Old Birkfeldian Newsletter Summer 2021 Matthew Hunn OB - Assistant Head of Cricket
Message from the Principal Dear Old Birkfeldian It is good to finally be connecting with the wider St Joseph’s community once again, including and importantly with each of you as the College’s alumni. Over the past 15 months and the ongoing pandemic, St Joseph’s has successfully navigated unprecedented, challenging and strange times indeed. Our Latin motto, Fides, Labore et Tenaciatate, has never resonated so strongly. The College was lauded for its overnight switch to a full online curriculum with live teaching on Monday 23 May 2020 – just two days after the Prime Minister’s announcement that the country was going into its first lockdown. Our students have benefited not just from live lessons but also many other aspects of school being provided virtually, from PE to weekly whole school assemblies beamed live from our Chapel. We are starting to return to some normality. Covid safety measures remain in place but these have allowed sports fixtures, Cricket Week and the 26th Arts Festival, among other highlights, to have taken place, much to our students’ delight. It is always lovely to hear your news and also to meet with you in person – I am looking forward to welcoming an OB from Leeds to campus next week. Our 35th Rugby Festival is planned for the weekend of 16-17 October 2021 – with the OB game taking place on the evening of Friday 15 October – it will be fabulous to catch up with as many of you as possible at this event which I know many of you have in your diaries already! Please continue to share your news – obs@stjos.co.uk – and do watch out for future communications. Let’s keep the conversation going. Mrs Danielle Clarke Principal
Friends Back in Contact After Nearly Half a Century
Mr Kim Yap OB wrote to us ‘trying to trace two fellow boarders from the Upper Sixth in 1973’ - Paul Julian Piggott and Philip Byrne please? He supplied the class photo in which they are pictured top row third from left and far right respectively. Paul contacted us to say, ‘Yes, that is myself and it was 47 years ago… I've had no contact with any of the class in all that time. This might be a record! ‘I knew him as Yap Kiam Min and I recall having a great holiday with him and his fantastic family in the North of Malaysia after finishing A-levels. Would love to get in touch with any of that year.’
St Joseph’s Replaces St Marks! We were delighted to welcome back to the College Dr Tim Arnold, after some 40 years. Tim was a student here from the age of 11 to 16, when his family relocated. Now a GP in Guildford, Tim was visiting the area for old time’s sake with his partner, Jackie. Covid had put paid to their planned holiday to Venice but the weather was glorious and the sight of Dedham, Snape and St Joseph’s stepped up to replace the Grand Canal, the Lido and St Mark’s Square! Tim was a keen rugby player at St Joseph’s, enjoying both the 15s, and the Rosslyn Park and Oxford 7s. He recalls the Brothers playing rugby in their cassocks. Among his school friends was Mark Robson, son of the late Sir Bobby Robson, footballer and manager of England and Ipswich Town.
Kim confirmed that holiday at his home, actually in 1970 and was delighted to be back in contact with Paul. He was spurred on to mention a few more names: Martin a Becque, George Sze and Peter Ho. He would also value news of his favourite member of staff, Maths teacher Mr Tom Sumner. Do please get in touch with us if you would like help tracing old friends. We can’t promise, but we’ll try.
Mr Dominic Briffa OB Head of Science I am writing this from the teacher’s desk in Room 301, one of the Science labs at school. After a year working at St Joseph’s, it still occasionally strikes me as being somewhat surreal to find myself standing here. Why? Because before this academic year, the last time I had stood in this room was 28 years previously in June 1993, getting my Upper Sixth shirt signed by friends and teachers - including Mr Twist, who somehow managed to coax me through A-level Chemistry and who continued to teach many at the College until very recently. It is a rare and strange privilege to stand on the other side of the desk and see the lab from this angle. I started at St Jo’s as a 7-year-old, in what we would now call Year 3, at the old prep school campus at Oak Hill, just down Belstead Road towards town. I still possess my striped blazer from the time, slightly faded, but otherwise indistinguishable from those worn by today’s Prep school pupils. The Headmaster of the school was Brother Damien and later Brother David Hennessey. It was then, as it is now, a school that took sport seriously, but I gravitated towards the Music Department, ultimately leading the orchestra and performing on stage in a number of shows. The Birkfield Society, the debating club, was also a big part of my Sixth Form, with debates, visits and visiting speakers all part of the programme that was organised entirely by us, the students. It was then, as it is now, a thriving community where the range of opportunities for personal development was endless, and I am immensely grateful for the start in life the College gave me.
Above: Louis was delighted to wear his dad’s old Prep School blazer when he visited the school prior to following his father’s footsteps as a pupil. Louis is looking forward to sharing the campus with older brother, Luqa (Y9). The boys won’t be leaving Mum at home either as Mrs Briffa will be joining us in September as a part-time teacher of English and Humanities.
Excellent Ambassador for Degree Apprenticeships Above: Mr Briffa suitably attired for the onslaught during the Red Nose Day fundraising event. After leaving school, I spent the next few years in Manchester and the Lake District, working in conservation education and getting started on my teaching career, while also getting married and looking after a growing family. The call of adventure beckoned, and my family and I spent most of the next 14 years living and working at an outstanding international school in Brunei. But we have felt an increasing need to return home to our roots, and for our children to spend some of their youth growing up at ‘home’ in preparation for future study and work here. It has been a joy to return to Suffolk after so many years away, and the happiest luck that the opportunity arose to continue my teaching career at the place where it all started. It has been a strange time to start in a new job - our masks, bubbles and protocols are the essential tools needed for us to carry on doing the best we can - but the sense of community has been huge in spite of - or perhaps because of - these challenges. It’s good to be back... first as a Teacher of Biology and now Head of Science.
Zoe Asbury OB, who left St Joseph’s with A*A*A*A grades in her Business, Geography and Economics A-levels and EPQ, to join Unilever for an IT Project Manager Degree Apprenticeship, has won an Owned It award for her work in automation and IT delivery. The award was presented during #ApprenticeshipWeek. Zoe was also nominated by her colleagues for the individual award in the GeoIT Europe recognitions and finished as runner-up. In a message back to the College she said, ‘Writing this now, having left St Jo’s in 2018 seems very surreal. I have nearly completed my Degree Apprenticeship in Chartered Management sponsored by Unilever, where I am an IT Project Manager, delivering technology innovation programmes to our supply chain teams in UK & Ireland market. ‘For me, this opportunity at Unilever was perfect as I am able to gain a degree and put the theory into practice on a daily basis. I am also able to gain real business experience which challenges me, whilst experiencing lots of exciting opportunities. ‘I thank St Jo’s for providing me the skills, attitude, morals and ethos to succeed in life, as well as the support and confidence the Sixth Form team gave me to find opportunities such as Unilever’s degree scheme outside the normal university route. One route does not fit everyone; don’t be scared to go outside the normal university route! Wise words, Zoe - we will look forward to following your career journey!
OBs Join in Arts Festival Finale Our annual Arts Festival lifted our spirits in the run up to the summer break. As covid restrictions were gradually easing there was the opportunity for some visitors – safely distanced of course – to come onto the campus and share the joy. The week-long event ended with a Sunday afternoon open mic finale, with food and drinks being served. The full and eclectic programme ranged through pop, jazz and the classics. We were delighted to welcome back James Battye OB, who performed with his sister, Rosie (Y10). Also taking to the stage was Vibhash Gunasene OB.
Prep Pupils Love Having Harrison Back at St Jo’s The boys and girls of the Prep School have really enjoyed having OB Harrison Ward back at the school. Harrison has been shadowing Mrs Logan and Mrs Bestley and using the skills he’s been learning at Hartpury University to bring some youthful pizzazz to PE and games. A football specialist and all-round sportsman, Harrison, has been studying for a degree in coaching since leaving St Joseph’s last summer.
Opening Career Gambit Sees Luke Returning to School
A Man Going Places – the Rise and Rise of Isaac Codjoe OB
Having graduated from the University of Leicester with a BSc in Geography, Luke Cerely OB, returned to St Joseph’s to build up some valuable experience of teaching across all age groups and assisting in Boarding.
Congratulations to Isaac Codjoe OB for securing a prestigious internship at PwC in their consulting line of service. This is an impressive achievement given the highly selective recruitment process for these places.
Luke left the College in 2016 with, among other accomplishments, three Rugby Festivals under his belt. He has been working as a gap graduate in Sport for Years 6, 7, 8 and 9 in core PE and helping out in Games lessons for pupils in Nursery right up to Year 13. In the longer term he wants to become a senior school teacher and possibly return again to St Joseph’s College one day. In the meantime, he plans to go further afield, and is considering an inner city area of London, where he hopes he could make a big impact. Boarding has valued his cheery presence. Mews Housemistress Dr Stimson said, ‘Mr Cerely has a reputation for prowess at the chessboard, which has helped intensify a craze for the game. There seems to be a match happening somewhere in boarding at all times now and it is lovely to see age groups socialising together as they play.’ Whatever you next move Luke, keep us posted.
Isaac completed his A-levels last year, achieving A*s in Economics and an EPQ and A grades in Mathematics and Physics, whilst at the same time making a real impact as a member of the Youth Parliament. Isaac is now at UCL reading Management Science. Award upon award: Isaac has also been named by the East Anglian Daily Times as one of its 30 most inspiring young people under 30 in Suffolk. He responded, ‘It it to my surprise and a great honour that I have been selected as one of the 30 under 30 inspiring young people from all across Suffolk! Having been an immigrant myself moving to the UK from Germany aged 7 and being the son of immigrants, I'm glad to have been able to leave an impact on the town and county that accepted me. I'd just like to thank everyone who has supported me on my journey thus far and I will continue to strive to leave a positive impact on society and especially young and marginalised groups in any role I take on!’ Appearing with him on the 30 Under 30 list is Sophie Peskett, who leaves the College this summer. In June Sophie became the first woman to sign a professional contract with Ipswich Town FC. At just 18, she was part of the squad taking Ipswich Town women to their highest ever league position.
School News Roundup As this newsletter went to press, St Joseph’s College was winding up for the summer holidays after an academic year like no other. On Page 10 you can read how St Jo’s steered a careful and successful path through the pandemic, adapting to lockdowns, bubbles, masks, social distancing and online learning. Wherever we could, we came out stronger. Our core business of providing a first-rate education for children and young people aged 2 to 18 years has continued and like the Windmill Theatre, ‘we never closed’. There have been numerous highlights to the year, including the success of our young mathematicians in the World Class Maths Tests, our joyous Arts Festival and the crowning of our U18 Girls as Independent School FA national champions. There has been increasing emphasis on Engineering at the College, which is recognised as an important spur to creative thinking and a gateway subject to numerous careers. St Joseph’s offers dedicated Engineering lessons from the Prep School onwards, plus extracurricular clubs. From September we will be offering BTEC Level 2 & 3 Engineering, equivalent of GCSE and A-level respectively.
During the Level 2 course students will develop a range of practical and theoretical engineering skills including machining techniques, materials science, mathematics and drawing design. Students who enjoy and successfully complete this course can progress on to the Level 3 in Engineering, which may be taken alongside other BTECs or A-levels. We are also adding GCSE Textiles and expanding our A-level provision with Textiles - Fashion & Garments, including opportunities for our students to work alongside London College of Fashion and professional tutors from the University of the Arts London. This project is exclusive to St Jo's and will not be happening anywhere else. We are also launching AS Law, expanding the hours offered by our Nursery, which is now year-round, and building up an exceptional programme of holiday camps. St Joseph's College was delighted to receive the 2021 School Story Award from Interactive Schools for Best Use of Facebook. Watch our award-winning Prep School Christmas 2020 film here and go to the website for lots more videos.
Nothing can be as good as being in a live classroom with your teacher in the flesh. Our experience has certainly taught us that we crave the human interaction where possible. However, the College has decided to build upon its experience and launch ‘E’ A-level and GCSE offerings to international students who, for one reason or another, are not yet ready to take the plunge of moving country.
Accentuating the Positive and Giving Credit Where Credit is Due ‘...need (the mother of all inventions) taught them’, so writes Thomas Hobbes in his book Leviathan, 1651. We have all certainly been pushed to try different ways of doing things through these challenging times. I delivered a whole school assembly on the subject of Charles Darwin, his theory of evolution and natural selection. How those creatures which best adapt to their environment - are more likely to survive and thrive: hopefully without sounding blasé or arrogant, I can certainly say that the staff and students have passed this test of natural selection. Whilst there have been some blips along the way, the College teaching and support staff have adjusted superbly to the new reality. Over a weekend in March 2020 we went from only one or two departments ever actually using Google Classroom to being a fully-fledged online school with lessons delivered as per timetable through the day. As staff gained experience more lessons became live Google Meets and Microsoft Teams Meets. By ‘Lockdown II’ live lessons were the standard and staff were trialling several new platforms to make them more interactive. The conferencing equipment which the College purchased over the summer to bring our international students - whilst away in quarantine or awaiting a reduction in transmission rates- into the classroom proved a great investment. The term ‘concurrent teaching’ entered the teacher lexicon (teacher in the room with a live class whilst simultaneously teaching students in different parts of the world virtually). Use of the technology grew and soon teaching staff who were self-isolating at home were ensuring the continuity of learning and were beaming into lessons on the whiteboard whilst communicating with their classes on the conferencing speaker. One day in October I was surprised to see two lessons taking place in the Sixth Form bubble area (the English Faculty), being delivered by teachers from their homes, who were simultaneously delivering to students in three other countries along with a number of day students isolating on or off the campus for other reasons.
Without the students stepping up and engaging with us online the teaching we have delivered over this period could never have been so successful. As a staff we are incredibly proud of the resilience and enthusiasm they displayed throughout the lockdowns. By and large the cameras on at the start and end of a lesson rule was observed for Lockdown II and our students themselves improved in their ability to use Google Classroom. To grab the positives from the experience, many of our students became better organised and more independent in their learning than previously. I know this is not the case for all and where necessary we intervened to close the gap between students where it had widened, but, overall, I would reject the idea that students fell ‘behind’ per se: behind what or whom exactly? In fact, notions of ‘behind’ are simply wrong and in some ways damaging to student wellbeing. The whole national cohort have been through - and are still enduring- a global pandemic; our students are simply where they are. Our task is to fill the knowledge, skills and understanding gaps assiduously where we find them, adjusting timescales to take into account the disruption they have experienced and prepare them for the adjusted examination system implemented. If we can seize further positives from these times, conversations with students about their experience of lockdown abound with stories about new lifeskills acquired, such as meal preparation, and quality time spent with parents on walks and other exercise. As a College we have discovered the joy of Zoom Parent Meets - who would have thought they would turn out more popular with both parents and teachers than the ‘in the flesh’ variety. It seems that this will be one change that will survive the pandemic, and one we would not have tried before. Mr Sacha Cinnamond Deputy Principal
Former Student Returns with Wealth of Experience to Bolster Cricket Development Mr Matt Hunn OB has formally been appointed Assistant Head of Cricket at St Joseph’s College. Matt will also be embarking on teacher training with us from September. Having recently retired as a professional cricketer, Matt brings a wealth of experience which, combined with his knowledge and understand of what makes St Jo’s different, will be invaluable in developing the game for both male and female students. He also brings an ECB Level 3 qualification and a considerable coaching experience to the existing team. Matt said, ‘I started my journey with St Joseph's College in Year 7 and went all the way through to Year 13. I have so many fond memories of my time at the College; it helped me in so many different ways to have the career I did within professional cricket. ‘After I left St Joseph’s in 2012, I went on to play professional cricket for five years as a fast bowler with Kent CCC and now have come full circle, back at the College within the Sports faculty. I owe a lot to the Sports department as they gave me so many different opportunities as a younger athlete. These helped to shape my professional career.’ ‘I am hoping to pass on the knowledge and experiences I have gained from my previous career to the younger students at St Joseph’s and hopefully as a cricket department we can produce professional cricketers in the years to come,’ he added.
Happy 21st to the Millennium’s First Eleven Rain unfortunately put paid to the 2021 OB game v the 1st XI, which should have been a highlight of our Cricket Week. So, here instead is a photograph of a first eleven dating back to the year 2000 to stir some memories. We can identify some of the players (including a current parent!) but wonder where they all are two decades later. All established in careers? Still playing cricket? Representing towns and villages? We would love to hear.
Your School Photos are Ready for Collection Now!
We know students can be a little absent minded about collecting their belongings, so the subjects of these six portrait shots are being offered a reminder. The packs of photographs came to light in some boxes of archive materials recently. Unfortunately, they do not come with a date, but we know Joshua Woods, Georgina Allen, C. Peck and Andrew Starling are among the sitters. We will leave the photographs at Main House reception for collection, but please do ring first (01473 690281) to ensure up-to-date covid regulations are met. We love to see old school photographs here; but not so much the standard class and team shots as photographs taken during lessons and trips. If you have any to share do please send them in with as full a caption as you can manage. We are also keen to hear where our alumni have moved to and what they are doing. Please let us have an update. If you have an interesting career or business we would love to feature it in a future edition.
Signs are Favourable for a Return of the National Schools Rugby Festival in October and We Can’t Wait! It was a huge disappointment to break our chain of National Schools Rugby Festivals dating back to 1986, but covid left us no choice. However, the Festival is back and promises to be the best yet over the weekend of Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 October 2021. The weekend will begin in time-honoured style with the Old Birkfeldians’ game on the Friday (Under 23s v Over 23s). If you’d like to play we would love to have you. Contact events@stjos.co.uk. Similarly, if you would like to be a sponsor – and the Festival depends on our generous sponsors – please look at the video here and get in touch with the College. Ethan Waddleton OB has been named in the Team GB rugby sevens squad for the Tokyo Olympic Games in July. He made his debut for the national rugby sevens team in January 2017, and has become a regular fixture in the England team. At St Jo’s, Ethan played alongside England and Northampton flanker Lewis Ludlum OB; with St Jo’s winning the U16s Rosslyn Park Sevens, and the 2013 St Joseph’s Festival. Before joining the England Sevens academy programme, he spent time with Northampton Saints and Saracens’ academies.
Pictured above in action for Wales U20 v Italy is new OB Harri Williams, Head Boy 2020/21. Harri joined us as a capable all-round sportsman (a past member of Colchester United’s Football Academy and nationally ranked in tennis), but he had already decided to focus on rugby. In Year 10, he led a highly capable squad to the quarter-finals of the U15 National Schools Cup. By Year 11, he was our 1st XV Scrum Half and contributed significantly to the team’s performances in both our own National Schools Rugby Festival and Rosslyn Park National Schools Sevens. He was further rewarded with a five-year contract with Scarlets. Selected to represent the Welsh U18 side in 2020, Harri has now been selected for the Welsh U20 squad. Harri’s classmates making their mark in the game include: • Leroy O’Neil joins Northampton Saints on a trial-based contract. • Gabe Jones, Ben Sams, Joe Pattinson and Gabriel Hawley have joined our official partners at Ealing Trailfinders and Brunel University.