in the church hall just off the mountain road. It was a free clinic for the poor of Appalachia. My grandmother, a retired nurse, volunteered there as a dental hygienist. I could never have comprehended the true horror of cleaning up someone’s spit until that morning. And it was the first time in my sheltered middle-class life that I had experienced poverty in the flesh. Dr Draper and my grandmother treated for free any of the local rural poor. “All rotten teeth look the same,” my grandma told me. She also explained how poverty, unemployment and drug addiction blighted local communities. Slowly, I began to realise the hardships that these people endured. The work Dr Draper and my grandmother did for them was often the only kindness they received. In my clumsy way, I began to help

Gran with some of the menial tasks, such as cleaning up and emptying the waste. As our wages for the morning’s work, Dr Draper treated us to pancakes for lunch at the local diner. The blueberry syrup and chocolate sauce seemed sweeter than normal to me. It was strange to me that there were no vegan or dietary appropriate choices on the menu; stranger still that I did not complain or even feel like complaining. After filling our stomachs, Gran took us over to the soup kitchen where we volunteered. Gran and I worked together as a pair; she peeled the carrots and I peeled the potatoes. The other volunteers were very welcoming and we all worked well together. From the chatter, I realized that some of the volunteer ladies did not have much themselves, and yet still they cheerfully gave up time for others. Towards dinner time, Gran and I were stationed on the food serving table. I thought the dental surgery had opened my eyes but when I saw those poor hungry people coming, my heart was filled with pity. I did not know what to say, but next to me, Gran chatted cheerfully with our guests. She knew many of them

by name and welcomed them as she would a guest into her own house, dispensing food and good humour in equally generous measures. My initial shock subsided, as I grew into my new role as my grandma’s junior sidekick. The time passed quickly and soon we were clearing plates and washing up alongside the other volunteers when the evening news came on in the kitchen. “Breaking news! Scandal as Greta and Megan take private jet to a party in Barbados. Prince Harry comes to the rescue, offering to fly them home in his personal helicopter.” ‘It’s ok,’ says prince, ‘I paid for the fuel myself from my dad’s allowance.’ Social media goes wild.” “I bet you wish you had your phone now darling,” Gran chuckled. “No Gran,” I replied in a Damascene moment of clarity. “I think I’ve realized what real charity is. It is an exhausted dentist snoring next to me on the plane home from a month of volunteering in Africa. It is not virtue signalling. That is the modern myth.”

The Upper 6th at their Leavers’ Reception after Prize Giving and Mass on Monday 21st June

John Adenigbagbe Mikhail Adeyelu Layla Alani Duncan Ashby Arty Assucena Frederick Bartlett Dylan Baxter Devraaj Bhargava Luke Bissett Aggie Bright Hana Burbanks Arabella Campbell Delia Capatina Finley Carty-Howe

Luca Casali Harrison Catterall Daniel Clifford Teddy Clifton Louis Clow George Coutya Lauren Cox Thomas Curtis James Cuss Laurence Daly-Jones Ashlyn Davis Kira Depal Mia Dillon Conor Dolan

Murdo Duguid Freddie Durden Henry Durden Tristan Ellis Emilie Fawcett Lili Fuchs Ned Gatacre Daniel George Gloria Giganti Tilly Glide Dylan Gray Ayman Grebici Elizabeth Haile Oscar Hancock

Etana Hassen James Hauser Rayan Hayat Lucas Henry Theo Jeronimus Oscar Jones Luay Karim Francine Kearney James Killick Finlay King Grace Kingham Conor Lambert Samuel Laskowski Phoebe Lawes Stefan Loizou Stephanie Maalouf Oscar Maher Mariana Makarewicz Pareesha Maker Alberto Mascioli Kit Mawer Milly McCosker Nicholas McKenna Ambar Minhas Arun Moore Barnaby Morris Mani Motalebi Oluwatomini Odunuga Danny O’Sullivan Timothy Oyinlola Ben Page

Sam Pal-Byrne Gabby Pead Riccardo Perrotta Caterina Procaccini Louis Pyne Emily Rawlings George Reed Lewis Rice Santiago Rivero Fafian Jovin Sahota Lea Semaan Matthew Sharpe Elliot Simpson Mia Simpson Shayla Sood Athena Sproten Eva Stoopin Emma Thacker Oliver Thomas Sorcha Tipping Matthew Tomlinson Harry Tompkins Ciara Trollip Alexandre Uyttenhove Amy Vaughan Emma West Lauren West Ethan Wetherell Jamie White Oscar Wijnberg Zoe Ziprin

THE PRIORIAN

U6 LEAVERS

MUSIC

ST BENEDICT’S

The development of melodic writing in the symphonic style from 1750–1900

The Early Classical period saw the treatment of melodic writing as being closely linked to the structural content of the symphony, seen perhaps most clearly within Sonata form. Here, the melodic writing links this compositional form together with melodies that present 1st and 2nd subjects, melodies that are periodically phrased and balanced. We can see this in Stamitz’s Op. 3 No. 2, as a reaction to the previously complex polyphony and decorative melodies of late Baroque writing. The main characteristic of the melodic writing was based around the Galant style: not attempting to evoke any deep, inner emotion but more a functional approach with clear, thematic motifs. Due to the varying capabilities of the Court patronage system, symphonies were performed most commonly via Sinfonia a 8 – violins dominated the main melodic line and became standardised in this role while woodwind and other string instruments doubled or acted as accompaniments in the melodydominated homophony. During the Mannheim School, from which the symphony was born, developments were beginning to be made to the techniques of thematic writing, with the ‘Mannheim sigh’ often depicting sorrow or the ‘Mannheim rocket’ with fast, exciting arpeggiated writing. Under CPE Bach the appearance of Empfindsamer stil altered the role of the melody and began to offer dramatic and more conflict-ridden moments. However it was under the Sturm und Drang movement where the role of the melody began to transform. While the melodic line was still dominated by the 1st violin and the treatment of it within sonata form and other formal structures remained similar, the emotional content and purpose shifted towards a much darker and more expressive role, seen clearly and effectively in Haydn’s 49th Symphony ‘La Passione’ through the

minor tonality and emotive melodic writing. By the Late Classical Period melodic presentation began to further develop as Haydn used monothematic writing, noticeably in his ‘Paris’ Symphony and his 104th Symphony. This was designed to add power, continuity and force to the music with a repeat of the melodic idea in the 2nd subject. Haydn also began experimenting with the presentation of thematic material; the 1st movement of Symphony 104 uses motifs from the 4th movement, hidden amongst other instruments. This creates the sense of one, cohesive symphony instead of disparate movements. Haydn also developed the presentation of melodies in the 104th Symphony, allowing moments of total woodwind independence where themes are played in counterpoint as he demonstrates the capabilities of these instruments to deliver worthy timbral and textual changes to the mood the melody evokes. Beethoven pioneered the way thematic writing was presented in a desire to utilise singular motivic ideas throughout the whole symphony, unifying the separate movements as truly one. Earlier symphonies often presented more individualised movements, based around singular melodic ideas (often in sonata form, through 1st and 2nd subjects). Beethoven’s goal was to bring out the emotive aspects of the melody based around his belief that “All what I have in my heart and soul, must find a way out. That’s the reason for music”. Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony featured a 1st subject based more around a harmonic pattern than traditional lyrical melodic line, seen with the use of the Eb broken chord. His development of the chromatic C# into a substantial Db major tonal idea later in the score demonstrated a real foresight in the construction of the overall movement

and symphony. The 5th Symphony is based around a 4-note theme which is then inverted and used in polyphonic moments and yet, rather than displacing melodic lines to implement these themes, Beethoven instead uses this cell as another melodic tool to express the emotions he seeks to evoke. The idea of a singular, cohesive symphony is most pronounced in the 6th with the melodies characterising thunderstorms, folk dance, shepherd song and birdsong. His 9th symphony begins to develop the role of nationalism as the final movement’s ‘Ode to Joy’ theme, the melody based around Schiller’s poem, provokes an overwhelming sense of unity. This final symphony is truly symphonic in the way melodic ideas are presented and feature throughout. The melodic writing of the early Romantic Period developed to become more lyrical and song-like, breaking out of the structural traditions of the Sonata and other forms to which melodic writing had previously been attached. Mendelssohn’s Italian symphony features melodies presented in a traditional way, with violins dominating, due to his desire to hark back to the idea around a simple and conservative Italian life. This contrasts with the awesomeness of other melodic styles being employed around this period which could have detracted from the emotional content. Alongside the melodies being very lyrical, rounded and jolly, Mendelsohn broke further from conventional development by introducing new melodies in the development of the sonata. In Schubert’s 8th Symphony the melodies are also very lyrical as they are based around Leider or song cycles which began to bring in nationalistic aspect of symphonies, representing a passionate patriotism and underlying the deep emotional connections the music brought to the audience. Phrasing

Piano The true emotional depth melodies could reach was unearthed by the Late Romantic period as the expansive orchestras grappled with deep, philosophical questions such as in Mahler’s 2nd where the tutti death shriek and the sheer power of the chorus of voices merged with the huge orchestral melodic writing presents a struggle between life and death in a bid to comprehend human existence. The thematic material that features throughout was all based around his own song cycles, explaining why the writing was so complex and lyrical – each one was originally a song, demonstrating just how virtuosic the overall symphony became. In terms of programmatic symphonies, the idée fixe and ideas of leitmotifs denoting characters allowed composers to write far more complex and emotionally resonant symphonies as seen in RimskyKorsakov’s Scheherazade where a whole tone scale is used throughout to donate the evilness of the Sultan, or a pretty violin solo theme for the princess Scheherazade that, as thematic writing, brings all four of the stories together amongst the twelve sections.

Tone poems present the ultimate demonstration of the symphony’s structure being based around the melody as opposed to the Classical

tradition of form, with Strauss’s Don Juan featuring a four-horn theme characterising the titular character – showing how all instruments were now capable of playing the melodic material; composers now looked to see which instrument’s timbre would add the most to the emotional content. The thematic material itself was played with – a recurring love theme from Don Juan breaks off halfway through to highlight the disappointment and broken heart of the character. This

type of emotional storytelling and resonance would not be possible if the melody and thematic material were still dictated by the conventions of violin dominance, structure, period writing and a reduced pool of harmonic techniques. Kit Mawer (U6)

Piano Sonata, 1st Movement Luke Bissett (U6) Piano Sonata, 1st Movement Luke Bissett

6 8 6 8 5

7 8 7 8 21

7 8

6 8

7 8

6 8

7 8

THE PRIORIAN

of melodies was no longer periodic and tied to the structure of the movement; instead, the structure of the symphony began to be shaped by the melody. Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique reinvigorated the idea of Programmatic music, using all aspects of the orchestra to immerse the audience into the story – the melody being a critical aspect. The idée fixe became the centrepiece, a recurring leitmotif representing his ‘beloved’, that shifts in tonality, harmony, rhythm and instrumentation to fit the desired underlying emotion. The leitmotif transcends the traditional structural boundaries and features in all five movements, linking the symphony together and evolving the narrative capabilities melodies could possess. He uses moments of characterisation such as in the Witches Cavern where the strings play high-pitch rising sequences. All instruments are now capable and expected to play soloistic lines, seen with shepherds’ isolated dialogue being represented by an oboe and cor anglais.

GEOGRAPHY Climate Change and Coastal Defences Global mean sea change level

200

3.3 mm/yr

Sea level anomaly (mm)

Adjusted tide gauge data 150 100 50

Satellite radar altimetry Nerem et al. (2010) Watson et al. (2015)

2.6 mm/yr (1993–2015)

0.6mm/yr (1900–1930) 1.4 mm/yr (1930 –1992)

ST BENEDICT’S

1900

1920

1940

According to the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), from the late nineteenth century to the late twentieth century, sea levels rose globally by about 1.7 mm per year, although this has increased to about 3.2 mm per year in the period 1993–2010. Further, The IPCC estimates that by 2100 sea levels could rise by between 30 cm and 1 m from current levels. As such, people and places are under an ever-growing threat of erosion and flooding. Indeed, both mitigation and adaptation techniques with regards to coastal management can certainly help to reduce this impact; mitigation normally involves the use of “hard engineering” to protect coastlines to help “mitigate” the effect of erosion, while “adaptation” is normally in the form of soft engineering methods, to protect the coastline. However, while such methods can be effective, in many cases they can also be very expensive – especially certain hard engineering approaches, meaning that it would be neither feasible nor viable for all people and all places to be protected from the threat of flooding and erosion, especially given the projected increase in the presence of such phenomena. Consequently, local government is often required to make significant decisions as to “who” and “what” to protect; often it is those areas of particular “social”, “ecological” and “economic” value

1960

1980

2000

which are most likely to receive protection in the form of mitigation and adaptation techniques. Hence, it is inevitable that not all people and places will be protected from the effects of flooding and erosion. Firstly, along the Lancashire coast, which is in Shoreline Management Plan 22, hard engineering has been used at Morecambe and Heysham to defend the area from flooding and erosion. This is because Morecambe is an important tourist resort, while Heysham also requires strong hard defences as it is home to a nuclear power plant. Hence, both areas are of high value. Indeed, the current defences along the 8.5 km stretch of coastline are the result of a comprehensive improvement scheme of the existing structures during a seven-phase programme between 1989 and 2007 costing £28 million. It includes a mix of traditional hard engineering strategies with more contemporary methods to improve the potential for sustainable management. Specific strategies include the use of a recurved sea wall: much of the length of the promenade in front of both Heysham and Morecambe had existing traditional recurved concrete sea walls. These were repaired and reinforced in places with a project of further improvements and repair begun in 2015. Further, to the west of Heysham Head, extending to

the port and power station, the existing sea wall and large concrete revetments were repaired and left in place. Other key hard engineering strategies to mitigate the risk of flooding and erosion include: the use of rock armour, gabions and rock groins. Consequently, as a result of the rigorous implementation of such mitigative measures, the people of Heysham and Morecambe as well as the wider area itself, will be protected from the threat of erosion and flooding in the face of rising sea levels – so long as such strategies are maintained in the future (which naturally would be considerably expensive). Thus, this particular example of coastal management is illustrative of the fact that people and places can be protected from the threat of flooding and erosion through the implementation of mainly mitigation related management schemes, though from a fiscal perspective, such protection comes at a great economic cost. Hence, it is likely that areas of a lesser value would not receive such comprehensive protection. Secondly, the Sefton coast, which is located north of Liverpool and lies within SMP 22, is another area which is under considerable threat from coastal processes; the sand dune system around Formby Point experienced continual erosion during the twentieth century, losing 700 m from 1920 to 1970. Over the last 20

Morecambe Seafront

years the average rate of erosion has been around 4.5 m/year. Some recent climate models suggest an average sea level rise of 0.3 m over the next 60 years and an increase in maximum wave height could lead to a significantly increased risk of erosion. Indeed, the area around Formby Point and Ainsdale still attracts large numbers of visitors to the beaches, sand dunes and pine forests. The local populations of rare red squirrels and natterjack toads are also an attraction. Hence, the area is one of economic, social and ecological significance. Consequently, a policy of adaptation, through the implementation of mainly soft engineering methods, has been adopted. A key part of this management plan involves the decision to maintain the sand dune system at the Sefton Coast as a barrier to reduce the impact of coastal processes on the local area. Indeed, management techniques include reseeding marram grass, blocking areas from public access which are vulnerable as well as using old Christmas trees to try and stabilise the sand. Crucially, these techniques will prevent flooding in the short to medium term but obviously with rising sea levels as a result of climate change, in the longer term if these areas are to be adequately protected, further measures will need to be implemented. As such, it is clear that “adaptation” can also be used to protect places and residents who are under threat from erosion and flooding. However, in the longer term, lower cost “adaptive measures” may not be enough to

Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Phailin, 11 October, 2013

leading to increased erosion and flooding. As such, a combination of hard and soft engineering has been implemented in an attempt to protect the coastline from increased flooding and erosion. For instance, in 1999, during ‘super-cyclone’ Kalina, villages that still had four or more kilometres of mangroves recorded no deaths. However, in areas where the protective belt was less than 3 km wide, death

rates rose sharply. This has led to increased mangrove planting, as it has been proven that mangroves can keep up with rising sea levels thereby mitigating the impacts of associated processes such as flooding and erosion. However, given Odisha’s unique vulnerabilities it is inevitable that not every area can be protected from coastal processes through mitigation and adaptation. Indeed, October 2013 Cyclone Phailin struck the Odisha coast near Gopalpur. Windspeeds touched 200 km/h, tearing down power lines and uprooting trees; 44 people were killed, with buildings damaged and economic activity disrupted. The coastal district of Ganjam was most severely affected by the storm. In total, some 500 000 ha of agricultural crops were destroyed, and economic losses were close to US$700 000. The frequency and intensity of such weather events are set to increase with rising sea levels in the future. Thus, in this instance coastal management failed to protect people and places from severe flooding and erosion, which substantiates the argument that not every place nor every person can be protected through mitigation and adaptation. In conclusion, I would agree with this statement to a certain extent, as it is clear that, although mitigation and adaptation coastal management schemes can be effective in protecting places and people from the impacts of increased erosion and flooding so long as they are maintained, such strategies are highly expensive to implement and maintain, especially “hard engineering” techniques, meaning that coastal managers will often need to choose which areas to protect based on their unique value. Furthermore, certain areas such as Odisha, due to their physical and geographical dispositions, are considerably more vulnerable to the increasing threat of flooding and erosion associated with rising sea levels. As such, it is inevitable that not every place or person within such regions can be protected from the impact of coastal processes – irrespective of the degree to which strategies of mitigation and adaptation are implemented. Hence not all people and not all places can be protected by mitigation and adaptation. Conor Dolon (L6)

THE PRIORIAN

Natterjack toad

provide sufficient protection to this location, and a decision will need to be made as to whether this area should be protected in the longer term. A final area under threat from erosion and flooding is Odisha, a state on the eastern coast of India bordering the Bay of Bengal. It is India’s 9th largest state by area and 11th by population. Odisha has a relatively straight coastline (about 480 km long) with few natural inlets or harbours. The narrow, level coastal strip known as the Odisha Coastal Plains supports the bulk of the state’s population. Odisha comprises key ecosystems such as Chilika Lake, a brackish salty lagoon, renowned for its birdlife. Hence, Odisha is an area of considerable importance given its large population and many habitats. However, erosion and flooding pose a considerable threat to the region; research has shown the coastline to be a very dynamic coastal system as only 14.4% of the coast is “stable”, meaning that the area would be highly vulnerable to changes in sea level,

NASA MODIS Rapid Response Team

Sefton coast

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Here is one of the winning entries for the RE Research Competition, ‘Imagining a Post-Covid Society’.

Last year, on the 23rd March 2020, the government first put into place the restrictions and rules that have become associated with lockdown. This was done in response to the growing threat that was Covid-19. Since then, we have been through many fluctuations and changes from a time where the restrictions were limited to a time in which schools had to close. I believe that if this last year has taught us anything it is that, within higher income countries, we should always be grateful for what we have and try our best to appreciate family and friends. Furthermore, many people (myself included) have seen a different side to humanity. The view that humans are nothing but a parasitic race has been proven wrong. In a time of strife we, for the most part, have helped one another get through these events. Various lockdown charities have helped and supported those who have struggled and lost their jobs. Organisations such as the Catholic church have used their resources to look after people who have been heavily hit by the pandemic, giving hope to those in need. I think that is truly admirable and should get recognition in a post-Covid world.

life as the incredible thing it is and how morally it is always going to be wrong to sacrifice one person to save hundreds. This is a much more deontological viewpoint that I (and many people I know) have shifted towards. In short, many people now have a renewed value for human life; in an ideal world we should all move towards this view. The Bible has many stories about helping others, such as the healing of the paralysed man (Luke 5 17:26): when there was no room left inside the house Jesus was staying in, the friends of the sick man were so desperate to heal him they climbed onto the roof and lowered him down in front of Jesus. This caused much anger, but Jesus understood and healed the man with the phrase “Son, your sins are forgiven.” This shows us the value and bonds of true friends and what we should be prepared to do for anyone in need; all of us are connected in God’s love and made in His image. We all have a close bond that should be respected and, no matter who someone is, helping them should take priority. In my ideal post-Covid world, most people would be 100% willing to help those in need no matter the time, place or inconvenience to their own lives.

ST BENEDICT’S

In terms of a discovered value to things, I think we should appreciate doctors, nurses, teachers and many more unsung heroes whose contributions have finally been truly understood. To quote Pope Francis: “We began to realize that our lives are interwoven with and sustained by ordinary people valiantly shaping the decisive events of our shared history.” No single person has saved us from this event but in fact a number of selfless, hardworking heroes who tirelessly work to keep the world running.

The book ‘This is going to hurt’ gave me an insight into how people treated doctors 10 years ago. A particularly interesting quote is: “Patients don’t think of doctors as being human. It’s why they’re so quick to complain if we make a mistake or if we get cross. It’s why they bite our heads off when we finally call them into our over-running clinic room at 7pm, not thinking we have homes we’d rather be at.” I think this lockdown has made us understand the struggles of NHS workers, helped us understand that they are as human as us and we should be more appreciative of them. Proof of this understanding came in the form of the Thursday evenings on which people across the UK cheered for the doctors and nurses who sacrifice everything to help us. The millions of deaths that have been caused by the pandemic have made people realise that all life is worth saving. I once thought the solution was to continue things as they were and let the virus run its course. In fact, I now value

To quote Barack Obama, “Change is brought about because ordinary people do extraordinary things”. I believe that if we all work together we could strive for a better world, where people are respected and where we want things to be better for all. Isaac Modha (U4G)

“

We began to realize that our lives are interwoven with and sustained by ordinary people valiantly shaping the decisive events of our shared history.

”

Pope Francis

SOCIOLOGY Read the winning entry of the Sociology Research Competition, ‘Life after Covid’ (originally recorded as a monologue).

Many a time I have heard, after all this is done Many things missed by the ‘Covid generation’. But has this roadblock defined me? Lockdown has been a struggle for all, but those who have been hit hard are the underprivileged who do not have the capital to work at home. And with no-where outdoors to roam. Economic division was prominent. Recession, imminent. Families brought together. families torn apart… Cities empty at a look. While streets are quiet and desolate. As we reminisce of what we miss we ask ourselves… What is the world going to be like after we have eliminated this? Embracing our beloved who we can’t replace A world where every person a free face. A world with celebrations. A world with fairness and equality throughout nations. If only it were that simple. Though the past 12 months have seen some bright lights come out of it. Attempts to tackle inequalities have prospered Racial discrimination has plagued society for too long and despite the

calls to ‘stay at home’, justice is more powerful than any virus we have ever known. Crowds flooded the streets fighting violence with peace. To bring light to abuse from some unfair police. The second common enemy of the last 12 months was fought: Racism. The virus had its deniers. Deniers that thought they had the solutions. They thought that they could halt the social revolutions. But justice prevailed. Impoverished and suffering with no hope for a better life The economically vulnerable needed our help to battle their strife. The task at hand seemed better fit for those who could compassionately lead. Those who cared for their countries and their people who bleed. Those who didn’t live in the mindset that it is okay to let people suffer. Who thought about the people who had it tougher.

8th December 2020 remember the day where the first person was able to keep the virus away. Margaret Keenan the first brave soul to take the step to reaching our end goal. From a dark patch the shoot of a flower began to sprout. A planet filled with fear and doubt finally had a reason to shout. Now after lockdown number three, We are indefinitely set free. The kids crawl back to school And yet still, Covid cases fall. What will life be like, then? It’s not an if, it’s now a when. Will our vulnerable still feel pain? Will our families drive us insane? Will we do what’s right, And no longer live in black and white? Will we come and crowd together Like it’s the roaring ‘20s forever. 12 months of pain for a lifetime of bliss Or will these be the times we miss? Or now next time we are out the door, We’ll all just appreciate it more.

As the ruling classes lined their pockets the working classes struggled to line their stomachs. Jobs were scarce. Joy, even more. Some would say that the pandemic helped us reconnect. Families finally together was something we were obligated not to reject. Tuning into virtual quizzes and Netflix shows about tigers. This was not the case for those lonely households. Days could pass without a word. People began to lose their voice.

Oliver Kempner (L6)

THE PRIORIAN

Covid 19. Lockdown. Social distancing. Words instilled into our brain over and over.

THE LIBRARY Students in Lower 4th focused on the importance of empathy in their library lessons over lockdown, discussing book characters and situations they have empathised with.

Amelia Rakkar I empathised with Tris from Divergent by Veronica Roth. She feels confused, shocked and mostly scared from the moment she is told she is a “divergent”. I felt worried for her and happy for her at the same time because she was such a rare and special person. I would say to her: “I completely understand if you are scared, you have just received difficult information. It will be rough at first, but you will find the positives. You are special after all.” This character brought into perspective that being different is hard and frightening, but you can get through it.

ST BENEDICT’S

William Duda I empathised with Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games second book, Catching Fire by Susanne Collins, when she is picked to compete in the Hunger Games again. She was shocked, in a rage, and tempted to fight for her own power and rights even though she knew she would get shot. She made me feel sorry for her because she had to go through the trauma again. I would ask her how she got through all this and how painful it must have been to experience something that tragic again. I would also ask: “How did you manage to hide your emotions when you were really angry at the capitol?” The character gave me a perspective on a cruel world, where they only care about fame and money, while other people had to suffer and work all day earning barely enough money to feed themselves and their families.

Maria Scott I empathised with Lily from Gloves Off by Louisa Reid, who is severely bullied for being overweight, both at school and around the neighbourhood. She is beaten up, mugged and relentlessly teased, and feels frustrated and helpless. She is so used to the abuse she doesn’t feel she is strong enough to fight back and make a stand. She made me feel so heartbroken and angry at the way she is treated. No one deserves to be treated like that. If I was watching what happened I would comfort her and tell the bully to back off, as in the book her suffering is clearly illustrated. I would tell her that things will get better, help her to fight back, comfort her and be there for her, when no one else is. I’d help her to understand that she is perfect just the way she is and not to listen to the bullies. This character helped me realise how horrendously treated some people are for their shape and size. (The bullies were truly hideous

inside.) However, as the book goes on, she learns to fight for herself and takes up boxing, which showed me that anyone can turn their life around. She becomes almost a different person, showing true bravery and strength from her perseverance along the way. Freddie Charnaud I empathised with Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games by Susanne Collins, when her sister was chosen for the Hunger Games and she feels obliged to volunteer herself as well. She was distraught and felt how unjust and dehumanising their society was. I felt very sorry for her, because being a tribute in District 12 is a death sentence. I would like to tell her to keep her head high, because by the end of the trilogy she lives happily. This character shows that things can be extremely difficult but sticking your head up and fighting is the best way to get through it. Myel Eseyas I empathised with Jeevan from That Asian Kid by Savita Kalhan: he was in a sticky situation where he had to face discrimination because of his skin colour and wanted to prove them wrong, but could not. He either had to face punishment or glory, but he couldn’t choose both. He felt anxiety and had sleepness nights figuring out what to do with his friends, day in, day out. It made me feel on edge and weary, but triumphant when he finally sorts the problem out and destroys the teacher who has hurt him, resulting in her leaving the school. My advice to him? “Just go for it and act on instinct. I know it’s hard, but do something to get your mind off the situation; face your fears and don’t run away from it.” This character made me realise that the way some treat others may be based on their colour, and how people can combat problems even when they are a great looming threat. Beatrice Lafford I emphasised with Ralph from Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, having to be the leader of the boys and then losing Piggy, the only person he liked. Ralph felt sad and alone because the person he trusted was gone. I was devastated when Piggy died because he was a great character and had helped Ralph so much. It was sad because Piggy was now unable to ever see his family again. I would like to be able to tell Ralph that there was nothing he could have done to change it. It made me see that you should not take your friends for granted and that you should notice the people that help you and guide you, and remind them that you are thankful for them.

Max Smedley-Wild I felt sorry for William Beech in Goodnight Mr Tom, because his mother is not very kind to him. His childhood is largely dictated by his mother, who mistreats him. William is sent back to London because his mother wants to see him, but all she does is beat him, make him care for another child with no help and not allow him to leave the house. He was feeling upset, anxious, and worried for the baby’s health, as well as feeling lonely, not knowing anyone who would help him. I felt angry, as it is so wrong to hurt your child, and leave them with a responsibility as heavy as that. I also felt worried for him. I would like to tell William that I understand it must have been incredibly difficult to care for the baby, and that he must have been devastated when it died. The book made me see that people can be really cruel to others, even when someone is a good person.

Aidan Tam I felt empathy for Josef in Refugee, by Alan Gratz. Josef is a Jewish refugee who is trying to escape Germany in WW2, experiencing a profound amount of racial abuse and receives numerous death threats on his journey. Josef felt it was unjust and unfair, believing that no one should be discriminated against because of their race or ethnicity. I felt grief and sorrow for him and felt that no one should discriminate against someone else because of their race. Additionally, I linked the book back to reality, thinking about the racial abuse and discrimination that many people suffer. I would have comforted him by saying that he was not alone in being discriminated against. I would also have told him that this is a common theme today. The book and character Josef gave me a new perspective on the world, in that we should not let any discrimination or racial abuse happen in any way shape or form. It is a common problem that needs to be solved urgently. Annabel Reiss I felt empathy for Shmuel in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, by John Boyne, because he couldn’t find his dad and didn’t even know if he was alive. He was also very young and knew that he was going to die soon. The character had been sent to a concentration camp and had to hide from the Nazis. I felt empathy when Shmuel and Bruno when they are in the gas chamber and about to die. Shmuel was feeling worried and nervous because he knew that there was no way to escape and that they had no control. It made me feel really upset because if I was in their place I would be so scared and feel hopeless. I would encourage them to share how they were feeling and show interest in what they were saying. I would be supportive and encouraging. The book shows that some people can control your life when you haven’t done anything wrong. At the end of the story when Bruno dies, his family are so upset. They didn’t realise how horrible it was to lose a child, even though this was what the Jews experienced every day.

THE PRIORIAN

Arvin Randhawa, Philip Stefanov and Ranveer Singh We empathised with the character Auggie from Wonder by RJ Palacio. He starts a new school and a few kids are being nasty to him and asking horrible questions about his skin condition and appearance. Auggie felt stressed, embarrassed and scared to meet new people as he knew that they would bully him. We felt sad for Auggie because on the inside he is the same as everyone else, but no one seemed to realise that, giving him a very hard time at school. (Arvin: In honesty, it made me tear up a bit as I know this happens in the real world and I really would do anything to stop this.) We would just try and be his friend and be by his side to help him whenever needed. (Ranveer: I would say to him “Don’t worry about what others think of you.”) Auggie and his story shows us that we should never judge a person by their looks because on the inside everyone is the same.

DRAMA Lower 4th Drama Competition

The Outsider

November 2020

Our A Level Drama and Theatre devised performance was performed in the style of Steven Berkoff, our chosen practitioner, and his play Metamorphosis. The performance followed the life of a man named Jack Letson who wants to be a fashion designer, guided by the inspiration of his late mother. However, there are many obstacles restricting Jack’s ambition. These include his dad, a scaffolder, who completely disagrees with the idea and wants Jack to work at his scaffolding firm, and his fellow fashion college peers who disapprove of Jack due to his workingclass status.

I found the whole experience of working with the Lower 4ths highly enjoyable and very beneficial. All of the individuals were brimming with enthusiasm, and their remarkable levels of effort ensured that they were all pushed to their full potential. It was a deeply valuable experience for all of us sixth formers as we were able to gain skills in directing that we didn’t previously have, and it gave us all more confidence in our own ideas and perspectives of plays. We are all so proud of the Lower 4ths and thank them for all their hard work.

ST BENEDICT’S

Tori Dryden (L6) (And Alex Crown, Kaitlyn Moran, Caitlin Macgregor, Grace Fuchs and Elena Russo) Oscars for best actress went jointly to Iris Whiteley and Lucie Remington Runner up: Isabel Murphy Oscar for best actor went to Luke Crown Joint runners up: Jamie Perotti and Ranveer Singh Best play went to: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

A Level Drama and Theatre devised performance

Against all the odds, Jack does indeed become extremely successful, gaining celebrity status worldwide for designing clothes for renowned events: London, New York and Paris Fashion Week. However, this superficial success comes at a great expense, as Jack becomes increasingly isolated and lonely while simultaneously spiralling out of control down a dangerous path of drug and alcohol addiction. By the end of the play, Jack has lost not only his family and friends but also his connection with reality and the world around him. Everyone has rejected Jack – leaving us with an ambiguous ending of whether he commits suicide or not. Our performance explored current topical discussions surrounding non-conformity, diversity and isolation as a result of societal expectations. We decided to explore the position of an outsider in modern society that challenges embedded stereotypes which appear to cause more harm than good. The play’s message is that you shouldn’t feel obliged to conform to stringent societal expectation if it pressurises you into doing something that doesn’t allow you to follow your dream or is detrimental to your wellbeing. Finley Carty-Howe (U6)

OUTSIDER THE PRIORIAN

THE

ST BENEDICT’S

DANCE SHOW

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DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD Silver DofE Practice expedition October 2020

Day 1 We arrived at school by 6:45 am, all bright eyed and bushy tailed ready for three days of walking and adventures. We were told to wait with our groups and talk amongst ourselves until the coach arrived, and we would then head off into the wilderness!

ST BENEDICT’S

Following an hour and a half journey, we arrived at our destination and our groups were assigned to group Leaders; my group – William, Elena, Benjy, Yakira, Amalia and me – was appointed to Gaz, a very helpful and friendly man who made our first day much easier. After meeting Gaz we headed off to start our first day of the expedition. We walked for around three hours at first. Luckily, we did not end up on any hills or steep areas (that came later), though we did encounter rain and a bitterly cold wind, though that did not shake our spirits! Along the way, we swiftly ate lunch and plotted our course for the next two and a half days. After that was done we headed out to the campsite, where we encountered both steep hills and

wet weather. After around two hours of walking we finally arrived at our base camp. We arrived in the dark and so we had to quickly build our tents and cook our food. This was all completed with much ease, and we were all ready for sleep by the time this was all finished. Day 2 Once we had all woken up we had to cook our breakfast and dismantle our tents. This took half an hour and we were all ready for the day ahead. We were given the navigation courses that we had prepared the day before and set off. When we started, like the day before we were full of energy. My group set off at around 8:10 am. We walked for about four and a half hours before we decided to stop for lunch and regain some much needed energy. We all ‘indulged’ in pre-cooked meals that we re-heated which gave us all the energy that we needed to carry on. We carried on walking for another three and a half hours during which we talked and joked amongst ourselves to pass the time, until we finally arrived back at the campsite.

We set up the two tents that had been dismantled earlier that day, and then prepared our dinner for that night. After dinner, not everyone went straight to bed and most of us stayed up chatting about what happened to each other that day, and how we were all looking forward to going back home the next day.

Day 3 We all woke up with excitement and joy, not for the seven hours of walking ahead of us. No, it was in the knowledge that we would be going home that day. We all made breakfast while talking about what we would do once we had arrived home, I believe that the most common answer was “SLEEP”. After breakfast was finished, we dismantled our tents and packed our bags, which seemed ten times heavier than the day before. Once all of that was done, we were finally ready to leave. We had only been walking for about two hours before the rain and cold weather returned. Unfortunately, our route included a huge number of hills, cliffs and peaks that we had to climb. By the end of the day, we had climbed seven. My group did not stop for lunch as we had the aim of arriving at the final checkpoint first, but unfortunately this goal we had set ourselves was not achieved as another group had beaten us to it. We waited for the other groups to arrive and then we got on the coach to go home. Thomas O’Brien (L5)

November 2020

On Monday 19th November we set off on a four-hour coach journey for Dartmoor. When we arrived in Princetown in the early evening, we set up our tents and made our final adjustments to our routes in preparation for an early departure the following morning. We set off at around 7:45 and headed east into the national park.

DofE stats

2021

ST BENEDICT’S SCHOOL a

4 Gold

min imis

incipe

Total expeditions this year:

81 Silver

2 Silver

5 Bronze

Total no. of students on expeditions:

Ealing •

London •

W5 2ES

• V 020 8862 2010

M headmaster@stbenedicts.org.uk

F St Benedicts School, Ealing •

51 Gold

322

190 Bronze

Completed awards: 102 Cert. of achievement: 71 (for those who were prevented from completing their awards by lockdown)

L stbenedicts

Upon entering the national park my group and I were surprised by the sudden change into very open and isolated land, where we did not see anyone who was not part of the DofE programme for 4 km, proving a unique contrast to our normal busier lifestyles. Through the day we collected data for our group aim which allowed us to appreciate the wonderful landscape and views. Unfortunately, as we set up camp the wind picked up to 60 mph winds which also brought very heavy rain. This made it extremely challenging to put up our tents, forcing everyone to work well together to put up the tents as quickly as possible to keep ourselves warm. The next day very thick fog rolled in, and we set out with much less morale than we did on the first day, due to the tough conditions of the previous day. However, soon enough the fog lifted, and we were presented with very nice views which helped to lift our spirits. We pressed on during the day and we had some entertainment near the end of the day as we saw a herd of cattle struggling to make their way through a gap in a fence. Our second wild camping experience was far nicer as we were able to set up camp very quickly due to the easier conditions, and were able to enjoy dinner watching the sun set over the Dartmoor hills. The next day we set off in some very good conditions, cautious of worse weather on the way later in the day,

which led to an increased pace early in the morning leading to us covering around 10 km in the first two hours. This gave us more time to gather data for our aim. This was helped massively when we stumbled upon a sign full of information about mining in Dartmoor which allowed us to gain a deeper insight into why mining was so important. Towards the end of the day we found the remains of mining tracks which we were fortunate enough to be able to walk along for 2 km, allowing us to gather data for our presentation after the expedition. We assembled our tents for the final time, and we were lucky to have some better weather than was forecast, allowing us to dry our tents. On the final day we started our day very early, leaving camp at 7:10. We walked up the largest tor of the day in the dark with headlights. This gave us the opportunity to watch the sunrise at the peak. We descended from the tor into a very boggy marshland which was very difficult to walk through as our boots repeatedly got stuck in very deep mud. We managed to continue through with the thought of arriving home at the forefront of our minds. We left the national park for the final time halfway through the day signalling that we were near the end of our expedition. When we completed the expedition in Ashburton there was a great sense of accomplishment felt by all members if the group as we were very proud of overcoming the challenges that we were presented through the expedition. Laurence Daly-Jones (U6)

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DofE Gold Qualifying Expedition

THRIVE

PSHE

What has the ‘Thrive’ course taught me about how to make the most of my potential at St Benedict’s? During my first term at St Benedict’s, everyone has been welcoming and supportive. This has been extremely beneficial to me as an individual, in academics and cocurricular activities (sports and music). It has given me willingness, optimism and motivation to succeed. One reason that the help from St Benedict’s has been so useful to me is PSHE and the ‘Thrive’ course they have newly introduced to us. Feelings and Emotions of Loss In our first few PSHE lessons we discussed emotions and the feeling of loss in different situations. We discussed why we felt loss and how we could move on from these emotions and scenarios in life. This helped me understand how to help others resolve their problems, as well as my own in a constructive manner. It helped to increase my confidence in communication and expressing myself in an honest way, though at times it has been difficult because it is generally not in my nature to be open and expressive. I also have understood the need to balance my thoughts, emotions and actions in a positive way.

ST BENEDICT’S

Growth and Fixed Mindset When we started the ‘Thrive’ course there was a lesson on ‘Can we learn anything?’ The class had a debate on this topic and we came to the conclusion that you can only do what you put your mind to. This helped me understand what a growth and fixed mindset was. For example, if I were to have a growth mindset, I would be more independent and willing to learn new skills by trial and error. If I had a fixed mindset I might be reluctant and obstinate, as I would think it would be challenging and difficult. I feel that a fixed mindset is something quite common being a young person as we can sometimes be fearful of some activities if I have never come across them. As an individual, I think I have a combination of both mindsets, but I would like to think that I have more of a growth mindset. Personally, I feel a growth mindset would improve me as an individual and help me overcome my weaknesses when it comes to new tasks or topics.

Nature vs Nurture Another ‘Thrive’ lesson that my class had was ‘Would you rather be a zoo tiger or a wild tiger and why?’ We had a big debate and I chose to be a zoo tiger because it would be easier to eat, drink and live in general but then I realised that if I were to be let out into the wild I wouldn’t know how to survive, hunt or find shelter. This task made me comprehend the balance of doing independent work and being dependent on others, otherwise known as nature (being independent) and nurture (being supported by others). While independent thought and process is important, the school

provides a nurturing environment which allows students to succeed. St Benedict’s has provided me with the necessary support and facilities to nurture my potential, and the encouragement to express myself when required.

Mentoring and Feeling Comfortable The ‘Thrive’ course also explored whether we felt comfortable being taught and helped or whether we preferred to learn as an independent student. Furthermore, in PSHE our form tutor took each student aside for an individual mentoring session. This was useful because the discussion made me comfortable and open with regards to tracking test results, any issues, or problems.

In conclusion, the ‘Thrive’ course has helped me learn how to try and make the right decisions, to always have a growth mindset, to be willing to learn and, more importantly, the value of honest communication with others. It has also taught me to be independent and collaborative, to help others and volunteer more. The ‘Thrive’ course has also helped me develop and think more about the actions we take as students. Sometimes the biggest challenges are making new friends and keeping them. The lessons learnt in ‘Thrive’ and St Benedict’s should help me overcome these obstacles to be better student. Deen Hoque (F3)

UNIVERSITY DESTINATIONS 2020 Nottingham Trent University Business Management and Economics Oxford Music Oxford Biology Oxford Medicine Queen Mary University of London Law with Business Queen Mary University of London Medicine Queen Mary University of London Comparative Literature Reading Finance and Investment Banking Royal Holloway, University of London Computer Science with a Year-in-Industry Royal Holloway, University of London Computer Science with a Year-in-Industry Sheffield Civil Engineering Sheffield Business Management St Andrews Economics St Andrews History Sussex Zoology Swansea University Mechanical Engineering Swansea University Psychology UCL (University College London) History UCL (University College London) Mathematics UCL (University College London) Engineering (Mechanical) University of the Arts London Product and Industrial Design University of the Arts London Product and Industrial Design Warwick History and Politics Warwick Biomedical Science West London Music Performance

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Destination Course Bath Chemistry (with placement) Bath Politics with International Relations Birkbeck, University of London Business Birmingham Philosophy, Religion and Ethics Birmingham Civil Engineering Birmingham Geography Birmingham Economics Bournemouth University Law Bristol Film and Television Bristol History Bristol Economics and Politics with Study Abroad Bristol English and History Cambridge Classics Cardiff University Media and Communications Cardiff University Engineering with Foundation Year Cardiff University Architectural Engineering (Year in Industry) Cardiff University Human Geography City, University of London Business Management (with Professional Placement) City, University of London Economics Durham University History Durham University English Literature Durham University General Engineering East Anglia UEA Biological Sciences Edinburgh Artificial Intelligence & Computer Science Edinburgh English Literature Exeter Geography Exeter Law Exeter Economics and Politics Exeter Economics with Industrial Experience Exeter Politics Exeter Geography Exeter Politics and International Business Exeter Biological Sciences Exeter History Imperial College London Medicine Kent Criminology King’s College London, University of London Geography Leeds Criminal Justice and Criminology Leeds Theatre and Performance with Enterprise Leeds Philosophy, Politics and Economics Leicester Psychology Leicester Psychology Leicester Geography Liverpool Medical Sciences Liverpool Marine Biology Liverpool Business Management Liverpool Business Economics with a Year in Industry Liverpool Environment and Planning Loughborough University Aeronautical Engineering (with placement year) Loughborough University Finance and Management (with placement year) Loughborough University Mechanical Engineering (with placement year) Manchester Biology with Industrial / Professional Experience (4 years) Manchester Modern Language and Business & Management (French) (4 years) Manchester Economics and Politics Manchester Drama and English Literature Manchester Modern Language and Business & Management (Spanish) (4 years) Manchester Management Manchester Biology Manchester Law Middlesex Pilot degree Newcastle University Business Management Newcastle University Zoology Newcastle University Politics and History Newcastle University Economics Nottingham History Nottingham History Nottingham Medicine BMBS (Nottingham/Derby pathway) Nottingham Geography Nottingham Architecture Nottingham Music and Philosophy Nottingham Criminology and Sociology

MODERN LANGUAGES: FRENCH Le jeune sorcier.

Examinez l’épisode ou Driss crée un tableau d’art moderne

Le pire d’être fils d’un sorcier est de ne pas avoir le droit de manger ses pâtisseries magiques. J’ai toujours rêvé de pouvoir goûter un seul morceau sans qu’il le sache. Malheureusement, l’opportunité de prendre cette grignote enchanteresse n’est jamais arrivé, jusqu’à présent. Je le goinfre. Peu à peu je commence à perdre le contrôle. Tous mes sentiments déforment. Je ne veux pas revenir à la normale. Je ne veux même pas penser à l’idée que la vie soit normale hors de cette expérience. Mais bientôt je me réveillerai dans la réalité ou je ne suis même pas fils d’un sorcier.

Le film “Les Intouchables” met un fort accent sur le monde de l’art et de son marché lucratif. Dans cet essai, je vais décrire brièvement les scènes principales du film sur l’art puis analyser les opinions de Driss et de Philippe et aussi notre perception de l’art moderne.

Murdo Duguid (U6)

Tout d’abord, avant que Driss ne peigne son tableau, Driss et Philippe visitent une galerie d’art abstrait. Au début de la scène, Philippe demande le prix d’une œuvre d’art qui coûte 30 000 euros ! Comme Driss le décrit justement, c’est “une tache rouge sur un fond blanc”, l’artiste a saigné du nez. La vendeuse met la pression sur Philippe qui trouve le tableau touchant, serein et violent. En fait, Philippe, amateur d’art, prend en considération l’histoire de la peinture et la notoriété de l’artiste. Quant à Driss, novice, il n’en voit que le résultat. Alors, Driss décide de créer lui aussi son propre chef-d’œuvre en utilisant la peinture mais aussi la musique et la fumette. On peut voir que l’enthousiasme de Driss pour son travail augmente pendant la réalisation de son tableau, par exemple, quand il pousse le fauteuil roulant de Philippe à toute vitesse et lorsqu’il aide Philippe à se doucher. Driss apprend ainsi les étapes de la création. Il contemple fièrement son tableau terminé et demande l’avis à son entourage qui n’ose pas le blesser “ J’adore…”, “Je dis pas que, mais…”, mais en fait qui n’aime pas du tout sa croûte et ne veut pas le lui dire. Puis Philippe va intervenir et il veut vendre le tableau de Driss à un ami, collectionneur d’art, qui ne l’aime pas. Néanmoins, comme Philippe insinue que c’est un artiste connu qui expose à Londres et à Berlin, il finira par acheter l’œuvre de par sa pseudo valeur, pour la somme de 11 000 euros ! Pour moi, cette scène illustre la division entre les bourgeois qui se préoccupent de la cote des œuvres mais non de leur beauté et les gens des classes simples qui apprécient l’art directement. C’est aussi une caricature de la surenchère snob de l’art moderne. En conclusion, Driss montre au spectateur avec quelle facilité on peut s’improviser artiste moderne et comment on achète la renommée de l’artiste et sa valeur spéculative sans se soucier de l’art vrai qui touche notre âme. C’est donc une approche humoristique mais profonde sur la vérité du marché de l’art abstrait.

ST BENEDICT’S

Emilie Fawcett (U6)

Lettie Stevenson (L4)

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SPANISH

SPORTS CAPTAINS

ST BENEDICT’S

Captain of Rugby, Ethan Wetherell

After a fairly disappointing season last year, I came into this year with hope of a much-improved year. However, given the circumstances we were not able to put this into action. Despite this, I believe that rugby this season has taken a turn for the better. Whether it was 7.30 am gym sessions before school, or latenight training after school, the squad displayed a great level of resilience and commitment to consistently work in times of huge uncertainty. We displayed an impressive level of intrinsic motivation and discipline to continue to put 100% effort into everything we do, even with the ever-present doubts of whether or not we would get to play a season, which is something I admire amongst this group. Although the rugby season is coming to an end, there is still some hope that we might get some games in before the year draws to a close. To have the opportunity to get out on the rugby pitch this year has brought a buzz of excitement around the squad, and it would be great for the team to be able to show off the hard work that has been put in on the training paddock in a match situation. This season also highlighted the positive effects rugby can have amongst this school’s first XV. From an individual perspective, skills have been much improved and worked on, and from a team perspective, the chemistry amongst the two Sixth Form year groups has been developed and is thriving, even in the current conditions. As well as improving and developing skills, this

year we looked to focus on rebuilding the culture around St Benedict’s rugby: the values we promote as a team will be crucial for the ongoing development of the school’s rugby as we continue to strengthen the excitement around the sport at the school, and has allowed us to set the foundations for next season’s team and for many teams to come. None of this would have been possible without the amazing help of our fantastic coaches, Mr Higgins, Mr Coles and Mr Stringer. Despite the challenging conditions they worked relentlessly to help us develop as rugby players and individuals, and as a team we are extremely grateful for what they have done for us. While it is disappointing to have played so little rugby this year, I am sure next year’s team will go on to achieve great things and accomplish many of the goals we set out this year. Above all, we have finished the season as better rugby players and people than when we started.

extended preseason would simply be an opportunity to have greater time to prepare for the competitive season, unfortunately due to the pandemic we have been unable to play any external matches. Although a setback, nonetheless, all players have taken this in their stride. With the extra sessions being used either for training or interim competitions, all squads have continued to strive to develop as much as possible. Fortunately, before another lockdown, we were able to play our annual game of the 1st VII Netball vs 1st XV rugby. Although a tight game at times, the girls were able to pull through with the win. The match not only demonstrated how much progress has been made in the past year but provided some muchneeded entertainment; a release from the extraordinary pressures that have occurred over the past 12 months. Even though for most of the Lent term we have been unable to train as a squad in person, the online provisions have supplemented all of this lost time. From the lunchtime workouts occurring three times a week to the 1st team challenges set out during games, it has been amazing to see the whole school come together through sport. They have allowed the teams to continue to progress, both within school teams and for the leavers, preparing for their future endeavours at university or elsewhere.

Captain of Netball, Emily Rawlings This season has undoubtedly been unlike any other, and yet despite all the challenges the girls have faced this year, an incredible amount of progress has been made. The resilience and commitment of both the coaches and each individual player has been beyond our expectations in these challenging times. Although at the beginning of the academic year we were hoping the

A huge thank you must go to the entirety of the sports department, especially Miss Maynard and Miss Broome for everything they have done for us. The strides made in netball this year would not have been possible without all their hard work and experience. It has been an absolute pleasure to captain netball this year. Although not the season we would have hoped for, it has been an incredible opportunity and one I have thoroughly enjoyed. I wish the next 1st team squad, and all other players, the best of luck in the future. I look forward to hearing of all your successes!

I am so thankful to have been given the privilege of captaining the hockey 1st XI this year. Although it has been different to that of any other year, the girls were able to face the challenge and keep spirits high, remaining committed throughout the season whether that was online or together in person.

Captain of Hockey, Arabella Campbell

Having come out of isolation from the summer term we were all very excited to return to school and get to play the sport we love. Despite our uncertainty of being able to play any matches we continued to practise weekly whether that was morning gym sessions with Mr Stringer or games sessions with Mr O’Hara and Mr Nijhar. The coaches organised us to have weekend internal

matches that kept our competitive sides thriving and to make sure we were prepared for any unexpected matches. Luckily, we were one of the only teams in the school that got to play 3 external matches this year. Ending the season on a win against Mill Hill brought great happiness to the whole team as we were able to play all together one last time before some of us head off to university next year. I am deeply saddened that my hockey career at St Benedict’s was cut short and has already come to an end. However, I am so thankful for everyone’s dedication this year despite the circumstances and hope that next year’s team have a great

SPORT: RUGBY “The past year at St Benedict’s has been full of ups and downs. Despite this I have successfully managed to be selected for the London Irish U18 Gold Academy. The Sports department has played a crucial role in my development both as a rugby player and as a person, promoting St Benedict’s values such as hard work, collaboration and perseverance. I have very often asked for, and been able to get individual and extra sessions with Mr Stringer to help me get into the physical shape needed to compete at this higher level. “Although I was injured for a large proportion of last year’s season with back to back concussions, the coaches managed to adapt and successfully help me through this tough period.

“I heard that I was going to have a trial for London Irish Gold Academy a week before October half-term. I have come up through the age groups in London Irish since U15 and have had multiple trials but this one was going to be the hardest! I trained hard before the trial with multiple strength and conditioning sessions each week complementing my rugby sessions. The trial itself was very tough, with 20–30 players fighting for around 10 places. I feel I struggled with the first day of the two day trial as I was very nervous but performed a lot better on the second. I got a call on the Friday after finishing both trials telling me that I was lucky enough to get in to the academy.” Alex Gribbon (L6)

Sam Pal-Byrne (U6)

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Two St Benedict’s Sixth Form students were selected as part of the London Irish Gold Group U18 Academy in October.

“I was granted this amazing opportunity due to my hard work and dedication which had been noted by Mr Higgins and Mr Coles, who helped me to get this chance. Understandably, I was clearly nervous as this had been one of my goals for many years now. However, once I had made my first pass/carry, I established the correct mindset to excel in this opportunity. By the second day I managed to grow in confidence which consequently resulted in my getting selected.”

CAREERS Online Interview Practice for St Benedict’s Medics Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science applicants took part in mock, online interviews in November, modelled on medical schools’ ‘Multiple Mini Interviews’, or MMIs. Applying to medical school is a competitive and rigorous process. In addition to predicted grades and entrance exams, interviews will make a significant contribution to one’s offer. Therefore, it is important to prepare for them. Due to the pandemic, interviews were held online this year. Since this was a

new experience for all, the teachers, along with the Careers department and IT department arranged virtual mock MMIs for the medicine applicants. The process was very well organised, and the IT department guided us on how to log on in advance. The stations were mimicked excellently. The questions asked were in the same format as past questions and they related to the topics of medical ethics, scientific knowledge, mathematical skills and the impact of current affairs on

ST BENEDICT’S

Virtual Career Breakfasts

the NHS, as well as personal skills that would make a good doctor. This experience was very useful to me. I have perfected my approach to challenging questions in an interview situation. The fact that it was remote was helpful, as we knew what to expect from virtual interviews. The feedback from this indicated my strong areas, as well as those which I needed to do more research on. This ensured that I was up to date with the current healthcare situation and ready to tackle any question, helping me to feel confident and motivated for the interviews. Delia Capatina (U6)

HPQ

HIGHER & EXTENDED PROJECT QUALIFICATIONS (HPQ/EPQ) During my project, I have learnt a significant amount about micro-biology. I have learnt that it is important to read around the topic in order to properly understand and answer the question proposed in the project title. I feel like I have learnt a lot of important skills during my HPQ journey which will be extremely helpful in the future, with GCSEs, when I’m in Sixth Form and at university. Not only have I discovered a huge amount about my project but I have also learnt how to work independently and properly manage my time; my project supervisor was able to give me advice and guidance, but ultimately I had to cover the work myself to my own schedule in order to meet the deadlines. I have also learnt how to structure and write a 2000-word scientific essay, how to cite my resources efficiently using the Harvard method, how to research properly and check source reliability. I have learnt to condense lots of information into a concise and analytical essay, which was then filtered into a presentation. Furthermore, I have learnt to trust in my own abilities. At the start of the project the volume of work was daunting, but as I worked through it I realised I was able to deliver work to a high standard. Artie Hair (U4)

Lucy Brooks (L5)

Doing the HPQ has been both informative and useful, as well as an extremely enjoyable experience. I learned how to deal with feedback constructively and use it to improve my work so that I could get the best possible mark. As well as this, I learned how to reflect on my work myself. Again, I had never really reflected on my work properly before I undertook the HPQ; however, I learned how to evaluate its strengths and weaknesses, both of individual parts of the HPQ and the HPQ in its entirety, which allowed me to continue to improve my work. Helena Ramsden (U4)

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I think the most important thing that I have learnt when working on my project is that I have to be organised and set time slots for when I would work on HPQ and, also, decide what task I am going to do in that time because then I don’t have to worry about deadlines or catching up on missed work as I would have done everything I needed to do for each week. This makes it a lot easier to complete HPQ work because, when I am not worrying or rushing to complete a task in time, I can actually think about what I need to get done and do it to the best of my ability. All these skills that I have acquired throughout this project, I have acquired through making mistakes. For example, I have only learnt to be organised and manage my time effectively by being disorganised and not meeting deadlines, because I had recognised that I needed to change my ways in order for this project to be a success.

EPQ Zoe Ziprin (U6) received full marks for her EPQ on medical ethics: A consideration on whether physicianassisted suicide should be legalised in the UK for those with a terminal illness. (A*) Here, she summarises her experience of doing an EPQ. “I have learned much from my EPQ journey. First of all, I have learned better time management, as well as how to prioritise my tasks. I did this by writing down a set of goals to do with my EPQ every week to ensure that I had everything completed on time. Also, I learned about research skills such as the Boolean Operators (and/or/ not) which I used on several data bases including JSTOR, New Scientist and the British Medical Journal. On top of that, I learned more about research ethics from a workshop conducted by the University of Leeds. At this workshop, I was able to discuss my survey and I learned ways to better discharge my duty of care when conducting research in the future. (An example of this is to include information of helplines at the end of my survey.) Another workshop given by the University of Leeds also taught me about critical thinking, which was about questioning the authority, reliability and reference of sources. Moreover, I learned about the Harvard referencing system as well as in-text citations, extremely useful not only for my written report but also for my A level Chemistry practical write-ups. Finally, I learned how to present using Microsoft Teams, and the importance of ensuring that a non-specialist audience understands your research: one way of doing this was to include a glossary of all the technical terms I would be using, at the beginning of my presentation.”

Students in the Lower 6th began their EPQ journey this year. Here are some of their chosen topics: “I am doing my EPQ on how hurricane Katrina has impacted the mental health of children aged 4–17 in the area, with a focus on PTSD, anxiety and depression. I chose this idea as I want to go on to university to take a psychology degree and possibly become a counsellor or a psychiatrist. I thought this project would be a great head-start on my knowledge of mental health issues and how certain events in people’s lives can affect their perception of life, their mental development, and can cause issues for years afterwards. It will also allow me to understand how little help people actually received after the disaster, and shed a light on how lightly mental health has been taken in the past.” Grace Fuchs “My subject is an artefact: designing historically accurate costumes for a production of Anthony and Cleopatra. I chose it because I want to go on to do either costume or set design at university. Via this EPQ I could learn new skills relevant to the course I want to pursue.” Caitlin MacGregor

ST BENEDICT’S

EPQ 40

“My EPQ is on the effect of recessions on certain demographics’ mental and physical health, I decided to choose this topic due to the current Covid-19 recession causing many people distress financially. This then sparked an idea in my mind to see what affects other past recessions had on peoples mental and physical health and how it compares to the modern day.” Rhodri Darwent

MOOCs Many St Benedict’s Sixth Form students are choosing to take one or two MOOCS (Massive Open Online Courses) alongside their A levels, which are offered by global universities covering a wide range of subjects. Here are a few examples of some of the courses which have been studied this year. Kian Haidari (L6): Fundamentals of Market Structure, New York Institute of Finance via edX “My MOOC involved videos, articles and quizzes. I enjoyed learning the science behind market structure in an interactive way.” make a final product while thinking about the various parts that need to be taken into account. “My MOOC course contained a couple of quizzes, but was mainly filled with tutorials or videos explaining a specific topic – such as the WHO, WHAT, WHERE factors of a design process.

Lucia Orsi (L6): Why are Maps Made? The Open University “I would recommend this MOOC to anyone studying geography as it broadens your knowledge on topics that are not included in the A level curriculum.”

“I learned a lot of details as well as the precision that comes from making products or day-to-day items that everyone uses. It’s interesting to see that a lot of thought goes into items that we would classify as ‘basic’ or ‘ordinary’.

Ermioni Vasileiadou (L6): Product Design, Delft University of Technology “The units of my MOOC were split up into 4 categories which dived deeper into the making, thinking and final process of a product. The whole MOOC was structured as a huge assignment with mini tasks that correspond to it helping you

“I would recommend this MOOC course to whoever is interested in going down an artistic/creative path in the future, because there are a lot of tasks and activities that require the use of imagination as well as creativity in order to come up with new goals, aspirations or methods to be able to make a successful product that reaches a vast demographic.”

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Jin Tao Wang (L6): Basics of Computing and Programming, New York University “I enjoyed this MOOC as I previously had a strong interest in the field of computing, but I did not choose it as an A level. This platform gave me the opportunity to explore what I couldn’t have done by myself.”

LOCKDOWN THOUGHTS Roses – what did you enjoy about lockdown?

ST BENEDICT’S

Roses: I enjoyed being with my family more. I especially loved going to my local park with my brothers to play rugby, watching Anne with an E with my Mum, and having film night on Friday evenings together. I also enjoyed writing and receiving letters. My friends and I wrote letters (which we would decorate with a ridiculous amount of highlighting!!) to each other during lockdown as well as having regular calls so we could keep in contact and make sure we all are doing okay.

Roses: I believe it’s very easy to critique lockdown and state the obvious. However, in my opinion, there have still been parts of lockdown I have enjoyed, such as waking up later in the morning. Usually I have to wake up early, whether it’s to go to school (6:30–7:00 am) or swimming (4:30 –5:00), but in lockdown I get to enjoy sleeping in late to around 8:00. As well as sleeping in late, I enjoy the increase in free time permitted by lockdown. In normal day-to-day life, I spend approximately 30 minutes walking to and from school as well as 15–30 minutes getting ready for school in the morning (ie putting on uniform

Thorns – what did you find hard about lockdown?

Thorns: I found two things hard in lockdown. I missed being with my friends because they always give me so much joy. And I also found keeping motivated at the start of lockdown very challenging. Buds: Things I will do differently: I will appreciate time with friends and extended family more. I will speak more confidently when asked questions in class because online schooling made me realise that nobody minds if you get something wrong, they just care that you are trying. You need to get things wrong to get things right. I will go on runs a lot more, as they have helped me stay happy this lockdown.

and packing my school bag). This means that I get around 1hr 30 mins extra time and an extra 1hr 15 mins if you count break and lunch. In addition to those, I also enjoy the brief 5-minute break between lessons where I get to stretch and not worry about being late to class and running around the school. Thorns: Although I do believe lockdown had some positive points to it, there is no denying that is was extremely hard, frustrating and difficult. There are the obvious points which, despite being obvious, are still true, such as the restriction of meeting with friends in person, having restricted access to the outside world, fear and anxiety for the disease and not being able to go anywhere: example school or cinema or even other countries over Christmas. However, despite these

Buds – things to look forward to after lockdown?

Things I look forward to doing after Coronavirus: Not wearing a mask!!!! Hugging my grandma. Learning freely in a class without having to think about how close you are to someone or worrying about the whereabouts of your hand sanitiser. I look forward to having a sleepover with my friends. Iris Whiteley (L4)

problems there are other problems that lockdown poses. Personally, online school has been great for me and I’m not finding it that hard, yet the fact remains it is still a less preferential option to real school: I don’t really like looking at a screen all the time. Buds: For things that I want to do after lockdown, I can only think of one. I want to go back to normality in the sense of back to school, meet my friends, travel, … etc. As for things I want to do differently, I would like to do more exercise, as although I’m fairly decent at sport I believe I still need to build up body strength to be able to do those sports better. Freddie Ruzicka (L4)

Junior School Lockdown thoughts Roses: Having time with my family and having fun at home. I liked the kindness there was at home.

Thorns: Not playing with my friends or seeing my teachers.

Thorns: I couldn’t see my friends. Being at home all day and never going to school.

Buds: School is better than home because I get bored at break-time at home but not at school. Ernest Ollendorf (PP3)

Roses: Staying in my unicorn onesie all day. Spending time with my family and my dog. Thorns: Bad internet sometimes. Buds: Going to school is better than home-learning and a lot more fun. Grace Hickman (PP3)

Buds: I have learned to ride my bike with gears. I have learned Geography and Algebra. Gabriel Tournaire (PP3)

Roses: Seeing my friends on Zoom. Thorns: I found it difficult doing online learning. Missing my friends. Buds: I have learned lots of things like maths and shapes. I really enjoyed

Form Time on Fridays. Thomas Morgan (PP3)

Roses: The part of lockdown I enjoyed was spending time with my family. Thorns: What I did not like was all the time spent on screens for talking to friends and family, and for online lessons. Buds: I would like to continue spending time with my family but I want to have less time on my phone. Eva Domoradzki (F1) Roses: I was really glad to have dinner together with my family as everyone was home.

seeing my friends and going out to play together. I had less concentration so I couldn’t do anything calm. Buds: I’m looking forward to going on holiday with my family. Mihiro Hosotani (F1)

Buds: I think when lockdown is over I will be nicer to others and I am looking forward to going on holiday. Thomas Niesiolowski (F1)

Buds: I’m looking forward to having sleepovers with my friends. Roxy Reber (F1)

Thorns: I really missed

Georgia Toolan (F3)

THE PRIORIAN

Roses: Spending time with my family. Being in my garden with my brother. Finding new places.

ECO CLUB

The True Cost of Fast Fashion

Ellen Suckley and Catriona Edwards (L6)

Fast fashion is deﬁned as clothes that are made and sold cheaply so that people can buy new clothes o5en. A broad spectrum of brands come under this deﬁni9on. Can you think of any brands?

The Impact on the Environment •  The fashion industry produces 10% of all carbon emissions •  It is the second largest consumer of the world’s water supply – it takes 3182 litres of water •  The equivalent of one lorry full of clothes is burned or dumped in a landﬁll every second. •  Washing clothes releases 500,000 tons of microﬁbres into the ocean each year – the equivalent of 50 billion plas9c boMles. •  60% of garments contain polyester. Producing polyester releases two to three 9mes more carbon emissions than coMon and polyester does not decompose. Is fast fashion destroying our environment? - YouTube

Fast fashion in the news Shein: Fast fashion retailer accused of ‘stealing’ independent brand’s design | The Independent | The Independent

Sustainable strategies •  Charity shops and Depop •  Buying less and wearing more •  Rent or borrow clothes •  Reduce the amount of 9mes you wash clothes •  Sustainable brands – good on you

ECO Boohoo to inves9gate Leicester supplier over exploita9on claims - BBC News

Cri9cs aMack PreMy LiMle Thing's 8p Black Friday dress deal | Retail industry | The Guardian

ST BENEDICT’S

CLUB

CLASSICS Did Greek and Roman elections express the will of the people?

Greek elections did, partially, express the will of the people. The payment for attending the ecclesia in Athens, for example, had reached 3 obols by 390 BCE. This not only served as an incentive to vote, but also accommodated less wealthy citizens who would otherwise lose a day’s wages. Furthermore, the use of the lot rather than elections for many public offices in Athens (such as serving on the Boule) ensured that the will of the people was expressed. Between 1/80 th and 1/60 th of the citizen population would serve on the Boule for a year, and due to the maximum of two terms, after 25 years a third of the citizen population would have served. This led to a range of interests being represented due to the sheer quantity of people who served. Furthermore, the maximum term of two, non-consecutive years ensured that different ideas were constantly brought into Athenian politics. The use of the lot also helped to prevent the emergence of a ruling class that would keep their own interests of maintaining power ahead of those of the people’s. Furthermore, the use of election in certain roles (like the strategoi as generals) also helped to ensure the representation of the people’s best interests. For these generals, there was a vote of confidence every prytany to ensure that ‘they are performing their duties well’. This appointment ensured that military positions requiring competence and experience were chosen carefully, allowing for meritocracy rather than appointment by pure chance. However, Athenian elections had their limitations: Thucydides suggested that only 5,000 citizens attended voting procedures out of an estimated 60,000 citizens. Although Thucydides’ statistic is likely exaggerated, it shows a widespread frustration with a low voter turnout. A greater proportion of these voters lived near to the Pnyx, with only up to 1/5 th of citizens able to make it to meetings. This was especially problematic for less wealthy citizens; there was pay for attendance at meetings, but it was only introduced in the very late 5th century BCE. Therefore, Athenian elections were influenced more greatly by those who lived closer to the Pnyx. Voting by raised hands was also an issue. Since there were thousands of people who were voting at a time, an estimation was taken, leading to inaccuracies in the exact numbers for and against.

Not only was voting turnout poor, and the system inefficient, there were also narrow restrictions for citizenship. Only men over the age of 18 with a citizen father had the right to vote; women, slaves, freedmen and people born elsewhere were all excluded from citizen life, leading to only 10–20% of Athens’ population having the right to vote. Periclean Law restricted citizenship even further, with the additional requirement that a man’s maternal grandfather must also have been a citizen. A large proportion of society was therefore excluded. In Roman elections, there were attempts at expanding the franchise. The lex Iulia de civitate latinis danda (90 BCE) gave citizenship to Italians who had not rebelled in the Social War. Although this law was passed in an attempt to end the war, it nonetheless attempted to expand representation to people who lived outside of Rome. The secret ballot was also introduced by the lex Gabinia (139 BCE). Being able to vote in writing, in secret, was far less subject to intimidation than the oral voting procedure. To conclude, it is evident that Greek and Roman elections expressed the will of the people only to a small extent, with Roman elections less effective than the Greek; attempts to expand the franchise to the rest of Italy were overshadowed by the clear flaws group voting. Furthermore, even though candidates did try to secure the confidence of the people, it was often the wealthy minority that decided elections, thanks to Servius’ reforms. Although Athens held elections for military positions, and the use of the lot prevented the emergence of a ruling class that might have focused on maintaining power rather than serving the people, it is hard to argue that Greek elections were representative when such a small section of society could vote. Furthermore, due to the methods of voting, it was almost impossible to ensure an accurate result. So, despite the amendments made to support lower class involvement in politics, these measures did not help to increase citizenship: there would always be a large sector unrepresented by the Athenian political system. Angelica Lawson (L6)

THE PRIORIAN

It is hard to argue that either Greek or Roman elections expressed the will of the people to any large extent. Despite the measures taken to ensure participation in Athens, the narrow citizenship requirements and low voter turnout suggest that Greek elections were unrepresentative. There are also examples of those elected subverting the people’s will. Laws implemented to assist elections in Rome were often rendered ineffective through the use of group voting and a voting procedure that favoured the wealthy minority.

ENGLISH Winners of the Creative Writing Competition: Red Sky My constant companion – like a blanket of hope – I look for my red sky. You are there every day, a reassuring bold ceiling to my day. I don’t know what will happen in my day but I know you will be there. Vivid and bright, you give me hope. You know my history and the history of my country. When I can’t look anymore, I look up to you.

ST BENEDICT’S

In Sierra Leone the war for the diamonds came and your red, at times, matched the colour on the ground. I had never seen a real diamond in my life but I heard the adults talk of rebels coming to fight for them. I had seen them in movies, I think, but I couldn’t see their beauty. But they were so precious to people far away that they would take my everything to wear them. I didn’t understand it all but I understood the blood on the ground. We had to flee our home. My home became the forest. My school became my friends around me. My food became what I could find in the burnt out homes and in the forest we fled to. But one day the rebels were everywhere and they were too close to us. I couldn’t even look up to you my reassuring, beautiful red sky – I had to run even further.

I took my spot. Propped up against a shaded, cool rock, I looked out over the unspoiled abyss of pure desert that stretched infinitely away from me and saw the jagged natural outlines of the cliff face against the unforgiving, burning sun. Cacti stuck out, lime green, from the bland, orange sand which was baking in the relentless sun. I look back at my time and work in the harsh climate of Texas with pride. I did my job, and I did it well. Now I was heading to a completely new climate, cold and surreal. Managing to half climb, half crawl up a perilous icy rock face, I find a perfect spot on which to conduct my art. Coldness seemed to be cutting through my fingers and my hand was slowly turning colours it should not. Because of the way my art works I need one hand completely free and able to move without impediment, so putting on a glove was not an option. The Alps saw some of my finest work; the sub-zero temperatures would be impossible to work in for many but not for me. My work won me many front pages on newspapers. Well, not me but my art. It was talked about for weeks maybe even months. Truth to tell, I would not be surprised if those headlines remained in history books for years to come. Despite the fact I feel like I have reached the peak of my career I must continue, people rely on me for jobs and need me. In a way, my job is life and death. My next canvas led me to Japan. I managed to set up on top of a brightly lit, rain-spattered, bustling building with a brilliant view of towering skyscrapers which seemed to penetrate the dark, moody clouds like out-stretched fingers. Rain fell, lightly pattering on the roof around me. The puddles it left reflected the neon lights which stood confidently on top of the building like a beacon. Using this as a guide I completed my piece of art.

The boat smelt: of sweat, of oil, of fuel, but most of all it smelt of fear. I couldn’t swim well. I was a boy from a large home in a city. I had a wealthy family but we didn’t have a pool. I hadn’t thought that not being able to swim was so important before. I couldn’t look at the expanse of sea before me.

Japan was a success; not quite the Alps but still a headline piece. Again, I was not mentioned but the piece stood large and bright on the front of most wellknown newspapers.

I couldn’t look back to my land with fires burning against the sky. I couldn’t look at the faces around me mirroring my feelings of fear.

Although my work may seem to suggest otherwise, I myself am an unassuming character. Easy to miss: hard to see. However, this does work to my advantage. I don’t stand out and can hide in plain sight. Getting the best angle without looking out of place.

I looked up to my red sky. I had hope in my heart. Your blanket of red and your consistent presence helped me through that journey. I made it to land. Red: my colour of strength. I don’t know why people like diamonds but I know that I love the red sky over my country.

Today, I was once more hard to see. Putting on my headphones, I set up on London Bridge with a clear view of a grey, non-descript building.

Charley Kopoi (F3)

I picked one up as I sat amongst well-dressed businessmen and women on their way to their boring, conventional jobs. One of them was going to be the subject of my next piece.

I had my angle. I took the shot. “Good work. Target down Red Sky. Locate an exit and vacate.” Edmund Harper (U4)

Red Sky…Brute force certainly does the trick, eh. Don’t you think? Fine, I understand; you have no flaming clue what I’m blabbering about! Well, if that is the case, let me tell you about the most daunting and hefty army in the world… The Roman army. Its tricks, tactics and wily plans can effortlessly delude enemies, without leaving a single trace of human blood alive. You might be wondering why most people refer to them as ‘Red Sky’; well, it is simply because of their sturdy red shields, especially when the legionaries are placed in a tortoise formation, relentlessly attacking countless villages. Also, some other formations can be the phalanx and the triple line formation of three distinct ranks. According to many garrisons, the words ‘Red Sky’ are the words used by many Gauls, Helvetians and Goths when the dominant force is either pillaging or bombarding their miniscule villages and towns with immense brute force. Now, in Helvetia, there is a medium-sized village, with two other slightly smaller villages by the side of it. As many other countries and empires have been battered by the Romans, these Helvetian villages have been too, but they have clearly had enough of dictator rule. To solve this problem, they have created a master plan which should be of some help to them to banish the Romans from ever stepping foot into their humble village ever again. We shall explain the plan later, but first, let’s take a tour of the main and most important, medium-sized village… Tall wooden poles stand with pride on the ring of the village; a gateway with an arch is constructed out of stone, it is a more dominant material and resource compared to the wood, but these Helvetians do not really have the right tools to mine much stone, and it is quite rare in these evergreen, hilly parts of the country. Cute cottages and huts are placed in a circle right beside each other. Their chieftain, Weber, has his hut positioned in the very centre of the ring of huts. It almost looks like an illusion! Apart from a few shrubs and the bright green grass, that’s it really. It is unusually quite chilly this evening, the sky is as dark as ash; despite this, Weber starts to call an emergency meeting: to inform the fellow villagers about this he simply starts to blow on a golden conch horn. This is starting to produce a very thick layer of sound.

RED

George Majcherczyk-Olczak (L4)

THE PRIORIAN

Weber proudly shouts, “Come friends, I need to tell you a plan!” After, Weber had explained to everyone the plan to make a colossal catapult with burning grass and hay to set ablaze a Roman camp near them. Then charge, and ruthlessly attack them! It’s a plan. The proud Helvetians are carefully putting armour on and weapons in their hands. When all of them were ready, they thought to themselves we won’t say ‘Red Sky’ again. Then, they started marching….

POLITICS Lower 6th Politics Students interview Kate Crossland, Ealing Green Party member Layla Ruffini, Cathal Sheehan, Adam Gormley and Toby Moore talked to Kate Crossland about environmental politics.

ST BENEDICT’S

Question from Layla – What inspired you to get involved in local politics? KC – Well, I first joined the Green Party after I’d been making my own personal changes to address the climate emergency, which I’d been doing for years – getting rid of the car and trying to consume less and all those things – and I just got to the point where it became fairly obvious that individual action wasn’t enough. So, I joined the Green Party. I got an email looking for people to stand as a paper candidate in the last local election campaign and I said I’d give it a go. I am the sort of person that gets involved in things, so I had become the chair of the school parents’ association, and residents’ association and I’d built up a skill set around community organising. So, I guess as I got more involved in green politics it was a bit of a combination of the two – wanting to do something about climate change and the environment and feeling like, actually, I do have some of the skill sets to do this.

Question from Cathal – The Green Party and yourself have advocated support for certain policies that have been criticised for their inconvenience, such as the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, which in some cases have been proven to actually increase pollution. So, could you not argue that these are unfair lifestyle adjustments and infringements of people’s lives? KC – That’s a great question. I would argue with the point about increasing pollution and the evidence behind that, though. “Inconvenience”. I think when you start to talk about climate change you have to remember that a lot of it is about asking people to make individual lifestyle changes, which are short term pain, long term gain. So, asking someone to give up their car and move around differently, asking someone to change their diet, asking someone to change their patterns of consumption is difficult, and requires adjustment and requires change. It requires you, me and everyone in the room, everyone in London, to change. And the gain of not having

climate change is quite difficult to conceptualise. So, I think that’s where this idea of the inconvenience comes from, and the question I often think about is – inconvenient for who? So, it’s inconvenient for us in a developed country to use our cars less because we’ve become reliant on them, but inconvenient doesn’t even come close to what it must be like to live in Bangladesh and realise that you are going to be flooded by rising sea levels. So, I think you just have to look more into the context and ask, inconvenient for who? Question from Cathal – I read that you are quite an advocate for things such as ‘Meat free Mondays’ in schools and restaurants. I think this feeds into the idea of lifestyle adjustments and whether or not people should change. I think there is evidence out there that shows that the production of British beef is two and half times more efficient than the global average. Eating such things as grass fed beef and lamb is really part of the solution, not the problem. So, do you still think it’s fair to enforce things like ‘Meat Free Mondays’ in schools and restaurants? KC – I think what you have to remember when you start talking about meat production, and I know there’s a lot of discussion about organic farming, that to eat meat in this country at the level that we eat at the moment, we cannot eat that when its grass fed as we just don’t have the land, that would be impossible. You can look at some interesting graphics about how much land it would take if we just raised the beef we consume in the UK – then it’s just not possible to do. So yes, if we’re going to eat meat, we need to do it in the most sustainable way and we need to do it organically, in the way that protects the environment. But the reality is, if the idea is that everyone eats beef that’s grown organically and fed on grass, then we can’t eat it in the quantities that we’re eating. So, it comes back to that inconvenience too, doesn’t it. If you say that’s how we’re going to grow it, then meat will be more expensive and only those who can afford to buy it can eat it.

Question from Adam – On the topic of the environment, due to the importance of COP26 as the first major climate change conference after the Paris agreement, what are some pledges you’d like to see made? KC – I am so excited about COP; I’m trying to remain hopeful and positive! The Government have released, they’ve got five things. The first thing – and this is where my optimism slightly falters – the Government have released for COP is ‘adaptation and resilience’. So up front, top and centre, what we’re going to do about climate change, is we’re going to employ technology, so that we’ll have climate change, but we’ll be able to adapt. I find that a little bit worrying and I don’t think it should be our key theme. To me that says we’ve given up, we’ve accepted we’re not going to meet the goal of the Paris Climate Change Agreement and we’re just going to focus on making sure we’re ok and we have the money to be resilient. So, I would like to see a shift in priorities towards really trying to meet those targets we all agreed to in Paris, and not a kind of shoulder shrug that we’ve done it. The other shift I’d really like to see is when you look at what the Government have released around transport for COP this year – it’s all focused around electric vehicles, which is a bit of a shift from what the Conservative Government is doing policy wise. Actually policy wise in the UK, we talked about Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and, they’re pushing quite hard for active transport, but the COP agenda is around electric cars, it doesn’t really focus on public transport infrastructure and active travel. And when you look at statistics around carbon emissions from transport in the UK – and it depends how you count it – the Government statistics say it’s 27% of our carbon emissions. So that’s something I’d like to see more focus on. Question from Cathal – You questioned the evidence behind Low Traffic Neighbourhoods raising pollution in certain areas. Analysis from Wandsworth Council actually shows that nitrogen dioxide was higher when these residential roads were closed and then it dropped again when they were re-opened. And twenty-two Councils nationally actually decided to remove these LTN schemes from their council areas. Do you think there may be more efficient ways of reducing things such as pollution in cities and towns, other than these LTNs, towards maybe more bicycles out on the street for the public to use, etc?

KC – I think that, to politics students, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods are fascinating because they are probably the most contentious local election issue that has come up in what feels like decades. It is a fascinating example of public opinion and pressure groups and what you can do with data. You can look at pretty much any report that any council has produced and you will see each side of the debate using the data generated to support or counteract the argument for LTNs: someone will quote the figures that you have quoted about air pollution and someone else will say, yes but that was flawed because it was done during Covid etc. So, to answer your question, are there other measures, yes of course there are. I think that one of the things about Low Traffic Neighbourhoods is that they are a suite of measures. It’s a bit of a chicken and egg problem: if you think about encouraging people to cycle to school for example, what do you do first? Do you build the cycling infrastructure or do you get the cars off the road? You’ve got to do both. In terms of air pollution, the boundary road issue is complicated, particularly where LTNs have been introduced during Covid, as it’s really hard to know what the baseline for comparison is. We’ve got things like the Ultra Low Emission Zone extension coming in, so we have other measures as you rightly said that will lower air pollution. But I think the fundamental problem that we are faced with in Low Traffic Neighbourhoods is that it requires people to change. If you live in an LTN, but you are angry about it and you have decided you’re going to drive anyway and you’re going to sit on that boundary road and take your short journey, then air pollution is going to rise. And if you’re going to decide to sit in that traffic jam, with your engine on, then we have a problem. It requires people who are taking those journeys to reflect and consider and try and avoid those journeys, and if that doesn’t happen then LTNs don’t succeed. We need to consider the whole context of climate change and what I said earlier about transport emissions and CO2. If we decided not to have LTNs in this particular area, because, say, it has ostensibly worsened air pollution on the boundary roads, and we take them out, we still have to do something about increasing traffic emissions. So what is it we’re going to do? Is it going to be road traffic pricing, which is what the mayoral candidate for the Green Party, Sian Berry, and some other organisations, are campaigning for? But what it isn’t going to be is back to business as usual, and I think some of the anti-LTN groups advocate this idea that we just rip them all out and everyone just goes back to how it was. That isn’t on the agenda. Going back to how it was, going back to increasing private car ownership and increasing CO2 emissions from transport is not what’s going to happen and there is no political party that will tell you that. Something will change. If it’s not LTNs we have to think of something else.

THE PRIORIAN

But together we’ll have to eat less, one way or another.

MATHEMATICS UK Maths Trust Challenge Results

Niall and John

This year’s National Maths Challenge results were extremely encouraging at all levels, and amongst the best ever achieved St Benedict’s in recent years, which is especially impressive under the circumstances.

Senior Maths Olympiad

Alongside: Oliver Hennessy Garcia, Dima Danylenko and Deen Hoque (F3)

Senior

ST BENEDICT’S

7 Gold

7 Silver

Entered: 86 Olympiad: 7 Certs:26

17 Bronze

Entered: 109 Kangaroo: 10 Certs:52

UKMT Junior United Kingdom Mathematics Trust 12

Intermediate 2

UK M T

Above: Back row, left to right: Alfie Shilling, Freddie Ruzicka, Sota Tanaka, Bailey Stammers Front: Freddie Charnaud and Maria Scott (L4)

T M UK

Congratulations to John Adenigbagbe (U6) and Niall Wynne (L6) who were awarded prized Certificates of Merit in this year’s UKMT Senior Maths Olympiad Round 1 (a two and a half hour exam) in December – no mean feat. Certificates of Merit are awarded to a relatively small percentage of those who sit the Olympiad paper and this is only a very small fraction of those who participate in the preceding Senior Maths Challenge.

16 Silver

26 Bronze

Gold

4 Gold Entered: 124 Olympiad: 12 Certs:70 35 Bronze

23 Silver

HISTORY My Renaissance Project on the Lute By Oscar Rimmer (L4) For my project, I decided to make an instrument called a lute from the Renaissance. This was inspired by a famous painting created from artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. He was a painter who was very prominent in this time. What is a lute? In Europe, lute refers to a plucked stringed musical instrument popular in the 16th and 17th centuries. The lute that was prominent in European art and music of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. It was used to create harmonic and peaceful music and was played to the higher class.

How did I make my Lute? I made my lute by using cardboard, Paper Mache, string, chopsticks and card. I took some pictures to show me making my lute.

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Why was a lute so important in the renaissance? In the Renaissance era, the lute was the most popular instrument in the Western world. It became the symbol of the magic and power of music. The lute was heard in the theatre. It was heard by common people, playing the popular tunes of the day in pubs and on street corners. But it was for the posh, rich and important as it was very delicate. It showed how roles in the Renaissance were extremely significant.

SCIENCE FAIR

ST BENEDICT’S

Lower 4th Science projects

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THE JUNIOR SCHOOL: NURSERY

World Book Day

Nursery nativity

ST BENEDICT’S

Out of the egg topic

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Out of the egg topic

PP1 ‘Slither and Stomp’ PP1’s ‘Slither and Stomp’ topic focused on dinosaurs: their habitat, what they ate, how they lived, what they looked like, and fossils.

World Book Day

Leo doing science experiments

ST BENEDICT’S

William’s Temple for RE

PP2 September 1666 – Hot, dry and sunny. Dear Diary, I was sleeping when I smelt the smell of smoke. I looked out of the window. I saw the most terrible sight. Fire was all over town. I was heart broken. I had to do something. It was extremely hot. As hot as a volcano. That is how it felt when I was walking past.

Science The children conducted science investigations into which materials would be the most waterproof. They chose their own equipment and decided how they would like to test the materials, working in pairs.

Samuel Pepys (Teddy Evans)

Maths Using their knowledge of numbers to 50 to create board games.

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Dragons Dragons have rough scaly skin and flapping wings. They look very fierce and breathe ice or fire. Dragons sometimes eat people and their favourite is knights. They live in caves and steaming volcanoes. Kaya Harvey

PP3

World Book Day

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Into the woods topic

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Fire of London topic

LOWER PREP

ST BENEDICT’S

We learnt about mummification and the children had the opportunity to mummify their own toys during remote learning.

We learnt about Canopic jars and why different organs were places inside the jars during the process of mummification.

Landscape project

ST BENEDICT’S Can I describe how Tutankhamun ’s tomb was discovered?

UPPER PREP

JUNIOR SCHOOL ART Take One Picture Children in Lower Prep to Form 2 have been inspired by Uccello’s 15th century painting, The Battle of San Romano. Pieces of this work will be exhibited in the National Gallery this summer as part of the Take One Picture exhibition. “I had so much fun doing all the different tasks but knowing that it was for the same project. It was bigger than me and it looked amazing.” Kaelan O’Sullivan (F2)

ST BENEDICT’S

Cityscapes inspired by Monet

Knight’s Helmet Decorations “I felt really glad I had all these materials to use so I could express my imagination and do what I wanted to do. I loved it.” Elsa Munoz Alvarez (UP)

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War Horse “My favourite part of the project was attaching the metal plates to the armature of the sculpture.” Ollie Troman (F2)

ENGLISH AMBASSDORS INTERVIEW: MR SIMMONS What made you want to be a headmaster? There was never a point early in my career, while I was making my career choices, when I thought that I might want to be a headmaster. However, when the opportunity arose in 2004, I welcomed the opportunity for a fresh challenge. At that point in time I had been working in the Senior School as a History teacher for 13 years. I love the community at St Benedict’s and welcomed the opportunity to learn more about educating children from as young as 3, all the way to Sixth Form. I have enjoyed the challenges and now feel that I have a clear understanding of education at primary and secondary level. What is a typical day in the life of a headmaster? The reason why I really love my job, is that there is no such thing as a typical day. When I was at university, I worked in summer office jobs which were very structured and the days were similar.

I sometimes felt that I was just clock watching from day to day. Being in a school is very different. There are some things in school which are part of a routine, such as greeting pupils and their parents each morning on the school gate; leadership and management meetings; and welcoming prospective parents and children. The magical nature of my job is that each day is different and I can have plenty of interaction with people, which I really like. What is the best thing about being a headmaster at St Benedict’s Junior School? The best thing about being headmaster at St Benedict’s Junior School is the opportunity to be part of such a special school community. I feel privileged seeing young people grow up, often from their arrival at the Nursery through to their transition to the big wide world following the completion of their A levels. I have reached the stage now that pupils and students that I taught

in the 1990s are now sending their children to St Benedict’s – the next generation! Do you face any challenges in your school day? There are times when more challenging events occur, such as having difficult conversations with children who have broken school rules and find themselves in trouble. Also, dealing with the pandemic has been challenging, but we most certainly got there in the end, with all the fantastic remote learning that has been achieved, as well as making pupils feel safe upon their return to the school campus. If you could have any other job, what would it be and why? I really love my job and everything concerned with education. If someone told me that I could no longer work in education, then I would find a job in the aviation industry (e.g. a commercial airline pilot or a flying instructor).

Do you have a favourite book or author? I enjoy a wide range of books, such as sports biographies and history books, but my favourite book is a book by Geoffrey Wellum titled First Light. It is a story about an 18 year old spitfire pilot in World War II. I feel like I can really identify with him as he is someone who describes how much he loves flying. What type of music are you into and do you have a favourite band? I listen to a wide variety of music, so it depends on my mood on any particular day. I enjoy listening to rock and heavy metal bands such as Foo Fighters, Iron Maiden, Killswitch Engage, Slipknot and Taproot.

It all started back in the early 1970s, listening as a very young boy to vinyl records and revelling in the music of Slade. I would play my toy guitar and pretend to be on stage with the band, much to the amusement of my family. In the early 1980s I embraced the music of Adam and the Ants and then discovered the fabulous guitar playing of Iron Maiden’s Dave Murray and Adrian Smith. There is also a special place in my heart for the music produced by Smashing Pumpkins in the 1990s. My family listened to a wide range of music, and we would always listen to the radio Top 40 chart shows on Sunday afternoon and early evening. My parents listened to anything from Caribbean

music (Calypso and Reggae) to Country and Western, which my dad particularly enjoyed. I also enjoy classical music (especially cello pieces), and the likes of Abba, Adele, The Beatles, Billie Eilish, Enya, George Michael, Jason Mraz, Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, Pink and musicals such as Hadestown, Hamilton and Jesus Christ Superstar. A favourite band – that is really hard to answer, though Killswitch Engage is the flavour of the month at the moment and is brilliant to listen to when exercising.

Interview conducted by: Julia Kicyk, Else Gillan, Henry Gould, Freddie Burden, Daniel McCahearty and Quintin Tyrer (Form 2)

JUNIOR SCHOOL MUSIC

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Junior School Carol Service

ST BENEDICT’S

JUNIOR SCHOOL SCIENCE

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FORM 1 Amy’s and Jack’s Disastrous Winter Walk

Ice Worlds

Amy woke up early to the sound of the birds chirping in the trees as if they wanted her to come outside. She rushed down the long gloomy hallway to wake Jake up.

Crunch, crunch! I heard under my feet. ‘Whatever could that be?’ I asked myself. I reached under my feet to find cold powdered sugar; it was snow! After a few seconds I couldn’t help but start rolling in the snow and then the icy, cold, frigid air held my lungs hostage and I immediately ran back into the wardrobe to grab the thick, furry, white jacket.

The sun was out, the birds were singing. They really needed some fresh air as they had not been outside for weeks. As they started their walk, they noticed the deeper they got into the woods the darker it became. The sun was playing hide and seek with them and the wind started to howl like a pack of wolves closing in on them. From behind, a cold and icy finger tickled Jack’s back. There was a woman dressed in white from top to bottom. She was wearing a crown that had crystals on it, her dress was as white as a marble table and her eyes were as blue as the sea with a face as pale as snow. She grabbed Jack and took off. Amy was in a panic; she didn’t know what to do so she followed the woman. When she got there, she was out of breath, her heart was pounding so fast it was touching her pale skin. Right in front of her was a big and beautiful castle, as white as a freshly painted wall. Amy gingerly took one step in. She saw the woman freezing Jack, Amy was shocked. The woman then spotted Amy and said, “You, STOP!” Amy did not know what to do. She came and said “If you want your pretty friend back you must get me these three things: the first natural snow that falls off the tree, but you cannot shake it; a hedgehog spine; and a drop of the snow flower’s pollen.” The woman said, “Now do what I say. You have a three-hour deadline. If you run out of time you do not get your friend back, understood?” “Yes,” said Amy a bit hesitantly. So, Amy set off to get the hedgehog spine from a truly kind hedgehog who was sitting very still on a log close by. He could see by the look in her eyes that she was very distressed and immediately gave up his spine. “One down, two to go,” thought Amy. Then out of the corner of her eye came a bee buzzing along. “Bingo! There has to be a snow flower near.” And there it was a few yards away. Amy tilted the flower and bit by bit the pollen trickled into the clear jar.

ST BENEDICT’S

Surely Amy would be able to save Jack as she only had one more request left but the clock was ticking. She only had ten minutes left. Sweat was dripping off her face, her heart pounding as fast as a cheetah. The thought of Jack being left alone to die made her tummy churn. She sat down and waited for the one piece of snow to fall. Suddenly, one piece fell but when it touched the tip of her finger it was too late.

Her tears froze on her cheek. She knew it was too late.......... Darcie Philpot

After I had fetched my cosy jacket, I saw a beautiful river which was half iced over and half free. Cold snowflakes dance in the air like sky dancers and fell on my nose. Faster I went making sure I could see the oak wood door of the wardrobe. Then I saw an old cottage with a small red door and made of dark oak logs that were like dark shadows. The ice sheets were dancers departing from Antarctica. I saw something running in the powdery snow. I couldn’t quite make out what it was – the small, white, furry creature with big black eyes like a colossal vortex which I thought I would fall into and never reach the ground. Roxy Reber

Shackleton’s Two-Year Nightmare Before World War One, Shackleton decided to set up an expedition to cross South Pole. Ernest Shackleton was the leader for the expedition. He built his ship called ‘Endurance’ and was ready near Stromness Whaling station, South Georgia.

For his journey to the South Pole, he bought with him 69 dogs! The dogs were the only animal that could carry the sledges and would not freeze in the cold. Shackleton also bought with him 27 men on board. They finally set sail on the 8 August, 1914.

With a long march, they finally found a place to set up the Ocean Camp. Shackleton and his team stayed there for more than 5 months. Suddenly on April 9th 11 am, the ice floe that they were on shattered into pieces. After all the exhausting struggle, they kept 3 small spare boats to dash to Elephant Island, 100 miles north away from them. With a ’17 hour-darkness’ catastrophe, they finally reached Elephant Island. For more than 16 months, they had not been on solid ground. They reached there on the 15th April, 1916. After settling them down, Shackleton and 5 other men left Elephant Island to South Georgia on the 24th April, 1916. They went on James Caird, a very tiny boat. Their journey to South Georgia was an unbearable voyage! Shackleton wrote, “during twenty-six years’ experience of the ocean in all its moods, I had not encountered a wave so gigantic!” Shackleton kept a diary of his journey and wrote lots and lots of letters.

Whaling Station. Exhausted and tired, Shackleton left 3 men to recover and took Worsley and Crean on the 20th May, 1916 to hike across to the station. Everyone there would have agreed that Shackleton wasn’t a good mountaineer, but a very positive leader. He had an unshakeable faith in them. After 36 hours, they finally reached the Stromness Whaling Station. Incredibly fortunate, they borrowed a slightly bigger ship from the station. Then, they left to head for Elephant Island on the 23rd May, 1916. Shackleton took 4 attempts to land on Elephant Island on the 30th August 1916. Shackleton was astonished to see all the 22 men waving at them. They were all kept safe by Frank Wild, second in command for the expedition. Shackleton and his men were not able to accomplish their mission, but they ended their expedition without losing a single member of the crew. Mihiro Hosotani

In early December 1914, Endurance entered the Weddell Sea. Although they reached Weddell Sea safely, there was still a hopeless battle ahead of them: the pack ice. Soon enough what they had feared had become true. Shackleton and his men on board hit pack ice. From the 18 January 1915, Endurance becomes their brilliant winter base, ’The Ritz.’

On October 27th 1915, 5 pm, Shackleton woke his men to abandon ship. For ages, they had been filling leaks with everything they had. (Mostly towels, as they ran out of other things.) Shackleton struggled; in the end, he revealed that they would head to a place near civilization.

Endurance under sail trying to break through pack ice, Weddell Sea, Antarctica, 1915

With drastic measures, they finally reached South Georgia on the 8th May 1916. Nevertheless, it took them 2 days to actually land on King Haakon Bay, South Georgia. Immediately, they realized that they had landed on the opposite side from Stromness

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They made plays, cleaned, played and mostly had fun. They made this base comfortable to stop people get depressed in the complete darknesschallenge.

FORM 2 Poems inspired by a picture… The following poems were inspired by the picture The Lyrics are Only for My Soul by Ionut Caras, which depicts a lonely man sat on a bench holding a rose, amid the falling snow...

Stormy sky, crying blizzards, Unfairly spoiling your day, Like a bad Monday morning. Lit up lamps, lighting the town, Sweetly brightening your day, Like when you see your family. Else Gillan

Stormy snowflakes, falling together with pride, Peacefully giving joy to all who experience it. Sam Lock

Depressing darkness spreading through the air, Threateningly trying to put out the light Like a tsunami knocking down buildings. Lovely lamp-post standing guard, Menacingly scaring the darkness. Mourning man, staring at a flower Easily reminding him of a life he used to live. Dylan Love

Shimmering snow, falling from the sky, Slowly touching the ground, freezing without a sound.

ST BENEDICT’S

Whistling wind howling in the night, Swiftly moving in plain sight, bringing a chill to all around.

Stormy sky watching those beneath it, Silently moving away to the next happy day. Arabella Wiseman

We’ll Meet Again topic

Top: Iona Keenlyside Bottom left: Olivia Scott Bottom right: Julia Kicyk

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Ice Worlds topic

JUNIOR SCHOOL LANGUAGES

Matisse-style picture with descriptive writing Elsa Munoz Alverez (UP)

Using colours when describing animals in Spanish Anthony Sherlock (LP)

Dans Londres By Jessica Williams (F2)

ST BENEDICT’S

Dans Londres il y a une maison. Dans cette maison, il y a un jardin. Dans ce jardin, il y a un oiseau. Dans cet oiseau, il y a une fleur. Dans cette fleur, il y a un arbe. À côté de cet arbe, il y a une cage. Dans cette cage, il y a un hamster. Au-dessus de ce hamster, il y a un ciel. Dans ce ciel, il y a un nuage. Sous ce nuage, il y a une chambre. À côté de cette chambre, il y a une rue.

THE PRIORIAN

JUNIOR SCHOOL SPORT

STAFF LISTS Mr S Codrington Biology, Director of Gifted and Talented, Head of Academic PE Mr J Coles Director of Rugby Mrs M Comins Learning Support Assistant, SENIOR EXECUTIVE TEAM Economics and Business Studies Ms G Comyn Head of Sociology, Mr L Ramsden Deputy Head Housemistress of Roberts Ms F Allen Deputy Head (Academic) Mr A Conyard Fencing Coach Mrs C Bedwin Bursar and Clerk to Governors Ms T Correia Modern Languages, Upper 5th Dom Alexander Bevan, OSB Senior Chaplain Division Head Mr R Simmons Junior School Headmaster Mr G Cottrell-Kirby Fencing Coach Mrs T Scott Junior School Deputy Head Mrs C Crean Learning Support Assistant (Mathematics) LEADERSHIP TEAM AND Ms S Cronshey Geography SENIOR STAFF Dr R Curtis Head of Computer Science Mr J Foley Assistant Head: Pupil Welfare Mr S DaCosta Business Studies Mr A Heald Director of 6th Form Miss A Davis Modern Languages, Mr A Rees Academic Manager Head of German Mr S Scicinski Director of Academic Challenge Mr M Donegan Theology and RE, Middle Mr D Thomas Senior Master Manager Pastoral Mr C Wilks Director of Teaching and Learning Miss L Eades History Mrs M Dryden Head of Human Resources Mr C Eastwood Director of Music Mr R Ferrett Estates Director Mr J Edgar Theology & Religious Education, Mrs T George Development Director Lay Chaplain Mrs C Moretta Marketing Director Mr S El Akioui French Language Assistant Ms L Pepper Registrar Dr T Ennis Modern Languages, Senior Mr C Smith Director of ICT French Teacher Mr J Fenlon CCF Miss C Ferrario Geography SUPPORT STAFF Mr B Flanagan Art, Design and Technology, Mrs R Wynne Headmaster’s PA PGCE Student Miss L Busher Bursar’s PA Mr C Flavell Geography, PGCE Student Mrs T Boyle Data and SIMS Manager Mr M Foley Classics, Lower 4th Division Head Miss A Dodd School Office Manager Miss R Francis Fencing Coach Ms M McCarthy Senior School Receptionist Mr M Gardiner Sports Coach Mrs A-L Armstrong Senior School Receptionist Mrs R Gbadamosi History Ms M Robb Senior School Receptionist Dr J Greenhough English, Head of EPQ, Centre Mrs S Trowbridge Deputy Heads’ Projects Assistant Coordinator for EPQ Level 3 Mr R Baker Old Priorian Association Mr K Grodzicki ADT Technician Mr N Cave Catering Manager Mr M Hamika Fencing Coach Mrs A de Berg Sixth Form Administrator Mr R Hanbury Strength and Conditioning Coach Mrs A McKenna PE and Games Administrator Mrs E Hansell English Mr J White Head Groundsman Dr H Harper English Mrs K Mythen Music Administrator Mr J Henri Sports Coach Mrs M McPartlin Music Administrator Mr Z Higgins Director of Sport Mr. R Ramraj Facilities Manager Mrs S Hopgood Head of Careers Mrs A Barreto Estates Officer & Minibus Service Miss T Horner Sports Coach Mrs N Rowlands-Cranham Health and Safety Coordinator Mrs G Hullis Classics Mrs C Bernardi Mehrabi Parent Ledger Accounts Mr S Hullis Classics, Contingent Commander Mrs A Dayeh Financial Controller CCF Mrs D Johnson PR and Marketing Officer Mrs P Jarvis Mathematics Mrs A Stringer Human Resources Officer Miss A John Assistant Director of Music Miss E Wallace Librarian, EPQ Level 3 Lead Mrs N Jolly Head of Academic Music Supervisor Mr M Joyce Head of Government and Politics Ms A L Crespo Assistant Librarian Mr J Joyce Sports Coach Mrs J Henshaw Assistant Librarian Mr S Jukes Head of JS Boys’ Games and PE Mrs A Rodericks Assistant Librarian Ms S Kato Physics Mrs J Wallace Examinations Officer Ms J Kelly Biology Technician Mrs A Yue School Nurse Ms L Kelly Sports Coach Mr J Kelly School Marshall Miss L Kennett Head of English Ms M Lee DofE’s Award Administrator, Miss R Kestenbaum Head of Dance Educational Visits Coordinator Miss F Kissoon English Mrs S Larkam Sports Coach ACADEMIC AND PASTORAL STAFF Mrs A Lewer English Ms N Lindau Head of Psychology Ms J Adams Modern Languages Miss K Linton Art, Design and Technology Mr C Aguilar Dance Ms A Loaiza-Palacio School Counsellor Mr S Atkinson Sports Coach Mr P Lowen Fencing Coach Miss P Bartholomew Chemistry Mrs E Maidment Chemistry Mr A Billinge Mathematics, CCF Mr F Manieri Physics, PGCE Student Miss N Binic Theology & Religious Education, Mrs S Marais Head of Biology PGCE Student Miss A Maynard Head of Netball Ms J Bleau Chemistry Mr P McAleenan English, Drama Mr B Boon Sports Coach Mr P McCarthy Economics and Business Studies, Mr C Bowles Physics, Director of Science, 3rd Form Division Head Head of Physics Mr D McKeown Theology & Religious Education, Mrs L Brooks Head of Modern Languages Upper 4th Division Head Miss A Broome Sports Coach Dr S McLaughlin Acting Head of Theology and Ms N Burns Art, Design and Technology, Religious Education Second in Department Mr P McWillams Theology and Religious Mr M Cattaway Head of Tennis Education, Second in Dept Mr V Cheung Mathematics Mr M Mendes Art, Design and Technology, Mr W Clarke Learning Support Assistant, 3D Product Design Academic PE, EPQ Level 2 Mr J Murray Sports Coach Lead Supervisor

HEADMASTER

ST BENEDICT’S

Mr A Johnson

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 Head of Junior School Girls’ Games, DofE’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 Miss M Pereira da Cunha EAL Teacher Mr P Podgorski ADT Technician Dr E Ragga Chemistry Ms T Rasekh Mathematics Ms K Ravenscroft Head of Drama Dr D Robb Head of Mathematics 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 Deputy Director of 6th 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 W Taylor Sports Graduate Mr M Thain History, Second in Department, Housemaster of Barlow Miss C Thompson Mathematics Miss S Toraub 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, Lower 5th Division Head Mr P Walton Head of Geography Mrs A Watson Sports Coach 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 Deputy Director of Sport and Head of Girls’ Games 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 Mr J Preiss Mrs A Rayner Mr C Regert Mrs J Sapsard

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 Guitar Singing Guitar Clarinet

Guitar Guitar Singing Singing Piano

GOVERNORS

Mr J Berger Chair of Governors Mr M Ainslie Mrs M Boyle Mrs M Doyle Mrs M Edis Dr P Hopley Mr P Keyte Mr M Leonard Dom Ambrose McCambridge, OSB Mr P Murphy-O’Connor Mrs E Pilgrim Mr B Taylor Abbot Dominic Taylor, OSB Ms S Vale Mr J Walsh

JUNIOR SCHOOL HEADMASTER Mr R Simmons

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 Mrs F Rutherford

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

SUPPORT STAFF

Miss L Hodge Headmaster’s PA Mrs E Taylor Receptionist Mrs E Murru Office Administrator Ms J Kelly Afternoon Receptionist Mrs M Lawry School Welfare Officer Mrs K Aston Assessment and SIMS Administrator Mrs B Everett Junior School Registrar

FORM TUTORS

Form 2 Pre Prep 3 Mrs C Lewis 2M Mr J Laffey PP3G Miss L Powell 2P Ms F Rutherford PP3Y Mrs R Nwaka 2S Prep 2 Form 1 Mrs L Bartle PP2G Miss K Halpin 1M Mr L Wright PP2Y Ms M Valdres 1P Pre Prep 1 Mrs E Kottler 1S Miss E Flint PP1G Upper Prep Mrs D Petrovic PP1Y Mrs L David UPM Nursery Dept Miss M Keenan UPP Mrs M Edwards Lower Prep Head of EYFS Miss M Indra LPM Mrs D Sewell Miss M McAuliffe LPP Nursery Manager

SCHOOL OFFICIALS Head Boy: Head Girl: Deputy Head Boy: Deputy Head Girl:

Finley Carty-Howe Phoebe Lawes Lucas Henry Emily Rawlings

Senior Decans: Duncan Ashby Luay Karim Thomas Curtis Stephanie Maalouf Laurence Daly-Jones Kit Mawer Kira Depal Milly McCosker Conor Dolan Riccardo Perrotta Murdo Duguid Ciara Trollip Émilie Fawcett Amy Vaughan Lili Fuchs Zoe Ziprin Oscar Hancock President of School Council:

Riccardo Perrotta

House Captains: Barlow: Ben Page and Ciara Trollip Gervase: Louis Pyne and Milly McCosker Pickering: Louis Clow and Lauren Cox Roberts: Oscar Hancock and Amy Vaughan

ACADEMIC AND PASTORAL STAFF Mr C Aguilar Ms C Belizano de Meyer Ms A Bhatti Ms A Broome 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 Miss K Halpin Mrs V Halpin Mr J Henri Mrs C Hernaman Mr Z Higgins Mr J Joyce Mr S Jukes Mrs M Keogh Mrs C Keenan Miss E Keenan Miss L Kelly Ms R Kestenbaum Mrs E Kottler Mrs B Krok-Paszkowska Mrs S Larkam Mrs J Loveless Mrs J Mallinson Mr C Markou Mrs C Matkov Mrs M McNelis Miss A Maynard Mrs S Munro Mrs J Murphy Mr J Murray Mr R Mushiso Mrs S Nee Mr K Newell Mr J Nijhar Mrs R Nwaka Mr B O’Hara Mrs T Rebello Miss M Reid Mr H Sadiq Mrs C Scott Ms L Sharp Mrs P Sheehan Mrs S Stevenson Mrs C Sweetman

Dance ASC Assistant Learning Support Teacher Sports Coach EYFS Practitioner Learning Support Asst ADT Assistant Head of Rugby Teaching Assistant Teaching Assistant Head of PSHCE After School Club Assistant Head of Junior School Music Head of Mathematics Teaching Assistant Sports Coach After School Club Assistant Director of Sport Sports Coach Head of Boys’ Games/PE Teaching Assistant Learning Support Asst Head of English Sports Coach Head of Dance KS2 Deputy Art Assistant/Teaching Assistant Swimming Coach Head of History After School Club Assistant Head of Art Learning Support Teacher Head of Learning Support Head of Netball Learning Support Teacher Learning Support Teacher & After School Club Assistant Sports Coach Sports Coach EYFS Practitioner Head of Cricket Head of Hockey Head of Religious Education Head of Girls Games/PE After School Club Assistant/ Lunchtime Assistant Teaching Assistant Head of Fencing Learning Support Teacher SBJS School Counsellor Teaching Assistant Head of ICT Head of SBJS Library

Decans:

Freddie Bartlett Aggie Bright Arabella Campbell Delia Capatina Harrison Catterall Teddy Clifton Tristan Ellis Tilly Glide Grace Kingham Stefan Loizou

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

Mr W Taylor Mr D Traynor Mrs S Whiteman Mrs D Yallop Mrs A Yates Ms J Zaradna

Mariana Makarewicz Pareesha Maker Barnaby Morris Timothy Oyinlola Ben Page Mia Simpson Shayla Sood Sorcha Tipping Lauren West Jamie White Charles Harte Daisy Burns Ethan Wetherell Alberto Mascioli Arabella Campbell Emily Rawlings Ethan Wetherell Barnaby Watts Thomas Curtis Amy Vaughan

Sports Coach Sports Coach Head of Science EYFS Practitioner & After School Club Co-ordinator JS Head of Games/PE EYFS Assistant

JUNIOR SCHOOL OFFICIALS

Head Boy: Dylan Love Head Girl: Gemma Slaughter Deputy Head Boy: Freddie Morrey Deputy Head Girl: Olivia Scott Prefects: Benjamin Burke, Wilfred Emamy, Cecily Flanagan, Else Gillan, Daniel McCahearty, Kaelan O’Sullivan, Jonny Pow, Caspar Stevenson House Captains: Bede: Saoirse Field and Jay Whiteley Fisher: Iona Keenlyside and Stanley Watts Gregory: Freddie Lawrence and Jessica Williams More: Christopher Le Bouëdec and Victoria Steinhauser Art Ambassadors: Georgia Brown, Matija Koncar, Ollie Troman Cookery Ambassadors: Lucy Bignell, Imogen Boas, Coco Lumsden English Ambassadors: Freddie Burden, Henry Gould, Daniel McCahearty, Quintin Tyrer Environmental Ambassadors: Julian Adams, Adam Frost, Nathaniel Kennedy-Alexander Geography Ambassadors: Natan Siekierka, Aaron Patel History Ambassadors: Hugo Parmentier, Cosmo Selby, Arlo Soden ICT Ambassadors: Nader Girgis, Louis Matthews, Alex Szyszko-Walls, Patrick Wixted Library Ambassadors: Adrian Cieniewski, Oscar Hickman Mathematics Ambassadors: Sam Langford, Meet Maroo Modern Foreign Languages Ambassador: Hugo Parmentier Music Ambassadors: Charlie Elverston, Caspar van Loenen, Arabella Wiseman Pre-Prep Ambassadors: Austin Bissett, Tristan Booth, Leo Huntley, Julia Kicyk, Sam Lock, Harry McCarthy, Lucy Michael Mini Vinnies President: Henry Heald Mini Vinnies Vice-President: Julian Adams Science Ambassadors: Jacob Bedwin, Shaan Deegan, Benedict Steinhauser School Council Chair: Harry Tallboy

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Mr A Scheuerer Mr E Stewart Mr L Taliotis Mr M Waldren Mrs N Yeghiazarian

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